Rough Trade Records NYC has announced that their Manhattan storefront will be reopening Wednesday, June 24th at 12 noon. The store also is operating under new business hours which were also announced in the original Twitter post.
WE'RE REOPENING!
We are very pleased to announce that Rough Trade NYC will be reopening on Wednesday June 24th, at 12pm.
Our new hours are Wed. - Sun. 12-6pm. We will remain closed on Mon. and Tue.
The new business hours will be Wednesday- Sunday, 12pm-6pm, remaining closed on Mondays and Tuesdays until further notice.
In cooperation with State of New York’s latest government guidance’s, the store has implemented safety measures keeping the health of both costumers and employees at the forefront of priorities.
New guidelines include the use of masks and or face coverings by everyone in the building as well as strict card only transactions.
Rough Trade NYC will continue to fulfill all Click and Collect orders as usual and, as always, will be open online 24/7.
The CMJ Virtual Music Marathon will return virtually this year, now under the ownership of Amazing Radio. Amazing Radio also has begun their new show One Night Stand, a weekly live performance which will feature up and coming artists broadcast on AmazingRadio.tv.
One Night Stand was kicked off June 15 with a special introductory show featuring The 1975, Alvvays, alt-J, Daughter, and Wolf Alice and included informational interviews with Amazing Radio founder Paul Campbell and CEO DJ Andy Zicklin. One Night Stand will showcase two new artists each week through music and interviews. Starting June 19, the show will begin broadcasting regularly every Friday night from 8-8:30PM EST.
On June 19, fans can watch or listen to interviews and performances by Huw Edwards of KOYO (Leeds, UK) and Grace Gillespie (London, UK), and additional performances by Needshes (Moscow, Russia), Daring Greatly (San Diego, CA), Firstimers (Denver, CO), and James Alexander Bright (Hampshire, UK). The audience will be able to tip the artists directly.
Launched in England in 2007, Amazing Radio’s mission is to “[help] new and emerging artists get discovered and make money, without getting screwed.” Its North-American branch kicked off in 2018. Amazing Radio helps undiscovered artists gain media attention in an ethical way. Several iconic artists have been discovered by Amazing Radio, such as Alt J, Haim, London Grammar, Bastille, Chvrches, The 1975, Royal Blood, Sam Fender and Dua Lipa. Billboard called the station “a powerful promotional machine.”
Amazing Radio now also owns CMJ, the College Music Journal. CMJ was founded in 1977 and began hosting an annual music festival showcasing new, undiscovered talent in New York City in 1980. The festival helped artists like Lady Gaga, Mumford & Sons, and Arcade Fire gain notoriety. Unfortunately, the CMJ Music Marathon has not taken place since 2015. However, CMJ and Amazing Radio are happy to announce that the festival will be returning virtually this Summer. Although the festival cannot be in person, it will still maintain “its spirit of new music discovery,” and will now span “New York and beyond.”
All emerging artists can submit their music for the CMJ Virtual Music Marathon by becoming Amazing Artists on Amazingradio.us. Doing so offers the artists several benefits, including the chance to be considered for One Night Stand. Additionally, new artists who sell their music on AmazingRadio will keep 100% of their profits and donations.
Be sure to watch or listen to One Night Stand on AmazingRadio.tv or AmazingRadio.us respectively every Friday night from 8-8:30PM EST and submit your original work for the CMJ Virtual Music Marathon.
Award-winning blues and Americana vocalist Shemekia Copeland has released her new song, “Uncivil War.” “Uncivil War” takes no sides and speaks to every person’s desire to be safe and free. Featuring iconic mandolin Sam Bush, dobro master Jerry Douglas and background vocals from popular alternative band The Orphan Brigade, the song is simultaneously comforting and challenging, as Copeland sings, “Same old wounds we’ve opened before / Nobody wins an uncivil war.” Copeland delivers the song with passion and insight about the uncertainty in the world while still finding hope for the future. The song, written by John Hahn, will be featured on Copeland’s upcoming Alligator album.
Copeland express the message she communicates in this song:
It’s not just a song. I’m trying to put the ‘united’ back in the United States. Like many people, I miss the days when we treated each other better. For me, this country’s all about people with differences coming together to be part of something we all love. That’s what really makes America beautiful.
When she first came onto the scene at age 18 with her debut album, Turn The Heat Up, Copeland quickly became a blues and R&B force to be reckoned with. Copeland’s previous album, America’s Child, won the Blues Music Award for Album Of The Year, and was named the #1 blues album of 2018 by MOJO magazine. Copeland recently received the 2020 Blues Music Award for Contemporary Blues Female Artist Of The Year, during a special online ceremony. Copeland is currently hosting her own blues radio show on SiriusXM’s Bluesville.
On Tuesday, Minnesota Public Radio and American Public Media jointly announced in a statement that the national show ‘Live From Here with Chris Thile’ will come to an end, along with 28 jobs will be cut due to budget concerns that have occurred since the start of COVID-19. Also canceled is ‘The Hilarious World of Depression,’ a podcast hosted by John Moe.
These cuts come after much consideration to keep MPR and APM running as is. Last month 14 staff members took voluntary staff buyouts in hopes of saving other staff members jobs. Among those announcing they’re leaving MPR/The Current is multimedia producer Nate Ryan and podcast producer Jeyca Maldonado. Despite these buyouts and money raised through emergency fundraising, the staff reduction and program eliminations could not be avoided.
Additionally MPR and American Public Media stated that executive pay will be cut by 20-35 percent, all 2021 pay raises are canceled and the reduction of working hours. At this time any unionized journalists and staff will not be effected by the cuts according to MPR/APM union representatives.
Photo credit: Brantley Gutierrez
MPR says the cuts it made were done in a way that “aligned with our mission, values and long-term vision” and “protects our core strengths” in an effort to provide programming that their audience wants while maintaining in a time of financial uncertainty.
MPR added, “We will find new ways to give you more control over when and how you listen, and greater access to our content on your favorite media devices. We’ll offer fresh, distinctive programming that deepens our value to you and attracts new audiences. We will double-down on trusted, in-depth information that engages and equips you to make informed decisions about your health, the economy and our democracy. And we will invest in understanding and addressing the systemic issues of racism and inequities further exposed by the killing of George Floyd.”
‘Live From Here’ started in 2016 with musician and songwriter Chris Thile at the wheel after the phasing out of ‘A Prairie Home Companion’. Broadcasting via public radio for two hours weekly from legendary Town Hall in New York City. With its blend of musical performances, comedy and audience interaction delivered by Thile and his wide range of guests, the show was an unique experience for audiences nationally.
Chris Thile expressed his excitement and hope for the show when he told NYS Music during an interview in September, “We have this two-hour canvas that we get to paint every week and there is a lot of space for things to happen and it feels good being in a place like this where on any given night there are hundreds of wonderful things happening”.
New York City’s legendary Village Vanguard invites you to join them Saturdays starting June 13 at 7 p.m. EDT for a 75 minute live streaming concert. A matinee will follow the next day at 2 p.m. EDT. Admission for each performance will be $7.
First up on the lineup will be The Billy Hart Quartet featuring drummer Billy Hart joined by a phenomenal group of artists including tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, pianist Ethan Iverson and bassist Ben Street.
After closing its doors on March 16 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, just three weeks after the club’s 85th birthday, many were left wondering how indefinite the closure would be. Virtual concerts have become the revival answer for many and now The Vanguard is back with four weekends currently slated with performances. Please continue to check the website and follow the club on Instagram @vanguardjazz and Facebook for updates on upcoming shows.
Livestream schedule:
June 13-14 – Billy Hart Quartet featuring Mark Turner, Ethan Iverson and Ben Street
June 20 – 21 – Vijay Iyer Trio featuring Nick Dunston and Jeremy Dutton
June 27 – 28 – Joe Martin Quartet featuring Mark Turner, Kevin Hays and Nasheet Waits
July 4 – 5 – Joe Lovano Trio Fascination featuring Ben Street and Andrew Cyrille
Todd Alsup premieres his new music video “Manhattan” is an ode to his beloved city as it braves the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dedicated to the essential workers and everyday heroes of New York City, the video features its diverse population coming together as a community while remaining six feet apart. Essential workers such as firemen and first responders are given special focus, as well as the artists and musicians who continue to brighten up the city in dark and confusing times.
Raised in Detroit, Alsup first became enamored with New York City on a high school trip. He fell further in love while attending New York University, where he earned a bachelor of music degree studying voice, theory, and songwriting. The singer, songwriter, and keyboardist says:
“‘Manhattan’ is a love song I wrote for the city I’ve called home for over 20 years. New York was, of course, hit very hard at the onset of COVID-19 and is now a center of protest in the fight against systemic racism and police brutality. I’ve seen my city rise up in the face of daunting challenges many times before and I’ve chosen to create a video that celebrates the spirit of strength and perseverance of New Yorkers.”
Todd Alsup criticizes many aspects of the city throughout the track, such as its noise, cold temperature, and “lunatics everywhere,” but ultimately couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. “One million reasons to leave and a million more to stay / Oh Manhattan, I wouldn’t have you any other way,” he concedes. In addition to “Manhattan,” Alsup has also released a lyric video for his cover of The Spinners’ 1973 hit “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love,” adding a retro hip hop flair to the Motown classic.
With the recent murders of African-American men and women like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, several BIPOC Broadway workers–actors and crew members alike–have begun to speak out against the racism which plagues Broadway and other theatre communities all across the country. Many, like writer and actor Griffin Matthews, have expressed that they are tired of the relentless racism which exists on Broadway, and reform is on the way.
Even in the time of this global halt, the Broadway Advocacy Coalition will hold a three-part forum for the African-American members of the Broadway community. The forum will be held over three days: June 10, 11, and 12.
Day one is dedicated to healing, where all will be welcome to share any experience in which they have been forced to deal with racism in the theatre industry. Day one is intended to be a safe space of only African-American people. Day two is for listening; African-American industry professionals will tell their experiences and look towards breaking the bias held in white allies and encouraging those allies to look inward and examine this bias. Day three, which is an extension of day two, is centered around accountability. Broadway’s inherently racist building blocks will be examined, and the group will discuss building a better Broadway which is truly more inclusive.
This forum is not only to be a means of support for countless African-American Broadway workers, but will hopefully force Broadway to begin to recognize its roots in racism and rebuild the system in a more honest way. Registration for each online event is available now.
There are 41 theaters on Broadway and they each have one thing in common: none are owned by African-Americans. The Apollo Theater, located on 125th street in Harlem, opened its doors to the public in 1914 and has been a vibrant piece of New York’s history and culture ever since. Many jazz, R&B, and soul legends began their paths to fame at the Apollo theater’s famous amateur nights. The theater has been both a state and city landmark since 1983 and still remains an important part of New York theater to this day. Despite this, it is not considered a Broadway theater.
photo by Jamie Huenefeld
The only thing which distinguishes Broadway from Off-Broadway is the number of a theater’s seats. All Broadway theaters must have 500 seats or more; theaters with 99-499 seats are deemed Off-Broadway. The Apollo Theater has 1,506 seats.
A petition to make the Apollo Theater a Broadway theater has been attracting attention in the past few days. If it were a Broadway theater, yhe Apollo would be eligible for Tony Awards and become involved in Tony nominations. As the Apollo Theater works to represent the cultural diversity of New York City, many believe that more BIPOC actors and team members would be nominated for Tony awards were the theater given leeway in the nominations.
The Apollo Theater is currently closed with no events scheduled through June 30.
The Apollo Theater and Gibson have partnered together to bring music fans “Let’s Stay (In) Together: A Benefit To Support The Apollo”, a live streaming benefit concert. Airing June 4 at 7:30 PM ET, the concert will be free for views made possible through Apollo’s media partner Tidal. Originally planned for June 2, The Apollo decided to postpone the show and stand with others in the music industry to observe Blackout Tuesday.
This special event will feature performances by “Captain” Kirk Douglas of The Roots, Kool & The Gang, Gary Clark Jr, Robert Randolph, Ray Chew and many more artists. Not only will the artists perform songs from legends like B.B. King, Patti LaBelle and Stevie Wonder, the Apollo’s 86 year contribution to the arts and culture will be highlighted. Viewers will also witness poems and performances dedicated to the memory of those whose lives have been lost due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Proceeds are set to benefit an emergency relief fund to financially support the theater now and into the future once it had to cancel live events through the month of June due to the coronavirus pandemic. Portions of the funds will also be used for micro grants to support local merchants and businesses in the 125th Street neighborhood that Apollo Theater calls home.
By partnering with Gibson through the Gibson Gives foundation, this marks the beginning of a new partnership that in the future will include brand new show programming, music preservation, music education initiatives, and support established and emerging talent.
“Music has the incredible power to connect, transform and heal. We hope you will support the legendary Apollo Theater and join us for a special event featuring music that lifts our spirits, shapes our lives, and continues to unite us all.”
As we enter June, the fourth month where live music performances are postponed until it is deemed safe to have mass gatherings due to COVID-19, we take a look at the music venues across the state that are closed for now, but in the coming months will hopefully reopen.
Working with 13 photographers to document more than 60 venues in 20 cities across New York State, we present this monthly series that will look at the current conditions of these beloved venues. As they reopen, we will provide photo documentation recording the changes over time in all corners of the state.
Great thanks to all photographers and venues who take part in this series.
