NYC’s Alt-pop duo Fake Dad has released their newest single titled “Fashion Girl,” today, April 14th. The alt-pop duo is delivering their second project of 2023 that perfectly captures an electrifying, cathartic, throwback 90’s grunge sound that is a departure from their usual discography, demonstrating their versatility as both songwriters and performers.
The single “FASHION GIRL” is angsty and nostalgic sounding, paying homage to groundbreaking throwback styles like 80’s new wave and 90’s female led riot grrrl punk. In the song, Fake Dad tells the story of a personal best friend breakup while offering commentary on a variety of topics like beauty standards, body and gender dysmorphia, daddy issues, insecurity, and female rage.
At first glance, “FASHION GIRL” is a fun, energetic track that calls upon listeners to let-lose with contagiously danceable reverb-soaked Oberheim drum machine patterns, messy driving distorted guitar, heavy bass, and surf-rock style riffs. With a deeper look into the single, Fake Dad speaks to an untapped, silent pain that so many people carry around with them about constantly being made to feel like they will never look good enough, be pretty or hot in the right way, and the unacknowledged frustration, and rage, that they live in a world that assigns so much of their worth to people’s ability to live up to superficial ideals.
Following recent releases “maybe next year” and “New Machines,” the duo delivers their second project of 202. They perfectly capture an electrifying, cathartic, throwback 90’s grunge sound that is a departure from their usual discography, demonstrating their versatility as both songwriters and performers.
Birthed from Fake Dad’s deep dive into Russian Dark Wave (and post-punk bands) and a tragic falling out with a fashion major (childhood) best friend who hailed from a wealthy UES Manhattan type family, this song is about the insecurity and sadness hidden behind the eyes of so many of the people the fashion industry swallows up with the promise of beauty and power. It at once exalts, criticizes, and empathizes with them, aiming to hand the fashion girls back their power and grant them an opportunity to reconcile with the ephemeral love and power that masquerades as the ideal, golden shell of a life.
When listening to the single, fans can hear a reminiscent of 80s New Wave (New Order, Joy Division, The Cure, Talking Heads) for a non-male-led era. In other words, all the female-fronted, angsty energy of 90s riot grrrl/bikini kill punk along with its slightly more pop-leaning, bratty (yet still unequivocally angry) early 2000s sound reminiscent of bands like No Doubt, The Cardigans, Alanis Morissette, Paramore, and P!nk.
Fake Dad wants listeners to experience a sense of catharsis from this track, “whether it’s someone who dedicates their life to changing themselves into something that looks good enough, or someone who wishes they could opt out of the value system entirely, there is an anger that needs to be released.”
“Fashion Girl” premiers on all platforms April 14th.
Hudson Valley based indie rock-folk band Setting Sun has just announced their sixth full-length studio album in ten years, The Feelings Cure due out on May 19th.
Alongside the announcement, the band shares a brand-new hit single “Feelings Cure,” along with an accompanying music video. Setting Sun will also be playing live in Woodstock for their official album release show the day before the album drops.
The single “Feelings Cure” aims to resist feelings of pain and sadness through music. Levitt says the track is about “denial and playing music and finding a cure for sadness or pain.” Written three months into the start of the pandemic, Levitt was forced to confront the reality of diving back into music, only this time, in quarantine with his wife and toddler which presented new challenges.
“Setting Sun create an Arcade Fire urgency, creating sweeping orchestrations, driving rhythms”
–Pop Matters
Levitt adds, “It took a while to be able to turn on the creativity at will according to the clock, but I found it was actually possible. The limitations made me more productive. This song was one of the first I recorded for the new record and maybe it helped get out some of that frustration from being forced into a new life and future not made by my choice.”
The band Setting Sun, led by songwriter Gary Levitt, began in San Francisco where the band’s first release, holed up, was recorded in 2003. From there, Levitt moved to Los Angeles, then to Brooklyn and now resides in the Hudson Valley.
With their newest, and most comprehensive body of work yet, Setting Sun is ready to re-introduce themselves to society. In the band’s current state, joining Levitt are long-time collaborators Lawrence Roper (keyboards, vocals), Jonathan Hambright (drums) and John Burdick(bass/vocals).
The Feelings Cure was recorded like no other Setting Sun record, diligently. Explaining the creative process and creating the album while now being a father, 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 in the gaps of being a father and the maturity shows on this record.”
Over 10 rich tracks, Levitt turns inward to blend genres and juxtapose upbeat instrumentals and production with melancholic lyrics. Unafraid to take risks and allowing himself to create without reserve, the album chronicles Levitt further discovering himself and his artistry, culminating in the band’s most realized work to date.
While producing the album, Levitt learned to listen to himself and how he was feeling to best use his time and play to his strengths. “I produced this record myself in my studio and enlisted friends to lay down some tracks like drums, harmonies, violins, etc. One trick I learned is to be aware of my mood. If I wasn’t feeling a creative wave, I’d then do some mixing. If I was in the creative zone, I’d sit and write and record a part to one of the songs.”
The creative process became casual, free-flowing and unforced. Levitt says, “Most of the sounds you hear on this record were written and recorded simultaneously, so you’re getting the raw thing, not a reenactment of the moment it was written, this is the moment.”
Setting Sun will celebrate the release of their first album in ten years with a show at Colony in Woodstock on May 18th. The following month, the band will perform at Riverside Concerts in Germantown on June 15th.
Tickets for the release show are on sale, to purchase click the link here.
To pre-order The Feelings Cure, click the link here.
For more music by Setting Sun, click the link here.
Bryant Park Corporation has announced the 2023 lineup for its free summer performing arts series, Bryant Park Picnic Performances, presented by Bank of America, happening from June 1 to Sept. 14.
Photo credit Chris Lee.
Located in Midtown Manhattan, Bryant Park’s Picnic Performances has grown into one of the foremost outdoor performing arts festivals in New York City. Over 75,000 people attended last summer, and nearly half a million watched the live streaming of the free performances. The 2023 season features world-class local artists as well as performers from as far away as Italy, Colombia, Turkey, Finland, and South Africa. More than 20 shows from the 2023 season will be live-streamed for free on Bryant Park’s social media channels and website, reaching national and international audiences. Attendees may bring their own food or purchase from on-site food and beverage vendors near the Lawn.
“Bryant Park Picnic Performances is an uncommonly collaborative project that is meant to showcase the best of the arts in New York City,” says Dan Fishman, Vice President of Public Events at Bryant Park Corporation. “I cannot imagine a better way to celebrate New York than to provide a platform in partnership with the many cultural institutions – large and small – that make this city great.”
This summer, the New York City Opera will host a number of shows in Bryant Park, kicking off the picnic performances on June 1 at 7 p.m. with a one-night-only, staged, and costumed production of Puccini’s La Bohème with orchestral accompaniment, conducted by Maestro Joseph Rescigno. Later on Aug. 18 at 7 p.m., there will be a live music-supported production of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville featuring members of the New York City Opera Orchestra. Tenor Alessandro Lora performs a special concert of Italian favorites on Aug. 19. Closing out the New York City Opera series is Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet on Sept. 8, starring Ekaterina Siurina and tenor Won Whi Choi.
New York City Opera, 2018, photo credit Angelito Jusay.
Different contemporary dance performances curated by Tiffany Rea-Fisher will take place in June, starting with Robin Dunn, Buddha Stretch, and Mr. Wiggles with additional artists TBA, marking 50 years of hip-hop dance on June 8. The next day brings Dance Heginbotham, a New York-based contemporary dance company founded in 2011 committed to supporting, producing, and sustaining the work of choreographer John Heginbotham, enriching national and international communities with its unique blend of inventive, thoughtful, and rigorous dance theater works. Two rising stars in contemporary dance, Terk Lewis and Kayla Farrish perform on June 15. Lewis began his formal ballet training at the age of 17 with Tony Calucci at The Dance Extension in Columbus, earning his BFA in Dance from Western Michigan University. He has choreographed his own commissioned works for The National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica, The Joffrey Ballet School, Black Boys Dance Too (Presented by Bryant Park NYC), and Western Michigan University.
Farrish is a Black American Director merging dance-theater, filmmaking, narrative, and sound score, receiving the Sundance Uprise Grant for Emerging BIPOC Directors, Bessie Awards for NYLA’s Motherboard Suite, the Harkness Promise Award for 2022, and more. The last contemporary dance performances feature two of New York’s extraordinary percussive dance artists, Soles of Duende and Josh Johnson on June 16. Soles of Duende is on a lifelong mission to elevate the joy and music of true collaboration across disciplines and the celebration of the forms they practice, based on the sounds of Tap (Amanda Castro), Flamenco (Arielle Rosales), and Kathak (Brinda Guha). Johnson is a Harlem native, who tap-danced on the trains of New York City to pay for college at Penn State University, going on to perform at many jazz clubs in the city, ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, and has made multiple appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Kayla Farrish, photo by Sarah Annie Navarrete.
The Emerging Music Festival presented by Bryant Park and curated by AdHoc returns this summer with some of the best up-and-coming artists today. Starting June 23, THUS LOVE, Psymon Spine, and Katy Kirby grace the stage. THUS LOVE was founded in 2018 by three trans-multi-instrumentalists in Brattleboro, Vermont, Echo Marshall (she/her), Lu Racine (he/they), and Nathaniel van Osdol (they/them). The mission statement of the group is to amplify the voices of those who struggle, tackling weighty themes with startling intimacy and vulnerability. Brooklyn-based dance group Psymon Spine is comprised of Noah Prebish, Peter Spears, Brother Michael Rudinski, and Sabine Holler, taking inspiration from Talking Heads and Os Mutantes along with the rush of the NYC dance scene, fuzing psych-pop and post-punk.
Katy Kirby is an indie rock songwriter, with lyrics focusing on unspoken rules, misunderstandings of all kinds, and boredom, forming a band to work on recording a full-length record. The Emerging Music Festival’s final day on June 24 consists of Ky Vöss, Seramic, Miss Grit, Dead T00th, and More TBA. Vöss is an NYC-based American producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, utilizing stark contrasting lyrics, striking visuals, and synthesized melodies to walk the line between otherworldly and deeply human. Seramic (Marcus Foster) showcases a powerfully unique and varied range of influences, releasing two critically acclaimed EPs, combining his love for Prince, gospel, & soul singers of the 70s and 80s mixed with 90’s hip hop and RnB. New York-based musician Margaret Sohn created Miss Grit to function as an outlet for their own analysis and expression of self, releasing their debut record Follow The Cyborg earlier this year.
Dead T00th is a Brooklyn-based indie rock band that has released several EPs, winning OWL Winter Madness (a 16-band, 5-week-long “battle of the bands” at Brooklyn’s legendary rooftop venue Our Wicked Lady). Other concerts include Shaina Taub and Friends on Aug. 11. Taub is an Obie Award-winning, Emmy Award-nominated songwriter and performer. She is an artist-in-residence at Joe’s Pub and at the Public Theater, where she wrote and starred in Suffs, garnering Drama League, Drama Desk, and Lortel Award nominations. She has three solo records released, created, and starred in critically acclaimed musical adaptations of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and As You Like It at Free Shakespeare in the Park, as part of their community-based program, Public Works, among many other accomplishments.
Psymon Spine.
On June 2, Jazzmobile brings trumpeter, Steve Oquendo, to lead a 19-musician Latin jazz orchestra. Other events include the Jalopy Theatre curating a three-part folk festival with bluegrass headliners Michael Daves Quartet Ft. Tony Trischka, Malian kora virtuoso Yacouba Sissoko, and lap steel guitarist Terrell King on June 30, the Classical Theatre of Harlem performing an abridged version of Langston in Harlem, five nights of music presented by Carnegie Hall Citywide, and more. For more information about the Bryant Park Picnic Performances, go here.
Schedule of Events
June 01 – New York City Opera: La Bohème – 7pm
June 02 – Jazzmobile: Steve Oquendo Latin Jazz Orchestra- 7pm
June 08 – Contemporary Dance: Robin Dunn and more TBA – 7pm
June 09 – Contemporary Dance: Artists TBA- 7pm
June 15 – Contemporary Dance: Terk Lewis + Kayla Farrish- 7pm
June 16 – Contemporary Dance: Soles of Duende + Josh Johnson – 7pm
June 23 – Emerging Music Festival: THUS LOVE, Psymon Spine, Katy Kirby – 7pm
June 24 – Emerging Music Festival: Ky Vöss, Seramic, Miss Grit, Dead T00th – 5pm
June 30 – Jalopy Theatre: Michael Daves Quartet ft. Tony Trischka, Yacouba Sissoko, Terrell King – 7pm
July 07 – Carnegie Hall Citywide: Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra – 7pm
July 14 – Carnegie Hall Citywide: Tessa Lark + Michael Thurber – 7pm
July 21 – Carnegie Hall Citywide: Magos Herrera featuring The Knights – 7pm
July 28 – Carnegie Hall Citywide: Champe-Soukous Collective – 7pm
August 03 – Ailey Moves NYC: Ailey II – 7pm
August 04 – Carnegie Hall Citywide: Ndlovu Youth Choir – 7pm
August 18 – New York City Opera: The Barber of Seville – 7pm
August 19 – New York City Opera: Alessandro Lora in Concert – 7pm
August 25 – Accordions Around the World: Diana Burco, Suistamon Sähkö, Ragini Ensemble – 7pm
August 26 – Roulette Intermedium: 75 Dollar Bill, Ka Baird, Additional Artist TBA – 7pm
September 01 – Classical Theatre of Harlem: Langston in Harlem – 7pm
September 07 – American Symphony Orchestra: American Expressions – 7pm
September 08 – New York City Opera: Romeo and Juliet – 7pm
September 09 – Drom: Gaye Su Akyol (U.S. Debut) – 7pm
September 14 – Harlem Stage: 40th Anniversary Celebration – 7pm
Forest Hills Stadium in Queens is celebrating its centennial this summer with a stacked lineup of events showcasing the stadium’s rich past and celebrating its future.
Forest Hills Stadium was built in 1923, and ten years ago went under renovation to make it more modern and renewable, making shows as environmentally friendly as they can be. The venue is climate-positive and carbon negative, meaning the venue offsets more than what’s created, tracking recycling efforts from concession areas, backstage, and beyond all season long. The stadium also supports local community-driven initiatives in an effort to give back to Queens, including QueensWay (a project proposing to convert the former LIRR Rockaway Beach Branch (RBB) into a new, public park) and Queens Community House (a multi-site, multi-service settlement house that serves the diverse neighborhoods of Queens).
This summer hosts the most diverse and exciting list of performances yet, celebrating the venue’s centennial. The new season will feature approximately 30 music and comedy performances from an exciting and eclectic mix of some of the biggest names in music and entertainment today. Some artists include one of the best-selling rock bands, the Dave Matthews Band, on June 6, the brand new Re:SET concert series featuring headliners like boygenius, Steve Lacy, and LCD Soundsystem, and up-and-coming indie artist Maggie Rogers in late July. Other artists include platinum-selling indie rock band The Strokes on Aug. 19, a former member of One Direction, the boy band that rocked the 2010s, Louis Tomlinson on July 29, indie rock group the Arctic Monkeys on Sept. 8 and 9, rock group in August Fall Out Boy and in July Weezer, and many more.
Indie group Cigarettes After Sex perform at Forest Hills Stadium Sept. 15.
Mike Luba, the executive responsible for the stadium’s rehabilitation produces concerts at the venue in coordination with The Bowery Presents, spoke about how exciting this summer will be, and the venue’s anniversary. “It’s hard to believe that it’s coming up on a full decade since we began the renovation of the stadium. We’ve come a long way since that first show with our brothers in arms Mumford and Sons, who bravely stepped up to play the opening night back in 2013. It’s been incredibly rewarding to ride along with the stadium crew, the hundreds of artists, our invaluable community neighbors and partners as well as the over 1 million folks who have found their way out to the magical oasis of a stadium smack in the middle of Queens.”
Tickets for the summer events at Forest Hills Stadium are on sale now here, with more to be announced at a later date.
2023 Forest Hills Stadium Centennial Season Calendar
Saturday, May 20th & Sunday, May 21st – Head In The Clouds Music & Arts Festival Promiseland Saturday, June 3rd – Lane 8, Sultan + Shepard, Jerro, Massane (LIVE), Ocula Sunday, June 4th – Kevin Hart Friday, June 9th – Dave Matthews Band Wednesday, June 14th – BERT KREISCHER’S FULLY LOADED COMEDY FESTIVAL: Shane Gillis, Tiffany Haddish, Dave Attell, Big Jay Oakerson, Dan Soder, Rosebud Baker Friday, June 16th – Re:SET (LCD Soundsystem, Jamie xx, IDLES, L’RAIN & More) Saturday, June 17th – Re:SET (boygenius, Clairo, Dijon, Bartees Strange) Sunday, June 18th – Re:SET (Steve Lacy, James Blake, Toro y Moi, Fousheé) Friday, June 23rd & Saturday, June 24th – Zach Bryan, Charles Wesley Godwin Friday, July 7th – The Smile, Robert Stillman Saturday, July 8th – Two Friends, Matoma, NOTD, Deerock Thursday, July 13th – Weezer, Future Islands, Joyce Manor Thursday, July 27th – Maggie Rogers, Soccer Mommy Saturday, July 29th – Louis Tomlinson Tuesday, August 1st – Fall Out Boy, Bring Me The Horizon, Royal & The Serpent, Games We Play Saturday, August 5th – Rock The Bells Festival Saturday, August 12th – Queens of the Stone Age, Phantogram Thursday, August 17th – Jason Mraz & His Superband w/ The New York Pops Saturday, August 19th – The Strokes, Angel Olsen, Seaton Smith, Promiseland Friday, September 8th & Saturday, September 9th – Arctic Monkeys, Fontaines D.C. Friday, September 15th – Cigarettes After Sex Sunday, September 17th – Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Festival Friday, September 22nd – Duran Duran, Grace Jones, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Bastille Friday, September 29th – Sylvan Esso, Goth Babe, Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul Saturday, September 30th – Jungle
Fans of all ages wearing fancy attire attentively listened to Laufey’s captivating vocals as she sang multiple songs from her latest jazz album, Everything I Know About Love. People traveled from Puerto Rico, Florida, and New York City for this one time show.
Laufey
Laura Elliot opened the show with an incredible set, singing multiple songs off of her first album People Pleaser to celebrate one year since its release. Born and raised in the Hudson Valley she gained recognition after collaborating with Lizzy McAlpine on “weird,” and joining artists like The Walters on tour before having her own People Pleaser tour in 2022.
Laura Elliot
After a twenty minute intermission, Laufey took the stage at 9:05, causing a stream of excited screams to erupt from her eager crowd. The 23-year-old jazz-pop artist got her start in 2020 when her singing videos gained huge recognition on TikTok. Growing up in Iceland and now living in LA, Laufey attended Berklee College of Music and grew up around classically-trained musicians. Since she was young, she listened to jazz artists like Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, who largely inspired the type of music she writes today. Laufey is currently off tour, but previously played at the Bowery Ballroom in 2022 during her Everything I Know About Love tour across North America and Europe.
Laufey writes a majority of her songs about heartbreak, which is evident in both her raw and meaningful lyrics and in the short spoken monologues she gave to introduce each song. Her performances of tracks like “James,” “Let You Break My Heart Again,” and “Dear Soulmate” touched on her difficult experiences with past partners, breakups, and feeling lost in the realm of love. Lit by the starlike backdrop of the beautiful Mahaiwe theater, Laufey ran onto the stage with her shiny red guitar and played an incredible show with just her voice and her instruments. Her awed fans—consisting of elders, middle-aged adults, teenagers, and children wearing suits, ties, long flowy skirts, dresses, heels, and intricate updos—stayed completely silent during each performance. No phones were present, as people went to truly enjoy the show. Nearing the end of her set, Laufey announced the workings of a second album, and even performed two unreleased songs for the first time that would feature on it.
After playing her last song, “Falling Behind,” Laufey made a quick exit before re-entering to play an encore. She performed a beautiful rendition of “Two Sleepy People” on the stage’s grand piano, and called it a “lullaby” for her audience of one thousand.
Setlist: Fragile, Street by Street, Best Friend, I Wish You Love, Dear Soulmate, Valentine, Let You Break My Heart Again, Like the Movies, Promise (unreleased), From the Start (unreleased), Beautiful Stranger, James, Magnolia, Falling Behind Encore: Two Sleepy People (Hoagy Carmichael and Frank Loesser cover)
Acclaimed musician Regina Spektor is going on a 2023 summer tour, which includes performances at three music venues in New York: the Kodak Center in Rochester on Aug. 1, SummerStage in Central Park on Aug. 24, and the West Hampton Beach Performing Arts (WHBAC) on Aug. 25.
The tour comes a year after the release of Spektor’s latest studio album, Home, before and after. Additionally, the performer will make an appearance at Mikhail Baryshnikov’s 75th birthday celebration at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park in Tivoli, New York, alongside Laurie Anderson, Diana Krall, and Kaoru Watanabe.
Regina Spektor’s latest studio album, Home, before and after, has received acclaim from New York Times, NPR Music, and more.
Russian-Jewish-American singer, songwriter, and pianist Regina Spektor, whose genres range from Anti-folk, Indie-Pop, and alternative rock, was born in Moscow, Russia, and since moving to the United States, has made musical waves in New York. Spektor has received a sign on the Bronx Walk of Fame, and Mayor Bill Diblasio proclaimed June 11, 2019, as “Regina Spektor Day.” She has been making music for over 20 years, with her debut studio album, 11:11, being released in 2001, and 2022’s Home, before and after marked her eighth studio release.
The album’s supporting single, “Up the Mountain,” has been praised by several media outlets, including the New York Times, which wrote, “It’s mystical and earthy, moving from tolling piano to implacable beat, with strings and horns ganging up.” Grammy-nominated Spektor first saw commercial success with the RIAA Gold-certified LP, Begin to Hope, which includes the singles “On the Radio,” “Better”, “Samson,” and “Fidelity,” which climbed the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
Tickets for the Regina Spektor 2023 summer tour, which includes three stops at New York Music venues, go on sale on April 7.
REGINA SPEKTOR TOURDATES
May 21—Corona Capital—Guadalajara, Mexico July 15—Royal Festival Hall—London, UK July 16— Royal Festival Hall—London, UK July 18—Dalhalla—Rättvik, Sweden July 28—Riverside Theater—Milwaukee, WI July 29—Out of Space—Evanston, IL* July 30—Brady Music—Cincinnati, OH August 1—Kodak Center—Rochester, NY August 2—Keswick Theatre—Philadelphia, PA August 3—Wolf Trap—Vienna, VA † August 5—Chateau Ste. Michelle—Woodinville, WA August 7—Mountain Winery—Saratoga, CA August 8—House of Blues—Anaheim, CA August 10—The Greek Theatre—Los Angeles, CA† August 24—SummerStage—Central Park, NY August 25—WHBPAC—West Hampton, NY August 27—Beach Road Festival—Martha’s Vineyard, MA
The Over Yondr Festival announced its 2023 lineup, coming to Greenville in the picturesque Catskills Mountain foothills from June 16-18.
The Over Yondr Festival is a three-day phone-free weekend, meaning that festival goers will secure their phones in pouches in their possession, providing a rare opportunity for people to disengage from their devices, but there will still be designated areas for attendees to use their phones. The festival was founded in 2019 by Yondr, the pioneers of phone-free performances, as a way to help people disconnect in such a hyperconnected world.
The company has zero social media accounts, and does little advertising, so people aren’t bombarded with so many notifications and advertisements, more than they already are. They regularly work with Dave Chappelle, Madonna, Jack White, Childish Gambino, Ali Wong, Kevin Hart, and more to provide these phone-free experiences. The three-day weekend features live music, games, food trucks, full bars, and hot showers in the picturesque and cozy valley town of Greenville.
The lineup provides audience members with a weekend of sonic discovery, featuring performances from both established artists and exciting up-and-coming artists. Headliners include the unique pop ensemble U.S. Girls who recently released their latest album Bless This Mess to critical acclaim, Brooklyn-based artist Madison McFerrin who blends a unique mix of R&B, jazz, and electronic music, and high-energy indie rock band Melt. Additional acts include Kate Davis who just released her latest album Fish Bowl last week, as well as Miss Grit, a rising indie-pop songwriter who released her debut record Follow The Cyborg earlier this year.
Festival passes are on sale now for the third annual Over Yondr Festival, taking place from June 16-18. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets early as only 400 total passes will be made available for this year’s exclusive festival experience. For more information about the festival and to purchase tickets, go here.
Festival Lineup U.S. Girls Madison McFerrin Melt Kweku Collins Kate Davis Miss Grit Jeremy & The Harlequins Kendra McKinley Charlie Sztyk + Seamstress Camp Saint Helene Eugene Tyler Band Cyote Moonrocka 30 Rack
Indie artist, composer, and New York native Shayfer James brought his Shipwreck tour to Rochester’s Photo City Music Hall on April 2. Opening the show for the mostly under 30 crowd was Rochester based Bellwether Breaks and Atlanta’s Sarah and The Safe Word.
Bellwether Breaks opened the show right about 7pm and immediately got the crowd into it. Lead singer, Elyse Coughlin was donning a 70s style wardrobe, and had some vocals reminiscent of the era. Her range and smooth sounds were similar to Amy Winehouse, with some early cabaret hints being tossed around. Playing a 9 song set, including newly released The Oracle, the band consists of: drummer Dave Goebel, guitarist Peter Goebel, vocalist Elyse Coughlin, keyboardist Chris Coon, and bassist Eugene Bisdikian. Chris Coon also plays a mean sax, as displayed at this show.
Having only been around for a few years, BB has developed a great following and in 2022 both Elyse and Chris received nominations for local “best of…” competition and the band was nominated for best rock band as well. Pretty damn good for this newly formed quintet.
Setlist: Say it Like it’s True; Headed Home; Peaches; About a Girl; Perfect Universe; The Oracle; I Put a Spell on You; The Prime Directive; Blow the Roof Off.
Following Bellwether Breaks was Sarah and The Safe Word. While not normally the music I gravitate to, this group from Atlanta left it all on the stage, with the crowd looking for more. Sara Rose is the leader and made their presence known. Smooth, clean vocals with a story behind every song, the band had the crowd moving all over the place.
Not normally politically charged performers, the band is strong advocates for the LGBTQ+ community and promotes support groups on their website. While they don’t necessarily put it on the forefront of the show, they are not afraid to slip in the well-placed political jab between songs, which also work as segways for next song.
The band consists of: Sarah Rose (vocals), Kienan Dietrich (guitar, vocals), Susy Reyes (violin, vocals), Beth Ballinger (keys, vocals), Maddox Reksten (bass, vocals), and Carlos Gonzalez (percussion, vocals).
As stated before, this is not normally the music I gravitate towards, but Susy Reyes absolutely blew me away. Jumping around on stage while playing violin, Lindsay Sterling-esque, Reyes stole the show for me. Amazing voice, with the occasional deep scream (think Jinjer), Reyes will leave you in awe every time.
Shayfer James. If you aren’t familiar with him, you need to be. James has released 10 albums, including his newest, Shipwreck.
James is known for his silky piano skills as well his thought out lyrics. Sometimes dark, sometimes sentimental, sometimes cliche. Regardless of how you hear them, James will leave you tapping your feet or bopping your head before you even realize what he is singing about.
The crowd at Photo City Music Hall had dissipated by the time James took the stage, but those who were still there, crowded the front of the stage almost within arm’s reach of this talented composer. They were treated to an amazing, intimate performance, as James played songs from most of his albums, including Welcome Back, Misery; For the Departed; and Weight of the World.
Follow Shayfer James and check out his music: Shayfer James
Kicking off the spring with a tour in support of their twelfth studio album (Cruel Country, dBpm Records) released in May 2022, recorded live at their studio known as The Loft, Wilco played three consecutive sold-out performances this past weekend at The Capitol Theatre located in the center of downtown Port Chester. As one of 1,800 lucky participants to attend the Chicagoans residency finale on Saturday night (April Fool’s Day) and witness their multi-genre talents, all were treated to an eclectic blend of experimental rock, indie art rock and alternative country.
Dubbed the “American Radiohead” due to their stylistically diverse catalog, Wilco’s career-spanning trio of shows at the iconic concert hall constructed nearly a century ago boasted no repeat songs. Their setlists from Thursday, Friday and Saturday night included a whopping total of sixty-nine different offerings, making for the perfect recipe of deep cuts and crowd favorites that were presented to their adoring fans.
Promptly at 7:30 pm, fellow Chicago natives Horsegirl unassumingly strolled onto the stage. Formed a little more than three years ago when they bonded over their shared love for acts like Sonic Youth, Stereolab and Pavement, the punk-infused trio of indie-rockers comprised of Nora Cheng (guitar, vocals), Penelope Lowenstein (guitar, vocals) and Gigi Reece (drums) have been providing support each night of Wilco’s residency at The Cap, including Wilco’s three night residency a couple of weeks back at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago.
Speaking of Pavement, I first witnessed the immense talent of these young women back in October 2022 when they also opened for said band at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn. Although it was merely six months ago, their growth as a live act has blossomed since then, and they are surely on the right path to a bright future in the music business.
With a palpable, undeniable chemistry, Horsegirl performed a 28-minute set filled with guitar feedback and hypnotic melodies during a collection of songs taken from their debut album (Versions of Modern Performance, Matador Records) released in June 2022, including Homage to “Birdnoculars,” “World of Pots and Pans,” “Option 8” and “Anti-glory.”
As I stood in the photo pit talking with fans along the steel barricade, all of whom were waiting with eager anticipation for the roadies to finish preparing the stage and Wilco’s instruments, I reminisced about the very first time I witnessed the greatness of Wilco. It was here at The Cap, way back on October 30, 2014, when Wilco were celebrating their 20 year anniversary as a rock ‘n’ roll outfit. The night I was in attendance, like tonight, was also the third consecutive sold-out evening of a residency stint that has hosted legendary artists the likes of Janis Joplin, Traffic, Pink Floyd and the Grateful Dead.
At 8:30 pm sharp, when the house lights suddenly went dark, I raised my trusted Nikon “Kamera” to my eye as the sextet of frontman and guitarist Jeff Tweedy, guitarist Nels Cline, bassist John Stirratt, drummer Glenn Kotche, multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone and keyboardist Mikael Jorgensen took the stage to thunderous applause. Tonight’s two-hour, 23-song set that would bridge nine studio albums altogether – only offerings from 1995’s debut album (A.M.), 2015’s Star Wars and 2016’s Schmilco would be absent – commenced with two tunes from their fifth studio album (A Ghost Is Born, 2004), including “At Least That’s What You Said,” followed by “Spiders (Kidsmoke).”
As I remained in the photo pit for the third song of the night (“The Universe”), taken from the newest addition to their discography Cruel Country, I reminded myself to unglue my eyes from the band in front of me and occasionally glance at the thousands of fan faces behind me. The expressions I witnessed included sheer joy and complete awe, and even one guy headbanging incessantly as he clutched the rail in front of him with both hands. Then, with the song nearing its end, Cline’s guitar tech quickly emerged from the dark shadows at stage right and began working on what appeared to be the pedal board.
While the technical snafu lasted for several minutes until it was successfully resolved by either a repair or a complete change-out of the rig, it resulted in an impromptu setlist change as “Jesus, Etc.” (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, 2001) moved up to the fourth song slot – it was originally slated to be the last song before the encore. Tweedy, taking advantage of the rare down time, also executed a “Tight Five Comedy Set” where he explained the rules behind winning the “Best Behaved” trophy awarded to only one lucky audience member each night. He also enlightened us that even Horsegirl claimed the top prize back at one of Wilco’s recent Chicago gigs.
The bulk of the main set, which included one musical treasure after another, had Wilco fans dancing with each other, as well as in the aisles. Whereas queues of fans had inundated the venue’s bars and merch tables earlier in the night, they were non-existent now that Wilco was playing. With too many incredible tracks to dive into for this concert review, a few highlights (to name but a few) included the title track from 2011’s The Whole Love, two more songs from Cruel Country (“Mystery Binds” and “Tired of Taking It Out on You”), “Impossible Germany” from 2007’s Sky Blue Sky (there were six total tracks performed tonight from this formative LP) and “Laminated Cat,” a cover song dating back to 2003 by the indie rock supergroup of Tweedy and Kotche, along with multi-instrumentalist Jim O’Rourke of Sonic Youth.
After nearly 100 minutes on a non-stop musical journey, Tweedy and his bandmates, in prime form all night long, collected their breath backstage. After a short recess, our heroes reappeared onstage with Tweedy exclaiming, “I hope you all had as much fun as we have,” before launching into “The Late Greats” (A Ghost Is Born). The gifts kept on coming in the four song encore with “Heavy Metal Drummer” (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot), “A Shot in the Arm” (from 1999’s third studio album Summerteeth) and the final number, “On and On and On” (Sky Blue Sky).
From the box office to the security personnel to the bartenders to the ushers and of course, to the fans, it’s always a memorable time at The Cap, and Saturday night’s closing show was certainly no exception. One of America’s most critically acclaimed acts, Wilco’s rich history of music for nearly the past three decades has made them a beloved band on a generational scale. My NYS Music colleague Chris McShane, a diehard fan since 2007 who attended all three residency shows at The Cap and has seen them perform live more than forty times, proclaimed “What’s amazing is that Wilco is still getting better and better over time, and their three-night run at The Cap had all of their incredible skills on full display. If and when they return to the venue, you’ll want to grab a ticket, whether you’ve never seen them before or are a seasoned veteran of a Wilco show.”
Next up for Wilco is a trip to Reykjavik, Iceland for another three night, sold-out residency on April 6-8. The spring tour continues back in the United States with a stopover at the High Water Festival in North Charleston, South Carolina (April 16), followed by eleven more dates culminating in Athens, Ohio on April 30. Additionally, Tweedy will be performing solo at the Vic Theatre in Chicago, Illinois for a pair of dates on May 19 and 20.
Wilco are also set to release an alternate version to their seminal album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot for Record Store Day on April 22, dubbed Crosseyed Strangers: An Alternate Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Only 4,500 copies of the vinyl will be available to purchase through participating record stores, so you’ll have to act fast!
Wilco Setlist: At Least That’s What You Said > Spiders (Kidsmoke) > The Universe > Jesus, Etc. > You Are My Face > Whole Love > Mystery Binds > I’ll Fight > Side With the Seeds > One and a Half Stars > Tired of Taking It Out on You > Everyone Hides > Impossible Germany > Sunken Treasure > Laminated Cat (Loose Fur cover) > Reservations > Either Way > Hate It Here > Dawned on Me > Encore: The Late Greats > Heavy Metal Drummer > A Shot in the Arm > On and On and On
Brooklyn’s Romi O has just released her second ever single “M2M” on Friday, March 24th, a ballad you won’t want to miss. The single is brilliant, having a truly one-of-a-kind musical journey feel to it; retaining more immediate elements from punk and alternative music.
Understanding the flow of “M2M” requires a bit of a backstory about the artist. This is the second single from her upcoming debut album, which is expected to be released later in 2023. Hailing from Tel Aviv, Israel, Romi O has been making music ever since she can remember. She continued to develop her songwriting chips, eventually switching from singing and writing in Hebrew to performing in English.
Romi O’s sound is unique because of the juxtaposition of understated textures, relatable lyrics, and hard-hitting grooves. By the time she turned 22, the artist had relocated to Brooklyn, where she had sought a fresh start in music. She co-founded the band “PowerSnap” to pursue high-octane punk and garage aesthetics.
Eventually, Romi O circled back to her initial fondness for ballads. The resulting sound she made is truly one-of-a-kind, still retaining more immediate elements from punk and alternative music. But this time, in “M2M,” she comes to light in a soothing, softer way that makes her sound more intriguing and dynamic.
Her chosen stage name comes from the beloved figure of “Romeo,” from Shakespeare’s timeless “Romeo and Juliette” play. Being a huge fan of Shakespeare herself, Rome O felt a truly special connection to the character.
The single stands out as an example of her art and musical craft. The song deals with the idea of always being ready to question life choices and decisions and approaching everything without the fear of taking things too seriously. It’s important to find a balance, and the song is a very poignant observation of the fleeting nature of the path we carve for ourselves in life with our choices.
The song’s music video feels like another layer. In a way, it is another approach to telling the story, and it offers a visual representation of the core concept that drives this release. Overall, it features some punchy electronic sounds, as well as organic elements such as vocals and guitars to round up the wide palette of sonic colors on this song.
To listen and watch the music video for “M2M,” click the link here.
To listen to more music by Romi O, click the link here.
