On November 21st, I Prevail brought their True Power tour, named after their latest album, to Buffalo RiverWorks, with Pierce The Veil, and Fit For A King. Stand Atlantic was supposed to be on the bill but due to the lake effect snow that hit Buffalo and other regions, the show was postponed to the 21st from the 20th, and could not make the rescheduled date.
Fit For A King
When heading to the venue, you can see why they had to postpone the show, with snow piles all over the city. At first it was a sold out night, but with the reschedule, more tickets opened up but you would not be able to tell as the line to get in was still long.
Since Stand Atlantic had to step off this show, Fit For A King opened up the show, though while waiting for things to kick off, suddenly out of nowhere, there were multiple balloons being tossed around in the crowd, after a while, you noticed someone from the upper floor, blowing more to toss down, it was some needed entertainment as the doors opened up at its scheduled time but they didn’t move up the timeline so people had to wait longer for the show to start.
Pierce The Veil
Once things kicked off, it was full blast, with Fit For a King slaying it, everything was going well till suddenly the band stopped playing, it wasn’t clear at first what was happening but EMT’s were needed, come to find out someone had a seizure in the crowd. The EMT’s pulled the person from the crowd and the show continued on.
Next to go on stage was Pierce The Veil, who hasn’t had an appearance in the state for a few years now. Again, the show was going great, until people from the crowd were yelling at the band to stop again. This time, it was never clear as to what happened but many people were climbing to get out of the crowd and off to the side, being with a almost sold out show, the floor level was packed, so during the set, it was easier to go to the front. After everyone wanted to get out, the show continued but half a dozen or so people were seen by EMT’s throughout the show. Then on next, last to take the stage, I Prevail. This time, everything seemed to go well with the show not having to stop for medical emergencies.
Carnegie Hall will present the 18th annual Music Of fundraising performance, produced by Michael Dorf Presents, spotlighting the work of Paul McCartney, on March 15, 2023.
Paul McCartney has been bringing people together for decades with his influential music, spanning from one of the most popular groups ever, The Beatles, to his group Wings, and of course his extensive catalog of solo music. McCartney is a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, and he has written or co-written a record of 32 songs that have topped the Billboard Hot 100.
The Music Of Paul McCartney will feature Lake Street Dive, Allison Russell, Bettye LaVette, Peter Asher, Ingrid Michaelson, Glen Hansard, Lyle Lovett, The Cactus Blossoms, and Shovels & Rope among others, each performing a song from McCartney’s vast collection of songs. Joining the lineup are Grahm Nash, Bruce Hornsby, Natalie Merchant, Sammy Rae, and The Head and the Heart’s Jonathan Russell. Michael Dorf Presents, established by Michael Dorf in 2003, founder of the Knitting Factory and City Winery, has been putting on the Music Of series at Carnegie Hall for 18 years.
What an honor to work with one of the greatest singer/songwriters in history and have him interested in our annual show at Carnegie Hall. We have missed doing this during the pandemic and looking forward to this special night. Of course, we will miss Rita Houston of WFUV, our longtime MC who passed from a battle with cancer and to whom we will also be paying tribute this year. Christine Stone of SiriusXM will be joining us this year.
Michael Dorf
Previous Music Of tributes has spotlighted the work of Carly Simon, Prince, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, the Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Van Morrison, and more. Every year, the tributes have sold out and contributed 100% of the net proceeds, about $100,000 from the evening to different music education programs for underserved youth.
Tickets to The Music Of Paul McCartney at Carnegie Hall on March 15, 2023, are on sale now.
On December 14, 2002, Phish made their first – and to date – only appearance as the musical guest on NBC’s Saturday Night Live. The band performed two songs and even got involved in one of the sketches. An animated segment also featured the use of their seminal tune “You Enjoy Myself.” Here’s a look back at what transpired on TV 20 years ago today.
The episode was hosted by Al Gore, who just two years and a day removed from conceding the 2000 election. It was a rare instance of a politician hosting SNL, joining Ralph Nader (1977), Jesse Jackson and George McGovern (both in 1984), Steve Forbes (1996), then-NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani (1997), John McCain (2002), Al Sharpton (2003) and Donald Trump (2015).
After a couple political sketches/segments featuring Gore – “Hardball” and “Gore Goes Inside ‘The West Wing,’” Phish joined in the fun with Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz on a semi-popular segment called “Jarret’s Room.” Set at Hamphire College in Amherst, MA, Jarret (Fallon) immediately expressed excitement for having acquired two tickets to Phish’s then-upcoming reunion show at Madison Square Garden on December 31, 2002. Gobi (Sanz) joins in, dressed as Santa (and is that Seth Meyers in a gimp outfit?), as does Gore as their professor Dr. Ralph Wormley Curtis, who is there to address their absence from class.
Another knock at the door reveals the four members of Phish joining in, with Trey Anastasio explaining “We were just driving through on the tour bus, thought we’d stop by, we love the show” but is corrected by Page McConnell that they actually had hit Gobi and came on the show in case he threatened to sue. It then becomes clear that the stoner Gobi mistook Anastasio for Chuck Norris.
Gore’s Dr. Curtis chimes in, regarding his tenure at UVM, giving them the same advice as before, “Get a job you damn dirty hippies.” Phish then agreed to play a song with Jarret and Gobi, who was introduced as Zamfbeer, master of the beer flute. All seven then joined together singing “Contact” for a moment before signing off.
Phish would perform the traditional two songs this evening, starting with the then new (and yet to be performed live in concert), “46 Days” off Round Room which was released just four days prior. Only alloted about four minutes for a song, the straight rocker fit well in the moment and best choice from the album. They would perform “Chalkdust Torture” in the second slot, giving a slightly accelerated take on a classic late-in-the-show performance, and at a record clip of three and a half minutes. (watch below)
The animated portion of the episode titled “TV Funhouse” made prominent use of “You Enjoy Myself” in a spoof of the Charlie Brown Christmas special where waving hands in the air improved everything, including Schroeder playing piano with Pigpen on bass, turning into Phish and segments of “You Enjoy Myself.”
Watch the full of episode of Saturday Night Live with Al Gore and musical guest Phish on Peacock, Internet Archive, or below.
Bono announced added dates to his “Stories of Surrender” show at New York’s iconic Beacon Theatre, starting April 16.
Nov 1 saw the release of Bono’s memoir titled “SURRENDER: 40 Songs, One Story,” the story of the remarkable life he’s lived, his challenges, and his friends and family. The subtitle, “40 Songs, One Story,” refers to the book’s 40 chapters, each named after a U2 song. Bono has also created 40 original drawings which will be featured throughout the book.
Bono takes readers from his early days growing up in Dublin, including the sudden loss of his mother when he was fourteen, to U2’s unlikely journey to becoming one of the world’s most influential rock bands. The band has released 14 studio albums and won numerous awards, including 22 Grammys and the Amnesty International Ambassador of Conscience award. In 2005, U2 was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Bono is embarking on a Beacon Theatre run starting in April for his show “Stories of Surrender.” The Beacon is a perfect place for this as Bono’s life is alive and very present on the stage. He will be joined by musicians Gemma Doherty (Harp, Keyboard, Vocals) and Kate Ellis (Cello, Keyboard, Vocals), as well as Musical Director Jacknife Lee for an evening of “words, music, and some mischief…”
Tickets go on sale starting Dec. 15, at 10 a.m. local time, and will be available here. His memoir is also available for purchase here. Due to overwhelming demand, more shows have been added to Bono’s “Stories of Surrender” stop at the Beacon Theatre.
‘Stories of Surrender’ – Bono at the Beacon Theatre, New York, 2023 Sunday April 16, 2023 Monday April 17, 2023 Friday April 21, 2023 Saturday April 22, 2023 Wednesday April 26, 2023 Friday April 28, 2023 Saturday April 29, 2023 Wednesday May 3, 2023
This past Sunday, Dec. 11, Whitney performed at New York City’s Webster Hall, bringing songs off their third album, SPARK, and many others. Expanding their touring lineup from the original two-piece, lead singer and drummer, Julien Ehrlich, and guitarist, Max Kakacek, were joined by a keyboard player, brass section, bass player, and additional drummer, evolving their sound (much like SPARK) and filling the music hall with their resonant melodies and R&B backbeats.
Prior to the night’s headline act, the crowd was welcomed to Boston singer and songwriter Ella Williams, also known Squirrel Flower. She set the tone with songs off her debut album, I Was Born Swimming, and Sophomore album, Planet (i), which released last year.
Whitney began their set with the group’s very first single, “No Matter Where We Go”, followed by Forever Turned Around‘s opener, “Giving Up”. The group seamlessly weaved through both new and old material, providing some with new instrumentals, most notably, “Kansas”, the original version of Forever Turned Around‘s title track.
At one point, towards the end of the show, Julian exclaimed, “this has been the best New York show”, to much enthusiasm from the crowd, who had been singing along and raucously applauding after every song.
On December 10th, 2022 State Champs brought Frozen Fest back to Albany, NY with a packed lineup of pop-punk and alternative rock bands. For 5+ hours, Save Face, Between You & Me, Young Culture, Hunny, and headliner State Champs kept people on the feet and some surfing over the crowd at Empire Live.
State Champs dropped their album, Kings of the New Age, back in February 2022. With the resurgence of pop-punk, the demand to see them live kept many of their fans anxious. A highly anticipated return to the stage was met in back in June at Albany’s first show for their 2022 Alive at 5 series. Then in August, State Champs announced their tour for their album for late fall of this year.
The show opened with gothic rock band Save Face from New Jersey. Lead vocalist, Tyler Povanda, came out a stronger than expected. With the stage illuminated blood red, the entire band in red jump suits, and Povanda’s jerky movements, it gave the feeling more of a death metal concert… at a pop-punk show? Povanda did warm up the crowd eventually and they left with a warm cheer from the crowd.
Save Face, Frozen Fest 12/10/2022, – Photo by Jarron Childs
Between You & Me (BYAM) came all the way from Australia to join State Champs on their Kings of the New Age tour. No introduction was needed as they were an instant hit with the crowd. With a style similar to State Champs, the energy could easily be matched between the two. Their set was a rager from start to finish. Towards the end, vocalist Jake Wilson, and Tyler Povanda matched the energy of the crowd when they dragged their wired mics into the mosh pit seemingly against the advice of security.
Between You & Me Bassist, Frozen Fest 12/10/2022 – Photo by Jarron Childs
Young Culture opened for State champs for their first 7 shows on tour and had to come back home to end the tour. They brought peace, love, and positivity to every single person in the room. Vocalist, Alex Magan, greeted crowd surfers at the barricade with a warm and infectious smile. Though their set was a bit shorter than expected, the energy felt light enough to float on for long after.
Hunny was the last opening act for the night. Along with BYAM, they went the whole tour with State Champs. Hailing from the suburbs just outside of LA, their somewhat mellow indie-rock style flattened out the crowd before the main event. They had turned off the lights for the first half of their set which made you really have to just vibe with the music. Things were turned up towards the end with vocalist Jason Yarger strumming his guitar with his foot and laying on the ground out of pure exhaustion.
Young Culture Vocalist Alex Magan, Frozen Fest 12/10/2022 – Photo by Jarron Childs
State Champs came out strong and did not let up. The crowd kept up with their energy as they sent a heavy stream of crowd surfers to barricade, over hauling the security for the rest of the night. With special guest appearances from Jake Wilson and their tour manager Colin Lorne, they brought out all the stops for their final show of their tour.
Their 22-song setlist was mostly songs from their new album, Kings of the New Age, but also had certified bangers for their real fans including “Secrets,” “Elevated,” and “All You Are is History.” Vocalist Derek “Steez” Discanio and Bassist Ryan Scott Graham interacted well with the crowd, having them dancing and head banging for the whole night.
Ryan Scott Graham of State Champs, Frozen Fest 12/10/2022 – Photo by Jarron Childs
Things were brought pretty low halfway through to do a 3 song acoustic set; including a solo stunt with Discanio strumming “Our Time To Go.” Hearts were clenched, hands were held, and bodies were swaying along as Steez belted his heart out on stage.
The music was turned right back up after, making the last three songs feel like a distant memory. Derek Discanio celebrated 13 years of State Champs by releasing balloons onto the crowd. They played their last 5 songs hard and left to the crowd screaming for one more. They came back out and granted Empire Live with a 2-song encore. First their Christmas song “Ordinary Christmas,” then closed the night with their hit off their album, “Everybody But You.”
Derek Discanio of State Champs, Frozen Fest 12/10/2022 – Photo by Jarron Childs
Steez and State Champs showed so much love to his home crowd and promised to bring another Frozen Fest next year. State Champs has had themselves a year and it looks like they plan to take a break and enjoy Christmas and the New Year.
Save Face Setlist: Sharpen Your Teeth, Bad, Bury Me (Tonight!), Weak, A.M. Gothic, Glitter, Another Kill For The Highlight Reel
Between You & Me Setlist: Butterflies, Supervillain, Overthinking, Goldfish, Go To Hell, Pleased to Meet You, Deadbeat, Dakota
Young Culture Setlist: Not in Love, Hum, Kinda Over It, Party Girl, Whiskey, Drift, Different Now, Holiday in Vegas
Hunny Setlist: JFK, Shy, Halloween, Saturday Night, A Slow Death In Pacific Standard Time, Loser, GHS, Vowels (And the Importance of Being Me), Everything Means Everything To Me, Homesick, Televised, Sports With Strangers, Lula, I’m Not Mad
State Champs Setlist: Just Sound, Mine Is Gold, Eventually, Outta My Head, Criminal, Sundress, Frozen, Elevated, Half Empty, Crying Out Loud, If I’m Lucky, Our Time To Go, Fake it, All You Are Is History, Act Like That, Deadly Conversation, Hurry Up and Wait, Losing Myself, All or Nothing, Breaking Ground, Secrets
State ChampsEncore: Ordinary Christmas, Everybody But You
Ween closed 2022 with a bang on Sunday, December 11 at The Fillmore in Maryland, busting out rare gems and fan favorites to a packed house. The end-cap to a three-show early winter mini-tour, Ween crushed the year like The Hulk, with a couple shows at The Met in their hometown of Philadelphia, ending in the devastation of Silver Spring, with a line over four blocks long to get in.
Kicking off with their most popular opener, “Buckingham Green,” Ween pulled songs off nearly every album, with hugely popular tracks like “Take Me Away,” “Doctor Rock,” “Spinal Meningitis,” and “Bananas and Blow” deftly delivered into the eager ears of their ardent fans, along a few personal favorites, “The Golden Eel,” “Polka Dot Tail,” and “Ocean Man.” Most of their songs were fierce, with a few mellow trippy interludes, such as “Albino Sunshine Girl” (with heavy phase effects on Gene’s vocals) and “Ice Castles,” with its chilly harpsichord and melodic bass & guitar interweaves. It was abruptly followed by a slamming “Final Alarm,” with Dean delivering sonic whiplash on his Alembic (named “El Cabron”, which he rarely breaks out, except for special shows). They ended their long set with the venge-core anger-fueled ballad, “You Fucked Up,” thanking the audience for their commitment.
Rarer tracks had more play last night than their last few shows, such as the chainsaw guitar-driven “Mononucleosis” (30 times ever played), “Pollo Asado” (very rare – only 8 times ever played, with Gene sitting on a stool to deliver the drive-in monologue), “Cornbread Red” (only 12 times ever played), and the rarest of the night, “Flies on My Dick,” which has only been played 5 times ever, not played in over 250 shows.
Brooklyn native Dave Dreiwitz hopped back and forth across stage, often joining Gene and Dean in a tight circle on the same mic, or whispering “yes…” and “no….” at the blissfully quiet audience during “The Mollusk.”
After sinking a monster setclocking in at nearly 3 hours, Ween resurfaced for a 4-song encore, starting with the raucously speedy “Wavin’ My Dick in the Wind,” a shredtastically intense “Licking the Palm for Guava,” trippy screaming in “Mushroom Festival in Hell” (with Gene on megaphone), ending with an absolutely explosive rendition of Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades” to close out the night and the year in classic Ween fashion.
Ween is certainly not everyone’s cup of blue tea. They are a special kind of weird, highly accomplished musicians and songwriters with a massive repertoire and a devoted fanbase. Because of the pandemic, Ween only played 14 shows in 2021. However, they’ve played a total of 28 shows in 2022, which along with rare gems suggests they may ramp up in 2023, as one can only hope.
Ween – The Fillmore, Silver Spring, Maryland – Sunday, December 11, 2022
Setlist via Brownbase.org: Buckingham Green, What Deaner Was Talkin’ About, Light Me Up, Piss Up a Rope, Take Me Away, Gabrielle, Sweet Texas Fire, Mononucleosis, Touch My Tooter, The Golden Eel, Your Party, I Don’t Want It, Sorry Charlie, With My Own Bare Hands, Ice Castles, The Final Alarm, Albino Sunburned Girl, Bananas and Blow, Cornbread Red, Stroker Ace, Doctor Rock, Pollo Asado, Vallejo, You Were the Fool, Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down), Polka Dot Tail, Flies on My Dick, Roses Are Free, The Mollusk, Loop de Loop, Ocean Man, You Fucked Up Encore: Waving My Dick in the Wind, Licking the Palm For Guava> Mushroom Festival in Hell, Ace of Spades
On Sunday December 11th, the musical duo FRENSHIP sold out Brooklyn’s Baby’s All Right for their “Big Boys in Small Rooms” tour. The members, Brett Hite and James Sunderland, and their lively drummer fortified a comforting atmosphere on stage. With soft synth sounds and lyrics paying an ode to friendship, love, and the sweetness of relaxing on the weekends, the band hosted an electric night full of dancing and new memories.
Members of FRENSHIP: James Sunderland (left) and Brett Hite (right).
Before the band formed, Hite and Sunderland met while working at sportswear store Lululemon in Los Angeles, CA. Their friendship developed as they shared their mutual affinity for music. They started producing together and uploading songs to the music platform SoundCloud. Their song “Knives” produced with Matoma in 2015 earned FRENSHIP a large following. Shortly after their growth spurt, they released their hit “Capsize” with singer/songwriter Emily Warren in June 2016. Their EP “Truce” followed suit in September 2016.
The opener for FRENSHIP, Kate The Dreamer, made a magical first impression on the crowd. Her lyrics spoke to the uncertainty that follows someone throughout their twenties into their thirties. Kate is crafting an insightful conversation with break-ups, career choices, and the youthful creativity she gracefully holds onto.
Kate The Dreamer.
Towards the end of the show, Kate came back onto stage to perform an acoustic version of FRENSHIP’s “Capsize” with Hite and Sunderland. Afterwards, Sunderland recalled Kate’s origin as a FRENSHIP fan who shared her work with them after a show she attended, which they took an immediate liking to. Hite then told the crowd to expect a single with Kate The Dreamer to come out during the new year.
After Kate’s short but dreamy set, FRENSHIP kicked off their performance with one of their eldest hits, “1000 Nights,” released in 2016. A perfect introduction to their sound with powerful percussion and soulful guitar riffs. The setlist rolled through with songs old and new: their newest single “Songs for The Weekend” seemed to be a crowd favorite, for the energy on the floor was contagious. The space was alive with electronic grooving and loving embraces. There was no choice but to dance with strangers, because FRENSHIP’s music undeniably surfaces a kindness within those listening.
James Sunderland (1:2 of FRENSHIP)
The band found it hard to leave the stage, as the crowd begged for more songs. Chants requesting their song “Swim,” released in 2019 on their album “Vacation,” echoed amongst the audience. Hite and Sunderland happily deviated from their setlist, and gave the song their all. When it came time for them to conclude the show, it felt like saying goodbye to dear friends. After all, their voice is founded on the intimacy of friendship.
Setlist: 1000 Nights, Carpet, Alright, Hurricanes and Sugar Highs, GMGB, Wide Open (acoustic), Anywhere but Here, Songs for The Weekend, Capsize, Remind You, How a Man Dies, Meet Again, Swim**
After twenty-five years of anticipation, NYC indie-cult fan favorites the Van Pelt return with a new album titled “Artisans & Merchants” in 2023. The Van Pelt has returned to explore what was left behind with a new collection of hit songs, including the latest track, “Grid.”
For lovers of The Van Pelt, listening to “Artisans & Merchants” is like hearing the voice of a dear friend you haven’t seen in years. This is a stand-alone album, incredible vital songwriting regardless of the long history this band has. Pitchfork even stated that, “The lines between post-hardcore, indie rock, and emo blurred on the two mid-’90s full-lengths from the Van Pelt.”
The Van Pelt is an American indie rock band from New York City that were active from 1993 to 1997, but have reformed briefly several times since then including now. The band formed around 1993 at New York University, with Chris Leo on vocals and guitar, David Baum on guitar, Barry London on bass, and Neil O’Brien on drums. In a reunion show, soundchecks revealed that the band has a voice that was prematurely muted by their inability to see clearly in the thick of their rise.
“New York City’s The Van Pelt are an influential, but too often overlooked indie rock band — cult favorites for many an emo-inclined crate digger.”
– Consequence
The Van Pelt’s newer album can be viewed as “a friend you used to share countless beers with over banter that went nowhere other than delivering a solid night. Your friend is older, they’ve changed. In some ways you’re worried for them, looks like they might be teetering on the brink of something. In other ways it’s the same old them, a nugget of a soul too unique to ever be altered.”
The chores of the single “Image of Health” describes the beautiful desperation of the album best, “And you never felt more alive / Than when the priest came to read you your rites!”
Stream The Van Pelt and their newest album coming in Spring 2023 by clicking the link here.
Listen to the latest track from The Van Pelt, “Grid,” below.
Bad Mary, New York punk veterans and tight knit family band composed of lead singer Amanda Mac, her husband, father and professor, released a video EP for their A Very Bad Christmas — three punk rock takes on classic Christmas songs. Their covers of “Silent Night,” “Angels We Have Heard High” and “Little Drummer Boy” juxtapose Blondie, Joan Jett-esque vocals against traditional medieval illustrations in the three-part video EP. The EP will release on all streaming platforms December 6.
The band has animated medieval paintings of Mary and Jesus, children’s choirs, angels and little animals in little two-dimensional movements so they mouth the lyrics and move their hands to the beats of each song. The short videos are so well executed because the aesthetics are consistent through all the songs, and though it might be sacrilege, it’s undeniably funny to hear pop punk renditions of “Silent Night” come from little baby Jesus’ mouth.
In “Angels We Have Heard On High,” an angel with the voice of Amanda Mac flies down onto the scene while singing to toga-clad farmers, as goats and puppies hop around, like paper dolls. The angel’s halo spins and the hooves of the goats are heard in the background, overlaid onto the song.
“Silent Night” has Mary holding baby Jesus, and lovingly rocks him to sleep with a screaming rendition of the Christmas classic. Halfway through, Joseph and Mary suddenly acquire a pair of sick shades and baby Jesus starts to go absolutely crazy on the electric guitar, all while enveloped by a heavenly light. The children’s choir joins in with an occasional “Woo” and “Yeah!”
The band, Mike Staub on bass, Bill Mac on Drums and David Henderson on guitar, specializes in using music as a force to find humor in the mundanity of life. Where Christmas songs could be called repetitive and boring, either overtly religious or overtly ambivalent, Bad Mary confronts the silliness of Christmas time, and has fun with its traditions. The medieval scenes portrayed are full of frollicking creatures, chaotic dancing and a love of music. The accompanying EP will be released on all platforms December 6, pre-save here.
