NYC musician Lou Tides has announced her newest EP, Infinite Loop, out on May 20th. “Sense of Touching,” the first single on the album, was released earlier on April 1st.
photo credit: Charles Billot
Bushwick local and formerly known as Nancy Feast, Lou Tides has made a name for herself throughout her musical career. As a former member of the bands Here We Go Magic and TEEN, Tides has chosen to go solo for her newest project. While she has collaborators, namely drummer Sarah Galdes, the laminated layers of synthesizers and vocals are all her own. Tides has developed multimedia performances incorporating movement, costume, film, and sound artistry by drummer Sarah Galdes.
I think of these songs as a map. A sequence in time. And the sequence of the songs follows that map, that loop.
Lou Tides
“Movement is not an art form in which I have any official practice, so there’s a lot of freedom in the lack of knowledge,” she says of her somatic performance elements.
Performing and producing by herself for the first time was only natural for an EP this personal and emotional. Tides made these songs while reckoning with the profound ways she’d been affected by her sexual trauma.
Emotionally this music would not fit into anything strictly shaped or precise, I wanted to embrace the moods of the emotions and how I felt they would naturally flow. Time then felt different, and lush arrangements with stretchy synthesizers felt appropriate. I wanted the music to emulate the natural peaks and valleys of our lives and relationships
Lou Tides
Tides talks to BrooklynVegan about the track and video, “Sense of Touching was shot pre-pandemic in January of 2020. I approached Suzi Murray Sadler (director and cinematographer) about capturing the live performance that Sarah Galdes and I had been developing for about a year. The song and video was almost lost in the noise of the pandemic – for me personally, it felt difficult to return to as it was written to process past sexual events.”
“But, about two years into the pandemic, I started feeling like I was ready to revisit the song, as it allowed for some time to reflect on the purpose of the music. Admitting to myself that shame was partially responsible for my fear to release the music, I didn’t wish to let the people who had harmed me hold that level of power. So this video, made with people I love and trust, feels both joyful and cathartic in its defiance.”
Infinite Loop will be available on Bandcamp, Tidal, and Apple Music on May 20th.
Northwell Health’s “Side By Side: A Celebration of Service” is making its return to the UBS Arena with a special benefit concert from John Legend, along with a special appearance from Jason Derulo. This two-day festival starts on Sunday, May 29.
This event will begin with a block party in Flatiron Plaza on May 28, hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro, with appearances from Questlove, Stars of Broadway, the Northwell Health Nurse Choir, and more.
As a part of Memorial Day Weekend and New York’s Fleet Week, the first day of the festival includes active military members, veterans, and their families who will get the chance to mingle with the public for a day of games, food, music and more. Subsequently, day two will solely honor the nation’s active-duty military, veterans and their families with Legend’s hit songs.
Memorial Day weekend is a dedicated time every year to reflect on the sacrifices so many Americans have made in our country’s history. We should never take for granted the freedoms we enjoy in this country or forget our heroes in the armed forces who will stop at nothing to protect those freedoms. We are honored to host ‘Side by Side: A Celebration of Service’ for those very reasons – to honor our service members.
Michael Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell
Northwell Health’s “Side By Side: A Celebration of Service” first launched in 2019 and has had a great turnout ever since. In fact, this festival has raised more than $2 million for Northwell Health’s Military Liaison Services, an organization that focuses on benefiting those who have served and are struggling with post traumatic stress disorder, with medical and behavioral services, as well as better employment opportunities.
Tickets for the concert event will be accessible on Friday, April 15 at 10 A.M. For more information visit Side By Side NYC.
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.
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.
Six shows in three nights ladies and gentlemen!” Danielle exclaimed, addressing the crowd in-between songs. “Amazing crowds, amazing people. This has just been really a great moment and it actually has been very surreal, but I’m going to get into these songs. Hope you enjoy them!
Danielle Ponder at the McKittrick Hotel’s Manderley Bar
The Rochester-based singer confidently radiated her powerful voice throughout The McKittrick Hotel’s moody Manderley Bar. This performance was the last of Ponder’s three-night run in New York City before joining St. Paul and the Broken Bones on tour later this month. Before exiting, Ponder concluded the set with an inspiring personal anecdote.
I quit my successful job as an attorney to be a broke musician because I absolutely love you, and I absolutely love this stage. I completely live for it. I truly believe in following your purpose, I think that when God gives you a gift, a way you can show gratitude is committing to that thing. Amen, amen, amen! You all feel me? So a lot has happened in the past year that has really changed my life, even to be here with this audience in New York City listening has been so affirming for me and lets me know I made the right decision. I really feel like I’m a living testimony of that and that’s the only reason I’m telling you I’m 40! Because I want you to know my knees hurt, I’m old, but I’m here! So this next song is called “So Long.”
“So Long” is Ponder’s latest single, released on March 11, an anthem about letting go of fear and being the best person you can possibly be.
You can learn more about singer-songwriter Danielle Ponder on her website and listen to her Tiny Desk Contest submission, a recording of her song Poor Man’s Pain,here.
St. Paul and the Broken Bones with Danielle Ponder Tour Dates
April 23 – Dallas, Texas – The Granada Theater April 24 – Austin, Texas – Stubb’s April 26 – Tulsa, Okla. – Cain’s Ballroom April 28 – Denver, Colo. – Mission Ballroom April 29 – Aspen, Colo. – Belly Up April 30 – Salt Lake City, Utah – Commonwealth Room May 3 – Seattle, Wash. – The Neptune May 5 – Portland, Ore. – Crystal Ballroom May 6 – San Francisco, Calif./Oakland, Calif. – Fox Theater May 7 – San Diego, Calif. – Humphreys Concerts By The Bay May 10 – Los Angeles, Calif. – The Theatre at Ace Hotel May 11 – Pioneertown, Calif. – Pappy & Harriet’s May 12 – Phoenix, Ariz. – The Van Buren
Rising Star from East Village, Breaker, releases an instant classic rock song and video titled “People Change.” From performing for strangers to charming his friends with his confidence and wit, Breaker has a magnetic personality that goes beyond his musical talents.
Growing up with six siblings in New York City, Breaker has been performing for his family and all around Manhattan since he was young. Nowadays, he plays shows across the country with his love of songwriting and creating music. Beyond his 21 years, Breaker has made a name for himself as an alternative/indie artist.
Though written entirely in New York City, “People Change” and the upcoming EP were recorded in Virginia. While only taking a mere two days of studio time to record, the energy was buzzing from the first moment the small team entered the magical space. Escaping the East Village, he fled to a scenic farm for the birth of this upcoming album. With the help of his best friends and collaborators, Breaker had brought the vision of his new album to life.
Despite being a natural lead singer, what shines through most on the new song and Breaker’s upcoming EP is his ability to work with other creative minds. Thus, inspiring the people around him to make the best music and have the most fun possible. This project has led to the formation of The Live Show, which is a team of solo artists consisting of Jacob Lourie, Chris Murphy, and Breaker. Breaker has the ability to get any room dancing.
A second single, followed by Breaker’s upcoming debut EP, We’re Not Lovers Anymore, is coming later this Spring. Lookout for Breaker and The Live Show in and around NYC performing live now through the Summer.
To watch or listen to “People Change,” click the link here.
Heartbeat Opera’s QUANDO brought a one-of-a-kind film and theatrical performance at The McKittrick Hotel, home of Sleep No More, April 7-9.
Presented by The McKittrick Hotel, QUANDO is Directed and Edited by Tee Vaden, produced and conceptualized by Associate Artistic Director, Derrell Acon, with Photography Direction by Kathryn Boyd-Batstone and Production Design by Yuki Izumihara.
Mx. Oww and Jessie Cox live performance alongside the film, QUANDO.
The film stars Lauren Michelle, Brian Vu, and Shelley Washington. Musical director Daniel Schlosberg arranged the film score for a mix of instruments and electronics. The live performance features Mx. Oww and Jessie Cox.
The 75-minute experience took place in the McKittrick’s upstairs theater, the Club Car. The evening kicked off with the short film, challenging viewers with “…issues of representation, inequity, and self-serving actions that plague so many industries and movements, not by simply calling out the problem but by showing what is possible, while asking viewers to interrogate themselves and their motivations, which is one of my favorite sorts of call to action,” said Director & Editor, Tee Vaden. After the screening, the film played once more with a theatrical performance by Mx. Oww and Jessie Cox actively disrupting the music throughout, creating a mesmerizing experience for the audience.
QUANDO team taking the stage after the performance concluded.
QUANDOis the latest production by Heartbeat Opera whose mission is to create “incisive adaptations and revelatory arrangements of classics, reimagining them for the here and now.” Previous productions by Heartbeat Opera include FIDELIO, which toured earlier this year including performances at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and The Broad Stage in California, and Messy Messiah, Heartbeat Opera’s 7th annual Drag Extravaganza, at Roulette in Brooklyn. Learn more about QUANDO by viewing the trailer and visiting Heartbeat Opera’s website. You can also visit The McKittrick Hotel to experience Sleep No More and Speakeasy Magick at 530 West 27th Street in Manhattan. Special thank you to Stephanie Geyer and the McKittrick Hotel staff for welcoming NYS Music to their beautiful venue.
The Orchestra Now (TŌN) will soon host their final performance in their Carnegie Hall season on Thursday, May 12. This musical night will include the renowned director of this orchestra, Leon Botstein, along with pianists Gilles Vonsattel and Frank Corliss. This night will also present mezzo-soprano Deborah Nansteel.
Corliss is the director of the Bard College Conservatory of Music, while Vonsattel is a Swiss soloist and Bard Conservatory faculty member. Furthermore, being apart of The Metropolitan Opera as a mezzo-soprano, Nansteel has landed the role of Alisa in Lucia di Lammermoor for this season.
New Voices From the 1930s will take place in the Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage of Carnegie Hall. Corliss will perform William Grant Still’s Dismal Swamp, which is a portrayal of captive peoples seeking freedom. Nansteel will perform, Karl Amadeus Hartmann’s Symphony No. 1, Essay for a Requiem, regarding conditions under the Nazi regime. Lastly, Vonsattel’s performance is based on Mexican Symphonic Orchestra music director and composer, Carlos Chávez’s virtuosic Piano Concerto.
In addition to TŌN’s show at Carnegie Hall, on May 7 and 8 this same program will be performed at the Fisher Center at Bard. To accommodate viewers this event will be live streamed for free on both dates; those attending must RSVP to attend the concert.
Towards the end of May on the 22, TŌN will provide a free concert performance at the Peter Norton Symphony Space, called Liszt & Bartók. Led by TŌN resident conductor Zachary Schwartzman, Hungarian composers Franz Liszt, Béla Bartók, Emmerich Kálmán, and Zoltán Kodály will have the spotlight during this event. Advance RSVP is suggested and those in attendance must comply with the venue’s health and safety requirements.
