NYS Music 202​0

Tag: Andy Frasco

  • Phil Lesh, Billy Strings, Marco Benevento and More Headlining “Democracy Comes Alive”

    Live for Live Music in partnership with HeadCount have announced a one-day virtual music festival to promote voter participation. Dubbed “Democracy Comes Alive” the special event will use the influence of music to showcase how critical voter participation is. Featuring 50 artists and 10 speakers in one day, music fans are being encouraged to “get out the vote”.

    “Democracy Comes Alive” will take place on Saturday, October 3 at 1:00 PM ET and is hosted by Ari Fink of SiriusXM. To receive a link to the show, attendees are required to check the status of their voter registration or make a donation to HeadCount.

    democracy comes alive
    Democracy Comes Alive 2020 Poster

    With a star studded list of performers including members of The Grateful Dead, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Turkuaz, Trampled by Turtles, Bruce Hornsby, Dawes, Warren Haynes, Shawn Colvin and many more music fans are in for a treat while educating themselves on the importance of voting. Each artist in the lineup will also be performing all new pieces.

    “People have fought and died, and are still fighting, for the universal right to vote in this country. However, so many of our country’s eligible citizens still do not wield this awesome power bestowed upon them, which in turn leads to presidents and representatives enacting laws that aren’t in their best interest. Democracy works best when all citizens of a country participate, so we’re looking to encourage just that with Democracy Comes Alive, alongside the support of HeadCount.

    Kunj Shah, founder of Live For Live Music, Justice Comes Alive and Quaratine Comes Alive

    “Democracy Comes Alive” will feature several guest speakers whose focus will stay on the history of voting rights and examine what it took for everyone. Tips as well as information regarding best voting practices and the most effective ways to research representatives at a national, state, and local level will be provided.

    Among the guest speakers are Bob Weir, Jon Fishman, Bill Kreutzmann, Peter Shapiro, Marc Brownstein and many more.

    Head over to DemocracyComesAlive.com for more information and to heck your voter registration status today. See below for a list of all performers and guest speakers.

    Democracy Comes Alive Performers:
    ALO, Andy Frasco, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Big Something, Billy Strings, Bruce Hornsby, The California Honeydrops, Cris Jacobs, David Shaw (The Revivalists), DAWES, Dopapod, Dumpstaphunk, Fruition, G. Love, The Ghost of Paul Revere, Goose, Here Come The Mummies, Hiss Golden Messenger, Joey Porter (feat. Nigel Hall & Sonata Porter), Karina Rykman, Katie Pruitt, Kim Dawson, Kitchen Dwellers, Leslie Mendelson, Lettuce x Motet (Members), Maggie Rose, Marco Benevento, Melvin Seals & JGB, Michael Franti, Moon Taxi, Neal Francis, Nicki Bluhm, The New Mastersounds, The Nth Power, Phil Lesh And Friends, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Reed Mathis & Electric Beethoven, Robert Walter, Ryan Montbleau, Shawn Colvin, Slightly Stoopid, Southern Avenue, Spafford, The String Cheese Incident (members), The Suffers, Trampled By Turtles, Turkuaz, Umphrey’s Mcgee, and Warren Haynes

    Speakers include:
    Andy Bernstein (HeadCount), Bill Kreutzmann (Grateful Dead), Bob Crawford (The Avett Brothers), Bob Weir (Grateful Dead), Jon Fishman (Phish), Kunj Shah (Live For Live Music), Marc Brownstein (The Disco Biscuits), Oteil Burbridge (Dead and Company), Peter Shapiro (Brooklyn Bowl), and Stefan Lessard (Dave Matthews Band).

  • Turkuaz Launches Variety Show, “HEY YOU, STAY TUNED”

    Brooklyn-based funk band Turkuaz recently launched their latest creative endeavor this past with “HEY YOU, STAY TUNED,” their hour-long recurring variety show available exclusively through the band’s Facebook and YouTube channels.

    hey you stay tuned

    The pilot episode sees the eccentric nine-piece ensemble partake in a Hollywood Squares parody, aptly entitled “Turkuaz Squares.” Comedian Brett Siddell, who also recently launched his own comedy special via Vimeo, acts as announcer, while Sirius XM’s Ari Fink hosts the show. Additionally, special guests Andy Frasco and Eric “Benny” Bloom appear as contestants on the game show.

    Gameshow antics are accompanied by a pop up video replay of Turkuaz’s official music video for 2017 single “On the Run,” which stars Chris Roberti from HBO’s High Maintenance and Comedy Central’s Broad City. Fans are also treated to never-before-released content from the band’s recent None’s A Ton concert film, with “Nightswimming” and “Coast to Coast” footage from the film spliced in. 

  • Andy Frasco and the UN Royally Rumbles With Big Something at the Brooklyn Bowl

    Andy Frasco and the UN brought their Royal Rumble tour circus to the Brooklyn Bowl on Saturday night, in the form of a high energy, wrestling themed showdown with co-headliner Big Something. Comedian Kyle Ayers doubled as the opening act and MC for the antics. The sold out crowd enjoyed the ruckus that ensued, as well as the jams.

    Kyle Ayers kicked off the festivities with an unusual opening set of comedy directed at jam band fans. Shortly thereafter, Big Something descended upon the stage, delivering jam rock with a Southern and alt-rock flavor, along with extremely high energy. Members of Andy Frasco and the UN joined this party dressed in wrestling masks for a notable cover of  Pink Floyd’s “The Wall.” At one point, Frasco dove onto Ayers, forcing him to wear a neck brace for the rest of the show. Big Something also performed the nineties throwback “Gangster’s Paradise” by Coolio. 

    After setbreak, Andy Frasco and the UN descended upon the stage once again, this time with even crazier stage antics. Known for stage diving, Frasco went for a ride early on in the set, and sported a bottle of Jameson throughout the night. Frasco was not without support from talented guests, as guitarists Dave Brandwein of Turkuaz and Brandon Niederauer took the stage for an electric cover of “Burning Down the House” by the Talking Heads. They also played their newly released track “Keep On Keepin’ On,” which was well received by the crowd.

    The night was not complete without a stage diving race to drive the lane and dunk a basketball into the hoop setup within the crowd. Ayers refereed this challenge, while standing on top of Frasco’s piano. Frasco pulled off the victory while wearing his Wilt Chamberlain Lakers jersey.

    The show was highly entertaining, and included some tasty blues, funk and rock-n-roll jams. This circus is back on the road this week in NY State, performing at the Buffalo Iron Works in Buffalo, NY on Tuesday, Feb 18th. Visit their tour page for more details.

  • Andy Frasco announces new LP ‘Keep On Keepin On’, extensive Spring Tour

    Whirling dervish Andy Frasco has announced his upcoming LP Keep On Keepin’ On will be due out in April on SideOneDummy Records. With a therapeutic helping of rock ‘n roll with pop and Americana roots influence, the album is a powerful musical snapshot of what’s going on with Andy, his band and his fans. A special “Wellness” video trailer for the album has been released, geared towards encouraging fans not to suppress feelings that may be uncomfortable to talk about, and share the good as well as bad things in life.

    “We all have things that make us who we are. Some things are just uncomfortable to talk about, so we tend to suppress those feelings because we don’t want our friends and social media followers to look at us as weak. It’s time to speak up about not just the good things in our life but the bad as well. This is who I am.” 

    “We’re going through a mental health crisis right now,” says Andy Frasco. “Loneliness, depression, suicide, it’s all on the rise. When you’re struggling in the moment, it can feel like you’re the only one, but that’s just not the truth. I wanted to make a record to remind you that you’re not alone.”

    The title track combines soul, funk and pop, and empowers the listener through a danceable and catchy track focusing on overcoming negative thoughts and embracing love. Honest, thought-provoking and rhythmically infectious, Frasco’s upcoming project has important conversations while showcasing his talent as a songwriter and performer.

    Produced by Widespread Panic’s Dave Schools and by former AWOLNATION keyboardist Kenny Carkeet, the LP finds Frasco digging deeper than he’s ever dug before, fusing ecstatic rock and soul with infectious pop and funk as he grapples with the kind of demons he’s spent the better part of his adult life running from. The songs here are blunt in their honesty and unsparing in their self-examination, but they remain, at their core, works of great hope and promise. They’re the work of a man who’s been through the darkest part of the night and, now that dawn is finally breaking, is ready to share his story.

    “Making this record helped me accept that I needed therapy in my life,” Frasco explains. “I always used to think I was too proud or too strong to have a therapist, but I realized that was all bullshit. I’m not always the fun, wild guy people see onstage, and it felt like time to talk about who I really am.”

    Frasco is also in the midst of his Spring Tour, supporting Big Something, Umphrey’s McGee and Twiddle, as well as standalone shows. Catch him in Ithaca on February 11, Brooklyn February 15 and Buffalo February 18. Full tour dates are below.

    Andy Frasco and the U.N. Spring Tour

    2/05 – 1904 Music Hall – Jacksonville, FL (with Big Something) 

    2/06 – The Charleston Pour House – Charleston, SC (with Big Something) 

    2/07 – The Charleston Pour House – Charleston, SC (with Big Something)

    2/08 – Neighborhood Theatre – Charlotte, NC (with Big Something)

    2/09 – The Broadberry – Richmond, VA (with Big Something) 

    2/11 – The Haunt – Ithaca, NY (with Big Something) 

    2/12 – The Rex Theater – Pittsburgh, PA (with Big Something) 

    2/13 – 9:30 Club – Washington, DC (with Big Something)

    2/14 – Brighton Music Hall – Boston, MA (with Big Something) 

    2/15 – Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn, NY (with Big Something) 

    2/18 – Buffalo Iron Works – Buffalo, NY (with Big Something)

    2/19 – The Magic Bag – Ferndale, MI (with Big Something) 

    2/20 – Woodlands Tavern – Columbus, OH (with Big Something) 

    2/21 – The Stache – Grand Rapids, MI (with Big Something) 

    2/22 – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL 

    2/25 – Neurolux – Boise, ID

    2/26 – Midtown Ballroom – Bend, OR (supporting Umphrey’s McGee)

    2/27 – McDonald Theatre – Eugene, OR (supporting Umphrey’s McGee)

    2/28 – Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR (supporting Umphrey’s McGee)

    2/29 – Showbox SoDo – Seattle, WA (supporting Umphrey’s McGee)

    3/03 – Humboldt Brews – Arcata, CA

    3/04 – The Saint – Reno, NV

    3/05 – Crazy Horse Saloon – Nevada City, CA

    3/06 – Lost on Main – Chico, CA

    3/07 – The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA (supporting Twiddle)

    3/19 – Schmiggity’s – Steamboat Springs, CO

    3/20 – Boogie at The Broadmoor – Colorado Springs, CO

    3/21 – Agave – Avon, CO

    4/18 – Bluebird Theater – Denver, CO

    4/20 – Fox Theatre – Boulder, CO

    4/24 – Sweetwater 420 Festival – Atlanta, GA

    4/25 – Winstons – San Diego, CA 

    5/22 – Summer Camp Music Festival – Chillicothe, IL

    5/23 – Summer Camp Music Festival – Chillicothe, IL

    5/24 – Summer Camp Music Festival – Chillicothe, IL

    6/07 – Backwoods at Mulberry Mountain – Ozark, AR

    6/11 – Bonnaroo – Manchester, TN

    7/04 – Peach Music Festival – Scranton, PA

    July 2 – July 5 – High Sierra Music Festival – Quincy, CA

    July 22-26 – FloydFest – Floyd, VA

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