The Adjacent Music Festival, a brand new festival, is going to Atlantic City Beach in Atlantic City, NJ to kick off the summer of 2023 over Memorial Day weekend on May 27 and 28.
Photo credit: Andrew Hutchins.
The event is for all ages and brings over 40 bands on three stages with craft food and beverage experiences and vendors. It will take place ocean-side on the Atlantic City Beach adjacent to the world-famous Atlantic City Boardwalk featuring many artists who started their careers in the Northeast.
The headliners for the festival are the newly reunited blink-182 and Paramore. blink-182 started rocking almost thirty years ago in a San Diego garage. They have sold over fifty-million albums worldwide, and according to the New York Times, “No punk band of the 1990s has been more influential than ‘blink-182’.” They are working on releasing their tenth studio album after reuniting the original members.
Paramore is a rock band that formed in 2004 out of Franklin, Tennessee. They have dominated the rock charts with their singles like “Misery Business” and “Ain’t It Fun.” Their heavily awaited return has caused them to be the most sought acts to see in the rock scene today.
The Adjacent Music Festival also has many other notable acts performing. Artists like Japanese Breakfast, who just performed on SNL last season, and Bleachers, led by six-time Grammy award winner Jack Antonoff, will be playing. Other acts include The Front Bottoms, Waterparks, Jimmy Eat World, and Turnstile.
Tickets for the Adjacent Music Festival go onsale Oct. 27 at 10 a.m.
The Late Sea has shared their latest video for the war protest track, “Cover Up.” Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Izzy Gliksberg, derived inspiration to make the debut single, “Cover Up”, after seeing conflict between Israeli and Palestinians in the news. Gliksberg grew up in Israel and the war in the Middle East affects him, as he said he was “used to seeing this kind of trauma on TV”.
(Photo credit: Bill Wadman)
The Brooklyn-based band has performed all over New York State and in festivals along the east coast. Late Sea is comprised of members, Izzy Gliksberg, drummer Graham Dobby, bassist Clinton Greene and keyboardist and vocalist, Kalen Lister. Their track list starts with their 2017 release of the debut EP The Writers Trilogy, as well as a cover release of the 1964 “The Sounds of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkel.
(Single art credit: Alex Lorenzo)
The group’s most recent released work is is their EP, Rumor, having came out last year and was produced by Grammy Award-winning, John Davis. Prior, Late Sea shared a video for their track, “Swan Song”, and gained coverage by Audio Fuzz on their Simon and Garfunkel 1964 staple cover.
NNAMDÏ, the genre bending rapper, singer and producer from Chicago will be coming to the East coast on Friday, October 28 to play Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn. The rapper has been releasing music since 2013, but his latest record is some of his most technical yet.
“Dedication,” track nine on NNAMDÏ’s newest album Please Have A Seat, contains a myriad of influence and originality. The song starts out with squeaky sounds, like two balloons rubbing against each other, in a “Thug Tears” by JPEGMAFIA type of avant garde, deconstructed beat. Then it breaks down into a Tierra Whack-esque perky r&b beat, which NNAMDÏ sing-raps over in a simple monotonous sound. But not even a minute later the song explodes, with layered melodies that evoke Kanye’s gospel choirs. By the time the song ends, with sparkly electric ad-libs and harmonious voices chanting, “It’s dedication,” I can barely remember how it started.
These hops from genre to genre are performed absolutely seamlessly; you don’t even realize it has happened by the time it is over. It’s that consistent inconsistency that defines NNAMDÏ himself; in his songs, performances and personality.
NNAMDÏ came up in the Chicago DIY scene but he broke into the mainstream in 2020 with his eclectic album BRAT. His previous albums had a rep for being weird and inaccessible, so in this album NNAMDÏ set out to make a “hummable” album, hoping to reach a wider audience.
I consciously wanted to make more communal things, some things that bring people together rather than alienate them — even though I love music that is dissonant and jarring and sometimes off in different ways.
NNAMDÏ, as told to FADER.
In the next months, NNAMDÏ is heading on a tour across the US that will finish in London and Berlin. He’ll be at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn on October 29, click here for tickets. On October 30, he’ll be doing a Q&A and record signing at Rough Trade NYC.
NNAMDÏ Tour Dates
October 18 – Davenport, IA – The Raccoon Motel
October 19 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th St. Entry
October 20 – Milwaukee, WI – Cactus Club
October 22 – Chicago, IL – Metro
October 24 – Cleveland, OH – Mahall’s
October 25 – Toronto, ON – The Garrison
October 26 – Montreal, QC – Diving Bell Social Club
October 27 – Johnson, VT – Northern Vermont University
For many, GWAR has been one of the most consistent heavy metal bands in their lives. On October 22nd, they brought their bloodbath to the Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls.
GWAR brings a bloody great time to the Rapids Theater in Niagara Falls. Photo by Samantha Rychlicki
If you search the name GWAR, it’s easy to see just on the outside what this band brings when they put on a performance. Big costumes, heavy metal, blood and guts. When you go to see them, however, there is something so much more.
But before we go into the main event, let’s talk about the other groups that GWAR brought along.
The opener was a band from Pottsville, PA named Crobot. With a name like that, I wasn’t too sure what to expect. However, as soon as lead singer Brandon Yeagley popped out of a foam egg, the crowd was immediately enthralled with this group. With groove mixed with a lot of Rock ‘n Roll, you couldn’t help but dance/scream/head bang. The energy they brought was incredible and they are certainly a group to keep your eyes out for.
Brandon Yeagley of Crobot flies high while band mates Chris Bishop, on guitar, and Tim Peugh, on bass, rock out. Photo by Samantha Rychlicki
Immediately following Crobot, we have the melodic death-metal group Nekrogoblikon. They. Killed. It. The audience was absolutely in love with this group, and with John Goblikon. Their sound was totally unique and they definitely rocked the house down.
Nicky Calonne and John Goblikon jamming out together. Photo by Samantha Rychlicki
And finally, we have GWAR. Formed in 1984, this group has been non-stop for more than three decades. Fans of GWAR at Rapids Theater were some of the most dedicated people to a group I’ve ever seen. Normally when you go to a rock show, there is a unspoken dress code of all black all the time. But for this one, fans were dressed in white, in hopes to be part of the carnage that this band brought. Of course there were crowd surfers and mosh pits. What else can you expect? Blothar the Berserker’s vocals are out of this world and the rest of the band are a recipe for success.
This being said, there was also plenty of the blood spewing that the band is known for. From the dismemberment of a ‘GWAR fan’ and a soldier, to the ‘pissing match’ between Blothar’s alter-ego from another universe (which he said was a manifestation of everything that he hates about himself). There was a certain political undertone that was hard to miss and the crowd ate up with the infamous presidential decapitation of Joe Biden, Putin’s demise and even the destruction of Amy Coney Barrett.
Blothar’s alter-ego from another dimension. Photo by Samantha Rychlicki
The ‘so much more’ piece mentioned before about this group? The fans of the GWAR are die-hards, they are all connected in a way that is so much more than just the costumes, guts and gore.
If you ever have the chance to see this band perform, do not miss your opportunity. And if you’re too scared to get a little dirty, stay in the back or stay home. This is not for the lighthearted.
GWAR at Rapids Theater Setlist: The Cutter ft. Lzzy Hale, The Issue of Tissue (Spacecake), Bring Back the Bomb, New Dark Age, Mother Fucking Liar, Rise Again, Bored to Death, Saddam a Go-Go, Ratcatcher, Womb With a View, Black and Huge, Venom of the Platypus, Berserker Mode, U Ain’t Shit, None but the Brave Encore: Sick of You, Fuck This Place.
Gwar decapitates a “fan”. Photo by Samantha RychlickiPustulus Maximus of GWAR. Photo By Samantha RychlickiBlothar the Berserker enjoying a cup of a soldier’s blood. Photo by Samantha RychlickiPutin’s destruction. Photo by Samantha RychlickiBonesnapper surveys the area to make sure there’s no trouble (that they aren’t causing). Photo by Samantha RychlickiBeefcake the Mighty on Bass. Photo by Samantha RychlickiFans of all types enjoy the bloodbath that GWAR brings to their show. Photo by Samantha RychlickiBlothar the Berserker. Photo by Samantha RychlickiBalsac the Jaws O Death on lead guitar. Photo by Samantha RychlickiThe aftermath of the gore. Photo by Samantha Rychlicki
Blue Note New York has partnered with The Basie Presents for the Pat Metheny Side-Eye Show at the Beacon Theatre on Saturday, June 24.
The 20-time GRAMMY Award winning guitarist and composer will perform during the 2023 Blue Note Jazz Festival, marking the first time Metheny has played in New York since his Sony Hall run in 2019.
Side-Eye is Metheny’s trio project that features the guitarist performing alongside a rotating cast of young, envelope-pushing players. This edition of Side-Eye features Chris Fishman (keyboards, piano) and drummer Joe Dyson.
Pat Metheny’s Side Eye project embodies the very best in jazz, so it’s fitting that this show at the Beacon Theatre next June will be part of the storied Blue Note Jazz Festival. By virtue of its namesake, the Count Basie Center for the Arts and its off site promotion arm, The Basie Presents, is honored to be working with the Blue Note team and Mr. Metheny himself in bringing this concert to another one of our region’s storied performance venues.
Izzy Sackowitz, COO, Count Basie Center for the Arts
Pat Metheny’s versatility is almost without peer on any instrument. Over the years, he has performed with artists as diverse as Steve Reich to Ornette Coleman to Herbie Hancock to Jim Hall to Milton Nascimento to David Bowie. Metheny’s body of work includes compositions for solo guitar, small ensembles, electric and acoustic instruments, large orchestras, and ballet pieces, with settings ranging from modern jazz to rock to classical. As well as being an accomplished musician, Metheny has also participated in the academic arena as a music educator. He has also been a true musical pioneer in the realm of electronic music, and was one of the very first jazz musicians to treat the synthesizer as a serious musical instrument. It is one thing to attain popularity as a musician, but it is another to receive the kind of acclaim Metheny has garnered from critics and peers.
Blue Note New York will announce their annual New York City jazz festival in Spring 2023. Tickets for Pat Metheny at the Beacon Theatre are now on sale.
Nearing the end of the 2022 leg of their world tour that commenced six months ago in Croatia, East London heavy metal legends Iron Maiden landed at the Prudential Center (affectionately known as “The Rock,” a reference to the Rock of Gibraltar corporate logo) in Newark, NJ this past Friday night, October 21.
The Rock | Photo by Michael Dinger
Iron Maiden’s Legacy of the Beast Tour, inspired by the 2017 video game of the same name, is an all-encompassing retrospective of their history, complete with a visually stunning stage design featuring jaw-dropping, thematic backdrops and stage props. Dating to the first leg of the tour consisting of European dates in 2018, Iron Maiden have played nearly 150 shows to more than 3 million fans, their biggest world tour since their formation on Christmas Day 1975.
Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden | Photo by Michael Dinger
Taking over support duties from Trivium, who departed the tour at the end of September after opening eleven shows for the heavy metal icons, Within Temptation took the stage promptly at 7:30 pm. Formed in 1996 in the Netherlands, the symphonic metal band are led by vocalist Sharon den Adel and guitarist Robert Westerholt. The Dutch sextet is rounded out by Ruud Jolie (lead guitar), Jeroen van Veen (bass), Mike Coolen (drums), Stefan Helleblad (rhythm guitar) and Martijn Spierenburg (keyboards).
Within Temptation performed three tracks (“Raise Your Banner,” “Supernova” and “The Reckoning”) from the latest of their seven studio albums, 2019’s Resist (Spinefarm Records), which found the band exploring new genres such as industrial and electronic dance music. The remainder of their 8-song set included single offerings from their discography, albeit their 1997 debut album (Enter) and their third studio album, 2004’s The Silent Force. Nearing the end of their set, Within Temptation presented “Don’t Pray for Me,” the fourth and most recent independently-released single in a series that is a precursor to their next studio album – expected for release in 2023.
Sharon den Adel of Within Temptation | Photo by Michael DingerRobert Westerholt of Within Temptation | Photo by Michael DingerRuud Jolie of Within Temptation | Photo by Michael DingerMike Coolen of Within Temptation | Photo by Michael DingerJeroen van Veen of Within Temptation | Photo by Michael DingerMartijn Spierenburg of Within Temptation | Photo by Michael Dinger
At approximately 8:45 pm, as “Doctor Doctor” by UFO played over the house PA, the lights went dark and it was game on! To thunderous applause from the 20,000 capacity crowd, the heavy metal icons appeared before us – the 64-year old Bruce Dickinson known for his legendary, operatic-style vocals, bassist Steve Harris, drummer Nicko McBrain and the trio of guitarists comprised of Adrian Smith, Janick Gers and Dave Murray.
Maiden’s 15-song, nearly two hour set kicked-off with the three lead tracks from their most recent studio album and 17th overall, Senjutsu, including the title track, “Stratego” and “The Writing on the Wall.” The opening trifecta of songs was accompanied by a magnificent stage production that matched the Japanese theme of the record’s visual graphics, including an early appearance by their mascot Eddie as a samurai warrior. Eddie would make another appearance later in the night as “The Trooper” to do battle with Dickinson.
Eddie | Photo by Michael Dinger
The setlist was a retrospective of their voluminous, four decade discography celebrating their biggest hits (“The Trooper,” “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” and “Fear Of The Dark”), while also including some deeper cuts such as “Revelations” (Piece of Mind, 1983), “Blood Brothers” (Brave New World, 2000) and “Sign of the Cross” (The X Factor, 1995). Maiden played two encores consisting of “The Trooper,” “The Clansman,” “Run To The Hills” and the closing number of the night, “Aces High,” as a life-size replica Spitfire plane swayed high overhead.
Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden | Photo by Michael DingerJanick Gers of Iron Maiden | Photo by Michael DingerSteve Harris of Iron Maiden | Photo by Michael DingerDave Murray of Iron Maiden | Photo by Michael DingerAdrian Smith of Iron Maiden | Photo by Michael Dinger
In the closing moments of the show, before Monty Python’s “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,” Dickinson addressed his audience for the last time of the night:
We’d like to take you home with us, but you won’t fit through the front door. Have a great weekend, have a great week, have a great month, have a great year. In fact, have a great fucking life, because you only get one. Live every fucking day you can of it. We’ll see you again, thank you everybody.
Maiden’s 24-date journey across North America culminates at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida on October 27, followed by a much-needed rest for this band on the cusp of their golden years. Lord knows they sure haven’t wasted any, especially with 2023 dates already announced for The Future Past Tour that will launch at the Sweden Rock Festival in early-June. And hopefully, by then, these metal behemoths will finally be on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s list of new inductees.
Iron Maiden | Photo by Michael Dinger
Within Temptation Setlist: The Reckoning > Paradise (What About Us?) > In the Middle of the Night > What Have You Done > Supernova > Don’t Pray for Me > Raise Your Banner > Mother Earth
Iron Maiden Setlist: Senjutsu > Stratego > The Writing on the Wall > Revelations > Blood Brothers > Sign of the Cross > Flight of Icarus > Fear of the Dark > Hallowed Be Thy Name > The Number of the Beast > Iron Maiden > Encore: The Trooper > The Clansman > Run to the Hills > Encore 2: Aces High
The popular Lift Concert Series in Troy presents performances of new, independent music featuring regional performers. The lineup for the 2022 series was announced, and it features a variety of genres of performances.
The Lift Concert Series takes place at the historic Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. It is curated by Organ Colossal: Sam Torres and Sophia Subbayya Vastek. The audience is invited to take the freight elevator to the backstage area, and be seated on stage, with the musicians, creating an intimate concert experience. Concerts last about an hour, and after the show concert goers are encouraged to go to the many restaurants or breweries in Troy.
The series starts on Dec. 14 with Rajna Swaminathan and Utsav Lal. Swaminathan has has been described as “a vital new voice” (Pop Matters), creating “music of gravity and rigor… yet its overall effect is accessible and uplifting” (Wall Street Journal). She is one of only a few women who play the mrudangam professionally. Lal is recognized as one of the most talented musicians of his generation, stunning the world with his innovative handling of Indian Classical Music on a Western instrument.
For World Piano Day on March 29, the Lift Concert Series will be hosting an event featuring local and regional pianists of different musical genres. The lineup is to be announced. The final event is on April 26, where Half Waif will be performing. Singer, songwriter, and producer Nandi Rose resides in the Hudson Valley and writes and records under the name Half Waif. Over the past decade, she has built upon her classical training to create a bold and unique sound that melds pop and folk songwriting styles with experimental production and arrangements.
Tickets for the Lift Concert Series at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall can be found here.
Mariah Carey has announced a three-date-only special holiday concert run called “Merry Christmas To All!” It will be coming to Madison Square Garden on Dec. 13 to celebrate Carey’s repertoire of classic holiday songs.
The “Merry Christmas To All!” shows are sure to sell out fast as they are the only holiday shows from Mariah Carey this year. Carey is an author, entrepreneur, philanthropist, producer, and multiple award-winning artist and songwriter. She is the best-selling female artist of all time with more than 200 million albums sold to date and 19 Billboard Hot 100 #1 singles.
She is an inductee to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and has been recognized with multiple Grammy Awards, numerous American Music Awards, three Guinness World Record titles, both Billboard’s “Artist of the Decade” and “Icon” awards, just to name a few. She has left a lasting impact on the music industry
Besides being a musician, Mariah Carey has also donated her time and energy to a range of philanthropic causes including Save the Music, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, World Hunger Relief, and the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Carey founded Camp Mariah in partnership with the Fresh Air Fund, a retreat for inner-city children to explore career development.
Mariah Carey’s special three-date event called “Merry Christmas To All!” will be going to the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada on Dec. 11, and Madison Square Garden in NYC on Dec. 13 and 16. Tickets will be available to the general public starting on Oct. 28 at 10 a.m. During ticket checkout, fans will also be able to purchase an exclusive t-shirt, as well as a copy of Mariah’s illustrated holiday fairytale, The Christmas Princess, which is set to release on Nov. 1.
How To Find Yourself is a new film produced by rapper Dylan Owen and directed by Brian Petchers. In it, the two try to answer that very question by following teens through those familiar coming of age film tropes: traipsing through wheat fields, impromptu fight clubs, screaming for joy on a roof in slow motion, motorcyling through back alleys. The characters speak over those portraits of adolescence in interviews — airing the regrets, joys and discoveries their juvenile years brought them.
And playing underneath it all is a heartfelt acoustic score by Dylan Owen, of the same name, made for the film and featured on the artist’s upcoming EP, Take Care Of Yourself.
Dylan Owen found himself moving all around Upstate NY as he grew up. He’s from Orange County, NY, and has lived in Goshen, Middletown, Circleville and Chester; Owen now calls himself proudly a “nowhere kid from a nowhere town.” Now living in NYC, Dylan Owen’s poetic songwriting and sensitive style has found him a wider audience and prompted comparisons to icons such as Mac Miller and Wiz Khalifa. How to Find Yourself is Owen’s foray into film making, and fans who know of Topaz Jones’ short film – that paired with his album Don’t Go Tellin Your Momma which looks at Jones’ own upbringing in Montclair, NJ – will connect with Owen’s film.
Through the testimonies from the film’s characters and the emotionally evoking scenes of innocence juxtaposed with violence and sudden danger, the film creates a space for people to openly share their stories of growing up, with an emphasis on those working through mental health problems. How to Find Yourself focuses on the harrowing journey to love and know other people and yourself while working through obstacles of anxiety and depression.
The short film will be released on October 25, and Owen’s album will be out in November.
Danielle Ponder returned to Rochester for her first show after her major label debut, Some of Us Are Brave. She was back after crisscrossing the country as Marcus Mumford’s opener along with numerous festival dates. But on this night, she was no opener and she needed no warmup, this night belonged to Danielle Ponder and no one else.
The agnostic daughter of a pastor reached back to her roots and preached from her pulpit to the sold out Water Street Music Hall. Instead of seeing God, with the help of some mushrooms, she had seen herself and her place amongst the trees and oceans and earth. Her speaking quickly turned into singing, her voice exponentially more powerful in song, “What a joy it is to be alive… I feel your love and it gives me power…” Her congregation responded not with Amen’s but melodic lalala’s. The power of music was in the house, and Ponder was delivering.
As always, in shows, in interviews, anytime anywhere, her love for her hometown was effusive. Off the bat she inserted a “Rochester NY!” into the opening song. She followed by explaining how Rochester was involved in a group effort to lift her up to the heights she’s reached in the past year. It prepared her to be a professional, impressing the industry bigwigs she’s been rubbing elbows with as of late. Later in the night, she noted humbly, that if she ever falls back down, she knows she can always come back home.
But it wasn’t just about her homecoming. Nearly every song was dedicated to a group of people that resonates with her. “Some of Us Are Brave,” to black women all over the world. “Someone Like You,” to all the singles, including Ponder herself, who wondered why her DM’s weren’t more active then they were. On the contrary, “Only the Lonely” was dedicated to the people who stayed with someone too long. “Poor Man’s Pain” was dedicated to all the Public Defenders, of which she was one not too long ago. Now as she was following her passion of being a professional musician, “So Long” was dedicated to all the dreamers and artists that know their purpose. Her songs were deeply personal, but for everyone.
And for the old school fans, of which there were many, she reached back into her vault to pull out some old favorites. The bluesy “Working” appropriately reminisced her 9 to 5 days, while a cover of Laurny Hill’s “Doo-Wop (That Thing) got the whole place hopping, her friends and family pouring into the pit much to the chagrin of security.
Ponder presented a couple of more cover in the encore. Though when she sang “Whole Lotta Love,” it wasn’t as much a Led Zeppelin song as it was a Danielle Ponder song with lyrics by Robert Plant (though even then some of those words belong to Willie Dixon). Likewise, when she sang “Creep” to close the show, it wasn’t a Radiohead cover, but a Ponder original, that just happened to be written by Thom Yorke. As a song that band has abandoned, it might as well belong to Ponder now anyway. Like one of her inspirations, Nina Simone, Ponder takes these songs and reinvents them for her own purpose, as she has reinvented herself.
As her star begins to rise and explode, is Danielle Ponder at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester in the not too distant future?
