Author: savanna tong

  • Inaugural MetaMoon Music Festival Will Kick Off at Barclays in November

    The Inaugural MetaMoon Music Festival will kick off at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on November 26th to celebrate Asian talent and culture. Featuring pop star Lay Zhang, 9m88, Karencici, ØZI and Sury Su, as well hosted by MC Jin, the festival is their arena debut in the United States and a great opportunity to enjoy Asian popular music.

    MetaMoon Music Festival

    The MetaMoon Music Festival, a single-day festival and cultural experience to celebrate the Asian American diaspora which is founded by Hong Kong-based Graceful Media and produced in partnership with Live Nation. Its mission is to bridge the gap between Asia and the United States and show that music is a universal language since the underrepresentation of Asian community in American entertainment.

    Graceful Media set out to create a platform in the United States for Asian and Asian American artists, to have a space where their fans can connect and celebrate while discovering new music and artists. The large Asian-American population made Barclays Center the perfect host venue for the festival.

    “There is a great need for stronger Asian representation in pop culture and in the media, and the mission of MetaMoon Music Festival is to give artists the ability to shine from a prominent stage, in the heart of Brooklyn. Now more than ever, music is truly a global language, and talent, no matter where they come from, will resonate with fans across cultures if given the opportunity to share their passion and creativity.”

    – Grace Chen, Founder of Graceful Media

    The wonderful performers, including Lay Zhang, from K-pop super group EXO, will be headlining the event, along with 9m88, KarenciciØZI, and Sury Su. More artists and special guests are expected to be announced and MC Jin will be hosting the evening. Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, July 15 at 10 a.m. EST and can be purchased online. 

    Live Nation is committed to creating endless opportunities to connect artists of all genres and backgrounds with their fans. The inaugural MetaMoon Music Festival will inspire and create new and exciting opportunities for many of today’s Asian artists, from both here and abroad, to shine brightly, and engage their fans in this epic and unforgettable event.

    – Geoff Gordon, Regional President, Live Nation Northeast

    Barclays Center is located in the heart of Brooklyn, at the crossroads of Atlantic and Flatbush Avenues.

    For more information on the MetaMoon Music Festival, please visit www.metamoonfest.com

  • Mrs. Henry Announce “Chest Fever Tour” Coming To Rochester and Brooklyn In August

    San Diego band Mrs. Henry annouced their Chest Fever tour dates to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the release of legendary rock group The Band‘s Rock of Ages album. The last two stops of this tour will be at Photo City Music Hall in Rochester on August 14th and The Sultan Room in Brooklyn on August 15.

    Mrs. Henry is led by Dan Cervantes (Howlin Rain guitarist + Blind Owl label owner), and is rounded out by Jody Bagley (Vocals and Keyboards), Blake Dean (Vocals and Bass), and Chad Lee (Vocals and Drums).  After West Coast tour in 2015, the group spent the last five years on the road building a reputation for their brand. In turn, they established individual credits including Howlin’ Rain, The Schizophonics, The Silent Comedy.

    Chest Fever by Stacey Webb

    The idea of Chest Fever started in 2017 when Mrs. Henry set their sights on recreating the historic 1976 night where The Band documented their legendary final performance The Last Waltz. The stress in the one-year planning and rehearsing nearly broke up the band. However, they entirely performed the Last Waltz on November 26, 2017.

    The group performed The Last Waltz again in November 2021 at Solana Beach. After the sold out performance, the group set out to continue their sights on honoring The Band and their impact on rock and roll.

    Now, with the official approval from The Band itself, the group is back to recreate The Band’s Rock of Ages live album to mark the 50th anniversary of it. Rock of Ages, a collection of live recordings from The Band’s four night 1971 residency at the Academy of Music in New York City featured Howard Johnson, Snooky Young, Joe Farrell, J.D. Parron, Earl McIntyre and suprised guest Bob Dylan, underscored The Band’s ambitious on-stage vision, and further cemented their place in rock music history.

    Each night Chest Fever will be performing songs from Rock of Ages, including “Caledonia Mission,” “The Unfaithful Servant,” “Get Up Jake,” and of course “Chest Fever.” They will additionally be cycling in a number of deeper cuts from The Band’s oeuvre, including “Rockin’ Chair,” “Time To Kill,” as well as classics originally left out Rock of Ages including “Up on Cripple Creek,” “I Shall Be Released,” and more.

    “The first time I heard The Band was when I was a young kid seeing The Last Waltz over Thanksgiving. My Dad played the video or rented from Blockbuster at the time, that just lit a fire.

    Mrs. Henry member Dan Cervantes

    The group will be performing alongside local horn sections from each city to recreate the iconic contributions from Johnson, Young, Farrel, McIntyre, and Parron, while additionally featuring a special guest in select towns to perform the 4 song Bob Dylan set from the original residency. Each concert will feature slight variations to give audiences a unique experience.

    The band will feature an all-star group of accomplished and celebrated players at the final tour stop at Brooklyn’s Sultan Room on August 15th, including trumpeter Eric Biondo, sousaphone and tuba player John Altieri, saxophonist Stuart Bogie, and trombonist Dave ‘Smoota’ Smith. 

    Chest Fever Tour Dates

    7/20 – Costa Mesa, CA @ Wayfarer
    7/21 – Chico, CA @ Argus Bar
    7/22 – Sunnyvale, CA @ Quarter Note Bar
    7/23 – Red Bluff, CA @ Rock Of Red Bluff Festival
    7/24 – San Francisco, CA @ The Park Side
    7/29 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah San Diego
    8/4 – Woodstock, GA @ Madlife Stage & Studios
    8/5 – Louisville, KY @ Whirling Tiger
    8/6 – Cleveland, OH @ The Winchester Bar
    8/7- Columbus, OH @ The Summit Music Hall
    8/8 – Columbus, OH @ The Summit Music Hall
    8/10 – Toronto, Ontario, Canada @ El Mocambo
    8/11- Pittsburgh, PA @t Thunderbird Music Hall
    8/12 – Burlington, VT @ Nectar’s
    8/13 – Brattleboro, VT @ Stone Church
    8/14 – Rochester, NY @ Photo City Music Hall
    8/15 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Sultan Room

  • Chris Botti Announces Performance at Troy Music Hall this October

    The Troy Music Hall lately annouced the return performance of legendary American trumpeter Chris Botti on October 15th.

    Chris Botti

    The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, a National Historic Landmark, has been in use since opening in 1875. World renowned for its incredible acoustics, it has hosted performances by legions of world-renowned artists. With several intervention, the tall ceiling and ideal seat count of 1180 to provide intimacy and sustain an optimal reverberation.

    Chris Botti, the largest-selling American instrumental artist who has been renowned since his release of When I Fall In Love. His associated with PBS has led to four #1 jazz albums, as well as multiple Gold, Platinum and Grammy Awards.  Most recently, his latest album Impressions won the Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental.

    Over the past three decades, Botti has recorded and performed with a great amount of musicians including Sting, Barbra Streisand and so on while hitting the road for as many as 300 days per year worldwide.

    Impressions, Botti’s 2012 Columbia Records and Grammy winning release, is the latest in a stellar parade of albums. Featuring artists Andrea Bocelli, Vince Gill, Herbie Hancock, Mark Knopfler, and David Foster, this album included When I Fall In Love (2004), To Love Again: The Duets (2005), Italia (2007), and the CD/DVD Chris Botti in Boston (2009) that has firmly established him as a clarion voice in the American contemporary music scene. These albums established his figures of the contemporary music world.

    Tickets are on sale at 10am Monday to Music Hall Members. Single tickets go on sale to the general public Wednesday, July 13, at 10am. More information on Chris Botti and Troy Savings Bank Music Hall and upcoming programs visit www.troymusichall.org.

  • Kirsty Rock Drops Her Debut Solo Album Slow Burn

    Kirsty Rock, a member of the internationally renowned reggae super group Easy Star All-Stars, has announced her debut solo album Slow Burn on Easy Star Records.

    Bringing a distinctive, soulful, and earthy reggae sound, Slow Burn coincides with an official video release of the title track, which was a collaboration between acrobatic dancer Julia Baccellier, Rock, and Rock’s long standing collaborator D888.

    The visuals and movements are an unveiling in which we accentuate the beauty of that journey – vulnerability, a shedding, and in finality, empowerment. It’s a personal journey with a universal message.

    Kirsty Rock

    Kirsty Rock came up in the Brooklyn music scene of the 1990s. Her first lead vocal with Easy Star All-Stars was on their 2003 album Dub Side of the Moon, performing “The Great Gig In The Sky,” which earned praise from the original vocalist. In 2003, she joined the tour of Easy Star All-Stars in over 30 countries on 6 continents. She was featured on vocals on their studio albums Radiodread, Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band, and Easy Star’s Thrillah, as well as on First Light. Currently Rock is back with ESA after a COVID hiatus.

    The first single “The Feeling” may appear to be the most lighthearted song on the album. It was the most difficult and cathartic to write for Rock since it’s a reminder of love and joy that when we release grief, sorrow, pain, and anger.

    Her next single, “L.E.O.” is filled with a steady bass groove and slapping drums. Rock wrote and sings the lyrics: “The space between us pulls me in with thoughts darker than your skin. It’s incredible. Burn my solar wings and carry me towards L.E.O.”

    Many of the songs on Slow Burn were started on the road with Easy Star All-Stars and with her own long-running band Trumystic. Without the stress and expectations of rushing out products, she just let the songs evolve. Observing diverse relationships and changes in political agendas, Slow Burn had been inspired. After the bones of the songs were recorded in her home in Vermont, Rock began reaching out to her friends to add more into the album.

    The first few tracks completed were co-produced and mixed by Grammy-nominated producer Matt Stein while the rest of the album brought in collaborators in Easy Star All-Stars. These fantastic artists including guitarist/vocalist Shelton Garner Jr., keyboardist/vocalist Elenna Canlas, drummers Ivan Katz and Cliff Simpson, and the horn section of Jennifer Hill, Buford O’Sullivan, and Matt Bauder, and other musicians.

    Slow Burn is a stunning “debut” for Kirsty Rock. She is already at work on new songs and looking forward to bringing this music on the road with both ESA and on her own in the coming year.

  • Upstate Shares New Single “Lovers & Friends”

    Hudson Valley-emerged band Upstate shared their new single “Lovers & Friends” after a time of profound exploration and self-discovery in the last few years. They are returning with tours in New York State in July, August and October.

    Upstate is a band guided by clear ambitions: to write honest songs, play rich music, and “leave it all” on the stage and in the studio. Melanie Glenn, Mary Kenney lead as singers and guitarists, while Harry D’Agostino plays bass with percussionist/drummer Dylan Mckinstry. The band weaves traces of Americana, Jazz, Gospel, and R&B with their eyes towards music that tells the truth above all.

    Great changes happened to Upstate since the last new music in summer 2020. There’s been babies, marriages, engagements, relocations, new career paths, band members changed. Upstate has been writing and recording a fresh collection of songs and lately shared the first single, “Lovers & Friends”, a delicate yet soaring indie folk gem that explores the subtle intricacies of cherished relationships.

    Photography by Genesis Baez

    This is a tune that reflects on the different kinds of stakes wrapped up in our romances and intimate friendships, the ways that we know each other, and the ways that we don’t. The kind of honesty that can flourish in a genuine friendship, and the kinds of lies that romance often begets.

    Harry D’Agostino

    “Lovers & Friends” hints at Upstate’s creative rebirth which may arrive with their forthcoming album in Spring 2023. In the meantime, Upstate scheduled dates for tour in the remainder of this summer as followed with additional Autumn shows to be added shortly.

    Upstate Tour Dates

    7/16 – Sherman, NY – Heron Farm & Event Center
    7/29 – Cortland, NY – Main Street Music Series
    8/17 – Katonah, NY – Caramoor Center for Music & Arts
    10/15 – Geneva, NY – Smith Center for the Arts

  • Flushing Town Hall Announce “Gospel Meets Côte d’Ivoire” Concert on July 24

    Flushing Town Hall’s popular series, Mini-Global Mashups, will present another installment this summer on Sunday, July 24 at 1 PM with its Gospel Meets Côte d’Ivoire concert. Featuring American gospel singer Joshua Nelson and Côte d’Ivoire traditional dance and drum master Vado Diomande with additional accompanist drummer Moussa Drame, this concert will maintain the popularity and high quality of the series.

    Joshua Nelson and Vado Diomande

    Flushing Town Hall (FTH), a Smithsonian affiliate, presents multi-disciplinary global arts that engage and educate the global communities of Queens and New York City, in order to foster mutual appreciation. As advocates of arts equity since 1979, we support local, immigrant, national, and international artists, developing partnerships and collaborations that enhance our efforts.

    Audiences will enjoy the unique performing collaboration of two solo musicians with distinct musical and cultural backgrounds when American gospel singer Joshua Nelson and Ivory Coast traditional dance and drum master Vado Diomande on stage. After the performance there will be a Q+A conversation between the artists and the audience.

    Joshua Nelson is both a Jewish Gospel singer in the tradition of Mahalia Jackson and a full-time Hebrew teacher when he is not on the road. He is director of music at Hopewell Baptist Church in Newark, NJ, which is housed in the building of a former synagogue (the former B’nai Jeshurun). Nelson has performed with musical legends including Wynton Marsalis, Aretha Franklin, Stephanie Mills, and Billy Preston, as well as gospel singers Albertina Walker, the Barret Sisters, and so on.

    Since the age of four, Vado Diomande has learned the Mahouka dance and drum traditions. Vado learned over 60 ethnic dance and drumming traditions from the Ivory Coast and other West African countries. His repertoire elevated his career to eventually choreographing and touring extensively throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, and Australia. His troupe’s goal is to inspire joy and understanding through the power of dance and drum, promoting the exchange of culture worldwide. He continues to strengthen his experience as a choreographer, artistic director, teacher, and performer.

    Our Mini-Global Mashups are always a great experience – and Gospel Meets Côte d’Ivoire will be another ride of discovery for our audience. Joshua Nelson and Vado Diomande are extraordinary talents and it will truly be an honor for them to grace our stage.

    Flushing Town Hall Executive & Artistic Director Ellen Kodadek

    In-person tickets are $12 for Flushing Town Hall members and $15 for non-members. A free livestream is available. For more information, please visit this link.

  • Hearing Aide: Brooklyn Rock Duo Power Pose Release Debut Album, “I’m Looking”

    Brooklyn-based rock duo Power Pose have released their debut full-length album I’m Looking, released on July 1, with a fiery first single in the drum-backed “Honey.”

    Power Pose

    Formed in 2017, Power Pose serves up 90’s infused indie rock with a fresh feminist perspective. Inspired by emotionally evocative performers like PJ Harvey, Sleater-Kinney and Gossip, Jacqueline Bodley (guitar/vocals) and Kelly Rudman (drums) approach their songwriting with fierce candor. Together, this duo has crafted a brash, self-assured sound that commands attention.

    Bodley and Rudman share a feminist outlook that informs their art from involved in #MeToo movement, to writing lyrics are both an exploration of self and an examination of the ways that women must work to navigate their environments. Feelings of isolation, desire, fantasy, escapism, and the urgent need to reclaim one’s agency are woven into the fabric of their songs. These feelings are expressed forward with danceable beats and driving guitar riffs in their new songs.

    Power Pose “Honey”

    Their first single “Honey,” is a DIY, carefree video–an at-home dance party complete with playful colors and wigs as the duo jam together. With a nod to Joan Jett’s anthemic rock-n-roll style, “Honey” kicks off with a pounding drum beat and went along with the thumping rhythm, winding bass groove and infectious guitar riffs. Their sultry vocals added the tune a flirtatious, playful energy as the duo remains carefree, confident and unabashedly themselves.

    Setting the tone in the opening verse, Bodley sings, “Saw it on TV / Did I waste my time / Cause it feels like I / Spent all my life / Taking what was offered me.” The track sees the duo unwilling to settle, to get nothing less than what they deserve, and encourages listeners to do the same.

    The lyrics for “Honey” originated in a dark place, but the song transforms that darkness into something joyful and empowering. When you aren’t well, it’s easy to lose confidence and feel disconnected from your physical self. “Honey” is about someone living vicariously through the media they consume and plunging into fantasy to escape their reality. Ultimately, the narrator wakes herself up to reclaim her strength and sexual confidence. The song is about shaking off your insecurities and completely letting go. Its danceability celebrates the feeling of moving and connecting with your body.

    Bodley

    The video, made with an iPhone and shot, directed and edited by Bodley herself, allowed the duo to play with identity, blur reality and fantasy, and act out different personas. They would like to invite the audiences to join the fantasy with the boundary-blurred reality and fiction expressed in this music.

    Power Pose I’m Looking

    In addition to the single, the duo’s full-length debut album I’m Looking arrived July 1, 2022. Over the seven tracks, the duo finds a new approach to their womanhood as they explore themes like desire, agency, modern romance and everything in between. They are unafraid to confront emotions ranging from rage to carefree joy while they find strength in taking back their space and bodies. Feminist and fearless, Power Pose offer a gritty and honest point of view that brings catharsis during a time of reckoning, which redefined womanhood and reclaimed their agency and femininity as they blaze their own trail.

    The tone of the album was heavily influenced by what was going on culturally at the time. MeToo was a huge part of the news when we first started writing music together, and there seemed to be constant think pieces being published that explored women’s perspectives in unprecedented ways. This got us thinking about our past experiences in a new light. The ways that women are socialized to approach desire and pleasure, the ways we are stereotyped and objectified, the ways that we are expected to behave and the coping mechanisms we develop to navigate social pressures. These were all themes that were simmering in our minds when we wrote these songs.

    Bodley

    Bold, bouncy and confident, “Honey,” out everywhere now, allows Power Pose to assert themselves as they fiercely claim their space and reconnect with their bodies. In a time of a raging pandemic and reproductive rights in question, Power Pose feel reinvigorated and ready to bring forth their fresh perspective with their debut album I’m Looking, out July 1, 2022 and available for pre-order now.

  • Inaugural “Relix Rock Camp” With Phil Lesh and John Scofield, Announced for October

    Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp has partnered with Relix for inaugural Relix Rock Camp in New York City, to be held October 27-30. Featuring legendary bassist Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead), guitarist John Scofield (Miles Davis) and sacred steel guitarist Robert Randolph (Robert Randolph and the Family Band), this is a once in a lifetime change to jam and spend four days jamming with these musicians and more.

    Relix Rock Camp
    Relix Rock Camp

    Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp was created 25 years ago to provide real people the once-in-a-lifetime
    experience of connecting and jamming with their musical heroes. The Camp has provided unforgettable
    memories, advice and feedback for attendees worldwide. Camp events span over four jam packed days
    where campers join a band mentored by today’s top touring musicians, and work up to final
    performances with the headliner rockstars at legendary venues from Abbey Road Studios in London, to
    Hollywood’s Whisky A Go Go, to the Atlantic resort in The Bahamas.

    Relix Fantasy Camp is a musical experience for musicians and vocalists to take their skills and confidence to the next level, realize their dreams are possible, and create bonds and friendships for life with fellow aspiring musicians. The camp features four full days of jamming, masterclasses, instruction and exclusive Q&A’s in a private studio to prepare campers to jam. Finally the Camp holds a final showcase performance in front of family, friends, and jamband fans at The Cutting Room in NYC.

    I’m so excited to offer campers the opportunity to jam with the legendary original bass player of the Grateful Dead Phil Lesh and so many other incredible musicians. On top of it, to partner with Peter Shapiro and the entire Relix team for this camp is an honor. In the past we have had the pleasure of having Mickey Hart, Jeff Beck, Brian Wilson, Roger Daltrey, Bill Wyman, Alice Cooper and more at our Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camps, and we are excited to welcome these new first time artists joining us at this camp.

    Rock Camp founder David Fishof

    Rockstar mentors include Gary Hoey, Derek St. Holmes, Scott Sharrard (Little Feat / Gregg Allman Band), Alex Koford & Ross James (Terrapin Family Band), Tony Leone (Little Feat), Tash Neal (London Souls), Steve Leisman (Stella Blues Band), Lo Faber (God Street Wine), Leslie Mendelson, Michael Falzarano (Hot Tuna), Fuzz (Deep Banana Blackout) and more. For more information, visit Rock n Roll Fantasy Camp.

  • Jazz at Chandlerville Summer Series Offers Free Music Every Thursday

    The Jazz at Chandlerville Series will return to Chandler Street every Thursday this summer from 6 pm to 8:30 pm. The series is hosted by JazzBuffalo and produced by Tappo Events.

    Jazz at Chandlerville
    Jazz at Chandlerville

    JazzBuffalo is the Greater Buffalo Jazz Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to building jazz awareness and jazz appreciation in the WNY area. Founded in 2011, the purpose of JazzBuffalo and the Greater Buffalo Jazz Society is to enhance the recognized value of arts to the individual and society, to use music and events to bring people together and to help build a stronger, more vibrant community.

    Based on the success of last year, the JazzBuffalo scheduled diverse music, a variety of performers, something new each week, and showcasing some of the best talents in WNY who incorporate jazz into their performances for the fourth season.

    Jazz at Chandlerville

    Performers this year included Maria Sebastian, Alex McArthur Quintet, Original River Dogs, My Cousin Toné, Mary Ramsey and Friends, Hanna PK, Trigger & the Serman, GirlCrush+, Tim Clarke Soul-tet, Elliot Scozzaro Quintet, Kevin Hall Quartet, and the Banjo Juice Jazz Band.

    All performances will be supported by an upgraded stage and full sound production by Tappo Event to maintain the JazzBuffalo quality. The lineup is listed as followed.

    Jazz at Chandlerville Lineup

    7/7 – My Cousin Toné
    7/14 – Maria Sebastian American Songbook
    7/21 – Trigger & The Sermon
    7/28 – GirlCrush+
    8/4 – Mary Ramsey and Friends
    8/11 – Elliot Scozzaro
    8/18 – Dave Hill Group
    8/25 – Banjo Juice Band
    9/1 – Hanna PK
    9/8 – Kevin Hall Quartet

  • Fox Fest 2022 Will Kick Off August 6th

    Fox Fest has announced its 2022 lineup which will kick off August 6th. Fox Fest is a great opportunity to enjoy the summer by relaxing, listening to great music, eating great food, and socializing.

    A non-profit outdoor music event located at the home of George and Dodi Ryan, in Syracuse, Fox Fest will host music performed by 8-10 local bands, an attractive venue and food sold by Limp Lizard and the Spud Shack.

    Fox Fest

    Supporting different charities for 14 years, Fox Fest is benefiting the KEYS program this year. The KEYS Program a nonprofit organization that has been delivering smiles since 1993 by providing award-winning music therapy outreach, family respite days and sibling support programs to kids battling cancer and those in need of healing.

    Fox Fest is funded by the generous donations of local sponsors and attendees. A $30 donation upon entry is the cost for the day, and patrons can donate prior to July 10th and receive a free shirt. Pre-sale forms are located at Tanner Valley Golf Course, Limp Lizard in Western Lights and Franks Moondance.

    Along with the music event, there is also free camping on site. Sites are first come, first serve. There is plenty of room for everyone to RV, Pop-Up, tent, or pass out under the stars.

    Pets are not allowed for both the safety of crowds and pets. No alcohol is provided but patrons are allowed to bring their own beverage. More information could be found at foxfestsyracuse.com

    Fox Fest Lineup

    12-1pm Steve Cali Band
    1:15-2pm The Shylocks
    2:15-3:15pm Chirs Taylor Band
    3:30-4:30pm F5
    4:45-5:45pm Jon Rogalia & The Swamp Boys
    6-6:45pm Dirt Road Ruckus
    7-7:45pm Molly D’agostino
    8-9:30pm Under the Paige
    10-11:30pm Tantric

    https://youtu.be/CZdb9OgUFA4