The 2024 ceremony will once again stream live on Disney+ and will be available on Hulu the next day. To be eligible for nomination, an individual artist or band must have released its first commercial recording at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination.
Ten out of 15 of the Nominees are on the ballot for the first time. This includes Mariah Carey, Cher, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Kool & the Gang, Lenny Kravitz, Oasis, Sinéad O’Connor, Ozzy Osbourne and Sade.
New York is greatly represented this year, with six of the 15 nominees hailing from the Empire State. Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Foreigner, Lenny Kravitz, Eric B. & Rakim and A Tribe Called Quest all native to New York.
Inductees will be announced in late April. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2024 Induction Ceremony will take place in Cleveland this fall with date and on-sale information to be announced.
90s hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest have been nominated a few times for the RRHOF. This year, the jazzy, vintage-sound, of A Tribe Called Quest’s true and influential music will be heard and considered by the panel once more.
Along with Tribe, fellow New York hip-hop artists Eric B. & Rakim will be considered for induction. Eric B. and Rakim are widely regarded as one of, if not the most influential rap duos to ever grace the genre. Rakim has become an icon for being the father of 90s rap and its many sounds.
“This remarkable list of Nominees reflects the diverse artists and music that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honors and celebrates. Continuing in the true spirit of Rock & Roll, these artists have created their own sounds that have impacted generations and influenced countless others that have followed in their footsteps.”
John Sykes, Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation
70s and 80s rock band Foreigner is on the ballot, and their induction is one that many rock fans have waited for. Fellow rocker Lenny Kravitz looks to secure a place in the Hall of Fame, boasting a large and diverse catalogue. Lenny Kravitz is not just rock, he is soul, and he is inspiration.
This year’s nominations are packed with extraordinary talent, and their impacts are all unique and important. This multi-genre line up is certainly going to be neck and neck with votes for induction.
For more information on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, its nominees, and tickets, visit RockHall.com.
Pearl Jam has announced the release of the 12th studio album Dark Matter, coming on April 19, 2024, and the launch of a 35-date worldwide tour this May. The band will go to Madison Square Garden on September 3 and September 4, 2024.
Dark Matter Album Artwork: light painting art by Alexandr Gnezdilov
Pearl Jam is an alternative rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1990. The band’s lineup consists of bassist Jeff Ament, rhythm guitarist Stone Gossard, lead guitarist Mike McCready, lead singer/guitarist Eddie Vedder, and drummer Matt Cameron. With thirty-plus years of live performances, twelve studio albums, and hundreds of official live concert bootleg releases later, Pearl Jam continues to be critically acclaimed and commercially successful. The band has sold over 85 million albums worldwide and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.
Since the earliest days, they have used their platform to elevate people and causes that often go unnoticed. Much of the band’s philanthropic work is accomplished through its Vitalogy Foundation which to date has raised more than $50 million for organizations supporting issues such as abortion access, climate change, homelessness, and drawing attention to the fight against diseases such as Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis and epidermolysis bullosa (EB). In addition to the money Vitalogy donates, the band also donates signed instruments, posters, and merchandise to organizations to use for their fundraising purposes.
In 2023, the band went to La Studios in Malibu where they simply plugged in and played with producer Andrew Watt. The musicians faced one another in the same space and communicated sonically at the highest level, producing Dark Matter in just three weeks. As a result, the album channels the shared spirit of a group of lifelong creative confidants and brothers in one room playing as if their very lives depended on it.
I’m getting chills, because I have good memories. We’re still looking for ways to communicate. We’re at this time in our lives when you could do it or you could not do it, but we still care about putting something out there that is meaningful and we hopefully think is our best work. No hyperbole, I think this is our best work.
Eddie Vedder.
The band is celebrating indie record stores with the release of a special edition of Dark Matter on April 20; only at participating stores as part of Record Store Day. Get more information and find stores here.
Special guests Deep Sea Diver (North America Leg 1), Glen Hansard (North America Leg 2), The Murder Capital (UK/EU), Richard Ashcroft (Dublin and London), and Pixies (Australia and New Zealand) will serve as support for these dates.
Tickets will be available two ways: a Ten Club members-only presale will be held through Ticketmaster Request for eligible members. Only paid Ten Club members active as of Monday, February 12 are eligible to participate in this presale. More info here. Fans can register for a chance to participate in the Dark Matter World Tour 2024 registration sale by Sunday, February 18 at 11:59 PM local time for Europe, UK, Australia, and New Zealand shows and by Sunday, February 18 at 11:59 pm PT for North America shows. This will be the only way for fans to participate in the on-sale. Registration does not guarantee access to the sale.
The tour will use all-in pricing across all North America, Europe, and UK shows to ensure the ticket price listed is the full out-of-pocket price inclusive of fees.
Fresh off the band’s highest-profile performance to date at the inaugural Dead Ahead festival, the Connecticut-born acoustic three-piece Orebolo settled into the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester for three laid-back nights of loose acoustic jamming on February 8, 9 and 10.
photo by Joe Madonna
If you unwittingly attended an Orebolo show on a whim, learning this was the band’s 17th performance could catch you off guard.
From recent sit-ins from Bob Weir and Sturgill Simpson and a line of eager fans who arrived hours early for a coveted rail spot or to purchase the radiant hand-carved AJ Masthay linocut poster, it wouldn’t be misplaced to assume Orebolo is a nationally touring act in their own right. However, it is impossible not to mention Rick Mitarotonda (vocals, guitar), Peter Anspach (vocals, guitar), and Jeff Arevalo (upright bass, backup vocal) membership in the rising star jam band Goose that has made this success possible.
With hairstyles that could be fresh from an “Almost Famous” casting call, Anspach, Arevalo, and Mitarotonda held audiences captivated across three days with six sets mixed of beloved originals and debuts for the group that was free from repeats across the weekend run.
The trio was unafraid of embracing their loyal flock of fans. During the first set of the run, Anspach called attention to the night’s guest-of-honor in the audience, the newly anointed Goose drummer Cotter Ellis. When Ellis was quickly met with deep-throated chants of “Goooose,” Anspach quickly reassured Ellis with the band’s usual quip that “they’re just saying Goose.”
While the crowd was certainly there as Goose fans, and more than a few behaved as if they were seeing an electric five-piece rock show not an acoustic trio, Orebolo’s performance left everyone present thrilled with six standout sets. From the songs on Thursday evening the unofficial theme for the weekend was clear – these shows would be packed with Goose originals and a number of expertly selected and reimagined covers.
After trading vocals for the opening two songs, the group debuted Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”, which featured a glistening vocal from Mitarotonda followed by an energetic “Turbulence & The Night Rays,” and the debut of two more covers that show the group’s own eclectic musical tastes, Isey Juber’s 2023 “No California” and Chick Corea’s instrumental “Spain”. The second set would see the tempo pick up through a number of Goose originals, as well as a heart-wrenching rendition of Tears for Fears “Mad World” and as a reward for the Capitol Theatre’s usual Deadhead denizens, a rendition of “New Speedway Boogie”.
photo by Scott Harris
With Mitarotonda and Anspach playing seated, Arevalo sipping from a glass of red wine, and the stage artfully set with an array of antique studio lighting, the atmosphere of the three shows evoked the theatrical origins of the intimate 1800-capacity venue that has become so known as a palace of rock and roll. That isn’t to say the audience behaved in such a way, with the band frequently chiding overly talkative attendees over the weekend.
Friday’s show kicked off with a tremendous performance opening with a dual vocal on “Mr. Action”, followed by another nod to the Capitol Theatre’s Grateful Dead adjacent roots with a jangling cover of the band’s version of the traditional “Jack-A-Roe.” After a driving first acoustic performance of Goose’s “Dr. Darkness,” the band turned the folk up further with an uptempo country-hoe-down inspired performance of “Flodown” and a mournful rendition of Dave Van Ronk’s traditional “Hang Me, Oh Hang Me”. The covers kept coming with a debut of Elvis Presley’s “Don’t be Cruel” that put any silver screen rendition of the King’s crooning to shame.
The first set would close with a joyous rendition of “Animal” that ran through intensity levels bringing the crowd from rapt silence to shout-along. The echo from the crowd would continue into second set opening “Hungersite.” The fast tempo version of “Echo of a Rose” would have a red-wine sipping Arevalo hitting a series of bass-notes that reverberated through the theater. A bust-out of Sharon Van Etten’s “Love More” simmered the crowd to their quietest all night, before returning to a rollicking sing-along with the Dead’s “Tennessee Jed.” The set closed with Goose originals “This Old Sea” and fan favorite “Empress Of Organos.” A howling encore of “Silver Rising” brought the crowd to a tumultuous roar, sending attendees home energized for the final night’s show.
Saturday would have another dual vocal to open with the group debuting the New Orleans standard “Liza Jane” to the crowd’s delight. After a joyous rendition of Goose’s “The Whales” Orebolo took a first attempt at “Atlas Dogs” that lead into a performance of “California Magic” which featured such strong harmonization from Mitarotonda and Anspach you could be forgiven for assuming this was a Crosby, Stills and Nash cover. The band has been enjoying this run of shows, it’s clear from the crowd banter and how intentional the playing is. Mitarotonda couldn’t help himself but to tease the iconic “Secret Agent Man” guitar riff closing “All I Need.”
Anspach would take the lead vocal for “Moonrise” before Mitarotonda tore through “I’m Writing A Novel,” a song that has become a staple of the group since they performed it with the author, Father John Misty, at Radio City Music Hall in 2022. The show would take a somber turn for Tom Waits’ “Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis” which gave the audience a much-needed tempo shift before bursting into a version of “Rockdale” that brought the whole room to their feet singing along to one of the group’s most well-known tracks.
The weekend’s final set would open with a rhythmic “Thatch” that highlighted how strong the group’s harmonization has gotten with time. For fans who struggle with misheard lyrics during intense Goose jamming, it is worth noting that Orebolo shows provide a much different experience (it is “Milo believe” not “my love for thee” ). The crowd hit pin-drop silence during a deeply emotional debut of Radiohead’s “True Love Waits,” which gave Arevalo a chance to show his versatility on the standup bass and skill with the bow. The band returned to the King and got the crowd dancing with a performance of 1957’s “(Marie’s the Name) His Latest Flame” harkening back to Presley’s rockabilly roots.
To close out the show, in a fitting tribute to the venue, Orebolo bookended their originals with songs from the Grateful Dead. First taking a turn toward syncopated harmonies in “Dripfield,” before performing what a 50-year-Jerry-show-veteran called “one of the best” renditions of “Ship of Fools” they had heard. The set ended with a pounding Madhuvan that was a showcase of the three musicians’ practiced comfort in an acoustic setting. Mitarotonda, Anspach, and Arevalo would return to the stage to express gratitude to fans for supporting the milestone three-night sold-out set of shows and individually thank each member of the Orebolo crew. The encore performance of “U.S. Blues” brought a truly original take to the Grateful Dead tune packed with harmonization that couldn’t hold back a crowd sing-along.
While Orebolo has played fewer than two dozen shows publicly, it is clear that this trio has spent many more hours crafting a sound distinctly their own, no matter the material. Fans flocked to Orebolo shows for an intimate performance from a group of musicians whose star is on the rise, but they came back night after night because of the unique expression from this talented group of musicians. While Goose is taking flight, here’s hoping we will have more opportunities for these intimate acoustic moments.
Orebolo’s next show will be in May at Solshine: A Music & Arts Reverie. Goose will be on tour this summer, and will be performing at Forest Hills Stadium on June 29.
Orebolo Setlists, February 8, 9, 10
Setlists graciously provided by the team at ElGoose.net.
February 8, 2024 Orebolo, The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY, USA
Set 1: Lead the Way, Elizabeth, Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright[1], Turbulence & The Night Rays, Not Alone[2], No California[3], Spain[4], Dim Lights, So Ready Set 2: Turned Clouds, Arrow[5] > Where Is My Wild Rose[6], Hot Tea, Mad World[7], New Speedway Boogie[8], A Western Sun, Arcadia Encore: Arise Coach’s Notes: [1] Bob Dylan. FTP. [2] FTP as Orebolo. [3] Ilsey Juber. FTP. [4] Chick Corea. FTP as Orebolo. [5] Unfinished. [6] Chris Thompson. FTP. [7] Tears For Fears. [8] Grateful Dead.
February 9, 2024 Orebolo, The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY, USA
Set 1: Mr. Action, Jack-A-Roe[1], Dr. Darkness[2], Flodown, Hang Me, Oh Hang Me[3], Creatures[4], Don’t Be Cruel[5], Louise[6], It Burns Within, Animal Set 2: Hungersite, Red Bird, Seekers On The Ridge Part I > Seekers On The Ridge Part II, Echo of a Rose[7], Love More[8], Tennessee Jed[9], This Old Sea, The Empress Of Organos Encore: Silver Rising Coach’s Notes: [1] Traditional. [2] FTP as Orebolo. [3] Dave Van Ronk. [4] Unfinished. [5] Elvis Presley. FTP as Orebolo. [6] Bonnie Raitt. [7] Fast version. [8] Sharon Van Etten. FTP. [9] Grateful Dead.
February 10, 2024 Orebolo, The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY, USA
Set 1: Liza Jane[1], The Whales, Atlas Dogs[2] > California Magic, All I Need[3], Moonrise, I’m Writing A Novel[4], Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis[5], Rockdale Set 2: Thatch, True Love Waits[6], Man of Constant Sorrow[7], Lead Up, (Marie’s The Name) His Latest Flame[8], Everything Must Go, Dripfield, Ship Of Fools[9], Madhuvan Encore: U.S. Blues Coach’s Notes:
[1] Traditional. FTP as Orebolo. [2] FTP as Orebolo. [3] Slow, melodic version. With Secret Agent Man tease. [4] Father John Misty. [5] Tom Waits. [6] Radiohead. FTP. [7] Dick Burnett. FTP. [8] Elvis Presley. [9] Grateful Dead.
Carnegie Hall will celebrate an iconic show business duo, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé, this Valentine’s Day. The Hall will host a private reception on Wednesday, February 14 in their Susan W. Rose Archives as The Lawrence Family Foundation honors Steve & Eydie with a generous endowment contribution to the Carnegie Hall Education Endowment Fund.
Steve and Eydie were 1950s hits, where they performed for decades on various shows beginning with Tonight Starring Steve Allen. The duo would perform musically in the big band, swing, and doo-wop styles. Together, the duo became iconic, and their impact lasts to this day. The duo left an indelible impression on popular music.
The celebration will showcase an orchestra conducted by the couple’s son David Lawrence. Alongside David will be Tony Award-winner Debbie Gravitte. Together, they will honor Steve and Eydie by playing and performing their classic hits from back in the day.
“As native New Yorkers, we know that Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gormé’s Carnegie Hall concerts in the 1980s represented a special musical homecoming for both of them, even after they had experienced so many great successes across the music world. Fans absolutely loved their Carnegie Hall performances, now considered a cherished part of the Hall’s history. We’re very grateful to the Lawrence family for honoring their legacy in this meaningful way, providing generous support that will help young musicians as they prepare to take to Carnegie Hall’s stage and beyond.”
Clive Gillinson, Carnegie Hall’s Executive and Artistic Director
For tickets, ranging from $59 – $129, visit CarnegieHall.org or visit the Carnegie Hall Box Office (at West 57th Street and Seventh Ave).
Bassekou Kouyate is a musician from Mali, Africa and a world-renowned ngoni player. The ngoni is an ancient west-African instrument similar to a guitar or lute. Bassekou is widely regarded as a true master of the instrument. Bassekou Kouyate plays in a band named, “Ngoni Ba.”
Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba will be playing at The Falcon in Marlboro on February 15, and Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs on February 16.
Musical influences
In 1982/83, Kouyate left his village and went to Bamako where he began playing with Toumani Diabate, a revered Malian kora player. Working with Toumani, he met many fine musicians.
In 1990 he was invited to a large gathering of banjo players in Tennessee. The trip was monumental as it marked not only his first time leaving Mali, but his first time visiting the U.S. The American banjo players wanted to know where the banjo came from. They knew that the ngoni is considered an ancestor of the banjo, which came from Africa, but wanted to meet someone from Africa who played it and could speak to its history.
It was at this gathering that he first met Taj Mahal and Bela Fleck. (seen below with Taj Mahal in New Orleans in 2023). There were more than 800 banjo & ngoni players together at this gathering. Taj sang the blues for him, and Bassekou returned the favor, which proved to be a very powerful experience for Bassekou and had a huge influence on his approach to playing.
Griots
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3yYmFwGDywGriots speak at marriages, baptisms, funerals, referencing the history and deeds of the family in question. They are there to help resolve problems between husband and wife, or neighbors, or friends.
Nick Motto: What does it mean to you to be a griot?
Bassekou: Griots are the guardians of tradition in Bamana society in Mali. I am very proud to carry on that tradition.
Bassekou’s father, grandfather, and back hundreds of years, were all griots, and he knows that history well. In fact, His family was the first to be counsellors to the founding king of the Malian Empire, the famous Sundiata Keita, in the 12th century.
Ngoni Ba: One cannot become a griot, one has to be born into a griot family. The lineages of current griots in Mali can be traced back hundreds of years.
Bassekou: Being a griot is like being a mayor. People come and ask for help, and as a griot it is your duty to help them.
Collaborations
Bassekou loved playing music with his father and grandfather. Their notes were organically in synch with one another.
He also adored playing with Ali Farka Touré, who he says “had a good heart”.
Ali told him, “The black world now knows you are here,” urged him to develop his career and offered to help him find a good producer. He invited Bassekou to play on his Savane album after a mere 10 minutes of rehearsal, telling Bassekou that it was “his turn now”.
Bassekou highly values his collaboration with Béla Fleck who he says “plays fluidly and flawlessly”.
Taj Mahal is like family to Bassekou. And because Taj looks like Sekou Batourou Kouyate – a close relative who was an extraordinary ngoni and kora player – Bassekou sees him as a ‘brother’ from West African ancestry. “It’s as if we had the same mother, same father, …. He’s like a big brother to me and I love to collaborate with him.”
Bassekou Kouyate and his band Ngoni Ba
To find out more information about Bassekou Kouyate, his future shows and musical releases, visit his website here.
To purchase tickets for Bassekou and Ngoni Ba at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs, visit here.
The LOVE ROCKS NYC 2024 benefit concert for God’s Love We Deliver has announced its star-studded lineup – happening live from the historic Beacon Theatre on Thursday, March 7.
LOVE ROCKS NYC launched in 2017, and has since raised more than $30 million to date and helped fund more than three million meals for New Yorkers in need. The benefit concert highlights God’s Love We Deliver’s mission of providing meals and nutrition counseling for people living with severe illness in the New York Metropolitan area. The not-for-profit was founded in 1985 as a response to the AIDS pandemic, now serving people living with more than 200 different diagnoses, home-delivering more than four million medically tailored meals to more than 14,700 individuals last year.
The concert is executive produced by iconic international fashion designer John Varvatos, NYC Douglas Elliman real estate broker and prominent concert producer Greg Williamson, and esteemed concert/events producer Nicole Rechter and is hosted by Conan O’Brien, Tracy Morgan, and Jim Gaffigan.
For the eighth anniversary, the LOVE ROCKS NYC 2024 all-star lineup, led by Music Director and Band Leader Will Lee (The CBS Orchestra), will feature The Black Keys, Hozier, Nile Rodgers, Tom Morello, Don Felder, Bettye Lavette, Joss Stone, Allison Russell, Emily King, Marcus King, Lucius, Larkin Poe, Trombone Shorty, Luke Spiller (The Struts), Quinn Sullivan, Bernie Williams and more announced soon.
The past seven LOVE ROCKS NYC benefit concerts have featured outstanding music stars, including Keith Richards, Jon Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews, Robert Plant, James Taylor, Joe Walsh, Emmylou Harris, Warren Haynes, Ziggy Marley, Cyndi Lauper, Heart and John Mayer Trio, Andra Day, Sara Bareilles, Leon Bridges, Nathaniel Rateliff, Maggie Rose, Ledisi, The War and Treaty, and more.
The outstanding house band will include Steve Gadd (James Taylor, Paul Simon), Shawn Pelton (Saturday Night Live), Larry Campbell (Levon Helm, Bob Dylan), Eric Krasno (Soulive, Phil Lesh & Friends), Pedrito Martinez (Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Camila Cabello), Jeff Babko (Jimmy Kimmel Live), Michael Bearden (Lady Gaga) and a six-piece horn section.
God’s Love We Deliver pre-sale tickets go live on Thursday, February 8 at 10:00 am ET, and public tickets go live on Friday, February 9 at 10:00 a.m. ET through www.ticketmaster.com. For more information, please visit here.
Winter’s Dream at Lake George will host Tri-County United Way for a night of family fun and fundraising on February 13. Each ticket for this special event will include admission, parking, a welcome gift, and unlimited hot beverages courtesy of Giuseppe’s Restaurant.
Lake George Winter’s Dream is located in the courtyards of the Fort William Henry Historic Fortress. Winter’s Dream encapsulates all the magic and whimsy of the winter season. With a variety of multimedia installations that create an immersive, dreamlike experience, Winter’s Dream is exactly where one should be during the winter season.
The event is one for all ages, as every participant will end up feeling like a child in the wintertime anyway. The attraction boasts a grand nostalgic atmosphere with original music, lights, and six immersive installations. Installations include, First Snow, Winter Woods, Frozen Lake, Full Moons, Dreamscapes and Cabin of Dreams.
Winter’s Dream will feature shows throughout the evening from 6:15 pm to 8:00 pm. The price per person is $29.90. Tri-County United Way extends its heartfelt gratitude to the Warren County Winter Coalition for partnering on this incredible initiative.
Each ticket will benefit five dollars to Tri-County United Way and its network of partner agencies. To buy tickets to the United Way event, visit: https://wintersdream.com/unitedway.
In the midst of a massive, 58-date trek across the United States, Go Ahead And Die (GAAD) brought their Unhealthy Mechanisms Tour 2024 to Dingbatz in Clifton, New Jersey this past Friday night. February 9.
Formed in Phoenix, Arizona in 2020, GAAD features iconic vocalist and guitarist Max Cavalera (co-founder of Sepultura) and his son, singer/guitarist, Igor Amadeus Cavelara. The thrash metal outfit is rounded out by Johnny Valles (Black Braid, Healing Magic) behind the kit and touring bassist Jackie Cruz, best known for her work with Jade Helm.
Max Cavalera of GAAD | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger
Touring in support of their sophomore album (Unhealthy Mechanisms, Nuclear Blast Records) released in October 2023, GAAD were supported by Bodybox, a slam death metal foursome hailing from Orlando, Florida.
After a brief delay due to a technical difficulty with the sound system, GAAD took the stage at 10:10 pm and got right down to business. A circle mosh pit of already sweaty bodies – a direct result of Bodybox’s preceding performance – quickly re-formed in front of the intimate stage, as less brave souls seeking shelter (present company included!) scurried to the sidelines.
Igor Amadeus Cavalera of GAAD | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger
The 15 song, 70–minute set of punk-like infused energy was highlighted by aggressive lyrics, frenetic guitar riffs, distorted bass lines and smash-mouth drumming from select Unhealthy Mechanisms tracks (ten in total), with five more lifted from their self-titled, debut studio album released in 2021.
Watch GAAD perform their opening two numbers at Dingbatz, “Desert Carnage” and “Split Scalp,” below.
Go Ahead And Die Setlist: Desert Carnage > Split Scalp > Tumors > Truckload Full of Bodies > Toxic Freedom > No Easy Way Out > M.D.A. (Most Dangerous Animal) > Chasm > I.C.E. Cage > Prophet’s Prey > Cyber Slavery > Worth Less Than Piss > Blast Zone > Unhealthy Mechanisms > Drug-O-Cop
UPCOMING GO AHEAD AND DIE TOUR DATES
2/13 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall 2/14 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground 2/15 – Syracuse, NY @ The Song & Dance 2/16 – Buffalo, NY @ Rec Room 2/17 – Mechanicsburg, PA @ Lovedrafts 2/18 – New Kensington, PA @ Preserving Underground 2/20 – Columbus, OH @ Skully’s Music Diner 2/21 – Flint, MI @ Machine Shop 2/22 – Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle Brewing 2/23 – Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s 2/24 – McHenry, IL @ The Vixen 2/25 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club 2/26 – Fargo, ND @ The Aquarium 2/27 – Des Moines, IA @ xBK 2/28 – Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar 2/29 – Omaha, NE @ Wating Room 3/01 – Denver, CO @ HQ 3/02 – Greeley, CO @ Moxi Theater 3/05 – Grand Junction, CO @ Mesa Theater 3/06 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall 3/07 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux 3/08 – Seattle, WA @ Substation 3/09 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre 3/10 – Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall 3/11 – Redding, CA @ The Dip 3/12 – Roseville, CA @ Goldfield Trading Post 3/14 – San Jose, CA @ The Ritz 3/15 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Atrium At The Catalyst 3/16 – Fresno, CA @ Strummer’s 3/18 – Bakersfield, CA @ Temblor Brewing 3/19 – North Hollywood, CA @ Knitting Factory 3/20 – Palmdale, CA @ Transplants Brewing 3/21 – Long Beach, CA @ Alex’s Bar 3/22 – Pomona, CA @ Glass House Concert Hall 3/23 – Yuma, AZ @ Red Moon Ale House 3/24 – Jerome, AZ @ Puscifer The Store
New York City’s Terminal 5 was packed on Friday, February 9 as R&B star Tinashe played to a sold-out crowd. The singer-songwriter’s current tour showcases her sixth studio album, BB/Ang3l, which was released in September, 2023.
Tinashe — Photo by Molly Higgins
The energy in the 3,000-capacity venue was electric as Tinashe’s stylish fans packed in, and the crowd eagerly shouted along with a projected digital countdown in the minutes before she took the stage.
Tinashe emerged on top of a towering platform washed in blue light to sing her first song, “Treason.” She disappeared momentarily before reappearing at center stage, flanked by a group of athletic backup dancers, and transitioning into her upbeat track “X.”
The choreography for Tinashe’s BB/Ang3l tour is sharp and energetic, and looked truly effortless on the artist, who has been training in dance since the age of four. The crowd went wild with nearly every move Tinashe hit, and she worked the stage with a cool, laser-sharp focus.
The BB/Ang3l tour will continue through mid April, culminating in Tinashe’s set at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Tinashe Terminal 5 Setlist: Treason, X, None of My Business, Talk to Me Nice, Life’s Too Short, Throw a Fit, HMU For a Good Time, Die a Little Bit, Stormy Weather, Bouncin, Link Up, Cash Race, Sunburn, Cold Sweat, The Worst in Me, Unconditional, Story of Us, 2 On, Rascal (Superstar), Gold Teeth, Uh Huh, Ghetto Boy, SHY GUY, Tightrope, Gravity/Superlove, Needs/All Hands on Deck
It was a headbangers ball on Saturday, Feb. 10, as Disturbed brought their Take Back Your Life Tour to the sold-out Mohegan Sun Arena in support of their new record, Divisive which was released last year. Disturbed’s tour was announced back in October of 2023 and featured 23 cities, with this show in Uncasville, Connecticut, being the halfway marker.
Disturbed, out of Chicago, Illinois, features Dan Donegan on guitar, Mike Wengren on the drums, with David Draiman on lead vocals and John Moyer on bass. This lineup has been together since 2004 after Moyer replaced Steve “Fuzz” Kmak.
As fans took a pause from their slot machines and rolling dice and filled into the arena, which sits at the heart of the casino, fans were greeted with the first of three bands of the night. The first group was the all-female band Plush. As the female foursome plugged in their guitars, they created a wall of sound behind the beautiful vocals of lead singer, Moriah Formica.
Despite the band only having a short seven-song setlist, they left their impact on the crowd. Fans who weren’t familiar with them were won over after hearing the group’s rendition of “Barracuda” by Heart which originally appeared on the band’s 1977 record, Little Queen. By the end of the set, fans headbanging and raising their fists in the air. It would be a surprise to no one if in a few years from now, Plush worked their way up the band bill to becoming the middle act and graduating to larger venues.
Rounding out Plush with Formica is Bella Perron on lead guitar, Ashley Suppa on bass guitar, and Faith Powell on the drums.
Following Plush’s set was the 2008 band Falling in Reverse. While the band is slightly different from the metal genre of Disturbed, Falling in Reverse brought hard rock and catchy choruses to the crowd and played their part well as the middle act. While lead singer Ronnie Radke is the only original member left, his energy alone was awe-inspiring.
Radke took fans down memory lane citing that the band used to play at the legendary Toad’s Place in New Haven, Connecticut, before upgrading to the Mohegan Sun Arena. Throughout the hour-long set, some mega fans in the general admission pit were screaming along to every song until the band took their final bow of the night.
Joining Radke in Falling in Reverse is Max Georgiev and Christian Thompson on guitars, with Tyler Burgess on bass and touring drummer Luke Holland.
As the clock struck 9 p.m. and the house lights dimmed to show a blank curtain with the shadows of the band, the thunderous roar from the crowd surged from the back and upper rafters to the front of the stage as the spotlights shot on. The curtain dropped and the metal masters of Disturbed greeted the Uncasville audience.
The band kicked off their pre-Super Bowl party with “Hey You,” off of the aforementioned Divisive. The band played 17 songs with at least one song off every album of theirs being played, making sure to accommodate every fan of every era of the band. In KISS-like fashion, a spectacular light show was rigged behind them with pyrotechnics and fire beaming out throughout the night.
As the band plunged further into their set, Donegan sat down at a piano with the top on fire and was accompanied by two string orchestra players. The band then began to play their famous cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Sound of Silence,” which can be heard on Disturbed’s 2015 album, Immortalized. The bone-chilling cover of this classic song also featured Wengren on giant symphony drums as the crowd once again screamed and cheered for a song they know extremely well.
As the band played on into the night they came to song number 15 in their set which was “Don’t Tell Me.” The studio version of their new album features Ann Wilson of Heart but this time, Moriah Formica of Plush made her triumphant return to the stage for her curtain call duet with Draiman. Throughout the night, Draiman would preach to the fans about fighting addiction and illness and claiming fans are “not alone” in the fight against mental illness which provided a sense of comradery and togetherness amongst the sold-out crowd.
As the band was transitioning into the second to last song of the set, Draiman hopped off stage to approach a young fan along the barricade in the front who, for the entire night, was holding a photo of a boy. The girl, who went by the name of Kailey, announced to the crowd that the boy’s name was Mark Rivers and he “lost his battle with addiction.”
While the two were interacting, what once was a loud arena filled with the sounds of heavy metal became as quiet as a church, you could hear the breath of fans around you. Before the band played “The Light,” Draiman brought Kailey on stage and dedicated the song to Rivers. Around the arena, you could see people shedding tears and embracing their loved ones beside them as they witnessed the heartfelt moment between the band and a fan in front of them.
As the band played their final notes, a moment of realization clicked in. Music is a force that joins people together. Music and concerts, in general, are an event and spectacle that bring out their emotions as a force that can heal fans no matter what they’re going through. The moment that a person’s favorite band is on stage, the music has the utmost power to heal and guide fans out of the darkest holes they might be in.
Disturbed was no different, through the headbanging and mosh pits of the GA section, to the harmony brought on by the band and one girl’s unifying story. Fans of all bands and all music, whether it was their first or ninth time seeing Disturbed, left Mohegan Sun Arena with hope and love in their hearts as Disturbed not only brought metal to Connecticut but a lasting impression that there is still good left in the world.
Plush Setlist: Athena, Champion, Run, Barracuda (Heart cover), Hate, Hope It Hurts, Left Behind
Falling in Reverse Setlist: Zombified, I’m Not a Vampire, Losing My Mind, Fuck You and All Your Friends, The Drug in Me Is You, Just Like You, Popular Monster, Voices in My Head, Watch the World Burn
Disturbed Setlist: Hey You, Stupify, Ten Thousand Fists, Prayer, The Vengeful One, Bad Man, A Reason to Fight, Land of Confusion (Genisis cover), The Game, The Sound of Silence, Indestructible, Don’t Tell Me, The Light, Stricken, Unstoppable, Down With the Sickness, Inside the Fire
