On April 13, Lincoln Center announced that their Josie Robertson Plaza is transforming into “The Green,” allowing New Yorkers to enjoy the space.
The Green is a part of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation-Lincoln Center Agora initiative, Restart Stages, whose mission is to help rebuild the arts sector and the city’s revival by reimagining and reactivating public spaces. It will create 10 outdoor performance and rehearsal spaces, an outdoor performing arts center, and more public venues.
Design by Mimi Lien Rendering by Timothy Leung
In coordination with NY PopsUp, part of Governor Cuomo’s New York Arts Revival, the initiative will go beyond the Lincoln Center. Restart Stages began on April 7, World Health Day with performances for healthcare workers by the New York Philharmonic.
Mimi Lien, set designer and MacArthur Genius grantee, is in charge of the plaza’s reimagination. She wanted to create it into a place of inclusion and inhabitation rather than just an area to walk through to see a performance or get to the Library. Lien envisions The Green as a park space where people can relax and a site of social infrastructure.
Before The Green, the plaza was 14,000 square feet of open concrete. After being redesigned, it will be made of recyclable and biobased SYNLawn grass-like material. It is provided by SYNLawn New Yorkand contains high soy content from U.S Farmers. Hudson Scenic Studio is providing the fabrication. To add to the community aspect of The Green, the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts is providing books for the public to borrow. A small snack bar will be in the northeast corner and there will be pop up performances in the Summer and Fall.
The Green opens on May 10 through September 2021, from 9 a.m to midnight. Due to the pandemic, safety protocols will be in place to follow guidelines.
Live music returns to The Sultan Room in Brooklyn, who will host a series of outdoor concerts titled “Sultan Room Under the Stars” and a series of Sunday day parties, “Sultan Sundays.”
Photo credit: Jeff Brown
The Sultan Room music venue opened in 2019, and along with The Turks Inn and Doner Kebab, the venue is owned by Varun Kataria and Tyler Erickson. Since COVID-19 halted live in person performances, the Sultan Room’s doors have been closed. However, it is reopening this Spring with several outdoor performances on the Turks Inn rooftop, Kismet Garden.
“Sultan Room Under the Stars” has several upcoming concerts beginning on April 21 with Native Sun. Other performers for the series’ lineup include Jachary, Ron Gallo, TOTH, Melanie Charles, Daddy Long Legs and more. Most of the show dates feature two performances from each artist and doors opening at both 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. All shows will be seated and following CDC’s guidelines with masks and face shields worn by both performers and the audience.
“Sultan Sundays’ ‘ begins this Sunday, April 18 also taking place on the Turk Inn’s Rooftop. Every event starts from 3 p.m and will end at 9 p.m. featuring a rotation of local DJs and party promoters. This weekend’s event is “The Sultan Room Presents: Discosis”. Upcoming “Sultan Sundays” include Sailor Boom, Mickey Perez + Toribio + Jimmy Perez, a Mariah Carey Party and more.
With the venue slowly reopening, they host a variety of entertainment. They are hosting a new drag show called “Gigs” with Bushwig’s co-founder Horrorchata as the host. The Sultan Room also will have a comedy event, and even more shows with local and national artists, Lespecial, HNRY FLWRand Sophia Rei’s album release show. Their new cafe will present smaller events and concerts. The Sultan Room’s website has more information and ticket sales.
Upcoming shows at The Sultan Room
April 21 – Native Sun April 28 – Jachary May 5 – Ron Gallo May 12 – Toth May 19 – Toth May 26 – Melanie Charles June 2 – Daddy Long Legs June 9 – Adeline June 16 – Araya June 23 – Garcia Peoples June 30 – Mirah
In 2022, a bio-musical about Brooklyn born singer-songwriter Neil Diamond is coming to Broadway in summer 2022.
Neil Diamond performs onstage during the Songwriters Hall of Fame 49th Annual Induction and Awards Dinner on June 14, 2018. (Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame)
The show, “A Beautiful Noise,” was announced in 2019, but pushed back due to the pandemic. Thanks to things slowly opening up, the show will premiere in Boston at the Emerson Colonial Theater in June 2022 and then move to Broadway after four weeks. It will show audiences Neil Diamond’s life, from growing up to stardom.
Although we don’t know the cast yet, Steven Hoggett (Once, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) will choreograph, Oscar-nominated screenwriter Anthony McCarten (Bohemian Rhapsody, The Theory of Everything) will write the book, and Michael Mayer, who won a Tony in 2007 for Spring Awakening will direct.
Neil Diamond (1976). by Danny Gutierrez
Even though Broadway has seen a lot of jukebox bio-musicals, Tony award-winning producer Ken Davenport says that this new show is different. It is “a biographical musical drama and not a jukebox musical. He’s “excited to show people what separates it from some of the jukebox musicals that have been around.”
Neil Diamond thinks that “A Beautiful Noise” opening will be “a moment of relief, unity, strength and love” much like when he performed “Sweet Caroline” at Fenway Park in 2013 after the Boston Marathon bombing.
After performances start “and we’re all able to safely be in the same space together, experiencing the thrill of live theater, I imagine those same emotions will wash over me and the entire audience,” Diamond says. The emotions will be just as high when “A Beautiful Noise” opens on Broadway after over a year of darkness.
It will be a while until Broadway is back to normal. “At this point we’re thinking early fall, perhaps early September. That’s the way things are pointing,” President of the Broadway League Charlotte St. Martin said to NBC. “We believe that some of the longer-running shows may be first to come back, because a lot of the cast has muscle memory.”
Until then, you can still see live theatre in NYC. Sign up to be able to get tickets to the Neil Diamond musical “A Beautiful Noise” 24 hours before everyone else once they’re available.
On April 14th, Mexican singer Alejandro Fernández announced his fall 2021 “Hecho en México” U.S. tour. The announcement comes on the heels of four consecutive number one singles.
The 19-date tour, produced by Live Nation, will kick off on September 10th in Reno at the Grand Sierra Theatre with stops in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Miami, New York and more, before wrapping October 24th in Phoenix at Arizona Federal Theatre.
A portion of proceeds will be donated to Families Belong Together – a campaign of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, that works to end family separation and promote dignity, unity, and compassion for all children and families.
The multiple Grammy winner and son of the legendary Vicente Fernández, has conquered stages all around the world with his personal interpretation of Mexican music.
He has sold more than 35 million records worldwide and won countless awards and nominations. Alejandro is the first act to achieve No. 1s on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums in the 1990s, ‘00s, ‘10s, and ‘20s.
His most recent album, Hecho en México, debuted #1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Album chart. The album marked Alejandro’s return to the mariachi format and garnered him a Latin GRAMMY win for Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album and a GRAMMY nomination for Best Regional Mexican Music Album.
The album has earned four consecutives #1 singles at radio in the United States and Mexico with “Caballero,” “Te Olvidé,” “Decepciones,”and his current single, “Duele.”
Throughout 2020 while live touring shut down, Alejandro Fernández remained very active, looking for new and innovative ways to be close to his fans and lend his voice to important causes impacting our community.
In the early days of the pandemic, Alejandro partnered with Univision TV’s Dr. Juan Rivera in sharing vital information about health and COVID-19 on television and social media platforms.
Seeing the impact of the shutdown on the artist community, Fernández released a stirring rendition of Joan Sebastian’s classic “Eso y Más” as a fundraiser for out of work musicians, donating 100% of the proceeds to MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund in the United States and MúsicaMéxico COVID-19 in Mexico.
In October 2020, the singer offered a historic live streaming event, América A Una Sola Voz (America Together in One Voice), a breathtaking concert viewed by over 150,000 fans in 19 different countries across the American continents.
During the show Alejandro paused to remind his fans of the importance of voting in the upcoming elections. Following this performance he launched (along with a coalition of artists) the “Vota Por Nosotros” (Vote For Us) get-out-the-vote campaign airing on Estrella Media, encouraging Latino voters to vote on behalf of our entire community in the November 3rd elections.
In accepting his Latin GRAMMY, Alejandro dedicated the award to the victims of the recent hurricanes in southern Mexico donating MXN $1,000,000.00 to the Mexican Red Cross to aid with the relief efforts.
Most recently Alejandro joined Mana’s Fher Olvera as the face of the “We Are Home” campaign calling for a fair and dignified immigration policy for the millions of Latino immigrants living in the US.
Alejandro will be joined by his son Alex Fernandez and latin-pop duo HA*ASH on certain dates in the tour.
Tickets go on sale beginning Friday, April 16th at 10AM local time on Ticketmaster.com.
ALEJANDRO FERNÁNDEZ TOUR 2021 DATES:
Fri, Sep 10 – Reno, NV – Grand Sierra Theatre^
Sat, Sep 11 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center*
Sun, Sep 12 – Fresno, CA – Save Mart Center*
Wed, Sep 15 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena*
New York City synthpop trio January Jane excitedly stake their musical claims with their with their debut EP Your Drug. The band consists of lead vocalist Pat Via, guitarist Mitch C. Mitchell, and keyboard player Peter Scialla. The EP is planned to be released on June 18 via Whiskey Vinyl/BGM.
Your Drug borrows from a diverse array of influences ranging from modern day pop to 80’s pop rock in the style of songs like “Your Love” by The Outfield. The EP can be broadly categorized as pop but the band takes inspiration from several different decades and styles of pop. The soaring upbeat choruses that many of the songs offer can be directly tied to the styles of millennial pop of acts like Walk The Moon and Imagine Dragons. The band differs from many of its contemporaries by adding a 80’s rock edge to its songs. Via’s voice has a much more distinct gruffness to it which pairs nicely with the moody synth and guitar tones of the verses.
Songs like “Addicted to The Night” offers a deceptively simple but extremely sticky hooks that that refuses to leave your head hours after you’ve listened to it. Paired with a verses that build the tension of the song with its dueling electric guitar creating a song that would go off well at any party. The edge added by Via’s voice sets many of the songs of the songs off from their contemporaries. The versatility in Via’s vocal inflections allows him to pull of the clear shimmery pop hooks as well as the more 80’s-eque moody verses.
The infectious grooves on these tracks display their influences and love for ’80s rock and pop while sounding undeniably modern and perfect for the ’20s.
Matt Pinfield, DJ
The consistent infectious energy is certainly the strong suit of Your Drug. The band doesn’t miss a beat with any song, offering an EP that has a signature sound throughout but still switch up the style between each track. The 80’s throwback sound dose not come off as a gimmick, rather a new completely new direction for modern electro pop.
The EP is also an extremely easy listen, toping out at just under 17 minutes. The exciting mixture of sounds act as perfect soundtrack for the dancefloor and exciting midnight drive. Overall, Your Drug is extremely likeable and is suitable for just about any kind of pop fan – no matter the age.
Key Tracks: Addicted to The Night, Versions of You, NYC
SummerStage free concerts return to Central Park, bringing socially distanced live music this summer. The first benefit concert of the series of free shows begins with Dawes on Friday, April 16 at 10AM ET.
The SummerStage
With new New York City announcements on limited-capacity concerts, live performances are scheduled for Central Park and Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park/Richard Rodgers Amphitheater. Events will follow all regulations regarding large-scale outdoor events, included masks, socially distanced seating, and limited capacity. For admittance, a free ticket, proof of vaccine and/or a negative COVID test, and health screening (a questionnaire and temperature checks). All in-person performances will also be live-streamed on SummerStageAnywhere.org.
In addition to the musicial performances, ranging from hip-hop, indie rock, and jazz, there will also be outdoor, family-friendly marionette shows throughout the summer through CityParks PuppetMobile.
The City Parks Foundation will also soon launch a micro-grants program for grassroots arts organizations and individual artists to provide funding for free cultural programs in parks and neighborhood plazas in the city’s most under-resourced communities. These two organizations strive to provide free cultural programs across the city.
A Past SummerStage Show from 2019
Dawes will kick off the SummerStage free concerts season on April 16 as part of their 2021 tour to promote their new album, Good Luck With Whatever. Tickets go on sale begins at 10 AM, Friday April 16 on AXS.
The last year has been enormously difficult for our city. Live performance, with the energy that is generated by experiencing it with others, will be a balm for our collective soul. SummerStage has been an active member of the NYS Nonprofit Outdoor Performing Arts Coalition, working with fellow outdoor venues and the NYS Department of Health to ensure that we are well-prepared to provide a safe and comfortable concert-going experience that follows strict health protocols. SummerStage will help restore vibrancy to our city through free performances in parks, which have been such important public spaces for New Yorkers seeking safe respite during the pandemic.
Heather Lubov, Executive Director – City Parks Foundation
The City Parks Foundation, Summer Stage, and Capital One provide vibrant, culturally impactful, free events in New York City. Now that vaccines are rolling out at a wider, consistent pace, there is hope for more live concerts, beginning with these benefit outdoor shows.
The band Moon Kissed prides itself on joyful, high energy performances, and they certainly didn’t miss the mark when it came to their newest single. “Clubbing in Your Bedroom” embodies self-expression and creating your own fun in the midst of a pandemic, rather than the wallowing and unengaged attitude many express during this time.
Photo Credit: Sara Laufer
“’Clubbing In Your Bedroom,” is an invitation to get dressed up for no one and nothing and to move your body in order to heal. The song was written in an attempt for salvation and levity amidst pandemic despair. We miss playing live, we miss our friends, we miss touch. But, “Clubbing In Your Bedroom” celebrates the fact that we still have the power and ability to let it all go, even for just one song, and we can and should dance in our bedrooms and be free for a brief moment in time.”
Khaya, on the new single
Written and produced by Khaya Cohen and Emily Sgouros, “Clubbing in Your Bedroom” followed a dynamic late-night clubbing session in Emily’s bedroom. Mixed and mastered by Justin Dan Ver Volgen, the song encourages honest self-expression, encouraging “weirdness.”
Moon Kissed met each other at a party on New Year’s, 2019, and quickly connected, making their debut with I Met My Band at a New Year’s Eve Party. A catchy, synth-pop style was developed, taking influence from artists such as Charli XCX, Chairlift, and Grimes. Making a name for themselves through energetic, often sweat-inducing live performances, the group sets out to capture the moment between themselves and the audience, emphasizing the magic of being in the moment.
On April 7th, multi-talented visual and musical artist Valley Latini released her latest single “Tu y Yo,” a lustrous heartbeating alt-pop track.
In the single released on Side Hustle Records, Latini takes listeners on the dark adventure of a late night rendezvous.
The song is inspired by an encounter that only happens in a place like a strip club or a dance club. It’s about having a connection with someone but not talking to them the whole night. Just a very primal connection through dancing, and spirit vibration.
Valley Latini
For the visual, the Brooklyn DIY Queen crafted a stop-motion music video, which she produced, shot, directed, and created all of the art for (she’s also a visual artist in addition to her music).
The video takes viewers on another journey through the underbelly of hell on earth where men in power attempt to control womxn. There are themes of shaming and corruption as a sleazy priest exiles women to a hell, known as the “haux house.”
Not to fear, Valley, herself as the triumphant protagonist, dangles a literal carrot in front of the priest and wreaks havoc on his deserving soul. Ultimately, as it turns out, the “haux house” leads to a beach utopia where the womxn can enjoy the finer things in paradise anyway.
Valley expands on the concept, “the video is a metaphor for a modern day ‘witch hunt’ caused by men in power that fear female sexuality and censor the female body and sex workers.”
Latini writes about her personal philosophies on delusion, joy, and romance. Her performances are based on expression of individual freedoms, and finding power in the human essence.
Originally born in Bogota, Colombia, she’s now been living in the US for most of her life and currently has a studio in Brooklyn where she writes and records all her music.
In addition to her career as a singer-songwriter, Valley is also an artist and a stripper. She uses her artwork as a way to escape from technology and defines it as transgressive divinity, mixing sensuality with alternate realities. To view her artwork, visit valleylatiniart.com.
As a stripper, she advocates for both female autonomy and the dignity of those who choose sex work. When J Lo released the critically-acclaimed award-winning “Hustlers” film, Valley was invited to partake in the premiere events as a member of New York’s sex-worker advocate group to share their experiences and the validity of the movies’ themes.
She spoke to IndieWire and others about the “whorephobia” that exists within her industry to help raise awareness and break down the misleading, misinformed labels often forced upon her occupation.
Her single “Pay My Rent” has been a sex worker’s right’s anthem ever since releasing it in 2018. Her subsequent singles “Serpiente,” “Ask Me Why,” “Blue Moon,” and the latest addition “Tu y Yo,” are set to be part of a bigger collection called Attention Lover due out by the end of 2021.
The Colombian pop artist wrote, recorded, and produced “Tu y Yo” in Austin, TX with her songwriting collaborator “Ben Cina.”
For music updates and more, stay connected with Valley Latini on Instagram, and be sure to follow her on Spotify and Apple Music.
In honor of the 50th anniversary of Chicago’s historic 1971 concerts, the band will release all eight Carnegie Hall shows in their entirety for the first time. Chicago at Carnegie Hall Complete will be accessible on July 16.
Fifty years ago, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Chicago became the first non-classical group to perform six nights in a row at Carnegie Hall. Between April 5 and 10, 1971, the band played and recorded eight shows at the celebrated venue. Performance highlights from those shows were featured on the band’s first live album, Chicago at Carnegie Hall. This quadruple LP of theirs reached #3 on the Billboard 200, was certified platinum, and remained Chicago’s best-selling live album.
Known as the “rock band with horns,” Chicago is one of the longest-running and best-selling groups. They have won countless awards over the years, not limited to two Grammy Awards, 11 Number One singles, five Number One albums, and a Lifetime Achievement Award. Additionally, Chicago was the first American band to ever chart albums in Billboard’s Pop Top 40 in six consecutive decades.
Chicago at Carnegie Hall Complete includes memorabilia that commemorates the iconic event. The collection consists of replicas of the three posters that accompanied the original vinyl release. Also included are images of the original concert program, tickets, and other memorabilia from the historic event. Also included with the 16-disc set is a 28-page booklet illustrated with photos from the concerts. Alongside this will be new liner notes with contributions from Lee Loughnane, archivist Jeff Magid, writer/producer David Wild, and comedian/Chicago fanatic Jimmy Pardo.
Lee Loughnane, Chicago founding member, and trumpeter teamed up with engineer Tim Jessup to develop this work. The two spent nearly a year going through more than 40 concert tapes and remastered each concert in the studio. Their dedication led to the development of the eight shared shows. The performances featured contributions from every band member, including guitar work from Terry Kath, vocals by Kath, Robert Lamm, and Peter Cetera. Also featured are memorable work by Loughnane, James Pankow, Walt Prazaider, and Danny Seraphine’s jazz-influenced drumming.
Chicago at Carnegie Hall Complete will be available shortly and can be preordered exclusively here.
The American Symphony Orchestra announces plans for free nine-concert chamber music series, taking place in Manhattan’s Bryant Park and 34th St. Herald Square Plaza and will run through May 3–19, 2021.
The American Symphony Orchestra is a New York-based American orchestra that was founded back in 1962. Their mission is to make orchestral music accessible and affordable for everyone. The musical performances and works are curated around ideas drawn from a variety of disciplines such as history, visual arts, science, politics and literature. They often try to revive works that were rarely-performed in their hay day that audiences would otherwise never have a chance to hear performed live.
The nine concert series will include five different programs curated by American Symphony Orchestra musicians. The performances will feature music ranging from 20th century Mexican and all-American jazz composers to Afro-Cuban Batá drumming and classical works for horn quartet and woodwind trio. Some of the featured artists include percussionist and composer Javier Diaz, saxophonist Roxy Coss, and oboist Toyin Spellman-Diaz.
There will be a limited number of first-come, first-served chairs set up near the Bryant Park Fountain Terrace in front of the stage and at Herald Square for people to watch the live music from American Symphony Orchestra. Artists and audience members will be required to follow current public health guidelines including wearing masks and social distancing. All the concerts will last for at least one hour and will begin at 5:30PM.
For more information on the American Symphony Orchestra and their concert series visit their website.
The full schedule can be read below:
Modernism in Mexico – String Quartet
Monday, May 3 & Tuesday, May 4, at 5:30 pm
Bryant Park Fountain Terrace
Modernism in Mexico explores string quartets by some of Mexico’s most important 20th-century composers: Manuel Ponce, Silvestre Revueltas, and Carlos Chávez. Ponce was Mexico’s leading classical musician, and this performance of his well-known song Estrellita is a new arrangement for string quartet. Carlos Chávez was his student and heir apparent, touring extensively as a conductor and producing an impressive body of compositions. Chávez’s close colleague, violinist Silvestre Revueltas, was a notable conductor/composer whose work includes the score to the 1936 film Redes (The Wave), commissioned by the Mexican government.
Cyrus Beroukhim, violin
Philip Payton, violin
Will Frampton, viola
Alberto Parrini, cello
Manuel Ponce: Estrellita
Manuel Ponce: Petite suite dans le style ancien
Silvestre Revueltas: Musica de Feria
Carlos Chávez: String Quartet No. 3
Strike Force – Percussion Ensemble
Wednesday, May 5 & Wednesday, May 12 at 5:30 pm
34th Street Herald Square Plaza
This percussion ensemble combines Afro-Cuban Batá drumming and poetry with the sounds of contemporary chamber percussion, featuring Grammy-nominated Imani Winds’ oboist Toyin Spellman-Diaz in compositions by percussionist and composer Javier Diaz.
Kory Grossman, Javier Diaz, and Charles Descarfino, percussion
Toyin Spellman-Diaz, oboe
All-Javier Diaz Program:
“Chandani”
“Canciones del Idalgo”
“Maleza”
“Son Montuno Sinfonia”
“Sakpata”
“Lucumi Cycle”
ASO Salutes NYC/USA – Jazz Ensemble
Monday, May 10 & Tuesday, May 11 at 5:30 pm
Bryant Park Fountain Terrace
A truly American genre, the ASO presents this jazz ensemble as a salute to U.S. healthcare workers who have made it possible for New Yorkers to experience live music once again. The program, including works by Gershwin, Bernstein, Ellington, and Chick Corea, among others, celebrates composers who have defined the sound of this vibrant city.
Lee Musiker, piano
Lou Bruno, bass
Kory Grossman, drums
Eugene Moye, cello
Roxy Coss, tenor saxophone and flute
Harry Warren: “42nd Street”
George Gershwin: “It Ain’t Necessarily So” from Porgy and Bess
Duke Ellington: “Take the A Train”
Leonard Bernstein: “Some Other Time”
Leonard Bernstein: “Cool” from West Side Story
Gustav Holst: I. Mars, the Bringer of War, from The Planets, Op. 32
Chick Corea: Children’s Songs
Charles Mingus: “Nostalgia in Times Square”
Woodwind Trio
Tuesday, May 18 at 5:30 pm
Bryant Park Fountain Terrace
Woodwind chamber music had something of a renaissance in the 1920s; at the same time, works for reed trio—oboe, clarinet, and bassoon—were coming together with the formation of the Trio d’Anches de Paris, a collaboration of three virtuosi reed players. This program offers music from some of the greatest composers of wind music in the 20th century.
Alexandra Knoll, oboe
Shari Hoffman, clarinet
Marc Goldberg, bassoon
Charles Koechlin: Trio d’anches Op. 206
Jean Françaix: Divertissement for Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon
Alexandre Tansman: Suite for Wind Trio
Claude Arrieu: Suite en trio
Albert Roussel: Andante from an Unfinished Wind Trio: Adagio
Joseph Canteloube: Rustiques – I. Pastorale
Francis Poulenc: Sonata for Clarinet and Bassoon, FP 32a
Gilles Silvestrini: Oboe Etude No. 1: Hôtel des Roches Noires à Trouville
Horn Quartet
Monday, May 17 & Wednesday, May 19 at 5:30 pm
Bryant Park Fountain Terrace & 34th Street Herald Square Plaza
Perfectly at home in the outdoors, the horn quartet has enjoyed a rich history from the forest to the concert hall. This program features composers highlighted by Bard Music Festivals of the past with a few modern classics that will inspire.
Chad Yarbrough, David Smith, Lawrence DiBello, and David Peel, French horns
