Joshua Thew, a London-born, Brooklyn-based singer, songwriter and former member of the New York City Ballet, has released a new single, “Lose Myself,” accompanied by a cinematic music video directed by Jake Kolton.
Thew’s soulful vocals are front and center on “Lose Myself,” demonstrating his first passion (music was the reason he became a dancer in the first place.) In 2017, after nearly a decade in the Company, Thew left the professional dancing space behind to pursue another dream.
Thew grew up in Hertfordshire, England, just north of London, and moved to New York City in 2005 to study at The School of American Ballet, which led to a spot in New York City Ballet.
As I got into my mid to late 20s, I started to feel like I wanted to be in the real world. You live and breathe [ballet], and it’s such a small niche world. I just wanted to get out and make original music.
Joshua Thew
Working with producer and multi-instrumentalist Cale Hawkins at Greylock Studios in Brooklyn, Thew began composing songs in earnest, drawing on classic influences like Donny Hathaway, Nina Simone, and Lee Hazlewood as sources of inspiration. Thew added a contemporary spin, invoking modern icons such as Amy Winehouse and Frank Ocean.
As a singer, Thew creates highly stylized yet unpretentious ballads about love, loss, and starting over. The lush, aching “Lose Myself” chronicles a two-year relationship that ultimately had to end but gave Thew renewed hope around romance itself.
Ultimately, Thew is eager to ingratiate himself with listeners, who will no doubt feel an instant connection to his gentle, meditative ballads. Though he’d been considering a career change for some time, watching fellow dancer and Tony-winner, choreographer Justin Peck doggedly pursue his goals nudged Thew to take a crucial leap.
I just remember always watching him; we were in class together. Dancing was a thing for him, but choreography was always his thing. I remember watching him and part of me would be like, ‘he’s really doing what he really wants to do.’ And that’s how I felt about singing.
Joshua Thew
“Lose Myself” will be featured on Thew’s upcoming second EP, which follows 2019’s Quiet Words.
With the adage “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade” in mind, Phish will perform three full sets this New Year’s Eve, live from the Ninth Cube. Phish will take the stage promptly at 8:30PM ET on December 31st for a show that will be performed without an audience and webcast for free on Phish’s YouTube channel and LivePhish.com, with a simulcast on Phish Radio on SiriusXM.
For the dinner part of this Dinner And A Movie, four recipes are included, all with lemon as a key ingredient. Instead of sucking on a lemon, dive into the recipes below, which include Trey Anastasio’s own recipe for Lemonade, a Whole Roasted Chicken with Lemon, a Lemon Pasta vegetarian entrée, and for dessert, Lemon Bars.
Always a charitable affair, the Dinner and a Movie series has distributed nearly $900,000 in donations via the WaterWheel Foundation since the start of the pandemic to help non-profits around the country (and beyond). SiriusXM has generously underwritten production costs to make this webcast free, and donations will be raised during the evening to support those in need. The WaterWheel Foundation will be raising money for a handful of non-profits close to the Phish community. Donate at anytime at phish.com/waterwheel.
There will also be three limited edition posters available from the originally slated shows for the Madison Square Garden run for sale beginning Thursday, December 30 via Phish Dry Goods, along with additional event merch. Proceeds from these poster sales will be donated to The WaterWheel Foundation and more details will be shared soon via Dry Goods.
Shortly after New Year’s Eve, video of this performance will be available on the SXM app.
Giant Bowl of Lemonade
1. Get handed lemons 2. Make lemonade 2b. For “electric lemonade”, add desired ingredients 3. Enjoy!
Whole Roasted Lemon and Herb Chicken – Serves 4
Ingredients: 2 lemons 1 bulb of garlic 2 yellow onions ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 whole chicken (3.5-4 lbs) ½ tsp minced fresh rosemary (plus an extra sprig or two)* ½ tsp minced fresh thyme (plus an extra sprig or two)* ⅓ cup chicken stock 2-3 whole carrots 2-3 potatoes (preferably Yukon Gold) Kosher salt Fresh ground black pepper *You can use dry herbs in replace of fresh, or omit if you prefer things simple.
Instructions: Take chicken out of the refrigerator. Remove giblets if there are any in the cavity (we won’t be using them, but you can cook for your dog!). Rinse the chicken in water, and pat thoroughly dry. Leave out while you prepare the lemon-herby goodness to bring the chicken close to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees with the rack in the lower third of the oven. Set out a roasting pan or large cast iron skillet that can hold your whole chicken.
Mince 3 garlic cloves, and mix with the herbs and 3 TBSP of olive oil and 2 hearty pinches of salt. Make sure the chicken skin is well dried. Push one finger under the skin on the breast of the chicken to separate, and spoon half of the herb mixture in between the meat and the skin. Rub the remainder on the outside of the chicken. Season the outside generously with additional salt and pepper. (Using chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken? Do the same thing, but they will take less time to cook).
Cut the rest of the bulb of garlic in half horizontally (so each clove is cut in half), and rub with olive oil. Slice the whole lemons in half. Peel the onions and cut into quarters. Put half a lemon inside the chicken, then put the other lemon halves, onion, garlic and remaining herb sprigs in the bottom of the roasting pan, and put the whole chicken on top (either on a rack, or sitting on top of the lemon, onion and garlic). Cut carrots and potatoes into large bite sized chunks. Toss with a little olive oil and scatter around the chicken. Pour chicken stock into the bottom of the pan.
Roast for approximately 45 minutes. The skin should be golden brown and the juices should run clear when you poke a knife into the leg joint. If the juices are rosy pink, roast for another 5-10 minutes and check again. Or, if you have a meat thermometer, when the inner thigh registered 175 degrees.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes. Tip the chicken to drain any juices from the cavity into the pan. Carve chicken on a cutting board and transfer to a platter. Then pour all the juices, roasted vegetables and tasty bits over the chicken or serve the jus alongside for those who want it. Squeeze the roasted garlic from the bulbs over the vegetables, or just serve the halved bulbs on the side of the platter.
Lemon Pasta Serves 6
Ingredients: 12 ounces wide egg noodles Juice and zest of 2 small/medium lemons (wash lemons before squeezing) 1 cup heavy cream Kosher salt, to taste Lots of freshly ground black pepper.
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add noodles, and stir to separate. Cook according to package or until tender. Drain, then return to the cooking pot.
2. Just before noodles are done, in a small saucepan combine the lemon zest, cream, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, or until cream comes to a boil.
3. Pour cream mixture over drained noodles, and add the lemon juice. Stir to coat. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until all the liquid is absorbed, about 1 to 2 minutes. Season with additional pepper, if desired.
Note: the pasta is delicious on its own, but feel free to add green vegetables to the pasta at the end if you like: a handful of baby arugula, broccoli or broccolini – chopped and doused with olive oil and roasted at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, steamed or sautéed asparagus, chopped parsley, chives, etc.
Optional variation: if you’d like, add freshly grated parmesan.
Lemon Bars
Makes 16-20 squares in an 8×8 or 9×13 baking dish for squares, rectangles or triangles (or 9” pie pan or tart pan for wedges).
Ingredients: Crust: 1 cup cold unsalted butter 2 cups all purpose flour ¼ cup powdered sugar (plus more for sprinkling on top at the end) ½ cup sweetened, shredded coconut (or unsweetened coconut, plus add ¼ cup more sugar) 1 tsp vanilla Pinch of salt
Filling: 5 eggs 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 2-3 washed lemons) ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (hint: zest lemons first, then squeeze them) 1 ½ cups granulated sugar ⅓ cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder Pinch of salt
Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8×8 (for thicker squares) or 9×13 (for thinner squares) baking pan. To make them easier to remove, lay a piece of parchment paper inside the pan, and then butter the parchment paper too.
In a food processor (or stand mixer) combine all of the crust ingredients. Pulse and mix until well combined and the mixture begins to clump together. Put the dough into the buttered pan and gently press it to cover the bottom. (If using a tart or pie pan, push dough to cover the sides too.)
Bake the crust until just golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven but leave it on.
While the crust is baking, prepare the lemon filling. Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and beat on low or whisk until smooth. Pour the filling into the hot crust and bake again until the filling is just set, about 20-35 minutes. Check them at 15 minutes.
When you shake the pan slightly, the filling should be mostly set, but still quiver in the center a bit. If not set, bake a few minutes more. (If using a 8×8 pan with a thicker layer of filling it may take longer). Do not over bake.
Let cool completely in the pan. You may refrigerate to help them set and cook quicker. Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar, then cut into squares or triangles. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. If powdered sugar has been absorbed into the lemon filling, dust again with more powdered sugar just before serving.
Amid cancellations and postponements, David Byrne has announced he will put on a special run of “American Utopia” shows back at the St. James Theatre on Broadway from Dec 28-30, 2021 and Jan 1-2, 2022.
Making this decision was not a light one, but comes after several company members of the Tony Award-winning Broadway show tested positive for COVID-19. Byrne announcing there would be a few changes as a result of this, but the good news is the inclusion of new “Unchained” versions of songs from the show.
Fortunately, the vaccinated band members and crew who have tested positive don’t have severe symptoms and are staying home following the CDC guidelines. Unfortunately, they can’t come to the theatre for the next week or so, which means we’ve chosen to make some creative changes to enable us to put on a show.
David Byrne
Performances of American Utopia will feature songs from the Talking Heads as well as some of the solo catalog of David Byrne and will be supplemented by songs already in the show that cannot be performed without the missing company members. Byrne continued, saying “I know it’s going to be a ‘Once in a Lifetime’ experience, that will only be seen for a few performances. We are ready to have a good time!” wrote Byrne.
Tickets for American Utopia are on sale through April 3, 2022 here. Read more on American Utopia here, with the schedule for the special run of shows is as follows:
Tuesday, December 28, 2021 at 8PM
Wednesday, December 29, 2021 at 8PM
Thursday, December 30, 2021 at 5PM and 9PM
Saturday, January 1, 2022 at 5PM
Sunday, January 2, 2022 at 3PM
For information on what’s playing every day on Broadway, visit bwaytoday.com.
Happy Holidays from the team at NYS Music! We hope you enjoy the time with family, friends and colleagues, and stay safe throughout the season.
photo by Steve Malinski
The curveball of the past few weeks has led to music plans being scuttled for the safety of small gatherings.
photo by Zach Culver
Even though shows and events have been cancelled across the Empire State and eastern half of the country, we hope this season brings joy and merriment to those closest to you, as we prepare for a winter thaw in 2022.
photo by Steve Malinski
Our gift to you is a selection of Christmas songs from musicians across the Empire State, and over the years. No matter where or how you celebrate, Happy Holidays from the team at NYS Music!
And of course, the classic performances of Darlene Love on Late Show with David Letterman
Inspiring Capital Region musician Athena Burke has recently released her new album, God is Here, on November 19. Produced by Devon Seegers, the album features eleven songs that address healing amid heartbreak and loss, and finding faith in something greater than what your eyes can see.
With a message celebrating the humble joys in life each day, Athena’s tender yet powerful vocals pair with deeply honest lyrics on an earthy and vulnerable electropop soundscape. Burke is honest about the human experience, saying:
No matter what you’ve done or what you believe, you are held in a love that is eternal, universal, and inclusive. God loves the oddballs and God wants to unite us, not divide us. A new era is dawning and although it is chaotic now, there’s a groundswell of unity pulsing in our world.
Athena Burke
Growing up, Athena was abused as a child, and found the piano as a bastion of harmony as a toddler. This led to her studies at Berklee College of Music, followed by street performing and concerts across the country. Inspired to heal her trauma, Athena trained in meditation, breathwork, and personal growth practices, and in wanting to give back, Athena has given thousands of spiritual guidance and healing sessions and performances worldwide.
Athena Burke sings honestly about the human experience of a devotional person. God is Here is not specifically Christian or derived from any specific religion, but rather about finding the divinity and love in everything, everywhere, in everyone, and every situation.
Athena has been featured on the PBS/WMHT AHA! A House of Arts TV show, as well as receiving extensive airplay on WEXT AND WEQX. She is a frequent performer at her local listening room in Cambridge, NY, The Depot.
Less than a week before they were slated to take the stage at Madison Square Garden, Phish announced today that due to the concerns over the wave of COVID-10 Omicron variant that is sweeping through New York City and elsewhere, the MSG shows will postpone to April, rather than being outright cancelled.
Phish will honor all tickets for the December 29-January 1 shows at MSG on the rescheduled dates of April 20-23, marking the first time Phish has played New York City in April since 1994 at the Beacon Theatre. Get the Webcast here.
The band said in a statement:
With the Omicron variant of Covid-19 surging in New York City, we have made the very difficult decision to reschedule next week’s run of shows at Madison Square Garden.
The health and safety of Phish fans, our crew, and venue staff is paramount in our minds. While Phish has played shows this year as the pandemic has continued, this variant’s ability for rapid transmission is unprecedented.
We are also mindful that a significant number of people travel for these shows and then return to their communities, and we want to avoid accelerating transmission of the virus.
Finally, even with the strictest of tour Covid protocols, the prolonged exposure of a four-night indoor run (plus the days of preparation and travel) to critical crew and staff considerably increases the possibility of having to shut the shows down once they’ve started.
We’re fortunate to have found a four-night window in The Garden’s schedule, and the shows will now take place April 20-23, 2022, including a three-set show (as originally planned for New Year’s Eve) on April 22.
Ticket holders can request a refund anytime over the next 30 days, beginning today, if they cannot commit to the rescheduled show date. If a refund is not requested during the allotted time, tickets will be valid for the new show date. Please note: If you purchased from an authorized ticket sales channel (Ticketmaster, Phish Tickets, CID or venue website) these ticketing partners will be contacting all buyers shortly with further instructions.
Thank you all for your understanding. Stay healthy and safe, take care of each other out there and please get vaccinated and boosted if you haven’t already.
No word yet if Phish will stream archival shows in place of the anticipated New Years run at Madison Square Garden.
The April shows would mark the second ever ‘Island Run’ of shows, although unofficially so.
The rescheduled shows also mean that Phish will start the rescheduled dates on 4/20/22. Phish has not played on April 20 since 1994, so there’s that.
The sound of New Orleans will make its way across New York State in Spring 2022 as The Soul Rebels embark on “Epic Vibes Tour” with stops in Buffalo, Waterloo, Albany, Brooklyn and Westhampton Beach.
The Soul Rebels recently announced they will be taking part in fellow New Orleanian Trombone Shorty on his Summer 2022 Threauxdown Tour. Their Epic Vibes Tour runs from December 2021 through April 2023, with shows on the West Coast, the Northeast, a monthly residency in Memphis and a healthy amount of shows in New Orleans.
The brass band continue to ride high off the release of their latest album Poetry In Motion. The eight-member collective appeared on Def Jam artist Dave East and Nas’ “Godfather 4” single, Big Freedia and Icona Pop’s “Pipe That”, and reached fans with original singles “Greatness” which was featured as ESPN’s official College Hoops theme anthem, and “Good Time” featured on Netflix’s #BlackAF and Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!
The Soul Rebels have impressed viewers with two recent appearances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, featured on NPR’s Tiny Desk series with Wu Tang Clan frontman GZA, headlined the global TED Conference, and appeared on the official soundtrack for Universal Pictures’ hit comedy Girls Trip.
Soul Rebels Epic Vibes 2022 Tour
12/17 Memphis, TN RAILGARTEN 12/22 New Orleans HOUSE OF BLUES 12/31 New Orleans MAISON 1/14 Memphis, TN RAILGARTEN 1/15 Baton Rouge, LA CHELSEA’S 1/22 New Orleans BLUE NILE 2/11 New Orleans DBA 2/16 San Diego, CA MUSIC BOX 2/17 Los Angeles, CA TERAGRAM BALLROOM 2/18 San Francisco, CA THE INDEPENDENT 2/19 Oakland, CA THE NEW PARISH 2/20 Felton, CA FELTON MUSIC HALL 2/23 Seattle, WA NECTAR LOUNGE 2/24 Olympia, WA CAPITOL THEATER 2/25 Portland, OR PDX JAZZ FESTIVAL 2/26 Bellingham, WA WILD BUFFALO 2/27 Victoria, BC UPSTAIRS CABARET 3/24 Waterloo, NY THE VINE @ DELLAGO CASINO RESORT 3/25 Philadelphia, PA BROOKLYN BOWL 3/26 Washington, DC 930 CLUB 3/27 Pittsburg, PA THUNDERBIRD CAFE 3/29 Buffalo, NY BUFFALO IRON WORKS 3/30 Albany, NY LARK HALL 3/31 Boston, MA BIG NIGHT LIVE *w/ GZA & Talib Kweli 4/1 NYC BROOKLYN BOWL 4/2 NYC BROOKLYN BOWL 4/3 Millersville, PA PHANTOM POWER 4/6 Bridgeport, CT PARK CITY MUSIC HALL 4/7 Fall River, MA NARROWS CENTER FOR THE ARTS 4/8 Greenfield, MA HAWKS AND REED 4/9 Westhampton Beach, NY WESTHAMPTON BEACH PAC 4/10 Ventura, CA SKULL & BONES 4/23 New Orleans DBA
Carnegie Hall will host two legends in 2022, each celebrating their own milestone from the Perelman Stage in the Stern Auditorium. On April 22, Jorma Kaukonen will celebrate his 80th trip around the sun with an electric performance by Hot Tuna, and on May 10, double-bass jazz legend Ron Carter will be fêted for his 85th birthday celebration.
filled with music and memories at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage. NBC newscaster Lester Holt will serve as emcee, with appearances from fellow artists Stanley Clarke and Buster Williams already confirmed, and additional guests to be announced in the coming weeks.
For Kaukonen’s celebration, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member will join his fellow bandmates, bass guitarist Jack Casady and drummer Justin Guip for an electric evening. Casady and Kaukonen, two rock veterans and founding members of Jefferson Airplane, have been performing together as Hot Tuna since 1969, marking their 50th anniversary together as a duo in 2019.
Ron Carter, has been called by NPR as “one of the most influential and widely recorded bassists in jazz history,” and The New York Times who said “Playing with Mr. Carter can be a fearsome experience. Legendary for his professionalism and his rigorousness, he challenges musicians to stretch and improvise, not just piece together rehearsed ideas and phrases.”
Presented by Tzedakah 4 All, the event will feature performances by Carter-led groups in three combinations – Trio, Quartet, and Nonet – exploring material from his illustrious six decade career. NBC newscaster Lester Holt will serve as emcee, with appearances from fellow artists Stanley Clarke and Buster Williams already confirmed, and additional guests to be announced in the coming weeks.
Carter, synonymous with jazz bass, has performed and collaborated with a who’s who of music history, including Miles Davis, Alice Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, Herbie Hancock, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Bette Midler, Gil Scott-Heron, A Tribe Called Quest, Wayne Shorter, Paul Simon, McCoy Tyner, Aretha Franklin, Stan Getz, Roberta Flack, Bill Evans, Chet Baker, and dozens more. Carter is also a distinguished professor emeritus at City College and a faculty member at the Manhattan School of Music.
Tickets for Hot Tuna at Carnegie Hall on the 80th birthday of Jorma Kaukonen, and tickets for the 85th birthday celebration of Ron Carter, are now on sale here.
The Ed Sullivan Theater played host to Phish on this day in 2002. The Vermont group performed “All Of These Dreams,” the ninth track on Round Room, on the Late Show with David Letterman.
The appearance on Letterman was the band’s sixth overall, starting in on December 30, 1994 with “Chalkdust Torture,” “Julius” on July 13, 1995, “Character Zero” on March 5, 1997, “Birds of a Feather” on October 27, 1998, “Heavy Things” on May 15, 2000, a multi-song performance on the Ed Sullivan Theater marquee on June 21, 2004, and “The Line” on June 25, 2014.
“All of These Dreams” has only been played 13 times total, not including this initial performance at the Ed Sullivan Theater, according to Phish.net. The song, written by Trey Anastasio, Tom Marshall and Scott Herman officially debuted in concert on January 3, 2003 in Hampton, VA. A rarity, the song has not been played live since October 26, 2020 in Manchester, NH.
The Phish.net song history reveals that “All of These Dreams,” as well as another Round Room track, “Anything But Me” emerged from the wake of a screaming fight between Trey and Tom during a songwriting session in a Philadelphia hotel room. According to Trey, the two tunes “express something that I usually am a little too shy to express,” though precisely what that is he leaves unsaid.
There is a place on the mountain nearby Deep in a cave but it’s up rather high There in the darkness are safely concealed All of the dreams that you never revealed And if you go there, and after you do All of these dreams would be yours to pursue The rest of your lifetime devoid of a care If you keep your eyes open you may find yourself there
Such is the promise, such is the curse You could just live your life better or worse Knowing the cache of dreams up on that hill Beckons and sways but won’t bend to your will You might find a river under a mountain That feeds a remote subterranean fountain Drink from this, taste just a hint of a dream That somehow leaked into the underground stream
Saturday Night Live was back this week with host Paul Rudd for the NBC staple’s Christmas episode, but with a scaled back cast and crew, no musical guest and no studio audience, due to concerns over the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
Recorded earlier in the evening, a departure from the typical live taping, SNL adjusted and made the most of the situation, with a blend of fresh and classic holiday sketches. The cast was limited to Kenan Thompson and Michael Che, and only two members of the Saturday Night Live Band on hand – Lenny Pickett (sax) and Tuffus Zimbabwe (piano).
The show began with an atypical intro, Tom Hanks walking out to introduce host Paul Rudd, and no cast montage to begin the episode. Rudd kept things light and soldiered on in his fifth appearance as a host, joining the Five Timers Club in the process, thanks to special guests and fellow club members Hanks and Fey.
Earlier Saturday afternoon, Saturday Night Live announced the changes for this week’s episode, which included Fey filling in for Colin Jost on Weekend Update. This brought Fey back to the Update desk, despite there being no actual desk due to a limited crew for this episode’s taping. Jost, along with Aristotle Athari, and Sarah Sherman had reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.
The musical guest for the evening was slated to be Charli XCX, but shortly after the official word from SNL, Charli tweeted “Due to the limited crew at tonight’s taping of SNL my musical performance will no longer be able to go ahead. I am devastated and heartbroken. I am currently safe and healthy but of course very sad. Please look after yourselves out there,” along with a follow up clearing any confusion that she did not cancel or pull out of the show. Although Charli did not perform, she did take part in the digital short “Christmas Socks,” a take on “The Christmas Shoes,” as a bird named TJ Rocks.
Classic holiday sketches like “Dick in a Box” and “Christmastime for the Jews” (sung by the great Darlene Love) filled in where new material would normally be found. The brilliant “An Evening with Pete” looked at the career of Pete Davidson in the year 2054, a take on Raging Bull and Christmas movies of the past.
The fully decorated set found the five actors – Che, Fey, Hanks, Rudd and Thompson – on stage at the end of the episode for goodbyes, as well as socially distant hugging. Only Pickett and Zimbabwe stood on the stage playing the outro music as the credits rolled.
Tonight’s show marked the first time since October 11, 1986, when Sigourney Weaver hosted, without a musical guest in the show’s history. Madonna did appear that night to read a statement apologizing for the previous season, noting it was only a dream, ala Season 9 of Dallas. While not the musical guest, Buster Poindexter performed “Oh Me, Oh My,” “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” (a duet with Weaver), and “Smack Dab in the Middle.”
