Martin Sexton brought his “Outdoor Shows” Tour to the Fingerlakes Drive-In movie theater in Auburn, NY Saturday evening. With all the restrictions in place due to COVID-19, concert goers were limited to their vehicles and were required to practice social distancing.
It was a brisk night for a concert with temperatures around 40 degrees F. Martin Sexton takes the miniature stage that was set up and greets the crowd telling them “This is the first time I’ve had to wear a jacket while performing.”
The moment he began playing the notes on his guitar brought an overwhelming since of joy as this was the first time most, if not all of the people in attendance have heard live music in at least 6 months. The crowd was cheering him on from their vehicles, shouting “I love you Marty!” and many other words of encouragement. Sexton continued “I was wondering if I was going to still be able to perform these shows because it has been so long, but turns out it’s just like riding a bike.”
Video from Sexton’s performance at Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, CT
Sexton standing on the stage by himself with no crowd directly around him and a large projection of him performing on the movie screen brought a bittersweet feeling – concerts have changed so much from what we remember them being, but at least they are starting to slowly happen.
Overall the safety precautions were followed very well, the staff all did a great job keeping everyone informed of the regulations in place, and every single person there was following them. This is a great sign, and hopefully one that can continue to allow more concerts to be happening in innovative ways.
Goose wrapped up a run of Drive-Ins around the Northeast with two nights at South Farms in Morris, CT. Over September 16 and 17, fans spaced out on individual grids to properly socially distance during the show. The remote location in Western Connecticut is conducive to limiting a large amount of fans from descending on the show, as we slowly recover from the industry wide live music shutdown.
With this past June’s Bingo Tour the last fresh Goose for hungry fans, they played two shows in Cape Cod at Yarmouth Drive-In prior to South Farms, and next plays Drive-In shows at Essex Junction, VT on October 2 and Swanzey, NH on October 3.
Having added percussionist Jeffrey Arevalo to the lineup in recent months, the five-piece group kicked off a funky night one with “Me and My Uncle,” a John Phillips tune popularized by the Grateful Dead.
Night two featured a handful of notable covers, include Rick Mitarotonda singing Jim James level vocals on My Morning Jacket’s “State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.) to close the first set. The second set kicked off with 25+ minutes of original “Indian River” -> “Crosseyed and Painless” by Talking Heads.
Setlist South Farms, CT, September 16, 2020
Set 1: Me and My Uncle (1), Flodown, Western Sun > Tumble, Jive II -> Jive Lee, Electric Avenue (2), Echo of a Rose (3)
Set 2: Travelers > White Lights > Bob Don > Madhuvan
Encore: Disco Inferno (4)
(1) John Phillips (2) Eddy Grant (3) W/ Vocal Ending (4) The Trammps
Setlist South Farms, CT, September 17, 2020
Set 1: Switchin’ (1) > Doc Brown, Wild Night (2), Elizabeth, Rosewood Heart, This Old Sea, State of the Art (3)
Set 2: Indian River -> Crosseyed and Painless (4), Lead The Way, So Ready, Arrow
Encore: Arcadia
(1) Wes Montgomery (2) Van Morrison (3) Jim James, FTP (4) Talking Heads Goose South Farms CT
By 1982, The Grateful Dead’s relationship with the State of New York had been firmly established. It began with a free show at Tompkins Square Park in 1967. Now, the band had graduated to regular gigs at Madison Square Garden, The World’s Most Famous Arena. Monday, September 20, 1982 would be part of their third run at The Garden, after playing there initially in 1979 and a brief two-show stay in 1981. The Brent Mydland era was now in full swing and this show from 38 years ago sees the band relaxed and fully cohesive as the Grateful Dead at MSG deliver another knockout New York performance.
A spunky “Shakedown Street” gets things started off on the right foot. The band wastes no time getting into a nice groove and Mydland’s backing vocals spice this one up nicely.
Guitarists Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir take turns leading the way on vocals through pristine versions of “Candyman” and “El Paso,” respectively, with the rest of the band sounding fully engaged. Afterwards, the recent revival of “Dupree’s Diamond Blues” continued. A month earlier, the Dead dusted off this oldie but goodie after a four-year layoff. Garcia’s vocals seem to have an almost echo-y feel to them on this one before he nails the corresponding guitar solos.
Mydland’s signature raspy vocals accompany more beautiful Garcia-supplied guitar licks on the bluesy “Never Trust A Woman” that follows. The first set later ends with a couple of new tunes. Weir quickly mentions something about “remembering all the words this time” before they launch into “Throwin’ Stones.” This would be only the third one ever played after making its debut earlier in the fall tour. It’s an aggressive rendition as Weir certainly remembers the words and then some. But instead of the traditional outro jam the Dead would later develop for it, they pivot immediately to a rousing “Keep Your Day Job” that closes the set.
Things rev back up immediately with the “Scarlet Begonias” that opens up the second set. It features some delightful interplay between Garcia and Mydland on keys. With a pounding rhythm generated from bassist Phil Lesh, the jam eventually meanders a little bit before the familiar tones of “Fire On The Mountain” come through.
The mid-set “Terrapin Station” that later follows has a very mellow feel to it early on. The composed section drifts off into near silence before eventually picking back up. Later in the set, emerging from the confines of “Space,” is another Dead specialty – the “Spanish Jam.” It’s a brief but infectious instrumental section that’s influenced by the theme to Miles Davis’ “Solea” from his Sketches Of Spain album. This more than aptly serves as the bridge to “Truckin’.”
There would be no “Truckin’” jam tonight though. Instead, the band does another collective pivot of sorts and hurls into “The Other One.” It’s a quick but powerful version that sees Weir almost toying with the lyrics.
After a customary joyous run through of “Sugar Magnolia” to close out the second set, the Dead decide to end things with yet another new number. This is also only the third ever performance of “Touch Of Grey,” a song that would later become synonymous with the band and their lone commercial “hit.” One more show at The Garden would follow the next evening as the Dead continue to make their presence felt in The Empire State.
Grateful Dead – Madison Square Garden 9/20/82
Set 1: Shakedown Street > New Minglewood Blues, Candyman > El Paso, Dupree’s Diamond Blues, It’s All Over Now, Never Trust A Woman, Row Jimmy, Throwing Stones > Keep Your Day Job
Set 2: Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain, Women Are Smarter, Terrapin Station > Drums > Space > Spanish Jam > Truckin’ > The Other One > Stella Blue > Sugar Magnolia
As New York continues to reopen and look towards normalcy amid the pandemic, music venues continue to lose money from not being able to reopen. Music venues in New York City face additional financial hardship as they bring in the most revenue.
In an effort to prevent further economic loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, comedian Jerry Seinfeld, a Brooklyn native, has now backed Senator Chuck Schumer’s plea for passing the “Save Our Stages Act” that would provide needed federal funding for New York music venues, according to SILive.com.
The RESTART ACT was the first bill introduced to provide financial support to small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic through guaranteed loan programs and loan forgiveness back in May. The “Save Our Stages Act” was later proposed in July to advocate for support of music venues that have lost significant revenue from the ability to host music events because of COVID-19. Jerry Seinfeld is one of many performers to publicly voice his belief in New York’s resilience and support Schumer’s cosponsor for the “Save Our Stages Act.”
New York City’s diverse music venues, concert halls, theaters, and entertainment performances all fuel the coveted music scene. Schumer said 90% of independent venues have already closed in New York according to SILive.com. Other independent venues struggle to remain open because of the lack of community support at local music events caused by the pandemic. If passed the “Save our Stages Act” could help fund the cost of personal protective equipment, mortgages, payroll costs, and other expenses for venues.
Save Our Stages Act would create a new $10 billion Small Business Administration (SBA) program to provide grants of up to $12 million to eligible live venue operators, producers, promoters, or talent representatives to help cover six months of operating expenses and offset the economic impact of COVID-19.
Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm on 102.7 FM, you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear music from Belle-Skinner, TIP, Architrave, and many more!
WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to a ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.
Skinner was named one of “8 Female Musicians From Upstate New York You Should Be Listening To Right Now” by Saratoga Living and in 2015 was a finalist at the Telluride Troubadour Competition, a showcasing songwriter on the main-stage at Rocky Mountain Folks Festival in Lyons, CO. This Upstate artist has a nostalgic sense to her haunting voice that is nuanced with influences ranging from Joni Mitchel, Jeff Buckley, and Lana Del Ray. Her music elevates the modern folk song, rich in harmony, contrapuntal melodic phrasing, and wonderful song crafting.
Ballston Spa duo Architrave features programmed grooves, hearty classic synth sounds, with real guitars and bass. They have just released a new single, “Blissed Out,” which continues on their catalogue of moody electronic pulsating melodies. The New Wave movement of The Cure, Portishead, The XX has new momentum with Architrave.
TIP features Very clever and intricate song crafting and musicianship describes this quartet of college friends. The music is unique, evocative, and layered. Performing on recent live streams during quarantine for WEQX at HIGHPEAKS Sound. Think of guitar driven riff bands, each musician in this band plays with equal conviction as if these players were pre-destined to be in the same band today, they each play as an extension of the next player. There is a freshness to their sound, something bands strive for but these guys are out of the gate with that. Check their live stream show at High Peaks Sound a few weeks ago.
Picture Central Park today. Beautiful bridges and architecture throughout a green, shaded landscape. A place where people can enjoy their hour lunch break, or a destination for buskers trying to earn some cash. In the 1970’s, the park had been a completely different atmosphere. Crime, graffiti and decay structured the park.
Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon
On Sept. 19, 1981, Simon & Garfunkel raised around $51,000, performing at the Central Park Stage which had free admission. Their concert would forever change the entire vibe of the famous park and helped it thrive to where it is today.
The concert was a year after Elton John performed for around 300,000 people, wearing his iconic duck suit. Among the artists that also performed in Central Park were Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews Band and Garth Brooks.
Simon & Garfunkel in Central Park, 1981
Although most of the concerts drew enormous crowds, and made a lasting impact on Central Park being a destination for great musicians, Simon & Garfunkel literally cleaned up the park with the money they raised from merchandising, CD sales and TV and video rights.
The show was broadcast live on HBO, then was recorded and released as the duo’s first live album.
Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel made history that day and drastically improved the state of Central Park. As a result of the impact they made, the park became a popular tourist attraction. There were no “sounds of silence,” when it came to the cheers of the 500,000 people in the audience.
Setlist: Mrs. Robinson, Homeward Bound, America, Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard, Scarborough Fair, April Come She Will, Wake Up Little Susie, The Everly Brothers, Still Crazy After All These Years, American Tune, Late in the Evening, Slip Slidin’ Away, A Heart in New York, The Late Great Johnny Ace, Kodachrome/Maybellene, Bridge over Troubled Water, 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, The Boxer
Encore: Old Friends / Bookends Theme, The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy), The Sound of Silence
Borderland Music & Arts Festival announces their The Borderland Broadcast event. The broadcast will stream audio from former Borderland Festivals and will take place for two days in September on the 19 and 20 on Buffalo.FM.
The Borderland Broadcast will be taking place on the same weekend the Borderland Festival was originally supposed to take place this year. The festival itself had to be postponed to 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions taking place across the country. The festival generally takes place at Knox Farm State Park just outside of Buffalo, New York.
Since the festival can’t take place this year it’s organizers along with their friends at Buffalo.FM created The Borderland Broadcast. They curated a weekend of music with streaming audio from previous festivals, featuring live sets from Gov’t Mule, Keller WIlliams Grateful Grass, The Infamous Stringdusters, Oteil & Friends, Sam Roberts Band, The Sheepdogs and many more.
Jennifer Brazill who is the owner of Borderland Festival elaborates on the reasonings behind The Borderland Broadcast saying, “We wanted to be able to give our fans a way to connect to Borderland this weekend, to take us back to the feeling you have when you’re watching live music. Myself and my team feel a huge void in our lives and in our hearts without the festival happening this weekend, and we know that music is a great healer. We hope that fans of Borderland tune in with us for some very special live sets from the last two years.”
On Saturday the day will kick off with Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds from 2PM-3PM, The Sheepdogs from 3PM-4PM, The Infamous Stringdusters from 4PM-5PM, Sam Roberts Band from 5PM-6PM, Gov’t Mule from 6PM- 7:30PM, and Oteil + Friends wrapping the day up from 7:30PM – 9PM.
On Sunday the day will kick off with Fruition from 2PM -3PM, Ghost Light from 3PM -4PM, Sam Bush Band from 4PM-5PM, The Wood Brothers from 5PM-6PM, Keller William’s Grateful Grass featuring The Infamous Stringdusters and Oteil Burbridge from 6PM-7PM, and Greensky Bluegrass wrapping things up from 7PM-9:30PM.
People interested in tuning in can go to Buffalo.FM on September 19 and 20 at 2PM EST each day when the music starts or can catch the replay of the day at 10PM EST.
People interested in attending the 2021 Borderland Festival on September 18 and 19 can visit the festivals website: www.borderlandfestival.com for information on 2-day GA and VIP Tickets which are currently on sale.
For more information visit the Borderland Festival’s website and Buffalo.FM’s website.
(Le) Poisson Rouge (LPR), a New York City venue and downtown cultural institution, has announced the release of its subscription-based concert livestream platform called LPR.TV. For $19.99 per month, LPR.TV subscribers will receive access to all the venue’s live-streamed concerts, on-demand access to their archive of livestreams, lessons, and much more. LPR. TV was co-founded by composer David Handler and senior music director and partner Brett Tabisel.
With all the uncertainty surrounding the music industry, LPR.TV provides work for artists and agents as well as keeping fans engaged. Le Poisson Rouge has booked artists including !!! (Chk Chk Chk), Cults, San Fermin, Kimbra, Sunflower Bean, Kevin Devine, Son Little, Laraaji, and Too Many Zooz as the lineup for LPR.TV’s inaugural stream. LPR.TV also confirmed nearly two dozen shows through the end of 2020.
The LPR.tv format has given us the opportunity to do what we do best: curate eclectic, exciting, and adventurous programming once again. The subscription model allows us to take the risks we are known for, while giving artists a platform to perform safely, with the production quality they deserve. Our independent spirit and determination to innovate will not be silenced. The support for LPR.tv from our community and peers has been inspiring and motivating. Honored to feed your eyes and ears with what we have in store. – Brett Tabisel (Senior Music Director / Partner)
LPR is an independent venue in Greenwich Village, focused on reflecting the rich music culture of New York City. The underground music sanctuary puts on late night shows of all genres of music including indie rock, contemporary classical, electronica, metal jazz, world music, and more. LPR also hosts art exhibitions, stand-up comedy, and drag queen bingo at their cutting-edge nightlife destination. Click here to read more of NYS Music’s coverage from (Le) Poisson Rouge over the years.
Matt Smith, a Capital District-raised, Austin-based artist, has released eight new albums as well as ten digital releases from Smith’s catalog of recordings. The albums will be available everywhere music is streamed or bought. Hard copies of the album are available through Austin’s Waterloo Records.
Smith has been working on the flagship release, Being Human, for four years. The song addresses broad themes of love, death and spirituality, along with timely issues such as immigration, narcissism and addiction.
Parlor is a solo acoustic instrumental album recorded entirely on an 1890’s Thompson and Odell parlor guitar that has been handed down through four generations of the Smith family. Chop Shop – Live at Strange Brew was recorded at the legendary south Austin venue during the band’s weekly Sunday afternoon residency.
When asked about why releasing now, Matt Smith said, “It’s an election year and there’s COVID. I had them all ready, and rather than dribble them out, why not put it all out at once? That way, I can get back to work on new material.”
Grammy-nominated recording artist Aloe Blacc and Harvey Mason Jr., Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy, will join other keynote speakers in a conversation at Mondo.NYC 2020 on Wednesday, Oct. 14.
Mondo.NYC is a festival and global business summit of music and tech industry insiders. Their goal is to connect fans, innovators, and emerging artists to the changing music business and technology landscape. This year, the festival celebrates its fifth anniversary as a four-day virtual interactive meeting and livestream from Oct. 13-16. Participants will experience curated panels, conversations, workshops, and virtual network activities. The festival also includes Mondo.NYC showcases of up-and-coming bands around the globe.
Aloe Blacc worked his way from a nine-year-old kid who used to write rap songs, to a now Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter. The breakout success of his single “I Need a Dollar” helped propel his sophomore album Good Things to gold status and paved the way for his signing to XIX Recordings/Interscope Records in 2012. Blacc’s most notable work includes co-writing and providing vocals for Avicii’s hit song “Wake Me” which has surpassed one billion streams and 2 billion views on YouTube. His album Lift Your Spirit debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2014 and earned him a Grammy nomination for Best R&B album. Blacc is now actively working with the Black Music Action Coalition and several organizations to use his platform for positive change in social justice. Aloe Blacc’s fourth solo album All Love Everything drops on Oct. 2 through BMG Music.
As a multi-Grammy nominee, Harvey Mason Jr. has written and produced songs for the music industry’s legends and biggest superstars today. His resume’ includes working with Whitney Houston, Beyonce, Elton John, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Chris Brown, Ariana Grande, and Britney Spears to name a few. Mason produced some of the biggest musical films and TV events of the decade including Straight Outta Compton, Shrek, Dreamgirls, and “The Wiz Live.” Harvey Mason Jr. donates his time and resources to several charitable organizations, including the GRAMMY Museum, MusiCares®, Ronald McDonald House, the American Cancer Society, and Los Angeles Children’s Hospital.
Binta Niambi Brown-Founder of Omalilly Projects with Ty Stiklorius-Founder & CEO of Friends at Work
Jason Flom-CEO of Lava Records and Founding Board Member of The Innoncence Project
Kevin Lyman- Founder/Producer of Vans Warped Tour and Co-Founder of 320 Festival
The conversation is presented in partnership with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Click here for more information about purchasing tickets.
