NYS Music 202​2

Author: Paolo Confino

  • Brooklyn Film Festival 2022 Announced for June 3-12 at Windmill Studios

    The Brooklyn Film Festival has announced its 25th edition will be staged on June 3-12, 2022 at Windmill Studios in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

    Windmill Studios in Greenpoint Brooklyn.

    This edition’s theme is Unthinkable. Executive Director Marco Ursino explains Brooklyn Film Festival’s efforts to address the current cultural moment.

     “It is undeniable that we are living in divisive times, where every political and social current creates and follows its own fabricated truth.,” said Ursino. “In such a world, any profound statement is destined to please some, while it offends others. What we used to define reality, has been carefully hidden, to the point that it has become almost unthinkable.”

    Marco Ursino, Executive Director Brooklyn Film Festival

    He hopes that Brooklyn Film Festival can be a source of inspiration for it attendees.

    “Brooklyn Film Festival wants to reignite the audience’s imagination,” said Ursino. “[And] offer an opportunity to revisit reality, and reinforce the Unthinkable, by presenting 150, uncensored film projects from every corner of the world.”

    Brooklyn Film Festival 2022

    Brooklyn Film Festival divides its movies into six categories: Feature Narrative, Documentary Feature, Short Narrative, Short Documentary, Experimental, and Animation. The festival has had the same selection criteria—which it considers its trademark—in place since its inaugural edition in 1998.

    Movies submitted cannot be older than two years and are all eligible to participate in awards competition. Which means even the smallest movie could be awarded the top prize, known as the Grand Chameleon. In an effort to highlight the selected movies it does not screen films that were not submitted for consideration.

    Brooklyn Film Festival 2022 will also continue to hold its annual KidsFilmFest at Windmill Studios on June 4 and online throughout the festival’s duration. KidsFilmFest presents two programming slates; one for kids aged 3 to 7 and another for kids 8 to 15. All the movies selected for KidsFilmFest are G rated and include animated, live-action, and documentary movies.

    Below is a partial line up of feature films in competition this year. For further info on all the films, passes, and tickets, please visit BFF website.

    FEATURE NARRATIVES:

    World Premiere of LEON’S FANTASY CUT; Dir: Josh Caras, Jon Valde, United States, 99 min, 2021, Narrative Feature

    Two first generation Ukrainian-American brothers, George and Iggy, know they are destined for great things. George is a wannabe business scion festering in a cell phone store. Igal is a small-time, pot dealer and an aspiring rap mogul. They are stuck together in a suffocating studio apartment in South Brooklyn, and are constantly at each other’s throats.

    World Premiere of SIGNS OF LOVE (OPENING NIGHT FILM); Dir: Clarence Filler, United States, 96 min, 2021, Narrative Feature

    Signs Of Love takes place in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia, a tough neighborhood where cultures mix but the law of the streets still rules. Hopper Jack Penn stars as Frankie, a young man from north Philly who dreams of a better life.

    World Premiere of STAG; Dir: Alexandra Spieth, United States, 93 min, 2022, Narrative Feature

    An urban loner fights for a chance at redemption when she’s invited to her estranged BFF’s bachelorette party.

    World Premiere of WELCOME, VIOLETA!; Dir: Fernando Fraiha, Brazil, Argentina, 107 min, 2021, Narrative Feature

    Eager to write her next novel, “Violeta,” Ana joins the “End of the World Residency,” a well-known literary lab in the Andes Mountain Range. There, she meets Holden, a charismatic leader and creator of a method in which artists abandon their own lives to live as their characters.

    US Premiere of DREAMLIFE; Dir: Melvin Moti, Netherlands, France, 85 min, 2020, Narrative Feature

    In the 1960s, at the height of the Space Race, a 23-year-old French geologist named Michel Siffre went to live in an underground cave for two months. Siffre investigated how the human body deals with extremely long isolation in a confined space, and how our sleep cycle responds to the absence of daylight.

    US Premiere of PEDRO BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA; Dir: Laís Bodanzky, Brazil, Portugal, 107 min, 2021, Narrative Feature

    It is 1831 and Pedro, the former emperor of Brazil, gathers physical and emotional strengths to face his brother, who usurped his kingdom in Portugal. The film is set on the Atlantic Ocean, aboard an English frigate, in which members of the court, officers, servants and slaves mingle in a babel of languages and social positions.

    US Premiere of POUR L’AMOUR; Dir: Andrzej Mańkowski, Poland, 90 min, 2021, Narrative Feature

    Marlena struggles with a serious marital crisis due to the alcohol addiction of her husband, Zbigniew. Via the Internet, she meets Bruno, a Senegalese, who brings back Marlena’s self-confidence and sense of womanhood. However, it turns out that the man plans something rather different for her than building a relationship with her.

    East Coast Premiere of BALLOON ANIMAL; Dir: Em Johnson, United States, 88 min, 2021, Narrative Feature

    A young circus performer, Poppy Valentine, is stuck under the harsh demands of her father and their community’s expectations. But while on a quick night out to let loose and have some fun with her friends, she finds herself captivated by small-town America, which then forces her to question everything.

    East Coast Premiere of RAGGED HEART; Dir: Evan McNary, United States, 85 min, 2021, Narrative Feature

    When his estranged daughter tragically dies, a washed-up musician sets out to complete the last song she wrote, hoping to somehow redeem himself and let her rest in peace.

    East Coast Premiere of SHAMBALA; Dir: Artykpai Suyundukov, Kyrgyzstan, 99 min, 2021, Narrative Feature

    Based on the novella The White Ship, by Kyrgyz writer Chingiz Aitmatov, Shambala tells the story of a lonely, impressionable, seven-year-old boy who lives in a protected forest, high in the mountains, with his grandfather, step-grandmother, auntie and uncle.

    East Coast Premiere of WAKE UP, LEONARD; Dir: Kat Mills Martin, US , 73 min, 2021, Narrative Feature

    Part comedy, part self-help nightmare, Wake Up, Leonard follows one man’s quest for wellness while failing miserably to stay on his vibe. This is the story of a broken-hearted seeker with a tenuous grasp on his mental health, but an admirable faith in the Universe.

    NY Premiere of LEARN TO SWIM; Dir: Thyrone Tommy, Canada, 90 min, 2021, Narrative Feature

    After a tragic loss, Dezi, a jazz musician, flees in an attempt to rebuild his life, only to find himself haunted by the truth of his past.

    FEATURE DOCUMENTARIES:

    World Premiere of HOPE: STORIES OF SURVIVAL DOCUMENTARY; Dir: Joseph Pritchard, United States, 60 min, 2021, Documentary Feature

    Hope: Stories of Survival is the first full-length documentary that The Salvation Army has produced. Joe Pritchard, the director of this film, has spent over a decade with this organization, directing short films with the support of his amazing team.

    World Premiere of THE UNITED STATES OF FASHION DESIGNER ELIE TAHARI; Dir: David Serero, United States, 65 min, 2021, Documentary Feature

    Fashion Designer and Mogul Elie Tahari, has been living the American Dream for more than 50 years. He came to New York in 1971 with less than $100 in his pocket, slept on benches in Central Park, and went on to build a billion-dollar fashion empire.


    US Premiere of MERRY CHRISTMAS, YIWU; Dir: Mladen Kovacevic, Iva Plemic, China, 94 min, 2020, Documentary Feature

    Communist ideals have long lost their value in Yiwu, a city with 600 Christmas factories, in which Christmas as we know it is produced for the entire world.

    NY Premiere of BIG OLD GOOFY WORLD – THE STORY OF OH BOY RECORDS; Dir: Joshua Britt, Neilson Neilson Hubbard, United States, 52 min, 2021, Documentary Feature

    This is the story of the little record label that could! Founded by the great John Prine and his two managing partners, Al Bunetta and Dan Einstein.

    NY Premiere of DROWNING IN SILENCE; Dir: Chezik Tsunoda, United States, 86 min, 2021, Documentary Feature

    Drowning in Silence is an intimate and brave directorial debut from Chezik Tsunoda, documenting her quest for answers and personal journey of healing in the midst of a tragedy.

    NY Premiere of FREE RENTY: LANIER V. HARVARD; Dir: David Grubin, United States, 95 min, 2021, Documentary Feature

    Free Renty tells the story of Tamara Lanier, an African American woman determined to force Harvard University to cede possession of daguerreotypes of her great-great-great grandfather, an enslaved man named Renty.

    NY Premiere of FROM THE HOOD TO THE HOLLER; Dir: Pat McGee, United States, 102 min, 2021, Documentary Feature

    Charles Booker rode to the brink of one of the biggest upsets in political history. The documentary follows his campaign across Kentucky, from the most urban to the most rural settings.

    GRAIN; Dir: Alex Contell, Tommaso Sacconi, US, Italy, Spain, 81 min, 2021, Documentary Feature

    These days, everyone’s shooting analog. Whether it is a fashion house seeking out “new” creative or an amateur perusing eBay, analog film photography has piqued the interest (and search history) of people everywhere.

    About BFF

  • Five Finger Death Punch Tour Coming to Jones Beach, Syracuse, Darien Lake

    Hard rock band Five Finger Death Punch released new single “AfterLife” and announced a summer and fall tour with stops in Jones Beach, Syracuse, and Darien Center.

    Five Finger Death Punch Tour Announced
    Five Finger Death Punch’s Afterlife tour will make three stops in New York. Credit: Travis Shinn.

    “Afterlife” is the first single and title track from Five Finger Death Punch’s upcoming studio album.

    On their tour Five Finger Death Punch will be joined by hard rock/metal legends Megadeth, Mongolian sensation The HU, and newcomers Fire From The Gods. The tour begins in Portland on Aug. 19. It will stop in New York on Sept. 12 at the Jones Beach Theater, Spet 20. St Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview, and on Sept. 27 at the Darien Lake Amphitheater.

    Five Finger Death Punch will also appear in the “The Retaliators” a horror movie set to be released this fall. The gave both an on screen performance and contributed to the movie’s soundtrack. Currently, the movie has a rare and notable 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.

    Tickets will go on sale April 15 at 10 a.m.

    Five Finger Death Punch Tour Dates

    Fri Aug 19 – Portland, OR – RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater

    Sat Aug 20 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre

    Tue Aug 23 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre

    Wed Aug 24 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre

    Fri Aug 26 – Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion

    Sat Aug 27 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater

    Tue Aug 30 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion

    Thu Sep 1 – Del Valle, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater

    Fri Sep 2 – Houston, TX –The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman

    Tue Sep 6 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion

    Wed Sep 7 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek

    Fri Sep 9 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach

    Sat Sep 10 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live

    Mon Sep 12 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater 

    Wed Sep 14 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center

    Thu Sep 15 – Camden, NJ – Waterfront Music Pavilion

    Sat Sep 17 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheater

    Sun Sep 18 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center

    Tue Sep 20 – Syracuse, NY – St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview

    Wed Sep 21 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake

    Fri Sep 23 – Scranton, PA – Pavilion at Montage Mountain

    Sat Sep 24 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium

    Tue Sep 27 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater

    Wed Sep 28 –Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center

    Fri Sep 30 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater

    Sat Oct 1 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center

    Tue Oct 4 – Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center

    Wed Oct 5 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre

    Fri Oct 7 – Milwaukee, WI – American Family Insurance Amphitheater – Summerfest Grounds

    Sat Oct 8 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater

    Mon Oct 10 – Atlanta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre

    Wed Oct 12 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP

    Fri Oct 14 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena

    Sat Oct 15 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre

  • “Winter Gospel” Masks J. Schnitt’s Flaws; It Shouldn’t

    On his website J. Schnitt, a singer songwriter from Utica, references a quote from an unnamed review that refers to him as “the Bob Dylan of Central New York”. An ambitious claim, a flattering compliment and, as of now, only half true.  

    Dylan’s greatness was his uncompromising ability to craft songs that made his Nobel Prize winning songwriting its focal point no matter what else surrounded it. In a 2016 profile Rolling Stone said, “what set Bob Dylan apart from everybody was how he wielded language.” Depending on who you ask he either never could or never cared about making the voice that wielded that language sound “good”. But with Dylan it didn’t matter how he sang rather what he sang about.

    On his newest release, Winter Gospel, J. Schnitt, delivers complex, lyrics in the best tradition of folk singer-songwriters but he does it with someone else’s voice. The album’s weakest moments are when he masks his true voice and, in turn, his true self. To be like Dylan you have to give your full self over to the music, flaws included. Only then can your virtues shine.

    J. Schnitt’s virtues are his nimble guitar playing which offer up a variety of melodies that, while still keeping the album firmly ensconced in the easy listening subgenre, avoid repetitiveness and thus boredom. From the dramatic strumming of “High Crimes” to the subdued melancholy of the legato chords in “The Art of Giving Up” J. Schnitt composes songs that match his undeniable songwriting talent. And when his actual singing doesn’t, he shouldn’t run from it. He should embrace it.

    In the album’s standout track, “Skipping Stone”, J. Schnitt sings “I was your skipping stone/thrown across the water/and as I sank below you picked up and grabbed another”. An analogy striking for its originality and descriptiveness. The emotional desolation of being callously replaced by a former lover told through the simplicity of a childhood pastime. It’s a feat of songwriting that should be lauded for its unique depiction of lost love. But it’s a feat that’s dampened by the contrived falsetto J. Schnitt uses when he repeatedly strains the word “thrown” to affect the sentimentality expected from the dulcet tones of singer-songwriters performing acoustic love songs. In fact, the song’s best vocals are the appealing way he coaxes “water” and “another” into rhyming. The soothing naturalness of his voice as he does so leaves you wondering what a full album of J. Schnitt’s moving lyrics sung in his real voice would sound like.

    It matters that the voice he uses is entirely his own because the songwriting deserves it. In an interview with 315 Music J. Schnitt said, “it was time for me to get back to writing something from a more personal space. To look inward.” It’s a promise J. Schnitt delivers on throughout Winter Gospel.

    On the introspective and crooning “What You Can’t Let Go” he isn’t just insecure but concerned he might always be. “I’m still looking for a way to shake this feeling I’ll always be wrong,” he pleads with himself. And on the album’s closer, the story song, “Rabbit in the Road” he recounts the story of his parents’ enduring relationship. Still, he continues to use the facsimile of another singer’s pitch perfect, choir boy harmonies instead of his own voice. In a well written, evocative song about the frustrating nature of insecurity or an ode to parental love and affection it’s better to communicate through the rasps, yelps, bleats, and caws of your own imperfect voice than by simply trying to sound “good”. That’s the difference between being a great singer and a great vocalist, like Dylan was.

    If folk music is the language of Americana and authenticity its currency, then you can’t say anything authentic if you’re faking an accent. The people came for J. Schnitt so give them J. Schnitt.

    J. Schnitt’s ballad about folk and rock legend Bob Dylan and his decision to go electric in 1965.

  • New Album from CHRMR Is Confidently Their Own

    When does a band stop being up and coming? When they get signed, when they headline a tour, when they become famous. That’s certainly part of “making it” in the music industry. I would suggest though, that a band stops being up and coming when they understand themselves as artists. That to go from promise to realization happens when you know who you are creatively. CHRMR might still be up and coming in industry terms, but they’re fully established artistically.

    CHRMR’s second full length album, Low in the Glow, is hardcore rock that understands where it comes from and where it would like to go. Up and coming artists often only understand one of the two. They’re either so eager to shatter conventions they misunderstand the fundamentals of their genre or they’re ideas are so indebted to their inspirations they fail to deliver originality. CHRMR uses both the dark, occult conventions of doom rock and their own original songwriting to create an LP that elevates the band from aspiring musicians to creative thinkers.

    On the classic rock guitar led, Rites, CHRMR offers the tropes of devilry and mysticism associated with doom rock. “The priestess calls the demon/ and the shaman does the dance,” they sing about some dark ritual. It’s not real, though. It’s a fantasy, just some wish fulfilment for fans of the genre. Like rappers with money, or singer songwriters with breakups we rarely interrogate ourselves about why they’re present in our music or even care that they are, but we expect them, which means they have value. To run away from these ideas doesn’t “bust” the genre, it mischaracterizes it.

    By incorporating staples of the genre into their album CHRMR allows itself to push up against them as their own voice shines through their songwriting. On the album’s closing track “Grain Ark”, a young boy comes to terms with the solitude of growing up, he’s referred to as a “golden foal”. A deeply poetic line that evokes something fragile but precious, a precocious foal who may become a towering stallion. Its tenderness would be out of place were it not so confidently woven into the rapid guitar riffs and cacophonous energy of the drums on Grain Ark.

    Throughout Low in the Glow CHRMR’s artistic intention keep the album cohesive, propelling the listener from one track to the next. It establishes the band as artistically mature because they don’t ask themselves if a certain lyric, or down tempo rhythm might work, they know it will. And when people use the cliché “find your sound” that’s what they mean.

  • “Dead and Gone” Podcast Returns for Season 2

    The “Dead and Gone” podcast by Payne Lindsey and Jake Brennan returns for season two on April 6. The new season of the true crime podcast will investigate new unsolved murders relatedly to the Grateful Dead.

    Season two will focus on four unsolved cases spanning from the 1980s-2000s, all of whom bear some connection to the Grateful Dead: Adam Katz, Jennifer Wilmer, Bridget Pendell-Williams, Jeremy Alex. Each of these cases was supposed to be featured in season one before until Payne and Brennan decided to dedicate a full season to these cases.

    Season one discussed the investigation into the 1986 double murder of Mary Regina Gioia and Gregory Allen Kniffin. Through an “a mysterious tip from a fellow Deadhead” Payne had reason to the case’s ruling had led to a wrongful conviction.

    Episode one of the new season, which will be avaialble on all podcast platforms will recap season one and introduce the case of Adam Katz. The 19-year-old who was killed outside of what is now Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford New Jersey after a Grateful Dead concert on Oct. 14, 1989. Subsequent episodes will detail the investigations of the remaining three cases.

    Payne Lindsey is the co-founder of Tenderfoot TV. The company’s first podcast was the popular “Up and Vanished” true crime podcast series which has been downloaded 350 million times. He is also the creator and host of popular “Atlanta Monster, “ “Dead and Gone” and “Radio Rental”.

    Jake Brennan is a music journalist who created the podcast series Disgraceland, a true crime podcast about notable cases in the music industry. In 2020 Disgraceland won the iHeartRadio Best Music Podcast award. It is the most downloaded music podcast in the world. Brennan is also the co-founder of podcasting company Double Elvis.

    New episodes will be released every Wednesday starting April 6.

  • WRAPS – Woodstock Rock Art and Poster Show – Comes To Bearsville this May

    WRAPS, a new tradeshow and art exhibition dedicated specifically to rock posters is coming to the Bearsville Center in Woodstock on May 14-15.

    WRAPS

    The popular San Francisco event, The Rock Poster Show (TRPS) is the model for WRAPS, which stands for Woodstock Rock Art and Poster Show. The event will feature exhibitors displaying their work, multi-media productions, art and design workshops, and live music.

    The musical acts include Stella Blue’s Band, Soule Monde (members of the Trey Anastasio Band), and Woodstock’s own Misty Mountain Ramblers.

    A poster designed by WRAPS producer Mike DuBois
    A poster for the Trey Anastasio Band designed by Zeb Love

    Since the 1990s interest in rock posters has increased. Vintage posters from the classic rock era are considered collectibles. While more recently it has become an art form in its own right, with artists and designers dedicating their talents to creating original works. The event is open to both collectors and artists who would like to display their work.

    Mike DuBois, one of the pioneers of rock poster art and Syracuse native, will produce WRAPS. His surrealist, psychedelic art has become a staple of rock music. More than likely, you’ve seen his work without knowing you have. In the past, high profile bands including the Grateful Dead, The Rolling Stones, and Pink Floyd have commissioned his work. Currently, he runs HappyLife Productions a design firm in Woodstock.

    Artwork by Mike DuBois.

    The Bearsville Theater was the brainchild of the famed music manager, Albert Grossman. He had the idea to build a creative oasis for his clients—which included Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, and the Band—in the Catskills. Unfortunately, due to his untimely death in 1986 Grossman never saw the theater open in 1989. The Bearsville Theater is considered “acoustically perfect”. It was designed by music producer Todd Lundgren along with the Utopia Sound Stage.

    With all the rock history at Bearsville Theater it would make a fitting location for a tradeshow meant to celebrate rock music’s legacy.

    Tickets and registration information are on the WRAPS website.

  • Experimental Artist Federico Aubele releases new single “Old Spanish Films”

    Federico Aubele has released the second single “Old Spanish Films” from his upcoming album The Holographic Moon, out May 27.

    Federico Aubele
    Federico Aubele was born in Buenos Aires but now lives and works in Brooklyn. Credit: Desdemona Dallas

    The song is about a relationship coming to an end after the two people acknowledge an inevitable incompatibility.  

    [It’s based] on the realization that a relationship I was in was built on projections, from both people in it, and didn’t have any real foundation.
    The end of the relationship was obviously sad. But in hindsight I can see that for the brief amount of time we were together we did give each other something valuable that we needed at the time, mostly companionship.

    Federico Aubele

    His deep baritone and penchant for downtempo melancholy offer a rumination on things lost. His relationship may have ended but it didn’t lose its value. His signature vocals envelopes the acoustic guitar that glides through the track to create a sense of something lost but, nonetheless, appreciated.

    In a first for the Brooklyn based Argentine singer songwriter he also directed the video for “Old Spanish Films.” The Camcorder and Walkman in the video are meant to evoke a gone-by era of your life, to represent things that were once precious and now only their memory is.

    Aubele’s overt pursuit of experimentation may not be for all. But “Old Spanish Films” is worth a listen at least just to satisfy your curiosity.

  • Queens Band, The Forms Cover “Latch” by Disclosure

    Queens based band, The Forms, released a cover of “Latch” the popular Disclosure song featuring Sam Smith.

    The Forms is a band from Queens, NY composed of Alex Tween and Matt Walsh
    Photo by Noah Kalina

    “The core composition is so strong that the song would probably work in any format, but hopefully our un-electronic version will highlight what Disclosure and Sam Smith accomplished with their remarkable work,” said Alex Tween.

    In The Forms cover they swapped out the electronic production for the physical instruments featured in the song.

    Apart from Sam Smith’s voice and Disclosure’s harmonies, the original song was entirely composed of synthetic elements seemingly, so for our take we used all physical instruments (rhodes, hammond organ, piano, drums).”

    The group tried to reverse engineer the song and draw out its “weirdness”.

    “’Latch’ is definitely one of the weirdest and most complex songs ever to break through to the mainstream,” Tween said. “The chords are so strange and unique, the slow triplet rhythms virtually unheard of for a dance track, and the lyrics are so subtly subversive that it is truly an astonishing achievement that it made the Top 10.”

    The Forms on a beach front
    Photo by Noah Kalina

    The Forms is a two-person band composed of Tween, who plays piano, guitar, and provides vocals, and Matt Walsh. The two have known each other since high school. They released their debut album together back in Feb. 2003. The Forms are currently work on an album that will be released in 2022 with Steve Albini of Electrical Audio.

  • Eastbound Throwdown Returns Sept. 9-10

    The annual Eastbound Throwdown Festival will return to the Irwin Family Farm in Salem, NY on Sept. 9-10.

    eastbound throwdown 2022

    This year’s festival will feature Eastbound Jesus and Guthrie/Bell Productions.

    Attendance at last year’s event was capped at 1,000 people due to COVID-19. This year attendance has been increased to 1,00 guests.

    Two-day passes, which include camping, are available starting April 1 at 10am. Single day passes for Saturday, Sept. 10 are also available. Eastbound Jesus will be performing on both nights of the festival.

    Since Eastbound Throwdown is a family event entrance for all attendees under the age of 15 is free.

  • Dee Snider Releases Video in Support of Ukraine

    Twisted Sister singer Dee Snider releases new video for his song “Stand” in support of Ukraine.

    Dee Snider
    Photo Credit: Randy Frieder

    The video is retitled “Stand (with Ukraine)”. The new version includes live footage from the conflict currently going on in Ukraine.

    About a week ago, it hit me that the song “Stand” from my last Napalm Records album, ‘Leave a Scar’, fit the crisis in Ukraine perfectly. I just couldn’t get around how well the lyrics resonated. So, I had a couple of incredibly talented people, Scott Pitek and Steve Sage Goldberg, cut together a new video using some live concert footage and news clips. The result is devastating.

    Dee Snider

    The idea for the new music video came after someone reached out to Snider to tell him that Ukrainians were using Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” as a battle cry.

    “About a month ago, someone on social media told me people in Ukraine were using Twisted Sister’s ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ as a battle cry and asked if I was cool with it,” said Snider. “Of course I was.”

    Snider gained significant media attention after a tweet endorsing the use of “We’re Not Gonna Take It” as a pro Ukraine anthem went viral. Since then, Dee Snider contributed to relief fund World United Live to raise awareness and money for the victims of the conflict in Ukraine.

    “At [World United Live] we have been beating the drum for the free world to come together not only in support of Ukraine and condemnation of Putin, but in sending a message to the Russian people that they are misinformed and not being told the truth,” explained Snider.

    The organization is planning a benefit concert in support of Ukraine that it hopes will be the world’s largest.