Rochester-based composer mainTheme has announced the release of his rich new groove track “Take Over Me” (feat. Donno Jay).
Dan Romans plays drum set, synth, keyboard, and voice; composes and arranges music; and performs all styles. He has a diverse musical vocabulary and versatile playing style that is dynamic, expressive, and compositionally focused. mainTheme is a carte blanche repository of sounds and songs drawn from eclectic influences and presented as an approximation of pop music. mainTheme is another variation of Dan Romans’ compositional voice as he dons the figurative producer’s hat.
His latest track “Take Over Me” (feat. Donno Jay) encapsulates mainTheme’s minimal, rich groove and features storytelling and vocal talents of Miami-based hip-hop artist Donno Jay. The track is slated to release on most streaming services by December 27. The track is a powerful, introspective look at the core of one’s life, and the state of the world we all share. With Donno Jay’s cadence and hard-hitting, somber lyrics spit over the desolate electro-synth melodies, this track is strong, catchy, and meaningful.
mainTheme creates music that, to me, breaks down walls. His eclectic, diverse and dynamic range of music paints wondrous soundscapes in each piece of music released. This track, “Take Over Me” is a prime example of this idea. The instrumental to the track is smooth, unique, and presents a vibe that I can best describe as galactic. It is a spacey, synthy, psychedelic piece that contains climbing and falling volumes, with a heightened energy in the middle before slowly dying out like a dimming light. The track is brilliant in both instrumental sound from mainTheme and lyricism from Donno Jay.
For more information on mainTheme’s music and to keep up with “Take Over Me” which releases on December 27, click here.
Khruangbin, Bleachers, and CAKE are slated to headline the second edition of The Capitol Groove, downtown Hartford’s premier festival, returning to Bushnell Park June 28-29.
Presented by GoodWorks Entertainment, the festival will feature 14 artists over two days with performances from Thundercat, Sammy Rae & The Friends, Thee Sacred Souls, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Fantastic Negrito, Steel Pulse, Ripe, Improvement Movement, Ghost Funk Orchestra, The Greeting Committee, and Spectre Jones. These titillating acts are ones you’ll certainly want to see live.
Beyond the music, The Capitol Groove will also boast a lineup of local craft vendors and food trucks to be announced closer to the festival. Situated in the heart of downtown Hartford, Bushnell Park’s ample green space and natural beauty provides festivalgoers the perfect backdrop for two days of live music, all within easy reach of Hartford’s rich history and vibrant arts scene.
This upcoming festival is the second ever in the fest’s history. The Capitol Groove saw much success last summer and hopes to reach new heights with an even more exciting lineup. Acts like Khruangbin, Thundercat, Bleachers, and CAKE are must sees. These artists are known to bring the absolute groove to new levels wherever they go.
For more information and to purchase tickets to The Capitol Groove festival, click here.
At the 2025 Coachella Music and Arts Festival, 11 recording artists from New York State are set to perform. This includes headliners Lady Gaga and Post Malone, of Manhattan and Syracuse respectively. The festival is scheduled for Friday-Sunday, April 11-13, and April 18-20, and will feature the same acts across both weekends. Last year, five artists from New York performed at Coachella, including headliner Lana Del Rey. Significantly, Coachella 2025 will feature recording artists from New York across all three festival days.
Coachella 2025 Headliners
Manhattan-born Lady Gaga will headline Coachella 2025 on the first night of the festival, on Friday, April 11 and 18. Gaga first rose to prominence in 2008, with the release of her debut album The Fame. The album spawned several of Gaga’s hit singles including “Just Dance”, “Poker Face” and “Paparazzi.” Significantly, the 2025 festival will mark the second time Gaga has performed at Coachella and her second time headlining. Gaga first appeared at the 2017 festival, replacing Beyonce as a headliner.
Lady Gaga performs at the 2017 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Credit: Getty Images.
Rock Band Green Day of California will headline Coachella 2025 on Saturday, April 12 and 19. It will be the band’s first time headlining as well as their first performing at Coachella. Green Day has released over 14 studio albums, most recently Saviors (2024.)
Green Day lead singer Billy Joe Armstrong. Credit: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Singer Post Malone of Syracuse will headline Coachella 2025 on Sunday, April 13 and 20. Malone released his debut album, Stoney, in 2016, which spawned his hit, diamond-certified single “Congratulations.” He has since released a total of six albums, most recently F-1 Trillion (2024) which sees him expanding his music to the country genre. Malone has performed at the festival twice: in 2018, he was on the official lineup and closed out the Sahara tent, bringing out Ty Dolla $ign and 21 Savage, and in 2023, he made a surprise appearance during Bad Bunny’s Set. The 2025 festival will be Malone’s first appearance at Coachella as a headliner.
Syracuse native Post Malone performs at the 2018 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Credit: Billboard.
Coachella 2025: Friday, April 11 and 18
Guyanese-American rapper and singer Saint Jhn of Brooklyn will perform at Coachella 2025 for the opening nights of both weekends on Friday, April 11 and 18, which will be his first appearance at the festival. Throughout his childhood, Saint Jhn split his time living in Guyana and the East New York Neighborhood of Brooklyn. He released his debut album, Collection One (2018), and has since released a total of three albums, most recently 2020’s While the World Was Burning.
Guyanese-American rapper and singer Saint Jhn. Credit: IMDB.
American DJ, producer, and songwriter Austin Millz of Harlem will perform on the first night of Coachella 2025 for both weekends on Friday, April 11 and 18. The 2025 festival will be his first performance at Coachella. Career highlights of Millz include DJ-ing Beyonce’s Homecoming Coachella performance in 2018, and he made his debut for Boiler Room NYC in 2023.
American DJ, producer, and songwriter Austin Millz. Credit: Insomniac.
Brooklyn-born DJ and producer Moon Boots is set to perform at Coachella 2025 on Friday, April 11 and 13. Born in Prospect Heights and raised in the suburbs of Connecticut, he attended Princeton University where originally studied electrical engineering before switching to music. After graduating, he moved to Chicago, and his since released several independent albums.
DJ and producer Moon Boots. Credit: Insomniac.
Coachella 2025: Saturday, April 12 and 19
Alternative rock band Blonde Redhead is scheduled to perform at the 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Saturday, April 12 and 19. The band is composed of Kazu Makino (vocals, keyboards, rhythm guitar) and identical twin brothers Simone (drums, keyboards) and Amedeo Pace (lead guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals) and was formed in 1993 in New York City. The 2025 festival will be Blonde Redhead’s second performance at Coachella, after 2007.
The three members of Blonde Redhead, from left to right: Kazu Makino (vocals, keyboards, rhythm guitar), and identical twin brothers Simone (drums, keyboards) and Amedeo Pace (lead guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals.) Credit: Office Magazine.
Indo Warehouse is a New York City-based record label and event series formed in 2022 by Kahani and Kunal Merchant. The 2025 festival will be the record label’s first appearance at Coachella on Saturday, April 12 and 19. Indo Warehouse was formed to bring South Asian culture and influences to the forefront of dance music, and the 2023 short documentary Renaissance in the Realm: Indo Warehouse explores the label’s origins and future.
Founders of Indo Warehouse Kunal and Kahani Merchant. Credit: Insomniac.
New York City musician Layton Giordani will mark his debut performance at Coachella on Saturday, April 12 and 19. Giordani is a mostly dance/electronic artist who debuted on the music scene in 2017 with his debut LP on Drumcode, Where it Begins. His hard work and dedication have gotten Giordani a performance at Coachella, which may be a turning point in his career.
Musician Layton Giordani. Credit: Insomniac.
Sunday, April 13 and 20
American-Ghanaian singer and songwriter Amaarae of The Bronx will mark her Coachella debut on Sunday, April 13 and 20. Known for her fusion of pop, R&B, afro beats, and alté, Amaarae released her debut EP, Passionfruit Summers, in 2017, and her debut album, The Angel You Don’t Know to critical acclaim in 2020. Her second and most recent album, Fountain Baby, was released in 2023.
American-Ghanaian singer and songwriter Amaarae. Credit: Lauren Dunn.
NYC-based electronic band Fckers will make their debut Coachella appearance on Sunday, April 13 and 20. The band was originally formed in 2022 by musicians Shannon Wise (vocals) Jayson Walker Lewis (bass, keyboards, production), and Ben Scharf (drums.) Lewis and Scharf were originally in the band Spud Cannon for five years, and Wise was a frontwoman for the band The Shacks, before leaving their respective groups to form Fckers together, and ultimately released their debut EP, Baggy$$, in September.
The members of Fckers, from top to bottom: Ben Scharf, Shannon Wise, and Jason Walker Lewis. Credit: Georgia Mitropoulos.
West African-born DJ AMÉMÉ will perform at Coachella 2025 on Sunday, April 13 and 20. The DJ, who splits his time between Brooklyn and Berlin, made his first Coachella appearance in 2022, opening the Sunday festival both weekends inside the Yuma Tent. AMÉMÉ moved to NYC to fulfill his dream of becoming a DJ, and eventually connected New York’s highly influential House Of Yes, and now runs One Tribe, a multifaceted platform that includes an events wing and a fashion label, in addition to his career as a DJ.
West African-born DJ AMÉMÉ. Credit: Insomniac.
Tickets for Coachella 2025 are selling quickly. Separate tickets must be purchased for both weekends. The festival is open to all ages and kids aged five and under are granted free admission.
Spoken word artist FlowPoetry and multi-instrumentalist Noah Lehrman have announced the release of their live album slated to release Dec 17.
FlowPoetry (aka Adam Pergament) is a neo/beat spoken word artist who hails from Madison, Wisconsin. Noah Lehrman is a NYC-native world/fusion drummer and multi-instrumentalist. The two artists were recently on tour in the Northeast when an opportunity arose at Rockwood Music Hall in NYC.
Upon finishing their July 31 gig, the duo met up with pianist Shoheen Owhady for their second show of the day, a breakout midnight jazz set as a trio. The three talents felt a connection with Adam’s languid words and Noah and Shoheen’s stunning improvisation on “Tonight”, “DripStuck”, and “Get Up Off the Floor”, along with sparkling reimaginations of FlowPoetry classics “Holy Man”, “Garden”, and “Braincells”, topped by a literally show stopping version of “Rachet”- for an audience crawling with electricity.
Flames & Flowers & Steam is the resultant live album of that late set at Rockwood. The album’s first two singles “Tonight”, an opening incantation that distills the evening’s magic down to its lyrical and experimental essence, and “Drip Stuck”, a romantic meditation on love and loss, are no available on Apple Music, Amazon Music, iTunes, Pandora, Spotify, and all streaming services and digital platforms.
FlowPoetry and Noah Lehrman’s Flames & Flowers & Steam boasts 11 tracks. Each track more unique and exciting than the last. With sensational wordplay, fantastic musical dynamics, and overall, an intoxicating bunch of melodies, this live album is sure to impress the listener as it did the audience in attendance.
That show marked the end of a Midwest-East Coast tour that spanned 3,000 miles, 11 cities, 8 states, 6 guests and 2 time zones, and saw the debut of music and improvisations touching on styles spanning jazz to jambands and edm to cosmic cowboy tunes.
FlowPoetry/Adam is the originator of the lyrical jam poetry form, with over 1800 live US performances under his belt. As a drummer/percussionist, Noah has performed with members of moe., Phil & Friends, RatDog, and more, and he appears internationally as a singer-songwriter. Together they bring a lyrical sense and melodic beats to their song-structures, improvisational explorations, and psychedelic imagery.
For more information on FlowPoetry and Noah Lehrman’s upcoming live album Flames & Flowers & Steam, click here.
On February 3 and 4, Artistic Director Ted Sperling leads the 120–member MasterVoices Chorus in the premiere of the acclaimed opera, “Blind Injustice.” The show takes place at the Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center.
“Blind Injustice” features music by Scott Davenport Richards and libretto by David Cote. The opera tells the true story of the Ohio Innocence Project’s work to overturn the convictions of six men, women, and teens who were wrongly imprisoned for violent crimes they didn’t commit. The opera is based on the book of the same name by Mark Godsey and the casework by the Ohio Innocence Project at the University of Cincinnati College of Law. The inspiring 90-minute work in staged presentation showcases an operatic score infused with jazz, gospel, funk, hip-hop, and musical theater. The shows take place on Feb 3 and 4 at 7:30pm.
“Blind Injustice” makes its New York premiere following a critically praised world premiere at Cincinnati Opera in 2019 and a subsequent production at PEAK Performances at Montclair State University (MSU) with Ted Sperling conducting and members of the MasterVoices Chorus joining MSU choristers in February 2024. Immediately following each performance, there is a 30-minute moderated conversation with four exonerees portrayed in the opera: Nancy Smith, Laurese Glover, Clarence Elkins, and Rickey Jackson, as well as artists and experts working in the field of criminal justice reform. Conversations are free to ticket holders.
Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center
MasterVoices (formerly The Collegiate Chorale) was founded in 1941 by legendary American choral conductor Robert Shaw. Under the artistic direction of Tony Award winner Ted Sperling since 2013, the group is known for its versatility and a repertoire that ranges from choral masterpieces and operas in concert to operettas and musical theater. Season concerts feature a volunteer chorus of 100+ members from all walks of life alongside a diverse roster of world-class soloists from across the musical spectrum.
Conductor Ted Sperling
One of today’s leading musical artists, Tony Award-winning Maestro Ted Sperling is a classically trained musician whose career has spanned from the concert hall and the opera house to the Broadway stage. Presently Artistic Director of MasterVoices, he has led such symphony orchestras as the New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Boston Pops, San Diego Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, the Iceland Symphony, Czech National Symphony, and BBC Concert Orchestra, as well as New York City Opera and Houston Grand Opera. Put simply, you’ll want to catch him live conducting this opera in February.
For more information on the upcoming “Blind Injustice” opera performed by MasterVoices at Lincoln Center, click here.
Long Island native Roger Street Friedman has released his newest americana single, “Banks of the Brazos.” The track is a powerful ode to the “Sugarland 95,” a group of Black convict laborers sentenced to brutal work in Texas sugarcane fields in the post-reconstruction era.
“Banks of the Brazos” is the third single from his upcoming album Long Shadows, due out January 24, the song is a powerful and evocative story that looks into the hidden history of the “Sugarland 95,” a group of African American men who were often victims of unjust laws designed to control the lives of newly freed people.
When the bodies of the Sugarland 95 were unearthed along the banks of the Brazos River, Roger Street Freidman was inspired to write a song from the perspective of one of these laborers. The song aligns with a viral TikTok that Roger posted last year, garnering nearly a million views, resonating with audiences for his honest storytelling.
The song holds a strong outlaw americana feel. The western country flare paired with the dark nature of the song’s backstory sets the listener up to feel it in their heart. Each strum of the guitar shows Roger Street Friedman’s passion and grit for music and exposing history’s many injustices. The track is dynamic, with many changing musical tides throughout the track, but with a meaningfully brawn backbone allowing for wide arrays of sound.
Even the opening sounds from the electric and acoustic guitars simultaneously made me feel something. Followed by the consistent, strong kick and snare, this track immerses the listener from the very start. Both Friedman’s hearty solo vocals and the powerful harmonizing vocals truly touch the heart and soul of whomever may be listening, especially when you factor in how Roger is soulfully expressing his outlook on the horrible enslavement of the Sugarland 95. The track sees a phenomenal climax with soaring vocals followed by a spirit-touching finish that brilliantly yet softly wraps up the hearty ode.
For more information on Roger Street Friedman and his latest single, “Banks of the Brazos,” click here.
Jerusalem-native Avinoam Ettun, currently based out of Brooklyn, has announced the release of his latest EP Looking Into Your Soul, released on December 6.
Avinoam Ettun is a contemporary music performer-composer and improviser based in New York City. With a focus on creating compositions for large ensembles and his own string quartet, Avinoam combines the sounds of electric guitar and chamber music. Ettun actively collaborates with animators, painters, filmmakers, and dancers and explores the intersections of different art forms. Ettun holds a Bachelor of Music in Composition from The Jerusalem Music Academy and a Masters from the New School.
The EP features three instrumental tracks inspired by portrait imagery, recorded in collaboration with pianist Itamar Dahan, with Avinoam on guitar. The project combines jazz, contemporary sounds, and visual art. The first song on the EP, “East West” features a powerful piano riff, coupled with somber guitar tones. The track grows and morphs, hits highs and lows, before coming to a blissfully peace-laden ending.
Similarly, the title track, “Looking Into Your Soul” presents a hearty and emotional piano with an accenting guitar that adds little nuances to each section of the song. Each song sounds familiar, like it has a classic, vintage sound of talent that existed in the past. Avinoam Ettun takes this sound and makes it his own with a blend of notes of eastern instrumentation, and golden era classical music.
Finally, the last track of the EP, “The Dreaming Kid in the Sand” tells a story without using words, as Ettun’s other songs on the album do. The title perfectly encapsulates the theme and vibe of the song. The song truly feels like a child daydreaming in a peaceful yet whimsical place. Avinoam’s music is dynamic, powerful, unique, and inspiring. This kind of music is what today’s soundscape lacks in my opinion. True compositions about true, heartfelt, spiritual themes.
For more information on Avinoam Ettun and to check out his newest EP, “Looking Into Your Soul,” click here.
Silver Bay YMCA’s bluegrass festival, Bluegrass in Heaven, is undergoing a rebrand to open the festival up to more people. The festival will now be known as “Silver Bay’s Mountain Music Festival.”
The new name aims to open the festival up to more people who enjoy the genres that fall into the mountain music category such as americana and folk. In addition to the new name, the festival is also sporting a new logo to help the rebrand along. The logo features a sun with some music notes behind a mountain range with the text Silver Bay’s Mountain Music Festival below it.
Silver Bay’s bluegrass festival originated in 2023, with the planning for it starting in 2022, when a long-time Silver Bay employee and volunteer, Terry Baker, approached Silver Bay with the idea. Silver Bay’s Mountain Music Festival is set to take place September 12 – 14. The lineup for the festival will be announced in the new year.
Silver Bay YMCA, founded in 1902, is in Silver Bay, NY, just minutes south of Hague. Its 700-acre campus along one mile of Lake George shoreline offers a breadth of programs for all ages. Silver Bay YMCA is consistently ranked one of the top ten family reunion sites in the country and is on the National Register of Historic Places with the U.S. Department of the Interior. As a mission-based charity, Silver Bay YMCA offers outreach programs in addition to its core activities as a premier conference and family retreat center.
For more information on Silver Bay YMCA and their upcoming Silver Bay’s Mountain Music Festival, click here.
Park Street Hospitality has unveiled its latest project, Doc’s Bar & Lounge, a newly renovated event space located within The Park Theater in Glens Falls.
Formerly known as Doc’s Restaurant, this reimagined space on the lower level of the theater now offers a chic and versatile setting for intimate gatherings, corporate events, and special occasions. The floor plan has been reconfigured, removing the booths of the former restaurant to serve as a more functional multi-purpose event space, perfect for cocktail hours, family style dinners and more.
Combining stylish ambiance with enhanced functionality, Doc’s Bar & Lounge provides an elevated experience, perfect for catering to the diverse needs of its guests. This exciting expansion highlights Park Street Hospitality’s dedication to delivering unforgettable moments for the Glens Falls community and beyond.
Built in 1911, The Park Theater is the premier entertainment venue located in the heart of downtown Glens Falls, NY. This century-old theater holds a vast and rich history within the community and has been revitalized as a destination for performing arts, weddings, events and more. In 2021, The Park Theater Foundation was established, launching its inaugural outdoor Summer Concert Series and highly anticipated 2021/22 season.
The Park Theater remains a state-of-the-art performing arts center, featuring national and international touring performers, as well as local community artists and productions. With the renovation of Doc’s Bar & Lounge, the venue just got another exciting and stylish addition to its fan-favorite atmosphere.
For more information on The Park Theater and to stay up to date on future events, click here.
Rock powerhouses Breaking Benjamin and Staind have announced their upcoming co-headlining “Awaken The Fallen Tour.” The tour sees a single date in New York at SPAC on May 23. The bands are joined by special guests Wage War and Lakeview.
The 20-city tour kicks off on April 26 at Brandon Amphitheater in Brandon, MS making stops across the U.S. in Nashville, Tampa, Cincinnati, Green Bay, and more before wrapping up in Kansas City, MO at T-Mobile Center on June 1.
Staind is comprised of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Aaron Lewis, lead guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist and backing vocalist Johnny April, and drummer Sal Giancarelli. The band was formed in 1995 in their hometown of Springfield, Massachusetts. Over the course of their career, Staind has released eight studio albums and twelve top 10 singles, selling over 15 million albums worldwide.
STAIND & BREAKING BENJAMIN âAWAKEN THE FALLENâ TOUR DATES:
Sat Apr 26 – Brandon, MS – Brandon Amphitheater
Sun Apr 27 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Tue Apr 29 – Charleston, WV – Charleston Coliseum
Wed Apr 30 – Evansville, IN – Ford Center
Sat May 03 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
Tue May 06 – Lubbock, TX – United Supermarkets Arena
Wed May 07 – San Antonio, TX – Frost Bank Center
Sat May 10 – Orange Beach, AL – The Wharf Amphitheater
Sun May 11 – Huntsville, AL – Von Braun Center Propst Arena
Tue May 13 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre â RESCHEDULED DATE
Wed May 14 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre â RESCHEDULED DATE
Sat May 17 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena
Mon May 19 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center
Wed May 21 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
Fri May 23 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Broadview Stage at SPAC
Sun May 25 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
Tue May 27 – Green Bay, WI – Resch Center
Wed May 28 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Center
Sat May 31 – Council Bluffs, IA – Harrah’s Council Bluffs – Stir Cove Event & Concert Venue
Sun June 1 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
For more information on the upcoming “Awaken The Fallen Tour” and to purchase tickets, click here.
