Laid Back Festival will be making its return this summer after a two-year hiatus, highlighted by an all-star slate of performers. Named after Greg Allman’s 1973 solo debut album, it was first held in 2015 in Wantagh, NY’s Nikon at Jones Beach Theater. The event continued in 2016 — expanding to five cities — and in 2017 saw the likes of Steve Winwood and Sheryl Crow headline. The festivities will return to Wantagh this year on Saturday, August 8 at the Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater and will be continuing the next day in Holmdel, NJ at the PNC Bank Arts Center.
Presented in partnership by Gregg Allman’s longtime manager Michael Lehman and Live Nation, Laid Back will be headlined by Steve Miller Band and will feature the likes of Brian Wilson (with Al Jardine and Blonde Chaplin), Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives, Taj Mahal Quartet, Gary Mule Deer, and Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe.
A celebration of American music and food, the Laid Back Festival serves as a showcase for all of the great cuisine and music upstate New York has to offer. It will feature regional restaurants, food tricks, breweries and wineries.
Live Nation presales begin Thursday, February 20 at 10 am ET; all remaining tickets go on sale Friday, February 21 at 10 a.m. eastern time. For complete information and details please visit, www.laidbackfestival.com.
Music scenes are riddled with a lot of traditions, a lot of staples that go hand in hand with the community and culture that is created around every genre of music . The bluegrass/jamgrass scene has grown exponentially in the last few years and, with that, the traditions have grown as well. One of these is WinterWonderGrass, held this past weekend in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. In its eighth year, the tiny, homegrown festival boasted an amazing lineup for its 2020 edition and was a blessing for bluegrass & string music fans across the nation.
This winter wonder festival takes place in the famous mountain town of Steamboat Springs. Nestled in the upper valley of the Yampa River, the picture-perfect, post card scenery overshadowed the fact that temperatures for the weekend didn’t surpass 30 degrees. Day one included intimate sets in each of the three tents from Buffalo Commons, John Stickley Trio, and an amazing new and rising artist, Molly Tuttle, with headlining sets from Grammy-nominated Nashville band Della Mae, the incomparable Keller and The Keels, and one of the hottest acts in music right now, Billy Strings. His first headlining set of the 2020 festival season included a fitting “Steamboat Whistle Blues,” “Highway Hypnosis,” and a “Train Train” encore that concluded an amazing first day of music, and reminded fans in attendance why Billy Strings is everything they love about this great event.
The second day on the mountain started off with a new tradition, a set entitled WinterWonderWoman. A collaborative set of covers and some bluegrass and country classics was performed by a group of amazing female musicians who performed throughout the weekend. On the main stage Nikki Lane, the extremely gifted country rock songwriter, proved to a packed audience that her blues guitar and vintage ’60s country-pop swagger fit right in with the WinterWonderGrass family. Despite all the firsts on the second day of the festival, it was a headlining set by festival veterans Greensky Bluegrass that reminded fans what WinterWonderGrass is all about. With a chilling and emotional “Wish I Didn’t Know” to start it all off, Greensky filled the rest of their set with tracks like “Worried about the Weather” and “Old Barn” and, with Jennifer Hartswick as a special guest, they rocked the mountains with a debut cover of Pat Benatar’s smash hit “Heartbreaker”. There is a special bond between Greensky Bluegrass and WinterWonderGrass that proves year after year how special the bond is between their music and its fans.
As a festival in its eighth year, WinterWonderGrass is very in tune with how quickly things change in the music industry, and the only way to survive and attract new and old fans year after year is to adapt. Day 3 was a look into the future of the festival and how the recent rise of the proclaimed “Outlaw Country” genre has become a perfect companion to bluegrass, this blend of new blood, veterans, country, and bluegrass was the theme of the final day of the music event. With sets from bluegrass legends The Travelin’ McCourys, and another smoking hot set from Billy Strings, the strings element to this eclectic blend was complete. It was the Sunday headliner that added a new sound to this festival and a brand new flavor to this blend of great music. Margo Price has exploded into the country music scene since her debut in 2016 and she did nothing short of that to make her WinterWonderGrass debut. She debuted a new song “Twinkle Twinkle” and even welcomed Billy Strings for a special cover of Janis Joplin’s “Move Over.” She closed out her debut set by sparking a joint, sharing it with the crowd, and encoring with Dolly Parton’s “9 To 5,” a perfect way to close out an amazing weekend of music.
The roving cold weather music festival will continue its 2020 run with stops in Squaw Valley, California from March 27-29 and Stratton, Vermont on April 10 and 11. It still remains one of the top festivals in the country after almost ten years, bringing together multiple genres of music, community, sustainability, and family in some of the most welcoming, majestic mountain communities in the country.
Pink Talking Fish will continue their busy 2020 and bring their unique fusion of Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Phish from coast to coast between April and June, after a winter tour that has brought Pink Talking Fish through the Midwest and heads into the Northeast in early March, with a tribute to Cornell ’77 on tap.
Spring tour includes sets at early music festivals, including Skull & Roses in California, Wanee Block Party in Florida, Some Kind Of Jam 15 in Pennsylvania and a return to Strange Creek Campout in Massachusetts. The performance at Wanee will include a ‘PTF is Allmans’ concept where the band will add The Allman Brothers catalog into the mix. Skull & Roses will see the band adding the Grateful Dead as a ‘4th Band’ for a ‘PTF Are Dead’ concept.
In May, Pink Talking Fish will celebrate one of the most famous shows in Grateful Dead history – ‘Cornell ’77,’ aka the famous Barton Hall show from May 8, 1977. This year, the State Theatre in Ithaca will host a very special ‘PTF Are Dead’ concept by blending 5/8/77-inspired Grateful Dead material into the mix of the night.
Joining PTF along the way are The Dire Wolves opening the show in Boulder, CO; Space Bacon (Friday) and Neighbor (Saturday) opening the Brooklyn Bowl shows in April, the latter of which features PTF keyboardist Richard James, and very special guests Strange Machines supporting PTF’s hometown celebration in Boston. The spring tour finale also features a co-headlining bill with Star Kitchen at Ardmore Music Hall in Ardmore PA.
Pink Talking Fish Winter Tour 2020
3/05: Indianapolis IN at The Vogue Theatre
3/06: Chicago IL at Park West
3/07: Columbus OH at Woodlands Tavern
3/13: Plymouth NH at The Flying Monkey
3/14: Saratoga Springs NY at Putnam Place w/s/g Eggy
3/15: Norfolk CT at Infinity Hall
Pink Talking Fish Spring Tour 2020
4/03: Ventura CA at Skull & Roses – Pink Talking Fish Are Dead
4/04: Boulder CO at The Fox Theatre w/s/g Dire Wolves
4/09: Asbury Park NJ at The Stone Pony – Jams In The Sand Release Party
4/10: Brooklyn NY at Brooklyn Bowl w/s/g Space Bacon
4/11: Brooklyn NY at Brooklyn Bowl w/s/g Neighbor
4/24: Fort Lauderdale FL at Wanee Block Party – Pink Talking Fish Are Allmans
4/25: Schuylkill Haven PA at Some Kind Of Jam 15
5/08: Ithaca NY at The State Theatre – 5/8/77 Anniversary Party featuring Pink Talking Fish Are Dead inspired by “Cornell ‘77”
5/09: Fairfield CT at FTC Warehouse
5/15: Boston MA at Paradise Rock Club w/v/s/g Strange Machines
5/22: Greenfield MA at Strange Creek Campout
5/28: Roanoke VA at 5 Points Music Sanctuary
5/29: Richmond VA at The National
5/30: Norfolk VA at The NorVa
6/05-06: Ardmore PA at Ardmore Music Hall – 2 Night Double-Bill with Star Kitchen
Back for its second year, Beach Road Weekend has announced the initial lineup for 2020. Taking place July 24 to July 26 at Veterans Memorial Park in Vineyard Haven, the festival will have three full days of music spread across two stages instead of one. Headlining this year will be Norah Jones, Lake Street Dive and Beck.
Included in the eclectic lineup will be New Orleans rock band The Revivalists, indie folk band The Head and The Heart, Boston band Guster and many more. A series of local acts are also set to perform on the main stage for the first time, all of which will be announced at later dates.
“As we searched for artists for Beach Road Weekend 2020 we were so happy to find many musicians had a special connection with, or memory of Martha’s Vineyard. This is truly a place that artists want to play, and we are excited to bring them to the fans,” said Adam Epstein, CEO of Innovation Arts & Entertainment. “This year is all about building off the success we had in 2019 with more music and a better experience for all fans.”
– Adam Epstein, CEO of Innovation Arts & Entertainment and inspiration behind Beach Road Weekend
Single day tickets for Beach Road Weekend will be available at a later date. Three-day VIP, GA and GA+ ticket packages are on sale now at Beachroadweekend.com.
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.
Frontman of Strangefolk and Assembly of Dust Reid Genauer will have some ‘Folks’ join him for a trio of shows this weekend in the Northeast. Bringing together a blend of musical genetics, crazy fingers and interpersonal chemistry, featured Folks include Jason Crosby (Assembly of Dust, Phil Lesh and Friends), Scott Law (Phil Lesh and Friends), Elliott Peck (Midnight North), Dave Diamond (Assembly of Dust), John Leccese (Assembly of Dust).
Genauer is excited for the potential of these shows, saying of the lineup, “Elliott Peck and I have had some glittery moments singing together in the past, mainly because she’s fantastic and can pluck a harmony out of the ether. So in addition to face-melting fungus rock, I’m looking forward to doing a few songs broken down with Elliott singing, Jason playing Violin and Scott Law playing mandolin. Any way you cut it expect to have fun because that’s what we are expecting.”
Also coming this week is Extended Release, a live album of selected performances from Reid Genauer & Folks 2019 tour dates features a series of line-ups and venues. Included in the release are tracks recorded at Brooklyn Bowl, The Great American Music Hall (San Francisco, CA) and Jerry Jam Festival (NH). Extended Release will be available on all major music platforms February 21, 2020.
A key member of the jam scene and beyond for more than 2 decades, Genauer’s songwriting follows in the tradition of influences including Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia, Willie Nelson and Paul Simon. The New York Times has described him as “a path between Woodstock and Nashville, with detours to Burlington and Bonnaroo.”
JamFam Music & Arts Festival has just released the initial lineup for the 2020 festival slated to take place at Waterloo Village from July 24-26 in Stanhope, NJ. Headlining the festival is New Riders of the Purple Sage and Melvin Seals and JGB. The New Riders of the Purple Sage will be celebrating 50 years together with a special show dedicated to the band’s pedal steel guitar player who recently passed away.
New Riders of the Purple Sage perform “Up Against the Wall Redneck” Live
Nestled in the Appalachian Mountains of Northwester New Jersey, JamFam Music & Arts Festival is a two day camping event that creates a haven of continuous music taking place. Waterloo Village has played host to stellar performances since the 80s including Phish, Bob Dylan and the 1994 Woodstock.
“Our goal was to ignite the hallowed grounds of Waterloo and create a new beginning for this iconic venue while keeping the area spotless. The JamFam Music & Arts Festival will feature a ‘Leave No Footprint’ commitment to eco-conscious partying and music with an aim to protect the beautiful and lush landscape and environment.”
Founder & Producer, Michael Kestin (As stated in a press release)
Available now are a limited number of 2-Day Early Bird Passes and VIP Packages. Once the full daily schedules are announced single day passes will become available. Tickets are available at theJamFam website.
Melvin Seals and JGB perform live at Jerry Jam 2017 “That’s What Love Will Make You Do”
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.
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
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.”
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.
