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.
On Saturday, November 27, 1943, Duke Ellington and his Orchestra performed in Buffalo at the Trico Products Factory, for a performance that was broadcast on the NBC Blue Network. The show was recorded for the Coca-Cola Spotlight Parade of Bands #372, part of the Victory Parade of Spotlight Bands. The recording was preserved through Special Services and the Internet Archive.
The Trico Factory made windshield wipers and was located at 817 Washington Street, before closing in 2002 after 85 years of operating on the edge of Downtown Buffalo. Where in the building – one that used electroplating, smelting, die-casting, rubber extrusion and metal fabrication – this show took place is as mystery, but all indications point to Trico Products Factory as the venue for this performance.
Most recently, construction on the Trico Building began in September 2022 to convert the factory into loft apartments, a modern repurposing of a building that had been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2001.
With the Second World War having been on the front pages of newspapers and forefront of American minds for nearly two years, various military bases and defense plants across the country hosted shows like this one. As a method of paying for the venue space, the promoter and/or artist would simply provide the recordings to Special Services who would repackage them as “Victory Parade” for the Air Force Recruiting Service.
Musicians including Benny Goodman, Charlie Barnet, Les Brown, Guy Lombardo, Ted Fio Rito, Jack Teagarden, Louis Armstrong, Lawrence Welk, as well as the Duke Ellington performance in Buffalo, and many others, would be featured on the program, with broadcasts beginning with a bugle call. A roll call would then start with the band leader, the band members and then the workers at the facility the show was visiting, all giving a military accent to the performance. Old Time Radio Catalog notes that Victory Parade recordings are some of the best of the Swing Era.
Coca-Cola Spotlight Bands was a notable, if not important and influential music radio series that debuted just days before the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The series initially had various popular bands, instead of just one specific band, and was aired on Mutual Broadcasting System stations six nights a week. From Monday through Friday, a 15-minute program would be broadcast nationally at 10:15-10:30 p.m ET. On Saturday evenings, a 30-minute program would be broadcast at 10:15-10:45 p.m. ET, which would feature the artists with the largest national record sales for the previous week. The identity of the band was kept secret from the national audience until the program went on the air, in order to attract a larger audience.
In August, 1942, Coca-Cola entered into agreement with the Blue Network (formerly the NBC Blue Network) launching the revised “Spotlight Bands” series. The Blue Network was the former NBC Blue Network. In 1945, Blue would become the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) after being purchased by Edward J. Noble. Music historian Wayne Knight notes “Not only did Coca Cola send the bands to these locations at their expense, but, each time, the bands were booked and paid to play a three hour engagement.”
NBC Blue Network logo
With Blue having a wider audience than Mutual Broadcasting System, Coca-Cola and the Blue Network entered into a new 26-week agreement and the name of the program was changed to “The Victory Parade of Spotlight Bands.” The weeknight programs were extended from 15 minutes to 25 minutes, airing at 9:30-9:55 p.m ET, with the last five minutes of the half-hour devoted to news.
Listeners directly influenced the bands which would appear, with two polls – one by civilians and one by service personnel and workers at defense plants – replacing record sales as the criteria. The second series launched on September 21, 1942, with Harry James performing at the Marine Barracks, Parris Island, South Carolina. Click here to read more about Victory Parade Of Spotlight Bands.
An advertising segment of this Duke Ellington performance in Buffalo begins halfway through the recording, with the announcer saying, “From an American soldier somewhere a few thousand miles away, comes a letter with these words.” A second voice says “I’ll tell you another thing I would sure go for right now and that’s a Coca-Cola. My mouth is absolutely watering for one.” While it is doubtful a GI would write an ode to Coca-Cola in a letter home, brands of all sizes showed their support for the war effort, building war propaganda into advertising. The announcer ends the ad spot, saying “For many Americans overseas, that Coke is not so far away, because Coca-Cola is bottled in 35 allied and neutral countries ’round the globe, and there, our soldiers, by the thousands, enjoy the goodness of its cheery refreshment, just as you do at home.”
Giving the listening audience a sense of normalcy among soldiers stationed abroad is punctuated by connecting the listener at home to the soldiers, uniting the war effort to the sugary goodness of this all-American beverage. A commercial from 1944 or 1945 can be seen below, hammering home the Americanness of Coca-Cola, something that German soldier were not unfamiliar with and unable to enjoy. Watch until the end for a surprise bottle opener.
Meanwhile on that day in World War 2, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Prime Minister of England, Winston Churchill, and President Chiang Kai-shek of the Republic of China were meeting at the Cairo Conference in agreeing to the Cairo Declaration, which said that “all the territories Japan has stolen from the Chinese, such as Manchuria, Formosa, and The Pescadores, shall be restored to the Republic of China” and that U.S., the U.K. and China “covet no gain for themselves and have no thought of territorial expansion”, setting instead the goal that “Japan will also be expelled from all other territories which she has taken by violence and greed” and “that in due course Korea shall become free and independent.”
Meanwhile, the Battle of Wareo began between Australian and Japanese troops in New Guinea, and the Army–Navy Game was played at West Point, with No. 6 Navy defeating No. 7 Army by a score of 13–0. Only 15,000 spectators were on hand due to wartime travel restriction that only allowed residents from within 10 miles of the game site to attend. Thus, the surrounding towns near West Point – Fishkill, Cortlandt Manor, Mahopac, Newburgh, Woodbury and Beacon – would make up the entire crowd that afternoon.
As for the music in Buffalo this evening, Ellington was already well established by this point, having been a staple of the Harlem Renaissance. Ellington had held long engagements at the Hollywood Club (later known as the Kentucky Club) and the Cotton Club, signed with agent/publisher Irving Mills who brought Duke and his recordings to multiple record labels. In 1927, Ellington began a weekly radio broadcast, which increased his name recognition, especially to the white and wealthy clients of the Cotton Club. And Ellington was no stranger to the Queen City, having performed at The Colored Musicians Club in the 1930s.
The variety of music performed in those broadcast – of which only 22 minutes was aired and preserved for audiences today – gives a taste of Ellington’s broad appeal and range. Shrill horns, dance numbers, both male and female vocalists joining in the fun, plus jitterbugs and light comedy that was appropriate for the times. Great thanks to Jazz LIVES for bringing this performance to light.
Joining Ellington this evening were Rex Stewart (cornet), Wallace Jones and Harold “Shorty” Baker (trumpet), Ray Nance (trumpet, violin, vocals), Joe Nanton and Lawrence Brown (trombone), Juan Tizol (valve-trombone), Jimmy Hamilton (clarinet, tenor saxophone), Johnny Hodges (alto saxophone), Otto Hardwick (alto saxophone, clarinet), Skippy Williams (tenor saxophone, clarinet), Harry Carney (baritone saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet), Fred Guy (guitar), Junior Raglin (string bass), Sonny Greer (drums) Betty Roche and Al Hibbler (vocals) and of course, Duke Ellington on piano.
Listen below to the preserved recording of Duke Ellington and his Orchestra, performed to a wartime audience at an atypical venue for musical performance.
Duke Ellington – Trico Products Factory, Buffalo – November 27, 1943
Set: Blue Skies, Do Nothing Till you Hear From Me, A Slip Of The Lip, Sentimental Baby, I Wonder Why, Rockin’ In Rhythm
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
Born and raised in Rochester, Alyssa has taken the country music scene by storm. Returning home from Nashville, she treated hometown fans to quite the mix of original tunes and covers at Iron Smoke Distillery in nearby Fairport.
Alyssa Trahan @Iron Smoke
Prior to making the move to the country music capital, Alyssa was writing and performing her own work locally, all while learning to play a dozen instruments along way. Quite the Jill of all trades, as she has been often called.
In 2020, during the COVID shutdown, Alyssa never slowed, as she wrote, produced, and played nearly all the instruments on a new album. Released in early 2021, it debuted in the top 10 on iTunes Country Music Album Charts with over 300k downloads. Pretty remarkable for an independently produced album! In addition to writing and producing, Alyssa has managed to be able to share a stage with young and old talents alike, including Lee Greenwood, Maddie & Tae, Sara Evans, and Molly Hatchet. Again, for a budding country artist, this is remarkable.
If you like Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, and Lee Ann Womack, or any combination of these artists, you need to check out Alyssa Trahan as she is quite the blend of them and then some. Trahan’s new album Baby Blues & Stilettos is out now
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
The Weight Band and special guests Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams started off the pre-Thanksgiving festivities at the Bardavon Theater in Poughkeepsie on Saturday, November 19th. With many performing having roots in Woodstock, The Band, and Levon Helm’s Midnight Ramble the night was more than just another show.
Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams proved to be the perfect opening act. The duo employed their roots rock style to originals and covers. A few songs in, Larry and Teresa invited Brian Mitchell of The Weight Band to grab his accordion and join them on stage. Jim Weider (also of The Weight Band) would follow a few songs later. This was an indication of how the night would progress. Close friends joining in at various points celebrating their love of music.
The Weight Band
The Weight Band’s (Jim Weider (guitar, mandolin & vocals), Michael Bram (drums & vocals), Brian Mitchell (keyboards & vocals), Matt Zeiner (keyboard & vocals), Albert Rogers (bass & vocals)) set included numerous Band classics. Crowd favorites “Up on Cripple Creek”, “Life is a Carnival,” bellowed through the house. The band threw in a few covers including The Allman Brothers “Come and Go Blues,” and The Grateful Dead’s “New Speedway Boogie” to round out the setlist.
Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams
Between songs memories of Allen Toussaint, Levon Helm and Bob (yeah, that one) were shared. The intimacy of the evening gave you the feeling that you were sitting around with old friends reminiscing. Song selection directed the activity on stage. Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams joining in at various times. Players switching from electric to acoustic guitar, keyboard to accordion, and fiddle to mandolin and back as the night progressed. It was loose, it was fun.
The Weight Band with Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams
With the clock inching toward midnight, the evening came to an end. Everyone joined in on iconic song “The Weight,” sending off it off into the ethos of the Hudson Valley. From the smiles and glow affixed to those on stage, this proved to be more than just a show. This was a musical homecoming.
And take a load off Fanny Take a load for free Take a load off Fanny And (and, and) you put the load right on me (You put the load right on me)
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).
On Friday November 18, Day 1 of The Wonderfront Music and Arts Festival kicked off for an unbeatable weekend. Located in San Diego’s marina, the forefront of downtown welcomed the return of the multi-genre festival WonderFront, which hit the ground running with Joey Purp as his very first show in Southern California. Purp uplifted the crowd with gratitude for their support and pursuit in his music career. Joey gained attention in 2012 after his first mixtape release “The Purple Tape,” and jumpstarted the feel for the festival and anticipation for the rest of day one.
Darling Greatly a group composed of The Croome Brothers, drummer Brayden Tario and electric Guitarist David Mills. introducing classical rock into modern alternative. The band truly rocks on and their style says it all. David Mills performs with a cig in his mouth and all time classic aviators, as the Croome Brothers rock with a trippy button up and ruby red electric guitar. Paying their respect to the loyalty of the fans, Darling Greatly opened with top hit “Shine” as part of their first album released in 2016.
As the day progressed, Saint Motel, Lainey Wilson, Quinn XCII and Young The Giant enticed the crowd and fan appeal. Saint Motel lead with top hits “My Type” and “Cold Cold Man” as lead singer AJ Jackson ran onto stage wearing a bright red tail coat, knee high boots and a black homburg hat. AJ fascinates the fans with his style and Indie pop music genre.
Lainey Wilson, performing since a young age, brought her country groove to the festival. Singing her top hit “Things A Man Oughta Know”, Wilson engaged with fans and danced among band members. An enticing an interactive show, Lainey continues her funk and groove as a female country artist.
Rising Artist Quinn XCII gave a stunning show at the Coors Light Stage. Fans filming, singing, dancing and pulled up their flashes to light up the main stage. Beginning his career back in 2011, Quinn XCII is best known for top hits “Stacy,” “Flare Guns” and “Straightjacket.” Quinn stands for ‘Quit Unless Your Iinstincts are Never Neglected’ and XCII represents the Roman numeral of Mikael Temrowski birth year 1992.
Another top show from day one had to be Young The Giant and they gave a set to remember. The euphoric lighting, mic stands strung with flowers and erratic dancing were part of lead singer Sameer Gadhia and his unpredictability as he moved across the stage and screamed with fans who floored for intro song “Wake Up.” The strobe lights, euphoric blues and purples made for an outstanding set that concluded with a well remembered hit performance of “Mind Over Matter” released in 2014.
To represent the East Coast, New Jersey-based singer and songwriter Bea Miller led an impressive set at the Tustreams Community Stage located at Ruocco Park. Grasping her career at only the age of 13. Miller is best known for hit album Aurora released in 2018 and her fans were ecstatic to hear “Song Like You,” “Burning Bridges” and “Crash&Burn” live. Bea’s facial expressions and assurance to the loyalty of her fans says it all.
To conclude Day 1 of WonderFront Music and Arts Festival, headliners The Zac Brown Band and EARTHGANG closed the day out with a well-remembered performance at the main stage. The Zac Brown band is most known as an American Country Band based in Atlanta with a classic “Chicken Fried” that captivated the crowd as they sang along ‘Cold Beer on a Friday Night,’ on a Friday night.
Headliner EARTHGANG featured hip-hop duo Johnny Venus and Doctur Dot raised the bar as the duo synced up, fist pumping the air, jumping towards the crowd and engaging their fans. The fans showed their loyalty for EARTHGANG as the duo’s songs have a fascinating range of musical influence. Attempting the notion of the conscious and subconscious of their lyrics and musical output, their closing of Day 1 of The WonderFront Music and Arts Festival of 2022 set the tone for what’s to come on both Saturday and Sunday.
