NYS Music 2024

Category: News

  • West Village Performance Space The Kitchen Announces Winter/Spring 2025 Season

    The Kitchen, a performance space located in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan, has announced two new projects for the upcoming 2025 season.

    Lisa Alvarado and Gordon Hall will bring their performance installations to the space, while The Kitchen’s first traveling exhibition continues to distribute the organization’s work outside of New York and expand its approach to being “without walls.”

    The Kitchen

    The Kitchen‘s 2025 season will be transformed by these two monumental installation works that become new platforms and frameworks for explorative performance, while simultaneously continue to work within new modes of distribution in its first-ever traveling exhibition. 

    The latter represents a momentous step forward in the organization’s “Without Walls” programming, which harnesses the potentials of locational and institutional porousness and has presented work in dynamic sites ranging from a gas station and a park to radio and web broadcasts, often in bold cross-institutional collaborations.

    The Kitchen Winter/Spring 2025 Season Schedule

    Lisa Alvarado: Shape of Artifact Time 

    The Kitchen at Westbeth | Feb. 27–Apr. 12, 2025 | Wednesday–Saturday, 12–6pm,
    Performances: Feb. 28 and Mar. 1, 2025, 5pm
    Opening Reception: Feb. 28, 2025, immediately following the performance 
    Tickets: $10-30 sliding scale

    Lisa Alvarado’s interdisciplinary practice is rooted in cultural tradition and social history. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas and based in Chicago, Alvarado works as a visual artist and musician with the ensemble Natural Information Society. Alvarado is inspired by the “timing and processes of slow transformation within the ground — transforming minerals, elements, and landscapes.” She calls this pace geologic time and understands these changes as “a metaphor for our internal shifts, such as in how we carry memory, loss, and inherited struggle.” 

    Code Switch: Distributing Blackness, Reprogramming Internet Art at MOCAD

    Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit | May 2–Aug. 10, 2025 | Wednesday–Sunday, 11am–5pm (Thursdays and Fridays 11am–8pm)

    The first of its kind internationally, Code Switch: Distributing Blackness, Reprogramming Internet Art is a multi-sited exhibition exploring and redefining the history of “Black data,” centering and celebrating contributions by artists of African descent to the rapidly advancing field of new media art and digital practice. Drawing its title from André L. Brock’s groundbreaking text Distributed Blackness: African American Cybercultures (2020), the exhibition explores the relationship between Black cultural production and the legacy of computation as a mode of machinic engagement and creative inspiration. This exhibition will take on two components—the first part, a historic archival timeline as presented by The Kitchen in collaboration with The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Fall 2024 (October 15–December 19, 2024); the second part, a contemporary group show, to take place Spring 2025 (April 25–September 7, 2025) in partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD). 

    Gordon Hall: Hands and Knees

    The Kitchen at Westbeth | May 1–31, 2025 | Wednesday–Saturday, 12–6pm

    Opening Reception: Saturday, May 10, 2025, 4–6pm

    Performances: May 9, 10, 17, 24, and 31

    Tickets: Free

    For this newly commissioned body of work, Gordon Hall continues their practice in sculpture and performance with an installation of functional furniture-like sculptures that support reclining bodies in unexpected ways. Animated by a transgender politics that question the norms that govern embodied life, Hands and Knees extends Hall’s investigation into the politics of vulnerability and corporeal support. Performers demonstrate possible uses of the sculptures in weekly performances that emerge from Hall’s inquiry into the paradoxical interplay of vulnerability and liberation in moments of waiting.

  • Shemekia Copeland Announces Albany Performance

    Vocalist Shemekia Copeland will celebrate the release of her Grammy-nominated album, Blame It On Eve, with a live performance at The Egg in Albany on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. 

    Shemekia Copeland

    Shemekia Copeland’s latest album, Blame It On Eve, received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album. The title track, written by John Hahn and Will Kimbrough, received nominations for Best American Roots Performance and Best American Roots Song. These three nominations now bring her total to eight.  Upon release, Blame It On Eve debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart.

    Born in Harlem in 1979, Shemekia Copeland released her debut album “Turn The Heat Up” in 1998 when she was only 18. The New York Times and CNN, among many others, praised her talent, larger-than-life personality, dynamic, authoritative voice, and true star power. Copeland’s music has continued to evolve over the years along with her notoriety and skill.

    Blame It On Eve was recorded in Nashville with producer Will Kimbrough, who also produced her previous three albums and doubles as an instrumentalist and songwriter. Each of the 12 songs has substance and contains jaw-dropping performances from Copeland and the band.

    “There’s serious business on the new album,” Copeland says. “But there are a lot of smiles here too, a lot of joyous moments. It’s my blues for sure but it’s the brighter side. Issues are always important to me, but so is rocking, dancing and just having fun. And that’s something we all can all agree on.”

    Tickets are on sale now. Learn more and purchase tickets here.

  • The Felice Brothers To Rock from Brooklyn to Kingston to Close Out the Year

    After a hugely successful European tour, 2024 will be culminating with five highly anticipated shows for The Felice Brothers.

    The band’s end of the year run of shows kicks off Friday, December 27 in Williamsburg at Brooklyn Bowl, followed by a show at Brooklyn Bowl in Philadelphia. December 29 finds the group in Rockville Centre at Centre Station, and round the year out with two hometown shows for this incredible Americana band at brand new venue Assembly Kingston.

    The felice brothers kingston

    The Felice Brothers call the Catskill Mountains home, yet much of their success to their early days busking and playing in around New York City. Playing unplugged wherever they could the band found their distinct sound and style, penning such songs as “Frankie’s Gun” from their self titled album and covering “This Land Is your Land” like Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan, whom Ian Felice’s songwriting has been compared with.

    With three new brilliant records the past three years and an entire catalogue from the past 20 years, The Felice Brothers have been leaving audiences in awe with their foot stomping sing alongs, to tender ballads and everything in between.

    The felice brothers kingston

    Through 18 official releases and gosh knows how many secret recordings (check out their black limo recording), The Felice Brothers have stuck to their roots, while experimenting (“Celebration, Florida”), finding new form and maturing as musicians all while capturing the heart of American life, strife, beauty, grit, struggle and the knowledge that each soul has their own unique story. From the rowdiness of their live record Tonight at the Arizona (which was also re-issued ten years later as part of a special record store day recording) to the more produced Yonder is the Clock during their first decade as a band is amazing to go back through as a listener.

    This writer was lucky enough to attend the 2019 and 2023 NYE concerts at Colony Woodstock and the band brought in many special guests, playing on songs old and new, amazing covers and so ,many special moments that left all smiling from ear to ear right into the New Year. The Felice Brothers are sure to bring out many more such more moments in celebration of their 20 year Anniversary as America’s top Americana band and the critically acclaimed songwriting that stands the test of time as well as the appreciation of their peers.

    The band shared their thoughts on the upcoming shows: “Friends and loved ones, we are doing it again! Holiday shows! Some old favorites and a NEW never before rocked venue in Kingston. Now you know what you’re doing to close out 2024.”

    The Felice Brothers have had a few lineup shakeups as their brother Simone moved along very nicely with a solo career, and the band found a new stride in 2014 with the release of Favorite Waitress. The new lineup also but out an incredible record Undress in 2019 and in the past few years has put out From Dreams To Dust (2021), Asylum On The Hill (2023), and Valley of Abandoned Songs (2024) which they have just finished a European tour supporting. Each record is a set of new treasures, and both Ian and James Felice have truly found their voices and are complemented so well by the backline and backing vocals of Jesske Humme (bass), Will Lawrence (drums).

    Located in Kingston’s vibrant Uptown/Stockade District, Assembly Kingston is poised to become avcornerstone of the region’s burgeoning arts and culture scene. These New Year’s Eve performances will be a special homecoming for the band, who will take the stage to ring in 2025 with their signature blend of folk, rock, and heartfelt storytelling.

    The Felice Brothers’ return home this December will surely lead to an unforgettable New Year’s Eve celebration. The beloved Americana band will perform two back-to-back shows on December
    30 and 31, marking the highly anticipated inaugural event at the brand-new venue, Assembly Kingston.

    Tickets are available now for the entire tour, and are selling quickly. There is a low ticket alert for both Assembly Kingston shows. You can find them here.

  • Irish Arts Center Announces Spring 2025 Season

    New York City-based Irish Arts Center has announced their Spring 2025 season featuring bold and inventive new programming.

    The Irish Arts Center is renowned for its dynamic, inspiring, and collaborative experiences that showcase the evolving arts and culture of Ireland and Irish America in its environment of warm Irish hospitality.

    Founded in 1972 in Hell’s Kitchen, this year’s Spring 2025 season will be hosted in the Irish Arts Center’s recently opened state of the art facility as the organization platforms the newest works and artists of the future.

    Highlights for the season begin on February 12-16 with John Scott Dance and Mel Mercier’s Begin Anywhere. A response to the inspirations and methodologies of the iconic choreographer Merce Cunningham and composer John Cage, Scott and Mercier will debut a new piece inspired by their shared histories with Cunningham and Cage’s works. 

    This world premiere will feature a preceding performance of Four Solos by Merce Cunningham presented in a continuous dance event with music by John King.

    February 28-28 will host the GRAMMY-winning pianist, composer, and bandleader Arturo O’Farrill alongside the talents of the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra in an exploration of the intersection between Irish folk and Afro Latin music.

    Brothers Brían and Diarmuid Mac have expanded the lineup of Ye Vagabonds to feature Alain McFadden (concertina) and Caimin Gilmore (harmonium) for their first North American performance since the band’s sold-out debut at the Irish Arts Center on March 11 and 12.

    April 30-June 1 will feature the five-week North American premiere of Colin Murphy’s The United States vs Ulysses directed by Conall Morisson. 

    A funhouse vision of 1930s radio performers re-enacting the courtroom battle for the future of James Joyce’s Ulysses against U.S. censorship, this production captures the very same world-changing potential IAC has sought to emphasize throughout its entire existence as an organization.

    Arriving to the States with its original cast, The United States V. Ulysses celebrates the power of an idea on a page as it examines the forces that benefit from holding culture in stasis instead of allowing evolution of thought in the public eye. 

    In celebration of the famed Irish producer, composer, and performer Bill Whelan’s 75th birthday, the IAC will hit a two-day musical jubilee featuring fellow artists and special guests on June 26 and 27.

    Throughout the season, Dublin-based artist Paul Hughes’ paintings will be displayed in the I am here & I am unwaiting exhibition from February 1-June 21, filling the walls of the IAC with vibrant abstract landscapes. An artist talk will also be hosted on March 6.

    For further information on the IAC and their full calendar of events for the upcoming Spring 2025 season, be sure to visit their official website here.

  • Radio City Music Hall Unveils New Sensory Room

    Radio City Music Hall has unveiled their newest addition to the iconic venue, a completely renovated sensory room.

    Radio City Sensory Room

    Engaging with the vibrancy and volume of theater may be exciting, but it can also be exceedingly overwhelming- especially for those with particular sensory needs. A passion for attending live performance may be hindered or completely prevented by uncontrollable and overwhelming experiences- which is exactly what Radio City and donors Christopher and Veronica Jackson seek to remediate.

    A GRAMMY and Emmy-award winning songwriter, composer, and actor, Christopher and his wife Veronica understand just how overwhelming such experiences can be, as their son CJ is one of many individuals to be diagnosed with autism. Since the diagnosis in 2007, the couple have become staunch supporters of KultureCity, the world’s leading nonprofit on the acceptance and accommodation of invisible disabilities and sensory needs.

    “This sensory room reflects our shared dedication to creating an inclusive environment for everyone – ensuring that the magic of Radio City is accessible to all. Our son CJ has been an inspiration to so many and we are honored for him to represent our family at Radio City Music Hall!”

    – Chris and Veronica Jackson

    Donated and created in honor of CJ, the Radio City Music Hall’s completely renovated sensory room features adjustable lighting, comfortable seating, calming visuals including a piece created inspired by Radio City’s architecture by an artist with autism, and a wide range of sensory tools such as bubble walls, Yogibo bean bags, and a vast range of tactile objects.

    Designed to be fully accessible for folks of all abilities and ages including wheelchair users, the Chris and Veronica Jackson Sensory Room joins several other sensory rooms under the MSG Family of Companies in partnership with KultureCity.

    Radio City Sensory Room

    Thus far, Radio City, Madison Square Garden, and Sphere feature sensory rooms, have been certified by KultureCity, and feature guest-facing staff that have all completed KultureCity training. 

    This renovation marks a major step towards a universally enjoyable live performance experience, not just within Radio City’s walls but across the entertainment industry in New York City and beyond.

    For more information on Radio City Music Hall’s full range of accessibility resources and services, visit their official website here.

  • Coachella 2025 Lineup to Feature 11 artists from New York; Lady Gaga and Post Malone to headline

    At the 2025 Coachella Music and Arts Festival, 11 recording artists from New York State are set to perform. This includes headliners Lady Gaga and Post Malone, of Manhattan and Syracuse respectively. The festival is scheduled for Friday-Sunday, April 11-13, and April 18-20, and will feature the same acts across both weekends. Last year, five artists from New York performed at Coachella, including headliner Lana Del Rey. Significantly, Coachella 2025 will feature recording artists from New York across all three festival days.

    Coachella 2025 Headliners

    Manhattan-born Lady Gaga will headline Coachella 2025 on the first night of the festival, on Friday, April 11 and 18. Gaga first rose to prominence in 2008, with the release of her debut album The Fame. The album spawned several of Gaga’s hit singles including “Just Dance”, “Poker Face” and “Paparazzi.” Significantly, the 2025 festival will mark the second time Gaga has performed at Coachella and her second time headlining. Gaga first appeared at the 2017 festival, replacing Beyonce as a headliner.

    Lady Gaga performs at the 2017 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Credit: Getty Images.

    Rock Band Green Day of California will headline Coachella 2025 on Saturday, April 12 and 19. It will be the band’s first time headlining as well as their first performing at Coachella. Green Day has released over 14 studio albums, most recently Saviors (2024.)

    Green Day lead singer Billy Joe Armstrong. Credit: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

    Singer Post Malone of Syracuse will headline Coachella 2025 on Sunday, April 13 and 20. Malone released his debut album, Stoney, in 2016, which spawned his hit, diamond-certified single “Congratulations.” He has since released a total of six albums, most recently F-1 Trillion (2024) which sees him expanding his music to the country genre. Malone has performed at the festival twice: in 2018, he was on the official lineup and closed out the Sahara tent, bringing out Ty Dolla $ign and 21 Savage, and in 2023, he made a surprise appearance during Bad Bunny’s Set. The 2025 festival will be Malone’s first appearance at Coachella as a headliner.

    Syracuse native Post Malone performs at the 2018 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Credit: Billboard.

    Coachella 2025: Friday, April 11 and 18

    Guyanese-American rapper and singer Saint Jhn of Brooklyn will perform at Coachella 2025 for the opening nights of both weekends on Friday, April 11 and 18, which will be his first appearance at the festival. Throughout his childhood, Saint Jhn split his time living in Guyana and the East New York Neighborhood of Brooklyn. He released his debut album, Collection One (2018), and has since released a total of three albums, most recently 2020’s While the World Was Burning.

    Guyanese-American rapper and singer Saint Jhn. Credit: IMDB.

    American DJ, producer, and songwriter Austin Millz of Harlem will perform on the first night of Coachella 2025 for both weekends on Friday, April 11 and 18. The 2025 festival will be his first performance at Coachella. Career highlights of Millz include DJ-ing Beyonce’s Homecoming Coachella performance in 2018, and he made his debut for Boiler Room NYC in 2023.

    American DJ, producer, and songwriter Austin Millz. Credit: Insomniac.

    Brooklyn-born DJ and producer Moon Boots is set to perform at Coachella 2025 on Friday, April 11 and 13. Born in Prospect Heights and raised in the suburbs of Connecticut, he attended Princeton University where originally studied electrical engineering before switching to music. After graduating, he moved to Chicago, and his since released several independent albums.

    DJ and producer Moon Boots. Credit: Insomniac.

    Coachella 2025: Saturday, April 12 and 19

    Alternative rock band Blonde Redhead is scheduled to perform at the 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Saturday, April 12 and 19. The band is composed of Kazu Makino (vocals, keyboards, rhythm guitar) and identical twin brothers Simone (drums, keyboards) and Amedeo Pace (lead guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals) and was formed in 1993 in New York City. The 2025 festival will be Blonde Redhead’s second performance at Coachella, after 2007.

    The three members of Blonde Redhead, from left to right: Kazu Makino (vocals, keyboards, rhythm guitar), and identical twin brothers Simone (drums, keyboards) and Amedeo Pace (lead guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals.) Credit: Office Magazine.

    Indo Warehouse is a New York City-based record label and event series formed in 2022 by Kahani and Kunal Merchant. The 2025 festival will be the record label’s first appearance at Coachella on Saturday, April 12 and 19. Indo Warehouse was formed to bring South Asian culture and influences to the forefront of dance music, and the 2023 short documentary Renaissance in the Realm: Indo Warehouse explores the label’s origins and future.

    Founders of Indo Warehouse Kunal and Kahani Merchant. Credit: Insomniac.

    New York City musician Layton Giordani will mark his debut performance at Coachella on Saturday, April 12 and 19. Giordani is a mostly dance/electronic artist who debuted on the music scene in 2017 with his debut LP on Drumcode, Where it Begins. His hard work and dedication have gotten Giordani a performance at Coachella, which may be a turning point in his career.

    Musician Layton Giordani. Credit: Insomniac.

    Sunday, April 13 and 20

    American-Ghanaian singer and songwriter Amaarae of The Bronx will mark her Coachella debut on Sunday, April 13 and 20. Known for her fusion of pop, R&B, afro beats, and alté, Amaarae released her debut EP, Passionfruit Summers, in 2017, and her debut album, The Angel You Don’t Know to critical acclaim in 2020. Her second and most recent album, Fountain Baby, was released in 2023.

    American-Ghanaian singer and songwriter Amaarae. Credit: Lauren Dunn.

    NYC-based electronic band Fckers will make their debut Coachella appearance on Sunday, April 13 and 20. The band was originally formed in 2022 by musicians Shannon Wise (vocals) Jayson Walker Lewis (bass, keyboards, production), and Ben Scharf (drums.) Lewis and Scharf were originally in the band Spud Cannon for five years, and Wise was a frontwoman for the band The Shacks, before leaving their respective groups to form Fckers together, and ultimately released their debut EP, Baggy$$, in September.

    The members of Fckers, from top to bottom: Ben Scharf, Shannon Wise, and Jason Walker Lewis. Credit: Georgia Mitropoulos.

    West African-born DJ AMÉMÉ will perform at Coachella 2025 on Sunday, April 13 and 20. The DJ, who splits his time between Brooklyn and Berlin, made his first Coachella appearance in 2022, opening the Sunday festival both weekends inside the Yuma Tent. AMÉMÉ moved to NYC to fulfill his dream of becoming a DJ, and eventually connected New York’s highly influential House Of Yes, and now runs One Tribe, a multifaceted platform that includes an events wing and a fashion label, in addition to his career as a DJ.

    West African-born DJ AMÉMÉ. Credit: Insomniac.

    Tickets for Coachella 2025 are selling quickly. Separate tickets must be purchased for both weekends. The festival is open to all ages and kids aged five and under are granted free admission.

  • Bronx Music Heritage Center Presents Annual Melrose Parranda

    The Bronx Music Heritage Center has announced their 10th annual Melrose Parranda, a musical Puerto Rican holiday procession, for December 21.

    Developed as a performance venue and community cultural center, the Bronx Music Hall is dedicated to cultivating and showcasing the vibrant music, dance, theater, and interdisciplinary arts of the borough.

    With a 250-person performance theater, grand lobby and exhibit hall, rehearsal rooms and classrooms, and an outdoor amphitheater and plaza, the space of the Bronx Music Hall is as versatile as the creatives it hosts.

    In addition to creations of the modern day, the BMH acts as the permanent home for the Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco)’s Bronx Music Heritage Center, which preserves and promotes the history of the artists of the Bronx while simultaneously cultivating the creatives of today.

    Among the Center’s vast collection of events is their time honored Melrose Parranda. Rooted in the Puerto Rican caroling tradition, folks participating in the festivities can expect to join the parade led by members of the Bronx music and cultural community including Jorge Vásquez, Matthew Gonzales, and Bobby Sanabria.

    Each stop along the parranda will feature a different casita reminiscent of the homes on the countryside of Puerto Rico, winding through the Melrose Commons and community gardens before concluding at “La Casita de Chema,” or Rincón Criollo Centro Cultural, a casita renowned for its musical legacy.

    Now in its tenth year of tradition, the parranda will feature a set of new businesses incorporated within the route in addition to its routine program booklet with information on the traditions and lyrics on some of the songs to be sung during the night of festivities.

    The tenth annual Melrose Holiday Parranda will be hosted on Saturday, December 21. This event is completely free and open to the public. To RSVP and learn more, check out the event’s page here.

    To learn more about the Bronx Music Heritage Center, the Bronx Music Hall, and their calendar of events, be sure to visit the space’s official website here.

  • Artists FlowPoetry and Noah Lehrman to Release “Flames & Flowers & Steam” Live Album from NYC Tour

    Spoken word artist FlowPoetry and multi-instrumentalist Noah Lehrman have announced the release of their live album slated to release Dec 17.

    FlowPoetry (aka Adam Pergament) is a neo/beat spoken word artist who hails from Madison, Wisconsin. Noah Lehrman is a NYC-native world/fusion drummer and multi-instrumentalist. The two artists were recently on tour in the Northeast when an opportunity arose at Rockwood Music Hall in NYC.

    Upon finishing their July 31 gig, the duo met up with pianist Shoheen Owhady for their second show of the day, a breakout midnight jazz set as a trio. The three talents felt a connection with Adam’s languid words and Noah and Shoheen’s stunning improvisation on “Tonight”, “DripStuck”, and “Get Up Off the Floor”, along with sparkling reimaginations of FlowPoetry classics “Holy Man”, “Garden”, and “Braincells”, topped by a literally show stopping version of “Rachet”- for an audience crawling with electricity.

    Flames & Flowers & Steam is the resultant live album of that late set at Rockwood. The album’s first two singles “Tonight”, an opening incantation that distills the evening’s magic down to its lyrical and experimental essence, and “Drip Stuck”, a romantic meditation on love and loss, are no available on Apple Music, Amazon Music, iTunes, Pandora, Spotify, and all streaming services and digital platforms.

    FlowPoetry and Noah Lehrman’s Flames & Flowers & Steam boasts 11 tracks. Each track more unique and exciting than the last. With sensational wordplay, fantastic musical dynamics, and overall, an intoxicating bunch of melodies, this live album is sure to impress the listener as it did the audience in attendance.

    That show marked the end of a Midwest-East Coast tour that spanned 3,000 miles, 11 cities, 8 states, 6 guests and 2 time zones, and saw the debut of music and improvisations touching on styles spanning jazz to jambands and edm to cosmic cowboy tunes.

    FlowPoetry/Adam is the originator of the lyrical jam poetry form, with over 1800 live US performances under his belt. As a drummer/percussionist, Noah has performed with members of moe., Phil & Friends, RatDog, and more, and he appears internationally as a singer-songwriter. Together they bring a lyrical sense and melodic beats to their song-structures, improvisational explorations, and psychedelic imagery.

    For more information on FlowPoetry and Noah Lehrman’s upcoming live album Flames & Flowers & Steam, click here.

  • Over 600 Artists Sign Letter Urging Labels To Drop Lawsuit Against Internet Archive

    Organized by the artist-led organization Fight for the Future, over 600 artists have signed a letter demanding major labels to drop a lawsuit that threatens the existence of the Internet Archive.

    Considered the Library of Alexandria of the digital age, the Internet Archive non-profit is one of the only dedicated spaces for digital preservation with the renown, care, and attention it has retained. With a large majority of its material being out of print or obsolete in the modern day, the Archive is a precious resource for artists, fans, and historians alike.

    Are you a fan of a band that existed prior to the ritual of posting on social media after a concert? Check the Internet Archive, as they may be featured among the website’s hundreds of thousands of concert recordings. Curious about obscure VHS tapes or radio shows of the past? The Archive has you covered. 

    Looking for a track only available on the 78 rpm records that predated the vinyl record in the 1890s? The Internet Archive’s community-driven Great 78 Project that seeks to digitize the rare materials is a treasure trove for the niche fanatic or merely curious individual.

    If this sounds like an awe-inspiring, nearly endless resource built upon the passion of preservation, that’s because the Internet Archive is exactly that- however, to major record labels, such a space seemed to pose a major threat.

    Filed in August of 2023, Universal Music Group and Sony Music filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against the Great 78 project, describing it as an “illegal record store” that performed “wholesale theft of generations of music” under the guise of preservation and research- which the labels claim is all but a “smokescreen.”

    This lawsuit would cost the Internet Archive a total of $621 million in so-called damages for the supposed loss of streams grossed as a result of such a project. However, as critics of the labels have pointed out, these 78 records would only cost a total of $41,000 in their entirety based upon their streams thus far. 

    Such a lawsuit could spell the end for the Archive in its entirety, not just the Great 78 project- including its universally applicable WayBack Machine.

    Defendant and expert audio preservationist George Blood who was recruited for the Great 78 Project argues exactly what countless fans and archivists have stated prior- a vast majority of the material being converted would have become media lost to time if not for the care and attention given by the folks behind Internet Archive, who in turn are maintaining not only the sounds of the past but the past itself.

    The response from the music community has been a resounding echo of this sentiment, as in the efforts of the artist-led Fight For The Future which has been fighting legal battles for the online musician and user since 2011. In an open letter to Sony, Universal, and other major music labels, Fight For The Future and over 600 artists at the time of writing have demanded the lawsuit be dropped.

    Above all, the letter states that musicians “don’t believe that the Internet Archive should be destroyed in [their] name.” The three main demands made are for the labels to 1. Protect our diverse music legacy, 2. Invest in living, working musicians- not back catalogs or monopolies, and 3. to make streaming services pay fair compensation. 

    Fight For the Future and all of the artists featured share one main argument- in a time where musicians are struggling to get by, why on earth should labels sink so much time, effort, and money destroying a public good?

    “The music industry is not struggling anymore. Only musicians are. We demand a course-correction now, focused on the legacies and futures of working musicians.”

    Thus far, notable names featured in the letter’s signatures include the lead singer of Riot Grrrl group Bikini Kill Kathleen Hanna, founder of Death By Audio and member of A Place To Bury Strangers Oliver Ackermann, Billie Marten, AJJ, and an ever-expanding countless more.

    Want to take action yourself and make your voice heard on the matter? If you’re an artist, you have until Wednesday, December 18 at 12:00 PM EST to add your name to the list of signatures here.

    In addition to signing, some musicians are planning to upload music files or live sets of their own to the Archive in solidarity. If you have a recording you’d like to contribute to the cause while simultaneously expanding a public resource for good, visit the Internet Archive’s uploading guidelines.

    Are you a music fan or simply a user of the Internet Archive that wants to make a difference? You can sign in solidarity with musicians, archivists, and the average online consumer alike here.

    To keep up to date on Fight For the Future’s fight against this major lawsuit and all of their other initiatives, as well as to preserve the Internet Archive for generations to come, be sure to visit their official website.

  • The Apollo Announces Their 2025 Winter & Spring Season

    The Apollo Theater in Harlem has announced the 2025 winter and spring season with a stunning array of performances, exhibitions, and educational programs in performance spaces new and old. 

    the apollo theater 2025 season

    The historic Apollo Theater has been providing the community of Harlem and beyond with quality entertainment and education since it opened its doors in 1914.

    Having played a major role in the exponential growth of quintessential American genres such as jazz, swing, R&B, gospel, blues, soul, and the list goes on- the impact felt by the Apollo within New York and across the world cannot be stated enough.

    Beginning as a platform for emerging jazz and tap acts which would feature the likes of soon-to-be icons such as Ella Fitzgerald, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday, The Apollo has since evolved into not only a musical performance space but a nonprofit presenting theatrical and dance programs, film screenings, educational programs, and community outreach.

    Returning with their 2025 winter and spring season, The Apollo has announced an extensive lineup of performances and events that explore legacy and lineage while celebrating the impact of Black artists with time-honored works alongside bold and cutting-edge new productions.

    the apollo theater 2025 season

    With three dates spanning January 9 to the 11, the Apollo will be hosting a multi-media performance of Loss in Under the Radar: Loss. Originally produced by The Theatre Centre, Loss explores themes of grief within Afro-Caribbean communities in an immersive experience towards healing as audiences follow the intergenerational family narrative retold live on stage.

    the apollo theater 2025 season

    Organized in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Black women-led theatrical dance company and social activism ensemble, Lineage Legacy and Liberation: An Examination of Urban Bush Women’s Art-Making and Community Organizing Praxis will open as a multi-media gallery on January 13 and remain open to the public through March 12.

    In addition to its expansive display of rare photographs, performance footage, audio clips and more, the exhibition will feature a series of pop-up performances on select dates throughout its installation period.

    the apollo theater 2025 season

    A showing of Claudine directed by John Berry and starring Diahann Carroll will be held on January 17. Oscar-nominated, the romantic comedy balances warm humor with its serious approach to a variety of issues ranging from cyclical poverty to the indignities of the welfare system. An emphatic piece on both Black working-class strife and Black joy, Claudine is presented in collaboration with the Harlem Festival of Culture Foundation.

    the apollo theater 2025 season

    Returning once more is Apollo’s partnership with WNYC and the March on Washington Film Festival on January 19 as scholars, community leaders, and activists will engage with the audience of Harlem and beyond in conversation about the lasting legacy and teachings of Martin Luther King Jr.

    Presented on the first Thursday of each month from February through May is the Apollo Comedy Club. Made in partnership with the producer of Def Comedy Jam and creator of Laff Mobb on Aspire Bob Sumner with Freddie Ricks as host, the Apollo presents the best of comedy’s emerging acts on their Stages at the Victoria.

    The Apollo Music Café series returns for the first Friday and Saturday of each month from February through May, featuring diverse performances spanning the sonic pallets of R&B, hip-hop, soul, jazz, funk, rock, and more. The Music Café seeks to showcase artists of the independent music scene who have made/are making an impact on the way music as an art form is consumed and experienced.

    On February 22, composer, pianist, and vocalist Samora Abayomi Pinderhughes will perform The James Baldwin Essays: As Much Truth As One Can Bear in celebration of Baldwin’s legacy. Commissioned by Harlem Stage in 2015, the piece is one of Pinderhughes’ many performances that utilizes music to examine socio-political issues.

    Each Wednesday from February 19 to June 25 will host the time-honored Amateur Night, America’s longest running talent show. Having been revered by artists as a once-in-a-lifetime experience uplifting emerging talent, names such as Ella Fitzgerald, Luther Vandross, Lauryn Hill, H.E.R and more have graced Amateur Night’s stage where the audience has the power to shape a career. 

    The Grand Finale winner will receive $20,000 alongside the “Child Star of Tomorrow” who will win $5,000. 

    While the 2025 lineup is already full of rising stars, live auditions for the 2026 season will be held on March 22 at The Apollo’s Historic Theater.

    Guardian Spirit will present the poems, prose, and essays of bell hooks set to the musical works of Martha Redbone on March 29. Highlighting and celebrating bell hooks’ work and influence on the modern artist and individual, Redbone will set her stories within the world of music and storytelling.

    Highlighting the intricate dynamics of generations of Black female strength and resilience is Jeffrey Manor from April 7 through the 12. Set in the south side of Chicago, Jeffrey Manor explores themes of generational dysfunction and mental health struggles born of a lifetime of trauma through the secrets and tragedies of Black women bound together by lineage.

    Jason Moran will celebrate Duke Ellington’s great canon on April 11 through his illuminating piano explorations alongside iconic images of The Duke taken by legendary photographer Gordon Parks.

    Among all of these stunning productions, the Apollo offers a myriad of educational programs including but not limited to MLK Young Changemakers, Treasures from the Archives, professional learning workshops, and more.

    For more information on the Apollo’s Winter and Spring 2025 season, their expansive educational programs, and ticketing information, be sure to visit their events page here.