Alternative station WEQX will be creating a “Free-QX” library outside the station, allowing the community to borrow the many records the station gets in every day.
102.7 WEQX has been on air since November 14, 1984. The independently owned radio station broadcasts out of a house in Manchester, Vermont. At 50,000 watts, it is the strongest commercial FM radio signal in southern Vermont, and reaches well into Upstate New York, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
The idea came from Jeff Morad, who is the program director, Morning Show host, and host of the Jam N’ Toast specialty show.
Free-QX came to me when I was driving around, and saw one of those little free libraries where people can take and leave books. I thought that this would also be fun with records. We have a lot of music that comes through EQX, and we are always dreaming up ways to connect with the local community.
The Free-QX structure is outside the radio station, which has been at 161 Elm Street in the Historic Depot District since 1984. The official unveiling will be at EQX’s Parking Lot Party, from 4-7 P.M. on August 4, which took a several-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
The structure will also have an inventive solar-powered fan system to help maintain the records, tapes, CDs, and more that may be shared. EQX is all about sharing music, so it was a perfect idea to implement.
Some cool thing the station does is every Sunday on EQXposure they share new music from a variety of local artists and beyond to an ever-expanding audience. Make sure to tune in every Sunday from 7-9 P.M. to listen!
On August 4, 1966, the world-renowned Philadelphia Orchestra took up residence at Saratoga Springs Performing Arts Center (SPAC) for the very first time with Maestro Eugene Ormandy conducting. The maestro helped shape SPAC into the perfect venue for such a performance and brought the orchestra much acclaim throughout his 44 years as conductor.
56 years later, the orchestra still continues to offer audiences classical entertainment with its programming and performances.
Adrian Siegel, courtesy of Adrian Siegel Collection/Philadelphia Orchestra Archives
On the first Saturday of August, on a clear night, an estimated 5,100 attendees gathered inside the newly opened SPAC for the first show with another estimated 2,000 on the center’s lawns. The performance marked a first for the venue. The New York City Ballet’s July performances that year went beautifully, but how would the SPAC amphitheater sound hold with an entire symphony inside?
According to the New York Times, which reported on the show at the time, the performance and acoustics held well and the enthusiastic crowd agreed. Maestro Eugene Ormandy chose an all-Beethoven program: the Ninth and Eighth Symphony and the “Consecration of the House” Overture in C Major. The Overture, featuring a march and much fanfare, made the perfect celebratory music for an opening night. Despite the distant sound interference of a freight train interrupting during the Eighth Symphony, the rest of the concert seemed to be a great success.
The concert in no way would have been such a success without the preparation and intensity of its maestro. Eugene Ormandy and his Orchestra were careful, precise, and presented a wonderful concert to their audience. From the start, Ormandy predicted the venue would be “one of the great summer festivals of all time.” However, according to Times Union, before opening night, Ormandy made it clear that some things about the SPAC venue had to be changed.
The waterfall behind the venue interrupted the music, and a dam was promptly built to rectify the situation. This solution did not last long, and groundsmen had to catch every last frog that resided in the resulting pond so Ormandy, and his audiences, did not hear any incessant croaking during the performance.
Adrian Siegel, courtesy of Adrian Siegel Collection/Philadelphia Orchestra Archives
According to SPAC, the amphitheater was specifically built with the Philadelphia Orchestra in mind. In addition to his work as maestro, Eugene Ormandy played a huge role in ensuring that the venue would be the perfect summer home for such a major orchestra, known as one of the “Big Five.”
Although founded in 1900, the Philadelphia Orchestra would grow immensely in reach under Ormandy. One of the first orchestras to record music, many of the most popular recordings of the organization were under the conduction of Ormandy. 7 years after the first show at SPAC, the orchestra would travel to the People’s Republic of China, one of the first tours to the region from a Western orchestra in decades.
Ormandy expanded the reach of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the prominence of Saratoga Performing Arts Center during his long career. The Philadelphia Orchestra has returned to the venue consistently since that first summer evening show in August of 1966. 56 years later, the people of Saratoga Springs and visitors can enjoy the talents of the Philadelphia Orchestra, which will hold multiple performances at SPAC this August.
The orchestra will play a mix of traditional classical music and more contemporary takes. Beginning on August 10, the current Music Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, will return for four programs. Highlights include the return of world-famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma and violinist Joshua Bell, among the performances. For tickets to upcoming concerts, visit the SPAC website for more information.
Dead Meat, a Nyack-based Grateful Dead tribute act, is currently in the middle of its own “Days Between” celebration. The band is on a four-show tour throughout New York, with a promise to play 80 songs between them in honor of Dead guitarist’s Jerry Garcia’s upcoming 80th birthday. The tour is set to conclude at Garcia’s in Port Chester this Friday, August 5.
This tribute to the late guitar legend began on July 22 at Kensico Dam Plaza in Westchester County. The opening featured songs like “Here Comes Sunshine,” “Sugar Magnolia” and “Truckin’” to open. They followed this up with a unique sequence of “China Cat Sunflower” >“Playing In the Band” >“I Know You Rider” > “Playing in the Band.” Other gigs included stops at Brooklyn Bowl in New York City and the band’s hometown of Nyack with a performance at Memorial Park for a free Hudson River-side concert.
Dead Meat is a five-piece band known for its moving harmonies and ripping jams that features Dan Rappaport on bass and vocals, Tom Clancey on guitar and vocals, Stephen Jordan on guitar and vocals, Ryan Liatsis on keys, guitars and vocals, and Kevin Weinberger on drums.
For more information on the band and upcoming shows, visit deadmeatband.com
Jazz is Dead, the acclaimed All-Star instrumental ensemble, famous for interpretations of classic Grateful Dead songs, is celebrating its 25 anniversary with a fifteen show tour. They will also be performing Grateful Dead’s Wake of The Flood marking it’s 50 anniversary.
The group recorded three acclaimed albums, and their album Laughing Water released in 1999 was an instrumental Wake of The Flood reinterpretation. That album has been described as “a superior remake of the Grateful Dead’s rather ordinary rock album Wake of the Flood” by Ed Kopp for All About Jazz.
The 25 anniversary tour makes stop in Tarrytown on Jan. 26 and NYC on the 27. Tarrytown is located in Westchester county on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, approximately 25 miles north of Midtown Manhattan, with a small population of about 12,000. The town is rich with Revolutionary War history and known for the river views.
For more information about Jazz is Dead, and to buy tickets to their upcoming tour, go here.
Jazz is Dead Tour Dates
Jan. 10 – The Coach House – Capistrano, Calif.
Jan. 11 – The Canyon – Montclair, Calif.
Jan. 12 – The Canyon – Agoura, Calif.
Jan. 13 – The Regency Ballroom – San Francisco
Jan. 15 – The Paramount – Denver
Jan. 17 – Celebrity Theatre – Phoenix
Jan. 19 – Barrymore Theatre – Madison, Wis.
Jan. 20 – Des Plains Theatre – Des Plaines, Ill.
Jan. 21 – The Arcata – St. Charles, Ill.
Jan. 22 – The Agoura – Cleveland
Jan. 24 – The Wilbur – Boston
Jan. 25 – The Keswick Theatre – Glenside, Pa.
Jan. 26 – Tarrytown Music Hall – Tarrytown, N.Y.
Jan. 27 – The Palladium at Times Square – New York, N.Y.
The Northern Current Music Festival in Saranac Lake returns for Labor Day weekend, featuring local and international artists representing contemporary music’s past, present, and future.
The festival’s mission is to enrich Saranac Lake’s cultural diversity by celebrating various musical heritages. The event is free, and family-friendly, with various activities for kids and adults. The daylong celebration will happen in Riverside Park in Saranac Lake on September 4.
TEKE is a female-fronted Montreal-based Japanese psych-rock group that features traditional Japanese instruments, flute, and trombone alongside raging guitars and a pulsing rhythm section. They create a sound reminiscent of the 1960s and 1970s era psychedelic Japanese soundtracks.
Leading The Big Takeover is Jamaican-born singer and songwriter NeeNee Rushie, creating a horn-powered global blend of reggae and world music, with hints of soul and Motown, and their infectious brand of pop classicism.
Hailing from Brooklyn, Ghost Funk Orchestra is the brainchild of producer and multi-instrumentalist Seth Applebaum. The band has evolved from a one-man band to a ten-piece powerhouse live band that draws heavy influence from the worlds of soul, psych rock, salsa, and beyond.
Rooted in southern dance tradition and the addition of soft vocal harmonies, Rose & The Bros from Ithaca will serve with their Lousiana sound and reggae undertone.
The Outcrops are from the woods of Northern New Jersey, presenting original blues-infused rock and roll. The four-piece was formed in 2016 by lead vocalist Cassidy Rain and lead guitarist Bryan Schroder.
Crackin’ Foxy is a ukulele-driven ensemble, featuring tight instrumental arrangements and close vocal harmonies inspired by 30s swing, Hawaiian, and NOLA jazz.
For more information about the Northern Current Music Festival happening in Saranac Lake on September 4, go here.
National Sawdust announced its Fall 2022 season, bringing worldwide artists to Williamsburg, Brooklyn to share ambitious new explorations in music and performances. The works comprising the season emerge from an America and a world experiencing intersecting crises and urgent calls for change—and respond with themes of healing, metamorphosis, activism, and hope.
National Sawdust
National Sawdust is a nonprofit music producer and venue in Brooklyn founded in 2015 by composer Paola Prestini and attorney Kevin Dolan. With its belief of being an innovative leader in changing the landscape of contemporary music, by bringing all voices to the stage and beyond — artistic representation that reflects the ever-evolving multicultural society in which we live, National Sawdust engages worldwide artists in a wonderful art ecosystem in Williamsburg venue.
JOJO ABOT and esperanza spalding: A GOD OF HER OWN MAKING – September 23 & 24
A GOD OF HER OWN MAKING is a new spiritual and experiential opera of immersive soundscapes and visuals, in which the human vessel serves as a primary instrument and conduit for sound as a healing pathway to the divine. Created, directed, and composed by 2018 Artist-in-Residence artist Jojo Abot,A GOD OF HER OWN MAKING builds on JOJO ABOT’s exploration of spirituality, and incorporates spalding’s lineages and practices of restorative music.
Emily Wells – September 29
Emily Wells
For her third appearance on the National Sawdust stage, composer, producer, and video artist Emily Wells and her band (bassist Dandy McDowell, drummer Addie Vogt, and multi-instrumentalist Alec Spiegelman) will perform work from her 2022 album Regards to the End, Centering the Stories of Artists Behind Early AIDS Activism.
Xavier Foley – October 16
Xavier Foley
Virtuosic Double Bassist Xavier Foley will co-presented with the Sphinx Organization. This performance is one of a series reflecting both National Sawdust and Sphinx’s commitment to empowering diverse voices that are reshaping the landscape of western classical music.
Jean-Michel Blais – October 18
Jean-Michel Blais is a Montreal-based pianist-composer-performer. His debut opus, Il, was written after two years of daily improvisation, recorded with a Zoom H4n in his apartment. It ranked among the Top 10 best albums in Time Magazine.
Niloufar Nourbakhsh’s ‘We, The Innumerable’ – October 21
A Concert of Niloufar Nourbakhsh’s Opera We the Innumerable, Tracing an Iranian Woman’s Heroic Journey After Her Life Is Besieged by State Violence, Co-Presented with the Center for Contemporary Opera.
Ichiko Aoba – October 26
This performance will be the New York debut of Japanese folk musician Ichiko Aoba. She will perform music from her latest album, Windswept Adan, presented by AdHoc.
Ichiko Aoba
Nathan Schram with Special Guests Attacca Quartet, Becca Stevens, & Caroline Shaw – October 29
GRAMMY Award-winning composer and violist for Attacca Quartet Nathan Schram will premiere his new album Nearsided, which released on July 29th, in this multimedia performance. Schram’s latest album tested the power of exploration and the possibilities of what can be created in the studio and on-stage. Nathan Schram and his special guests–Attacca Quartet, Becca Stevens, Caroline Shaw, and more–are prepared for the world premiere of Nearsided in this album release show.
AdHoc Presents: Colin Stetson & Elori Saxl – November 3
Horn player Colin Stetson will co-present with American experimental electronic composer Elori Saxl on November 3rd. Stetson has an utterly unique voice as a soloist, principally on saxophones and clarinets, as well as a songwriter. Elori Saxl released her debut album The Blue of Distance in 2021 which elegantly combined digitally-processed recordings of wind and water with the rich sounds of analog synthesizers and chamber orchestra.
Ami Dang with Opener Roshni Samlal – November 10
South Asian-American vocalist, sitarist, composer, and producer Amrita “Ami” Kaur Dang will bring her experimental ambient music. It referred to her first-generation Sikh-American experience while combined elements of North Indian classical music with noise, dance, and psych music.
PUBLIQuartet “What is American” – November 11
2018-2019 Artists-in-Residence PUBLIQuartet, presented with Sphinx, will perform work from their latest album What Is American, a Call to Ponder the Kaleidoscope of Diverse Genres, which originating in black and Indigenous music.
Michela Marino Lerman and Her Band Love Movement – November 18
Tap dancer and choreographer Michela Marino Lerman and her band Love Movement will present a multidisciplinary musical experience inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Levels of Love” speech. This will be an evening of dance, music, and therapeutic release.
Margaret Leng Tan – December 3
Renowned Avant-garde pianist Margaret Leng Tan, known as the “Queen of the toy piano” and “the world’s premier string piano virtuoso,” will present a program honoring the late American composer George Crumb and his late wife Elizabeth May Brown.
Sofiane Pamart – December 5
French pianist Sofiane Pamart, a.k.a. ‘Piano King,’ has made a name for himself by bridging the traditionalist western classical world and the always-innovating realm of hip-hop. Pamart’s collaborations with rappers like Koba LaD, Vald, Joey Starr, and more have helped piano music shed its staid facade and become more accessible to new listeners. Pamart delivers performances that are visually and technically stunning, and his film-inspired aesthetic has led to partnerships with fashion houses like Yves Saint Laurent and Dior Hommes. A classically-trained pianist with a rapper’s flair for storytelling, Pamart aims to bring people together through the emotional vibrancy of his piano compositions. For his only East Coast tour stop, Sofiane Pamart will take piano music into the future with a mix of western classical works and his own hip-hop-classical fusions.
Juilliard Blueprint Bridge Fellowship Concert – December 11
The Blueprint Bridge Fellowship partner with The Juilliard School, is an annual National Sawdust mentorship. The 2022 winning composers – alumni composers Eugene Astapov, and Lingbo Ma, and current student composers Nicole Balsirow, Aidan Gold, and Sia Uhm – were commissioned to a dream work that the National Sawdust Ensemble will workshop and perform at National Sawdust.
Matt McBane and Sandbox Percussion – December 16
Chamber quartet Sandbox Percussion will perform composer and violinist Matt McBane’s Bathymetry in its entirety in this celebratory album release concert featuring an opening set by Matt McBane. Bathymetry will be out on October 22, 2022 via Cantaloupe Music.
On July 28, tickets for the upcoming fall programs at the renowned Irish Arts Center in NYC went on sale to the general public. The Irish Arts Center will offer multiple entertainment opportunities, including theater, dance, live music, and more.
Irish band PIllow Queens will stay in residence at the center from September 13 to 18. The indie rock band hails from Dublin, formed in 2016, and recently released a new album, Leave the Light On, available to listen to below.
The Irish Arts Center will also host the Irish Traditional Music Archive in October of 2022. The event exhibits New York-related Irish traditional music from the late 1800s to the late 1900s. Attendees can take in rare recordings, stories, and photographs that showcase the city’s rich Irish musical history.
Ragas to Reels combines Indian classical and Irish traditional music for a riveting performance reflecting identity and connectivity from November 17 to 19. The performance also includes composer Linda Buckley, flute, whistle and sax player Sam Comerford, vocalist Ganavya, tabla player Nitin Mitta, and poet Sahar Romani.
On November 20, the Irish Arts Center will host the closing performance of the New York Trad Fest with fiddler and Irish traditional musician Tony DeMarco. The festival showcases traditional dance, music, and song in NY.
The Irish Arts Center holds a long history in the city, dating back to its founding in 1972. The center serves as a home for artists and audiences who hold an appreciation for the Irish culture and holds programming throughout the year for people to enjoy.
Just recently, the center finished on a brand new $60 million-dollar building to continue to bring the best education and entertainment. Singer-songwriter Declan O’Rourke commemorated the 100th performance in the new center with a stay from July 15 to July 17.
For a full list of upcoming fall programs and tickets, including literature, theater, dance, music, education, and more, visit the Irish Arts Center website.
Celebrating 10 years since his first release Enter the Void in 2012, Joey Bada$$ performed at House of Blues San Diego on July 27. With a double decker venue, open house bar and mosh pit, House of Blues held a great environment for the show.
Joey was born and raised in Brooklyn and a member of the hip hop collective, releasing 3 mixtapes along with various solos. With his debut album 1999, produced at age 17, Badas$$ finally got the recognition he deserved in June 2012.
Joey’s opener Capella Grey set the tone for the crowd and left them begging for more prior to Joey Bada$$’s set.
It was a big night not only for Joey but for his fans and their excitement to the new album release 2000. The album set the bar and exceeded all expectations since the last release back in 2017. Including hits such as “Brand New 911” and “Written in the Stars” along with many others.
Joey noted it had been 5 years since his last release and performed some of his greatest hits “Devasted” and “Temptation” from ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$, released in 2017. During the show he stated “I had a kid, a babygirl,” and shared how his daughter Indigo Rain has become a huge part of his life outside of making music, and played a role in such a big comeback.
With 10 years under his belt and many more to come Joey continues to bring his own groove to rap and the hip hop community.
Classic rock legend Lita Ford brought her heavy metal music from yesteryear to the “L”in Horseheads on Friday, July 22nd in front of a very excited crowd. Her line up consists of herself, Patrick Kennison (guitar), Bobby Rock (drums) and newly acquired bassist Martin Anderson.
photo by Tammy Peer
Since her early days with Joan Jett in the Runaways, Lita once again proved she hasn’t lost her touch at 64 years young, she can still take control of the venue and crowd. Getting away from the traditional structured tours Lita now plays as a ‘hired gun” playing for festivals, events and stand alone shows nationwide.
The last time Lita was in the Southern Tier was opening up for Vince Neil at Tags in Big Flats in 2019. Tonight it was her show and her solid lineup that took no prisoners. Just coming in from a show in Iowa, the stop in the Southern Teir at the “L” was before heading off to South Butler, PA and all points west.
photo by Charlie Berch
The set was a mixture of her entire career with some of her top hits, “Kiss Me Deadly, “Hungry” and “Close my eyes forever” with guitarist Patrick Kennison singing the Ozzy Osbourne part of the lyrics and “Cherry Bomb” from her Runways days. Also a huge hit that night was her version of Elton John’s “Bitch is Back.” It does not look like the ‘Queen of Metal’ is ready to slow down anytime soon. To find other Lita Ford shows this year visit her website.
Legendary Burlington, VT bar and music venue Nectar’s is officially in a new hands thanks to a recent change in ownership. ElmThreeProductions founder Edward Maier, along with an investor group who shares a passion for music, have purchased Nectar’s with plans to not only preserve the history of this local landmark but also update the capabilities of the venue to current technology standards.
Under the new ownership Nectar’s and it’s connecting space Metronome will maintain its reputation for booking local, regional, and national musical acts. The technology upgrades are set to include new lighting, 4K streaming capabilities and a podcast studio partnering with Osiris Media.
Maier and ElmThreeProductions are teaming up with Matt Kolinski, founder and agent at Omni Arts Group, who has an extensive history in the jam world, having worked with artists like Goose and Spafford previously. This merger will reestablish the Nectar’s Presents entity and bring in their talent buying, promotions, and management clients. Nectar’s Presents will now expand into a talent buying and management branch focused on emerging musicians as well as promoting musical acts in venues throughout the region.
Brett Fairbrother, former manager or Strangefolk, RAQ, guest service director of the Capitol Theater in Port Chester and talent buyer for Garcia’s bar, will also oversee the talent buying for Nectar’s and Metronome, further strengthening the venue’s musical ties.
As a huge supporter of live music and Phish fan, I couldn’t think of a better venue to co-own, while leveraging the name for a new talent management agency with Matt Kolinski. Nectar’s and Metronome have been a staple in my life for catching a show and discovering artists.
Ed Maier, managing partner for Nectar’s and Nectar’s Presents
The talent management arm under the Nectar’s Presents umbrella will be called APON Artists and will include musicians from both the Omni Arts Group and A.F.T Artist rosters as well.
ElmThree Productions is the creator of the “Jams on The Sand” for Asbury Park’s Convention Hall and has established itself as an independent promoter for venues such as Asbury Park, NJ’s The Stone Pony, Wonder Bar, The Saint and Atlantic City’s Bourbon Room (Formerly House of Blues Atlantic City).
