NYS Music 2023

Category: Regions

  • The Empire State Youth Orchestra Announces the 2023-24 Concert Season

    The Empire State Youth Orchestra are excited to announce their upcoming 2023-2024 season entitled ‘Breathe!’ The first concert of the season begins with a performance by the ESYO featuring William Lauricella on Saturday, October 29 at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.

    The Empire State Youth Orchestra challenges and inspires young people to achieve excellence through music in a progressive learning environment leading to high-level performance opportunities.  More than 500 youth from New York’s Capital Region and western New England are selected by audition each year to perform in ESYO. With 14 performing ensembles and orchestras suiting a range of playing levels, members receive training from outstanding conductors and coaches, and tutelage from extraordinary guest artists.

    In 2015, ESYO launched CHIME (Creating Harmony Inspiring Musical Excellence) in Schenectady to address fundamental inequities preventing universal access to high level music opportunities for youth. Today, this free music program serves more than 150 students in partnership with the Schenectady and Albany City School Districts. 

    Founded in 1979, ESYO is a not-for-profit organization that has been recognized as a premier music education/performance program for youth and has received three ASCAP awards.

    “I think of music like a living thing: we can explore how it breathes, and we can tune into its pulse, If an orchestra doesn’t breathe, it’s not really alive. This year, we will breathe more fully with each other and with the music, so we can live in the present moment and truly connect with each other and the world around us.”

    – Etienne Abelin Symphony Orchestra Conductor

    The engaging performance series is a celebration of unity, harmony and the collective spirit of music, allowing musicians and audiences to breathe together in the shared experience of live orchestral performances. In addition, the musicians will explore various interpretations of breath through the repertoire under an authoritarian regime. This season will challenge ESYO musicians to learn and perform a piece on stage without a conductor giving them the opportunity to sense the pulse, embody the music, breathe and work together as a whole. The public is invited to celebrate these outstanding musicians and savor the joy and magic of their live musical talent.

    Ticket information, venue details, and the full concert schedule is available at esyo.org/news-concerts.

    ESYO 2023-2024 Concert Season

    Oct 29th, 2023 – EMPIRE STATE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONCERT FEATURING WILLIAM LAURICELLA – Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

    Nov 5, 2023 – REPERTORY ORCHESTRA, STRING ORCHESTRA, AND CONCERTINO STRINGS – Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

    Nov 5, 2023 – PERCUSSION ENSEMBLES – Brown School, Schenectady

    Nov 19, 2023 – YOUTH AND REPERTORY JAZZ ORCHESTRAS – Carl B. Taylor Community Auditorium, SUNY Schenectady

    Dec 10, 2023 – WIND ORCHESTRA CHAMBER MUSIC – Massry Center for the Arts, College of St. Rose

    Dec 14-17, 2023 – MELODIES OF CHRISTMAS FEATURING ESYO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND MELODIES OF CHRISTMAS CHORALE – Produced by CBS 6 at Proctors Theater, Schenectady

    Dec 17, 2023 – PERCUSSION ENSEMBLES HOLIDAY CONCERT – Massry Center for the Arts, College of St. Rose

    Feb 14, 2024 – REPERTORY ORCHESTRA AND CONCERTINO STRINGS – Location TBD

    Feb 15, 2024 – STRING AND YOUTH JAZZ ORCHESTRAS – Carl B. Taylor Community Auditorium, SUNY Schenectady

    March 10, 2024  – WIND ORCHESTRA AND REPERTORY JAZZ ORCHESTRA – Massry Center for the Arts, College of St. Rose

    March 11, 2024 – FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC WITH ESYO PERCUSSION ENSEMBLES – University of Albany Performing Arts Center

    March 23, 2024 – PLAYATHON – Crossgates Mall 

    April 21, 2024 – SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FEATURING THE 2024 CONCERTO COMPETITION WINNER – Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

    May 4, 2024 –  REPERTORY ORCHESTRA AND STRING ORCHESTRA – Zankel Music Center – Skidmore

    May 5, 2024 – CONCERTINO STRINGS, WOODWINDS AND BRASS ENSEMBLES – Location TBD

    May 5, 2024 – PERCUSSION ENSEMBLES AND CONCERTINO PERCUSSION – Brown School

    May 10, 2024 – YOUTH AND REPERTORY JAZZ ORCHESTRAS – Carl B. Taylor Community Auditorium, SUNY Schenectady

    May 12, 2024 – WIND ORCHESTRA CHAMBER ORCHESTRA AND CHAMBER MUSIC – Massry Center for the Arts, College of St. Rose

    June 2, 2024 – FESTIVAL OF YOUNG ARTISTS – Saratoga Performing Arts Center

  • Bandcamp United Launches Petition, Fights For Employee Rights Amidst Songtradr Acquisition

    Bandcamp United, a union comprised of Bandcamp employees, released a statement last week in response to the recent sale of the company to Songtradr, a music marketing company. They have launched a petition, demanding better employee treatment, among other things.

    According to Relix, the union acknowledged being engaged in negotiations with the company since August, reached out to Songtradr CEO Paul Wiltshire with a request for voluntary recognition, having not heard from Songtradr. According to Bandcamp United, most Bandcamp workers have had access revoked to critical systems by Epic Games during the transition.

    For almost 15 years, Bandcamp has been built on the idea of community. It has functioned as much more
    than a marketplace, providing a way for artists to connect and communicate with fans directly and for
    like-minded artists to find one another. Bandcamp has always stood strong in its beliefs and its place in
    the community that it has helped foster. Maintaining that value is critical for artists everywhere, and it starts with valuing the workers who have built it into the beloved platform it is today.

    They are pushing for demands that include job offers for all employees, clear, fair, and consistent voluntary severance offers, and recognition of their union at Songtradr, with a swift continuation of negotiations while retaining the progress achieved at the bargaining table. They added that Songtradr is “offering positions to workers on a rolling basis with a 72-hour turnaround for acceptance despite the sales documents stipulating that the Purchaser allow 7 days to consider the offer.”

    The integrity of the workers who build Bandcamp is a crucial aspect of the company’s ability to uphold its values. Bandcamp’s core mission is best protected by retaining all workers and by those workers having a seat at the table.

    Cami Ramirez-Arau, Support Specialist

    The union has initiated a petition, urging supporters to call on Wiltshire to acknowledge Bandcamp United. Songtradr has since issued a statement, saying “We have received Bandcamp United’s letter and are reviewing it. Supporting the Bandcamp community will be our number one priority once the purchase is completed.” They went on to say that “Not all Bandcamp employees will receive offers from Songtradr. Based on its current financials, Bandcamp requires some adjustments to ensure a sustainable and healthy company that can serve its community of artists and fans long into the future.”

    Ed Blair, another support specialist said, “Bandcamp isn’t Bandcamp without the people who build and maintain the website – we are the people who made this website the platform it is for artists. Songtradr not immediately recognizing Bandcamp United is a worrying indicator that they have misunderstood the value of Bandcamp. It’s not a platform or a portal, it is a painstakingly hand-crafted community. The workers who make up Bandcamp United are essential for the future of Bandcamp.”

    You can read more about Bandcamp United here.

  • A-Zal, NYC-Based Acoustic Pop Artist, Drops Single “Lonely Town”

    A-Zal, a New York City-based acoustic pop artist has released his newest track, “Lonely Town,” a ballad to the quiet side of the city of New York. The release comes as a follow up to his most recent release, “Movie Script,” from August 2023.

    Lonely Town

    Migrating to the US in 2018, A-Zal found a quiet, intimate side of the city through integrating with a new city and country. 

    When I first came to New York, the glamour and energy of Midtown NYC pulled me like a magnet. But, I eventually got refuge in the unexplored streets of the city which had an altogether different story. When I performed in the subway stations next to Times Square or Bryant Park, I had a large set of audience members who would listen to my music while they passed me. However, as I went to the quieter side of uptown, I had very few listeners. And, the magic happened when these handful of listeners grew in number and turned into my real fans.

    A-Zal

    “Lonely Town” is a heartfelt, acoustic ballad that follows A-Zal’s search for company in such a vast city environment. As he navigates the “lonely town,” an ironic title considering the gradiosity of the city, the crowds and skyscrapers escape his perspective, and the city becomes his true companion.

    A-Zal

    A-Zal’s latest track, “Movie Script,” released in August to great success, climbing to the Mediabase TOP 40 Activator Charts within just two weeks of its release. After working with Marvel Studios on the popular TV series, Loki and Ms. Marvel, A-Zal is expecting an upcoming album, 17 & 11 Nights, soon after his newest singles.

    “Lonely Town” is now available alongside an official music video, capturing A-Zal’s journey from India to the United States in pursuit of the famed “american dream.” The video follows him as he reminisces on performances in New York City subway stations, before his most recent big break with Marvel Studios.

  • The Orchestra Now to Perform Exodus: Jewish Composers in Exile at Carnegie Hall

    The Orchestra Now is set to begin their 2023-24 season at Carnegie Hall on November 7th with a program titled Exodus: Jewish Composers in Exile, directed by Leon Botstein. The performance marks TON’s first show in New York City this seasons, and features four works. 

    Carnegie Hall, NYC

    The night’s composers will be Alexandre Tansman, Josef Tal, Walter Kaufmann and Marcel Rubin, all of whom wrote their pieces while in exile from their homelands during World War II. 

    Tansman, a multi-genre composers as well as pianist, fled Europe for the United States in 1941. His piece to be performed, Polish Rhapsody, was inspired by the invasion of Poland and dedicated “to the defenders of Warsaw.” 

    Josef Tal’s Exodus is based on the Passover Haggadah, and debuted with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra after Tal’s emigration to Jerusalem in 1942. The Orchestra Now’s performance will be the NYC debut of Exodus.

    Walter Kaufmann’s An Indian Symphony was inspired by his emigration to India, where he lived for 14 years in Bombay after exile. This performance will also be the NYC debut of An Indian Symphony.

    Finally, Marcel Rubin’s Symphony No. 4, Dies irae, is a reflection of his experiences during World War II. As a winner of the Grand Austrian State Prize for Music and the Gold Medal of Vienna, Rubin spent time in France and Mexico after leaving Vienna.

    The Orchestra Now

    Director Leon Botstein will lead The Orchestra Now in the performance of these four pieces. The show will take place on November 7 at 7PM at Carnegie Hall, New York City. Tickets are available now online at carnegiehall.org, by phone at 212.247.7800, or at the Carnegie Hall box office at 57th & Seventh Avenue in Manhattan.

  • Explosions In The Sky Showcase ‘End’ At Kings Theatre

    Texas based post-rockers Explosions In The Sky just released End, their eighth studio LP and first in more than seven years. The band is currently on the road, making their way to Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre on Thursday, October 5th to showcase the new record in a truly perfect setting. The historic theatre is just as cinematic as the band’s signature sprawling instrumentals, which effortlessly reverberated around the spacious theater.

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    Explosions In The Sky at Kings Theatre, 10/5/2023. Photo by Joseph Buscarello

    Explosions In The Sky have mastered the art of the cinematic soundtrack over their career, with End being no exception. Aside from eight studio records, the band soundtracked several films including the enormously successful Friday Night Lights. The quartet’s instrumentals are uniquely suitable for the big screen as well as a focused LP. Their three-guitar approach allows them to layer lush and complex loops that suck the listener into a meditative experience. The music swells to climactic crescendos surrounded by moments of minimal beauty that keep you engaged for the entire album.

    Thursday night was an exciting draw for any fan of Explosions In The Sky. The band does not tour all that often to begin with, and Kings Theatre is the type of venue that would perfectly amplify the band’s instrumentals. The show started off with an opening set from the Jim White (drums) and Marisa Anderson (guitar). For thirty minutes, the duo bounced back and forth between complex drum passages and swirling guitar arpeggios, integrating with each other at times but also playing solo here and there. The entire set felt like a singular, continuous piece that was flushed out in the moment on stage. Kings was filled in early and the crowd cheered the duo on as the set continued to evolve.

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    Explosions In The Sky at Kings Theatre, 10/5/2023. Photo by Joseph Buscarello

    The opening duo set the tone for the night, hinting at the atmosphere that was about to take over the theater. Explosions In The Sky took to the stage to a thunderous ovation as they picked up their guitars and got ready for the show. As the first notes of “First Breath After Coma” rang out, from easily the crowd favorite 2003 LP The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place, the audience erupted into a joyous fervor. The band would play a couple more tracks from this album at Kings Theatre, but also added a last minute show at Bowery Ballroom on Sunday, October 8th where they would play the record in full.

    The show rolled on, treating fans to a mix of songs from all over Explosions In The Sky’s catalog, blending the art of cinematic soundscapes with the live show setting to maximum effect. There is only one more stop in the U.S. on this tour, taking place on October 20th in Miami at the III Points Music Festival. After that, the band heads over to Europe for a run of shows throughout November. Head over to their website for the full itinerary and check out our photo gallery from Kings Theatre below.

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    explosions in the sky kings theatre

  • Cayuga Chamber Orchestra’s “Beethoven’s Eighth” to be Showcased this October

    The Cayuga Chamber Orchestra will hold its second Orchestral Series Concert of the 2023-24 season at Ithaca College this October. Called “Beethoven’s Eighth,” the program is led by Music Director Finalist Guillaume Pirard and features Cellist Guy Johnston.

    The CCO was founded in 1976 and is officially designated “Ithaca’s Orchestra.” Each season for the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra includes an Orchestral Series, Chamber Music Series, a Holiday concert, free Family Concerts, and the long-standing Willard Daetsch Youth Outreach Program, which earned the 2015 Yale Distinguished Music Educator award. In 2017, the CCO added a Youth Orchestra, which offers a high quality symphony orchestra experience for youth in Ithaca and the Finger Lakes region of New York State.

    The Cayuga Chamber Orchestra’s concert will open with Arvo Pärt’s meditative In Spe, followed by Shostakovich’s haunting Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major, and the evening will be closed with Beethoven’s jubilant Symphony No. 8. There is also a free Pre-concert chat with the conductor and soloist at 6:30 pm.

    With a deep belief in the power of collaborative music making to create transformational experiences for musicians and audiences alike, Guillaume Pirard has become a highly respected artist and educator of his generation. Since making his debut with the Orlando Philharmonic, Pirard has conducted the New York University and Cornell University Orchestras, Ensemble X, Opus Ithaca, the Philharmonic of Moravia, the Metamorphosis Chamber Orchestra, the Lviv Philharmonic, the Mannes School of Music Opera and the Mannes Orchestra, and served as Assistant Conductor for the Buffalo Philharmonic and
    Ensemble 21.

    As co-concertmaster and founding member of The Knights, Pirard toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe with performances at the Tonhalle in Zurich, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg and the Muziverein in Vienna, and major festival appearances at Tanglewood, Ravinia, Caramoor, Skaneateles, the Festival-de-Paques in Aix-en-Provence and the Salzburg Festpiele. Pirard is serving as Visiting Professor of Violin at Ithaca College for the 2023-24 academic year.

    Guy Johnston is one of the most exciting British cellists of his generation. His early successes included winning the BBC Young Musician of the Year, and significant awards, notably the Shell London Symphony Orchestra Gerald MacDonald Award, Suggia Gift Award and a Young British Classical Performer Brit Award. He has performed with many leading international orchestras including the London Philharmonic, Ulster Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, NHK Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony, Britten Sinfonia, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, Moscow Philharmonic and St Petersburg Symphony.

    The concert will take place Saturday, October 21 at 7:30pm in Ford Hall at Ithaca College.

    For more information and “late edition” subscriptions or single tickets, visit CCOithaca.org.

  • Danielle Ponder Opens Rochester’s Newest Venue, Essex

    Well before the doors to Essex opened on Friday night, a line rounded the corner and the energy was palpable. Not only would Rochester be gaining its first glimpse of a much-anticipated brand-new live music venue, Essex, but the lucky ones with tickets would also bear witness the return to a local stage to their now internationally revered darling Danielle Ponder. It was the first night of a sold-out two-night stand for the blooming soul-singing star.

    As for Essex itself, entry was easy and efficient. The main area is nearly square, with four load-bearing posts defining an ideal center viewing area. This middle area was fairly packed up until about three-quarters back, with plenty of room to be found on the outer edges. Two easily-accessible bars resided in the back corners, selling a variety of beer, wine and liquor. The walls were painted black brick, with black curtains lining the back wall. Subtle downlighting surrounded the posts and walls, keeping the area well enough lit without distracting from the stage. The stage was intimately low but high enough to see from the back, and was well-lit with a variety of LEDs behind and in front. Two large TVs flanked the stage about a quarter way back. With private individual bathrooms, no one of any sexual orientation will be waiting more than any other.

    Ponder took the stage solo, sitting with an acoustic guitar, just as she did twenty years ago when she was first giving the solo musician thing a whirl down the road at Java’s Cafe. Harking back to her very beginnings, she sang one of the tunes she sang then, “The Passion” by Lauryn Hill. Contrasting that immediately, she gave the crowd a glimpse of the future, and a glimpse of her songwriting process, playing “Thoughts,” a song dedicated to those struggling with self doubt, for the first time live, raw and unfiltered.

    From there, her band entered, and it was back to the material the world has been falling in love with, “Some of Us Are Brave,” “The Only Way Out,” “So Long,” and more from her breakout hit album, and others from further back like “Be Gentle,” and “Holding Me Down.”

    During “Someone Like You,” another Rochester legend, Grammy-winning saxophonist Jimmy Highsmith Jr. came out to add some of his signature horn work. She didn’t let him leave the stage without letting everyone know how instrumental Highsmith was in nurturing her career. As a young artist she attended one of his shows and asked for his advice. He sat with her and her band for over an hour encouraging them and giving them hope that people from Rochester could definitely “make it.”

    She closed with her show-stopping rendition of Radiohead’s “Creep.” Thom Yorke may have abandoned it, but Ponder can now claim ownership with what must certainly be the best version of the song out there. She explained that she premiered the song years ago at the tiny UUU Art Gallery on State Street.

    From Highsmith’s inspiration, to Java’s, to UUU Art Gallery, and now to Essex, Ponder connected the dots of her career and Rochester’s instrumental part in it. She explained that whenever she plays she always opens with, “I am Danielle Ponder from Rochester New York!” And after every show, no matter where she is, someone will invariably approach her to tell her that their friend from Rochester told them to see her.

    Years from now, when the long-standing institution Essex is celebrating it’s own 50th anniversary, here’s a bit of trivia: the first artist to grace the stage was actually Chi the Realist, who opened the show. A local budding rap talent, he and his band also delved into history, celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip hop with his own unique take on the form, amply warming up the stage for Ponder and providing a proper kick-off for the newest hot spot on the block.

    Here’s what’s happening in Essex’s immediate future:

    10/27 – Essex Halloween Pop Off with DJ Pepi

    10/28 – Mothership (The Led Zeppelin Experience)

    11/9 – Lucero, with Jason Boland and the Stragglers

    11/11 – Marty O’Reilly

    11/16 – Joywave with Cammy Enaharo and Bugcatcher

    11/17 – Joywave with Clibbus and Cheap Kids

    11/18 – Hypnotic Brass Ensemble

    12/9 – Mikaela Davis

  • Marco Benevento & Friends Announce Benefit Show for Woodstock’s Forest

    Marco Benevento & Friends are standing up against the largest development in Woodstock history with The Trees Are Listening: Music for a Cause. The benefit concert for the Stop Woodstock National LLC Coalition is set to take place at Colony in Woodstock on Oct. 22 and feature Marco Benevento & Friends.

    The Marco Benevento & Friends set will feature Simi Stone, Karina Rykman, Chris Corsico, Leslie Mendelson, Aaron Johnston (Brazilian Girls), Jeff Hill (Steve Earle), Bill Carbone (Max Creek) and Danny Blume.

    According to JamBands, The Stop Woodstock National Coalition is a community-based group working with the Woodstock Land Conservancy, preparing to combat a plan proposed by Woodstock National LLC. The plan wants to wipe out 620+ acres of forest and wetlands—the largest forested tract along Sawkill Creek— and replace them with 191 housing units, a golf course, and a helipad. 

    “We have so many concerns,” said Andy Mossey, the director of the Woodstock Land Conservancy of the development that has been designated a “Critical Environmental Area” by the NYSDEC because of its importance to protecting “forest habitat, aquifer recharge zones, streams that feed into Sawkill Creek, wildlife habitats, and traffic.”

    Marc Benevento photo by Seth Olenick.

    Stop Woodstock National is putting the Town Board and agencies on notice with the stance that considering the negative environmental impact, the proposed project must be stopped. This project “has the potential to permanently change the Woodstock area, both in environmental quality and community character,” added Mossey. “It’s an utterly inappropriate project in the wrong location in the wrong community.” 

    Tickets for the Marco Benevento & Friends benefit show are on sale now.

  • MVW and Valee Drop Single ‘Tailor Swift’ In Anticipation of New Album ‘Valeedation’

    MVW and Valee continue their dynamic association with the release of their new single, “Tailor Swift.” A play on the name of pop superstar Taylor Swift, this latest record arrives as MVW and Valee gear up for the release of their debut joint-album, Valeedation. Set for release on October 20, the slowed-down, classically inspired tune follows a similar formula as the pair’s prior collaborations on MVW’s last two albums, CLASSIC$ and Connections.

    Valee and MVW song cover.

    In similar fashion, MVW juxtaposes Valee’s nonchalant delivery with refined instrumentation blending into a sound coined as “museum rap.” On “Tailor Swift” Valee rides MVW’s choppy, slowed-down production while expounding on his luxury-filled wardrobe. In usual fashion, Valee song title are often a precursor to a witty metaphor. Rapping, “white Gucci pants same color Taylor Swift. Yeah, getting measured in Gucci b*tch my tailor swift.”

    While Valee’s quick-witted one liners feel improvised, his meticulous approach to music and fashion has led to a cult-following, as he’s always provided a alternative sound and delivery to his contemporaries.

    Throughout my career I’ve been known to tailor my own clothes because I like them to fit a certain way. They have to be precise. I approached making this song the same way. When MVW sent it to me I knew it was the one.

    Valee on “Tailor Swift”

    Meanwhile, with each record, MVW aims to transport the listener into a world of musical radicalism. In effect, the two idiosyncratic artists serve a similar musical purpose, albeit with different approaches.

    The underlying sound and flow in Tailor Swift is essentially avant-garde, compounded by the depth of the entendres and visual metaphors, this track transports the listener into a world of radicalism.

    MVW on “Tailor Swift”

    The release of “Tailor Swift” arrives following the summer drops of “Could Be” and “Pistachio.” These two releases preluded the eventual collab-album from the frequent collaborators. While Valee remains a season vet of the hip hop world, Staten Island native MVW continues to build on a repertoire that has seen him work with other innovative rappers such as TiaCorine, Xavier Wulf, Lil Gotit, Matt Ox, Zelooperz and Anycia.

  • Yves Tumor Brings Glam and Goth Rock Revival to Terminal 5

    Yves Tumor and it’s band are having quite a busy year, starting off with releasing their stellar fifth LP back in March via Warp Records. Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) is a wildly experimental creative expression from an artist who has been pushing the boundaries of modern pop music ever since their debut. On Wednesday, October 4th, Yves Tumor took over Terminal 5 to kick off the fall leg of the tour which started in back in early spring.

    yves tumor terminal 5
    Yves Tumor at Terminal 5, 10/4/2023. Photo by Joseph Buscarello

    Yves Tumor first broke onto the scene in 2015 with their enigmatic debut record, When Man Fails You. Featuring swirling ambient loops, the record immerses the listener into a haunting yet meditative experience. Yves evolved their musical approach in 2018 with the vibrant Safe In The Hands Of Love. The album starts off with a bit of ambient soundscapes but flourishes of hip hop, house, industrial, and glam rock rotate in and out as the record progresses. The LP is loaded with musical twists and turns but seamlessly blends with a rich sound palate and vintage production style.

    Safe In The Hands Of Love catapulted Yves Tumor into a new realm of artistry and fanbase. In a modern world where music is saturated with artists trying to stand out, Yves truly crafted a brand new approach using elements from all over the musical spectrum. Glam rock ballads fade into pulsing ambient sections before raging darkwave grooves take over on the next track. Funky bass lines flutter all over the background while swirling synths fluctuate between Radiohead-like psychedelia and heavy industrial noise reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails. Neatly wrapped together with Yves deeply creative poetic verse, the music defies logic in the best way possible and remains surprisingly original.

    yves tumor terminal 5
    Yves Tumor at Terminal 5, 10/4/2023. Photo by Joseph Buscarello

    Yves Tumor’s success with the goth and glam rock revival continued with a few more releases leading up to 2023. Heaven To A Tortured Mind in 2020 picked up right where Safe In The Hands Of Love left off while a shorter EP, The Asymptotical World in 2021, dove deeper into glam rock with a more forward guitar presence.

    Fast forward to Wednesday night at Terminal 5; New York City was about to get their first taste of Yves Tumor’s latest record, which is a masterful culmination of the artist’s career to date. Fans flooded Terminal 5 with goth style, creating a palpable buzz in the room leading up to showtime. Once the houselights dropped, the pent up room erupted with a thunderous ovation to welcome the band on stage.

    yves tumor terminal 5
    Chris Greatti of Yves Tumor at Terminal 5, 10/4/2023. Photo by Joseph Buscarello

    Yves Tumor and it’s band wasted no time, playing three songs from Praise A Lord… to open things up. The album shines with the insatiable Chris Greatti’s guitar rock vibe but still surprises the listener with inventive experimental passages throughout. “God Is a Circle” got things started with a thick bass line as Yves’ chanted vocals bounced around the room, “Sometimes, it feels like/There’s places in my mind that I can’t go/There’s people in my life I still don’t know, yeah/Wander ‘round, I just feel like a ghost in a well.”

    The energy in the room was immense, growing stronger as the night went on. Yves loves to engage with the crowd, spending several songs in the pit letting fans sing along on the mic, signing autographs, and posing for photos all while the show rages on.

    The chemistry between Yves and the rest of the band is unmatched. At one point, Yves tossed an umbrella he was posing with over to Greatti who held it in his mouth while shredding the outro to “Secrecy Is Incredibly Important To The Both Of Them.” The two frequently embraced mid song, both clearly not wanting the show to end.

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    Yves Tumor at Terminal 5, 10/4/2023. Photo by Joseph Buscarello

    All shows however, must come to an end, and Yves Tumor closed Wednesday night at Terminal 5 with Praise A Lord… closing track “Ebony Eye”. The lush song builds to a climactic finish that left the entire crowd begging for more. If it was not for house security pushing fans towards the exits, I truly do not think this show would have ever ended.

    The tour does continue, and the show does not have to end if you can catch any of the dates left on their busy schedule. Head over to the band’s website for the full list of tour dates and if you have not seen Yves Tumor live, do not miss an opportunity to catch one of the most creative artists and invigorating live bands out there today.

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