NYS Music 202​0

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  • The Lawn Boys Celebrate Phish With Sweet Jams at Sera Phi

    The Lawn Boys celebrated Phish at Sera Phi in Greenpoint on Saturday night, and said goodbye to local artist Alex Anastas with a dream set list of Phish songs crafted by Anastas himself. The band consists of Darren Rodney (guitar), Andrew Mega (drums), Bruce Raskin (bass), and David Kaufman (keyboards), and primarily plays Phish covers.

    Sera Phi is also known as the Sera Phi Social Club, which lived up to its name as the crowd was exceptionally friendly. The row of couches in the back created a great ambiance and the vibrating floor echoed the crowd’s enjoyment through movement. The walls were filled with projections of partially inverted images of Phish throughout the evening, courtesy of videographer Aylon Ben-Ami.

    Alex Anastas

    The show began on a high note, with the band announcing the departure of Anastas to Australia, and stating that the proceeds from the event would benefit those impacted by the Australian bush fires. The first set contained many heavy hitters. “Bathtub Gin” included notable jam solos by Rodney, who was firing on all cylinders. Also, “Maze” > “David Bowie” felt like the real thing, as this band effectively channeled Phish. Anastas took the stage and sang during “Dirt” and “Waste.”

    After a delicious DJ set that included re-mixes of Pink Floyd, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead and the Talking Heads, the boys returned for another monster set. “Down With Disease” was the prevalent theme, as the band jammed into and out of this song several times. During “Glide,” the lyrics were changed to “We’re glad glad glad that Al’s alive.” The encore was equally exciting and well executed, with versions of “Harry Hood” and “Chalkdust Torture” that made the crowd long for the real thing.

    Overall, the Lawn Boys’ skills were quite impressive, and paired well with the social crowd at Sera Phi. They are a talented cover band who portrays Phish with vigor and delighted the crowd throughout the night.

    Setlist:

    Set One: Curtain With > AC / DC Bag, Bathtub Gin -> Ghost* > (funk jam) > Tweezer > Maze , Dirt, Waste^, Bouncing Around the Room,  David Bowie > Highway to Hell 

    Set Two: Down With Disease > Crosseyed and Painless > Down With Disease, Glide, Heavy Things, YEM, Tube > Tweezer Reprise

    Encore: Chalkdust Torture, Harry Hood

    Notes: *DWD teases; ^Darren acoustic, Al on vocals

  • Lizzo, Foo Fighters and Kendrick Lamar to Headline OSHEAGA Music and Arts Festival

    OSHEAGA Music and Arts Festival has announced its 2020 music lineup. Held from July 31 to August 2 at Parc Jean Drapeau in Montréal, this year’s festival is brought to you by Bell Alt TV and Coors Light. To celebrate 15 years of Canada’s premiere music and arts festival, megastars Foo Fighters, Lizzo and Kendrick Lamar will be joining over 100 other artists on the side-by-side festival stages.
     
    OSHEAGA is hosted on an set of islands overlooking the Montreal skyline. Joining the music acts will be art installations and various local culinary options that locals and fans from across the globe can enjoy.

    This year the OSHEAGA Festival is partnering with PLUS1 to donate $1 from every pass sold to the Evenko Foundation Program. Evenko brings extracurricular music and art classes to 260 high school students at nine Montréal high schools. Passes for the festival are on sale now starting at $252.65 and can be purchased here. Check out the full lineup poster below.

    OSHEAGA 2020

  • The 2020 Rock and Roll Playhouse Includes Multiple Shows in New York

    The Rock and Roll Playhouse has expanded to include even more dates across the United States, including many in New York City. The performances will also make their way to Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville, Cubby Bear in Chicago, The Varsity Theater in Minneapolis, and Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael, CA. 

    The Rock and Roll Playhouse is a family-minded live event series that tries to find new ways to inspire creativity and particularly foster a relationship between children and music. It’s a national concert series that gives back to local communities. The program has donated to the Can’d Aid Foundation’s Tunes Programs, VH-1 Save the Music Foundation, and Keep the Music Alive, as well as ticket donations to local school fundraisers and auctions.

    The event series will make stops at Brooklyn Bowl New York, Garcia’s at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY, Industry City in Brooklyn and Rockefeller Center in New York City. For more information and to purchase tickets visit The Rock and Roll Playhouse official site. 

    The Rock and Roll Playhouse 2020 Winter/Spring Tour Dates:

    Ardmore Music Hall – Philadelphia, PA 

    2/8 – Purple Party ft. Music of Prince and More for Kids with Johnny Shortcake

    3/29 – The Music of Phish for Kids ft. Bathtub Gin 

    Brooklyn Bowl New York – Brooklyn, NY 

    2/9 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids

    2/16 – Purple Party ft. Music of Prince and More for Kids

    2/23 – Mardi Gras Celebration for Kids ft. Black Tie Brass 

    3/1 – The Music of Fleetwood Mac for Kids

    3/8 – The Music of Phish for Kids ft. Uncle Ebenezer – Purim Celebration with Because Jewish

    3/15 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids // Family-friendly Tribute to Phil Lesh Celebrating his 80th Birthday

    3/22 – Broadway Rock for Kids ft. Musicians and Singers Direct from Broadway  

    3/29 – The Music of Dave Matthews Band for Kids ft. Rhyme and Reason 

    Brooklyn Bowl Nashville – Nashville, TN

    3/29 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids ft. Los Colognes 

    4/19 – The Music of Queen for Kids

    5/10 – Music of The Beatles for Kids // Mother’s Day Celebration 

    Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas – Las Vegas, NV

    2/22 – Purple Party ft. Music of Prince and More for Kids! 

    3/28 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids 

    Bluebird Theater – Denver, CO

    2/8 – The Music of Phish for Kids ft. Kings of Prussia 

    Garcia’s at the Capitol Theatre – Port Chester, NY 

    2/15 – The Music of Queen for Kids

    2/29 – Music of The Beatles for Kids

    3/15 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids // Family-friendly Tribute to Phil Lesh Celebrating his 80th Birthday

    3/21 – Jazz for Kids 

    Charleston Pour House – Charleston, SC

    2/8 – The Music of Phish for Kids w/ Runaway Gin 

    3/14 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids // Family-friendly Tribute to Phil Lesh Celebrating his 80th Birthday

    Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR 

    2/9 – The Music of Talking Heads for Kids

    3/15 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids // Family-friendly Tribute to Phil Lesh Celebrating his 80th Birthday

    Fairfield Theatre Company – Fairfield, CT  

    2/9 – The Music of Phish for Kids ft. Uncle Ebenezer 

    3/1 – One Love ft. Music of Bob Marley for Kids and More! 

    Funky Biscuit – Boca Raton, FL

    2/9 – Music of The Beatles for Kids

    Grey Eagle – Asheville, NC 

    2/23 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids

    Higher Ground – Burlington, VT

    2/9 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids

    3/8 – The Music of Phish for Kids

    Industry City – Brooklyn, NY

    2/8 – One Love ft. Music of Bob Marley for Kids and More w/ David Langlois and the Brooklyners – Bob Marley’s 75th Birthday Celebration  

    2/15 – Music of The Beatles for Kids  

    2/22 – Mardi Gras Celebration for Kids ft. Black Tie Brass

    2/29 – Broadway Rock for Kids ft. Musicians and Singers Direct From Broadway

    3/14 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids // Family-friendly Tribute to Phil Lesh Celebrating his 80th Birthday 

    Mohawk- Austin, TX

    2/9 – Purple Party ft. Music of Prince and More for Kids 

    Port City Music Hall – Portland, ME 

    2/9 – Purple Party ft. Music of Prince and More for Kids 

    3/1 – The Music of Phish for Kids 

    Rockefeller Center – New York, NY

    2/9 – Reggae for Kids ft. David Langlois and the Brooklyners  

    Saturn – Birmingham, AL 

    2/9 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids

    The Sinclair – Boston, MA 

    2/9 – Purple Party ft. Music of Prince and More for Kids 

    3/8 – The Music of Phish for Kids

    The Stone Pony – Asbury, NJ

    2/9 – Purple Party ft. Music of Prince and More for Kids 

    Sweetwater Music Hall – Mill Valley, CA

    2/8 – Purple Party ft. Music of Prince and More for Kids! 

    3/22 – The Music of Talking Heads for Kids 

    Terminal West – Atlanta, GA

    2/9 – Purple Party ft. Music of Prince and More for Kids! 

    3/22 – The Music of Phish for Kids

    Terrapin Crossroads – San Rafael, CA

    3/14 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids // Family-friendly Tribute to Phil Lesh Celebrating his 80th Birthday

    Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL 

    2/9 – Music of The Beatles for Kids (AM Show // SOLD OUT)

    2/9 – Music of The Beatles for Kids (PM Show) 

    3/1 – The Music of Phish for Kids 

    3/29 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids

    UC Theatre – Berkeley, CA 

    2/2 – Music of The Beatles for Kids

    Varsity Theater – Minneapolis, MN 

    2/22 – The Music of Grateful Dead for Kids 

  • Vevo and Fat Joe Present Live Performance of ‘Heaven & Hell’

    Vevo announced rapper Fat Joe, as the next artist in their Ctrl series, with a performance of “Heaven & Hell.” Vevo’s Ctrl series highlights the work of hard-hitting, cutting-edge musicians, both emerging and established, making an impact on today’s music scene. These artists demand attention and Vevo’s Ctrl shines a deserving spotlight.

    Shot in Vevo’s Brooklyn studio, Fat Joe’s performance of “Heaven & Hell” follows sessions from Fabolous, Rick Ross, Common, Rapsody, Jeezy, Jadakiss, A$AP Ferg and more, according to their official website.

    Sampling Wendy Rene’s 1964 record “After Laughter (Comes Tears)” – made famous throughout the hip-hop community by Wu Tang Clan for their sampling of it in 94’s “Tearz” – Fat Joe & Dre, spend roughly the first two-minutes detailing their past lives in the inner-city through a braggadocious lens, before a beat switch halfway through the record sees the two men double down on their affinity for jewelry and their status as bosses in their respective professions, before fading out the record with the original Rene sample.

    Hailing from the South Bronx, Fat Joe is one of hip-hop’s first Latino superstars. The Terror Squad founder has parlayed his streets smarts and lyrical ability into a legendary rap career. While he began as a gritty lyricist known for his inner-city tales, he soon developed a sense for penning hits and has provided some of hip-hop’s most memorable records with hit such as; “Lean Back,” “All the Way Up,” and ‘What’s Luv,” among others. Apart from his individual projects, Fat Joe has shown a knack for discovering and developing talent, with his most prominent protégé being late-rapper Big Pun and renowned emcee Remy Ma.

  • E.S.P. To Perform at Syracuse Area Music Awards Press Conference

    Syracuse locals E.S.P. will perform at the Syracuse Area Music Awards (SAMMYS) press conference Tuesday, February 4 at the Palace Theatre. At that time, the nominees received from the 2019 recorded music submissions will be announced, as well as the 2020 Hall of Fame inductees. 

    The SAMMYS will take place over the course of two days. On Thursday March 5 the Hall of Fame Inductees will take part in a ceremony in the upstairs venue space at the Dinosaur BBQ. The following night on March 6 will be the annual award show at the historic Palace Theatre on James Street.

    After 17 years the Syracuse Area Music Awards is still Syracuse’s biggest celebration of local music. Over 30 awards are presented each year in various categories, making known the “who’s who” of the local music industry.

    This year’s sponsors of SAMMY Awards are; NewsChannel9 & Bridge Street, TheRebelRocks.com, 95X, 93Q, 92.1 The WOLF, Joshua Johnson Design, KMase Productions, SubCat Music Studios, Dinosaur BBQ, NYS Music, cnyalive.com, Jack O Bocchino, Skinner & Associates Realty. 

    Tickets for the two day event will go on sale the same day. Tickets and more information can be obtained HERE.

  • Greensky Bluegrass Crack Jokes, Cover Paul Simon and The Band at The Egg

    A sold out crowd welcomed Greensky Bluegrass back to the Capital District for another round of energetic and psychedelic jamgrass from the standard bearers of the genre at The Egg. Opening the show was Ghost Light, featuring local favorite Holly Bowling on keys, who gave the audience a short yet stellar opening 45-minute set. 

    greensky bluegrass egg

    Greensky have made Albany an annual winter tour stop, returning to The Egg and a capacity and ever-enthusiastic crowd. Following “Dustbowl Overtures,” with it’s line, “It’s a New York Minute, under a New Mexico sky,” eliciting cheers from the audience, mandolinist Paul Hoffman welcomed the crowd to the show, referring to the venue as the ‘punniest venue in the country.’ With that, dobroist Anders Beck joined in with egg jokes that carried on throughout the night. First set highlights included “I’d Probably Kill You” -> ‘Nellie Kane,” as well as “Broken Highways” and “Courage for the Road,” where Beck was a heavy presence via the dobro and shone as the set came to a close.

    With Set 2 came more jokes that continued as soon as the band hit the stage. Beck returned prepared and informed the crowd, “I’ve probably got a dozen, just to lay it out there.” A long “Take Cover” kicked off a set full of surprises, plus lots of banter with the crowd. The back and forth was so natural and the crowd so focused, Hoffman said it felt like “playing on a radio station, but you’re all here.” For “Casual Wednesday,” Beck laid his down dobro and took off into the crowd to greet the audience and hype up the sound and light teams on this casual Wednesday, making a Buddy Guy-style lap around the venue, before returning to the stage. 

    greensky bluegrass egg

    A cover of The Band’s “Atlantic City” segued perfectly into “Just Listening,” which was followed by “Mother and Child Reunion,” which contained a deep reference to eggs, their debut of the 1972 Paul Simon single. After the song, Hoffman expressed that playing that song at The Egg was a career highlight. “Furious Exuberance” > “Kerosene” would close the set with Pink Floyd-esque spaciness that paired perfectly with the evening’s light show that hovered between early ’70s psychedelia and late ’70s disco. 

    Ghost Light setlist via Phantasytour

    Set 1: Don’t Come Apart Just Yet, My Dear> Bullseye Blues> Cold Blooded* > Don’t Come Apart Just Yet, My Dear

    *with Diamond Eyes jam

    Greensky Bluegrass at The Egg, setlist via Phantasytour

    Set 1: Lose My Way, Dustbowl Overtures, Better Off, Hot Dogs (On Parade), I’d Probably Kill You, Nellie Kane, What You Need, Broken Highways, Courage for the Road

    Set 2: Take Cover, Collateral Damage, Do It Alone, A Letter to Seymour, Casual Wednesday, New Rize Hill, Atlantic City> Just Listening, Mother and Child Reunion*, Exuberance> Kerosene

    Encore: Drink Up and Go Home

    *first time played

    • greensky bluegrass egg

  • Jazz Is PHSH perform in Rochester and New York City during brief February tour

    This February, Jazz is PHSH returns to New York with two stops in Rochester and NYC, bringing with them perform unique arrangements featuring the music of Phish and an all-star lineup. Alongside bandleader and drummer Adam Chase, musicians Felix Pastorious (Hipster Assassins), John Culbreth (Naughty Professor) and Yesseh Furaha-Ali join together for these coming shows, with Matthew Chase and Jonathan Huber joining for the first three shows, and Snarky Puppy’s Bob Lanzetti and Justin Stanton joining for the rest of the tour.

    jazz is phsh perform

    “Ultimately, it became my goal to create arrangements that would be fun for Phish fans to enjoy while presenting the music in a way that even the most pretentious jazz professor would be forced to respect,” says co-creator and music director Adam Chase, of the process. 

    To formulate their compositions, the Chase brothers do things like write original chord changes to support the existing melody or pull chord changes from jazz standards and add them to solo sections. The ensembles create their own unique interpretations and arrangements of songs by the beloved improvisational rock band and, at times, their unique interpretation of music from the Phish songbook are completely unrecognizable.

    Jazz is PHSH Tour Dates:

    1/30 – Baltimore, MD – Union Craft Brewing

    1/31 – Toronto, Ontario – Velvet Underground

    2/1 – Rochester, NY – Anthology

    2/4 – Boston, MA – City Winery

    2/5 – Philadelphia, PA – City Winery

    2/6 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl

    2/7 – Winchester, VA – Bright Box Theater

    2/8 – Harrisburg, PA – The Abbey Bar

    Watch a live version of “Stash” from City Winery in Atlanta

  • Barenaked Ladies Officially Postpone North American Tour

    Grammy-nominated rock quartet Barenaked Ladies, have postponed the sixth edition of their “Last Summer on Earth” tour. The two-month expedition would have seen the Juno award-winning outfit perform in some of the world’s most renowned locations, including Los Angeles’, Greek Theatre and New York City’s Central Park SummerStage. “Last Summer on Tour,” a named derived from the Mayans predictions of the world end in 2012, will still see Gin Blossoms and Toad the Wet Sprocket join them as opening acts, just a little later than originally planned.

    Vocalist/guitarist Ed Robertson shares, “We were really hoping we’d be able to pull it off this summer, but for the safety of our fans, all the venue staff, bands and crew, we need to listen to best advice and postpone until next summer. We’ll be back with the same lineup in almost all the same venues in 2021. We hope to see each and every one of you then. Be safe. Continue to Rock, and don’t forget to Roll.”

    Tickets purchased for 2020 will still valid for 2021 however, shows in  Houston, San Diego, St Louis and Pittsburgh were not able to be rescheduled. Refunds will be handled by original ticket providers. To thank fans for their support, an exclusive #SelfieCamJam along with a message from the band will be sent to ticket buyers via their ticket provider.

    All information on the “Last Summer on Earth” 2021 tour can be found at the Barenaked Ladies website, while dates can be found below.  

    https://youtu.be/y2xlsDjO77M

    2021 LAST SUMMER ON EARTH TOUR DATES
    June 4th – Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park – Atlanta, GA
    June 5th – St. Augustine Amphitheatre – St Augustine, FL
    June 8th – Toyota Music Factory – Irving, TX
    June 10th – Arizona Federal Theatre – Phoenix, AZ
    June 11th – Greek Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
    June 12th – Vina Robles Amphitheatre – Paso Robles, CA
    June 17th – Marymoor Park Amphitheatre – Redmond, WA
    June 18th – Edgefield  – Troutdale, OR
    June 19th – Northern Quest Resort & Casino – Airway Heights, WA
    June 22nd – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO
    June 25th – Stir Cove at Hurrah’s Council Bluffs – Council Bluffs, IA
    June 26th – Mystic Lake Casino – Prior Lake, MN
    Jun 28th – Chicago Theatre – Chicago, IL
    Jun 30th – Starlight Theatre – Kansas City, MO
    July 2nd – Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park – Indianapolis, IN
    July 3rd – Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica – Cleveland, OH
    July 4th – DTE Energy Music Theatre – Clarkston, MI
    July 6th – Artpark – Lewiston, NY
    July 7th – New York, NY *Venue to be announced soon 
    July 9th – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion – Gilford, NH
    July 10th – Mohegan Sun Arena – Uncasville, CT
    July 11th – Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion – Boston, MA
    July 13th – The Met – Philadelphia, PA
    July 14th – Wolf Trap – Vienna, VA
    July 16th – North Charleston Coliseum – Charleston, SC  *Venue change
    July 17th – Red Hat Amphitheatre – Raleigh, NC
    July 18th – MECU Pavilion – Baltimore, MD
    July 20th – PNC Music Pavilion  – Cincinnati, OH
    July 21st – Budweiser Stage – Toronto, ON  *Kim Mitchell will be joining this show

  • Sammy Miller and The Congregation Premiers New Video

    Sammy Miller and The Congregation has dropped a music video for “It Gets Better,” the latest single from their album Leaving Egypt. In celebration of this debut, they will be embarking on an 18-city, cross-country tour. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased HERE.

    The nine piece ensemble was formed in 2014 at The Juilliard School in New York City, where members were students at the time. Starting off they played at various venues around NYC that typically did not host jazz ensembles. Their fan base was built around the van touring life modeled after rock bands, while dazzling listeners with a reconceptualized type of jazz.

     “This is us, I’m proud of it, and I’m eager to embark on our mission to bring joy to people’s lives through music, ” Sammy Miller, founding member of the group, said of the debut album.

    Sammy Miller and The Congregation

    The band lineup includes Sammy Miller, drums and vocals; Sam Crittenden, trombone; Ben Flocks, tenor sax; Sammy’s sister Molly Miller on guitar; Alphonso Horne, trumpet; Corbin Jones, bass and tuba; and David Linard, piano.

    Tour Dates:

    Feb. 12 – California Center for the Arts – Escondido, CA

    Feb. 13 – Campbell Hall – Santa Barbara, CA

    Feb. 16 – Bootleg Theater – Los Angeles, CA

    Feb. 21 – Sweetwater – Mill Valley, CA

    Feb. 22 – Oshman Family JCC – Palo Alto, CA

    Feb. 23 – The Sofia Tsakopoulos Center for the Arts – Sacramento, CA

    Feb. 28 – Dubai Jazz Festival – Dubai, UAE

    March 24 – Vinyl – Atlanta, GA

    March 25 – Isis Music Hall – Asheville, NC

    March 26 – Neighborhood Theatre – Charlotte, NC

    March 27 – Tin Pan – Richmond, VA

    March 28 – Songbyrd – Washington, DC

    March 29 – Sellersville Theater – Sellersville, PA

    March 31 – The Red Room at Cafe 939 – Boston, MA

    May 1 – Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts – Fond du Lac, WI

    May 2 – Door County Brewing Co. Music Hall – Baileys Harbor, WI

    May 3 – Dakota – Minneapolis, MN

    June 27-28 – Jazz Aspen Snowmass – Aspen, CO

  • Dave Matthews Band Making Their way to New York

    Dave Matthews Band announced a new summer tour that will see the Grammy-winning rock group make several stops in the New York tri-state area. The tour – set to begin on June 16 and end on September 22 – will begin in the Northeast, and travel throughout the Southwest, Southeast, and the Midwest.

    Dave Matthews Band New York
    Photo by Steve Malinski @ Madison Square Garden.

    Additionally, DMB will be making a return to St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview, where they last performed in 2018 to a near full-house, and in 2016 to a sold-out venue. A performance from DMB will be one of many live shows at St. Joseph’s Amphitheater, which will see its fair share of concerts this year, with Live Nation announcing 20-25 slated performances to be held at the Syracuse arena.

    Tickets to see DMB live will be on sale through Live Nation and Ticketmaster on February 21. A list of Dave Matthews Band, as well as St. Joseph’s Amphitheater concert dates can be found below.

    Dave Matthews Band Summer Tour Dates

    June 16 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena

    June17 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena

    July 8 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center

    July 10 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center

    July 11 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center

    July 21 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater

    July 22 – Syracuse, NY – St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview

    St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview has a stout 2020 lineup starting May 31, with Zach Brown Band, and continuing with: Sugarland, Thomas Rhett, Steeley Dan, The Doobie Brothers, Matchbox Twenty, Nickelback with Stone Temple Pilots, Hall & Oates, Foreigner, Brad Paisley and Jason Aldean. To see a full schedule, please see their WEBSITE.