NYS Music 202​1

Category: News Desk

  • The First Annual BriteVibes Festival Kicks off in Cooperstown over Labor Day Weekend

    This Labor Day Weekend, the first annual BriteVibes Festival will take place on Saturday at Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown. This unique event celebrates NY craft beer, “Gastrow” of NY food trucks, musicians playing all day, artisan vendors, experiential exhibits, and more.

    britevibes

    In addition to 30+ breweries representing every corner of NYS (the majority of which are award winners from the NYS Craft Beer Competition), there will be live performances from local musicians taking place throughout the day. Like craft beer, music brings people together. Daytime shows include performances by Dirty Blanket, The Old Main, Los Blancos and Big Time Kitty.

    The evening concert for BriteVibes, included in general admission or available as a separate concert-only ticket, opens with Oxymorons, followed by Delta Spirit, an indie rock band from California playing other major festivals throughout the U.S., in their first east coast show of the year. More information about the lineup is available here.

    britevibes

    Tickets for Britevibes Festival helps to support the 400+ craft breweries across New York State. Attendees can purchase a General Admission ticket for access to the beer sampling and all-day concerts, VIP ticket which includes access to a VIP pavilion with private bar, access to private bathrooms and access to a private food truck, or the evening-only concert ticket. Attendees can also purchase an on-site camping reservation on the festival grounds, a former hop farm, which includes yoga on the green the following morning. Get your ticket while you still can, and enjoy a wonderful day filled with beer and music!

  • PearlPalooza Returns To Downtown Albany On September 18

    This year’s PearlPalooza is in person once again. Presented by SEFCU, the downtown Albany festival will enjoy its 12th year on Saturday, September 18. The all-star lineup includes Slothrust, Jocelyn & Chris, Glass Pony and Timbre Coup, with a streetwide mass yoga event presented by MVP Health Care. Like its virtual rendition last year, PearlPalooza is free to attend.

    PearlPalooza kicks off with MVP Health Care’s YogaPalooza event at 12:00 PM, which requires pre-registration on the Hot Yoga Spot’s website. Be sure to bring a mat, water and mask. After that, Timbre Coupe takes the stage at 1:00 PM, with Glass Pony at 2:15 PM and Jocelyn & Chris at 3:30 PM. Headliner Slothrust closes out the festival from 4:45 to 6:00 PM.

    Three of the lineup’s four bands have Albany ties: Jocelyn & Chris, Glass Pony and Timbre Coupe. Jocelyn & Chris are a blues-rock sibling duo who have made their long-awaited return to touring after taking 2020 off for obvious reasons. They’ve already played in 16 states, and have performed with Foreigner and Grand Funk Railroad.

    Pearlpalooza is going to be amazing this year. We’re so honored to be on the bill! It’s our first hometown show since the summer of 2019, and we can’t wait for it. We’ve been playing all over the country this summer, but there’s nothing like a homecoming!

    Jocelyn & Chris

    All performances will be on the Remarkable Liquids Stage at North Pearl Street and Sheridan Avenue, with $5 event parking available at ParkAlbany’s Riverfront Garage and Quackenbush Garage. One of the event’s sponsors, WEQX, will spin music between each set. Other sponsors include the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District, Sugar Productions and The Hollow Bar + Kitchen.

    We are super grateful to be able to work with such amazing partners at The Downtown Albany BID and the area businesses who put a lot of thought and effort into this year’s event. We cannot thank the sponsors enough for making PearlPalooza possible. The one-stage approach will allow for more space not only for attendees but also for vendors who have really taken a hit over the past year-plus. We are thrilled to be able to spotlight three incredible Capital Region-based bands who also took a hit in an already difficult world to live…the world of being a band. Slothrust as headliner is a dream come true for the entire staff here at EQX and we hope it is for you too!

    Program Director Jeff Morad

    For more information on PearlPalooza 2021, visit the Downtown Albany website.

  • FANS.live to Host High Holidays Services and Streams

    In celebration of the upcoming religious holidays, FANS.live and The Friday Night Jam present High Holidays, a spiritual and musical celebration. Now in its tenth year, the website will present four services broadcasted live for free led by Rabbi Daniel Brenner and musical director Jeremiah Lockwood, featuring Antibalas‘ Jordan McLean, Yuli Beeri and a full live band.

    High Holidays

    Streams on September 6 and 7 are set for Rosh Hashanah and will take place at Brooklyn Bowl, with a limited number of tickets also available for those who wish to attend. Two more services on September 15 and 16 will be in celebration of Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur, streamed live from Relix Studios.

    The services will feature a mix of live music and remote video contributions from a mix of musicians including Alex Bleeker (Real Estate), Eric Slick (Dr. Dog), Dan Lebowitz (ALO), and Eric Krasno (Soulive and Lettuce). CEO of Mindfulness Consulting, Yael Shy, will be leading guided meditations at each event streamed from the Brooklyn Bowl, while Jewish mindfulness teacher Michael Bilick will lead meditations at the events streamed from the Relix Studios.

    Links for tickets and streams are below. For those wishing to attend services at Brooklyn Bowl, all guests ages 12 and over must show proof of at at least one vaccine shot prior to entry.

    WHEN & WHERE:

    MON, SEP 6 @ 7:30PM EST from Brooklyn Bowl

    (purchase tickets here & stream live via Fans.live)

    TUE, SEP 7 @ 10AM EST from Brooklyn Bowl

    (purchase tickets here & stream live via Fans.live)

    WED, SEP 15 @ 7PM from The Relix Studio

    (stream live via Fans.live)

    THU, SEP 16 @ 10AM from The Relix Studio

    (stream live via Fans.live)

    High Holidays

  • Up and Coming Artist Nick Vivid Releases New Single “Hush Money (Straight to the Bribe)”

    Up and coming artist, Nick Vivid, released his new single “Hush Money (Straight to the Bribe)” on August 18, 2021 off his upcoming album No More Secrets.

    Nick Vivid hails from Buffalo, NY and creates music that is a blend of indie electronic funk that has blends of soul and blues throughout it. Between his father being a radio DJ and his mother loving glam rock Nick Vivid was always surrounded by music which shaped and formed his musical style and taste. He currently resides in New York City and works with Bill Aucoin who is the original manager of KISS and Billy Idol. 

    The single  “Hush Money (Straight to the Bribe)” was released in anticipation of his upcoming album No More Secrets which will drop on November 12, 2021.  He has two albums out Nicksploitation which was released in 2017 and Blissed Out which was released in 2019 but his new album is going to be a bit different than these previous albums. This album will revolve around themes of the loss of both of his parents in recent years and the life lessons he’s learned from what he calls “intensive meditative pandemic soul searching.”

    Nick Vivid spoke on the newest single to his repertoire saying that the single is about what he’s learned from observing people making decisions based on self-serving fear and greed. He elaborated on this saying, “The ‘bribe’ in the song is the alluring ‘shortcut’ to the fake ‘easier’ solution. But for me, that doesn’t work. I’ve tried.” 

    The new single “Hush Money (Straight to the Bribe)” definitely plays into multi-instrumentalist Nick Vivid’s indie electronic funk sound. It almost sounds like a blast right out of the past. It features a simplistic yet captivating beat that goes around and around in your head and you will find yourself bobbing side to side without even meaning to it while listening. 

    For more information on Nick Vivid and his upcoming album No More Secrets and new single “Hush Money (Straight to the Bribe)” check out his website.

  • Westside Gunn Releases Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Sincerely Adolf, featuring Lil Wayne,

    Griselda head honcho, Westside Gunn, is back releasing music. After teasing retirement from rapping with 2020’s Who Made the Sunshine (his third release of the year), the FlyGod is back with his first release in 10 months (long breaks between projects is a rarity in Griselda land). This is the 8th edition of the popular mixtape series which played a big part in his and Griselda’s ascension.

    The 13-track, 40-minute EP features usual Westside Gunn collaborators in Benny the Butcher, Conway the Machine, Stove God Cooks, AA Rashid and 2020 Griselda records signee, Boldy James. The mixtape also sees appearances from Jadakiss, DJ Clue and Lil Wayne, who is making a habit of teaming up on tracks with the boys from Buffalo. 

    In Griselda fashion, Westside Gunn also managed to tease more music while promoting his incoming project.  In an Instagram post disclosing the track-list, Westside Gunn captioned the image “Side A,” teasing a possible double album for fans to look forward to. He subtly disclosed his plans for a two-sided project in an Instagram post promoting his GXFR jean brand.

    Late Night Work!!!!!! GXFR x @purple_brand jeans getting made and shipped, we’re down to the last 100 pair so if your waiting thank you for your patience it’s worth the wait these are all made by hand that’s why it was a preorder … but this Fri. I’m starting to do online drops again limited and ART sale, I’m going back to doing what I love the most Fashion, ART, and Curation, I just had to take some time off to make an AOTY contender and classic NO SKIPS on a double album   BLIENTELE.com this FRI. #GXFR#ART #CULTURE #ICON#PURPLEBRAND

    “Side B” of HWH8 will presumably release next week, while the unconventional rollout is exactly the kind of outside-the-box thinking that the FlyGod prides himself on.

     The latest Griselda release can be streamed through all available services. 

  • SummerStage Announces Two Free Performances for this weekend

    SummerStage announced two free performances at the end of August of 2021. The performances will take place in Coney Island Amphitheater and will require full vaccination or negative COVID-19 PCR test within 72 hours for entry.

    The first performance will feature Go Brooklyn! Stetsasonic & Friends – 40th Anniversary Show on Saturday, August 28 2021 at 7PM EST. Brooklyn’s Stetsasonic were one of the first-ever hip-hop bands that used beat-boxing, sampling, and live performance to elevate the musicality of the nascent genre in the 1980’s. Originally known as the “Stetson Brothers”, there were three members including Daddy-O, Delite and Wise the Human Mix Machine. Soon, the group evolved to “Stetsasonic”, adding the prolific energy of DBC (Devastating Beat Creator), Bobby Simmons, Prince Paul, and Fruitkwan. Though their last album was released in 1991, Stetsasonic has continued to tour and will celebrate the 40th anniversary of their formation at Summerstage in Coney Island with friends and special guests. The performance will live streamed for one night only on summerstage anywhere’s website. 

    The second performance will feature INVINCIBLE: A Glorious Tribute to Michael Jackson / DJ KS 360 on Sunday, August 29, 2021 at 7PM EST. Drawing its name from Michael Jackson’s tenth and final studio album, Invincible: A Glorious Tribute to Michael Jackson is a performance of the King of Pop’s greatest hits—indelible anthems such as “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” “Smooth Criminal,” “Thriller” and more—as well as dance routines rehearsed for the HBO special One Night Only. With choreography by Jackson’s longtime choreographer and dancer, Lavelle Smith Jr., the show was created, produced and directed by the Bessie award winner Darrin Ross. The night will be led by professional impersonator, Jeffrey Perez. The performance will live streamed for one night only on summerstage anywhere’s website.

    Due to increasing spread on COVID-19 due to the delta variant  SummerStage has updated it’s vaccination and mask policy They will now require full vaccination or negative COVID-19 PCR test within 72 hours for entry. SummerStage at Coney Island Amphitheater will accept proof of final Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Moderna or WHO-approved vaccination using the CLEAR app, the NYS Excelsior Pass, NYC Covid Safe app, a physical/photo of CDC vaccination card, or EU digital pass, accompanied by a government-issued photo identification. Guests must show that their final dose of vaccine was received at least 14 days prior to the show date or show proof of a negative PCR test within 72 hours. Please note all SummerStage events in Central Park follow a different entry policy and only accept full vaccination proof. For all SummerStage events, masks are required upon entry to any venue and strongly encouraged for all guests for the duration of the performance, as is physical distance. Learn more about acceptable documentation, mask guidelines, and other safety protocols here.

    For more information the two shows happening in August of 2021 and upcoming event visit SummerStage’s website.

  • The Met Opera to Remember 9/11 with Verdi’s Requiem

    To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the events on September 11, the Metropolitan Opera will perform Verdi’s Requiem, presented in association with the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

    Verdi’s Requiem

    Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin will conduct the Met Orchestra and Chorus as well as a quartet of star soloists, soprano Ailyn Pérez, mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča, tenor Matthew Polenzani, and bass-baritone Eric Owens. The concert marks the first performance inside the Metropolitan Opera House since the March 2020 closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Audiences in New York City and beyond will also be able to see and hear live transmissions of Verdi’s Requiem: The Met Remembers 9/11. The performance will be transmitted live as part of Great Performances on PBS, with ballet star Misty Copeland hosting the program from nearby the site of the 9/11 Museum. Live audio from the performance will also be broadcast directly outside the Met in Lincoln Center Plaza. As part of a citywide remembrance, the Met will be participating in the 9/11 Tribute in Light, bathing its façade in sky-blue light. The English-language text of the Requiem will also be projected onto the façade of the opera house during the performance.

    Verdi’s Requiem

    The concert and broadcast are made possible by a generous gift from C. Graham Berwind, III, and the Metropolitan Opera Chorus costumes were underwritten by a generous gift from Douglas Dockery Thomas.

    Additionally, The Met has given 500 tickets to families and stakeholders impacted by 9/11. Tickets are $25 and go on sale August 27 at 12PM ET. Due to limited seating capacity, tickets are limited to two per order.

    Face masks and proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 are required for all audience members. Learn more.

    Get tickets here on August 27 at 12noon

    On Tuesday, The Metropolitan Opera struck a labor deal with its orchestra, paving the way for its musicians to return to work and for the company, the largest performing arts organization in the nation. The Met Opera will resume performances in September after being shut down for more than a year by the pandemic. More on that from the New York Times.

  • Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage Presents: 28th anniversary celebration of Charlie Parker

    New York’s largest free outdoor performing arts festival is making a comeback to live performances after last year’s hiatus due to the pandemic. Since its inception 35 years ago, more than six million people from New York City and around the world have enjoyed SummerStage. In 2020, “Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage Anywhere” was launched in response to the global pandemic, presenting 80 free digital performances, spanning all genres, available to all around the world. 

    Now, back in full swing, Capital One City Parks Foundation Summerstage will be hosting the annual celebration for esteemed jazz saxophonist, Charlie Parker. Recognized as one of the vanguards of jazz music’s evolution into the modern era, Parker is acknowledged for his advancement of Bebop, a subsidiary of Jazz known for its fast tempos. A highly regarded soloist, the celebration of Parker’s life and accomplishments will be comprised of his contemporizes as well as young jazz musicians who continue to push the art form forward. This year’s festivals will be held from August 27-29 at Harlem’s historic Marcus Garvey Park in addition to other partnered jazz events around the city that will run from the August 23-27. 

    All free performances will be open to the public and will be first come, first served and in accordance with venue capacity limits. In response to the increasing spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant, all guests of the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival SummerStage events at Marcus Garvey Park will be required to show either proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative PCR test within the last 72 hours in order to enter. Children under the age of 12 will be allowed to accompany their parent or guardian who provides proof of full vaccination or negative COVID test. 

    All information regarding vaccination/testing/mask guidelines as well as an itinerary of events for all Summerstage 2021 Season events can be found on the City Parks Foundation website. 

  • Charlie Watts, drummer for the Rolling Stones, Dead at 80

    Drummer for the Rolling Stones for over 50 years, Charlie Watts, has died. The founding member of the British rock group passed away on Tuesday, August 24. He had recently stepped back from the band’s fall tour, which is slated to kick off on September 26 in Saint Louis, MO.

    charlie watts
    British Rock musician Charlie Watts, on drums, of the group the Rolling Stones, performs onstage during ‘The Rolling Stones American Tour 1981’ (in support of their album ‘Tattoo You’), at Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, November 13, 1981. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images)


    A statement from the Rolling Stones and Charlie Watts’ spokesperson reads:

    It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Charlie Watts. He passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier today surrounded by his family. Charlie was a cherished husband, father and grandfather and also a member of the Rolling Stones one of the greatest drummers of his generation. We kindly request that the privacy of his family, band members and close friends is respected at this difficult time.

    Earlier this month, Watts withdrew from the Rolling Stones’ upcoming COVID-19 pandemic-postponed U.S. tour, noting he needed to recover from an unspecified but “successful” recent medical procedure. At the time, Watts’ spokesperson said “Charlie has had a procedure which was completely successful, but I gather his doctors this week concluded that he now needs proper rest and recuperation. With rehearsals starting in a couple of weeks it’s very disappointing to say the least, but it’s also fair to say no one saw this coming.”

    charlie watts

    Despite battling and recovering from throat cancer in 2004, Watts overcame substance abuse in the 1970s and 80s and was seen as a steady hand behind the kit, melding jazz into the rock n roll sound of the Rolling Stones.

    Drummer Jon Fishman paid a natural tribute to Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts ahead of the bad news this week. On his August 18 “The Errant Path” radio show, Fishman spun “Moonlight Mile” and commented ”For me the sound and feel of Charlie Watts will never get old. I just love that guys drumming. It stands up no matter what’s before it or after.”  

    Trey Anastasio Band drummer Russ Lawton, upon hearing the news shared, “So sad to hear about Charlie’s passing. Always loved his feel, the tasteful drum parts he came up with and his sound too. The reason I’ve been playing Gretsch drums since I was a kid was because of him. He will be missed.” 

    Like many renaissance bands of the 60s, The Rolling Stones have lost one of their core members. However, the show must go on. Drummer Steve Jordan was announced as the fill in drummer for Watts when he announced he would sit out the tour, and will continue playing drums on The Rolling Stones 2021 tour. He has previously been the drummer for Keith Richards’ solo band The Expensive Winos since the 1980s. 

  • New York Youth Symphony Announces Return For 59th Season

    The New York Youth Symphony (NYYS) is thrilled to announce their 2021-2022 performances under music director Michael Repper. Performances will take place in Stern Auditorium and Perelman Stage at the world renowned Carnegie Hall. The full orchestra will return to the stage for three performances in November, March and May, performing repertoire by Valerie Coleman, William Grant Still, Mahler, Tchaikovsky, and more.

    New York Youth Symphony
    The New York Youth Symphony performs a concert at Carnegie Hall, on November 17, 2019. Credit: Stephanie Berger.

    Soloists joining the orchestra include baritone Paulo Szot on Mahler’s Songs of a Wayfarer and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Some Enchanted Evening from South Pacific, and violinist Grace Park performing Barber’s Violin Concerto. The performances will also include the world premieres of new works by First Music commission prize winners Jonathan Cziner, Patrick O’Malley, and Liza Sobel.

    “We are thrilled to return to Carnegie Hall. We’re exceptionally proud of all we accomplished during this period of uncertainty, but performing live for our community is something we have all missed dearly. We are ecstatic to return to the stage and celebrate music and unity together with you through our performances.”

    Michael Repper

    The New York Youth Symphony is the most awarded youth program of its kind in the nation, recognized for its innovative educational programs for talented young musicians. It was founded in 1963 as an orchestra to showcase the metropolitan area’s most gifted musicians aged 12-22. Since its creation, its activities have grown to encompass programs in jazz, chamber music, conducting, composition, and musical theater songwriting. They have performed at world class venues such as Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the Public Theater.

    2021-2022 ORCHESTRA Season
    Michael Repper, Music Director

    Season Opening Concert
    Sunday, November 21, 2021 at 2:00 PM
    Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall
    Valerie Coleman: Umoja: Anthem of Unity
    Patrick O’Malley: Obliviana (First Music commission and World Premiere)
    Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 in E minor, op. 64
     
    The McCrindle Concert
    Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 2:00 PM
    Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall
    Barber: Violin Concerto, op. 14, featuring Grace Park, violin
    Jonathan Cziner: Ruach (and Other Delights) (First Music commission and World Premiere)
    William Grant Still: Symphony No. 1, “Afro-American”
     
    The Spring Concert
    Sunday, May 22, 2022 at 2:00 PM
    Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall
    Liza Sobel: First Music commission and World Premiere
    Mahler: Songs of a Wayfarer, featuring Paulo Szot, baritone
    Rogers/Hammerstein: Some Enchanted Evening, featuring Paulo Szot, baritone
    Brahms: Symphony No. 2 in D major, op. 73