Uncle Ebenezer played an incredible set of Phish jams including an unforgettable “Tweezer” featuring a saxophone player. Walrus opened up the night with their psychedelic interpretation of The Beatles, most notably a fully mind melting “Lucy in The Sky with Diamonds”.
The Williams Center is a phenomenal venue in Rutherford, NJ. It is an old theatre renovated into a truly happening venue featuring hidden gems like a record store with some incredible selections.
Uncle Ebenezer opened up the night with my personal favorite Phish song “Golgi Apparatus”. This got the crowd going and ready to dance to “Gotta Jibboo” which followed. The set was filled with Phan favorites like “No Me in No Men’s Land”, “Fluffhead”, “The Lizards”, and even included vocal heavy songs like “My Mind’s Got a Mind of It’s Own” and “Tela”. The epic “Tweezer” with a sax player was truly legendary.
They ended their set with a funky, spacey “2001”. The encore include “Cavern”, “Lonesome Cowboy Bill”, and the return of the sax for an explosive “Tweezer Reprise.”
Setlist: Golgi Apparatus, Gotta Jibboo, Stash, My Mind’s Got a Mind of Its Own, Tweezer, The Lizards, Tela, No Men in No Man’s Land, Split Open and Melt, Fluffhead, 2001
Long Island natives – Steve Vai and Joe Satriani (a.k.a. Satch) – legendary shredders still at the top of their game, joined cosmic forces on the iconic Beacon Theatre stage this past Saturday night (April 6) in a show for the ages. The concert, which was the 11th stop on their 38-date ‘Satch/Vai Tour’ which embarked on March 22 in Orlando, Florida, shook the historic venue nestled on Manhattan’s Upper West Side to its foundation as the long-time friends of more than five decades authored a master class in guitar instrumental compositions.
Steve Vai | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger Photography / Pit Perspectives
Like many of you out there, music became one of my greatest passions as a teenage boy in the throes of puberty. It was the mid-1980s, and bursting onto the scene was Steve Vai with his 1984 debut studio LP Flex-Able. This was an album that I listened to religiously on my Walkman (remember those?) while mowing neighborhood lawns for some spending money – money that I spent on buying more rock music, including the single “Yankee Rose” – an MTV hit recorded by David Lee Roth (DLR) for his first full-length solo LP (Eat ‘Em and Smile, 1986) – featuring the prominent electric guitar of its co-writer, none other than Steve Vai. Around this same time, the movie Crossroads hit theaters. This was an impactful film for my musical exploration, that in the climactic guitar duel, saw Vai play the part of Jack Butler (the villain who sold his soul to the devil for his fiendish guitar skills) against Ralph Macchio’s Eugene Marton (fighting to save his mentor’s soul). Fun fact. Although Macchio was able to paly guitar, both audio parts in the duel were played by Vai, showcasing his immense versatility as an axe-man.
Before Saturday night’s show, I had witnessed Steve Vai play live one other time. I was two weeks shy of my 16th birthday when I attended my second ever concert – DLR’s ‘Skyscraper Tour’ at the Hartford Civic Center (now known as XL Center) on April 8, 1988. Although I do not remember the experience particularly well, maybe because it was the first time I ever smoked weed, I still have the ticket stub to prove it! Vai would go on to part ways with DLR the following year.
Known by fellow guitarist for his intense practice regimen and music theory aptitude, Vai took the stage shortly after 8:00 pm where he unleashed “Avalancha” and “Little Pretty,” both from his tenth studio album (Inviolate, 2022), along with “Building the Church,” a number recorded back in 2005 for the album Real Illusions: Reflections.
Before erupting into “Tender Surrender” from his 1985 EP Alien Love Secrets, Vai introduced his talented touring band of Phillip Bynoe (bass), Jeremy Colson (drums) and Dante Frisielle (guitar/keys), followed by a warm greeting to the nearly 3,000 souls in attendance:
Oh, my goodness! What is going on here tonight in New York City? You look beautiful. It’s so nice to be out on this tour with Joe and it’s so nice to be here in New York City, my home. Well, my home for the first 19 years of my life, [and] I still love this city. Thanks so much for coming to the show, enjoy!
Succeeding “Lights Are On” (Modern Primitive, 2016) came my favorite part of Vai’s set, two more songs collected from Inviolate which saw the master immediately tear into a fiery “Zeus in Chains” and then break out his three-necked Hydra guitar (which he designed in conjunction with Ibanez) for the aptly titled “Teeth of the Hydra.”
Watch Steve Vai perform fan favorite and closing number of his set, “For the Love of God,” lifted from his second studio album (Passion and Warfare, 1990) below:
Satch, the professor and elder statesman to Vai by 4 years, was up next to perform the second co-headlining set and melt the collective faces of the sold-out Beacon Theatre with his instrumental rock mastery of the electric guitar. Similar to Steve Vai’s Flex-Able, I also discovered Satriani around the same time, when he dropped 1987’s Surfing With The Alien, his second studio album and one of the first compact discs I ever owned.
He led off his 90-minute set with “The Extremist,” the title track from his fourth studio album released in 1992, which showcased not only his guitar prowess, but also plays a mean harp too! With his second song of the night, the title track from Surfing With The Alien, I was transported back in time, to my childhood bedroom, as if I were listening to the studio take of this amazing song on headphones, but even better!
Joe Satriani | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger Photography / Pit Perspectives
Preceding the only snafu of the night, Satch tore through a career-spanning trio of numbers from his prolific discography comprised of “Satch Boogie” (Surfing With the Alien), “Sahara” (The Elephants of Mars, 2022), and “Nineteen Eighty” (Shapeshifting, 2020). However, before launching into “Big Bad Moon” (Flying in a Blue Dream, 1989), Satch’s guitar cable broke. As the band carried on without him via an impromptu “theme song,” a team of three techs did their best to resolve the issue, including swapping out his pedal board. Despite their valiant efforts, the song had to be scratched from the set as Satch jibed, “Forget about that other song, we’ll just do [the title track] “Flying Blue Dream” and get on with it.”
As Satch’s 13-song set headed for home, he gifted additional tracks from The Elephants of Mars (“Blue Foot Groovy”), Surfing With the Alien (“Always With Me, Always With You” and “Ice 9”), and 2004’s Is There Love in Space? (“If I Could Fly”). Next, following the introductions of his band – Rai Thistlethwayte (keys), Bryan Beller (bass), and Kenny Aronoff (drums), Satch addressed his loyal followers:
So, not too far from here, but a very, very long time ago, a little kid came to my front door. He had a stringless guitar in one hand, and a pack of strings in the other and was looking for lessons. There was something about him, I thought, this is gonna be fun. I like the look in his eyes. It looks like he’s got that passion and desire, even at 12 years old. I’m telling you the truth, at 12 years old, he had it. We quickly became comrades, with one goal, which was to just keep playing electric guitar as long as we could. And thanks to you, we were able to live that dream, and we’ve stayed best friends ever since. So please help bring out to the stage Mr. Steve Vai.
Joe Satriani & Steve Vai | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger Photography / Pit PerspectivesSteve Vai | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger Photography / Pit Perspectives
His pupil then returned to the stage for an epic encore jam comprised of “The Sea Of Emotion, Pt. 1” – a collaboration between the two buddies, recently released on March 29, that sees the two icons seamlessly trading solo sections – “You Really Got Me” by The Kinks and Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” the latter two numbers rendered from their axes with a personal flair, of course.
Watch Joe Satriani perform the soaring and uplifting “Always with Me, Always with You” (Surfing With the Alien) here:
After the Satch/Vai Tour wraps on May 12 in Santa Rosa, California, Vai and Tool drummer Danny Carey will be joining the newborn supergroup Beat, additionally comprised of King Crimson’s guitarist/singer Adrian Belew and bassist Tony Levins. The foursome will be setting out on a special fall tour kicking off September 12 in San Jose, CA, culminating November 8 in Las Vegas, Nevada, paying homage along the way to the progressive English rock band’s trio of iconic studio albums from the ‘80s – Discipline, Beat, and Three of a Perfect Pair. If you are like me and cannot get enough of Steve Vai, he is featured on the May 2024 edition cover of Guitar World magazine (already in print on newsstands), along with an in-depth article celebrating the 25th anniversary of Flex-Able.
Up next for Satch is “The Best Of All Worlds 2024 Tour” with Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony and Jason Bonham. The tour, which will feature music from every phase of Hagar’s career (including Van Halen, Chickenfoot, and The Circle), runs from July 13 in West Palm Beach, Florida to August 31 in St. Louis, Missouri.
Steve Vai Setlist: Avalancha > Building the Church > Little Pretty > Tender Surrender > Lights Are On > Zeus in Chains > Teeth of the Hydra > For the Love of God
Joe Satriani Setlist: The Extremist > Surfing With the Alien > Satch Boogie > Sahara > Nineteen Eighty > Flying in a Blue Dream > Blue Foot Groovy > Always With Me, Always With You > If I Could Fly > Ice 9 > Encore: The Sea Of Emotion, Pt. 1 (with Steve Vai) > You Really Got Me (The Kinks cover, with Steve Vai) > Enter Sandman (Metallica cover, with Steve Vai)
UPCOMING TOUR DATES
April 10 – Collingswood, NJ @ Scottish Rite Auditorium
April 11 – Washington, DC @ Warner Theatre DC
April 13 – Northfield, OH @ MGM Northfield Park
April 14 – Rochester, NY @ Kodak Center Theater
April 16 – Detroit, MI @ Fisher Theatre
April 18 – Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
April 19 – Cincinnati, OH @ Andrew J. Brady Icon Music Center
April 20 – Fort Wayne, IN @ Embassy Theatre
April 21 – Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Theatre (Old National Centre)
April 23 – Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theater
April 24 – Minneapolis, MN @ State Theatre
April 25 – Des Moines, IA @ Des Moines Civic Center
April 26 – Springfield, MO @ Gillioz Theatre
April 28 – La Vista, NE @ The Astro
April 29 – Salina, KS @ Stiefel Theatre
April 30 – St. Louis, MO @ The Factory – St. Louis
May 1 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
May 3 – Austin, TX @ ACL Live at The Moody Theater
May 4 – Dallas, TX @ Music Hall at Fair Park
May 5 – Houston, TX @ 713 Music Hall
May 7 – Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre – Denver
May 8 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Delta Hall at Eccles Theater
May 10 – Valley Center, CA @ Harrah’s Resort Southern California – The Events Center
May 11 – Wheatland, CA @ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
May 12 – Santa Rosa, CA @ Luther Burbank Center for the Arts
He is one of the most underrated guitarists and producers to come out of the ‘70s British music scene. But now Phil Manzanera, best known as the long-running axe man for glam-cum-art rockers Roxy Music, is telling the story of his globetrotting life, in music and beyond, in a new memoir, Revolución to Roxy(Wordzworth Publishing)
Manzanera’s autobiography goes well beyond the usual, dumbed-down VH-1 “Behind the Music” rise-fall-rise template. As he states in his introduction below, it’s a very personal exploration of his life – one made as much for music fans as it is for his far-flung family.
“I’ve written this memoir for my English and Colombian family, dear friends and music fans, who have followed my musical twists and turns for over half a century. It spans from my 50’s childhood in Cuba, Hawaii and Venezuela, when everything seemed in the brightest technicolor, to grey but very cool ‘60’s London and the start of a music career that continues to enrich my life, some 50 years later. Roxy Music is an important part of the story and I will be forever thankful to the doors it opened for me to a global world of music and musical collaborations. But I hope you’ll find my family history every bit as fascinating as my music adventures, I’m proud to be related to a Colombian pirate, a spy and an Italian opera musician.”
On the musical front, Phil is best known for his 50 years with Roxy Music, from its incredible 1972 debut disc to its final 50th Anniversary tour. In the band’s early days, it was the two Bs – Bryan Ferry and Brian Eno – who sucked up most of the limelight. But it was Manzanera’s searing, melodic and uniquely treated guitar riffage that brought the fire to Roxy’s post-modern mélange, along with the Bonham-like thump of the equally-underrated drummer Paul Thompson.
Roxy Music “Ladytron” on BBC 1972
But outside of Roxy, Manzanera has plied a productive career as a solo artist, producer and collaborator. He has worked as a sideman, producer and songwriter partner with greats like Bob Dylan, Brian Eno, Robert Wyatt, John Cale, Split Enz and David Gilmour, both solo and in the final works of Pink Floyd. He also became one of the most prominent producers of Rock En Espanol.
The story of Phil’s much-traveled youth is one of the more engaging parts of the book. Phillip Targett-Adams was born in England to a British father and Colombian mother whose surname he would take for his life on the stage. His father’s work for a British airline company (and maybe as a spy?) would take young Phil to Venezuela, Hawaii and, most notably, Cuba where he witnessed the Fidel Castro-led revolution. He would become fascinated with the guitar while living in Cuba and make his first forays into playing while at board school in England, with the purchase of a Hofner Galaxie which he still has. There, he would form a musical partnership with bassist Bill McCormick which would fully flower in the collaborations with Eno and with an album by his immediate pre-Roxy prog band, Quiet Sun.
Manzanera’s memories of the early Roxy Music days will provide plenty of juice for glam music fans. Phil would fail his first audition with the band and get his signature “look” – the bug-eye sunglasses – when the band’s stylist pulled them out of a bag of accessories during the first album photo shoot. Wearing them while playing guitar would prove a challenge Phil would have to endure through the band’s early rise.
Roxy Music fans will enjoy his description of the band’s unique working style. The detail-oriented control freak leader, Bryan Ferry, would come up with all the music first and, only after it was recorded, would he write lyrics. After the basic tracks were laid down, Phil would take them home and work out different guitar parts on tape, which would then be assessed and the best recorded. He also discussed the inevitable parting of Eno from the band, perhaps due to the fact that Brian had much more success with the ladies than Ferry? We also hear how he purchased his signature guitar, the “Cardinal Red” 1964 Gibson Firebird VII. And also how he broke his leg falling off the six-inch platform shoes that were required wardrobe in the glam rock days.
As with all too many musician memoirs, Phil’s demonstrates how an artist’s fortunes can suffer from bad management. According to Manzanera, Roxy only received 5% of the monies earned from early albums, a sum that would be divided equally amongst the six members. It would be 12 years before he earned anything meaningful from his recording and touring with Roxy Music.
There is great context about his collaborations with Brian Eno on his legendary early solo album, their work in the band 801, the Quiet Sun project and Phil’s acclaimed early solo albums, Diamond Head, Primitive Guitars and K-Scope. It’s a tune from the last album than would pay huge and unexpected dividends decades after its release.
Phil would go on to be the director of Guitar Legends, a 5-day concert extravaganza featuring B.B. King, Brian May, Steve Vai, Joe Walsh, Jack Bruce, Keith Richards, Bob Dylan and many more, produced in tandem with Expo ‘92 in Seville, the birthplace of the guitar. His Latin roots would make him the choice producer for many of the biggest Rock En Espanol acts including Heroes de Silencio and the later solo work of its leader, Enrique Bunbury. Also discussed are the many productions created at Gallery Studio at his home in Sussex, St. Ann’s Court. These included latter-day Roxy Music albums like Avalon, their biggest commercial success.
Manzanera also elaborates on his extensive role as a co-writer, guitarist and producer for the post-Roger Waters era Pink Floyd and the solo work of its guitarist, David Gilmore. Phil would earn composer credit on tracks like Floyd’s “Learning to Fly” and producer credit on albums like their final work, The Endless River. He would serve as producer of various David Gilmour solo albums from 2006 – 2015, including On An Island, Live in Gdansk and Rattle That Lock. During Covid, he would remotely wax three albums with Tim Finn of The Split Enz.
Roxy Music fans will get Phil’s take on the many fits and starts of their career, including three big breakups and reformations through their final world tour in 2022 and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction. He compares Roxy to one of his vintage cars, a Rolls Royce, saying – It’s beautiful to look at, but very hard to drive.”
Manzanera’s biggest financial windfall would come not from rock but rap. That would arrive in 2011 when a beat-maker named 88 Keys would sample a guitar riff from a tune on his 1978 album K-Scope for use in a Jay-Z/Kayne West track, “No Church In the Wild” on their album, Watch the Throne. Manzanera was allocated one-third of resulting royalties and publishing revenue for the song, more than either of the rappers. The album went Gold in the UK and Platinum in the US, and the song was used in the film The Great Gatsby and various tv commercials.
In his book, Manzanera states that he earned more from “this brief sequence of maybe twenty notes” than he had in his 50 years with Roxy Music.
Funk/rock-fusion trio Pocket Bandits have announced the release of their debut single, “The Pocket Bandit,” on April 5. The trio hails from Ithaca and hopes to dazzle listeners with their upcoming track.
The debut single is set to put Pocket Bandits out there once and for all. The single is a bold opening volley from a band of experienced musicians with big ambitions for their new collaboration. The trio is comprised of Joe Massa, Samuel B. Lupowitz, and Simon Bjarning. Joe and Samuel have played together for a decade.
The group practices a fusion of sounds from funk, progressive rock, and jam-blues. The music sees a funky guitar-organ combo that keeps the listener entranced. The trio can be described as a fun, funky fusion of R&B grooves, jazz improvisation, rock intensity, and catchy-yet-unpredictable songwriting.
The single is to be marked with a record release at The Downstairs in Ithaca on Saturday, April 6. Pocket Bandits plays two sets of original material, and a third set backing up Marlyand-based post-rock singer-songwriter Mark Hennessey.
The group aims not merely to show off, but to fill the dance floor with their engaging original compositions, as well as the occasional crowd-pleaser by artists from The Beatles to Billie Eilish. Their debut single showcases the groups experience, talent, and ability to make groove ensue.
To stay up to date on Pocket Bandits’ upcoming releases and to find out more about the trio, click here. Make sure to check out their upcoming shows as well.
Goose has announced more headlining 2024 show dates which includes two nights at SPAC. The newly announced run will begin in NJ at Holmdel’s PNC Bank Arts Center on September 1 and the following week will see the band returning to SPAC for two shows on September 6 and 7. This summer and fall will be the first extensive touring Goose will be doing with their new drummer Cotter Ellis.
The new slate of fall shows will see Goose hit the Midwest and then the West Coast, with the tour concluding on September 28 in Stanford, CA at Frost Amphitheater. This comes after an extensive June schedule of shows that includes stops in St. Louis, Atlanta, and New York City before concluding with a hometown show at Westville Music Bowl in New Haven, CT. Goose is also set to play the SolShine Festival in Chillicothe, IL this Memorial Day Weekend. See below for a full listing of upcoming shows.
The September tour ticket pre-sale lottery for all newly announced Goose dates is currently underway and will continue through Saturday, April 6, at 5pm ET. Lottery winners will be charged and notified via email by the evening of Thursday, April 11 at 5pm ET. Public on-sales are set to begin Friday, April 12 at 10am (local). For more information, please visit www.goosetheband.com/tour.
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Greenpeace, a global network of independent campaigning organizations that is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, safeguard our planet for future generations, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people over profits.
Goose 2024 Tour Dates
MAY
24-26 – Chillicothe, IL – Summer Camp Presents Solshine: A Music & Arts Reverie †
JUNE
4 – St. Louis, MO – The Factory
5 – St. Louis, MO – The Factory
7 – Greenwood Village, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
8 – Greenwood Village, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
10 – Omaha, NE – Steelhouse
11 – Kansas City, MO – The Midland
12 – Indianapolis, IN – Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park
14 – Swanzey, NH – Northlands Music & Arts Festival (Two Sets) †
15 – Canandaigua, NY – CMAC
16 – Cleveland, OH – Jacobs Pavilion
18 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater
20 – Atlanta, GA – Fox Theatre
21 – Atlanta, GA – Fox Theatre
22 – Atlanta, GA – Fox Theatre – SOLD OUT
23 – Charlotte, NC – Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre – SOLD OUT
25 – Portland, ME – Thompson’s Point
26 – Portland, ME – Thompson’s Point
28 – Philadelphia, PA – Mann Center
29 – New York, NY – Forest Hills Stadium
30 – New Haven, CT – Westville Music Bowl
SEPTEMBER
1- Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
6 – Saratoga Springs, NY – SPAC Broadview Stage
7 – Saratoga Springs, NY – SPAC Broadview Stage
9 – Charlottesville, VA – Ting Pavilion
14 – Minneapolis, MN – The Armory
15 – Waukee, IA – Vibrant Music Hall
17 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Plaza at America First Field
19 – Missoula, MT – KettleHouse Amphitheater
20 – Missoula, MT – KettleHouse Amphitheater
21 – Seattle, WA – Remlinger Farms
22 – Troutdale, OR – Edgefield Concerts on the Lawn
24 – Eugene, OR – Cuthbert Amphitheater
26 – San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre
Newly formed supergroup BEAT will be touring the country this fall and paying tribute to one of the legendary progressive rock bands of all time, King Crimson. BEAT is spearheaded by a pair of iconic guitar players in Adrian Belew and Steve Vai who are joined by Tool drummer Danny Carey and bassist Tony Levin. The tour includes three stops in New York: New York City’s Beacon Theatre on October 5, The Kodak Center on October 19 and at The Egg in Albany on October 21.
BEAT will be reinterpreting three different King Crimson albums in Discipline, Beat, and Three of a Perfect Pair. Former Crimson band members Belew and Levin will be joined by Carey and Vai to put their spin on these and other selected deep cuts. The supergroup has the blessing of King Crimson leader Robert Fripp who is even credited with giving the band its name.
“The 1981 through 1984 King Crimson created a music all its own. Timeless. Beautiful. Complex. Fierce. For the fans who lived through it then, and the ones who never got to witness it, our aim is to bring it to life again. A monumental task but we’re going for it! There are not enough exclamation points to express my excitement!”
~ Adrian Belew
An artist ticket pre-sale is already under way using the code BEATTOUR, and general ticket sales start today at 10 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster. See below for a full list of the full Fall tour dates.
BEAT’s 2024 Tour Dates: 09/12 – San Jose, CA @ San Jose Civic 09/13 – Napa, CA @ Blue Note Napa Summer Sessions at Meritage Resort 09/14 – Los Angeles, CA @ The United Theater on Broadway 09/15 – Anaheim, CA @ City National Grove of Anaheim 09/17 – San Diego, CA @ Humphrey’s Concerts 09/18 – Phoenix, AZ @ Celebrity Theatre 09/20 – Austin, TX @ The Paramount Theatre 09/21 – Houston, TX @ Bayou Music Centre 09/22 – Dallas, TX @ Majestic Theatre 09/24 – Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern 09/26 – Fort Lauderdale, FL @ The Parker 09/27 – Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live 09/28 – Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall 09/29 – Charleston, SC @ Charleston Music Hall 10/01 – Charlotte, NC @ Knight Theater 10/02 – Durham, NC @ Carolina Theatre of Durham / Fletcher Hall 10/04 – Washington, D.C. @ Warner Theatre 10/05 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre 10/06 – Glenside, PA @ Keswick Theatre 10/08 – Richmond, VA @ Carpenter Theater in Dominion Energy Center 10/09 – Red Bank, NJ @ Count Basie Center 10/11 – Boston, MA @ Shubert Theatre 10/12 – Hampton Beach, NH @ Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom 10/14 – Halifax, NS @ Rebecca Cohen Auditorium 10/15 – Moncton, NB @ Casino New Brunswick 10/17 – Montreal, QC @ Maisonneuve Theatre 10/18 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall 10/19 – Rochester, NY @ Kodak Center 10/21 – Albany, NY @ The Egg 10/22 – Greensburg, PA @ Palace Theatre 10/23 – Reading, PA @ Santander Performing Arts Center 10/25 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre 10/26 – Cincinnati, OH @ Taft Theatre 10/27 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre 10/28 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium 10/30 – Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Theatre 11/01 – Chicago, IL @ Copernicus Center 11/02 – Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theatre 11/03 – Madison, WI @ Orpheum Theater 11/04 – Minneapolis, MN @ State Theatre 11/06 – Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre 11/08 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Theater at Virgin Hotel
The Stone Pony, the iconic Jersey Shore music venue and cornerstone of musical history for the past 50 years, revealed its 2024 summer concert series for its 50 anniversary season.
New Jersey State Legislature, Monmouth County, and the City of Asbury Park recently commemorated the Stone Pony’s golden anniversary with a proclamation of Stone Pony Day on February 8, 2024.
The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, one of the world’s best-known music venues, opened its doors on Feb. 8, 1974, in a building that formerly housed a popular restaurant called Mrs. Jay’s. Founders John P. “Jack” Roig and Robert “Butch” Pielka first met while working in a club on the boardwalk in Seaside Heights, and the rest was history, Locals like Bruce Springsteen, Southside Johnny, and Steve Van Zandt helped put the venue on the map, while today’s top artists and rising stars continue building a musical legacy. Artists that have graced the stage include Elvis Costello, The Ramones, Cheap Trick, Green Day, Oasis, No Doubt, blink-182, The Band, Iggy Pop, AFI, Warren Zevon, Joan Osborne, Luke Combs, Weezer, The 1975, Bleachers, and many more.
Highlights of the Stone Pony 2024 summer concert series include two shows with Fletcher & Friends as part of Pride Weekend on June 1 and June 2; Lake Street Dive on June 14; Bleachers on June 15; T-PAIN on June 21, Jake Owen on June 22; O.A.R. with Fitz and the Tantrums on July 19; Sad Summer Festival on August 4; The Gaslight Anthem on August 16; and more.
For 50 years the Stone Pony has been an essential part of the soundtrack of summer for so many who reside or visit Asbury Park, NJ. We are so excited for our upcoming 50th anniversary summer celebration with so many wonderful artists who will join us some incredible nights of live music under the stars. Once again, we’re on pace to be a record setting summer.
Caroline O’Toole, General Manager, The Stone Pony.
Pride Week, New Jersey’s 32nd Annual Statewide LGBTQ+ Pride Celebration will kick off with a four-day series of concerts at the Stone Pony Summer Stage, the largest in Pride Week history from Thursday, May 30 through Sunday, June 2, 2024. It gets underway with the Pride Kickoff Party featuring Solid Pink Disco with DJ Trixie and DJ Mateo Segade on Thursday, May 30. The festivities continue with Dreamland Pride In Asbury Park with Purple Disco Machine on Friday, May 31; FLETCHER, a music phenomenon who is from Asbury Park, performs two homecoming shows on the Stone Pony Summer Stage as Fletcher & Friends on Saturday, June 1 featuring G Flip, and Ari Abdul; and on Sunday, June 2 featuring Maude Latour and Ari Abdul.
The Stone Pony Summer Stage’s 50 anniversary season food and beverage lineup includes crowd favorites Windmill, with Jersey Shore’s famous hot dogs and cheese fries; Rocco’s Pizza; Bubbakoos, and a new smoothie station with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
Tickets for the Miller Lite concert series are on sale now. For additional information on these or other upcoming performances, visit here.
Stone Pony Summer Stage 2024 Miller Lite Concert Series
May 4 Sum 41 with The Interrupters
May 17 Joe Russo’s Almost Dead
May 24 Pigeons Playing Ping Pong
May 30 Pride Weekend Kick Off Featuring Solid Pink Disco with DJ Trixie
May 31 Dreamland Pride and Asbury Park: Purple Disco Machine
June 1 Fletcher & Friends
June 2 Fletcher & Friends
June 12 North 2 Shore Presents Gary Clark Jr.
June 13 North 2 Shore Presents Band of Horses
June 14 North 2 Shore Presents Lake Street Dive
June 15 Shadow of the City: Bleachers
June 21 T-PAIN
June 22 Jake Owen
June 29 Orville Peck
July 4 moe.
July 5 Railroad Earth and Leftover Salmon
July 12 The Used
July 19 O.A.R. with Fitz and the Tantrums
July 20 Stoke for the Summer: The Bouncing Souls
July 21 Dark Star Orchestra
July 26 Two Door Cinema Club
August 2 Iration and Pepper
August 4 Sad Summer Festival
August 16 The Gaslight Anthem
August 21 Whiskey Myers
August 23 Something Corporate
August 24 New Found Glory
August 25 Sublime with Rome
August 30 Almost Queen
September 1 WAXAHATCHEE
September 10 Dashboard Confessional
September 27 Justin Moore & Randy Houser
NOTE: Lineup is Subject to Change; More Shows to Be Added
Bands N’ Beans is making its anticipated return to Lake George for its 30th anniversary this April. The festival will showcase a slew of bands from across New York State, as well as over 20 restaurants’ homemade chili.
The annual festival is brought to the forefront by Lake George Arts Project. Bands N’ Beans is held on April 14 at Fort William Henry Conference Center. The festival sees a lineup of nine total bands playing throughout the duration of the event from 2-7 pm. These artists play on two separate stages, one electric and one acoustic. Along with the diverse and fun musical element comes the “beans” element.
Over 20 local restaurants are throwing down their best chili concoctions and vying for the sought-after People’s Choice Award. This event isn’t just a ton of fun, the proceeds from Bands ‘n Beans benefit the Lake George Arts Project’s free and open to all music and art programs like the year-round Courthouse Gallery exhibitions, Summer Concert Series and the popular Jazz at the Lake, a three-day Jazz Festival.
Tickets for Bands N’ Beans can be purchased by April 12 for $25 or bought day of for $30. For more information on the festival and to purchase tickets, click here.
American rock band Stray Cats have announced the details for their summer 2024 tour which will include a stop at the Artpark Outdoor Amphitheater in Lewiston on August 13 and one at The Rooftop at Pier 17 in New York City on August 15.
After first appearing in the New York area in the middle of 1979 performing under a number of names including the Tomcats, the Teds, and Bryan and the Tom Cats, Stray Cats will return on the road for a three-week tour starting July 27. The Stray Cats, which includes Brian Setzer on guitar, and vocals, Lee Rocker on upright bass, and vocals and Slim Jim Phantom on drums, and vocals, will rock their way across America this summer and will be joined by The Midnight Cowgirls as the supporting act
The Midnight Cowgirls is an exciting band that’s on track to transform music with their electrifying blend of country, new wave, post-punk, and rockabilly. The band is led by charismatic vocalist and rhythm guitarist Kandle Osborne, backed by powerhouse rhythm section Jennie Vee and Leah Bluestein from Eagles of Death Metal, and lead guitarist Rex Elle and is also known for performances with Stray Cats’ drummer Slim Jim Phantom.
The tour will mark the Stray Cats’ first performances since the release of their critically acclaimed 2019 album 40 and subsequent reunion tour, which they followed with a live album Rocked This Town: From LA To London in 2020. This tour, fans can expect to hear the band’s signature unparalleled virtuosity and red-hot rock & roll spirit through their classic tunes alongside their most recent material. Their setlists will include massive hits such as “Stray Cat Strut,” “Rock This Town,” “Runaway Boys,” “(She’s) Sexy + 17,” “I Won’t Stand in Your Way” and more.
Tickets for the Stray Cats summer 2024 tour are currently on sale. Fans can find the tickets and sign up for the band newsletter at Straycats.com.
New York City has been given many nicknames like “the city so nice, they named it twice,” as well as “The Big Apple.” The city at any given moment can hold multiple events at one time. Friday, March. 28 saw country star Zach Bryan play at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn while President Biden hosted a fundraiser which featured former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. The fundraiser was only steps away from where former KISS guitarist, Ace Frehley played as he filled up Sony Hall just a month after his newest release, 10,000 Volts.
Frehley has announced 15 dates to his itinerary for 2024. Three of those dates, including the Sony Hall show, are in New York. Frehley is playing at the Rome Capitol Theatre on April. 12 as well as the River Theatre in North Tonawanda on Aug. 21. These tour dates are also in support of his newest release which has been praised very highly by the music community.
Before the rock and roll siege of “The Spaceman,” the New York City natives known as Kore Rozzik warmed up the eager crowd. Kore Rozzik played seven songs and did their part well at getting the crowd hyped up for classic Kiss and original tunes from Frehley. Kore Rozzik, while a harder style of rock music than Frehley powered through technical difficulties and wonky mic feedback to deliver their brand of metal and hard rock. The fans who knew the band loved them and screamed wildly. It took a few songs for the band to win over fans that weren’t so familiar with them. Once lead singer Kore Rozzik graced the stage in different stage clothes for multiple songs and sprayed the audience with water after their final song, “Spellbound,” the band made multiple fans and left a lasting impression on the rowdy crowd.
Joining Rozzik on stage were Andrei Patorski and Alex Devious on guitars, Matias Sanes on bass and Crow Starbird on the drums.
As the house lights dimmed and one of Frehley’s instrumentals blasted of the speakers, a sudden surge rushed from the back of the general admission audience and pushed the crowd closer to the stage. With what seemed like one quick motion, Frehley and his band blasted into “Shock Me,” off Kiss’ 1977 record, Love Gun. Frehley played 14 total songs that took fans through memory lane of his Kiss days while also sprinkling in a few solo songs including the title track to his newest release. Frehley sported a sparkly jacket that draped over his NASA t-shirt to start the first few songs of the night. Dawning classic Rayban aviators and his classic Les Paul guitar, it was clear that Frehley and the rest of his band were indeed “back in the New York Groove.”
Accompanying Frehley on stage was bassist Ryan Cook, guitarist Jeremy Asbrock and drummer Scot Coogan. This was the same band that played on his record in addition to touring with Frehley across the United States recently.
Like Kore Rozzik, the Frehley band was not only battling the bad feedback from their speakers but at one point in between the band’s rendition of “Rip It Out,” and “Detroit Rock City,” Cook’s bass strap broke and had to be taped back together for the remainder of the show. But, with a calm smile, Cook took the minor setback like a true professional and continued to wave and point into the crowd of fans.
Unlike the last show that Frehley played at the Paramount Hudson Valley back in October, multiple fans put on his classic face paint and rushed to the front of the stage before the band’s set. The entire crowd, which consisted of all ages never left their spot in the general admission and continued to clap, throw up the rock horns and raise their fists to the loud wall of sound in front of them. If you closed your eyes and pictured what a Kiss concert sounded like in the mid-1970s’ when the band was at the height of their powers, without a doubt, it would have sounded something very close to last night’s show.
In classic Frehley showmanship, for the band’s rendition of “New York Groove,” Frehley brought out his classic guitar that lights up. When the special Les Paul guitar made its appearance, the crowd went crazy as they knew exactly what song was coming up. At the beginning note of every song, the crowd gave the band a thunderous cheer. The cheering was so loud at one point that it seemed like the roof was going to cave in.
It was extremely impressive to hear the band play their new material from the aforementioned 10,000 Volts. Despite the band only playing the title track, it was neat to hear the band acknowledge their new record. Throughout the show, fans were yelling for the band to play some of their favorite tunes from the brand-new record. Regardless of Frehley being 72 years old, he still had his skill from the ‘70s on guitar while also having his signature voice on lead vocals.
At the end of the show, when the doors were flung open and the cool New York air filled up the downstairs theater, there was not one unhappy fan in the venue. With Kiss now being retired and the band not playing, Frehley is one of two members still out on the road. With that being said, fans were extremely happy to have their night filled with Kiss tunes and seeing the one and only Spaceman
Kore Rozzik Setlist: Welcome To Rock Hell, I Am Your Savior, Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, Vengeance Overdrive, Mistress, Guilty As Charged, Spellbound
Ace Frehley Setlist: Shock Me, Rocket Ride, 10,000 Volts, Rock Soldiers, Love Gun, Parasite, New York Groove, Rip It Out, Detriot Rock City, Cold Gin, Strange Ways, Shout It Out Loud, Deuce, Rock And Roll All Nite
