Rock n Roll Hall of Famer Dave Mason of Traffic has unveiled a new, re-released version of the band’s timeless hit, “Dear Mr. Fantasy.” Alongside blues rock icon, Joe Bonamassa, the two created a reimagining of the 1967 track that both honors the original arrangement, while infusing new creativity into the music.
Traffic released “Dear Mr. Fantasy” in 1967 on the Mr. Fantasy album, the band’s debut release. Original band members Dave Mason, Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, and Chris Wood collaborated on Traffic’ discography throughout the 60s and 70s. The band was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
’Fantasy’ has been a favorite song of mine since its release in 1967. I’ve played it live for years in a number of different arrangements. As I’ve often said, there are no old songs, just good songs, and ‘Dear Mr. Fantasy,’ in my mind, is one of the finest examples around.
Dave Mason
Joe Bonamassa, who lent his guitar and vocal skills to the new track, is a blues rock musician hailing from New Hartford, NY, a suburb of Utica. Having opened for B.B. King at the age of twelve, Bonamassa released his first album in 2000. Since then, the 3-time Grammy nominee has since released a total of 16 solo records.
To have the opportunity to incorporate one of the modern-day great guitar players, Joe Bonamassa, is as exciting to me as playing with Jimi Hendrix. He is the first person I wanted to include on this new version of ‘Fantasy.’
Dave Mason
Dave Mason (left) and Joe Bonamassa (right)
Alongside the new release of “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” Mason and Bonamassa released an animated music video, with bright graphics and lyrics to accompany the reimagined track. Watch the new music video below.
On November 20, the renowned Anderson Center for the Performing Arts at Binghamton University will play host to the experimental Ukrainian world music quartet, DakhaBrakha, promising an enchanting evening of musical fusion and cultural exploration.
Born from the avant-garde theatre community in Kyiv back in 2004, DakhaBrakha, a term translating to “give and take” in old Ukrainian, has been pushing the boundaries of traditional Ukrainian folk music. Their innovative approach blends these age-old melodies with global rhythms, creating a truly unique and powerful sonic experience. The quartet, accompanied by an array of instruments from Indian, Arabic, African, and Ukrainian traditions, delivers a vocal performance that is both astonishingly powerful and culturally rooted.
NPR aptly describes DakhaBrakha as a group that “mixes everything from punk-pop to traditional Ukrainian songs in cool yet beguiling textures.” However, it is their live performances that truly set them apart, transforming DakhaBrakha from an intriguing musical act into a brilliant and unmissable phenomenon.
Rooted in their theatrical origins, DakhaBrakha’s shows boast a strong visual element, featuring dramatic folk garb, original projection art, and poignant video footage addressing the ongoing conflict with Russia. This visual storytelling, added after Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014, has elevated DakhaBrakha from musical performers to international ambassadors of the Ukrainian resistance.
At the crossroads of Ukrainian folklore and theatre, DakhaBrakha’s musical spectrum spans from intimate to riotous, exploring contemporary roots and rhythms. Their performances inspire not just musical appreciation but also cultural and artistic liberation.
Join DakhaBrakha for a night where boundaries fade away, and cultural resonance takes center stage. Experience the magic of global sounds in the heart of Binghamton University, as DakhaBrakha shares their transcendent musical journey.
The Osterhout Concert Theater will be the stage for this extraordinary performance, starting at 7:30 p.m. General admission tickets range from $25 to $60, with a 10% discount on premium seats available for seniors, veterans, and Binghamton University faculty, staff, and alumni. Student and child tickets are an affordable $10, offering everyone the chance to immerse themselves in this cultural and musical journey.
Tickets can be purchased through the Anderson Center Box Office, online at anderson.binghamton.edu, or by calling 607-777-ARTS.
With the holiday season rapidly approaching, many take a moment to reflect and give thanks for their family and friends. Many will also give thanks to the music community that graces their town. Here are five shows you won’t want to miss in Syracuse this November to help ring in the holiday season.
A star-studded line up of female Central New York musicians share the stage at the Maplewood Inn on Saturday, November 11. Headlined by area favorite Jess Novak, the night will include performances by Sheela Tucker, CNY Songbirds, Liz Fiddle, Sydney Irving, Heather Kubacki, Diana Jacobs, Lisa Romano and many more. See the full line up of musical talent here.
Indie-rockers Deer Tick make their much anticipated return to Homer’s Center for the Arts on Sunday, November 12. Known for their high energy live performances, the folk quartet last played the theater in July 2022. Currently touring in support of their latest release, Emotional Contracts (2023), the band is sure to mix in many favorites from their extensive catalog. Abby Hamilton opens the show.
Doors open at 7pm with music starting at 8pm for this sold out performance.
A unique listening experience will greet concert-goers on Wednesday November 15, as the Rock Orchestra by Candlelight will take stage in Syracuse. Featuring a 14 piece band of classically trained musicians dressed in skeletal costumes, the musicians will perform an assortment of rock and heavy-metal tracks while lanterns and puppets adorn the stage. This musical spectacle is surely one you won’t want to miss.
Doors open at 7pm with music starting at 8pm. Limited tickets remain available for $88.
It’ll be a homecoming celebration Thanksgiving Eve, as Syracuse indie rock favorite All Poets & Heroes return to the stage in Syracuse. The band relocated to Nashville in early 2023, leading to limited performances in Syracuse. The band, who have drawn sonic comparisons to Radiohead, were winners of the 2023 Syracuse Area Music Award for Best New Single, for their track “Give It To Me Straight”. Syracuse’s The Dirty Doves Band open the show.
Doors open at 7pm with music starting at 8pm. Tickets start at $13.
New York City soul-pop band Lawrence bring their sounds to the Westcott Theater on November 28. Described as “High-energy, keyboard driven sound, featuring tight, energetic horns, and explosive lead vocals,” the band have been turning heads since a performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2022. Telula opens the performance.
Doors open at 7pm with music starting at 8pm. Tickets are $30.
Resilient and powerful are just two words one could use to describe the Cortland-based artist Cloey Tierno. For the past few years she has been battling a rare cancer, Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, spending the summer in treatment facilities. Despite these setbacks, she is powering through, holding that same fiery passion for music.
Recently, she has asked for support, launching a Kickstarter to create her sophomore album.
At just 18 years of age, Cloey Tierno has been singing and creating music for as long as she can remember, singing and coming up with lyrics inside countless notebooks. Recording professionally for the first time at the age of 15 with the talented Chris Merkley and Gabe Cummins, her first record i fell in love with the rain brings 14 pop-oriented songs to the table, all written in her bedroom on an acoustic guitar. About the album, Cloey Tierno says “Those songs quickly developed into a fuller potential, musically, than I could’ve given them on my own, and yet simultaneously preserved the organic elements that they possessed when I first wrote them.”
She was nominated for a SAMMY (Syracuse Area Music Award) the following year for Best Pop Recording of 2023, winning at the end of the night. “It gave me such validation for what I’d created and encouragement to continue finding success in what I loved doing more than anything else,” she said. Finding inspiration in arts like Taylor Swift, Gracie Abrams, and Maisie Peters, Cloey Tierno says that these artists integrate writing, the foundations of it, production, and vocal delivery in a beautiful manner, a manner that she finds herself repeatedly connecting with.
The music I write is just a poetically honest reflection of where my head or my heart is at as I’m writing it, or sometimes it’s just me trying to more deeply understand an experience that, at the time, I couldn’t fully grasp. It’s also important to me to create a final product that exudes relatability and something raw and authentic. Ultimately, I strive to share lyrics and storytelling that I put a piece of myself into and am truly proud of, and that somebody listening to those results also happens to find a piece of themselves in it, too.
Cloey Tierno.
Dealing with chemotherapy treatments hasn’t been easy, but she has concluded the majority of the treatments. About the diagnosis, she said, “What I can tell you is that when I chose to navigate it with intention and openness, it grew to be one of the loudest voices in my songwriting and a guiding factor to both my attitude and my creativity. That integration between the world of art and the world of spirituality is something that I believe has strengthened all the music I have created since and will continue to create, for the better.”
Looking to the future, she is running a Kickstarter campaign to be able to financially support the making of her second studio album. It’s an all-or-nothing approach, meaning she must make the full amount she is pledging or else she won’t be able to produce the album. She wants to demonstrate how she has grown as both a human and as an artist since her first album release and has more important things to say.
You can support Cloey by donating to her Kickstarter, and streaming her music on Spotify or Apple Music.
The GREAT Salt City BLUES Concert 7 will take place on December 26 at The Middle Ages Brewing Beer Hall. With various performances from modern blues artists, the concert will also commemorate past artists that had a lasting effect on the entirety of the blues genre, including Savoy Brown, Kim Simmonds, Ann Peebles, and Skip James.
The GREAT Salt City BLUES Concert is an annual event held the day after Christmas. A series of 10 GREAT Salt City BLUES Concerts will be presented. This is concert #7, and each concert has been performed in front of a full capacity audience.
Previously held at The Palace Theatre in Syracuse, The GREAT Salt City BLUES Concert 7 will be a held at one of the Salt City’s newest venues, The Middle Ages Brewing Beer Hall— a new 8,000 square-foot area reserved for music and events on the second floor of the Middle Ages Brewing Co.
Every one of The Great Salt City BLUES Concerts is unique and never to be repeated, with a changing line-up of performers featuring some of the area’s greatest musicians. Each concert is a thematic show honoring some of our greatest Blues Artists with participating musicians chosen specifically because they are best fitted for the show.
This year, the GREAT Salt City BLUES Concert 7 will be paying a special tribute to Kim Simmonds and Savoy Brown, the Blues/Rock institution formed in London, England in 1965 by band leader and guitarist, Kim Simmonds.
Savoy Brown was a big part of the British Blues boom of the 60‘s, along with Fleetwood Mac, Cream, John Mayall, and the Bluesbreakers, The Yardbirds and a host of other U.K. bands that brought the Blues back to popularity in both Europe and the United States.
Savoy Brown was a huge touring concert attraction in the States after breaking out in Detroit on their first U.S. tour in 1969. They stayed based in London until the late 70’s when Kim Simmonds moved to the States where Savoy Brown’s popularity was the greatest. The late 80’s found Kim moving to the Central New York area and finally settling down in Oswego after marrying Oswego native Debbie Lyons. Together, they resided in Oswego while raising a daughter, Eve Simmonds. Kim lived in Oswego until his untimely passing on December 13th, 2022.
Kim Simmonds was a big part of the Central New York music scene and often employed many local area musicians in the ever changing line-up of Savoy Brown. These included such local legends as former Kingsnake, Pete McMahon, vocalist extraordinaire Joe Whiting, the late drummer Dave Olsen of The Robert Cray Band fame, as well as bass player Pat DeSalvo and drummer Garnet Grimm, the latter two still being members of Savoy Brown at the time of his passing and the rhythm section of Savoy Brown the last two decades. Grimm and Whiting will also be taking part in the GREAT Salt City BLUES Concert 7 paying tribute to their former band mate.
Savoy Brown’s legacy will continue to live on with a catalog of over 40 albums recorded, including two albums on Baldwinsville’s Blue Wave label, who also released three of Kim’s solo albums. With his hand print enshrined on Hollywood’s Walk Of Fame, Kim Simmonds will always be considered one of the greatest Blues/Rock guitarists of all-time.
The GREAT Salt City BLUES Concert 7 will also be paying tribute to Memphis Soul’s great Ann Peebles, who is best known for writing and singing the classic hit song, “I Can’t Stand The Rain” made most popular by Tina Turner in 1984. Ann Peebles retired from touring after suffering a stroke in 2012. Vocalists Marcia Hagan and Donna Colton will be handling the vocals on seven of Ann’s greatest songs at the GREAT Salt City BLUES Concert 7.
On the acoustic stage, The GREAT Salt City BLUES Concert 7 will pay tribute to the Delta Bluesman Skip James, a Blues Hall of Fame artist who recorded in the 1930’s and continued to record in the Blues revival of the 60’s after being rediscovered. Skip James passed in 1969, but his songs live on, including his often covered gems, “I‘m So Glad“ (covered most famously by Cream), “Devil Got My Woman,” and “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues.” Woodstock native and New York Blues Hall of Fame artist, Elly Wininger, will be performing four of Skip James’ classics at The GREAT Salt City BLUES Concert 7 .
The GREAT Salt City BLUES Concert 7 participating musicians are:
Tas Cru
Morris Tarbell
Mark Doyle
Joe Whiting
Mark Westers
Donna Colton
Marcia Hagan
Rolland Brunet
Dan Morison
Jeff Stockham
Rod Zajak
Garnet Grimm
Don Williams
Dave Schneider
Rob Hoston
Mira Grimm
Scott Ebner
Elly Wininger
Tickets available online at ticketweb.com. They are $30.00 advance / $40.00 at door (if available), and went on sale November 1.
For more information, visit their website or follow The GREAT Salt City BLUES Concert on Facebook.
Indie punk band The Vigilance Committee has released their newest LP Coming Home– the band’s first LP since their historical concept record, Exit a Hero, released way back in April 2015.
The Vigilance Committee is what it is because of Peter J. Scoma (guitar/vox), Phil Corso (drums), Christian Cepeda (guitar), and Adam James Tomlinson (bass). Their latest releases since their other album, Exit a Hero, include their single “Reflections III” and the activism-driven EP “Join Us.”
Their newest release, Coming Home, features 10 emotionally charged songs that the band crafted during quarantine at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While all songs are impactful, with specially crafted lyrics and perfected blends of electrifying punk and indie, there are some songs that particularly stand out: “It Was Dawn,” “Beacon,” “Hive Mind,” “Oakfield,” “Unanchored,” and “My Body (Moved But My Mind Stayed There).”
Most of the album consists of upbeat punk, but some slow back down, letting The Vigilance Committee’s indie side shine through. One such example is “Hive Mind” which is slower than the other songs, and slightly more relaxed. This song in particular shows The Vigilance Committee’s versatility– but they hit you with a perfectly crafted electric guitar solo in the middle. The lyrics themselves are equally as powerful, and stay true to the title. The song is about questioning our everyday lives– the “hive mind” mentality. This song begs the question: are we making our life choices with intent, or are we just going through the motions?
Some of the most powerful, emotional lyrics are toward the end, showcasing the rage that many people in society face today due the decisions of those in control, such as government officials. “This is not the world that they sold us // Empty promises // A fire burns. // All we want is to be heard.”
Another powerful song is “My Body (Moved But My Mind Stayed There).” This song is more somber and relies on the instrumentals due to the few (but impactful) lyrics and angelic vocals.
The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra presents “Faces of Joy” this November, an exhilarating concert of joyful classical works, both old and new.
The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra is the Southern Tier’s largest and longest-serving symphony orchestra. Today, the Binghamton Philharmonic serves 10,000+ people annually through innovative, engaging, and affordable programming– connecting professional musicians with audiences to stimulate the economy, and expand music’s possibilities for a broad listenership– within and beyond the concert hall.
The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra will feature a guest piano soloist Andrew Russo, a musician known for his diverse interests from business to music.
A Syracuse native, Russo graduated from Fayetteville-Manlius High School and spent his early years studying with William Goodrum and Steven Heyman. He earned his bachelor and master degrees at The Juliard School, followed by post-graduate studies in Leipzig and Paris with pianist/alternative pedagogue Frederic Chiu. He has performed in many of the world’s cultural capitals including Paris, London, Moscow, Rome, Brussels, Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Buenos Aires.
His appearance as a finalist in the 2001 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition drew public attention when he became the first pianist to perform a significant work using alternative techniques requiring the inside and frame of the piano as well as the keys. He was featured in Peter Rosen’s internationally broadcast documentary “Playing on the Edge” not long after the competition and profiled in New York Times writer James Barron’s book, The Making of a Steinway Concert Grand.
With twelve commercial recordings to his credit, the highlight of Andrew’s recording career was a 2007 Grammy nomination for his Black Box Records release of music by John Corigliano. His video of Jacob TV’s “The Body of Your Dreams” has become a popular draw on YouTube and was broadcast on Dutch television. Andrew’s most recent recording on Naxos featured new works by Aaron Kernis, including Three Flavors for piano and orchestra, commissioned by Russo and premiered with David Alan Miller and the Albany Symphony Orchestra.
Russo continues to perform as a recitalist, concerto soloist, and chamber musician, with several appearances each season. He lives in the scenic Skaneateles, NY with his wife Natalia and their children Andrei and Mila.
The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra’s “Faces of Joy” will take place Saturday, November 18, 2023 at 7:30pm. In addition, the orchestra will hold free community events in advance of “Faces of Joy,” including “Music as Play” (November 16 at 6:30pm) and “Ab ordine libertas (From Order Comes Freedom): How Composers Balance Restraint and Joy” (November 18 at 6:30pm).
Tickets to “Faces of Joy” will be $25 to $65 per person, available on their website or by calling (607)723-3931.
Cortland Repertory Theatre has announced their 52nd annual summer season to be held at the Little York Pavilion in Preble, NY in 2024. The season will run from June 5 – August 17 and contain three musicals and two plays.
The Cortland Repertory Theatre opened its doors on July 5, 1972 at Dwyer Memoral Park. Being one of New York State’s longest running professional theatres, they continue to support and showcase popular musicals and plays for theatre lovers in the area.
Producing Artistic Director Kerby Thompson says, “we always strive to select a season that falls under the umbrella as ‘something for everyone’ and I’m very excited about this coming summer’s selections!”
One change in the CRT schedule of note: most of the summer productions will be completing their runs on a Friday, not on Saturdays as in previous years. Also, the theatre will be adding a 2:00PM matinee on the second Tuesday of the performance schedule to make a less hectic, less stressful, and safer changeover from one production to the next. Thompson also notes that matinees are very popular and adding another to the schedule opens more seating options for those who choose the afternoon shows.
Kicking off the season from June 5-14 is a show that has been called “one of the greatest musicals of all time”: My Fair Lady. With book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe, this musical was adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s play and Gabriel Pascal’s movie “Pygmalion” and was originally directed and staged by Moss Hart.
In this story, Eliza Doolittle is a young flower seller with an unmistakable Cockney accent which seemingly keeps her in the lower rungs of Edwardian society. When Professor Henry Higgins tries to teach her how to speak like “a proper lady”, an unlikely friendship begins to flourish. The musical’s score is loaded with familiar songs, including “The Rain in Spain,” “I Could Have Danced All Night”, “On the Street Where You Live”, “Get Me to the Church on Time”, and “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face.”
From June 19 – 28 is the CRT debut of the heartwarming comedy The Last Romance, by Joe DePietro. CRT audiences will remember DePietro’s work from the 2005 and 2022 productions of Over the River and Through the Woods.
This play explores the transformative power of love, no matter what age one may be. On an ordinary day in a routine life, widower Ralph takes a different path on his daily walk and meets Carol while she’s sitting on a bench in a dog park. Relying on his boyish charm and a fictional dog named Rex, Ralph woos Carol and they embark on a hilarious and touching journey that proves it’s never too late for romance. This laugh-filled comedy cleverly explores relationships between people in their golden years, and how the invisible bonds of family often tie our hearts tighter than any love affair.
A recent Broadway musical, with the regional premiere from July 3 – 12, is Jimmy Buffet’s Escape to Margaritaville, with a book by Emmy Award winner Greg Garcia and Emmy nominee Mike O’Malley, and music and lyrics by Jimmy Buffett. The Pavilion stage will transform into a tropical paradise where love and laughter are the keys to “growing older but not up.”
The story centers around Tully, the “mayor” of Margaritaville, a part-time bartender, part-time singer, and full-time charmer who’s got life all figured out until a beautiful tourist steals his heart and makes him question everything he knows. This energetic score features Jimmy Buffett’s classics, including “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Fins,” “Volcano,” “It’s Five o’clock Somewhere,” and many more.
Running from July 17 – 26 is a thrilling new adaptation of the Broadway classic that inspired the 1967 film starring Audrey Hepburn, Wait Until Dark, originally written by Frederick Knott and recently adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher.
Murder, secret identities, and a switchblade set the stage for this white-knuckle thriller that takes place in the quaint 1944 Greenwich Village basement apartment of Susan, a blind yet capable woman, and her husband Sam. While Sam is away on business, Susan finds herself threatened by a trio of men who will stop at nothing to get a stolen item hidden in the apartment. As the climax builds, Susan discovers that her blindness just might be the key to her escape, but she must wait until dark to reach the shattering conclusion.
Wrapping up the summer, from July 31 – August 17, Cortland Repertory Theatre presents their debut production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, and a book by Linda Woolverton. This “tale as old as time” was originally directed on Broadway by Robert Jess Roth, and originally produced by Disney Theatrical Productions. Original music supervision and new arrangements are by Michael Kosarin with dance music arrangements by Glen Kelly and orchestrations by Danny Troob. Based on the Academy Award-winning animated film, this stage adaptation includes all those wonderful songs and characters that kids of all ages know and love.
The story revolves around Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end, and he will be transformed into his former self. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity.
Cortland Repertory Theatre is currently selling 5-show summer subscriptions which are $190 for center seats and $180 for side seats and allow the patron to see all five productions. Also available are Flex Pass Packs for 5 shows ($195) or 6 shows ($234) and allow the patron to choose the shows they see and when they see them. A two-pack Youth Flex Pass is also available for $40.00. CRT’s gift cards are available for purchase at any time, for any dollar amount, with no expiration date. Individual tickets will go on sale starting May 20, 2024, with Adult Tickets for $42.00 (center seats) and $40.00 (side seats).
A $2.00 discount is available on individual tickets for seniors 62 and up, active military and veterans, first responders, and groups of 10 or more. All youth tickets, 22 and under, are $25.00 at all times.
Current box office hours at CRT Downtown, 24 – 26 Port Watson Street in Cortland are Mon-Fri, 9:00-4:00; summer hours will be extended starting on May 20 to Mon-Fri 9:00–6:00, Saturdays noon-6:00. More information can be found online or by calling 800-427-6160.
The titans of American classic rock ZZ TOP and Lynyrd Skynyrd have announced 36 additional appearances of their joint co-headlining tour – The Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour. The tour is set to stop four times in New York, including Syracuse, Bethel, Wantagh, and Darien Center.
ZZ TOP, known for their beards, hotrod cars, spinning guitars, and that magic keychain, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, known for their critically acclaimed album Pronounced Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd, have put their musical talents together for an unforgettable show performing across the United States, now with even more dates, so you have no excuse to miss it.
It was in 1969 Houston when ZZ TOP coalesced from the core of two rival bands, Billy Gibbons’ Moving Sidewalks and Frank Beard and Dusty Hill’s American Blues. ZZ Top‘s 1973 album release, Tres Hombres, catapulted them to national attention with the hit “La Grange,” which is still one of the band’s signature pieces today. Eliminator, their 1983 album was something of a paradigm shift for ZZ TOP.
Their blues roots skew was intact but their high-tech-age trappings were added to the mix that soon found a visual outlet with such tracks as “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs” on the nascent MTV. It was one of the record industry’s first albums to have been certified Diamond, far beyond Gold and Platinum, a reflection of sales exceeding ten million units.
As a touring outfit, they have performed before millions of fans over four continents and have been the subject of their own Grammy-nominated documentary titled That Little Ol’ Band From Texas. The band’s line-up of the bearded Gibbons and Hill and Beard, who ironically is clean-shaven, remained intact for more than 50 years. When Dusty temporarily departed the tour in the summer of 2021, Elwood Francis entered the picture accepting the directive from Dusty to be the perfect choice to stand in on the bass guitar and now handles the low-end duties for the band for the present as well as into the future.
The elements that keep ZZ TOP fresh can be summed up in the three words of the band’s internal mantra: “Tone, Taste, and Tenacity.” As genuine roots performers, they have few peers. Their influences are both the originators of the form – Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Jimmy Reed, et al – as well as the British blues rocker Jimi Hendrix who emerged generations before ZZ’s ascendance.
They have sold hundreds of millions of records over the course of their career, have been officially designated as Heroes of The State of Texas, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (by Keith Richards, no less), and have been referenced in countless cartoons and sitcoms. They are true rock icons and, against all odds, they’re really just doing what they’ve always done.
As Lynyrd Skynyrd celebrates the 50 anniversary of the band’s critically acclaimed debut album Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd’, they resonate as deeply with their multi-generational fan base today as when they first emerged out of Jacksonville, Florida in 1973.
Few ensembles have had a deep impact in creating a lifestyle as Skynyrd has. The band travels forward with a primary mission of celebrating a legacy that honors all who have had a resonating contribution to the lives of hundreds of millions of fans globally. Former members Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, Steve Gaines, Ed King, Billy Powell, Bob Burns, and Leon Wilkeson alongside others will forever remain significant contributors to this indelible repertoire and the band’s colorful history.
Today, Lynyrd Skynyrd rocks on with a current line-up featuring Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Damon Johnson, Mark “Sparky” Matejka, Michael Cartellone, Keith Christopher, Peter Keys, Carol Chase and Stacy Michelle.
It’s about the legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and what it stands for, what the fans are all about. There’s nothing like getting out there playing a great show with Skynyrd and seeing people love this music.
Van Zant
With a catalog of over 60 albums, billions of streams, and tens of millions of records sold, Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Lynyrd Skynyrd remains a cultural icon that appeals to all generations.
The artist pre-sale begins on Tuesday, October 31 at 10 AM, and will be available until 10 PM on Thursday, November 2. The public on-sale begins at 10 AM on Friday, November 3. For tickets, and select VIP packages, visit here.
LYNYRD SKYNYRD & ZZ TOP: THE SHARP-DRESSED SIMPLE MAN TOUR DATES:
3/08 Savannah, GA Enmarket Arena
3/09 Estero, FL Hertz Arena
3/14 Greenville, SC Bon Secours Wellness Arena
3/15 Knoxville, TN Thompson-Boiling Arena at Food City Ctr.
3/16 Columbia, SC Colonial Life Arena
3/22 Bossier City, LA Brookshire Grocery Arena
3/23 Southhaven, MS Landers Center
3/24 Macon, GA Macon Amphitheater
3/28 Lexington, KY Rupp Arena
3/29 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
3/30 Charleston, WV Charleston Coliseum
4/04 Biloxi, MS Mississippi Coast Coliseum
4/05 Tallahassee, FL Donald L. Tucker Civic Center
4/06 Huntsville, AL Propst Arena at the Von Braun Center
4/12 Evansville, IN Ford Center
4/13 Moline, IL Vibrant Arena
4/14 Green Bay, WI Resch Center
4/18 North Little Rock, AR Simmons Bank Arena
4/19 Lafayette, LA Cajundome
4/20 Corpus Christi, TX American Bank Center
8/09 Mount Pleasant, MI Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort #
8/15 Syracuse, NY Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview
8/16 Bethel, NY Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
8/17 Mansfield, MA Xfinity Center
8/22 Wantagh, NY Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
8/23 Gilford, NH Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
8/24 Hartford, CT The Xfinity Theatre
9/05 Alpharetta, GA Ameris Bank Amphitheater
9/07 Virginia Beach, VA Veterans United Home Loans Amph. at Virginia Beach
9/08 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live
9/12 Darien Center, NY Darien Lake Amphitheater
9/13 Clarkston, MI Pine Knob Music Theatre
9/14 Noblesville, IN Ruoff Music Center
9/19 Concord, CA Toyota Pavilion at Concord
9/21 Auburn, WA White River Amphitheater
9/22 Ridgefield, WA RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
On Saturday, October 28, at the Broome County Forum Theatre, the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra kicked off its 2023-2024 Pops Series with “Phantom of the Philharmonic,” a lively performance of Halloween-themed music from stage, screen, and concert hall. Guest conductor Grant Cooper, resplendent in a Dracula cape, led the orchestra in such hair-raising classics as the theme from Halloween, the Psycho Suite, and “Night on Bald Mountain.”
The Bat Cannon Fires! at Phantom of the Philharmonic
The orchestra reveled in the repertoire, demonstrating their exceptional dynamic range and clearly having fun at the same time. Many in the audience – including lots of kids – were impressively costumed, and showed their appreciation for the expert playing and Maestro Cooper’s engaging dialogue with a standing ovation.
Isis Stungurys, Bailey Dembski, Logan Merril
The Phiharmonic’s concertmaster Uli Speth took a star turn as the violin soloist in the haunting “Danse macabre” of Camille Saint-Saëns, and concert-goers were treated to a range of special effects, from multi-colored smoke to a cannon that released bat-shaped confetti at the climactic moment in Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King.”
The Binghamton Philharmonic’s Symphonic Series continues on November 18 with Faces of Joy, featuring Philharmonic favorite Andrew Russo as the piano soloist in Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto. For more information, visit www.binghamtonphilharmonic.org.
