The free Music at Noon concert series is back, set to take place at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on Jan. 10 with The Bluebillies.
The Bluebillies
Since 1988, on the second Tuesday of each month from October to May, the free Music at Noon concert series has presented exceptional musicians with diverse musical styles. On Jan. 10, the Bluebillies start off the concert series. The group performs its unique blend of country, bluegrass, and folk music with traditional style, sound, and spirit. Husband and wife team Mark and Melody Guarino have been singing together since 1984, with their mission being preserving the rich heritage of country music.
The Bluebillies produce a series of traveling Old-time Gospel Music Revues each season, host their own gospel music open mic each summer, and have released three records; Adirondack Angels in 2016, Gal From Ioway in 2014, and Train to Paradise in 2013. Also happening before the performance will be a workshop featuring Deb Cavanuagh introducing traditional American instruments from the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Students will sing along, dance, move and perform traditional American folk songs such as “I’ve Been Working on The Railroad,” “The Erie Canal, Froggie Went A’Courtin’,” and other favorites. The workshop will be from 10-11 a.m., with the performance starting right after.
Other Music at Noon performances coming up is Bleecker Consort on Feb. 14, Natalia Shevchuk on March 14, Akina Yura on April 11, and Findlay Cockrell on May 9. Tickets to these performances can be found here.
Rochester’s It’s Just Al has just dropped “First Impressions,” a catchy tune for his first ever Spotify release. The song emphasizes a rap about a love that makes you constantly want to be with your significant other because of how real it is. Alex raps about how his love is like a drug, specifically cocaine.
When Alex was just twelve years old, his mother fell ill with a disease called vasculitis. This is when your immune system hurts your blood vessels by mistake. Over the next few months since diagnosis, Alex watched his mother grow weaker until her passing on Friday June 15th, 2018. For the next four years of his life Alex would deal with his grief in silence, only for it to be washed away when he heard his first ever rap song, mockingbird by Eminem.
From that day on, Alex fell in love with the emotional side of rap music. He became heavily inspired to make others feel happy inside, just as he felt when he listened to Eminem for the first time. To form his rap identity, he took this inspiration from popular rap artists such as Eminem, Kanye West, D-12, G-Eazy, Yelawolf, and more. From now on, Alex goes by It’s Just Al.
It’s Just Al’s single “First Impressions” is a pop song infused with rap, combining inspiration from his favorite artists. The vocals and lyrics of the song are very catchy, making it an irresistible hit.
Check out It’s just Al on Instagram by clicking the link here.
On January 28, The Hold Steady will be making a special appearance, performing for an event at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. The show is occurring exactly 20 years after the band’s first live performance, on the same site (then called North Six). Two Dark Birds will open at Music Hall, bringing the audience back to the January 2003 show where The Hold Steady opened for Two Dark Birds’ Steve Koester at North Six.
The Hold Steady also commemorates the release of their ninth studio album, The Price of Progress. The album will be released March 31, 2023 and found on their Personal Jams record label. This album stands as their most sonically expansive record thus far, while also remaining unmistakably The Hold Steady showcasing narrative rock ‘n’ roll tales of ordinary people struggling and surviving in a modern world.
The following week, the band will travel to the mid-Atlantic for a weekend of shows, from February 2-4. You can see The Hold Steady playing classic venues in Baltimore (Ottobar) and Washington D.C. (Black Cat), before finishing in Philadelphia (Brooklyn Bowl).
The remainder of the year attributes the 2023 edition of The Weekender, the band’s semi-annual multi-night live event for fans in the United Kingdom and Europe, set to take place at London’s Electric Ballroom (March 10-11) and Colours Hoxton (March 12). This will be followed by visits to Portland, New York City (WFUV HighLine Bash), Boston, a two-night stand at Chicago, IL’s The Salt Shed set for June 30 and July 1, joined by special guests The Mountain Goats and Dillinger Four. An additional The Hold Steady show for Chicago at Empty Bottle on July 2 goes on sale this Friday. Tickets for all announced shows are on sale now. For complete details, visit theholdsteady.net.
THE HOLD STEADY – LIVE 2023
JANUARY
28 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg (Official 20th Anniversary Show) #
FEBRUARY
2 – Baltimore, MD – Ottobar ^
3 – Washington, DC – Black Cat ^
4 – Philadelphia, PA – Brooklyn Bowl ^l
MARCH
10 – London, UK – Electric Ballroom *
11 – London, UK – Electric Ballroom *
12 – London, UK – Colours Hoxton * (SOLD OUT)
MAY
12 – New York, NY – WFUV Highline Bash
JUNE
30 – Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed †
JULY
1 – Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed † (SOLD OUT)
2 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
NOVEMBER
29-30 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl **
DECEMBER
1 – 2 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl **
# w/Special Guest Two Dark Birds
^ w/Special Guests Friendship
* The Weekender 2023
† w/ Special Guests The Mountain Goats and Dillinger Four
Radio Woodstock WDST has announced a special celebration with David Bowie’s former band members, airing on Saturday, January 7th.
The two-hour celebration will be hosted by drummer Zachary Alford and features an all-star lineup of musicians who have toured and collaborated with David Bowie over the years. Special guests include keyboardist Mike Garson, bassist and singer Gail Ann Dorsey, and guitarists Earl Slick, Reeves Gabrels and Gerry Leonard, during an unforgettable evening of Bowie’s music and the memories of his bandmates.
“Reliving these memories with my bandmates was priceless; I feel like David has never left.”
Zachary Alford
“Saturday Night Takeover” represents Radio Woodstock’s independent music voice, where for 40 years the station has championed new music and pioneered an original music line-up with a mix of new artists, legendary musicians, and special music programming.
WDST’s “David Bowie Saturday Night Takeover” will air on Saturday, January 7th, from 10 pm to Midnight on-air at 100.1. Listen online at RadioWoodstock.com or via the iHeartRADIO app. There will be a rebroadcast on Sunday, January 8th, from 5pm – 7pm. Listen to other “Saturday Night Takeover ”episodes on demand on RadioWoodstock.com
Locally owned and operated for over 4 decades, Radio Woodstock is one of the most influential rock music stations in the world and is unique for being both listener and advertiser-supported. Radio Woodstock curates music and informational programming, advertising campaigns, digital marketing solutions, experiential marketing programs, and virtual and live music experiences. Radio Woodstock’s curatorial programmers and DJs, who are recognized experts in their field, present the best emerging artists alongside the largest rock n’ roll library in the world.
Radio Woodstock’s live events division produces experiential live events, including concerts and festivals, and is most known for creating Mountain Jam and Taste of Country, which grew to become the largest music and camping festivals in the Northeast, together drawing over 100,000 attendees each year. Its live events division currently produces CannaStock, the first cannabis festival in the Hudson Valley, the Hudson Valley Rodeo, as well as concerts in both established indoor and unique outdoor venues.
The Seneca Savings January JazzFest has been renamed to the Winter Jazzfest because the event will be moved to February this year to accommodate the longer NFL football schedule.
The January JazzFest has been a fixture in the Syracuse area midwinter music scene since 2011, held at Mohegan Manor, Baldwinsville’s multi-story music venue. The event provides a full day of jazz and related musical styles, with fine food and drinks served. The event is also the annual fundraiser for CNY Jazz Central, the region’s primary provider of jazz in public and in schools since 1996.
The name is now changing to the Winter JazzFest because the event will be held on Feb. 5 from 1-8 p.m. “We’re adjusting to the longer NFL football schedule, plain and simple,” according to Larry Luttinger, CNY Jazz founder and leader. “We’ve always held this event on Pro Bowl Sunday, and when the NFL playoffs expanded last year, we felt the negative effects. So here we are, same great day of music, now in February.”
This year’s lineup features the nine-piece horn group Brass Inc playing funk, blues, and contemporary hits on the second floor of the venue. Rising star Vanessa Vacanti and the Jazz Mafia will be on the main floor, and Rick Montalbano and Julie Falatico will be in the downstairs bistro. The event always concludes with a celebrity jazz session. A special jazz menu and full drink selection will be available throughout the day.
Brass Inc.
Speaking about the lineup, Luttinger says ““We’re going with a more fun dance party vibe this time around. Definitely come ready to party with your best dancing shoes on.” People will be able to pop in and out of the event with their wristbands to catch whoever they want to see that day. Proceeds from the festival will support the scholastic activities of the CNY Jazz “Educational Pipeline” of scholastic programs including the SummerJazz Workshop and CNY Jazz Youth Orchestra.
Tickets for the annual Winter JazzFest are on sale now for $25, with day of show tickets being $30.
Two regional powerhouses, Rochester’s Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad and Buffalo’s Aqueous, descended on Water Street Music Hall, historically the area’s most prominent venue, which has come back in a big way this past year after being absent from the scene for some time. In two nights, Panda on the 30th and Aqueous on the 31st, they helped Water Street and the music fans of the area celebrate 2022 and welcome in 2023. It was the first time Rochester had live music as a New Year’s Eve option in three years. Panda returned to the venue for the umpteenth time, many of those for their year end shows, while Aqueous was there for the first time, and their first time bringing in the new year in Rochester. Though they’ve long found themselves a second home in the Flour City, having played many a special show here, including Halloween and an all-improv set.
After long stretches of no music at all, and too many continued COVID-19 cancellations to count, stretching to the present day, surprises have grown a bit tired. Surprises have mostly consisted of cancellations, so it is enough joy to just have show without a hitch, period. Each of these shows was billed as an “and Friends” affair. Who would be the friends? The opening acts would leave little guesswork as to who these bands would invite to join them on stage. Most everything proceeded as was expected, but there was nothing lost, maybe even something gained, without that element of surprise in the mix.
photo by Washington Torin
On the 30th, GPGDS opened up both sides of the Water Street venue, both the Club and Hall, maxing out it’s potential. The audience could move freely between both, utilizing both bars, and the ample space in the balconies, while two stages left minimal time with no live music to enjoy. The evening got going with party funk outfit The Sideways on the main stage. Hm, wonder if we’ll see that tight three-piece horn section a little later? Immediately following on the Club stage was The Frank White Experience, a full eight-member band paying tribute to the Notorious B.I.G. to incredible effect. There was a hip-hop party going on and the “raparazzi” were in full force capturing it from all angles. Hey, their lead man, Grant, he’s played with Panda before, guessing we’ll see him with them again tonight? Then even after Panda’s main stage set, Roots Collider took over on the Club side to keep the party going into the early hours of the 31st, not letting the joint cool down too much before Aqueous’ New Year’s Eve throwdown.
photo by Washington Torin
On the main stage, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad did not disappoint. The dub was grooving, and the legal weed was permeating the air. The band strung together a set of oldies, newer tunes, and as-yet released ones, with an announcement of a new album coming April 7. The songs flowed together, stitched by pitch-perfect instrumental breaks or blasted into each other with abrupt but chill needle jumps.
photo by Eli Stein
As was foretold by the obvious booking and later, staging, those horns from The Sideways did make it back on stage. Horns and reggae are like peanut butter and jelly. A glorious combination, and on this night, for these songs, they hit just right. A “Cool It” > “Stop Fighting” combo with the horns may have been the highlight of the night. A deep bass pocket, punched up organ, swirling echoed effects, those infectious reggae rhythms and then tasty horn blasts cutting through it all. Pretty much perfect, and a perfect vibe to either forget and/or enjoy the year that was quickly coming to a close.
As the horns departed, the good vibes continued as Grant entered and the band kicked into “Mr. Cop.” He added some quality rapping while throwing joints out into the crowd, as the band sang “We been all day workin’, Just a little herb that we smokin’, They calling up the cops, Cause it smell like ganja.” There was no stopping the party at Water Street on stage or off on this night, nor the next.
Hours later another friendly party would get started. New day, same place, similar vibe. For their New Year’s Eve show, Aqueous invited local jazz-forward trio The Pickle Mafia to kick off the night. Drummer Marco Cirigliano’s kit remained on stage for The Funky Dawgz set and even after theirs as well. Hm, wonder if he’ll be playing with Aqueous some? The Funky Dawgz, a brass band out of Connecticut, revved up the crowd with their upbeat and familiar set, mixing in Gnarls Barkley and Snoop Dogg in with similarly fun originals. You had to wonder though, think we’ll see some of those horns again?
Aqueous themselves were unsurprisingly ready to jump head first into lengthy improvisations. An hour-long first set featured only four songs. Each one built and existed within it’s own universe. “Second Sight” and “Kitty Chaser (Explosions)” built up layer by layer, the musicians patiently developing soundscapes, finally realizing their final destinations which they then explored even further, funky for the former, spacey for the latter. The two saxophones from the Dawgz and Cirigliano came out for the first set closer, a cover of LCD Soundsystem’s “Daft Punk is Playing at My House,” which brought more of the funk, on a tighter scale, that had the floor positively bouncing.
photo by Eli Stein
The slinky funk continued with the start of the second set a few ticks before midnight, the last few minutes of the year. With some heavy “2001” teases, a la Phish via Eumir Deodato via Richard Strauss, the groovy jam wound its way to the traditional “Auld Lang Syne.” With little to no bombast Aqueous did what Aqueous does best, just kept playing. A monster “Don’t Do It” followed, featuring some of guitarist Mike Gantzer’s best playing of the night.
Craig Brodhead served incredibly filling in for David Loss who is on paternity leave. Brodhead sang lead on a cover of the Grateful Dead’s “West LA Fadeaway” that quickly left West LA for aural landscapes as yet undiscovered. Deep into the jam they were joined by a saxophone which re-centered the jam completely. Before long he was stepping off and Cirigliano was back behind the second kit. This double-drummer version of the band was really something, locked in and firing on dual engines. Eventually they found their way back to “West LA Fadeaway” and the dream of a two-drummer Aqueous was over.
But the dreams of a music-filled 2023 were just getting underway. Dates are already on the books for Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad and an album on the way. Road warriors Aqueous are sure to continue their rock and roll journey throughout the year, and Water Street Music Hall’s calendar is filling in nicely.
Aqueous – Water Street Music Hall 12/31/22
Set 1: Second Sight, Kitty Chaser > Weight of the Word, Daft Punk is Playing At My House¹²
Set 2: Also Sprach Zarathustra jam³ > Auld Lang Syne, Don’t Do It, West LA Fadeaway ⁴⁵, Strange Times > Mandela Effect, Everybody Wants To Rule the World⁶
Encore: One Headlight ⁷
1 LCD Soundsystem 2 Rob on vox, Marco Cirigliano on drums, Tommy Weeks and Colin Walters on sax 3 Countdown 4 Grateful Dead 5 Craig on vox 6 Tears For Fears 7 The Wallflowers
Check out more photos of Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad from Water Street Music Hall here and photos of Aqueous here.
The Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes will perform at the Rockwell Museum in Corning for the first time in three years with the 2022-23 Musicians’ Choice Chamber Series on Jan. 13 at 7:30 p.m.
The Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes offers a concert season of five full orchestra concerts, including a side-by-side Young People’s Orchestra and professional musician collaboration, the Musicians’ Choice Chamber Music Series, concerts by the Chorus of the Southern Finger Lakes, the youth ensembles, and educational outreach programs. The orchestra is guided by distinguished Music Director and Conductor Toshiyuki Shimada, helping to highlight the musical achievements of the youth in the area.
The concert at the Rockwell Museum in Corning, the only Smithsonian Affiliate in Upstate New York, will feature principal players Emily Dobmeier (clarinet) and Rosanna Moore (harp) presenting “From a British Point of View.” Both received doctoral degrees from the Eastman School of Music and have been playing together for over five years.
This concert features three works by living and recent British composers. The first piece is the melodic Victorian Kitchen Garden Suite by Paul Reade, which became popular in the 1980s when a BBC show aired by the same name. The second piece on the program is Arcadian Sketches, composed a decade later by John Marson. The final piece, Sonata for Clarinet and Harp by Andy Scott, written in 2002, is influenced by Eastern European folk rhythms and jazz harmony.
Other concerts on the Musicians’ Choice Chamber Series will be held at the Rockwell Museum in Corning on Feb. 3 and at North Presbyterian Church on March 31. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for the Jan. 13 show, and tickets are on sale now.
Happy New Year! Hopefully you are all rested up and ready to kick off January 2023 with a bang Rochester! January brings a big slowdown in touring acts around these parts, and in most parts of the country. But luckily for us, Rochester has a broad and deep pool of fantastic local talent to sate our live music appetites and this January they are coming out in full force to get us out of our warm abodes and out into the bars, clubs, theaters and anywhere else live music can be squeezed into.
Here are five+ must-see shows happening around town this month, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg, so make sure to get out there and support the local music scene and treat your cabin-fevered brain to some much needed aural relief.
We’re recommending two different shows on the same night, but if you play your cards right you could do both. Herb Smith plays trumpet for the Rochester Philharmonic but with the Freedom Trio he expands his sound palette with plenty of effects and literally the freedom to explore the outer boundaries of jazz and beyond. With Peter Chwazik on a massive 9-string bass and Joe Parker flying free on drums, the possibilities are endless and the results are a joy to hear and be a part of.
One of Rochester’s many recent breakout bands, Mikaela Davis kicks off a three show residency at our favorite honky tonk, Abilene Bar and Lounge, that will warm January and creep into early February. Each night will feature two sets and as yet unannounced themes. We wouldn’t recommend missing any of these Thursday night throw downs but really, you absolutely have to get yourself to at least one. A favorite of Bob Weir’s and ours alike, this harpist and her band Southern Star are as can’t miss as they come, and Rochester gets three intimate opportunities to groove down with them in a cozy and intimate bar.
Shows January 19, 26 and February 2 will start at 8pm and tickets are $15/$20 dos.
Certainly you can get out to all of these awesome individual local shows, but there won’t be any better option for celebrating the local music scene than the annual (until Covid stopped it for 2 years) Homegrown Festival thrown by Lovin’ Cup. This year’s show will feature performances by Teagan and the Tweeds, A Girl Named Genny, The Mighty High & Dry, The Moho Collective, Friday In America, and The John Payton Project. That’s a full day of some of the best music you’ll here in Rochester, plus there’ll be tons of local food, beers and crafts to enjoy as well.
Fresh faced instrumental progressive rock quartet Vertices is putting on a festival of their own at Flour City Station. They’ll play a full set of their heavily improvised high energy jams and are a new band that you’ll want to keep a close eye in 2023. Painted Birds will also perform and everything will be stitched together with DJ sets from DDH PVH. There will be catered food, live painting, and art vendors making this another cant-miss celebration of the local art scene.
Everything gets going at 8pm and tickets are $10/$15 dos.
With one last night of their first Madison Square Garden run since 2019 remaining, Phish left not a single note on the table as they brought fans on a journey through the gags that have rung in the new year, dating back to 1992.
Sticking with a recurring theme of time and time manipulation, Phish would make this night among their most memorable at Madison Square Garden, and not only as they enter into their 40th year, but as they tie Sir Elton John for the second most shows ever played at The Garden, with 72. A post-show tribute of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” was a fitting nod to The Rocket Man, who performed his last ever show at MSG in February, and his final North American show in November.
Fans who had already been through three nights of Phish this run, and many having been at the April shows – which were rescheduled from December 2021 – were eager and anticipating something special, given that 2023 will bring in the 40th year of Phish and more celebrations to come. But how would they kick the night off, and more importantly, ring in the new year? Patience is a virtue and those who waited were rewarded, and then some.
Kicking off the show was a highly-anticipated “Tweezer,” which set the tone for the night as playing their greatest jam vehicle in the opening slot never fails. A shift into “Halley’s Comet” netted a smooth segue into “Set Your Soul Free” which gave way to “Rift,” all energy-filled songs to start the show, following the trend of the past few nights and no let-up from any of the band, or the audience for that matter. “Cavern” gave way to the second “Tweezer” of the night, followed by the ballad “Shade” and a proper “Mike’s Groove” to close.
Heading into Set 2, the band would begin to hint at a theme they revisit reguarly, time. Each song in the second set would have some nod towards time, even if hidden in the lyrics. The opening “Say It To Me S.A.N.T.OS.” (you will always remember where you are) and never dull second set appearance of “Also Sprach Zarathustra” (aka “2001”) gave fans the start they hoped for, with the “Kill Devil Falls” (who knew a day would turn into a week) following. A throwback to 2018’s New Year’s gag in “Mercury” (your day is longer than your year) would follow, as well as “Light” (memories fall behind; future is less and less there; past vanished in the air), “Waste” (wasting my time with you) and “Drift While You’re Sleeping” (I’ve seen the day go by; one brief moment; the days are few) providing even more direct hints as the set progressed, but mid-set, when you’re tuned into the music, the lyrical connections are up for setbreak discussion. And if a final hint was needed, “Backwards Down The Number Line” gave the clearest indication the band was getting nostalgic, as one does on New Year’s Eve.
Phish sprinkled some musical bread crumbs during the second intermission that helped shed a little light on the traditional New Year’s Eve gag. Attentive fans picked up on music from Parliament Funkadelic (“Tear the Roof Off the Sucka”) and The Breeders (“Cannonball”) being played lightly on the PA, along with aptly titled songs like “Umbrella” (Rihanna), “Steam” (Peter Gabriel), “Mockingbird” (Carly Simon) and “Send In The Clowns” (Grace Jones). It all hinted at a retrospective look back at the band’s career and that’s exactly how the manic yet celebratory third set played out.
In true Phish fashion, the final set started out with a barbershop quartet proclaiming that the stroke of midnight would mark the band’s 40th year together. As a birthday “wish” of sorts, Trey makes one for a time machine, so as to do it all again. In response, a cube-like object then descended from the rigging above the stage, showcasing both audio and video from all of the band’s storied New Year’s Eve showsa and gags such as Halloween shows Wingsuit and Sci-Fi Soldiers. Dancers from all different eras then began to emerge, including a Wombat, sadly not costumed by Abe Vigoda this time, who winds up “breaking” the machine and setting off a wave of more ghosts from Phish New Year’s past.
With the fitting set-opening “Ghost” now in full swing, a full fledged choir emerged from backstage and the band steered into “Bohemian Rhapsody” in a nod to their 12/31/96 show in Boston, MA. The song was also visited by an entire marching band as well as it made its way into “Jungle Boogie,” which had not been played since 12/31/03 in Miami, FL. A “Wilson” castaway merged the 2002 “Tom Hanks” appearance with Trey Anastasio being stuck on a platform in 2019, and was unveiled from atop the stage as the music shifted into the namesake song before a final New Year’s countdown and a confetti-filled “Auld Lang Syne.” The constant set of revolving characters also saw ones like Father Time from 12/31/99, the “Meatstick” dancers from 12/31/10 and the “Petrichor” dancers and umbrellas from 12/31/16 make apperances.
2023 was greeted by “Carini” and a host of “naked dude” dancers reveling in the new year’s energy, even forming a chorus line during “New York, New York,” before eventually, as expected, shifting back to “Tweezer” one last time. An explosive “Crosseyed and Painless” > “Piper” section may have been the pure musical highlight of the set, before “A Life Beyond The Dream” and the always raucous “First Tube” closed out the final set of the run.
In their 14th overall New Year’s Eve performance at Madison Square Garden (and 22nd over the last 40 years), Phish celebrated what has made these shows so unique – the music, the antics, the special guests and the unexpected gags that continue to influence and be emulated throughout the jam band world. The only question left from this New Year’s Eve show is, how are they going to top this? We’ll get an answer to that question later this year.
Phish Madison Square Garden – New York, NY 12/31/22 – setlist via Phish.net
Set 1: Tweezer, Halley’s Comet -> Set Your Soul Free > Rift, Cavern > Tweezer > Shade, Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove
Set 2: Say It To Me S.A.N.T.OS. > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Kill Devil Falls, Mercury > Light > Waste, Drift While You’re Sleeping, Backwards Down The Number Line
Set 3: Ghost > Bohemian Rhapsody > Ghost -> Jungle Boogie > Wilson > Auld Lang Syne > Carini > Theme From New York, New York > Tweezer > Prince Caspian > Crosseyed and Painless > Piper, A Life Beyond The Dream, First Tube
Elliott Murphy is my latest surprise discovery and I am a wealthier man for meeting him and engaging in conversation. His vast career has taken him from Garden City, Long Island to Paris. A Rock-n-Roll, singer/songwriter, poet, performer, author and journalist for Rolling Stone and Spin Magazine, Elliott Murphy has a career worth investigating. I was most fortunate to have him on The Long Island Sound podcast.
Elliott Murphy
Looking at the experiences of this past year, I’m amazed at the various brushes with celebrity, while I lurked in the shadow of creative greatness. Unbeknownst to your humble correspondent, I stood briefly in the shadow of Elliott Murphy. Not shy to request interviews for NYS Music, I had yet to appreciate the unbelievable career of the man, who alongside Bruce Springsteen, was once touted as the next Bob Dylan.
After a brief “How do you like the Grand Opening?” back and forth, I propositioned Elliot for a full interview on The Long Island Sound podcast, which you can find right here.
Elliott Murphy was raised in Garden City and after a sojourn through Europe, returned to New York in 1973, and was promptly signed by Polydor Records and produced his acclaimed debut album, Aquashow. Paul Nelson from Rolling Stone acclaimed:
He’s the Best Dylan since1968
Paul Nelson (Rolling Stone)
Discovering Elliott Murphy
The road to discovery is littered with potholes, twists, turns, gumption and glory. Nevertheless the search for the next great artist or song which we long to cling to and make our own, may very well be around the corner. That’s why we search, because it can appear in the most unlikely places.
My recent job was to experience the Grand Opening of the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, as luck would have it among the many notable celebrities in the music industry, I came across a humble man, open to my small talk to pass the time with me as the circus of celebrity bandied about.
Paris My New Home
Traveling through Europe on a whim and a prayer seemed to be the right of passage for many twenty something’s over the decades. In 1977, Murphy took his guitar, harmonica and talent on a trip to Italy. Elliott put out a hat for tips and sang his heart out on various street corners throughout Europe, and brought home some new honed songs to New York.
Elliott Murphy performs at the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame Grand Opening
Upon his return to America, he played around Manhattan and scored a record deal with Polydor Records. The birth of his acclaimed album “Aqua Show” took the critics by storm as he was touted as the next Bob Dylan alongside Bruce Springsteen, John Prine, and Louden Wainwright III, but maybe America was just not ready for this soon to be prolific Parisian ex-patriot. You’ll have to tune into The Long Island Sound podcast to get, as I say, “The rest of the story.”
Prolific Singer/Songwriter & Author
Elliott Murphy’s musical journey seems to have been born out of a dream. He must be a dreamer having authored several books, and produced over thirty-five albums. In fact if you follow Elliott Murphy on Facebook, you’ll experience his awesome ability to detail dreams from the evenings slumber with the Rock Dream posts.
My latest project is called Elliot Murphy’s rock dreams. And this is a very bizarre one. I have dreamt about rock stars ever since I can remember. But I never wrote it down. Okay.about a year or so I decided I would start writing down these dreams and putting them up on my Facebook page. And I’m up to number 86 shit.
Elliott Murphy
In October 2012, he was the recipient of the Medaille de Vermeil de la Ville De Paris. On November 4, 2015 he was decorated with the Chevalier Ordre des Ares et des Lettres (Order of Arts & Letters), and in 2018 he was inducted to the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame by Billy Joel. He keeps going strong, touring throughout Europe, appearing at over one hundred events per year.
During our interview, I found Elliott to be open, honest and transparent about his career and journey.
It was my privilege to spend over an hour with him as we conducted a virtual interview between New York and Paris. There is much more to unpack about Murphy’s career, and I’m hopeful he will grant me additional interviews in the near future. (No pressure, Elliott, just say’n)
Sometimes we have to appreciate the past, and look at the historical journeys great artists have taken to appreciate their art and their careers.
The Joel/Springsteen Connection
Elliot Murphy counts Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen not only as friends and peers, but as collaborators. Here’s an interesting trailer from the documentary “The Second Act of Elliott Murphy” featuring Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen.
Billy Joel at MSG
In fact the list of collaborations is quite long, as he has worked with Mick Taylor, Phil Collins, Sonny Landreth, David Johansen, The Violent Femmes, Cindy Bullens and Shawn Colvin.* (Wikipedia reference) In 1995 his “Selling the Gold” a duet on the song “Everything I do- Leads Me Back to You” features Bruce Springsteen.
Bruce Springsteen
When talking about “The Boss” Elliott said this:
I’ve had so many marvelous moments with him (Bruce Springsteen) he invited my son and myself to sing Born to Run with him in a venue called the Stade de Frances. The French stadium, minutes. 80,000 people Oh my god. Wow. Imagine what a thrill that was.
Elliott Murphy
The Last of the Rock Stars
The connections, the collaborations and the journey of Elliott Murphy is quite fantastic. There’s a documentary from 2015 called “The Second Act of Elliott Murphy” which explores his storied career. When Elliott Murphy first went to Europe, so many Rock Stars were passing away, Jimmy Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Brian Jones. This is what he had to say about his most requested song:
The last of the rock stars was written on my first trip to Europe. And it is probably the song that I played at literally every concert. I think I’ve done about 2600 concerts in my life and I think I’ve played it literally at every show
Sometimes one has to explore the road less traveled to discover new music as well as time-tested classics. I believe this new year, will be a year of hope which enriches us with great new music, as the discovery of the wellspring of talent continues. A chance brief encounter, led me to Elliott Murphy, and I am richer for it. I look forward to hearing and reading more from him, as his creative desire remains strong along with his connection to Long Island, NY. I leave you with his beautiful song, “Touch of Kindness“.
May this New Year help us build the necessary bridges through kindness and cooperation with the gift of music. Peace!
