Category: Festival News

  • Burna Boy Announces One-Night Only Show at Madison Square Garden: One Night in Space

    Grammy-winning Afrobeats artist, Burna Boy, is on the verge of making history with the announcement of his one-night only show at the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. Set for April 28, 2022, the performance will see the “African Giant” singer become the first Nigerian artist the headline the iconic venue. 

    Burna Boy

    One Night in Space Follows several sold-out performances by Burna Boy at some of the world’s most renowned arenas and music festivals. As part of his 2021 Space Drift tour, Burna Boy has performed in front sold-out crowds at LA’s The Hollywood Bowl, he delivered electrifying performances at the 2021 Global Citizen Festival and The Governor’s Ball, as well as sold out international shows at London’s O2 Arena, Paris’ Accor Arena, Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome and more venues around the globe. 

    Burna Boy is also on a musical high as his last two projects, 2019’s Grammy-nominated African Giant and 2020’s Grammy-winning Twice as Tall, have seen him go from a star within the afrobeats community to a legitimate mainstream headliner. While he hasn’t released a body of work in 2021 after releasing projects in consecutive years, he has kept his sound in circulation, collaborating with several diverse and well-known artists. 2021 saw him on the records “I Feel It” with Jon Bellion; “Want It All” featuring Polo G, “Question” ft Don Jazzy, and “Rotate” with Becky G, which featured in Pepsi’s global football campaign “Music Keeps Us Fizzing.” The African Giant also allied with Justin Bieber on the 8x Grammy-nominated album, Justice, and with 9-time Grammy-nominee Sia for “Hey Boy.” 

    Tickets for One Night in Space will go on sale to the general public at 12pm ET on Friday, December 17th at Ticketmaster.com.  

  • Caroga Lake WinterFest Returns December 16-19

    World-class musicians from the Caroga Lake Music Festival will return to Fulton County over December 16-19 to celebrate the holiday season during WinterFest. Performances are slated for the towns of Caroga, Johnstown and Gloversville.

    caroga lake winterfest

    Among the four scheduled performances over December 16 to 19 will be musical festivities featuring works by Tchaikovsky, Bach, Corelli, holiday sing-along favorites and more. See below for a schedule of Caroga Lake Music Festival WinterFest events in the Mohawk Valley.

    Encore! Jazz Sessions: A Low-Key Christmas 

    Thursday, December 16 – 7:00pm – Nick Stoner Inn, Caroga Lake – Tickets: $15 

    Featuring Grammy Award-winning bassist Geoff Saunders and friends

    CLMF WinterFest at Paul Nigra Center 

    Friday, December 17 – 7:00pm – Paul Nigra Center for the Creative Arts, Gloversville  – Tickets: $15 (Livestream available)

    CLMF WinterFest at St. John’s Johnstown 

    Saturday, December 18 – 7:00pm – St. John’s Episcopal Church, Johnstown, NY – Free Admission 

    Donations appreciated and split between Caroga Arts and One Church Street. Livestream available via St. John’s Episocpal Church facebook page

    Holiday Sweets & Suites! Featuring Caroga Arts Ensemble 

    Sunday, December 19 – 4:00pm – The Glove Theatre, Gloversville – Tickets: $10 per person, $30 per family of four 

    Special guests Suliman Tekalli (violin) and Mathieu Cognet (piano) performing Tekalli’s original virtuosic arrangement of The Nutcracker Suite.

  • New York State Blues Festival Announces 2022 Dates, Celebrating 30 Years

    The New York State Blues Festival will celebrate its 30th Anniversary over June 16-18, 2022 at Chevy Court inside the New York State Fairgrounds. Once again, the three-day event will be packed with local, regional, and national acts on stage, with plenty of room for dancing throughout the grounds. As always, admission is free.

    New York Blues Festival

    The festival first began in mid-summer 1992 as the Central New York Blues Festival featuring talented local musicians in downtown Syracuse’s Armory Square, as well as live music inside the historic Hotel Syracuse. Looking ahead to 2022, this popular festival will acknowledge its history while looking ahead to future growth at its new location.

    The New York State Blues Festival is one of the largest free blues events in the Northeast. This annual three-day musical celebration, showcases a collection of regional and national artists from multiple genres, all with roots steeped in tradition and vision, and arranges them for a continuous river of music.

    The mission of the NYS Blues Festival is to preserve, protect and promote blues music and culture. The Syracuse festival entertains while educating on the role of the blues in the development of popular music in the US and around the world.

    Visit the New York state Blues Festival’s website at nysbluesfest.com and stay tuned for updates!

  • Marco Benevento, TAUK, Karina Rykman, Aqueous and More Featured at North Beach Music Festival

    North Beach Music Festival announced dates and lineup including Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Spafford, and The Motet. The festivities will take place on December 10-11, 2021 in Miami, Florida. 

    North Beach Music Festival

    The festival is being presented by GMP Live which is a concert promoter, festival producer, and talent curator based in Miami. North Beach Music Festival will take place at Miami Beach’s historic open-air art deco amphitheater, the North Beach Bandshell. The North Beach Bandshell is an open-air amphitheater in the heart of Miami Beach’s North Beach neighborhood. It has been managed by the Rhythm Foundation – a Miami Beach-based nonprofit cultural organization – for the City of Miami Beach since 2015 and was built back in1961. The festival will feature some improvisational rock bands, jam bands and funk bands will descend upon the Bandshell, and the adjacent Bandshell Park, for performances over two stages. 

    The festival has three well known New York based artists coming to perform. Marco Benevento, Aqueous, TAUK, and Karina Rykman will all be performing sets at North Beach Music Festival. 

    The lineup for Friday, December 10, 2021 features a headlining performance from Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, as well as performances from The Motet, TAUK, Karina Rykman, The Heavy Pets, Electric Kif and Tand.

    he lineup for Saturday, December 11, 2021 promises two headlining sets from Spafford—one entirely improvised and another titled “Spafford & Friends”—in addition to performances from Marco Benevento, Aqueous, Ghost-Note, Eric Krasno & The Assembly, Brandon “Taz” Niederaure, the special Brendan Bayliss & Jennifer Hartswick collaboration, as well as Holly Bowling and JUke

    Tickets are on sale now with single day GA tickets for $80 for Friday and $90 for Saturday. VIP tickets are $130 for Friday and $140 for Saturday. More information on ticketing and travel packages can be found here.

    For information on North Beach Music Festival visit their website here.

  • 2022 Hudson Jazz Festival Announces Dates

    The 2022 Hudson Jazz Festival has announced dates and themes for its 2022 celebration. The festivities will take place across two weekends on February 10-13 & 17-20, 2022 at Hudson Hall in Hudson, 45 minutes south of Albany. 

    2022 Hudson Jazz Festival

    The Hudson Jazz Festival aims to give a voice to artists as they respond to transformative events in our nation’s history. This year’s festival will focus on Black History Month and will be using Lift Every Voice as its theme. Held over two weekends in February which is Black History Month the festivities will feature performances, art, film, spoken word and community events. The festival hopes to honor the spirit of the unofficial Black national anthem Lift Every Voice through its celebration creating a joyous and optimistic new era of hope for equity, diversity, and inclusion.

    The festival will feature six performances that include some exceptional talents. The big names include Jazzmeia Horn who is a multi-GRAMMY-nominated singer and The Baylor Project who are a multi-GRAMMY-nominated duo, GRAMMY-nominated saxophonist/composer Jimmy Greene and his quartet, and spoken-word artist, activist and TONY-nominated actor Daniel J. Watts. Some of the rising stars who may not be as well known in the line up are vocalist Alexis Morrast and acclaimed vibraphonist Warren Wolf.  

    2022 Hudson Jazz Festival

    Tickets to the 2022 Hudson Jazz Festival start at $25. People who are 25 and under may pre-purchase single tickets for $15 each using the discount code UNDER25. Tickets are currently on sale for members of the Hudson Hall with sales to the public opening up Friday, October 15, 2021.

    For more information on the 2022 Hudson Jazz Festival and on Hudson Hall visit their website.

  • BRIC JazzFest 2021 Announces In Person Festival featuring Nick Hakim, Adi Meyerson, and Adam O’Farrill

    BRIC has announced its annual JazzFest for the Fall of 2021, one that will be in person this year. The festival lineup features big names like Nick Hakim, Adi Meyerson, And Adam O’Farrill and will take place October 21-23, 2021 at the BRIC House located in Brooklyn. 

    BRIC is an arts and media institution anchored in Brooklyn which focuses on contemporary visual and performing arts, media, and civic action. BRIC’s JazzFest is one of the institution’s premiere performing arts programs. The festivities last for three days and feature Jazz music which focuses on legendary figures, groundbreaking artists and newcomers from across the genre.

    sun ra arkestra
    photo by Joseph Buscarello

    BRIC JazzFest 2020 ended up being rescheduled for spring 2021 and was made an online, virtual-only event due to COVID-19. BRIC JazzFest 2021 though will be in person. The festival will require proof of vaccination or negative COVID test within 72 hours in order to attend.

    BRIC JazzFest 2021

    The lineup includes Cecile McLorin Salvant, SuperBlue: Kurt Elling featuring Charlie Hunter, Yasser Tejeda, and Adam O’Farrill Stranger Day on Thursday, October 21. Sun Ra Arkestra, Thana Alexa & ONA, Roy Nathanson & Nick Hakim, and Adi Meyerson on Friday, October 22. Madison McFerrin, L’Rain, ç’est tois (branch/stewart/holmes), and Fred Wesley & The New JBs on Saturday, October 23. 

    BRIC JazzFest 2021

    “During these uncertain times, I couldn’t be more thrilled that we’re able to bring our communities safely together through the healing power of music,” said Lia Camille Crocket, Director of Performing Arts at BRIC. “In the spirit of Jazz music and improvisation, we’re going to have a few surprises for our BRIC family this year throughout the Festival weekend. We can’t wait to safely welcome you back to BRIC House — we’ve missed you!”

    For more information and to purchase tickets to BRIC JazzFest 2021 visit their website.

  • Brooklyn Comes Alive 2021 is reborn with new venue and lineup

    In March of 2020, Brooklyn Comes Alive was set to be a masterpiece at the new Avant Gardner in, you guessed it, Brooklyn. Just days before the event would take place the governor put New York in lockdown due to COVID-19. It was one of the first events cancelled due to the pandemic, but it would not be the last.

    brooklyn comes alive 2021

    Multiple online off-shoots of the event have sprung up over the last year and a half. Justice Comes Alive and Georgia Comes Alive, for example, were highly successful online festivals, meant as a way to spread the word about, and fight injustice and bring our country closer to salvation. After a year and half away, the “6th” inaugural Brooklyn Comes Alive will take place at the Brooklyn Mirage, the massive outdoor venue of Avant Gardner on Sunday, September 26th, 2021.

    brooklyn comes alive 2021

    The lineup includes two sets of The Disco Biscuits who, coming off a cancelled weekend in New Haven, will have plenty up their sleeve for the event. The night is rounded off by sets from Karina Rykman, Break Science: Live Band, The Motet, and a trio made up of Joe Russo, John Medeski, and Dave Harrington. It wouldn’t be Brooklyn Comes Alive without at least one super-group. The night will also be hosted by none other than Sirius Jam On’s, Ari Fink.

    brooklyn comes alive 2021

    Instead of the normal event with multiple stages and venues, this year they decided to keep it simple and safe. The outdoor venue will provide ample room and fresh air for fans, with the King’s Hall being open as well for bathrooms, full bar, and a place to relax in between sets. This will also ensure fans don’t miss a second of music.

    Tickets for Brooklyn Comes Alive 2021 are available here.

  • Utica Preps For 5th Annual Downtown Getdown Music And Arts Fest On September 18

    On Saturday, September 18 Handshake.City will host the 5th Annual Downtown Getdown Music and Arts Fest in Downtown Utica. This festival made its debut in 2016 and continues to bring people together to celebrate Utica’s music and creativity. 

    Downtown Getdown

    Be there by 10am for the ‘Getdown to the Mat,’ that is an all-levels yoga class with In Bloom Yoga. Of course, free of charge and no registration required. 

    After lowering your heart rate and blood pressure, Handshake.City brings live music, art and a vendor fair from noon to 6pm. Who will be performing you ask? None other than Utica’s finest local talent. Ashleigh DeCarr will open at 12pm with an acoustic Americana-contemporary background. Then we’ll hear from The Lower Tolpa, Deeplex, Vada March, and the recently reunited The Reuben James at 4:30pm. That’ll be a complete circle of rock, dub reggae, acoustic pop and folk rock. Please welcome these guests for their first time on this stage.

    If that’s not enough there will also be live glass blowing and wood carving demonstrations. The vendor fair will have food and beer for sale along with homemade and vintage goods. 

    Take your best shot at the Server Sprint at 2pm. Servers will race through Handshake.City with a loaded tray for the chance to win prizes and cash, and now you can too! Register just before the race starts and get ready for the races.

    Street hockey with Utica College Pioneers Men’s Hockey team will be at 3pm with other family friendly events as well.

    Downtown Getdown is free, with more information available here.

  • Fringe On: Rochester Fringe Festival Live events return

    Keybank Rochester Fringe Festival is back in swing this year, with more than 400 in-person and online performances between September 14 and September 25. The 10th anniversary features the return of fan favorites such as the Silent Disco, Cirque Du Fringe, Fringe Street Beat dance off, and Pedestrian Drive-In.

    For the first time, organizers have curated a mini music festival, called Smokestacks, to mark the finale. The free outdoor event takes place starting at 4pm on September 25 at Parcel 5 on Main Street, and features live performances by Cammy Enaharo, Mikaela Davis, Kopps, Spencer, Cannons, and Joywave.

    rochester fringe

    For safety, COVID protocols are in place. All indoor events require masking and proof of vaccination. Attendees ages 12 and up who are unvaccinated must be masked at all times, even for outdoor events. Protocols may be subject to change. Prior to attending, check for updates online.

    “After 18 months of closure that have devestated the performing arts, we’re thrilled to play our part in getting them back on their feet. Nearly 90% of our shows are live and in person, which wouldn’t be possible without our absolute commitment to keeping performers and attendees safe.”

    – Erica Fee, Founding Festival Producer

    A plethora of entertainment is available – from theater and dance to spoken word and comedy. And of course, music. Some Ska Band will heat things up with irresistible ska and reggae beats at the JCC canalside (outdoor) stage on opening night, September 14 at 7:30pm (get your tickets here). Gospel Sunday takes place on September 19 at 2pm, led by Reverend Rickey Harvey of Mt. Olivet Baptist Church at One Fringe Place (free). And the Taiko Japanese Drumming Performance makes a reprise at The Little on September 25 at 3:15pm (also free). And don’t forget about Smokestacks on September 25 at Parcel 5, where you can catch rising singer/songwriter Cammy Enaharo, the eclectic talent of Mikaela Davis, and of course Rochester’s own Joywave.

    The complete lineup of events at Rochester Fringe is available online at RochesterFringe.com.

  • A One Million Dollar Donation Gives Caroga Arts Collective a Bright Future

    In a summer season celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Sherman’s Amusement Park, and the 10th Anniversary of the Caroga Lake Music Festival, Artistic Director and Founder Kyle Barrett Price was presented with a check for $1,000,000 for benefit of the Caroga Arts Collective.

    Caroga Lake natives Ted Farnsworth and Rod Vanderbilt donated the funds, which will allow Caroga Arts Collective to evolve Sherman Park into a top-tier entertainment venue in the Northeast.

    caroga arts

    This is the town I grew up in and this is the town I love … I will never, ever forget the people who were so generous to all the kids who grew up here. I am truly honored that I can give back to the town that has given so much to me.

    Ted Farnsworth

    A previous donation to the Caroga Lake Music Festival of the formerly known 10.5-acre property, Myhill, began The Caroga Arts Collective in 2016.  With Bruce and Richard Veghte’s donation, the Caroga Lake Music Festival had a rich history to build upon. The Myhill estate had previously featured music from Frank Sinatra, Irving Berlin, and Elvis Presley, among others. Myer and Hildegarde Schine owned Glove and Hippodrome Theaters in Gloversville, NY while still being previous estate owners of Myhill.

    caroga arts

    Today Caroga Arts Collective annually attracts on average 100 musicians whether that be from orchestras, ensembles, or music schools. Some notable names include David Cook (Music Director of Taylor Swift), Sawyer Fredericks (winner of NBC’s The Voice), and Sierra Hull (GRAMMY-nominated bluegrass virtuoso). 

    Farnsworth was recently named in Variety Magazine, Top 30 Visionary and Disrupter of the Entertainment and Media Business of 2021. A current project that Farnsworth is involved in is his short-from video platform. Lomotif has earned its recognition as being a top-ten competitor of TikTok worldwide in 2021. Lomotif not only launched their own record label, Lomo Records, but gained enough traction to receive the music rights of artists like Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber through a deal with Universal Music. He believes the collaboration will raise the profile of Caroga Arts Collective to new heights in Hollywood and the entertainment industry.

    caroga arts

    The collaboration between Farnsworth and Caroga Arts Collective has already proved successful. Next year’s shows at for the Caroga Lake Music Festival will be featuring even bigger talent, as well as a film festival through the Caroga Arts Collective which will be an extension of the Myhill Film Series, honoring the Schine family who were movie theater magnates in the mid-twentieth century

    We have been fortunate to create a uniquely accessible, intimate, and sought-after experience for artists, audiences and community members alike during our ten years of programming. We look forward to curating unforgettable moments and experiences for the generation of today and tomorrow.

    Kyle Barrett Price, Artistic Director and Founder