NYS Music 202​1

Category: News Desk

  • Watch Taylor Swift Perform 10-minute “All Too Well” on SNL

    For the sixth episode of Season 47 of Saturday Night Live, actor Jonathan Majors was joined by four-time musical guest Taylor Swift, fresh off the release of Red (Taylor’s Version) on Friday.

    taylor swift all too well

    Swift made her first appearance of the night in a digital short from Please Don’t Destroy, a New York-based comedy trio featuring Ben Marshall, John Higgins, and Martin Herlihy, the latter the son of former SNL writer and Adam Sandler collaborator Tim Herlihy. What seemed to be a music video on a day in the lift of Pete Davidson suddenly turned into “Three Sad Virgins,” with Davidson mocking Marshall, Higgins and Herlihy, joined by Swift partway through.

    Swift would only perform one song this evening, the first time in seven years – Prince performed a single tune in 2014 – with the ‘new’ “All Too Well,” an extended update of the same song from Taylor Swift’s Red, released in 2012. The new take on the album was rerecorded to circumvent a dispute with her former label, and received immediate praise in scope and execution.

    “All Too Well” featured Swift performing in front of a screen that shows clips from the short film of the same name, which was also released on Friday. Starring Sadie Sink (Stranger Things) and Dylan O’Brien (Teen Wolf) as “Her” and “Him,” the couple moves from romance to break up, due to uncaring behavior from “Him.” “Love is so short, forgetting is so long,” a quote from Pablo Neruda, references Swift’s brief three-month relationship with actor Jake Gyllenhaal.

    Clad all in black with a red guitar, Swift performed, “All Too Well” and live scoring the film clips behind her. A rose petal filled stage, with alternating blue and red lighting, lasting an impressive 10 minutes. Swift put her guitar down towards the end, singing passionately for a build up that drifted into falling snow as the performance came to a close.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2uxc01fUXU&list=PLS_gQd8UB-hIsVnV1d2tS26Q1vDUp4FWh&index=15

    Jonathan Majors was underutlized this evening, but shone particularly well on “Broadway Benefit,” a Broadway musical spoof where he flexed his singing chops alongside Bowen Yang and Cecily Strong.

    Swift and Majors would joyfully bump chests (while wearing masks) during the show closing goodbyes. Next week Shang Chi star Simu Liu with musical guest Saweetie for the Thanksgiving episode of Saturday Night Live.

  • Marco Benevento, TAUK, Karina Rykman, Aqueous and More Featured at North Beach Music Festival

    North Beach Music Festival announced dates and lineup including Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Spafford, and The Motet. The festivities will take place on December 10-11, 2021 in Miami, Florida. 

    North Beach Music Festival

    The festival is being presented by GMP Live which is a concert promoter, festival producer, and talent curator based in Miami. North Beach Music Festival will take place at Miami Beach’s historic open-air art deco amphitheater, the North Beach Bandshell. The North Beach Bandshell is an open-air amphitheater in the heart of Miami Beach’s North Beach neighborhood. It has been managed by the Rhythm Foundation – a Miami Beach-based nonprofit cultural organization – for the City of Miami Beach since 2015 and was built back in1961. The festival will feature some improvisational rock bands, jam bands and funk bands will descend upon the Bandshell, and the adjacent Bandshell Park, for performances over two stages. 

    The festival has three well known New York based artists coming to perform. Marco Benevento, Aqueous, TAUK, and Karina Rykman will all be performing sets at North Beach Music Festival. 

    The lineup for Friday, December 10, 2021 features a headlining performance from Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, as well as performances from The Motet, TAUK, Karina Rykman, The Heavy Pets, Electric Kif and Tand.

    he lineup for Saturday, December 11, 2021 promises two headlining sets from Spafford—one entirely improvised and another titled “Spafford & Friends”—in addition to performances from Marco Benevento, Aqueous, Ghost-Note, Eric Krasno & The Assembly, Brandon “Taz” Niederaure, the special Brendan Bayliss & Jennifer Hartswick collaboration, as well as Holly Bowling and JUke

    Tickets are on sale now with single day GA tickets for $80 for Friday and $90 for Saturday. VIP tickets are $130 for Friday and $140 for Saturday. More information on ticketing and travel packages can be found here.

    For information on North Beach Music Festival visit their website here.

  • Main Street Music Series Is Back at Rose Hall in Cortland

    Here we are, returning back to normal. The Main Street Music Series is back in person returning to Rose Hall this month and December. Catch them with a series of four Friday night concerts with audiences, with the next show on November 19 featuring Rochester’s Dirty Blanket, James Vandeuson and the Rollin’ Rust, and Roger Decker.

    Main Street Music

    Main Street Series is committed to enriching Cortland’s culture and showing a good time in Downtown. American Vintage Productions returns as the production company, providing sound, live streaming and promotional services for the series. 

    We’re excited to return to live audience performances after being virtual only last year. This year our concert format will return to normal with three bands at each concert. The openers will perform in Studio AV on the first floor at Rose Hall and the headlining band will be in the concert hall upstairs.

    Chris Merkley, MSMS Board President

    Rose Hall doors open at 6 p.m. and admission is free. Donations to support the series can be made at the door or online. Not to worry for those wishing to watch from home, the concerts will also be streamed through the AV Live Network. 

    The remaining concerts in the Main Street Music Series include:

    • Nov. 19 – Featuring Dirty Blanket with James VanDeuson & The Rollin’ Rust and Roger Decker
    • Dec. 3 – Featuring The Unknown Woodsmen with Bug Tussle and Dana Twigg
    • Dec. 17 – Featuring Sophistafunk with People People and Gary Carpentier

  • Miles Francis Set To Perform at Brooklyn Bowl This Saturday

    New York City native Miles Francis will be playing a hometown show at Brooklyn Bowl this Saturday, November 13. 

    The artist, who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, recently announced the release of their new album, Good Man on November 10. Francis shared the title track, “Good Man”, as a teaser for the album, which comes out March 4, 2022. 

    Think the track sounds like it was inspired by 80s music with a hint of turn-of-the-century pop? You’d be spot on — Francis’ musical inspirations are Prince, David Bowie, and early 2000’s boy bands.

    Francis explained the track, saying,

    “‘Good Man’” is sung by a man who preaches progressive values, who identifies as ‘one of the good ones’ – yet he fails to recognize his perpetuation of patriarchal behavior in his own life. There are lots of outwardly ‘bad’ men out there – but it’s the ones who claim their ‘good’-ness that can be particularly troublesome and capable of causing real harm.”

    Still not sure if you’d like to attend? Read our review of their show at Baby’s All Right in October.

    Miles Francis will be opening the show for Antibalas this Saturday at Brooklyn Bowl. Purchase tickets for the show online. 

    Miles Francis

  • The Jauntee Head East for shows in Albany and Buffalo

    The Jauntee have announced a Fall Tour that brings the Colorado band back to the East Coast for the first time since 2019. They’ll make a stop in Albany on Thursday, November 18 and close the tour out in Buffalo on Sunday, November 21.

    The band was poised to take the live scene by storm in 2020, with numerous support runs at some of the country’s most renowned venues along with a number of summer festival appearances. Then, complications arose from the virus which led the band to hunker down and provide their fans with a long series of full set live-streams with zero repeats they coined at “JaunTV.” Picking up where they left off, this tour will likely see many new fans introduced to the magic of their new-age improvisation.

    the jauntee

    This summer, the band was able to venture to Texas and the Midwest for appearances around Summer Camp Music Festival. This Fall tour will find The Jauntee heading back to the Southeast with shows at Smith’s Olde Bar in Atlanta and Charleston Pour House. They’ll venture into the DC and New Jersey region before heading up to their home turf in the Northeast, playing Albany, Boston, Burlington and Buffalo. The band heads back to Colorado where they will play the anniversary party for Beyond The Mountain Brewing in Boulder in December. 

    The Jauntee was recently added to the Nugs.net catalog, featuring 1000s of live performance recordings from dozens of bands. All shows from this Fall Tour will be posted on Nugs shortly after each show here.

    Stay up to date with announcements and more at www.thejauntee.com.

    The Jauntee Fall 2021 Tour Dates

    11/5 – Smith’s Olde Bar – Atlanta, GA
    11/6 – Charleston Pour House – Charleston, SC
    11/10 – Pearl Street Warehouse – Washington, DC
    11/11 – Elevation 27 – Virginia Beach, VA
    11/12 – The Saint – Asbury Park, NJ
    11/13 – Reading Distilling Guild – Reading, PA
    11/18 – Parish Public House – Albany, NY
    11/19 – Orlando’s – Burlington, VT
    11/20 – Soundcheck Studios – Boston, MA
    11/21 – Buffalo Iron Works – Buffalo, NY
    12/11 – Beyond The Mountain Brewing – Boulder, CO

  • ElephantProof Announce 2022 Tour, Release “Baltimore Scrappledorf” Video

    Following the release of “Baltimore Scrappledorf,” ElephantProof have announced tour dates for January 2022. Accompanying artists for the January dates include Annie in the Water, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, and K.R.I.S.

    The genre-bending group with powerhouse Goose drummer Ben Atkind was one of the most talked about performances at Fred the Festival after their late night set in Garcia’s Forest.

    A very Ted set at Fred The Festival for ElephantProof.

    “ElephantProof was a journey that took me everywhere I ever wanted to go with music. It got dark, it got deep into theory and wild chords that I never thought would work together, and the music was ALWAYS weird in the best way.”

    -Chad

    Heavily rotated since Fred, ElephantProof’s 2021 album EP EP displayed versatility for the drummer and showcased a variety of styles blended together to land somewhere between Lettuce and BoomBox with a jazzy twist.

    “Baltimore Scrappledorf” gave an energetic surge to listeners, and left many feeling as though the best is yet to come at future shows.

    “When surrealism meets the human ears and eyes, you know you’re at an ElephantProof show. Bringing sights and sounds together that make a recipe for an unforgettable experience.”

    – Mandy
    Expect no relaxation of the face when seeing ElephantProof

    As the Goose tour shows no signs of slowing down, take every chance to see this band when possible.

    For more on the mysteries that happened at Fred the Festival, check out our review below.

    https://nysmusic.com/site/2021/08/28/goose-fred-the-festival/
    Getting Involved Under The Goose Moon: Fred The Festival At LOCKN’ Farm
    Read more at NYS Music…

  • Michele Rosewoman Brings “A Function at the Junction: Ancestral Bridge, Musical Strings” to Flamboyan Theater on November 11

    On Thursday, November 11, pianist, composer and ensemble leader Michele Rosewoman will present “A Function at the Junction: Ancestral Bridge, Musical Streams” / “Una Función en el Cruce: Puente Ancestral, Corrientes Musicales,” a collaborative, multimedia event that will bring together Rosewoman’s New Yor-Uba ensemble, Francisco Mora Catlett’s Afro Horn and Román Díaz’s Rumba Ensemble in live performance with video documentation, a subsequent HotHouseGlobal broadcast and Habana/Harlem panels.  

    Michele Rosewoman

    The program will take place at the Clemente Soto Velez Center, Flamboyan Theater in New York City at 107 Suffolk St, as part of Arts for Art’s three-day festival, Jazz Libre. Tickets are available here, with a cost of $15/set, $25/night in-erson, and $5 for a livestream. View the full schedule here.

    On December 18, the event will be broadcast on Cuban national television (and beyond) as part of a 2-night event  (Dec 18/19) through the HotHouseGlobal streaming platforms on Twitch, YouTube, HotHouse’s website, and Facebook Live. A recipient of the prestigious Southarts Jazz Road Creative Residency grant, Rosewoman has created a night that gives broader space and voice to the inspirations and traditions that have shaped and nurtured her. 

    With New Yor-Uba, we pay homage to the journey of centuries-old Yoruba traditions from Nigeria through Cuba to present-day New York, reflecting its contemporary manifestations. 

    Michele Rosewoman

    The ensemble’s distinctive repertoire features Ms. Rosewoman’s original compositions and visionary arrangements that incorporate a large spectrum of Cuban spiritually-based musical traditions including, Yoruba (Nigeria), Arará (Dahomey), Abakuá (Calabar) and rumba/guaguanco, a uniquely Cuban musical form.    

    Rosewoman’s vision is that of a unique community of musicians in NYC with deep ties to both spiritually-based Cuban folkloric traditions and contemporary jazz, Rosewoman, Román Díaz and Francisco Mora Catlett share conceptual, artistic and spiritual intersections. Rosewoman sees this residency as an opportunity to “incorporate and stage the work of treasured co-creators who also highlight these traditions in unique contemporary contexts, while building bridges between artists and cultural voices based in NY and also those artificially separated by Cuba/U.S. policies.”   

    Master folklorist Román Díaz, a member of all three ensembles (leader of one), as well as a former member of Yoruba Andabo  (Cuba) has been a featured and foundational member of her New Yor-Uba ensemble since 2008. Fulfilling a desire to further share her music (deeply informed by traditions born of Cuba) with Cuban audiences through her partnership with HotHouseGlobal, especially gratifying for Ms.Rosewoman is the fact that Mr. Diaz is featured in all 3 ensembles.   

    Michele Rosewoman | Credit: Chris Drukker     

    Michele Roswoman’s New Yor-Uba lineup includes: Michele Rosewoman– piano/vocals. Alex Norris–trumpet. Mike Thomas- alto & soprano saxophone,  Isaiah Collier-tenor saxophone. Chris Washburne–trombone/bass trombone/tuba. Gregg August–bass. Robby Ameen–drums. Román Díaz – percussion/vocals. Rafael Monteagudo–percussion. Mauricio Herrera-percussion/vocals,  Abraham Rodriguez-  lead vocals.

    This project enables us to share Mr. Díaz with the Cuban communities he is born of but separated from, as they experience his impact on the jazz community here in the U.S,” says Rosewoman. “And by ‘taking’ this music to Cuba, we all return to the source and pay homage to the roots of our inspiration, nurturing this junction.

    Francisco Mora Catlett’s Afro Horn, an avant-garde ensemble that highlights the African presence in the Americas through an assemblage of prime musicians and a repertoire of written and improvised jazz expressions and Cuban folkloric influences, will also perform. Mora is especially known for his work with Motown, Sun Ra and Max Roach and as co-founder of the Oyu Oro Afro-Cuban Experimental Dance Company (2000) with his wife Danys Perez Prades, performing dance and music from the African Diaspora. Lineup: Francisco Mora Catlett–drums. Sam Newsome–soprano saxophone. Román Díaz –percussion.  James Weidman–piano.  Rashaan Carter–bass. Alex Harding–baritone saxophone.  

    Francisco Mora Catlett’s Afro Horn

    Also performing is Román Díaz, a scholar of religious and folkloric music, composer & performer of folklore and contemporary jazz. Considered both a pillar of the New York City jazz avant-garde and one of Afro Cuban music’s great innovators, his Rumba Ensemble displays his vision of the confluence of New York City’s tradition of music of the African diaspora.  He has performed and recorded with Merceditas Valdes, Raices Profundas, Paquito D’Rivera, Michele Rosewoman, Henry Threadgill, David Virelles, Jane Bunnett, Juan Carlos Formell, Orlando “Puntilla” Rios, Oriente Lopez, Afro Horn& Danilo Perez among many others. 

    Román Díaz ‘s Rumba Ensemble: Román Díaz -percussion/vocals.  TBA-percussion. Clemente Medina-percussion.  Rafael Monteagudo-percussion. Abraham Rodriguez-vocals, TBA- vocals. Onel Mulet-saxophone/flute.

  • Ween Announces 3 nights at the Capitol Theatre in February

    Three years since their last trip to Port Chester, Ween will return to the Capitol Theatre for three nights to paint the town brown.

    ween Capitol Theatre

    Tickets for the February 18, 19 and 20 shows will go on sale Friday, November 12 at 10am. Get tickets early via venue pre-sale on Thursday, November 11 from 10am-10pm using password TURNTHECAPBROWN. Get Ween at The Capitol Theatre tickets .

  • GEMS Announces Open Gates Project With Three Concerts Featuring Women of Color

    Gotham Early Music Scene also known as GEMS announced their Open Gates Project launching with three concerts featuring women of color. The concerts will take place November 12-14, 2021 across three boroughs of New York City. 

    Open Gates Project inaugural concert series is The Divine Feminine: Centering Women of Color in Early Music. This concert series is focusing on the 17th–century works celebrating the animating feminine spirit featuring an ensemble composed of women of color.

    The 17th–century female composers it will be focusing on are Chiara Margarita Cozzolani, Barbara Strozzi, and Francesca Caccini. The concerts will be performed by outstanding rising and established American and international artists, with careers encompassing early, chamber, and Classical music, opera, jazz, and musical theater. The program is bookended with works devoted to the Virgin Mary. It opens with Madre, de los primores by New World visionary Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz who is considered the first great Latin American poet and recognized for her influential perspectives on women and scholarship. Pergolesi’s glorious and sublime Stabat Mater closes the program.

    The Open Gates Project and GEMS as a bigger entity is committed to helping make significant efforts to make early music performance opportunities more equitable for artists of color and more accessible to historically excluded communities of color. Over the coming year, the Project will offer a rich variety of music performed by distinguished artists for diverse audiences throughout New York City.

    The three performances will take place starting on Friday, November 12, 2021 at 7 PM at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Manhattan. Then on Saturday, November 13, 2021 at 7 PM at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center in Queens. And will wrap up on Sunday, November 14, 2021 at 4 PM at the Pregones Theater in the Bronx. All audience members must have proof of vaccination and wear a mask. Check the GEMS website closer to the opening dates for full COVID-19 protocols and any updates.

    The lineup includes Nicole Besa singing soprano, Aine Hakamatsuka singing soprano, Heather Hill singing soprano, Amaranta Viera singing soprano, Tanisha Anderson singing mezzo-soprano, Guadalupe Peraza singing mezzo-soprano, AnnMarie Sandy singing mezzo-soprano, Hai-Ting Chinn singing alto, Jessica Park on violin, Maria Romero Ramos on violin, Amelia Sie on violin, Patricia Ann Neely on viola da gamba, and Duangkamon “Wan” Wattanasak on harpsichord.

    The program includes performances of: Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz: Madre, de los primores, Chiara Margarita Cozzolani: O dulcis Jesu, Barbara Strozzi: I baci, Francesca Caccini: O vive rose, Alessandro Stradella: Sinfonia No. 22 in D minor, and Giovanni Battista Pergolesi: Stabat Mater.

    Tickets are available for $15–$30 ($5 for students, ID required at venue) are all General Admission seating and are available online by calling 212-866-0468, or at the door depending on availability.. 

    For more information on the GEMS Open Gates Project and its upcoming events visit their website. 

  • Greensky Bluegrass announce Winter Tour Dates with Infamous Stringdusters, New single “Grow Together”

    Greensky Bluegrass continues their rigorous touring schedule this November on the West Coast, and have their sights set on the East Coast in January – they’ll make their way to the Northeast with The Infamous Stringdusters in January.

    greensky bluegrass infamous stringdusters

    The Colorado group has just released their newest song, “Grow Together,” written by Paul Hoffman upon the arrival of his daughter.  “I wrote this with my 5-week-old daughter at my feet. She laid there and listened, so content. I hoped this was the first of many experiences like this for her and I,” Hoffman told The Boot. “I reflected on the amazing gift her mother had given me and ‘Grow Together’ just fell out of my heart,” Hoffman continues. “It’s a testament to a new chapter in my life and a love song for the woman who made me a father.” 

    Accompanying the song is a documentary-style music video that offers intimate and behind the scenes content.  A perfect visual companion for such a powerful song. 

    For the past century, bluegrass music has traditionally relayed real tales of American life, struggle, tragedy, and triumph. It gives a voice to the quiet, yet colorful stories woven into the fabric of the country itself. Greensky Bluegrass live these stories through their records and performances. 

    When touring ceased in 2020 in the face of the global pandemic, the band hunkered down and compiled demos individually at first, sharing emails and voice notes. In July 2020, they got together for the first time in four months, dedicating rehearsals to the development of the new material. Once circumstances safely permitted, they recorded what would become Stress Dreams during a session in Guilford, VT and two sessions in Asheville, NC with frequent collaborator “and old friend” Dominic John Davis as producer and “wizard engineer” Glenn Brown mixing. They preserved the hallmarks of their sound while widening its expanse.

    “Greensky is and always has been very unique in our world,” says Paul Hoffman. “We put our love, energy, and focus into what we appreciate about our music. We come together as a band in a way that’s organic. We take a lot of pride in how we grow and challenge each other too. We’re maturing together. I think we get more Greensky all of the time.”

    All up to date news tour info can be found at greenskybluegrass.com.

    Greensky Bluegrass Tour Dates

    Nov 11 @ The Observatory | San Diego, CA
    Nov 12 @ The Fonda | Los Angeles, CA
    Nov 13 @ The Fox | Oakland, CA
    Nov 14 @ Crystal Bay | Stateline, NV
    Nov 17 @ Midtown Ballroom | Bend, OR
    Nov 18 @ Crystal Ballroom | Portland, OR
    Nov 19-20 @ The Showbox | Seattle, WA
    Nov 26-27 @ Kalamazoo State Theatre
    Dec 9 – 13 @ Strings & Sol | Puerto Morelos, Mexico
    Dec 30-31 @ The Factor | St. Louis, MO
    Jan 7-8 @ The Mission Ballroom | Denver, CO

    Greensky Bluegrass featuring very Special Guests The Infamous Stringdusters

    Jan 20 @ The Palace Theatre | Albany, NY
    Jan 21 @ The Met Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA
    Jan 22 @ The Capitol Theatre | Port Chester, NY
    Jan 26 @ Flynn Theatre | Burlington, VT
    Jan 27 @ The State Theatre | Portland, ME
    Jan 28-29 @ House of Blues | Boston, MA
    Feb 2 @ Stage AE | Pittsburgh, PA
    Feb 3 @ Agora Theatre & Ballroom | Cleveland, OH
    Feb 4-5 @ The Anthem | Washington, DC
    Feb 17 @ The Pavilion at Pan AM | Indianapolis, IN
    Feb 18 @ Fillmore Detroit | Detroit, MI
    Feb 19 @ Riverside Theatre | Milwaukee, WI
    Feb 20 @ The Palace | St. Paul, MN
    Feb 23 @ Old Forester’s Paristown Hall | Louisville, KY
    Feb 24 @ Iron City | Birmingham, AL
    Feb 25-26 @ The Tabernacle | Atlanta, GA

    Hot on the heels of the new record announcement (Toward the Fray releasing Feb. 18) made last month by Grammy and IBMA award-winners The Infamous Stringdusters, Infamous Stringdusters have announced a January through April tour of the same name. Truly coast to coast, the band will kick off on Jan. 20 in Albany, NY with good friends Greensky Bluegrass, touring through most of the east coast and into parts of the midwest and southeast.

    Dustbowl Revival will hop on towards the end of March to make several stops in California, wrapping the 4 month tour in Seattle, Washington on April 9th. Pre-sales are, as of today, on-sale for headlining dates. General on-sale starts Thursday, Nov. 4 at 10 am PT. Please visit thestringdusters.com/tour for more information and to purchase tickets. 

    greensky bluegrass infamous stringdusters

    Toward the Fray, the band’s first release of original music since 2019’s Rise Sun, will be released on February 18th, 2022 on Americana Vibes via Regime Music Group. Fans can now listen to the first single, “Toward The Fray” below.