NYS Music 202​0

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  • NYC Council Members form Caucus to support Independent Music Venues

    Former hardcore musician and NYC Council Member Justin Brannan of Brooklyn and NYC Council Member Keith Powers of Manhattan have formed the “CBGB Caucus” to help support independent music venues during the pandemic. The councilmen hope to protect and help small venues from being forced to close during these trying times. 

    NYC Music Venues

    Brannan was a member of hardcore bands Indecision and Most Precious Blood before getting into politics. This close connection to being a musician and the need to keep venues afloat is one of the reasons behind the formation of “CBGB Caucus.” CBGB is an historic a New York City music club that opened in 1973 and closed its doors in 2006.

    According to Brooklyn Vegan, the councilman, “shared a letter to members of the NYC Congressional Delegation offering their support to efforts by the National Independent Venue Association.” Currently, 90% of venues will be forced to shut down without much needed aid the councilmen are pushing for. 

    To help support and save independent music venues, visit SaveOurStages.com where you can quickly fill out a form to contact your legislators about the need for aid for venues. You can also help support individual NYC music venues survive the pandemic by donating to them directly. A list of venues you can donate too can be found here.

    The full letter can be read below:

    Members of the New York City Congressional Delegation,

    We are writing to express our support of the National Independent Venue Association’s efforts to expand the Federal Paycheck Protection Program to offer more help for businesses like theirs that are completely shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are in need of support during this unprecedented time. We need to allow independent music venues to recover in order to preserve some of New York City’s — and our country’s — most important cultural institutions.

    With nearly 2,000 venues in all 50 states, the National Independent Venue Association represents an industry that has served as a cultural hub for New Yorkers of all different communities. These businesses have been particularly impacted by the pandemic due to their inability to reopen under profitable conditions for the foreseeable future. This has also affected all of the staff that work at these venues including production staff, managers, promoters, producers, stagehands, drivers, and a myriad of others whose livelihoods cannot resume until the pandemic has passed.

    We stand by the proposal to create a benefit which, along with emergency unemployment insurance, would be available to those who cannot work due to a canceled live event or performance during the continuation of the shutdown. This simple change could allow families across New York to continue to pay rent, while preserving our music venues. Flexibility in these programs, especially for the performance industry, is needed now more than ever.

    We look forward to working together in order to ensure that this valuable community in our city can get help. We at the Council are happy to lend our support.

    Thank you for your consideration, and with any questions, reach out to our offices.

  • Watch the new Blind Melon Documentary “All I Can Say” featuring footage by Shannon Hoon

    “All I Can Say,” a documentary on the late Shannon Hoon, the late lead singer of Blind Melon, was released on June 26. The film will not be released in theaters as planned due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but will be available to rent on Relix. 

    The film is made up of many clips Hoon filmed of himself between 1990 and 1995. Hoon was known for religiously filming himself and his day to day life and left over 200 hours of raw footage right up until his death at the age of 28. The footage starts from before Hoon joined Blind Melon and through the band’s experiences in L.A, filming right up until a few hours before his death. The film was co-directed by Danny Clinch, Taryn Gould, and Colleen Hennessey. 

    The film was funded by a Kickstarter that hoped to raise $100,000 but ended up raising $115,524 with almost 2,000 backers to the campaign. The Kickstarter explained their hopes for the film saying, “This film documents the band’s rise to fame, Hoon’s family life, his creative process, his tumultuous struggle with addiction, as well as the politics, technology and culture of the 90’s. It is being made in a way that honors the footage Hoon shot while maintaining a genuine and authentic story.”

    Oscilloscope Laboratories made the film available to the public via a rental program. Viewers can purchase a 3-day rental period of the film. Relix is partnered with Oscilloscope to share the film.

    https://youtu.be/3xph8pPJMB8

    For more information or to rent the film visit Relix Presents website.

  • Watch the new trailer for the upcoming Pixar Movie “Soul”

    Pixar this weekend debuted an inspirational new trailer for their upcoming movie, Soul.

    The first trailer depicted the soul of the musician Joe Garner, voiced by Jamie Foxx, struggling to find himself in ‘The Great Before,’ a place where souls gain personality traits before they are born into the world.

    The new trailer depicts Joe as a middle school band teacher, sharing his passion for music that he finds everywhere in his neighborhood in New York City.

    Soul will arrive in movie theaters in November 2020.

    “Music moves people,” says Joe, “Music is life, you just need to know where to look.”

    Written and directed by Pete Docter, who co-wrote notable movies like Up, Inside Out and Monsters, Inc., Soul centers around Joe Gardner (voiced by Jamie Foxx), who gets a chance to perform at a famous jazz club, but instead falls into a sinkhole, where his soul leaves his body. He must then has to find his way back to his body, with the help of 22, a soul voiced by Tina Fey.

    Soul promotes passion and to go for what you love. In Joe’s case, it is his love for music.

    Although the score for the film was composed by Oscar winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, both trailers feature neo-soul musician Cody Chesnutt with the song, “Parting Ways,” and pop rock band AJR with the song, “Overture.”

    This marks Pixar’s twenty-third film and will release in theaters on November 20 of this year.

    When Soul is released, it will be accompanied by Burrow, from the Pixar SparkShorts program. The official description of Burrow says:

    In Disney and Pixar’s new short film Burrow, a young rabbit embarks on a journey to dig the burrow of her dreams, despite not having a clue what she’s doing. Rather than reveal to her neighbors her imperfections, she digs herself deeper and deeper into trouble. After hitting (bed)rock bottom, she learns there is no shame in asking for help. Directed by Madeline Sharafian and produced by Mike Capbarat as part of Pixar’s SparkShorts program, Burrow opens in theaters on Nov. 20, 2020, in front of Disney and Pixar’s Soul.

    burrow

  • OFC Creations announces ROC Summer Theatre Experience

    OFC Creations have announced the 2020 line up for ROC Summer Theatre Experience will continue this summer with added precautions and safety measures for July and August.

    From July 6 through August 22, 2020, campers ages 4 to 18 will participate in a variation of 15 musical theater productions  across three venues  with 25 directors. Most camps run two weeks from 9 AM to 3 PM with options for before-care and after-care hours. Each camp concludes with performances open to family, friends, and the public. Camps will take place at various locations throughout Rochester including the Kodak Center, the Lyric Theatre, Seton School, and OFC’s brand-new theatre, The OFC Creations Theatre Center in Winton Place Plaza.

    Summer 2020 camps include the following productions:

    Ages 4-7

    Chicken Little, The Three Little Pigs, Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella

    Ages 7-11

    Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Aladdin Jr, Matilda Jr, Willy Wonka Jr, Peter Pan Jr, The Sound of Music, Law and Order: Fairy Tale Unit

    Ages 11-17

    Footloose the Musical, Sweeney Todd: School Edition, Chicago: School Edition, Rock of Ages: School Edition

    New safety precautions will be added to all summer camps including spaced drop off and pick up times, keeping campers in groups of no more than 10, wearing masks especially while singing, as well as hand sanitizing stations and frequent hand washing. OFC’s health advisor, Erika Kozlowski, will be on hand at camp with a focus on health and safety and answering any parent questions. A full breakdown of safety precautions are now on OFC’s website.

    OFC Creations Executive Director, Eric Vaughn Johnson, is no stranger to summer camp programming. From 2013 to 2018, Johnson had designed and spearheaded the Summer Stock program at RAPA, leading an upwards of 400 campers throughout the summer. Johnson also served as the artistic director of SNAP Musical Theater for four summers with casts of 80 kids performing shows including Hairspray and The Little Mermaid. 

    Johnson says why he wanted to continue the ROC Summer Theatre Experience:

    We wanted to bring a one-of-a-kind theater opportunity for youth in Rochester during the summer months. Kids have been stuck inside without any social interactions for months, they need this summer now more than ever.

    Here are some of the teaching artists and staff members at OFC Creations:

    Emily Beseau is a frequent teaching artist for OFC Creations. Beseau graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Ithaca College. Currently, Beseau is teaching OFC’s Experiencing Broadway class.

    ROC Summer Theatre Experience

    Hunter Ekberg,  originally from Minneapolis Minnesota, Ekberg frequents the Rochester stage as a performer in children’s theater productions. Ekberg is currently vocal directing OFC’s Frozen Jr and Mamma Mia productions.

    Rebecca Kemp is the general music teacher for Park Road Elementary School and will be vocal directing several of the youth shows for summer. Kemp recently vocal directed Barker Road Middle School’s production of Spamalot.

    ROC Summer Theatre Experience

    Jason Rugg, Irondequoit NY, is a theater teacher for Irondequoit High School and will be directing several summer camps. Rugg serves on the board of Pittsford Musicals, performs in community productions, and directed The Frog Prince at the Kodak Center in summer 2018.

    ROC Summer Theatre Experience

    Additional directors and staff members include:Lizzi Adams (Monroe Community College), Tammi Colombo (Rochester, NY) Andrea Gregoire (Rochester, NY) Mandi Gurell (Penfield, NY), Kendra Hacker (University of Kansas School of the Arts), Jane Huffer (University of Rochester), Misty Irwin (Spencerport, NY), Gregory Maddock (Rochester, NY), Jillian Oddo (Rochester, NY), Brianna Ross (SUNY Fredonia), Eric Schutt (Greece, NY), Courtney Weather (Brighton, NY), and Jamie Wisset (Brighton, NY).

    ROC Summer Theatre Experience

    Registration is now open for 2020 summer programs. Discounts are available for campers signing up for more than one camp. Registration information and details are available at www.ROCSummerTheatre.com and at www.OFCCreations.com.

  • 27 Years Later: Phish rocks Jones Beach for two nights

    After performing at SPAC and taking a day off to celebrate the release of A Live One, Phish headed to Jones Beach for their first two-night run at the Long Island amphitheater. Growing their following, especially from New York metro area high school and college students with a summer off, was part of Phish’s broadening appeal as they performed in bigger and bigger theaters.

    Ticket stubs via Shapsio

    The first show on the 28th featured the retired “Axilla (Part II)” and an 11-minute “Foam” demonstrating the patience of the foursome from Vermont. The rest of the set after “Fast Enough For You” reads like a fantasy setlist, and it was only the first set, including one of two “Fluffhead”‘s from that tour.

    Set 2 unleashes a 30+ minute “Tweezer” that is one for the books, so much that it was added to Live Bait 10 (scroll down for video). This experimental version of the jam vehicle included the ever rare “Dave’s Energy Guide” and a jam on The Breeder’s “Cannonball.” If you were still clamoring for more, the “Harry Hood” and “Tweezer Reprise” to close the set are likely to seal the deal.

    Setlist: June 28, 1995 via Phish.net

    Soundcheck: Sweet Home Alabama, Jam, Ginseng Sullivan, Red River Valley Jam, Dog Log (slow)

    Set 1: Axilla (Part II) > Foam, Fast Enough for You, Reba[1], Punch You in the Eye, Stash, Fluffhead > Chalk Dust Torture

    Set 2: Sample in a Jar, Poor Heart > Tweezer -> Dave’s Energy Guide -> Tweezer > Gumbo > Sparkle > Suzy Greenberg, Harry Hood, Tweezer Reprise

    Encore: Sweet Adeline, While My Guitar Gently Weeps

    [1] No whistling.

    Ha Ha Ha was teased before the start of the first set. Reba did not have the whistling ending. Dave’s Energy Guide was played for the first time since March 8, 1991 (479 shows). The secondTweezer included a Cannonball jam with quotes from Trey.

    The next day the fans returned to Jones Beach for another round of Phish, and were greeted with “Runaway Jim” -> “Taste.” The straightforward first set was enthusiastic and energetic, and ended with an acapella “Carolina.”

    If you were getting your first taste of Phish over these two nights, you might think that nearly half hour versions of songs were the norm, and for a time, they were. Both “David Bowie” and “You Enjoy Myself” topped over the 25 minute mark, with “Bowie” taking chances getting spacey, and “You Enjoy Myself” including a bass and drums section.

    From here, Phish would have two more two-night runs, at Great Woods in Mansfield, MA and two-nights in at Sugarbush in North Fayston, VT

    Setlist: June 29, 1995 via Phish.net

    Set 1: Runaway Jim > Taste, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Divided Sky, Cavern > Rift > Simple > Split Open and Melt, Carolina

    Set 2: Free -> David Bowie, Strange Design, You Enjoy Myself, Acoustic Army, A Day in the Life

    Encore: Theme From the Bottom

    Runaway Jim contained a Cannonball tease.

  • Shepard Fairey Praises Chuck D with new “Fight The Power” OBEY Print

    Flushings, Queens native and Public Enemy co-founder, Chuck D, and Shepard Fairey, the artist behind OBEY, have come together bringing us a cross-sectional introduction of street art and hip hop. The artists, each citing the other as an influence, have announced the “Fight The Power: Chuck D” print, which memorializes the 1989 Public Enemy politically centered rap song, “Fight The Power.”

    Fairey has cited Public Enemy to be one of the many influences behind his socially and politically charged propaganda-like art style which was tagged throughout the streets of cities on the East Coast in the late ’90s.

    Along with announcing the release of the “Fight The Power” print, Fairey has urged his audience to listen to Public Enemy’s music, giving attention to the groups latest single, “State of The Union (STFU),” released last week.

    “Chuck D has long been a hero of mine as founder and leader of Public Enemy. He’s an outspoken social and political voice, and activist. Chuck’s lyrics always spoke truth to power.”

    Shepard Fairey

    After receiving the invitation to participate in Chuck D’s art show, “The Terrordome,” Fairey decided to create his first portrait of the Public Enemy MC. Presented in a dulled orange and blue colorway, the “Fight The Power” print will be available at the OBEY online store Tuesday, June 30th.

    Limited to 500, each print will be delivered signed by Shepard Fairey and Chuck D with all proceeds going to Black Lives Matter Greater NYC.

  • Grateful Dead perform at SPAC on June 28, 1988, ending three year ban

    After being banned from SPAC for three years, the Grateful Dead returned on Tuesday, June 28, 1988 for one final outing at the famed Saratoga Springs venue. This being their first show since the release of 1987’s In the Dark and the Top 10 single “Touch of Grey,” a new generation of Deadheads were seeing the group for the first time, who were disparagingly referred to as ‘Touchheads’ by some veteran fans.

    While this was the final performance for the Grateful Dead’s at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, the band had a strong fanbase in the greater Capital District. Add in a new audience of younger fans and the band would find themselves heading half an hour south for future performances in the region, at the Knickerbocker Arena, starting in 1990.

    Grateful Dead SPAC

    Locally broadcast on WPYX, the Tuesday show was aired on the radio in an effort to dissaude fans from arriving at the show without a ticket. This did not prevent gatecrashing from occuring early in the night, and fans on the lawn were found heading into the pavilion balcony as they did in 1985.

    Rain fell on the crowd as storms passed through, and lightning was seen during the rain-soaked “Candyman,” leading to a chill coming over the crowd as the show wore on. A solid variety in the straightforward first set seemed to swap Bobby and Jerry songs from the outset of “Hell in a Bucket,” and ending with “Victim or the Crime” and “Foolish Heart.”

    More rain came down early in the second set, similar to the rain in 1985 that began during “Fire on the Mountain.” Listen to “Scarlet Begonias” > “Fire on the Mountain” > “Estimated Prophet” > “Crazy Fingers,” and you’d likely be enjoying dancing in the rain as the thousands of fans did that night.

    Following a hypnotic “Drums” and “Space,” a beautiful version of “I Will Take You Home” by Brent Mydland appeared, and a late second set “Stella Blue” found Jerry stumbling just before pouring buckets of emotion into the ending jam. The Dead had left their mark on SPAC, one of the most beloved venues in the Northeast.

    Grateful Dead, Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), June 28, 1988

    Set 1: Hell In A Bucket-> Bertha, Walkin Blues, Candyman, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Row Jimmy, Victim Or The Crime, Foolish Heart

    Set 2: Scarlet Begonias-> Fire On The Mountain, Estimated Prophet-> Crazy Fingers-> Drums-> I Will Take You Home-> Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad-> I Need A Miracle-> Stella Blue-> Not Fade Away

    Encore: Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door

  • Discover Local Music With EQXposure Featured Artists Of The Week

    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. 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. NYS Music will bring you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.

    Luminous Crush – All The Words And More

    Luminous Crush from Jamaica, VT has shared the stage with Amy Helm, opening for her band at the Paramount Theater in Rutland, VT. Their first album was produced along with Grammy-winning Nashville songwriter and producer Felix McTeigue, and their newest LP Lumina is now available at Bandcamp. This is a new song not found on either of their previous releases.

    Architrave – Yellow Lines

    Check out this Ballston Spa band’s new album This Perfect Day at Bandcamp and Spotify. The Daily Gazette of Schenectady called it the “perfect pandemic album”. This song was inspired by a dream that singer Jen Coleman’s daughter had.

  • In Memoriam: Milton Glaser, Graphic Design Master who inadvertently brought Dylan and the 60s music scene to Woodstock

    Milton Glaser, the master artist who created many of the most popular images of our times, from logos for IBM, DC Comics, UPS, Brooklyn Brewery, and ABC, to the iconic “I ♥ NY,” has passed away at 91. For we devotees of music, and especially New York State music, Glaser also holds an interesting place, as the man who inadvertently helped bring Bob Dylan and many figures of Sixties music and beyond to Woodstock.

    According to Barney Hoskyns must-read history of Woodstock and its music scene, Small Town Talk, it was Glaser who we may largely have to thank for Dylan’s relocation to Woodstock.

    As told in Hoskyns’ book, Manhattanite Glaser and his wife Shirley owned a second home in Woodstock since the 1950s, where they often entertained city friends, including Dylan’s famed manager Albert Grossman. It was natural for Milton Glaser to be drawn to the town since it has a history in art going back to the founding of the still-going strong Byrdcliffe, America’s first art colony in 1903.

    When a large property with 60 acres of land became available in 1962 in adjacent Bearsville, for the then princely sum of $50,000, Glaser immediately thought of Grossman. As quoted by Hoskyns’, “We didn’t know a single person with $50,000 except Albert,” said Glaser. The fact that Grossman resembled a bear may have also played a role in his choice of location, according to Glaser.

    Though Dylan first came to Woodstock in 1961 to stay at a cabin owned by the family of Peter Yarrow of Peter Paul and Mary, another Grossman-managed act, it was the comfort and protection of Grossman and his wife Sally that finally made him settle, as a way to escape the crazed demands of his stardom. Dylan lived in several homes in the area and was followed up by his backing band, The Band, who took up residency and created a musical workshop at the famed but decidedly humble Big Pink in West Saugerties, from whence the famed Basement Tapes emerged.

    milton glaser
    Lightnin Hopkins album cover by Milton Glaser

    In time, many more would follow to become full and short-time residents including Van Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Paul Butterfield and Janis Joplin, another Grossman-managed artist, and more recent names like David Bowie, B-52 Kate Pierson, King Crimson bassist Tony Levin, jazzers Jack DeJohnette and Pat Metheny, to name a few. Goldman went on to expand the musician attraction offerings in Woodstock by creating Bearsville Recording Studios and the soon-to-reopen Bearsville Theater.

    Glaser was also famed for his poster art, creating more than 400 at his Push Pin Studios. One of his most famous was one he created for the 1967 album, Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits. Here, he drafted a simple outline of the singer’s head, based on a black-and-white self-portrait silhouette by Marcel Duchamp, and added thick, wavy bands of color for the hair, forms he imported from Islamic art. Nearly 6 million copies made their way into homes in America, making it one of the most popular wall hangings on the bedrooms of young people in the Sixties. Glaser also produced a slew of album covers for artists including Paul Simon, Peter, Paul and Mary, Doc Watson and Townes Van Zant.

    milton glaser

    For more on Woodstock music history, pick up Barney Hoskyns’ Small Town Talk, which features a handy map to many of the former homes of the music stars. For more on Glaser and his art career, read today’s obit in the New York Times.

  • Sevendust Releases Cover of Soundgarden “The Day I Tried to Live”

    Sevendust announced new music for the first time since 2018 critically acclaimed album All I See Is War. The heavy metal legends released a new lyric video for their Soundgarden cover of “The Day I Tried to Live” on June 26 and is available on all streaming platforms.

    sevendust soundgarden
    Sevendust photo credit to Travis Shinn.

    Sevendust decided it was time to release new music and return to the airwaves after seeing the societal changes happening around the globe. “The Day I Tried to Live” was relevant back in 1994 when it was first released by Soundgarden and is just as relevant today. The message behind the song is all about trying to learn to live a better life which is only possible for everyone if everyone is given equal opportunities to do so.

    The new track was produced by Michael “Elvis” Baskette who worked on the bands latest album. The new lyric video for the song was created by Wayne Joyner  who is known for his work with Dream Theater. The video features a lone figure walking down a road thinking about his life. The video also includes clips of the band throughout it.

    “Soundgarden is such an important band to all of us in Sevendust and this love for them goes all the way back to when we were starting,” explains lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon. “We discussed trying to do one of their songs and our producer Elvis suggested ‘The Day I Tried To Live.’ I would have been fine with any of those songs personally. When I first heard it, I thought the lyrics were timeless. The lyrics are about trying to experience new things and change the way you live, and we see examples of that every day with what is happening around the world. To have the chance to cover this song and release it is so special to all of us. Thank you, Chris Cornell and Soundgarden.” 

    The song is available for purchase here. For more information on Sevendust please visit their website.