Opera Saratoga has introduced the fourth installment of their 2021 America Sings digital concert series in Saratoga Springs. On Friday, May 21, the series will return to Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs for “A Tribute to Langston Hughes,” featuring baritone singer Justin Austin and pianist/composer Damien Sneed. Justin and Damien’s all Langston Hughes program will feature songs by Margaret Bonds, Robert Owens, Damien Sneed and Ricky Ian Gordon.
America Sings Flier photo courtesy of Opera Saratoga website
America Sings is a concert series that amplifies the voices of BIPOC artists, who have historically been underrepresented on the concert stage. Each event will feature a wide array of classical, jazz and popular music from various performers.
Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright and columnist from Joplin, Missouri. One of the earliest innovators of jazz poetry, Hughes is best known as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance. In addition to poetry, Hughes wrote plays and short stories, and collaborated with many composers.
All concerts in Opera Saratoga’s America Sings series are livestreamed to the public for free, but viewers are encouraged to contribute through a virtual tip jar during each event. All “tips” made during each concert will be split equally between Opera Saratoga and the featured artists, providing support to artists who have been financially impacted by the shutdown of live performances across the country.
The Langston Hughes tribute event will be livestreamed at 7 p.m. on Caffe Lena’s YouTube Channel and the Facebook pages of both Opera Saratoga and Caffè Lena. For livestream access and more information, check out the Opera Saratoga website.
In celebration of their 25th year of providing music education to America’s youth, the all-volunteer Mockingbird Foundation has announced a free, three-day streaming event that features a host of musicians, educators, and other speakers. The Mockingbird Sessions will stream live on June 4, 5, and 6 on Fans.live in what will be a celebration of music, education and community.
Thanks to the efforts of dozens of people and multiple studios, Mockingbird Sessions includes an impressive schedule of artists including never-before-seen combinations; a series of Masterclasses showcasing the artistic philosophies of various artists and instruments; video testimonials from past Mockingbird grantees; and more.
Mockingbird Sessions includes artists such as Marco Benevento, Joe Russo, and Christian McBride in a once-in-a-lifetime quartet with harpist Mikalea Davis; The Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio; The Yonder Mountain String Trio; Paul Hoffman (from Greensky Bluegrass); and many others in unique pairings and groups that were curated specifically for this event.
Masterclasses will also be presented. These are se to showcase the artistic philosophies of various artists and instruments, like the bass panel featuring Reed Mathis, Karina Rykman, and Chris Wood and hosted by Dr. Stephanie Jenkins (noted host of the Phish Studies Conference in 2019). Testimonials by grantees will be sporadically shared during the weekend as well, and a limited edition print from artist Cory Rowe will also be available for purchase.
The Mockingbird Foundation is an all-volunteer, fan-founded and managed 501c3 organization that has now been around since 1996. With the core goal of supporting music education for children, it has been operated entirely by fans, without any paid staff. The Foundation has now made 493 grants in all 50 states, totaling more than $1.8M. Funds for grants are obtained through generous donations from a loyal base of music fans, as well as through books, recordings, artwork, merchandise, and other special events.
Goose will make their return to New York City this Fall Tour for a pair of shows at Terminal 5 over October 8-9. These will mark Goose’s first public indoor shows in 568 days, the most recent being their sold-out performance at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in January 2020.
Goose at South Farms, Morris, CT – photo by Chad Anderson
Goose will make September appearances at 4848 Festival in West Virginia, Bonnaroo in Tennessee, and stops over Halloween weekend at The State Theatre in Portland, ME over October 28 and 29, then at The Palladium in Worcester, MA from October 30-31.
Really fascinated to see the kind of energy we’re going to create with our fans this Fall. There’s really nothing like all being in the same room together, and it’s been so long, I have a feeling we’re going to see some really special nights…especially in all of these new places we’ve never played before.
Peter Anpsach (vocals, guitar, keys)
The band will migrate to uncharted territory in November, beginning with inaugural Atlanta shows at recently constructed venue The Eastern. After making their New Orleans debut at The Republic on November 9, Goose will touch down in Texas for the first time, playing four shows in Houston, Austin, and Dallas. Tour concludes in Denver at Mission Ballroom, the band’s largest venue to date.
With the exception of the Mission Ballroom shows, a limited number of tickets to each fall date are now available through a fan lottery running today through Wednesday, May 19th at 5 PM ET. Entrants will be notified by end of day on Wednesday, May 19th.
Pre-sale tickets for Goose Fall Tour dates, including Terminal 5 and most other shows, will be available on Thursday, May 20th at 10 AM venue local time using the code ‘STOCKS’. General on-sale commences this Friday, May 21st at 10 AM venue local time.
For the Mission Ballroom shows, lottery will run until 5 PM venue local time on Wednesday, May 26th, followed by a presale from 10 AM – 10 PM local time on Thursday, May 27th. General on-sale begins on Friday, May 28th at 10 AM venue local time.
On Saturday, June 12th, Charles R. Wood Festival Commons in Lake George will host an evening of music featuring Max Creek and special guests The Mallett Brothers Band.
Max Creek celebrates its 50th anniversary this summer. In those rare instances that a band reaches its fifth decade, it’s usually a result of stardom. It’s easy enough to keep things together when each member has a jet and techs on retainer and the world tour rolls around every few years. But that’s not how Max Creek has done it.
In 50 years Max Creek has been small, big, regionally-huge, medium, and any other size one can think of; they’ve never graced the cover of Rolling Stone, but you’d be hard pressed to find a music fan in the Northeast that hadn’t heard of them.
The Mallett Brothers Band are an independent rock band from Maine. With a busy tour schedule since forming in 2009, the groups has built a dedicated fanbase across the U.S. and beyond while still calling the state of Maine their home. With a style that ranges from alt-country to Americana, country, jam and roots rock, theirs is a musical melting pot that’s influenced equally by the singer/songwriter tradition as by harder rock, classic country and psychedelic sounds.
The Festival Commons at Charles R. Wood Park is located at the southern end of historic Lake George. With panoramic views of “The Queen of American Lakes,” event-goers can also take advantage of all that Lake George has to offer in terms of activities and sight-seeing, all within a very short walk from the grounds.
Tickets for Max Creek and The Mallett Brother Band in Lake George are on sale now and are sold in the pod format with a sectioned off area for each group.
Pod prices range from $175 – $225 based on location and are good for up to five people. Everyone sharing a pod must arrive to the event at the same time. Gates for the show open at 5:30pm, with music starting at 6:30pm.
Preferred Parking is also available for an additional fee. It is located within 300′ of the event gates and includes 30 minutes early admission to the show. All members of a pod must arrive in one vehicle for Preferred Parking.
With the COVID-19 pandemic starting to dissipate, what’s a better way to celebrate than to attend live music at a historic venue (Smith Opera House) with a bold-sounding electric rock band Maddy Walsh & the Blind Spots, a fixture to the Finger Lakes music scene.
Photo: Whitney Nichols Photography
This performance on June 26th will be in high demand with only 100 tickets on sale (following NYS mandate). Maddy Walsh & the Blind Spots have a rhythm that can’t be beat carried by the classic sounds of an electric guitar that pair perfectly with an upbeat electric keyboard. But the lead vocals, Maddy Walsh, perfectly co-exist with the band’s sounds as her fun lyrics and upbeat voice will have you singing along before you know it.
The Smith Center for Arts has been going strong for over 125 years and has no plan on slowing down. They constantly bring in great artists, such as Maddy Walsh & the Blind Spots, year-round in their historically rich amphitheater.
It is important to note that The Smith will not be filling orders over the phone or in-person at the Box Office. There will be no sales available at the door day of the show. Tickets can be purchased at thesmith.org.
From their hometown of Philadelphia, the Disco Biscuits will live stream a special show on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, from The Fillmore Auditorium in Philadelphia. The show will be limited to 42 lucky guests through the Disco Biscuits Facebook page. For those who can’t attend, streaming will be available via CouchTour.TV.
The Disco Biscuits will be returning to Philadelphia for a stream from The Fillmore, an iconic venue that has hosted more sold out Disco Biscuits shows than any other artist. The band will take the stage Tuesday, May 18 in the city of Brotherly Love, with an exclusive set streaming on Couchtour.tv starting at 7pm ET/4pm PT. This single-day virtual tour stop will be followed by a series of sold out shows at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre over May 28-30, 2021.
Couchtour.tv has been the virtual host for The Disco Biscuits’ tour as the streaming platform offers each of The Disco Biscuits shows from the 2021 tour for purchase through their website for single day tickets and weekend passes. Fans can log in on Couchtour.tv to watch the shows live in hi-definition audio and video in addition to having access to watch the shows on-demand.
The Disco Biscuits are deep in their 2021 tour that features an array of drive-in concerts and group pod events, in addition to livestreams via Sessions Live and Couchtour.tv. The band wrapped up two shows in Sussex County, New Jersey this past weekend, May 14-15.
The Disco Biscuits – May 14, 2021 – Sussex County Live, Augusta, N.J. Set 1: Mulberry’s Dream-> Jigsaw Earth (inverted)-> Mulberry’s Dream, Jam-> The Great Abyss-> 4th of July Set 2: Air Song-> Hero-> And the Ladies Were the Rest of the Night-> Cyclone-> Orch Theme-> Rapture-> And the Ladies Were the Rest of the Night Encore: The Great Abyss (middle)-> Clocks
The Disco Biscuits – May 15, 2021 – Sussex County Live, Augusta, N.J. Set 1: Helicopters-> I-Man-> Bombs-> Voices Insane-> I-Man-> Helicopters Set 2: Reactor-> Anthem-> Lunar Pursuit-> Bernstein and Chasnoff (inverted)-> Little Shimmy in a Conga Line (ending only), Triumph-> Reactor, Run Like Hell-> Rock Candy (ending only) Encore: Confrontation
Creative Concerts has announced yet another concert at Apple Valley Park in Lafayette, just south of Syracuse. Get the Led Out will perform on Friday, June 18th, bringing the sounds of Led Zeppelin with them.
Get The Led Out (GTLO) has captured the essence of the recorded music of Led Zeppelin and brought it to the concert stage. The Philadelphia-based group consists of six veteran musicians, intent on delivering Led Zeppelin live, like you’ve never heard before! Utilizing the multi-instrumentalists at their disposal, GTLO re-creates songs, in all their depth and glory, with the studio overdubs that Zeppelin themselves never performed. When you hear three guitars on the album, GTLO delivers three guitarists on stage. No wigs or fake English accents, GTLO brings what the audience wants, a high energy Zeppelin concert with honest, heart-thumping intensity.
Like previous events announced in this outdoor series, events will be socially distanced, with fans being able to purchase tickets in roped-off PODS for parties of 2, 4 or 6. In an effort to create a safe experience for guests, a carefully throughout site plan has been developed allowing for temperature screenings and surveys to be conducted upon entering the event grounds. To adhere to social distancing guidelines, all PODS are spaced a minimum of six feet apart. A variety of food and beverage options will be available for purchase. Site map and FAQ for the venue can be found at applevalleypark.com/faq
ABOUT APPLE VALLEY PARK: Apple Valley Park is located in beautiful LaFayette, NY. With its rural atmosphere, rolling hills, and expansive fall foliage, it has proven to be a wonderful home to the annual LaFayette Apple Festival since 1973. More recently it has expanded to host other live entertainment events, including a few successful drive-in concerts in the fall of 2020.
Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday, May 14th at 10am at applevalleypark.com
Live music comes back to New York’s Upper West Side this summer. Thefifth annual LOVE ROCKS NYC benefit concert for God’s Love We Deliver returns on Thursday, June 3, 2021. Produced by John Varvatos, LOVE ROCKS NYC will be shown as a live stream event courtesy of platform Fans.Live from the historic Beacon Theatre in New York City. Rochester native drummer Steve Gadd will perform as part of the amazing house band put together by Music Director and band leader Will Lee.
The stellar house cast will include Steve Gadd, Shawn Pelton, Eric Krasno, Larry Campbell, Jeff Young and Ricky Peterson. Ken Dashow will serve as the house DJ. The event will be hosted by Jeff Garlin from Curb your Enthusiasm, Michael Imperioli from The Sopranos, New York Yankee Bernie Williams and Special Guest Tina Fey of SNL. This years featured performers all-star lineup of pop, rock, blues and soul music stars to include Sara Bareilles, Jon Bon Jovi,, Gary Clark Jr., Billy F Gibbons, Warren Haynes, Joe Bonamassa, Emily King, Ledisi, Pedrito Martinez, Tash Neal, Fantastic Negrito, Ivan Neville, Robert Randolph, Nathaniel Rateliff, Jimmy Vivino, Yola and more to be added.
Steve Gadd, Robert Plant, Will Lee, Eric Krasno LOVE ROCKS NYC 2019
The past four LOVE ROCKS NYC benefit concerts have delivered a staggering array of music stars from legendary headliners such as Keith Richards, Dave Matthews, Mavis Staples, Robert Plant, Warren Haynes, Emmylou Harris, Buddy Guy, Andra Day, Ziggy Marley, Ann Wilson and Sheryl Crow to rising stars such as Leon Bridges, Marcus King, Allen Stone, Larkin Poe, Hozier and The War and Treaty.
LOVE ROCKS NYC 2020 served as a milestone as the first of many live streams last year with the touchdown of the pandemic before its performance last March. Upper West side resident Trey Anastasio helped carry the virtual torch at the end of last year with an 8 week residency to help raise money under the Beacon Jams for a charitable cause. This year’s concert event will also pay tribute to the NYC Front line workers who have played a critical role in supporting the city during the pandemic.
Dave Matthews LOVE ROCKS NYC 2020
Fans anywhere can experience this memorable night of music by signing up at loverocksnyc.com to receive a free live stream link. You can help support the organization through the special $20 = 2 Meals suggested donation option on the website. Love Rocks NYC has helped raise more than $13 million to date.
Derek Trucks and his wife, Susan Tedeschi were surprise musical guests at last March’s Love Rocks NYC benefit. Attendance was limited to venue and production staff, artists and their teams and media. “That was the day they shut down, no gatherings over 500 people. So they did the show just for the webcast with maybe 200 or 300 guests in the audience,” Trucks said of the night. “It felt so strange to look over the Beacon and see a few hundred people dancing and having a good time but keeping their distance. It was an odd scene. That one felt like the last party before the end of the world.”
Paul Shaffer, David Letterman, Jeff Coffin LOVE ROCKS NYC 2020
Last March’s most special guest David Letterman reunited with Paul Shaffer on stage in New York City for the first time in five years. Letterman made light of the newly presented restrictions for the live music entertainment world by quoting Tom Petty’s song “Letting You Go.” “It’s a restless world, uncertain times, you said hope was getting hard to find.”
Letterman elaborated, “After listening to that song, tonight it occurs to me that when things are hard, harder than they’ve ever been, even more troubled, you have got to look for something positive and one of the great gifts, one of the great blessings of life, honest to God, is live music.”
Legendary alt-rock band from Jamestown, 10,000 Maniacs featuring Mary Ramsey, will be performing at Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards on Friday, June 11th, marking their first performance since February 29, 2020.
10,000 Maniacs has been kicking it for 40 years at this point. The band still consist of four of the six original members: Mary Ramsey, who replaced the lead singer in 1993 on lead vocals and viola; Steven Gustafson on bass and guitar; Dennis Drew on keyboard; Jeff Erickson who replaced founding member Robert Buck on guitar; John Lombardo on guitar; and Jerome Augustyniak on drums.
After nearly 15 months off the road, 10,000 Maniacs is excited to finally get back to playing shows. The time off the road has also given the band time to write new material, with a couple dozen new tunes in the works and the prospect of recording a new studio album. Releasing close to 20 albums over their storied career, 10,000 Maniacs has become recognized as one of the most enduring bands from the early “alternative rock” movement. Their critically acclaimed, break-out album, “In My Tribe”, was included in Rolling Stone Magazine’s “100 Best Albums Of The Eighties.”
It will be a happy day when we all in the arts and everyday life can experience the freedom to breathe and be in a safe and nurturing environment. I am looking forward to being energized again by our amazing and loyal fans
Mary Ramsey, Lead Singer
Tickets are offered in pods of 2 people ($130-$190) and 4 people ($260-$380). For more information call 315-696-6055 or visit beakandskiff.com
Singer-songwriter and guitarist José González has announced plans for a U.S. co-headline tour alongside 2x GRAMMY® Award-nominated singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright.
Tickets are now available to the public and can be purchased here. The long-awaited dates begin on September 20 at Kansas City, MO’s Uptown Theater and then travel through an October 1 performance at Glenside, PA’s historic Keswick Theatre.
However, González has also confirmed two ticketed interactive online performances. The first, “Up Close & Personal” on June 10 will be live from the Botanical Garden in Gothenburg followed by an interactive Q&A. The second online show on September 12 will feature the first full Local Valley show with full production that will include pre and post-show interaction with González.
I am very much looking forward to performing for all my fans worldwide again. First with the up and close interactive online event on June 10, and later on with some summer shows and touring once my album is released. I am also especially excited to be able to present the world premiere of my new tour online for all the fans worldwide that won’t have the chance to catch any of my shows this fall and winter.
José González
The upcoming tour dates celebrate González’s fourth solo album Local Valley, set for release on September 17th. The single “Visions” is out now, and the rest of the album is up for pre-order.
JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ X RUFUS WAINWRIGHT U.S. TOUR 2021
JUNE
10 – “Up Close & Personal” Livestream Performance*
SEPTEMBER
12 – Livestream Performance*
20 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater
21 – Des Moines, IA – Hoyt Sherman Place
23 – Minneapolis, MN – Northrop At UMN
24 – Chicago, IL – The Chicago Theatre
25 – Carmel, IN – The Palladium at The Center For The Performing Arts
26 – Detroit, MI –Cathedral Theatre at The Masonic Temple
