Category: Regions

Fans flock to Swanzey, NH for Goose at Drive-In Live
Goose has been loose across New England in the past few weeks, performing Drive-In shows in Yarmouth, MA, Morris, CT, Essex Junction, VT and soon they’ll head to Ohio, Maryland and North Carolina. Goose hit a fever pitch with fans in 2019 and have made the most of this new era of live music, between a successful Bingo Tour in June, and recent Drive-In stops across the Northeast.

So when Goose headed from Northern Vermont down to Southwestern New Hampshire on Saturday, October 3, they marked the closest shows to New York State, and beyond their just announced Halloween run at South Farms in Morris, CT, these shows stand to be the final chances to catch Goose in the Northeast, possibly until 2021.

Arriving at the Cheshire Fairgrounds in Swanzey, NH, cars were greeted by a friendly staff and it was incredibly easy for you to locate your car’s spot. Areas on either side of your car were marked off for social distancing, and your party could begin once you were parked.

No matter where you parked, the sound was incredibly good. Speaker stacks made it so the folks in the C section towards the back got the same quality as folks in the A section up front, allowing all to hear the new clavinet for guitarist/keyboardist Peter Anspach. Even the sloping hill allowed for good views even from the top of the venue.

Highlights from the evening included an early cover of The Band’s “Look Out Cleveland” and 20-minute versions of “Madhuvan” and the second set opening “Tumble.” Tom Waits’ dark “Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis” followed “Tumble,” and was repeated in the encore due to skipping a portion of the song the first time. The encore was polished off by the second ‘Jive’ tune of the night, “Jive Lee.” Listen to the show on Archive here.

Swanzey has succeeded in a state where live music is still embraced and allowed, and should be looked at as a template for how to pull off live music until the pandemic has subsided. On Saturday, October 31st, Pink Talking Fish will headline a at Drive-In Live in Swanzey, featuring Mihali from Twiddle and Neighbor, marking the grand finale for the Drive-In Live concert series.

The night before in Burlington, Goose welcomed Giant Country Horns member Dave ‘The Truth’ Grippo for most of the show, including “Time to Flee,” seen below.

Setlist – Goose at Drive-In Live, Swanzey, NH, October 2, 2020

Set 1:Yeti, Look Out Cleveland*, Honey Bee, Jive I, Madhuvan, 726
Set 2: Tumble, Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis^, All I Need, Echo Of A Rose, Flodown
Encore: Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis^, Jive Lee

* The Band ^Tom Waits

For Halloween, Goose will perform two shows on Friday, October 30th and Saturday, October 31st. South Farms has hosted numerous acts, using the multipurpose outdoor venue with a grid-like layout where the audience is situated in pairs, on 8’x8’ plots of grass.

Unlike drive-in shows, South Farms is equipped for the band to use live sound, as opposed to FM radio transmitters. Social distancing guidelines are in effect while attending the event.

Ticket presale begins on Wednesday, October 7 at 10 AM ET, followed by a general onsale on Friday. October 9 at 10 AM ET.

photos by Zach Culver
October 7, 2020
Sonia De Los Santos releases “¡Fiesta, Fiesta!” as Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close
Sonia De Los Santos, a Mexican born artist who now lives in New York, has released her new single “¡Fiesta, Fiesta!” Sonia De Los Santos wrote the song as a celebration of life and a thank-you letter dedicated to all the people who have inspired her musical journey. The release date of “¡Fiesta, Fiesta!” coordinates closely with Hispanic Heritage Month in the U.S. that runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

photo by Mikel Melcon

During Hispanic Heritage Month, Hispanic Americans celebrate the contributions and histories of the Central American countries including Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. Hispanic Heritage Month starts on Sept. 15. in the U.S. is to honor the anniversary of the five Hispanic countries who declared independence from Spain in 1821, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico celebrates its independence day on Sept. 16 and Chile celebrates its independence on Sept.18.

“¡Fiesta, Fiesta!” tells Sonia’s story of her travels as an artist as she voyages to America. As Sonia looks back on her journey, she hopes to encourage listeners to be grateful for the years of life behind them.

The song is in the rhythm of cumbia which is dance music originating in Colombian and is similar to salsa. “¡Fiesta, Fiesta!” includes Sonia’s voice mixed with children’s voices and instruments including guitar, accordion, horns, congas, Afro-Colombian alegre drum, percussion, and double bass.

Here is the English translation of “¡Fiesta, Fiesta!”:
```
From a far away land, I came full of dreams
Crossed through the savanna, sharing my song
There are roads I have walked, and to all of those I’ve known
I dedicate the verses, that for them I’ve written

I came with my guitar all the way from Monterrey
Crossed rivers and mountains and up north I arrived
A winter welcomed me in New York
and from here I sing this Cumbia with love

To my friends; I am singing, we are playing everywhere
I go around the world on this journey
Collecting stories that I want to share with you

Drums are calling, with their beat they accompany us
Dance porro, move your skirt with your hat, dance this cumbia, hey
```
Sonia’s music has reached young audiences across the world with the release of her two-family music albums Mi Viaje: De Nuevo León to the New York Island and ¡Alegría!. Sonia won a Parents’ Choice Foundation Gold Award for Mi Viaje: De Nuevo León to the New York Island in 2015. ¡Alegría! was nominated for a Latin Grammy in 2019 and received recognition from Billboard as the “Best Latin Children’s Music.”
October 7, 2020
Jess Novak Band Releases Dynamic new album “Standing Now”

Standing Now is the latest project released by the Jess Novak Band on September 27. Jess Novak, a resident of Syracuse and New Jersey native, sings lead and also plays violin, guitar, and piano. The other members include Byron Cage on drums, Anthony Saturno on electric guitar, Jabare Mckinstry on bass, Gavin George on drums, and Nick Fields on trumpet. Altogether, the dynamic group plays off each other’s energy to create an album with raw musical camaraderie.

Photo by Daniel Ware

“Northern Lights” is a ballad about losing your way but not giving up. The background vocals from Nick Fields and guitar solo add a heightened level of reminiscent feelings. “Northern Lights” provides a happy medium balance between the tempo of “Place of Solitude” and “Match.”

“Place of Solitude” highlights the band’s versatility between songs and provides a necessary break from the up-tempo beat. Anthony Saturno’s backing vocals takes the lead from Jess Novak’s to provide a poignant message of hope during the tough times of a pandemic. The effortless transition from violin to trumpet solo elevates the message of taking advantage of self-discovery with the lyrics “Never feel alone.”

Complemented by drums and guitar, the upbeat tempo of “Match” creates an eccentric mood. The beat leaves listeners toe-tapping and wanting to get up and dance. The violins match the fast-paced tempo and create a new level of fire expressed through Novak’s singing. Overall, Standing Now is a quality album that easily allows listeners to fall in love with their unique style of pop, rock, and soul music.

The album was meant to be released in May, and between storms and colds, the band was nearing completion. Then the pandemic hit, but good things come to those who wait. The Jess Novak Band are clearly proud of their latest example of how their band has grown and worked to build each other up.

Key Tracks: Northern Lights, Solitude, Match

October 6, 2020
Live at the Drive In to Host Dirty Heads, Almost Queen, and Disco Biscuits

Live at the Drive-In announced performances by Dirty Heads, Almost Queen, and the Disco Biscuits at the Lafayette Apple Festival Grounds. The shows will take place throughout October with Dirty Heads on the 24 and Disco Biscuits on the 29, 30, and 31. The shows will follow social distancing guidelines made by the State of NY while providing some much needed live music.

The Lafayette Apple Festival Grounds usually hosts the LaFayette Apple Festival but due to COVID-19 the festival unforchinitly had to be cancelled this year. They are making room for five nights of musical fun. Doors open at 5PM for all the shows and they actually start at 7PM. Tickets are on sale already for the Dirty heads and Disco Biscuit shows and can be purchased here.

The Dirty Heads are a mix of hip-hop, reggae, and rock. They are a California bred and raised group with a similar sound to Sublime. They formed back in 2003 and their members throughout the years include Jared Watson, Dustin Bushnell, Matt Ochoa, David Foral, Jon Olazabal, Shawn Hagood, and Josh Freese. They have seven studio albums and have hit the Billboard Top 200 multiple times.

The Disco Biscuits are a well known and loved jam band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is made up of band members Allen Aucoin, Marc “Brownie” Brownstein, Jon “The Barber” Gutwillig, and Aron Magner and formed in 1995. The band is known for incorporating elements from a bunch of different musical genres. Their sound has a base of electronic and rock and has been described as trance fusion in the past.

For more information of the Live at the Drive-In performances visit Lafayette Apple Festival Grounds website and Creative Concerts.

October 6, 2020
Flushing Town Hall Celebrates the Leaves Changing Colors with Autumnal Virtual Jazz Jam

On Oct. 14. Flushing Town Hall will host their monthly Virtual Jazz Jam will be kicking off spooky season with, “October: The Heart of Autumn.”

The Virtual Jazz Jam, Led by Astoria resident Carol Sudhalter, is part of the Flushing Town Hall online entertainment series FTH at Home!. This is their aim to provide a sanctuary for jazz musicians and lovers who can’t experience a live show, due to the global pandemic.

The Jam invites a maximum of 15 musicians a month to play their music, as long as they haven’t played at one before. This encourages a variety of artists without repeating the same tunes.

Since spring 2020, there has been a medley of different themes for the jams, including one in August, which was, “unity in mind, spirit and action.”

Tune into Flushing Town Hall’s website at 7:00 pm (EST) on Oct. 14 to experience an autumnal virtual jazz show.

October 5, 2020
Elmo Makes Lincoln Center Debut on ‘A Swingin’ Sesame Street Celebration’

Jazz at Lincoln Center makes music for all ages–even toddlers. On October 30 at 9PM EST, Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents: A Swingin’ Sesame Street Celebration will debut on national PBS stations.

The hour-long special will feature the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis along with Elmo, Bert & Ernie, Big Bird, Herry Monster, Grover, Oscar the Grouch, The Count, Abby, Hoots the Owl, and Rosita.

Wynton Marsalis and Ernie

The orchestra takes Sesame Street favorites like “Rubber Duckie,” “I Don’t Want to Live on the Moon,” and “People in Your Neighborhood” and re-imagines them for the stage. On October 30, PBS will premier the Sesame Street gang singing these classics to a sold out audience.

Since 1969, Sesame Street has introduced young children to music and culture. Jazz legends like Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, and Mary Lou Williams all performed on the show. Kenny Rampton, member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, plays in Sesame Street’s house band.

In this special, Wynton Marsalis meets back up with the familiar the Children’s Television Workshop characters after visiting them on the show in 1991 and 1998.

A Swingin’ Sesame Street Orchestra is funded by Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind the show. The performance is a part of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s educational and diverse programs that hope to ensure that younger generations appreciate jazz in the future.

Jazz at Lincoln Center’s other educational programs, such as Swing University, WeBop, Essentially Ellington, and Middle School Jazz Academy are available online at jazz.org. They aim to show jazz as a metaphor for democracy and freedom.

Paying tribute to Sesame Street’s New York roots, as of May 1, 2019, sunny days can be found every day at the intersection of West 63rd Street and Broadway. Honoring the show’s 50th anniversary, New York City gave Sesame Street its own real intersection.

Jazz great Wynton Marsalis has been a frequent guest on Sesame Street—and now, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the landmark series, he’s returning the favor. On A Swingin’ Sesame Street Celebration, Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra host the gang in the “House of Swing” for a big band salute to a very special show.

October 5, 2020
Brooklyn Singer-Songwriter CF Watkins releases latest single “Babygirl”

CF Watkins, an Americana pop artist from Brooklyn, released her single “Babygirl” on Wednesday, Sept. 30. The latest single from Watkins’ upcoming sophomore project Babygirl is set to release on Oct. 16 with Whatever’s Clever Records. Watkins has already released two other singles this year called “The Tell” and “Frances” that will also appear on the 11 track LP.

Babygirl will include a combination of Americana/country-leaning and folk/pop songs. Watkins uses other life experiences including homesickness, family, longing, friendship, and her favorite Dostoevsky short story “White Nights” as song inspirations. While the pandemic did not affect the music production of Babygirl, it gave Watkins more mental space to promote the album. “Writing and recording the music is definitely the most rewarding and fun part of the experience- but putting it out can be very daunting,” Watkins explained. “Once the pandemic started, I was able to finally just take the leap and commit to putting it out.”

Watkins collaborated with producer Max Hart to create an ode to her best girlfriends with “Babygirl.” Max Hart has produced multi-instrumental work with artists such as The War on Drugs, Katy Perry, and Melissa Etheridge. Instead of writing “Babygirl” as a typical love song, Watkins’ new album highlights her personal growth as a woman through relatable, powerful, and vulnerable songs. Watkins describes herself as an empath who draws on her own life experiences, loved one’s experiences, and even characters in books. “I suppose I would identify as an empath, so I feel things that happen to others in a way that sticks with me and moves me- even if they are fictional characters,” Watkins said. “Sometimes being that way is exhausting, but it helps in never running out of song material.”

“When I thought of the purest love I know, these relationships were the first to come to mind. In romance, I’ve always been very confused- but love was so clear, magic, and eternal with my best friends, those I called babygirl – who have danced with me in the early morning rain, laughing through the confusion. This is an album meant for other women to hear — with songs that are vulnerable and powerful.”
CF Watkins

Watkins’s Americana-pop style of music comes from her North Carolina roots. Watkins started performing at 14 and has shared the stage with artists like Langhorne Slim, Future Birds, Chatham County Line, Wilder Maker, Lowland Hum, and Alpenglow. Fans can watch the video for another featured song on the Babygirl album called “The Tell,” down below. Watkins describes the opening track as a mission statement about balancing vulnerability and power.

When I think about my last album, I feel I was writing songs about weakness,” Watkins says. “With this album, I made a conscious effort to write songs about the power of choosing yourself.”
Cf Watkins

Click here to listen to “Babygirl” single and click here to pre-order Babygirl album.

October 5, 2020
The Grateful Dead’s Last Buffalo Arena Show: 9/26/81

During an incredibly busy year for the band, the Grateful Dead did carve out a little time for Buffalo and Upstate New York in the fall of 1981. After a thorough summer run at mainly Midwest and West Coast Venues, there were a handful of East Coast shows scheduled in the end of September. Immediately afterwards, they would be off to Europe again, their second jaunt over there this year.

These few shows would serve as more than adequate tune-ups. On September 26, the Dead would play Buffalo Auditorium for the fifth and final time, serving as an end to an era of sorts. For the remainder of their shows in the Queen City, cavernous Rich Stadium and its 80,000 seats would serve as host.

A somewhat sluggish “Shakedown Street” starts the show and seems to rely on the certainly palpable crowd energy for momentum. If anything, this recording paints a vivid picture of the effusive Upstate fervor that’s present early. The crowd almost seems to get even louder each time they’re told to “Tell me this town ain’t got no heart.” Before you know it, they easily stretch it past the ten-minute mark with a typically funky groove in tow.

After a brief lull, the first set energy seems to pick back up with a thunderous version of “Cassidy” that’s spearheaded by the harmonies of Bob Weir and Brent Mydland. This carries right over to a raucous “Jack-a-Roe” with some splendid fills from Mydland on electric keys.

The “Ramble On Rose” that later follows gets furious at points with a clearly vibrant Garcia manning the lead vocals effortlessly. Mydland again makes his presence very much felt with some more intimate keyboard fills. There’s a fairly quick transition to “Looks Like Rain” that has now firmly established the first set pattern of Garcia and Weir going back and forth on lead vocals. Seems to be Jerry – Bob switching back and forth throughout the first set with lead vocals. The crowd once again audibly gets back into it with some rhythmic clapping prior to the apex of “Rain.”

The vibrant first set vibe fueled by the rather “percussive” audience this evening continues right on into and through the “Brown Eyed Women” that follows. Garcia, once again, rises through the crowd of sound and delivers an ebullient guitar solo early on that fuels the remainder of the tune.

Weir once again takes the vocal baton from Garcia as the band continues to burst full steam ahead with a somewhat aggressive “Let It Grow” that fits in perfectly in this late early set position. The rhythms equally supplied by the dual guitars and vocals on this one are a true first set highlight.

Weir holds onto and keeps running with the baton as the second set begins with an exuberant “Playing In The Band” that seems to literally piggyback on the end of the first set’s emotions. An early excitable jam leads into some blissful Garcia-supplied guitar licks before it explodes into a full group effort. Some pure, joyous tones lead right up to the beginnings of “Bertha,” somehow marking the last one of only four East Coast performances n 1981 for this live Dead staple.

Upon its finish, the band wastes no time in launching into an epic “Estimated Prophet” with all the Bob Weir-led vocal bells and whistles. The Buffalo audience sounds enraptured as the band eases through one of their classic second set standards.

However, instead of easing into an ambient or “Space”-type section immediately afterwards, the familiar rhythmic guitar into of “Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad” picks up and the room is off and running again. Normally placed later in a second set, this slots in perfectly earlier in this set as the Dead’s version of an American folk classic maintains the high standards of this show.

After typical “Drums” and “Space ” segments, the slow, rhythmic start of “Not Fade Away” starts up, signaling the beginning of the final hurrah for this final indoor Buffalo show. This one doesn’t get a chance to stretch too far as it quickly peters out and dissolves into the beginning of a poignant “Morning Dew” that gets the crowd back on its collective feet.

Afterwards, the band collectively toys around with the “Playin’ In The Band” theme before settling into a brief reprise. Normally, this would be more than enough to end the set but “One More Saturday Night” takes care of that as Weir leads the group through one last rockin’ number to end the set.

stubs via Bob Migden

This being Chuck Berry’s birthday, a quick dedication from Weir precedes the fitting “Johnny B. Goode” encore. And with that, the Dead’s last indoor show in Buffalo comes to a close. The next time they would come through town, five years later in 1986, Rich Stadium would take over hosting duties.

For a full listen to all Buffalo and The Grateful Dead had to offer this evening: click here.

Grateful Dead Buffalo Auditorium – Buffalo, NY 9/26/81

Set 1: Shakedown Street, CC Rider, They Love Each Other, Cassidy, Jack-A-Roe, On The Road Again, Ramble On Rose-> Looks Like Rain, Brown Eyed Women-> Let It Grow-> Don’t Ease Me In

Set 2: Playin’ In The Band->Bertha->Estimated Prophet->Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad->Drums->Space->Not Fade Away->Morning Dew->Playin’ In The Band (reprise)->One More Saturday Night

Encore: Johnny B. Goode

October 4, 2020
Watch Megan Thee Stallion Perform “Savage” and “Don’t Stop” on Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live returned for its 46th season on October 3, with host and SNL alum, Chris Rock, and musical guest, Megan Thee Stallion. The season debut was also the first to be recorded live, from New York, back in Studio 8H since March 7, prior to the pandemic. In the cold open take on Tuesday’s debate, Jim Carrey played Vice President Biden, and Alec Baldwin returned once again to play President Trump. The top memories of the night though belonged to the musical guest.

Megan Thee Stallion has had a huge year. She collaborated with her idol Beyoncé on “Savage,” broke the internet with Cardi B’s “WAP,” made the Time 100 list, and quickly recovered from a widely-publicized shooting. She also remained enrolled in school, continuing to study health administration at Texas Southern University.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9wq14EnezU

Megan’s first performance of the night was “Savage,” in front of a black-and-white graphic saying “Protect Black Women.” While Beyoncé wasn’t in attendance, Megan did a dance break over her verse. Midway through the performance, she stopped rapping as the black-and-white set turned red with bullet holes to reference her shooting. Audio of a Malcolm X speech began playing: “The most disrespected, unprotected, neglected person in America is the black woman.” Beyoncé herself previously sampled the famous speech in her 2016 visual album Lemonade. Megan then chimed in with her own words:

"We need to protect our Black women. And protect our Black women. Cuz at the end of the day, we need our Black women.

We need to protect our Black men and stand up for our Black men because we're tired of seeing hashtags of our Black men." – Meg #SNL pic.twitter.com/wJfTxSu4Cc
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) October 4, 2020

She closed out the night with her new song “Don’t Stop,” featuring Young Thug. While not as immediately impactful as “Savage,” it arrives just in time for Halloween with references to Casper the Ghost and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcJxX6h3770

Besides her performances, Megan also appeared in two sketches: “Bottom of Your Face,” a song about catfishing on dates by wearing a mask, and “NBA Bubble Draft,” a fictional game show where basketball groupies compete to enter the Bubble. Watch sketches from the season debut below.

October 4, 2020
The ‘Heroes Act’ Passes in the House of Representatives

The ‘Heroes Act’ passes in the House of Representatives on October 1, 2020 including the Save Our Stages revisions which were added on September 28, 2020. The $2.2 trillion coronavirus stimulus aid package will include $10 Billion set aside for independent music and live-entertainment venues.

The relief bill passed in the largely Democratically – controlled House of Representatives with votes 214 to 207. The votes were split largely along party lines. Unfortunately the bill still needs to be passed in the Senate which is notoriously slow in passing bills and is largely controlled by Republicans.

The State Theater of Ithaca lit up in red during the “Red Alert” demonstration in support of Save Our Stages.

The addition to the ‘Heroes Act‘ including Save Our Stages revisions will make a huge impact on the live entertainment industry that’s suffering horribly due to the coronavirus Pandemic. According to the Variety article, “A poll taken by the 2,600-member National Independent Venues Association, some 90% of its members said they will be forced to close permanently without federal assistance.”

According to section 619 of the ‘Heroes Act,’ “Grants for Independent Live Venue Operators (H.R. 7806, Save our Stages Act or the SOS Act) 37 1. Authorizes $10 Billion for the SBA to make grants to eligible live venue operators, producers, promoters, or talent representatives to address the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on certain live venues. 2. The SBA may make an initial grant of up to $12 million dollars to an eligible operator, promoter, producer, or talent representative; and a supplemental grant that is equal to 50% of the initial grant. 3. Such grants shall be used for specified expenses such as payroll costs, rent, utilities, and personal protective equipment.” Basically this is saying that independent venues, producers, promoters and talent representatives can use the funds to cover things like rent, mortgages, utilities, insurance and other expenses that these businesses are in during the ongoing pandemic.

One factor that may hold up the passage of the ‘Heroes Act’ relates to the recent outbreak of COVID-19 among Senators and the President. Three Senators – Thom Tillis (R-NC), Mike Lee (R-UT) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) – all tested positive and are quarantining. Thus, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has postponed all floor activity until October 19, thus prolonging the time it will take to debate and vote on the ‘Heroes Act’ by two weeks.

For more information on the ‘Heroes Act’ read the one page summary here.

October 4, 2020