Twenty6 Productions, Buffalo Iron Works, and Lockhouse Distillery & Bar have announced dates for the 5th annual Cobblestone Live Music & Arts Festival, taking place Friday, July 14th and Saturday, July 15th in the Historic Cobblestone District of Downtown Buffalo.
The festival will follow in the success of its 2022 dates, featuring two large outdoor stages, two indoor stages, a vendor village, a Kid’s Village, food trucks, and beverage stations throughout the festival grounds featuring craft and domestic beverages.
We are excited to be able to bring our beloved Cobblestone Live Festival to the WNY music and arts community for its fifth year. 2022’s festival was proof that we can unify the community after overcoming Covid setbacks, and 2023 is the year that we will prove that this festival can continue to grow for years to come.
Festival Founder & Twenty6 Productions CEO Josh Holtzman
There will be plenty of surprises in store for the fifth year, so be sure to stay tuned to Cobblestone Live socialmediaoutlets for the latest news on the 2023 festival.
The holidays are upon us, and that means time once again for Jam for Tots! Since 2014, Jam for Tots has been held across New York State and the Northeast, bringing live music fans together to support those most in need in their local communities.
At 10 venues around New York State, fans are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy for a child (under 13) and drop the toy off in the box. These toys will be brought to local charities within the venue’s community, to ensure that these toys brighten the day of children within the local area.
Things kick off this week at Lark Hall with The Last Waltz, on Wednesday, November 23rd. The second annual Last Waltz on Lark Street will feature local musicians, including Brian Bean (bass and vocals), Mike Coleman (bass), Tom O’Connor (guitar and vocals), Rick Rothermel (keyboards and vocals), Sarah Sheppeck (vocals), Joe Sorbero (drums and vocals) and Jeremy Walz (guitar and vocals). And, in the true spirit of The Band, Levon Helm and The Last Waltz, the band will joined by special guests throughout the evening.
Then on Saturday, November 26, eberwine and Quantum Cosmic will be at Putnam Place, with a night full of special guests in store.
See below for the full lineup of Jam for Tots shows across New York State (alphabetical order)
On an ominous day in music history, The Seapods, featuring members of the Ominous Seapods, will come together for a night of music at Lark Hall in Albany on February 11, 2023.
Appearing at The Seapods 2-11 show include Max Verna (guitar, vocals), Tom Pirozzi (bass), Brian Mangini (keyboards) and Ted Marotta (drums). The fifth member of the group, guitarist/singer Dana Monteith will not be in attendance. Thus, the show is billed as The Seapods featuring these four members from the group’s classic ‘90s lineup.
The evening of music lands on an unofficial holiday for the band, who consider the February 11 date a marker for great gigs, including a memorable performance in 1995 at a Dartmouth frat party. One explanation that has been offered for the meaning behind 2-11:
There are numerous accounts of people making a purchase at their local Kwik-E Mart and having the total come to $2.11, or getting home from a Seapods show at exactly 2:11a.m. These occurences have spawned a movement know as “Twoelevenlutionology” (a.k.a. “Twoelevenism” or “Twoelevenology”) where 2-11 is the chosen leader. His disciples follow him along the 211-fold path of Enlightenment to the Dumpster of Destiny, and bask in the ominous beauty of the mystical number 211. And all good Twoelevenologists know what they should be doing at 2:11 on Wednesday afternoon!
As they add to the Ominous Seapods history with jamming and improv done only as the Seapods can, the evening is sure to be a hugely successful night in Albany. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here.
The Gibson Brothers, hailing from Plattsburgh and calling Nashville home, will perform two North Country Christmas concerts in mid-December, one in Schenectady at Proctors, and another in Ellenburg Depot. The pair will release a new album on January 27th, 2023, Darkest Hour, produced by Jerry Douglas and includes guest musicians Justin Moses, Guthrie Trapp, and Alison Krauss.
Darkest Hour spans from trad-grass to country-soul and back again, utilizing classically bluegrass instruments as well as electric guitars and drums to craft a sound fit for the songs it surrounds. Kicking off with a flurry of traditional bluegrass excellence, The Gibson Brothers’ new single “Dust” is more than a just statement of musicianship, it’s the whole package, with world-class picking, clear and refined vocals, and rock-solid songwriting. An ode to leaning into down-and-out—“Left in the dust” by ex-lover—“Dust” puts a clever, positive spin on being left behind. “Me and dust, we do fine.”
Every song written feels like a little victory to its writer. Sure, some are better than others, and from time to time—if you’re lucky—you write something special. But every one counts. They all add up to something, whether they are keepers or not, and the writer is in constant pursuit of topping what he or she has done before. The fact that our longtime musical hero Jerry Douglas likes what we do and encouraged us to send him all originals is a real feather in our caps. Making this record of songs Jerry deemed as keepers with him is a dream come true. The songs reflect where we came from, where we are, and where we go from here.
Eric Gibson
The songs recorded in the first recording period featured Mike Barber (bass), Justin Moses (mandolin), Eamon McGloughlin (fiddle), and of course, Jerry Douglas (dobro), adding in John Gardner (drums), Guthrie Trapp (electric guitar), Todd Parks (bass), and Alison Krauss (vocals) for the final tracks, Darkest Hour showcases just how easily Eric and Leigh move from what Dan Auerbach dubbed “country soul” (“I Go Driving”) to high octane bluegrass (“What a Difference A Day Makes” and “Dust”) with Douglas always keeping the spotlight on the songs themselves.
Fans can purchase or stream “Dust” today at and pre-order or pre-save Darkest Hour ahead of its January release right here.
The Gibson Brothers will close out 2022 with two shows in New York. Their annual Gibson Brothers North Country Christmas show will be held at Proctors Theatre in Schenectady on Friday, December 16 (ticket link) and Ellenburg Depot at the NACS High School Auditorium on December 17th (ticket link).
On the heels of the announcement that guitarist Chuck Garvey will be sitting-in as a “special guest” for their NYE performance, moe. has announced a short run of tour dates for Winter 2023, which will include select performances up and down the east coast.
Beginning with three nights in NY, NJ, and DC in late January, the tour will resume with a 2-night run at the State Theatre in Portland, ME over President’s Day weekend, and an additional 2-night run at the Palace Theatre in Albany on February 24-25, coinciding with “moe.day” in Albany on 2/24. The band has yet to announce plans for Chuck to return to the band on a full-time basis following his sit-in on NYE.
moe. – Chuck Garvey (guitar, vocals), Rob Derhak (bass, vocals), Al Schnier (guitar, vocals), Jim Loughlin (percussion, vibes), Vinnie Amico (drums)
The band made its long-awaited return to Colorado this month, where they played their first three-night run in nearly a year at the Fox Theater in Boulder. On the final night of the run, the band announced that Garvey, who suffered a stroke last November, would sit-in as a “special guest” for a portion of the band’s NYE performance at the Fillmore Philadelphia for the first time in over a year. The announcement came exactly one year to the day since Garvey suffered his stroke, and his return appearance is also especially significant, since the Fillmore Philadelphia was the last venue he performed at on Halloween 2022.
Today marks the one-year anniversary of my worst day ever. I scared my wife, my family, my friends, and many of you who heard of my stroke. Thank you for your well-wishes and your donations, without which my recovery would not have happened. This year has been a really long, difficult one for me, but a rewarding one, in that I learned what a person needs to do to achieve goals. Some are basic, everyday things like speech, and some are more about universal things that I noticed about family, friends, and community that keep us all afloat. So, thank you for your help and your community. I can’t wait to see all of you where the water falls, and the music calls. I will be joining my brothers on stage in Philly, the city of brotherly love.
Chuck Garvey’s note to fans
The band is gearing up for the holidays with a selection of limited-edition merch, currently on-sale via the moe. online store. Offerings include “ugly” t-shirt and crewnecks sold alongside a moe. holiday ornament. For more information, click here.
A special artist pre-sale will begin Wednesday, November 16th at 10am local time – for details click here. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday, November 18th at 10am local time. For ticketing and show info, please visit moe.org/tour.
moe 2023 Winter Tour Dates
Thursday, January 19 – The Paramount – Huntington, NY Friday, January 20th – 9:30 Club – Washington, D.C. Saturday, January 21st – Wellmont Theater – Montclair, NJ Friday, February 17th – State Theatre – Portland, ME Saturday, February 18th – State Theatre – Portland, ME Friday, February 24th – Palace Theater – Albany, NY Saturday, February 25th – Palace Theater – Albany, NY Thursday, March 9th – Brooklyn Bowl – Nashville, TN Friday, March 10th – Mars Music Hall – Huntsville, AL Saturday, March 11th – Minglewood Hall – Memphis, TN Sunday, March 12th – Vinyl Music Hall – Pensacola, FL Wednesday, March 15th – Music Hall – Charleston, SC Thursday, March 16th – The Plaza Live – Orlando, FL Friday, March 17th – Culture Room – Ft. Lauderdale, FL Saturday, March 18th – Jannus Live – St. Petersburg, FL Sunday, March 19th – PV Concert Hall – Ponte Vedra Beach, FL Tuesday, March 21st – Lincoln Theatre – Raleigh, NC Wednesday, March 22nd – Jefferson Theatre – Charlottesville, VA Thursday, March 23rd – The Orange Peel – Asheville, NC Friday, March 24th – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA Saturday, March 25th – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA
Binghamton University’s Anderson Center for the Performing Arts will host “HOPE – It’s Been a Long Time Coming,” an all new concert by three-time Grammy-winners Soweto Gospel Choir, commemorating South Africa’s Freedom Movement and the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. The performance will be held on November 20 at 3 p.m. at the Osterhout Concert Theater.
Bringing joy to all, “HOPE” opens with a rousing program of South African freedom songs that inspired the Rainbow Nation. The choir’s uplifting performance then moves to the United States, with beautiful renditions of the music of the Civil Rights Movement, including works by legendary artists Billie Holiday, James Brown, Otis Redding, Curtis Mayfield and the one and only Aretha Franklin.
Hailing from Soweto (South West Township), a township outside of Johannesburg and home of Nelson Mandela and South Africa’s democratic movement, Soweto Gospel Choir continues to inspire audiences around the world with their powerful blend of African gospel, freedom songs and international classics.
Comprising a line-up of some of South Africa’s best vocalists, these uplifting performers have shared the stage and collaborated with the biggest names in contemporary music including Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Beyonce, U2, Diana Ross, Peter Gabriel, Chris Martin, John Legend, Pharrell Williams, Jimmy Cliff, Ben Harper, Angelique Kidjo, Robert Plant, Celine Dion, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Hugh Masekela and Josh Groban.
Soweto Gospel Choir was formed in 2003 at the end of the apartheid era and during South Africa’s inspiring return to Democracy. Taking part in some of the major historical events in the new democratic South Africa, Soweto Gospel Choir are proud to have performed on many occasions for the Father of their Nation, former President Nelson Mandela, as well as at his State Funeral in South Africa and at the subsequent commemorative service at Westminster Abbey in London. They were similarly invited to perform at the funeral service for the late President’s first wife, Winnie Mandela. The Choir act as Ambassadors for the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
The Cayuga Chamber Orchestra will hold its second Orchestral Series Concert of the 2022-23 season on November 19 at Ford Hall at Ithaca College, under the direction of Interim Music Director, Grant Cooper. The program will open with Rameau’s Overture from Zaïs and will feature the world premiere of local composer Sally Lamb McCune’s Spiral, a piece commissioned by the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra to honor the resilience of the orchestra, its patrons and wider community for continuing to come together in celebration of live music.
Cayuga Chamber Orchestra Special Guest Artists: Harris Andersen and Muse Ye, Piano
The second half of the program will showcase two works of Camille Saint-Saëns: the whimsical Carnival of the Animals and the powerful Symphony No. 2. Carnival of the Animals will include newly composed verses by Interim Music Director Grant Cooper and an appearance by the delightful piano duo, Muse Ye and Harris Anderson.
The CCO was founded in 1976 and is officially designated “Ithaca’s Orchestra.” Each season includes an Orchestral Series, Chamber Music Series, a Holiday concert, free Family Concerts, and the long-standing Willard Daetsch Youth Outreach Program, which earned the 2015 Yale Distinguished Music Educator award. In 2017, the CCO added a Youth Orchestra program for advanced students. In 2019, a new Diversity Career Fellowship program was established to provide opportunities for college students from communities that have been historically
Interim Music Director Grant Cooper and composer Sally Lamb McCune
The CCO will hold its Holiday Celebration concert on Saturday, December 17 at 7:30 pm, also in Ford Hall at Ithaca College.
For more information and subscriptions / single tickets visit CCOithaca.org
With just a few days before Election Day, Amy Schumer hosted Saturday Night Live with musical guest Steve Lacy making his SNL debut.
Opening with a satire of President Biden’s speech on democracy from earlier this week, James Austin Johnson as Biden brought up a cavalcade of ‘new’ Democratic candidates meant to appeal to younger voters, among them, Marianne Williamson, Guy Fieri, the guy from 6ix9ine, Azaliea Banks, and Tracy Morgan (Keenan Thompson).
Amy Schumer used her monologue for a few minutes of standup where she riffed about childbirth and her husband being diagnosed with autism as an adult.
Hitting home for many who have dealt with COVID and the week long isolation/quarantine that results, the COVID commercial featuring Sara Sherman was as timely as ever.
To perform on SNL, Steve Lacy had postponed shows in San Diego, San Francisco, Oakland, Vancouver, Seattle and Portland on his Give You the World Tour. For his first song, Lacy performed “Bad Habit” off his second album Gemini Rights, released in July. The R&B vocalist and multi-instrumentalist performed in black leather pants and Geordi La Forge wrap around shades, with the Gemini Rights logo suspended behind him. Lacy, as well as the drummer and bassist wore white shirts with a single black S on them, making a dollar sign with their black ties hanging, a nod to the Dead Kennedys.
On Weekend Update, Tammy the Trucker (Cecily Strong) showed up to talk about gas prices (and definitely not abortion), much like how in November 2021 she showed up as Goober the Clown to talk about abortion. WU anchor Colin Jost noted voters are being driven by economic issues and not abortion, and Tammy responded with commentary on women’s rights and health care. The same deep and urgent message from last November was conveyed through truck driving references that intertwined concerns about the right for women to control their own bodies was being eroded, and ended with a call to action to vote on Tuesday.
As Weekend Update ended, SNL gave a nod to Migos rapper Takeoff (Kirshnik Khari Ball), who had performed on SNL in 2018.
A preview of the Bills/Jets game in the Meadowlands showed Jets fans (Andrew Dismukes, Thompson, Schumer, Strong) ripping on the visiting Bills fans, regardless of age or mobility. The casual chatting among the four of them would quickly devolve into taunting and heckling, giving heavy ‘Get Off the Shed’ vibes.
Lacy’s second performance of the night found he and his band in the same outfit, same narrow room effect but with a heavier Stevie Wonder vibe in both voice and tone of the song.
Following a “Big Penis Therapy” sketch that is worth watching, Schumer sported a Jews shirt during the goodnights, following wearing a VOTE VOTE VOTE sweater.
Next week SNL returns for a post-election episode with host Dave Chappelle – appearing post-election for the third time since 2016 – and musical guest Black Star.
Covering a band from Belgium is a first for NYS Music, and not without good reason. The Haunted Youth have been indie darlings in Belgium and The Netherlands since the 2021 release of their first single “Teen Rebel,” and in attending Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg, Germany this past September, The Haunted Youth were one of the finalists for the ANCHOR Award, given out on the final day of the festival.
While The Haunted Youth did not win the ANCHOR Award (congrats to Cassia), they performed later that night at Angie’s to an industry crowd that saw lightning in a bottle. Seeing a band of this caliber perform in a club, having just played a main stage, who brought more energy to the room at the former, showed the nascent nature and the great potential for this Belgian band, who released their debut album Dawn of the Freak on November 4.
With hints of Australian indie rock band Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, recurring themes on Dawn of The Freak reflect the lives of a band who first connected during the COVID lockdowns in Europe and persevered through the loneliness and disruption to their lives. Frontman Joachim Liebens put his heart and soul into Dawn Of The Freak, writing all the songs and producing the album. The group’s sound ties together influences including The Cure, Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine, with shoegaze and dream pop laying the foundation of the album’s tone. Balancing out the highs the group has experienced in the past two years, the lows from Lieben are deftly channeled into the music.
It’s therapy, a way of dealing with my existence. And I hope this album will be universal and accessible enough for others to enjoy it in the same way.
Joachim Liebens
Whether live or studio, The Haunted Youth have a ‘sound of a generation’ quality about them, one that is heard clearly on the second and third tracks, “Teen Rebel” and “Stranger.” The former is an excellent post teen-angst song for the ’20s, with a dream pop beat that reflects on wanting more, creating a sweet dilemna. “Stranger” has hints of lonelieness that soldiers along thanks to The Cure and Culture Club, with tastes of new wave channeled through Gen Z.
A steady bass tone spreads into melanchoic synth rock on the longest track of the album, “Gone,” with “Broken” having the catchiest guitar riff and full band sound among the whole album, and that’s saying something. Lieben’s voice adds subtle emotion in his intonations, making “I Feel Like Shit and I Wanna Die” more upbeat than the title might suggest, offering a ray of light amid the burden of his life.
The airy and dreamy “House Arrest” repeats the lines “In the night I was falling down” and “take me away,” a stark view of what lockdowns must have felt like in Europe, as opposed to America where they varied in response and success. The properly upbeat penultimate track “Coming Home” gives a feeling of redemption and hope as the album draws to a close.
“Fist in my Pocket,” the final track and only acoustic number, channels the repressed anger of a generation, angry but unable to rise up against the gravity of the world left for them. Again, a melancholic glimmer of hope is shared, with Liebens singing, “It’ll all be over someday soon, I promise you.” As dark as the lyrics can be, the message gives the listener a fair reminder and feeling that it’s okay to feel like shit sometimes.
After performances at Reeperbahn, Rock Werchter, Best Kept Secret, Pukkelpop, and Tomavistas, the group not only has the ANCHOR Awards nomination under their belt, but also have been nominated for the Music Moves Europe Awards.
The Haunted Youth will be playing sold-out album release shows in The Netherlands and the Main Hall of legendary Brussels venue Ancienne Belgique, followed by an extensive string of release and festival shows all over Europe in 2023. Here’s to hoping they can make their way State-side for shows in the near future.
Dawn of the Freak is now available on all streaming services and Bandcamp
WhyHunger held their annual Chapin Awards Gala on Tuesday, November 1, honoring actor Kevin Bacon, Stacy Huston from SixDegrees.org,Gov’t Mule frontman Warren Haynes and Bob Wolk with the Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award for their commitment to fighting hunger and its root causes.
The event raised over $460K to fight hunger and featured celebrities including Phil Lesh, Kyra Sedgwick and more.
(Photo credit: Diane Bondareff for WhyHunger)
WhyHunger is a leader in the movement to end hunger and advance the human right to nutritious food in the U.S. and around the world.
In 1975, GRAMMY-Award winning musician and activist Harry Chapin co-founded WhyHunger to protect the basic human right to nutritious food for all. He dedicated his life to ensuring equitable food access and used his music and activism to inspire others to tackle the root causes of hunger and poverty.
WhyHunger presents The Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award to shine a spotlight on artists and community leaders who have proven their commitment to building social justice and ending hunger worldwide.
Each of our honorees has demonstrated their strong support for WhyHunger, matched with an even stronger conviction to use their influence to make the world a better place. Warren, Kevin, Stacy and Bob have all been incredibly generous with their time and resources, using their voices and influence to drive real change in the food justice movement, while inspiring so many others to join them. WhyHunger is proud to call them friends and partners in the movement to end hunger and poverty, and we’re inspired by the dedication and impact that each honoree has made.
Noreen Springstead, executive director, WhyHunger
(Photo credit: Diane Bondareff for WhyHunger)
Warren Haynes engaged with WhyHunger in a variety of ways over the years, making generous contributions to the organization’s work, donating several auction items and experiences that raised critical funds to support its mission. From his annual Christmas Jam and the important work of the W&S Foundation to his extraordinary support for Habitat for Humanity and career-spanning humanitarian efforts, Warren has led the music industry as an activist and visionary in creating a brighter future for all.
Harry Chapin has long been an inspiration to me, and I’m humbled to receive this award in his memory. I’m fully committed to using my music and platform to fuel meaningful change in the world. Thank you to WhyHunger for this honor.
Warren Haynes
WhyHunger was chosen by Stacy Huston and SixDegrees.org as one of the beneficiaries and partner in creating PlayOn, a 2020 TV special that uplifted the power of music, people, and philanthropy to fuel social change amid one of the most challenging moments in memorable history. Powered by SixDegrees.org, PlayOn raised critical awareness about hunger and injustice at the height of the pandemic and provided over $3.2 million to support WhyHunger’s mission. SixDegrees.org, along with Kevin Bacon, has transformed the nation and world in meaningful ways by using the power of connection to support grassroots nonprofits and their social missions.
Stacy and I are honored to receive the Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award, in recognition of the work we’ve been doing at SixDegrees.org and our support for WhyHunger. We believe our shared compassion has the power to unite, motivate and bring about positive change. We know WhyHunger is aligned in that mission.
Kevin Bacon
Bob Wolk first became engaged with WhyHunger after attending Harry Chapin concerts and hearing Harry’s message about food insecurity. He later reconnected to WhyHunger by working at Hungerthon and hosting a number of Homemade Jams. Bob served on the WhyHunger Board of directors from 2015 – 2020, both on the executive committee and as Vice-chair. Bob is a deeply philanthropic person in his professional and personal life.
Over the past 20 years, WhyHunger has honored a cadre of artists in Harry Chapin’s memory, including Harry Belafonte, Pete Seeger, Barbra Streisand, Yoko Ono Lennon, Tom Morello, Jon Batiste, Jason Mraz, John Mellencamp, Jackson Browne, Judy Collins, Emmylou Harris, Darryl ‘DMC’ McDaniels, Michael McDonald, Peter, Paul & Mary, and Kenny Rogers.
This year’s annual gala will corresponded with the kick-off of Hungerthon—WhyHunger’s annual month-long campaign to tackle the root causes of hunger in America and ensure everyone’s basic human right to nutritious food. Both the gala and Hungerthon raise critical funds to support WhyHunger’s work in the U.S. and around the world. To learn more about the WhyHunger Chapin Awards gala and to purchase tickets, visit whyhunger.org/chapinawards.
