Tag: beacon theatre

  • AURORA Dazzles In Sold-Out Two Show Beacon Theatre Run

    The whimsical singer-songwriter AURORA graced the stage of the Beacon Theatre for two nights amid her sold out What Happened to the Heart? world tour.

    Aurora

    If you’re in search of an act straight from a storybook, look no further than AURORA. With a signature sound akin to a woodland fairytale, a voice that positively twinkles, and whimsical yet cutting lyricism, AURORA revels in the magical and channels the mystical in every sense of the words.

    Born and raised in Norway, Aurora Aksnes exists within an ethereal sonic sphere entirely of her own. Beginning her songwriting and dance journeys at the age of six, creation is in her blood. 

    Aurora

    A self described “forest person,” AURORA has compared her home place of Drange to Narnia, spending her time in her home when not spent adventuring through the woods. 

    Releasing her fifth album What Happened to the Heart? in June of this year, AURORA’s most recent release and its subsequent headlining tour stems from a letter co-written by indigenous activists titled “We Are The Earth” which described the earth as “the heart that pulsates within us,” creating the inspiration for the album’s core concept.

    Announced alongside the album was the What Happened to the Heart? world tour, which has and will continue to take AURORA throughout Europe, the United States, and South America- including a date at Manhattan’s own Beacon Theatre, which was soon expanded into a two-show run for its impressive demand.

    Before the show even began, the Beacon Theatre was positively teeming with excitement. Folks were dressed in everything from band tees to ball gowns, couples were wandering the packed foyer excitedly pointing towards the merchandise table, and children were gasping in awe of the theater’s grandeur atop parents’ shoulders.

    Aurora

    With opening support by neo-soul and hip hop artist Biig Piig, the evening’s festivities were off to a wonderfully mesmerizing start as she encouraged audience members to stand up and dance if they so wished in between tracks like the wonderfully smooth “Roses and Gold” and the hard hitting “Decimal” that had light production for days.

    Prior to AURORA’s exciting step on stage, the lights dimmed to allow a nostalgically hazy projection begin to play. The excitement was palpable, but fans kept sound to an absolute hush to experience the visual to its fullest extent before she twirled her way on stage to an explosion of cheers.

    Delivering a hauntingly magical performance of “Church Yard” and “Soulless Creatures,” AURORA’s main support was a small set of other vocalists that turned the theatre into an echo chamber.

    With a full set list of 21 tracks, AURORA’s musicality and vibrancy both vocally and in her stage presence was on full display paired with the Theatre’s groundbreaking new Sphere Immersive Sound system.

    Dazzling fans for the second night in a row with her shimmering voice, dazzling spins and leaps, and effortless sense of musical presence, AURORA made the New York dates of her What Happened to the Heart? tour ones to remember.

    AURORA – Beacon Theatre – Friday, December 6, 2024

  • Allman Betts Family Revival to Make 4 NY Stops on Winter Tour

    The Allman Betts Family Revival has announced concert dates for its Winter 2024 tour. The tour will begin November 30, 2024 in St. Charles, Illinois, and will feature four dates across New York State. 

    The Allman Betts band during their Fall 2023 Allman Betts Family Revival tour

    The Allman Betts Family Revival is an annual celebration of American music, spearheaded by Devon Allman and Duane Betts. The tour brings together the biggest names in blues, americana, and rock in a star-studded celebration of the Allman Brothers catalog. 

    The Allman Betts Family Revival began with a single 2017 show at the Fillmore in San Francisco. The show began as a memorial to the late Gregg Allman on what would have been his 70th birthday. Following the success of this show, the Allman Betts Family Revival grew into a full-scale annual tour. Now entering its 8th year, the tour is annually one of the most anticipated musical events, being known as “the jam of the year.”

    “With the number 8 also being the symbol for infinity, we want the fans to know we’re doing our part to help this music live forever in a live format. We hope to continue to take them back in time”

    – Devon Allman

    The Allman Betts Family Revival tour will begin on November 30th, outside of Chicago, before snaking its way across the country. On December 4th, the tour will grace Buffalo’s Kleinhans Music Hall. The venue – home to the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra – is one of Buffalo’s premier spots for live music. With room for 2,400 fans and world-class acoustics, the hall provides an ideal concert space. 

    December 6th will kick off a three-day run of concerts in New York State. First, the Allman Betts Family Revival will travel to Port Chester’s Capitol Theatre. The theater has an immense history, dating back to its original opening in 1926. Since its renovations in 2011, the theater has become famous for its state of the art lighting and sound systems, and finely decorated interior.

    On December 7th, the tour will hit the Upper West Side’s famous Beacon Theatre. The theater is a world-famous venue for touring musicians, having previously hosted everyone from Miles Davis to Mariah Carey. to Trey Anastasio, and of course the Allman Brothers’ 25 year residency at the theater from 1989 to 2014. 

    The Beacon Theatre during its 2009 Renovations

    The tour’s final New York date will feature a show at Huntington’s Paramount on December 8th. Since its reopening in 2011, the near-100 year old theater has become one of Long Island’s premier concert venues. Its multi-level, 1,500 person space has made it “the best club that’s ever been on Long Island,” according to Billy Joel. 

    The tour will feature two sets highlighting the Allman Brothers’ 1970s and 1990s output. As part of these sets, the Allman Betts Band will celebrate the group’s enduring hits and extended jams. In addition to the Allman Betts Band, the tour will feature a number of hand-selected musicians from the blues, americana, and rock genres. Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars), Cody Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars), Jimmy Hall (Jeff Beck, Wet Willie), Lindsay Lou, Lamar Williams Jr., Alex Orbison (son of Roy Orbison), Jackie Greene, Larry McCray and Anders Osborne will perform at each show on the tour. Additionally, Sierra Hull, Grace Bowers, G. Love, and Jake Shimabukuro will join these artists at select performances. 

    For more information on dates and ticketing, visit the Allman Betts Family Revival website here

    Allman Betts Family Revival Winter 2024 Dates

    Nov 30 @ The Arcada Theater | St. Charles, IL 

    Dec 1 @ State Theatre | Minneapolis, MN

    Dec 3 @ The Palace Theatre | Greensburg, PA 

    Dec 4 @ Kleinhans Music Hall | Buffalo, NY

    Dec 5 @ Orpheum Theater | Boston, MA 

    Dec 6 @ Capitol Theater | Port Chester, NY

    Dec 7 @ The Beacon Theater | New York, NY

    Dec 8 @ The Paramount | Huntington, NY

    Dec 9 @ Capital One Hall | Tysons, VA

    Dec 11 @ Van Wezel PAC | Sarasota, FL

    Dec 12 @ Gaillard Center | Charleston, SC

    Dec 13 @ Norton Center for the Arts | Danville, KY

    Dec 14 @ The Factory | St. Louis, MO 

    Dec 15 @ Uptown Theater | Kansas City, MO

    Dec 16 @ Ryman Auditorium | Nashville, TN

    Dec 17 @ Moore Theatre | Seattle, WA 

    Dec 18 @ Paramount Theatre | Denver, CO

    Dec 20 @ Grand Sierra Resort/Grand Theatre | Reno, NV

    Dec 21 @ Fillmore | San Francisco, CA

  • In Focus: Wilco at the Beacon Theatre

    On Friday, June 21, Wilco performed the first night of a string of three shows at the Beacon Theatre.

    Opening for Wilco at the sold-out show was Brooklyn-based Cut Worms. This summer tour supports Wilco’s latest album, Cousin, released in September 2023.

    Wilco Beacon Theatre

    The art deco interior of Beacon Theatre felt like the perfect venue for the band hailing from Chicago, a city known for its extravagant architecture. “I always remember this place because the exit signs have the Black Flag font,” frontman Jeff Tweedy joked to the crowd. “That’s how I know where I am.” The band has a new EP, Hot Sun Cool Shroud, set for release on June 28. The EP release coincides with Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams, MA.

    Wilco performed songs spanning 30 years of the band’s discography. There were many celebrations throughout the night, including the 20th anniversary of A Ghost Is Born and a “Happy Birthday” crowd sing-a-long for the band’s multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone. The crowd maintained high energy throughout the night, with many standing ovations and encouragement from the band along the way. “Were you singing? It sounded good.” Tweedy quipped after “Passenger Side.”

    Wilco Beacon Theatre

    The band performed a four song encore before ending night one of their NYC run. Wilco performs again at Beacon Theatre in NYC on June 24. Their Solid Sound Festival in Massachusetts runs from June 28-30, followed by a few more summer tour dates across North America.

    Wilco – Beacon Theatre, NYC – Friday, June 21, 2024

    Setlist: Misunderstood, Forget the Flowers, Handshake Drugs, Pittsburgh, I Am My Mother, Cruel Country, I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, Meant to Be, If I Ever Was a Child, Summer Teeth, Hummingbird, Bird Without a Tail/Base of My Skull, Passenger Side, Evicted, Impossible Germany, Jesus, Etc., Whole Love, The Late Greats, Heavy Metal Drummer, I’m the Man Who Loves You

    Encore: Falling Apart (Right Now), California Stars, Via Chicago, Spiders (Kidsmoke) 

  • Joe Satriani & Steve Vai, Legendary Guitar Virtuosos, Deliver Unforgettable Performance at The Beacon Theatre

    Long Island natives – Steve Vai and Joe Satriani (a.k.a. Satch) – legendary shredders still at the top of their game, joined cosmic forces on the iconic Beacon Theatre stage this past Saturday night (April 6) in a show for the ages. The concert, which was the 11th stop on their 38-date ‘Satch/Vai Tour’ which embarked on March 22 in Orlando, Florida, shook the historic venue nestled on Manhattan’s Upper West Side to its foundation as the long-time friends of more than five decades authored a master class in guitar instrumental compositions.

    Steve Vai Joe Satriani
    Steve Vai | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger Photography / Pit Perspectives

    Like many of you out there, music became one of my greatest passions as a teenage boy in the throes of puberty. It was the mid-1980s, and bursting onto the scene was Steve Vai with his 1984 debut studio LP Flex-Able. This was an album that I listened to religiously on my Walkman (remember those?) while mowing neighborhood lawns for some spending money – money that I spent on buying more rock music, including the single “Yankee Rose” – an MTV hit recorded by David Lee Roth (DLR) for his first full-length solo LP (Eat ‘Em and Smile, 1986) – featuring the prominent electric guitar of its co-writer, none other than Steve Vai. Around this same time, the movie Crossroads hit theaters. This was an impactful film for my musical exploration, that in the climactic guitar duel, saw Vai play the part of Jack Butler (the villain who sold his soul to the devil for his fiendish guitar skills) against Ralph Macchio’s Eugene Marton (fighting to save his mentor’s soul). Fun fact. Although Macchio was able to paly guitar, both audio parts in the duel were played by Vai, showcasing his immense versatility as an axe-man.

    Before Saturday night’s show, I had witnessed Steve Vai play live one other time. I was two weeks shy of my 16th birthday when I attended my second ever concert – DLR’s ‘Skyscraper Tour’ at the Hartford Civic Center (now known as XL Center) on April 8, 1988. Although I do not remember the experience particularly well, maybe because it was the first time I ever smoked weed, I still have the ticket stub to prove it! Vai would go on to part ways with DLR the following year.

    Steve Vai Joe Satriani

    Known by fellow guitarist for his intense practice regimen and music theory aptitude, Vai took the stage shortly after 8:00 pm where he unleashed “Avalancha” and “Little Pretty,” both from his tenth studio album (Inviolate, 2022), along with “Building the Church,” a number recorded back in 2005 for the album Real Illusions: Reflections.

    Before erupting into “Tender Surrender” from his 1985 EP Alien Love Secrets, Vai introduced his talented touring band of Phillip Bynoe (bass), Jeremy Colson (drums) and Dante Frisielle (guitar/keys), followed by a warm greeting to the nearly 3,000 souls in attendance:

    Oh, my goodness! What is going on here tonight in New York City? You look beautiful. It’s so nice to be out on this tour with Joe and it’s so nice to be here in New York City, my home. Well, my home for the first 19 years of my life, [and] I still love this city. Thanks so much for coming to the show, enjoy!

    Succeeding “Lights Are On” (Modern Primitive, 2016) came my favorite part of Vai’s set, two more songs collected from Inviolate which saw the master immediately tear into a fiery “Zeus in Chains” and then break out his three-necked Hydra guitar (which he designed in conjunction with Ibanez) for the aptly titled “Teeth of the Hydra.”

    Watch Steve Vai perform fan favorite and closing number of his set, “For the Love of God,” lifted from his second studio album (Passion and Warfare, 1990) below:

    Satch, the professor and elder statesman to Vai by 4 years, was up next to perform the second co-headlining set and melt the collective faces of the sold-out Beacon Theatre with his instrumental rock mastery of the electric guitar. Similar to Steve Vai’s Flex-Able, I also discovered Satriani around the same time, when he dropped 1987’s Surfing With The Alien, his second studio album and one of the first compact discs I ever owned.

    He led off his 90-minute set with “The Extremist,” the title track from his fourth studio album released in 1992, which showcased not only his guitar prowess, but also plays a mean harp too! With his second song of the night, the title track from Surfing With The Alien, I was transported back in time, to my childhood bedroom, as if I were listening to the studio take of this amazing song on headphones, but even better!

    Steve Vai Joe Satriani
    Joe Satriani | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger Photography / Pit Perspectives

    Preceding the only snafu of the night, Satch tore through a career-spanning trio of numbers from his prolific discography comprised of “Satch Boogie” (Surfing With the Alien), “Sahara” (The Elephants of Mars, 2022), and “Nineteen Eighty” (Shapeshifting, 2020). However, before launching into “Big Bad Moon” (Flying in a Blue Dream, 1989), Satch’s guitar cable broke. As the band carried on without him via an impromptu “theme song,” a team of three techs did their best to resolve the issue, including swapping out his pedal board. Despite their valiant efforts, the song had to be scratched from the set as Satch jibed, “Forget about that other song, we’ll just do [the title track] “Flying Blue Dream” and get on with it.”

    As Satch’s 13-song set headed for home, he gifted additional tracks from The Elephants of Mars (“Blue Foot Groovy”), Surfing With the Alien (“Always With Me, Always With You” and “Ice 9”), and 2004’s Is There Love in Space? (“If I Could Fly”). Next, following the introductions of his band – Rai Thistlethwayte (keys), Bryan Beller (bass), and Kenny Aronoff (drums), Satch addressed his loyal followers:

    So, not too far from here, but a very, very long time ago, a little kid came to my front door. He had a stringless guitar in one hand, and a pack of strings in the other and was looking for lessons. There was something about him, I thought, this is gonna be fun. I like the look in his eyes. It looks like he’s got that passion and desire, even at 12 years old. I’m telling you the truth, at 12 years old, he had it. We quickly became comrades, with one goal, which was to just keep playing electric guitar as long as we could. And thanks to you, we were able to live that dream, and we’ve stayed best friends ever since. So please help bring out to the stage Mr. Steve Vai.

    Joe Satriani & Steve Vai | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger Photography / Pit Perspectives
    Steve Vai Joe Satriani
    Steve Vai | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger Photography / Pit Perspectives

    His pupil then returned to the stage for an epic encore jam comprised of “The Sea Of Emotion, Pt. 1” – a collaboration between the two buddies, recently released on March 29, that sees the two icons seamlessly trading solo sections – “You Really Got Me” by The Kinks and Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” the latter two numbers rendered from their axes with a personal flair, of course.

    Watch Joe Satriani perform the soaring and uplifting “Always with Me, Always with You” (Surfing With the Alien) here:

    After the Satch/Vai Tour wraps on May 12 in Santa Rosa, California, Vai and Tool drummer Danny Carey will be joining the newborn supergroup Beat, additionally comprised of King Crimson’s guitarist/singer Adrian Belew and bassist Tony Levins. The foursome will be setting out on a special fall tour kicking off September 12 in San Jose, CA, culminating November 8 in Las Vegas, Nevada, paying homage along the way to the progressive English rock band’s trio of iconic studio albums from the ‘80s – Discipline, Beat, and Three of a Perfect Pair. If you are like me and cannot get enough of Steve Vai, he is featured on the May 2024 edition cover of Guitar World magazine (already in print on newsstands), along with an in-depth article celebrating the 25th anniversary of Flex-Able.

    Up next for Satch is “The Best Of All Worlds 2024 Tour” with Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony and Jason Bonham. The tour, which will feature music from every phase of Hagar’s career (including Van Halen, Chickenfoot, and The Circle), runs from July 13 in West Palm Beach, Florida to August 31 in St. Louis, Missouri.

    Steve Vai Setlist: Avalancha > Building the Church > Little Pretty > Tender Surrender > Lights Are On > Zeus in Chains > Teeth of the Hydra > For the Love of God

    Joe Satriani Setlist: The Extremist > Surfing With the Alien > Satch Boogie > Sahara > Nineteen Eighty > Flying in a Blue Dream > Blue Foot Groovy > Always With Me, Always With You > If I Could Fly > Ice 9 > Encore: The Sea Of Emotion, Pt. 1 (with Steve Vai) > You Really Got Me (The Kinks cover, with Steve Vai) > Enter Sandman (Metallica cover, with Steve Vai)

    UPCOMING TOUR DATES

    April 10 – Collingswood, NJ @ Scottish Rite Auditorium

    April 11 – Washington, DC @ Warner Theatre DC

    April 13 – Northfield, OH @ MGM Northfield Park

    April 14 – Rochester, NY @ Kodak Center Theater

    April 16 – Detroit, MI @ Fisher Theatre

    April 18 – Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre

    April 19 – Cincinnati, OH @ Andrew J. Brady Icon Music Center

    April 20 – Fort Wayne, IN @ Embassy Theatre

    April 21 – Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Theatre (Old National Centre)

    April 23 – Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theater

    April 24 – Minneapolis, MN @ State Theatre

    April 25 – Des Moines, IA @ Des Moines Civic Center

    April 26 – Springfield, MO @ Gillioz Theatre

    April 28 – La Vista, NE @ The Astro

    April 29 – Salina, KS @ Stiefel Theatre

    April 30 – St. Louis, MO @ The Factory – St. Louis

    May 1 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater

    May 3 – Austin, TX @ ACL Live at The Moody Theater

    May 4 – Dallas, TX @ Music Hall at Fair Park

    May 5 – Houston, TX @ 713 Music Hall

    May 7 – Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre – Denver

    May 8 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Delta Hall at Eccles Theater

    May 10 – Valley Center, CA @ Harrah’s Resort Southern California – The Events Center

    May 11 – Wheatland, CA @ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

    May 12 – Santa Rosa, CA @ Luther Burbank Center for the Arts

    STEVE VAI

    JOE SATRIANI

  • Kamasi Washington to Play Beacon Theatre Upon Release of New Album “Fearless Movement” – Listen to “Prologue” now

    Legendary west coast jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington has announced a new album – Fearless Movement – along with a tour that kicks off on May 4 at the Beacon Theatre.

    Along with the tour announcement, Washington has released the first track from Fearless Movement, “Prologue,” alongside a mesmerizing video directed by longtime collaborator AG Rojas and choreographed by Samantha Blake Goodman.

    Kamasi Washington beacon theatre

    Kamasi Washington is a multi-instrumentalist, composer and bandleader born and raised in Los Angeles, who has released three albums, all acclaimed – The EpicHarmony of Difference, and Heaven and Earth. In 2020, Washington scored the Michelle Obama documentary Becoming, earning Emmy and GRAMMY nominations for his work.

    Washington views Fearless Movement his dance album: “It’s not literal. Dance is movement and expression, and in a way it’s the same thing as music—expressing your spirit through your body. That’s what this album is pushing.”

    With his previous albums dealing with cosmic ideas and existential concepts, Fearless Movement focuses on the everyday, an exploration of life on earth. This change in scope is due in large part to the birth of Washington’s first child a few years ago. A dance album as an embodied form of expression signals a shift in focus for Washington.

    “Being a father means the horizon of your life all of a sudden shows up. My mortality became more apparent to me, but also my immortality—realizing that my daughter is going to live on and see things that I’m never going to see. I had to become comfortable with this, and that affected the music that I was making.”

    Kamasi Washington, on Fearless Movement

    The album also features Washington’s daughter, who wrote the melody to “Asha The First” during some of her first experimentations on the piano, as well as a host of collaborators. Among them, André 3000 appears on flute, George Clinton lends his voice, as do BJ The Chicago Kid, Inglewood rapper D-Smoke and Taj and Ras Austin of Coast Contra, the twin sons of West Coast legend Ras Kass. Washington has also enlisted lifelong friends and collaborators Thundercat, Terrace Martin, Patrice Quinn, Brandon  Coleman, DJ Battlecat and more.

    Fearless Movement also features “The Garden Path,” a song Washington performed for the first time ever, making his late-night television debut, on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”

    Washington has announced an extensive North American tour kicking off May 4 at Manhattan’s Beacon Theatre with dates in Chicago, Houston, San Francisco and the Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival, which he will co-curate with Herbie Hancock for the second year in a row, on June 16.

    Pre-order/Pre-save Fearless Movement here. Tickets for Kamasi Washington at the Beacon Theatre, and all shows, are on sale March 8 at 10am, here.

    KAMASI WASHINGTON 2024 TOUR

    May 4—New York, NY—Beacon Theatre

    May 5—Philadelphia, PA—Union Transfer

    May 7—Toronto, QC—History

    May 8—Cincinnati, OH—Ludlow Garage

    May 9—Detroit, MI—St. Andrews Hall

    May 10—Chicago, IL—Thalia Hall

    May 11—St. Paul, MN—Fitzgerald Theater

    May 12—Omaha, NB—Slowdown

    May 14—Houston, TX—House of Blues Houston

    May 15—Dallas, TX—House of Blues Dallas

    May 16—San Antonio, TX—Empire Theater

    May 17—Austin, TX—Empire Garage

    May 30—Vancouver, BC—The Vogue Theatre

    May 31—Seattle, WA—The Showbox

    June 1—Eugene, OR—McDonald Theatre

    June 2—Portland, OR—Crystal Ballroom

    June 5—Sacramento, CA—Crest Theatre

    June 6—Monterey, CA—Golden State Theatre

    June 7—San Francisco, CA—Warfield

    June 8—Santa Cruz, CA—The Catalyst

    June 9—Solana Beach, CA—Belly Up

    June 11—Mesa, AZ—Mesa Arts Center

    June 16—Los Angeles, CA—Hollywood Bowl Jazz Fest

    July 31—Alexandria, VA—The Birchmere

  • Legendary French Duo AIR Announce Tour, Coming to Beacon Theatre

    Legendary French duo AIR has announced an extensive North American tour to celebrate the 25 anniversary of their debut album Moon Safari, which includes two stops at the Beacon Theatre on October 21 and 22, 2024.

    AIR Beacon
    AIR live in Vienna by Chérie Hansson.

    Similar to their recent European tour, which sold out in record time, AIR will be playing their widely celebrated album in its entirety for the first time. The band released the demo version of “New Star In The Sky” ahead of the digital release of the 25-anniversary deluxe album on March 15, featuring over ten cherry-picked Moon Safari audio rarities.

    On Jan. 16, 1998, AIR released Moon Safari, an album that catapulted Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoit Dunckel to the top of electronic music’s ladder. Their sound – Fender Rhodes trills, loping basslines, and sensual yet playful vocal hooks – conjured the sensation of the masses.

    Since forming the band in 1995, the prolific duo has released six albums in addition to their acclaimed EP Premiers Symptômes, the release of the aforementioned classic Moon Safari, and two soundtracks that sold millions of copies. AIR garnered an extensive list of worldwide accolades for their unique brand of downtempo electronic music.

    “The hype was a violent experience,” reflected Jean-Benoit Dunckel, 25 years later. “AIR’s music is not accessible or easy to discern: The format is strange, the voices are strange, the subjects are strange. Even ‘Sexy Boy’ sounds strange. We were a duo doing some electronic thing, dreaming of selling 10,000 copies and being recognized by other musicians as cool. Then suddenly, we met the world. Personally, it took me time to see that we could be a big, important band.”

    In short, Moon Safari was a nest of contradictions. Today, the record’s legacy is canonical, but its multi-million success was far from assured.

    “This kind of bedroom music was all about fantasy,” says Nicolas Godin. “In my mind, I was picturing myself at Capitol Records, surrounded by all the best musicians, feeling like Burt Bacharach. In reality, I was in the fucking 18th arrondissement of Paris, with a sampler, singing into one microphone. But when your fantasy is so strong, I think it goes in the wires and through the speakers. The power of Moon Safari was to make people believe in what we believed in.”

    While AIR’s precise alchemy and absence of geographical anchoring placed Moon Safari outside the grip of trends, the album intersected with the world below’s revolutions at precisely the right moment.

    Through Moon Safari, AIR transfixed some of the great visionaries of the late 20th century — David Bowie, Madonna, Beck — as well as influencing preeminent aesthetes of the incoming age – including Charlotte Gainsbourg Kevin Parker, and Sofia Coppola. AIR helped fan the flames of a rare Francophilia which surged through the typically nativist British charts in 1998. Moon Safari birthed three hit singles in “Kelly Watch The Stars,” “All I Need” and “Sexy Boy,” which shifted over half a million copies in the UK and pushed AIR into headline contention at banner festivals such as Glastonbury.

    25 years on, it’s not hard to alight upon why Moon Safari has stood the test of time. AIR’s unique grasp of pace and mood, surety of direction, and earworm hooks compelled the world toward it.

    “To me,” Godin concludes, “Moon Safari is perfect.”

    Presale goes on sale on March 7 at 10 a.m., while general tickets are on sale on March 8 at 10 a.m. Tickets can be purchased here. There are VIP packages and experiences for fans to take their concert experience to the next level. Packages include premium tickets, an official tour poster, vouchers to the concession stands, and more. For more information, visit vipnation.com.

    AIR PLAY MOON SAFARI

    NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 2024

    *Not a Live Nation Date

    9/25 – Vancouver, BC @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre

    9/27 – Seattle, WA @ Benaroya Hall

    9/29 – Los Angeles, CA @ Orpheum

    9/30 – Los Angeles, CA @ Orpheum

    10/2 – San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic

    10/4 – Denver, CO @ Bellco Theater

    10/6 – Minneapolis, MN @ State Theatre

    10/8 – Chicago, IL @ Auditorium Theatre

    10/10 – Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre

    10/12 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall

    10/13 – Montreal, QC @ Place Bell

    10/15 – Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway

    10/17 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Met

    10/18 Washington DC @ The Anthem*

    10/21 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre

    10/22 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre

    10/24 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle

    10/26 – Miami Beach, FL @ Fillmore Miami Beach

    10/29 – Dallas, TX @ Music Hall at Fair Park

    10/30 – Austin, TX @ Moody Amphitheatre

  • LOVE ROCKS NYC 2024 Lineup Includes Hozier, The Black Keys, Trombone Shorty, and More

    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 2024

    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.