Despite the chaos created by the pandemic so far, Swiss Brooklyn-based artist Sam Himself (aka Sam Koechlin) released his new single “Cry” from his debut album expected in 2021. “Cry” is the first long-distance collaboration with his longtime producer and creative partner, Daniel Schlett. Sam recorded “Cry” partly at a local Basel Studio and partly in his attic during the quarantine.
Before the pandemic took a turn for the worst, Sam was on tour in Europe and only performed at one show before the remaining dates were canceled. With the travel restrictions immediately enforced, Sam was stranded between his native Switzerland and his chosen home in New York City. He decided to self-quarantine in his hometown of Basel, Switzerland, and released his long-awaited EP Slow Drugs.
I was driving across Switzerland before dawn to shoot the final takes of the video for ‘Like a Friend’; I’d been up for a long time, the tour had just been canceled and, according to the news, I wouldn’t be able to fly back to New York anytime soon. Then my phone rang and at the end of that call, the relationship I was in had ended, too. In a matter of hours, my life as I’d known it was over. For all the dread and confusion of that moment, I also felt ridiculous for licking my own wounds while the world around me looked like it was ending. That’s the dissonant state I tried to capture with ‘Cry’: it’s a farewell letter to my old life in New York and a relationship ended by the pandemic, but also a caustic reminder to myself not to wallow in self- pity amid a global catastrophe.
Sam Himself, about the inspiration for “Cry”
Capitalizing on the extended time in quarantine, Sam created the soaring ballad “Cry” that showcases his baritone climbing to new heights as the song evolves into a weeping hymn with authentically vulnerable lyrics. Sam plays all the instruments on “Cry” except for the bass and one lead guitar, which was added by members of his European touring band. “Cry” is produced by Daniel Schlett and mastered by engineering legend Greg Calbi, who mastered songs for David Bowie and Bruce Springsteen.
Trey Anastasioreturned to New York City’s Beacon Theatre on October 23 for Week 3 of his Beacon Jams residency. This show came hot on the heels of Phish’s Halloween Dinner And A Movie announcement and excited fans got another incredible show highlighted by a silly version of “Windora Bug” in addition to jaw-dropping versions of “What’s The Use” and “The Lizards” featuring the Rescue Squad Strings.
Over 30,000 viewers flocked to Twitch again for this free live-streamed performance, with donations encouraged to The Divided Sky Fund, which focuses on delivering quality care and compassionate treatment for those battling from addiction, through Phish’s WaterWheel Foundation.
photo by Jake Silco
Ten minutes before the start of the show, fans were treated to a special video message from Page McConnell, wishing he could be in NYC with Trey and congratulating him for his work so far on the Beacon Jams. Page stated that he and Trey got together a while back to play together and a minute later a video started with a masked Anastasio helping a masked Page carry his keyboard out onto the deck of the Barn, subtly recreating the album cover of their Colorado ’88 release. The duo shared a previously recorded version of “Evening Song” that was absolutely beautiful. Trey’s acoustic guitar and Page’s Wurlitzer meshed wonderfully as they both sang this duet. Before long, the video faded out to start Trey’s evening of live music.
photo by Jake Silco
The planned night of music started in usual form at 8:04pm EDT with members of the Trey Anastasio Band on the Beacon stage with our favorite Ginger, consisting of Ray Paczkowski on keys, Tony Markellis on bass, Russ Lawton on drums and Cyro Baptista on percussion. Cyro’s toying with “Zamfir and his Pandemic Flute” brought us into the stream as Trey started things off with “Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan” before diving into his usual crowd banter with a couple of birthday wishes to Tom and Uncle Kevin. He dedicated the next song, “Party Time,” to Kevin up in Burlington and it’s safe to say that Kevin got quite the birthday treat with this noodley, fun version of the tune.
photo by Jake Silco
Things got a bit funkier as Trey thanked the Poster Nutbags Art Group for their generous donation last week, dedicating “The Way I Feel” to them. The ensuing smooth, slow, funk jam from Trey’s 1998 One Man’s Trash had him smiling the whole time, grooving to the entire band. When asked online by DillyBean what his favorite snack was, he replied saying, “Anything you can spatchcock. You can spatchcock anything.” Trey continued diving into his solo work with “Sweet Dreams Melinda,” followed by his eighth quarantine song, “Shaking Someone’s Outstretched Hand.”
Official poster for The Beacon Jams, by Jim Pollock
Cyro, the man who “wears a skunk on his head,” helped a speechless Trey thank everyone for their donations so far and gave us another taste of Zamfir’s (clang!) Pandemic Flute before the band dove into “Andre the Giant” and a jammed-out “Spin.”
photo by Jake Silco
Trey took out his acoustic to play “Turtle In The Clouds” before picking up Old Reliable/Mar Mar again to join the Rescue Squad Strings and Jeff Tanski on piano for a breathtaking version of “What’s The Use.” Trey continued on with the Rescue Squad Strings to share beautiful versions of “Brian and Robert” and “If I Could,” commenting between them that he likens the Beacon Jams to an extended band practice, something he has always enjoyed, and stating, “When life hands you a pandemic, make pandemic-ade.”
The recent NYE song “Rescue Squad” was teased by Trey as the TAB members returned to join the string quartet for a gorgeous rendition of “Leaves” and a squirrelly, harmonic version of “The Lizards” that had Trey smiling the entire time and certainly putting a smile on the face of everyone watching. As the strings departed, the good times continued with a rousing “Mr. Completely” ending with Cyro playing a bug-sounding instrument. This led the band to dive into a rather goofy “Windora Bug,” featuring alternate lyrics about the “Corona Bug” and references to fans folding laundry while watching the show.
photo by Jake Silco
The show continued on with a bouncy, spatchcocked version of “Possum” followed by a soaring “A Case of Ice and Snow” into a killer “Last Tube.” Having raised over $92,000 tonight, Trey ended the night with a song he called “Folding The Laundry” and “When Your Dryers Broken,” but you might know it better as “Twist.”
Trey Anastasio returns to the Beacon Theater again next Friday for another round in which he has promised to “rock out!”
Set 1: Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan, Party Time, The Way I Feel, Sweet Dreams Melinda > Shaking Someone’s Outstretched Hand [1], Andre the Giant, Spin, Turtle in the Clouds [2], What’s the Use? [3], Brian and Robert [4], If I Could[4], Rescue Squad [5], Leaves [6], The Lizards [7], Mr. Completely > Windora Bug [8], Possum, A Case of Ice and Snow > Last Tube, Twist
[1] Debut. [2] Trey solo acoustic. [3] Just Trey with The Rescue Squad Strings and Jeff Tanski on piano. [4] Just Trey on acoustic guitar and The Rescue Squad Strings. [5] Trey solo acoustic; first acoustic performance by Trey. [6] TAB debut; Trey on acoustic guitar and The Rescue Squad Strings. [7] Full TAB debut; with The Rescue Squad Strings. [8] With Corona references.
Magic Dance, the solo project of singer/songwriter Jon Siejka, is releasing a new album this December titled Remnants. However, the band decide to couple the release of the album with a new EP From Death To Life!
Siejka does not stop there and pleases fans with also a new music video for the first single “Zombie Breath Surprise.” Siejka had fun writing and recording the song, as he wanted to create an AOR celebration in the spirit of Halloween.
Formed in Long Island, NY, Magic Dance was started by Jon Siejka in 2012. Siejka is a self-taught musician and producer. Siejka wanted a platform express his synth-wave music, which was influenced by iconic-synth 80’s pop and movie soundtrack music. His sound has evolved over time, and has now become a heavier, guitar-oriented style, reminiscent of classic AOR music. The songs also have strong elements of mid 80’s music.
The line-up for the EP consisted of Jon Siejka on the vocals, guitars, and synths. Kevin Krug, Gabor Domjan, Luke Anderson, Emanuele Moretti were on the bass as Kevin Mcadams was on the drums. Gdaily was credited for the saxophone, and Tim Mackey provided guitar solos on “Zombie Breath Surprise” and “No Light (Hand Of Death)”. Ziy Shalev also had a guitar solo, for the track “Oh No”. For more information, you can find Magic Dance on Facebook,Twitter, and Instagram. Their new EP, “From Death To Life!”, is out now!
Key Tracks: Zombie Breath Surprise, No Light (Hand Of Death), Oh No
“Point of No Return” is one of three singles released by Diana Zinni in 2020. The song touches upon a certain dichotomy when it comes to love and loss: vulnerability and self-assuredness. She is willing to get to the point of no return in her love, but she also doesn’t want to get to a point where there is no return and her love isn’t reflected back to her. She is self-confident yet insecure about these feelings of love, loss, regret.
With a soulful voice reminiscent of Kate Bush or Rilo Kiley, Diana Zinni is poised to make a splash on the independent music scene. For “Point of No Return,” she had David Lizmi on bass, David Heilman on drums, Matt Chiravalle on lead guitar, Lucas Saur on Cello, Rob Clores on organ, and Lilly Katz tap dancing. Diana saw Lilly at a dance event performing a modern piece and spoke to her afterward, where Lilly mentioned that she always wanted to be in a band as a tap dancer. Diana was looking for “out-of-the box percussion,” and asked Lilly to perform on this track.
Diana counts Paul Simon, Steve Winwood, and Bob Dylan among her influences, and you can hear their writing styles come through on “Point of No Return.” Diana currently resides in Jersey City, NJ where she manages a studio, after moving across the river from Brooklyn. She had hosted an open mic tonight pre-Covid, and has continued to do so via Zoom.
Zinni also produced an outdoor show with a bunch of friends earlier this year, and would like to continue doing similar things, weather-permitting. Keep an ear out for future singles to be released in 2021, hopefully on her next album The Vault. Her debut album, Fire & Water, can be found on Spotify.
The Beastie Boys announced their decision to allow their song, “Sabotage” for a Biden and Harris Presidential Campaign ad. Unfortunately the ad was pulled due to the featured club owner receiving harassment from President Trump supporters just days after debuting on October 18, 2020 This is the first time the band has ever allowed one of their songs to be used for a presidential ad. The ad focuses on how COVID-19 is detrimentally affecting the live entertainment industry.
https://youtu.be/SW86jyTsYe4
The Beastie Boys have sued Monster Energy and GoldieBox in the past for using their songs without permission in their ads. The only things they have allowed is the use of “Sabotage” in trailers for “Star Trek” and the “Destiny 2” video game.
The Beastie Boys are a hip hop and rap group from New York City that formed back in 1978 under the original name Young Aborigines before becoming the Beastie Boys in 1981. Some of their most well known songs include “Sabotage,” “No Sleep Till Brooklyn,” “Fight for Your Right” and many many more. Their debut album, Licensed to Ill, was the first rap record to top the Billboard 200 chart. They have eight studio albums and have become a household name throughout the years and recently released a documentary “Beastie Boys Story Out Now” on April 14, 2020.
The Ad focuses on the venue the Blind Pig that is a club Ann Arbor, Michigan that has been extremely affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The venue was shut down after its 50 years of existence where it was a substantiation part of its community. It’s owner in the ad speaks about how he considers Donald Trump’s shortsighted response to the coronavirus crisis is one of the main reasons his venue is in such poor shape.
A spokesperson from the Biden campaign according to the Variety article explained that, “the Beastie Boys, who had ‘never licensed music for an ad until now,’ agreed to the use of “Sabotage” in the spot ‘because of the importance of the election.’”
The Ad was pulled on Wednesday October 21, 2020 after the owner of the Blind Pig received threats and was attacked by Trump supporters. Campaign spokesperson Bill Russo expanded on the situation saying, “The price for having a voice in our political process cannot be endless harassment. And yet, that is what Joe Malcoun and his family currently face as he was doxxed, harassed and threatened after the Trump campaign has sought to smear a community leader who dared to speak out against Trump’s failed response to the Covid crisis. It is shameful,” according to TheNew York Timesarticle.
For more information on the Beastie Boys visit their website and for more information on the The Biden and Harris Presidential Campaign visit their website.
On October 18 and 19, 2015, Chris Cornell played two sold out acoustic shows at the historic Beacon Theatre in New York City. The shows were in support of what was to become his last solo album, Higher Truth. Playing for over two hours, the set incorporated songs by Soundgarden, Audioslave and Temple of the Dog.
There were also some songs from his solo career as well as some covers including Mad Season “River of Deceit” and U2’s “One” The biggest highlight of the night was when Chris brought out a very special guest, his eleven year old daughter Toni, for a cover of Bob Marley and the Wailers “Redemption Song.”
During the show Chris noted “I think this is my new favorite place to perform.” He sounded absolutely amazing as his voice resonated throughout the 2,900 seat theatre. It was a very intimate show interlaced with insightful anecdotes about his life and career.
Unfortunately, Chris Cornell struggled with depression most of his life. He was found dead in his Detroit hotel room on May 18, 2017. Within an hour of completing a performance at Detroit’s Fox Theatre, Soundgarden lead vocalist Chris Cornell was found unresponsive in his room at the MGM Grand Hotel after a concerned call to a friend from his wife, Vicky. His death was ruled a suicide by hanging.
Setlist: Misery Chain, Before We Disappear, Can’t Change Me, Cleaning My Gun, Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart, Fell On Black Days, Redemption Song, Say Hello To Heaven, River of Deceit, Wide Awake, Doesn’t Remind Me, Sweet Euphoria, Blow Up The Outside World, Let Your Eyes Wonder, One, Seasons, The Day I Tried To Live, When I’m Down, Worried Moon, Rusty Cage, Black Hole Sun, Like A Stone, Hunger Strike, A Day In The Life
NYC’s first outdoor cycling studio — BYKlyn Yard— has been partnering up with DJ mixing competition Vibes Music Game, to bring music lovers a fun and safe outdoor experience that many might have been craving, in light of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Located at 421 Dean Street in downtown Brooklyn, the Yard began as an outdoor cycling studio that offered a safe way to stay fit during turbulent times, hosting 40 cycling classes per week. Yet, with normalcy disrupted for the foreseeable future, the Yard is host to another form of socializing that has gone awry as a result of the virus. “From the start, we wanted to host events beyond cycling that bring people together — something we all miss and crave right now,” explains1 BYKlyn CEO and founder Amy Glosser.”
In turn, they have partnered with Vibes Music Game. A competition that brings together up-and-coming DJ’s to showcase their music, mixing skills and entertainment potential. At the BYKlyn Yard, each of the three New York City DJs get one Saturday night to hype the crowd and show off their style and music. “The VIBES Music Game grew out of the concept of friends passing around the auxiliary cord,” says VIBES Creator Jamahn Warren-Bey. “These jam sessions brought people together to share culture, dance and new music. Now we’re bringing that same vibe to the public in a fun game show.”
Events at BYKlyn Yard use the Sound Off Experience sound system, consisting of personal headsets instead of loud music, allowing participants to experience the atmosphere to the fullest, while not disrupting neighbors. And with a maximum capacity of 32, all events are COVID-19 friendly as everyone entering the BYKlyn Yard gets a temperature check, fills out a health questionnaire and wears a mask at all times. Groups can gather if they come together, otherwise, party-goers are encouraged to maintain distance.
Scheduled for every Saturday in October, silent parties at the BYKlyn Yard has hosted gatherings on 10/03, 10/10 with two more events set for the 17thand 24th. Beginning at 8 p.m., the final event (October 24), is a live-streamed battle. Like an improv show, the audience names the genre and the DJs mix their music on the spot. The audience, both live and virtual, vote on the winner.
More information about BYKlyn Yard events can be found here and tickets to Saturday dance parties cost $20 a person and can be purchased here.
The Museum of Jewish Heritage-A Living Memorial to the Holocaust will host a virtual live concert from Edmond J. Safra Hall in New York City on October 25 at 7 p.m. The livestream is the Museum’s first event since the COVID-19 pandemic and will broadcast from their website.
The livestream will include a performance from Klezmer Brass Allstars, Eleanor Reissa, and Deep Singh with songs about love, protest, political commentary, the Holocaust, and liberation, inspired by their previous collaborations “Vilde mekhaye-Wild Ecstacy” and “Mir geyen nisht tsurik/No Looking Back. Grammy award-winning trumpeter-composer, Sir Frank London will lead The Klezmer Brass Allstars along with trombonist Brian Drye, clarinetist Michael Winograd, tubist Ron Caswell, drummer Aaron Alexander, accordionist Ilya Shneyveys, and guitarist Brandon Seabrook. London’s work celebrates multi-cultural Jewish music and honors those killed in the Holocaust and Hungary. His work is a celebration of Jewish life and Yiddish culture through a multicultural lens. London’s latest poetry/music release is Salomé: Woman of Valor with Adeena Karasick.
Frank London’s music and artistry, rooted in Jewish Heritage, provides an opportunity for us to come together in real-time to remember, celebrate, and heal during these difficult times. Although we must remain apart, we hope this event will bring people together, and are excited to launch our Live from Edmond J. Safra Hall concert series with such inspiring, talented presenters.
Jack Kliger, President & CEO of the Museum of Jewish Heritage–A Living Memorial to the Holocaust
The Museum is the third-largest Holocaust museum in the world and the second-largest in North America, with a commitment to educating diverse visitors about Jewish life, before, during, and after the Holocaust.
Our Live from Edmond J. Safra Hall concert will be as close as we can safely come to performing for an audience in real time. Thanks to the visionary presenters at the Museum of Jewish Heritage for creating this groundbreaking event. It’s the first real concert we’ve played in months.
Sir Frank London
Click here to register for a ticket and make a donation
Bieber brought out Chance the Rapper as a surprise special guest for the night’s first song “Holy.” With a church-in-the-woods stage design, the more mature Bieber gives a nod to his relationship with wife Hailey Baldwin, and making references to their shared Christian beliefs. The lyrics stand out as a departure from Bieber’s past songs.
That the way you hold me, hold me, hold me, hold me, hold me. Feels so holy, holy, holy, holy, holy. On God, runnin’ to the altar like a track star. Can’t wait another second.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlQY-MBWHik
For the second performance of the night, Bieber was joined by benny blanco on piano for “Lonely,” a song referencing his early rise to fame in the past decade. This performance began from Bieber’s SNL dressing room, singing in the mirror, then walking towards the stage through the halls of Studio 8-H. This intro is similar to the music video for “Lonely” that was released this past week, starring Jacob Tremblay as a young Bieber.
Maybe when I’m older it’ll all calm down, but it’s killing me now. What if you had it all but nobody to call, maybe then you’d know me. Cause I’ve had everything, but no one’s listening, and that’s just oh so lonely. Everybody knows my past now, like my house was always made of glass. Maybe that’s the price you pay for the money and fame at an early age.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rml0FwAL8H0
Bieber does not hold back on “Lonely,” with a single spotlight on him for the song on a barren stage, save for Blanco. The two songs present Bieber in a different spotlight than the tabloid view of recent years. Justin Bieber appears focused and stepping into a new phase of his career with “Holy” and “Lonely.”
Watch last week’s musical performance from Jack White, where he paid tribute to Eddie Van Halen, and Megan Thee Stallion from the season premiere.
The second week of Trey Anastasio’s The Beacon Jams served to be even more jam packed with surprises than the first week, including a string quartet joining in, and one of the most beautiful versions of “Divided Sky” you’ll ever hear.
Trey Anastasio at the Beacon Theatre, Week 2. Photo by Jake Silco
Once again, the live streamed performance from New York City’s Beacon Theatre we available free via Twitch, with donations encouraged to The Divided Sky Fund, which focuses on delivering quality care and compassionate treatment for those battling addiction, through Phish’s WaterWheel Foundation. On this night, the goal of $100,000 was surpassed roughly 100 minutes into the performance (9:41PM ET), with Anastasio sharing his experience on the road to sobriety, and the plans to open an addiction treatment center in Vermont.
Photo by Jake Silco
The night began as it did last week with familiar faces from Trey Anastasio Band – Tony Markellis on bass, Russ Lawton on drums, Ray Paczkowski on keys and Cyro Baptista on percussion. Cyro dove into his cache of percussion to create bird call noises preceding the show opening “Gotta Jibboo.”
Official poster for The Beacon Jams by Jim Pollock
After “Undermind,” which Trey said held the secret of the universe, was the world premiere (and a college try) of “Evolve,” one of Trey’s quarantunes, which quickly showed huge potential for both Trey Anastasio Band and Phish versions in the future. Trey was then joined only by Jeff Tanski for “Divided Sky,” which stands as one of the all-time great versions. The pair together performed the entire composition flawlessly, with Tanski getting a round of applause from the band after, and likely from many at home.
The first ever live performance of “Sigma Oasis” sincethe release of Sigma Oasis followed, a rousing number despite containing the now errant ‘take off your mask’ lyric. “Back on the Train” was nicely accented by Cyro’s train crossing sounds and shakers, and led into an enthusiastic “Ocelot.”
Photo by Jake Silco
Prompted by a fan comment in the stream, Trey took a few moments to opine on what we are experiencing during this time, remarking that this was “Just another chapter, a big wave crashing in the ocean … and we’re gonna surf with it a little bit.” While he was talking, a string quartet took the stage, later dubbed “The Rescue Squad Strings,” Trey clearly having memories of being stuck 40 feet above the stage this past New Years Eve. String members tonight included Anja Wood on cello, Maxim Moston and Katie Kresek on violin, and Rachel Golub on viola.
Photo by Jake Silco
Over the second hour of this week’s Beacon Jams, the quartet added depth and beauty to “Strange Design,” “Water in the Sky,” the quarantine track “Greater Good,” “Greyhound Rising,” and the first ever “Wolfman’s Brother” with string accompaniment plus Lawton and Baptista adding in subtle percussion, and Trey introducing the four classical musicians over the ending of “Wolfman’s.”
“No Man in No Man’s Land” was arranged well for this TAB configuration, and had Trey remarking afterwards that Tony was an absolute beast on the Phish jam-vehicle, but jam of the night honors go to excellent “Plasma.” To close the set, Cyro added in some creepy ‘Poltergiest’ sounds at Trey’s request, which fit perfectly as they segued into “Ghost.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CGbBXvljwFb/
Next week Anastasio returns to The Beacon Theatre with more surprises surely in store.
[1] Debut. [2] Only Trey with Jeff Tanski on piano. [3] Only Trey acoustic with The Rescue Squad Strings. [4] Debut; only Trey on vocals (no guitar) with The Rescue Squad Strings. [5] With The Rescue Squad Strings. [6] Trey acoustic with The Rescue Squad Strings. [7] TAB debut. [8] With Trey quoting a line from Poltergeist in the intro.
