The Summer Square Concert Series takes place in the Music Hall Courtyard every Friday and Saturday night in July and August, starting at 6 pm, and is free and open to the public with no tickets required. All performances are weather dependent, there is no alternate rain location.
The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, a National Historic Landmark located at 30 Second Street, has been in perpetual use since its opening in 1875. World renowned for its near perfect acoustics, it has hosted performances by legions of world-renowned artists, from legends like Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Isaac Stern, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Vladimir Horowitz, to the best on today’s contemporary music scene, including Joshua Bell, Andrew Bird, Steve Martin, Lyle Lovett, John Prine, and many others.
The Summer Square Concert Series will kick off Friday, July 9 with local Troy musician Jacob Shipley, an Alt/Folk artist whose influences run the gamut from Talking Heads to Phoebe Bridgers, Damien Rice to Lucius, and Halley’s Comet to the Decemberists.
On Saturday, July 10, Carol Daggs is welcomed back to the Music Hall Courtyard. She will be offering some tastefully arranged jazz standards and hip, groovy originals.
New York avant-garde metal outfit Imperial Triumphant has just announced their Fall 2021 U.S. headline tour. The band will be joined by Pyrrhon starting October 15th in Boston and wrapping up on October 31st in Brooklyn. Imperial Triumphant will be touring in support of their most recent full-length album Alphaville, which came out Summer of 2020.
The album was produced and engineered at New York’s Menegroth Studio by Colin Marston and Trey Spruance (Mr. Bungle). The album also features a number of special guests such as Tomas Haake (Meshuggah) on taiko drums, Phlegeton (Wormed) on guest vocals, Yoshiko Ohara (ex-Bloody Panda) as part of the choirs, RK Halvorson as part of the Barbershop quartet, Sarai Chrzanowski as part of the choirs, Andromeda Anarchia (Folterkammer, Dark Matters) as part of the choirs, J Walter Hawkes on the trombone, and Colin Marston on guitars.
Imperial Triumphant officially began in 2012 with their debut release Abominamentvm. The line-up consisted of Zachary Ilya Ezrin on guitar/vocals and the rhythm section of their NYC contemporaries: Pyrrhon. Soon they met with drummer Kenny Grohowski and began to feature him on their next two releases Goliath (EP) and Abyssal Gods (LP). In 2015, they introduced bassist Steven Blanco to their lineup. In 2016, they released another EP Inceste, which saw them tour heavily that year with temporary second guitarist Max Gorelick. 2018 brought about their magnum statement, Vile Luxury. The full-length album, written collectively by the trio (Ezrin, Grohowski, Blanco), was a homage to their hometown New York City that brought jazz elements to the avant-garde black metal style in a way never achieved before. Imperial Triumphant is looking forward to performing their newest full-length album, Alphaville, which catapulted them to national recognition.
The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene will present A Yiddish Renaissance this summer. In recognition of this resurgence in interest, the 107-year-old will bring together more than 140 actors and musicians from here at home and across the globe. The two-hour event will showcase some of Folksbiene’s most memorable musical numbers, but also celebrate the life of its Artistic Director, Zalmen Mlotek.
The benefit concert – debuting on July 26th at 2:00 PM (ET) and available to view through July 30th at 2:00 PM (ET) – will feature some of the most memorable hits from NYTF’s critically acclaimed and award-winning productions as well as sneak peeks of upcoming productions. Stars from across the United States, Israel, England, Germany, Scotland, and the Netherlands will share the screen together.
A Yiddish Renaissance: A Virtual Concert Celebration will pay tribute to Mlotek in celebration of his 70th birthday and 50-year career dedicated to Yiddish music and theatre. As he developed new productions and introduced young actors and singers to Yiddish theatre, Mlotek has brought NYTF to new heights as one of New York’s premiere off-Broadway theatre companies and to international recognition, including bringing Joel Grey-directed Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish to life at the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, and then moving it uptown to Stage 42 Off-Broadway.
Presenting hits from Award-Winning NYTF Productions, featuring casts from Fiddler Afn Dakh (Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish), Di Goldene Kale (The Golden Bride), On Second Avenue, Di Yam Gazlonim (Yiddish Pirates of Penzance), Amerike The Golden Land, Soul to Soul, Kids and Yiddish, and more.
The event is produced by NYTF’s Associate Artistic Director Motl Didner, creator of the hit online show “15 Minute Yiddish.” The full cast of presenters and performers will be announced in the coming weeks.
Registration is required at and you can visit the website for more information about all participants.
Singer-songwriter, guitarist and drummer Rene Lopez has just released his new single, “Flamingo”. A master of cross-genre work, Lopez’ single features Caribbean roots, rhythmic Jamaican ska drum loops, Cuban son montuno with cha-cha-chá influence. “Flamingo” stands as a direct reflection of Lopez’ multicultural upbringing in New York City, where he resides today.
Son of the famed Puerto Rican salsa musician and trumpet player René López, Rene embraces the traditional roots of his father while incorporating his own unique musical influences, including soul, jazz, funk, and rock.
An audience can audibly hear this melding of genres- with the fusion of Latin rhythms and instruments like timbales, congas, cowbell, flute, trumpet, Cuban tres and melodies similar to the pop musical soundscape today.
It just feels so right to incorporate my roots into my songs.
Rene Lopez
Dubbed “a one-man song factory” by Félix Contreras of NPR’s Alt.Latino, Lopez takes a personal approach to songwriting.
There is also a story that I tell in each song that is basically my own way of dealing with stuff going on in my life [and it] helps me face myself when I sing it out loud.
Rene Lopez
Lopez’ ability to write a autobiographical discography that melds Latin music, funk, rock, doo-wop, and soul is what keeps him hitting the mark with these catchy songs. Throughout the course of his work, Lopez’ music has only continued to become more Latinized, invoking a thematic otherness as an immigrant or being from a certain urban ethnic neighborhood. Keeping his songs close to home has reflected an authentic, nostalgic sound that shows listeners Lopez is “being completely honest with who I am, and a big part of that is my Latin roots,” as well as telling stories of personal relationships and experiences in an unflinching way.
Written as an ode to a “special woman” Lopez fell in love with after he got divorced, “Flamingo” bears Lopez’ vulnerability. He successfully transformed a situation he dubbed “extremely difficult and heartbreaking” into a beautiful tribute to the experience. Simultaneously graceful and outlandish, the flamingo serves as the perfect metaphor to quantify his unattainable love.
The title of the single then alludes to the doomed romance due to the lovers’ star-crossed circumstances. Beautiful and tragic, the song is a Latin lullaby of love and healing. The poetic lyrics serve as the perfect gateway into Lopez’ self and coupled with the personal roots of his past, “Flamingo” serves as a testament to Lopez’ past. And evidently, the song is yet another incredible hit to add to his collection of singles, keeping his growing audience waiting for the future.
The single is streaming on Soundcloud and does not disappoint!
In normal times, music fans in Rochester would be finishing off another Jazz Festival, a nine-day smorgasbord of musical delights. However, for the second straight year, the city is bereft their biggest live music week and all the discoveries that come with it.
Despite the shutdowns, artists still managed to put out some incredible music last year, the Rochester International Jazz Festival alumni among them. So while we sit and wait until the festival returns in 2022, let’s take a look at what ten of our favorite RIJF discoveries released in 2020.
The Made in UK Series brought this trio across the pond in 2016 and we’ve been digging them ever since. With Captured Spirits, saxophonist Jordan Smart, pianist Nick Smart and drummer and percussionist Jesse Barrett build on the sound they’ve been evolving with each release, adding in more electronic influence.
Kat Edmonson enchanted us at the festival both in 2013 and 2015 and she ratchets up the magic in her latest release, Dreamers Do, which reimagines music from the Disney canon to incredible effect. You’ll never want to hear the originals again. Watch out for a guest spot from fest-alum Bill Frisell.
Another trio brought in by the Made In U.K. series, Gogo Penguin made their stateside debut at the festival in 2015 and then returned to wow us again in 2018. The mostly acoustic piano trio has always injected some electronic influence, increasing it with each release. It comes even more to the fore on last year’s self-titled release, though the wordless melodies are still as catchy as ever.
In the last festival staged, back in 2019, no band wowed us quite like Girls in Airports. The Danish quintet moved through “ethereal soundscapes, intense evil marches and organ-rich spacey grooves, mixing in infectious rhythms and melodies,” and it’s more of the same on 2020’s Dive, a must-listen.
Sometimes the much-beloved International aspect of the festival brings otherworldly sounds. Other times it shows off the inescapable influence of American music. Another fest-alum out of Denmark, Ibrahim Electric exemplifies the latter, exploring the organ-trio oeuvre (and well beyond) with aplomb on the aptly-named Time Machine.
Ukrainian quartet DakhaBrakha had the Big Tent venue in awe during their 2017 appearance. A blend of traditional ethnic folk music with varied and at times avant-garde influences, the music complemented their colorful quasi-traditional garb. It was an expansion of most of the audience’s musical universe for sure. Alambari touches on almost everything that made their performance so thrilling, minus the visuals of course.
Every Rochester International Jazz Festival boasts at least a handful of badass funk outfits that invigorate the generally staid crowd into a dancing frenzy. Seattle’s Polyrhythmics were just one band and with their latest, Man from the Future, they have us hoping for a return visit soon. This thing cooks!
One of the most frequent visitors to the festival, NYC-based drummer Matt Wilson always brings something a little different. When we last caught him in 2018 it was pure joy mixed in with some serious statements on politics and humanity. Likewise on last year’s Hug, you might not find a happier jazz track than the title cut, while “Space Force March/Interplanetary Music” takes an overt but fun political turn.
A decade ago the young Swedish guitarist, Samuel Hallkvist, really caught our attention. And with last year’s Epik, Didaktik, Pastoral he proved he’s only improved with age. It’s impressive and compelling set of adventurous avant-garde jams.
We’ll close this out highlighting another artist from England. More than any of the previous in the list, saxophonist Nubya Garcia has shapeshifted the most. When we saw her in 2019 she blew us away with her fiery playing and mind-expanding jazz compositions. With SOURCE she has broken free from the jazz shell to produce something uniquely brilliant that has been met with widespread critical acclaim and commercial success. If you haven’t already, definitely give this one a listen.
The inaugural First River Festival will bring big name indie talent to the Hudson Valley this October.
The two-day music festival will take place on Saturday and Sunday, October 9-10, 2021, in downtown Peekskill, NY at the Paramount Theater. Its aim is to build a new music experience in the Lower Hudson Valley.
Headliners include Parquet Courts, Guided by Voices and Waxahatchee. The festival’s lineup blends these headlining indie rock stars alongside smaller acts and rising artists with flares of folk, pop, electronica, Americana and even post-punk.
Unlike a traditional festival, the headliners’ sets are long–90 minutes each–to ensure the audience gets their fill. For a taste of folksiness, audiences can enjoy a performance by New York alt-folk legends, The Felice Brothers, complete with plenty of accordion and gritty vocals. First River Festival will also bring some good old fashioned rock and roll with North Carolina-turned New York Catskills band The Nude Party, Chicago alt-rock trio Dehd and Nashville/Brooklyn’s Liz Cooper.
Brooklyn favorites Small Black are set to play favorites from their new, critically acclaimed album Cheap Dreams, while California-based rising star Jelani Aryeh will share his dreamy, sunny blend of pop, rock, and indie. To round out the lineup, Nashville newcomer Katy Kirby will join the stage and showcase her light, airy vocals.
Live Goods Music and G4D Productions have joined forces to produce the festival, which they hope places Peekskill on the map as a premiere destination for live music and entertainment. First River’s audience numbers will be kept small to help the festival feel intimate.
“We wanted to see what would happen if we brought a bunch of bigger-name, indie bands to Peekskill. We think the region is ready for it, and that this festival will be the ideal stepping-stone back into life as we knew it.”
Liz Goodyear, First River’s Executive Producer
Peekskill, located just one hour north of New York City in Westchester County, boasts a historic arts community which has continued to thrive. There is also plenty of great food and beer to be enjoyed at local restaurants near the Paramount throughout the festival.
Presale tickets go on sale July 8 at 10AM with code “LITTLEPEEK”. Check out First River Festival’s website for more information.
Soul and R&B songstress Erykah Badu has announced rescheduled dates for her Fall Tour.
Photo by Erik Carter
JamBands.com announced Badu’s new dates, which include a show at the iconic Radio City Music Hall on September 30. Badu will also make several appearances on the festival circuit, performing at H.E.R.’s Lights On Festival, ACL Fest, and Pitchfork Festival. All tour dates are listed below.
Badu’s last official musical project was her But You Caint Use My Phone mixtape, released in 2015. The mixtape received critical praise and Badu has since stated that she is in the process of creating her sixth studio album.
Badu also opened an online store, Badu World Market, in February of 2020. Along with selling merchandise, Badu World Market highlights smaller creatives and compiles videos and streamed performances through “Badu TV”.
Badu’s performance at Radio City will be one of the landmark venue’s first shows since COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted in New York. Other names coming to Radio City this August and September include Gabriel Iglesias, Quinn XCII and Devo. Tickets for Badu go on sale Friday (7/9) at 10 AM.
Erykah Badu Tour Dates
Sept. 3 – Dallas, TX – Riverfront Jazz Festival
Sept. 10 – Louisville, KY – Great Lawn at Waterfront Park
Sept. 11 – Sterling Heights, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill
Sept. 12 – Chicago, IL – Pitchfork Festival
Sept. 18 & 19 – Concord, CA – Lights On Festival
Sept. 30 – New York, NY – Radio City Music Hall
Oct. 1-3 – Austin, TX – ACL Festival
Oct. 8-10 – Austin, TX – ACL Festival
Oct. 15 – Indianapolis, IN – Indiana Farmers Coliseum
This year’s ADK Independence Music Festival lineup has been announced and features two big names that Upstate New Yorkers are quite familiar with. The Lake George festival will take place on Labor Day Weekend, Sept 3-5 with headliners moe. and Twiddle stepping up to the plate for the 2021 edition.
moe. will return to their moe.down Labor Day roots as they play four sets over two nights with Twiddle performing two headlining sets of their own. All ADK Music Fest performances will be located at the Charles R. Wood Festival Commons in the heart of Lake George Village, across the street from the lake.
The ADK Music Festival will have a selection of beer and wine, a full bar, food vendors, and merchandise for sale, all available for purchase after entry. As well a great view of the Lake George fireworks on Saturday evening.
Shows will begin at 2 pm on Friday and 12:30 pm on Saturday and Sunday and run until 11 pm each night. The event is open to attendees of all ages and children 12 and under are free. VIP tickets include admission to all 3 days of the festival, a meal each day, half priced adult beverages, $2 waters / soft drinks, a private viewing area (with private bars), and access to private bathrooms.
3-Day General Admission tickets and a limited number of VIP tickets are on sale now for the 2021 Adirondack Independence Music Festival. To learn more and get tickets, visit the ADK Music Fest official website.
Based in Bovina, NY, Esquela released their fifth studio album A Sign From God on June 25th. The album features 10 tracks, produced by Eric “Roscoe” Ambel, and was recorded entirely remotely throughout the COVID-19 pandemic which prevented members from getting together to record during the Spring and Summer of 2020.
Esquela, via bandsintown.com
Over the course of several months, Finn wrote all the songs on the record, except the final track, “Wait For Me” which utilized a poem by Konstantin Simonov and was arranged musically by Becca Frame and Brian Shafer. He then sent bits of songs to Roscoe, involving Keith Christopher on bass, Brian Shafer on guitar, Becca Frame on vocals and Matt Woodin on guitars and mandolin, and Mike Ricciardi on drums with the audio engineering accompaniment of Jeff Stachyra. Their individual parts were woven together by their brilliant engineer, spinning a 70’s style overdub in a completely remote 2020 world.
Once the reality of COVID 19 hit us, nobody knew what was going to happen and for how long our normal routines would be disrupted. Since I was homebound for the duration – I decided that I should get my home recording studio up and running again. After weeks of technical frustration– I was finally able to get my home setup cobbled together with a Universal Audio Apollo interface and my MacBook, using Protools recording software.
Bandleader John “Chico” Finn
Amidst a race war and global pandemic, the album captures the cultural conversation surrounding the time, including addressing sensitive topics that unfolded during the year like racism, sexual assault and climate change. The first track on the album, which premiered ahead of the others, addresses climate change and humanity’s impact on Earth. “Not In My Backyard” was inspired by a conversation that transpired between Finn and a friend about fracking in West Virginia. Between the rhythmic guitar riffs and pulsing drum beat, a larger message lies at the core of the song.
The bottom line is that energy is cheap right now…in order for the climate to improve will mean people will have to pay more for their energy source, and I am afraid it won’t happen anytime soon, sad to say.
John “Chico” Finn
Premiering as Esquela’s first album since 2017, the band chose to tackle pressing issues about the world, spreading a message while telling a narrative throughout each song. The last song, “Wait For Me,” has a more stripped sonic atmosphere with soft acoustic guitar and less processed vocals. The song tells the story of Konstantin Simonov and a poem he wrote as a homesick Russian soldier during World War II. Esquela uses the poem as a vessel to acknowledge racism in the deep South, much like the French village of Oradour Sur Glane destroyed by Nazis within the poem.
With Esquela, challenge brings creativity. The album is a true testament that challenge breeds creativity amidst the pandemic. Even prevented from taking a band photo all together for the cover art, they crafted a creative solution to replicate images of them in a fun illustration pictured below. While COVID-19 forced the members to send over the tracks individually, the cohesiveness of these tracks expands beyond Roscoe’s phenomenal work as a producer. These songs tell a narrative about what we need to change as a society in 2020 (and now, its roots have spread into 2021).
The album is now available on Bandcamp or Spotify, with a music video for “Not In My Backyard” on Youtube.
Jess Novak, winner of Best Pop Artist at the 2021 SAMMY Awards, is out on the road this summer across Central New York. But first, she has “The Joke” to share with you.
With Joker inspired song lyrics and an accompanying music video where Novak channels Harley Quinn, “The Joke” creates Novak’s own version of the super villain – sweet, yet angry, with a custom jacket by Adirondack Ink – allowing the singer to step outside herself as she got into character.
Written and recorded by Jess Novak and The Jess Novak Band at Hobin Studios in 2020 and filmed by DripNetwork and Lights on Fayette in 2021, “The Joke” captures her love of music videos and the inspiration drawn from the film.
A huge music video nut when I was a kid, I had wanted to make music videos for a living. I love the idea of telling a whole story in five minutes using a song. It’s always thrilled me. In the past we’ve made really fun videos, but this is the first that really tells a story and I couldn’t be happier about it.
Jess Novak
Setting out to make a video that goes deeper, and teaches people about the world and themselves, “The Joke” was shot at Lights on Fayette in their new warehouse on West Fayette Street in Syracuse, where they plan to hold more photo and video shoots, record music and hold live performances.
The concept came directly from the lyrics and was something Novak had in her head since she wrote the song. Moved by the origin of the classic supervillain, she had begun writing lyrics for the song before she left her second screening of the film.
My mom always said when I was growing up that the villains were her favorite part of Disney movies because they had more depth, more story – and it took a long time for me to understand that. Joker really proved it.
I appreciated that movie because it not only provided an alternate perspective, but it made me root for the bad guy, which I found fascinating. It also touched on the subject of mental health, which I feel is often skirted around in mainstream entertainment. Artists talk about it, but they don’t dive so deeply into it because it’s scary and almost taboo. But Joker took it head-on.
Jess Novak
The lyric “I hope that my death, it makes more sense from my life” is a direct draw from the movie, one that connected with Novak.
I really hoped the movie would make people see that people who are “bad” or do “bad things” are really just a product of their environment, which is what this song is saying, too. We place too much blame, or in reverse, pride, on people when really, they are just formations of their upbringing and situation.”
Jess Novak
For the music video, Novak’s concept has drawn out a storyboard and then the team took it from there, altering it to make the video more like a movie, with action scenes and a short plot. Starting with Novak as the villain, her boyfriend splits and leaves her to deal with the cops. Betrayed, she chooses to stand up, get out of the handcuffs and wreak havoc. This theme is explored on the album Standing Now, that “The Joke” is featured on.
Novak is already talking about the next video with the same team for a song they are currently recording, “Devil’s Walk”, a follow-up to her 2016 song “Counting on Love.” Look for this video and more this fall from Jess Novak.
The Jess Novak Band members featured in “The Joke” video include Novak, Byron Cage, Anthony Saturno, Nick Fields, Gavin George and Jabare Mckinstry. “The Joke” was directed by Mac Cushing and edited by Bryan Wolcik.
The latest album from Jess Novak Band, Standing Now is available here and you can watch “The Joke” below. Pre-order her new album A Thousand Liveshere.
For the summer, you can catch her solo, duo or full band performances across Central New York.
Jess Novak Summer 2021 Tour Dates
June 29 – Great Northern Mall Food Truck Fest – Clay, NY – 6 p.m. – DUO June 30 – The Taste Smokers – Bethlehem, PA – 8 p.m. – SOLO July 1 – Tiki Island – Baldwinsville, NY – 6 p.m. – SOLO July 2 – Homer Hops – Homer, NY – 6 p.m. – DUO July 3 – Middle Ages – Syracuse, NY – 4 p.m. – JNB July 4 – Steamers – Oswego, NY – 3 p.m. – DUO July 8 – Heritage Hill – Pompey, NY – 6 p.m. – JNB July 9 – Rome Summer Concert Series – Rome, NY – 7 p.m. – DUO July 12 – Northside Bar and Grille – Surf City, NY – 6 p.m. – TBD July 18 – Willie’s Chop Shop – Sylvan Beach, NY – PIRATE’S WEEKEND – 2 p.m. – DUO July 22 – Meier’s Creek – Cazenovia, NY – 6 p.m. – SOLO July 23 – Gibby’s – Oswego, NY – 7 p.m. – SOLO July 24 – Skaneateles Brewery – Skaneateles, NY – 3 p.m. – DUO July 25 – Concerts on the Waterfront – Sackets Harbor, NY – 3 p.m. – JNB July 28 – Alex’s on the Water – Oswego, NY – 6 p.m. – SOLO August 4 – Perseverance Park – Syracuse, NY – 12 p.m. – NOVAK/SATURNO August 5 – La Parrilla – Oswego, NY – 6 p.m. – NOVAK August 7 – McConnellsville Golf Club – Blossvale, NY – 7:30 p.m. – NOVAK August 7 – Lukins – Utica, NY – 10 p.m. – LAST CALL KINGS August 8 – The Nest – Tully, NY – 5 p.m. – DUO August 10 – Farmers Market – Clinton Square, Syracuse, NY – 11:30 a.m. – NOVAK August 12 – Heritage Hill – Pompey, NY – 5 p.m. – NOVAK August 13 – Stinger’s – Manlius, NY – 6 p.m. – NOVAK August 14 – Private Event – SAFE WORD BAND August 15 – Willie’s Chop Shop – Sylvan Beach, NY – 2 p.m. – NOVAK August 16 – Levitt AMP Music Series – Utica, NY – 6 p.m. – JNB August 18 – The Preserve at 405 – Syracuse, NY – 6 p.m. – DUO August 19 – Duskees – Phoenix, NY – 6 p.m. – NOVAK August 20 – Canale’s – Oswego, NY – 7 p.m. – DUO August 21 – Private Event – DUO August 22 – Steamers – Oswego, NY – 3 p.m. – JNB August 24 – New York State Fair Experience Stage – Syracuse, NY – 2 p.m. – JNB August 25 – Alex’s on the Water – Oswego, NY – 6 p.m. – NOVAK August 26 – Hops Spot – Clayton, NY – 6 p.m. – NOVAK August 27 – Bellevue Country Club – Syracuse, NY – 6 p.m. – NOVAK August 28 – Clinton Music and Arts Festival – Clinton, NY – 3 p.m. – NOVAK August 28 – Tiki Island – Baldwinsville, NY – 7 p.m. – JNB August 29 – Panther Pub – Allamuchy, NJ – 5 p.m. – NOVAK
