NYS Music 2023

Category: Regions

  • Dirty Heads Sell Out Buffalo Riverworks 

    Early 2000’s band Dirty Heads made a stop in Buffalo for their Island Glow Tour on Thursday, July 13 for a sold-out show. The West-Coast rockers brought their Southern California roots to Buffalo Riverworks and completely blew fans away. 

    The event was stacked with openers including G. Love & Special Sauce, Tropidelic, and Lupe Fiasco. Lupe Fiasco absolutely wooed the crowd when performing his hit records “Battle Scars,” and “The Show Goes On.” 

    Photo credit: Maddie McCafferty

    Dirty Heads have created a unique sound by mixing hip-hop, reggae, and rock. This dynamic band consists of Jared “Dirty J” Watson, Dustin “Daddy B” Bushnell, Jon Olazabal, Matt Ochoa, David Foral, and Shawn Gonzalez. All the members help establish a layered sound with trumpets, horns, drums, guitar, and keys. Despite the amount of people on stage they still keep large empty space for those with solos to come up front and interact with fans.

    Photo credit: Maddie McCafferty

    Up Late With Dirty Heads

    Once the clock hit 10:10 the band took over the stage and opened with “Heavy Water” off of their latest album Midnight. Fans ranging from young kids and older folk all showed their dedication not missing a single lyric. This proved to be especially true when Dirty Heads performed a throwback song of theirs “Lay Me Down,” off of their 2012 album Any Port in a Storm. 

    Photo credit: Maddie McCafferty

    Halfway into the night the lead members even took a pause from their show because the crowd wouldn’t stop cheering. A moment of gratitude was taken in as fans went crazy for a solid 2 minutes. The band acknowledged how special this Buffalo show was. A huge marker in their music career. 

    Photo credit: Maddie McCafferty

    Nothing got fans rowdier as when Dirty Heads played their track “Vacation” which has gained serious traction over the past few years. The song garnered over 6 billion views and streams across social media platforms making everyone in Riverworks incredibly hyped up. They closed out the night with “Island Glow” in honor of this special tour. Fans were left awaiting for another Dirty Heads show. 

    Photo credit: Maddie McCafferty

    If you missed Dirty Heads in Buffalo, no worries! Catch their other shows coming nearby at Patchogue and Pittsburgh. The Riverworks venue in the summer is unmatched. Upcoming events there include Sunset Sundays and a Murder Mystery. Get your tickets here. 

    Photo credit: Maddie McCafferty

    Setlist: Heavy Water, Medusa, Bum Bum, Franco Eyed, Silence, That’s All I Need, Life’s Been Good, Vacation, My Sweet Summer, El Dorado, Your Love / Garland / Lay Me Down, John Linen, Burn Slow, Rage, Rescue Me, Oxygen, Moon Tower

    Encore: Sloth’s Revenge, Island Glow

  • Graham Nash To Be Honored at 43rd Annual John Lennon Tribute

    Theatre Within’s Annual John Lennon Tribute event has announced they will honor two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Graham Nash with the 2023 John Lennon Real Love Award at the 43rd anniversary on Dec. 2 at Town Hall in NYC.

    Graham Nash will be honored at John Lennon Tribute.
    Graham Nash poses during a portrait session at the Cambridge Folk Festival 2019 at Cherry Hinton Hall on August 02, 2019 in Cambridge, England.Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images.

    Theatre Within’s Annual John Lennon Tribute celebrates John Lennon’s life, music, and highest values of peace and love. “With its joyful Annual John Lennon Tribute and John Lennon Real Love Project, Theatre Within is furthering the vision that John and I shared for a better world,” said Yoko Ono. Graham Nash is the ninth recipient of the John Lennon Real Love Award. Previous recipients include Natalie Merchant, Patti Smith, Ani DiFranco, and Donovan.

    This is a very special award. I thank Yoko [Ono] and the Theatre Within for thinking of me. Over many years, I watched John and Yoko ‘fight the good fight’ for many whose voices were not being heard, a fight that Yoko continues to this day. I’m proud to be associated with the many fine artists who were previously honored with the John Lennon Real Love Award.

    Graham Nash.

    Nash’s remarkable career spans from the British invasion with the Hollies to the legendary Laurel Canyon scene with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, for which he won a Grammy, to his still vibrant solo concerts and recordings. He is a two-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, once for CSN in 1997 and once for The Hollies in 2010.

    Nash will play some of his favorite Lennon/Beatles classics and will be joined by several acts. These include folk legend Judy Collins, who will make her first Tribute appearance in over a decade. Rosanne Cash will perform for the third time, the first since she was chosen as 2018’s John Lennon Real Love Award honoree, and Grammy award-winner Rita Coolidge will make a rare live appearance, her first ever at the long-running benefit concert. Finally, drummer/percussionist Rich Pagano, a founding member of the Fab Faux, will serve as Music Director for the 15th consecutive year.

    Proceeds from the Tribute support Theatre Within’s ongoing free workshops in creative expression and mindfulness, including the John Lennon Real Love Project songwriting program. Theatre Within is also providing 200 free workshops for children and adults impacted by cancer through the Red Door Community (formerly Gilda’s Club NYC) and other regional cancer support communities.

    Tickets for Theatre Within’s 43rd Annual John Lennon Tribute on Dec. 2 go on sale starting July 22.

  • The Pretenders Announce A Rare & Intimate US Tour To Kick Off At The Bowery Ballroom

    The Pretenders have recently announced a US headline tour which is set to begin on August 16th at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom. Throughout the nine-date trek, the English-American rock band will perform in unique and intimate venues all across the country.

    The American tour comes ahead of the Pretenders’ eagerly awaited studio album Relentless which will drop on September 15th. Produced by multiple Grammy Award-nominee David Wrench (Courtney Barnett, David Byrne), Relentless marks the second consecutive full-length songwriting collaboration by group founder Chrissie Hynde and Pretenders’ guitarist James Walbourne. The album includes the recently released singles “Let The Sun Come In“ and “I Think About You Daily.”

    The live performances will give the Pretenders an incredible opportunity to introduce their new music directly to the fans. Throughout this run, the band will join Guns N’ Roses as a special guest on their own upcoming North American stadium tour for a total of seven performances making the Pretenders’ original nine-date tour stretch to seventeen. Tickets for their headline dates are available on July 21st!

    The Pretenders 2023 Tour

    August 11 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium *

    August 15 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium *

    August 16 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom

    August 18 – Pittsburgh, PA – PNC Park at North Shore *

    August 21 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park *

    August 24 – Chicago, IL – Wrigley Field *

    August 26 – Nashville, TN – The Blue Room

    August 29 – Asbury Park, NJ – The Stone Pony

    August 31 – Washington, DC – The Atlantis

    September 3 – Toronto, ON – Rogers Centre *

    September 5 – Detroit, MI – Shelter

    September 7 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th St Entry

    September 9 – St. Louis, MO – Busch Stadium *

    October 1 – Dana Point, CA – OHANA Festival †

    October 2 – Los Angeles, CA – The Regent Theater

    October 4 – Pioneertown, CA – Pappy + Harriet’s (Outdoor)

    October 6 – San Francisco, CA – Bimbo’s 365 Club

    • * w/ Guns N’ Roses
    • † Festival Appearance

  • Killer Mike Brings the High & Holy Tour with Surprise Guests to The Apollo Theater

    On July 20th, Atlanta Rapper Killer Mike brought his High & Holy Tour to the Apollo Theater in Harlem. He emphasized to the crowd that this wasn’t any standard rap show. The Church stage set and the five background singers set the tone as their vocals provided a soothing sound with Mike’s raps. The performance had many intimate moments, with the backtracks stopping to let the fans and Mike go a capella. 

    Killer Mike performing at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, NY. Photo by: Lucas Kurzweil.

    Killer Mike spent most of the show playing tracks from his new solo album MICHAEL, but he also brought out a few special guests for the New York crowd. The first surprise artist to join Killer Mike on the stage was Harlem’s own Cam’ron. Although brief, Cam’ron was able to pump up the crowd with his song “Touch It or Not.” Toward the show’s end, Mike brought out his Run The Jewels partner El-P to perform “DON’T LET THE DEVIL.” Killer Mike brought everyone to church with his performance, leaving them with an everlasting memory of what greatness looks like on the stage of the iconic Apollo Theater. 

    Killer Mike performing at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, NY. Photo by: Lucas Kurzweil.

    Tickets for the rest of the High & Holy tour are available HERE, and the dates are below:

    Killer Mike and Cam’ron at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, NY. Photo by: Lucas Kurzweil.

    JUL 21, 2023 – Underground Arts – Philadelphia, PA

    JUL 23, 2023 – Pitchfork Music Festival – Chicago, IL

    JUL 24, 2023 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN

    JUL 27, 2023 – The Showbox – Seattle, WA

    JUL 28, 2023 – McMenamins Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR

    JUL 29, 2023 – The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA 

    JUL 31, 2023 – The Theatre at Ace Hotel – Los Angeles, CA

    AUG 1, 2023 – The Van Buren – Phoenix, AZ

    AUG 3, 2023 – House of Blues Houston – Houston, TX

    AUG 4, 2023 – House of Blues Dallas – Dallas, TX

    AUG 5, 2023 – The Joy Theater – New Orleans, LA

    Killer Mike and El-P at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, NY. Photo by: Lucas Kurzweil.

  • In Focus: Phish Shine at The Pavilion at Star Lake

    Making their way into to the Northeast, Phish made a two-night stop at The Pavilion at Star Lake, located in Burgettstown, PA, just outside of Pittsburgh. Two nights of exploratory jamming and a few debuts had fans eagerly anticipating tonight’s show in Syracuse at St. Joseph’s Amphitheater at Lakeview.

    Friday night began with a pair of first set openers, “Party Time” and “AC/DC Bag” followed by a fiery “46 Days.” A few songs later, “Stash” was the jumping off point for the first major jam of the night, dark and introspective. Likewise, “Leaves” jammed out nicely, setting the stage for a “Maze” that had Page McConnell furiously hammering the organ, standing up so others could get down. “Scents and Subtle Sounds” would close the set, although tonight the crowd got the full version, unlike Wilmington, NC on Wednesday night where the band was forced to cut the song off due to torrential rain.

    The second set featured some of the biggest jams of the run, with “Sigma Oasis” clocking in at more than 16 minutes, “The Final Hurrah” providing a segue to the wonderful debut of “Pillow Jets” – a light and fluffy song with a jam to match. “David Bowie” was the highlight of the set though, the band making the most of each space created following the composed portion. During “Bowie,” Page teased “Eleanor Rigby”, as well as in “Ruby Waves” that closed the show. And while “Fuego” did provide the awesome visual of the lighting rig descending to just above the band’s heads, although “Cities” could have had a chance to breathe ahead of the segue to “Fuego.” The encore of “Character Zero” and “Slave to the Traffic Light” would wrap things up and send the crowd out to the lots for a Cosmic burrito and slow crawl out of the venue parking lot.

    Friday, July 21 setlist via Phish.net

    Set 1: Party Time, AC/DC Bag > 46 Days, Birds of a Feather, Bouncing Around the Room, Stash, Leaves, Maze, Scents and Subtle Sounds

    Set 2: Sigma Oasis -> The Final Hurrah > Pillow Jets > David Bowie, Cities -> Fuego > Ruby Waves

    Encore: Character Zero > Slave to the Traffic Light

    On first glance, Night 2 of Phish at Star Lake felt a little more pedestrian compared to Friday, but a cleansing Set 1, with three energetic numbers – “I Never Needed You Like This Before,” “Turtle in the Clouds,” and “Llama” – beginning the night. With the sunset glaring down on the band, a half dozen ‘take em or leave em” numbers were peppered in, with the valley rising to a peak with “Ass Handed” and “Sand” closing out the set on a high note. No complaints, no notes, this was an enjoyable Saturday evening first set.

    What awaited in the second set were jams tucked inside jams – “Everything’s Right” had a distinct “Slave to the Traffic Light” jam within, so if you went to your car Friday night as “Slave” encored, you got a second chance to enjoy this one. “Soul Planet” and “Twist” each had their own solid jams, with McConnell’s Vida Blue composition “Most Events Aren’t Planned” appearing at the right moment, giving the second set from Friday a run for the money. Tonight’s second set debut tune “Monsters,” joining “Pillow Jets” and the previously played “Oblivion” as having strong potential for future Type II exploration. “2001” appeared out of thin air, held its own and gave way to Lou Reed and Velvet Underground’s “Rock and Roll,” a rarer treat these days.

    A triple encore of “Grind,” and short but sweet versions of “Tube” and “Ghost” (first ever in an encore slot) would close the night and send the crowd off to hotels, with visions of Oranges dancing in their heads.

    Phish plays tonight in Syracuse – never miss a Sunday show.

    Saturday, July 22 setlist via Phish.net

    Set 1: I Never Needed You Like This Before, Turtle in the Clouds, Llama, Clear Your Mind > Sample in a Jar, Taste, Ocelot, Julius, Saw It Again > Sparkle, Ass Handed, Sand

    Set 2: Everything’s Right > Soul Planet -> Twist > Most Events Aren’t Planned, Monsters, Also Sprach Zarathustra > Rock and Roll

    Encore: Grind, Tube > Ghost

  • Dead and Company’s Cornell Concert Raises $3.1 Million for Non-Profits

    Dead & Company, continuing the legacy of the Grateful Dead’s Barton Hall show at Cornell University, has raised $3.1 million in proceeds from their recent show for their now-complete Final Tour. These proceeds will be donated to the Recording Academy’s MusiCares organization and the Cornell 2030 Project, each non-profit receiving over $1.5 million.

    Cornell University’s Barton Hall. Credit: Steve Malinski

    Dead & Company is made up of former members of the Grateful Dead, with guitarist and vocalist Bob Weir, drummer Mickey Hart, and drummer Bill Kreutzmann. The latter did not join the final tour. They are joined by guitarist and vocalist John Mayer, bassist and percussionist Oteil Burbridge of the Allman Brothers Band, keyboardist Jeff Chimenti of Further and RatDog, as well as drummer Jay Lane of RatDog and Primus.

    The show on May 8 was the 46th anniversary of the May 8, 1977 Grateful Dead Show. Part of the Spring Tour of 1977, considered one of the Grateful Dead’s best tours, the May 8 show at Cornell’s Barton Hall was released on a a three-disc CD and as a five-disc LP for the 40th anniversary of the show. The recording is a part of the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress.

    Cornell ’77 Poster designed by Cornell alumnus Jay Maybrey

    MusiCares is a non-profit organization founded in 1989, intended to act as a safety net for the music community, supporting the health and welfare of industry professionals through preventative, emergency, and recovery programs. More information can be found on their website.

    Cornell University’s 2030 Project is a campus-wide initiative that works to develop technological solutions and to advance policies for businesses and individuals, seeking to mitigate the effects of climate change. More information can be found on Cornell University’s website.

  • Kyle Smith and Pat Tato to Perform at Funk n Waffles

    Funk n Waffles, a one-of-a-kind venue in Syracuse, will be hosting Kyle Smith and Pat Tato on August 11th as a stop on the “Grill Em All Tour.”

    The Food Network featured venue truly embodies its name – not only do they serve delicious breakfast, lunch, dinner, desert, and of course, waffles, but they truly bring the “funk” with live music every night, and a full bar. Performances by Kyle Smith and Pat Tato ensure a night of ambitious music, delicious food, and talent that you won’t want to miss.

    Kyle Smith, a singer-songwriter from Ventura, California, is best known for his unique blend of “Cali-Reggae,” influenced by Ska, Hip-Hop, and Punk-Rock, a combination that is simultaneously catchy, raw, and truthful. Kyle’s music often pays tribute to his troubled youth and addiction. His self-titled debut EP offers a glimpse into the life he endured, with songs like “Dope Fiend” and “Jaded” referencing his troubled past, all while keeping an uplifting spirit and tempo. Despite his roots, Kyle’s goal in life is to give hope and spread positivity through his music. His raw, natural talent is effortless, and his personality immediately warms up the room, inviting those around into his world.

    Pat Tato, known for his unique, thought-provoking sound, was not always a solo artist. In 2013, the band Baked Potatoes could be found playing nearly every house party, skate shop, and dive bar at SUNY Oneonta. In the years following, Pat and the rest of the Baked Potatoes graduated college and recorded their first full length album, ‘Loaded’ (2016) to much critical acclaim. Following their graduation and album release, the band found themselves taking a hiatus as the original members moved to Ohio, Arizona, Tennessee, and Alaska. Aaron and Pat decided to live on a bus, continuing to play music and drive up and down the east coast, busking on the street. Eventually, Pat shifted focus and started releasing music as Pat Tato. The sound is different, ambitious, lyrical, and thought provoking.

    Since then, Pat Tato has a new band and has started to emerge on the Festival Circuit as an early crowd favorite. He combines set lists of old Baked Potatoes songs with New Pat Tato songs, and continues to evolve and mature into the new sound that is ‘Pat Tato & the Baked Potatoes.’

    To see Kyle Smith and Pat Tato at Funk n Waffles, get tickets here.

  • Rye Bread Festival Brings Oteil and Friends and many more to Schaghticoke Fairgrounds July 27-29

    We’re less than a week from the 47th edition of Rye Bread Festival, held in the Eastern New York hills of Schaghticoke, a gathering of musicians from across the Northeast and beyond, headlined by none other than Oteil Burbridge and Friends over July 27-29.

    rye bread festival

    Rye Bread has been a unique experience since inception, when it was initially held on an island in the Mohawk River, being an event that started as an ‘in the know’ gathering for live music and camping – Neal and Alan Evans performed there in the years prior to forming Soulive – before evolving into a full on festival set in the Capital District at the Schaghticoke Fairgrounds. What started as a backyard party nearly 50 years ago, Rye Bread has steadily grown, from the ground up, into Upstate New York’s premier music and arts festival.

    rye bread festival

    But Rye Bread is more than just a concert festival – this is a family with generations of deep roots, bringing people together through music in a spirit of community and charity, and of course good times for all. Thousands more will be welcomed into the Rye Bread Family with open arms, in their 47th year.

    Al Schneir performing at Rye Bread Festival

    With Burbridge (Dead & Company, The Allman Brothers Band) on bass, the group also features longtime Jerry Garcia Band organist Melvin Seals, Steve Kimock and Tom Guarna on guitar, vocalist Lamar Williams, Jr., John Morgan Kimock on drums and multi-instrumentalist Jason Crosby rounding out a stellar lineup.

    ryebreadfest.com

    Also joining the Rye Bread Festival lineup are the legendary North Mississippi Allstars, led as always by brothers Luther and Cody Dickinson, Cool Cool Cool, Lespecial, Dogs In A Pile, Couch, DJ Logic & Friends, Talkpeck Soundsystem, Brown Eyed Women, Baked Shrimp, Neon Avenue, The Seapods, The Billy Walton Band, Muscle Tough, Super 400, The Nolanauts, Fungkshui, The Rob Beaulieu Band, Mushroom Men, Dr. Jah & The Love Prophets and The Rye Bread Family Band.

    Attendees can expect plenty of unique collaborations between artists throughout the course of the festival, making for a truly memorable weekend of live music.In addition to the stellar lineup of live music, the Rye Bread Music and Arts Festival will feature food and craft vendors on site and festival goers can enjoy plenty of room to stretch out and feel comfortable at the spacious Schaghticoke Fairgrounds, centrally located just minutes north of Albany and south of Saratoga Springs.

    Two -day passes are $125, with single day Friday passes $69 and single day Saturday for $79. Full ticketing info and more can be found at ryebreadfest.com

    Camping Information

    Tenting / Car Camping

    Campsites are 10′ x 30′
    One or two campers per site. $80.00 Three or four campers per site. $150.00
    All campers must arrive at the same time.
    Camping passes are two day only.
    For tent camping, one car is allowed per site, and your car will remain on your campsite.

    Family Camping

    Family camping is on a separate part of the fairgrounds as tenting/car camping with quiet hours between 11:00pm and 7:00am
    Campsites are 10′ x 30′
    One or two campers per site. $80.00 Three or four campers per site. $150.00
    All campers must arrive at the same time.
    Camping passes are two day only.
    For tent camping, one car is allowed per site, and your car will remain on your campsite.

    RV Camping

    Campsites are 16′ x 40′.
    Six campers per site.
    One RV per site (34′ maximum).
    50 AMP Service – No Pigtails (30 amp adapters) Available).
    Full hookups on site.
    All campers must arrive at the same time.
    Camping passes are two day only.
    One tow vehicle allowed per site, and your vehicle will remain on your campsite.
    Additional companion vehicle pass included. Remember all campers must arrive at the same time

    Parking

    Single day pass on-site parking is available for one day pass holders. $20.00. Two day pass on-site parking is available for festival goers that are not camping. $30.00. Companion pass on-site parking is available for RV campers that bring additional vehicles.

  • Upbeat on the Roof Returns Featuring Blue Ranger, Hot Club of Saratoga, And More

    The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College have announced the return of its popular summer concert series Upbeat on the Roof, occurring each Thursday from July 6 through Aug. 17.

    This year marks Upbeat on the Roof’s twenty-second season, remaining a premier summer destination for the best music created by the region’s musicians. Different genres like folk, R&B, Latin jazz, classical Indian, and pop are all on tap for summer 2023. Included are craft kits for kids aged 5-12 starting at 5:30 p.m. Performances begin at 6 p.m. on the lawn outside the Tang. Bring picnic blankets, camping chairs, and food and drink, and in case of inclement weather, everything will move inside the museum.

    The Tang Teaching Museum at Skidmore College is a pioneer of interdisciplinary exploration and learning. A cultural anchor of New York’s Capital Region, the Tang’s approach has become a model for college and university art museums across the country, with exhibition programs that bring together visual and performing arts with interdisciplinary ideas from history, economics, biology, dance, physics, and more. The Tang is open to the public on Thursdays from noon to 9 pm and Fridays through Sundays from noon to 5 pm, with expanded hours beginning in July to include Tuesdays and Wednesdays, noon to 5 pm.

    Tang Museum.

    Admission to Upbeat on the Roof is free and open to the public. For more information, visit here.

    Upbeat on the Roof Lineup

    July 6: The Albany-based band Blue Ranger reminds us that there are small moments of magic in the everyday. Formed in 2015, the trio has been crafting soft-focused folk that celebrates the beauty in uncertainties with an existential flair. Following their 2018 LP Saving A Beauty comes fresh single “True Blue,” where candid, autobiographical tales dance among a wealth of imaginary characters. The trio brings their folk-influenced sound to improvisatory heights in live settings, the product of countless years of moving sound.

    July 13: For Adrian Lewis (The Age), making music is a portal into how he sees the world, piecing together fragments of introspection and humility, through a reflective and universal lens. Weaving together textural authenticity with his live band, The Age touches on themes of devotion, insecurity, and heartache with an optimistic flair, incorporating Neo-Soul tendencies and the electrifying groove of 70s guitar.

    The Age.

    July 20: Returning to Upbeat is the Hot Club of Saratoga, the Capital Region’s premier gypsy swing ensemble, playing a repertoire that reflects the spirit and style originated by Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli in The Quintet of the Hot Club of France. Most prominently developed in the 1930s and 40s Paris, this genre has been kept alive through a long line of gypsy jazz artists. Most of the tunes Hot Club of Saratoga plays were written or recorded by Reinhardt at some time in his musical life, hot swing music of the 1920s, ’30, and ’40s.

    July 27: Also returning to Upbeat on the Roof Alex Torres & His Latin Orchestra. Formed in October 1980 in Amsterdam, New York, the orchestra is led by the Bronx-born bassist Alex Torres. The 12-piece has performed its original blend of Afro-Caribbean rhythms such as Salsa, Merengue, Cha-cha, Bomba, Plena, and Latin Jazz at hundreds of festivals, performing arts centers, and events. The group last played Upbeat in 2017.

    August 3: Veena Chandra is an internationally renowned sitarist, composer, teacher, choreographer, and founder and director of the Dance and Music School of India in Latham where she teaches Indian classical music. She has been a faculty member at Skidmore College since 1990, teaching sitar in the Music Department. Since 2014, she has also been the Artist Associate in Sitar at Williams College.

    August 10: Zan & The Winter Folk, a Troy-based Americana/folk outfit, create anthems for the revivalists, lullabies for the lonely, and ballads for the hopeful. Paired with lead Zan Strumfeld’s vulnerability and soulful lyrics, The Winter Folk reveal a unique and captivating sound in both their recordings and live performances. Their first full-length album will be released in the fall of 2023.

    Zan & The Winter Folk, photo by Beth Mickalonis.

    August 17: Ending the Upbeat series is Nathan Meltz and The House of Tomorrow. Nathan Meltz writes pop songs about failed utopias, backed up by his band The House of Tomorrow. Combining influences from The Kinks and classic Elephant 6 bands, the band uses fuzzy indie pop songs to tell stories about communities, religious visionaries, and drug cults.

  • Ronnie James Dio Documentary “DIO: Dreamers Never Die” Set To Release On DVD

    Mercury Studios recently announced that “DIO: Dreamers Never Die”, the first-ever career documentary of legendary rock artist Ronnie James Dio, will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray on September 29. There will also be a special Deluxe Edition of the film which will include exclusive merchandise. All of the upcoming versions of the documentary will feature 20 minutes worth of deleted and extended scenes.

    The South by Southwest film festival originally debuted “DIO: Dreamers Never Die” in 2022. The film garnered praise from critics and fans alike, eventually making its way to theaters. Digitally, the documentary can be found on SHOWTIME.

    Ronnie James Dio, was born in New Hampshire but grew up in Cortland, New York. At the age of 5, he began playing the trumpet. Despite piecing together a somewhat successful career on trumpet and bass, Dio became enthralled with heavy rock as he grew up.

    The artist would help to create the band Elf in 1967. While the group’s music was not as hard or heavy as the kind that Dio would eventually be known for, Elf provided the New Yorker a space to experiment and practice his vocals. It was his unique and passionate singing that eventually landed Dio a spot with Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow (Rainbow). 

    “DIO: Dreamers Never Die” chronicles Dio’s transition from a budding instrumentalist into a full fledged rock star with Rainbow.  The vocalist helped to pen and arrange many of the band’s most noteworthy songs. Some of Rainbow’s biggest hits came with Dio, including standout tracks “The Temple Of The King” and “Man On The Silver Mountain”. 

    After leaving Rainbow in 1979, Dio would replace Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath. While the artist would reach mainstream notoriety with the group, he never truly felt at home with the outfit. Dio left Black Sabbath just three years later. The vocalist would go on to create his own band aptly named “Dio” where he released the critically acclaimed album Holy Diver. 

    The documentary features unseen photos and footage from Dio’s tremendous career. “DIO: Dreamers Never Die” offers an intimate look into the musician’s relationship with manager and wife Wendy Dio, bandmates Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler, and many more. 

    Dio’s estate fully authorized and approved the film. Don Argott and Demian Fenton directed the project. Wendy Dio also executive produced “DIO: Dreamers Never Die.”

    Ronnie James Dio and Wendy Dio

    I wanted this documentary to be authentic, for the fans to see the roller coaster ride that was Ronnie’s life—the good times, the bad times and everything in between, especially including events that even the most diehard fans would not have known about. It’s all in there, right up to the very end

    Wendy Dio

    Powered by Universal Music Group, Mercury Studios remains editorially independent. The studio has actively participated in creating several high-profile documentaries, including “If These Walls Could Sing,” “Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop,” and “Shania Twain: Not Just A Girl.”

    Click here for more details and pre-order information.