After a two year absence for the pandemic, The Bardavon has announced the return of the holiday classic, The Nutcracker. The shows will put on on Saturday, December 10 at 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday, December 11 at 3 p.m, (snow date December 12 at 7 p.m.).
Nutcracker
Following a very long two year absence due to Covid, New Paltz Ballet Theatre will return to the Bardavon for its 23rd season to present this classic holiday event featuring dancers from the New York City Ballet. Peter and Lisa Naumann, co-directors of the NPBT, have brought many fine regional artists together to create this beautiful production. Dancers, designers, and technicians have all contributed to make this Nutcracker a visual delight. Come along with Marie as she dreams of a fierce battle between giant mice and toy soldiers followed by a magical journey through the Land of Snow to the Kingdom of Sweets.
NutCracker Photo by Jacques Luigi
The Bardavon 1869 Opera House, Inc. (the Bardavon) was incorporated in 1976 as a New York State nonprofit corporation, which is the oldest contiuously operating theater in the state. It owns and operates a 944-seat historic theater in Poughkeepsie and acquired the region’s premiere orchestra, the Hudson Valley Philharmonic (the HVP) in 1999. The Bardavon offers affordable, world-class arts education programs, music, dance, theater, Live in HD broadcasts, and classic films for the diverse audiences of the Hudson Valley. The company regularly presents at other venues such as Kingston’s Ulster Performing Arts Center and Bethel Woods Center for the Arts.
The Nutcracker is an 1892 two-act ballet originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Op. 71). The libretto is adapted from E. T. A. Hoffmann’s 1816 short story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King”.
Legendary King Crimson founding member Robert Fripp and producer David Singleton announced their speaking tour this fall. They will present an “Evening of Conversation” at the Carrier Theater in Syracuse on September 19, the City Winery in New York on September 23, and the Swyer Room in Albany on September 24.
Robert Fripp and David Singleton
Likely topics that will be explored during their time on stage will include: Where does music come from? What does it take to survive the music business? When does the impossible become possible? Can music change the world? Why did Fripp put on a tutu and dance to Swan Lake at the end of his garden? Who is The Vicar?
Robert Fripp is a British musician, songwriter, and record producer, also known as a founding member of the progressive rock band King Crimson. He is also a session musician, contributor and collaborator with Brian Eno and other excellent people, and originating director of the Guitar Craft and Guitar Circle program.
David Singleton is an English record producer, audio engineer, record label director, musician, songwriter, author, and Internet entrepreneur. He established DGM with Robert Fripp in 1993 and has reluctantly managed King Crimson since 2018. David is King Crimson’s producer and author of The Vicar Chronicles.
Robert Fripp and David SingletonTour Dates:
Sept. 16 – Toronto, ON – Royal Sept. 17 – Montreal, QC – Club Soda Sept. 18 – Quebec City, QC – Imperial Bell Sept. 19 – Syracuse, NY – Carrier Theater Sept. 21 – Ridgefield, CT – Ridgefield Playhouse Sept. 22 – Boston, MA – City Winery Sept. 23 – New York, NY – City Winery Sept.24 – Albany, NY – Swyer Room Sept. 26 – Bethlehem, PA – Musikfest Cafe Sept. 27 – Red Bank, NJ – The Vogel Sept. 28 – Philadelphia, PA – City Winery Sept. 30 – Washington, DC – City Winery Oct. 1 – Annapolis, MD – Ram’s Head Live Oct. 2 – Oakmont, PA – Oaks Theater Oct. 4 – Ferndale, MI – The Magic Bag Oct. 5 – Cleveland, OH – Music Box Supper Club Oct. 8 – Milwaukee – Wilson Theater-Marcus Center Oct. 9 – Chicago, IL – City Winery
Saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Hero Trio will make their NYC Debut this August to celebrate Charlie Parker’s Birthday at Smoke Jazz.
Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Hero Trio Photo by David Crow
Located at the junction of 106th and Broadway (aka Duke Ellington Boulevard), Smoke Jazz Club is one of New York City’s premier live music venues. Renowned for offering top-notch programming of accessible, timeless jazz featuring legendary performers, modern masters, and rising stars, Smoke stands apart with its candlelit dining room, stellar acoustics, and classic American cuisine.
Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Hero Trio also includes bassist Harish Raghavan and drummer Rudy Royston. Their performance will set on Thursday and Sunday at 7 and 9 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday at 7, 9 and 10:30 p.m.
Hero Trio earned high praise for its eclectic 2020 self-titled debut and the 2022 follow-up Animal Crossing. Animal Crossing is a digital-only EP featuring four new songs, each an unlikely addition to the canon of jazz standards which is also the titular theme from the wildly popular video game.
At Smoke, Mahanthappa will explore Parker’s compositions, classic standards, and modern covers with the Raghavan and Royston. “The idea behind Hero Trio was to turn the idea of playing a set of standards on its ear and freshen up the idea,” the saxophonist explains.
Rudresh Mahanthappa is widely known as one of the premier voices in jazz of the 21st century as well known for his exellent alto saxphone performances. He has been recognized by multiple jazz magazines including DownBeat Magazine, Jazz Journalists’ Association,and JazzTimes Magazine. He has also received the Guggenheim Fellowship and the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, and is currently the Anthony H. P. Lee ’79 Director of Jazz at Princeton University.
Lake George Music Festival scheduled its 2022 season from Augest 10th to 18th in the historic Fort William Henry Carriage House Theatre. Featuring a diverse musical lineup, more than 30 World-Class Symphony musicians will perform music ranging from cherished legendary masterworks to new works. Orchestral and chamber music performances are accompanied by breathtaking views of Lake George and the Adirondack Mountains.
Lake George Music Festival
Lake George Music Festival, one of the nation’s foremost classical music artist retreats, began in 2011. Upholding a mission to advance music, re-imagine the concert experience, and build audiences for the 21st century through artistic integrity and innovation, each LGMF has brought inspiring talent and celebrated artists from 27 countries worldwide to Lake George.
Carriage House newly renovated with brand new sound, lighting, and staging equipment which provided better permance experience. Popular as a venue years ago, its resurgence into the spotlight recently has been part of a broader effort to see Lake George become a cultural tourism destination; featuring this revitalized, year-round indoor performance space.
Season Opener – Time For Three
LGMF kicks off the festival with Emmy award-winning Time for Three and the Lake George Music Festival Orchestra at the Shepard Park Amphitheater in downtown Lake George. This event is free to the public.
Time for Three – Lauren Desberg
Time for Three is a classically trained string trio consists of Charles Yang (violin), Nick Kendall (violin), and Ranaan Meyer (double bass). They explore various musical genres, including classical, bluegrass, rock, hip-hop, and jazz. The members carry a passion for improvisation, composition, and arrangements, which inject charm and energy to their performances.
Schedule of Events
All performances occur at The Carriage House Theatre at Fort William Henry Hotel (48 Canada Street, Lake George, NY) except for opening night.
Wednesday, August 10 7:30 pm
Free opening night featuring Time for Three and the Festival Orchestra. Roger Kalia conducts. Presented in partnership with the Lake George Arts Project at the Shepard Park Amphitheater in downtown Lake George.
Thursday, August 11 7:30 pm
Chamber music featuring LGMF artists in residence. Program to highlight: Robert Schumann Piano Quintet Op.44 and Eric Ewazen Trio for Trumpet, Violin, and Piano.
Friday, August 12 7:30 pm
Chamber music featuring LGMF artists in residence. Program to highlight: Ludwig van Beethoven String Quartet No. 14 in c # minor, Op. 131 and Samuel Coleridge Taylor Piano Quintet Op.1.
Saturday, August 13 7:30 pm
Chamber music featuring LGMF artists in residence. Program: Franz Schubert, Octet in F major, D.803 and Maurice Ravel Introduction et Allegro.
Sunday, August 14 1:00 pm
Piano Mania! A festival favorite returns! Hear the Lake George Music Festival pianists perform solo, 4-hand, 6-hand, and 8-hand piano repertoire. A fun program for everyone! Program to feature music by Chopin, Ligeti, Scriabin, Debussy, and Ginastera.
Monday, August 15 7:30 pm
Chamber music featuring LGMF artists in residence. Program to highlight: Johannes Brahms Piano Quintet, Op. 34.
Tuesday, August 16 7:30 pm
Chamber music featuring LGMF artists in residence. Program to highlight: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Quintet in E-flat major, K.452 and Florence Price Quintet in A minor for Piano and Strings.
Wednesday, August 17 7:30 pm
Chamber music featuring LGMF artists in residence. Program to highlight: P.I. Tchaikovsky Souvenir de Florence, Op.70.
Thursday, August 18 1:00 pm & 7:30 pm
1:00pm The Rhythm Method performs new compositions by the students of the Lake George Music Festival Composer’s Institute.
7:30 pm Final Symphony Orchestra Concert – Program: Bela Bartok Romanian Folk Dances, Sergei Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances, and the world premiere performance of Pascal Le Boeuf’s new triple concerto for percussion ensemble arx duo, violinist Barbora Kolářová, and the Festival Symphony Orchestra. Roger Kalia conducts. Tickets $30.
Festival individual tickets are available at the door for $20, except for the Final Symphony Orchestra Concert, where tickets are available for $30 at the door.
Parking is available at the Fort William Henry Hotel Conference Center paved parking lot for $10 per vehicle. A free shuttle will be available to assist disabled guests with the 2-minute walk from the Conference Center parking lot to the Carriage House. Patrons arriving in a wheelchair may be dropped off at the entrance to the Carriage House before proceeding to park at the Conference Center lot.
Brooklyn independent music venue Elsewhere has announced its Fall 2022 season lineup and fifth anniversary celebrations. Performances from September to November will include notable artists Sherelle, Ben Klock and Marcel Dettmann with Levon Vincent, VTSS, IC3PEAK, and Overmono (Live).
Elsewhere
Based in Bushwick, Brooklyn, Elsewhere is a multi-room live music venue, nightclub and arts space that celebrates creativity, diversity and multi-disciplinary artistic expression and experimentation. Founded on Halloween in 2017, Elsewhere have hosted thousands of artists, presented over 20,000 hours of live music, and staged over 600 events each year.
Elsewhere
“There’s a lot of uncertainty in the world right now, but we continue to see that our community strongly wants to be out and experiencing togetherness again. Emerging artists are cautiously and safely making up for two years being unable to tour, and Elsewhere was built to support them and be a cultural beacon for New Yorkers.”
Elsewhere went through the difficulties in pandemic period with continous performances and high attendance rates in 2022 summer season. Their belief of creating a space for all to experience live entertainment that’s reflective of their personal experiences attributed to the venue’s success. In recent months has cooperated with Ray Ban, Brooklyn Magazine and more, connecting its partners with emerging culture.
“It’s all about supporting emerging culture and the best of what’s next. We’ve seen that it will always resonate with people. With the support of our community, we’re already back to pre-pandemic levels of attendance and energy, which is the right way to ring in Elsewhere’s five-year anniversary this October.”
Rosenthal
On October 31, 2022, Elsewhere will celebrate its fifth anniversary as Brooklyn’s leading independent music venue with full details on the anniversary celebrations forthcoming.
2022 Fall Events
Fri, 9/2: Dâm-Funk + Satin Jackets Thu, 9/8: Grace Ives Fri, 9/9: Bad Gyal Fri, 9/9: Darude Sat, 9/10: VNSSA Sat, 9/10: Pangea Fri, 9/16: Sherelle Fri, 9/16: Laylit – 4 Year Sat, 9/17: Olan Tue, 9/20: Tim Hecker Fri, 9/20 + Sat 9/21: Neil Frances Thu, 9/22: Girlpool Fri, 9/23: Ben Klock with Marcel Dettmann and Levon Vincent Sat, 9/24: Omar S Sat, 9/24: LSDXOXO Sun, 9/25: Lindstrøm Tue, 9/27: Cochise Fri, 9/30: Ata Kak Fri, 9/30: Elkka Fri, 9/30: VTSS
Sat, 10/1: I. Jordan Sat, 10/1: Hayden James / Rohaan Sun, 10/2: Tortoise Wed, 10/5: Divino Niño + Little Jesus Thu, 10/6: Trentmøller Fri, 10/7: Township Rebellion / Qrion Sat, 10/8: The Avalanches (DJ Set) Wed, 10/12: Sudan Archives Thu, 10/13: Mildlife Fri, 10/14: IC3PEAK Tue, 10/18: SLIFT Wed, 10/19: Eloise Fri, 10/21: Overmono (Live) Sun, 10/23: Sloppy Jane Thu, 10/27: Mezerg Mon, 10/31: #EL5EWHERE: 5th Anniversary Celebration
Woodstock Playhouse has announced jazz drummer Jack DeJohnette will celebrate his 80th birthday with a residency in Hudson Valley featuring Savion Glover, Dave Holland, Jason Moran and more.
Jack DeJohnette
Woodstock Playhouse is a vibrant venue as well as an outstanding landmark in American theatre history. As a non-profit theatre owned and directed by the Pan American Dance Foundation, Inc., it is now featuring a wide range of productions, festivals and events established for the gathering of Woodstockers and visitors to its internationally recognized home of Art, Music, celebrated small town hospitality, and a tapestry of innovative thinkers.
Jack DeJohnette is one of the most consistently inventive jazz percussionists extant. His style is wide-ranging but he always maintains a well-defined voice. Learned classical piano since the age of four, he was inspired by blues, popular music, and jazz in his late teens to play the drums. DeJohnette has a remarkably fluid relationship to pulse with excellent timing and a powerful sense of swing.
Jack DeJohnette & Savion Glover – September 17 at 8pm
This concert pairs Tony winning dancer Savion Glover with 2012 NEA Jazz Master Jack DeJohnette. Along with Miles Davis Bitches Brew Band, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Bobby Mcferrin, Bill Evans, two of the world’s great living rhythm specialists Glover and DeJohnette will create an inspiring musical dialogue. Taught by Sammy Davis, Jr., and Gregory Hines, Glover catapulted to fame as The Tap Dance Kid, then captivated the world with Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk and as the live action dancer behind Mumble the penguin in Disney’s Happy Feet.
Savion Glover
Jack DeJohnette with Dave Holland & Jason Moran – October 29 at 8pm
The jazz trio will feature 2012 NEA Jazz Master drummer Jack DeJohnette, pianist, composer, and performance artist Jason Moran, and legendary jazz bassist Dave Holland.
Dave Holland is a gifted jazz bassist, improvisor, and omposer whose work has touched on acoustic post-bop, avant-garde jazz, and fusion. He started playing ukulele at the age of four, switching to guitar at ten and bass guitar at 13. Under the influence of such jazz bassists as Leroy Vinnegar and Ray Brown, Holland took up the double bass, learning primarily by playing along with records.
Jason Moran, a jazz pianist, composer, and artist from Houston. He studied with Jaki Byard, Andrew Hill and Muhal Richard Abrams. He has produced fourteen additional albums and had his first solo museum exhibition opened at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN, and traveled to ICA/Boston in 2018.
National Sawdust announced its Fall 2022 season, bringing worldwide artists to Williamsburg, Brooklyn to share ambitious new explorations in music and performances. The works comprising the season emerge from an America and a world experiencing intersecting crises and urgent calls for change—and respond with themes of healing, metamorphosis, activism, and hope.
National Sawdust
National Sawdust is a nonprofit music producer and venue in Brooklyn founded in 2015 by composer Paola Prestini and attorney Kevin Dolan. With its belief of being an innovative leader in changing the landscape of contemporary music, by bringing all voices to the stage and beyond — artistic representation that reflects the ever-evolving multicultural society in which we live, National Sawdust engages worldwide artists in a wonderful art ecosystem in Williamsburg venue.
JOJO ABOT and esperanza spalding: A GOD OF HER OWN MAKING – September 23 & 24
A GOD OF HER OWN MAKING is a new spiritual and experiential opera of immersive soundscapes and visuals, in which the human vessel serves as a primary instrument and conduit for sound as a healing pathway to the divine. Created, directed, and composed by 2018 Artist-in-Residence artist Jojo Abot,A GOD OF HER OWN MAKING builds on JOJO ABOT’s exploration of spirituality, and incorporates spalding’s lineages and practices of restorative music.
Emily Wells – September 29
Emily Wells
For her third appearance on the National Sawdust stage, composer, producer, and video artist Emily Wells and her band (bassist Dandy McDowell, drummer Addie Vogt, and multi-instrumentalist Alec Spiegelman) will perform work from her 2022 album Regards to the End, Centering the Stories of Artists Behind Early AIDS Activism.
Xavier Foley – October 16
Xavier Foley
Virtuosic Double Bassist Xavier Foley will co-presented with the Sphinx Organization. This performance is one of a series reflecting both National Sawdust and Sphinx’s commitment to empowering diverse voices that are reshaping the landscape of western classical music.
Jean-Michel Blais – October 18
Jean-Michel Blais is a Montreal-based pianist-composer-performer. His debut opus, Il, was written after two years of daily improvisation, recorded with a Zoom H4n in his apartment. It ranked among the Top 10 best albums in Time Magazine.
Niloufar Nourbakhsh’s ‘We, The Innumerable’ – October 21
A Concert of Niloufar Nourbakhsh’s Opera We the Innumerable, Tracing an Iranian Woman’s Heroic Journey After Her Life Is Besieged by State Violence, Co-Presented with the Center for Contemporary Opera.
Ichiko Aoba – October 26
This performance will be the New York debut of Japanese folk musician Ichiko Aoba. She will perform music from her latest album, Windswept Adan, presented by AdHoc.
Ichiko Aoba
Nathan Schram with Special Guests Attacca Quartet, Becca Stevens, & Caroline Shaw – October 29
GRAMMY Award-winning composer and violist for Attacca Quartet Nathan Schram will premiere his new album Nearsided, which released on July 29th, in this multimedia performance. Schram’s latest album tested the power of exploration and the possibilities of what can be created in the studio and on-stage. Nathan Schram and his special guests–Attacca Quartet, Becca Stevens, Caroline Shaw, and more–are prepared for the world premiere of Nearsided in this album release show.
AdHoc Presents: Colin Stetson & Elori Saxl – November 3
Horn player Colin Stetson will co-present with American experimental electronic composer Elori Saxl on November 3rd. Stetson has an utterly unique voice as a soloist, principally on saxophones and clarinets, as well as a songwriter. Elori Saxl released her debut album The Blue of Distance in 2021 which elegantly combined digitally-processed recordings of wind and water with the rich sounds of analog synthesizers and chamber orchestra.
Ami Dang with Opener Roshni Samlal – November 10
South Asian-American vocalist, sitarist, composer, and producer Amrita “Ami” Kaur Dang will bring her experimental ambient music. It referred to her first-generation Sikh-American experience while combined elements of North Indian classical music with noise, dance, and psych music.
PUBLIQuartet “What is American” – November 11
2018-2019 Artists-in-Residence PUBLIQuartet, presented with Sphinx, will perform work from their latest album What Is American, a Call to Ponder the Kaleidoscope of Diverse Genres, which originating in black and Indigenous music.
Michela Marino Lerman and Her Band Love Movement – November 18
Tap dancer and choreographer Michela Marino Lerman and her band Love Movement will present a multidisciplinary musical experience inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Levels of Love” speech. This will be an evening of dance, music, and therapeutic release.
Margaret Leng Tan – December 3
Renowned Avant-garde pianist Margaret Leng Tan, known as the “Queen of the toy piano” and “the world’s premier string piano virtuoso,” will present a program honoring the late American composer George Crumb and his late wife Elizabeth May Brown.
Sofiane Pamart – December 5
French pianist Sofiane Pamart, a.k.a. ‘Piano King,’ has made a name for himself by bridging the traditionalist western classical world and the always-innovating realm of hip-hop. Pamart’s collaborations with rappers like Koba LaD, Vald, Joey Starr, and more have helped piano music shed its staid facade and become more accessible to new listeners. Pamart delivers performances that are visually and technically stunning, and his film-inspired aesthetic has led to partnerships with fashion houses like Yves Saint Laurent and Dior Hommes. A classically-trained pianist with a rapper’s flair for storytelling, Pamart aims to bring people together through the emotional vibrancy of his piano compositions. For his only East Coast tour stop, Sofiane Pamart will take piano music into the future with a mix of western classical works and his own hip-hop-classical fusions.
Juilliard Blueprint Bridge Fellowship Concert – December 11
The Blueprint Bridge Fellowship partner with The Juilliard School, is an annual National Sawdust mentorship. The 2022 winning composers – alumni composers Eugene Astapov, and Lingbo Ma, and current student composers Nicole Balsirow, Aidan Gold, and Sia Uhm – were commissioned to a dream work that the National Sawdust Ensemble will workshop and perform at National Sawdust.
Matt McBane and Sandbox Percussion – December 16
Chamber quartet Sandbox Percussion will perform composer and violinist Matt McBane’s Bathymetry in its entirety in this celebratory album release concert featuring an opening set by Matt McBane. Bathymetry will be out on October 22, 2022 via Cantaloupe Music.
Petting Zoo is a pop-rock band from Norwalk, Connecticut and currently based out of New York City. Bandmates include Zack Ely, Bennett Newman, Colin Berger, Joe Wen, and DEEGAN.
Born and raised in Norwalk, Petting Zoo released their first single “Lovin’ Yourself” in 2018. They released their first self-titled EP in late 2020 and have been releasing subsequent singles in 2021. Recently, they are coming back with new songs and lively performances.
Zack Ely is the vocal and rhythm guitar whose favorite ice cream is Ben & Jerry’s Half Baked. Joe Wen plays electric guitar and bass in the band and Colin Berger is the drummer. Bennett Newman plays bass and electric guitar who is a Black Raspberry ice cream lover. And DEEGAN sang and helped produce the tracks.
Growing up on Coldplay, Maroon 5, Green Day, the Beatles, Bob Marley, the Police, U2, Petting Zoo have firmly established themselves as purveyors of bright, chart-friendly indie-pop. They are also suckers for contemporary Top 40 and pop/hip hop.
Their new song “Food” came out on July 15 which is a song filled with summer vibe. The finger-popping bass backs the song while the refreshing vocal with simple guitar chorus and sand hammer created a feeling of drinking iced juice. The speed change and the following sound design in the middle of the song created a sense of running into the sea and diving into it.
Petting Zoo
The passion for the food is the inspiration of the newly released song “Food.” Zack is known to devour chocolate and/or chicken parm sandwiches like his life depends on it, which is the origin of him to write a song about food. The members agreed that “Food” doesn’t even have to be a love song since Zack could genuinely just be talking about the entity of food itself.
They had wonderful performance in Bowery Ballroom on June 10 and will show up more frequently in July which including the show in Red Lion on July 23, Bitter End on July 30, and opened for the 502s at the Bayley Beach Summer Concert Series on July 31. More upcoming shows can be found here.
A Fragile Tomorrow released their new album It’s Better That Way on July 15th via MPress Records. This album combined many of the band’s musical interests and new tryouts which included Krautrock-psychedelia, indie rock swagger, Crowded House-esque pop songcraft, British folk and hip-hop-influenced sampling.
Members of A Fragile Tomorrow are founders Sean Kelly, Brendan Kelly, and Shaun Rhoades, as well as new additions Josh Kean and Peter Holsapple. They released 5 albums including their independent Music award winning debut album Make Me Over and have shared stages with artists including Indigo Girls, Drivin’ N Cryin’ and Matthew Sweet.
Musically the main theme of the new album from A Fragile Tomorrow is trying not to be boxed in. Brendan Kelly summarized this from their experience that they scrapped almost half of completed songs, and re-approached the production to jump out of the very specific sound in mind previously.
Lyrically, there are a few themes threaded throughout in this political record. It includes being worn down by capitalism, feeling disillusioned with the music industry and struggling to adjust, and anxiety about grief, isolation, politics, religion, or the state of the world.
“I would say that this album is really just a summary of who we are as a band. We embraced our roots as a pop band, but continued exploring our more experimental side like we did on our last album, Generation Loss, and tried to take that further (in different ways). It covers everything from riff rock, to hip hop production, to post punk, power pop, psych rock, and even folk. I’m really proud of the production on this album and the way we were able to tie everything we love into what I think feels like a cohesive unit.”
Brendan Kelly
“All Signs To Amsterdam” decipted anorexia, “Another Club” tells a story of losing a mother, and “Sandy” tributes to Sandy Denny to critical current social/political issues. “Fraying Wire” responded to January 6th, “For An Eye” looks at the prison and military industrial-complexes that are backed by a harsh capitalistic system, “Look Out” supports salt-of-the-earth union workers,and “Lost In Art” conveys a message of resistance to the conformity of mainstream music and the music industry.
“All Signs to Amsterdam” was reworked after the departure of previous member. It starts with electronic guitar strum, and vocal and drum come in later. The melodies were inspired by 70s British folk like Fairport Convention. It didn’t have a chorus progression but the chorus are big and fuzzy which injected the song an exciting vibe. Lyrically, this song is about anorexia, relates to their 2013 European tour where Sean Kelly’s eating disorder really started getting serious.
Another Club described a story of being in the “club” of losing mother at a relatively young age. Inspired by the album ‘Comet, Come To Me’ of Meshell Ndegeocello, the verse has a vibe of soul music with a peaceful sorrow. It also combines several different musical pieces that both Brendan and Kelly wrote, while Peter’s organ solo stoodout as is his harmonica playing. These infusion added more elements with different feelings to the song.
“Fraying Wire,” one of the centerpieces of the album, was written and recorded on Kelly’s Fender Jaguar in a made up open tuning. The opening drum which feels like hitting a jar is like a reflection of the political mess on January 6, 2021. Then the guitar brings an interesting chord progression and tuning as the added vocal harmonies provided a holy sound to the song.
For An Eye is a direct criticism of the prison industrial complex and the death penalty. The “percussive” drum beats from a double floor tom is a great example of some of the rhythmic direction the band were trying to go in early on. Peter’s synth strings as well as Brendan’s messy, noisy solo built a stream-of-consciousness style.
Look Out! is a pro-union, anti-capitalism song that also criticizes the hypocrisy of Washington. The bassline was a looped line with added chord changes and dynamic shifts around. The real drums inject life to the song. Peter’s cascading arpeggiating synths and thingsturned it into something pretty amorphous and genre nonbinary, despite it originally being something sort of Clash and The Specials influenced.
“Collapsed Catholic” is currently the favorite song of the Montgomery-born guitarist, songwriter, and pedal master Brendan Kelly. This song feels like a journey and was originally intended to be the opening of the album. Therefore, it tied together a lot of the different elements that appear throughout the record. Introduced with psychedelic noise, a big guitar riff and some frantic drums, hip hop-inspired sampling in the bridge, the song also includes a little dreamy synth breakdown, and a great guitar solo.
“It’s really an amalgamation of everything we love and everything we’re interested in exploring. It’s probably best described as “art rock,” which is a term I shouldn’t like but really do. I think it’s a term that throws genre out the window, which is something that appeals to me.”
Sean Kelly
Produced by A Fragile Tomorrow, with additional production by Peter Holsapple and mastered by Grammy winning mastering engineer Alan Silverman, this experimental album included unusual but wonderful thinking of members and enjoyable music compositions.
The Schenectady Symphony Orchestra (SSO) announced to be a member of Proctors Collaborative from August 1st, 2022. It will keep a separate board of directors and Glen Cortese remains its Artistic Director, while but Proctors Collaborative will provide administrative functions.
Schenectady Symphony Orchestra by Stan Hudy
The SSO was founded in 1934 and gave first concert on February 5, 1935, conducted by Kenneth G. Kelley, Supervisor of Music in Schenectady public schools. Their second concert was in a pioneering broadcast three months later, which beamed to South America on General Electric stations to be one of the first American orchestras to be heard overseas via short wave radio.
“Proctors and the Schenectady Symphony have a long history in the community and with one another. This management plan intends to turn that history into a long-term relationship for the health of the arts in our community!”
Philip Morris
The orchestra is comprised of both professional and non-professional musicians from the local community, including teachers, engineers, physicians, and local business people.
Glen Cortese will begin his fourth season for the Schenectady Symphony Orchestra with the 22-23 season, The Musical Time Machine. Meanwhile, the SSO will host concert, A Night at the Movies on August 13 at the Music Haven Concert Series in Schenectady Central Park.
“This season’s program is designed to transport you in time and focus on specific musical eras. We will present new works, traditional favorites, works rarely heard as well as new ways to listen to favorite familiar pieces.
