Twiddle frontman and reggae singer/songwriter Mihali has announced three shows in the New York metro area this May, presented by Relix.
Over May 12-14, Mihali will perform solo looping sets at Garcia’s at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, then at Brooklyn Bowl the next night. On Sunday, May 14, he’ll return to Port Chester for a full live band performance at Garcia’s.
The appearances follow Twiddle announcing they will go on hiatus following their touring plans this year.
Conway The Machine will release his second studio album, Won’t He Do It, this spring. The prolific Buffalo MC’s road to his major label debut was undeniably impactful and redemptive. God Don’t Make Mistakes served as his commercial breakthrough, as it rose to the top of DSP charts and was also his highest-charting Billboard project to date. Moreover, the project was hailed by critics and fans alike.
While God Don’t Make Mistakes was Conway’s de-facto origin story to the mainstream market, it will also serve as the bridge to the next phase of his already decorated, mixtape-laden career, which begins with his next album Won’t He Do It.
After sharing the album’s first single, “Super Bowl,” featuring Sauce Walka and Juicy J, Conway The Machine has released the album’s second single and first visual in “Quarters/Brucifix.” Featuring Westside Gunn, the music video is shot on location in Paris. The two-sided single features production from Khrysis on “Quarters,” (which also includes vocals from late podcaster, Combat Jack) along with the Daringer produced “Brucifix.”
The record sees Conway The Machine maintain his musical trajectory. While his content remains forever rooted to the streets, Conway continues to challenge himself with the production he raps over. Moreover, the former Griselda signee has long cultivated a rags-to-riches image and continues to abide by his street ethics in his music. However, his growing success makes his subject matter that much more idiosyncratic. All in all, his presentation adds to his allure, while he continues to serve as motivation to those with similar backgrounds.
“I wanted to tap back in with my bro, Khrysis, and give em that feel that my fans know me for providing,” Conway shared with Complex. “I also wanted to set the tone for my new album.”
Conway The Machine Tour
In addition to the release of “Quarters/Brucifix,” Conway also announced the Won’t He Do It Spring Tour featuring Sauce Walka and his fellow Drumwork artist Jae Skeese. The month-long, 18-city expedition begins on My 26 in Chicago, IL and wraps up on June 28 in Detroit with a stop in Brooklyn set for June 24.
Pioneering Australian/British composer, pianist and flautist Keyna Wilkins will mark her first American “mini-tour” tour with a Big Apple debut at Brooklyn’s Williamsburg Music Center on April 20 at 9 p.m.
A two-time finalist for the Australian Art Music Awards, Wilkins is the writer of over 60 compositions that have been performed internationally – in solos, with small ensembles and orchestras. Her eclectic music is informed by her passion for human rights, astronomy, Indigenous culture, jazz, intuitive improvisation and existential quests. As an innovative soloist on piano and flute and leader of cutting-edge ensembles, she has been heralded by UK’s Jazz Journal as a“powerhouse player”, and “fine and nuanced playing”by Limelight Magazine and is described by Australian Jazz as being “unconstrained by labels and is constantly exploring new ways to express herself musically.” She has composed 4 major orchestral works including “Celestial Emu”, a didgeridoo concerto in collaboration with indigenous didgeridoo player Gumaroy Newman for The Metropolitan Orchestra, and a triple flute concerto “Solar Triumvirate” which was described by Sydney Arts Guide as “sensational,.. with incredible freshness of gesture”.
Wilkins’ tour was made possible via a collective effort of artists who are involved with Music for Musicians, MFM. MFM is an advocacy group for musicians’ rights founded by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi, whose board, supporters and membership includes leading names like Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman and Dr. Cornell West.
When the organization’s members found out that Wilkins, one of its first international members, was seeking to tour the U.S., they combined forces to help her find and promote gigs.
For the April 20 show at Williamsburg Music Center, Wilkins will be joined on the bill by two active MFM members, Dawoud the Sufi Renegade and NYSMusic.com book reviewer/feature writer Sal Cataldi (aka Spaghetti Eastern Music). The trio will perform solo sets and also collaborate. For info, visit the Eventbrite page here.
Hudson Valley music-lovers will be able to catch Keyna on April 22 at an intimate concert in the home of another MFM member, pianist/composer Peter Wetzler, at his studio in Kingston, N.Y. Wetzler will also perform at the event, along with poet-artist Julie Hedrick. For info, visit here.
Wilkins will conclude here New York performances on April 25 at 9 pm with a solo performance at the Downtown Music Gallery. Info here.
Wilkins has released 9 albums of original music on all streaming platforms including 4 solo albums. Her latest album in 2021, “Set Me Free”, a collaboration with a 9-year innocent detained refugee poet-artist, Jalal Mahamede.
Big Time Rush became an overnight boy band sensation in November 2009 during the launching of a scripted TV show of the same name on Nickelodeon. The show highlighted the Hollywood escapades of four hockey players from Minnesota after they were chosen to form a pop band. Throughout the show’s success Carlos, Kendall, James, and Logan came to life as a band off the screen releasing three full length albums and performing worldwide. Big Time Rush concluded in July 2013 and after four years of touring as a band, the guys went their separate ways but remained close friends through the years.
The band is also being honored with a celebratory day known as Big Time Rush Day on April 4. Emily Larson, the Mayor of Duluth, Minnesota will make an official pronouncement from the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center making BTR day a national holiday. Duluth holds special significance for Big Time Rush since it is the hometown of the four band members. Duluth will also have a ceremonial street renamed as tribute to Big Time Rush.
In addition to the celebratory day and international tour, BTR announced a highly anticipated new album that will be released on June 9. The album will be Big Time Rush’s first new studio album in a decade. The guys have begun working on the album in 2022 and are thrilled to share it with their Rushers worldwide.
In attempts to bring joy to their fans during quarantine, the members of Big Time Rush gathered to send a message of love and togetherness. Following the announcement was a socially distant performance of an acoustic version of their smash hit, “Worldwide.” The band received 10+ million streams because of hysteria amongst their fans and in the media. Furthermore, four seasons of the television series were added to Netflix in March 2021. BTR ended 2021 with a release of their first single in 8 years, “Call It Like I See It.” They also performed at iHeartRadio Jingle Ball in Philadelphia and had two sold out shows in Chicago and NYC.
The sensational band kicked off 2022 with the launch of their wildly successful Forever Tour. with over 300,000 tickets across North America. They also released new music, with hit singles “Honey,” “Fall,” and “Not Giving You Up.” BTR also performed live at the Latin Kids Choice Awards, iHeart Music Festival, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and the premiere of their first pay-per-view event, “The City Is Ours.” It was a concert film that captured the band’s sold-out show at Madison Square Garden.
BTR fans can purchase tickets to “Can’t Get Enough Tour” here. Additionally, Big Time Rush will offer special sharable content and GIFs that fans can share.
Full details of the “Can’t Get Enough Tour” can be found here.
Big Time Rush | CAN’T GET ENOUGH TOUR 2023
6/22/2023 Fort Worth, TX Dickies Arena
6/24/2023 Durant, OK Choctaw Casino & Resort
6/25/2023 Southaven, MS BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove
6/27/2023 Charlotte, NC PNC Music Pavilion
6/28/2023 Burgettstown, PA The Pavilion at Star Lake
6/30/2023 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center
7/1/2023 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
7/2/2023 Hershey, PA Hersheypark Stadium
7/3/2023 Saratoga Springs, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center
7/5/2023 Toronto, ON History* ^
7/7/2023 Bethel, NY Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
7/8/2023 Virginia Beach, VA Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater
7/9/2023 Wantagh, NY Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
7/11/2023 Bangor, ME Maine Savings Amphitheater
7/12/2023 Mansfield, MA Xfinity Center
7/14/2023 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion
7/15/2023 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center
7/16/2023 Tinley Park, IL Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
7/17/2023 Cuyahoga Falls, OH Blossom Music Center
7/19/2023 Clarkston, MI Pine Knob Music Theatre
7/21/2023 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
7/22/2023 Milwaukee, WI American Family Insurance Amphitheater
7/23/2023 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center
7/24/2023 Nashville, TN Ascend Amphitheater
7/26/2023 Alpharetta, GA Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
7/28/2023 Simpsonville, SC CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park
7/29/2023 Charleston, SC Credit One Stadium
7/30/2023 Orlando, FL Amway Center
8/1/2023 Pelham, AL Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
8/3/2023 The Woodlands, TX The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
8/5/2023 Phoenix, AZ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
Playhouse Stage Company announced the regional premiere of the hit musical The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, featuring teens from the Playhouse Stage Academy training program, at the Cohoes Music Hall.
The Playhouse Stage Company has been producing free summer musicals at Albany’s Park Playhouse in Washington Park since 1989, producing musicals year-round at Cohoes Music Hall since 2016, and has since become manager of the historic Spindle City venue in 2020. They are celebrating their 35th anniversary with a great lineup of events for the season. The company makes theater an all-inclusive art form by providing free and affordable admission at each production, welcoming people from all walks of life and socio-economic backgrounds. The company also provides arts education programs to young people in the community with Playhouse Stage Academy.
The Cohoes Music Hall opened its door in 1874 in Cohoes. It was restored in 1974 to become what it is today, a historic music hall with a great lineup of events. In late December of last year, the venue was awarded $1.88 million in funding through New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation grants, transforming it into an energy-efficient building. The Lightning Thief production begins on April 13 and runs to the 23, reuniting Director Chuck Kraus, Choreographer Ashley Simone Kirchner, and Musical Director Brandon Jones, who has worked on more than a dozen teen productions at both Albany’s Park Playhouse and Cohoes Music Hall for Playhouse Stage Company.
The LightningThief is a rock musical adapted from the best-selling young adult novel by Rick Riordan of the same name. It was first produced by Theatreworks USA as a one-hour “theatre for young audiences” production in 2014, in 2017 an expanded two-act version premiered at the Lucille Lortel Theatre and was a critically acclaimed hit, and in 2019, there was a limited engagement on Broadway. The show features a thrilling rock score with music and lyrics by Rob Rikicki and a book by Joe Tracz.
The novel follows Percy Jackson, a troubled young man struggling with dyslexia and ADHD, who finds himself expelled from five schools in a few years. He comes to learn he is the half-blood son of a Greek God and finds himself at “Camp Half-Blood,” where he and his friends are sent on a quest by the Oracle of Delphi to uncover the truth behind the theft of Zeus’s lightning bolt. “The Lightning Thief is an epic story that is ideal to be performed by our gifted teen students,” said Owen Smith, Playhouse Stage Company’s Producing Artistic Director. “Fans of the book series will revel in the loyalty to the original book, while the average audience member will be enthralled not only by the cast of colorful characters and rock score but also how personal and relatable the story is.”
The cast is led by AJ Halsey (Percy Jackson) and Joshua Hoyt (Grover), who received strong reviews for their performances in last summer’s The Wedding Singer at Park Playhouse, as well as Molly Kantrowitz (Annabeth Chase) who is playing her first principal character for Playhouse Stage. The cast features eighteen of the area’s most talented teen performing artists, hailing from all corners of the Capital Region. Those who have graduated from the Playhouse Stage Academy have gone on to study in top collegiate theatre programs, and to appear on Broadway, film and television, or national tours.
The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical plays April 13 through 23, 2023, at Cohoes Music Hall. Performers play Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are now on sale online, by phone, and in-person through the Playhouse Stage Box Office at Cohoes Music Hall.
The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra has announced that it will conclude its 67th Season with “May the Fourth Be With You” at the Anderson Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, May 4 at 7:30pm.
Live narration by Joshua Sedelmeyer will weave together the epic story of Star Wars while Maestro Daniel Hege leads the Philharmonic in performing the music of John Williams, including themes from The Force Awakens, Revenge of the Sith, A New Hope, and of course, the original Star Wars Suite.
Founded by Fritz and Marianne Wallenberg in 1955 at the Binghamton Symphony and Choral Society and later merging with the B.C. Pops, an orchestra founded by David Agard and Russell Hawkes, the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra presents an annual series of classical, pops, and chamber music concerts in Downtown Binghamton and throughout Broome County. The professional musicians of the Philharmonic, represented by Local 380 of the American Federation of Musicians, hail from the Southern Tier, New York City, and surrounding states.
Narrator Josh Sedelmeyer has developed an ease at creating rapport with audiences during interactive performances. Fans of the Philharmonic will recognize Josh from many lectures and events, including previous concerts with the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra such as The Magical Music of Harry Potter, A Night at the Ballet’s Romeo & Juliet, and now Star Wars, May the Fourth.
For tickets and more information, contact the Binghamton Philharmonic box office at 607-723-3931 or visit www.binghamtonphilharmonic.org.
Governors Ball 2023 is just over two months away, and the stacked lineup of artists is not the only thing to get excited about. Founders Entertainment has released the food lineup and the site map for this year’s festival. Governors Ball has found a new home at Flushing Meadows Corona Park and will feature a wide array of food to add on to the listening experience.
Governors Ball 2023 food lineup
The 2023 food lineup features cuisines from all over the world, fitting of the Queens, the world’s most diverse borough. Family-owned and NYC based Doughnuttery will be at this year’s festival serving their iconic mini doughnuts alongside more than 50 food vendors. The festival will have plenty of free water stations to keep fans hydrated, and Dunkin’ will be at the festival to satisfy your caffeine needs. Blue Point Brewing Company has brought in a custom Gov Ball Summer Ale, where you find a can at a retail location and scan the QR code for your chance to win 2 VIP tickets!
Doughnuttery at Governors Ball 2022, photograph by Joseph Buscarello
The new location will allow for the layout of the stages to be more spread out. Leaving the parking lot of Citi Field is a big improvement for the fan experience of the event as listening to music is much more pleasurable when you have soft grass underfoot rather than concrete. The green feel of the festival should bring back nostalgia from the festival’s days on Governors Island.
Governors Ball 2023 site map
In addition to the new scenery among the trees, the festival has added a “GA+” ticket to the selection. The new ticket gives fans access to air-conditioned restrooms, an exclusive centrally located lounge area with shade, seating, and its own exclusive bar, food vendors and water refill stations. It also has a dedicated concierge for GA+ ticket holders to assist with their festival needs. VIP and Platinum tickets are also available, holding their own lounges and viewing areas at each stage, food vendors, bars, concierge, storage lockers and mobile charging units, premium entrance and other amenities.
For full details on each ticket type visit GovBall.com/Tickets for more information.
The 4th annual Free Dead in the Park Benefit Concert, presented by the Capitol Theatre and Rythm Premium Cannabis, is scheduled for May 16 at 4:30 p.m. at Central Park. The concert series, which began in 2018, supports Riverkeeper, a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the protection of the Hudson River and its tributaries. Stella follows in the footsteps of the Grateful Dead, taking the same stage at the Naumberg Bandshell in Central Park.
Stella Blue’s Band has been performing for more than a decade, and is made up of Bill Bonacci (lead guitar, vocals,) Steve Liesman (rhythm guitar, vocals,) Greg Solomon (bass), Ken Aigen (keyboards), Ron Cohen (drums, vocals), and Amy Stahlin (vocals.) First formed in 2009 to recreate the experience of a Grateful Dead show, Stella was the first band chosen for residency at Garcia’s at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, which has become the band’s homebase. The band plays regularly at New York City venues such as the Brooklyn Bowl and The Cutting Room, among several other venues in the tri-state area.
Free Dead in the Park began in 2018, after a fan obtained a $25 permit for Stella Blue’s Band to play in the bandshell to honor the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead’s concert at the venue. In the years since it has evolved into a fundraising event for Riverkeeper. “Free Dead in the Park is such an exciting and significant event each year because it connects music fans with the environment and gives them the opportunity to make a difference in their community by helping protect the Hudson River,’’ said Tracy Brown, president of Riverkeeper.
Riverkeeper is a member-supported organization that preserves and restores the Hudson River from source to sea and safeguards drinking water supplies through advocacy rooted in community partnerships, science, and law. The non-profit originally began as the Hudson River Fisherman’s Association in 1966, when the Hudson River was dying from pollution and neglect. Today, Riverkeeper continues its fight, seeking out polluters and teaming with citizen scientists and activists to reclaim the Hudson River.
The show will be produced by G4D Productions with support from Best Instrument Rentals. The event would not be possible without support from the NYC Parks Department, which has helped to make the concert a success. The show also has support from a group of committed private contributors like the Morgan Le Fay Dreams Foundation and Friends of Free Dead in the Park.
Musician and teaching artist Dave Ruch, along with Brant Lake singer Colleen Cleveland, will present a series of free and open-to-the-public workshopscelebrating traditional Adirondack Music the Capital Region in May.
The “New Audiences for Old Songs” project aims to expand awareness for and enjoyment of this rare and important collection of folk songs and traditional ballads from the Adirondack region of New York State; the kind of “self-made” music sung by everyday people and passed down through the generations in earlier days.
Traditional Adirondack music is typically anonymous, passed down orally and serves as an expression of the life of people in that given community.
These songs have been kept alive in one family – the Clevelands of Hudson Falls and Brant Lake, NY – and the music is little-known today outside a small circle of enthusiasts. The goal of the project is to introduce this material to musicians working in more mainstream genres so that they in turn can bring the music to their audiences.
These workshops will provide the opportunity to learn about the collection and hear Colleen sing some of her favorites as learned from her grandmother. Immediately after the session, a wide selection of the Cleveland family repertoire will be posted on the project’s webpage for all to access, and participating musicians are then free to work up one or more songs in their own style to be presented in their future performances.
The workshop is open to singers and musicians of all genres, and the general public is welcome to attend as well. Registration is not required though interested parties can RSVP to the Facebook events linked below.
Adirondack Music Workshops with Dave Ruch and Colleen Cleveland
Thursday May 4, 7-8:30pm View, Old Forge, NY event
Friday May 5, 7-8:30pm TAUNY Center, Canton, NY event
Saturday May 6, 10:30am-NoonBluSeed Studios, Saranac Lake, NY event
Saturday May 6, 3:30-5pmFolklife Center at Crandall Public Library, Glens Falls, NY event
Acclaimed musician Regina Spektor is going on a 2023 summer tour, which includes performances at three music venues in New York: the Kodak Center in Rochester on Aug. 1, SummerStage in Central Park on Aug. 24, and the West Hampton Beach Performing Arts (WHBAC) on Aug. 25.
The tour comes a year after the release of Spektor’s latest studio album, Home, before and after. Additionally, the performer will make an appearance at Mikhail Baryshnikov’s 75th birthday celebration at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park in Tivoli, New York, alongside Laurie Anderson, Diana Krall, and Kaoru Watanabe.
Regina Spektor’s latest studio album, Home, before and after, has received acclaim from New York Times, NPR Music, and more.
Russian-Jewish-American singer, songwriter, and pianist Regina Spektor, whose genres range from Anti-folk, Indie-Pop, and alternative rock, was born in Moscow, Russia, and since moving to the United States, has made musical waves in New York. Spektor has received a sign on the Bronx Walk of Fame, and Mayor Bill Diblasio proclaimed June 11, 2019, as “Regina Spektor Day.” She has been making music for over 20 years, with her debut studio album, 11:11, being released in 2001, and 2022’s Home, before and after marked her eighth studio release.
The album’s supporting single, “Up the Mountain,” has been praised by several media outlets, including the New York Times, which wrote, “It’s mystical and earthy, moving from tolling piano to implacable beat, with strings and horns ganging up.” Grammy-nominated Spektor first saw commercial success with the RIAA Gold-certified LP, Begin to Hope, which includes the singles “On the Radio,” “Better”, “Samson,” and “Fidelity,” which climbed the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
Tickets for the Regina Spektor 2023 summer tour, which includes three stops at New York Music venues, go on sale on April 7.
REGINA SPEKTOR TOURDATES
May 21—Corona Capital—Guadalajara, Mexico July 15—Royal Festival Hall—London, UK July 16— Royal Festival Hall—London, UK July 18—Dalhalla—Rättvik, Sweden July 28—Riverside Theater—Milwaukee, WI July 29—Out of Space—Evanston, IL* July 30—Brady Music—Cincinnati, OH August 1—Kodak Center—Rochester, NY August 2—Keswick Theatre—Philadelphia, PA August 3—Wolf Trap—Vienna, VA † August 5—Chateau Ste. Michelle—Woodinville, WA August 7—Mountain Winery—Saratoga, CA August 8—House of Blues—Anaheim, CA August 10—The Greek Theatre—Los Angeles, CA† August 24—SummerStage—Central Park, NY August 25—WHBPAC—West Hampton, NY August 27—Beach Road Festival—Martha’s Vineyard, MA
