Scaling back an annual weekend of music and art in Burlington, VT, Higher Ground will present Double Down, with Twiddle performing at the Midway Lawn at Champlain Valley Expo on Friday, August 6 and Saturday, August 7.
The annual Tumble Down weekend, headlined by two nights of Twiddle with multiple bands performing each day as well as late night at Nectar’s and Higher Ground, will be scaled back as Double Down this year. Offering two nights of music along with support acts, fans can enjoy Twiddle’s annual Burlington summer jaunt as they have since 2015.
On August 6, Robert Banks Trio will open for Twiddle, while on August 7, Gubbilidis and Frends will kick off the night.
Tickets are $49 advance, $53 day of show, and $79 2-day pass. Gates open at 5:30pm, with the show starting at 7pm. Both shows are all ages, with children 12 & under are free. $2 of each ticket sold will help to combat Vermont’s opioid crisis. Tickets are now on sale at highergroundmusic.com
Higher Ground has a few other concerts planned at Champlain Valley Exposition. On Wednesday, July 28, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats performs, with The Marcus King Band and Tre Burt. Tuesday August 3 will find Billy Strings on the shores of Lake Champlain, and on Saturday, October 2 Primus will perform, with Wolfmother opening.
Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear new music fromthe Grandstand Jockeys, Timbre Coup and many more!
WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.
The Grandstand Jockeys
The Grandstand Jockeys’ debut EP, Win, arrives on June 18. Its first single, “Better Days,” is a nostalgic call to long-past good times, holding out hope for their eventual return. The song is especially timely in the wake of many COVID-19 restrictions being lifted: “Time to begin, the time is now / Get yourself off the ground.” The Grandstand Jockeys’ Facebook page describes their sound as a mix of Tom Petty, Nirvana and QOTSA, but “Better Days” has the former written all over it.
Timbre Coup
Timbre Coup’s latest single, “Running Always,” is an indie rock piece that occasionally delves into prog and funk. The song’s scarce lyrics contrast its vast, sometimes trippy soundscape, replete with a sweeping electric guitar that wouldn’t sound out of place on OK Computer. The four-piece band from Albany will release their fourth studio album, Sudden Urge, on June 25.
Ciarra Fragale
Indie-pop singer-songwriter Ciarra Fragale’s self-titled EP is out on July 2. Described by Fragale as “a love letter to my anxiety (and yours),” single “It’s Only Raining” isn’t concerned with the weather so much as the stressful hypothetical situations our brains create for us. Fragale’s vocals are effortless yet passionate, and the staccatoed keys will stay with you long after listening.
Saturday was more string-oriented with The Infamous Stringdusters and The Wood Brothers jamming to the faithful. In addition to the music, artists, art and workshops were plentiful and there was even a giant waterpark to cool off and relax in while soaking up the scenery and listening to music from a nearby stage. To sum it up, Mountain Music Festival was everything a festival should be, can’t wait for next year!
Preference in music is the very definition of subjectivity, definitively so in fact. Whereas reviewing a live show is more of a this is what happened and what it felt like to be there kind of thing, album reviews, on the other hand, tend to read like conclusive statements of what the reader will hear, feel, or whether the album’s intent will resonate with the reader/listener in any deeper sense. Really though, who am I to lay claim on how an artist’s creation might reach you?
That ledge is the only thing I ever see
I am the sum of my experiences, each and every one of which led me to this time and place and all serve to inform my unique perspective. So to feign objectivity or pass off an album review as anything more than my proprietary interaction with an artist’s intent would be to serve the reader a forced helping of bullshit.
Born in the heat to keep it always out of my reach
Rick Mitarotonda, lead guitarist, vocalist, and chief songwriter for Goose, had this to say with respect to the intent behind his art, “Music at its best form, really encompasses everything that its creators are experiencing. But yeah, it comes back to the point that I think if there is a spiritual intention behind the music you create, whether or not it’s being spelled out… but trying your best to express what’s authentic to you, if that happens to be a spiritual thing, maybe someone will resonate with it and maybe it will open some kind of door for them in some way.”
Grab on a hold each treasure while you gobefore they turn to sand this man is all alone
*Perhaps* as intended by the artist, but *definitely* as needed by my circumstance, Goose’s latest album reached this audience of one in a heightened state of readiness. “A nine-track collection of music written over the past decade, Shenanigans Nite Clubpresents musings on a journey through life and a quest for fulfillment, all while saluting the important figures along the way.” As this past year has been one of pervasive loss followed by global healing, never has my quest been more heightened. Perhaps our suffering has differed on both an individual and global scale, but as sure as you’re reading these words, we’re still here, which isn’t to minimize the permanent loss of death experienced by so many, but rather to celebrate the collective transcendence and fulfillment of those who remain.
So ready for this
The opening track to Goose’s first album in five years actually debuted six years ago. A live staple of the modern era setlist dressed up for the studio, “So Ready” and its accompanying instrumental, “(s△ttelite),” are high-energy, disco funk dance tracks whose message is short, sweet, and, like all good art, timely as hell.
Take it slow, I’m burning baby you know
In addition to having an exponentially high fun quotient as a live offering, “Madhuvan’” references the story of Dhruva and his quest for enlightenment, originally written in the Bhagavata Purana. The song is an exploratory journey, examining life’s most beautiful offerings and most dangerous pitfalls.” Wait, what?!?!
If I had it all, if I had it all, what life would leave me satisfied?
Even as its live counterpart often clocks in at twice the length, “Madhuvan” jams twenty minutes of perfection into a ten-minute track, reminding us that on the path to enlightenment, the joy *is* the journey. “SOS” (Same Old Shenanigans)–another old, new song that debuted in 2018 and has only been played live three times–will likely see more play and exploration once summer tour resumes. In the narrative of the album and the pursuit of higher awareness, it warns of the perils and false idols draw our attention.
The power of bottles and cans, when do the answers arrive?
As “Dawn” metaphorically ushers in a new day, that ledge is no longer the only thing I see. Beginning with a reverse chorus, Dawn is the album’s pivotal track, bridging past, present, and future. Says Mitarotonda, “[I] envisioned someone stepping away from this crazy party scene (SOS) and having a moment of self-realization and growth occurring.” One of just two tracks to debut on the album, this stunning and reflective track has yet to be performed live.
It’s a new life creeping out
Literally speaking, “Flodown” could very well be the end of the very same day ushered in by the rising sun of its predecessor, but to me is more likely the backend of a symbolic pilgrimage. While these consecutive tracks couldn’t be more divergent sonically (think square dance vs. acid trip), they are more connected than at first they appear, especially with ambient drones bridging the tracks as lyrical day turns to night.
Been sweatin’ in the haze all day, and somethin’s gotta take this edge away
On the heels of what is likely the most fun song in the Goose catalog, “Spirit Of The Dark Horse” brings an abrupt end to the “rowdiest shindig I ever seen,” at once snapping our attention back to serpentine spirits lying in wait and hiding in plain sight–the devil you know and all that. A serious track, the levity of its intent is inextricably woven into Mitatotonda’s piercing guitar even as Anspach’s keys lighten the outro. Written in 2014, “Dark Horse” and its newly named but accompanying jam “(7hunder)” have recently returned to the live rotation with widespread fan approval after being released as the album’s first single in March of this year.
Dark he fights, won’t let the night steal our soul
If one singular track is to define this record, let it be “The Labyrinth.” A musical odyssey and compositional masterpiece, this wordless juggernaut leaves all interpretation to the listener. Personally, I imagine it to be a reflective trip back through time, not just through the previous eight tracks but through the lifelong journey that brought me to this time and place. You know the old saying, “If I knew then what I know now?” Well, with its happy chords and its bounding solos, its acoustic sentiment and its electric joy, “The Labyrinth” hearkens that passage of time with a heavy sense of accomplishment, of knowing. And what could be more appropriate for a song first written by Mitarotonda for his *high school* band–The Shenanigans, ha!– that we are just hearing now for the first time. “It’s the very old, new thing,” he admits. And while its title suggests a complicated irregular network of paths in which it is difficult to find one’s way, its effect is to imbue the listener with a feeling of having conquered the maze that is life. Transcendence. As the song reaches its conclusion and the track fades away, Peter Anspach’s heartfelt laughter is the last thing we hear. Perfect, just absolutely perfect.
An intricate composition, “The Labyrinth” is an ambitious track even for the studio. Having never been performed live and with summer tour just a few days away, my loins tingle with excitement as I contemplate how this compositional piece will debut in the improvisational setting of a live show. This could easily be the best piece of music in the catalog.
Deep into the forest he will go
I came for the party in the woods, but I stayed because I found a place where my insides match my outsides. The Flodown may have drawn me in, but The Spirit Of The Dark Horse cast its spell. The Universe makes no mistakes, and the emergence of this music and the people it brought into my life are amongst the beautiful offerings that elevated me as I confronted my demons. The human body is an incredible machine, the mind the world’s finest supercomputer. Given our instinctive ability to adapt, getting stuck in The Same Old Shenanigans is almost too easy. Echoing Rick Mitarotonda’s thoughts, “It’s hard to really need to dig, to need to seek when you’re comfortable. Life has a way of driving you to certain places. You’re not going to … start asking questions in a very poignant way until (you) need to.”
No more demon roars
A forced helping of uncomfortability left me So Ready for heady excavation. Now, over a year later, revelations on the personal front, coupled with a change in national leadership and baby steps toward Uniting our States have freed us from our collective Labyrinth. In addition to a seemingly overnight emergence from a year-long pandemic, the stage has been set for an artististic, cultural, and individual Renaissance of biblical proportion. Dawn. If you find yourself unwilling or unable to experience the beauty of the rising sun, consider this timeless quote, “A skeptic is a person who, when he sees the handwriting on the wall, insists it is a forgery.”
Pure pure pure
In a world where authenticity is in woefully short supply, Shenanigans Nite Club is refreshing and honest. But it wasn’t easy. “While we’ve been touring, the record has been happening in the background,” says Mitarotonda. “It’s been quite the process. At times, it was difficult. The record is a companion to those growing pains.” A testament to longevity, focus, hard work, growth, and friendship, it’s also proof positive that everything happens for a reason. Darkness both follows and precedes light. And vice versa. But don’t take the meaning that I found in it, give it a listen and let it speak to you. Can’t wait to see y’all out there as we trudge the road of Happy Destiny.
Tanglewood, the home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, has announced a significant increase in capacity from the previously announced attendance cap of 25% to 50% for the 2021 Tanglewood Season this July 9 – Aug 16.
The decision is in response to recent health and safety issuances by the Centers for Disease Control, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Berkshires’ Tri-Town Health Department, as well as feedback from the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s own team of experts – including 9Foundations.
In support of regulations set by the Tri-Town Health Department and the Lenox and Stockbridge health boards, Tanglewood will limit attendance capacity to 9,000—50% of its usual capacity of 18,000. With this significant increase in capacity, they will now be able to welcome up to 2,400 patrons inside the Shed and 6,600 patrons on the lawn. While physical distancing will no longer be enforced on the lawn, the approximate 50% capacity will ensure ample space for voluntary physical distancing should patrons choose that option.
Tanglewood will now maintain three-feet physical distancing between patron parties seated in the Koussevitzky music shed for all Boston Symphony Orchestra related performances, from July 9 through Aug 16. In addition, they will no longer require patrons to wear masks, though it is recommend masking and physical distancing for people who are unvaccinated based on Center for Disease Control guidelines.
The new 9,000 overall capacity limit also applies to the new 2021 Popular Artists schedule, though there will be no capacity restrictions in the Koussevitzky Music Shed. Performances that have been rescheduled for later this summer include:
Brandi Carlile, with opening artist Mavis Staples, originally scheduled for July 27, will now perform on Aug 21, with ticket sales resuming on Monday, June 21.
Judy Collins, Richard Thompson, and Jesse Colin Young, originally scheduled for June 20, will now perform on Aug 22, with ticket sales resuming on Monday, June 21.
Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me will take place on the originally scheduled date of Aug 26,with tickets on sale now.
Performances by James Taylor, Ringo Starr, and The Mavericks & Los Lobos, originally scheduled to take place on June 17, June 27 and Aug 31, respectively, have been rescheduled for the 2022 Tanglewood Season. The Trey Anastasio concert Scheduled on June 19 and the John Legend concert on August 28 have been canceled.
Additional tickets affected by the 50% capacity change will go on sale to the public on Monday, June 21. Existing ticket inventory remains on sale now. To stay up to date on shows, see highlights from the season, and acquire tickets visit the BSO website.
For more information about safety guidelines and protocol visit the Safe and Sound section on the BSO website.
Fresh off a triumphant three-night headlining run at the world-renowned Red Rocks Amphitheatre the previous weekend, Philadelphia’s own Disco Biscuits took to the court at the new Westville Music Bowl in New Haven, CT.
Over June 4-5, an instant classic run took flight, with the venue making the best of the end of COVID-19 restrictions and raising the bar for outdoor venues everywhere.
The former tennis stadium that had seen the likes of tennis legends such as Andre Agassi and Martina Navratilova perform at historic levels seemed primed for a special weekend of the improvisational, electronic-rock hybrid, nicknamed “Trancefusion,” that the band invented back on Halloween night 1997 when keyboardist Aron Magner introduced his Roland JP-8000 synthesizer. This one piece of hardware threw the rulebook out the window. Old and new fans embraced and smiled everywhere as the band sauntered out onto the stage for the beginning of what will surely be a signpost of this wonderful post-COVID iteration of the band.
While everything felt new and refreshed, the connection between the band might be the very best that we know in the jamband scene (one cannot imagine how many in attendance had seen well over 100 concerts – when I say obsession I mean it). This was made increasingly evident by the fact that the set list for the evening had been co-written by two fans along with bassist Marc Brownstein. The opening “Safety Dance,” a Men Without Hats cover that has become a staple of the Biscuits’ live experience got everyone dancing right from the start.
As the first improvisation of the weekend coalesced, the slinky funk riffs of “Mr. Don” sprang from guitarist Jon Barber and already everyone in attendance was out of control with delight. The jam after the lyrical portion of “Don” started to slow in pace as the opening notes of “Rocket Science,” a newer Barber original instrumental created a long volley between band and crowd, a give-and-take of energy so crucial to the live experience and so missed over the last 18 months.
With a slick little change the band locked into the fan-favorite of “Aceetobee,” which with its message of newfound freedom rang much more true than any time this writer can remember. The juxtaposition of the jazzy, darker key of “Aceetobee” and the pure 1977 disco vibe of the Giorgio Moroder/Donna Summer classic “I Feel Love” was brilliant and worked as a nice way to tap into the glorious vein of tennis puns permeating the last few months since the show’s announcement. However, that cheery vibe was short-lived as the band had a change of plans up their sleeve and violently closed out the opening set with “Confrontation,” the climactic zenith of Brownstein’s rock opera, “Chemical War Brigade.”
After a comfortably long break in the action the band surprised the crowd with an opener of “Sister Judy’s Soul Shack,” a personal favorite that had not been played since 12/28/17. Now I know they tell you that you can’t always get what you want, but it seemed as though the entire venue was getting what it needed. This little gift was quickly forgotten for the intense jam into the Biscuits original “Helicopters;” a song close to my heart as it was played at my very first show 21 years ago a few miles down the road at another classic New Haven venue, Toad’s Place.
The band, keeping everyone on their feet, segued out of “Helicopters” into a massive, metal-styled intro to the maniacal tune “Munchkin Invasion” – the crowd erupted with delight. This segment of “Helicopters-> Munchkin-> Helicopters-> Munchkin” will surely be held high as a highlight of this magnificent run in the Elm City and explored the creative genius of keyboardist Aron Magner and drummer Allen Aucoin. With so many changes in both tempo and texture, this doubles team made it look easy.
As the set came to a close Jon Barber showed everyone why the return of “Sister Judy’s” was so special earlier as he shredded the ending and brought the crowd to ecstatic heights. A quick but happy run-through of the Brownstein tune “Naeba,” only its second encore appearance since being debuted back in ’09, sent the crowd out to chaotically search for Ubers and Lyfts with smiles on their faces – advantage, Disco Biscuits.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whyagg28Djc
Saturday brought beautiful sun, slightly aggressive heat, but much less humidity – a perfect Connecticut day to enjoy the sights and sounds of the City while trying to consume as much a pizza from Sally’s, Pepe’s, Bar, and Modern as humanly possible (what can I say, I like the pie in New Haven). The party got started with “7-11” and never looked back. As the crowd settled into the stadium the band settled into a fierce jam that truly expressed the joy and elation painted across everyone’s face.
After such a whirlwind performance the night before it felt as though the atmosphere was super patient and had a delightfully old school vibe, nothing was out tonight, we were all just happy to be ‘relaxin’ with the Disco Biscuits once again. Slowly, like an old friend’s voice you hadn’t heard in years, the opening notes to another 1995 Biscuits original “Pat & Dex” reared its head for only the second time since late 2015 (last time played was 5/26/18) and the song never sounded so nice. Maybe this song has a brand new mission and this won’t be the last we hear of it this year, one can only hope.
Once the three-part jazz odyssey was finished the band took a much-welcomed break as fans could not contain their excitement anymore and let the four guys from Philadelphia know that the band they put together was serving up aces that some more pessimistic fans might not have thought possible after such a long layoff – the band had kept itself busy during COVID closures though and it showed. The Frank Zappa classic “Pygmy Twylyte” got the crowd right back into it as the venue security, who were amazing all weekend, desperately tried to stay the ever-vigilant line judges in the pit – but the emotions were just too high.
The jam out of the Zappa cover shape-shifted yet again, the guttural, repetitive bass line to the newer Barber instrumental “4th of July” gave the crowd a little bit of a respite before careening off into the ether itself in swirling synths delivered by Aron Magner – the guy is a mad scientist of melody and has more hooks than a New England fisherman. The patience was evident once again as Jon Barber waited just to the very last second of a beat to introduce the song “The Great Abyss,” an Aron Magner creation debuted once Allen Aucoin had taken his seat as Biscuit drummer previously filled by Dr. Samuel Altman. Barber’s two-note hook, affectionately named the “Beep Boops” by the crowd, was delivered perfectly on time and might be the smoothest segue I have heard in years. While short, the song propelled the Biscuits past all competition once again and found its denouement in the ridiculously well written Biscuit classic “Story of the World.” The energy in the stadium once again peaked and proved once this band just gets setlist development better than almost any other band I’ve seen outside of the Grateful Dead.
The final set of this instant classic run at the Westville Music Bowl began with “Strobelights & Martinis,” an instrumental harvested from a segment of improvisation the band first performed on September 1, 2001 in the famous New York underground venue The Wetlands Preserve. On Saturday, “Strobelights” served as the perfect opener to one of my favorite sets of music I’ve seen live from this band in over 200 shows.
The jam was instantly ratcheted up by drummer and rumored robot Allen Aucoin, the guy is a machine – do yourselves a solid and take a few moments every jam to listen to exactly what is happening behind that kit and thank me later. As the main theme to the ascending action of the song “Above the Waves” crested the crowd and the band found each other in the midst of one of the more interesting techniques of setlist magic the Biscuits have ever introduced to the music world – an inversion. An “inverted” version of a song occurs when the band jams from one song into the middle or end of another song (depending on the number of parts in said song).
Once that newly introduced song ends, the band slides back into its beginning without missing a beat – it’s something they have been doing since 1999 and a hallmark of their unique vision of the future of music. The peak of this “Waves” was skull-crushing and I am convinced that the Westville Music Bowl left the ground, ala the Hampton Coliseum’s nifty little trick down in Hampton, VA. This was Bisco, a term coined early on in the band’s tenure to explain the ineffable quality of their music to cleanse one’s soul and wash away the stresses of normal life even if only briefly; it’s what makes fans come back time and time again.
After the lyrical section of “Waves” was done (the only song with lyrics of the entire set) the jam took flight and once again Magner constructed a multilayered behemoth that ominously found itself toying with the penultimate jam song in the band’s catalog “Basis for a Day.” With its barbaric yawp of “lyrics,” the band and audience bellowed into the heavens and released so much pent-up energy that many were left stone still and gaping in disbelief at the level of intensity the evening had reached. The Tractorbeam jam, a dizzying use of samples and Ableton Live the band has been introducing in different ways, was vibrating the soul of everyone there. It’s better heard than explained.
With a sly return to the set opening “Strobelights” and an elated coda of “Basis,” the band closed what is going to be a fan favorite weekend for years to come. The whole deal was sealed with a note-perfect rendition of another new Barber instrumental named “Station” (perfectly suited as an encore) and a slide into the ending of the show opening “7-11.”
They say one should always leave them wanting more, but for Biscuit fans there is never enough – never enough.
LOCKN’ has announced dates and lineups for three mini fests in 2021 across the month of August. The mini festivals will include live music, food, activities, and camping and will help reduce capacity for smaller and safer concert experiences. The festivities will be taking place on August 13 – 15, August 20 – 22, and August 27 – 29, at LOCKN’ Farm (formerly known as Infinity Downs Farm).
The LOCKN’ festival has been taking place since 2013 and takes place at the LOCKN’s 387-acre property located at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Arrington, VA known as the LOCKN’ Farm. The festival generally hosts Jam bands. During its mini festivals, each weekend will be special in its own way, with a different band headlining the lineups celebrating the past, present, and future of LOCKN’. Of course, all three weekends will also feature an array of activities to enrich the summer days and nights while creating lifelong memories for all who attend.
The first weekend of fun will take place on Friday, August 13 to Sunday, August 15 with headliners Joe Russo’s Almost Dead performing six sets over three days, joined by special guests The Slip each night. In addition, Friday and Saturday night will see late-night jams and camaraderie thanks to Garcia’s Forest Improv Sessions Hosted by John Medeski and Billy Martin.
Admission tickets are available now via Front Gate Tickets HERE; camping passes are available HERE.
The second weekend of fun will take place on Friday, August 20 to Sunday, August 22 will feature “Goose Presents FRED the Festival,” a historic three-day event headlined by Goose. Guests include Dawes performing Black Sabbath’s Paranoid plus a full set of original songs, Dr. Dog, Hiss Golden Messenger, Cory Wong, Grateful Shred, and Sammy Rae & The Friends. After an eight-year hiatus, Vasudo will also be featured at FRED the Festival. Regarded as Goose’s musical predecessor, Vasudo’s feel-good sound can be described as Jamaica meets Nashville. Admission tickets are available now via Front Gate Tickets HERE; camping passes are available HERE.
The third and last weekend will take place on Friday, August 27 to Sunday, August 29 will feature a weekend of collaborative magic headlined by Tedeschi Trucks (performing Saturday and Sunday). Guests include Academy Award-winning musician Jon Batiste with his first-ever visit to the Farm on Sunday, longtime LOCKN’ favorites The Marcus King Band (performing Friday and Saturday), Lettuce, and Gabe Dixon Band. Admission tickets are available now via Front Gate Tickets HERE; camping passes are available HERE.
LOCKN’ Farm Summer 2021 will follow CDC guidelines, as well as any additional guidelines set by local and state authorities. Full details of health and safety measures and policies will be communicated to patrons in advance of attending shows at LOCKN’ Farm. The LOCKN’ Farm Summer 2021 will update as new information becomes available.
For fans who purchased tickets to the 2020 LOCKN’ Music Festival and did not previously request a refund, all purchase orders are currently in the process of being refunded in full, including all service fees, by LOCKN’ ticketing partner, Front Gate Tickets. Funds will be credited back to the original purchaser in the original form of payment. Ticket buyers in the middle of a payment plan will be refunded for the full amount paid thus far, including all service fees. No cancellation fees will be charged. Please allow 7-10 business days for refunds or credit to clear. For additional ticketing, order, or refund assistance, please contact order-support@frontgatetickets.com.
For more information on the LOCKN’ mini fests visit their website.
With live music returning to Capital Region venues, Saratoga’s historic Caffe Lena is in a position to assist a popular jazz festival in a part of the world that is still restricted by COVID-19. With American musicians unable to cross the border for their gigs at Quebec Jazz In June, Caffè Lena will instead be producing the shows at its location in Saratoga and making it available to the Quebec Audience via livestream.
Quebec Jazz in June, a ten day festival that ushers jazz music to the streets of Quebec City has pivoted to a hybrid online, and in-person model as Canada keeps its southern border closed.
“This legendary venue has stepped up to ensure that world class American musicians will once again be a part of our annual festivities – this time through the magic of live streaming.” Says Simon Couillard, the Festival’s General Manager.
Three nights of the festivals headline artists will be live streamed from Caffe Lena to the Festival’s social media platforms. Capital Region audiences can also attend the concerts in-person, in the intimate listening room located in downtown Saratoga Springs.
“Standing in as Quebec’s USA Stage is a win-win-win. The artists get to play for the festival’s audience; Quebec Jazz can hang onto their American line-up; and Saratoga gets to experience the festival’s mainstage musicians in person,” says Caffe Lena’s Executive Director Sarah Craig.
The collaboration between Caffe Lena and Quebec Jazz in June is one to look forward to, and is a positive thing as a result of the pandemic. The historic venue has been regularly sharing their stage and live stream capabilities with a number of venues and organizations from around the region, including 2020’s Freihoffer’s Jazz Festival.
Producing more than 200 shows during 2020, the venue’s audience has expanded far beyond its 110-seat listening room, while providing more than $100,000 in income to musicians who were not able to play live shows in over a year.
“This event is a perfect example of the growth of the independent music world that happened over the past year. There was pain while it was happening, but the end result–greater access for all–is exciting for artists and audiences. This international collaboration with Quebec Jazz In June is truly exhilarating,” says Craig.
The American artists performing at Caffe Lena for this series will include Manuel Valera New Cuban Express on Thursday, June 17th, Sheila Jordan on Friday, June 18th, and the Chuck Lamb Trio featuring Chuck Lamb, Jay Anderson and Harvey Sorgen on Sunday, June 20th.
Grammy-nominated pianist and composer Valera, who has played with Paquito D’Rivera and Arturo Sandoval, begins a three-night run with a scaled-down version of his New Cuban Express Big Band. Inspired by famed Cuban writer and independence hero José Martí, Valera has created a song cycle using traditional Cuban styles merged with contemporary Latin jazz. Valera, who lost his wife in 2020, repurposed Martí’s powerful poems as a personal cry for freedom, justice and passion for life. Valera will be joined by Felipe Lamoglia on saxophone, Ricky Rodriquez on bass and Jimmy McBride on drums.
National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Sheila Jordan follows the next night. Widely regarded as one of the great jazz vocalists, she remains innovative and passionate, at the youthful of 92. Always eager to forge new connections, Jordan will be accompanied by Capital Region jazz artists Dylan Perrillo on bass, Nick Anderson on drums, and Tyler Giroux on piano.
Saratoga’s own Chuck Lamb closes out the festivities on Sunday with a trio featuring Harvey Sorgen on drums and Jay Anderson on bass. Lamb, best known as the pianist for the Brubeck Brothers Quartet, is the artist-in-residence for the acclaimed monthly “Jazz at Caffe Lena” music series. Each musician brings a wealth of talent and experience to the stage ranging from all corners of jazz music.
Caffe Lena offers a state of the art live stream experience with professional sound engineering and a multi-camera broadcasting system. Throughout the COVID-19 shutdown, the Caffe’s live stream capabilities became a lifeline for the organization as they shifted their programming to an entirely virtual experience. Now they are open for limited capacity live audiences, while also continuing to stream its nightly performances as a way to stay connected with music lovers far and wide.
Founded in 1960, Caffè Lena is a premiere concert venue located in Saratoga Springs, NY. Known around the world for fostering the preservation and growth of independent music rooted in tradition, Caffè Lena is the oldest continually running coffee house in the United States.
In person or virtually, Caffe Lena provides an unparalleled listening experience for renowned artists and breakout bands nearly every night of the week. The Caffe offers homemade desserts, locally sourced light fare, coffee, wine and beer to enjoy during the show. To buy tickets, live stream a concert and view our schedule please visit www.caffelena.org
Summary of Events Thursday, June 17, 7 PM – Manuel Valera New Cuban Express Friday, June 18, 8 PM – Sheila Jordan Trio Sunday, June 20, 7 PM – Lamb-Sorgen-Anderson
The Sea.Hear.Now Festival has announced their return to Asbury Park, New Jersey this year and has revealed their long-awaited lineup. Big names like Pearl Jam, Billy Idol and the Smashing Pumpkins are topping the bill.
The annual fest will take place September 18-19 this year, showcasing live music alongside surfing demos by professional wave surfers on Asbury’s North Beach.
Pearl Jam, The Avett Brothers, Lord Huron, Patti Smith and Her Band, Patti Scialfa and more will take the stage on Saturday, September 18. The Smashing Pumpkins, Billy Idol, Dirty Heads, Grouplove, Orville Peck and more will close out the weekend of music on Sunday, September 19.
New additions to the music lineup include R&B singer/songwriter Cory Henry, as well as rockers White Denim and Strand of Oaks.
Sea.Hear.Now’s world-class lineup of surfers, including 2018 New Jersey Female Surfer of the Year Cassidy McLain, will compete in daily North Beach Expression Sessions. Expression Sessions are “soulful” alternatives to the traditional surf meet, where top surfers come together to show off their best moves. At Sea.Hear.Now, surfers will be grouped into sets of five, where they will have 30 minutes to catch as many waves as they can. The scoring system is based on the surfer’s creativity and style in each ride.
Art installations are the main centerpieces of the event, accenting the beauty of the shoreline. Murals and recycled surfboards will create a walkway arch down the sand called “Stoke Henge,” and Danny Clinch’s Transparent Gallery Pop Up will be on display this year.
According to festival staff, organizers are in regular communication with local health and public safety officials and will follow current recommendations and guidelines at the time of the festival. Patrons will receive regular updates regarding procedures, which will also be shared on their social media.
A limited number of two-day General Admission Tickets are available to purchase now on the Sea.Hear.Now ticket website. Children ages seven and under may attend for free alongside a ticketed adult.
Oklahoma City based band Speak, Memory released their latest EP, Adirondack, on May 21. Adirondack features 3 original tracks evocative of the Upstate NY mountains, fittingly titled “Trails,” “Lakes” and “Cabin.”
Speak, Memory is a three-piece act comprised of Timothy Miller on guitar and vocals, Cody Fowler on bass and Jonathan Thomas on drums. Adirondack was recorded back in December 2019 at Breathing Rhythm Studio in Norman, OK. Throughout the recording process, the band collaborated with iconic OKC musician, producer and sound engineer Bartees Strange. Strange mixed the EP, creating a rich and percussive sound profile.
Speak, Memory
While Adirondack is almost entirely instrumental, aside from some brief vocals by Miller on “Lakes,” there is a deeply emotional feel to each track. The instrumentation, especially on “Trails,” feels wistful and breezy yet contains strong punches of drums and a catchy guitar riff. The band has previously talked about how the complex idea of unrequited love often inspires their work. This sensation of romance entangled with tinges of sadness or chaos feels strongly present on their new EP.
We try to invoke a feeling of hope into our music, which is something I personally feel the world needs more of right now. Adirondack specifically focuses on varying elements of nature, and how the volatility of it all often reflects our current economic and political climate.
Timothy Miller
Speak, Memory’s conceptual choices of both unrequited love and an exploration of nature and volatility are also made clear in their music video for “Trails.” The video, which premiered on April 2, shows scenes of crashing waves and neon-lit bedrooms as the two protagonists seem to figure out their emotions. The band themselves are even shown playing music in the woods.
The quirky calmness and the math rock influences of Adirondack make for an incredibly enjoyable and laid-back listening experience. The EP is currently available to stream and purchase. You can find more about Speak, Memory on their website and stay updated on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Check out the official video for “Trails” below.
