NYS Music 202​1

Category: Streams

  • Vision Festival 25 returns to NYC in July

    Vision Festival 25:  Breaking Free, Coming Home will display hundreds of artists of various disciplines—free jazz, poetry, visual arts, conversations— as one of the first in-person music festivals to return to New York City.

    The Arts for Art sponsored event will take place over seven nights, July 22-23 and 29-30 at Pioneer Works in Brooklyn, and July 24-25 and 31 at The Clemente in the Lower East Side, and all events will be in-person, outdoors and livestreamed. 

    Vision Festival Banner

    In 1996 the First Annual Vision Festival took place to bring together luminaries from different avant-garde music scenes and to celebrate the important African American leaders of the music. That first Vision Festival was unique in its multi-arts focus featuring poets in collaboration with the music. Each year since the Vision Festival has brought attention to issues of social justice by curating panel discussions, such as “Decolonizing the Music: Reclaiming the Power of Creative Music in Communities of Color” and “How Funding Affects Creative Choices.”  

    In-person, outdoors and livestream performances will feature William Parker, Amina Claudine Myers Lifetime Achievement, Elder Ones, Jaimie Branch, Fay Victor, Nicole Mitchell, James Blood Ulmer, David Murray, Cooper-moore, James Brandon Lewis, A Tribute To Milford Graves W/ John Zorn, Andrew Cyrille, and many more. Additional programming will be announced in the coming weeks. 

    Pianist, vocalist, poet, and actor Amina Claudine Myers will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award on July 23. Arts For Art will acknowledge Myers work including her achievements as a pianist, organist, composer, and singer. Her mentoring of many young musicians around the globe, especially women, for which she has been a shining and all too rare example. She is an extraordinary artist who has added so much to the important tradition of African American extended musical forms. 

    Myers is a founding member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (A.A.C.M.). She has recorded 11 albums under her leadership. Her recording career combines her gospel and blues inspirations with an improviser’s freedom and includes classic albums like The Circle of Time, Amina Claudine Myers Salutes Bessie Smith and her latest solo piano and voice effort Sama Rou (Songs From My Soul).

    As live shows become safer, we’ll gather and share our creative visions to make space for a more compassionate world. Vision’s message this year is about coming home to our strong self.  Our home is within. The past year gave us time to listen to ourselves and now we are home.

    Arts for Art founder, Patricia Nicholson Parker

    ARTS FOR ART PRESENTS

    VISION FESTIVAL 25:  BREAKING FREE, COMING HOME

    JULY 22-31 in NYC

    JULY 22-23, 29-30 @ PIONEER WORKS, BROOKLYN

    JULY 24-25 & 31 @ THE CLEMENTE, LOWER EAST SIDE

    VISION FESTIVAL 25 PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE 

    THURS, JULY 22 @ PIONEER WORKS 

    159 Pioneer Street, Brooklyn

    6:00pm Opening Healing Ceremony: William Parker – bass / Patricia Nicholson Parker – text, movement / Jean Carla Rodea – voice / Michael T.A. Thompson – drums

    7:00pm Music for a Free World Septet: Dave Sewelson – baritone sax / Aquiles Navarro – trumpet / Steve Swell – trombone / Dave Hofstra – tuba / Ava Mendoza – guitar / William Parker – bass / Marvin “Bugalu” Smith – drums

    8:00pm Cooper-Moore Solo: Cooper-Moore – piano

    8:45pm Dave Burrell & Darius Jones Duo: Dave Burrell – piano / Darius Jones – alto saxophone

    9:45pm Matthew Shipp String Trio: Matthew Shipp – piano / Mat Maneri – viola / William Parker – bass

    FRI, JULY 23 @ PIONEER WORKS 

    Amina Claudine Myers Lifetime of Achievement Celebration

    6:30pm The Amina Claudine Myers Voice Octet 

    7:30pm Poet Tyehimba Jess

    8:00pm  Generation IV: Amina Claudine Myers – voice, piano / Richarda Abrams – voice / Pyeng Threadgill – voice / Luna Threadgill-Moderbacher – voice 

    9:00pm Reflections: A Portrait of Amina Claudine Myers – Documentary film by Moon Lasso, produced by Arts for Art

    9:30pm The Amina Claudine Myers Trio: Amina Claudine Myers – piano, Hammond B3 / Jerome Harris – bass Reggie Nicholson – drums

    SAT, JULY 24 @ THE CLEMENTE, LA PLAZA OUTDOORS

    107 Suffolk St, New York

    5:00pm Creative Vision Youth Ensemble

    6:00pm Composers Workshop Ensemble: Warren Smith – drums, percussion / Rod Williams – piano / Larry Roland – bass, poetry / James Zollar – trumpet / Patience Higgins – tenor sax / Don Slatoff – baritone sax / Lloyd Haber – drums, percussion

    7:00pm ElectroFLUTTER: Fay Victor – voice, compositions / Nicole Mitchell – flute / Jamaaladeen Tacuma – bass guitar

    8:00pm Morris / Smith Tracie Morris – poetry / Cecilia Smith – vibes

    8:30pm Joe Morris & Tomas Fujiwara: Joe Morris – guitar / Tomas Fujiwara – drums

    9:30pm Tony Malaby’s Sabino Quartet: Tony Malaby – tenor, soprano saxophones / Ben Monder – guitar / Michael Formanek – bass / Tom Rainey – drums

    SUN, JULY 25 @ THE CLEMENTE, LA PLAZA OUTDOORS

    107 Suffolk St, New York

    6:00pm Whit Dickey Trio: Whit Dickey – drums / Rob Brown – alto saxophone / Mat Maneri – viola 

    7:00pm Pheeroan akLaff  Liberation Unit: Pheeroan akLaff – drums / Adegoke Steve Colson – piano / Michael Gregory Jackson – guitar 

    8:00pm Raymond Nat Turner: Raymond Nat Turner – poetry 

    9:00pm Third Landing: Ava Mendoza – guitar / Alexis Marcelo – keyboards / Luke Stewart- bass / Devin Brahja Waldman – horns / Ches Smith – drums / Abiodun Oyewole – spoken word

    9:30pm James Blood Ulmer ODYSSEY: James Blood Ulmer – guitar / Charles Burnham – violin / Warren Benbow – drums

    THURS, JULY 29 @ PIONEER WORKS 

    159 Pioneer Street, Brooklyn

    6:00pm Elder Ones: Amirtha Kidambi – voice, harmonium, synthesizer / Matt Nelson – soprano saxophone, effects / Eva Lawitts – bass, effects / Max Jaffe – drums, sensory percussion

    7:00pm James Brandon Lewis Quartet: James Brandon Lewis – tenor saxophone / Aruán Ortiz – piano / Brad Jones – bass / Chad Taylor – drums

    8:00pm Julie Ezelle Patton Rock Paper Twister: Julie Ezelle Patton – poetry / Janice Lowe – piano / Paul Van Curen – guitar / William Parker – bass / Nasheet Waits – drums / Special Guest – Vinie Burrows

    8:45pm Mara Rosenbloom Presents Flyways: Mara Rosenbloom – piano / Anaïs Maviel – voice, surdo / Rashaan Carter – bass

    9:45pm Trio 3 + Special Guest: Oliver Lake – alto saxophone / Reggie Workman – bass / Andrew Cyrille – drums + Special Guest – piano

    FRI, JULY 30 @ PIONEER WORKS

    159 Pioneer Street, Brooklyn 

    6:00pm Brandon Lopez Trio: Brandon Lopez – bass / Gerald Cleaver – drums / Steve Baczkowski – woodwinds

    7:00pm Ingrid Laubrock’s Monochromes: Jon Irabagon – saxophones / Ingrid Laubrock – saxophones / Zeena Parkins – harp / Tom Rainey – drums / performing with pre-recorded tapes

    8:00pm fly or die: jaimie branch – trumpet, voice, percussion / Lester St. Louis – cello, voice, percussion / Jason Ajemian- bass / Chad Taylor – drums, mbira, voice

    9:00pm Moten / Lopez / Cleaver: Fred Moten – poetry / Brandon Lopez – bass / Gerald Cleaver – drums

    9:30pm David Murray Octet Revival: David Murray – tenor sax, compositions / Lakecia Benjamin – alto sax / Terry Greene II – trombone / Josh Evans – trumpet / Mingus Murray – guitar / David Bryant – piano / Dezron Douglas – bass / Russell Carter – drums

    SAT, JULY 31 @ THE CLEMENTE, LA PLAZA OUTDOORS

    Tribute to Milford Graves

    6:00pm Andrew Cyrille: Andrew Cyrille – drum set

    7:00pm Joe McPhee Octet Tribute to Milford Graves: Warren Smith – vibes / Jay Rosen – drums/ Brandon Lopez, Michael Bisio– bass / James Keepnews – guitar / Jason Kao Hwang, Rosie Hertlein – violin / Joseph McPhee – reeds, brass

    8:00pm Shahzad Ismaily: Shahzad Ismaily – multiple instruments

    8:15pm John Zorn: John Zorn – alto saxophone

    8:30pm Tribute to Milford Graves: William Parker – bass / Lee Mixashawn Rozie – woodwinds / D.D. Jackson – piano / William Hooker – drums / Francisco Mela – drums9:30pm Drum, Horn, and Dance Tribute to Milford Graves

    In Person Tickets: Daily $65 | Full Pass $300 | VIP Pass $750

    Streaming Tickets: Daily $15 | Full Pass $75 

    More information about Vision Festival 25 can be found on the Arts For Art website. Tickets are available now at Eventbrite.

  • May installment of Dinner and a Movie to benefit Groovesafe

    For the May installment of Phish’s Dinner and a Movie archival stream series, they’ll go all the way back to Summer 1993 for a performance from Great Woods in Mansfield, MA. The non-profit Groovesafe is beneficiary of the night’s fundraising efforts, through the Waterwheel Foundation.

    groovesafe dinner and a movie

    The July 24, 1993 show was an early popular tape to trade in the 90s, and the second performance for Phish at the venue, where they have to date performed 17 times to date. Featuring stand out versions of “Stash,” “Mike’s Song” and “Weekapaug Groove,” as well as the return of “The Mango Song” after a 150 show gap, the seamless segue from “2001” -> “Split Open and Melt” makes this well worth listening to on Phishtracks.com.

    Groovesafe is an initiative to stop unwanted touching and sexual assault at concerts. The mission of this nonprofit is to create a no tolerance environment with an emphasis on building a consent culture.  GrooveSafe focuses on educating bands, venues, and fans on tactics that aim to make the live music experience safer. Groovesafe’s longterm goals include educating people on how to respond to assault, how to take action as an active bystander, and tips on staying safe. 

    Watch an interview with Groovesafe founder Ashley Driscoll here.

    groovesafe dinner and a movie
    Summer 1993 Doniac Schvice

    Dave Seigal, executive chef of the Michelin-acclaimed Cull & Pistol Oyster Bar as well as its sister seafood emporium, the Lobster Place Seafood Market, are both located in the heart of NYC’s Chelsea Market. Dave has been a Phish fan since the early ‘90s and has graciously provided recipes for this month’s dinner: Steamed Mussels with Green Coconut Curry and a Thai Salad. Recipes can be found here.

    Tune in before the show at 6:30pm on the Relix Twitch channel for The Dude of Life Band, who will perform a free livestream on the The Relix Channel, live from Relix Studio.

    Dinner and a Movie airs on Tuesday, May 25 at 8:30 pm ET/5:30 pm PT via webcast.livephish.com.

    Phish – July 24, 1993 – Great Woods Center for the Performing Arts, Mansfield, MA

    Set 1: Llama, Horn, Nellie Kane > Divided Sky, Guelah Papyrus, Rift, Stash, The Mango Song > Bouncing Around the Room, The Squirming Coil

    Set 2: Also Sprach Zarathustra > Split Open and Melt, Fluffhead > Maze, Glide > Sparkle > Mike’s Song > Yerushalayim Shel Zahav > Weekapaug Groove, Purple Rain > Hold Your Head Up, Daniel Saw the Stone > Good Times Bad Times

    Encore: Golgi Apparatus, Free Bird

    This show saw the first Mango Song since May 17, 1992 (150 shows). Fish teased Bouncing Around the Room before Mango. Maze contained Also Sprach Zarathustra teases from Trey. Page teased Under the Boardwalk in Mike’s Song.

  • SummerStage Anywhere to Honor Haitian Flag Day, George Floyd, Tulsa Race Massacre

    SummerStage Anywhere will hold two virtual programs this spring, honoring Haitian Flag Day, the 100th anniversary of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, and the year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd.

    On Thursday May 20th, SummerStage will present Haitian Flag Day featuring Gabel and Nancy St. Leger Dance Company at 8PM ET. SummerStage is partnering with the Rhythm Foundation to live-stream a concert directly from the newly renovated North Beach Bandshell in Miami Beach.

    The event will feature Haitian konpa group Gabel, who has been awarded countless awards and accolades within the Haitian Music Industry. They will be joined by Nancy St Leger Dance Company, a Haitian folkloric six-member dance company dedicated to the preservation of authentic Haitian Folklore dance. 

    On Tuesday, May 25 at 8PM ET, SummerStage will present the national premiere of the short film They Still Want To Kill Us. The aria by composer and activist Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR), performed by mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges and directed by filmmaker Yoram Savion, will mark the 100th anniversary of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

    The presentation is presented in conjunction with a collective of arts organizations from around the country and speaks truth to what transpired in 1921 at the Tulsa Race Massacre, an atrocity all but deleted from history until recently. Occurring over 18 hours from May 31 to June 1, 1921, a white mob attacked residents, homes, businesses, and places of worship in the predominantly Black Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma. This thriving business district and surrounding residential area, referred to as “Black Wall Street,” was burned to the ground. The tragedy remains one of the worst incidents of racial violence in U.S. history, and, for a period, remained one of the least known. Despite the fact hundreds of people were killed and thousands more left homeless, news reports were largely suppressed.

    They Still Want to Kill Us also commemorates the one year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, providing a commentary on progress this last century on the issue of race and America’s treatment of Black life. The aria is a part of a larger pocket opera of the same name currently being developed by DBR and slated to premiere in the 21-22 season.

    The program will include the premiere of the piece by Savion, a discussion with DBR and Bridges, moderated by Jamilla Deria and a statement by Damario Solomon-Simmons of the Justice for Greenwood Foundation.

    We are honored to continue SummerStage’s legacy as a presenter of through-provoking programming that uplifts BIPOC communities and makes visible art that is reflective of histories untold. At this moment of tremendous trauma and hope for change, work like Roumain’s is critical.

    Erika Elliott, SummerStage Anywhere Executive Artistic Director

    They Still Want to Kill Us was filmed in May 2021 in New York City’s Sultan Room and Central Park’s historic Seneca Village site. A 19th-century settlement mostly populated by the largest number of African American landowners in New York before the Civil War, the site was torn down to help make way for Central Park. 225 residents (two-thirds Black and one-third Irish) lost 50 homes, three churches, and a school of African American children. Through archival image references and evocative visual narrative, we connect the past and the present, highlighting a pattern of hidden and historically ignored state violence and the forcible displacement of African American landowning communities across the nation.

    haitian flag day george floyd
    Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) and J’Nai Bridges 

    DBR’s acclaimed work as a composer, performer, educator, and activist spans more than two decades, and he has been commissioned by venerable artists and institutions worldwide. “About as omnivorous as a contemporary artist gets” (New York Times), DBR is perhaps the only composer whose collaborations span Philip Glass, Bill T. Jones, Savion Glover, and Lady Gaga. He most recently scored the film Ailey (d. Jamila Wignot), which premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2021.

    What happened to American citizens on May 31, 1921 in Tulsa, Oklahoma was a massacre by white people perpetrated upon Black people. A toxic mix of misinformation, bigotry, ignorance, and white rage ignited a race war that left hundreds dead, a community destroyed, and a nation still struggling for its identity. It seems that some white people still want to kill us (Black people), and the murder of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd and so many others is evidence of this bloodlust sown deep within the American psyche. What are the words and methods of The New Racism? Each day we bear witness to it. Violence against those who are Other in America is deeply rooted in our history, and we have a choice. We can be silent — or we can move mountains and create new spaces for our communities.

    Daniel Bernard Roumain


    American mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges, known for her “rich, dark, exciting sound” (Opera News) is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after talents of her generation, gracing the world’s top stages in repertoire ranging from traditional favorites to world premieres to spirituals and standards.

    Tune in on May 20 for Haitian Flag Day celebration. They Still Want to Kill Us will stream for free at SummerStageAnywhere.org until July 31.

  • Allman Betts Band Announce Themed Livestream Performances

    Along with their in-person tour dates The Allman Betts Band has announced three virtual shows. NoCap will be hosting the three livestream shows for The Allman Betts Band during the month of June.

    The Allman Betts Band’s debut album Down to the River saw them selling out a US tour and topping charts until late July of 2019 when their European leg got cut short after Devon Allman’s hospital stay. After Allman’s healthy return and a run of fall tour dates, he and co-founder, guitarist, and singer Duane Betts, wrote their second album, Bless Your Heart. 

    Over a week’s time, they recorded 13 songs,  at Alabama’s Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, the historic recording facility where they’d cut their debut album with additional tracking in Memphis and St. Louis. Grammy-winning producer Matt Ross-Spang reprised his role helming the recording. 

    Bassist and singer Berry Duane Oakley’s ABB vocal debut on his original song (“The Doctor’s Daughter”). With guest contributions for Jimmy Hall, Shannon McNally, Art Edmaiston, Susan Marshall, and Reba Russell.  Singer-songwriter Stoll Vaughan, who collaborated on five of Down to the River’s nine tracks, advised on the developing material. 

    Among the setlist for the tour is “Magnolia Road,” “Pale Horse Rider,” “Ashes of My Lovers,” and “Airboats & Cocaine.”

    NoCap Allman Betts Band Livestream Shows

    Monday, June 14 – From the famous Village Studios in Los Angeles, The Allman Betts Band will play a special seated, intimate acoustic show. Featuring songs from Down to the River, Bless Your Heart and some other gems. 

    Monday, June 21 – The Allman Betts Band will play their latest album Bless Your Heart in its entirety for the first time ever. Live from the famous Roxy Theatre on The Sunset Strip in Hollywood, California. 

    Monday, June 28 – By very popular fan demand, The Allman Betts Band for the first time ever, will play an entire set of Allman Brothers Band songs. Live from the Roxy Theatre in Hollywood, California. 

    Allman Betts Band on Tour

    May 27 | Florence, SC @ Francis Marion University PAC

    May 29 | Birmingham, AL @ Alabama Theatre

    May 30, | Pensacola, FL @ Saenger Theatre

    Jun 1 | Key West, FL @ Key West Theatre

    Jun 2 | Key West, FL @ Key West Theatre

    Jun 3 | Delray Beach, FL @ Old School Square

    Jun 4 | Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall

    Jun 5 | Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock

    Jun 6 | Tallahassee, FL @ The Moon

    Jun 9 | Macon, GA @ Macon City Auditorium   

    Jun 10 | Walhalla, SC @ Walhalla Performing Arts

    Jun 11 | Ashland, VA @ The Pavilion

    Jun 12 | Union Hall, VA @ The Coves

    Jun 13 | Alexandria, VA @ Birchmere

    Jun 15 | Vineland, NJ @ Landis Theatre

    Jun 18 | Swanzey, NH @ Monadnock Drive-In

    Jun 19 | Lafayette, NY @ Apple Valley Park

    Full touring schedule and up to date news can be found here. Tickets for the NoCap livestreams are available here. 

  • Caffe Lena to host America Sings’ “A Tribute to Langston Hughes”

    Opera Saratoga has introduced the fourth installment of their 2021 America Sings digital concert series in Saratoga Springs. On Friday, May 21, the series will return to Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs for “A Tribute to Langston Hughes,” featuring baritone singer Justin Austin and pianist/composer Damien Sneed. Justin and Damien’s all Langston Hughes program will feature songs by Margaret Bonds, Robert Owens, Damien Sneed and Ricky Ian Gordon.

    caffe lena langston hughes
    America Sings Flier photo courtesy of Opera Saratoga website

    America Sings is a concert series that amplifies the voices of BIPOC artists, who have historically been underrepresented on the concert stage. Each event will feature a wide array of classical, jazz and popular music from various performers.

    Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright and columnist from Joplin, Missouri. One of the earliest innovators of jazz poetry, Hughes is best known as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance. In addition to poetry, Hughes wrote plays and short stories, and collaborated with many composers.

    All concerts in Opera Saratoga’s America Sings series are livestreamed to the public for free, but viewers are encouraged to contribute through a virtual tip jar during each event. All “tips” made during each concert will be split equally between Opera Saratoga and the featured artists, providing support to artists who have been financially impacted by the shutdown of live performances across the country.

    The Langston Hughes tribute event will be livestreamed at 7 p.m. on Caffe Lena’s YouTube Channel and the Facebook pages of both Opera Saratoga and Caffè Lena. For livestream access and more information, check out the Opera Saratoga website.

  • Mockingbird Foundation Announces Three-Day Streaming Event to Celebrate 25 Years

    In celebration of their 25th year of providing music education to America’s youth, the all-volunteer Mockingbird Foundation has announced a free, three-day streaming event that features a host of musicians, educators, and other speakers. The Mockingbird Sessions will stream live on June 4, 5, and 6 on Fans.live in what will be a celebration of music, education and community.

    Thanks to the efforts of dozens of people and multiple studios, Mockingbird Sessions includes an impressive schedule of artists including never-before-seen combinations; a series of Masterclasses showcasing the artistic philosophies of various artists and instruments; video testimonials from past Mockingbird grantees; and more.

    Mockingbird Foundation

    Mockingbird Sessions includes artists such as Marco Benevento, Joe Russo, and Christian McBride in a once-in-a-lifetime quartet with harpist Mikalea Davis; The Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio; The Yonder Mountain String Trio; Paul Hoffman (from Greensky Bluegrass); and many others in unique pairings and groups that were curated specifically for this event.

    Masterclasses will also be presented. These are se to showcase the artistic philosophies of various artists and instruments, like the bass panel featuring Reed Mathis, Karina Rykman, and Chris Wood and hosted by Dr. Stephanie Jenkins (noted host of the Phish Studies Conference in 2019). Testimonials by grantees will be sporadically shared during the weekend as well, and a limited edition print from artist Cory Rowe will also be available for purchase.

    The Mockingbird Foundation is an all-volunteer, fan-founded and managed 501c3 organization that has now been around since 1996. With the core goal of supporting music education for children, it has been operated entirely by fans, without any paid staff. The Foundation has now made 493 grants in all 50 states, totaling more than $1.8M. Funds for grants are obtained through generous donations from a loyal base of music fans, as well as through books, recordings, artwork, merchandise, and other special events.

  • Disco Biscuits Announce Tuesday Live Stream from The Fillmore

    From their hometown of Philadelphia, the Disco Biscuits will live stream a special show on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, from The Fillmore Auditorium in Philadelphia. The show will be limited to 42 lucky guests through the Disco Biscuits Facebook page. For those who can’t attend, streaming will be available via CouchTour.TV.

    disco biscuits fillmore stream

    The Disco Biscuits will be returning to Philadelphia for a stream from The Fillmore, an iconic venue that has hosted more sold out Disco Biscuits shows than any other artist. The band will take the stage Tuesday, May 18 in the city of Brotherly Love, with an exclusive set streaming on Couchtour.tv starting at 7pm ET/4pm PT. This single-day virtual tour stop will be followed by a series of sold out shows at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre over May 28-30, 2021. 

    Couchtour.tv has been the virtual host for The Disco Biscuits’ tour as the streaming platform offers each of The Disco Biscuits shows from the 2021 tour for purchase through their website for single day tickets and weekend passes. Fans can log in on Couchtour.tv to watch the shows live in hi-definition audio and video in addition to having access to watch the shows on-demand. 

    The Disco Biscuits are deep in their 2021 tour that features an array of drive-in concerts and group pod events, in addition to livestreams via Sessions Live and Couchtour.tv. The band wrapped up two shows in Sussex County, New Jersey this past weekend, May 14-15.

    The Disco Biscuits – May 14, 2021 – Sussex County Live, Augusta, N.J.
    Set 1: Mulberry’s Dream-> Jigsaw Earth (inverted)-> Mulberry’s Dream, Jam-> The Great Abyss-> 4th of July
    Set 2: Air Song-> Hero-> And the Ladies Were the Rest of the Night-> Cyclone-> Orch Theme-> Rapture-> And the Ladies Were the Rest of the Night
    Encore: The Great Abyss (middle)-> Clocks

    The Disco Biscuits – May 15, 2021 – Sussex County Live, Augusta, N.J.
    Set 1: Helicopters-> I-Man-> Bombs-> Voices Insane-> I-Man-> Helicopters
    Set 2: Reactor-> Anthem-> Lunar Pursuit-> Bernstein and Chasnoff (inverted)-> Little Shimmy in a Conga Line (ending only), Triumph-> Reactor, Run Like Hell-> Rock Candy (ending only)
    Encore: Confrontation

  • 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 2021

    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.

  • LOVE ROCKS NYC Returns to The Beacon Theater in June 2021

    Live music comes back to New York’s Upper West Side this summer. The fifth annual LOVE ROCKS NYC benefit concert for God’s Love We Deliver returns on Thursday, June 3, 2021. Produced by John Varvatos, LOVE ROCKS NYC will be shown as a live stream event courtesy of platform Fans.Live from the historic Beacon Theatre in New York City. Rochester native drummer Steve Gadd will perform as part of the amazing house band put together by Music Director and band leader Will Lee.

    LOVE ROCKS NYC

    The stellar house cast will include Steve Gadd, Shawn Pelton, Eric Krasno, Larry Campbell, Jeff Young and Ricky Peterson. Ken Dashow will serve as the house DJ. The event will be hosted by Jeff Garlin from Curb your Enthusiasm, Michael Imperioli from The Sopranos, New York Yankee Bernie Williams and Special Guest Tina Fey of SNL. This years featured performers all-star lineup of pop, rock, blues and soul music stars to include Sara Bareilles, Jon Bon Jovi,, Gary Clark Jr., Billy F Gibbons, Warren Haynes, Joe Bonamassa, Emily King, Ledisi, Pedrito Martinez, Tash Neal, Fantastic Negrito, Ivan Neville, Robert Randolph, Nathaniel Rateliff, Jimmy Vivino, Yola and more to be added.

    LOVE ROCKS NYC
    Steve Gadd, Robert Plant, Will Lee, Eric Krasno LOVE ROCKS NYC 2019

    The past four LOVE ROCKS NYC benefit concerts have delivered a staggering array of music stars from legendary headliners such as Keith Richards, Dave Matthews, Mavis Staples, Robert Plant, Warren Haynes, Emmylou Harris, Buddy Guy, Andra Day, Ziggy Marley, Ann Wilson and Sheryl Crow to rising stars such as Leon Bridges, Marcus King, Allen Stone, Larkin Poe, Hozier and The War and Treaty.

    LOVE ROCKS NYC 2020 served as a milestone as the first of many live streams last year with the touchdown of the pandemic before its performance last March. Upper West side resident Trey Anastasio helped carry the virtual torch at the end of last year with an 8 week residency to help raise money under the Beacon Jams for a charitable cause. This year’s concert event will also pay tribute to the NYC Front line workers who have played a critical role in supporting the city during the pandemic.

    Dave Matthews LOVE ROCKS NYC 2020

    Fans anywhere can experience this memorable night of music by signing up at loverocksnyc.com to receive a free live stream link. You can help support the organization through the special $20 = 2 Meals suggested donation option on the website. Love Rocks NYC has helped raise more than $13 million to date.

    Derek Trucks and his wife, Susan Tedeschi were surprise musical guests at last March’s Love Rocks NYC benefit. Attendance was limited to venue and production staff, artists and their teams and media. “That was the day they shut down, no gatherings over 500 people. So they did the show just for the webcast with maybe 200 or 300 guests in the audience,” Trucks said of the night. “It felt so strange to look over the Beacon and see a few hundred people dancing and having a good time but keeping their distance. It was an odd scene. That one felt like the last party before the end of the world.”

    Paul Shaffer, David Letterman, Jeff Coffin LOVE ROCKS NYC 2020

    Last March’s most special guest David Letterman reunited with Paul Shaffer on stage in New York City for the first time in five years. Letterman made light of the newly presented restrictions for the live music entertainment world by quoting Tom Petty’s song “Letting You Go.” “It’s a restless world, uncertain times, you said hope was getting hard to find.”

    Letterman elaborated, “After listening to that song, tonight it occurs to me that when things are hard, harder than they’ve ever been, even more troubled, you have got to look for something positive and one of the great gifts, one of the great blessings of life, honest to God, is live music.”


  • March on Broadway: Actors Stream in Protest of Inequity

    Tuesday, May 11 kicked off a three-part streaming event to combat racism and inequity in the Broadway community. The March on Broadway includes actors Laura Benanti, Stephanie J. Block, Sierra Boggess, Kelli O’Hara, and Celia Keenan-Bolger have joined March on Broadway’s fight against the treatment of minority Broadway workers.

    march on broadway

    The actors are each hosting guest speakers live to talk about the treatment of those with minority status on Broadway. Yesterday at 9AM, Lauren Benanti (@laurabenanti) talked with Davon Williams and Courtney Daniels about the Black Theatre Matters Bill, a monumental piece of legislation that has passed through the Actors’ Equity Association’s First Inaugural National Convention that stands poised to radically change the union and the industry at large.

    Tonight, May 12, at 9PM, Stephanie J. Block (@stephaniejblock) will host Jaime Cepero, Shakina Nayfack, and L Morgan in a conversation centered around Trans, Non-Binary, and Gender Non-Conforming Artist inclusion in the theatre industry.

    Tomorrow, May 13, at 2PM Sierra Boggess (@officialsierraboggess) will talk with Nattalyee Randall, Ryan J. Haddad, and Joshua Castille about Deaf and Disabled community within the theatre industry and its issues with accessibility. An ASL interpreter will be present for the duration of the livestream. Viewers are encouraged to participate in every conversation and share their thoughts.

    march on broadway
    The March on Broadway, April 22. Photo by Rebecca J Michaelson (@rebeccajmichaelson)

    The March on Broadway was held on April 22nd in protest against the Broadway League and the Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), the union for live theatre performers. The protest was a response to the inequitable treatment of marginalized communities and hoped to create change which would make Broadway a safer place to work when shows open.

    The protest was also sparked by the Hollywood Reporter’s cover story about Scott Rudin, a Broadway and film producer with an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and 17 Tonys. Several interns have come out with horror stories about the way he treated them. Each was subject to nearly constant verbal and physical abuse. Kevin Ghram-Caso, Rudin’s executive assistant from 2008-2009, developed PTSD after working for the producer and later committed suicide.

    march on broadway
    Sis and Ashley De La Rosa. Photo by Rebecca J Michaelson

    The protest and live streams focus on the following five demands:

    1. Following Scott Rudin’s resignation from the Broadway League, the Actors’ Equity Association must take immediate action in adding him to the “Do Not Work” list. 
    2. A full report on how the 2019-2020 Equity dues were spent and what percentage was spent to help conversations around diversity. 
    3. A full list of organizations that AEA is working with to help Black, Indigenous, and POC feel safer. 
    4. Specific plans of action and a timeline for how the Black Theatre Matters bill will be implemented as well as greater visibility on how the national council votes on policy. 
    5. Working to achieve greater inclusion for Trans, Non-Binary, and Gender Non-Conforming union members. Working to achieve greater inclusion and accessibility for Deaf and Disabled union members.  

    Protest organizers Nattalyee Randall and Courtney Daniels said, “At a time where marginalized communities are doing most of the heavy lifting, it is essential for our allies to accept their role and position in dismantling white supremacy.”

    march on broadway
    Photo by Rebecca J Michaelson

    Days after the Hollywood Reporter published the story on Rudin, the AEA and other entertainment industry unions released a joint statement speaking out against workplace harassment. On April 17, AEA asked Rudin to release his staff from NDAs, which force his assistants to remain anonymous or silent. A spokesperson for Rudin said “he is stepping back from his professional work, so that he can do the proper work to address these issues.”

    Still, the fight is far from over. The Broadway League has not commented on the March on Broadway or Rudin’s abusive behavior. “Now can you believe what we have done in six days?” Courtney Daniels asks. “Now could you imagine what we could do in a month?” The streams are leading up to the meeting between the AEA and March on Broadway’s organizers on the 14th to talk about these demands.

    We have a union that is interlocked in supremacy. We are tired of the town halls. We have waited an entire year for our union to work for us. To give us answers. To show us transparency. No, we will not be easily distracted.

    Courtney Daniels

    Find more information about March on Broadway here. Follow on Instagram @50milerunforjusticeprotest and @randomblackgirllll