Coney Island Baby is an album of love songs. In 1975, Lou Reed was recording it as a follow-up to the bafflingMetal Machine Music. Coming from that formless and seemingly random experiment in noise exploration—which he did because he felt like it—this record was Reed’s response to some industry pressure, along with his reminder that he was talented as they come. It was borne from necessity as Reed found himself in a difficult position at the time. His career was in jeopardy for lack of new, accessible music, and his finances were suffering.
RCA/RCA • 1976/2021
So, Coney Island Baby was the rock record he needed. The title track, also titled “Coney Island Baby,” is a breezy, stroll of a song. Thematically, the lyrics muse about the power of love to wash away insecurity and provide a sense of stability in life’s unpredictable moments. The “glory of love” is Reed’s religion. It’s been said that his muse for much of the album was his girlfriend at the time, a trans woman named Rachel Humphreys, whom he mentions by name along with his local childhood school.
“You know, man, when I was a young man in high school, you believe in or not—I wanted to play football for the coach.” Reed is right, his listeners would probably not believe it. But, he drives this memory home by mentioning it a few times. Football stars were supposedly strong, brave and popular. No one is immune to wanting to feel that way in high school, even Reed. He repeats this, giving listeners an insight into one of his main desires growing up: to be noticed.
Reed and Rachel Humphreys Mick Rock
This entire monologue is backed by a steady 4/4 beat with only a few chord changes and a couple of members of Reed’s rotating band for the record. After each verse in which he describes feeling trapped or oppressed by his environment, the song opens into a chorus with Reed repeating “glory of love.” Whereas the verses describe different situations in which he’s felt uncomfortable emotions, even hate, during life—it’s love that saves him from falling. It’s also the promise of love from a “princess on the hill” that fills his desire for acceptance.
Lou Reed may have wanted to be on his high school football team. Or maybe not. But what is true, and fascinating, is that from this song we can imagine that Reed has faced the struggle to be embraced at points in his life, and has consistently found answers in love—a deeply human experience that unites us all.
“Coney Island Baby” lyrics
You know, man, when I was a young man in high school You believe in or not I wanted to play football for the coach And all those older guys They said he was mean and cruel, but you know Wanted to play football for the coach They said I was to little too light weight to play line-backer So I say I’m playing right-end Wanted to play football for the coach Cause, you know some day, man You gotta stand up straight unless you’re gonna fall Then you’re gone to die And the straightest dude I ever knew was standing right for me all the time So I had to play football for the coach And I wanted to play football for the coach
When you’re all alone and lonely In your midnight hour And you find that your soul It’s been up for sale
And you begin to think ’bout All the things that you’ve done And you begin to hate Just ’bout everything
But remember the princess who lived on the hill Who loved you even though she knew you was wrong And right now she just might come shining through
And the -Glory of love, glory of love Glory of love, just might come through
And all your two-bit friends Have gone and ripped you off They’re talking behind your back saying, man You’re never going to be no human being And you start thinking again ’bout all those things that you’ve done And who it was and what it was And all the different things you made every different scene
Ahhh, but remember that the city is a funny place Something like a circus or a sewer And just remember different people have peculiar tastes And the –
Glory of love, the glory of love The glory of love, might see you through Yeah, but now, now Glory of love, the glory of love The glory of love, might see you through Glory of love, ah, huh, huh, the glory of love Glory of love, glory of love Glory of love, now, glory of love, now Glory of love, now, now, now, glory of love Glory of love, give it to me now, glory of love see you through Oh, my Coney Island baby, now (I’m a Coney Island baby, now) I’d like to send this one out for Lou and Rachel And all the kids at P.S. 192 Coney Island baby Man, I’d swear, I’d give the whole thing up for you
Jerry Garcia, Artist, a new documentary project from Jerry Garcia Music Arts and Malcolm Leo Productions, has just been announced. The film centers around a 1987 interview with Garcia, and also includes “never-before-seen footage of the private thoughts and reflections of Jerry Garcia,” according to a statement.
The documentary captures the Grateful Dead frontman at a peak moment, where he eloquently reflects on the life he lived and the music he loved to make. Garcia goes so far as to offer “nothing off limits” in the interview, providing a journey into Garcia’s private world. Included in the documentary are his personal musings, drawings and insights, as well as unpublished diary entries, rare family photos, home movies and newly discovered performances.
The 1987 interview was directed by Leo and filmed by Oscar-winning cinematographer Russell Carpenter at Front Street Studios in San Rafael, CA
Garcia’s family serves as co-producing for the documentary and contributed visual art and music to the project. The documentary includes a charitable component that will benefit the Jerry Garcia Foundation as well as a charity of the co-producer’s choice.
We envision an uplifting, immersive experience focused on my father’s art and music. The story is authentic. My father narrates the film in his own words, directly to the audience.
Keelin Garcia, Jerry Garcia’s daughter, coproducer, and president of Jerry Garcia Music Arts
Malcolm Leo, a producer, director, and writer has overseen a wide range of projects from “This is Elvis,” “Heroes of Rock n Roll,” “Beach Boys: an American Band,” as well as the Emmy-nominated “LIFE Goes to the Movies.”
This project is a labor of love for all involved and it is the fulfillment of a promise I made to Jerry long ago to do something special with the footage. The film will honor one of the country’s most beloved musical heroes and cultural icons.
Malcolm Leo
There is no date set for the release of Jerry Garcia, Artist. For more information on the film, click here.
SOCIAL! is part of the Armory’s Social Distance Hall commissioning initiative, which provides artists with the space and resources to create and present to in-person audiences new works designed specifically for the tumultuous times of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Armory, with its immense, 55,000-square-foot Wade Thompson Drill Hall and multiple airy rooms and entrances, featuring an air volume comparable to being outdoor. This hall is shaping up to be the shining example of how to re-open performing arts in New York and beyond.
SOCIAL! invites 100 participants, 10% of the Drill Hall’s normal capacity, to the Armory’s Drill Hall for a socially distanced dance club, where each member will have a six-foot diameter circle in which to dance and move, spaced out from surrounding circles to provide proper social distancing at all times.
The curated playlist will include a recoding of dance directions narrated by Byrne. All participants are welcome to move freely or choose to follow David Byrne’s magical suggestions. A video of Byrne teaching choreography for a song on the playlist will be sent in advance to all participants can prepare their dance moves. Ultimately, the goal of this program is to provide a powerful healing moment that can be experienced individually and communally.
SOCIAL! will begin previews in the Drill Hall on April 9 and open April 13, running through April 22. Show times during the week will be at 7pm and at 12pm, 4pm, and 8pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets can be purchased here.
On Wednesday March 27, 2019 – 50 years to the day of the formation of The Allman Brothers Band, The Allman Betts Band made their debut at Brooklyn Bowl in New York City and they certainly did not disappoint.
Allman Betts Band consists of Devon Allman, Duane Betts and Berry Oakley Jr., (you can probably figure out who their Father’s are), guitarist Johnny Stachela, drummers Jon Lum and R. Scott Bryan and keyboardist John Ginty. Devon and Duane have been playing together for over 30 years and both have solo albums, and the other members of the band are definitely top notch musicians. Any Allman Brothers super fan like myself will certainly enjoy this group.
The setlist was a mix of new music from the band’s debut album Down To The River, solo cuts from both Devon and Duan’s solo albums. Of course there were also a few Allman Brothers classics like Elizabeth Reed, Blue Sky and Dreams. There was even a cover of Prince’s Purple Rain featuring country singer and Brooklyn born Jessica Lynn. You can see the full setlist below.
On April 9, 2021 the group will finally hit the road again and start their Spring tour at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Az continuing through the midwest for 15 dates. After that they will continue for 12 more show in May and June mostly in the south. You can see all of the upcoming tour dates here. They also have a follow up album to Down To The River called Bless Your Heart which was released last summer. Due to Covid19 the band was unable to tour last year but now many states are easing restrictions and it appears that live music is finally making a come back.
Setlist: All Night, Melodies Are Memories, Blue Sky (Allman Brothers cover), Left My Heart In Memphis (Royal Southern Brotherhood cover), Taking Time (Duane Betts cover), In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (Allman Brothers cover), Multi-Colored Lady (Greg Allman cover), Seven Turns (Allman Brothers cover), Mahalo (Devon Allman’s Honeytribe cover), Purple Rain (Prince cover with Jessica Lynn), Dreams (Allman Brothers cover), Good Ol Days, Shakedown Street (Grateful Dead cover)
On Thursday, March 25, up and coming band Public Nature will perform a livestream event to support Arlene’s Grocery. Due to the unfortunate circumstances that COVID-19 has left indie music venues in, without the support of live music crowds, Arlene’s Grocery is in need of funds to remain open.
Arlene’s Grocery, located on the Lower East Side, has seen many young and well known acts get their start, including Arcade Fire, Lady Gaga, Lana Del Rey and Jim Carrey. You may also recognize Arlene’s Grocery from the #SaveOurStages movement, where now Senate Majority Leader, Senator Chuck Schumer, was seen on the street showing his support for the venue.
Tickets are just $10 with an option to donate to help save this historic venue. You can purchase tickets to the event here.
NYS Music’s Rob Tellerman recently spoke with the band’s frontman, Oscar Canas, and found out his roots growing up in Colombia and what got him interested in coming to America to pursue music. He was kind enough to perform some songs exclusively for NYS Music.
Rob Tellerman: Where did you grow up?
Oscar Canas: I grew up in Medellín, I’d say it’s Colombia’s prettiest city. It’s a very cosmopolitan place where “everything is happening”. It’s very similar to New York City in many ways, it’s 5 million people but feels very small, maybe it’s the layout. The weather is the best, it’s called the city of the eternal spring, 75° all year long. No humidity, just perfect. When it’s cold is 70°, when it’s hot is 85°. It was very violent when I was a kid, Pablo Escobar was gone and there was a war of power going on. Many kids were killing each other fighting for a corner. I saw dead bodies my whole childhood, many of them where my friend’s “big” brothers. The city is a valley so it’s surrounded by mountains that reflect the sound of thunders in a beautiful way, I miss that sound. A thunder reverberating across the city for several seconds and you know what neighborhoods is hitting and then it bounces again and you know it is south or west or is leaving the valley. And when it rains the clouds are purple, an apocalyptic beautiful purple color.
We have the second best train in the world and one of the two only profitable ones. It’s a highline, we don’t have a subway, the ride is clean, punctual and picturesque. Not that graffiti is bad, but there is not a single graffiti on it inside or out. Leaving the city through the mountains is best, there are cables spread out so you get these steep and very high advantage points that are super fun if you’re not afraid of heights. Quite an immense view. My childhood was half good and half bad. It was fun, I had a good education, tons of bicycle rides, friends, exposure to science, but it was violent inside and outside the house. My dad was a crazy dude. He’s cool now and mom and dad love eachother but it was bad back then. What saved me was the huge amount of love they gave me, as my grandparents and aunts and uncles did too. I was a very loved child that witnessed a lot of violence. Is that a good balance that can create and nourish an artistic drive. Maybe.
RT: What first got you interested in music?
OC: Now that I look back on it, my interest in music happened unconsciously first. My family used to gather all at somebody’s home for christmas and such and music was the centerpiece of the fun. By the end of the night after eating and dancing, everybody would sit and my dad and uncle would swap vinyls endlessly. My first memory of music is maybe at 3 years old. I remembered I liked the music and that I missed it, but I never elaborated on it until I was a teenager.
These vinyls were mostly 60, 70 and 80’s italian, french, spanish music. All in spanish. The artists would sing in spanish their originals. These songs were so melodic and catchy and epic. The singers voices were always unique and the quality of the recording inmence and I can say in many occasions better than those of my favorite big bands like Led Zeppelin, The Beatles and others like that. So, so, so catchy. They had the beatlesque simplicity of the verse-chorus-verse kind of music and the orquestras were always gigantic. These Italians, French and Spaniards were onto something. I wish I could show these songs to everybody but being in spanish people lose their interest from the get go. ha!. That built and hard-wired my interest in music I think, I was never conscious of music, until one night.
We had recently gotten MTv in our cable. MTv Latino which they produced out of Mexico. Great stuff. The VJ was Ruth Infarinato, I’ll never forget her pick hair. She was presenting top 20 translated songs, you know, with the dual subtitles, and I was flipping channels and not much interested because some songs I already knew and then the number 1! Smells Like Teen Spirit. I remember the converse shoe at the beginning of the video and the guitar and then it exploded and I was in awe. My brain struggled with such different sounds, it was confusing, I felt I didn’t know what those sounds were. And it’s odd because I’m 15 or 16 there and I’m supposed to have heard lots of different music, guitar music. Nirvana is not super alien, I guess it was the power that was confusing and he hadn’t even started to sing.
So I’m losing it during the first bars of the song and the foggy dark kind of scenes of the video were helping too. Then he sings and I jump out of the blankets, I’m sitting like when you are a kid and you hear your dad coming home late with a gift and you’re about to jump to hug him and get your present. Then the chorus explodes and I just lose it. I got dizzy and had that feeling in my stomach like when you hit a low pressure on an airplane. it was physical. Free fall feeling. It was very intense and that song is not my favorite Nirvanas’ song but it changed me right there. The beautiful soft and raspy voice and then the yelling. The sound is all entangled and distorted and is big and is new. I never had such a reaction to something new. I was obsessed. My mom is a Nirvana’s catalogue expert.
RT: How did you learn to write/sing/play?
OC: I learned to play the guitar to Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged in New York album. I played every song everyday for months and months. And I tried to sing but it was hideous. I’m not tone deaf but I cannot hear the notes I’m singing so I would think I’m singing pretty good and I was trying to sing Nirvana’s songs and that’s harsh on your vocals if you don’t know what you are doing. I was destroying my vocals. I feel sorry for my family and my neighbours. My mom used to say I sang like a choking cat, haha! They were very supportive. A few days later after knowing about Nirvana my dad bought me my first guitar. A cheapo nylon acoustic guitar that was hard on the fingers. And I didn’t want a teacher or many lessons. I liked science so all I wanted to know was the mechanics of the guitar and the physics of the waves and how notes and chords worked and stuff like that.Then, I figured out how the notes were distributed over the neck and how scales worked and chords and I was set – played like crap for 10 years. But it was good because I played like me. And even though I adored Nirvana, Muse, Radiohead, Placebo, and such I didn’t want to play like them. I always played like myself, crappy and all. Same with singing. I wasn’t trying to imitate. I did try to yell with a raspy voice like Kurt but that only gave sore throats. So I was singing and playing like crap for years without any technique and I was writing from the get go as well, but I didn’t know I was writing. I have a folder with the first guitar riffs but I never considered them as my riffs. It was odd. Only now I can say I am a songwriter but still feels weird. I wasn’t doing it to write songs but I was. I wouldn’t say I ever learned how to write or sing or play. A leat not jut yet.
RT: What was the first instrument you learned to play?
OC: The guitar, I started playing on a horrible cheap spanish guitar with nylon strings. But I loved it. She was named Orange, but it wasn’t orange. Guitars would tell me their names. She had a good burial. I smashed it to a set of concrete stairs next to my house like every guitar should die. It was broken all over, it was requesting a proper rock and roll goodbye. But I haven’t “learned” to play. I started playing very late in life at 16. And during the first two years I would play 4 to 10 hours a day almost everyday. But then I went to college and basically would forget the guitar two years at a time. When I started my first real band I barely was able to play my own guitar parts. I had to practice lots again and learned quickly but still it was rough. Lately I’m more precise and I feel in total control and can do what I exactly want but, I mean, for myself, my style, I am a world expert, but for the regular definition of what a guitar player is, I suck big time, but that’s ok.
RT: Is your family musical?
OC: All my family is very into listening to music. All of us, uncles, grandparents, brothers. Everybody would either gather to listen to music or have those moments alone in their bedrooms to listen to music. My dad collected vinyls, cassettes and cds. He introduced me to classical music and 60, 70, and 80’s italian, french and spanish pop when I was very little. And my mom is still crazy about her teenage years idols, I still love those songs and listen to them. But nobody played any instrument, it was all about listening to music. I mean, really listening. Music was rarely a backgroung thing. The adults would sit, play the records, and analyze the vocals and the instruments one by one and they would argue about quality, artistry, authenticity and whatnot. It was so fun for me as a kid to be there listening to the arguments. They were so passionate about it.
RT: When did you decide to come to America and pursue music?
OC: I had hundreds of riffs and a few melodies I accumulated over the years. One day I started to put them together as whole songs. I liked a few and I thought “I gotta go to New York”, that was 2014. 3 years later my girlfriend told me she needed to spend some time in the US and we decided to live here. It was easy to decide, the market is here. It’s not as easy as I gullibly thought it would be but definitely this is the place to be.
RT: Who are some of your influences?
OC: Nirvana, The Beatles, Muse, Radiohead, The White Stripes, The Hives, Interpol, Placebo, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, The Black Keys, Rodriguez, Queen, ABBA, Coldplay (when they were good), Natalia Lafourcade, Zoe, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Gotye.
RT: What is the story behind your band name?
OC: There is no story, but I really like it and I’m proud of it. It’s just such a cool sounding couple of words, I just like the sound of it. I’m glad if people Google it and they find nature landscapes and such, but really is just the sound of the two words. Public Nature. I could say it means nature is for everybody and stuff like that, but nah, it’s just a band name. I looked for a name for years and that happened.
RT: How would you describe the music you create?
OC: I’d say it is raw, honest, melodic and effortless in that it is not trying to be anything, it just flows. The most important thing for me is that the music is sincere. Our music it’s not designed to sell but it’s designed to be as good as we can make it. It’s not trying to please a market but I think it is marketable. I’m lucky to like guitar, bass, drums, verse-chorus-verse rock music because that is easy to the ear and that is exactly what we’re doing.
RT: Are you signed to a label or totally independent?
OC: Last december we signed to a label in Amsterdam. To be honest I feel lonely, I mean business wise lonely, I could do with some help, I wish I had a record deal and somebody would do my advertising and such. I’m very bad at socializing. I only have a few real true friends so I can say I’m good at true friendships and fraternal relationships but I’m bad at business relationships. It’s all about who you know and more so in this business. I have to step up my game there. So in that way I’m very independent, big euphemism for being bad at public relations and not being able to reach people with our music.
RT: Who are/were the other members of your band? How did you meet them?
OC: Rex Fenton from Canada on drums and Curzio Aloisi on bass from Italy. We met thought the all mighty Craigslist
RT: Can you describe your creative process?
OC: 50% of the time if I want to write a song I’d be fiddling around with the guitar for hours to find a riff or part I like and then I’ll spend more hours trying to find a melody for it that I like. Then I’d accommodate the syllables into real words and that’d be it. A couple of days most of the time. The hard part is to find myself truly inspired because I always want to write songs, I write 2 or 3 songs everyday but they’re shit. The good ones happen once in a while. The other 50% is about being in the zone. I go deep in concentration and sometimes the first thing I play on the guitar with the first melody I babble becomes the song. With this method a song has come to be whole done in 3 minutes, then the lyrics take a bit more, anything in between 3 minutes to 6 months. I love writing songs, it is the process where I am 100% myself. It just flows, it’s very thought to be in that state, it requires a huge amount of peace and calmness and sincerity and no fear whatsoever. It’s awesome. I have to reach nirvana in order to write a song.
RT: What was your first single?
OC: A song called Nothing Special (The Science Song) it’s under our previous band name “Tender Beats”. I like the song, and we recorded it in one take live. Then I added the vocals. But it’s cool to have those one-takers. We recorded it at a friends cabin in the woods in Hudson. It was Rex’s first couple of months with us in early 2019. It’s about enjoying life and buried in every line there are the deepest science notions ever. Very nerdy if I explain it. Very.
RT: How did you get hooked up with Richie Ramone?
OC: Vicky Hamilton was our manager for 3 years, I didn’t ask her how she and Richie knew each other but she heard Richie was looking for an opening act and Vicky called me asking if I’d like to do that and of course I said of course. She said he was very honest with his opinion of the music and that he would need to truly like the songs. She sent some demos we had and out of a pool of bands he picked us, he liked two of the songs he heard. He called me after Vicky gave me the good news and we talked about music a bit, it was awesome. The tour was the most beautiful musical experience I ever had. He is like a monc, like one that has lived milenia. Every sentence he spoke was a life lesson. A wise person and with a swag. So cool and witty, caring and strict in the best of ways.
The first night we played awesome and he came to us and said we were awesome and to keep it up and that I sang like an angel and asked me about a couple of the songs and admired them. He wrote several of the Ramones songs including “Somebody Put Something In My Drink” and recently a crazy couple invited my wife and I to their apartment and tried to roofie us and I told him that song was our theme song for those days. It was a good night. Then we suck for 4 night is a row and he wasn’t happy, he told me to stop whining about the sound and whatnot and to perform for the kids, that it was all about the kids, and that I had two jobs, to entertain those kids who paid a ticket and to warm up the place for him to follow. After that we did ok and we had a couple of great nights but I wish we’ve done better for him. We still talk and I send him songs looking for his approval. He always replies, great dude.
RT: Who would you most like to collaborate with?
OC: There are so many names. I think mostly with Krist Novoselic of Nirvana, he’s my favorite bass player. I love that gnarly heavy drunk sound of his and would love to see what lines he comes up with for one of our songs but he would need to write a killer line like those of Curzio’s, tough opponent. Or Tom Yorke, singer of Radiohead but what the hell am I going to do? He sings like life sounds like and his melodies are amongst the best ever written. I’d love to go into a guitar duel with Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys and write and sing a song with Brian Molko of Placebo or write a song for The Hives.
RT: What are your favorite venues?
OC: Buffalo’s Mohawk Place, Arlene’s Grocery in NYC, Slash Run in DC, Ralph’s Rock Diner in Worcester, Kung Fu Necktie in Philly, Sunnyvale in Brooklyn but is closed, Mercury Lounge, Pianos and Gold Sounds. Great venues them all, I’d play one each night if it was up to me.
RT: What is your favorite song to perform?
OC: “Find my Baby” I think. Is melodic and catchy and I think is the best lyrics I wrote so far. But it’s hard for me to sign. I’m out of tune most of the time, the verses are particularly hard but it’s so fun, it’s a fun song and even though it’s about love it has a deep meaning and it’s pure poetry those lyrics.
RT: What do you like most about being a musician?
OC: Everything. I love writing songs. I love loud guitars, loud bass, loud thundering drums. I love touring, I love the sound of the door of the touring van when it closes, I love loading into the venues, and taking apart the gear and loading out. I love driving at night looking for the hotels and talking to the guys about the gig we just played. I love the smell of beer, piss and cleaner of the venues. I love the crappy wawa food along the east coast. I love watching the pavement pass by through the window and the changes in temperature and cities and all.
I love the band mates. I love recording and placing mics. I love singing and I love my voice when I’m in tune. I love the tension amongst the band. I love the soundcheck, I love to gig. I love to write lyrics and come up with riffs. I love my bands and the passion they invested into their music. I love the people involved in music. I love being tight and rehearsing and I love yelling my lungs out. I love the amps and the effect pedals. I love well made guitars and specifically a brand but I won’t say because they’d have to pay me. I love the science of sound. I love CD’s and vinyls and cassettes and DAWs. I love how my wife supports me and my family too. What I like the most is gigging.
RT: Do you ever get performance anxiety?
OC: I saw a movie with Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Channing Tatum and Rooney Mara called Side Effects and I learned about beta-blockers. Before my first gig in Medellín I was lucky I had a friend who was a doctor and I asked her for beta-blockers which would calm me because I knew I was going to be a nervous wreck. And I was. My first gig was horrible, I was so nervous I felt sick in my chest. The beta-blockers helped me to be just ok during the first gigs but they would make me feel trapped in cellophane or something, my girlfriend would tell me I was distant and weird and gone while under their effect, and I think the audience felt it too, I see the videos and it’s like a zombie is doing the concert. I went down on the dose and it was better but I was too nervous to have fun. When in the U.S. I didn’t have them so I had to suck it up.
My first gig was at the Mercury Lounge but it wasn’t that bad. During my first year I’d feel bad but not horrible. I still get anxious and need some time to get loose while performing but it’s way better. Before the pandemic we had a good rhythm going on, the more gigs I was playing one after the other the best I felt. I’ll get rid of that, it’s useless to feel anxious before a gig. I want to have fun with the band and the audience.
RT: Do you have any other upcoming projects you are working on?
OC: Only as Public Nature, yes. Many songs to come. I wrote around 30 new songs during the pandemic and am still writing more. 8 of them we got to record and the rest, because I’ll be without a band soon, I’ll have to either find bandmates or hire recording musicians to record them. Let’s see what happens first.
RT: What is one message you would like to give your fans?
OC: I’d like to tell them that we love you very much and please be patient for more music to come!
Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear new music from Fine Grain, Joe Mansmen and many more!
WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.
This week’s EQXposure starts with Cameron Clark’s “Martha and her Tin Soldier.” This incredible tune is full of clever twists and glitches. Super creative, it is as if St. Vincent went even deeper and stretched beyond the catchy ear worms to make some true art.
Fine Grain are gearing up for the release of their brand new full length LP, Missing Adult on Thursday, March 25th. Mixed and recorded in Brunswick, NY, Fine Grain’s post-punk brilliance runs deep with exceptional songwriting and performances of every member of the band. Some musicians are simply meant to play together and it’s only that specific combination that makes the sound so pure and authentically them. Fine Grain is that band. “Missing Adult” is as exciting as it is cool.
Joe Mansmen and the Midnight Revival have a new single “Renegade Love” that hits the airwaves one day before the release of their brand new LP Renegadez. Glam rock may have taken a nap, but Joe Mansmen and the Midnight Revival band has unleashed the beast that laid dormant in all the tight paints cut up t-shirts to revive a style that was everyone’s favorite even though the feared admitting the raw visceral attraction to the pleasing distorted guitars and massive beats.
On March 18, 2019, Fleetwood Mac played the second of two sold out shows at Madison Square Garden supporting their “An Evening With Fleetwood Mac” tour. The lineup consisted of Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Mike Campbell and Neil Finn.
Originally the tour was referred to as the “Farewell Tour” with plans of having the Rumours lineup including Lindsey Buckingham, but a few weeks prior to the start of the tour, the band had announced their separation with Buckingham.
The reason for the separation was reportedly due to disagreements about the tour. In a Rolling Stone interview, Buckingham later revealed that the real reasons he was fired was that Nicks took issue with the fact that he “smirked” during her thank you speech at the Musicares person of the year event, and also the way that Buckingham reacted to being introduced with Nick’s “Rhiannon.” Vocalist/guitarist Neil Finn and guitarist Mike Campbell joined the band shortly after Buckingham’s departure.
Despite Buckingham not being present, the show was still fantastic. The band opened the show with three huge hits, “The Chain,” “Little Lies” and “Dreams.” Their set also included more hits like “Say You Love Me,” “Rhiannon,” “Gypsy” and “Go Your Own Way.” Each of the new members also had a chance to shine with Neil playing Crowded House’s “Don’t Dream It’s Over” and a cover of Tom Petty’s “Free Falling” as images of Tom and Stevie were projected on the screen behind them. Another highlight was when they played “Black Magic Woman” which was written by original member Peter Green before Santana turned it into a huge hit.
In a 2020 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Nicks said she hasn’t spoken to Buckingham since his departure, but she did write him a note after he suffered from a heart attack in February of 2019. On March 27, 2021, there will be an All Star Tribute to Peter Green available on demand that was recorded at the London Palladium on February 25, 2020, just days before the global shut down due to COVID-19. A live album of the concert will also be released on April 30, 2021.
Setlist: The Chain, Little Lies, Dreams, Second Hand News, Say You Love Me, Black Magic Woman, Everywhere, Rhiannon, World Turning, Gypsy, Oh Well, Don’t Dream It’s Over, Landslide, Hold Me, Monday Morning, You Make Loving Fun, Gold Dust Woman, Go Your Own Way
On Friday, March 12, Madison VanDenburg will kick off NYS Music in Motion Season 2, when she sits down with our host, rocker Frank Palangi.
Sponsored by Helping Friendly Salve, the series brings together seasoned musicians who hail from the Empire State or have made New York their home, alongside Palangi, a Warren County native.
Tune in starting on Friday, March 12 and every other Friday for each installment of Music in Motion on the NYS Music YouTube, IGTV and Facebook page. New for Season 2, you can catch all episodes on the JamCast Network.
Palangi will have a sit down conversation with each artist, with a first season lineup that includes the following musicians from across New York. A homegrown indie rock recording artist, singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Palangi fuels his positive ambition naturally by serving up a feeding frenzy of edge heavy guitars, with a side of deep, gritty vocals. With a no-quit mentality, Palangi draws on influences from 80s & 90s rock, including post-grunge and heavy metal.
NYS Music in Motion Season 2 Schedule
March 12 – Madison VanDenburg March 26 – Scott Hannay April 9 – Moriah Formica April 23 – Donny Frauenhofer May 7 – Sirsy May 21 – Lowell Wurster
Today, Rochester indie-rockers Old Fame release their second EP Nowhere to Be, a collection of four songs written in response to the pandemic, the media, family disfunction, shame, and division amongst families over politics. Or, as the band puts it, “All the fun stuff!”
On “Act II,” Old Fame demonstrates influences of psychedelic post-rock and emo. Previously, the band released singles “Short Cub” and “Cumberland” with the final track, “Slevin” debuting today with the release of the full EP.
“Short Cub” and “Cumberland” were written in 2019, while “Act II” and “Slevin” were written during the pandemic, thus, neither of the latter two tracks have been performed live. Recorded at Wicked Squid Studios is located in Rochester, the alt-rock tones are impressive, leading to much build-up and flowing seamlessly together.
Old Fame is Ben Armes (vocals, guitar), Doug Kelley (drums), Evan Clark (guitar), Jay Asarese (bass). Members of the band have played in Rochester area projects including Like Vintage, Alberto Alaska, Emulet, and Heavy Lies the Crown.
Listen to the latest EP from Old Fame below or on Bandcamp.
In February of 2014, Paul Simon and Sting began their ‘On Stage Together’ Tour in Houston, TX. The tour traveled across North America, Oceania, and Europe before concluding in Amsterdam in 2015. I was lucky enough to catch one of the shows on my birthday, March 4, 2014, at Madison Square Garden. That made this night even more special than it was already set out to be. The accompanying band was comprised of members of both Simon and Sting’s bands respectively.
“Welcome to our little experiment” Simon said to the crowd early on. After performing the first few songs together, the duo took turns alternating throughout the night, but still sprinkled in a few more songs together before they both took the stage once again for the encore. After the opening duets, Simon left the stage and Sting began his Police heavy solo block with “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic”, Englishman In New York”, “I Hung My Head and “Driven To Tears”. He ended his first set with “Walking on the Moon” which transitioned nicely into Simon’s “Mother and Child Reunion”. After that, Sting left the stage and Simon began his first solo set with “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover”. The rest of his set were all hits from his solo career like “Graceland”, “Still Crazy After All These Years” and “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard.”
Before Paul left the stage again, they both did a magnificent cover of Sting’s “Fragile” from his Nothing Like the Sun album. Sting started his next set with a stripped down cover of Simon’s “America”. “Paul has been my mentor and teacher for many, many years” Sting told the audience. He then explained that the song reminded him of when he first came to America. Him, Stewart and Andy rented a station wagon in New York and drove across the country playing in dives and staying in shitty hotels. He said “Even though this song was written a decade before, it still reminds me of that time”. He then continued his set with some more Police classics like “Message in a Bottle” and “Roxanne” along with more solo hits like “They Dance Alone” and “Desert Rose.”
Another highlight of the night is when Simon appeared back on stage and helped end Sting’s set with another duet cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Boxer”. The two sounded amazing as they harmonized on the song that was recorded over 40 years earlier.
For his next set, Paul dusted off the title track to his 1983 album Hearts and Bones as well as his 1991’s percussion driven “The Obvious Child”. I love this song but for some reason it is not a crowd favorite. But, needless to say he quickly reengaged the sold out crowd at The Garden with what is probably his most popular solo song “You Can Call Me Al” to end his final solo set.
The encore began with “Bridge Over Troubled Water” with Sting nailing the high notes on the first verse. Paul sang the second verse before transitioning right into “Every Breath You Take” as well as a vibrant version of “Late in the Evening”.
At this time the band walked off the stage and it appeared the show was about to end, but Simon and Sting then both picked up acoustic guitars and harmonized once again on the Everly Brothers “When Will I Be Loved” that they dedicated to the late Phil Everly.
The show was over three hours long and it was so good that I could have watched the entire performance again. This was one of the best collaborations I have ever seen between two iconic performers coming from different backgrounds and styles.
Paul Simon and Sting, Madison Square Garden, NYC – March 4, 2014
Setlist: Brand New Day@, The Boy in the Bubble@, Fields of Gold@, Every Little Thing She Does is Magic#, Englishman in New York#, I Hung My Head#, Driven to Tears#, Walking on the Moon#, Mother and Child Reunion@, 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover*, Dazzling Blue*, Graceland*, Still Crazy After All These Years*, Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard*, Fragile@, America#, Message in a Bottle#, The Hounds of Winter#, They Dance Alone#, Roxanne#, Desert Rose#, The Boxer@, That Was Your Mother*, Hearts and Bones*, Mystery Train*, Wheels*, The Obvious Child*, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes*, You Can Call Me Al*
Encore: Bridge Over Troubled Water@, Every Breath You Take@, Late in the Evening@, When Will I Be Loved?@
