NYS Music 202​1

Category: News Desk

  • Palace Theatre Announces Reopening with “Summer In The City”

    “Summer In The City”, a free family-friendly movie series will be the kick off for the official reopening of the Palace Theatre. 

    Summer in the City is one of several free and low-cost arts and educational programs offered by the Palace that positively impacts local children and families each year. For this family-friendly movie series, the Palace targets outreach to low-income and underserved families in the City.

    The Palace Theatre’s Summer in the City Movie Series, presented by SEFCU, will return to offer seven free, family-friendly movies to children and families from neighborhoods around the Palace in downtown Albany, with targeted outreach to low-income and underserved families in the City. The movie series provides children with the opportunity to enjoy the excitement and beauty of the historic Palace Theatre, while offering fun, safe and positive opportunities to become engaged in the arts.

    Palace Theatre Reopening

    “Children and families in the City of Albany have the opportunity to beat the heat while also sparking the imagination as they enjoy fun, family-friendly movies in this Albany landmark,” said SEFCU President and CEO Michael Castellana. “Going to the movies is always a special treat, especially this year as it represents a return to normalcy after the pandemic paused so many of our favorite summer activities.”

    Summer in the City serves thousands from surrounding neighborhoods each year. The mission of the Palace is to bring world-class arts and entertainment to New York’s Capital Region, greatly enhancing the area’s cultural and economic development. Core programming and community initiatives include performing arts entertainment, free arts education, family-friendly performances, free summer movies, and a classic movie program series.

    “It’s a great way for a whole new generation of young people to become more familiar with the beautiful Palace.” said Stephen P. Baboulis, Chairman, PPAC Board of Directors. “We thank SEFCU for sharing our vision about this summer program, and for their generous support!” 

    For each show, doors open at Noon. Movies begin at 1 p.m. Free popcorn is provided to children 12 and under. The first show will be open to 600 patrons with the potential for more later in the summer. Every movie viewing will be paired with a giveaway. One person in the audience will win a new HD Kindle Fire with a SEFCU Kids Plus subscription.

    2021 SUMMER IN THE CITY SCHEDULE

    For all events, doors open at noon; movies begin at 1:00 p.m.

    Tuesday, July 13            Moana

    Tuesday, July 20            Sonic The Hedgehog

    Tuesday, July 27            The Secret Life of Pets 2

    Tuesday, August 3        Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

    Tuesday, August 10     Pokemon: Detective Pikachu

    Tuesday, August 17     Frozen II

    Tuesday, August 24     Sing

    Free tickets may be picked up in advance at the Palace Theatre Box Office at 19 Clinton Ave. during regular business hours or reserved online at palacealbany.org. Individual Groups, Day Care, and Summer Camps looking to reserve a block of tickets may call in advance at 518-465-3335, ext. 111. For more information, call 518-465-4663 or visit www.palacealbany.org.

  • Proctors Theatre Announces the World Premiere of the musical “The Right Girl”

    Proctors Theatre has announced the world premiere of the musical based on true stories, The Right Girl, opening October 13th with performances through Wednesday, November 10th.

    The musical features music by 12-time Academy Award nominee and Grammy®, Emmy® and Golden Globe® Award-winning songwriter Diane Warren, lyrics by Ms. Warren, Louisette Geiss and Howard Kagan, and a book by Ms. Geiss and Mr. Kagan, The Right Girl is directed and choreographed by five-time Tony Award® winner Susan Stroman.

    The cast of The Right Girl includes Alysha Umphress (On The Town, Bring It On, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, American Idiot), Ramin Karimloo (Anastasia, Les Mis, Phantom of the Opera), Paige Faure (Cinderella), Adam Jacobs (Aladdin, Les Mis, The Lion King), J. Elaine Marcos (Annie, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, A Chorus Line), Steve Rosen (Guys and Dolls, Spamalot), and Syndee Winters (Hamilton, Pippin, The Lion King).  Additional casting will be announced at a later date. The Right Girl features set design by Mikiko Suzuki MacAdams, costume design by Emilio Sosa, lighting design by Jason Lyons, sound design by Kai Harada and orchestrations and arrangements by Santino Paladino and Assaf Gleizner.

    One of the dreams of the Proctors Collaborative was that the mix of theatrical and musical facilities and capabilities would attract new and different opportunities within the world of the theater. Howard Kagan and Tom Smedes are first-class producers who found just what they needed as they worked with us: a great building, a welcoming community and an audience based both at Proctors and at the Rep interested and anxious to support new work. We are excited to host this world premiere. We hope to do so well that we can leverage continuing new relationships with the industry’s major players.

    -Phillip Morris, CEO, Proctors Collaborative

    Performances will begin at 7:30pm Tuesdays through Saturdays, 2pm on Sundays. Proctors will follow all C.D.C. and New York State safety guidelines for these performances. Check the Proctors website at proctors.org to subscribe and obtain additional information.

  • Baked Shrimp and Glass Pony team up for Lark Hall show on July 9

    Two of the hottest, up and coming New York bands, and 2021 NYS Music Music Madness finalists, Baked Shrimp and Glass Pony will share the stage at Lark Hall on July 9th. With festival pass giveaways, free ice cream and an incredible night of music on tap, this is one show you won’t want to miss.

    glass pony baked shrimp

    Since forming in January 2017, Long Island’s Baked Shrimp has established a name for themselves across the Northeast region of the United States and beyond.  In just three years the high-energy rock trio has performed multiple extensive tours, released two albums, and is a name being consistently added to the festival circuit.

    Currently in the middle of a massive summer tour which finds the band performing across the East Coast, Midwest and throughout the southern United States, Baked Shrimp is rapidly making new fans outside of their home-base of New York.  The trio keeps it fresh from night to night with a catalogue of over one-hundred songs of mostly original material and deep, inspired improvisational playing.

    Kicking off the evening’s festivities will be Albany’s very own Glass Pony.  Encapsulating influences stretching across decades from psychedelic and jam-focused rock, to funk, post-punk, and even modern indie and post-rock, Glass Pony offer a sound that truly translates through generations, with a stylistic blend built to engage a broad listenership.

    With a focus squarely set on delivering the most captivating live performance possible, the band utilizes infectiously danceable grooves colored with virtuosic individual performances that deftly blend into a cohesive whole. To accentuate their creative songwriting, they place a great value on improvisation and fluid set lists that change from show to show.  

    baked shrimp glass pony

    Baked Shrimp will be giving away a pair of FREE tickets on this special night to their inaugural music festival LonCon, taking place at Arrowhead Ranch on August 27th & 28th in Parksville, NY. The incredible lineup features two nights of Baked Shrimp in addition to Mihali (Twiddle), Aqueous, Dogs in a Pile, and more.  You must be present at the end of the night to claim your tickets if you win the raffle!

    Additionally, Ben and Jerry’s Scoop Shop on Madison Avenue in Albany will be providing free ice cream for all who purchase tickets to the show. Lark Hall will have a dairy and non-dairy option starting shortly after doors open at 7pm on Friday, July 9.

    Tickets are on sale now at via Eventbrite and Lark Hall.

  • Grabbitz Gets Cinematic in New Music Video

    Buffalo-based star Grabbitz just released his artistic, short-film style music video for his newest single, “Pigs in the Sky.”

    The just over 7-minute video shows Grabbitz in a mysterious Buffalo art museum where he finds himself immersed in paintings and scenes from different eras. Grabbitz even faces ruthless attacks from his antagonist (Sarah Santizo) as he tries to snap back into reality.

    The video is an entertaining creative feat. Strong direction by Mac Cappuccino even incorporates sitcom tropes and alternate timelines (à la Wandavision) while “Pigs in the Sky” itself is a catchy, playable track.

    It seems like cinematic music videos are fading out. I grew up watching immersive videos, and there were so many platforms that catered to them. Nowadays, we live in a time of TikTok where videos have to be short, to the point, and hook you in half a second. So we decided to make this video really f’ing long.

    Grabbitz
    Grabbitz
    Photo by Daniel Leahey

    Grabbitz, AKA Nick Chiari, is not only a singer-songwriter but also a producer and musical composer. Spoken like a true 716 native, Chiari recounts that the first song he ever learned was the Buffalo Bills theme. He learned guitar and piano at a young age and began using the Xbox game “MTV Music Generator” to produce songs and beats throughout middle school.

    Chiari, 28, started performing as Grabbitz back in 2014 as a DJ in the EDM world. His song “Here With You Now” gained traction and he even caught the attention of Shaquille O’Neal. In fact, Shaq made an appearance in Grabbitz’s 2018 music video for “My Cloud.” He has also collaborated with big names like One Republic and deadmau5.

    Grabbitz is now back home in Buffalo after previously living in Los Angeles. With “Pigs in the Sky” and a deal with Hopeless Records, Grabbitz is hoping to enter the next phase of his musical career, having pivoted away from EDM.

    Grabbitz
    Photo by Margaryta Bushkin

    It’s got rapping and an interesting chord structure in the chorus. This is not a song I would have attempted a few years ago, but it feels right and I feel good about doing it now. It has a weird, driving, heavy beat that will blow your speakers if you play it too loud, and the lyrics are reflective because I wrote it during the pandemic when I had nothing but time to think. I wanted something that was serious but had comedic relief, and I think I got there. I’m proud of it and see it as a stepping stone to the next permutation of what I do.

    Grabbitz on “Pigs in the Sky”

    You can connect with Grabbitz on his website, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

  • Call To Action: Warren County Musician Frank Palangi loses Home Studio and Equipment to Fire

    A GoFundMe page challengers community members to help Frank Palangi, who despite losing virtually everything when home recording studio was struck by lightning, has “no plan B on backing down on [his] dreams.”

    Frank Palagani
    Frank Palangi, Musician, NYS Music Music In Motion Host


    Most have been fortunate enough to never know what it felt like to decide what stayed and what burned. On June 29, Warren County raised Frank Palangi was home when lightning struck his home and ignited a fire that claimed the musician’s “home studio equipment, clothes, personal items, [and] some things [he] can never get back.”

    Click Here to Help Frank
    Frank’s former hub for writing, recording, film production, teaching… and much more via Go Fund Me Page

    Frank has been a proponent for participation in community for New York as a recording artist himself, hosting interview series NYS Music In Motion. Until the fire, Frank has consistently and frequently captivated YouTube audiences with polished music videos and out of the box collaborations.

    Frank collaborates with 13 year old UK drummer on unique cover of “Purple Haze”

    Go Fund Me Organizer Lindsay R, Organizer writes that Frank “happens to be one of the most humble, kind, and appreciative people there is. When the pandemic forced the closures of live music venues across the country, Frank began performing live shows online, from the very studio that we are now trying to help him rebuild. He freely gave of his time, energy, and talent because of his belief in the healing and transformative power of music, and fostered a sense of community amongst his fans during a time when we needed it the most.”

    Frank Rocks. Let’s help him.

    For now, Frank has lost his ability to do what he loves, but the community possesses the power to help him get it back, come together and put a little kindness back into this world. According to lightningsafety.com there is a 1 : 280,000 chance of lightning striking a home. Hopefully, the chances for our music-supporting community helping are better than that.

    Click Here to Help Frank

    Our thoughts are with Frank and his family during this difficult time. You rock. “To rock” is something about who you are, and what lives inside of you, regardless of your ability to manifest creative endeavors at this moment. Some say that the best music comes out of the most difficult times, so sit tight. We’ve got you.

    To learn more about Frank Palangi, visit his website, YouTube, Spotify and Music In Motion Archives.

  • Twiddle’s Frendsgiving returns to the Capitol Theatre November 2021

    Vermont-based jam quartet Twiddle has announced its annual “Frendsgiving” celebration for 2021. This year’s shows will occur on Friday November 26th, and Saturday November 27th at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY.

    Friday night will feature an opening set from guitar virtuoso Keller Williams. Saturday will see an opening set from Connecticut rock outfit Eggy, who make their Capitol Theatre debut.

    Tickets are now on sale. For more information, visit twiddlemusic.com 

  • Central Park Mega Concert to feature Paul Simon, Jennifer Hudson and Bruce Springsteen

    Update – 7:57pm, August 21, 2021 – Rolling Stone Magazine reports the ‘We Love NYC’ mega concert has been canceled due to inclement weather.

    https://twitter.com/RollingStone/status/1429230126890373122?s=19

    The Central Park mega concert announced on last month, in celebration of New York reopening and pulling back COVID-19 restrictions, now has a lineup. Paul Simon, Jennifer Hudson and Bruce Springsteen will headline the concert. The show is tentatively set for August 21, 2021 on the Great Lawn. 

    Central Park mega concert
    Photo by Rafael Puerto of the Great Lawn at Central Park.

    Mayor Bill de Blasio is planning this mega concert that will host multiple acts. Clive Davis has been chosen by the mayor to pull this mega concert together. Davis is a well known 89-year-old producer and music-industry eminence. Davis has quite a career that has spanned over five-decades. He has worked with big names like Janis Joplin, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys and Whitney Houston. He has hosted the Grammy Gala annually since 1976.

    It’s going to be one of the greatest Central Park concerts in history. This is something you do not want to miss. This is something for the ages.

    Mayor Bill de Blasio

    The New York Times had said Davis “is aiming for eight ‘iconic’ stars to perform a three-hour show for 60,000 attendees and a worldwide television audience.” Some details on the event have been released though including it taking place at the Great Lawn, Live Nation will be involved with the production, and the majority of tickets will be free, although there will be some V.I.P. seating. 70% of all tickets will go to those who have received their COVID-19 vaccination.

    The Great Lawn at Central Park has hosted lots of famous concerts in it’s time. Some of the big names include Carole King who serenaded 70,000 people there in 1973. Elton John played back in 1980 and the following year Simon & Garfunkel reunited for an estimated 400,000 people. Diana Ross performed in 1983, Luciano Pavarotti in 1993 and the Dave Matthews Band in 2003.

    The show is supposed to feel like a homecoming to New York City after the pandemic that has been gripping the world for the last year and a half. In an interview, Mayor Bill de Blasio said that, “This concert is going to be a once in a lifetime opportunity. It’s going to be an amazing lineup. The whole week is going to be like nothing you’ve ever seen before in New York City.”

    https://youtu.be/mefvCRU22oY

    The concept for the Central Park mega concert came to fruition recently. Davis said that the mayor called him three weeks ago and asked him to present a show in partnership with the city that would celebrate New York’s reopening and emphasize the need to vaccinate more young people.

    It is going to be a great moment for the city, marking our rebirth, marking our comeback. We’re very excited, and it’s going to be a historic event, to say the least.

    Mayor Bill de Blasio

    More details will be shared in coming weeks for the August 21 mega-concert. Stay tuned to NYS Music!

    Update July 27, 2021: The full lineup was announced on July 27, 2021 by Mayor Bill de Blasio, Clive Davis, Live Nation/NYCEDC chair Danny Meyer. The free mega-concert will be taking place on the Great Lawn in Central Park on Saturday, August 21. Although Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson and Paul Simon were hinted as being the headliners previously now the expanded lineup has also been announced and includes big names like Jon Batiste, Andrea Bocelli, Kane Brown, LL COOL J, Elvis Costello, Lucky Daye, Earth, Wind & Fire, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Cynthia Erivo, Jimmy Fallon, Wyclef Jean, Journey, The Killers, Gayle King, Don Lemon, Barry Manilow, The New York Philharmonic, Polo G, Carlos Santana, Patti Smith, and Rob Thomas.

  • Radio Woodstock Showcases Women Artists

    Talk about some girl power. For the first time in station history, Radio Woodstock 100.1 WDST has announced that their top 10 slots in power rotation are all women artists.

    Radio Woodstock women

    The current Radio Woodstock top 10 rotation is comprised of female artists across several different genres: St. Vincent, Amy Helm, Allison Russell, Yola, Maia Sharp, Sofia Valdes, Shemekia Copeland, Joy Oladokun (with Maren Morris), Lake Street Dive, and Sean Della Croce. 

    Looks like it is a hot girl summer and a hot girl future.

    Aja Whitney (Music Director)

    Amy Helm, a Woodstock native herself, recently released her latest album “What the Flood Leaves Behind”. Other new releases from St. Vincent, Allison Russell and Yola have caught the attention of Radio Woodstock. The station stated, “Female artists have emerged as leading the sound on one of the most uniquely curated rock radio stations in the world today.”

    Amy Helm in Woodstock, photo by Peter Ross

    Radio Woodstock 100.1 WDST has emerged as one of the most influential radio stations in the Hudson Valley, winning regional and national awards for its eclectic programming. Their DJ staff focuses on discovering new and emerging artists while continuing to showcase musical legends and other established talent. Radio Woodstock also produces several concerts and festivals around the Hudson Valley, including the Mountain Jam Festival.

    Throughout the pandemic, Radio Woodstock posted “Sofa Session” performances to their YouTube channel, where some of the station’s favorite artists shared short and intimate sets.

    Visit the Radio Woodstock website to listen live and celebrate these powerful women in music!

  • Turning Stone Showroom Undergoes Renovation

    The Turning Stone Resort Casino Showroom in Verona is undergoing an electrifying renovation in anticipation of the return of live events. Turning Stone surveyed 30,000 guests and found that the majority of guests simply cannot wait to attend live music events post-COVID.

    The results are especially exciting for Turning Stone as it is an award-winning destination for live entertainment in the state of New York.

    Turning Stone

    After surveying more than 30,000 guests, Turning Stone found that 92% of respondents miss attending live entertainment and events, 76% are looking for live events in intimate venues (less than 1,000 people), 73% are eager to attend live events again, and 65% are willing to travel more than 120 miles to attend live events.

    Turning Point recently announced that it is unveiling a series of multi-million dollar renovations across the resort, focusing on a significant overhaul of The Showroom. The Showroom will become much more modernized and will create an all-new intimate environment for live events.

    Specific features of the new Showroom include: a state-of-the-art sound system that will provide perfect acoustics for every performance genre; new contemporary design, featuring dark mahogany woods and shades of deep purples and violets; more than 650 premium stadium-style seats; and an all-new bar in the newly added atrium.

    Turning Stone
    Benny Mardones at Turning Stone Showroom

    “These survey results are very encouraging as they indicate our guests are eager to attend live performances again, which we know is also a significant driver of tourism in our region,” said Oneida Indian Nation Representative and Oneida Nation Enterprises CEO Ray Halbritter. “This is also great news for the local music scene in Central New York. We take great pride in showcasing local talent in our venues and introducing our guests who come from all over the county to the best our region has to offer.”

    The Showroom construction will be completed before September, when live entertainment will resume at Turning Stone. Shows being hosted here will be announced shortly. Get ready for a music-filled fall at Turning Stone!

  • Don’t miss Amythyst Kiah at Stone Ridge Orchards in July

    Breakout star, Amythyst Kiah, will perform at Stone Ridge Orchard on July 17 at 4 pm to 8 pm (door open at 3 pm). All ages are welcome at this socially conscious, safe, and COVID-19 compliant event. Proceeds for the evening show will benefit The Hudson Valley LGBTQ Center.  

    Amythyst Kiah

    As the only New York area appearance of Amythyst Kiah, the show will find Kiah performing songs from her new collection, Wary + Strange, out June 18 on Rounder Records. The album marks the glorious collision of two vastly different worlds: the iconoclastic alt-rock that first sparked her musical passion, and the roots/old-time-music scene where she’s found breakout success in recent years, including recognition from Rolling Stone as “one of Americana’s great up-and-coming secrets.” 

    The singles off this album have been Fancy Drones, Hangover Blues, Wild Turkey, and Black Myself. The last of which she performed during her late night debut on Jimmy Kimmel. When met with the transcendent quality of her newly elevated sound, what emerges is an extraordinary vessel for Kiah’s songwriting. These are exciting times for Kiah and her music. The sound of her first two albums Her Chest of Glass and Dig culminated into the success of Wary + Strange.

    https://youtu.be/yMx7bXA4_H4

    Produced by Tony Berg (Phoebe Bridgers, Amos Lee, Andrew Bird) and made with esteemed musicians like Blake Mills, Wary + Strange arrives as a deeply immersive body of work, endlessly redefining the limits of roots music in its inventive rhythms and textures. With an unforgettable voice that’s both unfettered and exquisitely controlled, Kiah gracefully interlaces political commentary and personal revelation, ultimately offering a raw yet nuanced examination of grief, alienation, and the hard-won triumph of total self-acceptance.

    She honed into vibrant musicality in part through her studies in East Tennessee State University’s Bluegrass, Old Time, Country Music program. The Chattanooga, Tennessee-bred singer/songwriter has expanded on the uncompromising artistry she’s displayed as a member of Our Native Daughters—an all-women-of-color supergroup. With whom Kiah first penned “Black Myself” that then earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best American Roots Song and won Song of the Year at the Folk Alliance International Awards. She’s been included in People Magazine’s “Talented Black Musical Artists on the Rise in 2021”. Kiah has also been nominated for three Americana Music Awards. 

    Spread out on a beautiful 115-acre farm, the performance can be enjoyed along with other family-friendly activities available at Stone Ridge Orchard. For more info contact Stone Ridge Orchard either by phone at 845-687-2587 or by email at SROrchardEvents@gmail.com.

    To stay up to date with Amythyst Kiah visit her website or follow her on social media, including Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Tickets are available for purchase at StoneRidgeOrchard.com.

    In the newest episode of Salute The Songbird, host Maggie Rose is joined by Kiah to talk about her new album and the experiences that led to her success. Amythyst shares stories from growing up in Tennessee, how support and encouragement from her parents helped her overcome issues with identity and anxiety, and the impact music and writing have had on her personal journey.