Category: Genres

VOIVOD Announces North American Dates for “Synchro Anarchy Tour”

Juno Award-winning band VOIVOD announces their tour dates for this coming June, “Synchro Anarchy” Tour for North American shows. The tour will stop in NY on June 14th in Buffalo at the Rec Room, June 17th in Brooklyn at the Market Hotel, and June 18th in Liverpool at Sharkey’s.

The tour is in support of the band’s new album, “Synchro Anarchy” that hit the charts in multiple countries like #2 on Billboard Canada’s Hard Music Albums chart, #6 Current Hard Albums in the USA, #7 on the UK’s Rock & Metal chart and #7 in Germany along with others.

At last! After more than two years without touring, we are finally hitting the road in June 2022 in North America. We are thrilled to play the Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest, It will also be exciting for us to play songs from Synchro Anarchy for the first time live! We can’t wait to see our old Voïvodian friends again and meet some new ones. See you then!
-Michel “Away” Langevin (drums)

VOIVOD now has 15 studio album’s and continue with their creative freedom for nearly 40 years. During the early 80’s even as the thrash metal scene was on the rise, VOIVOD kept their distinct character as a band throughout.

Not many bands are able to survive for four decades after achieving legendary status, but VOIVOD continues the uphill climb as one of the most creative and passionate bands on the planet. VOIVOD consist of Daniel “Chewy” Mongrain (guitar), Denis “Snake” Belanger (vocals), Michel “Away” Langevin (drums), and Dominic “Rocky” Laroche (bass).

All ticket info and links can be found HERE.

VOIVOD TOUR DATES:

June 1 Trois Rivieres QC L’Entité

June 2 Ottawa ON Bronson Centre Music Theatre

June 3 Toronto ON Phoenix Concert Theatre

June 4 London ON The Music Hall

June 5 Detroit MI Small’s

June 6 Chicago IL Reggie’s

June 8 Huntington WV The Loud

June 9 Columbus OH Ace of Cups

June 10 Philadelphia PA The Fillmore Decibel Magazine Metal and Beer Festival (There will be a Voivod beer)

June 11 Baltimore MD Ottobar

June 13 Pittsburgh PA Crafthouse

June 14 Buffalo NY Rec Room

June 15 Cleveland OH Grog Shop

June 17 Brooklyn NY Market Hotel

June 18 Liverpool NY Sharkey’s

June 19 Boston MA Brighton Music Hall

August 12 Belgium Alcatraz Festival

April 6, 2022
Disco Biscuits Unleash An Array Of Inverted Jams In Return To Capitol Theatre

This past weekend, the Disco Biscuits joined the Double Digit Club at the legendary Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, performing three nights at the hallowed venue, bringing their total to eleven shows in all here. The whirlwind three nights of music featured some of the band’s most beloved songs meshed with some bustouts and first timers that all led to an incredible weekend of music at The Cap.

photo by Em Walis

The Biscuits came shooting out of the gate on Thursday night, thanks to a dusted off “Chemical Warfare Brigade,” the first one in more than six years. Another opening set highlight was a “House Dog Party Favor” that went delightfully dark and deep at times, surpassing the 20-minute mark. The set came to an end in vintage Disco Biscuits fashion with a “Story Of The World” > “Munchkin Invasion” > “Story Of The World” sequence, although “Munchkin” went unfinished and would surprisingly remain that way the entire run.

The band kept the old school hits coming with a “Hot Air Balloon” second set opener that also went unfinished, and instead morphed right into a thunderous “Shem-Rah Boo.” Emerging from “Shem,” drummer Allen Aucoin put on a drumming masterclass with the rare inverted approach to “Portal To An Empty Head.” It would be the first of many memorable song inversions this run, where a song’s ending is played immediately before its beginning.

Friday night brought with it a calendar page turn into April and all the potential for mayhem that comes along with April Fool’s Day. To that degree, a “Nughuffer” opener came as somewhat of a surprise, even admitted so by bassist Marc Brownstein in his traditional mid-song banter. But after a quick trip to Zex Sea, the Biscuits were off and running with another monster trance-fueled jam to start the show. An unfinished “Spaga” then later bled right into one of the band’s newer efforts, “Running Into The Night.”

The second set began with a mesmerizing drawn out jam that served as the runway for the intro to “Run Like Hell,” one of the band’s singature cover selections. This gave way to a parade of song inversions, starting with a very common one in “Confrontation.” A couple of inverted animals then followed suit in standout takes of “Crickets” and “Aquatic Ape” before “Basis For A Day” closed out the set in grand fashion. As an encore, the Disco Biscuits trotted out “Friend Like Steve” one more, a recently-penned birthday song for a friend of the band. Doubling down on the “FLS” songs, the band then unleashed a surprising first time ever cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Feel Like A Stranger.”

photo by Em Walis

After two nights of barn-burners, Saturday took the Biscuits legacy at the Cap to a new level. With a fan written setlist once again guiding the band, tonight’s show was a true hallmark of the weekend and raised an already elevated bar even higher.

The band came out swinging in Set 1 with “Denmark Massive,” a song not played since 2008, and originally written by The Join (Marc Brownstein, Aron Magner, and The New Deal’s Jamie Shields and Darren Shearer), as noted by Zachary Franck. The Biscuits first studio single in a decade, “Lake Shore Drive” segued cleanly from “Denmark Massive” and into an inverted “Morph Dusseldorf.” The moment the audience heard the shift into the “Morph” ending, the room lit up with energy and peaked as the band and crowd sang in unison “Morph, morph from Dusseldorf, changing all the time, and if you stay the same one day, that night will be sublime.” The moment built on that peak by segueing into the beginning of “Morph,” a none-too often occurance.

A combination of “And the Ladies Were the Rest of the Night” with a potent “Cyclone” sandwiched inside would follow, a dream setlist and nothing short of creative and challenging for the Disco Biscuits.

photo by Em Walis

“Vassillios” kicked off the second set, with neither the band nor crowd losing steam during setbreak. The eventual shift into the foreboding and evil vibe of “Orch Theme” took no prisoners and laid the groundwork for a Club Bisco vibe that reigned through the rest of the night. With the doors swung open, an inverted “Sweating Bullets,” the first ever such version, burst through for 25 minutes of peaks upon peaks that built with each successive ascent. Barber and Brownstein were found hopping around and getting down on stage, pairing well with the audience, creating a pure rock and roll moment, in the Original Rock Palace, naturally.

An equally dominant “Tempest” arrived out of “Sweating Bullets” and back into the second half of “Vassillios,” bringing the set nearly full circle. Shifting into the ending of “I Remember When,” the audience was elated in unison, singing along, a reflection on the 3 years (with two cancellations) that it has taken the Disco Biscuits to return to the Capitol Theatre stage.

Prior to the encore, Peter Shapiro, owner of the Cap, came out to reflect on hearing the Disco Biscuits for the first time in 1997 at The Wetlands, and led the crowd in singing Happy Birthday to Jon “The Barber” Gutwillig. Marc Brownstein then gave recognition to faithful longtime Tour Manager, Ryan Noel, who was spending his last run with the band this weekend, bidding him a farewell with the crowd pouring out love.

Perhaps reflecting on those sentiments, the band returned to the beginning of “I Remember When” to start the encore before shifting into Walter Murphy’s “A Fifth of Beethoven,” a final dose of disco for the night, one etched into Disco Biscuits and Capitol Theatre lore.

Disco Biscuits Capitol Theatre 2022 Setlists

Thursday, March 31

Set 1: Chemical Warfare Brigade* > Once the Fiddler Paid, House Dog Party Favor, Story of the World > Munchkin Invasion* > Story of the World
Set 2: Hot Air Balloon* > Shem-Rah Boo > Portal to an Empty Head^ > The Great Abyss > Shem-Rah Boo
Encore: Home Again
* unfinished
^ inverted

Friday, April 1

Set 1: Nughuffer > Spaga* > Running Into the Night > Aceetobee* > Rock Candy
Set 2: Run Like Hell* > Confrontation^ > Crickets^ > Aquatic Ape^ > Basis for a Day
Encore: Friend Like Steve, Feel Like a Stranger&
* unfinished
^ inverted
& debut

Saturday, April 2

Set 1: Denmark Massive* > Lake Shore Drive > Morph Dusseldorf^ > And the Ladies Were the Rest of the Night > Cyclone > And the Ladies Were the Rest of the Night

Set 2: Vassillios > Orch Theme > Sweating Bullets% > Tempest > Vassillios > I Remember When&

Encore: I Remember When&, A Fifth of Beethoven$

* last played 6/9/08 (548 shows)
^ inverted
% last played 1/31/19 (103 shows); first ever inverted version
& dyslexic
$ last played 11/3/18 (119 shows)

Photos by Em Walis

April 6, 2022
In Focus: Leif Vollebekk and La Force, Live at Levon Helm Studios

Levon Helm Studios was sold out on Saturday, April 4th, for a visit from some of Montreal’s finest: Leif Vollebekk, with opener La Force. The show also featured appearances from Cindy Cashdollar and Patrick Watson. This dynamic cast of musicians put on a special show for the Woodstock crowd that lasted late into the night. The crowd was excited for the show and were entertained throughout, and for a number of first timers at the barn, they learned how alive music can feel in the barn.

Cindy Cashdollar on lap steel

La Force consisted of Ariel Engle performing solo on Saturday night. Her set was a perfect way to open the show; the crowd was captivated by the ethereal combination of Ariel’s voice and guitar, and from the first measure she took full control of their attention. La Force created a unique atmosphere, the room was filled with a calmness that was balanced by a fragile tension in her voice. The hauntingly beautiful combination of Ariel’s voice and guitar can be heard in her live version of ‘Can’t Take’ in the clip below.

After La Force, Leif Vollebekk took the stage and from the start he was one thing: connected. Leif was connected to his music, through his body, to his instruments, and to the sounds he and his band make. During each song of his set Leif would visibly lose himself to the feeling of his music. When playing guitar on his feet, Leif would never stay in one place. He would flow to and from the microphone as he needed, bouncing in and out of different sections of the songs. Even when seated at the piano, Leif would rock back and fourth: leaning, twisting, and bending, all to play the notes exactly as he feels.

This connection to his music is no more apparent than during ‘Hot Tears.’ Close fans of Leif knew the moment this song was coming on Saturday night, as he laid his guitar down on the floor, with the headstock pointing away as he sat down at the keys. This was to leave the guitar in a convenient place for the moment in the song when he picked it up and to solo, calling and responding to himself on the keyboard. In the clip below, you can fast forward to minute 10:33 to watch Leif perform ‘Hot Tears’ for KCRW. Just after minute 14:30 is when Leif picks up his guitar and puts on a clinic in playing with feel.

Leif’s set was dynamic throughout, and his energy level flowed up and down with each song. The set’s energy trended upward as the night went on though, and the build up took off as the band rocked Levon Helm Studios with ‘Blood Brother.’ The regular set was closed out at its peak with ‘Transatlantic Flight,’ another song off Leif’s latest album: New Ways. The energy of this song would be matched only with the final song of the encore, when every musician in the building took the stage for a cover of Prince’s ‘Purple Rain.’ This proved to be a truly special ending to another incredible show in Woodstock.

Leif Vollebekk will be wrapping his American tour in Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts before heading to Europe. See all of Leif’s upcoming tour dates on his website. To catch any future announcements, be sure to follow him on Instagram @leifvollebekk. Stay up-to-date with La Force by visiting laforceband.com and following Ariel on Instagram @laforceband. For upcoming shows at Levon Helm Studios, visit levonhelm.com.

Setlist (partial): East of Eden, Into the Ether, Big Sky Country, Never Be Back, Apalachee Plain, Long Blue Light, Tallahassee, Blood Brother, Hot Tears, Transatlantic Flight

Encore: Elegy, Purple Rain (Prince)

April 5, 2022
Honoring the Blues: Professor Louie’s Century of The Blues

On Saturday March 26, 2022, the Paramount Hudson Valley Theater presented Professor Louie’s Century of The Blues, a special evening to honor the great blues artists in history and thank them for their contributions throughout the years. The night was augmented by photographer Joseph A. Rosen’s photos from “A Photographic Journey, Keeping The Blues Alive” projected behind the artists during the evening.

The Professor Louie’s Century of The Blues bill included Professor Louie along with his compatriots in music, The Crowmatix. Hudson Valley based Professor Louie & The Crowmatix are known for working with The Band and other notable Woodstock performers. The night also featured multiple Grammy nominated Guy Davis. Davis is affectionally known as “An Ambassador of the Blues.” Guy has traveled the world bringing his style of the blues to all. Completing the triad of performers was Joe Louis Walker. Walker is also a Grammy nominee in additional to being a four-time Blues Music Awards winner, Blues Hall of Fame inductee, and recipient of the prestigious W.C. Handy award.

Professor Louie & The Crowmatix, background photo by Joseph A. Rosen

Each act performed a set, sharing its take on the blues. The five-piece Professor Louie & The Crowmatix opened the night sharing songs that influenced and inspired the band through its long tenure. Professor Louie and fellow band mate Miss Marie traded lead vocals, with Louie stepping out from the behind keyboards to play accordion on a few songs.

Guy Davis

The middle slot belonged to Guy Davis. Sitting center stage with his acoustic guitar, Davis shed light on the origins of this classic genre with his playing style. Drawing from Lead Belly and other blues notables, Guy’s set merged classics with originals, most strikingly his “Kokomo Kidd.” To close out, Davis had the audience backing him on vocals as he sang a cappella accompanied by his harmonica.

Joe Louis Walker

After a brief intermission, Joe Louis Walker and band took the stage. Walker, originally from San Francisco and now a Hudson Valley resident, lit up the stage with his guitar prowess. His playing let everyone know that the blues are here to stay. With a powerful rhythm section supporting Walker, the band took the blues to the next level. Joe interspersed his own compositions in the set as he and keyboard player Scott Milici traded leads throughout their time on stage. To finish off the journey through the blues, the house brought Joe and crew back for an encore to close out the night.

Professor Louie & The Crowmatix

Guy Davis

Joe Louis Walker

April 5, 2022
ODESZA Announce Summer Tour, Forest Hills Show in August

Electronic duo ODESZA announced that they will tour through the United States this summer. This news comes following the release of three singles this year alone. Their new album, The Last Goodbye, is scheduled to drop on July 22nd.

ODESZA

The duo will perform at Forest Hills Stadium on Friday, August 26th. Located in Queens, the stadium can hold 13,000 people. ODESZA will join the likes of legendary acts Frank Sinatra and The Beatles, both of whom have played in this venue has hosted bands like The Who and Frank Sinatra.

ODESZA TOUR DATES

Fri, July 29 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena * > SOLD OUT

Sat, July 30 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena * > SOLD OUT

Sun, July 31 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena * > SOLD OUT

Wed, August 17 – Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion * ^ ~

Fri, August 19 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater * ^ ~

Sat, August 20 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion * ^ ~

Tue, August 23 – Atlanta, GA – Lakewood Amphitheater * + ~

Thu, August 25 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion * + ~

Fri, August 26 – New York, NY – Forest Hills Stadium * ^ ~

Tue, August 30 – Philadelphia, PA – TD Pavilion at the Mann * ^ ~

Thu, September 1 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage * # ~

Fri, September 2 – Montreal, QC – Parc Jean-Drapeau * # ~

Sat, September 3 – Gilford, NH – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion * # ~

Sun, September 4 – Boston, MA – Xfinity Center * # ~

Wed, September 7 – Cincinnati, OH – The ICON Festival Stage at Smale Park * # =

Thu, September 8 – Detroit, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre * # =

Fri, September 9 – Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion * # =

Mon, September 12 – Minneapolis, MN – Armory # =

Wed, September 14 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre * # =

Fri, September 16 – Denver, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre * # =

Tue, September 20 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre * # =

Thu, September 22 – Ridgefield, WA – RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater * # =

Fri, September 23 – Vancouver, BC – PNE Amp * # =

Mon, September 26 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater * # =

Tue, September 27 – Boise, ID – Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater * # =

Thu, September 29 – Sacramento, CA – Heart Health Park * # =

Fri, September 30 – San Francisco, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre * # =

* Sylvan Esso
^ San Holo
# Elderbrook
+ Ben Böhmer (Live)
> ford.
~ Gilligan Moss
= NASAYA

Artist pre-sale begins Thursday, March 31st at 10 AM and general tickets will be available the following day. For tickets, go to odesza.com/#tour.

April 5, 2022
Parquet Courts Walk A Downtown Pace at Brooklyn Steel

Parquet Courts, the New York City based post-punk band, finished up a two-night stand at Bushwick’s Brooklyn Steel on Saturday, April 2nd. The band is on tour supporting their seventh LP Sympathy for Life; released last October via Rough Trade Records. The album features the infectiously groovy lead single “Walking at a Downtown Pace” and the psychedelic jam “Plant Life.”

Parquet Courts at Brooklyn Steel, 4/2/22. Photo by Buscar Photo

NYS Music was at night two, which featured a rather unique intro to the show. After the stage crew finished the change over between sets, a woman lit a sage bundle and immersed the stage in the smoke. She stepped to the mic and announced onto the stage, “Clown.” After expecting Parquet Courts to walk onto the Brooklyn Steel stage, the crowd was indeed perplexed, but intrigued as to what was happening. Two people walked on stage, one apparently the Clown in full face paint and a clown suit accompanied by a saxophone player. The two then played a gorgeous cover of Parquet Courts song and Sympathy for Life closer “Pulcinella.” The ambient balled swelled into a mix of sax and guitar loops, coming to a climax as Clown then introduced Parquet Courts to the stage.

Clown at Brooklyn Steel, 4/2/22. Photo by Buscar Photo

Once Parquet Courts took the stage, the crowd burst into joyous energy and never let up until the end of the show. The band played a career spanning set, and embellished much of the songs into lengthy live versions with extended jams and improvised movements. The band transforms their energetic post-punk style into a multifaceted live show that keeps even the most devout listener on their toes. Highlights of the show included the aforementioned Sympathy of Life singles as well as “Freebird II” and “Mardi Gras Beads” off the excellent 2018 LP Wide Awake!.

Parquet Courts at Brooklyn Steel, 4/2/22. Photo by Buscar Photo

Parquet Courts continue on tour through April, ending the month on the west coast before heading to Europe for a run of dates in May and June. The band sprinkles in a couple of shows in Australia later in the summer. Check out the full tour schedule HERE and see our photo gallery from the show at Brooklyn Steel on April 2nd below.

April 5, 2022
The Greyboy Allstars Share New Single with Woodstock and Brooklyn Tour Dates in April

The Greyboy Allstars are set to release their upcoming album Get A Job with music from the original broadcast series Soul Dream on April 1st. The first song off the album, ‘I’ve Got Reasons’, recently dropped along with accompanying video along with Spring Tour Dates where they’ll perform in Woodstock and Brooklyn this April.

The quintet jazz band, Karl Denson (saxophone, flute), Elgin Park (guitars), Aaron Redfield(drums), Chris Stillwell (bass) and Robert Walter (keys) turn up the notches with their new album consisting of 10 unique never-before-released covers that consistently captivated their famed live performances for nearly three decades. Gil Scott-Heron, Gene Ammons and Burt Bacharach are some of the artists who’s songs are showcased on the ‘Get A Job’ album.

The delivery of these covers shows the formative music that shaped the band while also adding a twist of their own funky imprint to the song’s arrangement and legacy.

The more we play together, the more I enjoy listening to the other guys. It seems like a simple idea but finding a place in the mix is what’s important: not the solo. Weave a thread inside the fabric.
-Elgin Park

A running list of around 70 tunes that became live favorites during shows and music that came out of Prestige Records are showcased with the Greyboy Allstars. The soul-jazz band from San Diego, California will be coming to the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock and the Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

The 21-date ‘Get A Job’ tour has 6 of the shows on-sale now and the remaining 15 shows go on-sale February 4th at greyboyallstars.com

The Greyboy Allstars “Get A Job” U.S. Spring Tour

3/9 – Asheville, NC – Salvage Station
3/10 – Charleston, SC – The Pour House
3/11 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
3/12 – St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheatre
3/30 – St. Louis, MO – The Big Top
3/31 – Milwaukee, WI – Shank Hall
4/1 – Chicago, IL – Park West
4/2 – Covington, KY – Madison Theater
4/3 – Columbus, OH – Woodlands Tavern
4/5 – Pembroke, MA – Soundcheck Studios
4/6 – Woodstock, NY – Bearsville Theater
4/7 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl
4/8 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl
4/9 – Philadelphia, PA – Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia
4/10 – Washington, DC – The Hamilton
4/15 – Crystal Bay, NV – Crystal Bay Club Casino
4/16 – Crystal Bay, NV – Crystal Bay Club Casino
4/21 – Venice, CA – Venice West
4/22 – Denver, CO – Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom
4/23 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater
4/30 – New Orleans, LA – Tipitina’s

April 5, 2022
Adekunle Gold Announces Catch Me If You Can Tour, Apollo Theater Performance

Nigerian born and bred Adekunle Gold has just announced his “Catch Me If You Can – The Tour,” kicking off on Thursday, June 2nd at Big Night Live in Boston. This tour will also make a stop at Apollo Theater in Manhattan on Friday, June 3rd, 2022.

Adekunle Gold is a Nigerian singer-songwriter based between Lagos, Nigeria, and Los Angeles. He gained recognition from his very first release, ‘Sade’ a love song which sampled instrumentals from One Direction’s ‘Story of My Life.’ Just two weeks after its release, Adekunle was contacted by one of Africa’s biggest acts, Olamide, to join his music imprint for two years.

Adekunle Gold is one of the most innovative artists to come out of Africa. He is one of the most recognizable and exciting pioneers of the vibrant Afropop genre, currently dominating this genre across the globe. His music consistent of mixing and influences of Afrobeat with Pop, Hip-Hop and R&B.

Since releasing his first single “Sade,” a love song which sampled instrumentals from One Direction’s “Story of My Life,” Adekunle has gone on to release four albums – Gold, About 30, AfroPop Vol. 1. His newest album, Catch Me If You Can, includes collaborations with an array of world-class talent including Ty Dolla $ign, Stefflon Don, Fatoumata Diawara and Fousheé. Altogether, featuring his one-of-a-kind combination of addictive melodies and razor sharp lyricism.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN TOUR DATES:

Thu Jun 02 – Boston, MA – Big Night Live

Fri Jun 03 – New York, NY – Apollo Theater

Sun Jun 05 – Montreal, QUE – Corona Theatre

Mon Jun 06 – Philadelphia, PA – The Theatre of Living Arts

Wed Jun 08 – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore Silver Spring

Thu Jun 09 – Cleveland, OH – The Cambridge Room at House of Blues

Fri Jun 10 – Toronto, ON – The Opera House

Sun Jun 12 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater

Tue Jun 14 – Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theatre

Thu Jun 16 – Houston, TX – House of Blues

Fri Jun 17 – Dallas, TX – Echo Lounge & Music Hall

Sun Jun 19 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theater

Tue Jun 21 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues

Thu Jun 30 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom

Fri Jul 01 – Los Angeles, CA – Regent Theater

Sat Jul 02 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore

Mon Jul 04 – Seattle, WA – Neptune Theatre

Tue Jul 05 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom

Fri Jul 08 – Edmonton, AB – Union Hall

Ticket sale starts Friday, April 8^th at 10am on Catch.ag

April 5, 2022
Gunna performs on Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live returned on April 2 to address the Oscars slap and more, with host Jerrod Carmichael and musical guest, Gunna.

Weekend Update focused on ‘the slap’, noting it as a defining moment of television for the current generation, a mark in pop-culture time.

Pete Davidson returned for the first time in three episodes with the music video “Short Ass Movie,” where he cited the need for movies with a runtime under 1 hour, 40 minutes. Joined by fellow cast member Chris Redd, Dirt Nasty (Simon Rex) and musical guest Gunna, the group explored the myraid of movies considered a quick watch.

Gunna rapped “I’m not pushin P unless it’s under two hours/ Like Lion King or Bad Moms or all three Austin Powers.” Davidson took on A Beautiful Mind-style observation on the run times of Jurassic Park (2 hours, 7 minutes) and Sex and the City 2 (2 hours, 26 minutes), and even referencing a recent Instagram post from Davidson where friend Scott Diseck fell asleep during boys night.

Gunna’s first song, “Banking on Me,” was released as a single on Valentine’s Day, originally planned to be on the deluxe edition of his third studio album, DS4Ever, his second consecutive number one album, released in January and featuring guest appearances from 21 Savage, Drake, Kodak Black and more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kW_miq1-SXQ

For his second performance, Gunna was joined by Future for “pushin P,” a phrase meaning to ‘push positivity.’ On DSM4Ever, the pair are joined by Young Thug for the brief (2:12) yet hypnotic track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex3LGdbDqe0

Next week Saturday Night Live welcomes host Jake Gyllenhaal with Musical Guest Camila Cabello.

April 5, 2022
FreshGrass | North Adams Announces Initial Lineup for September Bluegrass Festival

FreshGrass | North Adams, MASS MoCA’s three day festival of bluegrass and progressive roots music, announces the initial 2022 lineup.

The lineup features Gary Clark Jr., Old Crow Medicine Show, Trampled by Turtles, Yola, and The Jerry Douglas Band. Artists such as Aoife O’Donovan, Sierra Ferrell, Alison Brown, The Lil Smokies, Sierra Hull, Willie Watson, Luca Ciarla, are also included. Also perfoming will be, Never Come Down, Misty Blues, California Bluegrass Reunion featuring Darol Anger, John Reischman, Bill Evans, Jim Nunally, Sharon Gilchrist & Chad Manning. More artists are being announced in the upcoming weeks.

The FreshGrass festival features bluegrass innovators on four stages and platforms throughout the 16-acre campus. Festival programming also includes FreshScores, a silent film with original live music; FreshGrass commissions and world premieres. There will also be workshops led by bluegrass veterans on the subjects of songwriting, producing, and music marketing.

FreshGrass is a beloved tradition at MASS MoCA, with more than a decade of music and memories.
MASS MoCA Director Kristy Edmunds

FreshGrass festival also holds a contest for emerging artists. The grand prize is a grant up to $20,000 in cash prizes and recording time at Compass Records studio in Nashville to unsigned talent. The annual award categories include band, banjo, guitar, and fiddle. Twelve finalists—three in each category—travel to the festival to perform for a panel of No Depression editors and artists. For this year’s festival, finalists will perform throughout the weekend on pop-up stages. The award winners in each of the four categories will earn a main stage slot at the 2023 FreshGrass Festival.

Ticket Information

3-Day tickets are now on sale for adults ($129), students ($99), and children 7-16 ($49). Admission is free for children 6 and under. All festival tickets include admission to MASS MoCA’s galleries. MASS MoCA members receive a 10% discount on ticket prices, excluding VIP FreshPass tickets.

Camping Information

As FreshGround is a camping field, they will be offering camping services. The camping ground is about a 12 minute walking distance from the festival, along with downtown merchants, bars, and restaurants. A shuttle bus runs continuously to the festival from the campsite. If you’d like more information on the camping services, you can visit FreshGrass website, www.freshgrass.com.

April 4, 2022

Built in Breakdance