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  • Live Music Review: Yonatan Gat @ le poisson rouge

  • 7 years ago
  • It never ceases to amaze me. The abundance of extraordinary talent in the NYC music scene is obvious to anyone who seeks to experience it.  Yet, so many people talk as if the scene is terrible and how difficult it is to find quality music at the venues in NYC.  I will admit, the Bleeker Street music clubs do leave much to be desired, but one venue, le possion rouge, is certainly doing it the right way.  LPR has made a name by bringing in experimental, eclectic and alternative artists over the past 10 years, and this past Saturday night was no exception. Yonatan Gat performed in support of his new album, "Universalists" which was recently released on Joyful Noise Recordings.  He played three different sets, and we were fortunate to catch the last two which were truly epic.  The long transplanted New Yorker showed off his masterful guitar skills, (The Village Voice named him "Best Guitarist in New York, 2013.") shredding through an eclectic mix of ethnic sounds with merely a vocal, but it didn't discourage fans in attendance as they marveled at his guitar playing skills.  I was also impressed with his band as they were on point throughout the set, and  as the sound changed, their energy was consistent and at a high level throughout.  Gat's sound is clearly focused on guitar, but I couldn't help but watch his drummer relentlessly pounding on the skins and his evident passion for the music.  This brings to mind the most anticipated part of the evening for me and apparently man[...]

  • Live Music: Broken Social Scene @ Wellmont Theatre

  • 7 years ago
  • Toronto's Broken Social Scene closed out the band's first tour in many years last night at the Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, New Jersey.  The show which lasted around 2 hours and spanned their vast music catalogue, highlighted the strengths of a band that clearly loves playing together.  The beauty in what they do comes through in how they seamlessly work through songs that range from indie rock, ska,  experimental jazzy numbers and even punk, but there are no limitations. They can also do the heavier, guitar driven classic jam as well.  Although the band's studio productions are at a high level, they are one of those bands that you have to see live.  With as many as 9 or 10 players on stage (including a horn section), it could be quite challenging to replicate some of their intricate productions, but they were 100% in sync throughout the show with a consistent energy and enthusiasm that shined throughout their performance. One of the highlights of the evening was the first live performance of "Mouth Guards of the Apocalypse" from their latest album "Hug of Thunder" which was released with very positive reviews in July, 2017.   This pretty much set the tone for an upbeat, joyous crowd that appreciated getting to see a band of this caliber at the Wellmont Theatre. The band admitted that they didn't know what to expect, but were very pleased with the venue and crowd.  I have to say it was a pleasure to see how much the band was enjoying the moment. Personal highlight[...]

  • Live Music Review: G Love & Special Sauce @ Brooklyn Bowl

  • 7 years ago
  • It's funny when you mention bands from the past (around for over 15 years) to people, and how they typically react.  You'll hear things like, are they still around. I haven't heard that name in 20 years.  And then when you tell them that you're actually going to see the band, they give you a weird look like, why would you do that. So, let me explain quite simply.  Just like in any profession, with experience comes expertise and the mastering of ones craft.  G Love & Special Sauce have been playing together for nearly 25 years and their experience shines through in their live performances. With their own style of funky, blues hip hop, the band always delivers a good time, and on this night it was no different.  The trio delivered a non stop soundtrack of hits that kept bodies moving throughout the night-  I-76, Milk and Cereal, Baby's Got Sauce, Blues Music and Who's Got the Weed. Let's be clear, G Love's no slouch on guitar, Jimi Jazz tears up the string bass and houseman always delivers the goods.  The band is tight, tight, tight. For the $30 ticket price, you really can't ask for more. Here's some upcoming dates: February 2nd - House of Blues, Boston February 3rd - The Fillmore, Philadelphia February 8th - Culture Room, Fort Lauderdale More dates...

  • AFP Music: SXSW Short List

  • 8 years ago
  • With each year the staggering list of shows grows larger, but we're here to help with this not so shiny, quite diverse list of recommendations to help you sort it all out. Monday, March 13th Idgy Dean  - The Parlor Room, 88 Rainey St – 7pm Sylvan Esso - AV Club Presents Just Another Manic Monday @ The Mohawk - 10:45 pm Girl Pool - Do512 Party @ Hotel Vegas - 1 am Tuesday, March 14th Wu Tang Clan w/ Thievery Corporation - ACL Live at the Moody Theater - 11:00pm The Districts - Buffalo Billiards - 1:10am Spoon - The Main - 1:00am Sleigh Bells - Stereogum Party @ Empire Garage - 1:00am Plastic Pinks - Fine Southern Gentlemen - 2:00am Wednesday, March 15th Maybird - Taco Bell Feed the Beat  - 1:00 pm The Avett Brothers - ACL Live at the Moody Theater - 11:00pm Tokyo Police Club -  Bungalow - 12:00am Grandmaster Flash - Clive Bar - 11:00pm The New Pornographers - Stubb's - 12:20am Field Trip - The Market - 1:00am Thursday, March 16th Julie Byrne - Pitchfork Day Party @ French Legation Museum - 12:30 pm Lo Moon - YouTube @ The Coppertank - 3:00 pm The Big Moon - South by San Jose @ San Jose Hotel - 4:00 pm BBC 6 Music Presents @ Latitude 30 - 12:00 am Beach Slang - BrooklynVegan @ Cheer Up Charlie's - 5:00 pm Pell - Stub Hub party @ Bangers - 6:00pm Ecstatic Vision  - Grizzly Hall - South By South Death - 9:00pm Girl Pool - Anti- Records Party @ Elysium - 11:00pm Friday, March 17th [...]

  • Live Music Review: Slothrust @ Mercury Lounge

  • 8 years ago
  • In some recent discussions with musicians, bands, DJ's and musical creatives, I made the point that for me, a flat performance is pretty much a worthless one. If you can't take people on a musical journey than it's just plain boring. It's the bands and DJ's that can cross genres that get my attention.  Case and point, Tell All Your Friends PR  turned us on to the new album from rock trio, Slothrust.  After listening to the album, I decided to do a review for the blog.  I have to admit, sometimes I don't get past the first track, but "Surf Goth" got my attention.  The idea that they would start the album with an instrumental track was enough  for me, and when the show began on Saturday evening at Mercury Lounge it was the first track they played. Let me start by saying, their sound is on-point and very powerful. Particularly for a trio. They have great chemistry on stage, and their fans (including me) are really into them.  Musically, the band members are equally impressive as they effortlessly worked through songs that range from blues to grunge with elements of jazz. While Kyle Bann (bassist) had a continuous grin on his face, Leah Wellbaum maintained a certain attitude as drummer Will Gorin fiercely hit the skins as if it was possibly his last opportunity to play this year. Highlights from the new album- "Like a Child Hiding Behind Your Tombstone," "Mud," "Sleep Eater," and "Trial & Error," which Wellbaum explained she wrote in high school.  From the older mat[...]

  • Another Great Year For AFP Arts Ed Programs

  • 9 years ago
  • https://vimeo.com/124416402 As we arrive at the conclusion of another school year, Art for Progress arts ed programs are developing and evolving in new ways. The music program at Humanities Prep has been flourishing, and we recently held a student and faculty talent show, showcasing the wealth of talent that has been incubating within the school. Performances spanned a wide range of instrumentation and repertoire, and even included some original pieces and songs written by the performers. AFP's Young Adult Enrichment Program has now spawned three bands, which are now gigging around NYC. Statik Vosion, the core project of the program, also recently played alongside my own band, Bad Faces at the AFP live music series “We Deliver” at The Bowery Electric on Manhattan's storied Lower East Side. Other projects are in the works for the summer, including a recording project to produce an EP release for Statik Vision and a music enrichment program in partnership with the Upper West Side JCC which will provide music instruction for under-served elementary school students. I taught the classes last year and if was a blast! At Humanities Prep, in Chelsea, I have been teaching music to high school students for the past three years. Some of the talent that has been emerging from the program is truly unbelievable. I have seen a number of students who had never played an instrument before become capable, and even inspired players, while others have come to me with some experience and s[...]

  • Art for Progress presents "Music Saves the Planet"

  • 10 years ago
  • NYC non-profit Art for Progress hosts this special event Wednesday, April 22nd at The Bowery Electric to celebrate Earth Day and to raise awareness. The night will feature an outstanding line up of artists with local pop rockers Wyland headlining the night. The amazing Blythe Gruda will open the show and feature some very special guests followed by a one woman psychedelic rock performance from Brooklyn's Idgy Dean. Indie rockers Polyvox will close out the night with a set of synth driven beats. Tickets are $10 and include the chance to win amazing door prizes from Gibson Guitars and tickets to The Museum of Natural History.

  • People Get Ready Open for Blonde Redhead

  • 10 years ago
  • Brassland recording artists People Get Ready will open for Blonde Redhead on upcoming dates including  Tuesday (November 26th) night at The Bowery Ballroom. The Brooklyn based band released a new album (Physiques) this past June to exciting reviews. The band is known for high energy live performances which showcase a blend of rock and performance art.  NPR's Bob Boilen, placing their performances among his top 5 concerts two years running, put it best: "No single show took my breath away the way this one did- part rock concert, part performance art, part dance, all perfectly melded together. Having seen so many dudes with guitars ... it was incredibly refreshing to find a group challenging and changing the norm." The first thing I thought was- sounds like an Art for Progress event! I caught up with Steven Reker from the band to learn more about these multidisciplinary artists, and here's what he had to say. How did the band come up with the name People Get Ready? I was at a play and one of the actors said ‘...people get ready...' in his dialogue - the phrase stayed with me. Then I named the first piece I did at The Kitchen (before the band was a band) People Get Ready and as the project developed we just kept the name. Are the band members originally from New York or are they transplants? We're transplants - mostly. Jen and I are from Arizona - James comes from California - and Booker is from Nyack, NY. Which artists/bands have been the most[...]

  • AFP Music Wraps Up A Great Summer With Some Inspired New Singers!

  • 10 years ago
  • AFP Arts Education Program  had a great summer this year and we look forward to the start of the new school year! The summer music program wrapped up with a great session that included recording a new song, learning more about the recording and mixing process, and vocal instruction. As I mentioned in my last post, each participant was asked to choose a song to work on learning to sing. The selections were very interesting and varied, and we had a lot of fun working them out. AFP is also excited to explore the possibility of partnering with City Kids on some future projects and programs, which could open up some new possibilities. In this summer’s last session of the AFP music program, we recorded “The Cut”, a new song by the band newly formed by the kids, called Static Vision. We set up all of the instruments in the music classroom at Humanities Prep, using tables as gobos to separate the sound sources a little bit. We mic’ed all of the drums and amplifiers, and recorded live together, a technique that is employed less and less these days in the age of overdubbing and “in the box” production. It was a great opportunity for the band to seek to achieve excellence as a group, and to focus on listening to each other, while performing with energy and accuracy. It’s a tall order, but it brought out the best in everyone, and we got a few near perfect takes, which we will be editing and mixing in sessions that will be held during the coming school year. As intense as the recording[...]

  • An Art for Progress Story

  • 10 years ago
  • As a relatively new member and contributor to Art For Progress I wanted to take this opportunity to explain what drew me to the organization and what it has meant to me over the past year and a half. I also, wanted to congratulate all of those who have helped the organization to serve the local community for 10 years. That is truly an amazing feat! As we look ahead to the second half of the summer, I thought it might also be a good idea to give a little preview of what to expect for the rest of the summer from our local music scene in NYC. Firstly, any great organization is made up of great people and I realized early on that AFP was no exception. The dedication of the teachers and volunteers was evident from the first event I attended and has not waned since.  This first event was a workshop at the gallery of an AFP artist called NOoSPHERE ARTS. The workshop was aimed at introducing young children from the LES to music, art and photography. At one point in the day two young kids started making music, one on the cowbell and one on the keyboard. It was at this moment that I truly understood the impact of what AFP was doing and the passion of the teachers who dedicate their time to this organization. AFP is a true grassroots effort and that was one of the things that attracted me to it. This past fall and winter we organized a monthly live music event called “Homegrown,” that featured local acts from the NYC area, ten in total. The quality of the music was a testament[...]

  • Art for Progress' "Artists4Equality" Festival

  • 11 years ago
  • Art for Progress is pleased to present its 2nd annual music and arts festival, Artists4Equality which will take place on Friday, June 28th through Sunday 30th at Solar One Park on NYC’s East River (East 23rd Street). Artists4Equality will feature three incredible days of music, performance and installation art from exciting emerging artists and more established headline acts. Solar One Park is the perfect outdoor summer venue for the festival which will kick off on Friday evening June 28th.  The opening night will feature live music performances from some of the most exciting emerging talent in NYC including the super talented Ellis Ashbrook, while Saturday’s focus will shift to DJ and electronic music culture with DJ Hector Romero headlining the evening. On Sunday, NYC Cielo resident DJ Tedd Patterson will headline the night as both live music and DJ’s share the stage. Cutting edge performance and installation art will be featured all three days as we turn the park into a virtual adult playground of art & music. Confirmed Artists: Hector Romero, Tedd Patterson, Ellis Ashbrook, Kim Holleman, Idgy Dean, Andy Slate, Gatto, Roxy Cottontail, Kevin Graves, Daniel Maldonado, Cat Del Buono, Berette Macaulay, Dennis Sebayan, Comandante Zero, Sindy Butz, Bonesugar, Atilla the Hun, Sal Leone, Sherri Aliberti, Barry Komito, Chaisley Lussier, Caridad Sola and many more TBA.. Artists4Equality will take place on gay pride weekend in NYC and will feature many artists from the LGBT[...]