Under the financial stress of the pandemic, the New York Philharmonic musicians have agreed to a four-year contract with 25% salary cuts until August 2023.
From nyphil.org
Although pay will increase from 2023 to 2024, the wage cuts total more than $20 million, and musicians will still be paid less than at the start of the pandemic when the contract ends. Deborah Borda, Chief Executive and President of the orchestra, honestly stated that the cuts were “necessary.” The pandemic will keep the Philharmonic closed for at least 15 months, causing at least $31 million in losses.
Musicians have had wage cuts since May, but this contract is the most substantial. However, musicians at the New York Philharmonic have been understanding. The head of the player’s negotiating committee, Colin Williams, said “in recognition of the challenges of this time, we have done our part to help preserve the institution by forgoing more than $20 million of our wages.”
Photo by Chris lee from nyphil.org
In venues like the Metropolitan Opera, where 30% pay cuts have been requested, not all workers are willing to deal with such financial losses. The Met’s management planned to lock out workers who had not agreed to the proposed cuts. The employees of the opera have been without pay since April and will not be paid until the cuts are accepted. After the venue begins to recover financially, the cuts will be reduced to 15%. At the Philharmonic, cuts will drop to 10%.
The Philharmonic has cancelled all planned shows up until June 2021. This is only a portion of NYC’s live art impacted by the pandemic. All Broadway theaters are closed until May 2021 at least, making this the longest time Broadway has been dark, ever.
The contract, which ends in 2024, makes the lasting impact of this pandemic even more visible to the art and music community. Despite live venues’ plan to open sometime this upcoming year, it is clear that the financial road to recovery will be slow.
Theatre Within, the non-profit behind the Annual John Lennon Tribute charity concert since 1981, has announced that its milestone 40th Annual John Lennon Tribute Concert will again offer a free livestream exclusively at LennonTribute40.org, from Wednesday, December 23 at 7pm thru Friday, January 1 at midnight ET,
This program, the third installment of music and memories produced in Lennon’s honor, will feature a new performance by Steve Earle, recorded especially for the Tribute’s finale showing. The stellar line-up also includes recent John Lennon Real Love Award Honorees, Patti Smith, Natalie Merchant and Rosanne Cash, plus Jackson Browne, Taj Mahal, Jorma Kaukonen, Martin Sexton, Keb’ Mo’, Joan Osborne, Bettye LaVette, Shelby Lynne, Marc Cohn, Willie Nile, Lucy Kaplansky, Nicki Richards, The Kennedys, Ron Pope, and Music Director Rich Pagano.
In addition, the livestream tribute includes reflections on the music of John Lennon, social impact by rock photographer Bob Gruen, Double Fantasy producer Jack Douglas, radio personality Dennis Elsas, music critic Anthony DeCurtis, and playwright V (formerly Eve Ensler).
In a statement, Yoko Ono said:
John has been a loving spirit now for nearly as long as he was with us on earth, 40 years. Through all that time, Theatre Within has celebrated his music and message with its beautiful annual tribute, which helps makes possible its programs for those impacted by cancer, including the John Lennon Real Love Project songwriting workshop. This is such a wonderful way to honor John and the values he stood for.
This year, in partnership with Gilda’s Club NYC and Gilda’s Club Westchester, Theatre Within has provided 135 free workshops, all available online – in songwriting, art, meditation and much more – for children, teens and adults impacted by cancer.
Theatre Within invites John Lennon fans to make a donation in any amount by texting “TRIB40” to 41444. All proceeds will empower Theatre Within to continue its free programs for NY-metro cancer community through 2021.
Broadway Buskers Concert Series concluded their season of live streamed performances for Broadway fans everywhere, this past October.
Since 2018, Broadway Buskers has hosted concerts in Times Square to showcase Broadway workers’ original music in between shows. The Times Square Alliance did not let COVID-19 stop them from sharing music and good vibes with the Broadway community. From August to October, fans streamed Broadway Buskers concerts every Tuesday at 7PM.
Photo via Getty Images
The final two shows wrapped up the series with a bang. Juwan Crawley (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Aladdin), Cheeyang Ng (Eastbound, MĀYĀ), and Anthony Norman (The Prom, Chicago Med) closed the season after baby chemist (Katie Lee Hill & Travis Artz: New Amsterdam, SpongeBob LIVE on Nickelodeon; Transformers: Cyberverse, My Very Own British Invasion) and Jai’Len Josey (SpongeBob SquarePants) performed the week before. Watch Buskers performances on the Times Square Alliance’s YouTube channel.
Even though the quarantine has hurt many, people are connecting virtually like never before. Songwriter and Broadway actress Jennifer Sanchez notes:
“The most rewarding part about buskers has been connecting with the artists and the gifts of their songs. The openness and supportiveness was special…even when the virus shut it down and we all felt kind of isolated, we were able to make collaborate and music. It’s pretty magical.”
Cheeyang Ng describes the shift to online as “challenging,” because “without the face-to-face human connection one gets when we’re doing something like that in Times Square is quite sad.” Still, having virtual concerts “means the opportunity for a wider range of people to hear some new musical theatre.” Even though Broadway is closed, programs like Broadway Buskers are making theatre more accessible than every before.
baby chemist, photo by Gabriella Spiegel
For baby chemist, their set became “hybrid show of live interview, sketch, and banter mixed with pre-recorded musical performances.” Hill said “by playing into this new hybrid format, we were actually able to create an atmosphere that was closer to the off-beat vibe of what one of our live, in-person shows is like!”
She loves “that Broadway Buskers gives actors a platform to show another side of their artistry, giving them a chance to perform in a way you might not have heard them get to do yet in an onstage musical.”
With these weekly shows, the Times Square Alliance has celebrated songwriters from all places and backgrounds. Audiences watched the talent the Broadway community has to offer for free. If possible, however, fans can donate to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund to help those struggling. Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has been funding AIDS treatment and creating grants to help those in need since 1988.
It’s somewhat surprising that during the storied touring career of Phish, they’ve only played five shows in the City of Binghamton. The last one of these took place 26 years ago today, on December 14, during a time that’s now looked back upon in deep reverence. December of 1995 was one of the band’s most formative and successful eras. In fact, tonight’s show at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena was deemed worthy enough of being the first official live release from Phish’s extensive live catalog. With a couple of classic song selections and some jams that are truly definitive of the band’s ascent, it’s not hard to see why.
“Suzy Greenberg” starts off the show before a lively Binghamton crowd in grand fashion. Baby grand, that is, as Page McConnell takes a couple of spirited piano solos to the delight of all during this old school Phish favorite. The “Llama” that immediately follows sees him deftly shift over to the organ early on for a few more harrowing runs. Trey then quickly assumes command on guitar and leads throughout the rest of the way on the APicture of Nectar classic that’s executed to perfection.
This opening pairing is followed with another in the “Horn” > “Foam” sequence that comes next. “Horn” is played with no frills. But the “Foam” provides the first real chance for the band to stretch out a little, thanks to some exploratory solos from McConnell and Anastasio that do just that. These lead to a short but ever so powerful jam that culminates in a beautifully sustained guitar note atop the classic relentless rhythm of Mike Gordon on bass.
“Makisupa Policeman” then produces one of the all-time most bizarre “keywords” from Trey, a reference about smoking a joint with Khaddafi in bed.
While the “Policeman” doesn’t really do much, the “Split Open and Melt” that proceeds it certainly does. Jon Fishman pops right away on this one, delivering the signature opening drum beat, and doesn’t let go. He nails the song’s odd time signature and lays the groundwork for a pulsating, driving jam that eventually shifts into Type II territory before re-entry. It’s the first real extended jam between all four musicians and a sign of things to come.
“Tela” then takes everyone on a quick excursion to Gamehendge, with McConnell handling the lead vocals and Anastasio providing the fiery guitar finish as usual. “Taste That Surrounds” provides a glimpse into the evolution of a Phish song. Now simply known as “Taste,” this is a primitive version that would be one of the last ones ever played before being further modified. Its song history provides full details.
After a move by “Dan from Binghamton” in the ongoing “Band vs. Audience” chess match featured that tour, Phish’s second set begins. “The Curtain” is a more than apt opener that displays the technical wizardry and seamless cohesion that are staples of December ’95. Without even pausing for a moment, “Tweezer” starts up as soon “The Curtain” goes down. This serves as the meat of the second set, and the show really, with a jam that patiently builds and includes a distinct “Slipknot!” tease.
Before it can fully bloom, though, Trey suddenly begins strumming an entirely different melody altogether and redirects the rest of the band through “Timber.” This is cast aside fairly quickly. Not long after the final “Timber” lyric, the “Tweezer” jam reemerges and Phish jumps back on it in a seamless merge through musical traffic.
Fishman drives the tempo to a near-insane pace at one point which, when combined with Trey’s wailing guitar sound effects, give this one a true feeling of a train about the run off the tracks. As “Tweezer” comes to a surprisingly gentle landing, “Keyboard Army” emerges. This 1995-era special features all four band members on a different instrument at McConnell’s keyboard rig. Until it was recently dusted off at Dick’s in 2015, tonight’s performance in Binghamton was the final one played.
“Halley’s Comet” begins the landing sequence for tonight’s show and features a sneakily impressive jam that revolves around an infectious Anastasio-created melody. Phish collectively toys with the tempo, once again ramping it up to extreme levels and stretching the first ever jammed out “Comet” to almost twelve minutes. A rare, late-show “NICU” then emerges from the ska-like outro jam and, with it, another mesmerizing improv-heavy jam on the tail end that takes it from a standard to a stellar version.
“Slave To The Traffic Light” serves as a proper close to a set full of both patient improvisation and hard rock. And, after noticing a request for it displayed on a fan’s sign, Trey notes it’s “one they want to play” and leads the band through a show-closing take of Jimi Hendrix’s “Bold As Love.” Phish left it all out on the table this evening in, remarkably, their final Binghamton show to date.
Phish Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena – Binghamton, NY 12/14/95
Set 1: Suzy Greenberg > Llama, Horn > Foam, Makisupa Policeman > Split Open And Melt, Tela, Taste That Surrounds, My Sweet One, Frankenstein
Set 2: The Curtain > Tweezer -> Timber (Jerry the Mule) -> Tweezer -> Keyboard Army, Halley’s Comet -> NICU -> Slave To The Traffic Light
On December 12, the Albany Symphony performed works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Michael Torke, and Viet Cuong. The concert was centered around these composers due to their age; they were all under 30 when the pieces were written.
The conductor, David Alan Miller, held a pre-concert talk where he discussed the Beethoven pieces and talked with Torke and Cuong. In the discussion with Torke, he talks about the inspiration for his piece, Ash. Written in 1988 after his mother’s death, the piece is one of Torke’s characteristic “color pieces”, aptly named for the colors he associates with key signatures due to his synesthesia. The piece is in f-minor, a darker key, to match the title.
Miller’s next interview was with Viet Cuong, a rising young composer. His piece, Extra(ordinarily) Fancy, is a sequel to his 2017 piece, Extra Fancy. The double oboe concerto utilizes multi-phonics, an extended technique on the instrument. He was inspired by Baroque music, specifically Vivaldi. Cuong also talked about his use of Shepard tones. In short, it is an audio illusion that makes the music feel like it is constantly rising. He was inspired by the endless stairs from Super Mario 64. This concert was supposed to premiere a large orchestral work by Cuong, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is now planned for next fall.
The Concert
The concert started with the Overture and finale to Beethoven’s Creatures of Prometheus ballet. The dramatic beginning is greatly contrasted by the rich melodies. The finale is strikingly similar to Beethoven’s Third Symphony as he used the same melody in that finale as well, a staple of Beethoven.
They next moved onto Torke’s Ash. The piece has an obvious darkness that is aided by the key. There is a lush texture to the piece with many rich harmonies as well. The middle section modulates to A-flat major, also utilizing syncopation to give the piece a different feel. It also utilizes a technique similar to Beethoven. By using octaves and unisons in the strings, it adds intensity and builds tension within the piece to lead to the climax. Beethoven pioneered this technique, and Torke uses it to its full extent.
Photo Credit: Bryan Hainer
The concert then went to Cuong’s Extra(ordinarily) Fancy. The harpsichord shows that Baroque influence that Cuong talked about in his interview. The piece is very conversational, having one oboe be “fancy” and one be “extra fancy”. The use of multi-phonics here is genius as it creates a whole new voice that can mimic the first oboe, but is decidedly different. The conversation between the two soloists is common, but Cuong brings it to a new level using the extended technique.
Photo Credit: Phil Parsons
The concert ended with Beethoven’s First Symphony. As his first symphony, Beethoven builds on the great composers before him: Haydn and Mozart. Written at the turn of the nineteenth century, Beethoven began to break away from the traditional classical form, establishing himself as the preeminent composer in Europe.
For more information on the Albany Symphony and their upcoming events visit their website.
The 2020 iteration of Everett Bradley’s holiday funktacular comes to fans in the form of Holidelic: Home With Papadelic, hosted by Bradley himself in the comfort of his own home. Bradley plays the role of Papadelic, Funk’s Father Christmas, a mashup of George Clinton and Santa Claus, who goes to the videotape deck for an engaging strut down Santa Claus Lane.
On Thursday, December 17, Bradley will pour over performances from the past that are heavy on the funk, featuring holiday-themed songs written by Bradley and brought to life by an array of top shelf noise makers.
I wanted to create something that would celebrate the idea of being at home, but also the excitement that the holiday season brings. To be transparent, this special was actually somewhat inspired by the pandemic, but I didn’t want to give it any credit. We’re just trying to keep it all positive.
Everett Bradley, Papadelic
Holidelic was originally slated for a newly established five-week holiday run at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in Manhattan’s West Village, as part of a new 2020 partnership. This year, The Lucille Lortel Theatre will present a virtual Holidelic experience that will be redirected straight into our homes in the interest of public safety, but not at the expense of some real Yuletide fun.
Newly directed by acclaimed writer and director, Michael Heitzman, the COVID-19 revision of the much-loved funk revue now has an opportunity to do good at a time when it’s needed most. The show will be free for all to watch and all donations will go to the SAY Organization (Stuttering Association for the Young), a favorite charity of both Bradley’s and The West Village’s Lucille Lortel Theatre.
Tune in live on Thursday, December 17 at 8pm ET on Papadelic’s Facebook and YouTube channels
Americana quartet We Banjo 3 are back at it again with a festive holiday livestream on Friday, December 18. Dubbed “A Winter Wonderful,” the evening will feature a special WB3 performance, plus musical sets by Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn, Skerryvore, The Whileaways, BackWest & Ajeet and more.
Debuting in the U.S. in 2012, Ireland’s We Banjo 3 have since fine tuned their knack for seamlessly converging shared and varied traditions of Americana, Bluegrass, and Celtic music. With a pop-sensible song-craft to create a truly unique and gratifying signature sound.
The Galway and Nashville-based quartet, comprised of two sets of brothers, Enda & Fergal Scahill and Martin & David Howley, continually push musical boundaries while maintaining an un-wavering devotion to the essential audience experience.
In lieu of a regular touring schedule this year, WB3 has found alternatives to physically taking the stage during the shutdown. Connecting with fans through various online performances, fan Q&A’s, live interviews, poetry and book excerpt readings, general banter about topics of interest, and more, WB3 has taken a personalized approach to creating fan experiences.
The one night only livestream from We Banjo 3 is $20, with limited edition merch bundles available. Click here to purchase tickets and for additional info.
The penultimate SNL episode for 2020 brought Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band together in Studio 8H for the first time, and their first public performance in four years. This SNL episode also featured Tonight Show musical director Questlove in a sketch on classic versus modern rap.
This week’s episode was hosted by NYC born and raised Timothée Chalamet, who gave a shout out to his mom, who was featured in the 90s sketch Massive Headwound Harry. Chalamet gave a musical interlude during his monologue, talking about his love for New York City, and was joined by Pete Davidson to talk about a Staten Island Christmas.
“Ghosts” was the first song of the night, a track off the recently released Letter To You. For Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s second song, a Christmas lit SNL stage framed an energetic performance of “I’ll See You in my Dreams.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYW-DIG-CV4
Rolling Stone reports E Street Band founding bassist Garry Tallent and violinist Soozie Tyrell had to skip the SNL performance due to COVID-19 protocols. Springsteen tweeted earlier in the week, “Garry and his family are fine as is Soozie, but we thank Jack Daley of the Disciples of Soul for sitting in.”
Despite having a career starting in the 1970s, Springsteen did not appear on Saturday Night Live until 1992, on an episode hosted by Tom Hanks.
Bruce Springsteen last appeared on Saturday Night Live on the 2015 Christmas episode, performing “Meet Me in the City” and “The Ties That Bind.” SNL returns next week with Kristen Wiig and musical guest Dua Lipa.
The Freaks Action Network (“FAN”) has released Fandemic, Vol. 1, with proceeds from album sales going to the FAN Musicians Relief Fund. The fun directly benefits NYC-based musicians through grants to support them through these no-gig days of the COVID pandemic.
Freaks Action Network is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) dedicated to using the positive energy of live music to create positive change in the world. FAN was born in 2018, out of the NYC Freaks, a longstanding extended community of music lovers and tastemakers in NYC and beyond.
While the pandemic has shut down most live music opportunities, many artists in the NYC Freaks community have been writing and making their own original music at home. Like the NYC music scene and the Freaks, the album features a variety of styles and genres, capturing the homespun spirit of the lockdown with an eye toward the days when we can all catch a show together in NYC again.
NYS Music spoke to Aaron Stein, one of the producers of Fandemic, Vol. 1 and founder and NYC Freaks about the album and FAN’s efforts during the music industry shutdown.
PeteMason: Who came up with the project concept and when did you get to work on it?
AaronStein: I came up with the idea after the NYC Freaks had our annual talent show — called “The Freak Show.” We’ve done this for many years, obviously virtually in 2020. It’s always struck me that in addition to being incredibly passionate and knowledgeable music fans, that the Freaks have some serious musical talent. This year’s event happened earlier in the lockdown had a real strong sense of community. I wanted to capture the talent and that community energy and the idea of putting together an album entirely by the Freaks came to mind.
PM: How did you solicit tracks for the album?
AS: I enlisted a couple friends to help — Jesse Guglielmo and Brian Mundy — and we basically asked the community who wanted to participate. I wasn’t sure what the response would be, but we had nearly 20 volunteers, from people who have played in their own bands before to bedroom amateurs. The range of styles and genres and nature of writing and recording these original songs really shows the depth and breadth of the Freaks musical backgrounds. We couldn’t be happier with how the finished, mastered product came out. These are great songs played and recorded with love and hopefully that shines through on the album. There’s something for everyone, I hope people will check it out.
PM: How has FAN been working with artists this year to assist those most in need?
AS: Proceeds from the album are part of a larger fundraising campaign by the charity arm of the NYC Freaks — the Freaks Action Network or “FAN.” During the COVID pandemic, FAN has been raising money for our Musicians Relief Fund which assists professional musicians, and helps make up for lost gigs and income by providing one-time grants to eligible artists. To date, the Musicians Relief Fund has awarded $40,000 in grants and is currently accepting applications for Phase V of the program.
Fandmic, Vol. 1 was engineered and mastered by Josh Van Dyke, with artwork by Alex Anastas, and produced by Jesse Guglielmo, Brian Mundy, and Aaron Stein. Pick up a copy on Bandcamp. Visit Freaks Action Network for more information on the Musicians Relief Fund, including how to donate and to apply.
Bronx rapper, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, was arrested in Bergen County, NJ Monday, Dec. 7th following his 25th birthday celebration. A Boogie is currently facing an array of gun and possession charges.
Born Artist J. Dubose, A Boogie was arrested following a search warrant issued at his residence in Demarest, NJ where police seized four illegally owned handguns. The rapper’s security guard, Quashan Hagler, and his manager, Samblou Camara, were also arrested on possession of illegally owned firearm charges. Police also found an assortment of cannabis and drug paraphernalia which were added to the charges A Boogie is currently facing, according to prosecutors.
The search warrant was issued following a brawl that took place outside of a nightclub where A Boogie was celebrating his 25th birthday. Details are scarce, but witnesses report the fight escalating to a shootout. At this point, A Boogie’s involvement at this point is unsure, however, the investigation continues according to the police.
The events that transpired over the weekend take place during a year where we have lost countless rappers to street violence, most notably, Grammy-nominated Brooklyn artist Pop Smoke who was shot and killed following a home invasion in LA this past February.
More information about the shooting should be rolling out soon however, at this point there’s no indication that A Boogie was injured nor is it clear the group was directly involved in the shooting.
