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
Peter Hook & The Light embark on a cross-continental journey that takes them across the United States and Canada in August and September 2022 for their biggest and most extensive trek to date, “Joy Division: A Celebration.” The North American tour launches August 11th in Toronto.
Since announcing the tour last summer both Chicago shows at Metro are sold-out and joining as special guests will be El Ten Eleven in Chicago (both shows), Boston, Silver Springs, MD, Philadelphia, New York, San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
“So yeah, from that point of view, it’s actually nice to bring the two albums together [live]: you can see the contrast quite vividly when we play them. I do get some very almost teary moments. It has been quite interesting because Closer really does have a big effect on people, from an emotional point of view. Unknown Pleasures is very aggressive, it’s very punky, so live, it really rocks. Whereas Closer is almost the exact opposite: it’s very melancholic. It draws you in, and I must admit not only does it get a very emotional response from us while playing it, but you get an emotional response from the audience.”
Around twenty-six dates overall, the tour takes place across five weeks. The band returns to some venues and debuts at others to perform Joy Division’s seminal two albums Unknown Pleasures and Closer in full.
The Light Live At 02 Academy Leeds July 1, 2022 | Cr: Neil Chapman / Unholy Racket
Additionally, the tour will feature Joy Division rarities and an opening set of New Order material. The tour follows the debut UK dates for “Joy Division: A Celebration” which commemorates the 40th anniversary of Joy Division and Ian Curtis’ continuing influence.
“’Love Will Tear Us Apart’ is a masterpiece that has stood the test of decades, and is the perfect ending to a superb event…”
– Yorkshire Post
Returning for his ninth tour of the States with Peter Hook & The Light, Hooky comments: “Definitely one of the highlights/lowlights of my profession is the travelling. It was amazing what a blessing it was not to have to do it over lockdown but amazing again how soon you missed seeing all these wonderful places the world has to offer. You lot in America are so lucky to have such a varied and wonderful country. I can’t wait to get back there, and my mouth is watering at the thought of going to my first ‘Coffee Shop’ breakfast. I am easily pleased.”
The Light Live At O2 Academy Brixton July 10, 2022 | Cr: Richard Gray
The first few dates were originally scheduled for May 2020, but due to the pandemic have only just taken place in the UK and across France to great reviews and reactions from fans and critics alike to The Light’s dedication to and passion for the catalogue across what is a near three-hour show.
About the reaction on returning to live concerts, Hooky added; “The gigs so far have all been wonderful and the fans and the band have been wonderful too! It does nothing for my imposter syndrome; I am very grateful that we have all risen back to this after what we have been through these past few years. Thank you all. We have a lot to be thankful for. Ian Curtis R.I.P.”
Because of the Ian Curtis death, Joy Division had to cancel their US Tour. Thus, also resulting in the death of Joy Division itself. But, later on as a new trio, create with Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, and Stephen Morris played as New Order and stopped through New York in 1981.
Peter Hook & The Light’s ‘Joy Division: A Celebration’ Tour Dates:
August 11 – The Danforth Music Hall – Toronto, ONT
August 12 – The Danforth Music Hall – Toronto, ONT
August 13 – Club Soda – Montreal, QC
August 15 – Royal Oak Music Theatre – Royal Oak, MI
August 16 – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA
August 18 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN
August 19 – Metro – Chicago *SOLD OUT
August 20 – Metro – Chicago *SOLD OUT
August 22 – The Pabst Theatre – Milwaukee, WI
August 23 – Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA
August 25 – The Fillmore Silver Spring – Silver Spring, MD
August 26 – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA
August 27 – Terminal 5 – New York, NY
August 29 – The Van Buren – Phoenix, AZ
August 30 – Mohawk – Austin, TX
August 31 – Mohawk – Austin, TX
September 2 – House Of Blues Houston – Houston, TX
September 3 – House Of Blues Dallas – Dallas, TX
September 5 – Ogden Theatre – Denver, CO
September 6 – Humphreys Concerts by the Bay – San Diego, CA
September 8 – The Theatre At Ace Hotel – Los Angeles, CA
September 9 – The Theatre At Ace Hotel – Los Angeles, CA
September 10 – The Warfield – San Francisco, CA
September 12 – Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR
September 13 – The Showbox – Seattle, WA
September 14 – Commodore Ballroom – Vancouver, BC
For more details and to purchase tickets, click the link here.
Brooklyn-based bedroom pop artist, PRONOUN, has released a new song called “roe vs gofvckurself,” detailing the utter frustration and hopelessness many are feeling with the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, which protects the right to get an abortion, among other things.
Alyse Vellturo, aka PRONOUN.
PRONOUN is the lovechild of Alyse Vellturo, and she is an American singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist making indie-synth music. Billboard named her as one of their breakout indie artists for 2019, and she is also the founder of Sleep Well Records.
The song is very slow, and gradually picks up speed with guitars and electrifying bass lines. Vellturo encapsulates the dire feelings as she sings, “I was outside having a cigarette/When I first heard the news/Really hard for me to quit smoking/When it feels like i have nothing to lose.” It is short but sweet, as the only emotions that come to mind are anger and shock when hearing the news.
The end of the song is the most emotional as she sings “And it’s the way you make us feel like nothing at all/Five years later/Burn it all/Burn it down.” Having the essential right to an abortion being taken away from you is scary, especially for women in states that aren’t allowing them and for low income people.
Overall, PRONOUN encapsulates the emotional and dire feelings surrounding the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, and how we all must fight and protest more than we have before to try and get the decision overturned.
Back for its eleventh year, the annual Rochester Fringe Festival returns with more than 500 performances and events from September 13 to 24, 2022. The multi-genre, 12-day festival spans over 30 venues and offers music, comedy, dance, kids’ fringe, spoken word, film, and more scattered around the heart of Rochester.
This year’s Rochester Fringe Festival boasts some incredible acts to bring all your entertainment needs. On Friday and Saturday, Sept. 16 and 17, acrobats The Flying Españas will perform daring stunts set to live music from NYC band Mountain Girl. Also during that weekend, all the way from France, artist Juhyung Lee will premiere an immersive art collective experience.
Other headliners include the vertical performers BANDALOOP on Sept. 23 and 24, who will use technology to dance along the side of the 21-story Five Star Plaza building as crowds can watch from Martin Luther King, Jr. Park. Fringe Street Beat will also be making an appearance on Sept. 24 at this year’s festival, with an all-styles of dance and break dancing competition. Additional headliners will be announced in the coming weeks.
Photo credit: Erich Camping for Spiegeltent and BANDALOOP; provided photo for Cirque
A new variety show called “Cirque du Fringe: Afterglow” will also premiere for 13 shows with an all-new cast. Matt Morgan and Heidi Brucker Morgan will star in their first return to Fringe since 2019 with an energetic and captivating performance.
Additionally, the annual hugely popular Silent Disco returns to the Spiegeltent for four late weekend nights. The festival introduced the disco back in 2013, and ever since it has been in high demand.
More Fringe favorite events return this year, including Kids Day, Gospel Sunday, Pedestrian Drive-In, and more. The Spiegelgarden will also host the Theatre Bar, food trucks, games, and more entertainment options.
Photo credit: Erich Camping for Spiegeltent and BANDALOOP; provided photo for Cirque
After debuting in 2012, the Fringe festival has grown to become the largest multi-disciplinary festival in NY, and strives to offer a space for artists to showcase talents and for audiences to enjoy them.
Over 125 of the 500+ shows are free, and tickets for the highly-anticipated festival are on sale now. More information, tickets, and additional lists of events can be found on the festival’s website.
The tour, in support of Michael Franti & Spearhead’s latest release Follow Your Heart, will continue through the summer. The night included a short video sharing Michael Franti’s experiences at his home in Bali during the Covid years. Sharing what he encountered, discarded, and is now looking forward to in the future, offering an optimistic tone for evening.
Hip-hop pioneers Arrested Development opened the show. The band offered up a nonstop dance set including songs from the 2021 album For the Fkn Love. Formed as an alternative to gangsta rap, Arrested Development put positivity in the spotlight. They capped their set by reaching back to their beginnings with the iconic “Tennessee.”
Arrested Development
With “Stay Human” emblazoned on his guitar strap and “Don’t Give Up” on his t-shirt, Michael Franti backed by Spearhead took to the stage. Over the course of two- and one-half hours the night resembled a preacher with his flock, engaging everyone in a heartfelt love fest.
On multiple occasions, Franti stepped down from the stage, singing his way through the crowd to one of the two mini stages located in the house. Once there, Michael stood tall and spread his arms wide open, inviting people up to harmonize along with him.
Michael Franti
Spearhead’s four members, including Franti’s longtime collaborator Carl Young on bass, generated a powerful musical backdrop. Throughout the night, the band moved from electric to acoustic and back without missing a beat.
As the night concluded and after taking their bows, Michael and members of the band headed into the crowd to taking selfies and sign autographs. If there was ever a way to say thank you to an audience, this was it.
On July 6, New York-based pop artist Karine Hannah released a new music video for her cover track, “Hysteria.” The music video is powerfully simple, relying on Hannah’s compelling vocals and the song’s captivating lyrics rather than overly complex visuals.
Hannah’s music video and cover of “Hysteria” gives new life to Def Leppard’s title track from their 1987 album. With bass, a higher-pitched piano riff, and reverberative piano chords, the end result of Hannah’s cover is ethereal. She revives the original song with wonderful vocals over top unique instrumentation and released the track earlier this summer.
Hannah has been in the pop-music genre for years, catching her big break when her performance on a Canadian television show caught the attention of the international star Celine Dion. Hannah would later go on to perform at Dion’s wedding. Most recently, Karine Hannah has made a name for herself reimagining classic songs, covering beloved tracks in her own style.
With vocal influences including Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, Jennifer Holiday, and European artists she heard as a child, Hannah molded her inspirations into a sound that is entirely her own. It shows with this latest musical release and video.
After signing a new management deal with Heart Songs Music Group in 2022, Hannah is currently working on the relaunch of her successful Barbara Streisand tribute tour. Take a listen to Karine Hannah’s reimagined version of “Hysteria” and the accompanying music video below.
Runaway New York presents “Nights,” a micro festival for the youth, by the youth, taking place on Saturday, July 16th. With its current outreach mission, Runaway New York aims to share its platform with other budding creatives. You won’t want to miss what this event has in store.
Runaway New York is a fashion and lifestyle brand founded in New York City in 2018 by Jagger Walk, the brand’s CEO, and Creative Director. From creating apparel, fragrances, and jewelry, the brand prioritizes quality and values giving back to its beloved city. The band has even collaborated with Pharell Williams’ Billionaire Boys Club. Overall, to Runaway New York, the sky is the limit.
After their first Nights event in London, the brand wanted to bring the concept back to New York where it originally came from. The show is headlined by Laundry Day and a special guest, who will be announced leading up to the event.
Industry City is the perfect place to debut Nights in New York City for many reasons. From its location to the amenities, and general atmosphere, we felt this would be the most fitting setting for the event
Jack Berk, one of the event’s organizers
Partnering with artist Tyler Miller and his manager Jack Berk; the three have come together to bring Brooklyn a “micro” festival made by the youth for the youth. Tyler Miller, Carlo Redl, and Chad Nelson will open the show which will be accompanied by exclusive Runaway New York merchandise.
The show will take place at Industry City Courtyard 1/2 and tickets will be sold to the public for all ages. Food and drink will be available for purchase as well. The doors open at 6:00 PM and the show is expected to go on until 11:00 PM.
For more information and to purchase tickets, click the link here.
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 The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, Eastern Highs, Gracies Paris and many more.
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.
The Eastern Highs – “Redwood Trees” & “One More Star”
The Troy NY quartet The Eastern Highs produces a captivating soundscape which combines classic & modern sounds reminiscent of The Band, Wilco, Pink Floyd and Radiohead. Two songs will be featured this week on EQXposure, “Redwood Trees” & “One More Star.”
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch – “waiting”
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch features Jordan Demarest on drums, Dan Haggerty on bass, and Will Kachidurian on guitar and vocals, who call Albany home. Their newest song “waiting” will premiere on EQXposure, for now listen to Game of the Year Edition below.
Gracies Paris – “Baby Now”
On original power pop rock band from Albany, Gracies Paris is a hook-oriented group formed in 2007 featuring Carl Ferritto (vocal and guitar), Eric Buechner (drums), and Randy Rose (bass). Together, Gracie’s Paris will keep you yearning for more, as each new song pushes them in a different direction.
Only a couple of weeks after releasing their first new song in over a decade, The Mars Volta have given fans a second taste of their forthcoming album with “Graveyard Love”. Check out the new song over on the band’s BandCamp page and watch the accompanying short film below.
“Graveyard Love” short film, by The Mars Volta
Earlier this week, the band unveiled a digital version of L’YTOME HODORXÍ TELESTERION, the immersive cube that first appeared in Los Angeles ahead of the release of lead single “Blacklight Shine”. Aside from experiencing the cube in AR form, fans were guided on a digital scavenger hunt, finding pieces of the “Graveyard Love” cover art.
The song shows The Mars Volta continuing their evolution while providing fans with a diverse look into their new sound. Lead single “Blacklight Shine” fully embraced a Latin-pop fusion with driving bongo percussions and choppy salsa-laced guitars all backed by vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s Spanish storytelling. “Graveyard Love” slows it down a touch with eery synths and bass tones shimmering behind a mysterious ballad before the beat picks up and Cedric’s “I don’t want to remember…” mantra battles a swirling retro synth. While describing the story behind the song, Cedric says “They will seek your ruin, and burn your lands, because if they can’t have you, no one can.”
“Graveyard Love” Cover Art
Just like the short film for “Blacklight Shine”, this new film also takes place in Puerto Rico. The video highlights small elements of life and culture on the island, with a focus on the people. A couple minutes into the film, the song plays before fading out and allowing the video to continue to show life on the island. In the description, there is a historical timeline of many of the natural and man-made events that hindered Puerto Rico’s advances toward independence with the final entry reading “2022 STILL A COLONY.” Coupled with this film, the mysterious lyrics of the song try to paint a picture of Puerto Rican life rich in culture, yet dark and oppressed in history.
The Mars Volta have always been a mysteriously complex band with their musical compositions, vocal story-telling, and imagery. Each of their six previous albums are prog-rock odysseys with deeply emotional stories and extremely dense and layered instrumentals. Hailed as a masterpiece by devoted fans and music critics, their 2003 debut album De-Loused In The Comatorium reshaped what progressive, post-hardcore, and art-rock could be in the new millennium.
Omar and Cedric have fronted several bands together (At The Drive-In, The Mars Volta, and Antemasque) and Omar has more than 50 albums credited to his various solo projects. Their collective music has evolved and cycled for over 25 years as a parade of extraordinarily talented musicians joined the backing bands for all of these various projects. Not all of these projects were fully realized into albums and tours, but in the 2010s the Omar Rodríguez-López Group was reborn. Several tours with large and small bands occurred and in 2016 Rodríguez-López cleared the backlog by releasing one album a week for months.
The Mars Volta was quite consistent with their first four LPs up until Octahedron was released in 2009. Described by Omar as the band’s “acoustic album,” Octahedron is the shortest of the catalog and did see a sharp change in sound, favoring acoustic guitars and ballads while surrounding them with layered prog-rock bangers. Noctourniquet came three years later which also attempted to bring something new to the mix. With shorter and more accessible song structures, the band crafted a futuristic and psychedelic landscape backed by the loosest and most avant-garde drumming style courtesy of Deantoni Parks.
While details for the yet-to-be-named seventh album have not been announced, it is clear from the lead singles that The Mars Volta are about to release the most unique part of their discography. Currently in the music industry, we are being inundated with legacy and long-standing bands putting out new music to mixed results. What has become clear is that bands who try and reinvent their debuts often release mediocre albums that fade away quickly after release. The Mars Volta on the other hand, are trying to write music that reflects where the band is in 2022. Rather than revisiting 15-minute long, mind-numbingly complex prog-rock screamers, Omar and Cedric are embracing their Latin-pop roots and reimagining it with modern flare. While on first listen “Blacklight Shine” and “Graveyard Love” seem alien to Volta die-hards, the more you dig in the more classic Volta elements you hear under the surface. After a decade-plus hiatus The Mars Volta have returned, matured by age but as rooted as ever.
Omar Rodríguez-López (left) and Cedric Bixler-Zavala (right). Photo by Fat Bob
The band kicks off their reunion tour in late September, with their first show in 13 years happening in Dallas, Texas at The Factory in Deep Ellum. The Mars Volta will be in New York City for two sold-out shows at Terminal 5 on September 29th and 30th. Head over to the band’s website for full tour details.
Alt rock band The Wrecks made a local stop on their Better Than Ever Tour tour in Buffalo on June 29. The Rec Room was flooding with people from front of the venue to back for the sold-out show. Openers Girlhouse and Mothe got an already pumped up crowd ready for the night.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
The Wrecks are LA-based, however, vocalist and producer Nick Anderson hails from Wellsville, NY, so this show in Buffalo reunited him with friends and family that were alongside him when he first starting building this dream. Nick started this band in the middle of nowhere just making demos on his laptop. He slowly started building an audience and from there connected with others on the internet. It’s from online interactions that Nick connected with future bassist Aaron Kelley. Later he moved out to California where he recruited lead guitarist Nick Schmidt and drummer Billy Nally. A few secret sneak-in sessions into the studio after and the rest is history.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
The show in Buffalo showed nothing short of this band’s high energy reputation. The Wrecks opened the night with their hit “Out Of Style,” off of their 2020 album Infinitely Ordinary. Nick’s engagement with the crowd opened up some mosh pits followed by some much needed water breaks. The rest of the band cleared out after a few songs as the lead vocalist shared some acoustic versions. They even brought the openers back out to join in.
The Wrecks latest album release Sonder has been what their fans have been most excited about. The crowd proved this when they screamed the lyrics to “Ugly Side,” and “Normal” from the June 10 release. However, nothing compared to the rage that started when the group closed out the night with their #1 single “Favorite Liar.” With Nick running into the audience, crowd surfers from front to back, and belting fans, it made for a finisher to remember.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
Follow up with The Wrecks latest stops on their tour. Also make sure to check out upcoming shows at Rec Room. Nonpoint performs July 10 and The Acacia Strain will be there July 13.
Setlist: Out Of Style, Figure This Out, I Love This Part, Feels So Nice, Freaking Out, Dystopia, This Life I Have, Ugly Side, Normal, Panic Vertigo, Sonder, Fvck Somebody, Where Are You Now, James Dean
