Wondering where and how you can get your 2021 Pride on throughout New York this summer? With COVID-19 ever looming in the background, NYS Music has you covered. Between in person events and virtual celebrations, celebrating Pride with live music in 2021 will be a highlight of the summer across the State of New York.
New York City and Long Island
New York City Pride will be kicking off with 50 events across the 30 days of June, known as Pride month throughout the LGBTQ+ community. Between the NYC Pride march, Pridefest, and Pride Island. The NYC Pride March broadcast special will return for its fifth consecutive year.
Featuring live performances, on-air interviews, and exciting street-side marching activity, the broadcast will air on ABC-7 from 12PM to 3PM EST on Sunday, June 27 as well on ABC7NY.com and ABC7 New York’s Connected TV Apps on streaming platforms Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Roku. All in-person elements will be produced in accordance with the most current guidelines for public events in the city. DJ Lina Bradford will be performing at the online virtual Pride Island party. Details on the event can be found on their website. Musical performances across NYC Pride are waiting to be announced.
Long Island Pride is taking place on June 13, 2021 at Eisenhower Park’s landmark Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre from 12PM-4PM. The festivities will take place in person and will follow New York State Department of Health and CDC guidance, all attendees will be required to present proof of full COVID-19 vaccination, or 72-hour negative PCR test. This year’s Long Island Pride is a pre-ticketed event only and there will be no same day entry. The event may sell out quickly with sponsorships, VIP tickets and a limited number of general admission tickets now on sale due to COVID-19. Almost Queen, The Lesbian and Gay Big Apple Corps, and DJ Disco 2 House will all be performing. Details on the event can be found on their website.
Capital District
In Albany the Pride activities will span out across the month with plenty of events. People can catch local artists performing on the Virtual Alive at 5 event. It can be found on Albany Events on YouTube and the Pride Center of the Capital region YouTube. Join the online party for the Virtual Pride Alive at 5 on Thursday, June 10, 2021 at 11AM to 12PM. Details on the event can be found on their website.
Schenectady Pride will be hosting a ‘Day of Visibility’ event at the Gateway Plaza. The event will host DJ RVMBA at 3PM, Community Stage (special guests including SLOC Musical group, Planned Parenthood at 4PM, and Drag Spectacular starring the Legends of Drag at 5pm on Saturday, June 5, 2021. Details on the event can be found on their website.
Buffalo
Buffalo won’t be having an official live pride event this year due to COVID-19 but is promoting different events throughout Buffalo in celebration of Pride. The R&B and Hip-Hop Pride Event is taking place on June 5 from 9PM to 1AM at 522 Elmwood Ave Buffalo. The event is $7 and focuses on Recording Artists of the LGBTIAQ+ Community that dwell in the genres of R&B and Hip-Hop music. Hosted by an Actress/R&B and Hip-Hop Artist named Aqueira Oshun. Loncé thee Starr, Disprettymofo, Incense, Paris Glenn, Charlie Bae, C4W2, and Jay Aquarious will all be performing. The music for the show will be spun by a DJ named Trav1sTw1n. The maximum capacity is 40 people and please be asked to wear a mask at the event. Details on the event can be found on their website.
Rochester
Rochester Pride isn’t taking place until September 25, 2021 at Mayo Park from 12-5 PM and hasn’t released information yet.
CNY
Central New York Pride will be taking place on June 26, 2021 for CNY Pride’s “Virtual Edition” Pride Festival, presented by Equitable. The festival will be featuring performances by Deviant Dance Tribe, Jason Ngo, Felipe Panama, Kitschy Scoflow, Koy Adams, Frita Lay, Sparkle Royale, Rea Listic, Tayler Mayde, and Natalie Taylor, and hosted live by the fabulous Samantha Vega, this digital festival will be streaming online June 26 and will be free and open to the public. Details on the event can be found on their Facebook page.
Keep checking back for more updates on when and where to get your Pride and dance moves on in 2021 throughout New York State.
Independent Venue Week returns July 12 – 18, 2021, bringing together venues from all across the country for a series of shows and programming in celebration of the spirit of independence.
The venue-curated programming will be combined with the return of #IVWTalks, a virtual conference series that discusses current live music industry issues and includes Get Schooled, a full day dedicated to student participants interested in a career in live music to take place on Thursday, July 15.
Among the more than 450 shows to take place as part of Independent Venue Week are performances by hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg at Phoenix’s Celebrity Theatre,roots music icons Steve Earle & The Dukes at Ram’s Head On Stage in Annapolis, midwest indie-pop sensation Beach Bunny at Milwaukee’s The Cooperage, world-class Afro-Cuban percussionist Pedrito Martinez at NYC’s DROM, New Jersey DIY favorites Long Neck, Whiner and PYNKIE at WhiteEagle Hallin Jersey City, legendary rock’n’rollers The Marshall Tucker Band at Missoula’s KettleHouse Amphitheater,and bass virtuoso George Porter Jr. for his reopening run at Garcia’sin Port Chester.
Getting ready for this year’s event feels particularly meaningful. For the past 14 months, independent venues and promoters have collectively fought for their very survival and this feels like the turning point that we’ve all been working for. We were happy and proud to grow Independent Venue Week last year—to even have it, under the circumstances. This year, we hope and believe that fans will return with a renewed appreciation for these uniquely important spaces.
Cecilie Nielsen, Director of Special Projects at Marauder, the firm that runs Independent Venue Week in the US.
The team behind Independent Venue Week has released the first episode of its new podcast series, Independent Venue Speak. Like its namesake, Independent Venue Speak will celebrate the spirit of independence, through the vehicle of deep-diving conversations. The series will be hosted by a different guest artist each episode and focus on how a specific independent venue has shaped the narrative in their music community.
For its inaugural episode, Independent Venue Speak invited the Grammy-nominated, Brooklyn-based artist and songwriter J. Hoard to tell the tale of the iconic Lower East Side room Arlene’s Grocery and its ties to The Lesson, a world-renowned hip-hop jam ensemble that forged an entire music culture.
To truly make Independent Venue Speak as incredible in execution as it was in concept, we enlisted the artists and venue operators to tell these stories themselves. These stories are about extraordinary people who helped inspire prolific music movements and about the venues that offered these movements not just a stage, but a home.
Cecilie Nielsen, Director of Special Projects at Marauder
#IVW21 PARTICIPATING VENUES (So Far!)
Princess Theatre Center for the Performing Arts (Decatur, Alabama)
Theatrikos (Flagstaff, Arizona)
Jeremy’s Juke Joint (Lake Havasu City, Arizona)
The Neighborhood Comedy Theatre (Mesa, Arizona)
The Nile Theater (Mesa, Arizona)
Last Exit Live (Phoenix, Arizona)
The Rebel Lounge (Phoenix, Arizona)
Club Congress (Tucson, Arizona)
Groundworks Tucson (Tucson, Arizona)
The Wayfarer (Costa Mesa, California)
T-Bar Social Club (June Lake, California)
Marvyn’s Magic Theater (La Quinta, California)
1720 (Los Angeles, California)
Globe Theatre (Los Angeles, California)
The Paramount LA (Los Angeles, California)
The Sardine (Los Angeles, California)
The Glass House Concert Hall (Pomona, California)
Crest Theatre Sacramento (Sacramento, California)
Harlow’s (Sacramento, California)
Sacramento Comedy Spot (Sacramento, California)
Belly Up (San Diego, California)
The Casbah (San Diego, California)
Soda Bar (San Diego, California)
Spin Nightclub (San Diego, California)
Amado’s (San Francisco, California)
Bimbo’s 365 Club (San Francisco, California)
Great American Music Hall (San Francisco, California)
The Riptide (San Francisco, California)
Center Stage Theater (Santa Barbara, California)
Kuumbwa Jazz (Santa Cruz, California)
Boulder Theater (Boulder, Colorado)
Fox Theatre (Boulder, Colorado)
The Black Sheep (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
Monkey Barrel (Denver, Colorado)
Roxy on Broadway (Denver, Colorado)
Aggie Theatre (Fort Collins, Colorado)
Ridgway Chautauqua Society / The Sherbino & The Courtyard at 610 (Ridgway, Colorado)
Bijou Theatre (Bridgeport, Connecticut)
The Midpoint (Hartford, Connecticut)
Arden Concert Gild (Arden, Delaware)
9:30 Club (Washington DC, District of Columbia)
The Anthem (Washington DC, District of Columbia)
DC9 Nightclub (Washington DC, District of Columbia)
Lincoln Theatre (Washington DC, District of Columbia)
Pearl Street Warehouse (Washington DC, District of Columbia)
Pie Shop (Washington DC, District of Columbia)
Songbyrd Music House (Washington DC, District of Columbia)
High Dive (Gainesville, Florida)
Murray Hill Theatre (Jacksonville, Florida)
North Beach Bandshell (Miami Beach, Florida)
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall (Sarasota, Florida)
The Village Theatre (Atlanta, Georgia)
The Blue Door (Brunswick, Georgia)
Grant’s Lounge (Macon, Georgia)
Hargray Capitol Theatre (Macon, Georgia)
Hilo Palace Theater (Hilo, Hawaii)
Hawaii Theatre Center (Honolulu, Hawaii)
ProArts Playhouse Maui (Kihei, Hawaii)
Hey Nonny (Arlington Heights, Illinois)
Annoyance Theatre & Bar (Chicago, Illinois)
Beat Kitchen (Chicago, Illinois)
The Lincoln Lodge Theater (Chicago, Illinois)
The Promontory (Chicago, Illinois)
Reggies (Chicago, Illinois)
Subterranean (Chicago, Illinois)
The Wild Hare & Singing Armadillo Frog Sanctuary (Chicago, Illinois)
Winter’s Jazz Club (Chicago, Illinois)
Egyptian Theatre (DeKalb, Illinois)
Skooter’s Roadhouse (Shorewood, Illinois)
Buskirk-Chumley Theater/BCT Management, Inc. (Bloomington, Indiana)
Mojo’s BoneYard (Evansville, Indiana)
Hi-Fi (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Hoyt Sherman Place (Des Moines, Iowa)
Wooly’s (Des Moines, Iowa)
xBk (Des Moines, Iowa)
East Of Omaha (Griswold, Iowa)
The Englert Theatre (Iowa City, Iowa)
Hutchinson’s HIstoric Fox Theatre (Hutchinson, Kansas)
Liberty Hall (Lawrence, Kansas)
Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts (Salina, Kansas)
The Warehouse at Mt Victor (Bowling Green, Kentucky)
Alhambra Theatre (Hopkinsville, Kentucky)
Headliners Music Hall (Louisville, Kentucky)
Old Forester’s Paristown Hall (Louisville, Kentucky)
Renfro Valley Entertainment Center (Mount Vernon, Kentucky)
The Southgate House Revival (Newport, Kentucky)
Texas Club (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
Carnaval Lounge (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Howlin Wolf (New Orleans, Louisiana)
The Grand (Ellsworth, Maine)
Regent Theatre (Arlington, Massachusetts)
Narrows Center for the Arts (Fall River, Massachusetts)
Atac: Downtown Arts + Music (Framingham, Massachusetts)
Soundcheck Studios (Pembroke, Massachusetts)
Electric Haze (Worcester, Massachusetts)
Pyramid Scheme (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
Kalamazoo State Theatre (Kalamazoo, Michigan)
7th St Entry (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Fine Line (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
First Avenue (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
The Parkway Theater (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
TAK Music Venue Inc (Moorhead, Minnesota)
The Fitzgerald Theatre (St. Paul, Minnesota)
Palace Theatre (St. Paul, Minnesota)
Turf Club (St. Paul, Minnesota)
RecordBar (Kansas City, Missouri)
Uptown Theater (Kansas City, Missouri)
Kettlehouse Amphitheater (Bonner, Montana)
The Music Hall (Portsmouth, New Hampshire)
Crossroads (Garwood, New Jersey)
Hopewell Theater (Hopewell, New Jersey)
White Eagle Hall (Jersey City, New Jersey)
The Newton Theatre (Newton, New Jersey)
Township Theatre (Township of Washington, New Jersey)
The Museum of the City of New York has announced plans for a brand new exhibit that will feature an extensive look at the city’s music scene in the ’80s. New York, New Music: 1980-1986 will open on June 11 at the museum and promises to examine this transformative era through the lens of emerging pivotal music genres and the influence they played on New York’s broader cultural landscape.
The exhibit will be previewed at the museum’s upcoming Spring Gala on Wednesday, June 9 where LL Cool J, Cyndi Lauper and Kevin Liles will be honored with Gotham Icon Awards.
The reimagined version of the 2021 Spring Gala promises to safely create an intimate outdoor event with dinner and performances along with a preview of New York, New Music: 1980-1986. The exhibition highlights diverse musical artists—from Run DMC to the Talking Heads, from Madonna to John Zorn— to explore the broader music and cultural scene, including the innovative media outlets, venues, fashion, and visual arts centered in the city during that time.
The early 1980s were a time of significant transition in New York, with the city facing crime, urban decay, and homelessness. And yet, despite those challenges, it was also a particularly fertile time for music and other creativity in New York City. The musical innovations of this time period are a great example of the resilience of the city and the importance of art and creativity as forces of transformation.
Whitney Donhauser, Ronay Menschel Director and President, Museum of the City of New York.
This new exhibit will focus on certain performances and moments that occurred during this extremely fertile era of music in the city. “During the ’80s, there was a community-driven musical renaissance in New York City. It was an era of creativity and genre-defying performance that, in my mind, stands as one of the most influential in musical and cultural history,” says Sean Corcoran, curator of prints and photography, Museum of the City of New York.
The 14 featured moments that the exhibit will showcase are:
KID CREOLE and the COCONUTS @ DANCETERIA (1980)
In 1980, Kid Creole and the Coconuts led a revue of nearly a dozen musicians to perform their danceable genre-bending music at Danceteria, appealing to the still-dancing disco denizens, die-hard New Wavers, and everyone in between.
DNA and GRAY @ CBGB (MARCH 22, 1980)
The pairing of these two influential groups was emblematic of that pivotal moment in the downtown No Wave scene.
TALKING HEADS @ CENTRAL PARK (AUGUST 27, 1980)
Five years after first taking the stage at CBGB (opening for the pioneering punk rock group the Ramones), the Talking Heads played a sold-out concert at Wollman Rink in Central Park. For the first time, the band expanded beyond the classic quartet of David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, and Tina Weymouth, bringing in an array of musicians.
FUNKY 4 + 1 @ SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE (FEBRUARY 14, 1981)
Marking the very first time a hip-hop group performed live on national TV, Funky 4 + 1– including hip hop’s first female MC, Sha Rock–was invited to perform on SNL by that evening’s host and musical guest, Debbie Harry of Blondie.
BEYOND WORDS @ MUDD CLUB (APRIL 9, 1981)
This graffiti art exhibition and performance by DJ Afrika Bambaataa, the Cold Crush Brothers, and the Fantastic Five helped propel a new era in New York’s new music. Fred Brathwaite (aka Fab 5 Freddy) curated the show along with the artist Futura 2000.
NOISE FEST @ WHITE COLUMNS (JUNE 16–24, 1981)
In the early 1980s, an expansive cohort of musicians was still exploring the possibilities of “noise.” Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore curated a lineup around the theme, and what was envisioned as a one-day program quickly snowballed into a nine-day watershed event.
KONK vs LIQUID LIQUID @ TOMPKINS SQUARE PARK (AUGUST 9, 1981)
Liquid Liquid and Konk both formed in New York City in 1980, and they quickly developed reputations for their slightly off-kilter music, driven by groove-based, danceable funk rhythms. The friendly rivalry between the groups and the marketing genius around it turned this concert into a sensation.
MADONNA @ DANCETERIA (DECEMBER 16, 1982)
An ambitious 24-year-old using just her first name took to the second-floor stage at Danceteria on December 16th, 1982 to publicly perform her own music for the first time. Madonna’s debut appearance, and the single for Sire Records, served as a springboard to fame; the release of her self-titled album quickly followed in 1983.
NEXT WAVE FESTIVAL @ BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC (1982–83)
An important springboard for new music in the 1980s came from the venerable Brooklyn Academy of Music’s (BAM) second edition of its Next Wave series. The season-long festival featured an unprecedented number of artists, including Steve Reich, Glenn Branca; Laurie Anderson; Max Roach and the dance team of Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane, a milestone of innovation and interdisciplinary performance.
KEITH HARING’S PARTY OF LIFE @ PARADISE GARAGE (MAY 16, 1984)
Artist Keith Haring’s (with DJ Larry Levan) first Party of Life, a birthday celebration that was a rapturous convergence of art, music, and performance, featured a star-studded guest list with performances by Madonna and John Sex.
RUN-DMC and THE TREACHEROUS THREE @ GRAFFITI ROCK (JUNE 29, 1984)
History was made in June of 1984 when the first syndicated hip-hop TV show was recorded on a soundstage in Midtown Manhattan. The show featured groundbreaking acts, including Run-DMC’s performance of their hit single, “Sucker MCs,” as well as Kool Moe Dee and Special K, two MCs from the veteran trio The Treacherous Three. The MCs provided the show’s introduction, breaking down the elements of hip hop, including breakin’, DJing, and the verbal stylings of MCs, all on a graffiti-laden set.
JOHN ZORN @ ROULETTE (OCTOBER 13, 1984)
One of avant-garde composer John Zorn’s most influential “game pieces” –genre-defying musical compositions designed for controlled improvisation– Cobra was presented at Roulette, the TriBeCa alternative art space.
FORT APACHE BAND @ MICKELL’S (DECEMBER 31, 1985)
On New Year’s Eve 1985, the Bronx-based Fort Apache Band played multiple sets at Mikell’s, a jazz club on the corner of 97th Street and Columbus Avenue. The music that evening embodied the group’s animating project: to explore the creative intersection of Afro-Cuban and Puerto Rican musical traditions with jazz.
ARTHUR RUSSELL @ EXPERIMENTAL INTERMEDIA FOUNDATION (SEPTEMBER 22, 1985)
A groundbreaking moment in the New York experimental music scene came in the fall of 1985, when Arthur Russell staged several performances at the Experimental Intermedia Foundation in SoHo.
Viewed together, these examples provide a sense of the innovation, energy, and cross-pollination of musical ideas that was happening across the city at the moment of openness and creativity. Visitors will also have the opportunity enjoy some of the quintessential moments in a retro-feeling suburban rec room-inspired space. The lounge installation features a mix of found footage, video art, and their own archival film of downtown musicians like the Dead Boys, Heartbreakers, and Bush Tetras; along with rare early MTV interviews with New York-based artists such as David Johansen, Madonna, and RUN DMC, and footage from “The Scott and Gary Show,” a Brooklyn-based public access program, including early performances by Beastie Boys, Butthole Surfers, and R Stevie Moore.
The Spring Gala, which will offer a sneak peak of all this, is one of the largest annual fundraisers for the museum’s exhibitions, public programs, and education programs which serve over 50,000 students and teachers throughout the city’s five boroughs. After a challenging year for the entire arts and culture sector, the Spring Gala is also crucial for the Museum’s recovery, ensuring that New York’s stories can be told for generations to come.
This year’s gala will fete GRAMMY award-winning rapper, actor, CEO & founder of Rock The Bells LL COOL J; mother, activist, award-winning songwriter and artist Cyndi Lauper; and Kevin Liles, CEO and co-founder of 300 Entertainment (and former president of Def Jam Records).
The Museum of the City of New York fosters understanding of the distinctive nature of urban life in the world’s most influential metropolis. It engages visitors by celebrating, documenting, and interpreting the city’s past, present, and future.
On June 19, The Robert Randolph Foundation will present the Juneteenth Unityfest, featuring musical performances, inspiring remarks, films, comedy, storytelling, and appearances by civic leaders and influencers. An event to celebrate the multicultural experiences that unites people of all backgrounds while amplifying the many narratives of the Black experience in America.
The multi-city, globally live streamed event will showcase the breadth and depth of Black culture and Juneteenth as a uniquely American experience. Grammy-nominated African-American artist Robert Randolph, has given life to the first-ever national event that provides a platform to unite a coalition of charitable grassroots organizations bringing together diverse voices in commemoration and celebration.
Actress and author Amanda Seales and comedian JB Smoove will serve as hosts for the inaugural Juneteenth Unityfest. The program will include musical performances by Robert Randolph, Aloe Blacc, Bebe Winans, Black Pumas, Darius Rucker, Earth, Wind & Fire, Judith Hill, Phony Ppl, Khruangbin, Michael Franti, Dave Matthews and Carter Beauford, Jimmie Allen, Keb’ Mo’ and Nile Rodgers & CHIC among many others.
Celebrities will appear live from across the country, streaming from various hubs of Black culture and creativity, including New York, New Orleans, Nashville and Los Angeles. With appearances by Phylicia Rashad, Billy Porter, Jon Hamm, Van Jones, Wayne Brady, Aisha Tyler, Craig Robinson, Zach Galifianakis and more.
Randolph, The Robert Randolph Foundation, and the Juneteenth Unityfest team recognized the importance of bringing awareness to Juneteenth as a holiday and helping people understand its significance in American history. When the last of the country’s enslaved people were made aware of the Emancipation Proclamation on June 19, 1865, it signaled a changing tide. This nationwide event hopes to serve as a reflection and celebratory catalyst to continue to drive inclusive cultures that strengthen the social fabric of America.
“While Juneteenth, the holiday, marks the symbolic end of slavery in America, our goal is for Juneteenth Unityfest to represent the accomplishments of Black people in the United States,” says Robert Randolph, founder of the Robert Randolph Foundation. “Through this celebration, our mission is for Juneteenth to serve as an occasion to remember the past, acknowledge our progression and take collective action towards creating a ‘more perfect union’ for all Americans.”
“The Juneteenth Unityfest is bringing a diverse group of people together to commemorate this significant day and the importance of Black culture and Black history,” said Antong Lucky, co-chair of Heal America and president of Urban Specialists. “This is much more than a celebration – it’s an opportunity to educate and learn. It is a time to come together, heal, grow and embrace the bright future we will have if we focus on what unites us rather than what divides us. That’s what it means to heal America, and everyone has a role to play.”
This live streamed event will air on June 19 starting at 5 p.m. EST to approximately 9 p.m. EST, via LiveXLive’s distribution platform on STIRR, SLING, AppleTV, and its social media channels including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch, and TikTok.
For more information on Juneteenth Unityfest, presented by the Robert Randolph Foundation, visit the Juneteenth Unityfest website, or follow them on social media, including Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
The 2021 Caroga Lake Music Festival announces its season schedule. The season will start on July 3, 2021 and will consist of 26 outdoor performances that will wrap up on August 22, 2021.
Sherman’s Concert Caroga Lake Music
The 2021 season will mark the 10th Anniversary of the Caroga Lake Music Festival and the 100th birthday of the former Sherman’s Amusement Park which is located in Caroga Lake where the festivities will be taking place. The Caroga Lake Music Festival is presented by the Caroga Arts Collective and they try to host a diverse mix of musical programming exploring genres of classical, rock, jazz, bluegrass, ragtime, world music and everything in between.
The Barge Shermans Concert Caroga Lake Music
The festival is showcasing acclaimed local talent including Jocelyn and Chris, Girl Blue, Wild Adriatic, and North and South Dakotas, all of which are making their CLMF debuts at Sherman’s. Other highlights include Grammy-award winning bassist Geoff Saunders from Canada Lake (Caroga) and singer-songwriter Bill Ackerbauer from Green Lake (Caroga) with his 8 year old son will also perform at Sherman’s this season.
Kids Concert at Shermans Concert Caroga Lake Music
Caroga Arts is following CDC and New York State guidelines to develop health protocols for artists, patrons, staff and volunteers. Concerts presented by Caroga Arts at Sherman’s will have reduced capacity and seating will be in physically distanced pods of 2, 4, and 6 people, which are assigned upon entry into the park. Concertgoers can reserve tickets, for free and charged seating, for Sherman’s concerts starting on June 17, 2021 here.
Full list of performances bellow:
Sherman’s Centennial Celebrations on Saturdays
Saturday, July 3 – Caroga Arts will kick off the Independence weekend with Red, White, BLUE and BLUEGRASS featuring Capital District’s well-known singer-songwriter Girl Blue and The North & South Dakotas. This event is free but ticket reservations are required.
Saturday, July 31 – Praised by Alison Krauss, bluegrass virtuoso Sierra Hull performs at Caroga Lake Music Festival with saxophonist Eddie Barbash and bassist Geoff Saunders, with the Saunders Family Band opening the night.
Saturday, August 7 – Hailing from Fort Plain, NY, the Blues-rock powerhouse sibling duo Jocelyn and Chris make their Caroga Lake Music Festival debut at Sherman’s.
Saturday, August 14 – Celebrate the Sherman’s Centennial with Ragtime pianist Ethan Uslan, a three-time World Championship winner of the Old-Time Piano Playing Contest, who will take you back a hundred years with popular tunes like Scott Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag”
Saturday, August 21 – Rooted in the rowdy spirit of rock & roll, Wild Adriatic has built an international audience on a combination of groove, grit, and guitar-heavy swagger.
Encore Sessions at Sherman’s
Wednesday, July 28 – Bluegrass supergroup Hawktail consists of Crooked Still’s fiddler Brittany Haas, Punch Brothers’ bassist Paul Kowert, guitarist Jordan Tice, and mandolinist Dominick Leslie.
Wednesday, August 4 – Saxophonist Eddie Barbash, featured jazz musician in Disney’s Oscar-winning Pixar movie “Soul”, is a founding member of John Batiste’s Stay Human and can be heard in The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s theme song.
Wednesday, August 11 – Experience Latin American culture with Tango Rendezvous: Celebrating Astor Piazzolla’s 100th Birthday showcasing Argentinian violinist Alejandro Drago with CLMF Resident Artists.
Wednesday, August 18 – Praised by the Chicago Tribune as "Some of the most luxuriant, sumptuously phrased jazz vocals you could hope to hear classically-trained jazz vocalist Laurin Talese most recently performed with The Philadelphia Orchestra at the Mann Center.
Lakeside Classics: CLMF 10th Anniversary Series at Sherman’s
Friday, July 30 – In the first Lakeside Classics program “Roaring Back”, CLMF Resident Artists will perform George Walker’s Lyric for Strings and Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Violin and Strings with Seattle Symphony violinist Andy Liang – plus an appearance by saxophonist Eddie Barbash.
Friday, August 6 – The “Stars and Strums” program showcases composer Jessie Montgomery’s two works Starburst and Strum, among other works. Jazz pianist David Cook, also known as Taylor Swift’s Music Director, will make an appearance with the Caroga Arts Ensemble.
Friday, August 13 – A brainchild of Artistic Director Kyle Price, the featured piece “Classic Case of Double Trouble” is a composite multi-genre arrangement of famous classical double concertos by Bach, Mozart, and Vivaldi. The program also features guests Glenn Zaleski on piano and his wife Tomoko Omura on violin.
Friday, August 20 – As the program title “Darth Vader meets Debussy” suggests, this concert features a medley of John Williams’ Star Wars and the well-known Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun (“Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune”) arranged by CLMF Artist and clarinetist Graeme Steele Johnson, as well as Piazzolla’s Primavera Porteña and more.
World Music on The Barge at Canada Lake
Sunday, August 22 – To conclude the 2021 Season, CLMF presents a new collaboration with world music duo of Indian Tabla and Cello featuring Sandeep Das and Mike Block from the Grammy Award-winning Silk Road Ensemble.
Free Kids Carousel Concerts at Sherman’s followed by Carousel Rides
Saturday, August 7 – Bill and Finnegan Ackerbauer
Friday, August 13 – Cara Samantha from American Idol
CLMF on Tour coming to your Neighborhood
Saturday, July 24 – KASA Quartet at The Glove’s Marquee (Gloversville)
Thursday, July 29 – CLMF at Pine Lake Lodge (Caroga)
Sunday, August 1 – CLMF at Sacandaga Valley Arts Network (Northville, NY)
Thursday, August 5 – CLMF at Johnstown Midsummer Concert Series
Sunday, August 8 – CLMF at Caroga Museum
Tuesday, August 10 – CLMF at Cooperstown Summer Music Festival
Sunday, August 15 – CLMF at Johnson Hall (Johnstown)
Thursday, August 19 – CLMF at Nick Stoner Inn (Caroga)
Saturday, August 21 – CLMF at The Glove’s Marquee (Gloversville)
Flushing Town Hall announced their Virtual Jazz Jam for the month of June in celebration of Pride month and the LGBTQ+ community. The celebration will highlight works for LGBTQ composers and performers and will take place on Wednesday, June 9 at 7PM EST.
Flushing Town Hall’s monthly Jazz Jam is supported by the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation and has been led since 2016 by Astoria resident Carol Sudhalter. The house band members include illustrious musicians Joe Vincent Tranchina, Scott Neumann, and Eric Lemon. Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the Jazz Jams have taken place virtually. On the second Wednesday of each month, the Jazz Jams embrace a theme, and this June will be no exception. The Jazz Jams will bring together both novice and professional jazz artists from near and far to celebrate the diversity and breadth of LGBTQ performing artists.
Carol Sudhalter who is Flushing Town Hall’s Jazz Band leader spoke on this upcoming month’s celebration saying, “The LGBTQ communities have had a strong influence in the history of jazz. This month’s Jazz Jam is a moment to celebrate the works of artists and composers who broke barriers in ways big and small, who were leaders in the fight for equality, and who have inspired – and continue to inspire – us to become a more accepting and compassionate global community.”
Musicians interested in participating in the celebration on June 9 should email education@flushingtownhall.org with a suggested three- to four-minute tune they intend to play in line with this month’s theme. The performance can be live or a pre-recorded audio or video (but not a professional, edited recording such as a CD or YouTube video). Musicians who performed in 2020 are now welcome to return. Each month, up to five returning musicians and up to 15 new musicians can participate. Selection is on a first-come, first-served basis.
The LGBTQ+ celebration will be streamed for free on Flushing Town Hall’s Facebook page or Zoom on Wednesday, June 9 at 7PM EST. For more information on Flushing Town Hall and the event visit their website.
Bard SummerScapecelebrates the uplifting spirit of Black music with BlackRoots Summer, presented in association with Electric Root and organized and led by the rousing vocalist, bandleader, cultural commentator, and anti-racism educator Michael Mwenso and his longtime collaborator Jono Gasparro, former curator of Ginny’s Supper Club in Harlem.
An outdoor stage at Bard’s Montgomery Place campus on the Hudson River, the Sierra Leone-born, London-raised, NYC-based Mwenso are where the concerts will be held for two weekends (July 23 & 24 and July 29-31) Even more, there will be a predominantly BIPOC lineup of more than 20 artists, singers, musicians, and dancers will premiere three original concerts.
Mwenso explains that the concert series in the midst of the pandemic, and in response to the murder of George Floyd, they realized, “Now is the time to push the doors down.” Electric Root was established and set out to collaborate with universities and presenting institutions in order to
“revolutionize how Black music is presented, expose lesser-known artists, decolonize music curriculum, provide artist-led anti-racism training, and heal people.”
All tickets go on sale on June 2. The box office can be reached by telephone at (845) 758-7900, on Mondays through Fridays at 11am–4pm EST, or by email at boxoffice@bard.edu. Tickets are also available 24/7 on Bard’s website at fishercenter.bard.edu.
All SummerScape productions will be presented in adherence with strict COVID protocols. Learn more about SummerScape 2021 health and safety protocols here.
The live concert extravaganza, “Summer Of Sorcery Live! At The Beacon Theatre,” expertly captures Little Steven, aka Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Stevie Van Zandt, bringing the house down alongside his band the Disciples of Soul.
Professionally filmed and recorded before a sold-out crowd at New York City’s historic Beacon Theatre on November 6, 2019, the group showcases their acclaimed 2019 album, Summer Of Sorcery. The album is a 12-track record about the first rush of summer and the electric feeling of unlimited possibilities.
Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul
“Summer of Sorcery Live! at The Beacon Theatre” is highlighted by a surprise appearance by the one and only Peter Wolf. In the same fashion, Wolf lends his inimitable vocals to powerhouse versions of J Geils Band’s “Freeze Frame” and Artists United Against Apartheid’s landmark protest anthem, “Sun City.”
Furthermore, the concert kicks off with a very special introduction from counterculture icon Wavy Gravy. It also includes from there traverses across Little Steven’s genre-smashing body of work. From Summer of Sorcery and 2017’s acclaimed solo return, Soulfire, through classic songs and fan favorites from the songwriter, guitarist, and band leader’s illustrious career. Including an incendiary three-song salvo celebrating his work with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.
With summer just around the corner, Van Zandt is pleased to announce the full two-and-a-half-hour concert. The triumphant hometown culmination of the Summer of Sorcery’s European and U.S. tours will be released July 9 via Wicked Cool Records/UMe.
A Lovely Time Festival announced their 2021 dates and lineup for the upcoming festivities. The festival will take place on July 9th and 10th and will be hosted in Snow Ridge Ski Resort in Turin, New York.
This will be the third annual rendition of this festival and as always the festival’s mission is focused on creating an accessible and inclusive environment. This environment is meant to cultivate community through an Adirondack adventure filled with music and diverse activities – where any and everyone can have A Lovely Time. The festival first took place back in 2018 and was founded by Nick Feeley, Charlie Giancola, and Drew Shoup.
The festival hosts everything from vendors to live music to a DIY skatepark built in the woods. It also features art, disc golf competitions, workshops and escape rooms. There will be live music across two stages The addition of a mountain bike trail, and finishing construction on a new 18 hole disc golf course (Ridge Runner,) are also being added to the list of available activities. The 18 hole disc golf course is being done in collaboration with Snow Ridge Ski Resort and will be the only one in the Western Adirondack area. Crowd-funding for the course is currently underway for those looking to support its completion. In celebration a disc golf tournament, The Lovely Open, will be held the Saturday morning of the event (registration required).
The line up includes Petite League, Vaporeyes, Buggin Out, Johnny & The Man Kids, Dirk Green, CAKE EATER, Breakfast for Dinner, The Salinas, OTB, Omgimjoe, and Starjuice on the main stage. There will also be artists performing on the Acoustic Lounge Stage. There will be local vendors like Gannon’s Ice Cream, Cup of Rahman, Mangata Candle Co, Flower Skate Shop, Humble Glass, Boho Hobo, Forum Barber Shop and more at the festivities. Some of the workshops include rare tea brewing, yoga, guided meditation, photo composition, mystery rooms, and even ninja training.
At the heart of the festival’s mission is to be accessible and inclusive and that aligns with how the festival structures its ticket pricing. Due to current restrictions on live music events due to COVID-19 , there is a 500 guest limit. The first round of $40 blind-faith tickets have sold out. Without inflating the price and in order to break down barriers to entry, Friday/Saturday two-day tickets start at just $50 for an Early Bird special, prices then incrementally increase by $10 as capacities are reached. Tickets will be $80 at the door. All music, parking, and camping are included in ticket purchase. To open the doors even wider to all those looking to attend, A Lovely Time offers the ability to “Earn Your Ticket” to volunteers helping out during the event and leading up to the festival weekend.
For additional information about A Lovely Time or to purchase a ticket visit their website.
Radio City Music Hall announced plans to reopen with 100% capacity for vaccinated audiences, in response to Governor Andrew Cuomo pulling back on COVID-19 restrictions in his announcement on Monday May 17. New York State is now following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance to allow vaccinated New Yorkers to forgo wearing masks in most indoor settings which changes the game for venues across New York State.
Radio City Music Hall originally opened back in December of 1932 and is known for being one of the staple venues in New York City. It’s home of the Rockettes which are a widely known and respected precision dance company. It currently has a capacity of 6,015 people which means it can now hold performances for vaccinated crowds of that caliper.
James Dolan, owner of Radio City Music Hall accompanied Cuomo during the press conference announcing the roll back on mask restrictions and what that could mean for his venue. All sorts of plans for the venue were mentioned including the 20th anniversary of the Tribeca Film Festival which will take place on July 19th, the city’s NBA playoffs (being held at Madison Square Garden), and Radio City Music Hall offering 100% capacity future shows only for fully vaccinated audiences. The fully vaccinated 100% capacity shows will start to take place after the Tribeca Film Festival comes to a close.
While unsure how the venue will incorporate checking vaccination statuses of ticket holders for upcoming events but Robert Mujica, senior advisor to Cuomo, has said that people could use their CDC vaccination cards, or the Excelsior Pass in either its app form or a printout from the Excelsior Pass website to prove their vaccination status.
For more information visit Radio City Music Hall’s website.
