A New York music legend that remains backstage, Stacey Waterman has been making the state’s music scene move behind the scenes for well over 30 years now.
A star of the music scene who actively avoids the limelight may seem like an oxymoron, but Stacey Waterman does so with utter grace and humility. A legend in New York’s backstage management scene, Waterman’s work has earned her a spot in the SAMMYs Hall of Fame alongside decades worth of respect from everyone within the industry and outside of it.
The owner of The DMR Agency, Stacey is responsible for production management services for a wide host of promoters, venues, and events throughout Central New York. No factor of the industry is outside of her wheelhouse, specializing in concert and festival coordination and execution, booking and contract negotiations with talent, and settlement.
Having gotten her start in her early 20s managing the local band White Boy and the Wagon Burners, Waterman’s resume today is impressive beyond the meaning of the word.
The list of names in Stacey’s repertoire is incredibly expansive, including but not limited to Paul McCartney, Dave Matthews, Phish, and The Rolling Stones, though with over 30 years into the gig, she’s stated that being starstruck is a thing of the past while on the job.
On a broader scale, Stacey has also worked with the likes of Live Nation, The New York State Fair, Creative Concerts, Famous Artist Broadway, Galaxy Events, FIL World Indoor Lacrosse Championships, and a myriad of other organizations.
With an attentive eye and a clear, genuine care for the craft, each of Waterman’s shows receives the same amount of energy- that is to say, 100%. She balances professionalism and lightheartedness perfectly, reportedly doing everything from tracking down birthday cakes to hiring a veterinarian for a band member’s cat.
Stacey and her dog Shakima.
In her own words from a conversation with Syracuse.com, she always does her best to accommodate a request no matter how challenging it may seem to accomplish because she “want(s) everyone to leave with a good feeling.”
Beyond her freelance work, Waterman is responsible for one of her signature local events, The Salt City Waltz. A recreation of the iconic farewell concert captured by Martin Scorsese, the event features the biggest names of the area, uplifting and showcasing local creatives.
A truly admirable woman in the music scene- especially the backstage portion that so often becomes a male-dominated space- it’s not difficult to call Waterman a genuine inspiration, and an admirably humble one at that.
To keep up with Stacey and learn about her newest upcoming events, be sure to check out her Instagram page here.
Women in Music (WIM), a leading non-profit organization that advances the role of women and gender-expansive individuals in the music industry, proudly announces its 2025 Virtual Summit.
This three-day event will take place online from January 15-17, 2025, offering a global platform for education, empowerment, and professional advancement.
With a dynamic lineup of keynote speakers, including Martha Earls of Neon Coast, and a variety of engaging panels and workshops, the summit aims to foster connections and equip attendees with the tools they need to thrive in an ever-evolving industry.
As WIM celebrates its 40th anniversary, the summit will feature innovative initiatives such as the WIM Safe(r) Spaces workshops and the WIM Workplace Initiative, which emphasizes creating safer and more inclusive environments within the industry.
The MLC and ASCAP sponsor the event, and partner organizations such as Here For The Music, Mamas In Music, Family Alliance in Music, and Moms in Music will host virtual booths. WIM members can attend the summit for free, while non-members are encouraged to purchase tickets and explore membership options.
This year, attendees can look forward to a comprehensive schedule:
Day 1: Educate (Wednesday, January 15) – Focused on career development, sessions will include “Female Founders: From Bootstrapped to Venture-Backed” and “Money Matters,” along with specialized workshops for artists and their teams.
Day 2: Empower (Thursday, January 16) – Centered on advocacy and mental health, this day will feature WIM Safe(r) Spaces training, workshops on creating safer environments, and a keynote by Martha Earls, who will share actionable strategies for reclaiming power in the industry.
Day 3: Advance (Friday, January 17) – Focused on professional growth, this day will cover topics such as job search success, recruiting strategies, and pivotal career transitions, culminating in a panel discussion moderated by Mandy Gabriel, VP of Film, TV & Advertising at Universal Music Publishing Group.
Visit here for more info on the Women in Music Summit.
A walking music legend, Carole King’s roots in New York run deep. Born and raised in Brooklyn, a graduate of Queens College, and lifetime lover of the Manhattan music scene as both an artist and an audience member, New York is an integral part of King’s work and identity at large.
Photo: Jim McCrary, via caroleking.com
Born Carol Joan Klein to Russian and Polish immigrant parents, Carole arrived in the world not too soon after her mother and father had arrived in Brooklyn via Ellis Island. With her father, a radio announcer turned New York City firefighter, and mother, a secretary at a local high school, Carole’s life has been positively steeped in musicality from day one – as well as a deeply ingrained identity as a New York native and lifelong Brooklyn Dodgers fan since youth.
Famously meeting while in an elevator at Brooklyn College, Carole’s father set the precedent for a Klein behind the microphone with his gig as a radio announcer, and her mother’s studies in and passion for english and drama lent themselves to a rather creative upbringing.
Upon her parents’ separation, Carole sought attention and found the answer in the theater. First being introduced to the glittering world of Broadway at just five years old, Carole fell utterly in love, absorbing all of the media and musical projects her mother put on. Her home was rarely quiet, being constantly introduced to shades of music varying from show tunes to Brahms.
Photo via caroleking.com
Finding a unique outlet for emotions of all ranges, King leaned into the theatrics of the stage as she grew up, eventually auditioning for the High School of Performing Arts – now referred to as the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of the same name. While the audition was not a success, it marked a turning point for Carole as the arts became something of possible professional pursuit more concretely in her mind.
As any teenager of the mid 1950s did, Carole often tuned in to her favorite radio stations. However, unlike many other of her rather sheltered white peers, Carole’s station of preference was Alan Freed’s nightly WINS program. Freed was a lover of artists like the Penguins, the Moonglows, the Clovers, Danny Overbea, La Vern Baker, and BB King – a notably African-American lineup that had many white parents positively beside themselves.
In addition, many tracks played on Freed’s station fell under the umbrellas of rock and roll and R&B, both equally scandalous for their promiscuity and narratives on adversity that were up until then rather absent in the public eye’s musical circuit. This scandal was all the better for an adolescent King, however, who found the new wave of music and its consequent conscious style of creation absolutely mesmerizing
Carole has never been one to shy away from advocating for her beliefs. After moving to Idaho in 1977, she became deeply entrenched in the local ecosystem’s wellbeing and has been an outspoken voice for environmental change ever since.
King would go on to participate in her local Women’s March in 2017, holding a sign that read “One Small Voice.” A single titled with the same phrase would be released the next month, utilizing a thinly-veiled emperor’s new clothes metaphor that encourages listeners to “speak out in honesty.”
While many artists’ relationships with New York City begin on the stage, King’s began in the audience. As a young adult who positively adored the cutting-edge music she was hearing over the radio, being able to attend Freed’s Easter Jubilee at the Brooklyn Paramount in 1955 meant the absolute world and sparked a major bout of motivation.
“Moving farther in, we saw Mickey Baker talking to a couple of the Penguins. At that moment I knew I wanted to mean something to these people. I didn’t want to be one of them. I just wanted them to know who I was and consider me worthy of respect. That ambition existed concurrently and in no way conflicted with my ambition to be an actress.”
– Carole King, A Natural Woman
Auditioning for the High School of Performing Arts once more re-inspired, King enrolled in the fall of 1955 and spent a year studying drama and dance alongside fellow students Al Pacino and Rafael Campos. She would depart the school after a year and return to her classmates at James Madison High School, but Carole would take with her the lessons taught by teachers like Mr. Sachs who inadvertently set her up to arrange vocals through his assignments.
Like many teenagers of the area, King perpetually sought out the liberal arts for peer acceptance and self-expression, the heart of an increasingly viable, ever-vibrant scene only a few subway stops away. 1957 marked a time of escapades up and down Bleecker Street and throughout the coffee shops and venues of Greenwich Village with her peers.
After a rare successful infiltration of the Vanguard, Carole King witnessed mind-blowing jazz sets and sat listening to the music while her peers smoked. By default she became the one picking out the records, and that quickly became much more interesting to Carole than the smoking.
After a nudge in the direction of her high school’s annual Sing by her mother, King wrote, arranged, and performed a piece for the first time to a large audience, and the response of her peers in the audience shifted something within her. She soon began to compose in earnest, arranging pieces for the chorus class before turning the passion into a full-on street corner harmony gig. Recruiting three other peers to be the soprano, tenor, and bass to her alto, the group dubbed themselves the Cosines and performed for free at school events and dances.
Photo via caroleking.com
This would mark the beginning of a career in arranging both for a group and for herself, developing a process she would keep well into her career as she wrote for or in collaboration with the likes of Bobby Vee, The Everly Brothers, The Monkees, Aretha Franklin, James Taylor, Mariah Carey, and countless others across the industry.
After deciding to pursue songwriting in earnest, Carole chased down a so-called “Atlantic Records” that Freed had mentioned on his radio station, quickly presenting her work to an executive and landing her first recording contract.
Graduating high school at just sixteen years old, King entered Queens College with little enthusiasm after an unexpected move to Rosedale had uprooted her plans to attend her parents’ alma mater. Just around the corner, however, were fellow freshmen and musical peers Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon, the latter becoming a quick friend and collaborator.
Also at Queens College was Carole King’s future songwriting partner and husband of many years Gerry Goffin. While she first thought they’d never see eye to eye on music – he was very open with his hatred for Rock and Roll – his pitch to collaborate on a song quickly became history. Married at her parents’ home in Rosedale in 1959, Carole and Gerry moved into a one-bedroom apartment on Bedford Avenue, only a block away from her childhood home.
Photo via caroleking.com
Gerry, a chemist in downtown Brooklyn, and Carole, a secretary for a chimney manufacturer in Manhattan, were determined to see their passion for songwriting through and, upon an interaction with Neil Sedaka on the sidewalk of Broadway, the two landed a three-year writing deal that brought the couple out of debt and into a two-bedroom apartment on Brown Street in Brooklyn, an area that had been nothing but corn fields when King was a child.
Working in the highly competitive cubicle space that was Aldon, Gerry and Carole managed their first major hit with “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.” Gerry stepped away from his traditional job and the couple moved into the suburbs of West Orange, New Jersey to raise their second daughter, which is where they would reside together for a number of years before the marriage began to crumble.
When Goffin decided to move to California on his own, King was torn between the vibrancy of what she dubbed “the coolest place she knew” and California, where their children would be able to see their father. Ultimately putting her children before herself, Carole switched Coasts.
Photo via caroleking.com
1970 marked a second beginning for King, who would be brought back to New York and into the spotlight by friend and collaborator James Taylor during his tour. Just prior to their show at Carole’s alma mater Queens College, Taylor requested she sing the lead for “Up on the Roof” to King’s immediate horror and dismay. Terrified about stepping out of the comfortable zone that was just “James’ pianist,” Carole took a breath and performed, receiving raucous applause.
“Up on the Roof” would return in 1971 at King’s first ever performance as a solo act in front of an audience during the now famed June evening at Carnegie Hall. Recorded and later immortalized in a seventeen-track album, the concert featured some of Carole’s first works alongside duets with Taylor for “Up on the Roof”, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?”, and “You’ve Got a Friend.”
With the turn of the new year came Carole’s 30th birthday, a whopping four GRAMMY wins for her work in Tapestry, and the arrival of her fourth child. The following year, King returned to New York City to deliver a first-of-its-kind Central Park show completely free to the public, a rather poetic homecoming of an estimated 100,000+ attendees.
Recorded and released first as a live album and then a fully-fledged concert documentary in 2023, the Central Park concert remains a sparkling snapshot of King’s commercial and critical peak . Though this level of fame did not come without its drawbacks, with Carole detailing a frenzied crowd of fans crowding her limo after the show in her memoir.
Such situations and the general all-encompassing business that had become her life drew King to the quieter lifestyle of Idaho, though the draw of New York’s creative vibrancy never quite lost her. She would travel back to the city frequently to visit family, friends, and other artists she enjoyed working alongside.
An extended return to New York wouldn’t come into Carole King’s life until she was cast in Hindi Brooks’ A Minor Incident at the West Bank Café Theater in 1987. Performing alongside Paull Hipp who she had met when he was producing the off-Broadway Rockabilly Road, Carole frequently tagged along to Brooks’ recurring gig at the Red Lion Café on Bleecker.
Quietly playing guitar for his sets, she noted that very few would recognize her in their preoccupation with chatting, dining, or drinking, but there were always a few who would glance back and forth at her, nudging their friends with knowing smiles.
Photo: Annie Liebovitz, via caroleking.com
It wouldn’t be until Carole attended Bruce Springsteen’s 1988 Tunnel of Love show at Madison Square Garden that the creative spark would return in full, and her sense of dejection at missing the on-stage magic quickly became determination as she brushed up her latest tracks, re-signed with Capitol Records, and recorded City Streets at Skyline Studios.
Among the tracks developed in this era is “Friday’s Tie-Die Nightmare” that tells the tale of a dream Carole had experienced related to the City’s subway system, at which point in her memoir she takes a moment to impart some subway wisdom: “Subway Lesson 1: when the subway runs smoothly, as it does most of the time, it’s the most efficient and affordable method of getting around New York City, and Subway Lesson 2: the only way to catch an express is to leave early enough to make the entire trip on a local.”
Reminiscing about people-watching and considering her own observations of others, King explains that her third subway lesson is not a sentence – it’s a song. Written upon her realization that the way she perceived the people around her was ultimately a reflection of how she was feeling at the moment, subway lesson three comes in the form of the track “Beautiful” – “You’re gonna find, yes you will, that you’re beautiful as you feel.”
Alongside her return to performance came roles as a teacher in the ABC After-School Special It’s only Rock & Roll shot in Pine Bush, New York and Willy Russell’s Broadway production of Blood Brothers on a ten-month run.
Photo via caroleking.com
While not the star in the most literal sense, Broadway returned to King’s life in 2013 with the previews and eventual debut of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on January 12, 2014. Exploring her early life and rise to stardom alongside Goffin, the show became the 27th longest running show in Broadway history upon its closure in October of 2019 with a stunning 60 previews and 2,418 shows logged.
Despite not playing herself as the titular role, Carole made a handful of appearances at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre during the show’s run first to surprise lead actress Melissa Benoist in a reprise of “I Feel the Earth Move,” and then to celebrate the production’s fifth anniversary, making appearances during “Beautiful” and the show’s finale.
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical gained endless critical acclaim and won several awards, including two Tonys and a Grammy. A testament to New York’s love for Carole King as a story, an artist, and a human being, the musical immortalizes above all the timeless nature of her work, both honoring and reviving King’s most famous works for a new generation of lifelong fans.
An artist, an advocate, a deft songwriter, a mother, and above all an admirable woman who has pursued nothing less than fulfillment throughout her entire life, King’s legacy is a shining one felt throughout each and every nook and cranny of New York.
Syracuse-based multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Jess Novak has announced her newest release WOMAN, slated for December.
With a sharp electric fiddle, impactful vocals, and an enrapturing sound, Jess Novak is a musical force to be reckoned with. Having performed on stages from California to the likes of New York City’s own The Cutting Room in solo, duo, or band formation, Novak has played over 150 shows each year and has an impressive count of twelve original album releases under her belt- and a published book to boot.
In addition to her own musical endeavors, Novak is the founder and presenter of the F.I.R.E. Festival, an acronym for females inspire, rock, empower. Hosted for the first time in 2022, the annual F.I.R.E. festival continues to highlight and empower female artists, musicians, and business owners across the industry.
Returning for her 13th release since debuting as an artist in 2013, Jess has announced the WOMAN EP slated for release this December. A call to action for women as well as a celebration of those who take a stand in the face of seemingly daunting odds, WOMAN will feature two original songs in addition to a surprise cover of a Taylor Swift track.
Made in partnership with the producer and engineer behind her last EP Sonrise, Justin Spaulding, WOMAN is a promising fan to the already burning flame that is female empowerment.
“I felt like I needed to capture the spirit of the [F.I.R.E. Festival] in a song, specifically combining the words ‘fire’ and ‘woman.’ I did in this song, but didn’t expect the timing to be so meaningful. I want to give faith and inspiration to women who are standing up for themselves and others all the time.”
– Jess Novak
Jess Novak has also teased a music video publication coinciding with the release of WOMAN. While no further information is available on this exciting development, you can keep up to date on all of the latest updates on WOMAN and beyond on Jess’ official website here.
Born and raised in the Capital Region, Mona Golub has been bringing live music to that very same community for 35 years, but her love of music started far before that.
Photo Credit: Capital Region Chamber
An affable, kind, and a candid speaker who gave thoughtful responses in this interview with NYS Music, Golub produces two concert series each year, one at Music Haven in the heart of Central Park for free each summer and another at two of Proctors Collaborative venues, the GE Theater in Schenectady and Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs. Those two at Proctors are held in between summers during the year.
Each series presents national and international acts that bring music and culture from all over the world to the Capital Region. But she does a lot more than just choose the acts to perform. “I do everything from program the series to raise whatever funding is needed to produce it, to handling all of the artist-related elements, the contracting, the hotels, the hospitality, all of the audience facing comforts,” Golub says. “Creating the programs with biographical information, to food and beverages, hiring whatever crew staff are needed, recruiting volunteers if that’s in order as it is during the summer series. I figure out ways to develop the series further with additional elements of production or nuances that round out the experiences.” But, she says, choosing the people who perform is really at the heart of it all. “That’s the impetus for everything.”
To do this, she stays on top of which artists are touring where at all times. “I keep up on who’s doing what and when, through magazines like Songlines International, listening to various groups that are emerging from all over the world. The internet’s been wonderful because it’s given me access to be able to see them perform live and not just hear their music, so I know how they move. How they connect with a live audience. But I basically try and stay on top of tours that are being planned. Artists who are beginning to blossom who may not ever have played this region. I love introducing new artists that people haven’t heard 20 times. So I rely on my contacts in that respect. And the conversation is ongoing.
People say, ‘When do you start booking for next summer?’ I’m booking for ‘25, ‘26, and ‘27 now. Many international artists don’t tour every year. You kinda need to know if they’re planning a tour for 2026. What does that mean? When will that be? How does that fit into your schedule?” She adds, “I’ve been in the business for 35 years now, so I’m fairly well connected to the international music community, through agents, managers, and artists themselves.”
Photo Credit: Ann Hauprich
But it’s not easy to curate interesting selections of talented musicians when they’re constantly moving around from town to town and sometimes even country to country. “It’s almost like chasing folks down a rabbit hole on occasion,” Golub says, “Sometimes they’re well represented by an agent or manager who’s working on a tour. Sometimes you need to express interest for 5 years before somebody makes that tour and is able to come to your market. So again, it’s a lot of relationship building and conversations about who’s doing what and when. For a given season, I’m always looking to ensure that my series has a certain flow and a certain cadence from concert to concert. That there’s variety and uniqueness. An artist may fit into one season better than another. I’m not just gonna bring them in and program them into the series because the dates jive.”
Mona Golub has loved music since she was a child and she even performed through high school and college. “I enjoyed that. But I certainly realized even at that time, there were people in the world who were much more talented than me,” she explains. Even though performing wasn’t for her, she was still eager to find her place in the world of music. “[In college] I directed the swing band. I started directing theater, and musical productions with a full orchestra pit underneath the stage and the vocalist on the stage just to get some understanding of other perspectives.
“I wanted to keep music in my life, and I needed to figure out how I might do that. It was at that point I connected with a local band whose music I loved. I started producing shows with them and for them, then blossomed into some other things; a Friday after-work happy hour kind of concert series in a courtyard downtown, then a coffee house, and then a jazz club. And I loved producing the shows. I loved working with the artist. The band was called Begonia. They had just won the band of the year or favorite band of the region through Metroland Magazine, which was our music and arts weekly at the time. I was working at a grocery store with the drummer of the band and I said, ‘Where are you playing? I wanna come hear you live,’ and she said, ‘Oh, we don’t have a gig set up.’ And I thought you’ve got to be kidding. You just got this recognition. You should have a gig set up so everybody can come celebrate. So I planned that gig. And I loved the band until they retired. They were great.”
It was at this point that Golub finally found her niche. From that first gig, the ball began to roll. “I loved orchestrating all of the details that it took to set the stage for really wonderful talent to shine. And I realized that’s what appealed to me most, and that’s what drove me to notice that the old music cabin, which was a trailer stage in the park was most often empty, with nothing happening on it. This was back in the late eighties. And I went to the mayor and I said, ‘are you okay if I put together a series for the stage?’ and she said, ‘have at it.’ And that’s where it started.”
Since then, Golub has been producing concerts for 35 years.
“Most of what I do is because I’m driven to bring different kinds of music to the market, and to elevate regional artists in special guest slots so they can feed off of some of that wonderful energy that is exchanged. Whether in the park, or in the venues that I work in most regularly that draw a really appreciative and energetic crowd that loves to hear something really wonderful that may not be mainstream, but reflects artists who are at the top of their game.”
When asked if she had encountered any barriers because of gender, she answered “ For sure.” When she started, she says, there weren’t many women involved in the arts. “There was one club owner, who was like the queen bee of the downtown Albany scene. But other than that, I don’t remember seeing other women as there are today.”
But Golub kept her head down in those early days and stayed focused on learning the ropes. “I think at the time, I was more focused on what I needed to do to learn, to learn how to do it as I went along, learn by experience.” She tells of a prominent promoter who promised he would give her advice to help her when she was just starting out, but never did.”While I was waiting for him, I lived it. And so I harbor no resentment. I just kept moving forward, and lo and behold, I figured some things out.”
When asked if she thinks things have gotten better for women in music, she reflects on how much things have changed since she started in the late 1980s. “I’m speaking about a time that was nearly 40 years ago. So the world has changed, and women in many different professions have proven themselves ultra competent. I think promoters and managers of old were mostly men. Club owners were mostly men. Now at this point in time, I see art centers where I would say 80% of the art centers in the capital region are run by women. So a lot’s changed and I think it has everything to do with drive and interest and ability. Once given the chance whether male or female, people who are driven to do something get the opportunity to prove themselves. And I think that’s what’s happened here. There are ways to do things today that didn’t necessarily exist when I started in 1988. So I am excited to see those opportunities and excited to see women reaching for them and attaining them.”
When asked if she sees herself retiring anytime soon, Golub is reflective.
“You know, I’ve thought about it from a couple miles away. And I would love to find a protege with whom I could work for a handful of years, just to convey what I’ve learned from experience, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Because I’ve experienced all three. And be able to watch someone else work this magic and figure out how they wanna fill these spaces going forward. Because everybody’s got their own creative bent. I would love to work with someone who could be committed, in maybe the same long term way that I have been to run with it and do their thing.”
When asked about her choice to keep the concerts free, her response shows the value she places on community. “I think [charging an entrance fee] would really destroy the feel of it. I’ve always believed that music and food are some of the best ways to celebrate, share culture with others. Being able to do that without any barriers to entry, being able to welcome in everyone who wants to be there, adds to the magic.”
”People are not standing around wondering ‘where did that person come from? What corner? What religion do they practice? How much money do they have in their pocket?’ They’re there because they’re interested in what’s on the stage, and that’s what it’s about.”
And for 35 years, that’s what it’s always been about. “I can’t imagine not doing it. It’s really become a very important part of my life. It fulfills me in a way that nothing else does. I think the opportunity to gather community to experience different cultures through music is magical.”
For now, Mona Golub’s not going anywhere. “I have a wish list of artists that never gets shorter. It gets longer.”
Janelle Bradshaw has wondered, “Why can’t the Finger Lakes be like Nashville?” As a local resident of the Finger Lakes region, Bradshaw has witnessed the sheer volume of talent the area has to offer. The problem was easy access to the region’s music scene. So Bradshaw pioneered a website to promote the various musicians and venues of the Finger Lakes area.
Created by Janelle Bradshaw, FLX Music 247 offers a meticulous planner, containing various artists’ and venues’ schedules throughout the entire Finger Lakes’ area. The website’s homepage hosts a master calendar organized by region, genre, and venue, allowing its users to discover live music without the hassle of scrolling through multiple websites for hours on end.
Janelle Bradshaw, the creator of FLX Music 247 and the co-founder of the Rocco Scott LaFaro Geneva Jazz Festival.
“The combination of what’s to eat, what’s to drink, and who’s playing the music all influence the decision of where to go out,” the creator of FLX Music 247, Janelle Bradshaw, stated. “If you don’t have all those pieces, you just stay home.” Bradshaw’s innovative website solves this dilemma, making planning effortless, whether it be planning for a night out or for a trip months in advance. The calendar currently promotes events from as recent as the current date to as far as five months in advance in December.
Since its creation in January of 2022, Bradshaw has publicized music from over 400 venues, promoted over 750 musicians, and advertised approximately 40,000 live music events. Around 90% of these events are free and are located within the rural Finger Lakes area. Professional venues, such as CMAC, aren’t included in the statistics, proving that the Finger Lakes area has much to offer.
It’s this sheer volume of musical talent in the Finger Lakes area that makes Bradshaw wonder why the Finger Lakes can’t be more like Nashville. She hopes one day artists will record in studios throughout the rural area, transforming the Finger Lakes into a musical hotspot. Bradshaw hopes her website can be an integral part in elevating the music scene as a whole, consistently presenting better and better music.
To reach this goal, Bradshaw wants to change people’s mindset. When planning a night out, she wants the band to be at the forefront of people’s minds, not the venue. “People get pigeonholed and can’t find new music, because they only go here and there. But would they go somewhere else if they were following a band?” Bradshaw wondered.
Instead of heading to a venue, hoping the music is good, people can head to FLX Music 247 and base their decision of where to go out on the band that’s performing. Bradshaw stated, “If I could see four different bands and they’re all within eight to ten miles of each other, I’m going to hear the band I want to hear, not just go to drink the venue’s beer.” With this new mindset, venues will shift their objective to promoting top-tier music, and in turn, artists will be pushed to perform to the best of their ability.
Janelle Bradshaw talks about the inception of the 1st annual Rocco Scott LaFaro Geneva Jazz Festival.
In addition to FLX Music 247, Bradshaw continues to promote the Finger Lakes’ music scene through the Rocco Scott LaFaro Geneva Jazz Festival, which she co-created with Michael George Gonzalez in 2023. The idea for the festival arose after Bradshaw realized that Philadelphia bassist and leading name in jazz, Christian McBride, was going to perform in Geneva to celebrate the life and legacy of Rocco “Scott” LaFaro. Geneva has previously celebrated LaFaro’s jazz legacy for six years; however, this was the first-time famed jazz bassist and composer McBride would be part of the celebrations. As a jazz enthusiast, Bradshaw wanted to generate a pathway of excitement for McBride’s upcoming performance. It was her passion for jazz and desire to spread this passion that led to the creation of the Rocco Scott LaFaro Geneva Jazz Festival.
The first annual Rocco Scott LaFaro Geneva Jazz Festival took place the week leading up to McBride’s concert. Artists like Jimmy Richmond, the Nancy Kelly Quartet, and Jimmie Highsmith Jr. performed across various venues in the Finger Lakes area. It was such a success that jazz fever told hold of the region. “Two years ago, there was no jazz in Geneva,” Bradshaw stated. “Last year, you could see jazz in Geneva about once a week. And this year, you can see jazz four times a week in the Geneva area.”
View the lineup of artists for the second annual Rocco Scott LaFaro Geneva Jazz Festival, which took place April 4-7 of 2024.
Local venues, like Brewery Ardennes and Geneva On The Lake, now host weekly jazz happy hours and jazz brunch. But this isn’t the only way local venues have joined the jazz community. During the second annual Rocco Scott LaFaro Geneva Jazz Festival this past April, ten venues hosted various jazz musicians’ performances.
One such venue was Club 86. Although it now acts mainly as a wedding venue, the club was once the spot for jazz legends, hosting the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Nat King Cole, Lionel Hampton, Buddy Rich, and Tony Bennett. Club 86 was brought back to life during the annual jazz festival. Not only did the jazz festival rejuvenate the club but it was also a thrilling experience for the performers. Bradshaw stated, “To be able to say, Hey, I played on the same stage as Ella Fitzgerald, is a cool thing to be able to say.”
Club 86 pictured sometime between the late 1940s and early 1950s when it was at its high of jazz performances.
Bradshaw has already begun planning the third annual Rocco Scott LaFaro Geneva Jazz Festival, which is scheduled to take place from April 3-6 in 2025. She hopes the festival will be not only a celebration of the Finger Lakes’ jazz scene but a reminder of the exceptional music the Finger Lakes’ area has to offer. To view all the music the Finger Lakes provides, head to Bradshaw’s website FLX Music 247 or click here.
“I wanted to try everything. But my chorus teacher told me, ‘You can either be a cheerleader or you can be a vocalist, but you can’t be both.’ I asked, ‘Why not?’”
While Erin Boyd didn’t become a cheerleader, she did become a vocalist. And a songwriter. And a director of her music videos, an actor, a bar owner, and an activist. Over the course of her career, Boyd proved she can wear and pull-off all kinds of hats, truly becoming a jack-of-all trades. At one point, Boyd almost added the hat of a gymnast to her collection. But after breaking her heel for eight summers in a row, Boyd decided to not invest in the gymnast hat. Instead, she took her mother’s advice and invested in a musical career.
Erin Boyd
As a child, Boyd was surrounded by various genres of music. Her mother was a piano player with a love for jazz, R&B, and soul; while her father loved the blues. The pillars of these genres – Oleta Adams, Anita Baker, Whitney Houston, Ella Fitzgerald, and Donny Hathaway to name a few – echoed off the walls of Boyd’s childhood home. At night, Yanni’s 1994 album Live at the Acropolis or Whitney Houston’s “Miracle” could be heard on repeat coming from Boyd’s room. Her ears were open to listening and learning all that she could.
Boyd’s mother fostered her musical passion and encouraged her to audition for Tampa’s all-girl song and dance ensemble. Boyd auditioned and made the group. It was the moment music became the focus of Boyd’s life. But performing was much different from listening to music at home. “I was so green. I’ve never done anything except sing in the choir at my elementary and middle school,” Boyd recalled. “So to all of a sudden be singing for Bill Clinton and performing for the Orlando Magic, it was a really great starting point for me to learn about music.”
Boyd quickly learned the musical ropes and continued to grow, heading off to college, studying abroad, and finally landing in New York City, where she completed her studies and continued performing.
Big Daddy Kane talks with members of Lifted Crew about the formation of “Las Supper.”
While in NYC, Boyd joined Lifted Crew. This ten-piece ensemble was a hip hop fusion group that shared the stage with the likes of Slick Rick, Kid Cudi, and Eddie Vedder. The group also acted as the permanent band for the legendary Big Daddy Kane in his project Las Supper. Through multiple collaborations with music icons, Lifted Crew acted as the training grounds for Boyd’s songwriting and performance skills.
Then in 2016, Boyd went solo. Even though she was going solo, she wasn’t alone. She worked on her solo album with a number of friends, some of whose friendships spanned over 18 years. Her friends included the late James Casey, Dmitry Gorodetsky, Nigel Hall, Elenna Canlas, Weedie Braima, and Nick Cassarino among others. To honor the collaborations with her friends, Boyd chose to title the project Phantom Vanity. “There’s a vanity that I would need to have to say it’s just me, because it wasn’t,” said Boyd.
The result was a genre-bending album that included elements of the songs Boyd listened to as a child. Elements of funk, folk, soul, jazz, and R&B are woven through each song, creating a musical quilt that wraps around you, keeping you warm on a mid-spring day after the rain has settled, quite literally. The track “Wet” is a minute of pure rainfall.
“Wet” enhanced the narrative Boyd seeks to tell. At her core, Boyd is a storyteller. Some tracks on Boyd’s debut album, Vintage Slacker, tell stories with a transcendental and spiritual message. The opening track “Perish” starts with echoes of “Hallowed be thy name.” The verse in and of itself holds religious connotations. “Hallowed be thy name talks about things on earth being as it is in heaven,” Boyd said. “I do believe there’s pieces here on earth that transcend wherever our spirits go.” Boyd said these heavenly pieces can be found within ourselves. Each person contains a light and energy that can sway them to be the best they can be.
Boyd said, “Especially now, everything is so turbulent. It’s so easy to be filled with rage and confusion. I think it’s really important that we try to find a space for light, love, forgiveness, compassion, and empathy, so that we can stop the genocide that’s currently going on. We can really make a change in people’s daily lives. Little actions make big ripples.”
Boyd hopes her music can be a space for love and empathy. This mission is seen not only in her solo work but also in her work with the Resistance Revival Chorus. The RRC is a collective of women and non-binary singers, who breathe joy and song into the resistance and who uplift and center women’s voices. The chorus shows that the resistance comes in different forms, like that of powerful and inspiring music. With the RRC, Boyd sang with Fleet Foxes on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and for Harry Belafonte at his 95th birthday celebration.
Erin Boyd directed the music video for her single “Perish.”
In addition to her music and activism work, Boyd owns her own bar. She established Filthy Diamond, located at 679 Knickerbocker Avenue in Bushwick. The bar just celebrated its first birthday this past March and hosts a number of weekly events. Every Monday, you can play chess while enjoying live jazz music. On Wednesdays, get trapped in a singular year of music, listening to all the top hits and hidden gems of that year. Then on Sundays, unwind with coloring books and cocktails.
Expect to take a step back in time when entering Filthy Diamond. The bar hosts a wide collection of vinyl, allowing its patrons to relish in the full arch of an album. And don’t expect to be watching the latest Rangers game either. “There’s no TVs,” Boyd stated. “When you’re there, you talk to strangers. It’s important to talk to people that aren’t your friends, that aren’t from where you’re from, because that’s how you learn more about the world and more about yourself. The closer we can get to as many people as possible, the better, safer, and more filled with love this world is going to be.”
Erin Boyd inside her bar, Filthy Diamond, located at 679 Knickerbocker Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11221.
Boyd will continue to fill the world with even more love with her upcoming sophomore album. The album will center around the message of self-belief. It’s a message found within Boyd’s favorite lyric she’s ever written. The lyric is in her debut album’s opening track “Perish” and is as follows: “Beauty like your talent won’t make you who you are. This much I’m sure. If you walk like you’re broken, no light will shine, I’ve learned with time.” Boyd explains the lyric, “Everyone has gifts, and the ego can drive people to believe that that’s all they have to offer. I think it’s really important to realize if you don’t believe in yourself, if you don’t see yourself, then there’s no space for light and love and resilience. You have to find the space within yourself.”
Beauty like your talent won’t make you who you are.
This much I’m sure.
If you walk like you’re broken, no light will shine,
I’ve learned with time.
Lyrics from “Perish”
Boyd has clearly found that space for self-love within herself as she continues to expand her ever growing career. Last year, she co-wrote Jennifer Hartswick’s album Something In The Water, and just last month on March 29, Boyd joined Disco Biscuits on stage in Webster Hall for the release party of their album Revolution in Motion. With an album nearly 13 years in the making, the night was surely unforgettable. “Webster Hall sold out with such an established band is what you come to NYC to do,” Boyd said. Boyd has known the band for years and became acquainted with their bassist Marc Brownstein through New York’s jam band scene. Boyd joined her friends on stage for the release of their ninth studio album, adding her vocals on the tracks “Twisted in the Road” and “Why We Dance.”
Erin Boyd (center) with Disco Biscuits at the release party of their ninth studio album, Revolution in Motion, on March 29, 2024. Credit: Tara Gracer Photo
We’ve just seen Boyd at Webster Hall with Disco Biscuits, and we’ll be waiting to see her next adventure. While Boyd’s sophomore album isn’t expected to be released until later this year, one can expect to see more of Boyd within the coming months. “I want to do more projects. I want to work with more talent,” Boyd said. “This is only the beginning.”
Watch a short clip of Erin Boyd performing with Disco Biscuits on March 29, 2024 at Webster Hall.
Chyna Streetz loves the process. Through various life experiences she continues to learn and grow. Money comes and money goes but lost time on Earth could never be earned back. Abundantly, the hours in the studio and on tour continue to pay dividends for this NYC-based emcee.
Her latest body of work, From Hell to Chanel showcases just how far she has come since her first project in 2018. After experimenting with different sounds – Chyna now sets her sights on accomplishing feats according to her own timetable.
“Even if the wounds heal, the scars left still show.”
-Judas Kiss by Chyna Streetz & Tiona Deniece
Less worried about what others see fit for her – this artist formerly known as Chy the Empress embodies her lane in the underground East Coast hip-hop scene. Amazingly, strides from the likes of Westside Gunn and Rome Streetz have turned underground hip-hop damn-near mainstream. Label it however you wish – real rap is back on the map and Chyna Streetz pushes her pen to the forefront.
With conceptual storytelling and divine lyricism – everyone better recognize what Chyna Streetz means to hip-hop. From Hell to Chanel (entirely produced by 183rd( illuminates the struggles this woman went through. The determination to prove herself shines very brightly on this tape.
On Bernadine’s Rage she refers to herself as a, “Goddess in the likeness.” In the very next line she proclaims she is, “Tight she had to write this.” Therefore, these two lines together make for an excellent set of opening lines.
Right from the beginning of Bernadine’s Rage – she lets us know that she is a supreme being as those who have utmost confidence are recognized sooner than those who only half-step their way to the goal. Next, being ‘tight’ means she might have been upset she had to write this which portrays growth and shows that she will take any steps necessary to become the best version of herself.
New York is a Nationality
All credit due to the Empress and her efforts – the moment she transformed into Chyna Streetz drove her to become a different animal within the same beast. Spending time with her man Rome Streetz has propelled her lyricism, uplifted her stage presence and given her the bravery to use her past as a turning point for the future.
When Chyna was 17 she went away for robbery in the first degree. She served roughly six years altogether between Bayview Correctional Center and the ‘Staying Out Program’ in Manhattan. Hurricane Sandy ravaged much of Bayview Correctional Center and it is now being renovated into affordable housing.
“Rolled the dice on life and found out time cannot be bought.”
-Judas Kiss
Chyna preaches to live and maintain in the ways that work for you. Do not let outside influence or external gratification dictate the path you know you must walk. Evidently, within the core of every soul – you will find what direction you must choose. Now, take the steps to walk the road less traveled en route to fulfillment of your destiny.
Some ways in which Chyna found self-realization comes from internal strength and stepping outside of her comfort zone. Nonetheless, building confidence from within and surrounding herself with truly talented people have led her to become a difference-maker within the game.
Key Tracks: Matrimony, Sirens Lullaby, Judas Kiss
Stream her latest collection here and write the author on IG and let him know which one you’re rocking with the most.
Platinum-selling songwriter and artist Donna Lewis of New York is back with a touching song “The Imposter.” Inspired by Lewis’s personal battle with breast cancer, this powerful track explores the depths of the human experience, capturing a blend of light and dark, fear and bravery.
The song takes listeners through Lewis’s treatment center’s different rooms, vividly capturing the darkness, pain, and terror she experienced during chemotherapy. The chorus, however, shines through the darkness with love, light, and gratitude.
Sonically speaking, “The Imposter” shows the duality of Lewis’s struggle by combining upbeat downtempo trip-hop exploration with driving sonics and euphoric vocals.
Lewis, known for her classic love ballad “I Love You, Always Forever,” reunites with acclaimed producer Holmes Ives to create an album that is resilient and full of hope. Together, they transform Lewis’s cancer journey’s hardships into an artistic creation that knows no bounds. In addition to her musical pursuits, Lewis is to become an ambassador for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.
The forthcoming album, Rooms With A View, details the highs and lows of Lewis’s year-long battle with breast cancer. Lewis provides not only an experience but also a ray of hope for anyone going through a difficult time through her stirring lyrics and expressive vocals.
“It is an offering of hope for anyone going through a dark tunnel. I am forever grateful to share it with you,” said Lewis.
Stay tuned for Rooms With A View, Donna Lewis and Holmes Ives‘ joint song that is bound to inspire and uplift listeners everywhere – give “The Imposter” a listen here or below.
March has been busy for bassist birthdays at the illustrious Capitol Theater in Port Chester, a sign of New York’s thriving jam scene. The month opened with an 84 birthday celebration and a five-show residency for rock legend and Grateful Dead founding bassist Phil Lesh and will close out with a show honoring jam scene newcomer Sarah Elaz.
The March 27 performance will put Elaz’s eponymous “Sarah Elaz’s Almost Phish” in high company, reaching a venue she has worked hard to reach. Off the stage, Sarah is a double threat working behind the scenes as a booker and promoter. On International Women’s Day, we spoke with Sarah about her journey.
Onstage with Sarah Elaz’s Almost Phish at Brooklyn Made. Photograph by Taylor Weinberg.
Sarah Elaz has accepted certain realities about the music industry and has found a rhythm as she builds a name for herself. Faced with a pivot from a career as a professional dancer, Sarah, like many others, found that “getting into the music industry isn’t that easy, it doesn’t have a simple path.”
As a neophyte in the industry, Sarah has built a network of connections through hard work. To support her career as a professional dancer, she started waitressing at City Winery, where she would work her way backstage to a position coordinating artist hospitality. Now, Elaz is a talent buyer at MRG Live. While her focus is music, sticking with her commitment to genera-spanning Elaz also books comedy shows for acts like Modi Rosenfeld and Kyle Gordon.
Asked how being a musician influences her work as a booker, she said it “makes [her] more empathetic and able to anticipate and understand artists’ needs.” In an industry where band’s touring margins can be a razor thing, having that reflective understanding of tour budgets has benefited Elaz in building trust. Recently she booked the shows in the great white north of Canada for Connecticut jam bands Eggy and the L.A.-based Thumpasaurus. Elaz is dedicated to sowing the seeds of a jam scene in Toronto, organizing “The Grateful Jam” an open jam focused on improvised psychedelic rock.
Off the clock, Sarah can be found playing in a half-dozen projects at any given time, from collaborating on original work with the Brooklyn jam band Boojum to enthralling crowds with her eponymous Phish tribute act and playing with newcomer acts like Katzroar. When live music returned after the pandemic, Elaz would gig at any opportunity, but she has grown more selective, focusing on the improvisational-oriented music that has always inspired her. She has won that privilege by “playing as many gigs with as many people as she can until afforded the luxury of saying no.”
For Elaz, that insistent need to perform has its benefits; playing across genres and “playing a pop show, a punk show, a jam show, with people of all ages and experience makes you learn faster and play better, plus now you know all these other musicians you can work.”
Onstage, in costume, at Brooklyn Bowl with Boojum. Photograph by Taylor Weinberg.
Elaz, a Massachusetts native, has found a “partner in New York” after she moved to pursue her career in dance. She doesn’t see herself leaving the city any time, in part because of the density of standout music venues. While the Brooklyn Bowl is her favorite in the city, the Bowery Ballroom was another standout (in part due to it’s proximity to nearby Katz’s Deli).
Elaz’s love for the jam music she prefers to perform could be genetic, inherited from a sister 15 years her senior. Some of Sarah’s first memories of Phish come from her sisters’ return from a summer tour. That inspiration led Elaz to Limewire to download whatever Phish and Dead tapes she could come across. It was a show in 2018 where watching Phish’s Mike Gordon inspired Elaz to pick up bass, saying, “watching him play up close, it looked like it made sense. I understood it wasn’t easy, but it seemed intuitive.” Now Elaz compares playing bass to her professional experience as a dancer, “it’s all about finding the groove and keeping in it. Any note or move can be intentional if it’s in the groove.”
Speaking with Elaz’s mentor and occasional instructor, Dan Kelley of Neighbor, he commented how “passion for the art” is what drove Sarah’s success rapid achievement in picking up the bass.
An eight-year-old Sarah Elaz enthusiastically greets her sister returning from Phish tour.
Image is essential for an artist, and while Sarah can be found sporting her iconic sparkling amethyst Music Man bass, that isn’t always enough. Elaz acknowledges that as a female performer, she feels pressure to have a new look for every show. Finding a silver lining, she notes how rental services like Nuuly allow her to be creative without adding to fast fashion waste. “It’s another creative outlet for me, fashion becomes another part of the performance”
For Sarah, the pressure of sexism as a musician is more overt, from the lecherous fans who are bold enough to grab at the musicians onstage to the more banal, like audio techs who assume Sarah to be a fan of whatever band she performs in.
Behind the scenes, Sarah says the situation is more egalitarian, noting that “I am lucky to have so many examples of women above me who I look up to” with the quip that “I hope there’s no glass ceiling to that.”
