NYS Music 202​0

Category: Regions

  • The Capitol Theatre Virtual Celebration Set for Sept. 12

    The Capitol Theatre, located in Port Chester, NY, will celebrate its eighth anniversary with a virtual livestream on Sept. 12 at 1:00 p.m., according to Jambands.com  

    Capitol Theatre
    photo by Chad Anderson

    The livestream will celebrate The Capitol Theatre’s eighth anniversary since reopening in 2012. FANS will host the daylong musical event. In a partnership with Lagunitas Brewing Company, the stream will include archival sets, live performances, staff and artist interactions, and words from the community about the importance of The Capitol Theatre involvement in New York’s music scene. More information about the lineup will be released in the coming days.

    Donations to The Capitol Theatre are encouraged to help support the present and future of live music. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the National Independent Venue Association, whose mission is to preserve independent live music venues and promoters in the U.S.

    The Capitol Theatre’s eighth anniversary Livestream Contest provides fans a chance to win the ultimate Cap experience. The grand prize includes a tour of the Capitol Theatre with Peter Shapiro, a copy of The Capitol Theatre Volume 1 forwarded by Phil Lesh and signed by Cap staff, and a Cap merch package. To enter the contest, fans can purchase a $5.00 minimum raffle ticket. Not only does a raffle ticket support The Capitol Theatre but also increases the chances of winning the grand prize. The winner will be awarded on Monday, Sept. 14.

    Capitol Theatre and Conscious Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to feeding those in need with their “Art that Feeds” drive, have collaborated to create a commemorative poster fans are eligible to receive if they make a donation during the livestream.

    Fans can also email a video or write up about their favorite Cap memories for a chance to be featured in the stream. Send submissions to Memories@TheCapitolTheatre.com – the deadline for submissions is Monday, Sept. 7 at 12:00 p.m.

    Click here to view the upcoming livestream and click here to buy raffle tickets for The Capitol Theatre’s Livestream contest.

    The lineup for the 8th-anniversary livestream on Saturday, September 12, features performances by Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Billy Strings, Bob Weir, David Crosby & The Lighthouse Band, Deep Banana Blackout, Foreigner, Galactic, God Street Wine, Hot Tuna, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Lake Street Dive, Mac DeMarco, moe., My Morning Jacket, O.A.R., Phil Lesh & Friends, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Portugal. The Man, Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters, Taj Mahal Trio, Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Black Crowes, The Marcus King Band, The Revivalists, The String Cheese Incident, Trey Anastasio Band, Umphrey’s McGee, and Widespread Panic.  

    As well as special appearances by Brendan Bayliss, Chris “Coach” Rodriguez of 107.1 The Peak, Gary Lambert of Tales from the Golden Road, James “Fuzz” Sangiovanni of Deep Banana Blackout, Jason Crosby of Phil & Friends, Terrapin Family Band, Jessie’s Girl, Jimmy Fink of 107.1 The Peak, Joe Russo of Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Joel Cummins of Umphrey’s McGee, Marc Roberge of O.A.R., Peter Shapiro, Richard “Fritz” Falanka (Mayor of Port Chester), Rita Houston of WFUV, Rob Barraco of Phil Lesh & Friends, The Phil Lesh Quintet, Dark Star Orchestra, Rob Derhak of moe., Ross James of Terrapin Family Band, and Warren Haynes of Gov’t Mule and Allman Brothers Band.  

    The free livestream will encourage donations to support our temporarily shuttered venue so that we may continue to bring musical experiences to the Westchester community long into the future. A portion of proceeds will benefit the National Independent Venue Association and its mission to preserve and nurture the ecosystem of independent live music venues and promoters throughout the United States.  

    Grab a limited-edition poster commemorating the 8th-anniversary to help feed families in need! This weekend, Conscious Alliance is hosting a Virtual ‘Art That Feeds’ Food Drive—fans are encouraged to participate by making a cash donation for the poster created by Pete Schaw.  

  • New Jersey Governor Signs Executive Order to Reopen Music Venues

    New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced on Monday, August 31 that indoor performance venues would be allowed to reopen, with reduced capacity, starting Sept. 4.

    new jersey
    New Jersey Performing Arts Center pre-COVID.

    Included in the executive order are music venues, performance centers and movie theaters.

    Murphy’s rules are simple: continue to follow CDC recommended guidelines, and along with the recommendations, a capacity limit is in place at 25% or 150 people.

    Although for many artists this is good news, travel restrictions and capacity limits are still a concern as far as profiting off of the shows go.

    Around 40 clubs and venues in New Jersey are members of the National Independent Venues Association, which made headlines last month when they started the #SaveOurStages Act. They continue to petition for nationwide financial aid to struggling music venues.

    According to nj.com, some industry workers believe there will be a huge turn out with large-scale events, while others don’t think the country is even close to going back to any normalcy.

  • Flashback: Watch AC/DC and Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force rock Glens Falls Civic Center on September 5, 1985

    A mighty gig this was. 35 years ago tonight, on Sept. 5, 1985, AC/DC and Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force performed at Glens Falls Civic Center.

    AC/DC
    Remember Ticketron?

    This was actually AC/DC’s first headline gig in New York’s Capital Region – they had played Albany’s Palace Theater in the Bon Scott era in 1977, 1978 and 1979 opening for Rush, Rainbow and UFO, but the band skipped the area on the ‘Back In Black,’ ‘For Those About To Rock’ and ‘Flick of the Switch’ tours.  Thus, the Civic Center was packed this night.

    AC/DC
    photo by Jim Polkowski

    The opening band was Swedish guitar phenom Yngwie Malmsteen with his solo band, Rising Force, playing their first area gig.  Yngwie had played Albany’s Palace Theater the year before with his old band Alcatrazz, opening for Ted Nugent, but in the year since he had released two solo albums, and the songs this night were tracks from his mostly-instrumental solo debut, and then-new record ‘Marching Out,’ featuring vocalist Jeff Scott Soto who was the singer for this gig.  The sound for Malmsteen was fairly horrible and full of echoes in the hockey arena this night, opening with then-single “I’ll See The Light Tonight” and including some instrumental workouts like “Far Beyond The Sun” and “Black Star” which, despite the dazzling guitar playing, received a muted response due to the wretched sound.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooJCjKGYF28

    No such troubles for the headliners though.  AC/DC were promoting the Fly On The Wall album (which history has not shown to be one of their most beloved albums) and they opened with the title track, before settling into a set of rapturously-received classics and hits: “Back In Black,” “Shook Me All Night Long,” the rarely-played “Have a Drink on Me” and a rousing “Shoot To Thrill” were mixed with a couple of the better new songs (“Shake Your Foundations,” “Sink The Pink”) and a whole host of older Bon Scott-era favorites: “Dirty Deeds,” “The Jack,” “Jailbreak,” “Highway To Hell,” “Whole Lotta Rosie” and an extended, Angus-doing-a-walkabout “Let There Be Rock” which finished the main set and brought the house down.

    AC/DC
    photo by Jim Polkowski

    The encore was similarly no-filler: “Hell’s Bells” and the giant bell, a raucous “TNT” had the entire arena roaring, and the show finished with an explosive “For Those About To Rock,” Angus duckwalking and headbanging across the stage, Brian Johnson howling like he was going to burst a blood vessel, Malcolm and the rhythm section locked in with deadly groove, and of course the cannons exploding during the fast part at the end.  Has there ever been a better live heavy rock band?  Few can compare.  All hail the mighty AC/DC. 

    AC/DC
    photo by Jim Polkowski

    Rising Force Setlist: I’ll See The Light Tonight, On The Run Again, Far Beyond The Sun, Anguish & Fear, Guitar Solo, Black Star, Caught In The Middle.

    AC/DC Setlist: Fly On The Wall, Back In Black, Shake Your Foundations,     Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Shook Me All Night Long, Have A Drink On Me, Jailbreak, The Jack, Shoot To Thrill, Highway To Hell, Sink The Pink, Whole Lotta Rosie, Let There Be Rock, Hell’s Bells, TNT, For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMJPPq1amzo

  • PearlPalooza Music Festival Goes Virtual for Their 2020 Celebration

    PearlPalooza Music Festival will go virtual for their 2020 celebration on September 19. It will feature exclusive performances, interviews, and more. PearlPalooza will be free and available to everyone via live-stream. 

    PearlPalooza

    PearlPalooza generally takes place on Pearl Street in downtown Albany. The festival hosts musical performances, food, and more and organizers calculated that in 2019 over 10,000 people attended the festivities. This year’s Virtual PearlPalooza is presented by 102.7 WEQX – The REAL Alternative, Sugar Productions, Downtown Albany, New York BID, The Hollow Bar + Kitchen, High Peaks Event Production, and media sponsor Albany.com. 

    Although this year is being presented on the virtual cloud it will still bring that community feeling by being live streamed in restaurants throughout downtown Albany. People can enjoy the music and PearlPalooza specials while enjoying a drink or meal at The City Beer Hall which opens at 4:00 PM, Dawn’s Victory Sports Cafe which open at 4:00 PM, The Excelsior Pub, Far Shot Albany, The Hollow Bar + Kitchen, Loch & Quay, Parish Public House, Pearl Street Pub, and The Yard Hatchet House & Bar which opens at 4:00 PM. For those looking to stay home it will also stream it on live on 102.7 WEQX Facebook page.

    This year’s Virtual PearlPalooza will feature performances from some of Albany’s favorite musicians. The performances will start with a performance from MIRK at 1:00 PM. Then Victory Soul Orchestra will take the virtual stage at 2:15PM. The Wild Adriatic will then perform at 3:30PM. Then wrapping up the live performances Eastbound Jesus will take the stage 4:45PM.

    PearlPalooza is teaming up with MVP Health Care to present YogaPalooza 2020 on September 19, 2020 at 11AM. People can join for a free, socially-distanced outdoor yoga class celebrating wellness and community at two Downtown locations. On the lawn at the SUNY System Administration Building at 353 Broadway and at Tricentennial Park at Broadway & Columbia Street.

    For more information on the virtual 2020 PearlPalooza Music Festival visit Downtown Albany’s website.

  • Sydney Worthley, The Sweats, and more to be featured on this week’s EQXposure

    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 Sydney Worthley, The Sweats, and many more!

    EQXposure Sydney Worthley

    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.

    The Sweats – “Caught In A Wave”

    From the Finger Lakes who just released their full-length debut album Caught in a Wave recorded at Pyramid Sound Recording Studios in Ithaca. You can pick up the album for contributions on BandCamp. Singer Travis Durfee says they hope to sell a few digital copies to make up what they’ve lost this year in live shows and that they are already working on material for a new album. Check out their quaratine videos on Facebook.

    Sydney Worthley – “4:15“

    In February, Worthley went to Nada Recording Studio in Montgomery, NY to record five new songs in five days and you can hear them all on the new album Rose Colored Glasses. Worthley is a notable advocate for mental health awareness, having performed in Saugerties at the annual Hope Rocks Festival.

  • Dio Flashback: On this day in 1985, the late, great Ronnie James Dio performs at the RPI Fieldhouse

    Ronnie James Dio, the Cortland native and heavy metal legend, brought his band DIO to the RPI Fieldhouse in Troy 35 years ago today, September 4, 1985.

    This was the second Albany-area appearance by Dio with his solo band – he’d played the Glens Falls Civic Center less than a year before, in November 1984 on the ‘Last In Line’ tour.  In 1985, the band was promoting the third Dio album, Sacred Heart, a patchier effort than the first two Dio albums.

    dio

    This was the last tour to feature the original DIO band backing Ronnie: NYC (ex-Black Sabbath) drummer Vinnie Appice, Scottish (ex-Rainbow) bass player (the late) Jimmy Bain, and Irish guitarist Vivian Campbell (ex-Sweet Savage), who would be fired midway through the tour, breaking up the original foursome which had made the classic first two Dio records.  

    The opening group was Rough Cutt, one of those spandex-ey LA bands, there by virtue of being managed by Dio’s wife, and they sucked.  The RPI crowd was unmoved.

    dio

    The house was packed for Dio’s set – despite the dip in quality offered by Sacred Heart, Ronnie James was in 1985 viewed as a deity in the heavy rock world, and the Fieldhouse was accordingly full of metalheads.   This was the era of over-the-top stage shows, and this one was particularly Spinal Tap-ish, with lasers, a giant crystal ball and a giant dragon (which Dio himself “battled” with a sword), pre-taped wizardly creepy voice intro to the song “Sacred Heart”, and each member getting a big long solo.

    Frankly, the whole thing would have been better if they dropped all that and just played a whole bunch of songs. That said, it was the 80s, you had to expect that kind of thing.  The bands opened with a couple of the better new songs (“King of Rock’n’Roll”, “Like The Beat of a Heart”), played a slew of already-classics from the first two records, and a couple of the less-essential new ‘Sacred Heart’ songs, such a the somewhat corny title track, and the depressingly commercial “Hungry For Heaven.”

    This tour featured less of the classic Ronnie James-era Rainbow and Black Sabbath songs that had featured in earlier Dio tours, all delivered during extensive medleys, and a truncated version of Sabbath’s “Heaven & Hell” got the biggest roar of the night.  Rainbow classics “Man on the Silver Mountain” and “Long Live Rock’n’Roll” were played – again, in shortened form – in a medley with new yawner “Rock’n’Roll Children.” In fact, medleys were a big part of the show – the band played an extended, almost 40-minute medley of the song “Last In Line,” which incorporated “Holy Diver”, solos by all band members, more “Last In Line,” “Heaven & Hell,” “Sacred Heart,” and concluded with more “Last In Line.”  The main set finished up with speedy early Dio classic “Stand Up and Shout” – a roaring highlight – and encores were Dio evergreens “Rainbow In The Dark” and a storming “We Rock.”

    All hail Ronnie James Dio!

    Setlist: King Of Rock’n’Roll, Like The Beat Of A Heart, Don’t Talk To Strangers, Hungry For Heaven, Medley: Last In Line/Holy Diver/Last In Line, Drum & Bass Solos, Heaven & Hell, Guitar & Keyboard solos, Sacred Heart, Last In Line, Medley: Rock’n’Roll Children/Long Live Rock’n’Roll/Man On The Silver Mountain/R’n’R Children, Stand Up & Shout, Rainbow In The Dark, We Rock.

  • Make Music Winter Celebration Returns in 2020

    Make Music Winter celebration will return in 2020 across the country on December 21. The celebration is free, outdoor, and will take place in different cities nationwide. Attendees of the musical event will not only be it’s audiences but also it’s participants into music makers.

    The third nationwide rendition of the Make Music Winter takes place on winter solstice, December 21, while its counterpart the Make Music Day takes place on summer solstice, June 21. The the winter celebration first started in 2011 in New York City. Since then the celebration has grown  and last year it took place in nearly 40 cities in the United States in 2019. The celebration will ring in the longest night of the year, and celebrate the end of 2020. Both celebrations are presented by The NAMM Foundation.

    Most of the celebrations include parades. Unlike a traditional parade, most of the events for this celebration will stay on the sidewalks. Some march through a park or along an elevated rail line, or ride on bicycles, or take place on train cars and platforms. However you do it, being mobile brings music throughout your city, and helps you stay warm in the winter weather. The events are also participatory. Meaning that everyone is invited to be part of the music-making, whether by singing, playing an instrument, tap dancing, carrying a boombox, or whatever the event calls for. The whole idea of the celebration is for everyone to make music together in celebration of winter solstice.

    This year’s celebration will be a socially-distanced event and will focus on keeping it’s participants as face as possible. People interested in participating should fill out this short form to register an event somewhere close to home.

    For more information on the Make Music Winter celebration this year visit their website.

  • Disco Biscuits Make it a Long Weekend at the Drive-in

    Chicago Cubs legend Ernie Banks is famous for the saying “Let’s play two!” Well, The Disco Biscuits have decided to “play four” and have added two more shows to their weekend stay at the Yarmouth Drive-in on Cape Cod. After the first two shows scheduled for October 16 and 17 sold out in under an hour earlier this week, shows for the 18th and 19th are now scheduled as well.

    Tickets are on sale now at yarmouthdrivein.com. Tickets will also be available the night of show at the gate, subject to availability. Each ticket will cover one car with up to four people in it each night. They will range from $165 to $300 depending on the parking spot. Fans with more than four guests in their vehicle can purchase additional tickets. Those are capped at three tickets for $40 each.

    Disco Biscuits Drive-in
    The Disco Biscuits

    Ticket seeekers should join the Cape Club at yarmouthdrivein.com for the latest news about upcoming attractions, and first access to tickets. The Yarmouth Drive-in on Cape Cod is located at 669 Route 28, West Yarmouth, MA. The venue is acting as a haven for live music right now with other upcoming performances scheduled for the likes of Marcus King Band, Pink Talking Fish and Goose.

    These performances at the Yarmouth Drive-in will be the Disco Biscuits’ only shows for the remainder of 2020. Aside from a one-set performance in June at an empty Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia , they have not taken the stage since beginning the year with three shows at the Riviera Theater in Chicago.

  • Escaper bassist Greywolf drops debut single “Exit Key”

    Greywolf, aka Jay Grey, bassist for rising powerhouse band Escaper, has released “Exit Key,” the first single off his upcoming debut album Operation Wolf.

    Greywolf

    “Exit Key” is a sample of what the multi-instrumentalist is able to do on his own. Haunting and beautiful, the lyrics evoke themes of love, loss, and wanting to make a change. The track opens with a droning synth, before dropping into love story lyrics. Prescient themes for these times are found, with change needed to be made after reaching a breaking point and wanting to make change.

    Greywolf recorded and played all the instruments on this record in his home studio, including piano, synth, keys, guitar, bass and beat programming. The record as a whole addresses change, longing and one’s personal connection with nature and the universe. You’ll find an autobiographical feel and personal touch to the music and the album.

    While Jay Grey is best known for his work with Escaper, he has branched off to deliver a sound all his own. Keep your eyes and ears open for more brilliance from this emerging artist.

  • Glens Falls Park Theater Adds Sound To The Silent Era With “The Marriage Circle”

    On Thursday, September 10, Glens Falls’ Park Theater is hosting a virtual fundraiser with the streaming of silent film The Marriage Circle. Silent film accompanist Ben Model will supplement the film with an original live score. The show begins at 7:00 p.m. with a presentation from the Chapman Museum about Glens Falls’ 1920s theater scene following the 1928 Spanish Flu pandemic.

    Glens Falls Park Theater

    Ben Model plays piano and organ, and his scores have been used by adult orchestras and high school ensembles alike. In addition to The Marriage Circle, he’s produced scores for the films of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. Over the past 30 years, Model has composed scores for hundreds of silent films both long and short.

    The Marriage Circle, a 1924 comedy, was directed and produced by German-born director Ernst Lubitsch. The film’s writer, Paul Bern, was inspired by Lothar Schmidt’s 1909 play “Nur ein Traum (Only a Dream).” One of The Marriage Circle’s actresses, Esther Ralston, lived in the Glens Falls area in the 1970s. Ralston has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

    Glens Falls Park Theater
    LA Times.

    Tickets for The Marriage Circle livestream are $15. Attendees will receive a link to join 30 minutes before the stream begins. For more information on the event, visit the Glens Falls Park Theater website.