Music is Art, based in Buffalo, will host it’s newest event, The 716 Music Expo, at Babeville on Saturday, April 23.
Music is Art is an organization dedicated to creating opportunities that fuel the unifying power of music in Western New York. The 501c3 organization was founded in 2003 by Goo Goo Dolls bassist and Buffalo resident Robby Takac.
Taking over Babeville on Saturday, April 23, the 716 Music Expo is for WNY musicians and music lovers alike. The day-long event features a trade show with music industry vendors, eight workshops presented in conjunction with Buffalo Music Club, and an evening performance featuring some of Buffalo’s best soul, R&B, and hip hop artists.
The trade show will run from 1pm-5pm and feature venues, recording studios, merchandise providers, college music programs, production companies and more. Workshops will run from 2pm-6pm with two amazing options at the top of each hour. The evening performance will feature Kenyada Nikile, Farrow, and Buffalo hip hop artists Rick Hyde, Heem, and LoveBoat Luciano – collectively known as Black Soprano Family (BSF).
For this, our inaugural event, we hope to mirror what goes on in the big music cities and offer something for every local musician, at every level. If you play music in WNY, you need to be here.
Tracy Fletcher, Music is Art’s Executive Director
Music is Art is proud to enrich our community with access to music and encourages people to find their musical voice, think about how music touches their lives, and most importantly think about the fact that music is art.
Tickets are on sale now and range from $10 – $50. For a complete list of vendors, workshops and performers, or to purchase tickets please visit www.musicisart.org/expo.
The Brooklyn Film Festival has announced its 25th edition will be staged on June 3-12, 2022 at Windmill Studios in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
Windmill Studios in Greenpoint Brooklyn.
This edition’s theme is Unthinkable. Executive Director Marco Ursino explains Brooklyn Film Festival’s efforts to address the current cultural moment.
“It is undeniable that we are living in divisive times, where every political and social current creates and follows its own fabricated truth.,” said Ursino. “In such a world, any profound statement is destined to please some, while it offends others. What we used to define reality, has been carefully hidden, to the point that it has become almost unthinkable.”
Marco Ursino, Executive Director Brooklyn Film Festival
He hopes that Brooklyn Film Festival can be a source of inspiration for it attendees.
“Brooklyn Film Festival wants to reignite the audience’s imagination,” said Ursino. “[And] offer an opportunity to revisit reality, and reinforce the Unthinkable, by presenting 150, uncensored film projects from every corner of the world.”
Brooklyn Film Festival divides its movies into six categories: Feature Narrative, Documentary Feature, Short Narrative, Short Documentary, Experimental, and Animation. The festival has had the same selection criteria—which it considers its trademark—in place since its inaugural edition in 1998.
Movies submitted cannot be older than two years and are all eligible to participate in awards competition. Which means even the smallest movie could be awarded the top prize, known as the Grand Chameleon. In an effort to highlight the selected movies it does not screen films that were not submitted for consideration.
Brooklyn Film Festival 2022 will also continue to hold its annual KidsFilmFest at Windmill Studios on June 4 and online throughout the festival’s duration. KidsFilmFest presents two programming slates; one for kids aged 3 to 7 and another for kids 8 to 15. All the movies selected for KidsFilmFest are G rated and include animated, live-action, and documentary movies.
Below is a partial line up of feature films in competition this year. For further info on all the films, passes, and tickets, please visit BFF website.
FEATURE NARRATIVES:
World Premiere of LEON’S FANTASY CUT; Dir: Josh Caras, Jon Valde, United States, 99 min, 2021, Narrative Feature
Two first generation Ukrainian-American brothers, George and Iggy, know they are destined for great things. George is a wannabe business scion festering in a cell phone store. Igal is a small-time, pot dealer and an aspiring rap mogul. They are stuck together in a suffocating studio apartment in South Brooklyn, and are constantly at each other’s throats.
World Premiere of SIGNS OF LOVE (OPENING NIGHT FILM); Dir: Clarence Filler, United States, 96 min, 2021, Narrative Feature
Signs Of Love takes place in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia, a tough neighborhood where cultures mix but the law of the streets still rules. Hopper Jack Penn stars as Frankie, a young man from north Philly who dreams of a better life.
World Premiere of STAG; Dir: Alexandra Spieth, United States, 93 min, 2022, Narrative Feature
An urban loner fights for a chance at redemption when she’s invited to her estranged BFF’s bachelorette party.
World Premiere of WELCOME, VIOLETA!; Dir: Fernando Fraiha, Brazil, Argentina, 107 min, 2021, Narrative Feature
Eager to write her next novel, “Violeta,” Ana joins the “End of the World Residency,” a well-known literary lab in the Andes Mountain Range. There, she meets Holden, a charismatic leader and creator of a method in which artists abandon their own lives to live as their characters.
US Premiere of DREAMLIFE; Dir: Melvin Moti, Netherlands, France, 85 min, 2020, Narrative Feature
In the 1960s, at the height of the Space Race, a 23-year-old French geologist named Michel Siffre went to live in an underground cave for two months. Siffre investigated how the human body deals with extremely long isolation in a confined space, and how our sleep cycle responds to the absence of daylight.
US Premiere of PEDRO BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA; Dir: Laís Bodanzky, Brazil, Portugal, 107 min, 2021, Narrative Feature
It is 1831 and Pedro, the former emperor of Brazil, gathers physical and emotional strengths to face his brother, who usurped his kingdom in Portugal. The film is set on the Atlantic Ocean, aboard an English frigate, in which members of the court, officers, servants and slaves mingle in a babel of languages and social positions.
US Premiere of POUR L’AMOUR; Dir: Andrzej Mańkowski, Poland, 90 min, 2021, Narrative Feature
Marlena struggles with a serious marital crisis due to the alcohol addiction of her husband, Zbigniew. Via the Internet, she meets Bruno, a Senegalese, who brings back Marlena’s self-confidence and sense of womanhood. However, it turns out that the man plans something rather different for her than building a relationship with her.
East Coast Premiere of BALLOON ANIMAL; Dir: Em Johnson, United States, 88 min, 2021, Narrative Feature
A young circus performer, Poppy Valentine, is stuck under the harsh demands of her father and their community’s expectations. But while on a quick night out to let loose and have some fun with her friends, she finds herself captivated by small-town America, which then forces her to question everything.
East Coast Premiere of RAGGED HEART; Dir: Evan McNary, United States, 85 min, 2021, Narrative Feature
When his estranged daughter tragically dies, a washed-up musician sets out to complete the last song she wrote, hoping to somehow redeem himself and let her rest in peace.
East Coast Premiere of SHAMBALA; Dir: Artykpai Suyundukov, Kyrgyzstan, 99 min, 2021, Narrative Feature
Based on the novella The White Ship, by Kyrgyz writer Chingiz Aitmatov, Shambala tells the story of a lonely, impressionable, seven-year-old boy who lives in a protected forest, high in the mountains, with his grandfather, step-grandmother, auntie and uncle.
East Coast Premiere of WAKE UP, LEONARD; Dir: Kat Mills Martin, US , 73 min, 2021, Narrative Feature
Part comedy, part self-help nightmare, Wake Up, Leonard follows one man’s quest for wellness while failing miserably to stay on his vibe. This is the story of a broken-hearted seeker with a tenuous grasp on his mental health, but an admirable faith in the Universe.
NY Premiere of LEARN TO SWIM; Dir: Thyrone Tommy, Canada, 90 min, 2021, Narrative Feature
After a tragic loss, Dezi, a jazz musician, flees in an attempt to rebuild his life, only to find himself haunted by the truth of his past.
FEATURE DOCUMENTARIES:
World Premiere of HOPE: STORIES OF SURVIVAL DOCUMENTARY; Dir: Joseph Pritchard, United States, 60 min, 2021, Documentary Feature
Hope: Stories of Survival is the first full-length documentary that The Salvation Army has produced. Joe Pritchard, the director of this film, has spent over a decade with this organization, directing short films with the support of his amazing team.
World Premiere of THE UNITED STATES OF FASHION DESIGNER ELIE TAHARI; Dir: David Serero, United States, 65 min, 2021, Documentary Feature
Fashion Designer and Mogul Elie Tahari, has been living the American Dream for more than 50 years. He came to New York in 1971 with less than $100 in his pocket, slept on benches in Central Park, and went on to build a billion-dollar fashion empire.
US Premiere of MERRY CHRISTMAS, YIWU; Dir: Mladen Kovacevic, Iva Plemic, China, 94 min, 2020, Documentary Feature
Communist ideals have long lost their value in Yiwu, a city with 600 Christmas factories, in which Christmas as we know it is produced for the entire world.
NY Premiere of BIG OLD GOOFY WORLD – THE STORY OF OH BOY RECORDS; Dir: Joshua Britt, Neilson Neilson Hubbard, United States, 52 min, 2021, Documentary Feature
This is the story of the little record label that could! Founded by the great John Prine and his two managing partners, Al Bunetta and Dan Einstein.
NY Premiere of DROWNING IN SILENCE; Dir: Chezik Tsunoda, United States, 86 min, 2021, Documentary Feature
Drowning in Silence is an intimate and brave directorial debut from Chezik Tsunoda, documenting her quest for answers and personal journey of healing in the midst of a tragedy.
NY Premiere of FREE RENTY: LANIER V. HARVARD; Dir: David Grubin, United States, 95 min, 2021, Documentary Feature
Free Renty tells the story of Tamara Lanier, an African American woman determined to force Harvard University to cede possession of daguerreotypes of her great-great-great grandfather, an enslaved man named Renty.
NY Premiere of FROM THE HOOD TO THE HOLLER; Dir: Pat McGee, United States, 102 min, 2021, Documentary Feature
Charles Booker rode to the brink of one of the biggest upsets in political history. The documentary follows his campaign across Kentucky, from the most urban to the most rural settings.
These days, everyone’s shooting analog. Whether it is a fashion house seeking out “new” creative or an amateur perusing eBay, analog film photography has piqued the interest (and search history) of people everywhere.
Lizzo hosted her first Saturday Night Liveand returned as a musical guest for the second time, the first time in 2019 when she performed her hit songs “Truth Hurts” and “Good As Hell.” She just released her new single “About Damn Time” and is also prepping to release her next album Special, out July 15.
Lizzo, photo by Mary Ellen Matthews.
During the cold open, the Easter Bunny (Bowen Yang) made an appearance and introduced various figures in today’s media talking about Easter and cracking jokes about recent events they are involved in. Dr. Anthony Fauci (Kate McKinnon), Marjorie Taylor-Greene (Cecil Strong), NYC Mayor Eric Adams (Chris Reed), Britney Spears (Chloe Finemen), Jared Leto (Mikey Day), and Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson) all made an appearance.
During her opening monologue, Lizzo joked about how she would break the record for the amount of times “bitch” is said on TV, and made a shoutout to her mother. She talked about how far she has come, from living in her car to hosting SNL.
Lizzo appeared in the next sketch as “Guess That” contestant Nicole, who was sassy and fiery about not getting the questions right and kept hitting the answer button to be annoying to the host. She also crowned herself the Mayor of “Gametown” in the sketch.
In another sketch, she is featured as a label executive, listening to The Black Eyed Peas and giving her ideas, with success. She is seen in another sketch as a girl bringing a date over, whose friends and family are all “Six Flags Guys.” She was also seen as an Egyptian princess, and then a flutist in an orchestra.
On the SNL Youtube page in the Cut For Time sketch, she starred in a music video with cast members Chris Reed and Bowen Yang about eating food while watching Youtube. She had a rap at the end of the song and was starring as the Youtube Algorithm, and sang about how the algorithm knows what videos to recommend to you based on your watching habits.
“Ladies and gentlemen me!” Lizzo exclaimed as she performed her new song “About Damn Time,” in a yellow neon sequined jumpsuit with neon lights shining in the back as she sings “Turn up the music, turn down the lights/I got a feelin’ I’m gon’ be alright/Okay (Okay), alright/It’s about damn time.” She even brought out her amazing flute playing skills.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agXlTImG6mQ
SNL included an homage to the late Gilbert Gottfried, with a photo of the comedian/actor when he was a cast member on SNL in Season six. Gottfried died on April 12
In her second performance, Lizzo’s mom introduced her. She performed her new song “Special” wearing a huge pink coat and sparkly dress. She sang with a lot of emotion as she sang “in case nobody told you today, you’re special/in case nobody made you believe you’re special/ I will always love you the same, you’re special.”
Brooklyn collective Underground System has recently released “Desnuda.” The single comes in anticipation of their forthcoming EP, Into The Fire, which is set to release on May 6th.
Underground System is a compelling collective that blends reggaeton, funk, and house music. The deep bass lines on this cut mixed with the ethereal Spanish vocals create an atmosphere that only a few other artists can replicate. Underground System may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if any of the former genres interest you then it is definitely worth checking out.
Photo Credit: Maurizio Mascetti
The collective will be touring this summer and they will pass through New Jersey and New York. Tour dates are available down below.
5.12 – Rockaway Music Live//co-curated by Found Sound Nation & Majel Connery: Rockaway Hotel & Spa 5.26 – Strasbourg (FR): Pelpass Festival 5.27 – Ajaccio (FR): Aghja 5.28 – Le Bieymard (FR): Festival D’Olt 6.01 – Paris (FR): Le Hassard Ludique 6.02 – Lille (FR): La Gara Saint Sauveur 6.03 – Angouleme (FR) Festival Musiques Métisses 6.04 – Rouen (FR): Rush Festival 6.17 – Brooklyn, NY: Brooklyn Made (Homecoming Record Release Show) 6.18 – Coeymans Hallows, NY: Circus of Life Festival 8.12 – New York, NY: Hudson River Park
A new single will be available for streaming on April 22nd. For more information, visit www.undergroundsystembk.com.
Blue Note Jazz Festival has announced their Miami Beach pop-up this June. During the first two weekends of June, three great acts will take the stage at the North Beach Bandshell.
In collaboration with the Rhythm Foundation, Blue Note will host performances from George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Buika and Robert Glasper with surprise special guests. These artists were picked based on their contributions and influence within the music industry.
George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic will kick off the first weekend to remind fans of how he helped to revolutionize R&B in the 70’s. Award-winning vocalist Buika will follow with her custom fusion of jazz and flamenco and Robert Glasper will end the second weekend with a two night run.
2019 Blue Note Jazz Festival
Blue Note Jazz Festival was founded in 1981, with the desire to preserve the rich history of jazz, while also welcoming new audiences. As one of NYC’s cultural institutions, Blue Note has hosted a number of jazz artists including Robert Glasper, Pat Metheny and Ron Carter, along with many rising jazz, soul and hip hop artists.
Hard rock band Five Finger Death Punch released new single “AfterLife” and announced a summer and fall tour with stops in Jones Beach, Syracuse, and Darien Center.
Five Finger Death Punch’s Afterlife tour will make three stops in New York. Credit: Travis Shinn.
“Afterlife” is the first single and title track from Five Finger Death Punch’s upcoming studio album.
On their tour Five Finger Death Punch will be joined by hard rock/metal legends Megadeth, Mongolian sensation The HU, and newcomers Fire From The Gods. The tour begins in Portland on Aug. 19. It will stop in New York on Sept. 12 at the Jones Beach Theater, Spet 20. St Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview, and on Sept. 27 at the Darien Lake Amphitheater.
Five Finger Death Punch will also appear in the “The Retaliators” a horror movie set to be released this fall. The gave both an on screen performance and contributed to the movie’s soundtrack. Currently, the movie has a rare and notable 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The National Independent Venue Association, NIVA is preparing for their first ever conference and awards formal called “Niva ’22”, on July 11 and 12 in Cleveland.
Since COVID-19, this organization’s mission has been to save the independent live concert, comedy, promoter and festival industry from running out of business. This upcoming event will focus on the future of these fields, as well as interest groups who benefited from NIVA.
More specifically, this non profit will provide two days of in-person programming, education, networking, entertainment, and more for the attendees. The Independent Awards Formal, a black-tie gala on Monday, July 11, from 6:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M., will be held at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
We started NIVA to help independent venues and promoters survive the pandemic. Together we fought for and won the passage of the Save Our Stages Act, which resulted in a historic $16 billion emergency relief grant program. Though the impetus was a crisis response, we’ve planned from the very beginning to continue growing NIVA into a full-service trade organization that serves its membership today and in the future. Our mantra from the start was ‘First we survive, then we thrive.’ We’re excited to bring the live industry together in a new way that is truly impactful while highlighting the importance of connectivity. Our goal is to create positive momentum within the touring and live industry, altering the course beyond the pandemic and providing the necessary tools for our members to succeed while returning to in-person events and entertainment.
NIVA Co-Founder and Executive Director, Rev. Moose
During the conference, NIVA will shed light on new technologies. Additionally, there will be numerous panels with industry professionals, specialized educational sessions, brand activations, and networking opportunities provided. The topics the non-profit will focus on are safety, inclusion, diversity, equality, accessibility, booking, ticketing, and marketing.
The events will take place in multiple NIVA-member venues in Cleveland. Early bird registration is now accessible until May 26, while conference programming and speakers will be announced soon.
Phil Lesh and Friends will find themselves among the apple orchards of Beak and Skiff in Lafayette on July 8, their lone stop in New York this summer on a just announced 2022 Summer Tour.
Lesh, a founding member of the Grateful Dead, will be rotating his lineup of friends during his East Coast shows, which includes an appearance at Levitate Music Festival in Marshville, Massachusetts on July 9.
On July 8, Lesh will be joined by guitarists Stu Allen and Grahame Lesh, along with multi-instrumentalists Jason Crosby and Amy Helm, and drummer Cody Dickinson. The same lineup will play Thompson’s Point in Portland, Maine on July 10.
Doors are at 5pm with the show starting at 6:30pm. Tickets are $75 in advance and $80 day of show.
Metal legend Alice Cooper will embark on a “Detroit Muscle” tour this fall, with stops in Buffalo, Binghamton, and Albany in September.
Alice Cooper pioneered a grandly theatrical brand of hard rock that was designed to shock. Drawing equally from horror movies, vaudeville, and garage rock, the group created a stage show that featured electric chairs, guillotines, fake blood and boa constrictors. He continues to tour regularly, performing shows worldwide with the dark and horror-themed theatrics that he’s best known for.
With a schedule that has included six months year in and year out on the road, Alice Cooper brings his own brand of rock psycho-drama to fans both old and new, enjoying it as much as the audience does. Known as the architect of shock-rock, Cooper has rattled the cages and undermined the authority of generations of guardians of the status quo, continuing to surprise fans and exude danger at every turn, like a great horror movie, even in an era where CNN can present real life shocking images.
As he finally heads back out on the concert trail in 2021, Alice insists he’s still motivated to continue touring and recording albums, as well as making time for other projects, including most recently, Alice’s widely praised 2018 performance as King Herod in NBC-TV’s live production of “Jesus Chris Superstar” on Easter Sunday.
Released in February, 2021, his latest album Detroit Stories, (produced by Bob Ezrin) is inspired by the garage rock music of Detroit in the late Sixties, including several classic covers of Detroit hits from that era, recorded in Detroit with all Detroit musicians.
As if that wasn’t enough, “Nights With Alice Cooper,” Alice’s nightly radio show, continues to air in nearly 100 cities in the USA, Canada, Australia, and the UK. The five hour long show features his favorite classic rock songs along with his insider anecdotes about many of the artists.
Tickets go on sale Friday, April 15 at 10AM at ticketmaster.com.
Alice Cooper ‘Detroit Muscle’ 2022 U.S. Tour Dates
Sept. 07 — Bethlehem, Pa. @ Wind Creek Event Center Sept. 09 — Alton, Va. @ Blue Ridge Rock Festival Sept. 11 — Windsor, Ontario @ The Colosseum @ Caesar’s Sept. 13 — Buffalo, N.Y. @ Shea’s Buffalo Sept. 14 — Binghamton, N.Y. @ Visions Arena Sept. 16 — Albany, N.Y. @ The Palace Theater Sept. 17 — Atlantic City, N.J. @ Tropicana Casino & Resort Sept. 18 — Wallingford, Ct. @ Toyota Oakdale Theatre Sept. 20 — Muncie, Ind. @ Emens Auditorium Sept. 21 — Grand Rapids, Mich. @ DeVos Hall Sept. 22 — Hammond, Ind. @ The Venue @ Horseshoe Casino Sept. 24 — Louisville, Ky. @ Louder than Life Festival Sept. 25 — Chattanooga, Tenn. @ Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium Sept. 27 — Memphis, Tenn. @ Orpheum Theater Sept. 28 — St.Louis, Mo. @ Stifel Theatre Sept. 30 — Cedar Rapids, Iowa @ Paramount Theater Oct. 01 — Springfield, Ill. @ Bank of Springfield Center Oct. 04 — Loveland, Colo. @ Budweiser Event Center Oct. 06 — Prescott Valley, Ariz. @ Findlay Toyota Center Oct. 08 — Las Vegas, Nev. @ TBA
Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds have announced a show on July 17, 2022 in Canandaigua at Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center (CMAC).
The longtime friends and collaborators will be on the road this summer with Dave Matthews Band, but have set aside the evening of Sunday, July 17 for an intimate, acoustic evening.
Members of The Warehouse may request tickets through Monday, April 18th at noon ET. Visit warehouse.davematthewsband.com/ to join the Warehouse. The general public sale for tickets through Ticketmaster begins at 10AM ET on Friday, April 22nd. For complete presale details visit citientertainment.com.
