24kGoldn headlined at The Great New York State Fair on Friday, September 2. Following performances on Wiz Khalifa and Logic’s Vinyl Verse Tour, the rapper debuted on the Chevy Park stage within the New York Experience Festival Grounds. Under the yellow stage lights, 24kGoldn presented an incredible show to a large interactive audience.
A San Francisco native, 24kGoldn burst into the music industry with the success from the release of his single “Valentino” in January 2019, receiving over 371 million streams on Spotify. His music genre ranges from punk and alternative to pop and rap. Driven by a TikTok viral trend, 24kGoldn’s song with Iann Dior, “Mood,” set music chart records by becoming the first song ever to top four Billboard Music Charts at the same time.
The lights dimmed and 24kGoldn ran on stage full of energy to “Valentino.” Immediately, fans in the crowd jumped out of their seats. He worked each side of the stage equally, especially during the performance of “Coco,” featuring DaBaby where he assigned each side of the audience to chant “Coco” or “Chanel.”
Closing the show, 24kGoldn performed “Mood,” and the crowd sang along. His stage presence is outstanding, with an effortless way of working an audience.
It has been three long years since Local Natives have toured and the wait was worth it. The Inside An Hourglass Tour started late-July with Jordana and made it’s second to last stop at New York’s Pier 17 on a beautiful summer night.
Local Natives’ Kelcey Ayer on keyboard playing a sold out show at New York’s Pier 17.
Jordana opened the show with “Pressure Point”, the first song off their latest album, Face The Wall, which was released in May. The singer-songwriter had a comedic way of addressing the crowd throughout the set with her trusty Gumby on the mic stand. Before closing with “Why”, Jordana exclaimed “I love you dude!” to her new friend in the crowd, Kenny, who she briefly chatted with earlier in the set. Lastly she went on to say “This one…you know what’s funny is that we started the set with the first song on the album I just released in May…and now we’re ending it with the last song on the album, so it’s kind of artistic in that way…you know what I mean? Kind of meta, artsy, any way it’s about not giving a damn.”
Sing-songwriter Jordana and Gumby playing a sold out show at New York’s Pier 17.
Local Natives took the stage shortly after sunset, kicking off with “Statues in The Garden (Arras)” which has a dreamy, psychedelic music video to accompany it. After a few songs, vocalist and guitarist Taylor Rice remarked that it has been three years since they have toured and “we missed you very, very, very much!” Taylor continued to share that their tour bus caught fire two weeks prior and they weren’t sure they were going to make it to New York, proudly stating “…but we are here! We didn’t cancel anything!”
Overall the group’s mix of songs off their full discography along with newer tracks “Desert Snow” and “Hourglass”. During the encore, Kelcey commented “…this is such an amazing night, and I just think about the first time we ever played New York City was at Pianos…this little place somewhere over there⦔ as he gestured off into the distance. “It feels fucking great! And this song is dedicated to New York.”
Local Natives at Pier 17, Friday, August 26
Setlist: Statues in the Garden (Arras), Megaton Mile, I Saw You Close Your Eyes, Coins, Ceilings, Desert Snow, Past Lives, Wide Eyes, Sun Hands, Wooly Mammoth, Heavy Feet, Fountain of Youth, Colombia, Lemon (with Jordana), Dark Days, Who Knows, Who Cares
Encore: Hourglass, Airplanes, When Am I Gonna Lose You
Jordana at New York’s Pier 17Jordana at New York’s Pier 17Jordana at New York’s Pier 17Jordana at New York’s Pier 17Jordana at New York’s Pier 17Jordana at New York’s Pier 17Jordana at New York’s Pier 17Jordana at New York’s Pier 17Jordana at New York’s Pier 17Local Natives Taylor Rice at New York’s Pier 17Local Natives Kelcey Ayer at New York’s Pier 17Local Natives Ryan Hahn at New York’s Pier 17Local Natives Nik Ewing at New York’s Pier 17Local Natives Matt Frazier at New York’s Pier17Local Natives’ Taylor Rice at New York’s Pier 17Local Natives Nik Ewing at New York’s Pier 17Local Natives’ Ryan Hahn at New York’s Pier 17Local Natives’ Kelcey Ayer at New York’s Pier 17Local Natives’ Taylor Rice at New York’s Pier 17
Five-piece improvisatory group, QWANQWA is making their debut in North America this fall; travelling on their first tour in the U.S. in over 20 states. Their performance locations feature a variety of memorable places, including Rochester’s Eastman School of Music, Flushing Town of Hall in Queens, Beacon’s Howland Cultural Center, Saratoga’s Caffe Lena, Buffalo’s Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Centre, and more.
QWANQWA, based in Ethiopia’s capital and largest city, Addis Ababa, are dedicated to furthering the country’s unique musical tradition rooted in string – classical music blended with new styles influenced by new compositions. Having recruited some of the most prominent names in the country’s music scene, they’ve created room for exploration of new sounds while implementing traditional and region-based beats and moods.
QWANQWA’s released works include three critically-acclaimed albums, Volume One (2014) and Volume Two (2015); and Volume Three (2020). The group has performed at two major European tours with knockout shows at the Roskilde and WOMEX festivals in 2016 and 2017 and members of QWANQWA have performed with some of the biggest names in Ethiopian music and beyond: Getachew Mekuria, Mahmoud Ahmed, Mulatu Astatke, The EX, Thurston Moore, Fred Frith, Butch Morris, and more.
The 34th annual Byron Bay Bluesfest Festival’s initial lineup has been revealed. Featuring international artists for the first time since 2019’s pre-pandemic festival, the first lineup released features over 40 artists.
Set for April 6-10, Bluesfest will see some of the finest contemporary and legendary blues, roots, soul, rock, hip hop, r&b, world and americana artists take the stage. This will be the first original style Bluesfest since the world re-opened. Last year primarily featured Australian and New Zealand Artists. Among those making their way down under are Utica’s own and renowned blues guitarist, Joe Bonamassa, bluegrass music innovators Greensky Bluegrass and jam-band favorites, Southern Avenue.
Bluesfest 2022 daytime
What is Bluesfest All-About?
Bluesfest is held over five days at the Byron Events Farm each easter long weekend. Event facilities include seven performance stages, nine licensed bars and two undercover food courts. There are many independent food vendors, car parking for over 7,000 vehicles and camping for up to 6,500 people.
In the coming weeks, Bluesfest will release more of the line-up, along with artist performance dates so that both day-trippers and 3-day ticket holders can make an informed choice. There will also be further announcements on two special satellite events happening in Melbourne and Perth.
And more good news is that ticket prices, camping and VIP tickets remain the same as 2022’s prices. That’s despite the significant increase in cost of international flights and freight logistics, with artist fees also on the rise. Bluesfest will also invest in upgrading the VIP area in order to give its supporters the best experience possible. For the campers that seek a“class above” experience you can upgrade to the Rainbow Tipi accommodation this year.
Whilst there are still plenty of Aussie artists listed in this first and upcoming announcements it is wonderful to once again in 2023, after four long years be able to bring back some of the greatest Blues, Roots, Soul, Rock, Hip Hop, R&B, World and Americana artists (and so much more) back to our shores after so long. As well as, of course, the stars of tomorrow.
– Peter Noble, Festival Director
Tickets for Bluesfest are now available and can be purchased on their official website. While only the 5-day passes are on sale for now, Bluesfest also offers 3-day and single-day passes.
Accessible Festivals officially launched its Dan Grover Memorial Ticket Grant Program this week, providing a limited number of free access tickets to recreational experiences like concerts, festivals, and conventions for disabled music fans and their loved ones. This marks a huge step forward towards accessibility for all throughout major events across the U.S.
Pictured: Past recipient Cindy Navarro at Escape Festival
Accessible Festivals is partnering with the largest festivals in the country, such as Austin City Limits Music Festival, BottleRock Napa Valley, Electric Daisy Carnival, Lollapalooza, Rolling Loud NY, Stagecoach and more. The idea was born out of the organization’s founder, Austin Whitney’s own personal experience. In 2007, Whitney was injured in a car accident that severed his spinal cord and paralyzed him from the waist down. He became consumed with depression and anxiety about his new life living with a disability.
Photo credit: Abbey Madrid Stagecoach
After some time, Whitney attended his first music festival, Coachella. For the first time since his injury, he was able to simply enjoy life. With the realization of the importance of festival accessibility, he decided to devote his life to ensuring people of all abilities can have an equal opportunity to experience live music and recreational activities to the fullest extent possible.
Photo credit: TJ Hayes Lollapalooza
Dan Grover was born on December 6, 1962, in rural New Jersey. At an early age, he was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy, a genetic condition that deteriorates muscular strength over time, and began using a wheelchair for mobility at the age of 21.
Dan was responsible for implementing and improving ADA operations at some of the nation’s largest music festivals including Electric Forest, Outside Lands, Life is Beautiful, and many more. He helped ensure thousands of disabled guests were able to see the show safely and comfortably and was a fierce advocate for greater inclusion and accessibility for all.
In an unfortunate turn of events, Dan passed away on July 27, 2022. This program is intended to keep Dan’s legacy alive and honor him by sharing his passion for music and continuing to help other people with disabilities see the show.
In September, 2021 The Fugees and Pras Michel made headlines with a performance at Pier 17. It was their first show as a group in 15 years. With the trio later announcing a world tour of very selective dates and venues. In Fugees fashion, the tour was later canceled to the chagrin of fans. Lauryn Hill broke the news in January of 2022 with a statement.
Although a disappointment, Covid-19 complications seemed reasonable given the major cities the tour was due to hit. The addition of international stops in France, UK, Nigeria, Ghana along with their varied covid regulations made things more arduous. Rather, the Fugees, whoeach have gone through legal troubles, find another one of their own entangled with the law.
Pras Michel’s Legal Troubles Come to Light
This time it seems as if Pras Michel’s legal hardships are what is holding up the much-anticipated reunion tour. In 2019, Michel and Malaysian financier, Low Taek Jho (known as “Jho Low”), were charged in a four-count indictment. The duo were accused of illegally funnelling (money laundering) foreign campaign contributions into the 2012 U.S. presidential election. After pleading not guilty and rejecting a plea deal in 2019, Michel was once again charged by the federal government. In 2021, Michel and Jho Low were accused of running a back-channel campaign to get the Trump administration to drop the investigation and getting a billionaire dissident returned to China.
Pras Michel served as the group’s business mind. Executive producing their hit-album, The Score.
Michel’s primary charges stem from the misuse and money laundering of Malaysia’s 1MDB slush-fund, run by Jho Low. According to the indictment, between June and November 2012, Low directed the transfer of approximately $21,600,000 to Michel. Michel’s role includes the disbursement of the money in $865,000 increments to about 20 different straw donors, whose jobs were to make the donations in their own name, in order to hide the source of the funds. Michel was reportedly paid at least $8 million and up to $40 million in his role assisting Low.
Where Does Michel Now Stand?
Despite his previous and latest charges, Michel performed alongside Hill at and Jean at the September, 2021 Pier 17 show and was scheduled to partake in the reunion tour.
However, according to Puck, it was the Justice Department that would not allow Michel to leave on an international tour, which included performances in Paris and London. Michel’s trial will take place in Washington D.C. on November 4. Always considered the third Fugees, Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean reunited at this summer’s Essence Festival in New Orleans. The duo performed a medley of hits without Michel.
Each Sunday evening from 7-9 P.M. 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 El Modernist and Stellar Young.
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 and showcases new music on EQXposure. 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.
El Modernist – “Red State” “Lines”
El Modernist is an indie band from Albany, delivering new takes on what is considered indie rock. They mix genres and have a psychedelic sound with pulsating hooks and melodies. Their brand new album, Eras is out now, and their songs “Red State” and “Lines” will be played on EQXposure.
Stellar Young – “Hitting Reset”
Stellar Young is an indie-rock band from Albany, comprised of John Glenn (vox/keys), Erik Flora (guitar/vox), Kyle Hatch (guitar), Dave Parker (producer), and Tim Brosnan (drums). Their song “Hitting Reset” off of their 2015 record Vessels will be played on EQXposure Sunday Night.
Make sure to tune into EQXposure on Sunday from 7-9 P.M. on WEQX to hear these songs, and more.
On Thursday, Oct. 6 at 8 p.m., Sara Bareilles will play a full-length benefit concert at The Capitol Theatre in support of Pace Women’s Justice Center. The Raising the Bar Benefit Concert with Bareilles marks PWJC’s 30th year of protecting thousands of women and children.
Pace Women’s Justice Center is a nonprofit legal center located at Pace University. The self-funded center provides legal services to over 3,500 victims and survivors of domestic abuse. PWJC offers services, community partnerships, education, and awareness.
A Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, Bareilles recently finished an engagement of “Into The Woods” on Broadway. Known in music for her powerful lyrics and piano-based pop sound, Bareilles has also had an impressive career as a singer, actress, and author.
It is thrilling to have Sara Bareilles collaborate on our benefit concert to raise awareness for victims of domestic violence … at a time when the rights of so many are being challenged, it is imperative to continue our work, protecting the rights of women and victims of abuse.
Cindy Kanusher, Executive Director for PWJC
The Raising the Bar Benefit Concert honors PWJC’s commitment to increasing access to justice and providing free legal services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The monies raised from the event at The Capitol Theatre will allow the PWJC to continue helping those who need it.
During the concert, the center will also honor Pam Kaufman, President and CEO of International Markets, Global Consumer Products & Experiences at Paramount Global with their Making a Difference Award. PWJC gives the award each October to an individual who dedicates support to the PWJC mission and its clients.
For more information about the benefit concert, and for tickets, visit The Capitol Theatre’s website, here.
Darien Center will host Folkfaces Fest 6 from September 29th through October 2nd at Cherry Hill Campground, a perfect fall music festival in Western New York.
Folkfaces Fest is an emerging grassroots-style music festival hosted by Tyler Westcott & his band Folkfaces. Situated 40 minutes from Buffalo and less than an hour from Rochester, Folkfaces Fest welcomes a variety of bands and vendors with activities for kids of all ages.
The festival has three areas for performances – The Greystone Stage (main stage), The Gage Stage (side woods stage), and the Slyboots Tent (a large circus tent for performance, workshops, activities and more).
Folkfaces Fest curates unique national and regional acts mostly of the roots music or world music variety. Over the last half a decade the festival has hosted many notable performers including Grammy award winning co-founder of the Carolina Chocolate Drops Dom Flemons “the American Songster,” champion fiddler & ragtime banjoist Aaron Jonah Lewis, Viral YouTube sensation Abby the Spoon Lady, folk hero Bruce Molsky, ragtime blues guitarist Andy Cohen, Kentucky Colonel and front man of the Legendary Shack Shakers – JD Wilkes, Texas one man band, Scott H. Biram, Innovative folk duo Richie Stearns & Rosie Newton, freak folk legend Baby Gramps, and many many others…
Food vendors will be on hand with healthy options as well as standard fair fare. Don’t miss art and craft vendors in the artist village, where there will be held the yearly film fest, square dance, art installations, a paint wall, mycology foray, & workshops with artists. This years theme has been announced as “Denim & Dogs” so dress up in your best Canadian Tuxedo and bring your pup to the fest.
The festival will be accepting donations of lightly worn winter coats, unopened packages of socks and underwear, canned good and non-perishables at the gate to benefit Friends of Night People!
In a slight change from years past, camping is now a separate fee. Once you purchase your festival pass, visit cherryhillcamp.com to book your campsite. While RVs sites and Cabins are sold out, plenty of tent sites remain.
Cherry Hill Camp is a well manicured campground with 50 campsites scattered through out its 63 acres. Each with their own picnic table and fire ring. A few unfurnished barebones cabins. A bathhouse with 6 flush toilets and two showers, laundry and vending machines. There are numerous spigots with potable water spread throughout the festival grounds. A camp store with all your camping supply needs, snacks, drinks and more. Cherry Hill Campground is located at 1516 Sumner Road, Darien Center NY 14040
Folkfaces Fest 6 is sponsored by Sportsmens Americana Music Foundation, Jack Rabbit, Rigidized Metals, The Big Easy In Buffalo, The Fretted Buffalo, Bernunzio’s Uptown Music, The Hotel Crittenden, Allentown Music, 42 North Brewing Company, ANIAH, Slyboots School of Music, Art & Dance, Lavender Haze Collective and Meier’s Creek Brewing.
Hellbound Train is an astounding double-album retrospective from the always revelatory American guitarist Steve Tibbetts, a stalwart innovator who has been associated with ECM Records for 13 albums over 40 years.
Tibbetts has one of the widest palates in the world of guitar. His music features alternately tuned 12-string acoustics that trigger lush samples from a wide library he has created – Tibetan long horns, gongs and even his wife’s tuned wine glasses. And no one can create a more fearsome sound with an electric guitar. Tibbetts combines a vintage Stratocaster with a Marshall JCM 800 to create feedback that he compares to “sheet metal being torn to pieces.” Tibbetts can tap and slur with the best of them, with his electric sounding like an uncaged animal and his acoustic melodies bearing a sitar-like tonality. He complements this with electric kalimba, dobro, percussion and piano to complete his always melodic compositions.
Since the beginning of his career, Steve Tibbetts has been supported by the incredible tribal cum gamelan rhythms of percussionist Marc Anderson, surely one of the most underrated musicians working today. Minnesota-based Tibbetts has traveled widely. He has lived and collaborated with musicians in Tibet, Nepal and Bali, something that infuses his music with colors and beats that are truly unique.
Hellbound Train is divided in two chapters. The first disc is largely a showcase for his dazzling electric side; the second his acoustic and more peaceful ethereal leanings. The anthology juxtaposes pieces originally featured on the albums Northern Song, Safe Journey, Exploded View, Big Map Idea, The Fall Of Us All, A Man About A Horse, Natural Causes and Life Of. The guitarist’s goal was not to create a “Best Of”with bits from every album, but a collection of pieces that flowed best together.
The album opener, “Full Moon Dogs,” enters with polyrhythmic hand drums and shakers supporting Tibbett’s vocal choir chants and sitar-like melodies from his treated acoustic. At the four-minute mark, things get more hellacious with the entrance of Tibbett’s fuzz fried Strat and groaning whammy bar antics. “Black Temple” opens with an orchestral acoustic and tinkering temple bells and Anderson’s sandy, scrapy percussion. More animal melodies from Tibbett’s electric as the pulse and tempo accelerates.
I am delighted that side one features the tune that turned my head and turned me on to Tibbetts, “Vision” from his 1984 album, Safe Journey. It has everything I and you are sure to love about Tibbetts. There’s an intro with tablas and shakers supporting a simple melody played by Tibbetts on his kalimba. After a slight breakdown for percussion at 1:45, Tibbetts roars in with drawn out notes of his fuzzed-out Strat before moving into the melody, with slurs, taps and harmonics. Interestingly he get this thick maelstrom of guitar splendor without an effects boxes, just with every dial on his amp turned up to 10.
It’s music ancient and modern, music of both the soil and deep space.
Disc 2 showcases Tibbetts’ unique approach to acoustic. Rock fans will have their minds expanded by his cover of Jimmy Page’s “Black Mountain Slide.” Tibbetts’ take is infused with other worldly ambience from his sample-generating 12-string and driven by Anderson’s excellent tabla drumming. In places, it brings to mind the work of John McLaughlin’s Indian acoustic band, Shakti. The Indonesian-flavored “Wish” provides a distinct gamelan vibe while “The Big Wind” is all airy guitars and ambience at first, leading to a rhythmic pulse and kalimba melody before an outro of heavenly sustained guitars climax. These pieces show that, in the hands of Tibbetts, an acoustic guitar can be orchestra with all the color of a philharmonic and the warmth of a large concert hall.
Since the 1970s, ECM Records has been a platform for not only some of the most virtuosic and original musicians on the planet, but a producer many of the best sounding and engineered albums ever made. Along with Tibbetts, ECM has been home to monster guitarists’ guitarists like Norwegian Terje Rypdal, John Abercrombie, Ralph Towner, David Torn and Eivind Aarest. And it’s let them not only stretch their wings conceptually, but produces some of the most attractive album packaging to showcase these superlative sounds .
With its liquid melodies and textures, its hypnotic beats and pulsations subtly influenced by musics of many cultures, Hellbound Train is an ideal introduction to the work of one of the world’s most consistently original guitarists.
