Even though it may be 200 miles to the nearest (ocean) beach, Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs is heating things up – aloha style – to kick off the Saratoga Summer. On Thursday, June 9, Saratoga Living will present The Jagaloons with special guest DJ BoyBoy for “Beach Please.”
Hailing from Albany, The Jagaloons play guitar-driven, reverb-drenched, all-instrumental rock and roll. This trio takes the surf music of the 1960s and adds modern and eclectic influences, creating their own unique sound. The Jagaloons have performed all over the Northeast since 2015 and have released a couple of full length albums on UK-based Sharawaji Records.
Throw on your most sizzling upscale resort wear, with Tiki-chic beach attire encouraged – photos will be taken for the next issue of Saratoga Living.
“Beach, Please” Summer Kickoff attendees will receive:
A welcome tiki cocktail by Wine and Liquor Shop of Malta
Sip of Sunshine tastings and more beer from Lawson’s Finest Liquids
North Country’s premier post-outlaw country band, Austin and the In-Laws, have just released their newest album titled “Songs From the Woodshed.” The album just came out on May 10th, giving their audience original tunes of cold weather country delivered in our signature post-outlaw style. They will be coming to play in Plattsburgh on June 24th, at Elf’s Farm Winery 5:00pm.
The band is formerly known as “Cash Journey,” due to their covers of the classic outlaw country style music by Johnny Cash. If you want an evening of country classics and original tunes, be sure to check out the upcoming show dates from the In-Laws.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXMopxSHi1o
Regardless of their covers of Johnny Cash’s infamous songs, the band has just released their first original album. The band produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered all the songs on this album. Check out these five new original tunes in the classic outlaw country style.
The band is made up of four talented members including Austin Petrashune (Vocals, guitar, piano), Matt Hall (Drums), Ann Petrashune (Bass), and Reggie Duncan (Pedal steel guitar on Dark As Dusk). They are often seen on social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and more covering Johnny Cash’s infamous songs like “I Walk The Line” and “Folsom Prison Blues.”
Upcoming shows
June 17th, 6:00 pm, Austin and the In-Laws in Keeseville
June 24th, 5:00 pm, Austin and the In-Laws at Elf’s! in Plattsburgh
July 9th, 4:30 pm, Austin Petrashune plays the music of Austin and the In-Laws in Bloomingdale
You can find lyrics, upcoming shows on their Bandcamp page linked here.
NYC based indie sensations, Back to Yours, have released their highly anticipated single “MONSTER,” which came to Spotify on April 22nd. This is the first single off of their sophomore album, It’s Dangerous at Home, the band’s second full-length album which is scheduled for release this fall. Additionally, the band will be releasing two more singles coming this later this summer.
“MONSTER” is a catchy headbanger, consisting of pop and hard rock influences. Because of it’s up-tempo pace, the song was written from the perspective of someone being chased by their sleep paralysis demon. By blending the unique euphonious music taste of each band member, Back to Yours produces warm, nostalgic, and accessible indie rock with a range of genre-spanning influences.
This upcoming a five-piece indie-rock group began playing together in the Spring of 2019, right when the pandemic started. Consisting of Aiden Jones (bass), Bryce Kassalow (vocals, guitar), Daniel Luttway (vocals, keys), Jiaan Mansuri (drums), and Tommy Levin (guitar). Originally meeting at Georgetown University sophomore year, the boys would go on to preform Beatles covers for their locals. This quickly turned into sold out performances all along the East Coast.
The boys ended up graduating remotely, and have managed to stay together to create, perform, and publish music regardless of the Covid pandemic. Despite all of the challenges they’ve overcome, Back to Yours will be having a big NYC show at the Bowery Ballroom on June 10th. You won’t want to miss the newer direction the band has taken in order to evolve with the constantly changing indie-alternative scene.
For more information about Back to Yours and their upcoming shows, please visit the link here.
Their latest single “MONSTER” is available for download on Spotify, Bandcamp, and more. In check out this catchy headbanger, click the link here.
Venturing to the Village of Lake George is a typical Memorial Day Weekend activity for many in the greater 518 region, as the picture-perfect gateway to the Adirondacks offers a taste of summer up and down Canada Street. For those looking to start their summer with live music, the first annual Memorial Meltdown provided a fresh start to a season of live music in Lake George, with a lineup of regional favorites, highlighted by four sets of Twiddle.
Saturday began with The Whiskey Dicks, featuring Ryan Dempsey & Joe Cirotti, a self-described flaccid rock band from Burlington. Cirotti is a multi-instrumentalist from in Hackettstown, NJ who performs solo and with his rock band, Only Living Boy.
With the threat of rain passing the region, Marble Eyes filled in the late afternoon with rock and roll for the soul. Born in 2020 from the pandemic, Marble Eyes features a collection of New Hampshire Seacoast musicians, Eric Gould (Pink Talking Fish, Bass/Vocals), Mike Carter (Guitar/Vocals), Adrian Tramontano (Kung Fu, The Breakfast, Drums) and Max Chase (Keyboards/Vocals).
North Country legends Lucid brought the party into the early evening, with percussionist Lowell Wurster welcoming his father, George, to the stage to play harmonica on “Backwoods” and sang on The Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues,” joining Ryan “Rippy” Trumbull (drums), Kevin Sabourin (guitar and vocals), Jamie Armstrong (saxophones, clarinet and vocals), Chris Shacklett (bass, trombone and vocals), and Andrew Dellar (keyboards, accordion and vocals).
Jack Brown (Sophistafunk) and Lowell Wurster (Lucid) – photo by Laura Carbone
Twiddle played their first two sets of the weekend with Adrian Tramontano filling in for Brook Jordan. If you’ve caught Twiddle in the past few months, you know the shift in their sound is apparent with the energetic Tramontano elevating the playing of his three on-stage counterparts. The second set closed with the newest single, the radio friendly “Beautiful,” off Twiddle’s upcoming studio album.
Set 1: Earth Mama, Stroganoff, Daydream Farmer, White Light, The Devil, Jamflowman [1]
Set 2: Enter -> [2] Orlando’s -> Apples -> Mamunes the Faun -> Dr. Remidis Melodium -> Orlando’s, Breakadidown, Beautiful [3]
Encore: Beethoven & Greene -> Frankenfoote
[1] – Contained Layla teases [2] – Contained I Dreamed a Dream teases [3] – First time played
Another gorgeous day in Lake George was accompanied by five sets of music, starting with Long Island’s Baked Shrimp. The group is on the heels of their recent release, Pork Etiquette, and just about to embark on a 50 show summer tour, capped off in September with their second annual LonCon Music Festival, held in Bethel at Yasgur’s Farm.
Sophistafunk, fresh from a trip to Los Angeles where the Syracuse funk group recorded an appearance for an upcoming TV show, dropped a funk filled set. Roots of Creation followed, opening up their set with a pair of Grateful Dead covers, “They Love Each Other” and “Scarlet Begonias,” a rousing response coming from the late afternoon crowd.
photo by Laura Carbone
For Twiddle’s first set of the evening, the upbeat opener “Collective Pulse” (which has a distinct ring of Warren Zevon’s “Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead,” prior to the refrain) was followed by “Hattiebagen McRat” and Lowell Wurster joining the band on washboard. When he was introduced, Mihali was sure to give a nod to the many years Twiddle played at Backwoods Pondfest in Peru, NY, a festival favorite for many that elicited cheers from across the commons.
Following “Lost in the Cold” a jazzy segue into “Doinkinbonk!!!” evolved into a keys/drums segment that channeled Umphrey’s McGee with its velocity and new wave tone. The energy that Tramontano brought to the stage added greatly to the night, and was on display in a cover of Primus’ “Too Many Puppies.”
The final set of Memorial Meltdown began with “Milk” and was highlighted by “Wasabi Eruption” -> “The Box” and “Latin Tang” seguing into Led Zeppelin’s “Fool In The Rain.” An encore of Radiohead’s “Creep” -and the perennial crowd sing-along “When It Rains It Pours” closed out the evening at 11pm, the crowd dispersing into the night.
Promoter Dave Ehmann made the first Memorial Meltdown a rousing success, channeling the energy of the summer into two music-filled days. With ADK Fest over Labor Day weekend in Lake George, make plans to be visit the Queen of American Lakes later this summer.
Set 1: Collective Pulse, Hattibagen McRat [1], Lost In The Cold -> Doinkinbonk!!! -> Too Many Puppies -> [2] Doinkinbonk!!!, Zazu’s Flight, Frends Theme [3]
Set 2: Milk, Syncopated Healing, Wasabi Eruption -> The Box, Latin Tang -> Fool In The Rain -> [4][5] Latin Tang [5], Slippin’ In The Kitchen
Encore: Creep -> [6] When It Rains It Pours [7]
[1] Lowell Wurster (Lucid) on washboard [2] Primus [3] w/ Scott Hannay on keytar [4] Led Zeppelin [5] w/ Scott Hannay on guitar [6] Radiohead [7] Contained ‘My Heart Will Go On’ and ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ teases
PRIDE is back, and New York State has dozens of celebrations, parades and events across the state. Celebrating PRIDE in also 2022 means live music and in person events, with a huge slate of events in all parts of the state. Kick off your summer with PRIDE month gatherings from Albany to Buffalo, Watertown to Long Island and NYC and all points in between.
Albany
June 12, 12-5pm – The signature Capital Region Pride event – the Capital Pride Parade & Festival – is one of the largest Pride celebrations in the Northeast. The parade kicks off on State Street at noon, with Pride Fest held in Washington Park with live music, theatrical performances, and Albany’s Annual Drag Revue.
June 11, 12-5pm – In Our Own Voices will hold their 16th Annual Say It Loud! Black & Latino Gay Pride Celebration, an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of LGBTQ+ persons of color in the Capital Region. The main celebration will be held in Washington Park in Albany with performances from London Jae Precise, Aja, Jewel the Gem, and more.
Schenectady
June 4 – 2:30-6pm – Schenectady Pride will host their 10th annual festival at Gateway Plaza where the Rainbow Pride Arches are next to SUNY Schenectady. The Pride Festival features live entertainment, DJ RVMBA, Schdy Musical Theater & Drag Show, with food, drink and merchandise vendors along with local non-profits and more.
Binghamton
June 4 – Noon – Pride 2022 in Binghamton begins with a ceremonial flag raising by Mayor Jared Kraham.
June 4 – 4:30pm – join the Pride Protest Party at Peacemakers Stage, organized by Black queer and trans organizers from Binghamton. This year features local speakers, musicians, food/drinks, kid’s activities and the main event of the night, a Drag Show hosted by Vivi Nox.
June 11 – 12-6 PM. Pride-Palooza is held in Otsiningo Park. Bring blankets and chairs while listening to live entertainment with a drag show and The Binghamton Pride Idol Contest.
Hudson Valley
June 2, 7:30 pm – Rainbow flag-raising ceremony at Hudson City Hall (520 Warren St., Hudson)
June 3 – 6-9PM – Hastings-on-Hudson Friday Night Pride Parade will be held on Warburton Avenue.
June 4 – 2pm – Parade (from 7th St. Park to the end of Warren at Front Street, Hudson)
June 4 – 12 noon – Duchess County Pride Center Youth Pride Picnic, Bowdoin Park (85 Sheafe Rd, Wappingers Falls)
June 5, 12 – 5 pm – Hudson Valley Pride Coalition Pride March (New Paltz Middle School, 196 Main St, New Paltz) and Festival (Hasbrouck Park, Mohonk and Tricor Avenues, New Paltz).
June 5 – 4 pm – Out Loud Hudson Valley Pride Tea Dance, Featuring local DJ Bill Coleman, The Hudson House & Distillery (1835 Rte 9W, West Park)
June 5 – 11:30 AM-5 PM –Westchester Pride is back with host for the day, Olivia Lux, a former contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race. The day-long celebration happens in downtown White Plains, kicking off with a flag raising in Renaissance Plaza. There is a pet parade and there will be a Family Zone with special games and treats and Broadway Sings for Pride returns with Broadway stars and local performers belting out showtunes. Speakers throughout the day will discuss challenges the LGBTQIA+ community continues to face.
June 11 – 12 – 5 pm – PKGO Pride Parade and Festival in Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County Pride Center, PKGO Pride Parade and Festival, Parade: At Market and Main Streets in front of the Bardavon Theater, Poughkeepsie, Festival: Waryas Park (Main St, Poughkeepsie)
June 11 – 7:30 pm – 1 am – Peekskill Pride, Dramatic Hall (900 Main St, Peekskill)
June 12 – 12-5 PM – Celebrate Rockland Pride with a day of music, dancing, and fun for the whole family. Downtown Nyack will close its streets to traffic to allow for strolling, shopping, and dining, with live performances by Frankie D and The Boys and special guests, plus the crowning of Mx. Rockland County Pride.
June 12 – 1 PM – Celebrate the third annual PUTNAM PRIDE in Brewster Village. The event begins at 1 Main Street with a march to Wells Park, 98 Oak Street, with speakers, vendors, and music to follow, with Angel Elektra and Shay D’Pines! Park at the Metro North train station as there is limited accessible parking at Wells Park. Bring a blanket/chairs, but no pets.
June 18 –12 – 4 pm – Newburgh Pride in the Park, Downing Park (123 Carpenter Ave, Newburgh)
June 1 – 12 PM– Saratoga Flag Raising, Saratoga Springs City Hall
June 11 – 12PM – Flag Day Parade – Join Saratoga Pride to march in the annual parade down Broadway in Saratoga Springs.
June 24 – 8:30 PM – late night – PRIDE Party at Putnam Place
June 26 – 2-5 PM – Saratoga Pride Festival, High Rock Park, Live Music, Family Activities, Community Groups and More.
June 26 – 5-7 PM – Pride After-Party – Solevo Kitchen + Social, 55 Phila St, Saratoga Springs.
Syracuse
June 9 – 6:35pm – The Syracuse Mets show their Pride at the annual Pride Night at NBT Bank Stadium in Syracuse. The first 500 fans to arrive at the game (against Scranton) will receive a Syracuse Mets Pride Jersey and the first 1,000 get a Pride flag. A portion of the proceeds of tickets purchased from this link will go to CNY Pride. Fans can take their seventh-inning stretch at the 315 Bullpen Bar, where DJ Joe Driscoll will be spinning tunes.
Watertown
June 17-19 – Celebrate Pride in the Thousand Islands all weekend long and beyond! Watertown Pride (New York) is three-days of celebrations around the historic downtown core of the small (20,000 residents) city along the Black River. It starts on Friday’s at the kickoff party at the historic Paddock Arcade, with The Paddock Club supplying food and drink specials. Then check out drag show performances at Savory Downtown. Saturday hundreds turn out for the annual Pride flag raising at City Hall, then head up to historic Olmstead-designed Thompson Park overlooking the city to be part of “Out in the Park,” a family-friendly event with live music and the popular 5K Color Run. Saturday night ends with a traveling Drag show and a majestic fireworks display at Duffy Fairgrounds. Sunday winds the weekend down with the annual Tea Dance at Garland City Beer Works, a local LGBTQIA+-owned brewery.
June 18 – 9 AM-3PM – River Pride features celebrations taking place all along the St. Lawrence River in communities like Cape Vincent, Clayton, and Alexandria Bay.
Rochester
July 16 – parade 1 PM, free, festival 2-8 PM, general admission: $5. VIP: $50 – After a two-year absence, the Rochester Pride Parade is back, thanks to the ROC Pride Collective, to mark the 50-year anniversary of Rochester’s first organized Pride events. The parade begins at 1 PM on Park Avenue and ends at Cobb Hill Park, where the celebration of Pride and community continues with Pride Fest with food trucks, wine and beer for sale, vendor tables, games and activities, and a designated play area for kids. There will be live music all day long, with surprise performances.
Catskills
June 18 – 1-6 PM– The hamlet of Callicoon comes together for Catskills Pride 2022. Entertainment will take place at several venues and local businesses will offer special food, drinks, and activities. Party like it’s prom night at The Callicoon Marketplace, whose merchants are coming together to provide 1970s dresses and tuxedos, and photo booths to capture you in those stylish threads. Callicoon Theater will feature LGBTQIA+ films and programming all day long. There’ll also be an event to honor the 20th anniversary of the Day to be Gay Foundation, a non-profit founded locally to support LGBTQIA+ youth.
The entire hamlet will be visually transformed by a professional event designer who is curating it with a Pride aesthetic. The focal point of events is Celebration Station, connecting Upper Main to Lower Main Street activities. This is where attendees can regroup and grab some shade, water, and snacks. The Catskills Pride afterparty will take place at the Delaware Youth Center from 8-11:30 PM. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. All ages are welcome.
Finger Lakes
June 4 – 11 AM-4 PM – Pride festivities begin in Centerway Square in Corning with Drag Queen Story Hour at 11 AM. At noon, radio personality Ally Payne will host activities, live trivia, and giveawayswith a DJ taking over to spin tunes until 4 PM. The Pride Car Parade begins in Elmira at noon and the caravan of cars and trucks, adorned in Pride-themed regalia, make their way down Market Street around 12:45 PM. Corning businesses are celebrating Pride, with shops, restaurants, and cafes on Market Street holding sales and special events like karaoke. The Corning Museum of Glass and The Rockwell Museum offer free admission (June 4-12) to everyone who attends the Car Parade.
Ithaca
June 26 – Pride Week Kick Off at Buffalo Street Books** – Check out special book lists for all ages at the bookstore and join us in kicking off the celebration of our LGBTQIA+ Community!
June 27 – Planned Parenthood PreP Meet and Greet on the Commons for HIV Testing Day
June 28 – 7-9pmCinemapolis Stonewall Anniversary Documentary Screening – Pay It No Mind: The Life and Times of Marsha P Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, Trans Movement Founder
July 2 – 11 am-1 pm – Youth Drag/Fashion Show, partnered with Tompkins County Public Library LGBTQIA+ Youth Programming attendees, coordinated by Regina DeMauro/TCPL Youth Programming.
July 2 1-5 pm – Music/Performances/Circus on the Bernie Milton Pavilion
July 2 – 6-8 pm – Drag Show*with host: Kyla Minx, Performers: Nigel Lestat, Femme de Violette, more TBD
July 3 – 2pm-6pm Family Picnic in Dewitt Park performances by the Ithaca Gay Men’s Chorus, AFAB4, and Jonah Hirst.
Buffalo
June 1 – Flag-raising ceremonies will be held at Artpark (9 AM), Niagara Falls State Park (10:30 AM), Niagara Falls City Hall (12 PM), and Lockport City Hall (2 PM).
June 1 – Niagara Falls will be lit up with Pride colors this evening.
June 5 – 11 AM-7PM – The week of celebration culminates with the Pride Parade. Bring your friends, family and chosen family to watch the floats march down Elmwood Avenue in celebration of our history and all who make up our vibrant LGBTQ+ community here in Western New York.
June 5 – 1-7 pm – Immediately following the Pride Parade, head to Canalside for a vibrant celebration of Western New York’s LGBTQ+ community, featuring entertainment, family-friendly activities, food and beverages, live performances as well as nonprofit and retail vendors.Tickets are available for purchased at buffaloprideweek.com
June 24 – 7:30pm – The rock-confessional musical, ¡Oso Fabuloso & The Bear Backs!, which tells the story of a queer Latine Bear named Oso Fabuloso (C. Julian Jiménez), who has recently been dumped by a two-timing Daddy bear. Oso seeks the help of his therapist Dr. Calvo (P.K. Variance), who convinces him to sing the blues away. Oso goes on tour with his therapist and his two best friends, Gummy (Vasilios Leon) and Grizz (Joseph Distl), hoping it will cure him of his romantic woes.
June 25 – 7:30pm – A heartfelt and hilarious one-woman show by Maureen Muldoon travels the journey of coming out as transgender from the point of view of the mother of a transgender child. The goal of Trans-Parent Love is to promote conversations that help people talk about the questions, concerns, and commonalities we have with each other. A discussion is held after the show where a panel of parents can share their stories. Tickets for both shows are available here.
New York City
June 4 – 12-7 PM – Open Streets + Brooklyn Pop-Up. The Fifth Avenue BID in Park Slope holds Brooklyn Pop-Up from Union Street to Sterling Place, bringing in over 50 vendors with everything from cards and ceramic art to roti and African baskets. DJ Disco Czech will be setting the vibe; find him on 5th between St Johns and Sterling Place.
June 5, 7, 8, 10 – Rufus Wainwright will hold a “Rufus Does Judy” residency on four nights in the first half of June at City Winery.
June 5 – Queens Pride with the Queens Public Library, Queens
June 10 – 6pm, June 12 – 5pm – ChamberQUEER Pride Festival Part of The Future Is… Festival ChamberQUEER is a multifaceted organization with the mission of highlighting historically underrepresented queer figures in western classical music and providing an intersectionally inclusive space within western classical music for artists and audience. ChamberQUEER 2022 opens their two-show engagement at National Sawdust on June 10. The concert weaves musical worlds together through reflective improvisations that converse with multifaceted experiences of queerness across the centuries. Confirmed performers for June 10 include violinist Mazz Swift and baritone vocalist Lucas Bouk alongside the core ChamberQUEER ensemble of Jules Biber, Danielle Buonaiuto, Brian Mummert and Andrew Yee.
The June 12 performance highlights Gay Guerrilla by iconoclastic queer composer Julius Eastman, in a new arrangement for string septet by Jessie Montgomery, and featuring the arranger on violin. The program traces lines to queer modernism of the earlier 20th century, including Benjamin Britten’s Les Illuminations, to the poetry of the visionary Arthur Rimbaud. Confirmed performers for June 12 include Montgomery and soprano vocalist Melissa Wimbish alongside the core ChamberQUEER ensemble of Biber, Buonaiuto, Mummert and Yee. $25 in Advance, $29 Day of Show
June 11 – 11 AM-5 PMCelebrate Brooklyn Pride with a week of exciting events, including Comedy Night at Branded Saloon and Pride Night with the Brooklyn Cyclones at Maimonides Park. Brooklyn Pride Day is Saturday, June 11 with a street festival and entertainment stage, and the twilight Brooklyn Pride Parade starting at 7:30 PM. Bring the kids out on Sunday for Brooklyn Pride’s first-ever Youth Pride.
June 11 – 2-8 PM Yonkers Pride Celebration will be held on Main Street in Downtown Yonkers. The Yonkers Pride Festival is an outdoor event showcasing celebrity entertainment, food, merchandise, activities, and numerous community organizations and will be held rain or shine.
June 17 – 7pm – Bryant Park Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America continues on June 17 with New York City Opera’s annual celebration Pride in the Park. City Opera will also be joined by the LaGuardia High School Choir, directed by Jeanne Cascio. Michael Capasso, General Director of New York City Opera, says, “‘The People’s Opera’ is thrilled to return to our summer home at Bryant Park, where we can continue our mission of free performances for New York audiences.” First-Come, First-Served Entry (All Bryant Park Picnic Performances Are FREE)
Elsewhere in Brooklyn has a series of events planned for Pride Month:
June 25 – 5pm –Dyke March (a protest march, not a parade). The March is a demonstration of the First Amendment right to protest and takes place without permits or sponsors. Thousands of Dykes take the streets each year in celebration of our beautiful and diverse Dyke lives, to highlight the presence of Dykes within our community, and in protest of the discrimination, harassment, and violence we face in schools, on the job, and in our communities.
June 25 – 12-6 PM – Celebrate Pride in the historic neighborhood of Harlem in New York City. Festival-goers will be entertained all day long with live performances, celebrity hosts, and DJs to get everyone up and dancing. This is an event for the whole family. Food and retail vendors will be on hand and there’ll be face painting and a Drag Queen Story Hour. While it’s a day of celebration, Harlem Pride will also be providing practical resources for the community; attendees will find referrals for health, legal, and financial services. Medical testing and health screenings will also be available.
June 25-26 – The premiere LGBTQIA+ music festival experience of Pride Weekend is Pride Island. For the first time ever, celebrate at the new location on Governors Island. Kim Petras headlines NYC Pride’s Pride Island while Lil’ Kim headlines Saturday Pride Island lineup, joining Shenseea, Netta, Raye, and Papi Juice.
June 26 – PrideFest at 11 AM, Parade at 12 PM The NYC Pride March is back for its 53rd year and it’ll be hosted by a slew of celebrity Grand Marshals includingSaturday Night Live’s Punkie Johnson. The parade kicks off at noon at 25th Street and 5th Avenue. NYC PrideFest, the LGBTQ street fair, is back at 4th Avenue between 13th and 9th Streets in Manhattan for musical performances, entertainers, food, activities, and Pride gear from unique vendors.
July 8 – New York City-based Japanese producer and musician rei brownhas released his second single, “Thinking Bout You,” featuring fellow rising Japan-born musician, Joji, where they yearn to be closer to their loved ones. Along with the single, rei brown announces the release of forthcoming full-length album, Xeno, due out July 8, with a sold-out North American tour with keshi underway.
August – Composer, actor and vocalist Boychik, the musical moniker of Ben Levi Ross, recently released their layered, piano-driven single, “Bombed Out Building,” following the debut single “Dust After Rest,” a track that frees Boychik of any gender constraints, and is filled with hope, gratitude and profound authenticity. A full album is expected in August.
Check out even more NYC Pride events below taking place in the days leading up to and following the Pride March and PrideFest. Events range from a circuit party to a symposium to a Broadway Sings concert honoring Taylor Swift.
June 4 – 12pm – The first ever East Hampton Village –and the Hamptons’– first Pride Parade!
June 12 – 12-6 PM – Long Island Pride is back and happening in the Village of Farmingdale for the first time, with 1000s of revelers expected to fill Main Street where the festivities will take place. The day-long celebration will include concerts and a festival with vendors, dancing, live performances, and plenty of food and drinks. The 32nd annual Pride Parade is back in full swing and fully in person for the first time since 2019.
Just days ahead of dropping their latest studio album Dripfield, buzz-worthy psychedelic improv rockers Goose kicked off summer in terrific form over the Memorial Day weekend, playing a pair of well received shows in their home state of Connecticut. Packing the Westville Music Bowl in by the thousands, the former tennis stadium turned live music mecca is quickly becoming a favorite venue for both Goose and fans alike. In the latest chapter, the band raised expectations even higher by capping Night 2 off with two impressive sets of original music.
Goose guitar players Rick Mitarotonda and Peter Anspach duel it out at the Westville Music Bowl on 5/28/22
Taking flight on their turf, the summer of Goose began in New Haven, and in promoting their latest studio effort, Dripfield, the boys came prepared, unveiling a fresh new line of Dripfield themed merch that included a limited-edition beer and their first gig poster by acclaimed artist Miles Tsang. After quick pat down through security, excited fans quickly made a B-line for the venue’s well-run merch both. While an ominous sky still lingered over the Bowl, there seemed to be a minor delay to the advertised start time of 6pm. While waiting, a lot of the conversation was centered on the Tsang diptych print, which appeared to be both polarizing to some collectors, while praised by others. The second most debated topic seemed to be over which state really has the best pizza?
Fresh Merch: The Miles Tsang diptych poster for New Haven was a hot topic of debate on 5/28/22
Taking the stage to a healthy hometown welcome on Saturday, May 28th, OG Goose fans were delighted to hear the opening riff of the song “Drive,” one of the bands earliest songs. Feeling a groovy vibe from the start, the band were all smiles early on. Consisting of guitarist Rick Mitarotonda, keyboardist/guitaristPeter Anspach, drummer Ben Atkind, bassist Trevor Weekz and percussionist Jeff Arevalo — Goose would continue to work their magic with high energy takes on “California Magic” and an excellent version of the ever-evolving “This Old Man’s Boat.” Once looking gloomy, by now the weather had become beautiful and a beach ball party was in full swing, making for a particularly on-point and potent rendition of “Turned Clouds,” the opening track off the bands 2016’s studio debut Moon Cabin.
Goose bassist Trevor Weekz kept his shirt on in New Haven, CT 5/28/22
With his trusty rain stick in hand, the uplifting energy continued as the bands beloved tour manager, Jon “Coach” Lombardi, then pulled up a spot near Trevor to shake things up on “Honey Bee.” Closing the opening set on a high note, Coach would stick around for the irresistible “Empress of Organos,” the same song that launched the band into 2022 during their NYE run. Indeed, this show was a celebration and the hometown homies had come to party.
Jon “Coach” Lombardi helped shake things up via rain stick on Night 2 in New Haven 5/28/22
After a somewhat lengthy intermission, Goose was straight birdn’ upon their return, going deep with the new song “Red Bird.” The party atmosphere picked up some more during “Butter Rum,” which featured some of the loudest cheers and best audience participation of the evening. Showing off a new and improved rig, lighting director Andrew Goedde was simply dazzling during the second half of the show. Vibing perfectly in sync with the band as our musical journey seamlessly shifted from “Echo of a Rose” to a standout version of “Into the Myst,” the latter was played in its entirety for the first time since 11/17/21. Upon its completion, the band members slowly disappeared from the stage in a cloud of, well, mist, triggering an ambient-like loop that would continue through the brief encore break. With subtle teases of “Dripfield” all evening long, when Goose returned for their curtain call, they gave fans the full treatment of their new album’s title track. Jammed all the way until curfew, Goose closed out the second night of their hometown throwdown in top notch form.
Lighting Director Adrew Goeddde showing off his new rig at Westville Music Bowl 5/28/22
A scintillating performance showcasing all original material, stellar musicianship, an impressive light show, fun-loving fans and a charismatic “X” factor that can’t be faked, this is a band worthy of the hype. With a new album and a jam-packed summer officially underway, it’s safe to say Goose are set to soar. For more information on where you can see them, including their debut at Radio City Music Hall and a stop in at Artpark in Lewiston, NY, head to bands website.
Goose | Westville Music Bowl | New Haven, CT | 5/28/2022
Set 1: Drive, California Magic, The Old Man’s Boat, Turned Clouds, Honeybee1, The Empress Of Organos
Set 2: Red Bird, Butter Rum, Echo Of A Rose > Into The Myst2, Dripfield
Encore: Dripfield3
Notes 1. Coach on rain stick 2. First finished Into the Myst since 11/17/21 3. Continued from set-closing rendition
Music Haven in Central Park in Schenectady is back for a lineup of summer concerts, as it kicks off its 32 season of “traveling the world one concert at a time.” The lineup features a variety of national and international touring artists and some theater and film and will be held from July 10–Aug. 27.
This Music Haven season is stacked with Grammy, Blues Music, and other award-winning and nominated artists. Producing Artistic Director, Mona Golub, spoke on the wide variety of music that is going to be at Music Haven.
Given the domestic journeys we’ve endured for the last couple of years, I set my sights on curating an uplifting and unifying season of world class music and events. On top of a boisterous itinerary that includes sun splashed reggae, South Louisiana Zydeco, Balkan party music, harmony-driven bluegrass and more, I am thrilled to present Finnish folk music for the first time, to expand the Blues BBQ to a mini-festival, to welcome DakhaBrakha back for a tribute to Ukraine, and to screen Questlove’s award-winning musical documentary about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Fest in the company of neighbors and friends.
Sammy Miller & The Congregation’s main focus is to share global consciousness through joyful jazz. They expand and enhance America’s original musical art form. They will also have the SUNY Schenectady School of Music Faculty Jazz Combo as a guest.
DakhaBrakha will have a powerful tribute to Ukraine as the phenomenal Ukrainian ‘Ethno-Chaos’ quartet joins them with entrancing vocal roots music of Eastern Europe.
The SSO is performing “A Night at The Movies” – selections from your favorite films, along with some other surprises, with Artistic Director Glen Cortese.
Steep Canyon Rangers are a Grammy-winning, Billboard-chart-toping sextet that plays bluegrass with elements of pop, country, and folk-rock.
Aug. 20—Summer of Soul
Summer of Soulis a multi-award-winning music documentary that pays homage to the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. The festivities begin with soul food, music, art, and community.
The Finish fiddle band Frigg have carved themselves a top-notch spot in folk with their feel-good tunes and amazing musicianship.
Aug. 26–27—Will Kempe’s Players: A Comedy of Errors
Will Kempe’s Players has a twist on a classic Shakespeare comedy, with unexpected role reversals, mistaken identities, and a lot of slapstick humor guaranteed to make you laugh.
The AdHoc-curated Emerging Music Festival will return for the first time since 2019 from June 24-25 as part of Bryant Park’s Picnic Performances, a series of concerts running all summer long.
Both nights of the festival will feature three different acts. The 24th will open up with Benét, a singer-songwriter from Richmond, VA, followed by Brooklyn-based indie-country artist Dougie Poole, with the night being closed by fellow Brooklyn musician Anna Beckerman, better known by her performing alias of Danashevskaya.
Having released two full-length albums to this point, Dougie Poole has uniquely defined himself, melding country songwriting with bedroom pop textures. (photo from Bandcamp)
The following evening will be opened by NYC five-piece rock band 95 Bulls, followed by Talia Goddess, a multi-hyphenate musician and entrepreneur from Brooklyn, with the night being closed out by Reyna Tropical, a duo composed of Mexican-born artists Fabiola Reyna and Sumohair.
With their group tagline being “Queer Love & Afro-Mexico,” Reyna Tropical dedicates their music to raising awareness of social justice causes. (photo found on their website)
Returning for the fifth time since its beginning in 2016, The Emerging Music Festival is the Bryant Park Picnic Performances’ final event of June, with Bryant Park running performances until September 17.
Both nights of performances will also feature a rotating line-up of NYC food and beverage vendors curated by the local Hester Street Fair.
Complete Bryant Park Picnic Performances
May/June June 10: Contemporary Dance: EMERGE125 and Ayodele Casel June 11: Contemporary Dance: Ballet Hispánico’s Social Latin Dance Class and Dance Heginbotham June 17: New York City Opera: Pride in the Park June 18: Contemporary Dance: Juneteenth Celebration with Josh Johnson, Music From The Sole, Earl Mosley’s Diversity of Dance, and More June 24: Emerging Music Festival Curated by AdHoc: Benét, Dougie Poole, and Daneshevskaya June 25: Emerging Music Festival Curated by AdHoc: 95 Bulls, Talia Goddess, and Reyna Tropical
July July 1: Carnegie Hall Citywide: Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble July 8: Carnegie Hall Citywide: The Baylor Project July 15: Carnegie Hall Citywide: Squirrel Nut Zippers July 22: Carnegie Hall Citywide: The Broadway Sinfonietta July 23: Jazzmobile: Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band July 28: Performers TBA July 29: Carnegie Hall Citywide: The Hot Sardines Featuring Nellie McKay
August August 5: Performers TBA August 12: New York City Opera: La traviata August 19: Asian American Arts Alliance: Rafiq Bhatia and Ian Chang August 26: Habibi Festival: Esraa Warda & The Châab Lab, Firas Zreik, Yacine Boularès, and AJOYO August 29: The Town Hall: Eighth Blackbird Celebrates John Cage
September September 2: New York City Opera: Lucia di Lammermoor September 8: Steinway Artists Aaron Diehl and Orrin Evans September 9: Classical Theatre of Harlem September 16: Accordion Festival: Heart of Afghanistan and More September 17: American Symphony Orchestra
There’s something in the air in Beacon. It’s a subtle atmospheric sound that has been emitted on a monthly basis, in the warm weather months, for five years and running. It’s a decidedly low-key, mind expanding, alfresco concert experience called Space Out, Outside.
The event is the brainchild of Beacon-based ambient artist Craig Chin, a guitarist who works under the name Errant Space. It started as an occasional series in 2018 and moved onto a monthly gathering in 2020, as Covid-19 shut down most of the live music business inside area clubs.
According to Chin, Space Out, Outside is “a place for adventurous electronic and experimental musicians to get together and collectively create improvised sounds in the great outdoors.” Weather permitting, the events take place the third Saturday of every month, from 3 – 5 pm, at Polhill Park, adjacent to the Beacon Visitors Center.
Many of the Hudson Valley’s most adventurous ambient and experimental artists have participated or are slated to be featured at this summer’s events. The roster includes Bob Lukomski, Lucas Brode, Al Margolis, Katie Down, Tom Law and Rick Warren of Guitars A Go Go to name a few. Most events are recorded for posterity and can be heard at the Bandcamp page, with details and the schedule of upcoming events can be found here. Chin has also been hosting the monthly Errant Space podcast for seven years. It features collaborations and interviews with like-minded musicians here and abroad. These can be streamed here.
The Hudson Valley is a bit of a hot bed of ambient sound. It’s the home to the annual Quiet Village, an “anti-festival” of sounds whose fourth edition is slated to take place in New Paltz on September 25. It’s also home to Basilica Hudson’s SoundBaths and 24-Hour Drone . And Beacon has also been the site of Halloweening, where musicians perform costumed at The Howland Center on October 31.
The next Space Out, Outside will take place Saturday, June 18 at 3 pm and feature Electr(on)ic Chakra, Scary Mountain Wizard and Errant Space.
Unique NYC duo MoonTree has released their debut EP For the Time We Have Left, an avant-garde, jazz-oriented record that shows the breadth of the duo’s creativity in 20 minutes.
Eight songs long, the tracks on For the Time We Have Left follow loose, unconventional song structures and feature an array of instrumentation. Accents of mandolin and guitar in the waltzy and cybernetic “No Point of Reference,” and hints of oboe and flute in the cold and ambient “On Q” enhance the EP’s character.
Cover art of For the Time We Have Left. (found on Spotify)
Tone-wise, For the Time We Have Left can range from being eerie and moody to light and melodic. The space-agey shuffling of “UNEARTHLY” contrasts the arrhythmia and creepy vocal snippets of “LOCKET/SOLES,” while never ceasing to create an enveloping atmosphere.
The EP is very textural, with MoonTree leaning heavily on reverb and never overplaying themselves on percussion, also subtly implementing vocal samples here and there to add an interesting rhythmic and melodic element.
Especially spacious and free-formed moments like the closer “your tree” reminisce slightly of Arthur Russell’s experimental 1986 album World of Echo, however MoonTree’s songs on For the Time We Have Left are consistently more focused than Russell’s offerings.
The EP is lyrically sparse overall, with Jaya Franceschini’s echoey lounge-esque vocals conveying a general focus on the complexities of romantic intimacy. This is made clear at points where reverb stripped away, such as the duet-spoken word piece “A Shoulder to Rain On” about an intense romantic moment between two lovers with a disjointed saxophone-driven instrumental sitting in the background.
There’s also the more traditional jazz cut “open book” which offers the record’s sole guest feature. Brooklyn rapper Zedikaya’s guest verse is as open-book as possible, with him offering musings about a love affair gone sour. This brief detour offers a change of pace on the EP and gives MoonTree a good opportunity to incorporate their hip-hop influences.
Despite juggling various ideas and influences, this project weaves these concepts together into a cohesive, inspired project. With tight musicianship on display, this duo of Jaya Franceschini and Ben Cuomo gives an inspired showing of what they have to offer on For the Time We Have Left.
