Earlier this year Pearl Jam announced their twelfth studio album, Dark Matter, followed by a World Tour with 35 dates, currently coming to an end in North America with an Australian Leg ahead. On September 3 and 4, they returned to Madison Square Garden (MSG) for the first time in two years, making this appearances #49 and #50 at the World’s Greatest Arena.
During Night 1, Eddie and the band plowed through a massive 2+ hour set with 25 songs filled with emotional dedications to various fans in attendance. The entire show is built around a giant projection screen which integrates breath-taking visuals by the great Rob Sheridan, whose most notable work has been with Nine Inch Nails. It really set the mood for each songs and elevates the band, the performance and the space to a higher level.
Other than the usual staples (“Alive,” “Even Flow,” “Porch”) Eddie played a solo cover of “Imagine” by John Lennon, and the band rocked out a The Who’s “Baba O’Riley,” all with six songs off Dark Matter, which all sound fresh and integrated seamlessly into the set.
Pearl Jam – Madison Square Garden, NYC – Tuesday, September 3
Setlist: Pendulum, Better Man (with The English Beat’s “Save It for Later” tag), Immortality, Scared of Fear React, Respond Wreckage, Satan’s Bed, Even Flow, Out of My Mind, Mind Your Manners, Dark Matter, Do the Evolution, Upper Hand, Love Boat Captain (with The Rolling Stonesâ âJumpin’ Jack Flashâ intro), Black, Given to Fly, Porch Encore: Imagine (John Lennon cover), Inside Job, Unthought Known, Running, Once, Alive, Baba O’Riley (The Who cover), Indifference
On September 5, Upstate folk artist Kate McDonnell releases her sixth album, Trapeze. To celebrate, McDonnell returns to Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs for the album release party on September 20.
This is the latest release from McDonnell since her last album, Ballad of a Bad Girl, released in 2021. The album explored heavy themes of female gender identity and the relationships that stem from it. This time, the complex, introspective political themes are back in full force and more prominent than ever.
In this album, McDonnell covers a wide range of topics, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the tragic shootings occurring in the United States. But while these political issues are a central focus of the album, they are by no means the only issues McDonnell sings about. Struggles between family members, personal mental health, the death of a loved one, and leaving your home to pursue an independent life are all abundantly clear themes.
The opening track, “Pretty Good Day,” begins the album with a deceptively positive note. No matter what the struggles of life mean to her, it’s going to be a pretty good day when she spends time with those who provide a sense of security in the wake of such an isolating time like the pandemic. However, tracks like “All On My Own” and “Madeline” depict those feelings of loneliness, sadness, and depression as clear as day. The album’s finisher, “You Won’t Blow Away,” however, reminds us that even if things do not go our way, or if bad things happen, it is not the end of the world.
McDonnell’s political tinges don’t end there. The track “Step Right Up” dedicates itself to those who lost their lives to gun violence throughout the United States. As a firm advocate for gun safety laws and ending gun violence, McDonnell pays a wonderful tribute to the children whose lives were lost to gun violence throughout the country.
On September 20, Kate McDonnell hosts a release party for Trapeze at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs. Trapeze is out now on all streaming platforms. For more information, visit Kate McDonnell’s website.
Troy-based indie rock band The Belle Curves release their new album titled Subject to Change which blends Americana and rock.
The Belle Curves is the primary creative vehicle for Troy-based songwriter Delaney Hafener. The group focuses on an indie sound but with a folky, americana twist. Their latest record Subject to Change displays a variety of the group’s sounds and abilities.
The opening track “Hand Rolled” is a soft rock tune with a classic sound, but still maintaining their roots with modern indie themes. The next track “Life in the Hinterlands” bolts out of the gate with a roadtrippin’ americana feel. It certainly has a country twang and still holds the indie sound close. Delaney’s voice is dynamic, with high highs and low lows. Her abilities speak for themself throughout this album. The track “Sister” really showcases the power in the softness of Delaney’s vocals.
The track “The Process” in particular caught my attention quite soon during the first play. The track progresses wonderfully from lowkey to fierce and powerful. It then concludes in such an angelic and completing way with the vocals and instruments coming to a head followed by a fade out.
For more information on The Belle Curves and their upcoming album Subject to Change visit their Bandcamp by clicking here.
The life, career and death of Wu Tang Clan member Ol’ Dirty Bastard was chronicled for the first time ever in a new documentary on A&E. Ol’Dirty Bastard: A Tale of Two Dirtys examines the late rapper’s life as he juggled between down-to-earth family man Russell Jones/Ason Unique and enigmatic rap star, Ol’ Dirty Bastard. Known as the most unconventional in a crew full of colorful MC’s, his eccentric public persona, off-the cuff rhymes and unwillingness to conform to industry norms made him a fan-favorite (marked by the fact that he was the first member of the Wu to release a solo album with 1995’s Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version).
All in all, ODB was very cognizant of what, and who he represented amidst hip hop’s “shiny suit” era. Often making conscious lifestyle choices in order to keep his image as raw and gutter as possible. This includes the famous limo ride to get food stamps during an MTV biography piece, his foods stamp ID card on his debut album cover, as well as his unconventional delivery. In essence, ODB sought to juxtapose the glamors of the entertainment industry with the realities of inner-city life. As a result, he spent much of his career playing the role of agent provocateur.
Yet his constant his need to live up to the expectations of the Ol’ Dirty Bastard persona led to his untimely demise. Marked by first hand recountings from Wu Tang members Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, GZA, as well as ODB’s widow and her children with ODB, A Tale of Two Dirtys captures the essence of a one-in-a-lifetime personality, devoted father and troubled psyche. After watching, here’s what we learned about the late great Dirt McGirt.
A Tale of Two Dirtys captures ODB and Russel Jones.
Beginning
Although known for his out-of-this-world persona, ODB — born Russell Jones — grew up shy and reserved. That is until his cousins GZA and RZA introduced him to hip hop and began the journey of one of the great expressionist musicians of the 20th century. However, his infatuation with petty crime would manifest itself from a young age with repeated arrests for boosting clothes. He sought out teachings of the 5 percent nation for discipline, and earned the name Ason Unique after memorizing the 120 lessons, supreme alphabet, as well as the supreme mathematics. After watching the 1983 kung fu flick Shaolin and Wu Tang, Ghostface Killah details bringing the film to RZA and urging him to watch it. Which inspired RZA to kick-start the group. Dirty got his name from RZA after watching the 1980 film, Ol’ Dirty Kung Fu.
Throughout the documentary, ODB’s widow Icelene Jones vouches for the devoted family man, revealing that ODB’s sole purpose for pursuing a rap career was to provide for his wife and kids. She also details their unstable life after marriage, as the duo and their 3 children bounced from family homes to shelters, where they lived for 6 months before he signed his record deal. However, his ego got the best of him after tasting success, as he began relentlessly indulging in women. He fathered 13 children before his death, 3 of them with his wife.
Career
As ODB’s drug abuse, arrests and behavior became too unpredictable, Elektra Records pivoted away from him because he was described as a “liability.” His famous Grammy interruption also caused Elektra Records tons of industry backlash, as they dealt with being embarrassed by not being able to control their artist. Additionally, former Roc-A-Fella records employee Choke No Joke claims that, Damon Dash signed ODB to the label after his two-year prison sentence, for publicity and that he didn’t really care about helping him overcome his drug addiction. He even claims that ODB didn’t know he was signing with Roc-A-Fella upon his release from prison. He also did not know Dame Dash would be there.
He was aware of what the Ol’s Dirty Bastard image was and worked to accentuate it. Which is why the now famous artwork for his debut album features pictures of ODB in a trashed apartment. He served as his own creative director and would even call for more “blunts” and “40s” if the room was too clean. In like manner, his need to remain rooted in order to authenticate the ODB character meant that he often found himself in compromising situations (like his 1994 shooting back home in Brooklyn). In true ODB fashion, he made an appearance at a Wu Tang Clan show at Hammerstein ballroom while on the run from the police before letting the crowd know that he had to leave due to an outstanding warrant.
Drug Abuse
As detailed by his wife, ODB’s drug abuse began with weed, then weed and cocaine blunts, then weed and crack cocaine blunts. Moreover, his 1994 shooting accentuated his drug abuse. As he racked up missed court dates due to drug arrests, he was ordered to attend rehab but escaped. He was eventually caught at a McDonald’s in Philadelphia while giving out autographs, as two police officers were fans, knew who he was, and knew he was on the run. After a getting out of his 2-year prison stint he began abusing drugs again. ODB’s family details finding him unconscious for the last time during a studio session. Icelene then emotionally recounts her immediately lashing out at everyone in the room for enabling and taking from him.
The Queens United International Party (QUIP) presents the seventh annual World Music Festival, taking place in Sunnyside Gardens Park on Saturday, September 21.
An annual celebration of all 120 countries and 135 languages represented in Queens, the QUIP World Music Festival brings the entire borough and beyond together to enjoy the music, art, culture, and food of the community, for the community, by the community.
This yearâs QUIP offers a full roster of events for all ages- music, arts and crafts, dance contests, a wide array of food vendors spanning from arepas to momos, and all that the historical community park has to offer.
Musical performances will occur on two alternating stages from 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM with a lineup that is sure to stun, including but not limited to the renowned kora player Yacouba Sissoko, dancer and educator Malini Srinivasan, all-women, trans, and nonbinary Brazilian Samba Reggae drum line Fogo Azul, and the ever-entertaining Pinkie Special.
Tickets are $15 at the door, and kids under 12 years old are free. For further information, please visit here.
The twelfth Summer Hoot was held at the Ashokan Center in Olivebridge, NY over the course of three days, August 23 – 26, offering an eclectic mix of people spanning generations came together to celebrate their love for music.
Tucked away in the Catskill Mountains, the Ashokan Center offers 385 acres of pristine forestry accentuated by the Esopus Creek, which rolls through it. Augmenting this paradise, a wide array of musical talents performed at the Hoot. This harmony of nature and music created the ideal environment for co-founder Mike Merenda to declare Summer Hoot 12 as Zen.
Summer Hoot 2024 at The Ashokan Center
In the span of three days, more than twenty musical acts showcased their creative talents. The diverse lineup included folk, indie rock, jazz, and singer-songwriters, as well as Mexican, Argentinean, Creole, and Jamaican stylings.
Friday night began with Hoot founders Mike & Ruthy welcoming the early arrivals. Entertainment followed with performances by Tuba Skinny, Jeffery Broussard & the Creole Cowboys and others setting the tone for the weekend.
Ashokan Center Board of Director Kale Kaposhilin described the Hoot and the center as “a chosen family of loving intention.” This spirit was evident as people of all ages laughed, sang, and danced throughout the Hoot.
An Instrument Petting Zoo with guitars, bongos, violins, tambourines, and banjos was set up to offer the young (and young at heart) the opportunity to try out instruments and embark on their creative journey.
Summer Hoot Instrument Petting Zoo
Saturday and Sunday featured three stages from which to choose. The music began mid-morning and continued late into the night, including a “singers in the round” session at midnight. For those interested in making their own music, the Jubilee Jam tent in the Magical Musical Campground was open 24/7.
Dotted throughout the Ashokan Center grounds are a series of small buildings, one of which is The Pewter House. Stepping into this room feels like entering the 19th century, with its wood beams and wood burning stove. The intimacy of this space allowed for a deep connection with the performers.
The Pewter House
A select few performed in this unique setting. Naiika Sings, a Brooklyn-based chanteuse, gave a standout performance. Naiika, who began her career performing on NYC subway platforms and trains, elevated The Pewter House to a space of spiritual revelation with her performance.
Performers on the Pete Seeger and Toshi Seeger stages came from around the globe. Highlights included Bridget Kearney, founding member of Lake Street Dive; Steve Poltz, a Canadian folk singer; Carolina Mama, an Argentinean singer-songwriter; and Laurel Massé & Vinnie Martucci, a jazz and swing ensemble.
The Mammals
Local talent from the Hudson Valley was also well-represented. The Big Takeover, David & Jacob Bernz, and Jay Ungar & Molly Mason performed. No Hoot would be complete without Mike Merenda & Ruthy Unger Merenda and their band, The Mammals. Mike & Ruthy and band closed out the Toshi Seeger stage on Saturday night.
The heart of the Hoot is music and nature. The heart of the Ashokan Center is the appreciation of the natural world. Hoot + Ashokan = Zen.
Summer Hoot Performers
The City StompersThe MammalsJordan Hamilton & Seth BernardThe Gaslight TinkersDavid & Jacob Berns joined by Josiah Longo & Tink LoydSteve PoltzBridget KearneyNaiika SingsBrendan Daniel
Next generation Jam bands Eggy and Dogs In A Pile have announced the meeting of minds this November for a two-night run at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, presented by Relix.
Eggy
This collaboration arrives as both bands are experiencing breakout years, touring across the country and capturing national attention. Eggy is gearing up for the release of their new album Waiting Game on September 6. The band is slated to set out on a lengthy tour this fall in support of the new record.
Dogs In A Pile has been making significant strides in 2024, selling out headlining shows in major cities such as Washington D.C., Austin, Texas and Denver. The New Jersey-native quintet will soon embark on an extensive fall tour and are in the process of recording their forthcoming album.
Dogs In A Pile
Eggy and Dogs In A Pile have worked for an opportunity like this to arise for quite some time. It is beyond exciting to see how the two unique sounds combine to create something new this November. The two-night run spans November 29 and 30.
Each night will feature an alternating closer, as Eggy and Dogs In A Pile will both perform approximately 90-minute sets on Friday and Saturday night. The evenings will culminate in a special collaborative encore where both bands will come together for a closing song. Their distinct sounds are mashed up for a one-of-a-kind memorable musical experience for fans in attendance.
On August 16, Jim Andralis, known for hosting the country music variety show Grand Ole Pubry at Joeâs Pub in downtown Manhattan, released his fifth LP, Ghosts.
The 11-song collection is a stark reflection on life, death, and what it means to be human. The raw emotion behind Ghosts inspires the listener to reflect on the interactions taken for granted set to the tune of soothing country guitars and Andralis’ harmonies.
Ghosts starts with “The Worst Thing,” a somber introduction to the concept of grief. The track gives us a different perspective on human emotion. It may not be the worst thing to let yourself feel your emotions and process them completely before moving on. It may not be the worst thing for things to not work out the way we expect them to. It’s a lesson that everyone could use; life isn’t very fair, after all.
The following two tracks, “5 Minutes” and “You,” are both exemplary of the album’s themes of grief and loss. “5 Minutes” is a testament to the loss of Andralis’ dog, Nikko. “You” is a poignant elegy for Barbara Maier Gustern, Andralis’ vocal coach and cherished friend. Both tracks reflect on his experiences with these adored loved ones, the time spent with both, and how love transcends romantic feelings. It is clear that these losses deeply affected Andralis and inspired him to put these feelings to music, a coping mechanism that brings him, and by proxy, his listeners, a sense of peace.
Songs like “Manhattanhenge” and “Brooklyn” bring another theme into light: the haunting of New York City. In a duet with his husband Larry Krone, “Manhattanhenge” explores the idea of an afterlife in a city loved by millions. What will happen when they’re gone, and how will New York play a part in their afterlife? Will they haunt the city they fell in love with, or move on to somewhere new? Andralis and Krone’s voices blend together in an almost perfect fashion, and it leaves listeners hoping that if there is an afterlife, they get the chance to spend it together.
Jim Andralis’ fifth album, Ghosts, gives fans an opportunity to explore some of life’s darkest themes. However, there is a comforting feeling in knowing that we are not alone when it comes to these emotions. Andralis’s country guitars provide a soothing feeling to those who are suffering from the hardships of grief and losing a loved one.
Fans can find more information and music on Jim Andralis’ website, including work with the NYC-based queer punk band The Isotoners and duets with his husband, Larry Krone.
While not in New York proper, the Berkshires are an essential part of live music for those in Eastern New York and beyond. Intersecting multiple state lines, these highlands boast a vibrant community of artists and art alike- drawing both locals and those from beyond the mountains into its captivating live performance scene. From grandiose theaters to intimate speakeasies, the Berkshires offer a venue fit for every event and occasion.
Formed by the merging of the Berkshire Theatre Festival and The Colonial Theatre, two of the county’s oldest cultural organizations, the Berkshire Theatre Group has a long history of bringing live performance to its community. Boasting a catalog of performances dating back to 1928 and an ever-expanding repertoire of both time-honored classics and works from new and emerging artists, the performances of the Berkshire Theatre Group span four stages- The Colonial Theatre, The Unicorn Theatre, The Fitzpatrick Main Stage, and The Garage, each with their own unique personality and purpose.
Address: 6 East St, Stockbridge, MA 01262 (The Unicorn Theatre, The Fitzpatrick Main Stage)
Address: 111 South St, Pittsfield, MA 01201 (The Colonial Theatre, The Garage)
Known for their contemporary productions, Chester Theatre Company hosts a series of shows made and performed by those in the community every summer. In addition to their own works, the Company hosts talkbacks, cast conversations, and panel discussions.
Built completely upon and around the talents and works of those local to the Berkshires and beyond, The Great Barrington Public Theater performs in the Daniel Arts Center of Bard College at Simon’s Rock, either on the 300 seat mainstage McConnell Theater with orchestral and balcony seating or the 100 seat Liebowitz Black Box Theater.
Address: 84 Alford Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230
The Mac-Haydn Theatre has been producing musical theater performances for the area for over fifty years now- bringing the founding wish to spread professional musical theater beyond Broadway to fruition. Each performance comes to life on their 350 seat theatre-in-the-round stage, creating an engaging and intimate audience experience. Shows run each season between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day Weekend.
Constructed in 1904 and opened in 1905, the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center has acted as a community cornerstone for live performance, film, and cultural events since its inception. Boasting theater seats just under 700, year-round arts programming, and a range of events from entertainment to education, the Mahaiwe is the centerpiece to the town’s vibrant art scene.
Address: 14 Castle Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230
An abbreviation for Performance Space 21, this black box theater sits atop a mountain. PS21 is home to contemporary dance, theatre, and music that hosts cutting edge artists from across the globe. Like many performances at this venue that invite the audience to interact- oftentimes more workshop than production- visitors can explore the fields and view of the Hudson below.
Founded in 1978, Shakespeare & Company boasts a wide range of theaters to fit each production’s needs. With tried and true Shakespearean classics, reimagined pieces, and newly debuted shows, Shakespeare & Company utilizes every seat of their 540-seat open air Arthur S. Waldstein Amphitheatre, 400-seat scaffold-and-canvas inspired Tina Packer Playhouse, intimate five row Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre, Elizabethan inspired 280-seat outdoor Roman Garden Theatre, and the 250-seat Rose Footprint Theatre, a reconstruction of the first level of Shakespeare’s first London theater.
With a rich history of live music and musical education, an open-air venue with both indoor seating and an outer lawn that provides a variety of listening experiences, and a star studded performance archive that ranges from Ella Fitzgerald to Dolly Parton, it’s no wonder Tanglewood has been consistently voted a fan favorite concert venue. In addition to individual performances, Tanglewood houses the Popular Artists Series festival, the Boston Pops, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s training academy.
An informal, cozy venue nestled in an old barn at the Egremont Village Inn, The Egremont Barn offers a more casual audience experience complete with pub style comfort foods and a stage boasting little more than a piano. The venue’s charm shines through in its community built around the year-round program of singer-songwriters, theater companies, open mics, and musical acts across genres.
A small speakeasy style venue tucked beneath the Red Lion Inn, The Lion’s Den offers an intimate musical experience with a timeless atmosphere. Thursday through Saturday evenings feature folk, rock, and blues acts from their Den Sessions, and Sunday evenings are the host to their Jazz series.
Address: The Red Lion Inn, 30 Main St, Stockbridge MA 01262
A Tony Award-winning theater, The Williamstown Theatre Festival is a resident summer theatre on Williams College’s campus that hosts a yearly season of shows and community immersive theatre programs year-round.
From Sept. 5-8, on Cool Whisper Farm in North Hillsdale, NY the Oldtone Music Festival will bring music lovers old and young together to celebrate the music of the past and even the future.
Ahead of the 2024 installment of one of the largest roots music festivals, I had the chance to speak with Trevor Roush, the co-producer of the Oldtone Music Festival. The festival is booting up again for the first time since 2022 following the worldwide pandemic caused music venues and festivals everywhere to close. On that fateful day, a small one-day festival was held and an unlikely visitor helped bring it back bigger and better than ever three years later.
But first, what is the Oldtone Music Festival? A three-day music festival in the Hudson Valley, Oldtone Music Festival aims to promote and preserve Roots music. “Roots music to me is just all music.” says Trevor Roush, “At Oldtone, it’s not just bluegrass. We have Conjunto music, which is, a traditional Mexican music, folk music, Cajun music, old-time string band music, New Orleans jazz, New Orleans R&B… You know, it’s just all music.”
As I spoke to Trevor, he was looking over volunteers who had shown up from across the country to help put together the festival. “I feel like what’s important to me about roots music, and I’m seeing it firsthand right now is that it brings people together. Cross-generationally, and cross-culturally, they all believe in this type of music. And, you know, I’m watching 40 volunteers of all different ages from other parts of the country build stages right now and set up tents. It’s like a real family-type art… There is no there is no one person here with one job. Everyone’s sort of all over the place.”
The motto of Oldtone is “Participation is preservation.” Trevor explains how participation preserves Oldtone, “You’ve seen this. Through the pandemic, if there’s a restaurant that somebody really likes or a community, if you’re not there patronizing it, it’s not gonna be there. And if you believe in something, you need to support it. “There’s so many different ways to support things. Like, you could volunteer or, you can buy a ticket. That’s kinda the easiest way. But, I feel like once somebody is involved, they’re involved for a lifetime. And they’re also excited about getting other people involved in it.”
This familial bond and community is an essential part of Roots music in general. According to Trevor, “The music is passed down. A lot of the tunes are passed down, from, you know, the older generation to a younger generation. And there are songs about families, and working and the familiarity of doing the same task. A lot of the songs are about raising a hog and slaughtering a hog. That type of thing.”
The pandemic that shut down most of the music touring and festival circuits in the world, unfortunately caused the demise of the Oldtown Music Festival. After much thought and changing the business to a nonprofit, they are back and better (and bigger) than ever. The lineup now features the grammy-winning winning Los Texmaniacs, as well as many other acts from across the country and beyond.
Los Texmaniacs
Trevor explains what’s changed, “We have reorganized as a nonprofit, which is different. That’s made it so the festival could come back through fundraising efforts and stuff like that. We have some more support, in that way. The festival always relied on musicians basically doing us a favor and playing for far less than they normally would play for just because they believed in the festival. Believed in us. So, now we’re at a point where, we can start to pay bands what they deserve, which is nice. Realistically, we’re back to where we were. 2019 was our best year. After that, as you would imagine, things got harder. We were on a roll in 2019. If we can make it back to 2019-type numbers and attendance, we’re doing good. The support is already at those levels, which feels nice. It was nice to bring this back, but we also want to bolster the [involvement] in this area. There’s a large Latinx community and we wanna get those folks more involved in the show.”
When asked how the Oldtone Music Festival was able to return this year, Trevor responded, “It’s on a working farm, and the farmers were supportive of us having it brought back. And the neighbor to the farm is this actor called Walton Goggins. He came to the festival in 2021. We did a one-day one, and he reached out to us and he was like, ‘This is amazing. I want to be a part of this.’ He’s been super helpful in helping us reach out to people that we’ve never been able to contact before and being an advocate for the festival. And also him feeling like he has a place – a calling in the community now. He’s been just an advocate, which feels really nice and supportive.”
Walton Goggins by Shayan Asgharnia
Walton Goggins, the Emmy-nominated actor, known for Fallout, and Sons of Anarchy, joined the festival this year as executive producer. But, I was curious about what got Trevor involved in the festival. He said, “So, I’m not a musician. Which I feel like is good in some ways. I can focus on organizing things, and not have to also worry about… the co-organizer is also a musician. and he’s said he’ll never play in the festival again because he’s just too chaotic organizing and doing stuff like that. But I guess where I came to this music was, I was working for my friend’s band and, I really like this music. What were their influences? And then you start going down this, rabbit hole. You start at one point and work your way back to, what was the root? Where where does this music come from? And then you can spur off of that into so many different ways where it’s “oh, wow. I really like this type of string band music.” And, then it’s like, “Now I’m l really interested and excited about Italian string band music.” And you can endlessly just be, discovering new things, and that’s what I like about curating something like Oldtone. The older generation gets inspired by the younger generation and vice versa and all the musicians are there sharing experiences with each other.”
I asked, “Can you see a future of roots music? Not just growing, or, continuing to exist, but, can you see it, evolve into something new? Different? Has it already?”
He responded, “Yeah. I feel like it sort of is evolving, and I feel like there are people out there that have started on the scale of, an Oldtone-type festival. Or, I know people that have played Oldtone before that are now, some of the largest touring acts and, are having crossovers with, Post Malone and people like that. And people, in that pop music world are, like, “What’s the root of this music that I’m making?” And, “How do I learn more about it?” The more industry-driven pop world is almost supporting, in a way, the roots music world just by notoriety. Those people with a bigger audience, [are] bolstering some of the people in this world.” He added, “There are some people who play Oldtone that have their hands in the pop world, they could come and play something like this and feel, more comfortable. It’s fun for them, and they could feel comfortable doing it without having the backlash of, ‘You didn’t play your your hit.’ You know? So it’s really nice for musicians to have an outlet for the things that they enjoy. Music’s funny. You’re always moving forward and backwards at the same time. As a musician, you’re developing your musical tastes all the time.”
What’s Trevor most excited about? He says, “I’m excited just to get it back. And personally, artist-wise, there is a woman from, Montana called Kiki Cavazos who is kind of elusive and really hard to get. And she is coming this year and it was no small task to get her here. They enlisted some buddies from New Orleans to basically go up there and kidnap her from Montana and drive her from Montana to New York. And then she’s going to do a run with her old buddies The Deslondes. That’s what I’m excited about. She played Newport Folk Festival in 2016 or 17 and kind of faded away and had some kids in Montana. And this is her coming out party again.”
Kiki Cavazos
Trevor said, “They can expect to have a good time.” He adds that you don’t even have to be a fan of roots music to enjoy yourself, “There’s a lot of volunteers on-site right now that have been here and are the most integral parts of it that are like, “I don’t even like this kind of music. I just like being around these people.” And everyone’s so nice and everyone’s so welcoming. There’s something for everyone. You will have your eyes opened to something special.”
When asked if there was anything else he would like to add, Trevor responded, “Just give a little nod to the weather so it doesn’t rain too much on Saturday.” And in a phrase that encapsulates the entire meaning of Oldtone, he adds, “But that’s no problem with us. We’ll still have fun.”
Day Lot Gate Times:
Thursday: 4 pm -12 am Friday: 11 am -12 am Sat: 9 am -12 am Sun: 10 am – 4 pm
