Across New York State, 13 venues will play host to Jam for Tots shows, bringing music venues and patrons together in an effort to support those most in need across the Empire State during the 2021 Holiday Season.
Patrons are encouraged to see live music at any of the shows below, and bring with them a new, unwrapped toy for a child. Each venue will have a box for toys to be dropped off in, All toys will be donated to local charities to each venue, keeping the community effort benefitting those in the immediate area.
Thursday 12/2 – The Deadbeats, Nanola, Malta Thursday 12/2 – Open Mic hosted by Jon Pinder, Stewart House, Athens Thursday 12/9- Tato and Friends, Funk n Waffles, Syracuse Saturday 12/11 – Mihali, Bearsville Theater, Woodstock Saturday 12/11 – Mikaela Davis with Girl Blue, The Hollow, Albany Friday 12/17 – The Samples with Rich Ortiz, Putnam Place, Saratoga Springs Saturday 12/18 – Hollis Brown, The Falcon, Marlboro Saturday 12/18 – Sydney Worthley, El Modernist and Josh Morris, Lark Hall, Albany Saturday 12/18 – El Nac: A Christmas Special, The Waterhole, Saranac Lake Sunday 12/19 – The Nutcracker, The State Theatre, Ithaca Sunday 12/19 – 11th Anniversary Party, The Strand Theater, Hudson Falls Saturday 12/25 – Televisionaries & Awful Kanawful, The Bug Jar, Rochester Friday 12/31 – Pasadena w/Joint Operation, Buffalo Iron Works, Buffalo
We thank the venues, artists and fans who support Jam for Tots each year, and make the holidays a little brighter for those most in need.
The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences announced on November 23rd the 2022 nominees for the 64th Grammy Awards, including a great deal of artists from across New York State. From jazz, to pop, to blues, to rap, to classical artists and engineering, artists from the Empire State racked up nominations nominees this year.
GRAPHIC BY THE RECORDING ACADEMY
Some of the biggest recipients of nominations across the Grammy Awards were Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga who topped across six different categories for their work together on their album Love for Sale and single I Get a Kick Out of You. Tony Bennett hails from Long Island City while Lady Gaga is from New York City. The two together are representing New York in the nominations for Record of the year, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Album of the Year, Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, Best Music Video, and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.
Some other artists who snagged multiple nominations including Alicia Keys, from Hell’s Kitchen, for Song of the Year for her song “A Beautiful Noise” she made with Brandi Carlile and for Best Immersive Audio Album for her album Alicia. Another artist who snagged multiple nominations is Nas, from Crown Heights, was nominated for Best Rap Album for his album King’s Disease II and for his work on the song Bath Salts by DMX which features Jay-Z & Nas which was nominated for Best Rap Song. The whole song represents some New York skill with DMX from Mount Vernon and Jay-Z from Brooklyn.
There were many artists from New York who received a nomination for their work across all the categories. Listed below are the nominated categories, artists and their work, and where in New York each artist is from.
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Norah Jones – ’Til We Meet Again (Live) – Manhattan
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
Steve Gadd Band – At Blue Note Tokyo – Irondequoit
Best Progressive R&B Album
Cory Henry – Something to Say – Brooklyn
Best Rap Performance
Cardi B – Up – Washington Heights
Best Jazz Vocal Album
The Baylor Project – Generations – New York City
Best Latin Jazz Album
Carlos Henriquez – The South Bronx Story – The Bronx
Best Traditional Blues Album
Guy Davis – Be Ready When I Call You – New York City
The Infamous Stringdusters – A Tribute to Bill Monroe (Guitarist Andy Falco) – Long Island
Best Song Written for Visual Media
Leslie Odom, Jr. – Speak Now – Queens
Best Instrumental Composition
Brandee Younger – Beautiful Is Black – Hempstead
Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella
Bill O’Connell – Chopsticks – New York City
Producer of the Year, Classical
Steven Epstein – Queens Village
Elaine Martone – Rochester
Best Classical Instrumental Solo
Simone Dinnerstein – An American Mosaic – Brooklyn
Best Classical Compendium
Amy Andersson – Women Warriors – The Voices of Change – Founder of Orchestra Moderne NYC
Another honorable mention goes out to Jon Batiste with his many of his works including his 2021 album We Are. Batiste is actually from Metairie, Louisiana but has had a huge impact on New York. He is known widely for his work with Stay Human on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert which films in Manhattan. Batiste was nominated in eleven categories, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Traditional R&B Performance, Best R&B Album, Best Improvised Jazz Solo, Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Best American Roots Performance, Best American Roots Song, Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media, Best Contemporary Classical Composition, and Best Music Video.
The 64th Annual Grammy Awards will take place on Monday, January 31, 2022. For more information on the 64th Grammy Awards 2022 nominees visit their website.
Brian Fallon is filled with a lot his plate and he’s ready to share helpings all around North America. A 37 date trek will be spread across the continent for a full-band headline run starting in January 2022.
That is, Brian Fallon followed by his almighty longtime live band, The Howling Weather, they’ll kick off the tour January 11, 2022 at Portland, ME’s State Theatre and then travels through an eagerly awaited homecoming show set for March 4, 2022 at the famed Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, NJ.
Fallon will pick up some special guest along the way you’ll see The Dirty Nil (January 11-February 16), Worriers (January 11-March 4), and Hurry (February 18-March 4).
Fallon is sure to include tracks from his recently released holiday album, Night Divine thanks to Lesser Known Records/Thirty Tiger. Produced and recorded by yours truly, Fallon, the album brings new renditions of classic hymns and spirituals. Listen for yourself recently premiered “Virgin Mary Had One Son” and “Amazing Grace,”
Fallon keeps ‘Virgin Mary Had One Son’ close to its folk-standard origins, adding some shaken percussion and low, sustained piano notes to compliment his acoustic guitar arpeggions. Fallon sings with a mixture of awe and solemnity that fits a retelling of the Christian savior’s birth
Rolling Stone
Fallon ends the year with what he does best, selling out venues. The night holiday residency at Garwood, NJ’s Crossroads is set for December 4, 16, 17, 18, and 23. In addition, next spring will see Fallon and The Howling Weather crossing the Atlantic for a wide-ranging tour of the UK and Europe, including already sold-out shows in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Scotland, and England; support throughout comes from special guests Chris Farren and Jesse Malin. Tickets can be purchased here.
BRIAN FALLON
2021 US TOUR DATES
DECEMBER 2021
4 – Garwood, NJ – Crossroads (SOLD OUT)
16 – Garwood, NJ – Crossroads (SOLD OUT)
17 – Garwood, NJ – Crossroads (SOLD OUT)
18 – Garwood, NJ – Crossroads (SOLD OUT)
23 – Garwood, NJ – Crossroads (SOLD OUT)
BRIAN FALLON AND THE HOWLING WEATHER
2022 TOUR DATES – NORTH AMERICA/EU/UK
JANUARY 2022
11 – Portland, ME – State Theatre *
12 – Holyoke, MA – Gateway City Arts *
14 – Montreal, QC – L’Astral *
15 – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall *
16 – Buffalo, NY – Babeville/Asbury Hall *
18 – Munhall, PA – Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall *
19 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues*
21 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall *
22 – Indianapolis, IN – Deluxe at Old National Centre *
NYC-based Nicotine Dolls shared their new single “Upset the Neighbors,” the latest from the group that formed in 2017 after lead vocalist Sam Cieri and lead guitarist John Hays decided to form a band after meeting on tour. Bassist John Merritt and drummer Abel Tabares joined quickly after.
The band has spent the past 4 years recording and releasing music (produced by Eric Sanderson) as well as producing their own videos. DIY touring and hometown NYC shows are always left shaking from the bands emotional raw and energetic performances. Balancing genre fluidity between alt-rock, pop, and some bits between, the band’s music is always rooted in honesty and the simple complexities of being a person.
This song is two people keeping veering away and distracting themselves from the issues inherent between them. I brought this one to the band feeling like it was right up our alley, big exhilarating sounds tied onto the inevitable weight of the topic. We went in wanting to chase the distraction part of the story, the fun and the show. So, we take that grounding and then thought, what if “I believe in a thing called love” by The Darkness was covered by a 2007 pop punk band? It’s always a good sign if these are the questions you are asking.
Sam Cieri
Nicotine Dolls have three shows planned at Rockwood Music Hall in NYC, with more information available here.
Nicotine Dolls Tour Dates
Jan 13 – New York, NY – Rockwood Music Hall Feb 17 – New York, NY – Rockwood Music Hall Mar 17 – New York, NY – Rockwood Music Hall
On December 10, the band released the music video for “Upset the Neighbors” which can be seen below.
Our videos are the other half of what we do and we have a lot of fun making them ourselves. The goal for this was to double down on the fun and make something that didn’t take itself too seriously (like those great Foo Fighters videos). We spent two days creating and filming chaos in our friends apartments and it will go down as the most fun we have had making a video so far. This video is meant to make you smile and laugh and feel good because after the year and a half we have all had that’s what we all (including this band) need.
Stephen Sondheim, one of the most iconic figures in musical theatre history, has died in his home at the age of 91. Lawyer and friend F. Richard Pappas confirmed his passing to the New York Times on Friday, November 26. Sondheim was both a composer and lyricist for Broadway plays including Sweeney Todd and Into the Woods, and also wrote the lyrics for West Side Story and Gypsy.
Stephen Sondheim | CREDIT: DOUGLAS ELBINGER/GETTY IMAGES
Sondheim won many awards throughout his career, including nine Tonys, eight Grammys, an Oscar and a Pulitzer Prize. In 2015, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama. For his 90th birthday in 2020, a virtual concert titled Take Me to the World streamed on the Broadway.com YouTube channel in his honor. The title song comes from Evening Primrose, a musical film Sondheim wrote the lyrics and music for in 1966.
As a composer and lyricist, Sondheim was in a league of his own. Most major composers don’t write the lyrics to their scores, and vice versa; others on the list include Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Frank Loesser, Jerry Herman and Noël Coward. While many of Sondheim’s plays have gone down in theatre history, they were often more successful critically than commercially. They had a reputation for being dark, serious and experimental, a sharp contrast to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Disney’s later crowd-pleasers.
Several of Sondheim’s plays have received Hollywood film adaptations, with the most recent one, a West Side Story remake helmed by Steven Spielberg, out this December. His 1970 musical Company is also returning to Broadway in December. It was set to open on Sondheim’s 90th birthday in March 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before his passing, Sondheim was able to attend the November 15 preview.
Many actors and musicians have paid their respects on social media, sharing stories of how Sondheim’s work has inspired them. Lin-Manuel Miranda, who previously worked with Sondheim, compared him to William Shakespeare:
Future historians: Stephen Sondheim was real. Yes, he wrote Tony & Maria AND Sweeney Todd AND Bobby AND George & Dot AND Fosca AND countless more. Some may theorize Shakespeare's works were by committee but Steve was real & he was here & he laughed SO loud at shows & we loved him
Albany’s Times Union Center will be renamed MVP Arena after Albany County Legislature approved the name change on November 23, 2021.
Photo of Times Union Center by Zach Culver
The Albany County Legislature approved the change of Albany’s Times Union Center to MVP Arena unanimously. The name change comes as part of the five year deal with MVP Healthcare which was approved by the Public Works Committee. MVP Healthcare will be paying $2 million a year for the naming rights of the entertainment venue.
The majority of the money will be going to an innovation fund which works to support community projects within Albany. The other $600,000 is a cash payment just for the arena naming rights. This new name won’t happen right away with the new deal not being set to begin on January 1, 2022.
MVP Healthcare logo
Albany County Executive Dan McCoy spoke on the decision to choose MVP Healthcare and the name the arena saying, “When we announced the arena naming rights RFP, I said I wanted more than just a company’s name and logo on our facility. I wanted a partner that was committed to the success of the arena and the surrounding community. I’m thrilled to say that we have found that partner in MVP, which has a long history of successful collaborations of this kind.”
Photo of Times Union Center by Zach Culver
MVP will be pushing some initiatives forward with the venue. Some of the proposed initiatives include a neighborhood farmer’s market in the atrium of the new MVP Arena, MVP Arena shuttle for seniors, individuals with disabilities and others attending games and events, and a year-round youth sports and coaching clinics. These initiatives will highlight MVP Arena as being a destination to visit in Albany and surrounding regions.
The arena originally opened back in 1990, It is owned by Albany County and managed by ASM Global. The facility has hosted a variety of events, including concerts, family shows and sporting events and averages around 145 events each year including concerts and sports events according to this WTEN news article.
Irish Arts Center has announced the opening of their new building with Camille O’Sullivan’s “Where Are We Now?” on December 4, 2021.
Photo by Mac Smith
Irish Arts Center (IAC), which was founded in 1972, is based in New York City and is known for presenting dynamic, inspiring, collaborative experiences of the evolving arts and culture of Ireland and Irish America in an environment of warm Irish hospitality. The new center will be opening its doors to its long-heralded new home, a 21,700 square foot hub for the arts at 726 11th Avenue, with a monumental inaugural season of programming. The season of programming will run from December 4, 2021 to December of 2022.
Irish Arts Center Executive Director Aidan Connolly spoke on the new building saying, “The new Irish Arts Center is a dream realized and a tribute to the broad coalition of people in New York and Ireland who have brought it to life, at a time when we so eagerly need a place to come together with inspiration and hope. But it’s only the beginning. Our opening season is a statement of promise and possibility. We invite artists and audiences of all backgrounds to see themselves in this welcoming new home.”
Photo by Mac Smith
The new building was designed by New York-based architects Davis Brody Bond who is known for his work on the National September 11 Museum and The Ronald O. Perelman Performing Arts Center. Davis Brody Bond designed the building with consultation and support from Ireland’s Office of Public Works, the new Irish Arts Center is an historic collaboration between the people of Ireland and New York, signifying a new era in the cultural life of the global Irish diaspora, and providing an important new canvas for the development and presentation of the performing arts in New York City.
Irish Arts Center has operated for decades within New York’s Off-Off Broadway theatre landscape from the humble three-story tenement at 553 West 51st Street in Hell’s Kitchen originally. As part of the evolution of the neighborhood, in 2006 the organization was given an opportunity to potentially acquire the site of Cybert Tire, on a city-owned property on 11th Avenue, adjacent to Irish Arts Center’s current home. From this, the Irish Arts Center undertook an ambitious transformation into a vital, inclusive multidisciplinary institution deeply integrated into the cultural ecosystems of Ireland and New York.
Back in 2020, when construction was in the works COVID-19 struck and construction of the long-awaited landmark’s new facility was forced to pause with the rest of the world. Luckily with the support of its board, staff, and project team, government partners, and community of stakeholders, Irish Arts Center rose to the tumultuous moment of the pandemic, and its ensuing shutdown of construction and the arts in New York, with grace and grit. The Center’s staff, teachers, and artists quickly adapted its approximately 40 classes-per-season and multidisciplinary program to an online format like many other institutions.
Online classes and programs provided modes of engagement and joy from home, and commissioned a groundbreaking series of new works—Grásta: Grace in Uncertainty—to be experienced virtually, reaching more than 400,000 people in 49 states and 123 countries. The building was able to resume construction in July of 2020 and the building was completed within its $60MM budget, ensuring the successful opening of a magnificent new cultural amenity for New Yorkers, as the cultural soul of Ireland and New York is restored and enlivened with the receding of the pandemic.
The premiere event for the inaugural season is Camille O’Sullivan’s “Where Are We Now?” Which will be running December 4, 2021-December 31, 2021. The building will be officially opening on December 8. Camille O’Sullivan captures the madness of our world, and the redemption in our coming together again, with an unforgettable musical and emotional journey to mark this extraordinary moment.
Backed by a world-class ensemble of musicians, including longtime collaborator Feargal Murray on piano, Camille’s rhapsodic interpretations of an eclectic assembly of songs from iconic New York and Irish songwriters asks—as we turn the page on a new chapter—Where Are We Now?
For more information on the Irish Arts Center and it’s upcoming season visit its website here.
Joanne Shenandoah, a native of the Oneida Indian Nation who became a world-renowned singer and peace activist, has died at age 63, as reported by the Native American Music Awards & Association (NAMA).
Shenandoah passed away late in the evening of Monday, November 22nd at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, following complications of abdominal bleeding and suffering a cardiac arrest. She was surrounded by her husband, Doug George-Kanentiio and daughter Leah.
A member of the Wolf Clan of the Oneida Nation, of the Haudenosaunee Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy, Shenandoah was the most critically acclaimed and honored Native American singer since her debut recording in 1989. She went on to record a total of 15 albums with numerous more collaborations, won numerous awards, including 14 Native American Music Awards, the most ever awarded to a singular artist, and a GRAMMY for her contribution on Sacred Ground: A Tribute to Mother Earth. Among her NAMA awards are Best Children’s Recording, Best Traditional Recording, Best Music Video, Best Producer, as well as multiple awards for Best Female Artist, New Age Recording, Best Compilation, Artist of the Year, and Best Compilation.
Shenandoah also earned two Grammy nominations for her albums, Covenant and Peacemaker’s Journey, an Emmy nomination for the PBS special “Native America,” was inducted into the Syracuse Area Hall of Fame, and received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Syracuse University in 2002. Shenandoah was also an original board member of the Hiawatha Institute for Indigenous Knowledge, which operates in partnership with Syracuse University.
Just this year, Joanne released her last full length recording entitled, Oh Shenandoah, a 12 track recording featuring a collection of country infused songs along with a poignant dedication to Missing Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), “Missing You.” Joanne, with her daughter Leah and sister Diane, delivered an emotive and moving live performance with “Missing You” at her final appearance at the 19th Annual Native American Music Awards.
Over her five decade plus career, whether performing solo or with her musical trio featuring her daughter Leah and sister Diane, Joanne has graced the stages at The White House, Carnegie Hall, Presidential Inaugurations, Madison Square Garden, The Smithsonian, Woodstock ’94 and participated in the celebration of the canonization of Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Roman Catholic Native American saint in Rome, Italy. As a humanitarian and peace advocate, Joanne met and performed for such noted leaders such as his Holiness the Dali Lama, and Nelson Mandela.
Joanne’s beautiful embellishing voice, strong Iroquois traditions, unequivocal elegance and courteous grace made her a prominent role model and highly respected musical Matriarch among Native American communities as well as the mainstream music community at large. She sang with deep roots from her ancestors and flawlessly incorporated her oral traditions into contemporary Folk, Country and Americana formats. She captured the hearts of audiences all over the world and always took time to encourage and inspire younger musicians in her travels. Joanne Shenandoah made an incredible impact on this earth and has paved paths for so many.
Joanne leaves behind her husband Doug, daughter Leah, grandson Kieren Ryder, sisters Diane and Vicky and numerous nieces and nephews.
Judy Collins will celebrate winter and the holiday season with a one-time-only performance at The Town Hall on December 17. This will be Collins’ first official show in New York City since late 2019 and she’ll be joined by Americana group Chatham County Line and special guest Toshi Reagon.
Collins and Chatham County Line will warmly salute the season with songs from their collaborative album Winter Stories and more. Collins will also debut original songs from a to-be-announced new album to be released in early 2022.
Winter Stories was released in November of 2019, a collection of songs that capture the sounds and feeling of the winter season with new originals and classics such as Joni Mitchell’s “The River.” The “not so Christmas-y seasonal album” (Variety) led to a definitive New York Times profile, was deemed “marvelous” by the Boston Globe and spent four weeks as the #1 album on Billboard’s Bluegrass chart.
Despite several months of not touring, Collins did perform at The Town Hall in February of this year, in an empty venue due to the pandemic. She livestreamed the concert and released the recording in August as Judy Collins: Live At The Town Hall. She revisited a very similar set list to the concert she played on that same stage in 1964. Her 1964 Town Hall engagement was her first official solo headline concert in New York City, and was also recorded and released as a beloved album in her catalog (The Judy Collins Concert), performing songs that captured the tumult of the era.
Collins remains ever-prolific at 82. She has released five albums in the past five years, and in July launched a podcast that only Collins could host called Since You’ve Asked, in which she has refreshingly upfront, honest and revealing conversations with guests ranging from Jeff Daniels and Clive Davis to Christiane Amanpour. New episodes will debut early next year.
With a fiery new rhythm section in tow, Runaway Gin has reemerged to rave reviews and are headed out on tour in 2022. They’ll make a long-awaited return to Saratoga Springs at Putnam Place on March 4, then perform at Mercury Lounge on March 5, before closing out the tour in Bridgeport, CT at Park City Music Hall.
The southern Phish tribute band’s recent Fall Tour has featured some huge jams, including a record breaking two-song first set on Friday, November 19, and four sets with less than four songs in their last two shows. This past Friday Joel Cummings (Umphrey’s McGee) joined the band for a break-neck rendition of ‘Maze’ in Richmond, VA.
The Winter 2022 Tour schedule includes returns to Jacksonville, Atlanta, Nashville, Winston-Salem, Roanoke, Washington, DC, Chicago, New York City, Ardmore, PA, and Saratoga Springs. The band will also have debut performances in Columbus, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Bridgeport, CT.
Added shows include a debut performance at legendary Richmond, VA venue the National on April, 2nd, long awaited returns to the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, NC, and the Visulite Theatre in Charlotte, NC, as well as returns to Greenville, SC and Asheville, NC at the Radio Room and Asheville Music Hall.
For tour dates, videos and live recordings visit Runaway Gin’s website here complete with videos, posters, photos, and setlists. Follow Runaway Gin on Facebook.
Runaway Gin 2022 Winter Tour
January 20th – Jacksonville, FL – 1904 Music Hall January 21st – Atlanta, GA – Aisle 5 January 22nd – Nashville, TN – Exit/In February 3rd – Winston-Salem, NC – the Ramkat February 4th – Roanoke, VA – 5 Points Music Sanctuary February 5th – Washington, DC – Pearl St. Warehouse February 6th – Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird Live February 9th – Columbus, OH – the Summit Music Hall February 10th – Chicago, IL – the Point February 11th – Indianapolis, IN – the Mouse Trap February 12th – Cincinnati, OH – Riverfront Live March 3th – Ardmore, PA – Ardmore Music Hall March 4th – Saratoga Springs, NY – Putnam Place March 5th – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge March 6th – Bridgeport, CT – Park City Music Hall April 2nd – Richmond, VA – the National April 8th – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre April 9th – Charlotte, NC – Visulite Theatre April 15th – Greenville, SC – the Radio Room May 13th – Asheville, NC – Asheville Music Hall May 31 – Charleston, SC – Charleston Pour House* *post-Phish show, ‘Just the Covers’
Runaway Gin also recently released their first three song set from Salvage Station in Asheville earlier this month. VIDEO LINK
