NYS Music 202​0

Category: News Desk

  • A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie Releases Much Anticipated ‘Artist 2.0’ Album

    Rapper, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie’s highly anticipated, third solo effort has finally arrived. It’s backed by two singles: “Reply,” featuring Lil Uzi Vert and “King of My City,” as well as a snippet of “Guitar Song.” The Bronx native is looking to impress after having his album release date pushed back on several occasions because of leaked records. He shared the album’s artwork on his Instagram account on February 5 and confirmed the Valentine’s Day release on February 10.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B8M_0tFBMDJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    His last album, Hoodie SZN, was his first project to debut at number 1 on Billboard 200, producing four charting singles, the most successful of which was the guitar laden “Look Back At It.” Overall, the crooner/emcee looks to capture the city’s attention, with a return to what had gained him a loyal following throughout the five boroughs.

    Although Hoodie SZN was commercially successful, some felt he had strayed away from the tear-jerking records that first gained him notoriety. Such as, “D.T.B.,” from his debut mixtape Artist, hence the latest project’s title. With an ever-growing staple of New York City rappers (Pop Smoke, Fivio Foreign, Sheff G) bringing notoriety back to hip hop’s birthplace, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie is looking to leave a lasting impression, and lay claim to his throne as the latest king of New York rap. 

    He’ll need this project to be the one to do so, as this might be the last time we hear from A Boogie for a while. The “Drowning,” rapper took to Instagram to say, “This might be my last project for a while,” he revealed. “I wanna take a break from music after Artist 2.0 tour is over. There’s a lot of things I want to do in life and it’s just moving too fast for me to focus on everything at once. But I will never let my fans down. When you need me most, I’ll be there.”

  • Storybook Rock Opera ‘The Green Emerald’ to feature members of more than a dozen NYC bands

    After 10 years, bassist Corey J. Feldman (Cousin Earth, Mercury Landing) will revive his original storybook rock opera The Green Emerald.  Held at DROM, the show kicks off at 7:30 pm and features 13 original songs and an accompanying illustrated book.  Musically, the songs range in genre from rock and funk to Latin and prog, with a heavy improvisational centerpiece consistent throughout. 

    the green emerald

    First performed in 2009, this epic is making its first showcase in over a decade with a variety of players. Instead of finding a single band, Feldman decided to recruit over 20 musicians from his recent musical endeavors, each song with a different lineup.  You can expect to see players from Cousin Earth, Particle, Sophistafunk, ShwizZ, Teddy Midnight, Escaper, Bushicks, Sylvana Joyce and the Moment, Big Wake, Sprocket, Jam the Radar, Uncle Ebenezer, Castle Rat, and more.  

    The story of The Green Emerald is inscribed with the phrase: “Created by the Universe, just wish upon this stone.  You must ask the question true. Its power stands alone.”  This legendary jewel can grant one wish, but only when asked the right question.  Yearned for by an ancient noble, coveted by an evil king, and understood only by a wise princess, the Green Emerald alone had the power to vanquish our ancestors’ one universal flaw… their inability to see color.

    Tickets are $12 adv/ $15 doors. DROM is located at 85 Ave A, Manhattan.  

  • Bela Fleck & The Flecktones Add Four New York Stops to 30th Anniversary Tour

    In celebration of 30 years of being a innovative quartet, Grammy winners Bela Fleck & The Flecktones have added several new stops to their summer 2020 North America tour. Four stops along the way will be in New York including March 25 in Ithaca, March 28 in Stony Brook, and June 3 in Albany before their tour concludes on June 5 in Port Chester.

    Formed in 1988 by NYC native Bela Fleck for a PBS series special Lonesome Pine Special, the group consists of banjoist Bela Fleck, harmonica and keyboardist Howard Levy, bassist Victor Wooten, and percussionist / drumitarist Roy “Future Man” Wooten. A year later in 1989 is when the group began touring, creating a sound that could never be labeled. Playing all manners of genres – from classical and jazz, to bluegrass and African music, to electric blues and Eastern European folk – breaking music barriers has been the common denominator propelling this group forward.

    “The band is a creative idealistic project, one that somehow connects with people in a profound way,” says Béla. “Nothing about any of that has changed in 30 years.   The Flecktones are touring for the sheer love of playing and celebrating our friendship. That’s why we get together these days.”

    “What I needed,” replied banjo innovator when asked about the 1989 formation of Béla Fleck & The Flecktones, “were people that were kind of freaks.  Each person had to be an equal or more, and that’s what made it work when I ran into these guys and we started playing together.”

    See the full list of tour dates below. Tickets are on sale now.

    Béla Fleck & The Flecktones 30th Anniversary Tour

    March 21 – Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park – Live Oak, FL 

    March 22 – Jefferson Center – Roanoke, VA 

    March 24 – Community Arts Center – Williamsport, PA 

    March 25 – The State Theatre of Ithaca – Ithaca, NY 

    March 26 – The Capitol Center for the Arts – Concord, NH 

    March 27 – Berklee Performance Center – Boston, MA 

    March 28 – Staller Center for the Arts at Stony Brook University –   Stony Brook, NY 

    March 29 – Santander Performing Arts Center – Reading, PA

    Apr. 4 – Savannah Music Festival – Savannah, GA 

    Apr. 5 – Belk Theater – Charlotte, NC 

    May 23 – Delfest – Cumberland, MD 

    May 24 – The Clay Center – Charleston, WV 

    May 26 – The Southern Theatre – Columbus, OH 

    May 27 – Thomas Wolfe Auditorium – Asheville, NC 

    May 28 – Paramount Bristol – Bristol, TN 

    May 29 – The Carolina Theatre of Durham – Durham, NC 

    May 30 – Harrison Opera House – Norfolk, VA 

    June 2  – Lebanon Opera House – Lebanon, NH 

    June 3 – The Egg Performing Arts Center – Albany, NY 

    June 4 – Garde Arts Center – New London, CT 

    June 5 – The Capitol Theatre – Port Chester, NY 

  • Levon Helm 80th birthday to be celebrated by Midnight Ramble Band throughout May

    The Band’s Levon Helm would celebrate his 80th birthday on May 26, and the late drummer will be remembered with four performances by the Midnight Ramble Band during May. With three shows on May 8, 9 and 15 taking place at the drummer’s Woodstock studio, a final performance on May 30 will take place at Mountain Jam Festival in Bethel.

    Helm, who passed away in 2012 due to cancer at age 71, will be celebrated by an all-star cast, including Jackie Greene on May 8, Nicki Bluhm on May 9 and Daniel Norgren on May 15. 

    Tickets are on sale now at LevonHelm.com. For Mountain Jam tickets, visit MountainJam.com.

  • Caroga Arts to turn former Sherman’s Amusement Park into music venue

    The former Sherman’s Amusement Park in Caroga Lake, NY will be donated to the non-profit Caroga Arts Council, with intentions to develop the site into a music venue. 

    Located 10 miles northwest of Gloversville, the Fulton County attraction opened in 1921 and closed in 1980, due in part to attractions such as The Great Escape and Storytown opening in Lake George, off the well-traveled Northway. 

    sherman's amusement park

    Kyle Price, founder of the Caroga Arts Collective had kept the region alive by bringing talented musicians to the area for a five-week festival in the summer. Where the bumper car ride used to be is now the main stage for Caroga Arts Music Festival, offering a series of free performances and community outreach programs. Thousands attend the events with the festival dedicated to increasing accessibility to chamber music, cultivating creative and interactive experiences and showcasing some of the world’s top professional artists from the U.S. and abroad.

    George Abdella, who donated the land to the town of Caroga Lake in 2014, was always hoping for preservation of the grounds. But since the town didn’t make the effort to hold up the preservation of the venue, Abdella brought the town to court, reclaimed ownership, all so he could donate the land to Caroga Arts. “I’m hoping that someday people will come here to hear these musicians; they’re going to have all kinds of music,” he said.

    sherman's amusement park

    Caroga Arts wants to transform Sherman’s Amusement Park into a world class arts venue while keeping the historical landmark intact.

    As the best kept secret in Upstate NY, artists performing at Caroga Lake Arts Music Festival come from across the world, including those from premiere music conservatories including the Juilliard School, Curtis Institute of Music, Yale School of Music, Cleveland Institute of Music, New England Conservatory, and Eastman School of Music, among many others. 

  • Central New York Irish Festival Announces Inaugural Event

    On July 11, the Central New York Irish Festival will hold its inaugural event at MKJ Farm in Deansboro, New York. This rural setting will provide the setting to continue a favorite family tradition of music, camping, and fun celebrating the Mohawk Valley region’s rich Irish heritage.

    Central New York Irish Festival

    The event will begin at 12 p.m. and feature some popular international and national musical acts such as The High Kings, Enter the Haggis, and House of Hamill, as well as local favorites, The Blarney Rebel Band and The Public House.

    Central New York Irish Festival
    Central New York Irish Festival

    The one-day, family-friendly celebration will include a kids’ zone with activities for all family members. It also will feature crowd favorite, Buffalo Heavies, as they demonstrate their athleticism in the Traditional Highland games. For those interested in tracing ancestry, an experienced Irish genealogist will be on hand to help. Local Irish dancers will entertain with a jig or two, while local food and beverage vendors will offer a variety of options.

    Continuing a tradition in the Mohawk Valley, this summertime festival will offer an additional opportunity to showcase great Irish talent and musicians and fun for all.

    Central New York Irish Festival

    Advanced sale tickets for the Central New York Irish Festival, and camping spots, can be purchased at cnyirishfest.com.

  • Levitate 2020 Lineup Revealed: Featuring Jack Johnson, Phil Lesh & Friends and more!

    The 8th annual Levitate Music and Arts Festival is making a return this summer. A full list of jam band regulars have been announced as performers for this year’s festivities. Set for July 10-12, the Massachusetts-based festival will have a host of vendors in addition to the performers to complete the fan experience. Food, art, and music will be shared at the festival during what is set to be an eventful and entertaining weekend. Vendor applications will be made available today, February 10. 

    The full list of performers includes: Jack Johnson, Phil Lesh & Friends, Stick Figure, Tash Sultana, Old Crow Medicine Show, Dirty Heads, Umphrey’s McGee,moe, Toots & The Maytals, Trevor Hall, Billy Strings, Mt. Joy, Nahko and Medicine for the People, Goose, Protoje, Jade Bird, Durand Jones & The Indications,Too Many Zooz, The Elovaters, Fruition, Busty and the Bass, Mike Love, Sun Parade, The New Motif, Sundog Organ Trio, Aubrey Haddard, Gentle Temper, Mihali & Friends will also be hosting a “Very Special Community Jam,” ft. Jackson Wetherbee, Hitch, & James Calandrella. 

    For tickets to and more information on the Levitate Music and Arts Festival, visit their official website.

  • The Rolling Stones confirm 2020 North American Tour

    Iconic rockers, The Rolling Stones, have announced a North American Tour for 2020. The slate of performances are scheduled this spring, beginning on May 8 in San Diego, California and concluding on July 9, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL. 

    This latest leg is a continuation of their widely popular “No Filter” tour – marking their seventh consecutive decade on the road. With no more than six performances scheduled each month, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners will focus on major arenas. Beginning on the West Coast at the SDCCU stadium, they will perform throughout the Midwest, the Southwest and the Northeast and Canada.

    Tickets for the North American Tour will be made available on February 14. Early registration for tickets can be made on their official website.

    A list of tour dates can be found below.

    May 8 – SDCCU Stadium – San Diego, CA

    May 12 – BC Place – Vancouver, BC

    May 16 – U.S. Bank Stadium – Minneapolis, MN

    May 20 – Nissan Stadium – Nashville, TN

    May 24 – Circuit of the America – Austin, TX

    May 29 – Cotton Bowl – Dallas, TX

    Jun. 6 – New Era Field – Orchard Park, NY

    Jun. 10 – Ford Field – Detroit MI

    Jun. 14 – Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium – Louisville, KY 

    Jun. 19 – FirstEnergy Stadium – Cleveland, OH

    Jun. 23 – Heinz Field – Pittsburgh, PA

    Jun. 27 – The Dome at America’s Center – St, Louis, MO

    Jul. 1 – Bank of America Stadium – Charlotte, NC

    Jul. 5 – Raymond James Stadium – Tampa, FL

    Jul. 9 – Raymond James Stadium – Tampa, FL

  • Vinyl Industry set for disruption due to major fire at Apollo Masters facility

    If you’re a vinyl collector, you may want to sit down. Apollo Masters, the California facility that supplies lacquer used for master discs, which are then used to manufacture vinyl records, suffered a devastating fire on Thursday, February 6 in Banning, CA at a manufacturing and storage facility. The fire caused complete destruction of the facility, but thankfully no employees were injured. 

    A message from Apollo Masters on their website says: “To all of wonderful customers. It is with great sadness we report the Apollo Masters manufacturing and storage facility had a devastating fire and suffered catastrophic damage. The best news is all of our employees are safe. We are uncertain of our future at this point and are evaluating options as we try to work through this difficult time. Thank you for all of the support over the years and the notes of encouragement and support we have received from you all.”

    As reported by Pitchfork, Ben Blackwell, co-founder of Third Man Records said “From my understanding, this fire will present a problem for the vinyl industry worldwide. There are only TWO companies that make lacquers in the world, and the other, MDC in Japan, already had trouble keeping up with demand BEFORE this development.” (emphasis is Blackwell’s) 

    Blackwell also noted that while there have been ‘whispers’ of other companies entering the lacquer marketplace, Apollo was the primary supplier of the styli used in the vinyl pressing process. 

    Duplication, a Toronto-based company offering vinyl, CD and DVD pressing and printing shared on Twitter, “Disaster for the vinyl pressing industry,” and “There will be a lacquer shortage and possibly plants having to close or scale back operations for a while.”

    apollo masters

    David Read of Duplication spoke with Smack Media about the potential loss, but offered a bit of hope for the path ahead, and how this crisis is not new for the industry either:  “Everybody’s talking to each other and competitors are talking to each other. It’s in everybody’s best interest to get lacquer masters back up and running whether it be Apollo or someone else. When all of the plants closed in the ’90s, everybody was selling their records and then the vinyl resurgence happened and everyone (the last remaining manufacturers) got flooded.” Since then the vinyl industry has seen substantial annual growth with a renewed interest in record collecting.

    For a more indepth look at the situation, check out the details here.

  • Local Buffalo Musicians Debut New Original Band

    Organ Fairchild will debut at new Buffalo hotspot Duende on February 15 at 6 p.m. The brand new band is comprised of local Buffalo veteran musicians Joe Bellanti, Corey Kertzie and Dave Ruch.

    Local Buffalo Musicians

    Since 1983 these Buffalo natives have performed numerous times together around the “jam band scene” including in groups like Wild Knights, Sonic Garden and Acoustic Forum.

    Local Buffalo Musicians

    Playing their own original music, the local Buffalo musicians will debut in traditional organ trio format consisting of an organ, guitar and drums, with bass parts being covered by the keyboardist’s left hand. Music enthusiasts can expect an updated take on this classic music setup with funky and syncopated sounds designed to get you moving.

    “We’ve always had so much fun playing everyone else’s music that I guess it just didn’t occur to us to see what we could be creating ourselves,” said Ruch. “The music we’ve always played together has a fair amount of improvisation embedded in it, so that can satisfy a creative itch in itself. But we’ve NEVER had so much fun playing together as we are now, with our own tunes and ideas at the forefront.”

    Fans can attend this debut event for free with the first 50 people through the doors receiving a Greg Meadows designed sticker.