Category: Jam/Progressive

  • Dogs in a Pile Announce Holiday Shows in Asbury Park and Saratoga Springs

    Fast-rising jam band Dogs In A Pile (DIAP) will end their highly successful 2023 year playing two gigs at Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs on Dec. 30 and 31. The run will mark the Dogs’ first time playing headlining shows on New Year’s Eve. The band will also perform at the legendary Stone Pony in Asbury Park on Dec. 15 and 16.

    DIAP fittingly chose the Upstate New York region for this special occasion as it has become a second home to the band over its formative years. This year alone, they’ve sold out headlining nights in Rochester and Ithaca, have played several festivals in the area (Memorial Meltdown, Rye Bread, Catskill Mountain Jubilee, and ADK Fest), and will return to Putnam Place after selling out the 500-capacity space for one show back in March.

    New Jersey-based jam band Dogs In A Pile will begin an extensive national tour in the fall. Starting on Sept. 6, the band will make their inaugural visit to Madison, WI to play at the High Noon Saloon. The next night will see them return to Chicago, IL to play Lincoln Hall following a sold-out show in the Windy City earlier in the year at Martyrs’. They will then support the rambunctious Andy Frasco & The U.N. on Sept. 8 at the Canopy Club in Urbana, IL.

    The Dogs will follow up their Midwest shows with headlining gigs in Nashville, TN at The Basement East with support from talented pickers Airshow. They will round out the first leg of the tour with a High Point, NC date on Sept. 10 at COHAB.SPACE. Support for this show will feature five-piece rock band Tand and blues-groove locals The Wright Ave. The band will play Wormtown Music Festival in Greenfield, MA on Sept. 16 followed by a Sept. 22 slot at Tumble Down aside headliners Twiddle and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong.

    The second leg of their headlining Fall Tour will continue in Columbus, OH on Sept. 27 at The Summit Music Hall. Grand Rapids, MI-based Desmond Jones will offer support to the Dogs the next night in Ferndale, MI at The Magic Bag with the following two shows being supported by the versatile Pittsburgh four-piece The Roof. Those dates will be played at Mr. Smalls in Pittsburgh, PA, and The State Theatre in State College, PA, respectively.

    Dogs In A Pile will head east in October to play Higher Ground in South Burlington, VT followed by a headlining turn at the NY Harvest Festival in Trumansburg, NY. They will then make their third stop in Cambridge, MA at The Sinclair. Rounding out the weekend on Oct. 8, they’ll join The Del McCoury Band on The Ramble Festival’s lineup in Darlington, MD. The band will return to the Northeast for their biggest headlining shows in Brooklyn and Philadelphia, PA at The Music Hall of Williamsburg on Oct. 20 and Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia on Oct. 21.

    The five-piece will then embark on a supporting run with jam-funk quartet Pigeons Playing Ping Pong across 16 dates in the South, Rocky Mountain region, Pacific Northwest, and West Coast before playing two dates (Nov. 29 and Dec. 2) to support Andy Frasco & The U.N.

    photo by Nick Codina

    The third and final stretch of headlining dates will see the Dogs return to Virginia for a first-time visit to Roanoke at the 5 Points Music Sanctuary on Dec. 7. The tour will continue on Dec. 8 at The Pour House Music Hall in Raleigh, NC once again with support by The Wright Ave. The band will end their 41-date Fall Tour on Dec. 9 at a to-be-announced city and venue.

    To view all tour dates and learn more, visit here

    DOGS IN A PILE TOUR DATES

    9/6 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon

    9/7 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall

    9/8 – Urbana, IL – Canopy Club%

    9/9 -Nashville, TN – The Basement East

    9/10 – High Point, NC – COHAB.SPACE

    9/16 – Greenfield, MA -Wormtown Festival

    9/22 – Lafayette, NY – Tumble Down

    9/27 – Columbus, OH – The Summit Music Hall

    9/28 – Ferndale, MI – The Magic Bag

    9/29 – Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls Theatre

    9/30 – State College, PA – The State Theatre

    10/5 – South Burlington, VT – Higher Ground

    10/6 – Trumansburg, NY – NY Harvest Festival

    10/7 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair

    10/8 – Darlington, MD – The Ramble Festival

    10/12 – Virginia Beach, VA – Elevation 27

    10/13 – Richmond, VA – The Broadberry

    10/14 – Charlottesville, VA – The Southern Café and Music Hall

    10/20 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg

    10/21 – Philadelphia, PA – Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia

    10/29 – New Orleans, LA – Tipitina’s**

    10/31 – Austin, TX – Historic Scoot Inn** 

    11/1 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater**

    11/2 -Fayetteville, AR -George’s Majestic Lounge**

    11/4 – Denver, CO – The Mission Ballroom**

    11/5 – Salt Lake City, UT – Commonwealth Room**

    11/8 – Bozeman, MT -The Elm**

    11/9 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory**

    11/10 – Seattle, WA – Neptune Theatre**

    11/11 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom**

    11/12 – Arcata, CA – Van Duzer Theatre**

    11/14 – Bend, OR – Midtown Ballroom**

    11/15 – San Francisco, CA – Regency Ballroom**

    11/17 – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour**

    11/18 – San Diego, CA – Observatory North**

    11/19 – Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theatre**

    11/29 – Harrisburg, PA – Midtown Arts Center%

    12/2 – Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom%

    12/7 – Roanoke, VA – 5 Points Music Sanctuary 

    12/8 – Raleigh, NC – The Pour House Music Hall

    12/9 – TBA – TBA 

    12/15 & 12/16 – Asbury Park, NJ – The Stone Pony

    12/30-31 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Putnam Place

    % w/ Andy Frasco & The U.N.

    ** w/ Pigeons Playing Ping Pong

  • In Focus: Borderland Music & Art Festival Dazzles in Western New York

    Borderland Music & Art Festival brought some heavy hitting national and local bands to the historic Knox Farm State Park situated in the small village of East Aurora. Over three beautiful days – September 15, 16 & 17 – the historic grounds hosted many great bands on two stages that filled the air with sounds to sooth the soul from some amazingly talented artists.

    Friday started as a wonderful partly cloudy morning with perfect temps. As festival goers started to flow in, setting up their chairs and blanks for the day, you could hear the first band. Folk/Americana jam-type band The Stove Pipes playing the Homespun stage which was situated off behind the horse stables at the top of the hill opposite the Mainstage. As the day progressed there was very minimal overlapping of each band’s sets. Making it an easy walk between both stages through or around the horse stables to see each band play throughout the day.

    On the Homespun stage you could catch other local and reginal acts like, Dirty Blanket, Not Fade Away Band (Playing Dead Zepplin) & Farrow. The Mainstage acts included local, regional, and national touring acts like Leroy Townes Band, The 502s, Dawes & Goose. Goose being the closing act of night one, brought the house down with their amazing set of music. An absolute not to be missed band of abundantly talented musicians. Setlist via Elgoose.net.

    Goose setlist: Flodown[1], Mr. Action, Pancakes, Honeybee[2], Writing A Novel[3], Creatures, Rosewood Heart[4], Animal
    Encore: Slow Ready -> Arcadia
    [1] Flopener.
    [2] With Coach on rainstick.
    [3] Father John Misty.
    [4] With Taylor Goldsmith on guitar and vocals, Griffin Goldsmith on drums, and Jeff on guitar.

    Saturday at Borderland was met with beautifully clear skies and temperatures out on the farm. Saturday’s crowd filled in the ground of Knox Farm State Park much earlier being a Saturday. Again with very little overlapping of each band’s sets, it was quite easy to catch most of each act playing both the Homespun and Mainstage. Starting out the day on the Mainstage with a great improvisational set was The Damone Jackson Outcome, a band known for their high energy improv sets.

    First up on the Homespun stage was A Girl Named Genny, a folk/Americana band with a little bit of Rock and Roll. Other Homespun stage acts included local and reginal bands, Never Ben, Public Water Supply, Grosh and Organ Fairchild. Other Mainstage acts included local, reginal and national acts like, Miller & The Other Sinners, Mighty Poplar, Neal Francis and Sammy Rae & The Friends. Trey Anastasio Band closed out night two with a stellar set of mostly Phish tunes to send everyone home only wanting more. And what an exceptional set of music it was, made even better with an almost Phish/Kuroda level light show. Setlist via Phish.net

    Trey Anastasio Band setlist: Sand, Back on the Train, Everything’s Right, Blaze On, A Wave of Hope, Outside the Lines, Llama [1], Heavy Things, Oblivion, Pillow Jets > …And Flew Away, Wolfman’s Brother > First Tube
    Encore: Ghost
    [1] Performed in an alternate arrangement.

    Sunday, was the closing day to the perfect three-day Borderland Music & Arts festival and the weather could not have been better for mid-September. Starting out the day on the Homespun stage was The Red Grenadines, followed by Folkfaces, and NYS Dead Coalition. During Folkfaces and in between The Red Grenadine & NYS Dead Coalition was the Tailgate & Buffalo Bills Watch Party with many in attendance. Starting the day on the Mainstage was Karina Rykman, followed by, Krasno/Moore Project, The Infamous Stringdusters, and to close out the night, and festival, with two sets, our hometown heroes, moe.

    Set 1: The Pit> Rise, Blond Hair and Blue Eyes, Gone, Do It Again> George, Lazarus
    Set 2: Skitchin’ Buffalo, Mexico> Ups And Downs> Silver Sun> Rebubula> Four[1] > Rebubula
    [1] Chuck on vocals. 1st time played since Chuck’s stroke.

    View our full photo gallery from Borderland Music & Art Festival by John Raczynski

  • Celebrate Ten Years of Buffalo Iron Works with Melvin Seals & JGB this October

    Buffalo Iron Works plans to host an exclusive 10th anniversary party to celebrate a decade of success, featuring the renowned Melvin Seals & JGB on Thursday, October 19th, promising an unforgettable night to commend this milestone of intuitive, expressive, and soulful music.

    melvin seals buffalo iron works JGB

    Melvin Seals has had a remarkable three-decade career as a recording artist, performer and producer and will take center stage during the Buffalo Iron Works anniversary festivities. Melvin is celebrated for his electrifying performances on the keyboard and B-3 organ while accompanying the stage with Jerry Garcia Band. Both Melvin and JGB have played pivotal roles in the jam band music scene with a mix of blues, funk, rock, jazz, gospel and R&B that captivate an audience of all tastes.Their onstage chemistry fuels a psychedelic experience for concert goers that keeps them dancing, smiling and engaged in the rhythm of rock-gospel blues fusion.

    In addition to the performance with Melvin and JGB, Buffalo Iron Works 10 year anniversary party will feature drink specials, exclusive signed merchandise and more. The venue offers an intimate music lounge setting that hosts a diverse range of national, regional and local artists across various genres. Not only is it a haven for music but welcomes all types of events, from concerts, acoustic shows, and book signings, ensuring an inclusive and vibrant versatile cultural space.

    Join Buffalo Iron Works on Thursday, October 19th to celebrate a decade of music, community and unforgettable moments that have made BIW a cherished part of Buffalo’s cultural landscape. For more info visit here.

  • moe. to Return to Capitol Theatre This December

    After a brief break this fall, moe. will return to the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, for a 2-night run December 9-10 to finish out their tour.

    moe. is a one-of-a-kind band that has never been easily categorized. Their sonic adventurousness and tongue-in-cheek humor are distinctly and undeniably their own. Praised by American Songwriter for their “mind-bending musicality,” moe. is treasured for their mesmerizing musical synergy, unfettered showmanship, and smart, resonant songcraft.

    The genre-blurring band, moe. is what it is today because of Al Schnier (guitar/vocals), Chuck Garvey (guitar/vocals), Rob Derhak (bass/vocals), Jim Loughlin (percussion/vibes), Vinnie Amico (drums), and Nate Wilson (keys).

    This powerful group of musicians leads to positive reviews, especially after Chuck’s recovery from a stroke, and the addition of Nate Wilson on the keys, moe.’s resurgence has been remarkable for all fans to watch.

    On top of their live performances, moe. also recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of Tin Cans and Car Tires with a special 2x Sky Blue vinyl reissue. On top of the original album tracks, the collector’s item also features live renditions of beloved songs including “Stranger Than Fiction,” “Nebraska,” and “Letter Home.”

    Tickets for moe. at the Capitol Theatre are now on sale at moe.org

    moe. tour dates

    Wednesday, September 20th – Newport Music Hall – Columbus, OH
    Thursday, September 21st – Madison Theater – Covington, KY
    Friday, September 22nd – Vic Theatre – Chicago, IL
    Saturday, September 23rd – Headliners Music Hall – Louisville, KY
    Tuesday, September 26th – Turner Hall Ballroom – Milwaukee, WI
    Thursday, September 28th – Peoria Riverfront – Peoria, IL
    Friday, September 29th – Barrymore Theatre – Madison, WI
    Saturday, September 30th – First Ave – Minneapolis, MN
    Sunday, October 1st – Wooly’s – Des Moines, IA
    Wednesday, October 4th – The Pageant – St. Louis, MO
    Thursday, October 5th – Bourbon Theatre – Lincoln, NE
    Friday, October 6th – Hillberry Fest – Eureka Springs, AR
    Saturday, October 7th – Liberty Hall – Lawrence, KS
    Friday, October 20th – Ogden Theatre – Denver, CO
    Saturday, October 21st – Ogden Theatre – Denver, CO
    Friday, December 8th – Capitol Theatre – Port Chester, NY
    Saturday, December 9th – Capitol Theatre – Port Chester, NY

    For more information, visit moe.org, or follow their Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

  • Phish Announces Annual New Year’s Eve Run at Madison Square Garden

    Phish has announced their annual New Year’s Eve run at Manhattan’s Madison Square Garden, set for December 28, 29, 30, and 31.

    The annual run at MSG marks the 15th time Phish will ring in the New Year at ‘The World’s Most Famous Arena’, and the 91st concert overall, as of New Year’s Eve, the second most for any artists at the venue behind Billy Joel.

    A ticket request period is now underway at tickets.phish.com and will continue through Monday, September 25 at 12 noon (ET). Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, September 29 at 12 noon (ET). A limited number of travel packages (hotel and tickets) will go on sale Wednesday, September 27 at Noon ET.

    Phish recently performed two benefit concerts at the Broadview Stage at SPAC August 25 – 26, raising over $3.5M for flood recovery efforts in Vermont and Upstate New York. Both shows featured special pre-show acoustic sets with Phish’s Page McConnell and Trey Anastasio, while the Saturday, August 26 performance saw Phish joined on stage by a surprise appearance from guitarist Derek Trucks.

    PHISH 2023 TOUR DATES

    OCTOBER

    6 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena

    7 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena

    8 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena

    10 – Dayton, OH – Wright State University Nutter Center

    11 – Dayton, OH- Wright State University Nutter Center

    13 – Chicago, IL – United Center

    14 – Chicago, IL – United Center

    15 – Chicago, IL – United Center

    DECEMBER

    28 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

    29 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

    30 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

    31 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

    FEBRUARY 2024

    21 – Quintana Roo, Mexico – Moon Palace Cancun

    22 – Quintana Roo, Mexico – Moon Palace Cancun

    23 – Quintana Roo, Mexico – Moon Palace Cancun

    24 – Quintana Roo, Mexico – Moon Palace Cancun

  • Classic Jams Headline Outlaw Music Festival 2023 at SPAC

    Willie Nelson brought his Outlaw Music Festival to Saratoga for a late-summer jam session. With a tour that celebrates Willie’s lifelong musical genius and his legacy of hits, this tour seems extra special as Willie turned a remarkable 90 years old this year. The show brings an “Outlaw Village” with it, which is a little village of vendors that travel with the festival. And there is certainly a festival vibe as attendees ate and partied all throughout SPAC’s beautiful grounds.

    The evening opened with Waylon Payne playing a solo acoustic set of country and bluegrass. (Particle Kid (Willie’s Nelson’s son’s group) was not there to start the night off.) Highlights from Payne’s set include an excellent cover of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire,” and Payne’s own classic “Born to Lose.” Payne was genuinely thankful to be performing and expressed that gratitude many times. Payne showed up later in the night as Willie’s right hand man during Willie’s set. A good night for Waylon Payne.

    Los Lobos was up next. It’s unfortunate that the festival was held on a week night. Even though it was Friday, it was slow to fill and was still visibly empty when Los Lobos took the stage. They handled it like the classic professionals they are though and put on a hell of a set. Even with attendance low, one could look anywhere in the amphitheater and see people dancing to Los Lobos’ hits. With what had to be a nod to Bobby Weir, they opened with their song “Will the Wolf Survive?”. They followed that up with Three Midniters’ “Love Special Delivery.” The standout for the set was the set closing “La Bomba” segueing into The Olympics’ “Good Lovin’” and then back into “La Bomba.” With the set opening and closing with a nod to Mr. Weir, the crowd was warmed up indeed!

    Hitting the stage next was The String Cheese Incident. Having been 20 or so years since this listener last saw SCI, it was special to hear them open with “Smile.” Michael Kang busted out his violin and the jam took off into classic Outlaw territory. With a blend of deep cuts and new tunes, it was good to hear these guys again. The highlight for this listener was the 20ish minutes of “Missing Me” segueing into “Just One Story.” Looking around the venue, one could see many Friends of Cheese dancing to the jams.

    Setlist: Smile, Get Tight, Suntan, Barstool, Missin’ Me, Just One Story, Bhangra Saanj, Can’t Stop Now.

    While this constant listener is not an old-school Deadhead with hundreds of Grateful Dead shows under his belt, but I have been listening to them for about 40 years now, and they remain in regular rotation at my home and in my car. Having been at this show, and from seeing chatter online, what occurred with the Bobby set this evening was one hell of a Dead set. Bobby Weir and the Wolf Bros Featuring the Wolfpack dropped an incredible set of music on SPAC. The Wolfpack brings horns to jam. Drop a horn section into a “Dark Star”, a slow-building “Dark Star”, and magic happens. Add a “West LA Fade Away”, a “Wharf Rat”, and wrap it up with a “Sugar Magnolia” and you have one incredible set. And all this fails to mention the “El Paso”, the “Greatest Story Ever Told”, and the “New Speedway Boogie”! Listen to this set over Nugs.Net, and don’t you think of skipping that “Lost Sailor” with horns!

    Setlist: Bertha, Greatest Story Ever Told, Dark Star, El Paso, Lost Sailor, Saint of Circumstance, West LA Fadeaway, New Speedway Boogie, Wharf Rat, Sugar Magnolia

    To cap the evening off, Willie Nelson came on stage and amazed the crowd with his never-ending charisma and charm. His opening number “Whiskey River” segued into “Stay All Night (Stay a Little Longer).” Listening to Willie is always a trip down Nostalgia Lane. He has written so many classic tunes, it’s mind-blowing. Highlights for this listener were “Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys”, “On the Road Again” and that all-time classic “Always on My Mind” (written by Wayne Carson, Johnny Christopher, and Mark James).

    The patience shown by die-hard fans waiting for their statesman Willie Nelson paid off that evening. Sitting through the noodle-ly dancing of the Cheese- and Deadheads, fans were now saying they were glad that people were sitting so they could see Willie on stage. Willie was remarkable. At 90 years of age, he came out on stage unassisted, sat and played for an hour, and then left after waving and throwing his bandana into the crowd. Imagine catching Willie Nelson’s bandana? What a keepsake!

    Setlist: Whiskey River (Johnny Bush cover), Stay a Little Longer (Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys cover), Still Is Still Moving to Me, Bloody Mary Morning, I Never Cared for You, Workin’ Man Blues (Merle Haggard and The Strangers cover), Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys, Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground, On the Road Again, Always On My Mind, Good Hearted Woman (Waylon Jennings cover), Help Me Make It Through the Night (Kris Kristofferson cover) (Waylon Payne – lead vocals), Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die, Still Not Dead, Georgia (On My Mind) (Hoagy Carmichael and His Orchestra cover), I Been to Georgia on a Fast Train (Billy Joe Shaver cover), Write Your Own Songs (Willie Nelson & Kris Kristofferson cover), Move It on Over (Hank Williams With His Drifting Cowboys cover), Me and Bobby McGee (Kris Kristofferson cover), Will the Circle Be Unbroken? (William MacEwan cover) (with Bob Weir), I’ll Fly Away (Rev. J.M. Gates cover) (with Bob Weir), It’s Hard to Be Humble (Mac Davis cover), Saw the Light

  • Afropunk: Circus of Soul touches down in Brooklyn

    Afropunk returned to Brooklyn for 2 days of music on August 26th & 27th. The festival took place at Brooklyn’s Greenpoint Terminal Market for 2023.

    As on brand for Afropunk, the lineup for the festival was all black artists from various genres. Some notable names included Tobe Nwigwe, Baby Tate, and Vince Staples. The lineup also included New York’s own Joey Bada$$, and day 2 headliner, Teyana Taylor.

    Unlike last year, this year had a theme, which was Circus of Soul. Motifs of this theme could be seen throughout the event. Both on stage and in the crowd, fans and artists dressed as though they were part of a circus. R&B artist Cleo Reed really leaned into the theme by dressing them selves and other stage performers in clown attire during their set. There were performers on stilts wearing kente cloth patterns walking throughout the crowd. There were also Aerial Ring performers periodically doing stunts throughout the weekend.

    This year was truly one to be at, as there were many performances and attractions that festival goers could really interact with all day.

    A festival of the Arts

    Afropunk is a festival that is bigger than music. Though music may be the highlight, it also features art and artists from all over the globe that center their creativity around the African diaspora. Inside the Spin Thrift Market, there were vendors selling things like clothes, jewelry, books, and weed products. Outside the Market, there were spaces for health and beauty. Festival goers were able to get their hair and makeup done, henna tattoos, and facials. Most of the vendors were also African American owned and operated.

    In addition to vendors that were selling merchandise, there were also areas for festival goers to interact. In the center between the two stages, there were tents set up for festival goers to play games and run through a bubble pit. It seems as though they learned from last year as most activities and vendors were set up under large tents to protect against any potential rain.

    Nonetheless, as much as there was to do off stage, there was much to watch on stage. There was a two stage setup to accommodate for about 30 performances. In between performances on both stages were DJ SNS and DJ Mohogany. They helped to keep the party going as people awaited some of their favorite artists to take the stage.

    Day 1 Highlights

    Day 1 had strong performances from Cleo Reed and a collaboration from the Soapbox presents on the 3 Ring Stage. The Soapbox brought together vocalists and musicians to bring a rock, R&B, and gospel like performance. This was one of the many perfect displays of how African American music is has roots in so many different genres that tend to overlap one another. The performance had fans feeling cool in the end of summer heat.

    One of day 1’s most notable and electric performances was from Tobe Nwigwe. Originally from Houston, TX, Tobe holds on to his Nigerian roots well as they could be seen in his performances. He is always recognizable with his seafoam green outfits and sets. He brought out his wife, Martica Nwigwe, for a few songs from his set. He also had Olu from Earthgang come out for a song. Olu came out on brand, wearing seafoam green wings to sing “WILDLINGS” with Tobe. The performance was full of energy and surprises that keep the audience screaming for an hour.

    Tobe’s performance was evened out by a more mellow from Vince Staples. Vince stared as “Maurice” earlier this year in the Emmy award winning show, Abbott Elementary. His Long Beach, CA vibes really brought the crowd down from their state of choas from before. Though his set did not features as many theatrics like Tobe’s, he still had the attention of the crowd. Vince had the crowd singing along to his hit song, “Norf Norf,” before there was a mass exodus from the event.

    An uneventful end to the hype

    The first night was headlined by Flying Lotus. He is a producer and DJ who has worked on many projects on TV shows and film. One of the most notable projects was Netflix’s Yasuke, an anime centered around the story of Japan’s first black samurai. He makes a lot of EDM and electronic rap songs primarily.

    Flying Lotus did not receive much of an introduction which left many fans confused. Though his fans would be familiar with his music and style, this may have been many’s first exposure to him. He could barely be seen from behind his DJ booth and did not say a word for at least the first 20 minutes of his set. About halfway through, he was joined by rapper Smoke DZA, who he is working on a collaborative album with. Smoke DZA did bring some excitement and energy to his performance.

    After Smoke DZA’s exit, Flying Lotus played a few more songs and was about to leave. He did not realize that his set was not over and played for about another 15 minutes. Flying Lotus had a pretty anti-climatic exit, as it was a pretty bleak end to day 1 of Afropunk 2023.

    A stark turn around from Day 1’s mishaps

    Day 2 still featured a full lineup that had Greenpoint full. What was nice about this year’s festival was the scheduling of performances. With the stage schedules pretty staggered, fans were able to see all their artists without really having to miss a performance. This really set Afropunk apart from other festivals as many usually have fans contemplating which artists they wanted to see more. If they wanted to, fans could see just about every artist and take in the full Afropunk experience.

    Some notable performances from Day 2 were from Baby Tate and Joey Bada$$. Baby Tate brought a fun energy out of the crowd. With a lot of positive sexual messages infused in her lyrics, her music and performance made Greenpoint a safe space for women to express themselves. In the middle of her set, Baby Tate took a break and her DJ Sky Jetta tapped into a different side of her fans. Though Baby Tate makes rap music, Sky Jetta played alternative rock hits, including “I write sins not tragedies” that absolutely killed.

    Baby Tate came back and continued to kill. She played unreleased song “Wig” and ended on her hit “I am” to leave things on a high. Joey Bad$$ proceeded her and continues to bring smiles.

    New York showing out for New York artists

    Joey Bad$$ was happy to be back in his hometown as he expressed his love for Brooklyn all through out his performance. The theme around his performance was love as he turned the camera toward the audience to celebrate black love. He had a kiss cam going on for a bit before singing “Love is only a feeling.” He dedicated a few songs to fallen black artists including, XXXTentacion, Nipsey Hustle, Pop Smoke, Young Dolph, and more.

    Before he left, he expressed his happiness to be playing at an event where he could see so many black faces. He also threw a jab at Afropunk for being a bit unprofessional behind the scenes. He still left things on a high with “Devasated” before handing the stage over to Teyana Taylor.

    The energy from day 2 was drastically different than from the previous day. Day 2’s lineup featured so many artist that people knew and loved. They had performances that people wanted to be a part of and sing along with. Day 2 was originally supposed to end with Grammy award winner Jazmine Sullivan. Due to some personal reasons, she could not perform, but Teyana Taylor was passed the torch to close out the weekend.

    Rose of Harlem feeling the love

    Nicked named the “Rose of Harlem”, Teyana Taylor closed out to packed audience in her city. Teyana had mentioned during her performance that she was nervous to headline a show as she felt as though no one would stay for her. Though some mic issues may have fueled those nerves early on, New York showed her so much love that it brought her to tears.

    The sound was getting too much for Teyana as she asked for just the keys to play during one of her songs. She was able to get real close and emotional with the crowd before turning things back up. The crowd screamed “Issues” and ” Gonna Love Me” with Teyana.

    She was joined on stage by her daughter ,”Junnie,” and husband Iman Shumphert, for a few songs. Her daughter helped her throw out free t-shirts to the audience. Teyana also had 3 outfit changes that synced up with the many different vibes of her performance.

    She exited the stage, but quickly came back for an encore. Teyana ran into the middle column of the pit to slap the hands of her fans before closing out the night. She thanked New York for showing her so much love and making this performance one worth leaving retirement for.

    Afropunk continued to bring peace, love, and education about African American culture to one of the biggest melting pots of the world. With Afropunk’s voice continuing to reach millions, it’s only a matter of time before it starts to expand to other cities across the globe.

  • North Beach Music Festival Returns to Miami, Features Disco Biscuits, Eggy, Heavy Pets, And More

    Miami-based concert promoter and event producer GMP Live is thrilled to announce the return of the North Beach Music Festival, happening from Dec. 1-3, featuring headliners The Disco Biscuits, Eggy, Heavy Pets, and many more.

    Taking place at the Miami Beach Bandshell and the adjacent Bandshell Park, NBMF 2023 returns for its third year, and pledges to donate $1 per ticket sold to Backline. Live For Live Music stated that “NBMF combined the convenience of a city show, the immersive experience of a ‘farm’ festival, and the breezy inclinations of a beach vacation into one thoroughly enticing live music getaway,” in its inaugural year.

    Reflecting on the return of the North Beach Music Festival, Gideon Plotnicki of GMP Live shares, “It’s been amazing to watch this event and the community around it grow over the past few years. We’re so excited to bring North Beach Music Festival back to South Florida this December with our biggest lineup yet!” Regarding this year’s lineup, Plotnicki states, “We’re thrilled to have The Disco Biscuits and Cory Wong as headliners. It’s exciting to have such talented bands from opposite ends of the musical spectrum at the top of our lineup, and we’re looking forward to showcasing just how musically diverse this scene is. We’ll see you at the Bandshell in a few months!”

    The lineup welcomes headliners The Disco Biscuits for three sets over the weekend, with two sets scheduled on Friday, Dec. 1, and one set on Saturday, Dec. 2, in addition to Sunday’s headliner, Cory Wong. The festival’s third-year lineup also welcomes the likes of SunSquabi, George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners, Eggy, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, Mark Farina, Say She She, The Heavy Pets, Adam Deitch for both a quartet performance as well as a producer set, Electric Kif, Erica Falls & Vintage Soul, Ajeva, Twyn, and Brad Miller Trio feat. Oz Noy & Thomas Pridgen. 

    Photo by Slightly Skewed Photography.

    Friday night’s festivities will take place exclusively in the Miami Beach Bandshell. While the Park will be open on Friday night, attendees can expect full food and craft vending, additional programming on the Park Stage, and the Park Stage’s immersive light show experience over Saturday and Sunday.

    General on sale for the 2023 addition of NBMF starts this Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, at 12:00 PM EST here. This year, the festival will once again offer two- and three-day ticketing options, as well as a new ticket type, GA+, and three different levels of VIP. 

  • Damn Sam Productions Looks Ahead to Year 26 of Harvest Festival and Freedom Fair

    For more than a quarter century, Damn Sam Productions has held Harvest Festival and Freedom Fair in locations throughout Eastern New York and the Catskills. Now, the festival has found a home in Trumansburg, just outside of Ithaca, giving solid ground for the October 6-9 celebration of music and cannabis culture.

    The 2023 lineup features Skeleton Keys, Dogs in a Pile (2 sets Friday), Immortal Technique, The Garcia Project, and Sophistafunk, but as promoter Rob Robinson notes, “The headliner of Harvest Fest has always been cannabis.”

    harvest festival freedom fair

    Add to the music lineup plenty of pro-cannabis speakers and vendors – among them, Tim Tyler, sentenced to life in prison for possession/distribution of LSD under a federal three-strikes law, and later saw his life sentence commuted by President Obama.

    Also speaking at this year’s Harvest Fest and Freedom Fair is Donnie Greenthumb, who has been growing medical marijuana for decades, starting out working in a greenhouse at 13 years old, where he learned organic tricks, compost teas, and the importance of soil ph. At 20 years old he wrote for High Times Magazine with John Holmstrom and from the years 1989-2015, he assisted with writing 187 articles about basic questions, problems with growing, and how to get started in the great outdoors. He also wrote about pests and diseases in the Horticulture Medical Growers Bible by Jorge Cervantes. Donnie has had various discussions with many different cultivators throughout the region and brings a great deal of knowledge to a state that is now allows citizens to grow their own.

    With these speakers, Harvest Festival and Freedom Fair continues a legacy of music and activism that is now more than a quarter century strong.

    History of Harvest Fest

    Starting out in Beacon, Damn Sam Productions held an initial event in 1991 dubbed ‘HempSplash’ at Arrowhead Ranch in the Catskills, and after four years, an offshoot festival, Harvest Fest, was held in Modena, NY at an apple orchard.

    harvest festival freedom fair

    The festival would move around over the last two decades, holding the event in the small towns of Earlton, Warrensburg, Afton, Bainbridge, hill towns near Oneonta, Camp Minglewood (which would later host Catskill Chill for five years), Monticello, New Berlin, the Washington County Fairgrounds in Saratoga Springs, and finally, Trumansburg, at the home of Grassroots Festival. 

    Being that this was the 1990s, a drug culture festival being held at a time when cannabis was not nearly as prevalent as it is today, nor legal anywhere in America, was a risky move, but this was part of founder Rob Robinson’s vision – to rally cannabis allies together for a ‘protestival.’

    At these early festivals, the speakers now amount to a ‘who’s who’ of cannabis culture – Jack Herer, Ask Ed Rosenthal, “Saint” Steven and Ida May Gaskin (the modern day mother of midwifery in America, also ran a commune in Tennessee), and Pete Seeger all took part in Harvest Festival and Freedom Fairs over the last 25 years. Seeger in particular was a tough sell to play the event – Robinson knew him from growing up in Beacon, and Pete always declined. But after 16 years, Pete said to Rob “You don’t belong in jail, I’ll play your event.” And with that, the legend who wrote “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” and “Which Side Are You On?” took his well worn voice and shared it at Harvest Fest.

    Harvest Festival even attracted national attention with Peter Jennings from ABC news arriving at the second annual event to film a segment that would be aired as “Pot of Gold.” Featuring footage from Cannabis Cup, you could see scenes from Harvest Fest, yet there were no interviews or faces seen in the episode. When Robinson and his team reached out to ask why the footage wasn’t used, they said simply that they didn’t want to be the reason they went to jail. The mid-1990s were a time when New York State still held cannabis as a criminalized drug and Rockefeller Drug Laws were in effect, meaning Robinson and others could have faced 15-25 years in prison. 

    All over the use of a plant that has killed no one.

    The Musical Legacy of Harvest Fest

    The last 25 years of Harvest Fest has seen an amazing number of musicians make their way to the event: Cabinet, Pete Seeger, Richie Havens, Melvin Seals and the Persuasions, Ghostface Killah, George Clinton & the 420 Funk Mob, Hamilton Morris, Immortal Technique, dead prez, Alex & Alison Grey, The Wailers, Bluestar Radiation, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Dead Milkmen, Levon Helm, Particle, High Times Cannabis Cup Band, Col. Bruce Hampton, Fishbone, John Kadlecik, Ike Willis, Ed Mann, Napoleon Murphy Brock, DJ Logic, The Real Radio Rahim, Frankie Bones, DANK, Queen Mother (wife of Baba Olatunji), Max Creek, ecoustic hookah, Moonalice, The David Nelson Band, Tony Vacca & World Rhythms with Massamba Diop, Garth Hudson & The Dharma Bums, Vassar Clements, Buddy Cage, Steve Hagar, Dogs in a Pile, Deep Banana Blackout and many, many more.

    Add to the list this year’s headliner, Skeleton Keys, the keyboard centric electronic exploration of the Grateful Dead, will feature founder Alex Mazur (Gratefully Yours), Aron Magner (Disco Biscuits, Billy and the Kids), Chris J. English (Sam Grisman Project, FUNKNUT) and Tom Pirozzi (Ominous Seapods, Lo Faber), plus sets by Immortal Technique, The Garcia Project, Sophistafunk and many more, and the full music festival aspect is locked down and continuing to deliver memorable sets and join a pantheon of past performers. 

    Never Straying from the Original Mission

    The original goal of Harvest Festival was to raise money for lobbying in favor of hemp and cannabis legalization. This being in the 1990s, the pitch to legalize cannabis, let alone hemp, was a tough sell and would lead to decades of activism by the New York Cannabis Action Network, later renamed the New York Cannabis Alliance. This continual activism led Rob Robinson to serve as NORML state chair for 5 years in the 1990s, and being twice named High Times Freedom Fighter of the Year.

    With legalization, the mission of the festival has evolved. For an event that was started under prohibition and continued to be run that way, Robinson admits “it’s not the best way to judge cannabis, but it is the funnest way to judge cannabis.” Over the years, production value has risen as the event has evolved into being a true festival, putting the focus on the music and celebration, and not just legalization and activism, although the latter still exist in this American cultural event.

    Every person wants to change their conscientiousness – some do it through religion, some through exercise, some through substances, some through all three.

    Rob Robinson

    With prohibition ending in many states (24 have fully legalized), and the medical value becoming clear (38 states allow medical use) the mission encourages folks to explore and embrace the benefits of cannabis.Yet lobbying wise, there is still a black market and mis-management of the dispensary license process has held back progress for the cannabis industry in New York. The new focus is on other drugs being decriminalized, with a focus on this being a land of the free.

    The 26th year of Harvest Fest and beyond 

    One of the only festivals in 2020 to be held during Covid, Robinson notes there were no infections and the festival held like a ‘Drive In’ event, which helped the festival sustain that year and led to continued growth, unabated. 

    The 2022 location, the Washington County Fairgrounds, was looking to have Harvest Fest return, but with Cannabis being illegal federally, the location had some issues that led to the event needing to be moved to Trumansburg, out of necessity. 

    “The Ithaca scene is totally different, and a part of NY Harvest Fest has not visited yet. The cannabis part of the Finger Lakes is huge and always has been (likewise the Catskill Mountains), so we’re bringing Harvest Fest to cannabis activists and growers who have been ‘in the closet’ for 30 years.”

    Cannacup at Camp Minglewood

    Harvest Fest will take place in Trumansburg, NY over October 6-9, 2023, offering a way for people to commune over a shared love of cannabis and all it has to offer. As Robinson puts it, cannabis is the “non-lethal alternative to alcohol and tobacco,” and when joined by the music lined up for the festival, a momentous celebration of freedom is on tap this fall in the Finger Lakes. 

    Tickets and more info can be found here.

  • Taper’s Choice Fall Tour Arrives at Union Pool this weekend, Woodsist Fest in Accord

    Taper’s Choice, the Los Angeles jamband super group have announced fall tour dates, kicking off with a pair of shows at Union Pool in Brooklyn over September 15-16. They’ll also make a stop at Woodsist Fest, held in Accord, NY on September 22.

    Taper’s Choice – Alex Bleeker (Real Estate), Dave Harrington (Darkside), Zach Tenorio-Miller (Arc Iris) and Chris Tomson (Vampire Weekend) – will make stops in Montague, Mass for a show at Big Brown, then head up to Burlington for a show at the famed Nectar’s. They’ll then head back down toward the Hudson Valley for their appearance at Woodsist Festival, which will also see performances by Kevin Morby, Kurt Vile and the Violators, Avery Tare, Woods, Cass McCombs, Bombino, Natural Information Society, Scientist, MJ Lenderman, Water from Your Eyes and more.

    As Aquarium Drunkard notes in their interview with Taper’s Choice, the band took the stage to a sold out crowd at Gold Diggers in East Hollywood, CA, without having played a note together. The crowd was in agreement as the musicianship on display thrust the band into conversations among jamband aficionados, quickly becoming a sought after ticket at clubs around the country.

    Information for tickets can be found here.