NYS Music 202​1

Category: News

  • Syracuse Area Music Awards Announces Winners of 2021 Season

    The Syracuse Area Music Awards or more commonly known as the SAMMYS announced the winners of their 2021 season on March 5, 2021 at the virtual awards ceremony. 

    The 2021 SAMMYS streamed for free LIVE from SubCat Music Studios at 7PM and hosted performances from Byron Cage, Cam Caruso, Sophistafunk, Stephen Phillips, and the Vaporeyes. The show was hosted by Dave Frisina from the RebelRocks.com and was free and open to the public with donations being accepted. 

    There were 60 nominees for the SAMMYS in 14 Categories this year. In addition, to winners of the Jack O Bocchino Award, Community Spirit Award, Brian Bourke Award for Best New Artist there was also the People’s Choice Winners in 4 Categories awarded for Best Artist/Band, Academic Organization, Venue and Live-stream Series or Event. 

    The winners are as listed. Best Alternative went to The Exploding Flowers for Strangers. Best Americana went to Harmonic Dirt for Live At The Ridge. Best Blues went to Tas Cru for DRIVE ON. Best Country went to Tink Bennett & Tailor Made for Hate The Game. Best Electronic went to Asael for We Believed. Best Hard Rock went to Junexa for Lifeless. Best Hip-Hop or Rap went to Big Nate MG for The Story of MG. Best Jam Band went to the Vaporeyes for Cantrips. Best Jazz went to London McDaniel for Anatural Aphrodisiaca. Best Other Style went to DiCosimo/Pagán for Con Moto. Best Pop went to Jess Novak Band for Standing Now. Best R&B went to Jaquiel for Summer Nights in the Southward. Best Rock went to Atkins Riot for Couch Potato. Best Singer-Songwriter went to Amanda Rogers for The Hallow. People’s Choice for Local Artist or Band went to Gary Johnson, Livestream Event or Series for Disruption Network Local Music Monday, Academic or Musical Organization for Baldwinsville Marching Band, and Local Venue for Rise N Shine Diner. Jack O Bocchino Spirit of the Sammys Award went to Bill Baldwin. Brian Burke Award for Best New Artist went to Trauma Cat. Community Spirit Award went to Corey Paige.

    SAMMY awards were given out based on the judgement of submissions sent to the SAMMYS Board by musicians in Syracuse and the surrounding area. 166 artists submitted 194 recordings in total for this year’s season. An independent panel of music industry professionals and educators from around the country, led by James Abbott, reviewed the submissions and made their selections based on their merit within their genre.


    For more information on the 2021 SAMMYS winners visit the SAMMAYS website.

  • Kitsuné Musique, shesaid.so and Bandsintown Announce International Women’s Day Celebration

    Kitsuné Musique, shesaid.so and Bandsintown announces a 24-hour mix in celebration of the International Women’s Day on March 8, 2021 starting at 7AM EST until 5AM EST on March 9, 2021. The performances will stream live on Bandsintown’s Twitch channel and will be available the next day on Kitsuné Musique’s Soundcloud channel.

    International Women’s Day

    The 24-hour audio mix compilation is an attempt by the companies Kitsuné Musique, shesaid.so and Bandsintown to help empower women all around the world through music for international women’s day. Not only will they provide this platform for artists to perform for the celebration but also the shesaid.so x Kitsuné Women’s Day Fund was created. 

    shesaid.so x Kitsuné Women’s Day Fund will provide hardship payments of up to €250 each to freelancers, contractors and artists in the independent music industry whose income has been severely affected due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. The fund will support creators and executives from the shesaid.so community that have lost committed income or have not been able to secure novel paid work in 2021 due to the ongoing pandemic.

    The performance will include appearances from, YonYon, DJ KADE, Banga, stephseeks, Whitney AbstraKt Shacia Päyne Marley, Sahar Habibi, Sujin, Butta B,  ShioriyBradshaw, and JI NA.  Bandsintown’s Twitch channel where the live performances will be appearing can be found here on international women’s day. The 24-hour audio mix compilation will also be available on Kitsuné Musique’s Soundcloud channel at 7AM EST the next day which can be found here.

    Andreea Magdalina, Founder shesaid.so. spoke on the event in the press release saying, “We are very excited to partner with Bandsintown who, via their Twitch channel, will enable us to reach an even wider audience at a time when physical gatherings & supporting touring artists is still not possible. With the pandemic disproportionately affecting women and gender minorities in our business, we hope that the funds we raise with our partnership will provide much needed support to the shesaid.so community worldwide.” 

    Kitsuné Musique is a music label who looks for up-and-coming talents who the label believes are about to break through in music. Over the years, Kitsuné Musique has become first home of now unmissable artists such as Parcels, Two Door Cinema Club, Digitalism, and more. 

    Shesaid.so is known as being a global community of women and gender minorities in the music industry. It was built up in London by Andreea Magdalina back in 2014. Since then the company has grown into 12,000+ members around the world across 15+ chapters including New York, Los Angeles, France, Germany, South Africa, and India. 

    The Bandsintown is the global hub of live streaming and live music discovery. They have a reach of 220 million monthly active fans globally, 60 million registered users and 540,000 registered artists, Bandsintown has listed and marketed 69,000 live streams since March of 2020. In January 2021 Bandsintown PLUS was launched, a first-of-its-kind live music subscription service offering fans an “All Access Pass” to over 25 exclusively produced live shows per month.

    View the full line up bellow: 

    7AM – 9AM EST | YONYON

    9AM – 11AM EST | DJ KADE

    11AM – 1PM EST | BANGA

    1PM – 3PM EST | STEPHSEEKS

    3PM – 5PM EST | WHITNEY ABSTRAKT

    5PM – 7PM EST | SHACIA PÄYNE

    7PM – 9PM EST | SAHAR HABIBI

    9PM – 11PM EST | SUJIN

    11PM – 1AM EST | BUTTA B

    1AM – 3AM EST |  SHIORIYBRADSHAW

    3AM – 5AM EST | JI NA

  • The Bardavon Announces the 48th Annual Hudson Valley Philharmonic String Competition

    The Bardavon is excited to announce that they are holding the 48th Annual Hudson Valley Philharmonic String Competition virtually on March 14, 2021 at 3pm. The event will be lived streamed on the Bardavon Youtube channel.

    Philharmonic String Competition bardovan

    The Hudson Valley Philharmonic String Competition is often credited for launching the careers of world-renowned orchestral and solo string musicians. Many previous winners have gone on to illustrious classical music careers. Previous notables include: violist Marcus Thompson ’67, Boston Chamber Players; violinist Ani Kavafian ’73, Lincoln Center Chamber Players soloist; violinist Adela Pena ’85, Eroica Trio; and violinist Judith Ingolfsson ’96, 1998 Indianapolis International Violin Competition winner.

    The judges for this years competition are: Daniel Phillips, a violinist and resident at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center; Lucie Roberts, a violinist and a professor at the Manhattan School of Music and the Mannes College of Music; and Susan Seligman, a cellist and a professor at SUNY New Paltz. The 2021 first-prize winner will receive $4000, a solo performance with the HVP during its 2021-22 Season, and a solo performance at the “Musical Landscapes of Italy” festival in August.

    The Bardavon is the oldest continually operating theatre is the state of New York, dating all the way back to 1986. The Bardavon offers affordable, world-class arts education programs, music, dance, theater, Live in HD broadcasts, and classic films for the diverse audiences of the Hudson Valley. The company also partners with others local venues such as the Mid-Hudson Civic Center and Kingston’s Ulster Performing Arts Center.

    More information can be found on the Bardavon website.

  • Club Helsinki Hudson Announces Virtual Open Mic Best of EXTRAVAGANZA

    Club Helsinki Hudson announces it’s virtual open mic best of EXTRAVAGANZA night highlighting a full evening of curated performances of favorite video submissions from this last “pandemic year” on March 16, 2021 at 7PM. This will be the one year anniversary ‘virtual-style’ for the open mic night.  

    Club Helsinki Open mic
    Photo courtesy of Club Helsinki Hudson’s website.

    Club Helsinki Hudson, located in Hudson, NY and closed back in March of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic along with The Restaurant at Helsinki Hudson and their event space. The open mic night has been a tradition since the creation of the venue more than 20 years ago. 

    Cameron Melville, co-owner of Helsinki has been the host for the open mic night for many years. He has found a way over the years to keep the well known and loved weekly event a good experience for both performers and online audiences. A whole year later and the Helsinki virtual open-mic has become a vital, well attended weekly offering, about to celebrate one year of virtual streaming— 52 shows hosting nearly 800 performances with an audience of thousands.

    Filmmaker Randall Martin of Martin’s Digital Media, has leant his hand as producer on the project.  Melville speaks on the project in the press release saying, “The authenticity of our submissions really blows my mind. As well as our wonderful regulars, we now get submissions from all over the country, all over the world.”

    This best of EXTRAVAGANZA will host some of the best performances that have come in over the year. The open mic night will feature poetry, performance art, music, interview, pandemic journaling and On-the-Street videos, political marches and celebrations from an extraordinary year. People can stream the event live on Helsinki Open Mic Facebook page as well as the clubhelsinki.live website on Tuesday, March 16, at 7 pm EST.

    For more information on the Open Mic, visit Club Helsinki Hudson’s website.

  • Miguel Zenón Commemorates Ornette Coleman With ‘Law Years”

    On March 12, 2021, alto saxophone icon Miguel Zenón will commemorate Ornette Coleman’s 91st birthday (March 9) with the release of Law Years: The Music of Ornette Coleman.

    Recorded in May 2019 after a residency at Bird’s Eye Jazz Club in Basel, Switzerland, the album features Zenón with an international quartet: tenor saxophonist Ariel Bringuez, bassist Demian Cabaud, and drummer Jordi Rossy.

    ornette coleman Miguel Zenón

    Though the musicians have previous connections with Zenón, they never played together in this particular configuration, the performances display remarkable synergy and intensity.

    Playing a concert of exclusively Ornette Coleman music proved to be magical, exciting, and more bittersweet than the quartet knew. Each member of the quartet is a jazz master in their own right, and their expertise is clear to see in these live performances.

    Coleman has long been one of Zenón’s musical heroes. The first time he heard Ornette’s music, Zenón was a teenager still living in Puerto Rico.

    “I just kind of stood there, mesmerized and in shock, trying to figure it out,” he says. “It was entirely different than anything I had heard before. There is freedom there, and lots of it. But there’s also a deep sense of cohesiveness and structure. And, above all, melody: beautiful and inspired melodic lines that serve as springboards for everyone involved.”

    Later, Zenón was fortunate enough to meet Ornette. He remembers their interactions fondly. “He was always nice and supportive,” says Zenón.

    “Our interactions went pretty much the same way every time. Me: ‘Mr. Coleman, I’m not sure if you remember me – my name is Miguel, and I’m an alto saxophonist and one of your biggest fans.’ Ornette: ‘Nice to see you, Miguel. Have you ever thought about what would happen if you played A and Eb at the same time?’.”

    “As I listen to the music,” says Zenón, “it almost feels like a different time. A time when we weren’t afraid to be close to each other. A time when we could still play in a packed room, with the audience right in front of us, and just feed off their energy. A time that will come back soon enough. And when it does, we’ll be ready to do it all over again.”

    A special aspect of the quartet is that each member hails from a different part of the world. “I’m Puerto Rican, Ariel is Cuban, Demian is Argentinian, and Jordi is Catalan,” says Zenón.

    “The fact that we are all from different parts of the globe and all Spanish speakers raises another important point: Jazz music knows no boundaries or labels; it is as inclusive now as it has ever been.”

    The release will be available digitally on March 12, 2021.

  • New Excelsior Pass in Pilot Stage to Reopen Music Venues and Large Events

    On March 3, Govenor Cuomo announced a pilot program to test the Excelsior Pass to begin opening up businesses, starting with Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center. This follows the recent announcement of “NY Pops Up” featuring over 300 free live performances.

    Excelsior Pass
    Aeriel view of Madison Square Garden

    At the Governor’s 2021 State of the State Address, Cuomo declared the Excelsior Pass will use proven technology to confirm an individual’s vaccination or negative test results for COVID-19. Through confidential data transfer, the Governor is hoping this will help quicken the pace in reopening theaters, stadiums and more in accordance with New York State guidelines. Ticketmaster proposed a similar plan in November.

    The state tested the first pilot on Feb. 27 for the Brooklyn Nets game at Barclays Center and the second one on March 2 at a Rangers game at Madison Square Garden. The pass is like an airline boarding pass where the attendee has an app called the “wallet app.” There, they can either print it out or have admissions scan the QR code within the app.

    We’re doing everything we can to vaccinate as many New Yorkers as possible, as quickly as possible, while keeping the infection rate down and reenergizing our economy in a safe, smart way.

    Governor Cuomo

    The Governor also explained that the Excelsior Pass will get information to venues and establishments quick enough to avoid an outbreak and get more businesses to open their doors.

    Since the pandemic shut down the nation a year ago this month, many venues and restaurants have struggled to stay afloat. Although a lot of businesses qualified for the Paycheck Protection Loan and were able to maintain stability, others did not. Now that more New Yorkers are getting vaccinated and COVID-19 cases are decreasing, this is a chance to get those struggling businesses back on their feet.

    That app has been tested right now, both at Barclays and Madison Square Garden, and those tests have been successful. So, once we get the approvals, the app will be available for download on both platforms, on Google, on Apple platforms; people download to their smartphones. And that will allow someone to show the result of their test, whether it be a PCR test, which (will be) valid for up to 72 hours, or rapid test, which will be valid for six hours. In addition, though, if you don’t want to use an app, you will be able to download a paper result of your test that you can then print out and use that to demonstrate your negative test.

    Rob Mujica, New York State Budget Director

    The news on the Excelsior Pass was followed up by an announcement that beginning on Friday, April 2, event, arts and entertainment venues can reopen at 33% capacity, with up to 100 people indoors and up to 200 people outdoors. All attendees must present proof of negative test prior to entry, which can lead to a capacity increase of up to 150 people indoors and up to 500 people outdoors.

    Social distancing and face coverings will be required by all attendees, as well as strict adherence to all applicable Department of Health guidance.

    Excelsior Pass

    Additionally, Cuomo announced that beginning March 22, residential gatherings of up to 25 people can be held outdoors. Indoor residential gatherings remain capped at 10 people to reduce the continued risk of spread. Also, non-residential social gatherings of up to 100 people can occur indoors and up to 200 people can occur outdoors.

    Cuomo isn’t the only one who’s optimistic about returning the music industry to somewhat of a normal state. Live Nation’s CEO Michael Rapino believes outdoor events will be able to achieve an audience capacity of 75 or even 100 percent across the nation.

    “We might have certain states that might not be ready, but we have enough states and enough artists willing to play the open slots if we get to that level in the right markets,” Rapino said.

    For individuals wishing to use the Excelsior Pass, their information will be completely confidential and protect any personal health information. They will have a variety of passes to choose from for their own comfortability.

  • The Haunt in Ithaca is Demolished, but New Location Coming Soon

    Beloved live music venue The Haunt in Ithaca, NY has been recently sold and demolished, but relocation begins soon.

    The Haunt Ithaca

    At 702 Willow Street, The Haunt will be replaced by a building under the City Harbor Residential Project, which is under way now in Ithaca. Several residential buildings are in the process of construction all across town.

    Ithaca’s most prominent local promoter, Dan Smalls of DSP shows, said on the matter “It allows me to work with the people we’re working with to look for a new and bigger and better location, which continues to be our plan,” He added, “The question is just when we will be ready to announce it. That’ll be hopefully soon, but we’re working very diligently toward a new location. Our goal is to be the premier live entertainment venue in Central New York. It’ll be a gathering place for not just live music, like The Haunt, but a real downtown gathering spot.”

    The Haunt, Fall 2020 – photo by Casey Martin

    Small recognizes that the pandemic renders it impossible to know when live music can resume, but he hopes that in 2022 it will be possible to have a full-capacity venue.

    “(COVID-19 guidance) will dictate how quickly we move with the next project, but there will be a next project,” Smalls said. “Something that’s a usable, hopefully downtown location, and there’s lots of areas downtown that are currently being developed, so hopefully that gives people an idea of where that could be.”

    Originally opening in 1960, The Haunt relocated in the 1990s to the West End which attracted both national artists and up-and-coming acts, fostering a space in Ithaca for large crowds and great music. Smalls remarks on attending concerts at the earlier Green Street location before it was relocated in the 90s. To make the new Ithaca location a vital venue in the region, Smalls cities the Higher Ground venue in Burlington, Vermont as a place he wishes to emulate.

    The potential new location is hypothesized to land on 15-117 North Cayuga Street, the current location of the Masonic Temple, but after speaking to the owners, Smalls responded that the offer is not “on the table” just yet.

  • Amityville Music Hall Presents AMH Comp Volume One

    Amityville Music Hall released a compilation album on Friday, February 26 to benefit its Long Island music venue.

    amityville music hall

    Twenty-eight artists are included on the compilation, including John Nolan (Taking Back Sunday, Straylight Run), Jade Lilitri of Oso Oso, Johnny Booth, Sainthood Reps, Brian Byrne (Envy On The Coast, Violent Joy), Somerset Thrower, Rare Futures, and Wreath Of Tongues.

    The album will be a mix of covers, originals, and stripped-down songs, available for a $15 donation on Long Island Emo’s bandcamp page starting on February 26th.

    Amityville Music Hall has been a beloved hub for rock music in Long Island for many, many years. It has been the starting point for many bands that end up growing larger, but their nascence is from the Long Island scene. These small venues are critical to musicians and music lovers. As the pandemic continues, these venues need support in order to come back when it is safe in the future.

    Go support AMH here:

    Live music acts and DJ’s. Craft beers on tap. Daily events and specials. Available to rent for private events.Additional InformationLive music acts and DJ’s. Craft beers on tap. Weekly bar events and specials. Catering hall for private events.

    Visit the Long Island music venue’s website HERE

  • Tedeschi Trucks Band Announce their Six Part Fireside Sessions

    Tedeschi Trucks Band announced their six part Fireside Sessions which was filmed at Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi’s home. The series will begin on February 18, 2021 and new episodes will air every Thursday at 8PM EST on nugs.net.

    The Tedeschi Trucks Band formed back in 2010 in Jacksonville, Florida. They are a blues rock group that is led by Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks. They won a Grammy Award for Best Blues Album back in 2012 for their debut album, Revelator. They have released four studio and two live albums over the years. Some of their most well known songs include “Midnight in Harlem,” “Bound Glory,” “Anyhow,” and “Learn How to Love.” 

    The Fireside Sessions will be the return to live performance for The Tedeschi Trucks Band after nearly a year without performing live. With COVID-19 still raging on and touring not being an option on the table they decided to these live sessions to showcase the talented musicians in a more intimate setting. Each episode features a different cast of band members. The combinations vary from Derek and Susan as a duo to four, six, and eight-member combinations which offer unique arrangements on their song catalog, including some deeper cuts not often performed live. They will also be performing several new songs they have been working on during their time off the road.

    Each episode of the series was captured in 4K detail by 7Cinematics, which is an award-winning crew of concert filmmakers, with audio recorded, mixed and mastered by TTB’s engineer Bobby Tis. Audio from each session will also be available in an mp3 bundle or separately for purchase in all additional formats. After the 8PM broadcast, episodes will be available for on-demand viewing for a 48-hour period.Single tickets are available for $17.99 and six show bundles are available for $89.99. For more information on tickets and bundles can be found here.

    For more information on the Tedeschi Trucks Band’s Fireside Sessions visit their website here.

  • Capital One City Parks Foundation Announces Michael Mwenso Performance

    Capital One City Parks Foundation announces performance from Michael Mwenso as part of their SummerStage Anywhere series on February 25, 2021 at 7PM EST. The performance will be streamed virtually as part of a Black History Month celebration. 

    Michael Mwenso

    The performance is titled the Michael Mwenso: Hope, Resist & Heal, Performance and will also be hosting a conversation with Shannon Effinger. Michael Mwenso is not only a musician but an artist and social commentator. He will offer his unique and ancestral perspective on Black music and its power to heal. He is an African-born queer man who grew up in London and New York. The performance will consist of a  live studio recorded performance with his group, Mwenso and the Shakes, a multicultural New York jazz group. After the performance the conversation with arts journalist Shannon Effinger focusing on the continuum and power of Black roots music will take place. 

    Michael Mwenso was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone but spent his teenage years at the legendary jazz club Ronnie Scott’s in London where he was exposed to musicians like Benny Carter, Elvin Jones, Ray Brown and Billy Higgins. Mwenso is known for his work as a  trombonist, singer and performer playing in jump bands, reggae and Afrobeat horn sections and at hard-bop sessions.

    Mwenso has worked with big names like Cécile McLorin Salvant, Jon Batiste, Aaron Diehl, Sullivan Fortner and Jamison Ross.Mwenso began his collaboration of Juilliard trained musicians known as The Shakes which come from all over the world including Sierra Leone, South Africa, Madagascar, London, France, Jamaica and Hawaii. Between all of them they create a unique jazz and blues sound  through African and Afro-American music.

    The performance will take place on February 25, 2021 at 7PM EST. The performance will be streamed virtually on SummerStageAnywhere.org and across SummerStage social media outlets Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch as part of a Black History Month celebration.  For more information on the performance visit Capital One City Parks Foundation’s website.