Category: Entertainment News

Levitt Pavilion in Los Angeles announces free outdoor concert series

Levitt Pavilion announces concert schedule for 2021 summer concert series in MacArthur Park. Photo: google

After a spring filled with local pop-up concerts, Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles (Levitt LA) is thrilled to celebrate the return of live music by gathering this summer in MacArthur Park for a booming season of free concerts beginning July 30. The in-person concert series will be followed by the online premier of Barrio Fino, a 5 part docu-series diving into the vibrant and distinct communities in and around MacArthur Park, Levitt LA’s home of 14 years. (Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles, 2021)

Levitt LA’s in person concerts will once again transform MacArthur Park into a sonically charged urban oasis presenting free, live music under the stars with established and emerging artists. The electrifying 2021 lineup features international greats as well as LA’s own superstar talents who perform a wide variety of genres including cumbia, rock, soul, ska, mariachi, electronic dance music, folkloric music from Mexico and Central America, Tejano, reggae, and many more. Levitt LA’s high-caliber free music programming offers all Angelenos access to the arts, welcoming people of all ages and backgrounds in a bilingual (English/Spanish) setting. Levitt LA is also pleased to announce the concerts will be live-streamed online, expanding the accessibility of free high quality music programs for all.

Barrio Fino is a five-episode docu-series premiering on Levitt LA’s YouTube channel beginning August 30, 2021. Developed during the pandemic as a collective love letter to the near-and-dear communities surrounding MacArthur Park, each 60-minute episode dives into the music and cultural diversity of Westlake, Koreatown, Historic Filipinotown, the North American Indigenous populations of Los Angeles, and the legacy of Youth & Hip-Hop in the park. Live-streamed and screened at sundown from the rooftop of Walter J. Towers, Barrio Fino features popular live musical performances and creative video segments highlighting the food, fashion, art, and history of these communities with dynamic interviews by community leaders, culture bearers, and artists. Levitt LA co-curated each episode with longstanding collaborators United American Indian Involvement Inc., Asian American eXchange Media, FilAm Arts, Carmelo Alvarez, and Sunset Ecléctico. Full episode details, artists and musical act line up announcements to follow.

In Person 2021 Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles schedule is as follows:
(July 30) La Banda Elastica Presents – Flor Amargo & DJ set by La Banda Elastica
(July 31) Office of Councilmember Gil Cedillo Presents – Selenamos
(August 1) Little Ethiopia Cultural & Resource Center Presents – Ras Michael and The Sons & Daughters of Negus, King Malik, and Guade
(August 6) Evoekore Media Presents – The Paranoias + Friends
(August 7) IMG Records Presents – Mariah Avila & Angel City Soul Band with DJ set by Ruben Molina
(August 8) Mundo Mayan Foundation Presents – 4th Annual Mundo Maya Day featuring Lucas Critchfield, La Flor de Yucatan, Freddy Ucan & Juli Dzul, California Mesoamerican Ballgame, Kalpulli Teotlalli Tepeyollotl, Hermano Jose Ajpu Munoz, Tata Guillermo Hernandez, Abuela Sara Z Mijares & a Mayan Fire Ceremony
(August 13) Lethal Amounts Presents – DJ set by Lethal Amounts
(August 14) Subsuelo & Late Night Laggers Present – Son Rompe Pera with Djs Subsuelo & Late Night Laggers
(August 15) Organización Regional de Oaxaca Presents – Banda Filarmónica Herencia Zoochileña, Grupo Folklorico Huaxyacac, Grupo Folklorico Princesa Donaji, Ballet Folklorico Nueva Antequera
(August 20) Globalista Presents – With Love from LA – Rashaan Ahmad & Mark de Clive-Lowe
(August 21) Goethe Institute, La Junta, & Pacifica Music Group Present – Isaac Torres y Su Alianza, Maxi Pontigratz – DJ set by La Junta
(August 22) Mi Linda Nicaragua Presents – Gustavo Bucardo

The 2021 Levitt LA concerts are presented free of charge, and an RSVP is recommended for event updates. Audience members are welcome to bring their own picnics, blankets, and lawn chairs. All concerts will be live streamed on Levitt LA’s YouTube Channel. As public health measures from the County of Los Angeles are rapidly changing, information on social distancing and/or mask requirements will be clarified closer to the beginning of the series. Two parking lots located less than two blocks away from the venue stay open late every night during the concert season. The MacArthur Park venue is also fully accessible by Metro rail and bus lines. To RSVP and for the full 2021 series lineup, live stream instructions, and safety guidelines, please visit Levitt Pavilion online. 

In person concerts begin at 7p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 4p.m. Sundays. Concerts will also be live streamed on Levitt LA’s YouTube Channel. Episodes of the docu-series Barrio Fino begin at 7p.m. on Levitt LA’s YouTube Channel.

Marking its 14th season in 2021, Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles makes live music accessible to all, creating stronger and more connected communities while celebrating the diversity of our city and beyond. Every summer, a full season of concerts is presented at the Levitt Pavilion, featuring acclaimed, emerging talent to seasoned, award-winning performers in a broad range of music genres. Since 2007, over 500,000 people have gathered in MacArthur Park to enjoy the free concerts, cultural celebrations, and multigenerational atmosphere offered at the Levitt Pavilion.

 

Mexican singer-songwriter Gloria España breaks down gender barriers

Mexican singer-songwriter Gloria España. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Mexican singer-songwriter Gloria España continues to break down gender barriers in the United States and showing that her music is for everyone, especially women. España was in the middle of recording her first single “Boca de Agua” when the pandemic struck, causing her to stop production of her long awaited album. In recent years, España’s work as a composer has resulted in multiple hit songs, some performed by Cristian Castro, Larry Hernández, Regulo Caro, Juan Rivera, and Adan Chalino Sánchez. Her song writing has received multiple awards and nominations including Latin Grammy, BMI, Billboard and RIAA certifications. (Gloria España, 2021)

“For me to sing and compose, to be able to express with music and voice the feelings of the soul is a great blessing. When your work is your passion, the feeling is exhilarating.” – Gloria España

Today women are advancing in different fields, and the progress in the music industry is significant, as evidenced by Gloria España’s career as a composer. Her contribution in a predominately male industry is to tell a story from a woman’s point of view. Such is the case in “Boca de Agua,” a song that will be part of her much anticipated album which will contain songs mostly told from the female perspective. The singer-songwriter has also composed many successful songs for male singers proving her songwriting ability knows no limits.

Her work as a composer is significant in the world and in the United States since many of the greatest hits at the moment in Spanish and English have been written by women. The feminine point of view through composition is basic and important. España comments “there are many women composers who are still at home, there are those who are beginning to emerge and it is necessary that they arise, so the music industry at the composition level would be of more colorful with many varied voices.”

España recognizes that people have a deep personal connection to her songs. “The best that a composer can do is to connect with people through their songs. People identify themselves with music, and through the song they can express what they feel. Music is a connection to the soul, it is a way of freely expressing what we feel,” she states. She currently produces new songs for other artists and for her own production as a singer-songwriter that she hopes to release soon.

Originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, the singer-songwriter realized her inclination for music at an early age. She began to play piano at the age of 15 and later the guitar. In 1990 she obtained the National Music Composition scholarship, a very exclusive scholarship since it is only given to 60 composition talents in the country. This support is granted by Televisa and is a two-year workshop led by the prestigious author Amparo Rubín. At the same time, she entered the National School of Music of Mexico City where she studied harmony, composition, and rhythm. She was a semi-finalist at the national festival “Valores Bacardí” in Mexico City and later a member of the participating cast of the OTI International Song Festival in which she participated as a singer-songwriter, where she was selected from among thousands of participants as part of the 40 finalists.

She is co-author of “La Primera Vez,” which is included in the album of the renowned and successful telenovela of the 90s, “El Abuelo y Yo.” Her song “El Culpable Soy Yo,” performed by Cristian Castro was the main theme of the telenovela “Vidas Cruzadas” starring Kate del Castillo and Guy Ecker, a telenovela that marked the beginning of telenovelas on the Internet. She studied vocal technique with teacher and producer Pedro Gerardo Bader, who later became her husband. In addition to being a composer and producer, Pedro Bader is one of the most internationally recognized teachers in the area of professional vocal technique.

 

Tickets for ‘My Fair Lady’ at the Majestic Theatre go on sale Friday

Leslie Alexander as Mrs. Higgins, Shereen Ahmed as Eliza Doolittle and Kevin Pariseau as Colonel Pickering in The Lincoln Center Theater Production of Lerner & Loewe’s ‘My Fair Lady.’ Photo: Joan Marcus, used with permission.

North Park Lexus Broadway in San Antonio is pleased to announce that the North American tour of Lincoln Center Theater’s critically acclaimed production of Lerner & Loewe’s ‘My Fair Lady’ relaunches the Majestic Theatre 2021-2022 Broadway in San Antonio season. Directed by Bartlett Sher, the North American tour will play eight performances September 21-26 at the Majestic Theatre. Tickets start at $45 and are available online, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 982.ARTS (2787), or by visiting the Majestic Box Office. The Majestic Box Office does not accept single ticket orders over the phone; all ticket sales must be made in person. Majestic Box Office hours are noon to 5p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10a.m. to 5p.m. Friday. Weekend hours vary, call (210) 226.3333 to verify. Orders for groups of 10 or more may be placed by calling (210) 226-5967. (North Park Lexus Broadway in San Antonio, 2021)

Tickets go on sale this Friday July 9 at 10a.m. Performance times are 7:30p.m., Tuesday through Thursday; 8p.m. on Friday; 2p.m. and 8p.m., Saturday and at 2p.m. and 7:30p.m. on Sunday. Welcoming audiences, artists, staff, cast, and crew back to the Majestic Theatre at full capacity safely and responsibly remains Broadway in San Antonio’s top priority. Masks will be required while in the theatre for this performance. Health and safety protocols are subject to change and will be clearly communicated to ticket holders in advance of each performance. Current protocols are available online. 

Lincoln Center Theater’s production of Lerner & Loewe’s ‘My Fair Lady’ is the winner of 5 Outer Critics Circle Awards including Best Revival of Musical and was nominated for 10 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival, 5 Drama Desk Awards including Best Musical Revival and 3 Drama League Awards including Best Musical Revival. The production, which premiered in the spring of 2018, ended its long run at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater on July 7, 2019 after playing 548 performances.

Adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s play and Gabriel Pascal’s motion picture Pygmalion, ‘My Fair Lady,’ with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe, premiered on Broadway on March 15, 1956. The legendary original production won 6 Tony Awards including Best Musical and ran for 2,717 performances making it, at the time, the longest-running musical in Broadway history. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons from professor Henry Higgins so that she may pass as a lady.

Boasting a score that contains such now-classic songs as “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “Get Me to the Church on Time,” “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly,” “On the Street Where You Live,” “The Rain in Spain,” and “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face,” Lincoln Center Theater’s production of ‘My Fair Lady’ was hailed by The New York Times as “Thrilling, glorious and better than it ever was. A marvelous and transformative revival.” New York Magazine described it as ‘Enthralling,” adding that “Bartlett Sher’s glowing revival proves that a beloved musical from another era can keep on kicking.” Entertainment Weekly raved “A sumptuous new revival of the most perfect musical of all time. A masterful piece of entertainment.”

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Opening night of ‘My Fair Lady’

Park City Song Summit announces initial lineup of artists and programming

Park City Song Summit will take place September 8-12, 2021 in Park City, Utah. Photo: google

The Park City Song Summit is an antidote to the large-scale, impersonal, singing to the masses music festival. Instead of bands playing at audiences, the Song Summit seeks to create an environment where artist and audience not only connect, play, and listen, but engage in conversations around the journey of creating songs and thriving in the modern music industry. The five day live event will take place September 8-12 in Park City, Utah and is designed to redefine the live music experience. The Song Summit is pleased to announce its first round of artists and introduce its programming outline for 2021’s inaugural event. Single day, full festival, and VIP passes are available for purchase. (Park City Song Summit, 2021)

Taking place in 15 venues across the city, in rooms sized from 75 to 1300 people and also at Deer Valley’s Snow Park Amphitheater, artists including Gary Clark Jr., Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Leslie Jordan, Iron & Wine, Tank and the Bangas, Natalie Hemby, and more, will perform in a variety of ways—from stripped down acoustic sets on a barstool to plugged-in, full band shows. Performers will also engage with attendees and fellow artists in conversations—Song Summit Labs—around everything from profound relationships with an instrument; to the symbiotic power of other art forms; to how to create iconic and dynamic visual identities.

Over the course of five days in September, the Song Summit combines performances—from intimate to amphitheater—with a behind-the-scenes Unplugged meets MasterClass-style of information exchange fueled by Lab interviews and conversations.

Inspired by the pioneering, independent-minded Sundance Film Festival and channeling the curiosity of an early SXSW, the Song Summit seeks to create a retreat for artists where they play their songs and create conversations with audiences around both proven and inspired practices for bolstering creativity and success in both music and beyond. In the process, the Song Summit will also focus on opening conversations around mental and physical health and examining the struggles and breakthroughs artists face on their creative journey.

The Song Summit is the brainchild of Ben Anderson, Park City resident and lifetime musician/founding member of Aiko. He started Park City Song Summit to celebrate his passion for music and personal mission to bring clarity and normalcy to the struggles musicians and artists face around mental health and dependency. “Park City is a true music city with an independent spirit and legacy of craft and storytelling,” says Anderson. “This collection of artists is going to rock our mountain town and connect with audiences in a new and deeply engaging way.”

Park City has world-class performance venues that include nightclubs, halls, dives, auditoriums, and outdoor spaces—all of which will be utilized to create a variety of settings and environments for music exploration. In addition, Park City offers world-class restaurants and accommodations to satisfy a wide range of tastes for both artists and audiences alike.

Musical performance and Lab conversations with: Adia Victoria, Amanda Shires, Andrew Bird & Jimbo Mathus, Cedric Burnside, Celisse, Devon Gilfillian, Fred Armisen, Iron & Wine, John Craigie, John Doe, Jonathan Russell of The Head And The Heart, Jonathan Wilson, Josh Ritter, Joy Oladokun, Langhorne Slim, Leslie Jordan, Lori McKenna, Lucius, Morgan Kibby, Natalie Hemby, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Tank and the Bangas, Tré Burt.

Musical performances: Anders Osborne, Bonny Light Horseman, Brad Walker, Chad Cromwell, Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musslewhite, Daniel Donato, Father John Misty, Fruit Bats, Gary Clark Jr., Ivan Neville, Kamasi Washington, Keller Williams’ Grateful Gospel, Mavis Staples, Mike Dillon, Rising Appalachia, Ryan Bingham.

Lab conversations: Alison Mosshart, Andy Cruz, Dave of Dopey Podcast, Dean Gonzalez & James A Rota, Jay Blakesberg, Jay Sweet, Joe Pug, Mark Borden, Rich Roll, Rob Bleetstein, Shaun White.

Songwriters in-the-round: Waylon Payne, Hailey Steele, Earl Bud Lee, Kylie Sackley, Rick Brantley, Garrison Starr, Matt Warren, Tim James, Kent Blazy, Dave Pahanish, Julia Sinclair, Megan Linville, Shelly Fairchild, Blake Bollinger, Kelly Archer, Bill Luther, Sarah Darling, Emily Shackleton, Kylie Morgan, Jace Everett, Dean Alexander, Kallie Shorr.

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Park City Song Summit

Dawn Fades to release sophomore album ‘Ode’ in September

Dawn Fades’ new album Ode is now available for pre-order. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Los Angeles CA post-metal group Dawn Fades will release their sophomore album Ode, September 10, 2021. Ode will be available on vinyl, CD and all digital platforms via Metal Assault Records. The first single and music video “Taste” premiered June 25, along with the pre-order launch of the album in all aforementioned formats. (Dawn Fades, 2021)

Comprising six songs spanning ethereal experimentation and crushing heaviness, Ode shows a band unshaken by the pandemic induced time away from the stage. The new offering reveals Dawn Fades as now more resolute in their vision and execution. Mixed by heavy music mainstay Josh Newell (Intronaut, Anthrax, Linkin Park), Ode manages to be both more mature and more raw than the band’s critically acclaimed self-titled 2019 debut. While expertly retaining the core elements of their highly successful debut; Dawn Fades takes their musical evolution to even greater heights on Ode, undoubtedly leaving an even stronger impression on listeners.

Frontman and songwriter Sam Sherwood says the album is “a picture of feelings about the trappings of the world we find ourselves in. I believe we are doing a thing that has its own life to it. There is darkness and screaming inner-torment and there are ear-worm hooks.”

LA Weekly describes Dawn Fades as “a mashup of Deftones and Neurosis, with hints of Eyehategod and Enslaved.” Ode is now available to pre-order with the official album release slated for September 10, 2021.

Ode track listing:

  1. Dearth (8:17)
  2. Taste (5:11)
  3. Ode: Part 1 (1:51)
  4. Ode: Part 2 (5:56)
  5. Front (6:57)
  6. Chains (8:36)
  7. Turning (3:23)
    Total Runtime: 40:11

Dawn Fades is:
Sam Sherwood – Vocals
Scott Rosenquist – Drums
Markus Erren Pardiñas – Bass
Nate Hertweck – Guitar

Dawn Fades – Ode

MerleFest announces full lineup

JOHNNYSWIM, The Milk Carton Kids, We Banjo 3 and many more added to list of performers for September 16-19 in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Photo: google

MerleFest, presented by Window World, is proud to announce the full lineup for MerleFest 2021, which will take place September 16-19, 2021. This lineup of world-class bands and artists will be joining the annual homecoming of musicians and music fans on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. MerleFest tickets are on sale now. (MerleFest, 2021)

MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of the son of the late American music legend Doc Watson, renowned guitarist Eddy Merle Watson. MerleFest is a celebration of “traditional plus” music, a unique mix of traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region, including old-time, classic country, bluegrass, folk and gospel, and blues and expanded to include Americana, classic rock, and many other styles. The festival hosts a diverse mix of artists on its 13 stages during the course of the multi-day event. MerleFest is the primary fundraiser for the WCC Foundation, funding scholarships, capital projects, and other educational needs.

The following is MerleFest’s complete list of performers including the previously announced headliners:
Sturgill Simpson, Tedeschi Trucks, Melissa Etheridge, Mavis Staples, Margo Price, LeAnn Rimes, Shovels & Rope, Balsam Range, Amythyst Kiah, JOHNNYSWIM, The Milk Carton Kids, We Banjo 3, Adam Traum, Banknotes, Bill and the Belles, Brittney Spencer, Cane Mill Road, Carol Rifkin, Charles Welch, Charley Crockett, Chatham Rabbits, Cordovas, Creole Stomp with Dennis Stroughmatt, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Donna the Buffalo, Happy Traum, Hogslop String Band, Iron Horse Bluegrass, Jack Lawrence, Jeff Little Trio, Jim Lauderdale, Jody Carroll, Joe Smothers, Joe Troop (of Che Apalache), John Cowan, Kelsey Waldon, Kruger Brothers, Laura Boosinger, Mark Bumgarner, Mary Flower, Mitch Greenhill & String Madness, Moore Brothers, Nefesh Mountain, Oliver Hazard, One Fret Over, Paul Thorn, Pete & Joan Wernick, Peter Rowan & Free Mexican Airforce with Los Texmaniacs, Piedmont Bluz, Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, Presley Barker, Rev. Robert Jones, Robbie Fulks, Roy Book Binder, Sam Bush Band, Sam Williams, Sarah Shook & The Disarmers, Scythian, Shinyribs, Sierra Ferrell, Smitty and the Jumpstarters, Sweet Potato Pie, T. Michael Coleman, Terrapin Creek, The Barefoot Movement, The Cleverlys, The InterACTive Theatre of Jef, The Local Boys, The Waybacks, Tommy Emmanuel, Tony Williamson, Wayne Henderson, Wyld Fern, Yasmin Williams, and Zoe & Cloyd.

JOHNNYSWIM: Much like families, bands go through it all together. At the core, husband-and-wife Abner Ramirez and Amanda Sudano translate the memories, moments, and milestones on their journey into spirited, slick, and soulful anthems steeped in singer-songwriter tradition, yet amplified by alternative experimentation, rock energy, and pop ambition. JOHNNYSWIM will perform on Friday evening.

The Milk Carton Kids: Listening to The Milk Carton Kids —Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale—talk about their creative process, it is easy to imagine them running in opposite directions even while yoked together. Defying the conventions of melody and harmony is a strategy The Milk Carton Kids have consciously embraced. The Only Ones, the group’s latest record, finds Ryan and Pattengale performing a stripped-down acoustic set without a backing band. On “The Only Ones,” the pair returns to the core of what they are about musically: the duo. The Milk Carton Kids perform on Friday evening.

We Banjo 3: One of the best live acts to come out of Ireland in many years, the multi-award winning We Banjo 3 combine supergroup credentials with a breath-taking command of the emotive power of fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and banjo. Any single member of this group could electrify a venue with a solo performance, but together, in the joyous musical alchemy of We Banjo 3, their passionate lead vocalist like a young Springsteen adopted by the Chieftans, the result is truly unforgettable. Simply put, the gold standard of Irish and American roots music. We Banjo 3 will perform on Saturday and Sunday.

 

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MerleFest 2021

Bluegrass Pride builds momentum toward final weekend

Porch Pride: 5th anniversary celebration will feature more than six hours of livestreams and performances by LGBTQ+ and allied roots musicians. Photo: google

Bay Area non-profit Bluegrass Pride will culminate its month-long LGBTQ+ Pride celebration, Porch Pride, with a two-day virtual music festival featuring more than six hours of livestreams and performances by LGBTQ+ and allied bands, artists, and musicians. On June 26 and 27 starting at 3p.m. PDT / 6p.m. EDT the organization will celebrate five years of Bluegrass Pride (BGP) with artists such as Crys Matthews, BOOJUM, Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, Stephanie Anne Johnson, Rainbow Girls, and more. (Bluegrass Pride, 2021)

In 2020, Bluegrass Pride board member Jake Blount first proposed the idea for Porch Pride as an avenue through which BGP could support and uplift LGBTQ+ artists through the industry-shuttering pandemic, offering direct relief and performance opportunities to a community already disproportionately impacted by the realities of COVID-19. In its first year, the event raised more than $23,000 to be shared and distributed amongst the artists and bands on the lineup. Bluegrass Pride is hoping to outraise that amount in 2021, already reaching and doubling their goal for financial sponsorships.

The public is invited to tune in on June 26 and 27 from 3p.m. to 6p.m. PDT / 6p.m. to 9p.m. EDT for Porch Pride: 5th Anniversary Celebration. All Porch Pride events are free to view and attend, but audience members are encouraged to DONATE to support every single artist on Porch Pride’s month-long lineup. Watch and give on the Bluegrass Pride website, or watch via their YouTube channel or Facebook page.

For Bluegrass Pride fans and members local to the Bay Area, an in-person Porch Pride Watch Party & Jam will be held at Spark Social SF (601 Mission Bay Boulevard North, San Francisco, CA 94158) on June 27 at 2p.m. PDT. During and after the livestream watch party enjoy food, drinks, Double Rainbow ice cream, fellowship with fellow BGPers and jamming, plus a performance by local roots music scene stalwart Karen Heil’s old-time string band, the Knuckle Knockers.

Porch Pride: 5th Anniversary Celebration full schedule:

Saturday, June 26:

Mya Byrne
Ben Garnett
Crys Matthews
BOOJUM
Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
Gangstagrass

Sunday, June 27:

Willi Carlisle
Maddie Witler
Amanda Fields
Hasee Ciaccio & Friends
Stephanie Anne Johnson
Rainbow Girls

“It’s so incredible to look back on all that Bluegrass Pride has accomplished in the past 5 years. From launching that first award-winning float in the SF Pride Parade in 2017 to now running our own month-long Pride festival, it truly is a testament to the strength of our community and our desire to create positive change in the world of roots music. I think Porch Pride is the perfect way to celebrate that.” – BGP Executive Director, Kara Kundert.

Bluegrass Pride: Our mission is to recruit, encourage, and support LGBTQ+ bluegrassers of all levels, promoting their advancement and acceptance within all areas of the bluegrass music industry and musical community. We aim to uplift the genre of bluegrass as a whole to receive LGBTQ+ folks openly, and to promote allyship with all marginalized peoples within the industry and musical community. We do so by creating opportunities for community building and resources for musical skill development, such as concerts, jam sessions, showcases, festivals, parades, tutorials, recording, and more. Bluegrass Pride is a Section 501(c)(3) charitable organization, EIN 83-3224672. All donations are deemed tax-deductible absent any limitations on deductibility applicable to a particular taxpayer.

Paul Thorn’s new album ‘Never Too Late To Call’

Paul Thorn grooves on new album out August 6 via Thirty Tigers. “Here We Go” is the first single out. Photo: google

Paul Thorn has created an innovative and impressive career, pleasing crowds with his muscular brand of roots music—bluesy, rocking and thoroughly Southern American, yet also speaking universal truths. Among those who value originality, inspiration, eccentricity and character—as well as talent that hovers somewhere on the outskirts of genius, the story of Paul Thorn is already familiar. Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, raised among the same spirits (and some of the actual people) who nurtured the young Elvis generations before, Paul Thorn has rambled down back roads and jumped out of airplanes, worked for years in a furniture factory, battled four-time world champion boxer Roberto Duran on national television, performed on stages with Bonnie Raitt, Mark Knopfler, Sting, and John Prine among many others, and made some of the most emotionally restless yet fully accessible music of our time. He has appeared on major television shows, received numerous National Public Radio features and charted multiple times on the Billboard Top 100 and Americana Radio Charts. (Paul Thorn, 2021)

Fans were recently treated to the first taste of music from Never Too Late To Call, “Here We Go.” Fans can hear “Here We Go” and pre-order or pre-save Never Too Late To Call ahead of its August 6 release right here.

Never Too Late To Call opens with a song called “Two Tears Of Joy,” a slow-burn ode to life that finds Thorn naming all that he is thankful for without once coming across as cheesy or overly earnest. “It sounds a little corny to say this but I’m a 56-year-old man who has had a really blessed life,” says Thorn about the inspiration behind the tune. “I’m really grateful and thankful for everything I have and for the people I’ve met. ‘Two Tears of Joy’ is another way of simply saying I’m grateful.” A few tracks later, Thorn and his wife Heather singing a duet called “Breaking Up For Good Again.” “If you’re in any kind of long-time relationship you’ll know there will be bumps in the road and sometimes you won’t get along,” says Thorn. The song is beautifully fingerpicked and sung to perfection by the husband and wife duo who have been together long enough to know the song’s ideas well. “We’ve lived this song and had our moments,” they say. Towards the end of Never Too Late To Call listeners are treated to a pair of groovy numbers in “You Mess Around & Get A Buzz” and “Holy Hottie Toddy.” The former a cautionary tale and the latter a call to love everybody inclusively; both feel comfortable—in classic Thorn fashion—but represent the full spectrum of what this new, thoughtfully mature album has to offer.

On Never Too Late To Call, we find a mellower Paul Thorn. The wit and the – at times – humorous commentary on life’s existential questions are in evidence, but here there is a peace about his life’s journey. Or, to put it in his words, “I’ve been such a lucky boy. I’m crying two tears of joy.”

Never Too Late To Call track list:
Two Tears Of Joy
It’s Never Too Late To Call
Sapalo
Breaking Up For Good Again
What I Could Do
Here We Go
Apple Pie Moonshine
Sapphire Dream
You Mess Around & Get A Buzz
Goodbye Is The Last Word
Holy Hottie Toddy

Paul Thorn: It’s Never Too Late To Call
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Release of Never Too Late To Call

New music from Metal Assault Records: Solar Haze

Solar Haze’s The Solar Age will be out July 16, 2021. Photo: google

Southern California’s heavy rock / metal trio Solar Haze will release their mind altering EP The Solar Age on July 16, 2021 via Metal Assault Records. Pre-orders for The Solar Age began on June 18 and the band released their official music video for the single and EP lead off track, “The Solar Age.” In celebration of their forthcoming release, Solar Haze will perform at “Blunt Force Trauma Fest,” a virtual mini festival experience presented by Ebony Jeanette PR & Metal Assault Records streaming July 16 via YouTube. More details about the virtual festival are available online. (Solar Haze, 2021)

Solar Haze is:
Guitar/Vocals/Bass Guitar: Stephen Falla
Guitar: Ross Cowan
Drums/Percussion: Ryan Michael Falla

The end is near, The Solar Age is here. Metal Assault Records will release the eagerly awaited EP The Solar Age from Southern California heavy rock / metal group Solar Haze on July 16, 2021. The three-track, 18-minute EP was produced by Eddie Vasquez (of San Diego based band Tzimani) and includes violent sequences that may induce frequent night-terrors and sudden mood swings which can cause bouts of severe irritability or thoughts of violence. Do not be alarmed if you receive frequent home visitations from mysterious individuals in black, phone calls from numbers with no area codes, or voices in your head that seem to be of foreign origin. These are common side effects that come with indulging in The Solar Age.

The Solar Age track listing:

  1. The Solar Age (4:57)
  2. Fortress Will Fall (3:50)
  3. Terror of the Deep (9:00)
Solar Haze – The Solar Age
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Release of The Solar Age

Suzanne Santo to release Yard Sale on August 27

Suzanne Santo’s sophomore release features Gary Clark, Jr and Shakey Graves and blends Americana, Southern-gothic soul, and forward-thinking rock and roll. The first single “Bad Beast” is out now. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Yard Sale, the sophomore solo album from the now Austin, TX-based Suzanne Santo, is the musical equivalent of a homeowner’s purging of old possessions in order to clear up some much-needed room. Releasing August 27 via Soundly Music, the album marks the moment where Santo makes peace with her past and embraces a better, bolder present. A tireless creator, Santo has built her sound in the grey area between Americana, Southern-gothic soul, and forward-thinking rock & roll. It is a sound that nods to her past—a childhood spent in the Rust Belt which is also where she learned to love a yard sale; a decade logged as a member of the L.A.-based duo HoneyHoney; the acclaimed solo album, Ruby Red, of which Paste called “shameless, self-aware dialogue that opens the door for conversation that leads to real healing;” and the world tour that took her from Greece to Glastonbury as a member of Hozier’s band—while still exploring new territory. With Yard Sale, Santo boldly moves forward, staking her claim once again as an Americana innovator. It is an album inspired by the past, written by an artist who is only interested in the here-and-now. And for Suzanne Santo, the here-and-now sounds pretty good. The album’s first single “Bad Beast” is available everywhere today, listen here. Fans can pre-order or pre-save by clicking here. (Suzanne Santo, 2021)

Yard Sale finds Santo in transition, physically and emotionally. She began writing the album while touring the globe with Hozier—a gig that utilized her strengths not only as a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, but also as a road warrior. Some songs were written between Hozier rehearsals, with Santo holing up in a farmhouse on the rural Irish coast, while others were finished during bus rides, backstage writing sessions, and hotel stays. Grateful for the experience but eager to return to her solo career, she finished her run with Hozier, joining the band for one final gig at Glastonbury before flying home to Los Angeles. Within three days, she was back in the studio, working with producer John Spiker on what was to become Yard Sale.

Upon returning home, Los Angeles became stale for Santo as the city is inclined to do. A partner breakup paired with the hiatus of HoneyHoney left her feeling lonely in her own home—sparking the cosmic relocation to Austin, TX—a city whose fingerprints are all over Yard Sale, thanks to appearances by hometown heroes like Gary Clark Jr. and Shakey Graves. Thus the metaphorical album title of Yard Sale became literal with a cross country move and the emotional unpacking and shedding that happens when life in a new city, with a new love, beckons.

The album presents Santo at the very top of her game musically, writing her own string arrangements and singing each song in an agile, acrobatic voice—perhaps in part due to the cathartic making-of process and what that has meant for her professionally and personally. At times she bridges the gap between indie-rock and neo-soul. On other tracks, she mixes gospel influences with a deconstructed R&B beat. Fans will hear layers of spacey, atmospheric electric guitar and Shakey Graves on a rainy-day ballad driven forward by a metronomic drum pattern, and Gary Clark punctuating with fiery fretwork.

Of the album as a whole, Santo says, “I’m into the emotional concept of what a yard sale really is. This record is about the things I’ve left behind and the things I’ve held onto. I was broken up with while writing the record. I fell in love again while writing the record. And I learned to fearlessly follow my gut, in all places of my life, while making this record.”

Yard Sale track listing:
Over and Over Again
Mercy
Gold Rush
Save For Love
Bad Beast
Since I Had Your Love
Afraid Of Heights
Fall For That
Common Sense
To No End
Idiot
Island

On tour:
July 5-6 – The RIDE Festival – Telluride, CO
August 26 – Album release show @ Antone’s – Austin, TX
September 8 – Mercury Lounge – New York, NY
November 5 – Space Ballroom – Hamden, CT*
November 6 – Big Night Live – Boston, MA*
November 7 – Colony – Woodstock, NY
November 10 – Southern – Charlottesville, VA*
November 11 – Black Cat – Washington, DC*
November 12 – Otto Bar – Baltimore, MD*
November 13 – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA*
November 14 – Grog Shop – Cleveland Heights, OH*
November 16 – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL*
*with Murder By Death

Suzanne Santo – Bad Beast
2021-08-27T10:46:00

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Release of Yard Sale