The Binghamton Philharmonic will continue their 2022-23 season on Saturday, November 12 with “Green Places” a production focused on the musical themes of nature. Taking place at the Broome County Theatre, the show will begin at 7:30.
With direction from Maestro Daniel Hege, the night will feature one of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Novelettes, Gary Schocker’s eponymous Green Places featuring principal flutist Karen Bogardus, Ralph Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending featuring German violinst and Binghamton Philharmonic concertmaster Uli Speth, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4.
Karen Bogardus.
Bogardus is also the principal flutist for the Binghamton Philharmonic, Berkshire Opera Festival, Martina Arroyo Foundation Opera and Phoenicia Voice Festival, and has performed with dozens of other NY and northeast-based orchestras.
November 12th’s nature-themed show is far from Uli Speth’s first gig with the Binghamton Philharmonic.
Speth, having been concertmaster with the Binghamton Philharmonic since 2005, also holds the same position with the Chappaqua Orchestra and Fenimore Chamber Orchestra. He’s also performed with New York City Opera, American Symphony Orchestra, and the Florida Orchestra, and has played under the direction of conductors such as James Levine, Kurt Masur, Gerard Schwarz, JoAnn Falletta, and Marin Alsop.
The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1955 by Fritz and Marianne Wallenberg and later merging with the BC Pops Orchestra, presents an annual series of classical, pops, and chamber music across Downtown Binghamton and Broome County.
All children 17 and under can attend the concert for free, information regarding tickets and more can be found here.
The Central New York Jazz Orchestra, a Syracuse area non-profit big band, will join up with NEA Jazzmaster David Liebman later this month to perform and record together.
This comes 11 years after the orchestra accompanied the saxophonist/flautist’s world premiere solo performance of “If a White Horse from Jerusalem,” a four-movement work for soprano saxophone, wooden flute, and jazz orchestra. After the concert, Liebman had offered to record an album with the orchestra, and is soon coming through with this offer.
David Liebman.
On the 20th, he’ll again perform the composition at Syracuse’s Temple Adath Yesurun, before recording with the orchestra the following day. The CNYJO who will be conducted by Music Director Bret Zvacek, is also debuting its 27th season. Additional numbers of the concert include Quincy Jones’ arrangement of the theme from Exodus, as well as orchestra originals to be found on their 2023 album with David Liebman. The doors open at 4 p.m. while music begins at 5.
“If a White Horse from Jerusalem” was originally commissioned by the S.U. Humanities Center on their 2011 theme of “Conflict: Peace and War” and performed that year in the Carrier Theater, with additional support by the Jewish Federation of Central New York and Hillel. Both the Jewish Federation and the Jewish Community Foundation of Central New York will lend their support for the reprise production in November.
Information regarding tickets and more can be found here.
Stella Rose, a NYC musician and the daughter of Depeche Mode singer Dave Gahan has made her debut with “Muddled Man,” a menacing track with a palpable atmosphere of darkness.
Released shortly before Halloween, the song evokes the energy of gothic acts such as Bauhaus with its urgent opening and Rose’s deep, shaky vocals.
Produced by Yves Rothman, every bit of the track’s meticulous composition shines through. From its sludgy synths to its pounding snare to its mystical string notes to the echo of Rose’s singing and beyond, “Muddled Man” oozes ounces of haunting energy.
This is equally reflected in its lyrical content, which seems to describe some sort of sinister love affair. Lines like “I’ll have you once again, until then I’m well fed,” and “a muddled man who loves me the way I am” reflection narration of someone looking for romance through personal chaos.
While this song is split into two parts, the loud and brooding first section transitions perfectly into the spacy, gloomy second. Backdropped by muddied drums, arpeggiating strings, and echoing piano, Rose’s delivery calms down drastically and her lyrical content sacrifices its aggression. “How does it feel, when the feeling isn’t enough?” Rose wistfully asks.
While “Muddled Man” is a debut effort from Stella Rose, nothing about it speaks inexperience. This collaboration with Yves Rothman is a gripping and chilling track that espouses some of gothic music’s best qualities.
Country music fixture Shania Twain has released dates for her 2023 Queen of Me Tour, a five month, 49-date run stretching across Canada, the US, and the UK.
Starting April 28 in Spokane, WA and wrapping up September 26 in Birmingham, England, the tour includes stops in NY on July 8 at St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview in Syracuse and on the 11th at Madison Square Garden. New Jersey singer-songwriter Breland will feature as a guest performer.
Due to huge demand, she added a second leg of her tour, stopping in Buffalo on Oct. 20.
Poster for the ‘Queen of Me’ Tour.
Twain’s tour is in promotion of her upcoming album titled Queen of Me, slated for February 3 release. It’s the sixth studio record from the five-time Grammy Award winner, who owns the title of best-selling female country artist ever.
Ticket sales for the run begin this Friday, November 4 at 10 a.m.
SHANIA TWAIN ‘QUEEN OF ME’ 2023 TOUR DATES, LEG 1
4/28 Spokane, WA Spokane Arena
4/29 Seattle, WA Climate Pledge Arena
5/02 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena
5/03 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena
5/05 Edmonton, AB Rogers Place
5/06 Edmonton, AB Rogers Place
5/09 Calgary, AB Scotiabank Saddledome
5/10 Calgary, AB Scotiabank Saddledome
5/12 Saskatoon, SK SaskTel Centre
5/14 Winnipeg, MB Canada Life Centre
5/16 Madison, WI Kohl Center
5/17 St Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center
5/19 Lincoln, NE Pinnacle Bank Arena
5/21 Denver, CO Ball Arena
5/24 Salt Lake City, UT USANA Amphitheatre
5/26 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre
5/28 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl
5/30 Phoenix, AZ Ak-Chin Pavilion
5/31 Thousand Palms, CA Acrisure Arena
6/03 Tulsa, OK BOK Center
6/04 St. Louis, MO Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre STL
6/07 Nashville, TN GEODIS Park
6/09 Camden, NJ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
6/12 Halifax, NS Scotiabank Centre
6/14 Moncton, NB Avenir Centre
6/17 Quebec City, QC Videotron Centre
6/18 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
6/20 Hamilton, ON FirstOntario Centre
6/21 London, ON Budweiser Gardens
6/23 Toronto, ON Budweiser Stage
6/24 Toronto, ON Budweiser Stage
6/27 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion
6/28 Charlotte, NC PNC Music Pavilion
6/30 Cuyahoga Falls, OH Blossom Music Center
7/01 Tinley Park, IL Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
7/06 Ottawa, ON Ottawa Bluesfest
7/08 Syracuse, NY St Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview
In the next three weeks, Flushing Town Hall will welcome new and old, hosting Ethiopian experimental band QWANQWA and their 16th Annual NEA Jazz Masters concert.
QWANQWA, who are on their debut U.S. tour, are the Flushing Town Hall’s next performers on Saturday. October 29. Based in Ethiopia’s capital city of Addis Ababa, the five-piece was formed in 2012 by violinist Kaethe Hostetter.
QWANQWA members from left to right: Bubu Teklamariam, Endriss Hansen, Selamnesh Zemene, Misale Leggese, and Kaethe Hostetter.
QWANQWA also consists of percussionist Misale Legesse, vocalist Selamnesh Zemene Taye, Endres Hassan, player of the masingo, a one-stringed traditional Ethiopian instrument, and Anteneh “Bubu” Teklemariam Barago, player of the bass krar, a five-stringed traditional Ethiopian instrument.
QWANQWA describes their music as “intersectional,” combining elements of rock, psychedelic, and regional beats from Addis Ababa.
NEA Jazz Masters from left to right: Wycliffe Gordon, Danny Mixon, Terri Lyne Carrington, Jimmy Owens, Camille Thurman, Kenny Davis.
The NEA Jazz Masters, led by trumpeter Jimmy Owen, will perform at the town hall on Saturday, November 12 at 8 p.m. With over 45 years experience as a jazz trumpeter, composer, arranger, lecturer, and music education consultant, he’ll be joined on stage by five musicians.
Drummer Terri Lyne Carrington is a three-time Grammy Award winner, and the newest member of the group. Camille Thurman is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist who has performed on the same stage as Wynton Marsalis, Janelle Monae, Erykah Badu.
Wycliffe Gordon has been named “Trombonist of the Year” by The Jazz Journalists Association a record 13 times and has topped the Downbeat Critics Poll for “Best Trombone” an unprecedented six times. Daniel Asbury Mixon’s 50+ year piano career has taken him to the White House. Bassist Kenny Davis has toured with artists such as Herbie Hancock and led “The Tonight Show” band from 1999 to 2002.
The Rock and Roll Playhouse, a family concert series, has announced a nationwide run of shows for Halloween weekend, with four happening in NY.
Running from Saturday, October 29 to Sunday, October 30, the classic rock-themed series will feature 18 shows cross country.
As for NY’s concerts, day one will include a Tom Petty tribute show at Garcia’s at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, and a “New Orleans Funk & Soul” themed Halloween party at Brooklyn’s Industry City featuring Black Tie Brass. The doors of Garcia’s will open at 1:30 p.m. before music begins at 2, while Industry City’s show will run from 1 to 2.
On day two for the Playhouse, Brooklyn Bowl will open its doors for a “Halloween Spectacular” show at 11 a.m. before music starts at noon, and City Winery Hudson Valley in Montgomery will open its doors for its own Halloween-themed concert at 10:30 a.m. before music also starts at noon.
The Rock and Roll Playhouse was founded in 2013 at the Brooklyn Bowl by Amy Striem, a NJ-based youth educator, and Peter Shapiro, co-owner of the Brooklyn Bowl and owner of the Capitol Theatre. Since its beginning, the program has held performances in over 42 venues across 30 cities for its core audience of children under 10.
List of Weekend Shows:
October 29:
Bluebird Theater – Phish (Denver, CO)
Pour House – Phish (Charleston, SC)
Garcia’s – Tom Petty (Port Chester, NY)
Sevier Park – David Bowie (Nashville, TN)
Industry City – New Orleans Funk & Soul (Brooklyn, NY)
October 30:
Brooklyn Bowl New York – Halloween Spooktacular (Brooklyn, NY)
Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia – Prince (Philadelphia, PA)
Last Concert Cafe – Grateful Dead (Houston, TX)
Portland House of Music – Phish (Portland, ME)
The Espee – Grateful Dead (San Antonio,TX)
The Grey Eagle – Grateful Dead (Asheville, NC)
Thalia Hall – Phish (Chicago, IL)
Mission Theater (AM Show) – Grateful Dead (Portland, OR)
Mission Theater (PM Show) – Grateful Dead (Portland, OR)
City Winery Hudson Valley – Halloween Spooktacular (Hudson Valley, NY)
There are song covers, and then there’s what DM Stith did to R.E.M.’s “Man on the Moon.” Stith’s remake is transformative, turning the hazy guitar pop tune into an ethereal 13-minute drone piece.
Having dropped on October 14th, this remake is the upstate NY-based graphic artist and musician’s first release since his 2020 EP Waving 1-4. It’s also the first release on new NYC label Historical Fiction Records.
DM Stith.
In terms of soundscape, this cover is oriented around a fluttering piano melody and an ambient assembly of synths in the background with ghastly vocals which enter and exit throughout the track. Stith slows down the tempo to a crawl, allowing each lyric plenty of time to sink in. His whisper-like vocal performance doesn’t stray far from Michael Stipe’s original take, emphasizing the subtlety which Stith aims for.
Reinforcing this approach, he eschews R.E.M.’s upbeat chorus and zones in on its wistful verses. He adds lyrics of his own, complementing lines such as “Mr. Andy Kaufman’s gone wrestling” with other abstract musings such as “D’Angelo’s Voodoo over first person shooters” and “Mom is sinking deeper into CNN.”
Stith’s atmospheric take on the song also gives new power to lines from Stipe such as “Newton got beaned by the apple, good” and “Mr. Charles Darwin had the gall to ask” which admire two people who changed the boundaries of conventional thought.
While drawn out, this cover’s sound is powerful, getting louder and slowly adding layers as it progresses. Eight minutes of buildup is rewarded in the song’s instrumental outro, which for several minutes repeats the same idea found throughout the track but with waves of distorted, torrential noise.
Stith repeats the lyric “let’s play Twister, let’s play risk” numerous times in his cover, and fittingly so, because he most surely took risks. He abandoned a revered R.E.M. track’s song structure, instrumentation, and didn’t remotely adhere to its pacing, but still made a powerful and successful cover that earned the acclaim of Michael Stipe himself, who said “DM Stith whispers with hypnotic, bone-deep authenticity, somewhere between Nina Simone, Perfume Genius, PJ Harvey and Leonard Cohen.”
DM Stith’s remake of “Man on the Moon” is a shocking and moving rendition that masters the art of the cover track.
The Empire State Youth Orchestra (ESYO), a prominent NY youth ensemble, has announced its 2022-23 concert season.
The first event of their upcoming run is a 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday, October 30 which features the orchestra in full at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall performing Beethoven’s “7th Symphony.” Other pieces on display include Gabriella Smith’s “Field Guide,” which is described as “a musical safari into the natural world,” and an original student-led “instant” composition.
Also including a three-event holiday concert series from December 10 to the 20th, the season will feature performances in the capital district up until June 4, when the ESYO will close out with a concert at Carnegie Hall.
ESYO Music Director Etienne Abelin.
This marks the first season as Empire State Youth Orchestra Music Director for Etienne Abelin, a Swiss violinist and conductor. “The season builds upon what makes the ESYO experience so unique,” said Abelin. “It challenges the most passionate young musicians in the region to see music-making as a joyful pursuit of musical excellence. This new season will carry this hallmark with a sprinkling of something new.”
As director, he’s sporting a philosophy called MusicNOW which “allows for more curiosity and risk-taking, which are at the heart of creativity and our sense of well-being,” said Abelin. As part of MusicNOW, the ESYO’s 2022-23 season will include workshops for Soundpainting, a musical sign language which uses more than 1500 gestures to compose music live, something available as early as opening day on the 30th.
The orchestra rehearses.
Information regarding tickets and more can be found on the ESYO website.
2022-2023 FALL CONCERT SCHEDULE:
Opening Day Matinee
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Sunday, October 30, 2022, 3:00pm
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
ESYO PERCUSSION ENSEMBLES
Monday, November 7, 2022, 7:30pm
Brown School, Schenectady
Three Orchestras! One Incredible Afternoon of Music
Spoiler NYC frontman, Life of Agony bassist, and graphic artist Alan Robert was recently caught on video being arrested with his bandmates from Spoiler at Brooklyn’s Lucky 13 Saloon.
Well, not really. The group’s music video for “Banned in 38 States,” released this past Thursday, October 18, showed the band being carried out of the heavy metal-themed bar in handcuffs and performing from behind bars in a skit-like approach.
Produced by Ken Lewis, a producer whose repertoire includes work with the Wu-Tang Clan, Eminem, and countless other hip-hop icons, it’s a quick, pounding punk rock track which just crosses the two minute mark. Robert proclaims the band’s infamy as inciters of punk-infused chaos, yelling on the first verse, “no where left to play, lots of hell to raise, pour me another bourbon, whiskey or wine.”
“Banned in 38 States” is one of two new tracks from their August-released album of the same name. It’s a 15th anniversary edition of their debut album Grease Fire in Hell’s Kitchen, featuring remastered versions of the record’s original 12 songs.
Spoiler NYC band members from left to right: Chris “Junkyard” Silletti (guitar), Alan Robert (lead vocals/bass), Tommy “The Kid” Clayton (drums).
The other new addition is the slower, more melodic “Damaged Goods,” an ode to Robert’s tumultuous upbringing with an abusive father. “People say I will never amount to nothing, and then they’ll wait ’till I kill myself or something, then they’ll say ‘oh what a shame, he was damaged goods,” he sings on the chorus.
The song received a Taxi Driver-themed music video back in August when the remastered album dropped.
Spoiler NYC is also promoting Banned in 38 States with three upcoming shows: one in November in a return to the Lucky 13 Saloon, and two in December, with appearances at Coney Island USA and Bowery Electric.
Information regarding tickets, Banned in 38 States’ limited vinyl release on Halloween, and more can be found on the Spoiler NYC website.
Brooklyn artist Sebastien Carnot isn’t new to what he does. Known by the musical alias DIE the Monk, his experience is on full display with his fourth album Nailed to a Star.
The record follows up 2020’s The Beauty Complex, and maintains the brevity signature to DIE the Monk as the fourth consecutive album under 30 minutes. Its cross between industrial music, hip-hop and synth pop makes for a moody, abrasive record about inner turmoil.
Album art for “NAILED TO A STAR.”
The subdued minute-long intro track “Shapeless” sets the tone with Carnot musing, “what if I’m an unlucky person making many bad decisions,” before launching into the pacing, catchy “Underbite.”
On “Underbite,” the album’s lead single, forboding bass pulsates like an alarm clock as he yells about hidden anguish with lines such as “where do you go, a life they see is a life they know, not a life disguised.” The track also introduces the record’s unconventional song structure, shelving a normal verse-chorus pattern for a wave of noise that bursts into a psychedelic outro with melodic synths.
While Carnot’s voice competes to not be drowned out by the volume of his blasting musical backdrop on this record, like a Steve Albini-made album during hardcore’s heyday, there’s something intentional about his distortion-drenched vocals being pit against Carnot’s digital overdrive production.
The same can be said for the following song “Recollect,” with autotuned delivery that reminisces of premier hip-hop experimentalists Injury Reserve that builds an overwhelming environment of metallic drums and wailing horns into a reverb-tinged, gloomy conclusion.
Carnot’s flexibility in approach to noise music remains apparent on songs like the metal-adjacent “Honor” with its rolling drums and dramatic synth melody and the hardcore rap infused “Commander” with sci-fi-esque sound effects in a track that only gains speed.
The interludes on Nailed to a Starassist the flow of the album as well. The lush synths on “Lost” well suit a phone call to friend from a stressed but stable Carnot asking for a ride home, and the melodica-driven “Stars Talk” well articulates his anxiety.
Underneath the chaos, Carnot shows great capacity for writing engaging melodies, and such is the case on the cloud rap oriented second single “Bless Up.” Playful rapping and synth lines make this a brighter song than the rest, even if the subject matter keeps dark with lyrics like “all my fears turn to problems” keeping consistent with the album’s tone.
This loud album ends things rather quietly on “A Boy Untrained.” It stays consistent with the record’s persistent themes of self-doubt and gloom, as tribal drums and mystical synths lay foreground for lines such as “trying to understand why you won’t go, I must be nasty.”
While Carnot doesn’t change up song structure much on Nailed to a Star, he shows plenty of creativity and versatility for different angles of noise music. While short, this is an explorative and intense project that gets personal in an intimate way for DIE The Monk.
