Farm Aid organizers have announced that the annual benefit concert for farmers will occur this year via FANS online platform. Dubbed “Farm Aid On The Road,” this special livestream event will be available to watch on FANS.com September 26 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. EDT.
Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews will be headlining the festival. Joining them are Bonnie Raitt and Boz Scaggs, Brandi Carlile, Black Pumas, Chris Stapleton, Jack Johnson, Margo Price, Nathaniel Rateliff and many others.
“This pandemic and so many other challenges have revealed how essential family farmers and ranchers are to the future of our planet,” Willie Nelson said in an official statement. “Farm Aid 2020 is going to give the whole country a chance to learn about the important work of farmers and how they’re contributing to our well-being, beyond bringing us good food.”
Equally important are the included stories from many family farmers across America, showcasing why they farm, how they have manage to stay strong during the pandemic and where they believe the future of agriculture lays.
Started in 1985 by Nelson, Mellencamp and Young, the festival’s mission has remained raise money and share stories from American farmers. Over the years the farm festival has made two stops in New York; Randall’s Island (2007) and a sold out day at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (2013).
Neil Young Performing At SPAC (2013) photo by Jim Gilbert
“Since we started in 1985, Farm Aid has kept its finger on the pulse of farm country and deployed funds and resources to help farm families confront the challenges they face,” said Executive Director Carolyn Mugar. “It’s clear that this is a critical moment for farmers and ranchers. We risk losing their important contributions to our communities and our families if we do not adequately respond as a country.”
This year’s festival is free of charge but donations are being accepted. Farm Aid accepts donations year-round here. Visit FarmAid.org for more information.
Greywolf, aka Jay Grey, bassist for rising powerhouse band Escaper, has released “Exit Key,” the first single off his upcoming debut album Operation Wolf.
“Exit Key” is a sample of what the multi-instrumentalist is able to do on his own. Haunting and beautiful, the lyrics evoke themes of love, loss, and wanting to make a change. The track opens with a droning synth, before dropping into love story lyrics. Prescient themes for these times are found, with change needed to be made after reaching a breaking point and wanting to make change.
Greywolf recorded and played all the instruments on this record in his home studio, including piano, synth, keys, guitar, bass and beat programming. The record as a whole addresses change, longing and one’s personal connection with nature and the universe. You’ll find an autobiographical feel and personal touch to the music and the album.
While Jay Grey is best known for his work with Escaper, he has branched off to deliver a sound all his own. Keep your eyes and ears open for more brilliance from this emerging artist.
American pianist, song-writer, multi-instrumentalist, record producer Marco Benevento.
Benevento has been a well known pianist in the New York experimental jazz scene since 1999. His career lead him to collaborate with other musicians such as, Matt Chamberlain and John McEntire. He was nominated for the Jazz Album of the Year at the Independent Music Awards in 2008. His most recent en devour was creating his own record label called, “The Royal Potato Family,” along with manager Kevin Calabro. His latest studio album was created using his label, Let it Slide.
MASS MoCa is museum & performing arts center that highlights the work of contemporary artists in particular and has been open since 1999. It resides in an old factory in North Adams, MA and is considered one of the leading contemporary art museums. They host visual arts, performances, and educational programs year round.
Although he normally plays with band mates, Karina Rykman and Dave Butler, this performance is a solo act. The show goes on at 7:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now.
For more information on Marco Benevento and his upcoming performance at MASS MoCa visit their website.
LOCKN’ Festival is officially being postponed to October 1-3, 2021 due to COVID-19. The festival had originally planned to take place in June 19-21 of 2020, was delayed to October 2-4 of 2020 in hopes the virus would subside, but was officially postponed until 2021 on August 29, 2020.
The 8th annual LOCKN’ Festival will take place at Infinity Downs & Oak Ridge Farm on LOCKN’s 387-acre property located at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Arrington, VA. The LOCKN’ 2021 festival will mark an all-star celebration of Phil Lesh’s upcoming 81st birthday, with the legendary musician performing alongside an array of famous friends and special guests over the three-day event. There will also be a special “Steal Your Thursday” which will kick off the festival weekend on Thursday, September 30, 2021.
A complete artist lineup and additional ticket information will be announced soon. Individuals who already purchased LOCKN’ 2020 tickets can obtain a full refund for tickets and camping accommodations or choose to have their ticket rollover to LOCKN’ 2021. LOCKN’ 2020 purchasers transferring their order to LOCKN’ 2021 will receive one free access voucher for all three crowdless performances from the LOCKN’ site by Joe Russo’s Almost Dead on October 2-4, 2020. There will be a lot of additional benefits applied per ticket type, with VIP Ticket Holders and Super VIP Ticket Holders will receive an invitation to a private celebration at LOCKN’ 2021 with complimentary food and beverages, along with some surprise guests. Super VIP Ticket Holders will also get a very special ride on the Main Stage turntable. GA ticket holders who rollover will also be entered to win a VIP ticket and camping upgrades for LOCKN’ 2021.
For people who are looking for a refund on their LOCKN’ 2020 tickets instead of a rollover can request a full refund of the total purchase price, including all fees. Requests must be made by September 27, 2020 by 11:59 PM EST. Refunds will be processed in as little as 30 days following the deadline; refunds will be issued to the ticket holder’s original method of payment. If no selection is made by September 27, 2020 orders will automatically roll over to 2021.
There is also the option for LOCKN’ 2020 ticket holders to donate their current ticket to LOCKN’ if they are unable to attend in 2021 to help to ensure another year of music and family on the farm. A portion of the face value of all donated ticket sales will be given to HeadCount to support its mission of promoting participation in democracy by registering voters at live and virtual events. For complete details on how to rollover tickets, request a refund, or donate LOCKN’ 2020 tickets, visit here.
For more information on LOCKN’ Festival 2021 visit their website.
Brooklyn based alt rock band, The Upstart Crows, today debut their catchy single and accompanying music video for “Stuck.”
Lead Vocalist/guitarist Jon Adams.
Lead Vocalist/guitarist, Jon Adams, says the new single displays the “frustrations with feeling stuck in life.”
“Stuck is a catchy ballad reflecting on the frustrations of feeling stuck in life, waiting for change to come, and not being sure if it will ever come.”
Adams formed the band along with band mate and drummer, Forest DeCoste, in the basements on Keene, NH. The two made their way to Brooklyn where they went on to release their first self-titled album. The two recently parted ways, although both are on good terms. Adams says that he was in the process of looking for new band mates when the global pandemic happened, so in the meantime, he’s playing solo.
“Recently Forest decided he wasn’t interested in playing in the band anymore so he quit the band. We are still on very good terms, and we even still play DND every week. I was in the process of finding new band mates and moving the project in a new direction but Covid put the kibosh on that for now. So currently it is just me.”
Jon Adams
In regards to live shows and concerts starting back up, Adams says that we still have a long way to go, but he’s hopeful for the future.
“It looks like live music, for now, is live streams. But I bet we will figure out a creative solution to have live music again. I hear some people are doing shows at drive-in movie theaters now. “
Jon Adams
Be sure to check out The Upstart Crows past sounds and tune in to watch and listen to Stuck.
In a year where things can’t seem to get any worse, Added Color provides a rare hopeful vision. The Brazilian-American Brooklyn rock band returns with their new song “Something Better,” the lead single for their upcoming November EP, If You Had It All.
“Something Better” impressively tackles a myriad of problems plaguing Western culture without skimping on any of them. Using topical slogans like “resist” and “I can’t breathe,” it sounds like a socially conscious mosh pit. The accompanying lyric video complements the song with a staticky aesthetic, depicting this year’s protests, inedible fast food, and corrupt politicians. But despite including the likes of Donald Trump and Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, Added Color believes these presidents merely personify deep-rooted societal issues:
We feel that the greed, corruption, and cruelty that is embodied by world leaders such as Trump and Bolsonaro is a symptom of something that’s been decaying for quite a while now. A lot of people are depressed; a depressing amount of people are addicted to drugs. Police brutality is a massive issue—it seems we hear a new heart-wrenching tale of senseless loss of life on a daily basis. Access to decent healthcare is a nightmare for millions of people in what is supposed to be the richest country in the world. Fast food franchises reign supreme; it’s a challenge to eat decently in a lot of places.
It all amounts to a huge macro need for Something Better. The capitalization is not just because it’s the name of a song. It’s an idea for another world: one that we all deserve, and one that we can create together.” Of course, the song’s bridge decides that “Something Better starts with you.
“Something Better” precedes Added Color’s November EP, If You Had It All. The band is releasing the EP through Damp Interactive, in partnership with global distributor Symphonic Distribution. Recorded and produced by Johann Meyer (Gojira, Mastodon, Shinedown) and Jamie Uertz (Blind Melon) in Brooklyn, guitarist and vocalist Kiko Freiberg says If You Had It All is “darker, more political, and more powerful” than past projects. Drummer and singer Daniel Freiberg elaborates:
“The EP attacks the ‘free world’ as a society designed for failure, where corporations and government work hand in hand to thrive off the backs of the oppressed. Unfortunately, it took a pandemic to make the world pay attention to the societal diseases that plague our revered ‘Western Society.’ It’s time to make a change.”
Added Color has played in over 25 states as well as internationally. They’ve toured in Morocco five times, including at the 2019 L’Boulevard Festival, and played at some of Brazil’s biggest music festivals. Since the pandemic has stopped them from touring, they’ve instead planned live performances online. Every Tuesday at 3:00 P.M. ET, the band streams their “Chevy Expressions” series on Instagram Live.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CESO8ZHDjns/
Stream “Something Better” here, and visit Added Color’s website for more information.
Mariah Carey announced her upcoming compilation album, The Rarities, out on October 2. While the Songbird Supreme has previously released seven compilation albums, The Rarities is the first to feature new material instead of past hits. The album’s lead single, “Save The Day,” features vocals from Ms. Lauryn Hill and samples The Fugees’ cover of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly With His Song.”
Mariah started recording “Save The Day” back in 2011, but scrapped it for unbeknownst reasons. Co-written by frequent collaborator Jermaine Dupri, it was originally meant to be a charity single. Thankfully, its message of hope and unity is even more relevant in 2020 than when it was first conceived. The only disappointment is that Lauryn Hill fades into the background: she doesn’t have a solo or new lines beyond the iconic sample.
The Rarities has 32 tracks and two discs: one with unreleased music from every era of her career, another with live performances from Mariah’s Tokyo Dome show in 1996. The album coincides with her memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, out on September 29. Mariah first teased The Rarities back in June to celebrate the 30th anniversary of her debut album, but postponed its release to focus on the Black Lives Matter movement. Now, she’s devoting the rest of the year to #MC30 festivities for her fans.
Brooklyn electro-pop funk artist Francis Aud recently released his newest single “Take Me Home,” blending bittersweet lyrics with an upbeat and unique electric funk.
Francis Aud started out as a retro-soul artist and released his debut EP Tender Things in July 2017. Since then, his music has evolved into what he calls ‘FONK,’ his own original blend of electro-pop and funk. This refreshing mix gives his music personality and makes his sound memorable. Francis tells NYS Music:
My biggest inspirations are Al Green, Marvin Gaye, and Sam Cooke. From listening to those guys, I then found Jackie Wilson, James Brown, and then followed the thread of musicians they influenced all the way up to contemporary pop artists like Bruno Mars and Parcels.
Francis Aud
What he listened to as a child has been “carried in his psyche,” and he says that listening to “super romantic Spanish crooner music or The Commodores” all the time as a kid still influences his own writing style today. “I almost exclusively write about love, relationships, and desire and I still try to phrase the lines I sing like how a crooner would…old habits die hard I guess!” He’s been releasing several FONKY singles since 2018 in preparation for a bigger release in the future.
“Take Me Home” looks back on a past relationship with bittersweet nostalgia. “When it comes to lyric-writing,” Francis says, “I’m always trying my best not to write lyrics that aren’t devoid of meaning (if that makes sense.) I think lots of the time when people hear the words ‘pop music’ their mind immediately jumps to this idea of extremely surface level and superficial lyrics that come from lazily relying on overused tropes and clichés. I think good pop music doesn’t have to be devoid of a deeper meaning and there’s lots of proof around me of that.”
Photo courtesy of Amanda Blide
Despite its somewhat sad message, the single is in no way a downer. It’s upbeat and dancey. “That comes from my shameless love of 80’s music,” the artist admits. “I seriously, positively, TRULY, love music from the 80’s, especially the movie soundtracks where the arrangements were super over the top and used cheesy keyboard sounds on everything. Because that music makes me happy, I think it’d be worth exploring the juxtaposition between that music and the lyrics and I’m just lucky to call it a success!” The 80’s vibes in “Take Me Home” are clear, but with an original and modern spin that is lacking in some other “cheesy” pop.
Francis Aud’s music and website both shine with his positivity and humor. “I don’t think I can ever remember a time where I wasn’t blatantly making terrible dad jokes and puns,” he says about his ever-present humor. “In terms of positivity,” he notes, “I think it comes from both my parents and also comes with the territory of being a musician. With my parents being immigrants and coming to this NYC during the really rough 80s’-90’s, they had to work their asses off to make things happen and they had to have an optimism that things would work out. I think I naturally picked up on that. ALSO, when it comes to being an artist, you almost have to force train yourself to become more positive on a daily basis because there really is no guarantee that your art will be heard or even enjoyed.”
Despite the global halt brought by the Coronavirus, Francis has been keeping busy working on music: “I’ve been spending most of the quarantine teaching myself more about music production and trying my best to ‘level up’ my home recording set-up,” and “I’ve been working with more getting more comfortable using synthesizers and more of the electronic aspects of music production,” he says, as he can’t record in a full studio with a band right now due to the quarantine. “Aside from that, I’m always trying to hone my writing and working to finding that distinct balance between saying something meaningful and being catchy.”
Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm on 102.7 FM, you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear music from Cassandra Kubinski, Hamilton Craig, Lucas Neil, and many more!
WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to a ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.
This Saratoga Springs artist has quite the impressive resume. This song was produced by Chris Sclafani who was an engineer on hit songs by Ed Sheeran, Selena Gomez, and Gwen Stefani. She’s recorded and/or performed with the Goo Goo Dolls, 10,000 Maniacs, Jull Sobule, Dickie Betts, and many others. Her songs have been used in ABC, NBC, and Lifetime shows including Dance Moms where her music was used 13 times while helping to raise tens of thousands of dollars for causes like Autism support and pet rescue. Oh, and here’s what Billy Joel has to say about Casandra.
Cassandra Kubinski is very similar to the singer/songwriters of the late 70’s…proves that the genre (singer/songwriter) can still be transcendent.
Billy Joel
The official music video for “Stardust” was shot in Boulder, CO in July and is expected to be released in September.
This singer/songwriter is from Shushan, NY and has played mainly in the Troy small venue and house show scene. He draws inspiration from “outsider music, the eccentric and naïve stylings of fringe figures excluded from the musical mainstream. He tries to inject the free-spirited ethos of such musical mavericks as Wesley Willis and Daniel Johnston into a more accessible pop format.” Be on the lookout for his new EP, recorded with Rick Spataro of Florist, which should be out by the end of this month.
Lucas Neil – “Wild Winds”
He is a 23 year old independent musician who is currently living the van life in Rhode Island. He grew up in Saratoga Springs, New York and is the son of Jeffrey Johnson who was the drummer of a group called The Make who toured along the east coast through the mid to late eighties. Lucas believes The Make first got radio play on WEQX. If so, he says it’s fun to follow in his dad’s footsteps. If not, it’s probably fun anyway. Regardless of whether or not his dad got played on EQX first, keep an ear out because he says the best is yet to come.
At noon on August 17, 1969, the crowd at Woodstock had dwindled slightly, but roughly 90% of attendees responded favorably to Hugh Romney (best known as Wavy Gravy) who woke the crowd up, saying:
Good morning! What we have in mind is breakfast in bed for 400,000. Now, it’s gonna be good food and we’re going to get it to you. It’s not just the Hog Farm, either. It’s everybody. We’re all feedin’ each other. We must be in heaven, man! There’s always a little bit of heaven in a disaster area.
Now there’s a guy up there – some hamburger guy – that had his stand burned down last night. But he’s still got a little stuff left, and for you people that still believe capitalism isn’t that weird, you might help him out and buy a couple hamburgers.
The Hog Farm then distributed plates of cold mush, while a hippie known as Muskrat, read the front page of the Sunday New York Times to “the hippest brunch this side of Fifth Avenue.”
The first two days of Woodstock had the appearances of a tremendous success, especially for fans and observers. The unsung heroes working the show were dealing with any issue that came to them – rain, mud, delays, making sure food and clean water were available, and keeping the show running.
Sunday though, there were the inevitable issues that arise from a three day music festival. Bathrooms were overflowing, and fans were taking to cornfields and the backyards of locals in Bethel to relieve themselves. There were emergency medical issues that needed to be addressed, but roads were blocked. Helicopters attempted to airlift those in the greatest need, but lack of fuel made it difficult to get them to the proper hospital. A helicopter at Grossinger’s was on site at Yasgur’s within 10 minutes of a call to handle a victim of alcohol poisoning.
Joe Cocker kicked the day off at 2pm with a career-defining performance. Woodstock promoter Artie Kornfeld is reported by Spitz to have ‘humped a motorcycle in time to “Delta Lady,” and wept uncontrollably into his arm.
This is just great! Outta sight! Oh man, look what we’ve done, look what we’ve done. This is forever
But the joy was shortlived. A huge storm barrelled towards the festival grounds, and stage was covered in tarps as Cocker and his band retreated. Having yelled into the microphone for everyone to get away from the towers, John Morris changed his tone and approached the rain differently, saying to the crowd, “If you think really hard enough, maybe we can stop this rain!” A chant of “No rain, No rain, No rain” started in the crowd and built up, to the point where even though the stage itself was sliding in the mud, but fans were dancing in the rain and playing in the mud, the iconic imagery associated with Woodstock still today.
While the storm blew through in 20 minutes, the stage that had slid six inches downhill was restrained so the show could continue. Max Yasgur, the landowner who hosted a few hundred thousand hippies that weekend, was asked by Mel Lawrence and Michael Lang to say a few words to the crowd. Eagerly, Yasgur, who reveled in how nice and police the kids were, took to the stage with encouragement from Lawrence and Lang. Master of Ceremonies Chip Monck introduced Yasgur to the crowd saying “This is the man whose farm we’re on – Mr. Max Yasgur.” Monck stepped back and let Yasgur addressed the crowd, saying:
I’m a farmer. I don’t know how to speak to twenty people at one time let alone a crowd like this. This is the largest group of people ever assembled in one place, but I think you people have proven something to the world – that a half a million kids can get together and have three days of fun and music and have nothing but fun and music. And I god bless you for it!
Music would restart around 5pm with Country Joe & the Fish (the only act to perform twice that weekend) and Ten Years Later followed at 8pm. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young left the stage at 6AM, and Sha Na Na followed. Jimi Hendrix would not take the stage until 8:30AM Monday morning, performing to only 30,000 who were determined to stick it out. The historic “Star Spangled Banner,” followed by “Taps,” would cement his place, and Woodstock’s, in music history.
Watch a performance from the nine artists who performed at Woodstock on August 17 and well into the morning of August 18, 1969
Joe Cocker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfLyK2DVVUU
Country Joe & The Fish
Ten Years After
Johnny Winter
Blood Sweat and Tears
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-azgwfnZu7c
Paul Butterfield Blues Band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WibfUfVpfAI
Sha Na Na
Jimi Hendrix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFLy8eGtSYo
Watch performances from every Woodstock artist with our full playlist
