NYS Music 202​2

Category: Media

  • This Week’s EQXposure Features Kirsty Rock, Seize Atlantis, E.R.I.E. and more!

    Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night for EQXposure and to hear new music from, Kirsty Rock, Seize Atlantis, E.R.I.E., and a world premiere from Joe Mansmen and the Midnight Revival, and many more!

    kristy rock eqxposure

    WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.

    E.R.I.E. – “Can’t Stop Runnin’”

    E.R.I.E. came on to the Albany, NY scene in 2020, the week a global pandemic began to rear its ugly head. What began as a passion project developed while singer/songwriter TJ Foster was unexpectedly laid up in a hospital bed for three days, has turned into a fully-formed quartet, winning over audiences with their catchy songs and energetic live performances.

    Seize Atlantis – “Atlas Shrugged”

    Formed in 2019, NYS Music March Madness 2022 Final Four artist Seize Atlantis is an Alternative Rock Band located in Upstate NY that plays a variety of genres, including originals and covers. The band includes James Mullen – Lead Vocals/Guitar, Mike Dardas – Bass/Vocals, Luc Bourgault – Lead Guitar, and Cody Platt – Drums.

    Kirsty Rock – “Green Is”

    Most notably know for her soaring vocals with internationally renowned reggae super group, Easy Star All-Stars, Kirsty Rock comes with her own distinctive, soulful & earthy reggae sound. Inspired by a deep love of Vermont, Rock brings us on a sonic and visual journey. Rock can also be heard on Dub Side of the Moon, Radiodread, Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Dub Band, First Light & Thrillah.  

  • NYU Student Sadie Jean Sells Out Mercury Lounge

    Sadie Jean sold out the iconic Mercury Lounge in Manhattan, a venue that has historically hosted many up and coming artists, this past week on Saturday, May 7th, supported by artists Simone and David Alexander.

    Sadie Jean is a 19-year-old rising singer-songwriter based in New York who recently found fame last year through the popular social media app TikTok, with her original song, “WYD Now?” The audio now has over 130K videos associated with it and has remixes, duets, and everything in between.

    By halfway through the opening acts’ sets, the house was already packed with not much room between each other. Sadie performed her own original songs, as well as covers, but through it all, had her fans singing along with her. She often paused between each song to say the same line, “this is crazy you guys!” as her face revealed the same sweet happiness over her sold out NYC show. Sadie’s songs followed the same “coming-of-age” themes as her hit “WYD Now?” has, with the same infectious pop melodies.

    Photo by Ambika Verma

    Sadie Jean is certainly one to watch in the coming years, already gaining the attention of many influential artists, like Charlie Puth, and fans through her TikTok, which now has over 500K followers and over 13 million likes. Sadie recently played a show in L.A., and while there are no current shows coming up, she does have a few festivals lined up she is slated to play in.

    Photo by Ambika Verma
    Photo by Ambika Verma
    Photo by Ambika Verma
    Photo by Ambika Verma
    Photo by Ambika Verma

  • Trey Anastasio Band Blesses New Boston Venue Roadrunner With a Scorching 2 Night Run

    Trey Anastasio Band played one of the newest music venues in Boston, Roadrunner, over May 7 & 8, playing a variety of TAB originals & Phish classics. The first night Trey played an acoustic encore featuring “Theme From The Bottom,” “More,” “Chalkdust Torture,” & “Harry Hood.” Highlights of the second set included dueling leads of James Casey & Trey, “Moma Dance,” “Camel Walk,” “Night Speaks to a Woman,” “Gotta Jibboo,” “First Tube,” and “Blaze On.”

    roadrunner boston

    Trey Anastasio Band is playing as good as ever and clearly having a lot of fun doing it. Mixing a good amount of Phish fan favorites, TAB classics, new Trey songs, and some acoustic songs the show is proven to be as diverse as it is entertaining. Setlists via Phish.net.

    Trey Anastasio Band – Roadrunner, Boston, MA – Saturday, May 7, 2022

    Set 1: Alive Again, Set Your Soul Free, Love Is What We Are, Magilla, Ocelot, Olivia, Camel Walk, Drifting, The Moma Dance, Night Speaks to a Woman

    Set 2: Speak to Me, Everything’s Right, Gotta Jibboo, Hey Stranger [1], Liquid Time > Ghost > Mozambique, Ether Sunday, Rise/Come Together > Sand

    Encore: Theme From the Bottom [2], More[2], Chalk Dust Torture[2] -> Harry Hood [3] > Chalk Dust Torture[2], Push On ‘Til the Day

    [1] Debut.
    [2] Trey solo acoustic.
    [3] Trey solo acoustic; started mid song and unfinished.
    Cyro teased Watermelon Man before Gotta Jibboo.

    roadrunner boston

    Trey Anastasio Band – Roadrunner, Boston, MA – Sunday, May 8, 202

    Set 1: Blaze On, Mercy, Undermind, Curlew’s Call, Tube, The Silver Light, Money, Love and Change

    Set 2: No Men In No Man’s Land, Cayman Review, Simple Twist Up Dave, I Never Needed You Like This Before, Spin, 46 Days, Roll Like a River [1], Valentine, A Life Beyond The Dream

    Encore: Heavy Things, Shine, First Tube

    [1] Debut.

  • Blues Brothers Celebrate 40th Anniversary at The Paramount

    The Blues Brothers were founded in 1978 by comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on Saturday Night Live. Belushi and Aykroyd fronted the band, in character, as lead vocalist Jake Blues, and harmonica player/vocalist Elwood Blues. The band was composed of well known musicians, and debuted as the musical guest on SNL on April 22, 1978.

    That evening, Jake and Elwood opened the show performing “Hey Bartender” and later performed the Sam & Dave classic “Soul Man.” Later that year, they released their debut album, Briefcase Full of Blues, and opened for The Grateful Dead at the closing of the Winterland Arena in San Francisco. Their fame reached even further heights in 1980 when they released their own comedy film The Blues Brothers.

    blues brothers

    On March 5, 1982, Belushi died of an accidental overdose. After his death, updated versions of the Blues Brothers have performed on SNL and for charitable and political causes.

    On May 4, 2022, Aykroyd, accompanied by Jim Belushi as Brother Zee Blues, played The Paramount in Huntington. They were backed by Belushi’s Sacred Hearts Band that still features some of the original members. There was no story line, but rather a full blown, highly energetic concert. Several audience members were dress head-to-toe in full Blues Brothers attire including the black suit, black shoes, white shirt, sunglasses and fedora.

    blues brothers

    When the duo took the stage, the crowd absolutely erupted. They started the show with a rip roaring version of Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Shotgun Blues” followed by Robert Johnson’s “Sweet Home Chicago.” Other songs included Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle” and Floyd Dixon’s “Hey Bartender.” During Muddy Waters “I’m Ready”, Belushi ventured into the crowd high fiving audience members as well as dancing with some of the female members of the audience.

    The main set closed with their signature song, Sam & Dave’s “Soul Man.” The Brothers traded off on the lead vocals and the band really brought the house down. After a very brief break, they all returned to the stage for a two song encore, “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love” and “Money (That’s What I Want).” Belushi encouraged any of the women in the crowd that wanted to come up on stage and dance to do so, and many obliged. When it was over, the duo walked slowly off the stage waving to the crowd as the audience erupted once again.

    Setlist: Soul Finger (The Bar-Kays cover) Shotgun Blues (Sonny Boy Williamson cover) Sweet Home Chicago (Robert Johnson cover) Hard to Handle (Otis Redding cover) I’m Ready (Muddy Waters cover) Three Hundred Pounds of Joy (Howlin’ Wolf cover) Flip Flop and Fly (Big Joe Turner cover) 36-22-36 (Bobby Blue Band cover) Hey Bartender (Floyd Dixon cover) Rubber Biscuit (The Chips cover) Dig Myself a Hole (Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup cover) Land of 1000 Dances (Chris Kenner cover) Grits Ain’t Groceries (Little Milton cover) I Got Everything I Need (Downchild Blues Band cover) Altar of Love (Imperial Crown cover) Polk Salad Annie (Tony Joe White cover) Driving Wheel (Roosevelt Sykes cover) You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Women (Carole King cover) Just A fool, She Caught the Katyand Left Me a Mule to Ride (Taj Mahal cover) Soul Man (Sam & Dave cover) Chicken Shack (Jimmy Smith cover)

    Encore: Everybody Needs Somebody to Love( Solomon Burke cover) Money(That’s What I Want) (Barrett Strong cover) Skybox Outro

    blues brothers

  • In Focus: Eli Young Band at Sharkeys Bar + Grill

    Eli Young Band kicked up some dust bringing their Love Talking Tour to Sharkey’s in Syracuse. The multi-platinum country four man band sang their number one hits from the past two decades and fans also got to enjoy their brand new single, “Break Up In a Bar.” In addition the song will be featured on the bands sixth upcoming studio album, Love Talking, set to release on June 3, 2022.

    Eli Young Band at Sharkey’s Bar + Grill in Liverpool. Photo by Allison Marie.

    The Denton, Texas band was formed while members attended college together and is composed by Mike Eli (lead singer, guitar), Jon Jones (bass guitar), James Young (guitar) and Chris Thompson (drummer).

    Lead singer Mike Eli. Photo by Allison Marie.

    Whether you’re a crazy girl or you got a little drunk that night, the Eli Young Band always delivers all the love songs. Energy radiated from the stage and was felt by the crowd as they sang and danced the night away. One of the most notable performances of the evening was their cover of “Come Together” by the Beatles. After two hours of relentless hits the band closed the show out with a personal favorite of mine, Guinevere.

    You can learn more about the Eli Young Band on their website.

    Eli Young Band. Photo by Allison Marie.

    Setlist: Drunk Last Night, Break Up In a Bar, Where Were You, Always The Love Songs, Love Talking, Skeletons, Skin & Bones, When It Rains, Medley, Lucky For Me, Dust, Even If It Breaks Your Heart, Come Together (the Beatles), Saltwater Gospel, Love Ain’t, Crazy Girl, Guinevere.

    Love Talking Tour 2022 Tour Dates

    May 13 – Fayetteville, AK – Georgies Majestic Lounge
    May 14 – Meridian, MS – Meridian City Hall
    May 19 – Denton, TX – The Dive
    May 20 – Helotes, TX – John Floore Country Store
    May 21 – Amarillo, TX – Starlight Ranch
    May 27 – Caney, KS – Fourth & Live
    May 28 – Austin, TX – Lonestar Jam
    June 2 – Dewey Beach, DE – Bottle & Cork
    June 3 – Washington, D.C. – The Bullpen
    June 4 – Angola, IN – Eclectic Room
    June 9 – Fort Collins, CO – Aggie Theatre
    June 10 – Kamas, UT – Dejoria Center
    June 11 – Burley, ID – King Fine Arts Center
    June 17 – New Braunfels, TX – Whitewater Amp
    June 18 – El Campo, TX – Greek Bros
    June 22 – Aspen, CO – Belly Up
    June 25 – Sante Fe, NM – Hilton Buffalo Thunder

  • Breakout Star ASTN Shines At His First NY Headline Show

    R&B singer and producer, ASTN performed his first NY headline show at Baby’s All Right on Thursday, May 5th. 

    If you’ve ever opened up Tiktok, you’ve probably heard ASTN’s buttery voice. The 23-year-old’s cover of Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever” exploded on the platform in 2021. With over 100 million views, users enjoy his soothing voice in a wide variety of videos.

    Though the artist only signed to Warner Records in January of this year, his stage presence reflects that of an artist with years of experience under their belt.

    Performing to a giddy crowd on a warm Thursday night in Brooklyn, ASTN opened up his act with “Butterflies.” After a brief technical difficulty where the sound cut out during the intro, he excitedly ran onto the stage seemingly unphased.

    As the show progressed, ASTN became even more confident on stage. The musician artfully mixed together slower tempo songs such as “You’re Almost There” with upbeat numbers like “LA DON’T LOOK GOOD ON U” and began playfully interacting with the crowd.

    The artist’s exuberant audience came prepared with a variety of gifts. The artist received a necklace, flowers (artfully passed to him during the opening line of his song “Flowers”), and a painting.

    A highlight of the night was ASTN’s cover of Frank Ocean’s “Self Control”. With the opening chords filling the room, the artist cheekily introduced the song as a cover the audience may know. The crowd instantly began crooning along and joined him in a sing-along of the well-loved outro of the song.

    ASTN’s path towards superstardom seems inevitable. Though he is just starting his career, his confidence, charm, and devoted audience create the perfect formula for success.

    Stream his latest EP You’re Almost There here and check out our photo recap of the Baby’s All Right show below.

    ASTN performing at Babys All Right
    ASTN - Babys All Right
    ASTN taking a audience members phone and recording a video during the performance
    ASTN and hand tattoo reading "It's not that serious"
    ASTN with a monarch butterfly overlay

  • Arcade Fire Join the Five-Timers Club on SNL

    Arcade Fire returned to Saturday Night Live for the fifth time, and first since 2018, alongside host and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness star Benedict Cumberbatch.

    arcade fire SNL

    With their fifth performance, Arcade Fire joins a Five-Timers Club of their own, alongside Miley Cyrus, James Taylor, Kanye West, Rihanna, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. (Arcade Fire had also served as backing band for Mick Jagger’s performance on SNL in 2012)

    Following their memorable 2013 appearance, Arcade Fire aired a 30-minute concert special directed by Roman Coppola, and featuring cameos from Bono, Ben Stiller, James Franco, Michael Cera, Zach Galifianakis, and more. During the special, the band performed new songs “Here Comes the Night Time,” “Normal Person” and “We Exist.” Watch the unique performance below.

    The band released their latest album WE on Friday, May 6, as well as announcing a world tour that finds them back in the Big Apple in November.

    For tonight’s Saturday Night Live, the show stayed in step with the week’s news as the cold open mocked the root centuries-old argument Justice Alito references in his leaked Dobbs v. Jackson draft. This is SNL at its best, mocking the establishment and bringing to light the modern morality of social issues.

    Cumberbatch celebrated mothers in his monologue, including his mom as well as his wife, but no overt Dr. Strange references were found tonight. Although, Cumberbatch was joined later in the show with a surprise appearance by Multiverse of Madness co-star Elizabeth Olson in “The Understudy.“

    Noting two of his favorite words are “Arcade Fire”, Cumberbatch introduced the musical guest, who dove into “Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)” off WE. With wacky waving inflatable tube men in front of the stage, Win Butler and Régine Chassagne led the band through the enchanting number, ending with Butler saying “I Love you Mom.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ownPVvCY5Us

    On Weekend Update, Kate McKinnon made an appearance as Justice Amy Coney Barrett to discuss the apparent intention to overturn Roe v. Wade (against public opinion) citing laws from the 1600s.

    Arcade Fire’s second songs, “The Lightning I,” and its album counterpart “The Lightning II,” were accommpanied by a purple backdrop projecting shadows of the 9-piece band. The uptempo “The Lightning II” raised the vibe on a dime, building a froth while pouring everything into “A day a week a month a year, every second brings me here,” cresting with repitition, and closing with “Waiting on the lightning, waiting on the light, what will the light bring?”

    In keeping with the Mother’s Day episode theme, Butler had “Call Your Mom” written onto his guitar during these songs, saying at the end ““A woman’s right to choose forever and ever and ever. Amen.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEHTTp20gz0

    To close the show, Cumberbatch and a half dozen cast members wore shirts bearing 1973, a nod to the year of Roe v. Wade. Arcade Fire then took the SNL stage for a third and final song, “End of the Empire I-IV,” as the credits rolled.

    Saturday Night Live returns on May 14 with host Selena Gomez and musical guest Post Malone.

  • This Week’s EQXposure Features Karl Bertrand, Mike del Vecchio, Black Tongue Reverend and more

    Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear new music from, Karl Bertrand, Mike del Vecchio, Black Tongue Reverend and many more!

    Karl Bertrand

    WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.

    Karl Bertand – “Natalia”

    Karl Bertrand is a songwriter, guitarist, and producer living in Glens Falls, NY. He’s performed on festival stages as a member of rock band Let’s Be Leonard, and has released a handful of records that are accessible on all streaming platforms. Karl is continuously recording and releasing new material and performing his original songs around the Upstate New York area. 

    Black Tongue Reverend – “Northern Burden”

    Black Tongue Reverend is a heavy psych blues rock band from Northern New York featuring Eric Tulip (bass & vocals), Mike Errichetto (guitar) and Geoff Gorman (drums). Their debut album is Northern Burden.

    Mike del Vecchio – “Meet (esophagus)”

    From his April 2022 release My Bionic Life, with all music and lyrics written, performed, recorded by Mike Del Vecchio, comes “Meet (esophagus)”.

  • Lil Nas X To Perform Back-to-Back Nights At Radio City Music Hall

    Lil Nas X, two-time GRAMMY winner, will be touring his debut self-titled album MONTERO, this year. The acclaimed artist will be performing two back-to-back nights at Radio City Music Hall, on September 20th and 21st.

    Lil Nas X
    (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

    The 23-year-old rapper from Atlanta quickly rose to popularity in 2019, after the release and successful marketing campaign of his country-rap song “Old Town Road.” Critics were quick to judge the song, however, arguing that the song was not country enough to deserve its #16 spot on Billboards Hot Country Songs Chart, and it was quickly moved to the Hot Rap Songs Chart the following week. This controversy shot Lil Nas X to notoriety and the song eventually shot to number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

    This quick fame would even land him a featured remix of the song with country-pop star Billy Ray Cyrus, which would become the longest-running #1 single in Billboard Hot 100 history after 19 weeks atop the chart.

    Lil Nas X Long Live Montero North American Tour Dates:

    Tue Sep 06 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore

    Sat Sep 10 – Chicago, IL – Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom

    Thu Sep 15 – Toronto, ON – HISTORY

    Sun Sep 18 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway

    Tue Sep 20 – New York, NY – Radio City Music Hall

    Wed Sep 21 – New York, NY – Radio City Music Hall

    Thu Sep 22 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met

    Sun Sep 25 – Washington, DC – The Anthem

    Tue Sep 27 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy

    Sat Oct 01 – Nashville, TN – Nashville Municipal Auditorium

    Mon Oct 03 – Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live

    Tue Oct 04 – Miami, FL – James L Knight Center

    Tue Oct 18 – Los Angeles, CA – YouTube Theater 

    Fri Oct 21 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Federal Theatre

    Sun Oct 23 – San Francisco, CA – Bill Graham Civic Auditorium

    Tickets for the Long Live Montero Tour are available at https://www.longlivemontero.com/.

  • Consider the Source Ends Spring Tour with Surprise

    On Friday, April 29th, Consider the Source brought their eclectic instruments and extreme talents to Lark Hall in Albany during the last leg of their “Acoustic-Electric Hybrid” tour to celebrate the release of their album Hybrid Vol. 1: Such As A Mule. Lark Hall was the perfect space to enjoy a slightly toned-down version of this hard-rocking band. To kick off what was one of the most musically interesting night’s of my life was delightful duo Cosmal.

    Cosmal

    Ryan Coyle and Alison Lazarus are two delightfully well-rounded and multi-talented individuals and they created an amazing group called Cosmal. While Ryan creates incredible electronica jams with his midi-controller, chaos pad, and guitar, Alison live-paints and sings. This band is made of two truly unique individuals with an incredible idea — you should check them out as soon as you get the chance.

    Consider the Source

    Consider the Source is easily one of the most unique bands I have ever had the pleasure to listen to. They call their sound “Sci-fi Middle Eastern Prog Fusion” and if you think that sounds interesting you should hear what they actually sound like. If you’re looking for something different from the usual stuff, this is your band.

    Hybrid Vol. 1: Such As A Mule

    John Ferrara (bass), Jeff Mann (percussion), and Gabriel Marin (guitar, etc) have truly created a unique, eclectic, and delightful sound. Friday night’s show was a rare treat — fans of the band had never seen them play in such an environment before. They played their new album in its entirety and threw a couple of older songs in there too. They used instruments many of us had never seen or heard before as well including a Banjo Bass, Dombra, Uzbek/Tajik Dutar, Doumbek, a Ukulele Bass, and many more. The set was certainly a departure from what we were used to, but it was killer nonetheless.

    The Interview: A Surprise Announcement

    I sat down with Ferrara, Mann, and Marin before their set. They told me that they had finished recording Hybrid Vol. 1: Such As A Mule right before the pandemic hit. They used the lockdown to finish mastering the album. However, and here is the big surprise: they also spent that time recording a second album — keep your eyes on their social media to find out when you can check it out. And from what I am told, it will be their hardest-hitting album yet.

    Tour inspiration

    Consider the Source has such a ground-breaking sound, they could just call it a day and continue to tour for as long as they can handle it. However, they continually want to change it up for their fans. And that was the whole idea behind their most recent album as well as the tour they just completed to celebrate the release. The venues they visited for this tour were the type where you sit down, which is a huge departure from the dancehalls they usually frequent. In short, they wanted to change things up for their fans, and wow — they delivered.

    Future Plans

    If you weren’t able to catch them on their “Acoustic-Electric Hybrid” tour, don’t fret. Consider the Source has several tour dates coming in the following months in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Check out the gallery below.