“Ah, the cruel Spring, when life bursts forth and humans are reminded how dead they are inside! The horrific majesty of GWAR will blow through your town like painted ladies working the block for that rock.”
Lead doom-warbler, The Berserker Blothar
On the tour the band will be joined by opening acts Crowbar, The Native Howl and Nekrogoblikon.
The tour coincides with the release of GWAR’s upcoming album “The New Dark Ages,” scheduled for release on June 3.
In addition, to the tour and album GWAR will also release a graphic novel, “GWAR in the Duoverse of Absurdity”. It tells the story of an epic battle between GWAR and their doppelgangers from an alternate universe. The graphic novel is illustrated by established comic book artist Andy MacDonald, whose previous work includes Wolverine, Dr. Strange, and Wonder Woman.
Tour tickets for fan club members are available Thursday, March 3—a day in advance of general sale tickets. Those tickets will be available Friday, March 4.
Hallmark Channel has announced a new Christmas movie, “A Holiday Spectacular” featuring the Radio City Rockettes and filmed in different locations, including Dutchess County, Newburgh, and Albany.
The movie has a cast full of Broadway stars and Academy Award Nominees. The movie stars Ginna Claire Mason (Wicked), Tony Award-nominated Derek Klena (Jagged Little Pill), Academy Award-nominated entertainer Ann-Margret (Carnal Knowledge), and Eve Plumb (“The Brady Bunch”).
Ann-Margret, Eve Plumb, Derek Klena, Ginna Claire Mason.
Jessica Tuttle, Senior Vice President, Productions, Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp., spoke about partnering with Hallmark Channel.
We are thrilled to partner with Hallmark Channel to bring together our two iconic holiday brands, which both create holiday magic for millions of people every year. This heartwarming storyline gives audiences a peek into the passion and dedication that the Rockettes have for this beloved dance company and the incredible sisterhood that is at the core of this legendary line.
The film was shot on location at the Radio City Music Hall, where it features the famous Rockettes doing various performance numbers, with some speaking roles. It was also filmed in Dutchess County, Newburgh, and Albany.
The Rockettes, photo by MSG Entertainment.
“Holiday Spectacular” is set in 1958 when Philadelphia heiress Maggie puts her wedding to a man she doesn’t love on hold as she goes to NYC to make her dream come true of dancing live on stage in the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. She feels conflicted with going back home, or continuning to live out her dreams.
The all-new original movie will premiere during Hallmark Channel’s annual Countdown to Christmas programming event.
With two tours of duty at MSG already in the books for The Grateful Dead, today marks the anniversary of the completion of their third one. It’s a quick two-night stint at The World’s Most Famous Arena after their first two previous runs here in 1979. Fueled by an electric first show from the night before, the Dead follow this up with a show chock full of classic original song pairings and a newly unleashed cover selection that serves as a memorable encore.
The Dead come out of the chutes red hot on this second night at MSG. So much so that a speaker absolutely blows up shortly after the beginning of the “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleoo” that starts the show. Despite sending shockwaves through an already raucous crowd, it doesn’t seem to faze the band much and they go on to deliver a splendid take on this familiar opener that stretches out nicely thanks to some vintage Garcia guitar play before rounding back into form.
Once finished, Garcia wastes no time at all in leading the charge into “Franklin’s Tower” which features more early improvisation and another notable jam, this one decidedly more funkified, that completes an impressive show-opening pairing. This is succeeded by a rapid run through of “Me And My Uncle” with Bob Weir merely trying to keep up on vocals before another first set and rather floral Grateful Dead classic slows things back down to a crawl, “It Must Have Been The Roses.” Some additional audio issues mar the early parts of the “Little Red Rooster” that comes next, but that doesn’t stop the band from laying down a short pair of blues-infused jams that sees keyboardist Brent Mydland now turned up a little higher in the mix.
He continues to shine on a flawless take of “Don’t Ease Me In” before the Dead unleash another formidable 1-2 punch at MSG. The first part consists of a rapid fire version of “Lazy Lightning” that yields a frenetic exploratory jam that continues to probe and accelerate until, in near effortless fashion, it passes the baton to its traditional running mate, a euphoric “Supplication” that crosses the finish line triumphantly. A late first set “Brown-Eyed Women” is a treat, one that’s notably aided by another few mesmerizing runs from Garcia up and down the fret board. Weir then takes the helm once more for the ever-poignant “Looks Like Rain” that the Garden crowd helps urge along before “Deal” puts the finishing touches on a strong opening set of music.
The Dead show no signs of letting up as the second set begins with another potent combination from their live show catalog. It starts off with an ebullient “Scarlet Begonias” that quickly sheds its skin and develops a deep, exploratory groove that doesn’t fully emerge until Phil Lesh rings out the iconic opening bass line to “Fire On The Mountain.” It’s another masterclass of collective patience as the band takes their time between each verse, stretching the “Fire” out to maximum capacity which culminates in a flurry of notes from Garcia. Things finally slow down a tad with the “Lost Sailor” that follows only to be revved back up again by the customary “Saint Of Circumstance” that’s attached to the back end in another vintage coupling of Dead classics. This caps off a mesmerizing 40-plus minutes of music to begin set two.
The jam at the tail end of “Saint” gets decidedly percussive as it dwindles down, setting the stage for Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart for the traditional “Drums” sequence that gets a nice round of applause from the Garden crowd once completed. The “Space” portion of the evening is taken care of by a near-ambient and blissed out mini-jam with heavy noodling from Garcia that paves the way for “The Wheel” that follows. Aside from the intro, it’s a pretty nondescript “Wheel.” Instead of exploring further, the Dead shift gears once more and drop into the ever-harrowing “China Doll” instead.
To liven things back up one last time, the Dead utilize a late show “Truckin’” that MSG eagerly laps up, with a clearly audible response to the “New York’s got the ways and means” lyric. It begets a short, bluesy jam that resembles the play from “Rooster” at one point but, ultimately, doesn’t really go anywhere. Instead, “Sugar Magnolia” pops up to close out the set in a much more fitting manner, replete with its “Sunshine Daydream” ending sequence that elicits yet another roar of approval from the Garden crowd.
For a show that’s primarily made up of Grateful Dead original tunes and traditional pairings, the band finally delves into their bag of covers for the encore. This time, it’s a newer addition to the flock in The Rolling Stones’ (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, a cover song the band first debuted late last year, with Bob Weir playing the role of Mick Jagger this evening.
Not content to end here, the Dead then enter into “Brokedown Palace” to end the show, giving Garcia one last platform to unleash a spellbinding guitar solo and the band a final chance to harmonize. They would then ship up to the Boston Garden, continuing their early spring tour, before a return trip to New York and Utica’s Memorial Coliseum just days later.
The entire show is available on Live Music Archive as well as on YouTube below.
View This Show And More Grateful Dead Shows From Across The Years In New York State With Our Interactive Map Below
Grateful Dead Madison Square Garden – New York, NY 3/10/81
Set 1: Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleoo > Franklin’s Tower > Me And My Uncle, It Must Have Been The Roses > Little Red Rooster, Don’t Ease Me In, Lazy Lightnin’ > Supplication, Brown Eyed Women > Looks Like Rain > Deal
Set 2: Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain > Lost Sailor > Saint Of Circumstance > Drums > The Wheel > China Doll > Truckin’ > Sugar Magnolia
E: (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction > Brokedown Palace
GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter Becca Stevens and GRAMMY Award-winning Attacca Quartet announce their collaborate album, Becca Stevens | Attacca Quartet will drop April 22nd. The first song off the collaborative album, “45 Bucks” along with accompanying live performance video are out now.
The album’s track-list reflects Becca’s journey and growth as an artist. Ready for the challenge, Attacca joined Stevens decade’s worth of music that continues to prove her music capabilities. The tracklist consist of 14 songs with arrangements from Liam Robinson, Bill Stevens (Becca’s brother), Stephen Prutsman, Becca Stevens, William Stevens (Becca’s father), Michael Ippolito, and Nathan Schram.
The song started as an attempt to ‘take the high road’ by putting frustrations to music rather than escalating a no-win situation with a next-door neighbor, and evolved into an ode to several folks who have let me down throughout my life.
Becca Stevens
A Brooklyn-based artist, Stevens established a career back in 2013 with pianist, composer, and conductor Steven Prutsman who sparked the idea of initial string arrangement. The Attacca Quartet is filled with stylistic versatility that arranges perfectly with Becca who’s inspiration comes from pop, jazz, indie-rick, and Appalachian folk music.
Becca’s 2020 “Wonderbloom” album landed the artist her first GRAMMY-nomination and Attacca’s first GRAMMY Award-win in 2019 with their album “Orange.”
Brooklyn based alternative buzz band Acid Dad brought their “A” game to Troy on Frida, March 4th, mesmerizing fans at the collar city’s newest live music night spot, No Fun. Conveniently located along River Street, despite the club’s name good times were aplenty as the band dropped a heavy dose of their signature psychedelic shoegaze sound; a sonic assault of fuzz infused feedback, groove-heavy basslines, relevant and catchy lyrics complete with an atmospheric 60’s-style liquid drop lightshow that would have made even a young Syd Barret feel at home.
Acid Dad performs at No Fun in Troy, NY
Consisting of duel singer/guitarist duo Vaughn Hunt and Sean Fahey, drummer Trevor Mustoe, and on this night bassist Zoltán Sindhu, who was performing double duty after opening the show with NYC’s Programmique, Acid Dad have been riding a steady wave of growth since Vaughn first started recording the band’s debut EP in a Bushwick basement in 2016. During the pandemic, the guys made good use of their time by building a new recording space in Queens, while also continuing to independently produce all their own music, art and even build some of their own instruments. The end result was their latest LP, ‘Take It From The Dead,’ which “dropped” last summer on Brooklyn’s Greenway Records and psych powerhouse LEVITATION’s label, The Reverberation Appreciation Society.
Originally scheduled to play “No Fun” in early February, Acid Dad finally made their Troy debut this past Friday, March 4th. Playing to a diverse crowd ranging from college students, hipsters, plane jane’s, punks, drunks, die hards, posers, nerds, frat boys, Dead heads, lo-life’s, sell-outs, some cool dudes and a few people still somehow in between, the multi-generational appeal of Acid Dead was apparent from the start. In contrast to lyrics contained in their song “Searchin’” that claim the band is “still stuck in the 70’s” Acid Dad has clearly ingested a multitude of influences that span all eras of music. With a sound the brings to mind influential “do it yourself” indie bands of the late 90’s like The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols, Acid Dad have steadily built on those foundations and steadily developed their own unique, catchier spin on the timeless distorted guitar-based genre.
Sean Fahey & Zoltán Sindhu performing with Acid Dad
Just a block away from Troy’s Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Acid Dad opened their set Friday night with the single “BBQ.” Featuring an infectious bass-heavy groove matched by a searing twin guitar attack and an utterly hypnotic light show, fans dug it from the get-go. Following that were intoxicating renditions of “Brain Body,” “She Only Eats Organic,” and the aforementioned “Seachin’” By the time Acid Dad reached the opening chords of the thought provoking “Marine,” the band was firing on cylinders so hot, jackets in the once freezing room were no longer needed. Taking a moment to tune up, the slow burn closer of their self-titled debut album “Dissin’ was next, followed in contrast by the opening track of the same album, “Die Hard.”
From there came perhaps the most well received song on the evening, the lead single from their latest release, “RC Driver.” Keeping the energy high with the relentless driving rhythm of “Living with a Creature” here the young guitar slingers really cut loose, letting their hair fly while thrashing about the stage and indulging in their effects pedals. Another highlight on the night followed that in the form of “Djembe,” where the Brian Jonestown Massacre’s influence, circa “Give it Back!” era, could really be heard.
“We lie, We all lie Because mother Russia does not suffer We run, We all run I can’t run, I can’t run Because mother Russia does not suffer Mother Russia will not suffer”
But just wait mister, Mr. Major Well I question your precedence Mister, Mr. Major Well I question your precedence”
lyrics from Mr. Major
Taking a moment to address the audience before the start of the next song, Vaughn Hunt openly talked about the escalating situation in the Ukraine and that despite writing “Mr. Major” five years ago, it’s taken on a whole new relevance in recent weeks. While fans soon realized this might be a moment worth capturing on their phones, the band then launched into a particularly heartfelt version of it, giving it everything they had left in the tank and bringing the set to a close. Despite the diversity within the mixed collar city crowd, the they were unified in their overwhelming approval and in their pleas for one more song. Happy to oblige, the exciting young band came back out for a fitting encore of “Don’t Get Taken.” Afterwards the hardworking and down to earth guys could be seen mingling with fans, both new and old, while selling their wares at the merch table.
Acid Dad’s Vaughn Hunt wrote ‘Mr. Major’ five year ago.
Singing songs about everything from drug addiction and dead friends, explicit sex and failed relationships to corporate greed and communism, don’t be fooled by their bunk name. Acid Dad are for real. Young, passionate, authentic, and believable. With a catchy recipe of heavy garage riffs mixed with a little punk, some post-rock vibes, a dose of new wave and plenty of sprawling sonic distortion, the only thing testing higher than their potential pH levels is their potential to become one of New York’s most relevant bands. With a huge spring on the horizon that includes a national tour with Australia’s Psychedelic Porn Crumpets and a confirmed slot on the ridiculously stacked Shakey Knee’s Music Festival in Atlanta, it would seem the best is yet to come and that Acid Dad is still far from peaking.
Acid Dad | 3-4-2022 Troy, New York | No Fun
Setlist: BBQ, Brain Body, She only Eats Organic, Seachcin’, Marine, High, Dissin’, Die Hard, RC Driver, Living with a Creature, Djembre, Mr. Major
Encore: Don’t Get Taken
Sean Fahey & Zoltán Sindhu performing with Acid DadAcid Dad’s Vaughn Hunt wrote ‘Mr. Major’ five year ago. Acid Dad performs at No Fun in Troy, NYProgrammique opening for Acid Dad in Troy, NYProgrammique opening for Acid Dad in Troy, NYProgrammique opening for Acid Dad in Troy, NYProgrammique opening for Acid Dad in Troy, NYProgrammique opening for Acid Dad in Troy, NYProgrammique opening for Acid Dad in Troy, NYProgrammique opening for Acid Dad in Troy, NYProgrammique opening for Acid Dad in Troy, NYProgrammique opening for Acid Dad in Troy, NY
As Russia continues their advance on Ukraine, many organizations are choosing to cut ties with Russian government allies. The Met has joined this list by cutting ties with artists and institutions that support or are supported by Putin.
New York‘s iconic opera house has issued a statement regarding Putin’s invasion, standing in solidarity with Ukraine and supporting their resistance efforts. As an international opera company, the Met hopes to use their status to raise awareness and urge government officials to condemn Putin’s actions.
The Met’s general manager, Peter Gelb, didn’t specify which artists and institutions would be cut, but according to NPR, there are three figures that could be at risk. The Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, conductor Valery Gergiev and soprano Anna Netrebko have all been allied with Putin in the past.
It’s terrible that artistic relationships, at least temporarily, are the collateral damage of these actions by Putin.
Met General Manager, Peter Gelb
They will also be staging a March 14th concert to raise funds for Ukraine. The opera will be performing the Ukrainian national anthem, as well as “Prayer for Ukraine” by composer Valentin Silvestrov. Other organizations, including City Winery and New York’s College of Performing Arts, will be hosting their own charity events.
The 2022 SAMMY Awards ceremony took place on March 4, 2022 at the Crouse Hinds Theater in Syracuse, with a red carpet treatment for nominees.
SAMMY AWARDS 2022 RED CARPET
Notable highlights included a performance by Lifetime Achievement Award winner Tom Kenny, who played with his band The High Seas. John Rogalia & The Swamp Boys played “A Little Too Country”, with Letizia and the Z Band following. The REal RAW BReed, who opened for Lil Tjay at The Westcott Theater this past October, served as the final performer of the night.
The Jack O Bocchino Award was given to the late Brian Cornish, a writer for NYS Music and 315 Music before his passing in January 2021, and was accepted by his brother.
Community Spirit Award – Raymond (Ray Ray) Darby Jr.
Founders Award – The Blacklites
SAMMYs Hall of Fame inductees: J. Avery Head – Music Educator, Los Blancos, Russ Tarby, Jeff Stockham, Robert “Bobby T” Tousignant, Lifetime Achievement – Tom Kenny
Queens crooner Kyngjo is back with his latest summer anthem with the Utopian single “Six in the Morning.” Featuring fellow afrobeat/hip hop artist, LAFROMNEWYORK, the Ghanian duo paint a blissful reminder of the entrapments of a passionate romance.
“Six in the Morning” is a catchy record that sees both artists showcase the kind of artistry that creates stars. Kyngjo starts off with his charmed delivery of a jaded womanizer.
“When she hit me on my line I can’t help but to count all me pesos. When she tell me she want diamonds I buy double cause I can’t really say no.”
“I could show you what it’s really like. 3 a.m. on the hill that’s my vibe. But baby I can’t stand the way that these girls lie,”
he whispers as he sets the tone for the well-known tale of men, women and money. LAFROMNEWYORK brings the afro inspired vibe full circle, seamlessly interloping with Kyngjo.
This is a strong effort as Kyngjo builds anticipation for his upcoming debut EP. The Lefrak native is hitting his stride, as he seems to be even more sure of his own sound. His best records have seen his show his most potential. Songs like “Need Em” and “I’m Good Luv” are both stolid records.
“Six in the Morning” has nice replay value as the summer nears.
On Saturday, March 5th, Irish-American singer Aoife O’Donovan brought her glorious voice to The Egg. With special guest Yasmin Williams opening the show, it was all about incredible women in downtown Albany. They both blew me completely out of the water with their amazing voices and surprisingly unique talents.
Artist to Watch: Yasmin Williams
Having never heard of either of these artists, I didn’t have a clue what to expect. So when I walked in and saw Yasmin Williams with a guitar laying string-side up on her lap to say I was shocked would be an understatement. This lady plays guitar in a way I have never seen and didn’t even think possible. She played with both hands and even added other instruments throughout the set. She also used the guitar for percussion as well as a violin bow at one point. If she comes to a town near you, this one-woman show is not to be missed.
Aoife O’Donovan — The Voice of an Angel
Next up was Grammy Award-winning artist Aoife O’Donovan. This lady absolutely has the voice of an angel. She was playing with a four-piece band and although the crowd had to stay in their seats, it was obvious the entire audience was in a trance. The musical accompaniment was simple but it was a perfect backdrop for Aoife’s glorious pipes. She is on tour pretty much all the time and this is one show you shouldn’t miss again. Check out her tour dates here.
SAVAK have shared their newest track “Empathy” from their upcoming fifth album, Human Error / Human Delight, which releases on April 15, 2022. “Empathy” debuted via New Noise Magazine, who contemplated “SAVAK’s fascination with the balanced, and sometimes polarizing, nature of being alive.”
Human Error / Human Delight
The Brooklyn Post-Punk Quartet have also added to their upcoming run of U.S. 2022 tour dates, visiting places in Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC and more. In addition, performing with the band Jawbox, see below for the full list of currently announced dates. The band wrote and recorded Human Error / Human Delight completely over Zoom, having crafted an honest album on living in our present moment.
Photo credit: Taylor Sesselman
SAVAK consists of Sohrab Habibion and Michael Jaworski, with Matt Schulz on drums. Additionally, Habibion and Jaworrski both share singing and songwriting duties since the band’s creation in 2015. Though SAVAK’s members have done time in bands like Obits, Edsel, Holy Fuck and more, their current position is the best in which they have been.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
Fri. Mar. 4 – Providence, RI – Union Station Brewery – with Jets Can’t Land & DJ Ted Leo
Sat. Mar. 5 – Northampton, MA – Bishop’s Lounge – with Zwei Null Zwei
Wed. Mar. 16 – SXSW – The Side Bar – 1:55PM (Outdoor Stage)
Thu. Mar. 17 – SXSW – Breakaway Records – 3:15PM
Thu. Mar. 17 – SXSW – Austin Beer Garden Brewing Company – 6PM
Thu. Mar. 17 – SXSW – The Green Jay – 10PM
Fri. Mar. 18 – SXSW – The Side Bar – 2:30PM
Fri. Mar. 18 – SXSW – Soundspace at Captain Quack’s – 9:15PM
Thu. Apr. 7 – Brooklyn, NY – Littlefield – with Chris Brokaw & Upper Wilds
Fri. Apr. 8 – Kingston, NY – Tubby’s – with Chris Brokaw & Cathedral Ceilings
Sat. Apr. 9 (early show) – Lowell, MA – The Town and the City Festival – The Worthen House – with Colleen Green
Sat. Apr. 9 (late show) – Boston, MA – Midway Cafe – with Chris Brokaw & Lupa Citta
Fri. May 13 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Government Center – with Upper Wilds & Gotobeds
Sat. May 14 – Washington, DC – Quarry House Tavern – with Upper Wilds & Bed Maker
Wed. Jul. 20 – New York, NY – Le Poisson Rouge – with Jawbox
Fri. Oct. 21 – New York, NY – Le Poisson Rouge – with June of 44
