Joan Osborne has been known for her powerful vocals and genre-crossing dimensionality since she first broke into the industry in the ‘90s. Already acclaimed with seven Grammy nominations, Joan Osborne is to receive the 2022 John Lennon Real Love Award at Symphony Space, NYC on Saturday, October 8 as part of the annual John Lennon Tribute concert.
This will make Osborne the eighth recipient of the John Lennon Real Love Award, whose previous honorees include Patti Smith, Natalie Merchant and Ani DiFranco. The award is presented by Theatre Within, the non-profit that has been hosting the John Lennon Tribute since 1981. Osborne has performed in the Tribute ten times since 2009, more than any other artist in the Tribute’s history.
The John Lennon Tribute is the only ongoing concert series dedicated to John Lennon sanctioned by Yoko Ono. “For many years Joan Osborne’s beautiful voice has touched our hearts and brought us joy. I am in great admiration of Joan’s support of charities that provide health care for women, assistance for children affected by war, and so many others,” Ono said on Osborne’s nomination for the award.
Joining the legendary vocalist at Symphony Space will be Martin Sexton, Catherine Russel, Willie Nile, Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams, David Broza and Rich Pagano, with more artists to be announced. The program promises some Beatles tribute songs from Rubber Soul and Revolver.
Part of the proceeds from the John Lennon Tribute will be used to support Theatre Within’s John Lennon Real Love project, a free songwriting program the organization brings to public elementary schools.
Tickets are available at LennonTribute.org. John Lennon and Beatles fans are invited to join “Friends of the Annual John Lennon Tribute” at LennonTribute.org/join-friends, where a limited number of VIP packages are available.
Madison Square Garden, “the world’s most famous arena,” is in talks of being moved by NYC Mayor Eric Adams amidst the ongoing Penn Station Redevelopment talks.
Mayor Eric Adams, photo by Getty Images for Concordia Summit
Adams has been working on the Penn Station project for a while, and the MTA has recently approved a $57 million contract for the renovation’s architectural and engineering designs. The plan would bring “light” to the nation’s largest transit hub. MTA CEO Janna Lieber said the money would be used for vertical circulation. “That’s stairs, escalators, and elevators to get people on and off the platforms,” he said.
Madison Square Garden has been talked about being moved for a while now. Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg wanted to move the stadium closer to Manhattan’s westside but was shut down by opposition from James Dolan, CEO of the arena with a strong political force backing him, and the former, late state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.
James Dolan, photo by Getty Images/Ethan Miller
Mayor Eric Adams spoke on Sept. 21 about considering talks of moving the arena again. He says Pennsylvania Plaza, the space surrounding Madison Square Garden, would be a perfect place with new housing stock. “I think that we can find the right balance between office and housing,” he said. “We have to build more housing. There’s a real need for housing in the city and particularly in areas that have access to transportation, good health care, good schools.”
The plan is backed by Gov. Kathy Hochul but has been criticized as a cash grab that will serve to benefit real estate developers and drain city finances. Dolan was involved in secret talks to possibly relocate the arena to Hudson Yards, but reportedly Hochul got involved and killed the plan, according to Crain’s.
The moving of the arena hasn’t been confirmed or denied but it seems to be in talks right now between city officials and James Dolan, CEO of MSG.
Presented by Hallmark, rock group Trans-Siberian Orchestra has come to announce dates part of their highly awaited winter tour for 2022, The Ghosts of Christmas Eve – the Best of TSO & More. They are reviving a memorable holiday tradition, “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve”, to bring to 60 cities in the U.S., starting Nov. 16 in Green Bay and Council Bluffs and finalizing with a show performed on Friday, Dec. 30.
Fan favorites will be featured as part of the rock opera show series, such as “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24”, “O’ Come All Ye Faithful”, “Christmas Canon” and more, along with an exciting second set involving more fan-favorites and classic pieces. The multi-generational holiday tradition will be celebrating their 25th anniversary this coming winter season.
Upcoming tour dates are below:
Nov 16 – Green Bay, WI – Resch Center – 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Nov 16 – Council Bluffs, IA – Mid-America Center – 7:00 PM
Nov 17 – Wichita, KS – INTRUST Bank Arena – 7:00 PM
Nov 18 – Fort Wayne, IN – Allen County War Memorial Coliseum – 7:00 PM
Nov 19 – Cincinnati, OH – Heritage Bank Center – 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Nov 19 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena – 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM
Nov 20 – Youngstown, OH – Covelli Centre – 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM
Nov 20 – Colorado Springs, CO – World Arena – 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM
Nov 22 – Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Arena – 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Nov 23 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena – 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM
On Friday, September 23rd, 2022, Josiah Johnson gave a heart-felt performance at the Takk House in Troy.
Josiah Johnson was originally part of the indie-folk band, The Head and The Heart band from 2009-2016. He left after his realization that his struggles with drug addiction needed to be put in check. After entering rehab and working on himself, Johnson came back to begin his solo career in 2020 with his album Every Feeling on a Loop. Today, he continues making indie-folk music with his most recently released song “You Had One Job.”
This was not a typical show were guests showed up, saw their favorite artist perform, and then went home. Before the music, there was an all vegan, four course dinner catered by Meadow Lark. The artists and the guests shared a dinner between four tables in front of the stage. The dinner lasted two hours before the opening act.
The Sea The Sea is an indie-folk pop duo out of Troy with Chuck E. Costa and Mira Costa have released three full-length albums. Their most recent album being Stumbling Home released in 2020. They are currently on tour with their next show being in New York City on September 27th.
The Sea The Sea opened up the night to an audience of about 50 people. The local artists played an hour long set with a mix of released and unreleased songs. After a fan yelled asking were they could find ” I Recorded The Sound Of Rain For You,” Mira replied that most of their music could be found on Patreon. They were anecdotes before almost every song and lots of jokes about making their songs “25 years ago in 2020.” The anecdotes combined with their Indie-Folk style of music made it feel as though a story was being told. The duo ended the set be going to the middle of the room and singing their last two fans with members of the audience.
The stories continued when Josiah Johnson came to the stage. He also gave the audience a brief history of how the preceding song came to be. He mentioned his struggles with rehab and relationships that gave his performance a different meaning. The audience was already mostly comprised of friends of the artists, but once it over, it felt as if everyone had known Josiah for 10 years. His intimate feeling set lasted for about an hour and also ended with him and violinist M’Gilvry Allen playing in the middle of the room. In this instance, The Sea The Sea joined them to close out the night.
Josiah Johnson continues his tour with a show at The Sultan Room in Brooklyn on September 27.
The Sea The Sea setlist: Restless Heart, Rainstorm, I’ll Be Loving You, I Recorded The Sound Of Rain For You, A Thousand Years, Everybody, Let Our Kites Fly, The Story That They Gave To Us, Not The Same As Goodbye, Stumbling Home, LWAWL, This Is The Way
Josiah Johnson setlist: False Alarms, Warm, Nobody Knows, Honey Come Home, Woman, Futile Devices, Josh, Hello Hello, I Wish I Had
Chuck E. Costa (left) and Mira Costa (right) of The Sea The SeaChuck E. Costa performing at Takk HouseThe Sea The Sea performing at Takk HouseMira Costa performing at Takk HouseThe Sea The Sea performing at Takk HouseThe Sea The Sea performing at Takk HouseThe Sea The Sea performing in the middle of the audience at Takk HouseJosiah Johnson performing at Takk HouseM’Gilvry Allen performing at Takk HouseJosiah Johnson performing at Takk HouseM’Gilvry Allen (left) and Josiah Johnson (right) performing at Takk HouseJosiah Johnson performing at Takk HouseJosiah Johnson and M’Gilvry Allen performing at Takk House The Sea The Sea and Josiah Johnson closing out their performance at Takk HouseM”Gilvry Allen hugging Mira Costa
Prolific composer Franz Schubert composed his final three sonatas just three weeks before he died at 31 years old in 1828. On October 3, University at Albany’s music department will host Kwok-Wai Lio to perform those three sonatas as a set.
Kuok-Wai Lio graduated from the Curtis School of Music and has gone on to perform across the world as a pianist and chamber musician. Kuok-Wai has been invited as far as Europe to attend Sir András Schiff’s Masterclass and as close as Caramoor for Leon Fleisher’s mentorship program. He’s performed for former President of the People’s Republic of China, Hu Jintao, and at Carnegie Hall. Now, Kuok-Wai will return to New York as University at Albany’s Guest Pianist.
Kuok-Wai Lio
The three sonatas — Sonata in A major, D. 959; Sonata in B major, D. 960 and Sonata in C minor, D. 958 — represent a finality to Franz Schubert’s illustrious yet short career. Schubert wrote over 600 art songs, several symphonies, chamber and incidental music and an opera over his life. In these final three sonatas, Schubert swirled together formal compositional structures with structural inventions from his contemporaries and himself.
The show will be at 7:30 at the UAlbany Performing Arts Center, on the Uptown University at Albany campus — 1400 Washington Avenue. Advance tickets are $5 for the general public and $3 for students, seniors and UAlbany faculty and staff. Day of show tickets are $10 for the general public and $8 for students, seniors and UAlbany faculty and staff. All tickets must be purchased on-line from the UAlbany Performing Arts Center’s site.
On Syracuse pop rock duo Elephant Back’s self-titled debut album, the group dabbles across genres in an impressive scale across a short period of time.
The record, released on August 5, asserts its ever fluctuant musical identity from the start, with the quiet desert rock grooves and varied percussion of opener “Hier Kom Die Olifant” being directly followed by the loud drums and noisy guitars of the melodic “Kiss The Sky.” The album isn’t shy about its array of inspiration, with Jimi Hendrix’s famed “excuse me while I kiss the sky” line being interpolated at the center of the song.
Cover art for Elephant Back’s debut album.
“Shifting Gears” almost seems like a tribute to Sonic Youth, with abrasive guitar riffs complementing lustful, spoken word vocals that ring similar to Kim Gordon. “Come over here so I can annihilate you, violate you,” the song finishes with, adhering to the intimate aggression which characterized the indie rock legends. This is by far the most lyrically violent moment on the project however, with subject matter being quite optimistic and straightforward for the most part.
The menacing guitar and frenetic drum playing of “Take My Stance” is underscored by optimistic lines such as “the truth will find what’s inside, one love to find” on its hook. The cheery, glittery piano rock of “Believe” complements claps of woodblock and cowbell with pristine imagery with its closing lyrics: “open your eyes, sunshine blue skies, no reason to hide, relax and unwind.”
While Elephant Back displays strong musicianship across the record, the album’s percussion is a high mark in this department. The anxious blues rock of “Can’t Stop” is highlighted by its entertaining drum fills and hissing maracas. The infectious chorus of late album reggae track “Get It On Right” is enhanced by some impressively technical and subtly quick work on the drum set.
With how diverse this album is, moments of intrigue are found all around. The delicate acoustic folk of “Amaranthine” doesn’t wait around for the subsequent contrast of the boisterous following track “Go To War” with its Led Zeppelin-adjacent vocals and arpeggiating guitar solo. The slow “I, Wonder” rings of Creedence Clearwater Revival in a romantic moment, with lines such as “you’re more than just a conversation, and I can see it in everything you do.”
The record’s mixing has some rougher areas, with the vocals on certain tracks sounding either quiet or somewhat overpowered. It also ends on a bit of an odd note with “Holiday,” a strange 40-second hodge-podge of banjo and synth.
In total though, the positives reign supreme. Elephant Back’s debut album is an incredibly wide-ranging project that showcases tight musicianship and plenty of experimentation.
Upcoming Elephant Back Shows:
October 1st – Green Jello Studios Los Angeles, CA
October 6th – Funk N Waffles Syracuse, NY
October 29th – The Downstairs Ithaca, NY
December 11th – The Bowery Electric, NYC
More info regarding the band can be found on the Elephant Back website.
On a late summer night, with the summer concert season winding down, Shinedown brought their Planet Zero World Tour to Darien Lake Amphitheater on Tuesday, September 20.
Shinedown, hailing from Jacksonville, Florida, have become regulars on the New York State concert scene over the last decade. Tuesday night marked the band’s third performance in Upstate New York over the past week.
John Harvie opened the concert with a high energy, fast paced performance. Harvie bounced from all corners of the stage as he worked his way through several of his alternative rock tracks.
Up next was Jelly Roll. He performed a mixture of hip hop and rock music blended with his strong, soulful voice. The crowd was fully engaged at this point, belting along lyrics to many of the songs, including the powerful set closer “Save Me.”
Finally it was time for the main event. After a brief video highlighting the band’s return to touring in a post-pandemic world, Shinedown took to the stage in a shower of fireworks and pyrotechnics. Opening with “The Saints Of Violence and Innuendo,” the band followed with a mixture of songs old and new. There are few frontmen as charismatic as lead singer Brent Smith, as the crowd hung on his every move.
As the show wound to a close, the band brought opener Jelly Roll back to the stage to join in a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man.” While the cover has become a staple in Shinedown’s set, the song took new life mixed with Jelly Roll’s powerful vocals. The crowd quickly engaged in a full-fledged sing along. Shortly after, the band closed the evening with “The Sound of Madness.”
Interviewing a band is like opening a wrapped present, you never know what you’re gonna get until you unwrap the gift. Having interviewed dozens of musicians over the past year, I am cautious about questions that can kill a conversation. I’m conscious about the third rail question,, “…so what do you do for a living?” The fear of going off the rails put aside, I became intrigued with each member of the band, Out East. This group of artists from East Hampton keep on giving through each creative moment, whether in the studio, on stage or through their work. Let’s open the box. Catch the full conversation on The Long Island Sound podcast.
The Trio Expands to a Foursome
Established three years ago in the Hamptons, Out East has grown to a foursome with the addition of a fantastic vocalist, and singer/songwriter, Starlight Tyler. Ms.Tyler’s sound is described as “a soulful singer blending the classic sounds of jazz with the earthiness of the blues”. The band’s music is as diverse as their day jobs as we get acquainted with the stories behind the artists.
Their original music spans the gamut, from Fusion to Reggae, with a foundation of Blues and the influence of Latin rhythms. The song “Flower Power” sparks the colors of psychedelia, which would be a welcomed theme song for any CBD/Cannabis shop poised to open in New York.
“So What Do You Do For A Living?”
John Jinks, the main songwriter and guitarist in the group, cut his teeth as a Commercial Illustrator in New York City. This transplant from the Midwest had artist reps in the USA and Japan, and has worked on national campaigns. Clients such as Perrier, Warner Brothers, Estee Lauder, USPS among others have added John’s art to their brands. Upon transplanting from the city to East Hampton, John got into computers taking his artistic eye creating documentaries and motion graphic work.
Besides his music work as the drummer in the band, Gerry Giliberti established himself as a print-based photographic artist, creating abstract and surrealistic images to bring us into his world. Gerry’s ability to see simple images in complex textures has established him as a notable artist on the East End.
Carlos Barrios plays Bass in the band and is a notable Master Luthier (Master Instrument builder). Born in Guatemala, Carlos emigrated to the United States, spent his early years in LA and they traveled to Long Island. His father’s influence as a carpenter set him on a firm foundation to become a luthier. He makes basses and guitars and repairs all sorts of instruments. His clientele includeG.E. Smith, and Nancy Atlas, among others.
Carlos on Bass
A New Documentary on Carlos’s Craftsmanship
A documentary featuring Carlos’ Master Skill in Guitar Building will premiere this fall at The Church,(Eric Fischil’s Art Gallery) in Sag Harbor.
Many musicians branch out to the visual arts; all are craftsmen in “wood-shedding” their instruments, and on this occasion, we meet a master builder, an artist-illustrator and an abstract conceptualist photographer. I will always be intrigued about professional musicians and their stories, I become envious of their skill, dedication and performance. Maybe it’s my own lack of skill or the excuse of “maybe someday, I’ll get to it” that insulates me from becoming a better musician or artist.
For the most part, Out East, plays the music scene out East. You can check them out when they play Best Pizza Dive Bar in Amagansett on Sept. 30 and Stephen Talkhouse on Oct. 28.
The awe of the craft, comforts music lovers everywhere as we experience the electricity of joy pulsating from a live performance. We traverse the roads of discovery among local neighborhoods, and music scenes abroad, forever searching. I’ll bet most of us will testify that music brings us joy, especially live music. If we are to heal the world through music, we’ll need to support our musicians and be generous with the joy we’ve received.
If you long for great music and art, my suggestion: head Out East!
Reggae Under The Bridge, part of the Coney Island Reggae Soundsystem Series, will take place on Sunday, September 25 from 12-7 p.m. at K Bridge Park (under the Kosciuszko Bridge) at 470 Scott Avenue in Brooklyn.
This year’s edition features the return of Downbeat The Ruler, selector Tony Screw, one of the most beloved and celebrated selectors in global soundclash culture. Downbeat earned his name as the legacy selector for Coxson Dodd’s iconic Sir Coxson’s Downbeat Soundsystem in the 1970s. As a result of this relationship, Downbeat boasts the largest collection of Studio One exclusives of any selector worldwide.
Other featured selectors at the event will be Lee Major from Earth Ruler, Digital English, and other guests from the Brooklyn and greater NYC community.
Founded in 2010 by DJ Carter Van Pelt, Coney Island Reggae On The Boardwalk has earned an international grassroots following as a showcase for reggae vinyl and soundsystem culture. The series is an anticipated part of summer culture in New York City, with Reggae Under The Bridge as one of the spinoff events in the series, which also inaugurated the opening of K Bridge Park in June 2021.
The series has featured more than 80 selectors from New York and beyond, including King Jammy, Jack Scorpio, Downbeat The Ruler, Tipper Tone, Jah Life, LP International, Sir Tommy’s, Earth Ruler, Digital English, and Federation Sound. Emcees and singers have included Luciano, Willi Williams, Al Campbell, Ranking Joe, Sister Carol, Mikey Jarrett, Screechy Dan, and Johnny Osbourne, among others. Brooklyn’s Chanter, The Timeless Sound has provided the soundsystem for the event since 2012. The events, which are free to the public, are supported by donations from individuals and in part by the Greater New York Arts Development Fund of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, administered by the Brooklyn Arts Council.
Check out Downbeat with Carter Van Pelt in a Dennis Brown tribute at Coney Island in 2019.
After a hiatus in-between singles, Brooklyn bred rapper Jellz is back with his latest effort, “Infinity.” In his return from his musical sabbatical, he introduces a new version of himself. His prior releases like “Bullsh*t” and “Ghost” saw Jellz try his hand at his own wave of drill music. Bringing an extravagant feel to the violent-laden sub-genre. With a renewed focus and plan, Jellz returns to show fans that he has more in his bag.
Shot while on vacation in Los Santos, Colombia, the music video for “Ghost (Freestyle)” saw Jellz bring much more flair than the drill scene is accustomed to.
I still have drill music in the bag, but I’m more than just a drill artist. I have a lot of different flows, and feel like I’m just an artist honestly. So I wanted to give the fans a little something different this time around. In the future you’ll be hearing a lot of drill type beats mixed with my own melodies.
His New Single
The auto-tune laced “Infinity” brings the feel-good ambience of life’s never ending chase for success. In an enticing opening chorus, Jellz raps, “I done made some friends made some enemies, I can’t f**k with ni***s that move finicky, I just wanna ball with my day ones, know we got the sauce keep it A1.”
Jellz spends much of his time away from the States
The song’s theme of never-ending success keep in theme with what he wants to bring to the rap game. Since his initial release, he has amassed over 400 thousand streams and another 400 thousand in YouTube views, while remaining self-funded. Contrary to other rappers, rap isn’t the means to success, it’s one of the many avenues in running it up til infinity.
It’s been a while since I wrote it, but I think it’s just a culmination of life and what I want from it. One of my biggest values are friends and family, and I plan on living a great life with them in the future, and we all plan on achieving the goals we set for ourselves. In the song I talk about what the song has already brought and taught me. I’m also manifesting a lot of my future self in it.
In like manner, Jellz has operated his short rap-career as an extension of the life he has created for himself. The music video for “Ghost” was shot while on vacation in Los Santos, Colombia. In it, Jellz presents himself with a Jefe-like persona, surrounded by local women in bathing suits and ski masks. In the “Bachata” visuals, he channels his inner Escobar while in the South American republic, segueing between a game of soccer and a night out with a dame.
What’s the next Step?
Although brimming with career know-how beyond his years, Jellz’ obstacle remains his consistency. Despite success on visuals and streams from his singles, months usually go by in-between Jellz releases. Something he knows can be the difference in career trajectory.
I want to be more consistent this time around, with the releases and with the content. So, I was just taking time off to build my arsenal so I can be more consistent this time around. Because I know consistency is the final piece to the puzzle to get me where I want to be.
Expect a few more singles from Jellz until a project is released
Although family oriented, Jellz spends much of his time away from the states, citing New York City’s cold weather as the reason for his long respite’s. “I can record from anywhere in the world, but I still have my engineer from back home mix it for me,” he divulges. As cold temperatures near, expect Jellz to be somewhere warm, where he can create better. As for the next drop? Expect a slew of singles until he feels the time is right. Much like on “Infinity,” Jellz’ success cannot be rushed.
I don’t really do empty lyrics, a lot of the time my words do have a lot to of with my situation, or what I want my future to bring
