NYS Music 202​0

Category: News Desk

  • CHQ Assembly Announces Fall Programming

    CHQ Assembly announced their fall programming including lots of musical programming. The programming will start in September and will wrap up in November. The CHQ Assembly programming will be posted on the CHQ Assembly’s website.

    CHQ Assembly

    The CHQ Assembly is a digital outlet of Chautauqua Institution which is a nonprofit organization that exists to explore the best in human values and the enrichment of life. The Assembly has some free content but also offers a subscription program for $3.99 a month or $45 a year after a 90 day free trial. People interested can subscribe here. Subscribers to the CHQ Assembly Video Platform will have year-round access to nearly all our 2020 broadcasts. People can revisit their favorite programs, or catch up with ones they missed over the course of CHQ Assembly’s jam-packed nine-week summer assembly season. The programs try to focus on exploring critical issues of the day through a range of experiences including lectures, artistic experiences, master and enrichment courses, and conversations.

    The musical programming starts on September 15 at 12PM with a release of 2020 Piano Recitals featuring Gavrylyuk, Kobrin, Paremski, Buechner, Taylor, Zhu and many more. On October 1 there will be a Lecture by Grammy Award-winning Violinist Nicola Benedetti speaking on the impact of music education and to inspire us through music.. On October 6 at 12PM there will be an DEAs in Classical Music series. This four-part series of conversations on inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility will explore issues in the classical music industry. And then in November with a to be determined date and time there will be a premiere of Chautauqua Opera Company’s A Cappella Song Cycle. This is a three-month project featuring 2020 Chautauqua Opera Company Young Artists and created by Composer-in-Residence Frances Pollock and librettist Jerre Dye.

    For more information on the CHQ Assembly programming visit their website. 

  • Make Music Winter Celebration Returns in 2020

    Make Music Winter celebration will return in 2020 across the country on December 21. The celebration is free, outdoor, and will take place in different cities nationwide. Attendees of the musical event will not only be it’s audiences but also it’s participants into music makers.

    The third nationwide rendition of the Make Music Winter takes place on winter solstice, December 21, while its counterpart the Make Music Day takes place on summer solstice, June 21. The the winter celebration first started in 2011 in New York City. Since then the celebration has grown  and last year it took place in nearly 40 cities in the United States in 2019. The celebration will ring in the longest night of the year, and celebrate the end of 2020. Both celebrations are presented by The NAMM Foundation.

    Most of the celebrations include parades. Unlike a traditional parade, most of the events for this celebration will stay on the sidewalks. Some march through a park or along an elevated rail line, or ride on bicycles, or take place on train cars and platforms. However you do it, being mobile brings music throughout your city, and helps you stay warm in the winter weather. The events are also participatory. Meaning that everyone is invited to be part of the music-making, whether by singing, playing an instrument, tap dancing, carrying a boombox, or whatever the event calls for. The whole idea of the celebration is for everyone to make music together in celebration of winter solstice.

    This year’s celebration will be a socially-distanced event and will focus on keeping it’s participants as face as possible. People interested in participating should fill out this short form to register an event somewhere close to home.

    For more information on the Make Music Winter celebration this year visit their website.

  • Farm Aid Announces Lineup For 35th Anniversary Virtual Festival

    Farm Aid organizers have announced that the annual benefit concert for farmers will occur this year via FANS online platform. Dubbed “Farm Aid On The Road,” this special livestream event will be available to watch on FANS.com September 26 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. EDT.

    Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews will be headlining the festival. Joining them are Bonnie Raitt and Boz Scaggs, Brandi Carlile, Black Pumas, Chris Stapleton, Jack Johnson, Margo Price, Nathaniel Rateliff and many others.

    “This pandemic and so many other challenges have revealed how essential family farmers and ranchers are to the future of our planet,” Willie Nelson said in an official statement. “Farm Aid 2020 is going to give the whole country a chance to learn about the important work of farmers and how they’re contributing to our well-being, beyond bringing us good food.”

    Farm Aid

    Equally important are the included stories from many family farmers across America, showcasing why they farm, how they have manage to stay strong during the pandemic and where they believe the future of agriculture lays.

    Started in 1985 by Nelson, Mellencamp and Young, the festival’s mission has remained raise money and share stories from American farmers. Over the years the farm festival has made two stops in New York; Randall’s Island (2007) and a sold out day at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (2013).

    Farm Aid
    Neil Young Performing At SPAC (2013) photo by Jim Gilbert

    “Since we started in 1985, Farm Aid has kept its finger on the pulse of farm country and deployed funds and resources to help farm families confront the challenges they face,” said Executive Director Carolyn Mugar. “It’s clear that this is a critical moment for farmers and ranchers. We risk losing their important contributions to our communities and our families if we do not adequately respond as a country.”

    This year’s festival is free of charge but donations are being accepted. Farm Aid accepts donations year-round here. Visit FarmAid.org for more information.

  • Disco Biscuits Make it a Long Weekend at the Drive-in

    Chicago Cubs legend Ernie Banks is famous for the saying “Let’s play two!” Well, The Disco Biscuits have decided to “play four” and have added two more shows to their weekend stay at the Yarmouth Drive-in on Cape Cod. After the first two shows scheduled for October 16 and 17 sold out in under an hour earlier this week, shows for the 18th and 19th are now scheduled as well.

    Tickets are on sale now at yarmouthdrivein.com. Tickets will also be available the night of show at the gate, subject to availability. Each ticket will cover one car with up to four people in it each night. They will range from $165 to $300 depending on the parking spot. Fans with more than four guests in their vehicle can purchase additional tickets. Those are capped at three tickets for $40 each.

    Disco Biscuits Drive-in
    The Disco Biscuits

    Ticket seeekers should join the Cape Club at yarmouthdrivein.com for the latest news about upcoming attractions, and first access to tickets. The Yarmouth Drive-in on Cape Cod is located at 669 Route 28, West Yarmouth, MA. The venue is acting as a haven for live music right now with other upcoming performances scheduled for the likes of Marcus King Band, Pink Talking Fish and Goose.

    These performances at the Yarmouth Drive-in will be the Disco Biscuits’ only shows for the remainder of 2020. Aside from a one-set performance in June at an empty Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia , they have not taken the stage since beginning the year with three shows at the Riviera Theater in Chicago.

  • Indie Groove Band Goose Announce Two Social Distancing Shows at South Farms

    Groovy, Connecticut based jam-band, Goose, is excited to announce two socially distant concerts at South Farms in Morris, CT on Sept 16 and 17.

    Goose South Farms
    Cover art poster for Goose concerts at South Farms.

    Unlike many shows being held during the pandemic, these shows will not be drive-in, rather have designated grids for the audience.

    The group started their winter of 2020 tour at Bowery Ballroom in Manhattan and then at the Williamsburg Hall of Fame, selling out both shows. They, unfortunately, could not play their spring concerts due to COVID.

    Goose hails from Norwalk, CT. In the band is, Rick Mitarotonda (vocals, guitar), Peter Anspach (vocals, keyboards/guitar), Trevor Bass (bass), and Ben Atkind (drums). Their eclectic tunes come from growing up together and sharing their love of music and story telling.

    Tickets are on presale now. General tickets go up Sept. 4 at 10 a.m.

  • Pianist Holly Bowling To Stream “The Wilderness Sessions” From National Parks

    Holly Bowling is taking her talents to the great outdoors. Ahead of her upcoming Grateful Dead album Seeking All That’s Still Unsung, the San Francisco pianist will stream weekly performances from Yosemite, the Badlands, and more. “The Wilderness Sessions” will run for six Thursday shows from September 3 to October 8.

    Bowling’s “Wilderness Sessions” arrives after her last series of livestream concerts, “Alone Together: The Living Room Sessions.” In the eight-volume series, she performed Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt,” famously covered by Johnny Cash, as well as Radiohead’s “Idioteque.” While piano covers of songs with full bands have potential to sound bare, Bowling’s arrangements are rich and fully realized. On changing the scenery from her living room to some of America’s most iconic landscapes, Bowling says:

    As grateful as I was (and still am) for that opportunity, after a few months it was starting to feel like too much staring at the same walls in the same empty room. I decided if the only option right now is to play to empty spaces, then I wanted to do that in a giant canyon or on a mountaintop in the middle of nowhere. It’s one of those things that would never have worked in normal times. But I realized there’s two ways to look at this time – you can look at all of the things we can’t do, everything we’re missing out on, everything we’ve lost… or you can find the things that you can only do now that you wouldn’t be able to do otherwise, and seek those things out and make them happen.

    Leg One dates for “The Wilderness Sessions” include:

    • September 3, Lake Tahoe, California
    • September 10, Yosemite, California
    • September 17, Salt Flats, Utah
    • September 24, Bruneau Canyon, Idaho
    • October 1, Beartooth Mountains, Wyoming
    • October 8, Badlands, South Dakota
    Wilderness Sessions

    Bowling first came to prominence in 2013, when she began performing solo piano arrangements of jam band music. One performance, “The Tahoe Tweezer,” based on Phish’s lengthy “Tweezer” led to two albums: 2014’s Distillation of a Dream: The Music of Phish Reimagined For Solo Piano, and 2016’s Better Left Unsung, a collection of Grateful Dead piano covers. Bowling soon attracted the attention of several Grateful Dead members including Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, and Warren Haynes, and was invited to perform at Terrapin Crossroads and Haynes’ Christmas Jam.

    While “The Wilderness Sessions” will be free to view on Facebook and YouTube, Bowling has created a virtual tip jar. Visit Holly Bowling’s website for more information.

  • Lady Gaga Sweeps the VMAs Taking Home Four Awards

    Lady Gaga, who was born and raised in Manhattan, NY, took home a total of four Video Music Awards (VMAs) last night at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.

    Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande’s “Rain on Me” won a VMA for “Best Collab” and “Song of the Year.” Lady Gaga also won a VMA for “Artist of the Year” and made history by becoming the first-ever recipient of the Tricon Award for her accomplishments in music, acting, fashion, and philanthropy.

    “I know a renaissance is coming, and the wrath of pop culture will inspire you and the rage of art will empower you as it responds to hardship with its generosity and love,” Lady Gaga said during her acceptance speech for the Tricon Award.

    https://youtu.be/5D4vjndnB0w

    Not only did the VMAs focus on celebration, but also paid tribute to those who died during 2020. A poignant tribute took place at the beginning of the show for Chadwick Boseman. Halfway through the show, a montage of pictures appeared to remember others who passed, including Pop Smoke and Juice Wrld.

    Even with eliminating in-person attendance, fans could still appear virtually on surrounding buildings to experience the live performances on the outdoor stage from The Weeknd, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, and Doja Cat. BTS, the South Korean band, made their VMA debut performing their hit single “Dynamite.”

    The VMAs took time to address the fight against racial injustice. Host Keke Palmer’s opening speech addressed the need to end police brutality and systemic racism while The Weeknd used his acceptance speech to bring continued awareness to the deaths of Jacob Blake and Breonna Taylor. After H.E.R won the VMA for “Video for Good,” Pepsi announced it would donate $100,000 to the NAACP.

    https://youtu.be/zJCdkOpU90g

    Other notable VMA wins for the night included Megan Thee Stallion’s VMA for “Best Hip Hop” with “Savage,” Doja Cat winning “PUSH Best New Artist,” and Machine Gun Kelly’s “Best Alternative” win for  “Bloody Valentine.”

  • Update: Toots Hibbert placed in Medically Induced Coma

    Reggae legend Toots Hibbert has been placed into a medically induced coma. The Jamaica Star reports the 77 year old is being cared for at University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI).

    “Toots is fighting for his life and his family is asking for prayers,” publicist Claude Mills said.  

    On Monday news broke that the singer was awaiting results of a COVID-19 test after having shown symptoms. While awaiting test results, Mills noted that Hibbert was showing signs of the virus, and the musician’s inner circle have self-quarantined while awaiting their test results. Hibbert had recently released his latest album Got To Be Tough.

    Original story follows below:

    Toots and the Maytals singer Toots Hibbert has been hospitalized in Kingston, Jamaica. He is currently in the intensive care unit at the private facility. According to a statement released by his family Hibbert has been tested for COVID-19 and is awaiting his test results.

    Toots
    Toots Hibbert. Photo by Robert Tellerman.

    According to his family, Hibbert is in good spirits and is getting better day by day and receiving the best treatment possible. The family thanks everyone for their prayers and in particular the minister of culture Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange and the minister of health Christopher Tufton for their assistants in getting Hibbert tested. They also thank the medical professionals taking care of Hibbert around the clock. 

    Toots
    Statement made by Hibbert’s family.

    Toots and the Maytals are a Jamaican musical group that were formed in the early 1960’s under their original name The Maytals. They are widely known for their ska and reggae sound. Some of their most widely known songs “Pressure Drop,” “Funky Kingston,” and “Bam Bam.” They recently released their first album in over ten years titled, Got to be Tough.  The album features many originals as well as a Bob Marley cover of “Three Little Birds” featuring Ziggy Marley. It also features a track with Ringo Starr on percussion and Ringo’s son and longtime Who drummer Zak Starkey on guitar.  Hibbert is notably famous for coining the genre name “reggae.”

    For more information on the Toots and the Maytals visit their website. H/T Rob Teller photo.

  • Lake George Music Festival Announces Drive-In Concert Series

    The Lake George Music Festival has partnered with Dave Ehmann’s “Improv Records” to announce a two-part 2020 music festival. This comes after a decision by festival organizers to post-pone the “10-year Anniversary Celebration” season until 2021 as a result of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions still in place.

    lake george music festival

    Along with a week long virtual series, the Lake George Music Festival also offers a weekend drive-in concert series. From September 13-18 music lovers can enjoy free online performances and digital events. The drive-in portion occurs September 19-20, at the newly developed Lake George Festival Commons.

    Original Festival Announcement

    Dave and his crew have been instrumental in the development of Lake George’s new Festival Space. We will have a tremendous advantage in producing what very well might be the ONLY event in Lake George this summer when working with Dave…We’re both committed to the Lake George community; especially the music scene. Two like minded peers working together, along with some fantastic musicians and beautiful September weather in Lake George will surely be a winning event.

    Alexander Lombard, Founder and CEO of the Lake George Music Festival

    Voted in 2015 as “Best Annual Event” by LG.com, the festival usually spans two weeks at various venues around the village. Drawing over 300 artists since its inception in 2011, past festivals performers include members of the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Czech Philharmonic, the Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music and other distinguished musicians from 27 countries. All coming together to bring classical music into the 21st-century.

    Festival co-contributor Dave Ehmann is known for bringing big names suck as Twiddle and Marshall Tucker Band to the Lake George region. Ehmann also produces the sold out Adirondack Independence Music Festival.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CEFADVFnIbf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
    Free Pass Announcement

    Tickets for the drive-in portion are available for purchase here. Furthermore, free passes will be available for all front line workers.

  • Demanding Passage of The Restart Act, Music Venues Will Light Up in Red on September 1

    Music venues across the United States plan to light up in red on the evening of September 1, 2020 demanding the passage of The Restart Act. The red lights illuminating the venues across the country will symbolize being in a ‘Red Alert’ as part of the the #RedAlertRESTART as a call to action to help venues during the coronavirus pandemic. 

    The purpose of this demonstration is to try to convince Congress to pass the Restart Act. The act, if passed, would provide much-needed assistance for millions of Americans who have lost income due to the coronavirus pandemic sweeping across the world. The call to action is being spearheaded by the #WeMakeEvents coalition. The #RedAlertRESTART campaign’s purpose is to try to bring awareness to the fact that live music and venues are being disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and need support desperately. 

    In the recent Billboard article it explains why this act is so important. This relief bill, if passed, will offer, “up to 90% forgiveness for loans to companies that have high revenue loss and doesn’t penalize industries that rely on part-time employees. In addition, rather than basing loan amounts on payroll, the Restart Act includes grants that are made to eligible recipients in an amount equal to 45% of gross revenue from 2019, with a cap of $12 million” according to the article.

    On Tuesday night from 9PM – 12AM PST music venues across the nation plan to light up in red to highlight that the live events industry, particularly music venues, are on red alert for their survival. This lighting up will involve venues physically lighting up their facilities in red light in any and every way possible.  

     Brad Nelms, director of WeMakeEvents North America, explained in a release reasoning behind the campaign saying, “The entire live events industry is on the brink of collapse. Without financial relief, many businesses stand to permanently close, and families risk bankruptcy and homelessness. We want to take this opportunity to show the world the scale of what it takes to make live entertainment events happen and demonstrate how much this crisis has affected our community. This is a human issue, not a political issue, and it requires immediate action. While we realize there are a lot of issues going on right now, and other organizations will be staging events on other dates, we feel very strongly we must act now to save our industry.”

    People looking to participate and support the movement can follow these simple steps posted on the WeMakeEvents’ website. There is three steps to follow. First, contact your representatives below using the Action network widget. Second, post a red-tinted photo of your favorite live event to your social media with the following caption: “#RedAlertRESTART: the live events we love may never recover from the pandemic, we need to take action! Take two minutes to contact your representatives here, and post a red photo of you at your favorite event, too.  You can turn your photo red here. And lastly, check out the hashtag #RedAlertRESTART and share/RT images of venues and live events workers you love.

    For more information on this call to action visit WeMakeEvents’ website.