Category: Festival News

The Newport Jazz Fest Returns

The center of the jazz center universe shifts around throughout the year. New York. New Orleans. And for few days every summer, Newport. The Newport Jazz Fest returns in 2021 from 7/30-8/1 at Fort Adams State Park and the Fort will swing again!

This year’s lineup brings a highly diverse lineup of new, old, east west, big, small, and everything in between. It will present artists performing from familiar places of comfort and also in new, exciting, never-been-heard before ways proving that the country’s oldest music festival is still capable of keeping things fresh.

Just skimming across the top the headliners alone set-up the diversity that peppers the lineup below. Austin Thai-infused funk trio Khruangbin close out Friday, New Orleans stage party Trombone Shorty finishes off Saturday and singer and Academy-Award nominated actress Andra Day closes out the weekend. Festival impresario, George Wein, praised sang her praises in one of his famous email transmissions:

[She] greatly impressed me in her Academy Award nominated performance in the United States vs. Billie Holiday. I think that’s wonderful. But more importantly, Andra Day is one of the finest singers I’ve heard in years. I think when you get to know her, you will put her in the ranks with Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone and a few other magnificent artists we’ve had the privilege of presenting.
George Wein

Festivals past will get tributes, with Grammy-winning singer Ledisi playing a set of festival alum Nina Simone and longtime alum of the Folk Festival, Mavis Staples, to play a set of… Mavis Staples. David Ostwald will bring his weekly Birdland gig to the Newport stage paying respects to jazz pioneers like Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, Duke Ellington, and Jelly Roll Morton.

Newer sounds will command the stage for much of the weekend however. Festival Artistic Director Christian McBride brings his newish band featuring DJ Logic, as well as a jam session featuring jamband-stalwarts Joe Russo and Marco Benevento, and fusion guitarist John Scofield. Robert Glasper will also feature a DJ, Jahi Sundance, in one of his three sets, which all should prove to be forward-thinking.

On Sunday, the Newport audience will get big doses of some lesser-heard sounds. Vibraphone players Joel Ross, Warren Wolf and Sasha Berliner join together for a set showcasing their instrument. New York’s Brandee Younger and Rochester’s Mikaela Davis will put together a set featuring their harp playing.

Joining Mavis Staples on the soul singing front, another Folk Fest alum (and 2021 Folk On artist) Yola will show the jazz audience why she is a rising star worthy of joining Staples as a festival crossover. Lesser-known soul singer and beloved Rochester native Danielle Ponder will introduce herself to her biggest audience yet.

The full lineup is stacked top to bottom. There are no miss-able sets. Fortunately for those wanting to catch as much as possible, the usual four stage set-up has been reduced to just two and the near half-capacity crowd should make getting around a bit easier. See the full lineup below. It isn’t too late to join in on the fun, while Friday and Saturday tickets are sold out, Sunday is still available.

Friday

Khruangbin
Kamasi Washington
Robert Glasper Acoustic Trio & DJ Jahi Sundance
A Christian McBride Situation
Cory Wong
Yola
Makaya McCraven
Catherine Russell
The Arturo O’Farrill Quintet
Avery*Sunshine

Saturday

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
Mavis Staples
Ledisi Sings Nina Simone
Robert Glasper & Terrace Martin present “Dinner Party”
Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah
Chris Potter Circuits Trio
Kenny Garrett
Terri Lyne Carrington & Social Science
Immanuel Wilkins
Danielle Ponder

Sunday

Andrea Day
A Black Radio Production: Robert Glasper with Special Guest
Charles Lloyd
The Jam Jawn: Christian McBride, John Scofield, Marco Benevento, Joe Russo
The Jazz Gallery All-Stars (Jaleel Shaw, Morgan Guerin, Joel Ross, Charles Altura, Gerald Clayton, Kendrick Scott, Renee Neufville)
Kenny Barron & Dave Holland Trio (with Jonathan Blake)
The Vibe Summit (Joel Ross, Warren Wolf, Sasha Berliner)
The Bogie Band featuring Joe Russo
David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band
Brandee Younger with Mikaela Davis

July 26, 2021
Binghamton Philharmonic Announces 2021-2022 season

The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra has announced the return of concerts for its 2021-2022 season in a press conference. The Orchestra also announced their new executive director, Paul Cienniwa. Daniel Heige, the Music Director of the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra, presented the sponsors and performances that will take place for this season.

The Philharmonic also had sponsors give speeches on their relationship with the Binghamton Philharmonic and how they will contribute to helping the orchestra with this upcoming season. The music director stated that the orchestra will play music from composers such as Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Mendelssohn, Jessie Montgomery, Stacy Garrop, Vivian Fung. There will also be concerts featuring musical genres of rock and pop.

Here are the upcoming concerts at the Binghamton Philharmonic:

Bassoonist Melissa Kritzer Wednesday, July 28 at 12p.m.

Cellist Hakan Tayga Wednesday August 4 at 12p.m.

Summer Chamber Music: trio pastorale with Principal Clarinet Paul Cho, Second Oboe Amelia Merriman, and Second Bassoon Melissa Kritzer Saturday August 14 at 5p.m. and Sunday August 15 at 3p.m.

Summer Chamber Music: Unanimous Four with Concertmaster Uli Speth, Assistant Principal Cello Michael Newman, Principal Clarinet Paul Cho, and Principal Piano Tomoko Kanamaru.

You can check out the video of the press conference here.

https://youtu.be/IAU_ItRVUyI

July 23, 2021
Farm Aid 2021 Announces Festival and Lineup

Farm Aid 2021 will be returning to Hartford, Connecticut, for a live, in-person festival on Saturday, Sept. 25 at Xfinity Theatre. A full day of music, family farmers, HOMEGROWN food, and a HOMEGROWN Village with skill-shares and other agrarian experiences.

Farm Aid’s annual festival is an all-day celebration of music and family farmers featuring a unique lineup of artists and genres, along with family farm-identified, local and organic foods as part of the HOMEGROWN Concessions.

Farm Aid 2021 will be at Xfinity Theatre in Hartford, Connecticut, marking the second time that the festival has brought its music and food to the venue.

Farm Aid 2021 will reunite family farmers and musician activists, with performances by Farm Aid board members Willie Nelson & Family, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds, and Margo Price, as well as Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Bettye LaVette, Jamey Johnson, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Allison Russell, Particle Kid, and Ian Mellencamp.

The festival will be an outdoor, open air event. While they are working closely with venue staff, State, and other public health officials to ensure that the most up-to-date safety guidelines are followed, the event is more than three months away from the event. Detailed protocols will be published on their website as the event date approaches.

For more information about the event visit the official Farm Aid website.

To stay connected follow their socials on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

A limited number of pre-sale tickets will be available beginning at 10 am EDT on Wednesday, July 21. Tickets for Farm Aid 2021 go on sale July 23 at 10 am EDT. Ticket prices range from $65 to $305 and will be available for purchase at LiveNation.com.

July 21, 2021
Catskill Mountain Jubilee 2021 Announces Daily Lineups, Additions to Lineup – Kicks off on August 12

For those looking for some great live music to round out the summer, the Catskill Mountain Jubilee music festival is coming to East Durham, NY from August 12-14, 2021.

The Jubilee will take place at Blackthorne Resort, less than an hour south of Albany and less than three hours north of the NYC metro area. A few days in the Catskills is sure to be a fun escape, complete with the festival’s strong lineup of many fan favorite artists.

Just announced additions to Catskill Mountain Jubilee include CIA (Clay Parnell, Ian McGuire and Allen Aucoin), Reed Mathis and Todd Stoops, TalkPeck SoundSystem – A tribute to Talking Heads, LCD SoundSystem and Vulfpeck (Jon Barber, Matt McNulty, Allen Aucoin, Mike Greenfield, Avery Acevedo, Miles Livolsi, Todd Stoops, Jeff Borg, Lowell Wurster).

Headliner Dark Star Orchestra covers both popular hits and deep cuts from the Grateful Dead’s extensive catalog. Boasting over 3000 shows under their belt, DSO puts on an enjoyable musical experience for all ages. The Chicago band has featured guest performances from six original Grateful Dead members and even toured with longtime Dead soundman, Dan Healy.

Other headliner Lotus is an instrumental jam band based in Philly/Denver. Lotus blends many different genres in their groovy improvisation, including flares of funk, electronic dance music with an underlying rock sound. Their new studio album, Free Swim, comes out August 21.

There are dozens of other exciting acts to catch at this inaugural Jubilee. The team frequently shares news on their Facebook and there is a newsletter signup on their website to keep up with any updates.

The festival will be home to over 25 musical acts whose style range from Grateful Dead rock-n-roll and hip-hop to livetronica, reggae and house music. This lineup is truly a collection of quality musicians who historically offer only the highest quality of performances, and we’re grateful to have each and every one of them joining us for the first ever The Catskill Mountain Jubilee.
Catskill Mountain Jubilee Team

Tickets are available for purchase now with options for two and three day general admission passes. Lodging packages are currently fully booked.

Blackthorne Resort

July 16, 2021
Baked Shrimp and Glass Pony Prep For LonCon
On a steamy Friday night, Lark Hall played host to two of the fastest rising jam bands in New York, Long Island’s Baked Shrimp, and Albany’s own Glass Pony, as a warm up to the former’s LonCon Fest.

For the opening set of the night, Glass Pony tore in with “Maximus” that segued incredibly into Oasis’ “Morning Glory,” but so smooth you wondered ‘is this a new song inspired by the 90s, or are they deep in a 90s cover?’ Sure enough, as guitarist/singer Eddie Hotaling belted out the lyrics, you knew the story. After the high energy and upbeat lyrics of “Something Good,” bassist Jeff Picarazzi sang lead on Leo Sayer’s “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing.” With a new album coming down the road, and a crowd that was getting down from start to finish, Glass Pony has a lot more music in store.

Setlist: Maximus > Morning Glory, North Bound (unfinished) -> Something Good, Check it Again, You Make Me Feel Like Dancing -> Daydream (unfinished) > House on the Hill, Doppler, Bottom of the Ocean

Baked Shrimp, a jam power trio from Long Island put on a prog/funk clinic. For their entire 90 minute set the band moved seamlessly through complicated chord progressions and never lost a beat or the attention of the crowd. The young trio has great potential in their three members, bassist Scott Reill, guitarist/singer Jared Cowen, and drummer Jager Soss, a doppelganger for Andy Frasco. Their festival LonCon will be held in Parksville, NY over August 27-28. Find out more details on the festival here.

Setlist: The Manatee, Numpty, Synth, The Method -> Now’s Your Moment -> The Method, Four Corners to Every Side, Orpheus, Down the Drain
July 12, 2021
First River Festival Coming To Peekskill This October

The inaugural First River Festival will bring big name indie talent to the Hudson Valley this October.

The two-day music festival will take place on Saturday and Sunday, October 9-10, 2021, in downtown Peekskill, NY at the Paramount Theater. Its aim is to build a new music experience in the Lower Hudson Valley.

Headliners include Parquet Courts, Guided by Voices and Waxahatchee. The festival’s lineup blends these headlining indie rock stars alongside smaller acts and rising artists with flares of folk, pop, electronica, Americana and even post-punk.

Unlike a traditional festival, the headliners’ sets are long–90 minutes each–to ensure the audience gets their fill. For a taste of folksiness, audiences can enjoy a performance by New York alt-folk legends, The Felice Brothers, complete with plenty of accordion and gritty vocals. First River Festival will also bring some good old fashioned rock and roll with North Carolina-turned New York Catskills band The Nude Party, Chicago alt-rock trio Dehd and Nashville/Brooklyn’s Liz Cooper.

Brooklyn favorites Small Black are set to play favorites from their new, critically acclaimed album Cheap Dreams, while California-based rising star Jelani Aryeh will share his dreamy, sunny blend of pop, rock, and indie. To round out the lineup, Nashville newcomer Katy Kirby will join the stage and showcase her light, airy vocals.

Live Goods Music and G4D Productions have joined forces to produce the festival, which they hope places Peekskill on the map as a premiere destination for live music and entertainment. First River’s audience numbers will be kept small to help the festival feel intimate.

“We wanted to see what would happen if we brought a bunch of bigger-name, indie bands to Peekskill. We think the region is ready for it, and that this festival will be the ideal stepping-stone back into life as we knew it.”
Liz Goodyear, First River’s Executive Producer

Peekskill, located just one hour north of New York City in Westchester County, boasts a historic arts community which has continued to thrive. There is also plenty of great food and beer to be enjoyed at local restaurants near the Paramount throughout the festival.

Presale tickets go on sale July 8 at 10AM with code “LITTLEPEEK”. Check out First River Festival’s website for more information.

July 8, 2021
moe. and Twiddle to Headline 2021 ADK Music Festival, Daily Lineups Announced

This year’s ADK Independence Music Festival lineup has been announced and features two big names that Upstate New Yorkers are quite familiar with. The Lake George festival will take place on Labor Day Weekend, Sept 3-5 with headliners moe. and Twiddle stepping up to the plate for the 2021 edition.

moe. will return to their moe.down Labor Day roots as they play four sets over two nights with Twiddle performing two headlining sets of their own. All ADK Music Fest performances will be located at the Charles R. Wood Festival Commons in the heart of Lake George Village, across the street from the lake.

There will be a special tribute to Prince and David Bowie performed by Prince Bowie featuring members of Pink Talking Fish, Snarky Puppy, Kung Fu and much more. The lineup also features sets from Roots of Creation, Kung Fu, Lucid, Bella’s Bartok, Eggy, Neighbor, Dogs In A Pile, Annie in the Water, Baked Shrimp, and Hartley’s Encore.

The ADK Music Festival will have a selection of beer and wine, a full bar, food vendors, and merchandise for sale, all available for purchase after entry. As well a great view of the Lake George fireworks on Saturday evening.

Shows will begin at 2 pm on Friday and 12:30 pm on Saturday and Sunday and run until 11 pm each night. The event is open to attendees of all ages and children 12 and under are free. VIP tickets include admission to all 3 days of the festival, a meal each day, half priced adult beverages, $2 waters / soft drinks, a private viewing area (with private bars), and access to private bathrooms.

3-Day General Admission tickets and a limited number of VIP tickets are on sale now for the 2021 Adirondack Independence Music Festival. To learn more and get tickets, visit the ADK Music Fest official website.

July 7, 2021
Beau Fleuve Music & Arts Celebration Announce Lineup

The 5^th Annual Beau Fleuve Music & Arts Celebration will take place this summer at Buffalo Central Terminal. The diverse event will celebrate an array of artists while also conducting numerous exhibits.

The festivity will consist of performances on multiple stages, installations, the popular silent disco, food trucks, vendors village, backyard games, a family fun area, and much more. The acts in this year’s lineup go beyond Buffalo/WNY. They also include individuals from Rochester, NYC, Baltimore-DC, and Florida to name a few.

Music Performances By: Jae Skeese ( DrumWork Music & National Touring Artist Closing Out the Night), Danielle Ponder, Miller And The Other Sinners, Mom Said No, Deadwolf, Billie Essco, FREAK THE MIIGHTY, A.I The Anomaly, Herbal Tonics, Roy G Biv, Mile High, Source Academy & Dark Skin Jermaine, Velvet Bethany, 14 trapdoors, Chango4 & way2wavybaby, Maegan The Singer, Brother Tomsos, Sir Michael Prince, Money Set, Wakefield , Sugar Tea, Saranaide, Outwest, Underrated Evolution

On Stage DJ Sets By: Farenheight Crew, DJ Flow, DJ Onyx , DJ P-Nasty

Silent Disco Sets By: DJ Lil Gabby, DJ T, Deejay Ransum, DJ Jetta, DJ Yama Mama, Backpack Mafia Battle

Art Exhibitors: kidwitthewings, Deja Marie, Xojoita, Neese Rich, RozPaintedIt, Peter Ponce, Hooly & Syd, Cashis Green, Laike Palmero, Shantelle Patterson & more

Art Installations: SKATE PARK by Quincy Kosczka, WEARABLE ART by Buffalo State Fashion & Textile Dept & UB Arts Collaboratory, SIT & THINK CHAIRS by A.J. Smith, Ken Newton, Emeka Wajed, RozPaintedIt

Curated Talks: Creative Mornings Buffalo, Outside The Influence, The Poorman Show

Beau Fleuve Music & Arts Celebration takes place on August 29. Tickets are on sale now.

July 5, 2021
First-Ever North Country Arts Festival Starts September 4

The North Country Arts Festival will be bringing the North Country Community together to celebrate the arts this September. Along with more popular events, smaller events such as workshops, classes, open mic nights, small concerts, and theater productions will also take place in a variety of businesses and public spaces, starting September 4.

Anticipating over the course of the month an audience of 5,000 people in person, and 15,000 people online through their media sponsorship with NCPR and partnership with North Country Now.

This month-long, county-wide event encourages tourism and economic activity throughout St. Lawrence County by showcasing their region’s art industry, which is a critical component of their regional identity. Popular events, such as artists’ studio tour, PorchFest, Remington Arts Festival, plus a new art market during the Ives Park Concert Series will be held within the time frame of the NoCo Arts Fest.

If you’re interested in signing up to participate in any or all of these events, listed below, you can contact their Programs Coordinator at amanda@slcartscouncil.org, or visit their website. The deadline to apply to participate in the events for any artist or musician is June 30th.

Some featured events that they will be having are listed below,

Ives Park Concert Series Arts Market, September 4th, 12 pm-6 pm: a full day of concerts and an art market on Labor Day weekend partnering with Community Performance Series, and another performance in collaboration with Clarkson University, also holding an art market during this event.

Porchfest, September 4th in Potsdam, and September 5th in Canton 12 pm-5 pm: a musical event on individuals’ porches in Potsdam and Canton residential neighborhoods.

Remington Arts Festival, October 2nd, 10 am-4 pm: a Canton community event commemorating the birth of Frederic Remington, held during St Lawrence University’s Laurentian Weekend.

Artists’ Studio Tour, every weekend in September across the county: in artists’ home studios across the county over several weekends, a revamp of the event that they have organized for the last 34 years. This year they decided to choose a different region of the county for each weekend to better cater to the artists and patrons. The schedule is as follows:

September 11th/12th – Colton/Parishville area

September 18th/19th – Canton/Ogdensburg/Gouverneur area

September 25th/26th – Potsdam/Madrid/Massena area

July 4, 2021
Opera Saratoga Celebrates 60th Anniversary with Summer Festival

This summer marks the 60th anniversary of the Opera Saratoga Summer Festival. Initially dubbed the Lake George Opera playing to a crowd of 230 people, Opera Saratoga regularly performs for over 25,000 a year. Having performed over 90 works by 52 composers, this summer’s festival commemorates the history and continued success of those who have put on these critically acclaimed productions. The festival features three concerts inspired by the literature of Miguel de Cervantes: Quixotic Opera, Man of La Mancha, and Don Quichotte at Camacho’s Wedding.

Working with a team of those dedicated to ensuring safety in the time of COVID, Opera Saratoga has committed to bringing audiences back safety for this summer’s festival for an outdoor experience during the months of June and July. These performances, produced in partnership with the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Spa State Park, and Pitney Meadows Community Farm, provide different performance spaces for a safe and enjoyable concert.

Via Opera Saratoga Official Site

“Quixotic Opera”

June 24th and 25th saw the kickoff of the festival with an 80 minute “Quixotic Opera” at Pitney Meadows Community Farm. Following a series of scenes from operas inspired by Miguel de Cervantes’ novel Don Quixote, the concert brought the audience on the adventures of nobleman Alonso Quizano who became a knight to serve his nation under the name Don Quixote de la Mancha. Lead by musical director Laurie Rogers, it featured scenes from Don Quichotte chez la Duchesse (Boismortier / Favart), Die Hochzeit des Camacho (Mendelssohn / Voigts), Il furioso all’isola di San Domingo (Donizetti / Ferretti), Don Quixote (Kienzl) and more.

“Man of La Mancha”

Via Opera Saratoga Official Site

July 8th, 9th, and 10th will feature the 120 minute musical “Man of La Mancha” at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center Amphitheater. Written by Dale Wasserman, the Tony Award winning musical, which features Broadway and Opera star Zachary James in the lead role as Cervantes/Don Quixote, tells the story of Don Quixote with music by Mitch Leigh, and lyrics by Joe Darion.

“A universal tale of love, hope, and adventure, Man of La Mancha celebrates the perseverance of one man who refuses to relinquish his ideals, and who is determined to see life not as it is, but as it ought to be.”
Opera Saratoga Official Website

“Don Quichotte at Camacho’s Wedding”

Via Opera Saratoga’s Official Site

For lovers of more traditional classical music, Opera Saratoga will be presenting the 50 minute “Don Quichotte at Camacho’s Wedding” with twelve performances scheduled between July 14th and 18th. A one-act comic serenata, the performances will feature artists from Opera Saratoga’s Young Artist Program. Written by Georg Philipp Telemann with a libretto by Daniel Schiebeler, the concert incorporates an episode from Part Two of Don Quixote where the knight and his squire stumble upon unusual weddings while exploring the world.

Tickets for both the musical Man of La Mancha and the serenata Don Quichotte at Camacho’s Wedding on Opera Saratoga’s website. Ensured audience safety amidst the COVID-19 pandemic has limited tickets this season and Opera Saratoga anticipates that performances will sell out in advance of the show date. Advance ticket purchases are required for Don Quichotte at Camacho’s Wedding and while not required for Man of La Mancha, they are strongly advised to ensure a spot at the special 60th anniversary performance.

July 3, 2021