Wondering where and how you can get your 2021 Pride on throughout New York this summer? With COVID-19 ever looming in the background, NYS Music has you covered. Between in person events and virtual celebrations, celebrating Pride with live music in 2021 will be a highlight of the summer across the State of New York.
New York City and Long Island
New York City Pride will be kicking off with 50 events across the 30 days of June, known as Pride month throughout the LGBTQ+ community. Between the NYC Pride march, Pridefest, and Pride Island. The NYC Pride March broadcast special will return for its fifth consecutive year.
Featuring live performances, on-air interviews, and exciting street-side marching activity, the broadcast will air on ABC-7 from 12PM to 3PM EST on Sunday, June 27 as well on ABC7NY.com and ABC7 New York’s Connected TV Apps on streaming platforms Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Roku. All in-person elements will be produced in accordance with the most current guidelines for public events in the city. DJ Lina Bradford will be performing at the online virtual Pride Island party. Details on the event can be found on their website. Musical performances across NYC Pride are waiting to be announced.
Long Island Pride is taking place on June 13, 2021 at Eisenhower Park’s landmark Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre from 12PM-4PM. The festivities will take place in person and will follow New York State Department of Health and CDC guidance, all attendees will be required to present proof of full COVID-19 vaccination, or 72-hour negative PCR test. This year’s Long Island Pride is a pre-ticketed event only and there will be no same day entry. The event may sell out quickly with sponsorships, VIP tickets and a limited number of general admission tickets now on sale due to COVID-19. Almost Queen, The Lesbian and Gay Big Apple Corps, and DJ Disco 2 House will all be performing. Details on the event can be found on their website.
Capital District
In Albany the Pride activities will span out across the month with plenty of events. People can catch local artists performing on the Virtual Alive at 5 event. It can be found on Albany Events on YouTube and the Pride Center of the Capital region YouTube. Join the online party for the Virtual Pride Alive at 5 on Thursday, June 10, 2021 at 11AM to 12PM. Details on the event can be found on their website.
Schenectady Pride will be hosting a ‘Day of Visibility’ event at the Gateway Plaza. The event will host DJ RVMBA at 3PM, Community Stage (special guests including SLOC Musical group, Planned Parenthood at 4PM, and Drag Spectacular starring the Legends of Drag at 5pm on Saturday, June 5, 2021. Details on the event can be found on their website.
Buffalo
Buffalo won’t be having an official live pride event this year due to COVID-19 but is promoting different events throughout Buffalo in celebration of Pride. The R&B and Hip-Hop Pride Event is taking place on June 5 from 9PM to 1AM at 522 Elmwood Ave Buffalo. The event is $7 and focuses on Recording Artists of the LGBTIAQ+ Community that dwell in the genres of R&B and Hip-Hop music. Hosted by an Actress/R&B and Hip-Hop Artist named Aqueira Oshun. Loncé thee Starr, Disprettymofo, Incense, Paris Glenn, Charlie Bae, C4W2, and Jay Aquarious will all be performing. The music for the show will be spun by a DJ named Trav1sTw1n. The maximum capacity is 40 people and please be asked to wear a mask at the event. Details on the event can be found on their website.
Rochester
Rochester Pride isn’t taking place until September 25, 2021 at Mayo Park from 12-5 PM and hasn’t released information yet.
CNY
Central New York Pride will be taking place on June 26, 2021 for CNY Pride’s “Virtual Edition” Pride Festival, presented by Equitable. The festival will be featuring performances by Deviant Dance Tribe, Jason Ngo, Felipe Panama, Kitschy Scoflow, Koy Adams, Frita Lay, Sparkle Royale, Rea Listic, Tayler Mayde, and Natalie Taylor, and hosted live by the fabulous Samantha Vega, this digital festival will be streaming online June 26 and will be free and open to the public. Details on the event can be found on their Facebook page.
Keep checking back for more updates on when and where to get your Pride and dance moves on in 2021 throughout New York State.
Independent Venue Week returns July 12 – 18, 2021, bringing together venues from all across the country for a series of shows and programming in celebration of the spirit of independence.
The venue-curated programming will be combined with the return of #IVWTalks, a virtual conference series that discusses current live music industry issues and includes Get Schooled, a full day dedicated to student participants interested in a career in live music to take place on Thursday, July 15.
Among the more than 450 shows to take place as part of Independent Venue Week are performances by hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg at Phoenix’s Celebrity Theatre,roots music icons Steve Earle & The Dukes at Ram’s Head On Stage in Annapolis, midwest indie-pop sensation Beach Bunny at Milwaukee’s The Cooperage, world-class Afro-Cuban percussionist Pedrito Martinez at NYC’s DROM, New Jersey DIY favorites Long Neck, Whiner and PYNKIE at WhiteEagle Hallin Jersey City, legendary rock’n’rollers The Marshall Tucker Band at Missoula’s KettleHouse Amphitheater,and bass virtuoso George Porter Jr. for his reopening run at Garcia’sin Port Chester.
Getting ready for this year’s event feels particularly meaningful. For the past 14 months, independent venues and promoters have collectively fought for their very survival and this feels like the turning point that we’ve all been working for. We were happy and proud to grow Independent Venue Week last year—to even have it, under the circumstances. This year, we hope and believe that fans will return with a renewed appreciation for these uniquely important spaces.
Cecilie Nielsen, Director of Special Projects at Marauder, the firm that runs Independent Venue Week in the US.
The team behind Independent Venue Week has released the first episode of its new podcast series, Independent Venue Speak. Like its namesake, Independent Venue Speak will celebrate the spirit of independence, through the vehicle of deep-diving conversations. The series will be hosted by a different guest artist each episode and focus on how a specific independent venue has shaped the narrative in their music community.
For its inaugural episode, Independent Venue Speak invited the Grammy-nominated, Brooklyn-based artist and songwriter J. Hoard to tell the tale of the iconic Lower East Side room Arlene’s Grocery and its ties to The Lesson, a world-renowned hip-hop jam ensemble that forged an entire music culture.
To truly make Independent Venue Speak as incredible in execution as it was in concept, we enlisted the artists and venue operators to tell these stories themselves. These stories are about extraordinary people who helped inspire prolific music movements and about the venues that offered these movements not just a stage, but a home.
Cecilie Nielsen, Director of Special Projects at Marauder
#IVW21 PARTICIPATING VENUES (So Far!)
Princess Theatre Center for the Performing Arts (Decatur, Alabama)
Theatrikos (Flagstaff, Arizona)
Jeremy’s Juke Joint (Lake Havasu City, Arizona)
The Neighborhood Comedy Theatre (Mesa, Arizona)
The Nile Theater (Mesa, Arizona)
Last Exit Live (Phoenix, Arizona)
The Rebel Lounge (Phoenix, Arizona)
Club Congress (Tucson, Arizona)
Groundworks Tucson (Tucson, Arizona)
The Wayfarer (Costa Mesa, California)
T-Bar Social Club (June Lake, California)
Marvyn’s Magic Theater (La Quinta, California)
1720 (Los Angeles, California)
Globe Theatre (Los Angeles, California)
The Paramount LA (Los Angeles, California)
The Sardine (Los Angeles, California)
The Glass House Concert Hall (Pomona, California)
Crest Theatre Sacramento (Sacramento, California)
Harlow’s (Sacramento, California)
Sacramento Comedy Spot (Sacramento, California)
Belly Up (San Diego, California)
The Casbah (San Diego, California)
Soda Bar (San Diego, California)
Spin Nightclub (San Diego, California)
Amado’s (San Francisco, California)
Bimbo’s 365 Club (San Francisco, California)
Great American Music Hall (San Francisco, California)
The Riptide (San Francisco, California)
Center Stage Theater (Santa Barbara, California)
Kuumbwa Jazz (Santa Cruz, California)
Boulder Theater (Boulder, Colorado)
Fox Theatre (Boulder, Colorado)
The Black Sheep (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
Monkey Barrel (Denver, Colorado)
Roxy on Broadway (Denver, Colorado)
Aggie Theatre (Fort Collins, Colorado)
Ridgway Chautauqua Society / The Sherbino & The Courtyard at 610 (Ridgway, Colorado)
Bijou Theatre (Bridgeport, Connecticut)
The Midpoint (Hartford, Connecticut)
Arden Concert Gild (Arden, Delaware)
9:30 Club (Washington DC, District of Columbia)
The Anthem (Washington DC, District of Columbia)
DC9 Nightclub (Washington DC, District of Columbia)
Lincoln Theatre (Washington DC, District of Columbia)
Pearl Street Warehouse (Washington DC, District of Columbia)
Pie Shop (Washington DC, District of Columbia)
Songbyrd Music House (Washington DC, District of Columbia)
High Dive (Gainesville, Florida)
Murray Hill Theatre (Jacksonville, Florida)
North Beach Bandshell (Miami Beach, Florida)
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall (Sarasota, Florida)
The Village Theatre (Atlanta, Georgia)
The Blue Door (Brunswick, Georgia)
Grant’s Lounge (Macon, Georgia)
Hargray Capitol Theatre (Macon, Georgia)
Hilo Palace Theater (Hilo, Hawaii)
Hawaii Theatre Center (Honolulu, Hawaii)
ProArts Playhouse Maui (Kihei, Hawaii)
Hey Nonny (Arlington Heights, Illinois)
Annoyance Theatre & Bar (Chicago, Illinois)
Beat Kitchen (Chicago, Illinois)
The Lincoln Lodge Theater (Chicago, Illinois)
The Promontory (Chicago, Illinois)
Reggies (Chicago, Illinois)
Subterranean (Chicago, Illinois)
The Wild Hare & Singing Armadillo Frog Sanctuary (Chicago, Illinois)
Winter’s Jazz Club (Chicago, Illinois)
Egyptian Theatre (DeKalb, Illinois)
Skooter’s Roadhouse (Shorewood, Illinois)
Buskirk-Chumley Theater/BCT Management, Inc. (Bloomington, Indiana)
Mojo’s BoneYard (Evansville, Indiana)
Hi-Fi (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Hoyt Sherman Place (Des Moines, Iowa)
Wooly’s (Des Moines, Iowa)
xBk (Des Moines, Iowa)
East Of Omaha (Griswold, Iowa)
The Englert Theatre (Iowa City, Iowa)
Hutchinson’s HIstoric Fox Theatre (Hutchinson, Kansas)
Liberty Hall (Lawrence, Kansas)
Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts (Salina, Kansas)
The Warehouse at Mt Victor (Bowling Green, Kentucky)
Alhambra Theatre (Hopkinsville, Kentucky)
Headliners Music Hall (Louisville, Kentucky)
Old Forester’s Paristown Hall (Louisville, Kentucky)
Renfro Valley Entertainment Center (Mount Vernon, Kentucky)
The Southgate House Revival (Newport, Kentucky)
Texas Club (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
Carnaval Lounge (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Howlin Wolf (New Orleans, Louisiana)
The Grand (Ellsworth, Maine)
Regent Theatre (Arlington, Massachusetts)
Narrows Center for the Arts (Fall River, Massachusetts)
Atac: Downtown Arts + Music (Framingham, Massachusetts)
Soundcheck Studios (Pembroke, Massachusetts)
Electric Haze (Worcester, Massachusetts)
Pyramid Scheme (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
Kalamazoo State Theatre (Kalamazoo, Michigan)
7th St Entry (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Fine Line (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
First Avenue (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
The Parkway Theater (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
TAK Music Venue Inc (Moorhead, Minnesota)
The Fitzgerald Theatre (St. Paul, Minnesota)
Palace Theatre (St. Paul, Minnesota)
Turf Club (St. Paul, Minnesota)
RecordBar (Kansas City, Missouri)
Uptown Theater (Kansas City, Missouri)
Kettlehouse Amphitheater (Bonner, Montana)
The Music Hall (Portsmouth, New Hampshire)
Crossroads (Garwood, New Jersey)
Hopewell Theater (Hopewell, New Jersey)
White Eagle Hall (Jersey City, New Jersey)
The Newton Theatre (Newton, New Jersey)
Township Theatre (Township of Washington, New Jersey)
Pencildive, an indie rock band that has been aptly described by fans as “a post-punk visual nightmare” is gearing up to release their debut full-length record, Grown-Ups, out May 28th via Albany startup, Paintbox Records.
Pencildive is a name that may ring familiar to Capital Region music fans. The band has been active since 2018, releasing their debut EP When I Go Outside, in 2019, which was recently reissued by Paintbox Records this past April. Pencildive released a short video to accompany the release of their song “Cricket Man,” which was awarded an Eddies nomination for the best music video category in 2019.
Gina De Nardo, the songwriter of the group, graces the mic with her haunting vocals and a lyrical focus centered around losing love, sleepless nights, and the overall human condition, all composed into the group’s wild, electric arrangements in an eclectic frenzy of gloomy post-punk.
Since the first EP we’ve all become more comfortable with the recording and production process which I think shows in Grown-Ups. Creating a full-length also gave more of an opportunity to tell a story through the songs and explore sounds more conceptually.
Gina De Nardo on the Grown-Ups recording process
Grown-Ups was written by De Nardo over the course of a decade, the first full-length album the Upstate rocker has written on her own and that sense of growth is felt throughout the entirety of the project. Grown-Ups was safely recorded in October 2020 in a cabin in the Adirondacks. The ten-track album features strings, noise improvisations, and haunting cries from the insides of a vintage Leslie speaker.
Eastbound Throwdown returns this all to Irwin Farm in Salem, NY, with hosts Eastbound Jesus performing both days.
After canceling the 2020 event due to the coronavirus pandemic, Guthrie/Bell Productions and Eastbound Jesus will host a slightly scaled down event, with a capacity of 500. And while in previous years there was music on two stages, this year there will only be one. The rest of the artist lineup will be announced at a later date.
The Eastbound Throwdown is held at the Irwin Family Farm in Salem, NY, located near the Vermont border, roughly 45 minutes east of Saratoga Springs. A fifth generation owned and operated farm focusing on beef and hay production, for one week of the year, they move the cattle, clean up some fields and are hosts the festival.
The Throwdown is a grass-roots homegrown festival, with the band members and Irwin Family working side by side to make it all possible for music fans from near and far.
Two day passes with camping included go on sale this Friday, May 28th at 12pm for $80. All ages are welcome. Tent camping is included in the ticket price, with RV passes available for an additional fee.
Tickets are available here and up to date event details can be found here.
The Linda: WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio will reopen to live audiences for the first time since the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic with a performance by the Paa Kow Afro-fusion Orchestra on Saturday, June 19 at 8pm.
Ghana born drummer and composer, Paa Kow, blends rhythm and artistry from his home with jazz and African roots creating his own Afro-Fusion sound. Dubbed “Ghana’s most artistic drummer” (Modern Ghana), he plays a custom, hand-carved, traditionally inspired Ghanaian drum set that is the only one of its kind in the world, guaranteeing an extraordinary cultural and musical experience. Paa Kow has toured internationally, sharing stages with both African and American luminaries including Kojo Antwi, Amakye Dede, and Victor Wooten.
Growing up in the small village of Enyan Denkyira near Cape Coast in Ghana, West Africa, Paa Kow is widely recognized as one of the most remarkable drum set players to tour in Africa, Europe, and America. Paa Kow’s deep groove and prodigious talent reveal a unique ability to speak to listeners with his drums, inspiring a profound spiritual conversation and fulfilling his vision to spread the music and culture of his homeland by touring the world with his Afro-fusion Orchestra.
With his albums such as Hand Go Hand Come, Ask, and Cookpot, Paa Kow has spread his creativity and his culture all across the world. His newest album, Nkwa Na Ehia, released in April of this year, heavily features Paa Kow’s native language of Fante. The rhythmic songs will be a great way to celebrate the reopening of The Linda.
A restricted quantity of seats will be available to maintain social distancing guidelines. Fully vaccinated patrons will be allowed to attend maskless and unvaccinated patrons will be encouraged to wear face masks. Seating and common traffic areas will be socially distanced. Additional live concerts and performances at The Linda will be announced in the next few weeks.
Tickets for the Paa Kow Afro-fusion Orchestra are $20 in advance and $25 on the day of the show. Advanced tickets are available through The Linda’s website.
For more information and updates regarding The Linda: WAMC’ Performing Arts Studio visit The Linda’s website. To stay updated follow their Facebook and Instagram.
After a year of isolation and stress, Make Music Day is returning to in-person and outdoor events in hopes to reconnect communities. Musicians of all ages and skill levels from around the world will unite for a day of fun, collaboration and mentorship by participating in free music-making events on June 21.
Make Music is a celebration of music around the world on the Summer Solstice. First held in France as the Fête de la Musique in 1982, it is now held annually in more than 1,000 cities in 120 countries.
Fête de la Musique made its North American debut with Make Music NY. Starting as a grassroots initiative by a team of volunteers, the event quickly became a success. Today, over 5,000 New York musicians perform at free, outdoor concerts on June 21.
Within the New York area, Ithaca, Ossining-Briarcliff and New York City are hosting celebrations this year. They plan to hold in-person interactive events, like ukulele circles, live concerts, and even jam sessions on house porches. They will be continuing some virtual activities from last year, including a “sing together” over Zoom. Safety precautions, such as masks and social distancing, are still in place based on location guidelines.
A record 90+ U.S. cities have announced they are celebrating Make Music Day in person this year. New chapters have launched recently in Alabama, California, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin, bringing the holiday to even more of the country.
Make Music Day Introduction Video
To memorialize the loss of the past year, Make Music Day will include a project called This Moment In Time, a series of gong performances in public places around the world. Anyone with a large gong is invited to bring it out at noon on June 21 and play for one uninterrupted hour.
For the second year, the Make Music Alliance is offering a composition contest for composers aged 13-21 in commemoration of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The Tulsa Race Massacre took place on May 31 – June 1, when a mob of White residents attacked Black residents and businesses in the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Young composers are invited to write a song for an overdubbed, a cappella baritone singer, using text from a first-hand account of the massacre by B.C. Franklin, a lawyer at the time. A panel of judges, including composers Hiroya Miura, Trevor Weston, composer/conductor Francisco Núñez, and soprano Talise Trevigne, will provide feedback and select three winning pieces.
The winning pieces will be professionally recorded by baritone Christopher Herbert and released online for Make Music Day. Winning composers will also receive a free copy of Finale music notation software.
The submission deadline for the composition contest is May 31, full details can be found on the contest webpage.
If competitions aren’t for you, the United Kingdom and Lagos are collaborating to create an international and interactive song project called “MixMash Studios.”
MixMash Studios invites people around the world to contribute audio samples between now and June 20. Anything from bass guitar lines, barking dogs, vocals, the grind of a coffee maker, or any other creative sound bites are accepted.
Then, music producers assembled by the Make Music Alliance, Make Music Day UK, and Make Music Lagos, will have 24 hours to create an original piece of music using only the samples, which will be presented on Make Music Day. Submit your sound files here.
The celebrations will continue with a second percussion project, the premiere of Flowerpot Music, written by Elliot Cole and directed by Peter Ferry. This piece uses various flowerpots as drums to make chime-like sounds. An interactive lesson will be held to teach participants how to play the unlikely instrument alongside the premiere. Flowerpot Music No. 1 was premiered virtually last year, but composer Elliot Cole has specially created a new version for this year’s Make Music Day.
Anyone can attend this event regardless of prior percussion experience. Mallets will be provided.
Last Year’s Premiere of Flowerpot Music No 1
For a full list of Make Music Day locations and how to register, check out the Make Music Dayofficial website.
Willie Nelson is “on the road again” as he has just announced The Outlaw Music Festival Tour starting this summer. The 14-stop tour will include a show at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), after kicking off in Texas in August, with Willie Nelson planning to have many friends and family accompanying him at each stop.
Willie Nelson
The performance in Saratoga Springs will include Sturgill Simpson, Gov’t Mule, and Margo Price. Although it will be near the end of the summer and practically fall when the performance happens there is no excuse not to go. With a legend such as Willie Nelson getting out on tour and nonetheless performing in Saratoga, any music fan’s mind would be itching at the thought to make it a weekend trip filled with peace, love and a whole lot of Willie Nelson. SPAC poses as the perfect place to go with COVID-19 ending as music venues are opening back up and there’s always plenty to do and see in Saratoga Springs, in addition to the great music and musicians that will be coming its way.
The stop in Saratoga Spring will be on September 12, 2021 at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Tickets for the event can be purchased on the venue website starting Tuesday, May 25th at 10:00 a.m.
On your way to SPAC, don’t forget that Stewart’s Shops is your ice cream shop! With over 345 shops in 31 counties across New York and southern Vermont, the convenience store chain is known for their fresh &local dairy products. With dozens of choices at the cone counter, you’re bound to find something you love! Try a shake, sundae, or cone today, What’s Your Flavor?
Sunday, August 22, 2021-Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheatre -Willie Nelson & Family, Chris Stapleton, Ryan Bingham,Yola
Friday, September 10, 2021-Gilford, NH – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion – Willie Nelson & Family, Sturgill Simpson, Gov’t Mule, Margo Price
Saturday, September 11, 2021-Philadelphia, PA – TD Pavilion at the Mann – Willie Nelson & Family, Sturgill Simpson, Gov’t Mule, Margo Price
Sunday, September 12, 2021-Saratoga, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) – Willie Nelson & Family, Sturgill Simpson, Gov’t Mule, Margo Price
Friday, September 17, 2021-Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheatre – Willie Nelson & Family, Sturgill Simpson, Gov’t Mule, Margo Price
Saturday, September 18, 2021-Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek – Willie Nelson & Family, Sturgill Simpson, Gov’t Mule, Margo Price
Sunday, September 19, 2021-Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion – Willie Nelson & Family, Sturgill Simpson, Gov’t Mule, Margo Price
Wednesday, September 22, 2021-Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre – Willie Nelson & Family, Sturgill Simpson, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Kathleen Edwards
Friday, September 24, 2021-Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion – Willie Nelson & Family, Sturgill Simpson, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Gov’t Mule, Kathleen Edwards
Friday, October 15, 2021-Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion – Willie Nelson & Family, The Avett Brothers, Gov’t Mule, Lucinda Williams, Ida Mae
Saturday, October 16, 2021-Irvine, CA – Five Point Amphitheatre – Willie Nelson & Family, The Avett Brothers, Gov’t Mule, Lucinda Williams, Ida Mae
Sunday, October 17, 2021-San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre – Willie Nelson & Family, The Avett Brothers, Ida Mae
Saturday, October 23, 2021-Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre – Willie Nelson & Family, The Avett Brothers, Gov’t Mule, Lucinda Williams, Ida Mae
Sunday, October 24, 2021-Wheatland, CA – Toyota, Amphitheatre – Willie Nelson & Family, The Avett Brothers, Gov’t Mule, Lucinda Williams, Ida Mae
The world-renowned Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox will be kicking off their worldwide tour with over 60 shows in the US and Canada this fall.
The time-twisting musical collective known for putting pop music in a time machine is set to make “The Grand Reopening Tour”bring PMJ back to thrill music-starved audiences, performing some of modern music’s biggest hits in the classic styles of bygone eras.
Just seven dates into the Welcome to the Twenties 2.0 Tour, PMJ creator Scott Bradlee pulled the tour off the road. With many of the shows sold out, a global pandemic took its toll, silencing live music for more than a year. The Grand Reopening Tour will feature an ensemble of multi-talented singers and musicians. Bringing Bradlee’s generation-spanning arrangements alive night after night. The core ensemble is often joined by surprise guests to make each concert unique and unpredictable.
Since embarking on a touring career in 2014, Postmodern Jukebox has performed on bigger and bigger stages. As they’ve traversed the globe, including memorable shows at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Most recently, PMJ reimagined the beloved theme from Friends via the evolution of music styles throughout the 20th century.
October 7 – Detroit, MI – Fillmore October 8 – Munhall, PA – Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall October 10 – Portsmouth, NH – The Music Hall October 11 – Portland, ME – State Theatre October 13 – Northampton, MA – Academy of Music October 14 – Beverly, MA – Cabot Theatre October 15 – York, PA – Strand Theatre October 16 – Rahway, NJ – Union County Performing Arts Center October 17 – Huntington, NY – Paramount October 19 – New York, NY – Town Hall October 21 – Easton, PA – State Theatre October 22 – Atlantic City, NJ – Borgata October 23 – Wilmington, DE – Grand Opera House October 24 – North Bethesda, MD – Music Center for Strathmore October 26 – Rochester, NY – Kodak Center October 27 – Plattsburgh, NY – The Strand October 28 – Troy, NY – Troy Music Hall October 29 – New Haven, CT – College Street Music Hall
After a hiatus last year due to the COVID pandemic, The American Music Festival has announced a comeback with four days of events at Albany’s Palace Theatre.
The Albany Symphony Orchestra photo courtesy of Albany Symphony
Presented by the two-time Grammy award-winning Albany Symphony Orchestra and their music director David Alan Miller, the annual festival celebrates cutting-edge composers and musicians. This year, the festival will be held from June 10-13 and consist of a Composer Workshop Masterclass, outdoor neighborhood performances, and family activities.
Other events include a First Draughts reading session, which gives the public a glimpse into the weeklong Composer Workshop, as well as performances from members of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet and the orchestra’s own Dogs of Desire.
A recent addition to the events include a collaboration between the Albany Symphony and NYSID (New York State Industries for the Disabled). They will be hosting a panel discussing how disabilities can actually provide more positive abilities than negative. The band Flame, made up of talented musicians with disabilities, will also be performing.
The festival will also feature works from composers Nina Shekhar, Clarice Assad, Molly Joyce, Christopher Theofanidis, Alexis Lamb, Kerwin Young, Bobby Ge, Jack Frerer, Carolyn Yarnell, and Tom Morrison, alongside other musicians. Many of the works will be premiered at the fest.
One of the composers, Nina Shekhar, writes in reaction to how classical music has lacked in responding to current social issues. Her piece, Above the Fray, pokes fun at this phenomenon by distorting Bach’s famous Prelude from Cello Suite No. 1.
“Unlike Western art tradition, which believes that classical music is a one-size-fits-all solution, this piece challenges that and asserts that we each have infinitely unique identities that morph under different circumstances. Art itself is not static, but rather something dynamic that we can allow to breathe, reshape, decompose, and reincarnate into new life forms over time,”
Nina Shekhar, Featured Composer at the American Music Festival
In accordance with New York reopening guidelines, the concerts will have limited in-person attendance for paid subscribers only. Livestream access will be available for free.
Concert livestreams can be accessed on the Albany Symphony Orchestra website. Check out the complete schedule below.
Composers Molly Joyce and Nina Shekar sit down for an honest talk about creativity, resilience, and embracing differences with Maureen O’Brien, President & CEO at New York State Industries for the Disabled (NYSID) and Greg Sorrentino, President & CEO at Center for Disability Services.
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.
