The GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance launches its Save Your Roots campaign and live-stream benefit at the State Theater in Ithaca, NY on December 19, at 7 PM EST. The campaign hopes to raise $100,000 to prepare for the 2021 festival season.
Like almost all festivals around the world this year the GrassRoots Festivals were forced to cancel their annual festivals due to COVID-19. The GrassRoots Festival started back in 1991 and sought to inspire positive change in communities through the communal celebration of world music, art and dance. It all started as a sold out, one night, benefit to raise money for the fight against AIDS at the historic State Theatre in Ithaca, NY. It has since evolved into three, separate annual four-day -vents in Trumansburg, NY, Shakori Hills, NC and Miami, FL.
The GrassRoots Festival is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. They, unlike some larger festivals, don’t have large pools of corporate sponsors. One of the reasons GrassRoots strays away from large corporate sponsors, is they want to keep their festival an authentic experience for participants and free from the boundaries of corporate influence. Though, the festival’s livelihood is in danger due to the lack of income in the 2020 year due to COVID-19. Their solution to trying to help the festival survive and thrive is by launching the Save Our Roots campaign.
The campaign has a goal of raising $100,000 that will culminate with a special live streamed event from the State Theatre in Ithaca, NY on December 19, 2020 at 7 PM EST.
Each donation or ticket purchased through the campaign will help ensure that the GrassRoots Festival Organization stays afloat. Currently the campaign is 61% funded with $61,421 and 17 days remaining to donate. So far, 375 people have donated to the cause.
People who donate $50 will receive a custom GrassRoots Festival T-shirt. One hundred dollar donations will receive their name on a GrassRoots Festival commemorative tree. Those who donate $1,000 will receive ten, four-day passes to any grassroots festival of their choice. People who donate $2,000 will receive ten, four-day passes to any grassroots festival of their choice plus two all access dream team lanyards. People can also donate a custom amount. Donations can be made here.
The live-stream benefit is being hosted by Yes Darling (Ryan Montbleau & Hayley Jane) and features live performances by the GrassRoots All-Stars, Jeb & Tara of Donna the Buffalo, Driftwood, Richie & Rosie and appearances from Jim Lauderdale, Preston & Keith Frank, Keith Secola, Dirk Powell, Cortadito, Fabi World Music & more. The live-stream has a suggested donation of $10. Tickets can be bought here.
For more information of on the GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance and its Save Your Roots campaign and live-stream benefit visit their website.
It’s somewhat surprising that during the storied touring career of Phish, they’ve only played five shows in the City of Binghamton. The last one of these took place 26 years ago today, on December 14, during a time that’s now looked back upon in deep reverence. December of 1995 was one of the band’s most formative and successful eras. In fact, tonight’s show at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena was deemed worthy enough of being the first official live release from Phish’s extensive live catalog. With a couple of classic song selections and some jams that are truly definitive of the band’s ascent, it’s not hard to see why.
“Suzy Greenberg” starts off the show before a lively Binghamton crowd in grand fashion. Baby grand, that is, as Page McConnell takes a couple of spirited piano solos to the delight of all during this old school Phish favorite. The “Llama” that immediately follows sees him deftly shift over to the organ early on for a few more harrowing runs. Trey then quickly assumes command on guitar and leads throughout the rest of the way on the APicture of Nectar classic that’s executed to perfection.
This opening pairing is followed with another in the “Horn” > “Foam” sequence that comes next. “Horn” is played with no frills. But the “Foam” provides the first real chance for the band to stretch out a little, thanks to some exploratory solos from McConnell and Anastasio that do just that. These lead to a short but ever so powerful jam that culminates in a beautifully sustained guitar note atop the classic relentless rhythm of Mike Gordon on bass.
“Makisupa Policeman” then produces one of the all-time most bizarre “keywords” from Trey, a reference about smoking a joint with Khaddafi in bed.
While the “Policeman” doesn’t really do much, the “Split Open and Melt” that proceeds it certainly does. Jon Fishman pops right away on this one, delivering the signature opening drum beat, and doesn’t let go. He nails the song’s odd time signature and lays the groundwork for a pulsating, driving jam that eventually shifts into Type II territory before re-entry. It’s the first real extended jam between all four musicians and a sign of things to come.
“Tela” then takes everyone on a quick excursion to Gamehendge, with McConnell handling the lead vocals and Anastasio providing the fiery guitar finish as usual. “Taste That Surrounds” provides a glimpse into the evolution of a Phish song. Now simply known as “Taste,” this is a primitive version that would be one of the last ones ever played before being further modified. Its song history provides full details.
After a move by “Dan from Binghamton” in the ongoing “Band vs. Audience” chess match featured that tour, Phish’s second set begins. “The Curtain” is a more than apt opener that displays the technical wizardry and seamless cohesion that are staples of December ’95. Without even pausing for a moment, “Tweezer” starts up as soon “The Curtain” goes down. This serves as the meat of the second set, and the show really, with a jam that patiently builds and includes a distinct “Slipknot!” tease.
Before it can fully bloom, though, Trey suddenly begins strumming an entirely different melody altogether and redirects the rest of the band through “Timber.” This is cast aside fairly quickly. Not long after the final “Timber” lyric, the “Tweezer” jam reemerges and Phish jumps back on it in a seamless merge through musical traffic.
Fishman drives the tempo to a near-insane pace at one point which, when combined with Trey’s wailing guitar sound effects, give this one a true feeling of a train about the run off the tracks. As “Tweezer” comes to a surprisingly gentle landing, “Keyboard Army” emerges. This 1995-era special features all four band members on a different instrument at McConnell’s keyboard rig. Until it was recently dusted off at Dick’s in 2015, tonight’s performance in Binghamton was the final one played.
“Halley’s Comet” begins the landing sequence for tonight’s show and features a sneakily impressive jam that revolves around an infectious Anastasio-created melody. Phish collectively toys with the tempo, once again ramping it up to extreme levels and stretching the first ever jammed out “Comet” to almost twelve minutes. A rare, late-show “NICU” then emerges from the ska-like outro jam and, with it, another mesmerizing improv-heavy jam on the tail end that takes it from a standard to a stellar version.
“Slave To The Traffic Light” serves as a proper close to a set full of both patient improvisation and hard rock. And, after noticing a request for it displayed on a fan’s sign, Trey notes it’s “one they want to play” and leads the band through a show-closing take of Jimi Hendrix’s “Bold As Love.” Phish left it all out on the table this evening in, remarkably, their final Binghamton show to date.
Phish Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena – Binghamton, NY 12/14/95
Set 1: Suzy Greenberg > Llama, Horn > Foam, Makisupa Policeman > Split Open And Melt, Tela, Taste That Surrounds, My Sweet One, Frankenstein
Set 2: The Curtain > Tweezer -> Timber (Jerry the Mule) -> Tweezer -> Keyboard Army, Halley’s Comet -> NICU -> Slave To The Traffic Light
Live music venues in New York such as the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, State Theater in Ithaca and Tralf Music Hall in Buffalo started 2020 with great lineups for the year to come. While walking through Times Square on March 12, however, came the first of many announcements of the Coronavirus and its restrictions that affected every aspect of society since.
Take the 2020 Love Rocks NYC event at the Beacon Theater, for example. The marquee annual music event raises money for a common goal: to help feed New Yorkers who are too sick to cook or shop for themselves and do it through the healing power of live music. With emerging news of COVID-19, the sold out theater restricted attendance to press and artists only, capped at a 300-person maximum. Ticket holders who could no longer attend would use a link to stream the show, a familiar practice that, with the pandemic taking hold, would be the only way to see live music in the foreseeable future.
Love Rocks NYC featured various artists and actors including Rochester, New York native Steve Gadd (Eric Clapton, Paul Simon) on drums for all performances. Highlights of the star-studded evening included special guest performances by Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes, Dave Matthews, and The Black Crowes. Before closing his three-song set, with Peter Gabriel’s classic “Sledgehammer,” Dave Matthews told everybody, “Now after tonight I have to remind y’all to go home and stay by yourselves, wash your hands, and don’t listen to the President.”
Being inside the theater that night to see the most special guest, Mr. David Letterman, who reunited with Paul Shaffer for the first time since the Late Show ended in May 2015, was a treat for all. Letterman made light of these newly presented restrictions for the live music entertainment world, quoting Tom Petty’s song “Letting You Go.” “It’s a restless world, uncertain times you said hope was getting hard to find.”
Letterman elaborated, “after listening to that song, tonight it occurs to me that when things are hard, harder than they’ve ever been, even more troubled, you have got to look for something positive and one of the great gifts, one of the great blessings of life, honest to God, is live music.” These words continued to echo across the Beacon Theater, and worldwide to this day, as major live music performances have no definitive return.
David Letterman (Beacon Theatre, 3/12/20)
New York State has a rich, vibrant live music scene that immediately reacted to the cancellation of the year’s major music events. Local artists across the State have since found ways to fill the void. Central New York’s John McConnell immediately took to Facebook Live offering interaction with his audience. As McConnell reflects on the overall changes in live performances, he says, “There was a time where you could play a soulful song in a venue and open your eyes to something other than a cell phone in your face. Wallpaper gigs help pay the bills, but do not always feed the soul.”
Another immediate stand out is Jess Novak, who utilized the streaming app Twitch to bring AM and PM live music to the quarantined masses. Some of us found our silver lining at The Gear Factory in Syracuse, being able to collaborate at the creative space with musicians like Ben Shearer, who would normally be on the road. Even though large live music events remained out of question, New York’s outdoor landscape in the spring and summer allowed Colloca Estate and Grace Tyler Estate Wineries to act as venues, so McConnell and Novak could still perform to a live audience, until temperatures brought in the impending “Frost.”
To offset the eventual change in weather, which would end live music outdoors, many local and major musicians alike continued with virtual options, some with a simple twist of fate. In Spring, Phish started “Dinner and a Movie,” a free weekly streaming event. Each week featured an archival release of a live Phish concert with the goal to raise money for their non-profit, The Waterwheel Foundation, towards a food empowerment project. In late September, the Dinner and a Movie series ended with the announcement of Trey Anastasio’s “first-of-its-kind” eight week virtual residency called “The Beacon Jams” at the Beacon Theater.
All eight weeks were free to stream on Twitch and encouraged viewers to donate to the Divided Sky Fund that will focus on delivering quality care and compassionate treatment for those suffering from addiction. Trey has been a major advocate for progressive treatment of addictions since his personal struggle and subsequent recovery in Upstate New York, culminating in this Divided Sky Fund. The community responded by raising over a million dollars, many donors will even receive an autographed print of the event by Artist Jim Pollack and Trey Anastasio. A total of 5,300 copies were signed.
To paint the picture of what has occurred inside the Beacon Theater during its residency you, have to go to Rochester’s live music photographer, Jake Silco. Silco captured the essence of every night with its lit up backdrop in all of its glory – with the band facing brick, opposite of where the crowd would normally be. The empty Beacon Theater seats were alive with full stage lighting intertwined. A new face on screen from Buffalo, NY was pianist Jeff Tanski, he helped Anastasio rehearse for over 150 hours for the Grateful Dead’s “Fare Thee Well” shows in a Manhattan Studio in 2015.
Now to the rhythm section that was on site every week who has collaborated with Trey since 1999: Tony Markellis (Bass), Russ Lawton (Drums), Ray Paczkowski (Keyboards) and Cyro Baptista (Percussion, Paul Simon) helped kick the nightly grooves off. It was only appropriate that the whole residency started with an Anastasio solo song titled “Corona,” with its lyrics shouting: “When Corona touches oceans and the judgement comes at last, when all of this over and the truth meets the past.”
The song ends appropriately with a reference that all of us want right now, reiterating “when all of this is over.” As if this wasn’t enough to start the October residency, there was a Sinatra/Beatles studio-like string section who assisted from weeks two through eight. Named on the spot as the “Rescue Squad Strings,” the quartet was comprised of Anja Wood, Rachel Golub, Katie Kresek and Maxim Moston.
During week five, Syracuse native and drummer, Jon Fishman, came down to help resurrect Anastasio’s Ghosts of The Forest composition with Jennifer Hartswick (TAB), Celise Henderson (Lizzo), and Jo Lampert (Joan of Arc, David Byrne) on backing vocals. Ghosts was written as a tribute to Chris Cottrell, Anastasio’s life long friend.
The final musicians that joined for weeks seven and eight were Natalie Cressmann (TAB) on trombone and James Casey (Lettuce) on saxophone, who made the trip to New York from Kauai, Hawaii.
Attached to the Theater at The Beacon Hotel was where I was able to stream the shows as close to the source as possible, with the floor vibrating beneath you. Just as the same Times Square I walked through the day of COVID-19’s arrival, this same city has been subject to a “Story of the Ghost” [town] since. The Upper West side that would usually be flooded with 2,001 fans before and after the show was desolate and many of the performers could be spoken to after each night’s gig. Gone are the days in front of the State Theater in Ithaca being able to speak to Anastasio about his old club dates at The Haunt.
After the October 23 Beacon Jam, I spoke briefly with Anastasio, 6-feet away via a mask of course, on the Broadway street corner about the great Jazz musician Theloinus Monk. I had enveloped a copy of Monk’s Tips For a Gig: 20 Gig Tips From One Of The Greatest Jazz Masters Of All Time by Thelonious Monk for the occasion. When presented with it and his knowledge of Monk he exclaimed,” Yes, of course! Oh I love it!, I will read it! I’ll put it up and tack it on the wall for the next show, alright see ya later”
The following week October 30, to help create a festive vibe of Halloween weekends past on the empty Upper West side a Halloween PhanArt Card.
A quick “Happy Halloween buddy!” to which Anastasio replied on the go, “Thank you my friend!” Jon Fishman also received some PhanArt, with a request if he was planning on staying in NYC for a cover of Derek and the Dominos “Got to Get Better in a Little While.” Fishman’s Facebook posts will show his active political engagements and how in his home state of Maine he has been elected for two three-year-seats on Lincolnville’s Board of Selectmen.
One of Monk’s tips “a genius is the most like himself,” immediately dismisses a request for a cover song, but it could have been appropriate for the band and soulful backing singers to rejoice on Eric Clapton’s lyrics: “Revolution all across the land, just like Sly, You got to take a stand, please don’t hurt nobody, don’t knock nobody down, give them a helping hand to get up off the ground”
Italian illustrator, Moreno Chiacchierra who composed Frank Zappa’s comic art work in 1982 during a tour of the country inspired the art exchanges with Jon and Trey. In the just released What Calls You Home documentary, Anastasio comments on his relationship with Fishman. “So um, I count every minute playing with him as a blessing , I hope it’s me , if one of has to go first, because I don’t want to be on earth without having him to play music with.”
Monk’s tips are debatable as an influence over the course of eight Fridays, “In Rounds” where the band performed more than 150 different songs without a single repeat and not one cover. One major influence on Anastasio is Frank Zappa, especially after the just released 2020 Documentary Zappa. Trey produces the same non-stop work ethic in various compositions. New solo material produced during quarantine at his Upper West Side apartment, just blocks from the Beacon, called Lonely Trip was incorporated in the residency. He also helped The Roots come back to life on the Tonight Show. Anastasio was Jimmy Fallon’s first in studio musical guest since the lock down at Rockefeller .
When Jon Fishman accepted his local Syracuse “SAMMY Lifetime Achievement Winner Award” in 2015 at the Dinosaur BBQ he referenced sneaking out of his Halton Rd. house to make the short trip down “the errant path” to Manley Fieldhouse to see Zappa perform live.
Fishman was spotted last fall in attendance at a metal band show for Cattle Decapitation at Wescott Theater in Syracuse. Now, The Errant Path is a weekly radio show announced by Jon Fishman on Sirius XM. After hosting Bootsy Collins on air in November, his latest December episode amongst various jazz tracks included Frank Sinatra’s “Drinking Again” and John Lennon’s “Mind Games.”
At the 2017 SAMMY AWARDS CNY local, Megan Voss, was the only woman to be honored in its Hall of Fame. She brought her husband, producer, Eric Clapton and drummer Steve Jordan to the event. Like Anastasio who teamed with Relix for Beacon coverage, Jordan just participated as the musical director with them for America’s “Bird Calls” benefit concert – a virtual celebration of the life of Charlie Parker that raised money for the Jazz Foundation of America.
A New York City native, Jordan will be the musical director for the upcoming Play On CBS music special, benefiting racial justice and hunger across the nation. A quick nod to another Syracuse native and fellow Lifetime Achievement award winner in 2017, and Frank Sinatra’s conductor for 10 years, Vincent Falcones. His arrangements have been revisited.
Fishman and Anastasio, alongside other members of Phish, sang acapella on Sinatra’s “Send in the Clowns” during the final moments before midnight at Madison Square Garden, where the band rang in the New Year to start 2020 with its appropriate closing lyrics “Well, maybe next year.”
My grandfather Frank Romano (Falcone Cousin) remembered seeing Vinnie perform in 1948 at the Inn Between Restaurant in Camillus, New York with, “Vinnie on piano, Norm on Bass, and Sal the saxophone player.” Frank (Romano) reflected on Sinatra’s and Falcone performance at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on August 25th, 1975 as well.
Speaking with Saratoga Springs native, Tony Markellis, outside the Beacon Hotel before making the trip back upstate that day, about an infamous Utica gig from the past. I got his input on Monk’s Tips as well.
Markellis, who in his lifetime has seen Jimi Hendrix perform twice in New York State – once at Buffalo City Memorial Auditorium on March 23, 1968 and the other at the Singer Bowl in Flushing Meadows, New York on August 23, 1968, delivered his esteemed thoughts.
We immediately switched gears to talk about Ray Paczkowski’s playing on the keyboards every night, Markellis said, ” He’s brilliant, I mean his playing is so unlike anybody, he’s kind of playing like Monk in a rock setting that nobody does and he makes it work.”
Tony Markellis (Beacon Hotel 11/21/20)
A brief conversation happened with Paczkowski outside the Beacon, just minutes before he casually walked in and performed on the Phish Classic “You Enjoy Myself.” We spoke about drummer and producer Brady Blade. Packowski played with Brady, Trey, Tim Reynolds, and Tony Hall under the Dave Matthews and Friends Arena tour, that came through Rochester and New York City in the December of 2003. He referenced how great it was collaborating with Brady, but went on to quickly say, “His brother Brian Blade, is a whole ‘nother trip”
soule monde (Onondaga Community College 11/23/13)
Well, Ray certainly knows his stuff because just last week Brian Blade along with Christain McBride and Chick Corea were nominated for Best Jazz Instrumental for a 2021 Grammy. Like Chick Corea, who performed at Onondaga County Community College’s “Legends of Jazz Series” in September 2014, Ray Paczkowski and drummer Russ Lawton have also performed at the Frederick Marvin & Ernst Schuh Recital Hall back in November of 2013. The duo performed outside of the Trey Anastasio Band under the name Soule Monde that operates as a highly funky, Afro beat improvisational keyboard and drum performance.
When James Casey was asked about his interpretations of Thelonius Monk’s tips, he said it was required reading in college. As a drummer I stated “make the drummer sound good” in turn Casey replied “that’s what it’s all about.”
On top of his studies at Berklee was saxophone player Sam Kininger, out of Utica, New York, who was referenced under the Beacon Marquee as well. “I’d watch Sam play every Sunday and Tuesday night, never, ever making my 9 a.m. class on Monday or Wednesday because we were all out there until 2:30, taking it all in. I had learned my vocabulary there.” Markellis also commented about “Uticat” Kininger. “Of Course I know Sam! He’s one of the greats!” Sam Kininger started 2020 live and funky in front of crowds in January and February at Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs. He also performed with Lettuce on November 20, 2019 at the Stanley Theater in Utica.
Sam Kininger (Stanley Theater 11/20/19)
On the final evening of The Beacon Jams in Upstate, NY from October 25, 2002 at the Stanley Theater was reminisced by everyone on stage. Anastasio plays off the band, of a great night where “the plaster fell from the ceiling,” the band was booming and the unison of the crowd “was rocking to the beat of the humanity.”
Via Eliza’s production assistance and the Twitch live stream to an empty theater, under the name “romanoorange,” I was able to get feedback on a night that all of us from Liverpool, NY were in attendance can still remember, the balcony “pulsating to the music.” Drummer Russ Lawton touched on Monk’s Tips and Utica by saying, “Thanks for passing the tips on to me, so great. Of course I love the tip that if you’re not a drummer you still need to count. When you have people grooving with you it’s the best,.UTICA, best rocking show ever!!!”
In light of the trend to give back during COVID-19, perhaps Phish could release the show as an archival release with proceeds going to the Stanley Theater? After all, don’t they owe them for structural damage?
Before heading back Upstate for the winter, just a couple blocks from the 1929 palace for motion pictures and vaudeville (Beacon Theatre), The New York Historical Society is currently running a live exhibit Bill Graham and the Rock & Roll Revolution on Bill Graham, one the most influential concert promoters of all time. What would he propose for how live music should be viewed going forward? Maybe testing around the corner at the West 69th Urgent Care that offers three forms of walk in tests for COVID-19 before being able to enter the Beacon? What would the artists who make up the exhibit say?
After Beatlemania, John Lennon celebrated his 31st birthday at The Hotel Syracuse on October 9th 1971, his final live on stage performance was with Elton John at Madison Square Garden on November 28, 1974 He also found a silver lining in his “isolation” only releasing material from The Hit Factory and his home at the Dakota Building.
Roger Waters, who carried on touring to bigger venues like the Carrier Dome created “The Wall” between him and his audience making the restrictions as part of the performance. Perhaps we could utilize the size of the newly redone Carrier Dome with its 50,000-person capacity for a socially distant live concert or continue with the virtual options to help raise money for a cause by revisiting Paul McCartney’s infamous performance at the Carrier Dome on September 23, 2017.
Bruce Hornsby just helped honor our front line workers at Upstate Hospital in Central New York with a virtual concert that raised more than $500,000 in donations. Upstate Foundation reimagines gala with virtual Upstate Strong COVID Relief Benefit Concert featuring Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers Dec. 4.
Maybe the cosmos have the answer, where live performances have never stopped.
“The Sky Church is still here, as you can see,” according to Hendrix at Woodstock. On December 2, 2020, a meteor crashed into Earth’s atmosphere above Central New York where dogsledder captures the meteor on video after an ‘explosive’ boom. The next show at Tully Lake on December 21, Jupiter and Saturn will form “Christmas Star” the first visible “double planet” in 800 years. Like Little Feat’s lyrics “So it seems that the world keeps on turnin’ but so what I don’t doubt it, it just keeps on the move.”
We all have to keep moving to the beat of humanity into 2021.
Back in June, photographers working with NYS Music, with no live music to shoot, began looking at the venues we hold so dear. These independent music venues across New York State are in a battle for survival with the COVID-19 pandemic still not waning and relief held up in Congress.
Over the summer and fall we saw venues closed for the foreseeable future, including The Jazz Standard in Manhattan. Venues are rallying their supporters to help as best they can at this time, including The Palace Theatre in Albany offering up a stream of moe. on Friday, December 11.
Venues in New York and beyond are stuck in limbo, but they aren’t gone – not for good – so long as we can find resolution and relief at the state and national levels. The Heroes Act has passed in the House of Representatives, and there is still a chance for a relief bill to be passed before the end of December.
With the winter setting in, venues will continue to go virtual for live performances, waiting for the time that we can bid this great pause farewell and welcome crowds back.
We start this month’s photo gallery series in Central New York at The Stanley Theatre. Visit NIVA to find out how you can help venues across New York, and the country. We need to #saveourstages and preserve live music for when this is over.
Non-for-profit venues across upstate New York call for aid from Governor Cuomo and their state elected leaders during the COVID-19 crisis. They are calling for aid through their #lightsUPstateNY initiative, trying to bring light to the hardships these performing arts centers are facing.
Bardavon interior photo by Tim Lee.
According to Chris Silva, Executive Director at Bardavon 1869 Opera House, the new protocols, requirements and re-staffing caused by COVID-19 will require not only time and capital, but every month these closures continue the costs of these eleven venues add up to a collective $1,500,000 dollars, with no significant revenue to offset it. This is a huge amount of money to these smaller local economies. These venues hope to bring light to the reality of their dim situation, as many venues across the United States are pledged with Save Our Stages campaign.
The venues involved call for aid with the #lightsUPstateNY initiative are: The Bardavon in Poughkeepsie, UPAC in Kingston, Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo, RBTL’s Auditorium Theatre in Rochester, Smith Center for the Arts in Geneva, Landmark Theatre in Syracuse, Stanley Theatre in Utica, Proctors Collaborative in Schenectady, Palace Theatre in Albany, State Theatre in Ithaca, and the Clemens Center in Elmira.
These venues estimate the cost to reopen themselves, if a spring 2021 opening is possible, will be at least 15 million dollars – more if the “pause” caused by COVID-19 continues. As a group they bring over 250 million of collective, local economic impact to Upstate each year, which has come to an abrupt halt.
Silva explained the reasoning behind the union of #lightsUPstateNY initiative saying, “The large theatres of Upstate so often share similar realities. As we think about our restarts sometime in 2021, we decided to come together to speak with one voice about our needs and challenges as we get back to being at the heart of our cities and communities.”
All of the venues involved operate as 501(c)3 non-profit organizations – committed to serving their communities – and have worked together to create a network across Upstate for bands and theatrical performances to take place. They do this by offering a variety of live entertainment for all audiences, including concerts, comedy, dramatic and family events, as well as offer a mixed-use space for local performing groups, graduations, recitals and other presentations.
The hope of #lightsUPstateNY is to bring awareness to the dire need these venues are experiencing, while also calling on Governor Cuomo and their state elected leaders for aid.
The EPAC Virtual Christmas Show will be available on EPAC Digital, a new online platform granting digital access to EPAC Productions, from December 17th through January 3rd, 2021.
Endicott Performing Arts Center has put together a spectacular variety show of great holiday classics, as well as some newer contemporary songs to brighten your holiday season. You can watch local talent perform your signature holiday songs, that you can’t have Christmas without, including performances of “Happy Christmas… War is Over,” “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” and “White Christmas,” among many others. There will be performances from different locations, including people singing and dancing from home, from the EPAC Recording Stage, and out and about in thelocal landscape of the Southern Tier.
A short holiday themed puppet show presented by the EPAC Puppet Tree Theater Group is also a part of the series, as well as archival footage of shows from Christmas’ past. Don’t miss this experience, with amazing local talent performing virtually for the safety and entertainment of the entire community.
The Endicott Performing Arts Center is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide an affordable and high quality venue to local, regional and touring performing artists, enabling them to present, develop, & improve their artistic efforts.
Over the past 23 years, EPAC has: Renovated and Operated out of the 104 year old “Lyric Theater” in Endicott, NY. To provide a means for thousands of community members to gain education about all aspects of the performing arts, while presenting a diverse array of affordable high quality performing arts events to our community. EPAC typically attracts over 20,000 people to the Arts Center every year, as well as hundreds of people to the outdoor “Stage at Little Italy” with its annual Shakespeare in the Park event at the George W. Johnson Park.
The State Theatre of Ithaca announced it’s ‘Save Your Seat’ campaign as a way for the community to help keep the Ithaca staple afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ‘Save Your Seat’ campaign was announced on November 10, 2020 and will continue to run until all 16,000 seats are sold which happened on January 5, 2021.
The State Theatre of Ithaca was built back in 1915 and has been an entertainment staple of Ithaca, NY since 1928 and has served as one of the most significant venues for performing arts in the Finger Lakes region. Their mission is to enhance the cultural life of Ithaca and the Finger Lakes by preserving, operating and promoting the historic State Theatre as an active venue for national, international and community performances and programming according to their website.
How the ‘Save Your Seat’ campaign worked is that people donated $100 per seat and will get a personalized plaque affixed to a seat in their honor. This campaign will offer a visible way to commemorate their support of this vital arts venue.
Executive Director Doug Levine of the State Theatre explains that, “Without show revenue to help sustain this facility, we are looking at a deficit close to $160,000 for this fiscal year. The State Theatre of Ithaca seats 1,600 people. If 1,600 of our amazing supporters and patrons bought at least 1 seat for $100 each, that would help us close the gap that the pandemic has created. Our goal is to sell out the Theatre, just like we have so many times in the past.”
All proceeds raised from the ‘Save Your Seat fundraising campaign and benefit concert will help sustain the not-for-profit State Theatre of Ithaca. The aide will help the theatre remain at the center of Central New York’s performing arts scene while their doors remain closed. For more information visit the the State Theater’s website here.
Updates made on 1/7/2021: The State Theatre of Ithaca announced on 1/5/2021 that all 1,600 seats within the Theatre have been “saved,” as part of their “Save Your Seat” campaign. The campaign has helped close the budget gap the Coronavirus shutdown has created for the Ithaca staple.
The SAMMYS (Syracuse Area Music Awards) announce their submissions opening for 2021 awards show. The call goes out to local musicians, bands, and artists encouraging them to submit their 2020 commercially available recordings for consideration before January 6, 2021.
The Syracuse Area Music Awards show celebrities local music to the Syracuse area. It’s become a beloved staple to Syracuse and the surrounding areas. Artists interested in entering for consideration must select one category they wish to be judged in. Only commercially released albums or EPs, released between January 1 – December 31, 2020 by artists in the Syracuse area are eligible for the 2021 SAMMYS. All entries must be available on Apple Music, Spotify or Tidal and no physical recordings will be accepted this year. Categories subject to change at the discretion of the judges. The entry form is now available here: syracuseareamusic.com/submissions and must be submitted by January 6, 2021.
The 2021 SAMMYS will take place on March 5, 2021 and will be streamed live for free and live from SubCat Studios. The awards show will include musical performances by area artists/bands. Awards will be presented in 12 recording categories, in addition to the People’s Choice awards in four categories, Brian Bourke Award for Best New Artist, Jack O Bocchino Spirit of the SAMMYS Award, and our Community Spirit Award.
The SAMMYS wouldn’t be possible without the help of its many sponsors. The 2021 supporting sponsors include: The Rebel Rocks, Bridge Street, SubCat Music Studios, CNY Alive!, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, KMASE Productions, Joshua Johnson Design, Skinner & Associates Realty, 315 Music, American Vintage Productions, NYS Music, News Channel 9, 95X, 93Q, and 92.1 The WOLF.
For more information on the SAMMYs and the 2021 submission process visit their website here or follow the Syracuse Area Music Awards on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
This holiday season, join NYS Music and Toy for Tots as we bring joy to kids around the state this holiday season with our annual giving drive, Jam for Tots.
Traditionally, our Jam for Tots series would be centered around various live music performances in November and December. At each show, fans are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy as a donation to brighten the day of a kid somewhere in the state. Due to the pandemic, we are changing it up this year so our collective charitable effort doesn’t fall short due to restrictions on live music and mass gatherings.
At each of these venues, whether you’re stopping in for dinner, getting take out or grabbing socially distanced drinks with a side of incidental music, bring an unwrapped toy for kids who are most in need this holiday season. A box will be there to leave your donation (through mid-December), which will be picked up by the Marines and distributed within New York State communities.
We greatly appreciate their support of these venues and the Marines during this annual giving drive. We may not be able to get down to live music while supporting the kids, but we can still support them while we wait for live music to return. Please use proper social distancing when patronizing these wonderfully supportive venues.
Jam for Tots has been an ongoing series dating back to 2008 when Positive Mental Trip frontman Luke Weiler took the show on the road, touring the East Coast while collecting toys for local charities. The event has since returned home to New York State and slowly expanded in the past few years. In 2019, in addition to a record haul of toys, 15 events were held across the state, bringing music and charity together throughout the Holiday Season.
American Vintage Productions has announced a new partnership with X101 Always Classic and the Cortland Main Street Music Series to a new music series at Rose Hall in Cortland. Together, the partnership will host an hour-long radio show called CNY Music Now each week that features local and regional musicians. American Vintage Live will broadcast the videos and upload the webcasts of CNY Music Now through their Facebook page live each week on Tuesdays and Fridays at 8 p.m.
Austin MacRae will perform twice on the CNY Music Now show
CNY Music Now will also be available to listen to live on the X101 Always Classic 101.5FM WXHC. Charles Walton will host the show with artist/musician Molly Reagan Andrejko for 10 consecutive weeks following the debut show on November 8. Each week, the show will feature two musical guests every Sunday evening and combine live performances, interviews, and album cuts to provide fans with an inside look at the artist and their music.
Here is a look at the November lineup of CNY Music Now shows:
Mike and X101 have long been advocates for the local and regional music scene and we’re excited to partner with them. Without a way to present the Cortland Main Street Music Series this year, it was a natural progression for all our organizations to collectively work together to present this new series. We believe that this is one more step in all our efforts to expand the audience for regional musicians.
AVP Founder Chris Merkley
CNY Music Now follows the premiere of AVP’s first season of their weekly series called American Vintage Line. American Vintage Line provided livestreams of local and regional to substitute for the shut-down of live music events caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. AVP’s mission is to present live music and livestream events to the greater CNY region that bring people together through music. The series is presented by CFCU Community Credit Union with support from Dan and Rose McNeil Foundation.
