Famed English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello has revealed “100 Songs and More,” a concert series featuring 10 performances at Gramercy Theatre from February 9 to 22.
Promotional poster for the concert series.
Each night will have a completely distinct 10-song setlist, along with “at least ten more” different unprogrammed tracks from Costello’s discography. He’ll perform the first five nights solo, with longtime backing pianist Steve Nieve joining the series for the last five. Tickets go on sale September 23.
Costello wrote a sonnet in promotion of the production:
For ten nights at the Gramercy Theatre I’ll name ten songs to set the scene I’ll play those ten and then ten more Shake off the old routine Each night will tell a different tale So come to one or come to all “100 Songs” is what I promise But twice that number is quite a haul I will start this stand alone, that’s fine Nights One to Five, the Feast Day of St. Valentine Steve Nieve will join me for Nights Six, Seven, Eight & Nine But what else may happen is a secret of mine Let’s just set up the chair or two and play In case some friends turn up along the way
A London native, Costello’s decorated career includes 23 different albums over more than 40 years, including those with his backing bands the Attractions, the Costello Show, and the Imposters. His 1977 solo record My Aim is True has sold platinum in the US, and his most recent album work is his Elvis Costello and the Imposters album The Boy Named If, released in January.
Information regarding tickets and more for Elvis Costello at Gramercy Theatre can be found here.
Flyday, a music festival community that celebrates life and creativity, spirit, heart and soul, returns to the Catskills on September 29 for three days of music, art and movement from 22 regional and national bands on two stages.
Taking place at the 100 + acre Blackthorne Resort (with more than 80 rooms and plenty of camping and RV sites), the music over September 29-October 1 at Flyday Music Festival will include funk, fusion, electrojazz, prog, rock, jamband, bluegrass, reggae, and comedy artists. And that’s in addition to a pool and tiki bar, creek, hiking, a bar and restaurant, a playground and play fields, and even a Haunted House.
This year, Flyday Music Festival steps out of the jam-band box and has curated a lineup for a true music festival featuring truly original, creative, and virtuosic artists in the progressive, jazz-rock fusion, and funk genres.
Artists performing over the weekend at Flyday Music Festival include Ghost-Note, Yam-Yam, Black Rock Funk All Stars (members of Kung-Fu, Deep Banana Blackout and Schleigho, Gnarbot, Screaming Headless Torsos, ShwizZ, Ampevene, Honker, Baked Shrimp, Glass Pony, The Magnetic Pull, Level: Memory, Dr Jah and the Love Prophets, Eugene Tyler Band, Children of the Judge, Laura Leigh & Denise Parent, Sungazer, Now vs Now, and K-Weef.
These artists and special guests will perform on two stages, side-by-side for continuous music throughout the day and night. Among vendors you’ll find Veggie Oasis, Z’licious Caribbean Kitchen, Back Barn Brewery, a masseuse, Earth Tribe artisan vendors, workshops on glass blowing, tie dye and yoga, plus art installations, black light art galleries and live painting.
Arrive on Thursday night for a early arrival funk dance party with improv jams and special guests.
Tickets are $115 for a weekend pass, $60 for Friday only and $70 for Saturday only. Camping costs $25 per person for the weekend (with free showers, flush toilets and a charging station), with RV passes and rooms available via Blackthorne Resort.
If you’re a music lover and dig creative, uber-talented original bands, do not miss Flyday. Tickets available here.
On Friday September 16, 2022 Tom Petty sideman, Mike Campbell, brought his band The Dirty Knobs to Port Chester for their first appearance at the Capitol Theatre. For two hours they did what they love: performing music that is dirty, gritty, with no regrets. Joined by John Sinay on guitar, Matt Laug on drums, and Lance Morrison on bass, Campbell and crew performed songs from their two albums along with much more. Opening with “Wicked Mind” from their latest release External Combustion, the tone was set. This was all about rock ‘n roll.
When Jerry Garcia passed away in 1995, people wondered if the Grateful Dead’s music would live on. Bob Weir and surviving members answered with a resounding, “Yes.” The passing of Tom Petty almost five years ago brings about that same type of question. The Dirty Knobs answered without hesitation.
Mike Campbell and The Dirty Knobs
Petty / Heartbreakers tunes would find their way sprinkled liberally into the night’s setlist. “Even The Losers” started it off early. Then, strapping on his twelve string Rickenbacker, Campbell shared the distinctive opening notes of “Listen To Her Heart.” Late in the evening, the band offered up a dark version of “Refugee.” With the song concluding and the crowd singing the refrain, Mike stepped forward and knelt at the foot of the stage, paying homage to the might rocker from Gainesville, Florida. The spotlight then faded to black offering a sober reminder how fragile life is.
I’m a sinner, with a rebel soul, got a wicked mind, and a heart of gold.
“Wicked Mind”
A few songs into the evening the band broke from its normal performance mode, to share John Lennon’s “Working Class Hero,” acknowledging another fallen soldier. But this was also a night for fun. Campbell had everyone singing along as the night progressed. One of the crowd favorites was “Fuck That Guy”: a tune so named by fellow rocker Chris Stapleton because we all know someone like that.
Alvin Youngblood Hart
Grammy nominated guitarist Alvin Youngblood Hart opened the night. Performing solo, Hart presented his Mississippi inspired style of blues. Throughout his set Alvin would move between electric, resonator, and acoustic guitar, accentuating the different flavors of the genre. To close, Youngblood took a turn north and performed a powerful rendition of Neil Young’s “When You Dance I Can Really Love.”
Mike Campbell and The Dirty Knobs “External Combustion” tour continues through October finishing up November 1 at the Hollywood Bowl.
Madison Square Garden Entertainment have announced that legendary musician and MSG’s first-ever music franchise, Billy Joel, has added another show as part of his record-breaking residency at the world’s most famous arena. Set for Friday, January 13, 2023, the show will mark 133rd lifetime concert at the Garden.
Billy Joel had turned the garden into his personal residency
In December 2013, Billy Joel was named the historic venue’s first-ever music franchise. In doing so, he joined the ranks of other monumental MSG franchises, the New York Knicks and New York Rangers. The record-breaking residency began in January 2014 with Joel playing one show every month at the Garden, “as long as the demand continues.”
Fittingly, Billy Joel is one of the world’s biggest draw, having sold out arenas and stadiums across the globe. The grammy-winning musician is the sixth best-selling recording artist of all time and the third best-selling solo artist. Having sold over 150 million records and scoring 33 consecutive Top 40 hits. In 2016, the Library of Congress selected his debut North American single “Piano Man” for preservation in the National Recording Registry for its “cultural, historic, and artistic significance.”
Billy Joel has been mesmerizing the Garden for decades.
All in all, Billy Joe’s residency at the Garden is no accident. Joel brings prestige to an already prestigious venue. Fans of the “piano man” have watched him ascend to legendary status. Joel has been inducted into the Songwriter’s and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Mr. Long Island also received a TONY award for “Movin’ Out,” a Broadway musical based on Joel’s music.
Ticketing Information
Citi cardmembers will have first access to presale tickets. Beginning Monday, September 19 at 10:00 a.m. through Thursday, September 22 at 10:00 p.m. via www.citientertainment.com.
Tickets will be available for purchase by the general public beginning at 10:00 a.m. (east) on Friday, September 23 via www.ticketmaster.com. Due to congestion and high-demand, it can be difficult to purchase tickets right away, so continue to check Ticketmaster throughout the day.
Tedeschi Trucks Band will make its annual return to New York City’s Beacon Theatre with a seven-show residency slated to begin Thursday, September 29. This run will not only include the band’s 50th performance at the iconic theater with the show on October 3, but also feature extensive material from the band’s recent I Am The Moon release, an epic, 4-album project released last month on Fantasy Records.
Photo: David McClister
For Tedeschi Trucks Band, this upcoming multi-night run at The Beacon will mark their eleventh one here in total. This one will introduce the public to live performances from their most recent album, which began as a pandemic-related writing exercise suggested by TTB vocalist Mike Mattison in May 2020, and transformed into a career-defining artistic statement with a reimagined mythic tale of star-crossed lovers through a modern-day lens. “We’ve had an incredible amount of new material come out this year with I Am The Moon,” says Derek Trucks, “The Beacon shows will be some of the first where we’ll be able to draw from all of it and have the space to really dig in.”
Susan Tedeschi adds, “I Am The Moon is a creative milestone for us – and we’ve got our 50th show at The Beacon, another milestone. We’re looking forward to celebrating both and all the hard work that went into getting here.” The full deluxe version of this new release also includes four album-length companion films to accompany 24 new original songs that features a blend of soul, rock, blues, funk, roots and Eastern influences.
Remaining tickets for these shows, which are listed below with start times, are limited but still available online at Ticketmaster.com, and in person at the Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theatre box offices.
TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND – BEACON THEATRE 2022 Thu Sept 29 Amy Helm opens, showtime 7:30pm Fri Sept 30 Two sets, no opener showtime 8pm Sat Oct 1 Two sets, no opener showtime 8pm Mon Oct 3 Surprise opening set, showtime 7:30pm Thu Oct 6 Ruthie Foster opens, showtime 7:30pm Fri Oct 7 Two sets, no opener showtime 8pm Sat Oct 8 Two sets, no opener showtime 8pm
The Grateful Dead wound up playing more than 50 shows at MSG by the time their touring career ended, but the September 1990 run had a unique feel all its own. With keyboardist Brent Mydland’s recent death just months earlier, the Dead once again found themselves in an era of transition. Vince Welnick was brought on as his replacement, but was still very much finding his footing and shaking off stage fright at this point in his tenure with the band. To combat this, they recruited the willing and able talents of Bruce Hornsby to help them along in this new era of Grateful Dead music. His first shows were during this September run at MSG in 1990, offering fans an extraordinary new addition to the music as well as giving a glimpse of what might have been.
The show begins in a relaxed manner as the band eases into a “Jack Straw” opener with Hornsby lending early vocal support on some of Garcia’s lines. There’s no issue with the music though, as an enthusiastic early jam develops from this, much to the delight of a roaring MSG crowd. After noodling around with the opening notes, the Dead then burst into “Bertha.” A blistering guitar solo from Garcia, along with some musical interplay with Hornsby – a staple of this run, lead the way on this one. With the crowd now fully engaged, Bob Weir takes over and leads the way through a particularly bouncy “Me And My Uncle.”
As soon as the last note of “Uncle” finishes, the Dead keep it going and use a similar drum beat to jump right into “Big River” which gives Hornsby his first chance to solo on piano. With the show off to a blistering start, things mellow out a bit with the Garcia-led “It Must Have Been The Roses” that follows, one of the few Dead songs that feature both Robert Hunter penned lyrics and music. The first cover selection of the night comes next, with Weir playing the role of Bob Dylan for “Stuck Inside Of Mobile (With The Memphis Blues Again),” a song the band added to its repertoire a few years earlier. Welnick adds some nice touches on the keyboards on this rousing tune that delivers a slow build in emotion.
To wrap up this opening set at MSG, the Dead decide to unleash the vaunted “Help On The Way” > “Slipknot!” >”Franklin’s Tower” combination that sees the band at their collective best with a discernable new feel to it thanks to the two new keys players. But by the end of “Franklin’s,” a delighted MSG crowd could make the case that some things never truly change.
The second set begins with another longtime Dead classic, “Playin’ In The Band.” The band wastes no time in crafting an explosive, early improvisational jam that quickly goes deep, fueled by some frenetic fret board work from Garcia. Instead of progressing even further, the jam instead comes to a crawl and the opening chords to “Ship Of Fools” emerges. This quick side journey is another prime example of an older song getting a new “shine” to it thanks to the new piano and vocal harmonies supplied by Hornsby. Once completed, the Dead then go right back into “Playin’,” seemingly picking up right where they left off before they quickly shift gears once more and collectively merge into another fan favorite with “Uncle John’s Band.”
After a powerful, but fairly concise jam, the band brings back UJB to completion and, right after the outtro jam, immediately leap into a surprise “Let It Grow,” the first time it’s been found in the second set in years. This elicits one of the finer jams of the evening, a steady, driving collective effort that never really strays too far from the song’s original structure. Afterwards, however, structure goes by the wayside thanks to a seemingly off the cuff jam with Hornsby prominently involved on piano along with noodling from Garcia and Weir. It turns out to be one of the better jams of the night, one that naturally builds in intensity and gives an enticing glimpse of what the Dead could have become had Bruce stayed on permanently.
This essentially becomes the fuel for an extended “Drums” > “Space” sequence that sees the Dead fill MSG with a plethora of sounds and emotions that range from the ambient to the psychedelic. Hornsby even sticks around for some of the early “Drums” madness, giving that a different feel as well. After this lengthy group improv runs its course, the show rounds back into form with the familiar opening drum beat of “Going Down The Road Feelin’ Bad,” finally providing a dance number with some tempo.
After an exuberant version that gives all parties a chance to shine, said tempo drops back down for “Stella Blue,” sung with its usual emotion and feel from Garcia. One more juxtaposition in mood then takes place as Weir proceeds to lead the band through a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Around & Around” that features a bluesy jam which continues to build in energy before peaking, closing out the set in style. For an encore, one more Dylan cover makes an appearance with “Quinn The Eskimo.” The Dead would go on to wrap up their six-night run at MSG the following evening.
View this and more Grateful Dead shows from across the years in New York State with our interactive map below
Grateful Dead Madison Square Garden – New York, NY
Set 1: Jack Straw, Bertha, Me & My Uncle-> Big River, It Must Have Been The Roses, Memphis Blues, Help On The Way-> Slipknot!-> Franklin’s Tower
Set 2: Playin’ In The Band-> Ship of Fools-> Playin’ In The Band-> Uncle John’s Band-> Let It Grow-> Jam-> Drums-> Jam-> Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad-> Stella Blue-> Around & Around,
Chestnut Grove, a Pennsylvania-based rock band, is on the road in support of a new single, with some New York dates in the near future. “All For You” is now available on streaming platforms and the band plans to release an EP titled Can’t Stand The Music sometime early next year.
Last month, Chestnut Grove performed a “revved-up” Free at Noon set at Philadelphia’s World Cafe Live for a lively audience who danced, sang along and got a preview of the new EP. Click here for pictures and an audio recording of the performance. This comes in advance of their scheduled gig this weekend in Camden, NJ for WXPN’s Xponential Music Festival on September 18.
In late October and early November, Chestnut Grove will make their way throughout New York State. Shows in Syracuse and Saranac Lake are scheduled for October 28 and 29, respectively. And the band’s show on November 3 at Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs will receive support from Consider the Source. Additional tour dates can be seen below.
Chestnut Grove 2022 Fall Tour
September 18th Xponential Music Festival, Wiggins Park – Camden, NJ
September 24th Pro Re Nata Brewery – Crozet, VA w/ Disco Risque
October 8th Pick Fest – Boyertown, PA w/ The Manatawny Creek Ramblers
October 28th Funk N’ Waffles – Syracuse, NY
October 29th Waterhole – Saranac Lake, NY
November 3rd Putnam Place – Saratoga Springs, NY w/ Consider the Source
November 17th Sellersville Theater – Sellersville, PA w/ Consider the Source
November 23rd The Soundback – Phoenixville, PA w/ Hunter Root
November 25th Jeremiah’s Banquet Hall – Williamsport, PA
November 26th King’s Rock Club – Erie, PA w/ Medusa’s Disco
Swiss instrumental quintet L’Eclair, Memphis rockers Spaceface, and Rochester’s own Drippers took the Bug Jar audience on a made-for-Saturday journey this past Tuesday.
Mike Turzanski’s Drippers set the night in motion. A mid-set multi-movement piece proved to be a highlight. Dual synths laid down eerie sounds matched with a haunting bass and drums backdrop. The electronics went into hyperdrive as the guitar took over. It spilled into a new wave segment and then ramped back up to something resembling prog-rock. As the groove got thicker, so did the smoke. A smoke machine sat on stage throughout the night and was used liberally but timely by all bands. Later in the set, a dual guitar ripper featured some hang-on-if-you-can bass work while a punk rave up gave the drummer’s star time to shine bright. The smoke had cleared but the journey was just getting started. Takeoff was imminent.
Spaceface, led by Jake Ingalls, formerly of the Flaming Lips, brought their own style of party-ready psychedelic rock. After a quick band huddle, they launched into “Happens All the Time,” it’s crunchy guitar disco rock got limbs moving throughout the room. “Rain Passing Through” amped up the dance grooves and it wasn’t long until bodies were fully in motion.
With a full-body workout underway, it was only appropriate to throw in some 3rd grade gym class references. Ingalls reminisced at the awkwardness of climbing ropes and changing in front of your classmates. It all began to make sense when he busted out a rainbow-colored parachute and tossed it out in the crowd. We all grabbed a hold and started to wave it up and down, following along to Coach Ingalls’ instructions. As the band ripped through a funky jam the crowd ran under the parachute according to their color or other various experiences. When it was asked for those who were at the Bug Jar for the first time, no one moved. A crowd of regulars!
The smoke machine was igniting throughout the set, and so were the tunes. Guitarist Eric Martin occasionally busted out a snow machine, filling the room with fake snow, which as it lingered, mixing with the smoke and lights, resembled the upside-down from Stranger Things, appropriately enough with the Bug Jar’s upside-down apartment. A tripped-out cover of The Verve’s “Bittersweet Melody” was truly unique. Katie Pierce laid down a fat bass line under Daniel Quinlan’s intricate beats on “Cowboy Lightning,” everything pinging back and forth off the walls for an immersive sound. The energy was also pinging around the room, a full-on dance party had exploded. We had ignition.
L’Eclair closed the night, guiding the ship through the cosmos with their Francophonic funk. As the music was instrumental, the French was implied, though those who witnessed soundcheck got a good dose as they called out instructions to their sound engineer. L’Eclair translates to “flash of lightning,” brilliant sparks appropriately emanated off the stage.
The Swiss quintet immediately set the crowd on course for more body moving. Fat intergalactic grooves were accompanied by keyboard laser beams and spacey guitar moans. Wild polyrhythms went in and out of step with jaunty synths.
Shorter flights gave way to extended jams. One built and built, a fiery engine, then dropped out all at once, floating in a zero-gravity groove. The drummer sparked the engine for another burn with oontz-oontz raving rhythms and cosmic beams shooting out from the synthesizers. A magnificent cacophony burst forth before melting down to a spectacular drum solo, complete, of course, with more sci-fi-infused synths.
The grounded dance-party of Spaceface took flight with L’Eclair, the band and crowd bouncing in lockstep, the ground pulling downward less and less as the night grew shorter, until the music felt like it had suspended the crowd in mid-air. The jams grew more electrified, more extended, stretching into the outer reaches. With no vocal mic on stage, banter was kept to an absolute minimum. Non-stop instrumental goodness filled the void between and within. Bursts of smoke provided a physical presence to the ethereal aura emerging along the waves of sound.
An encore is never a sure thing at the Bug Jar, and when one is granted is generally pretty quick. L’Eclair was coaxed out for two encores, each one a lengthy electronic funk out. One last burn to get us back home. Re-entry was a bit rough, Wednesday already underway as we departed the ship.
The Long Island music scene has a star with a trajectory rising like a Phoenix out of the music halls around town. Meet Kelli Baker, a transplant from Arizona, who has momentum unlike anyone. This soulful singer is a cross between Amy Winehouse and Susan Tedeschi. Her original music erupts in an emotional whirlwind as she draws you in.
I had the chance to interview Kelli Baker on The Long Island Sound podcastback in June and her rise to prominence has been something to behold. After the passing of her dad several years ago, Kelli packed her bags and headed for Huntington Village, on the Northshore of Long Island. Her energetic live performance is insync with her go-for-it attitude and work ethic. Continuing with skills in hospitality, Kelli worked several jobs while gigging around the village with her bag of cover songs and an occasional original song snuck into the mix.
With a chuckle in her voice, this starling belts out emotional verses with the ease of a carnival barker. She connects with her audience as she calls us into the curiosity of her sideshow. The circus of sideshow gigs as a result has landed Kelli on the main stage. She was recently signed to the parade of Sony Music artists this past January under the Bad Jeu Jeu CDX Record label.
The hard work and song writing has seemed to have payed off, as she landed Monster Cables as a sponsor and just a few days ago She also landed a spot on Spotify’s Editorial Playlist, Blues Roots among some of the top names in the business, Jon Baptist, Tedeschi Trucks, and The Black Keys.
Blood on the Nile
Her recent single release, Blood on the Nile hit the airwaves on September 9th. Recorded in Cove City Sound Studios in Glen Cove, It features another guest on the podcast, Brother Dave (Solomon) . Dave is an excellent slide and lap steel guitar player also featured as a guest on the podcast.
Kelli BakerKelli Baker – Blood On the Nile
The song, Blood on the Nile invites you in with the call of a pedal steel guitar, and slowly builds to a crescendo of emotion as Kelli exudes a passion that only a heart with scars can comprehend. Her catalog of songs are deep and insightful. The track, Cathedral released early in 2020 sets a scene as the bells toll for thee and me. The exploration of Kelli’s music has just begun for me. She tailored her sound both as a solo performer in the music halls, wineries, bars and pubs, from North Shore to the South Shore and to points East on the Island.
Gathering excellent band members around her, Ms. Baker embarked on a Summer tour along the East Coast to excellent reviews. This past month the Kelli Baker duo opened for the all female Swedish band, Thundermother at the Paramount in Huntington.
This exploration into Kelli Baker’s music has just begun. I could wax poetic with flowery prose, but after seeing her performance at the Blue Point Brewery, this past August, I left the venue having gone through a memorable experience, weary with emotion and thirsting for more.
Warren Haynes, Don Was and Jamey Johnson will reunite this November for The Last Waltz 2022 Tour, a live celebratory tour that pays homage to The Band’s 1976 farewell concert. The 13-show tour will see these three artists, along with an all-star lineup, to recreate moments from Martin Scorsese’s 1978 film The Last Waltz.
The concert event is presented by Robbie Robertson, his son Sebastian, and Keith Wortman of Blackbirds Presents. The aforementioned all-star lineup joining Haynes, Was, and Johnson includes Anders Osborne, Kathleen Edwards, Dave Malone, John Medeski, Cyril Neville, Terrence Higgins, Bob Margolin, Mark Mullins, along with the Levee Horns, who will play the original arrangements of the late Allen Toussaint.
The tour kicks off with two nights at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester on November 3 and 4, then head up I-87 to Schenectady for a performance at Proctors Theatre. After a stop at The Met in Philadelphia, the tour heads to Huntington, Long Island for a show at The Paramount. The tour will conclude with a performance at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg, Florida on November 20.
Tickets go on sale here Friday, September 16 at 10 am ET.
The Last Waltz Tour 2022 Nov. 3 & 4 — Port Chester, NY @ The Capitol Theatre Nov. 5 — Schenectady, NY @ Proctors Theatre Nov. 6 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Met Philadelphia Nov. 8 — Long Island, NY @ The Paramount Nov. 9 — Wallingford, CT @ Toyota Oakdale Theatre Nov. 11 — Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre Nov. 12 — Washington, DC @ Warner Theatre Nov. 13 — Richmond, VA @ Altria Theater Nov. 15 — Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy Nov. 17 — Pompano Beach, FL @ Pompano Beach Amphitheater Nov. 18 — St. Augustine, FL @ The St. Augustine Amphitheatre Nov. 20 — St. Petersburg, FL @ Mahaffey Theater
