Swing 46 in NYC has announced the special screening of award-winning documentary on the venue, titled “Swing 46: The Last Swingin’ Supper Club.” The airing takes place on October 6 at the jazz club itself.
The famous jazz and supper club Swing 46 prepares to host an honorable screening along with a Q&A session with the filmmaker. The night gives a snapshot of this historic music venue, which has been a home of music, performance, dancing, and memories for decades. The documentary tells the tale of a music venue born out of the retro swing renaissance of the late 90’s, hosting live music, diners, and dancers for nearly three decades.
The COVID-19 Pandemic has taken its toll on this great music venue which features live music six nights a week, acclaimed food, and a stunning atmosphere that has drawn many globally. A portion of the funds raised will benefit Swing 46’s daily operations and expenses helping to sustain this iconic music and supper club.
In addition to providing a home to the New York City Swing Dance Community and world renowned artists, Swing 46 became a beloved tourist destination, welcoming jazz fans and dancers from around the world. If funding does not become available to help this beloved club pay ongoing bills like rent, utilities, payroll to staff, and other necessities, it will not be able to continue to operate. Swing 46 may be forced to close its doors permanently and NYC will lose another precious live music venue.
For more information on the impact and magnitude of the jazz club and to purchase tickets to the October 6 event, click here.
The board of New York City Opera announces the appointment of Constantine Orbelian as the organization’s new Executive Director & Music Director. Constantine succeeds General Director Michael Capasso.
Four-time Grammy-nominated conductor Constantine Orbelian has been called “the singer’s dream collaborator” by Opera News. He has toured and recorded with some of the world’s greatest singers, such as American stars Renee Fleming, Sondra Radvanovsky and Lawrence Brownlee. He also toured with the great Dmitri Hvorostovsky and other renowned singers in European, North American, and Asian music centers.
Orbelian’s accomplishments include being Music Director of the Moscow Chamber Orchestra and the Philharmonia of Russia. He founded the annual Palaces of St. Petersburg International Music Festival and was Chief Conductor of the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra in Lithuania. He was the first American to become music director of an ensemble in Russia.
NYC Opera’s 2024-25 season is poised to captivate and inspire with dynamic repertoire that celebrates resilience, history, and community. The season also features the long-awaited revival of William Grant Still’sTroubled Island. It is presented 75 years after its 1949 premiere at City Opera.
“I am honored and excited to take on the role of Executive Director in addition to my current role as Music Director and Principal Conductor of the New York City Opera, a company with such a rich legacy and profound history in the world of music. This opportunity allows me to blend my passion for artistic excellence with mindful and positive stewardship, ensuring that the cherished traditions of this great institution continue to thrive. Together with this wonderful community, we will embark on a journey that honors the past while boldly shaping the future of this iconic opera company.”
Constantine Orbelian
To learn more about NYC Opera’s new executive director and music director Constantine Orbelian, please click here.
A new 2-track single from Troy’s Adequate Phil, “9ine Beers D33p,” was released on Aug. 18. This single features two guest artists which blends the bands spacey, psychedelic sounds with their smooth, lyrical flows.
Adequate Phil is a band from Troy who define themselves as a psychedelic freak-folk group. The band consists of Arunesh Ghosh and Andrew Golden while featuring on this track, Kevin Burns, Matthew Johnson, and Matt Malone.
Adequate Phil are heavily influenced by classic psychedelic acts like Animal Collective, The Beatles, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and Radiohead. This new track manages to blend in elements of hip-hop production. This gives their sound interesting parallels with acts such as Gorillaz or Danger Mouse, while still providing interesting and new ideas.
For their latest single “9ine Beers D33p” released on Aug. 18, the band has teamed up with two MCs in Troy, Big Lettuce and Yung Alfredo. This is a project that manages to produce a sound with the feeling of 8-bit stoned stargazing. Adequate Phil says, “It’s been a blast working on this, and we think it’s some of our best stuff yet.”
Learn more about Adequate Phil by checking out their website here.
Five For Fighting’s String Quartet Tour kicks off Sept. 26. They will perform over two decades of hits and fan favorites with a four-piece string section. New York shows include stops in Homer, Saratoga Springs, Corning, Bethel, Oneonta, Bethlehem, and Port Washington.
Five For Fighting, otherwise known as John Ondrasik, is a platinum-selling, and Grammy-nominated songwriter and performer with a career spanning two decades since his first major single, “Superman (It’s Not Easy).” Five For Fighting has released six studio albums, including the certified platinum America Town, and The Battle for Everything.
Ondrasik says, “The string quartet allows a more intimate experience and the ability to pull songs from my catalog with fantastic string arrangements from world-renowned composers that I do not play with the rock band. The string quartet also performs a multitude of classical and rock songs that change every night that is always a special treat for audiences.” The String Quartet will include the Tony Award-winning concertmaster and co-orchestrator of Moulin Rouge! The Musical Katie Kresek with Melissa Tong, Chris Cardona, and Peter Sachon.
Five For Fighting Full Tour Schedule:
September 26 in Homer, NY at Center for the Arts of Homer
September 27 in Saratoga Springs, NY at Universal Preservation Hall
September 28 in Corning, NY at Corning Museum Of Glass
September 29 in Bethel, NY at The Event Gallery at Bethel Woods
October 1 in Oneonta, NY at Foothills Performing Arts Center
October 3 in Nashua, NH at Nashua Center for the Arts
October 4 in Laconia, NH at The Colonial Theatre Laconia
October 5 in Bethlehem, NY at The Colonial Theatre
October 6 in Waterville, ME at Waterville Opera House
October 8 in Newport, RI at The JPT Film & Event Center
October 9 in Red Bank, NJ at Count Basie Center for the Arts – The Vogel
October 10 in Port Washington, NY at Landmark on Main Stree
Experience live music, rides, a petting zoo, and more at the Yorktown Grange Fair on September 6, 7, and 8, in Yorktown Heights, Westchester.
At 99 Moseman Road, on the first weekend of September, the annual Yorktown Grange Fair will once again provide a variety of attractions to the people of Westchester and beyond. Since its first year in 1924, the fair has honored the region’s agricultural heritage by providing attractions showcasing aspects of farm life. This includes but is not limited to, Livestock Exhibits, the Tractor Display, the Pie Eating Contest, and much more.
Supervisor of the Fair, Ed Lachterman, stated, “For a century, this fair has been a cornerstone of our community, bringing together families and friends to honor our rich agricultural heritage and the hardworking farmers and artisans who make Yorktown so special.”
As always, live music will be performed all three days of the Yorktown Grange Fair, by acts such as No Options Band, Kurt Gallagher, The Knuckleheads, House Arrest Band, Annie & the Natural Wonder Band, and The Whiskey’s Edge Band.
Many classic fair events will bring guests the feeling of attending the fair in its inaugural year, way back in 1924. The Mighty Mike Strongman Show, Adam Auslander Stiltwalking, East Coast Pro Wrestling, along with others, will provide fun for all.
A livestock display at the Yorktown Grange Fair in the 1960s
A fair wouldn’t be complete without rides, and this year, a full amusement park will be open throughout the day thanks to the Rainbow Amusement Company.
Full Yorktown Grange Fair schedule:
Friday, Sept 6
4:00 Gates Open 4:00 Livestock Exhibits and Tractor Display 4:00 Michael Anderson Memorial Senior Dinner sponsored by Anne Anderson 4:15 Official Opening and Invocation Flag Raising by American Legion Yorktown Post #1009, Invocation by Msgr. Joseph R. Giandurco of St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church 5:00 Rides Open (Wristband Special: $30) 6:00 Pie Eating Contest (Blacktop) 7:30 Live Music: No Options Band (Stage) 11:00 Rides and Fair Close
Saturday, Sept 7
10:00 Gates Open (Quiet Hour) All Day Livestock Exhibits and Tractor Display Strolling Variety Show with Adam Auslander 10:00 Children’s Games, Activities 10:45 Flag Ceremony by BSA Troop #164 11:00 Rides Open (Wristband Special: $35 all day) 11:00 Antique Tractor and Vehicle Parade Line Up (Behind Yorktown Heights Firehouse) 11:00 Kid’s Music with Kurt Gallagher (Stage) Noon WHUD’s KC Morabito (Until 2 p.m.) Noon Tractor Parade sponsored by Morano Bros. Corp. 1:30 East Coast Pro Wrestling Match (Grounds) 1:30 Bubble Gum Blowing Contest (Blacktop) 2:00 Mighty Mike Strongman Show (Blacktop) 2:45 Watermelon Eating Contest (Blacktop) 3:30 Live Music: The Knuckleheads (Stage) 5:00 East Coast Pro Wrestling Match (Grounds) 5:30 Tipsy Waiter Relay (Blacktop) 6:00 Mighty Mike Strongman Show (Blacktop) 8:00 Live Music: House Arrest Band (Stage) 11:00 Rides and Fair Close
Sunday, Sept 8
10:00 Gates Open (Quiet Hour) All Day Livestock Exhibits and Tractor Display Strolling Variety Show with Adam Auslander 10:00 Children’s Games, Activities 10:45 Flag Ceremony by BSA Troop #164 11:00 Rides Open (Wristband Special: $35 all day) 11:00 Kid’s Music with Annie & the Natural Wonder Band (Stage) 1:00 East Coast Pro Wrestling Match (Grounds) 1:15 Mighty Mike Strongman Show (Blacktop) 2:15 Street Beatz Dance Performance (Blacktop) 2:45 Mighty Mike Strongman Show (Blacktop) 3:30 Rubber Chicken Throwing Contest sponsored by Eddies Yard (Blacktop) 4:00 Live Music: The Whiskey’s Edge Band (Stage) 6:15 Mighty Mike Strongman Show (Blacktop) 7:00 Rides and Fair Close 7–8 100th Annual Produce Auction (Jerry Mulcahy Building)
Albany-raised pop-punk band State Champs put forth a new music video for their single, “Too Late to Say.” The release comes just after the band announced their fifth studio album, State Champs, to be released on November 8.
The track “Too Late to Say” showcases an unfamiliar sound to the group’s norm. One that displays a refreshing vulnerability for the band. It rings youthful and polished, but the track holds deeper meaning. “Too Late to Say” highlights the fear of losing yourself. The music video embodies this narrative as the band is seen performing in the back of a speeding truck. This scene is a metaphor for the fast-paced reality of life and its moments.
The music video is an intimate showcasing of the group’s inner fears, and concerns for their future, as well as reminiscing on fears of their past. Throughout the video you see the truck moving quickly down the road. This theme symbolizes the speed at which life may feel to pass as one ages.
“Too Late to Say” is a track off of State Champs’ upcoming 12-song, self-titled album, State Champs. The band is also set to tour across North America beginning November 8 alongside the release of the album. The band has become a major player in the pop-punk scene, championing the genre over the past decade.
For more information on State Champs upcoming releases, and to check out their new music video, click here.
Billie Marten played a surprise show at Union Pool on Wednesday, July 24. The British indie/folk singer-songwriter announced the show in a handwritten note on Instagram teasing “mostly new stuff” to be played. Marten began her set with an announcement of a new record that she had just spent ten days recording down the street from Union Pool. She didn’t give a solid idea of when this new album might be coming out, but Marten’s last album, Drop Cherries, released just over a year ago on April 7, 2023.
Opening for Billie Marten was writer and musician Jana Horn. If you like Big Thief and Adrianne Lenker, you might also enjoy Jana Horn’s work. Intimate, interpersonal talk singing poetry over folksy drums and unique bass lines. She rode the line between banter and awkwardness perfectly, and the crowd had a great time. Marten then came out quietly onto the stage in Union Pool’s back room, which has the vibe of a Christmassy saloon. One pink light drenched Marten onstage with her acoustic guitar in her spaghetti strap top, light wash jeans, and red converse.
The show was very low-key. Marten’s pickup came loose and the sound engineer scrambled down from his spot up on the balcony as the crowd parted around him. Billie Marten told the audience to talk amongst themselves, and the room filled with a buzz until she was ready to play again. There was plenty of audience banter as Marten changed tunings between each song. We only got to hear four or five new songs, so there is definitely more to come down the road. Hopefully, Billie Marten will be able to put the finishing touches on her album soon, as we are all eagerly awaiting her next show in NY.
Renowned jazz vocalist Nancy Kelly will inaugurate the Jazz at Richardson Jazz series in Buffalo on Aug 16. Her performance will be inside the Richardson Hotel as part of the “pre-fall” preview performance. Thus Kelly will sing alongside a band including saxophonist Jerry Weldon, organist Dino Losito, and drummer Carmen Intorre, Jr.
Nancy Kelly began her career in her hometown of Rochester.
Namely, Kelly started her career in her hometown of Rochester, NY studying piano, clarinet and voice at the Eastman School of Music. She became a house singer at Jewels, a jazz venue in Philadelphia. Currently, she often appears in other iconic venues such as Birdland, The Blue Note and The Rainbow Room all in NYC.
Moreover, she performs in clubs in Los Angeles, Miami and even around the world including France, Switzerland and Turkey just to name a few. She’s released chart topping recordings and in 2020, she was inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame.
Markedly, Jazz at Richardson is the “central hub” for jazz within the buffalo music scene. It is JazzBuffalo’s collaboration with the Richardson Hotel and the Douglas Development Corporation, inviting artists to perform indoors and outdoors at the hotel. JazzBuffalo or Greater Buffalo Jazz Society, mission is to make more performances like this possible. The non-profit organization has continued to build a new jazz audience since it was founded in 2011.
To purchase tickets to the star-studded performance, you can purchase tickets on eventbrite.
Westside Gunn keeps making wrestling cool again. The FlyGod made an appearance on All Elite Wrestling Collision at Buffalo’s KeyBank Center. The episode — taped on Wednesday but aired this past Saturday night — saw WSG come out in support of Swerve Strickland, iced out and decked in a print of the AEW world champion’s bloody face from his wrestling inspired Fourth Rope brand. The Buffalo native served as part of Strickland’s corner during his weigh-in with Will Ospreay ahead of their heavyweight title bout at AEW Forbidden Door on Monday night at UBS Arena.
Westside Gunn came out to a big pop on AEW Collision. Photo: X/@wwerealone
However, despite coming out to a big pop from the hometown crowd, it wasn’t a happy ending for FlyGod and crew as their pal Swerve Strickland was laid-out by Will Ospreay in a “scuffle” that saw Westside and friends quickly escorted from the ring stage.
AEW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
Swerve Shows up like a boss. The feeling swerve gives off is wild he really is one of the best champs i ever seen.
— Forbidden Door PodCast (@ForbiddenDoor_) June 30, 2024
A longtime wrestling fan — with countless song tittles named in ode to his favorites — Westside Gunn remains a familiar presence in AEW universe making appearances at several live shows and ppv’s. The cultural curator has gone on to create his own wrestling inspired brand– Fourth Rope. Despite his success outside of the booth fans remain vigilant on new Westside Gunn music with his last project being October, 2023’s And Then You Pray For Me.
What a wonderful world it is for Queens’ Louis Armstrong House Museum after winning the IMLS National Medal for Museums, the nation’s highest honor given to museums and libraries that demonstrate significant impact in their communities. The beloved monument was among the 10 Museum and Library Awards recipients, while the Louis Armstrong House Museum is the only honor recipient in New York State. Executive Director Regina Bain will accept the award at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. in July.
Executive Director Regina Bain will accept the award on behalf of the Louis Armstrong House Museum
In her role Brooklyn-based educator and artistRegina Bain look to preserve and further the legacy of America’s first Black popular music icon. Sharing, “This signifies recognition of our dedication to preserving the legacy of Louis Armstrong, a cultural icon whose impact transcends generations and borders. It also serves as a validation of our mission to preserve and interpret Armstrong’s house and grounds, collect and share archival materials that document Armstrong’s life and legacy, develop programs for the public that educate and inspire, and engage with contemporary artists to create performances and new works.” Moreover, in her role Bainfurther connects the LAHM’s family-friendly blend of arts and education with its surrounding community.
About the Louis Armstrong House Museum
Following Louis Armstrong’s passing in 1971. His wife, Lucille, continued to live in their home — on 107th Street in Corona, Queens — working to ensure that it became a National and New York Historic Landmark. After Lucille’s passing in 1983, she willed the home and its contents to the city of New York which designated the City University of New York, Queens College to shepherd the process. Despite a slow churn, the archives became public in the ’90’s, while the historic home opened for tours in 2003. In the time since the LAHM has become its own entity with official non-profit status.
