Category: News

  • Kamasi Washington Live at the Apollo Theater concert film to be released February 6

    Thursday, February 6 will see the release of Kamasi Washington Live at the Apollo Theater, streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. Directed by Michael Garber, the film was recorded in February 2019 at Washington’s performance at the historic Harlem venue. Joining Washington in the film is his band, The Next Step, with special guests DJ Battlecat and vocalist Dwight Trible. 

    “Playing at the Apollo Theater is one of the greatest honors that a musician can have,” said Washington. “When I walked down 125th Street from my hotel in Harlem and saw my name on the marquee I almost couldn’t believe it. To be a part of that prestigious group of brilliant musical minds was truly humbling for me. To say that night was one of the most amazingly special nights of my life is a grave understatement. I’m so happy and thankful to be able to share this moment with people all over the world. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!”

    The film includes one previously unreleased track, “The Bombshell’s Waltz,” initially recorded for Washington’s 2007 album, The Proclamation, which can be streamed below. Watch Kamasi Washington Live At The Apollo Theater beginning February 6 via Amazon Music. 

  • Queens has a new venue in Ridgewood with TV Eye

    TV Eye, a new venue/gallery located in Queens on the Ridgewood/Bushwick border, opened its doors recently, aiming to attract an audience with an appeal as a ‘funhaus, party palace, venue, dance club, bar, cafe, art gallery, courtyard and social club’ all in one. With multiple rooms, a capacity of 250 and a kitchen by Barker & Sons, this area of Queens that is also home to Trans-Pecos will have even more life added to it from 4pm-4am daily.

    As reported by Brooklyn Vegan, the new venue is owned by Caleb Braaten, owner of Sacred Bones Records; Todd Abramson, current buyer at Jersey City’s White Eagle Hall and Monty Hall; party-thrower Jonathan Toubin, owner of Bowery Ballroom and Mercury Ballroom; Michael Swier; Brian Swier, architect of Bowery, Mercury Lounge and Music Hall of Williamsburg among others; and Amanda Haase and Jasper McGandy of Home Sweet Home. Brandon Stosuy, a former Pitchfork/Stereogum editor and Creative Independent founder, as well as Caleb’s partner in managing bands, has mentioned he will be involved in the programming of TV Eye’s Zone 6 Art Gallery.

    queens ridgewood tv eye

    Doors opened on New Year’s Eve at TV Eye with Toubin’s NY Night Train 13th Annual New Years Ball, followed by Toubin’s New Year’s Day hangover party. Although the full calendar of events has not been announced yet, notable shows this month include a rare NYC show on Friday, February 7, featuring Kid Congo Powers (Cramps, Gun Club, Nick Cave & The BS), Mick Collins (Gories, Dirtbombs), & Bob Bert (Sonic Youth, Pussy Galore), new supergroup Wolfmanhattan Project and Skull Practioners.

    Friday, February 14 is the 6th annual Panache/NY Night Train Valentines Day Village of Love show and dance to benefit Planned Parenthood, with a live review beginning at 8 pm. Join your favorite NYC vocalists singing their favorite love songs backed by an all-star band led by Dylan Fernandez, Acacia Fusco of The Advertisers and Alana Asha Amram of Hunx And His Punx. Then on February 19, join North Carolina garage punks Paint Fumes, The Advertisers and Cold Dice.

  • 2020 SAMMYs Nominees and Hall of Fame Class Revealed

    Nominees for the 2020 Syracuse Area Music Awards, affectionately known as the SAMMYS, were announced Tuesday morning at the Palace Theater in Syracuse. Also announced Tuesday was the 2020 SAMMYS Hall of Fame class.

    The two-day event takes place on March 5 and 6 with the SAMMY Hall of Fame induction ceremony taking place Thursday, March 5 Upstairs at the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que on Willow Street. The awards ceremony takes place Friday, March 6 at the Palace Theater on James Street. Tickets for the event are available starting Tuesday at the SAMMYS website.

    This year’s Hall of Fame inductees include the Camden-based Mossback Mule Band, Syracuse television journalist Tim Fox, Syracuse hip hop artist Seth Marcel and Syracuse musician and sound engineer Judy Mareiniss.

    Music Educator of the Year is Casey Vanderstouw, director of the Baldwinsville Marching Band and Plan Bee; and singer-songwriter Garland Jeffreys was named the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.

    Below is the list of nominees in the 16 categories that will be awarded on March 6 at Syracuse’s Palace Theater.

    Best Pop:

    Stephen Phillips – Big Eyes & Rosy Cheeks

    Jenna Cunningham – Seizing Self

    Best Hip-Hop or Rap:

    Slick Fashion 2 – Purple

    315 CA$H – A Rough Start#RELOADED

    Coughlin – #TheHeat

    The Real Raw Breed – No Excuse

    MBK Richy – RSZ

    Best Americana:

    Mike Powell – The Full Nelson: Live at the Odeon

    The Ripcords – Last Dance

    Coffee & Beer – Leap

    Off the Ground – Cleared for Takeoff

    Ghost Town Ramblers – Outlaw Highway

    Best Alternative:

    Late Earth – Eleventh Hour

    Keep Up – Up In Flames

    The Action! – 20 Years Alive

    Mandate of Heaven – Least Concern

    Devinne Meyers – Silver Line

    Best Rock:

    Atkins Riot – Too Much Whisky

    Underwater Bosses – Aqua La Vista

    Chris Eves and the New Normal – One Spark

    Slow Train – In Between

    Mike Powell & The Black River – Gypsy Winnebago

    Ronnie Dark – Sky

    Best Hard Rock:

    Kris Wiechmann – The Heaviest Tenderness

    Cry to the Blind – Deliver Me

    Ecliptic Vision – Ecliptic Vision

    Murder in Rue Morgue – Endless Cycles

    Killaton – My Abyss

    Best Other Style:

    Mark Nanni – Towns & Spaces In Between

    Josh Dekaney – All the Americas

    Leo Crandall & Hymie Withthoft – Unknowable & Studding Thing

    Spotlight Studios – A Holiday Spotlight

    O’Connor & Dunn – Which Way to Neverland?

    Best Jam Band:

    Big Sexy & The Scrambled Eggs – Road Less Traveled

    Vaporeyes – Vaporeyes

    Best Singer/Songwriter:

    Dale Randall – All the Love I Know

    Andrew VanNorstrand – That We Could Find a Way to Be

    Cam Caruso – Up Above & Down Below

    Sydney Irving – The Greene EP

    Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers – Live and Listening

    Best Blues:

    Sean McLeod – Harriet Tubman Freedom Music Festival-Live! Vol. 4

    King Kool and His Royal Blues – Train Wreck

    Diana Jacobs – What She Needs

    Chris Terra Band – Lady Luck

    Earl Slick & The West Side Social Club – The West Side Social Club

    Best R&B:

    Gary Carpentier – LUCID

    Barroom Philosophers – Digital Demise

    Jaquiel – Changes

    Alani Skye – Alani Skye

    Best Country:

    The Cadleys – Duets & Ballards

    Whiskey Hollow Rush – True Stories

    Jon Rogalia – A Little Too Country

    Emalee Herrington – Plans Change

    D. Dusk Rogers – Pounded Down By Christmas

    Best Jazz:

    London McDaniel – Masterpieces

    Melissa Gardiner – Empowered

    Best Electronica:

    Ruby C. – Ruby C.

    Empires in Orbit – Doom City Limits & Singles

    Founder’s Award:

    U A D
    James ‘Saul’ Brown
    Rick Linzy
    Hollis ‘Larry’ Mathis
    Isaac Wynn

    Jack O Bocchino Spirit of the SAMMYS Award:

    Marge Nolan

  • 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.

  • E.S.P. To Perform at Syracuse Area Music Awards Press Conference

    Syracuse locals E.S.P. will perform at the Syracuse Area Music Awards (SAMMYS) press conference Tuesday, February 4 at the Palace Theatre. At that time, the nominees received from the 2019 recorded music submissions will be announced, as well as the 2020 Hall of Fame inductees. 

    The SAMMYS will take place over the course of two days. On Thursday March 5 the Hall of Fame Inductees will take part in a ceremony in the upstairs venue space at the Dinosaur BBQ. The following night on March 6 will be the annual award show at the historic Palace Theatre on James Street.

    After 17 years the Syracuse Area Music Awards is still Syracuse’s biggest celebration of local music. Over 30 awards are presented each year in various categories, making known the “who’s who” of the local music industry.

    This year’s sponsors of SAMMY Awards are; NewsChannel9 & Bridge Street, TheRebelRocks.com, 95X, 93Q, 92.1 The WOLF, Joshua Johnson Design, KMase Productions, SubCat Music Studios, Dinosaur BBQ, NYS Music, cnyalive.com, Jack O Bocchino, Skinner & Associates Realty. 

    Tickets for the two day event will go on sale the same day. Tickets and more information can be obtained HERE.

  • Jazz Is PHSH perform in Rochester and New York City during brief February tour

    This February, Jazz is PHSH returns to New York with two stops in Rochester and NYC, bringing with them perform unique arrangements featuring the music of Phish and an all-star lineup. Alongside bandleader and drummer Adam Chase, musicians Felix Pastorious (Hipster Assassins), John Culbreth (Naughty Professor) and Yesseh Furaha-Ali join together for these coming shows, with Matthew Chase and Jonathan Huber joining for the first three shows, and Snarky Puppy’s Bob Lanzetti and Justin Stanton joining for the rest of the tour.

    jazz is phsh perform

    “Ultimately, it became my goal to create arrangements that would be fun for Phish fans to enjoy while presenting the music in a way that even the most pretentious jazz professor would be forced to respect,” says co-creator and music director Adam Chase, of the process. 

    To formulate their compositions, the Chase brothers do things like write original chord changes to support the existing melody or pull chord changes from jazz standards and add them to solo sections. The ensembles create their own unique interpretations and arrangements of songs by the beloved improvisational rock band and, at times, their unique interpretation of music from the Phish songbook are completely unrecognizable.

    Jazz is PHSH Tour Dates:

    1/30 – Baltimore, MD – Union Craft Brewing

    1/31 – Toronto, Ontario – Velvet Underground

    2/1 – Rochester, NY – Anthology

    2/4 – Boston, MA – City Winery

    2/5 – Philadelphia, PA – City Winery

    2/6 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl

    2/7 – Winchester, VA – Bright Box Theater

    2/8 – Harrisburg, PA – The Abbey Bar

    Watch a live version of “Stash” from City Winery in Atlanta

  • 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.

  • Take a first look at ‘Beastie Boys Story’ documentary from Spike Jonze

    The recently announced Beastie Boys Story documentary from director Spike Jonze has released its first official sneak peak, via AppleTV+. With a focus on the live shows Mike D. and AdRock did while promoting the Beastie Boys Book, the film airs in IMAX theaters before being streamed on AppleTV+ worldwide. 

    Beastie Boys Story, based on the 2019 two-man show of the same name, which was also directed by Jonze, was a limited-engagement event with saw surviving Beastie Boys members Ad-Rock and Michael “Mike D” Diamond discussing the history of the legendary Brooklyn group.

    The documentary premieres on April 3rd in IMAX, which is also the 26th anniversary of Beastie Boys’ 1994 album, Ill Communication, before moving exclusively to Apple TV+ on April 24th. The relationship with the band and director go back to the “Sabotage” music video, as well as an unreleased film We Can Do This based on MCA’s alter-ego, Nathanial Hornblower. 

    Ad-Rock and Mike D spoke of Jonze in a statement, saying, “There are some friends you have lunch with so many times over the years, you know their order. Spike is one of those friends. And even when you don’t recognize anything on the menu, he comes up with something good for the whole table. Like when we wondered what to do when our book comes out… then Spike placed his order: You will put on a show for the children.”

    “I owe Beastie Boys a lot,” Jonze returned. “One time, they pulled me out of a burning ship, and another time they helped me cheat on my college exam to get into Florida State. So, it was a real privilege to get to reunite with them and help them tell their story.”

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