Category: Regions

Olivia Rodrigo Stuns on Saturday Night Live

Heading into the homestretch of the season, Saturday Night Live welcomed Keegan Michael Key with musical guest Olivia Rodrigo. Led by a cold open with Dr. Fauci (Kate McKinnon) reviewing scenarios related CDC mask regulations being lifted, the evening also featured The Muppets return to SNL.

Rodrigo got her start on the Disney Channel, and is the lead in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series on Disney+. She released her first song (unrelated to the show), “Driver’s License,” in January where it debuted at #1 and stayed there for eight weeks. The inescapable breakup ballad about co-star Joshua Bassett has a mix of Lorde, Taylor Swift, and Billie Eilish.

Beginning the song sitting atop a grand piano, she moved about the Studio 8H stage, slowly revealing the full band spread around the perimeter of the state. With a light up floor, Olivia Rodrigo poured her heart into her breakout hit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBik0MjXeMs

The second performance featured “Good 4 U,” a breakup song with an old-school Paramore vibe, released this past Friday, May 14.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiaCdUACJp8

Saturday Night Live‘s 46th season will come to a close on Saturday, May 22 with host Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen’s Gambit) and musical guest Lil Nas X.

May 16, 2021
This Week’s EQXposure Features Haley Moley, Architrave and More

Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear new music from Haley Moley, Architrave and many more!

WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.

Haley Moley

Haley Moley’s newest release, “Narcissus,” is equal parts rock and electronic. Sporting a silver spoon on the single cover, the song’s lyrics speak of a selfish lover. Jennifer Maher Coleman’s vocals fade in and out, acting as another instrument beside the pulsing guitar and synths. Based in Troy, NY, Haley Moley also features Paul Coleman on guitar, Andrea Kosek on keyboard and guitar, Pat Thorpe on bass and Mike Broomhead on drums.

Architrave

Architrave, another project from Jennifer Maher Coleman and Paul Coleman, channels the new wave of the early 80s. The title of their recent single, “Headcount,” is deceiving. Its opening lines say, “There’s safety in numbers, here’s the headcount / One, one, and another one, I’m the only one.” While equally moody as “Narcissus,” Coleman’s vocals take center stage here.

Anacortez

Anacortez harkens back to the alt rock sound of the early 2000s. Consisting of Jessie Comtois, husband Michael Comtois and drummer Kevin Couture, the band is named after a town in Washington. Their latest single, “Another Sad Song,” resides on the softer sound of 00s rock.

Danger! Ken

Lastly, multi-instrumentalist and composer Danger! Ken will be playing “Astral Traveler” off his new release, Up is Down.

May 15, 2021
Hearing Aide: Trauma Cat ‘Prepare To Apologize’

From the post-industrial hellscape of Syracuse, New York comes Trauma Cat, who have delivered to the world their first full length LP entitled Prepare to Apologize which was released in April 2021. This irreverent and ecclectic gem that was co-produced by the band and the elusive St. Julian P. Dingusand, sports 15 tracks (3 tracks including “Joshua,” “Fire in the Jail,” and “Freaks with Wings” are re-issued singles) that span rock genres that include pop, alternative, electronica, and prog rock.

The band has cheekily branded their special brand of musicial gumbo on their website, “Though critics speculate on the band’s true origin and the meaning of their existence, Trauma Cat are widely credited as the founders of “cuck rock,” an indeterminate school of music indebted to incessant apology and shameless cross-genre appropriation. Others have described Trauma Cat’s sound as “uncomfortable art rock,” and their politics as “alt-wrong.”

The Trauma Cat roster is comprised of the musically talented and fashion forward Ralph Kojig (guitar and vocals), Roman Pando (bass and vocals), and Rutger DiBoyere (drums). Together they comprise a wonderfully creative power trio that has been successful in creating a personau that is reminicent of a combination of punk pioneers Devo and Saturday morning cartoon favorites Josie and the Pussycats. The glorious result of this concoction is the band’s demonstrable irreverance and hilarious comedic take on the music biz, and yet despite this silliness, they have created an enjoyable record and that is fun, fresh and creative.

Trauma Cat has released the following “documentary” to introduce listener’s to their own distinct brand of “Cuck Rock” and to “apologize for their new LP.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7DSttG7mx8

The record starts off with title track “Prepare to Apologize,” which is initially a short verbal rant between members Kojig and Pando, that leads into a short but sonically pleasing acapella number. The track seamlessly transitions into the second song on the LP “Indivisible,” reminiscent in musical style to a mash up of Rage Against the Machine and Tool. Heavy on bass and sporting great vocals that are both provided by Kojig, “Indivisible” illustrates why Trauma Cat won the 2021 Syracuse Area Music Award for Best New Artist.

Prepare to Apologize’s third track is “Trauma Cat.” This is a fun and upbeat tune that has all the makings of the band’s offical theme song if they ever decide to create their own must see reality TV series (look out Kardashians). Kojig provides just the right amount of heavy guitar and along with DiBoyere percussion this track will get the listener’s blood pumping.

Another highlight on the record is fourth track “Joshua”, which was originally released as a single by the band back in November of 2020. Trauma Cat deftly released a remarkably professional music video for “Joshua” that was animated and directed by El Salvadorian sensation Lincktendo back in January 2021. Lyrically the song describes a daliance into bisexuality that ends up in a bad breakup which then ultimately ruins a friendship. “Joshua” is a strong tune with loads of pop sensibility which makes it ideal for radio play. It features songwriter Kojig’s hypnotic chorus, “It came over me like a wave”, which is a catchy and memorable hook that will stay with listeners.

“Fire In The Jail” is the eleventh song on Prepare To Apologize. This anti-social anthem promtoes dissent against the world’s demanding vapid conformity. Breaking out of the prision of these imposed expectations. Kojig sings, “I just can’t believe that these people…content to live like sheep following the crowd.” Living on your own terms without worrying about other people’s perceptions an expectations is the core message of this rebellious song, which utilizes a good amount of vibrato on guitar and reverb on Pando’s vocal to evoke a distopian landscape.

Although this trio of self-depricating muscians does not take itself too seriously, the musical craftsmanship and production value of Trauma Cat’s debute LP shows passion and commitment that these Jester’s of “Cuck Rock” have for their craft. Prepare To Apologize is a great album that hopefully will be the first of many that these denzians of musicial mayhem produce for an ever increasingly bleak world that is crying out for more mirth and humor.

Key Tracks: Joshua, Trauma Cat, Lob A Grenade, Fire In The Jail

May 15, 2021
Jeremy Hilliard releases “Long Lives: A Collection of Home Demos”

Jeremy Hilliard has released Long Lives: A Collection of Home Demos that represent the first incarnation of songs that are later worked out and performed by his band PEAK.

Hilliard stresses these are home demos and are very rough around the edges, originally not intended for release. Hilliard recorded them using only an outdated version of Logic Pro X, one 58 mic, one electric and one acoustic guitar, and a little 1.5 octave keyboard. A testament to the raw tracks, he spent no more than a session recording each one. These demos are released ahead of the new PEAK album, due out this September.

About half of the songs on here I’ve been carrying with me for ten years or more, and the other half is from recent writing. These are songs that are super chill and Americana in style, falling outside the usual material I end up presenting to the band. They also seem to be a bit more personal in nature. In fact, I realized recently there’s a full song cycle here, and I engaged Beth to sing the harmony vocals on a lot of these to help finish them, especially as we have lived them all together.
Jeremy Hilliard, PEAK

Enjoy this 35 minute collection of demos from Hilliard, with “extremely homemade” video slideshows. Follow Jeremy Hilliard on Facebook.

Tracklist: Shot In The Dark, Long Lives, While The Days Go On Back Home, Pahrumpadise, Low-Down Fahrenheit Frostburg Blues, The Wind and the Rain, Soulard Wedding, Four Forces, Morning In Brooklyn, Blue Parkway

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVUmq-B0ePs&list=PLD2TExZyuvccpOAI7k5vFjC2ggkVtMZqM

May 14, 2021
The Peach Music Festival Announces Jam-Packed 2021 Lineup, Daily Schedules and Streams

The Peach Music Festival has confirmed 2021 dates, taking place July 1-4, 2021 at The Pavilion at Montage Mountain in Scranton, PA. The lineup this year is jam packed, with a lineup reminiscent of early Bonnaroos.

Headlining Peach Fest will be supergroup Oysterhead, as well as Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (with special guest Oteil Burbridge) and String Cheese Incident, whom will each perform two sets.

Warren Haynes will also bring some new flair – and Allman Brothers cred – to the 2021 lineup, whereas bluegrass phenom Billy Strings and rising stars Goose did not carry over from 2020’s roster.

Also on the Peach Fest 2021 lineup are Umphrey’s McGee, moe., Dark Star Orchestra, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Twiddle, Oteil & Friends, Spafford, Dopapod, Ghost Light, Blackberry Smoke, Doom Flamingo, Keller Williams, Neal Francis, Scott Sharrard & Friends, Andy Frasco & The U.N., TAUK, Aqueous, Nicole Atkins, Brandon “Taz” Niederauer, Cordovas, The Nth Power featuring Jennifer Hartswick, Kitchen Dwellers, Mikaela Davis, Magic Beans, Karina Rykman, Blind Boys Of Alabama and more.

Daily lineups have just been announced as well, with headliners including two sets of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong on Thursday, July 1, two sets of Joe Russo’s Almost Dead on Friday, July 2, Oysterhead on Saturday, July 3, and two sets of The String Cheese Incident on Sunday, July 4.

Peach Fest’s Allman Brothers Band roots will be on full display for a celebration of the 50th anniversary of At Fillmore East. Burbridge, Warren Haynes, Jaimoe, Devon Allman and The Allman Betts Band are set to play as well. Turkuaz will bring their Talking Heads Remain In Light performance, originally slated for 2020, featuring Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads and Adrian Belew.

The initial FANS livestream lineup features festival headliners each night. Thursday’s stream features Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and Dark Star Orchestra; Friday FANS will air Umphrey’s McGee; Saturday’s stream will be Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, a finale on Sunday with two sets of The String Cheese Incident.

The Peach Music Festival started back in 2012 and has become a beloved annual festival in Northeastern Pennsylvania. It takes place every year at The Pavilion at Montage Mountain, a ski area in Scranton, PA. The festival unfortunately wasn’t able to take place like many other festivals in 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The festival will take place in 2021 as long as reopening plans in Pennsylvania continue according to plan. According to the New York Times, Pennsylvania is set to be fully opened by May 31. The festival includes camping, vendors, live music, and much much more. The announcement did not include information on what the festival would look like in terms of COVID-19 guidelines or other social distancing measures, but it can be assumed it will at least follow state and local guidelines.

Tickets for the festivities are on sale already. There are 2 types of non-VIP passes: a 4-Day Reserved Pass and a 4-Day GA Pass. The 4-Day Reserved Passes provide you a reserved seat in the Pavilion 100 level during headlining acts & the artist directly before the headlining acts.

Prior to those performances, everyone will have access to the 100 level except for a small portion that is reserved for a VIP viewing area. During the headlining performances, a 4-Day GA Pass will get you access to all remaining areas of the concert venue except for the 100 level and VIP areas. 2021 Wristbands will be shipped out approximately 3 weeks prior to the event. People who want to camp are required to purchase a Festival Pass + Camping Bundle. Currently there are 4 Day General Admission Passes available.

For more information on the 2021 Peach Music Festival visit their website.

May 14, 2021
Cory and The Wongnotes Announce Live Tour

Guitarist and producer Cory Wong will head out on the road this summer with his new band, Cory and The Wongnotes. This will be their first live tour as a band.

Corey Wong

On stage, Wong will be accompanied by an 11-piece band that includes members from Hornheads, Stay Human, and featured vocalist Antwaun Stanley. This tour will be a follow-up from a YouTube series on Cory Wong’s YouTube called Cory and The Wongnotes.

The eight episode Youtube series is a fun mix of a talk show, comedy sketches, and of course live music from their album Cory and The Wongnotes. They also have played live on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert alongside Eddie Barbash performing “Bluebird” from their new album.

This will be a national tour and they will be playing in Brooklyn February 4, 2022 at Brooklyn Steel. For more details and tickets, check out www.corywongmusic.com/tour

Cory Wong and the Wongnotes 2021-2022 Tour Dates:

NOVEMBER 2021

3 – Kansas City, MO

5 – Denver, CO

6 – Salt Lake City, UT

8 – Vancouver, BC

9 – Portland, OR

10 – Seattle, WA

12 – San Francisco, CA

13 – Los Angeles, CA

14 – San Diego, Ca

16 – Phoenix, AZ

19 – Dallas, TX

20 – Austin, TX

JANUARY 2022

26 – Columbus, OH

27 – Detroit, MI

28 – Toronto, ON

29 – Pittsburgh, PA

30 – Rochester, NY

FEBRUARY 2022

1 – Burlington, VT

2 – Boston, MA

3 – Philadelphia, PA

4 – New York, NY

5 – Washington, DC

7 – Charlottesville, VA

8 – Raleigh, NC

10 – Asheville, NC

11 – Atlanta, GA

12 – Nashville, TN

13 – Indianapolis, IN

15 – St. Louis, MO

16 – Des Moines, IA

17 – Madison, WI

18 – Chicago, IL

19 -Minneapolis, MN

May 14, 2021
Dead and Company 2021 Summer Tour includes 4 stops across NYS

It’s true, the Music Never Stopped, as Dead and Company will head out on the road this summer, their first shows since Playin in the Sand in January 2020. Dead and Company will embark on a 2021 Summer Tour, making four stops in New York State. Citi Field, Bethel Woods, Darien Lake and SPAC will all find multiple generations of Deadheads traversing the state this summer on a mission to get down.

The most recent New York appearance for Dead and Company was their Halloween run at Madison Square Garden in 2019. The Empire State will have an “Easy Wind” blowing across it later this summer, as Dead and Company comes to Citi Field on Friday, August 20, Bethel Woods Center for the Arts on Monday, August 23, Darien Lake Amphitheater on Wednesday, August 25, and Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Friday, August 27.

The Capital Region served as the foundation for Dead and Company’s start with their first performance at Times Union Center in Albany on October 29, 2015. John Mayer and Oteil Burbridge joined the band beyond description for “Playing in the Band” as the first tune to start their journey.

To ensure fans get tickets in their hands directly, Fan Registration is now available here until Sunday, May 16 at 10PM PDT, through Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan program. The Verified Fan Presale begins Wednesday, May 19^th at 10 AM local through Thursday, May 20 at 10 PM local venue time. Supplies are limited.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, May 21 at Noon local venue time through Ticketmaster.

A rainbow over SPAC, June 2019

Dead & Company will continue their work with longtime sustainability partner REVERB. This summer the band has committed to a comprehensive carbon offset program via Reverb’s unCHANGEit Climate Campaign, covering all projected emissions from this year’s tour – including fan travel to and from shows. These Dead & Company tour offsets will immediately fund important projects around the world and here at home that directly fight climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.

Dead and Company Summer 2021 Tour will offer a variety of enhanced experience packages that range in amenities from Loose Lucy’s Lounge access and early venue entry to branded lawn chairs and limited-edition screen-printed posters, paired with premium concert tickets. Travel Packages that bundle concert tickets with local accommodations will also be available. All enhanced offerings and travel packages go on sale May 19 at 10AM local venue time. For full details, visit here.

Jerry Garcia’s words and music get to carry another Summer and Fall Tour across the country. This cast certainly knows how to honor his historic improvisational ability while expressing their own voices on it. They have been given the seal of approval from original crew members and fans a like. Six years later it remains the Dead’s biggest revival. Oteil Burbridge doesn’t feel like a stranger for another tour. “When Bill Walton says you’re good, you quit worrying.”

Check deadandcompany.com for complete tour information.

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?

Dead & Company 2021 Tour

Mon-Aug-16 Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park

Wed-Aug-18 Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live

Fri-Aug-20 – New York, NY – Citi Field

Sat-Aug-21 Philadelphia, PA – Citizens Bank Park

Mon-Aug-23 Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts

Wed-Aug-25 Darien, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater

Fri-Aug-27 Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center

Sat-Aug-28 Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium

Thu-Sep-02 Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center

Fri-Sep-03 Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center

Sun-Sep-05 Hartford, CT – The Xfinity Theatre

Tue-Sep-07 Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center

Fri-Sep-10 Clarkston, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre

Sat-Sep-11 Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center

Mon-Sep-13 Maryland Heights, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre STL

Wed-Sep-15 Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center

Sep 17-18 Chicago, IL – Wrigley Field

Wed-Oct-06 West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre

Thu-Oct-07 Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre

Mon-Oct-11 Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion

Tue-Oct-12 – Atlanta, GA – Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood

Thu-Oct-14 Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion

Fri-Oct-15 Woodlands, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Mon-Oct-25 Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion

Wed-Oct-27 San Diego, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre

Oct 29-31 Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl

May 14, 2021
Apple Valley Park will ‘Get The Led Out’ this June

Creative Concerts has announced yet another concert at Apple Valley Park in Lafayette, just south of Syracuse. Get the Led Out will perform on Friday, June 18th, bringing the sounds of Led Zeppelin with them.

Get The Led Out (GTLO) has captured the essence of the recorded music of Led Zeppelin and brought it to the concert stage. The Philadelphia-based group consists of six veteran musicians, intent on delivering Led Zeppelin live, like you’ve never heard before! Utilizing the multi-instrumentalists at their disposal, GTLO re-creates songs, in all their depth and glory, with the studio overdubs that Zeppelin themselves never performed. When you hear three guitars on the album, GTLO delivers three guitarists on stage. No wigs or fake English accents, GTLO brings what the audience wants, a high energy Zeppelin concert with honest, heart-thumping intensity.

Like previous events announced in this outdoor series, events will be socially distanced, with fans being able to purchase tickets in roped-off PODS for parties of 2, 4 or 6. In an effort to create a safe experience for guests, a carefully throughout site plan has been developed allowing for temperature screenings and surveys to be conducted upon entering the event grounds. To adhere to social distancing guidelines, all PODS are spaced a minimum of six feet apart. A variety of food and beverage options will be available for purchase. Site map and FAQ for the venue can be found at applevalleypark.com/faq

ABOUT APPLE VALLEY PARK: Apple Valley Park is located in beautiful LaFayette, NY. With its rural atmosphere, rolling hills, and expansive fall foliage, it has proven to be a wonderful home to the annual LaFayette Apple Festival since 1973. More recently it has expanded to host other live entertainment events, including a few successful drive-in concerts in the fall of 2020.

Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday, May 14th at 10am at applevalleypark.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qmSuDl40Lc

May 13, 2021
Lineup Announced for 24th Brooklyn Film Festival

The Brooklyn Film Festival (BFF) has announced the film lineup for its 24th edition, titled “The Clearing.” Over the course of the 10-day festival, BFF will present 37 film programs online, and a partial line up of 22 programs in-person at Windmill Studios in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Brooklyn Film Festival’s organizers have been staging International, competitive film events since 1998. BFF’s mission is to provide a public forum in Brooklyn in order to advance public interest in films and the independent production of films. They seek to draw worldwide attention to Brooklyn as a center for cinema and to encourage the rights of all Brooklyn residents to access and experience the power of independent filmmaking. BFF, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit group that promotes artistic excellence and the creative freedom of artists without censure.

The 2021 edition will feature 36 World Premieres, 28 USA bows, 34 east coast debuts, and 25 first-time screenings in NY. In total, BFF will show in competition 147 features and shorts from 35 countries. The full lineup includes 13 narrative features and 9 documentary features highlighted in this release. The festival will also present 39 narrative shorts, 23 documentary shorts, 25 animation and 21 experimental films.

On June 5th, BFF will begin in-person screenings at Windmill Studios in Brooklyn at 3pm, with the feature documentary film Queens of Pain. At 6pm, there will be a short narrative program, led by the world premiere of Until, by Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, and at 9pm, BFF will present the world premiere of the feature narrative, American Desert.

Along with the film screenings, BFF will offer parallel events, such as pre-recorded filmmaker introductions and Q&A sessions on the festival website. Live interviews and get-togethers will be staged on Facebook and other social media.

Tickets are available on the BFF website. Tickets for indoor screenings must be purchased in advance, online. All tickets and passes purchased online for BFF indoor programs can be picked up at Windmill Studios. Online, BFF will sell each film category for $10 and a Full Festival Pass for $24. All passes will be valid 24/7 from June 4-13.

The online lineup will be available 24/7 for the entire 10 days, and the indoor event will feature three programs a day on weekends, and two on weekdays. Each program is two-hours long. To find out both the online and indoor schedule, check BFF’s website.

Below is a partial line up of feature films playing in competition this year listed in alphabetical order. For further info on all the films, passes, and tickets, please check the BFF website.

FEATURE NARRATIVES:

AMERICAN DESERT
Dir: Adrian Bartol, United States, 82 min, 2020, Narrative Feature, World Premiere
It’s 2010, US Army veteran Matt Benning has returned from Afghanistan to a wrecked economy. Demons of war haunt him, a romance blossoms.

BONE CAGE
Dir: Taylor Olson, Canada, 89 min, 2019, Narrative Feature, NY Premiere
Jamie works operating a wood processor, clear-cutting for pulp. At the end of each shift, he walks through the destruction he has created.

CORRAL
Dir: Marcelo Brennand, Brazil, 84 min, 2020, Narrative Feature, US Premiere
Corral is a political drama that takes place in rural Brazil, in the city of Gravatá, where during the mayoral elections.

GOSSAMER FOLDS
Dir: Lisa Donato, United States, 95 min, 2019, Narrative Feature, NY Premiere
In 1986, nine-year-old Tate Millikin is uprooted and unwillingly moved to the suburbs of Kansas City. As his parent’s marriage unravels.

HELL IS EMPTY
Dir: Jo Shaffer, United States, 98 min, 2020, Narrative Feature, World Premiere
A self-styled messiah initiates a teenage runaway into his cult of sister-wives. Her rebellious nature upends the community.

KALOKHACHYA PARAMBYA [PROP SHOOTS OF DARKNESS]
Dir: Makarand Anaspure, India, 98 min, 2020, Narrative Feature, East Coat Premiere
Prop shoots of Darkness is conflict of young orphan Alif about spirituality and material world. Industrious and helping everyone in the village.

KRINGLE TIME
Dir: Matthew Lucas, United States, 103 min, 2021, Narrative Feature, World Premiere
After becoming the unlikely star of a children’s show, a public access TV station manager grapples with the problematic legacy of his predecessor.

MOVING IN 2008
Dir: Calogero Carucci, United States, 78 min, 2020, Narrative Feature, East Coast Premiere
A family tragedy during the recession of 2008, catalyzed by unemployment, personal crisis, and illness.

ONE NIGHT IN KATHMANDU
Dir: Mohan Rai, Nepal, 70 min, 2019, Narrative Feature, US Premiere
A GIRL, 26—together with a BOY, 33, who is a stranger to her– take an injured man to a hospital when an accident take places near them.

TANGO SHALOM
Dir: Gabriel Bologna, United States, 116 min, 2020, Narrative Feature, NY Premiere
“TANGO SHALOM”: Moshe Yehuda (Jos Laniado), a Hasidic Rabbi and amateur Hora dancer, enters a big televised Tango competition to save his Hebrew school.

TWO IS A MAGIC NUMBER
Dir: Holger Borggrefe, Stefan Hering, Germany, 85 min, 2020, Narrative Feature, US Premiere
A day at the lake. Andrejs ex-girlfriend Nadia pays him a visit. Nadia and Andrej’s former best mate Claudius are a couple now.

UNDER THE LANTERN LIT SKY
Dir: Michelle Bossy, United States, 75 min, 2020, Narrative Feature, World Premiere
The story of Blanche DuBois and her husband, who in different ways are coming to terms with their sexuality in 1920s Mississippi.

WALK WITH ME
Dir: Isabel del Rosal, United States, 112 min, 2020, Narrative Feature, NY Premiere
As she braves life after divorce, a young mother must challenge herself to take some personal risks after finding love in an unexpected place.

FEATURE DOCUMENTARIES:

AND SO I STAYED
Dir: Natalie Pattillo, Daniel Nelson, United States, 90 min, 2020, Documentary Feature, World Premiere
And So I Stayed is an intimate story of domestic violence survivors who killed their abusers in self-defense.

INTO THE LIGHT
Dir: Benjamin Schwartz, United States, 74 min, 2020, Documentary Feature, NY Premiere
In the 1980’s Chuck Connelly was recognized as a key figure among the New York-based Neo-expressionist painters.

LIFE & LIFE
Dir: NC Heikin, United States, 80 min, 2020, Documentary Feature, East Coast Premiere
Life & Life focuses on pressing criminal justice issues in America as seen through the life of recent parolee Reggie Austin.

LITTLE PAKISTAN – FUTURE HISTORIES
Dir: Sana Akram, United States, 120 min, 2021, Documentary Feature, US Premiere
Little Pakistan – Future Histories is a dérive—a drifting in an online environment illustrating an immigrant neighborhood of Pakistani-Americans.

MAYOR MOHAMED
Dir: Jeffrey M., United States, Syria, Turkey, 86 min, 2021, Documentary Feature, World Premiere
In this quintessential film about the Muslim-American immigrant experience, Mayor Mohamed Khairullah risks his life to bring humanitarian relief into Syria.

ORGAN STOPS – SAVING THE KING OF INSTRUMENTS
Dir: James Dawson, United Kingdom, 70 min, 2021, Documentary Feature, US Premiere
Martin has spent his life playing and building pipe organs; nowadays he dedicates all his time to rescuing them – “It’s a real crisis.”

QUEENS OF PAIN
Dir: Cassie Hay, Amy Winston, United States, 75 min, 2020, Documentary Feature, NY Premiere
One of the most successful teams in New York sports history, Gotham Girls Roller Derby is a feminist powerhouse of elite athletes, misfits, and renegades.

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES
Dir: Hannah Jayanti, United States, 103 min, 2020, Documentary Feature
Truth or Consequences is a speculative documentary about time and how we weave the past into the present and our possible future.

THE WISDOM OF TRAUMA
Dir: Zaya Benazzo, Maurizio Benazzo, US, Canada, 88 min, 2021, Documentary Feature, World Premiere
Trauma is the invisible force that shapes our lives. It shapes the way we live, the way we love and the way we make sense of the world.

May 13, 2021
Hearing Aide: FRANK ‘Dreams and Fears of the Outside’

FRANK, a Brooklyn based group made up of Christian Linsey (drums and percussion, vocals), Billy Ziff (bass) and Scott Porter (guitar, vocals). On April 23, FRANK released their most recent piece of their already great discography. The title, Dreams and Fears of the Outside, is a perfect reflection of where we are now.

With the opening lyrics, “Things will never be the same now, somehow everything’s the same” FRANK puts forth their most eclectic album to date by changing everything while keeping their unique style intact. With a collection of folksy, lyrically driven tunes and funky dance numbers, this latest release offers something that everyone can enjoy. For that matter, this album is loaded with really unique songs that flow nicely into one another.

The album opens with “The Confusion”. This acoustic track builds brilliantly throughout and transitions into an incredibly danceable song, “New York (How I Feel)”. The group finds their groove here before moving on to a song that sounds like it could be right from The Big Pink. Big credit to the band for being able to span such a vast gamut of styles through the first half of the album. Though each song is so different, there is a cohesiveness to the atmosphere of the record.

The bass goes wild on “Namaste” as the drums groove with a spry pep. The energy picks as the anthemic “Can You Hear Me Now?” injects a bit of a Neil Young with guitarist Scott Porter’s dirty yet wonderfully melodic vocals. “Big Sur” is a great downtempo song with lush harmonies and a really harrowing guitar part that hovers like a cloud above the song. “Have a Good Time” is a beautifully written song. It has everything you want from a Rolling Stones influenced vibe. It still maintains the characteristic heavy drums and renegade guitar that FRANK has been putting on display throughout the record.

The last couple songs are a nice come down from the meaty middle of this release. “Today” is a perfect bookend for the album to pair with the opening track. This whole work is a pleasure to listen to, and as guitarist Scott Porter puts it, “The record is like calling a friend.” While each song oozes influence from past artists, FRANK does a spectacular job of making each tune their own. From top to bottom, there is not a song that you should skip. There is plenty of replay value. Keep on the lookout for more from this group. While they are split between the Catskills and NYC area currently, they are still able to release gems like this while apart. Stream the album and access all streaming platforms here. Check out their YouTube, Instagram and Facebook for more info.

Key Tracks: New York (How I Feel), Have a Good Time, Today

May 13, 2021