Musical Director Leon Botstein will lead the American Symphony Orchestra in a rare performance of the massive Gurre-Lieder orchestral composition on March 22. The concert will be held at Carnegie Hall and marks the 150-year anniversary of Arnold Schoenberg’s birth.
Performances of Gurre-Lieder are very rare due to its massive orchestral size of over 200 musicians. The American Symphony Orchestra will honor Arnold Schoenberg, the mind behind the cantata.
The performance also celebrates the 150th anniversary of Schoenberg’s birth, and the centennial of Gurre-Lieder’s 1913 world premiere in Vienna. The grand concert also marks the closing of the ASO’s 2023-2024 season at Carnegie Hall.
Arnold Schoenberg
The guest artists of the performance are soprano Felicia Moore, mezzo-soprano Krysty Swan, and tenor Dominic Armstrong. Along with these talented individuals are also tenor Brenton Ryan, bass-baritone Carsten Wittmoser, and bass-baritone Alan Held.
The performance of Gurre-Lieder is nothing short of grand. The American Symphony Orchestra will certainly put on an unforgettable show, with hundreds of talented musicians displaying each intricate sound of the cantata.
The American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall
For more information on ASO, please visit americansymphony.org. To purchase tickets for the March 22 show, click here.
R&B, Pop and Soul artist Sola has released a soothing new single “Look at What I Found” that explores romance and light.
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The NYC-based artist creates music that blends and combines her stunning vocals, remarkable instrumentals, and distinctive songwriting. The single has a really sentimental, nostalgic, “longing for time gone by” vibe. From the beginning to the finish of the song, it is clear that the singer misses someone that they formerly held dear. With soothing guitar tones mixed with a melancholic quality, whether or not a listener agrees with the meaning of the song, it will undoubtedly make them feel a knot in their stomach.
When describing her single, Sola shared that her song “is about what it feels like to fall deeply in love for the first time in your life, when you weren’t supposed to…. It’s inspired by my current two-year relationship with my boyfriend, which was supposed to only be a summer fling for the both of us, as I was moving to Paris in the Fall to study abroad. But that summer turned into something new and beautiful very quickly for us, and I didn’t know what to do about the fact that I was falling in love with someone I’d be leaving in a matter of months…. so I wrote a song about it.”
She added, “It’s about reckoning with past feelings of loneliness and abandonment once they’re met with feelings of love and light. It’s about wanting to feel these feelings for as long as possible, because you know how dark it can be without them and without that person in your life, the one who makes you feel seen….even in the dark”.
Fresh off of a sold-out show opening for Doechii and Earl Sweatshirt at NYC’s Terminal 5, over the course of her musical career, Sola has already won over the hearts of music lovers from all walks of life. She has unique vocals and intimate lyrics that emulate strength and tenderness, as heard in her debut single “In This World.” She has been earning the admiration and affection of fans since she first took the stage at just eight years old. Her debut EP Everything in Between is a culmination of who Sola is, who she strives to be, and everything in between. She treats every performance as if it is her last, entertaining listeners with her unmatched sound, passion, and energy. The singer has also announced the release of new music coming out later this Spring.
“Look at What I Found” from Sola is available to stream everywhere. And for more information about the artist, fans can visit here.
The Caroga Arts String Project & Arts Collaborative Education (SPACE) program has announced Mildred Elley College as its first corporate sponsor. The Faith Ann Takes Family Foundation has already donated $25,000. This will help the program continue its mission of giving students in grades 6 through 12 at Wheelerville and Johnstown Schools instruments, string instruction, and vital mentoring. The String Project & Arts Collaborative Education new program aims to create affordable arts education opportunities for students across Fulton, Montgomery, and Schoharie counties.
Faith Takes serves as Chairwoman of the Board of Empire Education Corporation, the corporate parent of Mildred Elley Colleges.
“We are incredibly grateful for the support of Faith Takes, who share Caroga Arts’ dedication to opening new avenues of opportunity for students in our region,” said Stephanie Price-Wong, Caroga Arts’ Director of Education and Community Engagement. “Their support will amplify the SPACE program as we work to foster local students’ long-lasting appreciation and engagement with the arts.”
All kids participating in the SPACE program in the spring and fall of 2024 will see a significant decrease in tuition and musical instrument costs thanks to the sponsorship, which will open up arts education to families that may not have been able to afford lessons in the past. The Spring 2024 program has already started and is still accepting applications from students in both districts for its first semester. It also plans to schedule performances around the counties of Fulton, Montgomery, and Schoharie.
“It is an honor to be the first corporate sponsor of the SPACE program, helping Caroga Arts enrich the educational experience for students in our area,” said Faith Takes. “Music was a lifesaver for me as a student. I learned the importance of collaborating with others, the discipline of practicing, and learning to express myself through music. We look forward to watching the program’s growth throughout 2024 and beyond.”
Caroga Arts intends to use the SPACE program to offer mentorship workshops and outreach performances that are more easily accessible to all children in Fulton, Montgomery, and Schoharie counties, in addition to weekly in-school classes.
NYC-based Indie-pop group Gramercy Arms has announced the release of their latest single, “After the After Party.” The track is also the opening tune on their upcoming album, The Making Of the Making Of.
The “revolving” collective is masterminded by Dave Derby and producer, Ray Ketchem. The latest single is a yearnful power-pop work of art about regret and missed opportunities. The latest Gramercy Arms track was produced, recorded and mixed by Ray Ketchem at Magic Door Recording in Montclair, NJ. This record was mastered with help from award-winning engineer Greg Calbi.
Gramercy Arms has an interesting ability of making a sad song feel happy, and vice versa. “After the After Party” does exactly that. The tune has upbeat, poppy guitar and vocals, but with a note of melancholy. The indie and alternative guitar tones allow for a glimpse of nostalgic regret to sneak in. Those same guitar tones allow for a summery reminiscence within a soup of blueness.
Stay updated on Gramercy Arms and their upcoming album, The Making Of the Making Of. For more information on the band’s single, and other projects, click here.
In honor of Black History Month, we take a dive into the pivotal people, places, and events that have kept lasting impressions on the culture of America. The Harlem Renaissance was one of the monumental events in history that altered the way we as a collective view the world.
A 1930s photograph of Cafe Society’s packed entrance
With the Harlem Renaissance taking musical culture by storm in the 20s and 30s, musicians and music enjoyers alike found refuge from harsh realities in multi-cultural venues of the time period. These venues were beacons of hope and togetherness, where music was the uniting factor, and the outside world could not penetrate that.
Cafe Society – A Refuge in Greenwich Village
Opening their doors on December 18th, 1938, Cafe Society in Greenwich Village, Manhattan was home to a multitude of unique musicians and comics. The mind behind the club, Jewish shoe salesman Barney Josephson, hailed from Trenton, NJ and was a lover of jazz music.
Barney was incensed at the fact that in the Cotton Club, blacks were limited to the back one-third of the club. It infuriated him that even in their own ghetto they had to deal with this treatment. Of course, in any club below Harlem, which had black entertainment, such as the Kit Kat Club, a Black person couldn’t even get in.
A few notable acts from the era that were no stranger to the venue include Art Tatum, Lena Horne, Sarah Vaughn, Mary Lou Williams, Lester Young, Burl Ives, the Golden Gate Quartet, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald.
An early performance by Billie Holiday at Cafe Society
Racial Harmony in 1938
The Harlem Renaissance saw a monumental explosion of musicianship, racial harmony, and advancements in art. Cafe Society was a perfect example of this. Folks of all races, ethnicities, religions, and art forms attended crowds at Cafe Society. It was a community of tolerance, artistic expression, and racial harmony and prosperity in a time when this was furthest from the norm. The jazz club was a bastion of solitude, a beacon of hope, and mothership of talent.
Barney wanted to create a club so inclusive and so different from the rest and wished to change from the norms that other nearby jazz clubs have set as standard. He wanted to create a place where folks of all races, ethnicities, religions, and orientations could join together and enjoy the music of the city – jazz.
Billie Holiday’s Legendary Start
Billie Holiday, one of the most iconic jazz vocalists of all time, made a significant impact during her early career at Cafe Society. In 1938, she began performing regularly at Cafe Society Downtown, the venue’s location in Greenwich Village. Holiday’s emotionally charged and distinctive voice, coupled with her unique interpretations of jazz standards, quickly garnered admiration.
The intimate layout of Cafe Society allowed her to connect with the audience sharply and meaningfully. Holiday’s performances there contributed significantly to her rise to fame. Billie Holiday performed “Strange Fruit,” a powerful anti-lynching anthem that took the crowd by storm. Billie Holiday’s time at Cafe Society marked a pivotal chapter in her career, showcasing her as a renegade in the jazz world and a courageous voice against social injustice, a common theme of the club.
Far From Typical
Cafe Society’s commitment to left-wing politics was not merely symbolic, it was deeply ingrained in the club’s firmament. Barney Josephson envisioned the club as a space where artists could freely express their political and social views through their performances. The location became a hub for artists and intellectuals sympathetic to leftist causes, such as civil rights, workers’ rights, and anti-fascism. This kind of club was far from the standard and quite eccentric to many. The club hosted acts that addressed these issues in their music and engaged in discussions about social and political matters.
Performers like Billie Holiday, Paul Robeson, and Josh White were known for their activism. These artists found a platform at Cafe Society to use their art as a means of social commentary and political action. The club’s left-wing orientation also extended to its audience, attracting a diverse and politically conscious crowd. In an era marked by racial segregation, Cafe Society stood out as a progressive and inclusive space that challenged norms and ushered in a sense of unity and community among its patrons.
Cafe Society was known as “the right place for the wrong people.” In short, the place was strictly anti-snob, anti-segregation, and anti-standard. The building was draped in eccentric cartoon murals and the club’s doorman was intentionally dressed in raggedy, tarnished clothing to mock the notion that poor folk could not gain entry into the club. Josephson wanted all to know that all were welcome, not just upper-class snobs.
Cafe Society’s Policy
The club had a very unorthodox means of contracting artists. Firstly, Josephson was not a believer of traditional contracts. In fact, there weren’t any. Josephson believed an artist should never be bound to a contract or club, instead he offered long, several-week engagements that would also allow artists to play at other clubs in between.
Along with this, the club was extremely pro-union, something quite rare for the time. Josephson was a committed advocate for workers’ rights and ensured that all the musicians who performed at his club were members of the musicians’ union. This policy helped to guarantee fair wages, reasonable working conditions, and benefits for the artists. In an industry where exploitation of performers was not uncommon, Cafe Society stood out as a venue that prioritized the welfare of its musicians.
Cafe Society’s building today (taken 2024)
The Club’s Closure and Legacy
Cafe Society Jazz Club faced closure due to a combination of financial challenges and changing cultural dynamics. The original Downtown location closed its doors in 1948, primarily attributed to economic struggles and declining attendance. Along with this, the Josephson brothers’ leftist views landed them in hot water with the FBI, specifically his brother Leon. The club struggled to maintain financial viability. New owners eventually took over the club, but it was later closed permanently due to the new owner’s failure to pay back taxes.
The changing cultural landscape, combined with financial difficulties, led to the closure of the Uptown location in 1950. Cafe Society’s legacy, however, endures as a pioneering venue that championed racial integration, left-wing politics, and fair treatment of artists. The club left an indelible mark on the history of jazz and racial integration.
Barney Josephson went on to open The Cookery, also in Greenwich Village. This establishment opened in the early 1960’s as a music-supper club, where many artists would perform while audiences ate dinner. Much like Cafe Society, The Cookery was an all-inclusive, racially integrated, and culturally diverse place where standards were challenged.
The location where Cafe Society jazz club once was is now a historical landmark. The building is part commercial, and part residential. What has stayed the same, is the memory and legacy of Cafe Society. Its indelible mark will never be forgotten.
Reliving the glory years, fans in Rochester were treated to a night of classics as Journey blew the roof off the Blue Cross Arena, the eighth stop on the Freedom Tour. The February 22 show marked Journey’s seventh visit to the city, dating back to 1978.
Playing for little more 90 minutes, frontman Arnel Pineda jumped around the stage enough to make his Fitbit question his activity. While not original to the band, Pineda has been doing his best Steve Perry impression for nearly 17 years, and despite nailing a nerve wrecking interview, he has solidified his role as lead vocalist. The vocal range, the sounds and pitch, all of it are exactly what Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain were hoping for as they sought out Perry’s replacement.
Opening the show for Pineda and company was Toto. Not quite as tenured as Journey, Toto has just over 40 years of songs and 14 studio albums, and they chose a nice nine-song set for the Rochester crowd. As the lone original Toto member, Steve Lukather came out donning a floor length cloak and rocked out “Girl Good” Bye” and “Hold the Line.” Of course, the set ended with “Rosanna” and “Africa,” two songs that are synonymous with Toto and the 80s.
Fans were out of their seats as Lukather led the charge during their set, belting out a little “Hakuna Matata” and a cover of the Beatles “With a Little Help From My Friends.” A little mellow, a little sappy, and a lot of high energy rock prepped the crowd for what they were about to endure.
Hitting the stage shortly before 9, Cain and Pineda led Journey out before the Rochester crowd and opened up with “Only The Young,” a song about youth and the freedoms they encounter growing up. One of Journey’s best songs, it wasn’t originally released by them. Intended for the Frontiers album, it was a late cut and sold to Scandal. A few years later, it was on Vison Quest soundtrack and ultimately hit Number 9 on the charts and released as single by Journey.
Progressing through the set, Pineda did not slow down. Dancing around withe mic stand, flipping the mic, hopping on and off the speakers, he flawlessly delivered note after note pointing out to random area of the crowd. “Stone in Love” and “Don’t Stop Believin’” get the crowd up and dancing like they were 17 again, before all the back and knee problems took over.
About halfway through the set, Deen Castronovo delivers a powerful rendition of “Mother-Father.” Perched behind his drum set, Castronovo takes this song and makes it his own, delivering what I would consider the hit of the night. Powerful, serene, and thought-provoking performance from the former Bad English drummer.
Leading into “Open Arms,” Cain let loose on the piano as the band waited in the wings, pounding the keys as smooth and as delectate as possible. The piano sounds filled the arena with aging fans who once held lit lighters in the air, are now turning on their phones flashlights. The iconic Journey ballad commences as Pineda encourages the crowd to sing along.
Donning a hockey jersey from the hometown Rochester Americans, Cain continued the next song with some back story. In 1983, the band was looking to write a song that pays homage to loved ones at home with the band tours and is apart. Perry and crew decided to take it one step further and dedicate to the men and women of the Armed Forces who were also apart from loved ones. From this, we were given “Faithfully.” As the song played, the backscreen displayed band members with military personal, family members and fans alike. This was a dedication to anyone who is apart from their loved ones. You could quietly hear the tears being shed from those around me as the song began.
For a little more than 90 minutes, fans were taken back to a simpler time. Memories were brought back of proms, weddings, friends, and other loved ones. Fans young and old were celebrating 50 years of hits, B-sides, and deep cuts. 50 years of iconic sounds have been copied and covered but there’s nothing like originals.
Journey continues their Freedom tour through April, before hitting the road with Def Lepard.
Toto set list: Girl Goodbye/Hold the Line/99/Dying on My Feet/ I’ll Be Over You/Home of the Brave/ With a Little Help From My Friends (The Beatles cover)/Rosanna/ Africa
Journey set list: Only the Young/guitar solo/Stone in Love,/Don’t Stop Believin’/Lights/ Send Her My Love/Who’s Crying Now/Escape,/Mother-Father/Let it Rain/Lovin’, Touchin, Squeezin/piano solo/Open Arms/Faithfully/Girl Can’t Help It (Jason Derlatka)/guitar solo/Wheel in The Sky/Separate Ways/Be Good to Yourself/Any Way You Want It
The Songwriters Hall of Fame announced Diane Warren as the 2024 recipient of the Johnny Mercer Award this Summer. The prestige takes place at the Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in NYC.
The Johnny Mercer Award is the highest honor bestowed by the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The award is reserved for a songwriter who has already been inducted in a prior year. The inductee’s body of work must uphold the gold standard of quality and impact set by the legendary Johnny Mercer. Diane Warren was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001.
Diane Warren has written countless hits including nine #1 and 33 top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100. She is tied for having written the most #1 songs as a sole writer in Billboard history. Some of these songs include, “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing,” “Un-Break My Heart,” “If I Could Turn Back Time, “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now,” and many others.
Tickets for the Songwriters Hall of Fame event begin at $2,000 each, and are available through Buckley Hall Events, and SHOF@buckleyhallevents.com. Net proceeds from the event will go toward the Songwriters Hall of Fame programs. To join the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, click here.
“The songwriting community is filled with many special people who have delivered incomparable songs that have made the world go round. Within that special group of people, Diane Warren is unique; she is a force of nature that, despite her enormous success from ‘Rhythm Of The Night’ to ‘I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing’ and at least 100 (15!) Academy Award nominations, she shows up to write songs every morning at 8 am! I am delighted to see her receive the esteemed Johnny Mercer Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame, which is the gold bar standard. Diane is that and more!”
On Feb. 20, Carnegie Hall remembered the legendary flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucía who passed away on Feb. 25, 2014. Over 30 top artists including some of those close to him gathered to remember his teachings and celebrate flamenco.
The Paco de Lucía Legacy Festival is a testament to the enduring legacy of a musical genius and promises to be an unparalleled celebration of the art of flamenco. This extraordinary event brings together world-class musicians, pays tribute to the profound influence of Paco de Lucía, and showcases the vibrant talent of established and emerging flamenco artists.
An opening night cocktail reception was held in the Rohatyn and Shorin Club Rooms at Carnegie Hall before the emotional night of music, attended by numerous people linked to the musician, as well as figures such as Guillermo Fesser and Juan Luis Cano, the basketball player José Manuel Calderón, the award-winning Latin jazz musician and composer Paquito D’Rivera, among others.
The Consul General of Spain in New York, Caridad Batalla, congratulated the Paco de Lucía Foundation for its initiative, confirmed the support of her consulate, and thanked “all the institutions that disseminate Spanish culture.”
Paco de Lucía’s widow, Gabriela Canseco, announced that “this week we brought together musicians who are part of Paco’s great family, musicians who, although some did not know each other, are all united by their music. They all converge because they have drawn on Paco’s work, whether they have played with him or not. Thirty-three musicians who come from different parts of the world and have been living together for four days, rehearsing, remembering, and talking about Paco non-stop,” she said. “Starting tonight they meet in various spaces to translate all those emotions through their personality, their knowledge, and their instruments. They are perfect conditions for Paco’s music to fly and pure magic to occur.”
Magic hit the stage of Carnegie Hall with well-known artists like Diego El Cigala, José Mercé, Carmen Linares, Al di Meola, Rubén Blades, Sílvia Pérez Cruz, and Farruquito, as well as the members of the two sextets that Lucía surrounded himself in his career. Over three hours, the large cast performed classic songs from Paco de Lucía’s repertoire such as “I Only Want to Walk,” “Monasterio de Sal,” “Luzia, La Barrosa” and the popular rumba “Entre dos Aguas,” adding the finishing touch to the concert.
Coming up next at the festival on Feb. 22 are cajon maestros El Piraña and Makarines teaching a compás master class at KJCC-NYU, with a night of surprises at Town Hall with Flamenco Summit Meets New York. Flamenco, Jazz, Latin, and African music will go hand in hand with names like Niño Josele, Rubén Blades, Josemi Carmona, Antonio Rey, Richard Bona, and Pepe Habichuela. The event will feature the dancers Farruquito, Karime Amaya, and Farru. The program includes Alain Pérez, Rafael Riqueni, Antonio Sánchez, and Silvia Pérez Cruz.
On February 23, the Instituto Cervantes New York will host Puro Flamenco, a recital starring Pepe Habichuela, Rafael Riqueni, and Carmen Linares, among others.
Finally, on February 24 at 4 p.m., Quad Cinema will host the screening of the film The Search by Curro Sánchez, son of Paco de Lucía, about the figure of his father. That same morning, at the Ángel Orensanz Foundation, the unreleased album Pepito y Paquito will be presented and the festival will officially close.
The spring headline tour begins April 25 at The Sultan Room in Brooklyn. The Ballroom Thieves are native to New England and are performing at 17 dates across the country.
The indie-folk duo utilizes various instruments like the violin, cello, upright bass, and guitar. Consisting of Calin Peters on the classic strings and Martin Earley on vocals and guitar, The Ballroom Thieves are celebrating the announcement with their second single, “Tender” from their upcoming record, Sundust, out April 12.
The single includes the duo’s signature vocal harmonies atop a finger-picked acoustic guitar and a whimsical pedal steel that creates a spooky demeanor in the tune. “Tender” is an ode to the importance of creating space within a song.
To purchase tickets for The Ballroom Thieves’ upcoming headlining tour, click here. To stream “Tender” on all platforms, go here.
The Ballroom ThievesHeadline Tour Dates:
April 25 Brooklyn, NY @ The Sultan Room
April 26 North Wayne, PA @ 118 North
April 27 Vienna, VA @ Jammin Java
April 30 Asheville, NC @ Eulogy
May 1 Greenville, SC @ The Radio Room
May 2 Chattanooga, TN, ID @ Barking Legs Theatre
May 3 Nashville, TN @ The Basement
May 8 Davenport, IA @ The Redstone Room
May 9 Stoughton, WI @ Stoughton Opera House
May 10 Evanston, IL @ SPACE
May 11 Ann Arbor, MI @ The Ark
May 12 Toronto, ON @ The Monarch Tavern
May 26 Farmington, ME @ Sandy River Music Festival
May 30 Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground, Show Case Lounge
Members of New York City’s metal scene are scrambling to rebook shows as Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn was shut down by The NYC Department Of Buildings in the middle of Balmora’s set at the Mindforce show on Feb. 16. Many are questioning what happened and what to do next.
Saint Vitus Bar has been in operation since 2011 but since 2017, the company started receiving complaints about its certificate of occupancy, which got the attention of the city’s building department.
As Gothamreported, in May and June of 2023, the venue received dozens of identical complaints alleging a lack of maximum occupancy signs, an inappropriate certificate of occupancy, and a missing Public Assembly Certificate of Operation. The complaints started threatening to get the city involved, falling silent until September. This recent complaint sparked the inspection during the metal show.
As of Friday, September 22, 2023 the following are facts about 1120 Manhattan Avenue know to the public as Saint Vitus Bar: 1) Saint Vitus Bar does not have any maximum occupancy signs posted anywhere, and more often than not they host more people than their allotted maximum capacity. 2) Saint Vitus Bar’s most recent Certificate of Occupancy on file with the Department of Buildings does not allow it to operate as an eating/drinking establishment. There is no other Certificate of Occupancy or Letter of No Objection that supersedes their Certificate of Occupancy dated November 12, 1953…I will continue to make this complaint on a daily basis until either the Department of Buildings performs an inspection or until Saint Vitus Bar can remedy their situation.
The main question plaguing the venue owners and staff is who could have made these complaints. Do they have some personal vendetta against the venue? Why would the DOB come during the show? As one of the last independent venues operating in the city, it is a loss for the underground community. Bands scheduled for February and March now have to cancel shows and find new venues, which is difficult in a city like New York where acts are booked months in advance.
With the fishiness of the similar complaints, people believe it might be one disgruntled community member who was upset by the noise. Obviously, the venue needs to get their paperwork and rules in order, but hopefully, this isn’t the end of Saint Vitus.
