Brooklyn-based soft rock/indie artist Harrison Lipton has released his latest single “On My Own” which masks post-breakup sadness with cheeky humor.
Musical jack-of-all-trades Harrison Lipton releases his cheeky new breakup anthem “On My Own” via Amuse. The facetious, 70s-inspired dad rock song uses the all too familiar coping mechanism of poking fun at inherent sadness to make it through the day. His voice full of smooth earnestness, Lipton ushers listeners towards the greener grass on the other side. Harrison Lipton is a 30-year-old singer, songwriter and producer. The Brooklyn artist’s musical flair resides in the intersection of indie, R&B and 70s soft rock.
Now with the focus shifted to his own releases, Lipton unveiled “Synchronized Swimming,” with its captivating accompanying music video, back in September. Exploring romance coyly nestled within the metaphor of synchronized swimming, listeners witness Lipton’s proven songwriting and production talent in raw form. Complete with dusty piano, laid-back Khruangbin-like drums, and an underwater guitar solo, the final touch is the perfect pairing of background vocals from MICHELLE’s Layla Ku. “On My Own” keeps building the world “Synchronized Swimming” started, putting forth a distinctly clean and modernized late 70s aesthetic.
Lipton prides himself on fully realizing a track from start to finish, leading the charge with songwriting, producing, and mixing, as well as creative direction. Lipton’s music is a product of his singular imagination, presenting a style that is sincere, authentic and all his own.
His music has been featured in NPR and Early Rising as well as on numerous editorial playlists such as Apple Music’s Late-Night Menu and Spotify’s Fresh Finds and Chill Vibes. Now focusing on new singles leading toward a larger project, Lipton emerges as a promising and unique voice, blending soulful vocals with singular and catchy production.
For more information on Harrison Lipton and to lend an ear to some of his recent works, click here.
Park Avenue Armory in NYC has announced its 2025 season that features bold, transformative artistic experiences from various notable names – Yoko Ono, Jamie xx, and Anne Imhof – among the many.
Comprised predominantly of world and North American premieres, the 2025 season builds on the Armory’s history of presenting masterpieces in spatial music, site-specific concert experiences, genre-defying theatrical works, and elevating singular artistic perspectives from across the world. In the expansive Wade Thompson Drill Hall, these productions will engage with the Armory’s iconic architecture in unexpected ways, offering unique settings for audiences to experience music, photography, and performance.
The historic period rooms will host intimate Recital Series performances and Artists Studio programs curated by Jason Moran, showcasing the talents of visionary artists across genres. These programs will be complemented by Making Space at the Armory, a series of talks and symposia.
Jamie xx
The Armory’s 2025 Wade Thompson Drill Hall programming begins in January with Jamie xx’s In Waves, a co-presentation with Bowery Presents that launches the North American tour for the artist’s first solo album in 10 years. Returning to the Armory following his sold-out residency with The xx in 2014, Jamie xx will perform a career-spanning set with an emphasis on his newest album, In Waves, which captures the bliss, volatility, and introspection of a night out.
Revolutionary artist and activist Yoko Ono will bring the largest installation to date in North America of her ongoing work Wish Tree to the Armory in February. Featuring a grove of 92 trees installed in the Wade Thompson Drill Hall to mark the artist’s 92nd birthday, the work will invite visitors to write and attach wishes to the branches, creating a large-scale yet personal activation. Ono’s work will be the topic of a two-day symposium as part of the Armory’s Making Space series, which will emphasize her legacy of advancing female empowerment, creativity, and peace.
Yoko Ono
Multifaceted contemporary artist Anne Imhof will transform the Armory with her new performance piece DOOM. Working across painting, drawing, video, music, and sculpture, Imhof is best known for creating large scale installations that meld various media, including endurance performance, to create singular compositions— one of which, Faust, received the Golden Lion at the 2017 Venice Biennale. Commissioned specifically for the Armory and curated by Klaus Biesenbach, DOOM marks Imhof’s largest performative work to date and will take over the Drill Hall. This sequential, durational performance punctuated by dramatic tableaux vivants of performers, sound, and scenography, will invite audiences into a shared experience that juxtaposes apathy and anxiety with resistance and optimism.
One of the most original and influential photographers of the twentieth century, Diane Arbus captured the wide breadth of humanity in postwar America with iconic documentary-style photographs that continue to resonate with artists and viewers today. Following Arbus’ death in 1971, a photographer and student of hers Neil Selkirk began printing for the Arbus Estate and remains the only person authorized to create prints from her negatives. Presented at the Armory in its North American premiere, Constellation brings together all prints from the set of more than 450 that Selkirk produced—the largest and most complete assemblage of Arbus’s work to date. Presented as an unconventional “constellation” of photographs, the exhibition invites visitors to wander freely among the works, revealing new connections between the images and highlighting the imperceptible architecture of chance, chaos, and exploration that underlies all creations.
Tickets for each show are sold on the Park Avenue Armory website – for more information on the upcoming 2025 season and to purchase tickets, click here.
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.
Swept Away, the new Broadway musical featuring the music of the beloved folk-rock band The Avett Brothers, opened on Tuesday, November 19 at the Longacre Theatre to a roaring standing ovation. The Avett Brothers joined the cast on stage for a special curtain call performance of the show’s title track.
Photo by Alyssa Greenberg
The production incorporates songs from The Avett Brothers’ 2004 album, Mignonette, and others in their catalogue, plus one new song – “Lord Lay Your Hand on My Shoulder” – written by Seth Avett expressly for the production. The principal cast members, reprising their roles from the show’s previous sold-out and critically acclaimed runs at Berkeley Repertory in 2022 and Washington DC’s Arena Stage in 2023, include Tony Award winner John Gallagher, Jr. (Spring Awakening), Tony Award nominee Stark Sands (Kinky Boots), Adrian Blake Enscoe (Apple TV+’s Dickinson), and Wayne Duvall (1984). On Friday, November 22, The Avett Brothers will again join the Swept Away principals for a performance on NBC’s Today Show.
The anticipated Broadway debut of Swept Away is the latest in a highlight-filled year for The Avett Brothers. In May, they released their first new album in five years, The Avett Brothers– now a Grammy nominee for Best Recording Package – followed by an extensive US tour.
Swept Away is “a spellbinding tale” (The Washington Post) of shipwreck, salvation and brotherhood set on the high seas.
An odyssey of “mythic proportions” (San Francisco Chronicle), Swept Away features a book by Tony Award® winner John Logan (Red, Moulin Rouge! The Musical), direction by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening, American Idiot) and choreography by Tony Award nominee David Neumann (Hadestown).
The Swept Away ensemble includes Josh Breckenridge, Hunter Brown, Matt DeAngelis, Cameron Johnson, Brandon Kalm, Rico LeBron, Michael J. Mainwaring, Orville Mendoza, Chase Peacock, Tyrone L. Robinson, David Rowen and John Sygar. Swings include John Michael Finley and Robert Pendilla.
The Swept Away creative team includes Tony Award-winning set designer Rachel Hauck, Tony Award-winning costume designer Susan Hilferty, four-time Tony Award-winning lighting designer Kevin Adams, Tony Award-winning sound designer John Shivers, music arranger & orchestrator Chris Miller, music arranger & orchestrator/music supervisor Brian Usifer, music director Will Van Dyke, and casting director Jim Carnahan, Jillian Cimini, and Alexandre Bleau, CSA.
Swept Away is produced on Broadway by Matthew Masten, Sean Hudock and Madison Wells Live. Wagner Johnson Productions serve as Executive Producers.
In a move that has drawn criticism from concertgoers on social media, Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) has announced that patrons to Live Nation shows will no longer be allowed to bring in outside chairs for lawn seating.
Instead, patrons of Live Nation shows will have to pay $15 if they want to sit on SPAC’s expansive lawn.
photo by Shawn LaChapelle
While anger has been directed towards SPAC for this new policy, it should be noted that this policy exists at all venues that partner with Live Nation, and the new chair rule only affects shows put on by Live Nation at SPAC.
Personal chairs will continue to be allowed for events produced by SPAC, such as Saratoga Jazz Festival, performances by the Philadelphia Orchestra, as well as the New York City Ballet.
While deterring chairs could assist shows that are among the most packed (e.g. FarmAid and Dead and Company) some shows in recent years have seen the pathway at the back of the lawn nearly disappear in a sea of chairs with fans shuffling through dimly lit rows.
FarmAid at SPAC – photo by Derek Java
$15 not only represents the rental fee, but roughly the cost to buy a personal chair one may wish to bring into the venue. For some, the Live Nation chairs are not preferable, and SPAC has a long history of allowing blankets, chairs and other items that aid in the enjoyment of events at SPAC without having to pay additional costs beyond the ticket price. For reference, the rental chairs are 27.6” wide X 27.6” deep X 30.5” tall, per Live Nation.
A pricetag of $15 is comparable to the price of a single alcoholic beverage sold at the concesssion stands at SPAC.
FarmAid at SPAC – photo by Zak Radick
Fans on social media sounded off on the change:
“It’s over. Support local musicians and venues” said Dan Dearstyne, while Rose Brennan noted “Well, that is just unreasonable. If they cannot control ticket sales, they shouldn’t punish the patrons. Dumb decision, imho. Glad I saw Willie last year there.”
Others focused on Live Nation’s role, calling the ban on personal chairs a “money grab,” and “corporate greed,” citing the monopoly that Live Nation has on concert venues like SPAC. Tim Jeavons echoed many sentiments, saying, “In terms of greed, Live Nation makes Big Pharma look like a charity.”
Read the new rules for Live Nation shows at SPAC, as well as other events where outside chairs are still permitted.
The Caroga Arts Collective has announced that Colleen Ioele-DeCristofaro’s American Dream TV segment featuring the Caroga Lake Music Festival will air on the Travel Channel this Friday, November 22 at 7:00am EST.
Originally part of The American Dream Network, the feature offers a look at the unique cultural experiences cultivated by the Caroga Lake Music Festival, spotlighting the vibrant arts scene, historic Sherman’s Park, and the natural beauty of the Caroga Lake region.
“Having this segment broadcast on the Travel Channel is an extraordinary opportunity to share the magic of Caroga Arts with a national audience,” said Kyle Price, Founder & Artistic Director of the Caroga Arts Collective. “We are deeply grateful to Colleen Ioele-DeCristofaro for her outstanding work and to the Travel Channel for showcasing our story.”
Audiences nationwide can tune in live or set their DVRs to experience this special presentation celebrating music, community, and the stunning Adirondack setting—including the historic Sherman’s— that inspires the Caroga Lake Music Festival.
Founded in 2012, Caroga Arts presents over 50 performances and community events each year, welcoming more than 150 artists from around the world to the Southern Adirondacks. Caroga Arts focuses on revitalizing the region through community outreach, partnerships with local businesses and non-profit organizations, and arts education programming for youth and adults.
Legendary rock band Blue Öyster Cult has announced the release of a live performance video for 2020 track, “The Alchemist.”
Riding the triumphant success of their 50th Anniversary celebration, Blue Öyster Cult is rolling into the release of ‘50th Anniversary Live – Third Night,’ the final installment of the live album celebrating the band’s 50th Anniversary. This electrifying performance, which includes the band’s third album ‘Secret Treaties’ performed back-to-back, is set to hit the shelves on December 13, 2024, and promises to be a spectacular follow-up to the band’s historic three-night stint at Sony Hall in NYC. Today, in anticipation of the album’s release, Blue Öyster Cult share a new live performance video for “The Alchemist”.
Blue Öyster Cult’s legacy spans over five decades, captivating fans with intelligent hard rock loaded with classic songs. Hailing from Long Island, NY, the band is renowned in the hard rock and heavy metal scene for their pioneering work, earning both critical acclaim and commercial success. Cited as a major influence by acts like Metallica, BOC boasts a timeless catalog, including iconic tracks like “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper,” “Godzilla,” and “Burnin’ for You.” The creative vision of the original core duo, Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser and Eric Bloom, is complemented by Richie Castellano, Danny Miranda, and Jules Radino, forming a powerhouse lineup.
As the band embraces its status as a ‘classic rock’ phenomenon, they continue to create vibrant work, offering a refreshing alternative to mainstream trends. With a relentless touring schedule and the critically acclaimed 2020 album The Symbol Remains which contains “The Alchemist,” Blue Öyster Cult remains an enduring force, ready to ignite the stage once again with the upcoming release of 50th Anniversary Live – Third Night. With the release of a live performance of “The Alchemist,” the band celebrates their 2020 success along with the anticipated success of their upcoming 50th anniversary live album.
For more information on Blue Öyster Cult, their upcoming works, and to watch their live performance of “The Alchemist,” click here.
Two years after her passing, we finally have a bio of Fleetwood Mac’s beautiful songstress.
Also an artist and sculptor, Christine McVie was a master at crafting sunny seventies perfect pop songs despite experiencing quite a bit of loss through life and despite her leanings towards blues in her early days as a musician in London. In contrast to some of her band mates known for their songs infused with the pain of relationships ending, Christine’s songs predominately were about the hopes and joys of love. The official video of Love Shines from the 1992 album 25 Years – The Chain; Fleetwood Mac’s 50 Yearsis a perfect example of that.
Over My Head, from their 1975 self titled album was the song played on American radio that really brought Fleetwood Mac to our attention in a big way after various line-up changes and started Fleetwood Mac’s quick ascension up the charts and into history as one of the world’s favorite and best selling bands of all time; a song she was quoted as saying was in part, about Lindsey Buckingham. By 1977 they would be the biggest band in the world.
Starting with Chicken Shack in her teens during the 60s, Christine had to endure traveling and playing in some pretty seedy places in the UK and Germany first. Paying off, it earned her 1969 and 1970’s Female Vocalist of the Year in a Melody Maker Reader’s Poll.
Some speculate that the sublime Songbird, perhaps her best known and signature song from the Rumours album, may have been about her mother and processing loss. This song is said to have come to her in a flash of inspiration, she had said frequently that she had no idea where it came from, but that it was an almost spiritual experience, having been delivered to her. If listening to the song now with that perspective, the song does take on an almost spiritual and very emotional meaning.
We have in her own words, what it was like to tour so much and for long with this book.
To many, Fleetwood Mac had the coolest existence; their excessive appetites and habits are legendary; they lived together at some pretty interesting manor houses over several countries while making albums, some of which were reputed to be haunted. Musicians who come from nothing and rise beyond their wildest dreams are fascinating to read about.
The author’s lively language is engaging and indicative of the friendship she had with Christine McVie, along with her extensive knowledge of the music scene of the 1950s to the 1970s in London. Christine had also been speaking about writing a memoir, but it was not to be before her passing. The author, Leslie-Ann Jones has been featured on television music documentaries, and has also written biographies of John Lennon, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie and Freddie Mercury.
In this book, many often overlooked details of Christine’s solo work are discussed, such as her 1985 cover of Elvis’s Can’t Help Falling in Love for the movie A Fine Mess.
As the author had personal access to Christine over the years, the book has first hand knowledge of areas of the musician’s life that fans will find interesting. Credited many times as being the peacekeeper of the band, except for one episode of violence, the details of that scenario at Christine’s house are laid out. Photos of her English manor house and the renovation project that Christine embarked on after being in the states for 28 years, as well as how she spent some of her free time and with whom she socialized, show another side of her creativity.
Little known details of Fleetwood Mac’s dynamics and betrayals are included to delve into; the difficulties in being married to someone in the same band as her for example.
Before being interested in John McVie, Christine had first been enamored with Peter Green, who unfortunately dealt with the consequences of imbibing hallucinatory substances.
Christine has been on record for stating that Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys was the love of her life, and that ill-fated romance and her reaction upon learning of his death are detailed here in Christine’s own words, as well as the songs she wrote about him.
Fleetwood Mac was a group of creatives who made music magic. As we continue to mourn the loss of a gifted musician and songwriter, her legacy is her music being with us forever and continuing to be loved by newer generations.
On Saturday, November 16 Dylan Gossett and Waylon Wyatt played a sold-out show at Irving Plaza. Gossett is currently nearing the end of his “The Back 40 Tour” and was joined by Waylon Wyatt for the last group of shows.
An 18 year-old county/folk singer from Arkansas, Waylon Wyatt began gaining popularity after posting his songs on social media. He later released his first two singles “Everything Under the Sun” & “Arkansas Diamond” in 2023. Over the summer he released his first EP Till the Sun Goes Down, consisting of eight songs, and just announced his first headlining tour. Waylon later met fans at the merch table and was joined by his father, who was proudly watching and recording his entire set. The two gave fans an experience of meeting their favorite artist, a rare opportunity today.
A Country singer from Texas, Dylan Gossett gained popularity when his single “Coal”, a song recorded on his laptop, broke into the Billboard Hot 100. Gossett got his start by sharing covers on social media, however he hooked fans with his beautiful lyrical ability. A year later Gossett sold out Irving Plaza and had the whole venue singing lyrics back to him like, “They say pressure makes diamonds. How the hell am I still coal?” (Coal) and “Well, a quarter in a fountain means that people still have dreams.” (No Better Time). The media began noticing the comparisons between Dylan Gossett and Zach Bryan’s writing styles, giving Gossett even more popularity. Gossett’s most recent release “Tree Birds” has fans awaiting a debut album.
Dylan Gossett and Waylon Wyatt are both set to play at Stagecoach 2025. The two singers fit perfectly together with their similar styles and honest lyrics. Their Irving Plaza concert left fans with a reminder that growth and happiness are often derived from embracing the unknown. Gossett reminds us of this in his song “No Better Time.”
Green River Festival has announced the first headliners and musical acts to be featured in their 2025 lineup. Included among the top artists are Courtney Barnett, Futurebirds, Mt. Joy, and Waxahatchee
Originating as the Upcountry Balloon Fair and local radio station WRSI’s anniversary celebration before merging into the event so many know and love today, the Green River Festival was born of uniquely local roots. Merging in the following years and donning the moniker recognized today, the Festival has grown into an event recognized by the New York Times as one of “fifty essential summer music festivals.”
Featuring a powerful lineup of over 40 acts across four stages in addition to local beverages, bites, handmade crafts from The Makers Market, and a wide variety of children’s activities, the festival is an exciting annual celebration of music and community from Greenfield locals to international names.
Returning for its 39th year, the festival will grace the Franklin County Fairgrounds once more on June 20, 21, and 22. Fresh off of the presses, the first of Green River Festival’s 2025 acts have been announced.
The first headliner comes in the form of Mt. Joy, a Philadelphia and Los Angeles-based indie folk band that have made quite the name for themselves with three remarkably acclaimed albums over the past six years with multiple singles that have reached #1 at AAA Radio and amassed millions of streams to boot.
One of Australia’s most successful internationally performing musical acts and Green River’s second headliner is Courtney Barnett, a deft lyricist and virtuosic guitarist. With a nomination for Best New Artist at the Grammys, several accolades, and five albums under her belt including her iconic 2015 debut Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit and collaboration with Kurt Vile Lotta Sea Lice, Barnett’s set will not be one to miss.
Waxahatchee is Green River Festival’s third headliner, as well as Katie Crutchfield’s musical moniker in which she has explored several genres as a Grammy nominated singer-songwriter. Spanning sounds from lo-fi folk to alternative country, Crutchfield is unafraid of experimentation and has embraced it time and time again over the course of her six critically acclaimed albums.
Southern musician MJ Lenderman got his start as a guitarist in Asheville, North Carolina self-booking tours for his own works and the group Wednesday. After his third solo album, Boat Songs, suddenly caught traction, folks were waiting with bated breath for his next release which would come in the form of Manning Fireworks, 39 minutes of introspection and rusted-wire guitar solos that indie rock fans are sure to enjoy.
Singer-songwriters Julien Baker and TORRES have teamed up for a tour-de-force project that melds their sound from indie-rock to country. Julien Baker, recognizable to most as one-third of the indie powerhouse unit Boygenius alongside Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers, is noted for her personal lyrics and vulnerable delivery floating above everything from just piano and guitar to keyboards and a rhythm section. TORRES’ raw vocals and insightful lyrics are sure to pair perfectly with Baker’s work, introducing folk, electronic, and rock influences to the project.
In addition to the event’s leading names, 2025’s lineup so far includes instrumental trio LA LOM, reggae and hip-hop lyricist Kabada Pyramid, psychedelic funk trio BALTHVS, indie-folk duo Ocie Elliott, roots music icon and western Mass fan favorite Kathleen Edwards, and progressive American roots fusion unit Futurebirds.
Performances can also be expected from the self-produced award-winning guitarist, songwriter, and band leader Grace Bowers (who’s achieved such feats at only 18 years old), Zella Day, Jesse Woods, and Beau Bedford uniting as Chaparelle to highlight Country’s golden age, energetic roots duo AJ Lee & Blue Summit, storytelling folk artist Olive Klug, and folk/country singer-songwriter Merce Lemon.
The excitement doesn’t end here, either- Green River Festival has teased that the announcement of more names and artists is on the horizon. To learn more about the Festival, find out how to attend, and ensure you’re up to date on the latest lineup, check out Green River Festival’s official website here.
Green River Festival 2025 Lineup
AJ Lee & Blue Summit BALTHVS Chaparelle Courtney Barnett Futurebirds Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge Julien Baker & TORRES Kabaka Pyramid Kathleen Edwards LA LOM Merce Lemon MJ Lenderman & The Wind Mo Lowda & the Humble Mt. Joy Ocie Elliott Olive Klug Waxahatchee
