Alter Bridge made their long-awaited return to Central New York on Friday, February 10, playing to a near-capacity crowd at Del Lago Casino in Waterloo. The band is touring in support of its 2022 release, Pawns & Kings, and brought along Mammoth WVH in support.
Formed in 2004 in Orlando, Florida, Alter Bridge has released seven studio albums as well as several live albums. The band consists of Myles Kennedy (vocals, guitar), Mark Tremonti (guitar, vocals), Brian Marshall (bass guitar), and Scott Phillips (drums).
The evening kicked off promptly at 8 o’clock with Mammoth WVH playing to an already full house. The band, fronted by Wolfgang Van Halen (son of Eddie Van Halen), tore through a set of classic rock tracks off their 2021 self-titled release. Wolfgang delighted the crowd with his pristine vocals and his indisputable guitar talent, tearing through several guitar solos reminiscent of his father. After a forty-minute set, the band left the stage triumphantly, to a sea of metal horns from the crowd.
Excitement in the venue quickly became palpable as the Alter Bridge backdrop rose from behind the stage. Shortly after the band entered and launched into “Silver Tongue.” With a howl from Myles Kennedy, the set was underway. The band tore through a mixture of tracks from throughout their nineteen years together. Kennedy’s vocals, powerful enough to fill a stadium, soared through the venue.
After a short acoustic set which saw Kennedy play a solo rendition of “Watch Over You,” followed by a Kennedy and Tremonti duet of “In Loving Memory,” the band returned to the stage. With their return, the opening notes of “Blackbird” by The Beatles were strummed. The crowd rose in anticipation as the band segued into their song of the same name. Perhaps the pinnacle of the Alter Bridge catalog, “Blackbird” is a hauntingly beautiful track about the loss of a close friend. The slow-building track soon erupted into another memorable solo from Tremonti.
Like all great things, this evening had to come to a close. Alter Bridge ended the night where they began nineteen years ago: with their first single, “Open Your Eyes.” The crowd joined, erupting into a full-fledged singalong before the band was through.
During Super Bowl LVII on Sunday night, U2 dropped a brief look at their upcoming residency at the new MSG Sphere at The Venetian, coming this fall in Las Vegas. The venue has been in the works for years as a state-of-the-art venue, and one of the biggest bands in the world will be the first to christen it.
‘U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At The Sphere’ marks a special run of shows and the band’s first live outing in four years, following the massive success of their acclaimed Joshua Tree 30th anniversary stadium tour, and their 2018 eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE indoor tour which played to a combined audience of 1 million across Europe and North America.
The full-length trailer is intended to show the global U2 community, featuring a select group of new and longtime U2 fans (along with a few band doppelgangers) coming together for a futuristic Achtung Baby adventure in a unique desert landscape.
The announcement comes with confirmation that Larry Mullen Jr. will take time out to undergo and recuperate from surgery in 2023. These Las Vegas shows will see Larry and the band welcome drummer Bram van den Berg who will be sitting in to join Bono, The Edge and Adam Clayton onstage at MSG Sphere. Bono, The Edge and Adam said in a statement:
It’s going to take all we’ve got to approach the Sphere without our bandmate in the drum seat, but Larry has joined us in welcoming Bram van den Berg who is a force in his own right.
The Sphere show has been in the works for a long time. We don’t want to let people down, least of all our audience… the truth is we miss them as much as they appear to miss us… our audience was always the fifth member of the band. Bottom line, U2 hasn’t played live since December 2019 and we need to get back on stage and see the faces of our fans again. And what a unique stage they’re building for us out there in the desert… We’re the right band, ACHTUNG BABY the right album, and the Sphere the right venue to take the live experience of music to the next level… That’s what U2’s been trying to do all along with our satellite stages and video installations, most memorably on the ZOO TV Tour, which ended in Tokyo 30 years ago this Fall.
The Sphere is more than just a venue, it’s a gallery and U2’s music is going to be all over the walls.
The Edge added separately “The beauty of the Sphere is not only the ground-breaking technology that will make it so unique, with the world’s most advanced audio system, integrated into a structure which is designed with sound quality as a priority; it’s also the possibilities around immersive experience in real and imaginary landscapes. In short, it’s a canvas of an unparalleled scale and image resolution and a once-in-a-generation opportunity. We all thought about it and decided we’d be mad not to accept the invitation.”
U2 is acknowledged as one of the best live acts in the world. Formed in Dublin in 1978, the band were marked out by their drive and ambition from the beginning. U2 has toured the globe countless times, released 14 studio albums, sold over 170 million albums and won numerous awards, including 22 Grammys and Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience award. U2 were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.
The band has also released “One” from their new album Songs Of Surrender – a collection of 40 seminal U2 songs from across the band’s catalog, re-recorded and reimagined for 2023 in sessions spanning the last two years which sees the band revisit some of the most celebrated songs of their 40+ year career, to be released in full on Friday March 17th. A special world premiere of “One” could be heard during the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Super Bowl feature.
MSG Sphere will introduce a new medium of entertainment, where fans will feel the impact of bands inside the world’s most experiential venue. MSG Sphere will introduce the first 16K screen that wraps up, around, and behind the audience. Sphere Immersive Sound will deliver pitch perfect audio to every seat in the house, with 4D technologies letting the audience feel the wind on their face, the heat on their skin and the rumble of thunder. The ‘U2 UV Achtung Baby Live At The Sphere’ opening series of shows will tap into this exclusive technology, allowing fans to experience something completely new.
With approximately 17,500 seats and a scalable capacity up to 20,000 guests, MSG Sphere at The Venetian will become the venue of choice for a wide variety of content, including Sphere experiences, concert residencies, product launches, and marquee events. In addition to the world’s highest resolution LED screen, MSG Entertainment has developed a multi-layered audio system – Sphere Immersive Sound – equipped with thousands of speakers that utilize beamforming technology to deliver targeted, crystal-clear and consistent audio to every seat in the house.
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. Executive Chairman and CEO James L. Dolan said, “MSG Sphere’s advanced technology allows a legendary band like U2 to bring its music to life in entirely new ways. The Sphere is a new medium that will redefine entertainment.”
The venue will also feature 4D multi-sensory technologies such as immersive seating, evocative scents and changing temperatures, to take experiential storytelling to an entirely new level. The impactful exosphere, exterior screen features a fully programmable display, the largest LED screen on Earth. MSG Sphere at the Venetian is scheduled to open Fall 2023.
Fans around the globe can register now to receive more information regarding U2 at the MSG Sphere show dates and on sale details once they are announced.
The New York State Blues Festival has announced the headlining acts for the 2023 edition of the event, happening June 15-17 at Chevy Court at the NYS Fairgrounds.
Buddy Guy is headlining the New York State Blues Festival.
The New York State Blues Festival, one of the largest free blues events in the Northeast, has announced the headlining acts for the 2023 year. The festival is an annual three-day event that showcases a collection of regional and national artists from multiple genres, with roots saturated in tradition and vision. Their mission statement is to preserve, protect and promote blues music and culture, educating on the role of the blues in the development of popular music in the US and around the world.
Healing night one of the festival is the blues rock guitar duo Blood Brothers featuring Mike Zito & Albert Castiglia. The second night features the Memphis-based group, Southern Avenue, bringing bring their deeply soulful funky grooves. The last night always features the biggest names, with blues legend Buddy Guy, who has influenced generations of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, and more. Samantha Fish plays the support spot just prior to him.
A variety of food vendors will be onsite and wine & beer will be sold. The New York State Blues Festival is free to attend, with all ages welcome. Parking in the Fairground’s Brown Lot is available for $10 per car and $5 per motorcycle. If you would like to enhance your experience, ProAct Blues Club VIP passes are currently available, and early bird pricing is in effect until 11 a.m. Friday, April 7.
Main Stage
Thursday, June 15
4 pm – GATE OPENS
5:30 pm – 6:45 – Fillmore Blues Band
7:15 pm – 8:30 pm – Brandon Santini
9:00 pm – 11 pm – Blood Brothers ft. Mike Zito & Albert Castiglia
Each Sunday evening from 7-9 p.m. you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up-and-coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear new music from Laveda and Modern Fools.
WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.
Laveda is an American indie dream rock band from Albany. Toronto-based blog Ohestee says that founding members “Jacob Brooks and Ali Genevich explore the great yawning unknown. From the freedom and uncertainty that rests at your fingertips or the distant and possibly desolate future, they capture adolescent restlessness with big walls of sound and a dreamy melodious warble.” Their debut album What Happens After is out now, and they will be going on tour, coming to New York City on March 8.
Modern Fools don’t fall into just one genre, creating music that can be classified as country, folk, alternative, or even indie. “Gone” is the first single from their new album Strange Offering coming on May 5. The music video for the song was shot on a cold day in downtown Peterborough, NH and they aren’t done releasing new music, saying on their Facebook to “Stay tuned for part two of what we are calling “The Ballad of Sad-Sack” in the coming weeks.”
The Highlights in Jazz concert series celebrates its 50th anniversary on Thursday, Feb. 23, at 8 p.m. at BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center.
Founded and produced by Jack Kleinsinger, Highlights in Jazz is New York’s longest-running Jazz concert series. NEA Jazz Master Sheila Jordan, guitarist Russell Malone, and bassist Jay Leonhart will accompany the anniversary show, along with surprise guests.
Photo credit: Highlights in Jazz
The milestone 50th anniversary of Jack Kleinsinger’s Highlights in Jazz has experienced delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, he never lost hope. “I was sure I’d celebrate this anniversary, though I wasn’t sure it would happen in 2023,” says producer Kleinsinger. “I was determined to do a 50th concert somehow. And here I am, at it again,” he notes with a laugh.
The Highlights in Jazz concert series has attracted the attention of not only audiences but musicians as well. “I must be there,” declared Sheila Jordan, as soon as she heard the golden anniversary concert was in the works. The anniversary concert marks a return after a short absence for Jordan, last performing at the March 22, 2022 show.
The singer is a force to reckon with, still performing at the age of 94. “Sheila lives by Sheila’s laws, she blows my mind,” declares fellow musician Art Baron. Baron and Jordan have known each other since the ’80s, and have performed together alongside Roswell Rudd, George Gruntz, and others.
Unlike previous years, the 50th-anniversary show for Highlights in Jazz will not feature a “living legends” concert, due to this year’s abbreviated schedule. “Since the start, we saluted a living jazz artist every year. I believe in doing it while they’re alive and it means something, that’s part of our tradition. Lionel Hampton was the first living legend we saluted and it became an annual tradition,” Kleinsinger said. However, two previous living legend honorees, bassist Jay Leonhart, and guitarist Russell Malone are part of the 50th-anniversary lineup.
This year’s Tribeca performance comes as Kleinsinger does some serious reflection on his career. “This may be the last concert I ever do. “It’s bittersweet because there have been so many losses to covid. I’m ready to pack it in. I’m doing one concert, I’m not ready to do a whole season, that’s a lot of work,” Kleinsinger said.
Whether the Highlights in Jazz 50th anniversary will mark Kleinsinger’s last hurrah is still to be determined, but fans can always count on Kleinsinger to continue supporting the music and the musicians so dear to him.
Tickets for the Highlights in Jazz 50th Anniversary Gala are available here.
Indie-Rock band Path has released “All I Wanna Do”, the first single from their upcoming third LP entitled You’re Gonna Be Alright. This release comes on the heels of the recent success of their 2018 single Eugene, which amassed more than a million streams on Spotify since 2020.
All I Wanna Do single artwork
“Music has always been my main outlet for bottled up emotions” says Path frontman Sam Keeler. “Writing and recording music is often a difficult experience. I tend to get stuck in dark places while I’m trying to put certain feelings into music. I don’t know what changed, but this time around everything came from a positive place and I found the entire process to be really constructive on a personal level. I guess you can say this is an album about personal growth and getting to know yourself better.”
“For this most recent project, I made a point to shift my focus from looking inward to looking outward and forward. “All I Wanna Do” was one of the first songs I wrote for the album and I remember just wanting to make a simple love song. I was pulling myself out of a difficult period in my life around that time and I think that this track reflects that transitional period pretty clearly.”
Path’s signature sound has been documented by WXPN Philadelphia, Indie Underground, and Divide and Conquer, among others. WXPN notes “The five-piece band has a pointedly emotional and dreamy soundscape, seen on their two self-produced LP’s. Their new release features warm looping guitars and airy vocals, creating a contrasting soundscape of dazzling clarity and fuzziness. Indie-rock, soft folk and the band’s self-described ‘love rock’ all feel like appropriate labels for the track, but an enchanting breath of fresh mountain air could also serve to describe the start of what listeners feel as they fill in the rest of the gaps.”
Crediting Path’s rich, heartfelt sound, their 2018 sophomore album Still was embraced by critics and music fans alike as a hidden treasure of northeastern indie rock and folk music. Although still personal and poetic, You’re Gonna Be Alright features a fuller and more developed sound than their previous two records while maintaining the core characteristics that make their sound so alluring.
Path will tour the Eastern US this summer in support of the new record.
Hudson Hall has announced their beloved Hudson Jazz Festival will be returning for the 2023 season.
Taking place in New York State’s oldest surviving theater, the Hudson Jazz Festival began in February 2018 as a way to celebrate one of America’s greatest art forms in Hudson Hall’s historic 1855 theater.
The festival reflects Hudson Hall’s mission of not just promoting the arts, but supporting its community. The festival was intentionally programmed in February as a way to bring business to Hudson during the traditionally slower shoulder season.
In 2020, Hudson Hall added a visual arts exhibition that became an ongoing element of the festival. Featured artists have included Reggie Madison, Tschabalala Self, David Hammons, Bijan Mahmoodi, among others. This year features an exhibition by local artist and designer, Marine Penvern. The 2023 Hudson Jazz Festival kicks off with an exhibition opening party on Thursday, February 16 from 5-7pm.
In 2022, the Hudson Jazz Festival doubled in size, expanding from one four-day weekend to two. Entitled “Lift Every Voice”, the 2022 Hudson Jazz Festival featured Jazzmeia Horn, The Baylor Project, Jimmy Greene, Alexis Morrast, Warren Wolf, and Daniel J. Watts, who was presented in a new partnership with the Louis Armstrong House & Museum that included archival film screenings and a masterclass for youth.
Located just two hours outside NYC, Hudson Hall is a nonprofit arts organization offering a year-round schedule of music, theater, dance, visual arts, literature, free workshops for youth and adults, as well as family programs and large-scale community events such as Winter Walk.
2023 Festival Lineup
WEEKEND ONE: (February 16-19, 2023) Thursday, February 16 at 7pm Exhibition Opening – Marine Penvern: Body & Soul
Friday, February 17 at 7pm Sarah Elizabeth Charles: SEC & SCOPE
Saturday, February 18 at 7pm Marquis Hill: New Gospel Revisited
Sunday, February 19 at 3pm Michael Mayo
WEEKEND TWO (February 23-26, 2023) Thursday, February 23 at 7pm Ulysses Owens Jr. and Generation Y
Friday, February 24 at 7pm Lucy Yeghiazaryan and Vanisha Gould : In Her Words
Saturday, February 25 at 7pm Aaron Parks & Samantha Rise: Dreaming Home
Sunday, February 26 at 3pm Endea Owens & The Cookout
Hudson Jazz Festival tickets are available at Hudson Hall’s website.
In the culmination to their countdown of hip hop’s best ever rappers, — as part of a collaborative effort to celebrate Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary — Billboard and Vibe have named Jay-Z the number 1 rapper in the history of hip hop. The rollout began with a January 11 reveal of the rappers ranked 50-41. Each week since, the two publications have revealed 10 more rappers, with the top 10 released on Wednesday.
This latest designation caps off an eventful week for Hov who was not only nominated for 5 Grammys, but also returned to the music award show’s stage as performer after an 8-year absence. The 24-time Grammmy winner performed alongside hip hop heavyweights DJ Khaled, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, John Legend, and relative newcomer Fridayy on their thrice nominated hit-record “God Did” at the 65th annual Grammy Awards. The Brooklynite also extended his lead as the rapper to receive the most-ever Grammy nominations with 88.
Impact of Rankings
While Jay-Z’s coronation caused plenty of social media stir, the rest of the top 10 created many talking points itself. Filling out spots 2-10 are Kendrick Lamar, Nas, 2Pac, Eminem, The Notorious B.I.G., Lil Wayne, Drake, Snoop Dogg and Nicki Minaj. Notably, Kendrick Lamar–fresh off his 2023 Grammy win for Best Rap Album — was a point of contention. The Compton bred rapper leapfrogged the likes of 2Pac, Notorious B.I.G. and Eminem. The formers have long held a spot on hip hop’s Mount Rushmore, while the latter is the highest selling rapper of all-time. Similarly, Nas’ ranking is a well-deserved honor for someone who hasn’t always gotten his due. Although, he’ll have to settle for third behind his once-rival, Jay-Z.
Meanwhile, Queens native Nicki Minaj was the highest-charting woman on the list. Others cracking the top 50 include, Missy Elliot (19), Lauryn Hill (30), Lil Kim (31), Queen Latifah (44) and MC Lyte (47).
For the second year in a row Talib Kweli perfomed at The Blue Note with legendary jazz pianist Bob James. Kweli brought a few of Hip-Hop’s biggest names as special guests including DMC, Slick Rick and Rakim plus a full band for the shows held on February 7th – 9th.
Since 1981, The Blue Note has been called home by some of the greatest jazz musicians including Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Brown and Tito Puente. Stevie Wonder, Tony Bennett, Liza Minelli and many others have also performed there. The club is a cultural institution in New York City.
Talib Kweli is one of the most lyrically-gifted rappers to emerge in the last 20 years. He was born in Brooklyn but made his debut in 1997 with five appearances on the album Doom by Cincinnati group Mood. That is where he also met Hi-Tech and collaborated on a few underground recordings as Reflection Eternal.
When returning to New York, he formed Black Star with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def. They then released their critically acclaimed album Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star in 1998. Talib has also had a huge solo career including collaborations with producers and rappers Kanye West, Just Blaze, Madlib and Pharrell Williams. Next month Kweli and Madlib will be dropping the sequel to their 2007 album Liberation.
Bob James is undoubtedly one of Hip-Hop’s most sampled artists. James recorded his first solo album after being discovered by Quincy Jones at the Notre Dame Jazz Festival in 1963. Two of his songs, “Nautilus” and “Take Me to the Mardi Gras” are among the most sampled in hip hop history. The title track to James’ 1981 album Sign of the Times was sampled in De La Soul’s “Keepin’ the Faith” and Warren G’s “Regulate”. N.W.A.’s “Alwayz into Somthin” uses a sample of “Storm King” from the album Three. He also wrote “Angela”, the theme song for the TV show Taxi which he performed at Tuesday’s show.
On Tuesday night, Talib Kweli’s special guest was Darryl “DMC” McDaniels. They performed Run-DMC hits “Rock Box”, “It’s Tricky”, “Peter Piper” and “Walk This Way.” Run-DMC is regarded as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture and probably the most famous hip hop act of the 1980’s. The group was among the first to highlight the importance of the MC and the DJ relationship. They were the first hip hop act to achieve a Gold Record and also the first to go platinum. Their cover of “Walk This Way” actually featured Aerosmith and became one of the best known songs in hip hop and rock while combining the two cultures.
Havoc from Mobb Deep also made an appearance at Talib Kweli’s Tuesday night show. Him and Kweli performed Mobb Deep classics “The Learning” and “Quiet Storm”. Kweli’s band, Whisky Boys, include Brady Watt on bass, Chris Rob on keys, Matthias Loescher on guitar an Camau Bernstine on drums.
Long Island-based alternative acoustic “mom rock” group Phil Firetog Trio & Co. have just released their upcoming single “How A Heart Breaks.” The single is an uptempo pop-rock track about dealing with grief and memorializing loved ones.
“How A Heart Breaks” describes heartache whilst retaining the intensity of rock progressions, paired with emotionally charged lyrics. They have also recently released their fan-favorite single, “Fall,” the first track to include the “Company” performing alongside the trio and their latest holiday-themed single “Long Island Christmas Eve.” The band is set to perform five shows in Westhampton Beach in February and March.
Phil Firetog Trio & Co. was formed in 2015 and is composed of a Phil Firetog (lead vocalist/guitarist), Johnny “Pots” Potocnik (drummer), Liam Gordon (bassist), Tye Granger (saxophone) and Gabriel Nekrutman (flute/clarinet/alto sax). Each member of the band is diversely talented, they are musicians who blend their individual and distinct styles to craft a sound that is truly rare.
Singer/Songwriter Phil Firetog develops music that is rich and intricate and spans the spectrum from clean to grit and ambient to rocking by mastering acoustic guitars with pedals and distorted amps. Johnny “Pots” Potocnik & Liam Gordon fill the spaces with complex & rhythmic grooves, intriguing listeners while they connect on another level outside the lyrical storytelling.
The band will continue new single releases in 2022 starting in September with their release of “Fall”. It’s clear that Trio and Company will continue to reshape and reinvent itself in this ever-shifting industry while staying on the edge of new sounds and genres – never losing the essence of the core trio: ‘Rare and Transformative’
Upcoming Tour Dates:
FEB 04 – @ Westhampton Beach Brewing Co. Westhampton Beach, NY
FEB 18 – @ Connolly’s Pub & Restaurant 45th St. New York City, NY
MAR 03 – @ Westhampton Beach Brewing Co. Westhampton Beach, NY
APR 22 – @ Westhampton Beach Brewing Co. Westhampton Beach, NY
MAY 20 – @ Westhampton Beach Brewing Co. Westhampton Beach, NY
For more information on tour dates and to purchase tickets, click the link here.
