The Christmas episode of Saturday Night Live brought together Elvis (Austin Butler) and Lizzo for a remarkable show that saw long-time cast member Cecily Strong bidding the late-night institution farewell. Lizzo filled in for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, who were originally scheduled to perform, but had to back out due to illness.
The cold open was a send up of an NFT scam put forth by the 45th president this past week, played much more comically than Alec Baldwin by James Austin Johnson.
Butler’s monologue recalled that the 2021 Christmas episode was mostly cast-free due to surging COVID infection rates. Butler spoke about growing up in Anaheim, CA, being home schooled by his mom, alongside his sister (who he wished a happy birthday to in the balcony). Talking about how his mother helped him break out of his shell of shyness, and how they watched Saturday Night Live together, Butler teared up in paying tribute to her memory and credited his acting career to her. Austin Butler made his Broadway debut in the 2018 revival of The Iceman Cometh and received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Elvis.
Sketches including a rip-off of Wheel of Fortune “The Phrase That Pays” was a deeply weird SNL game show concept, as was the the It’s a Wonderful Life spoof “A Christmas Epiphany,” where the viewpoint of an ideal family inside a house being observed by a voyeur was a fresh twist on the holiday classic.
On the rise featured player Sarah Sherman made a stand out appearance as Jewish Elvis, with Austin Butler in the front row in drag as one of the old women who get overly-stimulated by the Semetic singer.
Lizzo, who hosted in April, performed her first song “Break Up Twice” with a setting paying homage to artist Annie Lee’s Blue Monday. Lizzo, in white negligee, is seen sitting on the edge of the bed, having just woken up, exhausted but ready to press ahead with the day. Then, belting out the seventh track on her 2022 release Special, Lizzo stepped forward to reveal the full band, singing about a man who left her in tears but whom she does not want to leave, referencing her relationship with Myke Wright.
“Break Up Twice” had Lizzo singing direct to the camera and lit in white while the band was lit in blue, with notable samples of “Doo Wop (That Thing)” by Lauryn Hill and Judy Clay and William Bell’s “Private Number” found throughout.
Weekend Update saw the final appearance for Cecily Strong’s desheveled Cathy Anne, who joked about having to go to prison. Making slightly-cringe conversation with Michael Che, Cathy Anne switched back to Cecily Strong, breaking character to say, “I had a lot of fun here and I feel really lucky that I got to have so many of the best moments of my life in this place with these people that I love so much.”
Lizzo’s second performance found her covering Stevie Wonder’s 1967 holiday classic “Someday at Christmas,” dressed in a half silver, half gold angel dress, wrapped up like a shiny gift. The track is among those featured on Amazon Music, with musicians offering classic covers of Christmas songs. Lizzo said of the song “I chose to cover ‘Someday At Christmas’ not just because it’s a classic, but because it’s a reminder to us that almost 60 years later, we are still fighting for peace, compassion, and equality, a friendly reminder to spread love and kindness this holiday season.”
For the finale, Kenan Thompson (as Frank Lasagna) introduced Cecily on her last day working at Radio Shack, noting her 11 year run and giving a heartfelt ode to her longevity on the show, fitting, coming from the show’s longest running cast member.
Butler then appeared as “Casual Elvis” to serenade Strong with Elvis Presley’s “Blue Christmas” as Strong smiled and choked up, with Thompson’s final lyrics altered to “You’ll be doing alright, every saturday night” for the finale, as the cast joined in on stage for the end of the tribute.
The Waterhole in Saranac Lake will bring 12 different musical acts to the Upstairs Music Lounge from across the Northeast, keeping Winter Carnival-goers movin’ & groovin’, as the town celebrates the 126th annual Saranac Lake Winter Carnival.
The 2023 musical lineup at The Waterhole features fan favorites and pairs them up with unbelievably talented opening acts, a perfect compliment to the fun and activities during Winter Carnival.
The Waterhole Winter Carnival 2023 lineup
Annie in the Water will kick things off Friday February 3rd with high energy jams, funky tones, and chill vibes. The Reflexions will open the night with their blend of Reggae and Funk vibes with world music grooves.
With a larger-than-life stage presence, Saturday February 4th headliner, Underground System is a show not to be missed. This six-piece act hails from New York City, mixes dance club vibes with Afrobeat, Latin-style tunes and other musical themes from around the world. The group started in 2018 with a reimagining of Fela Kuti’s work, and grew into an internationally touring indie dance band. Expect flute, congas, sampling, and hypnotic, infectious grooves.
Midweek will feature a solo performance from Ryan Montbleu on Tuesday February 7th. Ryan will fill the music hall with his eloquent and soulful songwriting for which he is known for. Haley Jane will open the night with a solo performance of her own. Expect raw intensity and linguistic prowess. She has a deeply emotive and highly magnetizing presence that combines a diverse sound with Vaudevillian style story telling.
Wednesday Feb 8thDavid Sommerstein of NCPR will host a Beat Authority Dance Party! Listeners can expect a fresh, eclectic choice of dance music from all over the world. You may hear cumbia or bluegrass, afrobeat or jazz, it’ll keep your head a-noddin’ and your spirits up! Join in the groove and enjoy.
Thursday Feb 9th, The Frank White Experience brings things to a new level. Bringing the sounds of Notorious B.I.G with live instrumentation to your ears in a way never head before! FWE brings listeners on a journey back through the beloved soundscape of 1990’s hip hop.
Friday February 10th The Mallett Brothers Band will return from the deep woods of Maine on Friday 2/11. You can expect alternative country, grunge, with a side of beards and flannels. Partnered with them is Saints + Liars a Vermont-based Americana group, blending variants of honky-tonk, folk, bluegrass, and rock n’ roll.
Saturday the 11this sure to be the biggest dance party of the week! The post-parade party is free and will be led by Rose + The Bros. This 6-piece ensemble made their Saranac Lake debut in September 2022 at Northern Current: A Community Music Festival. Hailing from Ithaca, NY the band is rooted in southern dance tradition, with the addition of crooning vocal harmonies, and country music influence; listeners can expect distinctive rhythmic patterns based in a Louisiana sound, with additional reggae and melodic drum tones.
Later that same Saturday night, West End Blend will bring the FUNK + SOUL! Fronted by vocalist Erica Tracy Sullivan, WEB plays homage to classic throwback sounds while adding their own distinct vibe and flair. Behind her, the blend packs a four-piece horn section, two guitars bass, keyboards, and drums.
Party goers will not want to miss Chestnut Grove opening the night! The Pennsylvania-grown quintet has continued seeing its efforts bear fruit since it formed in Perkiomenville, Pa. in 2011, growing a dedicated fan base and a songbook filled with truly heartfelt, groove-worthy original work. And when it comes to their abilities to groove within the canon of classic rock greats, well, they ain’t slouches there, either.
And on Saturday the 12th, DiTrani Brothers will wrap things up with one final party! They hail from the woods of Vermont and play original songs from and about the dystopic present, ragtime and jazz tunes, the perfect complement to Bloody Mary Sunday.
The street level bar will be open every day of the week & boasts the largest selection of craft beer in the Blue Line. As you travel upstairs, you will find The Upstairs Music Lounge: a destination music venue. On the 2nd story there is a magnificent dance floor and a fully stocked bar. Make sure to keep going up and check out the 3rd story balcony. There you will find additional seating for when your dancing feet are tired, and a truly unbeatable birds-eye view of the stage & dance hall. Concert tickets are available for purchase on the Waterhole website www.saranaclakewaterhole.com and in person by stopping into the venue. Winter Carnival Week Passes will be offered for $82. This pass guarantees access to every single show. As always, the Waterhole is a 21+ venue.
On December 14, 2002, Phish made their first – and to date – only appearance as the musical guest on NBC’s Saturday Night Live. The band performed two songs and even got involved in one of the sketches. An animated segment also featured the use of their seminal tune “You Enjoy Myself.” Here’s a look back at what transpired on TV 20 years ago today.
The episode was hosted by Al Gore, who just two years and a day removed from conceding the 2000 election. It was a rare instance of a politician hosting SNL, joining Ralph Nader (1977), Jesse Jackson and George McGovern (both in 1984), Steve Forbes (1996), then-NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani (1997), John McCain (2002), Al Sharpton (2003) and Donald Trump (2015).
After a couple political sketches/segments featuring Gore – “Hardball” and “Gore Goes Inside ‘The West Wing,’” Phish joined in the fun with Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz on a semi-popular segment called “Jarret’s Room.” Set at Hamphire College in Amherst, MA, Jarret (Fallon) immediately expressed excitement for having acquired two tickets to Phish’s then-upcoming reunion show at Madison Square Garden on December 31, 2002. Gobi (Sanz) joins in, dressed as Santa (and is that Seth Meyers in a gimp outfit?), as does Gore as their professor Dr. Ralph Wormley Curtis, who is there to address their absence from class.
Another knock at the door reveals the four members of Phish joining in, with Trey Anastasio explaining “We were just driving through on the tour bus, thought we’d stop by, we love the show” but is corrected by Page McConnell that they actually had hit Gobi and came on the show in case he threatened to sue. It then becomes clear that the stoner Gobi mistook Anastasio for Chuck Norris.
Gore’s Dr. Curtis chimes in, regarding his tenure at UVM, giving them the same advice as before, “Get a job you damn dirty hippies.” Phish then agreed to play a song with Jarret and Gobi, who was introduced as Zamfbeer, master of the beer flute. All seven then joined together singing “Contact” for a moment before signing off.
Phish would perform the traditional two songs this evening, starting with the then new (and yet to be performed live in concert), “46 Days” off Round Room which was released just four days prior. Only alloted about four minutes for a song, the straight rocker fit well in the moment and best choice from the album. They would perform “Chalkdust Torture” in the second slot, giving a slightly accelerated take on a classic late-in-the-show performance, and at a record clip of three and a half minutes. (watch below)
The animated portion of the episode titled “TV Funhouse” made prominent use of “You Enjoy Myself” in a spoof of the Charlie Brown Christmas special where waving hands in the air improved everything, including Schroeder playing piano with Pigpen on bass, turning into Phish and segments of “You Enjoy Myself.”
Watch the full of episode of Saturday Night Live with Al Gore and musical guest Phish on Peacock, Internet Archive, or below.
Crane School of Music graduate Josh Barkley will host a unique tour of North Country churches, performing organ and piano music at each stop this December. The tour is free to the public, and even with stops at these historic churches, the performances will not include a religious service.
A multi-instrumentalist, Josh Barkley has played the accordion for his high school production of “Fiddler on the Roof,” the saxophone in his high school marching band, electric bass in a local country music group, and the organ at church on Sunday. This man of many talents is best known as a jazz pianist who plays the piano on the fly, improvising music more than sticking strictly to sheet music.
Barkley, an SLC Arts musician, will begin the holiday music tour featuring organ and piano on December 11, with each performance beginning at 6:00PM and taking place at a different church in St. Lawrence County, with the final concert on December 22nd at SUNY Potsdam’s Hosmer Hall.
40 years ago tonight, on Friday, December 10, 1982, legendary rockers The Who brought their first farewell tour to Syracuse’s Carrier Dome, performing to a crowd of 47,319.
With the tour ending a week later in Toronto, this was the final chance for many in the Northeast to see The Who – even though they would later reform in 1989 for a reunion tour and continue to tour today.
The tour was sponsored by Schlitz beer, part of the Schlitz Rocks America marketing campaign.
Performing in 1982 at the Carrier Dome – which had only opened two years prior in September 1980, The Who inspired local radio station 95X to dub the Salt City ‘SyracWHOse’ as a lead up to the then-record attendance show.
CNY Vintage reported that the stage was illuminated with 400 aircraft lights, 12 computerized lights that swivel in unison, and eight huge spotlights.
This show was also a few short years after 11 fans died at a Who concert in Cincinnati in 1979 in the process of racing for general admission seats. Thus, the Carrier Dome concert – the final stadium show on The Who Farewell Tour – had reserved seating with tickets costing $15 which could only be purchased by mail (that’s $106.94 in 2022 dollars).
As for the show itself, fans were treated to a setlist that balanced fan-favorites with rarities including “Dangerous,” “Cry if you Want” and “It’s Hard.” Fans who attended the show and recall the performance 40 years ago shared their memories with NYS Music:
I was there up in nose bleeds. First time seeing The Who live. Been to 20 shows since, including front row in front of Pete at MSG IN ‘04, one of the highlights of my life. I don’t remember many details from the Syracuse show, other than I was so happy to see them live!! Loved it!!!
Best memory was I was in Boston and my car wouldn’t start and I was devastated. My friend and his frat brother said no problem, we’ll come get you guys!! They were near Albany NY and drove 3 hrs each way before going another 2 hours to Syracuse!! We were wasted by the time they got to Boston!! I almost had a recording of it but my compact cassette recorder got discovered in my pants by security.
That was my second time seeing The Who, which was my favorite band. I remember being a little disappointed that they opened with “My Generation,” which I think needs to be deeper in the set and built up to. It was a little strange hearing the Quadrophenia selections scattered a bit throughout, since I always think of them in sequence.
I always considered “Love Ain’t for Keeping” the weakest track on Who’s Next so it was a revelation hearing it done live. I loved “Naked Eye” in the encore, but ending with “Squeeze Box” and the “Twist and Shout” cover made it a bit meh for me. I also love “Eminence Front” and I’m glad that they continue to keep it in their concert set to this day.
The Who – Carrier Dome, Syracuse – December 10, 1982
Setlist: My Generation, I Can’t Explain, Dangerous, Sister Disco, The Quiet One, It’s Hard, Eminence Front, Behind Blue Eyes, Baba O’Riley, Doctor Jimmy, Boris the Spider, Drowned, Cry If You Want, Who Are You, Pinball Wizard, See Me, Feel Me, Love Ain’t for Keepin’, 5:15, Love, Reign O’er Me, Long Live Rock, Won’t Get Fooled Again
Encore: Naked Eye, Squeeze Box, Twist and Shout (The Top Notes cover)
Watch videos from the 1982 performance by The Who at The Carrier Dome below, including the full concert bootleg.
Albany’s State Champs spent their Thanksgiving in Las Vegas, holding a family dinner with their crew. The day off from their Fall Tour, one that took them from the East Coast, with an appearance in Brooklyn in November and all the way out west by late November, was a welcome respite from cross-country travel in post-pandemic America.
State Champs at Brooklyn Steel – photo by Joe Buscarello
State Champs return home to Albany to close the tour out at Empire Live on Saturday, December 10, with a sold out show and support from Young Culture, Hunny, Save Face and Between You & Me opening up the night. Dubbed Frozen Fest, the pop-punk scene is alive and well with State Champs leading the way for the next wave.
Speaking with guitarist Tyler Szalkowski and drummer Evan Ambrosio via Zoom the night before Thanksgiving before the band’s show at The Union in Salt Lake City, Las Vegas was a jumping off point, given the group having a first hand experience at When We Were Young Festival, held a month prior at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds. High winds forced the cancellation of Day 1 of the festival, leaving a sour taste in many fans mouths, despite safety of fans being paramount, especially in a city like Las Vegas.
State Champs at Alive at Five – photo by Jarron Childs
The band was unloading at 10am when the found ou their se was cancelled. “It was a massive bummer, many thought it was too good to be true given the lineup, but the cancellation of Day 1 was needed due to high winds and fan safety,” said Szalkowski. “It’s the last thing you want to do as a promoter, let alone as a band. I can’t see anyone dying from the selfish desire to see music.” This passionate defense of a festival that was at first criticized for canceling the day is on point – this was no ‘emo Fyre Fest’ as Ambrosio best put it. In a town with hundreds of hotel options and nightlife around every corner, the band and fans made due.
They attempted to come up with a last minute show, but playing a show just to play a show wasn’t a worthwhile option, especially when all bands on the Friday lineup was looking to put on a show. With options limited and bands they were looking to pair up with for an impromptu show – one booked and announced mere hours before doors – State Champs came up with a better idea. Tweeting out a message to fans to meet them outside O’Shea’s – near The Linq, centrally located on the Vegas Strip – and this meetup turned into a large gathering for about an hour, much to the chagrin of security, despite fans being peaceful and there to hang with their idols in a setting that was a rare opportunity for all parties. Fans from around the world who were bummed about the cancellation were happy to meet a band they traveled far to see.
When Day 1 of When We Were Young fest got cancelled, we decided to do an impromptu fan meet up! Thanks to everyone who came and showed love pic.twitter.com/W7ShS4NZUw
Still in town for the weekend, the band and crew were able to check out the festival and see bands from their formative years, with Evan noting “I was impressed with how it was, walking around saying ‘I know that song, and that song. It also made you feel safe, with more security and scanning an RFID chip to get through access points.”
State Champs at Empire Live Frozen Fest 2021 – photo by Peter Herrick
Looking back on their Vans Warped Tour days with the experience of When We Were Young and other festival appearances for State Champs, Szalkowski reflected on the basicness for artists who were appearing at the many Warped side stages. “Warped was like a free for all with a mixed bag of folks and poppy artists nearby, the band playing Super Smash Brothers on a 55” screen TV in our 10×10 tent backstage.” For Evan, “Warped is still to this day my favorite tour,” with the band needing to be compact enough to set up, perform and break down quickly so you can get out to discover bands that were on the same footing.
Live performances these days for State Champs are all about keeping the sound, energy and performance steady for each night of the tour.
“There’s a lot of integrity in being a band, it has to be authentic and real, One day we said ‘fuck it, let’s be a professional band,’ and you want it to carry over live. At one point we dove into live rhythm tracks to have more control over our performance and the layers that helped us sound more professional. All the touring bands had a similar set up and we’re using tracks and a number of amps on stage. Why limit ourselves when we have all these assets at our disposal? We want it to sound like the biggest and best band, better than the studio.”
Tyler Szalkowski
By 2019, the full band had in-ear monitors, and lost the live cabinets from the stage, and ceded more control to FOH, keeping the rig fully self-contained so that none of our stuff changes from day to day. “We don’t show up with an experimental groove, we bring it all – gear, consoles, mics – to guarantee sonic consistency,” said Ambrosio.
Factoring in the setlist to the cohesive sound has the band looking steps ahead with each choice to determine ‘What does this song do, and how does the song before and after affect it,” according to Szalkowski. Keeping the setlist consistent this fall tour helps to keep the flow of the show going – although they had a rotating setlist in the summer.
“This tour is the favorite one we’ve ever done. We’ve extended some sections and added new arrangements and perform a medley of old songs that satisfies fans looking for earlier work. Having toured with pop acts that did cool things that we wanted to do, we brought in LED screens to make the show more of a live music experience.”
Evan Ambrosio
But as they push into their 30s, the angst they shared through their music once before has changed in inspiration, not in message. “We’re still pissed off about stuff. Not borderline teenage angst; bad stuff still happens to us, our hearts get broken by people (and events)” shared Szalkowski. “We always have a bit of an edge, we were the band of ‘something sucks, but it’ll get better, life is worth living.”
Avoiding being disingenuous or cringe and authentic in performance – as well as songwriting – allows the band to allow fans to create their own interpretation of a song. Ambrosio sums up where State Champs’ mindset is “We focus on life as we experience it, not an event we didn’t have a part in. We write about things that stay true to what we experience, and not try to jump on a trend of ultimate sadness or TikTok videos, so we can maintain authenticity and stay true to what the band has built up.”
State Champs’ sold out Frozen Fest at Empire Live takes place this Saturday, December 10.
Two bands – Karina Rykman and Quiltro – made their debut appearances in the Capital District on Thursday, December 1, performing at Albany’s Lark Hall
Karina Rykman is no stranger to Albany, having played with Marco Benevento numerous times at The Hollow and Cohoes Music Hall. Now touring with her own band, consisting of Adam November (guitar), Chris Corsico (drums), and Rykman on bass, made their first appearance in Albany with a strong crowd welcoming them to town.
Quiltro also had their first performance in Albany, with bassist Mike McKinley returning home for a long overdue hometown show. Quiltro had initially been set to play Albany in May 2020, which was left unannounced as the music industry and world around us shut down for a then indeterminable amount of time. Finally arriving home, the early crowdâs rapt attention to the psychedelic rock put forth by Mark Taylor (guitar), JD Hoffmann (drums) and McKinley.
During their 60 minute first set, Quiltro opened with a spacey jam that worked its way eventually into Hendrix’s “Third Stone From the Sun” amid “Pyxis,” the third track from their self-titled 2020 release. The set drew progressively heavier as the hour wound on, driving home the set with “Knight Riding” and “Field of Cities.” Played an introductory set to the uninitiated crowd, Quiltro warmed up the audience for Rykman, a perfect pairing this evening. McKinley and the crowd thanked all for coming to the show, particular his parents who were seated up front for the show.
Quiltro Setlist: Jam-> Pyxis-> Third Stone From the Sun -> Pyxis, Dark Matter, Apollo -> The Crater, In Reverse, Antilla, Knight Riding, Field of Cities
Rykman arrived to the stage around 930pm, flanked by November to her right and Corsico on her felt. Standing front and center, bass in hand, Rykman lit up the stage, singing “Joyride” to open the show in a soft dream-pop voice.
This power rock trio doubles as a prog rock trio at times, deconstructing songs mid-jam and building them back up again. The far reaching instrumentation of the triumvirate were fully in sync on “Plants,” one of the studio tracks that when heard live helps you fully ‘get’ the band’s sound.
November’s shredding and keys created dissonance while Karina bopped around the stage, establishing her presence as the frontwoman of this unique trio, one that brings more than just jams to the table. Â
Rykman channeled Tina Weymouth on the Talking Heads adjacent tune “City Kids,” which Mike Gordon would join her for two nights later at Nectar’s in Burlington. With a few shows left this tour, Rykman’s brief Northeast Tour is well worth catching, as she sets her sights on wider touring in 2023.
Karina Setlist: Joyride > All That You Wanted > Plants > Arbitrary > Dirty South, Beacon, City Kids, Fever Dream, Atom Dance, No Occasion > Psycho Killer > The Hardest Button to Button, Elevator
On Saturday, November 27, 1943, Duke Ellington and his Orchestra performed in Buffalo at the Trico Products Factory, for a performance that was broadcast on the NBC Blue Network. The show was recorded for the Coca-Cola Spotlight Parade of Bands #372, part of the Victory Parade of Spotlight Bands. The recording was preserved through Special Services and the Internet Archive.
The Trico Factory made windshield wipers and was located at 817 Washington Street, before closing in 2002 after 85 years of operating on the edge of Downtown Buffalo. Where in the building – one that used electroplating, smelting, die-casting, rubber extrusion and metal fabrication – this show took place is as mystery, but all indications point to Trico Products Factory as the venue for this performance.
Most recently, construction on the Trico Building began in September 2022 to convert the factory into loft apartments, a modern repurposing of a building that had been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2001.
With the Second World War having been on the front pages of newspapers and forefront of American minds for nearly two years, various military bases and defense plants across the country hosted shows like this one. As a method of paying for the venue space, the promoter and/or artist would simply provide the recordings to Special Services who would repackage them as “Victory Parade” for the Air Force Recruiting Service.
Musicians including Benny Goodman, Charlie Barnet, Les Brown, Guy Lombardo, Ted Fio Rito, Jack Teagarden, Louis Armstrong, Lawrence Welk, as well as the Duke Ellington performance in Buffalo, and many others, would be featured on the program, with broadcasts beginning with a bugle call. A roll call would then start with the band leader, the band members and then the workers at the facility the show was visiting, all giving a military accent to the performance. Old Time Radio Catalog notes that Victory Parade recordings are some of the best of the Swing Era.
Coca-Cola Spotlight Bands was a notable, if not important and influential music radio series that debuted just days before the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The series initially had various popular bands, instead of just one specific band, and was aired on Mutual Broadcasting System stations six nights a week. From Monday through Friday, a 15-minute program would be broadcast nationally at 10:15-10:30 p.m ET. On Saturday evenings, a 30-minute program would be broadcast at 10:15-10:45 p.m. ET, which would feature the artists with the largest national record sales for the previous week. The identity of the band was kept secret from the national audience until the program went on the air, in order to attract a larger audience.
In August, 1942, Coca-Cola entered into agreement with the Blue Network (formerly the NBC Blue Network) launching the revised “Spotlight Bands” series. The Blue Network was the former NBC Blue Network. In 1945, Blue would become the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) after being purchased by Edward J. Noble. Music historian Wayne Knight notes “Not only did Coca Cola send the bands to these locations at their expense, but, each time, the bands were booked and paid to play a three hour engagement.”
NBC Blue Network logo
With Blue having a wider audience than Mutual Broadcasting System, Coca-Cola and the Blue Network entered into a new 26-week agreement and the name of the program was changed to “The Victory Parade of Spotlight Bands.” The weeknight programs were extended from 15 minutes to 25 minutes, airing at 9:30-9:55 p.m ET, with the last five minutes of the half-hour devoted to news.
Listeners directly influenced the bands which would appear, with two polls – one by civilians and one by service personnel and workers at defense plants – replacing record sales as the criteria. The second series launched on September 21, 1942, with Harry James performing at the Marine Barracks, Parris Island, South Carolina. Click here to read more about Victory Parade Of Spotlight Bands.
An advertising segment of this Duke Ellington performance in Buffalo begins halfway through the recording, with the announcer saying, “From an American soldier somewhere a few thousand miles away, comes a letter with these words.” A second voice says “I’ll tell you another thing I would sure go for right now and that’s a Coca-Cola. My mouth is absolutely watering for one.” While it is doubtful a GI would write an ode to Coca-Cola in a letter home, brands of all sizes showed their support for the war effort, building war propaganda into advertising. The announcer ends the ad spot, saying “For many Americans overseas, that Coke is not so far away, because Coca-Cola is bottled in 35 allied and neutral countries ’round the globe, and there, our soldiers, by the thousands, enjoy the goodness of its cheery refreshment, just as you do at home.”
Giving the listening audience a sense of normalcy among soldiers stationed abroad is punctuated by connecting the listener at home to the soldiers, uniting the war effort to the sugary goodness of this all-American beverage. A commercial from 1944 or 1945 can be seen below, hammering home the Americanness of Coca-Cola, something that German soldier were not unfamiliar with and unable to enjoy. Watch until the end for a surprise bottle opener.
Meanwhile on that day in World War 2, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Prime Minister of England, Winston Churchill, and President Chiang Kai-shek of the Republic of China were meeting at the Cairo Conference in agreeing to the Cairo Declaration, which said that “all the territories Japan has stolen from the Chinese, such as Manchuria, Formosa, and The Pescadores, shall be restored to the Republic of China” and that U.S., the U.K. and China “covet no gain for themselves and have no thought of territorial expansion”, setting instead the goal that “Japan will also be expelled from all other territories which she has taken by violence and greed” and “that in due course Korea shall become free and independent.”
Meanwhile, the Battle of Wareo began between Australian and Japanese troops in New Guinea, and the Army–Navy Game was played at West Point, with No. 6 Navy defeating No. 7 Army by a score of 13–0. Only 15,000 spectators were on hand due to wartime travel restriction that only allowed residents from within 10 miles of the game site to attend. Thus, the surrounding towns near West Point – Fishkill, Cortlandt Manor, Mahopac, Newburgh, Woodbury and Beacon – would make up the entire crowd that afternoon.
As for the music in Buffalo this evening, Ellington was already well established by this point, having been a staple of the Harlem Renaissance. Ellington had held long engagements at the Hollywood Club (later known as the Kentucky Club) and the Cotton Club, signed with agent/publisher Irving Mills who brought Duke and his recordings to multiple record labels. In 1927, Ellington began a weekly radio broadcast, which increased his name recognition, especially to the white and wealthy clients of the Cotton Club. And Ellington was no stranger to the Queen City, having performed at The Colored Musicians Club in the 1930s.
The variety of music performed in those broadcast – of which only 22 minutes was aired and preserved for audiences today – gives a taste of Ellington’s broad appeal and range. Shrill horns, dance numbers, both male and female vocalists joining in the fun, plus jitterbugs and light comedy that was appropriate for the times. Great thanks to Jazz LIVES for bringing this performance to light.
Joining Ellington this evening were Rex Stewart (cornet), Wallace Jones and Harold “Shorty” Baker (trumpet), Ray Nance (trumpet, violin, vocals), Joe Nanton and Lawrence Brown (trombone), Juan Tizol (valve-trombone), Jimmy Hamilton (clarinet, tenor saxophone), Johnny Hodges (alto saxophone), Otto Hardwick (alto saxophone, clarinet), Skippy Williams (tenor saxophone, clarinet), Harry Carney (baritone saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet), Fred Guy (guitar), Junior Raglin (string bass), Sonny Greer (drums) Betty Roche and Al Hibbler (vocals) and of course, Duke Ellington on piano.
Listen below to the preserved recording of Duke Ellington and his Orchestra, performed to a wartime audience at an atypical venue for musical performance.
Duke Ellington – Trico Products Factory, Buffalo – November 27, 1943
Set: Blue Skies, Do Nothing Till you Hear From Me, A Slip Of The Lip, Sentimental Baby, I Wonder Why, Rockin’ In Rhythm
On October 29, two bands who got their start in Buffalo, moe. and Aqueous combined forces for only the second time. Watch the rare below moe.queous performance below.
The Town Ballroom show found the two bands donning a musical costume with a theme of ‘animals’ leading to covers of Phish, The Beatles and Pink Floyd, as well as songs from the moe. and Aqueous catalogs that centered around various creatures and critters.
The lineups for the two band combo included Al Schnier and Vinnie Amico from moe., and Mike Gantzer, Evan McPhaden and Rob Houk from Aqueous. David Loss of Aqueous would also make a surprise appearance on vocals of “I Am The Walrus.”
Gantzer said of the collaboration, “It’s a cool full circle thing to intertwine the AQ and moe. worlds so directly-Both bands have history at Town Ballroom and share strong roots being from Buffalo, too. There’s something really connective about that, and I’ve always felt a unique kinship and chemistry when making music or even just hanging with those guys. Much of AQ’s early inspiration came from seeing moe. too, so that should tell you just how truly special this will be!”
Schnier agreed, saying “We love our boys in AQ almost as much as we love Buffalo! Last time we all got together for a moe.queous throw down, it was such an awesome amalgamation of our two bands, and we knew it was something we should definitely do more often.”
photo by Curtis Kruetter
Check out the moe.queous setlist and watch videos from across the evening below.
Set 1: Bearsong > Strange Times > Bearsong, Birds of a Feather > Kitty Chaser > Downward Facing Dog, Marty, I Am The Walrus*
Set 2: Moth > Pigs > Moth, Warren in the Window, Terrapin Station > Four#, Buster#
On Friday, April 21, 2023, folk-slinger Arlo Guthrie will settle down at The Egg in Albany for a stop on his “What’s Left of Me’ tour. Guthrie had announced his retirement from touring in 2020, but admitted that “retirement was fun while it lasted” and returns with a spoken word show.
The show will be moderated by author, music historian, and former director of the Grammy Museum Bob Santelli. It will also include rarely-seen video footage and an audience Q&A.
photo by Steve Malinski
Anyone who has had the good fortune to attend a performance by Arlo Guthrie knows that while the songs are wonderful, the stories are what really make the show something really special.
As the oldest son of Woody & Marjorie Guthrie, Arlo first made his appearance onstage at age 13, made music history with the composition “Alice’s Restaurant” and a legendary performance at Woodstock. After 60 years on the road there should be a lot to talk about.
Read NYS Music’s interview with Arlo Guthrie on Thanksgiving traditions and his family legacy.
The son of legendary Woody Guthrie, Arlo Guthrie is best known for the Thanksgiving song/saga “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree,” the classic “The City of New Orleans,” and “Coming into Los Angeles.” He also performed at Woodstock in 1969 on Saturday, August 16.
Tickets for Arlo Guthrie “What’s Left of Me” are currently on sale online at theegg.org or by telephone at 518-473-1845, or in person at The Egg Box Office Monday – Friday from 11 AM – 3 PM.
