Nicole Mercedes, the Brooklyn-based dream-pop singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, has shared the debut single “Stoop” from her sophomore album Look Out Where You’re Going, due in April 2020.
Mercedes tells Atwood Magazine about the meaning of the track, saying, “This is a song about embracing the feeling of loneliness, about those summer nights where all you’re looking for is a distraction, and a rotating door of friends and strangers to drink with, talk with, make out with. The stoop is my favorite place to do that because things are constantly happening around you and you can kind of just sit there drinking some wine in your slippers, passively being a part of the landscape.”
The forthcoming album is a collaboration with producer Joe Rogers (Laura Stevenson, Rubblebucket) and Deer Tick’s Andy T. Mercedes performs all compositions and arrangements on the LP, and with Rogers has created a sound that is both equally pop and haunting all at once. Mercedes’ previous projects include Debbie Downer and Flocke, but her solo endeavor sets forth a whole new era of lush, cinematic, sex-positive, feminist, self-aware songs.
Mercedes performs next at The Sultan Room on March 19 in Brooklyn. Get tickets here.
The Great South Bay Music Festival announced their 2020 lineup which will include performances from The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Rebelution, The Tedeschi Trucks Band, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, and many more. The festival will take place from July 16-19 across five stages and will include 75 performances.
The festival will be celebrating its 14th anniversary at Shorefront Park in Patchogue, NY and will consist of classic and contemporary rock, folk, blues, indy, jam-band, pop, prog, Americana, country, reggae, and funk music. The festival also has a new partnership with Blue Point Brewing Co. The new beverage sponsor will be serving up a wide assortment of their most popular brands, as well as some new “Exclusive Festival” brands to watch out for.
Both Friday and Saturday have a loose daily theme. Friday is the rock-reggae-ska day with headliner Rebelution, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (who are returning for their second appearance at Great South Bay), Pepper, Sublime Tribute: Badfish, and Oogee Wawa. And Saturday is the jam band day with headliner one of The Grateful Dead’s most proud and popular tributes: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, moe. and Vulfpeck guitarist, composer and producer: Cory Wong. Great South Bay will close on Sunday with the highly anticipated Tedeschi Trucks Wheels of Soul Tour, featuring the full 13-piece band playing a rocking two hour set. There will also be performances by St. Paul & The Broken Bones, as well as Nashville-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Gabe Dixon.
The festival opens on Thursday, July 16 at 3 pm and runs until 10 pm. On Friday, July 17, doors open at 3 pm and music will go until 11 pm. On Saturday, July 18, doors open at 1 pm and close at 11 pm. And the festival will wrap up on Sunday, July 19 with doors opening at 2 pm and finishing up at 10 pm. For more information and to purchase tickets visit The Great South Bay Music Festival’s website.
After touring with rock band Heart for the better part of 2019 for the first time in three years, front woman Ann Wilson has released the dates for the first part of a soul tour, the Ann Wilson of Heart 2020 Tour. The three-week stint is set to have 16 stops, two of which will be in New York. First, on May 4 at The Paramount in Huntington and a show on May 6 at The Egg in Albany.
Fans will get a chance to hear many songs from the extensive Heart catalog along with Wilson’s own solo projects over the years like Hope & Glory (2007) The Ann Wilson Thing (2015) and, most recently, a special covers album, Immortal (2018) .
Ann Wilson on Jimmy Kimmel Live 2017
With Wilson taking lead as singer and lyricist, over the past 40 years Heart has sold 35 million records worldwide. In 2013, she was inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame.
Apr. 30 – Bergen PAC – Englewood, NJ May 1 – Foxwoods Casino – Mashantucket, CN May 3 – Tupelo Music Hall – Derry, NJ May 4 – Paramount Theater – Huntington, NY May 6 – Egg Performing Arts – Albany, N.Y. May 7 – Chevalier Theater – Medford, MA May 9 – Hard Rock – Atlantic City, NJ May 10 – Maryland Hall For Creative Arts – Annapolis, MD May 12 – The Birchmere – Alexandria, VA May 13 – F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts – Wilkes Barre, PA May 15 – Stage AE, Benefit – Pittsburgh, PA May 16 – Caesars – Elizabeth, IN May 18 – Arcadia Theatre – St. Charles, IL May 20 – Pabst Theater – Milwaukee, WI May 21 – MGM Northfield – Northfield, OH July 31 – California Mid-State Fair * – Paso Robles, CA *festival appearance
Folk singer James Taylor today postpones his co-headlining tour with Jackson Browne from summer 2020 to summer 2021 due to the current COVID-19 crisis. Taylor said regarding the news:
“Disappointing as it is to have to reschedule these shows, our first tour together, James/Jackson and I look forward with intense excitement to next spring when, hopefully, we’ll finally get to set this thing in motion,” the musicians said in a joint statement. “We were hoping to reschedule the tour a bit sooner but the experts we consulted have advised waiting for a full year. We thank you all for your patience and understanding and are really encouraged by the majority of you who are holding onto your tickets. We WILL honor them.”
While tickets for 2020 will be honored at all shows, if you cannot attend you are eligible for a refund from the point of purchase.
(Rescheduled) James Taylor and Jackson Browne Summer 2021 tourdates
May 14, 2021 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
May 15, 2021 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
May 17, 2021 – Ft. Worth, TX – Dickies Arena
May 20, 2021 – Salt Lake City, UT – Maverik Center
May 21, 2021 – Boise, ID – ExtraMile Arena
May 23, 2021 – Tacoma, WA – Tacoma Dome
May 24, 2021 – Portland, OR – Moda Center
May 26, 2021 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center
May 28, 2021 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center
May 29, 2021 – San Diego, CA – Pechanga Arena
June 9, 2021 – Chicago, IL – United Center
June 11, 2021 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center
June 12, 2021 – Clarkston, MI – DTE Entergy Center
June 14, 2021 – Dayton, OH – Nutter Center
June 15, 2021 – Charleston, WV – Charleston Coliseum
June 17, 2021 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
June 23, 2021 – Roanoke, VA – Berglund Center Coliseum
June 25, 2021 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center
June 26, 2021 – Memphis, TN – FedExForum
June 28, 2021 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
June 29, 2021 – Atlanta, GA – Infinite Energy Center
July 4, 2021 – Lenox, MA – Tanglewood(James Taylor and his all-star band)
July 7, 2021 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
July 9, 2021 – Camden, NJ – BB&T Center
July 10, 2021 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health @ Jones Beach
James Taylor released American Standard on February 28, his first release since 2015’s Before This World. On the new album, Taylor infuses new sounds and fresh meaning into timeless works of art, reimagining some of the most beloved songs of the 20th century and making them completely his own.
Taylor says of American Standard, “I’ve always had songs I grew up with that I remember really well, that were part of the family record collection – and I had a sense of how to approach, so it was a natural to put American Standard together,” explained Taylor. “In terms of how [the songs] were performed and recorded before, we paid attention to the chords and melody, but we were interested in doing something new, and in bringing something new to it, we’ve reinterpreted the songs, that’s what makes it worth doing.”
The lead single “Teach Me Tonight” was released alongside the album announcement.
On Wednesday, April 1, The Strand Theater in Hudson Falls will welcome Twiddle frontman Mihali Savoulidis, with a special guest yet to be announced. Mihali has a long history performing in the greater Capital Region, both with Twiddle and solo side projects that have sold out Putnam Place and Pearl Street Pub in the last year. The show is part of the A.I.M. for Spring Concert Series, presented by ADK Music Festival.
The Decemberists have announced dates for their 20th anniversary summer tour, including a performance at Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards in Lafayette on August 15 and Central Park Summer Stage on August 20.
The group, who first formed in 2000 in Portland, Oregon, will embark on a summer tour headed from the Pacific Northwest to the Northeast, with a final stop at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on August 22.
“Twenty years ago, in a basement practice space in Portland, Oregon, a bunch of musicians threw together under the name The December Brides, a name that lasted only a few hours before it was marginally improved to The Decemberists,” says the band’s frontman Colin Meloy. “On such occasions, it seems fitting to throw some kind of party. And so we’re heading out on the road, we Decemberists, to celebrate the work we’ve made over the last two decades.” For more information and tickets visit decemberists.com.
The Decemberists 20th Anniversary National Tour Dates
Jul. 28 – KettleHouse Amphitheater – Missoula, MT
Jul. 29 – Paramount Theater – Seattle, WA
Jul. 31 – Edgefield – Troutdale, OR
Aug. 1 – Edgefield – Troutdale, OR
Aug. 3 – The Mountain Winery – Saratoga, CA
Aug. 4 – The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA
Aug. 6 – Gallivan Center -Twilight Concert Series – Salt Lake City, UT
Aug. 7 – The Mission Ballroom – Denver, CO
Aug. 8 – CrossroadsKC – Kansas City, MO
Aug. 10 – Surly Brewing Co – Minneapolis, MN
Aug. 11 – Auditorium Theatre – Chicago, IL
Aug. 14 – Roy Thompson Hall – Toronto, ON
Aug. 15 – Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards – La Fayette, NY
Aug. 16 – Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts – Vienna, VA
Aug. 18 – The Met Philadelphia – Philadelphia, PA
Aug. 19 – The Boch Center-Shubert Theatre – Boston, MA
Phish frontman Trey Anastasio will perform 10 shows from late May into early June across the Northeast and into the Midwest. Trey Anastasio Band will headline nine of the dates, and will then share the bill with Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit at Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands PAC in Canandaigua. Tickets are on sale Friday, February 21 at Trey.com/tour.
Trey recently performed at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester in January, and will perform at Tanglewood in June with the Boston Pops.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hS8ajag-DJ8
Trey Anastasio Band Summer Tour
May 22 – MECU Pavilion – Baltimore, MD
May 23 – Stone Pony Summerstage – Asbury Park, NJ
May 24 – Stone Pony Summerstage – Asbury Park, NJ
May 26 – The Strand – Providence, RI
May 28 – Thompson’s Point – Portland, ME
May 29 – Mountain Jam – Bethel, NY
May 30 – Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands PAC – Canandaigua, NY*
June 2 – Royal Oak Music Theatre – Royal Oak, MI
June 5 – Stage AE – Pittsburgh, PA
June 6 – Jacob’s Pavilion at Nautica – Cleveland, OH
On February 28, 2018, at 4:00 am, drummer John Colpitts was nearly killed. Colpitts, a founding member of Oneida and a prolific Brooklyn percussionist also known as Kid Millions and Man Forever, was in Los Angeles traveling to the airport when he was involved in an accident. His car was struck at high speed and the accident was so serious that it took him out of commission for five months before he eventually picked up his drumsticks and returned to his instrumental passion.
Two years later to the day, Roulette will present the US premiere of a narrative performance by Colpitts that explores pain, recovery, transcendence and a return to life and art. Known for his intense playing style and fervent live performances, Colpitts will perform solo with drums, adopting the modes of Laurie Anderson and Spalding Gray to evoke the question: How does one truly recover from an accident when your body is changed forever?
With drums and narration from John Colpitts and directed by Mark Armstrong, the performance at Roulette starts at 8pm on Friday, February 28, 2020. Marking the US premiere of this narrative performance, Colpitts explores the car accident that nearly ended his life and its aftermath. Tickets are available .
A composer, drummer, writer, and educator based in Brooklyn, John Colpitts performs under the moniker Man Forever and Kid Millions. Named one of the 100 Greatest Drummers in Alternative Music by Spin Magazine in 2001, he founded and plays drums in Oneida, People of the North, and Man Forever.
Founded in 1978 at the height of the NYC downtown experimental arts revolution, Roulette Intermedium is now a state-of-the-art performing arts venue, presenter, and producer of new and experimental music, dance, and intermedia. In 2011, Roulette moved into its current 400-seat, renovated 1927 art deco theater in Downtown Brooklyn. In 2019-20, Roulette will present 120 performances and special events and will also host 125 organizations through our Community Services Program, featuring partnerships with over 70 diverse Brooklyn institutions.
Mount Sharp is back with their first release in five years, That Shadow, due out on February 21 via Dadstache Records. They’ve just released the single and video for “Ordinary” ahead of the album’s release and their record release show at Gutter in Brooklyn on Saturday, February 22.
The first taste of the new record came with their first single, “Apostate.” Post-Trash, who premiered the video, said,”Our first taste of the band’s long-awaited new music comes in the form of ‘Apostate,’ a song that pulls from the band’s more serene end, a dreamy song to melt away to during this heat wave. Built on a resonant twang and a pulsating rhythm, the song breathes at a natural clip, drawing between a soft intimacy and a thick fuzzy build up by the bridge. There’s a syrupy quality to the vocals that stick with you after the song has ended, and while you may not instantly remember the lyrics, the melody is now part of consciousness, like a distant memory that repeats in your mind.”
Mount Sharp began on a rooftop in Brooklyn, or on a boat in Maine, or perhaps somewhere in between. The band grew around the bittersweet, poetic songwriting of Swood (Sarah Wood) paired with Bryan Bruchman’s noisy, chaotic tendencies around 2012. On 2014’s WEIRD FEARS EP (with the rhythm section of Ryan Zumsen and Maia Macdonald), the band exhibited a blast of unbridled energy, excitement, and confusion – a fitting soundtrack to a brief, blissful, carefree time before so much changed. The band – now with Sal Garro and Jonathan Pilkington Kahnt firmly holding down the drums and bass – has matured, and the songs are maybe a little more serious, maybe a little more reflective, but no less cutting and catchy. Taking inspiration from the cosmos, sci-fi TV, and the messed up state of the world, Mount Sharp puts all the feels into song.
That Shadow follows, too. It’s full of sticky melodies, lyrics that cut, and surging waves of noise. It’s designed to get under the skin. Inspired by years of watching all the assholes they know win, figuring out how to be kinder to themselves, and all the beautiful and tragic machines in space, the band says the record is everything that pulls them to look behind themselves. They believe we should be looking up and dreaming.
All tracks were produced by Brian Sendrowitz (Beat Radio) at Miracle Flag in Bellmore, NY, mastered by Sarah Register (Talk Normal, Protomartyr, Caroline Rose, Chastity Belt, Big Thief, Lower Dens, and Big Ups), and with artwork using images of textile artist Jenna Breiter’s work, including an original illustration for the LP cover.
David Byrne’s American Utopia will return to Broadway for a second engagement, beginning September 18, 2020 and lasting for a 17-week run, ending in January 2021. The most recent run, which was held at Hudson Theatre in Manhattan, saw the curtain close on Sunday, February 16.
Based on Byrne’s 2018 album,American Utopia opened in October 2019, with Byrne joined by an 11-piece ensemble playing songs fromthe album, his solo material and Talking Heads works alike.
“It’s become obvious to us in the band, the crew and the producer team that audiences want, dare I say need, to see this show,” said Byrne. “They’re not ready to have it disappear just yet. We feel the same way, we love doing this show. So, it’s thrilling to us that we can announce that we’ll be back in September.”
The producers of the show shared Byrne’s sentiments. “It has been a joy to bring American Utopia to Broadway. David Byrne is one of our greatest living artists and it’s cause for celebration that he has made his Broadway debut with this brilliant production. We have been blown away by the range of audiences of all ages and backgrounds who have come to see American Utopia.”
For those unable to make the shows later this year, Spike Lee has announced that he will direct a filmed version of American Utopia. And later this month, Byrne is set to appear as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on February 29, alongside host John Mulaney.
