NYS Music 2023

Category: Alternative/Indie

  • “For the Music!” Fundraiser Scheduled To Help Brooklyn Organization on June 10

    “For the Music!” is a live music event created to help raise funds for Brooklyn non-profit Spoke The Hub. The fundraiser features performances from seven different musicians, many of whom are Brooklyn locals. The event gets underway on Saturday, June 10 at 6 p.m.

    Spoke The Hub is an arts organization that offers classes, performance spaces, and community events for the Brooklyn community. Originally created in 1979, Spoke The Hub has helped to foster and nourish the arts scene in New York City throughout the years. The organization has contributed to the work of thousands of artists through their multiple different series. 

    Proceeds from “For the Music!” will go toward finding an upright piano to better serve musicians, vocalists and musical theater artists who want to rehearse and teach at Spoke the Hub.

    Tickets and more information can be found here.

    Performing Artists

    Victor V. Gurbo and his band are known for their unique and multi-faceted folk music. While Gurbo’s sound is reminiscent of traditional American folk, there are unmistakable flavors of blues, jazz, rock and even ragtime. High in tempo and energy, Gurbo’s music is made for dancing. 

    Petra Jasmiina a Finnish singer-songwriter who has crafted her own lane and sound in New York City. Jasmiina’s music has the catchy and bubbly nature of modern indie-pop with the soulful features of folk. Cinema and storytelling are however the most pervasive influences through her work, helping to create songs that are perfect to sing along to. 

    Kathryn “Kat” Lewis enjoys playing mostly classic country songs but is also a fan of reggae and pop. She often performs with The Sheriff of Goodtimes at the Thompson Street Medicine Show, Billygoat, and her band Country City. 

    Guitarist and composer Carlos Pavan has been creating intricate and delicate music for over a decade. Despite the classical nature of his music, the sounds of guitars and strings help to bring a liveliness to each one of Pavan’s songs. He is currently the composer/artistic director of Trio Concertante & Park Slope Chamber Players. 

    Buffalo native Don Militello is a jazz pianist and educator who has done just about everything in his musical career. Besides going on an international tour, Militello has shared the stage with Etta Jones and performed at the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival. Alongside Militello, bassist Charles Ruble will also be performing. Ruble is currently a member of the High School Jazz Academy at Lincoln Center.

    A longtime friend of Spoke, David Goddy will also be performing as part of the fundraiser.

  • Elijah Wolf Releases New Single From Upcoming Album

    Brooklyn-based artist Elijah Wolf released a new single “Fading” on May 23. The single previews his upcoming album, Forgiving Season, scheduled for release on June 23 via Mtn Laurel Recording Co. The song was co-written with Wolf’s longtime creative partners Sam Cohen, the album’s producer, and drummer Joshua Jeager.

    “Fading” was written “about the experience of meeting someone special while fighting the impulse to self-sabotage. The song deals with the tangled emotions of excitement, fear, and the euphoria of total surrender,” explained Wolf.

    Furthermore, Wolf explained that he wrote the song “after meeting someone who made me feel present and in sync. As good as it felt, I couldn’t help but feel the anxiety of allowing someone in. To me this song is about the process I went through to reach acceptance and an openess to new experiences and the happiness it brought me.”

    “While recording, I was incredibly inspired by the changing season outside the studio, where I would watch the trees grow greener by the day. The outro is particularly inspired by the sounds of the earth coming back to life—crickets at night, wind through the trees, the hum of frogs, the thawing of the ground all into a spring dance.”

    “Fading” follows the release of the official video for other songs on the album, “We Talked About It” and “Care Anymore.“ Elijah Wolf’s childhood friends created the videos using footage of New York City from early 2020.”Care Anymore” was praised by Under the Radar who said, “Wolf has managed to both wrangle the disaffected swirl of emotions he was dealing with when writing the record and crystalize those feelings into vibrant indie rock.”

    After a successful 2021 album Brighter Lighting, accompanied by notable tour dates and festival performances, including Newport Folk Festival, Austin City Limits, and The End of the Road in England, Wolf returned to New York feeling lost and plagued by self-doubt. Through this, Wolf found himself unable to write or record. Finally, months later, he called producer Sam Cohen who urged him to visit the studio and scrap his previous work, starting fresh.

    “At Sam’s direction, we made a decision to take a leap and not recreate anything I had done already. We wanted to get away from the folk-rock band sound of traditional instruments in a room together,” Wolf explains. “In the end, I wrote a record about vulnerability, about the ways that mechanisms of self-protection can make you miss the good around you. It’s about allowing the walls to come down and accepting your own failures and imperfections.”

    Forgiving Season follows Wolf’s 2021 album Brighter Lighting, standalone single “Yesterday, With You” featuring Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold, and an Aquarium Drunkard Lagniappe Sessions release.

    Tour Dates

    6/6 – Brooklyn, NY – Baby’s All Right

    7/18 – Brooklyn, NY – TV Eye *Album Release Show*

    8/18 – Los Angeles, CA – Zebulon

    9/15 – Windham Mountain, NY – Cave Mountain Catskills Music Festival

    Elijah Wolf’s Forgiving Season is now available for preorder on Bandcamp, Rough Trade US and Rough Trade UK.

  • An Evening with Natalie Merchant and The Knights – Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center

    On the heels of releasing her eighth solo studio album on April 14, Keep Your Courage (Nonesuch Records), Natalie Merchant played the Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center for two consecutive sold-out shows this on the evenings of Friday, June 2 and Saturday, June 3.

    A huge fan of hers since the heyday of the 10,000 Maniacs in the late-1980s and early-1990s, I was “blessed and lucky” enough to be in attendance for the night two performance on June 3.

    natalie merchant and the knights

    At the midway point of a 45 date tour that shares the same name as her new album, the Jamestown, NY native brought her trademark, unmistakable alto chops to the Adrienne Arsht Stage, within the warm, wood veneer confines of the Starr Theater. In celebration of her first new material since 2017, Merchant has been performing several shows on the tour while backed by an orchestra. And Friday and Saturday’s concerts were no different as The Knights, a symphonic orchestral collective based in New York City and led by Associate Conductor Michael P. Atkinson, accompanied Natalie Merchant onstage for lush arrangements of career-spanning tunes.

    natalie merchant and the knights

    On an atypically chilly evening for late-spring on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, patrons began to congregate in Alice Tully Hall’s foyer one hour before showtime to relax with a drink from the bar and to check out the ‘merch’ table, which included signed vinyl copies of Keep Your Courage selling for $50. At 7:30 pm, doors to the 1,086-capacity theater renovated in 2006 and known for its exceptional acoustics officially opened. Walking into the theater alongside other attendees to take our respective seat in the orchestra section or balcony, we were immediately taken aback by the theater’s grandeur, particularly the venue’s centerpiece, a cathedral-sized, 19-ton, Swiss-made pipe organ built in 1974.

    natalie merchant and the knights

    Running slightly behind schedule, the house lights suddenly dimmed at 8:10 pm and the moment we all had been waiting for was finally upon us! Entering stage right in the first of two elegant, long skirt and blouse ensembles Merchant would be rocking tonight, the epic 23-song show comprised of two sets (separated by a 20-minute intermission) and an encore was officially underway with “Lulu,” from her self-titled studio album released in 2014. At the song’s conclusion, Merchant explained that she wrote the song about Louise Brooks, the American film actress and Jazz Age icon of the 1920s and 1930s who of all things, popularized the bob hairstyle.

    With a setlist mimicking Friday night’s selections and order (despite Merchant and The Knights reportedly sound checking “Seven Years” and “My Skin” at rehearsals earlier in the day), Merchant’s voice was in top form, like a fine wine, as she gracefully danced, twirled and flowed from one end of the stage to the other, frequently interacting with her beaming audience.

    Speaking of superb vocals, Merchant was joined onstage by two back-up vocalists for several songs, including “Lady Bird,” “Break Your Heart,” “Big Girls,” “Come On, Aphrodite,” “Kind & Generous” and “Tower of Babel.” One of the vocalists who teamed with Merchant during both Lincoln Center performances was Abena Koomson-Davis, a renowned performer and the musical director of the Resistance Revival Chorus, who also sings two duets on 2023’s Keep Your Courage.

    As The Knights continued to compliment Merchant’s repertoire of current and past array of heartfelt melodies Saturday night, her innocent charm was palpable. Having matured into a beautifully refined artist over the course of nearly four decades, her songs have the ability to touch the inner soul of her listeners. Tonight, during “Beloved Wife” (Tigerlily, 1995) and “Sister Tilly” (an homage to powerful women from Keep Your Courage), she pulled on her own heartstrings as she was brought to tears during each of these emotional song deliveries. Poking fun at herself as she continued to wipe away the tears, the 2 hour, 30 minute display of live solo material was unfortunately nearing its climax.

    The second set consummated with the entire house rising to their collective feet for a rousing rendition of “Kind & Generous” (Ophelia, 1998), followed by thunderous applause which lasted for minutes until Merchant appeased her adoring fans for a three song encore consisting of “Tower of Babel” (Keep Your Courage), fan-favorite “Carnival” (Tigerlily) and “These are Days” (Our Time in Eden, 1992), the lone 10,000 Maniacs number of the night. Before commencing the encore, Merchant quipped, “You are [all] gluttons! A three hour show, that’s what you all get, like Bruce Springsteen!”

    Well past 11:00 pm, Natalie Anne Merchant fans of all ages, including a generous sampling of teenagers with their Gen X parents, gleefully filed out of the concert hall and into the Gotham night. Despite all of us going our separate way, we unanimously agreed on one thing – that it’s true, we are all “blessed and lucky” to have witnessed firsthand an emotionally-captivating performance by an artist that oozed both life and passion.

    The North American leg of Merchant’s Keep Your Courage Tour will resume in St. Louis, Missouri on June 22. And in case you missed either of her Lincoln Center shows in the Big Apple, or you just need another dose of ‘90s nostalgia, Merchant will be back in the tri-state area to perform with a full orchestra again at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark, New Jersey on June 25. The thirty-sixth and final show in the lower 48 will occur on September 30 in Los Angeles, California.

    Following a much-needed respite during October, Merchant will then continue her tour abroad with nine more shows, including five across the pond in the United Kingdom, as well as stopovers in Dublin and Amsterdam, with the tour finale scheduled for November 14 in Brussels, Belgium.

    Setlist

    Set 1: Lulu > Maggie and Milly and Molly and May > The Feast of St. Valentine > The Worst Thing > Frozen Charlotte > Ladybird > Giving Up Everything > The Letter > Narcissus > Break Your Heart > Big Girls

    Set 2: River > Ophelia > Guardian Angel > Beloved Wife > Sister Tilly > Wonder > Come On, Aphrodite > Life Is Sweet > Kind & Generous

    Encore: Tower of Babel > Carnival > These Are Days (10,000 Maniacs song)

  • In Focus: Noah Kahan Dazzles Sold-Out Audience at Beak and Skiff

    A picturesque late spring afternoon yielded way to a beautiful evening of music at Beak and Skiff, in Lafayette on Saturday, as Noah Kahan brought his Stick Season tour to the apple orchard.  With the tour lauded as one of the summer’s hottest tickets, the event sold-out well in advance of the show.

    Kahan, a native of Strafford, Vermont, is known for his blending of folk-rock and pop music.  His first full length studio album, Busyhead, was released in 2019.  But it was during the Covid pandemic when Kahan’s popularity began to really soar.  He first released the Cape Elizabeth EP in April of 2020.  Following its release, and during the height of the pandemic, Kahan would retreat home to Vermont and write his most successful album to date, Northern Attitude (2022).  The album, which leans heavily on themes of mental illness, struggling with substance abuse, feeling homesick, and childhood nostalgia, has earned Kahan much critical acclaim and a devoted fan base all across the age spectrum.  

    The evening kicked off with a set by Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners.  The folk-rock band from Montana was joining Kahan for a special, one-off concert.  The four-piece band delighted early arriving concert goers with a forty five minute set of folk-rock jams.  

    During the stage change-over between sets, excitement in the concert field was at a high.  Fans packed the area in front of the stage, and shouted the singer’s name.  Each crew member received a small roar from the crowd as they made their way across the stage, placing set-lists and water bottles.  Finally the house lights dimmed, and the band took to the stage. After a brief instrumental piece, Noah Kahan took to the stage with a mandolin and launched into the crowd favorite “All My Love”.   The audience exploded with excitement, and sang along to every word.  Impressively, the singing did not stop after the first song.  The majority of the crowd sang along, every word, to every song.  Kahan kept the energy running for the first portion of the set, playing tracks “Everywhere, Everything,” and “She Calls Me Back”.

    As the setlist moved on, Kahan would touch on heavier subject matters.  Kahan, a staunch advocate of mental health awareness, would sing openly about his own struggles with mental illness on many songs.  He sang in loving memory for a friend who passed too soon, on “Carlo’s Song”.  During this song the concert field would glow in a sea of green (for mental health awareness) as fans held lights up from their cellphones.  Noah Kahan would sing of substance abuse and finding sobriety on the track “Orange Juice.”  Perhaps the most power full moment of the night would be when Kahan returned for an encore.  He would open the three song encore with “The View Between Villages”, a reflective and nostalgic track written about an emotional return to Kahan’s childhood home town many years later.  The song would build with emotion until its epic climax, and the audience did not miss a beat, singing along to every word.  Kahan would finish the night with crowd favorites “Stick Season” and “Mess”.

    If you missed out on this performance, you are in luck.  Kahan has already scheduled a return visit to Syracuse, at the Lakeview Amphitheater on September 1.

  • Rock City Junction Release Americana/Folk Single “Morning Sun” 

    Hudson Valley natives Rock City Junction have just released their newest single titled “Morning Sun,” the third single they have ever released. To support the upcoming release, the band will be touring throughout the Hudson Valley in early June. 

    Rock City Junction Release Third Single “Morning Sun” 

    Rock City Junction meets in the middle with soulful original songs and luscious instrumentation. Their latest releases such as “Corn Song” and “Souls Byond the Road” are uniquely beautiful, having aspects of a light summer day within the Hudson Valley itself.  

    Rock City Junction Release Third Single “Morning Sun” 

    This eclectic, harmony driven, Roots/Americana band is quickly becoming one of the premiere folk bands within the Hudson Valley. The band features three singer/songwriter/ instrumentalists such as David Chapman, Denise Parent, and Laura Leigh. Each artist plays a special part in combining to create the unique sound that Rock City Junction has to offer.

    Rock City Junction Release Third Single “Morning Sun” 

    Denise Parent has been a supreme artist, drummer, and singer in the north east jam band scene since 1993, and is currently touring the U.S in the only all-female Grateful Dead cover band, Brown Eyed Women. Denise released her debut album of her original songs in 2021 titled The Songs in my Heart. 

    David Chapman is an engineer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, renaissance-man who has held a commanding presence in the Hudson Valley Rock scene since the early 90’s, leading many bands such as Cold Flavor Repair, Rivergrass, The Working Dogs, and more.  

    Laura Leigh is the new darling of the Albany music scene. Laura released her first album of original music in 2021 which features evocative stories of small-town USA and echoes Appalachian, old-timey traditions and sounds.  

    UPCOMING SHOWS:  

    June 8th @ The Parish. New Paltz NY. 7pm 

    June 9th @ Unihog Hoosick Falls NY. 8pm 

    June 10th @ Argyle Brewing Company (The Depot). Cambridge NY. 6pm 

    Listen to Rock City Junction by clicking the link here. 

  • Sarah Gargano Releases New Indie Folk Song “Self Diagnosis”

    Up-and-coming artist Sarah Gargano released her new single “Self Diagnosis” on June 2. The song features a unique melody and thoughtful lyrics that highlight Gargano’s distinctive sound.

    sarah gargano
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    Sarah Gargano is a 25 year old singer-songwriter born and raised in New York City. She started writing when she was fifteen and in 2018 released her first EP, Paper Girl. Furthermore, American Songwriter described Gargano as having “highly melodic acoustic-based songs consistently feature insightful and introspective lyrics that often tackle unusual subjects.”

    “Self Diagnosis” is an interesting song. The unique sound of the song draws even more focus to the lyrics which consist of self-reflective lines. The straightforward and literal lyrics allow the listener to see into Gargano’s headspace when writing the song. The song gets better with every listen as you register more of the lyrics.

    Other releases from Gargano include songs like “Deadline,” “Dear Juliet,” “London,” and, most recently, “Eating Peaches Daily.”

    Outside of music, Gargano has a degree in creative writing and sociology. She also enjoys frolicking in flower fields, crying over fictional characters, arts-n-crafting, taking pictures, antique hunting, journaling, and eating cookie dough. Additionally, Gargano runs her own small jewelry business on the side, known as The Crafty Songwriter.

    Gargano also opened for Jeffrey Lewis in Huddersfield, England and continues to play gigs in many different cities. Her next show is in Nashville, TN on July 11.

  • Cracker Summer Tour hits City Winery New York

    Cracker has been described as a lot of things over the years: alt-rock, Americana, insurgent-country, and have even had the terms punk and classic-rock thrown at them. But more than anything Cracker are survivors. Now on the road now for their 2023 Summer Tour, Cracker stopped at City Winery New York, on Saturday, June 3, featured two shows, the first of which was also livestreamed.

    The tour features many hits, fan favorites, and deep cuts from Cracker’s 31-year recording career, including material from their last acclaimed double album, Berkeley To Bakersfield  â€“ their ode to both northern California’s edgier-rock scene and the country-western music that emanated from further down state.

    Cracker City Winery New York 06/03/23

    Co-founders David Lowery and Johnny Hickman have been at it for over three decades – amassing nine studio albums, multiple gold records, thousands of live performances, hit songs that are still in current radio rotation around the globe – “Low,” “Teen Angst (What The World Needs Now),” “Euro-Trash Girl” and “Get Off This,” to name just a few – and a worldwide fan base that despite the major sea-changes within the music industry continues to grow each year.

    Setlist (early show): Disneyland Jail, 1977, Been Around the World, Seven Days, The Good Life, Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now), 100 Flower Power Maximum, Someday, Hey Bret (You Know What Time It Is), El Cerrito, Get Off This, Dr. Bernice, Loser, Low, Another Song About the Rain, Euro-Trash Girl

    Setlist (late show): Poor Life Choices, Get on Down the Road, Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now), Show Me How This Thing Works, The World Is Mine, Time Machine, Sweet Thistle Pie, California Country Boy, Get Off This, Pictures of Matchstick Men, Ambiguity Song, Take the Skinheads Bowling, Take Me Down to the Infirmary, Low, Wedding Day, One Fine Day

    Watch exclusive video of “Low” from the livestream below.

    CRACKER SUMMER TOUR

    Sunday, June 4 – The World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA

    Friday, June 9 – Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC

    Saturday, June 10 – Harborfest Norfolk VA

    Thursday, June 15 – Space, Evanston IL [Sold Out] 

    Friday, June 16 – Space, Evanston IL [Sold Out] 

    Saturday, June 17 – The Acorn Festival, Three Oaks, MI 

    Sunday, June 18 David Lowery Solo Acoustic – Bur Oak, Madison WI *

    Wednesday, June 21 David Lowery Solo Acoustic – Heavy Metal Shop, Salt Lake City, UT *

    Friday, June 23 – Live Oak Music Festival San Luis Obispo CA

    Saturday, June 24 – Hopmonk Cookout Concert Series, Novato, CA

    Sunday, June 25 – Hopmonk Cookout Concert Series, Novato, CA

    Thursday, June 29 – David Lowery Solo Acoustic – Lodge Room, Los Angeles, CA *

    Friday, June 30 – The Belly Up Tavern, Solana Beach CA

    Saturday, July 1 – Pappy and Harriets, Pioneertown, CA

    Monday, July 3 Toad the Wet Sprocket and Cracker – Arvada Center, Arvada, CO

    Tuesday, July 4 – The Orpheum, Flagstaff, AZ

    Thursday, July 6 – TBA, New Mexico

    Wednesday, July 12 Spin Doctors and Cracker – Empire State Plaza at Capitol, Albany NY

    Thursday, July 13 – Narrows Center for the Arts, Fall River MA 

    Friday, July 14 – Double E Performance Center, Essex Junction, VT 

    Saturday, July 15 – City Winery – Boston, MA

    Friday, July 21 – Riverfront Live Cincinnati, OH

    Saturday, July 22 – The Shed Concert Series 2023 at Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson, Maryville, TN

    Friday, July 28 – Windjammer, Isle of Palms. SC

    Sunday, August 13 – 3rd & Lindsley, Nashville, TN

    Saturday, August 19 – Brown’s Island, Richmond VA

  • In Focus: Half Moon Run ‘SALT’ Release Preview Show at Live Nation Headquarters

    Montreal’s Half Moon Run release their new album, Salt, on June 2nd, and have chosen “9beat” as the single to bolster the release, a track which features the explosive rhythmic interplay and surging dynamic range that the band has become renowned for. On Thursday, June 1st, 24 hours prior to its release the band visited Live Nation’s Headquarters in New York City and played an invite-only 60min set to celebrate the release of Salt, complete with a full string section to accommodate half the set and premiering new songs throughout.

    Half Moon Run LiveNation Rooftop NYC

    The trio, Devon Portielje, Conner Molander, and Dylan Phillips have also previewed Salt with three previously released singles, “Alco,” “You Can Let Go” and “Everyone’s Moving Out East.” 

    Half Moon Run LiveNation Rooftop NYC
    Half Moon Run LiveNation Rooftop NYC
    Half Moon Run LiveNation Rooftop NYC
    Half Moon Run LiveNation Rooftop NYC
    Half Moon Run LiveNation Rooftop NYC

    Tour Dates for North America in support of the album were announced today as well, below:

    HALF MOON RUN – NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES 2023
    October 24, 2023 @ El Rey Theater, Los Angeles, CA
    October 25, 2023 @ August Hall, San Francisco, CA
    October 27, 2023 @ Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR
    October 28, 2023 @ The Crocodile, Seattle, OR
    October 29, 2023 @ Spanish Ballroom Tacoma, WA
    November 1, 2023 @ Royal Theatre, Victoria, BC
    November 2, 2023 @ Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
    November 3, 2023 @ Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
    November 5, 2023 @ MacEwan Hall, Calgary, AB
    November 7, 2023 @ Coors Event Centre, Saskatoon, SK
    November 8, 2023 @ Burton Cummings Theatre, Winnipeg, MB
    November 10, 2023 @ Varsity Theater, Minneapolis, MN
    November 11, 2023 @ Metro, Chicago, IL
    November 12, 2023 @ Saint Andrew’s Hall, Detroit, MI
    November 14, 2023 @ The Foundry, Philadelphia, PA
    November 16, 2023 @ Union Stage, Washington, VA
    November 17, 2023  @ Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
    November 18, 2023 @ Royale, Boston, MA
    November 21, 2023 @ London Music Hall, London, ON
    November 23, 2023 @ History, Toronto, ON
    November 24, 2023 @ Kingston Grand Theatre, Kingston, ON
    November 25, 2023 @ Algonquin Commons Theatre, Ottawa, ON
    November 26, 2023 @ Algonquin Commons Theatre, Ottawa, ON
    December 13, 2023 @ MTelus, Montreal, QC
    December 14, 2023 @ MTelus, Montreal, QC
    December 15, 2023 @ Salle Maurice-O’Bready, Sherbrooke, QC
    December 17, 2023 @ ThÊâtre du Palais Municipal, Saguenay, QC
    December 18, 2023 @ Grand ThÊâtre@ Quebec City, QC

  • Hearing Aide: Setting Sun ‘The Feelings Cure’

    Hudson Valley-based indie rock group Setting Sun released their first album in ten years, The Feelings Cure, looking back on who they were, what they are now, and the journey they have gone through as a band.

    Setting Sun

    Led by frontman and primary songwriter Gary Levitt, the sixth studio album by Setting Sun, The Feelings Cure, was recorded carefully, as Levitt says “I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get in the creative zone with set times of having to turn creativity on and off like a switch. I used to write and record in creative blasts when I felt it come on like a wave or virus. Having kids forced me to write, record, and mix within the gaps of being a father. The maturity shows on this record.” Over ten tracks, the group comments on changing yourself as time goes on, all while utilizing upbeat instrumentals, and melancholic lyrics.

    Feelings Cure is slow and free-flowing as it starts with the opening track “Cool,” fading into the more upbeat track yet still slow “Sometimes,” featuring prominent guitar solos and the good ol’ indie rock feel. Things get increasingly experimental on “Can’t Send It Back” with 80s-inspired synths, with Levitt repeating the chorus multiple times, singing “Now it’s gone by the way/Don’t expect me to stay/Somebody tried to keep their eye on mine.” One of the most enjoyable tracks “Good Die Young” blends Levitt’s personal endeavors as a comedian into the witty lyrics, citing it is the “closest [he’s] ever gotten” to blending the two areas. The song is short and simple yet makes the listener feel happy and carefree.

    The album becomes slower beyond this point, featuring a country vibe on “Up and Away,” showcasing Levitt’s talents with experimenting with different genres. “Same Face” has a female singer prominently singing background vocals, adding a lighter tone to the song, as well as a return of those 80s synths. Overall, the record brings you into Levitt’s personal journey as a father and band member and the difficulty he faced balancing both. It is a classic slow indie rock record with a twist, featuring intricate genre blends, melancholic lyricism, and driving rhythms.

    Key Tracks: Can’t Send It Back, Good Die Young, Feelings Cure.

    Setting Sun’s new record Feelings Cure is available on every streaming platform. They are performing at the Harmonies on the Hudson Concert Series in Germantown on June 15 and at Opus 40 in Saugerties on July 16. Tickets are available here.

  • Boston Calling – Food, Fun & Lots of Music at Harvard On Memorial Day Weekend

    Beginning in the afternoon on Friday, May 26 through the late evening on Sunday, May 28, the 12th installment of the beloved Boston Calling music festival returned to its home at Harvard University in Boston (Allston), Massachusetts this past Memorial Day weekend.

    For three straight days, more than 40,000 fans of all ages passed through the gates into the Harvard Athletic Complex where they were welcomed daily to engaging activities such as a ride on a 100-foot Ferris wheel, delicious food served up by 29 local vendors, and of course, great music performed by 51 artists (17 each day) across four outdoor stages dubbed the Green Stage, the Happy Valley Red Stage, the Blue Stage and the Tivoli Audio Orange Stage, which championed acts with local ties to New England.

    Paramore | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger

    Inaugurated in 2013, the acclaimed Boston Calling festival is produced by Boston Calling Events, owned in part by Boston-based Crash Line Productions, whose hallmark of bringing new sounds each and every year was on full display again. In step with the festival’s commitment to securing an iconic mix of musical performances, headlining the festival on Day 1 (Friday) were Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Foo Fighters. Having played in New Hampshire two days prior, this would only be their second official concert following drummer Taylor Hawkins’ tragic death in March 2022. The Lumineers, soulful alternative-folk rockers from Denver, Colorado, headlined Day 2 (Saturday) of the festival. Day 3 (Sunday) of the festival was headlined by indie rock darlings Paramore, formed in Franklin, Tennessee in 2004. Paramore, having already performed at the festival back in 2018, made their triumphant return on the heels of releasing their sixth studio album, This is Why.

    Foo Fighters | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger

    Boston Calling also featured renowned co-headliners on each day, including The National and Boston natives Dropkick Murphys on Day 1, the latter who quickly stepped in for the art-punk trio Yeah Yeah Yeahs due to an undisclosed illness announced the day prior. The Celtic punk band’s frontman, Ken Casey, would announce to the crowd during their blistering set, “The Yeah Yeah Yeahs said ‘no no no,’ but we never say no!” Day 2 saw seven-time Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Alanis Morissette take the Red Stage, playing her first show in Boston since 2012. Queens of the Stone Age, alternative metal rockers from Seattle, Washington, brought their hard-pounding musicianship to Day 3 of the festival. Having recently announced their long-awaited eighth studio album, In Times New Roman, they thrilled their die-hard fans with two new tracks from this forthcoming release (June 16), including “Emotion Sickness” and “Negative Space.”

    Dropkick Murphys | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger
    Queens of the Stone Age | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger

    Joining these headlining and co-headlining acts were well-established artists such as Noah Kahan, Bleachers, The Flaming Lips (who celebrated the release of Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots by performing the 2002 album in its entirety), King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard (the psychedelic rock band from Australia who were forced to bow out of last year’s festival due to COVID-19), Mt. Joy, Maren Morris and many more.

    Bleachers | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger
    Mt. Joy | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger
    The Flaming Lips | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger

    The holiday weekend also offered its patrons plenty of performances from up-and-coming talent, including Razor Braids, The Beaches, The Aces and The Linda Lindas (an all-girl quartet ranging in age from 13 to 19 who easily won over the crowd after a personal introduction to their set by the Mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu), to name just a few.

    The Beaches | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger
    The Linda Lindas | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger

    Although the temperature each day of the festival was not as hot as it could have been for this time of the year, the sun did take its toll on some of the audience members who were not adequately hydrated. I witnessed firsthand at least five people who appeared to faint due to heat stroke, all of whom required to be quickly pulled out of the crowd by security and whisked away for treatment by EMT personnel.

    The only critique that I have for this year’s festival is also the same as 2022’s festival, the merchandise tent line was long, exceedingly long. As I talked to fans who were proudly wearing their new t-shirt or hat, I learned that time spent in line (and away from the stages) was a minimum of two hours! Often, the sought after merch had already been sold-out. However, fans were at least able to complete an order form for the requested item to be shipped at a later date.

    Fans soaking in the action at the Red Stage (Day 2) | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger

    No festival experience is considered complete without first meeting and interacting with fellow fans. My own personal encounters included talking to Paul from Toronto, Canada in front of the Green Stage for most of Friday afternoon. I learned that he and his 16-year old son drove for eight hours Thursday night and into the wee morning hours to see the Foo Fighters for the first time. Paul emotionally shared with me that his son “will always remember this, so it was well worth it.” On Friday, I also met Kirby from Danbury, Connecticut, an avid fan of all music genres, as well as a talented drummer and guitarist. He revealed to me that he was dealing with painful plantar fasciitis in both feet, so when I saw him again on both Saturday and Sunday along the rail of the Red Stage, I was glad he was able to still see the artists he loves up close and personal. Being a graduate of the University of Connecticut (UCONN), it was also a pleasure to spend time speaking with Seth for a few hours, a UCONN professor for nearly 20 years and an amateur live music photographer.

    Shane Hawkins Joins Foo Fighters Onstage | Video Credit: Michael Dinger

    During a festival filled with three days and nights of highlights, it’s easy for me to pick out my favorite one. Throughout the Foo Fighters’ two hour set, Dave Grohl’s devastation by the loss of his friend and bandmate was palpable – on his face and in his speeches to the audience. So, when Grohl welcomed to the stage “one of [his] favorite drummers in the world,” 17-year old Shane Hawkins, it was truly a goosebumps moment. With Shane taking a couple of minutes at the drum kit to adjust the stool height left for him by the Foo Fighters newest member, Josh Freese, Grohl stalled for time. “Hello Boston, how’s it going over there? Earlier, I was in my dressing room and I heard the audience going absolutely fucking bonkers for someone. And I was like, who the fuck is playing that someone is going [this crazy]? It was Niall Horan [of One Direction fame], is that his name? How’s it going there Shane? Oh my God, there is a curfew Shane. This is an old song from our first record and when we play it . . .” Abruptly, in came Shane with a thunderous drum roll to launch “I’ll Stick Around.”

    Day 1 (Friday)

    RAZOR BRAIDS

    THE BEACHES

    DROPKICK MURPHYS

    FOO FIGHTERS

    Day 2 (Saturday)

    NEEMZ

    THE ACES

    MT. JOY

    THE FLAMING LIPS

    Day 3 (Sunday)

    JUICE

    THE LINDA LINDAS

    BLEACHERS

    QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE

    PARAMORE

    The Fans & The Grounds