NYS Music 202​0

Category: Genres

  • The 2020 Rock and Roll Playhouse Includes Multiple Shows in New York

    The Rock and Roll Playhouse has expanded to include even more dates across the United States, including many in New York City. The performances will also make their way to Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville, Cubby Bear in Chicago, The Varsity Theater in Minneapolis, and Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael, CA. 

    The Rock and Roll Playhouse is a family-minded live event series that tries to find new ways to inspire creativity and particularly foster a relationship between children and music. It’s a national concert series that gives back to local communities. The program has donated to the Can’d Aid Foundation’s Tunes Programs, VH-1 Save the Music Foundation, and Keep the Music Alive, as well as ticket donations to local school fundraisers and auctions.

    The event series will make stops at Brooklyn Bowl New York, Garcia’s at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY, Industry City in Brooklyn and Rockefeller Center in New York City. For more information and to purchase tickets visit The Rock and Roll Playhouse official site. 

    The Rock and Roll Playhouse 2020 Winter/Spring Tour Dates:

    Ardmore Music Hall – Philadelphia, PA 

    2/8 – Purple Party ft. Music of Prince and More for Kids with Johnny Shortcake

    3/29 – The Music of Phish for Kids ft. Bathtub Gin 

    Brooklyn Bowl New York – Brooklyn, NY 

    2/9 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids

    2/16 – Purple Party ft. Music of Prince and More for Kids

    2/23 – Mardi Gras Celebration for Kids ft. Black Tie Brass 

    3/1 – The Music of Fleetwood Mac for Kids

    3/8 – The Music of Phish for Kids ft. Uncle Ebenezer – Purim Celebration with Because Jewish

    3/15 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids // Family-friendly Tribute to Phil Lesh Celebrating his 80th Birthday

    3/22 – Broadway Rock for Kids ft. Musicians and Singers Direct from Broadway  

    3/29 – The Music of Dave Matthews Band for Kids ft. Rhyme and Reason 

    Brooklyn Bowl Nashville – Nashville, TN

    3/29 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids ft. Los Colognes 

    4/19 – The Music of Queen for Kids

    5/10 – Music of The Beatles for Kids // Mother’s Day Celebration 

    Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas – Las Vegas, NV

    2/22 – Purple Party ft. Music of Prince and More for Kids! 

    3/28 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids 

    Bluebird Theater – Denver, CO

    2/8 – The Music of Phish for Kids ft. Kings of Prussia 

    Garcia’s at the Capitol Theatre – Port Chester, NY 

    2/15 – The Music of Queen for Kids

    2/29 – Music of The Beatles for Kids

    3/15 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids // Family-friendly Tribute to Phil Lesh Celebrating his 80th Birthday

    3/21 – Jazz for Kids 

    Charleston Pour House – Charleston, SC

    2/8 – The Music of Phish for Kids w/ Runaway Gin 

    3/14 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids // Family-friendly Tribute to Phil Lesh Celebrating his 80th Birthday

    Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR 

    2/9 – The Music of Talking Heads for Kids

    3/15 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids // Family-friendly Tribute to Phil Lesh Celebrating his 80th Birthday

    Fairfield Theatre Company – Fairfield, CT  

    2/9 – The Music of Phish for Kids ft. Uncle Ebenezer 

    3/1 – One Love ft. Music of Bob Marley for Kids and More! 

    Funky Biscuit – Boca Raton, FL

    2/9 – Music of The Beatles for Kids

    Grey Eagle – Asheville, NC 

    2/23 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids

    Higher Ground – Burlington, VT

    2/9 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids

    3/8 – The Music of Phish for Kids

    Industry City – Brooklyn, NY

    2/8 – One Love ft. Music of Bob Marley for Kids and More w/ David Langlois and the Brooklyners – Bob Marley’s 75th Birthday Celebration  

    2/15 – Music of The Beatles for Kids  

    2/22 – Mardi Gras Celebration for Kids ft. Black Tie Brass

    2/29 – Broadway Rock for Kids ft. Musicians and Singers Direct From Broadway

    3/14 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids // Family-friendly Tribute to Phil Lesh Celebrating his 80th Birthday 

    Mohawk- Austin, TX

    2/9 – Purple Party ft. Music of Prince and More for Kids 

    Port City Music Hall – Portland, ME 

    2/9 – Purple Party ft. Music of Prince and More for Kids 

    3/1 – The Music of Phish for Kids 

    Rockefeller Center – New York, NY

    2/9 – Reggae for Kids ft. David Langlois and the Brooklyners  

    Saturn – Birmingham, AL 

    2/9 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids

    The Sinclair – Boston, MA 

    2/9 – Purple Party ft. Music of Prince and More for Kids 

    3/8 – The Music of Phish for Kids

    The Stone Pony – Asbury, NJ

    2/9 – Purple Party ft. Music of Prince and More for Kids 

    Sweetwater Music Hall – Mill Valley, CA

    2/8 – Purple Party ft. Music of Prince and More for Kids! 

    3/22 – The Music of Talking Heads for Kids 

    Terminal West – Atlanta, GA

    2/9 – Purple Party ft. Music of Prince and More for Kids! 

    3/22 – The Music of Phish for Kids

    Terrapin Crossroads – San Rafael, CA

    3/14 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids // Family-friendly Tribute to Phil Lesh Celebrating his 80th Birthday

    Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL 

    2/9 – Music of The Beatles for Kids (AM Show // SOLD OUT)

    2/9 – Music of The Beatles for Kids (PM Show) 

    3/1 – The Music of Phish for Kids 

    3/29 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids

    UC Theatre – Berkeley, CA 

    2/2 – Music of The Beatles for Kids

    Varsity Theater – Minneapolis, MN 

    2/22 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids 

  • Vevo and Fat Joe Present Live Performance of ‘Heaven & Hell’

    Vevo announced rapper Fat Joe, as the next artist in their Ctrl series, with a performance of “Heaven & Hell.” Vevo’s Ctrl series highlights the work of hard-hitting, cutting-edge musicians, both emerging and established, making an impact on today’s music scene. These artists demand attention and Vevo’s Ctrl shines a deserving spotlight.

    Shot in Vevo’s Brooklyn studio, Fat Joe’s performance of “Heaven & Hell” follows sessions from Fabolous, Rick Ross, Common, Rapsody, Jeezy, Jadakiss, A$AP Ferg and more, according to their official website.

    Sampling Wendy Rene’s 1964 record “After Laughter (Comes Tears)” – made famous throughout the hip-hop community by Wu Tang Clan for their sampling of it in 94’s “Tearz” – Fat Joe & Dre, spend roughly the first two-minutes detailing their past lives in the inner-city through a braggadocious lens, before a beat switch halfway through the record sees the two men double down on their affinity for jewelry and their status as bosses in their respective professions, before fading out the record with the original Rene sample.

    Hailing from the South Bronx, Fat Joe is one of hip-hop’s first Latino superstars. The Terror Squad founder has parlayed his streets smarts and lyrical ability into a legendary rap career. While he began as a gritty lyricist known for his inner-city tales, he soon developed a sense for penning hits and has provided some of hip-hop’s most memorable records with hit such as; “Lean Back,” “All the Way Up,” and ‘What’s Luv,” among others. Apart from his individual projects, Fat Joe has shown a knack for discovering and developing talent, with his most prominent protégé being late-rapper Big Pun and renowned emcee Remy Ma.

  • Greensky Bluegrass Crack Jokes, Cover Paul Simon and The Band at The Egg

    A sold out crowd welcomed Greensky Bluegrass back to the Capital District for another round of energetic and psychedelic jamgrass from the standard bearers of the genre at The Egg. Opening the show was Ghost Light, featuring local favorite Holly Bowling on keys, who gave the audience a short yet stellar opening 45-minute set. 

    greensky bluegrass egg

    Greensky have made Albany an annual winter tour stop, returning to The Egg and a capacity and ever-enthusiastic crowd. Following “Dustbowl Overtures,” with it’s line, “It’s a New York Minute, under a New Mexico sky,” eliciting cheers from the audience, mandolinist Paul Hoffman welcomed the crowd to the show, referring to the venue as the ‘punniest venue in the country.’ With that, dobroist Anders Beck joined in with egg jokes that carried on throughout the night. First set highlights included “I’d Probably Kill You” -> ‘Nellie Kane,” as well as “Broken Highways” and “Courage for the Road,” where Beck was a heavy presence via the dobro and shone as the set came to a close.

    With Set 2 came more jokes that continued as soon as the band hit the stage. Beck returned prepared and informed the crowd, “I’ve probably got a dozen, just to lay it out there.” A long “Take Cover” kicked off a set full of surprises, plus lots of banter with the crowd. The back and forth was so natural and the crowd so focused, Hoffman said it felt like “playing on a radio station, but you’re all here.” For “Casual Wednesday,” Beck laid his down dobro and took off into the crowd to greet the audience and hype up the sound and light teams on this casual Wednesday, making a Buddy Guy-style lap around the venue, before returning to the stage. 

    greensky bluegrass egg

    A cover of The Band’s “Atlantic City” segued perfectly into “Just Listening,” which was followed by “Mother and Child Reunion,” which contained a deep reference to eggs, their debut of the 1972 Paul Simon single. After the song, Hoffman expressed that playing that song at The Egg was a career highlight. “Furious Exuberance” > “Kerosene” would close the set with Pink Floyd-esque spaciness that paired perfectly with the evening’s light show that hovered between early ’70s psychedelia and late ’70s disco. 

    Ghost Light setlist via Phantasytour

    Set 1: Don’t Come Apart Just Yet, My Dear> Bullseye Blues> Cold Blooded* > Don’t Come Apart Just Yet, My Dear

    *with Diamond Eyes jam

    Greensky Bluegrass at The Egg, setlist via Phantasytour

    Set 1: Lose My Way, Dustbowl Overtures, Better Off, Hot Dogs (On Parade), I’d Probably Kill You, Nellie Kane, What You Need, Broken Highways, Courage for the Road

    Set 2: Take Cover, Collateral Damage, Do It Alone, A Letter to Seymour, Casual Wednesday, New Rize Hill, Atlantic City> Just Listening, Mother and Child Reunion*, Exuberance> Kerosene

    Encore: Drink Up and Go Home

    *first time played

    • greensky bluegrass egg

  • Barenaked Ladies Officially Postpone North American Tour

    Grammy-nominated rock quartet Barenaked Ladies, have postponed the sixth edition of their “Last Summer on Earth” tour. The two-month expedition would have seen the Juno award-winning outfit perform in some of the world’s most renowned locations, including Los Angeles’, Greek Theatre and New York City’s Central Park SummerStage. “Last Summer on Tour,” a named derived from the Mayans predictions of the world end in 2012, will still see Gin Blossoms and Toad the Wet Sprocket join them as opening acts, just a little later than originally planned.

    Vocalist/guitarist Ed Robertson shares, “We were really hoping we’d be able to pull it off this summer, but for the safety of our fans, all the venue staff, bands and crew, we need to listen to best advice and postpone until next summer. We’ll be back with the same lineup in almost all the same venues in 2021. We hope to see each and every one of you then. Be safe. Continue to Rock, and don’t forget to Roll.”

    Tickets purchased for 2020 will still valid for 2021 however, shows in  Houston, San Diego, St Louis and Pittsburgh were not able to be rescheduled. Refunds will be handled by original ticket providers. To thank fans for their support, an exclusive #SelfieCamJam along with a message from the band will be sent to ticket buyers via their ticket provider.

    All information on the “Last Summer on Earth” 2021 tour can be found at the Barenaked Ladies website, while dates can be found below.  

    https://youtu.be/y2xlsDjO77M

    2021 LAST SUMMER ON EARTH TOUR DATES
    June 4th – Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park – Atlanta, GA
    June 5th – St. Augustine Amphitheatre – St Augustine, FL
    June 8th – Toyota Music Factory – Irving, TX
    June 10th – Arizona Federal Theatre – Phoenix, AZ
    June 11th – Greek Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
    June 12th – Vina Robles Amphitheatre – Paso Robles, CA
    June 17th – Marymoor Park Amphitheatre – Redmond, WA
    June 18th – Edgefield  – Troutdale, OR
    June 19th – Northern Quest Resort & Casino – Airway Heights, WA
    June 22nd – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO
    June 25th – Stir Cove at Hurrah’s Council Bluffs – Council Bluffs, IA
    June 26th – Mystic Lake Casino – Prior Lake, MN
    Jun 28th – Chicago Theatre – Chicago, IL
    Jun 30th – Starlight Theatre – Kansas City, MO
    July 2nd – Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park – Indianapolis, IN
    July 3rd – Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica – Cleveland, OH
    July 4th – DTE Energy Music Theatre – Clarkston, MI
    July 6th – Artpark – Lewiston, NY
    July 7th – New York, NY *Venue to be announced soon 
    July 9th – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion – Gilford, NH
    July 10th – Mohegan Sun Arena – Uncasville, CT
    July 11th – Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion – Boston, MA
    July 13th – The Met – Philadelphia, PA
    July 14th – Wolf Trap – Vienna, VA
    July 16th – North Charleston Coliseum – Charleston, SC  *Venue change
    July 17th – Red Hat Amphitheatre – Raleigh, NC
    July 18th – MECU Pavilion – Baltimore, MD
    July 20th – PNC Music Pavilion  – Cincinnati, OH
    July 21st – Budweiser Stage – Toronto, ON  *Kim Mitchell will be joining this show

  • Sammy Miller and The Congregation Premiers New Video

    Sammy Miller and The Congregation has dropped a music video for “It Gets Better,” the latest single from their album Leaving Egypt. In celebration of this debut, they will be embarking on an 18-city, cross-country tour. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased HERE.

    The nine piece ensemble was formed in 2014 at The Juilliard School in New York City, where members were students at the time. Starting off they played at various venues around NYC that typically did not host jazz ensembles. Their fan base was built around the van touring life modeled after rock bands, while dazzling listeners with a reconceptualized type of jazz.

     “This is us, I’m proud of it, and I’m eager to embark on our mission to bring joy to people’s lives through music, ” Sammy Miller, founding member of the group, said of the debut album.

    Sammy Miller and The Congregation

    The band lineup includes Sammy Miller, drums and vocals; Sam Crittenden, trombone; Ben Flocks, tenor sax; Sammy’s sister Molly Miller on guitar; Alphonso Horne, trumpet; Corbin Jones, bass and tuba; and David Linard, piano.

    Tour Dates:

    Feb. 12 – California Center for the Arts – Escondido, CA

    Feb. 13 – Campbell Hall – Santa Barbara, CA

    Feb. 16 – Bootleg Theater – Los Angeles, CA

    Feb. 21 – Sweetwater – Mill Valley, CA

    Feb. 22 – Oshman Family JCC – Palo Alto, CA

    Feb. 23 – The Sofia Tsakopoulos Center for the Arts – Sacramento, CA

    Feb. 28 – Dubai Jazz Festival – Dubai, UAE

    March 24 – Vinyl – Atlanta, GA

    March 25 – Isis Music Hall – Asheville, NC

    March 26 – Neighborhood Theatre – Charlotte, NC

    March 27 – Tin Pan – Richmond, VA

    March 28 – Songbyrd – Washington, DC

    March 29 – Sellersville Theater – Sellersville, PA

    March 31 – The Red Room at Cafe 939 – Boston, MA

    May 1 – Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts – Fond du Lac, WI

    May 2 – Door County Brewing Co. Music Hall – Baileys Harbor, WI

    May 3 – Dakota – Minneapolis, MN

    June 27-28 – Jazz Aspen Snowmass – Aspen, CO

  • Dave Matthews Band Making Their way to New York

    Dave Matthews Band announced a new summer tour that will see the Grammy-winning rock group make several stops in the New York tri-state area. The tour – set to begin on June 16 and end on September 22 – will begin in the Northeast, and travel throughout the Southwest, Southeast, and the Midwest.

    Dave Matthews Band New York
    Photo by Steve Malinski @ Madison Square Garden.

    Additionally, DMB will be making a return to St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview, where they last performed in 2018 to a near full-house, and in 2016 to a sold-out venue. A performance from DMB will be one of many live shows at St. Joseph’s Amphitheater, which will see its fair share of concerts this year, with Live Nation announcing 20-25 slated performances to be held at the Syracuse arena.

    Tickets to see DMB live will be on sale through Live Nation and Ticketmaster on February 21. A list of Dave Matthews Band, as well as St. Joseph’s Amphitheater concert dates can be found below.

    Dave Matthews Band Summer Tour Dates

    June 16 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena

    June17 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena

    July 8 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center

    July 10 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center

    July 11 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center

    July 21 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater

    July 22 – Syracuse, NY – St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview

    St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview has a stout 2020 lineup starting May 31, with Zach Brown Band, and continuing with: Sugarland, Thomas Rhett, Steeley Dan, The Doobie Brothers, Matchbox Twenty, Nickelback with Stone Temple Pilots, Hall & Oates, Foreigner, Brad Paisley and Jason Aldean. To see a full schedule, please see their WEBSITE.

  • Goose Continues Sold Out NYC Run in Brooklyn; Covers Radiohead and Moody Blues

    Fresh off a sold out show at Manhattan’s Bowery Ballroom, Goose completed a multi-night, multi-venue, multi-borough NYC run last night in Brooklyn at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. While the hype surrounding Goose has been a topic all its own, last night’s show was an exclamation point, an emphatic declaration that Goose is real and they’re here to stay. Having seen a whopping three Goose shows now, which makes me either a wiley veteran or highly unqualified to make this statement (depends who you ask), last night will go down as one of the special ones. So let’s make no further comparisons about who this Connecticut quartet sounds like or reminds you of … This. Is. Goose. 

    goose brooklyn

    With soaring improvisational solos, irresistible hooks, and infinite peaks, Goose absolutely crushed another packed room, this one already vibing hard thanks to the seductive beats of DJ Doey Joey. Taking the stage to Notorious B.I.G.’s “Where Brooklyn At,” Goose opened with the slap-bass funk intro of “Yeti,” a statement song if ever there was one, and Trevor Weekz (bass) kicked the three-hour party off in high gear. Peter Anspach was first out of the box with face-melting guitar solos, with Rick Mitaronda not far behind before they joined forces with two part harmonies in “Time to Flee,” a jam that culminated in the white light reflections of the centrally located disco ball. “Western Sun” rang in with a Southern twang and a country-ish rock tone that served to highlight Goose’s impressive range. “All I Need” was another peak-after-peak-after-peak neverending jam that has become synonymous with Goose’s signature sound. How do you follow that? Well, If a Radiohead cover is in your wheelhouse, then you bust out “Weird Fishes,” just because you can. WOW. A “Doc Brown” dedication to Peter’s eight year old nephew preceded the thunderous set-closer, “So Ready.” BOOM!

    Check out fan video of “Weird Fishes”

    DJ Doey Joey kept the beats going through the setbreak as the crowd never stopped grooving – yours truly included! Riding the first set high and Joey’s infectious vibe, the crowd was primed for a raging second set and Goose delivered one for the record books. “Arrow” brought the party back, complete with the first of what would be sporadic confetti cannons that seemed to amuse the Goose as much as the Gaggle. A first ever cover of the Moody Blues’ “Nights in White Satin” emerged from the “Arrow” jam, more evidence of both Goose’s dynamic range and the fun they have on stage. Trevor Weekz brought the funk back for “Creatures,” before a 2001 pop cover of Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Outta My Head.” Talk about not taking yourself too seriously; Goose’s fun quotient is unparalleled right now.

    goose brooklyn

    “Hot Tea,” with perhaps the most compelling and addictive hook in their growing catalog, and my favorite song, taboot, was white hot. Brooklyn came to party and this hands up, arms waving, confetti blasting, disco ball doing its ‘disco ball thing’ jam was a peak moment (okay, maybe more like 15). A “Jive I” > “Jive Lee” combo closed the set, with heavy effects from guitarist Mitaronda, and “Turned Clouds” in the encore slot wrapped it all up a few moments before 1:00 am. 

    goose brooklyn

    Goose heads west, touring with Pigeons Playing Ping, for their next show February 5 in Phoenix, AZ.

    Locally, Rick, Peter, and Trevor will be playing as Birds of a Feather with Alex Petropolous and Jeremy Schon (PPPP) on March 21 at Brooklyn Comes Alive. Goose will also open for Pigeons on Friday April 24 at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY.

    Goose – Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY – 1/25/20

    Set 1: Yeti, Time to Flee, A Western Sun, All I Need {1}, Weird Fishes {2}, Doc Brown {3}, So Ready

    Set 2: Arrow > Nights in White Satin {4} > Creatures > Can’t Get You Outta My Head {5} > Hot Tea, Jive I > Jive Lee

    Encore: Turned Clouds

    Coach’s Notes:
    {1} Slow & melodic version of All I Need
    {2} Radio Head
    {3} Wiz Kid dedicated the song to his nephew
    {4} Moody Blues, FTP
    {5} Kylie Minogue
    This was a sold out show
    Set 1 Start: 9:27pm – Set 1 End Time: 10:47pm
    Set 2 Start: 11:15pm Set 2 End: 12:52am
    Next Show: 2.5.20 • Phoenix, AZ • The Marquee Theater

  • Moon Hooch Administer Cave Music to Packed Bowery Ballroom

    Nearly a decade ago, the members of Moon Hooch were busking in the NYC subways, filling the tunnels with their raw and energetic saxophones and percussions. But try not to think of a few musicians, off to the side, with crowds of people just buzzing past minding their own business. Instead, Mike Wilbur, Wenzl McGowen and James Muschler would turn entire subway platforms into tribal dance floors with their beat-infused jazz music. It was not long before the MTA banned them from smaller subway stations and they were bringing their “cave music” above ground to TV shows and sold out music venues.

    Moon Hooch at Bowery Ballroom – Photo: Joseph Buscarello

    The trio of Moon Hooch made their way to Bowery Ballroom this past Thursday, for the second stop on their lengthy world tour. The line to get in extended around the corner before doors opened and the Brooklyn-based band was treated to a warm reception from a room packed with fans and close friends. They hit the stage earlier than the posted set time and kicked into high gear right from the start. At times, more than half the dance floor was turned into a dancing mosh pit; if it wasn’t for the cables plugging their instruments in, I’m sure Mike and Wenzl would have dove right in.

    Moon Hooch at Bowery Ballroom – Photo: Joseph Buscarello

    Even though the group has graduated from the subways to the stage, their sound and live setup remains true to their origins. A modest drum kit sat center stage with an army of saxophones standing at attention off to the side. A makeshift DJ set-up, several props and smaller wind instruments that would appear later in the show all sat on a table.

    Mike Wilbur of Moon Hooch at Bowery Ballroom – Photo: Joseph Buscarello

    A large open area was left to allow for the immensely energetic performance. The music did not skip a beat while the two saxophonists bounced and danced from one side of the stage to the other. Constant swapping of instruments and the use of horn props all led to a very dense and eclectic sound. At one point, a traffic cone was attached to Wenzl’s tenor sax, turning it into a deep-bass horn extending over the heads of the fans in the front row.

    Wenzl McGowen of Moon Hooch at Bowery Ballroom – Photo: Joseph Buscarello

    It does not seem likely that a subway busking performance would have a well planned setlist, and that was also the case for this show. All of the songs were performed as live basement jams, but with a “telepathic” connection between the trio. For almost two hours, the band played nearly non-stop, constantly mixing and improvising the songs that make up their catalog. The madhouse that ensued would not let up until security was forcing people to the exits.

    Moon Hooch at Bowery Ballroom – Photo: Joseph Buscarello

    The band just self-released their 4th LP, Life On Other Planets, earlier this month right before kicking off the tour. Unlike their last three records, the band decided to forgo obsessively producing and mastering tracks and instead attempted to reproduce the raw and unpredictable sound of their live shows. Almost all of the tracks were single-take recordings featuring extensive build ups, driving percussions and ear-ringing, funky sax riffs. The result is a largely successful and unique record. After seeing the show for myself, one could assume the new LP is a live album taken from one of their shows.

    Moon Hooch have dates all across the US through February, then they hit Europe for March and April. Support for these shows comes from Sungazer, The Tangled Roots, The Main Squeeze and Paris Monster. Check out the full list of dates here.

  • New York Historical Society presents ‘Bill Graham and the Rock & Roll Revolution’ exhibit, opening February 14

    The New-York Historical Society presents the rock & roll world of Bill Graham (1931–1991),with an upcoming exhibit Bill Graham and the Rock & Roll Revolution, on view February 14 – August 23, 2020. Located at the Central Park West museum and library, the exhibit focuses on the legacy of one of the most influential concert promoters of all time. 

    Graham’s life and work as a legendary music impresario are on display alongside the biggest names in rock music whom he worked with, including the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, Santana, Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling Stones. Graham launched the careers of countless music luminaries at his famed Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco and the Fillmore East in New York City. 

    Organized by the Skirball Cultural Center, which debuted the exhibition in Los Angeles, this comprehensive retrospective of Graham’s life and career explores some of the 20th century’s momentous cultural transformations through the lens of rock & roll. Showcasing more than 300 objects—including rock memorabilia, photographs, and concert posters—the New-York Historical presentation, coordinated by Associate Curator of Exhibitions Cristian Petru Panaite, highlights Graham’s personal connections to New York. 

    Bill Graham
    American guitarist and singer Jimi Hendrix performs at the Fillmore West in San Francisco, February 1968.

    Admission to the exhibition will be via timed-entry tickets and begins with a site-specific installation of “The Joshua Light Show,” the trailblazing liquid light show conceived in 1967 by multimedia artist Joshua White that served as a psychedelic backdrop to Graham’s concert productions in New York.  

    Unique to New-York Historical is a special, immersive audio experience, providing a musical tour through the exhibition with songs by rock & roll superstars the Allman Brothers, Chuck Berry, Blondie, David Bowie, Cream, the Doors, Aretha Franklin, the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, KISS, Led Zeppelin, Madonna, Tom Petty, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Carlos Santana, the Rolling Stones, the Sex Pistols, and Neil Young, among others. Included in the four-hour soundtrack available to visitors are also mambo hits by Tito Puente that Graham loved in his early years in New York. The audio experience is generously sponsored by luxury audio brand Master & Dynamic. A playlist of featured songs is available on Spotify. 

    “Even though Bill Graham and the Fillmore East transformed the city’s music scene in the late 1960s, few know about Graham’s immigrant background and New York roots,” said Dr. Louise Mirrer, president and CEO of New-York Historical. “We are proud to collaborate with our colleagues at the Skirball Cultural Center to present this exhibition in New York—Graham’s first American hometown—and to highlight his local experience. His rock & roll life was a pop-culture version of the American dream come true.”

    “Master & Dynamic is proud to sponsor Bill Graham and the Rock & Roll Revolution in our hometown of New York City,” said Nathaniel Teichman, head of strategy & business development at Master & Dynamic. “We are committed to supporting the New York-Historical Society and to helping bring to life the story of Bill Graham, who transcended incredible odds after escaping the Nazis to become one of the most influential figures in rock history.”

    Bill Graham and the Rock & Roll Revolution begins with family snapshots of Graham’s experience as a Jewish emigrant from Nazi Germany and his journey to America. Born in Berlin as Wolfgang Grajonca, he arrived in New York at the age of 11 as part of a Red Cross effort to help Jewish children fleeing the Nazis. He lived with a foster family in the Bronx and spent his teenage years in New York City before being drafted into the U.S. Army to fight in the Korean War. Graham relocated to San Francisco in the early 1960s as the hippie movement was growing and took over the lease on the Fillmore Auditorium, where he produced groundbreaking shows throughout the decade, including sold-out concerts by the Grateful Dead, Cream, Big Brother and the Holding Company, and the Doors, among many others. 

    Bill Graham
    American blues musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist B.B King smokes a cigarette, San Francisco, CA, 1967.

    In 1968, Graham opened the Fillmore East on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, historically the heart of New York’s Jewish immigrant community, just as it was becoming a countercultural hub. During its three-year run, rock fans filled the 2,700-seat venue to hear the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and others. A highlight of the Fillmore East experience was “The Joshua Light Show,” a mesmerizing liquid light show, conceived by multimedia artist Joshua White, that played as the backdrop as bands performed; in this installation, specially created for the exhibition, a colorful explosion of choreographed artistic projections set to music greet visitors at the entrance of the exhibition.

    Timed-entry tickets for Bill Graham and the Rock & Roll Revolution went on sale on December 20. Visit nyhistory.org.

    A special family guide is available for young visitors to explore the exhibition, featuring activities like scavenger hunts, sketching prompts, and quizzes. During February School Vacation Week, kids create rock & roll-inspired crafts, and Sunday Story Time in the spring features music-themed books.

  • Brasshouse: Matt Doe Discusses Too Many Zooz

    A trio that began busking in the New York City subways more than eight years ago has created a distinct sound that has emerged to stages across the world, a sound that’s been coined “brasshouse.” The incredible talent of those three – Leo P. on bari sax, Matt Doe on trumpet, and The King of Sludge on percussion – form the group Too Many Zooz. The band has reached many fans far and wide with music videos and clips of their live shows emerging on social media outlets, but those short clips don’t do justice to the experience of being in the crowd at their shows.

    After kicking off their tour with a Jam Cruise performance, Too Many Zooz returned home to Brooklyn for a packed show at Brooklyn Bowl, and will be hitting The Hollow in Albany this week on Jan. 28, with stops at The Haunt in Ithaca and Buffalo Iron Works on the 29th and 30th, respectively.

    We had a chance to speak with Matt Doe about Too Many Zooz, and he had a lot to say about the band.

    Too Many Zooz
    Matt Doe, with Too Many Zooz at Brooklyn Bowl, Jan. 24, 2020

    Steve Malinski: How was Jam Cruise?

    Matt Doe: It was cool, man.  I don’t think I’m much of a cruise person to be honest, in the sense of what it is and how it’s formatted. But for what it was I very much enjoyed it

    SM: Did you guys have any collaborations?

    MD: Yeah, we played with Galactic and Thumpasaurus and a few others.

    SM: Going back to the start of Too Many Zooz, how did you guys meet and settle into the style you’re playing now?

    MD: We just met in the subway and started playing music.

    SM: So, was it totally random?

    MD: Well, I went to school with Leo and he met TKOS in a band called the Drumadics, and we got connected with each other after that.

    SM: Can you explain a little bit about what brasshouse is?

    MD: I don’t really think of music in genres like that, so for me BH is more just about the intent in which you play the music and not necessarily a specific rhythm or sound or harmonic styling. I think a lot of people get put in a position where they feel like they have to tailor to one sort of genre or box and be confined to that box. So brasshouse is more about playing the music you want to play and making it your own. It’s way more about (for me at least) what it is that you’re bringing to it and what your intent is when playing.

    Too Many Zooz

    SM: Regarding your live shows…how are they different from what people might see on videos on social media?

    MD: It depends if they’re watching a video of a live show, or from the subway. I think it’s more of just a question of how live music differentiates from recorded music. There are some obvious differences – on recordings people play shorter songs just because of how that’s formatted. So at shows we open up more. I personally think that our recordings are awesome but live is definitely a different experience.

    SM: As a performer, how does the energy of the crowd affect your performance on stage?

    MD: You have a crowd in front, not the studio walls. It’s hard to explain, but maybe the crowd gives you some energy to play off of, which you don’t have in the studio. It’s a totally different thing.

    SM: How much of your show is structured versus improv?

    MD: It very much depends on where we’re playing and who we’re playing for. Generally, I think nowadays, on average, it’s half and half improvised and structured songs.

    SM: With social media being popular for musicians, how much do you think Instagram and Twitter has helped you reach new fans, and fans around the world?

    MD: Immensely, man. I don’t think we’d be here without it. We’d be somewhere, I’m not saying we wouldn’t be a successful band but there’s something to say about the power of the internet. The benefit of what those things can give you…I wouldn’t credit our success to social media but more to our hard work. But it’s definitely kind of become a part of being an artist today. I see the immediate value for the clout and using it to look cool in using it to promote yourself in certain ways. But…just for daily happiness – the idea of waking up every morning and living my life through a lens….

    Too Many Zooz

    SM: Do you guys have any new projects in the works?

    MD: Yeah, we just put out the Zombies EP which we’re super proud of and I think that’s one of our better projects, if not our best. We have a bunch of other stuff that we’re sitting on. It takes us so long to put music out since we’re on the road all the time and I never get the chance to get to the studio and produce the material. When I do, it’s like six months after the fact. It’s tricky to keep up…it’s tough to make something and say “yeah, this is awesome, this is f*king good, we gotta get this out” and then three months later it’s just sitting on a hard drive and might not see the light of day. So, it’s hard to have a fluid system when you tour as much as we do, especially since we do everything in house. I do the production and we all work on the record in our own way. The only thing we do outside of the three of us is the mixing/mastering.

    It’s also a matter of being in different artistic places at different times. We can record six tunes in one style, then we’ll record more tunes a few months later and it sounds totally different. So, then we feel like maybe we should split it into two separate projects released at separate times and not try to force them into one thing. So it’s difficult to get it all out. But yeah, we’re sitting on tons of music and I think we’ll put some of it out in the next few months and more out in the summer. It’s a fluid process every day trying to move forward with it and gain traction.

    It’s especially hard, too, when dealing with other artists…we get it because we’re the same way. Everyone’s on tour or working and it’s tough to get everyone in the same room, same studio. Things sometimes happen naturally, but when people are on the road there is a ton of back-and-forth, some discourse on how the tune is going to go. When you’re all in the room together, things can happen very quickly just because you say an idea, I’ll respond to that idea within two seconds and we move forward. Whereas, if I’m doing things remotely, and even in my own personal projects, it’s the same way. I’ve been working on my own album for two and a half years. You send an e-mail with the track, they ask a question two days later, you respond two days later and that one question takes a week to answer. If we’re in the studio that would take ten seconds to answer.

    SM: So it sounds like it can a challenge to keep a cohesive focus on a project.

    MD: Exactly. Yeah and it’s so much harder without the fluid motion to creativity and thinking. So, that’s a really long answer to a really short question, but yeah we’re working on a bunch of stuff.

    Too Many Zooz

    SM: For you personally, separate from Too Many Zooz, you were on Saturday Night Live supporting Harry Styles. What was that experience like throughout that day?

    MD: It was cool. Harry’s people worked with a friend of mine and he hit me up about it. We had a few rehearsals ahead of time. The day of the show, pretty typical for SNL, we show up around 4:30 for a rehearsal with the artist, then the full rehearsal with everyone. There was also a lot of hurry up and wait. Then around 11:30 there’s the live taping. TV is hard – there is so much that goes into that world aside from the music. So, just like I was saying about our recording process, there are so many moving parts going at once. It was cool to be on the other side of the screen. I grew up watching Chris Farley and Will Farrell. Definitely a bucket list item for me to play there. Harry is the sweetest dude in the world and his team is amazing. Luckily, I was just able to play with some of my best friends and some really wonderful people. I have nothing but great things to say about that entire experience.

    SM: Before I let you go, I think you guys have played up in Albany before…

    MD: ….Yeah, I think maybe a year ago. We were also at The Haunt in Ithaca and Buffalo Iron Works. To be honest, I sometimes just get in the van and go – I can’t remember the name of the place we played. But I’m looking forward to coming back.

    SM: Anything cool in store for this tour? I know you recently hit the road.

    MD: Yeah, we’re already on tour, starting on Jamcruise. It’ll be a fun run. We’re taking three months off for the first time in a while. We’ve been a band for almost eight years now… holy crap that’s insane to think about. We’ve pretty much been on tour for the past five years and this will kind of be our first vacation to spend time with families and do some work on our own projects and unwind. It’ll give us a chance to creatively recharge since it’s been a non-stop sprint for a while. Then we’ll be back at it, heading to Europe.

    Too Many Zooz is taking the stage at The Hollow in Albany, Tuesday Jan. 28 along with special guest Birocratic. The show starts at 8pm, and tickets are available from the venue and the band’s website here. They’ll also be stopping by The Haunt in Ithaca the following night on Jan. 29 and Buffalo Iron Works on Jan. 30.