Last year, Mitchell Cohen partnered with former Sparks/Roxy Music bassist Sal Maida on one of the most enjoyable reads about pop arcana ever penned, The White Label Promo Preservation Society: 100 Flop Albums You Oughta Know. Now Cohen is back, riding solo this time, to tell the story of the last quintessential New York record label. It’s the imprint that either launched or revitalized the careers of Barry Manilow, Patti Smith, The Kinks, Lou Reed, Aretha Franklin, Gil Scott-Heron, The Grateful Dead, Iggy Pop and, of course, Whitney Houston, in the ‘70s and early ‘80s – Clive Davis’ Arista Records.
Cohen’s Looking for the Magic (Trouser Press Books) tells the story of Arista from its inception – a label built upon the foundation of the singles-centric Bell Records to the conclusion of its freewheeling indie era with a mid-1980s merger with industry giant RCA. And although Cohen worked at the label in publicity and A&R from 1977 – 1993, he largely remains absent from the narrative, a humble factor that’s a very good thing for the storytelling.
“Looking for the magic” is a record industry maxim. It says that success is spelled by a label’s ability to realize what’s a hit and, more importantly, what is not! Clive Davis, the man who defined Arista, was unparalleled in his ability to sniff out both hits and artists who grow to become mega-selling legends. It’s something he had done from his early days at Columbia thru Arista to his latter run at J Records.
But before the book gets to Arista, Cohen tells the equally fascinating story of its forerunner, Bell Records, and its intriguing head Larry Uttal.
Uttal’s singles-focused label didn’t do artist development or produce records. It licensed them from a host of talented outside producers like Allen Toussaint and then did the savvy sales and promotion that made them big hits.
Mitch Ryder’s “Devil with the Blue Dress On,” The Box Tops’ “The Letter,” “I’m Your Puppet” by James and Bobby Purify and Merrilee Rush’s “Angel of the Morning” were some of the independent productions Bell drove to the upper reaches of the charts. Uttal also sourced England for hits by Spooky Tooth, Suzi Quatro and Vanity Fair. And after Bell’s purchase by Columbia Pictures came hits from its TV division, The Partridge Family, and Tony Orlando and Dawn. Interestingly, Bell was the partner label for the proto-metal of Leslie West and Mountain and released one of the weirdest records you’ll ever hear, 1971’s For You. This crockpot of kooky features the erotic poetry of Brit thespian/singer Anthony (“What Kind of Fool Am I?”) Newley set to orchestral music by Neely Plumb, the father of child actress Eve Plumb of “Brady Bunch” fame.
Clive Davis enters the picture at Bell as a “consultant” after he is summarily fired from Columbia Records due to an accounting scandal in 1973. By 1974, Davis is in charge and changes the name of the label to that of his high school honors society.
As he had at Columbia with Santana, Sly & The Family Stone and Janis Joplin, Davis made his first order of business signing up talent he could grow – both the new and the established. A vast majority of these would come from NYC like his first signings: the proto-rapper Gil Scott-Heron and Barry Manilow, the cabaret-styled singer who would become the label’s true triple platinum-selling cash cow. Arista would be in the thick of punk with the signings of Patti Smith and punk godfather Lou Reed, whose flagging career would be revitalized with Arista albums like Street Hassle. The Kinks and The Grateful Dead would see their careers soar again with their respective Arista releases, Low-Budget and In the Dark, the latter which featured The Dead’s only Top 40 hit, “Touch of Grey.”
Interestingly, jazz was a very important part of the mix at Clive’s Arista. This was perhaps due to his experience at Columbia Records with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock. These were forward-leaning jazz stars who crossed over to a rock audience and Gold Record sales with their respective fusion masterworks, Bitches Brew and Head Hunters. Jazz was relatively cheap to record and market and they could break even without the huge sales of rock. So, Clive and company rolled the dice on jazz often, garnering both solid cash returns and even more lasting artistic results.
Arista Records’ forays into jazz deserves some serious attention. The effort was led by Steve Backer, the man who earlier signed Keith Jarrett and Gato Barbieri to Impulse Records. The imprint, Arista Freedom, kicked off with marquee signings of avant-garde notables like Anthony Braxton, Julius Hemphill, Cecil Taylor and the like. In the way of more mainstream fusion, Arista made a splash with The Brecker Brothers and Larry Coryell’s Eleventh House. The latter was a contender to the crown worn by Columbia Records’ resident guitar god John McLaughlin and his fearsomely talented and financially successful Mahavishnu Orchestra. With the purchase of the Savoy Records catalog in 1975, the label did a splendid job repackaging and turning a new generation on to the classic works of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon and many more. Arista Freedom eventually morphed into Arista Novus. It released a bevy of beautiful, edge-pushing jazz from the likes of Muhal Richard Abrams, Oliver Lake, Air with Henry Threadgill and guitarist Michael Gregory Jackson, whose 1979 album Heart and Center is a masterpiece of genre-leaping future funk.
With the licensing of Passport Records, Arista even dabbled in progressive rock, distributing discs by the likes of Camel, Brand X and synth wizard Larry Fast. By the dawn of the ‘80s, Arista also had a nice piece of MTV-era pop with the success of acts like A Flock of Seagulls, Haircut 100 and The Thompson Twins.
In 1983, things would begin to change. That’s when RCA acquired a 50% stake and took over distribution for Arista. That year, Clive Davis would see the future when he witnessed Whitney Houston singing at the Upper West Side club called Sweetwater. He took his time finding the right songs and style that would make her long-delayed 1985 debut not only an unprecedented smash with three #1 singles, but the template that would be followed to build the careers of everyone from Mariah to Britney.
But that’s another story and that’s where Cohen choses to end this very gratifying one.
France Rocks Summer fest, the largest festival of French music in the United States, have announced their 5th anniversary lineup. Beginning on Saturday, June 4, this month-long festival will feature 15 concerts across Brooklyn and Manhattan, and will culminate with a celebration at Central Park’s SummerStage.
Gracing the France Rocks stage will be legendary French hip hop artist MC Solaar, the Nice-based electro-pop artist Hyphen Hyphen and electro-pop trio Bon Entendeur. Co-presented with FiAF (French Institute Alliance Francaise), the performances on June, 21 will also mark the 40th Anniversary of “La Fête de la Musique”, an International day of music that derived from France.
We are thrilled to celebrate the 5th edition of France Rocks Summer Fest and the return of live music to New York City, which is once again thriving.
I am proud to present this diverse group of edgy, up-and-coming artists and can’t wait to witness the beautiful energy of audiences enjoying this tremendous music.
France Rocks founder, Michele Amar
France Rocks highlights the most exciting music coming out of France today, as well as international artists who draw their inspiration from French culture. Attracting more than 50,000 music lovers across all backgrounds, free and ticketed shows will be held across eight venues throughout the month, including Brooklyn Steel and Blue Note Jazz Club.
This year’s France Rocks festival is supported in part by the city’s programming initiative, NY Music Month, the official celebration of New York City’s vibrant and dynamic music ecosystem. In turn, France Rocks hopes to present its most eclectic roster of music to-date, ranging from gypsy jazz, electro-pop, Latin inspired French music and more.
France Rocks SummerFest is also supported through partnerships with France Rocks, French Institute Alliance Francaise, the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, Make Music New York, French Morning, A2IM Indie Week, SummerStage in Central Park, and the Lincoln Center.
Fore more on France Rocks Music Festival, visit their official website. While the entire festival lineup can be found below.
FRANCE ROCKS SUMMER FEST 2022 LINEUP: Sat, June 4 – Las Rubias del Norte @ Barbes – 8PM
Sun, June 5 – La Femme @ Brooklyn Steel – 8PM
Fri, June 10 – Clovis Nicolas @ Blue Note Jazz Club – 12:30PM & 2PM
Americana singer-songwriter Marcus King has announced U.S. fall tour dates in promotion of his upcoming album, Young Blood, slated for August 26 release.
With King’s European tour beginning June 23 and finishing July 8, followed a couple American stops in the weeks after, the U.S. stretch will start September 9 in Philadelphia and wrap up October 27 in New Orleans.
Poster for Marcus King’s U.S. Tour.
Hosted by comedian Dean Del Ray and featuring Neal Francis and Ashland Craft for most dates, the tour includes shows at Beacon Theatre in Manhattan on September 15 & 16.
Young Blood, which is produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, is King’s second studio album. His 2020 debut record El Dorado earned a Grammy nomination for “Best Americana Album.”
Cover art for Young Blood, releasing August 26.
King has released two singles for the album so far, “Hard Working Man” and “Rescue Me.” A music video for “Hard Working Man,” the record’s lead single, dropped Tuesday.
A South Carolina native, King has been around music his entire life, first learning to play guitar at three years old. He has opened for Chris Stapleton, Greta Van Fleet, and Nathaniel Rateliff. Festivals King has made the bills of include Stagecoach, Fuji Rock, and Rock Werchter.
More information regarding tickets/the tour can be found on King’s website.
Tour Dates
JUN 23 THU – Fairview Park – Dublin, Ireland* JUN 25 SAT – Alexandra Palace – London, United Kingdom* JUN 26 SUN – The Globe – Cardiff, United Kingdom JUN 28 TUE – O2 Apollo Manchester – Manchester, United Kingdom* JUN 29 WED – O2 Apollo Manchester – Manchester, United Kingdom* JUN 30 THU – Rock City – Nottingham, United Kingdom JUL 2 SAT – Rock Werchter – Werchter, Belgium JUL 3 SUN – Rockhal – Esch-sur-alzette, Luxembourg JUL 5 TUE – Oosterpoort – Groningen, Netherlands JUL 6 WED – Cognac Blues Passions 2022 – Cognac, France JUL 7 THU – Doornroosje – Nijmegen, Netherlands JUL 8 FRI – North Sea Jazz Festival 2022 – Rotterdam, Netherlands JUL 16 SAT – Wild Hare Music Festival 2022 – Canby, OR, United States JUL 27 WED – FloydFest 22- Heartbeat 2022 – Floyd, VA, United States *with Greta Van Fleet
Sept 9 – The Met – Philadelphia, PA Sept 10 – The Theater at MGM National Harbor – Washington DC Sept 11 – House Of Blues – Boston, MA Sept 15 – Beacon Theatre – New York, NY Sept 16 – Beacon Theatre – New York, NY Sept 17 – KEMBA Live! – Columbus, OH Sept 18 – Bourbon & Beyond Festival – Louisville, KY Sept 20 – HISTORY – Toronto, ON Sept 21 – Stage AE – Pittsburgh, PA Sept 23 – GLC Live at 20 Monroe – Grand Rapids, M Sept 24 – The Sylvee – Madison, WI ^ Sept 25 – Palace Theatre – St. Paul, MN Sept 27 – Egyptian Room @ Old National Centre – Indianapolis, IN* Sept 29 – Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN* Sept 30 – Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN* Oct 1 – The Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA Oct 2 – The Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA Oct 4 – Stubb’s Bar-B-Q – Austin, TX Oct 6 – The Van Buren – Phoenix, AZ* Oct 7 – The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA Oct 11 – The Masonic – San Francisco, CA Oct 13 – Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR Oct 14 – The Neptune Theatre – Seattle, WA Oct 15 – The Neptune Theatre – Seattle, WA Oct 17 – The Complex – Salt Lake City, UT Oct 18 – Mission Ballroom – Denver, CO Oct 20 – The Pageant – St. Louis, MO* Oct 21 – Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom – Chicago, IL* Oct 22 – The Fillmore Detroit- Detroit, MI Oct 23 – Agora Theatre – Cleveland Ohio Oct 25 – The Fillmore Charlotte – Charlotte, NC Oct 26 – Avondale Brewing Company – Birmingham, AL Oct 27 – The Fillmore New Orleans – New Orleans, LA
Neal Francis and Ashland Craft unless otherwise stated, ^ Neal Francis only * Support to be announced
NYC based indie sensations, Back to Yours, have released their highly anticipated single “MONSTER,” which came to Spotify on April 22nd. This is the first single off of their sophomore album, It’s Dangerous at Home, the band’s second full-length album which is scheduled for release this fall. Additionally, the band will be releasing two more singles coming this later this summer.
“MONSTER” is a catchy headbanger, consisting of pop and hard rock influences. Because of it’s up-tempo pace, the song was written from the perspective of someone being chased by their sleep paralysis demon. By blending the unique euphonious music taste of each band member, Back to Yours produces warm, nostalgic, and accessible indie rock with a range of genre-spanning influences.
This upcoming a five-piece indie-rock group began playing together in the Spring of 2019, right when the pandemic started. Consisting of Aiden Jones (bass), Bryce Kassalow (vocals, guitar), Daniel Luttway (vocals, keys), Jiaan Mansuri (drums), and Tommy Levin (guitar). Originally meeting at Georgetown University sophomore year, the boys would go on to preform Beatles covers for their locals. This quickly turned into sold out performances all along the East Coast.
The boys ended up graduating remotely, and have managed to stay together to create, perform, and publish music regardless of the Covid pandemic. Despite all of the challenges they’ve overcome, Back to Yours will be having a big NYC show at the Bowery Ballroom on June 10th. You won’t want to miss the newer direction the band has taken in order to evolve with the constantly changing indie-alternative scene.
For more information about Back to Yours and their upcoming shows, please visit the link here.
Their latest single “MONSTER” is available for download on Spotify, Bandcamp, and more. In check out this catchy headbanger, click the link here.
PRIDE is back, and New York State has dozens of celebrations, parades and events across the state. Celebrating PRIDE in also 2022 means live music and in person events, with a huge slate of events in all parts of the state. Kick off your summer with PRIDE month gatherings from Albany to Buffalo, Watertown to Long Island and NYC and all points in between.
Albany
June 12, 12-5pm – The signature Capital Region Pride event – the Capital Pride Parade & Festival – is one of the largest Pride celebrations in the Northeast. The parade kicks off on State Street at noon, with Pride Fest held in Washington Park with live music, theatrical performances, and Albany’s Annual Drag Revue.
June 11, 12-5pm – In Our Own Voices will hold their 16th Annual Say It Loud! Black & Latino Gay Pride Celebration, an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of LGBTQ+ persons of color in the Capital Region. The main celebration will be held in Washington Park in Albany with performances from London Jae Precise, Aja, Jewel the Gem, and more.
Schenectady
June 4 – 2:30-6pm – Schenectady Pride will host their 10th annual festival at Gateway Plaza where the Rainbow Pride Arches are next to SUNY Schenectady. The Pride Festival features live entertainment, DJ RVMBA, Schdy Musical Theater & Drag Show, with food, drink and merchandise vendors along with local non-profits and more.
Binghamton
June 4 – Noon – Pride 2022 in Binghamton begins with a ceremonial flag raising by Mayor Jared Kraham.
June 4 – 4:30pm – join the Pride Protest Party at Peacemakers Stage, organized by Black queer and trans organizers from Binghamton. This year features local speakers, musicians, food/drinks, kid’s activities and the main event of the night, a Drag Show hosted by Vivi Nox.
June 11 – 12-6 PM. Pride-Palooza is held in Otsiningo Park. Bring blankets and chairs while listening to live entertainment with a drag show and The Binghamton Pride Idol Contest.
Hudson Valley
June 2, 7:30 pm – Rainbow flag-raising ceremony at Hudson City Hall (520 Warren St., Hudson)
June 3 – 6-9PM – Hastings-on-Hudson Friday Night Pride Parade will be held on Warburton Avenue.
June 4 – 2pm – Parade (from 7th St. Park to the end of Warren at Front Street, Hudson)
June 4 – 12 noon – Duchess County Pride Center Youth Pride Picnic, Bowdoin Park (85 Sheafe Rd, Wappingers Falls)
June 5, 12 – 5 pm – Hudson Valley Pride Coalition Pride March (New Paltz Middle School, 196 Main St, New Paltz) and Festival (Hasbrouck Park, Mohonk and Tricor Avenues, New Paltz).
June 5 – 4 pm – Out Loud Hudson Valley Pride Tea Dance, Featuring local DJ Bill Coleman, The Hudson House & Distillery (1835 Rte 9W, West Park)
June 5 – 11:30 AM-5 PM –Westchester Pride is back with host for the day, Olivia Lux, a former contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race. The day-long celebration happens in downtown White Plains, kicking off with a flag raising in Renaissance Plaza. There is a pet parade and there will be a Family Zone with special games and treats and Broadway Sings for Pride returns with Broadway stars and local performers belting out showtunes. Speakers throughout the day will discuss challenges the LGBTQIA+ community continues to face.
June 11 – 12 – 5 pm – PKGO Pride Parade and Festival in Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County Pride Center, PKGO Pride Parade and Festival, Parade: At Market and Main Streets in front of the Bardavon Theater, Poughkeepsie, Festival: Waryas Park (Main St, Poughkeepsie)
June 11 – 7:30 pm – 1 am – Peekskill Pride, Dramatic Hall (900 Main St, Peekskill)
June 12 – 12-5 PM – Celebrate Rockland Pride with a day of music, dancing, and fun for the whole family. Downtown Nyack will close its streets to traffic to allow for strolling, shopping, and dining, with live performances by Frankie D and The Boys and special guests, plus the crowning of Mx. Rockland County Pride.
June 12 – 1 PM – Celebrate the third annual PUTNAM PRIDE in Brewster Village. The event begins at 1 Main Street with a march to Wells Park, 98 Oak Street, with speakers, vendors, and music to follow, with Angel Elektra and Shay D’Pines! Park at the Metro North train station as there is limited accessible parking at Wells Park. Bring a blanket/chairs, but no pets.
June 18 –12 – 4 pm – Newburgh Pride in the Park, Downing Park (123 Carpenter Ave, Newburgh)
June 1 – 12 PM– Saratoga Flag Raising, Saratoga Springs City Hall
June 11 – 12PM – Flag Day Parade – Join Saratoga Pride to march in the annual parade down Broadway in Saratoga Springs.
June 24 – 8:30 PM – late night – PRIDE Party at Putnam Place
June 26 – 2-5 PM – Saratoga Pride Festival, High Rock Park, Live Music, Family Activities, Community Groups and More.
June 26 – 5-7 PM – Pride After-Party – Solevo Kitchen + Social, 55 Phila St, Saratoga Springs.
Syracuse
June 9 – 6:35pm – The Syracuse Mets show their Pride at the annual Pride Night at NBT Bank Stadium in Syracuse. The first 500 fans to arrive at the game (against Scranton) will receive a Syracuse Mets Pride Jersey and the first 1,000 get a Pride flag. A portion of the proceeds of tickets purchased from this link will go to CNY Pride. Fans can take their seventh-inning stretch at the 315 Bullpen Bar, where DJ Joe Driscoll will be spinning tunes.
Watertown
June 17-19 – Celebrate Pride in the Thousand Islands all weekend long and beyond! Watertown Pride (New York) is three-days of celebrations around the historic downtown core of the small (20,000 residents) city along the Black River. It starts on Friday’s at the kickoff party at the historic Paddock Arcade, with The Paddock Club supplying food and drink specials. Then check out drag show performances at Savory Downtown. Saturday hundreds turn out for the annual Pride flag raising at City Hall, then head up to historic Olmstead-designed Thompson Park overlooking the city to be part of “Out in the Park,” a family-friendly event with live music and the popular 5K Color Run. Saturday night ends with a traveling Drag show and a majestic fireworks display at Duffy Fairgrounds. Sunday winds the weekend down with the annual Tea Dance at Garland City Beer Works, a local LGBTQIA+-owned brewery.
June 18 – 9 AM-3PM – River Pride features celebrations taking place all along the St. Lawrence River in communities like Cape Vincent, Clayton, and Alexandria Bay.
Rochester
July 16 – parade 1 PM, free, festival 2-8 PM, general admission: $5. VIP: $50 – After a two-year absence, the Rochester Pride Parade is back, thanks to the ROC Pride Collective, to mark the 50-year anniversary of Rochester’s first organized Pride events. The parade begins at 1 PM on Park Avenue and ends at Cobb Hill Park, where the celebration of Pride and community continues with Pride Fest with food trucks, wine and beer for sale, vendor tables, games and activities, and a designated play area for kids. There will be live music all day long, with surprise performances.
Catskills
June 18 – 1-6 PM– The hamlet of Callicoon comes together for Catskills Pride 2022. Entertainment will take place at several venues and local businesses will offer special food, drinks, and activities. Party like it’s prom night at The Callicoon Marketplace, whose merchants are coming together to provide 1970s dresses and tuxedos, and photo booths to capture you in those stylish threads. Callicoon Theater will feature LGBTQIA+ films and programming all day long. There’ll also be an event to honor the 20th anniversary of the Day to be Gay Foundation, a non-profit founded locally to support LGBTQIA+ youth.
The entire hamlet will be visually transformed by a professional event designer who is curating it with a Pride aesthetic. The focal point of events is Celebration Station, connecting Upper Main to Lower Main Street activities. This is where attendees can regroup and grab some shade, water, and snacks. The Catskills Pride afterparty will take place at the Delaware Youth Center from 8-11:30 PM. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. All ages are welcome.
Finger Lakes
June 4 – 11 AM-4 PM – Pride festivities begin in Centerway Square in Corning with Drag Queen Story Hour at 11 AM. At noon, radio personality Ally Payne will host activities, live trivia, and giveawayswith a DJ taking over to spin tunes until 4 PM. The Pride Car Parade begins in Elmira at noon and the caravan of cars and trucks, adorned in Pride-themed regalia, make their way down Market Street around 12:45 PM. Corning businesses are celebrating Pride, with shops, restaurants, and cafes on Market Street holding sales and special events like karaoke. The Corning Museum of Glass and The Rockwell Museum offer free admission (June 4-12) to everyone who attends the Car Parade.
Ithaca
June 26 – Pride Week Kick Off at Buffalo Street Books** – Check out special book lists for all ages at the bookstore and join us in kicking off the celebration of our LGBTQIA+ Community!
June 27 – Planned Parenthood PreP Meet and Greet on the Commons for HIV Testing Day
June 28 – 7-9pmCinemapolis Stonewall Anniversary Documentary Screening – Pay It No Mind: The Life and Times of Marsha P Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, Trans Movement Founder
July 2 – 11 am-1 pm – Youth Drag/Fashion Show, partnered with Tompkins County Public Library LGBTQIA+ Youth Programming attendees, coordinated by Regina DeMauro/TCPL Youth Programming.
July 2 1-5 pm – Music/Performances/Circus on the Bernie Milton Pavilion
July 2 – 6-8 pm – Drag Show*with host: Kyla Minx, Performers: Nigel Lestat, Femme de Violette, more TBD
July 3 – 2pm-6pm Family Picnic in Dewitt Park performances by the Ithaca Gay Men’s Chorus, AFAB4, and Jonah Hirst.
Buffalo
June 1 – Flag-raising ceremonies will be held at Artpark (9 AM), Niagara Falls State Park (10:30 AM), Niagara Falls City Hall (12 PM), and Lockport City Hall (2 PM).
June 1 – Niagara Falls will be lit up with Pride colors this evening.
June 5 – 11 AM-7PM – The week of celebration culminates with the Pride Parade. Bring your friends, family and chosen family to watch the floats march down Elmwood Avenue in celebration of our history and all who make up our vibrant LGBTQ+ community here in Western New York.
June 5 – 1-7 pm – Immediately following the Pride Parade, head to Canalside for a vibrant celebration of Western New York’s LGBTQ+ community, featuring entertainment, family-friendly activities, food and beverages, live performances as well as nonprofit and retail vendors.Tickets are available for purchased at buffaloprideweek.com
June 24 – 7:30pm – The rock-confessional musical, ¡Oso Fabuloso & The Bear Backs!, which tells the story of a queer Latine Bear named Oso Fabuloso (C. Julian Jiménez), who has recently been dumped by a two-timing Daddy bear. Oso seeks the help of his therapist Dr. Calvo (P.K. Variance), who convinces him to sing the blues away. Oso goes on tour with his therapist and his two best friends, Gummy (Vasilios Leon) and Grizz (Joseph Distl), hoping it will cure him of his romantic woes.
June 25 – 7:30pm – A heartfelt and hilarious one-woman show by Maureen Muldoon travels the journey of coming out as transgender from the point of view of the mother of a transgender child. The goal of Trans-Parent Love is to promote conversations that help people talk about the questions, concerns, and commonalities we have with each other. A discussion is held after the show where a panel of parents can share their stories. Tickets for both shows are available here.
New York City
June 4 – 12-7 PM – Open Streets + Brooklyn Pop-Up. The Fifth Avenue BID in Park Slope holds Brooklyn Pop-Up from Union Street to Sterling Place, bringing in over 50 vendors with everything from cards and ceramic art to roti and African baskets. DJ Disco Czech will be setting the vibe; find him on 5th between St Johns and Sterling Place.
June 5, 7, 8, 10 – Rufus Wainwright will hold a “Rufus Does Judy” residency on four nights in the first half of June at City Winery.
June 5 – Queens Pride with the Queens Public Library, Queens
June 10 – 6pm, June 12 – 5pm – ChamberQUEER Pride Festival Part of The Future Is… Festival ChamberQUEER is a multifaceted organization with the mission of highlighting historically underrepresented queer figures in western classical music and providing an intersectionally inclusive space within western classical music for artists and audience. ChamberQUEER 2022 opens their two-show engagement at National Sawdust on June 10. The concert weaves musical worlds together through reflective improvisations that converse with multifaceted experiences of queerness across the centuries. Confirmed performers for June 10 include violinist Mazz Swift and baritone vocalist Lucas Bouk alongside the core ChamberQUEER ensemble of Jules Biber, Danielle Buonaiuto, Brian Mummert and Andrew Yee.
The June 12 performance highlights Gay Guerrilla by iconoclastic queer composer Julius Eastman, in a new arrangement for string septet by Jessie Montgomery, and featuring the arranger on violin. The program traces lines to queer modernism of the earlier 20th century, including Benjamin Britten’s Les Illuminations, to the poetry of the visionary Arthur Rimbaud. Confirmed performers for June 12 include Montgomery and soprano vocalist Melissa Wimbish alongside the core ChamberQUEER ensemble of Biber, Buonaiuto, Mummert and Yee. $25 in Advance, $29 Day of Show
June 11 – 11 AM-5 PMCelebrate Brooklyn Pride with a week of exciting events, including Comedy Night at Branded Saloon and Pride Night with the Brooklyn Cyclones at Maimonides Park. Brooklyn Pride Day is Saturday, June 11 with a street festival and entertainment stage, and the twilight Brooklyn Pride Parade starting at 7:30 PM. Bring the kids out on Sunday for Brooklyn Pride’s first-ever Youth Pride.
June 11 – 2-8 PM Yonkers Pride Celebration will be held on Main Street in Downtown Yonkers. The Yonkers Pride Festival is an outdoor event showcasing celebrity entertainment, food, merchandise, activities, and numerous community organizations and will be held rain or shine.
June 17 – 7pm – Bryant Park Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America continues on June 17 with New York City Opera’s annual celebration Pride in the Park. City Opera will also be joined by the LaGuardia High School Choir, directed by Jeanne Cascio. Michael Capasso, General Director of New York City Opera, says, “‘The People’s Opera’ is thrilled to return to our summer home at Bryant Park, where we can continue our mission of free performances for New York audiences.” First-Come, First-Served Entry (All Bryant Park Picnic Performances Are FREE)
Elsewhere in Brooklyn has a series of events planned for Pride Month:
June 25 – 5pm –Dyke March (a protest march, not a parade). The March is a demonstration of the First Amendment right to protest and takes place without permits or sponsors. Thousands of Dykes take the streets each year in celebration of our beautiful and diverse Dyke lives, to highlight the presence of Dykes within our community, and in protest of the discrimination, harassment, and violence we face in schools, on the job, and in our communities.
June 25 – 12-6 PM – Celebrate Pride in the historic neighborhood of Harlem in New York City. Festival-goers will be entertained all day long with live performances, celebrity hosts, and DJs to get everyone up and dancing. This is an event for the whole family. Food and retail vendors will be on hand and there’ll be face painting and a Drag Queen Story Hour. While it’s a day of celebration, Harlem Pride will also be providing practical resources for the community; attendees will find referrals for health, legal, and financial services. Medical testing and health screenings will also be available.
June 25-26 – The premiere LGBTQIA+ music festival experience of Pride Weekend is Pride Island. For the first time ever, celebrate at the new location on Governors Island. Kim Petras headlines NYC Pride’s Pride Island while Lil’ Kim headlines Saturday Pride Island lineup, joining Shenseea, Netta, Raye, and Papi Juice.
June 26 – PrideFest at 11 AM, Parade at 12 PM The NYC Pride March is back for its 53rd year and it’ll be hosted by a slew of celebrity Grand Marshals includingSaturday Night Live’s Punkie Johnson. The parade kicks off at noon at 25th Street and 5th Avenue. NYC PrideFest, the LGBTQ street fair, is back at 4th Avenue between 13th and 9th Streets in Manhattan for musical performances, entertainers, food, activities, and Pride gear from unique vendors.
July 8 – New York City-based Japanese producer and musician rei brownhas released his second single, “Thinking Bout You,” featuring fellow rising Japan-born musician, Joji, where they yearn to be closer to their loved ones. Along with the single, rei brown announces the release of forthcoming full-length album, Xeno, due out July 8, with a sold-out North American tour with keshi underway.
August – Composer, actor and vocalist Boychik, the musical moniker of Ben Levi Ross, recently released their layered, piano-driven single, “Bombed Out Building,” following the debut single “Dust After Rest,” a track that frees Boychik of any gender constraints, and is filled with hope, gratitude and profound authenticity. A full album is expected in August.
Check out even more NYC Pride events below taking place in the days leading up to and following the Pride March and PrideFest. Events range from a circuit party to a symposium to a Broadway Sings concert honoring Taylor Swift.
June 4 – 12pm – The first ever East Hampton Village –and the Hamptons’– first Pride Parade!
June 12 – 12-6 PM – Long Island Pride is back and happening in the Village of Farmingdale for the first time, with 1000s of revelers expected to fill Main Street where the festivities will take place. The day-long celebration will include concerts and a festival with vendors, dancing, live performances, and plenty of food and drinks. The 32nd annual Pride Parade is back in full swing and fully in person for the first time since 2019.
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 AdHoc-curated Emerging Music Festival will return for the first time since 2019 from June 24-25 as part of Bryant Park’s Picnic Performances, a series of concerts running all summer long.
Both nights of the festival will feature three different acts. The 24th will open up with Benét, a singer-songwriter from Richmond, VA, followed by Brooklyn-based indie-country artist Dougie Poole, with the night being closed by fellow Brooklyn musician Anna Beckerman, better known by her performing alias of Danashevskaya.
Having released two full-length albums to this point, Dougie Poole has uniquely defined himself, melding country songwriting with bedroom pop textures. (photo from Bandcamp)
The following evening will be opened by NYC five-piece rock band 95 Bulls, followed by Talia Goddess, a multi-hyphenate musician and entrepreneur from Brooklyn, with the night being closed out by Reyna Tropical, a duo composed of Mexican-born artists Fabiola Reyna and Sumohair.
With their group tagline being “Queer Love & Afro-Mexico,” Reyna Tropical dedicates their music to raising awareness of social justice causes. (photo found on their website)
Returning for the fifth time since its beginning in 2016, The Emerging Music Festival is the Bryant Park Picnic Performances’ final event of June, with Bryant Park running performances until September 17.
Both nights of performances will also feature a rotating line-up of NYC food and beverage vendors curated by the local Hester Street Fair.
Complete Bryant Park Picnic Performances
May/June June 10: Contemporary Dance: EMERGE125 and Ayodele Casel June 11: Contemporary Dance: Ballet Hispánico’s Social Latin Dance Class and Dance Heginbotham June 17: New York City Opera: Pride in the Park June 18: Contemporary Dance: Juneteenth Celebration with Josh Johnson, Music From The Sole, Earl Mosley’s Diversity of Dance, and More June 24: Emerging Music Festival Curated by AdHoc: Benét, Dougie Poole, and Daneshevskaya June 25: Emerging Music Festival Curated by AdHoc: 95 Bulls, Talia Goddess, and Reyna Tropical
July July 1: Carnegie Hall Citywide: Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble July 8: Carnegie Hall Citywide: The Baylor Project July 15: Carnegie Hall Citywide: Squirrel Nut Zippers July 22: Carnegie Hall Citywide: The Broadway Sinfonietta July 23: Jazzmobile: Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band July 28: Performers TBA July 29: Carnegie Hall Citywide: The Hot Sardines Featuring Nellie McKay
August August 5: Performers TBA August 12: New York City Opera: La traviata August 19: Asian American Arts Alliance: Rafiq Bhatia and Ian Chang August 26: Habibi Festival: Esraa Warda & The Châab Lab, Firas Zreik, Yacine Boularès, and AJOYO August 29: The Town Hall: Eighth Blackbird Celebrates John Cage
September September 2: New York City Opera: Lucia di Lammermoor September 8: Steinway Artists Aaron Diehl and Orrin Evans September 9: Classical Theatre of Harlem September 16: Accordion Festival: Heart of Afghanistan and More September 17: American Symphony Orchestra
Unique NYC duo MoonTree has released their debut EP For the Time We Have Left, an avant-garde, jazz-oriented record that shows the breadth of the duo’s creativity in 20 minutes.
Eight songs long, the tracks on For the Time We Have Left follow loose, unconventional song structures and feature an array of instrumentation. Accents of mandolin and guitar in the waltzy and cybernetic “No Point of Reference,” and hints of oboe and flute in the cold and ambient “On Q” enhance the EP’s character.
Cover art of For the Time We Have Left. (found on Spotify)
Tone-wise, For the Time We Have Left can range from being eerie and moody to light and melodic. The space-agey shuffling of “UNEARTHLY” contrasts the arrhythmia and creepy vocal snippets of “LOCKET/SOLES,” while never ceasing to create an enveloping atmosphere.
The EP is very textural, with MoonTree leaning heavily on reverb and never overplaying themselves on percussion, also subtly implementing vocal samples here and there to add an interesting rhythmic and melodic element.
Especially spacious and free-formed moments like the closer “your tree” reminisce slightly of Arthur Russell’s experimental 1986 album World of Echo, however MoonTree’s songs on For the Time We Have Left are consistently more focused than Russell’s offerings.
The EP is lyrically sparse overall, with Jaya Franceschini’s echoey lounge-esque vocals conveying a general focus on the complexities of romantic intimacy. This is made clear at points where reverb stripped away, such as the duet-spoken word piece “A Shoulder to Rain On” about an intense romantic moment between two lovers with a disjointed saxophone-driven instrumental sitting in the background.
There’s also the more traditional jazz cut “open book” which offers the record’s sole guest feature. Brooklyn rapper Zedikaya’s guest verse is as open-book as possible, with him offering musings about a love affair gone sour. This brief detour offers a change of pace on the EP and gives MoonTree a good opportunity to incorporate their hip-hop influences.
Despite juggling various ideas and influences, this project weaves these concepts together into a cohesive, inspired project. With tight musicianship on display, this duo of Jaya Franceschini and Ben Cuomo gives an inspired showing of what they have to offer on For the Time We Have Left.
In a renaming ceremony held on May 28, family and fans of deceased rapper Big L, gathered as the corner of W 140th Street and Lenox Avenue in New York City became Lamont “Big L” Coleman Way. The designation is in honor of Harlem native and fabled rapper, Big L, who, in 1999, was shot nine times and killed in the very same East Harlem neighborhood.
“It took a whole lot of effort and Support to get to this great point but as a collective we made it happen, an Instagram announcement read.”
The Biggest Thank you’s go out to the Dope 500 plus people who signed and passed the petition around so we could get this street renamed. There are entirely tooo many good people that gave this their support, so with all my heart, I personally want to say THANK YOU!!!!
Known for his wordplay, free-styling ability, and overall wittiness, Big L was once the crown prince of New York’s underground hip hop scene. As part Harlem hip-hop crew Children of the Corn alongside Mase, Cam’ron, Bloodshed, and McGruff, he featured in dozens of records as the group attempted to get signed. Coleman later found success as a solo act, signing to Columbia Records in 1994. His debut album, Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous (1995) is considered a cult-classic. His posthumous sophomore project, The Big Picture, (2000) was executive produced by DJ Premier and featured the likes of 2Pac, Fat Joe and Big Daddy Kane and has been certified Gold.
On June 11, Manhattan’s Performance Space New York will host a performance of “Divine Justice,” a 24-hour long show by Obie-winning playwright Ariana Reines.
Taking a mystical approach, “Divine Justice” hypothesizes what a female-first, reformation-oriented conception of justice would look like. The play draws influence from early Greek theater, exploring its themes using the Greek myth of Medea. The main character of the production, Medea is portrayed by Obie-winning actress Birgit Huppuch. Other inspirations include Balkan women’s folk singing, Reverend Billy’s Church of Stop Shopping, and the pop culture trope of the courtroom drama.
Reines conceived the play in wake of the hearings of Brett Kavanaugh and Kyle Rittenhouse during 2018 and 2020 respectively, viewing these legal proceedings as “precise portraits of the judiciary as a theater of white masculine hysteria.”
Looking to explore thousands of years worth of misogyny through “Divine Justice,” she chose the 24-hour format out of a desire to attract a crowd of “hardcore people.” Over the course of its runtime, the production will include refreshments, meal breaks, “more traditional performance events,” meditation, conversation, and music. A schedule for such proceedings will be found on Performance Space New York’s website in the days leading up to the show.
In addition to her works as a playright such as “Divine Justice,” Ariana Reines is also a poet, performing artist, and astrologer. Her most recent collection of poetry, A SAND BOOK, won the 2020 Kingsley Tufts Prize and was longlisted for the National Book Award.
Along with Reines and Huppuch, other contributors to “Divine Justice” include Sunder Ganglani on sound design, Tuçe Yasak on lighting design, Marsha Ginsberg on production design, Ken Rus Schmoll as a drama coach and co-director, Savitri D as the play’s dramaturgist, Yva Las Vegass as a musical performer.
