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.
Heavy Metal band W.A.S.P. has announced their newest tour, The 40th Never Stops World Tour 2023. This 33-city run kicks off in Wheatland, CA, on Saturday, August 5, and includes a stop at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, NY, on Saturday, August 26.
W.A.S.P. are known for their controversial lyrics, style and performances. Notorious for its raunchy and, at times, shocking live shows. W.A.S.P. were known to tie semi-naked models to a torture rack, and to also hurl raw meat into the audience.
Despite their music being banned in multiple countries, W.A.S.P. persevered over the past 40 years, continuously recording and releasing music, touring with other metal legends like Iron Maiden and Metallica, and even making the occasional film cameo.
The 2023 North American tour comes following the band’s first U.S. tour in 10 years wrapping up in 2022, ending with 18 sold-out shows. The tour was selected by Metal Edge as one of the 10 Best Hard Rock and Metal Tours of 2022 and one of the 22 Memorable Rock Tours of 2022 by Ultimate Classic Rock. BraveWords writers listed the tour as the Top Concert of 2022 and selected by the Detroit radio station WRIF as one of the Top Concerts of 2022.
W.A.S.P. is currently playing off their massive European leg of the 2022 40th Anniversary World Tour, with upcoming shows taking place in Spain, Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Germany and more before wrapping on May 18 in Sofia, Bulgaria at Universidada Sports Hall.
For more information, and to purchase tickets please visit W.A.S.P.’s website.
THE 40TH NEVER STOPS WORLD TOUR 2023 DATES:
Fri Aug 04 – San Luis Obispo, CA – Fremont Theatre *
Sat Aug 05 – Wheatland, CA – Hard Rock Live Sacramento
Mon Aug 07 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
Tue Aug 08 – Vancouver, BC – Vogue Theatre *
Thu Aug 10 – Seattle, WA – Moore Theatre
Fri Aug 11 – Spokane, WA – The Podium
Sat Aug 12 – Garden City, ID – Revolution Concert House and Event Center
Sun Aug 13 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
Tue Aug 15 – Omaha, NE – Steelhouse Omaha
Wed Aug 16 – Minneapolis, MN – The Fillmore Minneapolis presented by Affinity Plus
Thurs Aug 17 – Moline, IL – The Rust Belt *
Fri Aug 18 – Eau Claire, WI – RCU Theater *
Sat Aug 19 – Clive, IA – Horizon Events Center *
Sun Aug 20 – Gary, IN – Hard Rock Live Northern Indiana
Tue Aug 22 – Grand Rapids, MI – GLC Live @ 20 Monroe
Wed Aug 23 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room @ Old National Centre
Thu Aug 24 – Wheeling, WV – Capitol Theatre *
Fri Aug 25 – Stroudsburg, PA – Sherman Theater *
Sat Aug 26 – New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom
Sun Aug 27 – Hampton, NH – Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
Tue Aug 29 – Wallingford, CT – The Dome At Oakdale Theatre
Wed Aug 30 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore Philadelphia
Thu Aug 31 – Warren, OH – Packard Music Hall *
Fri Sep 01 – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall
Sun Sep 03 – Montreal, QC – Mtelus
Tue Sep 05 – Cincinnati, OH – The Andrew J Brady Music Center
Thu Sep 07 – Memphis, TN – The Soundstage at Graceland
Fri Sep 08 – Little Rock, AR – The Hall
Sat Sep 09 – Dallas, TX – South Side Ballroom
Sun Sep 10 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Criterion
Wed Sep 13 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre *
Fri Sep 14 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues
Sat Sep 16 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium
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
Famed guitarist Peter Frampton has announced his summer tour, the Never Say Never Tour. The tour will kick off in June and see Frampton making stops nationwide through August, including stops at The Capitol Theatre, The Paramount, and Turning Stone Casino.
Peter Frampton is one of the most celebrated artists and guitarists in rock history. In 2007, Frampton won a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album for Fingerprints and in 2014 was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame. He received the prestigious Les Paul Innovation Award from NAMM’s TEC Awards in 2019 and his album All Blues was #1 for fifteen weeks on Billboard’s Blues Chart.
In 2020 Frampton was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, his autobiography Do You Feel Like I Do?: A Memoir debuted on The New York Times Bestsellers list, and his 2021 album Frampton Forgets The Words was released to widespread critical acclaim. In November of last year, Frampton performed a sold-out show at London’s Royal Albert Hall which was filmed and is currently airing on PBS as part of their Pledge Drive. Most recently, Frampton announced that on July 28 Intervention Records will release Frampton@50, a numbered limited-edition vinyl box set featuring Frampton’s essential 1972-1975 studio releases Wind of Change, Frampton’s Camel and Frampton.
“At the end of every Finale Tour show I did say, ‘Never Say Never’ and I am always full of hope for the impossible. I’m very pleased to let you know that I am feeling strong and my fingers are still roaming the fretboard. Every note I play now has more meaning and soul. I love playing live and this fighter wants to stay in the ring for as long as he can. I’m so happy to be able to see you all one more time this summer”.
Singer-Songwriter Lucinda Williams has announced her newest single “New York Comeback” off her upcoming album Stories From A Rock N’ Roll Heart.
The last couple years have been challenging for Williams to say the least. In 2020, a tornado damaged her new home in Nashville, followed two weeks later by the beginning of the COVID lockdown. Later that November, Williams suffered a stroke that partially impaired some of her motor skills on the left side of her body, forcing her to learn to walk again and taking away her ability to play the guitar.
This new single however marks a triumphant return from Lucinda. “New York Comeback,” written by Williams, Tom Overby and Jesse Malin, also includes guest vocalists – Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa. A Lucinda Williams fan, Springsteen joined her onstage in London a few years back, and he and Scialfa had wanted to contribute to a Williams album for some time.
With Wynans on B3 and the Pettibone-Mathis guitar attack, the musical setting perfectly matches the theme of “Comeback”. Says Williams, “Having Bruce and Patti on these songs feels really great. It’s just so cool!”
Lucinda’s newest album Stories From A Rock N’ Roll Heart will be released June 30th.
For more information, please visit Lucinda Williams website.
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.
Rapper, singer, producer and DJ Q-Tip celebrates 53 years of life today, on that has blessed him with countless songs and immeasurable success in the music business.
Born Jonathan William Davis in Harlem, the artist is professionally known by his stage name but has also been given the nicknames, Qualiall, The Abstract Tip The Lone Ranger, and The Last Zulu. In addition to his success as a solo artist, Q-Tip has been a part of the music groups A Tribe Called Quest, Native Tounges, Soulquarians, and The Ummah.
One of the most prominent figures in the hip-hop music genre, Q-Tip has always been a team player, beginning his career as a member of and producer of the group A Tribe Called Quest throughout most of the 80s and 90s, creating its own music production team, The Ummah, active from 1996-2000. It inspired another music collective, the Native Tongues, which worked concurrently with A Tribe Called Quest from the late ’80s until the late ’90s.
The group released their debut studio album, People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, in 1990, peaking at number 23 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Its lead single, “I Left My Wallet in El Segundo,” peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart. After initially breaking up in 1998, the hip-hop group would reunite intermittently from the late 2000s to 2010s, releasing their final studio album, We Got It from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service in 2016. The group would become members of the Native Tongues from 1988 until the late 90s, and Q-Tip would become a member of the Soulquarians from the late 90s to early 2000s, itself inspired by A Tribe Called Quest.
A Tribe Called Quest members: Q-Tip (top left, vocals,) Phife Dog (top right, vocals,) Ali Shaheed (bottom left, turntables, co-production,) and Jarobi (bottom right, vocals.)
The Ummah’s first project would be serving as a producer for A Tribe Called Quest’s fourth studio album, Beats, Rhymes and Life. The album was criticized for moving away from the group’s earlier, denser, and bottom-heavy sound to a more laid-back and polished tone. The group would continue this sound with their next album, The Love Movement, in 1998, which was released to a lukewarm reception. They would ultimately not release another album for more than 10 years, until their sixth and final studio album in 2016. The Ummah’s final production would be Q-Tip’s first solo release in 1999.
The Soulquarians collaborated with The Ummah on the production of Q-Tip’s debut solo studio album. Before that, the first record they produced was 1999’s Things Fall Apart, the fourth studio album by the hip-hop band The Roots. They would work with The Roots again on their next studio album, Phrenology in 2002. Significantly, they worked on the production of the debut studio by Brooklyn-born Talib Kweli, Quality, that same year. The last album the Soulquarians produced was Bilah’s leaked second album, Love for Sale, in 2006.
Cover of Q-Tip’s debut solo studio album, Amplified. Credit: Apple Music
Q-Tip’s solo career began with 1999’s Amplified, which peaked at the number four spot on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Its lead single “Vivrant Thing,” became the fourth rap song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot R&B Airplay chart since its 1992 inception. Q-Tip has performed at the New York Town Hall, Brooklyn Bowl, Output, and Stage 48, just to name a few, and he is currently working on three more albums yet to be announced release dates: The Last Zulu, AlGoRhythms, and Riotdiaries.
Q-Tip’s third most recent solo studio album, Kamaal the Abstract, was released in 2009.
Q-Tip has also ventured into television, appearing as a guest on good friend Dave Chappelle’s sketch comedy series on Comedy Central, Chappelle’s Show, in 2004. In 2015, Chappelle, with fellow comedian and actor Chris Rock, appeared on Q-Tip’s Abstract Radio, his radio show on Apple Music 1. A Tribe Called Quest appeared as a musical guest with Chappelle on the Nov. 12, 2016, episode of Saturday Night Live, shortly after Donald Trump won the 2016 Presidential Election, where Chappelle gave a monologue that he ended with “I’m wishing Donald Trump luck, and I’m going to give him a chance, and we, the historically disenfranchised, demand that he give us one too.”
In celebration of Q-Tip’s life, check out his work anywhere music is sold, and join the New York State Music team in wishing him a happy birthday, here’s to 53 more years!
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.
