March 30 and April 12, 2025 have been announced as the first two dates of the Outline Festival in 2025. Featuring artists such as Thurston Moore, Michael Rother, Eiko Ishibashi, Explosions In The Sky, and more, they’ll perform during the Knockdown Center‘s flagship series, which continues to further a commitment to celebrating international expressions of independent music.
Germany’s Michael Rother is set to headline the Main Hall on Sunday, March 30th, showcasing the pivotal works of Neu! and Harmonia. The evening will also feature performances by post-punk pioneer Thurston Moore, the Australian post-punk duo HTRK, and Japanese singer-songwriter and composer Eiko Ishibashi.
On Saturday, April 12th at Knockdown Center, Outline Festival will expand its offerings to include a diverse showcase of avant-garde and alternative music, as well as instrumental, IDM, pop, and psychedelic genres. Across two stages, the festival will feature performances from Austin’s renowned post-rock quartet Explosions In The Sky, the Icelandic band múm, Guatemalan-born, Mexico City-based cellist and vocalist Mabe Fratti, Philadelphia shoegazers They Are Gutting a Body of Water, Dutch producer and innovator upsammy, and Mexico City’s no wave and krautrock-inspired group Diles Que No Me Maten.
Throughout 2024, Outline will spotlight various genres and regions, continually evolving with each edition. The festival will present a range of performances, from the seismic sounds of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Alan Sparhawk, Marina Herlop, and Maria BC, to hard rock and metal acts like The Armed, King Woman, Chat Pile, Cloakroom, Ragana, and Couch Slut.
The event will culminate in a rapturous finale featuring Yaeji, Sofia Kourtesis, Ela Minus, Nourished by Time, and Malibu. Each new edition will be uniquely curated to highlight the best in both artists and audiences, pushing the boundaries of creativity and redefining what a venue and festival can be as it moves into 2025.
Tickets are available now. Learn more about Knockdown Center and purchase tickets for March 30 fest here and for April 12 here.
Christmas time in New York is often filled with magic and wonder. Most people have visions of marveling beneath the tree in Rockefeller Center, window shopping on 5th Avenue, or playing with all the new toys FAO Schwartz has to offer, but that is just a tiny spec of the enchantment to be found in NYC during that time of year. No matter where you are or how you celebrate, the end goals are almost always the same: to spread joy, focus on others, and spend time with your loved ones. While everyone has their own traditions, it is important to remember why you are doing so. That is exactly what Run-DMC was trying to convey with their 1987 hit ‘Christmas in Hollis.’
While Run-DMC were initially opposed to writing a Christmas song at the record company’s request, their opinion changed once they went through a crate of old odd-ball Christmas Records to see if they could be inspired. After a bit of searching, inspiration finally hit once they listened to Clarence George Carter’s funk cut ‘Back Door Santa.’ Once they decided to write the song, Run-DMC decided they were going to combine the fantasy and mysticism that comes with the holiday with real life experiences, detailing past Christmas’ spent with their families in their hometown of Hollis, Queens.
The first verse of the song belonged to Run, which draws listeners in with a surreal experience of finding Santa’s wallet after encountering one of his reindeer but returning it because he didn’t believe it was right to steal from Santa. From that point the song could have gone anywhere, but DMC decided he wanted to relate it to real life because that is the opposite of what everyone was doing with Christmas music at the time.
Run-DMC, Hollis
“Every other Christmas song is like a fantasy,” Run explains. “You know, [Sings.] ‘Santa Claus is coming to town.’ That’s a fantasy. Even Run’s verse, he’s telling a story that’s like it’s been written for a Christmas book. But my story is what really happened in real life, about real people, and what it was like as a kid growing up. It’s so real. [Raps.] “Christmastime in Hollis Queens / Mom’s cooking chicken and collard greens!” It’s funky, it’s soulful, it’s family, it’s real. “Christmas In Hollis” is real, because of my verse.”
Hollis, Queens
Hollis, Queens had an incredibly powerful impact on Run-DMC, which is why they decided to homage the neighborhood in ‘Christmas in Hollis.’ Joseph Simmons (Run), Darryl McDaniels (DMC), and Jason Mizel (Jam Master Jay) formed Run-DMC in the 1983 after being friends at school for years and realizing they had similar interests in music as they got older. At the time of the group’s formation, Hollis was a moderately stable, suburban community with a vibrant and growing hip-hop scene which inspired and cultivated each member of Run-DMC from an early age. It was a family neighborhood, and the love and support they received helped the group achieve their dreams.
As the group got bigger, the area changed, and the tranquil Hollis soon became plagued with drug and gun violence. By the late 1980’s the neighborhood became one of the most severe victims of the growing crack epidemic. Today Hollis has returned to the median income, middle-class neighborhood it once was, but there have been no sightings of Santa since that fateful day in 1987.
‘Christmas in Hollis’ Lyrics:
It was December 24th on Hollis ave in the dark
When I see a man chilling with his dog in the park
I approached very slowly with my heart full of fear
Looked at his dog, oh my god, an ill reindeer
But then I was illin’ because the man had a beard
And a bag full of goodies, 12 o’clock had neared
So I turned my head a second and the man had gone
But he left his driver’s wallet smack dead on the lawn
I picket the wallet up then I took a pause
Took out the license and it cold said “Santa Claus”
A million dollars in it, cold hundreds of G’s
Enough to buy a boat and matching car with ease
But I’d never steal from Santa, cause that ain’t right
So I’m going home to mail it back to him that night
But when I got home I bugged, cause under the tree
Was a letter from Santa and all the dough was for me
It’s Christmas time in Hollis queens
Mom’s cooking chicken and collard greens
Rice and stuffing, macaroni and cheese
And Santa put gifts under Christmas trees
Decorate the house with lights at night
Snow’s on the ground, snow white so bright
In the fireplace is the yule log
Beneath the mistletoe as we drink egg nog
The rhymes you hear are the rhymes of Darryl’s
But each and every year we bust Christmas carrols
Rhymes so loud and proud you hear it
It’s Christmas time and we got the spirit
Jack Frost chillin, the hawk is out
And that’s what Christmas is all about
The time is now, the place is here
And the whole wide world is filled with cheer
My name’s D.M.C. with the mic in my hand
And I’m chillin’ and coolin’ just like a snowman
So open your eyes, lend us an ear
We want to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Flushing Town Hall has shared a unique and interactive Queens Jazz Trail Map, an illustration come to life that teaches the A-Z of Jazz History in Queens.
A cornerstone cultural and creative hub for the people of Queens, the Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts housed within Flushing Town Hall is a thriving multi-disciplinary arts center that boasts a theater, gallery, garden, classroom, and rehearsal space.
In membership with the New York City Cultural Institutions Group and in affiliation with the Smithsonian, the FCCA gave Flushing Town a major renovation to accommodate their versatile programming that has brought the Queens community together for over thirty years.
Originally written by Marc. H Miller, illustrated by Tony Millionaire, and designed by Cindy Ho, The Queens Jazz Trail was an endeavor pursued by the FCCA in the hopes of shedding light on Queens’ neglected history as a key part of the jazz scene from the 1920s onwards.
The map received a major update in 2023 by jazz historian Ben Young and was brought into the digital world, expanding the map’s informational content tenfold. With icons that denominate musicians by their instrument type and a search function that accounts for instrument, name, or neighborhood, The Queens Jazz Trail Map is a treasure trove of information for jazz lovers and genre newcomers alike.
Make sure to check out the online Queens Jazz Trail Map here, and be sure to visit the Flushing Town Hall’s Gift Shop to pick up the physical version too.
For more information on the Flushing Town Hall, Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts, and other similar and future ventures from their team, visit the official website here.
Post Malone has announced his upcoming tour. “The BIG ASS Stadium Tour” with special guest Jelly Roll. The tour sees one date in New York at Citi Field in Queens.
Known for redefining the modern concert experience with his genre-blending sound and electrifying stage presence, Post will bring a massive production to 25 stadiums across the United States and Canada. Post Malone is set to deliver unforgettable performances across North America, including a stop at Citi Field in Queens on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. Adding to the excitement, Post Malone will be joined by the breakout sensation Jelly Roll, whose recent crossover hits and authentic storytelling have made him a powerful voice in modern country music.
Post’s catalog comprises the GRAMMY® Award-nominated “rockstar” [feat. 21 Savage” (Diamond), “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse)” [feat. Swae Lee] (2x Diamond), “I Fall Apart” (Diamond), “Psycho” [feat. Ty Dolla $ign] (Diamond), “White Iverson” (Diamond), “Better Now” (Diamond), and more. It all started with his quintuple-platinum influential 2016 debut, Stoney. With records under his belt that will likely never be surpassed and a generation of artists and audiences worldwide under his spell, Post Malone simply doesn’t stop.
Jelly Roll and Post Malone
POST MALONE PRESENTS: THE BIG ASS STADIUM TOUR 2025 DATES:
Tue Apr 29 – Salt Lake City, UT – Rice-Eccles Stadium^
Sat May 03 – Las Vegas, NV – Allegiant Stadium^
Wed May 07 – San Antonio, TX – Alamodome^
Fri May 09 – Dallas, TX – AT&T Stadium^
Sun May 11 – Atlanta, GA – Mercedes Benz Stadium^
Tue May 13 – St. Louis, MO – Busch Stadium^
Sun May 18 – Detroit, MI – Ford Field^
Tue May 20 – Minneapolis, MN – U.S. Bank Stadium^
Thu May 22 – Chicago, IL – Wrigley Field^
Sat May 24 – Philadelphia, PA – Citizens Bank Park^
Mon May 26 – Toronto, ON – Rogers Centre^
Wed May 28 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium^
Thu May 29 – Pittsburgh, PA – PNC Park^
Sat May 31 – Foxborough, MA – Gillette Stadium
Mon Jun 02 – Washington, DC – Northwest Stadium
Wed Jun 04 – New York, NY – Citi Field
Sun Jun 08 – Miami, FL – Hard Rock Stadium*
Tue Jun 10 – Orlando, FL – Camping World Stadium
Fri Jun 13 – Ridgedale, MO – Thunder Ridge Nature Arena
Sun Jun 15 – Denver, CO – Empower Field at Mile High
Sat Jun 21 – Glendale, AZ – State Farm Stadium*
Tue Jun 24 – Boise, ID – Albertsons Stadium
Thu Jun 26 – Seattle, WA – T-Mobile Park
Sat Jun 28 – Portland, OR – Providence Park
Tue Jul 01 – San Francisco, CA – Oracle Park
*Without Jelly Roll
^With Sierra Ferrell
For more information on Post Malone’s upcoming tour and to purchase tickets, click here.
On Friday, November 22 at 8 pm, saxophonist Eric Alexander and his quartet will perform a set of bebop jazz at Flushing Town Hall.
Eric Alexander, joined by David Williams (bass), Neal Smith (drums), and Rick Germanson (piano), has been described by NPR as “one of the finest bebop saxophonists in the world.” After releasing more than 40 albums as a quartet or sextet leader, and being heard in over 100 albums that feature his playing, Alexander has been on the cutting edge of the jazz scene for over 30 years.
Eric Alexander started on the piano at the age of six and took up the clarinet three years later. He switched to alto sax when he was 12 and studied classical music. When he was 18 years old, he fell in love with jazz and settled for the tenor saxophone. At William Paterson College in New Jersey, he advanced his studies under the tutelage of Harold Mabern, Joe Lovano, Rufus Reid, and others.
In 1991, Alexander placed second behind jazz saxophonist Joshua Redman, and ahead of Chris Potter, in the Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition. He then decided to become a professional jazz musician. In 1992, Alexander released his debut album, Straight Up for Delmark. More recordings followed, including Man with a Horn (1997) and a 1998 quartet with George Mraz, John Hicks, and Idris Muhammad, Solid!. That year also marked Alexander’s first recording with One For All, his enduring jazz sextet with Jim Rotondi, Steve Davis, Joe Farnsworth, Peter Washington, and Dave Hazeltine.
”Jazz plays such an important part in the history of Queens,” says Clyde Bullard, Flushing Town Hall’s Jazz Producer in Residence. “We at Flushing Town Hall want to continue the legacy of great jazz with outstanding established as well as emerging jazz artists on our stage. We are delighted to welcome the extremely talented Eric Alexander.”
Indie folk artist and Queens native Brigid Hart explores every step of picking yourself back up after the unimaginable in her debut album A How to Guide: Living With the Shame.
Born and raised in Queens, Brigid Hart is an indie folk artist who has been weaving her emotions into sound since she was only 10 years old. Having consistently composed, recorded, and released songs since then, Brigid is now a part of the Studio Composition program at SUNY Purchase where she explores and develops her musical skill even further.
Released in 2023, her six track EP I’d Be Just Fine was born out of a partnership with Ben Cuomo and Shanne Garcia formed through her Studio Composition studies. Among her studies and professional ventures, Hart has been performing alongside her band in venues, clubs, backyards, gardens, colleges, and even camp festivals throughout New York State.
Her sophomore year’s work culminated in her second major collaboration with Ben Cuomo, her debut album A How to Guide: Living with the Shame. Formed among the spaces of the SUNY Purchase campus that caught their interest the most alongside a myriad of friends and peers on the harp, violin, mandolin, drums, and more, Brigid’s debut album captures the raw honesty and emotion nestled within her artistry.
A How to Guide: Living with the Shame is a deeply vulnerable piece that explores the effects an experience of sexual assault has on relationships afterwards. Hart’s expression of heartbreak and sadness through the album’s instrumentals is counterbalanced by her witty and self-aware lyrics, creating a balanced and personable listening experience.
“Brigid’s vocals float above the bed of sound created by her finger-picked guitar in open tunings. In both of these projects she managed to keep an intimate and lulling atmosphere while also having dense and unapologetic arrangements that maintain the illusion of Brigid sitting right in front of you.”
– Ben Cuomo
Accompanying the album’s release was the adjacent music video for the ninth track, “Before the Leaves Fall.” A recording of Brigid singing the track alone at a bar is interspersed with personal home-style moments of stillness and double-exposure clips of nature that capture the same gentle warmth felt in the track’s instrumental.
Returning once more to the SUNY Purchase campus, Brigid is working towards her second album to be released in the summer of 2025. The gentle folk sound Hart has developed thus far will be intertwined with a new indie rock approach as she once more expands her repertoire in exciting ways.
To keep up with the latest updates on her upcoming project and all other endeavors, follow Brigid Hart here.
New York City-based indie singer-songwriter and star of Hulu’s Claim to Fame Season 3 Gracie Lou has released her second single, “September.”
Born in California, Gracie Lou Hyland grew up in a home utterly immersed in music. Her parents are both talented singer-songwriters who were once a part of New York unit Girlfriend, which cultivated a love for all things musical in Gracie Lou from an early age.
She spent her younger years performing alongside her parents in their worship band and on the stage with her local church choir, alongside a notable nearly decade-long career in competitive figure skating.
In 2017, Gracie joined the ranks of the Young American College of Performing Arts and spent time touring globally, sharing her passion for music education with countless cultures across the map. The pandemic provided a turning point and quite a bit of newfound downtime, which led Gracie to the guitar. Picking up the instrument on her own and a songwriting venture to boot, Gracie Lou discovered an online resonance with her music that allowed her musical career to begin to bloom.
Relocating to New York City in 2022 to assist her grandmother Gretchen Cryer with the musical “House On Fire,” Gracie took the stage for the first time as a solo singer-songwriter at Rockwood Music Hall in October of 2023.
In addition to her solo ventures, Gracie Lou can be found performing with vintage jazz trio The Satin Dollz, touring as a front and backing vocalist with The Chiclettes, and providing her voice on tour with the Oldies Circuit which notably hosts member Bobby Wilson, son of the legendary Jackie Wilson. Lou is also the co-founder of the “Girl Dinner” all-female cabaret and variety show that celebrates women in the arts.
She recently made a notable appearance on hit Hulu show Claim to Fame hosted by Kevin and Frankie Jonas in which the competitors are challenged with guessing each other’s celebrity relatives, Gracie’s being her uncle- the well-known actor, comedian, and filmmaker Jon Cryer. It was on Claim to Fame where Gracie dazzled television audiences with a performance of an original song.
Soon following was the release of Gracie Lou’s debut single, “to have & to hold.” Self-written, sung, and produced, the track set an exciting precedent for her solo career and capabilities. After the success of her first song officially released to the public, Gracie has returned with her newest track, “September.”
With twinkling piano, the distant hum of crickets, and warm strings, Gracie paints a glowing image of the last bits of warmth held in the month of September. Her utilizations of indie lyricism, jazz homeliness, and folk twang meld perfectly with her hopeful wonderings about what awaits her at the end of the month and how she hopes to change, even if it isn’t a fully formed image quite yet.
“I wrote this during the first month I moved to New York, when nothing in my life felt solid and the future was uncertain. I was tentatively hopeful.”
– Gracie Lou
Following the release of “September,” Gracie will be appearing for a special guest performance on November 20 at fellow musician Blair Lamb’s show at Sanger Hall in Queens. For more information on the show and ticket purchasing, visit Blair’s post about the evening here.
“September” by Gracie Lou is out now. To learn more about the track, watch an archive of her performances, and keep up to date with her latest musical ventures, visit her official website here.
Wire Festival has announced the fourth installment of the world-class techno festival to take place at Knockdown Center from May 16-18, 2025.
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.
Justice Joseph Esposito has dismissed 5 out of 7 lawsuit claims against the historic Forest Hills Stadium in Queens.
Hozier – Forest Hills Stadium, July 2024 – photo by Molly Higgins
Entrenched in Queens’ music scene and culture for just over 100 years now, the Forest Hills Stadium is a cornerstone of New York City’s live music scene. The only outdoor venue of its kind and size in the area, Forest Hills was designed with the ideal audience experience in mind.
With optimized acoustics and no obstructed views, the 13,000 capacity Stadium was originally designed to house the U.S. Open tennis tournament. Forest Hills began booking concerts in the 1960s, and the rest is history.
The venue’s lengthy history isn’t without its bumps along the way, however. The arena has been a topic of long-standing debate for folks living in Forest Hill. The general sentiment shared by people living in close quarters to the venue is a desire to at minimum alter the space’s practices and at most close its doors for continued complaints of noise pollution and littering.
Frequent complaints include excessive trash found strewn about in public for days after each show and volumes so loud that the windows on houses as far as three blocks away from the Stadium shake during performances. These concerns were met with cooperation from Forest Hills Stadium, with rectifying policies ranging from employing cleaners on the street before, during, and after shows to hundreds of thousands of dollars being invested in noise mitigation and controlled amplification.
A lawsuit filed by the Forest Hills Garden Corporation against Forest Hills Stadium and its parent company West Side Tennis Club filed in 2023 nearly spelled the end of the venue. The lawsuit outlined a total of seven individual causes of action, including claims of contract violation between the tennis club and the FHGC, trespassing, zoning violations with unjust profit, and both public and private nuisance claims.
However, on Monday, October 21, Queens County Supreme Court Justice Joseph Esposito issued a motion to dismiss all but two of the motions raised. A major win for those working with the venue and lovers of live music in New York alike, the Stadium’s final few shows of their 2024 concert season will go on. It’s likely that the venue will return with a new calendar of events in the spring given the remaining lawsuits conclude.
While a massive success, Forest Hills Stadium isn’t out of the woods just yet. The final two claims remaining are that of private and public nuisance. Justice Esposito stated that the FHGC had a claim sufficient enough to survive the initial motion to dismiss, which now must be proven with further evidence and testimonial.
Attorney Akiva Shapiro, representing the Stadium, stated that the venue’s legal team is “confident that the remaining claims will also be dismissed.”
As the red velvet curtain parted at TV Eye on Friday, October 18, McKenzie Iazetta of Trophy Wife stepped up to her microphone to cheers from the audience. The band’s lead singer wore a red and white polka dot dress with a skirt showing the tattoos down her legs, ending in frilly white socks and black velvet Mary Janes. She exerted complete control over the audience, standing like a pouty doll come to life with her hair glowing and eyes glinting in the stage lights as she strummed their opening song, “I Will Be Here.” Alongside her were bandmates Christian Pace on bass, Michael Martelli on drums, and Rowan Martin on guitar.
A month ago, a song called “Keep It” came across my Spotify Discover Weekly playlist. I had never heard of Trophy Wife, but the single’s cover caught my attention and I gave it a listen. I was instantly captured by the song’s vocals, which hover on the edge of breaking while constantly building in intensity. The drums have a raw, heavy sound like they’re pounding against the aluminum door of someone’s garage. The song builds and builds and builds from a cry to a wail as it asks the listener, “Do you want someone else to make it better?”
Trophy Wife followed this incredible single with two others leading up to the release of their first album, Get Ugly. The final single, “Swamp Song,” is another heavy hitter. Opening with the screeching frustration of amp feedback and pumping drums, giving way to sweeter vocals. It’s a bittersweetness that turns quickly to frustration and anger, with the song’s chorus introducing off-kilter guitar chords before cutting out everything in favor of croaking vocals.
“The Shame” is Trophy Wife’s most shoegaze-y offering on the album. It opens with a wistful guitar twang that conjures summer days. Then, as the drums grow more frenetic, we enter the first chorus, a breakdown that feels like heaving sobs with its all-encompassing distorted tone.
Behind it all is fantastic production across the entire album. The mix doesn’t leave any element behind, knowing exactly when to shift focus between instrumentation and vocals, allowing the totality of its emotional impact to reach the listener. This is a band punching way above their weight.
Trophy Wife’s drama and tone make them a unique act to witness. McKenzie Iazzetta’s vocal control is the key to that drama, riding the line between breaking and keeping it all together. They combine incredible technical skill with a captivating stage presence, ensuring their strong fanbase will only continue to grow.
Setlist: I Will Be Here, Magnet, Spit, Pedestal, The Shame, Beer n TV, Swamp Song, Keep It, Kicked, Again
