Urbano Street announced their U Street Music Festival, inviting people of all ages with an appreciation for street art, culture, and vinyl to celebrate record store day and the return of live music. The all-day festival will be on April 22 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. in Bushwick, Brooklyn, NY on Suydam St. between Irving Ave and Knickerbocker Ave.
The U Street Festival will feature two stages that serve as a discovery platform for multicultural and non-commercial musicians and street artists. Stars such as Rebelmatic, La Sazound, Dubcorps, Spite Fuxxx, Chico Raro, Tambor y Caña, Hecho en Brooklyn, Eclectic Charango Beats, Prince of Queens, Jah Point, Vee Vee, and Wild Roots will take the stage. The festival also emphasizes the long-standing record of street culture and urban art, focusing on BIPOC artists who enrich New York City. U Street is on a mission to support underground and alternative artists in the independent space.
U Street Music Fest is the first street event of its kind, no one has ever attempted to bring subcultural music communities together before. Think of it as a cumbia punky reggae party on the streets of Brooklyn.
– Diana Hernandez, Urbano Street Lead Organizer
The music festival will expose local talent while also celebrating the diversity of its vibrant community which is largely made up of immigrants from Latin America. Although the neighborhood has recently battled gentrification-related tensions, the U Street Music Festival strives to cultivate collaboration uniting its residents with Bushwick’s artistic roots. They also hope to help bridge the generational and socio-economic gap between old and new members of the community.
Urbano Street is a nonprofit organization that relies on volunteers, music lovers, and donors. Whilst focusing on BIPOC artists who enrich New York City. Urbano Street is on a mission to support underground and alternative artists in the independent space, opening doors for underrepresented musicians by bringing them to urban places and shooting music videos, a passport to more gigs, press, and opportunities.
More information about the non-profit organization can be accessed here.
Patricia Cruz, artistic director and CEO of Harlem Stage invites iconic Contemporary Black artists and thinkers to the Black Arts Movement: Then and Now Conference, to be held from May 18-20 and curated by Harlem Stage Associate Artistic Director/Artist-in-Residence Carl Hancock Rux.
The Black Arts Movement: Then and Now Conference culminates Harlem Stage’s 2022-23 season-long initiative Black Arts Movement: Examined. This is a series of events devoted to escalating the understanding of the historic and cultural relevance of Black Arts Movement and its intersections with the Black Power Movement. The Black Arts Movement: Examined emerged from a conversation between Rux and Cruz about how it might result as a bridge to an exploration of Black art and activism in contemporary America.
The conference will explore areas of tension between the intellectual, ethical, and commercial imperatives of the Black Arts Movement, its scholarship, and the professional demands many of its leaders imposed upon artists, and whether or not the Black Arts Movement’s libertarian, racism-countering goals were ever truly achieved.
– Carl Hancock Rux
The event will kick off at 5pm with a keynote address by the poet, music critic, and arts administrator A.B. Spellman. He is a Director of The Expansion Arts Program at the National Endowment for the Arts, which funded arts organizations that were in and of inner-city, rural, and tribal communities. Thirty minutes later, Miles Davis, Quincy Troupe, David Henderson, and Margo Crawford will respond to A.B. Spellman’s overview, giving further elucidation to the movement’s aesthetic, development, internal and external tensions. These special guests will also explore the movement’s relationship to the Black Power Movement, the AfriCOBRA movement, and Black cultural expression as resistance, and offer a fundamental re-evaluation of its complicated relationship with political insurgency and the larger Black community.
On the second day at 10pm there will be a Black Masculinity Discussion moderated by Jonathan McCrory and featuring Felipe Luciano, Stew, Brent Hayes Edwards, and Lois Elaine Griffith. The set will examine the articulation of misogyny and homophobia often deployed by the Black Arts Movement in service to a masculinist vision of Black liberation principles and its constitution of “real” Blackness. Following that talk will be the discussion Music & Struggle with Angela Davis, Nona Hendryx, and Toshi Reagon Nona Hendryx. Next will be conversations with the activist Sonia Sanchez and multi-award-winning poet Carl Hancock Rux. The final celebration for that day will be a concert showcasing Henry Threadgill, Craig Taborn, and Dafnis Prieto.
The last day of The Black Arts Movement: Then and Now Conference will begin with a discussion called Poder Latino with Felipe Luciano, Lois Elaine Griffith, and more. The speakers will explore the Afro-Latinx cross-cultural influence on the intersection of European colonialism and the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, and the complexities of the Afro-Latinx relationship to the Black Arts Movement. After an 11:30 lunch, the audience will be treated to a Film Screening titled, “Portrait of Jason by Shirley Clarke” in collaboration with Maysles Documentary Center. The film is an experimental documentary by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Shirley Clarke. Ingmar Bergman referred to the production saying it was “the most fascinating film he had ever seen in his life”
After the documentary will be a discourse called “Crisis of the Negro Intellectual”. This conversation will be moderated by Margo Crawford and features Harmony Holiday, Michael Sawyer & Dominic Taylor, moderated by Margo Crawford. To end the conference the audience will be presented with a Closing Plenary by Carl Hancock Rux and a closing-night, curated by Carl Hancock Rux, Tavia Nyong’o, and Vernon Reid. The closing-night will also showcase contributions by Carrie Mae Weems, Stefanie Batten Bland, and Dianne Smith and co-presented with Park Avenue Armory.
More information about the Harlem Stage can be found here.
Acclaimed punk-rock musical Good Vibrations is coming to the Irish Arts Center starting June 14. Written by Colin Carberry and Glenn Patterson based on their BAFTA-Nominated Film and directed by Des Kennedy, Good Vibrations at the Irish Arts Center closes July 9.
The opening of the musical marks the first musical and largest-scale theatrical offering ever presented by the Irish Arts Center.
A scene from Good Vibrations. Credit: Irish Arts Center.
Good Vibrations initially made its world premiere at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast in 2018 to rave reviews and sold-out performances. The Irish Times said, “The full-throated spirit of punk is alive and roaring” in this “glorious” production, and The Irish News described audiences “losing their hearts to [the] fascinating character” of Terri Hooley. Good Vibrations at the Irish Arts Center is sure to be a musical you won’t want to miss.
Since 1968, the Lyric Theatre has been a creative hub for theatre-making, a safe space for nurturing talent, and embodies an unwavering passion for creating meaningful connections through theatre and the arts. The theatre has been a stepping stone for internationally acclaimed playwrights, poets, and actors, and is the only full-time theatre in Northern Ireland to produce its own productions from page to stage. The Lyric Theatre is committed to maintaining a high-quality, diverse, and inclusive program.
Produced by Lyric Theatre, Belfast, Good Vibrations is led by a large ensemble cast that includes Cat Barter as Marilyn Hyndman, Connor Burnside as Billy Doherty, Darren Franklin as Dave, Marty Maguire as George Hooley, Odhrán McNulty as Ronnie Matthews, Chris Mohan as Graham ‘Getty’ Marshall, Christina Nelson as Mrs. Hooley and Mrs. Sharkey, Jolene O’Hara as Polly, Gavin Peden as Brian Young, Dylan Reid as Feargal Sharkey/Greg Cowan, Glen Wallace as Terri Hooley, and Jayne Wisener as Ruth Carr. Good Vibrations chronicles the story of the beloved titular record store/label, through the songs of punk rock legends like The Undertones, the Outcasts, and Stiff Little Fingers (including, respectively, “Teenage Kicks,” “Just Another Teenage Rebel,” and “Alternative Ulster”). The central character is Terri Hooley, who when the Troubles shut down his city and his friends take sides, opens a record shop.
Rounding out the creative team is Katie Richardson(Musical Director), Jennifer Rooney (Choreographer), Grace Smart (Set Designer), Gillian Lennox (Costume Designer), Jack Knowles (Lighting Designer), Megan Joyce (Audio Engineer), Barry McCusker (Live Sound Engineer), Aidan Payne (Set Carpenter), Ian Vennard (Production Technician: Sound/Lighting), Simon Bird (Production Manager), and Stephen Dix (Deputy Stage Manager/Props).
Founded in 1972 and based in Hell’s Kitchen, the Irish Arts Center is a home for artists and audiences of all backgrounds who share a passion for the evolving arts and culture of contemporary Ireland and Irish America. Additionally, IAC provides community education programs and access to the arts for people of all ages and ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Through a historic partnership between the people of Ireland and New York, the Irish Arts Center recently opened a state-of-the-art new facility to support its mission for the 21st century.
Tickets and more information are available on the Irish Arts Center’s website.
Benny the Butcher continues to make noise in the rap game. This time, the Buffalo-bred MC is making his mark through his Black Soprano Family imprint, recruiting gritty Hartford, CT rapper, Fuego Base, to continue the BSF name. In like manner, Fuego Base is making a name for himself with his wordplay, innate storytelling and raw delivery, which has earned him likeness to Jadakiss.
After signing with Benny’s BSF imprint in 2022, Fuego joined Benny and Rick Hyde for Charlie Sloth’s Fire In The Booth, and he followed that up by appearing with Westside Gunn later that year for the “Intro” on BSF’s Long Live DJ Shay album. Fuego also impressed on his On The Radar Christmas cypher, representing BSF.
Biggest Since Camby will be Fuego Base’s debut project on Benny the Butcher’s BSF imprint.
Fuego Base’ Next Step
Now, Fuego Base takes the next step with his official BSF debut project, Biggest Since Camby. With a aptly timed 4/20 release date, the tittle is an ode to former Hartford, CT basketball star Marcus Camby who was drafted 2nd overall in the historic 1996 NBA Draft. Moreover, Biggest Since Camby features appearances from some of hip hop’s grittiest MC’s including Benny The Butcher, Sheek Louch, 38 Spesh, Uncle Murda, OT The Real and his fellow BSF cohorts.
“I want to make a big impact on the game, and that’s why my album is called Biggest Since Camby” Fuego Base explains.
We are from Hartford, and it’s a forgotten place, but with the platform, Benny has provided me and being a member of BSF, I can shine some light on the city. I’m really rapping too! Tell my momma I’m a rapper.
– Fuego Base
In anticipation for the album, Fuego Base released “The Warehouse” — and later an accompanying music video — featuring Benny The Butcher and OT The Real. The record fits right in Benny’s wheelhouse as they — along with OT The Real — seamlessly exchange street tales. Backed by a menacing and equally sorrowful violin riffs, the trio share their own personal journeys in the underbelly.
I don’t care what nobody says, Fuego Base is one of the hungriest rappers in the game right now. I know because I remember being in that beginning phase and I can see that fire in him.
The Rock and Roll Playhouse has announced a special run of shows over Earth Day Weekend benefiting international non-profit Oceanic Global on Saturday April 22 and Sunday, April 23. Featuring the music of Bob Marley and The Grateful Dead, The Rock and Roll Playhouse will bring family fun to 13 different venues across the country where kids and parents can rock out to the classics.
The Rock and Roll Playhouse introduces the next generation to timeless music while providing kids with early music exposure and encouraging creativity. The Playhouse was founded in 2013 at its flagship venue Brooklyn Bowl by Peter Shapiro, entrepreneur and co-owner of the Bowl and owner of The Capitol Theatre, and Amy Striem, a certified Early Childhood and Elementary teacher.
Designed to create opportunities for families to experience live music together in historic venues, The Rock and Roll Playhouse continues to unite families through music with hundreds of unforgettable shows nationwide as the largest national concert series for families where kids can “move, play and sing while listening to works from the classic-rock canon”.
Supporting Oceanic Global on Earth Day Weekend is not just about bringing families together through the power of music, but also about teaching the next generation the importance of preserving our planet. By creating unforgettable experiences for families while supporting a worthy cause, we can inspire a love for music and a passion for environmental activism in our children that will last a lifetime.
Stephen Grybowski, Senior Director of The Rock and Roll Playhouse
Founded in 2016, Oceanic Global reconnects humanity to the ocean as the beating heart of the earth, and provides tangible solutions and blueprints for coexisting in harmony with the natural world. The 501c3 non-profit builds tools, mobilizes communities, and develops educational resources and standards that inspire global action and catalyze cross-sector change.
Tickets are available now, and admission is free for children one years old and under. For more information please visit The Playhouse’s website.
Greene County-based multimedia artist and singer/songwriter Cyote has announced a batch of spring performance dates as well as an Earth Day fundraiser for the Coxsackie Community Garden on April 22nd at Ravish Liquors.
Photo credit: Jenna Petrone.
To help fund this year’s growing and maintenance supplies, Cyote (known to locals as Carter Lou McElroy) and Ravish’s Sarah Gray Miller will be donating all tip jar proceeds directly to the garden.
Cyote’s performance dates also include April 28th, May 5th and 20th at Ravish Liquors in addition to May 6th at Coxsackie’s The Grange, a 90-acre 1800’s farm estate, for their Spring Social and June 18th at Over Yondr Festival: a phone-free event where people can revel in live music without the constant pull of technology.
This month you can also check out Cyote’s mixed-media work in Friendly City Creative Club’s Trash Talk, an exhibition inspired by the city of Hudson’s iconic blue trash bags.Trash Talk artists were invited to create pieces that examine consumptive habits, and Cyote’s “emotional baggage” is a commentary on not only the volume of consumptive habits, but the bags themselves that bear the burden; on view now at 725 Warren Street Hudson, NY through May 11th.
Cyote Spring Dates
4/22: Earth Day Fundraiser at Ravish Liquors, Coxsackie NY
4/28: Coxsackie Block Party at Ravish Liquors, Coxsackie NY
The Rooftop at Pier 17, New York City’s most scenic outdoor concert venue is celebrating the fifth anniversary of its popular Summer Concert Series at the Seaport with over 60 shows slated from May through October.
This year’s exciting lineup of shows kicks off May 3 with rock band Coheed and Cambria, and continues throughout the summer with performances by pop star Bebe Rexha (June 18), Pride weekend kickoff with DJ Trixie Mattel (June 22), T-Pain (July 11), YUNGBLUD (July 14), Jenny Lewis (July 18), Pixies and Modest Mouse (August 21 & 22), Tove Lo (September 10), Macklemore (September 22) and many more to be announced.
New Yorkers, tri-state area residents, and visitors from all over the globe look forward to The Rooftop at Pier 17 concert lineup each summer. This season we are excited to celebrate five years of bringing today’s most popular artists to the Seaport to perform at this unforgettable venue with its iconic New York City views—there’s really no place like it.
Andrew Schwartz, Co-President of the New York Region, The Howard Hughes Corporation
Since its launch in 2018 by The Howard Hughes Corporation, The Rooftop at Pier 17’s Summer Concert Series has attracted an eclectic mix of superstar acts including Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X, Ringo Starr, Kings of Leon, Amy Schumer, Machine Gun Kelly, Janelle Monáe, Trevor Noah, Diana Ross, deadmau5, and The Fugees, who reunited for a historic performance in 2021. In 2022, the Summer Concert Series boasted 40 sold out shows from a range of artists like Blondie, Elvis Costello, 5 Seconds of Summer, Pusha T, Billy Strings, Deftones, Zach Bryan, girl in red, Jason Mraz, and more.
Jordana at The Rooftop at Pier 17 – photo by Lindsay Brown
For more information on the Summer Concert Series, visit RooftopatPier17.com
Summer Concert Series
May 3 – Coheed and Cambria “NEVERENDER NWFTWM” May 4 – Nickel Creek May 5 – Goth Babe: The Lola Tour May 12 – Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls and The Interrupters May 23 – Beach Bunny and PUP June 3 – Young the Giant with Milky Chance June 4 – Young the Giant with Milky Chance June 5 – The Used & Pierce The Veil: Creative Control Tour June 9 – The Wood Brothers with special guest Shovels & Rope June 13 – The Used & Pierce The Veil: Creative Control Tour June 14 – The Driver Era June 15 – Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue and Ziggy Marley June 16 – Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue and Ziggy Marley June 17 – Reggae Fest Blaze June 18 – Bebe Rexha: Best F’n Night Of My Life June 22 – DJ Trixie Mattel: Solid Pink Disco July 6 – Rebelution: Good Vibes Summer Tour 2023 July 7 – SiriusXM Presents Yacht Rock Revue: Reverse Sunset Tour July 8 – Yellowcard: Celebrating 20 Years of Ocean Avenue July 11 – T-Pain: Escape from Wiscansin – The Invasion July 12 – Barenaked Ladies: Last Summer On Earth 2023 July 14 – YUNGBLUD: The World Tour July 15 – The Struts: Remember The Name July 18 – Jenny Lewis: JOY’ALL TOUR July 21 – An Evening with CAKE July 22 – An Evening with CAKE July 27 – Joe Russo’s Almost Dead August 2 – Pink Martini featuring China Forbes August 4 – The Mountain Goats August 5 – Anjunabeats Outdoors August 21 – Pixies and Modest Mouse August 22 – Pixies and Modest Mouse August 26 – Gimme Gimme Disco August 30 – JVKE: what tour feels like September 10 – Tove Lo: Dirt Femme Tour September 14 – An Evening with Ween September 22 – Macklemore: The BEN To
The Caroga Arts Collective announced the complete Caroga Lake Music Festival (CLMF) 2023 programming, featuring more than 125 artists for over 35 concerts, starting May 27 and ending Sept. 15.
Photo by Kevin Bacon.
The Caroga Lake Music Festival features many performances, as well as the second annual edition of the CLMF Lesson & Ensembles Program, providing music workshops and individual or small group lessons, led by Caroga Arts Ensemble artists, to community members looking to learn new instruments or hone their talent. “We’re excited to bring a robust lineup of artists to Caroga Lake for our 12th summer season,” said Kyle Barrett Price, Founder and Artistic Director of the Caroga Arts Collective. “Our concerts will feature a diverse array of genres, classical, jazz, rock, and everything in between, presented lakeside at Sherman’s Park and at other beloved venues across the region.”
The venue is important to the wider community, notes Dr. William Crankshaw, Caroga Arts board member and Superintendent of Schools at the Greater Johnstown School District. “Caroga Arts is breathing life into musical arts in our communities, and even in our schools. The potential to offer students the opportunities to experience a wide variety of world-class musical programs, not to mention exposure to string instruments and summer ensembles, excites me. There have been hundreds of educators in our region who have been pining for these types of opportunities, which, until now, were only available to communities with the resources and affluence to do so.”
Over the course of its five-week season, the Caroga Lake Music Festival 2023 will feature more than 20 touring guest artists and ensembles at Sherman Park. Well-known names include Grammy-nominated folk singer Judy Collins, group Baha Men, known for the Grammy-award-winning song “Who Let The Dogs Out,” husband and wife duo The War and Treaty, the Zac Brown Tribute Band, Queen tribute band: Almost Queen, and many more. CLMF will also highlight up-and-coming artists such as Laufey, an Icelandic musician and songwriter who recently ranked #1 on Billboard’s Alternative New Artist Chart. Returning performers include Eddie Barbash, performing at Sherman’s Jazz Fest; The Ultimates, back for a Labor Day concert with fireworks; and Alex Torres & His Latin Orchestra at Fiesta Caroga, celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month.
For the second time in its 12-year history, this year’s festival will include a full symphony performed conductorless by the Caroga Arts Ensemble, Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony on Aug. 11. Also happening are two world premieres, including “27 Steps,” an immersive theater experience presented in partnership with Utica Dance and family-friendly “Louie the Loon,” composed by Brian Shank based on a short story by Julian Muller, which will be performed at a Kids Carousel Concert. Caroga Arts will return with its five-week-long artist-in-residence experience, 100+ musicians living amongst the community and curating unique chamber music and orchestral collaborations as part of the Caroga Arts Ensemble. These artists hold positions as leading soloists, chamber musicians, and orchestral musicians from across the country, performing in the Met Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Verona Quartet, KASA Quartet, and more.
In addition to collaborations at Sherman’s Park, CLMF resident artists will be featured at partnering venues and festivals across the region in the CLMF on Tour performances. These include Little Falls at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, the Johnstown Midsummer Concert Series at Charles Jenner Memorial Band Shell, Barge Concert at Canada Lake Store & Marina, the Cooperstown Summer Music Festival at Otesaga Resort Hotel, shows at the Glove Theatre, and more.
Barge Concert at Canada Lake Store & Marina.
For the first time ever, Caroga Arts are offering a 2023 season pass, with discounted premium seats. To learn more about Caroga Arts and the Caroga Lake Music Festival 2023, as well as reserve tickets, visit here.
2023 SEASON SCHEDULE
Sherman’s Concerts
Sat, May 27 @ 7 PM – Zac Brown Tribute Band
Sun, June 4 @ 3 PM – Alex Moffat and Friends: A Comedy and Music Block Party
Sat, July 1 @ 2 PM – SAUNDERSFEST, artists to be announced
Sat, July 15 @ 7 PM – Tommy V Live
Wed, July 19 @ 7 PM – The Gibson Brothers
Fri, July 21 @ 5 PM – Caroga Arts Collective Gala, featuring Tony DeSare and the Caroga Arts Ensemble
Sat, July 22 @ 7 PM – Baha Men
Wed, July 26 @ 7 PM – Rich with Caroga Arts Ensemble
Fri, July 28 @ 7 PM – “27 Steps” World Premiere – Caroga Arts Ensemble, Utica Dance
Sat, July 29 @ 7 PM – Almost Queen: A Tribute to QUEEN
Sun, July 30 @ 7 PM – “27 Steps” – Caroga Arts Ensemble, Utica Dance
Wed, August 2 @ 7 PM – Laufey with Caroga Arts Ensemble
Fri, August 4 @ 7 PM – Musical Kaleidoscope: A Tribute to Jonah Poplove
Fri, August 4 @ 9:30 PM – “Dime-a-Dance” with Kyle Athayde Dance Party
Sat, August 5 @ 11 AM – Kids Carousel Concert – WARP Trio
Sat, August 5 @ 5 PM – Sherman’s JazzFest – Kyle Athayde Dance Party, Eddie Barbash with KASA Quartet, WARP Trio, Miriam Elhajli
Wed, August 9 @ 7 PM – Concert by Candlelight: An Evening of Encores
Fri, August 11 @ 7 PM – Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony
Sat, August 12 @ 11 AM – Kids Carousel Concert – “Louie the Loon” World Premiere – Composed by Brian Shank
Sat, August 12 @ 7 PM – Judy Collins with Caroga Arts Ensemble
Wed, August 16 @ 7 PM – Grace Kelly Quartet
Fri, August 18 @ 7 PM – The Coda: A Chamber Music Round-robin
Sat, August 19 @ 7 PM – The War and Treaty
Sat, September 2 @ 7 PM – The Ultimates (with fireworks)
Fri, September 15 @ 7 PM – Fiesta Caroga: Alex Torres & His Latin Orchestra
Caroga Lake Music Festival on Tour
Thur, July 20 @ 7 PM – CLMF on Tour: Caroga Chapel
Sun, July 23 @ 3 PM – CLMF on Tour: SVAN at Mayfield Presbyterian Church
Thur, July 27 @ 7 PM – CLMF on Tour: Little Falls at Emmanuel Episcopal Church
Sun, July 30 @ 2 PM – CLMF on Tour: Pecks Lake at Pecks Lake Marina
Thur, August 3 @ 6 PM – CLMF on Tour: Johnstown Midsummer Concert Series at Charles Jenner Memorial Band Shell
Sun, August 6 @ 6 PM – CLMF on Tour: Barge Concert at Canada Lake Store & Marina
Thur, August 10 @ 7 PM – CLMF on Tour: The Glove Theater
Sun, August 13 @ 2 PM – CLMF on Tour: Lorenzo State Historic Site
Tue, August 15 @ 6 PM – CLMF on Tour: Cooperstown Summer Music Festival at Otesaga Resort Hotel
Thur, August 17 @ 7 PM – CLMF on Tour: Arkell Museum
Sun, August 20 @ 12 PM – CLMF on Tour: Brunch Concert at Paul Nigra Center for the Creative Arts
Sun, August 20 @ 6 PM – CLMF on Tour: Caroga Museum
Sat, August 26 @ 6 PM – Caroga Arts Ensemble: Maverick Concerts
English pop band Boy George and Culture Club will headline a summer 2023 tour, the Letting It Go Show, which will stop at three New York Music venues.
Culture Club will appear at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts on July 22, followed by a performance at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theatre the next day, and lastly the Darien Lake Amphitheatre on July 29, before finishing the rest of their tour across the country throughout August. Culture Club will be joined by Howard Jones and Berlin for all dates of their tour.
The members of Boy George and Culture Club, from left to right: Mikey Craig (vocals, bass, keyboards) Boy George (vocals, tambourine), and Roy Hay (guitars, vocals, keyboards.) Credit: Maya Sarin.
Culture Club was initially formed in London during the New Romantic movement and consists of Boy George, Roy Hay, Mikey Craig, and formerly Jon Moss (drums and percussion.) They released their debut album, Kissing to Be Clever, in 1982 and, with the help of lead singer Boy George, achieved mainstream success in both the U.K. and the U.S. George dressed in flamboyant dresses and wore heavy makeup, creating a disarmingly androgynous appearance that created a sensation on early MTV, earning the band considerable media attention.
During the 1980s, Culture Club released several hit songs, including “Karma Chameleon” which reached number one on both sides of the Atlantic, and “It’s a Miracle” and “Miss Me Blind” which reached the Top 10. The band initially broke up in 1986, before reuniting from 1998-2002 and again in 2011. Their sixth and most recent studio album, Life, was released in 2018, credited as “Boy George and Culture Club.”
Howard Jones, born in Southhampton, Hampshire, England, began his career with his hit single, “New Song,” from his debut album, Human’s Lib, and has had a nearly 40-year career since. His most recent album, Dialogue (2022) is part of a trilogy of albums with Engage (2015) and Transform (2019.) Jones’ hits have been featured in high-profile series and films such as “Stranger Things,” “Breaking Bad,” “Watchmen,” “The Carrie Diaries”, “Superstore” and “Bumblebee.”
New wave band Berlin formed in Los Angeles in 1978, founded by vocalist Terri Nunn, bassist John Crawford, and keyboard player David Diamond. The band’s career began with Information (1980), and they have since won twelve gold and platinum album awards. Berlin’s 1986 hit “Take My Breath Away” significantly appeared in Tom Cruise’s hit film Top Gun (1986) solidifying their ever-lasting place in American pop culture, and winning the award for “Best Original Song” at both the Golden Globe and Academy Awards.
Nunn’s ongoing influence earned her the #11 spot on VH1.com’s “100 Greatest Women in Rock. As an actress, she played leading roles in films including Katie: Portrait of a Centerfold with Kim Basinger, and Thank God It’s Friday with Jeff Goldblum and Debra Winger. Along with comedienne Wendy Liebman, Nunn previously hosted the critically acclaimed radio show Unbound with Terri Nunn.
Pre-sale for the Boy George and Culture Club Letting It Go Show, which includes three stops at New York music venues, starts April 19 with a Citi presale at 10 a.m., continuing until April 20 at 10 p.m., with additional presales continuing throughout the week and general on-sale tickets starting Friday, April 21 at 10 a.m.
The Letting It Go Show 2023 tour dates: Thu Jul 13 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre Sat Jul 15 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre Sun Jul 16 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place Amphitheatre Tue Jul 18 – Atlanta, GA – Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park Wed Jul 19 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion Thu Jul 20 – Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheater Sat Jul 22 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts Sun Jul 23 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater Tue Jul 25 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center Wed Jul 26 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center Fri Jul 28 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live Sat Jul 29 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater Sun Jul 30 – Philadelphia, PA – TD Pavilion at the Mann Tue Aug 01 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage Thu Aug 03 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Fri Aug 04 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre Sat Aug 05 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center Tue Aug 08 – Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre Thu Aug 10 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion Fri Aug 11 – The Woodlands, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Sat Aug 12 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater Mon Aug 14 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP Fri Aug 18 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre Sat Aug 19 – San Diego, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre Sun Aug 20 – Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion
Legendary English musician Sting is bringing his My Songs concert to the Empire State with a performance at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater on Sept. 8.
Throughout his tour, Sting will be accompanied by an electric, rock ensemble and, on select shows, special guest Joe Sumner. Sting will perform songs from his career as both a solo artist and a member of The Police.
Promotional Picture for Sting’s My Songs Tour. Credit: Valeska Thomas
Sting was born in Wallsend, England, and began his musical career with the rock band The Police in the 1970s as their bass guitar player, lead and backing vocalist, double bass player, and studio synthesizer, accompanied by fellow members Andy Summers, Stewart Copeland, and briefly, Henry Padovani. The band went on their first tour, The Police Around the World Tour, from 1977-1980. The Police released their debut studio album, Outlandos d’Amour, in 1978, preceded by their debut single, “Roxanne.” The band had a nearly decade-long career, releasing their fifth and final studio album, Synchronicity, in 1983, before officially breaking up in 1986. They reunited for a final from 2007-08, for their Reunion Tour.
Since The Police’s breakup, Sting has had a successful career as a solo artist, releasing over a dozen studio albums. His first solo release was 1985’s The Dream of the Blue Turtles. Since then, Sting has released a total of 15 solo studio albums, most recently 2021’s The Bridge. Throughout his career, Sting has won 25 American Music Awards, 17 Grammy Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, and was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame. On his My Songs tour, Sting will perform classic hits like ‘Fields of Gold’, ‘Shape of my Heart’, ‘Roxanne’, ‘Englishman In New York,’ ‘Every Breath You Take,’ ‘Roxanne,’ ‘Message In A Bottle’, ‘Demolition Man’ and many more.
The My Songs tour will offer a variety of VIP packages and experiences. Packages vary but include premium tickets, access to the pre-show VIP lounge, specially designed VIP gift item, limited edition tour poster, and more. For additional information, visit vipnation.com.
Tickets to the My Songs concert by Sting, which includes a performance at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater on Sept. 8, go on sale April 21 at 10 a.m. at Sting.com.
STING: MY SONGS 2023 NORTH AMERICA TOUR DATES: Sept. 05 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage Sept. 07 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway Sept. 08 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater Sept. 12 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live* Sept. 15 – Atlanta, GA – Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park Sept. 17 – Austin, TX – Moody Center ATX Sept. 20 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre Sept. 21 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre Sept. 23 – West Valley City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre Sept. 26 – Portland, OR – Moda Center Sept. 27 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena Sept. 29 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena Oct. 01 – Reno, NV – Grand Sierra Resort and Casino* Oct. 02 – Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion Oct. 04 – San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre at SDSU Oct. 07 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl Oct. 09 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre Oct. 12 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP Oct. 14 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory Oct. 15 – Woodlands, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
