NYS Music 2024

Category: News

  • LIMEHOF Hosts 20th Anniversary Celebration in Stony Brook

    The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) will host two days of live music, comedy, film screenings, and family events in celebration of their 20th anniversary on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 in Stony Brook.

    LIMEHOF

    Presented by Catholic Health, Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame’s anniversary celebration will feature continuous entertainment including Kerry Kearney, DMC with Johnny Juice, Stanton Anderson, American Idol Christian Padavan, comedians, surprise guests and more. Admission includes refreshments and an appearance by Santa. Kids under 12 are free.

    Founded in 2004, the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame is dedicated to the idea that Long Island’s musical heritage is an important resource to be celebrated and preserved for future generations. They have inducted more than 100 musicians and music industry executives, and also offers education programs and scholarships to Long Island students, sponsors the Long Island Sound Award, and features traveling educational exhibits, including a state-of-the-art mobile museum.

    Admission also includes access to LIMEHOF’s Billy Joel exhibit. The exhibit features over 5 decades of rare memorabilia including albums, tours, inspirations and personal experiences from Billy Joel’s life-spanning career. Videos, awards, recordings, instruments, photos and more were donated from Billy’s personal collection.

    The event will feature holiday music videos of LIMEHOF inductees and will have visits from Santa Claus at 2pm on both days and surprise visits from LIMEHOF inductees. It will also feature the set and sleigh from Twisted Sister’s Christmas Special. More performances to be announced.

    LIMEHOF 20th Anniversary Celebration Full Lineup

    Nov. 30:

    Casey Baron (1 p.m.)

    Kerry Kearney Band (4 p.m.)

    Stanton Anderson Band (5 p.m.)

    Dec. 1:

    Ernie & the Band (12 noon)

    DMC with DJ Johnny Juice (1 p.m.)

    comedian Paul Anthony (2 p.m.)

    Firetog & Co. (3 p.m.)

    “American Idol” Christiaan Padavan (4 p.m.)

    the original Gossip Band (5 p.m.).

      Buy tickets and learn more here.

    • Shakti Lounge kicks off 2024-25 Live Music Series

      In Buffalo on Saturday, November 9, the Shakti Lounge’s 2024-25 monthly Concert Series kicksoff with a performance by the Walter Kemp 3.

      Shakti Lounge

      The Shakti Lounge is a collaboration between Shakti Yoga (Michelle Gigante) and Lavender Haze Collective (Ellen Pieroni). The monthly concert series provides musicians with space to show their skills and art to the community, and a comfortable environment for the audience to hear innovative music. Shakti creates a salon-like setting offering guests the unique experience of reclining on its heated floor with cushions or taking a seat in a chair. All are welcome.

      This year’s selection features a diverse group of artists performing across a wide variety of genres such as jazz, folk, classical, and world music. The musicians are mainly local to Buffalo, with the exception of Nicholas Mycio Trio (jazz guitar from New York City) and Haunted Continents from Connecticut, featuring Buffalo-based cellist Katie Weissman.

      Bandleader Walter Kemp 3, (piano, Rhodes, and Viscount organ) grounded by the roots of swinging, soulful syncopation, will open the series with an existential, extraterrestrial, performance of meditative music. The group features Alec Dube on vibes, Dave Phillips on drums, and Ben Levitt on bass. The ensemble will deliver a one of a kind listening experience. Complimentary refreshments will be available.

      Other acts featured in the 2024-25 lineup are alt-jazz guitarist Adam Bronstein & ABtrio, (Feb. 8) and talented string quartet fra/ctured (Mar. 8). Both of those groups are making a return from last year’s series. Family FUNKtion and the Sitar Jams: a world jam trio consisting of sitar, drums, and bass will also make an appearance on May 10. A special benefit concert on 1/11 for the Sara Rogers Foundation, will feature a talented crew of musicians who knew, loved, and shared the stage with Sara.

      Learn more and purchase tickets here.

    • Whiskey Pickle Venue Announces Triumphant Re-Opening

      Beloved Troy bar and live music venue Whiskey Pickle has just announced their reopening under new management after their closure this past September.

      Whisky pickle

      Known and loved for their uniquely intimate and laid-back atmosphere with an impressive menu and a lively dance scene to boot, Whiskey Pickle quickly became a favorite of many Troy locals after their opening in 2021. Widely appreciated for its warm and social atmosphere that drew folks from near and afar in, it’s no wonder why their sudden announcement of the venue’s immediate closure in late September took many by surprise. 

      Posted to the bar’s official social media accounts, the announcement signed by owners James and Erin explained that “The cost of making the Pickle into one of the most popular destinations in the capital region has been more than we can even describe… The Pickle would not have been anything as cool as it was without the people that sat on our unmatched bar stools and helped changed our lives.”

      Folks from all walks of life paid their respects in the comments of these posts, a shared sentiment between individual testimonies and heartwarming stories being that Whiskey Pickle had rapidly become a Troy staple that would be a sore loss for the community at large. 

      September 27 seemed to mark the end of Whiskey Pickle for good… until a mysterious and seasonally appropriate image of a zombie hand emerging from the grave was posted to both the venue’s Instagram and Facebook accounts on October 31. Paired with the ominous yet exciting caption “Nothing stays dead forever…”, the announcement was met with widespread tentative excitement.

      Then, on November 4, the official news broke– the Whiskey Pickle would be revived under new management, with a promise for the bar to return bigger and better than ever.

      The announcement outlines the upcoming changes to the venue, which would act more as an update and expansion than a total reinvention of the space so many had come to know and love. This primarily comes with the news that the torch of management is to be passed to Jamel Mosely, fittingly described as “a staple of the capital region community.” 

      With an expansive resume of performance, multimedia production, and one of the minds behind Troy-based marketing firm Collectiveffort, it’s safe to say that the beloved drink, dance, and hangout venue is in good hands. 

      “He’s one of the most genuine human beings we know, and we know that the values we built this place around will continue to live on under Jamel’s team and leadership.”

      The Whiskey Pickle Management

      In true Pickle fashion, the Whiskey Pickle will re-open on November 7 with a Tiki Night party hosted by James, Erin, and Jamel with musical support form DJ Intell Hayesfield and other special guests. The Pickle will celebrate the local cornerstone’s triumphant return starting at 6:00 PM that night, with much more on future events and the venue’s formal transition to come.

      To join in the celebration as a longtime fan or newcomer all the same, check out their party announcement above in addition to their official website here.

    • Glimmerglass Film Days Returns to Cooperstown Nov 7-11

      Ostego 2000’s Glimmerglass Film Days’ returns for its 12th season from November 7 to 11 in Cooperstown.

      Glimmerglass Film Days Returns for 12th Season in Cooperstown from Nov 7-11

      Glimmerglass Film Days presents a slate of independent films—25 features plus three shorts programs— November 7-11 in multiple Cooperstown locations, including the Grandstand Theater at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and The Farmers’ Museum (now known as Fenimore Farm & Country Village). A program of Otsego 2000, Film Days also offers filmmaker talks, an art exhibit, parties, film and food pairings, and guided walks.

      The Film Days program team of Peggy Parsons, founder of the film program at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC; Xander Moffat, an independent film producer; and Joey Katz, a film programmer; selected this year’s films based on the theme “Boundaries.”

      Filmmakers attending Glimmerglass Film Days include: Michael Gitlin (The Night Visitors), Jef Sewell (All Illusions Must Be Broken), Thomas Piper (We Start With The Things We Find), Daphne McWilliams (A Boston R(E)volution), Becca Brooks Morrin (Good One), Andrew Nadkarni and Katie Schiller (Between Earth and Sky), Ryoya Teraro and Elisabeth Gareis (13 Driver’s Licenses), and Olympia Stone (Under the Hat: The Complicated History of the Pith Helmet).

      In addition, Giuseppe Lignano and Ada Tolla, principals of LOT-EK who are featured in We Start With The Things We Find, Thomas Edison Film Festival executive director Jane Steuerwald, and scholar Mikayla Brown (Dahomey) will attend. Musicians Donald Sosin and Joanna Seaton will attend and provide live musical accompaniment to the 1928 silent film Speedy.

      Grandstand Theater at National Baseball Hall of Fame

      Films will be shown at multiple Cooperstown locations: the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum (25 Main Street), The Farmers’ Museum Louis C. Jones Center (5775 State Hwy 80), the Village Hall (22 Main Street), Templeton Hall (63 Pioneer Street), and new for this year, Cooperstown Coworks (6 Doubleday Court). The 2024 Film Days companion art exhibition, In Play: Borders & Edges, presents the work of four established artists who live in the region and exhibit locally, nationally and/or internationally: Richard Barlow, Amy Cannon, Mark Mastroianni, and Gail Peachin.

      Free guided walks will be held during the festival, including a bird walk led by the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society, a kid-friendly walk with the Otsego County Conservation Association (held after the free kids’ film Flow), a guided forest walk with the Otsego Land Trust and Black Land Ownership, and a walk on boundaries and land use in Cooperstown with Otsego 2000. Film Days Trivia will be held on Saturday, November 9 at 7:30 pm at Cooperstown Coworks, just prior to the screening of Secret Mall Apartment.

      Farmers’ Museum in Cooperstown

      For more information on the Glimmerglass Film Days festival and to purchase tickets, click here.

    • Stranger Cat Announces Sophomore Album “Slow Jam Love Letters To My Body In Pieces” to Release Nov 15

      NYC-based musician, producer and multimedia artist Stranger Cat has announced her sophomore album Slow Jam Love Letters To My Body In Pieces due out November 15 on North Street Records.

      Stranger Cat

      The resonant forthcoming album allowed the artist to feel it all. Putting the pieces of their body back together, both physically and emotionally, produced a collection of work that required careful reflection and complete surrender. Confined to a bed, the ten tracks that emerged was an accumulation of the pain, frustration and yearning for a brighter future. The result is a cornucopia of orchestral synth pop with layered vocals, sparkly synths and 808 beat driven dance parties.

      The project’s first single, out now, “Witness” is a raw, lush pop song that came together in a particularly painful period. The “Witness” lyric video captures the desire to be seen and the beauty of capturing one’s joy. While the track was created amidst deep pain, the video is a chance to display the artist on the other side. Recorded at the historic Guillaume Tell studio where everyone from Radiohead to Serge Gainsbourg recorded, the final vocals were done on vintage mics, and the musician played all the additional instruments heard on the track including: B3 organ, electric and grand piano, the echo effects and more.

      Stranger Cat is Brooklyn-born, Miami-based vocalist, producer, composer, light artist, video maker, DJ, dancer, and sound healer Cat Martino. She has collaborated with the likes of Sufjan Stevens, Sharon Van Etten, Son Lux, Lucius, and The Shins and as well as supporting Empress Of, Marissa Nadler, and performing at iii Points Festival and Art Basel in Miami. Stranger Cat’s self-produced, vulnerable second album, Slow Jam Love Letters To My Body In Pieces, sees the artist surrender, only to find beauty in her own healing. Its first single, “Witness” is out now, and the full project is due out November 15.  

      In The Wilderness, the artist’s soulful electronic art-pop debut album, arrived in 2015. Earlier this year, Stranger Cat collaborated bringing captivating vocals to author and musician’s Scott Guild’s debut album Plastic: The Album which now has over 250K streams across platforms. Despite such substantial setbacks in recent years, Stranger Cat is more than ready to bring her healing second album into the world, one that turns her isolation into hope and pain into power.

      For more information on Stranger Cat and her upcoming album Slow Jam Love Letters To My Body In Pieces, click here.

    • Arthur Miller Foundation Honors Theater Education Programs

      On Sunday, Oct. 27, at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre, the annual Arthur Miller Foundation Honors celebrated the tenth anniversary of the Theater Education Programs. Honorees included Alicia Keys, Kristoffer Diaz, and Linda Aziza Miller.

      Arthur Miller Foundation

      The Arthur Miller Foundation (AMF) is an independent, nonprofit organization, created to honor the legacy of Arthur Miller and his New York City public school education by increasing equitable access to quality theater education for public school students. The benefit paid tribute to the power of theater education by honoring artists, educators, and advocates who have made significant contributions to the arts and arts education.

      This year’s honorees include 16-time Grammy Award winner, Alicia Keys, who received the AMF Arts & Culture Award. Keys, a former NYC public school student, has remained committed throughout her career to creating opportunities for young artists and putting access to education at the forefront of much of her philanthropic work. Tony nominated playwright and Pulitzer Prize finalist Kristoffer Diaz, also an alumnus of NYC Public Schools, was awarded the AMF Legacy Award, for carving a meaningful impact in the American theater. Former Professional Performing Arts High School educator, and Keys’ former educator, Linda Aziza Miller received the AMF Excellence in Arts Education Award for her dedication to public school students and access to quality, comprehensive arts instruction.

      AMF’s Theater Education Programs provide theater teachers with certification, training, and critical resources to build and sustain quality in-school theater programs impacting over 60,000 public school students in all 5 boroughs of NYC and in Bridgeport and Norwalk Public Schools in Connecticut. The Arthur Miller Foundation Honors celebrates the power of public school theater education and is produced by AMF Executive Director Jaime Hastings. 

      Learn more here.

    • The Sembrich Gives and Receives Wondrous Awards This Fall

      The Sembrich in Bolton Landing has announced they have given the Marcella Sembrich Memorial Performance Prize to American tenor Michael Butler. The venue has also received an award from the Greater Hudson Heritage Network.

      Sembrich
      Michael Butler

      The Sembrich features museum exhibitions and an annual summer festival with an exciting mix of world-class musicians, noted musical scholars, a free film series, and the opportunity to enjoy it all on the beautiful shores of Lake George. Listed on the National Historic Register, The Sembrich was once the teaching studio of Polish soprano Marcella Sembrich, one of the most famous musicians at the turn of the 20th century.

      Visitors can discover her storied legacy, which includes over 400 performances at the Metropolitan Opera and faculty positions at both the Juilliard Graduate School and the Curtis Institute of Music. With a treasured museum, performance series, and over four wooded acres of nature paths to explore, The Sembrich is truly a unique cultural experience.

      The Marcella Sembrich Memorial Performance Prize awarded to Michael Butler exemplifies the artistic legacy of Polish soprano Marcella Sembrich. The prize guarantees the selected singer a solo performance at The Sembrich, the famed singer’s former lakeside teaching studio in Bolton Landing on Lake George, during an upcoming season. The auditions were held on the weekend of October 12-13 at the Kosciuszko Foundation’s house in NYC.

      Michael Butler hails from Washington, D.C. and is American lyric tenor. Of nearly 120 applicants, 34 singers were admitted to participate. Butler placed second in the overall competition and won the award for the best performance of a Polish work by a non-Polish entrant. The grand prize was awarded to Polish-American soprano Magdalena Kuźma, and third prize was awarded to Canadian contralto Rose Naggar-Tremblay.

      Along with awarding a prize, The Sembrich has also received an award of their own. The 2024 Award for Excellence was given by The Greater Hudson Heritage Network (GHHN) for The Sembrich’s recent efforts to preserve Marcella Sembrich’s “Queen of the Night” costume. The museum staff attended the annual GHHN conference on Tuesday, October 15 to accept the award and present at an awardee poster session. The conference “Embracing Innovation,” was held at Manhattanville College in Purchase New York and was attended by museum professionals from across New York State.

      GHHN is New York State’s ‘go-to’ service organization focusing on interpretation, collections care programming, and the conservation and preservation of objects in collecting institutions statewide. Its programming and professional development training programs, webinars, hands-on workshops, web-based resources, responsive technical assistance, and grant opportunities provide the tools so that historical societies, historic house museums, heritage centers, historic sites, archives, and libraries may better care for their own collections.

      Greater Hudson Heritage Network’s Awards for Excellence program seeks to recognize and commend exceptional efforts among GHHN members. Awards are made to projects that exemplify creativity and professional vision resulting in a contribution to the preservation and interpretation of the historic scene, material culture, and diversity of the region.

      The Sembrich Staff at the Awardee Poster Session

      For more information on The Sembrich, Marcella Sembrich Memorial Performance Prize, and the GHHN, click here.

    • Marcus King and Chris Dave Announce Blue Note Residency

      Chris Dave and Marcus King, joined by MonoNeon and Isaiah Sharkey, have announced a weeklong residency at the legendary Blue Note Jazz Club from Jan. 14-19.

      Marcus King and Chris Dave

      Drummer and composer Chris Dave and American singer/songwriter Marcus King are set for a special, one-of-a-kind six-night run at Blue Note Jazz Club. The pair will be joined by MonoNeon on bass January 14-16 and virtuoso guitarist Isaiah Sharkey making a rare appearance on bass January 17-19. Shows at 8:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. each night.

      These special performances come on the heels of Marcus King’s new album Mood Swings, produced by Rick Rubin. In discussing the new record, GQ hails King as “a modern-day blues-rock god” while Rolling Stone notes that Rubin “helps him switch things up and bring out the soulful side of his sound.”

      Houston native Chris Dave is a critically acclaimed drummer and veteran performer who has appeared with Robert Glasper, Adele, D’Angelo, The Winans, Kenny Garrett and many more. Dave most recently appeared on Keyond Harold’s Foreverland, out now via Concord Jazz.

      Bassist MonoNeon has established a cult following, serving as Prince’s last bassist before his passing in 2016. MonoNeon’s new record Quilted Stereo is out now, with Bass Magazine noting that it “will captivate listeners with its dynamic blend of genres, ranging from jazz and funk to hip-hop and beyond.”

      Virtuosic guitarist, singer/songwriter and producer Isaiah Sharkey started out as a child prodigy, playing local gigs in his hometown of Chicago at the age of 14. By age 16 he was touring with gospel singer Smokie Norful and soon after became one of D’Angelo’s core collaborators. Sharkey returns to the Blue Note taking a rare turn on the bass having performed alongside a long list of superstars including John Mayer, Paul Simon, Corrinne Bailey Rae and many more.

      Learn more and purchase tickets to the Marcus King residency here.

    • Stereophonics Announce Spring North America Tour to Stop in NYC

      Acclaimed U.K. band, Stereophonics, will embark on their first tour in three years in Spring, 2025. They will hit the Brooklyn Paramount on Mar. 25 and have announced a new studio album planned for next year.

      Stereophonics

      Stereophonic’s North American tour will kick off Mar. 21 at Théâtre Beanfield in Montreal and will conclude Apr. 11 in Mexico City. The tour will reach major cities across the continent such as, New York, Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles, and more.

      The tour will see the band perform hits from their expansive catalogue including “Dakota,” “Have A Nice Day,” “Maybe Tomorrow,” “C’est La Vie,” “A Thousand Trees,” and more, along with songs from a new studio album coming in 2025.

      In addition to the North American dates, Stereophonics will play some of the U.K. and Ireland’s biggest venues including Dublin’s St. Anne’s Park, Cork’s Virgin Media Park, London’s Finsbury Park, Huddersfield’s The John Smith’s Stadium, and Glasgow’s Bellahouston Park as part of Summer Sessions.

      Frontman Kelly Jones notes, “Being on the road again with my best friends, playing all the hits of this band’s catalog, for people in 2025 makes me so excited, we should make a new album…oh wait…we already did that! See ya there for more good times….TUNE!!! TUNE!!! TUNE!!”

      Stereophonics achievements include eight U.K. #1 albums, 12 U.K. Top 10 albums and 11 U.K. Top 10 singles, including the U.K. #1 single “Dakota.” The group have sold over 10 million albums, 1.5 billion global streams and five BRIT award nominations, with one BRIT award win. Their hits collection, Decade In The Sun, sold over 1.7 million copies in the U.K. alone and is certified Quintuple Platinum, while in 2022, on their last U.K. arena tour and Cardiff Stadium headline shows, they sold over 250,000 tickets.

      Special guests for the tour will be announced soon. Tickets are available now. Learn more and purchase tickets here.

      Stereophonics 2025 Tour Dates:

      Mar. 21—Montreal, QC—Théâtre Beanfield
      Mar. 22—Toronto, ON—Massey Hall
      Mar. 23—Philadelphia, PA—Union Transfer
      Mar. 25—New York, NY—Brooklyn Paramount
      Mar. 26—Boston, MA—House of Blues
      Mar. 28—Washington, DC—Lincoln Theatre
      Mar. 29—Cleveland, OH—VENUE TBA
      Mar. 30—Chicago, IL—The Vic Theatre
      Apr. 2—Vancouver, BC—Vogue Theatre
      Apr. 3—Seattle, WA—Neptune Theatre
      Apr. 4—Portland, OR—McMenamins Crystal Ballroom
      Apr. 6—San Francisco, CA—The Regency Ballroom
      Apr. 8—Los Angeles, CA—The Wiltern
      Apr. 9—San Diego, CA—Humphrey’s Concerts By The Bay
      Apr. 11—Mexico City, MX—Teatro Metropólitan

    • Wire Festival Returns to Knockdown Center

      Wire Festival has announced the fourth installment of the world-class techno festival to take place at Knockdown Center from May 16-18, 2025.

      Wire

      In addition to its core programming, Wire also hosts community engagement events such as a series of Talks programmed in partnership with RA. Before the show, an industry meetup event will allow artists, organizers, booking agents, and label owners to connect with each other. Finally, the festival transforms the already-iconic venue with stunning, unique, and commissioned light installations. 2024’s collaboration with France’s Collectif Scale was the most ambitious work yet featured. Additional installations included pieces from NY’s Inner Light and Studio Gum Gum. The festival has grown steadily and organically, moving from strength to strength, creating a space for world-class techno and more amidst a thriving NY ecosystem.

      The beloved, Ambient Stage will make a return in 2025. Introduced in 2023, the Ambient Stqage encourages artists to stretch into the unfamiliar. This year, Wire expanded from its initial two-night template to include a third-day program. Beginning right after the Saturday night rave, the Sunday program will run all the way from early morning through the evening.

      Since 2022, Wire has platformed the most vital underground dance music, highlighting some of the genre’s most esteemed artists, freshest voices, and essential collectives. Previous standout acts include Jeff Mills, Surgeon (live), DJ Stingray 313, and showcases from Mala Junta, Bassiani, Herrensauna, and more. Wire Festival aims to highlight some of the city’s most adventurous artists while finding and sharing new talent.

      Weekend passes are on sale now. Single day passes and lineup will be released in 2025. Learn more and purchase tickets here.