NYS Music 2023

Author: Tori Baker

  • YoFiFest Returns With Music Films “Kings of Blah” and “Louder Than You Think”

    YoFiFest returns for its 11th year as an international film festival that welcomes filmmakers and film lovers from across the globe to Yonkers. This year, YoFiFest will showcase many films, including music films “Kings of Blah” and “Louder Than You Think.”

    YoFiFest launched its annual festival just 11 ago. Starting as a small non-profit, their mission was to raise the level of arts and culture in its community by showcasing the work of independent filmmakers and providing educational and cultural opportunities that otherwise wouldn’t exist in the area. This year, the organization is more committed than ever to not only continue that mission, but expand on it. For ten days, YoFiFest will present around 125 films from 24 countries, as well as films from our home state. The films include features, documentaries, shorts, animation, music videos, web series, and student work. 

    This year, two great “music movies” will be featured in the YoFiFest lineup, Kings of Blah and Louder Than You Think. 

    Kings of Blah is a story centered around two coworkers– Danny and Tom– at an electronics supply store, but by night, they are “Frog”: a guitar rock duo looking for their break. When their new EP makes a big splash in England, the boys bid farewell to Queens to seek glory “across the pond.” Frog will also be holding a live performance and throwing a record release party just after the screening of their film. 

    Louder Than You Think is an up-close cinematic film through the life of Gary Young, the original drummer of indie rock royalty, Pavement. His booze and drug-fueled stunts (such as on-stage handstands and gifting vegetables to fans) and haphazard production methods (which accidentally helped launch the lo-fi aesthetic) were both a driving force of the band’s early rise and the cause of his eventual crash landing. Leaving a wake of joy and/or destruction at every turn, Gary teeters the thin line between free-form self-expression and chaotic self-destruction. 

    “When we started the film festival nine years ago, Yonkers wasn’t known as a film-friendly city…but with an increasing number of movies and television shows shooting here, and a new studio complex right outside our YoFi Digital Media Art Center, it’s beginning to feel like people are realizing what we’ve know for awhile—Yonkers is Hollywood on the Hudson!”

    Dave Steck

    The 10 day festival kicks off on November 10 and offers over a hundred independent films, live filmmaker Q&A’s, educational workshops led by entertainment industry professionals, networking events, receptions, and parties.

    Most of YoFi’s film programs will be followed by a live Q&A where the audience has the opportunity to ask the filmmakers questions about their movies. Patty Schuman, the festival’s co-founder and programmer, notes that nearly every one of their filmmakers plan to attend their film’s Q&A’s this year. 

    The festival provides an amazing opportunity for audiences to watch films that they might not see anywhere else. FilmFreeway named YoFiFest one of the “Top 100 Best Reviewed Festivals” nine times. YoFiFest also been named “Best of Westchester” twice by Westchester Magazine, and it was named as one of the top ten reasons Yonkers was voted the “Hippest Town in the Lower Hudson Valley” by The Journal News/LoHud.

    All the screenings and workshops are held in downtown Yonkers within a few blocks of each other at either the Yonkers Riverfront Library theater, directly across the street from the Yonkers Metro North Train Station, or YoFi’s own year-round DMAC (Digital Media Art Center). The festival is convenient to public transportation, as well as several nearby parking lots.

    Besides the festival, YoFi offers year-round programs, screenings and events throughout the winter and spring. This year it piloted its new TEAM (Training for Employment in the Arts and Media) program that gives 18-26 year olds the skills they need to enter the entertainment industry in entry level positions. The program is preparing to expand and start its next cohort in January, 2024. The participants will receive classroom instruction, as well as location visits, mentorship and job placement. 

    More information and tickets are available at their website.

  • Cortland Repertory Theatre Has Announced 2024 Summer Season

    Cortland Repertory Theatre has announced their 52nd annual summer season to be held at the Little York Pavilion in Preble, NY in 2024. The season will run from June 5 – August 17 and contain three musicals and two plays.

    The Cortland Repertory Theatre opened its doors on July 5, 1972 at Dwyer Memoral Park. Being one of New York State’s longest running professional theatres, they continue to support and showcase popular musicals and plays for theatre lovers in the area.

    Producing Artistic Director Kerby Thompson says, “we always strive to select a season that falls under the umbrella as ‘something for everyone’ and I’m very excited about this coming summer’s selections!”

    One change in the CRT schedule of note: most of the summer productions will be completing their runs on a Friday, not on Saturdays as in previous years. Also, the theatre will be adding a 2:00PM matinee on the second Tuesday of the performance schedule to make a less hectic, less stressful, and safer changeover from one production to the next. Thompson also notes that matinees are very popular and adding another to the schedule opens more seating options for those who choose the afternoon shows.

    Kicking off the season from June 5-14 is a show that has been called “one of the greatest musicals of all time”: My Fair Lady. With book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe, this musical was adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s play and Gabriel Pascal’s movie “Pygmalion” and was originally directed and staged by Moss Hart.

    In this story, Eliza Doolittle is a young flower seller with an unmistakable Cockney accent which seemingly keeps her in the lower rungs of Edwardian society. When Professor Henry Higgins tries to teach her how to speak like “a proper lady”, an unlikely friendship begins to flourish. The musical’s score is loaded with familiar songs, including “The Rain in Spain,” “I Could Have Danced All Night”, “On the Street Where You Live”, “Get Me to the Church on Time”, and “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face.”

    From June 19 – 28 is the CRT debut of the heartwarming comedy The Last Romance, by Joe DePietro. CRT audiences will remember DePietro’s work from the 2005 and 2022 productions of Over the River and Through the Woods.

    This play explores the transformative power of love, no matter what age one may be. On an ordinary day in a routine life, widower Ralph takes a different path on his daily walk and meets Carol while she’s sitting on a bench in a dog park. Relying on his boyish charm and a fictional dog named Rex, Ralph woos Carol and they embark on a hilarious and touching journey that proves it’s never too late for romance. This laugh-filled comedy cleverly explores relationships between people in their golden years, and how the invisible bonds of family often tie our hearts tighter than any love affair.

    A recent Broadway musical, with the regional premiere from July 3 – 12, is Jimmy Buffet’s Escape to Margaritaville, with a book by Emmy Award winner Greg Garcia and Emmy nominee Mike O’Malley, and music and lyrics by Jimmy Buffett. The Pavilion stage will transform into a tropical paradise where love and laughter are the keys to “growing older but not up.”

    The story centers around Tully, the “mayor” of Margaritaville, a part-time bartender, part-time singer, and full-time charmer who’s got life all figured out until a beautiful tourist steals his heart and makes him question everything he knows. This energetic score features Jimmy Buffett’s classics, including “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Fins,” “Volcano,” “It’s Five o’clock Somewhere,” and many more.

    Wikipedia

    Running from July 17 – 26 is a thrilling new adaptation of the Broadway classic that inspired the 1967 film starring Audrey Hepburn, Wait Until Dark, originally written by Frederick Knott and recently adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher.

    Murder, secret identities, and a switchblade set the stage for this white-knuckle thriller that takes place in the quaint 1944 Greenwich Village basement apartment of Susan, a blind yet capable woman, and her husband Sam. While Sam is away on business, Susan finds herself threatened by a trio of men who will stop at nothing to get a stolen item hidden in the apartment. As the climax builds, Susan discovers that her blindness just might be the key to her escape, but she must wait until dark to reach the shattering conclusion.

    Wrapping up the summer, from July 31 – August 17, Cortland Repertory Theatre presents their debut production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, and a book by Linda Woolverton. This “tale as old as time” was originally directed on Broadway by Robert Jess Roth, and originally produced by Disney Theatrical Productions. Original music supervision and new arrangements are by Michael Kosarin with dance music arrangements by Glen Kelly and orchestrations by Danny Troob. Based on the Academy Award-winning animated film, this stage adaptation includes all those wonderful songs and characters that kids of all ages know and love.

    The story revolves around Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end, and he will be transformed into his former self. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity.

    Cortland Repertory Theatre is currently selling 5-show summer subscriptions which are $190 for center seats and $180 for side seats and allow the patron to see all five productions. Also available are Flex Pass Packs for 5 shows ($195) or 6 shows ($234) and allow the patron to choose the shows they see and when they see them. A two-pack Youth Flex Pass is also available for $40.00. CRT’s gift cards are available for purchase at any time, for any dollar amount, with no expiration date. Individual tickets will go on sale starting May 20, 2024, with Adult Tickets for $42.00 (center seats) and $40.00 (side seats).

    A $2.00 discount is available on individual tickets for seniors 62 and up, active military and veterans, first responders, and groups of 10 or more. All youth tickets, 22 and under, are $25.00 at all times.

    Current box office hours at CRT Downtown, 24 – 26 Port Watson Street in Cortland are Mon-Fri, 9:00-4:00; summer hours will be extended starting on May 20 to Mon-Fri 9:00–6:00, Saturdays noon-6:00. More information can be found online or by calling 800-427-6160.

  • Ambrose Getz Releases Empowering Album “Great House of Embers”

    Ambrose Getz, a Brooklyn-based pop artist, has released her newest album, Great House of Embers, which showcases her musical talent, as well as her impactful storytelling capabilities surrounding women’s experiences in today’s society.

    Ambrose Getz deconstructs and reconstructs various genres, including American folk music, Bossa Nova, classic rock, 40s jazz, and more. Getz recorded with a talented group of international musicians consisting of Almog Sharvit (also the producer), Ben Silashi, Tal Yahalom, and Micha Gilad. Emerging from the indie art-pop scene in Brooklyn, Getz has built a network of artists who inspire each other to reconsider American identity. They’re all top-notch musicians she knew could complement her range.

    Her current band that contributed to House of Embers consists of Almog Sharvit (bass, production), Ben Silashi (drums), Tal Yahalom (electric guitar), Micha Gilad (keys), Noah Rott (additional keys), David Leon (saxophone & flute on “Black Hole”), Hila Tako (background vox on “Grace”), Lisa Hoppe (string arrangements), Bergamot Quartet (“Arms Around Her,” “Carrie”), Ledah Finck (violin), Sarah Thomas (violin), Amy Tan (viola), Irene Han (cello).

    Throughout the record’s nine tracks, Getz showcases her fluency in many styles, all run through an art pop filter a la St. Vincent or Bjork. Synths, strings, and electric guitars blend with jazz-inspired percussion as Getz’s voice delivers the lyrics. Ambrose released the single and accompanying video for the jazz-influenced beauty of a song, “Starlight.” 

    “Starlight is about staying up past midnight, waiting for your crush to call. I wrote it on one of those long nights, losing myself in romanticism, knowing it was foolish to hope and laughing at myself for hoping anyway.”

    Ambrose Getz

    Wanting the song to transport the listener (the same way the jazz standards of the 40’s and 50’s do), after recording the song with her band, Ambrose added a special guest feature: a string arrangement composed by Berlin-based bassist Lisa Hoppe and performed by Brooklyn-based string quartet Bergamot Quartet.

    For the video, Ambrose and the band continued their theme of featuring women-led projects and performers with the addition of the directing team Las Lauras (Laura Sofía Pérez & Laura Isabel Tropi). Visually, they riffed on the theme of waiting through picking flowers and playing musical instruments. The video was shot by Lucas Hrabal, edited by Almog Sharvit, and colored by Alexey Zavolokin.

    The appeal of dynamic innovators like Getz and her collaborators lies in their ability to create work that defies passing trends.

    Great House of Embers ambrose getz
    Ambrose Getz

    Sometimes Getz’s adventurous spirit means adding synths and strings to a song inspired by jazz standards (“Starlight”), and sometimes it means crunchy guitars and twinkling synths (“Fantasies”). “Mary Awakens” takes a psychedelic detour through clips of Getz’s aunt speaking, girl-group harmonies, and a walking bassline. Getz has a strong, adaptable voice reminiscent of Suzanne Vega’s, and she uses every bit of it.  

    “When I wrote the song ‘Great House of Embers,’ I was thinking about JFK’s 1961 speech where he called America a “city upon a hill” and how Americans believed we had to be an example for other nations. My generation now sees the destruction our country has caused. Visualize a giant house on a big hill that has been on fire for a hundred years and is reduced to embers. That’s what my generation inherited.” 

    Ambrose Getz

    Singing loud, breaking forms, and telling complex stories converge in the album’s themes. The title track was inspired by Citizenfour, a documentary by Laura Poitras about NSA surveillance brought to light by Edward Snowden. 

    An avid reader, one of Getz’s favorite writers is Nobel laureate Alice Munro, whose work serves as inspiration for the song “Grace.” Getz’s said, “Her writing always has a subtle flip that can turn you on your head. She was the first author I read who consistently centered women’s stories, with depth and darkness and subtlety.” This influence is evident in Getz’s own lyrics, which deliberately delve into the experiences of women across generations, crafting narratives that are so apt and thought-provoking that they are sure to spark conversations between mothers and daughters. Through her shrewd songs about women’s lives, Getz shines a light on the cultural legacies we inherit both politically and personally. Her lyrics offer a keen insight into the complexities of these legacies, inviting us to explore and challenge the narratives that shape our understanding of women’s experiences.

    Getz never sacrifices the music for the message, as you can hear on debut single “Black Hole.” Written to be “dark and danceable,” the lyrics personify capitalism as an insatiable femme fatale, echoed in the music video directed by Margot Bennett and filmed by Eurica Yu. The video’s imagery—shot with dark backgrounds—pulls the viewer into a world where the allure of capitalism is as irresistible as it is dangerous. A single spotlight follows Getz, clad in androgynous black and white and sporting alarm-call red lipstick. Those images intercut with scenes of Getz wearing skintight black clothing and dancing, her red hair catching the light.

    Rather than posit herself as a victim of zeitgeist or a savior for our times, Getz offers candor and imagery alongside her range of musical styles. “Ultimately I see myself as an artist who writes songs that center women’s stories,” she says. Just as she asks what Americans inherited socio-politically, she looks to the women in her family to investigate what she has inherited personally. “Many of the songs on this album are short stories about my female relatives. ‘Mary Awakens’ is for my aunt, Mary Frances Ambrose, and ‘Carrie’ is for my maternal grandmother.”

    With Great House of Embers, Ambrose Getz adds another valuable record for the future to inherit. It’s a snapshot of a dark time illuminated by the hope of innovation. 

    The strings in her music are captivating, especially in the song “Arms Around Her,” which adds a classy feel and really creates a beautiful blend between the background music and the vocals.

    Every song is a little different and she truly showcases her abilities both in songwriting, but also in adapting to different genres. “Carrie” sounds more pop-influenced with a little country, while “Black Hole” is jazzy, and “Great House of Embers” might even have a little bit of rock influence.

    Many artists claim to be “breaking” genres, but this album is actually doing it.

    For more information on Ambroze Getz, visit her website, Instagram, or TikTok.

    Stream Getz’s music on Apple Music, Spotify, or Bandcamp.

  • “Live From Daryl’s House” Returns After Three Years

    Award-winning show Live from Daryl’s House returns this fall after a three-year hiatus. New shows will premiere on Daryl Hall’s dedicated YouTube Channel, including guests Glenn Tilbrook, Robert Fripp, Howard Jones, and more, airing from his Pawling, NY venue, Daryl’s House.

    Live from Daryl’s House debuted on November 15, 2007, with a solo episode featuring Daryl himself, often spotlighting local chefs cooking their cuisine on camera. The first few seasons offered an eclectic mix of legends and newcomers from Gym Class Heroes’ Travis McCoy, Chromeo, Fitz and the Tantrums, Minus the Bear, Aloe Blacc and K.T. Tunstall to Nick Lowe, the Doors’ Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek, Smokey Robinson, Toots & the Maytals, Train, Jose Feliciano, Billy Gibbons, Sammy Hagar, Todd Rundgren, Cheap Trick, Wyclef Jean, Aaron Neville and Kenny Loggins. Between 2007 and 2018, a total of 84 episodes were produced.  Since 2014, “Daryl’s House” Restaurant and Music Club in Pawling, NY has been the series’ home base.

    “It was an idea to use the Internet for entertainment, which hadn’t really been done before,” marvels Daryl Hall, introducing the new season of his popular Webby Award-winning music series, Live from Daryl’s House, recounting the lightbulb moment back in 2007 to host an intimate online showcase for music, and to fill the time between touring.

    “Having been a part of this series with Daryl since its inception, I’m filled with pride at the number of incredible artists that have appeared on this very special music series. In my opinion, our latest season is a continuation of the quality programming that the fans have come to expect.”

    Jonathan Wolfson

    Prior to the new season, the last two episodes filmed featured Styx’s Tommy Shaw and Vintage Trouble vocalist Ty Taylor, which both aired in October of 2020. 

    Wikipedia

    After a long production hiatus, Live from Daryl’s House will return on November 1 on Hall’s YouTube Channel, with a brand-new season of six shows, one a week, through the end of the year, starting with Squeeze singer/songwriter Glenn Tilbrook, including Atlanta psychedelic jam band Blackberry Smoke singer/guitarist Charlie Starr (Nov. 8); King Crimson guitarist and Daryl Hall solo album producer Robert Fripp (Nov. 15); singer/songwriters Andy Grammer (Nov. 22), Lisa Loeb (Nov. 29) and U.K. synthpop pioneer Howard Jones (Dec. 6).

    Visit Daryl Hall’s YouTube for episodes of Live from Daryl’s House.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGYOPbvhr54

  • Lynyrd Skynyrd & ZZ TOP Add Shows in Syracuse, Bethel, Wantagh, and Darien Center

    The titans of American classic rock ZZ TOP and Lynyrd Skynyrd have announced 36 additional appearances of their joint co-headlining tour – The Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour. The tour is set to stop four times in New York, including Syracuse, Bethel, Wantagh, and Darien Center.

    ZZ TOP, known for their beards, hotrod cars, spinning guitars, and that magic keychain, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, known for their critically acclaimed album Pronounced Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd, have put their musical talents together for an unforgettable show performing across the United States, now with even more dates, so you have no excuse to miss it.

    It was in 1969 Houston when ZZ TOP coalesced from the core of two rival bands, Billy Gibbons’ Moving Sidewalks and Frank Beard and Dusty Hill’s American Blues. ZZ Top‘s 1973 album release, Tres Hombres, catapulted them to national attention with the hit “La Grange,” which is still one of the band’s signature pieces today. Eliminator, their 1983 album was something of a paradigm shift for ZZ TOP.

    Their blues roots skew was intact but their high-tech-age trappings were added to the mix that soon found a visual outlet with such tracks as “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs” on the nascent MTV. It was one of the record industry’s first albums to have been certified Diamond, far beyond Gold and Platinum, a reflection of sales exceeding ten million units.

    As a touring outfit, they have performed before millions of fans over four continents and have been the subject of their own Grammy-nominated documentary titled That Little Ol’ Band From Texas. The band’s line-up of the bearded Gibbons and Hill and Beard, who ironically is clean-shaven, remained intact for more than 50 years. When Dusty temporarily departed the tour in the summer of 2021, Elwood Francis entered the picture accepting the directive from Dusty to be the perfect choice to stand in on the bass guitar and now handles the low-end duties for the band for the present as well as into the future.

    The elements that keep ZZ TOP fresh can be summed up in the three words of the band’s internal mantra: “Tone, Taste, and Tenacity.” As genuine roots performers, they have few peers. Their influences are both the originators of the form – Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Jimmy Reed, et al – as well as the British blues rocker Jimi Hendrix who emerged generations before ZZ’s ascendance.

    They have sold hundreds of millions of records over the course of their career, have been officially designated as Heroes of The State of Texas, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (by Keith Richards, no less), and have been referenced in countless cartoons and sitcoms. They are true rock icons and, against all odds, they’re really just doing what they’ve always done.

    As Lynyrd Skynyrd celebrates the 50 anniversary of the band’s critically acclaimed debut album Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd’, they resonate as deeply with their multi-generational fan base today as when they first emerged out of Jacksonville, Florida in 1973.

    Few ensembles have had a deep impact in creating a lifestyle as Skynyrd has. The band travels forward with a primary mission of celebrating a legacy that honors all who have had a resonating contribution to the lives of hundreds of millions of fans globally. Former members Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, Steve Gaines, Ed King, Billy Powell, Bob Burns, and Leon Wilkeson alongside others will forever remain significant contributors to this indelible repertoire and the band’s colorful history.

    Today, Lynyrd Skynyrd rocks on with a current line-up featuring Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Damon Johnson, Mark “Sparky” Matejka, Michael Cartellone, Keith Christopher, Peter Keys, Carol Chase and Stacy Michelle. 

    It’s about the legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and what it stands for, what the fans are all about. There’s nothing like getting out there playing a great show with Skynyrd and seeing people love this music. 

    Van Zant

    With a catalog of over 60 albums, billions of streams, and tens of millions of records sold, Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Lynyrd Skynyrd remains a cultural icon that appeals to all generations.

    The artist pre-sale begins on Tuesday, October 31 at 10 AM, and will be available until 10 PM on Thursday, November 2. The public on-sale begins at 10 AM on Friday, November 3. For tickets, and select VIP packages, visit here.

    LYNYRD SKYNYRD & ZZ TOP: THE SHARP-DRESSED SIMPLE MAN TOUR DATES: 

    3/08     Savannah, GA                                                Enmarket Arena

    3/09     Estero, FL                                                       Hertz Arena

    3/14     Greenville, SC                                                Bon Secours Wellness Arena

    3/15     Knoxville, TN                                              Thompson-Boiling Arena at Food City Ctr.

    3/16     Columbia, SC                                                 Colonial Life Arena

    3/22     Bossier City, LA                                             Brookshire Grocery Arena

    3/23     Southhaven, MS                                             Landers Center

    3/24     Macon, GA                                                     Macon Amphitheater

    3/28     Lexington, KY                                                Rupp Arena

    3/29     Greensboro, NC                                              Greensboro Coliseum

    3/30     Charleston, WV                                              Charleston Coliseum 

    4/04     Biloxi, MS                                                      Mississippi Coast Coliseum

    4/05     Tallahassee, FL                                               Donald L. Tucker Civic Center

    4/06     Huntsville, AL                                                 Propst Arena at the Von Braun Center

    4/12     Evansville, IN                                                 Ford Center

    4/13     Moline, IL                                                       Vibrant Arena 

    4/14     Green Bay, WI                                                Resch Center

    4/18     North Little Rock, AR                                   Simmons Bank Arena

    4/19     Lafayette, LA                                                  Cajundome

    4/20     Corpus Christi, TX                                         American Bank Center

    8/09     Mount Pleasant, MI                                       Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort #

    8/15     Syracuse, NY                                                  Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview

    8/16     Bethel, NY                                                      Bethel Woods Center for the Arts

    8/17     Mansfield, MA                                               Xfinity Center

    8/22     Wantagh, NY                                                  Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater

    8/23     Gilford, NH                                                    Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion

    8/24     Hartford, CT                                                   The Xfinity Theatre

    9/05     Alpharetta, GA                                               Ameris Bank Amphitheater

    9/07     Virginia Beach, VA                                        Veterans United Home Loans Amph. at Virginia Beach

    9/08     Bristow, VA                                                   Jiffy Lube Live

    9/12     Darien Center, NY                                         Darien Lake Amphitheater

    9/13     Clarkston, MI                                                 Pine Knob Music Theatre

    9/14     Noblesville, IN                                               Ruoff Music Center

    9/19     Concord, CA                                                   Toyota Pavilion at Concord

    9/21     Auburn, WA                                                   White River Amphitheater

    9/22     Ridgefield, WA                                              RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater

    # – No Support – Pre-Sale and On-Sale Dates TBD

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em2Pt8xV0o8&ab_channel=DesigningAmerica

  • Frog To Return With Gothic But Cartoonish Album, “Grog”

    New York duo Frog return with their fifth album, Grog, a collection of gorgeous Indie Americana full of the nostalgia, hope, defeat, and lust.l

    Frog is made up of brothers Danny (songwriting) and Steve Bateman (drums, percussion, backup vocals).

    While Steve believes a lot of his albums felt as if they took place in real-world cities (such as New York, and LA in the 70s), Steve describes this new album as taking place in Hades. He writes, “The whole thing is bathed in flames and the grooves are bubbling and the devil is a DJ smiling broadly.”

    Eclectic and wildly creative, Frog’s new fully-realized LP veers from the gorgeous grooving funk of “Black on Black on Black” to the classic pop of “Maybelline” before “New Ro” exemplifies the “gothic and cartoonish” characteristics that songwriter Daniel Bateman describes his latest work with. 

    Sometimes it’s Jonathan Richman, sometimes it’s Hall & Oates, sometimes it’s Billy Joel, sometimes it’s Steely Dan, sometimes it’s Townes Van Zandt…but it’s always Frog.

    “There are really exciting places we were able to get to on this record, places that I didn’t know existed before I found them. It feels both gothic and cartoonish to me, big gargoyles, dark skies, storms, but the statues are of ‘Aaahh!!! Real Monsters.’ Every song is a step deeper into the abyss.” 

    Daniel Bateman

    Grog will be released both via CD and digital on November 17 and launched with a performance at YoFi Fest 11 (Yonkers, NY) which accompanies a screening of their “Kings of Blah” documentary. 

    Previous singles “Judy Garland” and “You Know I’m Down” with several million streams on Spotify.

    Stream Frog on Spotify or Apple Music.

    Follow them on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Bandcamp, YouTube, or visit their website.

  • Albany Symphony November Concert to Feature “The Blue Danube”

    The two-time GRAMMY Award-winning Albany Symphony, led by Music Director David Alan Miller, presents a concert that includes one of the most beloved works in the repertory and a soon-to-be new favorite “dance symphony,” evoking early rock ‘n’ roll at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.

    Recognized as one of America’s most innovative and creative orchestras, the two-time GRAMMY Award-winning Albany Symphony is renowned for performances featuring classic orchestral favorites, lesser-heard masterworks, and a diverse array of new music from leading and emerging voices of today. The Symphony has received more ASCAP Awards than any other orchestra in America, as well as several GRAMMY nominations, including the orchestra’s most recent win in 2021.

    Led by Music Director David Alan Miller, the Symphony presents a core classical series throughout the region, each featuring a world-premiere or recent composition; a multi-day American Music Festival that celebrates established and emerging living composers; performances by its cutting-edge new music chamber ensemble, the Dogs of Desire; and a family series and holiday concerts in collaboration with youth performing arts groups. The Albany Symphony’s award-winning education programs include Symphony in Our Schools, which brings musicians into classrooms for interactive music education.

    Founded in 1930 in New York’s Capital Region, the Albany Symphony serves a diverse regional audience covering more than seven counties and parts of three states. It regularly serves as an ambassador for new music and Upstate innovation beyond the Capital Region.

    This gorgeous concert will absolutely delight you, bringing two Romantic masterpieces together with Michael Daugherty’s amazing orchestral tour-de-forces. I’m particularly excited to present Tchaikovsky’s glorious Third Symphony, the work of a brilliant young composer that leads the way directly to his major masterpieces, ‘Swan Lake’ and the Symphony No. 4. Strauss’ ‘Blue Danube,’ and Michael’s ‘Last Dance at the Surf,’ will make everyone want to jump up and dance, and ‘To the New World,’ a riveting tribute to Neil Armstrong and the Apollo 11 mission, is a glorious tone poem about space travel. Audiences of all ages will love this program!

    Music Director and Conductor David Alan Miller. 

    Michael Daugherty, a composer, pianist, and music educator is a long-time friend of the Albany Symphony. Two of Daugherty’s pieces will be performed including, “Last Dance at the Surf” and “To the New World.” 

    One of Daugherty’s favorite road trips in Iowa, the state where he grew up, was to the majestic Surf Ballroom. Many of America’s famous swing, jazz, and rock-n-roll bands have performed at this venue for music lovers who dance the night away. In memory of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and The Big Bopper who gave their last performances at the Winter Dance Party tour in 1959 before their plane crashed, and in celebration of the Surf Ballroom being declared a National Historic Landmark in January 2021, Daugherty’s piece will be performed on the November program.

    “My dance symphony starts with woodblocks and pizzicato strings, playing a five-note rhythmic groove reminiscent of a Buddy Holly guitar riff. This groove is repeated in various transformations throughout the composition and provides a counterpoint to the main theme, a syncopated ascending melody played in unison by the woodwinds. The main theme goes through elaborate rhythmic and timbral developments, followed by a rousing ‘rockabilly’ section,” Daugherty said.

    His piece “To the New World,” is about the 1969 Apollo-11 space mission. Like the rocket, which separated into three stages after lift-off, and the spacecraft, which was divided into three modules, his 22-minute composition is divided into three movements.

    “The Blue Danube” is one of the most consistently played pieces in classical repertoire. Johann Strauss Jr. originally wrote the work for a carnival choir with satirical lyrics. The instrumental version, which will be performed at the November concert, is by far the more popular version played today. The piece was first performed in the United States in 1867. For pop culture fans, the piece is used in several movies and shows. Most recently, it was used throughout the 2021 Netflix series, Squid Game. Johann Strauss Jr. was born into a very musical family in Austria. As a child, he secretly took violin lessons because his father wanted him to become a banker, not a musician. However, his mother supported his dreams and Strauss moved forward making music his career.

    The evening will conclude with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 3 also known as Polish. It is the only one of Tchaikovsky’s seven symphonies that is in a major key and the only one to contain five movements. During its first performance in the UK, conductor Sir August Manns referred to it as the Polish symphony because of the recurring Polish dance rhythms in the final movement. The piece was originally premiered in 1875 in Moscow. Ballet lovers may recognize the work from the Diamonds section of George Balanchine’s full-length ballet Jewels premiered in 1967.

    The Albany Symphony November Concert will take place at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on Saturday, November 11, and Sunday, November 12.

    For ticket information, visit this website.

  • Chris Stapleton To Continue “All-American Road Show” With Stop in Darien Center in July

    Chris Stapleton will continue his extensive “All-American Road Show” tour through next summer including one confirmed show in Darien Center, while teasing his newest album set to release November 10.

    The upcoming performances add to yet another landmark year for the 8x Grammy, 15x CMA and 15x ACM Award-winner, who will release his highly anticipated new album, Higher, November 10.

    Already receiving critical attention, Stapleton has unveiled three album tracks ahead of the release: “It Takes A Woman,” “Think I’m In Love With You” and “White Horse,” of which Billboard praised “a hell-raising anthem, meant to be blared with windows down and enjoyed with ears ringing. ‘White Horse’ finds Stapleton pairing an outlaw swagger with some heaven-scraping vocals, going for the gusto throughout the chorus to try and match the guitar snarl.”

    Additionally, Stapleton is nominated for three more awards at this year’s 57th Annual CMA Awards: Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and Musical Event of the Year (“We Don’t Fight Anymore” with Carly Pearce). The awards ceremony will be broadcast live from Nashville on ABC Wednesday, November 8 at 8:00pm ET/7:00pm CT. 

    Alongside Stapleton (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, slide electric guitar), the new album features Cobb (acoustic guitar, eclectic guitar), J.T. Cure (bass), Paul Franklin (pedal steel), Derek Mixon (drums), Morgane (background vocals, synthesizer, tambourine) and Lee Pardini (organ, piano).

    CHRIS STAPLETON CONFIRMED TOUR DATES
    ITALICS on-sale next Friday, November 3 at 10:00am local time

    October 26—Tulsa, OK—BOK Center* (SOLD OUT)

    October 27—Dallas, TX—Dos Equis Pavilion* (SOLD OUT)

    October 28—Dallas, TX—Dos Equis Pavilion* (SOLD OUT)

    November 11—Tampa, FL—Walmart Presents: Heroes & Headliners – MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre

    November 16—Lafayette, LA—Cajundome† 

    November 17—Houston, TX—Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion†

    November 18—Corpus Christi, TX—American Bank Center Arena†

    March 2, 2024—San Diego, CA—Petco Park‡

    April 3, 2024—Winnipeg, MB—Canada Life Centre+

    April 4, 2024—Grand Forks, ND—Alerus Center+

    April 6, 2024—Minneapolis, MN—U.S. Bank Stadium^

    May 4, 2024—Indianapolis, IN—Lucas Oil Stadium#

    May 9, 2024—West Palm Beach, FL—iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre~

    May 11, 2024—Jacksonville, FL—Everbank Stadium#

    May 22, 2024—Rapid City, SD—The Monument**

    May 25, 2024—Ames, IA—Jack Trice Stadium#

    May 31, 2024—Cleveland, OH—Blossom Music Center**

    June 1, 2024—Charlotte, NC—Bank of America Stadium#

    June 6, 2024—Philadelphia, PA—Freedom Mortgage Pavilion††

    June 7, 2024—Bristow, VA—Jiffy Lube Live††

    June 8, 2024—East Rutherford, NJ—MetLife Stadium#

    June 12, 2024—Kansas City, MO—T-Mobile Center‡‡

    June 26, 2024—Los Angeles, CA—Hollywood Bowl++

    June 29, 2024—Salt Lake City, UT—Rice-Eccles Stadium#

    July 11, 2024—Buffalo, NY—Darien Lake Amphitheater††

    July 12, 2024—Pittsburgh, PA—The Pavilion at Star Lake††

    July 13, 2024—Detroit, MI—Ford Field#

    July 18, 2024—Toledo, OH—Huntington Center††

    July 19, 2024—Columbus, OH—Schottenstein Center††

    July 20, 2024—Chicago, IL—Soldier Field#

    July 25, 2024—Nampa, ID—Ford Idaho Center Arena^^

    July 26, 2024—Portland, OR—RV Inn Styles Resort Amphitheater^^

    July 27, 2024—Seattle, WA—T-Mobile Park##

    August 1, 2024—Gilford, NH—BankNH Pavilion++

    August 2, 2024—Gilford, NH—BankNH Pavilion++

    August 9, 2024—Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena~~

    August 21, 2024—Birmingham, AL—The Legacy Arena at the BJCC++

    August 22, 2024—Little Rock, AR—Simmons Bank Arena++

    October 16, 2024—Manchester, England—AO Arena++ (SOLD OUT)

    October 17, 2024—Glasgow, Scotland—OVO Hydro Arena++ (SOLD OUT)

    October 20, 2024—Dublin, Ireland—3Arena++ (SOLD OUT)

    October 22, 2024—Birmingham, England—Utilita Arena++ (SOLD OUT)

    October 23, 2024—London, England—The O2++ (SOLD OUT)

    December 7, 2024—Las Vegas, NV—Allegiant Stadium#

    *with special guests Charley Crockett and Nikki Lane

    †with special guest Nikki Lane

    ‡with special guests Turnpike Troubadours and Elle King

    +with special guests The War and Treaty and Allen Stone

    ^with special guests Lainey Wilson and Marcus King

    #with George Strait and special guest Little Big Town

    ~with special guests Grace Potter and Nikki Lane

    **with special guests Marcus King and The War and Treaty

    ††with special guests Marcus King and Nikki Lane

    ‡‡with special guests Marcus King and Allen Stone

    ++with special guests Grace Potter and Allen Stone

    ^^with special guests Nikki Lane and Allen Stone

    ##with special guests Willie Nelson and Family and Sheryl Crow

    ~~with special guests Marty Stuart and Nikki Lane

    Tickets for the new dates will go on-sale next Friday, November 3 at 10:00am local time. Ticket details can be found at www.chrisstapleton.com/tour. 

    To preorder Stapleton’s highly anticipated album, Higher, click here.

    For more information, visit Chris Stapleton’s Facebook or website.

  • The Newly Reimagined “The Who’s TOMMY” Will Open on Broadway Spring 2024

    Producers Stephen Gabriel and Ira Pittelman announce that the newly reimagined production of The Who’s TOMMY will open on Broadway March 28, 2024, with casting yet to be announced.

    Three decades after the epic pop-culture musical theatre sensation first bowed on Broadway, original Tony Award®-winning creators Pete Townshend (music, lyrics, book) and Des McAnuff (book, direction) have reunited to bring the story of Tommy Walker to today’s audiences.

    Following a critically acclaimed, award-winning run at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre (where it was the highest grossing production in the history of the Goodman), The Who’s TOMMY will open on March 28, 2024 at the Nederlander Theatre (208 West 41st Street). Preview performances will begin March 8, 2024.

    The Who’s TOMMY creative team includes choreographer Lorin Latarro (Into the Woods, Mrs. Doubtfire and Waitress); music supervision and additional arrangements by Ron Melrose (Jersey Boys on Broadway, London and National Tour); musical direction and additional orchestrations by Rick Fox (Rent, Jesus Christ Superstar); set design by David Korins (Hamilton, Beetlejuice, Here Lies Love ); projection design by Peter Nigrini (Here Lies Love, MJ and Dear Evan Hansen); costume design by Sarafina Bush (for colored girls…, Pass Over on Broadway); lighting design by Amanda Zieve (Broadway associate on Escape to Margaritaville and Allegiance); sound design by Gareth Owen (Back to the Future, & Juliet and MJ); and wig and hair design by Charles LaPointe (Hamilton, Beautiful). Casting is by Tara Rubin Casting/Merri Sugarman, CSA. Additional Chicago Casting by Lauren Port, CSA and Rachael Jimenez, CSA. Tripp Phillips is the Production Stage Manager and Bespoke Theatricals is General Manager. 

    “In many ways, I think the world has caught up to Tommy Walker, which makes it exciting to revisit The Who’s TOMMY for a new generation who, possibly more than any other, has a broad appetite for all kinds of music and story-telling.”

    Des McAnuff

    Pete Townshend (Music, Lyrics, Book) is known principally as the lead guitarist and composer for The Who, as well as for his own solo career. His career with The Who spans over fifty years, during which time Townshend wrote well over a hundred songs for The Who’s eleven studio albums, including the rock operas Tommy and Quadrophenia and the well-regarded rock radio staple Who’s Next.

    From early classic singles, such as ‘My Generation’ and ‘Substitute’ to ‘Tommy’, ‘Lifehouse’ and ‘Quadrophenia’, Townshend has always been at the forefront of his profession. Though known mainly as a guitarist, he is an accomplished singer and keyboard player, and has played many other instruments (banjo, accordion, synthesizer, piano, bass guitar and drums) on his solo albums and on certain The Who albums.

    As an author, he has written Horse’s Neck, a collection of short stories (Faber & Faber, 1985); Who I Am, a memoir (Harper Collins, 2012), and his latest artistic project, The Age of Anxiety, is simultaneously a novel and a rock opera about passion and ambition, good drugs and bad drugs, and loves lost and found (the novel was published by Hodder & Stoughton, 2019).

    His numerous awards for The Who’s Tommy include a Grammy Award (1993), Tony Award for Best Score (1993), Dora Mavor Moore Award (1994) and Olivier Award (1997).

    The Who’s website

    Des McAnuff (Book, Director) is a two-time Tony Award-winning director and former Artistic Director of Canada’s Stratford Festival. He is also Director Emeritus of La Jolla Playhouse, whereas Artistic Director he staged over 30 productions of classics, new plays and musicals: Ain’t Too Proud; Summer; Doctor Zhivago; Jesus Christ Superstar; Guys and Dolls; Aaron Sorkin’s The Farnsworth Invention; Jersey Boys (Tony and Olivier Awards: Best Musical); Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays (Tony Award: Best Special Theatrical Event); Dracula the Musical; and many, many more.

    Playbill

    “Being asked to join the creative team of TOMMY is a dream come true. It’s the OG rock musical. Des and Pete are visionaries,” said Lorin Latarro. “I’m focused on creating a contemporary movement vocabulary that feels like it could be from any era. I am interested in pushing story inside the dances, and still building to dance breaks that have high velocity. I’m also a mother and I see the domestic aspects of this family as both brutal and profound. The work of motherhood without the joy of a hug from your child is sobering.” 

    Larin Latarro’s website

    The Goodman production of The Who’s TOMMY recently won 9 Joseph Jefferson “Jeff” Awards, the most for any show this season, including Best Director for Des McAnuff and Best Production.

    TOMMY is the first musical in years to feel completely alive in its own moment. No wonder that for two hours it makes the world seem young.

    Frank Rich, New York Times 1993

    Presale for those who sign up will be available here, beginning on Wednesday, November 8 at 10:00am ET through Friday, November 10 at 9:59am.

    General Onsale begins Friday, November 10 at 10am ET. For more information, visit TOMMY’s website.

  • House of Saturn Can Be Heard in Albany and Troy This Fall

    House of Saturn, a band of three friends from Troy, will perform in Albany and Troy this fall, showing off their musical talent and eclectic music tastes. The trio define themselves as a refreshing mix of folk, punk rock, and alternative. If you’ve been feeling like you need something more to add to your playlist – something new – then House of Saturn might be just what you’re looking for.

    House of Saturn – Jess Bowen (guitar, violin, vocals, synths), Brian Brancato (drums, vocals, guitar) and Malcom Kane (bass, trombone) – met in college during their studies at the Crane School of Music, and soon afterwards relocated to the Capital Region. After several years of late night studio jams, House of Saturn was born. The group has taken on a unique sound, performing original music from a wide variety of genres, but rooted in indie rock.

    House of Saturn’s musical catalog centers around the songwriting of Bowen and Brancato, with a handful of covers sprinkled in from various styles and genres. Bowen’s songwriting features colorful chord progressions often with an emphasis on the violin, strings, and rich vocal layering. Brancato writes from the perspective of a folk-influenced punk rocker with a fascination with compound and frequently changing time signatures. Audience members have described the band’s gigs as having “a 90s-esque jangly alternative rock vibe.” Between the contrast in songwriting styles and the group’s shared eclectic tastes in music, every House of Saturn show brings the audience a unique set of songs that everyone in the band is truly excited to share.

    What makes HoS different to me is that we’re not afraid to branch out. We all have such varied influences that inspire us which you can really hear in music from our two song writers (Brian v. Jess). You hear elements of bands/artists like That Dog, Bowie, Phish, and on the other side, there’s Green Day, Foo Fighters, and Beirut. It’s just so fun and freeing to be able to explore whatever we fancy that day and I think the audience can feel that and enjoys going for that ride.

    Malcom Kane

    Their latest single to date, “Waster” opens up with an electronic-feel, introducing the exciting percussion that mark many pop-style songs.

    While long intros of songs can get boring for some, this intro is captivating and you can find it easy to sink into the music and enjoy it. Brancato’s guitar solo has a relaxing 70s-feel to it which starts just before the lyrics begin. Jess Bowen’s light, calming lead vocals add to the overall feeling of being transported back to the 70s, complemented by the angelic backup vocals.

    The ending is surprising yet fitting, with the introduction of what sounds like a horn solo that ties the piece together.

    Processed with Rookie Cam

    On top of the musicality of the single, you have to appreciate the lyricism of the song. So many songs today are about how we feel like we’re running out of time, how we won’t have enough time, and we’re getting lost because of it. This song does the opposite: it compels us to enjoy that feeling of losing time, but not in a negative way: just letting yourself be a human and sort of…float.

    “I love to waste my time // with all of the weight of the wise // keep on the right path darling.” This section of the song speaks to everyone– sometimes it’s nice to just do nothing, because there’s still beauty in doing nothing. While we may know that we should be doing something– “the weight of the wise”– we also know that we can take a little time for ourselves to stay on the right path.

    We, as a society, are obsessed with a “grind” culture, and this song is perfectly combatting it.

    House of Saturn will perform on October 27 in Albany at WCDB’s Multi-Genre Night. There will be music from 7pm to 1am, and they will be performing from 9:30-10:30pm. They will also be at the Troy Speakeasy with Brooklyn band Waterfall Strainer on Monday, November 6.

    Follow House of Saturn on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or visit their website.

    Listen to them via their Spotify or Bandcamp.