NYS Music 202​0

Category: Genres

  • PROCTORS AND 98.3 TRY Present Concert Cinema Drive-In Series

    Proctors and 98.3 TRY will present musical acts paired with classic movies in a Concert Cinema Drive-In Series at Jericho Drive-In in Glenmont. The series features artists performing oldies, Motown, classic rock, and even Disney music over five consecutive Wednesdays beginning July 8. Each artist is paired with a similarly-themed classic film that is shown after the live concert performance, except for a Pink Floyd tribute act which performs The Dark Side of the Moon as the soundtrack during a showing of the 1939 film classic “The Wizard of Oz.”

    The concerts will kick off with a performance from The Oldies Show as well as the screening of the film “American Graffiti” on July 8 at 8p.m. The Albany-based The Oldies Show, led by three dynamic singers and backed by a rhythm section and horns, play hits from the 1950’s, 60’s, and 70’s. “American Graffiti” is the 1973 American coming-of-age comedy film directed and co-written by George Lucas, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Harrison Ford, and Cindy Williams.

    Concert Cinema Drive-In Series

    Into the Floyd will perform Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon live as the soundtrack to the “The Wizard of Oz” on the big screen on July 15 at 9p.m.  

    Concert Cinema Drive-In Series

    The Little Mermen is set to perform on July 22 at 7:30p.m. followed by the movie “Beauty and the Beast.” The Little Mermen are a New York City-based Disney cover band that play the hits from “The Jungle Book,” “The Lion King,” “Frozen” and more. “Beauty and the Beast” is the 2017 live action musical film about an arrogant prince cursed to live as a terrifying beast until he finds his true love.

    Concert Cinema Drive-In Series

    A performance from Tusk- The Ultimate Fleetwood Mac Tribute is on July 29 at 8p.m. as well as the screening of the movie “Almost Famous.” Tusk takes audiences on a sweet ride down memory lane through the catalogue of one of classic rock music’s most enduring acts; the 2000 comedy-drama “Almost Famous” follows. The film, written and directed by Cameron Crowe, is the fictional story of a 15-year-old music fan assigned by Rolling Stone magazine to interview an up-and-coming rock band.

    Concert Cinema Drive-In Series

    Reflections: A Motown Tribute Ensemble and “Lady Sing the Blues” is scheduled for August 5 at 8p.m. Reflections: A Motown Tribute Ensemble is an all-star group of lead singers from top Capital Region bands who pay tribute to the golden age of Motown, Staxx Records, Chess Records and Philadelphia International soul music. “Lady Sings the Blues” is a 1972 film about legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday featuring Diana Ross.

  • Aqueous Ushers in a New Era of Live Music

    At Transit Drive In in Lockport, NY, live music returned for the first time in over three months. The drought was lifted with three shows from Aqueous, who performed with a limited crowd that was safely distanced throughout the grounds.

    As Sunday attendee Pete Connors of Utica attested, “For a post-apocalytpic world, they put together as close to a first class event as you’re gonna see this year.” From the looks of the recap video by Jim Houle and just shared by Aqueous, the joy on the faces of the fans, even spread out among the Drive-In grounds agrees with this sentiment.

    Aqueous live music

    With a line forming at noon for the matinee concert, doors opened at 1pm for two sets starting at 2pm. From most points around the state, you’d be home in bed before it was dark. The sound was reported as fantastic from all fronts, even if the sound had to be adjusted to appease neighbors.

    Each dad had its own unique highlight from the band. Friday opened up with local legend Rick James’ “Below the Funk,” and Saturday featured a single song second set of “Half In Half Out,” with teases throughout. On Sunday, the band left the stage before “Kitty Chaser” with a looped beat playing, as they staged a runaway golfcart marathon around the ground, saying hi to fans (from a safe distance).

    In time, we’ll remember the shows and the return to live music, even if the details get foggy. Fans are grateful for music more than ever thanks to intimate experiences like Live at the Drive In, and the easing back into live music will present us all with a new appreciation for the blessings of music around us.

    Aqueous live music

    Setlists via Darren Kemp

    Friday, June 19th, 2020

    Set 1: Below the Funk¹ > They’re Calling For Ya > Numbers and Facts, Little Something to Me, Strange Times² > Burn it Down³ > Below the Funk

    Set 2: Mind Games, Say it Again > Complex Pt. II, Realize Your Light

    Encore: What’s The Connection?⁴

    Notes: ¹ BUSTOUT LTP 12/7/2018 (100 shows)² Unfinished³ G’z and Hustlaz (Snoop Dogg) tease⁴ Birds of a Feather (Phish) tease

    Aqueous live music

    Saturday, June 20th, 2020

    Set 1: Staring into the Sun¹, Good Days, Split the Difference² ³ > Underlyer, Bring Me Down⁴

    Set 2: Half In Half Out⁵

    Encore: Freedom⁶

    Notes: ¹ w/ ending² Wedge tease (Phish) between songs³ So Fresh So Clean (Outkast) tease⁴ Original – Debut�5⁵ Teases galore, including 20/20, Below the Funk (Rick James), Sample in a Jar (Phish), YYZ (Rush), Echoes (Pink Floyd), Californication (Red Hot Chili Peppers)⁶ Jimi Hendrix Cover, BUSTOUT – LTP 2011/6/11 (858 shows)

    Sunday June 21st, 2020

    Set 1: Dig It Good, Josie > Second Sight¹ > Good Enough, The Median

    Set 2: Can You Get Me There?, Willy is 40 > Loop Jam² > Kitty Chaser (Explosions)

    Encore: Freebird³, Complex Pt. I > Second Sight⁴

    Notes: ¹ Unfinished² Band set loops on their instruments and proceeded to drive through the audience on golf carts thanking fans³ Lynyrd Skynyrd cover, Partially played as a joke, mostly acapella from Rob⁴ Ending

    Photos by Zachary Todtenhagen

  • Marco Benevento Shares His Musical Journey on the Past, Present, Future, Live! Podcast

    Marco Benevento joined RJ Bee on this week’s episode of the new podcast series Past, Present, Future, Live! brought to you by Osiris Media. Spanning almost an hour, in the episode we hear the virtuoso keyboardist discuss his life experiences and musical inspirations behind the 7 solo albums that have successfully blended indie pop, jazz, hard rock and improvisation into the smooth fun sound he is known for. The episode wraps with a special performance “Two of You,” “Dropkick,” and “In the Afternoon Tomorrow” right from Benevento’s studio home in Woodstock, NY

    Marco Benevento went on to talk during the podcast about musical partnership that has spanned over twenty years with drummer Joe Russo, the other half of the Benevento/Russo Duo and mastermind behind Joe Russo’s Almost Dead. From bus tours to moving to the Hudson Valley of New York, Benevento’s life and career was impacted immensely leading up to the new artists who have inspired diverse sounds on Benevento’s new album Let it Slide.

    “I literally am living the dream. I couldn’t even imagine being anywhere else right now,” said Marco Benevento.

    Past, Present, Future, Live! is a weekly show that captures the musical journey of an artist in four parts. From early inspirations to the creative process to what drive’s future projects these stories provide a unique inside look. Hosted by RJ Bee, past episodes have included Grammy winning producer and musician Eric Krasno and the frontman for Old 47s Rhett Miller. Upcoming episodes of Past, Present, Future, Live! will include conversations with Ted Leo, Dani Markham, Maggie Rose, and more. Check out full audio episodes every Tuesday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. A video of each live performance will be available immediately following on the Osiris website and Youtube channel.  

  • Phantom Planet Releases First Record in 12 Years and Shares Their Journey

    Many will remember Phantom Planet for their song “California,” but for many fans there more than just a theme song.  The band actually started their career at just 15 years old and will later be an indie rock staple with songs like “Lonely Day,” “Big Brat,” and “Do the Panic.”  Now after 12 years the bank has come back with their highly anticipates album Devastator – now available worldwide.

    Devastator is the first album Phantom Planet has released in 12 years.

    The album is a great tribute to summer with songs like “BALISONG” and “Only One,” and the lyrics are on point!  However, after listening to the album, it left me with several questions for the band.

    Fortunately, I had the amazing chance to chat with lead singer, Alex Greenwald to not only discuss about the creative process with the album- but to also discuss the challenges that were involved:

    Tamara Estrella: Thanks Alex for chatting with us here at NYS Music, I remember when there were teasers that a song was being produced.  However, once you did the release and the mini tour, what led to the creation of the album?  Was this all a part of a big plan that fans didn’t know about?

    Alex Greenwald: The night we played our first show in January 2019, our last album’s producer Tony Berg (who is a LEGEND) said he was floored watching us and invited the band to record in his new studio. The ‘new studio’ happened to be Sound City which is one of LA’s most historic places to record, where many, many great records have been made. Nirvana’s “Nevermind” for example. Also, the hugely successful version of Fleetwood Mac with Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks actually formed in the room we recorded in. THEN ,when we were mixing the album, Bob Dylan was recording at the same time across the hall. Making this album was incredible.

    TE: Listening to songs like “Time Moves On” and then seeing the album art….I hate to ask…but was this album inspired about personal events?  Or was there another meaning behind it?

    AG: Before I answer this question, I’d like to make it clear – as the person who wrote it – that these songs are about whatever you think they’re about. You, the listener are who gives these songs meaning. Ok. Now to answer your question. Yes. A lot of the songs on Devastator were inspired by a breakup with someone I’d been in a relationship for seven years. Every time I told someone about the breakup – that she got to keep our dogs – they would say something like: “My G_d that’s devastating!” Always that word. So, the album just kind of titled itself.

    TE: I love watching your YouTube videos and it’s great to see that you guys were even able to release a music video during all of this.  How has this whole pandemic experience been for you guys as a band?

    AG: The pandemic has affected everyone in such different ways, but the one thing we all have in common is that we are trying to live our lives to the best of our abilities while under house arrest. I’ve been learning all I can about anything I can, and being as creative as I can be during this time. The band has been sharing music amongst its members, collaborating via “satellite”. We’ve been making home vids of certain songs and putting them up online. I made a music video for our new song “Only One” with a green screen. I found a bunch of royalty free video from the internet, and edited it to the song. I filmed myself with my iPhone. It came out way better than I thought it would, seeing as I had absolutely no experience making music videos or editing or green screening. One of my favorite qualities of human beings is our ability to adapt. I see a lot of adapting, and although the circumstance are FAR from ideal, I have seen so many flashes of beauty through this dark unprecedented time. Stay strong everyone. We still have each other, even if we can’t be close right now. Love will carry us through.

    So as Billboard shares, be ready to ‘dance, smile, cry and go through all the emotions,’ for an 11-track musical narrative that was seriously 12 years in the making- and honestly worth the wait.

    Check out Phantom Planet’s latest video “Only One”:

    Here is the full Track Listing for Devastator:

    1. BALISONG

    2. Party Animal

    3. Only One

    4. Leave A Little Light On

    5. Time Moves On

    6. Through The Trees

    7. Torture Me

    8. Dear Dead End

    9. Waiting For The Lights To Change

    10. Gold Body Spray

    11. ROTK

  • Jon Batiste, Bela Fleck, Abigail Washburn, Pedrito Martinez Headlining “Freihofer’s Jazz Fest Stay Home Sessions”

    Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Absolutely Live Entertainment and Caffè Lena have announced the first ever “Freihofer’s Jazz Fest Stay Home Sessions” to take place June 26 -28 at 8 p.m. est. The series will feature pre produced videos from national artists along with live performances on Caffè Lena‘s stage from local favorites. Each session will be hosted through Caffè Lena’s “Stay Home Sessions” Youtube channel. “Freihofer’s Jazz Fest Stay Home Sessions” have replaced the 2020 Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival usually hosted at Saratoga Performing Arts Center that was cancelled due to health and safety concerns as a result of the Coronavirus Pandemic.

    Elizabeth Sobol, President and CEO of  Saratoga Performing Arts Center gave this statement in a press release; “Freihofer’s has been a generous and steadfast supporter of Jazz Fest for the last 23 years. When presented with the possibility of creating a Virtual Jazz Fest, they didn’t miss a beat – pledging to support our efforts to bring great musicians and audience together despite the challenges of COVID-19.  Being able to create connection for jazz lovers – and support both national and local musicians, the latter performing from Caffe Lena — is a privilege.”

    The series is broken down into three themed nights. Kicking things off with a Cuban-themed evening will be previous headliner, Grammy nominated Pedrito Martinez with local artists Chuck Lamb and Jorge Gomez. Bringing the sounds of folk and jazz together will be husband and wife duo Bela Fleck (four time headliner and winner of 15 Grammy awards) & Abigail Washburn followed by Saratoga Spring’s own Skidmore Jazz Institute Alumni Trio. Closing out the weekend long event with some smooth sounds from Detroit will be Garland Nelson’s Reflections: A Motown Tribute Ensemble” opening for musician and television personality Jon Batiste.

    Freihofer’s Jazz Fest Stay Home Sessions Lineup:

    *all performances at 8 PM EST

    June 26

                Pedrito Martinez

                Chuck Lamb & Jorge Gomez

    June 27

                Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn

                Skidmore Jazz Institute Alumni Trio

    June 27

                Jon Batiste

                Garland Nelson’s “Reflections: A Motown Tribute Ensemble”

  • Hearing Aide: Baked Shrimp ‘Bubble Suit’

    With the times changing week by week, it’s been pretty hard for bands to get together and practice safely like they used to. However, Baked Shrimp had a different idea all together. This progressive-funk trio from Long Island just released their second full album, Bubble Suit, and their approach towards recording this new LP is ingenious.

    Jared Cowen, Scott Reill and Jager Soss recorded their parts virtually and used cloud-based systems to send the tracks back and forth to create the final product. These 12 tracks have never been performed live or even played at practice and the band is quick to point out that this is not a studio album… it’s a quarantine album!

    baked shrimp bubble suit

    Regardless of how you classify it, this album is an impressive musical and technical feat from start to finish. The opening track, “The Vision That I Can See,” is a jaw-dropping epic that really showcases the prowess of this band and make you scratch your head as you ponder how they were able to put this album together. “Conduit” fits this same description too and will undoubtedly become a staple at their live shows. The band also shows off their light-hearted side with humorous tracks like “I Wanna Do Nothing” and “Drinking on the Beach”, but they really flex their skills on more upbeat songs like “Koko” and “Rock Bottom.”

    Bubble Suit is a response to Baked Shrimp’s 30-date Summer Tour being cancelled. The band plans to resume touring as soon as safely possible and will stay true to release new music frequently in the future. For now, this album is a milestone achievement for Baked Shrimp and the music scene as a whole. They’ve taken our current uncomfortable situation and truly made the most of the situation. Bubble Suit was released on June 18 on Bandcamp.

    Key Tracks: Conduit, The Vision That I Can See, Koko

    Bubble Suit by Baked Shrimp

  • Ian Holubiak Releases Music Video to “The Ballad of Michael Brown”

    Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and self-taught musician Ian Holubiak, who goes by the name Great Ian Alexander, has released the music video to his new protest anthem, written in response to the death of George Floyd and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. 

    Ian Holubiak

    “The Ballad of Michael Brown,” was originally supposed to be a battlecry for the late Michael Brown, a victim of police brutality. As the years have passed, the song has maintained its relevance, serving as yet another voice in defiance of the systemic racism inherent in America’s police forces. Great Ian Alexander presents a song to aid in the revolution, to form a new police system and oust the racism that has been perpetuated and brutalized through the 13th Amendment.

    Written by Ian Alexander Holubiak, Larz Principato & Denis Lipari, the song is a part of Holubiak’s solo project, Great Ian Alexander. Holubiak, a self-taught musician from the age of nine has toured with the Atlantic Records band, Oh Honey, as both a member and co-songwriter. Among the other groups he has toured with include Beach Weather and singer-songwriter acts inducing Grammy award nominated Elle King. 

  • Annual Montréal Jazz Festival Will Be Broadcast Virtually

    The annual Festival International de Jazz de Montréal will take place virtually from June 27-30 due to the ongoing threat of the COVID-19 virus.

    Annual Montréal Jazz Festival
    Photo by Victor Diaz Lamich/Courtesy of Festival International de Jazz de Montreal

    Le Festival International de Jazz de Montréal is an annual event and draws millions of visitors to the city of Québec each Summer. It holds the Guiness World Record for largest jazz festival. Unfortunately, the festival cannot be held in person this year; however, recordings of live performances will be available for free online. Thanks to support from TD Bank Group and Rio Tinto as well as public partnerships with the Government of Canada, the Government of Québec, and the City of Montréal, the Montréal Jazz Festival will reach more than ever before.

    In order to keep everything up to the Festival’s standards, all performances will be filmed with high-quality production value in a specially made studio in Montreal’s L’Astral catered specifically for these online performances. Director Maxime Théoret-Bissonnette will manage these recordings and ensure that they will be of the highest quality. These live recordings will be free to view for anyone anywhere, making the Festival more accessible than it has ever been. If you can’t catch the performances live, they will be available for free on demand afterwards as well.

    The Festival will kick off on Canadian Multicultural Day, June 27, with a lineup that will showcase Canada’s rich and diverse talent. The show will begin with the Apéros SAQ, a mix of live performances from some of the Festival’s favorite artists. Up next are the Sessions TD and Rhymes Rio Tinto, sessions that will be enjoyable for all fans. The Festival will also showcase recordings of performances from past Festivals. The opening night will finish with the Fin de Soirée Loto-Québec, a virtual party for everyone who wants to join.

    Annual Montréal Jazz Festival
    Photo courtesy of Festival International de Jazz de Montreal

    The Festival will continue for three more days and wraps up on June 30. Although the full schedule has yet to be announced, the lineup includes the top local luminaries and artists of the city. Some notable performers who will be featured are Charlotte Cardin, Jean-Michael Blais, The Barr Brothers, Dominique Fils-Aimée, Elisapie, Jordan Officer, and many more. 

    The Festival’s General Manager Jacques K. Primeau expresses that it is extremely important for the Festival’s team “to bring the jazz Festival to the people.” He also expressed that the Festival “is thrilled to be able to offer an innovative solution to get the music out to the fans” even with such difficult challenges. 

    The Festival is only taking place thanks to the leadership of Primeau and Laurent Saulnier, the Festival’s team, the artists, and the Festival’s generous sponsors. Primeau remarks that “#JazzTogether is truly a community and a family affair” even in the hardest of times.

  • Disney+ Releases Trailer for Hamilton

    Disney + has just released their trailer for Hamilton: An American Musical which will be available for streaming on July 3.

    hamilton trailer

    First produced Off-Broadway at the Public Theater in 2015, Hamilton then moved to the Richard Rogers Theater on Broadway later that year. The show’s music, lyrics, and book were written by the musical’s star, Lin Manuel-Miranda based off of Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton is most famous for presenting America as it was in the 1700s, but in today’s light. Every character save King George is played by a BIPOC to highlight the diversity of America today.

    Hamilton took Broadway by storm and the hype has not yet let down. Due to the show’s popularity, tickets continue to be expensive: at one point, a premium seat went for $1,150. However, the show is famous for their memorable lottery, the #Ham4Ham, when lucky winners are given front row tickets for only $10, or one Hamilton. Fans have been anticipating the release of this recording for years, as Lin Manuel-Miranda confirmed that the show would be recorded in a tweet in 2016. The release of this high-quality recording makes Broadway more accessible to people who cannot experience it live for themselves.

    Hamilton was nominated for a record-breaking 16 Tony awards, and won 11 in total, including best musical, best book, and best score, as well as Leslie Odom Jr. (Aaron Burr) winning best actor, Daveed Diggs (Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson) awarded best featured actor, and Renée Elise Goldsberry (Angelica Schuyler) receiving the Tony for best featured actress. Many other members of the cast were nominated for Tonys, and they can all be seen in the original Broadway cast recording on July 3. 

    This is Lin Manuel-Miranda’s second Broadway show. In The Heights, a story about a predominately Hispanic neighborhood community living in Washington Heights, had its Broadway debut in 2008 also at the Richard Rogers Theater and was nominated for 13 Tonys and won 4, including best musical. In the Heights has just been adapted into a feature film as well, with Anthony Ramos (who plays John Laurens/Philip Hamilton in Hamilton), playing the lead role of Usnavi. In the Height, previously scheduled for release June 2020, will now be released on June 18, 2021.

    Hamilton will be available to stream on Disney+ on July 3.

  • Danish Punks Twin Dive Deliver New Track “Say His Name” in Honor of George Floyd

    Danish punk band Twin Dive have released a new track in remembrance of George Floyd, a recent victim of police brutality whos death has sparked protest and outrage worldwide. The energy and pure anger that shine through on this track perfectly captivate the strong emotions behind the Black Lives Matter movement.

    “Say His Name” is riddled with lyrics that target the systematic racism and oppression perpetuated by the American upper class. Much like the protests themselves, this song is a screaming demand for justice. In further support of the Black Lives Matter movement, Twin Dives will be donating 100% of the proceeds and royalties made from this release to the cause.

    Twin Dive is a duo from Denmark who, although formed only in 2018, have been grabbing attention in their respective music scenes. Blending the braggadocious nature of front men from the 70s punk scene with all the contained noise and distortion of the low-fi grunge era, Twin Dive are no stranger to taking political stances in their music.

    To find out more on the band make sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram to keep updated with their shenanigans.