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.
“A Spirit,” a melodic jazz single by Buffalo’s Donny Frauenhofer is the latest quarantine composition from the Intrepid Travelers frontman.
Frauenhofer plays piano on “A Spirit,” and also handled production, mixing and mastering. Colin Brydalski plays bass and behind the drum kit is Isaiah Griffin. Support these musicians through Patreon, and read below for Frauenhofer’s take on “A Spirit.”
This composition is one that I’m most proud of. I wrote it in one night during the quarantine, and the name comes from the sensation of being alone, but not feeling alone. Whether you call it a muse, a ghost, a spirit, a god, a manifestation of your own subconscious – sometimes things that seem separate from ourselves visit us to deliver a message. I’m not interested in the explanation of why or what this sensation is, but rather communicating the sensation itself. This song is both the product of that, and expresses that feeling.
Twenty years ago, on September 14, 2000, Phish performed to a rain-soaked crowd at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center. The last stop in New York on their Fall 2000 tour, this show would later be released as Live Phish, Vol. 3 in Septmeber, 2001.
Art by Drew Suto
This was also Phish’s last show in New York until December 31, 2002 at Madison Square Garden, which ended the band’s hiatus that began on October 7, 2000. The band played six shows in the Northeast on their Fall 2000 tour, as they headed to the Midwest and, eventually, the West Coast to cap off their first 17 years as a band and take a much needed break from the road. The Darien Lake show was the fifth of these shows, and major storm be damned, fans flocked to Western New York in search of one final taste of Phish for the foreseeable future.
In releasing this show just a year later, as part of their then-new Live Phish series, it certified the excellence in playing throughout the show. Trey Anastasio spoke to Relix Magazine in the August 2001 issue and referenced the show’s inclusion in Live Phish.
There are also three shows from 2000 in the series. Page and I picked one of them because it has this version of ‘Carini’ that I’m convinced is the greatest version of all time. I’m not convinced that it’s the whole greatest show of all time, but I love this version of ‘Carini.’ I also like the song list, because if you didn’t like Phish and you heard this set, it would be very interesting. There’s ‘Punch You In the Eye,’ ‘Reba,’ [Neil Young’s] ‘Albuquerque’ and ‘Carini.’ I think it sounds like such a weird band.” Trey cracks up. “Those four songs in a row? You can’t make any sense of it. The ‘Carini’ is like 15 or 20 minutes long or something. It’s a complete metal meltdown. It’s the bass and drumming in the background that I really liked. It’s really strange. Nobody’s playing the beat at all. Those guys are playing in quarter time and the guitar and keyboards are just creating this wash of color on top of this heavy booming. It’s right after ‘Albuquerque,’ which has harmonies and then this heavy metal thing. If you kind of step away from it, they’re both really odd.”
Trey Anastasio, Relix Magazine, August 2001
It had rained all day at Darien Center, and would downpour more during the show, a seemingly never-ending torrent of water from the sky. Anastasio summed up the first set well, noting a band and fan favorite version of “Carini” amid a six-song set that was capped by “The Oh Kee Pah Ceremony” > “Suzy Greenberg,” with the latter being jammed well beyond the normal confines of the set closer.
Set 2 opened with “Drowned,” apropos for the downpour that drenched the crowd on the lawn throughout the evening. Dave Calarco, aka Mr. Miner, shared his take on this hallmark version of The Who classic.
“Delving into abstract psychedelia and ambient madness, this was arguably the craziest and most “out-there,” terrorizing, and successful jams of the fall- all wrapped into one. Accessing alien atmospheres during this mind-bending excursion, this jam illustrated the ’99-’00 millennial exploration of abstract soundscapes, an element of the band’s creative direction during these years.”
After 30 minutes of “Drowned,” Phish moved onto another song originating from their Halloween musical costumes of the past, with Talking Heads’ “Crosseyed and Painless.” 11 minutes later, the mellow and rare “Dog Faced Boy” shone some light after more than 40 minutes of dark jams, followed by “Prince Caspian” and Rolling Stones’ “Loving Cup to close the set.
A unique encore followed, featuring three songs, two of which were still relatively new to the Phish repertoire – “Driver,” “The Inlaw Josie Wales” – and one of their most well known tunes, “Sample in a Jar.” The rain let up in the last half hour of the show, but spirits were far from dampened on this night. Some fans in attendance bid farewell to Phish, not knowing when the band’s self-imposed hiatus would bring them back.
New York music venues decided to file a Federal lawsuit against State restrictions on live music on September 6, 2020 in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan. The lawsuit involves ten establishments across New York who believe the live music restrictions are unworkable and unconstitutional.
The Federal lawsuit challenges both the ad ban and the rule against charging for shows as being arbitrary since there is no evidence those actions have any effect on the slowing coronavirus spread.
Lark Hall lit up in red demanding the passage of The Restart Act. Photo by Zach Culver.
Last week New York state announced rules that aimed to contain the spread of the coronavirus according to state officials but many venues feel they have been disproportionately singled out in this new ruling. The rules allow only what the state calls “incidental” music to be performed at venues making it impossible to promote performances and therefore making it difficult for venues, bars, and restaurants to intrigue an audience to attend their establishment.
The ten establishments involved in the lawsuit are establishments that serve liquor and host or promote live music or entertainment. These venues come from all across New York state including four in New York City. The others are located throughout upstate New York in Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Clifton Park. The plaintiffs in the case are Turks Group, LLC, operating as The Sultan Room & The Turk’s Inn in Brooklyn, 49 Illinois Restaurant, LLC, operating as Buffalo Iron Works in Buffalo, The New York Independent Venue Association, a trade association, Columbus Ale House, Inc., operating as The Graham, in Brooklyn, Upstate Shows, Inc., operating as Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park, Jayarvee, Inc., operating as Birdland Jazz Club in Manhattan, Capitol Enterprises, Inc., operating as The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, Jukimoo, LLC, operating as Littlefield in Brooklyn, nfinity on Main, Inc., operating as Tralf Music Hall in Buffalo, and Rapid Theater Niagara Falls USA, Inc., operating as The Rapids Theater in Niagara Falls.
Times Union Center lit up in red demanding the passage of The Restart Act. Photo by Zach Culver.
The defendant named in the lawsuit is the State Liquor Authority Chairman Vincent Bradley. The State Liquor Authority has been the leading charge in enforcing Governor Andrew Cuomo’s coronavirus orders. They do this by having the ability to suspend liquor licenses and impose fines on establishments not following the rules.
According to syracuse.com, “The lawsuit asks the court to halt the state’s enforcement of the orders. It also seeks payment for the cost of the lawsuit and lawyer’s fees, but does not specify monetary damages.” The state’s coronavirus rules are simple and easy to follow for most of these establishments. People being required to wear a mask, social distance, use hand sanitizer, having employee health checks, and ect would be very doable for establishments who host live music and yet they are being singled out from being able to promote their businesses.
The Federal lawsuit says, “The advertising and ticketing of shows would allow establishments to maintain better control over their limited capacity, allowing them to tell patrons in advance that an evening is sold out and thus avoiding the gathering of crowds trying to gain admission (and the increased risk of transmission that comes along with such gatherings).”
For more information on the New York’s new guidelines for establishments and how they effect the establishments and musicians read NYS Music’s article on the guidelines.
Beau Fleuve Music & Art Festival announced it’s 2020 Lineup for it’s 4th annual festival. The festival will take place on August 30 from 10AM-8PM and will be held virtually this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Beau Fleuve Music & Art Festival takes place at City of Buffalo and celebrates all genres of music, arts and culture. The festival strides to be unique and trendsetting while bridging the gap between generations, communities and cultures. This year’s festivities will be a mixture of live, pre-recorded, and interactive content featuring some of Wester New York’s favorite artists, musicians, curators, and community stakeholders. Annual Beau Fleuve Music & Arts Festival might be on the virtual screen this year but it will continue it’s traditions of an all day celebration exhibiting a “Mind, Body & Soul” Concept utilizing our platforms to speak to the state of our community, society and self.
The festival will start at 10AM with an interactive art gallery called the “La Maison Des Arts.” Throughout the virtual art gallery attendees can literally walk through and purchase art from Western New York’s finest artist. Gallery will feature paintings by artists and visual content. At 12PM there will be a yoga session called the “Yoga Fleuve.”. Attendees will be led by certified yoga instructor Taminka Jones as she guides you through a mental elevation to be liberated and conscious. Rounding in at 2PM the “Buffalo Then & Now” discussion will take place. These discussions will be amongst Buffalo & Western New York Community Stakeholders on the current state of our society, Buffalo past & present, arts community and more. At 4PM there will be the Black Art’ appreciation section titled “Black Art.” The festival is bringing Buffalo and Western New York’s black community to the table to talk about the appreciation for black art & artists, its influence, disparities, and more. At 6PM there will be a performance/ visual art exhibit by Edreys Wajed aka Billy Drease Williams called “Check out my melody?” Wrapping up the festival at 8PM there will be a performance by Curtis Lovell featuring Naila Ansari called the “Night with Beau Fleuve.”
Beau Fleuve Music & Art Festival can be attended via their social media platforms on Instagram and on Facebook.
For more info visit Beau Fleuve Music & Art Festival’s website.
On August 14, 1997, Phish performed for the second time at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center. Just one stop was left on Phish’s Summer Tour – The Great Went in Limestone, ME. And, as is bound to happen, some bozos and pranksters showed up in the parking lot before the show, leading to history being made and generations of jam bridged together.
photo via Kevin Shapiro
A fluid first set was chock full of jams, and an early “Fluffhead” was reportedly punctuated with a roller-coaster climbing to its peak just as “Fluffhead” was peaking. The first “Tela” since fall 1996 and a raging “Antelope” set closer are among the other highlights.
Fans reported seeing the famous Furthur bus in the parking lots that day, which had a Grateful Dead feel to them with Furthur Fest on tour that summer as well. Not many would expect Trey to bring out the head Prankster himself, Ken Kesey, later that night. Following an often overlooked segue out of “Harry Hood” in the second set, just as Anastasio started the narration part of “Col. Forbin’s Ascent,” their special guest came to the stage.
So here we are again, standing at the base of the mountain, and this is a very different and interesting time for Col. Forbin here. Col. Forbin realizes on this particular day, he is not going to find the great and knowledagble Icculus at all, but instead he is going to find (laughs) Ken, Uncle Sam, Bozo, E-Z-Kesey standing there.
Trey Anastasio, introducing Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters, August 14, 1997
Out walked Kesey dressed as Uncle Sam, and the crowd erupted.
Ken Kesey with Phish
Kesey – author, LSD advocate, founder of the acid tests and a key figurehead of sixties counter-culture – took hold of the moment and in a rambling, hilarious and surreal art performance, referenced the loss of Jerry Garcia, the Bozos, and the Wizard of Oz. Kesey spoke and sang to the beat of his own drum:
My heart is sorely beset because from out amongst the tidbits of these vehicles moving through the nation we have lost an important part of us. For two years no one has seen high nor heard of the bozos. For two years the bozos have been missing. Where are the bozos? Well, what we heard was they were gonna try to make it hear to the Phish concert. We couldn’t catch them up at the Furthur Festival so we decided to come to the Phish concert.
Ken Kesey
Around the stage and audience were costumed Pranksters in key roles, making for one of the most infamous sit-ins in Phish history. Two years after Jerry Garcia’s death, Kesey had symbolically passed the torch to Phish
Kesey began a “Wizard of Oz” narration, mentioning that his brother in Oz usually handles finding the bozos. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” begins and out walks a helper, dress as the Scarecrow, to give a “Bozo Report.” At that moment, the band switched to an instrumental version of “If Only I Had a Brain”, ahead of The Scarecrow saying “We know they were at the Grateful Dead concert and the rumor was they went Phishing.”
The Tin Man followed, reporting that he has a ‘foolish heart,’ with Kesey and Fishman singing “Has anyone seen the Bozos?” Instead of the Cowardly Lion following next, Frankenstein walks out with his master, and naturally, Phish breaks into Edgar Winter’s “Frankenstein” with the volume a little lower for Kesey to continue his narration.
The Cowardly Lion was leading a paramilitary group in Northern Idaho and you brought me this? Wonderful!
Ken Kesey
Then, as Kesey and four other pranksters began to come up with lyrics for the Bozos, about 20 Bozo Clowns came running through the pavilion and found their way to the stage. Meanwhile, Kesey and the Pranksters continued to sing while Phish improvised over a funk groove. To close this collective hallucination, Kesey attempted a segue of his own:
I see a bird. Out comes a bird. Could that possible be Mockingbird? What kind of bird can it possibly be in the nest when the Pranksters sing? I know it. I see it. I hear it. It’s a Mockingbird.
Ken Kesey
Alas, as Kesey and the Pranksters exited the stage, Trey remarked “See what happens if you take too much acid? 30 years later…” much to the audience’s approval. Trey then declared that because “the funk was too deep,” and they couldn’t stop the funk, the typical “Fly Famous Mockingbird” that follows “Col. Forbin’s Ascent” was passed over for “Camel Walk,” an early funk-filled Phish song, and a rarity at the time. Tune into the show via Phishtracks, and don’t sleep on the set closing “Taste.” At Superball IX, Phish shared a pro-shot clip of the show, footage of which can be seen above.
Soundcheck: Buffalo Bill, The Old Home Place, Funky Bitch, Crosseyed and Painless
Set 1: Ya Mar, Funky Bitch > Fluffhead, Limb By Limb, Free, Cars Trucks Buses, Tela > Train Song > Billy Breathes, Run Like an Antelope
Set 2: Chalk Dust Torture, Love Me, Sparkle > Harry Hood -> Jam > Colonel Forbin’s Ascent -> Merry Pranksters Jam[1] -> Camel Walk, Taste
Encore: Bouncing Around the Room, Rocky Top
[1] Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters.
The second set featured a remarkable jam after Harry Hood ended and before Forbin’s began, as well as an appearance by Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters. The Merry Pranksters Jam contained a Somewhere Over the Rainbow tease from Trey, an If I Only Had a Brain tease, a Spam Song quote, and a Frankenstein jam.
On the heels of his 38th birthday, Buffalo rapper Westside Gunn — along with the rest of his Griselda Records cohorts — have been on quite the roll. And fresh off of his critically-acclaimed EP Pray for Paris and the much recently released mixtape Flygod Is an Awesome God 2, the Shady Records rapper looks to keep the momentum on his side with his third project of the year. On Wednesday evening, the one known as the “FLYGOD,” made a lengthy Instagram post describing what exactly this latest project means to him, as well as the journey and the conviction he had in his artistry that led him to this point. Accompanied by what can be assumed as the album cover, the caption read:
“Everything I’ve done thus far has led up to this moment, when I said FLYGOD was a classic ppl didn’t see it at that moment, then I dropped Supreme Blientele and made ppl to start believing, then I dropped PRAY FOR PARIS and I knew I had my formula together and I was ready for my first major release album and now it’s officially here “WHO MADE THE SUNSHINE” every project has been painted diff and with purpose, I know soon I’ll be done rapping but I have to give u WSG on a diff level this project I swear is my best work to date and I know it’s great bc it took me a week to make and not 2 days lol… but this is what HIP HOP is ALL about I feel young on this Album and I can’t wait until I give u this offering, I promise u You never heard ANYTHING like this on @shadyrecords this is ALL BUFFALO BEAUTIFUL ART PIECE by WS POOTIE thank u so much Baby Daddy Loves YOU “ WHO MADE THE SUNSHINE” 8/28 on WESTSIDEGUNN DAY #CLASSIC#MASTERPIECE#CULTURE#ART#FLYGOD#GXFR#ICON this cant be compared to anything I’ve done beforE it’s IF “FLYGOD” and “SUPREME BLIENTELE” has a baby @shadyrecords@griseldarecords@interscope”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CCNDANVHqT8/
With his latest release only a few weeks old (July 3), and Pray for Paris the ripe age of 3 months old, his classification of this impending project as his “first major release album,” has caused some confusion. While signed to their own Griselda Records label, the trio of Westside Gunn, Benny the Butcher and Conway the Machine, have also inked paperwork with Eminem’s Shady Records, a subsidiary of the West coast based Interscope records. The trio have combined to release WWCD, under Shady but no individual albums.
Buffalo’s Intrepid Travelers welcome two new members to the band, saxophonist Ellen Pieroni (Folkfaces) and bassist Zak Beutel, who join the already stellar IT lineup of Donny Frauenhofer (keys, vocals), Brian Calisto (guitar, vocals) and Jon Fohl (drums, vocals).
photo by Sam Murray
Pieroni shared her thoughts on joining Intrepid Travelers:
I’ve considered myself to be IT fam for the better half of the 5+ years Donny and I have been dating. Over the years, I’ve attended a bunch of shows, sat in on countless tunes, worked the merch table, and volunteered for IT fest. I’ve jokingly said for years “you should just let me join the band!” Well, recently they decided to finally listen and let me try IT out. It’s been a blast so far, immersing myself in new experiences like deep improvisation, exploring and building my pedal rig, composing new music, and taking on a larger role vocally than I have in any band before. It feels really good to be creative in new ways and be thrown into a band where folks are just as excited for the next chapter. The group chat is constantly lighting up with new ideas and I’m super happy to be a part of it.
Beutel looks as his joining IT and the long journey from fan to band member
One night in September 2014, I went to EBC, a staple in the town of Fredonia where I was attending college, to check out this band that all my upperclassman friends had exclaimed to be THE band to see in Fredonia. Upon entering, I was overtaken by the range of blissful sounds, to downright funk, and all the spaces in between. It was Intrepid Travelers, and immediately I was taken aback by their dynamic musicianship, inspired improvisation, and creative songwriting ability, as it had far exceeded any local acts I had previously seen. I bought a CD, and the Have You Seen My Rainbow Monkey EP was a mainstay in my old car that only took CDs and is now what I consider to be one of the ‘soundtracks’ to my first year at Fredonia.
Years later in late 2019, my buddy and I needed a drummer for a charity gig, and Jon (Fohl)n was the first person that came to mind, so we reached out and he joined us for a fun show. A few months later, I saw a post of his on Facebook that he was looking for some gigs, to which I reached out and suggested a side project, and let him know I was available if he needed bass for anything. In a somewhat serendipitous way, he let me know that he had been thinking about reaching out to me as Intrepid Travelers had taken a hiatus and weren’t sure what the steps would be moving forward, but that he thought I would be a welcome fit in the group and that we should give it a go. A few months after quarantine, and after many jam sessions with Jon and Brian, I headed over to Donny’s for the first practice with Intrepid Travelers as a whole, where we warmed up with the classic “Photobooth Youth” and launched into a 15-minute jam segment out of it, and the rest is history. It feels full circle in a way, as I can still remember watching these guys on stage in Fredonia and wishing I was up there with them, and to say I’m honored and excited to be in this band would be an understatement. Everything fell into place, and it’s only up from here. I can’t wait to see what the coming years hold for the band, and I’m so grateful to be along for the ride.
Naturally, keyboardist Donny Frauenhofer is excited for the band to return with two new members:
Intrepid Travelers is back with new songs, new members and new energy! I know its a strange time to be “back” as a band that primarily existed as a live act considering what has happened to the live music industry, but it really ended up being the perfect time to get the wheels turning again in a low pressure environment. We had already been talking since the fall about going hard on making content, and just having a greater focus on creating rather than just playing shows constantly.
Taking a break in the past year was both timely and necessary for Intrepid Travelers to get the creative juices flowing again:
In our time off, we were able to focus better on what we wanted Intrepid Travelers to be as both an entity and for each of us personally. The band being a living, breathing thing that evolves has been at our foundation since Day 1 (one of our earliest songs was called “Always Evolving”). The nice thing is theres very little pressure, so we’re just having fun – and our longtime fans, friends, and supporters seem to be really enjoying it. We played an outdoor show on a neighbors porch and the turnout was incredible.
We have some new, but familiar faces in the band. Zak Beutel, who I actually collaborated with over quarantine a few times, but I’ve just met recently, is taking over the bass and vocals role. Additionally, Ellen Pieroni of Folkfaces is joining on vocals/saxophone/mandolin/whatever other instrument she picks up. We also have a team for the first time since 2016 – Brandon Keller, who had put on Woodhenge Sustainability, Music, and Art Festival is helping manage and book for us, and we also have Tim Merrill who had worked as Witty Tarbox’s manager for a while is joining us to help in a more creative role.
Intrepid Travelers have also announced IT Fest IV to be held in Hannibal, NY for August 28-29, with very limited capacity. More information coming soon.
Prolific Buffalo rapper Westside Gunn celebrates his 38th birthday today, July 27. Born Alvin Lamar Worthy, Westside has dominated the western New York rap scene along with the help of his brother, fellow rapper Conway the Machine, and their cousin, Benny the Butcher. The three have made a name for themselves in the current hip hop landscape through the formation of Griselda Records in 2014 which led the “Griselda gang” on their trip to stardom.
2016 saw the release of Westside’s debut studio album Flygod which lent further credit to the rapper’s name. The following year saw Griselda Records made a deal cosigning with Eminem’s Shady Records which further accelerated the groups career. The groups deal with Shady Records, a subsidiary of Interscope records, made Westside and his brother Conway the Machine the first Buffalo based rappers to sign to a major record label, giving the two an almost untouchable status in the Buffalo rap scene.
Recently, Westside Gunn has been a hot feature for artists such as Rick Ross and Anderson .Paak, collaborations that would have been hard to land without the backing of Eminem’s label. Westside has also made a name for himself in the music festival route playing massive summer events such as Coachella and Governor’s Ball.
This past April Westside Gunn released his Pray for Paris LP which debuted at number 67 on the Billboard 200. The album features sample heavy production handled by both The Alchemist and Tyler, The Creator who also guest stared in a verse on the track “327.” Other features on the album include Freddie Gibbs and Wale along with the rest of the Griselda gang, Conway The Machine and Benny The Butcher.
During the recording process for Pray for Paris, Westside learned that he had contracted COVID-19 which, he recounts, led to much of the promotion for the album to be handled while sick and isolated. Pray for Paris is yet another musical project that has faced obstacles placed by the global coronavirus pandemic. Following the mandated cancelation of large gatherings, the initial release party was postponed and traded in for a live stream event which took place on Twitch.
Soulive’s Alan Evans and his label, Vintage League Music, have released “As Far As We Know,” an uplifting soul ballad by Crushed Velvet and the Velveteers. Featuring an illustrious group of collaborators—including the BT ALC Big Band, Brother GoodLove and more – this project of Evans’ will showcase the multi-instrumentalist’s guitar skills.
At a time where the world might seem bleak and divided, Crushed Velvet and the Velveteers are here with a gentle track that carries a unifying message of peace, singing,
As far as we know / We ain’t too different / You and I could spend all our time / Make this world a better ride / Imagine the difference if we try.
Evans says of the collaborative project:
“I originally wrote the music for ‘As Far As We Know’ back in May 2019 with another VLM project in mind. I knew that I wanted to have Stephane (Brother GoodLove) singing on this song from the beginning. I didn’t realize that Stephane would turn that working title into such beautiful and powerful lyrics—I was really blown away when he sent me the first demo of the vocal and couldn’t wait to get it into full production but for whatever reason, it wasn’t the right time. But once I had the idea for the new Crushed Velvet and the Velveteers album, ‘As Far As You Know’ being included was a no brainer. So during quarantine, Stephane cut the vocals and I called on my Vintage League Music family of musicians to fill out the song and the rest is history. Without a doubt, it’s one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written.”
Alan Evans
Stephane Detchou, who performs under the moniker Brother GoodLove, was born in Montreal to Cameroonian parents and has been surrounded by music his entire life. Genres like folk, jazz, soul, rock and reggae were central in his upbringing and would come to influence the music he would later produce. It is within soul where he explores his identity and sense of self, reflects on the world and contributes to a future he believes in—and “As Far As We Know” is no exception, a song in which he penned the lyrics for.
In addition to Brother GoodLove, “As Far As We Know” also features Darby Wolf on piano, Alex Lee-Clark and Brian Thomas of BT ALC Big Band on the horns, Ryan Hommel on acoustic baritone guitar, and Cynthia Tolson on the strings.
The official music video for “As Far As We Know,” directed by Samuel Hall, sees Brother GoodLove travel around Washington, D.C. while pondering the profound message of his lyrics, including footage captured during the current Black Lives Matters protests in the area.
