Circles Around The Sun have announced their new album, Language, will release Spring 2023. The psychedelic jam band will continue their US tour by the same name, adding more dates to close out this year and into 2023, including two stops in New York — at Lark Hall in Albany and the Brooklyn Bowl in Brooklyn — in January of next year.
Circles Around The Sun was founded by the late guitarist Neal Casal, when Casal was called on to record interludes for the Grateful Dead’s 2015 “Fare Thee Well” concert series. The interludes, inspired by Dead songs, were then recognized at the concerts on their own merit, prompting Circles Around The Sun’s first release: Interludes for the Dead. The band went on to record two more albums of their own sound, before Casal’s passing. On this upcoming album, Language, Adam Macdougall on keyboard and synth, Dan Horne on bass, Mark Levy on drums and John Lee Shannon on guitar have set out to oscillate through genres of disco-funk, soul jazz and psychedelic rock to create new sounds and ongoing dance jams.
When the four reconvened in the recording studio to record their newest, it meant working through the tragedy of their founding members death, and setting out to use the framework he left them to create something beautiful and new of their own.
Tickets to the new legs of this tour went on sale November 11, and can be purchased here. See complete tour dates below.
TOUR DATES
Dec 29, 2022 – Roanoke, VA – 5 Points Music Sanctuary
Dec 30, 2022 – Winston Salem, NC – The Ramkat
Dec 31, 2022 – Richmond, VA – The National *
Jan 20, 2023 – Albany, NY – Lark Hall
Jan 21, 2023 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl
Jan 22, 2023 – Ardmore, PA – Ardmore Music Hall
Jan 25, 2023 – Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird Music Hall
Foreigner has announced its Historic Farewell Tour, with stops at Darien Center, Saratoga Springs, Wantagh, and Syracuse.
Foreigner is hailed as one of the most famous rock acts in the world, with sold-out tours and album sales now exceeding 80 million. They are responsible for some of rock and roll’s most enduring anthems including “Juke Box Hero,” “Cold As Ice,” “Hot Blooded,” “Waiting For A Girl Like You,” “Feels Like The First Time,” and worldwide #1 hit, “I Want To Know What Love Is.”
The time has come. We have more or less lived our lives on the road for almost eighteen years. We have always strived to give you our best and we intend to finish this the same way. Foreigner has a brilliant and increasingly demanding catalogue of songs to sing and I refuse to give them less than they deserve. So, we’re going to finish strong. I want to make it very clear how grateful and appreciative we are to our audiences all over the world who have supported this band. I’m sure there may be occasions when we’ll do some special appearances, but I think the time is coming for us to live off the road. Thank you all so much!
Lead singer, Kelly Hansen
Leader and founder Mick Jones also wrote in a statement “We will be presenting a show that I know will have the same enthusiasm as our very first appearances. The tour will start this summer in America and we hope to get to every place that we have played over the last several years.”
Foreigner will continue its long-term initiative with the GRAMMY Museum Foundation to invite choirs to open the show with a live a cappella “Pitch Perfect” performance of Classic Rock songs. For more information about how to enter, go here.
Loverboy will be opening for the band. The group has sold more than ten million albums, earning four multi-platinum plaques, including the four-million-selling “Get Lucky,” and a trio of double-platinum releases in their self-titled 1980 debut, 1983’s Keep It Up and 1985’s Lovin’ Every Minute of It.
The group still features the original line-up of vocalist Mike Reno, guitarist Paul Dean, drummer Matt Frenette and keyboardist Doug Johnson with bassist Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve replacing the late Scott Smith.
Tickets to Foreigner’s Historic Farewell Tour are on sale Nov. 18 here.
Foreigner Tour Dates
Thu July 6 Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Sat July 8 West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
Sun July 9 Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Tue July 11 Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheatre
Fri July 14 Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
Tue July 18 Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre
Wed July 19 St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Fri July 21 Indianapolis, IN – Ruoff Music Center
Sat July 22 Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Mon July 24 Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center
Tue July 25 Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
Fri July 28 Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater
Sat July 29 Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake
Tue August 1 Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Wed August 2 Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach
Fri August 4 Gilford, NH – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
Sat August 5 Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
Tue August 8 Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Wed August 9 Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
Fri August 11 Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion
Sat August 12 Houston, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Mon August 14 Austin, TX – Moody Center
Wed August 16 Denver, CO – Ball Arena
Fri August 18 Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheater
Sun August 20 Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion
Mon August 21 Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheater
Wed August 23 Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheater
Thu August 24 Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
Weds August 30 Detroit, MI – Pine Knob Music Theater
Fri September 1 Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
Sat September 2 Syracuse, NY – St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview
Sun September 3 Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.
This week there will be two songs from each artist played, instead of the usual one.
Jade Relics: “Leave us Alone” and “Mandarine”
Jade Relics is a collective of Vermont Musicians featuring, Elder Orange, Rico James, IamE. Their music is danceable and infectious, with excellent production and instrumentation. Their songs “Leave us Alone” and “Mandarine” will be played on EQXposure.
Blur Beside You: “Stumble more than anything” and “Nothing Feels Real”
Blur Beside You is a shoegaze indie rock trio from New York and Florida. It features 3 founding members of the South Florida band, Mindlikewater, Jim Wells, Joseph Butera & Joseph Beaty. Their songs “Stumble more than anything” and “Nothing Feels Real” will be played on EQXposure.
Fine Grain: “Missing Adult” and “Calculate”
Fine Grain floats in between shoegaze haze and punk posturing. They are from Albany and stitch old punk with new to create their unique sound. Their songs “Missing Adult” and “Calculate” will be played on EQXposure.
On Friday, February 17, 2023, rock-trio King Buffalo, will be performing at Empire Underground on their just announced tour, along with an appearance by special guests, Swell the Fellas. The group is returning from their tour with Clutch, and more recently with Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, from their spring tour in North America.
King Buffalo
Members of the Rochester-based group are vocalist and guitarist, Sean McVay, bassist Dan Reynolds, and drummer Scott Donaldson. The band has released a total of four full-length EPs, “Acheron”, “The Burden of Restlessness”, “Dead Star”, “Longing to Be the Mountain” and “Orion”, since their formation in 2013 and most recently had their fifth full-length EP called “Regenerator” released on Sept. 2, 2022.
Empire Underground Performance of King Buffalo Poster
The album “Regenerator” is a pinnacle piece demonstrating a modern psychedelic sound production, while containing elements which stretch the stylistic boundaries of the underground rock genre. The band’s self release in North America and through the Europe-based company, Stickman Records, serves as a leading thematical counterpart to their prior projects, such as the 2016’s “Orion” debut, 2018’s “Longing to Be the Mountain”, as well as other EPs.
Drummer Scott Donaldson, discussed with NYS Music about King Buffalo and their most recently released album, Regenerator.
Heather Occhino: How did your band come together and what made you decide to be drummer?
Scott Donaldson: We formed from 2 bands from the Rochester area. As my band was breaking, so was Sean’s and Dan’s. I approached them about doing some stuff together and we had a natural chemistry, and have been rolling since then.
HO: How do you manage all the aspects of being in a band and still find time to make music?
SD: Being a musician and managing the day to day is a full time job. Fortunately, I’m able to handle the business side of things. When it comes to making music, we all jam together and form new some ideas. At this point, Sean will take the recordings and rearrange the ideas to form a more cohesive structure. Then we work through those ideas together until the song is complete.
HO: How you would you describe your music?
SD: We’re basically a new age classic rock band. We can be grouped into sub genres like psychedelic rock, stoner, metal, prog and so forth but we don’t really tie ourselves to any specific category.
HO: How were prior tour performances both in and outside of the U.S? Have you seen a growth in your listening base since then?
SD: We have seen significant growth since the pandemic in both Europe and North America. It’s nice to have some recognition since next year will be ten years as a band, but there is plenty more still to accomplish.
HO: Are there any artists who influence your sound or inspire you creatively?
SD: I think each of us are inspired daily by numerous influences. It’s impossible to pick any because anything can have a placebo that you might not even realize.
Tickets for the performance at Empire Underground can be bought here.
The Last Waltz 2022 concert tour with Warren Haynes kicked-off with two excellent shows on November 3rd & 4th at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester. I was determined to see at least one show on the tour. Looking at the schedule, that show had to be at Proctors Theatre on Saturday, November 5 in Schenectady.
Proctors is one of the nicest theatres I have been to in New York State and may even be one of the nicest theatres in the US. The architecture, the history, the restoration, the sound quality, the staff, everything about Proctors Theatre makes it a special venue to see a performance such as The Last Waltz.
Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, Garth Hudson and Robbie Robertson were The Band. Their Thanksgiving concert 1976 was filmed live at the Winterland Arena in San Francisco and the concert became a celebration. The film became The Last Waltz. If you’re a fan of The Band, if you want to see & hear great timeless music, you just know, the music & songs from The Last Waltz, it’s going to be special.
The Last Waltz 2022 at Proctors Theatre included Warren Haynes, Jamey Johnson, Kathleen Edwards, Anders Osborne, Dave Malone, John Medeski, Cyril Neville, Terence Higgins, Bob Margolin and Mark Mullins & the Levee Horns. The band will be joined by Taj Mahal & Don Was and other musicians at future dates. The song selections and arrangements were both familiar and unique.
My friend mentioned that he thought the 2022 horn arrangements closely followed the original 1976 Last Waltz horn charts arranged by Allen Toussaint. The Levee Horns played true to the New Orleans sound. The set lists will vary slightly from show to show. The concert highlights are far too many to count. Terence Higgins on drums is extraordinary. For me, Jamey Johnson’s vocals, especially on ‘Georgia’, Kathleen Edwards multi-instrumental musicianship & and her vocals on Bob Dylan’s ‘Forever Young’ were heart felt and everyone together on Dylan’s ‘I Shall Be Released’, that was excellent.
The tour continues November 9 the at the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford, CT and wraps-up on December 4 the at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. Along the way, there will be performances in Boston, DC, Richmond, Atlanta, Florida and Oakland, CA. This is one of those must-see 2022 concert performances. If you’re local or within travelling distance, this concert should not be missed. Find more on the Last Waltz 2022 concert series here.
The newest album from Lucas Garrett, Reaching Through Dreams, is as vulnerable as it is empowered. He released it slowly, first with a single, “Together,” on April 1, then four months later he released “So Many Times.” Finally, in September, Lucas Garrett put out the full six song album, and he’s now announced a release show for December 1. And what better backdrop for the upstate NY artist’s strange, fantastic sound than the historic Caffe Lena?
Reaching Through Dreams, Garrett’s third EP, evokes layers that he peels back delicately, like an onion. On the surface, the song is filled with synthy bass and the melody runs a harmonic minor key. It sounds like fall, like an early sunset, kind of spooky and kind of fun. Garrett’s deep voice rumbles and warbles through poetic verse and each line is delivered with interest and depth. The lyrics merge relationships with people and music, blurring the lines dividing each intimate exchange, like in the EP’s opener, “So Many Times:”
“Picking up your tune / your words turn to mine / I have tried so many times / to let it run free / but I know I will hear / all your melodies”
In addition to the moving lyrics, the guitar on the album is explosive and adds to the layers of each song. In the inspiration for Reaching Through Dreams, Garrett cited Bowie’s “Heroes,” Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely,” and the Beatles’ “Two Of Us.” He also listed songs from David Byrne and St. Vincent. With inspiration as varied in both genre and time period, it makes sense that the album’s sound is eclectic and hard to place.
Caffe Lena has been hosting iconic musicians before they were icons since it opened in 1960. As one of the first on the east coast to welcome Bob Dylan, the venue is continuing its tradition of putting lesser known, talented artists on with Lucas Garrett. Tickets are starting at $10, and the event will be in person and live streamed. Garrett’s album release show will run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on December 1; tickets are here.
WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.
Rhoseway – “Prey on The Rest of Us”
Rhoseway is the solo project of Albany-based songwriter Rob Fleming. All writing, arrangements, performances, and production are done by himself in a DIY fashion.
Ethan Crowley – “in my dreams”
Ethan Crowley is a budding new artist from Saratoga Springs. He has an eccentric pop sound with roots in old-school ballads, jazz, and soul. His recent debut album Drowning in a Glass of Water was produced entirely by himself, and his album release show at Caffe Lena had rave reviews.
Gracies Paris – “1 2 & 3”
Gracies Paris is a Troy-based power pop rock band formed in 2007 featuring Carl Ferritto (vocal and guitar), Eric Buechner (drums), and Randy Rose (bass). Something that the band does that makes listeners keep tuning in is by changing their sound after each song. One single may have a similar sound to the other, but no song is quite the same.
The historic Palace Theatre in Albany will host the premiere of an upcoming documentary that chronicles the story of a legendary promoter in the Capitol Region. ‘Grapplin’ Greg: The Story of Greg Bell’ will premiere on the big screen at the Palace Theatre on December 17 at 7:30pm, and will include a live performance from Eastbound Jesus.
The evening will also feature a performance by Eastern New York northern rock group Eastbound Jesus.
Tickets are $22, which includes the documentary screening and Eastbound Jesus performance. VIP tickets are $37 and include a ticket to the documentary screening, the Eastbound Jesus performance, exclusive event memorabilia, a pre-show reception from 6-7pm with complimentary hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar and drink specials.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased or at the Palace Theatre Box Office (located at 19 Clinton Ave). Box Office hours are Monday – Friday 12-5pm as well as select days and hours for events and on sales.
Local to Albany, State Champs have released their newest acoustic single “Act Like That,” an energetic, bouncing track, and “Outta My Head,” with its stripped back guitar licks, both bringing vocal harmonies and breathing new life into the songs. Earlier this year, State Champs planted their flag firmly in pop-punk history with their 4th studio album, Kings Of The New Age, out now via Pure Noise Records.
Kings Of The New Age includes hit singles “Eventually”, “Everybody But You” (ft. Ben Barlow), “Outta My Head”, and “Just Sound.” Alongside this, seven new tracks featuring additional guest vocalists Chrissy Costanza, Mitchell Tenpenny, and Four Year Strong.
“If any band were to be crowned royalty amongst the current generation of pop-punk acts, we have little doubt the honor would go to New York’s State Champs.”
– Beyond The Stage Magazine
Starting in bedrooms and basements in 2010, State Champs quickly ascended in the pop punk scene owing as much to early Fall Out Boy and Green Day as latter-day Warped Tour bands. In 2022, Kerrang! declared them “one of the most authentic and well-respected bands in pop-punk. Derek DiScanio, Tyler Szalkowski, Ryan Scott Graham, and Evan Ambrosio deliver a strong message throughout Kings Of The New Age.
State Champs delivered their music and heartfelt message on extensive tours with bands like Fall Out Boy, 5 Seconds Of Summer, A Day To Remember, and Simple Plan; three different Warped Tours; and a co-headliner with Neck Deep.
“With their pop-punk flag firmly planted, State Champs may have just provided us with the soundtrack to help remind us of the carefree days and the endless possibilities of a summer that could change our lives for the better.”
– Chorus.fm
On the highly anticipated release, the band shares, “Kings of The New Age is our fourth album, the one that we spent the most time on, and the one that makes the biggest statement. After writing over 30 songs, we narrowed it down to 11 that best represent our mission as a band, and sonically, match the energy level we wanted to captivate heading into this new chapter.”
“We had a short press week back in June where we did some in studio acoustic sessions,” explains guitarist Tyler Szalkowski. “We fell in love with the acoustic versions of Act Like That and Outta My Head. We knew we had to get these recorded and get them out to you all. Enjoy and see you all very soon on the Kings of the New Age tour.”
“[Kings Of The New Age] is full of engaging, high-velocity pop punk songs that are great for summertime listening.”
From Monday, October 24, to Friday, November 4, 2022, A Celebration of Hmong Culture Through the Arts is being presented through the collaboration of The UAlbany Performing Arts Center and New York State Writers Institute. The multi-series event is focusing on Hmong culture and history, with an emphasis on Kao Kalia Yang’s memoir, The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir.
Gaosung Heu in The Latehomecomer
Through the collaboration of the Hmong Museum in Minnesota with UAlbany, there will be a display of Hmong story/flower clothes, known as Paj ntaub, presented throughout the course of the entire event, from 11am to 4pm, during the weekdays. The material of these intricate textiles are a significant aspect of Hmong culture, particularly the variety and quality of the content integrated on the story clothes, which helps provide a broader understanding of Hmong tradition.
‘Crossing the Mekong River’ Story Clothe
The documentary Being Hmong Means Being Free that was screened on Thurs., Oct. 27, at 4:30pm, which frames a lens of modern-day Hmong life in America through the perspective of program host, Lia Vang, centers around a Hmong immigrant community in Wisconsin. The film further examines concepts rooted in ancient Hmong culture and provides a connection to how these traditions have progressively shaped the Hmong community, and also looks at the challenges in Hmong life during contemporary times.
Secondly, a duo-performance of the Literature to Life stage adaptation of The Latehomecomer is set to happen at the Performing Art Center. On Thurs., Nov. 3, a pre-talk show will be presented at 7pm, prior to the public performance starting at 7:30pm, following a second part of the performance on Fri., Nov. 4 at 10am, which is solely for high school students.
Directed by Elise Thoron, The Latehomecomer this theatre work starts as author Kao Kalia Yang is born in the Ban Vinai Refugee camp in Thailand and eventually arrives in the United States. The book and stage presentation follow her journey from a quiet, reticent student struggling to speak English while facing racial discrimination to a self-empowered young woman claiming her voice to tell the untold story of her people. They tell a universal story of immigration through the specific lens of this ancient culture inextricably bound to the history of the war in Vietnam.
Driven to share her family’s history after her grandmother’s death, The Latehomecomer is an eloquent, firsthand account of a people who have worked hard to make their voices heard. In search of a place to call home, thousands of Hmong families made the journey from the war-torn jungles of Laos to the overcrowded refugee camps of Thailand, finally emigrating to America. Winner of a PEN USA Literary Award for Nonfiction and Readers Choice Award, The Latehomecomer is the first memoir written by a Hmong-American to be published with national distribution. A Hmong written language was not taught or used until the 1950s so the author plays a significant role in bringing the culture into the realm of literature.
The Latehomecomer is performed by Gaosong Heu, a performance artist, musician, vocalist, published writer, educator, arts administrator and entrepreneur based in Saint Paul, MN. She received her B.A. in Theater Arts from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and her Master of Arts in Arts Administration from Columbia University. Gaosong has over 15 years of training in Western Classical music, as well as training in traditional styles of Hmong folk music.
There will be a public performance at the UAlbany Performing Arts Center on Thursday, November 3, 2022 at 7:30pm, preceded by a pre-show talk beginning at 7pm. A second performance will take place on Friday, November 4, 2022 at 10am exclusively for high school student groups.
Advance tickets for the public performance are $15 for the general public and $10 for students, seniors and UAlbany faculty-staff. Tickets purchased on the day of the show (pending availability) are $20 for the general public and $15 for students, seniors and UAlbany faculty-staff. Individual tickets can be purchased on the UAlbany Performing Arts Center’s site at www.albany.edu/pac.
Admission to the morning matinee is free for high school student groups. Reservations are required. Educators wishing to bring groups can contact the UAlbany Performing Arts Center office at (518) 442-3995 or PAC@albany.edu. Home school students and parents are also welcome.
