Borderland Festival announces it will be returning for its 5th year to Knox Farm State Park, just 15 minutes from downtown Buffalo, featuring many well-known and legendary acts from Sept. 15-17.
Borderland Festival is one of the region’s most popular music and art festivals, taking place at Knox State Farm. The three-day experience will host more than 20 bands on two stages from Sept. 15-17. Festival goers can expect a diverse mix of music spanning the genres of rock, country, and Americana, along with performances from local musicians. Aside from the music, there will be a range of artisans, axe throwing, Kidsland, local chefs and food trucks, and alcohol from local breweries.
The 2023 lineup features Trey Anastasio with Classic TAB from the legendary jam band Phish on Saturday night. Anastasio is known as the co-founder of the band and the lead guitarist, receiving several Grammy nominations for his work and a Tony nomination for “Best Original Score” in 2013 for writing the music to Hands on a Hardbody. For the first time, the festival will host a Friday night headliner with jam band Goose, a four-piece indie groove band from Norwalk, Connecticut. The band is made up of members Peter Anspach, Jeff Arevalo, Ben Atkind, Rick Mitarotonda, and Trevor Weekz, recently closing out five nights at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester.
One of Buffalo’s own favorite bands, moe. will also be closing out the weekend for a sunset performance on Sunday, Sept. 17. The band has had a lot of success and longevity since its creation due to its engaged fanbase, aka the fa.moe.ly which has led them to do headline tours, international festival sets, music-themed cruises, and sold-out shows alongside countless household-name artists. The artist lineup also includes Dawes, The Infamous Stringdusters, Sammy Rae & Friends, Neal Francis, Mighty Poplar, The 502s, Krasno/Moore Project, and a full weekend of local bands.
Tickets are on sale now, featuring three-day weekend passes, single-day “anyday” tickets, three-day VIP passes are sold out, camping passes, and more. Kids ten and under are free if accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Each Sunday evening from 7-9 pm you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up-and-coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear new music from Small Ghosts, Architrave, and Bars Homer.
WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.
Small Ghosts- “I Might Disappear”
Small Ghosts is a noisey rock band from Troy, formed in 2022, featuring members from a number of well-respected northeast bands. Their first record BLEED was released in June.
Architrave- “Twitch of the Wing”
Architrave is a synth-pop duo from Ballston Spa, made up of Jennifer Maher Coleman and Paul Coleman. Their unique blend of synth and alternative sounds makes listeners really enjoy them, and their new single off of their upcoming album Out of My Mind and Into Yours is out now.
Bars Homer- “Lo”
Bars Homer is a solo project created by multi-instrumentalist Paul Lambert based out of Saratoga Springs in 2023.
GRAMMY Award-winning singer/songwriter Joanie Leeds has announced her protest against the controversial banned books movement with her new record FREADOM.
Her daughter’s voice opens FREADOM with a heartfelt protest, introducing the powerful anthem “Banned,” setting the emotional tone for the album. Leeds and her all-star Book Band (featuring Regina Carter, Oran Etkin, Cheryl B. Engelhardt, Divinity Roxx, and SaulPaul) celebrate many of the banned children’s books with a new collection of eight original songs that joyously amplify messages of love and inclusion.
A leading progressive voice in children’s music, the New York City-based artist Joanie Leeds is a national touring artist, early childhood educator, and activist. Since the 2003 release of her album, Soul from My Footsteps, her witty, heartfelt, and righteous body of work has earned numerous awards. Her 2020 gender equality album for families, All the Ladies, won a GRAMMY Award for “Best Children’s Album.” With FREADOM, Leeds is once again bringing her music to the frontlines, offering support and inspiring music.
2022 saw the highest number of book bans and attempts to remove or restrict materials since the American Library Association started compiling data 20 years ago. Millions of children are currently losing access to important literature. Book banners primarily target stories by and about people of color, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and those exploring Jewish themes. Freedom of expression and the right to access information are fundamental pillars of America’s democracy and FREADOM is Leeds’ message to the world in support of everyone’s First Amendment Rights.
When the political landscape seems too divisive to make change, I ask myself as a children’s musician, ‘What can I do?’ My frustration and grief often become the catalyst for new music. FREADOM lifts up some of our favorite banned titles and causes some ‘good trouble’ as I reimagine the stories in song form and perform alongside some of the best musicians I know. Please take a stand and join me fighting book bans and protecting the personal freedoms of ALL Americans. We will not be banned!
Joanie Leeds.
FREADOM features Leeds with a world-class cast of musicians, including GRAMMY Award-nominated and McArthur Fellow violinist Regina Carter, three GRAMMY-nominated instrumentalists including guitarist/vocalist Saul Paul, bassist/vocalist Divinity Roxx, pianist/vocalist Cheryl B. Engelhardt; multi-reed player Oran Etkin, among others.
Leeds said the rising tide of book bans hit remarkably close to home. “As a mother of an 8-year-old daughter who loves picture books, we’ve been following this story very closely as many of our favorite titles have been removed from schools and libraries, particularly in my home state of Florida.”
Inspired by different children’s books, tracks like “Block Party” take inspiration from neighborly love in Patricia Polacco’s In Our Mothers’ House and “Tango” from And Tango Makes Three, a story about the Central Park Zoo’s beloved penguin family. As a Jewish woman, it was essential for Leeds to bring attention to the fact that books about the Holocaust (Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl and Art Spiegelman’s Maus) are being banned. Mara Rockliff’s and Kyrsten Brooker’s Chik Chak Shabbat inspired the incantatory “Cholent Time.”
A tribute to Junot Diaz’s Islandborn, the Caribbean-tinged “Inside Your Heart” honors the children of immigrants who learn about their ancestral homeland from stories passed down by their families. The irresistible anthem and a cappella song “Rainbow Flag” is inspired by Rob Sanders’ and Steven Salerno’s Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag.
“Sing it Out” is Leeds’ homage to Sing a Song: How Lift Every Voice and Sing Inspired Generations, Kelly Starling Lyons’ and Keith Mallett’s moving book about the NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson’s hymn often described as the Black National Anthem. FREADOM closes with “Born That Way,” a sweet ode to gender diversity and following one’s dreams inspired by Marcus Ewert’s and Rex Ray’s 10,000 Dresses.
For more information about Joanie Leeds’ and to see her upcoming performances at The Cutting Room on Sept. 27, the Jewish Museum on Oct. 15, and the Children’s Museum of Manhattan on Dec. 2 and 3, visit here.
Blue Note Jazz Club is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with a week-long residency from Grammy-nominated Afro-Cuban artist Cimafunk.
Occurring from Sept. 15-Oct. 15, Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the culture and contributions of Hispanic people. From Sept. 26- Oct. 1, Grammy-nominated Afro-Cuban Rockstar Cimafunk will bring his talents to the Blue Note Jazz Club stage. His name refers to his heritage as a “cimarrón,” Cubans of African descent who resisted and escaped slavery, as well as to the essence of his music, which aims to mix classical Cuban rhythms with funk, afrobeat, and hip hop.
The godfather of Funk George Clinton has referred to Cimafunk as “the one,” and Chucho Valdes credits him for musically “uniting Afro-Cuban and African American.” He has received overwhelming praise touring the U.S. and Europe, making a name for himself as one of today’s great showmen, performing an electric live show with La Tribu, his nine-person band from Havana. His live shows are celebrations of groove and are an unforgettable sonic and bodily experience. His latest album, El Alimento, was nominated at the 2023 GRAMMY Awards for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album.
Blue Note Jazz Club.
Since 1981, the Blue Note Jazz Club has been a cultural institution in NYC and one of the premiere jazz clubs in the world. It strives to preserve the history of jazz, and the club practices the foundations of jazz on a nightly basis and carries the torch for the genre in the 21st century.
The club has been frequented by celebrities such as Scarlett Johansson, Colin Jost, Zoe Kravitz, and Jon Hamm, and has featured musicians like Robert Glasper, Ron Carter, Pat Metheny, Ms. Lisa Fischer, Christain McBride, Keyon Harrold, Meshell Ndegeocello, and more.
Kicking off on September 26, the shows will take place during Hispanic Heritage Month and feature a variety of iconic special guests including Chuco Valdes, Pedrito Martinez, and Big Freedia. For more information, visit here.
Cimafunk Residency
Tue, Sept 26 @ Blue Note Jazz Club – 8:00 PM & 10:30 PM
Wed, Sept 27 @ Blue Note Jazz Club – 8:00 PM & 10:30 PM *
Thu, Sept 28 @ Blue Note Jazz Club – 8:00 PM & 10:30 PM †
Fri, Sept 29 @ Blue Note Jazz Club – 8:00 PM & 10:30 PM
Sat, Sept 30 @ Blue Note Jazz Club – 8:00 PM & 10:30 PM
Sun, Oct 1 @ Blue Note Jazz Club – 8:00 PM & 10:30 PM ‡
Levitate has announced the 2023 Flannel Jam lineup, celebrating the beauty of the fall season in New England. Taking place on Oct. 8 at Marshfield Fairgrounds in Marshfield, MA with a special island encore performance on Oct. 9 at Cisco Brewers in Nantucket, MA, the festival will celebrate fall in a unique style.
Photo credit Adam Straughn.
Levitate was founded in 2003 as a community-focused surf and skate shop that steadily grew through local support and grassroots marketing. Over the past 20 years, these original core values of community, creativity, and a connectedness to nature have been woven through all aspects of Levitate’s growth, from apparel lines, outdoor camps, music and events venues, and signature festivals.
Flannel Jam also serves as the official release party of Levitate’s 2023 Fall Line, including their signature Original Flannels, plus sweaters, fleece, jackets, and more built with recycled, organic, and eco-friendly materials. The team perfected a line of apparel built for New Englanders, inspired by the connection and passion for surf culture, music, art, and the outdoors.
Flannel Jam celebrates all things fall with a focus on creativity and community, mixing together live art and muralists, featuring an enlarged artisan village to celebrate New England Artists. The festival will also feature special seasonal fall-focused drinks and food, as well as a Kid’s Zone.
The lineup will feature Old Crow Medicine Show, Chadwick Stokes & The Pintos, Jackson + Mihali, Futurebirds, Melt, The Heavy Heavy, Ali McGuirk, and Birch Swart & Sesalia. Nantucket’s island encore edition will see a reprise from Old Crow Medicine Show plus Chadwick Stokes & The Pintos, Ali McGuirk, and Buckle & Shaketo.
One percent of each ticket sold will be contributed to the Levitate Foundation, a non-profit whose mission is to cultivate vibrant communities by creating and conserving access to music, art, and the outdoors.
Tickets go on sale Sept. at noon EST via Tixr. Visit here for more information.
The 2023 Adirondack Independence Music Festival takes place this weekend, September 1-3, returning to the Charles R. Wood Festival Commons in Lake George for three nights over Labor Day weekend.
The 2023 Adirondack Independence Music Festival features a stellar lineup of rock and jam bands, food, and craft vendors, and a great view of the Lake George fireworks on Saturday evening. This year’s festival will feature headliners moe., who will once again be performing four sets over two nights, as well as Dark Star Orchestra performing two sets of Grateful Dead music.
Also performing this year over the three days are Rubblebucket, Keller Williams, Dumpstaphunk, Mihali, Prince/Bowie performing the music of Prince and David Bowie (featuring members of Pink Talking Fish, Twiddle, The Machine and the Cool Cool Cool horn section), Dogs in a Pile, Melt, Neighbor, Eggy, Roots of Creation, Jimkata, Lucid, Karina Rykman, Sophistafunk, former Lettuce/Soulive saxophonist Sam Kininger & The A-Beez, Baked Shrimp, Escaper, Creamery Station, Suke Cerulo Band, and Hilltop.
Music in the Festival Commons will begin at 1 pm on Friday and 12:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday, running continuously across two side-by-side stages until 11 pm each night. The event is for all ages, and children 12 and under get in free. For tickets and more information, visit here.
Essex, a new music venue, is coming to Rochester’s Neighborhood of the Arts in the fall, already booking two acclaimed Rochester-based acts Joywave and Danielle Ponder.
Photo credit Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
Essex, a music hall and multi-events space, will open at 1048 University Ave. The venue said on its website that it aims to add vibrancy, culture, and life to the Rochester community.
The owners of Essex are Josh Miles, Zach Mikida, Mack Hartman, and Dave Drago. The first three deal with the hospitality side of the venue, while Drago handles the music. The venue features two bars and an industrial-looking outside, changing soon to be a little warmer and accommodating.
In an area that has very few venues, the music hall will be a nice addition to the area, and allow more bands to travel Upstate without going to such major cities as Buffalo or Niagara Falls. The main focus of the venue is to showcase various artists that come to the area, allowing people to enjoy good music and vibes.
Danielle Ponder announced shows for Friday, Oct. 6, and Saturday, Oct. 7. Both shows will begin at 11 p.m. and tickets cost $30. Indie rock band Joywave announced shows for Thursday, Nov. 16, and Friday, Nov. 17. Both shows will begin at 7 p.m. and tickets cost $35. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit here.
Playbill, The Broadway League, and the Times Square Alliance have announced the lineup of Broadway shows to be included in the Curtain Up! LIVE from Broadway finale concert, concluding the third-annual Curtain Up Broadway Festival.
The Curtain Up! LIVE from Broadway finale concert will be a grand, outdoor event taking place rain or shine on Sunday, Sept. 10 from 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM in Duffy Square. This free outdoor concert spotlights marquee talent, showcases current Broadway musicals and plays, and will be aired live on WABC TV.
Participating shows include & Juliet; A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical; Aladdin; Back to the Future: The Musical; The Book of Mormon; Chicago; The Cottage; Hadestown; Harmony; How to Dance in Ohio; Jaja’s African Hair Braiding; Kimberly Akimbo; The Lion King; Moulin Rouge! The Musical; The Shark Is Broken; Shucked; SIX;Some Like It Hot; Spamalot; Wicked; and more areto be announced.
From Friday, Sept. 8 to Sunday, Sept. 10 the Curtain Up Broadway Festival brings Broadway to the streets, in the heart of New York City. Stretching between 45th and 47th Streets, the festival will include interactive events and performances that are all live, free, and open to the public. It kicks off with guest speakers from Playbill, The Broadway League, Times Square Alliance, & Prudential Financial, with Broadway guest hosts, special performances, and special guests from The NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME), Hotel Edison, Open Jar Studios, The Entertainment Community Fund, and more.
What better way to kick off a new Broadway season than to celebrate the Curtain Up Broadway Festival in Times Square. This incredible three-day festival will host special concerts, sing-alongs, and workshops, just to name a few of the many exciting events planned. Last season, Broadway had a total attendance of 12.3 million indicating just how much live theatre means to so many and its pivotal role in NYC’s economic development. We’ll wrap up the weekend with the Curtain Up! LIVE from Broadway finale concert on Sunday, September 10th and thank WABC for returning to live broadcast the star-studded show.
Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League.
The Prudential Stages on Broadway Brought to You by Playbill contest hosted by Brittney Johnson, an acclaimed Broadway star who made history playing the title role of Glinda in the smash-hit musical Wicked, will take place on September 9 and gives aspiring and emerging artists across the country the opportunity to capitalize on their “Now What?” moment. The winning artists will have the chance to network with theatre professionals – like host Johnson and contest judges Tara Rubin and Allen René Louis – and could walk away with a monetary prize of up to $10,000 plus an opportunity for financial advice from a Prudential Advisor.
Additional events include ¡Viva! Broadway® Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration, Broadway Sing-Alongs throughout the festival on the ‘Belt It Out On Broadway’ stage, Curtain Up After Dark events featuring Broadway Sings and Rockers On Broadway, Ailey’s Revelations dance workshop, multiple Dueling Piano events at the ‘Belt It Out on Broadway’ stage, Broadway Block Parties presented by the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME), and more to be announced.
For more information and a full lineup, visit here.
Local Oneida teacher Heather O’Connell has been awarded the prestigious Music Teacher Award from the one and only Barry Manilow for her work as an excellent music teacher.
Barry Manilow attends the Clive Davis Gallery Ribbon Cutting at New York University on April 05, 2022, in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images).
Heather O’Connell has won the Manilow Music Teacher Award for her work as a music teacher at Oneida High School along with $10,000, which consists of $5,000 cash and another $5,000 in “Manilow bucks” to purchase musical instruments for her school’s music program. The Manilow Music Project Teacher Award recognizes an “outstanding music teacher who helps bring music to life for their students,” stated Turning Stone. The Manilow Music Project has given away over 10 million dollars worth of funds and musical instrument donations.
“I am so humbled and so honored to have won this award to give me the opportunity to help so many students,” said O’Connell. “The $5,000 instrument money is going to my colleagues to purchase instruments for the students, and the other $5,000 is going directly back to the students at the high school. We have a beautiful community outreach program here in our school that I can help to feed and clothe and help kids in our community.”
O’Connell received several nominations from Turning Stone employees, who helped nominate deserving music teachers in the area. The Manilow Music Project then selected ten finalists, opening up voting online to name the winner. Turning Stone Bingo Supervisor Dezaire Collins was one of those employees who nominated O’Connell.
“Honestly, [Mrs. O’Connell] was the first person I thought of; she is truly an amazing teacher,” said Collins. “Now that I’m a parent and think back to the joy she brought to my life in music, and now she’s giving it to my kids as well. It’s quite amazing the impact she’s made in our district over these past 30 years.”
Heather O’Connell.
Barry Manilow performed on Aug. 19 at Turning Stone, where O’Connell received VIP tickets. Manilow also presented her with the award at a backstage ceremony during the concert.
“It is wonderful to partner with our concert venues to identify schools and music teachers in their neighborhoods that deserve this small token of my gratitude, said Manilow. “Many school music programs have either been terminated, or their funds have been severely depleted. I always want to do my part through The Manilow Music Project to keep music in schools.
Mexican music icon Alejandro Fernández has pledged support for the New York Immigration Coalition, announcing that he will donate portions of proceeds from his upcoming performance at Hulu Theater at MSG to the organization.
“To our Latino community and families in New York, my heart is with you…you are a part of all of us. I can only imagine how hard these times are as you seek a safe place for you and your families in a foreign land. You have my support wherever you are.” says Fernández.
New York has seen the arrival of over a 100,000 asylum seekers and migrants in search of safety and opportunity in 2023. While some have been able to start their lives, many more are struggling with housing shelter challenges that include inadequate facilities or food, and the difficulties of working. The New York Immigration Coalition has been chosen as the recipient of these funds given their long-standing role advocating on behalf of immigrant New Yorkers and their response efforts to help welcome these families.
Alejandro Fernández, son of the legendary Vicente Fernández, rose to global fame with his unique take on Mexican music. He is known for his records that speak of hard emotional truths. surprising his fanbase with his musical versatility in different genres. He is a 2x Latin GRAMMY winner and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He has a long history of helping others through his music and shows. In 2023, he pledged his support for the “Friends of the Latino Museum” and their efforts to secure a spot on the National Mall in Washington D.C. for the planned National Museum of the American Latino. His 2021 US tour raised over $100,000 for “Families Belong Together” to unite immigrant parents and children separated at the US border.
In 2020, he launched (along with a coalition of artists) the “Vota Por Nosotros” (Vote For Us) get-out-the-vote campaign, encouraging Latino voters to vote. The same year, he joined Mana’s Fher Olvera as the face of the “We Are Home” campaign calling for a fair and dignified immigration policy for the millions of Latino immigrants living in the US and again with Dr. Anthony Fauci in a call for the US Latino population to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.
Photo credit Chino Lemus.
Murad Awawdeh, Executive Director, New York Immigration Coalition said, “We are immensely grateful to Alejandro Fernández for his generosity in uplifting the needs of New York’s newest arrivals to a global audience. His humanitarian action unites Latinos across continents, as well as recognizes the challenges faced by all those fleeing violence and persecution in search of safety. His support and the matching contribution from Live Nation will ensure that the New York Immigration Coalition can continue to advocate for and serve the needs of asylum seekers and all immigrants in New York City and across the state.”
Live Nation will matchFernández’s donation when he performs at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 14, 2023 on his Amor y Patria tour. Tickets are available here.
