ACM Awards “Entertainer of the Year” Winner Thomas Rhett is kicking off his 2021 The Center Point Road Tour this summer, beginning August 13th in Orange Beach, AL.
Thomas Rhett, the 17-time chart topper, will be hitting several New York venues, including the renowned Jones Beach Amphitheater in Wantagh on August 26th. The supporting acts will be Cole Swindell and Gabby Barrett, both critically acclaimed country artists making an indelible impact in the genre today.
“I can’t even put into words what getting back out on the road means to me, my band and crew,” Thomas Rhett shared. “We’ve dreamt about this moment for a long time and I feel more rejuvenated and excited than ever to get back out there as safely as possible to connect in-person over live music again, especially with so much new material to share. There’s no feeling in the world like it. See y’all out there!”
Tickets previously purchased will be honored accordingly for the rescheduled dates listed below, while tickets for newly announced dates go on sale on Friday, April 23 at 10AM local time at LiveNation.com. For any further previous ticket inquiries, fans are advised to reach out to point of purchase. For more information visit: https://www.thomasrhett.com/tour.
Thomas Rhett 2021 Center Point Road Tour
8/13/2021- Orange Beach, AL – The Wharf Amphitheater^
8/14/2021- Orange Beach, AL – The Wharf Amphitheater^
8/20/2021- Bangor, ME – Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion
Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi of the Tedeschi Trucks Band have announced Fireside LIVE, a special series of socially distanced, limited-capacity performances taking place this summer.
Derek and Susan will be joined by varying members of the Tedeschi Trucks Band each night, with the total band configuration ranging between four and seven musicians depending on the show.
The modified lineup will perform under the name ‘Tedeschi Trucks’ for the first time as a nod to their band members who are unable to join the tour because of the challenging conditions with the current pandemic.
Fireside LIVE was inspired by their very successful at-home online performance series from earlier this year, the Fireside Sessions. The shows will be the first fully live public performances for the ensemble since February 2020, and come on the heels of the recent postponement of their annual summer Wheels of Soul Tour to next year (2022).
Venues will include a mix of small or reduced-capacity outdoor amphitheaters, drive-ins, and pod set-ups, all of which are COVID-19 compliant and taking precautions to ensure the safety of fans, staff, band, and crew.
Fireside LIVE will kick off in Jacksonville, FL with a two-night run on June 11 and 12 and then hit cities across the south before coming to Apple Valley Park in Lafayette, NY on July 9, 10, and 11 before continuing across the Northeast.
Tickets for all shows, except Red Rocks, will go on sale to the general public on Friday, April 23 at 10am EST.
We’re really looking forward to getting on the road and seeing everybody’s beautiful faces,” said Susan. “Getting together earlier this year to record the Fireside Sessions was really re-energizing, and we are excited to play live in front of fans again. As much as we love performing as the full Tedeschi Trucks Band, current conditions just don’t allow for us to do that.
The decision as to which members will join for each show will be decided week to week, depending on local conditions at the time.
Fireside LIVE brings to the stage the same intimate window into Tedeschi and Trucks’ creative chemistry that was on display during the Fireside Sessions, which streamed back in Feb-March on nugs.net.
Stuart Levine, February 1, 2020, London
Packed with deep cuts, reimagined songs, and several premieres of rare covers and new original songs that the band has been working on during the break, the six-episode streaming series was enthusiastically received for delivering something new and unique each week.
For fans who missed the original broadcasts or want to watch it again, TTB and nugs.net will offer a re-broadcast of all six Fireside Sessions. Fans who originally purchased the 6-episode bundle will be able to view the shows for free.
Details on the broadcasting schedule for the encore presentation of the Fireside Sessions will be announced shortly.
FIRESIDE LIVE 2021 ITINERARY June 11-12 Jacksonville, FL Daily’s Place Amphitheater June 18 Huntsville, AL Von Braun Center June 19-20 Murfreesboro, TN Hop Springs Brew Park June 24-25 N. Charleston, SC The Bend June 26 Cayce, SC Columbia Speedway Entertainment Center July 1, 2, 3 Frederick, MD Showtime at the Drive-In July 9, 10, 11 Lafayette, NY Apple Valley Park July 16 Gilford, NH Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion July 18 Elmer, NJ Appel Farm Arts & Music Center July 20-21 Eatontown, NJ Concerts on the Green/Suneagles Golf Club July 30-31 Morrison, CO Red Rocks – on sale TBA *
More dates to be announced
* Red Rocks dates will now be ‘Fireside Live’ shows with a separate ticket sale and with priority access to people who bought tickets for the 2021 ‘Wheels of Soul’ shows at Red Rocks. We are working closely with Red Rocks to confirm ticketing details and will announce further information when finalized. (The 2021 ‘Wheels of Soul’ shows have been postponed to July 29, 30, 2022 and tickets for the 2021 WOS shows will be honored for 2022).
Today marks the anniversary of the final show The Grateful Dead ever played in Binghamton, NY. The final three of these all took place at Broome County Arena, with the first show being at Harpur College in 1970. Shows at the Arena then followed in 1977 and 1979. After a short run of shows on the West Coast to open 1983, the Dead traveled east for their spring tour. With keyboardist Brent Mydland now comfortably established in the band’s dynamic for a few years now, this show offers a glimpse of vintage of early ’80s Dead and a taste of all their varied sounds and styles to date.
The show starts off in a somewhat disjointed fashion with Jerry Garcia mumbling a good portion of the lyrics to “Alabama Getaway.” Harmonizing vocals and the customary wailing Hammond B3 organ fills from Brent Mydland help to mitigate the early shortcomings. After a fairly tame Garcia solo, the band quickly shifts into “Greatest Story Ever Told.” Bob Weir leads the vocals on this quick one that features a much improved Garcia solo at the end. Jerry continues his first set ascent with the “Bird Song” that follows, nimbly maneuvering through the lyrics and delivering some ethereal guitar work. Mydland on electric keys now and Weir on rhythm guitar create a wonderful canvas of sound upon which Garcia paints effortlessly.
“New Minglewood Blues” is next on the docket with Weir once again taking lead and Garcia and Mydland each exchanging boisterous solos on this one as each song so far seems to get progressively more cohesive. This carries on right into a must-hear “Peggy-O” that features a truly heavenly tone from Mydland on keys that accompanies Garcia on vocals.
The emotions remain high and flow nicely into the “Cassidy” that comes next, with Mydland continuing to dazzle with an array of different tones emanating from his keyboard rig. This yields another short but ferocious Grateful Dead jam that the Binghamton fans applaud appropriately on this recording.
“Loser” brings the first set heat back down to a simmer before another few Garcia solos rile up Broome County Arena once more. Things continue to pick up with the cover of The Rolling Stones’ “It’s All Over Now” that follows and features more spectacular work from Mydland on the Hammond. Afterwards, the Dead throw it back a little with “Dupree’s Diamond Blues,” a recently revived classic that dates back to the late ’60s. A rousing “Let It Grow,” heavily fueled by the percussive tandem of Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart, then ends the first set that seems to celebrate almost ever era of the band’s musical catalog to date.
The Grateful Dead‘s final set in Binghamton starts off in traditional fashion with a “Help On The Way” that unfortunately sees Jerry revert back to some fumbled lyrics. Its traditional tag-team partner “Slipknot!” gives Garcia a chance for redemption as he delivers a mesmerizing guitar solo atop another full bed of sound with constant accentuating flares thrown about by Mydland and Weir. A jazz-like jam evolves from this for a bit in a “Slipknot!” that gets stretched out nicely before rounding back into form. The abrupt segue into “Franklin’s Tower” then rounds out the second set’s triumphant opening trifecta. Garcia has no issues with the vocals here and throws in a few exuberant, rapid-fire guitar runs for good measure that surely enthralls the Broome County crowd.
A second set “breather” of sorts then ensues with another traditional Dead sequence. Bob Weir takes lead on “Lost Sailor,” a song the Dead would only continue to play for a few more years after this. Another abrupt segue then serves as the lead-in to “Saint Of Circumstance,” completing the longtime song pairing that had been a regular part of the band’s live repertoire since 1979. This paves the way nicely for “Terrapin Station” as the Grateful Dead delight Binghamton with yet another classic.
The song’s drum-heavy ending, as it had and would continue to do many times going forward, serves as a natural entrance ramp to the evening’s “Drums” > “Space” sequence. To little surprise, after the band reemerges on stage, so too does “The Other One.” At several points moments earlier, drummers Kreutzmann and Hart seemed to be fashioning a similar-sounding drumbeat to the iconic one that begins this song.
In vintage Dead fashion, the intensity of “The Other One” is juxtaposed nicely by the fairly mellow, in comparison, “Wharf Rat” that follows. This gives Garcia one last chance to deliver a couple of choice solos with a nice, jazzy backdrop of sound provided by the rest of the group. As “Rat” dwindles out, the opening chords of “Not Fade Away” start up as the Dead begin to close their final Binghamton gig. At its conclusion, the crowd shows its appreciation and continues singing “Not Fade Away’ all the way through the encore break, something that would become commonplace for this song throughout the rest of the band’s career.
As a result, the encore begins with the Dead reciprocating and playing an NFA-reprise in response back to the crowd. Fittingly, the show then ends with a cover of Bob Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue.” With a setlist featuring two songs with the words “It’s All Over Now” in it, it’s almost as if the Dead knew this is the las time they would ever grace the Parlor City.
Grateful Dead – Broome County Arena – Binghamton, NY 4/12/83
Set 1: Alabama Getaway-> Greatest Story Ever Told, Bird Song, New Minglewood Blues, Peggy-O, Cassidy, Loser, It’s All Over Now, Dupree’s Diamond Blues, Let It Grow
Set 2: Help On The Way-> Slipknot!-> Franklin’s Tower-> Lost Sailor-> Saint Of Circumstance-> Terrapin Station-> Drums-> The Other One-> Wharf Rat-> Not Fade Away
Add Midnight North to the growing list of bands that are slowly starting to announce upcoming tour dates. The Bay Ara-based rock outfit has announced a string of shows in June that cater to some East Coast states.
The spring tour begins June 3 in Asheville, NC at the The Grey Eagle and wraps up June 19 in Stowe, VT at Stowe Cider. The tour also includes a gig at Lincoln Hill Farms in Canandaigua, NY on Friday, June 11.
Midnight North Spring Tour 2021
April 18 | Terrapin Crossroads | San Rafael, CA – SOLD OUT
April 25 | Terrapin Crossroads | San Rafael, CA
June 3 | The Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall | Asheville, NC
June 4 | Charleston Pour House | Charleston, SC
June 10 | Phantom Power | Millersville, PA
June 11 | Lincoln Hill Farms | Canandaigua, NY
June 13 | Levitate Backyard | Marshfield, MA
June 19 | Stowe Cider | Stowe, VT
June 20 | TBA | Portsmouth, NH
Tickets go on sale today at noon. They can be purchased through the band’s website here. You can also listen to some selected tracks from their upcoming album There’s Always A Story there.
Rolling Stone hailed Midnight North as the “Best New Act” in its review of 2018’s Peach Music Festival saying the band “takes the best parts of roots music and weaves them into a tapestry of rock and Americana. They’ve opened for such acts as Phil Lesh, The Infamous Stringudusters, Twiddle and Jackie Greene. And they’ve They’ve also welcomed the likes of Bob Weir, Luther Dickinson, Karl Denson, Eric Krasno, and Nicki Bluhm to join them onstage.
In the nearly 9 years since their origins in early 2012, Midnight North has established itself as a mainstay on stages in both the Bay Area roots music scene and on the nationwide touring circuit.
A year ago today, the Syracuse music scene lost a legend, the likes of which will not be seen again. Eli Harris, Jr., a fixture throughout Syracuse, especially University Hill and Downtown, was a street musician of renown well beyond the 315. You could find Harris performing across town, outside the Landmark and Westcott Theatres, bringing his positive spirit and wide range of musical stylings to crowds and passersby for decades.
Whether he was performing on Marshall Street – also known as Eli’s Alleyway – near Hendricks Chapel or Crouse College before Syracuse Football and Basketball games, downtown in Armory Square, showing up for late night fraternity pranks and performances, Eli Harris was always a welcome sight to see, always with a song and a smile ready for you. While you may not have known Eli, his music or his presence in Syracuse, he made his mark and leaves a legacy behind.
Eli Harris died as a result of a pair of hit and run accidents on April 8, 2020. He was 62 years old.
Eli Harris, Jr.
Eli was one of a kind. He had a wife and kids he loved and would talk about them the rare times he put his guitar down. From late nights at Chuck’s or Faegan’s when Eli would pop in for a nightcap, to summer evenings at NBT Bank Stadium or downtown in Armory Square, Eli had a significant place in the Salt City. Eli was a legend, a staple, a key ingredient to the city, and one of the most positive people you’d ever meet, always keeping his spirits lifted high so he could lift others even higher.
Elijah Harris, Jr. was born in Syracuse on August 19, 1957. A Marine veteran, serving proudly from 1974-1977 while stationed in South Carolina, Eli was father to 9 children and 35 grandchildren. No matter what life threw at him, Eli was resilient and turned struggles in life into music. In that regard, one could call him a blues musician, but Eli was much more than that. In a 2010 interview with the Post-Standard, Harris told the Post-Standard, “I do the ‘60s thing right up to hip-hop.”
Considered by folk/hip-hop/singer-songwriter Joe Driscoll to be ‘The Godfather of Syracuse music,” a title few would contest, Driscoll first saw Eli when he was 11 or 12 years old.
We would ride our bikes down to Marshall Street, and watch Eli play for hours. I used to watch his hands to cop new chords, and learn the covers he was doing.
My first memories were of him doing medleys, blending five or six songs into one groove. Blew my mind. I vividly remember ‘Sitting on The Dock of The Bay’ by Otis Redding and ‘Easy’ by the Commodores as some of the first I fell in love with. His original “Eli’s Alleyway” as well, where he would skat and chat about all the happening on M Street (Eli’s Alleyway).
Joe Driscoll
Syracuse musician Joe Altier also first met Eli early in life, seeing him at SU events at the Carrier Dome.
No matter the weather, he was there, you couldn’t help being drawn to this musician. He was soulful, upbeat, and had a positive vibe always. This guy is about as real as it gets.
Joe Altier
When Joe started playing Bull & Bear downtown around 2000, Eli would stop in and they’d play together. Whenever they saw each other, Joe got a huge shout out from Eli and always supported him, whether he was playing music or selling shirts downtown.
It was really nice to get to know him on that level. Sometimes we just sat and had beers together at Blue Tusk and shot the shit.
He had already lived a rough life, he went through a lot of shit – personal, family, professional – but he woke up every day to sing, to hustle and to bring joy to the world. To see him pass, it was a gut punch for the town. It was unfortunate how we went out, totally preventable.
Joe Altier
Eli also served as inspiration for the song “Moon,” written by Jamie Notarthomas. Jeff Tripoli, who played drums on the track, recalled the inception and recording of the song, with Eli being such a presence in the scene in the mid-90s.
Eli was the soul of Syracuse nightlife and culture. I can remember many winter nights below freezing when these city streets were warm with the sound of Eli’s contagious vibe. He could always keep a crowd with his off the cuff lyric improvisations about “that guys goofy hat” or maybe a humorous lyric about some attractive ladies swiftly strolling by his sidewalk performances. And thats what I loved most about Eli, how present and passionate he was as a human in our society. More than just a seriously talented street musician, Eli was capable of spreading joy to every face that saw him. A lot more of these stories are detailed in a song written by Jamie Notarthomas we recorded together long ago called “Moon.”
Jeff Tripoli
In 2012, Eli completed a inpatient rehab program at the Veterans Administration in Bath. In addition to battling drug and alcohol use, Harris fought hepatitis C and depression, after the death of his wife and son. He might share his struggles privately, but through his music, he let love and positivity reign.
More than a Street Musician
Eli’s presence around town served as an influence on the next generation of Syracuse musicians, Driscoll among them.
Eli was definitely my biggest influence. Before Eli, I thought about James Taylor, Peter, Paul and Mary when I thought of acoustic guitar.
Eli was ripping James Brown, Sugar Hill Gang, and Parliament Funkadelic on a 6 string. He revolutionized my view on music. My first sets were me doing Eli covers: James Brown, Otis Redding etc…
You can still feel loads of Eli in all I do. The funk chords, the mixing and medleying of funk, soul and hip-hop. The freestyle/chat with the audience, all of that evolved from my love of watching him everyday, studying his hands, and learning his craft of showmanship and engagement.
Joe Driscoll
In 2006, SU Recordings was founded, and brought the music of Eli to a wider audience, and now, posterity. A group founded specifically for music industry majors and minors, SU Recordings gave hands-on experience in running a label, including scouting artists, working with disc manufactures, developing artwork and organizing promotional events.
Eli was one of the first three musicians asked to be a part of the label. The first album released by SU Recordings was a biographical album from Eli and the album release party was held on April 18, 2006 at Chuck’s.
A second album, Eli’s Christmas Mission, featured three classic holiday songs – “Jingle Bells,” “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and “Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer” – as well as three originals – “Christmas Love,” “Angel” and “Glory.” The album was aptly released by Marshall Street Records.
Eli, man. Just that he was the nicest guy and I remember how excited he was when he gave me his album and I played it in Faegans.
Scott Isaacs, ’99
Eli performed the National Anthem at Syracuse Mets games, and would stick around to perform outside the stadium when fans headed for the exits. When Eli passed, the Syracuse Mets minor league team shared the following:
We’ve had the privilege of having Eli sing the national anthem for us occasionally over the years. If you didn’t hear him then, there’s a chance you’ve heard Eli playing while leaving the stadium. It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the passing of a Syracuse legend, Elijah Harris Jr. brought smiles to many and was a radiant soul that we will certainly miss.
Syracuse Mets
Legacy
Along with the praise of musicians and Syracuse locals, Eli was given even greater accolades as the years passed. At the 2019 SAMMY Awards, Eli was the recipient of the first ever Founders Award, a testament to his years of performing in Syracuse.
Eli Harris presented by with the Founders Awards by SAMMYs Founder Frank Malfitano
A scholarship in Eli’s name was announced by Syracuse University in September 2020 and will begin supporting part-time music students this fall. Harris would regularly work the line “You stay in school, get some college knowledge” into his performances, and his family worked with SU to honor him with the Eli Harris Scholarship. Harris’ daughter, Lakisha, said to The Daily Orange last year,
He gave what he had inside of him, so he could teach everyone else how to love through music. He used music to communicate that. They embraced my dad with open arms from day one.
Lakisha Harris
A mural of Eli, via art collective 315Alive!, will bring his legacy to life, close to the corner of Marshall Street and University Ave, near Marshall Street Mall. Jacob Alan Roberts of 315Alive! announced the project in July 2020, saying, “We’re gonna use sort of an artistic approach to something that will be unmistakably Eli, using, say he always wore SU gear, so a baseball cap or, course, him playing his guitar.” See a sketch of Roberts’ mural here.
With Eli’s death at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, his funeral was private and tributes were limited to social media and online performances. One such tribute to Eli on Disruption Network brought Driscoll, Anthony “Zee” Donaldson, Jack Brown, former SU professor and Bandier program founder David Rezak and more together to honor him. Watch the tribute here.
In March 2021, the driver who hit Eli was brought to justice. During sentencing, Judge Stephen Dougherty said that while he “Can’t compare one victim to another victim, we all knew Mr. Harris, knew him for the performer he was. He was a beloved member of the community.” A GoFundMe continues to benefit Lakisha and Harris’ family that continues to cope with the loss.
He was a legendary part of this town. Everyone knew him. You walked by and whether you stopped or not or tipped him, you knew him. There will never be another Eli. He did leave his mark, not just on me but so many others.
The State Theatre of Ithaca has announced they are repairing 293 of their 1,600 seats in poor condition this Spring.
Photo from State Theatre of Ithaca Website
The State Theatre of Ithaca officially opened in 1928 and became a staple in the community as an entertainment venue. The theatre evolved with each era, in the 30s it was more of a cinema house and a second screen was installed in 1976. In the 90s, the balcony was removed and theatrical programs made a return by the Ithaca Performing Arts Center. In 1998, Historic Ithaca took over the building and came with a new roof and updates in lighting and electrical systems along with expertise in running a theatre. The current owners, a non-for-profit organization named The State Theatre of Ithaca Inc. purchased the building in 2009 and has invested over $1 million in improving the theatre over time. Restroom renovations made in 2015 allowed the building’s capacity to increase.
The theatre’s mission is to enhance Ithaca’s cultural life by preserving, operating and promoting the State Theatre as an active venue locally, nationally and internationally. Over 85 shows happen each year and community support allows it to take place. Past events have included performances from Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, classical composers, comedians, local performers and films.
COVID-19 has impacted many venues, and The State Theatre of Ithaca is one of them. In March 2020 the theatre was forced to close its doors which resulted in revenue loss from cancellations and rescheduling. In efforts to keep the theatre going through these times, the Save Your Seat campaign was announced in November 2020. The campaign allowed people to pay $100 per seat in total and it didn’t stop until every seat was saved. In less than eight weeks, the theatre reached their goal and raised $160,000.
While they were in the process of the campaign they realized that about 20 percent of their seats needed improvement. There were seats with tears and holes or there were some that were held together by duct tape. The donations are going to repair and reupholster the seats. Along with the repairs there are two new plaques that will be attached to the seats. The first plaque includes personal messages submitted by Save Your Seat supporters and the second plaque includes the official seat designation. The State Theatre of Ithaca plans to reinstall the repaired seats in May and to reopen with these new seats.
Memorial Day Weekend 2021 in Central New York will be much more music filled than last year. Creative Concerts has announced four nights of Twiddle, May 27-30, at the new Apple Valley Park in Lafayette, just 10 minutes south of Syracuse. And they’ll be bringing some Frends with them.
Dopapod will join Twiddle on May 27 and 28, while Buffalo’s Aqueous arrive for the shows on May 29 and 30. The four nights of Twiddle and Frends kick off a season of outdoor live music from Creative Concerts, providing a safe and enjoyable concert experience for music fans both local and beyond.
All events at Apple Valley Park will be socially distanced, with roped-off PODS (Personal Outdoor Dance Space) available for parties of 2, 4 or 6. A thorough site plan has been developed allowing for temperature screenings and surveys to be conducted upon entering the event grounds. PODS are spaced a minimum of six feet apart, and fans will have a variety of food and beverage options available for purchase. Site map and FAQ for Apple Valley Park venue can be found here.
Apple Valley Park is located in beautiful LaFayette, NY. With its rural atmosphere, rolling hills, and expansive fall foliage, it has proven to be a wonderful home to the annual LaFayette Apple Festival since 1973. More recently it has expanded to host other live entertainment events, including a few successful drive-in concerts in the fall of 2020.
Tickets go on sale to the general public Friday, April 2 at 10 AM on the Apple Valley Park website.
Coming this summer to rest stops along Interstates 81, 84, 86, 87, 88 and 90, New Yorkers and other travelers can discover new bands and artists thanks to the State Division of Tourism sponsoring the “Rest Stop Pop Up NY” Thruway Concert Series.
At the state’s Welcome Centers, multiple bands will be featured throughout the day, offering a small but distanced festival feel. Service Areas along I-90 and I-87 will feature top rock and jam acts performing on stages set up in parking lots, starting at 10am and going until 10pm.
moe. will give a nod to their New York roots by make appearances at rest stops near Buffalo, Utica and Albany. And provided their drummer can catch a ride, The Assortment of Crayons will reunite at the Plattekill rest stop on I-87 North.
Heading along I-88 and I-81, a broad selection of bluegrass and metal bands will perform at the more rustic rest areas located on these comparatively lesser traveled highways. Meanwhile, I-84 will feature singer-songwriters from the Hudson Valley at each of the four rest stops. Don’t miss July 4 with Don McLean at the Brewster Rest Area.
I-86, the state’s newest highway, will feature Buffalo’s Organ Fairchild. Much like the band, I-86 was years in the making and brings together many great parts of the state in one solid collective.
The new ‘Text Break’ stops will feature acoustic performances only, with requests taken by texting your song request to 38262. There will be no shows along I-495 on Long Island.
When the State Division of Tourism was asked what could go wrong with these Pop Ups, a representative admitted there would be some issues.
For one, there’s only so much parking, and while we will allow you to park on the grass for that true festival feel, some folks may need to park on the side of the road and walk into the festival. This state has a great history of parking cars and walking miles to see music, whether it’s the original Woodstock festival, Summer Jam 1973, or The Clifford Ball. We want to give people the real music experience, including, but not limited to, fatigue and mild exhaustion upon arrival at your destination.
Judith McCarty, State Division of Tourism
McCarty also discussed safety measures, saying “Of course people will socially distance. And if they don’t we hope they’re spending money and we feel that trade off is worth the risk.”
Alcohol will not be sold at any Thruway Rest Stop, per usual, but CBD vendors will be on hand for to provide attendees with an energetic natural high. “We strongly encourage CBD use. Please don’t drink and drive. That would make us look really, really bad,” said McCarty.
The State Division of Tourism feels that the Rest Stop Pop Up concert series will encourage travel across the state, and also allow travelers to learn about the history that happened here.
Additionally, toll money will be used to help balance the state budget.
Thank you for reading. This was an April Fools article, published on April 1, 2021.
Trumansburg’s Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival has made the decision to postpone the planned 30th annual event until 2022.
Noting that we are not yet at the end of the pandemic tunnel, and factoring in increasing vaccine distribution and decreasing COVID-19 rates, the Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance will postponing the planned 30th Annual festival until July 21-24, 2022. The preceding fifth Annual Culture Camp will also be postponed, with new dates of July 17-20, 2022.
Admission and camping tickets for 2021 will be honored and automatically transferred to 2022. If a ticket holder cannot attend the 2022 event, they may fill out a Ticket Transfer Request to transfer their tickets to any future GrassRoots Festival in either the Trumansburg, New York or Shakori Hills, North Carolina locations at GrassRootsFest.org.
As a 501(c) not-for-profit organization, this first ever year of no GrassRoots festivals has been a challenge, but the organization is poised to make it through. Donations are always welcome and may be made at GrassRootsFest.org/donate.
Tickets for the 30th Annual Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance are on-sale now at GrassRootsFest.org/tickets.
A GrassRoots Call to Action:
In the year 1990, as we headed into the last decade of the 20th century, the world faced a new crisis: AIDS. Mysterious, unheard of and deadly; people were scared and dying! Donna the Buffalo and friends, The Horse Flies and Neon Baptist, responded with a sold out benefit show at the State Theatre raising over $10,000 for AIDS Work of Tompkins County. I remember so clearly the feeling of peeking out from the door of the dressing rooms beneath the stage and seeing the packed house of heroic Ithacans, also responding to the call to be there and support a community that a Government was appearing blind to, a joyful mob!
To create joy in the midst of crisis is a powerful thing and brings magic to the table. The wonderful event and its success led to the creation of GrassRoots and 25 years of raising consciousness and funds for organizations that support Arts, Education and the fight against AIDs, both locally and globally.
Throughout the past year, we’ve all had more time on our hands. Some of us made sourdough and/or banana bread, we’ve worked on our houses, worked out, and made the best of the circumstances. One art teacher from Long Island, Brian Baker, came across LEGOs that a friend was looking to get rid of, combined his love for moe. and new found skills in stop-motion animation. The result is “moe.rons on parade,” capturing the spirit of a moe. show in LEGO form.
Having taught art in K-12 in the Three Village School District in Stony Brook, NY, Baker, like every other art teacher across the country, was put in a tough position last spring – how to teach art online. With such a tactile and hands-on subject needing virtual or least socially distanced lessons, improvisation was needed. In the past year, Baker learned the art form of stop-motion animation, one that he will be bringing to his students after learning the basics at home.
A 2003 graduate of Hartwick College where he majored in Fine Arts and played lacrosse, he’s been coaching junior high football and JV lacrosse at various schools on Long Island since he graduated college, recently and at various other schools for nearly 20 years.
Baker first saw moe. at the Oneonta Fieldhouse on April 28, 2001, possibly the only time they’ve played the town. He had heard them a few years before and had a few albums. And having only seen a lot of Phish prior, it was time to diversify.
“moe.rons on parade” features “Four” and “32 Things” with Baker telling a short story of a young couple’s first experience at a moe. show through LEGO characters. The video shows quite the effort and love for the band on his part, one that will not only satisfy veteran moe. fans, but newcomers as well.
Pete Mason: What’s your teaching background and how did you start in on this moe. LEGO project?
Brain Baker: This is my 14th and by far craziest year of teaching, and I think that helped generate this project. I am currently teaching 7th-9th grade and have anywhere between 15-20 kids in class and 1-10 kids remote on a Google meet at the same time. Trying to make things equitable has been a challenge. We have to make sure everyone has the same materials. On a normal year, I would have kids, be making clay boxes, cutting stencils for acid etching, creating stained glass mosaics, cutting glass bottles, weaving baskets, making jewelry and other hands on stuff. A lot of these things aren’t practical or safe for kids to use unsupervised at home. So we have had to get creative with what we can do.
Last March when schools started closing and throughout the summer, I really challenged myself to learn some new skills so when we came back to school I had some fresh and fun projects for kids to do. They deserve it. Their whole universe got totally upended last spring and they need some fun social things to get it back to normal. Also, I am not allowed to collect artwork from kids, just photos. So how do we show off their work? I learned a lot about the iMovie program and other animation software by putting together some short clips of student work.
I learned a lot about the imovie program this year. They say kids are really resilient which is true, they adapt to things very well. It was a real challenge figuring out all the technical things (lighting, camera angles, focus, computer skills) and I had quite a few mishaps along the way. But it was an awesome way to spend some time and I am looking forward to seeing people’s reactions. I am having a few friends over for an outdoor viewing on the projector Saturday night. I am also looking forward to showing my students the edited version. I shared all the different steps and clips with them along the way and they want to see the end result.
PM: So it seems you’ve had some time on your hands. When did you start this project and what kickstarted the concept for you?
BB: Well, as a dad of a 2 year old girl (Althea) and a 4 year old boy (Frederick), time is something in short supply these days. They are “full speed ahead” kids. Even though Covid cancelled my coaching gigs for a while, it has still been a busy year for my wife Liz and I trying to keep them active and engaged. Last March when everything started shutting down, I kept my sanity by getting us outside and building stuff. We started with a small kids train made from my old deck wood. Then we built a 9-hole mini golf course in the backyard. My son helped me through the whole thing. And I did several other backyard recycling projects. But this project really was the perfect storm. I started teaching an animation class this year, and my friend’s kid really wanted a puppy. So his compromise was the play room was going to be the puppy room. The LEGOs have to go.
So I got a huge supply of LEGOs to play with. My son loves building things and mechanics, so he was instantly in love. And with the animation class we have already done a ton of drawing, so this will be a nice “mix it up” project for the fourth quarter. I mostly worked on this project at night after they were in bed or sometimes I would have them come down and play LEGOs with me during the day. With stop-motion, you generally use a remote shutter, so I was also able to include my 4 year old in some of the photo taking process. He helped build a few of the smaller pieces as well. I started putting the stage together in the beginning of February and then began shooting photos later in the month. Once it got rolling I pretty much worked on it everyday until I was done for anywhere between 15 minutes and 7 hours. After I saw the band post the pics on their page I practically lived in the basement that weekend.
PM: How many hours did it take to complete the construction, prior to filming?
BB: Building the stage and all the sets and characters took maybe 5 or 6 hours over the course of a week. The photos took a month and a half of many, many hours. I took somewhere around 30,000 photos.
PM: Is this your first foray into stop-motion animation?
BB: I did a short stop-motion a few years ago on powerpoint and my son and I made a police station getting smashed by the Incredible Hulk earlier in the winter, but this was my first real serious stop motion project. It was a huge learning experience.
PM: Any fun Easter Eggs or tips of the hat that you worked in?
BB: Yes. You’ll have to look. Lets just say there are some band references and funny characters.
PM: What is your favorite moe. song and moe. experience?
BB: Favorite song? That’s like picking a favorite kid! Let’s just say there are no moe. songs I don’t like. There are a few Grateful Dead ones I don’t enjoy, quite a few Phish songs I can’t stand, but I love moe. They play music exactly how I like music to be played. The diverse influences and song writing styles are awesome. The first time I listened to them was NYE ’99. A buddy put on “Rebubula” and I said to myself “Yes….this is what I’m looking for in my life.” I think we listened to the No Doy album three or four times that night. I went and picked up a few more albums and some shows on tape. The rest is history. I’ve only seen 60+ shows, but I listen to them more than anything else. I try to catch every live webcast or the old Facebook Live streams (remember those?). Big ups to the moe.stream team for setting up quality live show audio streams.
moe. fans are an awesome group of people. I have had some great conversations through the years, connected with cool people and shared tons of fun experiences. This is my 16 minute and 30 second thank you to them and the band.
