Born Leonard Albert Kravitz, the multi-faceted artist from New York City, celebrates his 57th birthday today. Known for his contributions to the world of music and acting, birthday boy Lenny Kravitz is known for his flashy style that translates into all areas of his creative endeavors.
Born of bi-racial parents, actress Roxie Roker (The Jeffersons), and television producer Sy Kravitz, Lenny experienced several racial barriers at the start of his career. Often being told that his music was neither black or white enough to appeal to labels’ audiences, Kravitz took the initiative to put out his debut record, Let Love Rule, on his own. While his debut release only reached moderate success in the states, Kravitz used the momentum to land him the position of audio producer for the hit Madona single “Justify My Love” in 1990.
His contributions to the world of record production combined with his 1991 hit ” It Ain’t Over ’til its Over” skyrocketed Kravitz to fame. Throughout his musical discography, Kravitz has shown his ability to blend influences ranging from blues, jazz, contemporary R&B and psychedelia. While collaborating with artists such as Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and even Jay-Z, Kravitz has well proved that his music transcends racial barriers and appeals to audiences of various backgrounds.
Kravitz has several awards under his belt. He is the winner of two Grammy Awards for ‘Best Male Rock Vocal Performance,’ back to back for “Fly Away” and cover of The Guess Who’s “American Woman,” in 1999 and 2000, respectively. You may remember Kravitz stunning performance at the Pepsi Super Bowl XLIX Halftime Show alongside Katy Perry during which he performed a handful of hits. Also making a name for himself in the world of cinema, Kravitz has most recently featured in the Hunger Games trilogy playing the role of Cinna, a luxurious fashion designer. Ironically enough, Kravitz also is the founder of Kravitz Design which focuses on residential and commercial creative direction and design working with clients such as Swarovski Crystal.
Kravitz keeps his home close to heart. Known for spontaneously busking on the surrounding streets of Manhattan and shooting several of his music videos in Times Square, Kravitz is certainly a celebrated New Yorker.
Brooklyn-based neo-soul singer-songwriter Kristen Merritt is releasing her first single and music video off her debut self produced album Joi. The song, “I’m Done,” is available now on all streaming platforms.
Marked with a soft, mellow guitar opening, and playful “Check, one, two,” the track sets up a bright instrumental to a sad story. The layered vocals are a refined touch to the full sound of the track. The chorus then also sees the welcoming of a warm, fun drum that pushes the song forward.
Merritt doesn’t overload the listener, she simply lets her lyrics tell the story while the music sets a leisurely pace. It’s a great break up song, but it’s also a fantastic song to play in a small COVID safe gathering, or out back by a bonfire. The tempo and vocals are perfect to both belt out in your car on the way to pick up the rest of your belongings and slow dance alone in your room.
The music video, with it’s spilt screen style, gives a visual representation to Merritt’s anger and sadness. On one side, a yellow adorned Merritt laments a failed relationship and the other shows a red dressed Merritt divulging all her frustration over a less-than partner.
“I’m Done” is the beginning of a must-follow new era for the Detroit native that will demonstrate the breadth of her powerful artistry and ability to dissect and interpret our most intimate emotions from a relatable and personal perspective. Heartfelt and soulful, Merritt scorches with her poignant lyricism and passionate delivery. It’s vulnerable and cathartic, with each jazz-tinged inflection and mesmerizing line, she finds her voice and freedom.
Merritt has been inspired by Take 6 and neo-soul greats such as Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, and Jill Scott and their soulful musical compositions and lyrical storytelling ability. Newer inspirations of hers include artists such as Daniel Caesar, Jacob Collier, Hope Tala, and H.E.R. These elements in her own sound have led to music with a nostalgic twist and modern warmth.
My hope is that “I’m Done” becomes the anthem of the person who has both feet out the door, and wants to leave their former partner with a memorable goodbye. I want it to serve as the Millennial/Gen Z equivalent of Erykah Badu’s “Tyrone,” where the goodbye is short, direct, and permanent (and also a little humorous at points to cut the mounted tension).
Since emerging in 2019 with her debut EP, Spectrum, Kristen Merritt’s storytelling has been the clear driving force at the heart of her craft. Last year, Kristen unveiled three singles, “Thyme,” “Never Again,” and “Ending.” Having been featured on Spotify’s playlists, the songs have already accumulating over 32,000 streams, with more on the way, Kristen Merritt is an artist you can’t miss.
Starting her musical journey in NYC Merritt scooped up local performance slots and open mics, building her confidence on stage while developing her sound and voice. During which she worked in the background on things that felt more raw, intimate, and worth exploring. the culmination of those efforts will soon be shared.
Flushing Town Hall announced their Virtual Jazz Jam for the month of June in celebration of Pride month and the LGBTQ+ community. The celebration will highlight works for LGBTQ composers and performers and will take place on Wednesday, June 9 at 7PM EST.
Flushing Town Hall’s monthly Jazz Jam is supported by the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation and has been led since 2016 by Astoria resident Carol Sudhalter. The house band members include illustrious musicians Joe Vincent Tranchina, Scott Neumann, and Eric Lemon. Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the Jazz Jams have taken place virtually. On the second Wednesday of each month, the Jazz Jams embrace a theme, and this June will be no exception. The Jazz Jams will bring together both novice and professional jazz artists from near and far to celebrate the diversity and breadth of LGBTQ performing artists.
Carol Sudhalter who is Flushing Town Hall’s Jazz Band leader spoke on this upcoming month’s celebration saying, “The LGBTQ communities have had a strong influence in the history of jazz. This month’s Jazz Jam is a moment to celebrate the works of artists and composers who broke barriers in ways big and small, who were leaders in the fight for equality, and who have inspired – and continue to inspire – us to become a more accepting and compassionate global community.”
Musicians interested in participating in the celebration on June 9 should email education@flushingtownhall.org with a suggested three- to four-minute tune they intend to play in line with this month’s theme. The performance can be live or a pre-recorded audio or video (but not a professional, edited recording such as a CD or YouTube video). Musicians who performed in 2020 are now welcome to return. Each month, up to five returning musicians and up to 15 new musicians can participate. Selection is on a first-come, first-served basis.
The LGBTQ+ celebration will be streamed for free on Flushing Town Hall’s Facebook page or Zoom on Wednesday, June 9 at 7PM EST. For more information on Flushing Town Hall and the event visit their website.
Bard SummerScapecelebrates the uplifting spirit of Black music with BlackRoots Summer, presented in association with Electric Root and organized and led by the rousing vocalist, bandleader, cultural commentator, and anti-racism educator Michael Mwenso and his longtime collaborator Jono Gasparro, former curator of Ginny’s Supper Club in Harlem.
An outdoor stage at Bard’s Montgomery Place campus on the Hudson River, the Sierra Leone-born, London-raised, NYC-based Mwenso are where the concerts will be held for two weekends (July 23 & 24 and July 29-31) Even more, there will be a predominantly BIPOC lineup of more than 20 artists, singers, musicians, and dancers will premiere three original concerts.
Mwenso explains that the concert series in the midst of the pandemic, and in response to the murder of George Floyd, they realized, “Now is the time to push the doors down.” Electric Root was established and set out to collaborate with universities and presenting institutions in order to
“revolutionize how Black music is presented, expose lesser-known artists, decolonize music curriculum, provide artist-led anti-racism training, and heal people.”
All tickets go on sale on June 2. The box office can be reached by telephone at (845) 758-7900, on Mondays through Fridays at 11am–4pm EST, or by email at boxoffice@bard.edu. Tickets are also available 24/7 on Bard’s website at fishercenter.bard.edu.
All SummerScape productions will be presented in adherence with strict COVID protocols. Learn more about SummerScape 2021 health and safety protocols here.
Modest Mouse announced their return earlier this month with two new singles off their forthcoming album and an extensive US tour. The tour includes an August 7 show at Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, and two stops at Brooklyn Steel on August 11 and 12. Tickets for the tour go on sale Wednesday, May 26 at 10 am local time.
Newly released is “Leave a Light On,” the second single off their anxiously awaited seventh full-length, The Golden Casket, out June 25 via Epic Records. The song finds Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock navigating the existential threat of losing our humanity – and the interconnectedness that comes with it – amidst a constant societal barrage of physical and digital materialism. “Leave A Light On” can be listened to here.
Earlier this month, the band shared the first single “We Are Between.” The song explores the faults that make up each person’s character as it pertains to the wider world. With a hook that will get stuck in your head all day, the band made a great first single choice. “We Are Between” can be listened to here.
Over the past 25 years, Brock has served as indie rock’s resident backwoods philosopher, pondering his infinitesimal place in the world at large and seeking balance in a universe governed by polar opposites. On Modest Mouse’s earliest records, he was surveying the changes in the world’s physical landscape from the windows of the tour van, lamenting the displacement of natural beauty with big-box blights.
The band’s seventh studio album, The Golden Casket, heralds another new chapter in the band’s unpredictable evolution. The albumexplores the degradation of America’s psychic landscape through the glass of the smartphone screen and invisible technology. Brock also touches on a new theme in his life, fatherhood.
Produced with Dave Sardy and Jacknife Lee in Los Angeles and in Modest Mouse’s studio in Portland, the album hovers in the liminal space between raw punk power and experimental studio science. Pre-order/Pre-save The Golden Casket here.
Brewery Ommegang is located on a 136-acre farmstead in Cooperstown, New York and offers tours, tastings, a 100-seat café, a well-stocked brewery store, and a calendar of public events including a summer concert series and a legendary beer festival, Belgium Comes to Cooperstown. For more information visitwww.ommegang.com. To stay up to date follow Brewery Ommehang’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
DSP Shows Presents: Modest Mouse Saturday, August 7, 2021 7:00pm (5:00pm doors). Tickets and a limited number of camping passes go on sale Wednesday, May 26 at 10am and will be available at dspshows.com. To stay up to date follow DSP’sFacebook, Instagram, and Twitter
The Northeast’s largest free blues festival, NYS Blues Fest, has announced its comeback with a new location and a lineup that will bring Central New York to its feet. This year’s New York State Blues Festival will be held at Chevy Court inside the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, and will run from June 24 through June 26.
The free three-day event kicks off on Thursday, June 24 at 5 p.m. on the ProAct Main Stage with the Gabe Stillman Band. Capping off the first night will be Robert Randolph & the Family Band, who is celebrating their Grammy nominated 2019 release, Brighter Days.
Larkin Poe closes out the 2021 NYS Blues Festival on Saturday, June 26. This talented sister act was the Thursday night headliner for the fest in 2018.
Larkin Poe performing “Black Echo” at the 2018 NYS Blues Fest
Moving the festival from Clinton Square to the NYS Fairgrounds allows for greater capacity with vaccinated and unvaccinated sections. A COVID-19 vaccination will not be required to attend this event, but proof of a vaccination must be shown upon entry to the festival grounds.
Non-vaccinated attendees are required to register for a free ticket, available on EventBrite. Alongside the ticket, non-vaccinated attendees will be required to wear a mask and practice social distancing as per New York State reopening guidelines.
The NYS Blues Fest is offering a VIP package for vaccinated attendees. The package will include a boxed meal from one of the festival vendors, access to the VIP tent and preferred seating in front of the stage. VIP ticket prices can be found on the NYS Blues ticket portal.
Parking will be available in the fairgrounds’ Brown Lot for $10 per vehicle and motorcycles can park in a designated area of the lot at $5 per bike. ADA parking will be available in the Emerald Lot for $10 as well.
Visit the New York State Blues Fest website for full artist bios and ticket information.
After a year of isolation and stress, Make Music Day is returning to in-person and outdoor events in hopes to reconnect communities. Musicians of all ages and skill levels from around the world will unite for a day of fun, collaboration and mentorship by participating in free music-making events on June 21.
Make Music is a celebration of music around the world on the Summer Solstice. First held in France as the Fête de la Musique in 1982, it is now held annually in more than 1,000 cities in 120 countries.
Fête de la Musique made its North American debut with Make Music NY. Starting as a grassroots initiative by a team of volunteers, the event quickly became a success. Today, over 5,000 New York musicians perform at free, outdoor concerts on June 21.
Within the New York area, Ithaca, Ossining-Briarcliff and New York City are hosting celebrations this year. They plan to hold in-person interactive events, like ukulele circles, live concerts, and even jam sessions on house porches. They will be continuing some virtual activities from last year, including a “sing together” over Zoom. Safety precautions, such as masks and social distancing, are still in place based on location guidelines.
A record 90+ U.S. cities have announced they are celebrating Make Music Day in person this year. New chapters have launched recently in Alabama, California, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin, bringing the holiday to even more of the country.
Make Music Day Introduction Video
To memorialize the loss of the past year, Make Music Day will include a project called This Moment In Time, a series of gong performances in public places around the world. Anyone with a large gong is invited to bring it out at noon on June 21 and play for one uninterrupted hour.
For the second year, the Make Music Alliance is offering a composition contest for composers aged 13-21 in commemoration of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The Tulsa Race Massacre took place on May 31 – June 1, when a mob of White residents attacked Black residents and businesses in the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Young composers are invited to write a song for an overdubbed, a cappella baritone singer, using text from a first-hand account of the massacre by B.C. Franklin, a lawyer at the time. A panel of judges, including composers Hiroya Miura, Trevor Weston, composer/conductor Francisco Núñez, and soprano Talise Trevigne, will provide feedback and select three winning pieces.
The winning pieces will be professionally recorded by baritone Christopher Herbert and released online for Make Music Day. Winning composers will also receive a free copy of Finale music notation software.
The submission deadline for the composition contest is May 31, full details can be found on the contest webpage.
If competitions aren’t for you, the United Kingdom and Lagos are collaborating to create an international and interactive song project called “MixMash Studios.”
MixMash Studios invites people around the world to contribute audio samples between now and June 20. Anything from bass guitar lines, barking dogs, vocals, the grind of a coffee maker, or any other creative sound bites are accepted.
Then, music producers assembled by the Make Music Alliance, Make Music Day UK, and Make Music Lagos, will have 24 hours to create an original piece of music using only the samples, which will be presented on Make Music Day. Submit your sound files here.
The celebrations will continue with a second percussion project, the premiere of Flowerpot Music, written by Elliot Cole and directed by Peter Ferry. This piece uses various flowerpots as drums to make chime-like sounds. An interactive lesson will be held to teach participants how to play the unlikely instrument alongside the premiere. Flowerpot Music No. 1 was premiered virtually last year, but composer Elliot Cole has specially created a new version for this year’s Make Music Day.
Anyone can attend this event regardless of prior percussion experience. Mallets will be provided.
Last Year’s Premiere of Flowerpot Music No 1
For a full list of Make Music Day locations and how to register, check out the Make Music Dayofficial website.
Willie Nelson is “on the road again” as he has just announced The Outlaw Music Festival Tour starting this summer. The 14-stop tour will include a show at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), after kicking off in Texas in August, with Willie Nelson planning to have many friends and family accompanying him at each stop.
Willie Nelson
The performance in Saratoga Springs will include Sturgill Simpson, Gov’t Mule, and Margo Price. Although it will be near the end of the summer and practically fall when the performance happens there is no excuse not to go. With a legend such as Willie Nelson getting out on tour and nonetheless performing in Saratoga, any music fan’s mind would be itching at the thought to make it a weekend trip filled with peace, love and a whole lot of Willie Nelson. SPAC poses as the perfect place to go with COVID-19 ending as music venues are opening back up and there’s always plenty to do and see in Saratoga Springs, in addition to the great music and musicians that will be coming its way.
The stop in Saratoga Spring will be on September 12, 2021 at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Tickets for the event can be purchased on the venue website starting Tuesday, May 25th at 10:00 a.m.
On your way to SPAC, don’t forget that Stewart’s Shops is your ice cream shop! With over 345 shops in 31 counties across New York and southern Vermont, the convenience store chain is known for their fresh &local dairy products. With dozens of choices at the cone counter, you’re bound to find something you love! Try a shake, sundae, or cone today, What’s Your Flavor?
Sunday, August 22, 2021-Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheatre -Willie Nelson & Family, Chris Stapleton, Ryan Bingham,Yola
Friday, September 10, 2021-Gilford, NH – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion – Willie Nelson & Family, Sturgill Simpson, Gov’t Mule, Margo Price
Saturday, September 11, 2021-Philadelphia, PA – TD Pavilion at the Mann – Willie Nelson & Family, Sturgill Simpson, Gov’t Mule, Margo Price
Sunday, September 12, 2021-Saratoga, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) – Willie Nelson & Family, Sturgill Simpson, Gov’t Mule, Margo Price
Friday, September 17, 2021-Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheatre – Willie Nelson & Family, Sturgill Simpson, Gov’t Mule, Margo Price
Saturday, September 18, 2021-Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek – Willie Nelson & Family, Sturgill Simpson, Gov’t Mule, Margo Price
Sunday, September 19, 2021-Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion – Willie Nelson & Family, Sturgill Simpson, Gov’t Mule, Margo Price
Wednesday, September 22, 2021-Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre – Willie Nelson & Family, Sturgill Simpson, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Kathleen Edwards
Friday, September 24, 2021-Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion – Willie Nelson & Family, Sturgill Simpson, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Gov’t Mule, Kathleen Edwards
Friday, October 15, 2021-Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion – Willie Nelson & Family, The Avett Brothers, Gov’t Mule, Lucinda Williams, Ida Mae
Saturday, October 16, 2021-Irvine, CA – Five Point Amphitheatre – Willie Nelson & Family, The Avett Brothers, Gov’t Mule, Lucinda Williams, Ida Mae
Sunday, October 17, 2021-San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre – Willie Nelson & Family, The Avett Brothers, Ida Mae
Saturday, October 23, 2021-Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre – Willie Nelson & Family, The Avett Brothers, Gov’t Mule, Lucinda Williams, Ida Mae
Sunday, October 24, 2021-Wheatland, CA – Toyota, Amphitheatre – Willie Nelson & Family, The Avett Brothers, Gov’t Mule, Lucinda Williams, Ida Mae
Yasgur Road in Bethel will open its first festival of the 2021 season with Yasgur’s May Meltdown over Memorial Day Weekend. With more than 30 bands on the lineup, including headliners The New Motif and PEAK, the festival takes place at Max Yasgur’s former 103-acre homestead in Bethel, NY.
Yasgur Road hosts multiple shows each year, including their annual Woodstock Reunion. The venue keeps vending affordable but encourages bringing your own supplies for the weekend (no glass, please). Bathrooms, showers, campfires, and camping near the stage are just some of the amenities of the festival grounds, as well as onsite parking close by. Free craft vending is allowed with purchase of a weekend pass. Dog passes are also available.
Truly the home of the spirit of Woodstock, the most famous music festival in history, Yasgur Road is less than 3 miles from Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. Max Yasgur’s former homestead is now dedicated to the music festival industry, offering quality entertainment and camping in a natural wooded setting.
The New Motif, an ever-evolving eclectic jam funk band originally formed on Cape Cod, MA perform music infused with deep psychedelic grooves and dynamic improvisation. Joining them as headliners are PEAK, a Brooklyn-based group full of psychedelic Indie fun with a mix of poetic, melodic songwriting, moody electrofunk, riffed-out blues-rock, and exploratory danceable improvisations.
For more information regarding May Meltdown, or any of Yasgur Road’s festivals and events, visit Yasgurroadreunion.com or their Facebook page. Order tickets here and stay up to date with the Facebook event.
Yasgur’s May Meltdown 2021 Lineup
The New Motif, Peak, Spunday Mourning, Dee Maple Band, Mysterytrain, Hanna’s Field, Lunch Trucks, Gypsy Funk Squad, Moon Matrix of the Lizard People, Jerry Duty, Mutt Farm, The Hobo Style, Jason Gisser Band, PoW WoW, Robert Tellefsen, Alec Philips, Crispy Crunch, Buffy & the Boys, and many more!
A Lovely Time Festival announced their 2021 dates and lineup for the upcoming festivities. The festival will take place on July 9th and 10th and will be hosted in Snow Ridge Ski Resort in Turin, New York.
This will be the third annual rendition of this festival and as always the festival’s mission is focused on creating an accessible and inclusive environment. This environment is meant to cultivate community through an Adirondack adventure filled with music and diverse activities – where any and everyone can have A Lovely Time. The festival first took place back in 2018 and was founded by Nick Feeley, Charlie Giancola, and Drew Shoup.
The festival hosts everything from vendors to live music to a DIY skatepark built in the woods. It also features art, disc golf competitions, workshops and escape rooms. There will be live music across two stages The addition of a mountain bike trail, and finishing construction on a new 18 hole disc golf course (Ridge Runner,) are also being added to the list of available activities. The 18 hole disc golf course is being done in collaboration with Snow Ridge Ski Resort and will be the only one in the Western Adirondack area. Crowd-funding for the course is currently underway for those looking to support its completion. In celebration a disc golf tournament, The Lovely Open, will be held the Saturday morning of the event (registration required).
The line up includes Petite League, Vaporeyes, Buggin Out, Johnny & The Man Kids, Dirk Green, CAKE EATER, Breakfast for Dinner, The Salinas, OTB, Omgimjoe, and Starjuice on the main stage. There will also be artists performing on the Acoustic Lounge Stage. There will be local vendors like Gannon’s Ice Cream, Cup of Rahman, Mangata Candle Co, Flower Skate Shop, Humble Glass, Boho Hobo, Forum Barber Shop and more at the festivities. Some of the workshops include rare tea brewing, yoga, guided meditation, photo composition, mystery rooms, and even ninja training.
At the heart of the festival’s mission is to be accessible and inclusive and that aligns with how the festival structures its ticket pricing. Due to current restrictions on live music events due to COVID-19 , there is a 500 guest limit. The first round of $40 blind-faith tickets have sold out. Without inflating the price and in order to break down barriers to entry, Friday/Saturday two-day tickets start at just $50 for an Early Bird special, prices then incrementally increase by $10 as capacities are reached. Tickets will be $80 at the door. All music, parking, and camping are included in ticket purchase. To open the doors even wider to all those looking to attend, A Lovely Time offers the ability to “Earn Your Ticket” to volunteers helping out during the event and leading up to the festival weekend.
For additional information about A Lovely Time or to purchase a ticket visit their website.
