Harlem Stage will host the holiday concert Uptown Nights: Kings Return, featuring the Grammy-nominated, Dallas-based vocal quartet to the Harlem Stage Gatehouse for two special concerts.
The intimate and uplifting celebrations will showcase the group’s genre-spanning artistry, with amazing a cappella arrangements of holiday classics and originals, that combine jazz, classical, gospel, R&B and soul. They’ll also perform fan favorites alongside tracks from Merry Little Christmas and their debut, Rove. Throughout the performances, Kings Return will also share stories behind their favorite holiday songs.
Kings Return
Formed in 2016 from pre-existing friendships, Kings Return rose to fame recording and performing covers of well-known ballads and anthems in an Arlington church stairwell. With a nostalgic old-school a cappella sound and beautifully arranged harmonies, the group has brought joy and chills to hundreds of thousands of viewers and audience members. They are nominated for a 2023 Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella, for their interpretation of “How Deep Is Your Love.”
Harlem Stage is the performing arts center that bridges Harlem’s cultural legacy to contemporary artists of color and dares to provide the artistic freedom that gives birth to new ideas. Uptown Nights is made possible, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
Uptown Nights: Kings Return holiday show takes place Friday, December 16, and Saturday, December 17, at the Harlem Stage Gatehouse (150 Convent Avenue, New York, NY, 10031). Tickets, $25-35 can be purchased at harlemstage.org.
The Long Island Music Hall of Fame is homeward bound and opened its doors in Stony Brook after two decades of planning the nonprofit’s first physical facility. On Friday November 25th, LIMEHOF celebrated its grand opening with a preview for former inductees and the media.
Ribbon cutting of the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF)
Guests and former inductees were treated to performances by Long Island Music Hall of Famers, including Randy Jackson from Zebra. We were treated the grand tour of this building which holds so much history. Visitors will note the wall of photos that adorn the entryway which reflects the well-spring of talent from Long Island. Currently there’s an exhibit on the Long Island Club scene from the 1960’s through the 80’s. Members dontated musical instruments, memorabilia, including one of Billy Joel’s motorcycles, Joan Jett’s Jaguar and Dee Snyder’s wardrobe.
Joan Jett’s car
It’s a place that’s gonna give Long Islanders, a sense of community, a sense of pride. I dare anyone to find a place not just in the country, but in the world with as much musical talent that has come from one island.
Erinie Canadeo, Chairman
Energy, Exhibits and Excitement
The excitement was palpable as we witnessed a rock-n-roll stew of performers, music industry executives, and entertainers across the spectrum. From doo-wop to rap, rock-n-roll to folk, artists gathered with a renewed sense of community and pride.
Mark Mendoza expressed his indebtedness to the fans:
It took too long. It’s about time it happened? No, but we are grateful to the Long Island Music Hall of Fame, you know, entertainment Hall of Fame, really grateful. But I’ll tell you what, if it wasn’t for all these artists, including us and their fans, we wouldn’t be here. It’s really the people that will see on the map.
Mark Mendoza
Parish Smith, Mike Ricciardella, LAW and Rob Tellerman
Two Floors Jammed Pack with Surprises
The Hall of Fame will have a rotation of exhibits twice a year. Award winning designer and board member Kevin O’Callahan, designer of the iconic “popcorn” trophy for the MTV Movie Awards, created the premiere exihibit, Long Island’s Legendary Club Scene, a “club crawl” through the nightclubs of the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s. There is also a theater, gift shop, performance area, and an official Hall of Fame Museum filled with memorabilia from over 120 inductees.
JJ French, Mark Mendoza
Paying It Forward Supporting Education
Typically the Arts are on the chopping block when school districts are faced with difficult budget decisions. Gratefully, the LIMEHOF is a 501(C)(3) non-profit dedicated to supporting the arts though education and various scholarships. There are some exciting partnerships to be announced in 2023 which will pass the torch of encougement onto the next generations.
Mark Mendoza and LAWSteve Vai guitarLIMEHOFLIMEHOFParish Smith from EPMDJMJ ADIDAS sneakersParish Smith, Mike Ricciardella and L.A.WJJ French from Twisted SisterJJ French and Kevin O’CallahanJJ French and Kevin O’CallahanErnie CanadeoRichard L’ HommedieuWayne Robins, Norm Prusslin, Ernie Canadeo2022 inductee Wayne RobinsSteve Yusko (right)LIMEHOFLIMEHOFLIMEHOFLIMEHOFLIMEHOFElliot MurphyLIMEHOF
Alt-pop group Ripe announces the release of their sophomore album Bright Blues, and tour dates for the spring, including a stop at Terminal 5 in New York City on April 15.
Photo Credit: Brent Goldman
Ripe first became a group at Berklee College of Music and immediately began drawing fans in with deep funk, soulful jazz, pop melodies, and well-done improvisations. Hailed by Boston’s WGBH as “teeming with a pop swagger, confidence, and total self-assuredness,” Ripe is comprised of singer Robbie Wulfsohn, guitarist Jon Becker, drummer Sampson Hellerman, and trombonist Calvin Barthel.
The group’s new record pushes them in a different direction, as the pandemic and everything around them was crumbling down. They enlisted rising pop producer/songwriters – and Berklee classmates – Noah Conrad (BTS, Niall Horan) and Ryan Linvill (Olivia Rodrigo, Dermot Kennedy), who helped infuse songs like “All or Nothing” and the hypnotic “Paper Cups” into new depths of creativity.
Ripe will be releasing their new album Bright Blues on March 10. They will be embarking on a spring tour, stopping at Terminal 5 in New York City on April 15. Tickets for the tour are on sale here.
Canadian singer/songwriter Alan Doyle is headed to the U.S. for 2023 on a month-long tour which includes four New York concert dates.
Opening on February 15 Buffalo’s Town Ballroom and closing March 11 in Bonita Springs, FL, Doyle’s U.S. run also features stops at the Clayton Opera House on February 16, Sony Hall in Manhattan on the 24th, and Port Washington’s Landmark on Main Street on the 25th.
Cover art for ‘Here, Tonight.’ (photo credit: Michelle Spice Photography)
The tour is in promotion of Doyle’s recent live album, Here Tonight, released in March. It’s his first appearance on the road since the COVID-19 pandemic halted his 2020 Canadian national tour.
A Newfoundland native, Doyle is a 12-time JUNO Award nominee for his solo material and work with his band, Great Big Sea. Also an author, his 2020 book All Together Now: A Newfoundlander’s Light Tales for Heavy Times was his third national bestseller.
Tickets for Alan Doyle’s U.S. tour can be found here.
U.S. TOUR DATES
FEB 15 / BUFFALO, NY @ Town Ballroom FEB 16 / CLAYTON, NY @ Clayton Opera House FEB 17 / BARRE, VT @ Barre Opera House FEB 18 / BOSTON, MA @ City Winery FEB 19 / BOSTON, MA @ City Winery FEB 21 / PORTLAND, ME @ Aura FEB 22 / AMHERST, MA @ The Drake FEB 23 / CONCORD, NH @ Capitol Center for the Arts FEB 24 / NEW YORK, NY @ SONY Hall FEB 25 / PORT WASHINGTON, NY @ Landmark on Main FEB 26 / PHILADELPHIA, PA @ City Winery FEB 28 / ANNAPOLIS, MD @ Rams Head On Stage MAR 1 / WASHINGTON, DC @ City Winery MAR 2 / CHARLOTTE, NC @ Neighborhood Theatre MAR 3 / RICHMOND, VA @ Tin Pan MAR 4 / RALEIGH, NC @ Lincoln Theatre MAR 5 / ASHEVILLE, NC @ Grey Eagle MAR 7 / PONTE VEDRA, FL @ Ponte Vedra Music Hall MAR 8 / OCALA, FL @ Reilly Arts Center MAR 9 / CLEARWATER, FL @ Bilheimer Capitol Theatre at Ruth Eckerd Hall MAR 10 / BOCA RATON, FL @ The Funky Biscuit MAR 11 / BONITA SPRINGS, FL @ Centers for Arts Bonita Springs
Folk singer Judy Collins has received a Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album for her record Spellbound, which is a remarkable album for Collins as it is her first album with all original songs.
Photo credit: Shervin Lainez
Judy Collins began her musical career in the 60s playing folk music in Colorado and Connecticut. She made her break in Greenwich Village and released her first album A Maid of Constant Sorrow in 1961. Over her life, she has played with icons like Stephen Stills, Randy Newman, and Joni Mitchell.
Her record Spellbound explores her experiences with substance abuse, the Greenwich Village scene in the early ’60s, her love for nature, and the vast open spaces of Colorado, where she was born and raised. This record was the 29 album she released in her career.
The Grammy nomination for Judy Collins is the first one she has had in six years and her seventh nomination overall. She previously won Best Folk Performance in 1969 for her recording of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now.”
Judy Collins has been averaging nearly 100 shows every year and has announced a new tour. Six of these concerts are dedicated to Wildflowers, her 1967 album. She’ll be performing the album front to back, with a full orchestra. Some of the tour will be stopping in Port Washington, Tarrytown, North Tonawanda, and New York City. Tickets for her tour are on sale here.
TOUR DATES:
*Wildflowers performances
11/25 – Wilson Theater at Vogel Hall – Milwaukee, WI
11/29 – Bing Crosby Theater – Spokane, WA
12/02 – South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) – South Orange, NJ
12/03 – Landmark on Main Street – Port Washington, NY
12/04 – Greenwich Odeum – East Greenwich, RI
12/09 – Tarrytown Music Hall – Tarrytown, NY
12/10 – Sacred Heart University Community Theatre – Fairfield, CT
12/11 – The Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts – Toms River, NJ
12/16 – Jonathan’s – Ogunquit, ME
12/17 – Jonathan’s – Ogunquit, ME
12/18 – Tupelo Music Hall – Derry, NH
12/23 – Riviera Theater – North Tonawanda, NY
01/05 – Byham Theatre – Pittsburgh, PA
01/06 – Avalon Theatre – Easton, MD
01/08 – Birchmere – Alexandria, VA
01/11 – Rio Theatre – Santa Cruz, CA
01/13 – Old Town School of Folk Music – Chicago, IL
01/15 – Old Town School of Folk Music – Chicago, IL
01/18 – Van Wezel Performing Arts Center – Sarasota, FL*
01/19 – The Emerson Center – Vero Beach, FL*
01/21 – The Peabody Daytona Beach – Daytona Beach, FL*
01/24 – Mackintosh Church, Queen’s Cross – Glasgow, UK
This holiday season, the Greene Space at WNYC & WQXR in Soho will be presenting a window display of “Christmas Mountain,” a family friendly 21-day multimedia story event from NYC live arts collective Piehole.
Beginning with an opening night celebration on Thursday, December 1, presenting daily chapters of its story in an advent calendar fashion until the winter solstice on the 21st. WNYC radio host Brian Lehrer will narrate the tale about of a town of mice scurrying to fix their TV signals in time for the night of the solstice. The display will be available in-person until January 9 and on the “Christmas Mountain” website.
The Greene Space opening night celebration, along with debuting the first episode of “Christmas Mountain,” will feature a brief panel on the history of Christmas celebrations in NYC that inspired the project. The doors will open at 6 p.m. with the event beginning at 6:30.
Incorporating the work of over 20 different artists, the presentation will include animatronics, embedded videos, and original music.
Piehole, having been founded in 2008, has produced live art for theaters, galleries, and digital spaces such as collaborations with the LA-based Tender Claws in AR and VR: Tendar (2018) and The Under Presents (2019).
Classic holiday songs by the acclaimed Mariah Carey will be premiered, along with an orchestra performance, in Broadway Sings on December 5th at Sony Hall in New York City. Carey’s prominent festive albums, Merry Christmas and Merry Christmas II You, are planned to be part of the concert series for this season.
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Broadway stars Jeannette Bayardelle from the Girl from the North Country musical, Amber Ardolini of Funny Girl, Alysha Deslorieux of Hamilton, Keri Rene Fuller of Six and more will be featured in the cast to sing memorable Christmas tunes, including “Silent Night,” “All I Want For Christmas Is You” and “O, Holy Night”. A 14-piece orchestra will be along with the song performances to be held at the venue that is owned by Blue Note Entertainment Group.
Sony Music Hall in New York City
Doors for “Broadway Sings Mariah Carey” on December 5 open at 6pm and the show begins at 8. Tickets can be purchased on the Sony Hall website.
Broadway Performer Sings Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You”
In the early stages of a 24-date North America excursion that kicked-off last week, The Smile (a side project by Radiohead members Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, along with Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner) came to New York City this past weekend for a set of three consecutive shows.
Thom Yorke (Hammerstein Ballroom) | Photo by Michael Dinger
The run began with two nights at the majestic Kings Theatre in Brooklyn (November 18-19) and the third at Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan (November 20), a turn-of-the-century opera house. NYS Music was front and center for The Smile’s opening night at King’s Theatre on Friday evening and the NYC finale at Hammerstein Ballroom Sunday night.
The Smile, who take their name from a collated poem in Ted Hughes’ 1970 literary work Crow: From the Life and Songs of the Crow, are touring in support of their 13-track debut album that was released in May 2022, A Light for Attracting Attention (XL Recordings). Furthering the Radiohead connection, the record was produced by longtime Radiohead collaborator Nigel Godrich. Born during the 2019 COVID lockdown, as many creative endeavors have, The Smile released a string of singles and eventually, the announcement of a world tour.
The current trek marks the first shows on American soil for Yorke and Greenwood since August 2018, when Radiohead wrapped up their world tour in support of 2016’s A Moon Shaped Pool. Yorke was slated to tour North America in 2020 with stops at Kings Theatre behind his excellent solo album Anima, but this tour was ultimately postponed and canceled as a result of the pandemic.
Supporting The Smile for the tour’s duration is Robert Stillman, a multi-instrumentalist and composer born in Maine who has called the United Kingdom his home for the past decade. Like his tour mates (with whom he contributed to their album), Spillman is presenting new material from his eighth studio album What Does It Mean to Be American? (Orindal Records/KIT Records), released in January 22.
Robert Stillman (Hammerstein Ballroom) | Photo by Michael Dinger
Taking the stage at approximately 8:15 pm each night, dressed in white from head to toe, Stillman unassumingly acknowledged the audience for a moment before taking to his synthesizer. For approximately 30 minutes, Stillman mesmerized the audience each night with a deliberate looping process between his synthesizers and a tenor saxophone, curating an eclectic sonic palette drawing on elements of jazz, drone and psychedelia.
Kings Theatre (Friday, November 18)
On Friday night, fans lined up early ahead of doors at Kings Theatre in Flatbush, donning various Radiohead, Thom Yorke, Sons of Kemet and other associated apparel. The recently renovated classical movie theater is an exquisite example of how a modern music venue can be incorporated into a historic space. The cavernous venue, decorated with red velvet and ornate gold accents, boasts a deep sonic experience that continually attracts artists of all genres who want their music experienced in such a gorgeous space.
The show got underway with Yorke, Greenwood and Skinner taking to the front of the stage as they basked in a thunderous ovation, with a return of gratitude to the fans. With Yorke behind a familiar piano, Greenwood on bass guitar and Skinner behind the kit, “Pana-vision” started the festivities. The song begins with a swirling piano arpeggio before a dark, jazzy rhythm kicks in. Yorke drives the song with his signature falsetto as his voice swells and calms for several waves of the song. The band then dove into a tight rendition of “Thin Thing”, a psychedelic Kraut-rock song which highlights The Smile’s style perfectly. The music is “stripped back” in a sense that it is confined to a trio, but the blend of dissonant vocals, driving punk rock infused strings, and jazzy percussions creates a dense palette which overwhelms in a live setting.
In addition to the songs from A Light for Attracting Attention, the band has been playing many unreleased songs on this tour. On Friday at Kings Theatre, Stillman joined the band and contributed his saxophone for two such songs “Colours Fly” and “People on Balconies”. Other new songs performed Friday were “Bending Hectic” and “Read the Room”. The main set ended with the vintage punk sounding “You Will Never Work In Television Again”, which got fans bouncing all over the venue. The final song of the night was surprisingly long-time favorite Thom Yorke solo song “Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses”, self-released back in 2009.
Although doors were more than two hours away, a large (and rapidly growing) contingent of fans already lined the West 34th Street sidewalk in Midtown Manhattan on a near freezing late Sunday afternoon. Mercifully, at 6:30 pm, the shivering fans hoping to get a spot on or near the stage rail were ushered into the warm confines of the Hammerstein Ballroom lobby, housed within the Manhattan Center. Extensively renovated in 1997, elaborate architectural decorations adorn the historic venue which seats 2,500 (all of which would be sold out tonight) – complete with box seats, three balconies, a proscenium arch and a hand-painted ceiling mural 75-feet above depicting an “orchestra of angels on a heavenly stage”.
At approximately 9:20 pm, The Smile took to the stage, with Yorke pausing along the stage apron as the audience’s applause and wild cheers rained down. After assuming their stage positions (Yorke at stage right, Greenwood at center stage and Skinner on his kit at stage left), The Smile commenced their 90-minute set backed by a large video screen displaying broken, horizontal line patterns. Bathed in red stage lighting, the first of ten offerings from A Light for Attracting Attention was “The Same”. With Greenwood seated at the piano, Yorke took up his vintage Guild Starfire II bass and let his haunting, signature falsetto do the rest.
Thom Yorke (Hammerstein Ballroom) | Photo by Michael DingerJonny Greenwood (Hammerstein Ballroom) | Photo by Michael DingerTom Skinner (Hammerstein Ballroom) | Photo by Michael Dinger
Throughout the evening, Yorke and Greenwood seamlessly interchanged their instruments, each playing guitar, bass and piano. Ensuing magnificent presentations of “Thin Thing”, “The Opposite” and “Speech Bubbles”, guided by the loose-limbed Skinner and his punishing rhythmic dialogues, Yorke briefly addressed the audience as he took his seat at the piano for “Pana-vision”. “We’re a new band called The Smile, but I guess you knew that”. Up next was “A Hairdryer”, with Greenwood bowing his Fender Precision bass during the opening refrain of the 8-minute masterpiece.
The night’s only snafu followed approximately one-third into the show, a technical malfunction that led to “Waving a White Flag” being scratched from the set. While two other tracks (“Open the Floodgates” and “Free in the Knowledge”) from The Smile’s debut album were not performed Sunday night, fans were treated to three new, currently unreleased songs – “Bending Hectic”, “Read the Room” and “Bodies Laughing”.
Up next was “Skirting on the Surface”, developed from an unreleased Radiohead song and featuring Greenwood’s guitar arpeggios. As Yorke introduced “People on Balconies”, he acknowledged The Smile fans in attendance a second time. “I very much enjoy being back to New York City. We wish we had another week, or two, at least”. After welcoming Robert Stillman and his sax back to the stage, The Smile gave us “The Smoke” and “You Will Never Work in Television Again”, a banger in every sense of the word. Following an encore break, the last fifteen minutes of the epic show comprised “Just Eyes and Mouth”, “Colours Fly” (with Stillman rejoining the band) and “Feeling Pulled Apart by Horses”.
The Smile will continue their string of U.S. dates until a pair of Los Angeles concerts on December 21 and 22 close out the run for the year. A 2023 show has also already been announced at the Bluebird Theater in Denver on February 16.
Kings Theatre Setlist: Pana-vision > Thin Thing > The Opposite > Speech Bubbles > Free in the Knowledge > A Hairdryer > Waving a White Flag > Colours Fly (with Robert Stillman) > We Don’t Know What Tomorrow Brings > Read the Room > Skrting on the Surface > Just Eyes and Mouth > People on Balconies (with Robert Stillman) > The Smoke (with Robert Stillman) > You Will Never Work in Television Again (with Robert Stillman) > Encore: Open the Floodgates > The Same > Bending Hectic > Encore 2: Feeling Pulled Apart by Horses (Thom Yorke song)
Hammerstein Ballroom Setlist: The Same > Thin Thing > The Opposite > Speech Bubbles > Pana-vision > A Hairdryer > Bending Hectic > We Don’t Know What Tomorrow Brings > Read the Room > Bodies Laughing > Skrting on the Surface > People on Balconies (with Robert Stillman) > The Smoke (with Robert Stillman) > You Will Never Work in Television Again (with Robert Stillman) > Encore: Just Eyes and Mouth > Colours Fly (with Robert Stillman) > Feeling Pulled Apart by Horses (Thom Yorke song)
Electronic-fusion band Lotus will be on the road has announced a massive 2023 US Tour in support of their new album Bloom & Recede, released in August of 2022. The coast-to-coast tour features nearly 40 shows in the early part of 2023, with stops in the Northeast, Midwest, Southeast, Texas, California, the Pacific Northwest and more.
They’ll make stops in Albany at Empire Live and Buffalo at Town Ballroom in January, as well as two nights at Brooklyn Bowl over Thanksgiving weekend, November 25-26. Get tickets here.
Lotus is a five-piece instrumental band who have been playing music for more than 20 years ago. One of hte first bands to fuse electronic beats with dance, jam, psych-rock, post-rock, disco and jazz. the group have become renowned performer and have built a loyal following wherever they venture.
Live Lotus shows take listeners on a dance-inducing journey of improvisation that can only be described as a one-of-a-kind experience. They’ve toured actively throughout the U.S., working their way up from dingy basement clubs to world class venues such as Red Rocks. They’ve become festival favorites, performing at Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, Electric Forest, and more. Lotus additionally hosts their own annual Summerdance Festival in Garrettsville, OH with a lineup of various Electronic artists.
In 2021, Mike Rempel departed the band he founded, and Tim Palmieri (Kung Fu, The Breakfast) joined Lotus, who forge ahead with Mike Greenfield, Luke Miller, Jesse Miller and Chuck Morris on this national tour.
LOTUS 2023 TOUR DATES:
Nov 25 & 26 – Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn, NY
Dec 10 – North Beach Music Festival – Miami, FL Dec 30 & 31 – Boulder Theater – Boulder, CO
Phish’s Trey Anastasio has announced the release of The Beacon Jams which will commemorate the artist’s legendary eight-show virtual residency at New York City’s legendary Beacon Theatre in the Covid-riddled fall of 2020. These iconic shows will now be encapsulated in the form of an 18-track, 145-minute new anthology that will be available digitally on Friday, November 25. Proceeds will benefit The Divided Sky Foundation, an initiative launched by Anastasio to finance a residential recovery program in Ludlow, VT, which is set to open next year.
Photo Credit: Danny Clinch
Performed at an empty Beacon Theatre and livestreamed around the world over the course of eight Fridays, The Beacon Jams saw Trey teaming with a range of collaborators to boldly reimagine music spanning his three-decade career. It includes performances from Trey Anastasio Band cohorts like Cyro Baptista (percussion), James Casey (saxophone, vocals), Natalie Cressman (trombone, vocals), Jennifer Hartswick (trumpet, vocals), Russ Lawton (drums), Ray Paczkowski (keyboards), and, in his final performances with the group, the late Tony Markellis (bass).
Also featured are frequent collaborators Jeff Tanski (keyboards), Celisse Henderson (vocals), and Jo Lampert (vocals), as well as the debut of The Rescue Squad (Katie Kresek – violin, Maxim Moston – violin, Rachel Golub – viola, Anja Wood – cello).
In addition to great music and different interpretations of Phish and TAB songs, the Beacon residency also saw Anastasio interacting with fans via Twitch between songs for a completely unique live music experience in a time where pandemic restrictions made such things close to impossible. “What made it feel successful to me was that we weren’t trying to recreate a live concert,” Anastasio says. “What I was hoping was that it would be a fresh form of entertainment – turning lemons into lemonade. I feel like that turned out to be the case.”
photo by Jake Silco
Tracklist: Corona, A Wave of Hope, What’s The Use, And Flew Away, The Moma Dance, The Silver Light, Pebbles and Marbles, Bouncing Around the Room, Carini, I Never Left Home, Money Love and Change, Last Tube, Quantegy, You Enjoy Myself, Goodbye Head, Tube, Slave to the Traffic Light, First Tube
