Griselda emcees refuse to rest on their laurels. A week after the label’s visionary/founder Westside Gunn released what he announced would be his final album, his cousin — and arguably the label’s best rapper — announced his latest project and it is more star-studded than ever. Burden of Proof, the upcoming studio album from rapper Benny The Butcher will bookend what has been an increasingly productive year for the Buffalo-bred rap crew.
While the album’s existence was no surprise (Benny the Butcher had been teasing a project for weeks on his various social media outlets), the Shady records signee revealed a list of features as well as a release date. October 16th will see the release of the much-anticipated project, which is two weeks after Westside Gunn’s WHO MADE THE SUNSHINE and a month after Conway the Machine’s From King To A GOD.
With Griselda’s ever-growing popularity, we are starting to see more diverse features and song choices in each respective album. Known for their grungy street-tales, chorus and catchy melodies aren’t a part of the Griselda package, yet this list of features gives a hint that this latest project will see BTB try his hand at different song arrangements. Produced entirely by famed producer Hit-Boy (who also handled the entirety of the production on Nas’ latest album), Burden Of Proof will feature the likes of Lil Wayne, Big Sean, Rick Ross, Freddie Gibbs, West Coat emcee Dom Kennedy, popular up-and-coming R&B songstress Queen Najia, as well as his cousins and frequent collaborators, Conway the Machine and Westside Gunn. This is an important album in what seems to be a concentrated effort to solidify the Buffalo trio as the prominent emcees in not just their city, but the whole state of New York as a whole, a tittle that has never been held by anyone not from the five boroughs.
On March 12, all Broadway theaters went dark due to the coronavirus pandemic. Theaters hoped on opening this January, but the shutdown has been extended through at least May 30, 2021.
A poster on Times Square advertises West Side Story at the Broadway Theater on February 7, 2020 in New York City. – Westside Story is returning to Broadway for the first time in more than a decade, directed by Belgian Ivo Van Hove. (Photo by Johannes EISELE / AFP) (Photo by JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images)
On October 9, The Broadway League announced that Broadway will remain dark until next Summer. This shutdown is the longest ever in Broadway’s history. If theaters open as planned next May, shows will have been closed for 444 days, keeping thousands out of work for more than a year.
“With nearly 97,000 workers who rely on Broadway for their livelihood and an annual economic impact of $14.8 billion to the city, our membership is committed to re-opening as soon as conditions permit us to do so. We are working tirelessly with multiple partners on sustaining the industry once we raise our curtains again.”
Charlotte St. Martin, President of the Broadway League
Before the shutdown, 31 productions were running on Broadway, including 8 new shows in previews. 8 additional shows were in rehearsals with plans to open last spring. Hangmen, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and Disney’s Frozen struggled greatly and closed permanently. Shows like Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster’s revival of The Music Man, American Buffalo, and The Minutes postponed their opening dates. The Music Man announced plans to open on February 10, 2022.
Photo by Kate Glicksberg
Needless to say, the Broadway community’s fans and workers are heartbroken. The Broadway League announced that although the current opening date is May 30, individual production’s reopening dates may differ. The League suggests that “theatregoers holding tickets for dates through May 30, 2021 should contact their point of purchase for details about exchanges and refunds.”
Amid this crisis, fans can still look forward to the 2020 Tony Awards. The show will be presented virtually, and the nominees for each category will be announced October 15.
“The Afterparty” was announced as a weekly streaming concert series to follow Trey Anastasio’s “The Beacon Jams” concert series. It will take place on James Casey’s live-stream platform, Aux Chord, and will run every Friday between October 9 and November 27 after Trey’s show.
James Casey is the founder of Aux Chord, and a longtime member of the Trey Anastasio Band. Aux Chord is a live virtual music venue created by artists in support of bringing together the music community at large. 100% of the profits directly benefit the artists performing on each show. Because of this, 100% of the proceeds from “The Afterparty” concert series will benefit the performers from that night’s concert. Trey Anastasio Band Member & Aux Chord Founder James Casey are hosting the concert series and plan for it to take place across multiple stages. “The Afterparty” series will feature 2 hours of staggered live performances with a host DJ and multiple virtual stages that viewers can pop into throughout the night.
The first episode of “The Afterparty” will kick off on Friday, October 9 shortly after 10PM EST after the weekly “The Beacon Jams” airs at 8PM EST via Twitch. The first night will host DJ Raydar Starts Spinning at 10:15, James Casey at 10:30, and Louis Cato at 10:45. Tickets are on sale now here and tickets are only $10 for the first show.
There will also be an added feature on Aux Chord that will give the audience weekly interactive experience featuring “Fancam,” which allows viewers to watch alongside one another, dance together and truly interact with the performance.
For more information on the “The Afterparty” concert series and on the lineups for the future performances, visit Aux Chord’s website.
Wynn Resorts CEO, Matt Maddox, announced a COVID-19 testing lab in Las Vegas is in the works to bring back concerts and large events.
Medical workers at Wynn Resorts in Las Vegas test employees.
For months, we have been working with University Medical Center (UMC), Georgetown University and leading labs in California and New York to study technology that can rapidly and rigorously test thousands of people in a matter of hours.
Matt Maddox
Maddox says the reason tourism in Vegas still hasn’t made a come back since the pandemic is the fear of contracting the infectious disease. He believes the only solution to make get the city back and booming again is not relying on the idea that there will be an eventual vaccine.
Hoping our government alone will solve getting Las Vegas back on track is not viable. Hope, as the saying goes, is not a strategy. Instead, community leaders must present science-based options that advance our broader goals to reignite our city.
Matt Maddox
What can go wrong with this plan?
In theory, a lab that anyone could get tested at can provide a safe way to gather without the possibility of getting COVID, but there are factors to consider.
Although the person being tested would get their results within hours, this also means that they have to wait hours to go to the event they were planning. This, in turn, means for those who plan to drive out to a show, their whole day would be spent waiting for a positive or negative result and maybe not even being able to go to the event. The idea is to bring back the bustling music and theater scene, but not everyone is going to want to make a day of this.
Another off-set is getting people to step out of their comfort zone, which may need more than mandated testing. The pandemic, along with the quarantine, left the state of the world feeling fearful after the disease took the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Getting people out of fear-mode might just take time.
Extensive research clearly indicates that what is keeping people away from Las Vegas is not so much the physical environment, which we work diligently to keep sterilized, but rather a fear of other people. We must alleviate that fear.
Matt Maddox
Maddox and the medical professionals he is working with says the whole process should reduce the chance of exposure to 0.1%.
Nothing in life is 100% safe but establishing these safe zones by testing thousands of people per day with the PCR test, dramatically mitigates the danger of community spread and, with empirical evidence and careful execution, will work. The probability of a contagious COVID carrier entering a “safe zone” is less than one-tenth of 1%.
Matt Maddox
Who is Matt Maddox
Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox
According to Casino.org, Maddox took over as CEO in 2018, after Steve Wynn was accused of sexual misconduct and had to step down. Maddox previously served as Wynn’s president and Chief Financial Officer since 2013.
What is Wynn Las Vegas?
Wynn and Encore Las Vegas feature two luxury hotel towers with a total of 4,748 spacious hotel rooms, suites and villas, approximately 194,000 square feet of casino space, 22 dining experiences featuring signature chefs and 11 bars, two award-winning spas, approximately 560,000 rentable square feet of meeting and convention space, approximately 160,000 square feet of retail space as well as two showrooms, two nightclubs, a beach club and recreation and leisure facilities.
Esteemed guitar icon and rock legend Eddie Van Halen passed away yesterday at the age of 65 after an extended bout with cancer. Best known as the shaggy haired lead guitarist of the eponymous band that he co-founded along with his brother, Van Halen‘s passing is a loss sure to be felt throughout the music industry. And it marks the end of an era for an American band that reached a level of popularity few others have.
Eddie Van Halen – photo by Mark McGauley
Edward Lodewijk Van Halen was born in Nijmegen, Netherlands, on January 26th, 1955, a year and a half after his older brother Alex, to a Dutch father and an Indonesian mother. His father, also a musician, joined the Dutch Air Force band as a way to make money. When Eddie was eight years old, the family immigrated to Pasadena, CA where they set roots down and later established one of the most successful American bands of all time.
(l-r) Eddie Van Halen, David Lee Roth, Mark Anthony, Alex Van Halen
Originally, Eddie was a drummer and his brother would play guitar. Frustrated that he couldn’t handle the drum solo on The Safaris’ “Wipe Out,” the brothers decided to make one of the most impactful instrument switches of all time. The Van Halen brothers would go on to join several local short lived bands in the Pasadena area. In 1972, they formed a band called Genesis featuring Eddie as lead vocalist/guitarist, Alex on drums, and Mark Stone on bass. They initially rented a sound system from David Lee Roth but decided to save money by letting him join as lead vocalist even though his previous audition(s) had been unsuccessful.
Roth was the only guy who had a PA. We were renting his PA every weekend for $35 and getting $50 for the gigs. So it was cheaper to get him in the band.
Eddie Van Halen
The band later changed its name to Mammoth, after learning Genesis was already in use. In 1974, the band replaced Stone on bass with Mark Anthony from local band Snake and again re-named itself, this time for good, to Van Halen. Like most bands, they started out playing parks and backyard parties in the Pasadena area. This soon gave way to gigs at small bars and strip clubs in the Hollywood area.
What helped Van Halen significantly in its early years was their ability to self-promote. They would hand out flyers before shows at local high schools and also after Aerosmith and Black Sabbath concerts when they be in the area. After catching a show at a Sunset Boulevard club, Gene Simmons even helped produce a demo recording for them and took it to KISS management who would later inform him this fledgling band “had no chance of making it.”
That would seem to change in 1977 when the band was offered a recording contract by Warner Bros. Records shortly after a show at the Starwood in Hollywood. By the end of the year, the group had recorded their debut album Van Halen at Sunset Sound Recorders.
By now, the band had a solid collection of original songs like “Runnin’ With The Devil” and “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” to go along with their rotation of cover songs that were prevalent early in their career. The debut effort peaked at #19 on the Billboard charts and sold more than 10 million copies in the United States, receiving Diamond certification.
This helped Van Halen land a tour opening for Black Sabbath, a band whose parking lot they were flyer-ing only years ago. The group’s chemistry owed much to Eddie Van Halen’s technical guitar wizardry and David Lee Roth’s flamboyant antics and stage persona, strong points which later made them rivals.
Van Halen II was released the next year and produced the band’s first commercial hit, “Dance The Night Away.” The 1980s would then see them maintain a rigorous pattern of album releases and supporting tours that would cement the band as global icons. They even earned an entry into the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest-paid single appearance for a band: a $1.5 million payout for a 90-minute set at the 1983 US Festival.
While it was soaring commercially, the very fabric of the band was beginning to fray behind the scenes. Tensions between Eddie Van Halen and Roth were rising over the direction of the music. Roth preferred more dance-pop numbers while Van Halen was becoming interested in exploring new musical avenues and veering away from cover songs.
I was getting sick of their ideas of what was commercial. That’s how we ended up doing all those covers on [1982’s] Diver Down. I never wanted to be a cover band.
Eddie Van Halen
When it came time to record a follow-up to Diver Down, Eddie insisted they record “Jump” and incorporate synthesizers into other tracks. The result was the smash 1984 that turned them into MTV superstars as videos for “Jump,” “Panama,” and “Hot for Teacher” went into heavy rotation and the album began selling by the millions, reaching Number 2 on the Billboard 200.
1984 would be, by far, Van Halen’s biggest commercial success, with the album going five-times platinum only a year after its release. It peaked at #2 on the Billboard charts that year, behind only Michael Jackson’s legendary Thriller. But this would also mark the end of an era, as Roth would quit the band later that year, embarking on a solo career.
Sonia De Los Santos, a Mexican born artist who now lives in New York, has released her new single “¡Fiesta, Fiesta!” Sonia De Los Santos wrote the song as a celebration of life and a thank-you letter dedicated to all the people who have inspired her musical journey. The release date of “¡Fiesta, Fiesta!” coordinates closely with Hispanic Heritage Month in the U.S. that runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.
photo by Mikel Melcon
During Hispanic Heritage Month, Hispanic Americans celebrate the contributions and histories of the Central American countries including Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. Hispanic Heritage Month starts on Sept. 15. in the U.S. is to honor the anniversary of the five Hispanic countries who declared independence from Spain in 1821, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico celebrates its independence day on Sept. 16 and Chile celebrates its independence on Sept.18.
“¡Fiesta, Fiesta!” tells Sonia’s story of her travels as an artist as she voyages to America. As Sonia looks back on her journey, she hopes to encourage listeners to be grateful for the years of life behind them.
The song is in the rhythm of cumbia which is dance music originating in Colombian and is similar to salsa. “¡Fiesta, Fiesta!” includes Sonia’s voice mixed with children’s voices and instruments including guitar, accordion, horns, congas, Afro-Colombian alegre drum, percussion, and double bass.
Here is the English translation of “¡Fiesta, Fiesta!”:
From a far away land, I came full of dreams
Crossed through the savanna, sharing my song
There are roads I have walked, and to all of those I’ve known
I dedicate the verses, that for them I’ve written
I came with my guitar all the way from Monterrey
Crossed rivers and mountains and up north I arrived
A winter welcomed me in New York
and from here I sing this Cumbia with love
To my friends; I am singing, we are playing everywhere
I go around the world on this journey
Collecting stories that I want to share with you
Drums are calling, with their beat they accompany us
Dance porro, move your skirt with your hat, dance this cumbia, hey
Sonia’s music has reached young audiences across the world with the release of her two-family music albums Mi Viaje: De Nuevo León to the New York Island and ¡Alegría!. Sonia won a Parents’ Choice Foundation Gold Award for Mi Viaje: De Nuevo León to the New York Island in 2015. ¡Alegría! was nominated for a Latin Grammy in 2019 and received recognition from Billboard as the “Best Latin Children’s Music.”
Eddie Van Halen, legendary guitarist and co-founder of the eponymous 80’s rock band Van Halen, has died after a battle with throat cancer. He was 65
TMZ reports that Van Halen died in Santa Monica, CA, with his wife Janie by his side, along with his son, Wolfgang, and his brother Alex, with whom he co-founded Van Halen.
Eddie Van Halen, late 1970s
Van Halen had been battling cancer for more than a decade. He had recently been seeking treatment in Germany.
Although Eddie was as heavy smoker, he believed he developed throat cancer from the metal guitar pick he held in his mouth more than 20 years ago.
Van Halen formed in Pasadena, CA in 1972, with Alex on drums, Michael Anthony on bass and David Lee Roth on vocals. Van Halen would be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. Their last performance was on October 4, 2015 at Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
photo by Rob Teller
Revisit Van Halen’s performance from Rich Stadium in Orchard Park, NY on June 19, 1988, and more recently from Jones Beach 2015. RIP Eddie.
Live at the Drive-In announced performances by Dirty Heads, Almost Queen, and the Disco Biscuits at the Lafayette Apple Festival Grounds. The shows will take place throughout October with Dirty Heads on the 24 and Disco Biscuits on the 29, 30, and 31. The shows will follow social distancing guidelines made by the State of NY while providing some much needed live music.
The Lafayette Apple Festival Grounds usually hosts the LaFayette Apple Festival but due to COVID-19 the festival unforchinitly had to be cancelled this year. They are making room for five nights of musical fun. Doors open at 5PM for all the shows and they actually start at 7PM. Tickets are on sale already for the Dirty heads and Disco Biscuit shows and can be purchased here.
The Dirty Heads are a mix of hip-hop, reggae, and rock. They are a California bred and raised group with a similar sound to Sublime. They formed back in 2003 and their members throughout the years include Jared Watson, Dustin Bushnell, Matt Ochoa, David Foral, Jon Olazabal, Shawn Hagood, and Josh Freese. They have seven studio albums and have hit the Billboard Top 200 multiple times.
The Disco Biscuits are a well known and loved jam band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is made up of band members Allen Aucoin, Marc “Brownie” Brownstein, Jon “The Barber” Gutwillig, and Aron Magner and formed in 1995. The band is known for incorporating elements from a bunch of different musical genres. Their sound has a base of electronic and rock and has been described as trance fusion in the past.
For more information of the Live at the Drive-In performances visit Lafayette Apple Festival Grounds website and Creative Concerts.
On Oct. 14. Flushing Town Hall will host their monthly Virtual Jazz Jam will be kicking off spooky season with, “October: The Heart of Autumn.”
The Virtual Jazz Jam, Led by Astoria resident Carol Sudhalter, is part of the Flushing Town Hall online entertainment series FTH at Home!. This is their aim to provide a sanctuary for jazz musicians and lovers who can’t experience a live show, due to the global pandemic.
The Jam invites a maximum of 15 musicians a month to play their music, as long as they haven’t played at one before. This encourages a variety of artists without repeating the same tunes.
Since spring 2020, there has been a medley of different themes for the jams, including one in August, which was, “unity in mind, spirit and action.”
Tune into Flushing Town Hall’s website at 7:00 pm (EST) on Oct. 14 to experience an autumnal virtual jazz show.
The ‘Heroes Act’ passes in the House of Representatives on October 1, 2020 including the Save Our Stages revisions which were added on September 28, 2020. The $2.2 trillion coronavirus stimulus aid package will include $10 Billion set aside for independent music and live-entertainment venues.
The relief bill passed in the largely Democratically – controlled House of Representatives with votes 214 to 207. The votes were split largely along party lines. Unfortunately the bill still needs to be passed in the Senate which is notoriously slow in passing bills and is largely controlled by Republicans.
The State Theater of Ithaca lit up in red during the “Red Alert” demonstration in support of Save Our Stages.
The addition to the ‘Heroes Act‘ including Save Our Stages revisions will make a huge impact on the live entertainment industry that’s suffering horribly due to the coronavirus Pandemic. According to the Variety article, “A poll taken by the 2,600-member National Independent Venues Association, some 90% of its members said they will be forced to close permanently without federal assistance.”
According to section 619 of the ‘Heroes Act,’ “Grants for Independent Live Venue Operators (H.R. 7806, Save our Stages Act or the SOS Act) 37 1. Authorizes $10 Billion for the SBA to make grants to eligible live venue operators, producers, promoters, or talent representatives to address the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on certain live venues. 2. The SBA may make an initial grant of up to $12 million dollars to an eligible operator, promoter, producer, or talent representative; and a supplemental grant that is equal to 50% of the initial grant. 3. Such grants shall be used for specified expenses such as payroll costs, rent, utilities, and personal protective equipment.” Basically this is saying that independent venues, producers, promoters and talent representatives can use the funds to cover things like rent, mortgages, utilities, insurance and other expenses that these businesses are in during the ongoing pandemic.
One factor that may hold up the passage of the ‘Heroes Act’ relates to the recent outbreak of COVID-19 among Senators and the President. Three Senators – Thom Tillis (R-NC), Mike Lee (R-UT) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) – all tested positive and are quarantining. Thus, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has postponed all floor activity until October 19, thus prolonging the time it will take to debate and vote on the ‘Heroes Act’ by two weeks.
For more information on the ‘Heroes Act’ read the one page summary here.
