Flushing Town Hall has announced their monthly series of Mini-Global Mashup concerts fusing Brazilian and Chinese culture. On April 16, Brazilian artists Rogério Boccato and Vitor Gonçalves will perform alongside the Chinese guzheng artist Wei Sun. Fans can enjoy the series at Northern Boulevard at Linden Place in Queens.
The Mini-Global Mashup was curated by acclaimed klezmer trumpeter Frank London. The concert series will showcase various types of cultural music and unexpected collaborations that create new and spontaneous sounds.
“Our mini–Global Mashups are unique every time – they bring together artists from different parts of the globe who have never played together before with an intimate experience for the audience.”
-Ellen Kodadek, Flushing Town Hall Executive & Artistic Director
Rogério Boccato has been featured on three Grammy-award-winning albums including Kurt Elling & Danilo Perez‘s “Secrets Are The Best Stories,” “The Thompson Fields,” with the Maria Schneider Orchestra, and Billy Childs’ “Rebirth.” He has also contributed to projects led by stellar jazz artists known as Maria Schneider, John Patitucci, Fred Hersch, Brian Blade, Kurt Elling, Danilo Perez, and Renee Rosnes. Boccato is a longtime member of the “Orquestra Jazz Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo”and has played with Antonio Carlos Jobim, Hermeto Pascoal, Milton Nascimento, Egberto Gismonti, João Bosco, Joe Zawinul, etc. Apart from his spectacular performances, Boccato teaches Brazilian Music and Ritmica at the Manhattan School of Music, NYU, and the University of Hartford.
Vitor Gonçalves is a pianist, accordionist, and composer from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 2012, Gonçalves moved to New York City following a prominent career in Brazil, playing with such icons as Hermeto Pascoal, Maria Bethânia, Itiberê Zwarg, etc. Since his arrival to the city, Gonçalves has added more success to his resume by performing at Lincoln Center, The Jazz Standard, the Jazz Gallery, the Newport Jazz Festival, NPR’s Jazz Night in America, and The New York Times. Gonçalves also frequently collaborated with members of New York’s jazz scene, such as Anat Cohen, Vinícius Cantuária, Anthony Wilson, Cyro Baptista, and Yotam Silberstein.
Wei Sun is a young guzheng artist who began her journey at the age of six in China. It was no surprise that Sun was quickly drawn to the music industry due to being born into a family of musicians. In China she was a certified senior teacher of guzheng and a member of the China National Instrumental Association and the International Guzheng Association. In 2016, Sun moved to the United States as a guzheng performer and teacher at the CBA Cultural and Arts Center. Sun is now the principal performer of guzheng of the Chinese National Orchestra in New York. She’s also performed at the Lincoln Center, United Nations, Columbia University, Flushing Town Hall, Queens College Art Center, and more. Sun has also cultivated success by cofounding the trio bands, StringsW and Miss, holding a concert at Carnegie Hall in 2017, and performing on the Broadway musical show “Noble Family” in 2022.
Flushing Town Hall presents multi-disciplinary global arts that engage and educate the global communities of Queens, New York. As advocates of arts equity since 1979, they are on a mission to inspire an appreciation for art and culture by supporting local, immigrant, national, and international artists. Flushing Town Hall is also a member of New York City’s Cultural Institutions Group (CIG). The Town Hall celebrates the history of Queens as the home of Jazz by showcasing the finest in jazz performances.
For the more information about Flushing Town Hall’s 2023 Spring events, visit here.
Soulshine Market has announced that the second annual Shinefest will be held on June 17 at Bullville Park from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m, in Bullville, NY, nestled in the Catskill Mountains, 30 minutes west of Newburgh.
The festival will feature activities for all ages including an inflatable house, craft tables, cornhole, live music, food, and vendors. Throughout the day, Shinefest will showcase a variety of local talent, as it did last year.
TEL The Poet, a local performer at last year’s Shinefest. Shinefest will continue to showcase local talent at this year’s festival. Photo Credit: Soulshine Market.
Shinefest was first held last year at the start of summer at Bullville Park, the same time and location as this year’s festival, and welcomed a variety of musical guests including Kieran McGee, REL The Poet, and more. This year, the event will kick off with a performance by local musician Dewey, followed by performances by Kevin Thomas, Caswyn Moon & Faith Kelly, Prize Fighter, The Blue Hearts Band, Kieran Mcgee, Jacob Kantner, and The Bunker Boys. The main headliner will be announced later this month.
All proceeds for this year’s Shinefest will go to Hudson Valley Honor Flight. For more information click here.
Soulshine Market is a food vendor for Shinefest. Photo credit: Soulshine Market.
Shinefest is hosted with support from Soulshine Market, a food vendor for the festival. Soulshine Market is a family-owned local health food store located at the foot of the Shawangunk Mountains, providing the best in nourishing food, supplements, and gift items for healthy living. The market uses organic and local produce whenever possible, and is committed to using only the cleanest ingredients, including their own sauces and dressings, and several GMO-free, vegan, and gluten-free items are available on their menu.
Tickets for this year’s Shinefest at Bullville Park are “pay as you go” and available now.
Bryant Park Corporation has announced the 2023 lineup for its free summer performing arts series, Bryant Park Picnic Performances, presented by Bank of America, happening from June 1 to Sept. 14.
Photo credit Chris Lee.
Located in Midtown Manhattan, Bryant Park’s Picnic Performances has grown into one of the foremost outdoor performing arts festivals in New York City. Over 75,000 people attended last summer, and nearly half a million watched the live streaming of the free performances. The 2023 season features world-class local artists as well as performers from as far away as Italy, Colombia, Turkey, Finland, and South Africa. More than 20 shows from the 2023 season will be live-streamed for free on Bryant Park’s social media channels and website, reaching national and international audiences. Attendees may bring their own food or purchase from on-site food and beverage vendors near the Lawn.
“Bryant Park Picnic Performances is an uncommonly collaborative project that is meant to showcase the best of the arts in New York City,” says Dan Fishman, Vice President of Public Events at Bryant Park Corporation. “I cannot imagine a better way to celebrate New York than to provide a platform in partnership with the many cultural institutions – large and small – that make this city great.”
This summer, the New York City Opera will host a number of shows in Bryant Park, kicking off the picnic performances on June 1 at 7 p.m. with a one-night-only, staged, and costumed production of Puccini’s La Bohème with orchestral accompaniment, conducted by Maestro Joseph Rescigno. Later on Aug. 18 at 7 p.m., there will be a live music-supported production of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville featuring members of the New York City Opera Orchestra. Tenor Alessandro Lora performs a special concert of Italian favorites on Aug. 19. Closing out the New York City Opera series is Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet on Sept. 8, starring Ekaterina Siurina and tenor Won Whi Choi.
New York City Opera, 2018, photo credit Angelito Jusay.
Different contemporary dance performances curated by Tiffany Rea-Fisher will take place in June, starting with Robin Dunn, Buddha Stretch, and Mr. Wiggles with additional artists TBA, marking 50 years of hip-hop dance on June 8. The next day brings Dance Heginbotham, a New York-based contemporary dance company founded in 2011 committed to supporting, producing, and sustaining the work of choreographer John Heginbotham, enriching national and international communities with its unique blend of inventive, thoughtful, and rigorous dance theater works. Two rising stars in contemporary dance, Terk Lewis and Kayla Farrish perform on June 15. Lewis began his formal ballet training at the age of 17 with Tony Calucci at The Dance Extension in Columbus, earning his BFA in Dance from Western Michigan University. He has choreographed his own commissioned works for The National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica, The Joffrey Ballet School, Black Boys Dance Too (Presented by Bryant Park NYC), and Western Michigan University.
Farrish is a Black American Director merging dance-theater, filmmaking, narrative, and sound score, receiving the Sundance Uprise Grant for Emerging BIPOC Directors, Bessie Awards for NYLA’s Motherboard Suite, the Harkness Promise Award for 2022, and more. The last contemporary dance performances feature two of New York’s extraordinary percussive dance artists, Soles of Duende and Josh Johnson on June 16. Soles of Duende is on a lifelong mission to elevate the joy and music of true collaboration across disciplines and the celebration of the forms they practice, based on the sounds of Tap (Amanda Castro), Flamenco (Arielle Rosales), and Kathak (Brinda Guha). Johnson is a Harlem native, who tap-danced on the trains of New York City to pay for college at Penn State University, going on to perform at many jazz clubs in the city, ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, and has made multiple appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Kayla Farrish, photo by Sarah Annie Navarrete.
The Emerging Music Festival presented by Bryant Park and curated by AdHoc returns this summer with some of the best up-and-coming artists today. Starting June 23, THUS LOVE, Psymon Spine, and Katy Kirby grace the stage. THUS LOVE was founded in 2018 by three trans-multi-instrumentalists in Brattleboro, Vermont, Echo Marshall (she/her), Lu Racine (he/they), and Nathaniel van Osdol (they/them). The mission statement of the group is to amplify the voices of those who struggle, tackling weighty themes with startling intimacy and vulnerability. Brooklyn-based dance group Psymon Spine is comprised of Noah Prebish, Peter Spears, Brother Michael Rudinski, and Sabine Holler, taking inspiration from Talking Heads and Os Mutantes along with the rush of the NYC dance scene, fuzing psych-pop and post-punk.
Katy Kirby is an indie rock songwriter, with lyrics focusing on unspoken rules, misunderstandings of all kinds, and boredom, forming a band to work on recording a full-length record. The Emerging Music Festival’s final day on June 24 consists of Ky Vöss, Seramic, Miss Grit, Dead T00th, and More TBA. Vöss is an NYC-based American producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, utilizing stark contrasting lyrics, striking visuals, and synthesized melodies to walk the line between otherworldly and deeply human. Seramic (Marcus Foster) showcases a powerfully unique and varied range of influences, releasing two critically acclaimed EPs, combining his love for Prince, gospel, & soul singers of the 70s and 80s mixed with 90’s hip hop and RnB. New York-based musician Margaret Sohn created Miss Grit to function as an outlet for their own analysis and expression of self, releasing their debut record Follow The Cyborg earlier this year.
Dead T00th is a Brooklyn-based indie rock band that has released several EPs, winning OWL Winter Madness (a 16-band, 5-week-long “battle of the bands” at Brooklyn’s legendary rooftop venue Our Wicked Lady). Other concerts include Shaina Taub and Friends on Aug. 11. Taub is an Obie Award-winning, Emmy Award-nominated songwriter and performer. She is an artist-in-residence at Joe’s Pub and at the Public Theater, where she wrote and starred in Suffs, garnering Drama League, Drama Desk, and Lortel Award nominations. She has three solo records released, created, and starred in critically acclaimed musical adaptations of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and As You Like It at Free Shakespeare in the Park, as part of their community-based program, Public Works, among many other accomplishments.
Psymon Spine.
On June 2, Jazzmobile brings trumpeter, Steve Oquendo, to lead a 19-musician Latin jazz orchestra. Other events include the Jalopy Theatre curating a three-part folk festival with bluegrass headliners Michael Daves Quartet Ft. Tony Trischka, Malian kora virtuoso Yacouba Sissoko, and lap steel guitarist Terrell King on June 30, the Classical Theatre of Harlem performing an abridged version of Langston in Harlem, five nights of music presented by Carnegie Hall Citywide, and more. For more information about the Bryant Park Picnic Performances, go here.
Schedule of Events
June 01 – New York City Opera: La Bohème – 7pm
June 02 – Jazzmobile: Steve Oquendo Latin Jazz Orchestra- 7pm
June 08 – Contemporary Dance: Robin Dunn and more TBA – 7pm
June 09 – Contemporary Dance: Artists TBA- 7pm
June 15 – Contemporary Dance: Terk Lewis + Kayla Farrish- 7pm
June 16 – Contemporary Dance: Soles of Duende + Josh Johnson – 7pm
June 23 – Emerging Music Festival: THUS LOVE, Psymon Spine, Katy Kirby – 7pm
June 24 – Emerging Music Festival: Ky Vöss, Seramic, Miss Grit, Dead T00th – 5pm
June 30 – Jalopy Theatre: Michael Daves Quartet ft. Tony Trischka, Yacouba Sissoko, Terrell King – 7pm
July 07 – Carnegie Hall Citywide: Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra – 7pm
July 14 – Carnegie Hall Citywide: Tessa Lark + Michael Thurber – 7pm
July 21 – Carnegie Hall Citywide: Magos Herrera featuring The Knights – 7pm
July 28 – Carnegie Hall Citywide: Champe-Soukous Collective – 7pm
August 03 – Ailey Moves NYC: Ailey II – 7pm
August 04 – Carnegie Hall Citywide: Ndlovu Youth Choir – 7pm
August 18 – New York City Opera: The Barber of Seville – 7pm
August 19 – New York City Opera: Alessandro Lora in Concert – 7pm
August 25 – Accordions Around the World: Diana Burco, Suistamon Sähkö, Ragini Ensemble – 7pm
August 26 – Roulette Intermedium: 75 Dollar Bill, Ka Baird, Additional Artist TBA – 7pm
September 01 – Classical Theatre of Harlem: Langston in Harlem – 7pm
September 07 – American Symphony Orchestra: American Expressions – 7pm
September 08 – New York City Opera: Romeo and Juliet – 7pm
September 09 – Drom: Gaye Su Akyol (U.S. Debut) – 7pm
September 14 – Harlem Stage: 40th Anniversary Celebration – 7pm
Reggae-pop band UB40 is celebrating its 45th anniversary with its “UB45” summer tour throughout July, which will stop at The Space at Westbury on July 6.
The Cover of UB40’s debut studio album, 1980’s Signing Off.
The band will perform their hits “Red Red Wine,” “Food For Thought,” and “(I Can’t Help) Falling In Love With You,”among others, on their anniversary tour, in addition to being joined by special guests such as Maxi Priest, Inner Circle, Third World, and Big Mountain. Concurrently, UB40 will release a new album this summer, titled UB45, with new songs and reworked classics, and a yet-to-be-announced release date.
Guitarist/vocalist Robin Campbell said of UB40’s US tour, “We love playing the U.S., and celebrating our 45th year and having a new album makes our return even more exciting.”
UB40 was originally formed in 1978 in Birmingham, England, and its current members consist of Jimmy Brown (drums), Robin Campbell (guitar/vocals), Earl Falconer (bass/vocals), Norman Lamont Hassan (percussion/vocals), Martin Meredith (keyboards/WX7/saxophone), Tony Mullings (keyboards), Laurence Parry (trumpet/flugelhorn/trombone), Ian Thompson (saxophone) – and Matt Doyle (lead vocals.) Doyle only joined the band recently, taking over for a retired Duncan Campbell after Doyle’s group, KIOKO, opened for UB40 at The Royal Albert Hall in 2018, and later supported them on UB40’s subsequent UK tour and European tours. UB40 released their debut studio album, Signing Off, in 1980, and since then have released a total of 20 studio albums, most recently 2021’s Bigga Baggariddim.
UB40’s 45th-anniversary summer tour is in support of their upcoming studio album, UB45. One of the most successful British groups of all time, UB40 is represented in the USA and South America by Jeff Epstein and Paul Gaudio of Universal Attractions Agency (UAA.). For more information visit UB40’s website.
The Space at Westbury originally opened as Westbury Movie Theater in 1927, with a screening of Hula, starring Clara Bow, while The University of Maryland Collegian’s Band thrilled the audience with a spectacular performance. One of the six theaters built by Salvatore Calderone in Nassau County, the Westbury Theatre eventually closed due to a decline in patronage in the late 70s. Eight years ago, Cyrus Hakakian and his partners saved the Westbury Theater from demolition, and the venue now enters a new chapter of its illustrious history as The Space at Westbury.
For tickets to see UB40 on their 45th-anniversary tour, which includes a stop at The Space at Westbury, click here.
UB45 Tour Dates Are as Follows:
7/4/23 Wiggins Waterfront Park Camden, NJ 7/6/23 The Space Westbury, NY 7/7/23 Chevalier Theatre Medford, MA 7/9/23 Wolftrap Foundation for the Performing Arts Vienna, VA 7/11/23 Schermerhorn Nashville Nashville, TN 7/13/23 The Amphitheater at Phillip S. Miller Park Castle Rock, CO 7/15/23 Marymoor Park Seattle, WA 7/16/23 Bossanova Ballroom Portland, OR 7/17/23 Brittfest Jacksonville, OR 7/20/23 Mountain Winery Saratoga, CA 7/21/23 The Microsoft Theater Los Angeles, CA 7/22/23 Palm Pool Las Vegas, NV 7/23/23 Saroyan Theatre Fresno, CA
The Glove Theatre, over a century old and a hidden treasure in downtown Gloversville, has recently reopened for performances, bringing music and movies together in the coming weeks.
Designed in 1913 by Linn Kinne of Utica for Cady & Dartch, wtih a marquee added in 1939, the 800-seat Glove Theatre has historically shows an array of performances, including vaudeville, concerts, and movies, and was, during the 1950s, one of the largest theater venues in Fulton and Montgomery Counties. Since 1995, the theater has been maintained by a local group of volunteers and most recently, The Glove has hosted performances from artists such as Sawyer Fredricks and Beatle Mania.
After a 10-year absence, rock band Flame will perform at The Glove in celebration of Autism Awareness Month and the band’s 20th anniversary, on Saturday, April 15.
Flame will take The Glove Theatre Mainstage for a special one-night-only performance, but the rest of April will be a busy month for the band. Throughout the rest of April, after The Glove Theatre show, Flame will perform at Schenectady High School, West Sand Lake Elementary, and SUNY Cobleskill.
The members of Flame, from left to right: Debbie Woodruff (Dancer,) Karl Blanchard (Conguero,) Adrienne Phllips (Vocals,) Andrew Carpenter (vocals,) Michelle King (Lead Vocals and Guitar,) David LaGrange (Drums and Vocals,) Shawn Lehr (Conguero,) and Nick Robinson (Bass Guitar and Musical Advisor.) Credit: The Arc/Lexington.
Formed in 2003, Flame consists of Nick Robinson, Andrew Carpenter, Adrienne Phillips, David LaGrange, Joseph Magliocca, Karl Blanchard, Shawn Lehr, Michelle King, and Debbie Woodruff. The global cover band performs the hit favorites of today plus the classics and initially gained notoriety after appearances on Good Morning America in 2009, and in People Magazine in 2013.
Made up entirely of disabled musicians, Flame has played to sold-out shows across the world, at venues such as the Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame, the House of Blues, to Athens, Greece, and Carpi, Italy, and they are billed as “Your Hometown World-Famous Band.”
Flame is a part of the Arc/Lexington outreach program, which has said of the band: “These musicians connect with people of all ages and backgrounds like no other, from singing children to dancing executives. They give parents of children with disabilities hope that it is possible to have their own child achieve great things, and even more importantly, have a fun and fulfilling life like those in the band. Their success has helped change perceptions of those with disabilities as well as increased awareness and acceptance of people of all kinds “putting the ability into disability”.
Then on April 19, The Glove Theatre will present a film screening of Nobody’s Fool, an adaption of the book of the same name by Fulton County Native and Pulitzer Award Winning Author Richard Russo, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. as part of an ongoing Love The Glove Film Series, sponsored by the Perrott, Peck, and Blackmon Families.
Paul Newman on the cover of Nobody’s Fool. Credit: Paramount Pictures.
Nobody’s Foul was written in 1993 and became the first of Russo’s novels to be made into a film adaption in 1994, with a sequel, Everybody’s Fool, following in 2016. Similarly, the April 19 event at The Glove Theatre will be the first film screening for Nobody’s Fool. The film adaption stars Paul Newman as Donald “Sully” Sullivan, Jessica Tandy as Beryl Peoples in her final role before her death, Bruce Willis as Carl Roebuck, Melanie Griffith as Toby Roebuck, and an up-and-coming Upstate New York Native Phillip Seymour Hoffman as Officer Raymer. It was Paramount’s last production before being sold to Viacom the same year. Newman received considerable praise for his role, winning Best Actor at the 45th Berlin International Film Festival, the 29th National Society of Film Critics Awards, and the 60th New York Film Critics Circle Awards.
Nobody’s Fool is set in the fictional community of North Bath, based on the Saratoga County city of Ballston Spa, just east of Gloversville, where Russo grew up. In the book and movie’s narrative, North Bath is overshadowed by the neighboring Schuyler Springs, based on Saratoga Springs, which has historically overshadowed Ballston Spa. Fulton County was considered for filming locations, but the film ended up being shot in the Hudson Valley, near Beacon, Poughkeepsie, Kingston, and Hudson.
Upon hearing about the screening, Russo said, “I am very excited for my film to be screened at the Glove Theatre, having watched so many movies there in my youth.” Russo Russo used his notoriety previously to help the Gloversville Public Library (a Carnegie Library) with their 2015 Capital Campaign. To honor his literary legacy to the community, Trustees, and staff of the library will be available to sign members up for a library card at both free screenings of this beloved film.
Tickets for The Glove Theatre celebration of Flame are available at Flame’s and The Glove Theatre’s websites, or by calling the theatre at 518.752.4611, and the film screening of Nobody’s Fool is free.
Forest Hills Stadium in Queens is celebrating its centennial this summer with a stacked lineup of events showcasing the stadium’s rich past and celebrating its future.
Forest Hills Stadium was built in 1923, and ten years ago went under renovation to make it more modern and renewable, making shows as environmentally friendly as they can be. The venue is climate-positive and carbon negative, meaning the venue offsets more than what’s created, tracking recycling efforts from concession areas, backstage, and beyond all season long. The stadium also supports local community-driven initiatives in an effort to give back to Queens, including QueensWay (a project proposing to convert the former LIRR Rockaway Beach Branch (RBB) into a new, public park) and Queens Community House (a multi-site, multi-service settlement house that serves the diverse neighborhoods of Queens).
This summer hosts the most diverse and exciting list of performances yet, celebrating the venue’s centennial. The new season will feature approximately 30 music and comedy performances from an exciting and eclectic mix of some of the biggest names in music and entertainment today. Some artists include one of the best-selling rock bands, the Dave Matthews Band, on June 6, the brand new Re:SET concert series featuring headliners like boygenius, Steve Lacy, and LCD Soundsystem, and up-and-coming indie artist Maggie Rogers in late July. Other artists include platinum-selling indie rock band The Strokes on Aug. 19, a former member of One Direction, the boy band that rocked the 2010s, Louis Tomlinson on July 29, indie rock group the Arctic Monkeys on Sept. 8 and 9, rock group in August Fall Out Boy and in July Weezer, and many more.
Indie group Cigarettes After Sex perform at Forest Hills Stadium Sept. 15.
Mike Luba, the executive responsible for the stadium’s rehabilitation produces concerts at the venue in coordination with The Bowery Presents, spoke about how exciting this summer will be, and the venue’s anniversary. “It’s hard to believe that it’s coming up on a full decade since we began the renovation of the stadium. We’ve come a long way since that first show with our brothers in arms Mumford and Sons, who bravely stepped up to play the opening night back in 2013. It’s been incredibly rewarding to ride along with the stadium crew, the hundreds of artists, our invaluable community neighbors and partners as well as the over 1 million folks who have found their way out to the magical oasis of a stadium smack in the middle of Queens.”
Tickets for the summer events at Forest Hills Stadium are on sale now here, with more to be announced at a later date.
2023 Forest Hills Stadium Centennial Season Calendar
Saturday, May 20th & Sunday, May 21st – Head In The Clouds Music & Arts Festival Promiseland Saturday, June 3rd – Lane 8, Sultan + Shepard, Jerro, Massane (LIVE), Ocula Sunday, June 4th – Kevin Hart Friday, June 9th – Dave Matthews Band Wednesday, June 14th – BERT KREISCHER’S FULLY LOADED COMEDY FESTIVAL: Shane Gillis, Tiffany Haddish, Dave Attell, Big Jay Oakerson, Dan Soder, Rosebud Baker Friday, June 16th – Re:SET (LCD Soundsystem, Jamie xx, IDLES, L’RAIN & More) Saturday, June 17th – Re:SET (boygenius, Clairo, Dijon, Bartees Strange) Sunday, June 18th – Re:SET (Steve Lacy, James Blake, Toro y Moi, Fousheé) Friday, June 23rd & Saturday, June 24th – Zach Bryan, Charles Wesley Godwin Friday, July 7th – The Smile, Robert Stillman Saturday, July 8th – Two Friends, Matoma, NOTD, Deerock Thursday, July 13th – Weezer, Future Islands, Joyce Manor Thursday, July 27th – Maggie Rogers, Soccer Mommy Saturday, July 29th – Louis Tomlinson Tuesday, August 1st – Fall Out Boy, Bring Me The Horizon, Royal & The Serpent, Games We Play Saturday, August 5th – Rock The Bells Festival Saturday, August 12th – Queens of the Stone Age, Phantogram Thursday, August 17th – Jason Mraz & His Superband w/ The New York Pops Saturday, August 19th – The Strokes, Angel Olsen, Seaton Smith, Promiseland Friday, September 8th & Saturday, September 9th – Arctic Monkeys, Fontaines D.C. Friday, September 15th – Cigarettes After Sex Sunday, September 17th – Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Festival Friday, September 22nd – Duran Duran, Grace Jones, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Bastille Friday, September 29th – Sylvan Esso, Goth Babe, Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul Saturday, September 30th – Jungle
The World Music Institute (WMI) announced its partnership with the New York Arab Festival (NYAF) in celebration of Arab-American Heritage Month.
New York City’s first Arab and Arab-American art and culture festival, celebrating the song, dance, fashion, performance, ideas, and cuisine that have made Arab heritage part of American heritage.
The festival can be enjoyed at Nublu (151 Avenue C) from 8pm-10pm and encompasses an evening of music by Arab artists, Felukah, DJ Nadia, and DJ meëraj.
The World Music Institute was founded in 1985 and is recognized as one of the most remarkable presenters of world music and dance within the United States. WMI strives to educate communities on traditional and contemporary music and dance from around the world. They hope to promote awareness, appreciation and encouragement for cross-cultural dialog and exchange. The institute performs at venues throughout the city and depends on both public and private funding to accomplish its mission.
With DJs and live bands playing music from countries including Ghana, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Morocco, Colombia, Botswana and more, we celebrate the diversity of locally based international artists, and welcome everyone to energize the dance floor. In any language, we say ‘let’s dance!’
Brice Rosenbloom, WMI Artistic Director
The Egyptian Neo-soul singer Felukah is known for “bringing the Nile to New York.” Felukah’s voice is distinct and versatile in her contemporary genre-bending rap. The singer moved to New York City in 2017 to study creative writing and later dropped her first bilingual independent project, Citadel in 2019. Felukah also signed to the indie label, Abu Recordings and together they produced and distributed her debut album Dream 23 in 2020. Lastly, the Neo-soul singer released the Kawkab EP on 2021. The EP featured her indie rock debut Love on the Comedown.
DJ Nadia is an Egyptian-American DJ with sets showcasing percussive and experimental music across various genres such as techno, rap, downtempo, and more. She currently plays at The Bar at Cafe Kitsuné and has performed at The Lot Radio, Eavesdrop, Mood Ring, etc.
DJ meëraj is acclaimed for honoring his heritage by combining music from North Africa and the Middle East with international instruments in sets. He has played SXM, Burning Man, Soho House, and other clubs across New York City, gathering an eclectic crowd of serious partygoers.
More information about The World Music Institute can be found here and more info on the New York Arab Festival can be found here.
The incredible four act Sixties Spectacular comes to Proctors Theatre in Schenectady on Saturday, April 29, featuring Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone as headliner.
Co-headlining the concert are Jay and the Americans. The band started with four teenagers singing in Sandy Yaguda’s basement, and they are still going strong today. In 1960, they were signed by the dynamic producer/songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller to United Artists and, starting in 1962, the group charted twelve top 10 records. In 1962, “She Cried” went to #5 on the charts. Jay Traynor, the first “Jay,” was the lead singer. Traynor worked in Schenectady for decades as a camera man for Channel 6. He was replaced by Jay #2, Jay Black, who was lead singer on the rest of their hits. In 1963, “Only in America” was a hit. In 1964, “Come a Little Bit Closer” went to #2 on the charts, “Let’s Lock the Door (and Throw Away the Key)” was top 20, and Jay and the Americans were part of The Beatles first American tour, and they played at Carnegie Hall on the Rolling Stones tour.
From the age of fifteen, Peter Noone gained international fame as “Herman,” lead singer of Herman’s Hermits. His classic hits have sold more than sixty million records and include #1 singles “I’m Into Something Good,” “I’m Henry VIII, I Am,” and “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter.” Other hit singles are “Listen People,” “Silhouettes,” “Can’t You Hear my Heartbeat,” “A Must to Avoid,” “There’s a Kind of Hush” and “No Milk Today.” In all, 14 singles and 7 albums went gold, and the Hermits were twice named Cashbox’s “Entertainer of the Year.” Very photogenic, Peter graced the cover of nearly every international publication, including Time Magazine; performed on hundreds of top-rated television shows such as Ed Sullivan, Jackie Gleason, Dean Martin and Danny Kaye; starred in ABC’s musical “The Canterville Ghost” (Hallmark Hall of Fame’s presentation of the classic Pinocchio); and in three feature films for MGM.
In the 1970s, Noone composed songs and produced records for David Bowie and Debby Boone; played the leading roles in full-scale theatrical productions of “Aladdin,” “Sinbad the Sailor” and, in the 1980s, stared on Broadway as the dashing hero Frederic in the New York Shakespeare Festival’s production of “The Pirates of Penzance” and then reprised the role at the world-famous Drury Lane Theatre in London. For four years, Peter was the host of VH1’s “My Generation” and the PBS Special, “The British Invasion Returns.” He was a guest star on many prime time tv shows such as “Married with Children,” “Quantum Leap,” “Too Close for Comfort” and most recently starred in the recurring role of Paddington on the forever popular CBS Soap opera “As the World Turns.” In 2007, he sang “There’s a Kind of Hush” on American Idol and mentored the male contestants.
Dennis Tufano was the original lead singer on all The Buckinghams’ hits. Born in Chicago, Dennis inherited his musical talents from his father, a singer who also played violin, sax and harmonica. The Buckinghams had a string of hits, including the #1 smash “Kind of a Drag.” Other hits include “Don’t You Care,” “Hey Baby, They’re Playing our Song, “ “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” and “Susan.” A true Renaissance man, Dennis Tufano spent his years in Los Angeles as an actor, voiceover artist, stuntman, producer and co-founder of the renowned improv voice-ensemble LA MadDogs. He also toured with Olivia Newton-John, performing duets on such songs as “Suddenly” and “You’re the One That I Want.” Part of his show is a tribute to one of his hero’s, Bobby Darin. Dennis still looks and sings great as he recreates his many hit songs.
Opening the show will be the 1910 Fruitgum Company. They defined “bubble gum pop” in the 60s. Their hits included “Simon Says” (#4 US/#2 UK charts), “1,2,3 Red Light” (#5) and “Indian Giver” (#5). All three gold records sold over a million copies, with “Simon Says” selling almost 5 million. Their other hit was “May I take a Giant Step.” Let by original lead singer, Frank Jeckell, they are a fun, exciting way to open the Sixties Spectacular.
Four great acts will bring back joyful memories at the Sixties Spectacular at Proctors Theatre. Tickets are available at the Protors Box Office, by phone at (518)346-6204 or on the web at proctors.org.
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.
