The inaugural Long Island music festival Pine Barrens Jam took over Blue Point Brewery in Patchogue this past Saturday, September 18th. The festival was originally supposed to happen in Center Moriches at the Ringhoff family farm, but due to extenuating circumstances and difficulties maintaining the town’s conditions, the festival had to change venues last minute.
Thankfully, the Blue Point Brewpub ended up being an excellent back up plan; the venue already has a large indoor stage with the ability to set up vendors and secondary stages outside. With plenty of parking and picture perfect weather, the festival went on without a hitch.
Pine Barrens Jam at Blue Point Brewery – 9/18/21. Photo By Buscar Photo
Debuting this year, Pine Barrens Jam was created to exhibit the best of local Long Island bands, artists, poets and other creative talent. When you arrived at the brewery, you were greeted by a row of vendors selling and showcasing their art as well as reps from radio stations and other causes. Vendors were selling t-shirts, paintings, jewelry and other items along the side of the brewery.
A small pop-up stage dubbed the “Peanut Butter Poetry & Arts Stage” was offset in the corner and hosted a slew of poets and other spoken word artists throughout the day. Featured speakers included Justin Vegh, Catheryn Berry, Brian Geraghty, Bri Onishea, MC2, Barbara Joy & Justin Poetry, Rosa Todaro, Nox, Allone and Rorie Kelly.
Peanut Butter Poetry & Arts Stage at Pine Barrens Jam, 9/18/21 – Photo By Buscar Photo
Moving along the grounds to the main entrance of the brewery, the “Lantern Sound Recording Rig Stage” greeted festival and brewery goers alike with a quaint set-up right as you arrived at the entrance. While the festival may have been competing with the brewery’s normal operating business, everyone who came out that day was pleasantly surprised to be immersed in the festival.
Even though it was a one day affair across three small stages, the festival curated a rather large lineup of artists from all over the area. The “Lantern” stage featured bands such as Hank Stone, Bryan Gallo, Leland Sundries, Mick Hargreaves, Frankie Matos, Rorie Kelly, Christine Sweeney, Pete Mancini and a triple performance from The Belle Curves, Anne O-Rourke & Featherheart.
Lantern Sound Recording Rig Stage at Pine Barrens Jam, 9/18/21 – Photo By Buscar Photo
The main space of the brewery is a massive room with several bars throughout. The kitchen was cranking out jumbo pretzels and fresh shucked oysters at a feverish pace as people were coming and going making their way around the festival. At one end of the space, the “Jelly Jam Stage” hosted the featured bands of the day: headliner Drop The 4 as well as Zestrove, Kaido, A Band In Ship, Laurie Anne Creus and Dysfunktone.
Jelly Jam Stage at Pine Barrens Jam, 9/18/21 – Photo By Buscar Photo
Attendees at the festival would have never known the brewery was a last minute venue change. The organizers did an incredible job adapting to the new space, and one might have even thought it was the intent all along. Pine Barrens Jam promises to fight to be able to use the intended farm for next year, but the debut edition of the festival succeeded in highlighting the amazing artistry and musical talent from Long Island. More photos from the day below.
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
NYC and surrounding areas have been forced to postpone various shows due to Hurricane Henri. Concerts and events have been cancelled and postponed in Hudson Valley, NYC, and Long Island.
Hurricane Henri
Hurricane Henri originated in the 200 miles north-northeast of Bermuda and is currently threatening Long Island, NYC, Hudson Valley, and the New England area as a whole. On August 16, the storm system became designated Tropical Depression 08L and a mere eighteen hours later the system strengthened into being declared a Tropical Storm Henri.
On August 21, 2021 Madison Square Garden announced that due to the state of emergency that was declared from the impending hurricane that the Eagles performance scheduled to take place tomorrow, Sunday, August 22, 2021, has been postponed to Wednesday, August 25, 2021. Tickets for Sunday’s show will be valid for the rescheduled date and will not need to be exchanged. The Eagles performance scheduled for Tuesday, August 24, 2021 at Madison Square Garden will proceed as planned.
The Eagles.
Bardavon Presents announced that due to the unpredictability of Hurricane Henri and the potential for dangerous storms in Kingston, New York they have postponed the Trombone Shorty performance. The performance was supposed to take place on Sunday August 22 and has now been rescheduled to Sunday September 26 at UPAC, 7PM.
Outside the State of New York performances are getting cancelled as well. Due to the state of emergency issued by the State of Connecticut Jason Mraz has been forced to postpone his performance which was originally scheduled for the evening of August 22 at Mohegan Sun Arena. Updates on a rescheduled Jason Mraz concert at Mohegan Sun Arena will become available via mohegansun.com and Ticketmaster.com. Guests can hold on to their tickets for the rescheduled date.
Jason Mraz
Scotty McCreery’s show at Indian Ranch in Webster, MA scheduled for Sunday, August 22 has been cancelled. The pre-concert cruise on the Indian Princess is also cancelled. Samuel Slater’s Restaurant will be closed all day Sunday.
Scotty McCreery
Pix11 is currently giving updates on events across NY state that are being cancelled. Visit their full list here. Hopefully Hurricane Henri will pass through the area without return to stages across NYC and surrounding areas.
The Long Island Music Hall of Fame (LIMHoF) is proud to announce the winners of its fifth annual High School Music Department Recognition Program. For the first time, video entries were accepted that showcased the amazing music that schools created under unbelievably difficult conditions and pandemic restrictions.
Both the LIMHoF Education committee and a panel of music educators reviewed the videos that were submitted from each school. As a result, 12 Long Island high school music programs were awarded recognition wins and celebrated via video format. For the first time in its history, music performance videos from each applicant have been posted to LIMHoF’s website. And some high schools submitted multiple videos to showcase their different music groups.
The schools receiving this prestigious recognition are Centereach HS, Farmingdale HS, Great Neck North HS, Great Neck South HS, Half Hollow Hills HS East, Harborfields HS, Hicksville HS, Kellenberg Memorial HS, Long Beach HS, Lynbrook HS, Southampton HS, Wheatley HS
During the pandemic, school music programs in particular were dealing with incredible restrictions due to social distancing and remote learning, which created major difficulty for students learning to play music. Music is a collaborative process and students need to be able to play music together. A lot of schools made it work, and we wanted to showcase their accomplishments under the circumstances. These schools found a way to do something great. The students overcame tremendous odds. This showcases, and is a tribute, to the students who adapted to a difficult situation.
-Tom Needham, Education Chairman of LIMHoF
For more information on the High School Music Department Recognition Program or Education scholarships and grants offered by LIMHoF, visit limusichalloffame.org/scholarshipsgrants.
Old Westbury Gardens on Long Island has announced the return of the “Music for a Sunday Afternoon“ Summer Concert Series, starting this Sunday, July 11.
The series features “Artist-in-Residence” cellist Suzanne Mueller, who will present four concerts, accompanied by a roster of seasoned performers spanning the genres of classical, jazz, and folk music.
Mueller (L) with pianist Elinor Abrams Zayas
My collaborators and I are really thrilled to be returning to our musical summer home again this year. It doesn’t feel like summer without these concerts. It’s especially meaningful to me because I had to sit out the 2019 season and most of the 2018 season due to medical issues that kept me homebound and unable to play. I was really looking forward to returning last year and was crushed when we had to cancel.
Suzanne Mueller
Mueller will perform with pianist Elinor Abrams Zayas, The McCarron Bros. Jazz Quartet, classical guitarist Christopher Gotzen-Berg and folk duo Hungrytown over the course of the four Sunday shows. Each performance will bring a different flavor to Mueller’s expert cello playing and blend many genres.
Each “Music for a Sunday Afternoon” performance will begin at 3PM on the lawn at the Orchard Hill Barn (or inside the Barn in case of inclement weather or extreme heat). Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets and should also be aware that COVID-19 protocols are in effect and will be enforced on the dates of the concerts. The Old Westbury Gardens are a scenic and beloved venue for both audiences and performers alike.
Old Westbury Gardens, photo via their website
Whether outdoors in a bucolic setting, or indoors, in the event of inclement weather, it has been a special time playing in such a beautiful setting, with very appreciative audiences in attendance. There’s something transformative about playing in Nature, listening to birds singing along with the music, and being surrounded by beautiful gardens and plantings. It puts all involved, performers and audience, into a peaceful state of being.
Elinor Abrams Zayas
More information about “Music on a Sunday Afternoon” can be found on Old Westbury Garden’s website. The full schedule is listed below.
Performance Schedule: 1. July 11 (3PM):CROSS ISLAND—Suzanne Mueller, cellist; Elinor Abrams Zayas, pianist 2. July 18 (3PM):The McCarron Bros. Jazz Quartet with Suzanne Mueller, Cello—Paul Carlon, saxophone; Mark McCarron, guitar; Trifon Dimitrov, bass; Arei Sekiguchi, drums; and Suzanne Mueller, cellist 3. July 25 (3PM): Gotzen-Berg and Mueller—Christopher Gotzen-Berg, guitarist; Suzanne Mueller, cellist (debut performance as a duo) 4. August 1 (3PM):Hungrytown with Suzanne Mueller, Cello—with husband and wife folk duo, Rebecca Hall and Ken Anderson, accompanied by Suzanne Mueller, cellist
Wondering where and how you can get your 2021 Pride on throughout New York this summer? With COVID-19 ever looming in the background, NYS Music has you covered. Between in person events and virtual celebrations, celebrating Pride with live music in 2021 will be a highlight of the summer across the State of New York.
New York City and Long Island
New York City Pride will be kicking off with 50 events across the 30 days of June, known as Pride month throughout the LGBTQ+ community. Between the NYC Pride march, Pridefest, and Pride Island. The NYC Pride March broadcast special will return for its fifth consecutive year.
Featuring live performances, on-air interviews, and exciting street-side marching activity, the broadcast will air on ABC-7 from 12PM to 3PM EST on Sunday, June 27 as well on ABC7NY.com and ABC7 New York’s Connected TV Apps on streaming platforms Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Roku. All in-person elements will be produced in accordance with the most current guidelines for public events in the city. DJ Lina Bradford will be performing at the online virtual Pride Island party. Details on the event can be found on their website. Musical performances across NYC Pride are waiting to be announced.
Long Island Pride is taking place on June 13, 2021 at Eisenhower Park’s landmark Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre from 12PM-4PM. The festivities will take place in person and will follow New York State Department of Health and CDC guidance, all attendees will be required to present proof of full COVID-19 vaccination, or 72-hour negative PCR test. This year’s Long Island Pride is a pre-ticketed event only and there will be no same day entry. The event may sell out quickly with sponsorships, VIP tickets and a limited number of general admission tickets now on sale due to COVID-19. Almost Queen, The Lesbian and Gay Big Apple Corps, and DJ Disco 2 House will all be performing. Details on the event can be found on their website.
Capital District
In Albany the Pride activities will span out across the month with plenty of events. People can catch local artists performing on the Virtual Alive at 5 event. It can be found on Albany Events on YouTube and the Pride Center of the Capital region YouTube. Join the online party for the Virtual Pride Alive at 5 on Thursday, June 10, 2021 at 11AM to 12PM. Details on the event can be found on their website.
Schenectady Pride will be hosting a ‘Day of Visibility’ event at the Gateway Plaza. The event will host DJ RVMBA at 3PM, Community Stage (special guests including SLOC Musical group, Planned Parenthood at 4PM, and Drag Spectacular starring the Legends of Drag at 5pm on Saturday, June 5, 2021. Details on the event can be found on their website.
Buffalo
Buffalo won’t be having an official live pride event this year due to COVID-19 but is promoting different events throughout Buffalo in celebration of Pride. The R&B and Hip-Hop Pride Event is taking place on June 5 from 9PM to 1AM at 522 Elmwood Ave Buffalo. The event is $7 and focuses on Recording Artists of the LGBTIAQ+ Community that dwell in the genres of R&B and Hip-Hop music. Hosted by an Actress/R&B and Hip-Hop Artist named Aqueira Oshun. Loncé thee Starr, Disprettymofo, Incense, Paris Glenn, Charlie Bae, C4W2, and Jay Aquarious will all be performing. The music for the show will be spun by a DJ named Trav1sTw1n. The maximum capacity is 40 people and please be asked to wear a mask at the event. Details on the event can be found on their website.
Rochester
Rochester Pride isn’t taking place until September 25, 2021 at Mayo Park from 12-5 PM and hasn’t released information yet.
CNY
Central New York Pride will be taking place on June 26, 2021 for CNY Pride’s “Virtual Edition” Pride Festival, presented by Equitable. The festival will be featuring performances by Deviant Dance Tribe, Jason Ngo, Felipe Panama, Kitschy Scoflow, Koy Adams, Frita Lay, Sparkle Royale, Rea Listic, Tayler Mayde, and Natalie Taylor, and hosted live by the fabulous Samantha Vega, this digital festival will be streaming online June 26 and will be free and open to the public. Details on the event can be found on their Facebook page.
Keep checking back for more updates on when and where to get your Pride and dance moves on in 2021 throughout New York State.
Amityville Music Hall and Long Island Emo have teamed up to release The AMH Compilation: Volume Two, following Volume One’s release in February.
Artwork by Sarah Waxberg
The AMH Comp: Volume Two features 34 songs from several emerging artists and legends. Some bands included in the compilation are Crime in Stereoafter their last release in 2010, Twentythreenineteen, Iron Chic, Victory Garden, Moon Tooth, Blame God and Macseal. The songs on the album are originals and covers spanning from punk, hardcore and indie rock. Each song has its own sound from Crime in Stereo’s hardcore and fiery track “The Good Empire” to Macseal’s indie and laid-back style on “These Things Happens (Live at Two Worlds)”.
The compilation is exclusively available on Long Island Emo’s bandcamp. Just like for Volume One, the second volume is available for a donation of $15. While venues are slowly beginning to reopen, the pandemic is still affecting Amityville Music Hall. Venues are allowed to open at about 33% capacity, but for the music Hall that would only allow 25 people to be there at a time, which isn’t attainable. The proceeds from The AMH Compilation: Volume Two will go to the venue and the staff.
Anexclusive print is also available along with the release and the money will be allocated to Amityville Music Hall as well.
The Great South Bay Music Festival has announced that they will be postponing their event this year. Instead, this Long Island festival is rescheduled to July 7-10, 2022. With the loss of both the 2020 and 2021 festivals to the pandemic, this is a heavy disappointment. However, the health and safety of everyone are of utmost importance.
All 2020 and 2021 tickets will be honored for GSB 2022. No further action is necessary, and holding onto these tickets will also protect you from expected price increases next year. However, if this is not a viable option, GSB will offer refunds and provide information shortly.
Additionally, The Tedeschi Trucks Band‘s Wheels of Soul Tour has also been postponed and will now be performing at the Great South Bay Music Festival in 2022. The rest of the headliners for this event will be confirmed very soon, so stay tuned.
As an independent festival, GSB has acknowledged its lack of support and safety net compared to more prominent festivals. With close monitoring of lifted restrictions and a rise in the number of cases, GSB believes their decision will benefit everyone in the long run. The festival wishes to provide its audience with an authentic and lively experience, which would best take place next year.
Along with the rescheduled Great South Bay Music Fest dates, a “re-imagined” festival is in the works. This multi-day festival called EBB-Fest will take place October 1-3 at Shorefront Park. EBB-Fest is a tribute to the retreat and falling of this pandemic. This event will present a few national acts but be more focused on supporting local artists, serving as a celebration of the death of this virus and an opportunity to share live music!
Great South Bay Music Fest Shares:
I can honestly say that all of us here at GSB love and miss you, our fest family. We can’t wait to be walking through the crowd, hearing the music and seeing the smiles on all of your faces again, with the cool breeze and backdrop of the magnificent Great South Bay!
Two words succinctly sum up the driving force behind the first ever Phish show at Nassau Coliseum: Island Tour. It’s the impromptu run of shows that are now viewed as essential elements of Phish lore. As the legend goes, the band was preparing to record their new album and wanted to test run some of the new songs. The previous year saw them at the height of their powers to date so a last minute tour announcement was sure to have few issues. And, somehow, Phish had never played Nassau Coliseum before. This all changed with the Island Tour and an opening show that saw new songs debuted and older ones stretched out in the new, infectiously funky sound the band had begun to hone.
There’s no time wasted this evening, as Phish thoroughly rips a “Tube” opener to the delight of the Nassau Coliseum crowd. Page McConnell on keys drives the jam in its early stages with heavy clavichord work. After that, it’s not long before the band is in full funk mode with a digital delay loop in full effect, picking right up where 1997 left off. This “Tube” is a great sign of things to come. The band seems locked in from the get-go as they stretch this one to nearly eight minutes.
After a quick conference, “My Mind’s Got A Mind Of Its Own” is the selection, filling the customary bluegrass spot that was more prevalent at this point in time. Bassist Mike Gordon nails the lyrics before this quick one ends with a flourish on piano from McConnell. “Sloth” emerges next to the delight of the crowd as Phish takes a quick trip to Gamehendge. Despite some lyric fumbling from Trey, they’re able to make it out of this one fairly unscathed. “NICU” follows this which sees drummer Jon Fishman in fine fashion keeping the time on this older Phish tune. Afterwards, Trey makes his now famous comment about the band “being bored at home” and “wanting to do some shows.”
Then, the first song with some real exploration since “Tube” comes next in a complex “Stash”. It features some early dissonant playing from Anastasio on guitar that the band uses as fuel for this particular jam. Before long, Phish has filled Nassau with a dark, foreboding jam that’s accentuated by a menacing light show. The digital delay loop then makes another appearance as the jam then shifts into a near ambient space. It stays in this mode for a while, with the band patiently crafting this one. It’s a truly exploratory section that yields little payout, however. Instead of bringing it back around to the finish, the jam slowly trickles out and the opening chords of “Horn” ring out.
Trey shows a little rust on the guitar solo, but overall it’s a harmless effort that wraps up quickly. “Waste” comes up next, a popular track from Billy Breathes, their most recent studio album. Trey nails his part on this one, as it finishes with an inspirational flourish. Then, as if to make up for the last two “slower” songs, an absolutely incendiary “Chalkdust Torture” wraps up the first set. Immediately, Anastasio is in rapid-fire mode on guitar for this “Torture” which seems like it’s intentionally sped up. The rest of the band is up to the challenge though. Gordon on bass goes tit-for-tat with Trey while Page pounds away on the baby grand on this simply (and literally) electric Phish classic that sends the Nassau crowd into set break.
But you don’t have to take my word for it. Check out the nice fan-shot video footage of the first set below or here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gehEr7EOLn0
The second set picks right back up with a return trip to Gamehendge courtesy of “Punch You In The Eye.” Once again, Phish exhibits impeccable patience and craftmanship as they deftly stretch out the intro to this one, much to the delight of the Nassau crowd. The rest of the calypso-style rocker is played to perfection, with Gordon shining on bass throughout.
“Simple” fills the two-spot for the second set, and after a standard composed section, eventually yields a spiritual instrumental jam spearheaded by Anastasio. Majestic, soaring guitar lines help create an incredible soundscape on one of the better extended pieces of improvisation this evening. As the jam winds down to a standstill, the choice is then made to drop the debut of a brand new song. The first ever “Birds Of A Feather” then leaves the nest, soon to be featured on the band’s upcoming Story Of The Ghost album they would record the following week. Instantly, everyone can tell this song has a bright future as another digital delay loop and some intense wah-wah from Trey warmly welcome this one to the live Phish catalog.
After some more banter from Trey about the new tune and upcoming album, the familiar opening chords of “Wolfman’s Brother” ring out. Gordon’s bass seems to has a little extra “pop” on this one and helps power yet another funk-fueled excursion. Eventually, McConnell reintroduces some more heavy clav sound and Phish ever so subtly slides right into their cover of Robert Palmer’s “Sneakin’ Sally Through The Alley.”
But there would be no customary vocal jam accompanying this “Sally” – the funk is too deep. Instead, the jazz-shuffle jam that had developed wanders for a bit before taking a turn to the dark side and into the debut of “Frankie Says.” This harrowingly beautiful number, with McConnell on lead vocals here, would also wind up featured on Story Of The Ghost. Although it hasn’t been played live in nearly six years now.
The final major improv of the evening then follows in the form of “Twist.” Once the opening vocals are out of the way, this one takes off with a another frenetic jam with McConnell emitting a myriad of tones and styles on keys with Fishman playing in metronome-like fashion on drums. An inspired Trey on guitar helps give this jam yet another ethereal feel that soon devolves into outright ambience with a drumbeat.
Phish then wraps up the second set of their first ever show at Nassau Coliseum with a couple of crowd favorite sing-a-longs. “Sleeping Monkey” takes it on down to the shore and a blisteringly fast “Rocky Top” puts a cap on a memorable set of music. For an encore, Phish goes dark one last time with “Guyute,” giving the Nassau crowd one last taste of what to expect on the forthcoming album.
Phish Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum – Uniondale, NY 4/2/98
Set 1: Tube, My Mind’s Got A Mind Of Its Own, The Sloth, NICU, Stash > Horn > Waste > Chalkdust Torture
Set 2: Punch You In The Eye > Simple > Birds Of A Feather, Wolfman’s Brother->Sneakin’ Sally Through The Alley->Frankie Says->Twist > Sleeping Monkey > Rocky Top
Long Island’s Versa the Band, releases their politically reflective first single of the year entitled “ROLL (Homies Love Democracy).”
Credit: Derlis Chavarria and CK Productions
The band started in 2019 with a mission to create music that is out of the box and not tied to just one genre. While they are called a band, that is not quite the dynamic. The name originated from when the creator Ethan Fezzilari was brainstorming band names with his best friend for their cover band. The name Versa came to him after driving on the Long Island Expressway and seeing a Nissan Versa in front of him. The name stuck with him even though Versa the Band is a solo project.
Versa the Band describes themselves as a “music collective” Fezzilari collaborates with other artists of different backgrounds. With influences from various artists such as Bon Iver, James Blake, Sam Cooke and more, Versa the Band has a versatile catalog. They tap into multiple sounds consisting of Hip Hop, Alternative, Pop, Jazz and more. He also draws inspiration from natural sounds and from things humans do regularly that create sound.
With his El Salvadorian background, music has played a major role in his life. He recalls being around music all the time and seeing his mother cook with music playing in the background. While his parents aren’t musicians, their creativity influenced where he is today. The piano was the first instrument that he played when his mother made him and his siblings take lessons. Piano remained a constant throughout his career as a musician. He began his career in the entertainment business as a child actor in community theatre and progressed to short films and commercials. Versa the Band really fell in love with music through singing and the art of it.
Versa the Band is signed to founder Fezzilari’s own Indie label CK Records. The company broadens to different aspects of entertainment including film and theatre. His executive involvement made him yearn for more creativity and his experience as director contributes to his writing skills. His journey with song writing began about two years ago. Versa the Band’s songs “Chelsea in the Spring,” “Barefoot,” “Just Friends,” and “Don’t Be Alone” were all released under the label. It allowed him to stay true to their sound and proved their individuality and creativity.
The newest single “ROLL (Homies Love Democracy)” is another step further in not conforming to just one sound. It derives from a meme, specifically a meme that said “All my homies love Celine Dion.” The song is written from the perspective of the United States during the era of Trump’s administration and the issues resulting from COVID-19. He saw the way certain communities were struggling and lacked resources during a time when they needed it the most. Fezzilari says this is the most unique song the band has come out with. It captures the frustrations that many people felt during these times and they hope it will get people to think and receive the deeper message.
The first half of the song calls out the current state of the political climate, while the second half serves as a cry for help. The single is produced by LOGO, mastered by Colton Lava, mixed by donSMITH along with Cliff 41 Studio. “ROLL (Homies Love Democracy)” is one of the tracks on Versa the Band’s upcoming album Free Thinker, which is releasing in June. Free Thinker is a 16 track project, containing five interludes and two more singles coming out shortly. This first single along with the video releases on March 12.
