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The King of Corona: Paul Simon says goodbye at Flushing Meadows
On September 22, 2018, at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, Paul Simon said goodbye.

Paul was introduced by Queens Borough President Melinda Katz and NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio. He started the 2 and 1/2 hour show with Simon & Garfunkel classic “America.” His setlist pretty much remained the same as it was the rest of the tour.

“This is like, two miles from where I used to play high school baseball,” he said after the first song. He then took out a baseball and glove and started playing catch with the massive audience. You can hear the sound of passing planes from above. “I was worried about that” he said. “Well, Welcome to New York” he joked as the plane can be seen landing in nearby LaGuardia Airport.

The show continued with more classics like “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover” “Boy in the Bubble” and “Mother and Child Reunion.” During the Goodbye Rosie part in “Me and Julio,” the crowd went crazy when he said “Queen of Corona” Paul’s wife Edie Brickell joined him on stage for the whistling solo. After the song, he said to the crowd “How much fun is it to sing a song about Corona, in Corona?!” Looking back, that was pretty cool moment.

Even though this was his farewell concert, Paul still sprinkled in some songs from his new album “In the Blue Light.” Although this is his fourteenth solo studio album, the album consists of re-recordings of lesser known Simon songs like “Can’t Run But” And “Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog after the War,” which were both performed.

Paul then started talking about a song he had an “interesting relationship” with. He talked about writing this song and “giving it away” to someone, but being able to reclaim it for his final tour. The song he was referring to was “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” After performing it with a slightly different arrangement with YMusic, who Paul worked with on his new album, he thanked Aretha Franklin who covered the song in 1971.

The show ended with two encores. The first encore started with “Late in the Evening” but the highlight was “Still Crazy After All These Years.” The second encore started with “Homeward Bound” followed by “Kodachrome,” “The Boxer” and “American Tune.” The show ended with Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sounds of Silence” performed by Paul with just an acoustic guitar. He then thanked the crowd and walked off stage and just like that, the last show of the final tour ended, and Paul Simon said goodbye.

Out of the 26 song set, only five were Simon & Garfunkel songs. Not one mention of Garfunkel was made during the entire show other than a picture of the duo that flashed briefly during a video montage during “Homeward Bound.”

Although this was his final “tour,” Paul has stated that he may still do an occasional performance.

Setlist: America, 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover, The Boy in the Bubble, Dazzling Blue, That Was Your Mother, Rewrite, Mother and Child Reunion, Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard, Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War, Can’t Run But, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Wristband, Spirit Voices, The Obvious Child, Questions for the Angels, The Cool, Cool River, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, You Can Call Me Al

Encore: Late in the Evening, Still Crazy After All These Years, Graceland

Encore 2: Homeward Bound, Kodachrome, The Boxer, American Tune, The Sound of Silence
September 22, 2020
In Focus: Pink Talking Fish gets Dazed and Confused at Jericho Drive-In
On a chilly September night, the first where autumn made its presence known, Jericho Drive-In in Glenmont, NY hosted a socially distant crowd of a few hundred for a double feature – Pink Talking Fish and Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused.

With cars lined up 10 rows deep, Pink Talking Fish gave the Capital District‘s jam scene something they had long been waiting for – a chance to get down and dance with close friends in a safe environment. Fans were smart and followed the rules we’ve all been aware of for six months – wearing masks when leaving your car area, and small clusters of live music fans staying within their bubbles. After 6 months of little to no live music, it’s fair to say that fans weren’t screwing this up (heads up here Gov. Cuomo).

The performance from Pink Talking Fish was as invigorating as it was cathartic. Their blend of Phish, Talking Heads and Pink Floyd was overdue for many in the crowd, with a show opening “Simple” with a “Third Stone from the Sun” tease on the 50th anniversary of Jimi Hendrix’s death.

One of many highlights of the evening, “Theme From The Bottom” > “Us And Them” > “Any Colour You Like” > “Theme From The Bottom,” featured a subtle tease of “Waste” and jumped feet first into show-stopper “Crosseyed and Painless.” To close out the night and give a nod to the second feature, Led Zeppelin’s “Dazed and Confused” was deftly intertwined within Phish’s “David Bowie,” bringing back the feel of exploratory “Bowie”‘s from the mid-90s.

Next up for Pink Talking Fish, they’ll play two shows in Burlington, VT at The Backyard at Nectar’s on Friday, October 16! More info and tickets here.

Jericho Drive-In, Glenmont, NY, Friday, September 18, 2020

Setlist: Simple* > Happiest Days Of Our Lives > Another Brick In The Wall Part 2 > This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody), Rift, Have A Cigar > And She Was, Reba, Wish You Were Here > Moon Rocks, Theme From The Bottom > Us And Them** > Any Colour You Like > Theme From The Bottom > Crosseyed And Painless > David Bowie% > Dazed And Confused > David Bowie%%

*w/ Third Stone From The Sun tease
**w/ Waste tease
% w/ Purple Haze tease
%% w/ Dazed And Confused teases Pink Talking Fish Drive-In
September 22, 2020
TEST and Roy Campbell: A throwback to a fantastic night at Brooklyn’s Hinton House

Indie Jazz label 577 records has just released the new TEST and Roy Campbell Jr. album, recorded live at the Hinton House. The live recording of the performance took place in April, 1999.

According to Jazz Times, Roy Campbell Jr. was considered a favored player among the free jazz aficionados. He was praised for his adventurous approach and mixing of genres including world music, hip-hop, and reggae. Unfortunately, Roy Campbell Jr had passed away on January 9th, 2014, at 61 years old.

Campbell was joined by bassist Matt Heyner, drummer Tom Bruno, and saxophonist Daniel Carter, with Sabir Mateen also playing saxophone alongside the group. According the album notes, this performance was a benefit gig to repair the No Neck Blues Band’s van. John Fahey, Lee Ranaldo, and No Neck Blues Band joined the stacked lineup at their loft, The Hinton House, and raised the ‘bread’ to fix the van. Spirits were lit with a listening and enthusiastic audience. The cathartic energy rising.

The performance and energy were frantic and steadily increasing as the show went on. Listeners tuned in to the live performance clearly enjoyed the free-jazz and the atmosphere Roy Campbell Jr. and company provided.

TEST occupied the public space of New York City. TEST’s typical audience was a passerby on a subway platform, a curious security guard on a smoke break in midtown, or the most ‘in the know’ subset of gig-goers. TEST, distinctly honed their working band approach, by actively gigging multiple times a week across the NYC subway map.

When TEST performed at a venue, listeners would witness the bullseye acumen of a working band. This ethos of the band choosing to ‘play anywhere/all the time’ separated TEST from other groups.

One of the hardest working musicians in the scene, Campbell lived at the north end of the Bronx, but nightly could be found downtown, uptown, or somewhere in the middle playing weekly at venues such as Lenox Lounge, The Pink Pony, Brecht Forum, Tonic, Knitting Factory and CBGB’s Gallery.

The free-jazz album has left listeners feeling nostalgic for the time. The Test and Roy Campbell album has given jazz aficionados the opportunity to live in that moment of free-jazz history. The album is now on Bandcamp.

September 22, 2020
‘Jimmy Carter Rock & Roll President’ Documentary now Streaming

Jimmy Carter Rock & Roll President documentary hit theaters across the United States and the virtual cinema stage on September 9, 2020. The documentary covers how Jimmy Carter relied on musicians’ support during the Democratic primaries to build up his name recognition and support from the general public.

The documentary focuses on how youth culture and politics join forces in Jimmy Carter being elected as the 39th President of the United States. Jimmy Carter’s love of music was crucial to who he was and he made that known throughout his presidency and his campaign. His love of music affected who he was as a father, a citizen, a man of the South, and as a leader and he made that known to everyone and anyone he could.

The documentary includes interviews with big names like Bob Dylan, Bono, Willie Nelson, Paul Simon, Gregg Allman, Garth Brooks, and many others. There will also be interviews included with former President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter.

The film is directed by Mary Wharton and written by Bill Flanagan. It is produced by Chris Farrell and Dave Kirkpatrick. The executive producers include Dan Braun, Mary Wharton, Peter David Conlon, David Crawford. Peter Afterman and Tracy Falco are the consulting producers on the film. The film is edited by Mari Keiko Gonzalez and has Tom Beard, Jim Free, Frank Moore as consultants on it. The production coordinator is Linzy Hayes. The drone photography is done by Brad McColl and James Fideler worked as the director of photography on the documentary. All the original music is composed by Bradley Cole Smith and Bill Wharton (The Sauce Boss).

People interested in seeing the film have two options for viewing it. They can see it in select theaters across the United States or on the virtual cinema stage. All the theatrical listings and locations can be found on here . The virtual cinema tickets can be bought here for $9.99 and will be available for 14 days once the viewer unlocks the film. Once the viewer begins the film, they will have 72 hours to finish watching it.

For more information on Jimmy Carter Rock & Roll President documentary visit the films’ website.

September 22, 2020
On this day in 2001, stars unite for “America: A Tribute to Heroes”

Ten days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, living legends and new artists came together for a primetime benefit concert, “America: A Tribute to Heroes.” The star-studded lineup included Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, U2, Billy Joel, Céline Dion, and Willie Nelson.

Executive produced by Tenth Planet Productions’ Joel Gallen, “A Tribute to Heroes” was simulcast across all major networks commercial-free. The September 21 concert won the 2002 Primetime Emmy Award for an Outstanding Variety Special, with many artists channeling the somber energy into the best performances of their careers. The telethon portion of “A Tribute to Heroes” raised over $150 million for 9/11 victims and their families, specifically police officers and firefighters. Years later, networks repeated the concert-telethon model for Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy and the 2010 Haiti Earthquake.

The concert was filmed live in New York, Los Angeles, and London, with British and Canadian artists supporting their American peers. At each venue, the stage was decorated with hundreds of candles. Bruce Springsteen opened the show with the then-unreleased song “My City of Ruins,” playing guitar and harmonica. With the E Street Band, he introduced it as “a prayer for our fallen brothers and sisters.” The following year, the five-minute track closed out Springsteen’s 9/11-inspired album The Rising.

Stevie Wonder then performed “Love’s in Need of Love Today,” the opening track of Songs in the Key of Life, with gospel sextet Take 6.

U2 performed “Peace on Earth” and “Walk On” from London with Natalie Imbruglia and Dave Stewart. “Peace on Earth” was inspired by the 1998 Omagh car bombing, but took on new meaning after 9/11. For the performance, Bono changed the original lyrics from “I’m sick of hearing again and again that there’s gonna be peace on Earth” to “I’m sick of hearing again and again that there’s never gonna be peace on Earth.”

Billy Joel had the most hopeful performance of the night, singing and playing “New York State of Mind.” Rather than dwelling on tragedy, he expressed New Yorker pride and even smiled throughout his performance. Joel never officially released “New York State of Mind” as a single, but due to its popularity with fans it’s often mistaken as one.

In addition to the night’s abundance of established acts, then-new artists Alicia Keys and Enrique Iglesias took the stage. Keys performed a cover of “Someday We’ll All Be Free” by Donny Hathaway, beginning with a piano riff reminiscent of her future 2003 song “Diary.”

Enrique Iglesias had just broken out two years earlier in 1999 with “Bailamos,” but his signature hit would go on to become “Hero,” which he publicly performed for the first time that night. Radio DJs later mixed the song with audio from police, firefighters, and civilians, adding to the song’s popularity.

Iglesias wasn’t the only artist to sing a song called “Hero.” A few numbers later, Mariah Carey sang the just-as-famous song of the same name off her 1993 album Music Box. A New Yorker herself, Carey’s performance was more subdued than past renditions but characteristic of the night’s solemn energy.

The event also included some country artists. Faith Hill performed “There Will Come a Day” from her 2001 album Breathe with a backing gospel choir, and the Dixie Chicks (now The Chicks) performed the poignant “I Believe In Love.”

“America A Tribute to Heroes” ended on a patriotic note, with Céline Dion singing “God Bless America” and Willie Nelson leading the Los Angeles performers and speakers in a grand finale of “America the Beautiful.” Dion later released her cover as a single, and performed it again at the Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003. Céline Dion and Neil Young were the night’s only Canadian performers.

Other performers included Neil Young, Tom Petty, Sheryl Crow, Bon Jovi, Sting, Dave Matthews, and Paul Simon. Most major genres were well-represented: multiple pop, rock, country, folk, and soul artists were on the setlist, and despite their thematic similarities for the occasion, they were diverse in sound.

The success of “America: A Tribute to Heroes” prompted two more 9/11 tribute concerts a month later: the similarly diverse “Concert For New York City” in Madison Square Garden, and the pop-focused Michael Jackson-led “United We Stand.” In 2004, Rolling Stone named the 9/11 concerts “one of the 50 moments that changed rock,” and it’s easy to see why—despite the tragic circumstances that brought the artists together, many were on top of their game.

September 21, 2020
Martin Sexton Performs at Fingerlakes Drive-In
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.
September 21, 2020
HeadCount Won’t Let a Pandemic Block Voter Registration Efforts

It is hard to believe that Election Day is just over six weeks away and there have been many efforts to get people out to the polls. However, even with the pandemic that hasn’t stopped organizations like HeadCount from getting people registered to vote.

Andy Bernstein, Executive Director of HeadCount, says that despite barriers, the organization’s efforts are going really well.

Headcount has seen a spike in voter registrations in comparison to previous election cycles.

“We moved all our activities online and we’re registering more voters than ever,” Bernstein said.

HeadCount is a non-partisan organization that uses concerts-and now adds online events- to reach out to music fans to register to vote. However, now that concerts are at a standstill, there have been more musicians trying to reach out to fans via social media and even Zoom. Bernstein says that fortunately the organization was already aware of this early on during the pandemic.

“First, we worked with Soffi Tukker, Dave Matthews and Camila Cabello on promotions where fans could enter to win a private zoom with the artist, but [needed to check] their voter registration status,” he said. “We’ve done literally dozens of these now, and our new partner Global Citizen, is doing even more through the Just Vote campaign. Dave Matthews will do a short private show through that.”

Bernstein also says that Evanescence is also going to perform an online show through HeadCount. But the goal for these shows is that in order for a participant to view it-they need to check their registration status.

Since this election cycle seems to deal with more passionate issues, Bernstein says that he definitely has seen a spike in voter registrations- similar to what he saw during the 2018 elections.

“We registered three times as many people for the 2018 midterms as 2014. And it was the highest turnout for a midterm election in 100 years,” he said. “Our goal is to register 200,000 voters and directly engage 1 million voters.”

And what Bernstein means by ‘directly engage,’ is to have voters sign up for an absentee ballot, check their status, or to even look up a ballot which can all be done on the HeadCount website.

Now that the election is just six weeks away, the organization is currently doing a huge text messaging campaign so that those who haven’t registered yet can do so via text messages. And if someone would like to volunteer to help out the organization with its efforts, they can just visit HeadCount.org/volunteer and pick a night to help.

“They’ve been lots of fun,” he said. “All you need is a computer (not even a phone) and you join a Zoom session with other volunteers from all over the country.”

This year, the presidential election will take place on Tuesday, November 3^rd. Register to vote and request an absentee ballot with HeadCount.

September 21, 2020
In Focus: Goose play sold out Drive-In shows at South Farms CT
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
September 21, 2020
Jerry Sunday: The Grateful Dead at MSG, September 20, 1982

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

Encore: Touch Of Grey

September 20, 2020
Jerry Seinfeld Backs Chuck Schumer to Help Save NYC Music Scene

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.
NY Senator Chuck Schumer

September 20, 2020