Watertown, NY will soon be home to a new music venue, the Harmony Performing Arts Center.
Joseph Foy, president and founder of HarmoNNY Performing Arts Community started this organization back in 2020 with the goal of creating a music-focused performance venue in the local area. Foy, a long-time musician himself, wanted to expand beyond typical small-town bar gigs and create a space where music could be the full focus.
“Sometimes it would be nice to just be able to play my songs in an environment where people are listening and I can try to create a show out of it,” Foy said. “There wasn’t really a place where I felt like I could really do that here.”
The Historic Strand Theater, Photo by Cinema Treasures
Since then, Foy’s idea has expanded to encompass all types of performing arts, from the theater to dance and comedy.
The Harmony Performing Arts Center is currently undergoing renovation and is set to be open this fall. The venue is located in the historic Strand Theater, a former silent theater turned nightclub, dating back to the early 1900s. The Strand closed its doors in 2018 and was left in the hands of a local non-profit Neighbors of Watertown, which eventually reached out to Foy to create a performing arts space.
The Strand Theater, 1987 article in the Watertown Daily Times announcing its re-opening as a nightclub. Photo: Watertown Daily Times.
The theater will seat 100 people and feature a rooftop area for additional events. Jefferson Community College will also share office space next door, a partnership that helped Harmony gain additional grant funding to renovate the space.
Foy said he took inspiration for Harmony from other small town theaters such as the Homer Center for the Arts located in Central New York as well as Auburn Public Theater. Both have non-profit models, as does Harmony.
“I thought to myself, in Watertown, we didn’t necessarily have anything that was specific to the performing arts,” Foy said. “We feel like in Watertown … people aren’t going out as much to see things anymore, in general, so us starting with a smaller venue makes a lot of sense in our mind to help build up that momentum again.”
Construction in the interior of the soon-to-be Harmony Performing Arts Center – Photo via Downtown News and Glenn Curry
For the past three years, Foy has worked with the local community to improve access to the arts. Harmony currently operates an instrumental lending library where local residents can rent instruments and musical equipment like mics and PA systems. More recently, Harmony partnered with the North County Library system allowing them to deliver instruments across multiple counties.
“The way I see it, you know, you start off small, and then you make it work, and then you build other things into it,” Foy said.
Foy started this program during the pandemic, when finding a theater and doing renovations would have been next to impossible.
“We’ve been doing things, just anything we can think of that helps enhance the arts, whether it be just having a calendar that shows what’s going on in the area each day, to having lists of the performers who are in the area, or the those who are teaching lessons in the area,” Foy said.
The outside of the theater as it undergoes renovations – Photo courtesy Joeseph Foy
Foy said he plans to keep growing the Harmony Performing Arts Center community well into the future.
“My real vision is to go down the line – and maybe this is 10-20, years from now – to create a bigger venue, but we’re so excited to be able to start with something that we can build up from, and that’s not going to be too much for us to take on.”
There is no official opening date or performances scheduled yet for Harmony Performing Arts Center although Foy hopes renovations will be done by this fall. He added Harmony is always looking for new members, volunteers and instrument donations.
“Just to see that momentum from the community is really fulfilling and exciting,” Foy said.
While not in New York proper, the Berkshires are an essential part of live music for those in Eastern New York and beyond. Intersecting multiple state lines, these highlands boast a vibrant community of artists and art alike- drawing both locals and those from beyond the mountains into its captivating live performance scene. From grandiose theaters to intimate speakeasies, the Berkshires offer a venue fit for every event and occasion.
Formed by the merging of the Berkshire Theatre Festival and The Colonial Theatre, two of the county’s oldest cultural organizations, the Berkshire Theatre Group has a long history of bringing live performance to its community. Boasting a catalog of performances dating back to 1928 and an ever-expanding repertoire of both time-honored classics and works from new and emerging artists, the performances of the Berkshire Theatre Group span four stages- The Colonial Theatre, The Unicorn Theatre, The Fitzpatrick Main Stage, and The Garage, each with their own unique personality and purpose.
Address: 6 East St, Stockbridge, MA 01262 (The Unicorn Theatre, The Fitzpatrick Main Stage)
Address: 111 South St, Pittsfield, MA 01201 (The Colonial Theatre, The Garage)
Known for their contemporary productions, Chester Theatre Company hosts a series of shows made and performed by those in the community every summer. In addition to their own works, the Company hosts talkbacks, cast conversations, and panel discussions.
Built completely upon and around the talents and works of those local to the Berkshires and beyond, The Great Barrington Public Theater performs in the Daniel Arts Center of Bard College at Simon’s Rock, either on the 300 seat mainstage McConnell Theater with orchestral and balcony seating or the 100 seat Liebowitz Black Box Theater.
Address: 84 Alford Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230
The Mac-Haydn Theatre has been producing musical theater performances for the area for over fifty years now- bringing the founding wish to spread professional musical theater beyond Broadway to fruition. Each performance comes to life on their 350 seat theatre-in-the-round stage, creating an engaging and intimate audience experience. Shows run each season between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day Weekend.
Constructed in 1904 and opened in 1905, the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center has acted as a community cornerstone for live performance, film, and cultural events since its inception. Boasting theater seats just under 700, year-round arts programming, and a range of events from entertainment to education, the Mahaiwe is the centerpiece to the town’s vibrant art scene.
Address: 14 Castle Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230
An abbreviation for Performance Space 21, this black box theater sits atop a mountain. PS21 is home to contemporary dance, theatre, and music that hosts cutting edge artists from across the globe. Like many performances at this venue that invite the audience to interact- oftentimes more workshop than production- visitors can explore the fields and view of the Hudson below.
Founded in 1978, Shakespeare & Company boasts a wide range of theaters to fit each production’s needs. With tried and true Shakespearean classics, reimagined pieces, and newly debuted shows, Shakespeare & Company utilizes every seat of their 540-seat open air Arthur S. Waldstein Amphitheatre, 400-seat scaffold-and-canvas inspired Tina Packer Playhouse, intimate five row Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre, Elizabethan inspired 280-seat outdoor Roman Garden Theatre, and the 250-seat Rose Footprint Theatre, a reconstruction of the first level of Shakespeare’s first London theater.
With a rich history of live music and musical education, an open-air venue with both indoor seating and an outer lawn that provides a variety of listening experiences, and a star studded performance archive that ranges from Ella Fitzgerald to Dolly Parton, it’s no wonder Tanglewood has been consistently voted a fan favorite concert venue. In addition to individual performances, Tanglewood houses the Popular Artists Series festival, the Boston Pops, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s training academy.
An informal, cozy venue nestled in an old barn at the Egremont Village Inn, The Egremont Barn offers a more casual audience experience complete with pub style comfort foods and a stage boasting little more than a piano. The venue’s charm shines through in its community built around the year-round program of singer-songwriters, theater companies, open mics, and musical acts across genres.
A small speakeasy style venue tucked beneath the Red Lion Inn, The Lion’s Den offers an intimate musical experience with a timeless atmosphere. Thursday through Saturday evenings feature folk, rock, and blues acts from their Den Sessions, and Sunday evenings are the host to their Jazz series.
Address: The Red Lion Inn, 30 Main St, Stockbridge MA 01262
A Tony Award-winning theater, The Williamstown Theatre Festival is a resident summer theatre on Williams College’s campus that hosts a yearly season of shows and community immersive theatre programs year-round.
In the vibrant land of New York City, each borough offers its unique culture, style, and history. In music, the historic jazz clubs of Harlem, projecting unforgettable stars like Duke Ellington, to the indie rock bands in Brooklyn, Manhattan’s Broadway avenues, Queen’s melting pot of cultural musicians, the Bronx’s hip-hop roots, and Staten Island’s hidden diamonds, the city offers something for everyone.
The Rockwood Music Hall is a small live music venue on NYCâs Lower East Side, with world-class sound and a storied history. Anchored by a 9âx9â stage and a Welte & Sons baby grand piano, Rockwood hosts artists of all genres and musical styles, 7 days a week.
The club is filled with vibrant jazz-loving people from all over the world. The musicians are all top-rate and playing their hearts out for an adoring and sympathetic crowd.
Irving Plaza is a ballroom-style music venue located within the Union Square neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was featured on the Complex City Guide list of “50 Best Concert Venues of America” in 2013.
Webster Hall is one of New York’s most significant large 19th-century assembly halls, and it became famous for its Bohemian masquerade balls in the 1910s and 1920s.
Known for its mix of local talent and acoustic acts, the funky venue has an intimate stage for all performances. As a local staple of the East Village, locals and visitors love then venue.
The Bitter End is a 230-person capacity nightclub, coffeehouse, and folk music venue in New York City’s Greenwich Village. It opened in 1961 at 147 Bleeker Street under the auspices of owner Fred Weintraub. The club changed its name to The Other End in June 1975. However, after a few years, the owners changed the club’s name back to the more recognizable The Bitter End.
The Mercury Lounge is celebrated as an iconic indie venue due to its acoustics, its fostering and even launching of upcoming artists, and its no-frills, rock n’ roll presentation. It has made numerous top-ten lists over the years including that of Billboard Magazine. It has a capacity of 250 people.
LPR is a music venue and multimedia art cabaret in New York City founded in 2008. The performance space was designed and engineered by John Storyk/WSDG. It has become known for its focus on artistry, bringing contemporary classical music into the club setting, offering a variety of setups so that a seated classical performance can be followed by a standing set by a rock band or a DJ.
Sounds of Brazil, known as S.O.B.âs, is a legendary live music venue in the lower Manhattan neighborhood of SoHo. It was opened by owner and director Larry Gold in June 1982. Gold opened the venue to expose the musical wealth and heritage of the Afro-Latino Diaspora to as many people as possible.
Nublu is a unique club and record label from the cultural epicenter of New York City, the East Village. There are three entities of the Nublu universe, a live music venue, a record label, and a recently launched Nublu Jazz Festival which has premiered in NYC, Sao Paul and Istanbul.
Being a staple in the East Village, the venue is owned and operated by rock and roll lifers. Known for the raw and gritty charm, the establishment hosts rising stars.
The Gramercy Theatre is a music venue in New York City. It is located in the Gramercy neighborhood of Manhattan, on 127 East 23rd Street. Built in 1937 as the Gramercy Park Theatre, it is owned and operated by Live Nation as one of their two concert halls in New York City, the other being the nearby Irving Plaza.
The Red Lion is a living, breathing Rock-n-Roll juke box. This is the place where bands get their start, making their bones, paying the rent and barely paying their tab. Just like the Rolling Stones did with their first three albums: Interpreting the songs they loved the best.
The Rooftop at Pier 17is New York Cityâs most scenic concert stage. A dynamic open-air entertainment venue, set five stories above the East River, concert goers annually see their favorite artists within an intimate atmosphere (3,500 capacity), all from a one-of-a-kind rooftop location with direct views of such iconic skyline landmarks as the Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, and One World Trade Center.
Groove is a venue that remains, honoring the rich musical tradition of Greenwich Village. Groove has seen many changes since opening in 1998, but the mission to uplift local musicians and fans and to preserve the soul of American music continues to this day.
Dueling Pianos is an all-request, rock-and-roll party where you pick the playlist. Two top piano entertainers, mixing music, comedy and audience interaction in a singalong, laugh-along, dance-along show! Itâs everything from Billy Joel to Bon Jovi, Britney Spears to Bruno Mars. Nothing is off-limits from pop, rock, country, hip-hop, hairbands, disco, punk rock, standards, showtunes.
The Beacon Theatre was developed by Samuel “Roxy” Rothafel and built as a movie palace with 2,894 seas across three levels. The theater is designated as a New York City interior landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Part palace, part industrial shed, Park Avenue Armory fills a critical void in the cultural ecology of New York, supporting unconventional works in the performing and visual arts that cannot be fully realized in a traditional proscenium theater, concert hall, or white wall gallery. With its soaring 55,000-square-foot Wade Thompson Drill Hall and an array of exuberant period rooms, the Armory enables a diverse range of artists to create, students to explore, and audiences to experience epic, adventurous, relevant work that cannot be done elsewhere in New York.
The National Sawdust commissions, produces, and presents cultural programming rooted in sound, supporting artists in various disciplines who are passionate about experimentation and innovation. In its intimate venue equipped with a state-of-the-art spatial sound system, National Sawdust connects audiences to the performing arts’ powers to inspire deep thinking, joy, and uphold human dignity.
Elsewhere is a multi-room music venue, nightclub, and arts space in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Our focus is underground and unbound music, presented with love. Since 2017, Elsewhereâs three stories of dance floors and stages have been home to expansive sonic offerings for all New Yorkers to explore. We are and will forever remain fiercely independent.
Located next door to The Brooklyn Monarch, The Meadows is quickly becoming a late night hotspot. This 500 capacity venue is an oasis, complete with a full bar, food, and trippy picturesque backyard with a seasonal outdoor stage.
Skinny Dennis is located in the heart of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The bar features 18 beers on draft, our signature cocktails, a vintage jukebox and our INfamous Willie’s Frozen Coffee. Since February 2013, Skinny Dennis has been home to the some of the best live country & roots music in New York City. Offering high quality musical entertainment 7 nights a week.
Quirky Brooklyn bar prized for ‘divey’ vibes, eclectic decor & live performances in the back room. The eclectic decor within the bar adds and build unique character and is a local favorite.
Opened in September of 2008, the warehouse venue hosts big-name acts & up-and-comers. Before opening, the space was used for recording the NPR program “Ask Me Another.”
On November 24, 1928, Brooklyn Paramount introduced the most immersive entertainment experience the world had ever seen. Crowds stretched around the block to leave the world behind for a baroque palace of overwhelming spectacle and groundbreaking performances. Emboldened as âAmericaâs first movie theater built for sound,â Brooklyn Paramount set the stage for a storied saga of beginnings.
Located within the former horse stable of the ASPCA HQ, The Atrium is a cocktail bar and plant based restaurant that transforms into a late night music space. The room is crowned by a historic skylight and imposing 20â² columns that frame a monolithic travertine bar. The Atrium hosts a diverse range of record selectors over dinner service and internationally touring DJâs later in the evening.
With 15,000+ square feet of space on each of two floors featuring high ceilings and ample open space. 3,000 person capacity uniquely positioned to take advantage of the burgeoning Hollywood movie and TV rental business in Brooklyn. The Hangar also has a pre-approved NY State-certified Soundstage/New York State Qualified Production Facility (QPF) for usage rights.
Opened in 1999, Pete’s Candy Store continues as Williamsburg’s original live music venue. Featuring acts such as Will Oldham, Beth Orton, Devendra Barnhart and Norah Jones, this small venue and neighborhood tavern developed an early reputation for special shows and rare treats. While the list of noteworthy performers is quite lengthy, Pete’s Candy Store has always been a free venue and has booked mostly unknown and unsigned bands, many of which have gone on to greater recognition.
The Kings Theatre, formerly Loew’s Kings Theatre, is a live performance venue in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City. Opened by Loew’s Theatres as a movie palace in 1929 and closed in 1977, the theater sat empty for decades until a complete renovation was initiated in 2010.
The Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island is an outdoor live entertainment venue within the Childs Restaurants building on the Riegelmann Boardwalk in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City. The venue opened in June 2016.
Founded in 2014, Câmon was born out of a desire to amplify the underserved creative voices of LGBTQ/QTPOC people (and allies) and to serve as a safe space for the queer community.
Brooklyn Music Kitchen is Brooklynâs newest music infusion giving local and global artists the opportunity to perform, record and stream their live performances from a fully loaded sound and video stage.
TV Eye is a new kind of night club on a geographical and cultural frontier, proudly occupying both a space on the edge of the Bushwick/Ridgewoodborder and in the vanguard of contemporary nightlife.
Industrial-chic venue of rehearsal space, art studios & rooftop bar with live music, films & snacks. From indie to R&B offers a great offering of rising artists.
Established in 2013, Babyâs All Right is an independently funded & operated music venue in the heart of Williamsburg. Its intimate, 250-capacity show room has hosted past perfomers including SZA, Cypress Hill, Lil Yachty, Blood Orange, Charli XCX, Mac DeMarco, James Murphy, David Byrne, Hot Chip, Courtney Barnett, Willow Smith, Jack White, Billie Eilish & many more.
This spot is a favorite hangout and go-to spot for live music and draft beers. Regularly hosting live performances, the venue has the perfect atmosphere for a casual night outing.
The Music Hall of Williamsburg us operated by the Bowery Presents, a group stemming from Bowery Ballroom that was brought by AEG in 2017. The Music Hall of Williamsburg has a capacity of 650 people and has shows on most nights of the week.
Imagine retreating back in time to enjoy live jazz in an intimate, restored 19th-century Victorian brownstone in the historical district of Brooklynâs Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. Brownstone Jazz presents jazz concerts complete with a piano, bass, drum set and other acoustic instruments as well. A Southern fish-fry buffet and open mic sessions add to the experience.
Gemini & Scorpio, two funky Brooklyn gals, have been running the second-largest non-commercial New York City events list since 2002, spreading the word on underground happenings you’d otherwise never hear about. They are also the makers of themed costume parties with live entertainment: legendary happenings from wild circus throw downs to dazzling vintage dance socials to one-of-a-kind Russian baths bashes.
Address: 267 Douglass St 3rd floor, Brooklyn, NY 11217
Issue Project Room A pioneering Brooklyn-based performance nonprofit founded in 2003, ISSUE presents projects by interdisciplinary artists that expand the boundaries of artistic practice and stimulate critical dialogue in the broader community. ISSUE serves as a leading cultural incubator, facilitating the commission and premiere of innovative new works spanning genres of music, dance, literature and film.
Formerly Queens Theatre in the Park and before that Queens Playhouse, is an American professional theatre, located in Flushing MeadowsâCorona Park, Queens, New York City, New York.
Address : Flushing Meadows Corona Park, 14 United Nations Ave S, Queens, NY 11368
Terraza 7 is a live music venue and community center; the perfect hub for local art, political expressions, and your favorite coffee or mixed drink. Located in the heart of Queens, New York, between Elmhurst and Jackson Heights, two locations containing the most diverse population of immigrants on the planet, is committed to a progressive model of business that grows within its community base on local values.
The Wolfhound is a contemporary Irish pub in Astoria Queens NYC. We serve lots of Guinness as well as craft beer + domestic favorites along with a seasonal cocktail list We pack the calendar with weekend events – live music, DJ parties, and more. Trivia on Tuesdays. Rocking since August 2016.
Forest Hills Stadium is a historic outdoor music venue that has welcomed fans to the picturesque New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens for over 100 years. Designed to optimize acoustics and with no obstructed views, the 13,000 capacity stadium is the only outdoor venue of its kind and size in the city.
Flushing Town Hall is a performing arts center and historic town hall at 137-35 Northern Boulevard in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens in New York City. It served as the seat of government of the village of Flushing until the village became part of City of Greater New York in 1898.
Featuring programming of diverse formats and media, Knockdown Center aims to create a radically cross-disciplinary environment. The particularity of our architectural environment and history leads us to gravitate toward projects that demonstrate a sensitive reactivity to site and environment.
Gantry Plaza State Park is a 12-acre state park on the East River in the Hunters Point section of Long Island City, in the New York City borough of Queens. The park is located in a former dockyard and manufacturing district, and includes remnants of facilities from the area’s past.
The Paradise Theater, formerly Loew’s Paradise Theatre, is a movie palace-type theater located at 2417 Grand Concourse in the Bronx. Constructed in 1929 at the height of grand movie theaters, in the later 20th century the building was used also for live entertainment.
The Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco) developed the Bronx Music Hall (BMH) as a performance venue and community cultural center dedicated to honoring, showcasing and cultivating music, dance, theater, and interdisciplinary arts in the Bronx.
The Bronx Brewery The Brewery is committed to using what we create and where we create it to bring people together, while celebrating the rich and diverse creative scene in our home borough and across New York City and Manhattan.
Pregones was founded in 1979 when a group of artists led by Rosalba Rolón set out to create new works in the style of Caribbean and Latin American âcolectivosâ or performing ensembles.
THE POINT Community Development Corporation is dedicated to youth development and the cultural and economic revitalization of the Hunts Point section of the South Bronx. Its programming falls within three main headings all aimed at the comprehensive revitalization of the Hunts Point community: Youth Development, Arts and Culture, and Community Development.
An Beal Bocht Cafe, in operation since 1991, began as a small cafe. Serving only non-alcoholic beverages, it centered as a spot for artist to gather and performs, and quickly cemented itself as a neighborhood favorite.
Orchard Beach is the only public beach in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The 115-acre, 1.1-mile-long beach is part of Pelham Bay Park and is situated on the western end of Long Island Sound. Orchard Beach indeed has music, with Salsa Sundays held every Sunday from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, from noon to 5 pm, as well as Pride in the Bronx in June, Camping, Pelham Bay Park canoeing and much more!
The St. George Theatre is a performing arts venue, picture palace, and office complex at 35 Hyatt Street in St. George, on the North Shore of Staten Island, New York City. The 2,800-seat St. George Theatre was built for Staten Island theater operator Solomon Brill and opened on December 4, 1929.
Harbor Lights is Staten Islands own professional Theater Company presenting Broadway actors in beautifully designed productions at an affordable price.
Located at the heart of the 204-acre campus of the College of Staten Island (CSI), a four-year senior college of The City University of New York (CUNY), the Center for the Arts (CFA) is one of the leading, state-of-the-art, performing arts centers in Staten Island.
Address: 2800 Victory Blvd #1P-116, Staten Island, NY 10314
In 1969, Bert Sommer, an American folk singer and songwriter, was immersed in a moment when peace, love, and hippies flowed through Bethel, N.Y., at a three-day-event known as Woodstock.
Performing music had been Sommer’s passion since a teenager. Riding the wave of Beatlemania, Sommer took a train from Hartsdale and went to Central Park in Manhattan where he met semi-truant and aspiring musicians, Leslie West, Larry (Weinstein) West, Peter Sabatino, Roger Mansour, and Jerry Storch. Together, the boys formed the garage band, The Vagrants.
From Left to Right: Michael Brown, David Warren Schierhorst, Bert Sommer, Michael McKean. Photo courtesy of the Estate of Michael Brown, courtesy of Yvonne Brown
Although Sommer was not a performing member of The Vagrants, he penned a dozen songs and more for them, including “And When It’s Over”, featured on the band’s first LP. The Vagrants performed gigs in the Long Island club, The Action House.
Simultaneously, in Washington Square Park, Sommer met two more musical semi-truants, Tom Finn and Tom Feher who formed the classically-influenced “Baroque Pop” band, The Left Banke. Sommer formed a writing partnership with the band’s youngest member, Michael Brown, and wrote songs for The Left Banke.
Internal artistic disagreements amongst band members caused The Left Banke to reform under Michael Brown. Joining Brown in The Left Banke included Sommer, Michael McKean and David Warren Schierhorst. The band recorded several songs, including Feher’s “Ivy, Ivy”, and Sommer’s “And Suddenly”. Although “And Suddenly” was rising up the music charts, the original members sued the new version of the band.
After his stint with The Vagrants and The Left Banke, Sommer went to Los Angeles, CA to perform in HAIR, first as a member of the Tribe before moving on to play the character of Neil “Woof” Donovan.
In January 1969, Sommer, on Capitol Records released his debut album, The Road to Travel, produced by music executive and Brooklyn native, Arthur Kornfield. Kornfield left Capitol Records to co-create the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival alongside Michael Lang. Kornfield then invited Sommer to perform at the opening of the festival on Friday, Aug. 15, 1969, where he sang the song, “Jennifer”. Sommer wrote “Jennifer” for his HAIR co-star, Jennifer Warnes, and he received the first standing ovation at Woodstock. Sommer performed a 10-song set at the festival.
The Book cover of Sharon Watts’ memoir of Bert Sommer: “The Rather Magnificent” Bert Sommer Woodstock’s Lost Treasure – Cover courtesy of Sharon Watts
After Woodstock, Sommer recorded three additional albums, had his single, “We’re All Playing in the Same Band” reach No. 48 on the Hot 100 Chart in September 1970, and while at SUNY Brockport in 1974, met Waterford resident and singer/songwriter, Johnny Rabb (real name: Gary Roberts), through friend Rob Landis. Together, the trio performed at clubs and cafes in and around Brockport for several years. The trio also went to Los Angeles to work on a Capitol LP produced by Ron Dante, who had just produced 13 Barry Manilow hits.
Eventually through Rabb’s encouragement, Sommer moved to Albany in August 1983 where he continued his music career until his death from a nearly life-long pattern of juggling addictive tendencies on July 23, 1990 at the age of 41. Musicians who knew Sommer within the music circuit would have their own intricate memories to share and tell to a super fan who became inspired to write about the late singer.
Entering Sharon Watts
Growing up in a suburb of Harrisburg, PA, the then 16-year-old teenager Sharon Watts barely had the Woodstock festival on her radar. Watts, who later became an illustrator and writer, lived in New York City for 30 years before moving upstate to Beacon where she currently resides.
In December 2017, Watts visited The Museum at Bethel Woods for the first time to learn more about the festival and its performers. She was inside the hallway of performers and read their information and realized at the time that she didn’t know half of them. After her museum trip, she returned home with a book that she took out from her local library with every performer, in order of appearance. With her iPad and her two cats, she sat on the sofa and began reading the book until she reached Sommer’s name.
A young photo of Bert Sommer taken by Tom Flynn in 1966. Photo courtesy of Tom Flynn of The Left Banke
“When I got to Bert, I was simply blown away. Something in his delivery reached into my core, and I needed to know who he was, and why had I never known of his existence,” Watts recalled. “There was not a lot of info on him on the internet, but I started going down rabbit holes and found people who knew him – starting with his Woodstock bandmate, Ira Stone and his wife, Maxine, who were onstage during their set.”
Watts was drawn to Sommer and felt that he really could have been a contender in the music world. Sommer was a mystery for her to solve, and she wanted to shine a light on a musician whom she called a “forgotten treasure”. Watts decided to do more research and tell his story through the assistance of his musical peers.
The origins of her research
Watts first wrote a personal essay that she shared on her writing website in 2018. In 2019, she pitched an article idea to the United Kingdom’s Shindig Magazine. The magazine’s editor asked Watts for a piece that coincidently timed with Woodstock’s 50th Anniversary. Her article, “Hair”, based on the play that Sommer starred in, also centered around the festival and living in the mid-1960s.
Through her continued research, she found Sommer’s time living in Albany “equally if not more fascinating.”
During the Covid lockdown, Watts continued to collect stories from Capital Region musicians who knew Sommer and had performed with him during the mid-’80s–90s.
Watts then made connections with several of Sommer’s band members and friends, including Rick Bedrosian, who provided her a personal photograph he took of Sommer and Rabb in the early ‘80s to use for her book.
Kevin McKrell’s wife, Carla, told Watts about Sommer, “Even if you only met him for 10 minutes, you (will) never forget him.”
The book summary of Sharron Watts’ memoir of Bert Sommer: “The Rather Magnificent” Bert Sommer Woodstock’s Lost Treasure – Cover courtesy of Sharon Watts
The tales told by Johnny Rabb
Rabb recalled the moment when Watts first reached out to him about his friend.
“(Sommer), he’s an angel, a bad angel, but an angel. I spent years with him, I lived with him in the same college house in Brockport and at several other places over there,” Rabb said. “I lived with him in Los Angeles and it was pretty wild.”
Rabb met Sommer while attending college at SUNY Brockport near Rochester. They became friends and got into bands together.
Rabb, along with Rob Landis and Sommer went from jamming at the Brockport Crypt inside the basement of a church to New York City’s Schaefer Music Festival, the Capitol Record building in Hollywood, and The Troubadour on the Sunset Strip, Watts said.
A few months before Sommer moved to Los Angeles, music producer Artie Ripp encouraged him to audition for the role of Flatbrush, a character of the factitious rock band, Kaptain Kool and the Kongs, based on the children’s Saturday morning variety show, “The Krofft Supershow” in 1976. Sommer was only on the show for one season, and did not reprise his role for its second season. He also released his final album while living in Los Angeles, “Bert Sommer”. The album was ultimately unsuccessful and Sommer was dropped from Capitol Records.
Living the dream in Albany…
Rabb convinced Sommer to return to Albany where people would appreciate him. Once he left Los Angeles in July 1983, he hitched a ride from New York City to Albany with his friend and musician, Dave Durocher and his wife, Jeannie Durocher. Once Sommer was at Rabb’s house, Sommer knew he had found his “forever home” in the Capital Region.
While in Albany, he started performing at open mics until he met Kevin McKrell and his wife, Carla. They, along with Rabb and additional members Rick Bedrosian and Bill Pulchinski (formerly “Broadway Blotto” in the band Blotto) formed The Fabulous Newports. Sommer also performed with Kevin as “Irish Bert”. Once Sommer became friends with Rabb’s friend Eddie Angel, they formed The Poor Boys alongside Rabb, Bedrosian, and Buck Malen.
Sommer performed all around Albany, Schenectady, and Troy at clubs and venues like 288 (Lark Street), The Grinch, Dulan’s, Billy’s Pub, The Gemini Jazz Cafe, J.B. Scott’s, The Boat Slip, and later Quintessence, a retro diner in Albany where he sang and played the piano to restaurateurs.
“He had an amazing life – 41 years. He had an amazing life and he wouldn’t take credit for it because he screwed it up somehow when he didn’t get the money, but I think it’s survival,” Rabb said. “He was a survivor, and he took the wrong path with the drug thing, you know. That just killed what he had.”
Sommer was buried next to his father at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, near Westchester.
Rabb called Watts a master as a writer and a fan of Sommer. He provided Watts plenty of stories of his friend over the phone and provided her some personal photos to use for her book. He said reminiscing about his friend was very cool.
Sommer’s connection to Sarge Blotto(Greg Haymes)
During his time in Albany, Sommer met many area musicians and one of those notable friends was musician, artist, and journalist, Greg Haymes. Sara Ayers, Haymes’ widow, said that her husband might have met Sommer through Rabb.
Haymes hosted Sarge Blotto’s Hot Seat, an interview segment featured on George Guarino’s monthly local cable access show, Real George’s Back Room. In May 1985, Haymes featured Sommer on his talk show for a one-on-one interview.
The interview segment opened up with Sommer’s song, “Don’t Take Candy From Strangers” that he co-wrote with Eddie Angel. In the half-hour segment, Sommer would be seen showing off the program for the 1969 Los Angeles production of “Hair” which featured his own head and hair on the front cover, and his debut album, “The Road to Travel”. He even performed “We’re All in the Same Band” on the acoustic guitar for both Guarino and Haymes.
“What a guy. I love this guy,” Sommer said of Haymes.
Sommer recalled the moment he first met Haymes when he arrived in Albany. Aside from knowing Rabb, Haymes was one of his first Albany friends that he met in the local music scene.
“So I came to Albany and right away, I started working and the first guy I met in Albany was this man (of Haymes). This man is family.” Sommer said. “I came to town and he said, ‘I know who you are!’ and right away, he made me feel good.”
Sommer’s interview with Haymes can be watched on the Nippertown YouTube channel.
Ayers didn’t know Sommer well and by the time he was living in Albany, Ayers was working a day job and not hanging out in the clubs. She knew that her husband was friends with Bert and that he wanted to debut his interview series on Guarino’s show with him since he had “such a poignant story” and that he was “gregarious enough to be a fabulous interview.” she said.
In the interview, Haymes said that Sommer was born to be a star.
Sommer’s Legacy
Even though Watts never met Sommer in person, her collection of memories that she gathered from his friends and bandmates who still remember him with a big smile, made her feel like she knew him on a deeper level.
“The stories I’ve collected for my book are what give it any weight,” Watts said. “People’s memories and stories flesh out a man (in many ways still a kid), who had a mega talent, a golden glow, and some ‘demons’ clanking along his ankles. Had he not fallen through the cracks by not appearing in the Woodstock film or soundtrack (or any subsequent director’s cuts), Bert could have been as big a star as anyone.”
The Book
Watts titles her book, The Rather Magnificent Bert Sommer – Woodstock’s Lost Treasure. She calls her book about Sommer an “impressionistic portrait.” Although the stories told about him are nonfiction, she adds in a little creative leeway as she sometimes will write a scene that will help the reader in a “you are there” position, she said.
The book is more than likely going to be self published. Although she still has some loose ends to tie up in it, she wants to release the book in August 2025. Watts said that there is also a documentary that is taking seed, and her book will support the documentary on Sommer.
Watts also has released a limited issue Zine, also titled “The Rather Magnificent Bert Sommer – Woodstock’s Lost Treasure”. It was originally conceived for the 55th anniversary of Woodstock. The Zine includes a small section of a story that helps bring Bert’s Woodstock experience to life. To receive a copy of the Zine, contact Watts through her website while they remain available.
An online flip-book of the Zine is available now and is free to view online.
Future readers will be directed to obtain either a hard copy or E-book through her website, sharonwattswrites.com for brick-and-mortar and online purchase, as well as the Woodstock Museum at Bethel Woods gift shop.
The takeaway
“I am not trying to “sell” Bert, but to bring him into the spotlight, and into the archives of history where he deserves to be.” Watts said.
What is most heartening to Watts was that Sommer never gave up performing and he always remained upbeat in the face of many adversities.
“But the most interesting thing was that he was literally three degrees of separation of anything and anyone who was happening over the course of three decades.”
Watts wanted to write Sommer’s book now because she felt that it was time to do something to help draw people to his music, share his voice and monumental personality, and also, help recognize him and his contributions to Woodstock. Watts added that Sommer even has a following of new young fans in Europe who have grown to love his work and she finds that heartening.
“He deserves to be part of the Woodstock Monument and he deserves to be more than ‘Bert Who’? There were so many rumors floating around about what happened, why was he omitted from the Woodstock documentary and the soundtrack,” Watts said. “I tracked down every thread I could to solve the mystery as best it could be solved.”
She concluded, “This is partly about righting a wrong, getting Bert’s rightful place in the annals of Woodstock history.”
New York State contains diverse music scenes, with unique venues and events in all corners and counties. From Ithaca to Binghamton, Elmira to the western Finger Lakes and everywhere in between, there is much to explore the venues of New York’s “607.” The Southern Tier has much to offer with theater companies, museums, theaters, and college campuses, there is a venue for every event.
Atomic Tom’s, a venue in Binghamton, holds weddings, art galleries, benefits, and musical performances. The first Friday of every month, Atomic Tom’s hosts a “First Friday Concert.” Admission is always free, and a cash bar is available.
Anderson Center for the Performing Arts (Binghamton)
As part of Binghamton University, Anderson Center for the Performing Arts enhances the local community with culturally significant performances. The Anderson Center contains three theaters: the 1170-seat Osterhout Concert Theater, the 408-seat Chamber Hall (pictured below) and the 558-seat Watters Theater.
Since 1903, Bailey Hall has been used by Cornell University to host musicians and ensembles. The Cornell University Department of Music sponsors more than 100 concerts, encompassing a broad spectrum of the world’s art and music.
The Bundy Museum of History and Art is a rich piece of Binghamton history and hosts events and fundraisers. The Bundy Museum is also home to WBDY 99.5 FM, a community radio station that enriches Binghamton’s artistic and intellectual life.
Cranberry Coffee House is Binghamton’s premier folk music venue. It is also home to The Middle Set, their open mic event. Hosted on the third Saturday of every month, The Middle Set gives artists, musicians, and story-tellers of all ages a chance to perform.
Deep Dive hosts weekly trivia and karaoke nights, as well as concerts and private events. Deep Dive also hosts concerts and jam sessions frequently in a wide variety of genres.
Diversion Brewing Company has been serving the Chemung community since 2016. Diversion hosts a wide variety of events, including musical performances. In the summer of 2017, they started their “Tunes & A Truck” program, where local musicians and food trucks come to the brewery every Saturday.
The Downstairs is a membership-based art gallery and community listening room. With a maximum capacity of around 50 people, The Downstairs is ideal for an intimate concert. The Downstairs also hosts weekly comedy open mics every Tuesday, and exists for the benefit of local artists; The venue does not take a percentage of the proceeds from ticket or merchandise sales.
Binghamton’s beloved restaurant, Downtown, often hosts events for the community. Weekly trivia nights and drag brunches are available, as well as performances by local bands.
Fanatics Pub is a venue in Lima that serves pizza, hamburgers, and wings. Beloved by the local community, concert-goers enjoy the cozy atmosphere and talented acts, most of whom are Blues artists. Fanatics also hosts trivia and comedy nights.
Since 1975, The Hangar Theater has been supporting and enhancing Ithaca’s arts. The Hangar Theater is dedicated to producing quality performances and inspiring community through their programs. The theater strives to be an artistic home that nurtures a lifelong love of the performing arts. Arts education is central to the Hangar Theater’s mission, and they offer numerous programs for children, including the summer Mainstage and KIDDSTUFF productions, an annual production of A Christmas Carol, and the Lab Company.
Known for their live music and fresh wings, The Hornet’s Nest hosts local musicians and karaoke nights. Events are announced on their Facebook, which is available below.
Located in Elmira’s historic Federal Building in the business district, the Ill Eagle hosts events and live music. The Ill Eagle has multiple event rooms, each restored to accommodate guests. The largest event room, the old courthouse, can accommodate up to 200 people.
Irish Kevin’s is an Irish Bar known for its Irish cuisine and talented performers. They are known for their award-winning, house-seasoned corned beef and friendly atmosphere.
Since 1991, the Kitchen Theater Company has offered talented and determined young artists a place they could work together and hone their craft. In 2010, KTC made history by becoming the first theater company in Ithaca to own its own space. Throughout its history, KTC has produced over 200 plays, including 34 world premieres by Adam Bock, Tanya Barfield, Darian Dauchan, and many others.
Moe-Town is an outdoor music venue in Addison that hosts local, regional, and national bands. In addition to concerts, Moe-Town hosts Spring/Fall Festivals, Halloween parties, and overnight camping. Lawn chairs and coolers are welcome, and food and drinks are available.
New Leaf Cider Company is a winery that hosts events and performances. There are weekly open mics, as well as trivia nights every Thursday. They also host stand up comedy the last Thursday of every month and host private events.
The Phelps Mansion was built in 1871 and owned by Sherman David Phelps, an entrepreneur and one-time mayor of Binghamton. The mansion was designed by Isaac G. Perry, who also designed the Binghamton Inebriate Asylum (1858) and helped complete the New York State Capitol Building (1899). The museum hosts fundraisers and concerts, and a psychic fair the first Friday of every month.
The Range is a Western-themed bar that hosts musicians nearly every weekend. The Range is located above Trader K’s in Ithaca’s commons. Their diverse set of performances promises something for every taste.
Sach’s Tee House is a bar that hosts outdoor music. Their new patio is open, and they host trivia nights every Thursday. Known for their trendy and welcoming atmosphere, Sach’s combines traditional sports bar elements with live music.
Endicott’s Little Italy Heritage Center is a non-profit dedicated to preserving Endicott’s Italian neighborhood. A surge of Italian immigrants came to Endicott hoping to work for Endicott-Johnson (EJ) Corp. Italian immigrants created the vibrant neighborhood community the Heritage center works to preserve, The Stage at Little Italy hosts an annual Italian Festival, GUSTO, as well as farmers markets and other community events. They also put on productions in George W. Johnson Park.
The State Theater opened in 1928, and has been a significant venue in the Finger Lakes region ever since. Its 1,600 capacity makes it the largest venue in Ithaca. The theater fell into disrepair, and the owner even considered demolition in the mid ’90s, but Historic Ithaca acquired the building in 1998 and committed to revitalizing the building, and it became a designated landmark.
Tap House 66 is a bar that supports local musicians and hosts performances often. Known for their delicious food and talented local artists, more information is available at the website below.
Since its opening in 2010, The Westy has become a staple of the Ithaca community. They host an open mic every Thursday at 9 PM, food trucks in the summer, and numerous concerts.
A new venue in Westport, NY known as The Mill provides a place for live music, visual arts and all-around creative endeavors for the Adirondack community.
The Mill, as suggested by the name, was originally built in 1952 as a grain mill for the Champlain Valley Seed Cooperative. In 2021, the abandoned building was repurchased and in a collaborative effort between creative director Taylor Haskins and local contractors, they rebuilt the building up as a new cultural hub.
The listening gallery is described as a cathedral-like room. With its high ceilings and wood paneled walls, the space has great acoustic sounds, but has an intimate feel. Haskins conducts the music programming for The Mill’s listening gallery. He is an accomplished musician himself and has released 11 albums under his name. In 2005, he won a Grammy award for playing lead trumpet on Dave Holland’s jazz album Overtime.
The Mill also has a place for visual artists to showcase their work at one of the seven galleries that make up Process Art Space curated by Catherine Ross Haskins.
For visitors looking for a drink and a bite to eat, The Knock is a speakeasy inside the venue that has a sultry 1920’s prohibition aesthetic. The menu of small plates made in house are all created from locally sourced ingredients.
The Mill has a diverse lineup of musicians for the rest of the summer and into their fall season.
Coming up on Aug. 16, singer and songwriter Camila Meza will perform her lyrical, latin jazz fusion repertoire. On Aug 23. Haskins will play alongside another accomplished jazz artist, Ben Monder.
To purchase tickets or to find out more about all The Mill has to offer, you can visit the website here.
Horn-rock New Paltz band What? has been part of the DIY scene for more than five years and they continue to rock the Hudson Valley today.
Who are What?
With new bands forming every year in New Paltz, What? is a fan favorite in the small college town. Its band members are Dan Steen on guitar, Ryan Perrone on vocals and trombone, Jeremiah Mahoney on bass Alex Endres on drums, Owen Moore on tenor & baritone saxophone, and Jared Nelson on guitar and percussion, They all met at the local university SUNY-New Paltz through the music program. Previously, most members were part of musical groups in their high schools but What? is the first band they’ve been a member of.
The band has been operating under the name, What?, since 2016. They released their first album Lavender Lounge in 2020 including some fan favorite songs like “Napkin Party” and “The Cloud.” They confirmed that a sophomore album is in the making which will likely come out early this upcoming year.
The entire band contributes to their original music, but Perrone does most of the writing. “When I write a song, I really have this band in mind. It’s structured, but it’s always loose because I want everyone to kind of give their voice into the piece,” he told NYS Music.
Tours
Although they frequently travel outside of the state, they stay true to their New Paltz beginnings. They got their start playing at bars in New Paltz like Snug Harbor and Bacchus. Whenever they return to these venues, they always pull a packed audience with them. On Aug 23 they will be back in their hometown at a newer bar and restaurant, The Lemon Squeeze.
Touring to Portland, Maine and Burlington, Vermont, the band spends a lot of time on the road but sharing their music beyond the bars of New Paltz is something they aspire to continue. Last year What? performed at the iconic Mercury Lounge in NYC and this past March they played at another historic venue, Colony in Woodstock. “That fulfills something in my heart and soul just to be able to go to some random spot in upstate New York with five other fellas,” Steen said.
Next month, they will be back for more shows in the Hudson Valley like Kingston, NY on Aug 8 as well as Wakefield, RI on Aug 11. You can watch all of their performances on their YouTube channel and keep up with What? through their Instagram here.
Country and folk rock band Cowboy Junkies has announced a new tour for the fall of 2024 that will begin with two stops in New York, one in Buffalo and the other in Geneva. The tour is in support of their most recent album, Such Ferocious Beauty, which is the band’s first release of new material in five years.
Formed just over the border in Toronto, Cowboy Junkies have been actively making and performing music for almost 40 years. Comprised of bassist Alan Anton, songwriter/guitarist Michael Timmins, drummer Peter Timmins and vocalist Margo Timmins, the quartet has recorded a total of 16 live albums and five live albums. Moreover, with Michael, Peter and Margo all being siblings, the band’s many years of unwavering togetherness only makes sense.
Cowboy Junkies’ first album, Whites Off Earth Now!!, in 1986, kicked off their careers and was then followed up in 1988 by the now-Platinum The Trinity Season. In a world where many bands chase whatever sounds are trending, the Junkies have stayed their course, maintaining the low-impact excavation of melody and evocative language that gave them so many fans in the first place.
About Cowboy Junkies
The band’s newest outing, Such Ferocious Beauty, is vintage Cowboy Junkies and another dimension from the lo-fi Canadian band comprised of, well, family. As a result the album is a tangle of sonic textures, ruminating on aging, losing parents, facing mortality and creating space for one’s life in the midst of the ruin that comes from merely living. “Mike has never shied away from the darker, harder and sometimes uglier realities of our human condition,” Margo Timmins explained of the band’s singular focus, “nor has he shied from its beauty. Thankfully, with one comes the other.”
Michael Timmins, the oldest, is the chief architect, songwriter and guitarist, who works with Margo on sculpting the emotional planes and vocal performances before bringing in younger brother Peter on drums and lifelong friend Alan Anton on bass to create the soundscapes that have made Cowboy Junkies a band that defies categories. Alternative? Rock? Americana? Roots? Perhaps the answer is a simple “yes.” Hence, the churning beauty builds on all those things, evoking the best of a group that’s evolved over three and a half decades. Michael adds, “This record is connected to All That Reckoning. I see our recent work in a cycle: Reckoning, Ghosts and Such Ferocious Beauty. They were all done in very violent and tumultuous times. The violent side is so much a part of our society now—not just the physical, but the way we relate to each other. It’s hard to escape.”
Photo Credit: Heather Pollock
Inside The Band
Whether drawing on a pop culture reference like a quote culled from Mike Tyson or mining Greek mythology, there’s an ease and fluidity to how Michael draws songs together. For the sinewy “Mike Tyson (Here It Comes),” he employs a high-plains spaghetti Western tension that marries a nervy acoustic strum and tympani rolls to a creeping bassline, while “Circe & Penelope” deploys a wheezy fiddle and an acoustic guitar with its strings more flicked than strummed.
“I love the blunt reality of this song,” Margo offers. “I love the two women’s strength and realistic view of the situation. They have a great love for their men, but also this discontent. The image of these two women waiting for their men to return but getting on with the work that needs to be done and living their lives as strong women is truly empowering and reflects upon many of the women I know today.”
“The expectations and responsibilities of what we all do—it’s a big part of this. We’re still amazed that we’re doing this, but the longer [we have], the more fun it’s become. We don’t take it for granted,” said Michael. “We do what we do,” Margo agrees, “and it feels right for all of us. After 30-plus years of playing together, the band and its music are more important to us than ever. The music we make brings each of us a great sense of contentment, a knowing of place and a sense of doing what we were meant to do.”
To catch Cowboy Junkies on tour and watch them perform Such Ferocious Beauty, visit their website for tickets and information. Additionally, see below for a written list of the tour dates and locations.
Hailing from Amsterdam, New York, three-piece genre-bending instrumental band, TV Doctors, is a group on the rise. Hot off the heels of their most recent live album earlier this year, TV Doctors continue to make their mark with their unique and intoxicating sound. The upstate trio’s passion for their craft has led them on a mission to play some of the most unpredictable and entertaining live shows in the region.
Photo Credit: Ed Conway
Who Are TV Doctors?
Comprised of Evan Conway, Bob Morris, and Josh Witmer, TV Doctors was informally created just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. After Witmer reached out to Morris, whom he had previously been in a band with to ask about the possibility of forming a new band, Morris agreed and also recommended his bass-playing friend, Conway, as another addition. With that, the trio of TV Doctors was formed. The three only initially jammed for fun, but that all changed once the pandemic went into full swing. With all of them having nothing else to do, Conway cleaned out his garage, and the three played together in opposite corners at every opportunity they got. The name of TV Doctors came about from Morris, who kept on seeing celebrities like Doctor Phil and Doctor Oz whenever he would turn on the TV and thought it would be an entertaining theme to roll with.
Once Conway, Morris and Witmer learned to play as a unit, everything else for fell into place for TV Doctors. “It was like zero effort. Playing together was just a fun thing to do every week, and then it kind of took off,” Witmer said. In fact, one of the only dilemmas any of them had about the band was how to describe the music they make. On their website, they categorize themselves as a mix of psychedelic rock, funk, soul, dub, beats, and noise, but the walls between genres often blur, making a truly one-of-a-kind sound. With the trio’s list of musical inspirations including Frank Zappa, King Crimson, Brian Eno, James Brown, J Dilla and the Wu-Tang Clan, TV Doctors’ refusal to conform to one genre only makes sense.
Music and Performance Styles
Although TV Doctors have a laundry list of styles they dabble in, the most unique aspect of their performances is completely unrelated. All TV Doctors shows are a mixture of pre-planned and improvised songs, making no two shows alikeâone of the many reasons that seeing them live once is not enough. During live shows, the band will play something that they have practiced before, but if one of them gets a fun idea of where to take the track, they will do so, and the rest will go along.
“It’s like a launch pad for ADHD,” Conway noted. While playing for keen-eared crowds improvisationally may sound like a stressful situation, the doctors take the challenge in stride. “I have absolutely no nerves going into a show with this band,” said Conway. “It’s kind of like a Ouija board, actually. We’re one brain now. Eventually, we’re going to get the message out.”
As the pandemic slowly subsided in 2022 and 2023, TV Doctors began playing more and more live shows. In March of 2022, the trio released their first live project: recordings from a set they had at Rare Form Brewery in Troy. Since then, the band has put out three more live albums, with the most recent being Live at Wolf Hollow Brewing Co., which was released this past February.
An Improved TV Doctors
As a result of the experience TV Doctors have racked up through practices and public shows, they have gotten more and more comfortable handling their on-the-fly live decision-making skills. “I think that we’re getting to a spot where we can play back and forth. Those moments where things explode and get crazy are super fun, but they’re a little bit more strategic than they used to be,” Witmer said. Conway then added, “We’re also spending more time actually writing the songs. Sometimes we’ll play through something [in practice] and be like, ‘No, that kind of sucks. Let’s drop that. Let’s try this other thing the next time around.’”
TV Doctors are almost always working on something new, and now is no different. Conway and Witmer noted that one of their goals for the near future is to make a short video package that coincides with an album release. Knowing the band’s creativity and consistency, whatever their next project turns out to be is guaranteed to be equally fun and mind-bending.
For anyone looking to experience the doctors live, multiple shows in Gloversville, Schenectady and Albany are coming up in the next couple of months. Keep up with TV Doctors through their Facebook, Instagram and X accounts, and stream their music here.
See below for more information on their upcoming live shows.
Upcoming Shows
9/13 – Glove Theater – 42 N Main St – Gloversville, NY
10/25 – Wolf Hollow Brewing – 6882 Amsterdam Rd – Schenectady, NY
DIIV, a beloved band from Brooklyn, has once again captured the hearts of fans with their latest album, Frog in Boiling Water. This record showcases a band that has truly evolved while staying true to their atmospheric roots. The album and its singles—such as “Brown Paper Bag,”—have been met with widespread fan acclaim.
Frog in Boiling Water is more than just a collection of songs; it’s a testament to DIIV’s perseverance and growth. The album’s creation was a four-year odyssey that nearly pushed the band to its limits. With a desire to push their sound to new frontiers, DIIV embarked on an ambitious journey, navigating their own relationships and the pressures of the music industry. Fraying friendships, financial strains, and creative differences marked the process, but the band emerged from this chaos with an album that dives deep into new lyrical and musical territories.
The result is a record that is as gorgeous as it is haunted. Frog in Boiling Water balances powerful rhythms inspired by post-industrial sounds, creating a sound that is both mighty and ethereal. It’s a mesmeric reflection on endurance, capturing the essence of existing.
If you missed DIIV at their most recent homecoming show at Brooklyn Paramount, make sure to catch them live the next time they’re in New York. With each performance, DIIV not only solidifies their place in the indie music scene but also redefines what it means to create immersive, emotional art.
