Juliana Hatfield performed at the intimate City Winery Main Stage on January 28 in NYC. Outside of her solo work, Juliana is known for her involvement in indie rock acts such as Blake Babies and The Lemonheads. Opening for her was Leslie Mendelson. Leslie opened the show with an acoustic set of originals and cover songs. Juliana then took the stage and performed a solo set filled with older deep cuts, songs from her 2021 album Blood, and excerpts from cover albums she’s released in the last few years.
Juliana Hatfield at City Winery NYC
In November, Juliana released an album of Electric Light Orchestra covers. Motifs of loneliness and escapism were apparent. Even in a room filled with people, you could feel these prevailing themes. Substituting parts of ELO’s full orchestra, Juliana made her own adjustments that added a unique personal spin to the songs. On her record, Juliana used vocal keyboards to emulate the string instruments to accompany the lead guitar.
This album followed two other cover collections Juliana has released, including The Police and Olivia Newton-John. The blue twinkling lights that filled City Winery’s ceiling felt like the perfect throwback to the cosmic imagery of ELO’s early stage shows. The crowd was equally entranced by both her performance and witty stage banter.
Setlist: Dancin’ ‘Round and ‘Round (Olivia Newton‐John cover), Candy Wrappers, Hotels, Forever, Everybody Loves Me but You, Necessito (Some Girls song), Wonder Why, Telephone Line (Electric Light Orchestra cover), Please Mr. Please (Olivia Newton‐John cover), Hole in My Life (The Police cover), Tourist, Everything’s for Sale, My Sister (The Juliana Hatfield Three song), There’s Always Another Girl, Ugly, I Got No Idols (The Juliana Hatfield Three song), Had a Dream, Bottles and Flowers, June 6th, Shining On, Nirvana, Spin the Bottle, I Wanna Be Your Disease, Choose Drugs
The 2024 Australian Pink Floyd Show tour will bring to the stage the songs that mean so much to Pink Floyd fans all over the world and will make a stop in Utica on June 25 at The Stanley Theatre.
State of the art lighting and video, pinpoint lasers, huge inflatables and flawless live sound that was the benchmark of Pink Floyd shows, and Australian Pink Floyd Show guarantees to deliver a memorable live experience for audiences old and new.
The Australian Pink Floyd Show gave its first ever concert in Adelaide, Australia in 1988. Since then, they have performed in over 35 countries worldwide; played at David Gilmour’s 50th birthday celebration and were even joined on stage by David and Rick Wright. The Australian Pink Floyd Show is the leading show of its kind in the world, performing the music of Pink Floyd with note for note perfection.
The critically acclaimed show has been astonishing audiences worldwide for more than three decades, always striving to reproduce the complete Pink Floyd experience and bring the music to new audiences.
A stunning light and laser show, video animations, state of the art, high resolution LED screen technology and other special effects are combined with, in true Pink Floyd fashion, there are several huge inflatables including a giant pig, and their own unique Pink Kangaroo.
Often described as being much more than a tribute band, The Australian Pink Floyd Show is the first Pink Floyd tribute show that took the concept into the worldwide arena circuit. The band has played to sell out audiences throughout Europe, UK, America, Canada & South America.
Replicating music from every phase of Pink Floyd’s journey, this tour reinforces TAPFS’s dedication to the heritage of Barrett, Waters, Gilmour, Wright & Mason with a show that pays sincere and genuine tribute to those legendary Pink Floyd productions.
The Australian Pink Flow Show 2024 band lineup includes David Domminney Fowler (Guitar & Vocals), Paul Bonney (Drums), Luc Ledy-Lepine (Guitar), Ricky Howard (Bass & Vocals), Chris Barnes (Vocals), David Parsons (Keyboards), Alex Francois (Saxophone), Lorelei McBroom, Lara Smiles and Emily Lynn (Backing Vocals).
Tour dates include a show at the Paramount in Huntington, making these the only two New York shows of their 2024 world tour. Full tour dates can be found here.
Tickets for all shows, including Australian Pink Floyd Show at the Stanley Theatre in Utica go on sale Friday, February 2nd at 10 AM at thestanley.org, or by calling 315-724-4000.
PEAK has dropped the third installment in their ongoing live series, with Hot Clips Volume 3, released on January 5.
Culled from performances in 2023, Hot Clips Volume 3 features some of the band’s favorite recent performances. Specifically, this album shows what the band – Jeremy Hilliard (guitar and vocals), Johnny Young (keys and vocals), Josh T. Carter (bass and vocals), Kito Bovenschulte (drums), Nate Searing (drums on “Idyllwild Flower”) – are looking for in a jam of group interaction, transcendent moments that come naturally and without force, and happen organically.
Mixed and Mastered by Johnny Young and Jeremy Hilliard and engineered by Michelle Young, the songs range from older PEAK staples to unreleased tracks appearing on the next studio album. Covers on the album include a reimagined version of Woody Guthrie’s “Pastures of Plenty,” and a stretched-out take on the Led Zeppelin classic “The Song Remains the Same.”
Hot Clips Volume 3 Tracklist:
Vanishing Skies, 5.17.23, Nectar’s, Burlington, VT One Lifetime Isn’t Enough, 9.8.23, The Wescott Theatre, Syracuse, NY Little Miss Mary Merry-Go-Round, 5.17.23, Nectar’s, Burlington, VT It’s Easy To Give Up (Don’t Give Up Too Easy), 7.16.23, Park City Music Hall, Bridgeport, CT Run Me Down, 9.8.23, The Wescott Theatre, Syracuse, NY Pastures Of Plenty, 5.17.23, Nectar’s, Burlington, VT The Song Remains the Same, 9.8.23, The Wescott Theatre, Syracuse, NY Idyllwild Flower, 8.11.23, Yasgur Road Reunion, Bethel, NY It Ain’t Over ’til the Credits Roll, 9.8.23, The Wescott Theatre, Syracuse, NY
PEAK Spring 2024 Tour Dates
1.28.24 Amherst, MA, The Drake, supporting Midnight North TICKETS
2.1.24 Hartford, CT, Infinity Hall, supporting Midnight North TICKETS
2.2.24 Fairfield, CT, Stage One at FTC, supporting Midnight North TICKETS
2.29.24 Burlington, VT, Nectar’s, supporting Midnight North TICKETS
3.8.24 Baltimore, MD, 8 x10, supporting Unkle Kunkel’s Big Gram Band
4.4.24 Syracuse, NY, Funk and Waffles, w/ Spunj and Small Batch
Between gamblers playing slot machines and Black Jack, fans crowded into the sold-out Great Cedar Showroom at Foxwoods Casino for the veteran rock band Extreme. The band is on the Thicker Than Blood Tour, supporting their new record, Six. This is the second show for the band after the tour kicked off at the Bergan Performing Arts Center in Englewood, New Jersey.
Extreme was founded in 1985 in Malden, Massachusetts and is made up of Gary Cherone on lead vocals, Nuno Bettencourt on guitar, Pat Badger on the bass guitar and Kevin Figueiredo on the drums.
Prior to Extreme taking the stage, the New York City native band, Living Colour warmed up the crowd for a 45-minute set. Like Extreme, Living Colour was founded in the mid-1980s and has produced classic hits like “Cult of Personality,” and “Glamour Boys.”
Living Colour is comprised of guitarist Vernon Reid, Doug Wimbish on the bass guitar, and Will Calhoun from the Bronx, on drums with fellow New Yorker, Corey Glover on lead vocals.
For the entire 45 minutes, Living Colour produced a powerful and memorable set that included eight songs. During the last song of the band’s performance, as they blasted into the aforementioned “Cult of Personality,” Glover hopped off the stage and walked into the crowd while belting out the lyrics to the song. The crowd erupted as Glover walked up and down each section of the theater, stopping for photos with fans and high-fiving concertgoers. Living Colour did a phenomenal job getting the crowd ready for Extreme.
As the clock ticked to 9 p.m., the houselights dimmed as the Extreme banner raised behind Figueiredo’s drum kit. With the blue spotlights on them, the band jumped right into “It (‘s a Monster)” off of the band’s most successful record, 1990’s Extreme II: Pornograffitti.
Throughout the entirety of the band’s set, they incorporated music from their entire discography starting with their self-titled debut record up until their most recent record. While storming through each song, Figueiredo was a man possessed on the drums. His kit didn’t stand a chance as he belted away throughout each song providing chest-thumping beats.
Fans who came to the show on the chilly Friday night were certainly in for a treat as Extreme played for two whole hours. At one point of the set, Figueiredo brought out a mini drum kit as the band embarked on a mini, two-song acoustic set that featured the beautiful ballads “Other Side of the Rainbow,” and “Hole Hearted.”
Even during the band’s acoustic set, there was still so much energy. Throughout the night Cherone slithered and stretched his way around the stage as Badger plucked at his bass guitar during Bettencourt’s shredding solos. It’s widely known that one of Bettencourt’s heroes was the late Eddie Van Halen and Bettencourt paid homage by playing the intro to Van Halen’s “Women In Love…” while saying “Happy Birthday Eddie.”
It was extremely impressive how each band member was able to work off one another and how they each complimented the other. The band’s stage presence and their comradery were visible from the stage and the smiles they had and the laughs they shared were heartwarming.
Each song that Extreme played was magical in its own way and it felt like the band was taking you on a career-spanning journey throughout the show. In between songs the band interacted with fans, joked around and overall gave the fans their money’s worth.
As the doors flew up at the end of the show and the sound of chips hitting poker tables and slot machines rang in the halls, fans left happy and smiles were shared all around as one of the most hard-working bands in rock and roll right now performed another mind-blowing show.
Living Colour Setlist: Middle Man, Leave It Alone, Ignorance Is Bliss, Open Letter (to a Landlord), White Lines (Don’t Do It)/Apache/The Message, Glamour Boys, Love Rears Its Ugly Head, Cult of Personality
ExtremeSetlist: It (‘s a Monster), Decadence Dance, #Rebel, Rest In Peace, Hip Today, Teacher’s Pet/Flesh ‘n’ Blood/Wind Me Up/Kid Ego, Play With Me, Other Side of the Rainbow, Hole Hearted, Drum Solo/Money Maker, Cupid’s Dead, Am I Ever Gonna Change, Thicker Than Blood, Midnight Express, Hurrican, More Than Words, Banshee, Take Us Alive/That’s All Right, Flight of the Bumblebee, Women In Love… (intro) Get The Funk Out, Small Town Beautiful/Song for Love, Rise
If there’s one thing musicians should have in order to appeal to a large audience, it is musical diversity. Elephant Back maintains their own unique sounds whilst having dynamic, ranging styles. The two latest albums by the duo showcase exactly that. The Black Album and The White Album have their own categories of sound, and one is not like the other.
Dave and Sarah of Elephant Back in 2023
Starting with The White Album, the initial track “Home,” is reminiscent of an Appalachian Folk song, mixed with Lumineers-esque soaring indie vocals. The opening track sets the tone and vibe of this album, preparing the listener for folky, indie, emotional odes to love and life-changes. The song “W.T.F.I.C.??” has a spunky indie-pop feel, but simultaneously shows clear Beatles influence in the chords and bass licks.
A great way to describe some of the songs on The White Album would be campfire-song. Songs you can gather around with your friends. Songs where you can pull out a guitar and sing, sitting on some grass just vibing together. The album’s closing track, “Move Me” is quite touching and did, in fact, move me to tears. With the album consisting of six main tracks and one hidden track, the record comes out to less than a half hour of music, yet in these 25 minutes, the band achieves great range and emotional depth.
Continuing onto Elephant Back’s The Black Album, it is a blatantly stark contrast from The White Album. This album’s opening track, “A Lot To Do” immediately grasps the listener with its 60s-style surf rock. The next song, “Bad Love” rings with clear indie-rock/alternative sound, reminiscent of bands like The White Stripes or Arctic Monkeys.
Each track on the album has its own distinct sound, while still tying in a common style. With elements of grunge, indie-rock, surf-rock, and pop-punk, this album is dynamic in its sound and its influences. Upon listening, you can really hear specific influences in each song. For some, Nirvana or Soundgarden can be heard, for others you can hear The Smashing Pumpkins or Blink-182.
monarch’s If You Ask Me is unapologetically raw, with a refreshing theme of self-ownership. The clear-cut language adds intensity to the song’s powerful message- stressing the resistance to give in to outside influence or control.
Photo by, @pawprints777 on Instagram
Lyrically, the song takes us to the aftermath of boundary-pushing chaos in a compelling way. The relationship between the lyrical skill and instrumental intensity elevates the overall experience that the song brings.
Based in Brooklyn, rock group monarch formed in 2021. This spirited band has always gone beyond the limits of musical expression, captivating audiences with their powerful performances. With a reputation for powerful live performances, this group is a noteworthy act that will leave a mark on the local music scene. Monarch has plans to take the stage all over NYC in 2024 and amaze a wide range of audiences with their electrifying energy.
Sarah hopes the song lyrics and feel can bring comfort to those who can, regrettably, relate to this kind of circumstance. The song should also let listeners know that “they’re not alone in the feeling of feeling taken advantage of”. Sarah adds, “I had trouble writing a song of this essence, our music isn’t typically ‘angry’ in this sense, so I had trouble at first going into that headspace. Although it is part of my story, we created a powerful song out of it.”
“I wrote the lyrics for this song after the countless times someone has crossed my boundaries, made me uncomfortable, someone being too touchy etc. On the other hand you shouldn’t have to teach someone how to respect people and their space.”
-Sarah Michelle Lee (Vocalist)
If You Ask Me is more than just a song; it’s an experience that guides listeners to a place where chaos and order clash.
Multi-platinum pop-rock band X Ambassadors have announced they will embark on a headlining tour across North America this spring, stopping in Manhattan, plus a hometown show in Ithaca.
Photo by Graham Fielder
The group will make its rounds throughout Canada, and the US, with one stop in Mexico as well. Two New York shows are on the calendar as well – at State Theater of Ithaca and Irving Plaza in Manhattan. X Ambassadors, originally hailing from Ithaca, will return to their hometown for what is sure to be an incredible show on June 1.
X Ambassadors originated in Ithaca as a pop-rock band. The group has performed with acts like Imagine Dragons, Panic! at the Disco, and recently made works with artists from the likes of Rihanna, The Weeknd and SZA. The band has recently relocated from Ithaca to Brooklyn but remain loyal to the crowds of their hometown as they tour across the nation.
The band’s sound certainly has aspects of several different subgenres. They draw large influence from the indie-pop sound, with an acoustic-alternative mashup of sounds with overdrive chords and heavy drumbeats with backing acoustic chords. Their most popular song “Renegades” has over 340 million views on YouTube.
The tour kicks off April 5 in conjunction with the release of their latest album, Townie. Songs from the new album, as well as the band’s classics will be performed on the tour. The dates for the tour in the US will feature support from Rowan Drake and New West. In Canada, the band will see support from Noah Gundersen.
General on-sale begins on Friday, January 26 at 10:00am local time. Full details can be found at XAmbassadors.com.
X Ambassadors 2024 Tour Dates
April 5—Vancouver, BC—Vogue Theatre*
April 6—Kelowna, Canada—Big White Ski Resort
April 9—Calgary, AB—The Palace Theatre*
April 11—Edmonton, AB—Union Hall*
April 12—Saskatoon, SK—Coors Event Centre*
April 13—Winnipeg, MB—Burton Cummings Theatre*
April 16—London, ON—London Music Hall*
April 17—Montreal, QC—Mtelus*
April 18—Ottawa, ON—Bronson Centre*
April 19—Quebec City, QC—Impérial Bell*
April 23—Waterloo, ON—Maxwell’s Concerts and Events*
April 24—Toronto, ON—Danforth Music Hall*
May 4—San Diego, CA—The Observatory North Park+
May 5—Pioneertown, CA—Pappy & Harriet’s+
May 7—San Luis Obispo, CA—Fremont Theater+
May 8—San Francisco, CA—August Hall+
May 10—Portland, OR—The Hawthorne Theatre+
May 11—Seattle, WA—The Showbox+
May 13—Salt Lake City, UT—The Depot+
May 14—Denver, CO—The Ogden Theatre+
May 15—Colorado Springs, CO—Pikes Peak Center+
May 17—Omaha, NE—Slowdown+
May 18—Minneapolis, MN—Varsity Theater+
May 19—Des Moines, IA—Wooly’s+
May 21—Chicago, IL—House of Blues+
May 22—Grand Rapids, MI—Elevation+
May 24—Detroit MI—Saint Andrew’s Hall+
May 25—Milwaukee, WI—The Rave II+
May 26—Cleveland, OH—House of Blues+
May 28—Millvale, PA—Mr. Smalls Theatre+
May 29—Philadelphia, PA—Brooklyn Bowl+
May 31—New York, NY—Irving Plaza+
June 1—Ithaca, NY—State Theatre of Ithaca+
June 2—Boston, MA—Paradise Rock Club+
June 4—Washington, D.C.—9:30 Club+
June 5—Norfolk, VA—The Norva+
June 7—Charlotte, NC—The Underground+
June 8—Atlanta, GA—Buckhead Theatre+
June 9—Nashville, TN—The Basement East+
June 11—Dallas, TX—Granada Theater+
June 12—Austin, TX—Mohawk+
June 14—Phoenix, AZ—The Van Buren+
June 15—Los Angeles, CA—The Fonda Theatre+
June 22—Mexico City, Mexico—Foro Puebla
*with special guest Noah Gundersen +with special guests New West and Rowan Drake
GRAMMY award-winning rock band Dave Matthews Band has announced their 2024 US Summer headline tour. The band will stop in Saratoga Springs for a show at SPAC’s Broadview Stage. Along with this, the band plans to stop in Long Island at the Northwell Health sponsored Jones Beach Theater.
The tour is set to kick off on May 22 in Tampa, Florida, and make its way to NY around July 5. Dave Matthews Bandwill be introducing new sustainability measures as part of its “On The Road To Zero Waste” initiative. This will be introduced as a part of this summer’s tour.
Dave Matthews live at Madison Square Garden
An online ticket presale for members of the DMB Warehouse Fan Association is underway now at Dave Matthews Warehouse.
General on sale for tickets begins on February 16, at 10 am local time. For the complete itinerary, visit davematthewsband.com.
Dave Matthews 2024 US Summer Tour Dates
5/22 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
5/24 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
5/25 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
5/28 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place Amphitheater
5/29 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place Amphitheater
5/31 – The Woodlands, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
6/1 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion
6/12 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
6/14 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park
6/15 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater
6/21 – East Troy, WI – Alpine Valley Music Theatre
6/22 – East Troy, WI – Alpine Valley Music Theatre
6/25 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center
6/26 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
6/28 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
6/29 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
7/5 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Broadview Stage at SPAC
7/6 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Broadview Stage at SPAC
7/9 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
7/10 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
7/12 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
7/13 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
7/16 – Gilford, NH – BankNH Pavilion
7/17 – Gilford, NH – BankNH Pavilion
7/19 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
7/20 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
8/23 – Greenwood Village, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
8/24 – Greenwood Village, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
Four-time GRAMMY award winners and Rock & Roll Hall of Famers, The Doobie Brothers have announced a 2024 Tour this summer.
The rock legends will make their way to 38 cities across the nation, including two stops in New York. They will play Madison Square Garden on August 7, and Broadview Stage at SPAC in Saratoga Springs on August 13. The Doobie Brothers will be joined on the tour by special guests Robert Cray and Steve Winwood on various dates.
Both of these artists have extensive and impressive musical histories. Robert Cray and Steve Winwood, Rock and Roll legends, have created countless hits over the span of their career. The Doobie Brothers have had five top-10 singles, 16 top-40 hits, 3 multi-platinum albums, 7 platinum albums, 14 gold albums. The tour, featuring so many massive talents, will not be one to miss.
The Doobie Brothers: The 2024 Tour Dates
Saturday, June 15 Seattle, WA, White River Amphitheater
Sunday, June 16 Ridgefield, WA RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
Tuesday, June 18 Bend, OR Hayden Homes Amphitheater
Thursday, June 20 Wheatland, CA Toyota Amphitheatre
Saturday, June 22 Concord, CA. Concord Pavilion
Sunday, June 23 Los Angeles, CA The Kia Forum
Tuesday, June 25 San Diego, CA North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
Wednesday, June 26 Phoenix, AZ Footprint Center
Saturday, June 29 Dallas, TX Dos Equis Pavilion
Sunday, June 30 Houston, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Tuesday, July 2 Tulsa, OK BOK Center
Wednesday, July 3 Durant, OK Choctaw Casino and Resort
Saturday, July 6 Rogers, AR Walmart AMP
Monday, July 8 Jacksonville, FL Daily’s Place
Wednesday, July 10 West Palm Beach, FL iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
Thursday, July 11 Tampa, FL MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sunday, July 14 Knoxville, TN Thompson-Boling Arena
Tuesday, July 30 Charlotte, NC PNC Music Pavilion
Wednesday, July 31 Raleigh, NC Coastal Credit Union Music Park
Saturday, August 3 Camden, NJ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
Sunday, August 4 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live
Tuesday, August 6 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center
Wednesday, August 7 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
Friday, August 9, 2024 Bridgeport, CT Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater
Saturday, August 10 Gilford, NH BankNH Pavilion
Monday, August 12 Boston, MA Xfinity Center
Tuesday, August 13 Saratoga Springs, NY Broadview Stage at SPAC
Thursday, August 15 Detroit, MI Pine Knob Music Theatre
Saturday, August 17 Noblesville, IN Ruoff Music Center
Sunday, August 18 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center
Tuesday, August 20 Pittsburgh, PA The Pavilion at Star Lake
Thursday, August 22 Cleveland, OH Blossom Music Center
Saturday, August 24 St. Louis, MO Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Sunday, August 25 Tinley Park, IL Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
Tuesday, August 27 Omaha, NE CHI Health Center
Thursday, August 29 Denver, CO Ball Arena
Friday, August 30 Salt Lake City, UT USANA Amphitheater
The Doobie Brothers in 2021
General on sale begins Friday, January 26 at 10:00 AM local time, and a limited number of VIP Packages will also be available, including amazing seats, access to the pre-show soundcheck, preferred entrance and more. Citi is the official card of the Doobie Brothers 2024 Tour. Cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Tuesday, January 23 at 10am local time. For complete tour and ticket information visit LiveNation.com.
“All of them will encompass the idea of revolutionary joy,” Michael Farrow tells me when describing Farrow, and their vision of where their music’s been and where their music’s going. It shows and it shines of course, since Farrow has been a staple here in Western NY for the last several years, taking the music scene here by storm, opening for national acts like Portugal the Man.
For the last couple of years, Farrow has also been putting out a series of interconnected EPs, Agitate, Educate, and the third EP of that series, Organize. The latter of which has a release show at the Town Ballroom set for this Friday, the 26th. The release show will not only feature ever-rising acts such as, Sunday Reign and Grosh, but will also be a tribute to their supremely-talented drummer, Tim Webb, who recently passed away.
With fingers unsteady enough to deny me a career as a lead guitarist myself, and enough caffeine to send a bull elephant into a jolt of their own, I was excited, and honored to chat through a labyrinth of DMs with Farrow’s founding member, chief songwriter and vocal lead, Michael Farrow, also known by their stage name, MYQ F, and vocalist for the band, Danielle Johnson, whose also the founding member, and vocal lead of the new Buffalo outfit, Diyené.
Of course I started out trying to get an origin story out of Danielle whose vocals and lyrics on the stage are as a dynamic and standout as her personality off the stage. Her addition to Farrow’s sound is vital, and transcends more from the point of backup vocalist, and has only added to the intense, soulful stylings that comprise Farrow’s vocal thunderstorm.
JB: So before we get into existential deep cuts, I think it would be a good to see how the band brought you in Danielle, as you seem to be an integral member of the band. So how’d this come to be?
DJ: Okay, so maybe about 2 years ago I got a message on Facebook from Michael Farrow asking if i wanted to do background vocals for him in their band. I think at the time I knew that they had a band but I hadn’t heard the music or seen them live. All of my experience knowing Mike was directly in relation to seeing him at karaoke over the course of two or three years and sometimes seeing him in relation to Eve at poetry events. I came to a rehearsal on Andre Pilette’s porch and started just harmonizing to the best of my ability to the songs they were playing and that was kind of that. We start prepping me for the show they were about to do which was at The Tralf and from there I was the background vocalist. My role as background started with me being featured on maybe 5 or 6 songs but the more gigs I was doing the more inconvenient it was to go up and down and up and down off the stage so I started teaching myself other songs that we would perform often, so now after two years I am a co-lead which is great, but I am really just happy to be up there vibing and hanging out.
JB: Are there any personal faves you have? Any songs you particularly love performing live, maybe ones you love recording with the band?
DJ: For me, “Love Me For Me,” and “Steal My Joy” are big message songs that make me feel great. I really attached myself to “Love Me for Me” when I first joined the band.
JB: That’s great! “Love Me for Me,” is also a personal favorite of mine as well. Speaking of co-leads, I see you’re leading your own band now as well of your own, Diyené. Would love to know a little bit more about that project too.
Photo Credit: Curtis Kreutter
DJ: So Diyené is really interesting, I started writing a song called “Better” very shortly after calling off my engagement in May and I tossed it around to a lot of different musicians and didn’t really focus on it because I couldn’t think of how to finish it or make it sound the way I wanted it to because I don’t play very many instruments or any at all. In early December of 2022 I met Nick Myers in passing who was with me at Snow Jam and he offered to be my bassist and let me know that he was game to make original music and from that moment the ball was rolling. I found Nick in early December, our first meeting we wrote two songs. I already knew I wanted to work with Armani from when I met him at a rehearsal for David Jonathan and the Inner City Bedlam, together we nailed down “Better.” I met Mike Delano right before New Years and together we wrote two songs. And on January 11th I met with the tentative three members of my band just to see if we vibed and Armani brought Isaiah and we all got along so well.
JB: Interesting. Are there any comparisons you have between Diyené’s sound & Farrow’s?
DJ: I think in terms of creating music that lyrically says something strong I think there are similarities, and that even though Farrow’s genre differs, the music continually crosses genres, Diyené does that as well.
I then reached out to Michael, whose been an absolute stalwart to Buffalo’s music community, and spoke to him about Farrow’s sound, the journey of it all, how they are redefining their own influences in order to find their own place beyond the rustbelt, beyond the Niagara frontier, beyond the entire Western NY region.
JB: I must ask about your previous albums listening to it there is a such an interconnection to the lyrical themes bridging the personal and political? You speak about revolutionary joy, and the interconnectedness throughout your current discography. What do these ideals mean to you?
MF: For me, it’s all a feeling that everything seems to be an extension of each other. An example of that personal-to-political bridge “Run Away” is a break up song, but it’s really an expression of my relationship with this country. If any person treated me like this country had, you’d tell them to break up.
Photo Credit: John Raczynski Photography
JB: Love that song of course, and I can definitely see the political comparison there.
MF: “I know I’ve got a problem trying to figure you out,” which in that translation for I spend way too much time trying to figure out this place when I think I really need to run away. For the song writing process it means that I can’t just stop at the frustration, I have to find a place of interconnectedness which is the central aspect of joy. The thing is, joy isn’t just about happiness, but it’s about connection. Joy is in connection.Joy in nature is connection to nature. So I try and write with communication and connective love in mind. On a different, but still interconnected note, but I have a feeling much of this comes from your own experiences of course, and the tragedies befallen in the Black community, especially in the past few years, but were there also any artists that come to mind as well? I have read many revolutionary texts and examined various revolutionary lives like Huey P. Newton, Paul Robeson, and James Baldwin. Because the topic of systemic social change is heavy and important, there tends to be the overwhelming sense of reverence sadness and anger, rarely joy peace and laughter. Emma Goldman said “I did not believe that a cause which stood for a beautiful ideal, for anarchism, for release and freedom from conventions and prejudice, should demand the denial of life and joy.“ I wanted to have a collection of joyful music that still spoke to the revolutionary spirit. Something I can listen to while I’m going about my day, not intrusive, but a comfort.
JB: Beautiful words spoken by such remarkable voices, especially Emma Goldman, who has her own infamous history here in Buffalo. When looking at the spheres of influence, are there any particular songwriters, or bands, local/national/international that you would say your inspiration draws from? I know this is sort of trite, and overdone question, but I think it’s still an important one in maybe adding to the already powerful context in your music.
MF: So usually when I talk about inspiration I talk about Buffalo native Ani DiFranco, but specifically within the Black community you’re asking a very nuanced and therefore gonna get a “get me in trouble” kind of answer. To begin with, I don’t believe that there is a single monolithic Black community in any given city. The intersectionality of the various identities that we all carry can result in contradictions within our communities, which is why I draw inspiration from a multitude of sources. When it comes to the response of the church-going Black community in the face of tragedy, there is no universal approach. Some may say that “God has a plan,” while others express frustration and lamentation, as seen in the psalms of the Bible. I was surprised to hear a lot of WE PRAISE YOU LORD music at the interfaith service I attended after the 5/14 tragedy. What inspires me the most is the idea of being honest and upfront with God, the community, and authority about how we’ve been wronged. The Bible has plenty of examples of this, and I believe it’s crucial to acknowledge and express our frustrations and sorrow. One important observation I’ve made is that we don’t seem to have a collective secular mourning ritual within the diverse Black American experience. Instead of mourning, many of us tend to distract ourselves with partying and other activities. If we were to truly let our tears flow, the river of injustice would be unceasing, and we would all drown. So, I strive to create a space for mourning and reflection in my work, even if it’s not always comfortable or easy.
JB: That is definitely a concept worth living up to. Saying that, there’s another concept we’ve spoken about in previous conversations on the genre you and the rest of the band classify themselves as, and I’ve been really fascinated by it as of late: neo-classic rock. Could you elaborate on that for me?
MF: Neo-classic rock is something that’s close to my heart because it’s something we’ve kind of been making up. We realize whenever we were asked about what type of music we played the answer was rock, but for us it was from the 60s and 70s and early 80s and the sound we’re making sort of envelopes all of these groups that sound like music from the past but also brought into the present. When I speak of our influence, when I think of the things that revolutionize and shape our sound I think of the revolutionary rockers of the 60s and 70s, such as Creedence Clearwater Revival, also blends of black and white groups like Sly & The Family Stone, The Band, etc… A lot of those bands that were singing about things that were a little more revolutionary, a little more political. There’s also the Black influence of rock there too from church and Gospel music which have always played a role in rock music uniting both the secular and religious in music like soul. But were not making soul music were making music that utilizes the sounds of soul. So inventing a genre is beautiful, because of its roots, really the music is a giant family tree where they’re all connected in very strange ways and double back and realign to each other. With neo-classic rock, the sound is really about finding the essence of the old rock music in a new generation of thought. When old rock music using that example with metal.
As Friday approaches, and the release date of Farrow’s third EP draws closer and closer, it seems even more important that the concepts Farrow brings to their music, make their way through the smokescreen of struggle and megaphone the ideals of what it means to turn music into a form of protest, whether that is through addressing a landscape of sound, or one of political unrest. From redefining concepts such as joy, or redefining genre, or scribing lyrics that unapologetically challenge the status quo, Farrow embodies the heartbeat of a generation looking for change. There’s the hard-hitting percussions of Michel Ruopoli and the late great Tim Webb. There’s Corey Clancy’s acid-tongued guitar licks, Andre Pilette’s funkified basslines. There’s the diverse flurry of piano rolls and keyboard strokes from Rufus “Breezy” Cole Jr. There’s, of course, Danielle Johnson, and Michael Farrow, whose vocals are powerful enough to make the angels themselves jealous.
Although with Tim’s recent passing, the release party that is set will be run on more somber terms, the connection Mike speaks of, the comradery Danielle speaks of, the way joy is not just a celebration, but a connection to community. A connection that no amount of death can derail, and no amount of life can overwhelm. Farrow offers in their music something much deeper than hope: truth, which in such essence is a gospel all its own.
