NYS Music 202​2

Category: News Desk

  • Gofundme for Tour Manager Dave Burton Already Raised Over $100,000

    A Gofundme started only ten days ago, on October 6, has already raised over $100,000 for veteran tour manager Dave Burton. After Burton suffered a massive stroke in September while working in Kentucky, his found family of touring musicians immediately rallied behind him — donating, spreading awareness and even creating limited-edition merchandise — in a heartwarming display of solidarity and respect for those members of the music industry that do heavy lifting outside of the spotlight.

    Dave Burton has been tour manager for hundreds of bands and artists: The Hold Steady, Drive-By Truckers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Shins, Liz Phair, Animal Collective, Primal Scream, Beach House, Best Coast, Franz Ferdinand, Liars and Mercury Rev, just to name a few. He’s been working as a tour manager for over 25 years, traveling across the globe at the drop of a hat with the upmost enthusiasm, his friends said. 

    Dave Burton gofundme

    But, the flip side of the tour manager life style is that Burton, and most touring professionals, have no long-term health care coverage. This reality has left Burton in financial instability after an over three-week-stay at a hospital in Kentucky last month following the stroke. His long-term prognosis is good, Burton is expected to heal fully in time, according to his fundraising page. And thanks to the continuing success to Burton’s Gofundme, the tour manager might be able to get on the road again once he is healed.

    Since 2017, Dave Burton has been Brooklyn-based indie/rock band The Hold Steady’s tour manager. His loyalty and stability during the chaos of touring prompted The Hold Steady to call him “a major, unseen part of The Hold Steady family for over a decade.” To give back, The Hold Steady declared all sales from their Bandcamp will go to Burton’s recovery fund.

    The band also added a new shirt to their merch holdings that reads: “Who the f— is Dave Burton?” The Hold Steady called the shirt “pure Dave,” and it’s a reference to the silent movers behind the scenes, that do it not for the fame, not for the notoriety, but for the pure love of music. 

    Patterson Hood, guitarist for Drive-By Truckers, encapsulated Burton’s personality in his statement on the Gofundme:

    David Burton. Great father, film aficionado (he probably would hate that term), foodie (pretty sure he would hate that one too), excellent writer…  Rocker, par excellence. A man for all seasons. He’s also one of the finest Tour Managers ever to take that horrifically hard and thankless job. He’s grumpy, but we love him. Very much.

    Patterson Hood

  • “Let There Be Drums” Documentary Featuring Ringo Starr and Taylor Hawkins Announced

    The new music documentary Let There Be Drums directed by Justin Kreutzmann will be out on Oct. 28. It features many notable drummers, including one of the last filmed interviewers with the late Taylor Hawkins.

    let there be drums

    Justin Kreutzmann, son of Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann, set out to answer these questions in the documentary: “Are drummers born that way or do they become that way? Does the urge to create rhythm and be an integral part of a band emanate from something within — or is it learned?”

    To get different perspectives on the art of drumming, Kreutzmann sat with some of the best, including Ringo Starr, Stewart Copeland of the Police, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann of The Grateful Dead, Stephen Perkins of Jane’s Addiction, and Chad Smith of The Red Hot Chili Peppers. He also interviews the late Taylor Hawkins who was the drummer for the Foo Fighters. This was one of his last filmed interviews before his death in March 2022.

    The documentary includes rare and never before seen footage. Highlights include Keith Moon speaking in outtakes from The Who’s 1979 documentary The Kids Are Alright, Led Zeppelin’s John “Bonzo” Bonham speaking about fatherhood, No Doubt performing in a basement before they made it big, and a snapshot of a pre-Beatles Ringo Starr posing with his new drum kit.

    Let There Be Drums will be out on Oct. 28 via Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, and in select theaters.

  • Megan Thee Stallion Celebrates Degree, has “Anxiety,” during Second Stint hosting Saturday Night Live

    Saturday Night Live‘s third show of the season featured a double threat with Megan Thee Stallion returning as both host and musical guest. Following Queen Latifah in 2004, this was only the second time a female rapper served as both host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live.

    Megan thee stallion Anxiety

    The show’s cold open featured a take on the January 6th Committee, with second-year player Sarah Sherman appearing as New York Senator Chuck Schumer negotiating for a pastrami sandwich delivery during the insurrection.

    Megan’s monologue was brief and allowed her to share one success over the summer, Bachelor’s degree in Health Administration from Texas Southern University, an HBCU. Before her career took off, Megan Thee Stallion’s was enrolled at Prairie View A&M, leading the rapper to joke that while her fans know her as Tina Snow, Suga and Hot Girl Meg, she can now be known as “Megan Thee girl that needs some sleep.” Stallion continued by saying “I got my degree in health administration because I have always wanted to help the people in my community. I believe it’s important to have a sharp mind and a sharp body-ody-ody.”

    Megan Thee Stallion also took a moment to plug the website she launched last month, called Bad Bitches Have Bad Days Too, which features mental health resources, crisis hotlines and directories of Black and LGBTQ therapists.

    The first sketch of the night put her degree to good use with “Hot Girl Hospital” where, joined by nurses Ego Nwodim and Punkie Johnson, they were “three everyday heroes glow up the community one dusty chick at a time.” The trio were on point together, with Nwodim standing out as the new female lead cast member thus far in the season.

    The first song of the evening, “Anxiety,” from her sophomore album Traumatize, had a Beauty Pageant vibe with Megan Thee Stallion and backup dancers all wearing formal dresses with sashes that read “Ms. Overlooked,” “Ms. Insecure,” “Ms. Overlooked,” “Ms. Underpaid,” and Megan wearing “Miss Anxiety.” Rapping about bad girls having bad days too, the emotional empowerment number struck a chord with fans online, and Megan, as she sang about the loss of her mother.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-44oNTMZws&list=PLS_gQd8UB-hJIPT5pF9qaRbn-n_yMU7b1&index=8

    A medley of “NDA” and “Plan B” were featured in the second performance of the night, with Megan wearing a black corset and cutout jeans, with knee length hair and a Cuban link chain, all whiile backed by a full rock band.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOj7FcM8-tU&list=PLS_gQd8UB-hJIPT5pF9qaRbn-n_yMU7b1&index=9

    Saturday Night Live is off this week and returns on October 29th for the annual Halloween show, with host and musical guest Jack Harlow, who previously was musical guest in 2021.

  • Save our Democracy Rally at Catskill Point on Monday, October 17

    Musicians Natalie Merchant, Simi Stone, James Felice and Berkshire Bateria are set to perform at the Save our Democracy Rally at Catskill Point on Monday, October 17, from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.. Located on 1 Main Street, Catskill, NY, this event aims to articulate the vision of the local Democratic candidates who are seeking to support women’s rights, protect voting rights and to create a more diverse and inclusive New York State.

    Save Our Democracy Rally serves to protect voting rights and to create a more diverse,
    inclusive, and just New York State.

    Hosted by beloved longtime Hudson Valley radio personality Carmel Holt, the Save Our Democracy Rally is free to attend and will be held indoors at Catskill Point. Presented by the Columbia County and Greene County Democratic Committees in conjunction with Club Helsinki and Melmar Productions, it comes in
    advance of the November elections and will encourage participation in the upcoming
    elections.

    Speakers for Save our Democracy Rally

    Speakers at the Save our Democracy Rally will include New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey, Assembly woman Didi Barrett, Chairman of the Green County Democratic Committee Lori Torgersen, Chairman of the Columbia County Democratic Committee Sam Hodge, Congressional District 19 Candidate Josh Riley, Democratic Candidate for Assembly District 102, Nicholas Chase, and NY Supreme Court Judge Candidates Heidi Cochrane, Meagan Galligan and Sharon Graff.

    Performers

    Natalie Merchant’s 40-year career has earned her a place among America’s most respected recording artists as well as garnering a reputation for her quality songwriting. She has also been active in promoting a number of non-profit organizations by lending both financial support and raising public awareness, particularly in the Hudson Valley where she resides.

    Simi Stone, the former frontwoman of Suffrajett and The New Pornographers, is a musician, songwriter, and visual artist born and raised in Woodstock.

    James Felice is a member of the Felice Brothers, an American folk rock/country band originally hailing from Palenville, NY in the Catskills. Berkshire Bateria, a samba band, will provide authentic Brazilian music.

    Free parking for the Save our Democracy Rally will be at Dutchman’s Landing. The Catskill Visitor’s Center will provide golf cart rides to and from Catskill Point.

  • Waterhole Music Lounge Announces Fall 2022 Live Entertainment Schedule

    The Waterhole Music Lounge in Saranac Lake has announced its Fall 2022 live entertainment schedule, featuring an irresistible lineup of music.

    the waterhole music lounge

    The Waterhole Music Lounge is located on Main Street in Saranac Lake and serves as a spot for locals and tourists to gather together and enjoy all types of music.

    To kick off the schedule of fall and winter events on Oct. 15 is Lucid, a rock act emerging from the Champlain Valley and the greater Adirondack Mountains. They are known for their live shows where they play a whirlwind of genres and tones.

    The Waterhole is family to our band. And there’s something just so unique about that place and that stage, this collective consciousness in that space. Everybody knows that The Waterhole is special and is so for a million different reasons. You get there, you start playing, and everyone is involved in what’s unfolding on stage. Everybody is tuned in; it’s an incredible experience.

    Lowell Wurster, singer of Lucid

    On Oct. 22, The Sideways return for their fourth performance. From Rochester, the eight-piece band plays disco pop with heavy jazz influences. The annual Halloween bash will take place on Oct. 29 and will include a costume contest and music by town-wide favorites Chestnut Grove. The quintet has grown a dedicated fanbase since forming in 2011. Muddy Ruckus is opening, making their Waterhole debut.

    Waterhole Music Lounge

    November brings more talent to the Waterhole Music Lounge. On Nov. 4 Gratefully Yours, a Grateful Dead tribute band, will perform. On Nov. 9, Matt Heckler will perform. He is a solo multi-instrumentalist that doesn’t fit into any ordinary category. Donna The Buffalo, known for touring the country while remaining independent, and as one of the industry’s most diverse roots-music bands will perform on Dec. 2.

    December will bring more iconic acts, like the intoxicating band Sophistafunk, who has been described as “Rage Against the Machine meets The Roots, dipped in P-Funk.” They will perform on Dec. 9. The last show scheduled is local favorites Raisinhead. They have been playing music for twenty years, and will perform on New Year’s Eve at the Waterhole.

    Tickets for all Fall 2022 concerts at The Waterhole can be purchased here. Doors open at 7:30 and shows begin at 8:30 p.m. As always, the Waterhole is a 21+ venue.

  • The Blues Project arrives at Caffe Lena

    The Blues Project, formed in Greenwich Village in the mid-’60s, has postponed their October 30 show in Saratoga Springs at Caffe Lena.

    The band will announce a rescheduled date soon, when they will celebrate their first new album in 42 years, Evolution, which finds the band from a well of various musical styles and influences throughout the album’s 12 tracks.

    The Blues Project

    One of the first album-oriented, “underground” groups in the United States, the Blues Project offered an eclectic brew of rock, blues, folk, pop, and even some jazz, classical, and psychedelia during their heyday in the mid-’60s.

    The original group featured guitarist Danny Kalb (who had played sessions for various Elektra folk and folk-rock albums), Steve Katz (a guitarist with Elektra’s Even Dozen Jug Band), flutist/bassist Andy Kulberg, drummer Roy Blumenfeld, and singer Tommy Flanders. Al Kooper, in his early twenties a seasoned vet of rock sessions, joined after sitting in on the band’s Columbia Records audition, although they ended up signing to Verve, an MGM subsidiary.

    The current lineup for The Blues Project performing at Caffe Lena later this month features Katz and Blumenfeld leading a powerful new lineup that includes young and talented members Chris Morrison on lead guitar, Scott Petito on bass, and Ken Clark on keyboards and vocals.

    After the release of their debut live album, the band recorded their second album Projections in the fall of 1966, receiving rave reviews and containing an eclectic set of songs that ran the gamut from blues, R&B,  jazz, psychedelia, and folk-rock. The centerpieces of the album were an 11-and-a-half minute version of Muddy Waters’ blues standard “Two Trains Running” featuring Kalb on vocals and lead guitar, and Kooper’s instrumental “Flute Thing” featuring Kulberg on flute.

    Soon after Projections was released, Kooper and Katz left the band and in 1968 joined forces to form jazz-rock icons Blood, Sweat & Tears.  While Kooper led the band on its first album, Child Is Father to the Man, he did not take part in any subsequent releases. Soon after, Kooper, then a producer for Columbia Records, recorded with Bloomfield, Stephen Stills and Harvey Brooks for the album entitled Super Session, before doing several solo albums.  Katz, who was instrumental in the band’s phenomenal success, remained with B,S & T, into the 1970s.   Katz went on to produce Lou Reed’s best-selling and still-influential live LP Rock ‘n’ Roll Animal (as well as its follow-up Sally Can’t Dance, Reed’s only top-10 album).

    The Blues Project, with a modified line-up, reformed briefly in the early 1970s, releasing three further albums: 1971’s Lazarus, 1972’s Blues Project, and 1973’s The Original Blues Project Reunion in Central Park. After disbanding again, Blumenfeld formed Seatrain and in the 2000s performed with former Country Joe & the Fish member Barry Melton.

    The original Blues Project disbanded for good in the 90s (although Katz, Blumenfeld and Kalb performed a successful reunion tour in 2012) but realizing they still had a passionate fan base who cared about the band and its music, Katz and Blumenfeld decided to give it another try in 2021.

    Get tickets for The Blues Project here.

  • Catskill Symphony Orchestra Opening Season at Foothills PAC

    On Saturday October 15, the Catskill Symphony Orchestra starts their season at the Foothills Performing Arts Center in a 7 p.m. concert featuring Sara Daneshpour as a guest pianist.

    The night’s program includes four pieces; Beethoven’s “The Creatures of Prometheus Overture” and “Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major,” “The Unanswered Question” by Charles Ives, and Luigi Cherubini’s “Symphony in D Major.”

    catskill symphony orchestra

    Daneshpour is a world-renowned musician, having placed 3rd in the 2017 Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition, was 2014 prizewinner at the Seoul International Music Competition in Korea, and was 2013 Laureate of the ProLiance Energy Classical Fellowship Awards of the American Pianists Association.

    The Catskill Symphony Orchestra was founded as a community volunteer group in 1953, before being converted to tax-exempt professional status in 1974. From 1973 until 2017, the orchestra was conducted by Maestro Charles Schneider and in 2020 Polish conductor Maciej Żółtowski was appointed the new Music Director.

    The Foothills Performing Arts Center, located in Oneonta, is a not-for-profit entertainment and civic center that serves the cultural, educational, and community needs of the Otsego, Delaware, and Chenango region.

    Information regarding tickets, location, and more for “Concert I – The Revolutionaries” can be found here.

  • Mary Fahl Coming to Auburn Public Theater in November to Promote Album

    On November 5, singer-songwriter Mary Fahl and her backing band will perform at the Auburn Public Theater in promotion of her July-released cover album Can’t Get It Out of My Head.

    The record includes re-imaginations of songs from major influences for Fahl, with the track list including Electric Light Orchestra, The Rolling Stones, The Moody Blues, Nick Drake, The Mamas and the Papas, Neil Young, Pink Floyd, Judy Collins, George Harrison, and Richard & Linda Thompson.

    Cover art and track list for Mary Fahl’s ‘Can’t Get It Out Of My Head.’

    The Rockland County native first broke through as a musician as lead singer of 1990s NYC chamber pop group October Project, releasing two albums before the collective initially disbanded in 1996. Since then albums from Fahl include 2003’s The Other Side of Time, 2011’s Dark Side of the Moon, her song-for-song reconstruction of the heralded Pink Floyd record, and 2014’s Love and Gravity.

    Recently having been recording and touring on her own label Rimar Records, Fahl has received awards for releases such as 2014’s Live at the Mauch Chunk Opera House which won an Indie Acoustic Award for Best Live Album, as well as her holiday album Winter Songs and Carols which was awarded a 2020 Independent Music Award.

    Mary Fahl’s new album can be listened to online or via streaming services.

  • Fun Lovin’ Criminals return with “The Roosevelt Sessions”, National Tour in November

    Fun Lovin’ Criminals have released their first EP in more than a decade, The Roosevelt Sessions, with a national tour kicking off in November. The jazz-laden four-track cut is sprinkled with biting political satire, nostalgic samples that romanticize life in New York, and their signature world-weary commentary on rising above a life of crime.

    FUN LOVIN’ CRIMINALS roosevelt sessions

    The last album of original music from Fun Lovin’ Criminals was Classic Fantastic, released in 2010, and The Roosevelt Sessions gives fans a taste of the new Criminals sound ahead of more new music slated for release in 2023. The trio features multi-instrumentalist Brian ‘Fast’ Leiser on lead vocal duties following the departure of Huey Morgan in November last year; drummer Frank Benbini and guitarist Naim Cortazzi, formerly with the Manchester band Happy Mondays and soul star Beverley Knight, to restore the trio.

    “Shake It Loose”, the second track on the EP, addresses the mental health issues that inspired Fast and Frank to create new music and perform to their fans worldwide after the departure of Morgan.

    With silky backing vocals from Benbini, Fast, with his smokey Brooklyn drawl, laments, “back then you didn’t listen, to what was true, now it’s all we wanna hear from you. It’s not about right, it’s not about wrong.”

    Fun Lovin’ Criminals are entering a new chapter, with a steely focus on creating new music that our fans will love. Our new EP is a return to our gritty early days in NYC, particularly with the way the music has been composed. 

    Brian ‘Fast’ Leiser

    Fun Lovin’ Criminals began in 1993 after Brian ‘Fast’ Leiser met Huey Morgan at The Limelight nightclub in NYC. Their debut album Come Find Yourself reached no.7 in the UK charts and was certified Platinum in the UK and Gold in the Netherlands. The biggest hit “Scooby Snacks” contains dialogue from Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs. The track peaked at no.12 in the UK singles chart in 1997 and was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in July 2022.

    Fun Lovin’ Criminals Fall Tour dates can be found below, with the tour kicking off in Boston on November 3, and stopping in their hometown of Brooklyn on November 4 at Elsewhere.

    FUN LOVIN’ CRIMINALS roosevelt sessions

  • The Coronas Return to Live Music With New Album and US Tour, Joined by Róisín O

    The Coronas have been releasing music since 2007, but despite streaming numbers in the millions on even their earliest albums, the Irish band has found themselves getting a different kind of name recognition in the past couple years. And instead of shying away from their unintended ties to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Coronas decided to face it head on.

    Their 7th album, Time Stopped, released last week on October 7, focuses heavily on the pandemic and its aftermath. To celebrate its release, The Coronas are heading off on an international tour, with a stop in NYC on November 5, featuring Róisín O.

    The Coronas tour

    The Coronas is a three piece band, with Graham Knox on bass, Conor Egan on drums and Danny O’Reilly as lead singer. The band is extremely passionate about performing live, even going so far as promoting their last album, released during the pandemic, by driving around in an ice cream truck to still bring live, if socially distant, performances to their fans. 

    Irish singer Róisín O, whose solo album Courageous was released in the spring to positive notices, joins The Coronas as their special guest on their tour of North America. Róisín will join as the support act as well as playing keyboards and singing backgrounds on their headlining shows. 

    This summer, The Coronas sold out shows in Cork and Dublin. Before they land in the U.S., the band will play multiple venues in Germany and Switzerland. Lead singer Danny O’Reilly said the return to live audiences will be affecting. 

    “Time Stopped was written to be played live,” O’Reilly said. “We’re ridiculously excited to be on the road again and to play these new songs to full capacity rooms around the world. It’s going to be emotional.”

    2022 North American Tour Dates

    November 2 – Toronto ON, Canada – Axis

    November 4 – Boston, MA – Sinclair

    November 5-  New York, NY – Irving Plaza

    November 6 – Washington, DC – Union Stage

    November 8 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall

    November 10 – Dallas, TX – Cambridge Room-House of Blues

    November 11 – Austin, TX – 3ten

    November 13: Larimer Lounge, Denver, CO Tuesday, 

    November 15 –  Seattle, WA – Crocodile

    November 16 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom

    November 18 – San Francisco, CA –  The Independent

    November 19 – Los Angeles, CA – The Echo