Few bands have a relationship with the state of New York like the Grateful Dead. Outside of California, the Grateful Dead have performed more shows in New York than any other state.
With 309 unique shows performed across the Empire State in a 28 year span, beginning at Tompkins Square Park on June 1, 1967, the Grateful Dead made New York a home away from home, with venues of all sizes welcoming them during their career.
Over the past few years, NYS Music has looked back on some of these shows, whether they be archival releases, or an iconic show worthy of a closer look. In 2020, we began to look intently at the history of the Grateful Dead in the Empire State, and in doing so, discovered some overlooked diamonds in the rough.
While performances at Madison Square Garden, The Knickerbocker Arena and Barton Hall garner the glory, there are shows that are equally compelling which we took a second look at. Whether the performance was in The Bronx, Alfred State, Oswego, Glens Falls, Lake Placid or Watkins Glen, each show gets a thorough analysis, with first-hand accounts and memorabilia, as well as audio and/or video of each performance.
We’ve taken all these articles that examine the long history of the Grateful Dead in New York State, as well as Jerry Garcia’s solo and JGB performances, and created an interactive Google Map that allows you to observe the history of the Grateful Dead in New York – So MaNY Roads. You can find info on each of these shows (were you there?), and dive into shows you may or may not have known about.
With more than 300 shows to include in this series, we so far have looked at more than 50 of these shows, all searchable in the map below. More will be added each month as we continue looking at the Grateful Dead and their history in NY.
We welcome Section 119 as a sponsor for So MaNY Roads, our Grateful Dead in New York series. Section 119 takes you from beachfront to stage front with the highest quality merchandise celebrating the Grateful Dead. Shop for a variety of officially licensed clothing and accessories including board shorts, polos, button-down shirts and more at Section119.com.
Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, the one-of-a-kind 7th studio album from the Wu Tang Clan, is in the hands of a new owner. Martin Shkreli, the previous proprietor of the covert album, had the project seized in 2018 and recently sold by the U.S. government as a part of a $7.4 million forfeiture judgement.
Shkreli purchased the 31-track album in 2015 for a reported $2 million and subsequently began a public feud with Wu Tang’s Ghostface Killah, threatening to erase his contributions to Once Upon a Time.
The dishonored pharmaceutical executive known as “Pharma Bro” first came under public scrutiny for raising the price of the drug Daraphin — used to treat aids and cancer patients — from $13.50 to $750. He was later convicted of securities fraud and sentenced to seven years in prison, in a matter unrelated to his skyrocketing of drug prices. In essence, his prison sentence is a result of being “accused of repeatedly losing money for investors and lying to them about it, illegally taking assets from one of his companies to pay off debtors in another.”
Shkreli’s possession of a suis generis Wu Tang Clan album did not come without its own controversy. Initially intended as a one-off sale with the group wanting to bar public consumption of the album for 88 years. After it was announced that Shkreli who purchased the album, the group changed its tune and began vouching for the project to be heard by the masses. When Martin Shkreli was announced as the album’s buyer, RZA announced most of the proceeds were donated to charity.
The announcement was made by Jacquelyn M. Kasulis, the Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
Shkreli has been held accountable and paid the price for lying and stealing from investors to enrich himself. With today’s sale of this one-of-a-kind album, his payment of the forfeiture is now complete.
While the buyer’s identity has yet to be revealed, they are represented by NYC based lawyer, Peter Coolidge, who confirmed that he has indeed listened to the project.
It didn’t disappoint at all. It was pretty reminiscent of the ‘90s stuff. The first album was really good. All the first solo albums were good, like, Return to the 36 Chambers, Liquid Swords, Ironman, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, whatever,” he said. “And then they did some albums after that, that were perhaps not their best work. But this is like, up there with the best stuff.
He later confirmed that the buyer was an entity and not an individual, and that they planned to reveal themselves and do a round of press in the next 30 to 60 days.
Pink Talking Fish have announced a 2021 tour that will make multiple stops throughout New England. The tour begins in August and will run through December.
Pink Talking Fish, a fusion tribute band that plays Pink Floyd, The Talking Heads, and Phish, is comprised of Eric Gould on bass, Richard James on keyboards, Zack Burwick on drums and Cal Kehoe on guitar.
Although the band has been performing since COVID-19 playing a handful of show including outdoor pod style events, two trips to Colorado, a Beach Road Weekend Pre-Party in Martha’s Vineyard and sold out performances in Connecticut and New Hampshire this will be their first real tour.
The tour will kick off in August with 2 night Grand Opening of the new indoor venue at Soundcheck Studios in Pembroke, MA. This venue kept live music going through the pandemic with socially distant outdoor performances and, during that time, they developed a premiere indoor concert experience. Two of New England’s rising acts are supporting Pink Talking Phish for this event: The New Motif and Marble Eyes. Marble Eyes features Pink Talking Fish bassist, Eric Gould.
The band will be making two stops in New York while on tour. The first stop will be on 10/16 at the Brooklyn Bowl in Brooklyn NY and the second stop on 10/22 at Cohoes Music Hall at Cohoes NY.
For more information on Pink Talking Phish and their upcoming tour visit their website.
Full List of Pink Talking Fish 2021 Tour Dates:
8/06: Pembroke MA at Soundcheck Studios – w/s/g The New Motif
8/07: Pembroke MA at Soundcheck Studios – w/s/g Marble Eyes
8/14: Atlantic City NJ at The Tropicana – Phish AfterParty
8/22: Norwalk CT at Wall Street Theater – Outdoor Pod Event
A consortium of major jazz labels has taken the unprecedented step of joining hands for Relief, an all-star compilation of previously unreleased music to be released on September 24, continuing the non-profit Jazz Foundation of America’s (JFA) ongoing efforts to aid musicians affected by the international shutdown of venues and other performance opportunities in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
All net proceeds from the Relief package – comprising studio and live tracks by top-flight jazz artists – will benefit the JFA’s Musicians’ Emergency Fund, established in the spring of 2020 after the pandemic ground the music industry to a sudden, catastrophic halt.
Relief commences with a recording that exemplifies the extreme challenges faced by musicians in the depths of the 2020 health emergency: “back to who,” a track by vocalist Esperanza Spalding and pianist Leo Genovese, recording as IRMA and LEO, was created remotely at home studios in Hillsboro, OR and Brooklyn, NY.
The compilation concludes with a live quintet performance captured at the JFA’s 2014 “A Great Night in Harlem” benefit show at New York’s historic Apollo Theater. It features pianist Herbie Hancock, trumpeter Wallace Roney, who died after contracting the coronavirus, bassist Buster Williams, drummer Albert “Tootie” Heath and tenor saxophonist Jimmy Heath, the composer of the number, who died at the age of 93 in January 2020, in a poignant version of “Gingerbread Boy.”
Offering a compact overview of jazz’s past, present, and future, Relief also presents fresh tracks from bassist Christian McBride, vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant, saxophonists Kenny Garrett, Joshua Redman, and Charles Lloyd, pianist-vocalist Jon Batiste and pianist Hiromi Uehara.
Track Listing
IRMA and LEO | “back to who” feat. Esperanza Spalding and Leo Genovese | Christian McBride | “Brother Malcolm” | Cécile McLorin Salvant | “Easy Come, Easy Go Blues” | Kenny Garrett | “Joe Hen’s Waltz” | Jon Batiste | “Sweet Lorraine” | Hiromi | “Green Tea Farm” [2020 version] | Joshua Redman | “Facts” feat. Ron Miles, Scott Colley, Brian Blade | Charles Lloyd & Kindred Spirits | “Lift Every Voice and Sing” [live] | Herbie Hancock, Wallace Roney, Jimmy Heath, Buster Williams, Albert “Tootie” Heath | “Gingerbread Boy” [live] |
This is the third article in the series “Made in New York,” a historical examination of the music history of each of New York’s 62 counties, this time looking at Queens County.
New York City has a fascinating history and an immense amount of diversity within its borders, but there’s a reason why Queens is called “The World’s Borough.” That’s because its residents hail from over 120 countries and speak more than 135 different languages. As impressive as that is, the borough is also the largest of the five by area and also has the second-largest population of any county within New York State.
One of the most-asked questions about this county is: “Which particular Queen is this area named after?” While the specific member of royalty that the area was named after has been disputed for generations as no official declaration was ever made, most assume the “Queen” in question was Catherine of Braganza, who was Queen of England in 1683 when Queens County was first established.
Queens County has had the eyes of the world on it many times, especially since it had the honor of hosting not one, but two World’s Fairs in the last century. The 1939 and 1964 World’s Fair were each held at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens and over 95 million people visited the two fairs. The first of these two events focused on “The World of Tomorrow” while the second’s theme was “Peace Through Understanding.” One of the most recognizable pieces from these Fairs is the Unisphere that was constructed for the second of these events. At 120 feet in diameter, it is the largest globe in the world. The other remaining recognizable structure from these Fairs is the New York State Pavilion, which many will remember from the movie Men in Black.
Next to the site of the Unisphere sits the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Since 1978, it’s been the home of the US Open Grand Slam tennis tournament and boasts one of the largest tennis stadiums in the world. With a capacity of 23,771, Arthur Ashe Stadium opened in 1997 and is the main stadium for the US Open tournament.
Across the street from the tennis complex is Citi Field and the former site of the famous Shea Stadium, which opened in 1964. While most notably the home of the New York Mets and the former home of the New York Jets, it was also the site of one of the most famous concerts ever performed. When the Beatles performed at Shea Stadium on August 15, 1965, it was the largest crowd the band had played to at that time. Over 55,000 fans packed themselves into the stadium and the ensuing crowd noise famously resulted in the band not being able to hear much of anything they were playing.
Four years later, Shea Stadium would have the world’s eyes on it once again as the New York Mets would defeat the Baltimore Orioles in the 1969 World Series. The team would win one more World Series in 1986 when they defeated the Boston Red Sox in seven games. Shea was demolished in 2009 and is now the site of additional parking for the Mets current home, Citi Field. You can still find the locations of the former plates and pitchers mound memorialized in Parking Lot D of Citi Field.
Another world-famous music venue in Queens is the Forest Hills Stadium, which is located inside the West Side Tennis Club. The stadium started hosting concerts in the 1960s and boasts a capacity of over 13,000. Over the years, the venue has hosted bands such as The Beatles, The Who, Jimi Hendrix and Frank Sinatra. A decade ago, the venue had fallen into disrepair and thankfully avoided being razed to build housing. Since it re-opened in 2013, it has hosted annual concerts each summer from bands such as Mumford and Sons, My Morning Jacket, Jamiroquai and Dolly Parton.
Queens is also the home to New York City’s two main airports, LaGuardia and JFK International. LGA opened in 1939 and is the twentieth busiest airport in the US. JFK opened in 1948 and was originally named New York International Airport. Renamed in 1963 after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, it is now the sixth busiest airport in the US.
This county has a tremendous amount of history over its 338 years of growth and expansion, but more impressive is the sheer number of musicians and musical genres that have been born within its borders. Likewise, tons of small businesses have started throughout the borough, one of them being SingleCut Beersmiths in Astoria.
SingleCut Beersmiths was founded by Queens-born, music-obsessed, brewer Rich Buceta, whose life-long passions led to a place where hops and vinyl could shine side by side. After years of homebrewing and professional stints around NYC, Rich was true to his dream, diving headfirst into the brewing world. “My obsession is creating original hop-driven beer, distinguished by a firm respect and admiration for West Coast pioneers, and bending that to our East Coast / NYC interpretation.”
Since opening in 2012, and with the help of an equally talented and devoted team, SingleCut has gained a loyal following throughout the East-Coast’s most respected markets. With his steadfast determination for the perfect pint, Rich penned “Mastery Knows No Shortcut” as the SingleCut mission statement. “It boils down to always demanding greatness, never compromising, and always play it at maximum volume.” Visit the Astoria location of SingleCut at 19-33 37th Street or schedule in house pick up or delivery, as well as apparal and mail order throughout New York. Visit them on Facebook and Instagram.
And now, a look at the greatest musicians to rise from Queens County.
A TRIBE CALLED QUEST
Queens is in the house, represent represent. A Tribe Called Quest represent represent
Hailing from the St. Albans neighborhood in Queens, A Tribe Called Quest found its roots within Kamaal Fareed and Malik Taylor, childhood friends who went by the names ‘Q-Tip’ and ‘Phife Dawg’. It was through Q-Tip’s days as a battle rapper in high school that he would team up with his friend Ali Shaheed Muhammad as his DJ. Once they later added their neighborhood friend Jarobi White to the mix, the foursome started calling themselves “Crush Connection” before landing on the name “Quest”. The group’s current name came to be thanks to another hip hop trio from their high school named Jungle Brothers.
Tribe’s debut album, People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, was released in 1990 and was met with immediate acclaim. The Source gave the release it’s first ever “5-mic’s” rating and the album went Gold in 1996. This record was followed by 1991’s Low End Theory which went Platinum five years later. In 1993, the group released Midnight Marauders, one of their most popular albums which contained their highest charting single, “Award Tour.”
These three albums would solidify Tribe’s status as hip hop greats and they would continue their classic jazz-hip hop fusion sound with their fourth release. Beats, Rhymes and Life would debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 and less than a year later, the group would contribute a track to the the soundtrack to Men In Black. Leading up to the release of their fifth album, A Tribe Called Quest announced that The Love Movement would be their final record.
Over the next seven years, the members of Tribe would each work on solo projects until the group reunited in 2006 to help Phife pay for his increasing medical bills. In 2015, after performing on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the group decided to start recording a new album in secret. Phife Dawg sadly passed away on March 22, 2016 as a result of complications with his diabetes. Their latest album hadn’t been completed when he passed away, so the remaining members continued work on it until it was released on November 11, 2016. Tribe appeared on SNL the day after it was released and performed tracks from We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service in front of a mural of Phife Dawg. The album went gold within a year of its release.
THE RAMONES
The Ramones all originate from Forest Hills and kids who grew up there either became musicians, degenerates or dentists. The Ramones are a little of each.
Tommy Ramone
1-2-3-4! There is no band that represents Queens more than The Ramones. Known throughout the world as the first true punk rock band, The Ramones pummeled the music industry with their pseudonyms, short songs and thousands of concerts over their 22 year career.
All of the original members met in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Queens and while it took a bit for the roles to be properly assigned, it was Douglas Colvin who first adopted the “Ramones” name when he began to call himself Dee Dee Ramone. Jeffrey Hyman became Joey Ramone and John Cummings became Johnny Ramone. Johnny’s former bandmate Thomas Erdelyi was planning to become the Ramones manager but soon took on the role of the band’s drummer, taking on the name Tommy Ramone.
Their first gig occurred at Performance Studios in March of 1974 and more famously, the band made their debut at the fabled CBGB in August of the same year, playing 74 times at CBGB before the end of the year. Ramones, their debut album, was released in February 1976 and was met with glowing reviews despite not being a commercial success. The Ramones went on to release six albums in the next half-decade and 14 albums throughout their career.
Throughout their tenure, the band had a number of different drummers, with each adding a member to the Ramones family. Marky, Richie and Elvis Ramone each had a place in the history of Ramones drummers and throughout the 90s, Dee Dee was replaced with C. J. Ramone on bass. In 1996, following their appearance in the sixth Lollapalooza festival. The Ramones played their final show at The Palace in Hollywood. The last time all four original members would be seen together was an autograph signing in New York City on July 20,1999.
The legacy of The Ramones can be seen in their many accolades, recognizable songs and influence on countless bands over the last few decades. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in their first eligible year in 2002 and in 2016, the intersection in front of Forest Hills High School was officially named The Ramones Way. To this day, when hits like “Blitzkrieg Bop,” “I Wanna Be Sedated,” “Rock ’n’ Roll High School” or “Rockaway Beach” come on, you will no doubt see folks banging their head and stomping their feet to the frenetic and iconic beat that The Ramones made their own.
PAUL SIMON
No artist has embodied the diversity of Queens quite like Paul Simon has. He was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1941 but his family moved to Flushing, Queens when he was four years old. His musical career would begin at age 11 when he met a student named Art Garfunkel during a production of Alice in Wonderland. At the age of 16, their song “Hey, Schoolgirl” reached number 49 on the pop charts under the name ‘Tom & Jerry.’
After finishing college and recording songs under a number of pseudonyms, Paul reunited with Art and they were signed by Columbia Records, who changed the duo’s name to Simon and Garfunkel. Their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3AM, was initially unsuccessful and it wasn’t until radio stations in the US started receiving request for ‘The Sound of Silence’ that it began to garner attention. That track eventually went on to become a number-1 hit on the charts and allowed the duo to record four more albums together. Sounds of Silence, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, Bookends and Bridge Over Troubled Water were all successful and the band also contributed to the soundtrack to the 1967 film The Graduate.
Despite the commercial success of Bridge Over Troubled Water, the duo broke up in 1970 and Paul released his self-titled solo album in 1972, receiving acclaim and generating two popular singles: “Mother and Child Reunion” and “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard”. This album was followed by the pop-folk release of There Goes Rhymin’ Simon which features “Kodachrome” and “Loves Me Like A Rock.”
Three years later, Simon would be awarded two Grammy awards for his release of Still Crazy After All These Year, which gave us the hit “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.” In the first half of the 1980s, he released One-Trick Pony and Hearts and Bones, which did not receive as much acclaim as his previous solo releases, and made me him feel like he had lost his inspiration as an artist. While driving his car in 1984, he threw on the cassette tape of Gumboots: Accordion Jive Volume IIand the unusual sound interested him in a way he hadn’t felt before. He traveled to South Africa to record the album that would become his most popular and most successful solo album, Graceland.
Graceland propelled Simon back into the spotlight and he received Grammy awards for Album of the Year and Record of the Year for his work. The album also contained numerous hits, including “You Can Call Me Al,” “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes” and “The Boy in the Bubble.” After the success of this release, he followed it up with 1990’s The Rhythm of the Saints and, as a result of these two records, he was primed to play again to another crowd in Central Park. On August 15, 1991, a reported 750,000 people gathered to witness his solo performance in front of one of the largest concert audiences of all time.
Paul Simon has embarked on a number of notable tours since then, playing with Bob Dylan in 1999 and Sting in 2014. In 2018, Simon announced he’d be retiring from touring and appropriately capped off his final tour with a concert in Flushing Meadows’ Corona Park. Simon has received a total of 12 Grammy awards throughout his career, but more famously he has appeared on Saturday Night Live as a either a guest or host 14 times. Most recently, he performed on the show in 2018 on his 77th birthday.
TONY BENNETT
Anthony Dominick Benedetto was born in Long Island City, Queens in 1926 and began performing after the Great Depression ended at age 13 as a singing waiter throughout Queens. He attended the New York School of Industrial Art to study music and painting, but dropped out to support his family and then was drafted into the Army at 18 towards the end of World War II. After fighting on the front lines in Germany and France, he was discharged from the Army and returned back to the States in 1946 where he studied at the American Theater Wing and learned the bel canto singing style.
In 1949, Bob Hope took Anthony on the road with him and simplified his name to Tony Bennett. Tony was signed by Columbia Records and his first hit, “Because of You,” sold over a million copies and before long he was playing seven shows a day at the Paramount Theater in New York. He released his first album, Cloud 7, in 1955 and built up his nightclub act over the next many years. In 1962, he performed a heavily-promoted concert at Carnegie Hall and also sang on the initial broadcast of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
That same year, Bennett would release his most popular track to this day, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” which earned him two Grammy awards and would become his signature song. Over the next two decades, Tony would see less success with his new record company and his lackluster releases, and it would take a near-fatal overdose and the help of his sons to get him back on track and shake his “Vegas image.”
Throughout the 90s, he introduced a new generation to his original style, appearance and song catalog and was regularly booked on Late Night with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O’Brien and other popular shows. In 1994, he appeared on MTV Unplugged and the resulting album from this performance went Platinum and gained two additional Grammy awards for Bennett.
In 2006, Tony’s highest charting album, Duets: An American Classic was released. The album featured duets with Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Billy Joel and more and gained him another two Grammy awards. This was followed up by the 2011 release of Duets II which featured one of the last recording of Amy Winehouse before her untimely death. With this release, Tony became the oldest artist to have an album debut at number one on the Billboard 200 chart when it was released.
Tony also has the honor of having two World Records according to Guinness. The first was in 2014 for the album Cheek to Cheek which he recorded with Lady Gaga, for which he was awarded the record for “oldest person to reach No.1 on the US Album Chart with a newly recorded album.” In 2018, Tony re-recorded the song “Fascinating Rhythm” which he first sang in 1949. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, this became the “longest time between the release of an original recording and a re-recording of the same single by the same artist”
MOBB DEEP
East Coast hip hop had its renaissance in the 1990s and one of the duos that helped establish its historical dominance was Mobb Deep. This duo formed when Kejuan Muchita and Albert Johnson met at the High School of Art and Design in Manhattan. Each hailing from neighborhoods in Queens, Kejuan adopted the name Havoc and Albert took Prodigy and the two originally made a demo tape under the name “Poetical Prophets.” Their tactic was to bring a cassette player to the address of record labels they’d find and play their tape to any artists passing by.
Famously, the only artist who stopped to listen to their music was Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest, who introduced the duo to people in the Def Jam office. Prodigy got a solo deal and had an uncredited appearance on the Boyz n the Hood soundtrack, but when The Source wrote a feature about their demo tape, the two changed their name to Mobb Deep and got signed by 4th & B’way Records. Their debut, Juvenile Hell, was released in 1993 and due to its failure to achieve success, they were dropped by the label.
That same summer, Loud Records was looking for another hip-hop group to sign after their success from releasing Wu-Tang’s “Protect Ya Neck.” They signed Mobb Deep who worked on developing a new sound over the next two years as they worked on their second album, The Infamous. This album peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200 and was certified Gold two months after its release.
In the eighteen months between album releases, the East Coast vs West Coast hip hop feud was at its height and a number of tracks on their next release, Hell on Earth, were seen as dis tracks towards 2Pac and others. Despite the rivalry, Havoc publicly said that he was “happy… they were saying our names.” Their three releases over the next nine years did not find as much success as their previous albums and the group briefly signed with G-Unit Records. During these G-Unit years, Mobb Deep became the first American hip hop duo to perform in India.
The 2010’s would see the duo break-up due to a falling out on Twitter, but they would reunite the following year. In 2014, the group would release The Infamous Mobb Deep, containing new music and unreleased tracks from The Infamous sessions. This would sadly be the final album they would release together as Prodigy passed away on June 20, 2017. The band’s legacy lives in through the countless acts these two inspired with their novel sampling, hardcore delivery and production style which summarized their lives in Queens.
ACTION BRONSON
Action Bronson is known for the two loves in his life, music and food. Born Ariyan Arslani in Flushing, Queens, Bronson first was a gourmet chef in New York City and had an online cooking show titled Action in the Kitchen. At the time, rapping was just a hobby of his, but he began to fully concentrate on his music career after breaking his leg while working.
Action’s debut album, Dr. Lecter, was released in 2011 only on his website and he released a number of mixtapes over the next few years while collaborating with countless other artists. His big break came in 2014 when he released his second album and starred in his own monthly web series. The album, Mr. Wonderful, and the show, Fuck… That’s Delicious garnered him popularity around the world.
Bronson has released two additional albums since then and has starred in The Irishman and The King of Staten Island. His show has since left the Vice network and gone independent and Action now focuses the episodes on his fitness lifestyle and cooking at home, rather than exploring restaurants around the world.
NIKKI MINAJ
This borough is famously named after royalty so it’s only appropriate that it’s the home of Nikki Minaj. Known the world over as the Queen of Hip Hop, she has sold over 137 million records and has had over 100 entries on the Hot 100 Chart.
Onika Tanya Maraj-Perry was born in Trinidad and Tobago in 1982 but moved to South Jamaica, Queens when she was five years old. In 2004, she recorded music with the Brooklyn group Full Force and began to upload songs to her MySpace profile after leaving the group. She released three mixtapes between 2007 and 2009 before being discovered by Lil Wayne, who signed her to Young Money Entertainment. Her debut album, Pink Friday, was released in 2010, has since gone triple-platinum and featured the hit-song “Super Bass.”
Over the next few years, Nikki would continue to release music and appear in other media as well. She voiced a character in 2012’s Ice Age: Continental Drift and also released her second album as well. Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded was comprised half of hip hop tracks and half of dance-pop tracks. For her third album, Minaj wanted to take things back to her hip hop roots and released The Pinkprint in 2013. It’s hit track, “Anaconda” became the first music video for a female rap song to hit 1 billion views.
The second half of the decade had Minaj continuing her success. She was featured in the third Barbershop movie, Barbershop: The Next Cut, and released her fourth album, Queen, in 2018. She performed the lead single “Chun-Li” on Saturday Night Live and also started her own Beats 1 radio show. Since this 2018 release, she has performed on countless other projects including BTS, Karol G and Doja Cat.
Well my name is DMC, the all time great I bust the most rhymes in New York State
Few groups in history can claim to have influenced more than an entire generation of musicians. Run DMC did all that and had a slew of firsts throughout their career. They were the first hip hop ground to achieve a Gold record, achieve a Platinum record and have an album go multi-platinum. They also were the first hip hop group to appear on MTV or American Bandstand, perform at Live Aid, be on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine or be nominated for a Grammy. Simply put, this was always Run’s House.
Joseph Simmons and Darryl McDaniels each grew up in Hollis, Queens and had dipped their toes into the burgeoning hip hop scene in NY by the time they were teenagers. Simmons older brother Russell had managed Kurtis Blow and was finally convinced to let them record as a duo. They brought their friend Jason Mizell, who went by the name Jam Master Jay, on as their DJ and the trio was born. Simmons was already rapping under the name DJ Run, but his brother made Darryl change his name to DMC, after his favorite car company. And with this, Run DMC was born.
The group’s debut album, Run-DMC, was released to the world in 1984 and the hit track, “Rock Box,” was the first video of its genre to appear on MTV. The video showed the group wearing black Kangol hats, black jeans and t-shirts, gold chains and Adidas sneakers. This look would define the band and influence fashion within the music industry for decades. Their following album, King of Rock, was released the following year.
In 1986, the trio teamed up with producer Rick Rubin to produce their third album, Raising Hell, which would go on to become one of the top-selling hip hop albums of all time. Just before the completion of the record, Rubin suggested that a rock cover would appeal to another audience. This led to the infamous cover of “Walk This Way” which featured both Steven Tyler and Joe Perry from Aerosmith on the track and would become one of the most famous songs from the 80s. This same album featured the hit track “My Adidas” which led to a monumental endorsement deal with the brand.
The 1988 release of Tougher Than Leather introduced the world to “Run’s House.” This was followed up over the next few years with Back From Hell and Down with the King. In 2002, they released their last album before the untimely passing of Jam Master Jay. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009.
KOOL G RAP
When hip hop was on its initial rise, it had its share of artists whose legacy and fame would last to this day. Notorious BIG, Jay-Z, Eminem and more still cite Kool G Rap as one of their biggest influences and his skills as an MC stands the test of time. He was one of the first rappers to incorporate mob content into his lyrics and his storytelling rivals that of Slick Rick.
Born in 1968 in Corona, Queens, Nathaniel Thomas Wilson grew up with legendary DJ Erik B who introduced him to DJ Polo. They got the opportunity record their first demo “It’s a Demo” thanks to Queen’s DJ Marley Marl who immediately added the two as Juice Crew members after the recording. Kool G Rap appeared on Juice Crew’s “The Symphony” in 1988 before releasing he and DJ Polo’s debut album in 1989. Road to the Riches is on The Source’s ‘100 Best Rap Albums’ list and the song “Men At Work” is the song that initially brought the member of The Roots together.
1990 and 1992 saw the release of both Wanted: Dead or Alive and Live and Let Die, which are each considered classic hip hop albums. In 1993, Kool G Rap chose a solo career and released his first solo album, 4,5,6 in 1995. Over the next two decades, Kool G Rap would release five additional solo albums and three other collaboration albums. He may be considered one of the most influential rappers from hip hop’s Golden Age, but he certainly never overstayed his welcome.
ERIK B
Eric Barrier is one of half of the hip hop duo Erik B & Rakim, one of the greatest DJ/MC combos in history. The beats and samples that he used during his mixing resulted in Paid in Full still being recognized as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.
Eric was born in East Elhurst, Queens in 1963 and he started DJ’ing with his brother and friends at a local roller rink. He originally was paving the way for a basketball career until he decided that music was going to be the priority in his life. While DJ’ing for a local radio station, a promoter in Queens introduced him to a rapper that would shape the course of his life forever, William Griffin, who went by the moniker Rakim.
The two’s first release was the 1986 single “Eric B is President,” which would catch the ear of Def Jam’s Russel Simmons. Simmons would sign the two to Island Records and in 1987, they would start work on their debut album, Paid in Full. The record was completed in one week and was certified Platinum eight years after its release. Two of the singles, “Paid in Full” and “I Ain’t No Joke,” became instant classics within the genre. On two separate occasions, Rolling Stone magazine has named the album number 51 on the list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
One year later, the two released their follow-up record, Follow The Leader. This album went Gold as did their 1990 release of Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em. As the 90s began, they had a track on the soundtrack for House Party 2 and they also wrote the theme for the 1992 film, Juice. Both of these tracks were featured on the groups final album, Don’t Sweat The Technique. After this final release, the duo split-up due to contract-related disputes. However, in 2017, Erik B & Rakim reunited at the Apollo Theater in NYC before going on an American tour the following year.
CYNDI LAUPER
Although she was born in Brooklyn, Cyndi Lauper’s time in Ozone Park, Queens from age 4 to 17 made her who she is today. When she graduated from sixth grade, she was given her older sister’s acoustic guitar, which kicked off her love of music. It was also around this time that she started wearing colorful hair and clothing, which would become her image for the following decades.
Throughout the 1970s, Cyndi would begin her musical career as a singer in a number of cover bands. She found that she loved singing on stage, but was becoming increasingly unhappy singing only cover songs. She met a saxophone player named John Turi and in 1978, the two of them formed a band named Blue Angel. The manager for The Allman Brothers Band heard their demo and bought out their contract, all because he loved Lauper’s voice.
Blue Angel only had one release but it was unfortunately not well received. The band broke up after this and Lauper started waitressing and singing in small clubs around New York. She met David Wolff at one of these club performances and in 1981, he took over as her manager. Before long, she had recorded her first album as a solo artist and in 1983, her debut record was released to the world. She’s So Unusual had a total of six singles off of it, with “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and “Time After Time” becoming instant classics. She received the award for Best New Artist at the 1985 Grammy Awards and she also won the first ever Best Female Video award at the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards.
1985 was just as busy for Lauper as she was part of the USA for Africa song “We Are the World” and was also featured on the soundtrack for The Goonies. The following year she appeared on the Billy Joel album The Bridge and also sang the theme song for the Pee-Wee’s Playhouse tv show. Her second album, True Colors, came out the same year and was followed up in 1989 by A Night to Remember.
Over the next 23 years, Cyndi would release eight additional albums and appear on dozens of television shows. She won an Emmy for her appearance on Mad About You and won both a Grammy and a Tony Award for her work on the hit musical Kinky Boots.
LL COOL J
I represent Queens, she was raised out of Brooklyn
Would James Todd Smith be as popular as he is if he went with his original pick for a name? J-Ski rolls off the tongue, but James wanted to avoid a name that could be associated with the rampant cocaine epidemic spreading across the country. For that reason, we all know that everyone may like Cool James, but the Ladies Love Cool James.
Smith grew up in Queens and his love for the group The Treacherous Three got him to start rapping at the age of 10. At the age of 16, his family saw his love for music and bought him the equipment he needed to further his passion. With turntables, a mixer, drum machine and amplifier in hand, he was recording demo tapes in his grandparents basement and sending them to record companies around NYC.
One of these record companies was Def Jam, who signed LL Cool J in 1984. That same year, he released the single “I Need A Beat” and sold over 100,000 copies of the 12-inch record. The following year, Def Jam released his debut full-length album and Radio sold a half million copies in its first five months. He would open for Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys on their Raising Hell tour and would go on to be the first hip hop artist to perform on American Bandstand.
One of LL Cool J’s most popular albums would follow in 1987 when Bigger and Deffer was released. This success led to 1989’s Walking with a Panther, which sold well but was criticized for straying from his original sound. Fans would only have wait another year for LL’s fifth album to return to its roots. Mama Said Knock You Out earned him a Grammy for the title track and would go on to become the best selling album of his career.
The beginning of the ’90s would allow LL to star in big screen roles and saw the release of 14 Shots to the Dome in 1993 and Mr. Smith in 1995. The latter featured “Doin It” and “Hey Lover” as singles and are still two of his more popular tracks to this day. Over the next 26 years, LL would go on to release seven more albums, star in many movies as well as the hit show NCIS: Los Angeles and would host the show Lip Sync Battle. This year, LL Cool J will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the Musical Excellence Award.
Louis Armstrong
If anybody was a master, it was Louis Armstrong. He was and will continue to be the embodiment of jazz.
Duke Ellington, 1971
With his gravelly voice and impressive trumpeting, Louis Armstrong is still considered to be one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time. Born in New Orleans in 1901, Louis was surrounded by the early sounds of jazz throughout his childhood. He was taught how to play the cornet at the age of 11 by Peter Davis who later chose the 13 year old Louis as his bandleader. He learned to sight read while playing on riverboats in the area until 1922 when he moved to Chicago to play in King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band.
On Saturday, July 24th, The Sun Ra Arkestra returned to Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage for their fifth stint at the concert series. Still led by Sun Ra himself at the time, the band headlined the festival’s first ever concert back in 1986 at the old Central Park Bandshell. After Sun Ra’s death in 1993, the band continued on as The Sun Ra Arkestra, remaining quite active under the leadership of Marshall Allen who has been performing with the group since 1958. At 97 years young, Allen and The Arkestra were as tight as ever in Central Park.
The Sun Ra Arkestra at SummerStage, 7/24/2021. Photo by: Buscar Photo
Opening the night was Chicago based trio Sistazz of The Nitty Gritty. The group consists of vocalist/clarinetist Angel Bat Dawid, pianist/vocalist Anaiet and bassist Brooklynn Skye Scott. The performance was a mixture of spoken word poetry, jazz fusion, and Dadaist collages of piano, bass, vocals and clarinet. Heavily influenced by The Arkestra’s signature sounds, the trio injects their own modern edge into avant-garde jazz. The incredibly talented band is surely one to watch as they continue to explore their music.
Sistazz of The Nitty Gritty at SummerStage, 7/24/2021. Photo by Buscar Photo
As the 23-member Arkestra began to file on stage, the once seated audience sprung to their feet to embrace the band’s return to SummerStage. A Sun Ra performance is always more than a musical experience. The band is accompanied by dancers who graced the front of the stage from the start with interpretative, meditative dance routines. This shifted off to the side of the stage and Allen took his place front and center.
Marshall Allen at SummerStage, 7/24/2021. Photo by Buscar Photo
The band played a generally continuous set, stopping every so often to reset, but with a band this size there is always music being played. Throughout the show, Allen would survey the band, and point someone out in particular to stand, and take the lead. One-by-one, everyone took their turn, either stepping up for a musical lead or interpretative dance at the center of the stage. This continued throughout the 90-minute set, creating a vividly engaging experience for the audience as there was no way to know where the music was heading. The Arkestra closed to a thunderous ovation from the audience that echoed through Central Park – a second home for the band for so many years.
The Sun Ra Arkestra at SummerStage, 7/24/2021. Photo by: Buscar Photo
The Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage festival continues, with upcoming performances from The Originals, Marc Rebillet, Antibalas, Armand Hammer & The Alchemist (featuring Moor Mother), and many more – check out the full lineup HERE.
Manhattan’s Blue Note Jazz Club is bringing together GZA and Talib Kweli for four performances over August 24 and 25. The Genius, aka the GZA, will bring his live band, featuring guest MC Talib Kweli, performing classics that have shaped the sound of hip hop.
GZA, the most cerebral MC in the Wu-Tang Clan, as well as perhaps the most acclaimed has a cool, precise flow and intricate, literate rhymes. While he wasn’t as theatrical as Method Man or Ol’ Dirty Bastard, the two biggest commercial stars to spring from the collective, GZA was revered for his flawless technique and lyrical dexterity, and was considered by many to be the best pure rapper in the entire Clan.
After nearly 20 years of recordings and performances, Talib Kweli stands as one of the world’s most talented and most accomplished hip hop artists. Whether working with Mos Def as one-half of Black Star, partnering with producer Hi-Tek for Reflection Eternal, releasing landmark solo material or collaborating with Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Just Blaze, J Dilla, or Madlib, Kweli commands attention by delivering top-tier lyricism, crafting captivating stories and showing the ability to rhyme over virtually any type of instrumental.
Since 1981, Blue Note Jazz Club has been a cultural institution in New York City and one of the premiere jazz clubs in the world. Blue Note strives to preserve the history of jazz, and the club is a place where progression and innovation – the foundations of jazz – are encouraged and practiced on a nightly basis. In addition to the main acts that feature the likes of Robert Glasper, Pat Metheny, Christain McBride, Joshua Redman, Ron Carter and Chris Botti, Blue Note regularly showcases up-and-coming jazz, soul, hip-hop, R&B and funk artists. After 40 years of success, Blue Note continues to carry the torch for jazz into the 21st century in the cultural heart of New York, Greenwich Village.
Brooklyn-based collective Bad Business Club will release their latest album, Naked Neighbor, due out on August 13. The release date is fitting; the woozy, synth-fueled atmosphere of the project fits perfectly as the soundtrack to the hottest days of the summer.
A self-described “Nu-Disco collective with old-school Yacht Rock touches,” Bad Business Club stays true to luscious and intoxicating disco grooves from the onset of their sophomore album. At the heart of Naked Neighbor is contrast. The beats take you to the heat of a sequin-drenched island club, while the lyrics speak to the longing and loneliness of those late night periods walking home. Exploring their electronic side while embracing the classics of disco, Naked Neighbor settles into an utterly mesmerizing groove.
“Tired of Being Over You,” the most recent single off the album, captures that contrast perfectly in a reflection on past lovers. “I know I’ve waited for this night to come/ Don’t lay awake and wait up for my love,” vocalist Sam Behr wails over a Daft-Punk worthy beat. Her breathy yet smooth soprano is perfect compliment to the airy nature of the instrumental; even in its more melancholy moments, this album stays light on its feet.
Written over a weeklong songwriting session in Puerto Rico, lead songwriter Alex Van drew inspiration from time in PR’s El Yunque National Forest, where he felt both inspired by the lush exoticism of the space and contemplative of the idea of navigating a forest trail while washing away a lost love. The influence of this trip is clear throughout the album’s lyrics; on later standout “Casa Soleada,” the exaltant Eagles-do-disco beat provides the soundboard for the refrain: “Can’t wash you away.”
Bad Business Club emphasizes their nature as a collective, each contributing their own strengths while building a song together. Outside of the studio, the band hosts a podcast, “Imbibe the Vibe,” where each week they pair a cocktail with a new genre of music.
The band’s omnivorous tastes meld together on Naked Neighbor. Sneaky highlight “Too Hot To Handle (Prelude)” showcases this perfectly, mostly forgoing lyrics to incorporate vocals in a new way. Where grooves leaned acoustic on past Bad Business Club releases, on Naked Neighbor the synths are all the way up, the piano riffs are stadium-worthy, and huge production from Wiley makes every juicy note from Jim Cambell’s bass sound miles deep.
As we enter the first summer emerging from the pandemic and look towards an uncertain future, a mix of carefree fun and lonely pondering feels familiar. Naked Neighbor captures this and reflects it back; it’s both a tribute to classic disco and an album uniquely for the times at hand. No matter what, you won’t be able to stop dancing along.
Key Tracks: Tired of Being Over You, Casa Soleada, Too Hot To Handle (Prelude)
Port Chester’s historic Capitol Theatre has announced its fall season lineup of shows, with the venue slated to reopen on September 10 with a performance by Boston alt-rock band Pixies. Other big upcoming names include Sheryl Crow, Phil Lesh & Friends, Billy Idol, The Beach Boys and Foreigner.
This is a big year for the Capitol Theatre, which is celebrating 95 years on August 18. To commemorate this milestone, the venue will launch a new line of merchandise, which can be purchased here. The 2,000-capacity theater, known as “the original rock palace,” is located in Westchester County, only 30 miles north of NYC. Access is easy from the Metro-North and I-95.
The Cap boasts a rich history since its opening in 1926, showcasing notable musicians (and comedians) over the years, including the Grateful Dead who performed thirteen shows there in a one year span (1970-71). Other legendary performers that have taken the Cap stage include Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Ringo Starr, David Bowie and the Rolling Stones. The venue itself is aesthetically intricate, designed by famous architect Thomas Lamb. In 1984, The Capitol Theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The full lineup is listed below and includes some rescheduled dates. Tickets for all shows can be purchased on Ticketmaster.com.
All Capitol Theatre shows have 6:30 pm doors, 8:00 pm show unless noted otherwise:
Sep 10: Pixies
Sep 11: The Struts: Strange Days Are Over Tour (6:00pm doors, 7:30pm show)
Sep 14 & 15: Sheryl Crow
Sep 22: Billy Idol: 101.7 The Peak Presents
Sep 25: Jessie’s Girl: ‘Turn Back the Cap 1980s’
Oct 2: Melvin Seals and JGB
Oct 8 & 9: Umphrey’s McGee: Presents UMBowl 2021
Oct 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 29, 30, 31: Phil Lesh & Friends
Oct 15 & 16: Pigeons Playing Ping Pong
Oct 17: Blue October
Oct 21: Spoon
Oct 22: Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real: 101.7 The Peak’s ½ Birthday Show
Oct 25 + 26: Elvis Costello
Oct 27: Foreigner: The Greatest Hits Tour
Oct 28: J.I.: The Young and Restless Tour
Nov 7: Cheap Trick
Nov 11: Little Feat
Nov 17: Jason Bonham: Led Zeppelin Evening
Nov 22: Joe Bonamassa: The Guitar Event of the Year
Flushing Town Hall announced plans to continue soft reopening of in-person for some of it’s events in the month of August. Events Flushing Town Hall is hosting this month include the Gino Sitson Trio’s innovative and energetic performance of African music , an outdoor exhibition of work by Queens-based artists, Taiwanese piano talents Ching-Yun Hu, Natasha Wu, and Yao-Wen Chang, and the final, virtual Louis Armstrong Legacy Jazz Jam.
Gino Sitson
Flushing Town Hall has been putting on virtual shows throughout the entire pandemic but only just recently started to bring back in person events with some soft reopening. Executive and Artistic Director Ellen Kodadek spoke on the soft reopening saying, “As we are carefully reopening our facilities for select events, we are delighted to welcome familiar and new faces to Flushing Town Hall. Across the city, venues are reopening, and we are thrilled that we can bring local artists to our patrons while taking all necessary safety measures for our guests and performers to feel safe.”
On August 11, 2021 the monthly Louis Armstrong Legacy Jazz Jam will be taking place virtually for the last time until they move to the in-person format at 7PM EST. This month’s theme is a dedicated theme to celebrate the birthday of its inspiration, the legendary Louis Armstrong — and other August birthdays! This wll be the last Jazz Jam with a dedicated theme.
On August 14 Flushing Town Hall is partnering with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) to live-stream “An Evening With Taiwanese Piano Stars, featuring Ching-Yun Hu and new talents Natasha Wu and Yao-Wen Chang” on Flushing Town Hall’s YouTube Channel at 7 PM EST. Ching-Yun Hu, known by the The Philadelphia Inquirer as a “first class talent… superb pianist” and by International Piano (London) for “praises follow her around the world.” Ching-Yun Hu is a Taiwanese-American pianist and is a unique presence in the international concert scene.
On Friday, August 20, 2021 the Gino Sitson Trio will perform the “Beautiful Vibration” – Colors of African Music, live from the stage at Flushing Town Hall at 7 PM EST. The performance will be a hybrid in-person and virtual audience. Featuring award-winning, vocal virtuoso Gino Sitson with an exciting and energetic combination of new sounds, the ensemble intertwines percussive grooves, enchanting vocals, and lyrical melodies. For this concert, Flushing Town Hall is offering both virtual and in-person tickets. In order to ensure the safety of audiences, performers, and staff, only 42 in-person tickets will be available in honor of Flushing Town Hall’s 42nd anniversary. Details about social distancing requirements should be reviewed online before purchasing in-person tickets. The performance will also be streamed live online, and virtual ticket holders will receive the live link and reminder before the show. Virtual tickets are available for $7/$5 members and in-person tickets (42 tickets only) must be purchased in advance for $12/$10 members here.
For more information on Flushing Town Hall and their upcoming events visit their website here.
