NYS Music 202​1

Author: Hattie Lindert

  • Japan Society Present Experimental Theater Event “SHEEP #1”

    NYC’s Japan Society has announced SHEEP #1, a unique new live performance from New-York based artist Sachiyo Takahashi. The four-show run will be live at Japan Society from November 4 through November 7. 

    SHEEP #1 follows the story of a lone sheep seeking out the meaning of life. Takahashi’s minimalist, unique performance employs a self-designed style she coined “Microscopic Live Cinema-Theatre.” Manipulating minuscule figurines in real-time, Takahashi magnifies their live movements onscreen alongside a live musical accompaniment. She has received multiple grants from The Jim Henson Foundation, including one this year, for her innovations in puppeteering. 

    The experimental performance combines live music, object theater, and storytelling inspired by the writings of Antoine de Saint-Exupery (Le Petit Prince). The performance’s text is a mixture of original words by Takahashi and quotes from Saint-Exupery himself. 

    Takashi’s has shown her inventive work at festivals and venues around the world. She founded her artistic collective, Nekaa Lab, in 2006, described as an “eternal playground for the curious mind.” The video, which highlights the figurines and puppets that make up the “lab members” of Nekaa Lab, is a prime example of the odd, haunting minimalism of Microscopic Live Cinema-Theatre. 

    In addition to puppetry, Takahashi also has master accreditation in Okamoto School Shinnai-bushi, a traditional form of song-storytelling from Japan. Her merging of unique and traditional styles creates a new form of avant-garde cinematic experience. In fact, she previously collaborated with Korean instrumentalist gamin to conceptualize a new music theatre, The Emotions, incorporated into the HERE Artist Residency Program in 2020. 

    In a note, Japan Society Artistic Director Yoko Shioya explained what called her to the piece. Shioya felt moved by Takahashi’s treatment of her figurines as members of her artistic company. 

    “Having the utmost reverence to a particular thing,” Shioya said, “is a meaningful gift that artists possess to create art.” 

    SHEEP #1’s run will incorporate two distinct programs. PROGRAM A, featuring Emile Blondel on piano, will be performed Thursday, November 4 at 7:30 P.M. and Sunday, November 7 at 2:30 P.M. PROGRAM B, featuring Kato Hideki on bass guitar, will be performed Friday, November 5 at 7:30 P.M. and Saturday, November 6 at 7:30 P.M.

    Tickets to the event can be purchased online at japansociety.org, or by phone through the Box Office at (212)-715-1258. 

  • Midlake Announce “For the Sake of Bethel Woods,” First Album Since 2013

    Midlake has announced their fifth studio album, For The Sake of Bethel Woods, and shared the first single, titled “Meanwhile…” The Texas-based band has not released new music since 2013’s Antiphon. 

    Photo by Barbara FG

    Midlake’s brand of folk-rock evokes the brooding, funk-influenced sound of groups like TV on The Radio. After the departure of original frontman Tim Smith, they threw out their past recordings and restarted as a new quintet, hurriedly releasing a new album. On Antiphon, Midlake leaned into their rock side with distorted electric guitar riffs and newly-minted frontman Eric Pulido’s Bowie-protege vocals. 

    Almost a decade later, on “Meanwhile…” the band finds a lighter touch. A swoon-worthy 60’s rhythm carved out by drummer McKenzie Smith allows the steady acoustic guitar and wavering metronome to absolutely float. Pulido’s vocals, though mournful, are softer and more whimsical than ever. 

    Pulido said the track speaks to two key points in Midlake’s history: when the band decided to go on hiatus in 2014, and when they were inspired to reconvene in 2020. 

    “Everyone had their respective experience during the uncertain time apart,” he said, “culminating in a confident and celebratory return to form.”

    Available for preorder now, For The Sake of Bethel Woods will be released on March 18th of next year. For their first time working with an outside producer, Midlake brought in the big guns, recruiting Grammy-award-winning producer John Congleton. Congleton, whose previous credits include St. Vincent and Sharon Van Etten, produced, engineered, and mixed the album at Elmwood Recording Studio in Midlake’s native Texas. 

    Though the project marks a homecoming of sorts for Midlake, the reunion is bittersweet. For The Sake of Bethel Woods’ cover art pays homage to keyboardists Jesse Chandler’s father, who passed away in 2018. 

    “For me, the picture of that kid, my dad, forever frozen in time, encapsulates what it means to be in the throes of impressionable and fleeting youth,” Chandler said,  “and all that the magic of music, peace, love, and communion bring to it, whether one knows it at the time or not. 

    Midlake has unveiled an exclusive live performance of “Bethel Woods” filmed at Dallas, TX’s Modern Electric Sound Recorders by director Rett Rogers and co-director Barbara FG and marks the second in a new multi-part series of exclusive live sessions, “Meanwhile In Texas,” with additional installments set to premiere in the coming weeks.

    Promoting For The Sake Of Bethel Woods, Midlake has also announced a series of North American Tour Dates,

    Midlake 2022 Tour Dates

    MARCH
    9 – Denton, TX – Dan’s Silverleaf
    10 – Denton, TX – Dan’s Silverleaf
    16 – Gothenburg, SW – Pustervik
    17 – Oslo, NO – Vulkan Arena
    18 – Stockholm, SW – Nalen
    20 – Copenhagen, DK – Pumpehuset
    21 – Berlin, DE – Columbia Theater
    22 – Munich, DE – Freiheizhalle
    23 – Vienna, AU – Flex
    25 – St. Gallen, CH – Palace
    26 – Maastricht, NL – Muziekgieterij
    27 – Utrecht, NL – Ronda
    29 – Hamburg, DE – Mojo Club
    31 – Groningen, NL – De Oosterpoort

    APRIL
    1 – Cologne, DE – Bürgerhaus Stollwerck
    2 – Antwerp, BE = Trix
    3 – Paris, FR – Alhambra
    5 – Brighton, UK – Chalk
    6 – London, UK – Roundhouse
    8 – Newcastle, UK – University Student’s Union
    9 – Edinburgh, UK – Assembly Rooms
    10 – Manchester, UK – Albert Hall
    11 – Dublin, IR – Vicar Street

    MAY
    8 – Nashville, TN – 3rd & Lindsley
    10 – Washington, DC – Union Stage
    11 – Philadelphia, PA – World Cafe Live (Downstairs)
    13 – Woodstock, NY – Levon Helm Studios
    14 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
    16 – Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall
    17 – Louisville, KY – Headliners Music Hall
    19 – St. Louis, MO – Off Broadway
    20 – Kansas City, MO – recordBar
    21 – Oklahoma City, OK – Beer City Music Hall

  • 8 Turkuaz Members Departing Group

    8 members of Turkuaz have announced their “difficult decision” to leave the band. The Brooklyn funk group shared the announcement via their social media. Just days ago they released a new single “Shakin In My Sheets,” ahead of upcoming Fall Tour dates. 

    Greg Sanderson and Chris Brouwers perform at Resonance Festival in West Virginia. Photo by Em Walis.

    In a jointly signed message addressed to “fans, family, and friends,” nearly the entire band announced their departure after over a decade. Craig Brodhead, Chris Brouwers, Michael Carubba, Shira Elias, Sammi Garett, Greg Sanderson, Josh Schwartz, and Zach Fichter all left. Only frontman/guitarist Dave Brandwein and bassist Taylor Shell did not sign the message. Sound engineer Zach Fichter is also departing. The band formed at Berklee College of Music in 2008, eventually moving to New York City together to pursue music. 

    “We have spent the last several years traveling the world together with the intention of spreading love and joy through our music,” the statement read. “During that time, we have grown together as a family, and we’ve learned how to love and support each other through the best and worst of times.” 

    The statement also thanked fans for their dedication and support. “We are eternally grateful to have had the opportunity to perform for all of you, and even more grateful to have become close friends with so many of you along the way,” it read. 

    Turkuaz Losing Eight Members

    Dave Brandwein shared this statement as well:

    Dave here:
    With a heavy heart, we regret to say that the future of Turkuaz is uncertain. Today’s news is probably a shock to many of you. And unfortunately, this means any upcoming Turkuaz dates will not be happening as planned.
    Taylor and I respect the decision of our former bandmates to pursue their individual artistic endeavors.
    We love and appreciate all of our fans so much. Because of the positive moments, we enjoyed many years on the road playing the music we love to our fans across the country, and even globally.
    This is not the end of our artistic journeys. There is more to come. In the meantime, thank you for your support and the respect of our privacy as we navigate this new phase of our lives.

    The reasoning behind the decision remains unclear, and the departing members requested their privacy be respected in this matter. However, their fall has been turbulent. Though last week Turkuaz performed two dates at NYC’s Webster Hall, they canceled much of their fall tour earlier this month, citing health and safety risks. 

    In response to the announcement, fans expressed sadness, especially over the cancellation of the remaining fall tour dates. The Brooklyn Bowl’s Instagram account wished them the best, commenting “Thank you for so many great nights.” 

    Turkuaz at the Brooklyn Bowl in 2016. Photo by Thomas McKenna

    Though Turkuaz as we knew it may be over, the departing members said they are each hard at work on their own projects. 

    “There are some truly amazing things to come,” the message concluded. “We love you and thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.”

  • Hearing Aide: “All Souls Day” by The Forms

    Queens duo, The Forms, known for their experimental indie sound, have returned with another new single, the eerie-sounding, “All Souls Day,” an ode to the celebratory day of remembrance of the same name.

    The band released their first two albums with legendary producer Steve Albini, who had previously worked with lighting rods like, Nirvana and PJ Harvey. “All Souls Day,” is the third release from The Forms this year after over a decade without any new music. Their last full-length, The Forms, was released in 2007. 

    “All Souls Day” centers on a hypnotizing riff played on a bass steel pan. The echoey and percussive instrument, as played masterfully by Matt Walsh, creates an ominous sound. It’s perfect for their psychedelic brand of indie rock, as the steel pan feels otherworldly like a synth yet as painfully human as a banjo. Vocalist, Alex Tweens’, high and whispery vocals balance the instrument with an alien quality. Tweens described the track as

    a strange dark meditative soundscape of a quiet apocalypse. 

    The music video for the track, shot in a remote field in The Catskills, is eerie and sensory. Cattails brush up against the camera lens, and pollen disperses like gold flecks in the wind. When night falls and a thick mist settles over the set, you can almost feel the chill. The atmospheric video matches the track so perfectly the creeping plants even flutter in time with Tweens’ delicate tack piano. 

    As Tweens also pointed out, the track is a “wild mood swing” from their other recent releases. Their exultant comeback single, “Southern Ocean,” made apathy sound fun over a bouncy, summery beat. Their latest release “Head Underwater” leans hard into the coveted late 2000s indie-pop formula of classic 90s riffs plus synths. Tween described the track as

    the most purely joyful song The Forms have ever done.

    The fun, upbeat nature of both records is a far cry from the barren soundscape of “All Souls Day.” But, then again, summer is over and existentialism no longer feels like a beach game.

    All Souls Day, celebrated annually on November 2nd, is a day of prayer and remembrance for the faithful departed, observed mainly by Roman Catholics and other Christian denominations.

    On the song, Tweens sings of spending the day floating in a river:

    Now I’ve come here/ In a state of mind/ One I’ll never forget.

    The meditative lyrics over the ever-echoing steel pan transport you right to that floating, questioning state. The effect is sonically beautiful and emotionally resonant, letting you know that this will be an All Souls Day you won’t forget anytime soon. 

  • Hearing Aide: ”Right Now” and “Psycho Summer” by Hunter Blair Ambrose

    New-York based pop & alt R&B singer Hunter Blair Ambrose has shared two new singles ahead of her upcoming album Scorpio Season. After graduating from Boston’s Berklee College of Music in 2019, Ambrose released her debut EP, Scorpio Rising, in April 2020. Luxuriating in the melancholy approach of “cuffing season,” the latest singles “Right Now” and “Psycho Summer” fit the chilly moment perfectly. 

    Right Now

    “Right Now,” released on October 22, 2021 is a true dance banger. The luxe percussion on “Right Now” may overpower another artist, but Ambrose’s powerful soul vocals anchor the music. Though at times the production on the vocals dims their shine, Ambrose’s raw vocal talent is clear. One can’t help but wonder how she’d sound on a less synthy track. 

    The lyrics find Ambrose looking for love; or maybe just a good time? Either way, she just wants to spend the present moment with her lover, no matter what tomorrow may look like. She sings: “Right now it’s just you and me/ No other place I’d rather be/ Maybe it’s not meant to be/ Hard to care with your hands on me.” Though the rhyme scheme begs for some variety, Ambrose’s emotion comes through. After all, sometimes love and lust take the words right out of your mouth. 

    Psycho Summer

    Ambrose sounds uncannily like The-Fame-Monster-era Lady Gaga on “Psycho Summer,” the standout of the two tracks. Gaga is a clear inspiration to Ambrose; on her track “November,” she even repurposed the hummed hook from Gaga’s 2010 single “Alejandro.”

     Released on October 29, 2021, “Psycho Summer” could be the next chapter in the heady, lustful love story of “Right Now.” Now that summer’s over and her lover has disappeared, Ambrose feels crazy; was the passion they shared even real? A sparer, more streamlined beat allows her voice to stand out, and the eerie production evokes the end of summer perfectly. 

    With mainstream pop music growing more experimental each day, it can be hard for a more traditional track to gain traction. However, Ambrose’s tracks paired together reflect an emotional candor in her work that draws you in. She’s no stranger to lust, and no stranger to loneliness; the duality bridges the songs perfectly. Listeners can only hope her upcoming album, slated for release on November 5, 2021 will further dive into bad romance; if anything, she’d make Gaga proud. 

    Listen to “Right Now” and “Psycho Summer” below.

  • Dark Star Orchestra Announce New Years Run

    Dark Star Orchestra will ring in the New Year in Albany. The Palace Theater announced today the band will play two shows, on December 31st and January 1st, at the venue. The band have a warm relationship with the Palace, previously celebrating their 20th anniversary there in 2017.

    Dark Star Orchestra have performed their rendition of the live Grateful Dead experience to rapt audiences for over 20 years. Basing their performances on the Dead’s lengthy and singular live catalog, DSO draws from historic set lists while offering their own interpretations. 

    “Even for Deadheads who say they’ve been to a hundred shows in the 90s, we offer something they never got to see live,” said keyboardist and vocalist Rob Barraco. 

    After over 3000 shows, DSO’s performances have expanded into their own universe. DSO host an annual music festival and gathering, “Dark Star Jubilee,” in Thornville, Ohio. DSO headlines all three nights of the Jubilee, joined by a variety of acts. The band has even brought their experience to Jamaica, hosting the “Jam in the Sand” event at an oceanside stage. Unfortunately, both events were canceled in 2021 due to COVID-19. But “Jam in the Sand” will return January 11-14, while the next “Dark Star Jubilee” is expected for summer 2022. 

    Six members of the original Dead have also made appearances at DSO shows. Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, Vince Welnick, and Tom Constanten have all shared the stage with them before. DSO also previously toured with the Dead’s longtime soundman, Dan Healy. 

    Before landing in Albany, DSO will make other stops around New York. DSO will spend two nights at the Capitol Theatre in Portchester on November 12th and 13th. After that, they’ll play two shows at the Paramount in Huntington on December 29th and 30th. 

    Tickets for both shows will go on sale Friday, October 29th at 10:00 A.M. Tickets are available for purchase via ticketmaster.com and the Palace Theater Box Office. 

    Alongside the New Year’s shows, the Palace Theater also announced upcoming performances from The Wood Brothers on January 28th and comedian Bert Kreischer on April 3rd. Tickets for these shows will also be available Friday at 10:00 A.M.

  • Hearing Aide: Get Spooky with Surfbort’s “Happy Happy Halloween”

    As Ghouls and Goblin Day (Halloween) approaches, Brooklyn punk outfit Surbort has shared a fittingly spooky new track aptly titled, “Happy Happy Halloween.” Released on October 21, the record is accompanied by a music video.

    Halloween is our favorite holiday and we celebrate it everyday so we wanted to make an extra spooky song to celebrate the ghouls and ghosts,

    front-woman Dani Miller said.

    The track, originally imagined as a cover, morphed into a wacky original at manager and album producer Linda Perry’s encouragement.

    Linda just started playing spooky Dracula noises on the keys and the rest is history,

    Miller said. 

    The song is also a homage to Surbort’s favorite parts of Halloween. Based around the sinister children’s rhyme from Nightmare on Elm Street, each verse sees Surfbort celebrate pigskins, pumpkins, ghosts, and even “dead Santa Clause.” However, Surfbort also honors the sinister acts that inspire them, name-dropping goth icons like Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Sisters of Mercy.

    Perry also directed the video for the track, featuring the band in outlandish, colorful Halloween costumes. With Miller morphing into a Harley-Quinn-meets-Joker character as the band-members appear in a rotation of costumes, with Bassist Nick Arnold as, Bob Ross, serving as a standout lookalike. The video employs every spooky trope in the book in a dramatic, tongue-in-cheek way, from grainy found-footage to severed limbs as drumsticks. Within all of the hooplah, what stands out is how much fun Surfbort is having. It’s not hard to believe Halloween is their favorite holiday.  

    “Happy Happy Halloween” is Surfbort’s first release since their latest album, Keep on Truckin, earlier this month. Guitarist Alex Kilgore described the album as encompassing

    12 songs for a new world, a call to arms to blast love: a panacea to the corporate hellscape we live in.

    Surfbort has two upcoming shows in the New York area, both in December. They will play TV Eye in Brooklyn on December 5th, followed by a show at The Mercury Lounge in NYC on December 6th. 

  • Sean Rowe Looks Back on ‘The Darkness Dressed in Colored Lights’

    The latest release from Sean Rowe, The Darkness Dressed in Colored Lights, is not just a thrilling listen. From first glance, the project begins its journey with listeners through its arresting album cover. The thought-provoking artwork depicts a smokey, neon, opaque cloud appearing in a mountain crevasse above two travelers. The cloud feels an apt metaphor for the album; The Darkness Dressed in Colored Lights envelops you, taking you to places that are both painfully familiar and entirely enlightening. 

    Rowe recorded the album alongside producer, friend, and longtime collaborator, Troy Pohl. Working from Bon Iver engineer Brian Joseph’s studio in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, the pair aimed to tell Rowe’s stories. An “artist and nomad,” Rowe grew up in Troy, and first began playing locally in 2003. His long career has left him with a vast collection of tales from all corners of his heart. He shares them with heartbreaking clarity on Darkness. 

    Sean Rowe. Photo by Joe Navas

    Rowe’s deep and husky voice brings to mind the classics of country and Americana, while simultaneously evoking the vulnerable tenor of Matt Berninger, frontman of The National. His spare and purposeful instrumentals absolutely grip you, letting his singular voice stand out. On the opening track “What Are We Now,” Rowe laments a disintegrating relationship. As the first song he recorded for the album, Rowe said he was dealing with a cold while in the studio for the track. He appreciated “ all the little imperfections. I knew my voice would never quite sound like that again…” 

    The track ends in a symphonic and strange collection of beeping noises and electric guitar whining. Over roughly 45 seconds, Rowe builds an ambient outro ending in a sound reminiscent of a Tibetan singing bowl, used for meditation. 

    His experimental use of ambient noises remains a theme throughout the album. But unlike some forays into ambient folk or electro-country, Rowe’s delicate production only amp up the emotional gut-punch of his songwriting. A dedicated naturalist and self-described forager, Rowe has often spoken of his deep connection to the forest and living close to the land. His dedication to the world around him is clear in the intuitive touches he adds to his music. Truly creating a world within a song, Rowe brings storytelling to a whole new level. 

    For its unique timbre, Rowe’s voice has incredible versatility. On “Gabriel,” where Jeremy Boetcher’s deep, reverberating upright bass makes the perfect partner, Rowe is an old-time blues poet. Meanwhile, “Little Death,” would easily get a summer Jones Beach crowd going, you can almost feel the ambient summer nights and the sloshing of Bud Light. Despite his versatility, Rowe seems most at home on his lowest notes, yet his higher ranges can be just as stunning. The mere cracks and vibrato in his voice singing “I know you feel me/When words don’t reveal me” on the outro record “Toast” is enough to bring tears to eyes. 

    The pattering beat of album centerpiece “Honey in the Morning” begs to be recounted around a campfire, hand-claps and all. Rowe said he was trying to capture something cinematic in the track, “a quality like a Kubrick or David Lynch film.” The ballad evokes the directors’ experimentation with the unknown perfectly. The chorus, “I know you’re a runner but I was hoping that I wasn’t right/ Honey in the morning turn to poison by tomorrow night” evokes a torrid love story while maintaining an air of mystery. The hypnotic instrumental, anchored by drummer Shane Leonard’s impossibly machine-like drumming, only adds to the uncanny quality. Eventually, an instrumental breakdown so good it’s not fair to spoil is the cherry on top. 

    Photo by Joe Navas

    For its complex atmospheres and shifting genres, at the heart of Rowe’s beautiful album is emotionally raw songwriting. His words feel deeply relatable and completely personal. In “What Are We Now,” he sings of a lover that just won’t let him go. 

    When the apple of your eye/ is an oxidizing core/ You’ll be sighing at the moon/ While you’re pumping in the gas/ And you’re hoping that tomorrow’s gonna save your tired ass. 

    The scene, so familiar yet specific, is paired perfectly with the pained understanding that you love something that may be harming you. Rowe said a recurring theme in his songwriting is “the duality that I feel is in all of us. All the hidden parts, and all the guts that spill out when we’re faced with tragedy, adversity, or a broken heart.”

    Darkness captures this duality with stunning clarity, vulnerability, and catharsis. Rowe’s lived-in stories speak of wreckage, recovery, and redemption. Elevated by the skilled instrumental and production work of friends and admired collaborators, each one is truly a gift. 

    Key Tracks: What Are We Now, Honey In The Morning, Toast 

  • Todd Rundgren Returns to Woodstock For Rehearsals

    Todd Rundgren has quietly returned to Woodstock’s Utopia Studios Soundstage to begin rehearsals for his “The Individual, the Star” U.S. tour. The legendary multi-instrumentalist received a reported “quiet hero’s welcome” as he returned to the area ahead of his induction into the Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame at the end of October. 

    Rundgren’s Woodstock Roots

    todd rundgren
    Todd Rundgren with Bearsville Theater owner Lizzie Vann

    Rundgren, also known for his work with the band Utopia, created the soundstage at Bearsville Theater Complex himself. He commissioned the project for an “innovative video studio” back in 1979, and filmed the video for his single “Time Heals” there. The video would go on to be the second video ever broadcast on MTV. Over the years, the studio has served as a home for many music-related businesses, including Radio Woodstock. 

    Rundgren made sure to take breaks from rehearsal during his week-long visit. While in town, Rundgren also attended the Woodstock Film Festival for a screening of the documentary Fanny: The Right To Rock. Rundgren himself appears in the documentary, which was screened at the Bearsville Theater. 

    A Wizard, A True Star

    Rundgren’s current tour celebrates his monumental 1973 album, A Wizard, A True Star. Rundgren found inspiration for the project, and a changing point of view, in experimentation with psychedelic drugs in his mid-20s. “I became more aware,” Rundgren once said of making the album, “Of what music and sounds were like in my internal environment, and how different that was from the music I had been making.” Rundgren described the 19-track LP as a hallucinogenic “flight plan.” 

    Though at the time A Wizard, A True Star isolated much of Rundgren’s audience, it received widespread critical acclaim, and has been recognized in later years for its influence on lo-fi bedroom musicians. Even Frank Ocean sampled synths from the project on his own historic contribution to lo-fi, 2016s Blonde. 

    Rundgren kicked off his The Individual, The Star Tour on October 1st in Boston. He played three dates at the beginning of October in New York, all at the Gramercy Theater in NYC. The tour will continue through the beginning of November, heading West and closing out November 7th in San Francisco. 

    Todd Rundgren, The Individualist, a True Star 2021 Tour

    Oct. 01 – Boston, MA @ Big Night Live

    Oct. 02 – Boston, MA @ Big Night Live

    Oct. 04 – Ridgefield, CT @ Ridgefield Playhouse

    Oct. 05 – Ridgefield, CT @ Ridgefield Playhouse 

    Oct. 07 – New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre 

    Oct. 08 – New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre 

    Oct. 09 – New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre 

    Oct. 11 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore 

    Oct. 12 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore 

    Oct. 14 – Huntington, NY @ The Paramount 

    Oct. 17 – Washington DC @ Capital Turnaround 

    Oct. 18 – Washington DC @ Capital Turnaround 

    Oct. 20 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle 

    Oct. 23 – Miami, FL @ The Fillmore 

    Oct. 24 – Clearwater, FL @ Capitol Theatre 

    Oct. 25 – Clearwater, FL @ Capitol Theatre 

    Oct. 29 – Canton, OH @ Canton Palace 

    Oct. 30 – Cincinnati, OH @ The Andrew J Brady ICON Music Center 

    Nov. 01 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues 

    Nov. 02 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues 

    Nov. 05 – Grand Rapids, MI @ 20 Monroe Live 

    Nov. 06 – Cleveland, OH @ MGM Northfield Park 

    Nov. 07 – Cleveland, OH @ MGM Northfield Park 

    Nov. 10 – Denver, CO @ Paramount 

    Nov. 12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Belasco 

    Nov. 13 – Los Angeles, CA @ Belasco 

    Nov. 14 – Los Angeles, CA @ Belasco

    Nov. 16 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore 

    Nov. 17 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore

  • Watch Young Thug Perform ‘Punk’ On Saturday Night Live

    Saturday Night Live returned this week with rapper Young Thug as the musical guest. Young Thug’s highly anticipated new album Punk was released in the early morning hours on Friday. Actor Rami Malek hosted the episode; Malek stars in the latest James Bond film, No Time to Die. 

    Photo via NBC

    The episode’s cold open featured a “Message from the NFL.” Colin Jost performed as Roger Goodell, addressing coach Jon Gruden’s offensive and racist emails. The skit played on the NFL’s history of scandals. As a press conference passes through coaches like game-show contestants (they all resign, most in Twitter scandals), the joke settles in. 

    Malek’s opening monologue skewered his lack of comedy experience; after all, he usually plays villains. In fact, according to Malek, villains are misunderstood. Was the shark in Jaws not just hungry, after all? Malek’s self-aware humor and strong stage presence shone through. He was high-energy and charming. 

    Young Thug took the stage for his first televised performance since Punk’s release. Wearing a tinseled, pink leopard-print jacket, he opened with the album’s lead single “Tick Tock.” From his outfit to his energy with the band,  he brought his traditional in-your-face swagger to the performance. “Tick Tock” especially benefits from a live band and drummer, elevating the laid-back trap song to a throttling punk banger. Iconic Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker jumped on the kit to support the song. 

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ml3Bp4veA1A&list=PLS_gQd8UB-hKJRnrMAKVhKGFIPYFAHPFi&index=5

    Other sketches included Bowen Yang as a vogueing, glittery spider, and a sketch where Malek competes with Pete Davidson and guest Daniel Craig in a Prince biopic. The latter plays on the late auteur’s iconic guitar licks, hollers, and thrusts. Weekend Update segment featured standout turns from Kenan Thompson and Mikey Day as an erring hypnotist and his subject. 

    Young Thug returned for his second track accompanied by protege Gunna and FUN! Frontman Nate Reuss. They debuted their collaboration from Punk, the syrupy love song “Love You More.” Though Travis Barker again stood out on drums, the song felt lackluster. On top of that, the performer’s energies didn’t match; while Ruess worked too hard to hype the crowd, Gunna never moved from his perch on a bright red grand piano. Though Thug’s voice sounded smooth as ever, his sweeping new project has stronger tracks. 

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14tO_zMjC9U&list=PLS_gQd8UB-hKJRnrMAKVhKGFIPYFAHPFi&index=8

    Next week, Brandi Carlisle will take the SNL musical guest spot, with Ted Lasso star and long-time former cast member Jason Sudeikis hosting.