Category: NYC Metro

In Focus: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD) Celebrate 10 Years

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD) have wrapped up a weekend that saw the Grateful Dead tribute act celebrate 10 years as a band with a 4 night run, including one at the Brooklyn Bowl & three nights at The Capitol Theatre. Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir even made a surprise guest appearance at the Brooklyn Bowl show.

The first night at The Capitol Theatre run on Friday, January 27, started off with a jam > “Scarlet Begonias”. The first set featured “Six Days on The Road”, “Hell in a Bucket”, “The Eleven”, & concluded with a thorough jammed out “I Know You Rider”.

The second set featured a funky “Cats Under The Stars”, “Feel Like a Stranger”, and dead head favorite “Franklin’s Tower”. The second set was concluded with “Days Between” which was rather slow and somber but well executed. The band encored with “Not Fade Away” & “In the Meantime” a Spacehog cover that left some of the audience a bit confused, but thoroughly delighted nonetheless.

Check out the setlists and videos from JRAD’s 10 years anniversary run below.

Thursday, January 26 – Brooklyn Bowl

Set 1: Tennessee Jed > Till the Morning Comes > Jack Straw* > The Music Never Stopped* > Let It Grow
Set 2: Shakedown Street > Truckin’ > Viola Lee Blues > Althea > Ten Years Gone > The Other One > How Many More Times > Breathe > Terrapin Station
Encore: Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
* with Bob Weir

Friday, January 27 – The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester

Set 1: Jam > Scarlet Begonias > Six Days On The Road > Hell in a Bucket > Black Peter > The Eleven > I Know You Rider
Set 2: Man Smart, Woman Smarter > Cats Under the Stars > Feel Like a Stranger > Franklin’s Tower > Throwing Stones > Days Between
Encore: Not Fade Away > In the Meantime

Saturday, January 28 – The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester

Set 1: Foolish Heart > Slipknot! > Casey Jones > Cumberland Blues > My Brother Esau > Box of Rain >
Playing in the Band
Set 2: Rubin and Cherise > Hard to Handle > Eyes of the World > Brown-Eyed Women > Estimated Prophet > Ramble On Rose > Good Lovin’ > Touch of Grey
Encore: Deal

Sunday, January 29 – The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester

Set 1: Lost Sailor > Saint of Circumstance > St. Stephen > Only Daddy That’ll Walk the Line > Dire Wolf > Uncle John’s Band > King Solomon’s Marbles > Uncle John’s Band > It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry > Wharf Rat > Jack-A-Roe
Set 2: Fire on the Mountain > Samson and Delilah > Mission in the Rain > Dancing in the Street > New Speedway Boogie > Dancing in the Street > West L.A. Fadeaway > Dear Mr. Fantasy > Going Down the Road Feelin’ Bad
Encore: Bertha

January 30, 2023
In Focus: Penelope Scott Plays One-Off Show at Baby’s All Right

On Friday, January 27th, Penelope Scott played a one-off show at the iconic venue Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn. With support from openers Hank and Yot Club, there was a dynamic and vivacious energy as the performances spoke for themselves and the audience participated in their own way.

Photographed by Chinaza Ajuonuma

Penelope Scott is an American singer-songwriter who has produced all of her own music. Scott’s debut album, Public Void, was released on Bandcamp on August 29, 2020, then on streaming services on September 25, 2020. In November 2020, her music found a larger audience on Tik Tok. Her song “Rät” went viral with tens of thousands of videos made with the song. The song expresses disappointment with Silicon Valley and technology billionaires, particularly Elon Musk “Rät” peaked at 29 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs Chart.

A week after playing at the first annual This is Home benefit show at Racket on Jan 11th, Penelope announced the Jan 27th one-off show on Instagram. Her companions were Yot Club, aka Ryan Kaiser (who also played at the benefit show), and Hank, both of whom played their first ever Baby’s All Right show on the 27th.

Photographed by Chinaza Ajuonuma

Hank performed first, letting the audience know that despite being an NYC local, they had never played at Baby’s All Right. Hank’s music is self-described as “music for truck drivers who wear short jorts and rip juuls” which was evident in their setlist. With a sound that can be described as pop indie tunes with a southern twang, their set kicked the show off with an animated and captivating vibe.

After his last appearance alongside Penelope and friends at the This is Home Benefit show on Jan 11th, Yot Club (Ryan Kaiser) took the stage again right after Hank. Although it was also his first time ever playing a show at Baby’s, he has toured with Penelope before, revealing he loves opening for her fans due to their open and energetic demeanor.

During his set, Kaiser played his signature lo-fi bedroom pop beats with songs like “YKWIM?”, “Japan”, and a Mountain Goats cover of “No Children” for what turned out to be an electric performance with the crowd screaming back lyrics.

Photographed by Chinaza Ajuonuma

By the time Penelope Scott came on stage, the crowd was thoroughly warmed up and buzzing with excitement. She showcased her musical prowess by jumping from her borrowed guitar (courtesy of Kaiser) to the keyboard, to her prerecorded electronic tracks. Throughout the show, her moxie and vivacious spirit infected the crowd as she busted out some dance moves, accepted a fan-made bracelet, and did a bottle flip challenge during an instrumental break. By the time the show came to a close, Scott debuted a couple of half-baked bangers that she affectionately referred to as “campfire time”. After closing her eyes and throwing her setlist into the crowd, she left the crowd with a liveliness that defines a Penelope Scott show.

Photographed by Chinaza Ajuonuma

Be sure to keep up with all these artists on socials, especially since there are some shows that just can’t be missed!

Yot Club can be found opening for Skegss during their US tour dates, and you can catch Hank next month on February 12th. They’ll be performing at The Sultan Room in Brooklyn with friends as part of Cumulonimbus, a collaborative music playlist that Hank is featured on.

Photographed by Chinaza Ajuonuma

Hank Setlist: Call Me Hank, All for You (Baby), Adore You [Miley Cyrus cover], Bugs, Good Guy Hard Life, One True Dear, Your Ex Man

Yot Club Setlist: u dont kno me, Comfort Zone, Dog Song, down bad, No Children [The Mountain Goats cover], YKWIM?, The Bay, Fly Out West, Mardi gras, anything, japan

Penelope Scott Setlist: Pseudophed, Sweet Hibiscus Tea, Feel Better, Bad Advice, Baxter 3rd Is Under Fucking Siege, 7’Oclock, Lavender, American Healthcare, Montreal, Runaway, Cool Girl Shuffle, Cigarette Ahegao, Gross, TOML, Rät, Lotta True Crime, Sineater, Cemetary Pigeons [unreleased], Something Blue [unreleased]

Photograph by Chinaza Ajuonuma

Photograph by Chinaza Ajuonuma

Photograph by Chinaza Ajuonuma

Photograph by Chinaza Ajuonuma

Photograph by Chinaza Ajuonuma

Photograph by Chinaza Ajuonuma

Photograph by Chinaza Ajuonuma

Photograph by Chinaza Ajuonuma

Photograph by Chinaza Ajuonuma

Photograph by Chinaza Ajuonuma

Photograph by Chinaza Ajuonuma

Photograph by Chinaza Ajuonuma

Photograph by Chinaza Ajuonuma

Photograph by Chinaza Ajuonuma

Photograph by Chinaza Ajuonuma

January 30, 2023
Young The Giant Announces North American Tour With Milky Chance In New York

Multi-platinum selling artist Young The Giant has announced a 2023 summer tour along with rock band, Milky Chance, making across the United States and Canada beginning May 30th in Montreal. In New York, you can catch the tour at Manhattan’s iconic Rooftop at Pier 17 and Niagara County’s Artpark. The tour will also feature special guests TALK and Rosa Linn.

The summer tour follows the release of American Bollywood, Young The Giant’s first album in four years. Established in 2004, the band showcases vocalist Sameer Gadhia, guitarist Jacob Tilley and Eric Cannata, Francois Comtois on the drums and bass player Payam Doostzadeh. American Bollywood was co-produced by John Hill and members of Young The Giant.

The four-part album can be enjoyed here via AWAL/Jungle Youth Records. With a majority of the lyrics written by the band’s lead singer with Indian ancestry, Sameer Gadhia, the album tells the multi-generational saga of the American immigrant, and the origins, exiles, battles, and denouement of reclaiming their collective identity. “This is not just the story of an Indian-American caught in between two worlds,” the band’s Sameer Gadhia previously said, “it’s also our universal search to find meaning in chaos.”

“Epic doesn’t even begin to describe American Bollywood. Seismic in scope and intimate in nature, Young the Giant’s fifth studio album is a massive artistic statement; it’s the band’s most ambitious and sprawling project of their career”
– Atwood Magazine

The band unites with REVERB to reduce the tour’s environmental footprint and engage with fans to take action for people and the planet. Visit here for more details.

The Young The Giant’s advanced ticket presale is available from January 31st at 10am to Thursday, February 2 at 10PM. Powered by seated, presale tickets are available here. General tickets will be available Friday, February 3rd at 10 am. Tickets can be purchased here.

Guests searching for an enhanced experience can purchase VIP Packages which include a private pre-show performance,Q&A with the band, premium tickets, an exclusive poster signed by the band, early venue entry and merchandise shopping. On January 31st at 10am packages from 100X Hospitality will go on sale For full details, click HERE

YOUNG THE GIANT US AND CANADA TOUR 2023 WITH MILKY CHANCE

MAY

30 – Montreal, QC – Place Bell *

31 – Toronto, ON – RBC Echo Beach *

JUNE

2 – Asbury Park, NJ – Stone Pony Summer Stage *

3 – New York, NY – The Rooftop at Pier 17 *

4 – New York, NY – The Rooftop at Pier 17 *

7 – Bridgeport, CT – Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater *

9 – Boston, MA – Leader Bank Pavilion

10 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion *

11 – Philadelphia, PA – Skyline Stage at the Mann *

13 – Niagara, NY – Artpark *

16 – Detroit, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill *

17 – Columbus, OH – KEMBA Live! *

18 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE *

20 – Cincinnati, OH – Andrew J Brady Music Center *

21 – Cleveland, OH – Jacob’s Pavilion *

23 – Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island *

24 – St. Louis, MO – St. Louis Music Park *

25 – Indianapolis, IN – TCU Amphitheater at White River Stage Park *

27 – Minneapolis, MN – Surly Brewing Festival Field *

28 – Des Moines, IA – Water Works Park *

30 – Oklahoma City, OK – Zoo Amphitheatre *

JULY

1 – Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre *

13 – Atlanta, GA – Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park ^

14 – Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheater ^

15 – Charlotte, NC – Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre

16 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheatre ^

18 – Richmond, VA – Brown’s Island ^

20 – St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheatre ^

21 – Tampa, FL – Yuengling Center ^

22 – Miami, FL – FPL Solar Amphitheatre ^

25 – Birmingham, AL – Avondale Brewing Company ^

27 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall ^

28 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater

29 – Dallas, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory ^

AUGUST

1 – Albuquerque, NM – Revel ^

3 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Great SaltAir ^

4 – Flagstaff, AZ – Pepsi Amphitheater ^

5 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre ^

10 – Vancouver, BC – Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre ^

11 – Seattle, WA – Marymoor Live ^

12 – Portland, OR – McMenamins Edgefield ^

14 – Boise, ID – Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater ^

15 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater ^

17 – San Francisco, CA – The Greek Theatre at Berkeley ^

18 – Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara Bowl ^

19 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre ^

20 – San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Amphitheater ^

30 – Denver, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre *

31 – Dillon, CO – Dillon Amphitheater *

* with special guest TALK and special guest Rosa Linn

January 30, 2023
The life of Television frontman, Tom Verlaine

Songwriter, singer and guitarist Tom Verlaine embodied the ideals of punk in more ways than one. From turning down a record deal from Clive Davis to inspiring the Ramones themselves, the famed frontman of the band Television left an indelible mark on the punk/alternative music scene of the 70’s.

Verlaine died on Saturday, Jan. 28 at the age of 73. The musician passed away from an unspecified “brief illness,” according to Jesse Paris Smith, daughter of Patti Smith.

Tom Verlaine was the frontman and guitarist for the band Television. He died Jan. 28 at the age of 73. Photo via Getty Images

Before he was a punk icon, Tom Verlaine was simply Tom Miller, a young boy from New Jersey. When he first heard the Rolling Stones as a teen, he traded in his saxophone for a guitar and embarked down the path of rock n’ roll.

Still, his earlier jazz influences, listening to the likes of John Coltrane and Stan Getz, would contribute to his unique style of playing long after he picked up the six-string. In favor of punk’s typical style of gritty power chords, Verlain’s sound was often characterized by comparatively clean and improvisational guitar work.

Together with his school friend Richard Meyers (stage name Richard Hell), Verlaine would form the band Neon Boys, which after a few member rotations, would become Television.

CBGB played an important role nurturing early punk bands like Television and the Ramones | photo via Getty Images

Television became a fixture of the emerging punk scene in New York in the 1970’s. The band frequently played at the music club CBGB, a venue now famous for its role in nurturing early punk bands like the Ramones and Blondie.

While Television never quite became a mainstream success, their debut album Marquee Moon, released in 1977, is widely regarded as the quintessential punk album of the decade. Its unique approach to the genre would inspire waves of bands – from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Joy Division – in the years to come.

Although only 8 tracks, Marquee Moon was a complex body of work. Its title track alone is over 10 minutes long. Matt LeMay of Pitchfork, described Veraine’s guitar playing on Marquee Moon in a retrospective review of the album: “Taken out of context, the guitar solos on Marquee Moon aren’t just unimpressive; they’re downright illogical. Everyone who plays guitar will, at some point, learn the solo from “Stairway to Heaven,” but it’s practically impossible to sit down and actually play anything from Marquee Moon.”

Television’s debut album Marquee Moon released 1977. Verlaine pictured second from left.

Initially Marquee Moon ranked on the Billboard 200 albums chart, although it actually performed better in Europe. Decades later the album would be recognized for its truth worth, listed on both Rolling Stone‘s 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time and as number 3 on Pitchfork’s list of the best albums of the 1970s.

Television broke up only a year after in 1978, shortly after the release of their second album Adventure. However, in the 90’s they would reunite and release their self-titled third and final album.

Verlaine was not deterred by the band’s initial breakup, starting his solo career in 1979. Over the decades he put out a mixture of LPs and albums and collaborated with music icons the likes of David Bowie and the Violent Femmes. His last two solo albums, Songs and Other Things and Around, came out in 2006.

Tom Verlaine of Television playing a modified Jazzmaster | Photo via Reddit

Verlaine led a relatively quiet life in the last decade, rarely touring and releasing no new music. He was modest about both his work and career telling the Irish Times in a 2013 interview, that he himself was tired of the hype around Marquee Moon.

I don’t want to really talk about that record any more. I don’t know why people have such an interest in it. I just don’t get it. So much has been mentioned about that album there’s probably not much more that can be said.
Tom Verlaine

He would then add regarding the production, “It’s basically a live record with the mistakes patched up and with some editing here and there. I never think of it in any context in particular. It seems to get rediscovered by a new generation every 10 years or so, which is kinda cool.”

While Verlaine’s death is tragic, it’s possible even more generations will now discover his iconic work. Those that were already fans of his work now mourn his sudden passing.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Michael Stipe (@michaelstipe)

Michale Stipe, formerly of R.E.M said on Instagram, “Bless you Tom Verlaine and thank you for the songs, the lyrics, the voice! And later the laughs, the inspiration, the stories, and the rigorous belief that music and art can alter and change matter, lives, experience. You introduced me to a world that flipped my life upside down. I am forever grateful.”

Appears to be true: Tom Verlaine has passed over to the beyond that his guitar playing always hinted at. He was the best rock and roll guitarist of all time, and like Hendrix could dance from the spheres of the cosmos to garage rock. That takes a special greatness. #TomVerlaine https://t.co/e62cTZyYLF
— Mike Scott (@MickPuck) January 28, 2023

Mike Scott of The Waterboys tweeted: “Tom Verlaine has passed over to the beyond that his guitar playing always hinted at. He was the best rock and roll guitarist of all time, and like Hendrix could dance from the spheres of the cosmos to garage rock. That takes a special greatness.”

January 29, 2023
Oropendola Releases “Knocking Down Flowers” off upcoming debut album

Brooklyn‘s Oropendola has announced the release of her newest LP Waiting For The Sky To Speak out on March 17^th. Along with this exciting news, she has just released the single track on the album “Knocking Down Flowers,” accompanied with a beautifully hazy and shimmering video to go with it.

When listening to “Knocking Down Flowers,” Schubert finds life in the least likely of places: a construction site. Here, she recognizes and illuminates the power of living at the intersection of contrasts.

Waiting For The Sky To Speak is Joanna Schubert’s debut album as Oropendola, a word that means “golden pendulum.” The album’s emotional core comes through on roiling ballad “Trust the Sun” and clear-eyed album closer “When You Carried Me,” which both look to the sun, another kind of golden pendulum, as a guiding force.

Set to release March 17th, these tracks shimmer with bursts of energy and emotion, swinging from playfulness to earnestness with deft, technicolor brushstrokes. The album is a celebration of choosing life even in the face of its ephemerality, and of finding motion even in the midst of stillness.

While much of the rest of Waiting for the Sky to Speak careens across black-ice patches of inner conflict, both these songs offer a tentative hand outward, towards love, friendship, and family. The fixed sun in a changeable sky as she coaxes herself back out into the world.

Joanna says of the track and its inspiration, “In January 2020, I started recording myself improvising every morning – “morning pages” inspired by The Artist’s Way, a creative self-help book. I recorded morning pages #1 soon after a pivotal, complicated, on-and-off relationship “reached its end. Round and round we went, addicted to one another, unable to break free of a sticky cycle that prevented us from fully blooming together. That song seed turned into Knocking Down Flowers within a few days.”

To listen to more of Oropendola, click the link here.

For more information about Oropendola and upcoming tour dates, click the link here.

January 29, 2023
The Van Pelt Announce First New Album in 25 years, Saint Vitus Bar show

For the first time in 25 years, New York City based The Van Pelt have announced their upcoming fourth studio album, Artisans & Merchants, which will be released March 17th. The album will join a series of shows, including stops at Brooklyn’s Saint Vitus Bar.

The album was recorded and mixed in Summer / Fall 2021 by Jeff Zeigler at Uniform Recording in Philadelphia, PA, and features guest appearances by Nate Kinsella and Ted Leo among others. The Van Pelt has returned to explore what was left behind with Artisans & Merchants.

This is not a reunion album. This is vindication. For lovers of The Van Pelt, listening to Artisans & Merchants is like hearing the voice of a dear friend you haven’t seen in years — a friend you used to share countless beers with over banter that went nowhere other than delivering a solid night. Your friend is older, they’ve changed. In some ways you’re worried for them. In other ways, it’s the same old them, a soul too unique to ever be altered.
The Van Pelt frontman Chris Leo

The first single “Punk House” is out everywhere now along with a brand new music video. The video features digitized archive footage from The Van Pelts US tours of the mid-90s.

When a bunch of old VHS tapes were unearthed, we had them digitized and they turned out to be from tours of the mid-90s. The footage is mainly of daily banalities: random purchases at rest stops, packing and unpacking the van, highway views that could be on the outskirts of Any Town USA. Yet there is a nostalgia to it that’s compelling to everyone
Chris Leo

For more information, and to purchase tickets, visit thevanpelt.bandcamp.com

January 29, 2023
Lil Baby and Michael B. Jordan Deliver a Saturday Night Live Knockout

For the second episode of Saturday Night Live in 2023, Michael B. Jordan, star of the Creed franchise, hosted for the first time with musical guest Lil Baby.

The cold open featured Mikey Day as Attorney General Merrick Garland, who made light of classified documents found in former presidents homes, but made Garland out to seem more serious and tough than his demeanor implies. Day (as Garland) said, “I may look like I was born in a library, but there is something you should know: Merrick Garland don’t play.” The opening ended with a reference to Tyre Nichols and the recent release of videos confirming police brutality, this time in Memphis.

For his monologue, Michael B. Jordan wore a plum colored suit, offering that “Tonight, Michael B. Hosting. Michael B. Nervous. Michael B. Vulnerable. Michael will be aight.” Reaffirming that he was indeed single, Jordan had a playful monologue, with female cast members coming to the stage hitting on him, including Ego Nwodim in a full wedding dress.

The first sketch of the night was one of the strongest, with a ‘Good Morning Today’ TV show with a premise of a cooking segment being conducted by a reporter (Sarah Sherman) and weatherman (Jordan) both of whom were stuck on a roller coaster for 19 hours at full speed. Sherman ran with this out-there concept that has been present this season more than in recent memory, using her eccentric talent and joining the ranks of past female physical comedy cast members, among them Kristin Wiig, Cheri Oteri, Molly Shannon and Gilda Radner.

The first song from GRAMMY winning trap rapper Lil Baby performed “California Breeze” from his October 2022 album It’s Only Me. With a live four-piece band, Lil Baby wore a green basket weave coat
while performing on a red-lit stage that look like you were staring into wreckage, with a giant crack through middle of the set.

Lil Baby appeared on Saturday Night Live back in 2019 during DJ Khaled’s set, joining Lil Wayne, John Legend, Meek Mill, SZA and others as a tribute to Nipsey Hussle, who was fatally shot in Los Angeles months before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GLGokc-RwY

Weekend Update felt a little short this week, but did welcome back Angel (Heidi Gardner) as ‘every boxer’s girlfriend from every movie about boxing ever.’ This led to Jordan appearing as Adonis Creed from the Creed films, of which the third installment is out in March.

The second performance from Lil Baby on this week’s Saturday Night Live was the song “Forever” on the same blue hued same stage but with only a pianist and rapper Fridayy projected onto the wall behind Lil Baby and singing the chorus. Fridayy appears on the studio version, and also produced the track alongside Bizness Boi & Fortune.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1k8lNjiRoY

Of note, earlier this week, a unionized group of post production workers at Saturday Night Live authorized a strike so as to expedite negotiations on their first contract, which they report as having stalled. The group is unionized with the IATSE-affiliated Motion Picture Editors Guild last year and handles post-production on pretaped sketches, including music videos and commercial parodies. There were still three pre-taped sketches this week, and two last week, so it may be possible that SNL will be even more live in coming weeks if the strike does take place.

SNL is back on February 4 with host Pedro Pascal and musical guest Coldplay.

January 29, 2023
Grammy Nominated Shemekia Copeland Announces NYC Tour Date

Grammy Nominated Shemekia Copeland has announced her new tour to promote her Grammy nominated album Done Gone Too Far. Copeland will perform at City Winery in New York City on Wednesday, February 1st.

LOS ANGELES, CA— MARCH 18, 2022 RECORDING ARTIST, BLUES SINGER, SHEMEKIA COPELAND FOR ALLIGATOR RECORDS. Photos by Victoria Smith Make Up by KATE KATS

Touring After A Winning Year

Her newest single “Too Far To Be Gone” features guest appearances by her friends Sonny Landreth, Cedric Burnside, Kenny Brown, Oliver Wood, Charles Hodges and Aaron Lee Tasjan.

She was also recently nominated for four Blues Music Awards for Album Of The Year and Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year (for Done Gone Too Far), Song Of The Year (for “Too Far To Be Gone”) and Instrumentalist Of The Year (Vocals). Copeland was also the 2021 Blues Music Award for B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year.

Two Decades Of Talent

Shemekia Copeland is is considered the blues/soul voice of her generation. As a contemporary Black woman, she brings her immense talent and charisma to topical new originals that reflect her deep social conscience. She delivers her hard-hitting musical truths through her eyes, those of a young American Black woman, a mother, and a wife. But she likes to have fun too, and her music reflects that.

“This album was made by all sides of me — happy, sad, silly, irate — they’re all a part who I am and who we all are. I’m not political. I’m just talking about what’s happening in this country” Says Copeland.

LOS ANGELES, CA— MARCH 18, 2022 RECORDING ARTIST, BLUES SINGER, SHEMEKIA COPELAND FOR ALLIGATOR RECORDS. Photos by Victoria Smith Make Up by KATE KATS

Copeland has performed thousands of gigs at clubs, festivals and concert halls all over the world since her Alligator Records debut Turn The Heat Up hit in 1998. She has appeared in films, on national television, NPR, and in magazines and newspapers. She’s sung with Bonnie Raitt, Keith Richards, Carlos Santana, and many others. Copeland has also shared a bill with The Rolling Stones. In 2012, she performed with B.B. King, Mick Jagger, Buddy Guy, and others at the White House for President and Mrs. Obama. She has appeared on PBS’s Austin City Limits and was the subject of a six-minute feature on the PBS News Hour.

NPR’s Jazz Night In America recently aired an hour-long program featuring Copeland. In April 2022, she performed at the United Nations General Assembly Hall for International Jazz Day celebrations. Copeland continues to host her own popular daily blues radio show on SiriusXM’s Bluesville

Tickets for her upcoming show are available at www.citywinery.com and shemekiacopeland.com

Done Gone Too Far is now available to stream and purchase.

January 28, 2023
World Music Institute Announces Spring And Summer Season

Celebrating their 38th year in NYC, World Music Institute has announced their spring and summer 2023 season with sixteen performances featuring artists from over a dozen countries.

About World Music Institute

Founded in 1985 as a not-for-profit, World Music Institute (WMI) has served as one of the leading presenters of world music and dance within the United States. WMI is committed to presenting the best in traditional and contemporary music and dance from around the world with the goal of inspiring wonder for the world’s rich cultural traditions, promoting awareness and appreciation and encouraging cross-cultural dialog and exchange. WMI presents at venues throughout the city and depends on both public and private funding to accomplish its mission.

The program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

Season Highlights

This Season’s events include the 12th annual edition of the institute’s popular Dancing The Gods Indian dance festival, and Brazilian musical legend Hermeto Pascoal. They will be joined by Korean folk-pop sensation ADG7, West African pop icons Vieux Farka Touré , Fatoumata Diawara, and many more.

World Music Institute Executive Director Gaby Sappington states “The second half of our 2022-2023 Season continues to reflect our commitment to offering audiences affordable access to the most exciting, innovative, and meaningful voices in world music and dance. Some of them are already well known, while others are up-and-coming. All of them are united by a passion for their respective cultures and the arts. We are thrilled to bring them to NYC’s stages, celebrating our motto: MANY CULTURES – ONE WORLD.”

Schedule Of Events

Red Baraat ‘Festival of Colors’ with Shubh Saran and Kahani (DJ)

Friday, March 10, 2023
Doors and DJ: 7 PM | Show: 8 PM
Brooklyn Bowl – 61 Whyte Avenue, Brooklyn
Tickets: $20
Co-presented with Brooklyn Bowl

Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Rescheduled show: March 18, 2023
Doors: 7 PM | Show: 7:30 PM
Kaufmann Concert Hall at the 92nd Street Y – 1395 Lexington Avenue, Manhattan
Tickets: $35 | $45 | $60
Co-presented with 92NY

Hamid Rahmanian’s Song of the North
Friday – Sunday, March 24-26, 2023
Friday and Saturday – Doors 7 PM | Show 8 PM, Sunday – Doors 2 PM | Show 3 PM
Peter Norton Symphony Space – 2537 Broadway at 95th St, Manhattan
Tickets: $25 | $35 | $45

Tarta Relena
March 30, 2023
Doors: 7 PM | Show: 8 PM
Tickets: $20 Advance | $25 Day of Show
National Sawdust – 80 North 6th Street, Brooklyn
Co-presented with National Sawdust

NY Arab Festival
Friday, April 7, 2023
Doors and DJ: 8 PM
Nublu – 151 Avenue C, Manhattan
Tickets: $20 advance | $25 day of show
Co-presented with NY Arab Festival

Twelfth Annual Indian Dance Festival
Come early each evening for a pre-performance slide lecture by curator Rajika Puri.
Friday, April 14 and Saturday, April 15, 2023
Doors: 7 PM | Lecture by Rajika Puri: 7:30 PM | Performance: 8 PM
The Ailey Studios – 405 W 55th St, Manhattan
Tickets: $35 / $45 / $55
Night One: Sreelakshmy Govardhanan
Night Two: Praveen Kumar

Dakh Daughters with Opening Guest Balaklava Blues
Thursday, April 20, 2023
Doors: 7 PM | Show: 8 PM
(le) poisson rouge – 158 Bleecker St, Manhattan
Tickets: – Advance $30 | Day of Show $35

KOKOKO!
Saturday, April 22, 2023
Doors: 7 PM | Show: 8 PM
Public Records – 233 Butler St, Brooklyn
Tickets: $25 Advance | $30 Day of Show
Co-presented with Public Records

Fatoumata Diawara with Opening Guest TBA
Saturday, April 29, 2023
Doors: 7 PM | Show: 8 PM
Brooklyn Bowl – 61 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn
Tickets: $35
Co-presented with Brooklyn Bowl

ADG7
Wednesday, May 3, 2023
Doors: 7 PM | Show: 8 PM
(le) poisson rouge – 158 Bleecker St, Manhattan
Tickets: Advance $30 | – Day of Show $35
With promotional support from The Korea Society

Vieux Farka Touré with Guest
Thursday, May 11, 2023
Doors: 7 PM | Show: 8 PM
Brooklyn Bowl – 61 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn
Tickets: Advance $25 | Day of Show $30
Co-presented with Brooklyn Bowl

Alam Khan with Manik Khan and Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri
Saturday, May 20, 2023
Doors: 7 PM | Show: 8 PM
Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center – 129 West 67th Street, Manhattan
Tickets: $35 / $45 / $55

Hermeto Pascoal & Grupo
Thursday, May 25, 2023
Doors: 7 PM | Show: 8 PM
Pioneer Works
Tickets: $30 – standing room | $45 – general admission seating | $65 – preferred seating
Co-presented with Pioneer Works

Kiran Ahluwalia w/ Yacouba Sissoko
Saturday, June 3, 2023
Doors: 7 PM | Show: 8 PM
Flushing Town Hall
Tickets: $20 advance | $25 day of show
Co-presented with Flushing Town Hall

Yasser Tejeda with DJ Sabine Blaizin (Oyasound)
Thursday, June 8, 2023
Doors and DJ: 8 PM | Show: 9 PM
Harlem Stage – 150 Convent Avenue, Harlem
$20 – advance | $25 – day of show

For World Music Institute’s season’s full schedule, with venue, artist, and ticketing info, visit www.worldmusicinstitute.org

January 28, 2023
Jon Spencer & The Hitmakers To Play Albany, Rochester and Ridgewood on 2023 Winter Tour

Jon Spencer and the Hitmakers will unite for a 2023 winter tour across New York. The tour features the incendiary talents of Bob Bert, Sam Coomes, last but not least the original jet-scream, Jon Spencer. The musicians will visit Albany, Rochester, and Ridgewood (Queens) and more. Fans can enjoy this exuberant starting from late January to early February.

The rockstars will be performing Spencer’s latest album, Spencer Gets It Lit and will feature songs like Junk Man, Death Ray, WormT own and more. The album is a classic Jon Spencer taken to the extreme, it emphasizes a sound of electro-boogie, constructivist art pop, a psychedelic swamp of industrial sleaze and futurist elegance. The album is recognized as an epic master work of freak beat from the world’s weirdest garage.

Spencer Gets It Lit features mind-boggling layers of fury, fuzz guitar a crash-bang battery of phaser blasts and photon torpedoes. Jon Spencer is the ultimate performer; he frantically spits, croons, rhapsodizes, and seduces. The album is his most complex and sensational album in years. It is a dark, danceable odyssey, and a celebration of the place where electricity meets the mind.

Jon Spencer and the Hitmakers are here to crank it up and blow our pants off, … Anyone who has the chance to see this current ensemble, must do so immediately. Peppered with rarities, Blues Explosion songs, even Pussy Galore cuts, Spencer was a bewitching figure on stage, ripping through all the tracks with raw grit and fury
-Gun Control Magazine

Come watch the true heroes of the underground perform hits that will rock your world. Spencer’s says “We are back – primed and loaded – ready to bring the HITS to all the rockers!” Spencer Gets It Lit can be streamed here.

Jon Spencer & The Hitmakers 2023 Tour Dates

01/24 Cambridge, MA Middle East

01/25 Portland, ME One Longfellow Square

01/26 Burlington, VT Higher Ground Lounge

01/27 Montreal, QC Bar Le Ritz PDB

01/28 Ottawa, ON Club SAW

01/29 Rochester, NY Bug Jar

01/31 Albany, NY Lark Hall

02/01 Hamden, CT Space Ballroom

02/02 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s

02/03 Atlantic City, NJ Anchor Rock Club

02/04 Ridgewood, NY TV Eye

January 27, 2023