Wed, 01/09/2013 - 6:07 pm

Today, the third annual SnowBall Music Festival makes its final artist lineup announcements. Flying Lotus, Delta Spirit, Krewella, Japandroids, Polica and Tennis are among the nearly 30 acts added to the bill with today’s announcement. They join previously announced Pretty Lights, Big Gigantic, Kendrick Lamar, Portugal. The Man, STS9, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, and many more. The complete list of artists confirmed for the 2013 event is available at www.SnowBallMusicFestival.com.In its first two years, the Colorado-based SnowBall Music Festival established a reputation as one of America's most unique and exciting events. A music festival and ski/snowboard weekend rolled into one, SnowBall is the ultimate winter getaway for music fans, tastemakers and adventure-seekers, who'll converge on the majestic mountain paradise of Winter Park, Colorado on March 8-10, 2013 to absorb SnowBall's visionary marriage of music and mountains.With two sold-out years under its belt, this year SnowBall boasts its most eclectic and impressive musical lineup yet, with eagerly anticipated performances by over 50 acts. For three days, SnowBall's new location of Winter Park, Colorado will come alive with approximately 65 acts performing on four stages, encompassing a diverse assortment of cutting-edge artists spanning the full range of contemporary music, from electronic and dance to indie and alternative. The combination of the world's most creative musicians and the world's greatest snow conditions makes SnowBall the ultimate winter adventure for the music enthusiast and winter sports fan alike.In addition to three great days of music, those attending the festival will have an opportunity to hit the slopes at Winter Park Resort - dubbed "Colorado's Favorite”™ for the natural majesty of its setting, its laid-back resort atmosphere and its stellar skiing, snowboarding, and tubing. Winter Park Resort, which includes Mary Jane Mountain, averages over 321 inches of snow each year and features over 3000-acres of skiable terrain to enjoy. SnowBall 2013 attendees will also have access to a special discounted ski lift ticket, courtesy of Winter Park Resort, packaged with their event ticket and lodging.The move to Winter Park isn't the only exciting new change in store for this year's SnowBall. "Being on private land and having a partner like Winter Park makes all the difference in the world," Donnelly states, adding, "This new location really enables us the opportunity to take all aspects of the festival to the next level.”SnowBall 2013 promises innovative integration of creative design throughout the festival experience - from custom three dimensional film installations, fireworks displays, action sports elements and everything in between. Also this year, SnowBall introduces a heated acoustic coffee house lounge to feature intimate and unplugged performances by rising stars and main stage artists alike. After the festival, crowds spill out into the streets for the event’s ever-expanding late night scene, offering big after-hours shows in the town’s many small clubs.

Fri, 01/18/2013 - 12:17 pm

Electric Forest recently announced this year’s event dates: June 27 – June 30, 2013. Check out the announcement video here.2013 marks the third year that Electric Forest returns to one of the country’s most beloved music festival sites - the Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Michigan - for another legendary weekend of music, artistry, and community.Today the Festival announces its annual Loyalty Ticket on-sale. As a Thank You to returning fans, a limited number of discounted Electric Forest 2013 Loyalty Tickets priced at $199 (Weekend Tickets) and $489 (VIP GOOD LIFE Village Packages) are available for purchase now, only through email (individual ticket purchasing codes were sent directly to last year’s buyers). The Electric Forest Loyalty Ticket offer is available for 24 hours only (ending at 12:00 PM EST on Saturday, January 19), or until supplies last.On Saturday, January 19 at 12pm EST the general on sale beginning with Early Bird Tickets priced at $209 will become available at www.electricforestfestival.com. All Electric Forest 2013 tickets can be purchased via the Layaway Payment Plan in three easy installments.Electric Forest 2013 Artist Lineup will be announced soon.Electric Forest is produced by Madison House Presents and Insomniac Events.

Fri, 01/25/2013 - 10:11 am

2012 was a huge year for Stephane Wrembel. The guitarist released his fourth album, Origins, to critical acclaim; performed his original song "Bistro Fada" (the theme to Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris) at the Academy Awards; made studio visits to NPR Weekend Edition BBC Radio, WNYC and others; toured across the U.S. and throughout Europe; and helped Gentleman Shaver win a Clio Award for "Best Original Song Used in A Commercial".Raised in Fontainebleau, France -- the birthplace of Impressionism and the home of famed gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt -- Wrembel was shaped by the fertile creative landscape of the area from his very early years. He began with classical piano at age 4 before exploring musical genres such as rock, Django, jazz, country, blues, Indian raga, West African, Middle Eastern and others - embracing the many cultures and musical styles he discovered along the way. His arsenal of influences result in a sound unique to Wrembel; a music without genre.It's Wrembel's unbounded Impressionist musical style and state-of-mind that captured the attention of director Woody Allen, who most recently recruited him to score the theme for his smash film Midnight in Paris (Wrembel also composed music for Allen’s 2008 Golden Globe winning film Vicky Christina Barcelona). Wrembel’s extraordinary ability to capture, in music, the soul of an image, is invaluable in film scoring. Being able to trigger images - whether universal or personal - in the listener's mind is also a huge part of Wrembel's own musical vision. The element of mystery and freedom his music imparts makes it as impossible to ignore as it is to pin down. Whether rocking a huge festival stage or filling up every breath of air in an intimate club - the experience of seeing Stephane Wrembel and His Band perform live is truly unforgettable.Upcoming tour dates for Stephane Wrembel include:Wednesday, February 13 Merrimans' Playhouse South Bend INThursday, February 14 The MidWest Gypsy Swing Festival @ The Brink Lounge Madison WIFriday, February 15 - Saturday, February 16 The Green Mill Chicago ILSunday, February 17 Shank Hall Milwaukee WIWednesday, February 20 The Slow Down Omaha NEThursday, February 21 Vaudeville Mews Des Moines IAFriday, February 22 The Englert Theatre Iowa City IASaturday, February 23 The Canopy Club Urbana ILSunday, February 24 Cliff Bells Detroit MIThursday, March 7 The Saint Asbury Park NJFriday, March 8 Suffolk Theater Riverhead NYSaturday, March 9 The Van Dyck Schenectady NYSunday, March 10 Hoboken Pilsner Haus Hoboken NJThursday, March 14 Emerald Lounge Asheville NCFriday, March 15 Next Door @ The Acoustic Coffee House Johnson City TNSaturday, March 16 Community Arts Cafe Winston-Salem NCSunday, March 17 Preservation Pub Knoxville TNThursday, March 21 Barking Leg Theater Chattanooga TNFriday, March 22 Heartwood Abingdon VASunday, March 24 Sixth and I Historic Synagogue Washington DCSaturday, April 6 Memorial Art Gallery Rochester NY

Tue, 02/05/2013 - 1:41 pm

Today, Electric Forest announces its 2013 artist lineup. Returning to the Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Michigan on June 27- June 30, live music pioneers The String Cheese Incident (3 performances), Pretty Lights, Passion Pit, Empire of the Sun, Knife Party and Dispatch will top the bill at Electric Forest 2013. Also on the bill are Benny Benassi, Yeasayer, A-Trak, Grimes, Railroad Earth, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, FEMI KUTI & The Positive Force, Madeon, Headhunterz, Baauer, Danny Brown, Greensky Bluegrass and many more. The complete list of just announced performers is included below.

Electric Forest Weekend Tickets and GOOD LIFE VIP Packages are available now here (Loyalty Tickets, Early Bird Tickets, and Electric Entry Ticket price-levels are SOLD OUT).

Now in its third year, Electric Forest is reputed for propelling the U.S. festival scene into a brave new era of music and camping festivals. Undeniably known for delivering "the ultimate festival experience," Electric Forest offers incomparable VIP accommodations, unique on-site features and amenities, astonishing and unparalleled integration of music and art, and a vibe so thick with "camaraderie and freedom…it must be experienced to be appreciated."

At the heart of Electric Forest, the beloved Sherwood Forest is "with no exaggeration at all, the most well produced and artistically inspired area…ever seen at a music festival". Showered with state-of-the-art, jaw-dropping light displays, intricate and earthy artful touches, and everything in between, in 2013 the Sherwood Forest is expanding in size for the first time ever. Fans can look forward to more to discover, wonder and wow.

Also in 2013, Electric Forest's unrivaled GOOD LIFE VIP experience promises even more stellar amenities and perks. From camping and RV spots, to log cabins and homes, to resort hotel-style suites – all located directly on the festival grounds – The GOOD LIFE has something for all budgets and tastes. The festival's exclusive site - hailed as "THE best place to hold a music festival" offers trails, forests, fields, lakes and beachfronts, and even on-site bars and eateries. In addition, Electric Forest patrons can take advantage of the resort's many amenities including a 60,000 square foot indoor water park, an 18-hole championship golf course, swimming pools, horseback riding, and more. Visit www.electricforestfestival.com for GOOD LIFE options and details.

Electric Forest returns in 2013 with new and expanded philanthropic efforts. The festival's annual Food Drive, hosted each year in partnership with not-for-profit organization Conscious Alliance, was renamed the Roy Price Memorial Food Drive in 2012 to honor cherished Electric Forest neighbor and huge Food Drive supporter, the late Mr. Roy Price. Each year Electric Forest patrons are encouraged to donate non-perishable food items, and are thanked with an exclusive Electric Forest Food Drive poster. To date, Electric Forest has collected and distributed over 17,200 lbs. of food to local communities in need.

Also returning is the Electric Forest Music In Schools Program, where EF partners with local public schools Shelby High School and Montague High School and Middle School to help support music education. In addition to donating much-needed funds (in 2012 the Music In Schools Program donated $10,000.00), each year young musicians from these schools are invited to perform at the festival, providing them with a very exciting opportunity to be part of the show.

A portion of each Electric Forest ticket sale is donated to Conscious Alliance, EF Music In Schools Program and, new this year, to The Kitchen [Community] - a national not-for-profit connecting kids to real food by creating Learning Gardens in schools and community organizations across America.

Electric Forest's 2013 Plug In Program offers a variety of innovative ways for fans to help shape the Electric Forest experience. Visit the Plug In section of Electric Forest's website for all the details on how fans can participate in shaping this year's event.

Electric Forest's list of confirmed 2013 performers is as follows:
The String Cheese Incident
Pretty Lights
Passion Pit
Empire of the Sun
Knife Party
Dispatch
Lotus
Benny Benassi
Yeasayer
Beats Antique
Madeon
A-Trak
Tommy Trash
Grimes
Holy Ghost!
NERVO
EOTO
Railroad Earth
Headhunterz
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
Kill the Noise
Emancipator
FEMI KUTI & The Positive Force
Baauer
Noisia
Michal Menert
RL Grime
SuckerPunch ft. Marc and Aron of the Disco Biscuits, Jamie Shields of the New Deal,
   and Mike Greenfield of Lotus
Danny Brown
Greensky Bluegrass
3LAU
Digital Tape Machine ft. Joel Cummins & Kris Myers of Umphrey's McGee
The Werks
Treasure Fingers
Boombox
Future Rock
Craze
Le Castle Vania
OLIVER
Jeff Austin & Friends
Ana Sia
Pigs on the Wing ft. Murphy of STS9
Reptar
Nick Catchdubs
The Pimps of Joytime
Clockwork
Ryan Hemsworth
Just Blaze
Doldrums
Nahko and Medicine For The People
Robert DeLong
Up Until Now
Helicopter Showdown
Moon Hooch
LowRIDERz
Milkman
Samo Sound Boy
Twiddle
Tumbleweed Wanderers
The Stepkids
Manic Focus
Party Supplies
Cosby Sweater ft. Joel Cummins of Umphrey's McGee
Christian Rich
Motion Potion
Bestfriends
Munson Meeks

With more to be announced…

Tickets on sale now at www.electricforestfestival.com and at 1-888- 512-SHOW (Open Mon-Sat 9am-9pm CST).

Fri, 02/08/2013 - 6:20 pm

Today, Alpha Rev announces a massive tour with Nashville singer-songwriter Ben Rector; a sure-to-be stunning American music caravan that winds through 30 cities in southern, east coast and Midwest U.S. states. The tour begins March 20th, just one day after Alpha Rev releases their third album, Bloom (March 19, 2013 / Kirtland Records). For the week of the album’s release, look for Alpha Rev hanging around their home-town of Austin, TX during SXSW - including a very special in-store performance at Waterloo Records on March 19th and additional appearances still to be announced. Alpha Rev’s current list of spring tour dates is included below.Bloom’s shimmering, hymn-like first single - “Sing Loud”- is already reaching the ears of music fans as it steadily climbs radio charts.Alpha Rev knows radio success. Their 2010 release New Morning resonated with masses of listeners; the album rose to #3 on the Triple A chart, reaching an audience of 40 million strong. For Bloom the Texas natives deliver a set of personally transformative and redemptive songs - born in the spirit of creative expansion - and a mandate to blossom and grow.“To bloom implies something beautiful is going to happen, but it’s a process – like all our journeys,” says Alpha Rev singer-songwriter Casey McPherson.With a glistening rock sound that is at once fragile and tough, Bloom picks up threads from the past while it takes a big bite into the eternal here and now. Drawing from the wellspring of American history, the grandeur of its landscape, and life's sweet and tragic mysteries, Texas-born McPherson leans into his personal challenges as well as the wages of the 21st century and emerges with a triumphant and timeless statement.“Casey and I met when we were really young, and have been playing music with each other off and on over the past 13 years,” explains guitarist Zak Loy. “That growth comes across in the music the group is creating now,” he says. Rooted in lyrical wisdom, the more recent addition of drummer Tabber Millard---trained by master percussionists---is credited for the band’s contemporary tribal rhythms. “Tabber means drummer boy in Arabic and his life revolves around this gift he has,” says McPherson. Newest Alpha Rev addition Jeff Bryant rounds out the band, playing pedal steel, piano, organ, and bass.On Bloom, Alex Dunlap holds down the bass, while Brian Batch (violin, viola) and Dave Wiley (cello) serve as the band’s string section. The players were joined in the studio by a longtime friend of McPherson's, Dwight Baker (Brandi Carlile, Bob Schneider); he oversaw the project in his Austin studio. “Austin is a great city that takes care of musicians; it helps foster ideas and creativity,” says McPherson.Current Alpha Rev tour dates are as follows:Friday, February 22 Sunset Sessions San Francisco CATuesday, March 19 Waterloo Records In Store Austin TXWednesday, March 20 Common Grounds Waco TX with Ben RectorThursday, March 21 Grand Stafford Theater Bryan TX with Ben RectorFriday, March 22 The Belmont Austin TX with Ben RectorSaturday, March 23 House of Blues - Dallas TX with Ben RectorSunday, March 24 Spring Jam Music Fest Charleston SCTuesday, March 26 Granada Theatre Lawrence KS with Ben RectorWednesday, March 27 - Thursday, March 28 George's Majestic Lounge Fayetteville AR with Ben RectorFriday, March 29 University of Oklahoma Norman with Ben RectorWednesday, April 3 The Lyric Theatre Oxford MS with Ben RectorThursday, April 4 Bourbon Street Bar Auburn AL with Ben RectorSaturday, April 6 Amos' Southend Charlotte NC with Ben RectorSunday, April 7 WorkPlay Soundstage Birmingham AL with Ben RectorFriday, April 12 Cannery Ballroom Nashville TN with Ben RectorWednesday, April 17 Bijou Theater Knoxville TN with Ben RectorThursday, April 18 The Handlebar Greenville SC with Ben RectorFriday, April 19 Center Stage Atlanta GA with Ben RectorSaturday, April 20 Lincoln Theatre Raleigh NC with Ben RectorTuesday, April 23 Jefferson Theater Charlottesville VA with Ben RectorWednesday, April 24 9:30 Club Washington D.C. with Ben RectorThursday, April 25 Bowery Ballroom New York NY with Ben RectorFriday, April 26 The Sinclair Cambridge MA with Ben RectorSaturday, April 27 Monnalisa Bar @ Hotel Sorella Houston TXMonday, April 29 Mod Club Toronto ON with Ben RectorWednesday, May 1 The Intersection Grand Rapids MI with Ben RectorThursday, May 2 Majestic Live Madison WI with Ben RectorFriday, May 3 Varsity Theatre Minneapolis MN with Ben RectorSaturday, May 4 Park West Chicago IL with Ben RectorTuesday, May 7 Bluebird Theater Denver with Ben RectorThursday, May 9 Cain's Ballroom Tulsa OK with Ben RectorFriday, May 10 Old Rock House St. Louis with Ben RectorSaturday, May 11 Blue Note Columbia MO with Ben Rector

Tue, 02/12/2013 - 11:16 am

One-man-band Keller Williams makes a surprising turn to the piano for his upcoming digital release KEYS: A Collection of Grateful Dead Covers on Piano to Benefit the Rex Foundation. KEYS finds Williams’ performing ten not-so-traditional piano versions of Grateful Dead favorites. Offering up such beloved Dead tracks as “Terrapin Station” and “Althea”- and exposing Keller’s rarely seen piano-man side – KEYS is a unique treat for Grateful Dead and Keller Williams fans alike.KEYS: A Collection of Grateful Dead Covers to Benefit the Rex Foundation is available for digital download at iTunes beginning today, February 12, 2013. 100% of the proceeds of KEYS will go to benefit The Rex Foundation, the charitable non-profit organization started by the Grateful Dead to give grants to a variety of worthwhile causes.KEYS: A Collection of Grateful Dead Covers on Piano to Benefit the Rex FoundationTrack Listing:1. He’s Gone2. Can’t Come Down3. Terrapin Station4. Attics Of My Life5. Althea6. Brokedown Palace7. Wharf Rat8. Bird Song9. Row Jimmy10. Touch of GreyAbout Keller WilliamsSince he first appeared on the scene in the early ’90s, Keller Williams has defined the term independent artist. And his 18 recordings tell only half the story. Keller built his reputation initially on his engaging live performances, no two of which are ever alike. Williams’ solo live shows—and his ability to improvise to his determinedly quirky tunes despite the absence of an actual band—quickly became the stuff of legend, and his audience grew exponentially when word spread about this exciting, unpredictable performer.Today, Keller stays true to what he calls his "day job" - with a stage show that is equal parts solo acoustic and groovy dance music (by way of Keller creating samples on the fly to simulate a full band). Whether performing as a one-man-band or collaborating with one of his many side projects, Keller always reveals himself as an artist with great stylistic breadth and endless imagination, all while never taking himself too seriously.He is a singer, songwriter and musician, always on a quest for the new. Keller Williams has never followed the prescribed path laid out by the conventional music business but rather one of his own making. It’s a path that has served him well.Look for Keller Williams on tour this spring and summer. Visit www.kellerwilliams.net for the complete list of dates.

Tue, 02/12/2013 - 1:32 pm

Known for consistently booking some of the finest performers in new and traditional folk, roots rock, bluegrass and newgrass, and other American roots music, Suwannee Springfest returns in 2013 for its 17th straight year. Suwannee Springest will be held March 21-24, 2013 at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida and features some of the biggest names in the scene with veterans and up-and-comers alike. Suwannee Springfest recently added Old Crow Medicine Show, Scythian, Bobby Miller and Billy Gilmore to the already stellar line-up. The 2013 bill also includes Leftover Salmon, Jerry Douglas, Peter Rowan, Keller and the Keels and many more.Three-day festival tickets are only $150 in advance until midnight on February 15 when they will jump to $165. Tickets are $180 at the gate and include music, four nights of camping and all taxes and fees. To purchase tickets or to find out more, please visit www.suwanneespringfest.com2013 Suwannee Springfest confirmed lineup below, more artists to be announced.Old Crow Medicine ShowJerry DouglasPeter RowanLeftover SalmonKeller & the KeelsDonna The BuffaloMike MarshallDarol AngerTravelin McCourysScythianCornmealElephant RevivalJim LauderdaleRed BaraatMamajowally, featuring Joe Craven, Mamadou Sidibe, and Walter StraussTornado RiderLarry Keel & Natural BridgeDread ClampittThe Mosier BrothersTony Furtado BandThe Hackensaw BoysBill Evans SoulgrassShane Pruitt BandSpirit Family ReunionNathan MooreDangermuffinThe WhethermanGrandpa's Cough MedecineSol Driven TrainApplebutter ExpressNikki TalleyJohn Stickley TrioSteve Pruett Back From The BrinkSarah Mac BandThe Screaming J’sThe New 76ersVon GreyGrant FarmJonathan Scales FourchestraBig CosmoHabanero HoneysQuartermoonSloppy JoeBobby MillerCanary In CoalmineRed Clay RevivalBilly GilmoreFree Range RoostersMickey Abraham & Acoustic EnsembleWanderfootSpirit of the Suwannee Music Park is also home to other Productions, including Magfest, the Purple Hatter’s Ball and the Bear Creek Music & Art Festival.

Thu, 02/21/2013 - 1:46 pm

Making Movies makes music that matters now: rhythmically adventurous, lyrically substantive, and melodically sensuous---the progressive Latino sound. On March 5, 2013 the young Kansas City-based band self-releases their second album, titled A La Deriva and produced by Steve Berlin. Today, Making Movies announces a slew of spring tour dates that wind through the Midwest and south before heading west. The complete list of currently confirmed tour dates is included below, with additional plays still to be announced.Led by Panamanian brothers Enrique and Diego Chi (singer/songwriter/guitarist and bassist respectively) - and made complete by percussionist Juan Carlos Chaurand and drummer Brendan Culp - Making Movies has been hailed as “a rare crossover band…that embraces its heritage without being wholly defined by it” (The Pitch). Early reviews of A La Deriva give praise thatinfluences on the album go far beyond traditional Latin forms” - where “attitudes from early New Wave and classic alternative rock often assert themselves dominantly” and where “plenty of beautiful ugliness in the guitar work [is] also offset by…pretty moments.” (Ink)The strong rapport between Berlin (whose studio credits include Los Lobos first 2 records, Ozomatli’s Embrace The Chaos, Los Super Seven’s Canto) and the members of Making Movies is palpable, and for A La Deriva the collaboration created a sound that is “bigger, roomier and even more raucously joyous” (Ink Magazine) than the band’s first recording. Berlin was first turned on to Making Movies when the guys opened up for Los Lobos at their Kansas City show. “I was struck by the effortless way they moved between musical styles, all the while managing to make each one completely their own,” Berlin explains. “It was fairly instantaneous that I decided I wanted to work with them.”“We went into the studio thinking Steve would trim down our sound, make us sound more concise,” Enrique recently told the Kansas City Star. “But he did the opposite. He’d have us drag things out, follow our instincts and get weirder and more complex.” As to Berlin’s thoughts on the final result, he says “…it’s rare that [when producing an album] I anticipate a result and it’s a million times better than what I anticipated. This is one of those records.”Now, Making Movies gears up to bring their music nationwide.Making Movies current list of spring tour dates is as follows:Friday, February 22 Vision Night Club Des Moines IASaturday, February 23 Palms North Liberty IA Supporting DJ Edwin AlvaradoSaturday, March 2 Riot Room Kansas City MOThursday, March 14 Kantere's Rio Piedras Puerto RicoSunday, March 17 Nuyorican Cafe San Juan, Puerto RicoFriday, March 22 Palms North Liberty IA Supporting DJ Edwin AlvaradoSunday, March 24 Blind Bob's Dayton OH supporting Vanity Theft, CD Release showFriday, March 29 Vaudeville Mews Des Moines IA CD Release showSaturday, March 30 Township Chicago IL CD Release showFriday, April 5 Off Broadway St. Louis MO CD Release showSaturday, April 6 Middle of The Map Fest Kansas City MOFriday, April 12 Parish Underground Austin TXSaturday, April 13 Hi-Tones San Antonio TXThursday, April 18 Frank's Austin TX Supporting ViteraSaturday, April 27 Beerfest Bakersfield CASaturday, April 27 On the Rocks Bar and Grill Bakersfield CAThursday, May 9 Hi-Dive Denver COFriday, May 10 Jazz Haus Lawrence KSAdditional dates to be announced.

Thu, 03/07/2013 - 3:32 pm

Alpha Rev will be in their hometown of Austin, Texas for the SXSW Music Conference, and will hang around the week after - when the band releases their third album, Bloom (March 19/Kirtland Records). Details on all their upcoming Austin plays are included below.Bloom’s first single - “Sing Loud” (listen here) - currently has them at #5 on the radio charts and still climbing. The band was recently chosen "Artist Most Likely to Break in 2013” at the tightly curated Sunset Sessions (credited for helping discover artists including Fun., The Zac Brown Band, and The Black Keys, among many others).Indeed, Alpha Rev has armed themselves with a stunning collection of songs; Bloom delivers a set of personally transformative and redemptive songs - born in the spirit of creative expansion - and a mandate to blossom and grow.“To bloom implies something beautiful is going to happen, but it’s a process – like all our journeys,” says Alpha Rev singer-songwriter Casey McPherson.With a glistening rock sound that is at once fragile and tough, Bloom picks up threads from the past while it takes a big bite into the eternal here and now. Drawing from the wellspring of American history, the grandeur of its landscape, and life's sweet and tragic mysteries, Texas-born McPherson leans into his personal challenges as well as the wages of the 21st century and emerges with a triumphant and timeless statement.Alpha Rev at SXSWThursday, March 14 @ 7 am - KGSR Morning Show at The W Hotel200 Lavaca Street, AustinThursday, March 14 @ 12 midnight - SXSW Showcase at Bungalow92 Rainey Street, AustinSaturday, March 16 @ 11 PM - SXSW Showcase at Dirty Dog Bar505 E 6th Street, AustinAndTuesday, March 19 Waterloo Records In Store 600A N. Lamar, AustinFriday, March 22 The Belmont Austin TX with Ben Rector 305 W 6th Street, AustinThe complete list of Alpha Rev tour dates is as follows:Thursday, March 14 KGSR Morning Show at The W Hotel Austin TXThursday, March 14 SXSW Showcase at Bungalow Austin TXSaturday, March 16 SXSW Showcase at Dirty Dog Bar Austin TXTuesday, March 19 Waterloo Records In Store Austin TXWednesday, March 20 Common Grounds Waco TX with Ben RectorThursday, March 21 Grand Stafford Theater Bryan TX with Ben RectorFriday, March 22 The Belmont Austin TX with Ben RectorSaturday, March 23 House of Blues - Dallas TX with Ben RectorSunday, March 24 Spring Jam Music Fest Charleston SCTuesday, March 26 Granada Theatre Lawrence KS with Ben RectorWednesday, March 27 - Thursday, March 28 George's Majestic Lounge Fayetteville AR with Ben RectorFriday, March 29 University of Oklahoma Norman with Ben RectorWednesday, April 3 The Lyric Theatre Oxford MS with Ben RectorThursday, April 4 Bourbon Street Bar Auburn AL with Ben RectorSaturday, April 6 Amos' Southend Charlotte NC with Ben RectorSunday, April 7 WorkPlay Soundstage Birmingham AL with Ben RectorFriday, April 12 Cannery Ballroom Nashville TN with Ben RectorWednesday, April 17 Bijou Theater Knoxville TN with Ben RectorThursday, April 18 The Handlebar Greenville SC with Ben RectorFriday, April 19 Center Stage Atlanta GA with Ben RectorSaturday, April 20 Lincoln Theatre Raleigh NC with Ben RectorTuesday, April 23 Jefferson Theater Charlottesville VA with Ben RectorWednesday, April 24 9:30 Club Washington D.C. with Ben RectorThursday, April 25 Bowery Ballroom New York NY with Ben RectorFriday, April 26 The Sinclair Cambridge MA with Ben RectorSaturday, April 27 Monnalisa Bar @ Hotel Sorella Houston TXMonday, April 29 Mod Club Toronto ON with Ben RectorWednesday, May 1 The Intersection Grand Rapids MI with Ben RectorThursday, May 2 Majestic Live Madison WI with Ben RectorFriday, May 3 Varsity Theatre Minneapolis MN with Ben RectorSaturday, May 4 Park West Chicago IL with Ben RectorTuesday, May 7 Bluebird Theater Denver with Ben RectorThursday, May 9 Cain's Ballroom Tulsa OK with Ben RectorFriday, May 10 Old Rock House St. Louis with Ben RectorSaturday, May 11 Blue Note Columbia MO with Ben Rector

Wed, 03/20/2013 - 12:45 pm

Alpha Rev’s brand new release Bloom hit streets this week - March 19 (Kirtland Records). Hailed as “emotionally raw…a potent record” (Dallas Morning News)and as “a pick-me-up…empowering and inspirational” (Sun-Sentinel), Bloomhas been climbing the radio charts for several weeks now. The band premiered the video for the album’s first single, “Sing Loud”, at mtvU.com last week. Having recently debuted the new material live during a handful of performances at SXSW, the band now heads out on massive 30+ date spring tour. The complete list of shows is included below.

“[Alpha Rev’s Casey] McPherson is just getting started…on the layered and complex Bloom” (Something Else! Reviews). Recently chosen "Artist Most Likely to Break in 2013” at the tightly curated Sunset Sessions (credited for helping discover artists including Fun., The Zac Brown Band, and The Black Keys, among many others), Alpha Rev has indeed armed themselves with a stunning collection of songs; Bloom delivers a set of personally transformative and redemptive songs - born in the spirit of creative expansion - and a mandate to blossom and grow.

“To bloom implies something beautiful is going to happen, but it’s a process – like all our journeys,” says Alpha Rev singer-songwriter Casey McPherson.

With a glistening rock sound that is at once fragile and tough, Bloom picks up threads from the past while it takes a big bite into the eternal here and now. Drawing from the wellspring of American history, the grandeur of its landscape, and life's sweet and tragic mysteries, Texas-born McPherson leans into his personal challenges as well as the wages of the 21st century and emerges with a triumphant and timeless statement.

The complete list of Alpha Rev tour dates is as follows:
Wednesday, March 20 Common Grounds Waco TX with Ben Rector
Thursday, March 21 Grand Stafford Theater Bryan TX with Ben Rector 
Friday, March 22 The Belmont Austin TX with Ben Rector 
Saturday, March 23 Good Records In Store Dallas, TX
Saturday, March 23 House of Blues Dallas TX with Ben Rector 
Sunday, March 24 Spring Jam Music Fest Charleston SC 
Tuesday, March 26 Granada Theatre Lawrence KS with Ben Rector 
Wednesday, March 27 - Thursday, March 28 George's Majestic Lounge 
Fayetteville AR with Ben Rector 
Friday, March 29 University of Oklahoma Norman with Ben Rector 
Wednesday, April 3 The Lyric Theatre Oxford MS with Ben Rector 
Thursday, April 4 Bourbon Street Bar Auburn AL with Ben Rector 
Saturday, April 6 Amos' Southend Charlotte NC with Ben Rector 
Sunday, April 7 WorkPlay Soundstage Birmingham AL with Ben Rector 
Friday, April 12 Cannery Ballroom Nashville TN with Ben Rector 
Wednesday, April 17 Bijou Theater Knoxville TN with Ben Rector 
Thursday, April 18 The Handlebar Greenville SC with Ben Rector 
Friday, April 19 Center Stage Atlanta GA with Ben Rector 
Saturday, April 20 Lincoln Theatre Raleigh NC with Ben Rector
Tuesday, April 23 Jefferson Theater Charlottesville VA with Ben Rector 
Wednesday, April 24 9:30 Club Washington D.C. with Ben Rector 
Thursday, April 25 Bowery Ballroom New York NY with Ben Rector 
Friday, April 26 The Sinclair Cambridge MA with Ben Rector 
Saturday, April 27 Monnalisa Bar @ Hotel Sorella Houston TX 
Monday, April 29 Mod Club Toronto ON with Ben Rector 
Wednesday, May 1 The Intersection Grand Rapids MI with Ben Rector 
Thursday, May 2 Majestic Live Madison WI with Ben Rector 
Friday, May 3 Varsity Theatre Minneapolis MN with Ben Rector 
Saturday, May 4 Park West Chicago IL with Ben Rector 
Tuesday, May 7 Bluebird Theater Denver with Ben Rector 
Thursday, May 9 Cain's Ballroom Tulsa OK with Ben Rector 
Friday, May 10 Old Rock House St. Louis with Ben Rector 
Saturday, May 11 Blue Note Columbia MO with Ben Rector 

Tue, 03/26/2013 - 3:09 pm

This festival season, Electric Forest returns to the Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Michigan on June 27- June 30, 2013. Today, Electric Forest's "Plug In" Program - the festival's innovative fan engagement platform - is in full swing. With many unique participation opportunities and several winners already announced, thousands of Electric Forest fans have been showing off - and sharing - their creativity, talent, and loyalty to the fest. Check out these stories submitted for the "Electric Moment" contest, the winners for Timeline Photo contest and Instrumental Forester competition, and the top submissions for the ongoing Chari-T Shirt Design contest. Visit electricforestfestival.com for details on all of the Plug In opportunities, including the hugely popular Hoop Troupe contest launching tomorrow (Wednesday March 27). Additional contests still to be announced.

Known for fully embracing the possibilities of an engaged festival community, Electric Forest's Plug In Program deliberately blurs the line between event organizers and attendees. With this truly unique "open source" approach, the festival is able to harness the creativity and passion of its community members, offering real and tangible ways for fans to participate in and ultimately help shape the Electric Forest experience. This is a big deal, since for Electric Forest – experience trumps all.

Through these ever-evolving participation programs, Electric Forest has "reinvented the sense of unity [that can happen at a music event], insisting that mainstream festivals can be so much more for people than just a party. Rather an artistic playground for...young adults to communicate their innovative ideas and art-works through any means fathomable." (The Untz)

Recently chosen as one of "the world's ten best music festivals" by Jetsetter, Electric Forest is widely recognized for propelling the U.S. festival scene into a brave new era of music and camping festivals.

The reasons for this stellar reputation are many. Undeniably known for delivering "the ultimate festival experience," (IMF Magazine), Electric Forest offers incomparable VIP accommodations, unique on-site features and amenities, astonishing and unparalleled integration of music and art, and a vibe so thick with "camaraderie and freedom…it must be experienced to be appreciated." (Consequence Of Sound)

Hailed for its deep, diverse, and often unexpected lineup curation, Electric Forest 2013 features performances by live music pioneers The String Cheese Incident (3 performances), Pretty Lights, Passion Pit, Empire of the Sun, Knife Party, Dispatch, Benny Benassi, Yeasayer, A-Trak, Grimes, Railroad Earth, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, FEMI KUTI & The Positive Force, Madeon, Headhunterz, Baauer, Danny Brown, Greensky Bluegrass and many more. The complete list of currently confirmed performers is available at www.electricforestfestival.com, with additional artists still to be announced.

At the heart of Electric Forest, the beloved Sherwood Forest is "with no exaggeration at all, the most well produced and artistically inspired area…ever seen at a music festival" (Magnetic Magazine). Showered with state-of-the-art, jaw-dropping light displays, intricate and earthy artful touches, and everything in between, in 2013 the Sherwood Forest is expanding in size for the first time ever. Fans can look forward to more to discover, wonder and wow.

Also in 2013, Electric Forest's unrivaled GOOD LIFE VIP experience promises even more stellar amenities and perks. From camping and RV spots, to log cabins and homes, to resort hotel-style suites – all located directly on the festival grounds – The GOOD LIFE has something for all budgets and tastes. The festival's exclusive site - hailed as "THE best place to hold a music festival" (Magnetic Magazine) - offers trails, forests, fields, lakes and beachfronts, and even on-site bars and eateries. In addition, Electric Forest patrons can take advantage of the resort's many amenities including a 60,000 square foot indoor water park, an 18-hole championship golf course, swimming pools, horseback riding, and more. Visit www.electricforestfestival.com for GOOD LIFE options and details.

Tue, 04/02/2013 - 11:58 am

After a hugely successful first year, Cloud 9 Adventures today announces the second installment of Strings & Sol, the newest music destination event in the Cloud 9 family, which also includes Mayan Holidaze, Jam Cruise, Holy Ship! and Panic en la Playa. Strings & Sol - set on the white sand beaches of Puerto Morelos on the Riviera Maya, Mexico - runs December 11 - 15, 2013. This unique adventure brings together some of today’s best progressive bluegrass bands for a rollicking string-music vacation like no other. Live performances during the event’s 4 days and nights include Yonder Mountain String Band (with three performances, one of which will be during sunset), Railroad Earth and Leftover Salmon (who will each have one closing show and one additional performance), Keller Williams with The Travelin’ McCourys, and Greensky Bluegrass (with two performances each). Visit www.stringsandsol.com for more information.

The beautiful locale and luxurious accommodations at the Now Sapphire resort brings the energy of the new American bluegrass story to new heights for Strings & Sol 2013. Located on the pristine beaches of picturesque fishing village Puerto Morelos - approximately 25 minutes south of the Cancun Airport on the Mayan Riviera - Now Sapphire is a first-class, all-inclusive resort that boasts spacious suites, an incredible on-site spa, gourmet restaurants, beachfront palapas, and of course, stunning ocean views. Strings & Sol offers music fans a genuine luxury vacation featuring days relaxing on the beach with friends and nights listening to their favorite bands perform in paradise.

The all-inclusive luxury lodging packages for Now Sapphire are available to just over 1000 lucky fans. Check in starts at 3pm on December 11, 2013 and the bluegrass kicks off that night.

Event details are as follows:
All packages go on sale to the general public beginning April 17 at 12:00 PM EST at www.stringsandsol.com. There will be a pre-sale for returning Strings & Sol guests on April 16.

Just over 400 rooms at Now Sapphire will be available for booking. Pricing for the all-inclusive resort starts at $1,099 for triple occupancy rooms per person, $1199 for double occupancy rooms per person, with ocean view rooms starting at $1499 per person. A limited number of rooms are available for families who wish to bring their children, with a complete Kid’s program offered by the resort.

Look for announcements to come including artist hosted activities, ways of giving back to the community with Positive Legacy and more!

For fans who wish to extend their stay, Cloud 9 Adventures is offering a special discounted rate for the nights before and after the event, so come early and stay late. Guests can add an additional three nights to their stay before the event and one night after the event for $189.00 a night per person.* These rates are available for December 8, 9, 10, & 15, 2013. For more information and to book a room, please visit www.stringsandsol.com.

*Pre / Post night rates are based on double occupancy. Presidential Suites are subject to different rates and must be booked with Cloud 9 over the phone, based on availability.

Strings & Sol is a Cloud 9 Adventure www.cloud9adventures.com

Sat, 04/06/2013 - 5:44 am

Today, Electric Forest 2013 reveals another round of artists confirmed to perform in Rothbury, Michigan on June 27- June 30. Check out the video here.

Above & Beyond, GrizMatik with Special Guests, Morgan Page, The Polish Ambassador, ESKMO, Quixotic, Cyril Hahn, and A Tribe Called Red are among the nearly 30 acts added to the 2013 lineup. Also announced today are the Curated Events – Fool's Gold Clubhouse, Movement at Electric Forest, and Deep in the FOREST. These artists and curated events join previously announced artists: live music pioneers The String Cheese Incident (3 performances), Passion Pit, Empire of the Sun, Knife Party, Dispatch, Benny Benassi, Yeasayer, A-Trak, Grimes, Railroad Earth, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, FEMI KUTI & The Positive Force, Madeon, Headhunterz, Baauer, Danny Brown, Greensky Bluegrass and many more. The full list of artists announced today is included below. The complete list of currently confirmed performers is available at www.electricforestfestival.com.

Also announced today are Electric Forest's 2013 Curated Events. Fool's Gold Clubhouse - hosted by the Brooklyn-based indie label at Electric Forest's Tripolee Stage - will feature A-Trak, Danny Brown, OLIVER, Just Blaze, Caze, Nick Catchdubs, Treasure Fingers, Party Supplies and others to be announced. Also at Tripolee, Detroit's Movement Electronic Music Festival returns as a curating partner for Movement at Electric Forest - an energy-packed evening showcasing both Movement alum and emerging talent. Deep in the FOREST, a curated series new to Electric Forest this year, will feature Nu-Disco and Deep-House performances in the heart of the Sherwood Forest - with sets by artists Munson Meeks (Boulder), Luke the Knife (Denver), Cyril Hahn (Vancouver), and No Regular Play (Brookyln), among others. For additional details regarding Electric Forest's 2013 Curated Events visit www.electricforestfestival.com.

Among today's artist announcements are two winners of Electric Forest's "Instrumental Forester Competition." Hosted by EF's Plug In fan engagement program, artists Jessijem n' the Infamous Crotch Kickers and Sam Klass each earned a performance slot on the festival's Forest Stage. In other Plug In news, Imago's "Cerebrum of Electric Forest" submission snagged first prize for Electric Forest's "Installation Sponsorship Contest." They win a $3000 grant and 5 GA Passes to manifest their artistic vision - a projection-mapped brain personifying the cognitive center of the forest in – to display at this year's festival. Visit www.electricforestfestival.com for details on all Plug In opportunities.

2nd Round Artists Announced Today:
Above & Beyond
GrizMatik with Special Guests
Morgan Page
The Polish Ambassador
Orchard Lounge
Eskmo
Eliot Lipp
Cyril Hahn
A Tribe Called Red
No Regular Play
Lance Herbstrong
Nigel Hall
Quixotic
Lynx
Delhi 2 Dublin
Russ Liquid
Shreddie Mercury
The Main Squeeze
The Floozies
Mutrix
DVBBS
Beard-o-Bees
Dopapod
Luke the Knife
The Nth Power
Rosin Coven
Thriftworks
Vokab Kompany Dustin
Thomas Jessijem n' the Infamous Crotch Kickers
Sam Klass

PLUS a Silent Disco in the Sherwood Forest!
With Curated Events Fool's Gold Clubhouse, Movement at Electric Forest, and Deep in the FOREST.

For the complete list of confirmed artists performing at Electric Forest 2013 visit www.electricforestfestival.com

Tue, 04/09/2013 - 2:51 pm

VER LA LUZ, Scott Tournet’s first solo album since 2006’s Everyone You Meet Is Fighting A Hard Battle, will hit streets on May 14. Click here to listen to the first track on VER LA LUZ, “Lights Go Down,” at Paste. The self-produced and independently released effort was recorded and engineered by Mike Kamoo (The Stereotypes, The Loons, Lights On), who engineered and mixed VER LA LUZ at his Earthling Studios in San Diego.The sound on VER LA LUZ is unpretentiously sophisticated, a seamless fusion of the homespun and the experimental; the songs are earthy, heartfelt; and Tournet’s vocals have an aching vulnerability and natural humanity. “I made the record because I needed to make it,” says Tournet with the same candor that characterizes the album. “The songs and the writing of the songs consumed me for weeks and months at a time.” These 11 songs of struggle, abiding hope and hard-earned acceptance-each resolving into a memorable chorus resolution—chart an internal world that is deeply personal yet universally relatable. The result is a musically invigorating and emotionally powerful piece of work. If ever an album deserved to be singled out as a sleeper, VER LA LUZ is it.VER LA LUZ features contributions from drummer Austin Beede (formerly of Alberta Cross); fellow Vermont natives Lowell Thompson and Kelly Ravin, who blended their voices with Tournet’s for some soaring harmonies; and Scott’s band mate Grace Potter, who co-wrote “Treasure” and “The Longing,” dueting with her longtime band mate on the latter. Apart from the drums, Scott played all the instruments except for Ravin’s acoustic on “The Longing.” He and Kamoo started tracking in the spring of 2012, calling on Beede to handle the drum parts.“That’s really when the process opened up,” Scott recalls. “I would play guitar, bass or keyboards along with Austin on drums, and we would record what we did to tape. We did eight or nine songs that way, and then he headed home to Santa Barbara. Over the next couple weeks, Mike and I tackled a song a day and I overdubbed all the other necessary instruments/sounds as we saw fit. Once we got the music where we wanted it, Lowell and Kelly flew in from Vermont and laid down harmony vocals. Kelly and I also tracked ‘The Longing’ on acoustics.”Using a portable rig, Scott recorded his vocals in hotel rooms and on the bus while on tour with Grace Potter & The Nocturnals as the opening act on a stadium tour. “We recorded Grace’s vocal for ‘The Longing’ in a football stadium locker room,” he recalls. Throughout the summer, Tournet engaged in a long-distance dialogue with Kamoo back in his San Diego studio.” I would send vocal tracks digitally to Mike and he would piece them together for me. It was amazing and cool in the way that technology was allowing us to work on album together while being in different parts of the country. I never could have completed the record otherwise.”VER LA LUZ, which translates from the Spanish as to see the light, is not only the album’s title but also its theme. “The record is about getting your ass kicked, getting the wind knocked out of you, waking up in the morning and not being able to get up—being paralyzed by life,” Tournet explains. “But really, it’s about those first moments where you can see something beyond the despair and ugliness—like eating a saltine cracker after having the stomach flu for two days; that glorious and delicious first bite. Or like being in the ocean and getting caught under a wave—then you finally find up and you gasp in that first breath of air. This album resides within that moment. It comes from darkness, pain and ugliness, but the songs themselves are the light that contrasts with all of that.”Scott Tournet’s upcoming solo tour dates are as follows:Thursday, May 16 Higher Ground Burlington, VTFriday, May 17 Brighton Music Hall Boston, MASaturday, May 18 Brooklyn Bowl Brooklyn, NYSunday, May 19 8x10 Club Baltimore, MD

Wed, 04/10/2013 - 1:47 pm

Making Movies' song “Cuna de Vida” - from the band’s brand new album A La Deriva (released March 5 and produced by Steve Berlin) - was recently featured on AOL Spinner. Now, the young Kansas City-based band hits the road for a Spring Tour that winds through parts of the Midwest, south, and west - including a stop at Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre for Los Lobos’ Cinco de Mayo Festival. Making Movies’ complete list of currently confirmed tour dates is included below.Making Movies makes music that matters now: rhythmically adventurous, lyrically substantive, and melodically sensuous---the progressive Latino sound. Here’s what critics are saying about Making Movies:“There's no mistaking that A La Deriva is rooted in Latin music — but there are plenty of moments when you wouldn't think to file Making Movies under any genre except plain old rock. Or, yes, punk.” – Pitch"Making Movies shows us how deeply thought-out lyrics sound next to a rhythm track that somehow both propels and floats without violating the laws of physics." – NPR"…there’s a lot that’s quite unexpected about Making Movies,let alone where they call home." - Pop MattersLed by Panamanian brothers Enrique and Diego Chi (singer/songwriter/guitarist and bassist respectively) - and made complete by percussionist Juan Carlos Chaurand and drummer Brendan Culp - Making Movies has been hailed as “a rare crossover band…that embraces its heritage without being wholly defined by it” (The Pitch). Early reviews of A La Deriva give praise that “influences on the album go far beyond traditional Latin forms” - where “attitudes from early New Wave and classic alternative rock often assert themselves dominantly” and where “plenty of beautiful ugliness in the guitar work [is] also offset by…pretty moments.” (Ink Magazine)The strong rapport between Berlin (whose studio credits include Los Lobos first 2 records, Ozomatli’s Embrace The Chaos, Los Super Seven’s Canto) and the members of Making Movies is palpable, and for A La Deriva the collaboration created a sound that is “bigger, roomier and even more raucously joyous” (Ink Magazine) than the band’s first recording. Berlin was first turned on to Making Movies when the guys opened up for Los Lobos at their Kansas City show. “I was struck by the effortless way they moved between musical styles, all the while managing to make each one completely their own,” Berlin explains. “It was fairly instantaneous that I decided I wanted to work with them.”“We went into the studio thinking Steve would trim down our sound, make us sound more concise,” Enrique recently told the Kansas City Star. “But he did the opposite. He’d have us drag things out, follow our instincts and get weirder and more complex.” As to Berlin’s thoughts on the final result, he says “…it’s rare that [when producing an album] I anticipate a result and it’s a million times better than what I anticipated. This is one of those records.”Now, Making Movies gears up to bring their music nationwide.Making Movies current list of spring tour dates is as follows:Thursday, April 11 Prophet Bar Dallas TX Supporting TennisFriday, April 12 Parish Underground Austin TXSaturday, April 13 Hi-Tones San Antonio TXThursday, April 18 Frank's Austin TX Supporting ViteraFriday, April 19 Fiesta Oyster Bake San Antonio TXSaturday, April 20 Mangos Houston TX supporting Cassette Tape & Satellite BrigadeWednesday, April 24 El Paseo Bar and Grill Santa Fe NMFriday, April 26 El Cid Los Angeles CASaturday, April 27 Beerfest Bakersfield CASaturday, April 27 On the Rocks Bar and Grill Bakersfield CASunday, May 5 The Greek Theatre Los Angeles CA for Los Lobos’ Cinco de Mao FestivalThursday, May 9 Hi-Dive Denver COFriday, May 10 Jazz Haus Lawrence KSAdditional dates to be announced.

Fri, 04/12/2013 - 11:28 am

The Ride Festival recently announced its second installment – happening July 13th and 14th at Colorado’s breathtaking Telluride Town Park. The 2013 Ride Festival lineup includes David Byrne & St. Vincent, Big Head Todd & The Monsters, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Cake, Drive-By Truckers, Steve Earle, Buddy Miller and Son Volt, with others still to be announced. Tickets are on sale now at RideFestival.com.The Ride Fest has quickly garnered a reputation among music fans for its thoughtful performance curation - hand-picking rootsy, rocking talent whose music flawlessly compliments the festival’s stunning Telluride setting. For year two of this intimate mountain festival, music will spill out onto Telluride’s charming Main Street for late night showcases by emerging talent from a variety of genres.In addition to stellar live music, The Ride Fest’s close proximity to the many outdoor activities that Telluride and Southern Colorado have to offer help make the festival a unique destination event. Attendees can enjoy hiking, biking, hot springs, and so much more – all in a truly majestic setting. Rounding out The Ride Fest’s authentic mountain culture – The Ride Fest helps benefit Telluride’s beloved KOTOfm, one of the country’s last remaining music radio stations that is entirely listener supported and non-commercial.The Ride Festival details are as follows:The Ride FestivalSaturday, July 13th and Sunday July 14thTelluride Town ParkTelluride, ColoradoFeaturing David Byrne & St. Vincent, Big Head Todd & The Monsters, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Cake, Drive-By Truckers, Steve Earle, Buddy Miller, Son Volt and other to be announced.Two Day Tickets are $125.50 plus service fees.Camping, RV and VIP packages are available in limited quantities. Visit RideFestival.com for details.Tickets on sale now at RideFestival.com.

Tue, 04/16/2013 - 12:13 pm

Today, Grammy-nominated The Infamous Stringdusters launch the world premier of “Rockets” video exclusively at CMT Pure. Watch the video here. The television premier of the video happens tonight just before 8:30 PM Eastern Time on the network’s “CMT Edge.”

The song “Rockets” - track #2 on the band’s most recent double disc release Silver Sky-Deluxe Edition (Sci Fidelity Records, October 16, 2012) - potently demonstrates a band blurring the lines between bluegrass playing technique, pop songwriting sensibilities and country music storytelling. The video, like the song/album, was produced (and filmed and edited) by unlikely partner - hip-hop producer Billy Hume (Ludacris, Nas). Look for The Infamous Stringdusters on tour this spring and summer. The band’s complete list of tour dates is included below.

“Rockets” - co-written by ‘Dusters’ bassist Travis Book and his wife, accomplished singer/songwriter Sarah Siskind – is about the potential of humans today. As Book explains, “This is a heavy time for our country and for our planet, but we can all be and do whatever we want. The range of potential human experiences is like no other time in history. Like a rocket streaking through a silver sky toward endless space, there's almost limitless potential.”

It’s no surprise The Infamous Stringdusters are feeling their limitless potential. March 2013 marked 18 months since the band was granted release from their contract with Sugar Hill Records. The “Rockets” video is an official release of the band’s own High Country recording label, and serves to debut a new partnership - between The Infamous Stringdusters, Billy Hume, and their artist management company, The Artist Farm – that will help propel High Country Recordings into the future; a future where, for The ‘Dusters and their High Country label mates, creativity and music lead the way.

High Country is also what The Infamous Stringdusters have taken to calling their music; it is “the centering spirit behind everything they do.” “The High Country,” says Dusters’ banjo player Chris Pandolfi, “is a beautiful, inspiring spot, wherever it may be.”

Fresh off a filming for PBS’s Bluegrass Underground (the episode will air in Fall 2013), The Infamous Stringdusters’ elaborate live show is anything but traditional. As the New York Times recently reviewed, “[The Infamous Stringdusters’] toe-tapping rhythms, torrents of 16th notes and the contours of Appalachian melodies are their clear foundations. But genre doesn’t hold them back…What sounds casual and good-timey…is intricately plotted and arranged, attentive to the textures of each voice and string. The Infamous Stringdusters don’t leave bluegrass behind; they’re stretching it from within.”

The Infamous Stringdusters’ constant, relentless, revelatory musical evolution is on display throughout the band’s new double disc release Silver Sky-Deluxe Edition. Working with hip-hop producer Billy Hume (Ludacris, Nas) - Silver Sky finds The Infamous Stringdusters’ powerful rhythms and vocal melodies at the forefront of the music. Paired with We’ll Do It Live – a seamless live recording culled from four epic 2011 performances - Silver Sky-Deluxe Edition eloquently demonstrates a band whose artistic voice has fully emerged, and offers a riveting glimpse of just how, and where, The Infamous Stringdusters are leading the bluegrass revolution. Silver Sky-Deluxe Edition is now available at national retail for the first time, and is exclusively available online, also for the first time, at The Infamous Stringdusters’ website and at SCI Fidelity Records’ online store.


The Infamous Stringdusters hit the road this spring and summer, including first visits to San Francisco and Seattle since the release of Silver Sky-Deluxe Edition, and to festivals DelFest, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, and All Good, among others.

The Infamous Stringdusters complete list of confirmed tour dates is as follows:
Friday, April 19 Greenfield Lake Amphitheater Wilmington NC
Saturday, April 20 Asheville Earth Day Asheville NC
Sunday, April 21 US National Whitewater Center Charlotte NC
Monday, April 22 Radford University Radford VA
Thursday, May 2 The Rio Theatre Santa Cruz, CA
Friday, May 3 Terrapin Crossroads San Rafael CA
Saturday, May 4 Great American Music Hall San Francisco CA
Tuesday, May 7 Harlow's Sacramento CA
Thursday, May 9 The Rogue Theatre Grant's Pass OR
Friday, May 10 WOW Hall Eugene OR
Saturday, May 11 The Neptune Seattle WA
Thursday, May 23 - Tuesday, February 26 Delfest Cumberland MD
Sunday, June 23 Telluride Bluegrass Festival Telluride CO
Friday, June 28 Friday Cheers @ Brown's Island Richmond VA
Friday, July 5 - Saturday, July 6 High Sierra Music Festival Quincy CA
Saturday, July 13 Crystal Coast Music Festival Morehead City NC
Thursday, July 18 The Wonder Bar Asbury Park NJ
Friday, July 19 Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival Oak Hill NY
Saturday, July 20 All Good Music Festival Thornville OH
Friday, July 26 - Saturday, July 27 Floydfest Floyd VA
Sunday, August 11 Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival Alta WY
Friday, October 11 - Sunday, October 13 The Festy Experience at Devils Backbone Roseland VA

Additional dates to be announced.

Thu, 04/18/2013 - 11:31 am

Cloud 9 Adventures is proud to announce the details of the legendary Mayan Holidaze! In its seventh year, this long standing destination event in the Cloud 9 family (which also includes the always sold-out Jam Cruise, Holy Ship!!! Strings & Sol and Panic en la Playa), is a fan favorite featuring host bands The Disco Biscuits, Umphrey’s McGee and STS9 for four nights on December 16-20, 2013. Mayan Holidaze has taken place in a variety of exotic locations over its long history, last year making a pilgrimage to Tulum in honor of the Mayan shift in 2012. This year’s edition returns to the beautiful Now Sapphire in Puerto Morelos, Mexico.Located in the small fishing town of Puerto Morelos, 20 minutes south of Cancun in the Mayan Riviera, Now Sapphire is a first-class all-inclusive resort that boasts spacious suites, an incredible on-site spa and gourmet restaurants, and of course, stunning ocean views. Mayan Holidaze offers music fans a genuine luxury vacation relaxing on the beach with friends by day while listening to their favorite bands on the beach by night.Each of the three hosting bands will play 3 shows by each band with details to be announced later in the year, along with additional support acts/special guests.The all-inclusive luxury lodging packages for Now Sapphire are available for an intimate number of lucky fans. Check-in begins on December 16, 2013 and the music kicks off that night.Event details are as follows:There will be a pre-sale for returning Mayan Holidaze guests on April 23-24. If any rooms remain from the Pre-Sale the packages will go on sale to the general public beginning April 25 at 12:00 PM ET at www.mayanholidaze.com.Packages for the all-inclusive resort starts at $1,299 per person, with oceanfront doubles starting at $1749 for per person. In addition, a select few Stage front rooms are being offered for fans who want to experience the shows right from the comfort of their own balcony overlooking the stage.Look for announcements to come including artist hosted activities, ways of giving back to the community with Positive Legacy and more!For fans who wish to extend their stay, Cloud 9 Adventures is offering a special discounted rate for those guests who want to add an extra day before and/or after the event for $189.00 a night per person*. These rates are available for Dec. 15 and Dec. 20, 21 and 22, 2013 only. For more information and to book a room, please visit www.mayanholidaze.com.*Pre / Post night rates are based on double occupancy. Presidential Suites are subject to different rates and must be booked with Cloud 9 over the phone, based on availability. Mayan Holidaze is a Cloud 9 Adventure. www.cloud9adventures.com

Mon, 04/22/2013 - 2:53 pm

Beloved folk icon Richie Havens died this morning in his home from a sudden heart attack. He was 72.Havens first became part of musical history during his impromptu opening performance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival. Best known for his distinctive intense, rhythmic guitar style and soulful covers of pop and folk songs, Havens toured and recorded music for over 40 years before retiring from the road 3 years ago. Beyond his music, those who have met Havens will remember his gentle and compassionate nature, his light humor and his powerful presence.While his family greatly appreciates that Richie’s many fans are also mourning this loss, they do ask for privacy during this difficult time.A public memorial will be planned for a later date.

Fri, 04/26/2013 - 6:25 pm

Memorial plans to celebrate the life of Richie Havens were announced today. This coming Monday, April 29 at City Winery New York the public is invited to gather in memory of the beloved folk icon.A post by Richie’s family on Richie’s official Facebook page reads:Heartfelt thanks for the worldwide showing of love and respect for Richie. This is a very difficult time for everyone and knowing you're all right here with us is tremendously moving. As per his very specific wishes, Richie was cremated on Tuesday and his ashes were placed in a beautiful stone pyramid urn. Later in the summer they will be scattered across the field where the Woodstock festival took place in 1969 ~Max Yasgur's farm, now Bethel Woods Center for the Arts.Knowing Richie wanted a party rather than a somber memorial, we have decided to schedule a few public events because, as you all know, Richie considered the world his family, and each and every one of you his friends. We think he'd be just fine with one last tour.This coming Monday, April 29th, there will be a viewing in New York City at City Winery, located at 155 Varick Street (ph 212 608-0555). This is an informal and unticketed event, however we do ask that you rsvp through City Winery at [email protected] if you plan to attend. Any and all are welcome to come say goodbye to Richie. Doors will open at 8pm.Plans for a memorial concert are also underway, and we will make a few more announcements in the coming days. This will be the only viewing in NYC. We hope you'll join us.Richie Havens died on April 22, 2013. He was 72. 

Tue, 04/30/2013 - 9:30 am

Today the Rex Foundation releases A Buck Dancer’s Choice. The 19-song live compilation, culled from a very special December 1, 2012 performance at The Fillmore in San Francisco, features choice selections from that evening’s three sets of incredible music - opened by members of ALO, followed by an acoustic solo Bob Weir set, and then The Mickey Hart Band with Widespread Panic’s Dave Schools on bass. A Buck Dancer’s Choice is available now via download at nugs.net and iTunes, and on CD only available at nugs.net.On December 1, 2012 at The Fillmore in San Francisco, Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart, as well as members of ALO performed at the Rex Foundation’s benefit concert A Buck Dancer’s Choice, held in honor of Jon McIntire, former manager of the Grateful Dead and New Riders of the Purple Sage, and longstanding member of the Rex Board of Directors. This compilation’s first 3 tracks showcase the evening’s opening set with ALO members Lebo, Steve Adams and Dave Brogan with Lesley Grant doing three original pieces, then joined by Bob Weir on tracks 4 and 5 for outstanding renditions of “Me And My Uncle” and an acoustic “Dark Star.” Bob Weir’s solo acoustic 2nd set features songs “Loose Lucy” and “Playin’ In The Band” among others. The Mickey Hart Band with Mickey Hart, Dave Schools, Crystal Monee Hall, Joe Bagale, Ben Yonas, Sikiru Adepoju, Inx Herman, and Gawain Matthews topped out the evening with their third set, including such favorites as “Samson and Delilah” and “Franklin’s Tower,” and Bob Weir joined the band for “China Cat Sunflower” and “I Know You Rider.” With this compilation of tracks from each set, the evening’s unique musical experience is now available to those who could not attend the concert, while also extending the reach of the benefit so as to provide additional charitable support to the Rex Foundation.On Tuesday, April 30, 2013, this one-of-a-kind musical occasion will be available for all to enjoy with downloads at nugs.net and iTunes, and CDs only available from nugs.net. As a special bonus, nugs.net is offering a free album listening party during the week of the release exclusively at nugs.net.A Buck Dancer’s Choice Track List (organized as arranged on the 2-CD set) is as follows: Disc One: Opening Set features ALO members Lebo, Steve Adams and Dave Brogan with Lesley Grant, joined by Bob Weir for Tracks 4 and 5, followed by Set 2 of Bob Weir Solo Acoustic for Tracks 6-9, and on Tracks 10-11, the first two songs of the 3rd Set featuring the Mickey Hart Band, with Mickey Hart, Dave Schools, Crystal Monee Hall, Joe Bagale, Ben Yonas, Sikiru Adepoju, Inx Herman, and Gawain Matthews.1. Listen To The River 6:38 (Dan Lebowitz) 2. Easy 4:37 (David Brogan) 3. Falling Dominoes 5:24 (Steve Adams, David Brogan, Zach Gill, Dan Lebowitz) 4. Me And My Uncle 5:24 (John Phillips) 5. Dark Star 9:25 (Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, Ron McKernan, Mickey Hart) 6. Loose Lucy 8:25 (Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia) 7. Playin’ In The Band 8:20 (Robert Hunter, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart) 8. Peggy-O (Traditional, Arranged by the Grateful Dead) 9. Black Throated Wind 8:02 (Bob Weir, John Perry Barlow) 10. Samson and Delilah 7:16 (Traditional, Arranged by Bob Weir) 11. Cut The Deck 9:25 (Robert Hunter, Mickey Hart, Cliff Goldmacher, Ben Yonas)Disc Two: Mickey Hart Band, with Bob Weir joining in on Tracks 1 and 2.1. China Cat Sunflower 8:03 (Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia) 2. I Know You Rider 12:21 (Traditional, Arranged by the Grateful Dead) 3. Heartbeat Of The Sun 18:21 (Mickey Hart, Ben Yonas, Crystal Monee Hall, Sikiru Adepoju, Giovanni Hidalgo, Zakir Hussain) 4. Jersey Shore 6:03 (Mickey Hart, Andre Pesis, Dave Schools, Ben Yonas) 5.Franklin’s Tower 9:10 (Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia, Bill Kreutzmann) 6. Time Never Ends 8:31 (Mickey Hart, Ben Yonas, Crystal Monee Hal, Tim Hockenberry) 7. Not Fade Away 7:53 (Charles Hardin & Norman Petty) 8. band intros 1:15 9. Brokedown Palace 7:41 (Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia)The compilation will be available beginning April 30, 2013 in the following formats:·MP3, FLAC, and Apple Lossless downloads at nugs.net/wheel·iTunes download·CD only available at nugs.net

Tue, 04/30/2013 - 4:27 pm

Jam Cruise 12 reveals their artist lineup tomorrow – Wednesday, May 1 - exclusively on SiriusXM Jam_ON. Tune in to Jam_ON at 4:00 PM EDT to be the first to hear which artists will be on board when Jam Cruise 12 sets sail January 4 – 9, 2014. Login to your SiriusXM account and listen wherever you are, or sign up for a free SiriusXM 7 day trial.For this 12th installment of Jam Cruise, music’s original floating festival sets off from PortMiami aboard the MSC Divina – a brand new, state-of-the-art, ultramodern ship. While the Divina can hold more passengers than ships in years past, Jam Cruise will limit the capacity and maintain the intimacy that fans know and love.Visit jamcruise.com after 5pm EDT on Wednesday to view the full lineup announcement (plus, a brand new JamCruise website). Jam_On will feature music by Jam Cruise 12 artists til 7pm with the General of Jam, Jonathan Schwartz.

Thu, 05/02/2013 - 8:43 am

Jam Cruise 12 revealed its 2014 artist lineup last night on SiriusXM’s Jam_ON. Watch the Jam Cruise 12 announcement video illustrated by resident artist David “LEBO” Le Batard.

Les Claypool's Duo de Twang, Thievery Corporation, Surprise Show on Private Island, Bootsy Collins & The Funk Unity Band, Galactic, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, MarchFourth Marching Band, Anders Osborne, John Popper & DJ Logic w/ George Porter Jr., Stanley Jordan and Adam Deitch, Pork Tornado and many others and over 35 additional bands and musicians are on board for the 12th installment of music’s original floating adventure. The complete list of confirmed artists is included below.

Jam Cruise 12 sails aboard the brand-new, ultramodern MSC Divina January 4-9, 2014, leaving from PortMiami and stopping in two ports along the journey: in beautiful Falmouth, Jamaica and at The Bahamas’ remote private island Half Moon Cay.

The always unique and epic Jam Cruise adventure unveils some brand new add-on experiences for its 12th sail, including the Yacht Club and the Full Moon Resort Music Masters Camp at Sea. For the Yacht Club, patrons seeking a truly luxurious at-sea experience stay in exclusive top-floor luxury suites and have access to 24-hour butler concierge service, complimentary select wines and spirits, private pools and lounges, and so much more. For all of the details, visit www.jamcruise.com.

Also new in 2014, Jam Cruise partners with Full Moon Resort to offer the first ever Music Masters Camp at Sea. This extraordinary program, available as an add-on to your Jam Cruise booking, features workshops, master classes and jam sessions with six world-class musicians and a variety of special guests. 2014 host artists include Victor Wooten, Butch Trucks, Luther Dickinson, Cody Dickinson, Col. Bruce Hampton, and Kofi Burbridge. The one-of-a-kind adventure offers an incredibly interactive experience going even a step further in bridging the gap between artist and audience. Participants will play, study, learn and jam with these world-class performing artists. Space is limited. Visit www.jamcruise.com for information and bookings.

MSC Divina’s advanced technology includes a slew of environmental upgrades - from devices that enforce CO2 emissions reduction & limit energy usage in cabins, to advanced water treatment systems set to the highest legal and ecological standards, to a freshwater production system using 40% less power. These technology features, coupled with the Jam Cruise Greening Program (including carbon offsetting, compostable cups, complete recycling and more) will make Jam Cruise 12 the cleanest music cruise in the world!

Jam Cruise 12 Artist Lineup
Les Claypool’s Duo de Twang
Thievery Corporation
Surprise Show on Private Island
Bootsy Collins & The Funk Unity Band
Galactic
Robert Randolph & the Family Band
Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe
Lotus
The Wailers
Keller Williams
Keller & the Kimocks
Gigantic Underground Conspiracy featuring Marc Brownstein and Aaron Magner (Disco Biscuits /Conspirator), Dominic Lalli and Jeremy Salken (Big Gigantic), Chris Michetti (Conspirator / RAQ), Ben Baruch (Underground Orchestra)
Conspirator
Lettuce
Dumpstaphunk
John Popper & Dj Logic w/ George Porter Jr. Stanley Jordan and Adam Deitch
The New Mastersounds
The Infamous Stringdusters
ALO
Rob Garza (Thievery Corporation) Solo DJ Sets
Anders Osborne
MarchFourth Marching Band
Orgone
Pork Tornado
Bonerama
Robert Walter’s 20th Congress
The Revivalists
Monophonics
Mike Dillon Band
Eric Krasno Band
Everyone Orchestra
Alan Evans Super Jam
Dj Logic

Also special Jam Cruise Guests
Stanley Jordan
Nathan Moore
Brock Butler
Cyril Neville,
Oteil Burbidge
Bill Evans
Will Bernard
Alecia Chakour
Skerik

And Masters Camp at Sea Featuring
Victor Wooten
Butch Trucks
Luther Dickinson
Cody Dickinson
Col. Bruce Hampton
Kofi Burbridge

Additional artists to be announced.

Cabins (and add-on experiences) go on sale to the public Wednesday, May 30, 2013 at noon EST. Anyone who pre-booked will be able to book a cabin prior to the general on-sale according to their assigned booking time beginning on May 7, 2013.

Tue, 05/14/2013 - 11:30 am

Austin-based Dobro master Cindy Cashdollar has recorded and toured the world with Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Leon Redbone, Willie Nelson, and Rod Stewart—and that’s only a handful of her world-class musical partners. Her imaginative virtuosity has earned her five Grammy Awards, and Krannert Center audiences have flocked to hear her at three previous festival appearances. As the 2013 ELLNORA artist-in-residence, Cashdollar will bring her dynamic artistry to sets with Dan Zanes and Friends, Kevin Breit’s Sisters Euclid, and The Lee Boys and other special events.David Spelman, ELLNORA’s artistic advisor, notes that “Cindy Cashdollar’s performances at the festival have included collaborations with Jorma Kaukonen, Redd Volkaert, and Daniel Lanois. Her adaptable style has made her one of those artists that everyone wants to work with, so she was a natural fit for an artist-in-residence position. We couldn’t be more pleased that she accepted our invitation.”The full lineup for ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival at Krannert Center (September 5-7, 2013) will be released on June 11. Please visit EllnoraGuitarFestival.com for information on previous festivals and for up-to-the-minute announcements.About ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival: Krannert Center for the Performing Arts is situated on the campus of the University of Illinois, in the micro-urban community of Champaign-Urbana, and is North America’s premier university-based performing arts complex. ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival (originally called the Wall to Wall Guitar Festival), held biennially, was launched in 2005 and through its eclectic global mix has presented many of the world’s most influential guitarists and bands, including Buddy Guy, Ani DiFranco, Luther Dickinson, Jerry Douglas, Pepe Romero, John McLaughlin, Bill Frisell, Vernon Reid, Derek Trucks, Richard Thompson, Kaki King, Andy Summers, The National, Los Lobos, and the North Mississippi Allstars.For ongoing updates:www.ellnoraguitarfestival.comwww.twitter.com/krannertcenterwww.facebook.com/KrannertCenter

Wed, 05/15/2013 - 10:47 am

VER LA LUZ, Scott Tournet's first solo album since 2006's Everyone You Meet Is Fighting A Hard Battle, hits streets today. The self-produced and independently released effort was recorded and engineered by Mike Kamoo (The Stereotypes, The Loons, Lights On), who engineered and mixed VER LA LUZ at his Earthling Studios in San Diego. Listen to the album's first track, “Lights Go Down,” here.The sound on VER LA LUZ is unpretentiously sophisticated, a seamless fusion of the homespun and the experimental; the songs are earthy, heartfelt; and Tournet's vocals have an aching vulnerability and natural humanity. “I made the record because I needed to make it,” says Tournet with the same candor that characterizes the album. “The songs and the writing of the songs consumed me for weeks and months at a time.” These 11 songs of struggle, abiding hope and hard-earned acceptance-each resolving into a memorable chorus resolution-chart an internal world that is deeply personal yet universally relatable. The result is a musically invigorating and emotionally powerful piece of work. If ever an album deserved to be singled out as a sleeper, VER LA LUZ is it.VER LA LUZ features contributions from drummer Austin Beede (formerly of Alberta Cross); fellow Vermont natives Lowell Thompson and Kelly Ravin, who blended their voices with Tournet's for some soaring harmonies; and Scott's band mate Grace Potter, who co-wrote “Treasure” and “The Longing,” dueting with her longtime band mate on the latter. Apart from the drums, Scott played all the instruments except for Ravin's acoustic on “The Longing.” He and Kamoo started tracking in the spring of 2012, calling on Beede to handle the drum parts.“That's really when the process opened up,” Scott recalls. “I would play guitar, bass or keyboards along with Austin on drums, and we would record what we did to tape. We did eight or nine songs that way, and then he headed home to Santa Barbara. Over the next couple weeks, Mike and I tackled a song a day and I overdubbed all the other necessary instruments/sounds as we saw fit. Once we got the music where we wanted it, Lowell and Kelly flew in from Vermont and laid down harmony vocals. Kelly and I also tracked 'The Longing' on acoustics.”Using a portable rig, Scott recorded his vocals in hotel rooms and on the bus while on tour with Grace Potter & The Nocturnals as the opening act on a stadium tour. “We recorded Grace's vocal for 'The Longing' in a football stadium locker room,” he recalls. Throughout the summer, Tournet engaged in a long-distance dialogue with Kamoo back in his San Diego studio.” I would send vocal tracks digitally to Mike and he would piece them together for me. It was amazing and cool in the way that technology was allowing us to work on album together while being in different parts of the country. I never could have completed the record otherwise.”VER LA LUZ, which translates from the Spanish as to see the light, is not only the album's title but also its theme. “The record is about getting your ass kicked, getting the wind knocked out of you, waking up in the morning and not being able to get up-being paralyzed by life,” Tournet explains. “But really, it's about those first moments where you can see something beyond the despair and ugliness-like eating a saltine cracker after having the stomach flu for two days; that glorious and delicious first bite. Or like being in the ocean and getting caught under a wave-then you finally find up and you gasp in that first breath of air. This album resides within that moment. It comes from darkness, pain and ugliness, but the songs themselves are the light that contrasts with all of that.”Scott Tournet's upcoming solo tour dates are as follows:Thursday, May 16 Higher Ground Burlington, VTFriday, May 17 Brighton Music Hall Boston, MASaturday, May 18 Brooklyn Bowl Brooklyn, NYSunday, May 19 8x10 Club Baltimore, MD

Tue, 05/28/2013 - 12:40 pm

The second-born child of independent music pioneer and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Frank Zappa first took the stage with his famous father at the tender age of 12. He was entranced by the elder Zappa’s “control over the music [that] almost seemed like a magic trick.” By the mid-1980s, he was contributing his own riffs to Frank’s albums such as Them or Us and finding an artistic identity of his own as an actor, MTV VJ, and Grammy award-winning musician. For this first family-sanctioned tribute to Frank Zappa, who passed away in 1993, Dweezil and company will take on all tracks from the classic Roxy & Elsewhere to commemorate its 40th anniversary and celebrate the iconoclastic views of an artist whose “eccentric genius was undeniable” (The Rolling Stone Album Guide).With The Hendrix Electric Ladyland Project, the rock of guitar god Jimi Hendrix makes a rendezvous with jazz in a supercharged showcase of electric virtuosity. Sheryl Bailey, whose burning jazz work captivated ELLNORA crowds in 2011, knows “everybody loves Hendrix,” and when she joins forces with fellow jazz guitar favorite Vic Juris, bassist Lincoln Goines, and drummer Tommy Campbell, numbers like “The Midnight Lamp,” “Manic Depression,” “The Wind Cries Mary,” and “Castles Made of Sand” speak anew in inspired interpretations on the astounding Hendrix continuum.The full lineup for ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival at Krannert Center (September 5-7, 2013) will be released on June 11. Please visit EllnoraGuitarFestival.com for information on previous festivals and for up-to-the-minute announcements.About ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival: Krannert Center for the Performing Arts is situated on the campus of the University of Illinois, in the micro-urban community of Champaign-Urbana, and is North America’s premier university-based performing arts complex. ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival (originally called the Wall to Wall Guitar Festival), held biennially, was launched in 2005 and through its eclectic global mix has presented many of the world’s most influential guitarists and bands, including Buddy Guy, Ani DiFranco, Luther Dickinson, Jerry Douglas, Pepe Romero, John McLaughlin, Bill Frisell, Vernon Reid, Derek Trucks, Richard Thompson, Kaki King, Andy Summers, The National, Los Lobos, and the North Mississippi Allstars.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 3:44 pm

Today, Grammy-nominated The Infamous Stringdusters announce their 2013 American Rivers Tour, an epic summer music adventure stopping through, and winding down, some of America’s wildest and most beloved rivers and surrounding communities. Check out the announcement video here.

For the journey, The Infamous Stringdusters are partnering with the nation’s leading river conservation organization, American Rivers, currently celebrating its 40th anniversary - to raise money and awareness for protecting and restoring rivers and clean water nationwide.

The ‘Dusters American Rivers tour launches July 31 in Salt Lake City, UT during the annual Outdoor Retailer Summer Market and hits river towns in over seven states including Colorado, Idaho, Washington, and Montana in 11 days. Before the American Rivers Tour, The Infamous Stringdusters hit some of the country’s best East Coast beach towns along their 2013 Atlantic Beach Tour, and make festival stops at DelFest, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, High Sierra, and All Good, among others. The complete list of the band’s summer tour dates is included below.

Along the 2013 American Rivers Tour, the band will donate a portion of each ticket price to American Rivers, to celebrate the organization’s 40 years of success including removing outdated and unsafe dams and protecting Wild and Scenic rivers. Fans can look for upcoming announcements on river cleanups with the band, and other ways to engage in river conservation efforts, coming soon. Along for the two week tour is Klean Kanteen helping the cause and gearing the band and their fans for adventures ahead.

Immediately following the band’s tour, all five members of The Infamous Stringdusters will bag up their instruments in specially designed waterproof cases, grab their fishing rods and backcountry packs, and head out on a 6-day trip float down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River with Idaho River Adventures Staff from American Rivers and a film crew from Fly Fishing Film Tour will join the band for an off-the-grid outdoor music adventure of a lifetime: campfire jams, fishing and hiking along one of the country’s original Wild and Scenic rivers, and educational and thought provoking talks on why, and how, to help preserve our nation’s waterways. Look in fall 2013 for news on the release of the band’s documentation of what’s sure to be an epic river journey.

The Infamous Stringdusters are among today’s new generation of eco-warriors who are helping to build awareness and create action for a greener tomorrow. The Infamous Stringdusters’ 2013 American Rivers Tour is yet another example of how this talented band is seamlessly and authentically integrating two things they love most: great music and outdoor living.

On October 11-13, 2013, the band celebrates the 4th installment of The Festy Experience, their annual more-than-music festival. Hailed for being a truly unique celebration of music and outdoor living, The Festy is hosted each year on the private Concert Ground at Devils Backbone Brewing Company, an idyllic, intimate natural setting near the band’s home base of Charlottesville, Virginia. In addition to a carefully-curated lineup of bands, The Festy offers a variety of outdoor activities including the popular Blue Ridge Burn (a 5k/10k trail race that winds through campground trails built by ‘Dusters member Travis Book)), tasty local food vendors, and international award winning microbrews on tap throughout the festival. There is not a single plastic cup to be found at The Festy – a reusable pint-sized Klean Kanteen cup is included in each camping pass sold to The Festy, and for patrons who do not camp, the cup is included in the price of your first beer. Pre-sale tickets to The Festy Experience are available now at www.thefesty.com. Stay tuned for the 2014 artist lineup announcement coming soon.

The Infamous Stringdusters summer tour date schedule is as follows:

Saturday, May 25 – Sunday, May 26 Delfest Cumberland MD
Friday, June 21 Nightgrass at The Palm Theatre
Sunday, June 23 Telluride Bluegrass Festival Telluride CO
Friday, June 28 Friday Cheers @ Brown's Island Richmond VA
Friday, July 5 - Saturday, July 6 High Sierra Music Festival Quincy CA

2013 Atlantic Beach Tour Itinerary:

Friday, July 12 Windjammer Charleston, SC
Saturday, July 13 Crystal Coast Music Festival Morehead City NC
Sunday, July 14 Kelly’s Nags Head, NC
Tuesday, July 16 The NorVA Virginia Beach, VA
Wednesday, July 17 Bottle & Cork Dewey Beach, DE
Thursday, July 18 The Wonder Bar Asbury Park NJ

Friday, July 19 Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival Oak Hill NY
Saturday, July 20 All Good Music Festival Thornville OH
Sunday, July 21 Great South Bay Music Fest Patchouge, NY
Friday, July 26 - Saturday, July 27 Floydfest Floyd VA

2013 American Rivers Tour Itinerary:

Wednesday, July 31 The Depot Salt Lake City, UT for Outdoor Retailer Celebration
Thursday, August 1 Colorado River State Park Fruita, CO
Friday, August 2 – Saturday August 3 State Bridge Bond, CO
Sunday, August 4 – Mishawaka Livermore, CO
Wednesday, August 7 Knitting Factory Boise, ID
Thursday, August 8 Great Northern Whitefish,MT
Friday, August 9 The Hive Sandpoint, ID
Saturday, August 10 Big Sky Brewery Missoula, MT
Sunday, August 11 Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival Alta, WY
(August 15 – 21 Idaho River Adventures – Middle Fork)

And:
Friday, October 11 - Sunday, October 13 The Festy Experience at Devils Backbone Roseland VA

Additional dates to be announced.

Wed, 06/05/2013 - 1:39 pm

Genre-blurring instrumental interpreters will put their stamp on ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival in 2013.Jason Pierce aka J. Spaceman has fronted the rapturous British indie rock band Spiritualized for over 20 years. In 2006, his first solo album, Guitar Loops, arrived, and since then, his life has been filled to the brim with near-death experiences, parenthood, a soundtrack for the Harmony Korine flick Mister Lonely, and collaborations with Dr. John, Primal Scream, and Yoko Ono. Through these travels and with his new album Sweet Heart Sweet Light (dedicated to the late Jim Dickinson, father of fellow ELLNORA artist Luther Dickinson), J. Spaceman has arrived at an evolved artistic junction of underground rock roots, passionate musical imagery, and tender moments of reflective melancholy—all guaranteed new exaltation in Krannert Center’s world-renowned Foellinger Great Hall.Buke and Gase, the Brooklyn-based Arone Dyer and Aron Sanchez, take that unusual moniker from two self-made instruments: a baritone ukulele crafted from a Volvo hood—the ”buke”—and an alternately guitar- and bass-stringed “gase.” With fans such as ELLNORA alums The National, Arone and Aron’s revolutionary chamber punk moves through grungy grooves and seething lyricism to create a hyperkinetic new musical experience.The looped effects of El Ten Eleven’s drummer Tim Fogarty are the only augmentation needed for Kristian Dunn’s virtuosic doubleneck guitar/bass instrumentation. In addition to almost eight solid years of touring and five studio albums, this power duo has added to its resume and fleshed out a fan base with television soundtracks, a Lexus commercial, and original scores and music for Gary Hustwit’s design documentary trilogy—Helvetica, Objectified, and Urbanized. Summoning an impressively layered sound without the aid of post-rock electronica laptops, El Ten Eleven delivers emotional hooks and flying bass lines in a wordless wave of sound.A raffle-won guitar and the musical pedigree of his composer/vocalist/pianist father Terry Riley may have started Gyan Riley off on the right path, but it was his uncanny ear and diverse musical palette that earned him the first full scholarship in guitar at the San Francisco Conservatory. Collaborations with Zakir Hussain, Dawn Upshaw, and the San Francisco Symphony and appearances at Carnegie Hall and London’s Barbican Theatre quickly followed, earning him a reputation as a fresh voice in classical guitar with “mind blowing chops” (Acoustic Guitar).The full lineup for ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival at Krannert Center (September 5-7, 2013) will be released on June 11. Please visit EllnoraGuitarFestival.com for information on previous festivals and for up-to-the-minute announcements.About ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival: Krannert Center for the Performing Arts is situated on the campus of the University of Illinois, in the micro-urban community of Champaign-Urbana, and is North America’s premier university-based performing arts complex. ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival (originally called the Wall to Wall Guitar Festival), held biennially, was launched in 2005 and through its eclectic global mix has presented many of the world’s most influential guitarists and bands, including Buddy Guy, Ani DiFranco, Luther Dickinson, Jerry Douglas, Pepe Romero, John McLaughlin, Bill Frisell, Vernon Reid, Derek Trucks, Richard Thompson, Kaki King, Andy Summers, The National, Los Lobos, and the North Mississippi Allstars.

Thu, 06/06/2013 - 11:52 am

Today, The Infamous Stringdusters announce the lineup for the fourth installment of their annual Festy Experience. JJ Grey & Mofro, The John Scofield Uberjam Band, Chris Thile & Michael Daves, Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers, Aoife O’Donovan, Marco Benevento, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Lake Street Dive, Della Mae, David Wax Museum, Nathan Moore & Bryan Elijah Smith and others join Grammy-nominated The Infamous Stringdusters for the 2013 event on October 10-13. The complete artist lineup is included below.

Hailed for being a truly unique celebration of music and outdoor living, The Festy continues to carve a unique and growing niche for itself. Hosted each year on the Concert Ground at Devils Backbone Brewing Company (a locally renowned brewery and full service restaurant), The Festy’s vision as an earthy fall-flavored Experience in the Blue Ridge Mountains comes to fruition in this idyllic, intimate natural setting near the band’s home base of Charlottesville, Virginia.

In addition to a carefully-curated lineup of bands, The Festy’s emphasis on “experience” brings to life a variety of outdoor activities including the popular Blue Ridge Burn (a 5k/10k trail race, this year winding through campground trails newly built by ‘Dusters member Travis Book), tasty locally-sourced food vendors, and international award winning microbrews on tap throughout the festival. In line with the band’s commitment to the environment, there is not a single plastic cup to be found at The Festy; a reusable pint-sized Klean Kanteen cup is included in each Festy camping pass.

Onsite camping experiences range from Reserved Car Camping to Family and Quiet Camping, and there are bed and breakfasts, inns and rental options nearby for those seeking a less rustic approach. Among the three stages is the Workshop Stage, which hosts interactive experiences centered on the pillars of The Festy: Music, Outdoor Living, and Local Sustenance.

For tickets and information regarding The Festy Experience visit www.thefesty.com.

Before The Festy Experience, The Infamous Stringdusters’ embark on their 2013 American Rivers Tour, an epic summer music adventure stopping through, and winding down, some of America’s wildest and most beloved rivers and surrounding communities. For the journey, The Infamous Stringdusters are partnering with the nation’s leading river conservation organization, American Rivers, currently celebrating its 40th anniversary - to raise money and awareness for protecting and restoring rivers and clean water nationwide.

The ‘Dusters American Rivers tour launches July 31 in Salt Lake City, UT during the annual Outdoor Retailer Summer Market and hits river towns in over seven states including Colorado, Idaho, Washington, and Montana in 11 days. Before the American Rivers Tour, The Infamous Stringdusters hit some of the country’s best East Coast beach towns along their 2013 Atlantic Beach Tour, and make festival stops at Telluride Bluegrass Festival, High Sierra, and All Good, among others. The complete list of the band’s summer tour dates is included below.

Along the 2013 American Rivers Tour, the band will donate a portion of each ticket price to American Rivers, to celebrate the organization’s 40 years of success including removing outdated and unsafe dams and protecting Wild and Scenic rivers. Fans can look for upcoming announcements on river cleanups with the band, and other ways to engage in river conservation efforts, coming soon. Along for the two week tour is Klean Kanteen, helping the cause and gearing the band and their fans for adventures ahead.

Immediately following the band’s tour, all five members of The Infamous Stringdusters will bag up their instruments in specially designed waterproof cases, grab their fishing rods and backcountry packs, and head out on a 6-day trip float down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River with Idaho River Adventures. Staff from American Rivers and a film crew from Fly Fishing Film Tour will join the band for an off-the-grid outdoor music adventure of a lifetime: campfire jams, fishing and hiking along one of the country’s original Wild and Scenic rivers, and educational and thought provoking talks on why, and how, to help preserve our nation’s waterways. Look in fall 2013 for news on the release of the band’s documentation of what’s sure to be an epic river journey.

The Infamous Stringdusters are among today’s new generation of eco-warriors who are helping to build awareness and create action for a greener tomorrow. The Infamous Stringdusters’ annual Festy Experience, and their 2013 American Rivers Tour, are stellar examples of how this talented band is seamlessly and authentically integrating two things they love most: great music and outdoor living.


The Festy Experience
October 10-13, 2013
Nelson County, VA
Featuring The Infamous Stringdusters, JJ Grey & Mofro, The John Scofield Uberjam Band, Chris Thile & Michael Daves, Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers, Aoife O’Donovan, Marco Benevento, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Lake Street Dive, Della Mae, David Wax Museum, Nathan Moore & Bryan Elijah Smith, Cabinet, Chris Jones Band, Joy Kills Sorrw, New Country Rehab, Jon Stickley Trio, The Hill &Wood, The Fire Tapes, SoundRabbit, Dante Bucci, Grits-n-Gravy, and others to be announced.

*Day Passes and 3 Day Camping Passes available now at www.thefesty.com
*Visit the website for full lineup of bands, schedule of special events, ticket & camping info, and more

The Festy Experience is hosted by The Infamous Stringdusters and produced by Cerberus Productions and The Artist Farm.


COMPLETE BAND TOUR SCHEDULE

The Infamous Stringdusters summer tour date schedule is as follows:
Friday, June 21 Nightgrass at The Palm Theatre Telluride CO
Sunday, June 23 Telluride Bluegrass Festival Telluride CO
Friday, June 28 Friday Cheers at Brown's Island Richmond VA
Friday, July 5 - Saturday, July 6 High Sierra Music Festival Quincy CA

2013 Atlantic Beach Tour Itinerary:
Friday, July 12 Windjammer Charleston, SC
Saturday, July 13 Crystal Coast Music Festival Morehead City NC
Sunday, July 14 Kelly’s Nags Head, NC
Tuesday, July 16 The NorVA Virginia Beach, VA
Wednesday, July 17 Bottle & Cork Dewey Beach, DE
Thursday, July 18 The Wonder Bar Asbury Park NJ

Friday, July 19 Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival Oak Hill NY
Saturday, July 20 All Good Music Festival Thornville OH
Sunday, July 21 Great South Bay Music Fest Patchouge, NY
Friday, July 26 - Saturday, July 27 Floydfest Floyd VA

2013 American Rivers Tour Itinerary:

Wednesday, July 31 The Depot Salt Lake City, UT for Outdoor Retailer Celebration
Thursday, August 1 Colorado River State Park Fruita, CO
Friday, August 2 – Saturday August 3 State Bridge Bond, CO
Sunday, August 4 – Mishawaka Bellevue, CO
Wednesday, August 7 Knitting Factory Boise, ID 
Thursday, August 8 Great Northern Whitefish, MT
Friday, August 9 The Hive Sandpoint, ID
Saturday, August 10 Big Sky Brewery Missoula, MT
Sunday, August 11 Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival Alta, WY
(August 15 – 21 Idaho River Adventures – Middle Fork)

And:
Friday, October 10 - Sunday, October 13 The Festy Experience at Devils Backbone Roseland VA

Tue, 06/11/2013 - 12:24 pm

Today, Cloud 9 Adventures and The Bowery Presents proudly announce My Morning Jacket‘s One Big Holiday– the band’s first ever destination event. Known as one of today’s most engaging, eclectic and electric bands – due in no small part to Jim James' other-worldly vocals and the band’s incomparable rapport and creative inspiration - My Morning Jacket brings their epic live performance, and 2500 lucky fans as witnesses, to the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya January 26-30, 2014 for a 4 night concert adventure of a lifetime.

As the band themselves explain, "Alright everyone, it's high time for good times! Pack your bags, get someone to watch your pets and water your plants, and join us for an epic vacation on the beach in the beautiful and exotic land of olde Mexico!!!"

Hailed as “…the new kings of expand-your-mind, religious-experience rock…” (New York Times), there is no better way to experience all that My Morning Jacket’s live show has to offer.

My Morning Jacket’s One Big Holiday features three complete and totally unique concert experiences from a band that is both historically & most recently praised worldwide for mixing things up. Adding to this once-in-a-lifetime adventure, MMJ will host an unexpected, off-the-hook dance party that promises plenty of surprises.

In addition to an intimate run of shows, fans will enjoy all of the luxurious benefits offered by the gorgeous Hard Rock Riviera Maya resort. More than a series of live shows, this is an all-inclusive experience; all fans stay on site at the resort and all meals, drinks, concerts and activities are included in the package. Set to open in October 2013, (Hard Rock all-inclusive tropical resorts recently also opened in Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Punta Cana), the stunning Hard Rock Riviera Maya is located just south of Playa del Carmen and promises all of the modern amenities of a first class tropical vacation - rock and roll style.

Days at the resort will be spent relaxing by the pool, taking a swim in the ocean and enjoying the incredible restaurants and spa. Plus, spontaneous artist involvement, cultural activities & excursions, and all the magical moments that come from being on vacation with your crew are around every corner. Then, as the sun goes down, guests will be treated to epic shows by one of the world’s premier live bands. And the shows will live on well after the event, as everyone who attends will receive a download code for each performance at One Big Holiday to be redeemed by Live Downloads.

One Big Holiday is produced by BroMo, LLC, which is a collaboration between industry veterans Cloud 9 Adventures, LLC and The Bowery Presents. This is the newest music destination event in the famed Cloud 9 Adventures family, which also includes Jam Cruise, Holy Ship!!!, Panic en La Playa, Mayan Holidaze, and Strings & Sol. The Bowery Presents is an independent promotion company based in New York City known for providing the best concert experience for fans and artists at Terminal 5, Mercury Lounge, the Bowery Ballroom, Webster Hall and Music Hall of Williamsburg, among others.

Event Details are as follows:
All-Inclusive prices range from $1249-$2599 per person based on double occupancy and include a four night stay at the resort, three full shows and an off-the-hook dance party hosted by My Morning Jacket, access to top notch all-inclusive resort amenities, and an unparalleled music adventure in paradise.

Please note that all guests staying at Hard Rock Riviera Maya will be there for One Big Holiday - outside guests will not be permitted, and reservations must be booked online or over the phone through Cloud 9 Adventures Travel Team. The whole resort will be filled with My Morning Jacket fans.

Pre-Sale for My Morning Jacket Roll Call Members* Begins June 19
*You must be signed up as a Roll Call Member and fill out an opt-in form by June 14 at 12pm ET to qualify for the Pre-Sale; unique tokens with booking times will be assigned in the order in which opt-in forms are received. Sign up for My Morning Jacket Roll Call here.

General On Sale Begins June 21, 2013.

Thu, 06/13/2013 - 12:32 pm

Electric Forest - returning to the Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Michigan on June 27- June 30 - is just two weeks away. To help fans start planning, new and exciting announcements are being made each day. The festival recently released the 2013 Stage Schedule and just today published this year's Electric Forest Festival Map [link], revealing an expanded Sherwood Forest and Sherwood Forest Stage, and the brand new Observatory stage. Also announced today, a limited number of "2-Day Sat & Sun" Tickets are available now at www.electricforestfestival.com.Electric Forest's unrivaled GOOD LIFE VIP experience is almost entirely sold out. The GOOD LIFE Program - highlighted in this month's Wired Magazine for its unparalleled amenities and perks - offers onsite lodging options such as log cabins, log homes and resort hotel-style suites, a 60,000 square foot indoor water park, an 18-hole championship golf course, swimming pools, horseback riding, and more. New to the GOOD LIFE experience this year, access to Electric Forest's Woodland Kitchen + Bar, an ultimate EF pop-up restaurant brought to you by restaurateur and Top Chef season 5 champion Hosea Rosenberg. Signature dishes like the Pulled Pork Plate and New Mexican Stacked Chicken Enchilada will take diners on a culinary tour of the U.S. during this whimsical, country dining experience inside the Sherwood Forest.Electric Forest is reminding patrons to bring food to contribute to the festival's annual Roy Price Memorial Food Drive. Named in honor of cherished Electric Forest neighbor and huge Food Drive supporter, the late Mr. Roy Price. Each year Electric Forest patrons are encouraged to donate non-perishable food items, and are thanked with an exclusive Electric Forest Food Drive poster. Food Drive partners Conscious Alliance will host the collection station located at the festival entrance, where donations are redeemed poster claim tickets. To date, Electric Forest has collected and distributed over 17,200 lbs. of food to local communities in need.In other onsite news, Electric Forest 2013 is excited to expand on the success of last year's Electricology program. The festival's Electricology greening program - based on the science of waste reduction through the use of sustainable products, composting, recycling, and most uniquely, rewarded crowd participation - reflects Electric Forest's commitment to collaborating with fans. When festival goers bring recycling to the event's campground EcoZones, and when they properly dispose of waste inside the venue, they'll earn "EcoPoints" that are redeemable at the Electricology Store. The Electricology Store, located at the festival entrance, is the only place onsite to win signed artist merchandise, festival vendor prizes, tickets to Electric Forest 2014, access to private shows, and much more. Visit www.electricforestfestival.com for more information.Look for Electric Forest sponsors on site during the festival, including Toyota, Anheuser-Busch, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Bell's Brewery, and Eagle Nest Outfitters. Toyota will be offering fans the chance to record and produce their very own hits at the Hybrid House Party. Also this year, Toyota Presents Soundwave! Is supporting this year's Electric Forest Hoop Troupe as hosts of hula hoop workshops throughout the weekend. Look for beverage partners Bud Light, Tito's, and Bell's, and in The Sherwood Forest - home to more hammocks than ever before, thanks to Eagle Nest Outfitters.About Electric Forest:Live music pioneers The String Cheese Incident (3 performances), Pretty Lights, Passion Pit, Empire of the Sun, Knife Party and Dispatch top the bill at Electric Forest 2013, happening June 27-30 at Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Michigan. Also on the bill are Benny Benassi, Yeasayer, A-Trak, Grimes, Railroad Earth, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, FEMI KUTI & The Positive Force, Madeon, Headhunterz, Baauer, Danny Brown, Greensky Bluegrass, and many more.

Fri, 06/21/2013 - 12:13 pm

Internationally acclaimed guitarist and composer Stephane Wrembel heads to Nigeria next week - bringing his jaw dropping talent, palpable musical rapport with His Band, and vivid and textured compositions to life at a variety of unique public and private performances and workshops as part of the U.S. State Department’s “International Language of Jazz for Peace” program.For the band’s 10 day “International Language of Peace” trek through Nigeria, Stephane Wrembel and His Band will be guests of the U.S State Department’s Arts Envoy, participating in the program aimed to promote mutual understanding between the American and Nigerian people by providing an opportunity for people in the sometimes troubled Northern Nigeria region to come together through music, and particularly jazz music.Nigerian performance stops include headlining the Abuja Jazz Festival, visiting the University of Jos, performing for The U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria and guests including senior Nigerian leaders, Nigerian Ministers of State, and other ambassadors as well as alumni of the Fulbright scholar program, the Humphrey Fellows program, and the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). Wrembel will also lead a variety of workshops throughout the region with local students and musicians. The once in a lifetime cultural music adventure culminates at a celebration for National Day, where Stephane and His Band will present the national anthems for the United States and Nigeria.“It is an amazing honor to be selected for this program,” Wrembel explains. “Africa is home to the roots of jazz music, having birthed the forefathers of what is now considered an American genre and is celebrated in countless nations around the world. We are very grateful for this opportunity to interact with local Nigerian citizens, musicians, students and children; an experience, no doubt, we will cherish forever.”Back in The States, where he now calls home, Stephane Wrembel recently served as a guest lecturer at the famed MoMA in New York City. It was a special evening spent discussing late 19th and early 20th century French Impressionism with MoMA’s Larissa Bailiff. An expert on this period and style, Bailiff’s enlightening presentation was complimented by Stephane’s unique perspective by demonstrating relevance between the lessons of the art masters and his own musical exploration. The evening culminated with Stephane’s solo interpretations of French Impressionism through his music.Stephane Wrembel and His Band have been touring the U.S to ever-expanding crowds. Next stops include the DjangoVegas!, Cape Cod Jazz Festival, Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, and ELLNORA: The Guitar Festival, with fall 2013 tour stops still to be announced.About Stephane Wrembel:Parisian born Wrembel - whose music embraces all styles and influence to create a truly signature sound - is being hailed as one of the world’s most dynamic and inspired players out there today. Wrembel is indeed a standout - not only for his undeniable skills but also for his unparalleled ability to create a unique and vivid listener experience. Here’s what critics are saying:“A REVELATION” – Rolling Stone Magazine"Intense and full of charisma." - The New York Times"One the greatest guitar players I've ever seen ...and I don't say that lightly."– Relix Magazine"[Wrembel embodies] a John Coltrane-ish search for a moment of musical nirvana..."-Variety
"A truly astonishing talent…" – All About Jazz2012 was a huge year for Stephane Wrembel. The guitarist released his fourth album, Origins, to critical acclaim; performed his original song "Bistro Fada" (the theme to Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris) at the Academy Awards; made studio visits to NPR Weekend Edition, BBC Radio, WNYC and others; toured across the U.S. and throughout Europe; and helped Gentleman Shaver win a Clio Award for “Best Original Song Used in a Commercial.”Raised in Fontainebleau, France -- the birthplace of Impressionism and the home of famed gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt -- Wrembel was shaped by the fertile creative landscape of the area from his very early years. He began with classical piano at age 4 before exploring musical genres such as rock, Django, jazz, country, blues, Indian raga, West African, Middle Eastern and others - embracing the many cultures and musical styles he discovered along the way. His arsenal of influences result in a sound unique to Wrembel; a music without genre.It's Wrembel's unbounded Impressionist musical style and state-of-mind that captured the attention of director Woody Allen, who most recently recruited him to score the theme for his smash film Midnight in Paris (Wrembel also composed music for Allen’s 2008 Golden Globe winning film Vicky Christina Barcelona). Wrembel’s extraordinary ability to capture, in music, the soul of an image, is invaluable in film scoring. Being able to trigger images - whether universal or personal - in the listener's mind is also a huge part of Wrembel's own musical vision. The element of mystery and freedom his music imparts makes it as impossible to ignore as it is to pin down. Whether rocking a huge festival stage or filling up every breath of air in an intimate club - the experience of seeing Stephane Wrembel and His Band perform live is truly unforgettable.For tickets and information visit www.stephanewrembel.com

Tue, 06/25/2013 - 10:41 am

Today, Cloud 9 Adventures announces Panic en la Playa Tres, the third installment of Widespread Panic’s ever-popular musical adventure in paradise. Returning to the stunning sandy beaches of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic on March 17–21, 2014, Panic en la Playa Tres offers a luxurious all-inclusive tropical resort vacation with Widespread Panic performing four full shows over four nights right on the beach.Panic en la Playa Tres promises Widespread Panic fans an intimate run of shows and all of the amenities offered by the all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Punta Cana, including breathtaking beaches & pools, an award-winning spa, full service casino & sports book, a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course and more. In addition to the all-inclusive amenities, Panic en la Playa resort guests will receive a $500 credit per room, applied to the room’s account at check-in, for use towards guest’s choice of add-on services including spa treatments, greens fees, upgraded bottles of wine, cigars and more. The incredible daytime activities are complimented by epic nights when Widespread Panic takes the stage as the sun goes down.Travel services, marketing, and brand management for Panic en la Playa Tres are provided by Cloud 9 Adventures, who helps bring to fans a growing list of destination events including Jam Cruise, Holy Ship!!!, My Morning Jacket’s One Big Holiday, Mayan Holidaze, and Strings & Sol.Event details are as follows:A truly intimate concert experience, Panic en la Playa Tres is limited to those guests booked through Cloud 9 Adventures Travel at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. All-inclusive prices range from $1399 - $2999 per person with a variety of room types available. Prices include a four night stay at the resort, four full shows, access to luxurious all-inclusive resort amenities with all you can eat and drink in multiple onsite restaurants and bars, plus the music adventure of a lifetime.For fans who wish to extend their stay, Cloud 9 Adventures offers a special discounted rate for nights before and after the event.Early Booking for returning Panic en la Playa lead guests runs July 8-10, 2013.

Tue, 07/16/2013 - 11:32 am

Today, Keller Williams announces a massive 2013 Fall Tour. Stopping in over 40 markets through the end of the year, Keller performs his signature one-man-band solo sets and also collaborates with The Travelin’ McCourys, More Than A Little, and The Keels in select cities. Special guests - moe.’s Al Schnier & Vinnie Amico - join for a short run in October as Floodwood, and a few co-headlining shows with fast finger ukulele composer Jake Shimabukuro will soon be released. Also announced today, Keller Williams with The Travelin’ McCourys join Mumford & Sons’ Gentleman of the Road Stopover in Guthrie, Oklahoma on September 6-7. Keller Williams’ complete list of currently confirmed fall tour dates is included below.Presale for most Fall Tour dates begin Wednesday, July 17th at 10:00 AM Mountain Time. Presale participants, lovingly dubbed SUPER FREEKS, can purchase tickets directly through kellerwilliams.net prior to the general public on sale, for the lowest service fee out there. Those who take advantage of the presale will be entered for the opportunity to enjoy a special SUPER FREEK perk: in advance of each show, two winners will be chosen at random to receive a signed tour poster and the chance to hang out with Keller backstage after the show.Keller Williams releases his new album FUNK on November 12, 2013. Culled from recent live shows with Keller’s most recent muse - his 6-piece funk band dubbed Keller Williams with More Than A LittleFUNK’s 10 tracks find Keller performing new, super-funky versions of Williams’ originals and an unexpected collection of cover songs that pay deep homage to the genre’s roots. FUNK pre-order will begin in September at kellerwilliams.net . Additional information, including details on Keller’s always-killer presale prize packages, will be announced soon.Before fall, Keller Williams finishes up a busy summer season, performing a slew of festivals with each of his various projects: at Northwest String Summit, Arise Festival, Interlocken and 3 Sisters Festival with Keller & The Keels; Grey Fox, All Good, Roots N Blues N BBQ, Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Festival, Rockygrass and MagFest with Keller Williams with The Travelin’ McCourys; Equifunk and Camp Barefoot with Keller Williams with More Than A Little, and some additional solo festival appearances.COMPLETE LIST OF UPCOMING KELLER WILLIAMS TOURDATES7/18/13 | Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival | Oak Hill, NY | *7/19/13 | Northwest String Summit | North Plains, OR | +7/21/13 | All Good Music Festival | Thornville, OH | *7/26/13 | Big Mine Ice Arena | Crested Butte, CO7/27/13 | Snowbird Cool Air Concert Series | Salt Lake City, UT7/28/13 | RockyGrass Festival | Lyons, CO | *8/02/13 | Outer Banks Brewing Station | Kill Devil Hills, NC8/15/13 | Arise Music Festival | Loveland, CO |+8/16/13 |Live on King Street | Madison, WI8/17/13 |Equifunk | Equinunk, PA |#8/24/13 |Camp Barefoot | Bartow, WV | #8/29/13 |John Ascuaga's Nugget | Sparks, NV | #8/30/13 |Terrapin Crossroads | San Rafael, CA | #8/31/13 |Terrapin Crossroads | San Rafael, CA | The Head Band ft. Keller Williams and Dark Star Orchestra'sRob Barraco, Jeff Mattson and Rob Kortiz9/1/13 | Snowy Range Music Festival | Laramie, WY | w/ Leftover Salmon9/5/13 |Interlocken Music Festival | Arrington, VA |+9/6/13 | Shangri-La Music Festival | Clarks Grove, MN9/7/13 | Gentleman of the Road Stopover | Guthrie, OKw/ Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros,Alabama Shakes and others9/12/13 | German House | Rochester, NY9/13/13 | Westcott Theatre | Syracuse, NY9/14/13 | Bearsville | Woodstock, NY9/19/13 | Abode | Wichita, KS9/20/13 | Roots N Blues N BBQ | Columbia, MO | *9/21/13 | Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Festival | Bristol, VA10/4/13 Newby’s | Memphis, TN | *10/5/13 | Three Sisters Festival | Chattanooga, TN | +10/6/13 Avondale Brewery | Birmingham, AL | *10/10/13 | Putnam Den | Saratoga Springs, NY | ^10/11/13 | Toad's Place | New Haven, CT | ^10/12/13 | Infinity Hall | Norfolk, CT | ^10/18/13 | Magnolia Music Festival | Live Oak, FL | *10/19/13 | Vinyl Music Hall | Pensacola, FL10/24/13 | World Café Live at the Queen| Wilmington, DE11/1/13 | Metropolitan | Morgantown, WV11/2/13 | V Club | Huntington, WV11/7/13 | Constellation Room | Santa Ana, CA11/8/13 | El Rey Theatre | Los Angeles, CA11/9/13 | Belly Up Tavern | San Diego, CA11/1/13 | Metropolitan | Morgan Town, WV11/14/13 | The Handlebar | Greenville, SC11/15/13 | Georgia Theatre | Athens, GA | #11/16/13 | Orange Peel |Asheville, NC | #12/11 - 12/15/13 | Strings & Sol | Playa Del Carmen, Mexico| *1/4 - 1/9/14 | Jam Cruise | Ft. Lauderdale, FL | KW Solo + Keller & The Kimockswith The Travelin’ McCourys * | and The Keels + | More Than A Little # |with special guests Floodwood ^

Thu, 07/25/2013 - 6:00 am

Grammy-nominated band, The Infamous Stringdusters will launch their 2013 American Rivers Tour with a very special show at Salt Lake City’s The Depot on Wednesday, July 31 – opening night of Outdoor Retailer Summer Market. ORSM badge-holders can stop by the Patagonia booth (13027) to purchase day of show tickets. The $20 price includes a free Patagonia T- Shirt.

--

Show details are as follows:
Wednesday, July 31 @ 8:00 PM (Doors @ 7:00 PM)
with special guest Benyaro
The Depot
400 West South Temple Salt Lake City, UT
Tickets $20, ($1 from every ticket to be donated to American Rivers)
21+ Welcome
801-355-5522 or visit www.depotslc.com for more information

The Infamous Stringdusters are among today’s new generation of eco- ambassadors who are helping to build awareness and create action for a greener tomorrow. The Infamous Stringdusters’ 2013 American Rivers Tour - being supported by Patagonia, Osprey, Klean Kanteen and Moab Brewery - is yet another example of how this talented band is seamlessly and authentically integrating two things they love most: great music and outdoor living. The epic summer music adventure is stopping through, and winding down, some of America’s wildest and most beloved rivers and surrounding communities.

For the journey, The Infamous Stringdusters are partnering with the nation’s leading river conservation organization, American Rivers, currently celebrating its 40th anniversary - to raise money and awareness for protecting and restoring rivers and clean water nationwide. Fans can look for announcements on river cleanups with the band and other ways to engage in river conservation efforts.

Immediately following the band’s tour, all five members of The Infamous Stringdusters will bag up their instruments in specially designed waterproof cases, grab their fishing rods and backcountry packs, and head out on a 6-day trip float down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River with Idaho River Adventures. Staff from American Rivers and a film crew will join the band for an off-the-grid outdoor music adventure of a lifetime: campfire jams, fishing and hiking along one of the country’s original Wild and Scenic rivers, and educational and thought provoking talks on why, and how, to help preserve our nation’s waterways. Look in fall 2013 for news on the release of the band’s documentation of what’s sure to be memorable river journey.

On October 11-13, 2013, the band celebrates the 4th installment of The Festy Experience, their annual more-than-music festival. Hailed for being a truly unique celebration of music and outdoor living, The Festy is hosted each year on the private Concert Ground at Devils Backbone Brewing Company, an idyllic, intimate natural setting near the band’s home base of Charlottesville, Virginia. In addition to a carefully-curated lineup of bands, The Festy offers a variety of outdoor activities including the popular Blue Ridge Burn (a 5k/10k trail race that winds through campground trails built by ‘Dusters member Travis Book)), tasty local food vendors, and international award winning microbrews on tap throughout the festival. There is not a single plastic cup to be found at The Festy – a reusable pint-sized Klean Kanteen cup is included in each camping pass sold. Artists joining The Infamous Stringdusters for the 2013 Fest Experience include JJ Grey & Mofro, The John Scofield Uberjam Band, Chris Thile and Michael Daves, Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers, and others. Visit www.thefesty.com for full artist lineup and tickets.

2013 American Rivers Tour Itinerary:
Wednesday, July 31 The Depot Salt Lake City, UT for Outdoor Retailer Celebration
Thursday, August 1 Colorado River State Park Fruita, CO
Friday, August 2 – Saturday August 3 State Bridge Bond, CO
Sunday, August 4 – Mishawaka Bellevue, CO
Wednesday, August 7 Knitting Factory Boise, ID
Thursday, August 8 Great Northern Whitefish,MT
Friday, August 9 The Hive Sandpoint, ID
Saturday, August 10 Big Sky Brewery Missoula, MT
Sunday, August 11 Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival Alta, WY
(August 15 – 20 Idaho River Adventures – Middle Fork)
And:
Friday, October 11 - Sunday, October 13 The Festy Experience at Devils Backbone Roseland VA

Additional dates to be announced.

Wed, 07/31/2013 - 11:19 am

Today, Cloud 9 Adventures proudly announces Furthur’s Paradise Waits – where former Grateful Dead members Phil Lesh & Bob Weir and their band go south of the border for the very first time to perform four magical nights at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, Mexico on January 20, 21, 22 & 23, 2014.For four epic shows in a stunning tropical backdrop, fans can expect Lesh & Weir to push the musical envelope with jaw-dropping improvisations and loving renditions of Grateful Dead classics with their all-star Furthur band: keyboardist Jeff Chimenti (RatDog), drummer Joe Russo (Benevento - Russo Duo, Trey Anastasio), guitarist John Kadlecik (Dark Star Orchestra), and vocalists Sunshine Becker and Jeff Pehrson.In addition to an intimate, not-to-be-missed run of shows, fans will enjoy all of the luxurious benefits offered by the gorgeous Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya. More than a series of live shows, this is an all-inclusive experience; all fans stay on site at the resort and all meals, drinks, concerts and activities are included in the package. Set to open in October 2013, (Hard Rock Hotel all-inclusive tropical resorts recently also opened in Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Punta Cana), the stunning Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya is located just south of Playa del Carmen and promises all of the modern amenities of a first class tropical vacation – rock and roll style.Days at the resort will be spent relaxing by the pool, taking a swim in the ocean and enjoying the incredible restaurants and spa. Plus, cultural activities & excursions, and all the magical moments that come from being on vacation with your crew are around every corner. Then, as the sun goes down, guests will be treated to epic shows by Furthur.Paradise Waits is brought to you by Cloud 9 Adventures - the team that offers travels services, brand management, marketing and consulting for famed destination events Jam Cruise, Holy Ship!!!, Panic en La Playa, My Morning Jacket’s One Big Holiday, Mayan Holidaze, and Strings & Sol.Event Details are as follows: All-Inclusive prices range from $1549-$2999 per person based on double occupancy and include a four-night stay at the resort, four full shows by Furthur, access to top-notch all-inclusive resort amenities, and an unparalleled musical adventure in paradise.Please note that all guests staying at Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya will be there for Paradise Waits - outside guests will not be permitted, and reservations must be booked online or over the phone through Cloud 9 Adventures Travel Team. The whole resort will be filled with Furthur fans. Rooms go on sale August 14 at 12pm Eastern Time.Visit furthurparadisewaits.com for booking and information.

Wed, 07/31/2013 - 2:33 pm

Keller Williams stops at Marin County’s beloved Grate Room at Terrapin Crossroads on August 30 and 31 for two nights of very special shows.

On Friday, August 30, Keller delivers his stellar signature solo performance during set one. Then, for set two, Keller and his 6-piece funk band dubbed More Than A Little hit the stage performing new, super-funky versions of Williams’ originals and an unexpected collection of cover songs that pays deep homage to the genre’s roots.

For Saturday, August 31, Keller picks up the bass for two full sets with The Head Band, a debut collaboration featuring Dark Star Orchestra’s Rob Barraco on keys, Jeff Mattson on guitar, and Rob Koritz on drums.

Show details are as follows:
Friday, August 30 and Saturday, August 31 @ 8:00 PM (Doors @ 7:00 PM)
Terrapin Crossroads Grate Room
100 Yacht Club Drive San Rafael, CA
Tickets $25 / 16 and over welcome
August 30 Keller Williams w/ More Than A Little
August 31 “The Head Band” featuring Keller Williams on bass w/ Dark Star
Orchestra’s Rob Barraco on keys, Jeff Mattson on guitar, Rob Koritz on drums

For more information, call 201-310-0740 or visit terrapincrossroads.net

While in the Bay Area, Keller stops by Bob Weir’s TRI Studios for an appearance on “Weir Here” with additional guest, punk legend John Doe. The performance and conversation streams live on Wednesday, August 28 at 5:30 PM pacific time at www.tristudios.com.

The Bay Area is just one stop along Keller’s recently announced massive tour. Stopping in over 40 markets through the end of the year, Keller performs his signature one-man-band solo sets and also collaborates with The Travelin’ McCourys, More Than A Little, and The Keels in select cities. Special guests - moe.’s Al Schnier & Vinnie Amico - join for a short run in October as Floodwood, and a few co-headlining shows with fast finger ukulele composer Jake Shimabukuro. Also announced today, Keller Williams with The Travelin’ McCourys join Mumford & Sons’ Gentleman of the Road Stopover in Guthrie, Oklahoma on September 6-7. Keller Williams’ complete list of currently confirmed fall tour dates is included below.

Keller Williams releases his new album FUNK on November 12, 2013. Culled from recent live shows with Keller’s most recent muse - his 6-piece funk band dubbed Keller Williams with More Than A LittleFUNK’s 10 tracks find Keller performing new, super-funky versions of Williams’ originals and an unexpected collection of cover songs that pay deep homage to the genre’s roots. FUNK pre-order will begin in September at KellerWilliams.net. Additional information, including details on Keller’s always-killer presale prize packages, will be announced soon.

COMPLETE LIST OF UPCOMING KELLER WILLIAMS TOURDATES

8/02/13 | Outer Banks Brewing Station | Kill Devil Hills, NC
8/15/13 | Arise Music Festival | Loveland, CO |+
8/16/13 |Live on King Street | Madison, WI
8/17/13 |Equifunk | Equinunk, PA |#
8/24/13 |Camp Barefoot | Bartow, WV | #
8/29/13 |John Ascuaga's Nugget | Sparks, NV | #
8/30/13 |Terrapin Crossroads | San Rafael, CA | #
8/31/13 |Terrapin Crossroads | San Rafael, CA | The Head Band ft. Keller Williams and Dark Star Orchestra's Rob Barraco, Jeff Mattson and Rob Kortiz

9/1/13 | Snowy Range Music Festival | Laramie, WY | w/ Leftover Salmon
9/5/13 |Interlocken Music Festival | Arrington, VA |+
9/6/13 | Shangri-La Music Festival | Clarks Grove, MN
9/7/13 | Gentleman of the Road Stopover | Guthrie, OK
w/ Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros,
Alabama Shakes and others
9/12/13 | German House | Rochester, NY
9/13/13 | Westcott Theatre | Syracuse, NY
9/14/13 | Bearsville | Woodstock, NY
9/19/13 | Abode | Wichita, KS
9/20/13 | Roots N Blues N BBQ | Columbia, MO | *
9/21/13 | Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Festival | Bristol, VA

10/4/13 Newby’s | Memphis, TN | *
10/5/13 | Three Sisters Festival | Chattanooga, TN | +
10/6/13 Avondale Brewery | Birmingham, AL | *
10/10/13 | Putnam Den | Saratoga Springs, NY | ^
10/11/13 | Toad's Place | New Haven, CT | ^
10/12/13 | Infinity Hall | Norfolk, CT | ^
10/18/13 | Magnolia Music Festival | Live Oak, FL | *
10/19/13 | Vinyl Music Hall | Pensacola, FL
10/24/13 | World Café Live at the Queen| Wilmington, DE
10/25/2013 | Pollak Theater at Monmouth University West Long Branch, NJ | ~
10/26/2013 | Paramount Theatre Huntington, NY | ~

11/1/13 | Metropolitan | Morgantown, WV
11/2/13 | V Club | Huntington, WV
11/7/13 | Constellation Room | Santa Ana, CA
11/8/13 | El Rey Theatre | Los Angeles, CA
11/9/13 | Belly Up Tavern | San Diego, CA
11/1/13 | Metropolitan | Morgan Town, WV
11/14/13 | The Handlebar | Greenville, SC
11/15/13 | Georgia Theatre | Athens, GA | #
11/16/13 | Orange Peel |Asheville, NC | #
11/20/13 | The Center of Spokane| Spokane, WA
11/21/2013 | Great Northern | Whitefish, MT
11/22/2013 | Top Hat Lounge | Missoula, MT

12/11 - 12/15/13 | Strings & Sol | Playa Del Carmen, Mexico| *
1/4 - 1/9/14 | Jam Cruise | Ft. Lauderdale, FL | KW Solo + Keller & The Kimocks

with The Travelin’ McCourys * | and The Keels + | More Than A Little # |
with special guests Floodwood ^ | co-headline with Jake Shimabukuro ~


Additional dates to be confirmed.

Tue, 08/06/2013 - 4:01 pm

On Sunday, August 18th the ashes of music legend Richie Havens will be scattered across the field where the historic Woodstock Festival took place in 1969 - today the site of Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. This Day of Song and Remembrance Honoring Richie Havens is free and open to the public.The Bethel Woods grounds, including the Museum at Bethel Woods and the featured temporary exhibits (Shohola Bells: The Sound of Peace, Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit, and On Assignment: Woodstock / Photographs by Rolling Stone Photographer Baron Wolman), will open at 10am. The Memorial Celebration will begin at 3 PM in the Bethel Woods Market Shed (seating begins at 2 PM).Guest speakers include Richie’s longtime friends and fellow activists Danny Glover and Louis Gossett Jr. (who co-wrote “Handsome Johnny” with Havens) and original 1969 Woodstock Festival organizers Michael Lang and Joel Rosenman, with very special musical appearances by Jose Feliciano, John Hammond, John Sebastian, Steve Gorn with Sanjoy Bandopadhyay and Samir Chatterjee, Guy Davis, Stephanie Winters and Walter Parks, Dayna Kurtz, and others to be announced. Stage performances will be hosted by noted radio voice Dennis Elsas (WFUV/SiriusXM). Following the performances, Richie’s ashes will be scattered with flower petals from the air across the field of Max Yasgur’s Farm where Richie Havens played his legendary performance 44 years ago.Tickets to the seated performance area are no longer available, but anyone who wishes to attend is welcome. Bethel Woods will run supplemental sound to the concert field so that everyone in attendance will be able to hear, and the aerial scattering of Richie’s ashes will be visible from the field. Look for various goings-on throughout the grounds during the day, including a drum circle hosted by Jimi Hendrix’s percussionist Juma Sultan at 12:30 PM on the original festival field.It was Richie's wish that his ashes be scattered over the festival site, and he made it very well-known for many years. Richie was recognized globally for embodying the spirit of Woodstock, and he carried that message of peace and love everywhere he went. Though he traveled throughout the world for decades visiting and returning to countless locations, Max Yasgur's field in the Town of Bethel, Sullivan County New York always remained the location where Richie felt his deepest connection.A spokesperson for Richie’s family explains, “Richie used to say a day never went by that he wasn't asked about Woodstock, and he certainly understood its profound and indelible cultural impact. As he said on the festival’s 40th anniversary, ‘Woodstock was both a peaceful protest and a global celebration. We came together communally to be heard and to be acknowledged.’ Regarding the decision to invite the public on August 18th, there is really no question it's what Richie would've wanted. His family understands and respects that he is very much beloved and missed by many.““Richie was one of the world’s greatest gifts, a consummate songwriter and performer. He was very supportive of Bethel Woods, our museum and our mission to educate and inspire expression,” says Darlene Fedun, Chief Executive Officer of Bethel Woods. “We are proud to have known him personally and to be able to honor his wishes. He will be greatly missed.”For more information visit www.richiehavens.com and www.BethelWoodsCenter.org.

Tue, 08/06/2013 - 5:48 pm

Local axe slammers representing the best of Champaign-Urbana’s music scene will perform in true ELLNORA style in a FREE pre-festival Local Heroes concert on Tuesday, September 3 at 6:30pm. Tim Donaldson of Timmy D and Blind Justice has curated a lineup that promises a high-energy night of rock standards and original music. In addition to the Texas and British blues-influenced Blind Justice, the audience can expect appearances by Brandon Washington, Gloria Roubal & Paul Sabuco, David Howie & Lou DiBello, The Diva & The Dude/Kathy Harden & Andy Baylor, Tim Frazier, Megan Johns, Michael Carpenter of The Decadents, Justin Larkin & Christopher Kunz, Dyke Corson, and Kenna Mae Riess.

Krannert Center Senior Associate Director Rebecca McBride remarked that “Local Heroes Night celebrates the grand rock band tradition that has thrived in Champaign-Urbana since the 1960s. Every CU music lover will appreciate this tribute to our community’s rock ‘n’ roll spirit as we rev up to the start of ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival 2013.“ In the same sense of community pride, The Art Theater Co-op will present Robert Zimmerman’s CU music scene documentary, Out of Nowhere, on Wednesday, September 4, at 7:30pm.

Watch the film trailer:

And for regional residents who are ready to warm up for ELLNORA even sooner—check out Tim Donaldson’s special guest appearance with the Tons O’ Fun Band on Saturday, August 24, at the Urbana Sweet Corn Festival.

Visit KrannertCenter.com or EllnoraGuitarFestival.com to learn more about Local Heroes Night and the entire lineup for ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival at Krannert Center, September 5-7, 2013.

Tue, 08/13/2013 - 6:04 pm

The String Cheese Incident is headed back to Mexico for another unforgettable 4-night International Incident! This intimate event - available to only 2,500 of our most passionate fans - promises to be one of your most memorable vacations ever. Located in Riviera Maya's majestic tropical setting, the experience includes live daytime pool and beach performances, nighttime concerts, and unprecedented access to the band!  Fill your days with morning yoga, spa treatments, tequila tastings, lounging on the beach, socializing at the pool bar, and tons more.  You can also customize your Incident with activities and adventures, some of which will be hosted by SCI! The Hard Rock Riviera Maya is a 5 star all-inclusive resort featuring outstanding food and top-shelf spirits at the resort’s 12 restaurants and 10 bars.  Packages for Tropical Nights’ International Incident Riviera Maya 2014 start as low as $1,499 per person and go on sale Thursday, September 12, 2013.A limited number of Tropical Nights’ custom Ultimate Incident packages offering a variety of exclusive services and experiences will also be available.Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya is family friendly! On site family services and activities - including a Kid's Club with supervised activities, children’s splash pool, pool water slide, kayaking, playground, baby sitting/child care, and a nighttime teen lounge - promise a vacation experience parents will appreciate and children will never forget.Stay tuned for more information on International Incident Riviera Maya 2014 coming soon! Be the first to know all the details by signing up at http://stringcheeseincident.com/internationalincident2014

Fri, 09/13/2013 - 6:08 am

Being a Keller Williams fan means being ready for anything—trying to guess where this omnivorous artist will head next might be fun but chances are good you won’t even come close. In the past three years alone Williams has recorded an album of eclectic cover tunes with the Keels (Thief), a children’s record (Kids), the bass-centric and appropriately titled Bass, a bluegrass set with the Travelin’ McCourys (Pick) and a Grateful Dead tribute project on which he played piano exclusively (Keys). Add to that a hectic touring schedule that might find him playing with the McCourys, the Keels, with his newest outfit More Than A Little or—as he’s done for years—as a solo one-man-band. See a complete fall tour itinerary below, including his just announced a 3-night New Year’s Eve run that launches on December 27th at Mr. Smalls in Millvale, PA, hits Beachland Ballroom & Tavern in Cleveland, OH on December 28th, and wraps up on December 31 at Baltimore’s Rams Head Live with sets by Keller solo, Keller Williams with More Than A Little, and Keller and the Keels.

This fall’s surprise is Funk (self-released / November 12, 2013), which—you guessed it—is all about the genre that, says Williams, “is prominent in my love of music. Funk,” he says, “would be impossible for me to get away from. It’s like breathing; it just happens naturally without me thinking about it.”

Funk was recorded live at a pair of Virginia gigs (from the Norva in Norfolk and the National in Richmond), and during a show at Charlotte, North Carolina’s Neighborhood Theatre. More Than A Little features Keller Williams on vocals and guitar, EJ Shaw on bass, Gerard Johnson playing keyboards and Toby Fairchild on drums, with backup vocals from Tonya Lazenby Jackson and Sugah Davis. The album consists of four new Williams originals and several interpretations of songs that further the vision of this artist who makes everything he touches his own. The album, writes Keller in Funk’s liner notes, “is more than a little soulful, more than a little funky and it’s making me more than a little happy.” Guaranteed, it’ll make you more than a little happy too.

Keller Williams grew up amidst the vital gospel and R&B scene in Richmond, Virginia, where the funk sounds of George Clinton with Parliament/Funkadelic, Rick James, Prince and Bootsy Collins had a profound influence on him. “The first time I was really immersed in the funk was in eighth grade, when I saw the James Monroe High School Band perform,” he says. “For me funk is all about the beat matched up with the bassline, the groove, the feel, the pocket, the soul. No one can tell you it’s funky,” he adds. “You just have to know it and feel it.”

And feel it you will. Funk gets off to a blazing start with Keller and MTAL’s workup of “I Told You I Was Freaky,” the title song of the second studio album by New Zealand’s music/comedy duo Flight of the Conchords. It’s a totally left-field choice for the funky treatment, which—in Keller World—makes it the perfect choice. “Playing covers by folks like Flight of the Conchords is nothing but pure fun for me,” he says. “I’m not afraid of anything freaky. And opening the CD with it hopefully lets listeners know that they are in for a strange ride.”

That strange but groovelicious ride continues with the first two original compositions on the album, “More Than A Little” and “Right Here.” Both are every bit as funky as the classics that long ago seeped into Williams’ sponge-like brain. Next up is a killer take on Talking Heads’ “Once in a Lifetime.” This one, says Keller, “has stayed with me ever since I saw it executed perfectly in the Talking Heads’ movie Stop Making Sense. You can slow it down and put some ass in it and white people start dancing. Or play it straight like the original and people love it just the same.” The track spotlights MTAL’s Jackson and Davis (“It’s all about the backup singers,” Williams says).

The next original, the self-explanatory “Let’s Jam,” leads up to a trio of covers that couldn’t come from more diverse sources, but which equally demonstrate the breadth of funk in the hands (and feet) of Keller Williams with More Than A Little. First is “Mary Jane,” written and recorded by the legendary Rick James, a funkmeister for the ages if ever there was one. “I’ve always wanted to be Rick James,” Keller says. “This was a tune that everyone in the band knew and we nailed it from the start without rehearsal. It really showcases the ladies. I like showcasing the ladies, and I think I’m not alone.” Following “Mary Jane” is “West L.A. Fadeaway,” Williams’ latest foray into the Grateful Dead songbook. The Jerry Garcia-Robert Hunter composition is given a deep and powerful reading by the sextet. “It’s no secret I have (what my wife calls) an unhealthy fascination with Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead,” says Williams. But his health risk is our gain as he and the band rip through this one with abandon.

Next up is what may be the greatest surprise on an album full of them: “I Feel Love,” a huge hit for disco diva Donna Summer in 1977. Stripped of the stigma that many rock fans attached to disco at the time, the song reveals itself as fired-up funk of the first order. “I really started to take notice of Donna Summer after she died,” says Keller. “‘I Feel Love’ is so trippy and psychedelic. I was able to absorb the upbeat vibe of disco and utilize the half-time drop of the dubstep formula. It’s a super positive message that is very fun to play and dance around too.”

The final Williams original, a raver titled “B.I.T.C.H.”, carries that upbeat vibe forward and drops into the closing song on Funk. The final track - a hybrid tune called “Samson’s Wine” - is a mashup of the traditional (by way of the Dead) “Samson and Delilah” and “Wine,” a tune by singer-songwriter Danny Barnes.

“I hope we are blazing new ground in the world of funk,” Williams says in summing up his latest release. “We’re funking up some of my favorite originals, and adding some interesting, familiar covers done the More Than a Little way. I’m proud to say that this band brings it. It’s no typical white boy funk that one may expect from this typical white boy,” Keller laughs.

To celebrate Funk’s release, Keller is hosting his always-over-the-top album presale contest (past contest winners have received a private house party with Keller & The Keels, a Steamboat, Colorado ski trip with Keller, and more). For Funk, it’s the “Tear the Roof off the Funker” Contest – a chance to win an all expense paid trip for two to see Keller Williams with More Than A Little in New Orleans during the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Those who purchase the album before the November 12th release date will earn two entries in the contest, with one entry earned by those who purchase FUNK after release date and before January 1, 2014. For the official contest rules and other pertinent info, click here.

This fall, Keller Williams will embark on his latest multi-market tour, performing with several configurations and solo. Highlights include The Rex Benefit Concert at The Fillmore in San Francisco on December 7 with Keller solo, Grateful Grass (featuring Keller, Keith Moseley, Jeff Austin) and special guests Tim and Nicki Bluhm and a 3-night New Year’s Eve run that launches on December 27th at Mr. Smalls in Millvale, PA, hits Beachland Ballroom & Tavern in Cleveland, OH on December 28th, and culminates on December 31 at Baltimore’s Rams Head Live with sets by Keller solo, Keller Williams with More Than A Little, and Keller and the Keels. The complete list of upcoming dates is included below.

And then? Who knows? But Williams does offer a hint. “I have ideas for many projects,” he says. “I have an insane love for all things electronica. I still dig the energy created by the EDM (electronic dance music) genre when done live. My idea is ADM: acoustic dance music, with upright bass and acoustic guitar. That’s sure to make me happy, and that is my one and only goal.”

The complete list of currently confirmed Keller Williams tour dates is as follows:

Thursday, September 12 German House Rochester NY
Friday, September 13 Westcott Theater Syracuse NY
Saturday, September 14 Bearsville Theater Woodstock NY
Thursday, September 19 Abode Wichita KS
Friday, September 20 Roots 'N Blues 'N BBQ Columbia MO Keller Williams with The Travelin' McCourys
Saturday, September 21 Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Festival Bristol VA Keller Williams with The Travelin' McCourys
Friday, October 4 Newby's Memphis TN Keller Williams with The Travelin' McCourys
Saturday, October 5 Three Sisters Festival Chattanooga TN Keller & The Keels and Keller Williams with The Travelin' McCourys
Sunday, October 6 Avondale Brewing Co Birmingham AL Keller Williams with The Travelin' McCourys
Thursday, October 10 Putnam Den Saratoga Springs NY with Floodwood
Friday, October 11 Toad's Place New Haven CT with Floodwood
Saturday, October 12 Infinity Hall Norfolk CT with Floodwood
Friday, October 18 Magnolia Music Festival Live Oak Fl Keller Williams with The Travelin' McCourys
Saturday, October 19 Vinyl Music Hall Pensacola FL
Thursday, October 24 World Cafe Live at The Queen Wilmington DE
Friday, October 25 Pollak Theater / Monmouth University West Long Branch NJ with Jake Shimabukuro
Saturday, October 26 Paramount Theatre Huntington NY with Jake Shimabukuro
Friday, November 1 Metropolitan Morgantown VA
Saturday, November 2 V-Club Huntington WV
Friday, November 8 El Rey Theatre Los Angeles CA
Saturday, November 9 Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach CA
Thursday, November 14 The Handlebar Greenville SC
Friday, November 15 Georgia Theatre Athens GA Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Saturday, November 16 Orange Peel Asheville NC
Wednesday, November 20 The Center of Spokane Spokane WA
Thursday, November 21 Great Northern Bar & Grill Whitefish MT
Friday, November 22 Top Hat Lounge Missoula MT
Saturday, November 23 Filling Station Bozeman MT
Thursday, December 5 Arcata Theatre Arcata CA
Friday, December 6 The Catalyst Santa Cruz CA with The Mother Hips
Saturday, December 7 Filmore Rex Benefit San Francisco CA Grateful Grass Keller with Nikki & Tim Bluhm
Wednesday, December 11 - Sunday, December 15 Strings & Sol - Now Sapphire Resort Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo Keller Williams with The Travelin' McCourys
Friday, December 27 Mr. Smalls Theatre Millvale PA Keller Williams With More Than A Little
Saturday, December 28 Beachland Ballroom & Tavern Cleveland OH Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Tuesday, December 31 Ram's Head Live Baltimore MD Keller & The Keels, Keller Williams Solo, Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Saturday, January 4 - Monday, January 6 Jam Cruise 12 Miami FL Keller Williams & The Kimocks

Additional dates to be confirmed.

Fri, 09/13/2013 - 7:15 pm

Tropical Nights today announces its inaugural country music adventure Tropical Nights Riviera Maya Featuring Dierks Bentley, Brantley Gilbert, Billy Currington and Jana Kramer February 23 – February 27, 2014. Hosted at the luxurious all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya in Mexico, 2,500 lucky country music fans and their favorite performers in the genre will join together for a Tropical Nights vacation of a lifetime. Packages details coming soon; Packages will go on sale Thursday, September 26th at 12pm Eastern time at www.tropicalnightslive.com.Guests of Tropical Nights enjoy all the features and amenities of the 5 star Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya - complete with posh digs, incredible restaurants and lounges, pool bars and beachside cabanas, action-packed daytime activities and so much more. Fans can choose from a variety of ways to customize their experience, including exclusive excursions with the artists (4-wheeling with your favorite country star, anyone?), custom VIP upgrades, world-class spa services, signature golf, tequila and wine tastings…the options are endless.As the sun sets each night, all eyes turn to the stage - with country superstars Dierks Bentley, Brantley Gilbert, Billy Currington, and Jana Kramer each headlining one full night of music. Anticipate amazing live shows by these accomplished artists, with each one delivering plenty of fan favorites and highly anticipated new repertoire. Multi-platinum selling artist and 11 time GRAMMY nominated Dierks Bentley recently released the lead single - “I Hold On” - from his forthcoming album Riser, which follows 10 No. 1 songs at country radio for Bentley as both an artist and songwriter. Platinum selling country artist Brantley Gilbert, whose most recent album Halfway to Heaven peaked at #2 on iTunes Country Album Charts and at #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers Album Chart for all genres, brings his dynamic live show to Tropical Nights’ stunning setting. The soulful and charming multi-platinum artist Billy Currington - who has garnered 7 No.1 songs to date - promises to come armed with some of the country format’s most memorable hits, including such No. 1s as “Good Directions,” “Must Be Doin’ Something Right” and “People Are Crazy,” as well as material from his highly anticipated new album We Are Tonight (to be released September 17, 2013). Country songbird Jana Kramer, who sold nearly 200,000 digital singles in less than 6 months, always delivers on her emotionally moving songs and signature sweet vocals. Collectively - this Tropical Nights adventure promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime country music experience.Visit www.tropicalnightslive.com for more details. And stay tuned for upcoming announcements including lodging/ticket package details and prices, on sale information, and more. Fans can sign up for the Tropical Nights newsletter here to be the first to know.Packages will go on sale Thursday, September 26th at 12:00PM Eastern Time.About Tropical Nights:Hosting today’s best live bands in a wide variety of music genres, Tropical Nights Riviera Maya adventures combine top musical acts with a luxurious all-inclusive resort vacation. The Tropical Nights experience is like no other, with a terrific line-up of concerts coupled with unbelievable attention to service, comfort and that oh-so-needed extra bit of indulgence. Everything about Tropical Nights is top shelf. Set at the brand-new Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, with rock star perks around every turn, you’ll know that you’re living the dream. Lavish advantages of this all-inclusive resort include access to on-site yoga temples, world-class spa services, 12 world-class restaurants, + 10 bars & lounges, 24-hour room service, 6 stunning pools, a full service fitness center, signature golf course designed by Robert von Hagge which hosts the Jack Nicklaus Academy of Golf and much more.With a variety of choices to customize and upgrade your Tropical Nights accommodations - including gorgeous ocean front locale, beautiful private rooftop terraces and amazing stage view rooms and suites - as well as options to add-on unique experiences created especially for each event - Tropical Nights promises an unparalleled music destination adventure.From intimate performances by today’s best live musicians and unprecedented access to your favorite artists, to the stunning setting and extraordinary accommodations and service, Tropical Nights will be one of your most memorable vacations ever.

Sat, 09/14/2013 - 7:48 pm

Hailed as “one of the world’s most forward-thinking guitar festivals,” (Fretboard Journal) ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival held at the Krannert Center for Performing Arts on the University of Illinois campus September 5-7 celebrated its fifth installment this past weekend. With nearly 30 performances – including 11 free shows and 11 ticketed events – the biennial event hosted a truly international cast of players in the vibrant micro-urban city of Champaign-Urbana, IL and welcomed more than 11,500 music fans throughout the weekend.Renowned for incredible acoustic spaces, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Illinois’ Urbana campus offers an enviable variety of state-of-the-art performance spaces. Every other year, ELLNORA brings an amazingly diverse hand-picked lineup to these incredible venues, offering a “festival” experience unlike any other.This year’s highlights included the spirited Opening Night Party with soulful Aussie Fiona Boyes, a picking party with the Sam Bush and Del McCoury duo, striking gypsy-Jazz offerings from Stephane Wrembel, and the “get up and dance” rhythms of The Lee Boys. The weekend carried on with driving flamenco energy from Del Castillo, the indie-rock styling’s of J. Spaceman, eclectic jams from John Scofield UberJam Band, and a captivating performance by legendary bluesman Buddy Guy – to name a few. ELLNORA 2013 was rounded out on the final day by a performance with moving Hindustani slide-guitar master Debashish Bhattacharya, Andalusian flamenco ambassador Paco Peña, the rocking Zappa Plays Zappa, the raw country guitarist Lucinda Williams and much more. Please click here to see the full lineup for this year’s event.Austin-based dobro/steel master and now four-time festival alum Cindy Cashdollar rounded out the festival lineup as ELLNORA’s second-ever Artist-in-Residence. Cashdollar lent her imaginative virtuosity to collaborations with Fiona Boyes, The Lee Boys, Luther Dickinson and The Wandering, and Kaki King. She also stopped by local spot Corson’s Local Guitar Store for a lap-steel workshop, and hosted a Talkback with Australian guitar-bouzouki hybrid player Andreas Aase and South African nylon-string classical guitarist Derek Gripper.This year’s installment of ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival also reflected Krannert Center’s authentic involvement of the local Champaign-Urbana community. This commitment to the local music landscape was evident not only in the many free shows offered by ELLNORA but by several other elements of ELLNORA’s programming. Beloved family-musician Dan Zanes participated in three days of community youth programming in Champaign-Urbana’s local elementary schools, which included a variety of workshops and events for children of all ages. Tuesday night saw local rockers Timmy D and Blind Justice, Brandon Washington, Gloria Roubal and Paul Sabuco ignite the ELLNORA stage. In a similar vein of community pride, The Art Theater Co-op presented Robert Zimmerman’s CU music scene documentary, Out of Nowhere.

Sat, 10/05/2013 - 5:17 am

Packages for Tropical Nights Presents “Boots In the Sand” Featuring Dierks Bentley, Brantley Gilbert, Billy Currington, and Jana Kramer go on sale today at www.tropicalnightslive.com. Hosted at the luxurious all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya in Mexico February 23–27, 2014, 2,500 lucky country music fans and their favorite performers in the genre will join together for a tropical music adventure of a lifetime.Guests of Tropical Nights enjoy all the features and amenities of the 5 star all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya - complete with posh digs, incredible restaurants and lounges, pool bars and beachside cabanas, action-packed daytime activities and so much more. Fans can choose from a variety of ways to customize their experience including exclusive excursions with the artists (4-wheeling with your favorite country star, anyone?), custom VIP upgrades, world-class spa services, signature golf, tequila and wine tastings…the options are endless.As the sun sets each night, all eyes turn to the stage - with country superstars Dierks Bentley, Brantley Gilbert, Billy Currington, and Jana Kramer each headlining one full night of music. Anticipate amazing live shows by these accomplished artists, with each one delivering plenty of fan favorites and highly anticipated new repertoire. Multi-platinum selling artist and 11 time GRAMMY nominated Dierks Bentley recently released the lead single - “I Hold On” - from his forthcoming album Riser, which follows 10 No. 1 songs at country radio for Bentley as both an artist and songwriter. Platinum selling country artist Brantley Gilbert, whose most recent album Halfway to Heaven peaked at #2 on iTunes Country Album Charts and at #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers Album Chart for all genres, brings his dynamic live show to Tropical Nights’ stunning setting. The soulful and charming multi-platinum artist Billy Currington - who has garnered 7 No.1 songs to date - promises to come armed with some of the country format’s most memorable hits, including such No. 1s as “Good Directions,” “Must Be Doin’ Something Right” and “People Are Crazy,” as well as material from his brand new album We Are Tonight (released September 17, 2013). Country songbird Jana Kramer, who sold nearly 200,000 digital singles in less than 6 months, always delivers on her emotionally moving songs and signature sweet vocals. Collectively - this Tropical Nights adventure promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime country music experience.Packages for Boots in the Sand Featuring Dierks Bentley, Brantley Gilbert, Billy Currington, and Jana Kramer start at $1,449. Fans can choose from a variety of spectacular rooms and suites that suit their needs and preferences. Patrons of Boots in the Sand can also amp up their experiences with custom designed upgrades, including opportunities to hang out with their favorite country artists.Visit www.tropicalnightslive.com for more details and to book packages. Stay tuned for upcoming announcements including upgrades, additions to the lineup, band experiences and more. Fans can sign up for the Tropical Nights newsletter here to be the first to know.About Tropical Nights:Hosting today’s best live bands in a wide variety of music genres, Tropical Nights Riviera Maya adventures combine top musical acts with a luxurious all-inclusive resort vacation.  The Tropical Nights experience is like no other, with a terrific line-up of concerts coupled with unbelievable attention to service, comfort and that oh-so-needed extra bit of indulgence. Everything about Tropical Nights is top shelf. Set at the brand-new Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, with rock star perks around every turn, you’ll know that you’re living the dream. Lavish advantages of this all-inclusive resort include access to on-site yoga temples, world-class spa services, 12 world-class restaurants, + 10 bars & lounges, 24-hour room service, 6 stunning pools, a full service fitness center, signature golf course designed by Robert von Hagge which hosts the Jack Nicklaus Academy of Golf and much more. With a variety of choices to customize and upgrade your Tropical Nights accommodations - including gorgeous ocean front locale, beautiful private rooftop terraces and amazing stage view rooms and suites - as well as options to add-on unique experiences created especially for each event - Tropical Nights promises an unparalleled music destination adventure. From intimate performances by today’s best live musicians and unprecedented access to your favorite artists, to the stunning setting and extraordinary accommodations and service, Tropical Nights will be one of your most memorable vacations ever.

Tue, 10/08/2013 - 1:02 pm

SnowGlobe Music Festival returns to Lake Tahoe, California December 29-31, 2013 for a unique adventure-driven winter festival combining music and mountains. Today, SnowGlobe announces its 2013 artist lineup including Tiesto, Kaskade, Snoop Dogg (AKA Snoop Lion), Zeds Dead, and Beats Antique. Also on the bill are Gramatik, Dillon Francis, Claude Vonstroke, Holy Ghost! and many more.  The complete list of currently confirmed performers is included below. SnowGlobe 3 Day Tickets are available now at www.snowglobmusicfestival.com (Loyalty “SnowDay” Tickets and Early Bird Tickets are SOLD OUT). Now in its third year, SnowGlobe returns to one of the country’s most stunning mountain landscapes – California’s Sierra Mountains – for a music festival, ski/snowboard adventure, and destination New Year’s Eve celebration all rolled into one.Hosted at Bijou Park on the Lake Tahoe Community College campus, SnowGlobe offers over 50 world-class artists performing on three stages over three nights, plus dynamic fireworks displays, live “Big Air” snowboard and skiing demos in between Main Stage sets, 10,000 square feet of heated enclosed spaces to stay cozy, and more. With almost 9,000 acres of nearby skiing and snowboarding terrain and reduced-price Heavenly Mountain lift tickets available to SnowGlobe patrons, festival goers can hit the slopes by day and shows by night. In addition, with the festival grounds located just three miles from Stateline, NV, gamers can take advantage of the five 24-hour casinos that Tahoe has to offer. Discounted Lake Tahoe Shuttle Passes – to get you to and from the Montbleu Casino and the festival site, and all points in between – are also available now at www.snowglobemusicfestival.com.Combining the world's best live music with the world's best snow conditions, SnowGlobe is the ultimate winter getaway for music fans and adventure-seekers alike.SnowGlobe’s 2013 lineup of artists is as follows:TiestoKaskadeSnoop Dogg (AKA Snoop Lion)Zeds DeadBeats AntiqueGramatikDillon FrancisClaude VonstrokeHoly Ghost!Star SlingerCashmere CatKill ParisZion I Justin MartinTreasure FingersGigameshKapSlapKastleLuminoxLove & LightThe Polish AmbassadorJustin JaySirens CeolThe FlooziesThe Vokab KompanyGladkillBixel BoysSteffi GraffExmagSyd Gris Sleazemore Richie Panic Option 4 Bells & Whistles Galen X5ight Bob Campbell Split Griffin Camper vs. David Oehm GuillaumeLP That Sound Festiva Luck & Lana with DJ Nykon (Feat Luckyiam of Living Legends) Additional artists to be announced. Suprise headliner TBA November 3rd.

Tue, 10/29/2013 - 2:39 pm

The ever-prolific Keller Williams recently announced a massive winter tour in support of his exciting new release with his latest musical muse, a 6-piece funk band dubbed ‘More Than A Little’. The “What The FUNK Tour” takes Keller and this cast of hard-hitting funk players through major markets throughout the Midwest and West in early 2014.  The full list of dates is included below. Funkthe blazing and soulful new album by Keller Williams with More Than A Little - drops on November 12th.

The remainder of the 2013 season finds Keller performing solo and in a variety of creative collaborations. Among them, a pair of rare “Keller & His Compadres” shows on December 20-21 in Keystone, Colorado featuring solo looping sets plus pairings with Michael Travis and Michael Kang (The String Cheese Incident) on the 20th and Drew Emmitt and Vince Herman (Leftover Salmon) on the 21st. The “Compadres” tradition started in December 2012 to celebrate the end of the Mayan calendar, but Keller and his enthusiastic community of fans had such a fun weekend that Keller couldn’t resist returning to the Rocky Mountains with his compadres. Tickets and details available at www.kellerwilliams.net.

Keller will curate and perform at The Rex Foundation’s Annual Benefit - this year dubbed “Nightfall of Diamonds”- at The Fillmore in San Francisco, CA on December 7th. For this intimate evening of music Keller will play solo and with Tim & Nicki Bluhm, and will also perform a set with his trio Grateful Grass - featuring long time musical friends Jeff Austin (Yonder Mountain String Band) and Keith Moseley (The String Cheese Incident). All proceeds from this night celebrating the legacy of the Grateful Dead will go to The Rex Foundation.

On December 26, Keller Williams returns to his hometown of Fredericksburg, VA for his highly anticipated holiday tradition - the 13th annual SPCA Holiday Benefit concert. This year, the festivity moves to downtown Fredericksburg’s intimate Old Silk Mill.  Keller will perform an always-favorite solo looping set before being joined for second set - with Keller on bass - by Steve Kimock on guitar and Kimock’s son John Morgan on drums.  100% of the profits from the annual holiday concert will go to support the local branch of the SPCA.

To wrap up the year, Keller has announced plans for his always-raging New Year’s Eve bash. The 2013 NYE Run kicks off Friday, December 27th at Mr. Smalls Theater in Millvale, PA, then hits Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland, OH on December 29th, and culminates at Rams Head Live! in Baltimore, MD on the 31st. The New Year’s Eve show will see 3 sets of music from favorite Keller collaborations Keller & The Keels, Keller Williams Solo, and Keller Williams with More Than A Little. Tickets and NYE Hotel Travel packages are currently on sale at www.kellerwilliams.net.

Funk was recorded live at a pair of Virginia gigs (from the Norva in Norfolk and the National in Richmond), and during a show at Charlotte, North Carolina’s Neighborhood Theatre. More Than a Little features Keller Williams on vocals and guitar, EJ Shaw on bass, Gerard Johnson playing keyboards and Toby Fairchild on drums, with backup vocals from Tonya Lazenby Jackson and Sugah Davis. The album consists of four new Williams originals and several interpretations of songs that further the vision of this artist who makes everything he touches his own. The album, writes Keller in Funk’s liner notes, “is more than a little soulful, more than a little funky and it’s making me more than a little happy.” Guaranteed, it’ll make you more than a little happy too.

Fans still have time to enter the Funk pre-sale contest. Those who pre-order the album by November 11th through Keller’s online merch store will automatically be entered twice into the “Tear the Roof off the Funker” Contest – a chance to win an all expense paid trip for two to see Keller Williams with More Than A Little in New Orleans during the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.  Those who purchase Funk after its release, but before January 1, 2014, will earn one entry to the contest. For the official contest rules and other pertinent info, click here.

The complete list of currently confirmed Keller Williams tour dates is as follows:

2013 Fall Tour
Friday, November 1 Metropolitan Morgantown VA 
Saturday, November 2 V-Club Huntington WV
Sunday, November 3 Mountain Stage at the Culture Center Theatre Charleston WV Keller Williams with The Travelin' McCourys
Thursday, November 7 Constellation Room Santa Ana CA
Friday, November 8 El Rey Theatre Los Angeles CA
Saturday, November 9 Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach CA
Thursday, November 14 The Handlebar Greenville SC
Friday, November 15 Georgia Theatre Athens GA Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Saturday, November 16 Orange Peel Asheville NC 
Wednesday, November 20 Chateau Rive Spokane WA
Thursday, November 21 Great Northern Whitefish MT
Friday, November 22 Top Hat Lounge Missoula MT
Saturday, November 23 Filling Station Bozeman MT
Thursday, December 5 Arcata Theatre Arcata CA
Friday, December 6 The Catalyst Santa Cruz CA with The Mother Hips
Saturday, December 7 Fillmore Rex Benefit San Francisco CA Grateful Grass with Michael Kang, Keller with Nikki & Tim Bluhm
Wednesday, December 11 - Sunday, December 15 Strings & Sol - Now Sapphire Resort Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo  Keller Williams with The Travelin' McCourys
Friday, December 20 - Saturday, December 21 Warren Station Center for the Arts Keystone CO “Keller Williams & His Compadres” Featuring Michael Travis and Michael Kang and Drew Emmitt and Vince Herman
 
New Year’s Run
Thursday, December 26 13th Annual SPCA Benefit @ Old Silk Mill Fredricksburg, VA Keller & The
Kimocks
Friday, December 27 Mr. Smalls Theatre Millvale PA Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Saturday, December 28 Beachland Ballroom & Tavern Cleveland OH Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Tuesday, December 31 Ram's Head Live  Baltimore MD Keller & The Keels, Keller Williams Solo, Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Saturday, January 4 - Monday, January 6 Jam Cruise 12 Miami FL Keller Williams & The Kimocks
Thursday, January 9 Pickel Barrel Killington, VT
Friday, January 10 Tupelo Music Hall Londonberry, VT Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Saturday January 11 Stage One Fairfield, CT
Sunday, January 12 BB Kings New York, NY Keller Williams with The Travelin’ McCourys
 
What the FUNK 2014 Tour
Thursday, January 16 Madison Theater Covington KY Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Friday, January 17 Park West Chicago IL Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Saturday, January 18 Majestic Theatre Madison, WI Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Sunday, January 19 The Cabooze Minneapolis MN Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Tuesday, January 21 The Englert Theatre Iowa City IA Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Wednesday, January 22 DG'S Tap House Ames IA Keller Williams with More Than a Little
Thursday, January 23 Canopy Club Urbana IL Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Friday, January 24 The Vogue Indianapolis IN Keller Williams with More Than a Little
Saturday, January 25 Newport Music Hall Columbus OH Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Sunday, January 26 FED Live Harrisburg, PA Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Wednesday, February 5 Animas City Theatre Durango, CO
Thursday, February 6 Vilar Center for the Arts Beaver Creek, CO
Friday, February 7 Park City Live Park City UT
Saturday, February 8 Pink Garter Theater Jackson Hole WY
Thursday, February 20 Belly Up Aspen Aspen CO Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Friday, February 21 The Fillmore Denver, CO Keller Williams with More Than A Little, JJ Grey and Mofro, and Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers
Saturday, February 22 The Gryphon Theatre Laramie CO Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Sunday February 23 Bourbon Theatre Lincoln, NE Keller Williams with More Than A Little with John Wayne & The Pain
Monday, February 24 The District Sioux Falls SD Keller Williams with More Than A Little
With John Wayne & The Pain
Tuesday, February 25 Abode Wichita KS Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Wednesday, February 26 The Bottleneck Lawrence KS Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Thursday, February 27 Cain's Ballroom Tulsa OK Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Friday, February 28 Granada Theater Dallas TX Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Saturday, March 1 Antone's Austin TX Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Sunday, March 2 Sam’s Burger Joint San Antonio TX Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Tuesday, March 4 Fitzgerald's Houston TX Keller Williams With More Than A Little
Wednesday, March 5 Duling Hall Jackson MS Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Thursday, March 6 George's Majestic Lounge Fayetteville AR Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Friday, March 7 The Pageant St. Louis MO Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Saturday, March 8 Revolution Music Room Little Rock AR Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Thursday, March 20 The Haunt Ithaca, NY
Friday, March 21 State Theatre State College, PA
Saturday, March 22 Chunk Opera Jim Thorpe, PA 
 
Additional dates to be confirmed. 

Wed, 11/13/2013 - 12:32 pm

Today, The Southern Soul Assembly Tour announces its debut run this Spring 2014. Hitting 16 U.S. markets in March and April 2014, this artist-in-the-round performance series features JJ Grey, Marc Broussard, Anders Osborne, and Luther Dickinson.  For The Southern Soul Assembly Tour, these four talented singer/songwriters take the stage for an amazing night of songs and stories.  With each artist uniquely inspired by their deep Southern roots, The Southern Soul Assembly Tour promises a passionate, authentic, and deeply soulful homage to the rich Southern musical spirit.  Stay tuned for news and more details as the tour approaches.       The complete list of The Southern Soul Assembly Tour dates is as follows:Wednesday, March 19 Taft Theatre Cincinnati OHThursday, March 20 War Memorial Auditorium Nashville TN with Kenny FosterFriday, March 21 Center Stage Atlanta GASaturday, March 22 Savannah Music Festival Savannah GASunday, March 23 Suwannee Springfest Live Oak FLTuesday, April 1 Saenger Theatre Mobile AL Wednesday, April 2 WorkPlay Theatre Birmingham ALThursday, April 3 Riley Performing Arts Center Meridian MSFriday, April 4 Manship Theatre  Baton Rouge LA Saturday, April 5 T-Bois Blues Festival Lacrose LA Monday, April 7 Texas Union Ballroom Austin TXTuesday, April 8 House of Blues - Boston Boston MAWednesday, April 9 Norwalk Concert Hall Norwalk CTThursday, April 10 Grand Opera House Wilmington DEFriday, April 11 Carnegie Hall Lewisburg WV Saturday, April 12 The Howard Theatre Washington DC Additional dates to be announced.

Thu, 11/14/2013 - 11:49 am

X Games Music Presents returns to downtown Aspen’s Wagner Park Jan. 25 and 26 with four globally recognized musical guests as part of the X Games Aspen 2014 event. International dance music superstar Tiësto anchors the event on Sunday, which also includes a set by Axwell, while Phoenix, and Matt & Kim take center stage on Saturday. Fans can purchase $30 general admission tickets or $150 X Games Music VIP tickets, which include heated platform viewing, food and drink and more. The X Games Music series in Aspen will benefit The V Foundation for Cancer Research. Tickets are now available for purchase at www.bellyupaspen.com. “I’m a huge sports fan so it’s quite an honor to be a part of the X Games experience,” said Tiësto of his performance in Aspen. “Aspen provides such a unique setting for a DJ set and I can’t wait to party on the slopes.” While performances from top artists have often been part of the X Games experience, 2013 marked the debut of X Games Music, showcasing world-class musicians and highlighting the artistic and cultural elements inherent in the action sports lifestyle. Last year’s debut of X Games Music Presents featured performances at X Games Aspen by Calvin Harris and Major Lazer. The music series also featured performances by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, 50 Cent, Zedd and AWOLNATION. “The past year of X Games Music events allowed thousands of fans to experience X Games as a lifestyle brand and we are very excited for the next installment, bringing Tiësto, Phoenix, Axwell and Matt & Kim to downtown Aspen,” said Tim Reed, ESPN’s senior director of content strategy. “We look forward to bringing the Music series back to Wagner Park, offering many more fans the opportunity to experience X Games Music live.” X Games Music performances will take place at the below listed times and streamed live to XGames.com as follows (all times local MT): Saturday, January 25 ·       4 p.m. – 5 p.m. Matt & Kim: One of the hardest-working touring bands, Matt and Kim look forward to bringing their undeniably fun, high-energy show to X Games this winter. Matt and Kim's extraordinary live revue also earned the indie dance duo the MTVu Woodie Award for "Best Live Performance".  With their high-octane show in mind, they wrote a true-to-Matt-and-Kim style album: Lightning, featuring singles "Let's Go" and "It's Alright." There will be plenty to dance to and shout along with when new songs as well as familiar crowd favorites will be brought to technicolor life.http://open.spotify.com/album/6yRV3ISRWTSAfXS9SPoLiH ·       5:15 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Phoenix: An alternative rock band from Versailles, France, Phoenix draws elements from their eclectic ‘80s upbringing to arrive at a synthesis of rock and synthesizers. Phoenix earned a “Best Alternative Music Album” Grammy for their Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix album and have since headlined major music festivals from Coachella Music Festival and Lollapalooza to Rock Werchter in Belgium. In 2013 they released their fifth album Bankrupt!.https://soundcloud.com/phoenix/entertainment Sunday, January 26 ·       4 p.m. – 5 p.m. Axwell: A global dance icon and five-time Grammy-nominated artist, Axwell was most recently one of the forces behind Swedish House Mafia. One of the most sought-after producers, Axwell has collaborated with artists from Madonna to Pharell.  His new collaboration with Sick Individuals featuring Taylr Renee, ‘I Am’, will be released on iTunes U.S. in the near future through Ultra Records. Having spun across 67 countries at 480 shows over the past five years, Axwell also started his own record label, Axtone Records. ·       5:15 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Tiësto: A performer who has transcended musical genres to create a global “Tiësto” brand, Tiësto’s achievements include: a Grammy nomination, numerous MTV awards, performing at the opening ceremony of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games to an audience of billions, and even a wax statue at Madame Tussauds. Voted ‘The Greatest DJ Of All Time’ by Mixmag in 2011 and the #1 DJ by Rolling Stone, Tiësto has worked with superstars such as Kanye West, Coldplay, Katy Perry, Nelly Furtado, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Goldfrapp and many more. This summer was packed with exciting new endeavors, including Tiësto’s new 20-month residency with Hakkasan Las Vegas Restaurant and Nightclub & Wet Republic pool at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino; a second collection for his popular Guess fashion line and the third installment of his “Club Life” compilation series on Musical Freedom entitled Club Life - Volume Three Stockholm. As we enter into the final months of 2013, Tiësto is hard at work in the studio putting the final touches on his much anticipated studio album (to be released in 2014.)   

Wed, 11/20/2013 - 2:09 pm

Featuring a greater number of free concerts than ever before, the one-of-a-kind New York Guitar Festival illumines the mid-winter season with a cavalcade of performances, from January 10th—30th, that embrace the instrument’s multi-faceted personae in rock, jazz, blues, Baroque, contemporary classical, and, perhaps, a bit of bluegrass.The 2014 Festival boasts 30+ pioneering guitarists, including Maestro Pepe Romero of the internationally celebrated Romero Family, who, among their multiple accomplishments, invented the guitar quartet as a genre. Romero performs solo on the Festival’s Opening Night. Classical guitarists William Kanengiser and Badi Assad co-curate this season’s Marathon, at Kaufman Music Center’s Merkin Concert Hall, which will be presented free of charge for the first time in the Festival’s history. Other events include the debut duo performance between Fred Frith and Wilco’s Nels Cline; eight new film scores by Kaki King, Marc Ribot, Alvin Youngblood Hart, and more will accompany vintage silent cinema; and Alt-Guitar Summit curator Joel Harrison hosts three evenings of boundary-erasing collaborations, culminating in a multi-guitar homage to the late, great drummer Paul Motian. “Guitar is the international language,” muses Founder & Artistic Director David Spelman, in summing up the Festival’s cross-genre, multi-generational appeal. Looking forward to Pepe Romero’s all-Bach recital, Spelman continues, “Bach is the most profound and joyful music I know, and Pepe is one of those rare musicians whose performances of Bach transcend the guitar. He creates a seemingly infinite world of expression on six strings—exploring the full range of beauty of the instrument's tonality and yet expanding it further, into a spiritual realm.”Merkin Concert Hall, where the Festival was born fifteen years ago, plays an expanded role this year as NYGF’s primary venue. Spelman “couldn’t be more delighted that our signature event—the Marathon—will be hosted at Merkin, and how thrilling it is that we can present the Marathon for free in such an intimate space so highly regarded for its commitment to adventurous programming.”The 2014 New York Guitar Festival will also unfurl at Brookfield Place’s Winter Garden, SubCulture, and other venues yet to be announced.Founded in 1999, the Festival aims to broaden public appreciation of the guitar through fostering emerging talent, fusing unlikely yet irresistible partnerships, and commissioning new works. CONCERT SCHEDULEOPENING NIGHT: Free Concert Pepe Romero plays J.S. BachPrelude in c minor, BWV 999 (transcribed by Celedonio Romero) Two Bourrées  (transcribed by Celedonio Romero) Gavotte en Rondeau, from Lute Suite No. 4 in E Major, BWV 1006a (transcribed by Celedonio Romero) Gavottes 1 and 2 from Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012 (transcribed by Celedonio Romero) Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009 (transcribed by Pepe Romero)           Prélude, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Bourrée I-II, Gigue Violin Partita No. 2 in d minor, BWV 1004 (transcribed by Pepe Romero)           Allemanda, Corrente, Sarabanda, Giga, CiacconaPepe Romero’s distinguished career, both as a solo performer and charter member of the "Royal Family of the Guitar," encompasses some 60 albums, multiple White House invitations, Carnegie Hall concerts, and world premieres by Rodrigo and Moreno Torroba, in addition to receiving a Knighthood by King Juan Carlos I of Spain. This Festival appearance marks Romero’s first ever all-Bach recital in NYC. Touring the world in celebration of his 70th year, Romero will give his only NYC concert this season at the NYGF.January 10, 8 PM, Brookfield Place Winter Garden, 220 Vesey StreetPresented in association with Arts BrookfieldFor more information: (212) 417-2414, www.brookfieldplaceny.com/arts-eventsALT-GUITAR SUMMITGuest curator Joel Harrison returns with a posse of cutting-edge jazz/new music improvisers who emphasize unusual approaches to the guitar. Fourteen supremely creative musicians will demonstrate in myriad ways just how many mysterious and enthralling sounds a guitar can make. The featured set this year will be a first-time ever meeting between Fred Frith, a founding father of modern guitar improvisation, and avant-garde doyen Nels Cline of the alt-rock band Wilco.January 17, 8 PM, SubCultureAn evening of trios that explore evolving concepts of rhythm:Jazz/funk electronica with Will Bernard and the Pleasure Drones.Miles Okazaki with James Hurt (percussion) and Sergio Krakowski, pandeiro (Brazilian frame drum). Liberty Ellman, master of contrapuntal rhythms, with Matt Brewer, bass, and Damion Reid, drums.David Gilmore with Gene Lake (drums), Brad Jones (bass).January 18, two shows: 7:30PM and 10PM, SubCulture“Feel the Noise!”Dave Tronzo with Stomu Takeishi, electric bass, and Ben Perowsky, percussion.Fred Frith meets Nels ClineJanuary 19, 8 PM, SubCulture“The Music of Paul Motian”When drummer, bandleader, and composer Paul Motian died at age 80 in the autumn of 2011, it was, for jazz critic Steve Futterman writing in The New Yorker, “like waking to find that your favorite neighborhood bookstore—the one that stocked the edgy stuff that no one else would touch—had closed overnight.” Motian’s music lives on in duo performances led by Steve Cardenas, Ben Monder (both Motian band alums) Gilad Hekselman, Brandon Ross, Vic Juris, Mary Halvorsen, the Nels Cline & Julian Lage Duo, Joel Harrison.SubCulture45 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10012For tickets and information: (212) 533-5470, www.subculturenewyork.comALT-GUITAR SUMMIT MASTERCLASSES:January 18: An afternoon with Nels Cline:  Nels Cline will demonstrate how he achieves his unique sound world where all conceivable musical roads converge. This is Cline's first such class in New York City. All levels invited. Full information on tickets and location to be announced on the NYGF website, www.newyorkguitarfestival.orgJanuary 19: Five guitarists discuss new approaches to jazz guitar through the lens of Paul Motian's music. Ben Monder, Steve Cardenas (both Motian alumni), Vic Juris, Liberty Ellman, and Joel Harrison will talk about comping, ensemble playing, linear improvisation, band-leading, electronics, philosophy, and more, using Paul Motian's singular opus as a starting point. All levels invited. Full information on tickets and location to be announced on the New York Guitar Festival website,  Full information on tickets and location to be announced on the NYGF website, www.newyorkguitarfestival.orgBen Monder "continually takes us into uncharted realms," say Guitar Player Magazine. He is a guitarist's guitarist and has performed with Maria Schneider, Lee Konitz, Tim Berne, and more. Steve Cardenas has graced CDs by Steve Swallow, Charlie Haden, and Joey Baron, and is consistently one of the most in-demand guitarists in NYC.  Vic Juris is equally adept at nylon string and electric, and his lyrical virtuosity has led him towards alliances with Dave Liebman, Larry Coryell, and countless East Coast groups. He has written two modern guitar books. West Coast native Liberty Ellman has developed a unique voice based on a strong jazz/rock/funk background and alliances with Henry Threadgill, Greg Osby, and Vijay Iyer. Joel Harrison has released 15 CDs as a leader since 1994 debut (with Cline) 3+3=7, including arrangements of Paul Motian's music for string quartet and two guitars.GUITAR MARATHON: LAS AMERICASCo-curated by William Kanengiser and Badi AssadFREE for the first time in Festival's history, this six-hour Marathon celebrates the classical guitar in North and South America, contrasting rich traditions with bold experimentation.About the curators: A founding member of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, Kanengiser displays his multi-varied musical interests in solo performances ranging from Mozart to Bartok, and his recordings showcase his love of Jazz, Middle Eastern, and Caribbean styles. Assad hails from a well-known musical family of guitarists-composers; a guitarist as well as a singer and percussionist, she fuses pop-jazz with worldbeat in a sensuously Brazilian, lacily feminine sensibility.January 20, MLK day2-5 PM: Las Americas, part I:  North America7-10 PM:  Las Americas, part II:  South AmericaMerkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Music Center129 West 67th Street (between Broadway and Amsterdam)For more information: (212) 501-3330, www.kaufmanmusiccenter.orgLas Americas, part I:  North AmericaWilliam Kanengiser has invited four brilliant guest artists to help celebrate the guitar of North America.  David Mozqueda, a young virtuoso from Gaudalaja, Mexico, will present masterworks by Ponce and Olivas, as well as arrangements of popular Mexican folksongs. Colin Davin, prizewinner in the GFA competition and modern-music specialist, will present compelling works by Joan Tower, and with flutist Daniel James, a new piece by Alaska-based composer Conrad Wilson.  Connie Shue, an emerging artist specializing in women composers, will play works by Canadian composer Dale Kavanaugh, Brazilian Clarice Assad (Badi’s niece), and John Anthony Lennon. The phenomenal Naumburg Award-winner Jorge Cabellero will play the first of his two sets in the Marathon, presenting some of the most important American guitar compositions by Elliot Carter and John Major, as well as the stunning Sonata No. 1 by Cuban master Léo Brouwer.  William Kanengiser will close out the afternoon by presenting an eclectic mix of Mexican, Cuban, and American works, ranging from folkloric to contemporary to jazz-inspired.  Las Americas, part II:  South AmericaFor the second half of the Marathon, Badi Assad has crafted an evening of propulsive rhythm and evocative melody from South America. The award-winning Brazil Guitar Duo will open with selections by Villa-Lobos, Piazzolla, Gismonti, and more. Samba master Romero Lubambo will bring his technical fireworks and serious Brazilian groove to a set of popular pieces by Jobim, Garoto, and others. Jorge Caballero then returns to the stage to present some of the most important South American compositions for guitar, including works by Barrios, Antonio Lauro, and the seminal Sonata by Ginastera. Making their NY debut, the incredible Duo Siquiera/Lima will present fiery duets by Brazilian, Argentine, and Ecuadorian composers.  The grand finale of the Marathon will be the inimitable Badi Assad herself.SILENT FILMS/LIVE GUITARSThe NYGF presents world premiere scores to eight classic silent films of international cinema from the 1920s and 30s. Featured will be works that explore urban life in Berlin, Shanghai, Tokyo, and New York, by such cinematic pioneers as Yasujirô Ozu, Walter Ruttmann, Josef von Sternberg, and Wu Yonggang. In addition to the feature films, each night opens with a comic short written and directed by Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle. The movies themselves have long been overshadowed by the tragedies that prematurely ended Arbuckle’s career, yet Chaplin and Buster Keaton revered him, and Arbuckle’s influence on later generations of comedians extends from Jackie Gleason to Chris Farley and beyond.January 21, 7:30 PM, Merkin Concert HallMarc Ribot: Josef von Sternberg’s The Docks of New York, 1928, 75 min.Chris Eldridge: “Fatty” Arbuckle’s Coney Island, 1917, 24 min.“Marc Ribot did such a fabulous job with Chaplin's classic The Kid at the 2010 Festival,” NYGF Founder David Spelman remembers, “bringing out not just the humor, but the deep humanity of the film, that I knew we wanted to have him back, but this time with a film that might summon up an even wider emotional palette.” This season, Ribot returns with a new score for von Sternberg’s passionate drama The Docks of New York, which tells the New York waterfront story of a boiler room stoker’s romance with a suicidal dance-hall girl. Ribot has frequently collaborated with Tom Waits and John Zorn; his most recent band is the trio Ceramic Dog.For sheer contrast, bathing beauties and Keystone Kops abound in Fatty Arbuckle’s 1917 short comedy Coney Island, screened with a suitably raucous new score by Chris Eldridge of the progressive bluegrass band Punch Brothers.January 23, 7:30 PM, Merkin Concert HallBadi Assad: Wu Yonggang’s The Goddess, 1934, 85 min.Kaki King: “Fatty” Arbuckle’s The Garage, 1920, 25 min.The extraordinary Brazilian guitarist/singer Badi Assad premieres her score for one of the best-known films of China's cinematic golden age: Wu Yonggang’s 1934 debut The Goddess, the story of a prostitute working the seamy streets of Shanghai to afford an education for her young son.With six albums as well as collaborations with Eddie Vedder, Foo Fighters, and The Mountain Goats to her credit, Kaki King brings her spare, understated style to Arbuckle’s 1920 short comedy The Garage.January 28, 7:30 PM, Merkin Concert HallLuther Dickinson: Walter Ruttman’s Berlin: Symphony of a Great City, 1927, 65 min.Alvin Youngblood Hart: “Fatty” Arbuckle’s Out West, 1918, 25 min.Formerly lead guitarist with The Black Crowes and current front-man for North Mississippi Allstars, Memphis-born Luther Dickinson deploys his aggressively Southern sensibility to Walter Ruttman’s documentary portrait of a Berlin long gone by. A painter and a chamber musician before becoming a filmmaker, Ruttman cast an impressionistic eye over a single day-into-night of life observed in the German capital.Grammy-winning country-blues guitarist/singer Alvin Youngblood Hart applies his signature rootsy style to “Fatty” Arbuckle’s 1918 spoof on westerns, Out West. Arbuckle co-stars with Buster Keaton against the backdrop of Mad Dog Gulch, “the toughest town in the movies.”January 30, 7:30 PM, Merkin Concert HallToubab Krewe: Yasujirô Ozu’s I Was Born, but…, 1932, 100 min.Joseph Arthur: “Fatty” Arbuckle’s Oh Doctor!, 1917, 23 min.The West African-inspired Asheville, North Carolina-based ensemble Toubab Krewe plays Malian-accented world-pop that’s imbued with laconic, Southeastern minimalism. Their cross-cultural flair will take a turn to the East as the band premieres an original score to Japanese director Yasujirô Ozu’s boisterous comedy I Was Born, but…. Two young brothers, outsiders in a new town, skip school to dodge a bully and fret over their father’s lowly social standing as an office clerk.Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur tunes his jangly, pop guitar to “Fatty” Arbuckle’s 1917 comedy Oh Doctor! with Arbuckle taking the lead as Dr. Holepoke. Once again, Buster Keaton contributes a share in slapstick mayhem.Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Music Center129 West 67th Street (between Broadway and Amsterdam)Tickets and Information: (212) 501-3330, www.kaufmanmusiccenter.orgSubscription: $20 per ticket for 2 or more ticketsSingle tickets $25Students: $15 More info and more events to be announced on the New York Guitar Festival website, http://www.newyorkguitarfestival.orgNew York Guitar Festival on Facebook

Thu, 12/05/2013 - 4:38 pm

 SnowGlobe Music Festival, returning to Lake Tahoe, California December 29-31, 2013 – is less than one month away. As the unique adventure-driven winter festival quickly approaches, fans can look forward to the return of their favorite elements of the New Year’s Eve destination event as well as exciting new announcements and festival features.  The much-anticipated daily schedule for SnowGlobe was just released. A limited number of Single Day Tickets are also now available for purchase. For those that feel inclined to go big for just one night, there are also a limited number of VIP single day passes available. Details at www.snowglobemusicfestival.com.Much to the delight of SnowGlobe’s audience, Australian electronic band Cut Copy was recently revealed to be New Years Eve’s “mystery headliner.” Cut Copy will join a stellar lineup of artists that includes Tiesto, Kaskade, Snoop Dogg (AKA Snoop Lion), Zeds Dead, Beats Antique, Gramatik, Dillon Francis, Claude Vonstroke, Holy Ghost! and many more.  Visit www.snowglobemusicfestival.comfor the complete list of artists performing.“Big Air,” SnowGlobe’s ski/snowboard jump showcase, is back and better than ever - and is a tangible example of the festival’s unique integration of music and winter sports. Highlighting local pro athletes from both the South and North shores of Lake Tahoe, the on-site jump will take skiers and riders up to 30 feet in the air. Patrons will be treated to installments of Big Air - including ‘mistys’, back flips, 360s, and 720s - in between sets at the Main Stage.SnowGlobe 2013 features a wide assortment of carefully selected food trucks, providing patrons with delicious, locally sourced food offerings. Fans can look forward to a wide variety of food trucks and vendors onsite at SnowGlobe, including the presence of regional favorites from the Sacramento, San Francisco, Tahoe, and Reno areas.

Thu, 12/12/2013 - 8:26 pm

The Ride is proud to announce the dates for next summer’s weekend rock festival - July 12-13, 2014 - in Colorado’s breathtaking Telluride Town Park. The Ride Festival 2014 will partner with LickonaVision, the producers of PBS's iconic music series Austin City Limits and the team behind the award-winning music venue Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater (ACL Live) to book talent and produce the event’s third installment.Early Bird Tickets go on sale December 30 at 10 am MST at www.ridefestival.com.Austin City Limits’ longtime producers Terry Lickona and Jeff Peterson working with ACL Live talent booker Jack McFadden, together with KOTOfm and original Ride Festival Promoter Todd Creel of Telluride Productions promise to deliver another weekend packed with marquee acts and exciting new talent in the beautiful mountain town.  The weekend’s music performances in Telluride Town Park will be recorded in their entirety. Highlights will be broadcast on PBS as an ACL Presents special episode later next year.Lickona and Creel share a passion for live music and enjoy finding and sharing emerging talent. New music discovery is the signature of The Ride, a festival that has garnered praise for bringing the element of surprise to its devotees.Like so many before him, Lickona is moved by the natural beauty of the valley. “Telluride has a magic that is almost hypnotizing,” he said. “Nature and enjoying the outdoors is my second passion after music, and the two seem like a natural combination for me. Experiencing live music in a setting like Telluride is inspiring for both the performers and the fans.”The 2014 Ride Festival line-up will be revealed early next year.In celebration of our announcement, The Ride is throwing a free party at the Sheridan Opera House on Monday, December 30th featuring the Ozark Mountains-steeped, rootsy rock of Bloodshot Records’ Ha Ha Tonka.  Admission is first come first serve, with those who purchase Early Bird Tickets on December 30th priority access into the party. Details included below. The Ride FestivalJuly 12-13, 2014Telluride Town Park, Colorado Early Bird Tickets go on-sale on Monday, December 30 at 10 am MST at www.ridefestival.com.  Early Bird Tickets are $125.00 for a Weekend Pass.Quantities are limited and are available only while supplies last. *Those who purchase The Ride Festival Early Bird Tickets will be put on a list to be priority access into the festival’s official announcement party.  Read on for details… The Ride Festival 2014 Official Launch Party with Ha Ha TonkaMonday, December 30 at 9:00PM (doors at 8PM)Sheridan Opera House110 North Oak Street, TellurideAdmission is Free / 21 and over welcomePriority access (as space allows) to those who purchase Early Bird Tickets on December 30

Tue, 12/17/2013 - 3:36 pm

In celebration of its 15th anniversary, SCI Fidelity Records has compiled a 30-track retrospective label compilation, available now for free stream via SoundCloud and for free download only at the SCI Fidelity online store.

Formed by The String Cheese Incident in 1998, SCI Fidelity has delivered on its mission to support independent musicians everywhere – releasing over 100 albums from SCI and their side projects, along with artists like Keller Williams, Umphrey’s McGee, The Disco Biscuits, Steve Winwood, Lotus, Railroad Earth, The Greyboy Allstars, Tea Leaf Green and many more.

As one of the first record labels to identify and embrace the music industry’s then-changing paradigm, SCI Fidelity quickly garnered the well-deserved reputation for understanding how to use an artist’s music to connect bands with loyal fans.  The label was able to view the business of music holistically, and SCI Fidelity’s creative, out-of-the-box approach to selling records aligned perfectly with the changing times. 

“At the time, after talking to some major labels and other touring bands, we decided it was important to maintain control of our own destiny and started our own label,” explains SCI bassist Keith Moseley.  “We just felt is was the best way to ensure our creative freedom, and to not be bound to an album release or touring schedule dictated by a recording contract.”

Indeed, The String Cheese Incident went on to help redefine the business of music. In the process, SCI forged a path for fellow independent artists to follow - and SCI Fidelity became a home for many of these bands. “We feel incredibly fortunate to be able to support music we believe in, and to sustain the record label in today’s ever-evolving music industry landscape,” says Moseley.

SCI Fidelity’s 15th Anniversary Compilation contains thirty of the best songs from some of the label’s most acclaimed albums over the years, and the tracks are listed in chronological order, taking the listener on a journey from the label’s first official release, The String Cheese Incident’s ‘Round The Wheel, through their latest batch of releases from The Infamous Stringdusters and Lotus.

In conjunction with the label’s 15th anniversary, look for The String Cheese Incident – who are also commemorating their 20th year as a band -- to release a new studio album produced by Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads) in Spring 2014.
 
SCI Fidelity Records 15th Anniversary Compilation Album Track Listing:

  1. The String Cheese Incident – “On The Road” from Round The Wheel
  2. Keller Williams w/The String Cheese Incident - “Best Feeling” from Breathe
  3. The String Cheese Incident - “Mouna Bowa” from Carnival ‘99
  4. Keller Williams - “More Than A Little” from Loop
  5. Steve Winwood – “Different Light” from About Time
  6. Keller Williams – “Freeker by the Speaker” from Laugh
  7. The String Cheese Incident - “Valley of the Jig” from Untying the Not
  8. Umphrey’s McGee - “In The Kitchen” from Anchor Drops
  9. DJ Harry - “All My Life” from Collision
  10. Steve Kimock Band - “Eudemon” from Eudemonic
  11. Brothers Past - “Simple Gift of Man” from This Feeling’s Called Goodbye
  12. Railroad Earth - “Mighty River” from Elko
  13. Umphrey’s McGee – “Nemo” from Safety In Numbers
  14. The Disco Biscuits - “World Is Spinning” from The Wind at Four to Fly
  15. The Radiators – “Ace In The Hole” from Dreaming Out Loud
  16. Tea Leaf Green - “These Two Chairs” from Rock ’n’ Roll Band
  17. Greyboy Allstars - “V Neck Sweater” from What Happened to Television?
  18. Railroad Earth - “Hard Livin” from Amen Corner
  19. Umphrey’s McGee – “Made to Measure” from Mantis
  20. Kyle Hollingsworth - “Way That it Goes” from Then There’s Now
  21. Emmitt-Nershi Band – “New Country Blues” from New Country Blues
  22. Lotus – “Bellwether” from Hammerstrike
  23. 30db – “Susanah” from One Man Show
  24. The String Cheese Incident – “Barstool” from Rhythm of the Road: Volume One, Incident In Atlanta – 11.17.00
  25. Younger Brother – “Shine” from Vaccine
  26. Conspirator – “Feed The Wolf” from Unlocked – Live at the Georgia Theatre
  27. Keller Williams w/The Travelin’ McCourys – “Something Else” from Pick
  28. The Infamous Stringdusters – “The Place That I Call Home” from Silver Sky – Deluxe Edition
  29. Lotus – “Break Build Burn” from Build
  30. The String Cheese Incident – “Can’t Wait Another Day” single
Fri, 12/20/2013 - 1:25 pm

Electric Forest returns to the legendary Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Michigan for its fourth year on June 26 - 29, 2014. Today, the festival announced the 2014 dates and ticket on-sale information via an interactive video debut. Fans tuned in at the festival’s website - and - after the countdown ran down, the global community enjoyed a synchronized viewing experience and shared the excitement via live chat and through social networks. Watch the date announcement video trailer HERE.  TICKET ON SALE INFORMATION LOYALTY TICKETSA limited number of Electric Forest 2014 Loyalty Tickets priced at $199 plus fees (Weekend Tickets) and $499 plus fees (GOOD LIFE Village VIP Packages) will be available on January 6, 2014 12PM EST.  Only fans who purchased tickets directly from Electric Forest ticketing in 2013 qualify for the Loyalty Ticket Program, and will receive an email with a purchase code to purchase 1 GA or 1 GOOD LIFE Ticket at the Loyalty price. The Loyalty Ticket on sale is available 24 hours only, or while supplies last. These tickets are expected to sell out quickly.  THREE IN THE FOREST LOYALTY PROGRAMThis year the Electric Forest Loyalty Ticket Program expands with the unveiling of “Three in the Forest” Loyalty Program. “Three in the Forest” tickets will be made available to members who have purchased tickets to all three previous years of Electric Forest. These members will be guaranteed access to purchase 2 GA or 2 GOOD LIFE Tickets within the 24 hour Loyalty on sale timeframe. These tickets are reserved and will not sell out for members during the 24 hour on sale period.  Electric Forest 2014 Loyalty Tickets will go on sale for 24 hours, beginning on January 6, 2014 at 12PM EST and ending on January 7, 2014 at 12 p.m. EST.  "Electric Forest would not be where it is without the support of all of those who have been here before," says Electric Forest founder, Jeremy Stein. "We spend all year awaiting the return to The Forest and are thrilled to kick it all off by offering Loyalty Tickets to the core of our community."

Mon, 01/13/2014 - 1:13 pm

In celebration of twenty years of business in Boulder, The Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery will be hosting a night of funk at the beautiful Boulder Theater to say thanks to the local community for all of their support.  The Mountain Sun opened their fourth location last year, Under the Sun, in South Boulder adding to their two Boulder locations, The Mountain Sun and Southern Sun, and their one Denver location, Vine Street Pubs and Breweries.  Since The Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery opened its doors in 1993, The Pub has been a favorite local gathering place and music has always played an important role in creating the Pub’s festive vibe.For the February 1st event, which will benefit KGNU 88.5 FM and KGNU 1390AM and kick off Stout Month, The Pearl Street All-Stars will rock the house.  The Pearl Street All-Stars is a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration featuring George Porter Jr. (The Funky Meters / Bass), Kyle Hollingsworth (The String Cheese Incident / Keyboards), Adam Smirnoff (Lettuce / Guitar), John Staton (Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe / Drums) & Art Edmaiston (Mofro / Saxophone), Dennis Marion (Mofro/ Trumpet) and Kim Dawson (The Motet / Vocals).  All proceeds will benefit KGNU 88.5 FM & 1390 AM, Boulder County’s only non-profit Community Radio Station.  As usual The Mountain Sun will supply some of their delicious beer for the event at only $4 a pint.Opening the event this year will be Liebermonster, a group of up-and-coming funk groovesters from Denver.  They have been tearing it up throughout Colorado and have opened for the Pearl Street All-Stars in the past. Show details are as follows:

Saturday, February 1st @ 8:30 PMTwenty Years of Funky Good Times Anniversary Benefitwith The Pearl Street All-StarsBoulder Theater on 14th and PearlTickets are $25.00 plus taxes and service / Ages 21+ WelcomeTickets available at the Boulder Theater Box Office (303.786.7030) or online at http://www.bouldertheater.com/

Sat, 01/18/2014 - 12:45 pm

Colorado's biggest music festival has found a new home in Colorado's biggest city. With three sold-out years under its belt, Colorado’s SnowBall Music Festival rolls into the Mile High City in 2014, landing at The Park at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on April 4, 5, and 6. Delivering its diverse lineup of world-class musicians and its unique mountain lifestyle vibe to the exciting urban backdrop of Denver, Colorado – SnowBall 2014 promises its biggest and best year yet.Snow Day and Early Bird Weekend Passes go onsale next week at snowballmusicfestival.com.Stay tuned to the website for details as they become available.Hosting 65 international, national and local artists playing 4 stages over three nights, SnowBall 2014 will transform the outdoor venue with innovative integration of creative design throughout the festival experience - from custom three dimensional film installations, nightly fireworks displays, “Big Air” ski and snowboard exhibitions, and more.Days during SnowBall are still snow days, with chartered shuttles and discounted ski packages to several of the nearby ski resorts available to SnowBall patrons. Festival-goers can bundle transportation, lift tickets, hotel and more with their event ticket purchases.  After the festival each night, fans can spill out into the streets of Denver to enjoy event’s ever-expanding late night scene, with after-hours shows to be hosted at many of the city’s popular music venues. Stay tuned at www.snowballmusicfestival.com for details as they become available.After hopping around to various Colorado mountain towns for the past three years, SnowBall Producer Chad Donnelly feels like the festival has finally found its home in Denver.  “We’ve been searching for just the right balance of the best access to mountain communities, outdoor winter activities and travel amenities such as lodging & transportation,” says Donnelly.  “As it turns out, Denver provides the best access to all of those.”  Donnelly is confident that the move will make the experience better for both Colorado locals and those who travel from out-of-state to attend the festival.  “We promise to deliver everything our community loves about the SnowBall experience, now conveniently hosted in the heart of state we all love so much.  We couldn’t be more excited about our new home.”Weekend Passes to SnowBall will go on sale next week at www.SnowBallMusicFestival.com. Stay tuned to www.SnowBallMusicFestival.com for details as they become available.

Wed, 01/22/2014 - 2:46 pm

The Southern Soul Assembly—an artist-in-the-round performance series featuring JJ Grey, Marc Broussard, Anders Osborne and Luther Dickinson—heads out on its debut tour this spring, with 17 stops beginning March 18 in Chicago and wrapping up April 12 in Washington D.C. The complete list of tour dates is included below.

“It’s a bit of a mystery as to exactly what will unfold on the road and on the stage,” says JJ Grey. “That’s the excitement of it. I’m looking forward to the whole interaction, the whole front porch feel, drinking a beer and hanging out and playing music.”

“Epic collaboration,” Marc Broussard chimes in.

One thing is for certain though: the Southern Soul Assembly will live up to its name, drawing from the rich legacy of American Southern culture of the players. “Just like food in the South, our music is greasier than most,” says Broussard. “The beat is on the backside, generally, because it gets too hot for people to move too quickly.” 
 
Each of the four musicians comes to the SSA with a proven track record in the often-overlapping genres of music most closely associated with the South. “That’s where we all come from,” says Grey, best known as the frontman of Jacksonville, Florida’s JJ Grey & Mofro, whose hybrid mix of soul, funk, blues and gutsy rock is sure to find its way to the Assembly’s gigs as well. “The South is in each of us.”
 
Indeed, each member brings a strong Southern pedigree to the tour. But as Louisiana’s Broussard explains, “I'd say we all have a different take on what the South really is. I come from the hub of Cajun culture, distinct in many ways even from New Orleans just down the road. From what I can tell, we all seem to approach writing with groove in mind, for the most part. But the physical locales from which we each hail, as well as the accompanying cultural implications, necessarily prompt us all to approach lyric writing differently.”

Broussard, although only in his early 30s, has been making an impact since his first releases more than a decade ago. His albums, including 2007’s S.O.S.: Save Our Soul and his self-titled 2011 effort, have all found a devoted core audience that will undoubtedly delight in witnessing him interact with the other members of the Southern Soul Assembly. Anders Osborne, although born in Sweden, is about as American as it gets, having long ago established himself as a New Orleans mainstay. His recordings, most recently for the legendary Alligator label, reveal an artist steeped in Southern traditions. Luther Dickinson, the Memphis-born lead guitarist and vocalist of the North Mississippi Allstars, is a highly prolific artist who not only keeps the blues alive, but has taken it to new places. And Grey, for more than a decade, has written about the lifestyle and spirit of the South, re - imagining classic soul music for contemporary listeners. Each member of the Southern Soul Assembly weaves spellbinding stories in song, and it’ll be a treat to see just what transpires when they meet onstage this spring.

“Man, each of these guys can play,” says Grey. “It’ll be fun to hand the song off, trade songs and go around the horn. It’ll be like, let’s work our way through the night and see what happens. Of course, the audience always plays the show with you, and I think that will be especially true with this tour. Each night will feel like a big ole Southern family reunion.”

The idea for the band and tour came about, says Grey, because, “Most of us know each other pretty well just from crossing paths on the road. There is a common theme underlying what we each do—it’s the South, the landscape and the culture of our surroundings. That theme is present in each of our song collections. But we all have different perspectives,” he adds, “and the flavors vary. It’s going to be fun, and we’re all really looking forward to it.”

With each artist uniquely inspired by his deep Southern roots, the Southern Soul Assembly tour promises a passionate, authentic and deeply soulful homage to the rich Southern musical spirit.

Stay tuned for news and more details as the tour approaches.

The complete list of The Southern Soul Assembly Tour dates is as follows:
 
Tuesday, March 18 S.P.A.C.E. Evantson IL
Wednesday, March 19 Taft Theatre Cincinnati OH
Thursday, March 20 War Memorial Auditorium Nashville TN with Kenny Foster
Friday, March 21 Center Stage Atlanta GA
Saturday, March 22 Savannah Music Festival Savannah GA
Sunday, March 23 Suwannee Springfest Live Oak FL
Tuesday, April 1 Saenger Theatre Mobile AL
Wednesday, April 2 WorkPlay Theatre Birmingham AL
Thursday, April 3 Riley Performing Arts Center Meridian MS
Friday, April 4 Manship Theatre  Baton Rouge LA
Saturday, April 5 T-Bois Blues Festival Lacrose LA
Monday, April 7 Texas Union Ballroom Austin TX
Tuesday, April 8 House of Blues - Boston Boston MA
Wednesday, April 9 Norwalk Concert Hall Norwalk CT
Thursday, April 10 Grand Opera House Wilmington DE
Friday, April 11 Carnegie Hall Lewisburg WV
Saturday, April 12 The Howard Theatre Washington DC

Fri, 01/24/2014 - 10:43 am

X Games MUSIC returns to downtown Aspen’s Wagner Park this weekend with four globally recognized musical guests performing as part of the X Games Aspen 2014 event. Grammy Award-winning alternative rock band Phoenix and international dance music superstar Tiësto anchor the two nights of music.  Each night features an opening set  - high-energy indie rock duo Matt & Kim and prolific Swedish dance artist and DJ Axwell – respectively. Complete event details are included below. For those who cannot make it to the event, tune in to www.xgames.com on January 25 and 26 beginning at 4 PM to watch the highly anticipated performances via a live web stream.  Fans can purchase $30 General Admission tickets to each Wagner park show or Premium Club Tickets for $150, which include heated platform viewing, food & drink, and more. The X Games MUSIC series in Aspen will benefit The V Foundation for Cancer Research. Tickets are now available for purchase at www.bellyupaspen.com.    “I’m a huge sports fan so it’s quite an honor to be a part of the X Games experience,” said Tiësto of his performance in Aspen. “Aspen provides such a unique setting for a DJ set and I can’t wait to party on the slopes.” While performances from top artists have often been part of the X Games experience, 2013 marked the debut of X Games MUSIC, showcasing world-class musicians and highlighting the artistic and cultural elements inherent in the action sports lifestyle. Last year’s debut of X Games MUSIC Presents featured performances at X Games Aspen by Calvin Harris and Major Lazer. The music series also featured performances by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, 50 Cent, Zedd, AWOLNATION, and others.Event details are as follows:Saturday, January 25 and Sunday, January 26XGames MUSIC Presents AspenWagner Park – Aspen, ColoradoGates at 3:00 PM Saturday, January 25                  Matt & Kim @ 4 PM                  Phoenix @ 5:15 PM Sunday, January 26                  Axwell @ 4 PM                  Tiësto @ 5:15 PM Also – check out these special late night shows at the Belly Up                  Saturday, January 25 at 10PM - Phoenix at the Belly Up                  Sunday, January 26 at 10 PM  - Tiesto at the Belly Up

Fri, 02/14/2014 - 8:41 am

SnowBall Music Festival – rolling into the Mile High City in 2014, landing at The Park at Mile High at Sports Authority Field on April 4, 5, and 6 – today unveils its first wave of artist announcements. Colorado’s own PRETTY LIGHTS (2 shows), Australian duo Knife Party and electronic music rebel GRiZ will headline SnowBall 2014, with MiMOSA, Busta Rhymes, Warpaint, Yeasayer, STRFKR, Twin Shadow, Jagwar Ma, Wild Belle, Rufus Du Sol, CAKED UP, heRobust, and many others on the bill.  The complete list of performers revealed in SnowBall’s first wave of artist announcements is included below. Pretty Lights, who earlier this afternoon leaked news of SnowBall’s 2014 headliners to his fanbase, tops the bill with two sets at the festival: a mainstage play one evening, and performing and curating a one-of-a-kind PLM Party the next evening – with Pretty Lights Music family & friends including Eliot Lipp, Paul Basic, SuperVision, and additional surprise guests still to be announced."I'm honored and excited to be performing at SnowBall in Denver with my friends GRiZ, Knife Party, my Pretty Lights Music crew and more,” Pretty Lights posted. “I’m going to make sure that the Pretty Lights shows are one-of-a-kind and the freshest of the fresh, worthy of the sounds, styles, and scene that Colorado helped put on the map. This Denver festival will bring together so much of what makes Colorado awesome: original cutting edge music, big air snowboarding, AND it will be a proper celebration of all around good music, incredible people, and the wonderful progress and transformation CO has experienced in the last year!”Discounted GA and VIP 3-Day Passes are on sale now at www.SnowBallMusicFestival.com, while they last.

Fri, 02/14/2014 - 12:24 pm

Today, Electric Forest released its initial artist lineup for the festival’s eagerly awaited return to the legendary Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Mich. on June 26-29, 2014.  The groundbreaking music and camping festival will give fans the chance to experience a diverse lineup of music while being surrounded by the beauty and magic of Sherwood Forest and its many colorful surprises.
 
Electric Forest 2014 welcomes back The String Cheese Incident for three performances, including a special collaboration with Ms. Lauryn Hill dubbed The Ms. Lauryn Hill Incident. The Tripolee stage hosts curated events by Bassrush and Deep in the Forest, and The Silent Disco returns to Sherwood Forest. Steve Angello, STS9 (2 Shows), Zedd, Cut Copy, Flying Lotus, Zeds Dead, Matt & Kim, The Glitch Mob, Booka Shade Live, Stephen "Ragga" Marley, EOTO, Art Department, and Aloe Blacc will perform.

Also on the bill are Paper Diamond, RAC, Emancipator Ensemble, 12th Planet, GTA, Justin Martin, Dusky, Nahko and Medicine For The People, Cashmere Cat, Dirtyphonics, Lee Burridge, Seven Lions, Bro Safari, Xavier Rudd, and others.  The complete list of artists announced is included below, with many more still to be revealed.

Entering its fourth year, Electric Forest is known for bringing together a passionate group of fans whose shared community spirit makes the festival a truly unique experience. The festival incorporates the natural beauty of the venue into carefully crafted art pieces and creatively themed environments, while colorful interactive characters and storylines blend with eclectic performing artists and musicians.
 
Current 2014 Electric Forest Artist Lineup (in alphabetical order):

12th Planet
Alex Metric
Aloe Blacc
Anders Osborne
Andy C
Anna Lunoe
Art Department
Bob Moses
Bombino
Booka Shade Live
Bro Safari
Cash Cash
Cashmere Cat
Catz n Dogz
Cherub
Chrome Sparks
Conspirator
Cut Copy
Dantiez Saunderson
Dead Confederate
Destructo
Dirtyphonics
Dusky
Emancipator Ensemble 
EOTO
Flying Lotus
Fury + MC Dino
Golf Clap
GTA
I Am Legion
Isaac Tichauer
J. Phlip
Jimmy Edgar
Jonas Rathsman
Justin Martin
K Theory
Kevin Sauderson
Kygo
Lee Burridge
Lindsay Lowend
Luminox
Matt & Kim
MK
Moon Boots
Moon Taxi
Ms. Lauryn Hill
Nahko and Medicine For The People
Natasha Kmeto
Papadosio
Paper Diamond
Pegboard Nerds
Penguin Prison
Perseus
Poolside
Protohype
RAC
Rayland Baxter
Rising Appalachia
Roadkill Ghost Choir
Rosin Coven
Seven Lions
Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds
Soul Clap
Soul Visions (members of Rising Appalachia & The Human Experience)
St. Lucia
Stephen “Ragga” Marley feat. Ghetto Youths Crew
Steve Angello
STS9
Syd Arthur
T. Hardy Morris
The Glitch Mob
The Revivalists
The String Cheese Incident
Thomas Jack
Topher Jones
Trippy Turtle
Until The Ribbon Breaks
Wilkinson
Xavier Rudd
Zedd
Zeds Dead
Zoogma

With many more artists still to be announced.

Weekend passes are available for purchase at $264.50 before service fees. Tickets are on sale now at www.electricforestfestival.com.

To stay up to date on all Electric Forest news, please visit ElectricForest.com and the official Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages and use the festival’s official hashtag #EF2014.

Fri, 02/21/2014 - 1:05 pm

SnowBall Music Festival – rolling into the Mile High City in 2014, landing at The Park at Mile High at Sports Authority Field on April 4, 5, and 6 – today announces the release of single day tickets and unveils the daily schedule of artist performances. Reinforcing the festival’s commitment to providing an epic live music experience for their dedicated & active community of fans, SnowBall’s single day tickets are available for only $50. A limited supply of these special tickets will be available beginning February 21th at 11:00 AM MT. View the daily schedule here.In other exciting SnowBall news, fan favorites Michal Menert and Earl Sweatshirt have been added to the already stacked lineup of talent. SnowBall is pleased to present a one-of-a-kind PLM Party curated by headliner PRETTY LIGHTS and featuring PLM family and friends Michal Menert, Eliot Lipp, Paul Basic, and SuperVision, and additional surprise guests still to be announced.  For the Pretty Lights headlining set on Saturday, fans can expect upgraded PL sound and style, new live instrumentation and cutting edge visual production, plus some special friends on stage for a can’t miss Snowball experience.SnowBall’s 2014 Opening DJ Competition launched yesterday. This unique competition allows up-and-coming talent to compete for two opening DJ slots at the festival. The artists with the most votes, win! Click here for information about how emerging artists can join this exciting competition.Discounted GA and VIP 3-Day Passes are on sale now at www.SnowBallMusicFestival.com, while they last.

Mon, 03/31/2014 - 2:22 pm

After debuting their first ever tour to two sold out crowds at Evanston, Illinois’ SPACE, The Southern Soul Assembly wowed fans in Nashville, Atlanta, and more before bringing the first leg of the tour to a close at Suwannee Springfest in Live Oak, FL.  Now The Southern Soul Assembly, comprised of JJ Grey, Marc Broussard, Anders Osborne and Luther Dickinson, prepare to bring their soul-filled storytelling show to venues across the south – in Mobile and Birmingham, AL, Baton Rouge, LA and Austin, TX – and to select east coast cities including Boston, MA, Wilmington, DE and Washington, DC.While the Southern Soul Assembly’s in-the-round format promotes intimate individual performances, there has been no lack of collaboration among the Southern Soul Assembly players.  These highly seasoned artists have a natural ability to contribute to each other’s music through harmonies and guitar, each building and adding meaningfully to the songs.  In his recent interview with the Mobile Press-Register, Anders Osborne talks about the intense personal nature of the tour saying that soul refers “Not necessarily soul music, in the traditional sense, but just how devoted and involved, emotionally, that all four of us are, in our writing, in our performance, in what we do. It’s just a soul-baring experience, I think.”The Southern Soul Assembly tour hops back on the road April 1 in Mobile, AL and tickets for the remaining shows are selling fast.  See complete list of tourdates below and visit www.southernsoulassembly.com to purchase tickets or to find out more.The complete list of The Southern Soul Assembly Tour dates is as follows:Tuesday, April 1 Saenger Theatre Mobile AL
Wednesday, April 2 WorkPlay Theatre Birmingham AL
Thursday, April 3 Riley Performing Arts Center Meridian MS
Friday, April 4 Manship Theatre Baton Rouge LA
Saturday, April 5 T-Bois Blues Festival Lacrosse LA
Monday, April 7 Texas Union Ballroom Austin TX
Tuesday, April 8 House of Blues - Boston Boston MA
Wednesday, April 9 Norwalk Concert Hall Norwalk CT
Thursday, April 10 Grand Opera House Wilmington DE
Friday, April 11 Carnegie Hall Lewisburg WV
Saturday, April 12 The Howard Theatre Washington DC

Wed, 04/02/2014 - 11:10 am

Today, The Ride Festival releases its initial artist lineup for the festival’s 3rd year at Colorado’s breathtaking Telluride Town Park on July 12-13, 2014.  The Ride Fest has quickly garnered a reputation among music fans for its thoughtful performance curation - hand-picking rootsy, rocking talent whose music flawlessly compliments the festival’s stunning Telluride setting.Folk-rock Grammy winners Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros and Austin-based alt-rockers Spoon top the lineup for The 2014 Ride Festival. Also announced to perform are JJ Grey & Mofro, Joan Osborne, Lucero, The Hold Steady, Vintage Trouble, Rival Sons, Delta Rae, The Wood Brothers, Reignwolf, White Denim, Brother and Bones, Harlem Gospel Choir, The Delta Saints, and The Cold Stares, with additional artists still to be announced.Since its debut in 2012, The Ride Festival has filled a unique niche in Colorado - and among U.S. festival offerings - as host to a carefully curated Americana/rock lineup offering world-class musical acts and introducing new, soon-to-break talent.  In addition to the performances on the Main Stage in Telluride Town Park, music spills out onto Telluride’s charming Main Street for late night showcases by emerging talent from a variety of genres.The Ride Festival’s close proximity to the many outdoor activities that Telluride and Southern Colorado have to offer make the festival a unique destination event.  Attendees can enjoy hiking, biking, hot springs, and so much more – all in a truly majestic setting.  Rounding out The Ride Fest’s authentic mountain culture – The Ride Fest helps benefit Telluride’s beloved KOTOfm, one of the country’s last remaining music radio stations that is entirely listener supported and non-commercial.General Admission 2-Day Passes are available for purchase at $165. VIP 2-Day Passes are available for $325.00. Tickets are on sale now at www.ridefestival.comTo stay up to date on all Ride Festival news, please visit www.ridefestival.com and the official Facebook, and Twitter and use the festival’s official hashtag #RideFest2014.

Thu, 04/17/2014 - 2:01 pm

Great Hudson River Revival (Clearwater Festival), the country’s oldest and largest music and environmental festival, brings together major musical acts and Clearwater’s own brand of green activism for a unique weekend every June. Clearwater Festival 2014, which takes place on June 21 and 22, on the banks of the Hudson River at beautiful Croton Point Park, Croton-On-Hudson, NY, recently announced its lineup of musical headliners.Founded 49 years ago by musician and activist Pete Seeger and his wife Toshi Seeger, this year’s Great Hudson River Revival promises to be a special celebration of the Seeger’s and their legacy; this year marks the first Clearwater Festival since Pete and Toshi’s recent passing. The festival is pleased to welcome many Clearwater friends old and new to the celebration, many of whom will perform special tributes during the event.The 2014 Clearwater Festival performer line-up features a diverse group of established and emerging talent including Lucinda Williams, Norah Jones with her new project, Puss N Boots (Norah, Sasha Dobson and Catherine Popper); singer-songwriter, Rufus Wainwright; alternative Country/Swing band, The Mavericks; legendary guitarist and singer, Richard Thompson; jam band moe. playing a special acoustic set; Martin Sexton; Josh Ritter; Dar Williams; David Bromberg’s Big Band; ukulele virtuoso, Jake Shimabukuro; Buckwheat Zydeco; soul diva, Bettye LaVette; indie jazz/soul band, Lake Street Dive; Congolese Salsa great, Ricardo Lemvo, children’s music artist Laurie Berkner, and many others.  Visit www.clearwaterfestival.org for complete list of performers.Pete Seeger’s vision and desire to clean up the Hudson River in the 1960s prompted a series of riverside concerts throughout the Hudson Valley to help raise the funds to “build a boat to save the river.” The banjo case was laid open to accept contributions, and this was the start of Hudson River Sloop Clearwater that also laid the foundations for the Great Hudson River Revival – today also known as the Clearwater Festival. Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival is a destination for music fans and families alike, offering a plethora of family-oriented programming and activities and vendors for kids, including special performances on the Family Stage, juggling and roving artists, Children’s Area, storytelling, river beach combing and net seining, and lots of kid-friendly activities.Other offerings that make the Revival experience unique and memorable include the Working Waterfront, offering rides on small boats and tall ships including the sloop Clearwater and the schooner Mystic Whaler. The Handcrafters’ Village showcases over 50 crafters and folk artists with quality hand-made items, demonstrations and workshops. The Green Living Expo is the place to learn about sustainable products, services, concepts and technologies for informed lifestyle and business choices. The Discovery and Tideline tents feature Clearwater’s original hands-on environmental education programs and Hudson River research. The Environmental Action Tent highlights Clearwater’s watershed and environmental justice initiatives in our Hudson Valley communities.  An expanded Artisanal Food & Farm Market offers Hudson Valley foods and specialty items as well as demonstrations and performances by local musicians.Ticket prices start at $70.00 and are available for purchase now at www.ClearwaterFestival.org. Clearwater members receive 20% off. Kids 12 and under are free.The Clearwater Festival is wheelchair accessible and most stage programming is staffed with American Sign Language Interpreters.To stay up to date on all Clearwater Festival news, please visit ClearwaterFestival.org and the official Facebook and Twitter pages.

Fri, 04/18/2014 - 9:41 am

Today, Electric Forest announces another round of artists set to perform festival’s eagerly awaited return to the legendary Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Mich. on June 26-29, 2014.  Also announced today, two brand new Good Life VIP experiences.  The groundbreaking music and camping festival will give fans the chance to experience a diverse lineup of music while being surrounded by the beauty and magic of Sherwood Forest and its many colorful surprises.Excision, Classixx, Tycho, Gemini Club, Cosby Sweater, Dixon's Violin, After Funk, Emerson Jay, and The Woven Tangles join the already stacked 2014 Electric Forest Lineup.  Also announced today are the lineups for Electric Forest’s curated events at the Tripolee Stage. Bassrush debuts at Electric Forest hosting Excision, I Am Legion, Andy C, 12th Planet, Bro Safari, Luminox, Dirtyphonics and others.  Deep in the Forest announces another epic curated event with Art Department, Lee Burridge, Soul Clap, Destructo, MK, Kastle, Bob Moses, Eric Volta and Anna Lunoe. Electric Forest also announced two new Good Life VIP experiences today. The brand new Tripolee Comfort Campround offers rage-front camping only steps from the main gates and Tripolee stage, and includes access to the Good Life Premium Viewing Areas at Ranch Arena and Sherwood Court stages, and more. The newly revamped Electric Access VIP Package is for those who want to live like a rock star, offering Private airport transportation, Ranch Arena side-stage viewing, dedicated golf cart service throughout the festival, a pre-assembled Safari Tent, access to Artist Catering for all meals, & much more. With Electric Forest’s Good Life VIP offerings almost entirely sold out – the announcement of these experiences comes as great news to those who were still hoping to live the Good Life at Electric Forest 2014. Electric Forest had already revealed that its 2014 artist lineup would welcome back The String Cheese Incident for three performances, including a special collaboration with Ms. Lauryn Hill dubbed The Ms. Lauryn Hill Incident. MOBY (DJ Set), Steve Angello, STS9 (2 Shows), Zedd, Cut Copy, Flying Lotus, Zeds Dead, Kaytranada, Schoolboy Q, The Floozies, Matt & Kim, The Glitch Mob, Booka Shade Live, Stephen "Ragga" Marley, EOTO, Art Department, and Aloe Blacc will perform. The complete list of currently confirmed artists is available at www.electricforestfestival.com.Entering its fourth year, Electric Forest is known for bringing together a passionate group of fans whose shared community spirit makes the festival a truly unique experience. The festival incorporates the natural beauty of the venue into carefully crafted art pieces and creatively themed environments, while colorful interactive characters and storylines blend with eclectic performing artists and musicians. Weekend passes are available for purchase at $264.50 before service fees. Tickets are on sale now at www.electricforestfestival.com.  To stay up to date on all Electric Forest news, please visit ElectricForest.com and the official Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages and use the festival’s official hashtag #EF2014.

Wed, 05/14/2014 - 11:53 am

Great Hudson River Revival (Clearwater Festival), the country’s oldest and largest music and environmental festival, brings together major musical acts and Clearwater’s own brand of green activism for a unique weekend every June. Clearwater Festival 2014, which takes place onJune 21 and 22, on the banks of the Hudson River at beautiful Croton Point Park, Croton-On-Hudson, NY, recently announced its lineup of musical headliners. Founded 49 years ago by musician and activist Pete Seeger and his wife Toshi Seeger, this year’s Great Hudson River Revival promises to be a special celebration of the Seeger’s and their legacy; this year marks the first Clearwater Festival since Pete and Toshi’s recent passing. The festival is pleased to welcome many Clearwater friends old and new to the celebration, many of whom will perform special tributes during the event. The 2014 Clearwater Festival performer line-up features a diverse group of established and emerging talent including Lucinda WilliamsNorah Jones with her new project, Puss N Boots (Norah, Sasha Dobson and Catherine Popper); singer-songwriter, Rufus Wainwright; alternative Country/Swing band, The Mavericks; legendary guitarist and singer, Richard Thompson; jam band moe. playing a special acoustic set; Martin Sexton; Josh RitterDar WilliamsDavid Bromberg’s Big Band; ukulele virtuoso, Jake ShimabukuroBuckwheat Zydeco; soul diva, Bettye LaVette; indie jazz/soul band, Lake Street Dive; Congolese Salsa great, Ricardo Lemvo, children’s music artist Laurie Berkner, and many others. Visit www.clearwaterfestival.org for complete list of performers.Pete Seeger’s vision and desire to clean up the Hudson River in the 1960s prompted a series of riverside concerts throughout the Hudson Valley to help raise the funds to “build a boat to save the river.” The banjo case was laid open to accept contributions, and this was the start of Hudson River Sloop Clearwater that also laid the foundations for the Great Hudson River Revival – today also known as the Clearwater Festival.Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival is a destination for music fans and families alike, offering a plethora of family-oriented programming and activities and vendors for kids, including special performances on the Family Stage, juggling and roving artists, Children’s Area, storytelling, river beach combing and net seining, and lots of kid-friendly activities.Other offerings that make the Revival experience unique and memorable include the Working Waterfront, offering rides on small boats and tall ships including the sloop Clearwater and the schooner Mystic WhalerThe Handcrafters’ Village showcases over 50 crafters and folk artists with quality hand-made items, demonstrations and workshops. The Green Living Expo is the place to learn about sustainable products, services, concepts and technologies for informed lifestyle and business choices. The Discovery and Tideline tents feature Clearwater’s original hands-on environmental education programs and Hudson River research. The Environmental Action Tent highlights Clearwater’s watershed and environmental justice initiatives in our Hudson Valley communities.  An expanded Artisanal Food & Farm Market offers Hudson Valley foods and specialty items as well as demonstrations and performances by local musicians.Ticket prices start at $70.00 and are available for purchase now at www.ClearwaterFestival.org. Clearwater members receive 20% off. Kids 12 and under are free.The Clearwater Festival is wheelchair accessible and most stage programming is staffed with American Sign Language Interpreters.To stay up to date on all Clearwater Festival news, please visit ClearwaterFestival.org and the official Facebook and Twitter pages. Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival is produced by the nonprofit, member-supported, environmental organization Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc. All proceeds go directly to support Clearwater’s environmental education and advocacy.

Wed, 05/28/2014 - 3:08 pm

Today, SnowGlobe Music Festival announces its highly anticipated return to the stunning landscape of South Lake Tahoe, California over New Year’s Eve, December 29-31, 2014.  Combining the world's best live musicians with the world's best snow conditions, SnowGlobe is a one-of-a-kind festival experience that seamlessly fuses music and mountains. Check out the official date announcement video here.Hosted each New Year’s in the heart of California’s breathtaking Sierra Nevada Mountains, fans can expect over 50 international, national, regional, and local artists performing multiple stages over 3 nights - and easy access to a variety of world-class ski resorts by day. The 2014 artist lineup will be announced in the coming months.  Also stay tuned for hotel/lift ticket packages, info on SnowGlobe’s ski/snowboard jump showcase “Big Air,” After Party announcements, and so much more, at the festival’s newly revamped website.A limited number of SnowDay early bird Weekend Passes will be available for purchase by SnowGlobe Elist subscribers only on Friday, May 30 beginning at 11am PDT.  SnowDay Tickets are $109.00 while supplies last.  Quantities are extremely limited. The purchase link for SnowDay Tickets will be sent to the EList at 10am PDT on May 30.  Click here to sign up for the SnowGlobe EList to receive the exclusive SnowDay Ticket link.Once SnowDay Tickets sell out, Advance SnowGlobe Weekend Passes will be available for $134.00 at www.snowglobemusicfestival.com.To stay up to date on all SnowGlobe news, please visit www.snowglobemusicfestival.com and the official Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages and use the official; hashtag #SNOWGLOBE2014SnowGlobe is honored to be partnered with Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority.  Use TahoeSouth.com as your one-stop information source for everything you need to know about South Lake Tahoe.

Fri, 05/30/2014 - 10:45 am

Today, Electric Forest announces that tickets to the 4th annual event at Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, Mich. on June 26-29, 2014 are sold out.  News of the sell out comes just two days after the festival released its final round of artists for the 2014 lineup. Umphrey’s McGee (2 Shows), Manic Menert (Manic Focus x Michal Menert), Blue Sky Black Death, Late Night Radio, Dustin Thomas, Marcelo Moxy and others join the list of over 100 acts scheduled to perform at 2014’s sold out festival. Performances already announced include The String Cheese Incident for three performances, including a special collaboration with Ms. Lauryn Hill dubbed The Ms. Lauryn Hill Incident, MOBY (DJ Set), Steve Angello, STS9 (2 Shows), Zedd, Cut Copy, Flying Lotus, Zeds Dead, Kaytranada, Schoolboy Q, The Floozies, Matt & Kim, The Glitch Mob, Booka Shade Live, Stephen "Ragga" Marley, EOTO, Art Department, Aloe Blacc and many others. The complete list of currently confirmed artists is available at www.electricforestfestival.com. Hailed as “[Among] the World’s ten best music festivals” (Jetsetter) and "an amazing example of how music and festivals can change one’s outlook on life," (VICE) Electric Forest is known for bringing together a passionate group of fans whose shared community spirit makes the festival a truly unique experience. The groundbreaking music and camping festival gives fans the chance to experience a diverse lineup of music while being surrounded by the beauty and magic of Sherwood Forest and its many colorful surprises. The festival incorporates the natural beauty of the venue into carefully crafted art pieces and creatively themed environments, while colorful interactive characters and storylines blend with eclectic performing artists and musicians. Tickets to Electric Forest 2014 are SOLD OUT. To stay up to date on all Electric Forest news, please visit www.electricforestfestival.com and the official Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages and use the festival’s official hashtag #EF2014.

Mon, 06/16/2014 - 1:41 pm

Today, The Ride Festival announces the stage schedule for the festival’s 3rd installment - July 12-13, 2014 at Colorado’s breathtaking Telluride Town Park.  Visit the website to view the schedule. Also revealed today, The Cold Stares and Tyler Bryant and The Shakedown will perform The Ride Festival’s opening Mountain Village Sunset Concert on Friday, July 11.  Admission to the opening Mountain Village Sunset Concert is free and open to the public.

For The Ride Festival 2014, headliners Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, Thievery Corporation and Spoon are joined by a diverse and talented roster of artists including JJ Grey & Mofro, Joan Osborne, Lucero, The Hold Steady, Vintage Trouble, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Rival Sons, Delta Rae, The Wood Brothers, Reignwolf, White Denim, Brother and Bones, Harlem Gospel Choir, The Delta Saints, The Cold Stares, Jeffrey Foucault, Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown, West Water Outlaws, The Yawpers, and Crash.

The schedule for The Ride Festival’s beloved NightRide - when music spills out into local venues along Main Street for late night showcases by emerging talent - was recently unveiled. Sheridan Opera House, Fly Me To The Moon Saloon, New Sheridan Bar and The Roma will host intimate NightRide performances by such Ride Festival acts as Vintage Trouble, Rival Sons, Brother & Bones and others throughout the weekend.  NightRide shows are free to Ride Festival Weekend Ticket-holders (entry first come first served), except Sheridan Opera House events. Sheridan Opera House tickets are onsale now. Visit www.ridefestival.com for the complete NightRide schedule and info and to purchase tickets.

The Ride Fest has quickly garnered a reputation among music fans for its thoughtful performance curation - hand-picking rootsy, rocking talent whose music flawlessly compliments the festival’s stunning Telluride setting. Since its debut in 2012, The Ride Festival has filled a unique niche in Colorado - and among U.S. festival offerings - as host to a carefully curated Americana/rock lineup offering world-class musical acts and introducing new, soon-to-break talent.

The Ride Festival’s close proximity to the many outdoor activities that Telluride and Southern Colorado have to offer make the festival a unique destination event.  Attendees can enjoy hiking, biking, hot springs, and so much more – all in a truly majestic setting.  Rounding out The Ride Fest’s authentic mountain culture – The Ride Fest helps benefit Telluride’s beloved KOTOfm, one of the country’s last remaining music radio stations that is entirely listener supported and non-commercial.

General Admission 2-Day Passes are available for purchase at $165. VIP 2-Day Passes are available for $325.00. Tickets are on sale now at www.ridefestival.com

To stay up to date on all Ride Festival news, please visit www.ridefestival.com and the official Facebook, and Twitter and use the festival’s official hashtag #RideFest2014.

Mon, 07/07/2014 - 12:29 pm

Today, progressive funk collective The Motet announce their annual Halloween shows along Colorado’s Front Range, and unveil this year’s always-anticipated theme for the legendary parties:  “Mixtape 1975.”  The Motet’s “Mixtape 1975” Halloween run makes stops at Vilar PAC in Beaver Creek, the Boulder Theater, and Denver’s Ogden Theatre, with an additional Colorado show still to be announced.  Tickets go on sale Friday, July 11 at 10am MDT at www.themotet.net.  See below for the complete list of The Motet’s currently confirmed tour dates.

The Motet teased the Halloween “Mixtape 1975” theme during the band’s set at the sold-out Red Rocks Amphitheatre show with Umphrey’s McGee this past weekend via a cover of the 1975 funk hit “Cut the Cake” by Average White Band.

The Motet’s famed Halloween shows, wherein the band performs music of their favorite funk influences (either an album in its entirety or a “mixtape’ of songs popular in a chosen year) are joyous, full of surprises and legendarily raucous.  The shows have served not only to pay back the band’s fans for their loyalty but also to enhance The Motet’s understanding of who they are. Says The Motet’s drummer and founder Dave Watts, “We feel that it’s crucial to know the roots of any style of music so that you can speak the language.”

For each Halloween run of shows, The Motet study the intricacies of the chosen artists they cover and work out every minute detail, often bringing in additional musicians and vocalists so that they can fully embody the subject’s music. To date, Halloween shows have focused on the canons of such iconic artists as Stevie Wonder, P-Funk, Jamiroquai, Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters, Prince, Tower of Power and others, and last year featured “Mixtape 1980.”

Meanwhile, outside of their special Halloween run, “More energy is being put toward writing original music, Motet vocalist Jans Ingber explains.  “That’s the difference between The Motet four years ago and The Motet now.”

In this spirit, The Motet recently released their self-titled 7th album, which has been hailed as “ambitious, airtight and built to travel” (Boulder Weekly). The nine tracks on The Motet (released February 2014) seamlessly showcase an evolved, keenly refined musical vision of The Motet; a band committed to pushing the sonic envelope, while remaining dedicated to the musical traditions - funk, afrobeat, disco, jazz, and soul - that have long defined their sound. The Motet are well known in Colorado and beyond for keeping audiences in a dancing frenzy by layering precise and vibrant live instrumentation and electronic rhythms into a style that is uniquely their own. And in this age when EDM reigns over the dance music scene, The Motet is proof that funk is not even close to dead.  For this studio recording, each member of the band contributed to the writing and arranging of the album’s nine original songs.  Using traditional analog recording methods including tape, tubes and transistors, the music on The Motet offers all the crunch and bite of a classic 70’s funk record and is warm, rich, and organic in tone. But the music is fresh and forward – as much a glimpse into the future of funk music as it is homage to the past.

Started ten years ago by seasoned drummer Dave Watts as a rotating cast of musical friends, today The Motet has refined their sound and vision into a dynamic and expressive force. The Motet features an astonishingly talented cast of musicians who enjoy a palpable rapport when put together – Dave Watts (drums, musical director), Garrett Sayers (bass), Joey Porter (keyboards), Ryan Jalbert (guitar), Jans Ingber (vocals) and horn players Gabe Mervine (trumpet) and Matt Pitts (sax).

Touring nationwide for the first time in the band’s history, The Motet are being hailed as “the best live band right now” (Source Audio).

The Motet’s current tour dates are as follows:
Saturday, July 12 Camp Euphoria Lone Tree IA 
Friday, July 18 Tractor Tavern Seattle WA 
Saturday, July 19 Northwest String Summit Northern Plains OR 
Sunday, July 20 Starbelly Jam Crawford Bay BC 
Thursday, July 31 Music on Main  Victor ID 
Sunday, August 3 Blues, Brews, and BBQ @ Snowbasin  Huntsville UT 
Friday, August 15 YarmonyGrass Music Festival Bond CO 
Friday, August 22 Camp Barefoot Bartow WV 
Thursday, August 28 Sculpture Park Denver CO
Saturday, August 30 North Coast Music Festival Chicago IL 
Friday, September 5 - Saturday, September 6 Mishawaka Amphitheatre Bellvue CO
Thursday, October 9 WorkPlay Theatre Birmingham AL 
Friday, October 10 Fly Free Festival Lafayette GA 
Friday, October 24 Art Outside Rockdale TX 
Saturday, October 25 - Sunday, October 26 Hangtown Halloween Ball Placerville CA 
Tuesday, October 28 Vilar Performing Arts Center Beaver Creek CO
Thursday, October 30 - Friday, October 31 Boulder Theater Boulder CO
Saturday, November 1 Ogden Theatre Denver CO
Tuesday, January 6 - Sunday, January 11 Jam Cruise 10 Fort Lauderdale FL 
 
Additional dates to be announced.

To stay up to date on all news on The Motet, please visit
www.themotet.com and the official Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Soundcloud pages.

Tue, 07/15/2014 - 12:33 pm

Today, Southern Soul Assembly—an artist-in-the-round performance series featuring JJ Grey, Marc Broussard, Anders Osborne and Luther Dickinson—announces its highly anticipated follow-up tour, set to hit west coast venues in November 2014.  The tour, which launches November 11 in Sandpoint, Idaho, hits 11 cities including Seattle, Washington, Portland and Eugene, Oregon, San Francisco and Los Angeles, CA, Denver and Boulder CO and others.  See below for the SSA’s complete list of fall 2014 tour dates.

Watch an interview/performance video of SSA, and this live performance video recorded last March at SPACE in Evanston, Illinois.

For this unique collaboration, “four great songwriters in their prime” (Twangville) take “ample advantage of the sorts of impromptu collaborations that the in-the-round format makes possible” (Boston Globe) to “not only express a side they rarely reveal [individually], but to form a band of their own” (Austin Chronicle).

Dishing up an “easy-going, but ever-surprising blend of acoustic songs, styles, stories and smiles” (WXRT), Southern Soul Assembly debuted last spring to rave reviews. Hailed as a “perfect night” (Blogcritics) filled with “a mutual appreciation from the fans and artists alike” (Southern Manners), The Southern Soul Assembly takes audiences on a musical and storytelling journey complete with “soaring moments, heartfelt laughs and lots of toe tapping” (Twangville).  The result: “sheer dynamite” (Examiner.com).

Grey, Broussard, Osborne, and Dickinson, all highly seasoned artists, have no doubt demonstrated a natural ability to contribute to each other’s music through harmonies and guitar, each building and adding meaningfully to the songs.  In a recent interview with the Mobile Press-Register, Anders Osborne talked about the intense personal nature of the Southern Soul Assembly project saying that soul refers “Not necessarily soul music, in the traditional sense, but just how devoted and involved, emotionally, that all four of us are, in our writing, in our performance, in what we do. It’s just a soul-baring experience, I think.”

Indeed, Southern Soul Assembly draws from the rich legacy of American Southern culture of each of the players. “Just like food in the South, our music is greasier than most,” says Marc Broussard. “The beat is on the backside, generally, because it gets too hot for people to move too quickly.”

“The South is in each of us,” says JJ Grey. “Each night feels like a big ole Southern family reunion.”
 
This fall, The Southern Soul Assembly Tour brings its passionate, authentic and deeply soulful homage to the rich Southern musical spirit to the following venues:
 
Tuesday, Nov 11 - Sandpoint, ID Panida Theater
Wednesday, Nov 12 - Seattle, WA The Triple Door
Thursday, Nov 13 - Portland, OR Aladdin Theater
Friday, Nov 14 - Eugene, OR McDonald Theatre
Saturday, Nov 15 - Reno, NV Cargo Reno
Sunday, Nov 16 - San Francisco, CA The Fillmore            
Tuesday, Nov 18 - Los Angeles, CA Regent Theater
Wednesday, Nov 19 - Flagstaff, AZ Orpheum Theater 
Thursday, Nov 20 - Salt Lake City, UT The State Room  
Friday, Nov 21 - Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
Saturday, Nov 22 - Boulder, CO Boulder Theater

Wed, 08/06/2014 - 11:06 am

The Motet is leading the new Funk revival and today the band announces a special New Year’s Eve celebration at Portland, Oregon’s Crystal Ballroom on December 31, 2014.  Known for throwing some of the best dance parties around, The Motet’s “New Year’s Eve in Funklandia” promises a festive night of great music, good vibes, and plenty of surprises. On hand for party are 8 piece afro-beat orchestra Polyrhythmics and Portland’s own turntablist DJ Weather.  Tickets, including special VIP packages, go on sale on Friday, August 8 at www.themotet.net.Also announced today, The Motet will make some runs in the southeast and northeast this November.  On the schedule so far are stops at Terminal West in Atlanta, Georgia, Asheville Music Hall in North Carolina, a return to New York’s Brooklyn Bowl and Boston’s Brighton Music Hall, with other dates still to be announced. See below for the complete list of The Motet’s currently confirmed tour dates.The Motet has been on tour this summer in support of their brand new album, simply titled The Motet. Fresh off festival stops including Summer Camp, Northwest String Summit, Euphoria Camping & Music Festival and a sold-out Red Rocks performance, the band is set to return to Colorado’s Front Range for their famed annual Halloween shows along Colorado’s Front Range.  Unveiled as this year’s always-anticipated theme for the famed parties:  “Mixtape 1975.” Tickets for The Motet’s “Mixtape 1975” shows are currently on sale at www.themotet.net.Meanwhile, outside of the extensive tour dates, “More energy is being put toward writing original music,” Motet vocalist Jans Ingber explains.  “That’s the difference between The Motet four years ago and The Motet now.”In this spirit, The Motet recently released their self-titled 7th album, which has been hailed as “ambitious, airtight and built to travel” (Boulder Weekly). The nine tracks on The Motet (released February 2014) seamlessly showcase an evolved, keenly refined musical vision of The Motet; a band committed to pushing the sonic envelope, while remaining dedicated to the musical traditions - funk, afrobeat, disco, jazz, and soul - that have long defined their sound. The Motet are well known in Colorado and beyond for keeping audiences in a dancing frenzy by layering precise and vibrant live instrumentation and electronic rhythms into a style that is uniquely their own. And in this age when EDM reigns over the dance music scene, The Motet is proof that funk is not even close to dead.  For this studio recording, each member of the band contributed to the writing and arranging of the album’s nine original songs.  Using traditional analog recording methods including tape, tubes and transistors, the music on The Motet offers all the crunch and bite of a classic 70’s funk record and is warm, rich, and organic in tone. But the music is fresh and forward – as much a glimpse into the future of funk music as it is homage to the past.Started ten years ago by seasoned drummer Dave Watts as a rotating cast of musical friends, today The Motet has refined their sound and vision into a dynamic and expressive force. The Motet features an astonishingly talented cast of musicians who enjoy a palpable rapport when put together – Dave Watts (drums, musical director), Garrett Sayers (bass), Joey Porter (keyboards), Ryan Jalbert (guitar), Jans Ingber (vocals) and horn players Gabe Mervine (trumpet) and Matt Pitts (sax).Touring nationwide for the first time in the band’s history, The Motet are being hailed as “the best live band right now” (Source Audio).The Motet’s current tour dates are as follows:Sunday, August 10 Santa Cruz Mountain Sol Festival Felton CAFriday, August 15 YarmonyGrass Music Festival Bond COFriday, August 22 Camp Barefoot Bartow WVThursday, August 28 Sculpture Park Denver COSaturday, August 30 North Coast Music Festival Chicago ILFriday, September 5 (with Eminence Ensemble) - Saturday, September 6 (with The Magic Beans) Mishawaka Amphitheatre Bellvue COThursday, October 9 WorkPlay Theatre Birmingham ALFriday, October 10 Fly Free Festival Lafayette GAFriday, October 24 Art Outside Rockdale TXSaturday, October 25 - Sunday, October 26 Hangtown Halloween Ball Placerville CATuesday, October 28 Vilar Performing Arts Center Beaver Creek CO – “Mixtape 1975”Thursday, October 30 - Friday, October 31 Boulder Theater Boulder CO - “Mixtape 1975”Saturday, November 1 Ogden Theatre Denver CO - “Mixtape 1975”Friday, November 7 Terminal West Atlanta GASaturday, November 8 Asheville Music Hall Asheville NCFriday, November 21 Brooklyn Bowl Brooklyn NYSaturday, November 22 Brighton Music Hall Boston MAWednesday, December 31 Crystal Ballroom Portland OR “New Year’s Eve in Funklandia”with Polyrhythmics and DJ WeatherTuesday, January 6 - Sunday, January 11 Jam Cruise 10 Fort Lauderdale FL Additional dates to be announced.

Tue, 09/16/2014 - 10:54 am

Singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Keller Williams recently announced his early winter tour plans, finding Keller in a variety of solo performances and creative collaborations.

First up, Keller performs as part of Phil Lesh & Friends for a very special run at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York on November 21 and 22. In December, find Keller on a short run of southwest shows in Tucson and Tempe, Arizona and Albuquerque, New Mexico with progressive funk band The Motet. Keller will wrap up the year with Leftover Salmon for a special New Year’s run at The Vic in Chicago on December 30th and 31st, where Keller will perform with his six-piece funk outfit More Than A Little on the 30th and solo (with sit ins with Leftover Salmon) on the 31st.

Keller Williams recently released DOS, the second Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass album (and 3rd including his solo release KEYS) to benefit Rex Foundation, the charitable non-profit organization started by the Grateful Dead. Culled from the live recording of “Nightfall of Diamonds”-
A Benefit for the Rex Foundation
at The Fillmore in San Francisco on December 7, 2013, DOS features Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass with Keller (guitar), Michael Kang (violin), Jeff Austin (mandolin), and Keith Moseley (bass) performing not-so-traditional bluegrass versions of beloved Grateful Dead songs.  Among the ten tracks – “Jack Straw,” “High Time,” “Sampson and Delilah,” and “Althea.”  DOS is available for digital purchase now at nugs.net with 100% of the proceeds going to benefit The Rex Foundation.
 
Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass has performed at a handful of festivals this summer including  Lockn’ and Arise Music Festival, with Utopiafest, and DSO’s Jam In the Sand still to come. Featuring an ever-rotating cast of musicians, this summer/fall Grateful Grass lineup offers up such players as Billy Nershi, Jeff Austin, Keith Moseley, Allie Kral, Reed Mathis, Vince Herman, and Sam Grisman. Also on the books this fall are a slew of dates including Keller performing solo and with some of his many projects, including Keller with The Travelin’ McCourys and Keller with More Than A Little.  See below for Keller Williams’ complete fall tour schedule.
 
The complete list of currently confirmed Keller Williams tour dates is as follows:
Thursday, September 18 Phoenix Concert Theatre Toronto ON with Canada Chameleon Project
Friday, September 19 The Tralf Buffalo NY 
Saturday, September 20 Sherman Theater Stroudsburg PA 
Thursday, September 25 - Saturday, September 27 Watermelon Park Fest Berryville VA Keller
solo, Keller & The Keels, and Keller Williams with More Than A Little
Thursday, October 2 Legends at Appalachian State University Boone NC
Friday, October 3 Chop Shop Charlotte NC
Saturday, October 4 IMBA'S Wide Open Bluegrass Festival and official afterpary at Lincoln
Theatre Raleigh NC Keller Williams w/ The Travelin' McCourys
Friday, October 10 The Festy Experience at Devil's Backbone Roseland VA Keller Williams with
More Than A Little
Thursday, October 16 Terminal West Atlanta GA Keller Williams with More Than A Little 
Friday, October 17 Magnolia Music Festival Live Oak Fl Keller Williams with More Than A Little 
Saturday, October 18 Music Farm Columbia Columbia SC
Thursday, October 30 The Highline New York NY The Infamous Stringdusters ft. Keller Williams 
Thursday, November 6 Port City Music Hall Portland ME 
Friday, November 7 Paradise Rock Club Boston MA 
Saturday, November 8 Higher Ground South Burlington VT 
Thursday, November 13 The Bluebird Bloomington IN
Friday, November 14 Copper Dragon Carbondale IL
Saturday, November 15 The Blue Note Columbia MO
Friday, November 21 The Capitol Theatre Port Chester NY Phil & Friends
Saturday, November 22 The Capitol Theatre Port Chester NY Phil & Friends
Thursday, December 4 Rialto Theater Tucson AZ w/ The Motet
Friday, December 5 Marquee Theatre Tempe AZ w/ The Motet
Saturday, December 6 El Rey Albuquerque NM w/ The Motet
Saturday, December 27 Theatre of the Living Arts Philadelphia PA Keller Williams with More
Than A Little 
Tuesday, December 30 The Vic Chicago IL Keller Williams with
More Than A Little w/ Leftover Salmon
Wednesday, December 31 The Vic Chicago IL w/ Leftover Salmon  
Friday, February 27 - Monday, March 2 DSO Jam in the Sand Negril Keller Williams’ Grateful
Grass Featuring Vince Herman, Sam Grisman & Allie Kral plus Keller & His Compadres & Keller Williams Solo
 
Additional dates to be announced.

Thu, 09/18/2014 - 3:10 pm

Southern Soul Assembly—an artist-in-the-round performance series featuring JJ Grey, Marc Broussard, Anders Osborne and Luther Dickinson—recently announced its highly anticipated follow-up tour, set to hit west coast venues this November.  The tour, which launches November 11 in Sandpoint, Idaho, hits 11 cities including Seattle, Washington, Portland and Eugene, Oregon, San Francisco and Los Angeles, CA, Denver and Boulder CO and others.  See below for the SSA’s complete list of fall 2014 tour dates.
 
Watch an interview/performance video of SSA, and this live performance video recorded last March at SPACE in Evanston, Illinois.
 
For this unique collaboration, “four great songwriters in their prime” (Twangville) take “ample advantage of the sorts of impromptu collaborations that the in-the-round format makes possible” (Boston Globe) to “not only express a side they rarely reveal [individually], but to form a band of their own” (Austin Chronicle).
 
Dishing up an “easy-going, but ever-surprising blend of acoustic songs, styles, stories and smiles” (WXRT), Southern Soul Assembly debuted last spring to rave reviews. Hailed as a “perfect night” (Blogcritics) filled with “a mutual appreciation from the fans and artists alike” (Southern Manners), The Southern Soul Assembly takes audiences on a musical and storytelling journey complete with “soaring moments, heartfelt laughs and lots of toe tapping” (Twangville).  The result: “sheer dynamite” (Examiner.com).
 
Grey, Broussard, Osborne, and Dickinson, all highly seasoned artists, have no doubt demonstrated a natural ability to contribute to each other’s music through harmonies and guitar, each building and adding meaningfully to the songs.  In a recent interview with the Mobile Press-Register, Anders Osborne talked about the intense personal nature of the Southern Soul Assembly project saying that soul refers “Not necessarily soul music, in the traditional sense, but just how devoted and involved, emotionally, that all four of us are, in our writing, in our performance, in what we do. It’s just a soul-baring experience, I think.”
 
Indeed, Southern Soul Assembly draws from the rich legacy of American Southern culture of each of the players. “Just like food in the South, our music is greasier than most,” says Marc Broussard. “The beat is on the backside, generally, because it gets too hot for people to move too quickly.” 
 
 “The South is in each of us,” says JJ Grey. “Each night feels like a big ole Southern family reunion.”
 
This fall, The Southern Soul Assembly Tour brings its passionate, authentic and deeply soulful homage to the rich Southern musical spirit to the following venues:
 
Tuesday, Nov 11 - Sandpoint, ID Panida Theater
Wednesday, Nov 12 - Seattle, WA The Triple Door
Thursday, Nov 13 - Portland, OR Aladdin Theater
Friday, Nov 14 - Eugene, OR McDonald Theatre
Saturday, Nov 15 - Reno, NV Cargo Reno
Sunday, Nov 16 - San Francisco, CA The Fillmore            
Tuesday, Nov 18 - Los Angeles, CA Regent Theater
Wednesday, Nov 19 - Flagstaff, AZ Orpheum Theater 
Thursday, Nov 20 - Salt Lake City, UT The State Room  
Friday, Nov 21 - Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
Saturday, Nov 22 - Boulder, CO Boulder Theater

Tue, 11/18/2014 - 11:24 am

Today, singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Keller Williams announces his Winter 2015 tour plans. 
 
The year begins in mid January with shows at Irving Plaza in New York City and the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey – where Keller brings along his six-piece funk outfit, More Than A Little, and welcomes support act That 1 Guy each night.   Later that same month, Keller brings his solo set to Florida for the first time in over a year – with stops in Clearwater, Orlando, and Ft. Lauderdale January 22-24.
 
In Late January Keller hits the road with progressive funk band The Motet for a string of west coast shows presented by O.penVAPE.  With stops in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and points in between, stay tuned for information on special O.penVAPE activation opportunities with Keller and The Motet, and their fans.
 
Then, the winter rolls on in late February with solo sets in West Virginia and Virginia, before Keller heads further south to Dark Star Orchestra’s Jam in the Sand in Negril, Jamaica February 27 - March 2 for a slew of special shows including Grateful Grass and Keller and His Compadres sets featuring Williams, Vince Herman, Sam Grisman & Allie Kral, Keller solo sets, and more. 
 
Finally, in early March, Keller shares the bill with The Infamous Stringdusters for shows in the Pacific Northwest. See below for the complete list of currently confirmed tour dates. Tickets and information all shows available at www.kellerwilliams.net.
 
Of course, Keller has plenty lined up before 2015.  He’ll perform this weekend - November 21 and 22 - as part of Phil Lesh & Friends for a very special run at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York. In December, find Keller on a short run of southwest shows in Tucson and Tempe, Arizona and Albuquerque, New Mexico with The Motet.  Later in the month are Keller’s annual winter “Compadres” shows  - December 19-20 at Warren Station, in Keystone, Colorado.  For this third annual winter tradition, Keller will perform solo sets each night, plus sets with Andy Thorn (Leftover Salmon) and Andy Falco (The Infamous Stringdusters) on the 19th and with WMDS featuring Keller, Keith Moseley, Gib Droll (Gib Droll Band), and Jeff Sipe (Aquarium Rescue Unit, Jazz is Dead) on the 20th. On December 26, Keller hosts his 14th annual holiday show to benefit the SPCA of his hometown, Fredericksburg, Virginia. He’ll wrap up the year with Leftover Salmon for a special New Year’s run at The Vic in Chicago on December 30th and 31st, where Keller will perform with More Than A Little on the 30th and solo (with sit ins with Leftover Salmon) on the 31st.

The complete list of Keller Williams confirmed tour dates is as follows:
 
Friday, November 21 - Saturday, November 22 The Capitol Theatre 
Port Chester NY Phil Lesh & Friends 
Thursday, December 4 Rialto Theatre Tucson AZ with The Motet   
Friday, December 5 Marquee Theater Phoenix AZ with The Motet 
Saturday, December 6 El Rey Theatre Albuquerque NM with The Motet 
Friday, December 19 - Saturday, December 20 Warren Station
Center for the Arts Keystone CO Keller & His Compadres
Featuring Andy Thorne and Andy Falco (Fri) and WMDs (Sat) 
Friday, December 26 SPCA Benefit at Old Silk Mill Fredericksburg  VA
Keller Williams with More Than A Little 
Saturday, December 27 Theatre of the Living Arts Philadelphia PA
Keller Williams with More Than A Little 
Tuesday, December 30 - Wednesday, December 31 The Vic Theatre Chicago IL
with Leftover Salmon // More Than A Little on 12/30
and Keller Solo on 12/31 
Friday, January 16 Irving Plaza New York NY Keller Williams
with More Than A Little w/ That 1 Guy
Saturday, January 17 Stone Pony Asbury Park NJ Keller Williams
with More Than A Little w/ That 1 Guy
Thursday, January 22 The Capitol Theater Clearwater FL 
Friday, January 23 Plaza Live Orlando FL 
Saturday, January 24 Revolution Live Ft. Lauderdale FL 
Thursday, January 29 Belly Up Solana Beach CA with The Motet
Friday, January 30 The Roxy Los Angeles CA with The Motet
Saturday, January 31 Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas NC with The Motet
Thursday, February 5 Arcata Theater Arcata, CA with The Motet
Friday, February 6 Fillmore Auditorium San Francisco CA with The Motet
Saturday, February 7 Crystal Bay Club Auditorium Crystal Bay NV with The Motet
Friday, February 13 The Connection Snoweshoe WV 
Thursday, February 19 Harvester Performance Center Rocky Mt VA  
Friday, February 20 Birchmere Alexandria VA 
Friday, February 27 - Monday, March 2 DSO Jam in the Sand Negril 
Grateful Grass Ft. Keller Williams, Vince Herman, Sam Grisman & Allie Kral plus Keller & His Compadres & Keller Williams Solo 
Thursday, March 5 McDonald Theatre Eugene OR with co-headliners
The Infamous Stringdusters  
Friday, March 6 The Showbox Seattle WA with co-headliner
The Infamous Stringdusters 
Saturday, March 7 Wonder Ballroom Portland OR with co-headliner
The Infamous Stringdusters
March 19 - March 22 Suwannee Springfest Live Oak FL Keller Williams
with The Travelin’ McCourys 
Friday, April 3 - Saturday, April 4 Alyseka Resort @ The Sitzmark Bar & Grille
Girdwood AK 
 
Additional dates to be announced.

Wed, 12/03/2014 - 4:31 pm

Today, Electric Forest announced ticket information and on sale dates for the 5th annual music and camping festival at the legendary Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Michigan. The festival, which will take place on June 25-28, 2015, has been hailed as one of the "20 legendary world festivals to see in your lifetime" (Distractify). Electric Forest 2015 promises to deliver the ultimate festival experience with its unparalleled integration of music, art and community.

To thank those loyal fans who have attended previous installments of the festival, Electric Forest has created two different loyalty programs that offer these guests a discounted opportunity to return to the Sherwood Forest for the 2015 celebration.

The first group of loyalty tickets are specific to fans who purchased tickets to the 2014 festival directly from www.electricforestfestival.com

This group will be able to purchase one specially priced GA Wristband at $219.50 plus fees, or one GOOD LIFE VIP Village Wristband at $555 plus service fees.  Fans who qualify will be emailed a special purchase code on December 3, allowing them access to the loyalty on-sale, which will begin on December 9 at 12PM EST. The loyalty on-sale will be available for only 23 hours, or while supplies last. These tickets can be purchased at www.electricforestfestival.com and are expected to sell out very quickly.

The second group of loyalty tickets are geared toward those amazing fans who have attended all four years of previous Electric Forest Festival’s (and there are plenty)! Those who qualify can participate in the festival’s “Four in the Forest” loyalty program, which gives this select group guaranteed access to purchase up to two GA Wristbands at $209.50 each plus fees, or two GOOD LIFE VIP Village Wristbands at $529 each plus fees, during the loyalty on sale on December 9. Discount codes for the “Four in the Forest” loyalty program will be emailed to qualifying members on December 3. Discount codes for the “Four in the Forest” program are reserved and these tickets will not sell out for members during the 23 hour loyalty on sale period.For those who are looking to attend Electric Forest for the first time, or for fans who couldn’t participate in either of the loyalty programs, the general on sale for GA and all GOOD LIFE VIP Wristbands and Lodging Packages kicks off on December 10 at 12PM EST at www.electricforestfestival.com.

This on sale available to the general public begins with the Early Bird price point - $239.50 plus service fees for GA Wristbands and $575 plus fees for GOOD LIFE VIP Village Wristbands while supplies last. After Early Bird priced GA and GOOD LIFE VIP Wristbands sell out, ticket pricing will bump up to the next pricing tier.

All Lodging Packages and special add ons will also be available for purchase starting on December 10 at 12:00pm EST - including the Back 40 Log Cabins and Log Homes, Frontier Suites, Electric Avenue Tents, Enchanted Campground packages, Group Camping, Maplewoods Camping, RV Rentals and more. More information on Electric Forest’s amazing lodging options and add ons can be found HERE.

Ten percent down Layaway Payment Plans will be available for all ticket and Lodging Package purchases, at every price point, at www.electricforestfestival.comElectric Forest’s GOOD LIFE VIP experience is known for offering unrivaled amenities and perks, including a variety of onsite lodging options, a 60,000 square foot indoor water park, an 18-hole championship golf course, swimming pools, horseback riding, the full service Woodland Kitchen + Bar pop-up restaurant, and much more. New to Electric Forest lodging and sleep options this year: attendees can choose to experience the whimsical wonderland of the “Enchanted Campground,” a brand new experience complete with European–inspired pop-up lodging and hang areas.  Also available the Woodside Tents, where your tent and camping gear await your arrival, and so much more.

Learn about the many GOOD LIFE VIP Lodging Packages and special add ons HERE.

Fri, 01/23/2015 - 5:55 pm

California-born ALO (Animal Liberation Orchestra) is back in their home state this February for Tour d’Amour IX, the band’s annual winter tour celebrating love - of music, for their many loyal fans, and their fondness for the Golden State.

Tour d’Amour IX launches February 12 in Los Angeles and winds south, north, and inland, hitting 10 cities throughout the 11 show run.  Santa Barbara’s Soho will feature a 2015: a Love Odyssey theme night. The tour wraps up with two very special nights at San Francisco’s Fillmore on February 27 and 28 – “Flashback Friday” will include a start to finish performance of their Fly Between Falls album celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Saturday’s theme will be “Love Potion #9”.  Joining ALO on ten of the Tour d’Amour dates are the rootsy and evocative T Sisters;  string-infused quintet Fruition will join them for one show at the Fillmore.  New this year to the Tour d’Amour, on February 28 at The Fillmore the band hosts their first ever Sing-Along for Kids matinee. See below for the complete list of Tour d’Amour IX shows.

Each year, a portion of proceeds from Tour d’Amour are donated to non-profit organizations who work to bring music to children.  For the duration of this ninth installment of the Tour d’Amour, money raised will benefit Creative Arts Charter School in San Francisco who provide hands-on, arts-integrated public education to primary and middle school students in the San Francisco Unified School District.

Tour d’Amour IX is a sort of homecoming for the members of ALO, as each of them have been working independently on some exciting musical projects. ALO guitarist Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz recently performed shows with The Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh and has been touring with Steve Kimock’s Tribute to Jerry Garcia, while bassist Steve Adams and keyboardist Zach Gill have been touring with Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers and Jack Johnson respectively.

Since the New Year, however, the guys in ALO  - including drummer Dave Brogan - have been working on new songs, to be recorded this winter for their long time label home Brushfire Records. Beyond that, you can always count on ALO’s legendarily raucous and high energy live shows with love themes in the air, as the Tour d’Amour tradition promises once more  to take the group and their audiences to new musical heights. 

Tour d’Amour IX Dates:
02/12/15 Troubadour - West Hollywood, CA w/ T Sisters
02/13/15 Belly Up Tavern - Solana Beach, CA w/ T Sisters
02/14/15 SOhO Restaurant & Music Club - Santa Barbara, CA w/ T Sisters
02/15/15 The Cave - Big Bear Lake, CA w/ T-Sisters
02/19/15 Harlow’s Night Club - Sacramento, CA w/ T Sisters
02/20/15 Center or the Arts - Grass Valley, CA w/ T Sisters
02/21/15 The Crystal Bay Casino - Crystal Bay, NV w/ T Sisters
02/22/15 Sierra Nevada Brewing Company - Chico, CA (Evening with ALO)
02/26/15 Moe's Alley - Santa Cruz, CA w/ T Sisters
02/27/15 The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA (10th anniversary performance of Fly Between Falls) w/ Fruition
02/28/15 The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA w/ T Sisters + a 3PM Sing-Along for Kids Matinee!

Tue, 01/27/2015 - 10:16 am

Singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Keller Williams and progressive funk collective The Motet hit the road together for a run of shows on the west coast presented by O.penVAPE.  The tour stops in eight cities throughout California and Nevada, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and points in between.  See below for the complete list of shows.

 

During each show of the tour, Keller Williams performs a full solo set, with The Motet throwing down a late night dance party – and O.penVAPE is along for the ride.  Look for exclusive OpenMIC live performances to be released along the tour – and check out the first of the videos (Keller Williams performing his original “Doobie in my Pocket”) here. Show attendees are invited to stop by the OpenMIC bus parked outside each venue to have a photo snapped, get free schwag and more.  On Twitter, search for the hashtags #KDubMotetTour and #OpenVAPE for up-to-the-minute information on giveaways, contests, meet & greets and more.
 
The complete O.penVAPE Presents Keller Williams and The Motet winter tour is as follows:
 

Thursday, January 29 Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach CA
Friday, January 30 The Roxy West Hollywood CA
Saturday, January 31 Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas NV
Tuesday, February 3 Harlow’s Sacramento CA (The Motet only)
Wednesday, February 4 Moe’s Alley Santa Cruz CA (The Motet only)
Thursday, February 5 Arcata Theatre Arcata CA
Friday, February 6 The Fillmore San Francisco CA

Saturday, February 7 Crystal Bay Club Casino Crystal Bay NV

 
Tickets and information to the O.penVAPE Presents tour with Keller Williams and The Motet available at www.kellerwilliams.net or www.themotet.net.
 

Wed, 02/11/2015 - 4:21 pm

Today, Electric Forest (EF) revealed the artist lineup for the 5th annual music and camping festival taking place June 25-28, 2015 in Rothbury, Michigan. Known for showcasing a mix of roots, rock and jam-style acts alongside some of dance music’s most relevant performers, Electric Forest 2015 again delivers a diverse lineup of over 100 established and emerging artists performing across 7 stages. For the 5th year in a row, Electric Forest welcomes back fan favorite The String Cheese Incident (performing 3 shows), plus heavyweights Bassnectar, Skrillex, Kaskade, Flume and Big Gigantic.
 
Other acts include: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Yonder Mountain String Band, Odesza, Paul Oakenfold, Lotus, Carnage, Carl Cox, G-Eazy and Flux Pavilion.  The Silent Disco returns for another magical year, hosted by HUSHconcerts.
 
Also on the eclectic bill are Seun Kuti, Shpongle, Phantogram, Gramatik, Galactic with Macy Gray, Lettuce, Break Science, The Motet, John Digweed, EOTO, Alison Wonderland and many others.
 
The complete list of artists announced is included below, with more to be announced, including the festival’s highly anticipated curated events.

The String Cheese Incident (3 shows)
Bassnectar
Skrillex
Kaskade
Flume
Big Gigantic
Break Science
Carl Cox 
Carnage
Claude VonStroke
Datsik
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Electron
EOTO
Flux Pavilion
G-Eazy 
Galactic with Macy Gray
Gramatik
Green Velvet
Joe Russo's Almost Dead
John Digweed
Lettuce
Lindsey Stirling
Lotus
Odesza
Paul Oakenfold
Phantogram
Seun Kuti
Shpongle
Tchami
The Motet
Yonder Mountain String Band
Alison Wonderland
American Babies
Black Tiger Sex Machine
Borgeous
Branx
Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires
Crizzly
Delta Spirit
Dopapod
Ed Rush & Optical
Everyone Orchestra
ExMag
Freddy Todd
Funk Hunters feat. Chali 2na
Gibbz
Goldfish
Goldlink
Goldroom
Haywyre
Illenium
JackLNDN
Jaga Jazzist
Jakubi
Joseph
KOAN Sound
Lafa Taylor
Life on Planets
Little People
Made In Heights
Mako
MartyParty
Matoma
Miami Horror
Midnight Magic
Minnesota
MJ Cole
MOPO
Mt Eden
Nadus
Nattali Rize & Notis
Nick Monaco
Pan Astral
Peking Duk
Peoples Blues of Richmond
Pete Tong
Phutureprimitave 
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Russ Liquid
Sango
Skylar Spence
Slow Hands
Slow Magic
Snails
SNBRN
Son of Kick
Soul Clap
Superhuman Happiness
TAUK
TEEMID
Teengirl Fantasy
The Accidentals
The Ragbirds
The Werks
Trevor Hall
U9Lift
Vaski
Wave Racer
Wiwek
Wolf + Lamb
Yojimbo
2na

Tue, 02/24/2015 - 11:34 am

Today, Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival, also referred to as The Clearwater Festival and founded by Pete Seeger, announces its initial lineup of artists set to perform on the banks of the Hudson River at beautiful Croton Point Park, Croton-On-Hudson, New York on June 20-21, 2015.  The Clearwater Festival is the country’s oldest and largest music and environmental festival, bringing together major musical acts and Clearwater’s own brand of green activism for a unique weekend every June. Seeger started the festival over 40 years ago as an annual fundraiser for Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, an environmental organization he founded.    
 
The 2015 Clearwater Festival welcomes a diverse group of established and emerging talent including The Mavericks, Neko Case, Guster, Ani DiFranco, Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn, Blind Boys of Alabama, Angélique Kidjo, Shelby Lynne, Bettye LaVette, The Pine Hill Project feat. Richard Shindell & Lucy Kaplansky, The Felice Brothers, The Lone Bellow, Todd Snider, Toshi Reagon & Big Lovely, Joseph Arthur, The Klezmatics, Tom Paxton and many more.  Visit www.clearwaterfestival.org for a complete list of currently confirmed performers, with many others still to be announced.
 
Founded by folk musician and social and environmental activist Pete Seeger and his wife Toshi Seeger, The Clearwater Festival is the country’s oldest and largest music and environmental festival. Pete and Toshi both passed away a little over a year ago, but Pete’s legacy of harnessing the spirit of change through the power of song lives on at The Clearwater Festival.
 
Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival is a destination for music fans and families alike, offering a plethora of family-oriented programming and activities and vendors for kids, including special performances on the Family Stage, juggling and roving artists, Children’s Area, storytelling, river beach combing and net seining, and lots of kid-friendly activities.
 
Other unique and memorable Revival experiences include the Working Waterfront, offering rides on small boats and tall ships including the sloop Clearwater and the schooner Mystic Whaler. The Handcrafters’ Village showcases over 50 crafters and folk artists with quality hand-made items, demonstrations and workshops. The Green Living Expo is the place to learn about sustainable products, services, concepts and technologies for informed lifestyle and business choices. The Discovery and Tideline tents feature Clearwater’s original hands-on environmental education programs and Hudson River research. The Environmental Action Tent highlights Clearwater’s watershed and environmental justice initiatives in our Hudson Valley communities.  An always- expanding Artisanal Food & Farm Market offers Hudson Valley foods and specialty items, as well as demonstrations and performances by local musicians.
 
Early Bird Tickets are on sale now through March 23rd at www.clearwaterfestival.org.   Early Bird prices are $48.00 per day and $72.00 for a Weekend Pass.  Camping Passes are also available. Clearwater members receive 20% off. Kids 12 and under are free.
 
The Clearwater Festival is wheelchair accessible and most stage programming is staffed with American Sign Language Interpreters.
 
To stay up to date on all Clearwater Festival news, please visit ClearwaterFestival.org and the official Facebook and Twitter pages.

Mon, 03/09/2015 - 3:15 pm

The Ride Festival released the artist lineup for its fourth year at Colorado’s breathtaking Telluride Town Park on July 11-12, 2015.  Each summer, the thoughtfully curated Americana/rock festival nestles seamlessly into its stunning mountain setting for a world-class, weekend-long destination music experience.

The Ride Festival 2015 welcomes headliner Widespread Panic (2 nights). Fellow southern rockers Gov’t Mule will also perform.

Also on the bill are Jonny Lang, Trigger Hippy, North Mississippi Allstars, The Temperance Movement and others.  The complete list of announced artists is included below, with more still to be revealed.

NightRide - when music spills out from the Main Stage at Telluride’s Town Park into local venues along Main Street for late night shows by emerging talent – will return again this year. Sheridan Opera House, The Roma, and additional local venues will host intimate performances throughout the weekend. NightRide shows are free to Ride Festival weekend ticket-holders (entry first come first served), except Sheridan Opera House events. Stay tuned for NightRide lineup and schedule coming soon.

The Ride Festival’s 2015 lodging partners Hotel Madeline, Mountain Lodge, and Hotel Telluride are offering special early bird rates for Ride Festival attendees. For those wanting a more rustic Telluride experience, camping and RV passes for Town Park Campground directly adjacent to the festival site are also available.
The Ride Festival’s close proximity to the many outdoor activities that Telluride and southern Colorado have to offer make the festival a unique destination event.  Attendees can enjoy hiking, biking, hot springs, and so much more – all in a truly majestic setting.  Rounding out The Ride Fest’s authentic mountain culture – The Ride Festival helps benefit Telluride’s beloved KOTOfm, one of the country’s last remaining music radio stations that is entirely listener supported and non-commercial.
 
2015 Ride Festival Artist Lineup:
Widespread Panic
Gov’t Mule
Jonny Lang
Trigger Hippy
North Mississippi Allstars
The Temperance Movement
Moon Taxi
Zella Day
Dorothy
Mike Farris
Baskery
Jeffrey Foucault
Ayron Jones and The Way

With more artists to be announced.

General Admission Weekend Passes are $175.00 and VIP Weekend Passes $375.00, plus fees.

Tickets go on sale Friday, March 13 at 10:00 am MST at www.ridefestival.com.

A limited number of discounted Local’s Weekend Passes are available for residents of San Miguel County, CO. On Friday, March 13 local residents can stop by The Ride Festival office at 134 East Colorado Avenue in Telluride beginning at 10am for a special ticketing party complete with music, free swag and more. Throughout the month of March, tickets will be on sale at Wizard Entertainment and Telluride Music for 30 days or while supplies last. Discounted Local Weekend Passes are $165.00.  Proof of residence required, two tickets maximum per person. 

To stay up to date on all Ride Festival news, please visit www.ridefestival.com and the official Facebook and Twitter and use the festival’s official hashtag #RideFest2015.

Thu, 03/26/2015 - 10:12 am

Keller Williams’ 20th official album release, Vape, finds the prolific singer/songwriter/guitarist offering up 10 original tracks - some road tested and some brand new.  The album goes on sale April 20, 2015, but fans can pre-order Vape now at kellerwilliams.net and be automatically entered into Keller’s “Get All Good at All Good with Keller” contest. Fans can grab a first listen and free download of the new track “Mantra” HERE.
 
With a hugely successful career spanning two decades under his belt, the music on Vape somehow finds Keller more confident delivering his signature, often off-the-wall storytelling. Backed by a variety of fellow musicians including Samson Grisman/bass, John Kadlecik/guitar, Ronnie McCoury/mandolin, Rob McCoury/banjo, Alan Bartram/bass, Jason Carter/fiddle and others - Keller’s playing has never been more precise and versatile.
 
Keller’s “Get All Good at All Good with Keller” Vape pre-sale contest offers his fans another unique opportunity for an amazing hang with Keller (Keller is known for hosting epic fan contests – previous winners have joined Keller skiing/snowboarding in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, won a private house party with Keller performing, enjoyed a trip to New Orleans during Jazz Fest and more).  This time around, a lucky fan and a guest will get the opportunity to hang with Keller at the All Good Music Festival and Camp Out in West Virginia on July 9-11, 2015 – flights, VIP tickets, backstage access, golf cart tour (with Keller in the driver’s seat) all included.  Details HERE.
 
Keller Williams is on tour this spring/summer.  The complete list of Keller Williams confirmed tour dates is as follows:

Friday, March 27 Track 29 Chattanooga TN - Wild South Tour 
Saturday, March 28 The Orange Peel Asheville NC - Wild South Tour 
Friday, April 3 - Saturday, April 4 Alyseka Resort @ The Sitzmark Bar & Grille Girdwood AK 
Friday, April 17 Sweetwater Music Hall Mill Valley CA 
Saturday, April 18 - Sunday, April 19 Earth Jam Three Rivers CA Keller Williams Solo + Keller &
The Keels
Monday, April 20  Terrapin Crossroads San Rafael, CA with Phil & Friends
Thursday, April 23 - Friday, April 24 Pour House Charleston SC 
Saturday, April 25 Georgia Theatre Athens GA 
Friday, May 1 - Sunday, May 3 Republic New Orleans LA Voodoo Dead - 50th Anniversary of the Grateful Dead w/ Steve Kimock, Bill Kreutzmann, Jeff Chimenti, George Porter Jr.,
Saturday, May 9 Chics Beach Festival Virginia Beach VA
Friday, May 22 Summer Camp Chillicothe IL Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass plus Keller Williams Solo late night
Saturday, May 23 Dark Star Jubilee @ Legend Valley Thornville OH Keller & The Keels 
Friday, June 5 Mountain Music Festival Minden WV 
Sunday, June 14 Huck Finn Jubilee Ontario CA Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass
Wednesday, July 1 Summerfest Milwaukee WI Keller Williams Solo
Saturday, July 4 Highberry US Festival Ozark AK 
Saturday, July 11 All Good Music Festival Summit Point WV 
Sunday, July 12 Santa Cruz Mountain Sol Festival Felton CA Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass featuring Michael Kang & Keith Moseley
Friday, July 17 Northwest String Summit Northern Plains OR Keller Williams with The Travelin' McCourys plus Keller Williams Grateful Grass  
Thursday, July 23 Floydfest Floyd VA Keller Williams Solo, Keller & The Keels, and Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass 
Saturday, August 8 Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival Alta WY Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass
Sunday, August 16 Peach Fest Scranton PA  Keller Williams’ Grateful Gospel featuring John Kadlecik
Saturday, September 5 Backwoods Music Festival Stroud OK 
Sunday, September 13 Lockn'  Arrington VA Grateful Gospel
Saturday, October 3 Homegrown Music Festival Mebane NC 

Sunday, October 4 Luna Light Festival Darlington MD Keller & The Keels

Additional dates to be announced.  Tickets and Info available at www.kellerwilliams.net

Thu, 04/09/2015 - 11:06 am

Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival, also referred to as The Clearwater Festival and founded by Pete Seeger, announces its second phase of artists set to perform on the banks of the Hudson River at beautiful Croton Point Park, Croton-On-Hudson, New York on June 20-21, 2015.  The Clearwater Festival is the country’s oldest and largest music and environmental festival, bringing together major musical acts and Clearwater’s own brand of green activism for a unique weekend every June. Seeger, who would be turning 96 this May 3, started the festival over 40 years ago as an annual fundraiser for Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, an environmental organization he founded.    
 
The 2015 Clearwater Festival welcomes a wonderful mix of established and emerging talent.  Clearwater Director, Steve Lurie, says “We believe it’s really important to continue Pete and Toshi Seeger’s legacy.  Diversity is something that was near and dear to them and this year’s festival will be the most diverse line-up we’ve ever had.” David Crosby, Los Lobos, Citizen Cope, Kate Pierson (of the B52’s), and others will join previously announced performers including The Mavericks, Neko Case, Guster, Ani DiFranco, Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn, Blind Boys of Alabama, Angélique Kidjo, Shelby Lynne, Bettye LaVette, The Pine Hill Project feat. Richard Shindell & Lucy Kaplansky, The Felice Brothers, The Lone Bellow, Todd Snider, Toshi Reagon & Big Lovely, Joseph Arthur, The Klezmatics, Tom Paxton and many more.  Visit www.clearwaterfestival.org for a complete list of currently confirmed performers.
 
Founded by folk musician and social and environmental activist Pete Seeger and his wife Toshi Seeger, The Clearwater Festival is the country’s oldest and largest music and environmental festival. Pete and Toshi both passed away a little over a year ago, but Pete’s legacy of harnessing the spirit of change through the power of song lives on at The Clearwater Festival.  
 
Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival is a destination for music fans and families alike, offering a plethora of family-oriented programming and activities and vendors for kids, including special performances on the Family Stage, juggling and roving artists, Children’s Area, storytelling, Todd’s Musical Petting Zoo, river beach combing and net seining, and lots of kid-friendly activities.
 
Other unique and memorable Revival experiences include the Working Waterfront, offering rides on small boats and tall ships including the sloop Clearwater and the schooner Mystic Whaler. The Handcrafters’ Village showcases over 50 crafters and folk artists with quality hand-made items, demonstrations and workshops. The Green Living Expo is the place to learn about sustainable products, services, concepts and technologies for informed lifestyle and business choices. The Discovery and Tideline tents feature Clearwater’s original hands-on environmental education programs and Hudson River research. The Environmental Action Tent highlights Clearwater’s watershed and environmental justice initiatives in our Hudson Valley communities.  An always- expanding Artisanal Food & Farm Market offers Hudson Valley foods and specialty items, as well as demonstrations and performances by local musicians.  All seven stages are powered by solar or bio-diesel generators.   
 
Tickets are available now at www.clearwaterfestival.org and by calling 877-435-9849.   Prices are $75.00 per day and $110.00 for a Weekend Pass.  Camping Passes are also available. Clearwater members receive 20% off. Kids 12 and under are free.
 
The Clearwater Festival is wheelchair accessible and most stage programming is staffed with American Sign Language Interpreters.
 
To stay up to date on all Clearwater Festival news, please visit ClearwaterFestival.org and the official Facebook and Twitter pages.

Wed, 04/15/2015 - 2:54 pm

Today, Electric Forest (EF) released the names of over 25 artists that are new additions to the lineup, including details on The Curated Event Series, for the festival’s eagerly awaited return to the Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Michigan on June 25-28, 2015.  Tickets to the 5th annual music and camping festival sold out this past February in record time - less than 24-hours after the release of its 2015 artist lineup, and 3 ½ months earlier than ever before.   
New artists added to the lineup include Wale, Galantis, Brodinski, Dam-Funk, Four Tet, The Fungineers, and many others.  These artists join the already impressive list of artists set to perform including The String Cheese Incident (performing 3 shows), BASSNECTAR, Skrillex, Kaskade, Flume, Big Gigantic, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Yonder Mountain String Band, Odesza, Paul Oakenfold, Lotus, Carnage, Carl Cox, G-Eazy, Flux Pavilion, Seun Kuti, Shpongle (Simon Posford DJ Set), Phantogram, Gramatik, Galactic with Macy Gray, and many more artists. The complete list of artists announced for 2015 can be seen HERE.
 
In conjunction with the announcement of additional artists, Electric Forest unveils its expanded 2015 Curated Event Series.  Each year Electric Forest collaborates with fellow musical tastemakers from around the globe to collude in curating the lineup and vibe of a certain stage on a given night, creating unique musical experiences within the festival itself.  For 2015, Electric Forest joins forces with curation partners Future Classic, Carl Cox & Friends, Bassrush, Crew Love, Communion, and Lowtemp to deliver even more musical depth and diversity.
 
Electric Forests 2015 Curated Event Series details are as follows:
 
Future Classic
Featuring Flume, Four Tet, Lido, Goldlink, Wave Racer, Mr. Carmack, Nadus
Future Classic – a record label, artist management team, touring agency, and music publisher out of Sydney, Australia - will bring a sample of groundbreaking sounds from around the world to EF’s Sherwood Court stage. While the music they release is taking the world by storm, the parties they throw are legendary. This curation marks the first-ever Curated Event at Sherwood Court, and will feature a closing set by Flume.
 
Carl Cox & Friends
Featuring Carl Cox, John Digweed, Pete Tong, Matrixxman, Saeed Younan, and more to be announced
Also on Tripolee, Carl Cox brings over 10 years of expertise in curating stages and events at major music festivals. Carl Cox & Friends' promise loads of finesse, longer sets, and creative production.
 
Bassrush
Featuring Flux Pavilion, Carnage, Datsik, Snails, Crizzly, Ed Rush & Optical, Minnesota, Koan Sound, Mt Eden, Son of Kick, Illenium, Vaski
Bassrush returns to Electric Forest’s Tripolee Stage showcasing a variety of bass music styles and artists. Since the '90s, the Insomniac sub-brand has evolved from its strictly drum & bass roots to include dubstep and other bass-oriented genres. The goal of Bassrush is to provide a platform to showcase bass music the way it should be experienced: with massive sound and full scale production. 
 
Crew Love
Featuring Soul Clap, Wolf + Lamb, Midnight Magic (Live), Life on Planets (Live), Nick Monoco (Live) Slow Hands (Live)
EF’s Deep in The Forest curated event returns to The Forest Stage, this year presented by Crew Love. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Crew Love started as a concept based around three main ingredients; good peeps, great music and non-stop party vibes.
 
Communion
Featuring Autograf, Teemid, Kevin Garrett, Joseph, Delta Spirit, Devon Baldwin, Pan Astral
London-based outfit Communion, created by Ben Lovett (Mumford & Sons), Kevin Jones (Bear’s Den), and producer Ian Grimble, takes over The Observatory stage for one night. EF’s Communion curated event is inspired by the Communion Residency - a monthly showcase that provides artists with a platform for discovery across multiple genres and cities including NYC, DC, Philadelphia, Nashville, Chicago, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Louisville, & Rock Island. 
 
Lowtemp
Featuring Gibbz, Russ Liquid, Adam Deitch (DJ Set), Freddy Todd, Branx
Launched by Forest favorite, DJ/Producer Gramatik, Lowtemp is an independent record label "created by artists for artists." Look for Lowtemp to heat up The Forest Stage.
 
Full Lineup Details for Curated Events can be seen HERE.

Mon, 04/20/2015 - 10:06 am

On September 10, 11, and 12, 2015, a stunning display of the world’s most remarkable and significant guitarists will gather for the sixth installment of ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival, presented by Krannert Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Situated in a vibrant micro-urban setting, the internationally recognized, biennial event features, “a prodigious array of the world’s most distinctive and influential guitarists” (Premier Guitar) from around the globe, including for 2015 artists rooted in Mali, Australia, China, Spain, Palestine, India, Mexico, and from throughout the United States.
 
ELLNORA is anything but your typical music festival. Krannert Center for the Performing Arts incorporates seven unique, state-of-the-art performance spaces—both indoor and outdoor, both formal and informal—that make it particularly well suited to showcase the festival’s impressive range. This year’s incarnation of ELLNORA incorporates 11 individually ticketed events including performances by Rodrigo y Gabriela, Punch Brothers, Los Lobos, Bucky and John Pizzarelli, Dan Zanes, and Drive-By Truckers, along with at least 11 free shows (including concerts by John Scofield and Jon Cleary, Valerie June, Andy McKee, Earth, David Hidalgo and Marc Ribot, and Jessica Lea Mayfield). View the full 2015 ELLNORA lineup HERE
 
For 2015, ELLNORA will once again feature an artist-in-residence. Triple Grammy Award-winning classical guitarist Sharon Isbin is an ELLNORA alum whose incredible career has included over 25 albums and the distinction of founding the Juilliard School’s guitar department, in addition to currently helming the guitar department at the Aspen Music Festival. Isbin, whose work spans baroque, Latin, and jazz-fusion, is also a noted author, recipient of Guitar Player’s “Best Classical Guitarist” award, and subject of the one-hour documentary Sharon Isbin: Troubadour which will be shown along with a question and answer session featuring Isbin herself at The Art Theater in Champaign the evening before ELLNORA begins.
 
2011’s artist-in-residence Luther Dickinson will also return, this time with brother Cody for an opening night Southern blues set by their North Mississippi Allstars incarnation. The $5 Opening Night Party will also include sets of electrifying sacred steel blues from the AJ Ghent Band, Terakaft’s genuine desert-blues rock, John Jorgenson Quintet filling the Amphitheatre with gypsy jazz, and Mia Dyson, one of Australia’s “top 25 guitarists” sharing her blues-rock riffs in an open-air set.
 
ELLNORA, which bears the name of its venue’s visionary founder, Ellnora Krannert, provides a vital showcase for some of today’s most prominent female artists. In addition to Sharon Isbin and Mia Dyson, female artists for 2015 include Valerie June and her “organic moonshine roots music,” the first lady of the banjo Abigail Washburn (alongside husband Béla Fleck), bluegrass virtuoso Rhonda Vincent, Hawaiian hula dancer and chanter Moanalani Beamer (alongside the slack key artistry of Keola Beamer and Jeff Peterson), pipa player Min Xiao-Fen, and noir-rocker Jessica Lea Mayfield, among others.
 
Originally known as the Wall to Wall Guitar Festival before being rechristened ELLNORA in 2009, the event is organized by Krannert Center’s director, Mike Ross, and his staff in collaboration with curator and artistic advisor David Spelman, who is also founder/artistic director of the world-renowned New York Guitar Festival. In the years since its debut, ELLNORA has served as a model for other events in the United States and around the world.
 
View A Short Film: ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmyByay0y2c
 
 
2015 ELLNORA PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
(Details available at EllnoraGuitarFestival.com)
 
Thursday, September 10
6pm Opening Night Party, $5 for all
6:30pm Terakaft, Lobby Stage 6 
7pm Mia Dyson, Amphitheatre on the west terrace
7:30pm AJ Ghent Band, Lobby Stage 5
8:30pm John Jorgenson Quintet, Amphitheatre on the west terrace
8:45pm North Mississippi Allstars, Lobby Stage 6   
 
Friday, September 11
Noon Valerie June/Andy McKee, Lobby Stage 5, free 
2pm Squonk’s Pneumatica, Amphitheatre/west terrace, free 
3pm Keynote: A Conversation with Sharon Isbin, Foellinger Great Hall
4pm Star Rover, Sonic Garden, free 
5pm David Hidalgo and Marc Ribot, Lobby Stage 5, free 
6pm Squonk’s Pneumatica, Amphitheatre/west terrace, free 
6:15pm Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn, Foellinger Great Hall, $10-$29
7:30pm Rhonda Vincent and The Rage, Colwell Playhouse, $10-$44
9pm Drive-By Truckers, Tryon Festival Theatre, $10-$49
10:15pm Earth with Dylan Carlson, Sonic Garden, free 
 
Saturday, September 12
9:15am Squonk’s Pneumatica, Amphitheatre/west terrace, free 
10am Dan Zanes and Friends Celebrate Lead Belly!, Tryon Festival Theatre, $5-$15
10am Keola Beamer and Jeff Peterson with Moanalani Beamer, Lobby Stage 5, free 
11am Sharon Isbin with Colin Davin, Foellinger Great Hall, $10-$39
Noon Squonk’s Pneumatica, Amphitheatre/west terrace, free 
1pm Min Xiao-Fen, solo pipa: Mao, Monk, and Me/Simon Shaheen, Sashank Navaladi,
        and Juan Pérez Rodriguez, Colwell Playhouse, $10-$29
2:30pm Punch Brothers, Tryon Festival Theatre, $10-$44
4pm Bucky and John Pizzarelli, Foellinger Great Hall, $10-$44
5:30pm Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear, Lobby Stage 5, free 
6:30pm Jessica Lea Mayfield, Sonic Garden, free 
8pm Los Lobos, Tryon Festival Theatre, $10-$34
9:30pm Rodrigo y Gabriela, Colwell Playhouse, $10-$49
10:45pm Steve Reich’s Electric Counterpoint with Dither, Mark Stewart, and Friends,
               Sonic Garden, free 
11pm John Scofield and Jon Cleary, Lobby Stage 5, free

Mon, 05/04/2015 - 11:27 am

Today, the inaugural Contour Music Festival released the names of 18 artists that are new to the lineup, along with the schedule for the festival’s late night shows. This new music and arts event, hosted June 11-14, 2015 in the vibrant town of Jackson, Wyoming promises an intimate, innovative, and elevated experience set to the picturesque backdrop of the Teton Mountain Range. Contour 2015 debuts with over 40 carefully curated artists featured on the festival’s line-up, exclusive late night shows, outdoor excursions and activities, and a variety of art experiences to offer a distinctive festival experience.
 
Contour Music Festival 2015 welcomes a diverse lineup of world-class artists.  New artists added to the lineup include Moon Taxi, Fort Knox 5 (DJ Set), Sabo, Shaprece, KMLN, Tiger Fresh and others. These acts join the previously announced Thievery Corporation, Emancipator, The Polish Ambassador, Charles Bradley  & His Extraordinaires, Deltron 3030, Papadosio, Quixotic, Sage Francis, Djemba Djemba, Autograf, Sango, Sweater Beats, G Jones, Late Night Radio, and many others.  View the complete artist lineup and stage schedule HERE.
 
After music on Contour’s outdoor Main Stage at Snow King Mountain ends each night, the festival spills into downtown Jackson Hole to host after parties at a variety of local venues. Deltron 3030, Papadosio, Quixotic, G Jones, Djemba Djemba, Sweater Beats, ORGONE, Late Night Radio, and others are scheduled to perform at venues including The Pink Garter Theater, Town Square Tavern, The Jackson Center for the Arts, and more. Access to catch these amazing artists in intimate settings is limited.  Fans can guarantee access with an “All Night Long” Pass, included in Contour’s VIP Weekend Pass or available separately.  Get them while supplies last at www.contourmusicfestival.com.
 
Through May 17, Contour will donate a portion of every ticket sold to benefit disaster relief in Nepal via Charity: Water. “Contour is meant to be a celebration in the incredible mountain environment found here in Jackson,” says co-producer Jeff Stein, who has spent many years in Nepal working as a guide for mountaineering, trekking and biking trips. “We share a connection to other mountain communities and as we gather to dance to the music and see the art that inspires us we'd like to offer a way to help those whose lives have been turned upside down. Music opens hearts.” Details HERE.
 
The remote location of Jackson is bursting with amazing outdoor activities and a vibrant arts community, and Contour Music Festival combines a top-notch music experience with all that the local community and remote atmosphere has to offer. By day, fishing and white water rafting in the Jackson River and whitewater rafting in the stunning Snake River Canyon are just a couple of the outdoor activities to be enjoyed in the abundantly lush landscapes of the surrounding Teton Valley.  The area has a growing reputation for its fantastic biking trails, and Contour 2015 has partnered with Mountain Bike the Tetons to offer an area at the festival to get information on trails, go on group rides, and try out demo bikes.
 
The festival’s Art Garden, located at the town’s Center for the Arts, offers a free space for all of the community to enjoy large scale installations, interactive areas, a variety of workshops and creative talks, dance programing, comedy and more. Programming details for Contour’s Art Garden to be unveiled soon.
 
Contour has partnered with craft brewery Deschutes Brewery, who will be pouring their tasty year round brews as well as seasonal picks throughout the festival, and with Teton Gravity Research, who will document the festival’s inaugural year. Contour is offering a wide range of local hotels and lodging accommodations for room and board. There are a variety of options and prices to match every budget. Visit the travel section of Contour’s website for more details.
 
Tickets for Contour are on sale now at www.contourmusicfestival.com.  Early Bird Tickets are sold out.
 
Main Stage Weekend Pass - $145
Weekend Pass with All Night Long (Late Night) access (quantities limited, 21+ only) - $250
All Night Long Ad-On to Main Stage Pass (21+ only) - $105
Peak Pass VIP Weekend Pass (VIP festival access w/ priority access to late night shows, 21+ only) - $850
Single Day Main Stage Tickets - Friday: $65 | Saturday: $75 | Sunday: $85
 
Connect with Contour Music Festival:
Website:  http://contourmusicfestival.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/contourjh
Instagram: http://instagram.com/contourfestival
Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/cmfjh

Mon, 05/11/2015 - 10:26 am

Today, The RIDE Festival announces its NightRIDE late night shows and the festival stage schedule for the 4th annual event at Colorado’s breathtaking Telluride Town Park on July 11-12, 2015. View the schedules HERE. NightRIDE shows are free to RIDE Festival Weekend Ticket holders, except for shows at the Sheridan Opera House. Tickets to the Sheridan Opera House NightRIDE events, as well as a limited number of Single Day Festival Tickets, go on sale Friday, May 15 at 10am MDT at www.ridefestival.com.

Current Swell, The Band of Heathens, and BloodKin were recently added to the 2015 RIDE Festival lineup withWidespread  Panic (2 nights), Gov’t Mule, Jonny Lang, Trigger Hippy, North Mississippi Allstars, The Temperance Movement, Moon Taxi, Zella Day, Dorothy, Mike Farris, Baskery, Jeffrey Foucault and others.  View the complete lineup at www.ridefestival.com.

NightRIDE - when music spills out from the Main Stage at Telluride’s Town Park into local venues along Main Street for late night shows by emerging talent – returns this year with North Mississippi Allstars, Zella Day, Trigger Hippy, Dorothy, BloodKin and others playing intimate shows at local venues including the Sheridan Opera House, Fly Me to The Moon, The Roma, and more. NightRIDE shows are free to RIDE Festival Weekend Ticket-holders (entry first come first served), except Sheridan Opera House events, which are ticketed and go on sale this Friday, May 15. For complete NightRIDE schedule and info click here

Each summer, the thoughtfully curated Americana/rock festival nestles seamlessly into its stunning mountain setting for a world-class, weekend-long destination music experience. The RIDE Festival’s close proximity to the many outdoor activities that Telluride and southern Colorado have to offer make the festival a unique destination event.  Attendees can enjoy hiking, biking, hot springs, and so much more – all in a truly majestic setting. Rounding out The RIDE Fest’s authentic mountain culture – The RIDE Festival helps benefit Telluride’s belovedKOTOfm, one of the country’s last remaining music radio stations that is entirely listener supported and non-commercial.

GA Weekend Passes and Camping Passes are on sale now.  NightRIDE Sheridan Opera House Tickets and Single Day Tickets go on sale Friday, May 15 at 10:00 am MDT at www.ridefestival.com.

General Admission Weekend Passes are $175.00 and Single Day Tickets are $95.00, plus fees. Camping Passes are $60.00.  VIP Weekend Passes and RV Passes are sold out. 

To stay up to date on all RIDE Festival news, please visit www.ridefestival.com and the official Facebook and Twitter and use the festival’s official hashtag #RideFest2015.

Thu, 05/14/2015 - 1:16 pm

Today, Electric Forest’s (EF) Plug In Program launches the “Think For Yourself” campaign.  In celebration of Electric Forest’s spirit of personal expression, and created in partnership with non-profit organizations The Urgency Network and Fight For the Future, the campaign aims to raise awareness around the issues of internet freedom and privacy.
 
Over the next several weeks, the Think For Yourself campaign will lead participants through a series of online actions – from signing up to be part of the dialogue, to reading articles and watching videos about the power of the internet and the privacy debate, to sharing information that empowers their peers to join the debate.  With each action, participants are entered to win an epic Electric Forest adventure – travel and VIP tickets to the sold out Electric Forest festival, Tentsile tree tents to camp in and take home, a golf cart ride with BASSNECTAR and an invite to be on stage for the famed “Family Photo” at the end of his EF performance, and more.  The more actions completed along the campaign, the more entries earned, thus increasing chances of winning.
 
“Privacy. This word has become loaded, and often implies you have something to hide,“ says Lorin Ashton (aka BASSNECTAR). “But don't believe the hype. Every human deserves private space and sanctuary to share the thoughts and information they want, and to keep other thoughts and information to themselves... Engage with an open mind, and to draw your own conclusions on what you think the internet should become.” Learn more about the “Think for Yourself" Campaign HERE
 
The “Think For Yourself” campaign is one of several EF15 Plug In opportunities. Known for fully embracing the possibilities of an engaged festival community, EF’s Plug In program deliberately blurs the line between event organizers and attendees.  With this truly unique “open source” fan engagement platform, Electric Forest harnesses the creativity and passion of its community members, offering real and tangible ways for fans to participate in and ultimately help shape the Electric Forest experience.  This is a big deal, since for Electric Forest – experience trumps all.

EF’s 2015 Plug In Program is in full swing, offering many new and exciting ways for fans to help shape the Electric Forest experience. This year’s Installation Sponsorship Program winner will receive a grant from Electric Forest to bring their original installation idea to life onsite at EF15. The 2015 Monarch Program winner was recently voted in by Electric Forest fans for his call to offer more free water stations throughout the festival.  With the help of Electric Forest organizers, Jason’s campaign will deliver 17 additional water stations to EF15.  The Plug In Program also recently unveiled winners of its 2015 Hoop Troupe Contest, who will participate in a roving performance troupe during this year’s festival.  View the winners HERE. Opportunities to participate in Unmediated Photographer Auditions, the Ultimate Camp Contest 2015, and even the Group Hug World Record Attempt – are all still fair game.  More info on Electric Forest Plug In Programs can be seen HERE.

Thu, 07/02/2015 - 4:33 pm

The 5th annual Electric Forest (EF) festival returned to the scenic woods of Rothbury, Michigan this past weekend hosting epic live music, stunning art installations and enchanted experiences around every turn. Throughout the long weekend, which offered near perfect weather, 45,000 attendees enjoyed over 125 live music performances on 7 stages, 20+ larger-than-life creative installations and gathering spaces, 250+ colorful roaming characters, 22 disco balls, and endless memories. Electric Forest 2015 once again raised the bar for U.S. festival experiences, reconfirming why it has been hailed as one of the "20 legendary world festivals to see in your lifetime," (Distractify)
 
On Thursday, June 25, heavy hitters Flume, Kaskade, Odesza, Carl Cox and others kicked off the four-day music and camping festival.  Attendees eagerly poured in through the brand new Front Gate entryway and into the beloved Sherwood Forest, where they were quickly reminded that this festival is always evolving. New installations including The Centerpiece, The Dragon Lounge, and Domo Arigato, Mr. Reflecto (EF 15’s Plug In Program Art Installation Grant Winner) were on display among totally evolved versions of fan favorites such as the SolLun, Reincarnation, and the Grand Artique. Two brand new EF venues opened their doors for the first time on Thursday. The Hangar (a post-war America inspired gathering space complete with a barbershop, tattoo parlor, Poetry Brothel, and more) and Jubilee (which hosted many of the festival’s jazz and funk sets throughout the weekend, including Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Galactic with Macy Gray, and many others) both welcomed their first visitors.
 
On Friday, The String Cheese Incident performed the first of their three full, two-set shows scheduled at EF’s Ranch Arena.  During SCI’s encore, Skrillex joined the band, guitar in hand, for a rocking version of “Break on Through (To the Other Side) > LA Woman.”  Skrillex hit the Ranch Arena solo shortly after – his first return to EF since 2008. Meanwhile, on Tripolee, EF’s Curated Event Series with Bassrush hosted Snails, Datsik, Carnage, and Flux Pavillion.
 
By Saturday, the flow and vibe that can only come from a camping festival had settled in.  Still buzzing from the previous day, fans explored the many experiences EF15 had to offer.  The Electric Glen, hosted by The Untz, hosted Electric Forest’s first ever Her Forest gathering, where hundreds of EF attendees gathered to hear a panel of women – including artists Lindsey Stirling and Natalie Rize and representatives from Electric Forest - discuss the brand new EF initiative that will explore, as it grows, ways that women can contribute to festival culture and help shape the EF experience. In other parts of the festival site, attendees enjoyed a flash mob by Shelby High School’s Marching Band (EF donates money to local area public schools each year as part of its Music in Schools program), stopped by The Giving Tree to leave or take a cherished item, or lounged in one of the over 400 ENO hammocks strung throughout the approximately 14 acres of the Sherwood Forest.
 
Woman-on-violin Lindsey Stirling wowed at the Jubilee.  The Forest Stage, an art installation all in itself, hosted the LowTemp Curated Event Series. Then, what seemed like the entire audience descended on The Ranch Arena for The String Cheese Incident’s famed second set Saturday night extravaganza. The EF tradition – this year with a moon floating over the crowd carrying an aerialist, several huge remote controlled blips zipping around overhead, and of course, fireworks – did not disappoint.   Shortly after the end of the SCI set, the Ranch Arena raged on with an epic performance by BASSNECTAR. Having headlined the first Electric Forest five years ago, this EF15 set felt like a sort of homecoming for EF Forest Family, who packed into the Ranch Arena bowl to witness the show.  Midway through the set, SCI’s Michael Kang brought his violin onto the stage – dishing out another example of how Electric Forest bravely and seamlessly collides jam music culture with EDM.
 
Sunday provided a final opportunity for fans to explore all that EF15 had to offer. US military veterans (many of whom were hired by EF to help with the build of The Hangar) and EF patrons bonded over shared experiences at the Electric Forces gathering space. EF’s Roy Price Memorial Food Drive collected the last of its food donated by EF15 patrons to be delivered to be delivered to local communities in need. Not-for-profit HeadCount, who was hosting a booth in the Ranch Lobby, broke their record for most voter registrations at an event during a non-Federal election year.  At the Electricology Store, fans cashed in tokens earned for doing “green” acts throughout the weekend for prizes.
 
And all the while the music kept playing. Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass feat. The Infamous Stringdusters and special guests from SCI eased the crowd into the afternoon. The collaboration continued into the first set of SCI, which featured sit-ins from that day’s Ranch Arena’s artists, including members of Yonder Mountain String Band.  Acts like Dopapod, Goldroom Live, and Gramatik powered the Sherwood Court stage into a massive closing set by Big Gigantic featuring The Motet.  Then, in EF tradition, Tripolee gave its nod to the forefathers of EDM music with a hugely received set by Paul Oakenfold.   
 
To stay up to date on all Electric Forest news, please visit www.electricforestfestival.com and the official Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube pages.
 
Electric Forest is produced by Madison House Presents and Insomniac.

Tue, 07/14/2015 - 1:07 pm

Hippie Chick: A Tale of Love, Devotion & Surrender is a fine art, hard cover coffee table photography book by famed rock and roll photographer Jay Blakesberg. Hippie Chick will be released October 1, 2015 via Rock Out Books and is available for pre-sale now at www.rockoutbooks.com

Featuring 445 images curated from Blakesberg’s 35+ year career, Hippie Chick celebrates the unique connection between the vibrant community of free-spirited women who are inspired by, and help inspire, live music. Blakesberg’s visual anthropology beautifully captures the feminine festival and concert archetypes, and the individuals, who have graced the fields and performance halls of America since 1980. Earth mamas and fairy princesses, hula hoopers and whirling dervishes, front row regulars and flower crown makers; the entire tribe of dedicated, music-loving women – their fashion and their passion – is sensuously brought to life through Blakesberg’s artful lens. 

Iconic rocker and pioneering hippie chick Grace Slick (Jefferson Airplane) provides the book’s Foreword, offering a retrospective of women in the original hippie-era music scene. Slick writes, “We chose to manifest our dreams rather than follow a pre-set norm. We chose to fly rather than crawl. We chose to experiment rather than walk through someone else’s flat world.”

In the book’s Afterword, modern-day hippie chick Grace Potter considers how women today carry on the legacy of the demographic. “We are not just the girls dancing in the front row at the concert. We are not just the wax figurine copies of our rebel ancestors,” Potter says. “We are the living, breathing manifestation of every path they blazed, every war they protested, every song they loved…” Potter, who was raised by artist parents in Vermont, fronts her own rock band that plays many of the recent festivals documented throughout Hippie Chick.

Hippie Chick’s 232 pages of photography are anchored by an Introduction and three short essays – titled “Love,” “Devotion,” and “Surrender” - each written by freelance journalist Edith Johnson. Johnson, who has documented her concert experiences through social media since 2012 as “Festival Girl,” left behind academia and a staid career in the art world to pursue her dream of documenting music full-time. On the road during the preparation of Hippie Chick, Johnson interviewed 81 different women from the live music scene. Their colorful anecdotes have been distilled into a series of quotes selected to accompany Blakesberg’s images, bringing further dimension to the book’s overarching theme of what it means to be a modern-day hippie chick.  

“I have felt for a long time that what I was doing is visual anthropology,” explains Blakesberg.  “I truly believe that this is a unique tribe whose story should be told. These women have blazed a powerful trail, from the early 1960s through today, and have forever changed the face of women in pop culture. I hope these photos and words illustrate the positive vibes that this scene continues to generate.” 

Click here for a downloadable PDF http://blakesberg.com/temp/Hippie_Chick.pdf.zip of “Hippie Chick.”

Wed, 07/15/2015 - 1:42 pm

Today, singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Keller Williams announces his Fall 2015 tour plans, bringing a variety of his projects - including Keller Solo, More Than a Little, Keller and The Keels, and the debut of his new Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob Wasserman and Rodney Holmes  - to stages across the country. 
 
Keller starts his 2015 Fall Tour on August 27 at the CEFCU Center Stage in Peoria, Indiana, debuting his new project, Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob Wasserman and Rodney Holmes. The Keller Williams Trio spends the next few months bouncing around the country – with stops throughout the Midwest in September and November, in Colorado in late October, and in select East Coast markets in late September, October and Early December. 
 
In between shows with Keller Williams Trio, find Keller and The Keels, Keller Williams’ Grateful Gospel, or his funk outfit Keller Williams with More Than A Little at various U.S. festivals including Lockn’ Festival, Luna Light, Magnolia Fest and others; and Keller solo headlining select clubs along the way.
 
Over Thanksgiving weekend, Keller hosts “Thanksforgrassgiving” with an all-star lineup of bluegrass buddies: Travis Book and Chris Pandolfi (The Infamous Stringdusters), Larry Keel, Jason Carter (Del McCoury Band) and Jay Starling (Love Cannon).  Catch Thanksforgrassgiving at The National in Richmond, VA on November 27 and the 9:30 Club in D.C. on November 28.
 
See below for the complete list of currently confirmed tour dates. Tickets and information all shows available at the brand new www.kellerwilliams.net.
 
The complete list of Keller Williams confirmed tour dates is as follows:
Friday, July 17 Northwest String Summit Northern Plains OR Keller Williams with The Travelin' McCourys and Keller Williams' Grateful Grass 
Thursday, July 23 Floydfest Floyd VA Keller Williams' Grateful Grass, Keller & The Keels, Keller Williams Solo 
Saturday, July 25 Farm Fest Buena Vista NJ Keller Solo
Saturday, August 8 Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival Alta WY Keller Williams' Grateful Grass
Sunday, August 16 Peach Fest Scranton PA Grateful Gospel ft. John Kadlecik
Friday, August 21 SPACE Evanston IL Keller Solo
Saturday, August 22 Bell’s Beer Garden Kalamazoo MI, Keller Williams Solo Plus Keller Williams'
Grateful Grass Featuring Special Guests 
Thursday, August 27 CEFCU Center Stage Peoria IN Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob Wasserman and Rodney Holmes / Old Shoe
Friday, August 28 Majestic Live Madison WI Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob Wasserman and Rodney Holmes / The Accidentals
Saturday, August 29 Cabooze Minneapolis MN Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob Wasserman and Rodney Holmes / The Accidentals
Saturday, September 5 Backwoods Music Festival Stroud OK 
Sunday, September 6 US National Whitewater Center Charlotte NC Keller Williams with More Than a Little
Sunday, September 13 Lockn' Festival Arrington VA Keller Williams' Grateful Gospel ft. John Kadlecik
Thursday, September 17 Lafayette's Music Room Memphis TN Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob Wasserman and Rodney Holmes
Friday, September 18 Old Rock House St. Louis MO Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob Wasserman and Rodney Holmes
Saturday, September 19 The Vogue Indianapolis IN Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob Wasserman and Rodney Holmes
Thursday, September 24 - Friday, September 25 Resonance Festival Pataskala OH Keller Solo
Saturday, September 26 The Tralf Buffalo NY Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob Wasserman and Rodney Holmes
Saturday, October 3 Homegrown Music Festival Mebane NC Keller Solo
Sunday, October 4 Luna Light Festival Darlington MD Keller & The Keels
Thursday, October 8 Holston River Brewery Bristol TN Keller Solo
Friday, October 9 Creatures of the Night Music & Arts Festival Adams TN 
Saturday, October 10 Mustang Music Festival Corolla NC Keller Williams with More Than a Little
Sunday, October 18 Magnolia Music Festival Live Oak FL Keller Williams' Grateful Gospel featuring Stu Allen
Friday, October 23 Aggie Theatre Fort Collins CO Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob Wasserman and Rodney Holmes /  Cabinet 
Saturday, October 24 Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom Denver CO Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob Wasserman and Rodney Holmes / Cabinet 
Thursday, October 29 Boulton Center Bayshore NY Keller Solo
Thursday, November 5 Redstone Room Davenport IA Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob Wasserman and Rodney Holmes  / Old Shoe
Friday, November 6 The Waiting Room Lounge Omaha NE Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob Wasserman and Rodney Holmes / Old Shoe
Saturday, November 7 DG'S Tap House Ames IA Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob Wasserman and Rodney Holmes  / Old Shoe
Thursday, November 12 Warehouse Live Houston TX An Evening with Keller Williams and EOTO
Friday, November 13 Trees  Dallas TX An Evening with Keller Williams and EOTO
Saturday, November 14 Scoot Inn Austin TX An Evening with Keller Williams and EOTO
Friday, November 27 The National Richmond VA “Thanksforgrassgiving” with Travis Book, Chris Pandolfi, Larry Keel, Jason Carter, and Jay Starling / Cabinet 
Saturday, November 28 9:30 Club Washington D.C. “Thanksforgrassgiving” with Travis Book, Chris Pandolfi, Larry Keel, Jason Carter, and Jay Starling / Cabinet 
Thursday, December 3 V-Club Huntington WV Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob Wasserman and Rodney Holmes
Friday, December 4 State Theatre State College PA  Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob Wasserman and Rodney Holmes
Saturday, December 5 Mr. Small's Theatre Pittsburgh PA  Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob Wasserman and Rodney Holmes
Wednesday, January 6 - Wednesday, March 11 Jam Cruise Keller Williams with More Than a Little 
 
 Additional dates to be announced.

Tue, 07/21/2015 - 1:18 pm

Today, The Motet announces their Fall 2015 tour dates.  The progressive funk collective will unveil their brand new “Mixtape 1977” set over Halloween weekend in four Midwest cities. This marks the first Halloween on the road for The Motet. Meanwhile, fans along the Colorado Front Range can look forward to the launch of a new tradition, The Motet’s “Hometown Hustle,” at the Ogden Theatre on November 13 and 14. In addition, the band announces a handful of Fall festival plays, including Magnolia Fest and Phases of the Moon, and headlining shows later in the season in Boston and two nights in Brooklyn.  See below for the complete list of Motet Fall tour dates.
 
This year’s Halloween theme - “Mixtape 1977” – will be debuted to fans in Des Moines, Minneapolis, Milwaukee and in Chicago on Halloween night.  The Motet’s famed cover sets, where the band performs music of their favorite funk influences (either an album in its entirety or a “mixtape’ of songs popular in a chosen year) are legendary, festive, and full of surprises. Started over a decade ago in Colorado, they have since become a beloved Halloween tradition. The Motet is excited to take the party on the road this year. 
 
Back in their hometown of Denver, The Motet launches a new Colorado tradition this fall with the announcement of their “Hometown Hustle.” In gratitude of their Front Range fans, The Motet hosts two nights at the Ogden Theatre: Friday, November 13 with special guests The Main Squeeze; and Saturday, November 14 the band offers “Spirit of ’77: An Evening With The Motet,” featuring a special second set of music from their “Mixtape 1977” song list.
 
The complete list of The Motet’s Fall 2015 tour dates is as follows:
Friday, September 4 Scoot Inn Austin TX 
Saturday, September 5 Backwoods Music Festival Stroud OK 
Sunday, September 20 Catskill Chill Music Festival Hancock NY 
Sunday, September 27 Skyfest Durango CO 
Saturday, October 3 Luna Light Festival Darlington MD 
Thursday, October 15 - Friday, October 16 Magnolia Music Festival Live Oak Fl
Saturday, October 17 Phases of The Moon Ozark  AR 
Friday, October 23 Valley Bar Phoenix AZ
Wednesday, October 28 Wooly's Des Moines IA (Mixtape 1977)
Thursday, October 29 Cabooze Minneapolis MN (Mixtape 1977) w/ special guests The Heard
Friday, October 30 Turner Hall Ballroom  Milwaukee WI (Mixtape 1977) w/ special guests The Heard
Saturday, October 31 Park West Chicago IL (Mixtape 1977)
Thursday, November 5 Paradise Rock Club Boston MA
Friday, November 6 - Saturday, November 7 Brooklyn Bowl Brooklyn NY
Friday, November 13 The Ogden Theatre Denver, CO w/ special guests The Main Squeeze
Saturday, November 14 The Ogden Theatre Denver, CO
 
 
Additional Summer 2015 Tour Dates
Friday, July 31 Salmonfest Festival Ninilchik AK 
Saturday, August 1 Southeast Alaska State Fairgrounds Haines AK 
Thursday, August 6 Summer Meltdown Festival - Whitehorse Mountain Amphitheatre
Darrington WA 
Friday, August 7 Beloved Music Festival Tidewater OR
Saturday, August 8 State Bridge  Bond CO Pardee Palooza
Friday, August 14 Tamarack Festival Tamarack ID 
Saturday, August 15 Terrapin Crossroads San Rafael CA
Sunday, August 16 For The Funk of it Festival  Belden CA 
Thursday, August 20 State Theatre St. Petersburg FL 
Friday, August 21 The Great Southern Tailgate Classic Fernandina Beach FL 
Saturday, August 22 Southern Brewers Festival Chattanooga TN 
Friday, August 28 - Saturday, August 29 Mishawaka Amphitheatre Bellevue CO with The
California Honeydrops 
 
More dates to be announced.  Tickets and information available at www.themotet.net

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 10:56 am

On the heels of a rock solid, sold-out, three night run at Fenway Park this past weekend, Zac Brown Band’s destination concert experience, “Castaway with Southern Ground” goes on sale this Thursday, August 13 at 12pm ET at www.zbbcastaway.com.
 
Castaway with Southern Ground is a four-night concert vacation on the beautiful Caribbean coastline of Mexico, brought to you by Cloud 9 Adventures. >From January 27-31, 2016, guests will join Zac Brown Band as they perform two full shows over four nights at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya. An incredible collection of musicians will join Zac Brown Band for the event - including Kacey Musgraves, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Dawes, Brett Dennen, The Wailers, and Darrell Scott - creating a unique concert experience each night of the event. The shows take place under the stars with the ocean as the backdrop, making this the perfect winter concert getaway with Zac Brown Band and friends.
 
Check out the Castaway announcement video HERE.
 
Much more than just an intimate run of shows, this all-inclusive experience is limited to 2500 fans with all meals, drinks, concerts and activities included in the package. In addition to the shows, fans will have the chance to experience the beautiful Riviera Maya region of Mexico, the resort’s luxurious grounds with stunning tropical views, turquoise lagoons set against a private white sand beach enclave and exclusive saltwater snorkeling areas. Daily activities will be planned specifically for fans - poolside games, cooking demos, yoga classes, theme nights and more. Days at the resort will also be spent relaxing by the pool, enjoying the cabanas along the water, relaxing in the spa and dining with friends in one of the many restaurants located throughout the property.
 
Located between Playa del Carmen and Tulum, (approximately one hour south of Cancun International Airport), Castaway with Southern Ground also offers a variety of off-site excursions for fans who want to explore the region - such as visiting the Mayan ruins in Tulum, zip-lining through the jungle, exploring local cenotes, shopping in Playa del Carmen, and swimming with sea turtles in nearby Akumal. There are also abundant cultural sites to explore.
 
All-inclusive package prices start at $1699 per person with a variety of room types available, including concert courtyard rooms and the ultimate stage front suites. Prices include a four night stay at the resort, two full Zac Brown Band shows, shows from a curated lineup of additional artists, access to luxurious all-inclusive resort amenities with all you can eat and drink in multiple onsite restaurants and bars, plus the musical adventure of a lifetime. For fans that wish to extend their stay, there is a special discounted rate for the nights before and after the event. All fans must book through Cloud 9 Adventures and stay at Hard Rock Riviera Maya to attend the event.
 
Castaway with Southern Ground is partnering with the charitable organization Positive Legacy, encouraging artists and fans to participate in a day of service and cultural connection in the local community as a way of giving back. In addition to the day of service project, the event will feature an auction and a donation drive to benefit the local community. All proceeds from the auction will go toward the ongoing Positive Legacy charitable projects in this region.
 
Zac Brown Band Zamily Members will have the opportunity to opt-in to an exclusive pre-sale through the Zamily website until August 7th, 2015.

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 12:11 pm

Today, progressive funk collective The Motet announces they’ll ring in 2016 with a very special New Year’s Eve show in Atlanta at The Variety Playhouse on December 31.  Tickets, including a limited number of VIP tickets, go on sale to The Motet Fan Club on Friday, August 14 at 2pm EDT, and to the general public on Friday, August 21 at 2pm EDT, at www.themotet.net.
 
This New Year’s Eve celebration marks The Motet’s first time back in Atlanta since their sold out show at Terminal West just over a year ago, and on the heels of an appearance at Magnolia Fest in Live Oak, Florida this October. The Motet’s New Years shows have become a spectacle.  Last year, the band sold out the historic Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon.  Watch a video from last year’s New Year’s show HERE.
 
The band returns to the Pacific Northwest in mid-December with dates in Eugene, OR, Portland, OR and Seattle, WA. These shows round out the band’s recently announced fall itinerary, which includes a very special run of “Mixtape 1977” shows in the Midwest over Halloween weekend, and doubleheaders at the Brooklyn Bowl in Brooklyn, New York, and the Ogden Theatre, in Denver, Colorado where they’ll unveil their inaugural “Hometown Hustle.” Visit www.themotet.net for full details.
 
The complete list of The Motet’s Fall 2015 tour dates is as follows:
Friday, August 14 The Huckleberry Jam Tamarack ID 
Saturday, August 15 Terrapin Crossroads San Rafael CA
Sunday, August 16 For The Funk of It Festival Belden CA 
Thursday, August 20 State Theatre St. Petersburg FL 
Friday, August 21 The Great Southern Tailgate Classic Fernandina Beach FL 
Saturday, August 22 Southern Brewers Festival Chattanooga TN 
Friday, August 28 - Saturday, August 29 Mishawaka Amphitheatre Bellvue CO with The
California Honeydrops 
Friday, September 4 Scoot Inn Austin TX 
Saturday, September 5 Backwoods Music Festival Stroud OK 
Sunday, September 20 Catskill Chill Music Festival Hancock NY 
Sunday, September 27 Skyfest Durango CO 
Saturday, October 3 Luna Light Festival Darlington MD 
Thursday, October 15 - Friday, October 16 Magnolia Fest Live Oak Fl
Saturday, October 17 Phases of The Moon Ozark AR 
Sunday, October 18 Blueberry Jam Fairhope, AL
Friday, October 23 Valley Bar Phoenix AZ
Wednesday, October 28 Wooly's Des Moines IA (Mixtape 1977)
Thursday, October 29 Cabooze Minneapolis MN (Mixtape 1977) w/ special guests The Heard
Friday, October 30 Turner Hall Ballroom Milwaukee WI (Mixtape 1977) w/ special guests The Heard
Saturday, October 31 Park West Chicago IL (Mixtape 1977)
Thursday, November 5 Paradise Rock Club Boston MA
Friday, November 6 - Saturday, November 7 Brooklyn Bowl Brooklyn NY
Friday, November 13 The Ogden Theatre Denver CO “Hometown Hustle”
w/ special guests The Main Squeeze
Saturday, November 14 The Ogden Theatre Denver CO “Hometown Hustle”
with special ‘Mixtape 1977’ set “Spirit of ‘77”
Thursday, December 10 HiFi Music Hall Eugene OR
Friday, December 11 Roseland Theater Portland, OR
Saturday, December 12 Neptune Theatre Seattle WA
Thursday, December 31 The Variety Playhouse Atlanta GA with special guests TBA
 
Additional dates to be announced.  Tickets and information available at www.themotet.net

Wed, 08/19/2015 - 1:45 pm

On September 10, 11, and 12, 2015, a stunning display of the world’s most remarkable and significant guitarists will gather for the sixth installment of ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival, presented by Krannert Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Situated in a vibrant micro-urban setting, the internationally recognized, biennial event features, “a prodigious array of the world’s most distinctive and influential guitarists” (Premier Guitar) from around the globe, including for 2015 artists rooted in Mali, Australia, China, Spain, Palestine, India, Mexico, and from throughout the United States.  Tickets are on sale now at www.ellnoraguitarfestival.com
 
ELLNORA is anything but your typical music festival. Krannert Center for the Performing Arts incorporates seven unique, state-of-the-art performance spaces—both indoor and outdoor, both formal and informal—that make it particularly well suited to showcase the festival’s impressive range. This year’s incarnation of ELLNORA incorporates 11 individually ticketed events including performances by Rodrigo y Gabriela, Punch Brothers, Los Lobos, Bucky and John Pizzarelli, Dan Zanes, and Drive-By Truckers, along with at least 11 free shows (including concerts by John Scofield and Jon Cleary, Valerie June, Andy McKee, Earth, David Hidalgo and Marc Ribot, and Jessica Lea Mayfield).
 
For 2015, ELLNORA will once again feature an artist-in-residence. Triple Grammy Award-winning classical guitarist Sharon Isbin is an ELLNORA alum whose incredible career has included over 25 albums and the distinction of founding the Juilliard School’s guitar department, in addition to currently helming the guitar department at the Aspen Music Festival. Isbin, whose work spans baroque, Latin, and jazz-fusion, is also a noted author, recipient of Guitar Player’s “Best Classical Guitarist” award, and subject of the one-hour documentary Sharon Isbin: Troubadour which will be shown along with a question and answer session featuring Isbin herself at The Art Theater in Champaign the evening before ELLNORA begins.
 
2011’s artist-in-residence Luther Dickinson will also return, this time with brother Cody for an opening night Southern blues set by their North Mississippi Allstars incarnation. The $5 Opening Night Party will also include sets of electrifying sacred steel blues from the AJ Ghent Band, Terakaft’s genuine desert-blues rock, John Jorgenson Quintet filling the Amphitheatre with gypsy jazz, and Mia Dyson, one of Australia’s “top 25 guitarists” sharing her blues-rock riffs in an open-air set.
 
ELLNORA, which bears the name of its venue’s visionary founder, Ellnora Krannert, provides a vital showcase for some of today’s most prominent female artists. In addition to Sharon Isbin and Mia Dyson, female artists for 2015 include Valerie June and her “organic moonshine roots music,” the first lady of the banjo Abigail Washburn (alongside husband Béla Fleck), bluegrass virtuoso Rhonda Vincent, Hawaiian hula dancer and chanter Moanalani Beamer (alongside the slack key artistry of Keola Beamer and Jeff Peterson), pipa player Min Xiao-Fen, and noir-rocker Jessica Lea Mayfield, among others.
 
Originally known as the Wall to Wall Guitar Festival before being rechristened ELLNORA in 2009, the event is organized by Krannert Center’s director, Mike Ross, and his staff in collaboration with curator and artistic advisor David Spelman, who is also founder/artistic director of the world-renowned New York Guitar Festival. In the years since its debut, ELLNORA has served as a model for other events in the United States and around the world.
 
View A Short Film: ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmyByay0y2c
 
 
2015 ELLNORA PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
(Descriptions available at EllnoraGuitarFestival.com and KrannertCenter.com)
 
Thursday, September 10
6pm Opening Night Party, $5 for all
6:30pm Terakaft, Lobby Stage 6 
7pm Mia Dyson, Amphitheatre on the west terrace
7:30pm AJ Ghent Band, Lobby Stage 5
8:30pm John Jorgenson Quintet, Amphitheatre on the west terrace
8:45pm North Mississippi Allstars, Lobby Stage 6   
 
Friday, September 11
Noon Valerie June/Andy McKee, Lobby Stage 5, free 
2pm Squonk’s Pneumatica, Amphitheatre/west terrace, free 
3pm Keynote: A Conversation with Sharon Isbin, Foellinger Great Hall
4pm Star Rover, Sonic Garden, free 
5pm David Hidalgo and Marc Ribot, Lobby Stage 5, free 
6pm Squonk’s Pneumatica, Amphitheatre/west terrace, free 
6:15pm Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn, Foellinger Great Hall, $10-$29
7:30pm Rhonda Vincent and The Rage, Colwell Playhouse, $10-$44
9pm Drive-By Truckers, Tryon Festival Theatre, $10-$49
10:30pm Earth with Dylan Carlson, Sonic Garden, free 
 
Saturday, September 12
9:15am Squonk’s Pneumatica, Amphitheatre/west terrace, free 
10am Dan Zanes and Friends Celebrate Lead Belly!, Tryon Festival Theatre, $5-$15
10am Keola Beamer and Jeff Peterson with Moanalani Beamer, Lobby Stage 5, free 
11am Sharon Isbin with Colin Davin, Foellinger Great Hall, $10-$39
Noon Squonk’s Pneumatica, Amphitheatre/west terrace, free 
1pm Min Xiao-Fen, solo pipa: Mao, Monk, and Me/Simon Shaheen, Sashank Navaladi,
        and Juan Pérez Rodriguez, Colwell Playhouse, $10-$29
2:30pm Punch Brothers, Tryon Festival Theatre, $10-$44
4pm Bucky and John Pizzarelli, Foellinger Great Hall, $10-$44
5:30pm Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear, Lobby Stage 5, free 
6:30pm Jessica Lea Mayfield, Sonic Garden, free 
8pm Los Lobos, Tryon Festival Theatre, $10-$34
9:30pm Rodrigo y Gabriela, Colwell Playhouse, $10-$49
10:45pm Steve Reich’s Electric Counterpoint with Dither, Mark Stewart, and Friends,
               Sonic Garden, free 
11pm John Scofield and Jon Cleary, Lobby Stage 5, free

Wed, 08/26/2015 - 1:40 pm

Today, American reggae pioneers John Brown’s Body (JBB) announce their 2015 Fall Tour.  The tour begins September 2 and hits eight East Coast cities before hopping out to the West Coast in December for stops in Utah, Colorado and California. Preparation for JBB’s 2015 Fall Tour finds the band fresh off an intense set of summer festival plays including California Roots, Reggae On The Mountain – California, Gathering of the Vibes, and most recently, Reggae on the Rocks at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado, among others. The complete list of currently confirmed Fall Tour is included below, with additional shows still to be announced.

 

JBB’s 2015 Fall Tour crosses many markets for the first time since their recent dub release on Easy Star Records, Kings And Queens In Dub (April 7, 2015). The album offers twelve re-produced dub tracks from the band’s much–hailed 2013 release King and Queens, and features dub producers Dubmatix, UK legend Dennis Bovell, Yesking, Lord Echo (The Black Seeds), Dubfader (10 Ft. Ganja Plant), Ticklah (Antibalas), Michael G (Easy Star All-Stars) and others.
 
John Brown’s Body 2015 Fall Tour Dates:

09.02 Dibden Center for the Arts - Johnson, VT
10.03 Smoke In The Valley Craft Beer Festival - Seymour, CT

10.08 Port City Music Hall - Portland, ME
10.09 Water Street Music Hall - Rochester, NY
10.10 The Westcott Theater - Syracuse, NY
10.22 Ardmore Music Hall - Philadelphia, PA
10.23 The 8x10 - Baltimore, MD
10.24 Gypsy Sally's - Washington, DC
12.03 Aggie Theatre - Fort Collins, CO
12.04 Fox Theatre - Boulder, CO
12.06 Belly Up - Aspen, CO
12.07 State Room - Salt Lake City, UT
12.10 Slim's - San Francisco, CA
12.11 The Catalyst - Santa Cruz, CA
12.13 Belly Up Tavern - Solana Beach, CA

 
Additional dates to be announced.
 
For info and tickets visit
www.johnbrownsbody.com
www.facebook.com/johnbrownsbody

Wed, 09/02/2015 - 10:07 am

Today, prolific singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Keller Williams announces he’ll spend New Year’s Eve in Telluride, Colorado with his 7-piece funk outfit More Than A Little. Dubbed “Tofunkuride” featuring Keller Williams and More Than A Little, tickets to this intimate show are available now to members of the fan club, and on sale to the general public on Friday, September 9.  A limited number of VIP packages also available. Visit http://www.kellerwilliams.net/shows for tickets and info.
 
Find Keller on tour throughout the fall, bringing a variety of his projects - including Keller Solo, More Than a Little, Keller and The Keels, and his brand new Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob Wasserman and Rodney Holmes  - to stages across the country. 
 
Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob Wasserman (bass-RatDog) and Rodney Holmes (drums-Santana/Steve Kimock) debuted this past weekend to rave reviews.  The players in the newly-formed trio greased their chops playing re-imagined versions of originals from throughout Keller’s career and some choice covers live onstage during three shows in the Midwest.  The excitement in the room, and onstage, was palpable. Anticipation is high to watch how these guys hone in and develop as they spend the next few months bouncing around the country.  Look for the Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob Wasserman and Rodney Holmes throughout the Midwest in September and again in November, in Colorado in late October, and in select East Coast markets in late September, October and Early December. 
 
Over Thanksgiving weekend, Keller hosts “Thanksforgrassgiving” with an all-star lineup of bluegrass buddies: Travis Book and Chris Pandolfi (The Infamous Stringdusters), Larry Keel, Jason Carter (Del McCoury Band) and Jay Starling (Love Cannon).  Catch Thanksforgrassgiving at The National in Richmond, VA on November 27 and the 9:30 Club in D.C. on November 28.
 
See below for the complete list of currently confirmed tour dates. Tickets and information on all shows available at www.kellerwilliams.net.
 
The complete list of Keller Williams confirmed tour dates is as follows:
Friday, September 4 Backwoods Music Festival Stroud OK Keller Solo
Saturday, September 5 Strawberry Music Festival Tuolumne,CA Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass ft. members of The Infamous Strindusters and Michael Kang
Sunday, September 6 US National Whitewater Center Charlotte NC Keller Williams with More
Than a Little
Sunday, September 13 Lockn' Festival Arrington VA Keller Williams' Grateful Gospel ft. John
Kadlecik
Thursday, September 17 Lafayette's Music Room Memphis TN Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob
Wasserman and Rodney Holmes
Friday, September 18 Old Rock House St. Louis MO Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob
Wasserman and Rodney Holmes
Saturday, September 19 The Vogue Indianapolis IN Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob
Wasserman and Rodney Holmes
Thursday, September 24 - Friday, September 25 Resonance Festival Thornville OH Keller Solo
Saturday, September 26 The Tralf Buffalo NY Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob Wasserman and
Rodney Holmes
Saturday, October 3 Homegrown Music Festival Mebane NC Keller Solo
Sunday, October 4 Luna Light Festival Darlington MD Keller & The Keels
Thursday, October 8 Holston River Brewery Bristol TN Keller Solo
Friday, October 9 Creatures of the Night Music & Arts Festival Adams TN (Keller Solo)
Saturday, October 10 Mustang Music Festival Corolla NC Keller Williams with More Than a Little
Sunday, October 18 Magnolia Music Festival Live Oak FL Keller Williams' Grateful Gospel
featuring Stu Allen
Friday, October 23 Aggie Theatre Fort Collins CO Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob Wasserman
and Rodney Holmes /  Cabinet 
Saturday, October 24 Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom Denver CO Keller Williams Trio
featuring Rob Wasserman and Rodney Holmes / Cabinet 
Sunday, October 25 eTown Hall Boulder CO Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob Wasserman and 
Rodney Holmes
Thursday, October 29 Boulton Center Bayshore NY Keller Solo
Friday, October 30 Musikfest Café at SteelStacks Bethlehem PA Keller Solo
Thursday, November 5 Redstone Room Davenport IA Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob
Wasserman and Rodney Holmes  / Old Shoe
Friday, November 6 The Waiting Room Lounge Omaha NE Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob
Wasserman and Rodney Holmes / Old Shoe
Saturday, November 7 DG'S Tap House Ames IA Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob Wasserman
and Rodney Holmes  / Old Shoe
Thursday, November 12 Warehouse Live Houston TX An Evening with Keller Williams and EOTO
Friday, November 13 Trees Dallas TX An Evening with Keller Williams and EOTO
Saturday, November 14 Scoot Inn Austin TX An Evening with Keller Williams and EOTO
Friday, November 27 The National Richmond VA “Thanksforgrassgiving” with Travis Book, Chris
Pandolfi, Larry Keel, Jason Carter, and Jay Starling / Cabinet 
Saturday, November 28 9:30 Club Washington D.C. “Thanksforgrassgiving” with Travis Book,
Chris Pandolfi, Larry Keel, Jason Carter, and Jay Starling / Cabinet 
Thursday, December 3 V-Club Huntington WV Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob Wasserman and
Rodney Holmes
Friday, December 4 State Theatre State College PA  Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob
Wasserman and Rodney Holmes
Saturday, December 5 Mr. Small's Theatre Pittsburgh PA  Keller Williams Trio featuring Rob
Wasserman and Rodney Holmes
Thursday, December 31 Telluride Conference Center Telluride CO “Tofunkuride” with Keller Williams and More Than A Little
Wednesday, January 6 - Wednesday, March 11 Jam Cruise Keller Williams with More Than a
Little 
 
Additional dates to be announced.

Mon, 09/28/2015 - 6:28 pm

We've got a special #OspreyPacks #MusicMondays EXCLUSIVE to get your week started off right: Stream @kellerwilliams’ latest #album “#Vape” (for free, for 24 hours, ONLY the Osprey website!) PLUS enter to win a signed copy of Keller's album AND an Osprey pack! Click on the URL in our profile bio to listen to these great #tunes and enter to win or visit blog.ospreypacks.com

Wed, 10/28/2015 - 6:50 pm

FARE THEE WELL: Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead is a fine art, hardcover coffee table photography book by famed rock photographer—and bona fide Deadhead—Jay Blakesberg. FARE THEE WELL will be released December 1, 2015 via Rock Out Books and is available for pre-order now at www.rockoutbooks.com and other book retailers.

In late June/early July 2015, the “core four” surviving members of the Grateful Dead—Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart—reunited for five final shows billed as “Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead.” Joining the lineup for these monumental shows were Phish frontman Trey Anastasio, former Dead member Bruce Hornsby and RatDog’s Jeff Chimenti. Lifelong Deadhead Jay Blakesberg was tapped as the event’s official photographer. With a talented team, including photographers Chad Smith and John Margaretten, Blakesberg documented all aspects of this historic, culminating moment in the Grateful Dead’s fifty-year career. From stadium soundchecks to Shakedown Street shenanigans, the colorful close to the long strange trip of the “band beyond description” is lovingly preserved in 305 images across the 208-page FARE THEE WELL

Featuring dynamic band, crowd and venue shots from all five Fare Thee Well concerts—June 27 and 28 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA and July 3, 4 and 5 at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL—Blakesberg’s FARE THEE WELL also provides access to intimate backstage moments and the group portrait session that yielded the final images immortalized on giant stadium screens throughout the “Attics of My Life” encore the final night in Chicago. Photographs of enthusiastic throngs of attendees—from old Deadheads to new converts—in various states of joy, anticipation and exhilaration, as well as concert ephemera like tie-dyed roses, homemade signs and backstage passes, serve to complete Blakesberg’s rich visual account of the multi-day event, its history and its legacy.          
 
Former NBA star and devoted Deadhead Bill Walton provides the book’s Foreword, offering a deeply personal account of his experience at the Fare Thee Well shows. To Walton, this final tour—and, by extension, this book—serves as an emotional touchstone, transporting him back to a place of pure happiness. “It was a time and space that I will never forget. I am a proud and loyal Deadhead,” he writes. “This book serves to nurture and activate our finely tuned senses and bring the Fare Thee Well celebration back to life.” 
 
Two essays by Gary Lambert, co-host of SiriusXM’s “Tales from the Golden Road,” add valuable historical perspective from firsthand recollections of Jerry Garcia’s memorial at Golden Gate Park and the immediate aftermath of his passing in 1995, to the planning and realization of the Fare Thee Well tour two decades later. Lambert muses on everything from the fervor of the Deadheads to the unlikely business model that catapulted the band into the rock and roll stratosphere. “Joyously undermining all the conventional wisdom of the music business, the band somehow survived and prospered,” Lambert writes. “And, after fifty years, it can’t be denied that the Dead’s art became a tradition unto itself…”
 
In the Afterword, Grateful Dead archivist David Lemieux marvels at his near miss with the Fare Thee Well experience. Initially uncertain about attending, his desire to reunite with his friends, and the broader Deadhead community, brought him home to Soldier Field. Lemieux extends a poignant invitation to revisit the experience again after another half century. “For those of us who’ll be around in fifty years, let’s reconvene in Chicago for GD100,” he writes. “Even though the band has packed and gone, if you ever have doubts on whether they were here at all, think back to this special weekend and the thirty years they toured (1965-1995), listen to the music play and go see them continue to play live. Yes, they were here, and it WAS a dream we dreamed one afternoon, long ago.”
 
For a downloadable PDF preview of FARE THEE WELL, visit http://blakesberg.com/temp/ftw_pr.zip
Mon, 11/09/2015 - 5:41 pm

Gem & Jam Festival is thrilled to announce the debut of the Soulection Stage on Saturday, February 13th, during the 10th annual festival, featuring this heavy hitter lineup from the Soulection roster: SANGO, ESTA, JOE KAY, INSIGHTFUL and THE WHOOLIGAN. This exciting addition to the Gem & Jam lineup will be one of the first official Soulection curated stages at a music festival in the United States. Also announced today is the addition of MICHAL MENERT (Pretty Lights Music), TEMPLO, COFRESI and KYMA to Gem and Jam 2016. The full lineup is listed below.

Known for curating a “bass-heavy, groove-oriented blend of hot new remixes of rap and soul tracks” (Los Angeles Times), Soulection is a record label, radio show and niche collective of creative music makers and programmers worldwide. Based in Los Angeles, CA, Soulection hand picks timeless music from around the world and increases visibility for The Sound Of Tomorrow™ through weekly Soulection Radio broadcasts, traditional releases, live events and curated visuals. As a trusted resource and global platform pushing forward honest music, Soulection aims to inspire and a cultural shift in music consumption that values the artistry of music and discovery. With its motto of “Do What You Love,” the Soulection Stage is a welcome addition to the 2016 Gem & Jam festival.

Another exciting addition to the main event is Michal Menert, Colorado co-founder of Pretty Lights and member of the PLM (Pretty Lights Music) record label. Menert will be gracing the main stage along fellow PLM member Eliot Lipp, as well as playing an intimate after party. Lineups and details on these late night after parties are to be announced.

Held each year during the internationally renowned Tucson Gem and Mineral show, Gem & Jam hosts over 50 musicians across 3 stages, along with a plethora of gem and mineral exhibits, art galleries and painters, dancers, performers, daytime workshops, late night after parties and much more - all in the stunning Southwestern desert landscape.

For its 10 year anniversary over Valentine’s Day Weekend (Feb 12-13-14) in 2016, Gem & Jam Festival welcomes performers Beats Antique, Lettuce, The Polish Ambassador, Tycho DJ set, Nahko and Medicine for the People, Minnesota, OTT (UK) and Lyrics Born (Live).

Rounding out the top half of the lineup are Break Science with The Shady Horns, Mark Farina (Mushroom Jazz), Eliot Lipp (Pretty Lights Music), Desert Dwellers, Dirtwire (ft. members of Beats Antique), Govinda, Delhi 2 Dublin, Exmag, Krooked Drivers, Marvel Years and many others.

The Soulection Stage Lineup

Sango

Esta

Insightful

Joe Kay

The Whooligan

The 2016 Gem & Jam Musical Lineup:

Beats Antique

Lettuce

The Polish Ambassador

Tycho DJ set

Nahko and Medicine for the People

Minnesota

OTT (UK)

Lyrics Born (Live)

Break Science with The Shady Horns

Mark Farina (Mushroom Jazz)

Michal Menert (Pretty Lights Music) 

Eliot Lipp (Pretty Lights Music)

Desert Dwellers

Dirtwire

Govinda

Delhi 2 Dublin

Exmag

Krooked Drivers

Marvel Years

The Magic Beans

Spafford

Dynohunter

Smokovich

Brothers Gow

BLVD

Souleye

Crush Effect

Modern Measure

COFRESHI

Artime

The Flying Skulls

Majitope

8 Minutes to Burn

Rebel Disco DJs

Templo

Safi’s Lab

KYMA

Macrodot

Endoplasmic

The Bennu

Electric Feel

Pedro

Jahmontee

Adem Joel

Hey, Bucko

Milk & Scott

Top Dead Center

Elektra Tek

Cadillac Mountain

Jyshua Pcalyps

Keli and The Big Dream

M-Q

Known for hosting a unique celebration of music, art and gems, Gem & Jam 2016 will again bring together a vibrant and creative community to a desert oasis for 3 days and nights.  In addition to music, attendees will enjoy gem, crystal and mineral vendor spaces, transcendent visuals by featured artist Johnathan Singer (Grateful Dead’s “Fare Thee Well” and Tipper), live painting and performance artists, art exhibits, a variety of daytime classes and workshops, late-night after parties, and much more.

Tickets and hotel packages are available now at www.gemandjamfestival.com.

To stay up to date on all Gem & Jam Festival news, please visit www.gemandjamfestival.com

and the official Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages.  #gemandjam

Gem & Jam is produced by Infinite Music Productions, Euphonic Conceptions, New Earth Muziq, and Challenger Presents.

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 9:57 am

Today, Electric Forest (EF) announced the return of the 6th annual music and camping festival to the legendary Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Michigan on June 23-26, 2016.  In conjunction with the announcement, EF released the first video of a brand new four part series titled, Once Upon The Forest: Awakening. This beautiful video series will in culminate December, when fans will give fans the first chance to purchase tickets to EF16.

EF’s Once Upon The Forest video series celebrates the qualities that spark love for Electric Forest in its community – the invitation to consider our oneness, the exploration of music, and the depth of creativity.

The first video, Once Upon The Forest: Awakening  - explores the pull we feel to awaken to our connectedness with each other and to intentionally contribute to an experience bigger than ourselves. Watch Once Upon The Forest: Awakening HERE. Additional videos in the series will follow in the coming weeks – sign up for release alerts HERE.

Last year, Electric Forest welcomed tens of thousands of fans to the Double JJ Ranch, with tickets selling out in record time. For advanced notice regarding EF16 ticket details and on sale info, all are encouraged to sign up for the mailing list HERE, and to follow the EF YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/TheElectricForest.

Stay tuned for 2016 ticket info and on sale date coming soon.  Wristbands and lodging packages will go on sale in December.

To stay up to date on all Electric Forest news, please visit www.electricforestfestival.com and the official Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube pages.

Electric Forest is produced by Insomniac and Madison House Presents.

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 2:12 pm
Today, progressive funk collective The Motet announced 2016 Winter Tour plans. The tour launches on January 28 in Solana Beach and zigzags up California and Nevada with stops in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Crystal Bay before ending in on San Francisco February 5 and 6. On February 18, the tour picks back up on the other side of the country in Greensboro, NC and in Asheville, NC for two nights with Umphrey’s McGee, and continues on through February 28 with stops in along the east coast and Midwest.
 
Before the Winter Tour begins, The Motet spend NYE in Atlanta, GA with special guests The Main Squeeze.  The band kicks off the first night of 2016 at BB Kings in New York City for a late night Phish after party on January 1.  Stayed tuned for more dates to be announced soon.
 
Check out The Motet performing “fFun” at their  “Mixtape 1977” show at Chicago’s Park West.
 
The complete list of The Motet’s currently confirmed tour dates is as follows:
 
Friday, November 13 - Saturday, November 14 (SOLD OUT) Ogden Theatre Denver CO "Hometown Hustle” with special guests
Saturday, November 14 Ogden Theatre Denver CO Hometown Hustle ft. an Evening with The Motet and Spirit of 1977
Thursday, December 10 Hifi Music Hall Eugene OR w/ special guests Euforquestra 
Friday, December 11 Roseland Theater Portland OR w/ special guests Euforquestra
Saturday, December 12 Neptune Theatre Seattle WA w/ special guests Euforquestra
Thursday, December 31 Variety Playhouse Atlanta GA w/ special guests The Main Squeeze
Friday, January 1 BB King's Blues Club & Grill New York NY 
 
2016 Winter Tour
Thursday, January 28 Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach CA 
Friday, January 29 Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas NV 
Saturday, January 30 The Roxy West Hollywood CA 
Sunday, January 31 Moe's Alley Santa Cruz CA 
Tuesday, February 2 Arcata Theatre Arcata CA 
Wednesday, February 3 Harlow's Sacramento CA 
Thursday, February 4 Crystal Bay Club Casino Crystal Bay NV 
Friday, February 5 The Independent San Francisco CA 
Saturday, February 6 The Independent San Francisco CA 
Thursday, February 18 The Blind Tiger Greensboro NC 
Friday, February 19 Explore Asheville.com Arena Asheville NC 
Saturday, February 20 Asheville Music Hall Asheville NC 
Sunday, February 21 Revelry Room Chattanooga, TN w/ special guests Smooth Dialect
Tuesday, February 23 Lowe Mill Huntsville, AL w/ special guests Seeds
Wednesday, February 24 Basement East Nashville, TN 
Thursday, February 25 Old Rock House St. Louis MO 
Friday, February 26 Lafayette Theater Lafayette IN 
Saturday, February 27 Madison Theatre Covington KY 
Sunday, February 28 Founders Brewing Co. Grand Rapids MI 
 
Fan club tickets on sale November 13 and tickets on sale to the general public on November 20 at www.themotet.net
 
To stay up to date on all news on The Motet, please visit www.themotet.net and the official Facebook, TwitterYouTube and Soundcloud pages.
 
Tue, 11/17/2015 - 12:14 pm

On the heels of two sold-out shows at The Ogden Theatre in their hometown of Denver, today The Motet announce a headlining 2016 summer Red Rocks play - Friday, July 22nd, 2016 - with special guests Medeski Martin and Wood and Vulfpeck. Tickets go on sale to Motet fan club on Wednesday, November 18th and to the general public on Friday, November 20th at www.themotet.net. Special VIP Packages will be available.

The Motet recently announced their 2016 Winter Tour plans, launching on January 28th in Solana Beach, CA, hitting 19 cities across the US and wrapping on February 28th in Grand Rapids, MI. All announced dates are listed below. 

Before the Winter Tour begins, The Motet spend NYE in Atlanta, GA with special guests The Main Squeeze.  The band kicks off the first night of 2016 at BB Kings in New York City for a late night Phish after party on January 1. 

The complete list of The Motet’s currently confirmed tour dates is as follows:

Thursday, December 10 Hifi Music Hall Eugene OR w/ special guests Euforquestra 

Friday, December 11 Roseland Theater Portland OR w/ special guests Euforquestra

Saturday, December 12 Neptune Theatre Seattle WA w/ special guests Euforquestra

Thursday, December 31 Variety Playhouse Atlanta GA w/ special guests The Main Squeeze

Friday, January 1 BB King's Blues Club & Grill New York NY 

Thursday, January 14 Club Red Telluride CO

Friday, January 15 Belly Up Aspen CO

Saturday, January 16 Warren Station Keystone, CO

Sunday, January 17 Warren Station Keystone, CO

2016 Winter Tour

Thursday, January 28 Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach CA 

Friday, January 29 Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas NV 

Saturday, January 30 The Roxy West Hollywood CA 

Sunday, January 31 Moe's Alley Santa Cruz CA 

Tuesday, February 2 Arcata Theatre Arcata CA 

Wednesday, February 3 Harlow's Sacramento CA 

Thursday, February 4 Crystal Bay Club Casino Crystal Bay NV 

Friday, February 5 The Independent San Francisco CA 

Saturday, February 6 The Independent San Francisco CA 

Thursday, February 18 The Blind Tiger Greensboro NC 

Friday, February 19 Explore Asheville.com Arena Asheville NC 

Saturday, February 20 Asheville Music Hall Asheville NC 

Sunday, February 21 Revelry Room Chattanooga, TN w/ Smooth Dialect

Tuesday, February 23 Lowe Mill Huntsville, AL w/ Seeds

Wednesday, February 24 Basement East Nashville, TN 

Thursday, February 25 Old Rock House St. Louis MO 

Friday, February 26 Lafayette Theater Lafayette IN 

Saturday, February 27 Madison Theatre Covington KY 

Sunday, February 28 Founders Brewing Co. Grand Rapids MI 

Fan club tickets for the Winter tour are on sale now and tickets on sale to the general public on November 20 at www.themotet.net

To stay up to date on all news on The Motet, please visit www.themotet.net and the official Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Soundcloud pages.

Thu, 11/19/2015 - 4:30 pm

FARE THEE WELL: Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead is a fine art, hardcover coffee table photography book by famed rock photographer—and bona fide Deadhead—Jay Blakesberg. FARE THEE WELL will be released December 1, 2015 via Rock Out Books and is available for pre-order now at www.rockoutbooks.com and other book retailers.

In late June/early July 2015, the “core four” surviving members of the Grateful Dead—Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart—reunited for five final shows billed as “Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead.” Joining the lineup for these monumental shows were Phish frontman Trey Anastasio, former Dead member Bruce Hornsby and RatDog’s Jeff Chimenti. Lifelong Deadhead Jay Blakesberg was tapped as the event’s official photographer. With a talented team, including photographers Chad Smith and John Margaretten, Blakesberg documented all aspects of this historic, culminating moment in the Grateful Dead’s fifty-year career. From stadium soundchecks to Shakedown Street shenanigans, the colorful close to the long strange trip of the “band beyond description” is lovingly preserved in 305 images across the 208-page FARE THEE WELL.

Featuring dynamic band, crowd and venue shots from all five Fare Thee Well concerts—June 27 and 28 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA and July 3, 4 and 5 at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL—Blakesberg’s FARE THEE WELL also provides access to intimate backstage moments and the group portrait session that yielded the final images immortalized on giant stadium screens throughout the “Attics of My Life” encore the final night in Chicago. Photographs of enthusiastic throngs of attendees—from old Deadheads to new converts—in various states of joy, anticipation and exhilaration, as well as concert ephemera like tie-dyed roses, homemade signs and backstage passes, serve to complete Blakesberg’s rich visual account of the multi-day event, its history and its legacy.

Former NBA star and devoted Deadhead Bill Walton provides the book’s Foreword, offering a deeply personal account of his experience at the Fare Thee Well shows. To Walton, this final tour—and, by extension, this book—serves as an emotional touchstone, transporting him back to a place of pure happiness. “It was a time and space that I will never forget. I am a proud and loyal Deadhead,” he writes. “This book serves to nurture and activate our finely tuned senses and bring the Fare Thee Well celebration back to life.”

Two essays by Gary Lambert, co-host of SiriusXM’s “Tales from the Golden Road,” add valuable historical perspective from firsthand recollections of Jerry Garcia’s memorial at Golden Gate Park and the immediate aftermath of his passing in 1995, to the planning and realization of the Fare Thee Well tour two decades later. Lambert muses on everything from the fervor of the Deadheads to the unlikely business model that catapulted the band into the rock and roll stratosphere. “Joyously undermining all the conventional wisdom of the music business, the band somehow survived and prospered,” Lambert writes. “And, after fifty years, it can’t be denied that the Dead’s art became a tradition unto itself…”

In the Afterword, Grateful Dead archivist David Lemieux marvels at his near miss with the Fare Thee Well experience. Initially uncertain about attending, his desire to reunite with his friends, and the broader Deadhead community, brought him home to Soldier Field. Lemieux extends a poignant invitation to revisit the experience again after another half century. “For those of us who’ll be around in fifty years, let’s reconvene in Chicago for GD100,” he writes. “Even though the band has packed and gone, if you ever have doubts on whether they were here at all, think back to this special weekend and the thirty years they toured (1965-1995), listen to the music play and go see them continue to play live. Yes, they were here, and it WAS a dream we dreamed one afternoon, long ago.”

For a downloadable PDF preview of FARE THEE WELL, visit http://blakesberg.com/temp/ftw_pr.zip

The release of FARE THEE WELL comes on the heels of Blakesberg’s recent photography book, Hippie Chick: A Tale of Love, Devotion & Surrender (October 1, 2015). Hippie Chick celebrates the unique connection between the vibrant community of free-spirited women who are inspired by, and help inspire, live music. Blakesberg’s visual anthropology beautifully captures the feminine festival and concert archetypes, and the individuals, who have graced the fields and performance halls of America since 1980. Earth mamas and fairy princesses, hula hoopers and whirling dervishes, front row regulars and flower crown makers; the entire tribe of dedicated, music-loving women—their fashion and their passion—is sensuously brought to life through Blakesberg’s artful lens. For a PDF preview of Hippie Chick, visit http://blakesberg.com/temp/Hippie_Chick.pdf.zip.

Wed, 01/06/2016 - 7:25 am

Gem & Jam Festival is thrilled to announce official festival pre-parties across the country this January in anticipation of the 10th annual festival held in Tucson, AZ on February 12-14th, 2016. Hailed as the “Crown Jewel of the Southwest Festival Scene” (Huffington Post) and among “Ten Inspirational Sights to See in 2016” (Daily Beat), Gem & Jam is held each year during the internationally renowned Tucson Gem and Mineral show, and hosts over 50 musicians across 3 stages, plus gem and mineral exhibits, art galleries and painters, dancers, daytime workshops, and much more.
 
Gem & Jam pre-parties in San Francisco on January 14th and in Los Angeles on the 15th will feature DJ sets from Shpongle, live painting by visionary artist Alex Grey, who will also be speaking at the events, performances from Ott, and more to be announced soon. Pre-parties in Denver, Colorado on January 28th and in Ft. Collins, Colorado on January 29th with feature performances by Exmag and Defunk.
 
All confirmed pre-party dates and lineups are below. Stay tuned for more information regarding lineups and additional parties.

Gem & Jam 2016 Official Pre-Parties

1/14/16     San Francisco, CA     1015 Folsom (21+)     Shpongle, Alex Grey, Ott and others     Tickets and Info
 
1/15/16     Los Angeles, CA        The Belasco (18+)      Shpongle, Alex Grey, Ott and others     Tickets and Info
 
1/28/16     Denver, CO                Cervantes (16+)          Exmag and Defunk                                Tickets and Info
 
1/29/16     Fort Collins                 Hodi’s Halfnote (16+)  Exmag and Defunk                                Tickets and Info

 

Additional Gem & Jam pre-parties still to be announced.

Wed, 01/06/2016 - 3:35 pm

Progressive funk collective The Motet recently announced 2016 Winter Tour plans.  Among the plans - a selection of vocalist friends, old and new, will join the band along their upcoming Winter Tour dates. On the list of special guests are Tanya Shylock, LaDamion Massey and Paul Creighton – all familiar voices to Motet fans because of their amazing appearances during The Motet’s special “Mixtape” performances over the past couple of years.  New to The Motet stage for select dates… introducing Mr. Lyle Divinsky.

The Motet 2016 Winter Tour launches on January 14 in Telluride, followed by 1 night in Aspen and 2 in Keystone. Afterwards, the band zigzags through California and Nevada, including stops in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Lake Tahoe before ending in San Francisco on February 5 and 6.   The tour resumes on February 18 with stops in the Southeast and Midwest.

Over the past 18 months, The Motet has emerged as a powerful force in the national live music scene.  Last month, after announcing their band mate and forever brother Jans Ingber was departing from The Motet to pursue other personal priorities, the band wrapped up a hugely successful 2015 with two sold-out shows: on New Year’s Eve in Atlanta and at BB Kings in New York City on January 1.  The future is looking bright for The Motet in 2016! Stay tuned for up to the minute news at www.themotet.net and on their official Facebook page.

The complete list of The Motet’s currently confirmed Winter Tour dates is as follows:

Thurs, Jan 14 - Club RED, Mountain Village CO - vocalists: LaDamion Massey, Tanya Shylock, Paul Creighton

Fri, Jan 15 - Belly Up, Aspen CO - vocalists: LaDamion Massey, Tanya Shylock, Paul Creighton

Sat, Jan 16 - Warren Station Center for the Arts, Keystone CO - vocalists: LaDamion Massey, Paul Creighton

Sun, Jan 17 - Warren Station Center for the Arts, Keystone CO - vocalists: LaDamion Massey, Tanya Shylock, Paul Creighton

Thurs, Jan 28 - Belly Up Tavern,  Solana Beach CA - vocalists: Lyle Divinsky, Tanya Shylock, Paul Creighton

Fri, Jan 29 - Brooklyn Bowl, Las Vegas NV - vocalists: Lyle Divinsky, Tanya Shylock, Paul Creighton

Sat, Jan 30 - The Roxy, West Hollywood CA - vocalists: Lyle Divinsky, Tanya Shylock, Paul Creighton

Sun, Jan 31 - Moe's Alley, Santa Cruz Ca - vocalists: Lyle Divinsky, Tanya Shylock, Paul Creighton

Tues, Feb 2 - Arcata Theatre, Arcata CA - vocalists: Lyle Divinsky, Tanya Shylock

Wed, Feb 3 - Harlow's, Sacramento CA - vocalists: Lyle Divinsky, Tanya Shylock

Thurs, Feb 4 - Crystal Bay Club Casino, Crystal Bay NV - vocalists: Lyle Divinsky, Tanya Shylock

Friday, Feb 5 - The Independent, San Francisco CA - vocalists: Lyle Divinsky, Tanya Shylock, Paul Creighton\

Sat, Feb 6 - The Independent, San Francisco CA - vocalists: Lyle Divinsky, Tanya Shylock, Paul Creighton

Wed, 01/20/2016 - 2:27 pm

The 5th annual SnowGlobe Music Festival returned to one of the country’s most stunning mountain landscapes – the Sierra Nevada Mountains – for a music festival, ski/snowboard adventure, and destination New Year’s Eve celebration all rolled into one. Throughout the festival, which attracted 16,000 attendees each night, fans enjoyed live music performances by 50 world-class artists performing, Big Air snowboard and ski showcases in between sets, unique art installations, fireworks displays, and more.

On Tuesday, December 29, heavy hitters Claude Vonstroke, Jack U (featuring Diplo and Skrillex), Duke Dumont and E-40 kicked off the three-day festival. Devoted Globe–ers packed outside the festival gates in anticipation of festival doors opening. Once inside the venue, attendees enjoyed art installations in the outdoor Forest Lounge and a variety of hang spaces, including several enclosed heated bars. In addition to Main Stage performances, SnowGlobe’s Sierra Tent hosted artists including Vanic and NGHTMRE, while Justin Martin, Shiba San and others performed the Igloo Stage.

Day two of SnowGlobe 2015 continued on with electrifying results.  Early SnowGlobe-ers caught Orphic open the Sierra Tent, which stayed packed with fans all day.  Jai Wolf, Bob Mose, Alison Wonderland and Cut Copy all had Day Two sets in the Sierra Tent.  Highlights at the Main Stage included Chet Faker, Eric Prydz and Kaskade, who closed out the night.

By Thursday, December 31, vibe was thick and festivities were at a peak. Ghostland Observatory, G-Eazy, and Dillon Francis topped the bill.  Crowd pleasers Run the Jewels, Goldlink and Big Wild powered the crowd. Superduperkyle crowd surfed, on a surfboard.

Of course it’s not New Year’s Eve without a countdown.  What So Not, the project by producer Emoh Instead, helped SnowGlobe usher in the New Year. The DJ and the sold out crowd counted down to midnight  and a huge firework display followed, while What So Not played on.

Another epic New Year’s celebration at SnowGlobe Music Festival.  Hello 2016.

About SnowGlobe

SnowGlobe is the largest outdoor NYE music festival in the nation. Hosted in South Lake Tahoe in the heart of California’s breathtaking Sierra Nevada Mountains, the unique outdoor winter festival hosts over 50 world-class artists performing multiple stages over 3 nights, plus dynamic fireworks displays, live “Big Air” snowboard and skiing demos in between Main Stage sets, 13,000 square feet of heated enclosed spaces to stay cozy, live art painting and more. With almost 9,000 acres of nearby skiing and snowboarding terrain and reduced-price Heavenly Mountain lift tickets available to SnowGlobe patrons, festival goers can hit the slopes by day and shows by night. In addition to official late night after parties, with the festival grounds located just three miles from Stateline, NV, gamers can take advantage of the five 24-hour casinos that Tahoe has to offer.

Combining the world's best live music with the world's best snow conditions, SnowGlobe is the ultimate winter getaway for music fans and adventure-seekers alike.

Thu, 01/21/2016 - 5:38 pm

Gem & Jam Festival is thrilled to announce official festival late night shows during the 10th annual festival held in Tucson, AZ on February 12-14th, 2016. Hailed as the “Crown Jewel of the Southwest Festival Scene” (Huffington Post) and among “Ten Inspirational Sights to See in 2016” (Daily Beat), Gem & Jam is held each year during the internationally renowned Tucson Gem and Mineral show, and hosts over 50 musicians across 3 stages, plus gem and mineral exhibits, art galleries and painters, dancers, daytime workshops, and much more.
 
Keeping the music going all night long, the Gem & Jam late night shows will feature two shows each night of the festival beginning at 1:45 AM and ending at 5:30 AM. They will be held at Solar Culture/Galactic Center (18+) and The Club at Gem and Jam (21+), which is located on the festival grounds and will feature an open bar while supplies last.
 
All confirmed late night shows and lineups are below.
 
Gem & Jam 2016 Official Late Night Shows
 
2/12/16            Tucson, AZ  |  Solar Culture/Galactic Center (18+)
                        Eliot Lipp, Gladkill, Treavor Moontribe, Templo,
                        Safi’s Lab, Johnny Swoope
                        2:00 AM – 5:30 AM
 
2/12/16            Tucson, AZ  |  The Club at Gem and Jam (21+)
                        Project Aspect, Unlimited Gravity, BLVD
                        1:45 AM – 5:15 AM
 
2/13/16            Tucson, AZ  |  Solar Culture/Galactic Center (18+)
                        IAMNOBODI (Soulection), Krooked Drivers, Cofresi,
                        Soulular, Smokovich, The Flying Skulls
                        2:00 AM – 5:30 AM
                       
2/13/16            Tucson, AZ  |  The Club at Gem and Jam (21+)
                        Borahm Lee (Break Science), Govinda, Souleye
                        1:45 AM – 5:15 AM
 
2/14/16            Tucson, AZ  |  Solar Culture/Galactic Center (18+)
                        Mark Farina (House Set), DynoHunter, Dehli 2 Dublin (DJ Set),
                        Conduit (Adem & Lucia), Dirty Gem Stones (Kruza Kid)
                        2 AM – 5:30 AM
 
2/14/16            Tucson, AZ  |  The Club at Gem and Jam (21+)
                        Manic Focus, Exmag (DJ Set), Marvel Years
                        1:45 AM – 5:15 AM

Fri, 01/22/2016 - 4:31 pm

North Carolina-based band Mipso announces a headlining 2016 Winter/Spring Tour that brings their distinctive and stirring indie folk sound to 23 cities across North America. The tour kicks off on February 11th in Charlottesville, VA and wraps up in Salisbury, NC on May 7th. A complete list of Mipso’s 2016 Winter/Spring Tour is included below.
 
Following their critically acclaimed debut record, 2013’s Dark Hollar Pop, Mipso released Old Time Reverie in fall 2015 to rave reviews from critics and fans alike. The record shot up the Billboard charts, where it landed at #1 on the Billboard Bluegrass Chart and in the Top 25 of the Billboard Heatseakers Chart.  With songwriting hailed as “smartly written, hewing surprisingly close to gospel and folk while still sounding modern and secular.” (Acoustic Guitar), Mipso’s Old Time Reverie was named among the “Best Records of the Year” by The Guardian - for the band’s “aptidude for stunning harmonies” and for its “ lush and moving songs that feel as fresh as a warm spring rain.”
 
With over 300 shows under their belt so far, and the permanent addition of band mate Libby Rodenbough, Old Time Reverie is a reflection of Mipso’s musical and personal growth.  Their gripping, mature sophomore release finds the quartet expanding their sonic resources while doubling down on their experimentation with string band tradition.
 
Influenced by the contradiction of their progressive home of Chapel Hill, North Carolina and the surrounding rural southern landscapes, Mipso’s Old Time Reverie dips in, explores and mixes the complexities of traditional bluegrass with modern instrumentation and smart pop melodies.  The result is an intoxicating, distinctly unique blend of modern day Americana.
 
Mipso is: Jacob Sharp (mandolin, vocals), Wood Robinson (bass, vocals), Joseph Terrell (guitar, vocals), Libby Rodenbough (fiddle, vocals).

Tour Dates:

2/11/16 Charlottesville, VA Southern Café & Music Hall
2/12/16 Baltimore, MD Creative Alliance at The Patterson
2/13/16 Beverly, MA Cabot Performing Arts Center
2/14/16 Portland, ME One Longfellow Square
2/15/16 Montreal, QB, Canada Casa Del Popolo
2/17/16 Old Saybrook, CT Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center
2/18/16 Manchester, NH The Dana Center at Saint Anselm College
2/19/16 Saratoga Springs, NY Caffe Lena
2/20/16 New York, NY City Winery
2/21/16 Washington D.C. The Hamilton
2/27/16 Dayton, OH Oddbody's Music Room
2/28/16 Ann Arbor, MI The Ark
3/1/16 St. Louis, MO Off Broadway
3/2/16 Kansas City, MO Knuckleheads Saloon
3/3/16 Washington, IA Washington Arts Center
3/4/16 Hartford, WI Schauer Arts Center
3/5/16 Red Wing, MN The Sheldon Theatre
3/9/16 Fish Creek, WI White Gull
3/10/16 Stoughton, WI Stoughton Opera House
4/7/16 Spearfish, SD Matthew's Opera House
4/16/16 Durango, CO Durango Meltdown
5/7/16 Salisbury, NC Lee Street Theatre
6/24/16 Owensboro, KY ROMP: Bluegrass Roots & Branches Festival

 

Wed, 02/03/2016 - 8:02 am

Yesterday, Electric Forest (EF) revealed the initial artist lineup for the 6th annual music and camping festival taking place June 23-26, 2016 in Rothbury, Michigan. Excitement for Electric Forest has never been greater with the festival selling out earlier than ever, a mere two weeks after tickets went on sale. In line with EF’s strong community spirit, the festival surprised the EF community by inviting them to announce the 2016 lineup first.
 
EF2016 Lineup Invitations, each revealing one or more artists on this summer’s eagerly awaited lineup, were mailed to a handful of randomly selected ticket-holders. With mail deliveries throughout the day, new artists were continually shared on social media with the hashtag #EF2016Reveal, creating waves of excitement and a level of interaction between a festival and it’s fans that has never been seen before.  Forest HQ followed the reveals and collected many of the posts at http://www.electricforestfestival.com/experience/lineup/. By 9pm – the entire EF16 lineup had been revealed by the Electric Forest community itself. 
 
See some of the fan-created social media reveal posts HERE.
 
Known for showcasing a mix of roots, rock and jam-style acts alongside some of dance music’s most talented performers, Electric Forest 2016 has again delivered a diverse lineup of over 100 established and emerging artists performing across 7 breathtaking stages.
 
For the 6th year in a row, Electric Forest welcomes back fan favorite The String Cheese Incident (performing 3 shows), plus heavyweights Bassnectar and Major Lazer.

Other acts include: GRiZ, Porter Robinson (Live), STS9, Fetty Wap, Duke Dumont, Flosstradamus, Nahko and Medicine for the People, Baauer, and Gorgon City (Live). 
 
Also on the eclectic bill are Greensky Bluegrass, The Disco Biscuits, Adventure Club, Beats Antique, Bonobo (DJ Set), Tchami, Keys & Krates, Doomtree, and DJ Mustard. The Silent Disco returns for another magical year.

The complete list of artists on Electric Forest’s 2016 Initial Lineup is as follows: (artists listed in alphabetical order)

12th Planet G Jones NGHTMRE
AC Slater Gallant Nick Monaco Live
Adventure Club Gorgon City (Live) Ott & The All-Seeing I
Alina Baraz Grandtheft Papadosio
AlunaGeorge Greensky Bluegrass Paper Diamond
Anna Lunoe GRiZ Party Favor
Aqueous Gryffin Petey Clicks
Atlas Road Crew Hayden James Porter Robinson (Live)
Austin Plaine Hermitude Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Baauer Hippie Sabotage Raury
Bassnectar Houndmouth RÜFÜS DU SOL
Beats Antique JACKAL Savoy
Bleep Bloop Jillionaire Scott Grooves
Bonobo (DJ Set) Josh Wink Skratch Bastid
Brillz Just Kiddin Slander
Bro Safari Justin Martin Slumberjack
Broccoli Samurai Kamasi Washington Son Little
Calliope Musicals Karl Denson's Tiny Universe Soul Clap
Carly Bins Keys N Krates Stephen
Caspa b2b Rusko Kry Wolf Stick Figure
Chris Lorenzo Lance Herbstrong STS9
Coleman Hell Landis LaPace SunSquabi
Cubicolor Lane 8 Taiki Nulight
Delhi 2 Dublin (DJ Set) LANY TC
Dixon's Violin Le Youth Tchami
DJ Jazzy Jeff Los Colognes Teddy Killerz
DJ Mustard Louis The Child Tei Shi
DJ Soul Sister Low Steppa Tennyson
Doomtree Magic Giant The Bright Light Social Hour
Duke Dumont Major Lazer The Disco Biscuits
Dumpstaphunk Manic Focus The Floozies
Dusky Marian Hill The New Mastersounds
Earphunk Mark Farina The Nth Power
Egyptian Lover Metrik The Polish Ambassador
EOTO Mija The String Cheese Incident x3
EPROM Mike Dunn The Suffers
Evanoff Miner Way Out West
Fetty Wap Motez What So Not
Flava D Motion Potion Whilk & Misky
Flosstradamus Nahko and Medicine for the People WIll Clarke
Frameworks Navid Izadi Yotto
Fury + MC Dino Neon Indian  
Future Rock New Beat Fund  

Curated Events, The Silent Disco talent, Discovery Project DJ contest, and additional artists are still to be announced.
 
EF HQ has since released the 2016 initial lineup poster, included below.

To stay up to date on all Electric Forest news, please visit www.electricforestfestival.com and the official Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube pages.

Electric Forest is produced by Insomniac and Madison House Presents.

Wed, 02/17/2016 - 11:28 am

Today, the Portland, OR based quintet Fruition announce the release of their new studio album, Labor of Love, on April 22nd, 2016 on Randm Records. Self-produced and engineered by Justin Phelps (Amanda Palmer, Jolie Holland, Chuck Prophet), Labor of Love displays the band’s growth from a rootsy, string-centric outfit to a full-fledged rock band with an easy but powerful grasp of soul, blues and British Invasion era pop.
 
Following the release of 2013’s Just One of Them Nights and extensive touring, Labor of Love came to life over the course of a year-long process of exploring new sonic terrain. Influenced by everything from Phil Spector-esque pop to dreamy psychedelia to Motown inspired soul, Fruition plugged in and emerged with a wholly unified album that subtly imparts the sense of being swept along on a journey. With Fruition’s striking three-part vocal harmonies still very much at the center, and contributions from friends Anders Beck of Greensky Bluegrass, Jeremy Garrett of The Infamous Stringdusters, Steve Swatkins of Allen Stone, Labor of Love shows the complete force of their newly expanded and electrified sound.
 
In support of Labor of Love, Fruition make a quick pit stop in Colorado this weekend and then head out on the road for a North American Spring tour. Kicking off in Tampa, FL as part of the Gasparilla Music Festival, Fruition will make their way to 41 cities across the country including a 2nd stop at Red Rocks in Colorado before wrapping at the Northwest String Summit in their home state of Oregon. A complete list of dates is listed below.
 
Fruition is Jay Cobb Anderson (vocals, lead guitar, harmonica), Kellen Asebroek (vocals, rhythm guitar, piano) Mimi Naja (vocals, mandolin, guitar), Jeff Leonard (bass) and Tyler Thompson (drums, banjo).
 
Labor of Love Tracklisting:
1.     Labor of Love
2.     Santa Fe
3.     The Meaning
4.     Falling On My Face
5.     Above The Line
6.     The Way That I Do
7.     Beside You
8.     Early Morning Wake Up
9.     Death Comes Knockin’

Fruition Tour Dates:

3/12 - 3/13 Tampa, FL Gasparilla Music Festival
3/14 - 3/15 Key West, FL Green Parrot
3/16 Stuart, FL Terra Fermata
3/17 Boca Raton, FL The Funky Biscuit w/ Crazy Fingers
3/17 - 3/20 Live Oak, FL Springfest
4/8 Bend, OR Domino Room
4/9 Eugene, OR HiFi music hall
4/21 Seattle, WA Tractor Tavern
4/22 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom An Evening w/ Fruition w/ special guest Allie Kral of YMSB
4/23 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom w/ Hill Dogs
4/26 Arcata, CA Humboldt Brews
4/27 Chico, CA Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
4/28 San Francisco, CA The Chapel
4/29 Los Angeles, CA Bootleg Theater
4/30 San Diego, CA Winston's Beach Club
5/2 Flagstaff, AZ Orpheum Theater
5/3 Albuquerque, NM Low Spirits w/ Silver String Band
5/4 El Prado, NM Taos Mesa Brewing
5/6 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre w/ JJ Grey & Mofro, Infamous Stringdusters
5/9 Ames, IA DG'S Tap House
5/10 Kansas City, MO Knuckleheads Saloon
5/11 St. Louis, MO The Demo
5/12 Nashville, TN Exit / In
5/13 Atlanta, GA Smith's Olde Bar
5/14 Aiken, SC Aiken Bluegrass Festival
5/15 Black Mountain, NC Leaf Festival
5/17 Baltimore, MD The 8 X 10
5/18 Fairfield, CT FTC Stage One
5/19 Brooklyn, NY The Hall at MP
5/21 Scranton, PA Susquehanna Breakdown
5/22 Pittsburgh, PA Rex Theater
5/25 Washington, DC Gypsy Sally's
5/26 - 5/29 Cumberland, MD Delfest
5/28 Logan, OH Duck Creek Log Jam
5/27 - 5/29 Chillicothe, IL Summer Camp Music Festival
5/30 Milwaukee, WI Shank Hall
5/31 Minneapolis, MN The Cabooze
6/2 Billings, MT Pub Station
6/3 Bozeman, MT THE EAGLES
6/4 Haugan, MT Silver Cloud Campout
6/12 Palisade, CO Palisade Bluegrass & Roots Festival
7/13 - 7/17 Northern Plains, OR Northwest String Summit

 

Thu, 02/18/2016 - 9:43 am

Today, The Moth & The Flame (TMTF) announce the release of highly anticipated new album, Young & Unafraid, out February 26, 2016. The album’s smash title track was first featured on the band’s Fall 2015 EP release of the same name, and received over 2.8 million streams on Spotify. The full Young & Unafraid album, which delivers eight brand new songs produced by longtime TMTF collaborator Nate Pyfer, Peter Katis (Interpol, The National, Sigur Ros), and Tony Hoffer (M83), features lush, atmospheric string arrangements from Rob Moose (Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens). The collection of distinctively unique production signatures has allowed The Moth & The Flame to construct a vast and exceptionally innovative album.

Later this month The Moth & The Flame join SiriusXM Presents Alt Nation Advanced Placement Tour with POP ETC and Banners. The North American tour kicks off on February 29th in Minneapolis, MN, and stops in 18 cities across the country before wrapping on March 31st in San Diego, CA.  A complete list of Alt Nation Advanced Placement Tour is included below.
 
The Moth & the Flame is Brandon Robbins (vocals, guitar), Mark Garbett (keyboards/vocals), Andrew Tolman (drums) and Michael Goldman (bass, guitar, vocals).
 
Young & Unafraid is available for pre-order here.
 
Listen to “Live While I Breathe” here.

Thu, 02/18/2016 - 12:28 pm

Today, The Motet announced new lead vocalist Lyle Divinsky and saxophonist Drew Sayers as official members of the band.  Read Pollstar’s exclusive break story about today’s announcement here  and watch a short video clip here. Look for The Motet’s brand new studio album to hit the streets before their headlining show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on July 22 with Medeski Martin & Wood and Vulfpeck.
 
“As difficult as change can be, the addition of Lyle and Drew has felt like an incredibly natural progression for the band.  They are already brothers,” says Motet keyboardist Joey Porter. “We are all feeling really inspired and are excited about the future.”
 
Lyle Divinsky, a native of Portland, Maine, brings his powerful presence and love and light to The Motet. The unsuspecting soul man was awarded the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame Abe Olman Scholarship (John Legend was the recipient in 2002), was hailed by Fuse TV’s as an “Artist to Watch” and reached #4 on the UK Soul Chart’s Top 40 earlier this year.
 
Powerhouse tenor saxophonist Drew Sayers, most recently of John Brown’s Body, brings his huge sound and rich tone to The Motet.  Drew, who played and wrote horn arrangements on Beyonce’s last two albums, has performed on late night TV, and produced the 2015 John Brown’s Body release "Kings and Queens in Dub," also brings his writing and producing skills to the band.
 

The Motet in its new line up hits the road beginning today, February 18 in Greensboro, North Carolina.  Over the coming months, the band has stops throughout the South and the Midwest, ramps up the festival season with plays at Euphoria Music Festival and during New Orleans Jazz Fest (for a Mixtape 1977 set), and much more. The complete list of currently confirmed tour dates is included below. 
 
The Motet are (pictured above L-R) Garrett Sayers (bass), Joey Porter (keyboards), Ryan Jalbert (guitar), Gabriel Mervine (trumpet), Dave Watts (drums), Drew Sayers (saxophone), Garrett Sayers (bass), Lyle Divinsky (vocals).

Tue, 03/01/2016 - 11:14 am

Deadhead Productions and the multifaceted band, Railroad Earth, have announced a new partnership in hosting this year’s Hillberry: The Harvest Moon Festival. The 4-day music and arts festival is set to take place October 13-16, 2016 at Deadhead Productions’ venue known as “The Farm,” in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Opened in May of 2015, Hillberry: The Harvest Moon Festival 2016 will be the 5th event hosted at the beloved festival site, and will feature two nights of Railroad Earth along with 20 national and regional artists to be announced soon.  Tickets are on sale now at www.hillberryfestival.com.

Carrying on the fall music festival tradition in the Ozarks, Deadhead Productions (DHP) and Railroad Earth (RRE) have found the perfect synergy of combining the high quality productions of DHP and the musical and artistic insights of RRE. Deadhead Productions is in their seventh year of producing music festivals. Other events DHP are responsible for include their flagship festival, Highberry Music Festival held annually over the Independence Day Weekend, and the funky-in-nature Phunkberry Music Festival. Railroad Earth was formed in 2001 and has been performing nationally since their debut at the prestigious Telluride Music Festival. Since those early days, they have gone on to release 6 critically acclaimed studio albums, a widely popular live release, as well as a DVD release of their sold out performance at Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado in 2014.  Together they will produce a truly one of a kind experience for attendees, with an emphasis on the intimacy of the venue.

With attendance capped at 3,000, concert goers will have the opportunity to get to know their neighbors, the community, and perhaps even encounter some of their favorite artists walking the ground or jamming by the fire. As has always been the case, DHP events are as much about the people as they are about the music. In addition to first class musical talent and stage production, attendees can look forward to more temporary and permanent art installations, workshops, and daytime activities, along with new environmental elements that contribute to the overall ambiance of the event.

The camping, music, and arts festival is set to kickoff at 2:00PM on Friday, October 14th, although there is the option to pay a little extra to arrive on the Thursday and be treated to first pick of campsites and at least one musical act. Performances will follow throughout the weekend with mainstage acts finishing around 2:00AM Friday and Saturday nights. There will also be an abundance of campfire and campsite jams, including booked artists along with organic jam sessions, to round out the nights. Music on the mainstage will conclude on Sunday night at midnight.

Beyond the music, the event offers a wide spectrum of activities and workshops for children and adults alike, ranging from tie-dye workshops, yoga, and hula hooping, to rock balancing, open forum discussions with headlining performers, and more. A very limited number of $100 early bird tickets are set to go on sale Thursday February 26th, 2016 .  To find out how tickets to the event may be purchased, go to the event website www.hillberryfestival.com or follow the Hillberry: The Harvest Moon Festival event page on Facebook.

The Farm itself is a sight to behold. Boasting 360° panoramic views in the hills of the Ozarks, The Farm is the perfect setting for a fall festival that is bound to be both colorful and whimsical all at once. The 150 acre property features recently expanded camping in diverse terrain, including an RV camping area (no hook-ups, electrical or otherwise), mainstage camping area, a hillside camping area with spectacular views of the entire venue, a family camping area, and a wooded camping area that is drop off only (no car camping). This is perfect for the hammock camper or anyone wanting more isolated camping without a long trek to get to the stage area. There will also be a Festi-Cab service to cart attendees around whose feet are weary from dancing all day and night.

A general store is onsite and offers an array of necessities including food, non-alcoholic beverages, ice, and camping supplies. A multitude of food vendors will have offerings to appeal to any taste. There will also be beverage vendors offering organic juices and a café serving coffee. Attendees can also find an assortment of unique arts, crafts, and official merchandise to take home as mementos from other vendors who populate “Shakedown Street.”

Finally, no visit to The Farm is complete without a brief hike to the top of the venue to a shrine constructed in memory of the late Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. An Eureka Springs based artist, known as ‘Ralph Shrine,’ and his team built the “Jerry Shrine” to commemorate one of the most inspiring musical artists of the 20th century; an artist whose band and musical legacy left an impact on literally hundreds of thousands of loyal fans that still resonates today. Visitors are encouraged to leave something at the Jerry Shrine, as it is a living work of art, continually changing over time, as do all things in this wondrous spectrum of life.

Fri, 03/11/2016 - 9:36 am

Moving from January to the month of May, the New York Guitar Festival returns in 2016 with an intensely focused week of concert programming from May 8 to May 14, followed by a full day of free workshops, master classes, and panel discussions on May 15. In its new season of spring, the Festival continues a long-standing tradition: spotlighting a global range of guitar styles and cross-cultural mash-ups. 

 
The 2016 roster includes Nigel North, a master of Renaissance lute; South African guitarist Derek Gripper (making his NYC debut!) whose recordings of Malian music mesmerically evoke the centuries-old West African kora; the Memphis-based, country blues singer-songwriter Valerie June; veteran sound-sculptor & ECM recording artist David Torn; pipa virtuosa Min Xiao-Fen, who weds traditional Chinese melodies with the bebop anthems of Thelonious Monk; alt-jazz pioneer and Wilco sideman Nels Cline; Living Colour’s Vernon Reid; rising star William Tyler of the “American Primitive” finger-picking style; and Austrian jazz guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel, to mention a few.
 
But perhaps the most influential musician at NYGF ’16 will be present in spirit only: the late Sister Rosetta Tharpe, who was born 101 years ago in Cotton Plant, Arkansas. Why celebrate her centennial plus one? NYGF Founder & Artistic Director David Spelman observes, “Her one-hundredth anniversary met with little fanfare last year, aside from events in her home state as well as a fantastic remembrance of her in a British newspaper, The Guardian. Bob Dylan called Rosetta Tharpe a ‘force of nature’ and ‘one of the most important figures in 20th-century music,’ yet there’s been scant notice on the New York cultural scene of her achievements. We’d like to change that.” This year’s New York Guitar Festival opens with a Mother’s Day concert at Brookfield Place Winter Garden in honor of Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Guest Curator Luther Dickinson, of North Mississippi Allstars, brings the creme de la creme of Delta blues and gospel artists to share the stage in tribute. Spelman adds, “We hope this event spurs recognition of Sisten Rosetta among contemporary performers. The style of electric guitar playing she invented spoke to and to a large extent shaped the musicality of The Who, The Rolling Stones, Elvis, Rod Stewart, and countless others. And yet – shockingly – she’s never been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”
 
The New York Guitar Festival welcomes three new venues this year: The Cloisters, the branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art dedicated to the art and architecture of medieval Europe; the Williamsburg, Brooklyn concert hall National Sawdust (formerly a sawdust factory in the 1930s); and the East Village’s world music club DROM. “We’re overjoyed to be partnering with The Met,” says Spelman. 2016’s Guitar Marathon will take place at The Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park, and this year’s edition of the Alt Guitar Summit, curated by Joel Harrison, unfurls over two nights: one at National Sawdust, one within the intimately lit exposed brick walls of DROM. “New music in historic structures?” Spelman muses. “That could be a theme this year, but with the Marathon this time, it’s less about a specific repertoire and more about reverberance between sound and space. Rather than be confined to a single stage, the music will flow throughout the entire complex – in the Fuentidueña and Langon chapels, in the Pontaut Chapter House and Early Gothic Hall, as well as outside in the open-air Trie Café. The Romanesque and Gothic architecture of The Cloisters will become a member of the band, so to speak, as the sense of time evoked by vaulted ceilings and 12th-century limestone resonates with Simon Shaheen’s Middle-Eastern oud, or the eloquence of Nigel North’s Renaissance lute melodies, or with the ‘drone doom’ distorted guitar of Dylan Carlson from the band Earth,” Spelman states, “which I can’t wait to hear in this context.”
 
Since 1999, WNYC Radio has served as media partner to the New York Guitar Festival. This year, it’s also a host. John Schaefer will MC a live concert podcast from the Greene Space for a future edition of his signature radio show, New Sounds. Musical guests to be announced... The 2016 Festival will conclude on Sunday, May 15 with the launching of New York Guitar Festival Academy, to be held at The New School. “I’ve long wanted to expand the educational components of the Festival, and this takes an important first step in that direction,” Spelman explains. The Academy will present interviews with Festival artists as well as panel discussions on improvisation, instrument design, and compositional trends. “Our ambition is for the Academy to become the TED Talks of all things guitar,” says Spelman.
 
More events will be announced on the New York Guitar Festival website: http://www.newyorkguitarfestival.org.
 

CONCERT SCHEDULE

OPENING NIGHT: “Ring the Golden Bells” 
Celebrating 101 years of Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Presented by Arts Brookfield
Sunday, May 8, 8:30 PM, Brookfield Place Winter Garden. FREE. 230 Vesey Street

 
NYGF ‘16 begins with a Mother's Day concert in honor of gospel/blues legend Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the godmother of rock & roll. She was America’s first national gospel star, and her famous windmill guitar moves lived on in Keith Richards and Pete Townshend. From the Cotton Club to Carnegie Hall and the Apollo, Sister Rosetta merged sacred lyrics with secular rhythms in a scorching guitar style. 
 
Summing up the significance of her reach, “She influenced everyone from Elvis Presley to Chuck Berry, Aretha Franklin, and Johnny Cash,” expounds Music Director/Band Leader Luther Dickinson. 2016 marks Sister Rosetta’s centennial + 1, and to celebrate her musical achievements Dickinson will share the stage with a roster that includes Grammy-winner Alvin Youngblood Hart, Valerie June, Dom Flemons (of the Carolina Chocolate Drops), blues vocalist Ruthie Foster, Trixie Whitley, and – making their NYC debut – the gospel-singing trio Como Mamas from Como, Mississippi.
 
First hearing Sister Rosetta’s music at a young age made an indelible impression on Hart, who says, “She's been a lifelong guitar influence to me,” adding, “and to real guitar legends as well; you can't tell me guys like Hendrix, Cooder, Richards didn't have at least one ear tuned in to Sister.” Tennessee native Valerie June found an on-going source of inspiration in Tharpe, “a big woman with a blazing electric guitar,” whose recorded legacy led June away from pop music to explore older country & blues.
 
Joining Dickinson in our Sister Rosetta house band will be John Medeski – of Medeski Martin & Wood fame – on keyboards, as well as drummer Daru Jones and bassist Dominic John Davis – both from Jack White’s band. Southern blues-rock rising star AJ Ghent, whose family pioneered the “sacred steel” tradition of playing gospel on lap and pedal steel guitars, rounds out the string section.
 
This opening night event takes its name from the song “When They Ring the Golden Bell,” Sister Rosetta’s paean to the “sweet forever” of an afterlife with “no sin or sorrow.”
 

ALTERNATIVE GUITAR SUMMIT
Curated by Joel Harrison

 
Founded in 2010, The Alternative Guitar Summit convenes daring, inventive composers and improvisers who emphasize new, unusual approaches to the guitar, beyond genre. “We're happily partnering again this year with the New York Guitar Festival,” states Summit curator Joel Harrison. “As in previous years,” Harrison continues, “the shows will be full of the joy of spontaneity. On any given night, you'll find gorgeous melody, shockingly surreal skronks, blaps, beeps, and howls, as well as soul, engrossing harmony, and dreamy clouds of sound.”

 
Monday, May 9, 7 PM 
Beauty and Noise
National Sawdust, 80 N. Sixth Street, Brooklyn, NY
 

Creating sonic edifices and mysterious atmospheres, sometimes absent of notes, each of these musicians – Elliot Sharp, David Torn, Anthony Pirog, Ben Monder, and Patrick Higgins – "plays with noise." Some will perform solo, others will have accompaniment, some of the music will be composed, some improvised, with an emphasis on texture, electronic rapture.
 
“Of particular note,” Harrison points out, “will be a rare pairing of Sharp and Torn, both of whom are longtime innovators in this vein. Monder and Pirog are more from rock-influenced jazz, whereas Higgins stems from avant-garde classical by way of “brutal, punky fringes,” to quote The New Yorker.

 
Wednesday, May 11, 7:30 PM to 10 PM
“While We’re Still Here” 
A Tribute to Joni Mitchell and Carla Bley
DROM, 85 Avenue A

 
This year, the Alt Guitar Summit launches a new annual series entitled "While We're Still Here," celebrating living composers. For this inaugural, the honorees will be none other than jazz big-band leader Carla Bley and the widely influential Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell.
 
Bley, a 2015 NEA Jazz Masters recipient as well as the composer of “Ida Lupino” and “The Girl Who Cried Champagne,” plays piano, but like Duke Ellington, she makes an entire orchestra her instrument, expressing her trademark wit in large-scale structures of piquant harmonic density. She has also written for guitar, as heard on her 1977 Dinner Music and Gary Burton’s all-Bley album Dreams So Real. Mitchell, whose long career has traversed folk, pop, rock, and jazz, needs no introduction: her era-defining anthems like “Big Yellow Taxi,” “River,” and “Both Sides Now,” continue to resonate across the generations, as do her collaborations with the celebrated bassists Charles Mingus and Jaco Pastorius.
 
Eight improvising guitarists will perform one piece each by Mitchell and Bley. Some of the artists involved include the lyrical Wolfgang Muthspiel, Wilco’s Nels Cline, Leni Stern with an African trio, Ben Monder with Becca Stevens, Sheryl Bailey, Joel Harrison, and trumpeter Dave Douglas with Chilean singer/guitarist Camila Meza.

LIVE FROM THE WNYC GREENE SPACE
http://www.thegreenespace.org/\
Thursday, May 12, 8 PM, 44 Charlton Street 

John Schaefer hosts this special live webcast from The Greene Space, a 125-seat performance venue on the ground floor of New York Public Radio’s headquarters. The evening’s music making will later broadcast on WNYC Radio's New Sounds. Artists will be announced closer to the date. A short list of who’s performed there in the past includes Audra McDonald, Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, and Joshua Bell.

AUDIBLE CLOISTERS: GUITAR MARATHON
Presented in collaboration with MetLiveArts
Free with Museum admission

Saturday, May 14, 10 AM to 6 PM, The Cloisters. 99 Margaret Corbin Drive 

Perched atop North Manhattan’s Fort Tryon Park, with a view of the Hudson River below and cliffs of the Palisades across the way, The Cloisters houses one of the world's finest collections of medieval European art. The structure, assembled from Romanesque architecture and borrowings from Gothic cathedrals and abbeys, features chapel-like galleries, the repose of ornately carved tombs, unicorn tapestries, windows with centuries-old stained-glass panels, as well as cloistered gardens of fragrant herbs and spring crocus. In essence, what better place to hear 14 guitarists whose collective repertoire spans the Renaissance to right now. This year’s Guitar Marathon will be mostly unamped music and includes performances on the lute, oud, and pipa – all historic precursors of the guitar.
 
Hosted by WNYC's John Schaefer, curated by the New York Guitar Festival's Artistic Director David Spelman. 
 
Marathon performers:
 

Dylan Carlson
Lead guitarist and singer of the Seattle-based drone-metal band Earth. His solo project Drcarlsonalbion draws on inspirations found in British folklore and occult legends.
 

Colin Davin

Currently on the faculty of the Cleveland Institute of Music, Colin Davin studied classical guitar with Sharon Isbin. His repertoire encompasses Rodrigo, Britten, and Castelnuovo-Tedesco.
 
Derek Gripper
A South African making his first New York performance, Derek Gripper transcribes works for the 21-string kora to six-string guitar. His 2012 album One Night on Earth: Music for the Strings of Mali has been extolled for its “depthless beauty” and “dream-like improvisatory nature.”
 
Alberta Khoury
A young Australian in her senior year at Juilliard, Ms. Khoury is getting to be known for the spiciness of her Bach interpretations. She studies guitar with Sharon Isbin.
 
Min Xiao-Fen
Chinese folk songs, Beijing operas, the jazz of Monk and Basie, all infuse Min Xiao-Fen’s approach to the pipa, a four-stringed lute that dates back centuries. A native of Nanjing, she composes, improvises, sings, and continually expands the pipa repertoire.
 
Ben Monder
A jazz artist equally at home in ethereal sonic structures and “noise,” Ben Monder has performed with iconic drummer Paul Motian, the singer Theo Bleckmann, and on the late David Bowie’s final album Blackstar.
 
Nigel North
Master of an instrument that gained popularity across Europe in Medieval times, Nigel North has recorded the complete lute works of English Renaissance composer John Dowland as well as transcribed Bach’s cello suites and solo violin works for the lute.
 
Noveller
The cinematically conceived one-woman project by ambient guitarist Sarah Lipstate. Noveller begins where Brian Eno and Vini Reilly end, creating “chill” soundscapes that have a fierce emotional core.
 
Vernon Reid
Co-founder of the Black Rock Coalition and auteur of the metal-funk band Living Colour. Reid will play duets with the celestial multi-instrumentalist Laraaji.
 
Gyan Riley
Composer/guitarist Gyan Riley erases the boundaries between jazz, world music, and contemporary classical. He’s one-half of the chamber-folk duo Probosci, and has performed with Zakir Hussain, Dawn Upshaw, and his dad, the pianist/composer Terry Riley.
 
Simon Shaheen
A Palestinian virtuoso of the oud (an ancient Middle Eastern instrument that pre-dates even the lute) Simon Shaheen plays traditional Arabic music as well as jazz fusion.
 
Marija Temo
An adherent of traditional flamenco even as she pushes the genre in new directions, guitarist, singer, dancer, and rule-bender Marija Temo frequently performs with chamber ensembles and symphony orchestras. She appears in Sobre las Olas, a documentary on flamenco in the U.S.
 
William Tyler
An Appalachian otherworldliness permeates the music of Nashville’s William Tyler. Through intimate yet sonically cavernous structures, Tyler’s incantatory fingerstyle suggests John Fahey playing ragas.
 
Ryley Walker
With his 1970s-inspired debut album Primrose Green, young singer-songwriter Ryley Walker evokes the moody Brit pop vibe of Van Morrison, Nick Drake, and Tim Buckley.

NEW YORK GUITAR FESTIVAL ACADEMY

A full day of free classes, workshops, and panel discussions
 
Sunday, May 15, 9 AM to 6 PM, The New School, Wollman Hall. 65 West 11th Street
 
Launching at NYGF ’16, this new tradition brings together students, instrument makers, composers, audiophiles, discerning aficionados, and master soloists in convivial symposiums devoted to different aspects of performing, recording, writing for, and building guitars. The Academy will be co-curated by David Spelman and Ed Keller, the director of The New School's Center for Transformative Media (home to the “Future of Guitar” series).
 
A partial list of highlights (with more details to come):
 

  • Classical guitarist (and New School faculty member) Michael Newman interviews Derek Gripper, Nigel North, and others.
  • The New School/Center for Transformative Media's Ed Keller moderates a panel with luthiers on new directions in instrument design and materials. 
  • Alt Guitar Summit's Joel Harrison moderates panels on contemporary improvisation and the electric guitar; and trends in contemporary composition for classical guitar. 
  • Derek Gripper discusses transcribing kora music for classical guitar.
  • Nigel North recreates “The French Lute of the 17th-century,” a presentation on the instrument, tuning, tablatures, and music that a lutenist lived with 350 years ago.

About The New School’s “Future of Guitar” series: 
Since 2013, The New School’s Center for Transformative Media has presented a series of lectures, workshops, and performances focusing on the cutting edge present and future of guitar and instrument design. Co-sponsored by Parsons School of Design and Mannes College of Music, this series builds cross-divisional collaborations at The New School and has brought internationally renowned luthiers, designers, builders, materials innovators, composers, performers, theorists, and sound designers together to explore points of connection between the traditions of musical instrument design and sound production, as well as new forms of design thinking facilitated by materials science, emergent materials, parametric design, the internet of things, networked sound, and the politics of “noise.”  Guests and performers have included Marco Cappelli, Perry Hall, Fred Hand, Ratzo Harris, Charlie Hunter, Gary Lee, Allan Marcus, Michi Matsuda, Ava Mendoza, Dom Minasi, Michael Newman, Laura Oltman, Ken Parker, Joe Ravo, Gyan Riley, Barry Salmon, Aron Sanchez, Elliott Sharp, Ned Steinberger, Ola Strandberg, Florian Vorreiter, and Charles Yang.  
 
http://ctm.parsons.edu/
 
About MetLiveArts:
The groundbreaking live arts series at The Metropolitan Museum of Art explores contemporary performance through the lens of the Museum’s exhibitions and peerless gallery spaces with exceptional performances and talks. MetLiveArts invites artists, performers, curators, and thought-leaders to explore and collaborate within the Met, leading with new commissions, world premieres, and site-specific durational performances that have been named some of the most “Memorable” and “Best of” performances in New York City by the New York TimesThe New Yorker, and Broadway WorldFor tickets and information, visit www.metmuseum.org/tickets or call 212-570-3949. 
 
About the New York Guitar Festival:
The New York Guitar Festival produces innovative experiences that celebrate the guitar’s musical personality and are designed to foster creativity and joy, energize communities, and nurture the next generation of performers and audiences.
 
More events will be announced on the New York Guitar Festival website: www.newyorkguitarfestival.org
 
#NYGF16
 
www.facebook.com/newyorkguitarfestival
 
www.instagram.com/newyorkguitarfestival
 
www.twitter.com/ny_guitarfest
 
www.youtube.com/guitarfestival

Tue, 03/15/2016 - 12:43 pm

Today, Vertex - the inaugural music and camping festival in Buena Vista, Colorado on August 5-7, 2016 – announces dj duo ODESZA, recent 4-time Grammy winners Alabama Shakes and the Trey Anastasio Band (2 sets) to headline the lineup of over 30 established and emerging acts. Hosted in a stunning mountain valley setting, Vertex will showcase the best of Colorado. As a community-minded event that merges diverse musical genres, art, and a variety of experiences and outdoor adventures, Vertex promises an elevated experience that takes the U.S. festival and its culture to new heights – Colorado style.
 
Duke Dumont, Seven Lions, Jai Wolf, Dopapod, Hiatus Kaiyote, Graham Nash, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, The Claypool Lennon Delirium, Houndmouth, The Revivalists and others were also revealed in today’s lineup announcement. See below for the complete list of currently confirmed artists, with more still to be announced.
 
Tickets to Vertex go on sale Friday, March 25 at 12pm MDT at vertexfestival.com.  A portion of ticket sales will be used to support the launch of Vertex’s local philanthropic programs.  For this inaugural year, Vertex will be working with Chaffee County and the Town of Buena Vista to begin the development of a long-awaited community garden.  In addition, the festival’s Music In Schools Program is partnering with Buena Vista’s public schools to help provide funding for their middle school and high school music departments.  The money donated will help to pay for 2016-2017 Honor Band and Choir travel to competitions across the state, and to support the purchase of new band and choir performance uniforms. More information on both programs is available here
 
Vertex is produced by Madison House Presents (MHP) and AEG Live Rocky Mountains. Boulder, Colorado based MHP is responsible for The Grateful Dead’s recent Fare Thee Well 50th Anniversary Celebration, Mumford & Sons Gentlemen of the Road U.S. Stopovers (including last year’s event in Salida, Colorado), the renowned Electric Forest festival in Rothbury, Michigan, and many more. Colorado’s premier promoter, AEG Live Rocky Mountains, produces events at Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, 1STBANK Center, Bluebird Theater, Ogden Theatre, Gothic Theatre, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Pepsi Center and more in Colorado as well as shows in Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona and Tennessee.
 
Vertex is born as an intersection of inspiration, and as a celebration - of live music, of festival culture, of Colorado’s breathtaking natural beauty, and of the self-expression and pioneering spirit that each of these awaken.
 
“Music, art, great food, the outdoors, and the best of Colorado culture will all meet at this amazing festival site to create Vertex,” explains Madison House Presents President and Vertex Producer Jeremy Stein.  “This will be a one-of-a-kind event, created by Coloradans who care about community first. Our state has been waiting for a long time for a festival like this. We aim for Buena Vista and Chaffee County to be proud, for Colorado to celebrate, and for the national eye to sharpen its focus on this very special state.”
 
At its core, Vertex merges the best of worlds to create a present-day frontier where anything is possible. Diverse music, exhilarating outdoor adventures such as whitewater rafting, hiking, and artful fun and games bring people together for an enduring shared experience.
 
Vertex’s vision is inspired by its majestic high elevation home where sky meets peaks, peaks meet valleys, and valleys meet rivers.  Nestled in sprawling rangeland at the foot of the Continental Divide and surrounded by the year-round snowcapped 14,000-foot peaks of the Collegiate Mountain Range, the festival site is known as Cottonwood Meadows, a recently revitalized working ranch located a mile from downtown Buena Vista, Colorado in Chaffee County. Cottonwood Creek runs through the campgrounds and the festival site itself.
 
Vertex community members are invited to join the adventure not just as observers, but as participants in shaping the Vertex experience.  For information on ways to get involved – from donating to the festival Food Drive to designing an official Vertex sticker to working with the festival – visit vertexfestival.com/participate.
 
About Tickets:
General Admission “Base Camp” tickets, which include meadow camping, start at $199.75. For an enhanced experience underneath the Collegiate Range, several unique “Tree Line VIP” selections are available, including creek side camping, multiple options for glamping tents with electricity, VIP Campground RV access, and more. All VIP offerings include special event access and high quality amenities.
 
To support the environmental sustainability of Vertex, each vehicle driving onto the site must purchase a vehicle pass, and carpooling is encouraged.  Consider traveling to the festival via a VerteXpress Shuttle. With busses departing from cities across the region – including Denver, Boulder, Ft. Collins, CO; plus Cheyenne, WY; Colorado Springs and Pueblo, CO, Santa Fe, NM and many others - VerteXpress Shuttle users will enjoy complimentary Thursday arrival access, or a streamlined Friday arrival.  More information at www.vertexfestival.com/ticket-information/shuttles-to-vertex.
 
For Vertex tickets, Tree Line VIP information, and for your official invitation to share in the spirit of new frontiers, visit VertexFestival.com/.
 
Join the Adventure:
#Vertex2016
VertexFestival.com
twitter.com/VertexFestival
facebook.com/VertexFestival
instagram.com/vertexfestival
vertexfestival.tumblr.com
@VertexFestival on Snapchat
 
2016 Vertex Festival currently confirmed lineup is as follows:
ODESZA
ALABAMA SHAKES
TREY ANASTASIO BAND (2 SETS)
Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals
BADBADNOTGOOD
Big Wild
Classixx
Dawes
Dopapod
Duke Dumont
Fruition
Graham Nash
Hiatus Kaiyote
Houndmouth
Jai Wolf
Robert DeLong
RÜFÜS DU SOL
Ryan Hemsworth
Seven Lions
SunSquabi
The Claypool Lennon Delirium
The Revivalists

Additional artists still to be announced.

Mon, 03/21/2016 - 10:59 am

Today, young live-electronic rockers Skydyed announce the release of their debut full length studio album, A Quantum Dream, on April 1, 2016. The band celebrates their album release with a show at the Aggie Theatre in their home town of Ft. Collins, Colorado on April 1, and continue on with headlining club plays and festival performances at Euphoria Music Festival, Sonic Bloom, Arise Music Festival, Backwoods Festival, and others throughout the spring/summer.  See below for the full list of currently confirmed dates.
 
Since Skydyed’s debut in 2014, the electrifying trio has made big waves in the Colorado music scene, and today is poised as one of today’s hottest emerging live-electronic bands. With roots in rock, funk, and jazz, Andrew Slattery (bass and synth), Max Doucette (guitar and synth), and Shane Eagen (drums) create a dynamic musical journey that mesmerizes audiences with every performance. Intertwining organic live instrumentation with electronic production, soulful jams and profound break-beats, the band strives to spread positive vibrations through music.
 
A Quantum Dream, captures the band’s constant pursuit of all original cutting edge production blended with live, organic chemistry that can only be achieved through countless hours of performing together.
 
Its members come from diverse musical backgrounds, and the band has developed a deep appreciation for music’s power to transcend language and move people in mysterious ways, which is precisely what the band accomplishes on A Quantum Dream. Featuring high-energy, head banging tracks such as “Grow” and “Mind’s Eye,” as well as softer, mellow songs like “Endless Space” and “Mushroom,” A Quantum Dream truly takes the listener on a melodic journey through a multitude of emotions and sonic landscapes. With jams perfect for relaxation, partying, and everything else in between, A Quantum Dream is a truly imaginative creation that fulfills Skydyed’s artistic vision and redefines the boundaries of Live-Electronica.
 
The list of currently confirmed Skydyed tour dates is as follows:

4/1 Aggie Theatre Fort Collins CO
4/7 Taos Mesa Brewing El Prado NM
4/7 - 4/10 Euphoria Music Festival Austin TX
4/13 The Bottleneck Lawrence KS
4/14 Bunkers Music Bar and Grill Minneapolis MN
4/16 Bodega's Alley Lincoln NE
6/10 - 6/12 Beanstalk Music and Arts Festival Westcliffe CO
6/16 - 6/19 Sonic Bloom Rye CO
7/8 - 7/10 The Pirate Party Lolo MT
7/22 - 7/24 SubOctave Music Festival Houston MN
8/5 - 8/7 Arise Music Festival Loveland CO

The first single from A Quantum Dream, “Endless Space,” just released. Listen on Spotify HERE, and on Soundcloud HERE.

Fri, 03/25/2016 - 12:24 pm

Tickets to Vertex - the inaugural music and camping festival in Buena Vista, Colorado on August 5-7, 2016 – are on sale today at www.vertexfestival.com.  

The 2016 lineup of over 30 established and emerging acts includes ODESZA, Alabama Shakes, Trey Anastasio Band (2 sets), Duke Dumont, Seven Lions, Jai Wolf, Dopapod, Hiatus Kaiyote, Graham Nash, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, The Claypool Lennon Delirium, Houndmouth, The Revivalists and many others, with more still to be announced. View the full currently announced lineup HERE.

General Admission “Base Camp” tickets, which include meadow camping, start at $199.75. For an enhanced experience underneath the Collegiate Range, several unique “Tree Line VIP” selections are available, including creek side camping, multiple options for glamping tents with electricity, VIP Campground RV access, and more. All VIP offerings include special event access and high quality amenities. For Vertex tickets, Tree Line VIP information, and for your official invitation to share in the spirit of new frontiers, visit VertexFestival.com/.

Consider traveling to the festival via a VerteXpress Shuttle. With busses departing from cities across the region – including Denver, Boulder, Ft. Collins, CO; plus Cheyenne, WY; Colorado Springs and Pueblo, CO, Santa Fe, NM and many others – VerteXpress Shuttle users will enjoy complimentary Thursday arrival access, or a streamlined Friday arrival. Pre-register VerteXpress Shuttles today at www.vertexfestival.com/ticket-information/shuttles-to-vertex/

About Vertex
Vertex - the inaugural music and camping festival in Buena Vista, Colorado on August 5-7, 2016 – is born as an intersection of inspiration, and as a celebration – of live music, of festival culture, of Colorado’s breathtaking natural beauty, and of the self-expression and pioneering spirit that each of these awaken.

At its core, Vertex merges the best of worlds to create a present-day frontier where anything is possible. Diverse music, exhilarating outdoor adventures and artful fun and games bring people together for an enduring shared experience.
Vertex’s vision is inspired by its majestic high elevation home where sky meets peaks, peaks meet valleys, and valleys meet rivers. The venue is nestled in sprawling rangeland at the foot of the Continental Divide and surrounded by the year-round snowcapped 14,000-foot peaks of the Collegiate Mountain Range. The festival site is known as Cottonwood Meadows, a recently revitalized working ranch located a mile from downtown Buena Vista, Colorado in Chaffee County. Cottonwood Creek runs through the campgrounds and the festival site itself.

Hosted in a stunning mountain valley setting, Vertex will showcase the best of Colorado. As a community-minded event that merges diverse musical genres, art, and a variety of experiences and outdoor adventures, Vertex promises an elevated experience that takes the U.S. festival and its culture to new heights – Colorado style.

Vertex is produced by Madison House Presents (MHP) and AEG Live Rocky Mountains.
 
Join the Adventure:
#Vertex2016
twitter.com/VertexFestival
facebook.com/VertexFestival
instagram.com/VertexFestival
VertexFestival.tumblr.com
@VertexFestival on Snapchat

Thu, 04/07/2016 - 11:23 am

Today, Hillberry: The Harvest Moon Festival announces its first round of artists on the lineup for the 2nd annual festival taking place October 13-16, 2016 in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. The 4-day music and arts festival, hosted at Deadhead Productions’ beloved venue known as “The Farm,” will feature headliners Railroad Earth (2 nights).  Railroad Earth have helped to curate this year’s lineup, which will also feature Greensky Bluegrass, The Infamous Stringdusters, The Travelin’ McCourys, The New Mastersounds, Turkuaz, Larry Keel (Larry Does Jerry), Fruition, and Dirtfoot, with additional artists still to be announced.

Tickets are on sale now at www.hillberryfestival.com.

Hillberry: The Harvest Moon Festival launched spontaneously in 2015 and has already emerged as the premier jamgrass event in the region. Hosted in the heart of the Ozark Mountains on the stunning DHP property known as “The Farm,” the region has a rich history with bluegrass music, and Hillberry honors this past while ushering in this continually unfolding story of music, mountains, and community. With attendance capped at 3000, attendees can expect a truly intimate festival and camping experience.  In addition to performances by over 20 artists, Hillberry’s campfire and campsite jams, both planned and spontaneous, are sure to to become festival legend. Beyond the music, Hillberry offers art installations, a wide spectrum of activities and workshops for children and adults alike, including tie-dying, yoga, rock balancing, and open forum discussions with headlining performers, and much more.

The Farm itself is a sight to behold. Boasting 360° panoramic views in the hills of the Ozarks, The Farm is the perfect setting for a fall festival that is bound to be both colorful and whimsical all at once. The 160 acre property features diverse camping opportunities including a mainstage camping area, a hillside camping area with spectacular views of the entire venue, a family camping area, and a wooded camping area that is drop off only (no car camping), the perfect choice for the hammock camper or anyone wanting more isolated camping without a long trek to get to the stage area. Hillberry will also offer a Festi-Cab service to cart attendees whose feet are weary from dancing all day and night.

A general store is onsite and offers an array of necessities including food, non-alcoholic beverages, ice, and camping supplies. Hillberry will host a multitude of food vendors to appeal to any taste. There will also be beverage vendors offering organic juices and a café serving coffee. Attendees will find an assortment of unique arts, crafts, and official merchandise to take home as mementos.

Finally, no visit to The Farm is complete without a brief hike to the top of the venue to a shrine constructed in memory of the late Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. A Eureka Springs based artist, known as ‘Ralph Shrine,’ and his team built the “Jerry Shrine” to commemorate one of the most inspiring musical artists of the 20th century; an artist whose band and musical legacy left an impact on literally hundreds of thousands of loyal fans that still resonates today. Visitors are encouraged to leave something at the Jerry Shrine, as it is a living work of art, continually changing over time, as do all things in this wondrous spectrum of life.

Fri, 04/08/2016 - 7:57 am

Recently, The Motet announced new lead vocalist Lyle Divinsky and saxophonist Drew Sayers as official members of the band.  Read Pollstar’s exclusive break story about the announcement here and watch a short video clip here. Look for The Motet’s brand new studio album to hit the streets before their headlining show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on July 22 with Medeski Martin & Wood and Vulfpeck.
 
“As difficult as change can be, the addition of Lyle and Drew has felt like an incredibly natural progression for the band.  They are already brothers,” says Motet keyboardist Joey Porter. “We are all feeling really inspired and are excited about the future.”
 
Lyle Divinsky, a native of Portland, Maine, brings his powerful presence and love and light to The Motet. The unsuspecting soul man was awarded the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame Abe Olman Scholarship (John Legend was the recipient in 2002), was hailed by Fuse TV’s as an “Artist to Watch” and reached #4 on the UK Soul Chart’s Top 40 earlier this year.
 
Powerhouse tenor saxophonist Drew Sayers, most recently of John Brown’s Body, brings his huge sound and rich tone to The Motet.  Drew, who played and wrote horn arrangements on Beyonce’s last two albums, has performed on late night TV, and produced the 2015 John Brown’s Body release "Kings and Queens in Dub," also brings his writing and producing skills to the band.
 
The Motet in its new line up hits the road beginning February 18 in Greensboro, North Carolina.  Over the coming months, the band has stops throughout the South and the Midwest, ramps up the festival season with plays at Euphoria Music Festival and during New Orleans Jazz Fest (for a Mixtape 1977 set), and much more. The complete list of currently confirmed tour dates is included below. 
 
The Motet are (pictured above L-R) Joey Porter (keyboards), Ryan Jalbert (guitar), Gabriel Mervine (trumpet), Dave Watts (drums), Drew Sayers (saxophone), Garrett Sayers (bass), Lyle Divinsky (vocals).

Tour Dates:

4/10 Austin, TX Euphoria Music Festival
4/14 Charlottesville, VA The Jefferson Theater
4/15 Washington, DC The Hamilton w/ The Nth Power
4/16 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of the Living Arts w/ The Nth Power
4/28 New Orleans, LA Howlin' Wolf performing Mixtape 1977 w/ Karl Denson's Tiny Universe performing Prince's "Dirty Mind"
4/30 New Orleans, LA Tipitina's w/ Pimps of Joytime
5/6 - 5/8
5/21
Three Rivers, CA
Richmond, VA
Earth Jam
Virginia Beach Funk Out
5/26 - 5/29 Martinsville, VA Rooster Walk Festival
5/27 - 5/29
5/27 - 5/29
Clarks Grove, MN
Chilicothe, IL
Revival Fest
Summer Camp Music Festival
6/17 - 6/19 Chicago, IL Taste of Randolph Festival
7/2 - 7/4  Quincy, CA High Sierra Music Festival
7/22 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre w/ Medeski, Martin & Wood and Vulfpeck
8/4 - 8//6 Thornville, OH The Werk Out Music Festival
8/11 - 8/14 Scranton, PA Peach Fest
8/18 - 8/20 Bartow, WV Camp Barefoot

 

Thu, 04/14/2016 - 11:13 am

Today, Electric Forest (EF) announced over 25 new additions to the festival lineup, as well as details on its 2016 Curated Event Series. The 6th annual music and camping festival returns to Rothbury, Michigan on June 23-26, 2016 and sold out again in record time – a mere two weeks after tickets went on sale.
 
New artists added to the lineup include STS9 (Axe the Cables), Futuristic, Getter, Liquid Stranger, Prof, Styles&Complete, The White Buffalo, and many others.  These artists join the already announced String Cheese Incident (performing 3 shows), BASSNECTAR, Major Lazer, GRiZ, Porter Robinson (Live), STS9, Fetty Wap, Duke Dumont, Flosstradamus, Nahko and Medicine for the People, Baauer, Gorgon City (Live), Greensky Bluegrass, The Disco Biscuits, Adventure Club, and more. For the complete list of artists announced for EF2016 visit electricforestfestival.com.
 
Along with the announcement of additional artists, Electric Forest unveiled 2016 details for the festival’s highly anticipated Curated Event Series.  Each year Electric Forest collaborates with fellow musical tastemakers from around the globe to take part in curating the lineup and vibe of a distinct stage each night, creating unique musical experiences within the festival itself.  For 2016, Electric Forest joins forces with noteworthy partners Anjunadeep, BASSRUSH, Night Bass, Soul Clap and All Good Records to deliver even more musical depth and diversity.
 
The Silent Disco talent, Discovery Project DJ contest, and full stage schedule with additional artists are still to be announced.
 
Electric Forest’s 2016 Curated Event Series details are as follows:
 
Anjunadeep
Featuring Bonobo (DJ set), Dusky, Lane 8, Moon Boots, Way Out West (LIVE), Cubicolor, Yotto
(Thursday, June 23 on Tripolee)
London-based label imprint Anjunadeep brings its hand-pick selection of deep house sounds to Triploee Stage for this Electric Forest debut.  Founded in 2005 by DJ trio Above & Beyond, Anjunadeep has since become one of the world’s most respected electronic music imprints.
 
BASSRUSH
Featuring Adventure Club, Bro Safari, Caspa b2b Rusko, Brillz, NGHTMRE, Metrik b2b TC, EPROM, G Jones, Teddy Killerz, Bleep Bloop, FURY + MC Dino
(Friday, June 24 on Tripolee)
BASSRUSH returns to Electric Forest’s Tripolee Stage for the third year in a row to showcase a variety of bass music styles and artists. Since the '90s, Bassrush has evolved from its strictly drum & bass roots to include dubstep and other bass-oriented genres. The goal of Bassrush is to provide a platform to showcase bass music the way it should be experienced: with massive sound and full-scale production. 
 
Night Bass
Featuring AC Slater, Chris Lorenzo, Flava D, Justin Martin, Kry Wolf, Landis LaPace, Low Steppa, Motez, Petey Clicks, Taiki Nulight
(Saturday, June 25 on The Forest Stage)
Popular Los Angeles event series and record label Night Bass showcase groundbreaking artists at EF’s Forest Stage. Chief bass twister since the mid zeroes, hyperactive genre-melting DJ and event promoter AC Slater is the main man behind Night Bass.
 
Soul Clap’s House of EFUNK 
Featuring Soul Clap, Egyptian Lover, Mike Dunn, Nick Monaco (LIVE), Scott Grooves, Navid Izadi (LIVE)
(Friday, June 24 on The Forest Stage)



Boston, Massachusetts DJ and production duo Soul Clap are known for pushing new boundaries and musically defying time and space. Soul Clap brings its mission to change the world one dance floor at a time to EF2016’s Forest Stage.
 
All Good Records
Featuring The Geek &VRV, Russ Liquid, Muzzy Bearr, Gosh Pith, Shooka, and a very special Super Jam
(Saturday, June 25 on The Observatory)
Founded by GRiZ, Detroit's All Good Records is bringing the whole family out to the Observatory Stage at EF2016. The soulful & creative label curates and develops the spread of thoughtful artistry to the world – from old-school Motown soul, future funk, new disco, cutting edge electronica, and anything else on the forefront of sound.
 
Full Lineup Details for Curated Events can be seen HERE.
 
To stay up to date on all Electric Forest news, please visit www.electricforestfestival.com and the official Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube pages.

Electric Forest is produced by Insomniac and Madison House Presents.

Mon, 04/18/2016 - 11:31 am

On June 10 & 11, 2016 thousands of music enthusiasts will make their way to the first incarnation of Bonanza Campout in Deer Valley, Utah.  Set to the picturesque backdrop of Jordanelle State Park, the boutique music and camping festival will feature over 30 live performances by renowned headliners and emerging artists, plus local breweries and eateries, a variety of on site activities, and more.
 
Musical guests Big Gigantic, Cold War Kids, Emancipator, Savoy, JR. JR., Milo Greene, Ryan Hemsworth, Louis the Child, Joywave and Vacationer are among the artists on the inaugural line-up, with many more artists still to be announced. View the full currently announced lineup HERE.
 
Located at the secluded Rivers Edge Resort in Utah’s Rocky Mountains, Bonanza Campout is the perfect setting to enjoy a weekend of live music, activities and camping. Only 40 minutes from downtown Salt Lake City, Bonanza is an ideal summer destination for local, regional and national music lovers and adventure seekers alike.
 
Bonanza General Admission 2-Day Passes start at only $75.00. Upgraded VIP Passes and a variety of camping packages, including onsite cabins, are also available.  Tickets and camping/lodging packages are available now at www.bonanzacampout.com.
  
Connect with #BonanzaCampout via the official website, and Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages.

Tue, 04/19/2016 - 9:47 am

Today, Cloud 9 Adventures announces the artist lineup and full event details for the return of bluegrass-centric concert vacation, Strings & Sol, held at Now Sapphire Riviera Cancun in Puerto Morelos, Mexico from December 9 -13, 2016. For the 5th year of the annual destination music event, the lineup features multiple performances by Yonder Mountain String Band, Greensky Bluegrass, Railroad Earth, Leftover Salmon, The Infamous Stringdusters, as well as one show each from Keller & The Keels and Keller’s Grateful Grass. In addition, joining in are special guests Danny Barnes and Nicki Bluhm to complete this exciting 2016 lineup.
 
Attendees of the beloved destination bluegrass vacation are guaranteed a truly memorable experience in a beautiful tropical location. Live music performances - on the beach, poolside and in the fan-favorite open air Palapa – are just steps away from guestrooms, and the all-inclusive amenities of Now Sapphire are at every fingertip. Bringing together a family of music fans with some of their favorite artists, Strings & Sol is the perfect excuse to escape the December weather and head south-of-the-border for some fun in the sun.
 
The String & Sol experience is filled with music, casual artist interactions, artist-hosted workshops, activities and contests, as well as an autograph signing, impromptu jam sessions and treasured seaside siestas to get ready for the night’s festivities. Strings & Sol is truly that magical place, where fans reunite year after year to celebrate south of the border at the ultimate concert vacation in paradise.
 
Located just north of fishing village Puerto Morelos and 25 minutes south of the Cancun Airport, the resort is conveniently located making it easy to explore the surrounding Mayan region from Cancun to Tulum. Fans can book off-site excursions through trusted local providers on the Strings & Sol website.
 
Strings & Sol is again partnering with charitable organization Positive Legacy, encouraging artists and fans to participate in a day of service and cultural connection in the community of Puerto Morelos as a way of giving back. The ongoing Positive Legacy project in this region has been the “Urban Garden Initiative”, a mission to bring the practice of community gardening to the local high school. The goal of the project is to share in the practice of gardening and create a local, sustainable fresh food source. Details for this year’s Day of Service will be announced in the coming months.
 
Event details are as follows:
All-inclusive packages for returning Strings & Sol guests can be booked during the pre-sale on April 26, 2016. If packages remain following the presale, the general on sale begins on April 27, 2016 at 12:00pm EDT at the Strings & Sol website.
 
Pricing for the all-inclusive packages at Now Sapphire start at $1349 per person for Tropical View Suites, with Ocean Front Suites starting at $1699 per person. Package pricing includes accommodations, meals, beverages, activities and shows for all four nights. Look for announcements on artist-hosted activities, theme nights, and community outreach with Positive Legacy in the coming months.
 
Strings & Sol is produced by Cloud 9 Adventures.  An industry leader in concert vacations on cruise ships and at all-inclusive resorts, Cloud 9 Adventures also produces Jam Cruise, Holy Ship, Panic en la Playa (feat. Widespread Panic), My Morning Jacket’s One Big Holiday, Dominican Holidaze, Zac Brown Band’s Castaway with Southern Ground, Closer to the Sun, and more to be announced.
 

Cloud 9 Adventures - Changing the Live Music Experience, Changing the Way Fans Vacation.
http://www.cloud9adventures.com

Wed, 04/20/2016 - 9:16 am

Today, the Portland, Oregon based quintet Fruition are streaming their new studio album, Labor of Love, ahead of the official release this Friday on Randm Records. Check it out HERE.
 
Early praise for Labor of Love is coming in strong. The title track and first single from the album was premiered earlier this month by Paste Magazine, with Sound & Silence Magazine stating, “The title track is a great indication of what to expect from the album, Labor of Love; mature, bold and captivating sound with strong production and lyrical content."
 
At radio, the single has received great support with over 40 stations at Triple A and Americana on board, including Sirius Jam On, WCNR/Charlottesville, WAPS/Akron, KTBG/Kansas City, KOPB/Portland, WUIN/Wilmington, WTYD/Williamsburg and more.
 
In celebration of their album release, Fruition headline two hometown shows at The Wonder Ballroom this Friday, April 22nd and Saturday, April 23rd, as well as Thursday night at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle before continuing on their 40+ date North American tour in support of Labor of Love. Next week finds the band headlining theaters and clubs in California. In May the tour stops in the Southwest, Midwest and South. Look for the band at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre on May 6 with the Infamous Stringdusters and JJ Grey & MOFRO, and at festival plays including Delfest, Summer Camp, the newly unveiled Vertex Festival, and many others still to be announced. A complete list of currently confirmed tour dates is listed below.
 
Self-produced by the band and engineered by Justin Phelps (Amanda Palmer, Jolie Holland, Chuck Prophet), Labor of Love displays the band’s growth from a rootsy, string-centric outfit to a full-fledged rock band with an easy but powerful grasp of soul, blues and British Invasion era pop.
 
Following the release of 2013’s Just One of Them Nights and extensive touring, Labor of Love came to life over the course of a year-long process of exploring new sonic terrain. Influenced by everything from Phil Spector-esque pop to dreamy psychedelia to Motown inspired soul, Fruition plugged in and emerged with a wholly unified album that subtly imparts the sense of being swept along on a journey. With Fruition’s striking three-part vocal harmonies still very much at the center, and contributions from friends Anders Beck of Greensky Bluegrass, Jeremy Garrett of The Infamous Stringdusters and Steve Swatkins of Allen Stone, Labor of Love shows the complete force of their newly expanded and electrified sound.
 
Fruition is Jay Cobb Anderson (vocals, lead guitar, harmonica), Kellen Asebroek (vocals, rhythm guitar, piano) Mimi Naja (vocals, mandolin, guitar), Jeff Leonard (bass), and Tyler Thompson (drums, banjo).

Wed, 04/20/2016 - 10:02 am

Music, microbrews and four days of enjoyment set against a backdrop of stunning 13,000-ft mountain peaks.

The 23rd Annual TELLURIDE BLUES & BREWS FESTIVAL will once again take over the world-famous mountain town of Telluride, CO--in the heart of the Rocky Mountains--September 16-18, 2016.  With a musical line-up offering an eclectic mix of live blues, funk, indie, rock, jam band, gospel and soul performances, the 2016 TELLURIDE BLUES & BREWS FESTIVAL is proud to announce a brand new, state-of-the-art stage with towering mountain peaks providing a natural showcase for the festival's talent, while the pristine mountain valley makes the perfect dance floor for festival attendees. The line-up for the 2016 TELLURIDE BLUES & BREWS FESTIVAL will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Not to be outdone by the music, Saturday (September 17) of the festival weekend will mark the return of the Blues & Brews Grand Tasting, one of the premier beer tasting events in the Southwest featuring more than 170 styles of craft beer and cider from over 55 microbreweries, including those from the Telluride Blues & Brews' official beer sponsor, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.

For those looking to stay close to the action, an assortment of on-site festival camping are being offered, ranging from the Glamping Village (luxury heated tents provided by Colorado Yurt equipped with full beds, premium amenities and an on-site concierge located steps away from the festival ground in Telluride's iconic Town Park) to the affordable standard camping choice.  Other local lodging selections (at local hotel partners) are also available.  To view all camping and accommodation selections, please click here.

3-day passes, Juke Joint (late night shows) passes, 4-Day Camping passes and camping gear packages (provided by Project Shelter) are on sale now.  Tickets start at $199.00 for a 3-Day pass.  Single day tickets are set to go on sale June 15.

For festival info or to purchase tickets click here.  To buy tickets by phone, please call (866) 515-6166. Tickets are also available locally at both Telluride Music (333 West Colorado Ave) and Wizard Entertainment (126 East Colorado Avenue). Details about all ticketing packages can be found here.

About Telluride Blues & Brews Festival

Renowned as one of the most scenic, hassle-free and comfortable music festivals in the country, Telluride Blues & Brews is located in the world-famous picturesque mountain town of Telluride, Colorado.  The multi-stage (campground stage, blues stage, main stage) celebration of music and microbrews offers an eclectic mix of live blues, funk, indie, rock, jam band, gospel and soul performances.  Some of the best microbreweries in the country, a wide variety of local and regional food and craft vendors, children's activities (climbing wall, bounce houses and bungee trampolines, parades) , cozy late night club shows (Juke Joints), and much more round out the 23rd annual weekend celebration.  Annually set at the beginning of the beautiful fall foliage season, the event also boasts a number of unique local outdoor activities, including a free gondola between Mountain Village and Town of Telluride.

Thu, 04/28/2016 - 10:05 am

As tradition holds, Cloud 9 Adventures took to Jazzfest in New Orleans today to unveil the highly anticipated lineup for Jam Cruise 15. Pulling out all of the stops for it’s 15th sailing, the lineup brings The Original Meters, moe., GRiZ, Kamasi Washington, Vulfpeck, Galactic, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, The Revivalists, The Motet, Lettuce, Turkuaz and more to the high seas, with approximately 25 bands plus additional special guest artists on the bill. A noteworthy addition to the lineup is that of Benevento Russo Duo, performing together as the proper duo for the first time in eight years. The complete list of confirmed artists is included below.

Jam Cruise 15 sails out of Miami on January 20 and returns on January 25, 2017, with stops in Ocho Rios, Jamaica and Grand Cayman Island. To honor this milestone sailing, the cruise veterans are taking the annually sold-out event back to more intimate roots on board the Norwegian Pearl. Jam Cruisers can expect a variety of unique and intimate venues as organizers transform the cruise ship into a majestic luxury concert vacation at sea, where almost all artists will perform two shows each throughout the week.
 
Alongside incredible sets from world-class musicians, Jam Cruise offers curated programs both on and off the ship. Onboard fan favorites such as Brews at Sea, Chefs at Sea, and Yoga at Sea elevate the experience. Passengers can also participate in artist-led activities, theme nights, door-decorating contests, autograph signings, “seen only on Jam Cruise” artist collaborations, special guest sit-ins, and much more. Once in port in Ocho Rios, Jamaica and Grand Cayman Island, Jam Cruisers have the opportunity to go ashore for excursions, sightsee, spend the day on the beach, or participate in the Positive Legacy Day of Service to give back to the local community.
 
The Norwegian Pearl is a splendor in a class of her own. The Pearl features all of the amenities and attractions to make for five days of magic with the Jam Cruise family including: 16 dining options, 13 bars and lounges, a world-class spa, full service casino, state-of-the-art fitness center including a jogging track, pools, hot tubs and beautiful staterooms. Cruisers can expect six newly curated Jam Cruise venues on board, which include the main stage on the pool deck, the always exciting and unpredictable late night jam room, a vibrant theater, new atrium stage, an intimate spot for fan-favorite piano sets, as well as an ambient late night lounge. The move to Norwegian Pearl makes for an exciting change in setting and opportunity for a new musical adventure for fans and artists alike.
 
Returning to Jam Cruise 15 is the charitable organization Positive Legacy. Positive Legacy works with Cloud 9 Adventures to integrate music and service to positively impact the environment, carbon footprint of traveling, and the local communities who welcome Jam Cruise to their shores. Their annual Day of Service will take place either in Ocho Rios, Jamaica or Grand Cayman Island during the port stops. With an onboard donation drive and silent auction of art, signed photographs and instruments, Positive Legacy is able to raise funds during Jam Cruise to further their charity efforts. More information regarding Positive Legacy and the 2017 programs will be made available on www.jamcruise.com

Cabins go on sale to all who reserved a spot in the pre-book period during the starting May 3. Cabins are on sale to the public on May 12 at 12pm EDT. Visit www.jamcruise.com for all of the details. 
 
Jam Cruise 15 Artist Lineup
The Original Meters
moe.
GRiZ
Galactic
Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe
Benevento Russo Duo*
Lettuce
Kamasi Washington
The Revivalists
The Motet
Beats Antique (Live)
Break Science
JoJo’s Mardi Gras Band
The Soul Rebels
Vulfpeck
Dopapod
Turkuaz
Percy Hill
Frequinox*
The Suffers
Lebo & Friends (feat. Robert Walter, Jay Lane, Garrett Sayers, & Leslie Grant)*
Neville Jacobs
Reed Mathis Presents Electric Beethoven (feat. Jay Lane, Todd Stoops, & Clay Welch)*
The Brothers Comatose
Earphunk
Magic Gravy*
Love Canon
Big Something
Nikki Glaspie Super Jam*
Everyone Orchestra*
Nathan Moore*
Manic Focus
DJ Soul Sister
 
Special Guests:
Steve Kimock
Cyril Neville
Steve Berlin
Mike Dillon
Col. Bruce Hampton
Skerik
Katelyn & Laurie Shook of Shook Twins
Roosevelt Collier
 
(All Artists will play two shows, except those denoted with * will be playing one show)

Thu, 05/05/2016 - 1:18 pm

Slightly Stoopid and Cloud 9 Adventures have announced the initial artist lineup and event details for the third edition of CLOSER TO THE SUN, a tropical concert vacation held over four nights at an all-inclusive resort located in the beautiful Riviera Maya region of Mexico. After two amazing years, the event returns December 14 –18, 2016 with a stellar lineup to join host band Slightly Stoopid. Featuring three shows by Slightly Stoopid, the lineup is rounded out by the addition of Dirty Heads, Matisyahu, Tribal Seeds, and Stick Figure, who will all be playing two shows each. The schedule will feature multiple performances held right on the beach, sunset sets, poolside sets, and late night parties in the open-air palapa – all steps away from guestrooms and the all-inclusive amenities of Now Sapphire. Check out the recap video from last year here: http://bit.ly/closer2015

This is a fan-centric intimate experience filled with much more then music. On-site, the event promotes a full schedule with artist-hosted activities and workshops, an autograph signing, pool contests, beach side games, and impromptu jam sessions, bringing fans and artists together on a vacation in paradise. Located on a beautiful white beach and lush grounds, the Now Sapphire Resort offers all-inclusive, luxurious accommodations with an intimate vibe. The resort features finely appointed guest suites, a world-class spa and fitness center, wide variety of dining options, and beachfront palapas, all within a short walk of your own private accommodations and the main stage.
 
Slightly Stoopid band member Miles Doughty states, "Closer to the Sun is the ultimate pre-holiday get away for fans and the bands. From the beach to the cenotes and ruins, the Mayan Riviera is truly a special place. We’re looking forward to getting back to Puerto Morelos and having some holiday fun in the sun hanging with all of our friends! There is nothing better than being able to jam with your friends in paradise on the beach.  Come spend the holidays with the Stoopid family!"
 
The event is located just north of fishing village Puerto Morelos and 25 minutes south of the Cancun Airport, making it convenient and easy to explore the surrounding Mayan region from Cancun to Tulum. The nearby village of Puerto Morelos is a quick trip from the resort, enabling guests the ability to experience the local vibrancy of Mexico. Off-site excursions to explore the beautiful Mayan region can be booked separately through the Closer to the Sun website (www.closertothesun.com).
 
Closer to the Sun is again partnering with charitable organization Positive Legacy, encouraging artists and fans to participate in a day of service and cultural connection in the community of Puerto Morelos as a way of giving back. Positive Legacy is a 501(c)(3) charity whose mission is to integrate live music and service by taking actions that positively impact local communities and the environment. In addition to the annual day of service, a silent and a live auction will be held with all proceeds going to support the ongoing projects in the region. Guests will also be encouraged to bring school supplies and personal care products for the donation drive to benefit a local organization in need.

All-inclusive packages for returning Closer to the Sun guests can be booked during the presale on Tuesday, May 17, 2016. Following the pre-sale, there will be a general on sale beginning Wednesday, May 18 at 2pm EST at www.closertothesun.com. An initial $250 per person deposit reserves a room with payment plans to break up additional costs.
 
Closer to the Sun is produced by Cloud 9 Adventures.  An industry leader in concert vacations on cruise ships and at all-inclusive resorts, Cloud 9 Adventures also produces Jam Cruise, Holy Ship, Panic en la Playa (feat. Widespread Panic), My Morning Jacket’s One Big Holiday, Dominican Holidaze, Strings & Sol, Zac Brown Band’s Castaway with Southern Ground, and more to be announced.

Fri, 05/13/2016 - 10:22 am

Cloud 9 Adventures has announced the initial lineup and new details for the annual destination concert vacation, Dominican Holidaze, held December 1-5, 2016. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Holidaze, the four-night all-inclusive event is returning to the beautiful Breathless Punta Cana Resort & Spa and expanding to include its brand new neighbor, Now Onyx Punta Cana. With the resort expansion also comes a fully loaded lineup, featuring host bands Umphrey’s McGee, The Disco Biscuits, and STS9, each performing two full two-set shows on the beach, plus an additional sunset show. The lineup is rounded out with the addition of Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Lotus, Lettuce, Shpongle (Simon Posford DJ Set), and The Floozies, all playing one show on the beach. Additional late night and poolside artists will be announced soon, bringing more music to the experience than ever before. Guests will be able to move freely between the two resorts, maintaining the intimacy and community that makes Holidaze so special.

Elevating the experience, Dominican Holidaze offers fans the rare chance to mingle with artists and fellow fans from around the world, while enjoying the many luxury accommodations that Breathless and Now Onyx have to offer. Going beyond the main stage, Dominican Holidaze hosts a variety of tailored activities that will include daily yoga, a wide variety of artist-hosted interactive activities and workshops, an autograph signing, poolside competitions, beach games and theme nights. For the more adventurous, fans can also book off-site excursions to explore the local culture and beauty of the Dominican Republic. As the ultimate concert vacation, all meals, drinks, concerts, activities and accommodations are included in the package price.
 
Breathless Resort & Spa Punta Cana and the family-friendly Now Onyx Punta Cana are neighboring beachfront all-inclusive resorts located on the northeast coast in the Uvero Alto region of Punta Cana. Offering luxury accommodations, guests can choose from a wide variety of well-appointed room selections all while surrounded by the beautiful, palm-lined beaches and lush grounds. Both resorts offer world-class spas and fitness centers and unlimited gourmet dining options. Guests can enjoy unlimited drinks, lounge beside one of many swimming pools at Now Onyx or Breathless and spend the day enjoying the beautiful, palm-lined beaches and lush grounds that both resorts offer.
 
Dominican Holidaze has again partnered with the charitable organization Positive Legacy, whose mission is to integrate live music and service by taking actions that positively impact local communities and the environment. Last year, Holidaze fans joined the Positive Legacy Team in nearby village of Veron for a Day of Service and Celebration. Spending the day with the children of the community, the Positive Legacy crew checked out the reef restoration project that the Punta Cana Ecological Center has recently launched, enjoyed snorkeling, a local BBQ lunch with live local music, and an educational tour if the sustainable projects on-site at the Punta Cana Ecological Foundation’s facility. The day of service focused on giving the community’s children an experience of music and environmental connections.

All-inclusive packages for returning Holidaze guests will go on sale on May 19, 2016. If rooms remain following the pre-sale, there will be a general on sale beginning May 20, 2016 at 12:00 PM ET at www.dominicanholidaze.com.

For fans that wish to extend their stay, Dominican Holidaze is offering a special discounted rate for the day before and the day after the event. For more information and to book a room, please visit: www.dominicanholidaze.com/pre-and-post-nights.

Tue, 05/17/2016 - 10:35 am

Today, Hillberry: The Harvest Moon Festival announces an additional 12 artists to join the already incredible lineup for the 2nd annual festival taking place October 13-16, 2016 in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Joining previously announced headliners Railroad Earth (2 nights), Greensky Bluegrass, The Infamous Stringdusters and The Travelin’ McCoureys on “The Farm” is Elephant Revival, The Ben Miller Band, Split Lip Rayfield, The Hattrick, Arkansauce and more. The full lineup is listed below and tickets are on sale now at www.hillberryfestival.com.

Hillberry: The Harvest Moon Festival launched spontaneously in 2015 and has already emerged as the premier jamgrass event in the region. Hosted in the heart of the Ozark Mountains on the stunning DHP property known as “The Farm,” the region has a rich history with bluegrass music, and Hillberry honors this past while ushering in this continually unfolding story of music, mountains, and community. With attendance capped at 3000, attendees can expect a truly intimate festival and camping experience.  In addition to performances by over 20 artists, Hillberry’s campfire and campsite jams, both planned and spontaneous, are sure to to become festival legend. Beyond the music, Hillberry offers art installations, a wide spectrum of activities and workshops for children and adults alike, including tie-dying, yoga, rock balancing, and open forum discussions with headlining performers, and much more.

The Farm itself is a sight to behold. Boasting 360° panoramic views in the hills of the Ozarks, The Farm is the perfect setting for a fall festival that is bound to be both colorful and whimsical all at once. The 160 acre property features diverse camping opportunities including a mainstage camping area, a hillside camping area with spectacular views of the entire venue, a family camping area, and a wooded camping area that is drop off only (no car camping), the perfect choice for the hammock camper or anyone wanting more isolated camping without a long trek to get to the stage area. Hillberry will also offer a Festi-Cab service to cart attendees whose feet are weary from dancing all day and night.

A general store is onsite and offers an array of necessities including food, non-alcoholic beverages, ice, and camping supplies. Hillberry will host a multitude of food vendors to appeal to any taste. There will also be beverage vendors offering organic juices and a café serving coffee. Attendees will find an assortment of unique arts, crafts, and official merchandise to take home as mementos.

Finally, no visit to The Farm is complete without a brief hike to the top of the venue to a shrine constructed in memory of the late Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. A Eureka Springs based artist, known as ‘Ralph Shrine,’ and his team built the “Jerry Shrine” to commemorate one of the most inspiring musical artists of the 20th century; an artist whose band and musical legacy left an impact on literally hundreds of thousands of loyal fans that still resonates today. Visitors are encouraged to leave something at the Jerry Shrine, as it is a living work of art, continually changing over time, as do all things in this wondrous spectrum of life.

Full 2016 Artist Line-up:
*Railroad Earth (2 Nights)
*Greensky Bluegrass
*The Infamous Stringdusters
*The Travelin’ McCourys
*The New Mastersounds
Elephant Revival
*Turkuaz
*Larry Keel (Larry does Jerry)
*Fruition
The Ben Miller Band
Split Lip Rayfield
*Dirtfoot
The Hattrick
Arkansauce
Mountain Sprout
Friends of the Phamily
Sad Daddy
The Crescent City Combo
John Henry & Friends
Opal Agafia & The Sweet Nothings
The Ozark Travelers
*previously announced artists

Tue, 05/17/2016 - 3:49 pm

Today, Colorado-based funk rock band The Motet announce the release of their new studio album, Totem, due out July 8th, 2016.  Produced by Lettuce and Soulive guitarist Eric Krasno, Totem was written collectively by the seven members of the band.  The future of funk music is clear on Totem; each song is steeped in The Motet’s signature style that slaps you in the face with sounds that are fresh and unique.  Listen to the first single “Damn!” HERE
 
Fans can pre-order Totem now.  A full album download is included in all pre-orders, with various pre-order “package” options available - including a Totem CD signed by each member of The Motet and more. Get full Totem details and pre-order now at themotet.bandcamp.com.
 
Earlier this year, The Motet announced the addition of singer Lyle Divinsky, who fans the flames of this already hot band. “There was a month and a half between the time I joined the band and when we went into the studio,” explains Divinsky. “I wound up writing the lyrics and melodies to four songs, and re-wrote the lyrics to two. It gave me and the band an opportunity to really connect musically. We’re deeply proud of this album and it’s very exciting to have this new material to push out as we begin this next phase of The Motet’s journey.”
 
The Motet began in 1998 in Denver, Colorado, where the band’s then-rotating cast of musicians amassed an enthusiastic and loyal throng of hometown fans. Taking their infectious dance parties on the road about three years ago, the band has seen their national fan base has been growing exponentially ever since. Today, their shows sell out from coast to coast at such venues as Red Rock’s Amphitheatre, Brooklyn Bowl, Chicago’s Park West, The Independent in San Francisco, Tipitina’s in New Orleans, Portland’s Crystal Ballroom, and Variety Playhouse in Atlanta.  A favorite along the festival circuit, The Motet has performed at Electric Forest, Summer Camp, All Good Music Festival, High Sierra Music Festival, Bonnoroo, Peach Fest and many others. Be sure to catch them as they headline Red Rocks this summer on July 22nd with more dates confirmed below.
 
The Motet are Dave Watts (drums), Joey Porter (keyboards), Garrett Sayers (bass), Ryan Jalbert (guitar), Gabriel Mervine (trumpet), Garrett Sayers (bass), Lyle Divinsky (vocals), Drew Sayers (saxophone).
 
TOTEM TRACK LISTING
1.    The Truth
2.    Fool No More
3.    Know it Too Well
4.    Rippin’ Herb
5.    Damn!
6.    Solar Plexus
7.    So High
8.    Cretan
9.    Danger
10. Cloak and Dagger
11.  Back it Up
12. Contraband

Wed, 05/18/2016 - 12:14 pm

Today, Vertex announces an additional 11 artists to the already incredible lineup for the inaugural music and camping festival in Buena Vista, Colorado on August 5-7, 2016. Emancipator Ensemble, Buckwheat Zydeco, and Dreamer’s Delight join previously announced headliners ODESZA, Alabama Shakes and the Trey Anastasio Band (2 sets). Also added in today’s announcement are eight musical acts that call Colorado home - including The Drunken Hearts, Trout Steak Revival, Zach Heckendorf, Head For The Hills, Evanoff, The RunniKine, Mama Magnolia and Other Worlds.

The full currently confirmed lineup is available HERE, with additional artists still to be announced.Hosted in a stunning mountain valley setting, Vertex will showcase the best of Colorado. As a community-minded event that merges diverse musical genres, art, and a variety of experiences and outdoor adventures, Vertex promises an elevated experience that takes the U.S. festival and its culture to new heights – Colorado style.

Just a short trip from the Colorado Front Range, Vertex merges the best of worlds to create a present-day frontier where anything is possible. Diverse music, exhilarating outdoor adventures such as whitewater rafting, hiking, and artful fun and games bring people together for an enduring shared experience.  Nestled in sprawling range land at the foot of the Continental Divide and surrounded by the year-round snowcapped 14,000-foot peaks of the Collegiate Mountain Range, the festival site is known as Cottonwood Meadows, a recently revitalized working ranch located a mile from downtown Buena Vista, Colorado in Chaffee County. Cottonwood Creek runs through the campgrounds and the festival site itself.

Vertex is produced by Madison House Presents (MHP) and AEG Live Rocky Mountains. Boulder, Colorado based MHP is responsible for The Grateful Dead’s recent Fare Thee Well 50th Anniversary Celebration, Mumford & Sons Gentlemen of the Road U.S. Stopovers (including last year’s event in Salida, Colorado), the renowned Electric Forest festival in Rothbury, Michigan, and many more. Colorado’s premier promoter, AEG Live Rocky Mountains, produces events at Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, 1STBANK Center, Bluebird Theater, Ogden Theatre, Gothic Theatre, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Pepsi Center and more in Colorado as well as shows in Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona and Tennessee.

Tue, 05/24/2016 - 10:10 am

In partnership, Cloud 9 Adventures and The Bowery Presents have announced the lineup and event details of the third edition of One Big Holiday, My Morning Jacket’s tropical concert vacation held over four-nights from February 4-8, 2017 at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, an all-inclusive resort & spa located in the beautiful Riviera Maya region of Mexico. My Morning Jacket will be performing three full shows, joined by a stacked lineup that includes Gary Clark Jr., The Head and the Heart, Kurt Vile & The Violators, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Deer Tick, and Lucius. In addition, Carl Broemel will be performing a sunset setand Merrill Garbus (of Tune-Yards) will be performing a late night DJ Set. The party won’t stop after the main stage shows end, as late-night jams and DJ sets will occur nightly.
 
Extending beyond the main stage, this intimate fan experience will contain a full schedule of exciting happenings, including artist-hosted activitiesworkshops, poolside games, cooking demos, theme nights, with more to be announced. In addition, a special viewing party will again be planned for America’s biggest football game of the year. My Morning Jacket guest chefs Bobby Benjamin and Chad Welch from Butchertown Grocery will be providing a specially curated feast for the big game. Post-event, every guest will receive a download code for each My Morning Jacket show at One Big Holiday, as to be redeemed by Live Downloads.
 
My Morning Jacket commented, “We are thrilled to return to our One Big Holiday adventure! With only the fondest of memories from our previous years scaling the cosmos of the Riviera Maya, we can’t wait to rejoin such a magical place with some of our favorite people. Excited to see our pals, old and new, all come together for music, art, magic and celebrating this thing we call life!”
 
The Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya is a luxurious all-inclusive resort located between Playa del Carmen and Tulum, with all meals, beverages, concerts, and activities included in the event package price. Guests can choose from a wide variety of well-appointed room categories, including concert courtyard suites, oceanfront rooms, and lush tropical views spread throughout the property, all within easy walking distance to the main stage and late night parties.
 
Guests can also book off-site excursions to explore all the natural beauty and culture the area has to offer - such as visiting the Mayan ruins in Tulum, zip-lining through the jungle, exploring local cenotes, and shopping in Playa del Carmen, in addition to an abundance of other cultural options that will be offered through the event website (www.mmjonebigholiday.com).

One Big Holiday is again partnering with the charitable organization Positive Legacy, encouraging artists and fans to participate in a day of service and cultural connection in the local community as a way of giving back. In addition to the day of service project, the event will feature an auction and a donation drive to benefit the local community. All proceeds from the auction will go toward the ongoing Positive Legacy charitable projects in this region.
 
Booking Details:
The Pre-Sale for returning guests to One Big Holiday will be June 7, 2016 at 12pm ET.
The General On-Sale will begin on June 8, 2016 at 12pm ET.
* Roll Call members will have the opportunity to opt into the Pre-sale by filling out a form through the MMJ website beginning on May 24th and ending on May 31st at 5pm.
Find full Roll Call pre-sale information and opt-in here.

Thu, 05/26/2016 - 4:10 pm

Early-bird tickets to the Breckenridge Brewery Hootenanny go on sale at 8:00 a.m. Friday, May 27. This all-day music-fueled celebration on July 9th marks the brewery's twenty-sixth year in the craft brewing scene. The annual anniversary shindig started as a pig-pickin’, foot-stompin’, beer-drinkin’ block party. Not much has changed over the years except the brewery’s ability to host more people and bands. The twelve-acre brewery campus in Littleton, Colorado, provides room for two stages, elbow room for dancing, more beer and barbecue tents, and more space for hanging out with friends.
 
This year’s music line-up features Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Larry & Jenny Keel (accompanied by Drew Emmitt and Andy Thorn of Leftover Salmon), and Head for the Hills on the main stage. The brewery will announce a super-special festival headliner in several weeks. The beer garden stage showcases Colorado musicians Zolopht, Grant Farm, We Dream Dawn, Sweet Lillies, and Caribou Mountain Collective.
 
The first 200 people to purchase tickets on-line can do so at the special anniversary price of $26.00. These limited tickets also include access to the after-party at Cervante s’ Masterpiece in Denver where Robert Randolph and Zolopht will perform again.  
 
“Our Hootenanny really speaks to who we are,” explains Todd Thibault, the brewery’s Culture Czar. “We’ve grown up a bit over the twenty-six years, but we’re still the same folks who enjoy good beer and good times with friends. That’s why we do this. We want to share what we love with the folks who helped us get here. We’re busting at the seams to announce the headliner!”
 
As in years past, the Breckenridge Brewery Hootenanny benefits Conscious Alliance, a Colorado-based non-profit that fights hunger across the nation through their extraordinary grassroots food collection and hunger awareness programs.
 
To purchase tickets and for additional information go to www.breckbrew.com/Hootenanny.

Fri, 05/27/2016 - 10:46 am

Bonanza Campout – the inaugural music festival near Park City, Utah, - recently announced the addition of Big Gigantic to the already stellar and dynamic line-up. Hosted on June 10th & 11th, thousands of music enthusiasts will make their way to the picturesque backdrop of Jordanelle State Park, to experience the boutique music and camping festival. Featuring over 30 live performances by renowned headliners and emerging artists, fans will experience local breweries and eateries, a variety of on site activities, and more.

Check out the preview video:

Musical guests Big Gigantic, Cold War Kids, Emancipator, Savoy, JR. JR., Milo Greene, Ryan Hemsworth, Louis the Child, Joywave and Vacationer are among the artists on the inaugural line-up. View the full currently announced lineup HERE.

Located at the secluded Rivers Edge Resort in Utah’s Rocky Mountains, Bonanza Campout is the perfect setting to enjoy a weekend of live music, activities and camping. Only 40 minutes from downtown Salt Lake City, Bonanza is an ideal summer destination for local, regional and national music lovers and adventure seekers alike.

Throughout the weekend, Bonanza will offer attendees multiple activities to fully enjoy the surrounding environment. Fans can start their day with morning yoga taught by the experts at The Wind of Keltia.  Additional activities include paddle boarding on the Jordanelle Reservoir, guided morning hikes, or onsite games provided by Behave Sports including giant jenga, basketball beer pong, corn hole and other favorites.

Bonanza General Admission 2-Day Passes start at only $75.00 with Single Day Passes available for only $40.00. Upgraded VIP Passes and a variety of camping packages, including onsite cabins, are also available.  Tickets and camping/lodging packages are available now at www.bonanzacampout.com.

Connect with #BonanzaCampout via the official website, and Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages.

Fri, 06/03/2016 - 1:33 pm

Today, Vertex – the inaugural music and camping festival in Buena Vista, Colorado on August 5-7, 2016 - unveiled its artist performance schedule by day. View the daily schedule HERE
 
Also announced today, the Vertex “2-Day Fri & Sat Ticket “and “2-Day Sat & Sun Ticket,” each a $185.00 reduced rate ticket that allows access to the show on Friday, August 5 and Saturday, August 6 or Saturday, August 6 and Sunday, August 7, and include camping on those days. Vertex “Single Day Tickets” for $85.00 allow single day access on Friday, Saturday or Sunday of the festival and include single day camping.  2-Day Tickets and Single Day Tickets on sale now at www.vertexfestival.com while they last. 
 
A portion of all Vertex ticket sales will be used to support the launch of Vertex’s local philanthropic programs.  For this inaugural year, Vertex will be working with Chaffee County and the Town of Buena Vista to begin the development of a long-awaited community garden. In addition, Vertex’s Music In Schools Program is partnering with Buena Vista’s public schools to help provide funding for their middle school and high school music departments.  The money donated will help to pay for 2016-2017 Honor Band and Choir travel to competitions across the state and country, and to support the purchase of new band and choir performance uniforms. More information on both programs is available HERE.

Mon, 06/13/2016 - 11:08 am

Today, Breckenridge Brewery Hootenanny announces hometown favorites, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, will headline this year’s festival. They join the previously announced Robert Randolph and the Family BandLarry & Jenny Keel (accompanied by Drew Emmitt and Andy Thorn of Leftover Salmon), and Head for the Hills on the Main Stage. The Beer Garden Stage showcases Colorado musicians ZolophtGrant FarmWe Dream DawnSweet Lillies, and Caribou Mountain Collective.

Breckenridge Brewery’s all-day music-fueled celebration on July 9th marks the brewery's twenty-sixth year in the craft brewing scene. The annual anniversary shindig started as a pig-pickin’, foot-stompin’, beer-drinkin’ block party. Not much has changed over the years except the brewery’s ability to host more people and bands. The twelve-acre brewery campus in Littleton, Colorado, provides room for two stages, elbow room for dancing, more beer and barbecue tents, and more space for hanging out with friends.

“Our Hootenanny really speaks to who we are,” explains Todd Thibault, the brewery’s Culture Czar. “We’ve grown up a bit over the twenty-six years, but we’re still the same folks who enjoy good beer and good times with friends. That’s why we do this. We want to share what we love with the folks who helped us get here. We’re busting at the seams to announce the headliner!”

As in years past, the Breckenridge Brewery Hootenanny benefits Conscious Alliance, a Colorado-based non-profit that fights hunger across the nation through their extraordinary grassroots food collection and hunger awareness programs. 

To purchase tickets and for additional information go to www.breckbrew.com/Hootenanny.

Tue, 06/14/2016 - 7:12 am

Colorado’s own progressive funk outfit The Motet returns to their hometown for a headlining show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Friday, July 22.  Joining The Motet on the bill are Medeski Martin & Wood and Vulfpeck, with DJ Mikey Thunder spinning between sets.  The show comes just two weeks after the release of The Motet’s brand new studio album, Totem, set to hit streets July 8, 2016.
 
In celebration of The Motet’s upcoming Red Rocks play, 15+ Denver and Front Range breweries and bars have partnered with The Motet for #MotetOnTap to giveaway an epic Red Rocks prize package including VIP tickets, a backstage tour, round-trip shuttles and more. To enter the giveaway, fans are visiting participating locations, posting a picture with a special edition Motet Red Rocks pint glass, and sharing it with #MotetOnTap. Check out #MotetOnTap participation on socials HERE.
 
Denver Artisan Beer Project Crooked Stave is going a step further to celebrate The Motet’s album Totem. Their limited edition Damn! IPA draft – and Totem Wild Ale in bottles, are both available beginning June 16. Progressive funk + progressive beer = fun & yum. More info HERE.
 
Starting July 15th, fans can visit select Boulder/Denver Sweet Cow locations to taste “Motet Mocha”, an Ozo Coffee ice cream with chocolate covered espresso beans and a homemade hot fudge swirl. Colorado-based Sweet Cow will also be serving Motet Mocha from their Moo Mobile at Red Rocks for fans to enjoy before and after the show. A portion of proceeds from Moo Mobile Red Rocks sales will be donated to the Colorado Conservatory of Jazz Arts.
 
The Motet’s new album Totem will be released on July 8, 2016.  Produced by Lettuce and Soulive guitarist Eric Krasno, Totem was written collectively by the seven members of The Motet.  The future of funk music is clear on Totem; each song is steeped in The Motet’s signature style that slaps you in the face with sounds that are fresh and unique.  Listen to the first single “Damn!” HERE.
 
Fans can pre-order Totem now at themotet.bandcamp.com.  A full album download is included in all pre-orders, with various “package” options available - including a Totem CD signed by each member of The Motet and more.
 
Earlier this year, The Motet announced the addition of singer Lyle Divinsky, who fans the flames of this already hot band. “There was a month and a half between the time I joined the band and when we went into the studio,” explains Divinsky. “I wound up writing the lyrics and melodies to four songs, and re-wrote the lyrics to two. It gave me and the band an opportunity to really connect musically. We’re deeply proud of this album and it’s very exciting to have this new material to push out as we begin this next phase of The Motet’s journey.”

 

Tue, 06/14/2016 - 4:51 pm

Today, Electric Forest releases the daily stage schedule for the sold out 6th annual music and camping festival in Rothbury, Michigan on June 23-26, 2016
 
With the highly anticipated festival just 9 days away, fans can use the print-at-home schedule HERE or download the official Electric Forest App HERE for iPhone and HERE for Android to prepare for the over 100 bands performing over the festival’s 4 days.
 
EF2016 will host The String Cheese Incident (performing 3 shows), BASSNECTAR, Major Lazer, GRiZ, Porter Robinson (Live), STS9, Duke Dumont, Flosstradamus, Nahko and Medicine for the People, Baauer, Gorgon City (Live), Greensky Bluegrass, The Disco Biscuits, Adventure Club, and many more. View the full lineup and stage schedule HERE.
 
In conjunction with the daily stage announcement, Electric Forest reveals the winners of its 2016 performance contests.  EF2016 Bud Light Instrumental Forester winners Nyne2Five will perform a set in the Observatory.  The Untz Challenge winners Bionik and Spundose and Discovery Project winners AIRWAV and Sheni Doko will perform sets in EF’s Silent Disco.
 
Additionally, the festival’s Her Forest women’s program has announced a special “Women:  Game Changers in Creativity” panel with artists Alana Rocklin (STS9). Dessa (Doomtree), Miranda Zickler (Rabbit Wilde) and festival contributors Alicia Karlin (Talent Buyer) and Nova Han (Art Director).  Details on the panel can be found HERE.
 
To stay up to date on all Electric Forest news, please visit www.electricforestfestival.com and the official Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube pages.

Electric Forest is produced by Insomniac and Madison House Presents.

Thu, 06/16/2016 - 10:27 am

Cloud 9 Adventures, in partnership with The Bowery Presents, are proud to announce a brand new tropical destination concert vacation - The Avett Brothers At The Beach. Fans can join the Grammy Award®-nominated alternative folk collective as they travel south of the border to the beautiful Riviera Maya region of Mexico for four nights at the all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, from February 9-13, 2017. At The Beach features three full shows by The Avett Brothers, plus performances by Band of Horses, Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, Lake Street Dive, and The Devil Makes Three, each performing one show over the four nights. As fans anxiously await The Avett Brothers upcoming new album, “True Sadness”, which Billboard has already named as one of “2016’s Most Anticipated Rock Albums”, this event announcement gives fans yet another opportunity to come together around this amazing band.

Seth Avett (The Avett Brothers) notes, "It'll be our pleasure to be at the beach in the company of our friends and some of the finest bands making music today…it's certainly a plus that it's happening in such a breathtakingly beautiful place!”

Indeed, The Avett Brothers At The Beach promises much more than the typical music event. The intimate destination concert experience offers fans the opportunity to spend time with their favorite artists and fellow music lovers while it hosts a full schedule of exciting events throughout the long weekend, including artist-hosted activities, daily yoga, theme nights, workshops and more. Guests with an adventurous spirit can book off-site excursions to explore the local culture and natural beauty of the area – such as visiting the nearby Mayan ruins in Tulum or zip-lining through the jungle.  All excursions can be booked through the event website, www.avettsatthebeach.com/.

The Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya is a luxurious all-inclusive resort located between Playa del Carmen and Tulum, with all meals, beverages, concerts, and activities included in the event package price. Guests can choose from a wide variety of well-appointed room categories, including concert courtyard suites, oceanfront rooms, and lush tropical views spread throughout the property, all within easy walking distance to the main stage.

Fans will also have the opportunity to work with the charitable organization Positive Legacy, a 501(c)(3) whose mission is to integrate live music and service by taking actions that positively impact local communities and the environment. Positive Legacy encourages artists and fans to participate in a day of service and cultural connection in the local community as a way of giving back. In addition to the day of service project, the event will feature a fundraising auction as well as a donation drive to benefit local school children. All proceeds from the auction will go toward the ongoing Positive Legacy charitable projects in this region.

The Avett Brothers At The Beach details: Packages go on sale to the public on June 28, 2016 starting at 12pm ET. To purchase event packages, please visit http://www.avettsatthebeach.com/.

The Avett Brothers upcoming album, “True Sadness,” will be released on June 24 and is currently available for pre-order here.

Tue, 06/21/2016 - 12:42 pm

Cloud 9 Adventures and Widespread Panic announce the details of the sixth edition of destination concert vacation, Panic en la Playa. The four-night destination concert vacation will return to the beautiful Caribbean coastline of the Riviera Maya region of Mexico from February 27 - March 3, 2017. The all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya will host Widespread Panic devotees at this ultimate fan experience where guests experience four full nights of Widespread Panic. The additional lineup will feature Orgone, Southern Soul Assembly, and Bloodkin, as well as the return of the Playa All-Stars, all scheduled to round out the musical experience with sunset sets and late-night performances. The Playa All-Stars, a must-see collaboration specially curated for Panic en la Playa alone, features top-notch musicians Ivan Neville, Karl Denson, Eric Krasno, George Porter, Jr., Jennifer Hartswick, and Terence Higgins, coming together to hold down two late-night shows. Southern Soul Assembly features the musical collaboration of JJ Grey, Luther Dickinson, Anders Osborne and Marc Broussard, performing a special lagoon sunset set overlooking the beauty of the Caribbean Sea.
 
Celebrating their 30th anniversary in 2016, Widespread Panic recently announced that they would be taking a step back from their heavy tour schedule for some well-deserved time away from the road. Panic en la Playa Seis offers fans a chance to see the band perform an exclusive four night run of shows in a truly unique setting – which is sure to be even more special due to a limited touring schedule for 2017.
 
Widespread Panic shows all take place in the pristine concert courtyard, which provides a first-class concert experience with top-notch production, exceptional acoustics, convenient all-inclusive bar service and ample space for dancing and enjoyment – all within the resort property. In addition to the stacked musical lineup, fans will have the opportunity to participate in a full schedule of artist-hosted activities, workshops, poolside games, a poker tournament, daily yoga, and theme nights, with much more to be announced.
 
The Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya is a luxurious all-inclusive resort located between Playa del Carmen and Tulum, with all meals, beverages, concerts, and activities included in the event package price. Guests can choose from a wide variety of well-appointed room categories, including concert courtyard suites, oceanfront rooms, and lush tropical views spread throughout the property, all within easy walking distance to the main stage and late night shows.
 
Guests can also book off-site excursions to explore all of the natural beauty and culture the area has to offer - such as visiting the Mayan ruins in Tulum, zip-lining through the jungle, shopping in Playa del Carmen, in addition to an abundance of other cultural options that will be offered through the event website.
 
Panic en la Playa is again partnering with the charitable organization Positive Legacy, encouraging artists and fans to participate in a day of service and cultural connection in the local community as a way of giving back. In addition to the day of service project, the event will feature an auction and a donation drive to benefit the local community. All proceeds from the auction will go toward the ongoing Positive Legacy charitable projects in this region.
 
A truly intimate experience, Panic en la Playa Seis is limited only to guests who book their trip through Cloud 9 Adventures Travel. The Pre-sale for returning guests will begin on July 11, 2016 starting at 12PM ET and running through July 12. The General On Sale will begin on July 13, 2016 at 12PM ET.  Pre and post nights will be available for guests who would like to extend their vacation. All event room packages can be booked through panicenlaplaya.com.
 
Panic en la Playa is produced by Cloud 9 Adventures, the industry leader for producing international concert vacations on cruise ships and at all-inclusive resorts, creating a wide variety of destination music events which include Jam Cruise, Holy Ship!, My Morning Jacket’s One Big Holiday, Dominican Holidaze, Strings & Sol, Closer to the Sun, Zac Brown Band’s Castaway with Southern Ground, and The Avett Brothers At The Beach, with more to be announced.
 

Cloud 9 Adventures - Changing the Live Music Experience, Changing the Way Fans Vacation.
www.cloud9adventures.com

Fri, 06/24/2016 - 12:59 pm

In anticipation of their new studio album, Totem, The Motet reveal today the official video of previously unreleased track “Fool No More.” The video brings alive the artwork from Totem for a funky, psychedelic journey through the album’s second single. Watch the video here. Stream "Fool No More" on Spotify here.

The future of funk music is clear on Totem; each song is steeped in The Motet’s signature style that slaps you in the face with sounds that are fresh and unique. Collectively written by the bands seven members, Totem was produced by Lettuce and Soulive guitarist Eric Krasno and is set for release on July 8th. In celebration of Totem’s release, the Colorado natives will return for a headlining show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on July 22nd.  Joining The Motet on the bill are Medeski Martin & Wood and Vulfpeck, with DJ Mikey Thunder spinning between sets. Additionally, the band has added a 5 date run throughout the midwest this September, including a stop at Deadwood Jam on September 17th in South Dakota. All announced dates are listed below.

Fans can pre-order Totem now at themotet.bandcamp.com.  A full album download is included in all pre-orders, with various “package” options available - including a Totem CD signed by each member of The Motet and more.

Earlier this year, The Motet announced the addition of singer Lyle Divinsky, who fans the flames of this already hot band. “There was a month and a half between the time I joined the band and when we went into the studio,” explains Divinsky. “I wound up writing the lyrics and melodies to four songs, and re-wrote the lyrics to two. It gave me and the band an opportunity to really connect musically. We’re deeply proud of this album and it’s very exciting to have this new material to push out as we begin this next phase of The Motet’s journey.”

The complete list of The Motet’s currently confirmed tour dates is as follows:

6/25 Atlanta, GA Big Bang Block Party
7/2 - 7/3 Quincy, CA High Sierra Music Festival
7/15 Lone Tree, IA Camp Euforia
7/22 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre 
7/28 Aspen, CO Belly Up Aspen
7/30 Canton, MA Festival at the Farm
8/4 - 8//6 Thornville, OH The Werk Out Music Festival
8/5 Salt Lake City, UT Sky Bar
8/11 - 8/14 Scranton, PA Peach Fest
8/13 Fairfield, CT The Warehouse
8/18 - 8/20 Bartow, WV Camp Barefoot
9/4 Seattle, WA Bumbershoot Festival
9/7 Tulsa, OK The Vanguard
9/8 Fayetteville, AR George’s Majestic Lounge
9/9 St. Louis, MO The Ready Room
9/10 Urbana, IL The Canopy Club
9/17 Deadwood Jam Deadwood, SD
10/28 – 10/30 Live Oak, FL Suwannee Hulaween
1/20 – 1/25 Miami, FL Jam Cruise 15

 

Sat, 06/25/2016 - 11:54 am

The 6th annual Electric Forest (EF) kicked off Thursday, June 23, welcoming 45,000 Forest Family to Rothbury, Michigan for a music and camping experience of a lifetime. The beloved festival sold out in record time again this year – a mere two weeks after tickets went on sale and prior to any lineup announcement. 

As Festival gates opened on Thursday afternoon, fans flooded into the festival site to hit one of EF’s seven stages for the first music sets of 2016, roam the wondrous Sherwood Forest and reunite with Family.

Opening up the weekend was Dixon, of Dixon’s Violin, at the Observatory Stage – a Forest tradition. “It is an amazing honor to open this event and to be part of the beginning of a weekend of many possibilities,” Dixon said.  Performing at EF annually since 2012, Dixon believes every year is full of new surprises.  “I love surprises, I’m releasing my expectations and enjoying every moment,” Dixon said.  A calm, magical vibe was felt by the Forest Family during his set.  “I’m all about empowerment and I want anyone to feel they can do anything they set their mind to,” Dixon said.

The Disco Biscuits, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and EOTO were among the musical acts that launched Day 1 of EF2016.  Kamasi Washington sat in as a special guest with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band in the Hangar. 

London-based label imprint Anjunadeep hosted the first of EF’s 2016 Curation Series, bringing the deep house sounds of Yotto, Cubicolor, Way Out West, Moon Boots, Lane 8, Dusky and Bonobo (DJ set) to EF’s  adeptly-named Tripolee Stage.

Major Lazer, one of the nights’ headliners, closed out the Ranch Arena with a set filled with original tracks and remixes.  During the set, Diplo, a member of Major Lazer, told the Forest Family that EF is his favorite festival in the United States because of its’ constant changes and expansion.

EF is loved as much for what happens off the stage as on.  Beyond the music, Sherwood Forest comes to life with the help of the many art installations and various performers roaming the Forest. Sherwood Forest is ever-evolving and changing each day of the festival.  New surprises and additions are unveiled to mesmerize the Forest Family.

Emily Sugrue, 23, from Gurnee, IL., was exploring one of the many art installations scattered throughout the Sherwood Forest when she happened upon a tiny door, which belongs to the ‘Fairies’ installation, one of three Art Installation Grant winners for EF 2016.  “The quote inside the door was really funny and clever,” Sugrue said.

As things wound down for the night, the Forest Family left the festival site with expressions of happiness and wonderment at the joy of being able to return home to Electric Forest.

Sat, 06/25/2016 - 12:09 pm

The excitement from the kick-off to Electric Forest 2016 continued into Day 2 of the 6thannual festival.  On the morning of Friday, June 24 - whether having spent the night in a tent in the EF campgrounds, in one of EF’s Good Life Village VIP furnished European cabanas, or in a Good Life VIP Back 40 Log Cabin or Home - fans awoke ready to continue exploring the many adventures awaiting them.

Day 2 music highlights included headliners STS9 and The String Cheese Incident and the Ranch Arena. Joining The String Cheese Incident during their second set was Michigan-native GRiZ. At the Jubilee, a Gatsby-era inspired tent complete with glass chandeliers and floating orbs, The Soul Rebels put on a show-stopping set with GZA and Talib Kweli. This Song Is Sick threw a raging late night party on the Observatory Stage  with secret sets from Brillz, Mija and 12th Planet.

Soul Clap’s House of EFUNK, one of EF2016’s curated event series, hosted the Forest Stage for the majority of the day.  Soul Clap’s self-proclaimed mission is to change the world one dance-floor at a time. The duo fulfilled their mission along with help from Navid Izadi (DJ set), Bamboozle 45 set, Scott Grooves Overdubs, Egyptian Lover and Nick Monaco.

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, acting as a sort of band-in-residence at The Hangar, is hosting collaborative sets at EF2016 throughout the weekend.  Thursday night, Kamasi Washington joined the band and on Friday, Preservation Hall welcomed The Suffers and Ivan Neville to the stage for an unforgettable afternoon set. The incredible diversity of these music collaborations are an example of EF’s unique commitment to curating a festival lineup focusing on the integrity of music instead of the genre.

For the third year running, BASSRUSH returned to Tripolee to showcase a variety of bass music styles and artists. Tripolee pulsed into the wee hours of the night with pounding sets by Fury + MC Dino, Bleep Bloop, Eprom, Teddy Killers, G Jones, Metrik b2b TC, NGHTMRE, Brillz, Caspa b2b with Rusko, Bro Safari and Adventure Club.

In addition to the music, fans mingled in the beloved Sherwood Forest – lounging in hammocks draped among the 20+ larger-than-life creative installations and gathering spaces, exploring the many intimate artful touches, engaging with the 250+ colorful roaming characters, and so much more.

Wed, 06/29/2016 - 2:53 pm

The 6th annual Electric Forest (EF) festival returned to its home in the forest of Rothbury, Michigan this past weekend welcoming 45,000 fans to experience live music, incredible art installations and the magic of the enchanted Sherwood Forest.

On Thursday, June 22nd, the festival opened its doors and welcomed the Forest Family to their home for the long weekend.  Fans flooded into the festival site to hit one of EF’s seven stages for the first music sets of 2016, roam the Sherwood Forest and reunite with Forest friends. Major Lazer, Duke Dumont, The Disco Biscuits and Kamasi Washington were among the most anticipated headliners who kicked off the 4-day music and camping festival. New larger than life art installations and gathering spaces - including the BeijaFlor, USS Entertainer Starship Voyager, Lady Vine and the EF’s 16 Plug In Program Art Installation Grant Winners Fairies in the Forest, The Looking Glass and the Ocular Organ - were on display among the 14-acre Sherwood Forest.

London-based label imprint Anjunadeep hosted the first of EF’s 2016 Curation Series, bringing the deep house sounds of Yotto, Cubicolor, Way Out West, Moon Boots, Lane 8, Dusky and Bonobo (DJ set) to EF’s adeptly-named Tripolee Stage.

Friday night brought the first set from The String Cheese Incident’s annual three night, 2-set per-night run on the Ranch Arena Stage, where GRiZ made his first collaborative appearance of the weekend. The Michigan-born, saxophone-playing DJ’s official set was the Sunday night closing celebration on Sherwood Court, but fans found GRiZ performing throughout the weekend, popping up in all corners of the festival grounds with 9 impromptu collaborations and performances. Fans were treated to surprise GRiZ appearances including a B2B late night set with Shooka DJ in the Good Life VIP campgrounds, guest appearances with Sunsquabi and Dumpstaphunk, leading a roaming marching band with Muzzy Bear and members of The Floozies and Sunsquabi, an All Good Records Jam, and to finish the weekend - a pop-up set in GA Camping and a Sunrise DJ set in the Forest early Monday morning.

By Saturday, the festival had settled into a vibrant groove as campers continued to explore all the unique experiences and surprises Electric Forest is known for delivering. Celebrating and nurturing a community that promotes freedom of expression and inclusiveness, attendees were invited to join a panel discussion from the women behind EF as part of the HER Forest initiative. Hosted by Kiki Federico, panelists included Alana Rocklin (STS9), Alicia Karlin (Talent Buyer, Madison House Presents), Dessa (Doomtree), Nova Han (EF16 Art Director), and Miranda Zickler (Rabbit Wilde). Discussions included shared stories of working within the music business, the contributions of women festival culture, and considerations on how each person can help spark a bright future, not only at festivals, but in the world.

In other parts of the festival, attendees enjoyed appearances by EF16’s Music In Schools recipients -  a flash mob by Shelby High School’s Marching Band, Montague High School’s “Noticeably Average Band debut performance in the Grand Artique, and a duo violin performance by students of the Arts Council of White Lake.  Each of these organizations are recipients of EF’s Music In School philanthropic program, which to date has donated over $50,000 to support music in local public schools. 

Throughout the weekend, fans stopped by The Giving Tree to leave or take a cherished item, or lounged in one of the over 400 ENO hammocks strung throughout the festival site.  Curated events continued on Saturday with Night Bass hosting the Forest Stage and showcasing groundbreaking artists such as AC Slater, Taiki Nulight, Petey Clicks, Kry Wolf, Landis LaPace, Low Steppa, Flava D, Justin Martin and Chris Lorenzo.

By Saturday night, the anticipation at the Ranch Arena Stage was palpable. Per tradition, The String Cheese Incident’s second set of the night kicked off with incredible fanfare. Paying tribute to Prince and David Bowie with songs ‘Kiss,’ ‘Let’s Dance,’ ‘Let’s Go Crazy’ and ‘Space Odyssey,’ the tribute was accompanied by fireworks, larger-than-life pegasus and cloud floats, performers on metronome-like platforms swaying above the crowd, and an inflatable balloon with a mirror-ball costumed aerialist performing high above the fans.  Following The String Cheese Incident’s extravaganza at the Ranch Arena was fan-favorite Bassnectar. Playing tracks from his new album, Unlimited, the crowd reached a fever pitch during the newly-named resident DJ of EF’s set.

Sunday provided a final opportunity for fans to explore all that Electric Forest has to offer, whether resting in a hammock, exploring the various art installations, interacting with performers who roam the forest, and of course seeing live music. The HER Forest program hosted a Sunday afternoon Closing Women’s Circle, which was open to all members for the Forest, creating an opportunity for Forest Family to connect more deeply within themselves, each other and the meaning of their experience at EF. Electric Forest’s annual Roy Price Memorial Food Drive hosted by Conscious Alliance collected the last of its food donated by EF16 to be delivered to those in the local community in need – 65,000 cumulative lbs. collected since 2000, not including this year’s donation totals, which were still being sorted and weighed at time of press. Not-for-profit HeadCount, who was hosting a booth in the Ranch Lobby, finished up registering attendees to vote in this crucial election year.  At EF’s Electricology Store, fans cashed in tokens, earned for doing “green” acts throughout the weekend, for prizes such as official EF merchandise, signed artist goods and more.

On the stages throughout the grounds, fans were soaking up the stacked Sunday lineups. Tripolee featured pulsing sets from fan favorites Whilk & Misky, Hayen James, Louis the Child and Gryffin. The Sherwood Court kicked off the last day with Sunsquabi, with huge crowds gathering for Rufus Du Sol, and GRiZ performing Sherwood Court’s famed closing set. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band closed their weekend artist-in-residence at The Hangar in true rousing New Orleans fashion, while fans took in the last of the venue’s unique offerings – bowling in the Game Room, a cut and shave at the Barber Shop, and much more.

To stay up to date on all Electric Forest news, please visit www.electricforestfestival.com and the official FacebookInstagramTwitter and YouTube pages.

Fri, 07/22/2016 - 10:10 am

Today, North Carolina’s Mipso announces their headlining Fall Tour - bringing their distinctive and stirring indie folk sound, which recently landed them on Rolling Stone’s list of favorite bands at DelFest 2016, to over 15 cities across the country.  Mipso’s Fall Tour kicks off with two home-state shows - on October 7 at the Carolina Theatre in Greensboro, NC with special guests Silver City Bound and on October 14 at Charlotte’s Neighborhood Theatre with Honey Dewdrops opening the night. The tour heads next to the east coast with stops in Richmond, D.C. Philadelphia and others with special guest, singer songwriter Sam Lewis, and folk trio Lula Wiles opening shows in Portland (ME), Boston, and Brooklyn. After stops in additional southern cities including Asheville, NC and Martinsville, VA, Mipso heads to the Midwest for plays in Minneapolis and Chicago and wrapping up on December 2nd, 2106 at the Stoughton Opera House in Stoughton, WI.
 
Before the fall, catch Mipso at multiple festivals including Ossipee Valley Music Festival and Appalachian Music Fest and on a September Pacific Northwest run with special guest Sam Lewis. A complete list of Mipso’s currently confirmed shows is included below.

Mipso released their latest studio album, Old Time Reverie, in late 2015 to rave reviews from critics and fans alike. The record shot up the Billboard charts, where it landed at #1 on the Billboard Bluegrass Chart and in the Top 25 of the Billboard Heatseakers Chart.  With songwriting hailed as “smartly written, hewing surprisingly close to gospel and folk while still sounding modern and secular.” (Acoustic Guitar), Mipso’s Old Time Reverie was named among the “Best Records of the Year” by The Guardian - for the band’s “aptidude for stunning harmonies” and for its “lush and moving songs that feel as fresh as a warm spring rain.”
 
With over 400 shows under their belt so far, and the permanent addition of band mate Libby Rodenbough, Old Time Reverie is a reflection of Mipso’s musical and personal growth.  Their gripping, mature sophomore release finds the quartet expanding their sonic resources while doubling down on their experimentation with string band tradition.
 
Influenced by the contradiction of their progressive home of Chapel Hill, North Carolina and the surrounding rural southern landscapes, Mipso’s Old Time Reverie dips in, explores and mixes the complexities of traditional bluegrass with modern instrumentation and smart pop melodies.  The result is an intoxicating, distinctly unique blend of modern day Americana.
 
Mipso is: Jacob Sharp (mandolin, vocals), Wood Robinson (bass, vocals), Joseph Terrell (guitar, vocals), Libby Rodenbough (fiddle, vocals).

LISTEN TO "OLD TIME REVERIE" BY MIPSO HERE

7/28 - 7/31

Ossipee Valley Music Festival

Cornish, ME

7/30 

Susie's Cause Bluegrass-Folk Festival

Cockeysville, MD

8/6

Appalachian Summer Fest

Boone, NC

8/13

New York Botanical Garden

Bronx, NY

8/26

Lincoln Theatre w/ Look Homeward

Raleigh, NC

8/26 - 8/27

Jam in the Trees @ Pisgah Brewery

Black Mountain, NC

9/3 - 9/4

Appaloosa Roots Music Festival

Front Royal, VA

9/7

Tractor Tavern w/ Sam Lewis

Seattle, WA

9/8

The Alberta Rose Theatre w/ Sam Lewis

Portland, OR

9/9 - 9/11

Sisters Folk Festival

Sisters, OR

9/11

HiFi Music Hall w/ Sam Lewis

Eugene, OR

9/15

The Spinning Jenny w/ Brooks Dixon

 

9/16 - 9/18

Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion

Bristol, VA

10/7

Carolina Theatre w/ Silver City Bound

Greensboro, NC

10/14

Neighborhood Theatre w/ Honeydew Drops

Charlotte, NC

10/26

Capital Ale House w/ Sam Lewis

Richmond, VA

10/28

World Cafe Live - Upstairs w/ Sam Lewis

Philadelphia, PA

10/29

The Hamilton w/ Sam Lewis

Washington, DC

10/30

Creative Alliance at The Patterson

Baltimore, MD

11/3

One Longfellow Square w/ Lula Wiles

Portland, ME

11/4

Red Room @ Cafe 939 w/ Lula Wiles

Boston, MA

11/5

Rough Trade w/ Lula Wiles

Brooklyn, NY

11/11

Riverhawk Music Festival

Brooksville, FL

11/18

Rives Theatre

Martinsville, VA

11/19

The Orange Peel

Asheville, NC

11/29

Dakota Jazz Club

Minneapolis, MN

11/30

City Winery

Chicago, IL

12/2

Stoughton Opera House

Stoughton, WI

 

Additional Tour Dates to be Announced.

Mon, 07/25/2016 - 12:11 pm

Hot on the heels of their headlining Red Rocks show this past weekend, The Motet announce today that they’ll be continuing the home-state party later this summer with a two night run the Mishawaka Amphitheatre on August 26 and 27. Local DJ favorites kick on the show each night; Mikey Thunder will open the show on Friday and Vibe Street will open on Saturday. Catch the band at festivals across the country this summer and fall, including upcoming stops at Peach Fest, Bumbershoot, Camp Barefoot, Suwannee Hulaween and more. The complete list of currently announced dates is included below.
 
The Motet released their highly anticipated new album, Totem, earlier this month. The future of funk music is clear on Totem; each song is steeped in The Motet’s signature style that slaps you in the face with sounds that are fresh and unique. Collectively written by the bands seven members, Totem was produced by Lettuce and Soulive guitarist Eric Krasno.
 
Praise for Totem is coming in strong as Sound & Silence magazine states, “The songs are melodic and steeped in sweaty dance grooves that are extremely entertaining and well-crafted…Totem is a solid record from start to finish, and one of the most assured and accomplished releases of 2016.”   Marquee Magazine agrees, saying Totem “is a full-on continuation of the band’s infectiously danceable funky sound.”
 
Earlier this year, The Motet announced the addition of singer Lyle Divinsky, who fans the flames of this already hot band. “There was a month and a half between the time I joined the band and when we went into the studio,” explains Divinsky. “I wound up writing the lyrics and melodies to four songs, and re-wrote the lyrics to two. It gave me and the band an opportunity to really connect musically. We’re deeply proud of this album and it’s very exciting to have this new material to push out as we begin this next phase of The Motet’s journey.”
 
The Motet are Dave Watts (drums), Joey Porter (keyboards), Garrett Sayers (bass), Ryan Jalbert (guitar), Gabriel Mervine (trumpet), Lyle Divinsky (vocals), Drew Sayers (saxophone).
 
Totem is available to purchase here: http://themotet.com/discography/

The Motet’s currently confirmed tour dates is as follows:

7/28 Aspen, CO Belly Up Aspen
7/30 Canton, MA Festival at the Farm
8/4 - 8//6 Thornville, OH The Werk Out Music Festival
8/5 Salt Lake City, UT Sky Bar
8/11 - 8/14 Scranton, PA Peach Fest
8/13 Fairfield, CT The Warehouse
8/18 - 8/20 Bartow, WV Camp Barefoot
8/26 - 8/27 Bellvue, CO Mishawaka Amphitheatre
9/1 San Rafael, CA Terrapin Crossroads
9/2 – 9/3 Calpine, CA Camp Wakka Chikka w/ Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe
@ Sierra Valley Lodge
9/4 Seattle, WA Bumbershoot Festival
9/7 Tulsa, OK The Vanguard
9/8 Fayetteville, AR George’s Majestic Lounge
9/9 St. Louis, MO The Ready Room
9/10 Urbana, IL The Canopy Club
9/17 Deadwood, SD Deadwood Jam
10/28 – 10/30 Live Oak, FL Suwannee Hulaween
1/20 – 1/25 Miami, FL Jam Cruise 15
Wed, 07/27/2016 - 10:16 am

Today, The Motet releases Phase 1 announcement for their 2016 Fall Tour. On tour in support of their brand new album release, Totem, The Motet will hit 30+ cities across the country through the end of the year, with additional dates still to be announced. Included in their Fall Tour plans is announcement of the band’s famed Halloween Mixtape shows – this year a four night run with stops in Dallas, Houston, Austin, TX and in Asheville, NC debuting “Mixtape 1979.” Before Fall Tour officially kicks off on October 6, find The Motet at upcoming festival plays including Peach Fest, Bumbershoot, Camp Barefoot, and others. The complete list of The Motet’s currently announced dates is included below.
 
The Motet released their highly anticipated new album, Totem, on July 8, 2016. The band recently sat down to chat about the new record, which you can check out here.  The future of funk music is clear on Totem; each song is steeped in The Motet’s signature style that slaps you in the face with sounds that are fresh and unique. Collectively written by the bands seven members, Totem was produced by Lettuce and Soulive guitarist Eric Krasno.
 
Praise for Totem is coming in strong as Sound & Silence magazine states, “The songs are melodic and steeped in sweaty dance grooves that are extremely entertaining and well-crafted…Totem is a solid record from start to finish, and one of the most assured and accomplished releases of 2016.”   Marquee Magazine agrees, saying Totem “is a full-on continuation of the band’s infectiously danceable funky sound.”
 
Earlier this year, The Motet announced the addition of singer Lyle Divinsky, who fans the flames of this already hot band. “There was a month and a half between the time I joined the band and when we went into the studio,” explains Divinsky. “I wound up writing the lyrics and melodies to four songs, and re-wrote the lyrics to two. It gave me and the band an opportunity to really connect musically. We’re deeply proud of this album and it’s very exciting to have this new material to push out as we begin this next phase of The Motet’s journey.”
 
The Motet are Dave Watts (drums), Joey Porter (keyboards), Garrett Sayers (bass), Ryan Jalbert (guitar), Gabriel Mervine (trumpet), Lyle Divinsky (vocals), Drew Sayers (saxophone).
 
Totem is available to purchase here: http://themotet.com/discography/
 
The Motet’s currently confirmed tour dates is as follows:

7/28

Aspen, CO

Belly Up Aspen

7/30

Canton, MA

Festival at the Farm

8/4 - 8//6

Thornville, OH

The Werk Out Music Festival

8/5

Salt Lake City, UT

Sky Bar

8/11 - 8/14

Scranton, PA

Peach Fest

8/13

Fairfield, CT

The Warehouse

8/18 - 8/20

Bartow, WV

Camp Barefoot

8/26 - 8/27

Bellvue, CO

Mishawaka Amphitheatre w/ Mikey Thunder, Vibe Street

9/1

San Rafael, CA

Terrapin Crossroads

9/2 – 9/3

Calpine, CA

Camp Wakka Chikka w/ Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe @ Sierra Valley Lodge

9/4

Seattle, WA

Bumbershoot Festival

9/7

Tulsa, OK

The Vanguard

9/8

Fayetteville, AR

George’s Majestic Lounge

9/9

St. Louis, MO

The Ready Room

9/10

Urbana, IL

The Canopy Club

9/17

Deadwood, SD

Deadwood Jam

10/6

Hartford, CT

Infinity

10/7

Providence, RI

Fete

10/11

Buffalo, NY

The Tralf w/ Sophistafunk

10/12

Northampton, MA

Pearl Street w/ Mammal Dap

10/13

Portland, ME

Portland House of Music w/ Sophistafunk

10/14

Burlington, VT

Higher Ground w/ Sophistafunk

10/26

Dallas, TX

Gas Monkey w/ Mingo Fishtrap *

10/27

Houston, TX

The Secret Group w/ Mingo Fishtrap *

10/28

Austin, TX

Scoot Inn w/ Mingo Fishtrap *

10/28 - 10/30

Live Oak, FL

Suwannee Hulaween

10/31

Asheville, NC

Orange Peel *

11/1

Carrboro, NC

Cats Cradle

11/2

Richmond, VA

The Broadberry w/ Dale and the ZDubs

11/17

Eugene, OR

HiFi w/ Polyrythmics

 

11/18

Portland, OR

Revolution w/ TBA

11/19

Ashland, OR

Armory w/ Polyrythmics

1/20 – 1/25

Miami, FL

Jam Cruise 15

 
Tue, 08/09/2016 - 3:25 pm

The inaugural Vertex festival just wrapped with tremendous success. Hosting 8.000 attendees in the stunning Arkansas River Valley in Buena Vista, CO for 3 days/nights, the weekend was filled with incredible and diverse musical performances, interactive art installations and high mountain adventures – all with a uniquely Colorado twist.

On Friday, August 5th, the festival opened doors to the gorgeous Cottonwood Meadows festival site for the first time. Fans who had settled into the campgrounds the night before for Early Arrival had already checked out BeeVee Beach Club – complete with a lake for swimming, live music, food and drink, and more - or had hopped on a free Vertex shuttle for the 5 minute ride to the restaurants and bars on Main Street in charming downtown Buena Vista.

Upon entering the festival site for the first time on Friday afternoon, fans meandered around Vertex’s Creekside Bazaar.  Home to the festival’s La Hacienda stage, Colorado acts like Zach Heckendorf and The RunniKine performed while fans explored local arts & crafts and food vendors, relaxed around rustic picnic tables or on the sandy beaches along Cottonwood Creek, and adventured through a row of unique houses – each with an open door, an invitation to explore the intricate, imaginative, and at times downright unexpected experience inside.
 
Across the bridge, where a short path opens up into the festival’s breathtaking Long Meadow –Big Wild kicked off music on the Cottonwood Parlor stage followed by Fruition on the Princeton Garden stage.  Fans held their ground in the front row for an energetic performance by Anderson .Paak & the Free Nationals. At sunset, at the far end of meadow on the Princeton Garden main stage, The Alabama Shakes performed an explosive and captivating set. Gramatik boomed the crowed late into the night, and sent fans wandering back to their campgrounds to rest for day 2.
 
On day two of Vertex, the campsites came alive as the sun rose over the valley. Whether emerging in the vast meadow of GA camping, or from VIP bell tents and cabanas along Cottonwood Creek, it was clear that mornings at Vertex are unlike any other festival. Vertex “Field Trips” offered participants a variety of opportunities to explore the local surroundings.   In addition to free shuttles to Downtown Buena Vista, those looking for more adventure chose for an adrenaline filled rafting excursion down the Arkansas River, a 6 mile high-altitude guided hike to the ghost town of Hancock, or a Vertex Disc Golf Field Trip for 18 holes in the beautiful scenery.
 
After enjoying a day filled with activities or lounging at BeeVee Beach, music kicked off inside the venue in late afternoon. Robert DeLong brought his energetic beats to the Princeton Garden. The music continued on with Houndmouth, Rufus Du Sol, The Revivalists, and Duke Dumont.  Graham Nash took the crowd into sunset.  At dark Lettuce pumped up the energy Saturday headliners ODESZA, who were joined onstage by the Colorado Symphony and the Colorado University Drumline, brought the large crowd to a fever pitch. The BeeVee Beach Club was bumping into the early morning hours as revealers danced the night away at the silent disco by the lake.
 
By Sunday, the joyous and relaxed vibe of the inaugural Vertex had settled throughout the site. Another day of fun-filled adventure under a Colorado bluebird sky lay ahead, and attendees greeted each other like family – a new community. Yoga was hosted on the La Hacienda stage while a rubber duck race down Cottonwood Creek to benefit the Vertex Music in Schools program awarded the lucky winner with tickets for next year’s festival. Haitus Kaiyote brought their future soul.  The Claypool Lennon Delirium played on the Princeton Garden stage, and Colorado locals Trout Steak Revival jammed on the La Hacienda stage. Ryan Hemsworth delivered the crowd a rousing dose of EDM before fan-favorites Trey Anastasio Band started the first of two sets. Seven Lions closed out the Cottonwood Parlor stage, giving fans once last chance to dance under expansive sky, while lightening flashed of in the distance.
 
Of the inaugural event, Jeremy Stein, President of Madison House Presents and co-producer of Vertex with AEG Live Rocky Mountains, said, “The inaugural Vertex was a source of Colorado pride, and the result was an unmatched celebration. This past weekend, we were left with an amazing sense of what is possible when many voices contribute to the creation of a new community.  Vertex has now taken its’ first baby steps, and we look forward to learning more together.  We thank the fine folks of Chaffee County and Buena Vista with all of our hearts.  We are all Coloradans, but we deeply respect your willingness to open your home to great possibilities.  Now we can all look toward the future with a smile, with imagination, and with the understanding that truly rare things are possible when we do it together. Cheers to the future.”
 
Cheers, indeed.

Fri, 08/19/2016 - 11:32 am

Today, Deadhead Productions and Railroad Earth reveal the artist performance schedule for the 2nd annual Hillberry: The Harvest Moon Festival taking place October 13-16, 2016 in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Hillberry hosts and headliners Railroad Earth bring their dynamic stringed show for two sets on both Saturday and Sunday night. Fresh from their sold-out performance at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Greensky Bluegrass take the Hillberry mainstage by storm on Friday in support of their new album, which is set for release on September 23rd. The Infamous Stringdusters bring their passionate live show and signature harmonies and arrangements on Sunday. Also joining the fun on the farm are Fruition, The Travelin’ McCourys, Larry Keel, Elephant Revival and many others, including late night sets from funk masters Turquaz and The New Mastersounds. View the complete Hillberry stage schedule below and at www.hillberryfestival.com.

Hillberry: The Harvest Moon Festival launched spontaneously in 2015 and has already emerged as the premier jamgrass event in the region. Hosted in the heart of the Ozark Mountains during the peak Autumn season on the stunning DHP property known as “The Farm,” the region has a rich history with bluegrass music, and Hillberry honors this past while ushering in this continually unfolding story of music, mountains, and community. With attendance capped at 3000, attendees can expect a truly intimate festival and camping experience.  In addition to performances by over 20 artists, Hillberry’s campfire and campsite jams, both planned and spontaneous, are sure to to become festival legend. Beyond the music, Hillberry offers art installations, a wide spectrum of activities and workshops for children and adults alike, including tie-dying, yoga, rock balancing, and open forum discussions with headlining performers, and much more.

The Farm itself is a sight to behold. Boasting 360° panoramic views in the hills of the Ozarks, The Farm is the perfect setting for a fall festival that is bound to be both colorful and whimsical all at once. The 160 acre property features diverse camping opportunities including a mainstage camping area, a hillside camping area with spectacular views of the entire venue, a family camping area, and a wooded camping area that is drop off only (no car camping), the perfect choice for the hammock camper or anyone wanting more isolated camping without a long trek to get to the stage area. Hillberry will also offer a Festi-Cab service to cart attendees whose feet are weary from dancing all day and night.

A general store is onsite and offers an array of necessities including food, non-alcoholic beverages, ice, and camping supplies. Hillberry will host a multitude of food vendors to appeal to any taste. There will also be beverage vendors offering organic juices and a café serving coffee. Attendees will find an assortment of unique arts, crafts, and official merchandise to take home as mementos.

Finally, no visit to The Farm is complete without a brief hike to the top of the venue to a shrine constructed in memory of the late Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. A Eureka Springs based artist, known as ‘Ralph Shrine,’ and his team built the “Jerry Shrine” to commemorate one of the most inspiring musical artists of the 20th century; an artist whose band and musical legacy left an impact on literally hundreds of thousands of loyal fans that still resonates today. Visitors are encouraged to leave something at the Jerry Shrine, as it is a living work of art, continually changing over time, as do all things in this wondrous spectrum of life.

Thu, 08/25/2016 - 2:04 pm

Today, fiddle player Jeremy Garrett of the Grammy-nominated Infamous Stringdusters announces a new solo album, The RV Sessions 2, scheduled for release on September 27th, 2016. The follow-up to his second solo release, The RV Sessions, The RV Sessions 2 was recorded and (mostly) written during Jeremy’s time on the road - not with The ‘Dusters but during his downtime in the “home” he shares with his wife - a 40-foot RV. The RV Sessions 2 is a collection of all instrumental songs inspired by the sights and sounds of another year’s worth of travels.
 

LISTEN TO "TIDAL WAVE" HERE

 
From the opening track “Cobra” – a title that evokes the intensity of Garrett’s on-stage fiddling – to the subtle melodicism of the closing, “So Long,” The RV Sessions 2 offers music that neatly complements both its predecessor and the combination of songs and extended improvisations that characterize The Infamous Stringdusters’ live appearances. It’s a nod to the bluegrass tradition in which Jeremy was raised – a world in which all-instrumental albums were a regular occurrence – but ranges across a broad sonic landscape where rock, jazz, pop and other influences can be glimpsed at every turn. And while he’s best known as a fiddler, The RV Sessions 2 testifies to Jeremy’s increasingly impressive skills on guitar and mandolin, along with a savvy exploration of technology that makes for an even broader tonal palette.
 
The RV Sessions 2 is a musical portrait that’s both stunning and intimate; an exploration of both inner and outer landscapes that reflects Jeremy Garrett’s ongoing journey in music and life. For his growing legion of fans – colleagues across the musical spectrum included – and for those who know him only as a member of The Infamous Stringdusters, The RV Sessions 2 presents the latest chapter in a career that’s already brought years of enjoyment and serves notice that plenty more are still to come.
 
ABOUT JEREMY GARRETT
 
Jeremy Garrett is an innovative fiddle player, expressive singer and creative songwriter. He’s a founding member of The Infamous Stringdusters, who broke onto the national scene in 2007, scooping up 3 International Bluegrass Music Association awards, including Album and Song of the Year. Since then, the group has become a national ambassador for progressive bluegrass, playing to club, theater and festival audiences around the country, and hosting their own event, The Festy Experience—at which Jeremy’s production, the Garrett Grass Gospel Hour, offers a much-beloved highlight.
 
To fans of the Grammy-nominated “‘Dusters,” he’s known as “G-Grass” or “Freedom Cobra” for his dynamic stage presence, but to his fellow artists, The Stringdusters included, there’s another side, where songwriting and more intimate performances come to the fore. Working on his own and with a select group of collaborators, he has contributed several songs to the Stringdusters, including the title track for their 2014 album “Let It Go”, winning first place in the Folk category for the 2014 USA Songwriting Competition. Bluegrass bands including The Boxcars, Chris Jones & The Night Drivers, and Sweden’s young G2 Bluegrass Band have recorded his songs. A recent musical project that Garrett has been working on, The Jeremy Garrett Bluegrass Coalition (JGBC
), features not only Garrett’s talents, but also a variety of high profile musicians such as Scott Vestal, Seth Taylor, Larry Keel, Barry Bales, Andy Thorn, Danny Barnes, Josh Shilling and Jacob Jolliff.
 
It’s only natural that when Garrett’s thoughts turned to making a follow-up to 2005’s Garrettgrass Gospel, sung and co-produced with his father and an all-star supporting cast, and to 2009’s solo debut, I Am A Stranger (Sugar Hill), an all-original collection came to mind. The RV Sessions and The RV Sessions 2 are just that, as well as a display of his increasing stature as a multi-instrumentalist capable of recording every note of the music by himself. With flavors ranging from straightforward bluegrass rhythms to rock and rhythm & blues, it serves notice that there’s another side of Jeremy Garrett to see and hear.

The RV Sessions 2 Track Listing:
1 Cobra
2 Bluegrass Gorilla
3 Roswell
4 Fair Enough
5 Tidal Wave
6 High on a Ridge
7 Ruthless Desperado
8 Land Lubber

Fri, 09/02/2016 - 7:42 am

Electric Forest (EF) announced that it will offer two unique weekends of the beloved music and camping festival at the legendary Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Michigan.  The festival, which will take place June 22–June 25 and June 29–July 2, 2017, posted official news of this “Intimate Expansion of Community” on its website this morning. With last year’s festival selling out again in record time – a mere two weeks after tickets went on sale – Electric Forest’s move to offer two distinct, back to back weekends at a lower capacity strives to nurture the evolution and growth of the EF community while honoring the much cherished EF experience. 
 
Read Electric Forest’s full website post HERE.
 
Electric Forest producers Madison House Presents and Insomniac hope that expanding the festival to two weekends in 2017 allows the EF community to invite more friends, participate in more ideas, and continue to contribute to this next chapter of Electric Forest together.  

“Immediately after each year of Electric Forest I dream of what it can become in the future,” explains Electric Forest Founder/Director and President of Madison House Presents Jeremy Stein. “There is not a formula.  We do not try to match the past.  Instead, we challenge ourselves to raise the bar while writing a new chapter.  Our collective goal is to propel creative experimentation and cultural exploration.  By combining the past, present, and ideas for the future, Electric Forest can take a new and exciting form each year.”  

“It's exciting that after six years of Electric Forest we are ready to announce the next chapter of our festival experience." said Pasquale Rotella, Co- Founder of Electric Forest and Founder and CEO of Insomniac.  "In 2017, we will see Electric Forest evolve into two unique weekend experiences. I am glad EDC Las Vegas attendees will have an opportunity to rest and recharge before making the journey out to another festival. Home is where your family is, and the Forest has become another destination this community can call home."
 
To stay up to date on all Electric Forest news, please visit www.electricforestfestival.com and the official Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube pages.

Electric Forest is produced by Insomniac and Madison House Presents.

Tue, 09/13/2016 - 12:40 pm

Today, Leftover Salmon announced New Year’s plans with two nights at Crystal Bay Casino in Nevada December 28 with Tea Leaf Green and December 29 with The Mother Hips, and at The Depot in Salt Lake City on December 31 (3 sets).  Fan Club tickets go on sale this Wednesday, September 14, with general on sale beginning Friday, September 16 at www.leftoversalmon.com

Also upcoming for Leftover Salmon are festival performances including Deep Roots Mountain Revival in Masontown, WV, at the inaugural Suwannee Roots Revival in Live Oak, FL, and at Strings & Sol in Puerto Morelos, Mexico. The band recently announced a hometown play at Denver’s Fillmore Auditorium on November 26 with Los Lobos opening the night, and a special “Evening With” performance the night before at Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox available only as a ticket bundle with the 11/26 Fillmore show.

Leftover Salmon’s fall dates come on the heels of a very busy summer festival season for Colorado’s slamgrass pioneers, who recently appeared at Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Vancouver Folk Festival, Huck Finn Festival, and Floyd Fest, among others.  The band’s famed weekend run at The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado – happening March 10-12, 2017 – sold out last month, in just minutes of being announced. 

The full list of currently confirmed Leftover Salmon tour dates is as follows:

September 15 Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom w/ Greensky Bluegrass, Cereus Bright
September 16 Columbus, OH  @ Park Street Saloonw/ Billy Strings
September 17 Masontown, WV @ Deep Roots Mountain Revival 
October 13 - 15 Live Oak, FL @ Suwannee Roots Revival 
November 25 Denver, CO @ Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox
November 26 Denver. CO @ The Fillmore w/ Los Lobos 
December 9-13 Puerto Morelos, MX @ Strings & Sol
December 28-29 Crystal Bay, NV @ Crystal Bay Club & Casino
December 31 Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot 
March 10-12 Estes Park, CO @ The Stanley Hotel

Wed, 09/14/2016 - 11:37 am

Today, HeadCount unveiled a schedule of over 300 concert events in 80+ cities that will host voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives before Election Day on November 8th.

 

HeadCount volunteers will be providing non-partisan information and voter registration opportunities at concerts by Andrew Bird, Animal Collective, Bad Religion, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Bob Weir, Bonnie Raitt, Chvrches, Flume, Gov’t Mule, Grace Potter, GRiZ, Jason Isbell, The Kills, Leon Bridges, Local Natives, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Wilco, YG and dozens more.  Also on the schedule this fall are festivals including Farm Aid, Global Citizen Festival, Austin City Limits Music Festival, Roots Picnic, and others.  For a complete list of HeadCount’s fall voter registration events, visit www.headcount.org.
 
This year approximately 15.5 million Americans age 21 or under are eligible to vote in their first presidential election. And for the first time ever, more Millennials (age 18 to 34) will be eligible to vote than Baby Boomers (age 51 to 69).  Still, in a review of the 2012 Presidential election, the US Census Bureau reported that 12.7 million of 18-24 year olds were not registered to vote, and only 46% of those eligible cast ballots.
 
Since HeadCount’s inception in 2004, the organization has worked with musicians and the music industry to increase youth participation in democracy.   With over 15,000 volunteers nationwide organizing activity at over 1,000 concerts, festivals and community events each election year, HeadCount has helped register nearly 400,000 new voters. Visit www.HeadCount.org for information on volunteer opportunities, comprehensive information about voting, an online voter registration form and more.

Look for additional HeadCount announcements surrounding National Voter Registration Day (Sept 27), the start of early voting, and of course, Election Day.

 

www.HeadCount.org
https://www.facebook.com/HeadCountOrg
https://twitter.com/headcountorg
https://www.instagram.com/headcountorg/

Thu, 09/15/2016 - 8:41 pm

Today, SnowGlobe Music Festival released its highly anticipated artist lineup for the festival’s 6th annual New Year’s Eve celebration in Lake Tahoe, California on December 29-31, 2016. Returning to California’s breathtaking Sierra Nevada Mountains, the unique outdoor winter festival hosts over 50 groundbreaking artists performing on multiple stages over 3 nights and culminating in an impressive NYE fireworks show.  With seamless access to Tahoe’s multiple world-class resorts, SnowGlobe raises the bar on the destination festival experience, mixing music and the mountains for the ultimate New Year’s celebration.

Topping the bill for SnowGlobe 2016 (#SG16) are The Chainsmokers, Flume, Major Lazer, Odesza, and Rüfüs Du Sol.

Also on the bill are RL Grime, Big Gigantic, Lil Uzi Vert, Lido, Snails, Lil Yachty, The Knocks, Marian Hill and many others.  The complete list of announced artists is included below.

Now celebrating its sixth year, SnowGlobe returns to Bijou Park on the Lake Tahoe Community College campus, where a brand new festival site layout awaits. Expanding to twice the size as years past, the new layout features larger stages and features more creative and art installations for fans to explore. Maintaining the same capacity as previous years, the expanded site promises fans the same intimate and boutique festival experience, with more room to explore and enjoy the stunning Tahoe surroundings. Returning again this year are the fan favorite “Big Air” ski and snowboarding demos, which take place in-between sets on the Main Stage.

With almost 9,000 acres of nearby skiing and snowboarding terrain and reduced-price Heavenly Mountain lift tickets available to SnowGlobe patrons, festival goers can hit the slopes by day and shows by night. In addition, with the festival grounds located just three miles from Stateline, NV, gamers can take advantage of the five 24-hour casinos that Tahoe has to offer.

For those SnowGlobers who want to keep the party going late into the night, SG16 is excited to announce a new custom-built venue for the Official SnowGlobe 2016 After Parties. In addition to a nightly club show at XHale, SG16’s Official After Party will be hosted at an open-air venue created specifically for SnowGlobe attendees – featuring a large dance tent, multiple bars and signature SnowGlobe production, revelers will be able to continue their celebrations well into the night. Located at 27 Highway 50, Stateline, NV, the venue will be open from 10PM – 4AM nightly during the festival. Stay tuned for more information on the Official SG16 After Parties to be released soon.

SnowGlobe is proud to once again partner with Hotels for Hope as its exclusive lodging reservation partner. Visit www.snowglobemusicfestival.com to choose from dozens of nearby lodging options hand-picked to fit a variety of needs and tastes.  For every night a lodging accommodation is booked by SnowGlobe patrons, $2 will be donated to local not-for-profit Christmas Cheer, Inc.  Hand-selected by SnowGlobe producers as the festivals official 2016 Hotels for Hope recipient, Christmas Cheer works year round to service food, clothing, shoes, toys and household items to Tahoe-area families and individuals in need.

Combining the world's best live music with the world's best snow conditions, SnowGlobe is the ultimate winter getaway for music fans and adventure-seekers alike. 

SnowGlobe’s 2016 lineup of artists is as follows:

The Chainsmokers

Flume

Major Lazer

Odesza

Rüfüs Du Sol

 

 

•       RL Grime
•       Big Gigantic
•       Lil Uzi Vert
•       Lido
•       Snails
•       Lil Yachty
•       Mr. Carmack
•       The Knocks
•       CLASSIXX (DJ Set)
•       Big Wild
•       Marian Hill
•       Illenium
•       Party Favor
•       Poolside
•       Justin Jay
•       Sam Gellaitry
•       Sofi Tukker
•       D.R.A.M
•       Hotel Garuda
•       Brasstracks

       Vincent
•       Taylor Bennett
•       Bleep Bloop
•       Manila Killa
•       Chet Porter
•       Azizi Gibson
•       Cassian
•       Darnell Williams
•       Pat Lok
•       Echos
•       Landis Lapace
•       Masha
•       Big Baby Bruiser + Young Lat
•       LP Giobbi
•       Gavin Turek
•       Point Point
•       StéLouse feat. Mascolo
•       Whethan
•       Translucent
•       THATsound
•       Joyzu
•       Creams n Lotions
Thu, 09/22/2016 - 7:22 am

Today, the non-partisan voter registration organization HeadCount announced that hundreds of musicians will help roll out “HelloVote,” a new technology that allows anyone to register to vote via text message or Facebook Messenger.
 
More than 200 musicians including Wilco, Panic! At the Disco, Jack Johnson, Killer Mike, Ani DiFranco, Lil Dicky, The Indigo Girls, Michael Franti and members of The Grateful Dead will make social media posts next Tuesday, September 27th in support of National Voter Registration Day.  Artist posts will direct their followers to register to vote by texting “COUNT” to 348-387 or to access the technology at HeadCount.org/RegistertoVote.
 
Each social media post will also feature a photo of the artist holding up HeadCount’s “Register to Vote Now” clipboards.
 
The campaign – a celebration of the annual “National Voter Registration Day” – will have a social media reach of more than 200 million followers, and use the “VoterRegistrationDay” hashtag.
 
Downloadable artist photos for media use HERE.
 
“We’ve known for many years that music is the best way to reach Millennials and unregistered voters,” said Andy Bernstein, HeadCount’s executive director. “We also know that text message is how young people prefer to communicate, so this brings all of that together.”
 
The groundbreaking HelloVote mobile voter registration technology was developed by Fight for the Future, a nonpartisan non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and expanding the Internet’s transformative power. It is the first tool that allows voters to register over text message or Facebook, in just a minute. It is also integrated with 20 different states’ online voter registration platform, making it the only technology that allows for true online voter registration in a variety of states.
 
HelloVote uses SMS and chat bot technology to enable voters to register on Facebook Messenger or on any cell phone or tablet, even a flip phone. A full 96% of Americans have a cell phone, which means nearly every American can use HelloVote to register.
 
Since HeadCount’s inception in 2004, the organization has worked with musicians and the music industry to increase youth participation in democracy. With over 15,000 volunteers nationwide organizing activity at over 1,000 concerts, festivals and community events each election year, HeadCount has helped register nearly 400,000 new voters.

But there is still much work to be done, specifically with younger voters.  This year approximately 15.5 million Americans age 21 or under are eligible to vote in their first presidential election. And for the first time ever, more Millennials (age 18 to 34) will be eligible to vote than Baby Boomers (age 51 to 69).  Still, in a review of the 2012 Presidential election, the US Census Bureau reported that 12.7 million of 18-24 year olds were not registered to vote, and only 46% of those eligible cast ballots.
 
Look for additional HeadCount announcements surrounding National Voter Registration Day (Sept 27), the start of early voting, and of course, Election Day. 
www.HeadCount.org
https://www.facebook.com/HeadCountOrg
https://twitter.com/headcountorg
https://www.instagram.com/headcountorg/

Sat, 09/24/2016 - 10:47 am

Today, Denver’s alternative hip-hop band Flobots announce a short run of pre-election Midwest dates dubbed the “Your Life Matters” Tour.  Coming on the heels of recording their forthcoming 2017 album NOENEMIES, Flobots’ “Your Life Matters” Tour is a call to action - an invitation to elevate above the noxious fumes of election year rancor and instead raise our voices together and experience the power of community.
 
For the “Your Life Matters” Fall Tour, Flobots bring their signature socially conscious slant and explosive musical style to Midwest and southern U.S. cities.  The tour launches on October 27 in Wichita, KS at Barleycorn’s.  Next up, Lawrence, KS (10/28), Tulsa, OK (10/29) and then to 2720 Cherokee in St. Louis, MO on October 30 for a Special Day of Action and Community - a full day at the venue with speakers and activities that will culminate with the Flobots’ performance.  The “Your Life Matters” Tour continues on to City Winery in Nashville, TN (10/31) and City Winery in Chicago, IL (11/1), then to the Cabooze in Minneapolis, MN (11/3) before wrapping up in Iowa City, IA on November 4. See below for Flobots’ full list of upcoming Fall Tour dates.  Tickets on sale now at www.flobots.com.
 
“We absolutely love performing because each concert is a celebration of shared power,” says Flobots’ Brer Rabbit. “For us, every show is a precious opportunity to experience joy together, in community.”
 
“Our worldviews these days are filtered through social media and internet algorithms that lampoon anyone who doesn’t agree,” adds Flobots’ Jonny 5. “That’s dangerous. But our neighbors are not our enemies. It’s critical that we remind ourselves of this, and there’s no better way to celebrate our connectedness than music.”

The “Your Life Matters” Tour is Flobots first ‘traditional’ tour in a few years.  Instead of touring, the band has been working on several special projects close to home. In 2014 the band launched a project called “NOENEMIES,” a two-year series of community workshops and trainings designed to reclaim and practice collective singing and songwriting as a tool for transformative social movements. The forthcoming NOENEMIES album was inspired by the songs and experiences from the project.

Last fall, Flobots partnered with state agencies Colorado Creative Industries and the Office of Economic Development for “Detour”, a pilot program aimed at building tours that are mutually rewarding for artists and the towns they’re visiting.  Flobots spent three weeks visiting rural communities across Colorado, sharing songs and stories through workshops in churches, at schools, around bonfires, and on community radio stations. The intimate tour included a performance inside a 5 story water tower, an appearance at the Southern Ute nation powwow, and an all-night community jam with an all-star lineup of country musicians in Joes, CO (population 40).

“Music has the power to bring people together. Right now we need that more than ever,” says Flobots drummer Kenny Ortiz. “We didn’t anticipate hitting the road again nationally until NOENEMIES is released next year. But with all that’s happening in the country and in the world right now, there is just too much to say and too much to do to not get out there.”

And so, the Flobots’ “Your Life Matters” Tour.

“We can’t let the madness of an election turn us into monsters.” says Jonny 5. “Right now there’s so much toxic divisiveness. It’s like we have forgotten how to treat each other as human beings.”
 
“Look at the conversation about refugees, for example,” continues Brer Rabbit. “These are real families on the run to escape terrorism and war, and yet they are being demonized. We’re not going to let politicians speak for us. We want to say directly, ‘Your Life Matters’.”
 
“Like many people, we’ve been inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, and we’re very much a part of it.” continues Jonny 5. “In Denver, it’s a movement not just about police violence, but about affordable housing, homelessness, mental healthcare - stuff that affects us all. Honestly, ‘Black Lives Matter’ means ultimately that whoever you are, your life matters. Some people aren’t hearing that, so we thought we’d go one step further and say it loud and clear. That’s why we’re calling this the ‘Your Life Matters’ tour.”
 
In addition to this upcoming fall tour and the recent time in the studio recording NOENEMIES, the band performed at the July 23rd Denver installment of Rock Against the TPP - a multi-city concert tour opposing the Trans-Pacific Partnership hosted by Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello and actress Evangeline Lilly. Flobots will close out the year with a New Year’s Eve show in their hometown of Denver with Nahko and Medicine for the People. Look for additional Flobots December dates on the West Coast to be announced soon.

The complete list of currently confirmed Flobots tour dates is as follows:

10/27

Barleycorn's

Wichita, KS

10/28

The Bottleneck

Lawrence, KS

10/29

The Vanguard

Tulsa, OK

10/30

2720 Cherokee

St Louis, MO

10/31

City Winery

Nashville, TN

11/1

City Winery

Chicago, IL

11/3

Cabooze

Minneapolis, MN

11/4

Blue Moose

Iowa City, IA

12/3

Moe's Alley

Santa Cruz, CA

12/31

Ogden Theatre w/ Nahko and Medicine for the People

Denver, CO

1/2

Belly Up w/ Nahko and Medicine for the People

Aspen, CO

 
Tue, 09/27/2016 - 9:31 am

Today, in support of National Voter Registration Day, over 200 musicians, celebrities and comedians are participating in a social media and digital campaign organized by the non-partisan organization HeadCount to help register voters. With the deadline to register to vote looming in early October in many states, entertainers such as Stephen Colbert, Mac Miller, Kathy Griffin,  Jack Johnson, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Bob Weir, Killer Mike, Ani DiFranco, Kings of Leon and Questlove are posting photos and messages on social media with the #VoterRegistrationDay hashtag.
 
The campaign will have a social media reach of more than 400 million followers.
 
Downloadable Artist and Celebrity Photos for Media Use Available HERE. 
 
Also announced today, Pandora will support HeadCount’s voter turnout efforts by providing audio messages that enable listeners to register to vote online or by text message, through the Pandora app. Musicians lent their voices to Artist Audio Messages (AAMs) so that listeners to their Pandora station have an easy opportunity to register to vote. Participants include members of The Grateful Dead, The National, and Phish, as well as Lil Dicky, Amanda Palmer, Big Gigantic, The Movielife, Michael Franti, The String Cheese Incident, Warren Haynes (Allman Brothers Band, Gov't Mule), Guster, Disco Biscuits, Dispatch and many others. Read Pandora’s announcement of the campaign HERE.
 
Each of the social media posts and Pandora Artist Audio Messages feature a photo of the entertainer holding up HeadCount’s “Register to Vote” clipboards, directing people to register to vote online or via the brand new HelloVote chatbot unveiled last week, that allows anyone to register to vote via text message or Facebook Messenger.
 
HeadCount is also hosting National Voter Registration Day voter registration drives in public places in over 50 cities across the U.S. today including Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco, Miami, Columbus, OH and Richmond, VA.. HeadCount’s largest National Voter Registration Day event is happening in conjunction with MTV in New York City, where over 70 NYC high school students will help register voters outside MTV’s TRL studio in Times Square.  For a complete list of HeadCount National Voter Registration Day events, and additional upcoming voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives, visit www.headcount.org
 
Since HeadCount’s inception in 2004, the organization has worked with musicians and the music industry to increase youth participation in democracy. With over 15,000 volunteers nationwide organizing activity at over 1,000 concerts, festivals and community events each election year, HeadCount has helped register nearly 400,000 new voters.

But there is still much work to be done, specifically with younger voters.  This year approximately 15.5 million Americans age 21 or under are eligible to vote in their first presidential election. And for the first time ever, more Millennials (age 18 to 34) will be eligible to vote than Baby Boomers (age 51 to 69).  Still, in a review of the 2012 Presidential election, the US Census Bureau reported that 12.7 million of 18-24 year olds were not registered to vote, and only 46% of those eligible cast ballots.
 
Additional HeadCount announcements surrounding the start of early voting, and of course, Election Day, coming soon. 
www.HeadCount.org
https://www.facebook.com/HeadCountOrg
https://twitter.com/headcountorg
https://www.instagram.com/headcountorg/

Wed, 10/05/2016 - 7:10 am

The new solo album from fiddle player Jeremy Garrett of the Grammy-nominated Infamous Stringdusters’, The RV Sessions 2, is now available directly via Jeremy’s website and all digital service providers. Premiering the record exclusively with The Bluegrass Situation, The RV Sessions 2 was recorded and (mostly) written during Jeremy’s time on the road - not with The ‘Dusters but during his downtime in the “home” he shares with his wife - a 40-foot RV. The RV Sessions 2 is a collection of all instrumental songs inspired by the sights and sounds of another year’s worth of travels and described by Live Music Daily as "...sweet masterful sounds."
 
From the opening track “Cobra” – a title that evokes the intensity of Garrett’s on-stage fiddling – to the subtle melodicism of the closing, “So Long,” The RV Sessions 2 offers music that neatly complements both its predecessor and the combination of songs and extended improvisations that characterize The Infamous Stringdusters’ live appearances. It’s a nod to the bluegrass tradition in which Jeremy was raised – a world in which all-instrumental albums were a regular occurrence – but ranges across a broad sonic landscape where rock, jazz, pop and other influences can be glimpsed at every turn. And while he’s best known as a fiddler, The RV Sessions 2 testifies to Jeremy’s increasingly impressive skills on guitar and mandolin, along with a savvy exploration of technology that makes for an even broader tonal palette.
 
The RV Sessions 2 is a musical portrait that’s both stunning and intimate; an exploration of both inner and outer landscapes that reflects Jeremy Garrett’s ongoing journey in music and life. For his growing legion of fans – colleagues across the musical spectrum included – and for those who know him only as a member of The Infamous Stringdusters, The RV Sessions 2 presents the latest chapter in a career that’s already brought years of enjoyment and serves notice that plenty more are still to come.

Tue, 10/11/2016 - 11:20 am

Regardless of who wins the Presidency, history will be made on Election Day this year. Today HeadCount, a non-partisan voter registration organization, announced plans to mark the occasion through a first-of-its-kind concert called “Soundtrack to History,” presented by Magic Hat Brewing Company.
 
As the polls begin to close on Tuesday November 8th, and election results are revealed on the giant video screens at Brooklyn Bowl in New York City, Everyone Orchestra and a slew of special guests will take the stage and musically interpret the results in real time. They’ll use the election returns and the mood of the crowd as a muse for improvisation, creating a night of truly historic music unlike any other election event in the country.
 
The festivities begin at 8PMTickets are $25 for general admission, $75 for VIP and $250 for Benefactor, and are on sale beginning  Friday, October 14 at 10am EDT at brooklynbowl.com.
 
Everyone Orchestra’s Matt Butler will conduct the musical adventure with Steve Kimock, members of the Disco Biscuits (Marc Brownstein and Aron Magner), moe. (Vinnie Amico), Snarky Puppy (Jay Jennings and Chris Bullock), Big Gigantic (Jeremy Salken), Trey Anastasio Band (Natalie Cressman) and Jans Ingber (formerly of The Motet). Additional special guests will be announced.
 
“We’re giving fans a chance to have a shared musical experience on a night they may remember the rest of their lives,” said Brownstein, who is HeadCount’s founder and Co-Chair, and will play bass in Everyone Orchestra throughout a week-long tour. “We’ve always wanted to do something like this and Everyone Orchestra is a perfect musical outlet to make it happen.”
 
Magic Hat Brewing Company and HeadCount began collaborating back in 2004, when they found a common ground in music and its power to motivate. They have teamed up for election-themed concerts before, staging sold-out events in New York City on the eve of the elections in 2008 and 2012. Those shows, produced by New York concert promoter CEG Presents, featured appearances by Phil Lesh, Warren Haynes, Questlove, Joss Stone, The Disco Biscuits, Bela Fleck, Robert Randolph, John Medeski, Stanton Moore, Joe Russo and many others. Some were announced in advance and others were surprise guests.
 
This event will mark the end of HeadCount’s 2015-16 voter turnout campaign, which saw the organization register well over 100,000 voters. The results include over 50,000 voters registrations at concerts and events, and an even larger number of registration applications completed through its website HeadCount.org.
 
In the month leading up to the election, HeadCount will continue to be an active force in driving voter turnout. HeadCount volunteers around the U.S. will hand out cell phone wallets stuffed with voter information guides at concerts. Meanwhile, HeadCount will organize a social media campaign where hundreds of musicians post “#GoVote” photos of themselves on social media. This follows a highly successful photo campaign on September 27th for National Voter Registration Day, when entertainers such as Stephen Colbert, Jack Johnson, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Bob Weir, Killer Mike, Ani DiFranco, and Kings of Leon posted “Register to Vote” photos that spurred over 20,000 people to register to vote online. View a selection of photos HERE.
 
Look for HeadCount voter awareness events at concerts throughout the U.S. over the coming weeks. For a complete list of upcoming voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives, visit www.headcount.org

Thu, 10/13/2016 - 5:10 pm

Today, SnowGlobe Music Festival released the daily artist lineup for the festival’s 6th annual New Year’s Eve celebration in Lake Tahoe, California on December 29-31, 2016. The Chainsmokers, Flume, RL Grime and more will kick things off on Thursday, December 29th,  Major Lazer and Big Gigantic continue the party on Friday, December 30th, while Odesza and Rüfüs Du Sol celebrate the New Year on Saturday, December 31st.  The complete list of announced artists and schedule by day is included below. Fans can purchase advance single-day tickets starting Friday, October 14th, at 12 PM PST at www.snowglobemusicfestival.com  
 
Returning to California’s breathtaking Sierra Nevada Mountains, the unique outdoor winter festival hosts over 50 groundbreaking artists performing on multiple stages over 3 nights and culminating in an impressive NYE fireworks show.  With seamless access to Tahoe’s multiple world-class resorts, SnowGlobe raises the bar on the destination festival experience, mixing music and the mountains for the ultimate New Year’s celebration.
 
Now celebrating its sixth year, SnowGlobe returns to Bijou Park on the Lake Tahoe Community College campus, where a brand new festival site layout awaits. Expanding to twice the size as years past, the new layout features larger stages and features more creative and art installations for fans to explore. Maintaining the same capacity as previous years, the expanded site promises fans the same intimate and boutique festival experience, with more room to explore and enjoy the stunning Tahoe surroundings. Returning again this year are the fan favorite “Big Air” ski and snowboarding demos, which take place in-between sets on the Main Stage.
 
With almost 9,000 acres of nearby skiing and snowboarding terrain and reduced-price Heavenly Mountain lift tickets available to SnowGlobe patrons, festival goers can hit the slopes by day and shows by night. In addition, with the festival grounds located just three miles from Stateline, NV, gamers can take advantage of the five 24-hour casinos that Tahoe has to offer.

For those SnowGlobers who want to keep the party going late into the night, SG16 is excited to announce a new custom-built venue for the Official SnowGlobe 2016 After Parties. In addition to a nightly club show at XHale, SG16’s Official After Party will be hosted at an open-air venue created specifically for SnowGlobe attendees – featuring a large dance tent, multiple bars and signature SnowGlobe production, revelers will be able to continue their celebrations well into the night. Located at 27 Highway 50, Stateline, NV, the venue will be open from 10PM – 4AM nightly during the festival. Stay tuned for more information on the Official SG16 After Parties to be released soon.

SnowGlobe is proud to once again partner with Hotels for Hope as its exclusive lodging reservation partner. Visit www.snowglobemusicfestival.com to choose from dozens of nearby lodging options hand-picked to fit a variety of needs and tastes.  For every night a lodging accommodation is booked by SnowGlobe patrons, $2 will be donated to local not-for-profit Christmas Cheer, Inc.  Hand-selected by SnowGlobe producers as the festivals official 2016 Hotels for Hope recipient, Christmas Cheer works year round to service food, clothing, shoes, toys and household items to Tahoe-area families and individuals in need.

Combining the world's best live music with the world's best snow conditions, SnowGlobe is the ultimate winter getaway for music fans and adventure-seekers alike. 
 
SnowGlobe’s 2016 lineup by day is as follows:
 
12/29 Line-Up (Alphabetical Order):
•       The Chainsmokers
•       Curt Reynolds
•       Flume
•       Gavin Turek
•       HVOB
•       Kasbo
•       Lil Yachty
•       LP Giobbi
•       RL Grime
•       Snails
•       Sofi Tukker
•       Stelouse ft. Mascolo
•       Taylor Bennett
•       Thatsound
•       Vincent
•       Whethan
 
12/30 Line-Up (Alphabetical Order):
•       Big Gigantic
•       Big Wild
•       Billy Kenny
•       Brasstracks
•       Chet Porter
•       D.R.A.M.
•       Echos
•       Justin Jay
•       Joyzu
•       Landis Lapace
•       Lido
•       Lil Uzi Vert
•       Major Lazer
•       Marian Hill
•       Masha
•       Party Favor
•       PleasureKraft
•       Ruexx
•       Translucent
•       Walker & Royce
 
12/31 Line-Up (Alphabetical Order)
•       Azizi Gibson
•       Big Baby Bruiser + Young Lat
•       Bleep Bloop
•       Cassian
•       Classixx
•       Creams & Lotions
•       Darnell Williams
•       Elohim
•       Hotel Garuda
•       Illenium
•       The Knocks
•       Manila Killa
•       Mr. Carmack
•       Odesza
•       Pat Lok
•       Poolside
•       Rüfüs Du Sol
•       Sam Gellaitry
•       Snow Sessions  

Tue, 10/18/2016 - 9:38 am

Today, acclaimed Austin-based artists The Bright Light Social Hour and Israel Nash are excited to announce the Neighbors EP. A three-song collaboration between artists, the Neighbors EP is set for release digitally on November 4th, 2016, to be followed by a physical release of 500 limited-edition copies on 7” vinyl on November 18th, 2016. Pre-orders are available here.

Featuring vocals by Israel Nash and Jack O’Brien (TBLSH), “Lupita” is the first single off of the Neighbors EP.  The song narrates the story of a Mexican couple who have risked their lives in search of a better existence in the United States, only to have found the harsh realities of undocumented life to present surprising challenges of their own. The EP, a statement about the current toxic political sentiment about immigration in the United States, takes the listener on a journey from bravely leaving home in search of safety and prosperity, longing for a life left behind, to the often terrifying experience of trying to settle in a new country. Tune into KUTX today at 3 PM CST to hear Israel Nash and Jack O’Brien discuss the EP and debut “Lupita” on-air.

“The whole EP is about having empathy for the struggles of those around us, our neighbors – specifically our neighbors to the south in Mexico, and undocumented immigrants who make up an essential part of our communities,” states O’Brien.

Of Neighbors, Curtis Roush (TBLSH) shares, “On the Neighbors EP, we lend our voices in solidarity to those brave enough to risk their safety for a better life. We seek to celebrate the humanity of different folks struggling against a hostile environment. Our brothers and sisters around the world are our inspiration, our hope, and our neighbors.”

Israel Nash adds, “We really wanted the songs to reflect our feelings about freedom and democracy, peace, love -- the beautiful things that drive away the eclipse of darkness. …Immigrants, natives, men, women, they're just a bunch of labels that we have created.  But ultimately, we are all people.  Humans with hopes and dreams.  We're all the same.  Let's learn to love.”

The collaboration between Israel Nash and The Bright Light Social Hour came to fruition naturally, as the two bands often crossed paths in their home-base of Austin, as neighbors and friends. Sharing similar musical and political sentiments, the artists recorded Neighbors together by hopping between Israel Nash’s studio Plum Creek Sound and TBLSH’s Escondido Sound studio over the span of a week this summer. Swapping instruments, band members and socio-political conversation, the Neighbors EP meshes the signature sonics of both Israel Nash’s soaring vocals over Eric Swanson’s sweeping, haunting pedal steel and The Bright Light Social Hour’s driving percussion, soulful vocals and deep textures to expand the musical landscapes we’ve grown to know from both bands.

The Bright Light Social Hour is Jack O’Brien, Curtis Roush, Joseph Mirasole and Edward Braillif.

Israel Nash is Israel Nash, Eric Swanson and Joey McClellan.

Fri, 10/28/2016 - 8:32 am

Leftover Salmon recently announced a hometown play at Denver’s Fillmore Auditorium on November 26 with Los Lobos opening the night, and a special “Evening With” performance the night before at Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox available only as a ticket bundle with the 11/26 Fillmore show. Tickets are currently on sale at www.leftoversalmon.com

Also upcoming for Leftover Salmon are festival performances at Strings & Sol in Puerto Morelos, Mexico and WinterWonderGrass 2017 in Steamboat Springs, CO. Leftover Salmon's New Year’s plans include two nights at Crystal Bay Casino in Nevada December 28 with Tea Leaf Green and December 29 with The Mother Hips, and at The Depot in Salt Lake City on December 31 (3 sets).

Leftover Salmon’s fall dates come on the heels of a very busy summer festival season for Colorado’s slamgrass pioneers, who recently appeared at Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Vancouver Folk Festival, Huck Finn Festival, and Floyd Fest, among others.  The band’s famed weekend run at The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado – happening March 10-12, 2017 – sold out last month, in just minutes of being announced.

The full list of currently confirmed Leftover Salmon tour dates is as follows:

11/25/16

Ophelia's Electric Soapbox

Denver, CO

11/26/16

The Fillmore w/ Los Lobos

Denver, CO

12/9- 12/13

Strings & Sol

Puerto Morelos, MX

12/29 - 12/29

Crystal Bay Club & Casino

Crystal Bay, NV

12/31/16

The Depot

Salt Lake City, UT

1/14/17

The Fillmore

San Francisco, CA

2/3/17

Diamond Pub Music Hall

Louisville, KY

3/10/17 - 3/12/17

The Stanley

Estes Park, CO

3/15/17 - 3/17/17

Sheridan Opera House

Telluride, CO

3/18/17

SkiTown Breakdown

Crested Butte, CO

 
Tue, 11/01/2016 - 3:10 am

With barely a week until Election Day, hundreds of musicians and celebrities are posting photos on social media with the #GoVote hashtag to encourage their followers to vote. The campaign, featuring James Franco, Kings of Leon, Pearl Jam, Russell Simmons, Conan O’Brien and Zoe Kravitz, is organized by the non-partisan group HeadCount.org. Each post drives voters to the organization’s website for information on early voting, polling place locations and state ballot initiatives.

View Rolling Stone’s coverage of the #GoVote campaign HERE. Additional photos available HERE, with new photos being posted every day.

In each photo, the entertainer holds a piece of artwork that says #GoVote, or a placard with a snappy saying about voting. Stephen Colbert’s says “Vote – the safe legal way to overthrow the government.” Brandi Carlile declares “I [heart] Girls who Vote.” Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead says “Bad Politicians are elected by good people who don’t vote.

The #GoVote campaign follows a record-breaking year registering voters for HeadCount. Using social media and concerts as vehicles to reach Millennials, HeadCount registered more than 150,000 new voters for this election – a 40% increase compared with 2012 – and staged voter registration drives at more than 1,500 live music events.

The organization has partnered with Pandora, MTV, Ben & Jerry’s, D’Angelico Guitars and Billboard in various capacities this year, and was embedded on national tours by Dixie Chicks, Dave Matthews Band, Warped Tour, Phish and Dead & Co. HeadCount will continue to be a presence at concerts right up to Election Day, driving voter turnout by handing out cell phone wallets stuffed with voter information guides.

On election night, they’ll cap off the year by hosting a first-of-its-kind concert called “Soundtrack to History,” presented by Magic Hat Brewing Company, at Brooklyn Bowl in New York City.

As the polls begin to close on Tuesday, Nov. 8th, and election returns are revealed on giant video screens throughout the venue, an all-star band called Everyone Orchestra will live jam to the election results. Everyone Orchestra’s Matt Butler will conduct the musical adventure with Steve Kimock, members of the Disco Biscuits (Marc Brownstein and Aron Magner), moe. (Vinnie Amico), Snarky Puppy (Jay Jennings and Chris Bullock), Big Gigantic (Jeremy Salken), Trey Anastasio Band (Natalie Cressman), Jans Ingber (formerly of The Motet), and Mihali Savoulidis of Twiddle. Additional special guests will be announced.
 
The festivities begin at 8PM. Tickets are $25 for general admission, $75 for VIP and $250 for Benefactor, and are on sale now  brooklynbowl.com.

www.HeadCount.org
https://www.facebook.com/HeadCountOrg
https://twitter.com/headcountorg

https://www.instagram.com/headcountorg/

Mon, 11/07/2016 - 7:09 am

Today, the non-partisan voter registration organization HeadCount announced it will provide a free, live webcast to “Soundtrack to History,” a first-of-its-kind Election Day concert where an all-star band jams live to the election results. Presented by Magic Hat Brewing Company, the festivities take place at New York’s Brooklyn Bowl on Tuesday evening, and will be streamed live on nugs.tv and Qello Concerts starting at 8:45 PM ET.

As the polls begin to close on Tuesday November 8th, the election results will appear on the giant video screens at Brooklyn Bowl. Then, shortly before the first key state results are announced, Everyone Orchestra and a slew of special guests will take the stage and begin to musically interpret the returns in real-time. They’ll use the election results and the mood of the crowd as a muse for improvisation, creating a night of truly historic music unlike any election viewing party in the country.

Tickets are $25 for general admission, $75 for VIP and $250 for Benefactor, and are on sale now at brooklynbowl.com.

The lineup for the evening includes a recently-announced appearance by keyboard virtuoso Marco Benevento. He’ll join an already stellar list of performers including Steve Kimock, members of the Disco Biscuits (Marc Brownstein and Aron Magner), moe. (Vinnie Amico), Snarky Puppy (Jay Jennings, Mike Maher, Justin Stanton and Chris Bullock), Big Gigantic (Jeremy Salken), Twiddle (Mihali Savoulidis), Trey Anastasio Band (Natalie Cressman), Jans Ingber (formerly of The Motet) and Karina Rykman (Marco Benevento Band). Everyone Orchestra’s Matt Butler will conduct the musical adventure.

Magic Hat also co-presented election themed concerts with HeadCount in 2008 and 2012, which included surprise guest appearances by Phil Lesh, Warren Haynes, and John Medeski.

This year’s event will mark the end of HeadCount’s record-breaking 2015-16 voter turnout campaign. Using social media and concerts as vehicles to reach Millennials, HeadCount registered more than 150,000 new voters for this election – a 40% increase compared with 2012 – and staged voter registration drives at more than 1,500 live music events.
 
The organization partnered with Pandora, MTV, Ben & Jerry’s, D’Angelico Guitars, Patagonia, Clean Energy Advisors and Billboard in various capacities this year, and was embedded on national tours by the Dixie Chicks, Dave Matthews Band, Warped Tour, Phish and Dead & Co.
 
Just last week, Rolling Stone covered HeadCount’s #GoVote campaign, which organized hundreds of musicians and celebrities to post photos on social media with the #GoVote hashtag. The campaign, featuring posts by Stephen Colbert, James Franco, Kings of Leon, Pearl Jam, Russell Simmons, Conan O’Brien, Zoe Kravitz, Chelsea Handler, and many others, directs voters to HeadCount.org for information on early voting, polling place locations and state ballot initiatives. View a selection of photos HERE.
 
www.HeadCount.org
https://www.facebook.com/HeadCountOrg
https://twitter.com/headcountorg
https://www.instagram.com/headcountorg

Fri, 11/18/2016 - 2:38 pm
Today, Electric Forest (EF) revealed the initial artist lineup for the seventh annual music and camping festival in Rothbury, Michigan. For the first time in the festival’s history, Electric Forest will span over two distinct weekends on June 22–June 25 and June 29–July 2, 2017. View the complete list of announced artists set to perform the First Weekend and Second Weekend HERE. 
 
In the spirit of Electric Forest’s commitment to building and nurturing community, the festival posted a “Call to Action” along with the initial EF17 artist lineup announcement.  In a post on the EF website, which can be viewed HERE, EF Producers are encouraging the EF community to LISTEN in the face of monumental change.  “Listen to new ideas, listen to
difference, listen to the creative, listen to those in the margins, and listen to expression from music.”  The freedom and acceptance that the Electric Forest experience has come to be known for is more important now than ever before.  At EF17, the Forest Family will continue to seek a revolution of spirit. “Together, we aim for a truly epic experience.  A celebration of purpose to match these historic times.”

For the 7th year in a row, Electric Forest welcomes back fan favorite The String Cheese Incident, performing 2 shows each weekend with a very special SCI Sound Lab Live Experience on the First Weekend and EF’s famed SCI Saturday Night Shebang hosted on the Second Weekend. Also topping the bill on both weekends – Bassnectar, Big Gigantic, and Claude VonStroke. Heavyweights ODESZA, Above & Beyond, My Morning Jacket, and Nero (Live) will perform exclusively on the First Weekend. DJ Snake, RL Grime, and Thievery Corporation will appear only on the Second Weekend. Many more artists, including additional headliners, are still to be announced.
 
Other acts announced today include: Snakehips, Pendulum (DJ Set), TroyBoi, Viceroy, and AC Slater on the First Weekend.  Cashmere Cat, Sub Focus, GTA, Alison Wonderland and Mick Jenkins on the Second Weekend. 
 
12th Planet, Jai Wolf, Lettuce, The Floozies, The Infamous Stringdusters, and Waka Flocka Flame  are among additional artists who will be performing both weekends, many of them promising unique shows so that no two experiences are alike. Fans can expect to hear some of the acts unplugged, with unusual collaborations and sit-ins, performing special themed sets, and more.
 
Yoga with The Forest’s favorite instructor Hannah Muse returns, and new cardio dance opportunities with The Fitness Marshall will keep the Forest Family energized.
 
The first round of EF Curated Events were also announced today. Bassrush, Bird House, Foreign Family Collective, Her Forest, and Night Bass will host EF stages on the First Weekend. Bassrush returns for the Second Weekend, along with Crew Love, Future Classic, Hi-LO presents Heldeep, No Xcuses, and Turntablists.
 
The complete list of artists on Electric Forest’s 2017 Initial Lineup is as follows: (artists listed in alphabetical order)

First Weekend Initial Artist Lineup:
The String Cheese Incident
Bassnectar
ODESZA
My Morning Jacket
Above & Beyond
Big Gigantic
Nero (Live)
Lotus
Claude VonStroke
Oliver Heldens
A-Trak
12th Planet
AC Slater
Asadi
Autograf
Banks
Big Wild
Bob Moses
Brazilian Girls
Breakbot
Carmada
Con Brio
Corbu
Dixon's Violin
Donny McCaslin
Eden
Ekali
Eric Krasno Band
Fakear
FKJ
Francis and the Lights
Ganja White Night
Giraffage
Golf Clap
Illenium
Jacob Banks
Jai Wolf
Kaiydo
Khruangbin
Lettuce
Machinedrum
Matisyahu
Matoma
Minnesota
NoMBe
Opiuo
Ott
Papadosio
Pendulum DJ Set
Phutureprimitive
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong
Rezz
Snakehips
SNBRN
Spafford
Tauk
The Floozies
The Infamous Stringdusters
The London Souls
The Motet
theFatRat
Thunderthief
Trevor Hall
TroyBoi
Viceroy
Vince Staples
Waka Flocka Flame
Wave Racer
Whethan
Wingtip
Woolymammoth
Zomboy
Second Weekend Initial Artist Lineup:
The String Cheese Incident
Bassnectar
DJ Snake
Big Gigantic
RL Grime
Thievery Corporation
Lotus
Claude VonStroke
HI-LO
A-Trak
12th Planet
Alison Wonderland
Autograf
Big Wild
Bob Moses
Brazilian Girls
Breakbot
Carmada
Cashmere Cat
Con Brio
Croatia Squad
Darnell Williams
Dixon's Violin
EDX
Ekali
Eryn Allen Kane
Fakear
FKJ
Francis and the Lights
Ganja White Night
Giraffage
Golf Clap
GTA
Illenium
Jai Wolf
Khruangbin
Lettuce
Machinedrum
Matisyahu
Matoma
Mick Jenkins
Minnesota
Nick Monaco
NoMBe
Nora En Pure
Opiuo
Ott & The All-Seeing I
Papadosio
Phutureprimitive
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong
PillowTalk
Rezz
Roman Flügel
Shiba San
SNBRN
Soul Clap
Spafford
Sub Focus
Tauk
The Floozies
The Infamous Stringdusters
The London Souls
The Motet
theFatRat
Trevor Hall
Vince Staples
Waka Flocka Flame
Wave Racer
Whethan
Wolf + Lamb
Woolymammoth

 
EF will host The Silent Disco in Sherwood Forest both weekends. Many additional artists, special happenings, and EF Curated Events are still to be announced
 
Ticket Info:
Info on Wristband and Lodging Packages HERE.  
Loyalty Program On Sale begins November 29 at 12pm EST at www.electricforestfestival.com/tickets

Tue, 11/22/2016 - 10:16 am

Today, acclaimed New Orleans-based band Naughty Professor unveil the first single, “Stray,” from their upcoming 2017 album Identity. On “Stray,” the band collaborated with David Shaw of The Revivalists, who brought his soulful, signature vocals to the track. Check out the brand new video and first listen of Naughty Professor and David Shaw performing “Stray”:

Having established a penchant for creative restlessness and edgy experimentalism, “Stray” finds Naughty Professor’s songwriting craft honed and sharp, and Shaw’s soulful and dynamic vocals are a perfect pairing for the band’s flawless musicianship. “When Sam came to the band with the original musical idea for Stray, within the first few run-throughs, and after some reflection, we all agreed that Dave's voice was the perfect one to really bring this song to life,” says Naughty Professors’ John Culbreth (trumpet) of the collaboration. “Now that it's been recorded and produced, I must say, I think we were right.”

 Naughty Professor raises the stakes on its upcoming album release, Identity.  Where their prior releases showcased the group's knack for self-contained instrumentals, Identity finds the band teaming with a stellar assortment of more than a dozen cutting-edge collaborators, with Jurassic 5's Chali 2na, Ivan Neville, Benny Bloom, Mike Dillon, members of The Soul Rebels, and others lending vocal, instrumental and compositional contributions.  The result finds Naughty Professor expanding their music into exciting new territory.
 
Together since 2010, Naughty Professor’s adventurous recordings and horn-charged, high-energy live performances have earned them an enthusiastic fan base as well as widespread praise from their musical peers.  The ensemble's first three albums have won acclaim from fans and critics alike, and their diligent roadwork has established Naughty Professor as a beloved live act.  Weaving together complex, inventive compositions and loose, organic improvisation, Naughty Professor’s music honors their hometown's jazz,R&B and brass-band traditions, while their unique, signature sound contributes to New Orleans’ ever-unfolding musical legacy.
 
Naughty Professor will close out 2016 with one last tour run - starting December 1st in Ocala, FL and hitting seven southeast cities before wrapping up at The Buckhead Theatre in Atlanta, GA on December 30th. All currently confirmed tour dates are listed below. Stay tuned as Naughty Professor will soon announce their extensive touring plans for 2017 in support of Identity.
 

Naughty Professor is:
Ian Bowman, tenor saxophone
John Culbreth, trumpet
Bill Daniel, guitar
Nick Ellman, alto and baritone saxophones
Sam Shahin, drums
Noah Young, bass

 

Naughty Professor On Tour:

12/1/16

Pi On Broadway

Ocala, FL

12/2/16

Beachside Tavern

New Smyrna Beach, FL

12/3/16

Café DaVinci

Deland, FL

12/9/16

Varsity Theatre

Baton Rouge, LA

12/10/16

Maple Leaf

New Orleans, LA

12/29/16

Cox Capitol Theater

Macon, GA

12/30/16

Buckhead Theatre

Atlanta, GA

 
Tue, 11/22/2016 - 12:48 pm

Today, Slamgrass pioneers Leftover Salmon announce their Winter 2017 North American Tour. Kicking off in mid-January, the tour hits 17 cities across the country, including stops throughout the west coast and Rocky Mountains, including Winter WonderGrass Festival plays in Steamboat Springs, CO and Tahoe, CA, Chicago, Arizona, and more.  The complete list of Winter Tour dates is listed below.
 
Tickets for Leftover Salmon’s Winter Tour are available to purchase via fan presale today (11/22/16) at noon MST from www.leftoversalmon.com. General on-sale begins Friday, November 25th, 2016.
 
Also today, Leftover Salmon has shared their “’Tis The Salmon Season” playlist on Spotify, which features songs hand-picked by members of the band to help fans get in the Holiday spirit. Check it out here.
 
For the end of 2016, Leftover Salmon make their hometown return at Denver’s Fillmore Auditorium on November 26 with Los Lobos opening the night, and a special “Evening With” performance the night before at Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox. The band makes select appearances in December at Strings & Sol in Puerto Moreles, Mexico and are celebrating the New Year with two nights at Crystal Bay Casino in Nevada December 28 with Tea Leaf Green and December 29 with The Mother Hips, and at The Depot in Salt Lake City on December 31 (3 sets). The band’s famed weekend run at The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado returns again this Spring – from March 10-12, 2017 –  and sold out this past summer, in just minutes of being announced. 
 
About Leftover Salmon:
For the past quarter-century, Colorado’s Leftover Salmon has established itself as one of the great purveyors of Americana music, digging deep into the well that supplies its influences; rock ‘n’ roll, folk, bluegrass, Cajun, soul, zydeco, jazz and blues. During their twenty-five plus years as a band they have headlined shows and festivals from coast to coast, released ninealbums, and maintained a vibrant, relevant and influential voice in the music world.  The evolution of Leftover Salmon’s music is influenced by Leftover Salmon co-founders Drew Emmitt (mandolin/vocals) and Vince Herman‘s (guitar/singer) keen musical instincts, and follows a musical path that adheres to the deep tradition the duo started when they first formed the group along with deceased banjo player Mark Vann.  The addition of new band members over the years has nurtured an unmistakable evolution and freshness in Leftover Salmon’s sound, and has added an edge to the long-lasting power of the band’s music.  Fueled by the rhythm section of long time bassist Greg Garrison, drummer Alwyn Robinson, and Salmon’s newest member, keyboardist Erik Deustch, the band is currently enjoying a creative renaissance.  The front line trio of Emmitt, Herman and prodigious banjo player Andy Thorn are continually challenged and pushed in new directions as the band collectively searches for new spaces and sounds within their extensive catalog of songs.
 

To stay up to date on all Leftover Salmon news, visit www.leftoversalmon.com and the official FacebookTwitterand Instagram pages. 
 
The full list of currently confirmed Leftover Salmon tour dates are as follows:

11/25/16

Ophelia's Electric Soapbox

Denver, CO

11/26/16

Fillmore Auditorium w/ Los Lobos

Denver, CO

12/9 -13/16

Strings & Sol

Puerto Morelos, MX

12/28/16

Crystal Bay Club Casino w/ Tea Leaf Green

Crystal Bay, NV

12/28/16

Crystal Bay Club Casino w/ The Mother Hips

Crystal Bay, NV

12/31/16

The Depot - An Evening with Leftover Salmon ft. 3 Sets of Music. 

Salt Lake City, UT

1/12 -13/17

Humbrews w/ Absynth

Arcata, CA

1/14/17

The Fillmore w/ Dead Winter Carpenters

San Francisco, CA

1/16/17

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Chico, CA

2/3/17

Diamond Pub w/ Horseshoes and Hand Grenades

Louisville, KY

2/4/17

Park West w/ Horseshoes and Hand Grenades

Chicago, IL

2/5/17

City Winery Acoustic Brunch

Chicago, IL

2/16/17

Armory w/ World's Finest

Ashland, OR

2/17/17

Domino Room w/ World's Finest

Bend, OR

2/18/17

HiFi Music Hall w/ World's Finest

Eugene, OR

2/19/17

Wonder Ballroom w/ Support TBA

Portland, OR

2/23-24/17

WinterWonderGrass

Steamboat Springs, CO

3/2-4/17

Alyeska Resort at Sitzmark Bar & Grill

Girdwood, AK

3/10 - 12/17

The Stanley Hotel - SOLD OUT

Estes Park, CO

3/15-17/17

Sheridian Opera House

Telluride, CO

3/18/17

Skitown Breakdown at Crested Butte Mountain Resort

Crested Butte, CO

3/30/17

Marquee Theater

Phoenix, AZ

3/31/17

Saint Rocke

Hermosa Beach, CA

4/1/17

Belly Up Tavern

Solana Beach, CA

4/2/17

WinterWonderGrass

Tahoe, CA

7/28-29/17

FloydFest 17~Freedom

Floyd, VA

Fri, 12/02/2016 - 4:15 pm

Leftover Salmon is gearing up to ring in the New Year with two nights at Crystal Bay Casino in Nevada December 28 with Tea Leaf Green and December 29 with The Mother Hips, and at The Depot in Salt Lake City on December 31 (3 sets). Tickets are on sale now at www.leftoversalmon.com

Last week, Slamgrass pioneers Leftover Salmon announced their Winter 2017 North American Tour. Kicking off in mid-January, the tour hits 17 cities across the country, including stops throughout the west coast and Rocky Mountains, including Winter WonderGrass Festival plays in Steamboat Springs, CO and Tahoe, CA, Chicago, Arizona, and more.  The complete list of Winter Tour dates is listed below.

The band also shared their “’Tis The Salmon Season” playlist on Spotify, which features songs hand-picked by members of the band to help fans get in the Holiday spirit. Check it out here.

Leftover Salmon’s fall dates come on the heels of a very busy summer festival season for Colorado’s slamgrass pioneers, who recently appeared at Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Vancouver Folk Festival, Huck Finn Festival, and Floyd Fest, among others. The band’s famed weekend run at The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado returns again this Spring – from March 10-12, 2017 –  and sold out this past summer, in just minutes of being announced. 

The full list of currently confirmed Leftover Salmon tour dates is as follows:
 

12/9 -13/16

Strings & Sol

Puerto Morelos, MX

12/28/16

Crystal Bay Club Casino w/ Tea Leaf Green

Crystal Bay, NV

12/28/16

Crystal Bay Club Casino w/ The Mother Hips

Crystal Bay, NV

12/31/16

The Depot - An Evening with Leftover Salmon ft. 3 Sets of Music. 

Salt Lake City, UT

1/12 -13/17

Humbrews w/ Absynth

Arcata, CA

1/14/17

The Fillmore w/ Dead Winter Carpenters

San Francisco, CA

1/16/17

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Chico, CA

2/4/17

Park West w/ Horseshoes and Hand Grenades

Chicago, IL

2/5/17

City Winery Acoustic Brunch

Chicago, IL

2/16/17

Armory w/ World's Finest

Ashland, OR

2/17/17

Domino Room w/ World's Finest

Bend, OR

2/18/17

HiFi Music Hall w/ World's Finest

Eugene, OR

2/19/17

Wonder Ballroom w/ Support TBA

Portland, OR

2/23-24/17

WinterWonderGrass

Steamboat Springs, CO

3/2-4/17

Alyeska Resort at Sitzmark Bar & Grill

Girdwood, AK

3/10 - 12/17

The Stanley Hotel - SOLD OUT

Estes Park, CO

3/15-17/17

Sheridian Opera House

Telluride, CO

3/18/17

Skitown Breakdown at Crested Butte Mountain Resort

Crested Butte, CO

3/30/17

Marquee Theater

Phoenix, AZ

3/31/17

Saint Rocke

Hermosa Beach, CA

4/1/17

Belly Up Tavern

Solana Beach, CA

4/2/17

WinterWonderGrass

Tahoe, CA

7/28-29/17

FloydFest 17~Freedom

Floyd, VA

 
Sun, 01/01/2017 - 4:44 pm

SnowGlobe Music Festival returned this past weekend to California’s breathtaking Sierra Nevada Mountains to host the country’s largest outdoor New Year’s music festival. With 50 groundbreaking artists performing on multiple stages over 3 nights, the sold out 6th annual event hosted 60,000 attendees throughout the weekend.  The newly-expanded festival site at Bijou Park on Lake Tahoe Community College campus offered expanded gathering areas, unique art installations, Big Air ski and snowboard showcases between Main Stage sets, firework displays and more.

Chart-toppers The Chainsmokers, Australian sensation Flume, and trap heavy-hitter RL Grime kicked-off the 3-day festival on Thursday, December 29th. Dedicated SnowGlobe-ers packed the gates outside the festival, anticipating the start of a weekend full of music from their favorite artists to celebrate the start of a new year. On the revamped Sierra Stage, fans took in energetic and hyped sets from Lil Yachty, Snails, and Tyler Bennett, while the Igloo Tent bumped with performances from Sofi Tukker, Gavin Turek, LP Giobbi and others.

Day two of SnowGlobe 2016 brought another sunny, bluebird sky day, and highly-anticipated Main Stage sets from Major Lazer, Big Gigantic, and Lido.  SnowGlobe-ers who arrived early caught Joyzu opening the Sierra Stage, which stayed packed with fans all day. At Marian Hill’s set later that evening, special guest Lauren Jauregui of 5th Harmony joined them onstage to perform their hit single “Back To Me.” Big Wild closed the stage with an unforgettable and high energy performance.  Second Day highlights from the Igloo Tent included Justin Jay, Landis Lapace, and Masha.

By Saturday, December 31, revelers were ready to ring in the New Year in true SnowGlobe style. Rüfüs Du Sol, Baauer, and D.R.A.M. pumped-up the crowd at the Main Stage. Fans were treated to a special ‘Snow Session’ all-star jam featuring Emcees Del The Funky Homosapien, Andre Nickatina, Yukmouth, A-Plus, Rappin’ 4-Tay plus very special guests SJs AMP Live, Domino & DJ Aspect and hosted by Traxamillion. Poolside, Hotel Garuda, Bleep Bloop and Classixx kept the grooves going at the Sierra Stage and in the Igloo Tent. Acclaimed electronic duo ODESZA led SnowGlobe into the New Year with their stellar live set complete with a drumline, pyrotechnics and fireworks.

Welcome, 2017.

Mon, 01/02/2017 - 10:42 am

Today, Electric Forest (EF) announced additional headliners Flume and Dillon Francis will join the already stacked lineup for the seventh annual music and camping festival in Rothbury, Michigan. Expanding to two weekends for the first time in the festival’s history, Electric Forest 2017 will offer two musically distinct weekends on June 22–June 25 and June 29–July 2.
 
Flume joins artists DJ Snake, RL Grime, Thievery Corporation, Cashmere Cat, Sub Focus, GTA, Alison Wonderland, and Mick Jenkins who will all perform exclusively on the Second Weekend. 
 
Dillon Francis joins the list of artists who will perform both weekends of EF2017. The String Cheese Incident, Bassnectar, Big Gigantic, Claude VonStroke, 12th Planet, Jai Wolf, Lettuce, The Floozies, The Infamous Stringdusters, and Waka Flocka Flame will also perform both weekends, many of them promising unique shows so that no two experiences are alike. Fans can expect to hear some of the acts unplugged, with unusual collaborations and sit-ins, performing special themed sets, and more.
 
Artists performing exclusively on Weekend One are ODESZA, Above & Beyond, My Morning Jacket, Nero (Live), Snakehips, Pendulum (DJ Set), TroyBoi, Viceroy, and AC Slater, among others.
 
View the complete list of announced artists set to perform the First Weekend and Second Weekend HERE.
 
Tickets for Electric Forest 2017 are on sale now at www.electricforestfestival.com/tickets.
 
Electric Forest’s many GOOD LIFE VIP experiences - offering unrivaled amenities and perks including a variety of onsite lodging options ranging from camping, European tents, log cabins to resort-style hotel suites – are selling fast, with several Good Life Lodging Packages sold out for both weekends.  Information about Electric Forest’s Good Life VIP offerings available HERE.
 
To stay up to date on all Electric Forest news, please visit www.electricforestfestival.com and the official Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube pages.

Wed, 01/11/2017 - 2:00 pm

SnowGlobe Music Festival returned to California’s breathtaking Sierra Nevada Mountains over New Year’s Eve to host the country’s largest outdoor winter music festival. With 50 groundbreaking artists performing on multiple stages over 3 nights, the sold out 6th annual event hosted 60,000 attendees throughout the weekend. 
 
Acclaimed electronic duo ODESZA led SnowGlobe into the New Year with their stellar live set complete with a drum line, pyrotechnics and fireworks. Today, SnowGlobe and ODESZA release a video capturing the electrifying moment 2016 turned to 2017, with ODESZA leading the crowd in a countdown, set to their live performance of Hayden James - "Something About You" (ODESZA REMIX), and culminating in an epic fireworks show. Click here to watch the magic of the New Year unfold, SnowGlobe style. 
 
About SnowGlobe Music Festival:
 
SnowGlobe is the largest outdoor NYE music festival in the nation. Hosted in South Lake Tahoe in the heart of California’s breathtaking Sierra Nevada Mountains, the unique outdoor winter festival hosts over 50 world-class artists performing multiple stages over 3 nights, plus dynamic fireworks displays, live “Big Air” snowboard and skiing demos in between Main Stage sets, art installations and a newly-expanded site. 
 
With almost 9,000 acres of nearby skiing and snowboarding terrain available to SnowGlobe patrons, festival goers can hit the slopes by day and shows by night. In addition to official late night after parties, with the festival grounds located just three miles from Stateline, NV, gamers can take advantage of the five 24-hour casinos that Tahoe has to offer.
 
SnowGlobe 2016 featured headliners The Chainsmokers, Flume, Major Lazer, ODESZA, Rüfüs Du Sol, RL Grime, Lido, D.R.A.M. and many more. Combining the world's best live music with the world's best snow conditions, SnowGlobe is the ultimate winter getaway for music fans and adventure-seekers alike. 

Tue, 01/17/2017 - 10:51 am

Today, Bonanza Campout announces the first round of artists that will perform at the second annual festival, which returns to Utah’s scenic River’s Edge Resort in Heber City on June 23-25, 2017. The boutique music and camping festival launched last year to glowing reviews, and boasts a dynamic and diverse lineup of over 30 live acts, locally curated food and drinks, art installations, plentiful onsite activities including yoga and hiking, and more.
 
Returning with another must-see lineup, artists announced today include ODESZA, Ms. Lauryn Hill, NAS, Nick Murphy (formerly known as Chet Faker), Cut Copy, Kongos, Airborne Toxic Event,  Duke Dumont, Kongos, Mute Math, Method Man & Redman, Bob Moses, Cherub, D.R.A.M., LANY, EDEN, Jai Wolf, Big Wild, The Knocks, Wacka Flocka Flame, Slow Magic, Robert Delong,  and more! The complete first round artist announcement can be viewed HERE.  
 
Hailed in its inaugural year as “the Utah jam we’ve been waiting for” (SLUG Magazine) and for “ushering in a new era for Utah’s music festivals” (Daily Herald), Bonanza Campout is a national celebration of the state’s vibrant outdoor recreation scene and its music and arts communities. Nestled at the base of the Jordanelle Reservoir just North of Park City in Utah’s stunning Rocky Mountains, the “unforgettable” (Salt Lake Magazine) 3-day festival offers attendees the perfect combination of live music, outdoor activities, camping and entertainment, all hosted with undeniable Utah-style. Only a 40 minute drive from downtown Salt Lake City, Bonanza raises the bar on destination music festivals.
 
Bonanza General Admission 3-Day Passes start at only $150. Upgraded VIP Passes and a variety of camping packages, including onsite cabins, are also available.  Tickets and camping/lodging packages go on sale tomorrow, January 18 beginning at 10 am MST at www.bonanzacampout.com.
  
Connect with #BonanzaCampout at the official website, and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Thu, 01/19/2017 - 9:43 am

Today, iconoclastic New Orleans-based jazz-funk sextet Naughty Professor release their politically charged song “Darker Daze.” Released with an accompanying video, “Darker Daze” is the second single release from Naughty Professor’s forthcoming 2017 album Identity, and features a unique collaboration with legendary hip-hop artist Chali 2na (Jurassic 5) as well as a guest appearance by fellow New Orleans guitarist/vocalist Dexter Gilmore. Also released today, the first leg of Naughty Professor’s 2017 Winter and Spring Tour.

The message in the lyrics to “Darker Daze,” written and recorded by Naughty Professor and Chali 2na in March 2016, takes on new meaning and becomes more urgent as today America looks toward an uncertain future with this week’s presidential transition.  

Of the song, Naughty Professor’s Sam Shahin states, "’Darker Daze’ plays on an obvious double entendre that represents the confines placed on marginalized people throughout the history and development of organized government in the United States.” Sam continues, “As these confines became less physical and less embedded into the written law, the daze of these confines emanated into the systematic power structures and societal norms. Some say things have been uncovered recently, we say the daze has thickened to the point that even those with weak vision can’t help but feel it shrouding the move of every American."

Chali 2na adds, “’Darker Daze’ is a song that reflects the opinions, predictions, and fears of people who are against a Donald Trump led America. Basically, ‘Darker Daze’ is our way of saying, whether you like it or not, fasten your seat belts because there will be turbulence! The Naughty Professor family created the inspiration and the vessel to convey this concept and I am happy to have been a part of this collaboration.”

Today, Naughty Professor also announced their 2017 Winter Tour dates. Kicking off on January 27th at the Last Concert Café in Houston, TX, Naughty Professor will make 20 stops across the US -- including major cities such as Chicago, Washington DC, New York, Boston and others -- before wrapping with a hometown show in New Orleans, LA at Hogs for the Cause on March 31st, 2017. A complete list of Naughty Professor’s currently confirmed shows are listed below.

The band recently released the first single from Identity, “Stray,” featuring David Shaw of the Revivalists on vocals, to rave reviews. Offbeat noted “The Revivalists frontman’s smooth, soulful style is a great fit for Naughty Professor’s laid back energy,” while Live Music Daily praised “What we hear and see in this video is the longevity of New Orleans’ musicians producing music that touches the heart and soul and pulls at the emotions of the human heart.”

Naughty Professor raises the stakes on its new album Identity.  Where their prior four releases showcased the group's knack for self-contained instrumental experimentation, Identity finds the band teaming with a stellar assortment of more than a dozen cutting-edge collaborators. In addition to Chali 2na and David Shaw - Ivan Neville, Benny Bloom, Mike Dillon, members of The Soul Rebels, and others lend vocal, instrumental and compositional contributions to the songs on Identity.  The result finds Naughty Professor expanding their music into exciting new territory.

Fri, 01/20/2017 - 9:54 am

Today, Denver’s alternative hip-hop band Flobots release protest song “Pray” (Extended) from their forthcoming new album, NOENEMIES. “Pray,” written and recorded in early 2016 prior to the country’s recent presidential election, is a call to action to address head on the toxic legacy of racism and division in the United States.

“Pray” (Extended) is available for download at all digital service providers.

Lyrics HERE

To deepen the conversations provoked by “Pray” (Extended), Flobots will host a Facebook Live Q&A on January 30th at 7 PM MST. Click here to RSVP and submit questions for the band. 

Drawing inspiration from a traditional southern style of group singing called Sacred Harp, “Pray” imagines a community recoiling in horror from its own participation in racism and singing out in collective repentance. It is a call to action – an invitation for today’s communities to grapple with racism together to move toward shared liberation.

"Pray," samples an Alan Lomax recording of the Sacred Harp song “Antioch”. After recording the song in the studio, Flobots then recruited a local Denver Sacred Harp group to sing re-imagined lyrics of “Antioch” as an introduction to the extended version of “Pray.” 

“When I first heard Antioch, it felt like an exorcism…” says Jonny 5. “Digging deeper, we realized that the entire culture of Sacred Harp singing fully embodies the spirit that has fueled the direction of our new music.  Songs of power. Songs that celebrate community. Songs meant to designed to be experienced, not performed. Songs meant to be sung out with strength”.

Indeed, each track on NOENEMIES is a unique, present-day protest song.  Of all of them, “Pray” is perhaps the most unyielding protest - because of the harsh and heartbreaking truth of its lyrics, and because of the self-reflection it demands of us if we are listening. “Right now we need music that provokes and challenges us,” says Flobots’ Brer Rabbit. “When the stakes are most high, it takes provocation for us to do the right thing.  Without it we stay comfortable and silent.” On NOENEMIES, to be release in Spring 2017, Flobots are not speaking their minds, they are singing them.

In celebration of the release of NOENEMIES, Flobots and Denver’s Wonderbound dance company will partner for a unique live performance collaboration - Divisions.  Set to Flobots performing live renditions of songs from NOENEMIESDivisions promises an intimate first encounter with Flobots’ brand new music, and an immersive exploration of the power of collective movement. See the complete Divisions performance schedule at wonderbound.com.

Fri, 01/20/2017 - 11:54 am

Mipso brings their distinctive and stirring indie folk sound, which recently landed them on Rolling Stone’s list of favorite bands at DelFest 2016, to The Gold Room in Colorado Springs on March 2, The Bluebird in Denver on March 3, and The Caribou Room in Nederland on March 4, all shows with Colorado-grown innovative folk band Gipsy Moon. Touring with a drummer of the first time ever, fans can expect to hear favorites with this expanded instrumentation, plus early listens to new songs from their studio album scheduled for release in spring 2017. Album release details will be announced soon.

Mipso premiered the official video for “Bad Penny,” off of their current album Old Time Reverie via Facebook. The album, which was released last fall, is now available for fans to purchase on 180-gram vinyl. Watch the video HERE and check out the vinyl HERE.

About Mipso:

Critically acclaimed Indie Americana band Mipso continue expanding their sonic resources while doubling down on their experimentation with string band tradition. Dubbed “traditionalist renegades,” Mipso’s music is influenced by the contradiction of their progressive home of Chapel Hill, North Carolina and the surrounding rural southern landscapes.

Mipso’s third album release follows up 2015’s Old Time Reverie. Old Time Reverie shot up the Billboard charts, where it landed at #1 on the Billboard Bluegrass Chart and in the Top 25 of the Billboard Heatseakers Chart. With songwriting hailed as “smartly written, hewing surprisingly close to gospel and folk while still sounding modern and secular” (Acoustic Guitar), the album was named among the “Best Records of the Year” by The Guardian - for the band’s “aptitude for stunning harmonies” and for its “lush and moving songs.”

Mipso is: Jacob Sharp (mandolin, vocals), Wood Robinson (bass, vocals), Joseph Terrell (guitar, vocals), Libby Rodenbough (fiddle, vocals)

Mipso's currently confirmed tour dates are as follows:

2/2

Legends at Appalachian State

Boone, NC

2/3

Harvester Performance Center

Rocky Mount, VA

2/4

Lee St. Theatre

Salisbury, NC

3/2

Gold Room w/ Gipsy Moon

Colorado Springs, CO

3/3

The Bluebird w/ Gipsy Moon

Denver, CO

3/4

The Caribou Room w/ Gipsy Moon

Nederland, CO

4/29-30

Merlefest

Wilkesboro, NC

Thu, 01/26/2017 - 12:20 pm

In response to news of a potential executive order by President Trump on Refugee policy, Project Worthmore, Members of Flobots and NOENEMIES project, Coalition for an Inclusive Colorado, and many more organizations who help serve the refugee community are calling on Colorado residents to attend a rally across from the capitol at noon on Thursday, January 26th in order to affirm our support for the refugee community as our friends, neighbors, and family.

The rally will be held at Colorado Veterans Memorial Park from 12pm until 2pm and will feature, testimonials from refugees affected by the potential changes, words from faith leaders, elected officials and others, and collective songs led by members of Flobots.

Others who will be speaking or involved in the rally are Bibi Nafisah Arman whose was supposed to be reunited with her son from Afghanistan, Syrian-American Obeid Kaifo from the Shish Kabob Grill, international spoken word champion Amal Kassir, Nadeen Ibrahim from Colorado Muslim Connection and student on Auraria’s campus, Iman Jedoh of Meet the Middle East, Sudanese refugee Karak Mayik Denyok, and more.

The rally will provide the larger community with an opportunity to plug into organizations that serve refugees in order to deepen mutual understanding.

There will also be an opportunity to visit Sen. Bennet & Gardner’s office after the rally concludes.

More information please visit the Facebook Events:
Morning action: https://www.facebook.com/events/236238910162215/
Official event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1884237798473947/

UPDATE: There have been threats received this morning at The Mango House, a building on East Colfax that houses organizations & non-profits that work directly with refugees.  Notes in the parking lot and stairwell read “Were gonna blow up all of you refugees.”  The notes were thought to be left between 8:10 & 8:50am this morning, following this morning’s collective sign holding actions on street corners.  Police have responded to the scene and there seems to be no immediate threat.

There will be people at the rally who will respond to these threats and offer the public thoughts on how to help make these refugee and communities feel safe.

Tue, 01/31/2017 - 12:15 pm

The CITYPAK Project, a charitable initiative that provides specially designed backpacks to empower the homeless, will distribute CITYPAK backpacks to those in need at five upcoming events in Los Angeles. Beginning Tuesday, February 14th – Valentine’s Day – distributions will take place at shelters and community centers throughout the city that serve the homeless, including at-risk homeless youth and the LGBT community.

Founded by Chicago philanthropist and co-founder of music booking agency Monterey International Ron Kaplan, CITYPAK was created to give those in need a way to carry on.  Designed in partnership with outdoor gear manufacturer High Sierra, the custom backpacks provide a secure place for displaced citizens to hold their belongings, and feature a spacious main compartment for a large amount of items, a hide-away poncho designed to keep both the bag and its wearer dry, a ballistic nylon outer shell strong enough to combat the elements, a synch-top closure for extra waterproofing and anti-theft looping.

“Giving away backpacks isn’t the solution to the complex issue of homelessness facing our country,” Kaplan Says, “but it’s something we can do to make a small difference for people in this difficult situation.”

The CITYPAK Project distributed more 11,000 PAKs in 2016, with outreach in cities including Chicago, San Francisco, New York, St. Louis, New Orleans, Indianapolis, Vancouver, and many others. Working with local partners in each city, the CITYPAK Project has distributed over 36,000 PAKs in 86 cities since the organization’s inception in 2012 and has been recognized by media including Inc. Magazine, CNN “New Day,” MSNBC, San Francisco Chronicle, Toronto Star, and the Chicago Tribune.

Los Angeles Distribution Event Details:

Tuesday, February 14th
1:00pm - My Friend’s Place 5850 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles 90028
 
Wednesday, February 15th
1:30pm - Safe Place for Youth 2469 Lincoln Blvd, Venice 90291
4:30pm - Covenant House California 1325 N. Western Avenue, Hollywood 90027
 
Thursday, February 16th
11:00am - LGBT Youth Center on Highland 1220 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles 90038 
 
Monday, February 20th
TBA - The Center at Blessed Sacrament 6636 Selma Avenue, Hollywood 90028

The public can donate at www.citypak.org to provide a CITYPAK to a neighbor in need.

Thu, 02/02/2017 - 1:45 pm

Last month, Slamgrass pioneers Leftover Salmon announced their Winter 2017 North American Tour. Kicking off in mid-January, the tour hits 17 cities across the country, including stops throughout the west coast and Rocky Mountains, including Winter WonderGrass Festival plays in Steamboat Springs, CO and Tahoe, CA, Chicago, Arizona, and more.  The complete list of Winter Tour dates is listed below.

The band also shared their “’Tis The Salmon Season” playlist on Spotify, which features songs hand-picked by members of the band to help fans get in the Holiday spirit. Check it out here.

Leftover Salmon’s fall dates come on the heels of a very busy summer festival season for Colorado’s slamgrass pioneers, who recently appeared at Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Vancouver Folk Festival, Huck Finn Festival, and Floyd Fest, among others. The band’s famed weekend run at The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado returns again this Spring – from March 10-12, 2017 –  and sold out this past summer, in just minutes of being announced.

The full list of currently confirmed Leftover Salmon tour dates is as follows:

2/3

Bluebird

Bloomington, IN

2/4

Park West w/ Horseshoes and H...

Chicago, IL

2/5

City Winery SOLD OUT

Chicago, IL

2/16

Armory w/ World's Finest

Ashland, OR

2/17

Domino Room w/ World's Finest

Bend, OR

2/18

HiFi Music Hall w/ World's Finest

Eugene, OR

2/19

Wonder Ballroom w/ Locarno

Portland, OR

2/23

WinterWonderGrass

Steamboat Springs, CO

3/2 - 3/4

Sitzmark Bar & Grill

Girdwood, AK

3/6

Fox Theatre 25th Anniversary Show

Boulder, CO

3/10

The Stanley Hotel SOLD OUT

Estes Park, CO

3/15 - 3/17

Sheridan Opera House

Telluride, CO

3/18

Skitown Breakdown

Crested Butte, CO

3/30

Marquee Theatre

Tempe, AZ

3/31

Saint Rocke

Hermosa Beach, CA

4/1

Belly Up

Solana Beach, CA

4/2

WinterWonderGrass

Olympic Valley, CA

4/20

Wanee Festival

Live Oak, FL

5/20

The Rialto Theatre

Tucson, AZ

5/25

Cosmic Reunion

French Village, MO

5/25

DelFest

Cumberland, MD

7/14

Red Rocks Amphitheatre w/ Railroad Earth, Keller & The Keels

Morrison, CO

7/28

Floyd Fest

Floyd, VA

 
Sat, 02/04/2017 - 11:30 am

Leftover Salmon returns to The Stanley Hotel on March 10 - 12, 2017! This first class, intimate experience will include a full weekend of music, wining, dining and more.

This is the site of where Stephen King’s novel “The Shining” was inspired. The Stanley Hotel is nestled in hills of Estes Park at the base of the majestic Rocky Mountain National Park and just an hour away from Denver.

Estes Park, CO features magnificent mountain views, mountain lakes, a variety of wildlife, varied climates and environments—from wooded forests to mountain tundra—and easy access to backcountry trails. 

August 2nd, 2016: Tickets are SOLD OUT! - RSVP to the Facebook Event Here

TICKET RELEASE / VIP UPGRADES - We will be releasing a very limited amount of 3 day festival passes along with VIP upgrades on Saturday February 4th at 10am MST. - TICKETS & VIP UPGRADES HERE

VIP is an upgrade only. You must have a 3 day event pass for entrance to the event. VIP upgrades are available for each day of the event and include: Complementary Breckenridge Beer In The Balcony / VIP Viewing Area / VIP Restroom / Event laminate

We are pleased to announce the schedule for this years Stanley Hotel weekend!

We are excited to welcome Jeremy Garrett as our special guest this year! Also late night sets by Deadphish Orchestra and Sockeye. Gipsy Moon, the Sweet Lillies and more will be joining in on the fun too. Oh, and don’t forget about our ‘Mystery Matinee Set on Saturday’! 

We have added a fun theme to the Friday night called 'The Zombie Jamboree". We encourage you to dress as you favorite horror film character or any spooky attire. We will be offering face painting by professional make up artists. As usual, dress your best on Saturday night. The full schedule with all activities and music is below. We look forward to freakin' out with all of you in March at the Stanley!! 

Thu, 02/09/2017 - 9:18 am

ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival at Krannert Center is an internationally recognized, three-day event, deemed “one of the world’s most forward-thinking guitar festivals” by Fretboard Journal, that has emerged as a favorite destination for musicians and fans from around the world. Past ELLNORA festivals have featured artists such as Buddy Guy, Ani DiFranco, John Scofield, Jerry Douglas, Pepe Romero, John McLaughlin, Bill Frisell, Vernon Reid, Derek Trucks, Richard Thompson, Kaki King, Andy Summers, The National, Mark Stewart, Valerie June, Los Lobos, and the North Mississippi Allstars, among many others.

ELLNORA 2017 is the seventh incarnation of the biennial festival, which began life as the Wall to Wall Guitar Festival in 2005 on the campus of the University of Illinois in the micro-urban community of Champaign-Urbana. Krannert Center for the Performing Arts is North America’s premier university-based performing arts complex, presenting over 300 performances and events each year, specializing in diverse global artistry, classical music traditions, and the incubation of new work. The nearly round-the-clock festival provides an unparalleled multi-genre experience being emulated by other festivals and features performances from a diverse lineup of distinguished music makers.
 
ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival 2017 will take place Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, September 14, 15, and 16 in 2017. The festival schedule will be announced in late April with tickets on sale Saturday, July 15 at 10am at EllnoraGuitarFestival.com and KrannertCenter.com.

Fri, 02/10/2017 - 4:57 pm

This Tuesday February 14,th on Valentines Day at 9:00PM EST enjoy an exclusive Leftover Salmon video webcast taped live at Red Rocks in Morrison, CO on July 23, 2016. Brought to you by Streamstock 2017 in Facebook Messenger. You can download the Streamstock 2017 App for free right here. All you have to do is go to this Facebook page and hit the Use App button, or look up Streamstock 2017 in Facebook Messenger.

Streamstock 2017 provides relief through music and awareness. Musicians and bands such as Leftover Salmon give special performances to Streamstock 2017 and the app links the performance to the website of the cause or organization that the band has chosen. Leftover Salmon has chosen Yurok Tribe Klamath Salmon Restoration Fund.

Leftover Salmon from Red Rocks 7.23.16 will be sent out at 9:00PM EST but in the Streamstock 2017 app you can watch and re-watch whenever you want for free! Then starting next Tuesday, February 21st and every Tuesday thereafter Leftover Salmon will live stream on their own new updated website at http://www.leftoversalmon.com.

Streamstock 2017 wishes everyone a happy and loving Valentine’s Day and hopes all sisters and brothers join us for some killer Leftover Salmon!

For more information visit us on Facebook at Streamstock 2017 https://www.facebook.com/Streamstock2017

Get the Streamstock 2017 APP for free at http://m.me/streamstock2017

The full list of currently confirmed Leftover Salmon tour dates is as follows:
 

2/3 Bluebird Bloomington, IN
2/4 Park West w/ Horseshoes and H... Chicago, IL
2/5 City Winery SOLD OUT Chicago, IL
2/16 Armory w/ World's Finest Ashland, OR
2/17 Domino Room w/ World's Finest Bend, OR
2/18 HiFi Music Hall w/ World's Finest Eugene, OR
2/19 Wonder Ballroom w/ Locarno Portland, OR
2/23 WinterWonderGrass Steamboat Springs, CO
3/2 - 3/4 Sitzmark Bar & Grill Girdwood, AK
3/6 Fox Theatre 25th Anniversary Show Boulder, CO
3/10 The Stanley Hotel SOLD OUT Estes Park, CO
3/15 - 3/17 Sheridan Opera House Telluride, CO
3/18 Skitown Breakdown Crested Butte, CO
3/30 Marquee Theatre Tempe, AZ
3/31 Saint Rocke Hermosa Beach, CA
4/1 Belly Up Solana Beach, CA
4/2 WinterWonderGrass Olympic Valley, CA
4/20 Wanee Festival Live Oak, FL
5/20 The Rialto Theatre Tucson, AZ
5/25 Cosmic Reunion French Village, MO
5/25 DelFest Cumberland, MD
7/14 Red Rocks Amphitheatre w/ Railroad Earth, Keller & The Keels Morrison, CO
7/28 Floyd Fest Floyd, VA
Wed, 02/15/2017 - 3:18 pm

Today, acclaimed Chapel Hill quartet Mipso announces the release of their new studio album, Coming Down The Mountain (April 7th, 2017), and reveals the first half of dates along their Spring 2017 Album Release Tour.

For Coming Down The Mountain, Mipso venture further than ever from its string-band pedigree to discover a broader Americana where classic folk-rock and modern alt-country sounds mingle easily with Appalachian tradition. Adding drums and more electric instruments than ever to their intimate four-part harmonies and powerful acoustic meld, Mipso’s music is lush and forward moving, with lyrics that sear and salve in turn. It’s music that invites you in to stay a while. Look for the band touring in 2017 with this new, expanded instrumentation.
 
Coming Down The Mountain CD/Vinyl PreOrder and tickets to Mipso’s upcoming shows are available now at www.mipsomusic.com.
 
Coming Down The Mountain is the band’s fourth album release, and follows up their critically lauded Old Time Reverie (2015).  After a year and a half of intense touring following their 2015 release, Mipso returned to their home state to write and record. Huddling in a friend’s barn on land usually used for growing garlic and training dogs, they collected their ideas, shared influences, and discussed thoughts on what would eventually become Coming Down The Mountain. The album’s ten songs – all originals - finds Mipso exploring the ideas of our changing relationship to the idea of home, and about being pushed or pulled by forces bigger than us.  Produced by Brad Cook (Megafaun), and adding pedal steel, drums, banjo, and keyboards to the mix, the music on Coming Down The Mountain is full of wistful beauty, hopeful undercurrents, and panoramic soundscapes that impart intimacy.

Mipso return to the road this Spring and Summer in support of Coming Down The Mountain. The first phase of their Album Release Tour | Spring 2017 kicks off in St. Louis, with stops in Brooklyn, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and more. Prior to the Spring tour, Mipso is playing a run of Colorado shows kicking off March 2nd in Colorado Springs, and continuing on to Denver, Fort Collins, Nederland and Breckenridge. The band can also be seen at Merlefest this April and a special homecoming show in Raleigh, NC at North Carolina Museum of Art on May 6th, 2017. All announced dates can be found below and please stayed tuned for more dates to be announced soon.

Thu, 02/16/2017 - 5:19 pm

Today, Electric Forest (EF) announced over 95 additional artists to its lineup for the seventh annual music and camping festival in Rothbury, Michigan. For the first time ever, the beloved forest festival will expand to two distinct weekends in 2017, from June 22–June 25 and June 29–July 2, 2017.

Among the list of new artists announced today to perform both weekends of Electric Forest 2017 are The Revivalists, Snakehips, Haywyre, EOTO, DJ EZ, StéLOUSE, Tom Misch (DJ Set), and Bluegrass Generals featuring Chris Pandolfi, Andy Hall, Bill Nershi and Keith Moseley. They join The String Cheese Incident, Bassnectar, Big Gigantic, Dillon Francis, Claude VonStroke, 12th Planet, Jai Wolf, Lettuce, The Floozies, The Infamous Stringdusters, and more legendary artists who will also performing both the First and Second Weekend of EF2017.

Tycho, Breaking Biscuits, Maya Jane Coles, Kamasi Washington and Andy C join the roster of acts performing exclusively on the First Weekend of EF2017 – which also includes ODESZA, Above & Beyond, My Morning Jacket, Nero (Live), Pendulum (DJ Set), TroyBoi, Viceroy, and AC Slater, among others.

Conspirator, Nahko and Medicine for the People, Black Tiger Sex Machine, Break Science, Delta Heavy, Dr. Fresch, Oddisee & Good Company, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, River Tiber, and Kalya Scintilla & Eve Olution are also among artists announced today performing exclusively on the Second Weekend of EF2017.  They will join Flume, DJ Snake, RL Grime, Thievery Corporation, Cashmere Cat, Sub Focus, GTA, Alison Wonderland, Mick Jenkins and more.

A complete list of artist lineup additions included below, with a full list of artists performing at EF2017 is available HERE.

GA Tickets for the First Weekend of EF2017 are SOLD OUT, while VIP passes are still available. Both GA and VIP options are still available for the Second Weekend. Tickets for Electric Forest 2017 are on sale now at www.electricforestfestival.com/tickets.

In addition to Electric Forest’s incredible performance lineup, EF is known for offering “the ultimate festival experience.” From its carefully curated musical lineup, to the jaw-dropping Sherwood Forest, to the festival’s unprecedented participatory spirit via its “Plug In” program, to the site’s incomparable features and amenities - Electric Forest offers astonishing and unparalleled integration of music, art and community.

Electric Forest’s “Her Forest,” which launched last year as part of EF’s Plug In Program, is demonstrative of EF’s commitment toward creating a truly unique festival experience. Watch/embed EF’s just-release Her Forest Highlight Video HERE. The Her Forest program strives to nurture Connection, Inspiration, and Comfort within the EF community. Her Forest activities - including the Her Forest Women’s Camp, the Her Forest Artist Panel, and Her Forest Women’s Circles - are intended to help create the most supportive and empowering environment possible for festival attendees, especially for those who identify as female. New this year to the Her Forest program is a Her Forest Curated Event. The “stage–takeover” is now accepting submissions from dancers, musicians, and DJs from all over the world who would like to be considered to perform in a celebration of women and all they offer to art. Complete info on EF2017 Her Forest available HERE.

Tue, 02/21/2017 - 10:39 am

Today, Leftover Salmon announced the launch of a weekly audio stream – “The Leftover Salmon Show” – to air every Tuesday night at 7 PM MST via their website and Mixlr channel. Curated by Leftover Salmon’s archivist Chris Mrachek, each week the show will debut a selection of hand-picked live sets and songs - bringing listeners the best of Salmon, past and present. The show will also offer the unique opportunity for fans to ask questions and chat with Chris Mrachek each week. Stay tuned for special guests to join the chat during future episodes, including members of the band, LoS crew and those who have worked with the band to answer fan questions.

Kicking off the series on Tuesday, February 21st, “The Leftover Salmon Show” offers hand-picked tracks recorded between 1997-2000  and showcases a mix of classic Leftover Salmon jams alongside rarely played songs. The Leftover Salmon lineup in this episode features Drew Emmitt, Vince Herman, Tye North, Jeff Sipe and Mark Vann.

The schedule for the first four episodes is as follows:
 
Volume 1, 2/21/17 – Compilation of hand-picked tracks from 1997 - 2000
Volume 2, 2/28/17 – May 30th, 1999 from the Majestic Theater, Detroit, MI
Volume 3, 3/7/17 – July 27th, 2000 from Bear Tooth, Anchorage, AK (LoS First Show in Alaska!)
Volume 4, 3/14/17 – August 27,2011 from The River City Roots Festival, Missoula, MT
 
Fans can access the shows previous 4 episodes on demand at any time in the  “Show Reel” section at http://www.leftoversalmon.com/salmonstream

Fri, 03/03/2017 - 11:09 am
Today, acclaimed Chapel Hill quartet Mipso release the first single track from their new album Coming Down The Mountain, which is set for release on April 7, 2017.  The title track, “Coming Down the Mountain,” is available now on all digital service providers – listen to it here. Mipso recently announced the first half of dates along their upcoming Album Release Tour, with additional dates already added to that phase one announcement. The complete list of currently announced dates is included below, with phase two of the tour to be revealed soon.
 
For Coming Down The Mountain, Mipso venture further than ever from its string-band pedigree to discover a broader Americana where classic folk-rock and modern alt-country sounds mingle easily with Appalachian tradition. Adding drums and more electric instruments than ever to their intimate four-part harmonies and powerful acoustic meld, Mipso’s music is lush and forward moving, with lyrics that sear and salve in turn. It’s music that invites you in to stay a while. Look for the band touring in 2017 with this new, expanded instrumentation.
 
Coming Down The Mountain CD/Vinyl PreOrder and tickets to Mipso’s upcoming shows are available now at www.mipsomusic.com.
 
Coming Down The Mountain is the band’s fourth album release, and follows up their critically lauded Old Time Reverie (2015).  After a year and a half of intense touring following their 2015 release, Mipso returned to their home state to write and record. Huddling in a friend’s barn on land usually used for growing garlic and training dogs, they collected their ideas, shared influences, and discussed thoughts on what would eventually become Coming Down The Mountain. The album’s ten songs – all originals - finds Mipso exploring the ideas of our changing relationship to the idea of home, and about being pushed or pulled by forces bigger than us.  Produced by Brad Cook (Megafaun), and adding pedal steel, drums, banjo, and keyboards to the mix, the music on Coming Down The Mountain is full of wistful beauty, hopeful undercurrents, and panoramic soundscapes that impart intimacy.

Mipso return to the road this Spring and Summer in support of Coming Down The Mountain. The first phase of their Album Release Tour | Spring 2017 kicks off in St. Louis, with stops in Brooklyn, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and more. Prior to the Spring tour, Mipso is playing a run of Colorado shows kicking off March 2nd in Colorado Springs, and continuing on to Denver, Fort Collins, Nederland and Breckenridge. The band can also be seen at Merlefest this April and at a special homecoming show in Raleigh, NC at the North Carolina Museum of Art on May 6th, 2017. All announced dates can be found below and please stayed tuned for more dates to be announced soon.

Tue, 03/21/2017 - 12:33 pm

Acclaimed New Orleans-based band Naughty Professor recently announced the first leg of their winter and spring tour in support of their upcoming new album, Identity. Today, Naughty Professor reveal the addition of a mainstage performance (The Acura Stage) at New Orleans JazzFest on Friday, May 5, followed by a late night show at d.b.a. Naughty Professor welcomes Identity collaborators and special guests to join them at d.b.a. – including Chali 2na (Jurassic 5), Nate Werth (Snarky Puppy), members of The Soul Rebels, Cliff Hines, Sasha Masakowsi, Cole DeGenova, Dexter Gilmore, Jason Butler, Mykia Jovan and more TBA - for a hometown throwdown not to be missed.'

Naughty Professor’s d.b.a. show details are as follows:
Friday, May 5 - Late Night @ 2:00 AM
d.b.a.
Naughty Professor with Special Guests Chali 2na (Jurassic 5), Nate Werth (Snarky Puppy), members of The Soul Rebels, Cliff Hines, Sasha Masakowsi, Cole DeGenova, Dexter Gilmore, Jason Butler, Mykia Jovan and more TBA
618 Frenchmen St New Orleans, LA
Tickets $20 (very limited pre-sale tickets will be available soon) / Ages 21+

For more information, please contact 504-942-3731 or visit www.dbaneworleans.com

Currently on a spring North American tour, Naughty Professor can be seen in over 20 cities across the US -- bringing the band through major cities such as Chicago, Washington DC, New York, Boston and more-- before returning to New Orleans for JazzFest and the d.b.a. late night show on May 5.'

Naughty Professor has released two singles from Identity, including the politically charged track “Darker Daze” featuring legendary hip-hop artist Chali 2na (Jurassic 5) and fellow New Orleans musician Dexter Gilmore and acclaimed song “Stray” featuring David Shaw (The Revivalists) on vocals. Offbeat describes, “The Revivalists frontman’s smooth, soulful style is a great fit for Naughty Professor’s laid back energy,” while Live Music Daily praises, “What we hear and see in this video is the longevity of New Orleans’ musicians producing music that touches the heart and soul and pulls at the emotions of the human heart.”

Naughty Professor raises the stakes on its upcoming album release, Identity.  Where their prior releases showcased the group's knack for self-contained instrumentals, Identity finds the band teaming with a stellar assortment of more than a dozen cutting-edge collaborators, with Dave Shaw of the Revivalists, Ivan Neville, Benny Bloom, Mike Dillon, members of The Soul Rebels, and others lending vocal, instrumental and compositional contributions.  The result finds Naughty Professor expanding their music into exciting new territory.
 
About Naughty Professor:
 
Together since 2010, Naughty Professor’s adventurous recordings and horn-charged, high-energy live performances have earned them an enthusiastic fan base as well as widespread praise from their musical peers.  The ensemble's first three albums have won acclaim from fans and critics alike, and their diligent roadwork has established Naughty Professor as a beloved live act.  Weaving together complex, inventive compositions and loose, organic improvisation, Naughty Professor’s music honors their hometown's jazz, R&B and brass-band traditions, while their unique, signature sound contributes to New Orleans’ ever-unfolding musical legacy.
 
                                                                                                                         Naughty Professor Tour Dates

3/22

Gypsy Sally's w/ featured vocalist Cole Degenova | Supporting Pimps of Joytime

Washington, DC

3/23

American Beauty w/ featured vocalist Cole Degenova 

New York, NY

3/24

Thunder Road w/ featured vocalist Cole Degenova 

Somerville, MA

3/25

Nectar's w/ featured vocalist Cole Degenova 

Burlington, VT

3/26

The Capitol Theatre w/ The Revivalists 

Port Chester, NY

3/27

Bryac

Bridgeport, CT

3/28

The 8 x 10 w/ featured vocalist Sam Kuslan 

Baltimore, MD

3/29

James Street Gastropub w/ featured vocalist Sam Kuslan 

Pittsburgh, PA

3/30

Asheville Music Hall w/ featured vocalist Sam Kuslan, Stoop Kids 

Asheville, NC

3/31

Hogs for the Cause 2017 

New Orleans, LA

4/6

French Quarter Fest

New Orleans, LA

4/19

YLC Wednesdays at the Square w/ Big Sam's Funky Nation 

New Orleans, LA

4/27

Orpheum Theater w/ St. Paul and the Broken Bones

New Orleans, LA

5/5

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 

New Orleans, LA

5/5

d.b.a. w/ special guests Chali 2na, Nate Werth, & more

New Orleans, LA

5/7

Tipitina's w/ Dumpstaphunk, DJ Soul Sister 

New Orleans, LA

5/26 - 5/28

Summer Camp Music Festival 

Chillicothe, IL

 
Wed, 03/29/2017 - 11:03 am

Resuming its status as an annual event after several seasons as a biennial, the New York Guitar Festival returns in Spring 2017 with cross-cultural concert programming in celebration of works for guitar. This year the Festival expands its partnership with media sponsor WNYC, which will host a series of events, including the Opening Night concert by two-time Grammy-winning classical guitarist Sharon Isbin. 2017 also marks the second installation of NYGF Academy, offering a a full day of free workshops, master classes, and panel discussions on topics including instrument design and compositional trends. The New School will host all workshop activities in Kellen Auditorium at the Sheila C. Johnson Design Center. 

In addition to the iconic Isbin, the 2017 New York Guitar Festival welcomes slide guitar virtuoso Debashish Bhattacharya, making a rare visit to North America from his native India. Known as the inventor of Hindustani slide guitars, Bhattacharya bears the honorific title Pandit – meaning teacher, guru, or bard. It also befits one who attains a masterly level of performance, and in Bhattacharya’s achievement, the honor encompasses his successful adaptation of ragas from their original instrument, the sitar, to his own slide guitar work. Bhattacharya, who leads the non-profit School of Universal Music in Kolkata, will usher in the all-day Raga Marathon on May 19 at Brookfield Place Winter Garden beginning at eight o’clock that morning. The event lasts until midnight.

“One of the unique characteristics of Indian and South Asian music is the assignment of definite times of the day and night for performing Raga melodies,” explains New York Guitar Festival Co-Founder and Artistic Director David Spelman “It is believed that at certain hours in the spinning of the Earth, the Raga approaches the height of its melodic beauty and majestic splendor. There are some Ragas that are very attractive in the early hours of the mornings; others that enchant more toward dusk; and yet others reveal their fragrance only near the midnight hour. That’s how we’ve programmed this Marathon.” 

Other performers at this year’s Festival include sitarist Krishna Bhatt (featured in a trio with Gyan Riley and percussionist Dan Weiss); sarodist Anupam Shobhakar; jazz guitarist Julian Lage playing duets with indie-rock guitarist Margaret Glaspy; a pair of up-and-coming young classical guitarists who study with Sharon Isbin – Alberta Khoury and Tengyue Zhang, with additional performers and events still to be announced.

Silent Cinema returns to the New York Guitar Festival for the first time since 2013. During the Raga Marathon, guitarist Rez Abbasi leads a quartet performing the world premiere of a new live score to the 1929 silent film, A Throw of Dice: A Romance of Indiaas it’s projected onto the Winter Garden West Wall. Says Abbasi: “The writing, direction, cinematography, and character development in A Throw of Dice is as timeless as the multi-layered Indian adventure story it's based on.” The plot, a triangle between a young princess and two rival kings, stems from the Sanskrit epic Mahābhārata, a masterpiece of world literature held in the same esteem as the Greek tragedies or Shakespeare. 

Abbasi continues: “As a music composer for the film, I could not ask for anything more. The tapestry of emotions and visuals within has sparked musical ideas I would not have usually come up with. It has also instigated the formation of a new ensemble in which all four players play multiple instruments. The compositions and orchestration for this 75-minute film come through the sound-fabric created by electric and acoustic guitars, sitar-guitar, tenor and soprano saxophones, bansuri flute, cello, acoustic bass, Indian percussion, and a drum set.” 

“It is this elevation in inspiration that only a great work like A Throw of Dice can provide, and I am excited to share my new score for the screening via live performance,” Abbasi concludes.  

More events will be announced in the months ahead on the New York Guitar Festival website: http://www.newyorkguitarfestival.org

CONCERT SCHEDULE
OPENING NIGHT: 
Sharon Isbin & her Juilliard protégés
Presented by WNYC Radio
Thursday, May 18, 7 PM, WNYC Greene Space, 44 Charlton Street

Described as nothing less than a “high priestess” of her instrument and as a colorist on par with Monet, the classical guitarist Sharon Isbin has won two Grammy Awards, performed at The White House for the Obamas, and stars as the subject of the documentary Sharon Isbin: Troubadour. Her vast repertoire ranges from Ponce and Antonio Lauro to J.S. Bach and Vivaldi to Aaron Jay Kernis, Takemitsu, Gershwin, and Rodrigo. An advocate of new music for guitar, Isbin has premiered works by Tan Dun, John Corigliano, and Christopher Rouse, among other composers, written especially with her in mind. Isbin’s lyrical sound and prodigious versatility have created a niche all her own in the pantheon of guitarists. 

Although Sharon Isbin has performed at the NYGF’s “sister” festival, the Ellnora, 2017 marks her first appearance at the New York Guitar Festival. She will open the concert with a 45-minute set unaccompanied, and then welcome three other guitarists on-stage for a series of solos and duos. Isbin remarks, “I'm proud to present three of my outstanding Juilliard protégés: current students Alberta Khoury from Australia and international prize-winner Tengyue Zhang from China, as well as Colin Davin, now faculty at the Cleveland Institute of Music, who received his M.M. from Juilliard and served as my fellowship teaching assistant at the Aspen Music Festival."

Their music-making will be webcast live at wync.org.
 
Ragas: GUITAR MARATHON
Presented in collaboration with Arts Brookfield
Free admission
Friday, May 19, 8 AM to Midnight
Brookfield Place Winter Garden, 230 Vesey Street
Hosted by WNYC's John Schaefer. Curated by the New York Guitar Festival's Artistic Director David Spelman. 
Run of show:

8 AM – 9 AM
Morning Raga – Winter Garden Performance Circle
Performing: Debashish Bhattacharya 

Noon – 1 PM
Noon Raga – Winter Garden Performance Circle
Performing: Anupam Shobhakar

5 PM – 6 PM
Early Evening Raga – Winter Garden Performance Circle
Performing:
Gyan Riley, guitar
Krishna Bhatt, sitar
Dan Weiss, tabla

7 PM – 8 PM
Evening Raga – Winter Garden Performance Circle
Performing: Debashish Bhattacharya 

8:30 PM – 10 PM
WORLD PREMIERE: A Throw of Dice Silent Film with Live Music – Winter Garden West Wall
Performing: Rez Abassi Quartet

10:30 PM – Midnight
Performing:
DJ Rekha, with special multimedia guests. Guitarists featured earlier in the Marathon will sit in.

NEW YORK GUITAR FESTIVAL ACADEMY
A full day of free classes, workshops, and panel discussions

Saturday, May 20, 9 AM to 6 PM, The New School, Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Auditorium at the Sheila C. Johnson Design Center. 66 Fifth Avenue

In its second year, this new tradition brings together students, instrument makers, composers, audiophiles, discerning aficionados, and master soloists in convivial symposiums devoted to different aspects of performing, recording, writing for, and building guitars. The Academy will be co-curated by David Spelman and Ed Keller, the director of The New School's Center for Transformative Media. Among the programs this year, John Schaefer of WNYC will interview Festival artists Sharon Isbin and Debashish Bhattacharya.

Margaret Glaspy & Julian Lage
Presented by WNYC Radio
Thursday, May 25, 7 PM, WNYC Greene Space, 44 Charlton Street

The second of this year’s concerts presented in partnership with Festival media sponsor WNYC brings together a seemingly unlikely musical pair: Margaret Glaspy, an indie-rock singer-songwriter heavily influenced by Elliott Smith, and Julian Lage, a jazz guitarist steeped in the tradition of making vintage standards sound new. Yet Glaspy and Lage have the kind of rapport that transcends musical boundaries and notions of genre.

Her recent CD, Emotions and Math, received enthusiastic accolades for her perceptive lyrics and fuzzy guitar style; his newest recording, Arclight, features his trio of bassist Scott Colley and percussionist Kenny Wollesen. The versatile Lage often collaborates with Wilco’s Nels Cline and Chris Eldridge of The Punch Brothers.  

Glaspy and Lage’s evening of duets will be webcast live at wync.org.

Fri, 03/31/2017 - 12:48 pm

Today, Electric Forest (EF) announced details on its highly anticipated 2017 Curated Event Series. The seventh annual music and camping festival in Rothbury, Michigan expands to two distinct weekends in 2017, on June 22–June 25 and June 29–July 2, 2017.

Each year Electric Forest collaborates with fellow musical tastemakers from around the globe to take part in curating the lineup and vibe of a distinct stage each night. Creating unique musical experiences within the festival itself, Electric Forest will join forces with noteworthy partners BASSRUSH, THE BIRDHOUSE, Crew Love, Foreign Family Collective, Future Classic, Her Forest, HI-LO presents Heldeep, No Xcuses, Night Bass and Turntablists, delivering even more musical depth and diversity to Electric Forest’s already stellar lineup.  The complete schedule and details for EF’s 2017 Curated Event Seriesis included below.

The First Weekend of EF2017 is SOLD OUT.  GA Weekend Passes and VIP options for the Second Weekend are still available at www.electricforestfestival.com/tickets.

Electric Forest’s 2017 Curated Event Series details are as follows:
 
First Weekend
 
THE BIRDHOUSE
Featuring Claude VonStroke, Maya Jane Coles, Walker & Royce, Machinedrum, Jimmy Edgar, Sonny Fodera, Golf Clap
(Thursday, June 22 on Tripolee)
In addition to featuring select artists Claude VonStroke has taken under his wing, BIRDHOUSE stages boast contemporaries, friends and no shortage of surprise visitors. EF’sBIRHOUSE event at Tripolee will highlight VonStroke’s singular, specific vision for the brand; he works meticulously to bring his favorite music to fans in the exact way he envisions them listening to it, down to the very last feathered detail.

BASSRUSH
Featuring Nero (Live) Andy C, Zomboy, Crizzly, Pendulum DJ Set, Eptic, Liquid Stranger B2B Space Jesus, Trampa, Dimond Saints, Woolymammoth, Fury + MC Dino
(Friday, June 23 on Tripolee)
BASSRUSH returns to Electric Forest’s Tripolee Stage for the fourth year in a row to showcase a variety of bass music styles and artists. Since the '90s, Bassrush has evolved from its strictly drum & bass roots to include dubstep and other bass-oriented genres. The goal of Bassrush is to provide a platform to showcase bass music the way it should be experienced: with massive sound and full-scale production. 

Foreign Family Collective
Featuring Tycho, Troyboi, Jai Wolf, Big Wild, Fakear, Chet Porter
(Friday, June 23 on Sherwood Court)
ODESZA’s Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight personally curate their Foreign Family Collective project.   Always focusing on artistic originality and genuine expression rather than adhering to any one genre, Foreign Family Collective takes over Electric Forest’s Sherwood Court on Friday of the First Weekend.
 
Night Bass
Featuring AC Slater, Jack Beats, Chris Lake, Redlight, Ardalan, Shift K3Y, Sinden, Bot
(Friday, June 23 on Forest Stage)
Popular Los Angeles event series and record label Night Bass showcase groundbreaking artists at EF’s Forest Stage. Chief bass twister since themid zeroes, hyperactive genre-melting DJ and event promoter AC Slater is the main man behind Night Bass.
 
Her Forest
Featuring Lynx & The Servants of Song and Contest Winners To Be Announced
(Friday, June 23 on The Observatory)
Electric Forest’s Her Forest takes over The Observatory! This very special Curated Event is a celebration of all that the feminine offers to art. In addition to Lynx and The Servants of Song, the Her Forest Curated Event will feature the Her Forest Curated Event Contest winners of diverse talents - dancers, musicians, DJs, and more! Look for a special appearance from EF2017 Monarch Rachel at this Curated Event.
 
Second Weekend
 
HI-LO presents Heldeep
Featuring HI-LO, Shiba San, SNBRN B2B Dr. Fresch, Chris Lake, Wax Motif, Brohug, Afsheen
(Thursday, June 29 on Tripolee)
Dutch talent Oliver Heldens bring his side project, HI-LO, and a handful of underground House and bass driven artists under his Heldeep Records moniker for one epic evening on Electric Forest’sTripolee.
 
BASSRUSH
Featuring Dillon Francis, GTA, Alison Wonderland, Valentino Khan, 12th Planet, Sub Focus, Delta Heavy, FuntCase, SHADES, The Upbeats, ZEKE BEATS, Yheti
(Friday, June 30 on Tripolee)
BASSRUSH returns to Electric Forest’s Tripolee Stage for the fourth year in a row to showcase a variety of bass music styles and artists. Since the '90s, Bassrush has evolved from its strictly drum & bass roots to include dubstep and other bass-oriented genres. The goal of Bassrush is to provide a platform to showcase bass music the way it should be experienced: with massive sound and full-scale production. 
 
Turntablists
Featuring A-Trak, DJ EZ, 12th Planet, Shiba San, EPROM, ZEKE BEATS
(Friday, June 30 on Forest Stage)
Electronic music tastemaker, DJ hero and all-around cultural force A-Trak curates Turntablists, showcasing the best of #realdjing.  Catch Turntablists EF debut on the Forest Stage.
 
Future Classic
Featuring Bob Moses, Snakehips, Vince Staples, Wave Racer, Roman Flügel, Touch Sensitive, Future Classic DJs
(Friday, June 30 on Jubilee)
Australia-based music family Future Classic is known for throwing parties and for highly endorsing dancing. Having made their Electric Forest debut in 2015. this year Future Classic brings their groundbreaking sounds from around the world to EF’s Jubilee.
 
Crew Love
Featuring Soul Clap, Wolf + Lamb, PillowTalk, Nick Monaco, No Regular Play, Crew Love All Stars, Erno
(Saturday, July 1 on Forest Stage)

Every great artistic movement has been built around the inner ‘crew’—a tight-knit group of fellow creatives. Floating on a wave of unending passion and creative energy, Crew Love is a collaborative concept from Wolf + Lamb, Soul Clap Records, and Double Standard, three record labels known for their devotion to music that challenges the mind, moves the heart, and sways the hips. 
 
No Xcuses
Featuring EDX, Nora En Pure, Watermät, Croatia Squad
(Sunday, July 2 on Forest Stage)

No Xcuses, the radio brand of Italian native artist, producer, DJ and multi talent EDX, makes its Electric Forest Curated Event debut on the Forest Stage during the last night of the Second Weekend.

Full Lineup Details for Curated Events can be seen HERE.

To stay up to date on all Electric Forest news, please visit www.electricforestfestival.com and the official Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube pages.

Mon, 04/03/2017 - 10:04 am

Today, acclaimed Chapel Hill quartet Mipso release “Hurt So Good” from their upcoming new album, Coming Down The Mountain, out April 7, 2017. Available now on all digital service providers, Mipso also unveil the accompanying playful video for “Hurt So Good” – check it out here.

In addition, Mipso announce the second phase of their Spring 2017 Album Release Tour in support of the new album. The band is currently on the 35 date tour, which takes them across North America stopping in major cities such as Chicago, New York, Washington D.C., and many others before wrapping up at the end of May. Mipso can also be seen making their biggest headline play to date at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh on May 6, and along the festival circuit with stops at MerleFest, Forest Fest, Rooster Walk Festival and others this summer. The complete list of currently announced dates is included below.
 
Mipso recently released the first single track from their new album Coming Down The Mountain.  The title track, “Coming Down the Mountain,” is available now on all digital service providers – listen to it here. The song is running up the Americana Radio Chart with early support from over 25 stations. Along their Spring Album Release Tour, find Mipso at multiple radio stations for live in-studio performances, including The Current's Radio Heartland in Minneapolis, WCBE in Columbus, WAMU in Washington D.C., WEXT in Albany, WTJU in Charlottesville, on Knoxville’s WDVX “Blue Plate Special,” and others. Stay tuned to Mipso’s social channels for information on air dates and how to listen in.

For Coming Down The Mountain, Mipso venture further than ever from its string-band pedigree to discover a broader Americana where classic folk-rock and modern alt-country sounds mingle easily with Appalachian tradition. Adding drums and more electric instruments than ever to their intimate four-part harmonies and powerful acoustic meld, Mipso’s music is lush and forward moving, with lyrics that sear and salve in turn. It’s music that invites you in to stay a while. Look for the band touring in 2017 with this new, expanded instrumentation.
 
Coming Down The Mountain CD/Vinyl PreOrder and tickets to Mipso’s upcoming shows are available now at www.mipsomusic.com.
 
Coming Down The Mountain is the band’s fourth album release, and follows up their critically lauded Old Time Reverie (2015).  After a year and a half of intense touring following their 2015 release, Mipso returned to their home state to write and record. Huddling in a friend’s barn on land usually used for growing garlic and training dogs, they collected their ideas, shared influences, and discussed thoughts on what would eventually become Coming Down The Mountain. The album’s ten songs – all originals - finds Mipso exploring the ideas of our changing relationship to the idea of home, and about being pushed or pulled by forces bigger than us.  Produced by Brad Cook (Megafaun), and adding pedal steel, drums, banjo, and keyboards to the mix, the music on Coming Down The Mountain is full of wistful beauty, hopeful undercurrents, and panoramic soundscapes that impart intimacy. 
 
MIPSO ON TOUR:

3/29

Redstone Room

Davenport, IA

3/30

Gabe's w/ Goose Town

Iowa City, IA

3/31

Turf Club w/ Tyler Childers

St Paul, MN

4/1

Lincoln Hall w/ Tyler Childers

Chicago, IL

4/2

The Frequency w/ Kunika

Madison, WI

4/4

Otus Supply w/ Tyler Childers

Ferndale, MI

4/5

Woodlands Tavern

Columbus, OH

4/6

Hard Rock Café w/ Tyler Childers

Pittsburgh, PA

4/7

The Hamilton w/ Dan Mills

Washington, DC

4/8

Milkboy w/ Dan Mills

Philadelphia, PA

4/9

The Broadberry w/ Dan Mills

Richmond, VA

4/19

Music Hall of Williamsburg w/ 10 String Symphony

Brooklyn, NY

4/20

Columbus Theatre w/ 10 String Symphony

Providence, RI

4/21

One Longfellow Square w/ 10 String Symphony

Portland, ME

4/22

The Sinclair w/ 10 String Symphony

Cambridge, MA

4/23

Bearsville Theater

Woodstock, NY

4/24

Iron Horse Music Hall w/ Avi Jjacob

Northampton, MA

4/26

Stolz Room at The Avalon Theatre

Easton, MD

4/27

The Southern w/ Claire Hitchens

Charlottesville, VA

4/29 - 4/30

MerleFest

Wilkesboro, NC

5/6

North Carolina Museum of Art w/ River Whyless

Raleigh, NC

5/13

NC Brewers and Music Festival

Huntersville, NC

5/16

The 8X10

Baltimore, MD

5/18

Beachland Tavern

Columbus, OH

5/19

The Southgate House Revival

Newport, KY

5/21

The Bishop

Bloomington, IN

5/25

The Willow Tree

Johnson City, TN

5/26 - 5/28

Rooster Walk Festival

Martinsville, VA

6/3

Yadkin Arts Center

Yadkinville, NC

6/15 - 6/18

CBA's Fathers Day Bluegrass Festiival

Grass Valley, CA

6/22

Eddie's Attic (2 Shows)

Decatur, GA

8/26

The Blue Ridge Music Center

Galax, VA

9/9

Mountain Song Festival

Brevard, NC

 
Fri, 04/07/2017 - 11:35 am
Today, alternative hip-hop band Flobots’ release “Carousel,” the first single from their highly anticipated fourth album, NOENEMIES, which is set for release on May 5, 2017. Available now on all digital service providers, “Carousel” can be heard here. NOEMENIES can be preordered on all digital platforms now, and on CD and Vinyl at www.flobots.com

Flobots recently stopped by Colorado Public Radio to discuss the inspiration behind NOEMENIES with Ryan Warner of Colorado Matters, and to play new songs from the album for CPR’s Open Air. Discussing the idea of modern day protest music and the themes behind NOENEMIES, fans can listen to the interview with Ryan Warner here. The Flobots’ Open Air Session, debuting new music and songs from the DIVISIONS collaboration, will air today, May 5, at 12 noon MST. Listen to is at http://www.cpr.org/openair.
 
In celebration of the release of NOENEMIES, Flobots and Denver’s Wonderbound dance company will partner for a unique live performance collaboration, titled DIVISIONS.  Set to Flobots performing live renditions of songs from NOENEMIES, DIVISIONS promises an intimate first encounter with Flobots’ brand new music, and an immersive exploration of the power of collective movement. Of the collaboration, 5280 Magazine describes, “The rhythm of the Flobots’ new, original music, performed live by Jamie “Jonny 5” Laurie and Stephen “Brer Rabbit” Brackett, pounds through the dancers as they jump and spin across the stage with extraordinary power. Backed by six Flobots band members and three Spirit of Grace singers, Divisions is gritty, honest, and truly unforgettable."
 
DIVISIONS opens with three shows at Denver’s Performing Arts Complex at Pinnacle Charter School (1001 W. 84th Avenue) on April 14, 15 and 16, moves to the PACE Center (20000 Pikes Peak Avenue, Parker) on April 22 and 23, and then to the Newman Center for the Performing Arts (2344 East Iliff Avenue, Denver) on April 29 and 30.  Catch an exclusive sneak peak of DIVISIONS when Wonderbound hosts the show’s official DIVISIONS Teaser Episode on March 23 at the Wonderbound Studio (1075 Park Avenue West, Denver). Get complete DIVISIONS details and purchase tickets now at wonderbound.com.
 
NOENEMIES is, without question, Flobots’ most ambitious and sophisticated statement to date -  both lyrically and musically. Funded entirely by a Kickstarter campaign that garnered $31,000 over its goal, the music on NOENEMIES is undeniably Flobots music, but it’s also assuredly music made by artists who have matured and expanded their horizons.

Influenced by stories shared by Flobots’ friend and longtime mentor and Southern Freedom Movement historian and professor - the late Dr. Vincent Harding, and inspired by the band’s recent grassroots community work hosting workshops, classes and keynote speeches about using collective song to build social movements, NOENEMIES is a body of songs that speak to the urgency of the current moment.
 
Each of the tracks on NOENEMIES serves as a powerful, poignant new anthem, many packed with surprises both subtle and grand. Taken as a whole, the album is enormous in breadth, enveloping and electrically charged, befitting of the finely crafted, carefully chosen words. NOENEMIES virtually begs the listener to delve and to contemplate, to share and revel.
 
For the recording of NOENEMIES, Flobots’ core trio - emcee’s Brer Rabbit (Stephen Brackett) and Jonny 5 (Jamie Laurie) and drummer Kenny Ortiz -  enlisted the help of trusted musical friends to bring their vision of the album into reality. Musician/Producer Gabriel Otto worked intimately with the band to craft a distinct sonic landscape, recruiting a string section, horn players, and a gospel quintet to layer recurring motifs over the band’s signature grooves. They teamed up with founding Flobot Mackenzie Gault (viola) and longtime musical collaborator Serafin Sanchez (saxophone, keys) to co-write a number of songs. The band incorporated voices, melodies, and words from throughout their collaborations - both on and off stage - into the songs on NOENEMIES.
 
From the beginning, Flobots’ sound defied categorization. Weaving conscious hip-hop lyrics and classical viola solos over live instrumentation, their anthems captured attention from all directions. When Flobots first catapulted onto the global scene in 2008 with their platinum single ‘Handlebars’ from their first album release Fight With Tools, it was the fastest charting song debut by a new artist in 10 years. Released during the frenzy of that year’s election, the band’s call to envision “another America” resonated with a generation experiencing a sense of profound political and social awakening. In a span of months, Flobots went from playing at local clubs to selling out tours internationally, performing on late-night television, signing a major label record deal, and receiving constant rotation on alternative radio.
 
Now, a decade later and with three critically acclaimed albums under their belt, Flobots are still dedicated to creating and performing anthems for a better world. And in 2017, amidst a nation taking to the streets, for Flobots that means delivering a unique brand of protest songs. Enter NOENEMIES - bringing the songs back to the people.

Tue, 04/11/2017 - 4:45 pm

The Dignity Festival is a day of fitness and community to support Project Worthmore’s work with Colorado refugees and celebrate World Refugee Day. The event will include a 5k race, Family Fun Run, a live DJ yoga class, rice haul relay, kid’s activities, a community potluck & beer tent, and more.

The day is a community organized event to help raise funds for refugee Welcome Services and also serves as the culmination of Project Worthmore’s annual Dignity for Refugees campaign. Funds support programs including English and citizenship classes, the Yu Meh Food Share Program, a new refugee training farm at DeLaney Community Farm, and access to Community Navigators, among other things.
 
This event will take place at the beautiful DeLaney Community Farm in Aurora and kick off the harvest season on the farm. Project Worthmore has entered into a joint partnership with Denver Urban Gardens to create an all-refugee training farm starting this year.
 
The Dignity Festival is co-presented with Denver Presbyterian Church, and also supported and facilitated by several key community partners including Sound Off Colorado, Fitness In The City, and Orangetheory Fitness.
 
Event Details
Dignity Festival Saturday, June 17, 2017 7am - 1pm
DeLaney Community Farm 170 South Chambers Road Aurora, CO 80017
Early Registration through May 17th, 11:30 pm Early Entry price: $10 (kids), $25 (adults)
Full price registration begins May 17th, 11:30 pm |  $10 (kids), $35 (adults)
Registration is open now at projectworthmore.org/dignity/festival
Wed, 04/12/2017 - 7:56 am

Today, acclaimed New Orleans-based band Naughty Professor announce the release of their highly-anticipated new album, Identity, set for release on Friday, June 23, 2017 and reveal the first round dates for their upcoming West Coast tour this summer, with more to be announced soon.
 
Naughty Professor raises the stakes on its upcoming album release, Identity.  Where their prior releases showcased the group’s knack for self-contained instrumentals, Identity finds the band teaming with a stellar assortment of more than a dozen cutting-edge collaborators, with David Shaw of the Revivalists, Ivan Neville, Benny Bloom, Mike Dillon, members of The Soul Rebels, and others lending vocal, instrumental and compositional contributions. Additionally, Naughty Professor teamed up with Qmillion (Robert Glasper) to mix the record. The result finds Naughty Professor expanding their music into exciting new territory.
 
Named an “Artist You Should Know” by Relix Magazine, Naughty Professor have released two singles from Identity, including the politically charged track “Darker Daze” featuring legendary hip-hop artist Chali 2na (Jurassic 5) and fellow New Orleans musician Dexter Gilmore and acclaimed song “Stray” featuring David Shaw (The Revivalists) on vocals. Offbeat describes, “The Revivalists frontman’s smooth, soulful style is a great fit for Naughty Professor’s laid back energy,” while Live Music Daily praises, “What we hear and see in this video is the longevity of New Orleans’ musicians producing music that touches the heart and soul and pulls at the emotions of the human heart.”
 
Of their collaboration, and the timeliness of the “Darker Daze” message, Charli 2na notes, “’Darker Daze’ is a song that reflects the opinions, predictions, and fears of people who are against a Donald Trump led America. Basically, ‘Darker Daze’ is our way of saying, whether you like it or not, fasten your seat belts because there will be turbulence! The Naughty Professor family created the inspiration and the vessel to convey this concept and I am happy to have been a part of this collaboration.

Recently, Naughty Professor wrapped up the first leg of their winter and spring tour in support of Identity, which brought the band to over 20 cities across the US. Returning to New Orleans for a few hometown shows, Naughty Professor take the main stage (The Acura Stage) at New Orleans Jazz Fest on Friday, May 5th -- followed by a very special late night show at d.b.a.  Naughty Professor welcomes Identity collaborators and special guests to join them at d.b.a. including Chali 2na (Jurassic 5), Nate Werth (Snarky Puppy), members of The Soul Rebels, Cliff Hines, Sasha Masakowsi, Cole DeGenova and Dexter Gilmore - for a throwdown not to be missed. Details of the May 5th d.b.a. show can be found by visiting www.dbaneworleans.com.  Today, Naughty Professor reveal a ten-date tour through the American West, with shows in Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas and Utah. All confirmed dates are below with more to be announced soon.

Thu, 04/27/2017 - 9:15 am

On September 14, 15, and 16, 2017, a stunning display of the world’s most remarkable and significant guitarists will gather for the seventh installment of ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival, presented by Krannert Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Situated in a vibrant micro-urban setting, the internationally recognized, biennial event features “a prodigious array of the world’s most distinctive and influential guitarists” (Premier Guitar) from around the globe, including for 2017 artists rooted in Gran Canaria, Spain, Germany, Canada, Pakistan, Australia, and from throughout the United States.
 
ELLNORA is anything but your typical music festival. Krannert Center for the Performing Arts encompasses six unique, state-of-the-art performance spaces—both formal and informal—that make it particularly well suited to showcase the festival’s impressive range. This year’s incarnation of ELLNORA incorporates 14 ticketed events including performances by Jeff Tweedy, Janis Ian, Ronnie Baker Brooks Band, Vicente Amigo, Rez Abbasi Quartet, Ryley Walker, Kevin Breit, Julian Lage and Chris Eldridge, Lulo Reinhardt and Daniel Stelter, Jontavious Willis, and family favorite Recess Monkey, along with at least seven free shows featuring artists Germán López, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, Sierra Hull, Makana, and local musicians Jack Brighton and Andy Baylor.
 
For 2017, ELLNORA will feature guitarist Kevin Breit as an Ambassador Artist. Breit has dazzled Krannert Center crowds in previous ELLNORA festivals with his bands Sisters Euclid and FolkAlarm. He’s performed with Cassandra Wilson, Norah Jones, Rosanne Cash, k.d. lang, Natalie McMaster, and many others—picking up JUNO Awards, a National Jazz Award, a Gemini Award, and playing on albums that have collected 10 Grammy Awards. Lately, this “guitarist’s guitarist” has been delighting audiences with his mandolin chops, complemented by his masterful skills as a singer and band leader. Breit will perform in a special, late-evening, limited-ticket event called Spontaneous Combustion on ELLNORA’s opening night, Thursday, September 14 with several special guests to be announced. He will also perform with The Upper York Mandolin Quartet in a free show on Saturday, September 16 at 6pm and will help close out the festival on Saturday in the ELLNORA Last Call! concert.    
 
The $5 Opening Night Party on Thursday, September 14 will include sets of traditional blues from Illinois native James Jones, blistering blues-rock from Blues Music Award-winner Samantha Fish, and a surging funk sound from Soulive. The event will also be recognized as an official part of the University of Illinois’ sesquicentennial celebration.
 
ELLNORA, which bears the name of its venue’s visionary founder, Ellnora Krannert, provides a vital showcase for some of today’s most prominent female artists. In addition to folk guitar legend Janis Ian, smoldering blueswoman Samantha Fish, and the captivating young mandolinist Sierra Hull, female artists for 2017 also include Cary Ann Hearst of Shovels & Rope, guitarist-singer-songwriter (and Bonnie Raitt collaborator) Ruthie Foster, and the prodigious talent of Australian-born Alberta Khoury, who is a Juilliard School student under the tutelage of 2015 ELLNORA Artist-in-Residence Sharon Isbin.
 
Originally known as the Wall to Wall Guitar Festival before being rechristened ELLNORA in 2009, the event is organized by Krannert Center for the Performing Arts’ director, Mike Ross, and his staff in collaboration with curator and artistic advisor David Spelman, who is also founder/artistic director of the world-renowned New York Guitar Festival. In the years since its debut, ELLNORA has served as a model for other events in the United States and around the world.
 
View A Short Film: ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmyByay0y2c
 
2017 ELLNORA PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
(Descriptions available at EllnoraGuitarFestival.com and KrannertCenter.com)
 
TH SEP 14
6pm Opening Night Party
6:30pm James Jones Trio 
7:30pm Samantha Fish 
8:45pm Soulive
10:15pm Spontaneous Combustion with Kevin Breit and Special Guests
 
FR SEP 15
12pm Germán López
5pm Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
5:45pm Julian Lage and Chris Eldridge
7pm Lulo Reinhardt and Daniel Stelter
7:15pm Sierra Hull
8:15pm Jontavious Willis/Ruthie Foster
9:30pm Lulo Reinhardt and Daniel Stelter
9:45pm Shovels & Rope
11pm The Bringing It All Back Home Project: Classic Bob Dylan featuring Jack Brighton and Friends
 
SA SEP 16
ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival
10am Recess Monkey
11am Rez Abbasi Quartet Cine-Concert: A Throw of Dice
12:30pm Alberta Khoury/Los Angeles Guitar Quartet
1:15pm Ryley Walker
2:15pm Makana
3pm Vicente Amigo
4:45pm Janis Ian
6pm Kevin Breit and the Upper York Mandolin Quartet
6:15pm Alberta Khoury 
7:30pm Jeff Tweedy
9pm Ryley Walker
9:15pm Ronnie Baker Brooks Band
10:45pm ELLNORA Last Call! featuring Andy Baylor and the 217 All-Stars

 

Thu, 05/11/2017 - 9:50 am

Resuming its status as an annual event after several seasons as a biennial, the New York Guitar Festival returns in Spring 2017 with cross-cultural concert programming in celebration of works for guitar. This year the Festival expands its partnership with media sponsor WNYC, which will host a 4-week series of events at The Greene Space. Kicking off with the Opening Night concert on May 18th  by two-time Grammy-winning classical guitarist Sharon Isbin, the weekly series will follow every Thursday through June 8, 2017.
 
On Thursday, May 25th, NYGF’s Greene Space series features performances by a seemingly unlikely pair – indie-rock singer-songwriter Margaret Glaspy and jazz guitarist Julian Lage, performing both solo sets and as a collaboration. Thursday, June 1st welcomes Mark Ribot and Trixie Whitley, artists with differing approaches to the blues, who will also both perform solo sets followed by a collaboration performance. Closing up the series on June 8th at The Greene Space is a stellar lineup of solo sets from Sonic Youth founding member Lee Ranaldo, indie-darling Steve Gunn and Grammy Award-winning multi-instrumentalist Dom Flemons. Tickets for NYGF’s Greene Space series are available here.
 
2017 also marks the second installation of NYGF Academy, this year offering a panel discussion titled “The Ruts of Performance.” Guitarists Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn, Erika Anderson (EMA) and Ava Mendoza will share and explain their methods of moving past creative walls. The Panel wil be moderated by Fabi Reyna, founder and editor-in-chief of She Shreds Magazine.
 
The 2017 New York Guitar Festival welcomes slide guitar virtuoso Debashish Bhattacharya making a rare visit to North America from his native India. Known as the inventor of Hindustani slide guitars, Bhattacharya bears the honorific title Pandit – meaning teacher, guru, or bard. It also befits one who attains a masterly level of performance, and in Bhattacharya’s achievement, the honor encompasses his successful adaptation of ragas from their original instrument, the sitar, to his own slide guitar work. Bhattacharya, who leads the non-profit School of Universal Music in Kolkata, will usher in the all-day Raga Marathon on May 19 at Brookfield Place Winter Garden beginning at eight o’clock that morning. The event lasts until midnight.
 
“One of the unique characteristics of Indian and South Asian music is the assignment of definite times of the day and night for performing Raga melodies,” explains New York Guitar Festival Co-Founder and Artistic Director David Spelman. “It is believed that at certain hours in the spinning of the Earth, the Raga approaches the height of its melodic beauty and majestic splendor. There are some Ragas that are very attractive in the early hours of the mornings; others that enchant more toward dusk; and yet others reveal their fragrance only near the midnight hour. That’s how we’ve programmed this Marathon.”   
 
Other performers at this year’s Festival include sitarist Krishna Bhatt (featured in a trio with Gyan Riley and percussionist Dan Weiss); sarodist Anupam Shobhakar; and a pair of up-and-coming young classical guitarists who study with Sharon Isbin – Alberta Khoury and Tengyue Zhang, among others.
 
Silent Cinema returns to the New York Guitar Festival for the first time since 2013. During the Raga Marathon, guitarist Rez Abbasi leads a quartet performing the world premiere of a new live score to the 1929 silent film, A Throw of Dice: A Romance of Indiaas it’s projected onto the Winter Garden West Wall. Says Abbasi: “The writing, direction, cinematography, and character development in A Throw of Dice is as timeless as the multi-layered Indian adventure story it's based on.” The plot, a triangle between a young princess and two rival kings, stems from the Sanskrit epic Mahābhārata, a masterpiece of world literature held in the same esteem as the Greek tragedies or Shakespeare. 
 
Abbasi continues: “As a music composer for the film, I could not ask for anything more. The tapestry of emotions and visuals within has sparked musical ideas I would not have usually come up with. It has also instigated the formation of a new ensemble in which all four players play multiple instruments. The compositions and orchestration for this 75-minute film come through the sound-fabric created by electric and acoustic guitars, sitar-guitar, tenor and soprano saxophones, bansuri flute, cello, acoustic bass, Indian percussion, and a drum set.”
 
“It is this elevation in inspiration that only a great work like A Throw of Dice can provide, and I am excited to share my new score for the screening via live performance,” Abbasi concludes.  
 
View the complete 2017 New York Guitar Festival schedule here: http://www.newyorkguitarfestival.org

Mon, 05/22/2017 - 3:57 pm
Today, Electric Forest (EF) announced the lineup of performers confirmed to participate in the festival’s first ever “Her Forest” Curated Event for the seventh annual music and camping festival in Rothbury, Michigan, over two distinct weekends -  June 22–June 25 and June 29–July 2. The announcement marks a new offering by EF’s one-of-a-kind “Her Forest” program, the most comprehensive initiative of its kind at any music festival. Launched last year as a platform for the Electric Forest community to nurture a culture of connection and empowerment.  Watch a video about the Her Forest Program HERE.
 
Performers for the debut of EF’s Her Forest Curated Event, to be hosted during the First Weekend of EF2017, were selected from hundreds of fan submissions auditioning to be part of this unique celebration of women and all they offer to art. The winners are: solo female DJ/ producer and violinist Alfiya Glow, Indian dance duo The Dance of Anarkali, uplifting California pair Heartwurkz, female DJ M.O.B., unconventional dance and soundscape artist Frankie Taminal, and female singer/piano/looping talent Melody Monroe. Also performing the inaugural Her Forest Curated Event are Lynx & The Servants of Song and non-binary EF2017 Monarch Winner, Monarch Rachel & Their Royal Court Drag Show.  Learn more about the Her Forest Curated Event submission process and the winners HERE.

“It’s inspiring to be expanding Electric Forest’s Her Forest program to include a Curated Event,” says Alicia Karlin, Electric Forest Talent Buyer/Madison House Presents. “It allows us to host an even more diverse and unique lineup of performers at the festival. It’s important to us that Electric Forest continues to offer opportunities for new and distinct talent to share their art. Like all of The Forest’s participation opportunities – we call them “Plug-In” programs – this collaboration invites the community to participate in shaping the EF experience.”
 
Learn more about all Electric Forest’s Plug In participation programs HERE.
 
The idea to launch Electric Forest’s Her Forest Curated Event came in 2016 when the festival hosted a Women’s-themed panel discussion as part of its workshop series. Attendees, female artists – including Alana Rocklin (STS9), Dessa (Doomtree) and Miranda Zickler (Rabbit Wilde), and EF organizers Alicia Karlin (VP, Talent of Madison House Presents and EF Talent Buyer) and Nova Han (EF Art Director) participated in a conversation about what it means to be a woman in the Electric Forest community and in the music festival scene in general. “The inspiration it created, for both women and men, was palpable,” recalls EF Community Engagement Manager/Madison House Presents Lia Holland, who helped organize the panel.  “People walked away with more awareness, and with more appreciation and compassion for fellow EF attendees. The response to the panel showed us that expanding this conversation mattered to the Forest Family.” And so, Electric Forest’s Her Forest Curated Event was born.
 
The foundation of EF’s “Her Forest” initiative is based on three pillars: connection, inspiration and comfort. “Our first goal was to start a dialogue and to better understand what the EF community itself thought this program should and could to become,” says Electric Forest Co-Producer/Madison House Presents Founder Jeremy Stein.  “We knew the Forest Family could guide us in what this program should and could become,” says Stein. “It’s been an amazing collaborative process, and it’s still very much alive and evolving.  Thus far, we’ve learned that this program is about listening to each other, being compassionate, encouraging self-expression, and harnessing this spirit of community not just during the festival but also out in the world.”
 
In addition to the debut of the Her Forest Curated Event, EF2017 Her Forest offerings and activities include Women’s Group Camp, a Her Forest Artist Panel, a Meet & Greet with EF Production Women, and Her Forest Circles and Meetups.
 
EF’s Women’s Group Camp, hosted during the First Weekend and Second Weekend by seasoned festival-goer and author Edith Johnson, offers a collaborative space for female forest goers to connect and create with each other. Centrally located in EF’s GA campgrounds, the Women’s Group Camp is open to all those who identify as women and are seeking an enhanced experience by building community with other Forest Family women. More info on the Her Forest Group Camp HERE.
 
Each year, the Her Forest Artist Panel hosts a conversation featuring EF performers and production staff.  This year, during the Second Weekend of EF2017, female performers Savanna Buist & Katie Larson of The Accidentals and Bay Li, Kaya Nico, and Daisy Spencer of The Skins join Madison House Presents Director of Branding, Partnerships and Marketing Darcy Schneider and music festival writer Edith Johnson to discuss the topic of “Being an Ally.”  Moderated by Women’s Empowerment Advocate Kiki Frederico, the panel will dialogue about how we can support each other creatively, and nurture each other culturally. The Her Forest Artist Panel is open to all EF attendees.  More information on EF2017’s Her Forest Artist Panel theme and participants is available HERE.
 
Her Forest’s Meet & Greet with EF Production Women offers EF attendees to meet the many women who work behind the scenes to make Electric Forest happen. Hosted during the Second Weekend of EF2017, attendees are encouraged to come with questions, ideas, and stories to share.
 
Her Forest will also present Her Forest Circles and Meetups throughout EF’s First and Second Weekend.  Her Forest Circles – hosted as women’s only events except for the Closing Circle for all genders on the final evening of the Second Weekend – offer an opportunity for participants to connect more deeply with themselves, each other, and the meaning of their experience at Electric Forest via informal learning and games, story-sharing, and more. New in 2017 – the Her Forest Group Camp will curate a schedule of informal Meetups around the festival.
 
Read HERE for complete 2017 Her Forest event schedule and details.
 
The First Weekend of EF2017 is SOLD OUT. GA Weekend Passes and VIP options for the Second Weekend are still available at www.electricforestfestival.com/tickets.
 
To stay up to date on all Electric Forest news, please visit www.electricforestfestival.com and the official FacebookInstagramTwitter and YouTube pages.
Thu, 06/01/2017 - 3:23 pm

In support of their recently released new album, Coming Down The Mountain, Mipso announce additional tour dates to their current Summer 2017 Tour. Expanding to include dates on West Coast, including The Blue Note in Napa and Slim’s in San Francisco, Mipso have also added dates in the Southwest, bringing their praised live show to Eddie’s Attic in Decatur, GA, Gasa Gasa in New Orleans, Saturn in Birmingham, AL and more. All confirmed dates are listed below.
 
On April 7th, 2017, acclaimed Chapel Hill quartet Mipso released their highly anticipated new album, Coming Down The Mountain, to rave reviews.  It quickly shot up the Billboard album charts and debuted in the Top 5 of the Bluegrass Album Charts.  Of the record, No Depression states, “More songs like this and Mipso will corner the market in a new genre. Something like progressive-Americana or Roots-Progressive. What a way to pump life into a once hallowed music form – progressive rock.” Available now on all digital service providers, Coming Down The Mountain can also be purchased on CD or Vinyl at www.mipsomusic.com.
  
Watch/Embed the Video for “Hurt So Good” Here:

Mipso recently released the first single track from their new album Coming Down The Mountain. At radio, the title track “Coming Down the Mountain” continues to run up the Americana Radio Chart, sitting this week at #49. On radio’s Roots Music Report, Coming Down The Mountain shot up to # 3 on the Top 50 Country Album Chart and held the #1 on their Top 50 Americana Country Album Chart for two+ weeks. On the March Folk DJ chart, Mipso cracked the top ten on all three top 100 charts: #8 Album Chart, #9 song chart for "Coming Down The Mountain" and #9 Artist Chart.
 
Coming Down The Mountain is the band’s fourth album release, and follows up their critically lauded Old Time Reverie (2015).  After a year and a half of intense touring following their 2015 release, Mipso returned to their home state to write and record. Huddling in a friend’s barn on land usually used for growing garlic and training dogs, they collected their ideas, shared influences, and discussed thoughts on what would eventually become Coming Down The Mountain. The album’s ten songs – all originals - finds Mipso exploring the ideas of our changing relationship to the idea of home, and about being pushed or pulled by forces bigger than us.  Produced by Brad Cook (Megafaun), and adding pedal steel, drums, banjo, and keyboards to the mix, the music on Coming Down The Mountain is full of wistful beauty, hopeful undercurrents, and panoramic soundscapes that impart intimacy.

Mipso On Tour

6/3/17 Willingham Theater Yadkinville, NC
6/15/17 Blue Note – 2 Shows Napa, CA
6/16/17 Slim's San Francisco, CA
6/17 -6/18/17 CBA’s Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival Grass Valley, CA
6/22/17 Eddie's Attic – 2 Shows Decatur, GA
6/23/17 Saturn Birmingham, AL
6/24/17 Gasa Gasa New Orleans, LA
6/25/17 Continental Club Houston, TX
6/27/17 Cactus Cafe Austin, TX
6/28/17 Sam’s Burger Joint San Antonio, TX
6/29/17 Poor David's Pub Dallas, TX
6/30/17 VZD's Restaurant & Club Oklahoma City, OK
7/28/17 Music In The Mill Hickory, NC
8/26/17 Blue Ridge Music Center Galax, VA
9/9/17 Mountain Song Festival Brevard, NC
Thu, 06/01/2017 - 6:49 pm

Today, Electric Forest (EF) released the daily stage schedule, app and festival map for the seventh annual music and camping festival in Rothbury, Michigan June 22–June 25 and June 29–July 2, 2017. With the highly anticipated event just a few weeks away, fans can use the print-at-home schedule HERE or download the official Electric Forest App HERE for iPhone and HERE for Android to prepare for the 150+ bands performing over the festival’s two weekends. Fans can create their own custom schedules on the app to make sure they catch all of their favorite artists and are invited to explore the 2017 festival map, available HERE.

Electric Forest HQ also announced today that a limited number of tickets will be released for the sold out First Weekend - on sale beginning Wednesday, June 7 at 2pm EST, while supplies last.  Select Wristband and Lodging Packages (including GA and Good Life Wristbands) for the First Weekend of EF2017 will be available at face value. These wristbands are expected to sell out very quickly - keep an eye on the Electric Forest Facebook Page for more information.

For the 7th year in a row, Electric Forest welcomes back fan favorite The String Cheese Incident, performing two shows each weekend with a very special SCI Sound Lab Live Experience on the First Weekend and EF’s famed SCI Saturday Night Shebang hosted on the Second Weekend. Also topping the bill on both weekends are Bassnectar, Big Gigantic, and Claude VonStroke. Heavyweights ODESZA, Above & Beyond, My Morning Jacket, and Nero (Live) will perform exclusively on the First Weekend. FLUME, DJ Snake, RL Grime, and Thievery Corporation will appear only on the Second Weekend. The full lineups for both weekends can be found at electricforestfestival.com

Tue, 06/06/2017 - 6:08 pm
The Dignity Festival is a day of fitness and community to support Project Worthmore’s work with Colorado refugees and celebrate World Refugee Day. The event will include a 5k race, Family Fun Run, a live DJ yoga class, rice haul relay, kid’s activities, a community potluck & beer tent, and more.
 
The day is a community organized event to help raise funds for refugee Welcome Services and also serves as the culmination of Project Worthmore’s annual Dignity for Refugees campaign. Funds support programs including English and citizenship classes, the Yu Meh Food Share Program, a new refugee training farm at DeLaney Community Farm, and access to Community Navigators, among other things.
 
This event will take place at the beautiful DeLaney Community Farm in Aurora and kick off the harvest season on the farm. Project Worthmore has entered into a joint partnership with Denver Urban Gardens to create an all-refugee training farm starting this year.
 
The Dignity Festival is co-presented with Denver Presbyterian Church, and also supported and facilitated by several key community partners including Sound Off Colorado, Fitness In The City, and Orangetheory Fitness.
 
Event Details
Dignity Festival Saturday, June 17, 2017 7am - 1pm
DeLaney Community Farm 170 South Chambers Road Aurora, CO 80017
Early Registration through May 17th, 11:30 pm Early Entry price: $10 (kids), $25 (adults)
Full price registration begins May 17th, 11:30 pm |  $10 (kids), $35 (adults)
Registration is open now at projectworthmore.org/dignity/festival
 
About Project Worthmore
 
Project Worthmore works to restore worth to our refugee neighbors through the heart of our community. Every family we serve has a unique story, a steadfast courage, and a resilience to survive and rebuild their lives here in Colorado.
 
We provide programs that foster community, self-sufficiency and increase the quality of life among Denver-area refugees.

Started as a makeshift response to the unmet needs of our refugee neighbors in 2010, we have grown to offer a variety of programs and services including English language classes, citizenship classes, a community-run food access program, a refugee training farm, a five-chair dental clinic, and access to Community Navigators and Family Partners. Connect with us to learn more and become an active supporter of your refugee neighbors.

Thu, 06/22/2017 - 6:08 pm

On this opening day of Electric Forest 2017, we would like to welcome you to the 7th annual music and camping experience of a lifetime. We are so glad that you are here with us. As we step into this journey together, we’d like to highlight a few of Electric Forest’s community-spirited activations happening this weekend, including EF’s annual Roy Price Memorial Food Drive and EF’s Music In Schools Program. Also this year, we are celebrating the life of Forest Family member Wally Wojack.

RIP WALLY WOJACK

Our dear Forest Family member Wally Wojack passed on this past April. Please take a few moments to view this video, posted on EF Social Media platforms yesterday, in memory of Wally. This year a memorial incorporating the video has been constructed in Sherwood Forest; find it on the North Side of Wally Wojack Lane.  Electric Forest looks forward to creating a permanent installation for EF2018.

In 1952, Wolly Wojack purchased the 2300 acre horse ranch that is now the Double JJ.  For 65 years, he tended to the land, the animals and the community in and around the property.  He of course tended to, and attended, every Electric Forest. His cowboy hat framing his always-smiling face, and almost always on or at least near his favorite ATV.

Wally planted the seeds of Electric Forest, literally, when in 1955 he and a small group of fellow locals led an effort to repopulate an area of the Double JJ Ranch that had been devastated by harvesting.  They planted 6’ tall white pine seedlings that - now over 70 feet tall – today make up EF’s beloved Sherwood Forest.

RIP dear Wally.  Your spirit lives on with us, in so many ways.
 
EF2017 COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
 
Electric Forest is proud to call the Village of Rothbury and Grant Township, MI its home. For the past eight years, Electric Forest has been committed to giving back to the community we are so grateful to be part of.
 
ELECTRIC FOREST’S “ROY PRICE MEMORIAL FOOD DRIVE”
Since Electric Forest’s inception in 2011, the festival’s “Roy Price Memorial Food Drive” has donated over 76,000 pounds of food to local food banks and churches. Each year, Electric Forest’s annual Food Drive encourages patrons to donate non-perishable food items in exchange for a limited edition Electric Forest Food Drive Poster. The EF Food Drive was renamed the “Roy Price Memorial Food Drive” in 2012 to honor cherished Electric Forest neighbor and huge Food Drive supporter, the late Mr. Roy Price. Today, as the program continues to thrive and grow, Electric Forest Organizers remain ever grateful to Mr. Price, and to his wife Dolores, who continues his legacy as an invaluable Food Drive supporter. 
 
For the 7th consecutive year, Electric Forest is teaming up with not-for-profit Conscious Alliance to host The Roy Price Memorial Food Drive. For EF2017, fans who donate 20 non-perishable food items, or a suggested monetary donation, will receive a beautiful screen printed poster created by Christian Jaxtheimer of First Earth Apparel & Design. The poster is unique to the First Weekend and the Second Weekend of EF2017.  Together – they make a 2–panel poster.  View limited edition EF2017 Food Drive poster HERE.
 
Look for the Conscious Alliance booth by the festival’s Main Entrance near the Tripolee stage, and also inside the venue on vendor row near the Ranch Arena, to donate food and receive your poster. VIP patrons will have the opportunity to donate for their posters during early entry on Wednesday, June 21st and Wednesday, June 28th. For more information, click here.
 
ELECTRIC FOREST MUSIC IN SCHOOLS
Electric Forest is committed to supporting and expanding music education in the local Electric Forest communities with the Music In Schools program. Since inception, Music in Schools has donated over $51,000 to local school and not-for-profit music programs, including Shelby High School, Montague High School, Arts Council of White Lake and others. Money donated has been used by the schools to purchase new uniforms and instruments, to fund music teacher salaries and student competition trips and camps, and more.  Read about EF’s Music in Schools program HERE.
 
Be sure to keep an eye out for the Shelby High School Marching Band on Saturday afternoon -- marching onsite near the Jubilee and Hanger Stages!
 
We’ll continue to send you tips and highlights throughout the weekend.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out if there is anything we can help you with.
 
Welcome to Electric Forest 2017!

Thu, 07/06/2017 - 2:14 pm

The 7th annual Electric Forest (EF) festival wrapped its second of two magical weekends in the beautiful forest of Rothbury, Michigan, welcoming fans for an additional four days and nights of camping, live music, incredible art installations and the magic of the enchanted Sherwood Forest.

As gates opened on Thursday, June 29, Electric Forest welcomed back many returning fans from Weekend One as well as brand new festivalgoers who experienced the wonders of the world for the first time. Incredible performances from Thursday included headliners Big Gigantic plus performances by Papadosio, Jai Wolf, Big Wild, Cashmere Cat and EOTO. Kicking off the first EF2017 Curated Event of the Second Weekend was HI-LO Presents HELDEEP, with performances by HI-LO, Shiba San, a special B2B with SNBRN and Dr. Fresch, Chris Lake, Wax Motif, Brohug and Afsheen.

Eager fans flooded the infinite Sherwood Forest to explore EF’s many art installations -- including the epic Caravan Elephant centerpiece, Mechan9 Robot, this year’s Art Installation Sponsorship winners The Night Lily and Pisces Pool, the Book Nook and more.

As festival gates opened on Friday afternoon, the Bassrush Curated Event kicked off on the Tripolee stage with performances from GTA, Allison Wonderland, Valentino Khan, 12th Planet, Sub Focus, Delta Heavy, and others, including headliner Dillion Francis. The Future Classic Curated Event took over the Jubilee stage with dynamic performances from Bob Moses, Snakehips, Vince Staples and more. Meanwhile, the Turntablists Curated Event brought the Forest Stage alive with sets from Thriftworks, A-Trak, DJ EZ, Shiba San, EPROM and Zeke Beats. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band kicked off the first of their three shows of the weekend at The Hangar stage, where fans danced the night away to their classic New Orleans brass band grooves. Electric Forest’s reigning headliners The String Cheese Incident returned with three sets on Friday evening at the Ranch Arena, inviting Big Gigantic to join them for a special second set collaboration. Flume brought the festival to a fever pitch with his late-night headlining set.

By Saturday, the festival was alive withsunshine and the vibrant energy of the Forest Family. Beginning the day with yoga at the Tripolee stage, a nap in the many hammocks spread throughout the forest, or brunch at the Woodland Grill, EF’s pop-up restaurant, fans prepared for a day full of music, dancing and exploration. EF’s Her Forest program, which also hosted a Group Camp, Her Forest Circles, and a Her Forest Curated stage during Weekend 1, hosted an artist panel in Reincarnation Village in Sherwood Forest. The theme for this year’s panel was “Allies.” Panel speakers Savannah Bust & Katie Larson of The Accidentals, Bay Li, Kaya Nico & Daisy Spencer of The Skins, Darcy Schneider - Director of Branding, Partnerships and Marketing at Madison House Presents, and Edith Johnson, the Festival Girl led a lively, funny and touching discussion on the topic of being an Ally – and how we can support each other creatively, and nurture each other culturally. After the panel, Her Forest hosted a Meet & Greet with the Production Women of EF. Fans had the opportunity to meet the women who work behind the scenes to make Electric Forest happen – from Artist Hospitality to Catering to Security and everything in between.

As the sun set on the picture-perfect Michigan summer evening, The String Cheese Incident presented their infamous Saturday night shebang. An artistic extravaganza truly unlike anything else, the shebang did not disappoint. Delivering a poignant, politically and culturally relevant show, which followed the theme of “Lead with Love,” the shebang included spray-painting protesters on trampolines, a neon SWAT team turned drumline, a search helicopter that showered the crowd with heart confetti, and a flying Lady Justice.  Topped with a stunning fireworks display, the massive crowd unified in celebration of the show’s message - to resist oppression and overcome with love.

Wed, 07/12/2017 - 3:47 pm

Today, acclaimed New Orleans-based future funk collective Naughty Professor released the video for “I Can’t Sleep at Night,” off of their new album, Identity.  “I Can’t Sleep at Night,”  features fellow New Orleans musician Dexter Gilmore (Sexy Dex and the Fresh) delivering a powerful and expansive vocal performance as the focus of the track. The video release comes alongside the announcement of Naughty Professor’s fall tour dates, an extension of their Identity Tour, in which Dexter Gilmore will be joining the band on the road for select shows. All announced dates are below and tickets are available at www.naughtyprofessormusic.com.

Naughty Professor recently released their highly-anticipated new album, Identity, to praise from critics and fans alike. Within days of its release, Identity shot up the iTunes Jazz charts before settling at #6. Currently available on all digital service providers, Identity can also be purchased physically as a CD/DVD bundle, which includes in-studio footage of every track on the album, here.

Mixed by Grammy-Award winning producer Qmillion (Robert Glasper’s “Black Radio” Vol. 1 & 2), Naughty Professor raises the stakes on Identity.  Where their prior releases showcased the group's knack for self-contained instrumentals, Identity finds the band teaming with a stellar assortment of more than a dozen cutting-edge collaborators, including David Shaw of the Revivalists, Charli 2na of Jurassic 5, Ivan Neville, Benny Bloom, Mike Dillon, members of The Soul Rebels, and others lending vocal, instrumental and compositional contributions.  The result finds Naughty Professor expanding their music into exciting new territory.

Recently named an “On the Verge” artist by Relix Magazine, Naughty Professor has previously released three singles from Identity. First single “Stray” featuring David Shaw of The Revivalists on vocals, was praised by New Orleans’ Offbeat Magazine. Of the song, they stated, “The Revivalists frontman’s smooth, soulful style is a great fit for Naughty Professor’s laid back energy,” while Live Music Daily described, “What we hear and see in this video is the longevity of New Orleans’ musicians producing music that touches the heart and soul and pulls at the emotions of the human heart. With over a quarter-million streams on Spotify, fans can check out the in-studio video for “Stray” here. Also released is the politically charged hip-hop anthem “Darker Daze” featuring legendary vocalist Chali 2na (Jurassic 5) and Dexter Gilmore -- and most recently “Without a Trace” featuring Eric Benny Bloom of Lettuce.

Wed, 07/19/2017 - 1:17 pm

Currently on the road in support of their recently released new album, Coming Down The Mountain, Mipso are coming to Avon and Keystone, CO as part of their Summer 2017 Album Release tour. On April 7th, 2017, acclaimed Chapel Hill quartet Mipso released their highly anticipated new album, Coming Down The Mountain, to rave reviews. It quickly shot up the Billboard album charts and debuted in the Top 5 of the Bluegrass Album Charts. Of the record, No Depression states, “More songs like this and Mipso will corner the market in a new genre. Something like progressive-Americana or Roots-Progressive. What a way to pump life into a once hallowed music form – progressive rock.” Available now on all digital service providers, Coming Down The Mountain can also be purchased on CD or Vinyl at www.mipsomusic.com.

Mipso recently released the first single track from their new album Coming Down The Mountain. At radio, the title track “Coming Down the Mountain” continues to run up the Americana Radio Chart, sitting this week at #49. On radio’s Roots Music Report, Coming Down The Mountain shot up to # 3 on the Top 50 Country Album Chart and held the #1 on their Top 50 Americana Country Album Chart for two+ weeks. On the March Folk DJ chart, Mipso cracked the top ten on all three top 100 charts: #8 Album Chart, #9 song chart for "Coming Down The Mountain" and #9 Artist Chart.

Coming Down The Mountain is the band’s fourth album release, and follows up their critically lauded Old Time Reverie (2015).  After a year and a half of intense touring following their 2015 release, Mipso returned to their home state to write and record. Huddling in a friend’s barn on land usually used for growing garlic and training dogs, they collected their ideas, shared influences, and discussed thoughts on what would eventually become Coming Down The Mountain.

The album’s ten songs – all originals - finds Mipso exploring the ideas of our changing relationship to the idea of home, and about being pushed or pulled by forces bigger than us.  Produced by Brad Cook (Megafaun), and adding pedal steel, drums, banjo, and keyboards to the mix, the music on Coming Down The Mountain is full of wistful beauty, hopeful undercurrents, and panoramic soundscapes that impart intimacy.

Fri, 07/28/2017 - 11:59 am

Recently, acclaimed New Orleans-based future funk collective Naughty Professor released their highly-anticipated new album, Identity. Available now on all digital service providers, Identity can also be purchased physically as a CD/DVD bundle, which includes in-studio footage of every track on the album, here.

Mixed by Grammy-Award winning producer Qmillion (Robert Glasper’s “Black Radio” Vol. 1 & 2), Naughty Professor raises the stakes on Identity.  Where their prior releases showcased the group's knack for self-contained instrumentals, Identity finds the band teaming with a stellar assortment of more than a dozen cutting-edge collaborators, including David Shaw of the Revivalists, Charli 2na of Jurassic 5, Ivan Neville, Benny Bloom, Mike Dillon, members of The Soul Rebels, and others lending vocal, instrumental and compositional contributions.  The result finds Naughty Professor expanding their music into exciting new territory.

Recently named an “On the Verge” artist by Relix Magazine, Naughty Professor has previously released three singles from Identity. First single “Stray” featuring David Shaw of The Revivalists on vocals, was praised by New Orleans’ Offbeat Magazine. Of the song, they stated, “The Revivalists frontman’s smooth, soulful style is a great fit for Naughty Professor’s laid back energy,” while Live Music Daily described, “What we hear and see in this video is the longevity of New Orleans’ musicians producing music that touches the heart and soul and pulls at the emotions of the human heart. Also released is the politically charged anthem “Darker Daze” featuring legendary hip-hop vocalist Chali 2na (Jurassic 5) and fellow New Orleans musician Dexter Gilmore -- and most recently “Without a Trace” featuring Eric Benny Bloom of Lettuce.

Naughty Professor is about to embark on a comprehensive North American album release tour. Kicking off in Park City, UT on July 6th, Naughty Professor will hit over 30 cities across the country, including shows in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington. All confirmed dates are below with more to be announced soon.

Thursday, August 17  @ 8:00 PM (Doors @ 7:30 PM)
Fox Theatre
w/ Maceo Parker
1135 13th Street Boulder, CO
Tickets $25.00 ADV, $30.00 DOS / All Ages
For more information, please contact 303-443-3399 or visit www.foxtheatre.com

Friday, August 18 @ 9:00 PM (Doors @ 8:00 PM)
Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom
w/ JoJo's Slim Wednesday feat. John "JoJo" Hermann of Widespread Panic
2637 Welton Street Denver, CO
Tickets $20 ADV, $25 DOS / Ages 16+ 
For more information, please contact 303-297-1772 or visit www.cervantesmasterpiece.com

Tue, 08/08/2017 - 11:34 am

Today, TheBigWonderful (TBW) reveals details for the 4th annual Oktobergrass, hosting Denver’s premiere fall bluegrass festival with BEERFEST, BANDS, and BAZAAR over two days - September 30-October 1 - at the at the old Denver Post building (4400 Fox St.) in Globeville. Bringing together the greatest of Denver’s vibrant craft vending, food, beer and music scenes, TheBigWonderful’s Oktobergrass continues their innovative tradition of being a one-stop shop for the best-of-the best in Denver culture. In addition to offerings by a variety of curated vendors and local food trucks, TBW hosts BEERFEST each day, and live bluegrass music all weekend long, with Everyone Orchestra conducted by Matt Butler headlining the “TBW After Party” on Saturday at 6pm, plus Gipsy Moon, Chain Station, Caribou Mountain Collective, Ginny Mules, Coal Town Reunion and more providing bluegrass sets throughout the weekend. Tickets to TBW’s Oktobergrass are on sale now at www.thebigwonderful.com, with Super Early Bird/advance pricing while supplies last.

Gates are open each day at 11am for TBW’s 4th annual Oktobergrass.  Purchase the BAZAAR Ticket ($5 Adv/ $7 door, per day) for all day access to curated craft shopping, delicious food offerings, and live music. TBW’s Oktobergrass hosts over 80 vendors, offering hand-made jewelry, home décor, boutique fashion, a diverse selection of eats from some of Denver Metro’s best restaurants, and more.

Choose the BEERFEST Ticket ($25 Adv / $35 door, per day) for BAZAAR and BEERFEST access. Hosted each day from 2pm-6pm, TBW’s Oktobergrass BEERFEST features unlimited tastings from over 20 craft breweries, wineries and distilleries, plus select breweries tapping special & unique beers at 4 PM each day. Unveiling its new and improved BEERFEST footprint, TBW Oktobergrass is happy to host BEERFEST interspersed within the BAZAAR vendors, rather than separate from them, a shift that promises to enhance both the BEERFEST and BAZAAR experience.  BEERFEST Tickets are limited and may sell out.  See details and purchase tickets now at www.thebigwonderful.com.

Both BAZAAR and BEERFEST Oktobergrass tickets include access to live, bluegrass-inspired music all weekend long.  On Saturday, TBW Oktobergrass hosts Gipsy Moon, Caribou Mountain Collective and Coal Town Reunion.   At 6pm, as BEERFEST and BAZAAR wind down, headliners Everyone Orchestra conducted by Matt Butler will take the stage for TBW’s Saturday night After Party, open to all who’ve purchased BAZAAR or BEERFEST tickets. Food trucks and libations will be on hand during the show, promising a great night set against the backdrop of the gorgeous Denver skyline. Tickets to see Everyone Orchestra will be available for $15 in advance or $20 at the door for fans who arrive after 5PM on Saturday for TBW After Party with Everyone Orchestra. Fans who purchase this option will have access to the last hour of Saturday’s BAZAAR, but not to BEERFEST. Oktobergrass re-opens on Sunday at 11am for another round of BAZAAR, BEERFEST, and BANDS, including live music by Chain Station, Ginny Mules and more to be announced soon.  TheBigWonderful SuperPass Ticket is available for $39 and includes full access all weekend long to BEERFEST, BANDS, BAZAAR.

TheBigWonderful is proud to enter its fourth year showcasing a unique platform combining BEERFEST*BANDS*BAZAAR. Serving Denver Metro area families & millennials, and hosting hundreds of local artisans and small businesses, TBW and its community are strong believers in the “Buy Local” and “Leave No Trace” ethos. TheBigWonderful takes pride in gathering communities around good music, locally sourced food and drinks, and good fun. This ethos has led TheBigWonderful to partner with Colorado based non-profit Re:Vision, who cultivate thriving, resilient communities. Since 2009, Revision has helped over 800 low income families grow food in their own backyards, making it the largest community-led food access program in the country.  TheBigWonderful has also partnered with UpDIG, a certified B-Corporation, who has planted an urban farm at the festival site in Denver’s Globeville neighborhood which will be harvested just in time for Oktobergrass. The farm will contribute to the city’s urban production of local, organic, nutrient dense vegetables and herbs and UpDIG will be selling the vegetables at their farm stand at Oktobergrass - "Farm to Food Truck"! Lastly, TheBigWonderful is proud to work with Scraps, their zero-waste partner who use locally manufactured “bicycle vehicles” to make the environmental footprint of the event as minimal as possible through dedicated procurement, recycling, and composting efforts.

TheBigWonderful is also proud to partner again with Lyft for discounted ride sharing to and from its events.

More about TheBigWonderful’s Oktobergrass available at www.TheBigWonderful.com and on Facebook HERE.

Wed, 08/09/2017 - 2:23 pm

The 2nd Annual Bonanza Campout in Heber, Utah returned to Utah’s scenic River’s Edge Resort in Heber City on June 23-25, 2017. The boutique music and camping festival featured a dynamic and diverse lineup of over 30 live acts, locally curated food and drinks, art installations, plentiful onsite activities including yoga and hiking, and more. Performances from festival favorites and headliners ODESZA, Ms. Lauryn Hill, NAS, Nick Murphy FKA Chet Faker, Cut Copy, Airborne Toxic Event and many more were highlights of the weekend - check out the official 2017 recap video here.

Follow along with Bonanza Campout at: websitefacebooktwitter, instagram

Mon, 08/14/2017 - 10:40 am

The fifth annual ‘Our Neighbors, Ourselves’ art gallery and fundraiser takes place on Friday, September 22nd at the McNichols Building in Civic Center Park. The gallery experience will feature artwork from dozens of visual artists, as well as live musical performances by Tom Hagerman (of DeVotchKa) Ensemble, Bluebook, and DJ sets by Jonny DeStefano and Christy Thacker.

The unique evening of art, music, food, drink and community will debut a collection of original artwork inspired by this year’s theme “Faces of US” - a look into the qualities embodied by the people of our country. A celebration of how they are as unique as they are universal.

Art will be available for purchase the night of the event, and all proceeds of the evening will go to support Project Worthmore (PWM) – a Denver nonprofit that provides direct programs and services to the local refugee community, including English classes, a dental clinic, and a refugee training farm, among others.

The event will also feature a live virtual reality experience by DenVR, where guests can immerse themselves in a three dimensional collaborative painting, as well as an auction with prizes including international trips.

Tickets to ‘Our Neighbors, Ourselves’  are available now at www.projectworthmore.org/ourneighbors. Complete event details are included below.

Event Details

Friday, September 22nd

6PM – 10PM

McNichols Building (144 W Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80202)

Tickets: $50 in advance, $60 general admission (after Sept. 8)

About ‘Our Neighbors, Ourselves’

‘Our Neighbors, Ourselves’ exists to bring compassionate artists together, and through diverse creative expressions, cultivate the inherent value and dignity of human life.

Now in its fifth year, “Our Neighbors, Ourselves” is Project Worthmore’s biggest annual fundraiser. Monies raised help to develop and strengthen critical programs that welcome and support many of Denver’s 50,000+ refugees.

The name ‘Our Neighbors, Ourselves’ comes from the familiar concept of loving our neighbors as ourselves. The idea is as universal as it is critical, not only for restoring dignity to uprooted lives, but also as a means to stop the spread of violence and oppression which creates displacement in the first place.

As an event, ‘Our Neighbors, Ourselves’ serves as a tangible reminder of our inherent need for community in all facets of life, and in all corners of the world, right here at home.

About Project Worthmore

Project Worthmore works to restore worth to our refugee neighbors through the heart of our community. Every family we serve has a unique story, a steadfast courage, and a resilience to survive and rebuild their lives here in Colorado.

We provide programs that foster community, self-sufficiency and increase quality of life among Denver-area refugees.

Started as a makeshift response to the unmet needs of our refugee neighbors in 2009, we have grown to offer a variety of programs and services including English language classes, citizenship classes, a community-run food access program, a refugee training farm, a five-chair dental clinic, and access to Community Navigators and Family Partners.

Thu, 08/17/2017 - 11:10 am

Today, acclaimed New Orleans-based future funk collective Naughty Professor released the live studio video for “Venison Poetry,” off of their new album, Identity.  “Venison Poetry”  features percussion virtuoso Mike Dillon (Les Claypool’s Fancy Band, Primus, Garage A Trois, Dean Ween Band, et al) on vibraphones and progressive jazz guitarist Cliff Hines (Cliff Hines Band). Naughty Professor is currently on an extensive album release tour, with dates upcoming in Boulder, Denver, Brooklyn, Boston and more. The band has  additionally announced that they will be joining TAUK on tour for select dates this Fall. All announced dates are below and tickets are available at www.naughtyprofessormusic.com.

Naughty Professor recently released their highly-anticipated new album, Identity, to praise from critics and fans alike. Within days of its release, Identity shot up the iTunes Jazz charts to #6. The album’s first single, “Stray,” featuring David Shaw of The Revivalists, has received over a quarter million streams on Spotify. GLIDE Magazine describes, “The aptly-named album deftly merges each band member’s unique style and influences with those of artists such as Mike Dillon, Chali 2na, David Shaw, and Ivan Neville, capturing a sound that’s both accessible and interesting, unexpected yet familiar.” Currently available on all digital service providers, Identity can also be purchased physically as a CD/DVD bundle, which includes in-studio footage of every track on the album, here.
 
Mixed by Grammy-Award winning producer Qmillion (Robert Glasper’s “Black Radio” Vol. 1 & 2), Naughty Professor raises the stakes on Identity. Where their prior releases showcased the group's knack for self-contained instrumentals, Identity finds the band teaming with a stellar assortment of more than a dozen cutting-edge collaborators – the result finds Naughty Professor expanding their music into exciting new territory. Sound and Silence observes, “Collaboration has brought out the best in Naughty Professor, spotlighting their versatility and ability to adapt.” The diversity and improvisational skills of the band are highlighted by the range of featured guests on the album – from the pop-sensibilities of The Revivalists’ David Shaw, to the politically charged hip-hop of Jurassic 5’s Chali 2na, Identity showcases Naughty Professor’s growth and range while seamlessly mixing and molding multiple genres, coming together to create a fascinating signature sound. 
 

Naughty Professor has released multiple videos from the studios where Identity was recorded. The videos offer fans an intimate look behind the scenes of Naughty Professor’s recording process and their collaborations with the album’s guests. Check out the videos for “Darker Daze” featuring Chali 2na, “Without a Trace” featuring Eric Benny Bloom of Lettuce, “I Can’t Sleep at Night” featuring Dexter Gilmore, and “Stray” featuring David Shaw here.

Thu, 08/24/2017 - 10:36 am
In support of their recently released new album, Coming Down The Mountain, Chapel Hill, NC’s indie-americana band Mipso are heading to Nashville to perform at the 18th annual AMERICANAFEST on Wednesday, September 13th at the High Watt. Bringing their powerfully rhythmic, lyrically sharp, and beautiful four-part harmonies to AMERICANAFEST, Mipso are joined during that evening of showcases by their upcoming “Campfire Caravan” tour-mates The Brothers Comatose and The Lil Smokies. Mipso will take the stage at 12 midnight on Wednesday.
 
Mipso’s Americana Fest showcase details are as follows:
 
Wednesday, September 13th @ 11:59 PM
The High Watt
1 Cannery Row, Nashville, TN 37203
 
This past spring, Mipso released their highly anticipated new album, Coming Down The Mountain, to rave reviews. It quickly shot up the Billboard album charts and debuted in the Top 5 of the Bluegrass Album Charts, with the single “Coming Down the Mountain” charting at #49 on the AMA Americana Radio Chart.  The album spent weeks at #1 on The Roots Music Report Top 50 Americana Country Album and Top 50 Country Album Charts.  Of the album, No Depression states, “More songs like this and Mipso will corner the market in a new genre. Something like progressive-Americana or Roots-Progressive. What a way to pump life into a once hallowed music form – progressive rock.” Available now CD, vinyl and on all digital service providers, listen to Coming Down The Mountain on Spotify here.
 
This fall, Mipso join the “Campfire Caravan” tour with The Brothers Comatose and The Lil Smokies for a 30-plus date run throughout North America. “Campfire Caravan” brings Mipso to the western half of the U.S. for the first time since the release of Coming Down The Mountain. Kicking off on September 26th in Billings, MT, “Campfire Caravan” hits cities in the West Coast, the Rocky Mountains, Midwest, East Coast and South before concluding the tour at The Orange Peel in Asheville, NC. With Mipso, The Brother Comatose and The Lil Smokies each quickly rising the Americana music ranks, “Campfire Caravan” is a nod to the musicians’ early days playing music, when they’d perform for friends and family in basements, living rooms, and around campfires. “Campfire Caravan” celebrates the American tradition of gathering communities around music. In an untraditional format, all three bands rotate in the lineup with no single ensemble acting as the tour headliner. A completely different show will be presented in each city with spontaneous collaborations amongst the groups taking place between sets. View the full list of “Campfire Caravan” tour dates and purchase tickets at www.campfirecaravan.com.

Coming Down The Mountain is Mipso’s fourth album release, and follows up their critically lauded Old Time Reverie (2015).  After a year and a half of intense touring following their 2015 release, Mipso returned to their home state to write and record. Huddling in a friend’s barn on land usually used for growing garlic and training dogs, they collected their ideas, shared influences, and discussed thoughts on what would eventually become Coming Down The Mountain. The album’s ten songs – all originals - finds Mipso exploring the ideas of our changing relationship to the idea of home, and about being pushed or pulled by forces bigger than us.  Produced by Brad Cook (Megafaun), and adding pedal steel, drums, banjo, and keyboards to the mix, the music on Coming Down The Mountain is full of wistful beauty, hopeful undercurrents, and panoramic soundscapes that impart intimacy.

 
MIPSO FALL TOUR DATES:
Thursday, August 24 -- Roanoke, VA -- Jefferson Center
Friday, August 25 -- Thomas, WV -- The Purple Fiddle
Saturday, August 26 -- Norfolk, VA -- North Shore Point House Concerts
Sunday, August 27 -- Galax, VA -- Blue Ridge Music Center w/ Old Crow Medicine Show
Friday, September 8 -- Chattanooga, TN -- UTC Fine Arts Center
Saturday, September 9 -- Brevard, NC -- Mountain Song Festival
Friday, September 22 -- Kalamazoo, MI -- Bell’s Eccentric Café Oktoberfest
Saturday, September 23 -- Louisville, KY -- Bourbon and Beyond Festival

“CAMPFIRE CARAVAN” WEST
Tuesday, September 26 – Billings, MT – Pub Station 
Wednesday, September 27 – Bozeman, MT – Emerson Center for Arts & Culture 
Thursday, September 28 – Missoula, MT – Wilma Theater 
Friday, September 29 – Portland, OR – McMenamin's Crystal Ballroom 
Saturday, September 30 – Seattle, WA – Neumos 
Sunday, October 1 – Eugene, OR – Hi-Fi Music Hall
Tuesday, October 3 – Sacramento, CA – Harlow’s 
Wednesday, October 4 – Paso Robles, CA – Barrelhouse Brewing Co 
Thursday, October 5 – Los Angeles, CA – Bootleg Theater 
Friday, October 6 – San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
Saturday, October 7 – San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
Tuesday, October 10 – Boise, ID – Neurolux 
Wednesday, October 11 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Urban Lounge 
Thursday, October 12 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre 
Friday, October 13 – Colorado Springs, CO – Ivywild School 
Saturday, October 14 – Ft. Collins, CO – Aggie Theater 
 
“CAMPFIRE CARAVAN” EAST
Thursday, November 2 – Minneapolis, MN – Cedar Cultural Center 
Friday, November 3 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon 
Saturday, November 4 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall 
Sunday, November 5 – Detroit, MI – Otus Supply 
Tuesday, November 7 – Pittsburgh, PA – James Street Ballroom
Thursday, November 9 – Boston, MA – The Sinclair 
Friday, November 10 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom 
Saturday, November 11 – Ardmore, PA – Ardmore Music Hall 
Sunday, November 12 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club 
Tuesday, November 14 – Charlotte, NC – Neighborhood Theatre 
Wednesday, November 15 – Nashville, TN – The Mercury Lounge 
Thursday, November 16 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West
Friday, November 17 – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre 
Saturday, November 18 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel 

*Additional Mipso tour dates to be announced soon.

Thu, 08/31/2017 - 10:30 am

Today, TheBigWonderful (TBW) reveals the lineup for Everyone Orchestra’s headlining Oktobergrass set. Hitting the stage on Saturday, September 30th at 6pm for TBW After Party, Everyone Orchestra conducted by Matt Butler will feature Drew Emmitt (Leftover Salmon), Adam "Shmeeans" Smirnoff (Lettuce), Dave Watts and Gabe Marvin (The Motet), Chuck Jones (Dopapod), Todd Stoops (RAQ), Megan Letts (Mama Magnolia), Ashley Niven (Tiger Party) and Austin Zaletel (Euforquestra). TBW After Party is open to all guests who have purchased BEERFEST or BAZAAR tickets. Tickets to see Everyone Orchestra are available for $15 in advance or $20 at the door for fans who arrive after 5PM on Saturday for TBW After Party with Everyone Orchestra. Fans who purchase this option will have access to the last hour of Saturday’s BAZAAR, but not to BEERFEST.

Also announced today, TBW Oktobergrass is bringing their dog-friendly culture to the next level by offering an off leash dog park onsite, hosted from 11am-6pm daily by the experts from Romero’s K-9 Club and Taphouse. On Sunday, Mile High CornHole will be onsite to host the first official TBW cornhole tournament, kicking off at 11am. Get your team together to compete for great prizes as team registration opens on September 6th at thebigwonderful.com

Unveiling its new and improved BEERFEST footprint, TBW Oktobergrass is happy to host BEERFEST interspersed within the BAZAAR vendors, rather than separate from them, a shift that promises to enhance both the BEERFEST and BAZAAR experience. Offering unlimited tastings from 2pm - 6pm daily, the initial lineup of brewers and distilleries includes: 10 Barrel Brewing Co, 14er Brewing, Aspen Brewing Company, Ballast Point, Bear Creek Distillery, Bierstadt, Breckenridge Brewery, Breckenridge Distillery, Cerebral Brewing, The Infinite Monkey Theorem, Ironworks Brewery & Pub, Jagged Mountain, The Larimer Beer Company, Mockery Brewing, Modelo, New Avalon Grower Ciders, Oskar Blues Brewery, Spice Trade Brewing Co., Two22 Brew, Zuni St. Brewery, and more to be announced.

About TBW Oktobergrass

TheBigWonderful is Denver’s original urban market and festival offering BEERFEST, BANDS, and BAZAAR in one elevated experience. Founded in the RiNo Arts District in 2014, TheBigWonderful is a cultural barometer and creative business marketplace, bringing together the best of Denver’s vibrant craft vending, food, beer, and live music scenes into an eclectic and fun festival atmosphere.
 
Tickets to TBW’s Oktobergrass are on sale now at www.thebigwonderful.com, with Super Early Bird/advance pricing while supplies last.
 
For the weekend’s complete BEERFEST, BANDS, BAZAAR schedule, lineup and ticket information, visit www.thebigwonderful.com.
Thu, 08/31/2017 - 8:37 pm

Today, acclaimed New Orleans-based future funk collective Naughty Professor released the live studio video for “Mirrors,” off of their new album, Identity “Mirrors” features the smooth alternative soul vocals of Cole DeGenova set to the conga-influenced stylings of guest drummer Alexey Marti. Also featured is The Revivalists’ David Shaw on background vocals. Naughty Professor is about to embark on the East Coast leg of their extensive album release tour, with dates upcoming in Philadelphia, two nights in Brooklyn, Boston, Burlington and more. The band has additionally announced that they will be joining TAUK on tour for select dates this Fall. This weekend, Naughty Professor play a hometown New Orleans show at Lakeshore Landing where they will be celebrating (and serving) the release of their collaboration brew, “Darker Daze Ale” with NOLA Brewing and French Truck Coffee. Beer distribution and availability details to be announced soon. All announced dates are below and tickets are available at www.naughtyprofessormusic.com.

Naughty Professor recently released their highly-anticipated new album, Identity, to praise from critics and fans alike. Within days of its release, Identity shot up the iTunes Jazz charts to #6. The album’s first single, “Stray,” featuring David Shaw of The Revivalists, has received over a quarter million streams on Spotify. GLIDE Magazine describes, “The aptly-named album deftly merges each band member’s unique style and influences with those of artists such as Mike Dillon, Chali 2na, David Shaw, and Ivan Neville, capturing a sound that’s both accessible and interesting, unexpected yet familiar.” Currently available on all digital service providers, Identity can also be purchased physically as a CD/DVD bundle, which includes in-studio footage of every track on the album.

Mixed by Grammy-Award winning producer Qmillion (Robert Glasper’s “Black Radio” Vol. 1 & 2), Naughty Professor raises the stakes on Identity. Where their prior releases showcased the group's knack for self-contained instrumentals, Identity finds the band teaming with a stellar assortment of more than a dozen cutting-edge collaborators – the result finds Naughty Professor expanding their music into exciting new territory. Sound and Silence observes, “Collaboration has brought out the best in Naughty Professor, spotlighting their versatility and ability to adapt.” The diversity and improvisational skills of the band are highlighted by the range of featured guests on the album – from the pop-sensibilities of The Revivalists’ David Shaw, to the politically charged hip-hop of Jurassic 5’s Chali 2na, Identity showcases Naughty Professor’s growth and range while seamlessly mixing and molding multiple genres, coming together to create a fascinating signature sound.

Naughty Professor has released multiple videos from the studios where Identity was recorded. The videos offer fans an intimate look behind the scenes of Naughty Professor’s recording process and their collaborations with the album’s guests. Check out the videos for “Venison Poetry” featuring Mike Dillon and Cliff Hines, “Darker Daze” featuring Chali 2na, “Without a Trace” featuring Eric Benny Bloom of Lettuce, “I Can’t Sleep at Night” featuring Dexter Gilmore, and “Stray” featuring David Shaw here.
Mon, 09/18/2017 - 5:04 pm

Today, SnowGlobe Music Festival released its highly anticipated artist lineup for the festival’s 7th annual New Year’s Eve celebration in South Lake Tahoe, California on December 29-31, 2017. The premiere 3-night outdoor festival returns to its home in the sublime Sierra Nevada Mountains hosting over 50 artists performing on 3 stages, culminating with a breathtaking fireworks display to ring in 2018 with style. In addition to the dynamic lineup of artists, the unique winter festival offers seamless access to Tahoe’s multiple world-class resorts, allowing patrons to enjoy the alpine setting by day and epic live performances at night – delivering the ultimate New Year’s celebration.

Topping the bill for SnowGlobe 2017 (#SG17) are Dillon Francis, Porter Robinson (DJ Set), and Travis Scott.

Zedd, Khalid, Tycho (DJ Set), E-40, Madeon, Alison Wonderland, Snakehips, Gryffin, Troyboi, San Halo, Lane 8 and Jai Wolf also join the party for #SG17. The complete list of artists is included below.

Now celebrating its seventh year, SnowGlobe returns to Bijou Park on the Lake Tahoe Community College campus, with a newly improved layout. SG17 features 3 stages, new art installations, and the return of SnowGlobe’s Big Air activation – showcasing professional ski and snowboard demos in-between sets on the mainstage. Stay tuned for additional details about the SG17 festival layout, to be announced soon.

SnowGlobe is proud to once again partner with Hotels for Hope, its long-term exclusive lodging partner for SG17. For every night a lodging accommodation is booked by SnowGlobe patrons, a portion will be donated directly to the Lake Tahoe Boys & Girls Club. Picked as the official Hotels for Hope 2107 recipient, the Lake Tahoe Boys & Girls Club provides children and teens with a safe, positive and welcoming environment where they can have fun and enhance their education and experiences.

Visit www.snowglobemusicfestival.com to choose from dozens of nearby lodging options to fit a variety of needs and tastes.

SnowGlobe’s 2017 lineup of artists is as follows:

Dillon Francis
Porter Robinson (DJ Set)
Travis Scott
Zedd
Khalid
Tycho (DJ Set)
E-40
Madeon
Alison Wonderland
Snakehips

Gryffin

Troyboi

San Holo

Lane 8

Jai Wolf

Petit Biscuit

Justin Martin

Shiba San

Tokimonsta

Manila Killa

Quinn XCII

K?D

The Floozies

They.

Justin Jay's
Fantastic Voyage

Koan Sound

Nombe

Louis Futon

Oliver

Moon Boots

Kidnap Kid

Graves

Spag Heddy


Brasstracks

Luca Lush

Krane

Vindata

Droeloe

Falcons

Melvv

Opia 

Lophiile

Oliver Tree

Alexander Lewis

Option 4

LP Giobbi

Joyzu

Cremes N Lotions

Syence


CVRSE


Brownies & Lemonade

Mon, 09/25/2017 - 2:51 pm

Hot on the heels of their performance at the 18th annual Americanafest in Nashville, Chapel Hill’s acclaimed indie-Americana band Mipso are heading back on the road as part of the Campfire Caravan tour with The Brothers Comatose and The Lil Smokies. Kicking off on Tuesday, September 26th in Billings, MT, Campfire Caravan will make their way across the country, hitting over 30 cities on their way. The tour brings Mipso to the western half of the U.S. for the first time since the release of their new album Coming Down The Mountain, hitting cities in the West Coast and the Rocky Mountains, then in the Midwest, East Coast and South before concluding the tour at The Orange Peel in Asheville, NC on November 18th, 2017. View the full list of “Campfire Caravan” tour dates and purchase tickets at www.campfirecaravan.com.

Check out Mipso’s new video for “Hurt So Good” filmed live at the Bluebird Theatre in Denver, CO HERE

With Mipso, The Brothers Comatose and The Lil Smokies each quickly rising the Americana music ranks, “Campfire Caravan” is a nod to the musicians’ early days playing music, when they’d perform for friends and family in basements, living rooms, and around campfires. “Campfire Caravan” celebrates the American tradition of gathering communities around music. In an untraditional format, all three bands rotate in the lineup with no single ensemble acting as the tour headliner. A completely different show will be presented in each city with spontaneous collaborations amongst the groups taking place between sets. More information available at www.campfirecaravan.com.

This past spring, Mipso released their highly anticipated new album, Coming Down The Mountain, to rave reviews. It quickly shot up the Billboard album charts and debuted in the Top 5 of the Bluegrass Album Charts, with the single “Coming Down the Mountain” charting at #49 on the AMA Americana Radio Chart.  The album spent weeks at #1 on The Roots Music Report Top 50 Americana Country Album and Top 50 Country Album Charts.  Of the album, No Depression states, “More songs like this and Mipso will corner the market in a new genre. Something like progressive-Americana or Roots-Progressive. What a way to pump life into a once hallowed music form – progressive rock.” Available now CD, vinyl and on all digital service providers, listen to Coming Down The Mountain on Spotify here.

Coming Down The Mountain is Mipso’s fourth album release, and follows up their critically lauded Old Time Reverie (2015).  After a year and a half of intense touring following their 2015 release, Mipso returned to their home state to write and record. Huddling in a friend’s barn on land usually used for growing garlic and training dogs, they collected their ideas, shared influences, and discussed thoughts on what would eventually become Coming Down The Mountain. The album’s ten songs – all originals - finds Mipso exploring the ideas of our changing relationship to the idea of home, and about being pushed or pulled by forces bigger than us.  Produced by Brad Cook (Megafaun), and adding pedal steel, drums, banjo, and keyboards to the mix, the music on Coming Down The Mountain is full of wistful beauty, hopeful undercurrents, and panoramic soundscapes that impart intimacy.

MIPSO FALL TOUR DATES:

Tuesday, September 26 – Billings, MT – Pub Station 
Wednesday, September 27 – Bozeman, MT – Emerson Center for Arts & Culture 
Thursday, September 28 – Missoula, MT – Wilma Theater 
Friday, September 29 – Portland, OR – McMenamin's Crystal Ballroom 
Saturday, September 30 – Seattle, WA – Neumos 
Sunday, October 1 – Eugene, OR – Hi-Fi Music Hall
Tuesday, October 3 – Sacramento, CA – Harlow’s 
Wednesday, October 4 – Paso Robles, CA – Barrelhouse Brewing Co 
Thursday, October 5 – Los Angeles, CA – Bootleg Theater 
Friday, October 6 – San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
Saturday, October 7 – San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
Sunday, October 8 – Felton, CA – Don Quixote's Music Hall
Tuesday, October 10 – Boise, ID – Neurolux 
Wednesday, October 11 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Urban Lounge 
Thursday, October 12 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre 
Friday, October 13 – Colorado Springs, CO – Ivywild School 
Saturday, October 14 – Ft. Collins, CO – Aggie Theater 
October 27 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground 
October 28 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Caffe Lena
Thursday, November 2 – Minneapolis, MN – Cedar Cultural Center 
Friday, November 3 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon 
Saturday, November 4 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall 
Sunday, November 5 – Detroit, MI – Otus Supply 
Tuesday, November 7 – Pittsburgh, PA – James Street Ballroom
Thursday, November 9 – Boston, MA – The Sinclair 
Friday, November 10 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom 
Saturday, November 11 – Ardmore, PA – Ardmore Music Hall 
Sunday, November 12 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club 
Tuesday, November 14 – Charlotte, NC – Neighborhood Theatre 
Wednesday, November 15 – Nashville, TN – The Mercury Lounge 
Thursday, November 16 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West
Friday, November 17 – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre 
Saturday, November 18 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel 

*Additional Mipso tour dates to be announced soon.

Wed, 10/11/2017 - 12:13 pm

Today, Electric Forest (EF) announced the return of the 8th annual music and camping festival to the legendary Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Michigan - hosting two distinct weekends for the second year in a row, on June 21-24 and June 28-July 1, 2018. In conjunction with the announcement, Electric Forest unveiled a new fan participation initiative - The EF Wish Machine – encouraging the Forest Family to spread positivity, and offering the greatest evidence yet that Forest dreams really do come true.

According to the EF website, The Wish Machine is a gesture of keen hope in a time when many of us wish for change in the world:

“Kindness, radical acceptance, and good deeds are why The Forest is special. These values create freedom to discover ourselves, celebrate our beautiful differences and our unique gifts.

Goodness starts as a seed.  Do you have an idea for a good deed or an inspiration for an act of human kindness?... What you choose to do is up to you.

HQ will choose some efforts to travel full circle, and The Forest's reward can be big or small. What is your daydream of Electric Forest 2018?... Whatever you hope will happen is fair game.”

View The EF Wish Machine announcement HERE.

To participate in The Wish Machine, fans must submit their Forest Dream along with what they’re willing to do to have their wish granted. For example, “If I make sandwiches for the homeless every day until EF2018, then Electric Forest will allow me to be on stage with my favorite headliner!”

Fans can also visit The EF’s Wish Machine online to see the kind, outrageous, and inspirational wishes of all their fellow Forest Family. Electric Forest will grant wishes by April of 2018.  The Wish Machine is live at ElectricForestFestival.com/wish.

The Wish Machine is yet another example of Electric Forest’s commitment to creating opportunities for the community to shape the EF experience.  Electric Forest’s “Plug In” Program offers fans unprecedented participatory access.  Each year the festival reviews submissions and grants Art Installation Sponsorships – up to $3,000.00 per winner - for builders and artists in the EF community to bring their ideas to life at the festival. For Plug In’s Brainery Workshop, the EF community can sign up and share their skills and knowledge with the Forest Community.

In line with EF’s strong community spirit, in 2016 the festival surprised the EF community by inviting them to announce that year’s artist lineup first.  EF2016 Lineup Invitations, each revealing one or more artists on that summer’s eagerly awaited roster, were mailed to a handful of randomly selected ticket-holders. With mail deliveries throughout the day, new artists were continually shared on social media with the hashtag #EF2016Reveal, creating waves of excitement and a level of interaction between a festival and its fans that has never been seen before. Read more about Electric Forest’s Plug In Programs HERE.

2018 artist lineup, ticket info and on sale dates are coming soon. 

 “[at Electric Forest] no matter who you are, where you're from, what music tickles your fancy, or whatever bizarre image and outrageous message you dangle from upon a giant staff, when you hear it—you know you're home” – Thump/VICE

“A must see festival.” – RollingStone

“Among the 10 Best Festivals.” – USA Today

“One of our favorite music festivals in the world.” – ThisSongisSick.com

“Electric Forest is a masterpiece of a festival.” –  Fest300

To stay up to date on all Electric Forest news, please visit www.electricforestfestival.com and the official Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube pages.

Mon, 10/23/2017 - 10:26 am

Eyes of the World: Grateful Dead Photography 1965 – 1995 is a fine art, hardcover coffee table photography book that brings together, for the first time, a comprehensive collection of photographs from a wide range of photographers whose work has captured the Grateful Dead at different times throughout their career.

Co-Edited by former Relix editor-in-chief Josh Baron and famed rock photographer Jay Blakesberg, Eyes of the World will be released October 23, 2017 via Rock Out Books and is available for pre-order now at eyesoftheworldbook.com and at most other book retailers.

Shocking as it may seem—particularly given the unparalleled job the band’s shepherds did in documenting its history—until now there has been no definitive visual reference encompassing the 30 year career of the Grateful Dead.

“What we also realized in assessing this book project,” explains Baron, “is that even for those images that fans had seen before, the vast majority had only seen them on a computer screen. Most people—including Jay and I —had never seen the majority of these images printed in large format.”

Over the course of six months of research, Baron and Blakesberg reached out to more than 100 individual photographers (or in some cases, their representatives) to see if they’d be willing to submit their images for review.  After much deliberation, countless conversations and 32 versions of the eventual layout, they landed on 220 images captured by 61 photographers across 272 pages that would become Eyes of the World, the book.

Photographers featured in Eyes of the World include such legendary names as Annie Leibovitz, Jim Marshall, David Gahr, Mark Seliger, Herb Greene, William Coupon, Michael O’Neill, Adrian Boot, Michael Putland, Peter Simon, Baron Wolman and, of course, Jay Blakesberg. Included in the collection are iconic images, lesser known photos, and never-seen before seen images – each of them a singular perspective of a poignant moment that together help tell the Grateful Dead’s epic tale through large, bold imagery.

“There were quite a few of us photographers fortunate to have had the opportunity to help document the Grateful Dead,” Blakesberg says. “But no single photographic perspective can tell this band’s full story. For many years, I have thought a book that considered the archives of numerous photographers - Jim Marshall, Herb Greene, myself, and others - would be the ultimate photography book on this band. It was Josh who went above and beyond, seeking out the rare and unseen archives that truly makes this a unique collection.  I’m very happy to see this book come to life.”

Each of the images included on the pages of Eyes of the World were originally shot on film. Many of them have been reproduced for the first time via high-resolution scan, allowing them to be viewed anew. Unfettered in presentation, each photograph holds relevance and weight, many of them taking up a full page or more.

As renowned musician and photographer Graham Nash writes in the book’s forward, “It’s obvious that the authors of these photographs were great fans and also that they had a unique perspective. They were ‘trusted.’ Trusted so much that it’s certain that the band were completely comfortable in revealing the many faces of themselves.”  Graham continues, “It’s moments like these that photographers live for: the ability to be invisible so that no one knows you’re there. That’s when the good shots happen and that’s when I realize how lucky the band was to have such talented witnesses to their journey.”

As the band’s own Phil Lesh notes, “These photographs really capture the spirit of the Grateful Dead’s 30-year adventure.”

Whether a Grateful Dead veteran who caught them in the heady days of the late-‘60s in San Francisco, or a millennial who made it to Chicago for Fare The Well in 2015, Eyes of the World: Grateful Dead Photography 1965 – 1995 provides fans of all ages and stages the opportunity to see this band in a way they never have before.

Upcoming book signings, with more to be announced soon: 

New York: Morrison Hotel Gallery, Saturday, 10/28, 1-5pm

Bay Area: Terrapin Crossroads, Thursday, 11/30, night time

Wed, 10/25/2017 - 11:32 am

Hot on the heels of their West Coast “Campfire Caravan” tour dates, acclaimed indie-folk band Mipso has been featured by Rolling Stone as an “artist to know” in October 2017. The magazine describes the band as, “a back-porch hootenanny set not in an Appalachian holler but in a city, where the songs performed draw from Bill Monroe to David Bowie.” After two of one-off dates this weekend -  in Burlington, VT and Saratoga Springs, NY – Mipso heads back on the road with the “Campfire Caravan” tour - featuring Mipso, The Brothers Comatose and The Lil Smokies - for Leg 2 of the anticipated run, which hits 14 cities this November.  Kicking off on November 2nd at The Cedar in Minneapolis, MN, the tour makes its way through the Midwest, East Coast and South before concluding at The Orange Peel in Asheville, NC on November 18th, 2017. View the full list of “Campfire Caravan” tour dates and purchase tickets at www.campfirecaravan.com.

With Mipso, The Brother Comatose and The Lil Smokies each quickly rising the Americana music ranks, “Campfire Caravan” is a nod to the musicians’ early days playing music, when they’d perform for friends and family in basements, living rooms, and around campfires. “Campfire Caravan” celebrates the American tradition of gathering communities around music. In an untraditional format, all three bands rotate in the lineup with no single ensemble acting as the tour headliner. A completely different show will be presented in each city with spontaneous collaborations amongst the groups taking place between sets. More information available at www.campfirecaravan.com.

This past spring, Mipso released their highly anticipated new album, Coming Down The Mountain, to rave reviews. It quickly shot up the Billboard album charts and debuted in the Top 5 of the Bluegrass Album Charts, with the single “Coming Down the Mountain” charting at #49 on the AMA Americana Radio Chart.  The album spent weeks at #1 on The Roots Music Report Top 50 Americana Country Album and Top 50 Country Album Charts.  Of the album, No Depression states, “More songs like this and Mipso will corner the market in a new genre. Something like progressive-Americana or Roots-Progressive. What a way to pump life into a once hallowed music form – progressive rock.” Available now CD, vinyl and on all digital service providers, listen to Coming Down The Mountain on Spotify here.

Coming Down The Mountain is Mipso’s fourth album release, and follows up their critically lauded Old Time Reverie (2015).  After a year and a half of intense touring following their 2015 release, Mipso returned to their home state to write and record. Huddling in a friend’s barn on land usually used for growing garlic and training dogs, they collected their ideas, shared influences, and discussed thoughts on what would eventually become Coming Down The Mountain. The album’s ten songs – all originals - finds Mipso exploring the ideas of our changing relationship to the idea of home, and about being pushed or pulled by forces bigger than us.  Produced by Brad Cook (Megafaun), and adding pedal steel, drums, banjo, and keyboards to the mix, the music on Coming Down The Mountain is full of wistful beauty, hopeful undercurrents, and panoramic soundscapes that impart intimacy.

MIPSO FALL TOUR DATES:

October 27 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground - w/ Lula Wiles
October 28 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Caffe Lena - An Evening With

Thursday, November 2 – Minneapolis, MN – Cedar Cultural Center 
Friday, November 3 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon 
Saturday, November 4 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall 
Sunday, November 5 – Detroit, MI – Otus Supply 
Tuesday, November 7 – Pittsburgh, PA – James Street Ballroom
Thursday, November 9 – Boston, MA – The Sinclair 
Friday, November 10 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom 
Saturday, November 11 – Ardmore, PA – Ardmore Music Hall 
Sunday, November 12 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club 
Tuesday, November 14 – Charlotte, NC – Neighborhood Theatre 
Wednesday, November 15 – Nashville, TN – The Mercury Lounge 
Thursday, November 16 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West
Friday, November 17 – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre 
Saturday, November 18 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel 

Thursday, December 14 - Charleston, SC - The Charleston Pour House
Friday, December 15 - Johnson City, TN - The Willow Tree

*Additional Mipso tour dates to be announced soon

Tue, 11/07/2017 - 1:42 pm

Chicago Cubs Manager Joe Maddon’s Respect 90 Foundation has partnered with The CITYPAK Project to provide 1,300 custom designed, versatile, backpacks to homeless shelters in Tampa Bay, Chicago and Maddon’s hometown of Hazleton, Pennsylvania. The backpacks are manufactured by High Sierra, provider of premier, durable, outdoor gear since 1978.

One thousand CITYPAKs will be distributed in the Tampa Bay area in November as part of Maddon’s annual Thanksmas program. CITYPAKs will be distributed at the following Tampa Bay area shelters: Pinellas Hope, the St. Petersburg Salvation Army, Trinity Café in Tampa, the Tampa Salvation Army, Volunteers of America in St. Petersburg and the Homeless Empowerment Project in Clearwater. While the Chicago area shelter has yet to be determined, Hazleton’s Divine Providence Shelter will be a recipient in December.

As manager of the Tampa Bay Rays, Maddon hosted his week-long Thanksmas at shelters in Tampa Bay for eight winters between 2006 and 2013 providing meals, supplies, gifts and funds to thousands of needy citizens from Fort Myers to Orlando. Maddon continued to host Thanksmas the past two January’s in Chicago and Hazleton.

Florida Dates are as follows:

Monday, November 13, 4:30 p.m. Tampa Salvation Army

Tuesday, November 14, 5:30 p.m. Pinellas Hope

Wednesday, November 15, 4:30 p.m. St. Petersburg Salvation Army

Thursday, November 16, 11:30 a.m. Trinity Café

Thanksmas will also take place at shelters in Maddon’s hometown of Hazleton, PA in December and Chicago in January.

“I love the concept created by CITYPAK and am very proud to have our logo on this quality item that High Sierra has produced just for this purpose,” said Maddon.  “It is a perfect addition to Thanksmas,” Maddon added.

“I have learned that in order to achieve important goals, you need great partners,” says CITYPAK Founder Ron Kaplan. “It's an honor for The CITPAK Project to work with Joe Maddon and Respect 90 to help those in need.”

The CITYPAK Project is a not-for-profit philanthropic organization that works to provide custom designed backpacks to homeless persons in need. Working with exclusive manufacturing partner High Sierra, The CITYPAK Project will have distributed over 43,000 PAKs to homeless in 107 cities by years end across North America, including Chicago, Illinois; New York City, Boulder, Colorado; Maui, Hawaii; Austin, Texas; Boston, MA, San Francisco and Los Angeles, CA, and international distributions in Toronto and Vancouver.

Founded by Chicago businessman and philanthropist Ron Kaplan in 2012, The CITYPAK Project provides a safe, convenient and versatile backpack uniquely designed to meet the constantly changing needs of the homeless.  Inspired by the simple desire to create something that would make life on the streets of Chicago a little easier, Kaplan shared his idea with the design team at the international adventure travel gear manufacturer High Sierra. Today, with the help of High Sierra and a growing list of corporate and individual donors and a variety of local and regional non-profit partners, The CITYPAK Project distributes CITYPAKs in growing list of cities across the U.S. The ongoing goal: to design and provide a useful, high quality backpack for the homeless. Recognized by media including Inc. Magazine, CNN “New Day,” MSNBC, San Francisco Chronicle, Toronto Star, Chicago Tribune, Watch a video on The CITYPAK Project HERE. www.citypak.org

A division of Samsonite LLC, High Sierra designs feature-rich, versatile outdoor lifestyle gear for adventurers everywhere. Since our founding in 1978, we’ve committed ourselves to creating durable, affordable product with distinctive details, delivering the freedom to go anywhere—near or far, on roads or trails, on mountain ridges or snowy slopes, no matter what form your adventure takes. In 2012, High Sierra formed a design partnership with the Chicago-based CITYPAK Project [501(c)(3)] to create purposeful, utilitarian backpacks for the homeless. High Sierra is also proud to be the Official Bags supplier to the U.S. Ski, U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing teams. High Sierra. Adventure This Way.  www.highsierra.com

In 2015, Joe and his wife, Jaye, formed the Respect 90 Foundation. Respect 90 seeks to provide children and families opportunities to develop championship attitudes through sports, academics, and community involvement in all the places they call home: Chicago, IL, Tampa, FL, Mesa, AZ and Joe’s hometown of Hazleton, PA.

Wed, 11/08/2017 - 7:19 am

With their upcoming November 17th show at Denver’s Larimer Lounge already sold out, alternative hip-hop rock band Flobots announce a special hometown New Year’s Eve show at the Marquis Theatre with guests Pink Hawks. Flobots’ are currently on their RISE + SHINE Tour, in support of their recently released fourth album, NOENEMIES. The first leg of the RISE + SHINE Tour brings Flobots’ dynamic and politically charged live show through 20+ western U.S. cities including a sold-out show at Larimer Lounge, with leg two of the RISE + SHINE Tour, hitting the East Coast in early 2018, to be announced soon. Fans at all of the upcoming shows can expect to see Flobots’ high-energy live performance, with an even more amplified celebration as they ring in the New Year in Denver. The complete list of Flobots dates is included below, with tickets on sale now at www.flobots.com.

The RISE + SHINE Tour is Flobots’ call to action, set to remind us that the division and negativity that currently dominate the national conversation is not in the spirit of human nature – that our true potential is much more positive and welcoming. Flobots’ RISE + SHINE Tour offers the opportunity to elevate above the rhetoric and come together for a night of music and connection. Flobots state, “The music on our album NOENEMIES is about our power to see each other more fully. We find that there’s nothing better for the soul than meeting people face to face. We cannot wait to hit the road.”

Recently, Denver Comic Con exclusively premiered the video for Flobots’ new single “Quarantine.” Flobots’ Emcee Brer Rabbit created the video using footage from the 1988 classic Anime film Akira. Brer Rabbit, a fan of Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo, discovered the movie as a teen from a bootleg VHS, which in his own words, changed his life forever. “The colors, the characters, the MUSIC, the message,” states Brer Rabbit, “Otomo painted a vision of the future in dark strokes, the constant clash for power, the eradication of information to control the narrative, how our monsters and heroes are homemade, and ultimately that children will be the ones who will have to pay the price.”  Seeing the parallel themes in Flobots’ song “Quarantine,” Brer Rabbit was inspired to “dust off my old Otaku chops and make an Anime music video.” He continues, “In times of division, vision is essential. We do not need to separate ourselves from one another. We need to set a perimeter around the parts of ourselves that deny other people's pain- to quarantine the part within that feeds on the ritual of ‘us versus them,’ of enemies. In the war against fear we are all on the same side.”

NOENEMIES (released May 2017) is, without question, Flobots’ most ambitious and sophisticated statement to date -  both lyrically and musically. Funded entirely by a Kickstarter campaign that garnered $31,000 over its goal, the music on NOENEMIES is undeniably Flobots music, but it’s also assuredly music made by artists who have matured and expanded their horizons. The release was highly-anticipated by fans and critics alike -- NOENEMIES shot up the Billboard Independent Album chart, where it debuted at #12.

Influenced by stories shared by the late Dr. Vincent Harding, a Southern Freedom Movement historian and professor and longtime band friend and mentor, and inspired by the band’s recent grassroots community work hosting workshops, classes and keynote speeches about using collective song to build social movements, NOENEMIES is a body of songs that speak to the urgency of the current moment.
 
Each of the tracks on NOENEMIES serves as a powerful, poignant new anthem, many packed with surprises both subtle and grand. Taken as a whole, the album is enormous in breadth, enveloping and electrically charged, befitting of the finely crafted, carefully chosen words. NOENEMIES virtually begs the listener to delve and to contemplate, to share and revel.
 
From the beginning, Flobots’ sound defied categorization. Weaving conscious hip-hop lyrics and classical viola solos over live instrumentation, their anthems captured attention from all directions. When Flobots first catapulted onto the global scene in 2008 with their platinum single ‘Handlebars’ from their first album release Fight With Tools, it was the fastest charting song debut by a new artist in 10 years. Released during the frenzy of that year’s election, the band’s call to envision “another America” resonated with a generation experiencing a sense of profound political and social awakening. In a span of months, Flobots went from playing at local clubs to selling out tours internationally, performing on late-night television, signing a major label record deal, and receiving constant rotation on alternative radio.
 
Now, a decade later and with three critically acclaimed albums under their belt, Flobots are still dedicated to creating and performing anthems for a better world. And in 2017, amidst a nation taking to the streets, for Flobots that means delivering a unique brand of protest songs. Enter NOENEMIES - bringing the songs back to the people.

Flobots on Tour

16-Nov

Gryphon Theatre w/ The Chroniklez

Laramie, WY

17-Nov

Larimer Lounge w/ Wesley Watkins and Grumpy Uncle

Denver, CO

18-Nov

The Mesa Theater w/ Zolopht

Grand Junction, CO

19-Nov

Urban Lounge w/ Scenic Byway

Salt Lake City, UT

27-Nov

Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas w/ Bang Data

Las Vegas, NV

28-Nov

The Green Room w/ Bang Data

Flagstaff, AZ

29-Nov

Club Congress w/ Bang Data

Tucson, AZ

30-Nov

Valley Bar w/ Bang Data

Phoenix, AZ

1-Dec

Winston's Beach Club w/ Bang Data

San Diego, CA

2-Dec

The Slidebar Rock-N-Roll Kitchen w/ Bang Data

Fullerton, CA

3-Dec

Roxy Theater w/ Bang Data

West Hollywood, CA

5-Dec

The Siren w/ Bang Data

Morro Bay, CA

6-Dec

Fulton 55 w/ Bang Data

Fresno, CA

7-Dec

Harlow's w/ Bang Data

Sacramento, CA

8-Dec

Catalyst Atrium w/ Bang Data

Santa Cruz, CA

9-Dec

Cornerstone Berkeley w/ Bang Data

Berkeley, CA

10-Dec

Mystic Theatre w/ Bang Data

Petaluma, CA

12-Dec

Humboldt Brews w/ Bang Data

Arcata, CA

13-Dec

Volcanic Theatre Pub w/ Bang Data

Bend, OR

14-Dec

Doug Fir Lounge w/ Bang Data

Portland, OR

15-Dec

El Corazon w/ Bang Data

Seattle, WA

16-Dec

HiFi Music Hall w/ Bang Data

Eugene, OR

31-Dec

Marquis Theatre w/ Pink Hawks

Denver, CO

Fri, 11/10/2017 - 3:20 pm
Today, SnowGlobe Music Festival released the daily artist lineup for the festival’s 7th annual New Year’s Eve celebration in South Lake Tahoe, California on December 29-31, 2017.  Travis Scott, Zedd, Khalid and Tycho (DJ Set) get the party started on Friday, December 29th, with Dillion Francis, Porter Robinson (DJ Set), and Madeon continuing the party on Saturday, December 30th and  E-40, Jai Wolf and Alison Wonderland bringing in the New Year’s celebration on the 31st. The complete list of announced artists and schedule by day is included below.
 
Starting today, a limited amount of Early Bird Single Day GA and VIP tickets are available at www.snowglobemusicfestival.com Once Early Bird tickets sell out, Regular Single Day GA and VIP Tickets will immediately go on sale. All Single Day Tickets include a complimentary Shuttle Pass. Details on hours and routes can be found here. Extremely limited quantities of Last Chance 3-day packages are also available for purchase, here.
 
The premiere 3-night outdoor festival returns to its home in the sublime Sierra Nevada Mountains hosting over 50 artists performing on 3 stages, culminating with a breathtaking fireworks display to ring in 2018 with style. In addition to the dynamic lineup of artists, the unique winter festival offers seamless access to Tahoe’s multiple world-class resorts and 24-hour casinos, allowing patrons to enjoy the alpine setting by day and epic live performances at night – delivering the ultimate New Year’s celebration.
Marking its seventh year at Bijou Park on the Lake Tahoe Community College campus, SnowGlobe 2017 sees a newly improved layout. SG17 features 3 stages, new interactive art installations, and the return of SnowGlobe’s beloved Big Air activation – showcasing professional ski and snowboard demos in-between sets on the mainstage. Stay tuned for additional details about the SG17 festival layout, to be announced soon.
SnowGlobe is proud to once again partner with Hotels for Hope, its long-term exclusive lodging partner for SG17. For every night a lodging accommodation is booked by SnowGlobe patrons, a portion will be donated directly to the Lake Tahoe Boys & Girls Club. Picked as the official Hotels for Hope 2107 recipient, the Lake Tahoe Boys & Girls Club provides children and teens with a safe, positive and welcoming environment where they can have fun and enhance their education and experiences.

Visit www.snowglobemusicfestival.com to choose from dozens of nearby lodging options to fit a variety of needs and tastes.
 

SnowGlobe’s 2017 lineup by day is as follows
 
12/29 Lineup (Alphabetical order)
Basstracks
CREMES N LOTIONS
CVRSE
Khalid
Lophile
Louis Futon
Luca Lush
Manilla Killa
MELVV
Moon Boots
Option 4
Spag Heddy
The Floozies
Tokimonsta
Travis Scott
Troyboi
Tycho (DJ Set)
Zedd
 
12/30 Lineup (Alphabetical order)
Alexander Lewis
Claptone
Dillon Francis
Justin Martin
K?D
Kidnap Kid
Koan Sound
Krane
Lane 8
LP Giobbi
Madeon
Oliver Tree
Porter Robinson (DJ Set)
Syence
Vindata
 
12/31 (Alphabetical order)
Alison Wonderland
Brownies & Lemonade
Droeloe
E-40
Falcons
Graves
Gryffin
Jai Wolf
Joyzu
Justin Jay’s Fantastic Voyage
NOMBE
Oliver
OPIA
Petit Biscuit
Quinn XCII
San Holo
Shiba San
Snakehips
They.
 
Early Bird Single Day Tickets + Limited Last Chance 3-Day GA, VIP and Shuttle Passes are available now at www.snowglobemusicfestival.com
Sun, 11/26/2017 - 3:16 pm

Dripping Springs, TX musician Israel Nash, has released a new song, “Sutherland,” via a Crowdraise campaign to benefit The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence in honor of the Sutherland Springs, TX tragedy. Nash, a vocal supporter of responsible gun law reform, was deeply affected by the Texas shooting and wrote the new song in reflection of the latest American tragedy.

Israel Nash, about the campaign and song:

Sutherland Springs is a small town in Texas only 75 miles away, only a few country roads from my small town in Texas. We're not all that different really. We are both rural, close-knit communities, centered on agriculture and small business, where there are more cattle than people. We also loosely share a vast backyard of beautiful rolling landscape called the Hill Country. Even in name, Sutherland Springs isn't too different than my town of Dripping Springs, TX. So when tragedy struck my neighbors in the deadliest mass shooting in state history last week, it was truly close to home.

The day after the shooting, I wrote a song to cope with my feelings and perspective on the horror as it weighed heavy on me. It's not the first time I've written such a song in response to a mass shooting. I wrote a song after Representative Giffords and others were shot and killed in Arizona. I wrote one after Sandy Hook. And then one after San Bernardino. I wrote a song after a week of tragedies in Dallas, Baton Rouge, and Minneapolis. Sutherland was different though. It was in my backyard.

I’ve always felt pain, compassion, and even anger toward these vile acts and actors unique to the American experience, but this one being just a short distance away elicited a greater sense of fear within. A fear that this really could of been my town, to someone I knew, even me or unspeakably, my own family. These are the fears that disrupt the pursuit of our lives. Our daily activities - our schools, concerts, churches, our malls, movie theaters, and post offices, our airports, restaurants, and our streets.

2017 has easily been the deadliest year ever for American mass shootings with 112 deaths so far, not including those killed in Rancho Tehama, California just moments ago as I write this. Nor does it reflect the countless others killed this year by gun violence not classified as mass murder, such as traditional homicides, domestic disputes, suicides, and accidents. As American citizens, we are actually 25 times more likely to be shot and killed than those citizens of other developed countries. Yet one of our greatest promised unalienable rights is the pursuit of life itself which is in fact why governments were created in the first place, to simply protect the lives of its citizenry. Not only does our government have an obligation to fulfill their very function and purpose, their part of the social contract, they also represent an American people who now overwhelmingly support common-sense gun legislation that would reduce the frequency and impact of these tragedies.

About the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence:

For more than 40 years, the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence has been the leading national voice in the prevention of gun violence with an unrivaled history of success. The Brady Bill, which was signed into law in 1993, remains the single most effective gun violence prevention policy in history, with Brady background checks blocking more than 3 million sales of guns to prohibited purchasers such as domestic abusers, convicted violent criminals, and people with dangerous mental illnesses. In the words of President Bill Clinton, “countless people are alive today” because of the work of Jim and Sarah Brady and the Brady Center.

For more information about The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and their mission, please visit: https://www.bradycampaign.org

Thu, 11/30/2017 - 7:53 pm

Today, Electric Forest (EF) officially announced the initial artist lineup for the eighth annual music and camping festival in Rothbury, Michigan on June 21–June 24 and June 28–July 1, 2018. View the complete list of announced artists set to perform the First Weekend and Second Weekend HERE.

 For the 8th year in a row, Electric Forest welcomes back fan favorite The String Cheese Incident, performing two shows each weekend with the return of the SCI Sound Lab Live set featuring surprises and collaborations on the First Weekend, and EF’s famed SCI Saturday Night Shebang hosted on the Second Weekend. Also topping the bill on both weekends – BASSNECTAR, GRiZ Live Band, RÜFÜS DU SOL, and ZHU. Heavyweight Galantis will perform exclusively on the First Weekend. Marshmello will appear only on the Second Weekend. Additional artists are still to be announced.

 Other acts announced today include: Lil Dicky, Jauz, Green Velvet, Washed Out, Keys N Krates on the First Weekend and Testpilot, REZZ, Datsik, SuperDuperKyle, and Get Real on the Second Weekend. 

 Chromeo, Bonobo (Live), The Glitch Mob, Louis The Child, and Xavier Rudd are among additional artists who will be performing both weekends, many of them promising unique shows so that no two experiences are alike. Fans can expect to hear some of the acts unplugged, with unusual collaborations and sit-ins, performing special themed sets, and more.

 The first round of EF Curated Events were also announced today. Bassrush, This Ain't Bristol, Mr. Carmack presents Forward Thinkers, Green Velvet presents La La Land and other to be announced will host EF stages on the First Weekend. Bassrush returns for the Second Weekend, along with Mau5trap, Rüfüs & Friends, Desert Hearts and Soulection.

 In addition to memorable musical performances, both weekends of EF2018 will celebrate what truly makes The Forest magic. Electric Forest's Plug In Program features opportunities for the community to participate in shaping the EF experience, including The Wish Machine, Electricology, Her Forest, and more.  The Silent Disco, workshops and speakers, daily yoga, live art and immersive theater experiences throughout both weekends will offer adventure, exploration, and opportunities to more deeply connect with the unique energy of the Electric Forest and its community.

Today’s announcement comes after rumors of the festival’s 2018 artist lineup began to leak during an “Official 2018 Electric Forest Meet Up” event hosted at Necto Nightclub in Ann Arbor, Michigan on November 12. Hints on social media to the Forest Family, including the first ever EF event page other than the festival itself and a boots-on-the-ground scavenger hunt to "Follow the Elephant. Find the Intergalactic Deity," led curious and adventurous fans to Necto. There, EF’s beloved art installation “Ellie” the elephant rested outside, far from its home in Rothbury, Michigan. Inside the venue, the free event offered a secret set by Space Jesus, and throughout the night, Forest character actors performed skits, comedy, and drag shows, while clever hints revealed artists on EF’s 2018 lineup. Mock concert posters hung inside the venue revealed Noname, Spag Heddy, Xavier Rudd and others. Bar menu specialty drinks “Vodka SoDown” revealed SoDown, while “Sexy Socialite” referenced a Chromeo song. Phone numbers painted in lipstick on the bathroom mirror directed callers to a voice message by 2018 performers RÜFÜS DU SOL and CloZee.  On the toilet paper, a word scramble revealed Manic Focus. A projection mapping on the side of the venue displayed a word search that, when examined, revealed G Jones, Cookie Monsta, BUKU, Louis The Child, and more. In all – 24 of Electric Forest’s 160+ artists performing one or both weekends were leaked to attending fans, who spread the word on social media to their friends, followers and fellow Forest Family.  See the social media chatter on Facebook and Reddit and watch the event recap video HERE.

 The “Official 2018 Electric Forest Meet Up” event aligns with EF’s ongoing commitment to building and nurturing community by creating opportunities for Forest Family be part of the festival and to help shape the EF experience. In another demonstration of this spirit, the festival’s new fan participation initiative - The EF Wish Machine – encourages the Forest Family to spread positivity by granting wishes to Forest Family members in exchange for an act of human kindness. Follow the EF Wish Machine HERE.

Electric Forest recently released video created from footage captured during Electric Forest 2017. Watch the arresting visual art piece HERE.

Ticket Info:

Info on Wristband and Lodging Packages, including expanded 2018 Good Life Camping and Lodging options, can be found HERE.

Tue, 12/05/2017 - 12:18 pm

The video for Whiskey Shivers new song “Reckless” continues with the bands tradition of creating visually arresting and innovative videos.  Wadleigh’s concept was simple -  find a way to make a room that could spin in order to generate enough force to make the band stick to the walls – all while playing the song.  Enter a couple of MIT educated mechanical engineers, an army of volunteers, a 360 camera rig, and a bunch of breakable dinnerware and you get “Reckless.”  The band admits that contraption was a “DIY carnival ride that could have gone way wrong.”  Watch along here as Whiskey Shivers’ shenanigans unfold. For a full behind the scenes look of the making of “Reckless,” click here.

Whiskey Shivers are prepping to make their major film debut with the upcoming December 22nd, 2017 release of Pitch Perfect 3. The band, who appear in both acting and musical roles in the film, hit the big screen alongside returning cast members Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson and Hailee Steinfeld. The jump to movies was a natural progression for the fun-loving ‘trashgrass’ band, who have previously appeared on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, The Daily Show, and NBC’s Revolution. Whiskey Shivers are also known for catching the attention of fans and critics alike for their creative music videos, including ”Gimme All Your Lovin,” which went viral after being featured on the homepage of Reddit. Check out Whiskey Shivers featured in the Pitch Perfect 3 trailers here and here.

Whiskey Shivers are participating in a Reddit AMA today at 1 PM CST, which will be streamed live on Twitch, to discuss the making of the video and their upcoming movie debut in the feature film Pitch Perfect 3. To participate on Reddit, head to this link or watch on Twitch, here.

Check out the companion 360 VR video version of “Reckless” here.

About Whiskey Shivers:

A diverse group of masterfully talented musicians from Austin, TX,  whose punk-influenced style stands out from the traditional bluegrass world, Whiskey Shivers have made a name for themselves with their genre-pushing “trashgrass” sound.  On Some Part of Something, their fifth album, Whiskey Shivers hit their stride, refining their unique sound in the studio while still capturing the infectiously chaotic feeling of their legendary live shows. Despite their joyful demeanor and contagious energy, Whiskey Shivers’ songs are often heavy with traditional bluegrass themes and imagery lamenting universal struggles - work, pain, sin, regret and death. Infusing their songs with punk rock energy and a darkly comical light-heartedness, stretching the bluegrass genre to fit whatever they feel is right, it is in this contrast where Whiskey Shivers’ shine.

Fri, 12/15/2017 - 10:21 am

Chapel Hill’s esteemed indie Americana band Mipso and acclaimed bluegrass troubadour Ben Sollee and Kentucky Native co-headline a run of shows together in early 2018. Kicking off on February 27th, 2018 at Antone’s in Austin, TX, Mipso and Ben Sollee and Kentucky Native hit 10 cities across Texas and the mid-west before wrapping on March 9th at the International in Knoxville, TN.  See below for the complete list of stops for this co-headlining bill.

About Mipso:

Chapel Hill’s indie Americana quartet Mipso – Jacob Sharp (mandolin, vocals), Wood Robinson (bass, vocals), Joseph Terrell (guitar, vocals), and Libby Rodenbough (fiddle, vocals) – is influenced by the contradiction of its progressive home and the surrounding rural southern landscapes. Hailed as “hewing surprisingly close to gospel and folk while still sounding modern and secular” (Acoustic Guitar) and recently recognized by Rolling Stone as an "Artist You Need to Know Now," Mipso brings a distinctly unique sound – full of wistful beauty, hopeful undercurrents, and panoramic soundscapes.  Venturing ever-further from its string-band pedigree to discover a broader Americana where classic folk-rock and modern alt-country sounds mingle easily with Appalachian tradition, Mipso’s music is lush and forward moving, with lyrics that sear and salve in turn.  Mipso’s most recent album, Coming Down The Mountain (April 2017), debuted at # 3 on the Billboard Bluegrass Chart, #49 on The AMA Americana Radio Chart, and spent weeks at #1 on The Roots Music Report Top 50 Americana Country Album and Top 50 Country Album Chart.

About Ben Sollee and Kentucky Native:

Kentucky-born cellist and composer Ben Sollee likes to keep moving. Over the six years following the release of his debut record, Learning to Bend, Sollee and his rugged cello, Kay, told an unconventional story. Seeking a deeper connection to communities on the road, Ben packed his touring life on to his bicycle in 2009. Since then he has ridden over 5,000 miles! He has been invited to perform and speak on sustainability at a number of festivals including South by Southwest Music (2011), TEDx in San Diego (2012) and Richmond, VA (2017) and recently won the “New Normal Award” at the Telluride Mountain Film Festival (2017) for his documentary “Ditch The Van”. Closer to home, Ben has devoted a tremendous amount of energy to raising awareness about the practice of Mountain Top Removal Strip Mining in Central Appalachia. His 2010 collaborative album Dear Companion (Sub Pop) brought together fellow Kentucky artist Daniel Martin Moore with producer Jim James (My Morning Jacket) to shed light on the issue. In teaming up with international organizations such as Patagonia Clothing and Oxfam America, Ben has come to be known as a thoughtful activist and dedicated informer at shows. His most recent album Ben Sollee and Kentucky Native (2017) is an exploration of the bluegrass genre and the immigrant influence both old and new. “Bluegrass music is immigrant music. It's the music of Irish and Scottish musicians bringing their fiddle tunes; it is gospel music; it is African music; it is gypsy jazz; it is rock 'n' roll. It is all these things. What makes it unique and of Kentucky is that it was distilled by the people who lived here in Kentucky, and turned into something else.” However, Ben set out to examine what the genre might sound like today with more modern immigrant influence. “What does bluegrass music sound like today if we continue to include cultures that live here? I'm trying to continue the actual act of what bluegrass music was and is, rather than maintaining a tradition. Adding a node to the tradition.”

Fri, 12/15/2017 - 1:20 pm

Electric Forest hosts two distinct weekends for the eighth annual music and camping festival in Rothbury, Michigan on June 21–June 24 and June 28–July 1, 2018. Topping the bill on both weekends – The String Cheese Incident, BASSNECTAR, GRiZ Live Band, RÜFÜS DU SOL, and ZHU. Heavyweight DJ Duo Galantis will perform exclusively on the First Weekend. Marshmello will appear only on the Second Weekend. Additional artists performing one or both weekends include Lil Dicky, Jauz, Green Velvet, Washed Out, Keys N Krates, Testpilot, REZZ, Datsik, Chromeo, Bonobo (Live), The Glitch Mob, Louis The Child, Xavier Rudd and many others.  View the complete list of announced artists set to perform at Electric Forest 2018 HERE.

Today’s on-sale also includes Official Electric Forest Shuttle Passes departing from major cities around the festival which include Muskegon Airport, Grand Rapids Airport, and Chicago's O'Hare Airport. Information on Layaway Plans for all Wristband and Lodging Packages can be found HERE.

Tickets have been on-sale for the various EF2018 Loyalty Programs, including the new Six in the Forest Loyalty, Good Life Loyalty and GA Loyalty since December 7th; with many Good Life options selling quickly and limited quantities remaining. Read More about the EF Loyalty program here.

To stay up to date on all Electric Forest news, please visit www.electricforestfestival.com and the official Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube pages.

Electric Forest is produced by Insomniac and Madison House Presents.

About Electric Forest

Each summer, just as anticipation for the sold-out Electric Forest reaches fever pitch, tens of thousands of fans - traveling from all parts of the country, and the world, gather at the Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Michigan for the music & camping adventure of a lifetime.

Entering its eighth year, Electric Forest is known for bringing together a passionate group of fans whose shared community spirit makes the festival a truly unique experience. The festival incorporates the natural beauty of the venue into carefully crafted art pieces and creatively themed environments, while colorful interactive characters and storylines blend with eclectic performing artists and musicians.

With its astonishing and unparalleled integration of music, art and community, Electric Forest delivers “The ultimate festival experience.”  From the carefully curated musical lineup, to the jaw-dropping Sherwood Forest, to the festival’s unprecedented participatory spirit, to the site’s incomparable features and amenities - Electric Forest creates a vibe so thick with “camaraderie and freedom…it must be experienced to be appreciated.”

Electric Forest’s GOOD LIFE VIP experience offers unrivaled amenities and perks - from camping and RV spots, to log cabins and homes, to resort hotel-style suites – all located directly on the festival grounds. In addition, patrons can take advantage of the property’s many amenities including a 60,000 square foot indoor water park, an 18-hole championship golf course, swimming pools, horseback riding, and more.

At the heart of Electric Forest is the beloved Sherwood Forest. By day, fans collect among hundreds of hammocks that drape between the clustered trees. Intricate and earthy artful touches pop from the Forest’s myriad of installations and gathering spaces. At night, Sherwood Forest turns electric, showered with state-of-the-art, jaw-dropping light displays, impromptu “secret” parties, other-worldly characters, and surprises around every turn. “With no exaggeration at all, [Sherwood Forest is] the most well produced and artistically inspired area…ever seen at a music festival.”

Known for fully embracing the possibilities of an engaged festival community, Electric Forest’s Plug In Program deliberately blurs the line between event organizers and attendees.  With this truly unique “open source” fan engagement platform, Electric Forest harnesses the creativity and passion of its community members, offering real and tangible ways for fans to participate in and ultimately help shape the Electric Forest experience. This is a big deal, since for Electric Forest – experience trumps all.

Hailed as "an amazing example of how music and festivals can change one’s outlook on life," it’s widely understood that “one of the most important lessons [to be] learned in the Forest is that we are all together,” and this sense of community is truly “cherished [within the community] like the incredibly rare find it is.”

Sat, 12/23/2017 - 8:24 am

Whiskey Shivers make their major film debut today, December 22nd, 2017, with the national release of Pitch Perfect 3, directed by Trish Sie. The band appear as “Saddle Up” – a country inspired band who compete against the Bellas on a USO Tour. Whiskey Shivers show off their acting and musical skills in the film alongside returning cast members Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson and Hailee Steinfeld.

The jump to the big screen was a natural progression for the fun-loving ‘trashgrass’ band, who have previously appeared on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, The Daily Show, and NBC’s Revolution. Whiskey Shivers are also known for catching the attention of fans and critics alike for their creative music videos, including ”Gimme All Your Lovin,” which went viral after being featured on the homepage of Reddit. Most recently, Whiskey Shivers released the dizzying video for “Reckless,” filmed inside a gravity-warping box, which can be seen here. Check out Whiskey Shivers featured in the Pitch Perfect 3 trailers here and here and check them out as “Saddle Up” on the official Pitch Perfect 3 Soundtrack here.

Additionally, Whiskey Shivers today announce a new west coast tour supporting Railroad Earth. Kicking off on January 10th, 2018 at Pub Station in Billings, MT, Whiskey Shivers bring their raucous live show to 8 cities along the pacific northwest, before wrapping in San Francisco at the Warfield Theatre on January 20th, 2018. All announced shows are below and additional information can be found here.

About Whiskey Shivers:

A diverse group of masterfully talented musicians from Austin, TX,  whose punk-influenced style stands out from the traditional bluegrass world, Whiskey Shivers have made a name for themselves with their genre-pushing “trashgrass” sound.  On Some Part of Something, their fifth album, Whiskey Shivers hit their stride, refining their unique sound in the studio while still capturing the infectiously chaotic feeling of their legendary live shows. Despite their joyful demeanor and contagious energy, Whiskey Shivers’ songs are often heavy with traditional bluegrass themes and imagery lamenting universal struggles - work, pain, sin, regret and death. Infusing their songs with punk rock energy and a darkly comical light-heartedness, stretching the bluegrass genre to fit whatever they feel is right, it is in this contrast where Whiskey Shivers’ shine.

Whiskey Shivers on Tour Supporting Railroad Earth:

1/10/18

Pub Station

Billings, MT

1/11/18

The Wilma

Missoula, MT

1/12/18

The Neptune

Portland, OR

1/13/18

Roseland Theatre

Portland, OR

1/16/18

Ashland Armory

Ashland, OR

1/18/18

The Catalyst

Santa Cruz, CA

1/19/18

MontBleu Resort Showroom

Stateline, NV

1/20/18

Warfield Theatre

San Francisco, CA

Fri, 01/05/2018 - 6:48 pm

The 7th annual SnowGlobe Music Festival (SG17) returned this weekend to its gorgeous alpine home in South Lake Tahoe, California, to ring in the New Year. Taking place over three days and nights, SnowGlobe is the largest outdoor New Year’s Eve music festival in the country. A truly unique and inspiring experience, fans attended SG17, enjoying over 50 diverse artists performing on three stages, late night afterparties,  Big Air snowboard and ski showcases from local Sierra at Tahoe pro-athletes, nightly firework displays and more.

On Friday, December 29th, performances from rising R&B star Khalid, chart-topping DJ Zedd and hip-hop sensation Travis Scott helped kick off the three-day festival. Earlier that afternoon, fans anxiously waited for gates to open, anticipation high for the weekend of great music and fun ahead. Once inside the venue, fans enjoyed a newly re-designed festival site, offering plenty of room to dance, explore and celebrate with friends both new and old. SnowGlobe’s Sierra Stage hosted energetic sets from Luca Lush, Brasstracks, Manila Killa and TroyBoi, while The Igloo saw thrilling performances from Louis Futon, Moon Boots, TOKiMONSTA and a special Tycho DJ Set.

Day two of SnowGlobe 2017 continued on with electrifying results. With warm temperatures and a gorgeous California bluebird sky, SnowGlobers arrived early to catch Andrew Luce open the mainstage. Fan favorites followed, with Porter Robinson, Dillion Francis and Madeon keeping the Main Stage bumping into the night. Oliver Tree, Alexander Lewis, LP Giobbi and Kidnap Kid kept The Igloo grooving and sets from KRANE, Justin Martin and Lane 8 packed the Sierra Stage.

When New Year’s Eve arrived on Sunday, December 31st, fans were eager to ring in 2018 at Day three of the festival. Another mild and sunny afternoon, Opia opened up The Igloo. A stacked schedule at The Igloo followed, with performances from THEY., NoMBe, Justin Jay, Oliver and Shiba San. Over at the Sierra Stage, Brownies and Lemonade, San Holo and Jai Wolf thrilled the crowd. Highlights from the mainstage include Petit Biscuit, Snakehips, Gryffin, and E-40.

It wouldn’t be a SnowGlobe New Year’s without an epic countdown -- and Australian DJ and producer Alison Wonderland delivered a powerful and fun set to lead SG17 into the New Year. A huge fireworks display followed, ringing in the New Year with joy, hope, and inspiration.

Another thrilling SnowGlobe celebration has come to an end, ushering in 2018 with good vibes, music and love.

Thu, 01/25/2018 - 11:10 am

Today, acclaimed keyboardist and composer Kyle Hollingsworth (The String Cheese Incident) announces the release of his fourth solo studio album, 50, on March 2nd, 2018 via SCI Fidelity. In celebration of the album release and Hollingsworth’s 50th birthday, Hollingsworth has announced a run of album release shows along the Colorado front range, with shows in Fort Collins, Denver and Boulder on March 1st, 2nd and 3rd, respectively. All currently announced shows can be found below.

On 50, Hollingsworth commemorates his upcoming 50th birthday (March 2nd), reflecting on the various aspects and milestones of his life while shining a spotlight on his continual evolution as an artist. Written and recorded over a period of a year and a half, Hollingsworth collaborated on 50 for the first time in the studio with his current band lineup, stretching the creative process more so than previous solo releases.  Hollingsworth states, “We were able to explore and work together as a unit versus the other albums, where I would just bring them the songs and they would perform them as I told them to. I was able to be a lot more creative in the studio with my current lineup of musicians. I would show up with a smattering of ideas and say, ‘I think this is what’s gonna happen,’ and we’d sit down and knock out three or four songs together.”

Hollingsworth also called on special guest musicians and vocalists to join him on 50. While writing the album, Hollingsworth envisioned specific musicians on certain songs and instrumentations. On “Finding Our Way,” Andy Hall (The Infamous String Dusters) played dobro, while on the Motown-inspired “All Falls Apart” Hollingsworth called on The Motet Horns, and Jen Hartswick leant vocals to “Come On.” Other special guests on the album include DJ Logic, Jason Hann, Kim Dawson, Darren Kramer, Paige Sandusky and Tanya Shylock.

Kyle Hollingsworth: 50

In celebration of 50, Hollingsworth is excited to announce the national release of a new collaboration beer with SweetWater and Relix Magazine: Ground Score IPA, Limited Edition Dank Tank Brew. Hollingsworth is an avid home-brewer, who spends much of his time offstage creating world-class beer, with over 30 beer collaborations under his belt. Hollingsworth began home-brewing beer as a teen and quickly found the parallel between brewing and creating music. “I take chances in my music creation,” he says, “and I started seeing the parallels to how I brew beer. Once you get the basics under your fingers, you can start improvising.”

Hollingsworth’s teenage brewing hobby has since grown into a far reaching enterprise – he has hosted multiple beer festivals and charity events, and welcomes fans to try his brews all over the country as he often collaborates with local breweries to create beer along his tours.  Hollingsworth’s new collaboration beer, Ground Score IPA, will debut on February 7th at the Brooklyn Bowl launch party and hits retail shelves starting February 12th, 2018. Ground Score IPA will also be available at SweetWater’s 420 Fest in Atlanta, GA on April 20-22, where The String Cheese Incident will headline. Check out the full behind-the-brew story by Relix here.

Kyle Hollingsworth can be seen on tour this Spring in support of 50, with additional dates with The String Cheese Incident planned for Summer 2018. All announced dates are below, with more to be announced soon.

Connect with Kyle Hollingsworth at www.kylehollingsworth.com, and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Kyle Hollingsworth On Tour:

7-Feb

Brooklyn Bowl^

Brooklyn, NY

8-Feb

StageOne

Fairfield, CT

9-Feb

Funk 'N Waffles

Rochester, NY

10-Feb

Funk 'N Waffles

Syracuse, NY

1-Mar

Aggie Theatre*

Fort Collins, CO

2-Mar

Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom*#

Denver, CO

3-Mar

Boulder Theater*#%

Boulder, CO

24-27-May

Summer Camp Music Festival

Chillicothe, IL

 

^ Ground Score IPA Launch Party with BIG Something

* Kyle Hollingsworth Band with special guests Hot Buttered Rum

# Kyle Hollingsworth Band featuring Michael Kang, Jennifer Hartswick & The Motet Horns

% Mountain Sun presents a very special birthday set with Kyle & friends

Tue, 02/20/2018 - 10:41 am

North Carolina’s acclaimed indie-Americana quartet Mipso announce today an extensive Spring headline tour in support of their new album, Edges Run, out April 6th, 2018 via a freshly inked deal with AntiFragile Music. Mipso bring their distinctly unique sound - full of wistful beauty, hopeful undercurrents, and panoramic soundscapes - to 27 cities across North America, kicking off on April 6th in Jim Thorpe, PA at the Mauch-Chuck Opera House. From there, Mipso head up and down both the East and West Coasts and throughout the Midwest, to wrap on May 20th at Bell’s Café in Kalamazoo, MI. Joining Mipso on select dates are Tom Brosseau, Madison Cunningham, Sera Cahoone, Anna Tivel, Courtney Hartman and The Lowest Pair. All confirmed dates are below, with tickets available beginning Friday, February 23 at www.mipsomusic.com.

Additionally, Mipso can be seen on a co-headlining tour with acclaimed bluegrass troubadour Ben Sollee and Kentucky Native, kicking off on February 27th, 2018 at Antone’s in Austin, TX and visiting 10 cities across Texas and the mid-west before wrapping on March 9th at the International in Knoxville, TN. 

Mipso, influenced by the contradiction of its progressive home and the surrounding rural southern landscapes, is hailed as “hewing surprisingly close to gospel and folk while still sounding modern and secular” (Acoustic Guitar) and was recently recognized by Rolling Stone as an "Artist You Need to Know Now." The band’s 2017 record, Coming Down The Mountain debuted at # 3 on the Billboard Bluegrass Chart, #49 on The AMA Americana Radio Chart, and spent weeks at #1 on The Roots Music Report Top 50 Americana Country Album and Top 50 Country Album Chart.

 Stay tuned for more information about Mipso and their new album release Edges Run, to be announced soon.

 Recent Praise for Mipso
 
“Favorite Musical Picks for 2017” – Huffington Post

“Artists You Need To Know” – Rolling Stone

“Hits you like a beautiful kaleidoscope” – The Bluegrass Situation

“Something for everyone in Mipso” -  WRAL

“Mipso is poised for a breakout year” – Red Line Roots

MIPSO | BEN SOLLEE AND KENTUCKY NATIVE 2018 WINTER TOUR DATES:

2/27/18 - Antone's - Austin, TX

2/28/18 - Paper Tiger - San Antonio, TX

3/1/18 - Club Dada - Dallas, TX

3/2/18 - Opolis - Norman, OK

3/3/18 - Knucklehead's - Kansas City, OK

3/4/18 - Murdock's House Concert - Manhattan, KS

3/6/18 - Old Rock House - St. Louis, MO

3/7/18 - The Hi-Fi - Indianapolis, IN

3/8/18 - Woodward Theater - Cincinnati, OH

3/9/18 - The International - Knoxville, TN

MIPSO EDGES RUN ALBUM RELEASE TOUR - SPRING 2018

EAST

3/21/18 - The Foundry - Athens, GA

3/24/18 - Hogs for the Cause - New Orleans, LA

3/25/18 - Saturn - Birmingham, AL

4/6/18 - Mauch-Chuck Opera House - Jim Thorpe, PA *

4/7/18 - The Hamilton - Washington, DC *

4/10/18 - Harvester Performance Center - Rocky Mount, VA *

4/11/18 - The Camel - Richmond, VA *

4/13/18 - Visulite Theatre - Charlotte, NC *

4/14/18 - Savannah Music Festival - Savannah, GA

4/15/18 - Terminal West - Atlanta, GA *

4/19/18 - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY *

4/20/18 - Boot & Saddle - Philadelpiha, PA *

WEST

4/24/18 - Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA ^

4/25/18 - The Siren - Morro Bay, CA +

4/26/18 - The Catalyst - Santa Cruz, CA +

4/27/18 - Freight and Salvage - Berkeley, CA +

4/28/18 - Palms Playhouse - Winter, CA +

4/29/18 - Mystic Theater - Petaluma, CA +

5/1/18 - Axe and Fiddle - Cottage Grove, OR

5/2/18 - Domino Room - Bend, OR

5/3/18 - Doug Fir Lounge- Portland, OR ++

5/4/18 - Tractor Tavern - Seattle, WA ++

MIDWEST

5/11/18 - Carnegie Hall - Lewsiburg, VA **

5/12/18 - Mainstage - Morgantown, WV **

5/13/18 - Club Cafe - Pittsburgh, PA **

5/15/18 - The Ark - Ann Arbor, MI **

5/17/18 - Turf Club - St Paul, MN ^^

5/18/18 - TBA

5/19/18 - Lincoln Hall - Chicago, IL ^^

5/20/18 - Bell's Cafe - Kalamazoo, MI ^^

* w/ special guest Tom Brosseau

^ w/ Madison Cunningham

+ w/ Sera Cahoone

++ w/ Anna Tivel

** w/ Courtney Hartman

^^ w/ The Lowest Pair

MIPSO SUMMER TOUR DATES

6/14/18 - Blue Ox Music Festival - Eau Claire, WI

6/16/18 - Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival - Croton-On-Hudson, NY
8/16/18 - Green Mountain Bluegrass & Roots - Manchester, VT

Additional Mipso tour dates to be announced soon.

Mon, 02/26/2018 - 10:05 am

Today, Electric Forest (EF) announced the details of the highly anticipated 2018 Curated Event Series for the eighth annual music and camping festival in Rothbury, Michigan on June 21–June 24 and June 28–July 1.

In 2018, EF will its biggest Curated Event Series to date, collaborating with nine fellow musical tastemakers from around the globe to take part in curating the lineup and vibe of a distinct stage each night. Creating unique musical experiences within the festival itself, Electric Forest 2018 will join forces with noteworthy partners BASSRUSH, Desert Hearts, Green Velvet Presents LaLa Land, Mr. Carmack Presents Forward Thinkers, mau5trap, RÜFÜS DU SOL & Friends, Soulection and This Ain’t Bristol - delivering even more musical depth and diversity to Electric Forest’s already stellar lineup.

Read about EF’s 2018 Curated Event Series below, and visit the EF website for original EF Curated Events graphics, playlists and more.

Electric Forest’s 2018 Curated Event Series details are as follows:
 
EF2018 First Weekend

BASSRUSH
Featuring Cookie Monsta, Dimension, Fury, Herobust, Jauz, Kayzo, Matrix & Futurebound, Moody Good, Noisia, Um…, MC Dino
(Friday, June 22 on Tripolee)
Since the early 2000’s, BASSRUSH has focused on cultivating and curating the very best of the ever expanding world of drum ‘n’ bass, trap, dubstep, and bass music. BASSRUSH returns to Electric Forest’s Tripolee Stage for the fifth year in a row to showcase an unparalleled dancefloor experience centered on thick vibes and world-class talent. Staying true to its roots, their EF2018 curated events showcase artists from a broad range of bass genres and sub-genres, introduce exciting new acts alongside world-class heavy hitters.

Green Velvet Presents LaLa Land
Featuring Camelphat B2B Detlef, Green Velvet, Kerri Chandler, Hill Frenzy, Nicole Moudaber, Seth Troxler (Thursday, June 21 on Tripolee)
Hosted by Chicago’s house music renaissance man Green Velvet, LaLa Land will feature house and techno grooves from around the world. In Green Velvet’s own words, “I want my fans to feel transported to a place only experienced in their dreams.”

Mr. Carmack Presents Forward Thinkers
Featuring Devin The Dude, Mr. Carmack, Natalie Cressman, Rayana Jay, Sam Gellaitry, Tsuruda

(Friday, June 22 on Forest Stage)

Constantly translating personal experience into his craft, Mr. Carmack finds inspiration from a range of sources.  For this EF2018 Curated Event, Mr. Carmack returns to Electric Forest and bring a lineup of EF first-time artists spanning rap, electronic, soul and jazz genres.  As Mr. Carmack promises, “It has always been a vision and goal of mine to incorporate different moods and genres that change over the course of the day.  With the beautiful and surreal setting of the Forest, I think it’s important to take fans on a question through various moods and feelings…”

This Ain’t Bristol
Featuring Billy Kenny, MAXIMONO, Kyle Watson, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (DJ Set), Golf Clap, Mat.Joe, Kay Wolf and Good Vibes Soundclash

(Saturday, June 23 on Forest Stage)

Germany based House music imprint This Ain’t Bristol is committed to blurring borders and cultural comfort zones.  For EF, they host lineup of like-minded artists from around the world.  “We feel blessed to be able to be a part of probably one of the richest festivals we’ve heard of when it comes to good vibes and community spirit… can’t wait to shake a leg with you out there.”
 
EF2018 Second Weekend
 
BASSRUSH
Featuring Boogie B2B Squnto, Boombox Cartel, Calyx & Teebee, Clozee, Datsik, G Jones B2B EPROM, Netsky (DJ Set), Spage Heddy, Quix
(Friday, June 29 on Tripolee)
Since the early 2000’s, BASSRUSH has focused on cultivating and curating the very best of the ever expanding world of drum ‘n’ bass, trap, dubstep, and bass music. BASSRUSH returns to Electric Forest’s Tripolee Stage for the fifth year in a row to showcase an unparalleled dancefloor experience centered on thick vibes and world-class talent. Staying true to its roots, their EF2018 curated events showcase artists from a broad range of bass genres and sub-genres, introduce exciting new acts alongside world-class heavy hitters.

Desert Hearts
Featuring Mikey Lion, Marbs, Lee Reynolds, Porky, and Special Guests Doc Martin and Rybo
(Saturday, June 30 on Forest Stage)
Starting as an intimate gathering in the Mojave Desert, and transcending into a global movement, Desert Hearts has built a legacy of love, dance, and togetherness.  Committed to creating beautiful community-oriented house and techno gatherings, achieving a memorable energetic balance, while maintaining high musical integrity that focuses on the progression of the underground movement. “Our whole Desert Family is so excited to bring the vibes to EF2018!”

RÜFÜS DU SOL & Friends

Featuring Cassian, Dena Amy, Hayden James (DJ Set), Motez, RÜFÜS DU SOL (DJ Set)

(Friday, June 29 on Tripolee)

RÜFÜS DU SOL returns to Electric Forest for both weekends this year, and for Weekend 2 hosts their curated event RÜFÜS DU SOL & Friends, featuring fellow Australian artists. “Hayden James, Motez, Cassian and Dena Amy are all going to bring a vibe, stoked that we get to spin a DJ set to close the party.”

mau5trap Curated Event

Featuring Attlas, Blackgummy, Chris Lake, Claptone, Jeremy Olander, Rinzen, TESTPILOT, Lane 8

(Saturday, June 30 on Tripolee)

deadmau5's Canadian imprint mau5trap hosts label artists on the Second Weekend of EF2018.  “Bringing our records to the Second Weekend of Electric Forest 2018 is a dream, and we can’t wait to share it with the Forest Family.”

Soulection Curated Event

Featuring Abjo, Insightful, Kronika, Sasha Marie, The Whooligan

(Sunday, July 1 on Forest Stage)

Bringing together all forms of progressive music, Soulection is an independent music collectively committed to bringing visibility to meaningful music and curating memorable experiences.  For EF2018, Soulection promises to bring “an array of styles to amplify and soothe the spirit [to] EF…a magical place, unlike any other festival in the world.”

Full Lineup Details for Curated Events can be seen HERE.

Tickets for EF2018 are on sale now.  Good Life VIP Package availability is limited.  Tickets and information HERE.

To stay up to date on all Electric Forest news, please visit www.electricforestfestival.com and the official Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube pages.

Mon, 03/12/2018 - 10:09 am

North Carolina’s acclaimed indie-Americana quartet Mipso release their fourth album, Edges Run, on April 6th, 2018 (AntiFragile Music). The band will begin an extensive North American album release tour on Edges Run release date, hitting 30+ markets throughout the United States through mid-May, with summer dates still to be announced. Visit www.mipsomusic.com to view the current list of Mipso’s upcoming tour dates.

Mipso has always been a creative democracy, and on Edges Run the band takes this ideal to greater lengths than ever before. “We’re four personalities with different ways of telling stories who hope to tell a stronger story collectively,” says vocalist, fiddle player and songwriter Libby Rodenbough of bandmates Jacob Sharp (vocalist, mandolinist and songwriter), Joseph Terrell (vocalist, guitarist, songwriter) and Wood Robinson (vocalist, bassist). “Working so closely forces all of your edges to rub up against each other.”

“We’d all seen a lot of change in a short period,” says Sharp of the time between the band’s recent 2016 release, Coming Down The Mountain, and Edges Run - recorded in early 2017. “Three of us moved out of the Triangle area and into other places. We had relationships end and deaths of friends and family members.”

Those events alone could account for the deeply introspective themes on Edges Run, recorded during the dead of winter in Eugene, Oregon. “We were beginning to feel, probably for the first time, that youth was more behind us than ahead, and so I think we were all feeling different pressures closing in,” says Sharp. So the band took a step back to consider their songs-in-progress — and took a leap of faith in traveling far from their North Carolina comfort zone to record in Oregon with producer (and bassist) Todd Sickafoose (Ani DiFranco, Andrew Bird, Anaïs Mitchell).

They carried with them into the sessions a desire to stretch themselves beyond previously known roads of composition and performance. For the first time, Mipso came to the studio with sketches of songs rather than fully-fleshed arrangements and decided to co-write songs together, also a first for the band.

“We decided to let ourselves explore new ideas and new sounds for this album, not knowing quite what that would feel like. We had to trust that the end result would sound honest, would sound like us,” says Terrell.

Call it a new level of confidence or a developing collective consciousness, but with five years as a band and hundreds of nights on the road together, with the release of Edges Run Mipso retains its traditional roots while becoming thoroughly modern, intuitive musicians with the ability to transcend conventions and embrace what lies ahead.

“We have a better idea of what we can do, and how we want to do it,” says Sharp.

Thu, 03/15/2018 - 12:55 pm

TheBigWonderful returns to celebrate its fifth season in Colorado, hosting BEERFEST, BLUEGRASS, and BAZAAR at multiple locations this Spring. Kicking off on Saturday, April 7th at Winter Park Resort, TheBigWonderful continues its tradition of revitalizing and reinventing spaces with additional events at the old Denver Post Headquarters in Globeville on May 5-6th and Stanley Marketplace on May 19-20th. Tickets and vendor lineups for all of TheBigWonderful’s spring events can be found at www.thebigwonderful.com.

WINTER PARK

with special guest Trout Steak Revival

Heading to the mountains for the first time, TheBigWonderful is excited to bring its signature BEERFEST*BLUEGRASS*BAZAAR to Winter Park Resort on April 7th, 2018.  TheBigWonderful takes over the base of the classic Colorado ski resort from 12PM - 5PM with over 20 innovative craft vendors sharing their creations. Attendees can enjoy après ski fun with 10 local breweries and cideries on site pouring unlimited samples of their best libations and music from local bluegrass favorites Trout Steak Revival and That Damn Sasquatch. General admission is free and $35 BEERFEST tickets are available for purchase in advance HERE.

TheBigWonderful Winter Park Tickets & Info HERE.

DENVER - DERBY WEEKEND

Returning to the old Denver Post headquarters in Globeville (4400 Fox St.) on Saturday May 5th and Sunday May 6th from 12PM-6PM, TheBigWonderful is ready to celebrate its 5th anniversary in true Denver style. The 5th anniversary of  Derby Weekend welcomes over 80 of the city’s best craft vendors and makers, a selection of the tastiest Denver food trucks serving up a diverse menu, and a stacked BEERFEST with over 20 breweries, cideries, wineries and distilleries pouring unlimited samples throughout the weekend. Falling on Cinco de Mayo and Kentucky Derby weekend, TheBigWonderful will have drink specials, the big race playing on multiple TVs and many more family, and dog, friendly activities planned. Saturday’s soundtrack is provided by Part & Parcel, Jauntgrass and Banshee with a very special Colorado music experience to be announced for Sunday. General Admission Tickets are free with RSVP HERE. General Admission Tickets are $5 in advance, and $7 at the door after 1PM and includes a free beer for attendees 21+. $25 Early Bird BEERFEST tickets go onsale on Friday, March 16th at 10AM HERE. The initial lineup of BAZAAR vendors and BEERFEST makers can be found HERE.

TheBigWonderful Denver Tickets & Info HERE.

STANLEY MARKETPLACE

On May 19-20th, Stanley Marketplace welcomes the return of TheBigWonderful to the Hanger at Stanley and the outside patio. Wake Up & Live will be jammin’ Bob Marley tunes all day Saturday and Sunday welcomes bluegrass from Heartstring Hunters and a special Pickin’ on Talking Heads set from That Damn Sasquatch. Over 60 makers are confirmed for the BAZAAR with an additional 15+ breweries and cideries onsite for BEERFEST. Open from 12PM-6PM on the 19th & 20th, general admission is free with RSVP HERE. General Admission Tickets are $5 in advance, and $7 at the door after 1PM and includes a free beer for attendees 21+. BEERFEST Tickets are on sale Friday, March 16th HERE, $25 in advance, $35 at the door. Dogs are welcome on leash and free admission for kids under 12.

TheBigWonderful Stanley Marketplace Tickets & Info HERE.

About TheBigWonderful

TheBigWonderful is proud to celebrate their fifth year showcasing its unique platform for hundreds of Denver Metro area small business to sell their goods to a family (and dog) friendly audience, and bring the BEERFEST*BLUEGRASS*BAZAAR magic to new communities across Colorado. TheBigWonderful takes pride in gathering communities around good music, locally sourced food and drinks, and good fun. TBW and its community are strong believers in the “Buy Local” and “Leave No Trace” ethos. TheBigWonderful is proud to work alongside non-profit partner, Revision. A  portion of the proceeds from Derby Weekend will go toward furthering Revision’s mission of creating thriving, resilient neighborhoods.

Thu, 03/22/2018 - 10:13 am

This spring, the New York Guitar Festival and Arts Brookfield will present two days of performances devoted entirely to classical and flamenco Spanish guitar music at Brookfield Place. 

In recent years, the Festival has focused on taking the guitar into unlikely spaces, such as a day and night of ragas, or within the medieval ambience of The Met’s Cloisters Museum, or casting it as the new “voice” of silent films. It’s been more than a decade – not since the 2006 Spanish Marathon – that the Festival has specifically concentrated on the country most listeners think of when they hear classical guitar.

“Los Sonidos de España/The Sounds of Spain” casts a fresh glance at standard classics and flamenco roots. Joining us are two legendary guitarists, Sharon Isbin and Pepe Romero, who will perform solo and in duos with special guests in the evening concerts. For our afternoon matinees, we welcome two artists who blur the lines between classical and flamenco – Adam del Monte and Marija Temo. Expect some singing and dancing during their sets!

“A quintessential emblem of Spain, Flamenco is an art form that originated in the southern province of Andalusia. A fusion of Moorish, Gypsy, Jewish and Spanish cultures, it has historically been the musical outlet of the poor and oppressed. Flamenco never tells a story, it is more of a "cry in the dark" with the artists lamenting of their plight, ” explains David Spelman, the Artistic Director of the New York Guitar Festival . Spelman adds, “ guitar playing (toque) is one of the three pillars of Flamenco, the other two being singing (cante) and dance (baile). And while the guitar has a central role in accompanying singers and dancers, it has developed into a solo artform on its own.”

Two-time Grammy Award-winner, Sharon Isbin commented: " I'm thrilled to return to the NYGF to celebrate music from the rich, magnificent tradition of Spain, with its seductive passion, yearning, nostalgia and joy!”

“We’re thrilled to welcome back the New York Guitar Festival for its 10t h year at Brookfield Place, ” said Elysa Marden, Vice President, Arts Brookfield . “ By bringing these world-class artists to the Winter Garden, The Sounds of Spain performances are sure to electrify guests and excite a wide range of guitar enthusiasts.”

All events are FREE to attend and will be held in the Winter Garden at Brookfield Place (230 Vesey Street). PROGRAM:

Friday, May 18 - 12:30PM 

Marija Temo 

Triple threat Marija Temo does it all: she sings, dances, and fiercely plays flamenco guitar. Praised for her formidable chops, Temo plays a guitar specifically tailored to the nuances of both classical and flamenco; she co-designed this unique instrument with luthier Tom Rodriguez. Although immersed in flamenco tradition, Temo also plays pop crossover and solos with symphonies. Composer Loris Ohannes Chobanian wrote the Concierto del Fuego especially as a showcase for Temo’s individual synthesis of classical rigor and Spanish style. She performed in Fuego Ibérico, a flamenco musical inspired by cabaret. Currently, she serves as Guitar Chair at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. Temo received a Master’s degree from the Peabody Conservatory, where she studied with Manuel Barrueco. Her solo recital at this year’s NYGF marks her first appearance at the Festival since “Audible Cloisters” in 2016.

Friday, May 18 - 7:30PM
Pepe Romero 

Classical guitar legend and Festival friend Pepe Romero returns to the NYGF for the first time since 2014. On that occasion, Romero gave an all-Bach recital. This time, the maestro will pay tribute to his father, Celedonio Romero, and the music of Spain, particularly that of his native Málaga. Romero will focus on flamenco guitar, bringing with him a to-be-announced roster of special guests, singers, and dancers. Among his celebrated accomplishments, Romero has premiered works – composed especially for him – by Rodrigo and Torroba. He’s recorded more than 60 albums across his career, 30 of which were as part of a quartet with his father and brothers in The Romeros, an ensemble widely regarded as “The Royal Family of the Guitar.” In addition to championing new works for the instrument, Romero has also rescued previously lost concerti by Giuliani and Carulli, among others, bringing them out of the archives and into the light. 

Saturday, May 19 - 12:30PM
Adam del Monte, with special guests Sonia Olla and Ismael Fernández 

Known for the introspective lyricism of his classical guitar style as well as the exuberant spontaneity of his flamenco repertoire, Adam del Monte delights and moves audiences with his mastery of both art forms. In addition to performing iconic works by Albéniz and Tárrega, del Monte has composed two concertos for flamenco guitar and orchestra. His most recent recording, Asi lo siento yo, features collaborations with other flamenco musicians in songs that integrate aspects of tango, jazz, and Gypsy soul. Del Monte has also made music for the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, Osvaldo Golijov, and film composer John Williams. Joining del Monte for his afternoon program will be the flamenco dancer and choreographer Sonia Olla (described by the New York Times as “a furnace of earthy sensuality”) and her partner, the Seville-born cantadore Ismael Fernández.

Saturday, May 19 - 7:30PM
Sharon Isbin, with guest artist Romero Lubambo 

New York Guitar Festival proudly welcomes back Sharon Isbin, whose performance last year was a major highlight of the 2017 Festival. This time, Isbin’s program will feature a combination of solos and duos with her guest, the Brazilian jazz guitarist Romero Lubambo. Isbin and Lubambo, who performed together in the award-winning documentary Sharon Isbin: Troubadour, share a lyrical sensibility that makes their duets a natural elision of improvisation, classical music, and cross-cultural exploration. A two-time Grammy winner and founder of the guitar department at Juilliard, Isbin has premiered works by Tan Dun, John Corigliano, and Christopher Rouse, among other composers, that were written especially for her. Isbin’s most recent recording, Alma Española, pairs her with the mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard for a set of Spanish art songs by Montsalvatge, Agustín Lara, and Lorca. Hailed as much for her “mesmerizing finesse” as for the range of her repertoire, Isbin has recorded everything from Baroque and Renaissance to contemporary classical to Latin American traditions in Journey to the Amazon.

ABOUT NEW YORK GUITAR FESTIVAL 

Exploring virtually every aspect of the guitar’s personality, the New York Guitar Festival, since 1999, has presented many of the world’s most influential guitarists at Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Sawdust, (Le) Poisson Rouge, 92nd Street Y, Brookfield Place Winter Garden and other iconic venues, large and small. From multi Grammy-winners to emerging artists, NYGF performers have included masters of the classical repertoire (Pepe Romero, Christopher Parkening, Ana Vidović, Nigel North) as well as blues & jazz (Taj Mahal, Bucky Pizzarelli, Bill Frisell, Sonny Landreth), pop & indie rock (Vernon Reid, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Iver, Andy Summers, Thurston Moore), and folk & Americana (Levon Helm, Emmylou Harris, Cindy Cashdollar, Leo Kottke) as well as sounds of Central & South America (Badi Assad, Yamandu Costa, Vinicius Cantuária) and genre-defying innovators (Kaki King, David Torn, Daniel Lanois, Bryce Dessner). The New York Guitar Festival: music from across the centuries. . . and music yet to be.

ABOUT ARTS BROOKFIELD 

Arts Brookfield presents exciting, world-class cultural experiences to hundreds of thousands of people for free each year in both indoor and outdoor public spaces at Brookfield’s premier office properties in New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Houston, Washington, D.C., London, Toronto, Perth and Sydney. From concerts, theater and dance to film screenings and art exhibitions, Arts Brookfield brings public spaces to life through art. Visit www.ArtsBrookfield.com for a complete schedule of events. 

Fri, 04/06/2018 - 3:41 pm

Today, North Carolina’s acclaimed indie-Americana quartet Mipso release their fourth album, Edges Run (April 6th, 2018 | AntiFragile Music). Edges Run is available now on all digital service platforms and for physical purchase at www.mipsomusic.com. The band begins their extensive album release tour tonight, hitting 30+ markets throughout the US through mid-May, with additional summer dates to be announced. The current list of confirmed Mipso tour dates is included below.

 Edges Run Now Available Worldwide for Streaming/ Download.

Edges Run is receiving early praise from critics and fans alike. The album’s first two singles -  “People Change” and the title track “Edges Run” - receiving over 755K streams on Spotify in the few weeks they have been available, with Spotify Playlist listeners nearing 15 million and featured on “Relax & Unwind,” “Afternoon Acoustic,” “Fresh Folk,” “Morning Acoustic,” “Pulse of Americana,” “Roots Rising” and many others.

Edges Run was recently named “Best New Music” by American Songwriter Magazine, with PopMatters encouraging listeners to “...enjoy making multiple runs through ‘Edges Run’ to let its tried-and-true virtues — from intricate harmonies to magnetic musicianship to splendid storytelling — soak in before feeling an emotional rush that you'll want to experience again and again.” No Depression reviews, “Mipso balances heavy heartbreak and introspection with poppy, good-times acoustic pop. It's a good spectrum for the quartet, in that it allows for a wide sonic and emotional range.”

Mipso has always been a creative democracy, and on Edges Run the band takes this ideal to greater lengths than ever before. “We’d all seen a lot of change in a short period,” says Sharp of the time between the band’s recent 2016 release, Coming Down The Mountain, and Edges Run - recorded in early 2017. “Three of us moved out of the Triangle area and into other places. We had relationships end and deaths of friends and family members.”

Those events alone could account for the deeply introspective themes on Edges Run, recorded during the dead of winter in Eugene, Oregon. “We were beginning to feel, probably for the first time, that youth was more behind us than ahead, and so I think we were all feeling different pressures closing in,” says Sharp. So the band took a step back to consider their songs-in-progress — and took a leap of faith in traveling far from their North Carolina comfort zone to record in Oregon with producer (and bassist) Todd Sickafoose (Ani DiFranco, Andrew Bird, Anaïs Mitchell).

They carried with them into the sessions a desire to stretch themselves beyond previously known roads of composition and performance. For the first time, Mipso came to the studio with sketches of songs rather than fully-fleshed arrangements and decided to co-write songs together, also a first for the band. Call it a new level of confidence or a developing collective consciousness, but with five years as a band and hundreds of nights on the road together, with the release of Edges Run Mipso retains its traditional roots while becoming thoroughly modern, intuitive musicians with the ability to transcend conventions and embrace what lies ahead.

“We have a better idea of what we can do, and how we want to do it,” says Sharp.

Mon, 04/30/2018 - 11:40 am

As TheBigWonderful prepares to celebrate its 5th anniversary this upcoming weekend, May 5th & 6th at the Old Denver Post Building, Denver’s premiere popup curators behind BEERFEST, BLUEGRASS and BAZAAR are excited to announce a special Leftover Salmon Something Higher record release performance and album signing on Sunday, May 6th at TheBigWonderful. Leftover Salmon will join the big birthday and Derby weekend bash, performing their signature slamgrass and music off their new album on Sunday at 3 PM. The Colorado bluegrass legends will be selling and signing copies of their new album Something Higher (available May 4th, 2018) onsite after their performance, adding a unique record store experience to the Bazaar.

TheBigWonderful are excited to ring in its 5th birthday at the old Denver Post headquarters in Globeville (4400 Fox St.) on Saturday, May 5th and Sunday, May 6th from 12PM-6PM. The 5th anniversary of Derby Weekend welcomes over 100 of the city’s best craft vendors and makers, a selection of the tastiest Denver food trucks serving up a diverse menu, and a stacked BEERFEST with over 20 breweries, cideries and distilleries pouring unlimited samples throughout the weekend. Falling on Cinco de Mayo and Kentucky Derby weekend, TheBigWonderful will have drink specials, the big race playing on multiple TVs, yoga Saturday morning from 11:30am – 12:30pm hosted by YogaPod, and many more family -- and dog -- friendly activities planned.

Saturday’s soundtrack is provided by Part & Parcel, The Jauntee’s ‘Jauntgrass’ and Banshee Tree with Leftover Salmon giving a special performance on Sunday. GA tickets are $5 and BEERFEST tickets are $35 in advance here. Tickets at the door are $7 for GA and $40 for BEERFEST. The lineup of BAZAAR vendors and BEERFEST makers can be found here.

Please stay tuned for more information about additional TheBigWonderful events coming this Spring and Summer,  including TheBigWonderful at Stanley  Marketplace on May 19th  & 20th, 2018 and in Downtown Littleton on Saturday, May 26th, 2018 by joining our mailing list or visiting www.thebigwonderful.com.

Wed, 05/02/2018 - 11:14 am

This spring, the New York Guitar Festival and Arts Brookfield will present two days of performances devoted entirely to classical and flamenco Spanish guitar music at Brookfield Place.

In recent years, the Festival has focused on taking the guitar into unlikely spaces, such as a day and night of ragas, or within the medieval ambience of The Met’s Cloisters Museum, or casting it as the new “voice” of silent films. It’s been more than a decade – not since the 2006 Spanish Marathon – that the Festival has specifically concentrated on the country most listeners think of when they hear classical guitar.

“Los Sonidos de España/The Sounds of Spain” casts a fresh glance at standard classics and flamenco roots. Joining us are two legendary guitarists, Sharon Isbin and Pepe Romero, who will perform solo and in duos with special guests in the evening concerts. For our afternoon matinees, we welcome two artists who blur the lines between classical and flamenco – Adam del Monte and Marija Temo. Expect some singing and dancing during their sets!

“A quintessential emblem of Spain, Flamenco is an art form that originated in the southern province of Andalusia. A fusion of Moorish, Gypsy, Jewish and Spanish cultures, it has historically been the musical outlet of the poor and oppressed. Flamenco never tells a story, it is more of a "cry in the dark" with the artists lamenting of their plight, ” explains David Spelman, the Artistic Director of the New York Guitar Festival . Spelman adds, “ guitar playing (toque) is one of the three pillars of Flamenco, the other two being singing (cante) and dance (baile). And while the guitar has a central role in accompanying singers and dancers, it has developed into a solo artform on its own.”

Two-time Grammy Award-winner, Sharon Isbin commented: " I'm thrilled to return to the NYGF to celebrate music from the rich, magnificent tradition of Spain, with its seductive passion, yearning, nostalgia and joy! ” 

“We’re thrilled to welcome back the New York Guitar Festival for its 10t h year at Brookfield Place, ” said Elysa Marden, Vice President, Arts Brookfield . “ By bringing these world-class artists to the Winter Garden, The Sounds of Spain performances are sure to electrify guests and excite a wide range of guitar enthusiasts .” 

All events are FREE to attend and will be held in the Winter Garden at Brookfield Place (230 Vesey Street). PROGRAM : 

Friday, May 18 - 12:30PM 

Marija Temo 

Triple threat Marija Temo does it all: she sings, dances, and fiercely plays flamenco guitar. Praised for her formidable chops, Temo plays a guitar specifically tailored to the nuances of both classical and flamenco; she co-designed this unique instrument with luthier Tom Rodriguez. Although immersed in flamenco tradition, Temo also plays pop crossover and solos with symphonies. Composer Loris Ohannes Chobanian wrote the Concierto del Fuego especially as a showcase for Temo’s individual synthesis of classical rigor and Spanish style. She performed in Fuego Ibérico, a flamenco musical inspired by cabaret. Currently, she serves as Guitar Chair at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. Temo received a Master’s degree from the Peabody Conservatory, where she studied with Manuel Barrueco. Her solo recital at this year’s NYGF marks her first appearance at the Festival since “Audible Cloisters” in 2016. 

Friday, May 18 - 7:30PM
Pepe Romero 

Classical guitar legend and Festival friend Pepe Romero returns to the NYGF for the first time since 2014. On that occasion, Romero gave an all-Bach recital. This time, the maestro will pay tribute to his father, Celedonio Romero, and the music of Spain, particularly that of his native Málaga. Romero will focus on flamenco guitar, bringing with him a to-be-announced roster of special guests, singers, and dancers. Among his celebrated accomplishments, Romero has premiered works – composed especially for him – by Rodrigo and Torroba. He’s recorded more than 60 albums across his career, 30 of which were as part of a quartet with his father and brothers in The Romeros, an ensemble widely regarded as “The Royal Family of the Guitar.” In addition to championing new works for the instrument, Romero has also rescued previously lost concerti by Giuliani and Carulli, among others, bringing them out of the archives and into the light. 

Saturday, May 19 - 12:30PM
Adam del Monte, with special guests Sonia Olla and Ismael Fernández 

Known for the introspective lyricism of his classical guitar style as well as the exuberant spontaneity of his flamenco repertoire, Adam del Monte delights and moves audiences with his mastery of both art forms. In addition to performing iconic works by Albéniz and Tárrega, del Monte has composed two concertos for flamenco guitar and orchestra. His most recent recording, Asi lo siento yo, features collaborations with other flamenco musicians in songs that integrate aspects of tango, jazz, and Gypsy soul. Del Monte has also made music for the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, Osvaldo Golijov, and film composer John Williams. Joining del Monte for his afternoon program will be the flamenco dancer and choreographer Sonia Olla (described by the New York Times as “a furnace of earthy sensuality”) and her partner, the Seville-born cantadore Ismael Fernández. 

Saturday, May 19 - 7:30PM
Sharon Isbin, with guest artist Romero Lubambo 

New York Guitar Festival proudly welcomes back Sharon Isbin, whose performance last year was a major highlight of the 2017 Festival. This time, Isbin’s program will feature a combination of solos and duos with her guest, the Brazilian jazz guitarist Romero Lubambo. Isbin and Lubambo, who performed together in the award-winning documentary Sharon Isbin: Troubadour, share a lyrical sensibility that makes their duets a natural elision of improvisation, classical music, and cross-cultural exploration. A two-time Grammy winner and founder of the guitar department at Juilliard, Isbin has premiered works by Tan Dun, John Corigliano, and Christopher Rouse, among other composers, that were written especially for her. Isbin’s most recent recording, Alma Española, pairs her with the mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard for a set of Spanish art songs by Montsalvatge, Agustín Lara, and Lorca. Hailed as much for her “mesmerizing finesse” as for the range of her repertoire, Isbin has recorded everything from Baroque and Renaissance to contemporary classical to Latin American traditions in Journey to the Amazon.

ABOUT NEW YORK GUITAR FESTIVAL 

Exploring virtually every aspect of the guitar’s personality, the New York Guitar Festival, since 1999, has presented many of the world’s most influential guitarists at Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Sawdust, (Le) Poisson Rouge, 92nd Street Y, Brookfield Place Winter Garden and other iconic venues, large and small. From multi Grammy-winners to emerging artists, NYGF performers have included masters of the classical repertoire (Pepe Romero, Christopher Parkening, Ana Vidović, Nigel North) as well as blues & jazz (Taj Mahal, Bucky Pizzarelli, Bill Frisell, Sonny Landreth), pop & indie rock (Vernon Reid, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Iver, Andy Summers, Thurston Moore), and folk & Americana (Levon Helm, Emmylou Harris, Cindy Cashdollar, Leo Kottke) as well as sounds of Central & South America (Badi Assad, Yamandu Costa, Vinicius Cantuária) and genre-defying innovators (Kaki King, David Torn, Daniel Lanois, Bryce Dessner). The New York Guitar Festival: music from across the centuries. . . and music yet to be.

Mon, 05/14/2018 - 8:45 pm

The Drunken Hearts, Colorado’s eclectic Americana rock band, announce today a full Spring and Summer North American tour in support of their newly released album, The Prize. The Drunken Hearts bring their signature Americana-country-folk blend to 20 cities across North America, kicking off on May 24th at The Atomic Cowboy in St. Louis, MO. From there, The Drunken Hearts make their way through the Heartland, Texas, Colorado and the West Coast, with stops at major festivals like SummerCamp in Illinois and the Northwest String Summit in Oregon, before wrapping with a hometown show on August 25th in Boulder, CO at the Boulder Theater. All currently confirmed dates are listed below, with tickets available at www.thedrunkenhearts.com

From their humble inception as an acoustic trio, The Drunken Hearts have evolved into an electric five-piece that is captivating audiences across the country. As 303 Magazine describes, “Their music is raw Americana-rock, with a touch of country and a sprinkle of folk, and the result is a steaming and raucous sound full of emotion and energy.”

The Drunken Hearts fearlessly bottle a tempestuous, yet honest brand of Americana music — infusing spirited vocals with electric and acoustic instruments and crafting heartfelt songs that are resonating with crowds everywhere. Originally an outlet for lead singer and acoustic guitarist Andrew McConathy, McConathy knew in his heart the band must expand musically to satisfy a growing songbook of original material. It was this ideal that inspired a band capable of writing and performing songs that convey whispers of love and loss, while also delivering full-on rock anthems that chase down the American dream. 

With this evolution, the band recently released their most acclaimed album to date, The Prize, in March of 2018 — an album that fully realizes the unique yet familiar sound the five musicians evoke when they create and perform together night after night. The ten songs featured on The Prize seamlessly unite their poetic and thoughtful songwriting with impressive musicianship to bring each track alive. From the vulnerable and haunting, “Seasons,” to the rowdy honkytonk-inspired “Broken Things,” The Prize is a powerful statement to where The Drunken Hearts currently are, yet more importantly— where they are going. Listen to the album here.

The Drunken Hearts are:

Andrew McConathy | Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Jon McCartan | Bass, Vocals
Cody Russell | Pedal and Lap Steel, Banjo
Kory Montgomery | Electric guitar, Vocals
Alex Johnson | Drums

THE DRUNKEN HEARTS THE PRIZE ALBUM RELEASE TOUR

Thursday, May 24

Atomic Cowboy

St. Louis, MO

Friday, May 25

Friday After 5

Owensboro, KY

Saturday, May 26

Summercamp

Chillicothe, IL

Sunday, May 27

Summercamp

Chillicothe, IL

Tuesday, May 29

George's

Fayetteville, AR

Wednesday, May 30

Saxon Pub

Austin, TX

Thursday, May 31

Last Concert Cafe

Houston, TX

Friday, June 1

Big Beat Dallas

Dallas, TX

Saturday, June 2

Mulvane Art Fair

Topeka, KS

Saturday, June 2

Uncle Bo's

Topeka, KS

Saturday, June 9

Snowmass Rendezvous

Snowmass, CO

Friday, June 15

Rapidgrass Festival

Idaho Springs, CO

Wednesday, July 4

Vail Bluegrass Festival

Vail, CO

Friday, July 20

Northwest String Summit

North Plains,OR

Saturday, July 21

Northwest String Summit

North Plains,OR

Sunday, July 22

Northwest String Summit

North Plains,OR

Wednesday, July 25

Moe's Alley

Santa Cruz, CA

Friday, July 27

Hopmonk Tavern

Sebastapol, CA

Saturday, July 28

Crazy Horse Saloon

Nevada City, CA

Wednesday, August 1

St. Rocke

Hermosa Beach, CA

Thursday, August 2

Cowboy Boots & Swimsuits @ Harrah's Socal

San Diego, CA

Friday, August 3

Last Exit Live

Phoenix, AZ

Friday, August 10

YarmonyGrass

Bond, CO

Saturday, August 11

YarmonyGrass

Bond. CO

Saturday, August 25

Boulder Theater

Boulder, CO

Additional The Drunken Hearts tour dates to be announced soon.

Wed, 06/06/2018 - 7:59 am

Israel Nash, the Texas’ genre-bending rock ‘n’ roller, announces an extensive Summer and Fall North American tour in support of his new album, Lifted, out July 27th, 2018 via Desert Folklore Music/Thirty Tigers. Kicking off with a hometown album release show at Austin’s Scoot Inn on Friday, July 27th, Israel Nash and his band will bring their incendiary live show to over 25 cities across the country this summer and fall. The band will make their way to major cities such as Dallas, Kansas City and Minneapolis before concluding the first stretch of dates on August 7th at The Bluestem PAC in Moorhead, MN, opening for Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats. Heading back out this fall, Israel Nash can be seen playing at venues up and down the East and West coasts, from Atlanta to Seattle, and wrapping up the extensive tour at Globe Hall in Denver, CO on October 20th, 2018. All announced dates are below with tickets available at www.israelnash.com 

Recently, Nash debuted the album’s first single, “Rolling On,” to critical praise. Named a “Best Song of the Week” by Rolling Stone, they describe, ““With "A Day in the Life"-type harmonies, Israel Nash's new song "Rolling On" is the perfect headphones listen. The Texas singer-songwriter, who mixes folk, rock and psychedelia on his upcoming album Lifted, is proving a master of sonic textures.”  The track acts as the album’s manifesto, an anthem of urgency, encouraging the listener to let go of yesterday’s troubles and move forward with positivity. Today, Nash releases the animated lyric video, which brings the art-installation that Nash built in his studio for the album cover, to life. Watch/Embed to “Rolling On” here.  Lifted is available for pre-order here.

 Lifted, a modern day hippie-spiritual, finds Nash continuing his tradition of creating a sonic landscape that is at once both vast and intimate - soaring and untamed at times, placid and sincerely personal at others. Accompanied by his longtime band, with arrangements by Jesse Chandler (Mercury Rev, Midlake), horns by members of Austin’s cumbia/funk compadre’s Grupo Fantasma, and strings from Kelsey Wilson and Sadie Wolf (Wild Child), Nash, alongside co-producer and engineer Ted Young (Kurt Vile, The Rolling Stones), presents an album that soars with meticulously crafted, multi-hued rock and psychedelia. 

The album was recorded at Israel Nash’s own studio, a Quonset hut structure called Plum Creek Sound at his home in Dripping Springs, Texas. During the process the studio became a sanctuary for Nash, a creative environment where he often reached a meditative state of escapism, creating a space where he could leave behind his downhearted feelings about the current political landscape and the bigger, existential questions those concerns raise.

Being able to finally use Plum Creek Sound to its full potential, Nash set about recording found sounds and field recordings from his Texas ranch, with the aim of creating a listening experience that was almost an immersive representation of his environment. Drums played in rain collection tanks, water rushing against the limestone, frogs, crickets, and even a rattlesnake all appear throughout the record. Taking inspiration from methods pioneered by John Cage, Nash then randomized the sounds and music before rearranging them according to the I Ching (The Book of Changes).

Lifted, Israel Nash’s opus, is a fully realized, psychedelic, experimental, Americana rooted epic. By immersing oneself in Lifted, one can see Nash succeeds in a way that’s exquisite yet spiritually satisfying. Nash welcomes you to join him on his uplifting path - one he’s taken throughout his career, now continuing on a higher, imaginative plane.

Israel Nash on Tour:

Summer:

7/27/18

Scoot Inn

Austin, TX+

7/31/18

Club Dada

Dallas, TX

8/1/18

South On Main

Little Rock, AR

8/2/18

Off Broadway

St. Louis, MO^

8/3/18

Crossroads

Kansas City, MO*

8/4/18

Raccoon Motel

Davenport, IA

8/5/18

Palace Theatre

Minneapolis, MN*

8/7/18

Bluestem Amphitheater

Moorhead, MN*

Fall:

9/11/18

The Earl

Atlanta, GA

9/12/18

Americana Fest

Nashville, TN

9/13/18

Americana Fest

Nashville, TN

9/15/18

Rumba Cafe

Columbus, OH

9/16/18

Pike Room at the Crofoot

Detroit, MI

9/18/18

Schubas

Chicago, IL

9/19/18

The Back Room at Colectivo

Milwaukee, WI

9/20/18

Turf Club

Minneapolis, MN

9/23/18

Mountain Stage

Charleston, WV

9/25/18

Rough Trade

Brooklyn, NY

9/26/18

Johnny Brenda's

Philadelphia, PA

9/27/18

Jammin Java

Vienna, VA

9/28/18

Club Cafe

Pittsburgh, PA

9/30/18

Roots N Blues BBQ Festival

Columbia, MO

10/10/18

Moroccan Lounge

Los Angeles, CA

10/12/18

Café Du Nord

San Francisco, CA

10/14/18

Doug Fir Lounge

Portland, OR

10/16/18

Tractor Tavern

Seattle, WA

10/18/18

State Room

Salt Lake City, UT

10/20/18

Globe Hall

Denver, CO

+ with Feverbones & Curtis Roush

^ with Old 97’s

*with Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats

Fri, 06/15/2018 - 10:51 am

Today, The String Cheese Incident releases their latest creation, "Otherside." Produced in the spirit of collaboration with high energy electronic/pop trio TELYKast and organic dance music songstress Ruby Chase, the result is a powerful song which highlights each artist’s recognizable musicianship, backed by distinctive production and songwriting. The song was released today as part of The String Cheese Incident’s continuing Sound Lab Series

Listen to “Otherside” here

“When we (TELYKast) were asked to do a session with The String Cheese Incident (SCI), we were excited—some of us have been listening to them since middle school,” says Linus AK, member of TELYKast.  “Once we got in the room, there was immediately a vibe and we just started messing around. We laid down the percussive bed, caught some catchy chords, and we were off to the races.”

The new song, which will be performed with TELYKast and Ruby Chase during the Second Weekend of this year’s Electric Forest (June 28th – July 1st, 2018 in Rothbury, MI), has a backstory that ties to the spirit of SCI’s brand new studio in Colorado called “The Lab”, which encourages experimentation with recording concepts and genres. While in Los Angeles, SCI members Jason Hann (Percussion) and Michael Kang (Mandolin and Violin) were connected through mutual friends of the band The Main Squeeze to Linus of TELYKast. Immediately, the three guys embarked on a unique songwriting journey - incorporating Linus’ electronic sound and guitar background with SCI’s signature sound to create something completely unique. Check out “Otherside” featured on the Spotify New Music Cratediggers Playlist, here.

Meeting at Hann’s studio in LA, they recorded some unique textures to incorporate into the song, which involved Kang running his electric mandolin through several guitar pedals in the studio. Soon after, Linus suggested layering multiple drums for a kick sound and doing the same for a snare sound. Hann then experimented with a collection of drums - Dunun, Djembe, Dumbek, and so on - to create the rhythmic patterns heard on the track.

After spending several days in the studio creating the soundwave background for "Otherside", the guys called upon Ruby Chase to designate some vocals. Ruby, a frequent collaborator with EDM and pop producers/artists such as Bad Royale and Dugong, had recently performed with TELYKast in Los Angeles.

“We had Ruby come on stage and perform with us at our first sold-out show at the El Rey Theatre in LA, and as soon as we saw her in her element (with no pre-show rehearsal), we immediately saw the vision for her on this song,” said Linus AK.  “We invited her over, and the first voice memo melody she recorded was what the melody is in the final product. In the session with SCI, Kang threw out the word Otherside. He had a lot on his mind and the concept seemed very fitting.”

Adds Ruby, “The beat was huge, full of life and expertly executed with the pop awareness of Linus from TELYKast and the OG musicianship of the SCI guys. The first time I heard it, I freestyled over the top of the instrumental and luckily had my voice memo recording as we ended up using the exact melody from the first run through. It was one of those magic moments where everything comes together so effortlessly and the meaning feels so much bigger than us.”

"Otherside" showcases a true meshing of different backgrounds, which is one of the main goals that SCI strives to uphold through ‘The Lab.’ Each of the artists involved with this track pushed boundaries against their musical sensibilities, ultimately ending a beautiful song made especially for their fans.

Additionally, SCI today release the Billy Nershi penned “Vertigo,” also through the SCI Sound Lab. ‘Vertigo’ is an old school SCI rocker, with high energy that promises to be a powerful addition to the live repertoire. Giving insight into the song, Billy shares, "I was getting ready to go to the Solar Eclipse Festival last year. I looked at the sun through a newly acquired pair of sunoculars. Half an hour later everything started spinning. This is the song about my experience since then.” Welcome to the SCI Sound Lab!

Listen to “Vertigo” here.

Catch The String Cheese Incident On Tour This Summer

Jun 21-24 - Electric Forest - Rothbury, MI
Jun 28-Jul 1 - Electric Forest - Rothbury, MI
Jul 5-8 - High Sierra Music Festival - Quincy, CA 
July 6-7 - Cuthbert Amphitheatre - Eugene, OR 
July 14-15 - The Ride Fest - Telluride, CO
July 17-18 - Dillon Amphitheatre - Dillon, CO
July 20-23 - Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Morrison, CO
Sep 7-9 - Waterloo Music Festival - Austin, TX
Oct 26-28 - Suwannee Hulaween - Live Oak, FL
Oct 31-Nov 1 - The Fillmore - Philadelphia, PA
Nov 2-3 - The Palladium - Worcester, MA

Mon, 07/09/2018 - 11:30 am

Electric Forest’s culture of reuse, conservation and consideration for others was evident throughout the 2018 festival, and into the cleanup process.  Today, Electric Forest (EF) 2018 reveals total numbers of food donated via the festival’s annual Roy Price Memorial Food Drive, and early results from the event’s 2018 Resource Recovery Program, which helps connect local non-profit organizations, businesses, and families to useful materials.

Electric Forest’s 2018 “Roy Price Memorial Food Drive” collected over 35,700 meals to be distributed to local Oceana County communities this year, setting a new festival record (over 15,000 meals more than the 2017 event).  To date, Electric Forest has collected and distributed over 145,700 meals to local communities in need.  Electric Forest’s annual Food Drive encourages patrons to donate non-perishable food items in exchange for a limited edition Electric Forest Food Drive Poster. Meals are donated to the Price Family Food Bank, which provides food locally to such organizations as Lebanon Lutheran Church, Rothbury Community Church, Wesleyan Church, Teen Challenge, and many others.  

The festival is known for their commitment to leaving the festival grounds cleaner than before the festival. With cleanup now underway (large items are on track to be totally cleared from the campgrounds within the next few days, with “detail” cleaning - picking up the tiniest scraps of paper - to continue over the coming week) - results from the festival’s 2018 Resource Recovery program are starting to trickle in.

2018 Resource Recovery Donations confirmed thus far:

For the third year in a row, Electric Forest partnered with the Crystal Valley Care Fund to receive tons of gently used gear left in the campgrounds to support the local organization.

 **** 4,000 square yards of gently used black AstroTurf donated to local Rothbury/Grant Township neighbors

**** 80 low-back beach chairs donated to Lewis Farm Market and the Claybanks Township Park

**** $4000.00 in brand new foam blocks were donated to a local gym

**** 16’ and 22’ palm trees were donated to local neighbors

**** Used cooking oil from Food Vendors and Staff Catering was captured for use by a local farmer who will convert the material into biodiesel.

With many more 2018 Electric Forest Sustainability and Resource Recovery program details still to be revealed.

In 2017, Electric Forest’s culture of reuse, conservation and consideration for others resulted in the mindful management of 134+ tons of materials diverted from landfill at EF17, including creative Forest art items (re)used by a local school’s theater department, 35 tons of compostable matter that enriched local soils, the donation of 14,700 meals to local teens in need, and much more.

Stay tuned for Electric Forest 2018 “Music In Schools” donation numbers and recipients to be announced in the coming weeks.

To stay up to date on all Electric Forest news, please visit www.electricforestfestival.com and the official Facebook, InstagramTwitter and YouTube pages.

Tue, 07/24/2018 - 12:02 pm

With the roar of a Saturn V rocket and the agility of a glider (EP?), Desert Daze releases Phase III. Followers of Desert Daze have reached a fever pitch while organizers have moved assuredly and with poise to put everything in place. With anticipation at a blinding fervor, the gates have been opened.

Newly announced headliner, My Bloody Valentine joins the lineup along with legendary noise rock outfit, Shellac, complete with speaking engagement by Steve Albini. Another addition to the mix, composer and multi-instrumentalist Julia Holter will perform with an orchestra and string section. The inclusion of GUM, solo project of Jay Watson of Tame Impala, represents the first time the trifecta of Tame Impala/Pond/Gum have ever shared a bill. Rounding off the new additions are Escape-ism, the solo project of Ian Svenonius (Nation of Ulysses, The Make-Up, Chain and the Gang), also returning to the role of reverend of the Desert Daze opening ceremonies and transcendent ritual music of Yonatan Gat & The Eastern Medicine Singers.

With the Phase III additions, Desert Daze 2018 presents a menu with something for truly everyone. Lectures on high magick? Got that. Talks from salty DIY icons? Absolutely. Camping, boat rides and beach lounging at its newly greened and beautified Moreno Beach location? Oh yes. And of course previously announced performances by Tame Impala, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Death Grips, Mercury Rev performing Deserter’s Songs, Warpaint, Jarvis Cocker introducing JARV IS..., Ty Segall & White Fence, Earth performing The Bees Made Honey In The Lion’s Skull, Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, Chelsea Wolfe and many more. Installation art, films, talks, projections, workshops, Mystic Bazaar, and late night programming still to come. Thursday night arrival has been added for campers that want to set up before the main program begins; details about Early Arrival Passes will be available on the festival website.

Desert Daze 2018 Lineup

PHASE III TRANSMISSION

----

Tame Impala

My Bloody Valentine

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

Death Grips

Mercury Rev perform  Deserter’s Songs

Warpaint

Jarvis Cocker introducing JARV IS...

Shellac

Ty Segall & White Fence

Earth perform  The Bees Made Honey In The Lion’s Skull

Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats (North American Exclusive)

Damien Echols  High Magick

Chelsea Wolfe

Connan Mockasin

Beak> (Geoff Barrow of Portishead)

A Place To Bury Strangers

Shannon & The Clams

Kevin Morby

Preoccupations

Malcolm Mooney of CAN

Hinds

King Khan & The Shrines

Pond

Julia Holter

DAKHABRAKHA

Earthless

Kikagaku Moyo

Boogarins

Wand

GUM

Follakzoid

Bedouine

Escape-ism

All Them Witches

The Holydrug Couple

Ex-Cult

True Widow

Imarhan

Sons Of Kemet

Cut Worms

JJUUJJUU

Ulrika Spacek

Here Lies Man

Mary Lattimore

Yonatan Gat & The Eastern Medicine Singers

Hand Habits

Sextile

Tropa Magica

Gladys Lazer

Mannequin Pussy

Cat Scan

Opening Ceremonies with Ian Svenonius

Talks Program Featuring: Steve Albini + More

 

Installation Artists, Films, Talks, Projections, Workshops, Mystic Bazaar, & Late Night Programming Still To Come

Fri, 07/27/2018 - 1:27 pm

Today, Texas’ genre bending rock ‘n roller Israel Nash, releases his fifth studio album, Lifted (Desert Forklore Music/Thirty Tigers). Lifted is available now on all digital service platforms and for physical purchase at www.israelnash.com. Nash and his band kick off their extensive album release tour tonight with a hometown show at the Historic Scoot Inn in Austin, TX, before heading out to 25+ cities across the country, including a stop at the at the inaugural Holler On the Hill Festival in Indianapolis, IN and the Americana Music Festival in Nashville this September. All announced dates and tickets are available now at www.israelnash.com

Lifted is receiving early praise from critics and fans alike. Highlighted by NPR Music’s All Songs Considered as an “Album You Should Hear Now,” they describe, “these songs stretch out and really feel like a big view you can take in with your ears… the oral equivalent of an amazing view,” while Wide Open Country encourages listeners to, “…get lost within Nash’s world of multi-hued rock and vibrant sonic palette. Songs bleed into one another creating a vivid presentation. It ebbs and flows. You’re fully immersed in Lifted.”  The Boston Globe reviews, “…each track is its own unique sonic landscape, masterfully crafted.”

Lifted, a modern day hippie-spiritual, finds Nash continuing his tradition of creating a sonic landscape that is at once both vast and intimate - soaring and untamed at times, placid and sincerely personal at others. Accompanied by his longtime band, with arrangements by Jesse Chandler (Mercury Rev, Midlake), horns by members of Austin’s cumbia/funk compadre’s Grupo Fantasma, and strings from Kelsey Wilson and Sadie Wolf (Wild Child), Nash, alongside co-producer and engineer Ted Young (Kurt Vile, The Rolling Stones), presents an album that soars with meticulously crafted, multi-hued rock and psychedelia.

The album was recorded at Israel Nash’s studio, a Quonset hut structure called Plum Creek Sound at his home in Dripping Springs, Texas. During the process the studio became a sanctuary for Nash, a creative environment where he often reached a meditative state of escapism, creating a space where he could leave behind his downhearted feelings about the current political landscape and the bigger, existential questions those concerns raise.

Lifted, Israel Nash’s opus, is a fully realized, psychedelic, experimental, Americana rooted epic. By immersing oneself in Lifted, one can see Nash succeeds in a way that’s exquisite yet spiritually satisfying. Nash welcomes you to join him on his uplifting path - one he’s taken throughout his career, now continuing on a higher, imaginative plane.

Israel Nash on Tour:

7/27/18

Scoot Inn

Austin, TX+

7/31/18

Club Dada

Dallas, TX

8/1/18

South On Main

Little Rock, AR

8/2/18

Off Broadway

St. Louis, MO^

8/3/18

Crossroads

Kansas City, MO*

8/4/18

Raccoon Motel

Davenport, IA

8/5/18

Palace Theater

Minneapolis, MN*

8/7/18

Bluestem PAC

Moorhead, MN*

Fall:

9/10/18

The Earl

Atlanta, GA

9/11/18

Americana Fest

Nashville, TN

9/13/18

Americana Fest

Nashville, TN

9/14/18

Zanzabar

Louisville, KY

9/15/18

Rumba Cafe

Columbus, OH

9/16/18

Pike Room at the Crofoot

Detroit, MI

9/18/18

Schubas

Chicago, IL

9/19/18

The Back Room at Colectivo

Milwaukee, WI

9/20/18

Turf Club

Minneapolis, MN

9/22/18

Holler On the Hill

Indianpolis, IN

9/23/18

Mountain Stage

Charleston, WV

9/25/18

Rough Trade

Brooklyn, NY

9/26/18

Johnny Brenda's

Philadelphia, PA

9/27/18

Jammin Java

Vienna, VA

9/28/18

Club Cafe

Pittsburgh, PA

9/30/18

Roots N Blues BBQ Festival

Columbia, MO

10/10/18

Moroccan Lounge

Los Angeles, CA

10/11/18

Siren

San Louis Obispo, CA

10/12/18

Café Du Nord

San Francisco, CA

10/14/18

Doug Fir Lounge

Portland, OR

10/16/18

Tractor Tavern

Seattle, WA

10/18/18

State Room

Salt Lake City, UT

10/19/18

Magic Rat

Fort Collins, CO

10/20/18

Globe Hall

Denver, CO

+ with Feverbones & Curtis Roush

^ with Old 97’s

*with Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats

Mon, 08/06/2018 - 12:28 pm

Today, TheBigWonderful announces its Fall 2018 schedule of events, with the addition of a brand new location in Westminster, CO. Kicking off the BEERFEST, BLUEGRASS, and BAZAAR activities on September 8th in Westminster, TheBigWonderful then makes its return to Downtown Littleton on September 28-29th, celebrating the re-opening of the Reinke Brothers’ legendary Haunted Mansion, and to the old Denver Post Headquarters in Globeville on October 6-7th, 2018. Additionally, TheBigWonderful is proud to continue its Zero Waste initiatives in partnership with Scraps at the fall events, which has diverted more that 16,000 pounds of recycling and compost from landfills in the past two seasons. Early Bird BEERFEST tickets start at $25, on sale now at www.thebigwonderful.com.

WESTMINSTER

Debut Westminster TBW Event

Heading to the northwest Denver suburb for the first time, TheBigWonderful is excited to bring its signature BEERFEST, BLUEGRASS, and BAZAAR to Downtown Westminster on Saturday, September 8th, 2018.  TheBigWonderful takes over the new Downtown Development project from 12 PM – 6 PM with over 40 innovative craft vendors sharing their creations. Local breweries and cideries will be on site pouring unlimited samples of their best libations with music from local bluegrass favorites That Damn Sasquatch, Morsel and Treehouse Sanctum. General Admission Tickets are $5 in advance, and $7 at the door. $25 Early Bird BEERFEST are on sale HERE.

Location: Downtown Westminster, 5453 W 88th Ave., Westminster, CO 80031
Hours: Saturday, September 8 from 12 PM – 6 PM

TheBigWonderful Westminster Tickets & Info HERE.

LITTLETON

Reinke Brothers’ Haunted Mansion Re-Opening Party

After a smashing Spring event, TheBigWonderful happily returns to Downtown Littleton on Friday, September 28th and Saturday, September 29th with BEERFEST, BLUEGRASS, and BAZAAR. To help get into the spooky season, TheBigWonderful has partnered with Reinke Brothers to celebrate the re-opening of the famed “Haunted Mansion”, a 50-year old Littleton tradition returning after a three year hiatus. With more chills and thrills than ever before, including a fireworks show on Saturday night, the “Haunted Mansion” is set to fright and excite patrons of TheBigWonderful during its opening weekend celebration.

It wouldn’t be a TBW event without the shopping, sipping and dancing and TheBigWonderful is bringing the best local bluegrass bands, over 40 of Colorado’s craft vendors, a selection of the tastiest local food trucks, and BEERFEST with over 10 breweries, cideries and distilleries pouring unlimited samples throughout the event. General Admission Tickets are free all weekend long. $25 Early Bird BEERFEST are on sale HERE.

Location: Downtown Littleton, 5663 S. Prince St. Littleton, CO
Hours: Friday, September 28 from 5 PM - 11 PM
Saturday, September 29 from 12 PM - 11 PM

TheBigWonderful Littleton Tickets & Info HERE.

DENVER – GLOBEVILLE

TBW 2018 Season Closer

Closing out their 5th year of events in Denver, TBW pops up at the old Denver Post Headquarters in Globeville (4400 Fox St.) on Saturday October 6th and Sunday October 7th. Ready to celebrate in TBW style, the event welcomes over 80 of the city’s best craft vendors and makers, food trucks serving up a diverse menu, and a stacked BEERFEST with 15+ breweries, cideries, wineries and distilleries pouring unlimited samples throughout the weekend, with music and dancing provided by WhiteWater Ramble, Woodshed Red, DeadPhish Orchestra and a very special guest to be announced closer to the event. General Admission Tickets are $5 in advance, and $7 at the door. $25 Early Bird BEERFEST are on sale HERE.

Location: 4400 Fox St. Denver, CO 80216
Hours: Saturday, October 6 from 12 PM to 6 PM
Sunday, October 7 from 12 PM to 7 PM

TheBigWonderful Denver Tickets & Info HERE.

About TheBigWonderful’s Zero Waste Initiative

TheBigWonderful is committed to and proud to be one of the most sustainable festivals in the Mile High City. Beginning in 2014, TheBigWonderful initiated composting at their events. The following season, TheBigWonderful welcomed Lyndsey Manderson, owner of Zero Market, to host her first shop and help build the sustainability program further. Lyndsey now has a brick and mortar location in Stanley Marketplace featuring local, organic and toxin-free goods for your everyday sustainable life.

In 2017, TheBigWonderful continued to grow their Zero Waste program with a new and current partnership with Scraps to make the festivals more waste-free than ever. For all events in 2018 and beyond, TBW has asked their vendors to take a sustainability pledge, requiring all TBW food trucks and bars to use compostable items, with Scraps and their locally manufactured “bicycle vehicles” on hand to sort, weigh, compost and recycle. These initiatives have diverted more than 16,000 pounds of recycling and compost from landfills in the past two seasons alone, with 90% of TBW’s dumpsters being compost and recycling material. TheBigWonderful looks forward to continuing to build and grow the sustainability program in 2018 and beyond, remaining committed to being Denver’s most environmentally responsible local market.

Christi Turner, founder of Scraps, explains, “We're committed to changing the way large events impact our environment and our community. In just two seasons with TheBigWonderful, together we've already shown that zero-waste events are feasible, engaging to the public, and profitable. In the process we've kept tons of "waste" out of the landfill, to be recycled or composted instead, and our diversion numbers increase with every event. That means that our positive impact on our climate, our water, our land and our community just keeps growing. We're proud to be setting a new standard for sustainable events with TheBigWonderfu!.”

TheBigWonderful is excited to sponsor a new Scraps trike for even more bike powered trash capabilities in the future.

About Scraps

Scraps is a bike-powered compost collection service & zero-waste events service for the Mile High City. Scraps has been pedaling around Denver since June 2017, and collected more than 100,000 pounds of compostables in its first year - all by bike (and trike)! Scraps is local, woman-owned, affordable, environmentally conscious, and deeply dedicated to helping make Denver a more sustainable place to live.

About TheBigWonderful

TheBigWonderful is proud to celebrate their fifth year showcasing its unique platform for hundreds of Denver Metro area small business to sell their goods to a family (and dog) friendly audience, bringing the BEERFEST*BLUEGRASS*BAZAAR magic to new communities across Colorado. TheBigWonderful takes pride in gathering communities around good music, locally sourced food and drinks, and good fun. TBW and its community are strong believers in the “Buy Local” and “Leave No Trace” ethos. TheBigWonderful is proud to work alongside non-profit partner, Revision. A portion of the proceeds from BEERFEST will go toward furthering Revision’s mission of creating thriving, resilient neighborhoods.

To stay up to date on TheBigWonderful and upcoming events, please click here to sign up for TheBigWonderful’s newsletter. TheBigWonderful can be found here:

www.thebigwonderful.com

www.facebook.com/thebigwonderful

www.instagram.com/thebigwonderful

www.twitter.com/thebigwonderful

Wed, 08/15/2018 - 12:05 pm

Today, as advance tickets go on sale for the 8th annual New Year’s music and mountain festival, SnowGlobe (SG18) reveals an expanded partnership with The Sugar Pine Foundation and a continued and expanded sustainability program with Waste-Free Earth. The premiere 3-night outdoor festival returns to its home of South Lake Tahoe in the sublime Sierra Nevada Mountains on December 29-31, 2018 and advance tickets are available to purchase at www.snowglobemusicfestival.com. More information regarding the highly-anticipated 2018 lineup to be announced soon.

In 2017, SnowGlobe partnered with The Sugar Pine Foundation to plant 200 sugar pine seedlings to help restore Lake Tahoe’s sugar pine population, which now makes up less than 5% of the Tahoe Forest. In an effort to help protect, preserve and nurture the beautiful and iconic setting that SnowGlobe is proud to make its home, the festival is doubling their donation for 2018 by sponsoring 400 sugar pine seedlings to be planted later this year. Additionally, SnowGlobe is offering the opportunity for fans to contribute to the cause, with the option to add $5 to any SG18 ticket order which will directly benefit The Sugar Pine Foundation and sponsor a future seedling. For more information on The Sugar Pine Foundation, please visit www.sugarpinefoundation.org

In step with the Sugar Pine Foundation partnership, SG18 is continuing and expanding their sustainability program with Waste-Free Earth for the 2018 festival. Waste-Free Earth will be back onsite hosting their Sustainability Booth, offering sustainability contests, photo opps, plastic pledges, and creating many fun, creative ways to educate, engage and involve the SG community in these greening efforts.

Some of SG18’s sustainability initiatives include:

Imperfect Produce

By partnering with Imperfect Produce in 2017, SG and Waste-Free Earth were able to donate over 500 pounds of food, just from this program alone, to 8 local organizations: Do No Violence, The Warm Room (Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless), South Lake Tahoe Family Resource Center, Boys and Girls Club, Christmas Cheer, Tahoe Youth Family Center, Bread and Broth, and St. Theresa's Church. Proudly returning as a partner in 2018, fans are encouraged to visit the Sustainability Booth onsite to take a picture with the Imperfect Gang to instantly donate produce to people in need in the Lake Tahoe basin.

Waste Diversion

In 2017, SnowGlobe and Waste-Free Earth were able to divert 66% of the waste generated at SnowGlobe away from landfills. In total, SnowGlobe, with support from South Lake Tahoe Refuse, has diverted over 94,933 pounds away from the landfill and into composting, recycling and donations initiatives. SnowGlobe looks forward to growing this number in 2018.

Composting

SG18 is committed to being as waste-free as possible and now requires all food vendors to only serve on 100% compostable products, including no aluminum foil or plastic. All compostable materials are brought to Full Circle Compost in Carson City, NV where it is composted and turned into soil, that is then sold back into the local community.

Micro-trash Sweeping Contest

At the 2018 event, Waste-Free Earth is initiating a micro-trash sweeping contest. Attendees who return a small brown paper bag (found at the Sustainability Booth) filled with micro-trash (cigarette butts, bottle caps, wrappers, napkins etc.)  are entered to win official SG18 prizes.

Green Bag Contest

Similar to the micro-trash sweeping contest, SnowGlobe will host a Green Bag contest to get more people involved and keep the venue clean, while learning about sustainability. The Sustainability Booth will have 16-gallon green bags available for fans to fill it up with all types of waste found on the festival grounds and returned to the booth for prizes.

Call to Action Against Plastic Waste

Hosting a call to action contest, attendees can stop by the Sustainability Booth at SG18 to help take a stand against plastic waste. The sustainability team will have postcards available for fans to send to their state representatives asking them to take a stand against plastic waste. With pre-written prompts, information and addresses for various state reps readily available, the Waste-Free Earth team will even mail the postcards for attendees, making the process as easy and seamless as possible. As a bonus, participants will be entered into a daily raffle for prizes.

Plastic Pledge

SnowGlobe prides itself on being a plastic-free focused event, reducing their plastic intake wherever possible. Attendees can take a pledge to take a stand against plastic, and the sustainability team will provide tips on how to reduce plastic waste, how to shop plastic-free and what tricky items to look out for. Signing up for the pledge enters attendees into a daily raffle for SG18 prizes.

Additionally, SnowGlobe is proud to once again partner with Hotels for Hope, its long-term exclusive lodging partner for SG18. For every night a lodging accommodation is booked by SnowGlobe patrons, a portion will be donated directly to the Lake Tahoe Boys & Girls Club. Picked as the official Hotels for Hope 2018 recipient, the Lake Tahoe Boys & Girls Club provides children and teens with a safe, positive and welcoming environment where they can have fun and enhance their education and experiences.

Visit www.snowglobemusicfestival.com to choose from dozens of nearby lodging options to fit a variety of needs and tastes.

Tue, 08/28/2018 - 11:30 am

Amidst crackling static, cosmic bird calls and din of unfamiliar voices whispering in a strange tongue, a new transmission has been received from the source. With less than 7 weeks until festivities begin, Desert Daze 2018 announces new lineup additions, daily schedules and new program information with more surprises on the way. The magnificent and quintessential shoegaze/dream pop group Slowdive joins the bill, along with modern West Coast psych rock/drone forerunners Wooden Shjips. Other new additions to the main programming include: Idles, Cosmonauts, L.A. Witch , Death Valley Girls, Vinyl Williams, Goon, Stonefield, Sugar Candy Mountain and The Mad Walls. After the regular festival schedule ends for the day, the lighting changes, the mood shifts and things get experimental with the inclusion of late night collaborative sets by Kikagaku Moyo with Boogarins and JJUUJJUU (and more to be revealed), plus full sets from Deap Vally, Lumerians, Prettiest Eyes. Late night programming will be available to all Desert Daze visitors.

Single Day tickets are now available as we reveal the daily lineup. Friday includes: Tame Impala, Warpaint, Connan Mockasin, Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, and Jarvis Cocker introducing JARV IS…. Saturday includes: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Slowdive, Mercury Rev performing Deserter’s Songs, Chelsea Wolfe, and Wooden Shjips. Closing out the weekend, Sunday includes: My Bloody Valentine, Death Grips, Shellac, Ty Segall & White Fence, and Earth performing The Bees Made Honey in the Lion’s Skull. You could choose between Tame Impala, King Gizzard or My Bloody Valentine, but why do that to yourself? Weekend passes and upgrades, including extra fun VIP options, are still available, though prices will rise as the festival approaches.

In addition to three full days and nights of curated sonic conjuring, Desert Daze 2018 includes camping in state park facilities with bathrooms and showers, power and water hookups for RVs, swimming, boat rides and lounging in our Italian style beach club. Still to be announced are this years installation artists, full film schedule, talks, workshops, and the Mystic Bazaar schedule, so stay tuned.

Desert Daze 2018 takes place Oct 12-14 at Moreno Beach, Lake Perris, Southern California. Weekend Tickets and Camping Passes are on sale now.

Visit desertdaze.org for more information.

Wed, 09/19/2018 - 11:35 am

North Carolina’s acclaimed indie-Americana darlings Mipso head back on the road this fall, hitting select markets in the Rocky Mountains and northeast for the first time since the April release of their new album, Edges Run. The tour kicked off last week in Nashville with an official showcase at the 19th annual AMERICANAFEST - which NPR Music highlighted as a “Best of AMERICANAFEST” - and stops in 20 cities over the next two months. The season culminates in early November with a short run of shows in the band’s home region to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the band’s 2013 debut release, Dark Holler Pop.  Mipso & Friends: Dark Holler Pop Revisited hosts five shows in North Carolina and Virginia and features very special guests during the run including 10 String Symphony, Chandler Holt (Chatham County Line), Lula Wiles, and Kate Rhudy. Dark Holler Pop is set to be re-released on vinyl this fall in conjunction with the 5th Anniversary Tour. See the complete list of Mipso’s fall tour dates below.  Tickets available at www.mipsomusic.com.

Today, Mipso also unveils videos from their recent EP release, D.C. Sessions.  Recorded and filmed at Hamilton Live in Washington D.C. this past spring, D.C. Sessions offers stripped down, acoustic renditions of three songs from Edges Run. The videos were exclusively released earlier this month to Mipso’s Spotify fans via a video Unlock campaign. At Spotify, Mipso has over 1.8 million monthly listeners, with “People Change” receiving over 19 million streams since its release five months ago.  Watch/embed the D.C. Sessions videos here, and listen to the session on Spotify here

About Mipso: 

Mipso is born from North Carolina’s broad range of disparate musical influences, their distinctly unique sound an undeniable alchemy of the historical musical traditions of the rural south and their progressive home of Chapel Hill.

A discernible and rising force in the upstart musical genre known as Americana, Mipso’s music is lush and forward moving. A tender, harmony-laden river runs through the band’s core, but the rocky outcroppings change with every album outing. Appalachia melds with modern alt-country, hints of folk-rock are leavened with a sly and subversive sense of humor, and underneath it all is a genuine and moving passion for the ever-evolving traditions of Americana. With the recent release of the band’s fifth album, Edges Run (April 2018/Anti-Fragile Music), Mipso continues the complex dance of looking back and moving forward with grace and beauty.

Mipso Fall 2018 Tour

10/05 - The Burl - Lexington, KY
10/06 - 3 Sisters Bluegrass Festival - Chattanooga, TN
10/10 - The ACM @ UCO Performance Lab - Oklahoma City, OK w/ Jason Scott
10/11 - Barleycorn's - Wichita, KS
10/12 - The Side Door - Colorado Springs w/ Mike Clark
10/13 - Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO w/ Whippoorwill

10/21 - U.S. National Whitewater Center - Charlotte, NC

10/26 - Middle East Downstairs - Cambridge, MA w/ Sam Lewis

10/27 - TBA

10/28 - The Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY w/ Sam Lewis

10/30 - La Vitrola - Montreal, Quebec

10/31 - Folk Alley - Saranac Lake, NY

11/01 - Portland House of Music - Portland, ME w/ 10 String Symphony

11/02 - StageOne – Fairfield, CT w/ Dan Mills
11/03 - Appell Center for the Performing Arts – York, PA w/ 10 String Symphony

 

Mipso & Friends: Dark Holler Pop Revisited 

11/04 - The Birchmere Music Hall - Alexandria, VA w/ 10 String Symphony

11/06 - The Broadberry - Richmond, VA w/ Chandler Holt (Chatham County Line), Lula Wiles, and Kate Rhudy

11/08 - High Point Theatre - High Point, NC w/ Chandler Holt (Chatham County Line), Lula Wiles, and Kate Rhudy

11/09 - The Orange Peel – Asheville, NC w/ Chandler Holt (Chatham County Line), Lula Wiles, and Kate Rhudy

11/10 - Haw River Ballroom – Saxapahaw, NC w/ Chandler Holt (Chatham County Line), Lula Wiles, and Kate Rhudy

Sat, 09/22/2018 - 5:48 am

Today, SnowGlobe Music Festival, announces its highly anticipated lineup for the 8th annual music and mountains festival in South Lake Tahoe, California on December 29-31, 2018. The unparalleled 3-night outdoor New Year’s celebration returns to its home of South Lake Tahoe in the sublime Sierra Nevada Mountains, hosting a diverse lineup of acclaimed artists at the South Lake Tahoe Community Playfields. Offering seamless access to all that South Lake Tahoe has to offer – from exploring the slopes of the multiple world-class resorts nearby to the casinos of Stateline – SnowGlobe (#SG18) once again delivers the ultimate New Year’s destination festival experience. SG18 features 3 stages, new art installations, and the return of SnowGlobe’s beloved Big Air activation – showcasing professional ski and snowboard demos in-between sets on the mainstage.

Topping the bill for SnowGlobe 2018 are Above & Beyond, Diplo, Eric Prydz, Rezz, and RL Grime.

Also joining the New Year’s party are Big Gigantic, Gorgon City, Nightmare B2B Slander, and Sofi Tukker. The complete list of artists is included below.

Recently, SnowGlobe revealed an expanded partnership with The Sugar Pine Foundation and a continued and expanded sustainability program with Waste-Free Earth. In 2017, SnowGlobe partnered with The Sugar Pine Foundation to plant 200 sugar pine seedlings to help restore Lake Tahoe’s sugar pine population, which now makes up less than 5% of the Tahoe Forest. In an effort to help protect, preserve and nurture the beautiful and iconic setting that SnowGlobe is proud to make its home, the festival is doubling their donation for 2018 by sponsoring 400 sugar pine seedlings to be planted later this year. Additionally, SnowGlobe is offering the opportunity for fans to contribute to the cause, with the option to add $5 to any SG18 ticket order which will directly benefit The Sugar Pine Foundation and sponsor a future seedling. For more information on The Sugar Pine Foundation, please visit www.sugarpinefoundation.org

In step with the Sugar Pine Foundation partnership, SG18 is continuing and expanding their sustainability program with Waste-Free Earth for the 2018 festival. Waste-Free Earth will be back onsite hosting their Sustainability Booth, offering sustainability contests, photo opps, plastic pledges, and creating many fun, creative ways to educate, engage and involve the SG community in these greening efforts.

Additionally, SnowGlobe is proud to once again partner with Hotels for Hope, its long-term exclusive lodging partner for SG18. For every night a lodging accommodation is booked by SnowGlobe patrons, a portion will be donated directly to the Lake Tahoe Boys & Girls Club. Picked as the official Hotels for Hope 2018 recipient, the Lake Tahoe Boys & Girls Club provides children and teens with a safe, positive and welcoming environment where they can have fun and enhance their education and experiences.

Visit www.snowglobemusicfestival.com to choose from dozens of nearby lodging options to fit a variety of needs and tastes.

SnowGlobe’s 2018 Lineup of Artists is as follows:

• Above & Beyond

• Diplo

• Eric Prydz

• Rezz

• RL Grime

• Big Gigantic

• Gorgon City

• Nightmare b2b Slander

• Sofi Tukker

• SOB x RBE

• Ekali

• Chris Lake b2b Walker & Royce

• Bauuer

• Shoreline Mafia

• Manila Killa b2b Chet Porter

• Party Favor

• AC Slater b2b Wax Motif

• Shallou

• Anna Lunoe

• Said The Sky

• Medasin

• Chelsea Cutler

• 070 Shake

• Tei Shi

• Sam Gellatiry

• Justin Jay

• Yung Bae

• 1788-L

• Sacha Robotti

• Charlesthefirst

• Jack Harlow

• Phantoms

• Slumberjack

• JSTJR

• Cray

• J Worra

• LP Giobbi

• Darci

• French Bastard

• Subfer

• NOA/AON

 

Plus 

• Brownies & Lemonade Takeover 

Mon, 10/15/2018 - 1:04 pm

Today, poignant powerhouse songstress Lindsay Lou announces an extensive North American fall tour with her band. Performing in support of their latest album, Southland (released April 2018), the tour kicks off on October 24th at Mississippi Studios in Portland, Oregon, heads down the West Coast, and then across the country—stopping in almost 20 markets along the way.  In December, Lou and her band head to Mexico for 2018 Strings & Sol. All announced dates are listed below, with tickets and info available at www.lindsayloumusic.com.

Lindsay Lou’s fourth album release, Southland, is a transformative and heart-wrenching ten-song stunner. Lou’s voice—and its unique ability to create an expansive, almost physically tangible soundscape—carries each song on Southland forward, made even more recognizable and potent by bandmates Josh Rilko (mandolin, vocals) and PJ George (bass, vocals) and special guests. 

The beauty with which the sounds on Southland slip into the ether is the product of an emotionally difficult time for Lindsay and her band—who, as musicians often do, entered the studio to “hash it out.” The process, demonstrated by the music on Southland, was sincere and stirring and introspective.

Currently, touring nationally and internationally year round, Lindsay Lou and her band continue to collect a mass of friends and fans along the way. Notable U.S. festival plays include Telluride Bluegrass festival, Merlefest, Stagecoach, Redwing, ROMP, GreyFox, and a slew of others.  Abroad, they have appeared at Scotland’s Shetland Island Folk Fest and the Celtic Connections tour, Australia’s National Folk Festival, and others. Of the live show, fRoots Magazine reviewed “…[Lindsay Lou is] the most affectingly expressive singer since Amy Winehouse, backed by the new Punch Brothers.” The Boot, who featured Lindsay Lou Band as a “Can’t Miss Act at AmericanaFest 2018, says “...Lou brings introspection and masterful vocal work to her live show.”

In the words of famed bluegrass musician David Grier, who caught Lindsay Lou Band at a recent festival, “Lindsay...sings the way you would want to if'n you could. Phrasing, tone, emotion, it's all there. Effortless seemingly. Simply mesmerizing. Riveting! Don't miss the musical force that is Lindsay Lou.” 

Lindsay Lou Band Fall 2018 North American Tour:

10/24

Mississippi Studios ^

Portland, OR

10/25

OK Theater

Enterprise, OR

10/26

Brewminatti

Prosser, WA

10/27

Nectar Lounge **

Seattle, WA

10/28

Volcanic Theatre Pub

Bend, OR

10/29

Sierra Nevada Big Room

Chico, CA

11/1

The Old Steeple

Ferndale, CA

11/2

The Palms Playhouse

Winters, CA

11/3

Brick and Mortar Music Hall

San Francisco, CA

11/12-11/13

Goodwood Museum & Gardens

Tallahassee, FL

11/23-11/24

Kalamazoo State Theater ^^

Kalamazoo, MI

11/25

The Ark +

Ann Arbor, MI

11/29

Rehmsworld Concerts

Holdrege, NE

11/30

Cervantes's Masterpiece Ballroom ++

Denver, CO

12/1

Aggie Theatre *

Fort Collins, CO

12/2

Prairie Window Concert Series

Hesston, KS

12/7-12/10

Strings & Sol

Puerto Morelo, QR

12/14-12/17

WinterWonderGrass Stratton

Stratton, VT

2/22

WinterWonderGrass Colorado

Steamboat Springs, CO

3/29-3/31

WinterWonderGrass Squaw Valley

Tahoe, CA

^ w/ Chuck Westmoreland

** w/ Jeff Austin Band

^^ w/ Greensky Bluegrass

+ Lindsay Lou Band featuring Very Special Guests

++ w/ Trout Steak Revival, Bridget Law, Bonfire Dub

* w/ Trout Steak Revival

Wed, 10/24/2018 - 1:34 pm

Today, Americana rock band The Drunken Hearts announce a run of December tour dates in support of their recent album release, The Prize.  The Drunken Hearts bring their raw, outlaw country music to 5 stops in the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Northwest beginning December 7th, 2018, before heading back to Denver for a very special New Year’s run. Back in their home state of Colorado, The Drunken Hearts head to Vail and Fort Collins on December 28th and 29th for special Yarmony Holiday Heater shows before heading to Denver’s Ogden Theatre with The Infamous String Dusters on December 30th.  See all currently confirmed dates, including November dates in the South, listed below. Tickets available at www.thedrunkenhearts.com

From their humble inception as an acoustic trio, The Drunken Hearts have evolved into an electric five-piece that is captivating audiences across the country. As Pop Matters describes, The Drunken Hearts are an “assertive mix of hard-driving Southern rock, arresting outlaw country and mix-and-mash-up alt-Americana,” with 303 Magazine praising, “Their music is raw Americana-rock, with a touch of country and a sprinkle of folk, and the result is a steaming and raucous sound full of emotion and energy.” Today, the band releases the video for “Broken Things,” from The Prize. Watch here.

The Drunken Hearts fearlessly bottle a tempestuous, yet honest brand of Americana music — infusing spirited vocals with electric and acoustic instruments, and crafting heartfelt songs that are resonating with crowds everywhere. Originally an outlet for lead singer and acoustic guitarist Andrew McConathy, McConathy knew in his heart the band must expand musically to satisfy a growing songbook of original material. It was this ideal that inspired a band capable of writing and performing songs that convey whispers of love and loss, while also delivering full-on rock anthems that chase down the American dream. 

With this evolution, the band recently released their most acclaimed album to date, The Prize, in March of 2018 — an album that fully realizes the unique yet familiar sound the five musicians evoke when they create and perform together night after night. The ten songs featured on The Prize seamlessly unite their poetic and thoughtful songwriting with impressive musicianship to bring each track alive. From the vulnerable and haunting, “Seasons,” to the rowdy honkytonk-inspired “Broken Things,” The Prize is a powerful statement to where The Drunken Hearts currently are, yet more importantly— where they are going. Listen to the album here.

The Drunken Hearts are:

Andrew McConathy | Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Jon McCartan | Bass, Vocals
Cody Russell | Pedal and Lap Steel, Banjo
Kory Montgomery | Electric guitar, Vocals
Alex Johnson | Drums

THE DRUNKEN HEARTS TOUR DATES

11/8/18

Thursday Night Live

El Dorado, AR

11/9/18

Harry's Downtown

Fort Smith, AR

11/10/18

The Shrine

Tulsa, OK +

11/11/18

Stickyz

Little Rock, AR

11/12/18

Gearge's Majestic Lounge

Fayetteville, AR

11/15/18

Last Concert Café

Houston, TX *

11/16/18

Deep Ellum Art Co.

Dallas, TX *

11/17/18

Empire Control Room & Garage

Austin, TX *

12/7/18

Tom Grainey's

Boise, ID

12/8/18

John's Alley

Moscow, ID

12/12/18

High Dive

Seattle, WA

12/13/18

Goodfoot Pub & Lounge

Portland, OR

12/14/18

Crow's Feet Commons

Bend, OR

12/16/18

7 Devils Brewing Company

Coos Bay, OR

12/28/18

Ale House Kitchen & Tap

Vail, CO ~

12/29/18

Aggie Theatre

Fort Collins, CO >

12/30/18

Ogden Theatre

Denver, CO ^

 

+ with Jeff Austin Band

* with The Kyle Hollingsworth Band

~ Yarmony Holiday Heater with Special Guests John Stickly Trio

> Yarmony Holiday Heater with Special Guests John Stickly Trio and Grant Farm

^ with The Infamous Stringdusters

Mon, 11/19/2018 - 6:05 pm

Yarmony Holiday Heater, presented by YarmonyGrass Festival, brings a night of Colorado-grown Americana and rock ‘n roll to the famed Aggie Theatre in Fort Collins, CO on Saturday, December 29th, 2018. Featuring The Drunken Hearts, Grant Farm, and the Jon Stickley Trio, Yarmony Holiday Heater welcomes home three of Colorado’s most exciting bands to celebrate the season with a rousing night of music. Tickets are available HERE.

About The Drunken Hearts: Alternative country rock band The Drunken Hearts fearlessly bottle a tempestuous and honest Americana sound. Armed with a prolific and growing songbook of original material, the Colorado five-piece infuses well-crafted songs with spirited vocals and impressive electric and acoustic musicianship.  Whether conveying vulnerable and haunting whispers of love and loss or dropping full-on rock anthems that chase down the American dream, The Drunken Hearts’ delivery is saturated in a conviction and authenticity that’s palpable. Look for the band touring nationally in support of their recent album release, The Prize (2018).

About Grant Farm: Boulder, Colorado-based cosmic Americana band Grant Farm has entertained a growing fan base on the nation’s club and festival scene since its founding in 2009 by vocalist and National Flatpicking Guitar Champion Tyler Grant. Built on the fundamentals of love, family, and music, the band is a sure bet for fans of high-energy, authentic artists as diverse as Sturgill Simpson, Tedeschi Trucks Band and Phish. This past summer, Grant Farm released a LIVE Album showcasing the best performances from the first ten episodes of the Meeting on the Mountain LIVE Broadcast. The album features special guests including Bill Nershi of The String Cheese Incident, Todd Sheaffer of Railroad Earth, John Magnie of The Subdudes and Andy Hall of The Infamous Stringdusters. “Some of the ablest musicians not only in the state of Colorado, but in the nation.” – Colorado Public Radio

 About Jon Stickley Trio: Jon Stickley Trio is a genre-defying and cinematic instrumental trio, who’s deep grooves, innovative flatpicking, and sultry-spacy violin moves the listener’s head, heart, and feet. “It’s not your father’s acoustic-guitar music—although Stickley’s pop showed him his first chords when he was 12 years old. Instead, Stickley’s Martin churns out a mixture of bluegrass, Chuck Berry, metal, prog, grunge, and assorted other genres—all thoroughly integrated into a personal style.” -- Guitar Player Magazine

Tue, 12/04/2018 - 12:21 pm

Today, Electric Forest (EF) announces the artist lineup for the 9th annual music and camping festival in Rothbury, Michigan. Hosting one unforgettable weekend June 27-30, 2019, news of which was revealed to fans last week by Electric Forest HQ, EF 2019 welcomes a diverse lineup of over 100 established and emerging artists to the beloved festival.

Topping the bill with Electric Forest’s original muse The String Cheese Incident, celebrating their 25th career anniversary in 2019 and performing three incidents at Electric Forest, is: ODESZA returning to headline on Thursday, Kygo taking over on Friday, BASSNECTAR on Saturday, and Zeds Dead on Sunday.

Other acts announced today include: Alison Wonderland, Daya, Ganja White Night, Gramatik, NGHTMRE & SLANDER PRESENT: GUD VIBRATIONS, Quinn XCII, STS9, T-Pain, TOKiMONSTA, and many more.

View the complete list of artists announced HERE and below.

Upholding its reputation for revealing its lineups via creative and engaging activations with the Forest Family, EF’s 2019 lineup began leaking to the public over this past weekend, when select fans around the country received an unexpected special package from EF HQ. Inside the package was an exclusive Electric Forest wall calendar, each month featuring a photo paying homage to the Sherwood Forest.  On the back of the calendar was a gallery of photos revealing special artists on the EF2019 lineup. As the Forest Family identified these artists, fans shared their lineup discoveries, including The Midnight, Anomalie, TAUK, Black Tiger Sex Machine, Ripe, Daya, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Dixon’s Violin, Mansionair, Ganja White Night, The Librarian, and Gorgon City.

Ticket Info:

Info on Wristband and Lodging Packages, including 2019 Good Life Camping and Lodging options, can be found here.

Loyalty On Sale begins Wednesday, December 5 at 12 noon EST at www.electricforestfestival.com.

Read more about EF Loyalty — including Six In The Forest Loyalty, Four In The Forest Loyalty, Good Life Loyalty and GA Loyalty — here.

EF General On Sale begins Friday, December 7 at 12 noon EST at www.electricforestfestival.com.

Information on Layaway Payment Plans for all Wristband and Lodging Packages can be found here.

The complete list of artists on Electric Forest’s 2019 Initial Lineup is as follows:

THURSDAY: ODESZA

FRIDAY: Kygo

SATURDAY: BASSNECTAR

SUNDAY: Zeds Dead

The String Cheese Incident (3 Incidents)

12th Planet

Alison Wonderland

Black Tiger Sex Machine

Bob Moses

Claude VonStroke

Daya

Ekali

Ganja White Night

Gorgon City (Live)

Gramatik

Hippie Sabotage

Honey Dijon

Lettuce

NGHTMRE & SLANDER PRESENT: GUD VIBRATIONS

PNUMA (LIVE)

Quinn XCII

Seven Lions

Snails

STS9

T-Pain

The Floozies

Tierra Whack

TOKiMONSTA

Twiddle

Whethan

Anomalie

Ayla Nereo

ayokay

BadKlaat

BAYNK

BloodPop

BoomBox

Brandon "Taz" Niederauer

Caspa

Cautious Clay

CharlestheFirst

Chee.

CHON

Cola Boyy

Corrupt

Cosmo's Midnight

Crooked Colours

Cuco

CVBZ

Defunk

DIGITAL ETHOS

Dixon's Violin

Dorfex Bos

Dr. Fresch

Dragondeer

Escort

FM-84

Fury + MC Dino

Ghost Light

Ghost Note

Grateful Shred

HalfNoise

Horse Meat Disco

Horseshoes & Hand Grenades

ilo ilo

Ivy Lab

Jaenga

JANTSEN

Jayda G

Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers

Kid Quill

King Henry

KNOWER

Lee Fields & The Expressions

LICK

Little Simz

Lolo Zouaï

Luttrell

Mansionair

MEMBA

Minnesota

Mungion

Octo Octa

OMNOM

Ookay (Live)

Orchard Lounge

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong

PLS&TY

Riot Ten

Ripe

Saba

Sacha Robotti

Said The Sky

SHAED

Spafford

Super Duper

TAUK

The Funk Hunters

The Knocks

The Librarian

The Midnight

The Nth Power presents: Earth, Wind & Power

The Polish Ambassador

Thriftworks

Thumpasaurus

WAVEDASH

WHIPPED CREAM

Wildlight

WOOLI

Wuki

YÅKO

Yotto

Ziggy Alberts

To stay up to date on all Electric Forest news, please visit www.electricforestfestival.com and the official Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube pages.

Wed, 12/05/2018 - 12:03 pm

The String Cheese Incident (SCI) returns to Colorado for their annual New Year’s Eve run of shows, this year kicking off a yearlong celebration of the band’s prolific 25-year career. The always highly anticipated event, which takes place at the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, CO on December 28th, 29th and 31st, will feature a stacked list of special guest musicians, the first ever “Land’s End Museum” displaying a historical capsule of 25 years of SCI, and of course, the band’s signature New Year’s Eve production spectacle. Check out the animated preview for the NYE celebration, created by the cutting edge animators at Bent Image Lab (Modest Mouse, Thom Yorke, LCD Soundsystem) here. Single and Multi-Day Tickets, and Ultimate Incident VIP & Travel Packages, are on sale now at www.stringcheeseincident.com.

The String Cheese Incident formed in 1993 in Colorado and have spent the past 25 years securing their place as one of the most significant and beloved independent bands in the country. With 10 albums and endless tour dates with as many live-recordings released, SCI has remained fiercely committed to their pioneering spirit. Over the past 25 years, SCI has opened their stage to a diverse array of musicians to collaborate and thrill audiences, from Lauryn Hill to Skrillex and Big Gigantic, to Zac Brown, The Doobie Brothers and Kool & The Gang -- to name a few. Rethinking the manner in which artists interact with their fans, The String Cheese Incident constructed an innovative business model to grow and nurture a massive, devoted fan base. Constantly pushing creative boundaries, they have helped redefine the live music experience by absorbing multiple artistic concepts into their total presentation. Today, SCI is thrilled to kick off a yearlong celebration of their truly impressive, dedicated and passionate career the best way they know -- by throwing the greatest New Year’s party around.

Most recently, The String Cheese Incident has released three new tracks, among a collection of more than a half dozen this year, from their ongoing SCI Sound Lab project. The SCI Sound Lab series, inspired by “The Lab,” SCI’s brand new Colorado studio, encourages experimentation with recording concepts and genres. It’s with that spirit that SCI recently released “Gone Crooked” co-written with Rayland Baxter, Michael Travis' politically-charged "Illegal," and “Manga,” inspired by Cameroonian bassist Andre Manga. The band can next be seen on the road in 2019 with a weekend residency at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, NV, on February 15-17th, followed by the MontBleu Resort in Lake Tahoe, CA, on February 21st – 23rd, and a run of dates throughout the Spring. Please see below for all currently announced shows, with more to be announced soon. Stay tuned for more information on upcoming SCI 25th Anniversary celebrations to be announced soon.

Catch The String Cheese Incident On Tour

Jan 25-28 • Jamaican International Incident • Runaway Bay, Jamaica *SOLD OUT

Feb 15-17 • The Cosmopolitan • Las Vegas, NV
Feb 21-23 • MontBleu Resort • Lake Tahoe, CA
April 19-20 • The Fox Theatre • St. Louis, MO
May 2 • The Orpheum • New Orleans, LA
May 3 & 4 • Mardi Gras World • New Orleans, LA*
May 24 • DelFest • Cumberland, MD
May 25-27 • The Capitol Theatre • Port Chester, NY

June 27-30 • Electric Forest • Rothbury, MI
July 27 • FloydFest • Floyd, VA

* = w/ Pigeons Playing Ping Pong

Fri, 01/04/2019 - 11:10 am

SnowGlobe Music Festival presented by MTV returned this past weekend to California’s breathtaking Sierra Nevada Mountains to host the country’s largest outdoor New Year’s music festival. With over 40 groundbreaking artists performing on multiple stages over 3 nights, the 8th annual event saw approximately 20,000 daily attendees throughout the weekend. The 2018 event brought in the new year with expanded and newly designed gathering areas including the MTV Lodge, unique art installations, Big Air ski and snowboard showcases between Main Stage sets, firework displays and more.

Bay-area hip-hop sensation G-Eazy, SnowGlobe-vet and fan favorite Kaskade, EDM-star REZZ, Swedish house heavy-hitter Eric Prydz, and livetronica sensations Big Gigantic kicked-off the 3-day festival on Saturday, December 29th with unforgettable performances on the Main Stage. Dedicated Snowglobe attendees anxiously waited for gates to open, anticipating the start of a weekend full of music and revelry to ring in the new year. Once inside, fans were able to explore the new art installations, the debut of the Rail Jam (the additional Big-Air feature showcasing local and professional skiers and snowboarders), the brand-new MTV Lodge, and more. At the Igloo tent, fans celebrated the beginning of their SnowGlobe 2018 experience with sets from 070 Shake, Anna Lunoe, Duckwrth and more. The Sierra Stage saw energetic sets from Party Favor, GoldLink, and Said the Sky.

photos courtesy of SnowGlobe Music Festival

Day two of SnowGlobe 2018 welcomed fans with warm temperatures and a classic California bluebird skies. Fans packed the Main Stage for highly-anticipated sets from Diplo, Tyga, RL Grime, and Sofi Tukker. The Sierra stage welcomed Ekali, Sam Gellaitry, Brownies and Lemonade All Star, while the Igloo tent bumped with Chris Lake b2b Waker & Royce, Justin Jay, and Sacha Robotti.

As New Year’s Eve dawned on Monday, December 31st, the excitement in the crowd was palatable. A cold and windy day in South Lake Tahoe did not dampen the spirits of the SnowGlobe crowd as they showed up in their best winter outfits. Rae Sremmurd took the mainstage early in the afternoon and electrified fans with a performance not soon to be forgotten. Followed by NGHTMRE b2b SLANDER, SOB x RBE and Gorgon City, the mainstage was firing. Manila Killa b2b Chet Porter, Medasin and CRAY thrilled fans at the Sierra Stage, while AC Slater b2b Wax Motif, Shallou and Chelsea Cutler kept the Igloo rocking all day and night long. Acclaimed British trance duo Above & Beyond led SnowGlobe into the New Year with a moving set, inviting fans on stage to ‘push the button’ into the New Year’s countdown, complete with fireworks, confetti, balloons and a message of love and togetherness for 2019.

Wed, 01/23/2019 - 10:30 am

Today, Powabunga – the inaugural music, mountain, and art festival in Vail, Colorado on March 22-23, 2019 – announces its lineup, featuring performances from viral powerhouse ZHU, Grammy-winning duo Bob Moses, Boombox, Justin Jay’s Fantastic Voyage, De Lux, ISHI and more. An immersive experience spanning the festival stage, the slopes of world-class Vail Mountain, and parts in between, Powabunga highlights Colorado’s uniquely vibrant mountain culture and the stunning beauty of the Vail Valley. With two nights of music at Ford Park, large scale pop-up art installations, exclusive apres ski and post show after-parties, and an over-the-top Costume Ski-Stravaganza, Powabunga promises a fun-filled weekend celebrating the joyful spirit and diverse offerings of the Rocky Mountains.

Powabunga’s concert performances at Ford Park (522 S. Frontage Road E.) kick off at 4 PM each afternoon and continue until 10 PM. Then, Powabunga hosts intimate afterparties—with artists including Justin Jay and Bob Moses (Club Set)—at select local venues (details to be announced soon).

Saturday, March 23rd at noon sees the start of the Costume Ski-Stravaganza at Black Forest Ski Race Course on Vail Mountain. A costume-required ski event, the Ski-Stravaganza invites fans to get creative for some slopeside fun, with winners taking away prizes including skis, snowboards, an Epic Pass, and more. Costume categories include Best Overall, Best Duo, Best Denim, and Best Onesie. Fans looking to participate can register at Powabungafest.com.

Tickets for Powabunga are available now at powabungafest.com, with a limited number of discounted $99 Early Bird 2-Day GA Passes and $299 Early Bird VIP Weekend Passes—offering access to preferred viewing areas and VIP tent hosting exclusive bar and food, upgraded bathrooms, and sponsor schwag, after-party pre-sale options, and more—available while supplies last.

Powabunga is proud to partner with Evergreen Lodge, with prime location in Vail Town Center, and Festicket.com to provide lodging options during the event. Fans who would like to book with Evergreen Lodge can use the code “powabunga” for discounted room rates. Festicket.com is offering all-inclusive deals for those looking to book travel, lodging, festival tickets and ski packages in one place.

Stay tuned for more information about Powabunga at www.powabunga.com and connect with Powabunga on Instagram at @Powabungafest.

Tue, 02/19/2019 - 2:22 pm

MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW — ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival at Krannert Center, deemed “one of the world’s most forward-thinking guitar festivals” by Fretboard Journal, has emerged as a favorite destination for musicians and fans from around the world. Make a date now for Thursday-Saturday, September 5-7 when ELLNORA 2019 returns as a cornerstone event of the Center’s two-season 50th-anniversary celebration. Tickets will be on sale at 10am on Saturday, July 13, 2019.

 https://www.facebook.com/events/2260963214226541/

https://krannertcenter.com/ellnora

Wed, 04/17/2019 - 12:48 pm

In celebration of Ivan Neville’s upcoming 60th birthday, non-profit 30AMP Circuit proudly presents Ivan Neville’s Songbook Live – Piano Sessions Through the Ages on May 2nd, 2019 at Le Petit Theatre in New Orleans. Building on the tradition of Ivan Neville’s famed Jazzfest Piano Sessions, Songbook Live will showcase a distinct collection of songs, stories and very special musical guests uniquely curated to embody, and celebrate, Ivan’s prolific musical career. Marking the celebration, 30AMP Circuit will present Ivan with its inaugural “Songbook Award,” in recognition of Ivan Neville’s expansive musical legacy and in honor of his lifetime of charitable efforts supporting New Orleans’ music community.

Hosted on the second Thursday of Jazzfest, after Ivan’s Main Stage festival set and two hours after the Fairgrounds close, this very special evening at New Orleans’ most historic playhouse promises to be a momentous Crescent City music experience. For this intimate and extraordinarily personal Piano Sessions adaptation, Ivan digs deep into his rich catalogue of original and cover material and harnesses his candid and colorful storytelling to journey listeners through his impressive and still-unfolding musical history.

In true celebration of Ivan Neville and the city that shaped his musical legacy, the evening will feature a parade of very special musical guests, the “Songbook Award” presentation by WWOZ's David Kunian, a VIP seated dinner offering prepared by New Orleans’ famed Tableau Restaurant & Iron Chef Dickie Brennan, and more. Visit www.lepetitetheatre.com for tickets and information.

Proceeds from the event will benefit New Orleans’ Musicians Clinic, a not-for-profit organization that works with New Orleans musicians to provide wellness support and access to affordable medical services.

Upon hearing the news that he would be the recipient of 30AMP’s inaugural “Songbook Award,” Ivan reflects, “This is quite an honor for me. I’m humbled. And also very excited to put this Songbook Live set together. I’m looking forward to sharing the honor with so many family and friends and parts of New Orleans who have helped shape who I am, including the NOLA Musicians’ Clinic.  In a lot of ways, they helped save my life - and are so deserving of this kind of support.”

In fact, Ivan Neville himself was the very inspiration for 30AMP Circuit’s first-ever “Songbook Award,” and the celebration event they are hosting. As a national 501C3 that works to improve the overall health and wellness of the working musician, Ivan Neville’s own personal story about this difficult time in his life when he needed support, and got it, is exactly the type of success story that drives 30AMP’s mission.

“I’ve known Ivan for a long time and he has an incredible musical legacy. He works so hard and he gives back a lot, so I knew we wanted to find a way for the organization to honor him,” explains 30AMP founding partner and music industry veteran Andy Hurwitz.

“During our conversations, Ivan shared that he credited the support of the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic (NOMC) for helping him get, and stay, sober,” recalls Hurwtiz. “That was an ah-ha moment for me. I was suddenly able to see how our fledging organization could help connect the dots for Ivan, NOMC and so many others who share 30AMP’s passion for supporting musician health and wellness.” Connected, in fact, in very tangible ways. Hurwitz and his 30Amp Co-Founder, Sports Medicine Specialist Dr. Ari Greis, have since been working with NOMC Managing Director Erica Dudas to find additional ways they can collaborate – both locally and nationally.

And there it is, Ivan Neville’s legacy still evolving…

Tue, 04/30/2019 - 11:17 am

On September 5, 6, and 7, 2019, a diverse and exciting curation of the world’s most remarkable guitarists will gather for the eighth installment of ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival, presented by Krannert Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Situated in a vibrant micro-urban setting, the internationally recognized, biennial event features “a prodigious array of the world’s most distinctive and influential guitarists” from around the globe (Premier Guitar). 2019 ELLNORA artists hail from Madagascar, Niger, Korea, Gambia, France,  Bosnia, China, Brazil, Germany, and throughout the United States, representing a broad spectrum of musical genres, instrumental traditions, and playing styles.

This year’s ELLNORA features nearly 30 performances, including 15+ free events, across seven stages. In addition to the four indoor theatres of Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, the Center’s expansive 1.5-acre lobby is perfectly suited to hosting performances—both informal and formal—that showcase the festival’s impressive range. This incarnation of ELLNORA hosts 13 ticketed events including performances by award-winning blues legend Buddy Guy, French-born gypsy jazz musician and ELLNORA alumnus Stephane Wrembel, ever-revolutionary musical influencer Pat Metheny, classical guitarists Bokyung Byun and Jason Vieaux, and genre- and culture-fusing Rafiq Bhatia. Uncommon combinations also abound at ELLNORA with both a guitar/clarinet performance (Anat Cohen and Marcello Gonçalves) and the Balkan music guitar/accordion duo Aritmia (with Merima Ključo and Miroslav Tadić).

Grammy Award-winning slack key guitar player Jeff Peterson, avant-garde jazz trio The Messthetics, and family-friendly favorite Danny Weinkauf and the Red Pants Band are among the artists featured in the 8+ free performance-based events. Special festival amenities for 2019 include Sonic Meditation events, a live podcast with Steve Dawson (an ELLNORA alumnus who performed his own composition with the Jupiter String Quartet at Krannert Center’s 50th-anniversary weekend in April 2019), a live broadcast of Illinois Public Media’s program The 21st, Saturday morning yoga with live accompaniment, a workshop and panel discussion with luthier Rachel Rosenkrantz, and more.

The free Opening Night Party on Thursday, September 5, kicks off with music by Madagascar-based supergroup Toko Telo, whose members perform sparkling, island-inspired folk compositions. Niger-born artist Bombino follows with a sizzling set of North African desert blues. ELLNORA alumni Luther Dickinson and Samantha Fish will close out the Opening Night Party with rollicking tunes that showcase Dickinson’s powerful slide style and Fish’s scorching blues. The event marks the start of Krannert Center’s 50th season.

ELLNORA, which bears the name of its venue’s visionary founder, Ellnora Krannert, provides a vital showcase for some of today’s most prominent female artists. The lineup for 2019 includes the first professional female kora player, Sona Jobarteh, multidisciplinary explorer Kaki King (performing the Krannert Center co-commissioned DATA NOT FOUND), cumbia- and Latin-inspired ensemble Sávila featuring She Shreds founder Fabi Reyna, rock-and-roll band The Bluebonnets, the return of 2017 ELLNORA standout Samantha Fish, bluegrass phenom Molly Tuttle, folk guitarist Julia Toaspern, and other exciting performers.

Originally known as the Wall to Wall Guitar Festival before being rechristened ELLNORA in 2009, the event is organized by Krannert Center for the Performing Arts’ director, Mike Ross, and the Center’s staff in collaboration with curator and artistic advisor David Spelman, who is also founder/artistic director of the world-renowned New York Guitar Festival. In the years since its debut, ELLNORA has served as a model for other events in the United States and around the world.

View a short film about ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmyByay0y2c

2019 ELLNORA EVENT SCHEDULE

(Descriptions available at EllnoraGuitarFestival.com and KrannertCenter.com)

TH SEP 5

6pm Opening Night Party

6pm & 7:30pm Toko Telo 

6:30pm Bombino 

8pm Samantha Fish with Luther Dickinson

9:30pm Spontaneous Combustion with Luther Dickinson, Steve Dawson, Rob Ickes, Trey Hensley, and Molly Tuttle

FR SEP 6

11am The 21st Live with Niala Boodhoo

12pm Across the Sea: Jeff Peterson, Greg Sardinha, Tsun-Hui Hung

1:30pm Panel Discussion with Fabi Reyna

2:45pm Live Podcast—Music Makers and Soul Shakers with Steve Dawson

4pm Panel Discussion with Rachel Rosenkrantz, luthier: Innovation in Playing, Innovation in Building

5pm Sona Jobarteh

6pm Molly Tuttle and Steve Dawson

7:30pm Kaki King: DATA NOT FOUND

8pm & 10pm Stephane Wrembel Band

9pm Pat Metheny Side Eye

10:30pm The Messthetics

SA SEP 7

9am Yoga with GLOW by Lola

10am Danny Weinkauf and the Red Pants Band

10:15am Stephane Wrembel Solo

11am Bokyung Byun and Jason Vieaux

11am Workshop with Rachel Rosenkrantz, luthier: Anatomy of Sound

12:30pm Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley

1:30pm Sávila

2:30pm Anat Cohen and Marcello Gonçalves; Aritmia: Merima Ključo and Miroslav Tadić

2:30pm & 4pm Danilo Brito Quartet

5pm The Bluebonnets

5pm & 8pm Sonic Meditation

6pm Tony McManus and Julia Toaspern

7:15pm & 9pm Rafiq Bhatia

8:30pm Buddy Guy

10pm Brandon T. Washington and Friends

TICKETS AND INFORMATION

Event tickets go on sale to the public at 10am on Saturday, July 20.

Ticket prices vary. Visit EllnoraGuitarFestival.com for details.

Donations are welcome throughout the festival to help make ELLNORA programming possible.

Wed, 05/01/2019 - 9:12 am

The New York Guitar Festival and Arts Brookfield will present “Memphis Minnie: In Search of the Hoodoo Lady,” a free, outdoor concert celebrating the life and music of influential blues guitarist Memphis Minnie. The Saturday, June 1st, 7pm event will be held at Brookfield Place’s Waterfront Plaza in lower Manhattan. 

The concert will feature musicians across an array of genres and will include Marc Ribot, Rafiq Bhatia, Rachael & Vilray (featuring Lake Street Dive’s Rachael Price), Nicole Atkins, Binky Griptite, Kaia Kater, Jontavious Willis, Toshi Reagon, Brandon Ross, Amythyst Kiah, Alsarah and the Nubatones, Brandee Younger, Abdoulaye Alhassane Toure, Banning Eyre, and Grammy Award-winners Vernon Reid and Fantastic Negrito.

A supremely influential and pioneering blues guitarist, Minnie was one of the first blues artists to go electric in 1942 and is considered a crucial link connecting acoustic Delta blues with the electrified Chicago sound. Chuck Berry, Big Mama Thornton, and Muddy Waters have acknowledged Minnie’s influence. Bonnie Raitt called her “one of American musical history's most vibrant and pioneering artists," and Langston Hughes described a 1943 performance of hers in the Chicago Defender as “a musical version of electric welders plus a rolling mill” that made folks “holler out loud”!

A gifted blues guitarist who played on Beale Street in Memphis – both in the clubs and sometimes on the street itself -- Memphis Minnie’s place in the guitar pantheon is criminally understated, even as her influence is hard to overstate. Minnie started recording in 1929, and she had a huge impact on the sound of the blues. Minnie helped define the sound that brought us Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon. The sound that later brought us The Rolling Stones and Cream and a host of others. Her song “When The Levee Breaks,” highlighting her relentless, rolling guitarwork, was redone in 1971 by a quartet of English lads calling themselves Led Zeppelin. And that version of the song has now been sampled more than 100 times, including by Dr. Dre, Beyonce, and Eminem. Minnie’s 1941 hit, “Me And My Chauffeur Blues,” featuring Memphis Minnie’s sly, forceful vocals, has also had a long afterlife, including covers by Nina Simone and Jefferson Airplane. 

Memphis Minnie was, in the words of the Grammy-winning singer and guitarist Fantastic Negrito, “a genius that was hiding in plain sight.”  Another artist joining in this year’s tribute, the guitarist and musicologist Banning Eyre, describes her this way: “Elegant, stylish and tough as shoe leather, she epitomized everything the world loves about America’s most enduring folk music.”  But by the time she died in 1973, she was largely forgotten. 

“Somehow it just feels right to kick off the New York Guitar Festival’s 20th anniversary season on the 90th anniversary of the start of Memphis Minnie’s recording career. Lucinda Williams sees Memphis Minnie as ‘the most important female singer, songwriter and guitarist in the history of Delta blues’ yet there’s been scant notice on the New York cultural scene of her achievements. We’d like to change that,” says Festival artistic director David Spelman, noting that additional NYGF anniversary events at various venues will be announced throughout the year.

In her final public remarks as first lady, Michelle Obama said, “Our glorious diversity—our diversities of faiths and colors and creeds—that is not a threat to who we are; it makes us who we are.” The New York Guitar Festival’s 20 years of wide-ranging programing embody that “glorious diversity.” Festival co-founder Spelman adds, “Art—and especially the guitar—transcends borders, languages, and cultures. The NYGF is one of the most vibrant, inclusive, and stimulating guitar festivals in the world . . . for this generation of music lovers and the next.”

Wed, 05/29/2019 - 2:45 pm

Mipso, North Carolina’s acclaimed indie-Americana quartet, continue a year of extensive touring with their newly announced North American Summer 2019 Tour. Kicking off on Saturday, June 1st  at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Kerrville, TX, Mipso continues on to play over 22 dates throughout the summer, including stops at the Montreal Folk Festival sur le Canal in Montréal, the Green River Festival in Massachusetts, Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival in Oak Hill, NY and the Green Mountain Bluegrass at Roots Festival in Manchester, VT. Mipso return to their hometown of Raleigh, NC on August 31st to close out the summer season headlining the North Carolina Museum of Art with Buck Meek (of Big Thief) opening. See the complete list of Mipso’s summer tour dates below. Tickets are available at www.mipsomusic.com.

Mipso’s hit song, “People Change,” from their most recent album Edges Run, is featured in the upcoming Jon Lithgow movie, The Tomorrow Man. Since the song’s release one year ago, the beautifully intimate “People Change” has received over 40 million streams on Spotify, connecting with fans and critics alike. In The Tomorrow Man official movie trailer, “People Change” can be heard starting around the 1 minute mark, here.

This Spring, Mipso stopped by DittyTV in Memphis, TN to record a session for the live music program. The full episode is out now, available on any connected device including SmartTV’s, Roku, AppleTV, FireTV, ChromeCast, Smartphones, etc. – or click here to watch the band perform “Edges Run” from the DittyTV stage.

About Mipso:

Mipso is born from North Carolina’s broad range of disparate musical influences, their distinctly unique sound an undeniable alchemy of the historical musical traditions of the rural south and their progressive home of Chapel Hill.

A discernible and rising force in the upstart musical genre known as Americana, Mipso’s music is lush and forward moving. A tender, harmony-laden river runs through the band’s core, but the rocky outcroppings change with every album outing. Appalachia melds with modern alt-country, hints of folk-rock are leavened with a sly and subversive sense of humor, and underneath it all is a genuine and moving passion for the ever-evolving traditions of Americana. With the recent release of the band’s fifth album, Edges Run (April 2018/Anti-Fragile Music), Mipso continues the complex dance of looking back and moving forward with grace and beauty.

 Tour Dates:

6/1/19

Kerrville Folk Festival

Kerrville, TX

6/7/19

Ocrafolk Festival

Ocracoke, NC

6/14/19

The Camel

Richmond, VA +

6/16/19

Montreal Folk Festival sur le Canal

Montreal, Quebec

7/12/19

The Purple Fiddle

Thomas, WV

7/14/19

Green River Festival

Greenfield, MA

7/18-21/19

Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival

Oak Hill, NY

7/26/19

Red Ants Pants

White Sulphur Springs, MT

7/28/19

Strings Music Pavilion

Steamboat Springs, CO

8/3/19

Reevestock

Elkins, NC

8/8/19

Creative Alliance

Baltimore, MD

8/9/19

Musikfest

Bethlehem, PA

8/10/19

Spruce Peak Folk Festival

Stowe, VT

8/12/19

Port City Music Hall

Portland, ME

8/14/19

Shalin Liu Performance Center

Rockport, MA

8/15/19

Natick Center for the Arts

Natick, MA

8/16-17/19

Green Mountain Bluegrass and Roots

Manchester Center, VT

8/18/19

Sellersville Theater 1894

Sellersville, PA ~

8/29/19

The Hamilton

Washington D.C. *

8/30/19

Jefferson Theater

Charlottesville, VA *

8/31/19

North Carolina Museum of Art

Raleigh, NC *

9/20/19

Bourbon & Beyond Festival

Louisville, KY

+ with Thorp Jenson

~ with Under the Oak

* with Buck Meek

Fri, 06/07/2019 - 5:50 pm

Today, Nashville’s Lindsay Lou releases “Ready,” the second single from a collection of country-soul inspired songs from the rising singer-songwriter. The song, which premiered on The Bluegrass Situation, and its b-side “Stunt Double,” are available today on all digital platforms, here. Recently highlighted by Rolling Stone as one of the ‘Best Artists We Saw at DelFest 2019,’ Lindsay Lou and her band are currently on their North American summer tour, with headlining shows and festival stops including Camp Greensky, Red Wing Roots Festival, Northwest String Summit, and more. The complete list of confirmed dates and tickets are available now at www.lindsayloumusic.com

The second release from a collection of new music that Lou has released over the past month, “Ready” explores the reclamation of love and light, after a time darkness – whether seasonally or politically. Lou explains, ““Ready’ is about coming out of the darkness of doubt into the jubilation of knowing love is within us and all around us. Living in that light is empowering, but in the haze of hate speech and the endless broadcasting of bad news it can be easy to lose sight. Reclamation of love and finding faith in the ebb and flow feels like Mother Nature breathing new life into barren branches after a long winter.”

Lindsay Lou has been making soulful, poignant music for the last decade. An undeniable powerhouse, Lou’s remarkable gifts as a singer, songwriter, musician and performer demand the listener’s attention. Rolling Stone recently described Lou’s commanding stage performance, “the sheer beauty of Lou’s performance resides in her magnetic presence onstage, something amplified into the ether amid her status as a rapidly rising songwriter in an electric band.  Over the past month, Lou released four new songs as sets of double-sided singles, including “Keep On Going”, and it’s b-side, “The Great Defender,” on May 9th, and today sees the release of the second set of new songs, “Ready” and “Stunt Double.” As a follow up to her most recent album, Southland, this collection of songs gives a glimpse into where Lou and her band have been -- and where they are going -- highlighting the masterful playing, fierce intensity and tender intimacy that has become Lou’s signature.

Lindsay Lou Summer 2019 Tour Dates

6/7/19

Camp Greensky

Wellston, MI

6/12/19

Redstone Room

Davenport, IA+

6/13/19

City Winery

Chicago, IL ~

6/14/19

Duck Creek Music Festival

Logan, OH

6/19/19

Bell's Eccentric Café

Kalamazoo, MI #

6/20/19

Music in the Park

Tecumseh, MI #

6/21/19

Orpheum Theatre

Hancock, MI #

6/22/19

Crystal Theatre

Crystal Falls, MI #

7/12-14/2019

Red Wing Roots Festival

Mt. Solon, VA

7/18-21/2019

Northwest String Summit

North Plains, OR

7/19/19

The Summer Music Festival at Roseberry

Roseberry, ID

7/31/19

AvonLIVE! Concert Series

Avon, CO ^

8/3/19

Bluegrass & Beer Festival

Keystone, CO

8/16-18/2019

Hoxeyville Music Festival

Wellston, MI

8/30-9/1/2019

Four Corners Folk Festival

Pagosa Springs, CO

9/6-8/19

Sisters Folk Festival

Sisters, OR

9/19-22/2019

Watermelon Park Festival

Berryville, VA

9/26-29/19

Boats & Bluegrass

Winona, MN

9/27-28/19

Huck Finn Jubilee

Ontario, CA

+ with Austin Thompson

~ with Austin and Colin of The Way Down Wanderers

# performing as The Sweet Water Warblers

^ with Peter Rowan

Tue, 08/13/2019 - 6:31 pm

On September 5, 6, and 7, 2019, a diverse and exciting curation of the world’s most remarkable guitarists will gather for the eighth installment of ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival, presented by Krannert Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The 2019 event features artists from across the globe, including those from Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Madagascar, Niger, Korea, Gambia, France, Bosnia, China, Germany, and throughout the United States, representing a broad spectrum of musical genres, instrumental traditions, and playing styles. The internationally recognized, biennial event not only features performances from an array of the world’s most influential guitarists but also engaging, FREE educational programming, including lectures, workshops, and panel discussions for patrons to enjoy.

The interactive programming at ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival begins on Friday, September 6 with a live broadcast of Illinois Public Media’s The 21st—a public radio talk show that celebrates news, culture, and the stories that matter to Illinois. The host will welcome to-be-announced ELLNORA guests for this new festival feature. The public taping begins at 11am in Krannert Center’s Studio Theatre.

ELLNORA welcomes Fabi Reyna—founder of She Shreds magazine, the only print publication in the world dedicated to women guitarists and bassists—as she hosts Guitar as a Creative, Political, and Emotional Tool on Friday, September 6 at 1:30pm. In this lively panel discussion, Fabi will lead a panel conversation about gender and genre in the music industry. Reyna’s band Sávila, a cumbia/Latin/world/R&B-inspired ensemble, will perform a free public show on Saturday, September 7 at 1:30pm at Stage 5.

 Rhode Island-based French luthier Rachel Rosenkrantz hosts a talkback discussion with guest artists following the Friday, September 6 noontime performance of Across the Sea, featuring Jeff Peterson, Greg Sardinha, and Tsun-Hui Hung.

On Friday at 2:45pm in the Studio Theatre, guitarist Steve Dawson hosts a live taping of his podcast, Music Makers and Soul Shakers with Steve Dawson. Dawson’s podcast features thoughtful and in-depth interviews with artists, musicians, producers, and engineers. His guest will be fellow ELLNORA artist Molly Tuttle.

Wrapping up Friday’s panels at 4pm in the Studio Theatre is Rachel Rosenkrantz’s panel discussion entitled Innovation in Playing, Innovation in Building. ELLNORA artists Luther Dickinson, Kaki King, Tony McManus, and Jason Vieaux will join her to explore long-standing guitar-making traditions and the modern craft.

New York Guitar Festival founder and ELLNORA Artistic Advisor David Spelman will host a talkback event following the North American premiere of Kaki King’s DATA NOT FOUND on Friday, September 6.

Saturday, September 7 opens with Yoga with GLOW by Lola at 9am in the Orchestra Rehearsal Room. Attendees are invited to start their day with a refreshing yoga session led by Lola Pettinger, with live musical accompaniment from Grammy Award-winning slack key guitar player Jeff Peterson.

Rachel Rosenkrantz returns to host a free workshop at 11am on Saturday morning, entitled, Anatomy of Sound, where patrons can get hands-on with the detailed craft of guitar making.

Two rounds of Sonic Meditations on Saturday, September 7 invite guests to participate in sonic rejuvenation through the wisdom of Reverend Florence Caplow paired with a short acoustic music set. At 5pm, acclaimed classical guitarist Bokyung Byun will provide the musical portion of the Sonic Meditation, with Guido Sanchez-Portuguez offering his classical guitar skills at the 8pm session. Both Sonic Meditation events will take place on the Colwell Playhouse stage with no late seating.

The full schedule of ELLNORA events and performances can be found below and at EllnoraGuitarFestival.com.

Wed, 08/21/2019 - 11:52 am

Krannert Center’s 2019-20 season opens at high speed with the return of ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival and the Opening Night Party! Get ready to gather and groove as the entire community comes together for a night of exceptional music-making; fabulous food and drink from Siam Terrace, Jet's Pizza, Wood N' Hog, Rick's Bakery, and Caribbean Grill; and all-ages amenities including souvenir posters from Weiskamp Printing, face painting, Krannert Center gold tattoos, chalk artist Scott Barber, and special limited-edition gold-colored guitar picks.

Patrons can slide in by 6pm when music begins with Toko Telo in the Amphitheatre. This Madagascar-based supergroup features two of the country’s most renowned guitarists—D’Gary and Joël Rabesolo—who dazzle audiences on sparkling, island-inspired folk compositions in the tsapiky, jihe, and beko styles that glitter with the soulful vocals of Monika Njava. (Catch Toko Telo again at 7:30pm.)

Tim Donaldson will kick things off indoors at 6:25pm by playing the National Anthem.

At 6:30pm, enjoy a sizzling set of tichumaren (North African desert blues) from Niger-born artist Bombino. He says of his Sahara homeland that “sound and music there carries a power with it, so you get the feeling when you’re holding an instrument in your hand and playing it, you’re completing a picture that was otherwise incomplete” (The New York Times).

Reverend Robert, a master of prewar blues, joins the lineup for a 7:45pm cameo. He seamlessly combines delta blues with ragtime, early jazz, and inflections from Hawaiian, African, and Caribbean traditions for an original acoustic sound.

A pair of ELLNORA alums takes to the stage at 8pm. Longtime Krannert Center collaborator Luther Dickinson frequents the “best of” lists in the guitar world and garners devotion for his powerful slide style, exceptional songwriting, and deep connection to the music of Memphis. Kansas City-born guitarist/singer/songwriter Samantha Fish continues her meteoric rise as a blues artist who really knows how to rock. Together with Fish‘s band, you can expect them to deliver an over-the-top Opening Night Party finale to remember.

SCHEDULE:

·       Food sales begin and doors open at 5:30pm.

·       Toko Telo, 6pm and 7:30pm—Amphitheatre (rain location Studio Theatre)

·       Tim Donaldson, 6:25pm, Lobby—Stage 5

·       Bombino, 6:30pm, Lobby—Stage 6

·       Reverend Robert, 7:45pm, Lobby—Stage 5

·       Samantha Fish with Luther Dickinson, 8pm, Lobby—Stage 6

This event is FREE to the general public, with no tickets required.  Get the entire ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival lineup at EllnoraGuitarFestival.com.

The Krannert Center Ticket Office will be open throughout the evening’s festivities for guests to purchase tickets to events throughout the 2019-20 season. Patrons can also visit Promenade Showcase + Gift Shop for quick snacks; ELLNORA, Krannert Center, and artist merchandise; cards and gifts; and to view behind-the-scenes displays.

Following the Opening Night Party, head to the Studio Theatre at 9:30pm for Spontaneous Combustion, a late-night, ticketed set ($10-$20) featuring a powerhouse lineup of six-string practitioners.

Thu, 08/22/2019 - 2:16 pm

Indie rock darling Henry Chadwick has unveiled the piano driven “Never Say No,” the second single from his upcoming new EP, The President of Make Believe, due out this fall via Swoon City. Premiering the song with GLIDE Magazine, they describe, “[Never Say No] showcases Chadwick’s skill in the greatly underrated realm of piano rock alongside his savvy songwriting skills… effortlessly infectious.” “Never Say No” will be available on all digital platforms this Friday, August 23rd, 2019 here. Chadwick and his band kick off their fall tour in support of the new EP on September 27th with a hometown show at Moe’s Alley in Santa Cruz, CA, before heading up and down the California coast and Pacific Northwest, wrapping up at Furstworld in Joshua Tree, CA on October 25th, 2019. All announced dates are below with tickets available at http://www.henrychadwick.net/

Henry Chadwick is a Santa Cruz, CA-based singer-songwriter, musician and producer. Chadwick’s music dances between genres and lands somewhere between indie, garage rock, psychedelia, and shimmery, sunshine-tinged power-pop.

 
Chadwick's self-produced and self-released 2016 debut EP Guest At Home first showcased his skills as a writer, engineer, mixer, and performer. The EP garnered attention from prominent blogs and outlets such as Rolling Stone, Time, Huffington Post, Indie Shuffle and others. Rolling Stone and Time Magazine listed it as one of the best albums to come out in the first half of 2016.
 
In late 2017 Henry Chadwick entered the studio with producer Rob Schnapf (Elliott Smith, Beck, Kurt Vile) and engineer, Brian Rosemeyer (Kurt Vile, Cass McCombs, Surfer Blood), and emerged with his most personal and ambitious effort to date. Chadwick acted as a multi-instrumentalist again, playing drums, guitar, bass and keys on the record. The 11-song album, which came out in the 2nd half of 2018, is named Marlin Fisher, after Henry’s two middle names. Marlin Fisher has received praise from the likes of Rolling Stone, No Depression and more.
 
In 2019, Chadwick is back and releasing a 5 song EP titled The President Of Make Believe with Brooklyn-based Indie label, Swoon City Music. The tracks were recorded partially in Santa Cruz, as well as Brooklyn with engineer Mike Beck, who also mixed the EP.

Henry Chadwick on Tour

Sept. 27th - Moe's Alley - Santa Cruz, CA

October 2nd - The Dip - Redding, CA

October 3rd - Sam Bond's Garage - Eugene, OR

October 4th - Conor Byrne Pub - Seattle, WA

October 5th - Bunk Bar - Portland, OR

October 6th - The River City Saloon - Wood River, OR

October 7th - Range Rider - Enterprise, OR

October 8th - Pengilly's Saloon - Boise, ID

October 11th - Cooper's - Nevada City, CA

October 12th - Amnesia - San Fransisco, CA 

October 24th - The Love Song Bar - Los Angeles, CA

October 25th - Furstworld - Joshua Tree, CA

Wed, 09/04/2019 - 1:06 pm

With Labor Day 2019 just behind us, famed rock photographer Jay Blakesberg announces the release of his latest photographic endeavor, JERRY GARCIA: Secret Space of Dreams – a fine art, hardcover photography book of Jerry Garcia, beginning from the middle of his career with the Grateful Dead and covering the last third of his life. It’s of no coincidence, as experiencing the Grateful Dead over Labor Day weekends of past that have played a monumental role in the path of Blakesberg’s life and photography. When the Grateful Dead began their series of four big Labor Day weekend concerts along the east coast in 1977, it was at the legendary September 3rd Englishtown show where Blakesberg’s connection with the Grateful Dead was born. The following Labor Day weekend, September 2, 1978 at Giants Stadium, Blakesberg’s father, an amateur shutterbug himself, loaned his 16-year-old son his Pentax camera, a couple of lenses and a few rolls of film to photograph the Grateful Dead for the very first time. A photograph of Jerry Garcia from this show begins the chronological display of photographs that spans the following decades of Garcia’s life in JERRY GARCIA: Secret Space of Dreams. Signed copies of JERRY GARCIA: Secret Space of Dreams are available now for pre-order at www.rockoutbooks.com. Pre-orders start shipping September 23, 2019.

The book’s Foreword is written by Grammy-award winning musician and guitar master John Mayer, who has been touring with the surviving members of the Grateful Dead as Dead & Company’s lead guitarist and vocalist. Providing the unique perspective of re-interpreting the lead guitar slot once held by Jerry Garcia, Mayer explores the magic and distinction of Garcia’s playing and the profound and lasting impact of his music on the world. “I’ve always said that musicians play like they are, and in the case of Garcia, his performances serve as a detailed map of a man, his intentions, his desires, and his impressions of the world around him,“ Mayer writes. “And going by that map, Garcia was a lovely, mighty soul. I never met him and will never understand the loss of those who did, but the vast archive of his music amounts to the makings of a starry night sky that turns listeners into explorers.”

In JERRY GARCIA: Secret Space of Dreams’ Introduction, journalist, musician, radio host and Grateful Dead historian David Gans dives deep into the character and charisma of the mythical non-frontman, frontman – and Blakesberg’s innate ability to capture Garcia’s magic on film. In the book’s 208 pages, Blakesberg shares 139 photographs of Garcia spanning nearly 20 years­­––September 2nd, 1978 (at Giants Stadium) through the April 1995 making of the “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” music video. With an essay by Garcia’s daughter Trixie and quotes from the likes of Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, David Crosby, Jim James, Carlos Santana, Trey Anastasio, Robert Hunter, Jackie Greene, Jorma Kaukonen, Country Joe McDonald, David Grisman, the “core four” members of the Grateful Dead––Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart-- and more, Blakesberg leads us on a visual journey of Garcia’s life, both on and off the stage.

In the Afterword, Widespread Panic founding member, author, and producer Dave Schools muses on the man, myth and legend portrayed in the pages of the photographic biography. Schools thoughtfully reflects on Garcia’s ability to “display his own frailty in the service of the song,” and to connect with the audience as participants in the performance. “These are just some of the attributes of a human being who led without leading, who conveyed his own truth better through his music than he was able to do through the spoken word…and who lived the majority of his life onstage being part of a performance troupe that went far beyond the sum of its parts,” he writes. “And luckily for those of us who want and need to remember such experiences we have a vast recorded archive of music, millions of words both scholarly and lay, and in our hands now these magnificently telling photographs by Jay Blakesberg so that we can always queue up the memories of our shared experiences with a rare human being known as Jerry Garcia and his equally rare cohorts.”

The release of JERRY GARCIA: Secret Space of Dreams comes on the heels of Blakesberg’s recent photography books FARE THEE WELL: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Grateful Dead (December 1, 2015) and Eyes of the World – Grateful Dead Photography 1965-1995, (October 23, 2017).  FARE THEE WELL is a vibrant visual record of the Grateful Dead’s 50th anniversary “Fare Thee Well” concerts, gathering iconic images from all five performances, plus two rehearsal days, as well as band portraits, a few archival images, written tributes and setlists from the historic shows. Eyes of the World celebrates The Grateful Dead with photographs spanning their entire career from the likes of Jim Marshall, Annie Leibovitz, Herb Greene, Peter Simon (60 different photographers) and Blakesberg, who has the most photos in the book from any single photographer.

About Jay Blakesberg:

Jay Blakesberg is a San Francisco-based photographer, filmmaker and visual anthropologist whose work has been featured in Rolling Stone, Guitar Player, Relix and many other magazines. He has worked with countless musical artists, including Neil Young, Dave Matthews, Phish, moe., Tom Waits, the Rolling Stones, Carlos Santana and, of course, the Grateful Dead to name just a few. Blakesberg attended his first Dead show in September 1977 as a 15-year-old kid. Thirty-seven years later, he went on to become the official Fare Thee Well photographer for the band’s final five shows. Secret Space of Dreams is his 15th coffee table book of music photography.

To learn more about Jay please visit:
 www.blakesberg.com or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Blakesberg

Thu, 09/19/2019 - 1:52 pm

Mipso, North Carolina’s acclaimed indie-Americana quartet, today release the video for their hit single “People Change.” The beautifully animated video illustrates the complicated emotions explored in the song’s lyrics – the intimate loss of losing someone, not necessarily from death or from a romantic break, but the equally heartbreaking experience of growing up and growing apart. Click here to watch the video.

Of the song’s sensitive lyrics, Jacob Sharp explains, “a lot of what I write is centered around articulating loss. My mother died when I was young, and I’ve had a normal amount of romantic relationships end… ‘People Change’ is a different angle on loss, that of a friendship fading away. In some ways it’s a lot more difficult to process because the loss feels more within your control – the situation less futile – but the impact of the absence is pretty much the same.” 

The band enlisted Jake McBride to create the illustrated video, of which Libby Rodenbough expands, “‘People Change’ is about the kind of growing apart that is not vindictive or righteous or one-sided—about the untraceable ways your world disconnects from another’s world. We wanted a video that would convey the quiet tangle of feelings that comes along with that variety of heartbreak. It’s not accusatory, not an explosion of emotion, neither brightly colored nor totally dark. I think so much of your struggle with yourself and other people is like that as you get older.”

Connecting with critics and fans alike, “People Change,” has received over 47 million plays on Spotify to date. The track, from their most recent album Edges Run, was also featured in the 2019 Jon Lithgow movie The Tomorrow Man, and can be seen here in the official trailer, starting around the 1-minute mark, here.

Mipso continues a year of extensive touring with the announcement of their first full European tour this fall. Kicking off on October 26th, 2019 at Broadcast in Glasgow, Scotland, Mipso will continue on to play 16 dates across Europe, including stops in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Vienna, Berlin, Stockholm and more. Currently finishing up their North American summer tour, Mipso can be seen at Bourbon and Beyond Festival in Louisville, KY and Holler on the Hill in Indianapolis before heading to California for a run of dates including Felton, Petaluma, and Berkeley this September. See the complete list of Mipso’s upcoming tour dates below. Tickets are available at www.mipsomusic.com.

About Mipso:

Mipso is born from North Carolina’s broad range of disparate musical influences, their distinctly unique sound an undeniable alchemy of the historical musical traditions of the rural south and their progressive home of Chapel Hill.

A discernible and rising force in the upstart musical genre known as Americana, Mipso’s music is lush and forward moving. A tender, harmony-laden river runs through the band’s core, but the rocky outcroppings change with every album outing. Appalachia melds with modern alt-country, hints of folk-rock are leavened with a sly and subversive sense of humor, and underneath it all is a genuine and moving passion for the ever-evolving traditions of Americana. With the recent release of the band’s fifth album, Edges Run (April 2018/Anti-Fragile Music), Mipso continues the complex dance of looking back and moving forward with grace and beauty.

Mipso on Tour:

9/20/19

Bourbon & Beyond Festival

Louisville, KY

9/21/19

Holler on the Hill

Indianapolis, IN

9/26/19

Felton Music Hall

Felton, CA

9/27/19

Mystic Theatre

Petaluma, CA

9/29/19

Cornerstone Craft Beer & Live Music

Berkeley, CA

 

 

EU Tour

 

10/26/19

Broadcast

Glasgow, Scotland

10/27/19

Castle Hotel

Manchester, England

10/28/19

Thousand Island

London, England

10/30/19

1999

Paris, France

11/1/19

Paradiso Noord Tuinzaal

Amsterdam, Netherlands

11/2/19

Studio 672

Cologne, Germany

11/5/19

Hansa 39

Munich, Germany

11/6/19

Rhiz

Vienna, Austria

11/8/19

Privateclub

Berlin, Germany

11/9/19

Banhof Pauli

Hamburg, Germany

11/10/19

Folk a Rock

Malmo, Sweden

11/11/19

Nalen Klubb

Stockholm, Sweden

11/12/19

Klubb Uffe

Uppsala, Sweden

11/14/19

Biljardkompaniet

Kristianstad, Sweden

11/15/19

Tryckhallen

Falkenberg, Sweden

11/16/19

Nefertiti

Goteborg, Sweden

Tue, 10/29/2019 - 11:27 am

Today, Nashville’s Lindsay Lou releases a new EP and live video series in partnership with OurVinyl. Featuring 5 songs, including a brand new song called, “On Your Side,” and an updated recording of fan-favorite “Everything Changed,” Linday Lou’s OurVinyl EP is now available on all digital service providers, here. Recently highlighted by Rolling Stone as one of the ‘Best Artists We Saw at DelFest 2019,’ Lindsay Lou and her band are currently on the road throughout the end of 2019. Wrapping their year of extensive touring with a run of Canadian shows with The East Pointers this November, Lou will also make Colorado appearances at the Jeff Austin tribute "What the Night Brings" on November 4th, 2019 and on New Year’s Eve at the Mission Ballroom with Leftover Salmon and Karl Denson's Tiny Universe. Additionally, Lou makes a special appearance at Keller Williams’ ‘Thanksforgrassgiving’ on November 29th, 2019 at The National in Richmond, VA, and The Hamilton Live on November 30th, 2019 in Washington DC. The complete list of confirmed dates are below and tickets are available now at www.lindsayloumusic.com

Lindsay Lou and her band recorded and filmed the OurVinyl EP session this past summer in Nashville, TN while home on a break from their busy touring schedule. Featuring a mix of songs from her latest studio album Southland, re-imagined versions of fan favorites, and highlights from newly-released singles, the OurVinyl EP includes re-recorded fan-favorite “Everything Changed,” the empowering and upbeat “Ready,” and a brand-new song, “On Your Side,” showcasing Lou’s unique blend of country-soul inspired songs. Stay tuned for the OurVinyl video releases of “Southland” and “Easy” over the next few weeks.

Lindsay Lou has been making soulful, poignant music for the last decade. An undeniable powerhouse, Lou’s remarkable gifts as a singer, songwriter, musician, and performer demand the listener’s attention. Rolling Stone recently described Lou’s commanding stage performance, “the sheer beauty of Lou’s performance resides in her magnetic presence onstage, something amplified into the ether amid her status as a rapidly rising songwriter in an electric band. Lou’s OurVinyl EP gives a glimpse into where Lou and her band have been -- and where they are going -- highlighting the masterful playing, fierce intensity and tender intimacy that has become Lou’s signature.

Lindsay Lou on Tour

11/1/19

Fox Cabaret

Vancouver. BC*

11/2/19

Capital Ballroom

Victoria, Canada*

11/4/19

1st Bank Center

Broomfield, CO!

11/7/19

Festival Palace

Sherwood Park, Canada*

11/8/19

The Gateway

Calgary, Canada*

11/9/19

West End Cultural Centre

Winnipeg, Canada*

11/12/19

Mills Hardware

Hamilton, Canada*

11/13/19

Market Hall Performing Arts Centre

Peterborough, Canada*

11/14/19

Lee's Palace

Toronto, Canada*

11/15/19

Aeolian Hall Performing Arts Centre

London, Canada*

11/16/19

Elora Brewing Company

Elora, Canada*

11/29/19

The National

Richmond, VA^

11/30/19

The Hamilton Live

Washington D.C.^

12/1/19

Square in the Circle (House Concert)

Takoma Park, MD

12/31/19

The Mission Ballroom

Denver, CO#

1/17/20

30A Songwriters Festival

Santa Rosa Beach, FL

2/21-23/20

WinterWonderGrass Steamboat

Steamboat Springs, CO

3/27-29/20

WinterWonderGrass Tahoe

Olympic Valley, CA

*with The East Pointers

! What the Night Brings with Bill Nershi, Billy Strings, Greensky Bluegrass, Leftover Salmon

^with Keller Williams

# with Leftover Salmon, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe

Wed, 11/13/2019 - 10:06 am

Today, Electric Forest launches the 2020 Wish Machine, officially opening EF’s fan participation initiative for the festival’s tenth installment on June 25-28, 2020. The unique program, which was first introduced in 2018, invites fans to commit to spreading positivity throughout the year. In return, EF HQ rewards a lucky handful by supporting their wildest Electric Forest dreams coming true. To date, over 7,000 wishes have been submitted to The Wish Machine, with a collective 8,500+ volunteer hours pledged across 5 continents and all 50 states, and over $300,000 offered to community improvements and charities around the world. In return, EF has granted a variety of wishes to the Forest Family, including one-of-a-kind on-site experiences, performance slots, and much more. Learn about past wishes granted HERE, and submit to the EF2020 Wish Machine HERE.

Creating opportunities that can make a positive impact in communities around the world would not be complete without considering EF’s immediate Oceana County and Michigan neighbors. New to the Wish Machine for 2020, submissions from residents in towns and counties near the festival can be marked using the “I’m a Local” option during the Wish Machine submission process.  This new feature was inspired by Shelby, MI resident Danielle Siegel, who submitted her wish in 2019.  Danielle organized a group of locals to volunteer their time to help revitalize a much-trafficked but rundown alleyway that connects downtown Shelby to the multi-use William Field Memorial Hart-Montague Trail.  In exchange, EF offered wristbands to the sold-out festival to each of the volunteers, many of whom had always wanted to go to EF but hadn’t had the opportunity. Read more about Danielle’s EF2019 wish HERE

Giving back has always been an important part of Electric Forest and its community. Electric Forest’s Roy Price Memorial Food Drive, hosted each year in partnership with non-profit organization Conscious Alliance, donates food to local Oceana County communities in need. To date, EF has distributed over 272,593 meals locally, with an astounding 26,893 meals collected during the 2019 festival. Learn more about the EF’s Roy Price Memorial Food Drive HERE.

Electric Forest’s Music In Schools program­ supports music education in Michigan public schools and other organizations that service youths. Started in 2012, EF’s Music in Schools program has donated a total of $111,000 to date. Recipients thus far include Shelby High School, the David Markiewicz Memorial Foundation Endowment Fund, Montague High School, White Hall High School, White Lake Music Society Junior Strings Program, and more. Electric Forest is proud to help bridge the gap between diminishing school budgets and music program resource needs. Learn more about EF’s Music In Schools program HERE.

Additional local and Michigan-based organizations benefitted by Electric Forest’s 2019 philanthropic activities include Oceana Conservation DistrictAlzheimer’s Disease Research @ University of Michigan, and others. Electric Forest is proud to now partner with Community Foundation for Oceana County as advisor for the Electric Forest Charitable Fund.

Electric Forest celebrates its 10th Anniversary June 25-28th, 2020. Stay tuned for EF2020 ticket information coming soon, including on-sale dates, Good Life VIP offerings, Loyalty ticketing, and more.

To stay up to date on all Electric Forest news, please visit www.electricforestfestival.com and the official Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube pages.

Electric Forest is produced by Madison House Presents and Insomniac.

Tue, 12/03/2019 - 10:36 am

Today, celebrating its 10th anniversary, Electric Forest (EF) announces the highly-anticipated artist lineup for the annual music and camping festival in Rothbury, Michigan taking place June 25-28, 2020. Turning the page to Chapter 10, Electric Forest takes the opportunity to celebrate a decade of music, art, and community with over 100 artists - ranging from Electric Forest mainstays to those making their first trip to Sherwood Forest. Click here to view the complete lineup for Electric Forest 2020. 

Marking this milestone are EF originals The String Cheese Incident (performing 3 Incidents), who have performed every year of the festival. Electric Forest 2020 also welcomes returning heavyweights BASSNECTAR, Flume, Major Lazer, Big Gigantic, Louis The Child, and The Disco Biscuits. New to The Forest this year include headliner Diplo, plus Big Boi, The Black Madonna, Boys Noize, Petit Biscuit, Princess Nokia, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, YBN Cordae, and more. EF fan favorites 12th Planet, Keller Williams, Lotus, EOTO, and SuperDre join The String Cheese Incident, BASSNECTAR, and Big Gigantic as artists who performed the inaugural event in 2011 and return in 2020 to celebrate a decade of magic.

Special sets and unique collaborations have contributed to the magic of Electric Forest over the past 10 years, and this year’s event does not disappoint. EF2020 highlights include Turkuaz with Jerry Harrison & Adrian Belew of Talking Heads who will perform Remain in Light in honor of the album turning 40; SVDDEN DEATH PRESENTS: VOYD, Noisia hitting the EF stage on their last tour together, and many more enchanting musical moments.

Continuing the tradition of revealing the lineup in clever and engaging ways, over the past month EF HQ dropped hints of the EF2020 lineup for the Forest Family to discover. Sharing old social media posts from returning headliners and posting riddles and limericks on social media, creating chatter, speculation, and excitement among the Forest Family. The clues culminated in an EF2020 Lineup Teaser video. The video features pianist Jason Leech­­––who is well known by festivalgoers for his captivating impromptu sets at the Ocular Organ in EF’s Sherwood Forest–– performing a medley that, when listened to closely, nods to artists confirmed for EF2020. Watch the video here

Ticket Info:

Info on Wristband and Lodging Packages, including 2020 Good Life Camping and Lodging options, can be found here.

Loyalty On Sale begins Wednesday, December 4th at 10 am Eastern at www.electricforestfestival.com

Read more about EF Loyalty —including Six In The Forest Loyalty, Four In The Forest Loyalty, Good Life Loyalty and GA Loyalty—here.  

EF General On Sale begins Friday, December 6th at 10 AM Eastern at

www.electricforestfestival.com

Information on Layaway Payment Plans for all Wristband and Lodging Packages can be found here 

The complete list of artists on Electric Forest’s 2020 Initial Lineup is as follows:

The String Cheese Incident (performing 3 Incidents)

BASSNECTAR

Flume

Major Lazer

Big Gigantic

Louis The Child

Diplo

The Disco Biscuits

12th Planet

Big Boi

Big Wild

The Black Madonna

Boys Noize

CloZee

Duke Dumont

Femi Kuti & the Positive Force

G Jones

The Glitch Mob

Gryffin

Keller Williams' Grateful Grass

LINDSEY STIRLING

Lotus

Moon Boots (Live)

Petit Biscuit

Princess Nokia

Rainbow Kitten Surprise

Subtronics

Tchami

YBN Cordae

Zomboy

100 Gecs

5am

99 Neighbors

AHZ

Allen Stone

Black Pumas

Bleep Bloop

Bluetech

Bombargo

Bonnie x Clyde

Bryce Vine

The California Honeydrops

Cashmere Cat

Cassian

Choir! Choir! Choir!

Cory Wong

Cycles

Deathpact

Dixon's Violin

DJ Holographic

Dombresky

DYNOHUNTER

Elderbrook

Eminence Ensemble

Empress Of

EOTO

EPROM

Everyone Orchestra

EXES

Ezra Bell

Funk You

Fury + MC Dino

Gentlemens Club

GG Magree

Gioli & Assia

Golf Clap

Goose

Goth Babe

Haiku Hands

Hex Cougar

Holy Ghost!

Honeycomb

Huxley Anne

The Iceman Special

Iya Terra

Jack Harlow

Jason Leech

Jellybean Benitez

Jupiter & Okwess

Justin Jay's Fantastic Voyage

KOKOKO!

KURSA

Lightship Beatbox

LSDREAM

Lucii

MADI

The Main Squeeze

Marco Benevento

MAX

Meduza

Mersiv

MEUTE

Michigander

Mija

Mo Lowda & The Humble

The Movement

Mr. Carmack

Neil Frances

Noisia

The North 41

The Nth Power

Ocean Alley

Of The Trees

Party Pupils

Patrice Bäumel

PINES

Pure Colors

Quiet Bison

Rodriguez Jr. (Live)

Rome in Silver

Royal Jelly Jive

RUSKO

SAYMYNAME

SEBASTIAN PAUL

Sidepiece

slenderbodies

Soul Clap

SubDocta

Sunsquabi

SuperDre

SVDDEN DEATH PRESENTS: VOYD

Templo

Township Rebellion

Travers Brothership

Turkuaz w/ Jerry Harrison & Adrian Belew

VNSSA

Wax Future

Willaris. K

Young & Sick

 

To stay up to date on all Electric Forest news, please visit www.electricforestfestival.com and the official Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube pages.

Fri, 12/06/2019 - 5:14 pm

For the second year in a row, Electric Forest (EF) breaks its own record, selling out under one hour from the start of public on sale this morning. The beloved music and camping festival, which celebrates its 10th anniversary June 25-28, 2020 in Rothbury, Michigan, is well known for the unparalleled passion and loyalty of its fans. Their dedication to attend the Decade One celebration was evident in today’s ticket onsale, with tens of thousands of Forest Family - many of them who attend the festival year after year - securing their festival wristbands within minutes of the onsale, and thousands still in the ticketing queue.

EF2020 will honor and celebrate the unique moment between decades. Electric Forest Founder and Director Jeremy Stein of Madison House Presents says, “The celebration of Decade One of Electric Forest is not only about admiring the past, and excitement for the future - most importantly, we will celebrate the present. We will live in the moment

Electric Forest

These times are confusing. Positive answers are found when we listen to each other. This community, this culture, this Family, has become a shining example of how strong we can all live when we do it together. I could not be more proud to be a member of the Forest Family.”

Topping the bill are EF originals The String Cheese Incident (performing 3 Incidents), who have performed every year of the festival. Electric Forest 2020 also welcomes returning heavyweights BASSNECTAR, Flume, Major Lazer, Big Gigantic, Louis The Child, and The Disco Biscuits. New to The Forest this year include headliner Diplo, plus Big Boi, The Black Madonna, Boys Noize, Petit Biscuit, Princess Nokia, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, YBN Cordae, and more. EF fan favorites 12th Planet, Keller Williams, Lotus, EOTO, and SuperDre join The String Cheese Incident, BASSNECTAR, and Big Gigantic as artists who performed the inaugural event in 2011 and return in 2020 to celebrate a decade of magic. Click here to view the complete lineup for Electric Forest 2020.

Tue, 01/07/2020 - 11:11 am

Acclaimed future-funk artist GRiZ joins the lineup for Powabunga, the music and mountain festival, taking place in Vail, CO on April 17-19th, 2020. Previously announced artists include Claptone, Goldfish, Desert Hearts, Purple Disco Machine, Kazy Lambist, Kermesse, Mark Farina, Fleetmac Wood, and more.

Tickets for the three-day event are available now at www.powabungafestival.com.

Additionally, Powabunga recently announced its expansion to a second location along the shores of Lake Tahoe in Crystal Bay, NV on March 20-22, 2020. Embracing the vibrant spirit of mountain culture from the Colorado Rocky Mountains to Lake Tahoe’s Sierra Nevada’s, Powabunga provides an immersive alpine festival experience from the slopes to the stage – including access to world-class mountain resorts, apres-ski activities, after-parties, and more. The Lake Tahoe event features Grammy-award winning duo Bob Moses, Claptone, Eli & Fur, Desert Hearts, Taches, Kazy Lambist (US debut), Kermesse (US debut), Carlita and more.  www.powabungafestival.com.

Ticket packages are now available for both Powabunga events at www.powabungafestival.com -- with a limited number of discounted $99 Early Bird 3-Day GA Passes and $299 Early Bird VIP Weekend Passes—offering access to preferred viewing areas and a VIP heated tent hosting exclusive bar and complimentary passed hor d’oeuvres, bottle service packages, luxury bathrooms, and more—available while supplies last.

Check the Powabunga website for lodging deals starting at only $99 in Tahoe and $125 in Vail.

Additionally, Powabunga 2020 has partnered with Ski House to produce a series of premium dance events in mountain resort towns this winter.  They have just announced their first stop with Dirtybird heavyweights Justin Jay and J. Worra in Aspen during X Games on January 23, 2020. Get your tickets and info now at www.partyatourskihouse.com before they sell out.

Stay tuned for more information about Powabunga at www.powabungafestival.com and connect with Powabunga on Spotify to listen to the official Powabunga Playlist, IG at @Powabungafest, and watch the lineup announcement video, here.

Fri, 02/14/2020 - 5:30 pm

Today, The Sweet Water Warblers, featuring Lindsay Lou, May Erlewine, and Rachael Davis, announce the release of their debut album The Dream That Holds This Child, out May 15th, 2020 and available to pre-order now. Premiering the first single, “Turn to Stone” with American Songwriter earlier this week, the track is now available on all digital service providers, here. The Dream That Holds This Child marks the first full-length album from The Sweet Water Warblers, who first came together in 2014 after being asked to perform together for a single performance at the Hoxeyville Music Festival and found a deep creative connection with one another. Currently on tour in their home state of Michigan, The Sweet Water Warblers can be seen performing in East Lansing and Grand Rapids, with more dates to be announced soon. All confirmed dates can be found at www.sweetwaterwarblers.com

The first single from The Dream That Holds This Child, “Turn To Stone,” features and was co-produced by Maya de Vitry, who brought the song to the trio. “We finished the song together,” Lindsay Lou explains. “The first time we sang it, we felt like we were transcending into the cosmos.” Erlewine continues, “This song is about connecting to a deeper source, a reminder that we are feeling hearts moving through this world. Sometimes really living, really loving, really grieving… lies in our ability to listen to ourselves and each other.”  For Davis, the song represents strength – and its existence in surprising places and in unexpected ways – describing, “Turn To Stone’ is a lyrical, melodic and harmonic representation of how strength can exist within surrender and release… It is a musical reflection of the idea that a strong wind can topple the strongest oak, while the smallest blade of grass only bends and survives.”

The song, with its themes of strength through connection, can also be seen as a larger reflection of the Warblers relationship as a trio. Each of the members came together from their own regarded solo careers within the Americana and roots worlds. Whether it was the gospel and soul-laced melodies uncovered in Davis’ music, the Appalachian folk and country-leaning ballads belted out by Erlewine, or the versatile country soul and bluegrass roots of Lou’s band it was clear that the culmination of their talents would be unparalleled. From the beginning, there was a unique synergy between the three artists, a bond forged by a mutual passion for social change and expansion of the soul through music.

The Dream That Holds This Child was produced by Dan Knobler (Lake Street Dive, Caroline Spence) and is set for release May 15, 2020. The album serves to empower and uplift spirits, to offer refuge, and provide solidarity through its focus on modern femininity. “Our sound is a place of refuge. Its roots are deep, and its arms are stretched open wide,” says Lou. “This is the gospel of creating beauty from pain."

“We recognize an imbalance in the imagery and symbolism of the divine,” adds Davis. “When we sing gospel, we sing from a source deep within us that honors and elevates the feminine as much as the masculine.” The artists’ statements come with disclaimer — not to mistake the album’s nurturing tenderness for weakness. These songs emerged from the deep darkness of the earth and were sung awake through relentless storm. As Erlewine puts it, “We are here, very much, on purpose. This sentiment is so beautifully captured by the album’s artwork, which features the blooming stages of the Moonflower. The flower represents blossoming in dark times and the magic of feminine intuition."

The Dream That Holds This Child

The Dream That Holds This Child Tracklisting:

1. Turn To Stone

2. Wishing Well

3. Something More

4. Mad At You

5. Hallelujah

6. Summertime

7. Right With Me

8. Righteous Road

9. Do You Know The Chorus

10. Mother’s Voice

Mon, 02/24/2020 - 5:13 pm

Powabunga, the music and mountain festival, has revealed the official after parties, daily lineups and single-day tickets for the Lake Tahoe event taking place March 20-22, 2020 in Crystal Bay, NV. Claptone, Mark Farina, and N2N get the party started on Friday, March 20th, with Bob Moses, Kazy Lambist, Fleetmac Wood, and Kermesse continuing on Saturday, March 21st, and Desert Hearts, Eli & Fur, Taches, and Carlita providing the Sunday Funday soundtrack on the 22nd. The complete list of announced artists and schedule by day can be found at www.powabungafestival.com

Each night, Powabunga hosts official after parties at the Crystal Bay Club and Tahoe Biltmore Hotel kicking off at 10 PM, keeping the good vibes going into the night. Friday night welcomes the innovative Caravan Gitane presenting Sainte Vie (Live) and Matthew Dekay at the Crystal Bay Club, while Bass Camp presents Yolanda Be Cool with special guests at the Biltmore Hotel. Saturday night sees a can’t miss takeover from the epic Mayan Warrior Crew at the Crystal Bay Club, and Ski House takes over the Biltmore with N2N and Ski House Residents Gavlak, Chris Cauldron, and Golden. Closing the weekend on Sunday night is an epic Desert Hearts Takeover at the Biltmore. Tickets for the Powabunga Official After Parties are available here.

Starting today, single-day tickets are available for the Lake Tahoe event, starting at $50. Lodging packages start at $99 at the Tahoe Biltmore Hotel in Crystal Bay and $199 at the Hyatt Regency in the nearby Incline Village, NV, available at www.powabungafestival.com. Additional ticket packages are available now at www.powabungafestival.com, including VIP options which offer access to preferred viewing areas and a VIP heated tent hosting exclusive bar and complimentary passed hor d’oeuvres, bottle service packages, luxury bathrooms, and more.

Powabunga Lake Tahoe makes its debut after the Colorado-grown festival made it’s smashing debut in Vail, CO in 2019. Embracing the vibrant spirit of mountain culture from the Colorado Rocky Mountains to Lake Tahoe’s Sierra Nevada’s, Powabunga provides an immersive alpine festival experience from the slopes to the stage – including access to world-class mountain resorts, apres-ski activities, after-parties, and more.

Stay tuned for more information about Powabunga at www.powabungafestival.com and connect with Powabunga on Spotify to listen to the official Powabunga Playlist, IG at @Powabungafest, and watch the lineup announcement video, here.

Thu, 02/27/2020 - 12:49 pm

AEG Presents is thrilled to announce SLIGHTLY STOOPID's TWO night run at Red Rocks Amphitheatre Saturday, August 15 & Sunday, August 16, 2020. The Ocean Beach, CA ensemble will be performing a unique set each night. Saturday night the band will play a Slightly Stoopid & Friends electric set with special guests on August 15th. Then on Sunday, August 16th, they will do their Acoustic Roots set at sunset - a rare acoustic performance the band has only played in the US one other time. Doors August 15 open at 5:30pm, show 6:00pm. Doors August 16 open at 3:30pm, show at 4:00pm.

TICKETS ON SALE THURSDAY, MARCH 5 AT 10AM AT AXS.COM

Pre-sale tickets go on sale at 10 AM MT this Friday, February 28th and run through Wednesday, March 4th via the Slightly Stoopid fan club at SlightlyStoopid.com with password MILEHIGH. Local pre-sale will be available at axs.com with code STOOPIDx2  between 10am MST - 10pm MST on Wednesday, March 4th. General public on-sale will take place on Thursday, March 5th at 10 AM MST.

GET ALL YOUR TICKETS - ONLINE AT WWW.AXS.COM OR CHARGE TICKETS BY PHONE, CALL 888.929.7849.

General Admission and Reserved tickets are $52.50 - $85.00 plus applicable service charges. Limited Two-Day Passes are available. All ages are welcome.

Fri, 02/28/2020 - 10:17 am

Today, on the heels of their successful January Living Room tour, Mipso announce that they are heading back on the road for their Spring 2020 tour. Mipso bring their intimate and sweeping live show to eight cities across the Northeast, including two nights in New York City at Rockwood Music Hall. Joining Mipso for select dates is Taylor Ashton, performing in support of his debut album out this February 2020. See the complete list of Mipso’s announced tour dates below. Tickets for are available now at www.mipsomusic.com

Mipso also announce today the release of the Edges Re-Run EP, available beginning March 20th, 2020 on all digital platforms.

A collection of re-mixed songs from their 2017 LP Edges Run, for Edges Re-Run Mipso invited a handful of close musical collaborators to transform some favorite songs from the beloved album.

Mipso’s Joseph Terrell explains, “We thought it would be fun to try some ‘Edges Run’ remixes by handing our musical family the reins… Mark Goodell, Shane Leonard, Jason Berger, and Josh Story - who each contributed a track on the Edges Re-Run EP, are all trusted buds who have inhabited our process and helped shape our sound over the years.” Terrell continues, “But first, and in keeping with our collaborative constant, we figured: what better time to reach out and bring a new voice into the fold? Enter FTSE, a great England-based remix artist who has a talent for leaning into the true heart of a song even while reinventing it.”  Listen/embed FTSE’s remix of “Edges Run,” now available on all digital service providers, here.

Earlier this winter it was announced that Mipso has signed with Rounder Records. Terrell said of the news, "It's hard to imagine Mipso would exist if not for the influence a key handful of Rounder releases have had on our music, so it's exciting to join a label whose legacy we already love. Plus, the new Rounder team really understands our band. We think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Mipso has been in the studio recording their next full-length LP, to be released later in 2020.

Please stay tuned for more exciting news from Mipso, to be announced soon.

4/10/20

Roy's Hall

Blairstown, NJ*

4/11/20

Arden Gild Hall

Arden, DE*

4/13/20

Rockwood 2

New York, NY+

4/14/20

Rockwood 2

New York, NY+

4/15/20

The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center

Old Saybrook, CT

4/16/20

Shea Theatre Arts Center

Turner Falls, MA

4/17/20

UVM

Burlington, VT

4/18/20

The Haunt

Ithaca, NY

4/19/20

Hopewell Theatre

Hopewell, NJ

*with Taylor Ashton

+w/ Taylor Ashton, and guests Steph Coleman and Alec Spiegleman

Additional spring/summer dates still to be announced.

Tue, 03/03/2020 - 5:30 pm

SLIGHTLY STOOPID

A WEEKEND AT RED ROCKS!

Saturday, August 15, 2020 – ELECTRIC SET

with special guests

PEPPER

COMMON KINGS, DON CARLOS

Sunday, August 16, 2020 – ACOUSTIC ROOTS SET (at Sunset) 

Slightly Stoopid's 2001 album Live and Direct: Acoustic Roots, was originally recorded live, on-air in KIOZ 105.3 - and done in only one-take. The album features many of the hits that propelled their early career such as "Couldn't Get High," "Wiseman"  "Collie-Man," "Prophet," and more. Their performance on Sunday, August 16th during sunset at Red Rocks will feature the band playing the album in its entirety plus other acoustic gems from their catalog - a performance that has only occurred one other time in the U.S.

with special guests

CITIZEN COPE

FORTUNATE YOUTH, THE HIP ABDUCTION

Red Rocks Amphitheatre

18300 W Alameda Pkwy, Morrison, CO 80401

 

Local pre-sale available at AXS.com with code STOOPIDx2 between 10am MST - 10pm MST on Wednesday, March 4th.

TICKETS ON SALE THURSDAY, MARCH 5 AT 10AM AT AXS.COM

 

GET ALL YOUR TICKETS - ONLINE AT WWW.AXS.COM OR CHARGE TICKETS BY PHONE, CALL 888.929.7849.

General Admission and Reserved tickets are $52.50 - $85.00 plus applicable service fees

c

Mon, 03/09/2020 - 12:13 pm

Today, Billboard chart-toppers Slightly Stoopid unveil the first round of dates for their annual summer tour. Dubbed Summer Traditions 2020 (a nod to the outdoor summer tour-circuit the band has done annually since 2006), Slightly Stoopid and fans alike will travel the states, sharing good times with one another through music and community as they have done since the band’s inception 25 years ago. This 2020 edition of Slightly Stoopid’s summer amphitheater tour kicks off in Eugene, OR on June 11th, 2020 and routes the beloved So-Cal band throughout North America, including two nights at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO on August 15-16, 2020. Joining Slightly Stoopid for their Summer Traditions 2020 tour are special guests Pepper, Common Kings, and Don Carlos. All currently announced dates are listed below, with additional dates to be announced soon.

Fans gain first access to the artist presale beginning Tuesday, March 10th at 10 AM local at www.slightlystoopid.com. The local presale will run from 10 AM - 10 PM local time on Thursday, March 12th, and the general public on-sale will then take place on Friday, March 13th at 10 AM local time.

Formed in the mid-90’s by founding members Miles Doughty and Kyle McDonald, Slightly Stoopid has steadily risen to the top - always fostering their dedicated fanbase. Steeped in Southern California culture and armed with profound creativity and skilled musicianship, Slightly Stoopid is today recognized as one of the most successful touring reggae-rock acts in history. Expanding and evolving over the years to include drummer Ryan “Rymo” Moran, percussionist Oguer “OG” Ocon, saxophonist Daniel “Dela” Delacruz, keyboardist Paul Wolstencroft, and trumpet and trombone player Andy Geib, Slightly Stoopid has released 9 studio albums and 4 live concert recordings since 1995. Known for nurturing a “family” of spirited musical collaborators, Slightly Stoopid has hosted and guested with a slew of artists including Sublime, Ozomatli,  Karl Denson (Rolling Stones/Greyboy Allstars), Don Carlos, Chali 2na (Jurassic 5), Rashawn Ross (Dave Matthews Band), and many others.

Over the years, Slightly Stoopid has built a sweeping legacy for themselves, continuously expanding in diversity and repertoire. Warriors of the road, their touring has grown domestically and internationally, including sold-out dates all across the world, and festival appearances at famed events such as Coachella, Lollapalooza, New Orleans Jazz Fest, among others. 25 years into the journey, the prolific collective has much to celebrate; the band founded their own record label, Stoopid Records, they created and curate their annual Closer to the Sun destination music festival in Mexico, which has sold out the past two years, and continue to explore (and master) the art of musical collaboration, most recently with such artists such as Bob Weir, Barrington Levy, G. Love (Garrett Dutton), the Marley family, Snoop Dogg, Cypress Hill, and more.

For more information on Slightly Stoopid including up-to-date tour and ticket information, visit - http://slightlystoopid.com/

Slightly Stoopid Summer Traditions 2020 Tour Dates:

*With special guests Pepper, Common Kings, Don Carlos

JUN 11  Eugene, OR - Cuthbert Amphitheater

JUN 12  Boise, ID - Outlaw Field at Idaho Botanical Garden

JUN 13  Lake Tahoe, CA - Harvey's Lake Tahoe

JUN 14  Avila Beach, CA - Avila Beach Golf Resort

JUN 18  Albuquerque, NM - Villa Hispana

JUN 20  San Diego, CA - Petco Park

JUN 25  Fresno, CA - Woodward Park Rotary Amphitheater

JUN 26  Irvine, CA - FivePoint Amphitheatre

JUN 27  Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre

JUN 28  Santa Barbara, CA - Santa Barbara Bowl

JUL 10  Dallas, TX - Bomb Factory

JUL 11  New Braunfels, TX - Whitewater Amphitheater

JUL 12  Houston, TX - The Lawn at White Oak Music Hall

JUL 17  Raleigh, NC - Red Hat Amphitheater

JUL 18  Philadelphia, PA - Skyline Stage @ Mann Center

JUL 23  New York, NY - The Rooftop at Pier 17

JUL 25  Boston, MA - Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion

JUL 26  Baltimore, MD - MECU Pavilion

JUL 31  St. Augustine, FL - Saint Augustine Amphitheatre

AUG 01  Key West, FL - Key West Amphitheater

AUG 02  Cocoa, FL - Cocoa Riverfront Park

AUG 06  Spokane, WA - Spokane Pavilion

AUG 08  Bend, OR - Les Schwab Amphitheater

AUG 09  Redmond, WA - King County's Marymoor Park

AUG 14  Sandy, UT - Sandy Promenade at the Cairns

AUG 15  Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre

AUG 16  Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre

*ADDITIONAL TOUR DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED

Mon, 03/23/2020 - 2:11 pm

Today, Live Lesson Masters (LLM) announces its instruction-focused platform for online one-one-one and group lessons.

Co-founded by Alicia Karlin, VP of Global Touring and Talent at AEG Presents, and Marc Brownstein of The Disco Biscuits, Live Lesson Masters was launched in response to the debilitating impact the COVID-19 crisis has had on the global music community. Live Lesson Masters provides immediate revenue opportunities for participating “Master” instructors and helps keep fans connected to their favorite artists during the open-ended cancelation of live shows, festivals, and gatherings throughout the world.

Beyond the current landscape, LLM’s emergence points to the ever-evolving ways artists and fans engage. LLM forever up-levels fan experience possibilities by seamlessly integrating scheduling, virtual connectivity, and payment into a diverse and rapidly growing collection of offerings, including one-on-one “chill time” with your favorite artists, private and group yoga instruction, cooking lessons, and more.

At its launch, LLM hosts music Masters including all four members of The Disco Biscuits, members of Umphrey’s McGee, STS9 and Lotus, Robert Walter of The Greyboy Allstars, James Casey of Trey Anastasio Band, Tom Hamilton and Holly Bowling of Ghost Light, and many others. Yoga instructors include Hannah Muse and Aree Khodai (Arees Army). Initial cooking offerings are led by chef Melissa Harrison of Top Chef fame. New Lesson Masters, additional lesson types, options for all ages and experience levels, and other unique experiences will be added soon. The full list of LLM’s Master instructors at time of launch is included below. Visit www.livelessonmasters.com to view complete current offerings.

As Alicia Karlin explains, “In a world where artists and fans are accustomed to using social media as the hub for their communities, Live Lesson Masters’ unique one-on-one offerings take the possibilities of connection much further. Right now, we are all feeling anxious about the current state of things. We hope Live Lesson Masters creates a space where engagement happens, and where people can use this time to further their own creative pursuits and leave their troubles at the door for a while.”

Marc Brownstein adds, “We wanted to provide a seamless platform for musicians and instructors to interface directly with the people. With the industry grinding to a halt, musicians across the country are eager to find new ways to connect with their fans. I have personally booked over 20 lessons with my fans in the first week of the quarantine, and immediately realized how exciting this opportunity could be for both the fans and my fellow musicians.”

Both Brownstein and Karlin have a reputation for supporting the non-profit sector of the music business. Brownstein is the co-founder of Headcount.org, the preeminent voter registration organization in the music space. Karlin is an executive board member of Conscious Alliance, a not-for-profit that has provided over 4.5 million meals to children and families in need via organizing food donations at music events. As part of LLM’s philanthropic ethos, a portion of all of LLM’s proceeds will be donated to a variety of organizations that support musicians and touring personnel in need. Central to the mission of supporting creatives, LLM is exploring options for a Lesson Master equity-share program.

To stay up to date on Live Lesson Masters, please visit www.livelessonmasters.com

and the official Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages.

The complete list of instructors at LLM’s launch is as follows (in alpha order):

Alana Rocklin          STS9

Allen Aucoin            The Disco Biscuits

Andy Frasco            Andy Frasco & The U.N.

Aree Khodai            Yoga – Arees Army

Aron Magner           The Disco Biscuits

Brendan Bayliss       Umphrey’s McGee

Danny Mayer           Eric Krasno Band / Star Kitchen

David Phipps           STS9

Deb Brownstein       Yoga

Hannah Muse          Yoga

Holly Bowling           Ghost Light

James Casey           Trey Anastasio Band

Joel Cummins          Umphrey’s McGee

Jon Barber               The Disco Biscuits

Kam Franklin           The Suffers

Lindsay Lou             Lindsay Lou

Marc Brownstein      The Disco Biscuits

Melissa Harrison      Chef

Mike Greenfield        Lotus

Robert Randolph      Robert Randolph

Robert Walter           The Greyboy Allstars

Ryan Stasik              Umphrey’s McGee

Tom Hamilton           Ghost Light / Joe Russo’s Almost Dead

Tue, 04/21/2020 - 11:07 am

Electric Forest (EF) announced today that based on input from state and local authorities regarding public gatherings amid the COVID-19 pandemic it has cancelled its 2020 event. The beloved music and camping festival, which sold out within one hour of its public on sale last December, was scheduled to celebrate its 10th anniversary June 25-28, 2020 in Rothbury, Michigan.

EF HQ posted official news of cancellation on its website this morning. Ticket holders will be offered the option to receive a refund or to retain their tickets, which will be honored at the 2021 Decade One celebration.

Read Electric Forest’s full website post HERE.

Sat, 05/02/2020 - 3:25 pm

The Sweet Water Warblers, featuring Rachael Davis, May Erlewine, and Lindsay Lou, today release their newest single, “Summertime,” off of their upcoming album The Dream That Holds This Child (available May 15, 2020). Premiering with Billboard Magazine earlier this week, the magazine describes “Summertime” and the album’s impressive, genre-bending diversity: “The 10-song set is also a testament to the trio's range, with the bluesy tenor of ‘Summertime’ sitting alongside folk, gospel and Appalachian strains in the other songs.”

“Summertime” is available now via all digital service providers, here.

Written by Rachael Davis and her husband, Dominic John Davis, “Summertime” encapsulates the longing for the season’s warm, welcoming days after a long winter. “I wrote this song with my husband after an April snowstorm in the spirit of enticing summer out of her hibernation,” Davis explains. “It’s a love song to summer in the key of hope that ‘this, too, shall pass’.” After performing the song together for some years, Davis brought “Summertime” to the studio with The Sweet Water Warblers to record for The Dream That Holds This Child. The trio, who are all familiar with Michigan’s long, hard winters, uniquely appreciate the sentiment behind the song. Erlewine shares, “With a longing sentiment, the song conjures the warmth of the summer sun, and the peace it brings to our hearts. Here in the mitten state we earn those easy days of summertime, and Rachael's writing captures that feeling perfectly.” Lou agrees, sharing that the song has become an anthem for her, “It's true that there is a special feeling of having earned the warm days that stretch on into the evening in the north country, and only a Northerner could have tapped into that sweet release as she has…It's like taking a thirst-quenching drink of summer, and it became an anthem for my friends and me.”

Listen to “Summertime” here.

Produced by Dan Knobler (Lake Street Dive, Caroline Spence), The Dream That Holds This Child is set to release May 15, 2020. The album marks the first full-length album from The Sweet Water Warblers, who first came together in 2014 after being asked to perform together for a single performance at the Hoxeyville Music Festival and found a deep creative connection with one another. The Sweet Water Warblers spring tour and festival dates have been affected by venue closures and social distancing measures as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The most up-to-date information regarding re-scheduled and postponed shows can be found at www.sweetwaterwarblers.com.

Davis, Erlewine, and Lou came together from their own regarded solo careers within the Americana and roots worlds. Whether it was the gospel and soul-laced melodies uncovered in Davis’ music, the Appalachian folk and country-leaning ballads belted out by Erlewine, or the versatile country soul and bluegrass roots of Lou’s band, it was clear that the culmination of their talents would be unparalleled. From the beginning, there was a unique synergy between the three artists, a bond forged by a mutual passion for social change and expansion of the soul through music.

Listen to the single “Mother’s Voice" here.

The Dream That Holds This Child serves to empower and uplift spirits, to offer refuge, and provide solidarity through its focus on modern femininity. “Our sound is a place of refuge. Its roots are deep, and its arms are stretched open wide,” says Lou. “This is the gospel of creating beauty from pain.”

“We recognize an imbalance in the imagery and symbolism of the divine,” adds Davis. “We sing from a source deep within us that honors and elevates the feminine as much as the masculine.” The artists’ statements come with a disclaimer — not to mistake the album’s nurturing tenderness for weakness. These songs emerged from the deep darkness of the earth and were sung awake through relentless storm. As Erlewine puts it, “We are here, very much, on purpose.”

The Dream That Holds This Child is available on May 15th, 2020. Expect to see the trio perform a special release day concert from quarantine – more details to be released soon.

Tracklisting:

1. Turn To Stone

2. Wishing Well

3. Something More

4. Mad At You

5. Hallelujah

6. Summertime

7. Right With Me

8. Righteous Road

9. Do You Know The Chorus

10. Mother's Voice

Tue, 05/05/2020 - 8:35 am

Today, the New York Guitar Festival announces the addition of Warren Haynes to the lineup of its online performance series, Reverend Gary Davis: In Search of the Harlem Street Singer. For the 12-song series, NYGF commissions a diverse group of stellar artists to explore the music of blind blues musician Rev. Gary Davis. Featuring performances by such artists as Bill Frisell, Jorma Kaukonen, Fantastic Negrito, Amythyst Kiah, Larkin Poe, and others, Reverend Gary Davis: In Search of the Harlem Street Singer will premier one video performance each day (May 4-15) at 4pm EDT via the New York Guitar Festival YouTube channel: 

www.youtube.com/user/guitarfestival.

Watch yesterday’s launch video, Rosanne Cash & John Leventhal perform a haunting version of Rev. Gary Davis’ “Tryin’ To Get Home,” HERE.

Listen to the full collection of audio recordings from Reverend Gary Davis: In Search of the Harlem Street Singer––as debuted yesterday on WNYC’s “New Sounds”––HERE.

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

Daily at 4PM EDT at https://www.youtube.com/user/guitarfestival

Rosanne Cash & John Leventhal - Monday, May 4th

Amythyst Kiah - Tuesday, May 5th

Fantastic Negrito  -Wednesday, May 6th

Bill Frisell - Thursday, May 7th

Dom Flemons - Friday, May 8th

Sonia de los Santos - Saturday, May 9th

Jorma Kaukonen - Sunday, May 10th

Kaia Kater - Monday, May 11th

Brandon Ross - Tuesday, May 12th

Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams -Wednesday, May 13th

Warren Haynes - Thursday, May 14th

 Larkin Poe - Friday, May 15th

Fri, 06/19/2020 - 1:48 pm

Although Planet Bluegrass's trilogy of festivals - Telluride, Rocky Mountain Folk Fest, and RockyGrass - had to be cancelled this summer, they recently announced a Summer Solstice Livestream event that will take place this weekend.

The livestream event is in place of the annual Telluride Bluegrass festival that would have celebrated its 47th year this weekend. Colorado's own Bowregard will be performing Saturday, June 20, from 5:30 to 6:15, and the band will be performing alongside Yonder Mountain String Band, Sam Bush, and Bonnie Paine. The performance will be streamed from the main stage at the RockyGrass festival grounds in Lyons

Bowregard just released their first single "Fallen Angels" last week in anticipation for their debut full-length album release Arrows - due out July 1st. The string-quintet won the 2019 Telluride Bluegrass Band Contest and the 2018 Ullrgrass Bluegrass Band Contest within a year of forming and performed 4 unique sets at WinterWonderGrass 2020 (alongside artists such as Greensky Bluegrass, Margo Price, and Billy Strings), picked alongside Sam Bush, and would have had a full summer of bluegrass music festival appearances and more before COVID-19 took the world by storm this year.

American Songwriter premieres Colorado bluegrass quintet Bowregard’s first single “Fallen Angels”. The string-forward, fast-paced, tune boasts hard-driving rhythms and smart solos fooling the listener into thinking the band has been playing together for many years. Bowregard's music seamlessly blends old-time traditions, bluegrass picking and progressive new-acoustic rhythms into a singular, unforgettable sound. The premiere lands in anticipation of the Boulder, CO group’s debut full-length release Arrows - out on July 1, 2020. Visit American Songwriter to read about it HERE, or listen to “Fallen Angels” - on all digital platforms HERE

Fallen Angels is about lead singer and vocalist Max Kabat's personal experience of watching love slip through his hands. The chorus laments “my heart says fight, but I can’t find strength tonight” as themes of self-reflection, honesty, and accountability roll through the song and Kabat sings of how “I walked away too soon.” "It can be very haunting to feel like you walked away from the person you were meant to be with, and I wanted to convey that feeling in this song” Kabat tells American Songwriter. “It was a very uncertain time in my life, when I took great comfort in writing and playing music. At the time it was written, I was still hopeful to win her back."

Bowregard has been shaking up the Colorado bluegrass scene, winning both the 2019 Telluride Bluegrass Band Contest and the 2018 Ullrgrass Bluegrass Band Contest within a year of forming. Before the pandemic took the world by surprise, the band had kicked off their year with performances alongside artists such as Greensky Bluegrass, Margo Price, Billy Strings and Sam Bush, and had confirmed a full schedule of festivals appearances such as Telluride Bluegrass Festival (Colorado), Durango Meltdown (Colorado), Palisade Bluegrass Festival (Colorado), Northwest String Summit (Oregon), Pagosa Bluegrass Festival (Colorado), Suwannee Folk Festival (Florida), and many others this summer.

Arrows was recorded at eTown studios in Boulder, CO with producer Nick Forster (of eTown and Hot Rize fame) and engineer James Tuttle, and funded through Bowregard’s successful Kickstarter campaign. In a mere four days, fans contributed more than $20,000 to fund the album, meeting the band’s entire goal for their full-length debut album in under a week. Stay tuned for the release of the highly-anticipated collection of music July 1st.

“Fallen Angels” is currently available through all digital streaming platforms. Listen to it HERE.

Thu, 07/02/2020 - 12:18 pm

Colorado bluegrass outfit Bowregard are proud to announce the release of their debut full-length album Arrows - out now. The album release follows the premiere of the band’s new single “High on a Mountain” on The Bluegrass Situation last Friday, and the band’s first single “Fallen Angels” which premiered on American Songwriter earlier in June. Recorded in the band’s hometown of Boulder, CO at e-Town Studios (home of the nationally syndicated eTown radio show), the 10-track album capitalizes on the quintet’s fleet-fingered flatpicking, captivating original songwriting, and seamless three-part harmonies. Arrows is now available on all major digital platforms. Listen to the full album HERE

Sonically inspired by both traditional bluegrass and progressive string music, Arrows delivers a driving modern take on American acoustic music. One highlight is the band’s take on Ola Belle Reed’s bluegrass classic “High on a Mountain”, which was reimagined in a minor key by guitarist Max Kabat and banjoist James Armington. “On “High on a Mountain” we created a new chord structure that emphasized the lonesomeness and desperation contained in the words of the original song” the band tells The Bluegrass Situation. “We put a soaring minor harmony in the chorus that played to the band’s fondness for tight three-part vocals. The result is a haunting new perspective on a beloved standard of the bluegrass repertoire." Read more about “High on a Mountain” and listen to the track on The Bluegrass Situation HERE.

The highly anticipated full-length studio album release follows the band’s victory at both the 2019 Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Contest and the 2018 Ullrgrass Bluegrass Festival Band Contest. Arrows features a mix of original songwriting and creative rearrangements of bluegrass and old-time tunes, showcasing the band’s knack for finding common ground in modern and classic songs, and proving why they are quickly becoming a household name.

Produced by bluegrass legend Nick Forster of Hot Rize and eTown, Arrows is a powerful and hook-laden testimony to the continued evolution of bluegrass and acoustic music. 

Arrows is currently available through all digital streaming platforms. Listen to the full album HERE

Tracklisting

  1. Fallen Angels

  2. A Reasonable Man (Killdozer)

  3. Sage, the Western Basil

  4. Formaldehyde

  5. High on a Mountain

  6. Cousin Sally Brown

  7. Nothin' to It

  8. Arrows

  9. Flannery's Dream

  10. The Henrys

Fri, 07/10/2020 - 2:45 pm

Today, New York Guitar Festival (NYGF) announces Set Two of the festival’s 2020 online performance series Reverend Gary Davis: In Search of the Harlem Street Singer. Presented live on YouTube beginning July 13, 2020, Set 2 hosts musical performances by Jim James, Chris Thile, David Bromberg, Piedmont Blūz, Jontavious Willis, and more––to explore the music of blind blues musician Rev. Gary Davis. In addition, DJ Spooky will launch the festival on July 13 with a very special discourse constructing the historical and social context of Rev. Gary Davis’ life, and his cultural and musical influences that remain salient today. 

Set Two of Reverend Gary Davis: In Search of the Harlem Street Singer will premiere one video performance each day (July 13-19) at 4pm EDT via the New York Guitar Festival YouTube channel.

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

Daily at 4PM EDT at https://www.youtube.com/guitarfestival

Discourse by DJ Spooky (Paul D. Miller)  - Monday, July 13

Jontavious Willis - Tuesday, July 14

Chris Thile - Wednesday, July 15

Jim James - Thursday, July 16

Dave Bromberg - Friday, July 17

Piedmont Blūz  - Saturday, July 18

TBA - Sunday, July 19

Rev. Gary Davis performed on the streets of Harlem from the late 1940s until his death in 1972. Overcoming poverty, racial discrimination and blindness, Davis made numerous influential recordings and festival appearances, and also taught students including David Bromberg, Stefan Grossman, Dave Van Ronk, and Bob Weir. His songs have been covered by The Rolling Stones, The Grateful Dead, Peter Paul & Mary, and Bob Dylan.

The New York Guitar Festival first moved its distinguished musical curation online in May, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, commissioning a diverse group of stellar musicians to participate.  View Set One of Reverend Gary Davis: In Search of the Harlem Street Singer––featuring performances by Bill Frisell, Rosanne Cash & John Leventhal, Warren Haynes, Fantastic Negrito, Amythyst Kiah and many more––HERE.

Today, only 10 weeks since NYGF2020’s Set One premiere, sharing Rev. Gary Davis’ story is even more important and relevant than ever.

“We are incredibly grateful to the artists who have collaborated with NYGF to help shine a light on the authentic soul and humanity of Rev. Gary Davis’ music, and taken inspiration from his resilient life,” explains New York Guitar Festival’s Artistic Director David Spelman. “Heartfelt thanks, too, for the continued support of the Augustine Foundation, and for a special gift from the John and Joan D’Addario Foundation - for helping make Set Two of Reverend Gary Davis: In Search of the Harlem Street Singer possible.”

Access to Reverend Gary Davis: In Search of the Harlem Street Singer is free. The New York Guitar Festival and performing artists are asking viewers to make donations to MusiCares. Learn more about charitable foundation of The Recording Academy’s MusicCares COVID-19 Relief Fund, and donate to help the music community affected by the Coronavirus pandemic, here: www.grammy.com/musicares/get-help/musicares-coronavirus-relief-fund

Mon, 08/03/2020 - 5:15 pm

Today, details for Follow The Light, a virtual music festival to be hosted August 29, 2020 – are unveiled. Produced by We Banjo 3 (WB3) as an ode to the band’s Irish heritage, the evening will feature musical performances by WB3, Gaelic Storm, Sharon Shannon, Nathan Carter and The East Pointers, with non-music festival features throughout the program.

General Admission Tickets, Artist Meet & Greets Upgrades, and Festival Ticket/Exclusive Merch bundles are available now at https://www.webanjo3.com.

Harnessing the unique potential of the shared live music experience in a virtual setting, Follow The Light brings artists and fans together for an entertaining, engaging and authentic celebration of community. Hosted with We Banjo 3’s signature heart and humor, the immersive live event weaves in musical performances, set break game shows, green room artist interviews, coffee, and booze drink specials at the bar, live fan voting, VIP meet & greets, and more.

Debuting in the U.S. in 2012, Billboard Bluegrass chart-toppers We Banjo 3 have since fine-tuned their knack for seamlessly converging the shared and varied traditions of Americana, Bluegrass, and Celtic music with pop-sensible songcraft to create a truly unique and gratifying signature sound. The Galway, Ireland, and Nashville-based quartet––comprised of two sets of brothers, Enda & Fergal Scahill and Martin & David Howley––continually push musical boundaries while maintaining an un-wavering devotion to the essential audience experience.

With regular touring currently on pause, WB3 has deep-dived into exploring alternatives to physically taking the stage. Connecting with fans through various online performances, fan Q&A’s, live interviews, poetry and book excerpt readings, general banter about topics of interest, and more, WB3 has taken a personalized approach to creating fan experiences. Now, with Follow The Light, the foursome will wield their infectious energy to present an even more immersive experience that sheds light to the rich Irish culture that WB3 was founded upon.

Connect with We Banjo 3 at www.webanjo3.com, Spotify, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter

Wed, 08/05/2020 - 10:26 am

Virginia’s breakout band Kendall Street Company (KSC) is proud to unveil their brand new animated music video for 'Shanti the Dolphin'. 'Shanti the Dolphin' is the first single from Kendall Street Company’s recently released coastal themed album The Nautical Aquatical (out June 6, 2020). In celebration of the release, Kendall Street Company is harnessing their creativity and resourcefulness while the music industry is shut down, and will host live and archival streaming sets online, along with a small handful of intimate, socially distant crowd-sourced shows, this summer. In addition, the band recently partnered with Charlottesville, Virginia’s visitor's bureau to produce a video, featuring KSC’s fan-favorite track “Space For Days,” to highlight their hometown’s local community and businesses.

The Nautical Aquatical marks Kendall Street Company’s fourth album release since their 2016 debut album Earth Turns. While each of Kendall Street Company’s albums has a unique identity, The Nautical Aquatical highlights the band’s more whimsical and humorous side. The six-track album takes listeners on an underwater journey as it chronicles the lives of subaquatic friends Shanti The Dolphin, Stanley the Oyster, Stephen the Manly Clam, and Ernie the Eel. The collection, fittingly recorded on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean in Miami, features high-energy horns, and a diverse range of genres such as psychedelic, surf-rock, jazz, improvised rock and more.

The first single off the album “Shanti the Dolphin” is a playful representation of the album’s feel-good, groove-infused vibe that was made for summer and late-night dance parties. The animated video, accompanied by an upbeat melody, finds ‘Shanti’ beneath the sea, joined by his friends, riddled with the struggles of an intoxicated lifestyle. “What started as a silly song about my five-year-old niece’s favorite statue of ‘Shanti the Dolphin’ in Virginia Beach (pictured at the end of the video), ended up taking on a life of its own” says Ben Laderberg (Electric Guitar). “The result is a rock-fueled underwater odyssey featuring a well-intentioned dolphin leading an increasingly seedy lifestyle.” Listen to the full album The Nautical Aquatical HERE, and watch the full animated video for “Shanti the Dolphin” HERE.

As a testament to the band’s strong relationship with their hometown of Charlottesville, VA, Kendall Street Company’s positive spirit and high-energy sound recently attracted the attention of the city’s visitors bureau. With the intent of welcoming visitors back to Charlottesville & Albemarle County, the band created a video called "Join Us When You Can" using their song “Space For Days,” as the soundtrack. The video, which was produced by KSC, invites Charlottesville residents and visitors to return to local businesses when they feel it’s safe to go back out. “Join Us When You Can” sends a hopeful message that the beloved Charlottesville charm will remain intact, and business owners will be waiting for you on the other side. Watch the video for “Join Us When You Can” HERE.

Although the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has prevented the band from touring in their normal proportions (approx. 120 shows per year), Kendall Street Company is showing no signs of slowing down. In place of live shows in traditional music venues, KSC has responded by producing crowd-sourced, socially-distant shows to small groups of fans of 50 or fewer. Over Fourth of July weekend, the band performed along the I-64 West corridor to safely sized crowds in Charlottesville, VA, and Virginia Beach, VA. This summer, look for the band to continue safely delivering smiles and good vibes both digitally and physically. More information will be announced soon!

The Nautical Aquatical is currently available on all major streaming services HERE, and vinyl pressings of the album can be purchased through the band's website. For more information on Kendall Street Company, visit https://www.kendallstreetcompany.com

Tue, 09/01/2020 - 9:19 am

Today, Virginia’s genre-defying outfit Kendall Street Company (KSC) announces the upcoming release of their fifth studio album The Stories We Write For Ourselves, and has treated fans to the first single from the album “Lady In Green” which is now available across all major digital platforms. In celebration of the release, Kendall Street Company has also added a handful of new live shows to their calendar including their own two-day event, The Company Picnic, happening this Labor Day weekend on Sept 5th and 6th. A full list of dates and more info can be found below. Listen to the first single “Lady In Green” HERE.

As the leaves begin to change and the weather starts to cool off this fall, Kendall Street Company delivers a softer, dreamier sound on The Stories We Write For Ourselves. Recorded in Virginia Beach and co-produced by Scott Gordon (Ringo Starr, Alanis Morissette, Aerosmith, Baja Men, Hanson, Cher and more), the 15-track album comes as a follow up to Kendall Street Company’s light-hearted, coastal themed EP The Nautical Aquatical, which was released earlier this summer. The new collection of material demonstrates the band’s more serious approach to songwriting, showcasing their versatility across multiple genres of indie, folk, pop, rock, jazz, and more. On The Stories We Write For Ourselves, lead singer/songwriter Louis Smith’s vibrant tenor is complimented by the instrumentation of horns, strings, piano, and even the banjo, with lyrics that delve into a variety of complex emotions from life and death, comedy and tragedy, and love and loss, to self-reflection and new beginnings.

On the lead single “Lady In Green,” the quintet channels an island feel with the gentle strum of a guitar, and the delicate vocals of Smith and guest singer Abbey Potter. The lyrics, which inspired the title of the record, provide an uplifting message that many of us can relate to in current times. The chorus reminds the listener to embrace change singing “Sometimes the stories we write for ourselves should be thrown away,” and beseeches us all to keep the faith “Oh it will all fall into place/ Light’s gonna shine through the rain / I’ve got this feeling that it's all gonna be fine.” “The song, with its themes of overcoming tragedy, is hopeful yet poignantly aware of reality” says Smith. “Lady In Green,” now available on all major streaming services, is a just taste of what The Stories We Write For Ourselves has to offer.

The album’s release also signifies a new chapter in Kendall Street Company’s approach to touring and live performances. With most music venues and promoters on pause, the entrepreneurial quintet has taken it upon themselves to curate and self-promote a number of live-streaming sets online, along with a handful of intimate, crowd-sourced and socially distant shows for fans. Throughout the spring and summer KSC performed sets online for Roosterwalk, Homefest, and Live from Out There festivals, their own Containment Entertainment series, Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine’s digital ‘Trail Mix’ livestream, and The Jefferson Theater and Starr Hill Presents’ “So now, where were we” digital series. Now, KSC has shifted their focus to curating and performing at small, socially distant outdoor events such as their own 2-day live event on Sept 5-6 called The Company Picnic, which was designed to address safety concerns by limiting capacity, encouraging small groups of 6 or fewer, and giving attendees spaced out designated areas to watch the show from. At the end of the month, Kendall Street Company is scheduled to headline another socially-distanced drive-in performance in Richmond, VA, with more dates to be announced soon. A list of confirmed dates can be found below, and tickets to The Company Picnic can be purchased here.

Kendall Street Company Tour Dates

Sept 5th - The Company Picnic - Earlysville, VA 

Sept 6th - The Company Picnic - Earlysville, VA 

Sept 26th - WNRN Presents Virginia Commons Drive-In - Glen Allen, VA

Fri, 09/18/2020 - 3:42 pm

On the heels of a dynamic performance at the band’s successful self-produced, socially distant Labor Day weekend event The Company Picnic, Charlottesville’s genre-defying onslaught Kendall Street Company is proud to announce the release of their newest single “Go On” - out now! The fresh tune, which reflects on the struggles of social temptations and self-care, will officially appear on the quintet's forthcoming album The Stories We Write For Ourselves to be released on October 23rd, 2020. Listen to “Go On” HERE

Rising out of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia in 2017, Kendall Street Company has maintained a central presence on the East Coast, performing over 120 shows per year at music festivals such as Lockn' Music Festival, FloydFest, Rooster Walk, Resonance Music Festival, The FESTY Experience, and many more as well as at music venues alongside artists such as Moon Taxi, TAUK, Perpetual Groove, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Papadosio, Dark Star Orchestra, and Leftover Salmon. 

Over the years, Kendall Street Company has explored a diverse range of genres and styles including elements of jam, folk, jazz, funk, and psychedelic rock. However, on the upcoming fifth studio album, The Stories We Write For Ourselves, the band offers a softer, dreamier sound, demonstrating their more serious approach to songwriting. “Go On” - written by the band’s vocalist Louis Smith, opens as an acoustic number as Smith begins to recall the details of a night out, but quickly builds and turns into a funky jam. “Go On”, now available on all major streaming services, is a just taste of what The Stories We Write For Ourselves has to offer. 

Thu, 10/08/2020 - 11:14 am

Mipso announces “The Mipso Show (vol 1),” a virtual concert experience celebrating the band’s new self-titled album release. The one-night-only event will stream live on Thursday, October 29, 2020 at 5pm PT/ 8pm ET, and will feature Mipso performing new songs for the first time, fan favorites, and more. Event tickets are $6, with limited edition merch bundles available at higher price points. Each ticket purchase includes on-demand access for 48 hours post event. Tickets available now at mipsomusic.com.

Mipso is honored to partner with over 30 venues across North America to help host the band’s first ever virtual concert. $5 of every ticket sold will go directly to support venue partners. See below for the full list of “The Mipso Show” venue partners.

Mipso’s new self-titled album (released October 16, 2020/Rounder Records), is the highly anticipated follow-up to the North Carolina quartet’s acclaimed 2018 album Edges Run. Mipso arrives as the group’s most communally realized work to date—a triumph that’s especially remarkable considering they discussed breaking up after the release of Edges Run. But Mipso’s members—Wood Robinson, Libby Rodenbough, Jacob Sharp, and Joseph Terrell, each a songwriter and lead singer in the band—doubled down on their commitment to each other.

They emerged with the strongest artistic statement of their career thus far. With finely layered vocal harmonies and spacious arrangements that gently illuminate the idiosyncratic details and refined musicianship at the heart of every song, Mipso furthers the band’s ever-growing reputation as a potent musical force.

Four of the album’s tracks, and each of the songs’ official videos have already been released. Listen/watch here:  “Hourglass,” (Premiered on yesterday on Popmatters“Let A Little Light In,” “Hey, Coyote,” and “Your Body”.

Pre-Save Mipso HERE.

“The Mipso Show” North American Venue Partners:
Ann Arbor, MI - The Ark
Austin, TX - Stubbs BBQ
Birmingham, AL - The Saturn
Boulder, CO - Fox Theatre
Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
Charlotte, NC - Neighborhood Theatre
Decatur, GA - Eddie's Attic
Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater
Fayetteville, AR - George's Majestic Lounge
Fort Collins, CO - Aggie Theatre
Fort Worth, TX - Tulips
Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
Lawrence, KS - The Bottleneck
Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
Nashville, TN - 3rd & Lindsley
New York, NY - The Bowery Ballroom
Philadelphia, PA - World Cafe Live
Portland, OR - Revolution Hall
Richmond, VA - Richmond Music Hall
Sacramento, CA - Goldfield Trading Post
Saint Louis, MO - Blueberry Hill Duck Room
Seattle, WA - Nectar Lounge
South Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
Toronto, ON - Adelaide Hall
Vancouver, BC - The Vogue
Victoria, BC - Capital Ballroom
Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
Winnipeg, MB - The Garrick

Connect with Mipso at www.mipsomusic.com, and on InstagramFacebookTwitter, and YouTube. 

Thu, 10/08/2020 - 12:50 pm

Today, Kendall Street Company has released their Americana and Western tinged track “Waiting on a Train.”

The song is the third single release from the band’s upcoming full-length studio album –The Stories We Write For Ourselves– due out on October 23rd. The new song was premiered on Glide Magazine earlier this week and is now available on all digital platforms. Listen to it HERE.

Kendall Street Company’s lead singer/songwriter Louis Smith tells Glide Magazine, “The writing sessions for ‘Waiting on a Train’ started with a voice memo set to this hypnotic riff that I had been toying with for a while. That riff felt to me like a pendulum swinging back and forth and reminiscent of someone waiting on a train, wondering what will happen next, but taking no action to make anything happen. I was reading Stephen King’s novel ‘The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands’ around the same time, and for a lot of that book the Gunslinger is looking for a train, so that sci-fi/western vibe made its way into the tune for sure.”

The Stories We Write For Ourselves is the group's most mature work to date. The album dances between genres, landing somewhere between indie, folk, americana, jam-rock, and psychedelia. Recorded in Virginia Beach and co-produced by Scott Gordon (Ringo Starr, Alanis Morissette, Aerosmith, Baja Men, Hanson, Cher and more), The Stories We Write For Ourselves delves into a variety of complex emotions from life and death, comedy and tragedy, and love and loss, to self-reflection and new beginnings. While some songs evoke the coziness of a coffee shop, others are a bit more introspective and atmospheric. The resulting collection features passionate storytelling through diverse instrumentation and arrangement, ultimately delivering a hopeful, yet poignant message.

The Stories We Write For Ourselves will be available October 23rd, 2020

Tracklisting:

1. Prologue

2. Go On

3. Lady I Love

4. Waiting on a Train

5. Down the Line (undrowned)

6. Lady in Green

7. Dear White Old Moon

8. Vertigo

9. The Earth Turns

10. Blend into Thunder

11. In a Little While

12. Coffee

13. A King's Farewell

14. Snowday in The Fan 

15. Epilogue

Sat, 10/24/2020 - 3:30 pm

Charlottesville, VA quintet Kendall Street Company releases their fourth studio album - The Stories We Write For Ourselves - available now all digital service providers. The 15-track album was recorded in Virginia Beach and co-produced by Scott Gordon (Ringo Starr, Alanis Morisette, Aerosmith, Baja Men, Hanson, Cher and more). To celebrate the release of The Stories We Write For Ourselves, Kendall Street Company has just announced two new performances on October 29th (Richmond, VA) + October 31st (Charlottesville, VA), and a flash sale of limited edition merchandise that begins today and runs through November 8th.

On The Stories We Write For Ourselves, the band works to explore the human psyche through an impassioned and introspective lens while exploring a deep repertoire of sounds: the Folk and Americana story-telling of The Avett Brothers, the experimental compositions of Pink Floyd, the soulfully layered horns of The Rolling Stones, the acoustic charm of The Wood Brothers, and the classic-rock influences of artists such as Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, and many more. “This body of work harkens back to some of our roots” Kendall Street Company tells American Songwriter. The result is a boundary-pushing indie record rife with layered vocal harmonies, intimate songwriting, and acoustic guitar licks that tug on your heartstrings while still moving your feet.

Prior to today’s official release, Kendall Street Company leaked three of their singles in anticipation for the full album: the lead single “Lady in Green” the lyrics of which inspired the title of the record, “Go On,” a song that slowly builds into a funky jam before imploding into a nostalgic epithet, and their most recent single “Waiting on a Train” which Glide Magazine describes as a track that is “haunting and mellow, with intriguing vocal effects interacting with the psychedelic and spacey synth” while VENT Magazine proclaimed that “you cannot stop listening to this deceptively simple Appalachian-feel song of a life that has passed by.”

The Stories We Write For Ourselves is the culmination of years of songwriting and material written as far back as 2016. It is a testament to the band’s staunch ambition as it marks their second studio release this year, and comes as a follow up to a summer full of entrepreneurial endeavors curating and self-promoting a number of live-streaming sets online, along with a handful of intimate, crowd-sourced and socially distant shows for fans amidst the ongoing pandemic. Join them next week as they perform new songs for the first time, fan favorites, and more to socially-distant live audiences, or watch the show from the comfort of your own home via the livestream. Tickets and additional touring information can be found at kendallstreetcompany.com/tour. To purchase limited edition merchandise, please visit kendallstreetcompany.com before November 8th.

The Stories We Write For Ourselves is now available: HERE

Tracklisting:

1. Prologue

2. Go On

3. Lady I Love

4. Waiting on a Train

5. Down the Line (undrowned)

6. Lady in Green

7. Dear White Old Moon

8. Vertigo

9. The Earth Turns

10. Blend into Thunder

11. In a Little While

12. Coffee

13. A King's Farewell

14. Snowday in The Fan

15. Epilogue

Kendall Street Company Tour Dates

Oct 29th - River City Roll - Richmond, VA - Tickets

Oct 31st - The Festy at Adventure Farm - Earlysville, VA - Tickets

Nov 25th - 5th Annual Turkey Jam at Elevation 27 - Virginia Beach, VA - Tickets

Mon, 11/02/2020 - 10:17 am

We Banjo 3 (WB3) hosts a festive holiday livestream airing December 18 at 8pm EST. Dubbed “A Winter Wonderful,” the evening will feature a special WB3 performance, plus musical sets by a short list of special guests to be announced soon. Event tickets are $20, with limited edition merch bundles available at higher price points. Each ticket purchase includes on-demand access for 48 hours post event. Tickets available now at www.webanjo3.com.

For more information about We Banjo 3, visit www.webanjo3.com

Fri, 11/06/2020 - 3:33 pm

Kendall Street Company is proud to continue the tradition of their annual Thanksgiving-themed event The Turkey Jam for the fifth consecutive year this November. Originally set to be a one-night event on Wednesday November 25th, the band has now added a second performance on Tuesday, November 24th to meet demands. The two back-to-back shows will take place at Virginia Beach’s socially-distant restaurant and music venue Elevation 27 where guests can pair their live music experience with high-quality culinary offerings.

Each show will feature Kendall Street Company performing songs from their new album The Stories We Write For Ourselves (released Oct 23, 2020), as well as fan favorites, festive holiday covers, and more. Attendees can safely enjoy the show from their own tables in groups of 4-8 people, and guests will be treated to table service with a wide range of menu options from contemporary cuisine and deli classics, to the legendary smoked BBQ by Phamous Phil. Tickets are now on sale for both performances and can be purchased for $35 each at https://www.elevation27.com

Wed, 04/21/2021 - 8:47 am

Longtime cannabis advocates, and popular California lifestyle music group Slightly Stoopid announce the official launch of their cannabis, spirits, and health + wellness brand Stoopid Organics. Inspired by the band’s long-term respect for the benefits of cannabis, Stoopid Organics aims to deliver top quality, carefully curated and sustainably manufactured cannabis products and limited edition collaborations that provide recreational and medicinal uses and healing properties. Featured Stoopid Organics products currently include two grow-at-home seed selections, a Full Spectrum Hemp Oil tincture (CBD-A), and high-end pre-rolled “infused” marijuana cigarettes. Additional products will continue to be announced along with an online “general store” web-portal pointing consumers and fans to regional product locations, product descriptions, and special contests and merchandise. More information can be found below and at StoopidOrganics.com

Slightly Stoopid has embraced the cannabis culture as a way of life throughout their two decade career, and have openly professed respect for the plant since the early 90s.  The band’s reverence for the sacred herb has been showcased in a multitude of Slightly Stoopid song lyrics, with such hits as  “Couldn’t Get High,” “This Joint,” “2AM,” “Collie-Man,” “Sensimilla,”  “Mellow Mood,” “Officer,” and many more - becoming a true expression of the band’s cultural DNA. No strangers to the burgeoning hemp industry, Slightly Stoopid and its partners at Silverback Music have been recognized in Forbes Magazine, Billboard, Pollstar, and Variety Magazine for their innovative, forward facing cannabis infused businesses.

The band garnered the attention of Billboard in particular in 2017 when Slightly Stoopid’s Stoopid Records, and Silverback Music’s Controlled Substance Sound Labs label joined forces with vinyl mastering guru Gil Tamazyin’s Capsule Labs, and hash purveyor Rodney Lockwood, to pioneer the first EVER smokable 12” “vinyl” record made entirely of pure hashish. The “hash vinyl” was etched with the grooves of the jazzy, stoner-friendly Slightly Stoopid instrumental single “Dabbington” (from the band’s Meanwhile Back At The Lab LP), and the project became the first and only audio recording in history to be pressed directly on pure cannabis source material, with the ability to extract audible sound. This landmark stunt - originally intended to promote legalization, and the ancillary benefits of a still federally illegal substance - was a one-of-a kind unprecedented endeavor.

To Slightly Stoopid, marijuana represents freedom and emphasizes the larger environmental and social issues that impact society. With Stoopid Organics, Slightly Stoopid continue their efforts in raising awareness for the medical benefits of cannabis and expand their participation in supporting cannabis law reform and responsible commercialization.

STOOPID ORGANICS FEATURED PRODUCTS:

Grow Your Own Seeds: “Stoopid Fruits” + “Collie-Man Kush”

Stoopid Organics’ two different “grow your own” seed options are the Sativa dominant “Stoopid Fruits,” and the Indica dominant “Collie-Man Kush.” The seed packages, cultivated in collaboration with The Humboldt Seed Company, were designed for their strong genetics and high potency, and aptly named after Slightly Stoopid song titles. Horticulture enthusiasts are encouraged to grow their own “Stoopid Fruits” and “Collie-Man Kush” harvests, but for those who prefer to simply enjoy the cannabis flower, Stoopid Organics has also partnered with select growers across California to ensure that their signature seeds are seen to fruition. Humboldt County CA’s HYGROW cannabis farm, a boutique grower who uses the glass greenhouse technique, will start to germinate Humboldt Seed Co’s signature Stoopid seeds this year in anticipation of a spring 2021 harvest.

“Stoopidhead Hammerhead” THC Diamond Infused Pre-rolled Marijuana Cigarettes

At the beginning of 2021, Stoopid Organics joined forces with Seabright Distribution and Hammerhead Prerolls to begin producing the ultimate high-end “Stoopidhead Hammerhead” infused joint . Intended for the recreational connoisseur that’s not afraid of a 44% THC content joint bound to rip your skill after 2 hits!!  Each pre-roll is infused with THC diamonds, and coated in kief on the exterior.

Full Spectrum 420 ML Hemp Oil (CBD-A) Tincture

Full Spectrum 420ml Hemp Oil (CBD-A) tincture produced from the labs of Life-Patent. With the potential of CBD-A to influence the activity of 5-HT serotonin-producing receptors, medical practitioners believe that CBDA may be used as a way to manage chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, as well as inflammation - which aligns with the band’s consistent charitable efforts for pediatric cancer.

Each of the three products are now available for purchase at select dispensaries in California with additional selections to be announced soon. For more information, please visit www.Stoopidorganics.com.

Thu, 06/03/2021 - 11:31 am

The 2021 New York Guitar Festival (NYGF) pays tribute to the iconic classical guitarist Julian Bream with an online series of concerts beginning July 14. This year’s series “Remembering Julian Bream,” includes commissions by a group of stellar classical guitarists, lutenists and composers –including Pepe Romero, Sharon Isbin, Leo Brouwer and Laura Snowden - in honor of the Grammy Award-winning concert artist who died at his home in Wiltshire, England on August 14, 2020, at the age of 87. In his New York Times obituary, Allan Kozinn wrote that Bream “pushed the guitar beyond its Spanish roots and expanded its range by commissioning dozens of works from major composers, and who also played a crucial role in reviving the lute as a modern concert instrument.”

“Remembering Julian Bream” will premier three video performances each day, from July 14 - July 20 at 3pm, 4pm and 5pm EDT via the New York Guitar Festival YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/guitarfestival. Full programming schedule listed below. WNYC Radio’s “New Sounds,” in partnership with the New York Guitar Festival, will debut audio recordings of the newly commissioned works at 93.9FM or at www.newsounds.org.

Six composers will perform their own works dedicated to Bream:  Laura Snowden (UK), Jiji (Korea), Leo Brouwer (Cuba), Jozef van Wissem (Holland), Derek Gripper (South Africa), and Gyan Riley (USA). In addition to these world premieres, the series includes performances of the classical guitar music that Bream became known for, dating from the 16th through the 20th century. Composers will include John Dowland, Anthony Holborne, Benjamin Britten, Francisco Tarrega, Mauro Giulliani, Enrique Granados, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and more.

Jason Vieaux, the Grammy Award-wining guitarist, commented that: “Bream was the ideal classical musician and artist for me, regardless of instrument. He was a primary role model for me and for so many in our field.  Bream not only was sophisticated, refined, hip and earthy, all at once... he was pointing the way toward a possible future. The number and scope of his contributions are staggering."   Sharon Isbin, another Grammy winner, said “I will always be grateful to the legendary Julian Bream for his impassioned, heartfelt performances and recordings; his dedication to expanding the literature by commissioning outstanding contemporary composers; and for the generous private lesson he gave me at age fourteen which changed my life!”

The lutenist Hopkinson Smith comments that “Bream was an extraordinary communicator with a seemingly unstoppable energy. His voracious technique well served his deep lyric sense and his eyes understood all that was going on around him.  He was a truly charismatic figure with an adventurous spirit and an inquisitive mind.”  Lutenist and composer Jozef van Wissem adds that Bream: “single-handedly put the lute back on the map.”

WNYC’s John Schaefer explains, “I can understand why so many people think the classical guitar really begins with Andres Segovia.  But it didn’t end there – otherwise we’d all just be playing Spanish music and Bach. Bream put the guitar on a wider, global, musical map, and the explosion of interest in and compositions for the guitar really starts with him.  Also I hurt myself trying to learn how to play Aguado’s “Adagio” from one of Bream’s publications.”

New York Guitar Festival’s Artistic Director David Spelman adds of the project, “Listening to, and sharing, music has been a lifeline for so many people during this year of social isolation. We hope this project will spread the joy of music, and shine a light on the remarkable contributions of Julian Bream, whose life stands as a testament to a life totally dedicated to music.”

Access to “Remembering Julian Bream” is free. The NYGF and performing artists are asking viewers to make donations to MusiCares. Learn more about charitable foundation of The Recording Academy’s MusicCares COVID-19 Relief Fund, and donate to help the music community affected by the Coronavirus pandemic, here: www.grammy.com/musicares/get-help/musicares-coronavirus-relief-fund

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

Daily at www.youtube.com/guitarfestival

Wednesday, July 14:  Sharon Isbin at 3pm EDT, Pepe Romero at 4pm EDT, Pablo Sáinz Villegas at 5pm EDT

Thursday, July 15:  Jason Vieaux at 3pm EDT, David Leisner at 4pm EDT, William Kanengiser at 5pm EDT

Friday, July 16: Derek Gripper at 3pm EDT, Amadeus Guitar Duo at 4pm EDT, Paul Odette  at 5pm EDT

Saturday, July 17:  Eliot Fisk at 3pm EDT, Hopkinson Smith at 4pm EDT, Marija Temo at 5pm EDT

Sunday, July 18: Jozef van Wissem at 3pm EDT, Alberta Khoury at 4pm EDT, Tengue Zhang at 5pm EDT

Monday, July 19:  Benjamin Verdery at 3pm EDT, Jiji at 4pm EDT, Gyan Riley at 5pm EDT

Tuesday, July 20: Adam Del Monte at 3pm EDT, Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo at 4pm EDT, Laura Snowden at 5pm EDT

Thu, 07/15/2021 - 3:44 pm

The New York Guitar Festival’s online performance series, Remembering Julian Bream has commenced. The seven-day festival - which launched Wednesday, July 14th - explores the music of the iconic classical guitarist Julian Bream, and will continue to premier three video performances each day at 3pm, 4pm and 5pm EDT through July 20th, 2021. To watch commissions by some of the most talented classical guitarists, lutenists and composers in the world, tune in to the New York Guitar Festival YouTube Channel.

Seven composers will perform their own works dedicated to Bream:  Laura Snowden (UK), Jiji (Korea), Leo Brouwer (Cuba), Jozef van Wissem (Holland), Derek Gripper (South Africa), and Gyan Riley (USA). In addition to these world premieres, the series includes performances of the classical guitar music that Bream became known for, dating from the 16th through the 20th century. Composers will include John Dowland, Anthony Holborne, Benjamin Britten, Francisco Tarrega, Mauro Giulliani, Enrique Granados, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and more.

Watch the full playlist for the series as it premieres here: NYGF YouTube Playlist, and listen to the full collection of audio recordings from WNYC Radio’s “New Sounds,” at 93.9FM or at www.newsounds.org.

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

Daily at www.youtube.com/guitarfestival

Wednesday, July 14:  

Sharon Isbin at 3pm EDT, Pepe Romero at 4pm EDT, Pablo Sáinz Villegas at 5pm EDT

Thursday, July 15:

Jason Vieaux at 3pm EDT, David Leisner at 4pm EDT, William Kanengiser at 5pm EDT

Friday, July 16:

Derek Gripper at 3pm EDT, Amadeus Guitar Duo at 4pm EDT, Paul Odette  at 5pm EDT

Saturday, July 17:

Eliot Fisk at 3pm EDT, Hopkinson Smith at 4pm EDT, Marija Temo at 5pm EDT

Sunday, July 18

Jozef van Wissem at 3pm EDT, Alberta Khoury at 4pm EDT, Tengyue Zhang at 5pm EDT

Monday, July 19:

Benjamin Verdery at 3pm EDT, Jiji at 4pm EDT, Gyan Riley at 5pm EDT

Tuesday, July 20:

Adam Del Monte at 3pm EDT, Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo at 4pm EDT, Laura Snowden at 5pm EDT

WNYC’s John Schaefer explains, “I can understand why so many people think the classical guitar really begins with Andres Segovia. But it didn’t end there – otherwise we’d all just be playing Spanish music and Bach. Bream put the guitar on a wider, global, musical map, and the explosion of interest in and compositions for the guitar really starts with him. Also I hurt myself trying to learn how to play Aguado’s “Adagio” from one of Bream’s publications.”

Access to “Remembering Julian Bream” is free. The NYGF and performing artists are asking viewers to make donations to MusiCares. Learn more about charitable foundation of The Recording Academy’s MusicCares COVID-19 Relief Fund, and donate to help the music community affected by the Coronavirus pandemic, here: www.grammy.com/musicares/get-help/musicares-coronavirus-relief-fund