Ithaca Reggae Fest returns to Stewart Park on June 17th and 18th, 2022, with full day of reggae, yoga, water education, skateboarding, art, food, dance and more. Dedicated to the protection of Cayuga Lake through a conscious celebration of Ithaca’s legendary reggae community and its history, this festival returns after three years of being apart.
This year’s festival is culminating with headlining performances from internationally renowned Ithaca-based roots reggae & dub masters. Featuring revolutionary artists like 10 Ft. Ganja Plant mixed by legendary Jamaican producer Scientist and Kabaka Pyramid, both making their Ithaca debuts. Saturday’s lineup includes some of the best reggae bands from throughout New York State.
Dedicated to protecting Cayuga Lake, throughout the day Ithaca Reggae Fest features Education Village, which will showcase numerous water protectors from throughout New York and the United States including the Audubon Society, Community Science Institute, Cayuga Nature Center, and many others with interactive exhibits for all.
Youth Village presented by the Childhood Development Council will feature youth programming throughout Saturday from family yoga and storytelling to drum circles and a special performance by Hangar Theatre’s “Three Little Birds.”
And focusing on art, Ithaca Reggae Fest is excited to partner with the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC) and famous artist Jay Stooks to host its Art Village featuring numerous local, regional and national artists creating art throughout the day Saturday raising proceeds to benefit the 50th Anniversary of GIAC.
Throughout all of this, in collaboration with USA Skateboarding and Etnies shoes, Ithaca Reggae Fest presents Skateboard Village hosting the 1st Annual Flat Attack US Pro/Am Championships of Flatland Freestyle Skateboarding. Free to attend and open to all to register, Qualifying Rounds take place on Friday, June 17 from 11 AM to 5 PM before the Championships on Saturday, June 18 from 2pm to 7pm at the Tennis Courts in Stewart Park.
Bringing the community together, tickets to the triumphant return of the 4th Annual Ithaca Reggae Fest is on sale now with children under 16 admitted free of charge with a parent or guardian. Tickets and more information linked here.
Levitt AMP 2022 in Utica, NY has announced the lineup for the summer music series. The artists will perform at Kopernik Park this summer. Concerts will take place on Monday nights from 6-9 P.M. from June 20 to August 29.
The 2022 season will feature headlining artists from New Orleans, Nashville, Chicago, Iowa, Virginia, Rhode Island, Canada, and New York State. The concerts also feature opening local and regional acts and youth intermission acts.
The series brings in the most diverse audience in the city in a family-friendly, non-alcoholic, joyful, welcoming environment. The music series also helps add to the economy in Utica and promotes communal bonding.
The New Respects were named the Levitt Foundation’s National Touring Band for 2022. They are a mix of pop, soul, and rock and deliver a high energy and funky music. Through their music, you hear their inspirations like The Rolling Stones and Lenny Kravitz.
Roberta Lea is a rising artist, described as having “a voice like cinnamon and a pen-like butter.” She plays a mix of classic country, country soul, country rock, and pop country, and has no limits to expressing herself through her songs.
Walter and Wagner Caldas, are 31-year-old identical twins better known as the Brazilian 2wins or “B2wins.” Their instrumental music ranges from pop to hip hop and iconic classics reimagined. Each song drips originality and youthful exuberance. Their mission is to make the world smile after growing up very poor in Rio de Janeiro.
Argonaut & Wasp are a blend of indie, alternative, edge, and funk grooves described as the perfect soundtrack to NYC. They formed over a love for house/dance music and bring in 70s fashion, 80s synths, and 90s culture to their band.
Curley Taylor and his band, Zydeco Trouble use soulful, bluesy vocals along with zydeco beats to create their unique musical style. Curley began his music career at 16 playing drums in his father’s band, and since then has always had a passion for music.
Bassel & the Supernaturals tells the story of Bassel Almadani’s experience as a first-generation Syrian-American using funk-inspired rhythms, soulful melodies, and lyrics regarding love, loss, and the war in Syria. They have performed at major festivals, performance halls, and more while also working closely with organizations on events and residencies that build awareness and empathy for Syrian refugees.
The Big Takeover Band is a seven-piece New York band that plays original music that is rooted in the genres of Jamaican pop, reggae, rocksteady, and ska. They also cross lines between genres and blend traditions. They connect the spirit of Motown and the sophistication of the 21st-century retro-soul scene.
New York hip-hop artist Miranda Writes is known for her modern sound with strong lyrics and diversified beats. She is not signed to a major label, however, her 2018 single “Too Blessed” rose to No. 5 in the Digital DJ Pool charting alongside Snoop Dogg, Nicki Minaj, and Ciara. She is the first biracial female hip-hop artist to cross over into the snowboarding market.
Ariel Posen is “one of the most exciting guitar players around” with show-stopping extended solos. His influences are electrified Americana, R&B, Beatles-inspired pop, and rock and roll. He has spent his childhood on the road with his musical parents, and found himself doing his own gigs traveling the world.
Shawnee Taveras is a Dominican-American singer-songwriter who brings heat to the stage with high-energy salsa accompied by a band creating music that is impossible not to dance to. In 2019, Taveras was awarded the Premio Conga de la Salsa in the Dominican Republic for best new musical act. She has had top ten singles in the Dominican Republic and has toured extensively in that country.
The Levitt AMP 2022 summer concert series is free to all those who attend and is happening from June 20 to August 29.
Bardavon will present performances from Resistance Revival Chorus and Imani Perry to celebrate Juneteenth at the Old Dutch Church in Kingston and the Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie.
The Old Dutch Church was often referred to as “The Cathedral of Kingston,” which was originally built in 1660 in the colony of New Netherland. While the Bardavon 1869 Opera Houseowns and operates a 944-seat historic theater in Poughkeepsie and it is operated by the Bardavon.
The Resistance Revival Chorus (RRC) is a collective of more than 60 womxn, and non-binary singers who enjoy singing and express themselves with the music. The singers are in various occupations including not only professional singer and Broadway performers, but also political activists, educators, and more. They aim to be intersectional in our feminism and reveal that all social justice issues overlap heavily with woman’s issues. Tickets start at $20
The Princeton University African American Studies professor and author Imani Perry will speak on her new book South to America, followed by a Q & A and a book signing in the Bardavon lobby. She also wrote 6 other books, including Looking for Lorraine: The Radiant and Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry, May We Forever Stand: A History of the Black National Anthem, Breathe: A Letter to My Sons, etc., which are renowned for the prizes they won.
Free tickets available at Poughkeepsie’s Adriance Memorial Library & Bardavon or UPAC box offices.
The classic family concert series where kids and parents can rock out to the classics, The Rock and Roll Playhouse celebrates a special run of shows in celebration of fathers. This concert takes place June 18 and 19 on Father’s Day and Juneteenth Weekend, hosting 19 concerts nationwide of the music of Bob Marley for Kids. This will be the playhouse’s biggest show return since the pandemic.
The Rock and Roll Playhouse’s goal is to introduce the next generation to timeless classics while providing kids with early music exposure and encouraging creativities. The Playhouse was founded in 2013 at its flagship venue Brooklyn Bowl by Peter Shapiro, entrepreneur and co-owner of the Bowl and owner of The Capitol Theatre, and Amy Striem, a certified Early Childhood and Elementary teacher.
The Playhouse was designed to create an experience live music to bring families together, along with an experience in historic venues. This project continues to unite families through music with hundreds of unforgettable shows nationwide. A portion of the weekend’s sales will be donated to the Preservation Hall Foundation.
The Rock and Roll Playhouse has established itself as the premier family-friendly national concert series and we are thrilled to welcome them to The Troubadour for their LA debut. Their incredible band will introduce the next generation to Bob Marley, spreading his messages of love, peace, freedom and unity, as we celebrate both Juneteenth and Father’s Day
Jordan Anderson, Talent Buyer for the Troubadour.
Rock and Roll Playhouse Fathers Day and Juneteenth Weekend Schedule:
The Great Blue Heron Music Festival in Sherman, NY, will happen once again during the first weekend of July. For nearly 30 years, the festival has drawn in thousands of fans from across the U.S. and has remained a tradition for people young and old to celebrate self-expression and music.
This year, the festival will expand the summer music series and implement “Beyond The Blue,” which will be weekend events running from the middle of July through Labor Day Weekend. The diverse and eclectic lineup will carry over into these “Beyond The Blue” events. Julie Rockcastle, festival’s co-founder, spoke about this new addition to the festival.
Our goal of this season, and the future, is to create a vibrant Great Blue Heron experience that honors both the traditions of the past and the land, by operating at a scale that doesn’t over-stress the natural and human resources we are entrusted to care for. The genre-focused Beyond the Blue mini-festivals present diverse and family-friendly experiences all summer long that enable us to welcome more people who share our passions for music, the outdoors, and sustainability.
Beyond the Blue I starts July 16 and is full of funky bluegrass, soulful rhythms, and sweet harmonies with artists like Dirty Blanket, Folkfaces, and Bella’s Bartok. Beyond The Blue II starts July 30 and it will be a full day of progressive Reggae beats, island music, and Native American sounds. The event headliner Giant Panda Guerrilla Dub Squad, will play on the main stage, along with Keith Secola, Root Shock, and Mosaic Foundation.
On August 20, Beyond the Blue III will have electrifying funk and electro-rock jams with headliner Jimkata. They are based in Ithaca, and Los Angeles that use bold arrangements and synthesizers to create their music.
To end the season, Beyond The Blue IV will happen on Labor Day weekend with more than 20 artists, including old-time country blues band Pokey Lafarage. Also headlining is acclaimed singer/songwriter Ryan Montbleau, who has spent much of his life going across the globe on a search for meaning and purpose, shown through his music.
The Great Blue Heron Music Festival sits on top of an award-winning campground. Voted the #1 campsite in the U.S. by HipCamp, The Heron is open daily for seasonal camping from May through October along with the Green Heron Growers Farm Store. For more information on the festival, go 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
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 New York Guitar Festival is back with in-person performances after two years of being streamed online. The shows will be held in The Greene Space, WNYC’s multimedia performance venue in Soho from June 14 to 17. Featured performers include Bill Frisell, Vernon Reid, and more.
The festival was founded in 1999 by David Spelman, the Artistic Director of the festival, and WNYC’s John Schaefer, host of the “New Sounds” radio series. The main focus of the festival is the use of the guitar, and how it is in many different genres of music.
Glenn Jones has a background in rock and experimental music but is best known for keeping the flame of “American Primitive” music alive, which is a folk-based style. Jones’s music is full of unexpected textures through his uses of capos, half-capos, and a variety of tunings. Vieux Farka Toure is known as “the Hendrix of the Sahara,” with roots in playing West African music. He has released five solo albums rooted in the sounds and rhythms of West African blues.
Gyan Riley started his career playing with his father’s band Terry Riley and The All-Stars. Now, he works with Grammy-award-winning artists and plays different genres, from classical to spacey electric guitar excursions. Bill Frisell is regarded as one of the best guitarists of our time, and he is the subject of a new biography called Bill Frisell: Beautiful Dreamer. Luke Bergman is part of Bill Frisell’s Harmony Quartet and is a bassist, guitarist, and pedal steel player.
Badi Assad is a guitarist, singer, and percussionist who also uses the guitar as a percussion instrument. She was the co-curator of the 2014 edition of the New York Guitar Festival. Badi is also the younger sister of the great Brazilian guitar duo of Sergio & Odair Assad. Vernon Reid is one of Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. He gained fame as the main songwriter for the rock band Living Colour, and as a founder of the Black Rock Coalition. Laraaji has recently performed as a duo with Vernon Reid and is an ambient zither player,
June 17 at 7:30 P.M.- Marta Pereira da Costa and William Tyler
Marta Pereira da Costa plays Portuguese fado music and writes her own music and collaborates with other musicians. She is among the few women playing this type of music, as it is mostly dominated by men. William Tyler is a folk, indie, country, and electronic music artist. His work offers a gothic, often celestial take on American roots music.
NYC band Restless World Music have recently released their new single “Second by Second.” The group is no stranger to melodic beats and emotionally driven lyrics, as they blend different musical styles and carefully-chosen words into a restless whole.
“These days I’m rebuilding my life / You could say I’m refilling my life” – how many have thought or said that over the past few years? So many self-empowerment songs make it all seem so easy – this song isn’t one of them.
For many on the road from doubt and despair to self-appreciation, one’s “gotta fight for every inch” and “Second by Second” makes the joy at the end of the journey, and this song, so much sweeter. “Second by Second” features stellar female vocals over an atmospheric fusion of trap, pop and a touch of jazz.
The lyric video for “Second by Second” builds on the song’s themes of rebuilding oneself after a crisis, and moving from doubting yourself to new heights of self-confidence. Produced by Restless World Music using Adobe After Effects software and a rich selection of 1080p video clips, the video delivers a cinematic feel that enhances the mood and meaning of the song.
Restless World Music’s songs have earned awards from the Great American Song Contest four times and have been recognized twice as top-five songs of the month in online music magazine SongwriterUniverse.com.
Ricky Persaud Jr.’s discography is stellar, to say the least, and is ever-growing as his versatility continues to elevate his status. Although, the multi-instrumentalist is a recent graduate from the prestigious Berklee College Of Music in Boston, his professional music career has been years in the making. The talented musician is known to cover a multitude of genres ranging from pop, rock, reggae, funk and more, while providing fans with a unique experience.
Michael D. Spencer
At two-years-old Persaud Jr., began his musical journey with the banjo. Since music was his main priority, he became a child prodigy within a short period. By four-years-old, Persaud Jr. had begun playing percussion and while attending the Newark School of the Arts, studied the drums.
At the tender age of 9, he played the guitar for the first time and realized there were no limits to how he could express himself. After receiving professional training, he was not only a proficient guitar player, but was able to add the bass, as well as the piano to his repertoire.
Thanks to his mother, Valerie Persaud, there were no limits to Persaud Jr.’s ambitions as she encouraged him to excel at each instrument. She dreamt of playing the piano herself, but was denied the opportunity, so she ensured her children would not have the same experience. Besides, music ran in the family.
Persaud Jr.’s father, Ricky Sr., engineered Caribbean albums and often played Bob Marley, The Wailers, and Third World, which quickly influenced his infant son. Contrarily, his mother favored classic-rock music, particularly the Beatles, who are Persaud Jr.’s favorite musicians along with Michael Jackson, Nirvana, and Bob Marley.
I never paid attention to music until I heard the Beatles. With them it’s not just about the sound of the instruments, but the message being relayed. Their music is all about love and inspiration.
Ricky Persaud Jr.
While his love of instrumentation was fostered at home, his songwriting exploits were a way to escape the outside world. As a victim of bullying, Persaud Jr. was encouraged by his mother to express himself through songwriting. Soon enough he realized this was a powerful way to overcome the social adversity he dealt with. In the end, songwriting became his main coping mechanism, which only made him a better musician.
When you bottle up everything inside you are hurting yourself. Therefore, I truly believe people should use platforms like music and sports to release their emotions and express themselves. Songwriting was like a diary for me.
Valerie Persaud
Having built a great amount of mental fortitude over the years, his self-belief even applies to his music. While on quarantine during the pandemic, he was faced with the obstacle of connecting with other musicians without physical touch. It was during this time that an already tight familial bond continued to grow. He connected with his mother and brother to continue their musical work as a band, by the name of Ricky Persaud Jr and Crossroads.
Outside of his immediate family, the Indie Collaborative (IC), an organization for independent musicians and professionals to come together as one, has been essential in Persaud Jr.’s development. On April 25, he performed alongside other IC artists at Carnegie Hall.
The Indie Collaborative helped me as far as my artistry, confidence, networking, and exposure to other talented artists. I will always be grateful for them and the opportunities they presented me with.
At such a young age, Persaud Jr. has been awarded a 2016 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Music, the Artist of The Year in Pop award at the 2019 Josie Music Independent Awards, a 2020 Global Music Award, he was named 2020 Best Male Artist in Pop at the Indie Music Channel Awards and is a Grammy voter. However, according to him, his most heartfelt achievement was not only being accepted into the reputable Berklee College of Music, but being awarded a full four-year scholarship.
The people who selected me for the full four-year scholarship, said they chose me because of how active I was with my work on social media. If I was to give others advice, it would be to take pride in their work, show off their craft, and post professionally.
Persaud
Persaud Jr.’s most recent album, Enlightenment, relays the message of “shining some positivity into the world.” Meanwhile the featured song “Cease Fire”, sheds light on racism, Black Lives Matter and police brutality.
If there is any advice I would give other musicians of color, it’s that there will be a lot of discrimination along the way, but no matter what believe in yourself and use what God instilled in you.
Although Persaud Jr. has proven himself within the music industry, he feels that he has only scratched the surface of his potential. With plans on becoming a Grammy-award winner and having a “musical connection worldwide,” Persaud Jr.’s future is nothing short of promising.
