Twiddle performed for two nights at the legendary Capitol Theatre for their annual Friendsgiving, this time welcoming Dogs In a Pile on Friday and Neighbor on Saturday.
Dogs In a Pile have been quickly gaining fame and have been on tour with Twiddle. Twiddle welcomed a two-piece horn section and members of Dogs in a Pile for multiple sit-ins, notably a “How Sweet It Is” encore featuring both bands, as an homage to Jerry must be paid when playing The Cap.
“Apples” proved to be a lengthy, psychedelic jam. Favorites such as “Orlando’s,” “Syncopated Healing,” and “Lost in the Cold” were great within a jam heavy set list, especially with the added horns section.
Twiddle “Frendsgiving” – The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester – November 25, 2022
Set 1: Every Last Leaf I [1], Beautiful, Stroganoff, Life Back Now, Complacent Race [2], Moments [2], Latin Tang [2], Polluted Beauty [2] > The Box#
Set 2: Syncopated Healing [2], Distance Makes the Heart [3], Enter [2] > Orlandos^ [2], Apples > White Light > Mushrooms of the Sea > Apples, Lost in the Cold [2]
Encore: How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) [4]
[1] First time played. With Adrian Tramontano on guitar [2] With Michael Bafundo and Mike Oehmen (Horns) [3] With Brian Murray and Sam Lucid (Dogs In A Pile) [4] Marvin Gaye (Debut). With Jeremy Kaplan and Jimmy Law (Dogs In A Pile), plus Michael Bafundo and Mike Oehmen (Horns)
# with Mihali Cowbell Jam ^ with Crosseyed and Painless teases
Twiddle “Frendsgiving” – The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester – November 26, 2022
Set 1: Frends Theme, The Devil, Dr Remidis Melodrium [1], Fighting For, Every Soul > Mamunes The Faun [2] > Every Soul
Set 2: Grandpa Fox > The Mission, Beethoven & Greene, Frankenfoote > Grandpa Fox, Slippin in the Kitchen [3]
Encore: Why Canât We Be Frends [4] > When it Rains it Poors > Every Last Leaf II [2]
[1] Apples Vocal Reprise [2] With Scott Hannay [3] With Rick James (Neighbor) & Scott Hannay [4] WAR (Debut)
Amid their current tour with Trey Anastasio Band, Goose has announced their first shows in six years at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, and they’re going big for it. Over March 8-12, Goose will play 5 consecutive nights, adding to the band’s historic rise, and the extensive history of The Cap.
The only other time Goose played The Capitol Theatre was a single set on October 1, 2016. Here’s the setlist, via elgoose.net: Arcadia, Madhuvan, Jive I, Indian River, Creatures, Turned Clouds, So Ready, One More Saturday Night.
Presale tickets will be available starting Thursday, November 17 at 10am through 10pm using the password TUMBLE with general on-sale beginning Friday, November 18 at 10am. $1 of each ticket sale will support Backline, a mental health and wellness resource for the music industry.
Check out coverage of Goose with Trey Anastasio Band at Mohegan Sun and at Glens Falls this past week.
The Disco Biscuits have announced even more dates for the 2023 Winter Tour, adding 12 more shows to their previously announced shows for the new year. Included in the tour dispatch is a show at Town Ballroom in Buffalo on Thursday, January 19 and The Palace Theatre in Albany on February 3. This follows word that they will make their annual return to the Capitol Theatre over March 23-25, 2023.
The Philly group have played the Port Chester venue 11 times previously, most recently March 31 through April 2, 2022.
The spring shows are the first U.S. dates for The Disco Biscuits in 2023, with a TranceAtlantic music event held in Reykjavík, Iceland, over May 20 through 22. They’ll wrap up the year in Chicago with three nights at the Riviera Theatre.
Disco Biscuits Winter Tour 2023
1/18 – House of Blues Cleveland – Cleveland OH 1/19 – Town Ballroom – Buffalo NY 1/20 – Penn’s Peak – Jim Thorpe PA 1/21 – Penn’s Peak – Jim Thorpe PA 2/1 – Higher Ground – Burlington VT 2/2 – Higher Ground – Burlington VT 2/3 – Palace Theatre – Albany NY 2/4 – The Anthem – Washington DC 3/10 – The Caverns – Pelham TN 3/11 – The Caverns – Pelham TN 3/12 – The Caverns – Pelham TN 3/23 – Capitol Theatre – Port Chester NY 3/24 – Capitol Theatre – Port Chester NY 3/25 – Capitol Theatre – Port Chester NY 3/29 – Belly Up, Aspen – Aspen CO 3/30 – Belly Up, Aspen – Aspen CO 3/31 – Mission Ballroom – Denver CO 4/1 – Mission Ballroom – Denver CO
Read more on the Disco Biscuits history at The Cap here. Tickets for the Capitol Theatre shows are on sale here. Tickets for all the band’s newly added shows will be available on Friday, Nov. 18 at noon E.T. via discobiscuits.com.
Central Park Dance will return to The Capitol Theatre with their annual production of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker on Sunday, December 11th at 12:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. With more than 100 students from the school, professional dancers and young dancers from the surrounding communities, audiences will have two chances to enjoy this timeless tale.
In celebrating a legacy that has spanned across more than four decades, Central Park Dance has made its mark on the Westchester dance community. As a producer of original ballets, they invite their all levels to participate. Dancers of all ages will make up their large ensemble of performers, spanning from the littlest mouse to the blizzard of snowflakes.
This year, the production will welcome back American Ballet Theatre soloist Luciana Paris to dance the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy, along with her Cavalier Jose Sebastian, who is currently a member of American Ballet Theatre’s corps de ballet as well as the director of ABT’s Incubator program.
“In our more than 40 years in Westchester, we have watched several generations of students dance through our doors,” explains Maria Bai and Mario La Strada, founder and directors of Central Park Dance Studio.
“We have made it our mission to offer students a well-rounded dance education that includes not only time in the studio, but opportunities to interact with and perform for our community. We are overwhelmed by the support we have received around our sold-out productions over the last 6 years, and we are so lucky to be able to expand the opportunity to more students and more families each year.”
One of the longest running and most respected dance studios in Westchester for 40 years, Central Park Dance offers classic and progressive styles of dance and fitness for both adults and children. Central Park Dance is also home to the Signature and Remixx performance companies as well as the Ballet Academy, which provides the aspiring dancer with pre-professional training, performance opportunities and mentorships.
The Nutcracker performances will take place on Sunday, December 11th at 12:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Ticket prices range from $45, $35 and $25 and are available by clicking the link here.
Greensky Bluegrass have announced their Winter Tour 2023, featuring 16 dates with a kickoff on January 12 in Buffalo, followed by stops in Port Chester and Utica. The Michigan jamgrass band will make their debut performances at the Stanley Theater in Utica, as well as the historic Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, NJ.
They’ll bring along with them support acts including Mikaela Davis, Neighbor, Mihali, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, Railroad Earth and Holly Bowling.
Greensky Bluegrass are widely known for their thoughtful lyricism, edgy and genre-expansive sound, dazzling live performances and relentless touring schedule. Featuring Anders Beck [dobro], Michael Arlen Bont [banjo], Dave Bruzza [guitar], Mike Devol [upright bass], and Paul Hoffman [Mandolin], the five are connected through a deep bond, just as they are seasoned road warriors, they’re a band of brothers who have seen each other through decades of ups and downs, personal and collective highlights, and the moments when life turns it all upside down.
For the past century, bluegrass music has traditionally relayed real tales of American life, struggle, tragedy, and triumph. It gives a voice to the quiet, yet colorful stories woven into the fabric of the country itself. Greensky Bluegrass live these stories through their records and performances.
Greensky is and always has been very unique in our world. We put our love, energy, and focus into what we appreciate about our music. We come together as a band in a way that’s organic. We take a lot of pride in how we grow and challenge each other too. We’re maturing together. I think we get more Greensky all of the time.
The Rock and Roll Playhouse, a family concert series, has announced a nationwide run of shows for Halloween weekend, with four happening in NY.
Running from Saturday, October 29 to Sunday, October 30, the classic rock-themed series will feature 18 shows cross country.
As for NY’s concerts, day one will include a Tom Petty tribute show at Garcia’s at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, and a “New Orleans Funk & Soul” themed Halloween party at Brooklyn’s Industry City featuring Black Tie Brass. The doors of Garcia’s will open at 1:30 p.m. before music begins at 2, while Industry City’s show will run from 1 to 2.
On day two for the Playhouse, Brooklyn Bowl will open its doors for a “Halloween Spectacular” show at 11 a.m. before music starts at noon, and City Winery Hudson Valley in Montgomery will open its doors for its own Halloween-themed concert at 10:30 a.m. before music also starts at noon.
The Rock and Roll Playhouse was founded in 2013 at the Brooklyn Bowl by Amy Striem, a NJ-based youth educator, and Peter Shapiro, co-owner of the Brooklyn Bowl and owner of the Capitol Theatre. Since its beginning, the program has held performances in over 42 venues across 30 cities for its core audience of children under 10.
List of Weekend Shows:
October 29:
Bluebird Theater – Phish (Denver, CO)
Pour House – Phish (Charleston, SC)
Garcia’s – Tom Petty (Port Chester, NY)
Sevier Park – David Bowie (Nashville, TN)
Industry City – New Orleans Funk & Soul (Brooklyn, NY)
October 30:
Brooklyn Bowl New York – Halloween Spooktacular (Brooklyn, NY)
Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia – Prince (Philadelphia, PA)
Last Concert Cafe – Grateful Dead (Houston, TX)
Portland House of Music – Phish (Portland, ME)
The Espee – Grateful Dead (San Antonio,TX)
The Grey Eagle – Grateful Dead (Asheville, NC)
Thalia Hall – Phish (Chicago, IL)
Mission Theater (AM Show) – Grateful Dead (Portland, OR)
Mission Theater (PM Show) – Grateful Dead (Portland, OR)
City Winery Hudson Valley – Halloween Spooktacular (Hudson Valley, NY)
When you think of Westchester, you may not picture a thriving rap and hip hop scene; one local producer is looking to change that. John Darling aka Poncho is a producer turned entrepreneur, who highlights local artists on his Youtube show, the Encore Podcast.
Growing up in Cortlandt Manor, Poncho didn’t seriously start making beats until a sports injury in college prompted him to switch gears and make music. After dropping out of the University of Mississippi his sophomore year, he returned to his hometown and quickly learned how tough it was to make a career as a producer.
John Darling aka Poncho is a producer turned entrepreneur. With an eye for upcoming artists and an ear for beats, the Westchester native uses his talents daily on his Youtube show, the Encore Podcast.
“You got the industry route where you’re trying to get beats on an album and the internet route posting beats on Youtube, but it’s just so saturated,” he explained. “You can only get so far doing that.”
Rather than DMing artists with his beats and hoping for responses, Poncho wanted musicians to come to him. His solution was the Encore Podcast, where he envisioned himself interviewing up-and-coming rappers, producers and DJs. Poncho had a variety of music contacts from previous ventures hosting live shows and he hoped some of these connections would translate to people he could feature on the podcast. Poncho also believed Encore could serve to connect Westchester artists to one another, creating a community centered around music.
“There’s a lot of people who do music in Westchester, but everyone is just disconnected,” he said. “There’s no home base for people.”
Yet that community is clearly growing under Poncho’s guiding hand. While the podcast is still small – it has less than 1,000 subscribers on Youtube – the fan base is clearly dedicated. The show never appears to lack new voices, whether it be interviews with female rappers like the Yonkers based Prada Mama or big name producers like Mike Snell, who has worked with the likes of artists such as Kanye West and Timbaland.
The podcast is also big enough that Poncho said he only accepts around 15% of interview requests. And on episodes where he reviews new music, artists are now paying him to critique their songs.
Poncho making beats in the studio
Still, it took a while for Poncho to reach this stage. Over the course of hundreds of episodes and many years, the podcast has evolved from acoustic performance videos to music reviews and artist Q&As. Currently, Poncho says the primary focus is creating educational content for artists and producers.
“The interviews are really about creating teachable moments for artists,” he said. “A lot of artists don’t really know what they’re doing … so there’s an education gap that we’re trying to fill with our podcast.”
Indeed, the podcast excels particularly by providing both a platform for artists and their music while simultaneously serving as a learning tool for viewers hoping to make it in the industry. Perhaps no one knows this better than Westchester rapper Tim Schulze, who releases music under the moniker, Starkiller TmmyX.
TmmyX has been a featured guest on the podcast, working alongside Poncho to review artist submissions. TmmyX is also an avid viewer of the show and said the podcast provides knowledge he wished he had known when he was just starting out.
“Poncho goes through and he teaches all these little things and he gives you all these criticisms,” he said. “Some people might take it the wrong way, but these are things that I wish somebody was telling me earlier in my career.”
The burgeoning reach of Poncho’s podcast also contributed to TmmyX filming a music video with the artist Nyck Caution, a member of the hip hop collective Pro Era, which notably features Joey Bada$$ as one of its founding members. TmmyX and Caution had recently made a song together, although they never met in-person for the collab. TmmyX decided to preview the new single on the Encore Podcast, where it was met with rave reviews. Hundreds of people tagged Caution while Poncho himself gave a shoutout requesting the two meet and shoot a music video together … and it worked.
“Two weeks later, [Nick Caution] is with me and we’re in Brooklyn shooting the video because of Poncho’s podcast,” TmmyX said. “It’s things like that. He’s creating moments. Poncho has created each of these connections by putting his service out there.”
Another connection Poncho has made is with Bobby Lehday, a Westchester producer and now frequent guest of the Encore podcast. Lehday has worked with famous rappers like Lil Durk and serves as an in-house producer for other Westchester artists like TmmyX.
Like Poncho, Lehday has an eye for Westchester talent and sees the opportunity for a community to grow around the rap genre.
“I like to see people from my area win and if I can help them with that, I’ll do whatever I can,” Lehday said. “I love seeing people blossom and grow into artists. I feel like a farmer tending my garden.”
Bobby Lehday, Poncho and TmmyX doing music reviews on the podcast
For Lehday, sometimes helping others comes in the form of tough love, as evidenced by his sometimes critical music reviews on the Encore Podcast.
“I’ve been on the show myself and people have said I’ve been a little harsh, but honestly some people really need to hear that,” Lehday emphasized. “If you’re serious about music, you have to be willing to be humbled.”
As someone who has been humbled many times while making the podcast what it is today, Poncho said he agrees with this mindset.
“At the beginning I was ignorant and after a hundred and fifty podcasts, I learned that, ‘oh, I’m doing this wrong,’” he said. “Eventually after I’ve fixed two hundred things, now I have a good podcast.”
Still, Poncho doesn’t deny that sometimes ignorance is bliss.
“I was blessed because I didn’t know what the fuck I was doing,” he said. “If I had known how difficult this actually is, I might have not done it.”
But by all accounts, Poncho has done it. Through trial and error and sheer dedication, Darling has made the Encore Podcast his full-time job and his main source of income. He continues to grow the platform one new artist at a time.
“I’ve got no other option,” he said. “With the platform we’re trying to build, I only want people that have that hustle, because if you don’t have the hustle, you’re not going to make it.”
Grammy-award winner Sara Bareilles performed at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester on Oct. 6 to commemorate three decades of Pace Women’s Justice Center (PWJC) protecting thousands of women and children.
Sara Bareilles, credit Marc Millman
Sara Bareilles recently ran as “The Baker’s Wife” in the hit revival of “Into the Woods” on Broadway. Her music has been self-described as “piano-based pop-soul” and her powerful lyrics give voice to the difficult journey from victim to survivor for PWJC’s clients.
The Pace Women’s Justice Center is a self-funded nonprofit legal center located at Elisabeth Haub School of Law, under the 501(c)(3) status of Pace University. Each year, PWJC provides free legal services to over 3,500 victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and elder abuse, as well as conducts or participates in over 140 training and outreach events.
The fundraising event’s title, Raising the Bar Benefit Concert, is a nod to PWJC’s commitment to increasing access to justice and providing free critical legal services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The money raised will help PWJC to continue helping their clients on their journeys toward empowerment and healing.
Each October the nonprofit honors an individual who has dedicated themselves to supporting the PWJC mission and its clients with a Making a Difference Award. This year the award was given to Pam Kaufman, President, and CEO of International Markets, Global Consumer Products & Experiences at Paramount Global. Legendary music icon Darryl “DMC” McDaniels from Run DMC presented her with the award.
One of the best Grateful Dead tribute/cover bands out there today, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD) has announced they’ll celebrate 10 years with a performance where it all began, at Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on January 26. They’ll follow up that intimate show with a three-night weekend at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester January 27-29.
The band first performed on January 26, 2013, with a lineup of drummer Joe Russo, Ween’s bassist Dave Dreiwitz, keyboardist Marco Benevento, guitarist and vocalist Scott Metzger, and guitarist and vocalist Tom Hamilton. Part of Freaks Ball XIII, JRAD was pulled together after the Dean Ween Group pulled out, leading to Russo bringing together four musicians he had played with over the years, leading to the formation of Joe Russo’s Almost Dead. Later that year, they played The Capitol Theatre on December 27, 2013, their second ever show.
JRAD have made their presence known from coast-to-coast, with shows at Red Rocks, festivals across the country, and regular appearances throughout New York State.
Tickets for JRAD’s 10th anniversary shows go on sale to the general public this Friday, October 7 at 10 a.m. ET. Presales takes place on Thursday with details available here.
Back in April of 2019 former Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason appeared at The Beacon Theatre in NYC with a saucerful of pre-Dark Side of the Moon songs from the Pink Floyd catalogue. That show (and the rest of that tour) proved the longevity of Syd Barret’s time with the band and resonated so well that Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets returned to the road, recently stopping at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester on Monday, Sept. 26.
The show was originally set for January 2022 but was postponed due to pandemic uncertainties at the time; it was certainly worth the wait. But an even longer gap of time was present. Pink Floyd had played at The Cap on April 22, 1970, the last time Mason was at the venue. At the time, Pink Floyd was not having the best luck with touring the United States as their stop in New Orleans less than a month later resulted in the remainder of their US tour being cancelled. It wasn’t until the 1973 release of Dark Side of the Moon when Pink Floyd was discovered by a majority of their fans, and it was this premise that prompted the idea for bringing the band’s earlier works to a wider audience.
The introductory bass guitar notes of “One of These Days” excited the audience and established a pillow of winds that carried that feeling through the whole show. The quality of the sound far surpassed what would come from a cover band and was an authentic breath of new life to the early Pink Floyd songs. After all, Nick Mason has been the only continuous Pink Floyd member since he co-founded the band; bassist Guy Pratt is the son-in-law of late PF keyboardist Richard Wright and toured with David Gilmour’s backing band; keyboardist Dom Beken had collaborated with Richard Wright; guitarist Lee Harris suggested the idea for the project to Pratt; and guitarist Gary Kemp had great enthusiasm about joining the band.
The Capitol Theatre’s intimate space and its excellent acoustics topped off the decadent slice of progressive rock history brought back to life. As opposed to arena shows where one might feel disconnected from the band, every note played engaged the crowd. From every spot in the room it was easy to tell and feel the happiness and energy of the band members, especially with Pratt and Kemp playing off each other with their presence and Mason frequently displaying a humble smile from behind the kit.
Particular treats from the show included “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun,” “Echoes,” and “Astronomy Domine.” The entire setlist was enjoyable, although many more early Pink Floyd songs would also fit the bill (if time allowed). Ending the evening as a nod to Syd Barrett’s character was the quirky song “Bike.”
If you missed Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets at The Cap (or want to see it again), the tour will be stopping at The Beacon Theatre on Wednesday Oct. 12, rescheduled from January 2022.
Setlist:
Set 1: One of These Days, Arnold Layne, Fearless, Obscured by Clouds, When You’re In, Candy and a Currant Bun, Vegetable Man, If, Atom Heart Mother, If (Reprise), Remember a Day, Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun Set 2: Astronomy Domine, The Nile Song, Burning Bridges, Childhood’s End, Lucifer Sam, Echoes Encore: See Emily Play, A Saucerful of Secrets, Bike
