NYS Music 202​2

Category: Regions

  • Bluegrass Among the Damn Tall Buildings

    Bluegrass grows among the Damn Tall Buildings in Brooklyn. Music discovery is quite an expedition; you never know what you’re going to find. Brooklyn is a melting pot, with its cacophony of beautiful genre influences, which can be heard moment by moment as you walk down its litered city streets. Discovering the band, Damn Tall Buildings is an absolute joy. 

    Assembled now as a trio, this Americana-Bluegrass band hails from various points around America, from Montana, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire. Max Capistran is the main lyricist, playing guitar and banjo while contributing vocals. Avery Ballotta, plays the fiddle and banjo and vocal harmonies. Sasha Dubyk completes the vocal trifecta with her beautiful voice while playing the Upright Bass. 

    damn tall buildings

    On September ninth, they released their latest album, Sleeping Dogs. Playing their album and getting to know the band, I interviewed two members on the The Long Island Sound podcast. Max Capistran, and Avery Ballotta recounted their beginnings and their decade -long relationship which resulted in a friendship that is clearly exposed in their newly released album. Starting out as buskers on Newbury Street in Boston, they began touring nationally, and then moved the band to Brooklyn in 2017. They connect in the day to day interactions and hope their music brings joy to be spread around.

    “Our innate desire is to connect with people on a level that’s beyond day-to-day interaction. Our hope is that the joy that making this music brings us will somehow get passed along to the people listening, which they can then take with them to pass along to someone else. It’s a shared celebration of positive energy, and that’s what keeps us cooking.”

    Damn Tall Buildings

    Popping their album, Sleeping Dogs into my car CD player, yes I still have a CD player, I was able to digest the essence of their music into my subconscious. The result brought a smile to my face and a hop in my step.It may do the same for you. 

    The curiosity lies in wondering why three people from diverse parts of our country would decide to settle Brooklyn? I have been to Montana. Fearing an extended stay would keep me in that heavenly place, my vacation soon ended and I was back to the  familiarity of taxes and traffic on Long Island. Why anyone, with roots in paradise, would transplant themselves to Brooklyn is still a mystery. No disrespect to the “forgetta-bout-it” borough, but I wonder why?   Maybe this new resignation from a rural existence is a lesson on how to immerse yourself into a metropolitan culture to get your creative juices flowing.

    A Band Built on a Solid Foundation

    New Album “Sleeping dogs”

    Damn Tall Buildings has been around as a group for the past ten years,  Max, Avery (a.k.a. Montana) and Sasha  met in college at the Berkelee School of Music in Massachusetts. They honed their craft by literally playing on the street.  What a great incubator for this Bluegrass-Americana band to grow. You’ll find that the album, Sleeping Dogs, is much more than a toe-tapping exercise in Bluegrass-Swing style music.The band invites us into their living room to experience their music. Their style is stripped down to the essentials, a standup bass plucked by Sasha, Banjo, a guitar fenesed by Max  and Montana’s fiddle bringing it all together. Add some select harmonies, the twang of Max’s voice and you’ve got something special.

    Their sound fits like an old coat, that’s weather worn, yet comfortable. A cloth that carries you through the seasons of your musical journey. The band makes you feel at home, warmed by the fires of a hearth, alongside your sleeping dog.   

    Discovering a well-spring of talent in New York is a worthwhile endeavor. The streams of creativity in Brooklyn and the rest of Long Island may have many flavors and are drawn from distant sources, but the satisfaction comes from drinking it all in. 

    Until next time, be generous with your joy, and let the music take you on a journey!

    The Long Island Sound Podcast can be found at GigDestiny.com or wherever you listen to your podcasts. We feature original singer/songwriters and showcase some of their songs, as you get to know the artist behind the music.

  • Brooklyn Bowl serves as Spiritual Oasis for High Holidays celebrations this September

    For the 11th year at Brooklyn Bowl, The Friday Night Jam & FANS have announced a series of spiritually and musically inclined High Holidays services. Four services in late September and early October will be broadcast live for free via Fans.live, led by Rabbi Daniel Brenner and musical director Jeremiah Lockwood, featuring Antibalas’ Jordan McLean, Yuli Beeri, Lenny Kaye, saxophonist Stuart Bogie and a full live band.

    The livestreamed shows will take place at Williamsburg’s Brooklyn Bowl (with a select number of tickets for sale) and Relix Studios. 

    brooklyn bowl high holidays

    The services will feature a mix of live music and remote video contributions from a mix of musicians. Confirmed remote guests include: Dave Harrington (Darkside), Alex Bleeker (Real Estate), Dan Lebowitz (ALO), Eric Krasno (Soulive and Lettuce), Karina Rykman, Ross James (Terrapin Family Band), Aron Magner (Disco Biscuits) and Josh Kaufman (Bonny Light Horseman), among others. 

    The house band consists of Jeremiah Lockwood, Antibalas’ Jordan McLean, Antibalas’ Timothy Allen, drummer John Bollinger, saxophonist Stuart Bogie and Yula Berri on vocals and bass. The services arrive at the end of a busy summer for Bogie and McLean, including appearances at the lauded Newport Jazz Festival. Internationally based teacher Aliza Rivka will also lead a guided meditation at each event. On the morning of September 26, Leslie Mendelson, Eric Slick (Dr. Dog), and Armo will also make special appearances at Brooklyn Bowl as part of the High Holidays festivities. 

    We have said for years that Brooklyn Bowl is our sanctuary, clubhouse, church and synagogue, so it only makes sense that it has grown into the spiritual home for our musically inclined Rosh Hashanah services over the years. Especially at a time when so many of us have been apart from our friends and family due to the pandemic, we hope that our suite of traditional-but-open-minded-and-inclusive services will allow us to connect with each other as we ‘begin again’ at the start of this new year.

    Relix’s Editor-in-Chief Mike Greenhaus.

    As part of the event’s anniversary celebration, as part of the Sunday, Sept 25 service, Lockwood’s The Sway Machinery will present Hidden Melodies Revealed 15 at Brooklyn Bowl. This new iteration of the concert-ritual will celebrate the widening circles of cantorial revival, and Yiddish experimental expressive culture that have emerged in the last decade.

    Offering a counterpoint to The Sway Machinery’s futurist sound, a second stage will be set up in the middle of the venue that will host a “radical traditionalist” band performing new arrangements of Jewish ritual music on strings, led by virtuoso violinist Jake Shulman-Ment, and featuring vocal soloists Yoel Kohn, a leading voice in khazones emerging from the Brooklyn Chassidic community, and Shahanna McKinney-Baldon, Midwest Ska pioneer and thought leader on Jews of Color in the United States. For this performance, McKinney-Baldon will premiere a piece from her upcoming performance project inspired by the life and work of Goldye Steiner, a pioneering Black woman cantor of the 1920s. The resulting worlds of sound will cross boundaries of time, calling upon ritual, and invoking the power of ancestors to imagine radical futures.

    In addition to musical guests, the event will also feature revered actor Debra Winger, in the role of the narrator of the animated films The Akeidah, by Shawn Atkins, and Scenes From the Life of Ben Zion Kapov Kagan, by Andrea Dezsö. The narration and score for these animated films will be performed live.

    Schedule of High Holidays Events

    Sunday September 25 – 7:30PM EST at Brooklyn Bowl. Tickets available here, stream live via Fans.live

    Monday September 26 – 10AM EST at Brooklyn Bowl. Tickets available here, stream live via Fans.live

    Tuesday, October 4 – 7PM from The Relix Studio, stream live via Fans.live

    Wednesday, October 5 – 10AM from The Relix Studio, stream live via Fans.live

  • This Week’s EQXposure Features Sinkcharmer and Power and Light Co.

    Each Sunday evening from 7-9 P.M. you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up-and-coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear new music from Sinkcharmer and Power and Light Co.

    Sinkcharmer and Power and Light Co.

    WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.

    Power and Light Co.- “Bottle Rocket Glow”

    Power and Light Co. are a new wave-inspired indie rock duo from Albany, and the members include Curtis Flach on vocals, keys, guitars, and drums and Chris Brant on bass and vocals. The band was formed in 2019 when they began work on their debut album Have Gun, Will Travel. The debut single off the album “Bottle Rocket Glow” is out now.

    Sinkcharmer- “The Ark”

    Sinkcharmer is a retro band from Ballston Spa, making electronic beat-driven rock music that draws influence from post-punk and industrial. The project was started by Paul Coleman and is framed as a band that was lost in time, happening back in the 90s.

  • Jon Batiste Pentatonix and Diane Warren Release Music Video for “Sweet (Single Edit)”

    Iconic artists Jon Batiste, Pentatonix, and Diane Warren have just released the music video for the vibrant song “Sweet (Single Edit)” directed by Matt Earl (Doja Cat, Carlos Santana, G-Eazy, Cordae). The vibrant video features a cameo from Warren and shows each member of Pentatonix as animated characters throughout the clip as a crooning Batiste intermixes with them in an urban cityscape.

    Jon Batiste Pentatonix and Diane Warren Release Music Video for "Sweet (Single Edit)"

    Oscar and multi-Grammy® Award-winning recording artist Jon Batiste developed a fluency in jazz and popular music of all stripes, collaborating with legends from Wynton Marsalis to Prince. In 2022, Batiste’s composing and songwriting will be featured in his large-scale, genre-melding symphonic work “American Symphony,” set to premiere at Carnegie Hall. Jon was even named bandleader and musical director of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

    “Life is full of ups and downs. Music is a gift that helps put it all in perspective. This song will find those who need it most,”

    Jon Batiste

    Grammy winning and 13-time Oscar nominated songwriter Diane Warren’s newly released single joins a beyond-impressive songwriting resume that includes countless staples of modern music history including “Because You Loved Me” (Celine Dion), “Can’t Fight The Moonlight” (LeAnn Rimes), and “How Do I Live” (by both LeAnn Rimes and Trisha Yearwood). The release of “Sweet (Single Edit)” comes on the heels of the announcement that Warren has been selected to receive an Honorary Oscar as voted by the Academy’s Board of Governors. She is the first songwriter to receive an Honorary Oscar which will be presented at Academy’s 13th Governors Awards in November 2022.

    ‘Sweet’ is like a jolt of positivity right when we need it the most. And there is no one who exudes more  positivity and joy  than the amazing Jon Batiste. To have both Jon and the greatest a cappella group in the world, Pentatonix on my song is a dream come true. Just in time to make everyone’s Summer a little SWEETer.

     ~Diane Warren 

    Three-time Grammy® Award-winning and multi-platinum-selling artist Pentatonix has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide and performed for hundreds of thousands of fans at their sold out shows across the globe. Their YouTube channel boasts close to 20 million subscribers, yielding more than 5.5 billion video views.

     
    “We were so honored to collaborate with such musical titans as Jon Batiste and Diane Warren. They’ve brought the world so much love and joy in their music. We hope the people feel like dancin’ and prancin’ when they listen to “Sweet”!”

    Kevin Olusola of Pentatonix. 

    To stream this hit single, click the link here or listen below.

  • Troy Rock Band Gracies Paris Share New Single “Save Yourself”

    Troy rock band Gracies Paris announced their new single “Save Yourself.” The song was recorded by Tim Lynch in NY and mastered by Brian Lucey in LA, who has worked with artists like The Black Keys, Royal Blood, Arctic Monkeys, Ringo Starr, and more.

    Gracies Paris

    Gracies Paris is a Troy-based power pop rock band formed in 2007 featuring Carl Ferritto (vocal and guitar), Eric Buechner (drums), and Randy Rose (bass). They recently released their single “Baby Now” which is a high-energy rock song with pop sensibilities, no different than their newest song. Something that the band does that makes listeners keep tuning is by changing their sound after each song. One single may have a similar sound to the other, but no song is quite the same.

    The new single “Save Yourself” is a high-energy song with a driving disco-era bass line, and whammy bar dives. The song features sarcastic lyrics about self-preservation. The cool part about the song is that it was recorded with a vintage Supro amplifier coupled with a vintage Leslie speaker. It contains heavy guitars with well-sung vocals and album art, which features murky and dark water, and a grim hand coming out the top of it.

    Make sure to listen to Gracies Paris new single “Save Yourself,” out now on all streaming platforms.

  • Caffè Lena at SPAC Festival Returns in October

    In partnership with Caffè Lena, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) announced the return of the “Caffè Lena @ SPAC” Concert Series, a free two-day festival happening on Oct. 1 and 2 from noon to 4 P.M.

    Caffè Lena

    The two-day festival will feature six bands that explore global and American folk music. The festival started in 2017, and it highlights the unique, ongoing collaboration between the arts center and the folk music venue. Sarah Craig, executive director of Caffè Lena, spoke about the diverse lineup in a statement.

    This annual collaboration has found the sweet spot of area music fans. They love the setting and the line-up. They ask me about it all year, wanting to be sure they don’t miss it. Both SPAC and Caffè Lena have deep roots, and a taste for musical exploration. The festival line-up reflects that. We have Dreamers’ Circus from Denmark bridging the folk and classical worlds. We have Oshima Brothers bridging pop and folk. We have the righteous anthems of Crys Matthews and gorgeous harmonies of Hold On Honeys. There’s a brass band playing Eastern European tunes. It’s just a huge variety, like you might find on our stages year round.

    Sarah Craig, executive director of Caffè Lena

    Oct. 1 Lineup

    Resonant Rogues from noon-1 P.M.

    Resonant Rogues are from Asheville, North Carolina, and have been winning over audiences with their genre-hopping tunes since 2013. Their original songs by Sparrow and Keith Josiah Smith speak to the heart with poetic lyrics and appeal to the ears with amazing musicianship and arrangement.

    Resonant Rogues

    Cocek! Brass Band from 1:30-2:30 P.M.

    The Cocek! Brass Band has been led by led by Sam Dechenne since 2014 and is influenced by Eastern-European and New Orleans dance songs, Afrobeat, Klezmer, and elements of reggae and Western classical pieces.

    Cocek! Brass Band.

    Dreamers’ Circus from 3-4 P.M.

    Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen, Ale Carr, and Nikolaj Busk came together to form Dreamers’ Circus in 2009 after an impromptu jam session in Copenhagen. The Scandinavian musicians have toured across Europe, Japan, Australia, and North America with their inventive reimaginings of Nordic folk and traditional tunes.

    Dreamers’ Circus.

    Oct. 2 Lineup

    Hold on Honeys from noon-1 P.M.

    Hold on Honeys is composed of Emily Curro, Raya Malcolm, and Shannon Rafferty, which offers tight-knit harmonies to nourish the soul and invigorate the senses. They began singing together during the pandemic and began public performances in June 2021.

    Hold on Honeys

    Crys Matthews from 1:30-2:30 P.M.

    Cry Matthews is among the brightest stars of the new generation of social justice music-makers. She is a powerful lyricist whose songs reflect her lived experiences of what she calls “the poster-child for intersectionality.”

    Crys Matthews

    Oshima Brothers from 3-4 P.M.

    The Oshima Brothers (Sean and Jamie Oshima) were raised in a musical family in rural Maine. They are known for their harmony-rich blend of contemporary folk and acoustic pop. The brothers have released two albums, one rooted in acoustic folk and the other more retro and metro.

    Oshima Brothers.

    Guests are welcome to bring in food, drink, blankets, and lawn chairs for the concerts. Food concessions will also be available. The concerts will take place rain or shine. Visit here for more details.

  • Flushing Town Hall Mashup Series Continues With “Jazz Piano Meets Venezuela”

    Flushing Town Hall’s ongoing concert series, Common Ground: Mini-Global Mashups, picks back up Sunday, September 18 with “Jazz Piano Meets Venezuela.”

    Common Ground, which started last October, brings together musicians from different national/artistic backgrounds for never before performed collaborative works. It’s curated by trumpeter and composer Frank London of The Klezmatics, who played in the original, large scale version of the series.

    flushing town hall venezuela
    Amina Claudine Myers (left) and María Fernanda González. (right)

    The two artists on program for this upcoming show at Flushing Town Hall are American jazz artist Amina Claudine Myers and Venezuelan musician María Fernanda González, a player of the bandola llanera, a guitar-like instrument native to Venezuela and Colombia.

    Myers, an Arkansas-born artist, composer, and educator, has had her musicianship recognized on an institutional level, having received multiple grants and awards from organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts, Meet The Composer, and The New York Foundation for the Arts. She also was inducted as a member of the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Arkansas Jazz Hall of Fame in 2010.

    González, a Northwest Venezuelan artist, composer, educator, and journalist, is one of the only female musicians in the world playing her instrument, becoming the world’s first female electric bandola llanera player in 2016. She’s also participated in and won competitions at Colombia’s Joropo Festival.

    Information regarding tickets, schedule and more can be found on the Flushing Town Hall website.

  • A Look Back at Farm Aid 2007: A Homegrown Festival on Randalls Island

    On this day in 2007, the first ever Farm Aid was held in New York State, with the annual benefit concert for farmers held on Randalls Island.

    farm aid 2007

    The official announcement came on June 11 with Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp making the official announcement in New York City alongside then-NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and farmers and food buyers at Union Square’s Greenmarket.

    Mayor Bloomberg welcomed the Farm Aid co-founders, saying “The City strongly supports sustainable family farming through our Greenmarket program — which has nearly doubled its locations over the past five years — and it’s an honor to be hosting Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Farm Aid for their 2007 concert.”

    Willie Nelson shared “Farm Aid is coming to New York because your enthusiasm for family farm food is keeping family farmers on the land. We are thankful to Mayor Bloomberg, the City Council and the many activists here who are leading efforts so that every New Yorker has access to more food from family farms” while John Mellencamp said of the importance of the event, “Things change when we all take personal responsibility for our food and where it comes from. Farm Aid is a force for change that works hard to keep farmers on the land so that we’ll have good food on our tables.

    Photo By Greg Allen/Shutterstock

    Why did Farm Aid take so long to get to New York? Nearly the first two decades of Farm Aid (1985-2003) brought the festival to states whose economies are strongly based in agriculture – Texas, Indiana, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Virginia, and South Carolina. In 2004 the festival moved to Washington State and headed east for New Jersey in 2006. Given the quintessential urban setting of New York City, bringing a festival promoting support for local farms and farmers doesn’t seem like the right fit at first, but five boroughs of 8 million people need to eat.

    It took being invited to The Big Apple, per executive director Carolyn Mugar, by environmentalists, politicians, Mayor Bloomberg’s office as well as chefs, that finally brought Farm Aid to the Empire State. “Farmers are never going to survive if they don’t have as allies the people who want this good food,” Ms. Mugar told the New York Times. “New York has a huge density of eaters and a density of people who are doing excellent things. There are restaurants, farmers’ markets, community-supported agriculture programs, even people who are growing food in the city and teaching people how to grow it.”

    farm aid 2007
    photo via @ceefar74

    The lineup for the day included Farm Aid staples in New York, Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews, the latter of whom was joined by Merle Haggard. Also on the day long festival-style lineup were the Allman Brothers Band (along with Derek Trucks Band and Gregg Allman performing solo), Counting Crows, Matisyahu, Ray Price, Guster, Billy Joe Shaver, Tim Reynolds, Montgomery Gentry, Supersuckers, Pauline Reese, Danielle Evin, The Ditty Bops, Jimmy Sturr, Paula Nelson, 40 Points, and Jesse Lenat.

    poster by Leigh Kosloski farm aid 2007
    poster by Leigh Kosloski

    The day was hot and quite dusty, part of the unkept nature of Randalls Island (which was prone to flooding at the time) prior to more events being held on the grounds. Thus, there was straw/hay laid down to keep the dust to a minimum. Much has changed over the past 15 years, as Randalls Island has become a destination for concerts and music festivals, among them Governors Ball, Panorama and Electric Zoo.

    farm aid 2007
    photo via @ceefar74

    Farm Aid 2007 was “A Homegrown Festival,” was the first major music event that served local, organic and family farm food at concessions stands around the venue. The Homegrown Village featured interactive exhibits to educate concert-goers on soil, water, energy, food and farmers. On the heels of the 2007 Farm Aid, the next year Homegrown.org was launched, creating an online community for those interested in growing, cooking, crafting, brewing, preserving, or making anything Homegrown.

    The announcement for Farm Aid was momentus, being the first time the traveling single-day multi-band event would make its way to the Empire State.

    Can you believe it?!?! Farm Aid in NYC! I have been working on a pun that references the movie “Babe: Pig in the City” but I haven’t quite figured it out yet. We are so pumped about Farm Aid 2007: A HOMEGROWN Festival at Randal’s Island. 100% delicious family farm food, good tunes and a summer of events in a huge urban food and farm hub. On the DL, this show has been in the works for a few years and we are just thrilled that the time has come to bring Farm Aid into the lives of New Yorkers, to work with upstate farmers and urban growers and to show all of our concert growers that even after 22 years we have a few surprises up our sleeves!

    Farm Aid Blog

    The idea for Farm Aid originally grew out of a remark that Bob Dylan made at Live Aid in 1985. The Bard said, “Wouldn’t it be great if we did something for our own farmers right here in America?” This inspired Willie Nelson to contact Neil Young and John Mellencamp, who was about to release Scarecrow, which includes a song about a farmer losing his land to a foreclosure.

    Press Conference – photo by Paul Natkin/Photo Reserve Inc.

    Six weeks after those calls, the trio put together what became the first Farm Aid, on September 22, 1985 in Champaign, Ill. While they expected the event to be a one-off, the inspiration that came from raising money for family farmers to preserve their land and push for laws that support family farms over Big Ag.

    Dave Matthews joined the Farm Aid Board of Directors in 2001, and Margo Price joined in 2021. To date, Farm Aid has raised more than $64 million to promote a strong and resilient family farm system of agriculture. A nonprofit organization, Farm Aid holds dear their mission to keep family farmers on their lands.

    While the Randalls Island Farm Aid was the first held in New York State, it was only six years later that the event headed Upstate to Saratoga Springs with a performance at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC). The day was highlighted with the unexpected arrival of Pete Seeger, who sang “This Land is Your Land” with the audience, in addition to some new lyrics referencing fracking. The 2022 edition of Farm Aid will take place on September 24 in Raleigh, NC at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek.

    While there was no live broadcast of Farm Aid, video from the concert was available on-demand on September 19, 2007, via Farmaid.org. A good deal of video from the day exists, as seen below. Setlists via ConcertArchives.org

    Montgomery Gentry setlist: Hillbilly Shoes, Daddy Won’t Sell the Farm, What Do Ya Think About That

    farm aid 2007
    photo via @ceefar74

    Supersuckers setlist: Paid, Breaking Honey’s Heart, Roadworn and Weary

    Warren Haynes setlist: Indian Sunset, Fallen Down, One, Soulshine

    The Derek Trucks Band setlist: Soul Serenade, Sailing On, Key to the Highway

    Guster setlist: The Captain, Manifest Destiny, Satellite, Amsterdam, Airport Song

    Matisyahu setlist: Tzama L’Chol Nafshi (Psalm 63:2-3), Beat Box, Indestructible

    Counting Crows setlist: Rain King, Thunder Road, Recovering the Satellites, Washington Square, A Murder of One, A Long December

    Gregg Allman setlist: Midnight Rider, Melissa

    Allman Brothers Band setlist: Trouble No More, Revival, Who’s Been Talking, Black Hearted Woman, Statesboro Blues, One Way Out

    Billy Joe Shaver setlist: I Been to Georgia on a Fast Train, Live Forever, Try and Try Again

    Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds setlist: Lie in Our Graves, Gravedigger, Crush, The Maker, The Dreaming Tree, Ants Marching

    Neil Young setlist: Human Highway, Silver and Gold, Beautiful Bluebird, Too Far Gone, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, Heart of Gold, Homegrown, Four Strong Winds

    John Mellencamp setlist: Troubled Land, Rain on the Scarecrow, If I Die Sudden, Paper in Fire, Our Country, To Washington, Small Town, Pink Houses

    Willie Nelson setlist: One Day at a Time, Jackson, A Peaceful Solution, Whiskey River, Stormy Weather, I Saw the Light, Superman, You Don’t Think I’m Funny Anymore, I’ll Fly Away, On the Road Again

  • Rammstein Deliver One of their Best Ever Live Performances at Metlife Stadium

    Rammstein brought their long-anticipated U.S. Stadium Tour to MetLife Stadium on Tuesday, September 6th. This performance was initially scheduled for September 10, 2020 but had been postponed two years in a row due to COVID-19.

    The evening was an absolute downpour as tens of thousands of fans filled into one of the largest NFL stadiums in the country. While not overly cold, it was definitely a wet experience that fortunately slowed down as it got closer to showtime.

    rammstein

    One cannot talk about Rammstein without mentioning their stage presence. Over the years the band has had it fair share of controversy with the different “acts” they have performed on stage, and of course the sheer amount of fire and pyrotechnics they bring. This stadium show Rammstein has now magnifies anything they have previously done ten-fold. The stage itself cost over 6 million dollars and takes four days to assemble. With massive towers to accompany the stage that fill the inside of the stadium resemble fire coming off an oil rig, walking into the stadium to this was truly a sight to behold.

    At approximately 8pm the lights went dark, and the crowd erupted in anticipation as a massive explosion on stage began Rammstein’s epic performance. Opening up the set with “Armee der Tristen” the band members make their way on stage from an elevator platform underneath that brought them up.

    Rammstein performed a massive 21 song set that included a good mix of their new material as well as fan favorites. During the performance of “Puppe” a large baby carriage is brought onto the stage and burned while video shows a demonic baby doll spewing insects from its mouth. This is all capped off by confetti cannons shooting black confetti all over the crowd which really brought this scene to life.

    For the acoustic performance of “Engel”, the band jumped into inflatable pontoon boats and surfed their way to a smaller stage in the middle of the crowd. Returning the main stage, the band went right back into their industrial-heavy “Auslander” which had the audience singing along.

    The entire performance was nonstop fire, explosions and mayhem. The climax of all of this was during the band’s second encore performance of “Rammstein” in which Lindermann wears a pyro backpack that shoots out a barrage of fireballs around him while singing, as well as the stage erupting in flames, as well as the towers throughout the stadium.

    This Rammstein show is one of their greatest live shows to date, with nonstop fire, explosions, fireworks and flamethrowers. There was even a cannon that came out which Lindermann mounted and sprayed the crowd in foam. It’s easy to make the comparison that you could be smack dab in the middle of Mordor while all of this is happening, and truly a show where words just can’t do it justice.

    Setlist: Armee der Tristen > Zick Zack > Links 2-3-4 > Sehnsucht > Zeig dich > Mein Herz brennt > Puppe > Heirate mich >Zeit > Deutschland > Radio > Mein Teil > Du hast > Sonne> Engel > Auslander > Du riechst so gut > Pussy > Rammstein >Ich will > Adieu

  • Sugar Hill Music Festival Returns For Year Six in Harlem

    The sixth annual Sugar Hill Music Festival is set to take place Saturday, September 10 in Harlem with a program of concerts and other festivities beginning at 3pm.

    sugar hill music festival

    Taking place at Harlem’s Sugar Hill Luminaries Lawn, the performers include Camille Thurman, a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, performing with the Darrell Green Quartet, Clifton Anderson, a Harlem trombonist who’s been on stage with renowned names such as Stevie Wonder and Dizzy Gillespie who will be playing with his signature sextet, the Steven Oquendo Latin Jazz Orchestra, a nineteen-piece led by the Washington Heights composer and trumpeter, and the Sugar Hill Quartet, the longest running house band in New York City.

    The festival is run by While We Are Still Here, a Harlem non-profit which aims to “educate, enshrine and preserve the extraordinary legacy of Harlem as an influential incubator that was vital to the intellectual, cultural, social, and political advancements of the Harlem community as well as the African Diaspora.”

    The festival follows a “pay what you will” model, with admissions of any price up to $100 towards While We Are Still Here being accepted. Information about the performing acts and more can be found here.

    One of several educational shorts on the While We Are Still Here YouTube channel.