The anticipation had been building for months, and finally, the 2023 Great South Bay Music Festival kicked off its grand celebration of music and culture at Shorefront Park in Patchogue. From July 20 through July 23, this picturesque waterfront location became a haven for music enthusiasts and festival-goers alike, promising four days of pure musical bliss. Day 1, in particular, set the bar high with an impressive lineup that left the crowd yearning for more.
The festivities commenced with a soulful blues performance by Kerry Kearney & the Kings of the Psychedelta. Kearney’s mastery of the guitar and the band’s raw energy created an atmosphere that was both electrifying and calming. Their music served as the perfect opener, drawing people in and setting the tone for a night of unforgettable performances.
Next up was the legendary band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Known for their fusion of rock, blues, and soul, the band wasted no time in getting the audience on their feet. Kim Wilson’s dynamic presence and the band’s energy proved why they have been a crowd favorite for decades. With classic hits like “Tuff Enough” and “Rock With Me,” The Fabulous Thunderbirds delighted old fans and won over new ones, turning the festival grounds into one giant dance floor.
As the night progressed, the stage was graced by the presence of the iconic Dave Mason. The audience was taken on a nostalgic journey through Mason’s illustrious career, with hits from his time with Traffic and his successful solo career. His smooth vocals and masterful guitar work on “Can’t Find My Way Home” resonated through the crowd, creating a serene ambiance that had everyone swaying to the music. Dave Mason’s performance was a reminder of the timeless quality of great music and its ability to transcend generations.
The climax of Day 1 was the highly anticipated performance of Hot Tuna, a band renowned for its fusion of blues, rock, and psychedelic sounds. Adding to the significance of the night, it was announced that this would be Electric Hot Tuna’s final performance on Long Island, making it an emotional and bittersweet moment for both the band and their loyal fans.
Throughout the performance, fans were treated to a range of classics that showcased the band’s unparalleled talent and chemistry. Whether it was Jorma Kaukonen’s mesmerizing guitar prowess on “Hesitation Blues” or Jack Casady’s magnetic bass lines on “Trial by Fire,” each moment was a testament to the enduring legacy of Hot Tuna.
As the final chords rang out, the audience erupted into thunderous applause, expressing their gratitude for the band’s many years of musical brilliance. It was an emotional farewell, and both the band and the fans shared in the sentiment of this remarkable final performance at the Great South Bay Music Festival.
Check out more from Day 3 and Day 4 of Great South Bay Music Festival.
Setlists
Dave Mason: Only You and I Know, Pearly Queen, Forty Thousand Headmen, World in Changes, We Just Disagree, The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, Can’t Find My Way Home, Look at You Look at Me, Dear Mr. Fantasy, Feelin Alright?
Hot Tuna: Been So Long, Hesitation Blues, Great Divide: Revisited, Ode for Billy Dean, Bowlegged Woman, Knock Kneed Man, Trial By Fire, Sleep Song. Good Shepherd, Come Back Baby, Funky #7
Nick Balzano of the LI Jam Scene has announced his new venture Watkins Jam, taking place July 28-30 at various places in the state, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the famous Watkins Glen Summer Jam.
Nick Balzano has performed in many bands over the years, with his love for music starting at a young age with drums and piano. For the past ten years, he has been the vocalist and performed multiple instruments in LI Jam Scene. He has also put on many events over the years with companies and venues like Liquid Shadows Entertainment, 89 North, and more, and has always strived to give artists the fair shake and audience they deserve. His newest project, Pine Barrens Jam, hopes to showcase Long Island’s creative talent for years to come.
Now, Balzano is celebrating the anniversary of the Watkins Glen Summer Jam, which featured The Band, Grateful Dead, and The Allman Brothers Band. On creating the tribute shows, he said “[they] have been some of my biggest inspirations and I’m sure the rest of the members of this project can say the same. The songs, drumming styles, and even the communities they’ve created have had a huge influence on the path I’ve chosen as a musician.” When putting together the lineup, he specifically chose bands and artists who were also inspired by the three legendary acts.
The tribute shows take place on July 28 at Deep Dive in Ithaca, July 29 at Courtyard in Rosecoe, and July 30 at LI Glass in Holtsville. The lineup is comprised of various supergroups taking on each band’s eclectic catalog. Whaley will be presenting a set of The Band with the help of Damien Pagan of Funkin A’/Albums We Love on Long Island. The Allman Brothers and Grateful Dead sets will feature John & Rob from Ernie & The Band, as well as Damien & other guests. The original drummer from Balzano’s time in A Band In Ship, Ryan McCloskey, will be joining for The Allman Brothers set for the Upstate dates and Jager Soss of Baked Shrimp will be holding down the second kit on Long Island.
The original Summer Jam.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit here.
Jazz and swing musical organization the Full Count Big Band are happy to release a new song, an anthem about New York City, rightfully called “I Met New York.”
Consisting of 17 different instrumentalists and one vocalist when performing, the band initially began 20 years ago as a community group, later growing to the professional level. Much of the Full Count Big Band has experience in the music industry, with musicians, for the most part, currently playing or have played/toured with popular groups or are music education teachers.
The song’s inspiration comes from Jeneal Teander, who isn’t from New York but instead from North Carolina, who thought that New York City with all its problems, could use a lift through an inspirational song. Bender discovered the Full Count Big Band through their website and the group’s proximity to New York City, a perfect blend for what he was looking for. Following the band’s tweaks and adjustments to the track for about a year, Bender is finally ready to release his work.
The band performs and rehearses weekly for weddings, concerts, private parties, dances, fairs, fundraiser events, and jazz clubs across the metro New York area.
To listen to “I Met New York,” you can visit the band’s website, where you can find booking information, listen to other songs, and additional background on the New Jersey group.
The book dives into the history of the Brothers and Sisters album, the Allman Brothers Band’s best-selling album with an influential cultural and musical legacy. Alan Paul notably includes never-before-heard interviews conducted by Kirk West, the Allman Brothers Band’s “Tour Mystic.” Stories within feature familiar faces like Jimmy Carter, Cher, Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, and Susan Sarandon.
Several chapters are dedicated to the Summer Jam at Watkins Glen in 1973. The event drew in 600,000 attendants near the small town of Watkins Glen in the Finger Lakes region. It has been remembered as a record-smasher in terms of size and legacy.
The Summer Jam at Watkins Glen in 1973.
Alan Paul himself also is a part of the tribute band Friends of the Brothers, in which the members were closely associated with the original band. They continue to bring the sounds of the Allman Brothers Band to new audiences and will play on July 29 at Lincoln Farms to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Watkins Glen as well as on July 30 to promote the book at the City Winery in New York City. More details after the interview.
New York State Music interviewed Paul before the release of the book. The following is a trimmed-down transcript of that interview which discusses Paul’s inspiration, his thoughts on the Brothers and Sisters album, details from his research, and more.
NYS Music: You’re involved in celebrating the Allman Brothers Band through the Friends of the Brothers, but what made you come back and write “Brothers and Sisters?” Did you feel like something missing from “One Way Out,” or was there just a different story you wanted to tell?
Paul: It’s not so much missing from “One Way Out” as… it came out of a conversation I had with Brad Tolinski, who was the long-time editor of Guitar World… it just came up and he was just egging me on. I said “I’ve said my Allman Brother piece,” and he said, “No man, there’s more to say.” He was egging me on and said “Look, the 50th anniversary of Brothers and Sisters is coming up and I feel like it’s just still so unexplored.” I started thinking about it and digging into it a bit, and I came to think he was right.
It really was the most popular era, and it holds up really well. It’s not like it’s being such an era piece that it’s an embarrassment now… and yet it was an era that was largely forgotten, even by the band’s biggest fans.
NYSM: Of course, Brothers and Sisters is a very influential album. For you, personally, what made you want to pursue writing about it specifically? What does it mean to you?
Paul: When I write these books… I dig in really really deep, so I throw myself into it for a year or two. I really have to like the music, first of all. It also has to be a great story because it is in writing, it is a book. It’s not just like “Oh, this album is great. Isn’t it great?” You can’t say that for hundreds of pages. There has to be a story and a plot. I just found this whole era very intriguing. And again, as I said, it was unusual because it was really popular, really vital, and yet it was sort of unexplored.
Then we had this type of lineup with one guitar and keyboards during this period. The rest of the time they were a two guitar band. I think that is also why fans overlook it, and it ended pretty ugly, which I document pretty thoroughly…. I feel like people ended up focused on the end and the ugliness of the era rather than the beginning of the era and how cool it was.
NYSM: Something that really caught my eye were the interviews, including the never-before-heard interviews by Kirk West. How did you get access to them or find out about their existence?
Paul: Kirk West has been a friend for 30 years… Kirk was the “tour mystic” for the Allman Brothers. The title came about because he was the tour manager, but he did so much more than the average tour manager that he needed a special name… he was their historian or archivist.
He told me that he had been working on a book. At that point it was the early ’90s… he said that he was writing a book on the band and he was doing all of these interviews. I started asking him to write a sample chapter for Guitar World. My thought at that point was that this would be a good story for Guitar World…. He eventually said “I love the idea, but I’m not really a writer and I don’t have time. But I can collaborate on it with someone.” That someone became me.
I called Kirk and asked what he thought about [“Brothers and Sisters”]. He was very enthusiastic, and we would talk about it. Very early in that process, after that, he offered me and said “Would you like to have my interview tapes?” Of course I said yes, and they were a gold mine… it was an honor and a privilege to have access to them.
NYSM: Among those interviews, was there anything that you found, maybe not necessarily surprising, but something that you were just very interested in? A new perspective or something like that?
Paul: I mean, there was so much of that really, that its hard to pinpoint, but there were a specific things that were quite amazing. I had a good relationship with Gregg [Allman] and I interviewed him many many times. There were certain things that you just sort of knew, either because you were told or just knew that they were off-limits… he went there with Kirk.
For instance, the relationship with Cher, I felt I was able to have a real depth to the way I wrote about it… Gregg talked about it so much in ways that he really never did again afterwards. That was one of the things you couldn’t really expect of Gregg. Another one of those things was the drug trial.
The other thing was interviews with a few people who are deceased, including Gregg, but I had a lot of great stuff from Gregg… so there would’ve been ways to get around that. Just for instance, Steve Massarsky… he was their manager, he was the lawyer who came in and helped them sort out the mess that the business had become and take on, ultimately, their manager Phil Walden… [Also] Bill Graham, the great promoter who was very very important to the Allman Brothers, and to the Grateful Dead, and to Watkins Glen.
Paul: Jimmy Carter himself has said many times that he would never have been president without the Allman Brothers… they were central to the whole thing… and that was for a variety of reasons. The most direct, most obvious reason is that they raised a lot of money for him…They really helped raise his profile at a time when he was completely unknown.
[Manager Phil Walden] was an early Carter supporter and he was the one who was crucial in getting these guys behind them. Once they were, they really were all in. It wasn’t just something they threw off, it wasn’t a matter of convenience, and it wasn’t a matter of just pleasing Phil Walden… it was because they really really genuinely like Jimmy Carter.
NYSM: For those that may be interested, in diving into the histories of these iconic bands, where would you advise them to go, and what would you advise them to read, beyond your wonderful biographies?
Paul: So obviously they have to start with my books, but it depends on what their interests are… It’s just like listening to music for me. A lot of people got into the blues because they liked the Allman Brothers… Writing is the same way. If you read my books and you like them, then take the part you like and dig deeper.
I try to write in a way so that you will have a better understanding of music… but also of the era and of other people… that’s my goal, I hope I pull it off. Keep reading, keep digging deeper, whatever the aspect is that is most intriguing to you, read more about it.
On July 29, Alan Paul and Friends of the Brothers will be playing at Summer Jam ’23 at Lincoln Hill Farms, NY to celebrate 50 years since Watkins Glen. It will also feature the Grateful Dead tribute band Terrapin Flyer and The Band tribute The THE BAND Band. Doors open at 3:00 p.m. with a 3:30 p.m. start and tickets are available here.
On July 30, Alan Paul will be at a “Brothers and Sisters” book event at City Winery in NYC, which will feature a book signing, author Q&A, as well as a musical performance featuring Duane Betts, Lamar Williams Jr., Johnny Stachela, Vaylor Trucks, Friends of the Brothers, and more. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. with an 8:00 p.m. start. Information and tickets can be found here.
Tickets are now available for Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade’s “Hunt For Green October” fall tour, with dates in Brooklyn and Albany. The rock band recently reformed after a 20-year hiatus, and has just completed their “Summer of Green” tour.
The band was originally formed by Les Claypool in 2000 during a break from his other band, Primus, with a debut appearance at the Mountain Aire Festival. They would go on to tour around the U.S., release two live albums, and release the studio album, Purple Onion.
Claypool himself has also been involved with Primus’s recent “A Tribute To Kings” tour, as well as Primus’s first new music in over five years. This 3-track EP, Conspiranoid, includes the 11-minute “Conspiranoia.”
Les Claypool’s Frog Brigade will have a new, two-set show for their fall tour, going more into their catalog. The “Hunt For Green October” tour will be the last opportunity to hear the Frog Brigade’s take on Pink Floyd‘s Animals. The song will be played at every show in its entirety.
Let’s put it this way… I think, with Primus and without, I’ve played every music festival in the last ten years, except Lilith Fair. You could say I’m the guy who doesn’t fit in anywhere, but a little bit everywhere.
Les Claypool
Upcoming Tour Dates
Oct. 11 – Fox Theater – Oakland, CA
Oct. 12 – Riverside Municipal Auditorium – Riverside, CA
Little Island, a New York City public park, announced that they received a prestigious award. The park is one of ten projects across North America selected this year. It will also now advance to compete for a global award against projects from the Europe and Asia Pacific regions.
Photo credit Michael Grimm
Located in Hudson River Park, Little Island features a gorgeous landscape with walking paths, performance spaces, and dazzling views. The Urban Land Institute selected the park for a 2023 Urban Land Institute Americas Award for Excellence in Urban Open Space.
After winning the regional Americas Award, Little Island will next compete for the Urban Land Institute Global Awards for Excellence. The Urban Land Institute’s mission is to “shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide.” The finalists and winners of their awards are also chosen by a jury made up of “leaders who represent a broad geographic diversity and many areas of real estate and land use expertise, including finance, planning, development, public affairs, design, and professional services, among others.”
“I’m so glad that in addition to making so many people happy when they come to Little Island, we are getting an award for excellence by the Urban Land Institute. It is a very special honor,” Barry Diller, the founder of Little Island said.
Little Island History
Diller, as part of the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation, envisioned building the park in the remnants of Pier 54 after Hurricane Sandy heavily damaged the area. In partnership with Hudson River Park Trust leadership, Diller reimagined an entirely new type of public space for New York. He additionally hoped to create an immersive experience with nature and art.
“Through our partnership, the Hudson River Park Trust achieved its goal of delivering new public open space at one of the piers long planned to be rebuilt, but in a way that no one could have conceived of when the Park was being planned,” President and CEO of the Hudson River Park Trust Noreen Doyle said. “Congratulations to Mr. Diller and The Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation, to every member of the engineering, design, planning and construction teams, and to the Little Island and Hudson River Park Trust staff members who pooled their talents for the public good. Thank you to the Urban Land Institute for recognizing their achievements.”
Little Island opened on May 21, 2021 as an oasis for New Yorkers. The park additionally boasts two acres of magnificent landscape, distinctive architecture, and an abundance of free education programs and performances. Since opening, Little Island has welcomed over 3.5 million visitors and hosted over 572 free performances and 245 arts workshops.
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
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 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 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)
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.
