Governors Ball Music Festival wrapped up its third and final day on Sunday, June 12. Narrowly avoiding passing thunderstorms, the weekend was punctuated by a headlining performance from J. Cole, who performed a career-spanning set, including songs off his 2021 LP The Off-Season.
J. Cole has lived much of his life in New York, and reminisced about writing some of his most influential music in the city. “It’s so crazy to be here, with the train going by…I used to live right down the street, writing songs as the trains go by.” J. Cole opened his set with a fiery performance of “95.South” and also brought out J.I.D. and Kenny Mason for “Stick.” J.I.D. broke his hand moshing during his set earlier in the day, and pleaded to the crowd: “Don’t be like me; safety first!”
Kaytranada, Governors Ball, 6/12/22. Photo by Buscar Photo
As with all three headliners over the weekend, a majority of the bands on the lineup are celebrating releases dating back to 2020. With a complete year and a half hiatus in the live music industry as a result of the pandemic, 2022 is jam packed with artists touring off releases a couple years old as well as albums that are hot out of the studio. Soccer Mommy is only two weeks away from her highly anticipated fourth LP Sometimes, Forever while Coin are only a few months into the life of their fifth LP Uncanny Valley. Clairo is also still touring behind her strong sophomore LP Sling, released last year.
Stay tuned later in the week for our full coverage of the entire Governors Ball weekend. In the meantime, check out more photos from Sunday from NYS Music photographers David Reichmann and Joseph Buscarello in the gallery below.
KaytranadaKaytranadaJazmine SullivanJapanese BreakfastJapanese BreakfastJapanese BreakfastJapanese BreakfastClairoJ. ColeJ. Cole and J.I.D.J. Cole and J.I.D.100 GecsCoinGlass AnimalsGlass AnimalsGlass AnimalsJ.I.D.Soccer Mommy
On June 24th, Black Opry Revue will perform at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, bringing with them styles that include country, blues, folk, and Americana music.
Black Opry Revue
Black Opry is a home for Black artists and Black fans of country, blues, folk, and Americana music. It was firstly started by Holly G., a Black country music lover in the format of a website. It connected Black country performers and connect with likeminded fans. The musicians gathered together and started their tour to bring racial equality to country music. The Black Opry Revue has performed sold out shows in Nashville, Memphis, Houston, Chicago, New York City and Atlanta with a revolving group of performers that represent a wide, diverse range of styles.
Country music has been made by and loved by Black people since its conception. For just as long, we have been overlooked and disregarded in the genre by fans and executives. Black Opry wants to change that and create a joyful, supportive space where Black artists can be heard and celebrated.
Black Opry founder Holly G.
Caffè Lena is a premiere concert venue presents extraordinary music in an intimate setting with 82 years’ history. Located in Saratoga Springs, it is renowned as the longest continuously operating folk music venue in the United States. In person or virtually, Caffe Lena provides stage for various artists and bands nearly every night. They also offers homemade desserts, locally sourced light fare, coffee, wine and beer to enjoy during the show.
Caffe Lena
Since 1960, our mission at Caffe Lena has been to provide a stage for American roots music to flourish. This music wouldn’t be here without the contributions of Black culture. Black Opry Revue is a really special opportunity to celebrate that culture and the performers who are working to break down walls within the music industry.
Carolyn Shapiro, marketing manager at Caffe Lena
The performance at Caffe Lena will be a writers-in-the-round concert. Besides the singing performances, artists will also share the stories behind their songs. The artisits include singer-songwriters, Roverta Lea and Nikki Morgan, and country music singer Tae Lewis. Roberta Lea blends soul, pop and RnB with thought provoking lyrics while Nikki Morgan developed traditional gospel music and now creates captivating melodies and insightful lyrics. Tae Lewis is a fast-rising country music singer from North Carolina.
Black Opry Revue will take place at Caffe Lena on Friday, June 24th with doors at 7:30pm and the show beginning at 8pm. The show will also be available to live stream for up to one week on Caffe Lena TV, the venue’s live streaming platform. In-person tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Student rush tickets are available at the door for $5. Buy tickets and view the schedule here
The NY Philharmonic has announced its annual Concert in the Parks, which is back after being canceled for two years because of the pandemic.
The Concert in the Parks series has become an iconic New York summer experience since it began in 1965. It transformed parks across the city into a patchwork of picnickers and allowed them to hear classical music under the stars.
The NY Philharmonic Concert in the Park series will happen from June 14-17, then again on the 19. All performances begin at 8 P.M. There will be fireworks following the performances in the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn.
Music Director Jaap van Zweden will conduct the concerts, which take place at Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx (June 14); the Great Lawn in Central Park, Manhattan (June 15); Cunningham Park, Queens (June 16); and Prospect Park, Brooklyn (June 17).
Jaap van Zweden began his tenure as the 26th Music Director of the New York Philharmonic in September 2018. He has also served as Music Director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic since 2012. He has conducted performances on three continents, and at age 19 he became the youngest-ever concertmaster of Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
The program includes Wagner’s Prelude to Act I of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with Bomsori Kim as a soloist, Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7, and works by New York Philharmonic Very Young Composers: 14- year-old Naama Rolnick’s Keep Walking, and 17-year-old Alexander Rothschild Douaihy’s A Human Rhapsody.
Stained glass colors the environment of Dimension 70, a unique studio space in Manhattan’s Lower East Side.
Founded by Berklee-educated engineer and musician Fern Souza in late 2019, D70 is a space defined by aspiration on each floor, with two craftily designed recording spaces, useful non-musical amenities, and plans & ideas that put artists first.
A stained glass display within the D70 building.
Assembled by Francis Manzella, a studio designer whose work spans nearly 40 years, the studio’s intrigue is fittingly matched by the space’s history. The building was originally a synagogue in the early 1900s, with prayer book pages being discovered between the bricks during construction. It also saw intriguing use during prohibition, when the space housed a whisky still.
D70’s adherence to this unique background can be found in Studio One, their “flagship tracking room.” 20 feet tall and 730 sq. ft wide, this space is comprised of a control room, live room (315 sq. ft), and isolation booth, which are arranged with a collective line of sight between all three areas. Studio One has a wide range of audio equipment and instruments available, and the live room is decorated by a custom stained glass window and a mural by Florida graphic artist Marlon Pruz.
Wide shot of Studio One.
Dimension 70’s other recording space, the 10′ by 11′ Studio Two, is the domain of mixing and mastering engineer Joshua Pleeter. Pleeter has engineered on records by artists such as Topaz Jones, Gabriel Garzón-Montano, Princess Nokia, with marks of his D70 residency including work on records by Felly, Carrtoons, and Masego. While obviously not on the same physical scale of its companion recording space, Studio Two does have its own collection of audio equipment and instruments for artist use.
Wide shot of Studio Two.
Aside from the two recording areas, Dimension 70’s building includes a lounge room with assortments of vinyl records and gaming consoles, a workplace with a meeting table and flatscreen, and a kitchen.
In their quest to make a space as artist-accommodating as possible, in October 2020, D70 launched their Time & Space program. Time & Space offers musicians 10 hours of free recording time and 10 hours to gift to another creator of their choice. To apply for this limited opportunity, artists have to share one story and one post to Instagram. The last winner of free studio time was Orrin, a now LA-based rapper back in March 2021.
Photo of Orrin.
In just under three years, Dimension 70 has managed to build itself a strong network. Over 90 different artists have worked on projects at the studio, with big names such as Camila Cabello, 88rising, and Magdalena Bay leaving their mark in the building.
With plenty of distance covered as a business, a thoughtfully arranged studio, and business policy, there is likely much more to come from Dimension 70.
Levitt AMP 2022 in Utica, NY has announced the lineup for the summer music series. The artists will perform at Kopernik Park this summer. Concerts will take place on Monday nights from 6-9 P.M. from June 20 to August 29.
The 2022 season will feature headlining artists from New Orleans, Nashville, Chicago, Iowa, Virginia, Rhode Island, Canada, and New York State. The concerts also feature opening local and regional acts and youth intermission acts.
The series brings in the most diverse audience in the city in a family-friendly, non-alcoholic, joyful, welcoming environment. The music series also helps add to the economy in Utica and promotes communal bonding.
The New Respects were named the Levitt Foundation’s National Touring Band for 2022. They are a mix of pop, soul, and rock and deliver a high energy and funky music. Through their music, you hear their inspirations like The Rolling Stones and Lenny Kravitz.
Roberta Lea is a rising artist, described as having “a voice like cinnamon and a pen-like butter.” She plays a mix of classic country, country soul, country rock, and pop country, and has no limits to expressing herself through her songs.
Walter and Wagner Caldas, are 31-year-old identical twins better known as the Brazilian 2wins or “B2wins.” Their instrumental music ranges from pop to hip hop and iconic classics reimagined. Each song drips originality and youthful exuberance. Their mission is to make the world smile after growing up very poor in Rio de Janeiro.
Argonaut & Wasp are a blend of indie, alternative, edge, and funk grooves described as the perfect soundtrack to NYC. They formed over a love for house/dance music and bring in 70s fashion, 80s synths, and 90s culture to their band.
Curley Taylor and his band, Zydeco Trouble use soulful, bluesy vocals along with zydeco beats to create their unique musical style. Curley began his music career at 16 playing drums in his father’s band, and since then has always had a passion for music.
Bassel & the Supernaturals tells the story of Bassel Almadani’s experience as a first-generation Syrian-American using funk-inspired rhythms, soulful melodies, and lyrics regarding love, loss, and the war in Syria. They have performed at major festivals, performance halls, and more while also working closely with organizations on events and residencies that build awareness and empathy for Syrian refugees.
The Big Takeover Band is a seven-piece New York band that plays original music that is rooted in the genres of Jamaican pop, reggae, rocksteady, and ska. They also cross lines between genres and blend traditions. They connect the spirit of Motown and the sophistication of the 21st-century retro-soul scene.
New York hip-hop artist Miranda Writes is known for her modern sound with strong lyrics and diversified beats. She is not signed to a major label, however, her 2018 single “Too Blessed” rose to No. 5 in the Digital DJ Pool charting alongside Snoop Dogg, Nicki Minaj, and Ciara. She is the first biracial female hip-hop artist to cross over into the snowboarding market.
Ariel Posen is “one of the most exciting guitar players around” with show-stopping extended solos. His influences are electrified Americana, R&B, Beatles-inspired pop, and rock and roll. He has spent his childhood on the road with his musical parents, and found himself doing his own gigs traveling the world.
Shawnee Taveras is a Dominican-American singer-songwriter who brings heat to the stage with high-energy salsa accompied by a band creating music that is impossible not to dance to. In 2019, Taveras was awarded the Premio Conga de la Salsa in the Dominican Republic for best new musical act. She has had top ten singles in the Dominican Republic and has toured extensively in that country.
The Levitt AMP 2022 summer concert series is free to all those who attend and is happening from June 20 to August 29.
The Riverboat Bar in Alexandria Bay returns with their Summer Live Music Series for 2022. Running from June through the end of August, the series will feature over 30 bands performing over a three month period.
Riverboat Bar focuses primarily on promoting original music, hosting nationally touring bands from throughout the Northeast and beyond, with additional shows to be added in September. Most shows are free to attend.
Alexandria Bay and the 1000 Islands Region are a destination for a wide variety of tourists from America and Canada alike. While not located on a super highway, Alex Bay and the surrounding areas have maintained their original quaint personality with a bevy of activities, including family activities, world class fishing, romantic evenings, top-notch dive sites, live music or just relaxation.
Riverboat Bar is a long-running local tavern with comfort eats and bar bites with space for live music and a covered patio. Featuring live music on weekends with regional and nationally touring bands. Riverboat Bar also features a large selection of craft beer, wine and cocktails, a full service kitchen with extensive bar menu.
Riverboat Bar in Alexandria Bay
In the month of June you’ll find highly anticipated performances from Rochester based snarky pop and soul band The Sideways, Albany heavy blues rockers Sly Fox and the Hustlers and a two-night stand from Buffalo party rockers Tiny Music.
The month of July is loaded with 12 nights of live music, kicking off the month will be four nights of live music during the 4th of July holiday weekend. Syracuse indie/art rock group All Poets & Heroes get things going on Friday, July 1 with Burlington based reggae act The Reflexions playing on Saturday, July 2 while July 3 will feature a Quantum Cosmic Super Jam featuring members of Annie in the Water, Raisinhead and The Reflexions. Finally, Atlanta funk and soul powerhouse Funk You will close out the weekend on July 4 with a special performance after the Alexandria Bay holiday fireworks over Boldt Castle.
Also performing throughout the month of July will be Philadelphia rockers Chestnut Grove, the hot and buzz worthy Long Island progressive rock and funk trio Baked Shrimp and Connecticut power rock duo Balkun Brothers. Also in July will be performances by Upstate staples Ampevene, Vaporeyes, The Old Main, Roots Collider and fast rising new Buffalo band Eberwine, who will be performing a special Dead/Phish set.
The party continues in the month of August, highlighted by a return appearance by Boston roots reggae star Mighty Mystic on Friday, August 5. NYS Music March Madness winners HANZOLO will be at The Riverboat for a free show on Saturday, August 6. The famous Alex Bay Pirate Days festival will feature live performances by Connecticut jam funkers One Time Weekend and Maryland funktronica legends LITZ. Annie in the Water returns on Friday August 19 for their annual hometown throwdown. Also in the month of August, you can catch Sun Dub, Gentleman Brawlers and The Pickle Mafia.
More shows will be added in September including the annual Alex Bay Summer Send Off Party at the end of the month, which will feature multiple acts over two days.
Check out the full lineup below. Please visit the Riverboat Bar website for more information.
Governors Ball Music Festival continued on Saturday, June 11th, outside of Flushing Meadows in Queens. Saturday featured a triumphant headlining set from Edison, New Jersey native Halsey who is still running strong off her fourth LP If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power released in 2021.
Halsey had a setback earlier this week when her show on June 8th at Merriweather Post Pavillion had to be abruptly cancelled due to severe flooding at the venue. Unfazed by the heartbreak, Halsey delivered a powerful performance for the Flushing crowd. Governors Ball will always be a special occasion for Halsey; she attended the festival in 2014 (the day she signed her record deal), played an early evening set in 2018, and headlined on Saturday.
Halsey, Governors Ball, 6/11/22. Photo by Buscar Photo
During Halsey’s set, she admitted she “couldn’t resist” playing a cover of Kate Bush’s timeless classic “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” and also treated fans to the live debut of her just-released new single, “So Good.” Other performers included Flume, Denzel Curry, DJ Diesel (Shaq), Tove Lo, and Dehd. Photos from day two of Governors Ball by David Reichmann and Joseph Buscarello are below.
Denzel Curry, Governors Ball, 6/11/22. Photo by Buscar Photo
Day two was not without it’s hiccups. With a packed main stage waiting for Roddy Rich, the festival announced halfway through his set-time that Roddy Rich would not be performing. The disappointed crowd flooded over to the other stages and packed in for Joji and Denzel Curry.
Flume, Governors Ball, 6/11/22. Photo by Buscar Photo
The third and final day of the festival is today and features a headline performance from J. Cole. Other bands NYS Music are excited to see include Kaytranada, Japanese Breakfast, 100 Gecs, Soccer Mommy, and J.I.D.. Check back tomorrow for photos from the Governors Ball finale.
Fans of musical icon and New York’s own, the great, late Lou Reed, will soon be able to hear some new and previously unreleased material as part of a new archival release series. In partnership with Reed’s widow, Laurie Anderson, acclaimed label Light in the Attic will release the first album of the series, Words & Music, May 1965, later this summer on Aug. 26. It features some of the some earlier takes on Velvet Underground classics like “Heroin,” “I’m Waiting for the Man,” and “Pale Blue Eyes” that Reed helped craft along with fellow VU co-founder John Cale.
This newly unearthed material is the result of a five-inch reel of recordings that Reed mailed to himself in the form of a “poor man’s copyright” back in 1965. It went untouched for nearly 50 years, only discovered after the artist’s death in 2013. The raw, grainy material gives an early inside look at the genius of Reed and, per music journalist Greil Marcus in the liner notes, “They make a darkness, and Reed and Cale try to feel their way through it. In ‘Heroin,’ there’s just a hint of the hurricane it will become and the enormous authority it will carry two years later. … ‘Pale Blue Eyes’ says go farther, there’s no end to this, and you know that they will go farther — they’re almost there.”
Words & Music, May 1965 will be available in several formats, including LP, cassette, 8-track, digital and CD, and can be preordered here. The deluxe two-LP edition, is being limited to 7,500 copies and also includes an additional 7″ record that features six other early songs and a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright.” The full track listings for both albums can be seen below.
In addition to this, the five-inch reel itself will be physically on display this week, along with other Reed-related artifacts, at Lou Reed: Caught Between the Twisted Stars. The exhibition opens on June 9 at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
“This collection is to inspire people,” Anderson said in a recent NY Times interview. “It’s not necessarily to say, ‘Here’s the real Lou Reed.’ That’s never what it was meant to be. Here’s a lot of his music and how he did it. Be inspired by it. But it’s not and can’t be a real picture of the man.”
Lou Reed, ‘Words & Music, May 1965’ Track Listing 2xLP 1. “I’m Waiting for the Man” (May 1965 Demo) 2. “Men of Good Fortune” (May 1965 Demo) * 3. “Heroin” (May 1965 Demo) 4. “Too Late” (May 1965 Demo) * 5. “Buttercup Song” (May 1965 Demo) 6. “Walk Alone” (May 1965 Demo) 7. “Buzz Buzz Buzz (May 1965 Demo) 8. “Pale Blue Eyes” (May 1965 Demo) 9. “Stockpile” (May 1965 Demo) * 10. “Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams” (May 1965 Demo) 11. “I’m Waiting for the Man” (May 1965 Alternate Version) 7-inch 1. “Gee Whiz” – (1958 Rehearsal) * 2. “Baby, Let Me Follow You Down” (1963/64 Home Recording) 3. “Michael, Row The Boat Ashore” (1963/64 Home Recording) 4. “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” (Partial) (1963/64 Home Recording) 5. “W & X, Y, Z Blues” (1963/64 Home Recording) * 6. “Lou’s 12-Bar Instrumental” (1963/64 Home Recording) *
On Thursday, June 9th, 2022, Albany’s first Alive at 5 show of the year opened with Alternative/Indie rock band Young Culture and closed out with Pop-punk band State Champs. The show was moved to the rain location at Corning Perserve Boat Launch after rain was in the forecast. The sun was shining bright, however, for a high energy performance with crowd surfers just as high.
Both bands are originally from the Capital Region whose music might bring out feelings that a typical high schooler would have from their crush. Both bands share an alternative rock style that a teenager going through a break up could bop their head to. After many years of success, they decided to come back home to open the Alive at 5 series.
Young Culture started in Albany in 2016, and quickly blew up after the release of their EP “(This is) Heaven.” Young Culture performed at Empire Live back in November of 2021 for Grayscale’s Umbra Tour. Young Culture is gearing up for a summer tour titled, Into the Raging Sea with Broadside. State Champs also performed at Empire Live as the head liners for Frozen Fest. This was the release show for State Champs’ new album, Kings of a New Age.
Alive at 5 could not chose two better bands to open the series. Young Culture’s lead vocalist, Alex Magan connected with the young crowd with “Kinda Over You,” a song he said was about his ex-girlfriend in high school. That song, along with “Laylo,” helped the young crowd to mellow out for a short bit and connect with the band on a more personal level. Both songs where about a love that did not last, a theme that resonated well with the audience.
They left on a high note with “Party Girl” and “Holiday in Vegas.” Alex stood on equipment boxes in the pit to grab the hands of those crowd surfing. There was a long of head banging from other members of the band along with the crowd. They thanked Albany for inviting them back home.
Representatives from In Our Own Voices and the Capital Pride Center came out with Kathy Sheehan, the Mayor of Albany and Sam Mills, Albany’s 2022 Tulip Queen. They all gave a brief speeches about upcoming pride events in the Capital Region.
State Champs brought energy back up when they opened with “Here to Stay.” The band tried to remind everyone that Alive at 5 was supposed to be a family fun event, but then performed “Everybody But You,” one of their hit songs with the F-word emphasized in the chorus. Members of the band stood on the equipment boxes to greet crowd surfers during the set. The crowd surfing was constant by mostly young people. It was evident that the crowd may have been getting tired of the surfing as many surfers were being thrown to the barricade towards the end. The most pit opened twice, first for a circle mosh ad the second time for a traditional mosh.
It was a great performance from State Champs, that lasted over an hour. They answered cheers for an encore with two songs. They have a tour lined up for Sad Summer Fest starting in July. The festival comes to New York on July 22nd at Pier 17.
Young Culture Setlist: Bloodthin, Better Off as Friends, Hum, Godspeed, Kinda Over it, HB16, Fantasy, Laylo, Shiver, 21 Days, Drift, Party Girl, Holiday in Vegas
State Champs Setlist: Here to Stay, Eventually, Frozen, Outta My Head, Hard to Please, Mine is Gold, Act Like That, Simple Existence, Remedy, Easy Enough, Criminal, Just Sound, Losing Myself, Slow Burn, History, Everybody But You, Dead and Gone, Elevated, Secrets
The relaxed, picturesque community of Henderson lies on the Eastern shore of Lake Ontario, founded in 1806 and channeling the town’s history and culture more than two centuries later through the Henderson Harbor Performing Arts Association (HHPAA).
The area was long occupied by the Onondaga of the Iroquois Confederacy, and later named after William Henderson, the original European-American land owner. The property upon which the HHPAA resides dates back to 1813, when it was owned by Mark Hopkins, later a treasurer of the Central Pacific Railroad. The building which the HHPAA resides in is named for him.
Henderson Harbor Performing Arts Association provides a relaxing environment for music, theater, art, local performers as well as national touring acts in a small town venue.
Henderson Harbor Performing Arts Association is located at the western end of the Harbor on County Route 123, aka Harbor Road, and features 18 acres of open grounds and woodlands. The Town of Henderson donated the property to be developed for this purpose in 1986, and the HHPAA have diligently pursued this dream.
This summer, HHPAA feature performances and events that include Shakespeare plays, wine tasting events, art shows, classic car shows, corn hole tournaments, and bands in conjunction with the local Summer Recreation Program.
The goal of the HHPAA is to build an open-air stage as well as a year-round event center. The HHPAA is also the recipient of two grants from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, which support the 2022 Summer Concert Series and the 2022 Summer Theatre Series.
The mission of the HHPAA is to provide opportunities to learn about, and become actively engaged with, the performing and visual arts, with both summer and year-round residents of Henderson, NY and Jefferson County regardless of their socioeconomic, age or educational status.
Since its’ inception, the organization has striven to provide the community and surrounding areas of the north country with a series of summer concerts, an annual Oktoberfest, and in 2002 the establishment of the Lila Bull Arts Academy. The Syracuse Symphony, the 10th Mtn. Division Band from Ft. Drum, and the George Colligan, Jr. jazz group have presented programs with HHPAA.
HHPAA 2022 Calendar of Events
July 9, Sat. – Corn Hole Tournament (details TBA) July 23. Sat. – 7PM Concert – Antwerp Drum and Bugle, The Original Yanks July 25, Mon, 1 Pm – REV Children’s’ Theater presents “The Fisherman and His Wife” July 30 , Sat. 12-4 “Christmas in July” & CAR SHOW, Music by FFOG , Food and beverage available August 6 , Sat. – 7 PM “RAJAH” See our very own Tom Contino with his talented partners. August 7 , Sun – 7PM – “The Butler did it Players” Presents “While Shakespeare Slept” (comedy) August 20,Sat. 7PM – “Bad Husbands Club WITH Triple Shot Horns” September 4 , Sun – 1 PM -10th Mountain Division Band
