Brooklyn-based funk band Turkuaz has announced their safe and triumphant return to the road with a 2021 fall tour across the United States alongside the Los Angeles-based quintet, Thumpasaurus.
Turkuaz and Thumpasaurus will be kicking the tour off at Jazz Fest in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 8 with shows continuing throughout the South for the majority of October. The band then comes home for two Halloween shows at New York City’s own recently renovated and reopened Webster Hall before they make their way down the East Coast through November until early December. They will be making Two more stops in New York on November 16 at Empire Live in Albany and on November 18 at the Town Ballroom in Buffalo. Following their East Coast stint, Turkuaz will then hit the Midwest and West with plays in Omaha, Nebraska, and Denver, Colorado before they wrap up in Chicago at Park West.
“We’re ready to be back on the bus, trekking around the country, and bringing that energy that only live (and loud) music brings to us and our fans alike.”
Turkuaz frontman Dave Brandwein following the band’s recent summer tour
To top off the year, Turkuaz will also be celebrating 2022 with their annual New Year’s Eve Ball Drop event in Hartford, CT for two nights at Infinity Hall. General tickets are is now on sale via the band’s website with some free showings available. Be sure to listen to Turkuaz’s latest music and releases on Spotify HERE
Turkuaz Fall 2021 Tour Dates, with Special Guests Thumpasaurus
Aug. 11 – Livingston, MT – Pine Creek Lodge * Aug. 12 – Victor, ID – Music On Main Series * Aug. 14 – ParkCity, UT – Canyons * Aug.15 – Huntsville, UT – Blues, Brew, & BBQ * Aug. 16 – Aspen, CO – Belly Up * Aug. 17 – Vail, CO – Hot Summer Nights Series * Aug. 18 – Cheyenne, WY – The Lincoln Cheyenne * Aug. 24 – Santa Fe, NM – Santa Fe Plaza Aug. 26 – Dallas, TX – Deep Ellum Art Company Aug. 27 – Austin, TX – Mohawk Aug. 28 – Houston, TX – Last Concert Cafe Oct. 8th – New Orleans, LA – Tipitinas * Oct. 19th – Charleston, SC – Pour House Oct. 20th – Savannah, GA – District Live Oct. 21st – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West Oct. 22nd – Asheville, NC – Orange Peel Oct. 23rd – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl Oct. 24th – Birmingham, AL – Saturn Oct. 27th – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre Oct. 28th – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club Oct. 29th – New York, NY – Webster Hall Oct. 30th – New York, NY – Webster Hall Nov. 4th – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground Nov. 5th – Boston, MA – Big Night Live Nov. 6th – Portland, ME – State Theater Nov. 16th – Albany, NY – Empire Live Nov. 17th – Harrisburg, PA – HMAC Nov. 18th – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom Nov. 19th – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues Nov. 20th – Detroit, MI – El Club Dec. 2nd – Richmond, VA – The National Dec. 3rd – Philadelphia, PA – TBA Dec. 4th – Columbus, OH – Bluestone Dec. 5th – Grand Rapids, MI – Elevation Dec. 9th – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line * Dec. 10th – Omaha, NE – Waiting Room * Dec. 11th – Denver, CO – TBA Dec. 14th – Madison, WI -Majestic Theatre * Dec. 15th – Louisville, KY -Gravely Brewing * Dec. 16th – St. Louis, MO – Delmar Hall * Dec. 17th – Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue * Dec. 18th – Chicago, IL – Park West * Dec. 30th & 31st – Hartford, CT – Infinity Hall *
Restless World Music returns with the first of 5 songs to be released over the rest of 2021 and into 2022. “I No Go Play” was released on all streaming platforms July 24.
The new song perfectly represents Restless World Music’s brand of writing songs that combine different cultural influences and musical genres by combining Afrobeats, Reggaeton and R&B. Here’s the recipe for “I No Go Play”: start with an Afrobeats musical base. Add a chorus inspired by Nigerian slang. Sprinkle some pop and RnB in the bridge and a dash of reggaeton in the verse melody. Top off with a brilliant West African vocalist, and you have Restless World Music’s latest single. Listeners who like artists like Mr. Eazi, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, Davido, and Wizkid will like the romantic, energetic, and confident vibe of “I No Go Play.”
Earlier songs from the artist include “Precipice”, “Cyclone, “Ashes”, and “Stratosphere” with often collaborations with Candance XYZ. The follow up to the debut tells the story of complicated love. Whereas the theme of the earlier songs was natural elements and how they relate to human emotions this new track takes a more direct approach to discussing topics.
The name “Restless World” Music is inspired by the world around us, in which an ever-moving ocean of events, people, and beliefs shape each day. Songs can tell this story, and in telling it, can take us on a journey through joy, sorrow, and a thousand emotions in between. Just like the constantly evolving mix of different cultures in the world around us, songs by Restless World Music blend different musical elements, styles, and genres. Additionally, in Restless World songs, melody resides not only in musical notes, but in the sounds, syllables, and shades of meaning of each word in the lyrics.
For more information visit the Restless World Music website.
Dopapod has announced a set of Fall 2021 tour dates including the first three shows in Brooklyn, Saratoga Springs, and Ithaca.
Dopapod has been composed of Eli Winderman (keys and vocals), Rob Compa (guitar and vocals), Chuck Jones (bass), and Neal “Fro” Evans (drums) since its formation in 2007 at Berklee College Of Music. The band’s accomplishments include a flourishing fanbase across the country, yearly show counts tallying into the hundreds, and high-profile appearances at festivals like Bonnaroo, Electric Forest, Summer Camp, High Sierra, and more. Most recently, in fall of 2017, the group released Megagem, the band’s fifth studio album, which Glide Magazine called “simultaneously their most focused and thematically ambitious affair to date.”
The band and each of its seven albums sports a palindromic name, meaning it can be read the same forward as backward. More than that, balance has become the band’s modus operandi, with the group consciously juggling the darker tones of heavy rock with lighthearted humor; synthesizing tastes of funk, jazz, bluegrass, electronica, and more within their complex improvisational compositions. During live shows, Dopapod is known for taking fans on a full-out journey, guiding attendees through periods of frenzied dance contrasted with moments of thoughtful contemplation.
After a successful decade together, Dopapod went on a planned hiatus in 2018 with the goal of restoring balance to the band. Eli Winderman explained, “We have a fresh perspective on the whole thing—a different outlook on the band and on life. There’s a lot of renewed energy we’re feeling around it all.”
The time and space allowed each member to rekindle their passion for the project and bring their long-standing friendships with one another back to the forefront. With this time gifted to themseblves, the group has also intentionally reflected on their music, working together to breathe new life into old songs and revitalize live performances. “We’re excited to come back and play these songs together again, to see if they can take on a new life,” Chuck Jones added. “After this year off, we’re not just going to be playing the same songs the same way we were five years ago.”
Wednesday, July 28th brought the 2021 season of Albany’s Alive at Five to a close. The weather was perfect, and for the first time this season, the concert was held at its usual location, Jennings Landing. Albany’s own Joe Mansman and the Midnight Revival Band opened for 80s hair metal band Warrant who celebrated the 30th anniversary of their second and most successful studio album Cherry Pie. Check out the set list and photo gallery below.
Setlists
Warrant: Sure Feels Good To Me, Love in Stereo, Bed Of Roses, Your The Only Hell Your Mama Ever Raised, I saw Red, Song And Dance Man, Mr. Rainmaker, Blind Faith, Train, Train, Down Boys, D.R.F.S.R, Sometimes She Cries, Louder Harder Faster/Machine Gun, Heaven, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Cherry Pie
Joe Mansman & The Midnight Revival Band: Moon Vixen, Sellout, Live For Thrills, Renegade Love, Cut Out My Tongue, Below or Above, Wild Woman, Take It Easy, Lips On Fire, Dead As It Gets, Reap and Sow, Blood Grain Cocaine, Cheap Looks, Revels, Dagger
The musical biography, Ethel Waters: His Eye Is On The Sparrow, begins at the Capital Repertory Theatre’s new home at 251 N. Pearl St. on Tuesday, Aug 24 and will continue through to Sept 26.
Ethel Waters broke through the Jim Crow ceiling of recording studios, radio, musical theater and movies to become an inspirational legend. Written by Larry Parr, this show celebrates the life of Ethel Waters. The actress and recording star crossed racial barriers to win Grammy Awards, star in her own television show, and be nominated for Emmy and Academy awards. The title role of Ethel Waters will be portrayed by Broadway veteran and award-winning actress Jannie Jones.
Capital Region audiences will remember Jones’ acclaimed performances at theREP in Smokey Joe’s Café, Crowns, Black Pearl Sings, and most recently A Night With Janis Joplin, where she brought the house down as Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone. She won an Audelco Award for August Wilson’s Women as “Rose” in Fences and a Bay Area Theatre Critics Award as “Pearl” in Black Pearl Sings.
“I am very excited to be returning to Capital Rep; having done ‘Crowns’, ‘Black Pearl Sings’ and ‘A Night With Janis Joplin’ in past years,” says Jones. “I can’t wait to look into the eyes of the warm and inviting audiences in Albany once again. I’m simply delighted to work with the wonderful Maggie Cahill and I am very honored to be doing the first full production on the theatre’s brand-new stage.”
Playwright Larry Parr’s work has had hundreds of regional theatre productions. His trio of plays celebrating illustrious Black female artists, Hi-hatted Hattie, My Castle’s Rockin’ and Ethel Waters: His Eye Is On The Sparrow have each won numerous playwriting awards.
This show is the first fully produced show in theREP’s new theatre, which includes a 309-seat Main Stage and a smaller flexible studio theatre. A special opening night pre-show celebration will take place to light theREP’s marquee on Tuesday, Aug 24 at 6:30 pm under the awning of the theatre. Songs of celebration will be performed as part of the official “ribbon cutting” to usher in the first season at 251 N. Pearl St. Curtain time on opening night is 7:30 pm.
On Sept 19, a “Behind the Scenes” pre-show talk with Jones and Producing Artistic Director Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill will take place before the Sunday matinee at 1-1:30 pm. Jones will discuss the life of Ethel Waters and her importance in musical history. The event is free to ticket holders of any performance of the show.
No concessions will be served for the run of ETHEL WATERS; patrons may bring personal bottled water into the auditorium. A link to safety protocols can be found at the Capital Repertory website. The show runs 90 minutes without an intermission.
As part of theREP’s opening celebration, specially discounted tickets will be available during the run of Ethel Waters for senior groups, residents of the Arbor Hill Neighborhood, and civic and church groups as part of the theatre’s Neighbors for Neighbors outreach programming. For more information about Neighbors for Neighbors discount tickets, please call the box office at (518) 346-6204.
Tickets range from $22 to $52. Reservations may be made online at the Capital Repertory website or by calling the box office from 10 am-2 pm weekdays at(518) 346-6204. $16 student discounts are available at all performances with valid student ID. Tickets may also be reserved in person at theREP box office two hours before show time Tuesdays through Sundays.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QbeNSatFFo
The inaugural season at 251 N. Pearl St. consists of four titles on the 2020-21 announced season that was postponed due to the pandemic: the plays “The True” and “Fly” and the musicals “Jersey Boys” and “Wizard of Oz”. In addition, the subscription plan includes a play at Proctors, “To Kill a Mockingbird” starring Richard Thomas. Both theREP and Proctors are part of Proctors Collaborative.
The subscription series pricing starts at $153. Contact the box office 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Friday by calling (518) 346-6204 or visit capitalrep.org to subscribe.
In addition to “Ethel Waters: His Eye is on the Sparrow”, there is one additional previously announced show at theREP that is being presented later this year for 2019-20 subscribers and the general public:
“The Irish and How They Got That Way” is being presented Nov. 19-Dec. 19. Tickets for this show are also currently on sale.
The subscription season line-up:
Fly
Jan. 28 – Feb. 27, 2022
Experience the thrill of flight commandeered by WWII flying aces, the Tuskegee Airmen. Trey Ellis and Ricardo Khan’s soaring play takes us on a breathtaking journey with the first African-American Army Air Corp fighters. Based on true events, FLY takes you through the trials and tribulations of four recruits who transform from a collection of motley individuals into a true brotherhood of fighter pilots. Using tap dancing and spoken word, this ingenious play will have you sitting on the edge of your seat, as you experience the magnitude of this emotional ride t first hand.
The True
April 1-May 1, 2022
Albany. Peek behind the curtains in Sharr White’s drama about the blunt, profane, decades-long defender of Albany’s Democratic Party machine, Dorothea “Polly” Noonan. Politics is personal for Noonan, especially now that her hero, “mayor for life” Erastus Corning II, is battling for party control, while at the same time fighting the fiercest primary challenge of his life. THE TRUE is an intimate portrait of the bounds of love, loyalty and female power in the male-dominated world of 1977 patronage politics.
Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird
June 14-19, 2022 – at Proctors
All rise for Academy Award® winner Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prizewinning masterwork. The New York Times Critic’s Pick HARPER LEE’S TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is “the most successful American play in Broadway history. It has not played to a single empty seat” (60 Minutes). Rolling Stone gives it 5 stars, calling it “an emotionally shattering landmark production of an American classic,” and New York Magazine calls it “a real phenomenon. Majestic and incandescent, it’s filled with breath, nuance, and soul.” With direction by Tony Award® winner Bartlett Sher, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD — “the greatest novel of all time” (Chicago Tribune) — has quickly become “one of the greatest plays in history” (NPR).
Jersey Boys
July 15 – Aug 21, 2022
“O, What A Night!” and you’ll want to dance it away to this tune-filled journey with the Four Seasons! Follow the four boys from New Jersey, from their first stumbles and fumbles to their rise to become international icons of their generation. See how the group was almost ripped apart by personal problems and professional differences yet managed to climb to the top of the pop charts repeatedly with big hits, including “Sherry,” “Walk Like A Man, “ “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You,” and many more. Travel with the boys to “late December back in 63,” and relive the music hits of Frankie Valli, Tommy DeVito, Bob Gaudio and Nick Massi.
The Wizard of Oz
Dates to be announced
Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Revisit your childhood in Frank Baum’s beloved classic story, with all the songs we love from the award-winning movie. You’ll meet all your favorite characters from Kansas and the wonderful land of Oz. Follow Dorothy and Toto as they travel the yellow brick road in search of the Wizard, while encountering new friends as well as dangers caused by the Wicked Witch of the West.
Sing along with the Munchkins to timeless classics such as “Over the Rainbow,” “We’re Off to See the Wizard,” and “Yellow Brick Road”. The show gets the special theREP treatment with actor-musicians, delightful new arrangements and an imaginative setting in the intimate environment of our new theatre. You’ll leave the show feeling braver, smarter with your heart wide open!
Fair Visions, a Brooklyn-based pop-punk act led by songwriter Ryan Work, has announced their sophomore EP. The Modern Kids EP comes out September 1 but in the meantime, fans can listen to their title track and lead single, “Modern Kids.”
Photo by Rita Iovine
“Modern Kids” has received praise from critics like Under the Radar and Indie 88. The track certainly evokes an 80s sensibility, complete with synths and pulsing rhythms. Fair Visions brings a new wave sound into a new era, inspired by icons like Bowie, New Order and Depeche Mode.
Fair Visions’ last project was their 2020 EP, A Way Out. The upcoming Modern Kids EP will bring a darker, more melancholic sound with new sonic textures. Work and the band have stated that their forthcoming LP, slated for release in 2022, thematically addresses “family issues and apocalypse feelings”.
Work came to New York by way of his Tennessee hometown. In 2018, Fair Visions opened for fellow post-punk revivalists Nation of Language, which led Work to align with studio collaborator Abe Seiferth (LCD Soundsystem, Guerilla Toss, Car Seat Headrest). Seiferth had a large role in the studio production of Modern Kids.
“Modern Kids” is available to stream now while the titles of the five other EP tracks have been released. In advance of September 1, be sure to connect with Fair Visions on Facebook and Instagram and listen to “Modern Kids” below.
Three bands are set to perform in local parks around the town of Geddes in Onondaga County over the next few weeks as the town continues with its 2021 Summer Concerts in the Park series.
Join the parks of Geddes as the community comes together to celebrate live summer music continuing through early August. Bring out those lawn chairs, blankets, evening snacks, and good spirits to enjoy the musical festivities every Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 pm until August 12. So far, three bands have debuted during this series, including the Mario DeSantis Orchestra, The Cobblerockers, and the Flyin’ Column.
Be sure sure to catch the final three performers – The Lisa Lee Band, The Horn Dogs, and Little Queen – these few upcoming weeks! View the Geddes announcement flyer at the end of this page.
Lakeland Park, Lakeland
Both The Lisa Lee Band and The Horn Dogs will be performing live evening shows at Lakeland Park, Lakeland on July 29 and August 5, respectively. For the final concert of the series, Little Queen will close out with a performance from Woods Road Park, Solvay on Thursday, August 12.
PhanArt shows are back and in person, with the first installment coming to Caesar’s Atlantic City on Saturday, August 14. The event showcases more than two dozen artists, featuring posters, clothing, ceramics, photography, fine art and much more–all with a Phish inspired flair.
The last in-person PhanArt show was held on December 30, 2019 in NYC. After this long hiatus due to the pandemic, organizers and vendors are eager to enjoy another great event. Much like the last show, the Atlantic City event will present morning yoga sessions, live music by (this time by Sweeping Views), and “phan philm” screenings. This is the first new PhanArt show, with others planned for Lake Tahoe and Denver in September.
This year’s “phan philm” screenings include “We’ve Got it Simple“, a documentary exploring the wonderful world of Phish fans, and “Cirque du Cambodia“, which tells the story of two Cambodian teenagers with dreams of joining the Cirque du Soleil company.
As always, admission is free. The show will run from 12-5 PM at Caesar’s. The art show, yoga and film screenings are all located on the 3rd floor of the Centurion Tower, above the Palladium Ballroom, in Empire A & B. Check out the video below to get hyped up!
Few bands have a relationship with the state of New York like the Grateful Dead. Outside of California, the Grateful Dead have performed more shows in New York than any other state.
With 309 unique shows performed across the Empire State in a 28 year span, beginning at Tompkins Square Park on June 1, 1967, the Grateful Dead made New York a home away from home, with venues of all sizes welcoming them during their career.
Over the past few years, NYS Music has looked back on some of these shows, whether they be archival releases, or an iconic show worthy of a closer look. In 2020, we began to look intently at the history of the Grateful Dead in the Empire State, and in doing so, discovered some overlooked diamonds in the rough.
While performances at Madison Square Garden, The Knickerbocker Arena and Barton Hall garner the glory, there are shows that are equally compelling which we took a second look at. Whether the performance was in The Bronx, Alfred State, Oswego, Glens Falls, Lake Placid or Watkins Glen, each show gets a thorough analysis, with first-hand accounts and memorabilia, as well as audio and/or video of each performance.
We’ve taken all these articles that examine the long history of the Grateful Dead in New York State, as well as Jerry Garcia’s solo and JGB performances, and created an interactive Google Map that allows you to observe the history of the Grateful Dead in New York – So MaNY Roads. You can find info on each of these shows (were you there?), and dive into shows you may or may not have known about.
With more than 300 shows to include in this series, we so far have looked at more than 50 of these shows, all searchable in the map below. More will be added each month as we continue looking at the Grateful Dead and their history in NY.
We welcome Section 119 as a sponsor for So MaNY Roads, our Grateful Dead in New York series. Section 119 takes you from beachfront to stage front with the highest quality merchandise celebrating the Grateful Dead. Shop for a variety of officially licensed clothing and accessories including board shorts, polos, button-down shirts and more at Section119.com.
Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, the one-of-a-kind 7th studio album from the Wu Tang Clan, is in the hands of a new owner. Martin Shkreli, the previous proprietor of the covert album, had the project seized in 2018 and recently sold by the U.S. government as a part of a $7.4 million forfeiture judgement.
Shkreli purchased the 31-track album in 2015 for a reported $2 million and subsequently began a public feud with Wu Tang’s Ghostface Killah, threatening to erase his contributions to Once Upon a Time.
The dishonored pharmaceutical executive known as “Pharma Bro” first came under public scrutiny for raising the price of the drug Daraphin — used to treat aids and cancer patients — from $13.50 to $750. He was later convicted of securities fraud and sentenced to seven years in prison, in a matter unrelated to his skyrocketing of drug prices. In essence, his prison sentence is a result of being “accused of repeatedly losing money for investors and lying to them about it, illegally taking assets from one of his companies to pay off debtors in another.”
Shkreli’s possession of a suis generis Wu Tang Clan album did not come without its own controversy. Initially intended as a one-off sale with the group wanting to bar public consumption of the album for 88 years. After it was announced that Shkreli who purchased the album, the group changed its tune and began vouching for the project to be heard by the masses. When Martin Shkreli was announced as the album’s buyer, RZA announced most of the proceeds were donated to charity.
The announcement was made by Jacquelyn M. Kasulis, the Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
Shkreli has been held accountable and paid the price for lying and stealing from investors to enrich himself. With today’s sale of this one-of-a-kind album, his payment of the forfeiture is now complete.
While the buyer’s identity has yet to be revealed, they are represented by NYC based lawyer, Peter Coolidge, who confirmed that he has indeed listened to the project.
It didn’t disappoint at all. It was pretty reminiscent of the ‘90s stuff. The first album was really good. All the first solo albums were good, like, Return to the 36 Chambers, Liquid Swords, Ironman, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, whatever,” he said. “And then they did some albums after that, that were perhaps not their best work. But this is like, up there with the best stuff.
He later confirmed that the buyer was an entity and not an individual, and that they planned to reveal themselves and do a round of press in the next 30 to 60 days.
