NYS Music 202​1

Category: Beyond NYS

  • Trey Anastasio Band Welcomes New Members at Westville Music Bowl

    What a Sunday for a summer review in September. Trey Anastasio Band debuted their new lineup at Yale’s Westville Music Bowl in New Haven, CT.  During its brief history, TAB has continued to add members, starting as a trio and evolving into an octet. New bassist Dezron Douglas said, “I’ve been familiar with his work with Phish since high school; I’m from Hartford, CT, so you can’t grow up in New England and not know about Phish.”

    photo by Andrew Blackstein

    Brooklyn saxophonist Cochemea Gastelum, filling in for James Casey, has worked with Aaron Neville, David Byrne and St Vincent, and collaborated with Soulive drummer Alan Evans. Cochemea is part of Brooklyn’s emerging afrobeat and soul scene and is a great fit with TAB drummer Russ Lawton and keyboardist Ray Paczkowski’s sound. Like Trey this summer with Phish, Soule Monde has been on the road supporting their new album Mimi Digs It, leading up to this East Coast TAB run. Insert Cyro Baptista’s full percussion sections and add Jennifer Hartswick and Natalie Cressman on horns and backing vocals and it’s a whole new groove. 

    A 6:30pm start time at the Westville Music Bowl allowed the whole crowd to be visible from the stage. Trey commented, “This place is pretty cool, I can see all of you.” They kicked it off and suggested to the crowd “to roll with the funk now and turn it around” during “Set Your Soul Free.” “Olivia” stayed Latin-funky, from Trey’s Horseshoe Curve album. Rolling with the funk now, the band then took on Phish’s “Ghost.” That saw Ray P stretching out on the clavinet. More fitting for a new band lineup is new material to debut, including “And Flew Away” and “Never Left Home” from Anastasio’s Lonely Trip record. Jennifer Hartswick’s voice carries across the Long Island Sound like water on the breeze during “Night Speaks to a Woman.”

    The second set opened with one of the funkiest recent TAB songs, “In Rounds,” another groove Ray Paczkoswki can dig in on his clavinet. The late Tony Markellis‘ infamous groove to “Sand” kept his spiritual funk present with the new ensemble, one that Russ Lawton told NYS Music was a staple “still in the setlist after 20 odd years.” The afrobeat to “Curlews Call” allowed new saxophonist Cochemea Gastelum to also stretch out on stage. The variety in TAB’s catalog opened up another portal during “Quantegy,” off One Man’s Trash.

    Trey anastasio band westville
    Photo by Scott Harris

    As a full moon graced the stage, the band gave a nod to the skies and grooving audience that “we got the moon and stars above” in “Drifting.” Fans could hear the freeway calling as Natalie Cressman and Jennifer Hartswick provided amazing backing vocals on “Traveler.” The band closed with their infamous composition of exploration, “Mr. Completely.” Depending on the room, TAB has had made balconies shake since 2002 with this jam. The lyrics “Sunday morning shadows in the shade…” fit perfectly in the encore slot at the old Yale Tennis stadium with “Ether Sunday,” followed by the always welcome “First Tube” finale.

    “First Tube” was played acoustically this year as tribute to Tony Markellis in Saratoga Springs, with Oysterhead at the Peach Fest and on Summer 2021 tour with Phish. It was appropriate for him to end the evening with this staple written by the original trio, to the new cast who can take it any direction on any given night.

    The freedom in this music is that although it’s composed, there is room for every member to express themselves during the blended improvisational moments. Ray Packzkowski told NYS Music, “Yea it’s actually a beautiful thing,” regarding music in the moment that can’t be recreated: The band closes out this tour at the venerable Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan October 2 and 3. 

    Trey Anastasio Band – Westville Music Bowl, New Haven, CT – September 19, 2021

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Soundcheck: Just A Touch, Evolve (this soundcheck may be incomplete)

    Set 1: Set Your Soul Free, Olivia, …And Flew Away, Alive Again > Ghost, Liquid Time, I Never Left Home, Night Speaks to a Woman

    Set 2: In Rounds, Camel Walk, Sand, Curlew’s Call > Quantegy > Drifting > Traveler > Mr. Completely

    Encore: Ether Sunday, First Tube

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJe0AN32uoc&t=64s

  • Watch The Fugees Celebrate 25 years of ‘The Score’ with Pop up Show at Pier 17, Announce 2021 World Tour Dates

    On Wednesday, September 22, The Fugees reunited at Pier 17 in Manhattan, with Lauryn Hill, Pras and Wyclef performing together for the first time in 15 years. The trio was three hours late for their 45 minute performance, but who can complain when a classic 90s hip-hop/reggae group reunited for an intimate performance for lucky fans. Watch footage from the show below.

    Hip hop supergroup, The Fugees, will be making a return to arenas and stadiums across the world in celebration of their magnum opus, The Score.

    The group – who broke up shortly after the success of 1996’s diamond-certified sophomore effort – will be performing together for the first time since 2006. Their last major reunion tour – following another reunion at Dave Chapelle’s Block Party – ended in disarray as members had to grow accustomed to different dynamics within the group. Such as, Ms. Lauryn Hill’s amplified stardom. The friction led to an abrupt end to the tour as group members traded jabs. 

    In a 2007 interview with Billboard, Pras said:

    But, to put it nicely, it’s dead. Me and [Wyclef Jean], we on the same page, but Lauryn [Hill] is in her zone, and I’m fed up with that s**t. Here she is, blessed with a gift, with the opportunity to rock and give, and she’s running on some bulls**t? I’m a fan of Lauryn’s, but I can’t respect that. 

    Nonetheless, the group’s lasting power within hip hop has left fans clamoring for a return despite the members differences. After releasing their experimental debut, Blunted on Reality, the trio found their groove on, The Score. Recorded in the now-infamous “Booga basement,” the album was curated as an actual film and score all-in-one. Like most feature presentations it provided plenty of social-political commentary while it’s “main characters” got a chance to develop through dialogue laden lyrics and skits. 

    Upon its release, it peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 charts and earned the group two Grammy Awards. Fugees were also the first hip-hop group ever to be nominated for Album Of The Year. It pawned the hit singles “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” “Fu-Gee-La” as well as  “Ready or Not” and instantly turned the Brick city natives into the biggest hip hop act in the world.  It was also the platform on which Hill emerged as the group’s undeniable star, which — along with her deteriorating romantic relationship with Wyclef – served as a divisive seed that set the group on the path to disbandment. 

    And now with the album’s 25th anniversary upon us, the group has decided to commemorate the occasion with another world tour. Presented by Diaspora Calling and produced by Live Nation, the 12-city international tour will kick-off tomorrow, September 22nd with an intimate pop-up show in New York City, at an undisclosed location. The rest of the tour will commence November 2nd at United Center in Chicago and will make stops across the globe in Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, Paris, London, and more, before finishing the tour in Africa, with the final shows taking place in Nigeria and Ghana. 

    The Fugees have a complex but impactful history. I wasn’t even aware the 25th anniversary had arrived until someone brought it to my attention. I decided to honor this significant project, its anniversary, and the fans who appreciated the music by creating a peaceful platform where we could unite, perform the music we loved, and set an example of reconciliation for the world.

    Ms. Lauryn Hill

    As I celebrate 25 years with the Fugees, my first memory was that we vowed, from the gate, we would not just do music we would be a movement. We would be a voice for the un-heard, and in these challenging times, I am grateful once again, that God has brought us together.

    Wyclef Jean
    Fugees

  • Alice Cooper starts fall tour in Atlantic City, plays Utica on Wednesday

    Alice Cooper opened his fall tour Friday night in Atlantic City at the Oceanic Casino. The crowd began filing into the arena hours before the set started, with many in attendance wearing Alice Cooper t-shirts and eye make-up. The stage was hidden behind a giant curtain with Alice’s trade-mark eyes, and Alice songs played with the crowd already starting to sing-along. As the entrance music started to swell, the massive curtain fell, revealing the two-story castle set, and the words rang out: “Welcome to Alice Cooper’s Nightmare Castle!” As knights carried the curtain away, a drawbridge opened and Alice walked onstage in a plume of smoke.

    alice cooper

    From the opening notes of “Feed My Frankenstein,” it was clear Alice is still in great shape, and his band spent considerable time practicing together during the live music lockdown. Their excitement to be back onstage was evident by their smiles and energy displayed throughout the two-hour set. Alice Cooper doesn’t just play a concert, he puts on a SHOW, with the pomp and props of a theater production. A master entertainer, Alice made multiple costume changes throughout the set, referencing different eras of his 50-year career. How effortless his performance seems is a testament to his drive and conditioning, he controlled the band, stage and the crowd as well, eliciting sing-alongs and responses with hand gestures and using his sword and cane like a conductor. He had a microphone holster on his giant leather belt, and handles the mic like a gunslinger. When he was on top of the castle behind a spiked wheel, it evoked an image of a mad captain steering a pirate ship.

    With over 50 years of albums to choose from, the setlist was a solid collection of his biggest hits, ranging from the Alice Cooper Band era and his solo career, leading into his last two records, Paranormal and Detroit Stories. There was a clever segue from the new song “Go Man Go,” about cruising around in a stolen Hellcat, with the last verse implying the car could be destroyed in a train wreck (with a similar vibe to KISS’s ‘Detroit Rock City’) leading into his classic “Under My Wheels.” Those songs and their placement were vintage Detroit songwriting and Alice wordplay, complete with an American muscle car and macabre ending. A few more notable songs played were “Fallen in Love” co-written with ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, new songs “Rock’N’Roll” and “Social Disease” which showed him still flexing his song-writing muscles during lockdown, and a combination of “My Stars/Devils Food/Black Widow” that led into the intense drum solo from “Black Juju.”

    The props and theatrics were non-stop, ranging from a crutch he wielded during “Eighteen” to mock the fact that he’s been singing a song about being a teenager for 50 years, to the giant baby who uses a skull-studded-cannon to shoot money into the crowd during “Billion Dollar Babies.” The baby theme continues with the huge images of evil babies projected on the castle during “Dead Babies,” and the baby-faced doctors who place Alice in a straightjacket and oversee his execution in a guillotine. Alice has multiple encounters with his wife, Sheryl Goddard, including her waving his severed head victoriously to the crowd after he’s decapitated. The show opened with the giant Frankenstein monster that comes onstage during “Feed My Frankenstein” and he closes the show with his arms and chains draped around Alice for “Teenage Frankenstein.”

    alice cooper

    The band returned for an encore with a sprawling, sing-along version of “School’s Out,” including a breakdown of Pink Floyd’s “We Don’t Need No Education,” that featured confetti, streamers and giant balloons being shot into the crowd as Alice popped any balloons that came back to the stage with his sword. They came back to the stage for multiple bows as the crowd kept cheering.

    Alice Cooper and Ace Frehley play in New York this Wednesday, September 22 at the Stanley Theater in Utica. This tour takes Alice (and opening act Frehley) across the Midwest and South, ending in Georgia at the end of October. Full dates for the tour can be found here.

  • Gogol Bordello Bring The Immigrant Punk Party to Burlington

    Gogol Bordello, the legendary gypsy-punk collective known for their high-energy shows and genre-bending music, touched down in Vermont on Wednesday, performing at Higher Ground in Burlington, VT. 

    The show replaced a Montreal tour date that was rescheduled due to shifting COVID regulations. But Gogol Bordello has a long history in the Burlington area. Frontman Eugene Hutz moved to the area with his family when they first came to the states, as political refugees from Ukraine in 1992. Already an avid guitarist, Hutz formed popular local punk band The Fags before eventually moving to New York, where he would form Gogol Bordello in 1999. 

    The anticipation among the crowd at Higher Ground matched that long, storied history. Concertgoers of all ages mulled around the venue, often greeting each other with a smile and asking “you ready?” A worthy question– it’s hard to be fully ready for the kind of breakneck, immersive experience that is a Gogol Bordello show. 

    Nu Folk Rebel Alliance, a duo of Gogol Bordello member Pedro Erazo and guitarist Leo Minimum Tek, opened the show. A frequent associate of Gogol Bordello, Nu Folk Rebel Alliance shares their passion for blending global folkloric traditions with a punk rock twist. Pedro Erazo proves a charismatic presence, as arresting on vocals and percussion as in front of a DJ table. An electro-influence cover of “Working Class Hero” cemented the band’s power-to-the-people message, along with original “Fronteras,” an immigration anthem which Erazo addressed to “our brothers and sisters at the border.” Fronteras features a spaghetti-western guitar riff over heavy bass, nimbly blending the old with the new. The song bitingly addresses those who “wash their hands with corruption/ Making our lives miserable/ Miseducating our hoods.” Sung in Spanish and English, “Fronteras” urges immigrants of all nations to rise up in international solidarity and fury. 

    The humming Romani melodies signaling Gogol Bordello’s entrance began echoing before the group even stepped on stage, mesmerizing the crowd. The longer it lasted, the more voices in the audience called for them: “We want you!” A security guard tapped me, warning “you might want to be ready to get out of the way. Just in case there’s crowd surfers.” What exactly was I in for? 

    What I was in for, it turned out, was a rousing, electric and moving performance; a “gypsy punky party,” as Eugene Hutz declared. Once they began performing it proved impossible to look away. Their musical capability is astounding; just drums, violin and an acoustic guitar can give the impression of the center of a thunderstorm. Each song seems to feature a new instrument offering the perfect final tough; bongos, or bells, or an enormous marching bass drum. 

    The band’s unity, creativity and technical skill make thundering tracks like “Wonderlust King” and “Immigraniada” feel stadium-worthy. But the close environment of a club offered Gogol Bordello an opportunity to highlight their other grand talent: engaging an audience. Hopping from platform to platform and teetering at the edge of the stage, the band treats the stage like a playground and encourages the audience to adopt the same mentality. Many times, Hutz spun his hands as the crowd energy grew and grew, literally stirring the pot. 

    What felt most revolutionary about the performance was its embodiment of the Gogol Bordello’s mission: breaking boundaries, emphasizing global solidarity, and rejecting the norm. Even the band itself was somewhat shifted; Gogol Bordello announced on Tuesday members Ashley Tobias and Boris Pelekh had tested positive for COVID-19 and were quarantining. Leo Minimum Tek stood in for Pelekh with the rousing support of Hutz, whose unfettered, wiley joy seems utterly unsinkable. Waltzing across the stage in an open, tasseled bolero jacket, twirling his guitar as casually as the bottle of Brazilian rum he brought onstage, Hutz couldn’t be less bothered. His demeanor of carelessness seemed to say: Hey, the world is fucked, but we can have fun with it, together. The emotion is as intoxicating as their breathless musical pace. 

    Furthermore, crowd participation isn’t optional with Gogol Bordell. Hutz’s gutterall yells and ad-libs always include a microphone to the crowd, and occasionally a tease to get louder. But the chaos of their music never loses you, as the mind-boggling technique kill violinist Sergey Ryabtsev specifically catches you and doesn’t let go. His mesmerizing violin brings to mind a lived-out version of The Devil Went Down To Georgia, the classic tune where a musician plays for his life. Ryabtsev could surely beat the devil at this game, even in his own territory. 

    The band came out for a lengthy, rowdy encore after an hour-long set, performing classics like “Start Wearing Purple,” and new track “Roaring 2020s.” As wild moshing continued in the pit, a couple on the edge of the crowd waltzed together, twirling furiously. No one wanted the party to end. 

    However, all parties must end, and before they headed offstage Gogol Bordello stood together, extending their arms to the crowd. Though they had been the ones to bring their wild breed of freedom, we had all shared in the moment, and they thanked us. Hutz left the audience with a final, affecting message: “Don’t believe the hype, don’t believe the anti-hype. Stay fucking centered.” 

    Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song,” played as the crowd trickled back out into the night. Whatever had been released in that theater left, in its place, a free and easy feeling; the performance had captured the angst, energy and possibly fleeting joy of this moment in time. When Gogol Bordello say they ‘confront the jaded and the irony-deseased,” they mean it. Their inspiring message of international-mindedness, righteous fury and pure fun is enough to leave the most jaded of souls with hope for the future. That is, a future with lightning rods like Gogol Bordello in it.

  • Preservation Hall Jazz Band Celebrates NOLA Heritage at Ridgefield Playhouse

    On September 3, Preservation Hall Jazz Band drew in a packed house at The Ridgefield Playhouse bringing with them the soul of New Orleans jazz and heritage. With merely less than a week since the devastating Hurricane Ida hitting New Orleans, their keep-your-head-up spirit radiated from their voices and music. (Links to NOLA hurricane relief fundraisers are included at the end of the article)

    Preservation Hall Jazz Band

    Preservation Hall is celebrating a big milestone this year. It’s the 60th anniversary since their founding in 1961 after Allan and Sandra Jaffe inherited a hybrid art & music gallery space on St. Peter Street in the French Quarter. Today the band is carries on a family tradition being led by Allan’s son, Ben Jaffe. Much like the nightly concerts put on by members of the Preservation Hall collective at their New Orleans venue, the show took us through various flavors of the New Orleans jazz tradition with the spice of their own touch blending other cultural music styles in their arrangements.

    Preservation Hall Jazz Band

    The second set brought a special surprise for the audience, in a way a blessing introduced by Hurricane Ida. Jaffe walked out on stage with a clarinet to say some introductory words, referencing a musician who, because of the hurricane timing, evacuated New Orleans with the band rather than other possible alternatives. A living legend of the Preservation Hall collective, 89-years-young Charlie Gabriel, was brought out for the entirety of the remainder of the show. Gabriel’s passion for the saxophone, music, and comradery for his bandmates gave him a youthful but refined liveliness as he stood alongside his bandmates on stage.

    Preservation Hall Jazz Band

    That French Quarter street music feel had many toes tapping the whole night and as the heat grew on stage the theater was brought to their feet, seemingly shaking loose the weight of the past year. The band capped the end of the night with two burners, “La Malanga” and their Cuba-inspired composition “Keep Your Head Up.”

    Preservation Hall Jazz Band

    Preservation Hall Jazz Band Setlist:

    Set 1: Tin Roof Blues, One Hundred Fires, Rich Women, Tootie Ma, So It Is, Santiago, That’s It!

    Set 2: Come With Me/Convergence, Dear Lord, I Am, La Malanga, Keep Your Head Up

    In the wake of Hurricane Ida, there are several ways to contribute to help New Orleans musicians and the NOLA community in Hurricane Ida relief:

  • The Slip plan Northeast November Tour, with stops in Brooklyn and Woodstock

    Just as cargo shorts, hair dye and flannel are making a comeback in the ’20s, a classic jam band from the ’90s is also making a triumphant return. The Slip, having just reunited at LOCKN’ in August, will hit the road for six shows this November, with three shows in New York.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMRHbayESZQ

    The Slip – drummer Andrew Barr, guitarist Brad Barr and bassist Marc Friedman – had released eight albums over 10 years, starting in 1997, and while they have reunited here and there over the years, this run of shows marks their first tour in more than a decade.

    After starting the tour in Burlington at Higher Ground, they’ll make two more stops in New England at Fete Music Hall and The Sinclair before heading to Brooklyn Bowl for two nights, followed by an intimate performance at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock. Tickets go on sale this Friday, September 17 at 10 a.m. ET at each venue’s website below.

    The Slip Tour Dates

      Nov. 11 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
    Nov. 12 – Providence, RI – Fete Music Hall
    Nov. 13 – Boston, MA – The Sinclair
    Nov. 18 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl
    Nov. 19 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl
    Nov. 20 – Woodstock, NY – Levon Helm Studios

  • In Focus: Blackberry Smoke “Spirit of the South” Tour rolls into Stone Pony Summer Stage

    For many bands it is a struggle to make it past a few years. However, when they do, it requires something special. To commemorate their 20th anniversary, Georgia’s Blackberry Smoke spun up the “Spirit of the South Tour: A Celebration of Southern Rock N Roll.” 

    To help support this momentous adventure, Blackberry Smoke brought along The Allman Betts Band and The Wild Feathers, as well as having special guests sit in at various stops along the way.  As luck would have it in the year 2021, midway through the tour a member of Blackberry Smoke tested positive for Covid.  With proper protocols in place, the band isolated for enough time to enabled them to finish out the run and reschedule dates where possible.  NYSMUSIC caught one of the rebooked shows at The Stone Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park, N.J.

    With a light breeze flowing in from the Atlantic Ocean, The Wild Feathers opened the late Sunday afternoon show.  Fired up and raring to go, this five-piece from Nashville shared songs from their 2013 debut album, The Wild Feathers, and the soon to be released Alvarado.  Per the band’s website, they “have been through the wringer” in the music biz, but you wouldn’t have known it as they strutted the stage, kicked up their heels, played their hearts out and found Ricky Young and Joel King climbing out on speakers to take in all the house had to offer.

    Blackberry Smoke Spirit South
    The Wild Feathers

    The Allman Betts Band faced logistic issues due to the rescheduled date and surprised the crowd with a three-piece acoustic version of ABB comprised of Devon Allman, Duane Betts, and R. Scott Bryon.  Devon set the expectations for the afternoon calling it a BBQ backyard show, with the band writing the set list as they went along. Being in Jersey, the trio shared their take on Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire” to the delight of the Asbury crowd. Drew Smithers sat in mid set with his slide guitar prowess and later Jimmy Hall, founding member of Wet Willie, joined in contributing vocals and harmonica. In the spirit of paying homage to their musical forefathers, the collective finished with Sonny Boy Williamson’s “One Way Out.”

    Blackberry Smoke Spirit South
    The Allman Betts Band

    As the sun was setting, Blackberry Smoke launched into a 16-song set covering their multi-decade existence.  Front man Charles Starr thanked those in attendance for their support over the years and attendance at the rescheduled show. The night featured songs from their latest, You Hear Georgia, in addition to “Good One Comin’ On”, “Medicate My Mind”, and “One Horse Town. The band closed with “Ain’t Much Left of Me.” BBS’s performance let everyone know they were not calling it quits at 20 years.

    Blackberry Smoke Spirit South
    Blackberry Smoke

    After these three acts finished, one could have gone home satisfied. But then the magic took over. After a short break, Blackberry Smoke hit the stage again bringing with them a variety of players to salute those who paved the musical way. Joined by The Wild Feathers, they started in with Charlie Daniel’s “Long Haired Country Boy” followed by Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Tuesday’s Gone.” 

    Larkin Poe guested on Marshall Tuckers “Can’t You See” and Jimmy Hall fronted the jam with Wet Willies “Country Side of Life.” Not to remain on the side of the stage, The Allman Betts Band led a special tribute to Charlie Watts with “Honky Tonk Woman.” Throwing in a few more southern classics for good measure, Blackberry Smoke brought it all together as everyone joined in on “Midnight Rider.”

    The New Jersey shore, known for its boardwalk, games of chance, and salty air was transformed this night by Blackberry Smoke and friends into simply “Southern” Jersey.

    The Wild Feathers

    The Allman Betts Band

    Blackberry Smoke

  • Gogol Bordello Arrive in Albany on September 14 – then onto Burlington

    Punk rock collective Gogol Bordello will perform two New York regional shows this week, at Empire Live in Albany on Tuesday, September 14 and Higher Ground in Burlington, Vermont on Wednesday, September 15 The Burlington show replaces a Montreal date, which was previously postponed due to new COVID-19 protocols. 

    gogol bordello

    Formed on the Lower East Side in 1999, Gogol Bordello’s boundary-breaking combination of punk-rock, cabaret and Romani musical traditions is truly unlike anything out there. Anchored by Ukranian frontman Eugene Hutz, members of the always-evolving collective hail from around the world. In a handwritten mission statement on their website, Hutz writes: “From where we stand, it is clear that world’s cultures contain material for endless art-possibilities, and new mind-stretching combinations, raw joy and survival energy.” This mission has led them to receive critical acclaim and fans across the world, with former Village Voice Chief Music Critic Robert Christgau calling them “The world’s most visionary band.” 

    Gogol Bordello are known for their dramatic performances, which they describe as a mix of “music, theatre, chaos and sorcery.” Although they have not released a new album since 2017s Seekers and Finders, Gogol Bordello have remained a consistent touring act. The band averages 200+ shows a year, and has supported diverse bands from Flogging Molly to Cake. Their most recent single, an Adrian Sherwood remix of their song “Lifers,” dropped back in April. Sherwood offers clean, electronic production, grounding the maniacal rawness that has become Gogol Bordello’s hallmark.  They are currently recording the album’s follow-up. 

    The new Burlington date will complete the Northeastern leg of Gogol Bordello’s Lifers 2021 tour. The band is no stranger to Higher Ground, where they most recently played in 2020, describing it as an “all time fav.” Attendees will have to provide proof of full vaccination, or a negative COVID test from the past 72 hours paired with a photo ID, aligning with Higher Ground’s policy. To purchase tickets, visit here.

  • New TDE Signee Ray Vaughn Drops 3-Song EP “Peer Pressure”

    Long Beach, CA rapper Ray Vaughn, has shared a new 3-song EP, “Peer Pressure.” The release follows Vaughn’s recent signing to Top Dawg Entertainment, which represents acts like Kendrick Lamar, Isaiah Rashad and SZA. 

    ray vaughn

    In a press release, TDE said the EP serves as an “appetizer for the full feast ahead.” TDE first signed Vaughn in 2020, but “Peer Pressure” marks his introductory release on the label. The album announcement comes at a transitional time for TDE, after flagship artist Kendrick Lamar announced his departure from the label days earlier. 

    The three tracks on “Peer Pressure” focus on Vaughn’s lyricism, giving him an opportunity to tell his story. On opener “Not Allowed,” Vaughn lays out his success– money, Givenchy, women– not as possibility, but destiny. Repeating “Ain’t no way I’m gon’ die broke,” over breakneck production from Tariq Beats, the track feels at home with early work by label-mates ScHoolboy Q or Jay Rock. 

    The following two tracks don’t quite meet the pace set by “Not Allowed.” “Top Shottas” slows things down a bit, offering a digestible and titular hook, but far less sonic intrigue.“Tap,” the final track, comes accompanied by a cinematic, visceral visual that expands the experience of the track. “Tap” stays in the ears mainly with its mesmerizing beat, adorned with echoing strings and twinkling piano riffs. Vaughn knows this when he slyly spits “I hear the beat and sprinkle crack on it.” 

    The most interesting moments on the project appear when Vaughn explores the duality of his experience; watching the effects of police violence and drugs perpetually harm those around him, regardless of his success, then fade into just another cause for action. On “Not Allowed,” he spits: “Fuck a t-shirt, turn you to a trending topic/ Check my peephole ‘cause the devil always knockin.” A perfectly produced knock on the door ends the verse. It sounds so realistic one can’t be blamed for pulling off their headphones and checking their own front door for police, opps, or whatever new demons might be at the door today. 

    Though these first tracks are far from revolutionary, Vaughn’s insightful eye into his past and present will fit right in with the introspective class of hip-hop/R&B talent TDE is known for. The “appetizer” may not be filling, but isn’t that the point? Ray Vaughn certainly leaves enough on the table to warrant excitement for dinner. 

  • DelFest postpones to Memorial Day Weekend 2022, citing regional staffing and industry fallout from COVID-19

    The organizers of DelFest, held at the Allegany County Fairgrounds in Cumberland, MD, have announced they have no choice but to postpone the upcoming music festival until Memorial Day 2022.

    Despite best efforts from promoters in working with state and local governments, the postponement was shared on Thursday, September 9, citing specific staffing and COVID-19 safety requirements needed for the event to carry forward. Issues are noted in the announcement by Rob and Ronnie McCoury point to a lack of vaccinated staff among local workers, coupled with a general lack of available workers for staffing. Among these cited are local shuttle services and vendors.

    The music industry by and large has needed strict adherance to safety protocols, including daily testing and mask wearing at all times, to ensure that one band or crew member getting sick does not cause a show, let alone a full tour or festival, to be postponed or cancelled. The surge in the Delta variant of COVID-19 left DelFest 2021 no choice but to push back to Memorial Day 2022, when conditions may better warrant a full festival experience.

    More Venues Across NY To Require Proof Of Vaccination For Audiences

    This edition of DelFest featured headliners The Travelin’ McCourys, Béla Fleck’s My Bluegrass Heart, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, and Railroad Earth. Other acts included Old Crow Medicine Show, Sam Bush, and Leftover Salmon.

    DelFest will offer refunds as requested through September 20, with all non-refunded tickets honored at the 2022 festival. While DelFest is held each year in Cumberland, MD, promoters were forced to cancel the 2020 edition, and then postpone the 2021 edition until this September. Two years without DelFest and fans shouting ‘Del Yeah!’ leaves a gap in the festival and travel schedule for many.

    Revisit NYS Music’s past coverage of DelFest, and read the letter from Rob and Ronnie McCoury below.

    delfest