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Albany Pro Musica Announces 2021-2022 Season

Albany Pro Musica has announced their 2021-2022 season featuring new compositions, educational programming, and more.

The Albany Pro Musica are a preeminent choral ensemble based in New York’s Capital Region. They are known for their distinctive artistic style and of a wide range of musical genres. They are critically acclaimed for their performances of intimate a cappella pieces and large-scale choral works alike. They are led by Opalka Family Artistic Director Dr. José Daniel Flores-Caraballo. They reside at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.

Albany Pro Musica will be returning to the concert hall in 2021 after having a fully virtual 40th anniversary season last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This season will feature Broadway to Brahms with a little something for everyone. This season will feature the high level of artistry and creativity that is known from them. This season will feature new compositions, educational programming, and more.

Support for our 2021-2022 season comes from their marquee season underwriters: Isabel Bader, Al De Salvo and Rachael Thompson Biggs, in memory of Susan Thompson, Ellen Jabbur and Chet and Karen Opalk.

The season will start off with Cabaret Uncorked! on September 25, 2021 at 5PM at the Altamont Vineyard and Winery. The event will feature members of Albany Pro Musica, The John Sauer Trio, José Daniel Flores-Caraballo, and the Opalka Family Artistic Director.

On October 24, 2021 they will host their Let’s Talk About Love event at 3PM at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. The event will host Albany Pro Musica Concert Chorus, José Daniel Flores-Caraballo, and Opalka Family Artistic Director.

On December 19, 2021 at 3PM the The Many Moods of Christmas event will take place at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. The event will feature the Albany Pro Musica Concert Chorus and Orchestra Pro Musica, José Daniel Flores-Caraballo, and the Opalka Family Artistic Director.

On March 6, 2022 at 3PM the Rachmaninoff’s All Night Vigil event will take place at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. The event will feature Albany Pro Musica Concert Chorus, José Daniel Flores-Caraballo, Opalka Family Artistic Director, Elizabeth Eschen as mezzo-soprano, David Vanderwal as tenor, Elizabeth as Pitcairnand violin.

On May 8, 2022 at 3PM the Brahms’s Human Requiem event will take place at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. The event will feature Albany Pro Musica Masterworks Chorus and Orchestra Pro Musica, José Daniel Flores-Caraballo, Opalka Family Artistic Director, Laquita Mitchell as soprano, Michael Chioldi as baritone, and Marcos Daniel Flores-Caraballo on piano.

On August 8, 2022 at 3PM the Broadway Pro Musica! It will take place at the Park Playhouse in Washington Park. The event will feature Albany Pro Musica Concert Chorus and the Pro Musica Pops, José Daniel Flores-Caraballo, and Opalka Family Artistic Director.

The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall Corp. requires proof of vaccination for entry to all events at the Music Hall or any ancillary location. Those individuals unable to be fully vaccinated, including children under 12, must have proof of a negative Covid PCR test (taken within 48 hours of performance). TMH staff will check for proof of vaccination and negative Covid PCR tests at the doors as a condition of entry. Additionally, masking is required inside the venue for the duration of your visit. Patrons and employees will be required to wear masks, except while actively eating or drinking.

For more information on Albany Pro Musica 2021-2022 season visit their website.

September 20, 2021
Holly Bowling and Tom Hamilton announce Debut Album “Lacuna,” Perform at (Le) Poisson Rouge in November

Ghost Light members Holly Bowling and Tom Hamilton will release their first album as a duo, Lacuna, on November 19 via Royal Potato Family, with six intimate performances starting on November 26 in New York City.

The music on Lacuna comes from one stream of consciousness – a completely improvised recording session at Hamilton’s studio The Ballroom in Philadelphia. Through a series of ambient excursions, Hamilton and Bowling showcased their powerful musical connection, as seen in a video excerpt from the recording session below.

The impetus for recording Lacuna came during the summer of 2020 while Bowling was isolated at her home in Northern California and Hamilton essentially lived in his Philadelphia studio. Bowling—pregnant with her first child at the time—embarked on a cross-country road trip to visit her family in Maine. On her way back home in September, she took a detour to visit Hamilton. The pair caught up, sat down at their instruments, Bowling on baby grand piano and Hamilton on acoustic guitar, and hit record.

It was all very organic. We hit save, she left, and we didn’t talk about it.
Tom Hamilton

The music would sit on a hard drive, unheard, until Hamilton listened back in February 2021 and realized they had something special. The resulting 46 minutes of ambient instrumental improvisation became Lacuna. Recorded in one take with no overdubs, the pair had to reverse engineer the album, splitting the improvisation into eight tracks with names.

We were just playing to play. I was so intensely missing that spark and connection of playing music with someone else and having that back and forth. It was the happiest I had been in ages, even though the music sounds pretty dark in places, and it was definitely a very dark time. Tapping into that and then getting it out was cathartic.
Holly Bowling

The title Lacuna came from one of the many books Bowling read during quarantine. She didn’t know what the word meant so she looked it up and found that the definition: “a gap, an unfilled space, or an intentional, extended passage in a musical work during which no notes are played.” It perfectly encapsulated the pandemic era and the sounds the pair had made while living through it. “I’ve felt more and more comfortable in those in-between spaces,” Bowling says. “That’s really where I’ve been wanting to spend my time, and with Lacuna, that’s the entire thing.”

Among the six shows are performances in New York City, Colorado and San Francisco, with additional dates planned for 2022. The first show is at (Le) Poisson Rouge in Greenwich Village on November 26, followed by a special performance on November 27 at The Ballroom, the studio where Lacuna was born. Tickets for are on sale now, while pre-order/pre-save for Lacuna on both vinyl and digital formats is available here.

Lacuna, Featuring Tom Hamilton & Holly Bowling Tour Dates

11/26 – New York, NY – (Le) Poisson Rouge
11/27 – Philadelphia, PA – The Ballroom
12/17 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater
12/18 – Beaver Creek, CO – Vilar Performing Arts Center
12/19 – Denver, CO – Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox (On Sale 9.24)
3/5/22 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel

September 20, 2021
Dave Matthews Band Returns to SPAC

Dave Matthews Band arrived at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on September 17, 2021, for the first of two shows at one of their most familiar stomping grounds. Matthews briefly grew up in the Hudson Valley of New York before heading to South Africa, then to Charlottesville, VA to form his eponymous band.

The first concert Dave ever saw was that of Pete Seeger. “My parents took my brother, my sisters and me. I will never forget it. I was little. Dancing in a field in Upstate New York while the grown-ups sat on the grass.” Dave was able to share the Saratoga stage with a 94 year-old Pete at the September 2013 Farmaid concert.

Dave Matthews Band opened their two night run at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on Friday with a nod to Seeger by performing “Rye Whiskey,” the first time the full band has played it since Bethel Woods in 2009. A variation on the traditional Scottish folk song “Way Up on Clinch Mountain”, Seeger’s version includes the lyrics “If the ocean was whiskey and I was a duck, I’d swim to the bottom and never come up.”

Tim Reynolds warmed Saratoga up with a two night acoustic run on his own at Putnam Place back in June. He told NYS Music about playing smaller rooms before his sold out SPAC shows “Oh incredible man, I think this year is wide open.”

The band extended out “So Damn Lucky” from the 2003’s Some Devil, seguing into Sly and The Family Stone’s “Thank You Falletinme Be Mice Elf again.” Dave Matthews had reunited with Some Devil bassist Tony Hall for their Labor Day weekend shows at The Gorge Amphitheater in George, WA, where Hall sat in on low end for bassist Stefan Lessard. Hall told NYS Music about the recording of Some Devil “I had a lot of fun with that record. One of my favorite songs is “So Damn Lucky.”

A new song debuted by the band this tour, “Walk Around The Moon,” has a psychedelic sound based on a true story of being lost in the woods with unexpected consequences very fitting for Saratoga Spa State park with its forest lining. The band shone a moonlit glow on the crowd for “You Never Know” with it’s fitting lyrics, “Funny when you’re small, The moon follows the car there’s no one but you see Hey, the moon is chasing me”.

The seven piece took “Jimi Thing” for a walk down multiple SPAC trails mashing up covers by Huey Lewis’ “I Want a New Drug,” Prince’s “Sexy Motherfucker” and The Rolling Stones. Dave took on Mick Jagger’s front man energy while singing the Stones staple “Satisfaction” in honor of Charlie Watts, for whom Dave Matthews Band had opened up for in the past.

All the lovers in attendance got a “#41,” “Say Goodbye,” and “Lover Lay Down” to keep their flames lit. Tony Hall’s cajun influence is heard during the appropriate “Louisiana Bayou” jam. The band encored an upstate New York anthem “Don’t Drink The Water,” with the poignant “here’s the hitch your horse is leaving” lyric for the Saratoga race track heads.

Night two at SPAC and the weather was perfect for more Dave Matthews Band. “Big Eyed Fish” opened the show, as the crowd was treated to “#27,” “The Stone,” and “Sugar Will,” all three being golden tunes to catch a vibe. Up next Buddy Strong kicked that B3 Hammond up for a howling cover of The Zombies “Time of the Season.” “Pantala Naga Pampa ” -> “Rapunzel” musical ride hit hard mid set, with “Granny” reminding the crowd why they were in attendance (Love!!!…Baby!!!)

The ensemble closed with Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower,” while midway through the chilling cover, Dave came in with the final verses of “Stairway to Heaven.” The house lights went up and a fresh fall air set on the crowd. The encore jumped seasons with “Christmas Song,” a simple song about the message of love through baby Jesus.

They finish with “Shake me like a Monkey” to make sure the crowd is on the same page before exiting into our lives: “Do you know what it is to feel the light of love inside you? And all the darkness falls away. If you feel the way I feel then I believe we have the answer. That I’ve been searching for tonight”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eei2lTAiP6Q

Dave Matthews Band – September 17, 2021 – Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), Saratoga Springs, NY

Setlist: Rye Whiskey, One Sweet World, That Girl Is You, Pig, So Damn Lucky, Can’t Stop, Walk Around the Moon, You Never Know, Minarets, Jimi Thing, I Want a New Drug, Sexy M.F., Brown Sugar, Bitch, (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, #41, Say Goodbye, Kill the Preacher, Why I Am, What You Are, Lover Lay Down, Louisiana Bayou, Stay (Wasting Time),

Encore: Sister, Don’t Drink the Water

Dave Matthews Band – September 18, 2021 – Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), Saratoga Springs, NY

Setlist: Big Eyed Fish, Bartender, Grace Is Gone, Grey Street, #27, The Stone, So Much to Say, Anyone Seen the Bridge, Too Much, Sugar Will, Crush, Squirm, Lying in the Hands of God, Time of the Season, Pantala Naga Pampa, Rapunzel, Drive In, Drive Out, Granny, Warehouse, All Along the Watchtower

Encore: Christmas Song, Shake Me Like a Monkey

Photos by Conor McMahon

September 19, 2021
Phoebe Bridgers Gets Vulnerable at Artpark
Indie artist Phoebe Bridgers made a stop in Lewiston for her Reunion Tour. On September 15 the witty lyricist filled Artpark with skeleton suits and serenity.

Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty

In a surprise turn of events, Phoebe Bridgers’ guitarist ended up opening the show. After two long years, Harrison Whitford finally got to perform live again. His guitar skills and soft vocals captured the crowd’s attention. His sense of ease on stage meshed well with his heart felt lyrics. The performance made the audience even more eager for the following act.

Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty

Fans screamed with excitement as the group dressed in skeleton costumes ran on stage to the iconic Black Eyed Peas song, “I Gotta Feeling.” Phoebe Bridgers immediately grabbed her guitar and opened up the show with the viral single “Motion Sickness.” The Grammy nominated musician has an ethereal presence on stage. Her angelic voice and smooth guitar strums carry the audience through these complicated yet all too relatable human emotions.

The new tour has allowed Phoebe to perform her latest releases that haven’t been heard live before. In 2020, she dropped her second solo album Punisher. Fans got to hear a lot of these newer songs like “Kyoto,” “Halloween,” and “Savior Complex.” Phoebe’s dreamy hooks make her ability to capture the different brands of depression that much more hard-hitting.

Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty

The renowned musician described her show in Buffalo as “a rock concert with no rock music.” This is a perfect way to define the rare environment Phoebe creates at her concerts. She can pull at very specific heart strings that entrance her listeners into a seemingly new world. Through struggles with depression, a turbulent relationship with her father, and lack of faith, Phoebe doesn’t shy away from raw honesty. She further opened doors of vulnerability as the night closed with “I Know the End” and the buzzing Bo Burnham song “That Funny Feeling.” A sensation of awe swept over the whole venue that night.

Setlist: I Gotta Feeling (Black Eyed Peas), Motion Sickness, DVD Menu, Garden Song, Kyoto, Punisher, Halloween, Smoke Signals, Chinese Satellite, Moon Song, Savior Complex, Funeral, ICU, Scott Street, Me & My Dog (boygenius), Graceland Too, I Know the End

Encore: That Funny Feeling (Bo Burnham)

All Photos By Maddie McCafferty
September 19, 2021
Gogol Bordello Bring The Immigrant Punk Party to Burlington

Gogol Bordello, the legendary gypsy-punk collective known for their high-energy shows and genre-bending music, touched down in Vermont on Wednesday, performing at Higher Ground in Burlington, VT.

The show replaced a Montreal tour date that was rescheduled due to shifting COVID regulations. But Gogol Bordello has a long history in the Burlington area. Frontman Eugene Hutz moved to the area with his family when they first came to the states, as political refugees from Ukraine in 1992. Already an avid guitarist, Hutz formed popular local punk band The Fags before eventually moving to New York, where he would form Gogol Bordello in 1999.

The anticipation among the crowd at Higher Ground matched that long, storied history. Concertgoers of all ages mulled around the venue, often greeting each other with a smile and asking “you ready?” A worthy question– it’s hard to be fully ready for the kind of breakneck, immersive experience that is a Gogol Bordello show.

Nu Folk Rebel Alliance, a duo of Gogol Bordello member Pedro Erazo and guitarist Leo Minimum Tek, opened the show. A frequent associate of Gogol Bordello, Nu Folk Rebel Alliance shares their passion for blending global folkloric traditions with a punk rock twist. Pedro Erazo proves a charismatic presence, as arresting on vocals and percussion as in front of a DJ table. An electro-influence cover of “Working Class Hero” cemented the band’s power-to-the-people message, along with original “Fronteras,” an immigration anthem which Erazo addressed to “our brothers and sisters at the border.” Fronteras features a spaghetti-western guitar riff over heavy bass, nimbly blending the old with the new. The song bitingly addresses those who “wash their hands with corruption/ Making our lives miserable/ Miseducating our hoods.” Sung in Spanish and English, “Fronteras” urges immigrants of all nations to rise up in international solidarity and fury.

The humming Romani melodies signaling Gogol Bordello’s entrance began echoing before the group even stepped on stage, mesmerizing the crowd. The longer it lasted, the more voices in the audience called for them: “We want you!” A security guard tapped me, warning “you might want to be ready to get out of the way. Just in case there’s crowd surfers.” What exactly was I in for?

What I was in for, it turned out, was a rousing, electric and moving performance; a “gypsy punky party,” as Eugene Hutz declared. Once they began performing it proved impossible to look away. Their musical capability is astounding; just drums, violin and an acoustic guitar can give the impression of the center of a thunderstorm. Each song seems to feature a new instrument offering the perfect final tough; bongos, or bells, or an enormous marching bass drum.

The band’s unity, creativity and technical skill make thundering tracks like “Wonderlust King” and “Immigraniada” feel stadium-worthy. But the close environment of a club offered Gogol Bordello an opportunity to highlight their other grand talent: engaging an audience. Hopping from platform to platform and teetering at the edge of the stage, the band treats the stage like a playground and encourages the audience to adopt the same mentality. Many times, Hutz spun his hands as the crowd energy grew and grew, literally stirring the pot.

What felt most revolutionary about the performance was its embodiment of the Gogol Bordello’s mission: breaking boundaries, emphasizing global solidarity, and rejecting the norm. Even the band itself was somewhat shifted; Gogol Bordello announced on Tuesday members Ashley Tobias and Boris Pelekh had tested positive for COVID-19 and were quarantining. Leo Minimum Tek stood in for Pelekh with the rousing support of Hutz, whose unfettered, wiley joy seems utterly unsinkable. Waltzing across the stage in an open, tasseled bolero jacket, twirling his guitar as casually as the bottle of Brazilian rum he brought onstage, Hutz couldn’t be less bothered. His demeanor of carelessness seemed to say: Hey, the world is fucked, but we can have fun with it, together. The emotion is as intoxicating as their breathless musical pace.

Furthermore, crowd participation isn’t optional with Gogol Bordell. Hutz’s gutterall yells and ad-libs always include a microphone to the crowd, and occasionally a tease to get louder. But the chaos of their music never loses you, as the mind-boggling technique kill violinist Sergey Ryabtsev specifically catches you and doesn’t let go. His mesmerizing violin brings to mind a lived-out version of The Devil Went Down To Georgia, the classic tune where a musician plays for his life. Ryabtsev could surely beat the devil at this game, even in his own territory.

The band came out for a lengthy, rowdy encore after an hour-long set, performing classics like “Start Wearing Purple,” and new track “Roaring 2020s.” As wild moshing continued in the pit, a couple on the edge of the crowd waltzed together, twirling furiously. No one wanted the party to end.

However, all parties must end, and before they headed offstage Gogol Bordello stood together, extending their arms to the crowd. Though they had been the ones to bring their wild breed of freedom, we had all shared in the moment, and they thanked us. Hutz left the audience with a final, affecting message: “Don’t believe the hype, don’t believe the anti-hype. Stay fucking centered.”

Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song,” played as the crowd trickled back out into the night. Whatever had been released in that theater left, in its place, a free and easy feeling; the performance had captured the angst, energy and possibly fleeting joy of this moment in time. When Gogol Bordello say they ‘confront the jaded and the irony-deseased,” they mean it. Their inspiring message of international-mindedness, righteous fury and pure fun is enough to leave the most jaded of souls with hope for the future. That is, a future with lightning rods like Gogol Bordello in it.

September 19, 2021
John Burdick Serves Up Dreamy Art Pop on Debut EP “Birds and Birds”

The veteran guitarist and songwriter John Burdick is known in the mid-Hudson Valley as the leader of long-running stumble pop quintet, The Sweet Clementines, as well as for his work as an always tasteful sideman for Old 97’s front man Rhett Miller and his All-Stars, indie singer-songwriter Laura Stevenson and others. The name may also be familiar to music-lovers in NYS from his years as a music critic for outlets like Almanac Weekly (now Hudson Valley One) and Chronogram.

Birds and Birds is the name of Burdick’s latest, a four-track EP which is actually the first title released under his own name. It’s a maddening slim selection (at a little over 14-minutes, I wish there was more) of lush down-tempo art pop, the ideal chill-out listening experience for these troubled COVID times.

With the intro to “Unison Waltz,” we can hear that Burdick has spent a good deal of time listening to the electric guitar filagree of Richard Thompson. Like all the songs here, there’s a delight swirl of textures stitched by the electric and acoustic guitars, keys and background voices. Ten bonus points for working the word “gestalt” into the lyrics without having the tune grind to a halt! The slacker-rock socio-economic critique “Complikate” came out of SubFamily Records’ casual quarantine experiment Seed Project (reviewed here). But it was re-mixed for this collection by the Grammy-winning producer Danny Blume. This features more distinctive organ vibes and some melodic McCartneyisms on the bass.

The closer, “Birds of Heaven,” is a true standout, a perfect endpiece that reminds me a bit of John Cale’s placement of “Antarctica Starts Here” on his masterwork. Paris 1919. It dawns as the most minimal and poetic offering in the collection, before the thump kicks in two minutes in. Burdick’s ambient guitars, lush keys from Sarah Perrotta, the potent percussion and sound design by this track’s co-producer C.I.T.E and Dean Brown’s trombone solo on the make this another fine example of this artist’s eclectic art pop sensibilities.

Key Tracks: Birds of Heaven, Complikate
<a href="https://johnburdick.bandcamp.com/album/birds-and-birds">Birds and Birds by John Burdick</a>

September 18, 2021
Preservation Hall Jazz Band Celebrates NOLA Heritage at Ridgefield Playhouse
On September 3, Preservation Hall Jazz Band drew in a packed house at The Ridgefield Playhouse bringing with them the soul of New Orleans jazz and heritage. With merely less than a week since the devastating Hurricane Ida hitting New Orleans, their keep-your-head-up spirit radiated from their voices and music. (Links to NOLA hurricane relief fundraisers are included at the end of the article)

Preservation Hall is celebrating a big milestone this year. It’s the 60th anniversary since their founding in 1961 after Allan and Sandra Jaffe inherited a hybrid art & music gallery space on St. Peter Street in the French Quarter. Today the band is carries on a family tradition being led by Allan’s son, Ben Jaffe. Much like the nightly concerts put on by members of the Preservation Hall collective at their New Orleans venue, the show took us through various flavors of the New Orleans jazz tradition with the spice of their own touch blending other cultural music styles in their arrangements.

The second set brought a special surprise for the audience, in a way a blessing introduced by Hurricane Ida. Jaffe walked out on stage with a clarinet to say some introductory words, referencing a musician who, because of the hurricane timing, evacuated New Orleans with the band rather than other possible alternatives. A living legend of the Preservation Hall collective, 89-years-young Charlie Gabriel, was brought out for the entirety of the remainder of the show. Gabriel’s passion for the saxophone, music, and comradery for his bandmates gave him a youthful but refined liveliness as he stood alongside his bandmates on stage.

That French Quarter street music feel had many toes tapping the whole night and as the heat grew on stage the theater was brought to their feet, seemingly shaking loose the weight of the past year. The band capped the end of the night with two burners, “La Malanga” and their Cuba-inspired composition “Keep Your Head Up.”

Preservation Hall Jazz Band Setlist:

Set 1: Tin Roof Blues, One Hundred Fires, Rich Women, Tootie Ma, So It Is, Santiago, That’s It!

Set 2: Come With Me/Convergence, Dear Lord, I Am, La Malanga, Keep Your Head Up

In the wake of Hurricane Ida, there are several ways to contribute to help New Orleans musicians and the NOLA community in Hurricane Ida relief:
- Preservation Hall Emergency Relief Fund – Run through the Preservation Hall Foundation, this supports local musicians in need.
- Feed the Second Line – helping musicians and NOLA culture bearers in need of food and resources
- Covenant House – provides services for NOLA youth and young families in need
- Culture Aid NOLA – working to provide meals to those in need during hurricane recovery
- Mutual Aid Response Network – provides relief and recovery during storm disasters for New Orleans residents
September 18, 2021
Foo Fighters Fly Full Circle In Return To Syracuse

The Foo Fighters were scheduled to play the K-Rockathon at the New York State Fairgrounds in the summer of 2000, but cancelled due to a scheduling conflict. They returned to play the Landmark Theater with Queens of the Stone Age later that year with Dave Grohl covering Prince’s “Purple Rain” that night as an apology to the Syracuse audience.

21 years later, Grohl and the band were about to send a virtual apology to the seated fans at the Lakeview Amphitheater big screen that the show might not go on. The band was stuck at JFK airport waiting on a plane for almost four hours due to fog. Grohl said the band set a deadline: if they weren’t en route to Syracuse by 8:20 p.m., the show wasn’t going to happen. 8:15 rolled around. Then 8:16. 8:17. 8:18. At 8:19 p.m. Grohl got word from the pilot.

“They said, alright, we’re going to Syracuse,” he said. “We got a fucking rock show.”

photo by Joel Semel via Foo Fighters

This energy carried from the plane’s landing at Syracuse’s Hancock airport to a police escort to Lakeview Amphitheater. The full band got out and immediately took the stage around 9:45pm. County Executive Ryan McMahon helped cater the show past the 11PM curfew, in true rock n roll fashion. “The question that was our call to make is how late do they play,” McMahon said. “The team made the right call: They can play as late as they want and we’ll deal with repercussions later.”

What occurred musically for the rest of the evening was pure rock n roll magic. The moment the house lights drew on the band, a mutual appreciation quickly developed between them and the crowd. Permission was granted to be able to rock the night away.

As Dave Grohl softly sang the opening verse to “Times Like These” it created an in-the-moment fervor felt immediately by 17,000 people. He belted extra loud the nights appropriate lyrics during “Learn to Fly:” “Now, I’m looking to the sky to save me. Make my way back home when I learn to fly high.”

The heavy drum intro to “My Hero” was another golden original played on the Onondaga Lake Trails. Drummer Taylor Hawkins sported an old band tee of The Police and his bass drum had a “RIP Charlie” tag to honor the fallen Rolling Stone. Hawkins switched spots with Grohl on drums For lead on Queens “somebody to love”. Freddie Mercury’s spirit was sang by the crowd and band in full bravado.

“Anybody, anywhere, anybody find me somebody to love love love! Somebody find me, find me love.” The band played off a new concept cover of The Bee Gees “You Should Be Dancing” that sent bodies back to the old discotheque. “All My Life” howled it’s lyrics “Hey, don’t let it go to waste, I love it but I hate the taste” The two Foo Fighters staples “Best of You” and “Everlong” completely unified the crowd to cloud nine to end the night. “Wait, it took 20 fucking years to play Syracuse? What the fuck, that is bullshit!” Grohl exclaimed.

Foo Fighters – September 15, 2021 At St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview, Syracuse

Setlist: Times Like These, The Pretender, Learn to Fly, No Son of Mine,The Sky is a Neighborhood Shame Shame, Breakout, My Hero, These Days, Walk, You Should Be Dancing (Bee Gees cover), Band member solos + Blitzkrieg Bop snippet, Somebody to Love (Queen cover) All My Life, This Is a Call, Best of You, Everlong

Encore: This Is a Call, Best of You, Everlong

September 17, 2021
Elton John Postpones European Dates for “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” Tour, Arrives in NY February 2022

Update – September 17, 2021: Elton John is postponing his 2021 European dates on his world tour until 2023 so that he can have an operation on an injured hip. Elton John said of the injury and postponement:

Despite intensive physio and specialist treatment, the pain has continued to get worse and is leading to increasing difficulties moving. I have been advised to have an operation as soon as possible to get me back to full fitness and make sure there are no long-term complications.
With great sadness and a heavy heart that I am forced to reschedule the 2021 dates of my Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour in Europe and the UK to 2023.
Elton John

Elton has promised fans that “the shows will return to the road next year and I will make sure they are more than worth the wait.”

REcently, Lil Nas X and Elton John have teamed up for “One of Me,” the pair’s first collaboration, appearing Lil Nas X’s debut album, Montero, which released on Friday, September 17.

Original article follows below

The final dates for Elton John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour have been announced. This final tour for Elton John will take him around Europe, America and New Zealand, with dates into 2023.

Elton John released a statement regarding his new tour dates, and the return to his ‘final’ tour:

Hello, all you wonderful fans out there. I’m coming to you today with an announcement I’ve been working towards for, well, all my life: the shows that I announce today will be my final tour dates ever in North America and Europe. I’m going to go out in the biggest possible way, performing at my very best, with the most spectacular production I’ve ever had, playing in places that have meant so much to me throughout my career.
Elton John

photo by JTGPhoto

Elton John made his way through New York in February 2019 with a stop at the Times Union Center. Check out photos and our review of the evening for a taste of what’s in store when The Rocket Man returns to the road.

Elton John ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road” World Tour

2021 (European dates postponed until 2023)

Sept. 01 – Berlin, DE – Mercedes Benz Arena
Sept. 03 – Berlin, DE – Mercedes Benz Arena
Sept. 04 – Berlin, DE 2 Mercedes Benz Arena
Sept. 07 – Cologne, DE – Lanxness Arena
Sept. 08 – Cologne, DE – Lanxness Arena
Sept. 11 – Hamburg, DE – Barclaycard Arena
Sept. 12 – Hamburg, DE – Barclaycard Arena
Sept. 14 – Hamburg, DE – Barclaycard Arena
Sept. 17 – Stockholm, SE – Tele2 Arena
Sept. 18 – Stockholm, SE – Tele2 Arena
Sept. 21 – Helsinki, FI – Hartwell Arena
Sept. 22 – Helsinki, FI – Hartwell Arena
Sept. 25 – Oslo, NO – Telenor Arena
Sept. 26 – Oslo, NO – Telenor Arena
Sept. 30 – Cologne, DE – Lanxness Arena
Oct. 05 – Zurich, CH – Hallenstadion
Oct. 06 – Zurich, CH – Hallenstadion
Oct. 10 – Paris, FR – Accor Hotels Arena
Oct. 12 – Paris, FR – Accor Hotels Arena
Oct. 13 – Paris, FR – Accor Hotels Arena
Oct. 16 – Antwerp, BE – Sportpaleis
Oct. 17 – Antwerp, BE – Sportpaleis
Oct. 22 – Barcelona, ES – Palau Sant Jordi
Oct. 23 – Barcelona, ES – Palau Sant Joride
Oct. 30 – Manchester, UK – Manchester Arena
Nov. 02 – London, UK – O2 Arena
Nov. 03 – London, UK – O2 Arena
Nov. 05 – Leeds, UK – First Direct Arena
Nov. 07 – London, UK – O2 Arena
Nov. 09 – London, UK – O2 Arena
Nov. 10 – London, UK – O2 Arena
Nov. 12 – London, UK – O2 Arena
Nov. 14 – London, UK – O2 Arena
Nov. 16 – London, UK – O2 Arena
Nov. 17 – London, UK – O2 Arena
Nov. 19 – Manchester, UK – Arena
Nov. 21 – Birmingham, UK – Resorts World Arena
Nov. 23 – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Nov. 24 – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Nov. 27 – Liverpool, UK – M&S Bank Arena
Nov. 28 – Liverpool, UK – M&S Bank Arena
Dec. 01 – Manchester, UK – Manchester Arena
Dec. 03 – Dublin, UK – 3Arena
Dec. 04 – Dublin, UK – 3Arena
Dec. 06 – Belfast, UK – SSE Arena Belfast
Dec. 09 – Aberdeen, UK – P&J Live
Dec. 10 – Aberdeen, UK – P&J Live
Dec. 13 – Glasgow, UK – SSE Hydro
Dec. 14 – Glasgow, UK – SSE Hydro

2022

Jan. 19 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
Jan. 21 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
Jan. 22 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
Jan. 25 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Jan. 26 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Jan. 29 – N. Little Rock, AR – Simmons Bank Arena
Jan. 30 – Oklahoma City, OK – Chesapeake Energy Arena
Feb. 01 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
Feb. 04 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Feb. 05 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Feb. 08 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
Feb. 09 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
Feb. 14 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
Feb. 15 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
Feb. 18 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
Feb. 19 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
Feb. 22 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Feb. 23 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Feb. 25 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
March 01 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
March 02 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
March 05 – Long Island, NY – Nassau Coliseum
March 06 – Long Island, NY – Nassau Coliseum
March 19 – Fargo, ND – FARGODOME
March 22 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
March 23 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
March 26 – Des Moines, IA – Wells Fargo Center
March 27 – Lincoln, NE – Pinnacle Bank Arena
March 30 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center
April 01 – Indianapolis, IN – Bankers Life Fieldhouse
April 02 – Milwaukee, WI – Fiserv Forum
April 05 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena
April 08 – Knoxville, TN – Thompson-Boling Arena
April 09 – Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena
April 12 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center
April 13 – Hershey, PA – Giant Center
April 16 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center
April 19 – Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum
April 20 – Columbia, SC – Colonial Life Arena
April 23 – Jacksonville, FL – Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena
April 24 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
April 27 – Orlando, FL – Amway Arena
April 28 – Miami, FL – American Airlines Arena
May 22 – Frankfurt, DE – Deutsche Bank Park
May 29 – Leipzig, DE – Red Bull Arena
June 04 – Milan, IT – San Siro Stadium
June 07 – Horsens, DK – CASA Arena Horsens
June 09 – Arnhem, NL – GelreDome
June 11 – Paris, FR – La Defense Arena
June 15 – Norwich, UK – Carrow Road
June 17 – Liverpool, UK – Anfield
June 19 – Sunderland, UK – Stadium of Light
June 22 – Bristol, UK – Ashton Gate Stadium
June 29 – Swansea, UK – Liberty Stadium
July 15 – Philadelphia, PA – Citizens Bank Park
July 18 – Detroit, MI – Comerica Park
July 23 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium
July 28 – Foxboro, MA – Gillette Stadium
July 30 – Cleveland, OH – Progressive Field
Aug. 5 – Chicago, IL – Soldier Field
Sept. 7 – Toronto, ON – Rogers Centre
Sept. 10 – Syracuse, NY – Carrier Dome
Sept. 16 – Pittsburgh, PA – PNC Park
Sept. 18 – Charlotte, NC – Bank of America Stadium
Sept. 22 – Atlanta, GA – Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Sept. 24 – Washington, DC – Nationals Park
Sept. 30 – Arlington, TX – Globe Life Field
Oct. 2 – Nashville, TN – Nissan Stadium
Oct. 21 – Vancouver, BC – BC Place
Oct. 29 – San Antonio, TX – Alamodome
Nov. 4 – Houston, TX – Minute Maid Park
Nov. 12 – Phoenix, AZ – Chase Field
Nov. 19 – Los Angeles, CA – Dodgers Stadium
Nov. 20 – Los Angeles, CA – Dodgers Stadium

2023

Jan. 27 – Auckland, NZ – Mt. Smart Stadium
Jan. 28 – Auckland, NZ – Mt. Smart Stadium

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teYZM0Aft0A

September 17, 2021
Algiers Celebrate Family at Saint Vitus Bar
Algiers made their way to Saint Vitus Bar in Greenpoint, Brooklyn on Tuesday for the fourth stop (and first of two nights at the bar) on their renewed 2021 tour. The pandemic forced the band to cancel the 2020 tour in support of their new album at the time There Is No Year. The ongoing threat of COVID is still omnipresent in all of our lives, especially for drummer Matt Tong who elected to sit the tour out to protect his newborn baby. Dante Foley, the drummer from the opening band was filling in behind the kit.

Algiers at Saint Vitus Bar, 9/14/21. Photo by Buscar Photo

Support for the night came from Cleveland’s Mourning [A] BLKstar, an eight-piece band described as “a multi-generational, gender and genre non-conforming amalgam of Black Culture dedicated to servicing the stories and songs of the apocalyptic diaspora.” The stage at Saint Vitus was a tad small for the big group, keeping band leader RA Washington on the floor within the crowd who routinely danced and mingled with the people throughout the set. The performance featured a trio of vocalists backed by soaring horns and driving electronic R&B and funk elements not to be missed.
Mourning [A] BLKstar at Saint Vitus, 9/14/21. Photo by Buscar Photo
Saint Vitus is a very intimate setting; a square room off the back of a classic NYC metal bar with ~200 person capacity. The PA could serve a room 4 times the size and fans get an up close and personal experience. Algiers plugged in for a sound check pre show, to test it out to see how all their samples and distortion would sound in the small room. Once filled with fans and friends, the energy was overwhelming, especially as Franklin James Fisher jumped in and out of the crowd while singing.

Algiers at Saint Vitus Bar, 9/14/21. Photo by Buscar Photo

The members of Mourning [A] BLKstar as well as Algiers both made comments during the show about all being a part of a family. Two vocalists from MAB joined Algiers during “Dispossession,” and as Algiers was finishing off the night with a high energy run through of “Death March,” candles were being lit on a cake to celebrate Fisher’s 40th birthday. Both bands had many friends and family in attendance, and the atmosphere in Saint Vitus was pure celebration.

Algiers at Saint Vitus Bar, 9/14/21. Photo by Buscar Photo

Night two in Brooklyn was Wednesday, September 15th. The tour runs across the US through October, then goes on break until a European leg throughout May 2022. Franklin teased that a new record is written so stay tuned for new music from the group in the near future.
September 17, 2021