NYS Music 202​0

Tag: Covid-19

  • Trampoline Jetstream’s “Jerry” was worth the wait

    Utica band Trampoline Jetstream just released their latest single, “Jerry,” which has been in the works since 2018.

    Trampoline Jetstream

    The four person indie rock band began to record “Jerry” in Utica two years ago. Before they could finish, vocalist Nick Vanderwood suffered an injury that left him unable to sing. The band put the project on hold until February 2020, just before the COVID epidemic put everything on pause. Trampoline Jetstream had finished recording, but had to delay production and gigs further.

    The band joked that the album was cursed. “At one point we almost abandoned the project completely to begin writing a new album,” said drummer Adam Manion. “In the end, we felt too strongly about these songs and decided to release them as an EP.”

    Trampoline Jetstream

    It’s no shock that Trampoline Jetstream couldn’t abandon the project – the songs are incredibly personal. “These songs really are about figuring out your place in the world and wishing you could rewind yourself,” said guitarist Alex Verbickas. This feeling is present in “Jerry,” which “was inspired by a feeling of nostalgia and longing for youthful memories that have passed while also growing older” noted on the band’s SoundCloud. The indie band draws inspiration from different genres but pulls it all together with solid guitar and lyrics. With their varied style, even their instrumentals have the same nostalgic quality that their lyrics speak about.

    Fans are glad the band didn’t abandon “Jerry,” too. Audiences loved it so much that the band changed their name to the track’s first title, “Trampoline Jetstream.” Now, years later, those audiences along with the rest of the world can listen to “Jerry” and the other tracks to come.

    The full EP, Jerry, will also feature “I Confide” and “Rewind/Barney’s Quadrant.” The band will follow it with a companion EP released early 2021. Stream “Jerry” and Trampoline Jetstream’s other music now on SoundCloud and Spotify. Follow the band on Instagram and Facebook so you don’t miss any updates on their new releases!

  • Small Music Venues Get Relief from Nonprofit Live Music Society

    After months of being shut down and struggling to make ends meet, small business music venues will, finally, get the help they’ve been asking for. Live Music Society, a new nonprofit organization, announced their launch of relief efforts for the industry.

    Live Music Society
    Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY.

    The Society’s first phase is getting monetary grants to 20 small venues around the country. For the first two years of their operation, they promise to give $2 million in grant money to the live music industry.

    The Society’s relief program has a broader approach to ensure small venues will get their aid. The Live Music Society Grants will supply philanthropic aid to music venues that have been in operation for three years or more with a sellable capacity of 250 occupants or less, with maximum one-year individual grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000.

    Across 14 states, the Society’s first grant recipients are known for their community engagement. Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs is a quaint venue, with a mere 110 seats. This compact concert hall hosted an array of artists throughout the years, most notably, Bob Dylan. Other venues in New York State receiving grants are The Bowery Electric in Manhattan and Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock.

    Music is magic. It has tremendous power to connect people and create energy. There are small venues around the country that create soul-filling experiences for their audiences, staff, and for the local and touring musicians that play there. These clubs are a precious and important part of our nation’s music ecosystem, and our goal is to help them continue to be excellent at what they do.

    Founder and Board Chairman of Live Music Society Pete Muller

    Muller is a singer-songwriter and a champion of music education. He helped in the saving of New York’s Power House Studios along with Berkley College of Music in Boston and the NYC Mayor’s Office of media and entertainment.

    As the pandemic soared around the world, live music was put to an abrupt halt, leaving thousands of industry workers jobless.

    The National Independent Venue Association pushed hard for economic relief. They were able to get Congress to pass the Save Our Stages Act, which allowed the Small Business Association to give grants and loans to venues, but it only extends to December of this year and there are limitations.

    During such trying times, the society’s hope is to keep struggling venues from closing their doors.

    Our original goal was to support a small network of like-minded clubs around the country that could share best practices and learn from each other. But then the pandemic hit, and now we are simply trying to help these clubs stay afloat until they can open their doors again.

    Executive Director Joyce Lim

    Live Music Society will open the next round of applications for the 2021 cycle starting in early January. The criteria for application include:

    • Venues with sellable capacity of 250 seats or less
    • Venues that have been in operation for 3 years or more
    • Venues that are committed to live music as its primary activity

    Here are the recipients for the first phase:

    LIVE MUSIC SOCIETY GRANT RECIPIENTS

    (OCTOBER 2020)

    The Hotel Café (Los Angeles, Calif.)

    Dazzle Denver (Denver, Colo.)

    Hi-Dive (Denver, Colo.)

    SPACE (Evanston, Ill.)

    The Jazz Showcase (Chicago, Ill.)

    Club Passim (Cambridge, Mass.)

    Jonathan’s Ogunquit (Ogunquit, Maine)

    Seven Steps Up (Spring Lake, Mich.)

    The Word Barn (Exeter, N.H.)

    The Bowery Electric (New York, N.Y.)

    Caffé Lena (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.)

    Levon Helm Studios, Inc. (Woodstock, N.Y.)

    BOP STOP @ The Music Settlement (Cleveland, Ohio)

    Mercury Lounge (Tulsa, Okla.)

    The Kennett Flash (Kennett Square, Pa.)

    Club Café (Pittsburgh, Pa.)

    McGonigel’s Mucky Duck (Houston, Texas)

    Jammin Java (Vienna, Va.)

    Barboza (Seattle, Wash.)

    The Royal Room (Seattle, Wash.)

  • Independent Venue Week Launches Weeklong Fundraiser for NIVA Emergency Relief Fund

    The Independent Venue Week announces their weeklong fundraiser benefiting the The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) Emergency Relief Fund. The auction will be taking place between October 24 – 30, 2020. It will host memorabilia for auction to the general public and the revenue will help assist independent venues and promoters.

    Independent Venue Week NIVA

    The NIVA Emergency Relief Fund is raising money for the most vulnerable venues to try to keep them afloat while waiting on Congress to pass Save Our Stages. The fund will be administered to these affected venues by The Giving Back Fund; a separate non-profit that will collect the money and oversee the application process for venues to receive grants from the NIVA Emergency Relief Fund. People can directly donate to the fund here.

    People will have the chance to bid on one of 70+ pieces of music history throughout the week in an effort to #SaveOurStages for the years of history to come. Items up for auction include everything from two original paintings from Independent Venue Week  Artist Ambassador, Alison Mosshart (The Kills/The Dead Weather), a pair of seats from the original Merriweather Pavilion,  Al Bouchard’s (Blue Oyster Cult) very own Fender Jaguar Bass, signed by the rock legend himself, a limited edition vinyl box set from Blue Note Records, curated by the legendary jazz label’s president, Don Was, a stunning Epiphone “White Lightning” Explorer signed by Tommy “Spaceman” Thayer (KISS), courtesy from the Gibson Foundation, and much more. 

    Independent Venue Week NIVA
    Merriweather Post Pavilion Original Seats. Photo provided by press release.

    The auctioned items and programming will be held and by some of the country’s most treasured live venues. There are over 140 participating venues. Independent Venue Week is partnering  Eventbrite, Big Room, Ascend Insurance Brokerage, and School of Rock to bring the auction to life.

    Brand new Epiphone “White Lightning” Explorer signed by Tommy “Spaceman” Thayer from KISS. Photo provided by press release.

    The Independent Venue Week is also introducing a series of discussion panels featuring professionals from all aspects of the live music industry to discuss their experiences, expertise, and the future of live events. The topics will include what venues can do to help build and diversify their audience, how live events are adapting to a virtual world, and the importance these stages have to the economy and community. October 29 will involve an entire day for students to “Get Schooled” and will feature programming that is aimed towards students getting their start in the live music and events industry.

    The full list of items and week’s programming can be found at Independent Venue Week’s website.

  • Beastie Boys Campaign Ad for Joe Biden Gets Pulled Over Harassment to Featured Club Owner

    The Beastie Boys announced their decision to allow their song, “Sabotage” for a Biden and Harris Presidential Campaign ad. Unfortunately the ad was pulled due to the featured club owner receiving harassment from President Trump supporters just days after debuting on October 18, 2020 This is the first time the band has ever allowed one of their songs to be used for a presidential ad. The ad focuses on how COVID-19 is detrimentally affecting the live entertainment industry. 

    https://youtu.be/SW86jyTsYe4

    The Beastie Boys have sued Monster Energy and GoldieBox  in the past for using their songs without permission in their ads. The only things they have allowed is the use of “Sabotage” in trailers for “Star Trek” and the “Destiny 2” video game.

    The Beastie Boys are a hip hop and rap group from New York City that formed back in 1978 under the original name Young Aborigines before becoming the Beastie Boys in 1981. Some of their most well known songs include “Sabotage,” “No Sleep Till Brooklyn,” “Fight for Your Right” and many many more. Their debut album, Licensed to Ill, was the first rap record to top the Billboard 200 chart. They have eight studio albums and have become a household name throughout the years and recently released a documentary “Beastie Boys Story Out Now” on April 14, 2020.

    The Ad focuses on the venue the Blind Pig that is a club Ann Arbor, Michigan that has been extremely affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The venue was shut down after its 50 years of existence where it was a substantiation part of its community. It’s owner in the ad speaks about how he considers Donald Trump’s shortsighted response to the coronavirus crisis is one of the main reasons his venue is in such poor shape. 

    A spokesperson from the Biden campaign according to the Variety article explained that, “the Beastie Boys, who had ‘never licensed music for an ad until now,’ agreed to the use of “Sabotage” in the spot ‘because of the importance of the election.’”

    The Ad was pulled on Wednesday October 21, 2020 after the owner of the Blind Pig received threats and was attacked by Trump supporters. Campaign spokesperson Bill Russo expanded on the situation saying, “The price for having a voice in our political process cannot be endless harassment. And yet, that is what Joe Malcoun and his family currently face as he was doxxed, harassed and threatened after the Trump campaign has sought to smear a community leader who dared to speak out against Trump’s failed response to the Covid crisis. It is shameful,” according to The New York Times article.

    For more information on the Beastie Boys visit their website and for more information on the The Biden and Harris Presidential Campaign visit their website. 

    *Article Updated on October 23, 2020*

  • Broadway Stays Dark Until May 2021

    On March 12, all Broadway theaters went dark due to the coronavirus pandemic. Theaters hoped on opening this January, but the shutdown has been extended through at least May 30, 2021.

    Broadway Stays Dark
    A poster on Times Square advertises West Side Story at the Broadway Theater on February 7, 2020 in New York City. – Westside Story is returning to Broadway for the first time in more than a decade, directed by Belgian Ivo Van Hove. (Photo by Johannes EISELE / AFP) (Photo by JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images)

    On October 9, The Broadway League announced that Broadway will remain dark until next Summer. This shutdown is the longest ever in Broadway’s history. If theaters open as planned next May, shows will have been closed for 444 days, keeping thousands out of work for more than a year.

    “With nearly 97,000 workers who rely on Broadway for their livelihood and an annual economic impact of $14.8 billion to the city, our membership is committed to re-opening as soon as conditions permit us to do so. We are working tirelessly with multiple partners on sustaining the industry once we raise our curtains again.”

    Charlotte St. Martin, President of the Broadway League

    Before the shutdown, 31 productions were running on Broadway, including 8 new shows in previews. 8 additional shows were in rehearsals with plans to open last spring. Hangmen, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and Disney’s Frozen struggled greatly and closed permanently. Shows like Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster’s revival of The Music Man, American Buffalo, and The Minutes postponed their opening dates. The Music Man announced plans to open on February 10, 2022.

    Broadway Stays Dark
    Photo by Kate Glicksberg

    Needless to say, the Broadway community’s fans and workers are heartbroken. The Broadway League announced that although the current opening date is May 30, individual production’s reopening dates may differ. The League suggests that “theatregoers holding tickets for dates through May 30, 2021 should contact their point of purchase for details about exchanges and refunds.”

    Amid this crisis, fans can still look forward to the 2020 Tony Awards. The show will be presented virtually, and the nominees for each category will be announced October 15.

  • Radial Park brings Broadway Theater to the Drive-in

    Although the coronavirus pandemic has left Broadway shut down until next year, the Friends of Hallets Point and Stark Production have teamed up to introduce Radial Park, a drive-in theater in Queens with a Broadway twist.

    radial park
    Photo by Tricia Baron

    Starting this month, Hallets Point Play has begun to offer Broadway experiences, from big screen movies to full scale live productions. Radial Park’s first show, a live production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, officially opened this month. An 11-piece orchestra brings this show to life along with talented actors Ali Ewoldt (Les Miserables National Tour and Broadway, The Phantom of the Opera Broadway, and The King and I Regional Tour and Broadway) and Derrick Davis (The Phantom of the Opera National Tour, The Lion King National Tour). Ice cold beverages and movie theater snacks are available.

    Radial Park is taking extreme measures in order to maintain their guests’ safety. All have their temperature checked upon entry, and can choose a glow in the dark wristband to make others aware of his or her comfort level: green bracelets for go, yellow for being cautious, and red to tell others not to come near. Fans can enjoy the show from their own cars, but those without vehicles are welcome to rent a socially-distanced picnic table complete with a boombox for audio. There are COVID “lifeguards” on duty all night to ensure that everyone practices social distancing.

    radial park
    Ali Ewoldt as Christine in Phantom. Photo by Tricia Baron.

    “The Durst Organization is thrilled to host such a creative concept from Stark Productions,” said Helena Rose Durst, Principal at The Durst Organization. “Radial Park will provide a unique live entertainment experience that we are all craving during these difficult times, but in a safe and responsible way.” The Durst Organization also holds 20 tickets each performance for Astoria Houses residents. A portion of sales goes to Friends of Hallets Point, a nonprofit organization that improves the community life and beauty of Hallets Point.

    “As the saying goes, ‘The show must go on!’” commented Jeremy Shepard, Stark Production Group Founder and President. “We are thrilled to be able to be presenting Broadway at the drive-in and are grateful to our partners, Friends of Halletts Point and the Durst Organization, for making it all possible.” Radial Park is personal to Shepard, and he hopes that it can help lighten New Yorkers’ spirits during quarantine. “I chose Broadway because it has been a part of my life for the last 10 years,” he says. “It seems a shame it is shut down when we all need it the most. Can’t wait to see you at Broadway at the drive-in!”

    radial park

    Starting this weekend, a full screening of Purple Rain will run until October 25. Audiences will watch the film along with nine live numbers performed by the Radial Park Band, American Idol Finalist Aaron Marcellus, Broadway’s Nick Rashad, and Burroughs and Grammy award nominee, Lenesha “Sister” Randolf.

    Tickets are available for Phantom of the Opera and Purple Rain now. Prices are per car (up to 5 people) or per picnic table (up to 4). Sign up for Radial Park’s mailing list and don’t miss news and exclusive offers.

  • Las Vegas Hotel Announces Rapid Testing Lab to Bring Back Large Events

    Wynn Resorts CEO, Matt Maddox, announced a COVID-19 testing lab in Las Vegas is in the works to bring back concerts and large events.

    las vegas
    Medical workers at Wynn Resorts in Las Vegas test employees.

    For months, we have been working with University Medical Center (UMC), Georgetown University and leading labs in California and New York to study technology that can rapidly and rigorously test thousands of people in a matter of hours.

    Matt Maddox

    Maddox says the reason tourism in Vegas still hasn’t made a come back since the pandemic is the fear of contracting the infectious disease. He believes the only solution to make get the city back and booming again is not relying on the idea that there will be an eventual vaccine.

    Hoping our government alone will solve getting Las Vegas back on track is not viable. Hope, as the saying goes, is not a strategy. Instead, community leaders must present science-based options that advance our broader goals to reignite our city.

    Matt Maddox

    What can go wrong with this plan?

    In theory, a lab that anyone could get tested at can provide a safe way to gather without the possibility of getting COVID, but there are factors to consider.

    Although the person being tested would get their results within hours, this also means that they have to wait hours to go to the event they were planning. This, in turn, means for those who plan to drive out to a show, their whole day would be spent waiting for a positive or negative result and maybe not even being able to go to the event. The idea is to bring back the bustling music and theater scene, but not everyone is going to want to make a day of this.

    Another off-set is getting people to step out of their comfort zone, which may need more than mandated testing. The pandemic, along with the quarantine, left the state of the world feeling fearful after the disease took the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Getting people out of fear-mode might just take time.

    Extensive research clearly indicates that what is keeping people away from Las Vegas is not so much the physical environment, which we work diligently to keep sterilized, but rather a fear of other people. We must alleviate that fear.

    Matt Maddox

    Maddox and the medical professionals he is working with says the whole process should reduce the chance of exposure to 0.1%.

    Nothing in life is 100% safe but establishing these safe zones by testing thousands of people per day with the PCR test, dramatically mitigates the danger of community spread and, with empirical evidence and careful execution, will work. The probability of a contagious COVID carrier entering a “safe zone” is less than one-tenth of 1%.

    Matt Maddox

    Who is Matt Maddox

    las vegas matt maddox
    Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox

    According to Casino.org, Maddox took over as CEO in 2018, after Steve Wynn was accused of sexual misconduct and had to step down. Maddox previously served as Wynn’s president and Chief Financial Officer since 2013.

    What is Wynn Las Vegas?

    Wynn and Encore Las Vegas feature two luxury hotel towers with a total of 4,748 spacious hotel rooms, suites and villas, approximately 194,000 square feet of casino space, 22 dining experiences featuring signature chefs and 11 bars, two award-winning spas, approximately 560,000 rentable square feet of meeting and convention space, approximately 160,000 square feet of retail space as well as two showrooms, two nightclubs, a beach club and recreation and leisure facilities.

    Matt Maddox press release

  • Set + Voi Drops Debut Single “TMRW”

    Set + Voi, an Asian Electro-Pop Supergroup, debuts their first single “TMRW” on October 2, 2020. Set + Voi hopes that the song will help people to view Asian Americans in a different light than they are portrayed by in the media. 

    Set + Voi

    The supergroup is made up of Tony Nguyen of Wind Meets West, Mason Wong of VYZTA, and Ashley Chong of saenabi. The three piece band hails from Brooklyn and has worked completely remotely from each other, creating this song without having ever met each other in person. The supergroup formed during COVID- 19 through the Asian Creative Network, a community to connect and empower Asian creatives. Nguyen initiated the group’s formation by inviting Chong and Wong for a writing session.

    The song “TMRW” became their first single after writing sections together where it was formed. Nguyen uses their producing and songwriting skills, Chong uses their lyrics and songwriting, led by poetry and personal narrative, and Wong’s expertise in EDM production make for music that combines emotional honesty and high-toned theatrical flair. Their different musical upbringings create a compelling mix that makes their music unique. 

    Nguyen spoke on  the creation of “TMRW”  saying, “I wrote this song about how immigrant parents sometimes can’t conceive a life outside ‘stability=happiness’, that a 9-5 is the only way to find your place in life. This song is for everyone on a nonstandard path in life, those who want to break out and live a different way than they were taught growing up.” 

    The name Set + Voi, means “set whale,” voi being Vietnamese for ‘whale.’ This name came into being after an inside joke between the band members referring to the whale-like sound that reverberates through their first single ‘TMRW.’

    For more information on Set + Voi, visit their Instagram here and stay tuned for more from this supergroup.

  • Save Our Stages Act Added to the Heroes Act in the House of Representatives Relief Bill

    The Save Our Stages Act was added to the House of Representatives-revised  relief bill on September 28, 2020. The addition of the Save Our Stages will make it so the Heroes Act will allocate ten billion dollars for independent venues impacted by Coronavirus.

    Save Our Stages Heroes Act

    The ten billion dollars that would go to independent venues, producers, promoters and talent representatives will be able to be used to cover things like rent, mortgages, utilities, insurance and other expenses that these businesses are in during the ongoing pandemic. The hope is that these grants will help keep the entertainment industry afloat during these unprecedented times if the Heroes Act is passed. 

    If the Heroes Act gets passed and signed into law it will include another round of stimulus checks to American families, as well as a second round of Paycheck Protection Program loans for businesses particularly impacted like the restaurant and live entertainment industries. The 2,500-page bill will would be a lump sum of $2.2 trillion in grants 

    According to the Rolling Stone article on the addition of the Save Our Stages to the relief bill most venues weren’t able to “take advantage of the Paycheck Protection Program loans for small businesses contained in the CARES Act that passed in March.” The main issue with the CARES Act for venues in particular is that the main thing it provided was loan forgiveness if businesses spent 75% of said loan on their payroll. Unfortunately, these venues were/are mostly closed down due to regulations on live entertainment during the pandemic and therefore have few to no employees which makes payroll loan forgiveness unhelpful unfortunately.

    The original Save Our Stages Act was introduced to the Senate by John Cornyn and Amy Klobuchar. Save Our Stages gained a significant amount of public support as well as support in both the House and the Senate.

    For more information on the updated Heroes Act read the one page summary here.  

  • Music Festivals Start Using an “Event Bubble” Strategy to Exist During the Pandemic Era

    Music Festivals have started to use the “Event Bubble” strategy to create a safe environment during the pandemic era. A music festival doesn’t sound like the most safe activity during COVID-19, but with festivals like the Utopia Music Festival using the “Event Bubble” strategy attending a music festival is relatively safe activity for individuals to partake in while the pandemic rages on. 

    Event Bubble
    Tumbledown 2018 pictured by Dave DeCrescente.

    How the “Event Bubble” strategy works is that  all attendees are screened with a COVID-19 test a few days before the festival takes place and are then tested again at the entrance with a wrapped test. This double test works to help create this bubble of safety at the event because everyone in attendance should be COVID-19 free.

    At Utopia Music Festival, which took place over the Labor Day weekend, there were open-air gatherings using these strategies allowed an attendance of 250 people.

    The current hope is these strategies could make large music festivals in the midst of a global pandemic a possibility. The problem right now is the fact the COVID-19 test isn’t 100% accurate. According to Harvard Health Publishing, “The reported rate of false negatives is as low as 2% and as high as 37%” for Molecular tests. 

    This means that in some areas there is a 37% chance that if someone is tested and it comes back negative they could actually be positive for COVID-19. The chances of getting a false positive are exponentially lower and are close to zero. Generally it’s a lab error if someone does get a false positive result. 

    Event Bubble
    Levitate 2019 photo by Zingari photography.

    According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Requiring COVID-19 testing is a significant financial undertaking that might not make sense for DIY events with tight budgets, or for large festivals such as Coachella, whose guests don’t stay on site” a possibility. The “Event Bubble” approach can create a virus-free bubble where screened staff and attendees can enjoy the festivities while being removed from the danger of outside contact with the rest of the world for the duration of the event. This would however definitely be difficult to enforce and control in larger scale events let alone the free of false negatives being present at the event. 

    If the “Event Bubble” takes off more and more festivals in the real world could be a possibility sooner than one might think but most likely they will be small scale festivities for the time being.