Home Blog Page 617

Central Park on Record: Legendary Albums Captured in NYC’s Iconic Backyard

Eric Alper
-
0
Central Park on Record: Legendary Albums Captured in NYC’s Iconic Backyard

New York’s Central Park has seen it all—marathons, protests, surprise proposals, and legendary concerts that turned a patch of grass into musical history. These albums were captured in the middle of the city that never sleeps, where saxophones echoed off skyscrapers and the roar of fans mingled with summer breezes. Here are the unforgettable recordings that bottled that magic.

A Happening in Central Park – Barbra Streisand (1968)
Barbra Streisand faced her fear of performing outdoors in the most dramatic way possible: by filling Central Park with 135,000 adoring fans. Her legendary 1967 concert became this live album, an early glimpse of just how powerful a single voice and a city skyline can be together.

Between Nothingness & Eternity – Mahavishnu Orchestra (1973)
Jazz fusion took flight as the Mahavishnu Orchestra performed a wild, electric set in Central Park. This album captures the group’s unrelenting improvisation and energy, recorded during the summer of ’73 when New York felt like the center of the musical universe.

Central Park 1974 (Live) – Melanie (2024)
Folk icon Melanie’s long-lost 1974 concert finally saw the light of day in 2024. Her raw, heartfelt set in Central Park becomes a time capsule of counterculture, idealism, and that unique 1970s blend of protest and peace.

Central Park New York ’76 (Live) – Jefferson Airplane (1976)
This roaring live release marks one of Jefferson Airplane’s fiery returns. Recorded in the heart of New York, it fuses psychedelic rock and political edge, with the park becoming a playground for distortion, rebellion, and sonic experimentation.

Home Again – Carole King (2023)
Released decades after her 1973 performance, this stunning recording brings Carole King’s magic back to the forefront. Her intimate voice and piano filled Central Park with warmth, and the album feels like a long-overdue embrace from one of pop’s greatest songwriters.

Lee Lessack: Live in Central Park (Revisited) – Lee Lessack (2016)
A love letter to timeless vocalists, Lessack’s revisited concert blends smooth cabaret vocals with a tribute to American songbook staples. His Central Park performance is soft, elegant, and filled with reverence for the golden age of music.

Live in Central Park – Annie Lennox (2001)
With bold vocals and an undeniable stage presence, Annie Lennox turned the park into a cathedral of soul. This live release captures her range and power, showing that even under the open sky, her voice can reach the stars.

Live in Central Park – Willie Nile (2009)
A rock troubadour with deep NYC roots, Willie Nile’s Central Park performance bursts with energy. His songs celebrate the city with grit and poetry, backed by a band that sounds like it was born to play beneath the skyline.

Live in Central Park, NYC – King Crimson (2000)
One of prog rock’s most daring bands let loose in Central Park with this fierce set. The album is a whirlwind of complexity, rhythm, and experimentation, proving the park isn’t just for picnics—it’s for musical firestorms.

Live in New York – Joe Cocker (1981)
Joe Cocker’s gravelly voice shook the trees and the crowd during this electrifying concert. This album preserves his passionate performance, mixing soul, blues, and sheer vocal power into an unforgettable Central Park moment.

Live in the Central Park ’72 – Savoy Brown (1985)
This British blues rock band brought a raw, heavy edge to Central Park during their 1972 show. Released later, the recording captures a tight, no-frills performance that blends transatlantic rock with muddy blues.

Melanie: Central Park 1974 (Live) – Melanie (2024)
Yes, it deserves a second mention—because a newly released archive of Melanie’s folk set in Central Park brings her tender spirit back to life. With acoustic simplicity and lyrical charm, her performance stands as a peaceful protest in a chaotic decade.

Paul Simon’s Concert in the Park – Paul Simon (1991)
Paul Simon returned solo to Central Park in 1991, surrounded by a stellar band and a sea of fans. The set spans continents and rhythms, reflecting Simon’s genre-crossing genius while keeping his lyrical touch close to home.

Sheryl Crow and Friends: Live from Central Park – Sheryl Crow (1999)
Sheryl Crow rocked Central Park with an all-star lineup including Stevie Nicks and Eric Clapton. This vibrant album is a celebration of friendship and good vibes, with the city’s heartbeat pulsing beneath every chord.

Simon & Garfunkel: The Concert in Central Park – Simon & Garfunkel (1982)
Over 500,000 people gathered to witness this emotional reunion in the heart of the city. The live album captures their harmonies, nostalgia, and undeniable chemistry, making it one of the most beloved live records ever made.

The Central Park Concert – Dave Matthews Band (2003)
With 85,000 fans cheering them on, DMB delivered an epic show filled with jams, horns, and soul. This album bottles that magic, from soft acoustic moments to explosive improvisation, all under the Central Park moonlight.

The Entertainer – Garth Brooks (2006)
Country came to the concrete jungle when Garth Brooks brought his cowboy charisma to Central Park. “The Entertainer” showcases a superstar who turned a New York crowd into a country-loving, hat-waving family.

Unreleased Tracks from Between Nothingness & Eternity – Mahavishnu Orchestra (2011)
Years after the original ‘73 recording, these unreleased tracks surfaced with even more sonic intensity. Raw and virtuosic, they remind listeners why Central Park has always been a space for pushing musical boundaries.

From folk to fusion, pop to prog, these albums prove one thing: when artists step into Central Park, something changes. The air gets charged, the crowd becomes part of the music, and history gets written in melodies. Central Park isn’t just a place—it’s a stage like no other.

Lowell Folk Festival Returns With 19 Global Acts, Parades, and Cultural Celebrations July 25–27

Eric Alper
-
0
Lowell Folk Festival Returns With 19 Global Acts, Parades, and Cultural Celebrations July 25–27

The 2025 Lowell Folk Festival, which for the past four decades has shared traditional music from cultures around the globe with audiences in the Mill City, has announced the complete roster of 19 musical acts performing on multiple stages throughout Downtown Lowell July 25-27.  More information about the Lowell Folk Festival can be found at lowellfolkfestival.org.

“For me what makes the Lowell Folk Festival so special is the way it connects the community, across cultures, languages, and generations,” said Festival Director Lee Viliesis.  “The festival has honored the shared musical heritage and cultural traditions that have come from across the globe to the Merrimack Valley, for nearly 40 years. This year we are excited to welcome artists from right here in our own neighborhood to join with international performers to celebrate keeping these musical practices alive.”

The 2025 Lowell Folk Festival will get a vibrant taste of Carnival thanks to one of Boston’s premier Trinidadian Carnival mas groups, Dynasty Productions Carnival Parade. Founded by Cynthia Coker and her husband Stephen, who both fell in love with Carnival in their native Trinidad and have carried the tradition on since moving to Boston in the early 1970s. Dynasty Productions includes musicians from islands across the West Indies and native Bostonians of Caribbean descent. Dynasty Productions will lead the Opening Night street parade to kick off the 2025 Lowell Folk Festival on Friday, July 25.

Celebrating their 75th anniversary this year, the Bullock Brothers have been performing soul-stirring gospel music throughout New England since 1950. Seventy-five years later they remain a family ensemble of fathers and sons, performing in the style of “jubilee” gospel choirs that emerged in the 1870s at African American colleges like Fisk University. “We’ve been on a gospel music journey for 75 years and it’s not over yet!” George Bullock Jr. proclaims.

For nearly 40 years, the Angkor Dance Troupe has stewarded traditional Cambodian dance and music in Lowell, Massachusetts. Founder Tim Chan Thou and fellow founding members learned classical Cambodian dance in refugee camps along the Thai-Cambodian border. They brought with them to Lowell a strong desire to practice and perform Cambodian dance and a passion to teach others. The Angkor Dance Troupe is now a nationally recognized institution that has trained over 7,000 students and performed worldwide. They will be accompanied by an all-star ensemble of Cambodian musicians from Massachusetts and Maryland. 

Grammy nominated Vasilis Kostas, represents the next generation brought up in the musical traditions of Epirus, a region in northwest Greece known for music with strong melodic lines, mournful lyrics, and slow rhythms. Born and raised in Ioannina, Greece, Vasilis grew up listening to his grandfather sing each night. He took up the guitar to accompany his grandfather, later performing at weddings and local events. A move to the United States to study jazz guitar at Berklee College of Music unexpectedly brought him back to his roots: playing the laouto (a long-necked, fretted lute with four paired strings) for a presentation of Greek music in Spain. Vasilis will be joined by talented rising musicians at the festival.  

Hailing from Whitetop Mountain, a small Appalachian community nestled in the rugged Blue Ridge Mountains, Martha Spencer & the Wonderland Country Band is a living testimony to the vitality and deep roots of traditional music in Southwest Virginia. A gifted multi-instrumentalist, singer, and dancer, Martha is recognized as one of Virginia’s most cherished traditional artists. Together with her bandmates in the Wonderland Country Band, she is helping to preserve and carry forward the unique musical traditions of Grayson County, Virginia.

A renowned storyteller and dynamic performer, Gene Tagaban uses interactive stories, music, and dance as tools to entertain, inspire, and heal. Tagaban, whose Tlingit name is Guuy Yaau, is a member of the Tak’deintaan Raven Freshwater Sockeye Clan of Hoonah, Alaska, and the child of the Wooshkeetaan Eagle Shark Clan of Juneau, Alaska. He brings people of all ages and backgrounds into active participation with timeless Indigenous teachings centered on deepening self-knowledge, strengthening interpersonal connections, and developing compassion and respect for the natural world.

Oghlan Bakhshi was raised in a family of musicians in northern Iran and has made it his goal to bring the little-heard music of the Turkmen to the world. This music has a spiritual dimension that rises from the nomadic history of the Turkmen, with guttural singing of the bardic songs bringing the sounds of nature to the stage, while the strumming of the dutar reflects horse hooves crossing the steppe. Performing with guest artist, dutar player and bard Zyyada Jumayeva, he honors the centuries-old traditions while bringing a new approach to the music. Together, these two master musicians are introducing the world to the dynamic music of the Turkmen.

Fado emerged from the cafés in the tight streets and working-class neighborhoods of Lisbon, but there’s a calm, solemn tone that emerges from the music. Not far from Lisbon in Paço de Arcos, Ricardo Parreira grew up steeped in the fado tradition, learning guitarra Portuguesa from his father, renowned musician and scholar António Parreira. Ricardo Parreira has toured internationally with fadistas and brings his deep knowledge to an ensemble of Portuguese Americans singers and musicians, performing alongside Lowell’s own Alison Dasilva, and Pedro Botas and Viriato Ferreira.

Bamba Wassoulou Groove combines two of Mali’s most celebrated musical styles—the traditional songs of the Wassoulou region and modern, electrified Malian guitar music—into a potent new sound. The group was founded in 2013 by percussionist and bandleader Bamba Dembélé in Bamako, Mali’s capital city. But the sextet’s origins reach further back in Dembélé’s musical journey, who performed with two of Mali’s iconic groups, the Super Djata Band and Super Rail Band. Rooted in the original sounds and visions of these two bands, Bamba Wassoulou Groove continues to bring these joyous and unrelenting rhythms to the dance floor.

With their vast repertoire of polka classics, infectious enthusiasm for their Polish heritage, and distinctive twin fiddles—an instrumentation once common in Poland’s mountainous regions—Pan Franek, Zosia & the Polka Towners are beloved by fans of traditional polka music nationwide. The group has always been an ever-expanding family band, now with three generations represented on the stage.

Other performers previously announced for the 2025 Lowell Folk Festival include Cajun legend BeauSoleil, Irish favorites Solas, blues rockers Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials, Bhangra sensation Red Baraat, flamenco dancer and singer LOS RICOS featuring Sonia & Ismael, Colombian cumbia accordionist Yeison Landero, Québécois and Celtic trio Cécilia, and bluegrass group Crooked Road Revival.

The Lowell Folk Festival is produced by the Lowell Festival Foundation, City of Lowell, Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce, Greater Lowell Community Foundation, Greater Merrimack Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, Lowell National Historical Park, and National Council for the Traditional Arts.

Major support for the Lowell Folk Festival comes from Richard K And Nancy L Donahue Charitable Foundation, Saab Family Foundation/Saab Center for Portuguese Studies, Mass Cultural Council, Gate City Casino, Mass Office of Travel & Tourism, Lowell Cultural Council, Demoulas Foundation, F.W. Webb, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Quality Beverage, John Hunnewell Trust, Middlesex Community College, UMass Lowell, Mahoney Oil/Eastern Salt, Mosaic Lowell, Hilton Garden Inn Tewksbury Andover, Aubert Fay Foundation, Dylan & Pete’s Ice Cream, Enterprise Bank, Joseph P. Donahue Charitable Foundation Trust, Lowell Ink, Suffolk Construction, LAZ Parking, Lowell Sun Charities, Albert E. J. Bergeron Insurance Agency, Progressive Pilgrimage, The Lowell Plan, The Lowell Development & Financial Corporation, Owl Stamp Visual Solutions, All Sports Heroes, Lowell Litter Krewe, Mark-One, 92.5 The River, Lowell Telecommunications Corporation (LTC), Chelmsford Telemedia, Fred C. Church Insurance, WCAP, Marte Media, and Mill City Weather. 

The Lowell Folk Festival acknowledges the contributions from exhibitors: Cannabist, Citizens Bank, Lowell Humane Society, NRG, Power Home Remodeling, Neeeco/Mass Save Program, Renewal by Andersen, Reverie 73, Rise, United States Marine Corps, and Vinfen.

For information about the 2025 Lowell Folk Festival, including how to sponsor or be an exhibitor, musical artists and schedules, and other programming, visit lowellfolkfestival.org to stay posted on all updates for the 2025 Lowell Folk Festival.

Gustavo Santaolalla Reimagines ‘The Last of Us’ Theme With His Custom Guitarocko

Eric Alper
-
0
Gustavo Santaolalla Reimagines ‘The Last of Us’ Theme With His Custom Guitarocko

Gustavo Santaolalla didn’t just play the theme from The Last of Us—he reimagined it, reshaped it, and rebuilt it with his one-of-a-kind “Guitarocko,” a wild hybrid inspired by the Bolivian Ronroco and a Stratocaster. Add in Joey Waronker on drums, Gabe Witcher on violin, and Last of Us creator Neil Druckmann strumming along, and you’ve got a performance that hits every emotional note.

Jamie Dupuis Performs Stunning Harp Guitar Cover of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game”

Eric Alper
-
0
Jamie Dupuis Performs Stunning Harp Guitar Cover of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game”

Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” is already a heart-melter—but on Jamie Dupuis’ harp guitar, it practically levitates. Performed beside the water on a 26-string wonder, this fingerstyle cover is tender, hypnotic, and full of pure musical magic. Dupuis has been playing harp guitar for years, and when you hear this, you’ll understand why it’s one of his favorites.












Luminato Festival 2025 Transforms Toronto With Around-the-Clock Art and Bold Global Premieres

Eric Alper
-
0
Luminato Festival 2025 Transforms Toronto With Around-the-Clock Art and Bold Global Premieres

Luminato Festival returns June 4-22 to ignite Toronto with bold, playful, and of the moment art experiences that transform the people, places and possibilities of the city. Under the visionary leadership of CEO Celia Smith and Artistic Director Olivia Ansell, Luminato enters a new era with a bigger and more ambitious 19th edition of the festival that invites the public to encounter the city like never before. 

“Luminato presents once-in-a-lifetime, inclusive art experiences that showcase the best of Toronto, our country, and the world,” says Celia Smith, CEO of Luminato Festival and expert in urban transformation. “We create moments that inspire and connect us and lead to positive change in our everyday lives.” 

How we inhabit the city in a 24-hour cycle

The theme of Luminato 2025, DAY:NIGHT explores how we inhabit the city in a 24-hour cycle. From dusk to dawn and dawn to dusk, any given day can be ordinary or extraordinary. Artistic Director Olivia Ansell says “First breath, dawn light through to last dance and final word – the 2025 program asks us to reflect on the cycle of our collective lives and how we engage, disrupt and exist in time and space as a community. Be it the first or the last of things, we invite locals and visitors to encounter Toronto differently.”  

Over 1000 artists engaging Toronto audiences around the clock from June 4 – 22

This year’s festival ignites both day and night culture engaging audiences around the clock with a dynamic mix of music, dance, and theatre, along with immersive, family-friendly, and free public art. With the city as its canvas, Luminato brings art encounters to outdoor spaces, transit stations, theatres, galleries, and neighbourhoods across the Toronto area. Over 1000 artists from Canada and afar reimagine this city with compelling public art over three blockbuster weeks with 12 world premieres, 8 commissions and 14 exclusives from 10 countries. 

Union Station transformed into a living symphony

Day one opens with opera visionary Krystian Lada’s Dawn Chorus (Poland) as it transforms Union Station into a living symphony. Award-winning photographer Nadya Kwandibens’ (Anishinaabe/Ojibwe) Night/Shifts captures the lives of Toronto’s night workers and displays them across the TTC and beyond. At Luminato at Harbourfront, the vibrant festival hub, First Breath by UK’s Luke Jerram celebrates new life born in Toronto each day with a breathtaking light installation. Terceradix Luminarium is an immersive, otherworldly structure of colour and light at Harbourfront Centre by UK artists Architects of Air. 

Hamlet reimagined

Also at Luminato at Harbourfront is Teatro La Plaza’s (Peru) Hamlet which reimagines Shakespeare’s most famous work with eight incredible actors with Down syndrome, giving it new relevance. A Glimpse of Quincy: Celebrating the Legendary Quincy Jones is arranged and produced by Grammy Award-winning artist Larnell Lewis. 

Theatre and dance highlights

Theatre and dance highlights include Tim Crouch’s hypnotic story of loss, An Oak Tree (UK) presented in partnership with TO Live, where each performance features a different guest artist, revealed only at curtain time, at the Jane Mallett Theatre. Artists include Amrit Kaur, Jean Yoon, Amanda Cordner, Daniel MacIvor, Karen Robinson, and Qasim Khan, with more to be announced. Red Like Fruit by Hannah Moscovitch, co-presented with Soulpepper and produced by 2B Theatre, explores themes of power and complicity in the post-#MeToo era. Queen of the Night Communion, co-produced with Tapestry Opera, is an immersive opera experience that transforms baroque tradition at Metropolitan United Church. What the Day Owes to the Night by Compagnie Hervé KOUBI (France/Algeria) and in partnership with TO Live and Fall For Dance North, blends capoeira, martial arts, and Sufi traditions in a captivating dance performance. The world premiere of HANS: My Life in Fairytales by Craig Francis and Rick Miller, uses puppetry, video, and clowning to bring Hans Christian Andersen’s extraordinary stories to life. Canadian/Columbian collaboration Nigamon/Tunai by Émilie Monnet and Waira Nina is a poetic manifesto against extractivism, land destruction, and displacement. Theo x Travis: Jazz is Dead is a high-energy fusion of jazz, hip-hop, and R&B, featuring trumpeter Theo Croker and tap dancer Travis Knights, co-presented by dance Immersion. 

FREE public art installations

Luminato will showcase a number of remarkable free public art installations and performances that connect art directly to the people. THAW by Australia’s Legs on the Wall is an epic eight-hour performance which makes climate change impossible to ignore with a 2.7-tonne block of ice suspended over Sankofa Square. Rainbow Dreams by Japanese born, Australian based, Hiromi Tango creates three unique rainbow-filled environments at Brookfield Properties that invite the public to explore pathways toward well-being. Flamboyant and defiantly joyous, Dandyism by Rwandan born, UK based Ziza Patrick celebrates the timeless swagger of African style through powerful street and contemporary dance. 

Luminato at Harbourfront

Luminato at Harbourfront will also feature free experiences for all ages throughout the day. Notable hub highlights include Sangam, curated by The Tawoos Initiative, creates a confluence of rhythms from South Asia. Featuring the highly anticipated North American debut by the uncensored voice of Pakistan – legendary rap pioneer, Faris Shafi, and a return of the popularly demanded electronic music producer and composer Talal Qureshi. Miigwech Collective curates an exciting line-up of Indigenous music artists including blues and country artist Crystal Shawanda, pop and R&B singer Alicia Kayley, and electronic world beats artist Tica. Lulaworld celebrates Latin and Indigenous music, including Colombia’s revolutionary La Pambelé orchestra, the electrifying Afro-Colombian Kombilesa Mí, and the dynamism of Sonic Sancocho’s vinyl sets. SANTÉ by Cirque Kikasse (Quebec) brings high-flying acrobatics atop a food truck for gravity-defying feats of fun. 

Luminato’s sound experiences

Luminato’s sound experiences include: 

  • Immersed by Justin Gray, an innovative audio experience blending Indian classical music, jazz, and electronic soundscapes, co-presented with TD Music Hall 
  • Dusk Soundscapes by Maria Chávez, a live DJ set co-presented with the Art Gallery of Ontario

Conversation Series


2025 Luminato Conversation Series and community events include: 

  • Beach Clean Up, hosted by Swim Drink Fish and artist Merle Harley, combines environmental action with creative expression. 
  • For the 2nd year, The Wedge Lecture, co-presented by Wedge Curatorial Projects and part of Luminato’s Conversation Series, explores Black Diasporic narratives, identity and issues around representation. 
  • Last Words: Talking in Cemeteries with Canadian Christa Couture & Guests is an intimate exploration of life, death, and legacy in a historic cemetery in Toronto, part of the Conversation Series. 
  • You’re All in the Band, presented by Community Music Schools Toronto in association with Luminato Festival, is an immersive musical journey with hundreds of students celebrating joy and inclusion. 

Luminato 2025 will also feature the following experiences presented by a number of partners: 

  • Sleep Temple, presented by Jumblies Theatre in association with Luminato Festival. 
  • The 52 Live: Stories of Women Who Transformed Toronto presented by Museum of Toronto in association with Luminato Festival 
  • Gimeno Conducts The Best of Brahms by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in association with Luminato Festival. 
  • To Dream of Other Places by Emmanuel Osahor, presented by The Power Plant Gallery. 
  • Runway Rivers Public Art Installation by John Notten, programmed and presented by YZD. 
  • Luminato’s Industry Series returns for its 8th year, offering opportunities for Canadian artists to learn, share their work and network with global peers. In LuminaCity, the Festival podcast, our team of accessibility leads enhance the festival experience in surprising ways with unique artist interviews, behind the scenes content, and description-rich, on location reporting.     

Under the leadership of Celia Smith and Olivia Ansell, Luminato’s transformative vision solidifies its role as a global cultural leader. By redefining how people experience Toronto – both those who live and visit here – the festival positions the city as a premier destination for art, culture, and community. Through Luminato’s unwavering commitment to creative transformation and a 2025 festival which highlights environmental sustainability, mental wellbeing, and the wide-ranging experiences inhabiting a 24-hour cycle, the festival contributes to a thriving, connected and inspired city. This June, Luminato again invites the world to explore Toronto’s streets, stages, and stories like never before. For full event details, including dates and times, please visit luminatofestival.com

About Luminato Festival 
Luminato Festival transforms the people, places, and possibilities of Toronto with extraordinary art experiences. Every June we present bold, playful, and of the moment art for all to enjoy. Distinctly Toronto, proudly Canadian and totally Global, we welcome the world to explore our streets, stages and stories. Encounter the city like never before. 

Festival Ticketing & Access 

Tickets for most Luminato events are available as of April 2 on luminatofestival.com. Take advantage of our 20% early bird discount while quantities last and bundle savings. For some free events, advanced registration may be required. Visit luminatofestival.com today for full details and to secure your spot. Luminato aims to create inclusive experiences where everyone feels welcome to participate. Please contact our Access Concierge for assistance: email: access@luminato.com and phone: 437-776-1569 

Natalie Merchant to Tour US Northeast with Erik Della Penna in November

Eric Alper
-
0
Natalie Merchant to Tour US Northeast with Erik Della Penna in November

Natalie Merchant has announced a special acoustic three-week tour of sixteen shows in November. She is joined by her guitarist of twenty-five years, Erik Della Penna—co-writer of the seven-time Tony-nominated musical Dead Outlaw—to share intimate evenings at venues throughout the US Northeast. The tour begins at Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, on November 4, with stops in Tarrytown, Provincetown, Stowe, Portsmouth, Hudson, Philadelphia, and more, culminating at the New York Society for Ethical Culture’s Adler Hall in New York City on November 24. Tickets go on sale this Friday, June 6, at 10am local time. See below for details and visit nonesuch.com/on-tour.

Over her forty-year career, Natalie Merchant has earned recognition among America’s most respected recording artists, drawing audiences with her captivating performances and intentional songwriting. “Natalie Merchant is a rare breed,” says the Daily Telegraph. “An artist who has never compromised, but instead evolved with integrity, thought, and meaning.” Her music blends folk, rock, and world music influences, and she continues to be regarded as a pioneering figure in alternative music. Her latest record, Keep Your Courage, released on Nonesuch Records in 2023, dives into love and human connection in its many forms, with Mojo calling it “her most beautiful [material] in decades.” 

Merchant has also distinguished herself as a social justice and environmental activist through her work with a wide variety of non-profit organizations, and by creating documentary films and large-scale community arts projects. The National Head Start Association recently made Merchant its national artist-in-residence.

ON TOUR

Nov 1Mahaiwe Performing Arts CenterGreat Barrington, MA
Nov 2Tarrytown Music HallTarrytown, NY
Nov 4Johnson Hall Opera HouseGardiner, ME
Nov 6Payomet at Provincetown Town HallProvincetown, MA
Nov 8Edmond Town HallNewtown, CT
Nov 11Music HallPortsmouth, NH
Nov 12Spruce Peak Performing Arts CenterStowe, VT
Nov 14Lebanon Opera HouseLebanon, NH
Nov 15Hudson HallHudson, NY
Nov 17Perelman Theater, Kimmel CenterPhiladelphia, PA
Nov 18Perelman Theater, Kimmel CenterPhiladelphia, PA
Nov 20The Barns at Wolf TrapVienna, VA
Nov 21The Avalon TheatreEaston, MD
Nov 23Maryland Hall for Creative ArtsAnnapolis, MD
Nov 24New York Society for Ethical CultureNew York, NY

Natalie Merchant Partners With Head Start to Bring Arts and Music to Early Learners Nationwide

Eric Alper
-
0
Natalie Merchant Partners With Head Start to Bring Arts and Music to Early Learners Nationwide

The National Head Start Association has announced a new partnership with acclaimed singer-songwriter and activist Natalie Merchant. This collaboration will highlight the vital role of early childhood learning and expand arts access for the nearly 800,000 children and families served by Head Start programs nationwide.

Through this partnership, Merchant will support NHSA’s mission by gifting them with a curriculum called Cabinet of Wonder in honor of the organization’s 60th anniversary. Cabinet of Wonder is a multimedia collaboration between Merchant, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Chicago Children’s Theatre. The project features 17 original songs, written and performed by Merchant with members of the CSO. Through a series of music videos, Merchant’s adaptations of traditional Mother Goose rhymes are acted out by a delightful cast of child actors with stunning costumes, sets, and shadow puppetry by Manuel Cinema. These resources, combined with teaching guides, will help Head Start educators instruct children in Head Start classrooms throughout the nation. All of the content will be freely available.

Merchant first became involved with Head Start eight years ago while volunteering at the Head Start in Troy, NY, as its artist-in-residence for three years. During that time, she taught music and poetry to several hundred preschool-age children while writing the music, and designing, and sewing the costumes used in Cabinet of Wonder. 

“For decades, Natalie Merchant has used her platform to uplift social causes and connect people through music,” said Yasmina Vinci, executive director of the National Head Start Association. “This experience reflects her dedication to integrating the arts into early learning environments. We are honored to join forces with her to amplify the voices of children, families, and educators who are the heart of Head Start.”

Merchant’s involvement will include special appearances and performances, and collaborative projects with Head Start programs across the country. In addition, she will contribute to NHSA’s public awareness campaign, Voices of Head Start, by sharing stories that showcase the power of early childhood education.

“I’ve always believed that music and the arts are essential to human development, especially in the earliest years,” said Natalie Merchant. “Head Start provides children with the foundation they need to thrive — not just academically, but emotionally and creatively. I’m thrilled to partner with the National Head Start Association to support this essential work.”

This new collaboration aligns with NHSA’s ongoing efforts to elevate the importance of early learning and ensure that every child has the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their circumstances.

Kathleen Edwards Announces New Album ‘Billionaire’ and Tour With Jason Isbell and Shelby Lynne

Eric Alper
-
0
Kathleen Edwards Announces New Album ‘Billionaire’ and Tour With Jason Isbell and Shelby Lynne

Acclaimed singer, songwriter, and performer Kathleen Edwards returns with her highly anticipated new album, Billionaire, out August 22 on Dualtone Records (pre-order). Evoking her debut Failer, the new 10-song album is full of Edwards’ trademark lyrical sharpness and unflinching observations, and was produced by Jason Isbell and Gena Johnson. In advance of the release, two new songs—“Save Your Soul” and “Say Goodbye, Tell No One”—are out today.

Of the album, Edwards shares, “I decided to call the record Billionaire because the word is used in such a caustic way these days. But we should all want to be billionaires in life—to be rich in experience, friendship, purpose, and the pursuit of the things that bring us joy.”

In celebration of the album, Edwards will embark on a series of performances this summer and fall, including newly confirmed dates at New York’s Bowery Ballroom on September 16 and a return to XPoNential Music Festival on September 20, among many others. See below for complete tour details.

In addition to Edwards (vocals, acoustic guitar), Isbell (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, keys, synth, background vocals), and Johnson (engineer, piano, background vocals), the album includes Anna Butterss (bass), Annie Clements (bass), Chad Gamble (drums and percussion), Jen Gunderman (piano, celeste, Hammond B3 organ, Wurlitzer), and Shelby Lynne and Allison Moorer (background vocals).

Of working with Edwards, Johnson shares, “Kathleen is as funny as she is deep. She loves to rock, have fun, and nerd out on guitar tones, which both Jason and I love to do as well. It was important to us to make sure we were featuring all the sides of her in the production of this album from tracking to final mix. She totally thrived on the energy of the full band when we were in the studio and was also open to an idea I had for the song ‘Little Pink Door.’ That song ended up being a live one-take performance of Kathleen singing while playing acoustic guitar, accompanied by Jason on electric guitar and Jen Gunderman on piano. Both Jason and Jen were right there with her every single breath, only playing when it felt right. I remember when the take finished, Jason said he wouldn’t change a thing about it, and I couldn’t have agreed more. It’s in those moments when you know that something truly special is being made. I am so looking forward to attending a live show and experiencing both the energy and intimacy these songs and stories will bring to the audience.”

Celebrated as one of the forebears of modern alt-country and Americana music, Edwards is beloved by fans and fellow musicians and praised by The New York Times for her “droll, observant, and unsparing tone that is all her own. In her best lines, Edwards has the conversational vernacular and emotional eloquence of a great short-story writer.”

Since debuting in 2003, Edwards has released five albums, including 2020’s Total Freedom—her first after stepping away from music for almost a decade. Released to overwhelming acclaim with pieces in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and more, Pitchfork called it “a creative breakthrough, written solely for the thrill of discovery,” while Rolling Stone declared it “devastatingly great.” Most recently, Edwards released a covers EP featuring special guests Isbell, Bahamas, and Daniel Tashian, and including renditions of Isbell’s “Traveling Alone,” Bruce Springsteen’s “Human Touch,” The Flaming Lips’ “Feeling Yourself Disintegrate,” Tom Petty’s “Crawling Back To You,” and more. She has been nominated for multiple JUNO and Americana Awards and, in 2012, was awarded the SOCAN Songwriting Prize.

BILLIONAIRE – TRACK LIST

    Save Your Soul

    Say Goodbye, Tell No One

    Little Red Ranger

    When the Truth Comes Out

    Billionaire

    Need A Ride

    Little Pink Door

    FLA

    Other People’s Bands

    Pine

KATHLEEN EDWARDS – TOUR DATES
BOLD = on sale Friday, June 6 at 10:00am local time

June 13 — Ann Arbor, MI — The Ark
June 14 — Evanston, IL — SPACE
June 15 — Indianapolis, IN — Turntable
June 17 — Louisville, KY — Headliners
June 18 — Nashville, TN — 3rd & Lindsley
June 20 — Mount Solon, VA — Red Wing Roots Music Festival
June 21 — Greenfield, MA — Green River Festival
June 22 — Woodstock, NY — Bearsville Theater
August 21-23 — Hubbards, NS — The Sundown Salut
August 28 — Burlington, ON — Royal Botanical Gardens
September 14 — Albany, NY — Lark Hall
September 16 — New York, NY — Bowery Ballroom
September 17 — Red Bank, NJ — The Vogel @ Count Basie Center for the Arts
September 19 — Fairfield, CT — The Warehouse
September 20 — Camden, NJ — XPoNential Music Festival
September 21 — Alexandria, VA — Birchmere

Keith Jarrett Celebrates 80th Birthday With Stunning Solo Release ‘New Vienna’

Eric Alper
-
0
Keith Jarrett Celebrates 80th Birthday With Stunning Solo Release ‘New Vienna’

New Vienna is the fourth concert recording to be released from Keith Jarrett’s final European solo tour. It follows Munich 2016, Budapest Concert and Bordeaux Concert. Why New Vienna? As Jarrett aficionados will know, his discography already includes a legendary Vienna Concert (recorded at the Vienna State Opera) whose music, he once claimed, spoke “the language of the flame itself,” after long years of “courting the fire.” Keith Jarrett’s 2016 return to the Austrian capital brought the flames of inspiration to another historic location with lively acoustic properties, the Golden Hall of the Musikverein, where, at the start of the previous century, Schoenberg, Berg and Webern had premiered works that challenged and changed the course of modern music.

New Vienna, shaping its new music in the moment, is near-encyclopedic in scope. The long forms that typified Jarrett’s early solo concert journeys – from Bremen/Lausanne and Köln to the first Vienna Concert and beyond – had given way, in this concluding phase of his performing life, to shows comprised of shorter, self-contained and contrasting pieces which, in their totality, frequently attained an impromptu suite-like character. And so it was at the Musikverein on July 9, 2016. Part I – the first of nine parts – is a spontaneous whirlwind of sound, swirling, dense and complex – Impetuous as force of nature. Part II floats chords in silence, and slowly draws out a plangent melody. Rhythm is to the fore in Part III, an outstanding instance of Jarrett’s capacity to develop separate and interweaving patterns with each hand.

Part IV is hymnic, trailing clouds of glory, Part V pure balladry channelled from the ether. Part VI refracts the lyrical impulse, rendering it more abstract, and Part VII is a tender song one might imagine rescored for the Belonging quartet. Part VIII gets down to basics with the blues, and Part IX, with its hints of both gospel and country, reminds us of how all-embracing Jarrett’s musical visions could be. With “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,” a favorite encore choice, phrased a little differently from the splendid versions heard on La Scala, a Multitude of Angels and Munich 2016, Jarrett concludes another exceptional performance.

New Vienna is issued as Keith Jarrett turns 80. Although he has not played live since 2017, public interest in his solo music remains high, with this year’s 50th anniversary of The Köln Concert also generating worldwide media attention.

Jarrett’s association with ECM dates from November 1971, when he and producer Manfred Eicher first collaborated on the hugely influential solo piano album Facing You, eight short pieces which, in Eicher’s words, “hold together like a suite.” The album also prefigured the solo piano concerts which would be such a defining aspect of Jarrett’s career.

In 2016, Keith Jarrett’s final European solo piano tour took place. To date, four concert recordings have been released from the tour: Munich 2016, Budapest Concert, Bordeaux Concert and most recently, New Vienna. Each of them shows Jarrett at the peak of his powers, creating new music in real time, continuing to develop the solo piano idiom that he had initiated in the early 1970s.

In 2018, health issues brought Jarrett’s performing life to a premature end. In consultation with him, ECM has continued to release some very remarkable albums by the great pianist, drawing on a treasure trove of recordings made over the decades, and spanning a wide range of genres.

These have included more music from the Deer Head Inn, the intimate venue in the Pocono Mountains which, back in 1961, had given Keith Jarrett his very first gig as leader of a piano trio. The Old Country features Jarrett with Gary Peacock and Paul Motian, conveying– in a 1992 show – “what jazz is all about”, in Keith’s words. In 2025, the inspired Deer Head performance was reprised on the vinyl box set At The Deer Head Inn – The Complete Recordings.

In 2025, the 50th anniversary of The Köln Concert generated a new wave of worldwide media attention on Jarrett’s unique achievements. And, as he turns 80, the release of New Vienna reconfirms that there is, still, nothing else in jazz or contemporary music that resembles a Keith Jarrett solo concert. As the committee citation for the Polar Music Prize (one of Jarrett’s many awards) noted, “Through a series of brilliant solo performances and recordings that demonstrate his utterly spontaneous creativity, Keith Jarrett has simultaneously lifted piano improvisation as an art form to new, unimaginable heights.”

Dropkick Murphys Roar Back With Protest Album ‘For The People’ and Summer Tour Plans

Eric Alper
-
0
Dropkick Murphys Roar Back With Protest Album ‘For The People’ and Summer Tour Plans

Dropkick Murphys’ new album For The People shows courage and confidence, speaking up against the injustices happening in the United States, doing so with the strength and power that harkens back to Dropkick Murphys’ earliest punk rock roots. For The People is more than a title. It’s a heartfelt stance, a declaration of who this band is—and who they’ve always been.

For The People will be released digitally on July 4 via the band’s Dummy Luck Music / Play It Again Sam, with the LP and CD release featuring 5 bonus tracks out October 10. The poignant album cover was created by renowned social/political artist Shepard Fairey’s design firm Studio Number One, and the album was produced and mixed by longtime Dropkick Murphys collaborator Ted Hutt.

For The People rises to its moment: an expression of humanity at a time of relentless dehumanization, a promise of hope in an era fueled by fear-mongering, a declaration of solidarity in an age of disunion, a defiant rebuttal to the charlatans and demagogues who seek to divide us for their own power and profit.

“Who’ll Stand With Us?,” the album’s first single, is a call for unity, a return to sanity, and a look at what – and who – is really dividing us. It gets straight to the point: When the billionaires and broligarchs get done neutering society, what’s left for the rest of us? The song aims to frame class warfare for what it is. And, like all Dropkick Murphys songs, it empowers listeners to take action.

The powerful video for “Who’ll Stand With Us?” was directed by Jon Vulpine and depicts the disturbing reality of people disappearing in the United States. MeidasTouch Network, the U.S.-based pro-democracy news podcast (and the #1 podcast in the U.S. and Canada), took note, will be posting the video, and has shown ongoing support for the band’s efforts to stand up against injustice.

In line with the album’s theme and band’s ethos, Casey recently participated in a humanitarian aid convoy in Ukraine, highlighting the band’s commitment to supporting the war-torn country. In recent years, Dropkick Murphys have raised money for Ukrainian aid efforts through the sale of limited-edition t-shirts, and Casey felt it was important to see things firsthand and to show moral support for the people of Ukraine.

As part of their longtime support of veterans and workers’ rights, Dropkick Murphys will launch their summer touring with a historic performance on the National Mall in Washington, DC as part of the Unite for Veterans, Unite for America rally on June 6 (the anniversary of D-Day).

Building on the band’s longtime relationship with the Boston Red Sox, on July 11, fans can enjoy a night of fun during Dropkick Murphys night at Fenway Park which will feature a limited edition Dropkick Murphys’ “I’m Shipping Up To Boston” bobblehead for those who purchase tickets here: https://www.redsox.com/dropkick. A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit Dropkick Murphys’ official charity, The Claddagh Fund, which has raised over $20 million to support non-profit organizations that are focused on children, veterans and addiction recovery.

Later in the summer, iconic punk rock bands Dropkick Murphys and Bad Religion will continue to share their message of fighting for what’s right during the co-headlining U.S. Summer Of Discontent Tour from July 22 through August 17. Visit https://dropkickmurphys.com/tour/ for current Dropkick Murphys’ tour dates, including the Summer Of Discontent Tour, North American festivals (Punk In The Park Denver, Warped Tour Long Beach, Seisiún, CityFolk, Riot Fest and Furnace Fest), as well a fall European headlining tour.

Whether it’s politics, family, friends or simply “life,” Dropkick Murphys continue to write music that regular people can identify with. On For The People–the band’s 13th studio album–the stories run deep, the memories push hard, and the joy remains infectious. Across the album’s 12 songs, Dropkick Murphys—Ken Casey (vocals), Tim Brennan (guitars, tin whistle, accordion, piano, vocals), Jeff DaRosa (guitars, banjo, mandolin, vocals), Matt Kelly (drums, percussion, vocals), James Lynch (guitars, vocals), Kevin Rheault (bass) and Campbell Webster (bagpipes and Uilleann pipes)—imbue the same kind of joy one might celebrate with family and friends. And even when the moods are sad and pensive, it’s hard not to feel personally invested in the band’s emotional spectrum.

“We’ve always had the same message and haven’t been afraid to speak out about what’s important to us. But for me now, I think about my kids’ future, and the next generation,” says Casey. That could be anything from speaking out against injustices, or just simply making sure you take the time to tell the people close to you how important they are to you.”

You won’t find a declarative call to arms as majestic as the opening salvo of “Who’ll Stand With Us?,” and you’ll stand at rapt attention when Casey pays tribute to the grandfather who raised him on the noble “Chesterfields And Aftershave.” “The Big Man” is a revved-up ode to one of contemporary punk’s biggest characters, Pennywise guitarist Fletcher Dragge, while “Streetlights” is a reflection on Casey’s father’s passing when Ken was only 8 years old, and the fractures it left him with (“No church, no bar and no museum/will ever make this right”). “I never thought that I would write a song about the day my Dad died,” admits the frontman, “but sometimes, like a lot of our songs, suddenly the right words or the right way to say it will pop into my head. And it’s like, ‘OK, well, now it’s time to tell that story.’”

For The People is further strengthened with the participation of some stellar musicians who just happen to be some of the band’s favorite people. England’s national treasure Billy Bragg lends his voice on DKM’s cover of Ewan MacColl’s “School Days Over” – coincidentally, a favorite of Bragg’s. “Billy’s become a great friend,” says Casey. “It’s inspiring how he’s carried on the protest singer legacy. He really walks the walk.”

Dublin’s Irish folk-metal quartet The Scratch–who are close friends after spending the better part of three years opening for Dropkick Murphys on tour–bring their Celtic howlings to the bridge of “Longshot” and sing in their native tongue as Dropkicks dip into the traditional “Mo Ghile Mear” on the bridge of “One Last Goodbye ‘Tribute To Shane’ (feat. The Scratch).” Traditional Irish folk squad The Mary Wallopers are currently blowing up across Ireland and the UK, but made time to duck into a recording studio while on tour to put the boot into “Bury The Bones,” adding the symbiotic voices of protest from Ireland.

In the eyes of many of the DKM faithful, the biggest of all these guest friends is longtime bandmate Al Barr. The band were overjoyed to have Al pay a visit to the studio to urgently growl down some lines alongside his bandmates on “The Vultures Circle High.” “Al is still taking time off for family,” says Casey, “but he’s still part of our family, so we thought it would be nice to have his voice on this record.”

The album closes with the previously mentioned “One Last Goodbye,” a poignant tribute to The Pogues’ Shane MacGowan. With its powerful refrain (“In a million empty bottles we cried/down goes the hero/one last goodbye”) and shout-outs to Shane’s cohorts in the afterlife, it’s a glorious tribute that mines the joy out of the solemnity of death. More importantly, it’s a tacit acknowledgment of how MacGowan firmly put the Dropkicks on the road that has taken them all over the world. Oh, and that line “‘Piss off, you wanker,’ you signed on my soul”? That’s how MacGowan autographed Casey’s copy of the “Dark Streets Of London” single upon meeting him for the first time in 1998.

“Bury the Bones” and “Fiending For The Lies” further address the USA’s dysfunctional climate and the social media disinformation that fuels much of the division.

“Many of these songs are about the issues that do harm to regular people,” stresses Casey. For The People is about…life. “But life can be cruel, and I don’t want to side with the people that vote for cruelty, that vote against free school lunches for kids, and vote against workers’ rights, and enable corporate greed in the growing wealth divide. So if the point is to have a heart and help people, where do those characteristics exist with those that side with the billionaires and the corporations over the worker and the child?”

You see, Dropkick Murphys can start a pit faster than a sparkler tossed into a gas can catches fire. They can pen an obnoxious tribute to one of their best friends, and can stir up emotions that make you reflect on how far you’ve come and who came with you for the journey. Or write a protest anthem that could easily fit on a soundtrack for the next revolution. When it seems like the world is obsessed with flexing its cruelty now more than ever, Dropkick Murphys are ready with the counter offensive.

The song listing for For The People is as follows:

Who’ll Stand With Us?

Longshot (feat. The Scratch)

The Big Man

Chesterfields And Aftershave

Bury The Bones (feat. The Mary Wallopers)

Kids Games

Sooner Kill ‘Em First

Fiending For The Lies

Streetlights

School Days Over (feat. Billy Bragg)

The Vultures Circle High (feat. Al Barr)

One Last Goodbye “Tribute To Shane” (feat. The Scratch)

1...616617618...3,018Page 617 of 3,018

Follow us on Instagram @thatericalper

That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

Popular posts

Popular category

© Copyright - That Eric Alper