Category: NYC Metro

Flashback: DMX Wins Back a Restless Club Crowd, Jan. 25, 2018
On January 25, 2018, Earl Simmons, better known as DMX, played BB King Blues Club in NYC shortly before the venue permanently closed its doors. Despite his late arrival, DMX managed to put on a great show and win back the restless crowd that waited hours for him to arrive.

The crowd went crazy when he finally came out, but many were skeptical if he was going to be able to perform due to his recent issues with substance abuse. DMX proved everyone wrong who doubted him as he started his set with the hard hitting “We Right Here.” He sounded like he did in ’98, the year his first album, It’s Dark and Hell is Hot came out.

He went on to perform more classics like “Who We Be,” “Ruff Ryders Anthem,” “Where the Hood At,” “Get At Me Dog,” “Party Up” and “Slippin.” Throughout the night he cracked jokes and showed his appreciation to the crowd. He ended the show like he always does, with a prayer.

The hour long set left fans wanting more. Hopefully there will be new music from DMX in the future for the club. B.B. King Blues Club NYC closed it doors for the final time after 18 years on April 29, 2018. So far the venue has not announced any plans to reopen.
January 25, 2021
Watch Brandon ‘Taz’ Niederauer play the Star Spangled Banner at the AFC Championship Game

Dix Hills, Long Island native, Brandon ‘Taz’ Niederauer, took to the national stage on Sunday, January 24, performing the “Star-Spangled Banner” ahead of the AFC Championship game in Kansas City, Missouri.

The 17-year old guitar phenom was invited to play before the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs duked it out on the field, for the chance to go to the Super Bowl.

Taz took the moment to do what he does best – shred guitar. Jaws dropped as Taz took all of 102 seconds to perform the Francis Scott Key tune. Taz set the bar high for Eric Church and Jazmine Sullivan, who will perform the “Star-Spangled Banner” together at Super Bowl LV in Tampa Bay, FL on Sunday, February 7.

Brandon still walks the halls of his Long Island high school, East Half Hollow Hills, which congratulated Taz on Facebook for his trip to the national stage. In 2015, Brandon notably starred on Broadway in Andrew Lloyd Weber’s musical “School of Rock.”

photo by Brian Cole

Acquiring the nickname “Taz” from a music teacher who said that Brandon’s fast guitar playing reminded him of the Tasmanian Devil from Looney Tunes cartoons, Brandon has also appeared many times on television, include “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” “Good Morning America,” and “The View.”

Brandon cites his father’s record collection as a major influence on his playing, particularly albums by Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, the Allman Brothers Band, Eric Clapton, and many more.

Taz has also performed the National Anthem at Cubs games at Wrigley Field as recently as 2019.

January 25, 2021
Elle Winter Begins the New Year with “Sad Girl Heaven”

Manhattan singer, songwriter, and actress, Elle Winter starts the year off by debuting her song “Sad Girl Heaven” and releasing an accompanying music video.

Photo by Gianni Taylor

This single comes almost a year after the release of her breakout album “Yeah, No” in March 2020. Winter was first discovered at 14 by Radio Disney’s “Next Big Thing” program comprising of several singles and a tour. In her high school years, she starred in two films and independently released her single “One More” in 2018. From these previous accolades, Winter signed to The Orchard from SONY Music in 2019. Her album received approval from major outlets like Apple Music, Spotify, Billboard and more.

“Sad Girl Heaven” is Winter’s first release of 2021 and it’s also the first single from her upcoming project. Co-written and produced by the famous UK producer Jungleboi, the song serves as a new beginning for Winter’s music. She plans to reveal a more personal and candid side of herself through her music that aims to share her story fearlessly.

The lyrics boldly express the cycles and emotions faced in relationships filled with heartbreak. Elle Winter describes the song as “a witty take on my tendency to pursue toxic relationships and people who are not good for me for the thrill of the experience.”

The single is accompanied by a music video directed by Bobby Hanaford. The visuals depict Winter with her mascara running and in distress over the disappointment coming from unsuccessful relationships. It represents her dealing with her unhappiness and failed attempts at finding her equal.

Winter’s upcoming project is releasing with more music to unveil her experiences. Her hope is to make music people can relate to and know that they aren’t alone. The single “Sad Girl Heaven” is available now on all digital platforms.

January 21, 2021
Cassandra Jenkins New Single Honors Inauguration Day

New York City singer Cassandra Jenkins released her new song “Hard Drive” in celebration of Inauguration Day.

Photo from Cassandra Jenkins website

“Hard Drive” is the third track and second released single off Jenkins’ upcoming album titled An Overview on Phenomenal Nature. The song is in the style of a spoken word beginning with audio of a security guard pondering about Mrinalini Mukherjee’s display “Phenomenal Nature” at the Met Breuer. It follows with lyrics filled with Jenkins recalling encounters in her life. The song works its way to her repeating “one, two, three”, a guided meditation from her friend. It ends with words from a psychic Peri Lyons stating the year will be good. Jenkins thought that Lyons’s statement was necessary after living through the uncertainty of 2020.

The single serves as a journey through a month in her life where she was in the middle of doing two tours. Jenkins also released a video to accompany the track, consisting of scenes with her walking and peacefully riding down a road. The instrumentals are supplied by musician Stuart Bogie on the saxophone and engineer Josh Kaufman on the guitar. The song was purposely released on Inauguration Day to symbolize the country collectively moving forward into a new chapter after the past four years.When creating the album, she was reflecting on ways to heal while living under Trump’s administration.

An Overview on Phenomenal Nature is releasing on Feb. 19 from Ba Da Bing Records. Jenkins worked with Josh Kaufman on the album and finished it within a week. It comes after her last album, Play Till You Win, which came out in 2017. Her previous body of work showcased her talent but the forthcoming work shows her adaptability. It has a theme of being optimistic and being open to change.

January 21, 2021
Rough Trade NYC Announces Store Relocation and Venue Closing

On Jan. 19 Rough Trade NYC announced that they are closing and moving from their location in Williamsburg this spring to a different place in New York later this year.

Rough Trade is a mainstream vinyl store as well as a venue for concerts. They are the only location for the company outside of the UK. The store opened in Brooklyn in 2013 and the venue was in partnership with the Bowery Presents. This was an essential place for music lovers from all over to gather and enjoy the art. It was more than a record store, it was a place to enjoy performances from artists of different genres. Artists such as Sza, Halsey, Tinashe, and several others performed there. There weren’t just individual performances, many annual events took place as well.

These gigs and events will no longer occur due to the relocation. Rough Trade’s concert venue will not be reopening due to this change. The COVID-19 pandemic is responsible for this decision since it has limited the ability of people to gather at live music shows. While the store reopened in June last year, the pandemic caused cancellations of scheduled and upcoming concerts at Rough Trade. Refunds will be made automatically to people who have purchased tickets online or by phone, and the box office will be open certain days for those who purchased them in person.

The future of the store will be dependent on selling vinyl due to the increased demand for them during this time. The switch to a virtual world is also a factor in the decision as it is a new reality and is causing online sales to boost. When Rough Trade NYC closes its doors before relocating, all sales will be made on its website. The announcement for the new location is happening in the summer.

January 21, 2021
Melt, NYC Pop-Soul Band Release Dreamy New Single “Hours”

NYC-based psychedelic pop-soul group Melt released new single, “Hours,” ahead of their hotly anticipated forthcoming EP. The contemplative ballad is the third single released from the band’s debut EP, set to come out next month.

Available across all streaming platforms, the single captures the band’s sonic and lyrical maturity – a welcome presentation of their impressive studio prowess. A balanced combination of a passionate low end, moody synth leads, inquisitive guitar lines, and a lustful melody create “Hours.”

Hours totally captures the energy and intoxication we feel working on something new. We wanted to convey that feeling of meeting someone –– the excitement, but also the haziness and fantasy of it,
Eric Gabriels, Vocals and Keys

“Hours” was produced and engineered by Aaron Nevezie at The Bunker Studio, mixed by Michael Brauer, and mastered by Heba Kadry. Melt is known throughout the East Coast for their exhilarating live performances. The track captures Melt’s signature sound, despite the challenges the current pandemic presented to the creative process.

Melt is: Veronica Stewart-Frommer (lead vocals), Eric Gabriel (vocals, keys), Marlo Shankweiler (guitar), Josh Greenzeig (drums), Nick Sare (saxophone), Lucas Saur (bass), and Aaron Alcouloumre (trumpet).

Something unique about this project is that before we release new music, we normally test it live on tour for months to years. Quarantine forced us to hunker down, write new songs, and create—without any feedback from an audience,
Veronica Stewart-Frommer, Vocals

When Melt records a new song, they turn to each other and ask “what the hell is this band?” The septet’s sound is rooted in soul and psychedelia, infusing ethereal jam-sections into existential pop songs. Dubbed “one groovy super organism” by NPR, four years after their first-ever release “Sour Candy” went viral in 2017 and reached #5 on Billboard’s US Viral 50 Chart (and #6 in Canada). Melt sells out shows across the Northeast and repeatedly in their hometown of NYC at venues Mercury Lounge and The Knitting Factory.

January 20, 2021
WOLF Releases New Single “Villain”

WOLF, an indie-pop artist from Queens, NY (aka Julia Wolf), released her first single of the new year, “Villain,” on January 14. As an up and coming singer-songwriter, WOLF has begun to experience the harsh realities of becoming a musical figure in today’s climate. While being a non-confrontational person, WOLF responded in the only way she knows how: “coming back bigger and fresher.”

WOLF began her career buildup at the end of 2019 from her bedroom. She released freestyles and snippets of her music via her social media platforms. WOLF curated lots of attention, turning the heads of new fans and industry professionals. This recognition led to millions of streams and hundreds of thousands of followers on both Spotify and Instagram in less than a year. Additionally, the heavy buzz has even allowed the release of her very own clothing line, Girls in Purgatory.

“Villain,” produced by Jackson Foote, is a tribute to the shy kids and to the ones that always over-accommodate. WOLF uses her signature 808s and the addition of a vintage guitar to create a mesmerizing tone. Her voice effortlessly blends with the beats she builds off of which adds a sense of groove to her music. The single holds an empowering message when looking to overcome adversity. One must always stay true to themselves, and if people want to make someone out to be the villain, then so be it.

As the world is trying to recover from drawbacks of the Coronavirus, WOLF is an inspiration to look out for. Her music provides an outlet of hope during these times of turmoil, similarly to the optimism of Ok Cowgirl. New motivation to start off the new year!

“Villain” is available on major platforms

Apple Music, Spotify and Soundcloud.

January 19, 2021
Flashback: Jay-Z Brings Magna Carter Tour To Nassau Coliseum
On Sunday, January 19, 2014, Jay-Z played a sold out show at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island during his Magna Carter world tour. “The last time I was in this building I brought Michael Jackson to the stage,” he said. “I know that show will be a hard one to top, but we’re going to try tonight.” Jay looked at home while he took the audience on a 27 song journey of his musical career, covering almost all of his studio 12 albums. He also had a four piece band which included DJ/producer Timbaland.

The Magna Carter tour was Jay-Z’s first headlining tour in almost four years. Initially Jay was supposed to go on tour with Justin Timberlake in support of Timberlake’s come back to music and new album The 20/20 Experience. However, on July 24, 2013 Jay-Z released his twelfth studio album Magna Carter Holy Grail and on July 26, 2013 the tour was announced. The tour started in Europe, but due to its overwhelming success, a second leg of the tour was announced on September 13, 2013 to take place in North America. Based on Pollstar reports, the tour earned $48.9 million from 52 shows from 2013 to 2014.

Jay-Z – Magna Carter Tour

Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, Long Island – January 19, 2014

Setlist: You Don’t Know, Crown, On to the Next One, Holy Grail, Fuckwithmeyouknowigotit, Beach is Better, 99 Problems, Picasso Baby, Can I Live, No Church in the Wild, Somewhere in America, Big Pimpin’, Timbaland Interlude, Can I Get A Nigga What, Nigga Who, Dirt Off Your Shoulder, I Just Wanna Love You, Niggas in Paris, Tom Ford, Public Service Announcement, Clique, Run This Town.

Encore: Who Gon Stop Me, Empire State of Mind, Izzo, Hard Knock Life, Young Forever.
January 19, 2021
Governor Cuomo Announces ‘New York Arts Revival’ Program

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the launch of ‘New York Arts Revival’ program on January 12, 2021. After the devastating blow the live entertainment industry has taken from the Coronavirus Pandemic the ‘New York Arts Revival’ could be exactly the push New York needs to help save the live entertainment industry.

The ‘New York Arts Revival’ will be a combination of a public and private partnership and will be one of the most ambitious programs to promote live entertainment on a statewide scale. The program will feature and promote indoor and outdoor shows over the coming months and will feature upward of 150 performers.

What is a city without social, cultural, and creative synergies?… We must bring culture and arts back to life… and almost one has been hurt more by COVID than our Artists. According to a study by the national endowment of the Arts 52% of actors, 55% of dancers, and 27% of musicians were out of work in September of 2020. In New York the arts and culture account for almost half a million jobs and generate $120 billion in economic output. But these aren’t just statistics. These are our friends and our neighbors. These artists are part of what makes New York, New York.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo

Governor Cuomo’s plan to help save these artists and the industry is with the ‘New York Arts Revival’ program. The program will host multiple pop up performances starting on February 4, 2021 across the State of New York. The outdoor venues will be outdoor stages in prominent Cities across the state to State Parks. They will also use flexible venues adapted for social distancing. These pop up performances will include big names Amy Schumer, Chris Rock, Renée Fleming, Wynton Marsalis, and Hugh Jackman. Art organizations will also be involved with the ‘New York Arts Revival’ like the Ballet Hispanico, ARS NOVA, The Albany Symphony Orchestra, The National Black Theatre, and the Pendragon Theater.

Jane Rosenthal who is known as the co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival and Broadway and film producer Scott Rudin will be leading the charge in the ‘New York Arts Revival’ along with the New York State Council on the Arts according to Governor Cuomo. The program will culminate with the opening with the Little Island at a new 2.7-acre public park on Pier 55 in the Hudson River, close to Greenwich Village and the 20th anniversary of the Tribeca Film Festival.

Not everyone is as thrilled about the ‘New York Arts Revival’ though due to the fact it didn’t seem to focus on the music industry as much as the other live entertainment industries. Lowell Wurster of Plattsburgh band Lucid spoke on Cuomo’s address saying, “He doesn’t mention anything about live music in there. If you can socially distance at Chris Rock show then you can do the same thing for live music. More than half my friends are out of work right now. Most of them aren’t making ends meet by doing live streams. If they can find a safe and responsible way to have an audience for stand up comedian then they should be including live music in that mix also.”

Greg Bell of Guthrie/Bell Productions shared a similar sentiment, noting the lack of specifics and attention to Upstate New York from Cuomo.

It appears that Gov. Cuomo is basically talking about the greater Metropolitan region when discussing his new Arts Revival. He does not appear to be considering the rest of the state at this time. I assume that he is planning to test the waters Downstate before making plans for the rest of New York. At best, we would be looking at outdoor venues, large theaters and large arenas that may be able to put on shows with social distancing. I do not see clubs and smaller venues benefiting from this at all. I do not know if the plan includes independent promoters doing Drive-In shows or small outdoor festivals returning or if it is geared towards large corporations like Live Nation and State or local municipality run events. While a step in the right direction, I think that it is unclear how much this new plan will affect live music overall.
Greg Bell, Guthrie/Bell Productions

Will the ‘New York Arts Revival’ help the music industry? It’s unclear if it will but hopefully musicians will be added to the docket and be included in the programing as much as performers from other entertainment industries.

January 18, 2021
Duke Bootee, Pioneer, Musician and Co-Writer of ‘The Message,’ Passes Away

Hip Hop Legend, Edward Fletcher, known professionally as, Duke Bootee, has passed away from what has been described as “congestive heart failure.” The New Jersey native is recognized for helping pioneer consciousness and social-political messages within hip hop music, with his most famous credit being the composer of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s groundbreaking record, “The Message.”

The year was 1982 and Fletcher – a band member for Sugar Hill Records house band – had written and produced the track that would go on to revolutionize the hip hop genre. At the time, rap music was composed of mostly party tracks, mainly anthemic records. The record known as “The Message,” was original titled “The Jungle” by Duke Bootee and a demo presented to Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, who were not ecstatic about recording the song. They felt it was too serious, wanting to mimic the sound of Sugar Hill Gang’s party song, “Rapper’s Delight.” Melle Mel was eventually convinced to record the song by label executive, Sylvia Robinson. “The Message” went on to become a turning point in rap music.

The 1980’s were a time of great turbulence within Black communities as this singular effort and its subsequent popularity was the gateway to other rappers exploring the struggles of their neighborhoods through their music.

“The neighborhood I was living in, the things I saw — it was like a jungle sometimes in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Even though we lived in a nice area, I’d sit in the living room and watch things happening across the street in the park. The lyrics were sort of cinematic: I tried to hold a message up to society,” Fletcher revealed to The Guardian in 2013.

The record’s themes of poverty, social and economic problems and overall inner-city struggle was a turning point in rap music. It legitimized the genre when it was thought of as a fad by skeptics.

Rolling Stone ranked “The Message” #51 on its list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and in 2012 it was named the number one song in hip-hop history.

After recording a singular album and starting up a label, Fletcher spent his waning years away from the music industry. He spent time teaching and being with his family. He was 69 years old.

January 18, 2021