Detroit based post-punk vets Protomartyr are back; on tour for the first time post-COVID and giving their excellent 5th LP Ultimate Success Today the live treatment. The band made their way to Bushwick’s Elsewhere Hall this past Thursday, November 18 followed by two more sold out shows upstate at Tubby’s in Kingston.
Protomartyr at Elsewhere 11/18/21. Photo by Buscar Photo
The night opened with a fiery punk rock set from the Philly based band TVO. After a short changeover, Poughkeepsie native and free jazz legend Joe McPhee took the stage for a deep and abstract saxophone performance. The crowd was quite taken back by the significant change of pace, but McPhee stepped up to the microphone and performed a 20 minute set consisting of three distinct movements. Bits of distinguishable jazz rhythms kept popping up, surrounded by layers of breathing and speaking (inaudibly) through the instrument as if an entire story was being narrated. You could hear a pin drop in the room while McPhee was performing, but he concluded with a thundering applause from an audience truly shocked and in awe of what we witnessed.
Joe McPhee at Elsewhere, 11/18/21. Photo by Buscar Photo
Protomartyr have been a cult success for their first couple of albums and their stature has grown quite a bit with their more recent releases. LPs such as The Agent Intellect and Relatives in Descent solidified the band’s sound; a solid post punk backing fronted with deep vocal style reminiscent of Nick Cave. Ultimate Success Today, released in July of 2020, stayed true to that sound and provided another pillar to the band’s catalog. One of the singles from the album, “Processed By The Boys,” came along with a comical video featuring the band in 80s era TV game show form.
The short tour started earlier in November and after the three New York shows, the band has one final stop in Pittsburgh to close out the run. Photos from the Elsewhere show are below and stay tuned for more updates from the band as the tour wraps up.
NYC singer-songwriter Ruby Greenberg has released her new single, “Run Away.” Simple yet charming, the soothing piano ballad is a love letter to her home state of Colorado.
Greenberg wrote “Run Away” during a bout of homesickness. While her time in New York began as an exciting barrage of new people and experiences, she would occasionally long for the familiar faces of the Rocky Mountains.
I wrote “Run Away” when I was feeling particularly nostalgic. One day I was sitting in a tiny rehearsal room with only an old piano and a small window that faced another wall. I started playing a melody on the piano, thinking of home and the way that the mountains out west created my sense of direction.
Ruby Greenberg
“Run Away” never outright disses Greenberg’s new home in the city, but the first verse tackles how jarring its busy atmosphere could be for a new transplant: “Madness is what we live in this city of lies.” The lyrics also comment on the kindness (or lack thereof) of New Yorkers, who “don’t have the time to look each other in the eye.” Greenberg spends the remainder of the song retreating to Colorado in spirit, with a jazzy organ joining the proceedings.
The vocals, songwriting and piano are reminiscent of Sara Bareilles, along with Greenberg’s main influences, Joni Mitchell and Brandi Carlile. It sounds like a sweater-clad hike on a fall day, which isn’t an accident. Greenberg is a lover of the great outdoors, and passionate about wildlife conservation and environmentalism alike. She’s performed at a benefit concert for parkland preservation efforts at Ivywild School, a community center in Colorado Springs.
Greenberg has plans to release more singles in the near future, dedicated to her loved ones. “Run Away” is now available on all streaming platforms.
Thundercat brought his grooves to Higher Ground last Wednesday night, performing a jam-heavy set interjected with thoughtful musings on his friends, his passions, and his career.
Known for his mind-bending bass riffs and soulful, high vocals, Thundercat brought an inventive, jam-heavy set elevated by his classic comedic flair. Playing to a mesmerized crowd, he encouraged the Ballroom to fall into the music the same way he does.
Thundercat. Photo by Hattie Lindert.
Compton producer Channel Tres opened for Thundercat, melding glitzy club beats with deep, emotive vocals. At first, Tres rose to fame crafting beats for hip-hop stars like Wale and Kehlani; now he’s forging a name for himself. Although initially the crowd seemed underappreciative of his set (he deserved a Brooklyn Steel crowd), by the end he had converted fans jumping at the barrier. By the time he closed with the pulsating “Topdown,” the crowd was screaming as he performed original choreography. At one point, he wiped his brow with a merch t-shirt, then tossed it into the crowd.
“Hey, I’ll sign it for you,” he called out the lucky winner. “I mean you never know, I might be famous one day.”
Channel Tres. Photo by Hattie Lindert
Channel Tres. Photo by Hattie Lindert
Thundercat’s comical and outlandish style precedes him, and he did not disappoint when he took the stage in an oversize, sparkling Gucci barrette. Even more outsized than his style is his mythical skill on the bass guitar. Before he even stepped on stage, tour staff came out to carefully lay the instrument by his mic.
“There it is,” an audience member in the front row whispered in awe. “There it f*cking is.”
Thundercat. Photo by Hattie Lindert
Throughout the show, Thundercat spoke continually about beloved friends and coworkers he’s lost. Thundercat has often spoken about the pain of losing close friend Mac Miller to an overdose in 2018. That loss had a deep effect on the artist himself, and the formulation of his critically acclaimed latest album, 2020’s It Is What It Is. Thundercat also shared stories of his childhood best friend, pianist Austin Peralta, who has since passed. As he dove into a racing rendition of “I Love Louis Cole,” Thundercat credited Peralta with introducing him to the artist’s music.
“Mac, MF Doom, DMX, Austin… they changed my life,” he said. “And I’m still here.” The following performance was nothing if not a celebration of life. Afterwards, he performed “A Message for Austin,” the track he wrote dedicated to Peralta, falling into an insane acid jazz jam session.
Thundercat. Photo by Hattie Lindert
Thundercat’s personality is defined by his passions, and he mused on them all: fashion, anime, his cat, Tron. He assured the crowd he’s working on new music, though a wide berth of tracks from his extensive catalog, along with Flying Lotus and Knower covers. Mostly, he jammed, disappearing into the eyes of keyboardist Dennis Hamm and drummer Justin Brown.
Thundercat knows his audience, and how long they’ve waited to see him; he gave fans a treat closing with crowd-pleasers “Them Changes” and “Funny Thing.” Though he remained faithful to the hits, Thundercat still experimented. Tracks like “Nowhere,” a Knower cover, and “Existential Dread,” found him switching things up and sometimes even extending runs beyond the crowd’s content. After all, as he playfully called out, many of them were still underage.
Thundercat. Photo by Hattie Lindert.
Thundercat’s expressive, masterful skill on the bass translates well to storytelling, be it comedic or serious. His graceful hands, adorned with tattoos, fly as he describes a night out drunken of Jameson with friends or a scene from Death Note. Above all, he wanted to share pieces of himself with the crowd: music, stories and laughs.
“I know you guys know the power of music,” he said to a cheer. That night, the power of live performance felt just as meaningful.
The Dirty Dozen Brass band from New Orleans just finished up a four night residency at Blue Note on Sunday November 14. Fellow Orleans Cats Ivan Neville and Tony Hall of Dumpstaphunk checked out the brass band at the Note on Thursday before their two night sold out run at Madison Square Garden with Dave Matthews Band.
You never know who will stop in to New York City’s infamous Blue Note Jazz Club in Manhattan. Since the clubs history in 1981 it wasn’t uncommon to have Stevie Wonder appear on the Greenwich Village stage room that seats 250. Isaiah Sharkey and Cory Henry helped kick some funky neo soul beats from the club so far this year. During their Fall 2021 residency lasting over thirty days with Robert Glasper the club welcomed Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle to the Note.
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band helped keep the New Orleans groove in the village vibrant during their four night stay. The brass section consists of Kirk Joseph on jazz sousaphone, Roger Lewis on Baritone Sax, Calvin Johnson on tenor saxophone, Timothy Norris on Trombone and Gregory Davis on Trumpet and vocals. Guitarist Takeshi Shimura and on Drums Julian Addison. Sitting in during the residency were Dave Mullen & Rick Frank on horns.
Gregory Davis gave the club a bit of an angle on the bands influences that helped get every one up from their tables. Davis told the sold out Blue Note crowd,
One of our influences was James Brown. James always played music that people would dance to. So Get on Up! James would want to see you shake your tail feather.
To keep James spirit strutting down West 3rd street the dozen laid down a “Super Bad” jam that everybody on the Note stage stretched out on. Improvisation on a classic funk cut at its finest.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbUcEt8dRSU
Davis also got to the crowd to partake vocally by turning their seats in to funk doctor chairs. “You know when your at the Doctor and he gets you to say Ahh?” “Do it just like that” The procedure worked as the crowd gave way in unison to their “Ahhs” that helped launch the band in to the classic New Orleans funk composition “Cissy Strut”
The world renowned New Orleans groove that was in Manhattan this past weekend from the Garden to The Blue Note was a vibe. It carved out some trenches from the Mississippi to the Hudson River, It created another musical niche with the other great Blue Note locations in Tokyo and Nagoya, Japan, Milan, Italy, Waikiki, Hawaii, Napa California, Beijing, China and Sao Paulo & Rio De Janeiro Brazil. When asked about performing at the Blue Note Tokyo legendary artist Steve Gadd told NYS Music the secret to playing any great gig.
I mean you always go off the audience. When you get it musically to a level where everyone on the bandstand is having fun and can hear each other and you can trust the audience is hearing it the way you are it gets to a spiritual level. In Japan or wherever you are, that’s the goal.
Tech N9ne brought his Strange New World Tour to Empire Live in Albany, NY on Wednesday, November 11. Opening the show were rappers Jhery Robinson, King ISO and Rittz.
After King Iso seemlingly died on stage from rapping too hard, Tech N9ne took the stage to a roaring crowd. Donning a crown or clown mask, he mixed old with new, finally ending the night with a heavy slew of classics. He spoke afterwards of recently turning 50 and gave a surprisingly elliquent speech about just being yourself and always moving forward.
TechN9ne takes this tour south before heading out midwest to end in Kansas City, MO at the beginning of December.
I started dance classes when I was 2, then I was competing around the country when I was six. Dancing, singing, putting on a show, that was my entire life.
Not much has changed for 28-year-old Jersey native, Moxie Raia, in that regard. But in truth, her life can be characterized through her willingness to evolve and adjust. All in the pursuit of her ultimate goal.
At age 13, the “Love Language” singer (born, Laura Raia) convinced her parents to let her attend performing arts school in New York City. From there, Raia — who had been writing songs for years — began to record vocals for the very first time. Thereafter came the industry connections, live shows and meetings with labels.
I have always known that I wanted to do music and be an artist. My parents were really supportive as well.
Since then, the “On My Mind” singer has spent time on the rosters of Capital Records and Def Jam during her early twenties; having recorded, performed and toured with some of the most recognizable names in music. Her debut Dej Jam project, 931 Reloaded (which was a re-release of her independently released EP of the same name), featured the likes of Wyclef Jean, Pusha T and Post Malone, which she got to perform as she served as the opening act during the North American Leg of Justin Bieber’s Purpose World Tour.
Despite her bubbling success, the music industry can be a bit “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to artist presentation, preferring them to fit certain criteria that meet the label’s needs. And at the time, that did not suit Moxie Raia.
I don’t think I was strong enough to express what I really wanted creatively. I would definitely sign to a major again, but I didn’t want to do it before I had this foundation.
The foundation she speaks of is her own development and evolution as an artist. With creative direction no longer a worry, the singer-songwriter has had free will to rebrand the way she sees fit.
One of her newer records, the dark and seductive “Not The One” sees her tap into her sensual side, as she pays homage to the late Aaliyah.
The thing that captivated me most about her [Aaliyah] was how she was so soft and feminine but a Tomboy and strong. That song in particular was a homage to that time and those sounds.
Creatively, Raia feels her niche falls within that dichotomy, the grey area between delicacy and strength. Wanting to portray a sultry, yet dominant presence rather than the damsel in distress image many pop stars carry in the early stages of their careers.
I think I’ve become better at executing my vision and that comes down to confidence and faith.
Her creative freedom can be found through her alter ego, Carbon Girl, a superhero character whom Raia plans to base much of her upcoming EP, 2989, on. Representing the strength Raia is looking to emit through her music.
What drives me most is thinking about being on stage and being connected to 20,000 people at one time. And everybody, for a moment is there with the music, forgetting about their differences, forgetting about what’s going on in their life that may not be ideal, and you just have a moment with people.
With a relaxed, recently awoken tone throughout, Raia remained nonchalant throughout the interview. Until, the topic turned to the reason behind her perseverance in the music industry. It was then that the fervor in her voice could be heard, reacting strongly to the thought of creating music without performing. It became clear that, through nearly two decades of pursuit, one thing has remained the same, Raia’s passion for performance and the cathartic feeling of live performance.
I like making music in my room that I can listen to, but I wouldn’t still be going if that was the motivation. The motivation is those moments.
Genre-blurring NYC artist Joshua Crumbly has shared a new video for his nostalgic and moody track “Kolkata.” Crumbly first shared “Kolkata” on his sophomore full-length, ForEver, which he released last month.
Crumbly’s gift lies in emotionally evocative and masterful bass guitar. He made his debut at age 10, performing with his saxophonist father, and eventually pursued his passion at Julliard. His unique style has led him to record and tour with everyone from Leon Bridges to Kamasi Washington. He performed alongside Bob Dylan in Dylan’s 2021 concert film, Shadow Kingdom. He released his debut solo album, Rise, in 2020.
The windswept video for “Kolkata” features crumbly as a cowboy wandering a dusty open road. Carefully stepping along the dotted yellow line, Crumbly walks towards a hazy mountain range in the distance. As the camera approaches him slowly from behind, he sets down his guitar case, removed his hat, and turns to face the audience.
Crumbly is half African-American and half Indian-American, and frequently visits his mother’s family in Kolkata. It was there he experienced something beautiful while looking over the city, sparking the inspiration for “Kolkata.”
“It was a blissful moment filled with gratitude and optimism,” Crumbly said. “I didn’t bring any instruments with me on this trip but I did have my laptop computer to sonically document this moment I was grateful to have experienced.”
Joshua Crumbly
Featuring guests like Shahzad Ismaily, Sam Gendel, and Jay Bellerose, ForEver has received praise from outlets like Hypebeast and Under the Radar. NPR Music highlighted the record on their New Music Friday podcast.
The album’s haunting 11 tracks never hit you over the head with their meaning. But Crumbly’s ability to evoke nostalgia and deja vu through a simple, wavering bassline keeps you mesmerized. In ForEver’s lo-fi environment, each song blends into the next while still setting a unique scene. “Family” is heartbreakingly simple and bittersweet, while “C.S.C.” with Jay Bellerose builds on an ominous, hazy funk. Title track and standout “ForEver” takes hints from midwest emo, but remains hauntingly spare throughout. The soft, undulating melody worms its way into your brain and stays.
Empire Live has become quite the up and coming venue in 2021 and what better place to host an up and coming band in Ripe, with The Heavy Hours and Max Muscato opening the show on Friday, November 12th.
The Boston based Ripe rolled through Albany in the midst of a long tour taking them through a lot of the Northeast, into Canada, and finishing out the year with two shows for New Years Eve at Irving Plaza on December 30th and 31st. After taking off the month of January their winter tour kicks off in Knoxville and runs through the deep south before heading out to the Midwest.
Set List: Flipside, Downward > Stanky, Escape, Beta Male, Queen of the City, Pretty Dirty > Passerby, Noise in the Forest > First Time Feeling, Bennie and the Jets, 5am, Talk to the Moon > Follow Through > Little Lighter
Flying straight from Orlando’s EDC concert, Zedd moved the party to New York City on Saturday, November 13 in the heart of Times Square, selling out Nebula’s second official opening weekend. Entrancing the crowd with his signature electro house drops and mesmerizing psychedelic LED screens, Zedd’s very presence atop the stage paralleled that of a higher power.
Worshipping crowdgoers welcomed the well decorated German-Russian DJ that has paved the electronic scene for over a decade. Almost on command Zedd wielded his powers, sending chills down several hundred spines starting with the all so notable eerie Squid Game introduction to unleashing the intoxicating beat of Do it Do it from Cherish. His edit of Squid Game x Do it Do it swallowed us into a two hour rave marathon of his GRAMMY winning catalogue.
Certainly a renowned powerhouse EDM DJ virtuoso, he reminded us how he single handedly shaped the soundscape of the early 2010s era starting his set with Stay the Night (feat. Hayley Williams) and The Middle. Immediately working the crowd with nostalgia of the good ‘ol days, Zedd was just as excited to see fans memorize his every lyric. The DJ, songwriter, and record producer found himself infected with his own rhythms jumping relentlessly with one proud fist in the air. Sampling Lil Nas X’s “Industry Baby” we were lured away from Zedd’s originals, unlocking edits of Drake’s “Way 2 Sexy” and Daft Punk’s “One More Time”.
Palms open and looking to the sky Zedd was able to contact his fellow EDM gods for countless thick heavy bass drops thrumming the dance floor to fuel ceaselessy dancing fans.
Zedd made full use of New York City’s newest club. The all encompassing LED screens put on acclaimed painted visuals taking club goers soaring through space, inside futuristic tunnels, and swimming through vortexes. Combined with synchronized strobe lights pointed every which way, Zedd provided a full sensory performance. A true connoisseur, prolonging each beat drop gearing us for the high intensity ultimate of euphoric choruses from “Spectrum” even singing along to Ariana Grande’s “Break Free” with the rest of us.
The sheer intimacy of the soldout 700 person max venue aided in creating a closer bond to the almost untouchable DJ. His charisma could be felt all the way in the back depths of the club. In a sly attempt to hide his celebrity, he occasionally appeared as a mere shadow letting his LED lightshow dictate the concert along while waving just one finger in the air, complete with a drink in the other. His limited check-ins with the crowd and bright let us know was enjoying it all as much as we were, basking in the glory of the name he has made for himself.
The EDM scene is often believed to be crafted around drugs that claim to fully encapture each performance, yet the community projects carefree and accepting energy builds families on the dance floor. He made it almost impossible not to become best friends with strangers entranced by his music. when erupting countless climax of euphoric woes with every bass drop. Each inevitable buildup releasing to well crafted high intensity drops cooked up an addicting recipe that fans could not get enough of.
To pull in the rails of the night, Zedd cranked his signature “Clarity” with one last remark, “New York! My name is Zedd and I f****** love you! Put your hands up if you had a great time.” One last drop erupted the climax of the night matched with bursts of confetti and fog covering roaring fans and blaring kick drums. His first GRAMMY winning song made way for ubiquitous dancing closing the night with unbelievable insanity. Classic Zedd.
Will Smith, the world-famous actor, musician, and producer, stopped by Kings Theatre in Brooklyn on November 9th for his book tour to promote his self-titled memoir “Will”. Moderated by legendary film director Spike Lee, Smith elaborated on parts of his unusual path to super-stardom for a sold-out audience. What makes Will Smith such a compelling actor and public figure was on full display that night.
Will Smith & Spike Lee at Kings Theatre, 11/09/21. Photo by Kunal Khunger
Will Smith is a legendary figure in Hollywood, having been only actor to have starred in eight consecutive films which grossed over $100 million in the United States box office. He’s a blockbuster legend and a huge cultural figure for a wide variety of age groups. The sold-out crowd was filled with people from various ages and backgrounds, just showing how wide of a reach Will Smith’s films have had on all of us, which doesn’t even include his big break, the hugely popular 90’s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Will Smith & Spike Lee at Kings Theatre, 11/09/21. Photo by Kunal Khunger
Accompanied by a massive visual board, Will and Spike walked through some of his biggest moments, ranging from Will’s impromptu audition for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air for producer Quincy Jones to the recent death of his father. Will’s father, Will Smith Sr., casts a shadow over the whole book and the conversations he had on stage. Will has referred to his father in the book as “his biggest ally and his biggest enemy”, which only sheds a little light on how complex their relationship was. While Will spoke about how grateful he was for the lessons his father bestowed on him about hard work, there was still intense resentment due to Will Smith Sr. having been an alcoholic abuser for most of Will’s childhood. Watching the famously guarded Will Smith work through his traumatic experiences on stage was fascinating.
Will Smith & Spike Lee at Kings Theatre, 11/09/21. Photo by Kunal Khunger
In spite of the dark subject matter, Will really showed why he is who he is. I’ve rarely ever seen anybody so charming and naturally humorous. Even as an audience member, his charisma was too bright to ignore. You couldn’t help but fall under his spell, which is a testament to Will Smith’s ability as both a showman and a storyteller.
After having spoken to the audience about his life, Will unveiled a surprise and brought out DJ Jazzy Jeff, his old partner during his rapper days, to perform some of the old hits they were both famous for. They ran through classics like “Summertime,” “Switch,” and even the famous “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” theme song. I would not have guessed that in 2021 I’d see Will Smith perform these hits live, which was quite the experience.
Will Smith & Spike Lee at Kings Theatre, 11/09/21. Photo by Kunal Khunger
Will Smith has one last stop of his book tour in London on Thursday, November 18th. You can see more details here. Be sure to check out the full photo gallery below!
