Category: Regions

Emerging Music Festival in Bryant Park Returns in June

The AdHoc-curated Emerging Music Festival will return for the first time since 2019 from June 24-25 as part of Bryant Park’s Picnic Performances, a series of concerts running all summer long.

Both nights of the festival will feature three different acts. The 24th will open up with Benét, a singer-songwriter from Richmond, VA, followed by Brooklyn-based indie-country artist Dougie Poole, with the night being closed by fellow Brooklyn musician Anna Beckerman, better known by her performing alias of Danashevskaya.

Having released two full-length albums to this point, Dougie Poole has uniquely defined himself, melding country songwriting with bedroom pop textures. (photo from Bandcamp)

The following evening will be opened by NYC five-piece rock band 95 Bulls, followed by Talia Goddess, a multi-hyphenate musician and entrepreneur from Brooklyn, with the night being closed out by Reyna Tropical, a duo composed of Mexican-born artists Fabiola Reyna and Sumohair.

With their group tagline being “Queer Love & Afro-Mexico,” Reyna Tropical dedicates their music to raising awareness of social justice causes. (photo found on their website)

Returning for the fifth time since its beginning in 2016, The Emerging Music Festival is the Bryant Park Picnic Performances’ final event of June, with Bryant Park running performances until September 17.

Both nights of performances will also feature a rotating line-up of NYC food and beverage vendors curated by the local Hester Street Fair.

Complete Bryant Park Picnic Performances

May/June
June 10: Contemporary Dance: EMERGE125 and Ayodele Casel
June 11: Contemporary Dance: Ballet Hispánico’s Social Latin Dance Class and Dance Heginbotham
June 17: New York City Opera: Pride in the Park
June 18: Contemporary Dance: Juneteenth Celebration with Josh Johnson, Music From The Sole, Earl Mosley’s Diversity of Dance, and More
June 24: Emerging Music Festival Curated by AdHoc: Benét, Dougie Poole, and Daneshevskaya
June 25: Emerging Music Festival Curated by AdHoc: 95 Bulls, Talia Goddess, and Reyna Tropical

July
July 1: Carnegie Hall Citywide: Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble
July 8: Carnegie Hall Citywide: The Baylor Project
July 15: Carnegie Hall Citywide: Squirrel Nut Zippers
July 22: Carnegie Hall Citywide: The Broadway Sinfonietta
July 23: Jazzmobile: Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band
July 28: Performers TBA
July 29: Carnegie Hall Citywide: The Hot Sardines Featuring Nellie McKay

August
August 5: Performers TBA
August 12: New York City Opera: La traviata
August 19: Asian American Arts Alliance: Rafiq Bhatia and Ian Chang
August 26: Habibi Festival: Esraa Warda & The Châab Lab, Firas Zreik, Yacine Boularès, and AJOYO
August 29: The Town Hall: Eighth Blackbird Celebrates John Cage

September
September 2: New York City Opera: Lucia di Lammermoor
September 8: Steinway Artists Aaron Diehl and Orrin Evans
September 9: Classical Theatre of Harlem
September 16: Accordion Festival: Heart of Afghanistan and More
September 17: American Symphony Orchestra

June 1, 2022
MoonTree Glows on Debut EP “For The Time We Have Left”

Unique NYC duo MoonTree has released their debut EP For the Time We Have Left, an avant-garde, jazz-oriented record that shows the breadth of the duo’s creativity in 20 minutes.

Eight songs long, the tracks on For the Time We Have Left follow loose, unconventional song structures and feature an array of instrumentation. Accents of mandolin and guitar in the waltzy and cybernetic “No Point of Reference,” and hints of oboe and flute in the cold and ambient “On Q” enhance the EP’s character.

Cover art of For the Time We Have Left. (found on Spotify)

Tone-wise, For the Time We Have Left can range from being eerie and moody to light and melodic. The space-agey shuffling of “UNEARTHLY” contrasts the arrhythmia and creepy vocal snippets of “LOCKET/SOLES,” while never ceasing to create an enveloping atmosphere.

The EP is very textural, with MoonTree leaning heavily on reverb and never overplaying themselves on percussion, also subtly implementing vocal samples here and there to add an interesting rhythmic and melodic element.

Especially spacious and free-formed moments like the closer “your tree” reminisce slightly of Arthur Russell’s experimental 1986 album World of Echo, however MoonTree’s songs on For the Time We Have Left are consistently more focused than Russell’s offerings.

The EP is lyrically sparse overall, with Jaya Franceschini’s echoey lounge-esque vocals conveying a general focus on the complexities of romantic intimacy. This is made clear at points where reverb stripped away, such as the duet-spoken word piece “A Shoulder to Rain On” about an intense romantic moment between two lovers with a disjointed saxophone-driven instrumental sitting in the background.

There’s also the more traditional jazz cut “open book” which offers the record’s sole guest feature. Brooklyn rapper Zedikaya’s guest verse is as open-book as possible, with him offering musings about a love affair gone sour. This brief detour offers a change of pace on the EP and gives MoonTree a good opportunity to incorporate their hip-hop influences.

Despite juggling various ideas and influences, this project weaves these concepts together into a cohesive, inspired project. With tight musicianship on display, this duo of Jaya Franceschini and Ben Cuomo gives an inspired showing of what they have to offer on For the Time We Have Left.

June 1, 2022
St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater 2022 Summer Lineup Features The Doobie Brothers, Machine Gun Kelly and more

The St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater (previously known as Lakeview Amphitheater) 2022 Summer Concert lineup has been announced, which features The Doobie Brothers, Machine Gun Kelly, and many more.

The St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater is located in Syracuse, NY, and has a 17,500-person capacity. This summer, a wide variety of artists are coming to the venue of many different genres.

St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater Lineup

June 19- The Doobie Brothers & Michael McDonald

The Doobie Brothers are a four-time Grammy-award-winning root-based and harmony-laden rock band formed in the 1970s. They have three multi-platinum, seven platinum, and 14 Gold albums. Their album Best of the Doobies has sold more than 12 million copies and is considered a rare “diamond record.” Michael McDonald is an American musician, singer-songwriter, keyboardist, and record producer known for being a member of The Doobie Brothers and his successful solo career.

July 5- Machine Gun Kelly

Machine Gun Kelly is an American rapper, singer, musician, and actor. He is known for his blending of hip hop and alternative rock music. His album Tickets to My Downfall was his first pop-punk album, and it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, the only rock album to do so that year.

July 8- Morgan Wallen

Morgan Wallen is an American country music singer and songwriter. He competed in the sixth season of The Voice and won a Country Music Award. He has nine billion on-demand streams, multi-platinum certifications, and four consecutive chart-toppers.

July 9- Lynyrd Skynyrd

Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band formed in the 1960s. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked them No. 95 on their list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time,” and they have sold more than 28 million records in the United States.

Aug. 11- Kenny Chesney & Carly Pearce

Kenny Chesney is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has recorded more than 20 albums and has produced more than 40 Top 10 singles on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts, 32 of which have reached number one. Carly Pearce is a country music singer and songwriter who received a number one spot on the Billboard country charts with her single “Every Little Thing” and won a CMA and AMA.

Aug. 13- Alice in Chains & Breaking Benjamin

Alice in Chains is an 11-time Grammy-nominated rock band that has sold over 30 million records worldwide. They gained international fame during the 1990s grunge movement, and the band has had 18 Top 10 songs on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Chart. Breaking Benjamin is a certified multi-platinum rock band who have sold seven million units in the United States. They have also produced one number one record on the Billboard Top 200.

Alice in Chains

Breaking Benjamin

Aug. 25- Brad Paisley

Brad Paisley is a Grammy-award-winning country music star whose albums are certified Gold or above. He has won multiple CMA awards, and earned country music’s crowning achievement, becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He set a new record in 2009 for the most consecutive singles (10) reaching the top spot on that chart.

Sep. 6- Sting

Sting is a 17-time Grammy-award-winner who was apart of the new wave rock band The Police from 1977-1984. With the band and his solo career, he has sold over 100 million records. He won the BMI award for “Every Breath You Take” becoming the most-played song in radio history. He has won a number of other awards, including a Lifetime Achievement award and was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Sep. 15- Jason Aldean

Jason Aldean is an American country music singer, songwriter, and record producer. His albums are all certified platinum, and his 2010 album, My Kinda Party, is certified quadruple-platinum. He has also received five Grammy Award nominations throughout his career.

Also Performing This Summer

June 23- Steely Dan & Steve Winwood

June 29- The Chicks & Patty Griffin

July 13- CHEER Live

July 27- Halestorm, The Pretty Reckless, The Warning & Lilith Czar

Aug. 2- Incubus & Sublime With Rome

Aug. 17- Santana & Earth, Wind, and Fire

Sep. 9- REO Speedwagon, Styx & Loverboy

Sep. 17- Shinedown & Jelly Roll

Sep. 20- Five Finger Death Punch, Megadeth & The Hu

More information on the St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater’s 2022 summer concert lineup and links to purchase tickets can be found here.

June 1, 2022
Harlem Street Renamed in Honor of Deceased Rapper Big L

In a renaming ceremony held on May 28, family and fans of deceased rapper Big L, gathered as the corner of W 140th Street and Lenox Avenue in New York City became Lamont “Big L” Coleman Way. The designation is in honor of Harlem native and fabled rapper, Big L, who, in 1999, was shot nine times and killed in the very same East Harlem neighborhood.
Embed from Getty Images
Heralded as a top tier MC, the renaming was spearheaded by the team behind Big L’s documentary, Street Struck: The Big L Story.

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“It took a whole lot of effort and Support to get to this great point but as a collective we made it happen, an Instagram announcement read.”

The Biggest Thank you’s go out to the Dope 500 plus people who signed and passed the petition around so we could get this street renamed. There are entirely tooo many good people that gave this their support, so with all my heart, I personally want to say THANK YOU!!!!

Known for his wordplay, free-styling ability, and overall wittiness, Big L was once the crown prince of New York’s underground hip hop scene. As part Harlem hip-hop crew Children of the Corn alongside Mase, Cam’ron, Bloodshed, and McGruff, he featured in dozens of records as the group attempted to get signed. Coleman later found success as a solo act, signing to Columbia Records in 1994. His debut album, Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous (1995) is considered a cult-classic. His posthumous sophomore project, The Big Picture, (2000) was executive produced by DJ Premier and featured the likes of 2Pac, Fat Joe and Big Daddy Kane and has been certified Gold.

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Big L was 24-years-old at the time of his death, but now his name will forever live on in the streets of Harlem.

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May 31, 2022
CMAC Opens Up Their Summer Concert Series with The Lumineers

Folk rock legends The Lumineers made a stop in Canandaigua on Friday, May 27, on their heavily anticipated world tour. Popular Upstate NY venue CMAC had a packed crowd despite the on and off rain storm that carried on all day.

Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty

The Lumineers opened up the amphitheater’s debut concert series and left people wanting more. It was only right that another on the rise folk band open up the night and Caamp did just that. These Ohio natives are composed of Evan Westfall, Taylor Meier, Matt Vinson, and Joseph Kavalec. The group played some hits that the crowd seemed very familiar with including “Hey Joe,” “By and By,” and “Vagabond.”

Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty

The Lumineers fans’ have waited many years for new music. Luckily, at the beginning of 2022 the band released their fourth studio album BRIGHTSIDE. Following that they announced their worldwide tour. The joyous nine-song collection is co-written by Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites. On stage they join countless other musicians to give fans the full experience of their music.

In addition to the intricate projecting screens and lighting effects, The Lumineers entered the stage with their uplifting dance beats. They opened with popular songs “BRIGHTSIDE,” “Cleopatra,” and “Ho Hey.” All of which had the crowd dancing from the front aisles to the back of the lawn. The gratitude to be back with their fans had The Lumineers pumped up and even spread the love with their fans as Wesley walked into the crowd throughout his set.

Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty

Although this was the BRIGHTSIDE tour it did not let the band shy away from playing their much-adored songs off of their older albums III, Cleopatra, and The Lumineers. They even managed to play some covers and bring Caamp back out on stage for a group performance.

They finished their set with songs that the lead singer said reminded him of the many obstacles that everyone endured during the pandemic and the perseveration that we all held on to. With a heavy heart the crowd collectively screamed the lyrics to “Stubborn Love.”

Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty

CMAC is welcoming many more artists this summer including Kenny Chesney, Fitz and the Tantrums, and more. Don’t miss out!

The Lumineers – CMAC, Canandaigua, NY – May 29, 2022

Setlist: BRIGHTSIDE, Cleopatra, Ho Hey, Flowers in Your Hair, Angela, A.M. Radio, Dead Sea, My Cell, Slow It Down, Charlie Boy, NEVER REALLY MINE, Gloria, Sleep on the Floor, Ophelia, Leader of the Landslide, ROLLERCOASTER, WHERE WE ARE, Walls (Circus), Big Parade

Encore: Donna, Submarines, BIRTHDAY, REMINGTON/REPRISE, Stubborn Love

May 31, 2022
Ariana Reines’ “Divine Justice” to be Performed in Manhattan

On June 11, Manhattan’s Performance Space New York will host a performance of “Divine Justice,” a 24-hour long show by Obie-winning playwright Ariana Reines.

Taking a mystical approach, “Divine Justice” hypothesizes what a female-first, reformation-oriented conception of justice would look like. The play draws influence from early Greek theater, exploring its themes using the Greek myth of Medea. The main character of the production, Medea is portrayed by Obie-winning actress Birgit Huppuch. Other inspirations include Balkan women’s folk singing, Reverend Billy’s Church of Stop Shopping, and the pop culture trope of the courtroom drama.

Promotional artwork for “Divine Justice,” found on Performance Space New York’s website.

Reines conceived the play in wake of the hearings of Brett Kavanaugh and Kyle Rittenhouse during 2018 and 2020 respectively, viewing these legal proceedings as “precise portraits of the judiciary as a theater of white masculine hysteria.”

Looking to explore thousands of years worth of misogyny through “Divine Justice,” she chose the 24-hour format out of a desire to attract a crowd of “hardcore people.” Over the course of its runtime, the production will include refreshments, meal breaks, “more traditional performance events,” meditation, conversation, and music. A schedule for such proceedings will be found on Performance Space New York’s website in the days leading up to the show.

In addition to her works as a playright such as “Divine Justice,” Ariana Reines is also a poet, performing artist, and astrologer. Her most recent collection of poetry, A SAND BOOK, won the 2020 Kingsley Tufts Prize and was longlisted for the National Book Award.

Along with Reines and Huppuch, other contributors to “Divine Justice” include Sunder Ganglani on sound design, Tuçe Yasak on lighting design, Marsha Ginsberg on production design, Ken Rus Schmoll as a drama coach and co-director, Savitri D as the play’s dramaturgist, Yva Las Vegass as a musical performer.

May 31, 2022
The Who Close Out First Leg of 2022 Tour at Bethel Woods

The Who closed out the first half of its The Who Hits Back! 2022 North American Tour at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts on Saturday May 28. The tour date coincided with the Memorial Day weekend and the start of Bethel Woods’ pavilion show season.

Roger Daltrey, Loren Gold, Pete Townshend

Opening night duties belonged to Willie Nile. Drawing from his extensive catalog of music, Nile and crew offered up a powerful 45-minute set. Willie shared that he had gone to Woodstock in ’69 specifically to see The Who perform. His excitement of performing on the same stage with them was quite evident. A prolific writer whose songs talk to the common man, Nile dedicated a song to those impacted by gun violence, calling out his hometown of Buffalo. Willie closed with the anthem styled “One Guitar.” As a preamble to the song, he pressed that with one guitar, one voice, we can come together and help the world.

Backed by a full orchestra, Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend and The Who took the stage. The night was an evening of essential Who. With slight vocal variations to support the aging Daltrey’s voice, both he and Townshend did not let the audience of 16,000 down. The core nine-piece band included Pete’s brother, Simon Townshend, on guitar and Ringo Starr’s son, Zak Starkey, on drums. The show featured a full orchestra enhancing the night’s experience. The orchestra, which varies location to location, was comprised of tri-state musicians, and was led by conductor Keith Levenson.

Willie Nile

Mid-set the orchestra left the stage. Pete and Simon Townshend donned acoustic guitars, shifting the tone a bit, as they started into “Seeker.” The mini set concluded with violinist Katie Jacoby, cellist Audrey Q. Snyder, and Pete Townshend sitting in the round as Roger Daltrey serenaded the audience with “Behind Blue Eyes.”

On the return of the orchestra, Pete noted he had fought against using an orchestra for the recording of Tommy. But with Quadrophenia, he realized its value. It was obvious at this point we were experiencing a live rock opera. The evening came to a close with with a song loosely inspired by Pete’s observations from their time at the original Woodstock Festival, “Baba O’Riley” from Who’s Next.

The Who

Were there guitars smashed or drums blown apart? No. However, that did not matter. This night was the about the genius of Pete Townshend, through the vessel that is The Who. For the Hudson Valley this was a trifecta night: Memorial Day weekend, live music, and The Who with an orchestra. Long Live Rock.

The Who

Willie Nile

May 31, 2022
Thursdays on the Village Green Continues a Century-Old Tradition in Hamilton

This July in the Madison County Village of Hamilton, the Village Green will offer an all ages free summer concert series each night at 7pm. Each night there will also be kids activities, starting at 5:30pm

Live music on the Village Green is a tradition that dates back to 1902 and is one of the Hamilton community’s most beloved summer activities.

This series is presented by Arts at the Palace and the New York State Council on the Arts in addition to a variety of other sponsors and community supporters.

The 2022 season kicks off on July 14th with family-friendly events and terrific musical performances each night. Folks are encouraged to picnic on the Village Green or enjoy the music from the patio of the Colgate Inn. The evening’s concert and activities are free for all to enjoy, with blankets, chairs and dancing encouraged.

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July 14 – Robert Rogers Puppet Show: Finnie’s Ocean Treasure, followed by music from Alea.

July 21 – The REV Theatre Co presenting The Fisherman and His Wife, followed by music from the Jesse Taylor Band with support from Zach Dupont.

July 28 – Didgeridoo Down Under is the early show for the kids, while music this evening will feature Pearly Baker’s Best: A Grateful Dead Experience.

August 4 – don’t miss a magic show by Nate the Great, followed by a reunion concert from local favorite Rabbit in the Rye.

Mosher Farms will sell popcorn at all events and a variety of food vendors will be on-site throughout the series including Brake From The Grind, Gilligan’s Ice Cream, Oh Crepe, Oscar Concession Gourmet Crab Cake & Steak, Ray Brothers Barbeque, Stathis Greek Food, Squeezers Lemonade, and TacoCat Gourmet Tacos. Follow @thursdaysonthevillagegreen on Facebook and Instagram for more details and to see which trucks will be present each week.

Thursdays on the Village Green is run by a dedicated team of volunteers who are proud to continue this 120+ year community tradition. Interested in helping out or learning more – send an email to thursdaysonthevillagegreen@gmail.com

May 31, 2022
Lumineers Kick Off the Summer Season in Saratoga

The Lumineers kicked off the 2022 Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) season in Saratoga Springs on Sunday, May 29th with their Brightside World Tour. Upwards of 20,000 fans poured into SPAC on a beautiful May evening that felt more like mid-summer. They played songs spanning their entire catalog, including dusting off one that hadn’t been played in almost a decade.

SPAC 5/29/22

After a 2 year delay due to COVID, the Boulder, CO Folk/Rock band made its first stop in Saratoga Springs. While the band hails from Colorado, they are no strangers to upstate New York. Brightside, the new album, was produced by Palenville, NY native and renowned musician Simon Felice, and engineered by David Baron at his Sun Mountain Studios in Ulster County, NY. Currently in the middle of their east coast swing, the group will continue throughout the Northeast and Midwest, before returning to NYC for a two night stand at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens.

SPAC 5/29/22

The evening opened up with Ohio based Caamp, an American folk/indie group performing for the eager crowd. After a short break that allowed the audience to mingle and enjoy the picturesque grounds, the Lumineers took stage to thunderous applause. Beginning with “Brightside” from their new album, then followed by well known songs “Cleopatra” and “Ho Hey”.

At times, the audience started their own sing-alongs with some of their most popular songs. Towards the end of the performance front-man Wesley Shultz was assigning parts to the crowd, which they eagerly belted out. “Big Parade” which the band said hadn’t been played in about 9 years, was met with excitement. Another highlight came at the end of the show when they closed with the song “Stubborn Love” which had the crowd chanting along.

As the show ended, I overheard one fan exclaim to her friend “That was so much fun, I can’t wait for the next one” Fans certainly left with their hearts full of excitement, for the next stop on the tour, the next show at SPAC, and the summer season to begin in Saratoga Springs.

The Lumineers – SPAC, Saratoga Springs, NY – May 29, 2022

Setlist: Brightside, Cleopatra, Ho Hey, Flowers in Your Hair, Angela, A.M. Radio, Dead Sea, Slow It Down, Charlie Boy, Never Really Mine, Gloria, Sleep on the Floor, Ophelia, Leader of the Landslide, Where We Are, Rollercoaster, Morning Song, Big Parade

Encore: Donna, Submarines, Birthday, Remington / Reprise, Stubborn Love

May 30, 2022
Brooklyn-Based Artist Moon Walker Releases Electrifying Single, Announces New Album

Brooklyn-based alt-rocker Moon Walker has released his new dark, synthy single “I’m Afraid I’ll Go To Heaven.” He also announced his sophomore album The Attack of Mirrors.

Moon Walker has been described as “Fuzzed-out 70’s rock bliss…politically charged rock music with a sound akin to the White Stripes. Lyrically, the songs are confrontational and sarcastic,” by Westword. He has also been compared to The Talking Heads by New Noise.

Formed during the height of the pandemic, Harry Springer created Moon Walker to pass time and get extra money through selling songs to song libraries. Now, he produces and performs under the name after his first album Truth To Power garnered a fanbase and hundreds of thousands of streams.

The single “I’m Afraid I’ll Go To Heaven” is sarcastic and sincere, with 70s-inspired dark-heavy synths and lyrics commentating on religion and the modern political system. They find humor in darkness as they sing “I’m afraid I’ll go to heaven / That’s why I’m hoping that I’m right / My biggest fear ain’t no red Devil / It’s being near you people all the time.”

Photo credit: Madison McConnell

The music video produced by Madison McConnell is inspired by Kubrick’s The Shining, and the infamous bar scene. Moon Walker gushed about the video in a statement.

This is my favorite music video I’ve ever made. Madi had the idea to base it heavily off of one of my favorite scenes in one of my favorite movies, which I think was brilliant. It also gave me specific references to base my performance off of, which is great if you suck at acting, like me!

His new album The Attack Of Mirrors, due October 21, will elevate his nostalgic, alternative garage band sounds over ten tracks. He will be using a more experimental approach, expanding on the sounds shown on his first album.

May 30, 2022