NYS Music 202​1

Category: News Desk

  • The Darkness Has Given: Venues Welcome Back Crowds Across New York State

    The phrase ‘this darkness has got to give’ originates in the Robert Hunter penned Grateful Dead song “New Speedway Boogie,” a line that speaks of hope and aspirations of a brighter future ahead.

    In June 2020, NYS Music started the series “This Darkness Has Got to Give,” amid uncertain times where we did not know what the next few weeks or months would provide for the musicians, venues, music industry staff and employees, as well as patrons across New York State. We hoped for the best, and while the era of streaming sufficed for a time and is permanently ingrained with bands and venus, live music has returned.

    new york state venues

    Sort of, at least. We have had some false starts, with tours cancelled shortly after they are announced, tours scaled back, and artists opting to require patrons to show proof of vaccination, as well as wear a mask inside venues. All of these are not major asks for patrons who have been deprived of live music, just as musicians have been deprived of audiences in the last year and a half. Given the tight COVID-19 protocols in place for touring musicians and at music venues, especially here in New York State, the result has been the return of live music to many venues, the arrival of crowds to outdoor and indoor events alike, and a feeling of normalcy, even if things don’t seem all the way normal just yet.

    We are still not out of the woods yet. So long as mask policies are abided by and those eligible to be vaccinated do so, the full live music experience – at venues, music festivals, on cruise ships or in basements of college houses – can return in all parts of the state and country.

    This edition of “This Darkness Has Got to Give” has a different angle to it. While we are looking at the music venues that dot the landscape all across the Empire State, we take a look this time not just at the venues, but at the crowds of fans who have flocked back to support their favorite artist and venue, and recharge ourselves through the power of live music. We begin where we started the series in June 2020, in Western New York, courtesy of Contributing Photographer Samantha Rychlicki.

    Buffalo – photos by Samantha Rychlicki

    Hudson Valley – Photos by Mickey Deneher

    Westchester and Manhattan – Steve Malinski

    Albany – photos by Conor McMahon

    Brooklyn and Manhattan – photos by Joe Buscarello

    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)
    • Photo by: Buscar Photo (www.buscarphoto.com)

    Lake George – photo by Zak Radick

    ADK Fest – September 4-5, 2021 in Lake George

    Hudson Valley – photos by Em Walis

    Plattsburgh – photos by Jerry Cadiuex

    Saratoga Springs and Albany – photos by Zach Culver

    Utica – courtesy of Stanley Theatre

    Long Island and Manhattan – photos by Rob Tellerman

  • Center For Italian Modern Art to Honor Mario Schifano with an Evening of Jazz

    The San Gennaro festival may be over, but The Center For Italian Modern Art will continue to embrace Italian culture with “Schifano and Jazz,” a concert dedicated to Mario Schifano’s passion for American Jazz, on Wednesday, October 20th at 6:30 pm ET. 

    Center For Italian Modern Art

    Since 2013, CIMA has dedicated themselves to showcasing contemporary Italian art to a global audience. The public non-profit has presented many critically acclaimed exhibitions in efforts to showcase even new art never before seen in the United States. Not only are they providing a variety of public programs, they also have partnered with their international fellowship program to support a new scholarship that situates Italian modern art in an expansive historic and cultural context in efforts to preserve Italian culture, providing a sort of incubator for larger cultural institutions. They invite those who also share the same passion for modern Italian art, open to fresh new perspectives. Your visit begins with complimentary espresso before an informal exhibition tour with a resident fellows.

    To continue honoring Mario Schifano after CIMA’s current exhibition “Facing America: Mario Schifano, 1960-65,” they will host live acoustic performances from multi-instrumentalists Stefan Zeniuk (Vampire Weekend), Ari Folman-Cohen (Grammy Award-winning guitarist Stephane Wrembel), and violinist Cody Geil. These artists will feature music from those who inspired Mario Schifano the most like Miles Davis, Bud Powell, and Freddie Hubbard. 

    Before the music starts CIMA will raise a toast to another engaging season of modern Italian art in NYC. This special program will have discounted tickets for CIMA members and students. Registration, masking, and proof of vaccination are required. More info here

  • Halsey Surprises SNL Audience With Lindsey Buckingham

    Halsey performed two songs on last night’s episode of Saturday Night Live, with influencer and reality star Kim Kardashian West as host.

    halsey

    The episode’s cold open depicted the Facebook whistleblower hearing, with an appearance from Pete Davidson as Tom from Myspace. Last week, former Facebook employee Frances Haugen alleged that the company’s properties “harm children, stoke division and weaken our democracy.”

    Kim Kardashian West’s opening monologue came next, and it exceeded everyone’s expectations. Fully conscious of the backlash to her hosting, she roasted her equally polarizing family to appeal to her critics. Between her sisters, Kanye West, and Kris and Caitlyn Jenner, no one was safe. Kardashian West appeared in many skits throughout the night, such as Princess Jasmine in a parody of Disney’s Aladdin, and a Freaky Friday-inspired sketch with Aidy Bryant.

    Other celebrity guests included Chace Crawford, Tyler Cameron, Blake Griffin, SNL alum Chris Rock, Jesse Williams, John Cena and Amy Schumer, all as Kardashian’s potential suitors in a The-Bachelorette-meets-Squid-Game reality show sketch.

    Around the episode’s halfway point, Halsey performed her first song. “I Am Not a Woman, I’m a God” is the lead single from her latest album, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power. While Halsey’s music has always had a dark bent, her latest effort is a major step up. It’s far more experimental and risky than her past work, with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross on production duty. “I Am Not a Woman, I’m a God” in particular is a dead ringer for Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwiasA-IGCs

    Weekend Update was less eventful than in last week’s premiere, but Michael Che managed to get in a good dig at the evening’s host.“This week Instagram was down for an entire day, forcing many Instagram addicts to fill their time with Twitter, TikTok or hosting SNL.”

    Halsey concluded the episode with “Darling,” one of If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power’s warmer and quieter moments. Accompanying her was surprise guest Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac, and she deliberately styled herself to resemble Stevie Nicks. “Darling” is dedicated to Halsey’s first child, born last July.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H099BjA6FKk

    No Time To Die star Rami Malek is hosting next week, with rapper Young Thug joining him as the musical guest.

  • Brion Starr shares Title Track from upcoming album ‘A Night to Remember’

    NYC-based rocker Brion Starr has shared the second blazing single and titular track from his upcoming album A Night to Remember, along with an accompanying video.

    The album – produced by the legendary sonic mastermind Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T. Rex, Sparks) – marks Starr’s first music since the release of his 2020 sophomore effort, the aptly titled 2020, and is set for release on November 19th via Taxi Gauche Records.

    The track is a reflection on what was going on last summer with the worldwide protests that were happening, reflected through the prism of American sentimentality. I love the piano in this track, very special. ‘A Night To Remember’ your life, the kind of night that surpasses anything you could have imagined. The kind of night where it feels like the whole world could change.

    Brion Starr

    “A Night To Remember” is a meditation on the night itself, a spinning sci-fantasy through this future darkness we all contemplate, a journey to the end of the night told as a story of one evening in an internationalist future city with no up and no down, no beginning and no end. Passing through the seedy clubs, with all their trappings, are you being followed? Have you lost your mind? Blackout and wake on a train. Is this a dream? We are nocturnal. There’s a fire in the streets. So you find the ones you love and hold them tight. Yes, the kind of night where you land right where you’re meant to be. 


    Starr’s current collaborators include Jaie Gonzalez (Splashh), Hayden Tobin (Hanni El Khatib), Pete Sustarsic (Public Access TV), James Hurst (Beach Party), Ben McConnel (Beach House), Grace Kennedy, Charlie Sands, and composer Nigel Wilson.

    For Brion, “‘A Night To Remember” is a dive into the subconscious, sort of fever dream in the middle of the album’s trajectory. Always fascinated by mime, how it’s neutral nature exposes the depth of human emotion, Brion Starr wanted to bring out his inner Marcel Marceau for this video. 

    Shot at a location that means a lot to Starr where he grew up going to with friends, the East River Park Amphitheater. The city is trying to develop the park right now and Starr hopes they do not succeed in their plans, as the NYC of his childhood disappears a bit more each day. Check out East River Park Action to help out.

  • National Arts Club To Offer Free Screening of ‘Show Me The Picture: The Story of Jim Marshall’

    Fans of the legendary rock photographer Jim Marshall will soon be able to view highlights of his storied career on film, thanks to an upcoming free screening of Show Me Picture: The Story of Jim Marshall hosted by The National Arts Club. The screening will take place on Tuesday, October 19 at the NAC and will be followed by a panel discussion on the infamous photographer’s life and work.

    Jim Marshall
    Jimi Hendrix sound check Monterey Pop Festival 1967© Jim Marshall Photography LLC

    A child of immigrants living a life battling inner demons, Jim Marshall fought his way to become one of the most trusted mavericks behind a lens throughout the 1960s. His passion for capturing the decisive moment resulted in some of the most iconic images in music history from Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones to Johnny Cash, Janis Joplin and Miles Davis. Throughout his groundbreaking career, Marshall has crossed boundaries to document many of the extraordinary social movements of the time.

    After the film screening, Amelia Davis photographer, executive producer and owner of Jim Marshall Photography LLC; Jeff L. Rosenheim, the Joyce F. Menschel Curator in Charge in the Department of Photographs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; and Michelle Margetts, journalist and narrator of the film, will discuss Marshall and his work.

    Jim Marshall
    The Beatles © Jim Marshall Photography LLC

    Founded in 1898, The National Arts Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission to stimulate, foster, and promote public interest in the arts and to educate the American people in the fine arts. Annually, the Club offers more than 150 free programs to the public, including exhibitions, theatrical and musical performances, lectures and readings, attracting an audience of over 25,000 members and guests.

    Registration for this free screening can be done at the event website here.

    WHEN

    Tuesday, October 19, 6:00 PM

    WHERE

    The National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South, New York, NY

  • Red Hot Chili Peppers Announce 2022 World Tour

    Red Hot Chili Peppers have announced their 2022 World Tour including a stop in East Rutherford, New Jersey on October 7, 2021. The tour will start in Seville, Spain on June 4, 2022 and will wrap up in September 18, in Arlington, Texas.

    red hot chili peppers

    The tour will include singer Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea and drummer Chad Smith and guitarist John Frusciante, who rejoined the band in 2019 after a 10-year absence. The band made the announcement via a spoof news video featuring Anthony Kiedis, Flea and Chad Smith interviewing Frusciante about the prospect of the tour as news anchors. The tour will include lots of supporting acts including big names like The Strokes, HAIM, A$AP Rocky, and St. Vincent. 

    Red Hot Chili Peppers have been teasing a new album in the works earlier this year with John Frusciante back on guitar. There hasn’t been any more news on this album but with a world tour announcement there is hope it will drop before the start of a tour. 

    The band will stop in East Rutherford at Metlife Stadium on August 17, 2021. The Strokes and Thundercat will be opening this stop of the tour.

    Tickets will be going on sale at 10 AM on October 15, 2021 and can be purchased  here.  People with access to the presale after 10 AM will be able to purchase tickets on October 8. People can gain access to the presale by pre-ordering the band’s new album, set for release in 2022, here.

    For more information on Red Hot Chili Peppers 2022 tour visit their website.

    Red Hot Chili Peppers 2022 World Tour Dates

    Europe

    Sat Jun 04 – Seville, Spain – Estadio La Cartuja De Sevilla=      

    Tue Jun 07 – Barcelona, Spain – Estadi Olimpic=

    Fri Jun 10 – Nijmegen, Netherlands – Goffertpark=     

    Wed Jun 15 – Budapest, Hungary – Puskas Stadium=      

    Sat Jun 18 – Firenze, Italy – Firenze Rocks (festival date)

    Wed Jun 22 – Manchester, UK – Emirates Old Trafford=  

    Sat Jun 25 – London, UK – London Stadium~

    Wed Jun 29 – Dublin, Ireland – Marlay Park~

    Fri Jul 01 – Glasgow, UK – Bellahouston Park~

    Sun Jul 03 – Leuven, Belgium – Rock Werchter (festival date)

    Tue Jul 05 – Cologne, Germany – RheinEnergieStadium=  

    Fri Jul 08 – Paris, France – Stade de France~

    Tue Jul 12 – Hamburg, Germany – Volksparkstadion=

    North America

    Sat Jul 23 – Denver, CO – Empower Field at Mile High*

    Wed Jul 27 – San Diego, CA – Petco Park*

    Fri Jul 29 – Santa Clara, CA – Levi’s Stadium+

    Sun Jul 31 – Los Angeles, CA – SoFi Stadium+

    Wed Aug 03 – Seattle, WA – T-Mobile Park^

    Sat Aug 06 – Las Vegas, NV – Allegiant Stadium^^

    Wed Aug 10 – Atlanta, GA – Truist Park^

    Fri Aug 12 – Nashville, TN – Nissan Stadium^

    Sun Aug 14 – Detroit, MI – Comerica Park^

    Wed Aug 17 – E. Rutherford, NJ – Metlife Stadium^

    Fri Aug 19 – Chicago, IL – Soldier Field^

    Sun Aug 21 – Toronto, ON – Rogers Centre^

    Tue Aug 30 – Miami, FL – Hard Rock Stadium^

    Thu Sep 01 – Charlotte, NC – Bank of America Stadium^

    Sat Sep 03 – Philadelphia, PA – Citizens Bank Park^

    Thu Sep 08 – Washington, DC – Nationals Park^

    Sat Sep 10 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park# (on sale date TBA)

    Thu Sep 15 – Orlando, FL – Camping World Stadium^     

    Sun Sep 18 – Arlington, TX – Globe Life Field^

    =with special guests A$AP Rocky and Thundercat

    ~with special guests Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals and Thundercat

    *with special guests HAIM and Thundercat

    +with special guests Beck and Thundercat

    ^with special guests The Strokes and Thundercat

    ^^with special guests The Strokes and King Princess

    #with special guests St. Vincent and Thundercat

  • Soulive return to Brooklyn Bowl this New Years Eve

    After more than two years, Soulive will return to Brooklyn Bowl for their much-loved Bowlive concert series this December, From December 29-31, Soulive will be joined by bassist for The Meters, George Porter Jr. on the first night, and hold a special New Year’s Eve performance on Saturday, December 31.

    soulive

    Marking the ninth mini-residency for Soulive at Brooklyn Bowl, the trio of Eric Krasno, Neal Evans, and Alan Evans are fresh off a three-night run opening up the brand new Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia. Bowlive has a storied history at Brooklyn Bowl Williamsburg, dating back to 2010.

    Doors open at 6 with show starting at 830pm. Tickets are $50 each and on sale now here.

  • The R Train Band Pull into Arlene’s Grocery on October 9

    On October 9, the rock sounds of The R Train Band will perform at Arlene’s Grocery in Brooklyn. Guitarist Jeffery Black splits time between Brooklyn and Florida, with Mike Annese (drums) and Denny-Lee (bass) rounding out the power trio.

    Their latest release, “Rock On” has elements of hard rock an an anthem for rock music lovers everywhere, with a message borrowed from Hendrix to simply to live your life the way you want to, go for the big brass ring, and never give up on having fun.

    An Ozzy Osbourne-like lead vocalist is supported by a Led Zeppelin-infused guitar, bass and drum style making the ingredients for “Rock On.” The pulse and groove has a modern bullet train feel. The vocal clearly tells us to be ourselves and love who we are. Do it your way and go for it.

    The R Train Band will celebrate John Lennon’s birthday on Saturday, October 9 as they make their way to Arlene’s Grocery in Brooklyn. The show will be hosted by Ace Annese of “Ace’s Space Radio & Reality Check TV.” Tickets and more info can be found here.

  • Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon to Play Tarrytown, Troy and Plattsburgh this December

    For the first time in 16 years, guitarist Leo Kottke and bassist Mike Gordon will tour together, in an eagerly awaited series of dates in December.

    leo kottke mike gordon

    Acoustic guitar legend Leo Kottke and Phish bassist Mike Gordon first linked up in 2002 for Clone, and followed by 2005’s Sixty Six Steps. The upcoming tour will celebrate last year’s release of the first new Kottke/Gordon album in 15 years, Noon, hailed by Rolling Stone as “full of lilting grooves that go on wild musical tangents.”

    Read past interviews with Mike Gordon from 2013 and 2016.

    The pair also today premiered a 4-song mini set, including performances of the Kottke song “Sheets” and “How Many People Are You,” which has found a spot in the rotation both with Phish and Mike Gordon Band. Both tracks are found on Noon, with Phish drummer Jon Fishman appearing on “How Many People Are You.” The set is rounded out with the Kottke classic “Rings,” and “Disco” from the duo’s 2002 release, Clone.

    Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon December 2021 Tour Dates

    December 8 – Munhall, PA – Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall
    December 9 – Washington, DC – Sixth & I
    December 10 – Tarrytown, NY – Tarrytown Music Hall
    December 12 – Beverly, MA – The Cabot
    December 13 – Lebanon, NH – Lebanon Opera House *
    December 15 – Troy, NY – Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
    December 16 – Norwalk, CT – Wall Street Theater
    December 17 – York, PA – Appell Center for the Performing Arts
    December 19 – Plattsburgh, NY – Strand Center for the Arts

    All Dates go on sale Friday, October 8 at 10 am ET, except for Lebanon Opera House, which goes on sale at 12pm on Friday. More info can be found here.

  • Flushing Town Hall Monthly Jazz Jam Celebrates 10th Anniversary on October 13

    The Louis Armstrong Legacy Monthly Jazz Jam at Flushing Town Hall will celebrate its 10th Anniversary on October 13, 2021. In celebration of the occasion Flushing Town Hall’s current house jazz band will be joined by members of Queens Jazz OverGround on Wednesday, October 13, 2021 at 7 PM EST.

    flushing town hall jazz jam

    The monthly jam started back in October of 2011 as an educational program in collaboration with the Aaron Copeland School of Music at Queens College. The program existed in order to provide a platform for young jazz musicians to play music together. Three years into the program’s formation the monthly jam transformed into a program for amateur and professional musicians and public audiences under the lead of Queens Jazz OverGround. 

    Flushing Town Hall’s Director of Education & Public Programs, Gabrielle M. Hamilton spoke on the creation of the monthly Jazz Jam saying, “Shortly after I joined Flushing Town Hall, we were able to launch our first Jazz Jam and Clinic in October 2011. Our partnership with Queens College provided graduate music students with an opportunity to jam together locally and educate young musicians in Jazz. A few years later, the jam expanded to reach more musicians under the leadership of Brian Woodruff and Queens Jazz OverGround (QJOG).” 

    Hamilton also announced that some of the QJOG original members will be joining the stage with Carol Sudhalter, Joe Vincent Tranchina, Eric Lemmon, and Scott Neumann — our current house band, to acknowledge ten years of great Jazz right here in Flushing for the 10th anniversary.  

    The band at the 10th anniversary celebration  will feature Josh Deutsch on trumpet (founding member, Queens Jazz OverGround), Hashem Assadullahi on alto saxophone (current member, Queens Jazz OverGround), Amanda Monaco on guitar (founding member, Queens Jazz OverGround), Eugenia Choe on piano (current member, Queens Jazz OverGround), Richard Mikel on bass and Brian Woodruff on drums (founding and current member, Queens Jazz OverGround).

    The celebration will take place in person at the historic building in Queens on Wednesday, October 13 at 7 PM EST. Admission is $10 or free to members. In adherence with Mayor De Blasio’s Covid policy for performance venues, Flushing Town Hall will require all visitors, performers, and staff to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19. A form of identification that matches the proof of vaccine is required, and masks must be worn at all times. For more details on Flushing Town Hall’s general Covid-safety measures and vaccine requirements, please visit here.

    For more information on the Flushing Town Hall’s Louis Armstrong Legacy Monthly Jazz Jam 10th Anniversary event visit their website.