Author: Pete Mason

Swedish House Mafia will stop at MetLife Stadium in August, First Tour In 10 Years

Swedish House Mafia have announced an international tour for 2022, their first in 10 years, making a stop in East Rutherford, NJ on Wednesday, August 3, 2022. Long revered by fans for their bombastic live performances, the band’s previous outing, “One Last Tour,” sold over 1 million tickets. The 2022 jaunt will follow the trio’s just announced performance at Coachella 2022 and includes arenas across the United States and Europe.

Swedish House Mafia have also teamed with The Weeknd for a new single and video, “Moth to a Flame.” The new song was initially teased during the trio’s landmark performance at the MTV VMAs pre-show this summer, and marks the band’s first new music since announcing their reunion this past July with a pair of new singles “It Gets Better” and “Lifetime (feat. Ty Dolla $ign & 070 Shake)” that arrived alongside a cover story for Billboard Magazine and a special performance of both songs on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon.

The trio of songs continue to build anticipation toward the band’s forthcoming full length Paradise Again, slated for release early next year with a Special Tour Edition CD pre-order available now that unlocks exclusive pre-sale tour tickets.

Tickets go on sale to the general public Friday, October 29th at swedishhousemafia.com, with the Special Tour Edition CD pre-order pre-sale beginning on Wednesday, October 27.

The band have also just been nominated for awards in both the Best Electronic and Best Nordic Act categories for this year’s MTV EMAs, being held in Budapest on Sunday, November 14th.

Swedish House Mafia 2022 Tour Dates

Fri Jul 29 – Miami, FL – FTX Arena

Sun Jul 31 – Orlando, FL – Amway Center

Wed Aug 3 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium

Fri Aug 5 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena

Sun Aug 7 – Montreal, QC – îleSoniq Festival

Tue Aug 9 – Boston, MA – TD Garden

Wed Aug 10 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center

Thu Aug 11 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena

Sat Aug 13 – Chicago, IL – United Center

Wed Aug 17 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena

Fri Aug 19 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center

Sun Aug 21 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena

Thu Aug 25 – Austin, TX – Moody Center

Fri Aug 26 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center

Sat Aug 27 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center

Tue Aug 30 – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center

Fri Sep 2 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena

Sun Sep 4 – San Diego, CA – Pechanga Arena

Tue Sep 13 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena

Wed Sep 14 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena

Fri Sep 16 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center

Thu Sep 29 – Manchester, UK – AO Arena

Fri Sep 30 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro Arena

Sun Oct 2 – London, UK – The O2

Thu Oct 6 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena

Sat Oct 8 – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena Birmingham

Mon Oct 10 – Paris, FR – Accor Arena

Fri Oct 14 – Madrid, Spain – IFEMA Madrid Live

Sat Oct 15 – Lisbon, Portugal – Altice Arena

Tue Oct 18 – Milan, Italy – Mediolanum Forum

Wed Oct 19 – Zurich, Switzerland – Hallenstadion

Fri Oct 21 – Krakow, Poland – Tauron Arena

Sat Oct 22 – Prague, Czech Republic – O2 Arena

Tue Oct 25 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena

Thu Oct 27 – Munich, Germany – Olympiahalle

Sat Oct 29 – Antwerp, Belgium – Sportpaleis

Mon Oct 31 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome

Thu Nov 3 – Vienna, Austria – Stadthalle

Sat Nov 5 – Frankfurt, Germany – Festhalle

Sun Nov 6 – Berlin, Germany – Mercedes-Benz Arena

Tue Nov 8 – Hamburg, Germany – Barclaycard Arena

Wed Nov 9 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena

Fri Nov 11 – Oslo, Norway – Telenor Arena

Sun Nov 13 – Tampere, Finland – Uros Arena

October 26, 2021
Phish Cover “L.A. Woman” at The Forum, Set Course for Halloween in Las Vegas
Phish returned to Southern California, with a trio of shows lined up between Chula Vista, Inglewood, and Santa Barbara. While the Fall Tour has caught eyes and ears with extraordinary jams, bustouts and shenanigans, Phish is clearly warmed up for Halloween in Las Vegas. On the way there, Phish stopped at The “Fabulous” Forum. Photographer Steph Port was there to capture the night for NYS Music.

The first set starts with the Trey quaran-tune, “A Wave Of Hope,” followed by a 23-minute “You Enjoy Myself” that brought back the glory of late 90s “YEMs.” A smooth transition into “Moma Dance” kept the crowd on their toes, with “Waiting All Night” a surprise appearance with a slightly funky beat, that brought forth “Maze” and “Fee,” before a set ending “Run Like an Antelope.”

Set 2 began with a tone-setting “Cars Trucks Buses” that dropped into “Tweezer” right after, which sveltly moved into “L.A. Woman,” the last since December 30, 2003. A huge jam would brew from this surprise bust out, one that took off even farther in “Say it to me S.A.N.T.O.S.” and “What’s The Use?” To polish the set off, heavy hitters “Chalkdust Torture,” “Carini” and “Mr. Completely” made their presence know, all with a segue into “Tweezer Reprise” to close the set.

A normal encore of “Grind” preceded the atypical “Bathtub Gin” that followed, ending awkwardly as Trey thanked the crowd for having such a great show. With the band having this much fun, whatever is on tap for Las Vegas has them excited and playing in mid-season form.

Setlist via Phish.net

Phish – The Forum, Inglewood, CA – October 25, 2021

Set 1: A Wave of Hope > You Enjoy Myself > The Moma Dance[1] -> Simple -> Waiting All Night -> Maze, Fee[2] -> Steam > Run Like an Antelope

Set 2: Cars Trucks Buses, Tweezer -> L.A. Woman[3] -> Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S.[1] -> Whatâs the Use? > Tweezer > Birds of a Feather[1] > Chalk Dust Torture[1] -> Boogie On Reggae Woman > Carini -> Mr. Completely[1] > Tweezer Reprise

Encore: Grind, Bathtub Gin

[1] Unfinished.
[2] Trey on megaphone.
October 26, 2021
Watch Brandi Carlile perform “Broken Horses” and “Right on Time” on Saturday Night Live

For the Halloween episode of Saturday Night Live, former cast member and Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis returned to Studio 8H for his first time as host. Joining Sudeikis was country rock superstar Brandi Carlile, who played two songs off her new album, In These Silent Days.

Following a cold open that featured multiple versions of Joe Biden, including Sudeikis’ finger-gun shooting, aviator shade wearing rendition from Biden’s time as Vice President, Sudeikis launched into a reflective, funny and heartfelt look back at the stage and studio that SNL has been filmed in for 47 years. Sudeikis tugged heartstrings in the way only Coach Lasso can do, reminiscing on how SNL changed his life.

This room, here. To be here. This place is historic. For a second, just look around, for real. Even all you amazing people who work in the crew, just look around for a second. Think about all the brilliance that’s happened here. All your favorite sketches: Wild and Crazy Guys, Gilly, Cowbell, Wayne’s World, all happened in right here, in here, where you are.
This place changed my life, twice. Once as a castmember and a writer here. But most importantly as a kid watching from home. And there’s a good chance that if you’re watching tonight, there’s probably something from this place probably changed your life too.

Following three sketches perfect for Sudeikis – a frustrated host of a kids science show, Mellen (a male version of Ellen) and a hilarious open house sketch with Ego Nwodim and Kyle Mooney, Carlile performed her first song of the night, “Broken Horses.”

Wearing a gold tuxedo and singing into a golden mic with an orange electric guitar, Carlile was joined by collaborators Phil and Tim Hanseroth, who also backed her on harmonies, as well as Shooter Jennings on piano, who produced her 2018 album By the Way, I Forgive You. “Broken Horses” also doubles as the title of her recently released memoir.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDjeuXAME-A

After a lively Weekend Update that saw the return of Sudeikis’ turn as The Devil, the classic “What up With That?” appeared for the first time since 2012 (if you don’t count the remote April 2020 version from SNL at Home) with Kenan Thompson and surprise guests Oscar Isaac, Emily Ratajkowski, Nicholas Braun.

Brandi Carlile began her second song of the night, “Right on Time,” the lead single off her new album. Playing solo piano in a sequin-covered black and white tux, Carlile allowed the impressive tune a slow burn on the ivories, before picking up her guitar to join the band for the song about two embattled lovers, bursting forth with vocals that set the bar high for musical guests this season, only four episodes in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWnVjSD6xzY

Saturday Night Live is off next week, and returns on November 6 with Succession actor Kieran Culkin and musical guest, Ed Sheeren.

October 24, 2021
A Marvelous Show: The Dude of Life Band “Opens” for Phish at Lark Hall
A few songs into The Dude of Life Band’s first set at Lark Hall, Steve Pollak (aka, The Dude of Life) announced that after the show, they’ll be streaming the Phish show from San Francisco, which started shortly after 11pm ET on Saturday, October 16. “So we’re opening for Phish a few time zones away,” said Pollak, much to the crowd’s delight. And in a way, the band was opening for Phish, a band with whom Pollak has a decades-long connection.

The Dude of Life Band, a genre-bending group led by the Dude of Life, Steve Pollak, includes Pollak on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Fred Scholl on lead guitar, Charlie de Saint Phalle on bass, Doug Schneider on drums, and Jon Liebowitz of God Street Wine on keyboard and organ.

For several decades, The Dude has been writing songs in an ongoing collaboration with Phish, and first teamed up with Trey Anastasio while the two were in high school. The Dude wrote lyrics for a number of Phish’s most beloved songs, including “Fluffhead,” “Run Like an Antelope” and “Suzy Greenberg,” and has also been a mythical sideshow with the band, making random guest appearances often highlighted by the throwing of uniquely-inscripted rubber chickens into the crowd. The Dude’s debut album, Crimes of the Mind, was recorded with Phish for Elektra Records and released in 1994.

In recent years, The Dude of Life has developed a more refined sound, and a recent burst of creativity has yielded an album’s worth of new material which was recently recorded by acclaimed producer Bryce Goggin.

The Dude of Life Band performed some of these new songs – “Automatic Pilot,” “Dilaudid Nurse” and “In Case You Didn’t Know,” alongside his Phish classics, plus a handful of Grateful Dead covers, “Ruby Tuesday” by The Rolling Stones and “Badge” by Cream. The flow to the show was smooth and the hits kept coming as the evening progressed. Pollak wrapped up the show with an appropriate “Show of Life,” right before turning the mic over to Phish, live from the Chase Center in San Francisco

Setlist: Crazy Too, Althea, Can’t Always Listen, Ain’t No More Caine, Nobody Finer, Mississippi Blues, Automatic Pilot, Franklin’s Tower, Suzy Greenberg, Dilaudid Nurse, Fluffhead, She Belongs to Me, Sugaree, Space -> Lost Moments in Time, In Case You Didn’t Know, Crimes of the Mind, Ruby Tuesday, Badge, Goin Down the Road Feelin Bad -> Show Of Life
October 22, 2021
Dopapod kick off Fall tour in Saratoga Springs with Single Song First Set; Rock the Dock in Ithaca

Embarking on their first tour since 2019, Dopapod chose a familiar setting in Saratoga Springs’ Putnam Place to kick things off, which they did in remarkable fashion. A mostly packed house was treated to a first set that began, and ended, with a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Echoes.”

photo by Pete Mason

In fact, that’s all they played for a full hour, finding room to jam and improvise without any let up. After 25-30 minutes of “Echoes,” fans looked around at each other wondering “Is this still Echoes?” and simultaneously realizing “This is all they’re going to play this set.” There were no complaints, and no one second-guessed the band’s choice here, rocking out for the full 63-minute set with teases of The Beatles and Dopapod originals mix in, the crowd reveling in the awesomeness they witnessed during setbreak on the Putnam patio.

Set 2 found far more songs, nine to be exact, with a range of material from across Dopapod’s catalog. The recent debut “Velcro” kicked things off, followed by “Happy Song” off 2009’s Radar and fan favorite “Braindead” from Redivider, Luke Stratton’s lights silhouetting the band throughout.

“Black and White,” a highlight of Dopapod’s 2017 Halloween show at Putnam Place, featured teases of “I Might Be Wrong” by Radiohead and “Funky Duck” by Vulfpeck. The final segment of “Onionhead” > “Grow” > “Present Ghosts” capped the night perfectly, bolstered by room shaking bass from Charles Jones.

For an encore, while the setlist only showed “French Bowling,” an audible was called with AC/DC’s “T.N.T.,” preceded by Eli Winderman fist pumping and engaging the crowd to add in “OY! OY! OY!” before Eli and Rob Compa led the band through the 70s rocker. “Bowling” did indeed then close out a fun night of music afterwards.

Dopapod, who just released their new single “Think” today, arrives at Buffalo Iron Works on Wednesday, October 27 before heading to the Midwest. Get your tickets here.

Photo gallery by Zach Culver

Dopapod – Putnam Place, Saratoga Springs, NY – 0/20/2021

Set 1: Echoes¹

Set 2: Velcro, Happy Song, Braindead, Like A Ball, Black and White², Onionhead > Grow > Present Ghosts

Encore: TNT³ > French Bowling

¹ Pink Floyd cover, with Plaese Haalp, Norwegian Wood, and FABA teases
² I Might Be Wrong (Radiohead) and Funky Duck (Vulfpeck) teases
³ AC/DC cover

Photo gallery by Zak Radick

You Oughta Know Dopapod Rocked the Dock

Dopapod returned to The Dock in Ithaca, a premier music venue on Cayuga Lakes Inlet, for the first time since 2012. Rob Compa gave the crowd an A+ for their vibe, saying, “This is exactly how we want a Dopapod show to be.”

The four piece crushed their first set with a standout “Trapper Keeper” jam that the fall crowd boogied down on. Whether you had a Jansport or an Eastpak to store it in, you probably had your video game cartridges in there as well. Dopapod fired up their old consoles for the “Donkey Kong Country Theme” -> “Something from Zelda.”

Cornell’s infamous Barton Hall that sits in The Dock’s sightline sent a sonic wave to crash in the set. During their original “Sonic,” Dopepod took the Grateful Dead’s classic “Dark Star” on an uptempo disco vibe that sent people dancing in the boat launch.

The band opened the encore on drummer Neal “Fro” Evans who laid down a tight groove of improvisation before launching the band back into the 1990s. Dopapod rocked the dock with Alanis Morissette’s classic “You Oughta Know” to close the night out. Rob Compa noted told NYS Music after the show “I think Taylor Hawkins (current Foo Fighters drummer) is on the original studio drum beat for that.”

Dopapod – The Dock, Ithaca, NY – October 21, 2021

Set 1: Freight Train > Mucho, STADA, Trapper Keeper, Numbers Need Humans, Vol. 3 #86

Set 2: Bats in the Cave, Donkey Kong Country Theme -> Something from Zelda > Trickery, Nerds -> Sonic¹

Encore: You Oughta Know²

¹ Dark Star (Grateful Dead) tease
² Alanis Morissette cover, Nerds tease

Photos by Zachary Beecher

October 22, 2021
Donny Frauenhofer Trio (DF3) to Celebrate Debut Album Release at Sportsmens Tavern

Buffalo’s Donny Frauenhofer Trio will celebrate the culmination of a decade of work as they take the next step as a live band, releasing their debut album on Friday, October 22. The night before, the trio will perform at Sportsmen’s Tavern.

Donny Frauenhofer Trio, also known as DF3, consists of Isaiah Griffin on drums, Colin Brydalski on bass, and Frauenhofer on keys. Coined as “The Weirdest Music You’ve Never Heard,” Donny’s trio is creatively driven by spontaneity. The group travels through time signatures, styles, and key signatures with ease, making Frauenhofer’s complicated compositions sound like a walk in the park. The group plays a daring brand of original music with unique arrangements of popular tunes tastefully sprinkled in.

With an album full of originals, two notable covers get a jazz treatment, with DF3 approaching Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall” and Fall Out Boy’s “Sugar We’re Goin Down” as though they are entirely new compositions,

The album has taken 10 years to get here, although the trio didn’t start until about 2016, playing consistently starting in 2018. There is also the factor of capturing the music, learning the language of music and studying all the aspects of playing and performing it. 10 years ago, Frauenhofer did not see the dream of being signed on a label and just making music as possible or as probable as many of his peers. He saw where things were heading with the music business and how to monetize it, so he set out to learn as much as possible about recording, engineering, mixing, mastering, and producing as much as I could.

Frauenhofer didn’t want to release an album until he felt he was somewhat capable of doing the quality he wanted for himself. 10 years of digging into jazz and trying to find his own sound, that is when many compositions took root. He would often tell friends “I had this sound in my head I couldn’t describe,” and a lot of artists he was a fan of were in that realm, but Frauenhofer had a particular vibe, an air or atmosphere that he wanted to capture.

Regarding the jazz scene in Buffalo, Frauenhofer notes the great deal of talent in the scene, with a small but passionate audience that is continuing to grow.

My goal is to get more of my generation involved. A lot of this album reflects that – using contemporary styles from my generation and putting that in a jazz setting, or vice-versa. Electronic music styles and hip-hop in particular can really get young crowds excited and be a great window into more traditional styles of jazz
Donny Frauenhofer, on the Buffalo Jazz scene

The album release show will take place on Thursday, October 21st at Sportsmens Tavern in Buffalo. The show kicks off at 7pm with the band playing two sets of music, with physical copies of Uppin’ the Ante available at the show. Guest musicians will also be performing with the trio.

The release of this upcoming album marks the distinctive transformation of #DF3 from a local live act to a burgeoning national touring force. Uppin’ the Ante will be available on all streaming platforms on Friday, October 22nd. Along with this exciting release, the band will soon be announcing tour dates for the remainder of 2021.

Donny Frauenhofer Trio perform on Thursday, October 21 at 7:00 PM Sportsmens Tavern. Tickets are $12 and available here, with additional info available via the Facebook event.

October 20, 2021
Jann Klose Celebrates his Citizenship with “Becoming American — A Celebration!” on October 26

A few days after he takes the Naturalization Oath and becomes an American citizen, Jann Klose will perform at Rockwood Music Hall, alongside singer-songwriter Kris Gruen on Tuesday, October 26 at 7pm.

Jann Klose is an award-winning pop singer-songwriter, born in Mannheim, Germany and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, Johannesburg, South Africa and Hamburg, Germany. Jann first arrived in the United States as an AFS exchange student in Cleveland, Ohio. His single “Love You the Most” is part of the soundtrack for the movie “Married Young” (Amazon) and has been streamed over 3 million times. Jann is an ambassador for Desmond Tutu’s TutuDesk campaign and Brick by Brick Uganda. Klose has performed as an actor and singer in touring companies of Broadway musicals, including “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Jekyll and Hyde,” and “The Who’s Tommy” as well as made for TV movies, voice overs and commercials.

Becoming American – A Celebration! celebrates Jann Klose and his love of American culture, Jann will be sworn in at City Hall on October 22, and later that week, Klose and his 5-piece band will perform his first concert as an American citizen at Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 2. Also featured on the bill is Americana singer-songwriter Kris Gruen.

Jann Klose proclaiming his American Citizenship on October 22. Here the Astoria, Queens-based Pop/Singer-songwriter is waving like the famous flag at the Jacob Javits Federal Building in New York City where immigrants take part in their Oath Ceremonies every Friday.

The show will feature brand new songs, including “Sugar My,” “Flesh & Blood,” “All The Way Down,” and “Surrender” all co-written with hit songwriter Alex Forbes (Taylor Dayne, Nile Rodgers, South African artist Elvis Blue). Jann’s seventh studio album is slated for an early 2022 release. Favorites from Jann’s prior releases will also be represented in the set, including songs from his most recent album, In Tandem, released on South Africa’s legendary Gallo Records/Sheer Sound, featuring duets with a wide range of stars from three continents, including singers Karen Zoid (coach on The Voice SA) and Annie Haslam of Renaissance. Jann’s two recent singles,

Tickets are available here.

Jann Klose Upcoming Shows

October 26 – Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2, New York, NY
November 26 – Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, Brookville, NY
November 27 – Elsewhere w/ Gary Lucas, Brooklyn, NY

October 20, 2021
Watch Phil Lesh join Midnight North at The Hollow and Nectars

Its not every day an 80 year old bassist stops in Albany to play a club show. Its not every 80 year old bassist who happens to be Phil Lesh, who, while in between shows at The Capitol Theatre, made some stops with his son Grahame’s band, Midnight North as they played in Burlington and Albany this past weekend.

photo by Frankie Cavone

Phil has been no stranger to Midnight North shows recently, having sat in for shows in Washington, D.C., Fairfield, CT and Woodstock, as noted by Jambands.com. Phil joined Midnight North at Nectar’s on Friday night for “I Know You Rider” and “Ripple,” with Twiddle members Mihali and Ryan Dempsey joining in.

On Saturday, as Midnight North made their way to Albany, Phil Lesh was along for the ride, and sat in with Midnight North for their original “Wine and Roses,” followed by the Grateful Dead classic, “New Speedway Boogie” with Elliot Peck taking lead on vocals. Watch the two songs below, with Video courtesy of Mirth Films

Phil Lesh returns to the Capitol Theatre this week, October 18 – 20 with Stuart Bogie and Amy Helm join Phil on the first and last night of the run, with Eric D. Johnson, Josh Kaufman, Elliot Peck and Phil’s son Grahame set to play on the 19th. This run will also feature Joe Russo on drums and Benmont Tench on keys.

October 19, 2021
Fritz’s Polka Band releases 20th Recording, “The Hands of Time”

Hailing from Verona, NY, Fritz’s Polka Band has released their 20th recording, The Hands of Time, on October 1, 2021. Recorded at SubCat Studios in Syracuse, the new album features 11 original tunes features appearances by Utica blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa and drummer Deen Castronovo, and a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower.”

Fritz’s Polka Band (FPB) was formed in 1978 by lead accordionist, the late Fred Scherz Sr. and his eight-year old son, Fritz, for whom the band was named. Despite Fred’s death in November 2009, Fritz’s Polka Band has vowed to carry on his legacy, playing everything from modern-style polka to country, rock and even blues.

Performing an eclectic mix of musical styles, Fritz’s Polka Band is not an oom-pa-pa band or a stereotypical “polka” band, but rather broke the stereotype regarding Polka music, performing at Woodstock ’99, and was inducted into the Syracuse Area Music Hall of Fame in 2010.

The first ever gig for Fritz’s Polka Band on October 14, 1978, at Beck’s Grove in Rome, NY. Via FSB Facebook page.

Songs on the album fit the mold of a Polka band, with titles “Chicken Wing Breakdown,” “Hey!,” “Come Home Safe” and “Oktoberfest Is Here Again.” Notably, the late Fred Scherz Sr. is featured, alongside Joey Miskulin, on “Tommy’s Lendler.” Fritz told the Utica Observer-Dispatch “One special guest I’m extra excited about is my son, Freddy, who’s just 7 years old. He played so nicely on a Swiss tune that his grandpa – my Dad – Fred wrote!”

I’m so thrilled this recording has finally been released. My band has been playing some of the tunes that appear on this album at gigs and they’ve really been going over quite well with the various audiences we’ve played for. I think the fact that the styles of songs on this album being so eclectic is a good thing, because there’s basically a tune for every mood someone might have.
If you’re in the mood for a festive, party-type song, then a song like “Oktoberfest Is Here Again” will fill that need. If you’re saddened by the loss of a loved one or close friend, then a tune like “The Hands Of Time” and/or a ballad like “I Know I Should” will resonate with you. The special guests on this album really made it extra special, too! Whether folks choose to buy the CD at a gig, via mail order and/or download, I hope they enjoy it as much as my band enjoyed recording it!”
Fritz Scherz

FSB appears on the DVD of “The Manchurian Candidate” (2004) and had two songs – “Grandparent’s Polka” and “Here Is Fritz’s Polka Band” – included in two episodes of “Breaking Bad.” The group was nominated for a Syracuse Area Music Award (SAMMYs) for their 19th album, Hey, and in autumn 2019 were nominated for Band of the Year as well as New, Original Polka Song by the Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame. Additionally, Fritz Scherz was nominated for Musician of the Year and Button-Box: Artist or Duo awards.

You can find more info on Fritz’s Polka Band on their website and order The Hands of Time at various on-line outlets here.

October 17, 2021
Courtyard Sessions from Mirth Films highlights Capital District Artists in an Intimate Setting

Earlier this year, as the weather thawed and there were early signs of the coming easement of pandemic restrictions, a small courtyard in the Center Square neighborhood of Albany became the home to intimate sessions from a variety of Capital District artists.

James White. Photo by Frankie Cavone

Produced by Frankie Cavone of Mirth Films, the Courtyard Sessions provided an opportunity for a variety of musicians from across the 518 to step into a private outdoor space and play acoustic renditions of their tunes.

Brad Hester of Annie in the Water. Photo by Frankie Cavone

Starting in May 2021, Cavone started the Courtyard Sessions as a way to help promote solo musicians in a creative form. Combining his video skills and a new courtyard at his recently moved into house, it was a match made in heaven.

For myself this was a way to stay creative learn and try new things. I don’t like being stagnant and after the big live streaming boom that we experienced in 2020 and early 2021, I wanted to try something different something less sterile.
Frankie Cavone, Mirth Films

The lineup was curated by Cavone, working with musicians he had worked with previously, as well as hoped to work with for the first time. The response was strong, with musicians coming to the courtyard for an afternoon or evening session, with enough interest and response from viewers to continue the series this fall and into 2022.

I did not know if this was something that would last as long as a did, but after 14 episodes, it’s something that I want to continue doing. As a creator it definitely helps me learn and build my skills.
Frankie Cavone, Mirth Films

Cavone’s end goal with Courtyard Sessions, now that it is established, is to have not only local musicians but national touring musicians as well who are coming through the Capital Region step into the courtyard.

An official Mirth Films series, Courtyard Sessions is one of a handful of new series that will be coming out before the end of 2021,

The Fall season will end later this month, with local singer/songwriter Caity Gallagher, who has a voice comparable to Dolores O’Riordan of The Cranberries, as the penultimate guest, premiering Wednesday, October 20 on the Mirth Films YouTube Channel.

Watch all episodes of Courtyard Sessions from Mirth Films below.

October 16, 2021