NYS Music 2023

Category: News

  • Jerry Seinfeld to Celebrate 100th Performance at The Beacon Theatre

    What’s the deal with Jerry Seinfeld’s 7 p.m. stand-up comedy show on April 8? Well, this evening will be Seinfeld’s 100th show at The Beacon Theatre in Manhattan. The comic already holds the record for most comedy shows at the theater, thanks to the residency he began in 2016. 

    Though he is most known for the success of his show “Seinfeld,” Jerry Seinfeld recently released his third book, “Is This Anything?” His new book is a compilation of every bit he wrote and performed since 1975, interspersed by scenes, memories and analysis of each era of his comedy career. Seinfeld’s comedy draws from common mundane activities and finds the absurdity in each, making it widely relatable and light-hearted. 

    The Beacon feels like home at this point. This is the place for comedy in NYC, and to do 100 shows here as part of this residency is an honor and a testament to the incredible fans who have been selling this place out since we started in 2016.

    Jerry Seinfeld

    As is clearly seen in “Seinfeld,” Jerry Seinfeld is a native New Yorker and the city has often acted as his muse — prompting jokes and entire plot lines inspired by events he witnessed participating in daily life in NYC. Seinfeld has become an institution in New York, making this historical achievement at an even older and more established New York institution, The Beacon Theatre, fitting.

    Since the final episode of Seinfeld aired in 1998, Seinfeld himself has continued to have a successful and prolific career in comedy. In addition to his many solo comedy specials and stand-up shows on both national and international stages,  Seinfeld started his web series “Comedians in Cars getting Coffee” in 2012. The show went on to host such high profile guests as President Barack Obama, and it was nominated for numerous Emmy awards and was picked up by Netflix in 2017. 

    Limited tickets remain for Seinfeld’s 100th show and tickets start at $115. Fans of Seinfeld or Seinfeld can buy them here.

  • Jazz Foundation of America to Host Annual Benefit Gala and Concert

    The Jazz Foundation of America will host their annual “A Great Night in Harlem” benefit gala and concert at 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 30 to raise funds for the JFA’s Musicians’ Emergency Fund.

    Danny Glover, Ann Curry, Jeffrey Wright and Mario Cantone will emcee the event, held at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. “A Great Night in Harlem” will honor musicians considered to have helped define jazz and who have left a meaningful cultural impact through their work in jazz, blues, R&B and soul. In addition to the honorees, musical director Steve Jordan will lead a concert featuring artists such as John Batiste and Betty LaVette. 

    The event hosts eight honorees this year. The JFA wants to honor Benny Golson to recognize his solo career that followed his rise to prominence touring with Dizzy Gillepsie and Lionel Hampton’s big bands. The founding director and vice chairman of the JFA, Wendy Oxenhorn, will also be honored for her life’s work in offering humanitarian support to jazz musicians. Native New Yorker and 90-year-old Mike Stoller, will also be recognized for his invaluable contribution to mainstream rock and roll and R&B music through his songwriting prowess. And finally, The Titans of Jazz Bass, a group of jazz basists made up of Cecil McBee, Rufus Reid, Larry Ridley, Paul West, Buster Williams and Reggie Workman will be honored as iconic members of the jazz bass tradition. 

    Steve Jordan is to direct musical performances Jon Batiste, Bettye LaVette, Monty Alexander, Ray Parker Jr., Kenny Barron, Robert Cray and more.

    The evening will also include a special tribute to the great composer and pianist Ramsey Lewis, who died in September of last year. Lewis founded the Ramsey Lewis Foundation and Ravinia’s Jazz Mentor Program, and he was on the board of trustees for various music and arts schools, leaving a legacy that will last into the next generation of jazz musicians. 

    Funds raised through the annual gala will support the Jazz Foundation of America’s Musicians’ Emergency Fund, which provides housing assistance, pro bono medical care, disaster relief and emergency financial support to musicians in need. Tickets for the gala range from $75 to $250, and tickets that include access to the JFA’s exclusive after party start at $500. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the show is set to start at 8 p.m. Tickets can be found here.

  • Telecom Debuts on the Music Scene with Captivating single “Ramon”

    New band Telecom, from Brooklyn-based musician Sean McVerry, has released their debut single, “Ramon” on March 21 and have plans to release more music soon. Telecom melds 60s brit-pop, late 2000s New York indie grit, and cheeky theatrics. McVerry has worked and toured with artists such as Karen O, Danger Mouse, and Aurora.

    Telecom members, from left to right: Andres Valbuena, Zeno Pittarelli, and Jonathan Sacca. Credit: Matt Speno

    Telecon comprises Andres Valbuena on drums, Zeno Pittarelli on guitar, Jonathan Sacca on bass, and several other Brooklyn musicians. Their founder, Sean McVerry, is a New York music scene veteran, and recently on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where he won the show’s “instant songwriter” segment. Telecom has earned millions of streams on music platforms, and music has been featured on several television shows such as NBC’s Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist and Adult Swim on Cartoon Network.

    Telecom’s debut single “Ramon” and its upcoming counterpart were co-produced and mixed by former DFA engineer Abe Seiferth at Brookly’s Transmitter Park studios. McVerry moved a free piano he found on Craigslist into the apartment, (nearly crushing himself to death) and the songs quickly came together. He started working on the songs in late 2020 in his home studio in Crown Heights, as a way to express his feelings about the Covid-19 pandemic. The songs provide different takes on the situation, with “Ramon” describing McVerry’s feelings of being trapped with his neighbors in their Brooklyn apartment building. Both songs remained dormant until a writing retreat with Pittarelli and Rahn in 2021, at which point Telecom was beginning to take form.

    If Telecom’s future music is anything like “Ramon,” the band is certain to have a long and successful career ahead of them. Upon listening to their debut single, audiences are sure to be eager for more by Telecom. McVerry truly found magic with the three artists that make up the group.

    McVerry said of Telecom’s Debut Single:

    ‘Ramon’ began with a free piano from Craigslist. After mining a ’70s drum break from my vinyl collection, I laid down the initial cassette tape demo of the song. The track thumps along a hypnotic groove, as the speaker romanticizes the cat in the courtyard, and the introspection that comes with isolation.

    “Ramon” is now streaming.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O1nCFGx0cE

  • Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre Cuts Ties with Ticketmaster

    The Kings Theatre in Brooklyn has announced that as of March 27, fans can only purchase tickets via ATG Tickets which are available for purchase through their box office and website. 

    The Kings Theatre

    The Kings Theatre was built in 1929 as one of the five original Loew’s Wonder Theaters, originally a movie palace live performance venue featuring vaudeville reviews. The movie palace was inspired by the French Renaissance Revival style of the Palace of Versailles and the Paris Opera House and became stagnant after its closing in 1979 until undergoing restoration in 2013. In 2015, the venue was officially opened as the Kings Theatre with a debut performance by Diana Ross. Now the theatre is widely recognized for being a cultural and economic cornerstone of the Flatbush community, and a great addition to Brooklyn’s cultural landscape as a whole. The venue announced that their new ticket service is ATG Tickets, only available for purchase through their website or box office.

    Ticketmaster has come under fire the past few months for the mishandling of the presale ticket sale of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, causing fans to not be able to access tickets, getting booted out of the ticket queue, and overselling the presale quantity so fans without Verified Fan codes were unable to get tickets at all. It has become the largest ticket-selling company in the world, despite the fact that in 1994 Pearl Jam famously filed a complaint with the antitrust division of the U.S. Department of Justice, citing that Ticketmaster has a “virtually absolute monopoly on the distribution of tickets to concerts.”

    In January, Live Nation Entertainment, the concert industry giant that owns Ticketmaster, came under attack at a Senate Judiciary hearing, with both sides criticizing the botched sales of tickets, and calling the company a monopoly that hinders competition and harms consumers. Some questioned whether the two merging companies should be broken up once their agreement with the Justice Department expires in 2025. According to various estimates cited by the senators, Ticketmaster controls ticketing at 70 to 80 percent of major concert venues in the United States, making them indeed a monopoly.

    Other tours have also been affected by Ticketmaster, like Drake and Beyoncés. Platinum tickets, or tickets that the company purposely sells for higher prices because they know fans will buy them, were a big issue for both of these tours, with some tickets nearing $1,000. The Cure recently announced a North American tour, utilizing the Ticketmaster Verified Fan system, where fans with verified accounts are randomly selected for presale codes to purchase tickets earlier than the general public. Robert Smith of the band spoke publicly on his Twitter account disagreeing with the idea of platinum ticketing, and the fees that Ticketmaster puts on tickets, which are sometimes close to the cost of the actual ticket. Since he was so open about his distaste for the company, Ticketmaster gave credit to accounts who bought tickets to see The Cure as a consultation for the expensive fees.

    https://twitter.com/RobertSmith/status/1636073365373956100?s=20

    The Kings Theatre has been one of the few venues to fully switch away from Ticketmaster, possibly creating a trend of major venues boycotting the monopoly. The theatre switching to only using their website and box offices for ticket purchases will have positive effects on fans trying to purchase tickets, hopefully putting an end to outrageous fees and long wait times. For fans that have purchased tickets through Ticketmaster for the theatre’s events, they will be transferred to the new system. For more information about the Kings Theatre and to view future events, visit here.

  • Fifth Annual Sound Mind Music Festival set for May 20 in Brooklyn

    Sound Mind Live has announced the fifth annual Sound Music Festival for Mental Health will take place on Saturday, May 20, between Irving Ave and Wyckoff Ave in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The free event, which starts at 12 p.m., will feature a number of performers including Iron & Wine, Hiss Golden Messenger, Langhorne Slim, Kamauu, and Pom Pom Squad, and includes DJ sets from House of Yes, Food by Smorgsaburg, Yoga and Sound, Bath Sessions, and more.

    BetterHelp is partnering with Sound Mind Live for this year’s Sound Music Festival

    For this year’s festival, the world’s largest therapy platform, BetterHelp, is partnering with Sound Mind Live to provide a month of free therapy for their combined communities.

    “We’re so proud to partner with Sound Mind on this amazing festival,” Co-founder of House of Yes Anya
    Sapozhnikova says.

    Additionally, containing its focus on mental health awareness, the Sound Music Festival will host a series of panels in partnership with Absurd Conclave, including Mental Health in Communities of Color, Mental Health in the Music Industry, The Importance Of Fostering Community, and more.

    Research shows that since the pandemic, more people have contemplated self-harm, with one in four youth having considered suicide, and the fall out of post-pandemic depression is expected to last 3-5 years. The upcoming Sound Mind Music Festival hopes to bring about deeper community connections for healing and elevate conversations and resources that can help those in need find affordable resources sooner.

    “Over the past several years the world recognized that mental health issues impact us all in one form
    or another,” Executive Director of Sound Mind Live Chris Bullard says.

    Guests will have the opportunity to make a donation and enjoy a VIP experience, which includes an enhanced viewing area, a private bar, and complimentary swag bags. This year’s Sound Music Festival is in partnership with over 10 music artists, 3 local venues, and over 20 mental health organizations including National Alliance on Mental Illness, JED Foundation, and TransLifeline, and is supported by the Society of Valued Minds, an initiative of Otsuka America, Pharmaceutical, Inc., BetterHelp, Sozosei Foundation, and G4D Productions. Media partners include YouTube Health and Consequence.

    While this year’s Sound Music Festival for Mental Health in Brooklyn is free, tickets are still needed to enter the event and can be found here.

  • Palace Theatre to Host Benefit Concert with The Frank White Experience on April 1

    The Palace Theatre and Building on Love are partnering to present The Frank White Experience and special guest DJ TGIF live in the Palace Lobby on April 1, starting at 7 p.m.

    Palace Theatre

    Six-year-old Ezekiel McLean was always a happy, upbeat, loving, and supportive child. One day his parents received the news that he has stage 4 kidney cancer, and their world has been upside down ever since. To pay the medical costs, the Palace Theatre’s Community Engagement Initiative is hosting a fundraiser with Building on Love and all the proceeds will be used to support the McLean Family. Building on Love is a local non-profit with a mission of helping families in the community who have had their life altered by supporting a loved one with a recent life-altering medical diagnosis by giving them financial access to care and housing so they can focus on the health of their loved ones.

    “Childhood cancer is a battle that no one should have to go through. As if the emotional toll was not enough, the financial toll on the families can be crippling,” said Kevin Johnson, Executive Director of the Palace Theatre. “We are pleased to be able to offer our space, time, and energy to be able to help the McLean family in any way possible.” The benefit will take place at the Palace Theatre, Albany’s iconic downtown landmark, bringing in the biggest names in entertainment to the Capital Region for the past eight decades. Built in 1931, it was originally for vaudeville acts, and feature films, becoming a civic auditorium before closing its doors in 1969. The mission of the Palace is to bring world-class arts and entertainment to New York’s Capital Region, greatly enhancing the area’s cultural and economic development. 

    The Frank White Experience is the genre leader in live Hip Hop tribute bands, bringing the sounds of NOTORIOUS B.I.G. and live instrumentation to the listener’s ears. FWE not only covers the music of Biggie Smalls but takes listeners on a journey back through the beloved soundscape of 1990s Hip Hop and R&B, sharing the stage with Rakim, Styles P, Lil Kim, Fat Joe, C.J. Wallace, Havoc, DJ Enuff, Sway Calloway, Lil Cease, Klept, and many more. Featured at the concert is DJ TGIF aka Craig Earle, one of Upstate New York’s most in-demand DJs, performing regularly to both late-night sold-out crowds and family-friendly events alike. He was recently awarded the honor of the Albany Business Review’s 40 Under 40.

    Tickets to attend the benefit performance are $30 (Standard Admission) and $50 (VIP), on sale now at the Palace Theatre Box Office and online.

  • Saxophonist Michael Thomas Appointed Director of New York Youth Symphony Jazz for 2023-2024

    The New York Youth Symphony (NYYS) announced that Michael Thomas has been appointed Director of the NYYS Jazz program, beginning with the 2023/24 season.

    Michael Thomas

    Founded in 1963, the New York Youth Symphony is internationally recognized for its award-winning and innovative educational programs for talented young musicians. The symphony was awarded the 2023 Grammy for Best Orchestral Performance – Classical, the first youth orchestra to win a Grammy in this category. The NYYS has provided over 7,000 music students unparalleled opportunities to perform at world-class venues including Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Joe’s Pub, and The Times Center. Students gain valuable life skills like commitment, discipline, focus, collaboration, and friendships that last a lifetime.

    Michael Thomas is an award-winning saxophonist, composer, and arranger, arriving in New York City in 2011, becoming an active member of the jazz community. He began his musical career as a pianist at age five, switching to saxophone at age nine because his father was also a saxophonist, and his mother a clarinetist. He has performed throughout the United States and abroad, including tours in Central and South America, Australia, Europe, Japan, and Russia. He can be heard on over 30 recordings, including three albums as a leader, and has been commissioned by schools and professional ensembles around the world. In addition to his own trio, quartet, and quintet, Michael Thomas also co-leads and writes for the Grammy-nominated Terraza Big Band.

    Thomas follows Andy Clausen, who will step down from his position at the end of the 2022/23 season after seven seasons. The New York Youth Symphony Jazz is a 17-member swing ensemble dedicated to studying, rehearsing, and performing classic big-band jazz music from the 1930s and 40s, incorporating the music into current and emerging styles that define the genre for the present generation. “We are thrilled to have found Michael, who we are confident will be a worthy successor to Andy Clausen, who has brilliantly led the program for the last seven years,” explained Robert J. Levine, Senior Vice President of NYYS Trustees and Head of the Jazz Director Search Committee. “Michael’s experience and impressive knowledge of all aspects of the jazz repertoire and his strong ability to communicate with our young musicians were immediately evident in his live audition.”

    For more information about the NYYS and upcoming events, visit here.

  • Barry Manilow Returns to Radio City Music Hall for 5 Night Concert Series

    On March 27, MSG Entertainment and The Bowery Presents announced that singer-songwriter Barry Manilow is returning to Radio City Music Hall for the first time since 2012, with a five-night concert series beginning Wednesday, May 31, and concluding Sunday, June 4. Beginning at 8 p.m. each night, these shows will mark the 35-39th lifetime performances by Manilow at Radio City.

    Barry Manilow Radio City Music hall

    Born in Brooklyn, the Grammy, Tony, and Emmy Award-winning Manilow has a career that spans nearly 50 years, having sold more than 85 million records worldwide, with his self-titled debut album being released in 1973, supported by his debut single “Could It Be Magic.” Throughout his five-night concert series at Radio City, Manilow will perform a number of his hits, including “Mandy,” “I Write the Songs,” “Looks Like We Made It,” “Can’t Smile Without You,” and “Copacabana (At the Copa).” Manilow has released 50 top-40 singles and is ranked as the number one Adult Contemporary artist of all time, according to Billboard and R&R magazines.

    Tickets to see Barry Manilow at Radio City Music Hall go on sale Friday, March 31, at 10 a.m., and can additionally be purchased in person beginning on Saturday, April 1 at the Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, and Beacon Theatre box offices.

  • Andrea Bocelli Holds Surprise Performance In Times Square to Promote “The Journey”

    Andrea Bocelli, the Italian pop and opera singer arrived in New York on horseback March 23 and held a surprise performances in Times Square with special guests to celebrate the premiere of Trinity Broadcasting Network’s film, The Journey: A Music Special from Andrea Bocelli.

    Special guests including Michael W. Smith, HAUSER of 2CELLOS, TAYA, and Tauren Wells. The film, which features Bocelli traveling the Italian countryside on horseback, will be released in select theaters on April 2, 2023.

    Andrea Bocelli

    Besides the special guests, Andrea Bocelli, Veronica Berti Bocelli, and producers Tom Newman, Kristian Kelly, and Candace Lee Carson also attended the premiere of the film. In attendance from Trinity Broadcasting Network were executive producers Matt and Laurie Crouch.

    The Journey: A Music Special combines world-class musical performances with intimate conversations across the Italian countryside, exploring moments that define us, songs that inspire us, and relationships that connect us to what matters most in life.

    NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 23: Andrea Bocelli enthralls crowds in Times Square with a performance to celebrate Trinity Broadcasting Networks’ premiere of THE JOURNEY: A Music Special from Andrea Bocelli, in theaters beginning April 2. Combining world-class musical performances with intimate conversations while on horseback traveling the Italian countryside, the film features performances by Bocelli with Michael W. Smith, Tori Kelly, TAYA, Tauren Wells and HAUSER from 2CELLOS on March 23, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Trinity Broadcasting Network)

    The film happens on horseback while Bocelli and his wife Veronica are travelling along Italy’s Via Francigena, an ancient road traveled by pilgrims for centuries in the footsteps of the apostles and saints. This film also featured the special guests in the surprise performances, they are joined Bocellis for sacred musical performances in some of Italy’s most magnificent venues and majestic locations.

    The Journey is full of beautiful music, creation, faith, and love that begins with a blessing from the Pope. Bocelli’s children Matteo and Virginia make appearances in this amazing adventure, as well as musicians and singers Katherine Jenkins, Clara Barbier Serrano, 2CELLOS, 40 Fingers, and many others.

  • Upstate Historic Performing Arts Centers Form Alive Downtowns!

    13 downtown historic performing arts centers from Jamestown to Poughkeepsie have come together to form Alive Downtowns! The coalition, having met virtually since the start of the pandemic, is seeking $20 million in operating support from the state.

    Bardavon, photo by Tim Lee.

    Alive Downtowns! main goal is to encourage the lawmakers of New York to think of historic theatres in the same way they do aquariums and zoos, which are shown to have a significant public benefit. It is an affiliate corporation to the Upstate Theater Coalition for a Fairgame, established eight years ago in response to the creation of casinos in the eastern and southern tiers of the state.

    Ulster Performing Arts Center, photo by Em Walis.

    The historic theatres of Upstate New York are essential to each city’s urban education opportunities, economic viability, and continuing attractiveness. John Parkhurst, Chief Operating Officer of the Rochester Broadway Theatre League commented, “The COVID-19 shutdown of nearly two years has impacted us greatly as an industry. We are coming back, all of us, but, frankly without this coalition it would have been much harder.” The coalition is helping these places become recognized, and be bettered.

    Photo by Z-Toad

    Members of the coalition include Bardavon 1896 Opera House (Poughkeepsie), Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, Clemens Center (Elmira), Palace Performing Arts Center (Albany), Proctors Collaborative (Schenectady, Albany, Saratoga), Forum Theatre (Binghamton), The Reg Lenna Center for the Arts (Jamestown), Rochester Broadway Theatre League’s Auditorium Theatre (Rochester), Shea’s Performing Arts Center (Buffalo), The Smith Center for the Arts (Geneva), Stanley Theatre (Utica), State Theatre of Ithaca, Syracuse’s Landmark Theatre, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall and Ulster Performing Arts Center (Kingston).

    Alive Downtowns!
    Proctors Theatre interior, photographed by Erica Miller.

    These facilities combined have an average age of nearly 100 years and are keystones to the downtown areas of the cities they are in. They serve over 5 million people annually including thousands of students. Their economic impacts for upstates major downtowns exceed $350 million and their aggregate budgets exceed $100 million.

    The Smith Center for the Arts, photo by Joe Booth.

    In a meeting with local legislators and the Governor’s office, the response has been very supportive. The coalition is grateful for that response and hopes to reach all state elected officials to assure an annual appropriation that will allow its members to continue to be part of growing upstate downtowns guaranteeing accessibility for all citizens for years to come.

    The Stanley Theatre.

    Chris Silva, long-time Executive Director of the Bardavon in Poughkeepsie added, “This group of performing arts centers are economic, educational, and cultural engines in Upstate. We are hoping the state can make a modest investment in us that will pay huge dividends.” Upon meeting with local legislators and the Governor’s office, the response has been very supportive for the coalition’s efforts.