On Friday, November 5, John Hall of 1970s pop band Orleans (“Stay With Me,” “Still the One”) will kick off NYS Music in Motion Season 3, as he sits down with our host, rocker Frank Palangi.
Sponsored by Helping Friendly Hemp Company, the series brings together seasoned musicians who hail from the Empire State or have made New York their home, alongside Palangi, a Warren County native.
Guests for Season 3 of NYS Music in Motion include Hudson Valley guitarist Kristen Capolino, Lake George multi-instrumentalist Rich Ortiz, PEAK guitarist and front man Jeremy Hilliard, Glass Pony drummer Chanda Dewey, and Ithaca-based promoter Dan Smalls.
Tune in starting on Friday, November 5 for each installment of Music in Motion on the NYS Music YouTube and Facebook page.
Palangi will have a sit down conversation with each artist, with a lineup of musicians from across New York State. A homegrown indie rock recording artist, singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Palangi fuels his positive ambition naturally by serving up a feeding frenzy of edge heavy guitars, with a side of deep, gritty vocals. With a no-quit mentality, Palangi draws on influences from 80s & 90s rock, including post-grunge and heavy metal.
NYS Music in Motion Season 3 Schedule
November 5 – John Hall November 12 – Kristen Capolino November 19 – Rich Ortiz December 1 – Jeremy Hilliard December 8 – Chanda Dewey December 15 – Dan Smalls
Live from the legendary Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, critically acclaimed Brooklyn band The Antlers recently emerged from hibernation for their first show in over two years. Playing their latest studio album, Green to Gold, in its entirety followed by a second set of career spanning material, the enthralling, emotional, and dream-like performance on October 22, 2021 was nothing short of awe-inspiring. The road to get there, however, was a long time coming.
Rising to prominence in 2009 with their breakthrough masterpiece Hospice, a semi-autobiographical concept album that tells the story of a hospice worker falling in love with a terminal cancer patient, The Antlers had not released any new music since 2014’s Familiars. It was later revealed in 2017 that primary songwriter and bandleader Peter Silberman had quietly stepped away from the band after being diagnosed with permanent, career threatening tinnitus and vocal lesions. The Antlers would remain silent until October 2020 when seemingly out of the blue, they released a single for “Wheels Roll Home” and officially announced their first album in seven years, Green to Gold would be released in March of 2021 via Anti Records/Transgressive.
While no touring plans were made in support of the album, the band confirmed a special one-time only performance of Green to Gold would soon take place at the most storied barn in the Catskill Mountains. For diehard fans, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more perfect setting than Levon Helm Studios.
For those who didn’t already know, some free advice: arriving late to a show at Levon’s is like being late to church on communion Sunday; there’s simply no way to enter without being disruptive. The ‘last minute Larry’s’ on this particular night found that out the hard way when classically trained jazz minimalist David Moore of Bing & Ruth kicked off the evening with a beautifully subdued piano recital. The acoustics in the room so clear, every footstep and whisper of the late arrivals was heard. Unphased by any of it, Moore’s focused, cinematic set was but a precursor to the splendor yet to come.
After a brief intermission, it was finally time for a performance that was years in the making: The return of The Antlers. A must-see bucket list band for some, one person I spoke with at set break confessed they traveled all the way from Minnesota to Woodstock for this one-time-only, once in a lifetime show. Spoiler: the band did not disappoint.
Bathed in lavender light and taking the stage to a chorus of cheers and smiling faces, the mood gradually turned dead serious as a chorus of cicadas and crickets soon engulfed the room. Just like on the studio album, The Antlers opened with the first track off Green to Gold, a dreamy, ethereal, post-rock styled instrumental called “Strawflower.” Each of the four members adding a new layer of sound and texture while joining in one by one, it wasn’t until “Wheels Roll Home” that we would hear the instrument most vital to The Antlers signature sound, Peter Silberman’s remarkable voice.
Showcasing his impressive vocal range through half-sung/half-whispered melodies that often guide the listener to an astonishing falsetto peak, when you hear Silberman sing in person, you know you are witnessing a special talent. A vulnerable, rare kind of performer who can effortlessly send shivers up your spine or tears down your face on any given song; an artist willing risk it all for the sake of his craft, defying doctors’ orders after being told he may never perform again. Sounding magnificent on this cool autumn night at the barn, hearing Silberman pour his heart out to a live audience felt like nothing short of a blessing.
Describing “Wheels Roll Home” as “a simple song about the hopeful promise of reunion after a long time gone, the experience of waiting out tumultuous times and longing for stability,” Silberman touches on a theme most can relate to, particularly in the wake of the global pandemic. Never a band to shy away from difficult, dark and emotional subject matter, their bread and butter since the beginning, just two songs into the set and you could feel a sense of renewed optimism from The Antlers, something rarely heard on their previous albums.
Up next came a beautiful song called “Solstice”, co-written with long time Antlers drummer Michael Lerner (who opted to play on Levon’s vintage red kit instead of his own), the band describes the tune as a “flashback to the infinite days of peak childhood summer, innocent barefoot hikes, staying outside all afternoon and late into the evening, well past it being too dark to see. But it’s remembered from the vantage of a present day that feels unbearably long rather than joyously endless. It’s an invocation of those simpler times, an attempt to conjure the lightness of youth, before life got so damn complicated.”
Building on the soul-searching mood, the introspective journey continued with “Stubborn Man” before fading out into a sea of ethereal ambience that left the mesmerized crowd in stunned silence. As the emotional weight and integrity of the band’s performance grew with each successive song, up next came one of the biggest standouts of the evening “Just One Sec,” a song that noticeably left several people in tears.
“I’ll free you from the person I was sure I knew I’ll free you from a reputation you outgrew I’ll free you from behavior I’d expect to see And my interpretation of history ‘Cause I boxed you in unconsciously And I saw you and I thought you ought to be But by loving you imperfectly For just one sec, I’ll free you from me”
“Just One Sec”
Segueing perfectly into another song about hindsight came “It Is What It Is.” Also written by Silberman and Lerner, the richly textured song tackles the topic of learning from your mistakes, asking the listener to ponder “what might have changed had you handled things differently back then, and the reluctant acceptance that it’s too late for all that now.” The Antlers then seamlessly worked their way into “Volunteer” before transitioning to the hypnotic title track of their latest album, “Green to Gold,” a song that contemplates the inevitability of life and it’s ever-changing seasons. The gentle soul-searching sway of “Porchlight” lead us to the album closer, bookending the set with another languid, post-rock influenced instrumental called “Equinox.” The relaxing, layered groove would simply dither out and conclude the Green to Gold portion of the show the same way it began, in chorus of crickets and cicadas.
After a short brake, the emotionally elated audience welcomed The Antlers back for round two. There was no mystery during the opening set, but now it was anyone’s guess. Opting to go with the opening track from 2014’s Familiars was the beautifully brilliant song “Palace.” From there we were treated to back-to-back songs from the bands critically acclaimed album Hospice, first was “Atrophy,” then perhaps the most well-known song of the evening, just down the road from Bearville, came “Bear.”
“We’ll play charades up in the Chelsea Drink champagne although you shouldn’t be We’ll be blind and dumb until we fall asleep None of our friends will come They dodge our calls And they have for quite a while now It’s not a shock You don’t seem to mind and I just can’t see how”
“Bear”
After the stellar rendition of “Bear” was the bittersweet anthem “Parade.” Taking a moment between songs to clear his throat with a large drink of water, you just knew whatever was next, Silberman was going to give it everything he had left. As the richly textured, dream-like melody of “Corsicana” began, a tangible “hairs-on-the-back of your neck, get your cell phone out and record this” feeling swept over the audience. The only song to be played from 2011’s Burst Apart, it was then that Silberman uncorked one of the most unbelievable, heartfelt falsetto croons these ears have ever heard; one that still gives me shivers just thinking about it. Following an extended well-deserved applause, we were treated to one final thought-provoking number, a little-known song written by Silberman, but never released by The Antlers called “Ahimsa.”
“Time is all we have, I hope I have enough
Enough to show you love before my time is up
Before you wake the dead, take a pause
Instead of deafening nonsense, share silence
No violence today
No violence, no violence, no violence today”
“Ahimsa”
With an extraordinary end to an extraordinary evening, the band members then took center stage and hugged it out with each other first before bowing to the standing ovation. Not just a special night for fans who thought they’d never live to see an Antlers performance, but a special night for the band themselves. Coming full circle and finding perspective by letting nature run its course, time has been good to The Antlers. From writing somber songs in a Brooklyn bedroom, to playing Green to Gold in a legendary barn surrounded by friends, family, and some of their biggest fans, those who were lucky enough to be at Levon Helm Studios on this night will never forget it.
As the season for “best of the year” lists rapidly approaches, be skeptical of any that does not include The Antlers and 2021’s Green to Gold. Seven years in the making, this is an album that will stand the test of time.
The Antlers – Levon Helm Studios – Woodstock, NY – 10/22/2021
Set 1: Strawflower, Wheels Roll Home, Solstice, Stubborn Man, Just One Sec, It Is What It Is, Volunteer, Green to Gold, Porchlight, Equinox
Set 2: Palace, Atrophy, Bear, Parade, Corsicana, Ahimsa
Make no mistake. Don LaSala is not Conrad Hilton and he’s not in it for the money. Since 1998, LaSala and his wife Sue have been the owners and loving caretakers of one of the holy sites of rock history, the humble salmon-colored house in West Saugerties, N.Y. known as Big Pink. From early 1967 – 1968, Big Pink and its makeshift basement recording facility served as the woodshed where Bob Dylan and The Band created a cache of classic songs that would forever redirect the course of popular music.
photo by William A. Loeb
Since 2014, the LaSalas have been enabling fans to enjoy weekend and longer retreats at this fabled house and its many peaceful, woodsy acres. It’s one that remains virtually unchanged since the days when The Band lived and worked there. This includes the rosy sided exterior immortalized on the cover of The Band’s 1968 debut, Music from Big Pink, along with its Atomic-era kitchen and appliances, its living, dining, bedrooms and, of course, its famous subterranean music space. The LaSalas have added to the authentic retro vibe by curating many period artifacts throughout. These include a 1966 local phone book, a Bakelite rotary telephone in basic black and a vintage typewriter, just like the one Dylan used to fire off lyrics. The mood is also set with classic photos of Dylan and The Band taken here and around Woodstock by its most famous local lensman Elliot Landy.
The story of Big Pink commences in February 1967, when The Band’s bassist Rick Danko rented the house where he would cohabitate with bandmates Garth Hudson and Richard Manuel. Danko. The trio were working with their guitarist Robbie Robertson, who secured a home close by with his soon-to-be wife Dominique, on Dylan’s film of their 1966 tour together, “Eat The Document.” Dylan had been sidelined from touring by a July 1966 motorcycle accident leaving his manager Albert Goldman’s house in adjacent Bearsville. Now, he was playing the seemingly retired family man/country squire/filmmaker, while quietly forging ahead with what would be his most productive year ever as a songwriter.
According to a conversation LaSala had with Danko, Dylan would arrive at Big Pink around 9 am each morning, right after dropping his daughter Maria off at school. He would then make a pot of coffee, roll a joint, smoke a few cigarettes and write lyrics, on yellow legal pads and/or his trusty typewriter, all while sitting at the living room table gazing out a picture window at the mountains in the distance. When Danko, Hudson and Manuel arose at around 11 am, he would make another pot of coffee for the boys and the arriving Robertson. They would then head down to the basement and try out the new songs just written by Dylan or fool with covers of old traditional chestnuts like “Kickin’ My Dog Around.” Keyboardist Hudson engineered the recordings using two stereo mixers and a tape recorder borrowed from Dylan’s manager and microphones on loan from folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary. The magic was committed to reel upon reel of 1/4” Scotch or Shamrock tape.
In the late afternoon, the two coupled guys, Dylan and Robertson, would head home. The remaining trio would then either head into the town of Woodstock to party or bring the party home. The routine with Dylan reportedly went on from May – October 1967. Eventually drummer Levon Helm would return from the South and move in and the band would continue to work at Big Pink through January 1968, crafting and polishing the songs that would appear on the debut album named in honor of their home/studio.
Some of the 30 new Dylan originals recorded would first see light of day on a 14-song demo tape. It was circulated in October 1967 by his publishing company, Dwarf Music, to hopefully generate income from covers by other artists. They included some of the most celebrated songs of his career including “I Shall Be Released,” “This Wheel’s on Fire” co-written by Danko, “Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn),” “Tears of Rage” co-written with Manuel and “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere.” Seven of these unreleased versions were included on the double-disc The Great White Wonder, the first rock bootleg album illegally issued in July 1969. Some of these would ultimately end up on the first official release, 1975’s oft maligned The Basement Tapes on Columbia Records. Note that the cramped basement in the album’s cover photo is not Big Pink at all; it’s from a YMCA in Los Angeles. And some of the tracks featured are not from Big Pink or are The Band recordings sans Dylan.
photo by William A. Loeb
The story of how the LaSalas came to own Big Pink is rather traditional, one reflected in the great migration to the Hudson Valley we see taking place today in Covid-19 times.
“After almost a decade working in the music business in San Francisco, we moved back East and rented a placed in Westchester to help with my family’s real estate management business,” says Don LaSala. “Suburbia was a real culture shock. My wife grew up in the Northern Adirondacks and I had been coming up here a lot in the 1980s, when I was working as a live production manager for NRBQ, most of whom lived right in Saugerties. We always loved their area and hoped to one day, maybe, get a place here, but that was still a distant dream.”
One day, a friend in Woodstock, Mike Densmore, called me up and said there’s a tiny ad in the local classifieds saying — ‘Famous Rock-n-Roll House for Sale by Owner’. We thought, ‘What the hell? Why don’t we just take a look at it to see what it’s like inside?’ We were just curious like fans are today. But we weren’t really looking at the time and, in our wildest fantasies, we didn’t think we’d ever come to own it.
Don LaSala
LaSala, who is also a guitarist/songwriter, hit it off with the bass playing owner, Mike Amitan, who urged him to consider buying it, even though he didn’t think he could muster the $149,000 asking price. Two weeks later, the New York Times ran a huge story saying that the house had been sold to a consortium of investors. But this deal and several others would fall through before LaSala raised the funds and closed on the house in April 1998.
photo by William A. Loeb
From 1998 – 2014, Big Pink was the LaSala’s primary residence thought they spent part of each week at their downstate rental working for the family business. Its fabled basement became the clubhouse where band Don plays in, The Hooligan Band, would write, rehearse and record, just like Dylan and The Band. Playing together since 1978, The Hooligan Band have released two albums recorded in the famous basement, including Basement Hooligan – Live Recordings ’08 & ’10 and Hooligan in the Pink. LaSala has also released a handful of solo offerings recorded at Big Pink including 2011’s Home Brew. It has also continued to be the site of Big Pink Socials, where LaSala and other local musicians like Robin the Hammer, Julia Nichols, Avalon Peacock, Justin Love, Denise Parent and The Hooligans would party, play and record.
“At the time we bought Big Pink, Dylan was pretty much out of the public eye,” continues LaSala. “He was coming off his religious period, Dylan and the Dead, his acoustic albums and he hadn’t quite hit his renaissance with Time Out of Mind.”
With the critical mass of Internet connectivity in the early 2000s, more and more people started finding their way up the ¼ mile dirt road from Stoll Road in West Saugerties to Big Pink. Fans themselves, the LaSalas were always gracious when encountering visitors, sharing trivia and letting them take a few exterior photos.
photo by William A. Loeb
But the real explosion of interest came with the 2014 release of The Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete, a lush box set containing 138 tracks, 117 previously unissued, from Dylan and The Band’s 1967 home recordings, the vast majority from Big Pink. This was followed by The New Basement Tapes, a British-American supergroup including My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Elvis Costello, Marcus Mumford, Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes and Rhiannon Giddens put together by producer T Bone Burnett. Also in 2014, the group recorded Lost on the River: The New Basement Tapes, an album of tunes based on newly uncovered lyrics handwritten by Bob Dylan in 1967 during his period at Big Pink. The collaboration was chronicled in the documentary Lost Songs: The Basement Tapes Continued. This included reenactments with young actors of Dylan and The Band’s at work filmed right in Big Pink’s basement.
These events drew more fans and many reporters to the site. This included a Rolling Stone Magazine video crew who documented The Band’s keyboard wizard Garth Hudson’s emotional return to the house after 47 years.
This renewed spotlight coincided with the emergence of vacation rental sites like AirBnB and VRBO. By that time, the LaSala’s lived at another home in Woodstock, but Don continued to use Big Pink as his musical space and hang.
“Over the years, I learned I couldn’t stop the fans, so I decided I might as well just let them have it,” laughs LaSala. “Owning this place, I always wanted to do justice to the history – to the fans who love this place and have a deep emotional connection to the creativity that unfolded here.”
Practicality was also an issue. “It cost a good deal to maintain this old house,” continues LaSala. “Even though we endeavored to keep it unchanged, there were still many costs like putting in a new heating and cooling system, roof and, of course, yearly property taxes. But we wanted to stay true to the legacy and not do something tacky for the almighty dollar.”
The LaSalas started slowly opening up Big Pink to guests in 2015. “It’s sort of an unofficial artists’ residency in my mind,” adds LaSala. “People come here from all over the world. The majority seem to be creatives – musicians, painters, photographers and writers who want to have the kind of creative meditation, the productive retreat it provided for The Band and Dylan. Many are older folks who grew up on the music. But increasingly it’s drawing younger people, ones for whom the music created here is a requisite listening experience.”
“With three bedrooms and two baths, the place can comfortably accommodate 5 – 6 people,” observes LaSala. “So, groups are using it for reunions, to bring together friends, family and creative collaborators from faraway places. It’s not only about the house itself, but the nature surrounding it – the peace and creativity that springs forth from the solitude and raw natural beauty. Many come here to write, paint, and like Dylan and The Band, make music.”
photo by William A. Loeb
The LaSalas recommend a minimum three-night stay though some visitors stay longer. The wicked Woodstock winters mean that Big Pink is only available from mid-April to early November, on dates when LaSala and company are not making music. Full details, including videos and photos, can be found at their rental site on VRBO.
Visitors have free rein of Big Pink’s upper levels and outer patio but not, strictly speaking, the famous basement.
“It’s my private rehearsal space with own gear, so guests just can’t come and go as they please and everyone seems to understand this,” adds LaSala. “What I will do is schedule a time to give an informal tour, where I tell them the full story of Big Pink and all the creative magic that happened here. To keep people focused on the present, I discourage them taking too many photos. It’s something I even do with my friends at my Big Pink Socials. I want them to stay in the present moment, and to have this Big Pink experience live in their memories and imaginations.”
photo by William A. Loeb
The fans who have found their way to Big Pink have shared some amazing new info with LaSala; some verified, some not.
“It’s known that George Harrison visited here when he came to Woodstock and stayed with Dylan at his place in Byrdcliffe, Woodstock’s famous art colony,” recalls LaSala. “It’s also believed that he brought Eric Clapton here too. According to one British expert who visited, it’s believed George played The Band and Bob some songs he wanted to run by the Beatles like ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ and ‘All Things Must Pass.’ And that, that another time, he and Eric rehearsed in the basement and played an early version of ‘Badge.’ In both cases, they were running them by Dylan and The Band to see if they were any good! Like Big Pink itself, these are misty legends that really spark your imagination.”
With the emergence of Covid-19 in March 2020, the LaSalas suspended their rentals until Spring 2021. Since then, they have taken all the necessary precautions, even installing a pricey air filtration system.
With winter coming in, Big Pink will just have to live in your imagination at least until next Spring, when the LaSalas plan on opening its doors once again to discerning and respectful visitors.
“Until that time,” concludes LaSala with a Dylanesque quip and smile, “I’ll be in the basement mixing up the medicine, medicine of the musical kind, of course!
Midlake has announced their fifth studio album, For The Sake of Bethel Woods, and shared the first single, titled “Meanwhile…” The Texas-based band has not released new music since 2013’s Antiphon.
Photo by Barbara FG
Midlake’s brand of folk-rock evokes the brooding, funk-influenced sound of groups like TV on The Radio. After the departure of original frontman Tim Smith, they threw out their past recordings and restarted as a new quintet, hurriedly releasing a new album. On Antiphon, Midlake leaned into their rock side with distorted electric guitar riffs and newly-minted frontman Eric Pulido’s Bowie-protege vocals.
Almost a decade later, on “Meanwhile…” the band finds a lighter touch. A swoon-worthy 60’s rhythm carved out by drummer McKenzie Smith allows the steady acoustic guitar and wavering metronome to absolutely float. Pulido’s vocals, though mournful, are softer and more whimsical than ever.
Pulido said the track speaks to two key points in Midlake’s history: when the band decided to go on hiatus in 2014, and when they were inspired to reconvene in 2020.
“Everyone had their respective experience during the uncertain time apart,” he said, “culminating in a confident and celebratory return to form.”
Available for preorder now, For The Sake of Bethel Woods will be released on March 18th of next year. For their first time working with an outside producer, Midlake brought in the big guns, recruiting Grammy-award-winning producer John Congleton. Congleton, whose previous credits include St. Vincent and Sharon Van Etten, produced, engineered, and mixed the album at Elmwood Recording Studio in Midlake’s native Texas.
Though the project marks a homecoming of sorts for Midlake, the reunion is bittersweet. For The Sake of Bethel Woods’ cover art pays homage to keyboardists Jesse Chandler’s father, who passed away in 2018.
“For me, the picture of that kid, my dad, forever frozen in time, encapsulates what it means to be in the throes of impressionable and fleeting youth,” Chandler said, “and all that the magic of music, peace, love, and communion bring to it, whether one knows it at the time or not.
Midlake has unveiled an exclusive live performance of “Bethel Woods” filmed at Dallas, TX’s Modern Electric Sound Recorders by director Rett Rogers and co-director Barbara FG and marks the second in a new multi-part series of exclusive live sessions, “Meanwhile In Texas,” with additional installments set to premiere in the coming weeks.
Promoting For The Sake Of Bethel Woods, Midlake has also announced a series of North American Tour Dates,
Midlake 2022 Tour Dates
MARCH 9 – Denton, TX – Dan’s Silverleaf 10 – Denton, TX – Dan’s Silverleaf 16 – Gothenburg, SW – Pustervik 17 – Oslo, NO – Vulkan Arena 18 – Stockholm, SW – Nalen 20 – Copenhagen, DK – Pumpehuset 21 – Berlin, DE – Columbia Theater 22 – Munich, DE – Freiheizhalle 23 – Vienna, AU – Flex 25 – St. Gallen, CH – Palace 26 – Maastricht, NL – Muziekgieterij 27 – Utrecht, NL – Ronda 29 – Hamburg, DE – Mojo Club 31 – Groningen, NL – De Oosterpoort
APRIL 1 – Cologne, DE – Bürgerhaus Stollwerck 2 – Antwerp, BE = Trix 3 – Paris, FR – Alhambra 5 – Brighton, UK – Chalk 6 – London, UK – Roundhouse 8 – Newcastle, UK – University Student’s Union 9 – Edinburgh, UK – Assembly Rooms 10 – Manchester, UK – Albert Hall 11 – Dublin, IR – Vicar Street
MAY 8 – Nashville, TN – 3rd & Lindsley 10 – Washington, DC – Union Stage 11 – Philadelphia, PA – World Cafe Live (Downstairs) 13 – Woodstock, NY – Levon Helm Studios 14 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom 16 – Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall 17 – Louisville, KY – Headliners Music Hall 19 – St. Louis, MO – Off Broadway 20 – Kansas City, MO – recordBar 21 – Oklahoma City, OK – Beer City Music Hall
Queens duo, The Forms, known for their experimental indie sound, have returned with another new single, the eerie-sounding, “All Souls Day,” an ode to the celebratory day of remembrance of the same name.
The band released their first two albums with legendary producer Steve Albini, who had previously worked with lighting rods like, Nirvana and PJ Harvey. “All Souls Day,” is the third release from The Forms this year after over a decade without any new music. Their last full-length, The Forms, was released in 2007.
“All Souls Day” centers on a hypnotizing riff played on a bass steel pan. The echoey and percussive instrument, as played masterfully by Matt Walsh, creates an ominous sound. It’s perfect for their psychedelic brand of indie rock, as the steel pan feels otherworldly like a synth yet as painfully human as a banjo. Vocalist, Alex Tweens’, high and whispery vocals balance the instrument with an alien quality. Tweens described the track as
a strange dark meditative soundscape of a quiet apocalypse.
The music video for the track, shot in a remote field in The Catskills, is eerie and sensory. Cattails brush up against the camera lens, and pollen disperses like gold flecks in the wind. When night falls and a thick mist settles over the set, you can almost feel the chill. The atmospheric video matches the track so perfectly the creeping plants even flutter in time with Tweens’ delicate tack piano.
As Tweens also pointed out, the track is a “wild mood swing” from their other recent releases. Their exultant comeback single, “Southern Ocean,” made apathy sound fun over a bouncy, summery beat. Their latest release “Head Underwater” leans hard into the coveted late 2000s indie-pop formula of classic 90s riffs plus synths. Tween described the track as
the most purely joyful song The Forms have ever done.
The fun, upbeat nature of both records is a far cry from the barren soundscape of “All Souls Day.” But, then again, summer is over and existentialism no longer feels like a beach game.
All Souls Day, celebrated annually on November 2nd, is a day of prayer and remembrance for the faithful departed, observed mainly by Roman Catholics and other Christian denominations.
On the song, Tweens sings of spending the day floating in a river:
Now I’ve come here/ In a state of mind/ One I’ll never forget.
The meditative lyrics over the ever-echoing steel pan transport you right to that floating, questioning state. The effect is sonically beautiful and emotionally resonant, letting you know that this will be an All Souls Day you won’t forget anytime soon.
“At The End Or The Beginning” was released by Marco Benevento October 27, 2021 just before playing a two night run at Levon Helm Studio in Woodstock. The track opens with a satisfying bass hook and at first listen felt anthemic, yet atmospheric; much like stepping into the sun after a week of rain.
Single cover for Marco Benevento’s “At The End Or The Beginning”
It was only natural to want to listen to the song again and again. Repeatability is where the magic happened somewhere between the end or the beginning. After a few listens, the depth of the song began to present itself. While it would have been easy to write about all of the pain and suffering human kind has endured together, Marco chose a path less travelled.
Link to In Depth Interview below
“At The End Or The Beginning” presented an optimistic mindset for how to approach the world we are in today without ever touching a level of toxicity. It could be asserted that listening to a song like this could have real benefits to the mindset for anyone struggling to see tomorrow. The catchy groove that does not bombard could easily be on for quite a few cycles without noticing.
Marco Benevento has continuously demonstrated what it means to be an artist, not just a musician. His music, though seemingly fun, and out there, has never consisted of one layer in meaning. Zen master? Could be…
Does a photograph mark the end or the begining?
For more on Marco Benevento’s creative process, studio tour and thoughts on the Hudson Valley, check out NYSMusic exclusive in-depth interview by clicking here!
Marco Benevento Upcoming Tour Dates
November 11 – Portsmouth, NH – The Press Room (Sold Out) November 12 – Portsmouth, NH – The Press Room (Sold Out) November 13 – Portsmouth, NH – The Press Room (Sold Out) November 27 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl December 11 – Miami, FL – North Beach Music Festival February 25 – Ardmore, PA – Ardmore Music Hall February 26 – Washington, DC – Union Stage April 7 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair April 8 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground April 9 – Fairfield, CT – Stage One
Hudson Valley lost one of its most tireless champions of music with the passing of Tony Falco, the face behind one of its most vital and varied performance venues, The Falcon. Falco passed away after a six-month battle with complications from Covid-19, he was 65 years old.
A loving husband, father and an engaged community leader with many passions and skills, Tony founded The Falcon in the early 2000s in Marlboro, N.Y.
The venue became a mecca for jazz, blues, world, folk, and Americana musicians, while becoming one of Hudson Valley’s most prominent and diverse music clubs and well as its most beautiful. Called “The Village Vanguard of the Hudson Valley,” Tony imagined the Falcon as a community-focused, multi-art and musician-centric institution. At its pre-pandemic peak, the Falcon featured music on two stages nightly, rotating art exhibits — the Avalon Archives Museum — two restaurants and a network of trails and decks overlooking Marlboro Falls.
Born on September 12, 1956, Ferdinand and Margaret Falco in Staten Island, NY, where he was raised along with his six siblings. His journey began in 1979, while attending SUNY New Paltz, he met the love of his life — his wife of 37 years — Julie Farrell. They were married in 1984 and had four children; Adrianne, Svetlana, Lee, and Julian. In 1983, Tony graduated from New Paltz with a degree in Environmental Science. Over his scientific career, he operated and designed several wastewater treatment facilities throughout the Hudson Valley and owned Environmental Labworks, a water testing laboratory located in the same building as The Falcon.
Rita Ryan, host of WVRK’s weekly radio show, Local Motion, featured Tony as a frequent guest.
Every time we did the show together I would tell him I thought he was the ‘richest man in town’ like Jimmy Stewart in It’s A Wonderful Live. For this particular interview he met me in the parking lot of the radio station and brought me pastries from a local bakery. Said he just couldn’t show up empty handed. He loved and was loved by everyone he touched. There will never be another like him.
Ed Palermo, who played the club frequently with his Zappa and prog rock tribute big band, said:
Tony Falco changed my life over ten years ago when he convinced me and my band to make the trek up north to his beautiful club, The Falcon. Tony never once asked me to “dial it down a tad” or keep my mouth shut about politics or anything that ruffled so many feathers the past few years. The club continues to be the best venue for my band to play and be weird. God bless you and your family, Tony. Rest in Peace, my eternal friend.
A versatile renaissance man, Falco worked as an artist, entrepreneur, scientist, engineer, architect, builder, pilot, teacher and environmental conservationist. He was known for his generosity and adventurous mindset, as he loved to travel the world. During the pandemic, he designed and built the Marlboro Nature Trail and had recently took up horseback riding, serving as the proud owner of two horses, Houdini and Cinch.
Tony is survived by his wife and kids; his mother; his six siblings (Gennaro, Julia Ruffo, Eddie, Tommy, Freddy, and Christopher); his lifelong best friend Cliff ‘Sonny’ Benson; his adopted children Suong Huynh and Javier Osorio; his children’s partners, Conor Shea, Alex Neckles, Jessica Brush, and Kaitlyn VanOrman; and his extended family of Falcon friends.
Public celebrations of his life will be held the weekend of November 6. More details will be determined and posted at www.liveatthefalcon.com. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Amnesty International.
Todd Rundgren has quietly returned to Woodstock’s Utopia Studios Soundstage to begin rehearsals for his “The Individual, the Star” U.S. tour. The legendary multi-instrumentalist received a reported “quiet hero’s welcome” as he returned to the area ahead of his induction into the Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame at the end of October.
Rundgren’s Woodstock Roots
Todd Rundgren with Bearsville Theater owner Lizzie Vann
Rundgren, also known for his work with the band Utopia, created the soundstage at Bearsville Theater Complex himself. He commissioned the project for an “innovative video studio” back in 1979, and filmed the video for his single “Time Heals” there. The video would go on to be the second video ever broadcast on MTV. Over the years, the studio has served as a home for many music-related businesses, including Radio Woodstock.
Rundgren made sure to take breaks from rehearsal during his week-long visit. While in town, Rundgren also attended the Woodstock Film Festival for a screening of the documentary Fanny: The Right To Rock. Rundgren himself appears in the documentary, which was screened at the Bearsville Theater.
A Wizard, A True Star
Rundgren’s current tour celebrates his monumental 1973 album, A Wizard, A True Star. Rundgren found inspiration for the project, and a changing point of view, in experimentation with psychedelic drugs in his mid-20s. “I became more aware,” Rundgren once said of making the album, “Of what music and sounds were like in my internal environment, and how different that was from the music I had been making.” Rundgren described the 19-track LP as a hallucinogenic “flight plan.”
Though at the time A Wizard, A True Star isolated much of Rundgren’s audience, it received widespread critical acclaim, and has been recognized in later years for its influence on lo-fi bedroom musicians. Even Frank Ocean sampled synths from the project on his own historic contribution to lo-fi, 2016s Blonde.
Rundgren kicked off his The Individual, The Star Tour on October 1st in Boston. He played three dates at the beginning of October in New York, all at the Gramercy Theater in NYC. The tour will continue through the beginning of November, heading West and closing out November 7th in San Francisco.
Todd Rundgren, The Individualist, a True Star 2021 Tour
Oct. 01 – Boston, MA @ Big Night Live
Oct. 02 – Boston, MA @ Big Night Live
Oct. 04 – Ridgefield, CT @ Ridgefield Playhouse
Oct. 05 – Ridgefield, CT @ Ridgefield Playhouse
Oct. 07 – New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre
Oct. 08 – New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre
Oct. 09 – New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre
Oct. 11 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore
Oct. 12 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore
Oct. 14 – Huntington, NY @ The Paramount
Oct. 17 – Washington DC @ Capital Turnaround
Oct. 18 – Washington DC @ Capital Turnaround
Oct. 20 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
Oct. 23 – Miami, FL @ The Fillmore
Oct. 24 – Clearwater, FL @ Capitol Theatre
Oct. 25 – Clearwater, FL @ Capitol Theatre
Oct. 29 – Canton, OH @ Canton Palace
Oct. 30 – Cincinnati, OH @ The Andrew J Brady ICON Music Center
The 2022 Hudson Jazz Festival has announced dates and themes for its 2022 celebration. The festivities will take place across two weekends on February 10-13 & 17-20, 2022 at Hudson Hall in Hudson, 45 minutes south of Albany.
The Hudson Jazz Festival aims to give a voice to artists as they respond to transformative events in our nation’s history. This year’s festival will focus on Black History Month and will be using Lift Every Voice as its theme. Held over two weekends in February which is Black History Month the festivities will feature performances, art, film, spoken word and community events. The festival hopes to honor the spirit of the unofficial Black national anthem Lift Every Voice through its celebration creating a joyous and optimistic new era of hope for equity, diversity, and inclusion.
The festival will feature six performances that include some exceptional talents. The big names include Jazzmeia Horn who is a multi-GRAMMY-nominated singer and The Baylor Project who are a multi-GRAMMY-nominated duo, GRAMMY-nominated saxophonist/composer Jimmy Greene and his quartet, and spoken-word artist, activist and TONY-nominated actor Daniel J. Watts. Some of the rising stars who may not be as well known in the line up are vocalist Alexis Morrast and acclaimed vibraphonist Warren Wolf.
Tickets to the 2022 Hudson Jazz Festival start at $25. People who are 25 and under may pre-purchase single tickets for $15 each using the discount code UNDER25. Tickets are currently on sale for members of the Hudson Hall with sales to the public opening up Friday, October 15, 2021.
For more information on the 2022 Hudson Jazz Festival and on Hudson Hall visit their website.
At only 17, Hudson Valley singer-songwriter Stella Prince has a voice and sensibility well beyond her years. Her eerie soprano simultaneously evokes Americana and traditional choral music. But her raw lyrics, which evoke the anxiety and open-heartedness of Gen Z with a rare clarity, even further reflect an old-soul songwriter. After a new single and many solo shows, Prince is looking to take a lifelong dream to the next level.
Photo Credit: Lily Prince
“Ever since I was like 4 I had it in my head that I wanted to be a famous singer,” Prince said. “But I feel like during the pandemic I really just realized that this was meant to be, and it really started growing incredibly quickly.”
Prince has released three new singles this year, each more arresting than the last. Though the unassuming honesty and plucked guitar evoke idols of her own like Taylor Swift, her more unconventional tastes shine through as well. As a pre-teen, Prince hosted her own radio show where she primarily played tunes from the ‘30s and ‘40s. She’d grown up with the genre, and liked the idea of playing something unique. Furthermore, she already respected the era’s influence on her, and wanted to share it.
“I was just drawn to it,” Prince said. “It taught me so much about music.”
Sharing something deeply personal is inherent in Prince’s musical philosophy. Prince describes her goal as bringing “an authentic, acoustic sound back to contemporary music.” Stella Prince believes making something timeless and catchy, that diverse audiences can relate to, doesn’t have to mean sacrificing the words in your heart.
The urgency of Prince’s lyrics is nearly palpable in her singular voice, which effortlessly recalls the measured melodies of classic folk. Even on the highest notes, Prince’s voice holds a softness and lightness. Over careful and striking guitar lines, she all but lulls you into a trance. It’s a unique and memorable sound thats led her to critical acclaim.
Prince’s first live show, at the iconic Bluebird Cafe in Nashville in early 2020, left her both elated and intimidated. She dropped her guitar onstage, breaking all of the strings. But she thought fast, used the house guitar, and continued to perform. The “traumatizing” experience is far behind her now, and these days Prince’s biggest dream is to play a stadium someday. But Prince said she ultimately gained something from the early mishap.
“You have to learn when you’re performing that all of these things can go wrong,” she said. “There’s so many things that can go wrong, and you just have to deal with it.”
Photo Credit: Lily Prince
Since gaining her associates degree at 16, Prince has split her time between Nashville and Los Angeles. Prince credits her parents’ support with keeping her sane as she travels more and more for her career. COVID-19-withstanding, Prince has maintained a growing and consistent touring schedule around the East Coast since her graduation. Still a minor, she always travels with her parents. Prince said she’s grateful they’re fellow artists: her father is a writer, and her mother a painter.
“I think their work ethic really inspired me growing up,” she said. “They worked all day on their art, and I saw that from a really young age.”
Despite her newness in the studio, Prince has already begun solidifying her own tastes into a style. She got a taste for producing with her last single “The Rain Might Fall,” and hopes to continue honing that skill, and control over her sound, in the future.
In the track, over a twinkling and methodic melody, Prince grapples candidly with the confusion and turmoil of adolescence. “The Rain Might Fall” finds her unsure of what’s coming next and where she’s going, but aware she must go. Singing “I’ve been staring at the ocean/ mesmerized by motion/wondering why,” Stella Prince effortlessly captures the moment you realize just how big and mysterious the world can be.
“I think, you know, in terms of songwriting I really knew exactly what I wanted to say,” she said of developing the track. “Because I think the song for me really just talks about what its like to not know.”
It’s here that Prince’s young age comes through in an arresting way. Her existentially questioning, and sometimes painful, lyrics poignantly reflect the specific anxieties of Gen-Z’ers. Her peers around the world face an uncertain future and rapid change, in a way that feels both collective and personal.
On the spare “Scared,” Prince faces that uncertainty head on, as bravely as she did years ago with a broken guitar at the Bluebird Cafe. She sings: “In the end I really have to trust myself/ Once again I can’t wait for someone else/ To fill my dreams, I’m scared it seems/ Its up to me.” The lyric beautifully captures the moment of anxiety right before you do something big, on your own. With confidence and grace, Prince seems well on her way to filling those dreams herself.
