The 4th Annual Flyday Music Festival will postpone until September, and once again return to the Blackthorne Resort in the Northern Catskill Mountains. Taking place over the course of three days from September 10 – 13, this year festival attendees can expect music from all different types of genres including rock, jam bands, soul, R&B and so much more.
With over twenty acts already scheduled to perform headliners include Lespecial, returning favorites The Magnetic Pull, Hartley’s Encore, plus first-timers Consider The Source, Schleigho, Now vs Now led by Jason Lindner (keyboardist on David Bowie’s final album Blackstar as well as a member of Meshell Ndegeocello’s touring band), Jonathan Scales Fourchestra, Expansion Project, Space Junk Is Forever, Muscle Tough, Cats Under Stars featuring Adam Czolowski, Acoustic Trauma, bassist Nigel Felony (of Floodwood), The Mark Basil Band, Level:Memory and K-Weef.
Sun Colored Chair is set to host the first annual Flyday Open MicNight on Thursday in the Phoenix Pub at Blackthorne Resort, in addition to being part of the festival lineup. Other acts are set to be added to the lineup via the website at later dates.
Originally scheduled in May, the spring festival was moved to September in response to the COVID-19. As of now tickets sales are set at 250 this time to allow for 6 feet of social distancing. Additional ticket sales will happen at the door if there is a lift in the gathering bans. Tickets are available for purchase here.
The Apollo Theater and Gibson have partnered together to bring music fans “Let’s Stay (In) Together: A Benefit To Support The Apollo”, a live streaming benefit concert. Airing June 4 at 7:30 PM ET, the concert will be free for views made possible through Apollo’s media partner Tidal. Originally planned for June 2, The Apollo decided to postpone the show and stand with others in the music industry to observe Blackout Tuesday.
This special event will feature performances by “Captain” Kirk Douglas of The Roots, Kool & The Gang, Gary Clark Jr, Robert Randolph, Ray Chew and many more artists. Not only will the artists perform songs from legends like B.B. King, Patti LaBelle and Stevie Wonder, the Apollo’s 86 year contribution to the arts and culture will be highlighted. Viewers will also witness poems and performances dedicated to the memory of those whose lives have been lost due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Proceeds are set to benefit an emergency relief fund to financially support the theater now and into the future once it had to cancel live events through the month of June due to the coronavirus pandemic. Portions of the funds will also be used for micro grants to support local merchants and businesses in the 125th Street neighborhood that Apollo Theater calls home.
By partnering with Gibson through the Gibson Gives foundation, this marks the beginning of a new partnership that in the future will include brand new show programming, music preservation, music education initiatives, and support established and emerging talent.
“Music has the incredible power to connect, transform and heal. We hope you will support the legendary Apollo Theater and join us for a special event featuring music that lifts our spirits, shapes our lives, and continues to unite us all.”
Words are like honey; they can be sweet to hear but the message might not always stick. And over time, messages get lost in translation. Take the late great Muhammad Ali, who refused to fight in the Vietnam war because, as only he could put it, “no Vietcong ever called me n*****.” When Ali took his stance, he was stripped of his world championships, boxing license and was vilified by the public.
“I am not allowed to work in America and I’m not allowed to leave America,” Ali said in February. 1968, the start of his first full year of exile from boxing. “I’m just about broke.” This is why the Kaepernick comparisons aren’t apt. While Ali struggled to afford groceries, Kaepernick is backed by a billion-dollar corporation in Nike. After Ali’s passing in 2016, revisionist history took over. Ali’s mid-career struggles were now celebrated. Despite being spurned by the very country that now celebrates him.
What does this all have to do with Lauryn Hill? Well, have you ever asked yourself how the first woman to be nominated in ten Grammy categories in a single year, and the first woman to win five trophies in one night found herself out of the spotlight a couple of years after her acclaimed solo debut? Well, I’m here to tell you this was coming all along, oh and she warned us about it.
Lauryn Hill’s Revelation
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is a magnum opus of black music, encompassing the best of multiple genres. However, due to her lack of activity musically, Lauryn Hill’s presence in contemporary pop culture is now reduced to jokes about her punctuality, and not the sacrifice she herself prophesied.
On “Final Hour,” the album’s seventh track, she makes her priorities apparent, regardless of her status as a world-famous entertainer. In the chorus she raps “you can get the money; you can get the power. But keep your eyes on the Final Hour.” With the “Final Hour” representing religious salvation. She even raps later in the record “I’m making sure I’m with the 144.” The 144 is a reference to the Book of Revelations. In it 144,000 people are specifically chosen by God to serve as his agents.
by 1998, Lauryn Hill had taken the world by storm
Lauryn Hill has always been open about her faith and spirituality yet, in her earlier work as a member of The Fugees, religious references were further and fewer in between. So, what changed? After selling millions of records, winning awards and being propped as the face of a generation of women, had Lauryn Hill learned new information that brought on this stance?
Decoding The Lyrics
At the end of the first verse she says, “People feel Lauryn Hill from New-Ark to Israel (clever play on words here as she makes a reference to the “Ark of the Covenant” and she’s from Jersey). And this is real, so I keep makin’ the street ballads, while you lookin’ for dressin’ to go with your tossed salad.” Followed by the aforementioned chorus, these lyrics emphasize her stance on the music industry. After all, tales of the the entertainment industry’s sexual deviance are now far too common. Hence, the “dressing” and “tossed salad” lines.
Throughout the song, she juxtaposes her glamorous life with her faith. Symbolizing that one wouldn’t be there without the other. In the last verse she says, “now I’m a get the mozzarella like a Rockefeller / Still be in the church of Lalibela, singing hymns a cappella / Whether posed in Maribella in Couture / or collecting residuals from off The Score.” While it may seem braggadocious, she lets the listener know what she would choose if it came time for a decision by saying, “I’m making sure I’m with the 144.”
Hence why she denounced the “dressing” (a symbolism for opulence) because the cost is her spirituality and beliefs. Being Lauryn Hill of course, (at one time one of the world’s most popular entertainers) there may not have been an option to continue her career without politics, corruption and possible harassment (there’s Harvey Weinstein’s in the music industry too).
Aftermath
It comes as no surprise that by the turn of the millennium, Lauryn Hill was out of the public eye. Yet, sehe returned in 2002 with her MTVUnplugged No. 2.0 live album. However, critics weren’t as kind this time around, as chic hip hop girlie Lauryn way to a spiritually devoted Mrs. Lauryn Hill. While her lyrics pick up where she left of on “Final Hour.” So, no. Lauryn Hill didn’t go crazy, she didn’t lose her rapping and songwriting abilities. She made a decision.
Lauryn Hill is now 45 years old. She still tours and performs medleys of her most popular songs (oftentimes restructuring the entire song and keeping the lyrics). She never regained the same level of stardom and probably won’t ever grace the covers of Time, Rolling Stone, Vibe, People or Entertainment Weekly ever again. Yet, it seems to have been a conscious sacrifice, preferring to sing her hymns for those that are keen to listen for their education and enjoyment. Not because the machine tells them to.
Washington, D.C. based Restless World today premiere the lyric video for their latest single “Precipice.” A globe-spanning journey follows the inspiring lyrics, which blends an R&B/Trap vibe in the verses with a classic pop ballad chorus.
The ‘trap ballad’ celebrates all creators and those who stay the course towards achieving their dreams, even when the road ahead is uncertain. Lyrics include “I’ve got nothing in my hands, just my dreams struggling to stand” will resonate with anyone fighting to turn their dreams into reality. The song’s inspirational message is supported by powerful vocals from Cadence XYZ, and acoustic piano from Berklee grad Suwon Yim.
Restless World‘s “Precipice” was named one of the Top 5 songs received by SongwriterUniverse in April and has been announced as a finalist in their May 2020 “Best Song Of The Month” contest.
CEO of SongwriterUniverse Dale Kawashima says of “Precipice”:
“I enjoyed listening to this song; I think it’s one of the best songs you’ve submitted for song evaluation. Your demo production is very good; it has a modern pop/soul quality with excellent musicianship. The female vocalist is very good, and she does a good job of conveying the emotion of the song and lyrics. I also like the female vocal harmonies in this demo; it adds to the hook and to the fullness of the arrangement. The melody is well crafted in each section, especially the chorus which has the good harmonies. So the whole song flows pretty nicely…this is good song that has feeling and emotion, and has a demo that is well sung and produced.”- Dale Kawashima (Founder and CEO of SongwriterUniverse, former President of ATV Music and of the publishing division of Giant Records)
On Saturday, May 30, Live For Live Music in partnership with Nugs.TV and PLUS1 will presents their one-day virtual music festival, Quarantine Comes Alive. With events like Brooklyn Comes Alive cancelled for the time being, Quarantine Comes Alive offers a music marathon with more than 60 artists with a reported 90% brand new content created for the event.
The non-stop day of entertainment starting at 1 PM ET on May 30. Much of the new content will be produced in safe studio spaces, or captured creatively between band members who will work together remotely from various locations.
Dedicated to an even split of donation proceeds between the participating artists and PLUS1 COVID-19 Relief Fund, the event is modeled after one-day music marathons Brooklyn Comes Alive and Denver Comes Alive. Quarantine Comes Alive was founded to celebrate and support musicians, provide fans with unique musical experiences from the comfort of their couch, and raise money for comprehensive COVID-19 relief during this unprecedented time.
In response to the devastating COVID-19 outbreak, PLUS1 launched a PLUS1 COVID-19 Relief Fund to support those in the musical community most affected. Working directly with leading non-profit organizations like Sweet Relief, MusiCares, Center for Disaster Philanthropy, World Central Kitchen, Partners In Health, Trans Lifeline, and Backline, the PLUS1 COVID-19 Relief Fund’s goal is to provide aid where it is needed most. PLUS1 is a leading non-profit organization that mobilizes cultural leaders and their fans to bring visibility, awareness and funding for social and environmental justic
Ari Fink of SiriusXM JamOn, Phish Radio & Dave Matthews Band Radio will host the virtual event, as well as set break interviews with artists from across the lineup and the minds behind Quarantine Comes Alive’s various non-profit partners. Additionally, alongside the main Quarantine Comes Alive stream, the festival will be hosting Zoom dance parties all day long.
Participating artists on the lineup span an eclectic range of genres, presenting everything from bluegrass to singer-songwriters, jam bands to indie rock, electronic music to funk, soul to Americana and more—surely there is something for every musical taste in store. A full list of artists can be found below.
Fans are encouraged to visit QuarantineComesAlive.com and RSVP. Those who make a donation of any size in advance will receive an email with a link to the stream the event on the day of show, Saturday, May 30th. Additional information is available over at the event’s official Facebook Event page.
Quarantine Comes Alive Performances By: ALO Anomalie Andy Frasco Arlo McKinley Aron Magner Aqueous Big Sam’s Funky Nation Big Something Brandon “Taz” Niederauer Brendan Bayliss The California Honeydrops Casey Russell Circles Around The Sun Cris Jacobs Dave Brandwein Dave Watts David Shaw Dominic Lalli Dopapod Dumpstaphunk Electric Beethoven Everyone Orchestra Fruition Galactic George Porter Jr. The Ghost Of Paul Revere Goose Goldfish Greensky Bluegrass Here Come The Mummies Holly Bowling The Infamous Stringdusters Ivan Neville Jen Hartswick Joe Hertler and the Rainbow Seekers Joel Cummins John Medeski Jon Cleary Karina Rykman Lawrence Leslie Mendelson Lettuce Lindsay Lou Lyle Divinsky Maggie Rose Magic Beans Marco Benevento Melvin Seals & JGB Mike Dillon Mononeon Moon Taxi The Motet feat. Jason Hann Natalie Cressman Neal Francis The New Mastersounds Nick Cassarino Nigel Hall The Nth Power OG Garage A Trois Papadosio Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Prince Purple Party Railroad Earth Robert “Sput” Searight Robert Walter Roosevelt Collier Ryan Dempsey Ryan Montbleau Shira Elias Southern Avenue Spafford SPAGA SunSquabi Tom Hamilton Turkuaz Vince Herman
Prince’s estate, sitting on a trove of unreleased Paisley Park studio recordings as well as video footage, will stream the March 30, 1985 ‘Purple Rain’ show from Syracuse at The Carrier Dome which will be livestreamed on Prince’s YouTube channel from Thursday, May 14 until Sunday, May 17.
The album from the show will be available for purchase digitally for the first time on Friday. Donations will benefit the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund and Google will match donations up to $5 million.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRa8ZH_iOXo
“Hello Syracuse and the World,” Prince says to open the show. “My name is Prince, and I’m here to play with you.”
A Thursday pre-party kicks off at 6pm with Prince & the Revolution drummer Bobby Z with a live Q&A with the Current’s Andrea Swensson.
The Carrier Dome concert also aired live to more than 12 million viewers in Europe through Eurovision and became a hot bootleg shortly after.
Setlist: Let’s Go Crazy, Delirious, 1999, Little Red Corvette, Take Me With U, Do Me, Baby, Irresistible Bitch, Possessed, How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?, Let’s Pretend We’re Married, International Lover, God, Computer Blue, Darling Nikki, The Beautiful Ones, When Doves Cry, I Would Die 4 U, Baby I’m A Star, Purple Rain
11E1even Group, in partnership with LivexLive, have announced their The Live From Out There festival for four weekends of music. The festival will be accessible by subscription and pay-per-view and will run from May 15th through June 7th.
11E1even Group has been putting on their Live From Out There performances which have been providing a wide variety of content streaming for people to view from their homes while raising money for the greater music community through Sweet Relief’s COVID-19 Fund for the last two months. The festival will run as a four-week pay-per-view and subscription series for viewing the festival.
The lineup includes Big Gigantic, Dispatch, Zeds Dead, moe., Nahko, Umphrey’s McGee, STS9, Turquaz, Hiss Golden Messenger, Twiddle, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Goose, James Petralli & Michael Hunter of White Denim, Zach Williams of The Lone Bellow, Motet and many more.
The Live From Out There festival will be partnering with Summer Camp Music Festival for its second weekend May 22nd through the 24th for the “Summer Camp Virtual Festival: A 20 Year Retrospective.” This weekend will focus on featuring live music, throwback performances, interviews, workshops, panel discussions, giveaways and more. The Summer Camp team will also take the opportunity to connect Summer Campers with each other through these virtual programs.
The subscription series will run from May 15th to June 7th and subscribers will have access to four weekends of live and archival sets, with the majority available on-demand after the live broadcast. Tickets for pay-per-view and subscriptions are on sale today, May 13th and details can be found on the Live From Out There website.The content will be available on all LivexLive platforms either by their website or by accessing their app.
This Thursday, May 14th at 8PM EST, Live From Out There will host a free performance on the LiveXLive platform to introduce fans to the new platform and prepare them for the upcoming festival. People can watch on LiveXLive.com and apps, social media channels and its OTT channels on Amazon, Apple TV, Roku and Samsung TVs, desktop and mobile/tablet. The performance will feature Rick Mitarotonda and Peter Anspach of Goose performing a very special acoustic set from their home in Connecticut.
The Live From Out There series has generated over $400K so far. All the proceeds from each subscription benefit Sweet Relief’s COVID-19 Fund. This organization is using donor-directed funding to provide immediate assistance, lodging, clothing, food and more to the musicians and crew involved in the series as well as music industry workers and artists who have suffered a loss of income due to the recent outbreak and resulting restrictions placed on live events and gatherings.
For more information visit the Live From Out There’s Website.
Lettuce once again flaunts their funky prowess, proving they can take the form of any sub genre of funk on the planet on their new ablum Resonate. Each of these tracks nods to an iconic genre, idea or artist that have breathed life into the sounds we love today. Listeners will find an ode to pivotal musicians like Ndugu Chancler, famous studio drummer, to features with Big Tony Fisher of Trouble Funk. This is a very special collection that could not have come at a better time.
The album kicks off with three classically funky instrumentals, chock full of memorable hornlines, flavorful solos, and a stupendous production value. “Blaze,” “Good Morning Mr. Smink” and “NDUGU” are all snappy, precise and detailed tracks, sure to light a fire under your ass. Listeners will feel and hear quintessential flavors from the founding mothers and fathers of funk. Not too much flair, just a steady flow of good music.
Then “Checker Wreckers” comes barreling through the door with a heavy footed beat accompanied by Big Tony Fisher’s gravely, hype lyrics. It’s easily the most powerful song on the album and is without a doubt, a key track. Nobody quite knows what a Checker Wrecker is, but who cares, it’s fun to say.
One of their more adventurous funk fusion attempts is “Moksha,” where Lettuce presents their usual grooves and beats while award winning sitarist, Indrajit Banerjee, laces some electrified sitar throughout the track. Everyone comes together to share the space of the track, while still seamlessly blending the two genres together. It’s an incredible feat considering how the two genres could not be more different.
‘Remember The Children” is a near perfect cover of Earth, Wind and Fire’s 1972 hit. An untrained ear would genuinely not be able to tell the difference between this and movements from the original track. (Obviously, Lettuce put some of their own person flair in their version.) There was never a doubt that the funk outfit was talented or not, but this takes a level of dedication and perfectionism that must be admired – especially when a song like this has so many different elements of instrumentation.
It’s a shame Lettuce won’t be able to flaunt their new album in a live setting for some time due to recent events, but that won’t stop fans from breaking it down in their living rooms. Lettuce is doing their part to help our first responders and medical care workers. Fans can buy Lettuce branded masks, and when they do, Lettuce will donate a mask to healthcare systems in need. Take your favorite bands, take care of those on the front lines of this pandemic, and take care of yourselves.
Key Tracks: NDUGU, Checker Wrecker, Remember the Children
Rock and R&B legend Little Richard died on May 9th, 2020 at the age of 87. The legend sold more than 30 million records worldwide and was widely recognized as the “architect of rock ‘n’ roll.” Pastor Bill Minson, a close friend of Little Richard’s, told The Associated Press that Little Richard died Saturday morning. The rock icon’s agent Dick Allen later confirmed he was suffering from bone cancer.
Richard Wayne Penniman, more commonly known as Little Richard, was born in Macon, Georgia. He grew up during the Great Depression and was one of 12 children. As a child he didn’t conform to typical gender expression norms and suffered a small deformity where his right leg was shorter than his left, making him a bit of an outcast.
He had multiple successful hits including “Tutti Frutti” which made it into the Top 40 and “Lucille,” “Keep A Knockin’,” “Long Tall Sally” and “Good Golly Miss Molly” which were all foundations of rock music according to the New York Times.
Little Richard was one of the original inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which opened in 1986, alongside Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Sam Cooke and others. Little Richard is known for saying, “I am the architect of rock ‘n’ roll! I am the originator!” during the 1988 Grammy Awards due in part to being a founding member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
He announced his retirement from live performing back in August of 2002 but still could be seen performing the occasional show or on commercials like his appearance in a 2006 commercial for GEICO insurance.
Little Richard is known for being an influence on many musicians and claimed he paved the way for Elvis, provided Mick Jagger with his stage moves and conducted vocal lessons for McCartney according to the New York Times. Bruno Mars is known for saying Little Richard was a big influence for him.
We mourn his loss and send our condolences to his family and friends.
As the year slowly moves on, more and more musicians are postponing their tours out of respect for public safety. One of those artists is Gabriel Birkby from Buffalo, who goes by the moniker ‘Birkby.’ After cancelling a number of shows around Western NY, Birkby decided to release his first EP, Another Planet, which he had teased to his fans earlier this year. This splendid debut combines uplifting and positive music with vivid lyrics that paint a story line of a society in reform after leaving their homeland. The contrast between the emotional lyrics and the musical style of each song results in a release that is both majestic and captivating.
The album starts with “Change in the Weather,” a song about growth and new beginnings that is brimming with hope and promise. This upbeat track offers a glimpse at some elements that we’ll see through this EP: the pure emotion in Birkby’s voice, the interplay of dreamy synths and joyous guitar, and a chorus that feels like the clouds are parting and the sun is shining down on you. Also featured is Mike Gantzer of Aqueous, who provided additional percussion and a guitar solo on this opening track.
Next up is “Underground Republic,” another song with a cheery sound that really benefits from the impressive way Birkby’s voice dances around his guitar work. The lyrics continue to paint a picture of new growth and uncertainty, but the chorus will certainly speak to a lot of listeners in this sheltered time of our lives when he exclaims “How about a little privacy Cause I know how I get And I’m sure I’ll regret.”
Halfway through the release, we come across “Awake,” which stands apart from the rest of the album. This track is a soulful and synth-heavy jam that features a slower tempo and laid-back vibe, thanks in part to some 808s and beautiful layered vocals in the chorus. Despite the change in style, “Awake” still shares the elements that Birkby excels at throughout this release. His ability to blend multiple elements on his track with mastery is apparent in the way the keys and drums play so beautifully together underneath an emotional chorus pleading, “Can I get a hand over here?”
Shifting musical gears again, “Inconsistent” is one of my favorite numbers on the EP. Each verse has a wonderful bounce to it and with lyrics that praise the search for clarity, salvation and a trust in what you can see for yourself while being skeptical of what the written word holds. But it’s the emotion and funky feeling of the chorus that won me over and this whole track has a flow to it that’s sure to make you smile, as I found myself humming it for days.
Birkby saved the title track for the end of this release and it’s a great send-off that once again showcases both his incredible vocal talent and his guitar mastery as he has the two dance together throughout the chorus. “Another Planet” paints a picture of promise, improvement and encouragement, all while reminding you to “Wake and meet the burning day” because there is “Another future on the horizon.”
Birkby’s first EP release is a must-listen, especially during these days of self-isolation. Another Planet may only 5 tracks long, but it’s a welcomed release in these strange times that only gets better with each listen. You can purchase the digital album or stream it from Bandcamp and the EP will be available to stream on Spotify starting April 20.
