NYS Music 202​0

Category: Beyond NYS

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Marco Benevento Announces Socially Distanced Concert at MASS MoCa

    Marco Benevento, known for being a experimental rock musician, is set to take the stage September 12 for a social distancing concert at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCa).

    American pianist, song-writer, multi-instrumentalist, record producer Marco Benevento.

    Benevento has been a well known pianist in the New York experimental jazz scene since 1999. His career lead him to collaborate with other musicians such as, Matt Chamberlain and John McEntire. He was nominated for the Jazz Album of the Year at the Independent Music Awards in 2008. His most recent en devour was creating his own record label called, “The Royal Potato Family,” along with manager Kevin Calabro. His latest studio album was created using his label, Let it Slide.

    MASS MoCa is museum & performing arts center that highlights the work of contemporary artists in particular and has been open since 1999. It resides in an old factory in North Adams, MA and is considered one of the leading contemporary art museums. They host visual arts, performances, and educational programs year round.

    Although he normally plays with band mates, Karina Rykman and Dave Butler, this performance is a solo act. The show goes on at 7:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now.

    For more information on Marco Benevento and his upcoming performance at MASS MoCa visit their website.

  • Bandcamp Waives Their Revenue on September 4 to Help Support Musicians During COVID-19

    Bandcamp announced their plans to waive their revenue on September 4, 2020 from midnight to midnight Pacific Time to support musicians facing hardships during COVID-19. The music company plans to keep waiving their revenue for these first Friday of the month days for the rest of the year.

    According to the Crack Magazine when Bandcamp withdrew its fees for a day back in March as a promotional act people ended up buying $3 million worth of music in 24 hours. Since then BandCamp has continued these waved revenue days periodically including a 3 month stretch back in May, June, July of this year as a move intended to help independent artists and labels, who are being affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

    According to Bandcamp’s website since the pandemic hit in March, people have bought more than $75 million worth of music and merchandise directly from artists and labels, and to date, fans have paid artists over half a billion dollars on Bandcamp.

    Bandcamp started waving it’s revenue on the first of the month back in May saying, “To keep supporting musicians during the Covid-19 pandemic, we are waiving our revenue share on all sales this Friday, May 1, from midnight to midnight PDT. Let’s come together as a community to put money directly into artists’ pockets” via their Twitter page. 

    Bandcamp announced plans to continue the first Friday revenue waiving until the end of the year considering the pandemic is far from over. The following dates will continue this first Friday tradition: September 4, 2020, October 2, 2020, November 6, 2020 and December 4, 2020.

    New York favorites to check out and support on September 4

    Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad are a Western New York favorite by reggae fans. They formed in 2011 and are based out of Rochester. Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad’s sixth studio album MAKE IT BETTER was released September 16, 2016 on Rootfire Cooperative and debuted at #1 on the Billboard Reggae Chart. Their newest single “Good Love” released on February 7, 2020 is available for $0.99 on Bandcamp along with more of their content. 

    Aqueous is another Western New York favorite hailing from Buffalo New York. They have a devoted following for their indie-jam rock sound. They have recently made it into the national music scene due to their unique way of performing where no two shows are ever the same. They enjoy blurring the lines between a multitude of styles and genres. Their latest live performance for the Live From Out There streaming performances are available on BandCamp for each song for around $5 along with more of their content.

    Consider the Source is another favorite from New York City. Consider the Source is an instrumental trio formed in 2004. They are self acclaimed SiFi/ MiddleEaster/ Fusion sound that breaks normal genre concepts. The group has released five studio albums, two live albums, and one compilation album. They have become widely known especially by Radiohead fans for their Radiohead inspired performances. Their latest album You Are Literally A Metaphor was dropped in 2019 and is available on Bandcamp for $10 along with more of their content.

    For more information on Bandcamp and their first Friday revenue waiving visit their website.

  • LOCKN’ Festival Postponed to 2021

    LOCKN’ Festival is officially being postponed to October 1-3, 2021 due to COVID-19. The festival had originally planned to take place in June 19-21 of 2020, was delayed to October 2-4 of 2020 in hopes the virus would subside, but was officially postponed until 2021 on August 29, 2020.

    The 8th annual LOCKN’ Festival will take place at Infinity Downs & Oak Ridge Farm on LOCKN’s 387-acre property located at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Arrington, VA. The LOCKN’ 2021 festival will mark an all-star celebration of Phil Lesh’s upcoming 81st birthday, with the legendary musician performing alongside an array of famous friends and special guests over the three-day event. There will also be a special “Steal Your Thursday” which will kick off the festival weekend on Thursday, September 30, 2021. 

    A complete artist lineup and additional ticket information will be announced soon. Individuals who already purchased LOCKN’ 2020 tickets can obtain a full refund for tickets and camping accommodations or choose to have their ticket rollover to LOCKN’ 2021. LOCKN’ 2020 purchasers transferring their order to LOCKN’ 2021 will receive one free access voucher for all three crowdless performances from the LOCKN’ site by Joe Russo’s Almost Dead on October 2-4, 2020. There will be a lot of additional benefits applied per ticket type, with VIP Ticket Holders and Super VIP Ticket Holders will receive an invitation to a private celebration at LOCKN’ 2021 with complimentary food and beverages, along with some surprise guests. Super VIP Ticket Holders will also get a very special ride on the Main Stage turntable. GA ticket holders who rollover will also be entered to win a VIP ticket and camping upgrades for LOCKN’ 2021.

    For people who are looking for a refund on their  LOCKN’ 2020 tickets instead of a rollover  can request a full refund of the total purchase price, including all fees. Requests must be made by September 27, 2020 by 11:59 PM EST.  Refunds will be processed in as little as 30 days following the deadline; refunds will be issued to the ticket holder’s original method of payment. If no selection is made by September 27, 2020 orders will automatically roll over to 2021.

    There is also the option for LOCKN’ 2020 ticket holders to donate their current ticket to LOCKN’ if they are unable to attend in 2021 to help to ensure another year of music and family on the farm. A portion of the face value of all donated ticket sales will be given to HeadCount to support its mission of promoting participation in democracy by registering voters at live and virtual events. For complete details on how to rollover tickets, request a refund, or donate LOCKN’ 2020 tickets, visit here.

    For more information on LOCKN’ Festival 2021 visit their website.

  • Elements Fest Announces Fall Edition “In My Elements”

    In My Elements, created by Elements Festival, has announced their fall edition and will attempt to recreate the concept of the Elements Festival in a smaller, more intimate environment. This fall installment will take place on September 25 – 28 on Lake Como in Pennsylvania.

    In My Elements festivities will focus on the safety of attendees by being a tested and contained retreat. The festival, in addition to onsite cleaning and safety protocols, will require all guests, staff and vendors to participate in an advance 2-part COVID-19 test prior to entry and will limit attendance to 250 people following PA outdoor gathering limits.

    In My Elements

    The festivities will include music for techno and house devotees as well as intimate stages where guests will be able to experience the sounds from their Air and Water stages. There will also be special programming with daily yoga and meditation sessions and wellness activities held in open-air environments, to help calm the mind and cleanse the spirit. Exciting art installations and wild shows. The festival will be located in forests and lakefront settings giving guests a peaceful place to explore.

    In My Elements full lineup includes: Wax Motif, Eli (Soul Clap), Sacha Robotti, Desert Hearts: Lee Reynolds + Porky, Gene Farris, J.Phlip, Golf Clap, Westend, The Golden Pony, Alexander:Louis, Cakewalk, Dastan, Kate Stein, Koop, Late London, Nacho Isa, Papyon, Ria Bird, Ryssa, TMBER, with more regional DJs to be announced. 

    The TCR 2-Part Testing Model required by attendees will work by first In the week leading up to the retreat, people will take a test at one of their certified testing locations in multiple cities. Results will be reported before the retreat. Although testing kits may vary depending on location, the preferred test is the Mako Medical TaqPath COVID-19 Combo Assay with 100% PPA and 100% NPA. At home mail-in tests are available as an add-on to tickets for an additional fee. The second part of the two part testing is that when guests arrive on site, their cars will be guided into distanced parking spaces where they will take an active COVID-19 rapid test. Results will be received in about 30 minutes and guests will be directed into the event grounds. This test will be a Sofia 2 SARS Antigen FIA with 96.7% PPA and 100% NPA sensitivity, manufactured by Quidel.

    General admission passes are now on sale and can be purchased here. This time around the In My Element guests have the option of camping or cabin packages, including a deluxe cabin apartment option. Camping passes are currently sold out and cabins are following close behind. If there’s another lockdown, or the gathering is cancelled for any reason, they will issue full, automatic refunds of all tickets and credit card fees, no questions asked.

    For more information visit In My Elements website.

  • Founding member of Widespread Panic, Todd Nance, dies at 57

    Todd Nance, the founding drummer of Widespread Panic, has died at age 57, in the band’s hometown of Athens, GA.

    todd nance

    The Nance Family said in a statement:

    It is with great sadness that we announce that Todd Nance, a founding member of Widespread Panic, passed away early this morning in Athens, GA from sudden and unexpectedly severe complications of a chronic illness. There are no services being planned at this time, but information will be shared as decisions are made regarding the best way to honor Todd’s extraordinary life and career. The Nance family appreciates the love and support of all and requests that their privacy be honored during this hard time.

    Along with the Nance Family, the Widespread Panic Family shared these sentiments:

    With heavy Hearts and Loving memories we say good bye to our Brother Todd Alton Nance. Widespread Panic was born the night of Todd’s first show. He and Mikey had played music together in High school (maybe Junior high) and with a lucky thought, Michael tracked him down and asked him to join us – because we had a gig, but needed a drummer. For thirty years Todd was the engine of the Widespread Panic. He wrote great songs, and was a giving and forgiving collaborator. T Man was the epitome of a “team player.” Drove the Band and drove the van.

    Funny, adventurous, and a very kind Soul, we wish Todd and his family peace during this sad time after so many happy times.

    Safe travels, Brother Todd.

    With Love, the Boys and Girls of Widespread Panic

    Todd Nance was born in Chattanooga, TN, where he received a drum kit for Christmas at age 13, and then formed a high school band with Michael Houser, with whom he would go on to found Widespread Panic, along with John Bell and Dave Schools. The band formed in 1986 and grew quickly, performing at Red Rocks only five years later, opening for Blues Traveler.

    Nance was the steady beat from the early years in Athens, GA, setting the tone alongside Domingo “Sunny” Ortiz. Nance briefly left the band in 2014, returned, and officially departed the band in 2016. He also played drums in the Vic Chestnutt/Widespread Panic hybrid brute. from 1995 to 2002, and in recent years, with groups known as Todd Nance & Friends, the Interstellar Boys and the Todd Nance Experiment.

    In a 2017 interview with Larson Sutton for Jambands.com, Nance looked back on his time with Widespread Panic with no regrets.

    Basically, I had 31 great years touring with (Widespread Panic). I wouldn’t trade that for anything. But, things do change as time goes on. I had to address those issues and put my professional life on the sideline. So now that I’ve gotten that stuff out of the way, I’ve tried to get back to work. That’s pretty much it.

    Todd Nance, as told to Larson Sutton

  • Twiddle dives into catalog, brings out guests for sold-out Vermont Drive-In shows

    After a long hiatus from live performance due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Vermont jam quartet Twiddle returned to the stage this weekend for three socially distanced Drive-In shows. Taking place in Essex Junction, VT, the three sold-out shows were a welcome return to live performance for the band, with over 250 car passes sold for each night.

    We can’t thank our fans enough for making our first live shows back such an incredible and safe experience. It felt amazing playing live again with the boys and having our brother Taz join us, elevating the band as he always does.

    Mihali Savoulidis (Guitar, Vocals)
    Twiddle

    Twiddle kicked off a stellar weekend of music with a fantastic first set on Friday, August 14, during which the band seamlessly segued through their first set without a break between songs.

    After sunset, the band took the stage for an improvisation-heavy three-song second set, featuring “Gatsby the Great,” “Doinkinbonk” and “Cabbage Face.” The show closed with fan-favorite sing-along “Orlando’s.”

    twiddle essex

    Saturday presented material from various phases of the band’s 15-year career. Highlights from set one include “Zazu’s Flight” > “Bronze Fingers” > “Zazu’s Flight,” as well as a tender rendition of “The Machine,” featuring drummer Brook Jordan on vocals. Twiddle closed the first set with a raging rendition of “Every Soul,” with special guest 16-year-old guitar phenom Brandon “Taz” Niederauer.

    Saturday’s second set was rife with deep jams and segues, including the introspective ballad “River Drift” sandwiched between “Dr. Remidi’s Melodium” and “Nicodemus Portulay.” Taz sat in on “Tom’s Song” during set two and returned for a “Comfortably Numb” encore, played for the first time in over nine years.

    Wrapping up the weekend, Sunday’s first set showcased a healthy mix of Twiddle’s bluegrass influences and improvisational acumen, with twangy acoustic takes on “Hattibagen McRat” and “Fat Country Baby.”

    Twiddle rounded out the weekend in Vermont with a trip down memory lane, with set two featuring throwback favorites “Invisible Ink” and “Tiberius,” before closing out the show with an epic “Beethoven and Greene.”

    twiddle vermont

    Night One – 8/14/2020 – Drive In – Essex Junction, VT

    Set One: Blunderbuss-> Ricky Snickle-> Blunderbuss-> Ricky Snickle, Daydream Farmer ->Earth Mamma-> Daydream Farmer

    Set Two: Gatsby-> Doinkinbonk-> Gatsby (1) Cabbage Face

    Encore: Orlando’s
    1. Big Country (Bela Fleck) tease

    Night Two – 8/15/2020 – Drive In – Essex Junction, VT

    Set One: Zazu’s flight-> Bronze Fingers-> Zazus Flight, The Machine, Apples-> Classical Gas-> Apples-> Every Soul (1)

    Set Two: Dr Remidis Melodium-> River Drift-> Nicodemus Portulay-> Toms Song (1), Dr Remedies Melodium

    Encore: Comfortably Numb (1) (2)
    1. With Taz
    2. Pink Floyd

    Night Three – 8/16/2020- Drive In – Essex Junction, VT

    Set One: Five (1), Hattibagen Mcrat (1), Lost in the Cold (1) (2), Fat Country Baby (1), Be there (1), Frankenfoote, Amydst the Myst

    Set Two: Invisible Ink-> Country Road-> Invisible Ink, Fire on High-> Dinner Fork-> Tiberius (3))-> Slipping in the Kitchen-> Tiberius

    Encore: Beethoven and Greene
    1. Played on Acoustic Guitar
    2. Storytellers Version
    3. 2nd half finishing from Roots Tour

  • South Farms in Connecticut to Host Socially Distanced Concerts

    South Farms in Connecticut plans to host socially distanced concerts and Comedy shows starting in late August and running through October. These socially distancing shows included upcoming performances from Grace Potter and comedian Nikki Glaser and are a beacon of hope for live music on a regular basis in these trying times. 

    The Farm will operate in the safest ways possible. People attending will be met by a staff member once inside and they will escort people to their grid placement. People will be required to wear a mask at all times they aren’t in their grid.  Tickets will be sold using a “grid” system, with 250 marked-out 8-foot squares available, each square holds two people, for purchase between $100-$160. Each square is surrounded by an additional grid for social distancing and flanked by aisle spacing. Grids can’t be combined with adjacent spaces. to create larger areas. 

    South Farms will include food trucks, a full bar serving alcohol, water and soft drinks and several satellite stands with ground markers indicating where patrons should stand while waiting in line. People can bring lawn chairs and blankets to make their grids more cozy. 

    Keith Mahler, president and CEO of Premier Concerts, spoke about the concerts saying, “Our primary concern is the safety and comfort of our audience.” This concern for safety will be taken seriously by staff members. They will enforce safety protocols, such as the use of masks and social distancing, using a “one strike and then you’re out” system, similar to if you were spotted smoking a cigarette. Hand sanitizing stations will be located throughout the venue.

    These concerts are being launched by Premier Concerts/Manic Presents and the Paletsky family which owns the 150-acre family-run South Farms and event space in Morris, Connecticut.  The upcoming concerts will represent a new model of low-capacity, all-outdoor venues, designed specifically to host concerts in the pandemic era. This model can be emulated all over the world to bring back live music. Hopefully New York can follow the lead of South Farms and bring back some live local music. 

    Several outdoor concerts are already scheduled to take place in August in Ridgefield, including two Grace Potter solo performances at Ballard Park on August 15 and back-to-back nights featuring Nick Fradiani and Javier Colon in the field next to the Ridgefield Playhouse on August 28-29. Tickets can be bought here.

    For more information can be found on South Farms website here.