The Orchestra Now (TŌN) will continue its Spring 2021 season by live streaming two concerts March 7 and March 20, with conductors Andrés Rivas and Zachary Schwartzman.
The Orchestra Now from theorchestranow.org
Works on both concerts, ranging from rarely performed music for string orchestra to Vivaldi’s Concerto in G minor, Pärt’s memorial for composer Benjamin Britten and Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite after Bizet’s beloved opera, will be prefaced with brief remarks by TŌN musicians.
On March 7, assistant conductor Andrés Rivas will lead the orchestra in four works for strings. The english composer Bruce Montgomery will have his Concertino for String Orchestra performed. Montgomery’s work ranges over several genres, including soundtracking for the infamous British comedy series Carry On. There will also be works from composers Victor Herbert, Ingvar Lidholm, and Andrés Gaos.
On March 20, resident conductor Zachary Schwartzmen will lead an arrangement from Bizet‘s classic opera Carmen by Russian composer Rodion Shchedrin in advance of his 90th birthday in December 2022. Shchedrin’s works are known for their avant-garde and neoclassist sensibilities as well as folk and jazz sounds. His Carmen suite was intended for his wife, who is a ballerina. Conductor and Grammy-nominated recording artist Zachary Schwartzman will offer musical insights on the concert in a Zoom seminaron Thursday, March 11 at 7 PM EST. You can RSVP HERE.
The Orchestra Now from theorchestranow.org
It is a free concert with a suggested donation of $15-35. If you cannot attend the concerts in real-time, they will be posted here after March 11.
The Orchestra Now is a group of 72 young, vivacious musicians from 14 different countries. All members share a love for orchestral music, keeping it relevant in the 21st century by sharing their personal insights and artistic capabilities in a welcoming environment. Conductor, educator, and music historian Leon Botstein, whom The New York Times said “draws rich, expressive playing from the orchestra,” founded TŌN in 2015 as a graduate program at Bard College, where he is also president. The Orchestra Now offers both a three-year master’s degree program in Curatorial, Critical, and Performance Studies and a two-year advanced certificate in Orchestra Studies. You can find more about TŌN here.
Beloved live music venue The Haunt in Ithaca, NY has been recently sold and demolished, but relocation begins soon.
At 702 Willow Street, The Haunt will be replaced by a building under the City Harbor Residential Project, which is under way now in Ithaca. Several residential buildings are in the process of construction all across town.
Ithaca’s most prominent local promoter, Dan Smalls of DSP shows, said on the matter “It allows me to work with the people we’re working with to look for a new and bigger and better location, which continues to be our plan,” He added, “The question is just when we will be ready to announce it. That’ll be hopefully soon, but we’re working very diligently toward a new location. Our goal is to be the premier live entertainment venue in Central New York. It’ll be a gathering place for not just live music, like The Haunt, but a real downtown gathering spot.”
The Haunt, Fall 2020 – photo by Casey Martin
Small recognizes that the pandemic renders it impossible to know when live music can resume, but he hopes that in 2022 it will be possible to have a full-capacity venue.
“(COVID-19 guidance) will dictate how quickly we move with the next project, but there will be a next project,” Smalls said. “Something that’s a usable, hopefully downtown location, and there’s lots of areas downtown that are currently being developed, so hopefully that gives people an idea of where that could be.”
Originally opening in 1960, The Haunt relocated in the 1990s to the West End which attracted both national artists and up-and-coming acts, fostering a space in Ithaca for large crowds and great music. Smalls remarks on attending concerts at the earlier Green Street location before it was relocated in the 90s. To make the new Ithaca location a vital venue in the region, Smalls cities the Higher Ground venue in Burlington, Vermont as a place he wishes to emulate.
The potential new location is hypothesized to land on 15-117 North Cayuga Street, the current location of the Masonic Temple, but after speaking to the owners, Smalls responded that the offer is not “on the table” just yet.
A little March madness may complement and contribute to sanity and help keep society on an even keel
Henry V. Porter, 1939
Since 2015, New York State Music has crafted a March Madness bracket delving into the musical harbors of our great state. As fans and musicians ourselves, we spotlight the great talent across New York in friendly competition and discovery.
Porter coined the term that went dark for four decades. March Madness, as you know it today, is commonplace in sport and bracketing. NYS Music is here to put a musical namesake on March Madness 2021. Its furry never looses sight of the underdog, a headliner’s humble beginnings, new musical discovery and rolling with the punches in our ever-changing industry.
These are 64 bands you might not know about, but should. Artists big and small, but all homegrown in New York. With the aide of our sponsors, NYS Music March Madness is a medium for these artists to be heard, grow and discovered. Go Listen. Go Vote. And let the Madness begin.
For any band starting out, there are things that need to be addressed. Among them, what venue you’ll play, who the promoter is, who handles the sound and lights, how you’ll market yourself, where you get merch from, and more recently, how you’ll stream your show. Fortunately, NYS Music has partnered with businesses across New York State to help bands meet these needs.
Central New York promoters Creative Concertsbring together fans at venues, stretching from Albany to Rochester and Syracuse to Ithaca. Lark Hall is the soon to open mid-sized venue in Albany that will host bands of all sizes, events and more. If you need to market your show, event, band or brand, Rochester’s Balbert Marketing has you covered. Need merchandise? Homegrown Eastern New York’s 518 Prints makes quality goods for local, regional and national bands or tours. High Peaks Event Production is a team with years of experience, aiding in all your stage, lighting and sound demands.JamCast proves high quality streams for bands, podcasts and much more. Between these companies, bands will find a great deal of what they need, and support businesses from across New York and the Northeast.
Vote now for your favorites and discover some of the great up and coming music that New York State has to offer!
NOTE: Make sure you vote in ALL matchups for each region.
Polls are now closed. Stay tuned for Round 2 voting, beginning Saturday, March 6 at 8am!
JamCast is a streaming platform that provides a unique experience using live, pre-recorded, archived audio & video performances, podcasting, vlogs, blogs, and more. It’s an online resource and database for all music industry professionals.
We’re also proud to present a bracket designed by the good folks at Wook+ Media, who have been keeping brackets going strong throughout the year, with unique topics and incredibly artistic designs. Check out the Round 1 graphic below:
Amityville Music Hall released a compilation album on Friday, February 26 to benefit its Long Island music venue.
Twenty-eight artists are included on the compilation, including John Nolan (Taking Back Sunday, Straylight Run), Jade Lilitri of Oso Oso, Johnny Booth, Sainthood Reps, Brian Byrne (Envy On The Coast, Violent Joy), Somerset Thrower, Rare Futures, and Wreath Of Tongues.
The album will be a mix of covers, originals, and stripped-down songs, available for a $15 donation on Long Island Emo’s bandcamp page starting on February 26th.
Amityville Music Hall has been a beloved hub for rock music in Long Island for many, many years. It has been the starting point for many bands that end up growing larger, but their nascence is from the Long Island scene. These small venues are critical to musicians and music lovers. As the pandemic continues, these venues need support in order to come back when it is safe in the future.
Go support AMH here:
Live music acts and DJ’s. Craft beers on tap. Daily events and specials. Available to rent for private events.Additional InformationLive music acts and DJ’s. Craft beers on tap. Weekly bar events and specials. Catering hall for private events.
The Crandell Theatre, Columbia County’s largest and oldest theatre located at 48 Main St. in Chatham, has raised $2 million towards their $3 million renovation goal.
Inside the Crandell Theatre. Photo via crandelltheatre.org
Built in 1926 by Chatham native and banker, Walter S. Crandell, the building designed in Spanish Renaissance style opened on Christmas day in 1926. The sound system was installed in 1929 and they played movies with audio called “talkies”. Anthony H. Quirino purchased the building in 1960 and stayed within the family’s possession until his son Tony died in 2010.
In 1998 film enthusiasts organized Chatham Film Club to regularly bring more independent and foreign films to the area. They made arrangements with Tony to rent the theatre out on a monthly basis on Sundays. Two years after, they collaborated with the Columbia County Council on the Arts and created the FilmColumbia festival which is a weekend of films shown in the theatre. After Tony’s passing, the CFC raised $600,000 to fix the theatre after its closing and purchasing it with the help of the community and Ellsworth Kelly Foundation, Lael Locke and Judy Grunberg. The CFC name officially changed to the Crandell Theatre in 2018.
The Crandell is a single-screened theatre that contains about 534 seats with over 422 auditorium seats and over 112 balcony seats. In 2013 they rebuilt the projection booth on the balcony to adopt digital projection and sound equipment. The current renovation plan includes upgrading the audio system, lobby and concession expansion. Additionally, they will make restrooms more current, replace seats and organize functional storage and workspace. The money made towards the renovation so far comes from fundraising and a $1 million pledge.
The theatre closed because of the pandemic but may reopen this summer if the state guidelines and their finances allow them. They plan to produce the FilmColumbia Festival this fall and hope to start reconstruction next January. If things go as planned, they can reopen with the renovations and host the FilmColumbia later next year.
Summer Camp Music Festival will plan to celebrate its 20 year anniversary this summer over August 20-22, and promoters are expecting it to be “truly special.”
2020 was the first year in over 20 years that the festival has taken a long break from their patrons. Jay Goldberg Events & Entertainment created the festival back in 2000. Since their first year, the festival has always held its place at Three Sisters Park. COVID-19 protocols forced the festival to reschedule their original dates, which was Memorial Day weekend.
We realize that Memorial Day Weekend isn’t going to be feasible, but we’re excited to look towards the future and gather once again in late August to celebrate life, love, and music. We are again happy to say that the vast majority of our lineup is able to join us in August for our 20th anniversary celebration.
The festival’s lineup includes three days of moe. and three days of Umphrey’s McGee across various stages. The camp is known for its spacious fields for shows and late night events with eclectic artists and bands. In 2001, the festival was able to bring in around 1,000 fans. Now, they have thousands of attendees who enjoy the welcoming aspect of the camp grounds.
Through the years, the festival has held performances from big names like The Flaming Lips, Primus, Umphrey’s McGee, Moe. and more. The festival’s website will announce more performing bands and artists over the next coming weeks. Any tickets bought for the previous date will roll over and additional information on new tickets and refunds will be announced soon.
Moe. performing at Summer Camp Music Festival in 2018.
Tedeschi Trucks Band announced their six part Fireside Sessions which was filmed at Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi’s home. The series will begin on February 18, 2021 and new episodes will air every Thursday at 8PM EST on nugs.net.
The Tedeschi Trucks Band formed back in 2010 in Jacksonville, Florida. They are a blues rock group that is led by Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks. They won a Grammy Award for Best Blues Album back in 2012 for their debut album, Revelator. They have released four studio and two live albums over the years. Some of their most well known songs include “Midnight in Harlem,” “Bound Glory,” “Anyhow,” and “Learn How to Love.”
The Fireside Sessions will be the return to live performance for The Tedeschi Trucks Band after nearly a year without performing live. With COVID-19 still raging on and touring not being an option on the table they decided to these live sessions to showcase the talented musicians in a more intimate setting. Each episode features a different cast of band members. The combinations vary from Derek and Susan as a duo to four, six, and eight-member combinations which offer unique arrangements on their song catalog, including some deeper cuts not often performed live. They will also be performing several new songs they have been working on during their time off the road.
Each episode of the series was captured in 4K detail by 7Cinematics, which is an award-winning crew of concert filmmakers, with audio recorded, mixed and mastered by TTB’s engineer Bobby Tis. Audio from each session will also be available in an mp3 bundle or separately for purchase in all additional formats. After the 8PM broadcast, episodes will be available for on-demand viewing for a 48-hour period.Single tickets are available for $17.99 and six show bundles are available for $89.99. For more information on tickets and bundles can be found here.
For more information on the Tedeschi Trucks Band’s Fireside Sessions visit their website here.
Capital One City Parks Foundation announces performance from Michael Mwenso as part of their SummerStage Anywhere series on February 25, 2021 at 7PM EST. The performance will be streamed virtually as part of a Black History Month celebration.
The performance is titled the Michael Mwenso: Hope, Resist & Heal, Performance and will also be hosting a conversation with Shannon Effinger. Michael Mwenso is not only a musician but an artist and social commentator. He will offer his unique and ancestral perspective on Black music and its power to heal. He is an African-born queer man who grew up in London and New York. The performance will consist of a live studio recorded performance with his group, Mwenso and the Shakes, a multicultural New York jazz group. After the performance the conversation with arts journalist Shannon Effinger focusing on the continuum and power of Black roots music will take place.
Michael Mwenso was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone but spent his teenage years at the legendary jazz club Ronnie Scott’s in London where he was exposed to musicians like Benny Carter, Elvin Jones, Ray Brown and Billy Higgins. Mwenso is known for his work as a trombonist, singer and performer playing in jump bands, reggae and Afrobeat horn sections and at hard-bop sessions.
Mwenso has worked with big names like Cécile McLorin Salvant, Jon Batiste, Aaron Diehl, Sullivan Fortner and Jamison Ross.Mwenso began his collaboration of Juilliard trained musicians known as The Shakes which come from all over the world including Sierra Leone, South Africa, Madagascar, London, France, Jamaica and Hawaii. Between all of them they create a unique jazz and blues sound through African and Afro-American music.
The performance will take place on February 25, 2021 at 7PM EST. The performance will be streamed virtually on SummerStageAnywhere.org and across SummerStage social media outlets Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch as part of a Black History Month celebration. For more information on the performance visit Capital One City Parks Foundation’s website.
The Eddies Awards show was founded in 2019 by marketing and corporate development director, Jim Murphy and program coordinator, Salvatore Prizio, at Proctors Collaborative. It was created to empower, recognize and celebrate musical professionals in the Capital Region. The show includes performances and award winners from 34 categories.
This is the second rescheduling for the Eddies. It was originally supposed to be held in spring 2020 in front of a live audience at the Proctors MainStage. The pandemic interfered with the first plan and then came the plan to broadcast it from the UPH inDecember. An increase in COVID-19 infections at the end of the year led to the current rescheduling. Prizio believes that the third time is the charm and anticipates the upcoming award show.
The lineup of performers and panelists is to be announced in the coming weeks. They hope that those who were set to be apart of the show in December will be able to commit again. According to Murphy, two Eddies ceremonies are likely to take place this year. There are already organizers about to begin judging for the third awards. The adjudication process is going to be different due to the pandemic and its effect on the local music scene.
The second Eddies Awards is going to filmed by Chromoscope Pictures based in Troy. Collaborative Studios’ will broadcast from their Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV apps, public access channels in Albany and Schenectady and Youtube and Facebook. The show airs on May 2 at 7 p.m. and can be found for free on-demand after.
Each year, February 1st marks the beginning of Black History Month in the U.S., a time to celebrate African-American heritage and the legacy of extraordinary contributions that they have made to the fabric of our nation. On Wednesday, February 24 at 7pm, Albany’s Palace Theatre will host their annual Black History Month celebration.
Typically, the Palace would be gearing up to host events like the annual Step Show, and educational performances that highlight some of the remarkable African-Americans in our history. While COVID-19 won’t allow us the Albany venue to host these events in person this year, that doesn’t stop the Palace from shining a spotlight on some of the incredibly talented people in our own community.
Wednesday, February 24 will be feature a free virtual evening of art, music, dance and spoken word by some of the most talented Black artists in the Capital Region.
The event is hosted by Diana Perry & Rev William Lynn Hamilton and some of the performers joining The Palace include Move 2B Moved (Drum & Dance team), Poetyc Visionz (Spoken Word / Poetry), Restoration Voices, Tone Setters (Step Team), Barbara Howard, Hayes M. Fields II & Azzaam Hameed, Christian Mark Gibbs and others.
Tune in below on the Palace Theatre’s YouTube channel on Wednesday, February 24 at 7pm.
