NYS Music 202​2

Category: Regions

  • Parquet Courts Walk A Downtown Pace at Brooklyn Steel

    Parquet Courts, the New York City based post-punk band, finished up a two-night stand at Bushwick’s Brooklyn Steel on Saturday, April 2nd. The band is on tour supporting their seventh LP Sympathy for Life; released last October via Rough Trade Records. The album features the infectiously groovy lead single “Walking at a Downtown Pace” and the psychedelic jam “Plant Life.”

    parquet courts brooklyn steel
    Parquet Courts at Brooklyn Steel, 4/2/22. Photo by Buscar Photo

    NYS Music was at night two, which featured a rather unique intro to the show. After the stage crew finished the change over between sets, a woman lit a sage bundle and immersed the stage in the smoke. She stepped to the mic and announced onto the stage, “Clown.” After expecting Parquet Courts to walk onto the Brooklyn Steel stage, the crowd was indeed perplexed, but intrigued as to what was happening. Two people walked on stage, one apparently the Clown in full face paint and a clown suit accompanied by a saxophone player. The two then played a gorgeous cover of Parquet Courts song and Sympathy for Life closer “Pulcinella.” The ambient balled swelled into a mix of sax and guitar loops, coming to a climax as Clown then introduced Parquet Courts to the stage.

    Clown at Brooklyn Steel, 4/2/22. Photo by Buscar Photo

    Once Parquet Courts took the stage, the crowd burst into joyous energy and never let up until the end of the show. The band played a career spanning set, and embellished much of the songs into lengthy live versions with extended jams and improvised movements. The band transforms their energetic post-punk style into a multifaceted live show that keeps even the most devout listener on their toes. Highlights of the show included the aforementioned Sympathy of Life singles as well as “Freebird II” and “Mardi Gras Beads” off the excellent 2018 LP Wide Awake!.

    parquet courts brooklyn steel
    Parquet Courts at Brooklyn Steel, 4/2/22. Photo by Buscar Photo

    Parquet Courts continue on tour through April, ending the month on the west coast before heading to Europe for a run of dates in May and June. The band sprinkles in a couple of shows in Australia later in the summer. Check out the full tour schedule HERE and see our photo gallery from the show at Brooklyn Steel on April 2nd below.

    parquet courts brooklyn steel
    parquet courts brooklyn steel
    parquet courts brooklyn steel
    parquet courts brooklyn steel
    parquet courts brooklyn steel
    parquet courts brooklyn steel

  • The Greyboy Allstars Share New Single with Woodstock and Brooklyn Tour Dates in April

    The Greyboy Allstars are set to release their upcoming album Get A Job with music from the original broadcast series Soul Dream on April 1st. The first song off the album, ‘I’ve Got Reasons’, recently dropped along with accompanying video along with Spring Tour Dates where they’ll perform in Woodstock and Brooklyn this April.

    Greyboy Allstars

    The quintet jazz band, Karl Denson (saxophone, flute), Elgin Park (guitars), Aaron Redfield(drums), Chris Stillwell (bass) and Robert Walter (keys) turn up the notches with their new album consisting of 10 unique never-before-released covers that consistently captivated their famed live performances for nearly three decades. Gil Scott-Heron, Gene Ammons and Burt Bacharach are some of the artists who’s songs are showcased on the ‘Get A Job’ album.

    The delivery of these covers shows the formative music that shaped the band while also adding a twist of their own funky imprint to the song’s arrangement and legacy.

    The more we play together, the more I enjoy listening to the other guys. It seems like a simple idea but finding a place in the mix is what’s important: not the solo. Weave a thread inside the fabric.

    -Elgin Park

    A running list of around 70 tunes that became live favorites during shows and music that came out of Prestige Records are showcased with the Greyboy Allstars. The soul-jazz band from San Diego, California will be coming to the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock and the Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

    The 21-date ‘Get A Job’ tour has 6 of the shows on-sale now and the remaining 15 shows go on-sale February 4th at greyboyallstars.com

    The Greyboy Allstars “Get A Job” U.S. Spring Tour

    3/9 – Asheville, NC – Salvage Station
    3/10 – Charleston, SC – The Pour House
    3/11 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
    3/12 – St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheatre
    3/30 – St. Louis, MO – The Big Top
    3/31 – Milwaukee, WI – Shank Hall
    4/1 – Chicago, IL – Park West
    4/2 – Covington, KY – Madison Theater
    4/3 – Columbus, OH – Woodlands Tavern
    4/5 – Pembroke, MA – Soundcheck Studios
    4/6 – Woodstock, NY – Bearsville Theater
    4/7 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl
    4/8 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl
    4/9 – Philadelphia, PA – Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia
    4/10 – Washington, DC – The Hamilton
    4/15 – Crystal Bay, NV – Crystal Bay Club Casino
    4/16 – Crystal Bay, NV – Crystal Bay Club Casino
    4/21 – Venice, CA – Venice West
    4/22 – Denver, CO – Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom
    4/23 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater
    4/30 – New Orleans, LA – Tipitina’s

  • Adekunle Gold Announces Catch Me If You Can Tour, Apollo Theater Performance

    Nigerian born and bred Adekunle Gold has just announced his “Catch Me If You Can – The Tour,” kicking off on Thursday, June 2nd at Big Night Live in Boston. This tour will also make a stop at Apollo Theater in Manhattan on Friday, June 3rd, 2022. 

    Adekunle Gold Announces Catch Me If You Can Tour

    Adekunle Gold is a Nigerian singer-songwriter based between Lagos, Nigeria, and Los Angeles. He gained recognition from his very first release, ‘Sade’ a love song which sampled instrumentals from One Direction’s ‘Story of My Life.’ Just two weeks after its release, Adekunle was contacted by one of Africa’s biggest acts, Olamide, to join his music imprint for two years. 

    Adekunle Gold is one of the most innovative artists to come out of Africa. He is one of the most recognizable and exciting pioneers of the vibrant Afropop genre, currently dominating this genre across the globe. His music consistent of mixing and influences of Afrobeat with Pop, Hip-Hop and R&B. 

    Since releasing his first single “Sade,” a love song which sampled instrumentals from One Direction’s “Story of My Life,” Adekunle has gone on to release four albums – Gold, About 30, AfroPop Vol. 1. His newest album, Catch Me If You Can, includes collaborations with an array of world-class talent including Ty Dolla $ign, Stefflon Don, Fatoumata Diawara and Fousheé. Altogether, featuring his one-of-a-kind combination of addictive melodies and razor sharp lyricism.

    Adekunle Gold

    CATCH ME IF YOU CAN TOUR DATES:  

    Thu Jun 02 – Boston, MA – Big Night Live 

    Fri Jun 03 – New York, NY – Apollo Theater 

    Sun Jun 05 – Montreal, QUE – Corona Theatre 

    Mon Jun 06 – Philadelphia, PA – The Theatre of Living Arts 

    Wed Jun 08 – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore Silver Spring 

    Thu Jun 09 – Cleveland, OH – The Cambridge Room at House of Blues 

    Fri Jun 10 – Toronto, ON – The Opera House 

    Sun Jun 12 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater 

    Tue Jun 14 – Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theatre 

    Thu Jun 16 – Houston, TX – House of Blues 

    Fri Jun 17 – Dallas, TX – Echo Lounge & Music Hall 

    Sun Jun 19 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theater 

    Tue Jun 21 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues 

    Thu Jun 30 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom 

    Fri Jul 01 – Los Angeles, CA – Regent Theater 

    Sat Jul 02 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore 

    Mon Jul 04 – Seattle, WA – Neptune Theatre 

    Tue Jul 05 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom 

    Fri Jul 08 – Edmonton, AB – Union Hall 

    Ticket sale starts Friday, April 8th at 10am on Catch.ag 

  • Gunna performs on Saturday Night Live

    Saturday Night Live returned on April 2 to address the Oscars slap and more, with host Jerrod Carmichael and musical guest, Gunna.

    gunna

    Weekend Update focused on ‘the slap’, noting it as a defining moment of television for the current generation, a mark in pop-culture time.

    Pete Davidson returned for the first time in three episodes with the music video “Short Ass Movie,” where he cited the need for movies with a runtime under 1 hour, 40 minutes. Joined by fellow cast member Chris Redd, Dirt Nasty (Simon Rex) and musical guest Gunna, the group explored the myraid of movies considered a quick watch.

    Gunna rapped “I’m not pushin P unless it’s under two hours/ Like Lion King or Bad Moms or all three Austin Powers.” Davidson took on A Beautiful Mind-style observation on the run times of Jurassic Park (2 hours, 7 minutes) and Sex and the City 2 (2 hours, 26 minutes), and even referencing a recent Instagram post from Davidson where friend Scott Diseck fell asleep during boys night.

    Gunna’s first song, “Banking on Me,” was released as a single on Valentine’s Day, originally planned to be on the deluxe edition of his third studio album, DS4Ever, his second consecutive number one album, released in January and featuring guest appearances from 21 Savage, Drake, Kodak Black and more.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kW_miq1-SXQ

    For his second performance, Gunna was joined by Future for “pushin P,” a phrase meaning to ‘push positivity.’ On DSM4Ever, the pair are joined by Young Thug for the brief (2:12) yet hypnotic track.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex3LGdbDqe0

    Next week Saturday Night Live welcomes host Jake Gyllenhaal with Musical Guest Camila Cabello.

  • Empire State Youth Orchestra Announces The Acquisition Of A Former School In Schenectady

    As a cultural institution that provides young musicians with the education and experience to achieve excellence, the Empire State Youth Orchestra, is moving its efforts to Schenectady.

    The multi-year project will transform the property, at 45 MacArthur Drive in Scotia-Glenville, formerly known as St. Joseph’s Parish School, into an establishment centered around progressive learning, leading to high-level performance opportunities within the music industry.

    Empire State Youth Orchestra
    The former St. Joseph’s Parish School, new home of the ESYO

    The goal is to establish an ensemble rehearsal academy and a permanent home for ESYO, rather than utilizing other temporary facilities. Since EYSO already provides the youth, specifically over 500 musicians with an unparalleled musical sanctuary, a place to call it home was all that was left to do.

    For years, ESYO has operated out of school gyms and auditoriums throughout the Capital Region. We’ve always dreamed of having a permanent home that will best support our young musicians as they grow and develop. We are thrilled to have acquired this property and look forward to transforming it into a center for musical youth.

    Omar Williams, ESYO’s new Board Chair

    This organization provides opportunities for those who are selected after the audition process in all twelve counties in New York’s Capital Region, the Hudson Valley, Western Massachusetts, and Southern Vermont. This program has 13 distinct ensembles and orchestras for all performance levels.

    Members are given high-class training from well qualified conductors, coaches, and extraordinary guest artists. Furthermore, the organization’s alumni include GRAMMY-nominated Vibraphonist Stefan Harris, Bang on a Can All-Star Ashley Bathgate, Ian Antonio the co-founder of the experimental piano and percussion ensemble YarnWire, and Chicago Symphony’s Associate Principal Cellist Ken Olson.

    According to Schenectady County Legislator Cathy Gatta, who is also the President of the Discover Schenectady Board of Directors, this change in location for ESYO will provide major benefits for Schenectady, specifically benefiting local businesses and the community as whole.

    Since 1979, ESYO has built up its reputation as a strong force within the music community and as a result of its efforts has received three American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) awards. For more information, about the organization visit the ESYO website. 

  • FreshGrass | North Adams Announces Initial Lineup for September Bluegrass Festival

    FreshGrass | North Adams, MASS MoCA’s three day festival of bluegrass and progressive roots music, announces the initial 2022 lineup.

    The lineup features Gary Clark Jr., Old Crow Medicine Show, Trampled by Turtles, Yola, and The Jerry Douglas Band. Artists such as Aoife O’Donovan, Sierra Ferrell, Alison Brown, The Lil Smokies, Sierra Hull, Willie Watson, Luca Ciarla, are also included. Also perfoming will be, Never Come Down, Misty Blues, California Bluegrass Reunion featuring Darol Anger, John Reischman, Bill Evans, Jim Nunally, Sharon Gilchrist & Chad Manning. More artists are being announced in the upcoming weeks.

    The FreshGrass festival features bluegrass innovators on four stages and platforms throughout the 16-acre campus. Festival programming also includes FreshScores, a silent film with original live music; FreshGrass commissions and world premieres. There will also be workshops led by bluegrass veterans on the subjects of songwriting, producing, and music marketing.

    FreshGrass is a beloved tradition at MASS MoCA, with more than a decade of music and memories.

    MASS MoCA Director Kristy Edmunds

    FreshGrass festival also holds a contest for emerging artists. The grand prize is a grant up to $20,000 in cash prizes and recording time at Compass Records studio in Nashville to unsigned talent. The annual award categories include band, banjo, guitar, and fiddle. Twelve finalists—three in each category—travel to the festival to perform for a panel of No Depression editors and artists. For this year’s festival, finalists will perform throughout the weekend on pop-up stages. The award winners in each of the four categories will earn a main stage slot at the 2023 FreshGrass Festival.

    Ticket Information

    3-Day tickets are now on sale for adults ($129), students ($99), and children 7-16 ($49). Admission is free for children 6 and under. All festival tickets include admission to MASS MoCA’s galleries. MASS MoCA members receive a 10% discount on ticket prices, excluding VIP FreshPass tickets. 

    Camping Information

    As FreshGround is a camping field, they will be offering camping services. The camping ground is about a 12 minute walking distance from the festival, along with downtown merchants, bars, and restaurants. A shuttle bus runs continuously to the festival from the campsite. If you’d like more information on the camping services, you can visit FreshGrass website, www.freshgrass.com. 

  • Chamber Music Society in NYC Creates Two-Part PBS Film

    The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in NYC closed its doors for two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, in a two-part PBS film Chamber Music Society Returns, the story of CMS’s return to live concerts is told. It will be airing nationally on April 8, and then on the 15th.

    CMS is one of eleven constituents of the largest performing arts complex in the world, the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. CMS brings the experience of great chamber music to more people than any other organization of its kind through its many performances, education, recording, digital, and broadcast activities.

    Musicians perform Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, photo by Cherlynn Tsushima.

    The PBS film will explore the passion for making music that pushed the CMS community forward. The film features behind-the-scenes footage at CMS’s rehearsal studios, offices, and backstage. Musicians will reveal their relief at finally leaving the pandemic, and long-awaited performances full of emotion, embrace, and tears of joy.

    The first part Setting the Stage features violinist Arnaud Sussmann, bassist Joseph Conyers, cellist David Finckel, and pianist Wu Han talking about how frightening the early stages of the pandemic were, and how music helped them during that difficult time. Viewers get to see the everyday work of chamber musicians, and see performances of both solo Bach and work from the opening night concert.

    The second part Bringing Down the House explores the aftermath of opening night, and the challenges of finding a way to safely gather over a dozen wind players to play as performing were considered risky early in the pandemic.

    CMS artistic director David Finckel spoke about why live music is special.

    Listening to a recording is like looking at a painting on a wall. It can be a great painting, but it doesn’t change. It’s always exactly the same. The live performance, though, is so far beyond the recording or the painting on the wall in that it’s like watching the artwork itself being recreated by the artist in front of your eyes in real time. Because live is always an interpretation. It’s never the same twice.

    The CMS PBS documentary will be airing on April 8 and 15, and the trailer is out now.

  • Bela Fleck “My Bluegrass Heart” Spring Tour Coming To New York this week

    Nominated in 2022 for Best Bluegrass Grammy, Béla Fleck hits the road on his GRAMMY winning album “My Bluegrass Heart” Spring Tour. Fleck will stop in New York on April 6th at the State Theatre of Ithaca, April 8th in Albany at The Egg, April 10th at the Patchogue Theatre and April 13th at Tarrytown Music Hall.

    After the sold-out shows at Carnegie Hall and the Ryman, Béla Fleck decided to extend his “My Bluegrass Heart” that will feature a variety of musicians.

    Béla Fleck’s title for his album, My Bluegrass Heart was inspired from the classic “My Spanish Heart” from Tony and Chick Corea who he decided to dedicate the album too. Although this is his third run of the tour, Béla Fleck continues to keep the tradition of sharing music between generations.

    “We’re reuniting the incredible first band—but with one change. Fiddler Stuart Duncan joins Sierra Hull, Justin Moses, Mark Schatz, Bryan Sutton and me. It’s time for the banjo player in the band to practice feverishly, because keeping up with this gang is no joke. It’s also one of the great joys!”

    -Béla Fleck

    The core group of bluegrass musicians that play with Béla Fleck include New Grass Revivalist Sam Bush, fiddle player Stuart Duncan, bassist Mark Schatz and dobro player Jerry Douglas, alongside Chris Thile, Molly Tuttle, David Grisman, Brian Sutton, Edgar Meyer, Sierra Hull, Billy Strings, Tony Trischka, and fiddle avant-gardist Billy Contreras.  

    Ticket information can be found here.

    Béla Fleck:  My Bluegrass Heart Tour 

    Featuring Stuart Duncan, Sierra Hull, Justin Moses, Mark Schatz, Bryan Sutton
    March 31  Savannah, GA  Savannah Music Festival 

    April 1  Norfolk, VA  Virginia Arts Festival 

    April 2  Reading, PA  Berks Jazz Festival

    April 3  Northampton, MA  The Academy of Music

    April 5  Lebanon, NH  Lebanon Opera House

    April 6  Ithaca, NY  State Theatre of Ithaca

    April 7  Concord, NH  Capitol Center for the Arts

    April 8  Albany, NY  The Egg

    April 9  New London, CT  Garde Arts Center

    April 10  Patchogue, NY  Patchogue Theatre

    April 12  Williamsport, PA  Community Arts Center

    April 13  Tarrytown, NY  Tarrytown Music Hall

    April 14  Wilmington, DE  The Grand Opera House

    April 15  Charlotte, NC  Knight Theater 

    April 16  Bristol, TN  Paramount Bristol 

    Featuring Michael Cleveland, Jacob Jolliff, Cody Kilby, Justin Moses, Mark Schatz

    May 24  Wilmington, NC  Greenfield Lake Amphitheater

    May 25  Durham, NC  Carolina Theatre

    May 26  Charleston, SC  Charleston Music Hall 

    May 27  Cumberland, MD  DelFest

    Featuring Michael Cleveland, Sierra Hull, Justin Moses, Mark Schatz, Bryan Sutton 

    June 12  Springfield, MO  Gillioz Theater

    June 14  Kansas City, MO  Kauffman Center

    June 16 & 19 Telluride, CO  Telluride Bluegrass Festival (+ special guests)

    Bluegrass Happening: Bela Fleck & My Bluegrass Heart, Sam Bush & The Jerry Douglas Band

    June 21   Jefferson City, MO  Capitol Region Amphitheatre

    June 22   Davenport, IA   Adler Theatre

    June 24  Highland Park, IL   Ravinia  

    Featuring Michael Cleveland, Sierra Hull, Justin Moses, Mark Schatz, Bryan Sutton 

    June 25  Eau Claire, WI  Blue Ox Music Festival

    June 26  Washburn, WI  Big Top Chautauqua  

    Bluegrass Happening: Bela Fleck & My Bluegrass Heart Sam Bush & The Jerry Douglas Band

    June 29 – Marietta, OH @ Peoples Bank Theatre

    July 2 – Vienna, VA @ Wolf Trap  

  • Gooseberry Drops Titular Song In Anticipation Of Debut EP “Broken Dance”

    In anticipation of their debut EP, Broken Dance, set to release on May 6th, Gooseberry has dropped the titular track of their forthcoming project. The Brooklyn band, consisting of Asa Daniels, Evin Rossington, Sam Rappaport, and Will Hammond, is slowly building an underground following.

    Recently, the band placed in the Final Four in NYSMusic’s March Madness 2022 bracket, and their newest release continues to highlight their talent.

    Gooseberry Broken Dance
    Gooseberry

    Gooseberry’s music is a magnificent blend of soulful R&B and indie-pop. Their newest release continues to showcase this amalgamation. The titularly titled track, “Broken Dance,” features a happy yet inquisitive piano roll. Accompanied by a melancholic violin and intimate lyricism, the track wonderfully captures the antonymic feelings of intimacy and loss.

    The four-piece talent will also be touring the American Northeast. In New York, they will return to the Bowery Electric on April 14th and to Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory on May 21st. Additionally, the band will also pass through the Finger Lakes region and will play at Grist Iron Brewing on June 11th.

    TOUR DATES

    04/13 – O’Brien’s – Boston, MA

    04/14 – Bowery Electric – New York, NY

    04/16 – Transparent Clinch Gallery – Asbury Park, NJ

    05/21 – Knitting Factory – Brooklyn, NY

    06/11 – Grist Iron Brewing – Burdett, NY

    Gooseberry is set to have an exceptional 2022, for more information on the band and to pre-order Broken Dance, visit gooseberryband.com.

  • Tate McRae Sells Out Two Nights at Irving Plaza

    Tate McRae has the feel of a natural born star. The 18-year-old Canadian born singer/dancer mesmerized on stage last Thursday, March 31st, at Irving Plaza, being backed by Mimi Webb and Gayle. Before her rise as a singer, McRae gained popularity for her performance on Canada’s, So You Think You Can Dance, at just 13-years-old so it later came as no surprise to find out she was multi-talented. She brought her myriad of talents to Irving Plaza, opening her show with her song, “stupid,” serving as the front-woman with two backup dancers on stage.

    Photo by Ambika Verma
    Photo by Ambika Verma
    Photo by Ambika Verma

    Tate McRae not only has a strong stage presence, but a strong connection with fans, knowing when to switch gears to keep the concert flowing. She sat and slowed things down as she performed “One Day,” — the song that launched Tate’s singing career after putting out the song on Youtube a few years ago, going went viral almost overnight. At the show, McRae also announced her debut album, I used to think I could fly, set to release on May 27. The aesthetic was as vibrant as McRae’s voice itself, with strobing lights, dancing fans and flawless choreography. As her first headline tour, it’s apparent that McRae’s potential is limitless.

    Apart from her recent stretch of performances, McRae recently released a the single, “chaotic,” from her upcoming album. She will soon be heading to Europe later this month for two months before joining Shawn Mendes for his US tour in September.

    Photo by Ambika Verma
    Photo by Ambika Verma
    Photo by Ambika Verma
    Photo by Ambika Verma
    Photo by Ambika Verma
    Photo by Ambika Verma
    Photo by Ambika Verma
    Photo by Ambika Verma
    Photo by Ambika Verma

    Setlist: stupid, r u ok, happy face, all my friends are fake, Bad Ones, One Day, that way, You (Regard, Troye Sivan & Tate McRae cover), Breakeven (The Script cover), wish I loved you in 90’s, feel like shit, I’m so gone, Rubberband, she’s all i wanna be, you broke me first