On June 14, Punk Island NYC announced that they had to reduce the number of stages for their upcoming “Quinceañera” festival from five to three at the American Veteran’s Memorial Pier in Brooklyn due to circumstances out of their control. Though their stages have been reduced, Punk Island has retained 75% of their lineup, and the free event is still to be on June 18.
Punk Island is a community of punks who love music, musicians, fans, friends, and family. They aim to bring the vitality, diversity, and intensity of the NYC punk scene into the light of day. These efforts have culminated annually for the past 15 years, as free, all-ages music festivals.
While they tried to explore alternatives to allow all the bands to play, their efforts were rejected. Punk Island was forced to cut bands from the roster, all of which have been contacted. The organization is currently unable to provide specific details on the situation, but are willing to have in-person or over the phone discussions with those that may need further clarification.
None of these cuts were made lightly. We deeply apologize for this unfortunate situation. We made every effort to maintain the event in its original form, but ultimately, our influence is limited.… To the bands that were dropped from the lineup, we want to assure you that your participation is secured for next year’s event.
New York based art punks Blonde Redhead are heading on tour to celebrate their first new album in nearly a decade. Sit Down For Dinner is due on September 29th via section1 Records and the band are warming up for the tour with intimate gigs in London, Los Angeles, and Brooklyn’s Baby’s All Right. Check out the dreamy lead single “Snowman” along with photos from the show at Baby’s on Wednesday, June 14th.
Blonde Redhead at Baby’s All Right, 6/14/2023. Photo by Joseph Buscarello
Blonde Redhead’s catalog dates back to the mid 90s when the post-punk and shoegaze scene was thriving in New York City. The band, consisting of vocalist Kazu Makino and twin bothers Simone and Amedeo Pace, released nine records to their name with the last one, Barragán, coming back in 2014. After a mostly quiet hiatus with some scattered shows, the trio is back at it with a new LP and lengthy headlining tour. The band just played intimate warm up shows in LA and NYC, with the next one at The Lexington in London in July. The full tour kicks off in October with a North American run followed by a leg in Europe. Head over to the band’s website for the full itinerary.
Blonde Redhead at Baby’s All Right, 6/14/2023. Photo by Joseph Buscarello
The excitement was palpable at Baby’s on Wednesday night. All the fans who made it out to the show knew they were in for a treat to see the legendary band in such an intimate setting. Housing only a couple hundred people, the venue quickly packed in tight. After the opening bands finished up, Kazu, Amedeo, and Simone took to the stage to meticulously set up their gear. The audience began to buzz with anticipation, and the trio was well aware of it. At one point, Simone asked a fan in the front to plug in his pedal board to an outlet he couldn’t reach, much to the fan’s delight.
Blonde Redhead leaned heavily into the more recent parts of their catalog, opening the show with “Falling Man” from 2004’s Misery is a Butterfly followed by the slinky darkwave of “Here Sometimes” from 2010’s Penny Sparkle. The trio played a few unrecognized songs off the upcoming record Sit Down For Dinner including two labeled “Sit Down For Dinner 1 & 2” on the handwritten setlist. The main set ended with lead single “Snowman” followed by an encore featuring “Silently” and “23.”
The trio breezed through the short but immensely captivating setlist with an effortless grace you would expect from a band playing together for 30 years. At one point, Kazu felt there was some feedback coming from her set-up, asking the crowd if they were hearing what she was. Someone yelled from the darkness “we don’t hear it, you all sound amazing!” The statement brought big smiles to the band, who continued to unleash their infectious art punk.
Blonde Redhead at Baby’s All Right, 6/14/2023. Photo by Joseph Buscarello
Aside from the warm up show next month in London, the band is opening for Phantogram on August 31st in Utah. Kazu, Simone, and Amedeo then take a short break before kicking off the tour in October in San Francisco. Blonde Redhead return to New York on November 10th for a show at Brooklyn Steel. Tickets are still available HERE and make sure to check out Sit Down For Dinner this September.
Harlem Stage has announced its 40th Anniversary Season, taking place from September 2023 to June 2024. It aims to celebrate Harlem Stage as an institution that has been a platform for emerging and established artists of color. Many of the events for the 2023-2024 season feature artists with whom Harlem Stage has built long-term relationships.
Credit: Harlem Stage
Aaron Davis Hall, Inc., later named the Harlem Stage, was opened in 1983 to provide resources, a platform, and an audience for artists of color due to their unequal treatment and recognition. For almost 40 years, the organization has championed the unique and diverse artistic legacy of Harlem. They continue to be a voice for justice as well as historical examination and denunciation of racism and its legacy.
Harlem Stage has hosted legendary artists, including Harry Belafonte, Max Roach, Sekou Sundiata, Abbey Lincoln, Sonia Sanchez, Eddie Palmieri, Maya Angelou, and Tito Puente. The organization has also won the Association of Performing Arts Presenters William Dawson Award for Programming Excellence and Sustained Achievement in Programming.
Harlem Stage began in a time of great inequity, resulting in a form of censorship by exclusion of visionary artists of color. Our intent was to level the playing field by supporting the development of their new work in new forms. Artists of color are constantly in a dialogue with their worlds—and Harlem Stage has always sought to be a place where all of our constituents can engage in the kind of transformative discourse that enriches our lives and broadens our horizons.
Artistic Director and CEO Patricia Cruz
Events
WaterWorks Commissions
A signature program of the Harlem Stage, WaterWorks is intended to identify and cultivate emerging or established artists of color. It engages with the community through residencies and educational activities.
On Dec. 9, 2023 is the “WaterWorks Emerging Artists Showcase,” which will feature artists such as: interdisciplinary performing artist and painter Shantelle Courvoisier Jackson; singer/songwriter Hannah Lemmons; choreographer and dancer Bobby Morgan; interdisciplinary artist, composer, and pianist Mary Prescott; and trumpeter and composer Kalí Rodríguez-Peña.
March 29 and 30, 2024 will have Ambrose Akinmusire performing “Banyan.” It is an intersection of griot, mentor, and oral historian in social history that culminates in this multi-part suite.
On May 3 and 4, 2024, Tamar-kali will be presenting excerpts from the work-in-progress opera “Black Damask.” The opera is about the life and times William Dorsey Swann, who is the first to dub himself as a “queen of drag.” Following the excerpts will be a discussion with the creators of the opera.
E-Moves
“E-Moves” is Harlem Stage’s flagship dance series and has showcased movement-based creations for over 20 years. For the 40th Anniversary Season, Harlem Stage is inviting back several artists critical to the institutions dance legacy.
On a yet-to-be-announced date is Kyle Abraham, who created “Pavement” through the WaterWorks program and first performed with E-Moves in 2006.
EVIDENCE and Ronald K. Brown will return on Oct. 13 and 14, 2023 for a not-to-be-missed performance featuring work from an emerging choreographer, as selected by Brown. EVIDENCE first performed with the organization in 1998.
April 19 and 20, 2024 will feature the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. Their performance in 2024 will include an emerging artist selected by Jones. They performed at the opening of the Harlem Stage Gatehouse in 2006.
On May 17 and 18, 2024, nora chipaumire is presenting “ShebeenDUB” featuring three dancers and a dub DJ. A monumental sound installation, the “soundshitsystem” will be used for the performance. The installation was designed by Ari Marcopoulos and Kara Walker, and constructed by Matt Jackson Studio. nora chipaumire herself is based in Berlin, Germany and Harare, Zimbabwe.
Camilla A. Brown, first in E-Moves in 2004, is returning June 14 and 15, 2024. She is presenting her own work alongside the work of her associate choreographers: Rickey Tripp; Mayte Natalio; Chloe Davis; and Maleek Washington. The theme for the night is “BLACK JOY.”
Guest Curated Programs
On March 1 and 2, 2024, Vijay Iyer is returning to guest curate and perform in “Eternal Spirit: Vijay Iyer and Friends Celebrate the Music of Andrew Hill.” The ensemble includes: drummer Nasheet Waits; trumpet player Milena Casado; and saxophonist Mark Shim. Iyer originally wrote a commissioned work with the Harlem Hall called “Holding It Down.”
Jason Moran will guest curate and perform on April 26 and 27, 2024 for “Pianos for Duke Reimagined: Featuring Jason Moran, Abdullah Ibrahim, and Friends.” Moran originally played Duke Ellington’s music in 1999 with Harlem Stage for “Piano’s For Duke” alongside other superstars of piano. The event for April is to be presented on the 125th anniversary of Ellington’s birth.
Special Projects
Sept. 14, 2023 will have the “Harlem Stage 40th Anniversary Concert” in collaboration with Bryant Park. A thus-far unannounced major jazz artist will be performing.
On Oct. 20 and 21, 2023, Craig Harris will be presenting “TONGUES OF FIRE (in a harlem state of mind),” a combination of music, poetry, and movement. It is an exploration of the evolution of the Harlem community from the ’70s to present day.
“In the Court of the Conqueror,” performed by george emilio sanchez, will be on Nov. 3, 2023. It is a solo performance that revolves around the 200-year-old Supreme Court ruling that reduced sovereignty for native nations, juxtaposed against sanchez’s own experiences with Indigenous identity in an Ecuadorian immigrant household.
On March 22 and 23, 2024, Stew’s “HIGH SUBSTITUTE FOR THE DREAD LECTURER: Baraka Jones in Dub” will be featured. It is in the spirit of his other work, the critically acclaimed “NOTES OF A NATIVE SONG,” and is focused on the twin influences of his life and art.
Uptown Nights
To be fully announced in September 2023, “Uptown Nights” will feature “Uptown Nights Latinx Music Series” from Sept. to Dec. 2023. Uptown Nights is a music series that presents an array of artists from across genres.
The Louis Armstrong House Museum in Queens announced it is celebrating its 80th anniversary and officially opening its new state-of-the-art building on July 6.
Photo credit Albert Vercerka/Esto.
Louis Armstrong is a definitive arbiter of Jazz and America’s first Black popular music icon, entertaining millions from heads of state and royalty to the kids on his stoop in the working-class neighborhood of Corona, Queens. The Louis Armstrong House Museum preserves his legacy by offering guided tours of the historic home and preserving Armstrong’s 60,000-piece archives. The brand-new Louis Armstrong Center, located across the street from the historic home, will further help celebrate his legacy by offering year-round exhibitions, performances, readings, lectures, and screenings through an array of public programs for all ages. It now includes the home itself that reflects the personal values of Louis Armstrong and the garden that serves as a place for gatherings and a place for live performances.
This is a landmark moment for the Louis Armstrong House Museum. Standing on the shoulders of the jazz and community greats who have come before us, the new Louis Armstrong Center invites today’s musicians, neighbors, and global fans to discover Louis and Lucille Armstrong’s story from a new perspective. We will bring the Armstrongs’ unique archives alive through new interactive events. And we will ensure that music once again rings out on 107th Street through groundbreaking programs in collaboration with emerging artists and contemporary icons.
Executive Director Regina Bain.
The opening of the 14,000 square foot Center has spurred the creation of new programming. The Museum is announcing the upcoming season of its groundbreaking Armstrong Now, which will feature the creation and debut of new works by Esperanza Spalding, Amyra León, and Antonio Brown. Armstrong Now will provide established and emerging artists with a platform to create new work inspired by Armstrong’s legacy, as well as the vast collection of artifacts and documents in the Armstrong archives.
Also included at the Center is the new exhibition curated by Jason Moran, Here To Staywill look at Louis Armstrong’s five-decade career as an innovative musician, rigorous archivist, consummate collaborator, and community builder. “In Here to Stay, we amplify Louis Armstrong’s ability to connect with communities locally and globally. His star shines bright worldwide, but especially here at his home in Corona, Queens. I consider this one of the ‘wonders’ of the world, meaning, we have Lucille and Louis’ magnificent home, and now a museum dedicated to his life and archive,” said Moran.
Photo provided by the Louis Amstrong Museum.
Ticketing and information about all of the Louis Armstong Museum’s events and programs can be found here.
The New York Philharmonic started off summer with a bang on Tuesday, June 13th in the Bronx.
For years, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra has had a yearly summer concert in Van Cortlandt park, and last night continued the tradition. This summer, music director Jaap van Zweden conducts iconic classical pieces Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and Johan Strauss’ On the Beautiful Blue Danube. The orchestra also plays Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, the William Tell overture, and Strauss’ overture to The Bat.
Audience members got to the Van Cortlandt Parade Grounds in the afternoon early before the concert. Hundreds of people were out on the grass before the sun set. With the orchestra playing such famous pieces, everyone was excited. Plus, audiences this summer get to hear recent pieces composed by two graduates of the New York Philharmonic’s Very Young Composers program.
Founded by John Deak, the very Young Composers Program (VYC) mentors kids and gives them the “tools they need to transform their musical ideas into finished compositions.” The kids also get to hear professional New York Philharmonic musicians—and sometimes the full orchestra—playing their work. The 12-week program works to empower children ages 8-15 and help them reach their full creative potential. Then, they can create art to express themselves and the world around them. The New York Philharmonic was founded in 1842, and it’s the oldest symphony orchestra in the country. Educational programs like the VYC ensure the future of music by making sure the next generation is given opportunities to learn. The two pieces that the orchestra are performing this summer were written when the students were in VYC.
Bronx resident Mio Mićić wrote their piece, Raft Dino Spies, in 2013 when they was just 9. “The title reflects the fact that I was 9,” they said to the audience last night. The piece depicts the experience of riding a rollercoaster that they went on as a kid. Mićić tried to compose it “as audibly realistic as possible” to make audiences feel the same experience. They even asks the musicians to do something unusual: to scream as loudly and long “as they’re willingly able.” Even though the music is memorable on its own, the screaming orchestra makes it stand out in audience’s minds.
Rodriguez wrote his piece in 2019. At the age of 12, he was inspired by the moon landing to write Trip to the Moon. He saw the moon landing footage and compared it to musical concepts. As the orchestra counts down from ten, they “[take] you for a ride and [give] you a perspective of such an amazing feat.” (Michael Rodriguez) Lately, Rodriguez has been inspired recently by Latin music, and how to compose for orchestras based in the style.
Just like always, the performance ended with a fireworks show. The New York Philharmonic is still performing free Concerts in the Parks this summer. On the 16th, they’ll be in Queens’ Cunningham Park, then Friday the orchestra plays at Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Both of these outdoor shows start at 8PM. Although sold out, the Philharmonic wraps up their concerts in the parks on the 18th with an indoor concert in Staten Island’s St. George Theatre. Still, concerts in Brooklyn and Queens are open for all! If you can’t make it this summer, you can still listen to some of the NY Philharmonic’s great work online.
NYC‘s indie band Rebounder just released their newest lush single “Disco Ball Soul,” the first song off of their upcoming EP Sundress Songs, out August 25th. They have also announced a run of East Coast tour dates including stops in New York, DC, Philadelphia and Toronto.
The single is a widescreen, lush track that frontman Dylan Chenfeld explains was “initially about the frustrations of being a Knicks fan. Funny enough, the evening we shot the video, we were watching the Knicks lose in the playoffs. The song wound up being about the anxieties of living in a city at night, though the anxiety of being a Knicks fan casts a long shadow.”
Over the last few years, Rebounder has quietly become one of New York’s most successful young indie exports, supporting everyone from MUNA to Twin Shadow to the How Long Gone podcast. Their 2020 debut “Japanese Posters” has racked up over 14 million streams alone, a testament to the band’s work ethic and crisply-realized, overwhelmingly hooky indie-rock.
A winsome, wistful portrait of modern millennial life, their forthcoming EP Sundress Songs resembles a lot of classic 2000s indie-pop. Yet, the album feels like it exists miles away from the current of revivalism that’s in the air right now.
Led by stalwart songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Dylan Chenfeld, Rebounder makes crisply-realized, overwhelmingly hooky indie-rock, sharpened to a fine point by years of touring. Sundress Songs is a set of preened, poised pop songs that speak volumes of Dylan and his bandmates’ stadium-level ambitions and enviable taste.
“This project is the culmination of a lot of the hard work we’ve done in the past year, in the studio and on the road,” says Dylan. “It feels overdue – but we wanted to make something that sounds really exciting and unique, because we’ve been writing songs and making demos our whole lives.”
Rebounder started as a high school band. Dylan, his brother Noah, and a handful of their friends were often recruited as hired gun musicians for small projects looking to tour locally. Being genuinely skilled musicians has been key to Rebounder’s success; they play with the tautness and tension of a rubber band pulled to its limits, despite the (on its surface) breeziness of their songwriting.
Dylan has omnivorous tastes and pays sharp attention-to-detail: Sundress dips into rakish funk (“Disco Ball Soul”), bedroom pop (“Second Serve Ace”) and skittish dance-rock (“Dreamland”). Produced entirely by Dylan, Sundress Songs is rich with production quirks and asides that speak to his years spent going on YouTube rabbit holes and tinkering in ProTools.
“There’s a lot of people who are doing, like, Greta Van Fleet for the 2000s,” says Dylan. “What’s the point of that? I’m not gonna do it better than those guys. But maybe we can do something new.”
Listen to “Disco Ball Soul” by clicking the link here.
Tickets for the upcoming tour are available for purchase here.
The American Symphony Orchestra has recently announced plans for its 62nd season which will feature four full-orchestra programs at Carnegie Hall and Manhattan’s Riverside Church among other concert events. The 2023-24 season will commence on September 7th with a free opening picnic concert from the symphony orchestra, titled American Expression, and will end on March 22nd of next year.
In 1962, Leopold Stokowski founded the American Symphony Orchestra as a way to provide music within the means of everyone. That mission has been enhanced and expanded since the year of 1992 which brought forth Music Director Leon Botstein, who introduced thematic concerts to the orchestra in order to explore music from the perspective of visual arts, literature, religion, and history, as well as revive scarcely performed works that audiences would otherwise never have had the opportunity to experience through a live orchestra.
Keeping to this theme, the 62nd season is to be littered with rich performances of select compositions from history’s choral catalogue. A few program highlights include a performance of George Frideric Handel’s Judas Maccabaeus which will be presented in Morningside Heights at the Riverside Church on December 14th. This will be followed by a rare performance of Dvořák’s Requiem in January at Carnegie Hall. On March 22nd, Schoenberg’s massive cantata, Gurre-Lieder, infrequently performed due to the unusually large number of musicians required, will bring the Orchestra’s season to an impressive close.
Botstein, who will conduct each of the four program’s performances, mentions his excitement for the ongoing mission as he enters the new season saying, “As we prepare for our 62nd season, I am energized by our ongoing ability to renew live orchestral music as a vital force in contemporary American culture. Now that we have emerged from the major restrictions of the pandemic, the ASO continues that mission in 2023-24 by presenting large choral works that highlight the power of the human voice.”
The American Symphony Orchestra will also be offering two free performances under America UNBOUND at Bryant Park as a part of its chamber concert series. These performances will be presenting percussionist and composer Javier Diaz’s new work Suns and Moons of a New World. In addition, the organization will also offer a digital premier of Ficciones, an immersive concert film experience featuring Roberto Sierra’s Concerto for Electric Violin and Orchestra performed by renowned soloist Tracy Silverman.
September 10, 3:00 PM – Kupferberg Center for the Arts, 6530 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY: American Symphony Orchestra; Leon Botstein, conductor; George Antheil: A Jazz Symphony; Ruth Crawford Seeger: Music for Small Orchestra; Aaron Copland: Music for the Theatre; Florence Price: Andante moderato (for string orchestra); John Alden Carpenter: Krazy Kat
In the years immediately following World War I, the American artistic scene experienced an extraordinary burst of creativity. Responding to the horror and brutality of the war, artists, writers, and composers rejected the ideals of the previous century, focusing instead on creating a means of expression that would reflect the realities this new age required. With jazz, many American composers found a source of distinctly American inspiration that was modern and exciting. Some of the works offered in this program reflect a fascination with the language of the Roaring Twenties and its rhythmic energy and catchy melodies. Other composers sought to push the boundaries of musical expression with ‘ultra-modern’ language such as jagged counterpoint or atonality. The experimental impulses of this generation are presented here with works by some of its key proponents.
Tickets: Free performances.For BryantPark on Sept. 7, no tickets or RSVP required, staff lends out free picnic blankets, provides bistro chairs, and offers a curated selection of food and drink to purchase from local vendors. For Sept. 10 at Kupferberg Center for the Arts, attendance is free with online RSVP at americansymphony.org (starting on August 10, 2023).
September 18 and September 25, 5:30 PM – UNBOUND: Free Chamber Concerts in Bryant Park – Bryant Park Upper Terrace: Toyin Spellman-Diaz, oboe, English horn, voice; Shari Hoffman, clarinet; John Sheppard, trumpet; Javier Diaz, percussion; Shiqi Zhong, percussion; Pauline Kim Harris, violin; Pete Donovan, double bass; Javier Diaz: Suns and Moons of a New World; I. Preludio de la Gran Sabana (Prelude of the Great Plains); II. Mis Muertos Cantan (All My Dead Sing); III. Concierto Barroco (Baroque Concerto); IV. Domingos Álvares, A Priest of Sakpatá in Eighteenth-Century Brazil; V. Sinfonía de Cámara (Chamber Symphony)
The ASO continues its series of free concerts in Bryant Park with America UNBOUND. The program underlines the importance of multicultural influences in the music of the Americas and presents the new chamber work Suns and Moons of a New World, by percussionist and composer Javier Diaz. Offering a compositional look at the American continent unbound through musical histories that emphasize the universality of sound, word, and song, the piece incorporates musical and cultural elements from across the Americas, including the use of a J.S. Bach chorale in Venezuelan merengue. It is performed by a chamber ensemble of ASO musicians and features GRAMMY-nominated Imani Winds’ oboist Toyin Spellman-Diaz. Commissioned by the ASO, the work received its world premiere at Bryant Park in May 2023.
Tickets: Free, no tickets required.Guests will find a limited number of first-come, first-served chairs set up near Bryant Park’s Upper Terrace to enjoy an after-work respite with live music.
December 14, 7:00 PM – Riverside Church Nave, 490 Riverside Drive, New York, NY – Judas Maccabaeus: American Symphony Orchestra; Leon Botstein, conductor; Members of Bard Festival Chorale and Riverside Choir; George Frideric Handel: Judas Maccabaeus, HWV 63
The ASO offers an alternative to Handel’s Messiah with another oratorio, Judas Maccabaeus. Set amidst the story of Hanukkah, the oratorio is a dramatization of the Jews’ resistance to their oppressors during the Maccabean Revolt. Handel’s depiction of a peoples’ triumph over tyranny is brought to life through exultant choruses, sung by members of Bard Festival Chorale and Riverside Choir and soloists. Soloists will be announced at a later date.
Tickets:Priced at $25–$35, and $15 for students and seniors, are available on September 1 at americansymphony.org.
January 25, 2024, 8:00 PM – Carnegie Hall, Isaac Stern Auditorium – Dvořák: Requiem – Conductor’s Notes Q&A, 7:00 PM: American Symphony Orchestra; Leon Botstein, conductor; Antonín Dvořák: Requiem, Op. 89
Antonin Dvořák’s Requiem (1890)is nowhere nearly as well-known or performed as the composer’s late symphonies, chamber pieces, or other choral works, such as his StabatMater. Dvořák’s Requiem is close to Fauré’s or Cherubini’s contributions to the genre in its often introspective mood, its gentle melodies and overall lyricism. The use of a four-note chromatic motif in almost all sections of the piece gives the work a feel of thematic unity. While rich in invention and expressivity, its melancholic examination of the mysteries of life and death make the Requiem more deserving of further exploration in the public sphere.
Tickets: Priced at $25–$65, tickets are available on September 1 at carnegiehall.org, by calling CarnegieCharge at 212.247.7800, or visiting the box office at 57th St. & 7th Ave.
March 22, 2024, 8:00 PM – Carnegie Hall, Isaac Stern Auditorium – Schoenberg’s Gurre-Lieder – Conductor’s Notes Q&A 7:00 PM: American Symphony Orchestra; Leon Botstein, conductor; Bard Festival Chorale; James Bagwell, choral director; Arnold Schoenberg: Gurre-Lieder
To mark the centennial of its 1913 world premiere in Vienna, and more than 90 years since its 1932 American premiere by American Symphony Orchestra founder Leopold Stokowski with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the ASO presents Arnold Schoenberg’s massive and rarely performed Gurre-Lieder. Wagnerian in conception, this cantata represents the ideal of late Romanticism, with its lush, colorful orchestration of more than 150 musicians, endless melodies, and a highly chromatic harmonic language. The work is seldom performed due the sheer number of artists involved and the logistical challenges it poses. The cantata springs from a sonnet in an 1868 novella titled A Cactus Blooms by the young Danish poet Jens Peter Jacobsen, who based his prose on a 14th-century Gurre legend about King Valdemar, his passion for the maiden Tove Lille, and their love tryst at Gurre Castle. Soloists will be announced at a later date.
Tickets: Priced at $25–$65, tickets are available on September 1 at carnegiehall.org, by calling CarnegieCharge at 212.247.7800, or visiting the box office at 57th St. & 7th Ave.
The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame hosted a Hip Hop 50th Anniversary Show on Sunday June 11th. The show paid tribute to some influential artists and pioneers of hip hop. This event showcased the genre’s history, highlighted the achievements of renowned musicians, and provided a platform for insightful discussions. With the unveiling of an LL Cool J statue and a panel discussion featuring industry legends, the celebration was a memorable tribute to the cultural impact of hip hop.
Jazzy Jay, Son of Bazerk, Jazzy Jay, MC Glamorous, Aj Woodson
The event began with the unveiling of a stunning statue honoring the iconic rapper and actor LL Cool J. Created by sculptor Sherwin Banfield, the statue captured LL Cool J’s charisma, influence, and contributions to the hip hop industry. This immortalization of LL Cool J served as a powerful symbol of his lasting impact as one of the genre’s most influential figures. Banfield also has a monument dedicated to The Notorious B.I.G. located in Dumbo, Brooklyn.
Sherwin Banfield unveils LL Cool J statue
The 50th Anniversary Show featured a thought-provoking panel discussion that brought together several esteemed hip hop pioneers. Ralph McDaniels, a renowned video music director and host of the legendary “Video Music Box” program, joined forces with DJ Jazzy Jay, a trailblazing DJ, and Keith Shocklee, a member of the influential production team The Bomb Squad. They were joined by MC Glamorous, Dinco D, Aj Woodson, Johnny Juice, and members of Son of Bazerk, Tony Allen, and Cassandra Jackson.
The panelists reminisced about their experiences on Long Island and discussed the evolution of hip hop. Their wisdom provided attendees with a unique opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge of hip hop’s cultural significance and its enduring impact on music and society.
The audience was treated to a energetic performance featuring some of the industry’s most celebrated artists after the panel discussion. DJ Jazzy Jay, a true turntable virtuoso, took to the stage followed by DJ Johnny Juice, MC Glamorous, Aj Woodson, Dinco D. A Son of Berserk reunion set was another highlight creating an electrifying atmosphere.
Son of Bazerk
The 50th Anniversary Show was meant to include the induction of the legendary hip hop group, the Fat Boys. However, due to unfortunate circumstances, Damon “Kool Rock-Ski” Wimbley was unable to attend, leading to the postponement of their induction. The organizers of The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame recognized the Fat Boys’ immense contributions and ensured that their induction would take place at a future event.
Standout singer, songwriter, and bassist Karina Rykman dropped her first single and title track from her upcoming debut album JOYRIDE. The project is set to be released on August 18 and marks Rykman’s first collection of songs since she’s put out a slew of acclaimed singles dating back to 2019.
Karina Rykman was born and raised in New York City. She found music at an early age, making her way around the city performing at and attending live music venues. By the end of her time at NYU she had appeared on America’s Got Talent and the TODAY show. As part of Marco Benevento’s band, Rykman performed dates with Vulfpeck, Dispatch, and The Claypool Lennon Delirium.
Photo Credit: Brantley Gutierrez
Rykman’s own band is made up of Adam November (guitar, loopers, effects) and Chris Corsico (drums). Together the group has made a name for themselves due to their strong instrumentation, funky groove, layered production, and often genreless sound.
All these elements help to make “Joyride” such an interesting and fun listen. The track features a strong vocal performance from Rkyman, whose breathy voice and wistful lyrics could compete with any indie-pop record. The song’s tasteful synths and syrupy bass drive the beat toward an almost psychedelic sound. Joyride also features a guitar performance from JOYRIDE co-producer Trey Anastasio.
’Joyride’ is about being driven insane as you’re kept awake by music in your head all night – so much so that eventually, you give up and ask your partner to take you on a joyride instead of tossing and turning
Karina Rykman
The connection between Rkyman and Anastasio goes back to childhood. Rykman went to middle school with the Phish star’s daughters and became family friends because of it. However, the two had no musical relationship until they both performed at Peach Music Festival in Scranton. Anastasio became interested in being a part of Rykman’s first album, offering the use of his iconic Vermont studio “The Barn.”
When I first heard the early demos, the first thing I said was more Karina… Turn up the bass, sing more, and step out. What makes me most happy about the finished album now is that to my ears, it sounds like Karina unapologetically. It has her nature. It has her incredible joyous outlook that I know is real because I saw it in her when she was a kid.
Trey Anastasio
Photo Credit: Jesse Faatz
JOYRIDE was written and recorded with Rykyman’s childhood friend, producer Gabe Monro. Trey Anastasio’s guitar appears on five of the album’s nine tracks. Legendary mixer Bryce Goggin (Pavement, Swans, Ramones) also helped to create the project.
“You only get to make your first album once,” she adds, “and I couldn’t be prouder of what we created with this one. It’s a moment in time – the first of what I hope to be a lifetime of making records and touring behind them.
Dopapod, approaches their 36th year together and has announced their highly anticipated Fall Tour #27.
Nearing four decades together, Dopapod is gearing up to bring their fans a sensational 41st round of captivating performances.
Fall tour will kick off on Sept. 13 in High Point, NC, heading to Atlanta and Nashville, where they have some surprises in store for audiences, with a special improvised performance during the soundcheck.
Dopapod heads up the East Coast to Brooklyn Bowl on Sept. 20, with fans in Hartford, CT on Sept. 24 including an improvised set during soundcheck.
Excitement is at a peak for this tour, with the quality of live Dopapod performances consistently deliver but also exclusive giveaways and opportunities available to fans. Dopapod is giving away signed Megagem/Emit Time/Dopapod test pressings, ensuring lucky winners receive a truly unique piece of their musical history. Additionally, one signed poster will be given away at each show. Merchandise discounts and other surprises are also in store for those who participate. To enter the giveaway, fans simply need to take a screenshot of their presale ticket and email it to streetteam@dopapod.com. Every fan who sends in an email will receive a special gift from the band, making sure that no one leaves empty-handed.
Dopapod emphasizes that buying presale tickets greatly supports the band, and they deeply appreciate the continued backing of their fans. Tickets for the shows are now on sale. Learn more and find tickets to Dopapod’s fall tour at dopapod.com.
Dopapod Fall Tour #27 Dates 9.13- High Point, NC 9.14- Asheville, NC 9.15- Atlanta, GA** 9.16- Nashville TN** 9.19- Charlottesville, VA 9.20- Washington, DC 9.22- Brooklyn, NY 9.23- TBA 9.24- Hartford, CT** 9.26- Burlington, VT 9.27- Burlington, VT** 9.28- Pembroke, MA 9.29- Philadelphia, PA 9.30- Mason, NH
