Live & ActiveCultures

The Stool Pigeon Guide to Music Journalist Bullshit | The Stool Pigeon

Wed, 08 May 2013 00:27:03 -0400

The Stool Pigeon Guide to Music Journalist Bullshit | The Stool Pigeon:

After spending the past few days copy-editing, this was the perfect piece to come back to tumblr for.

www.MidsummerNightSwing.org is now live with this summer’s...

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:53:14 -0400

www.MidsummerNightSwing.org is now live with this summer’s line-up.

Oh by the way, I’m DJing the finale of Midsummer Night Swing, featuring the Harlem Renaissance Orchestra and the 5th Annual Ambassador Prize Dance Contest!

lincolncenter:

New York’s most fabulous outdoor dance party – Midsummer Night Swing ― marks its 25th Anniversary season this summer by inviting New York’s iconic dance bands to bring live music to Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park, taking place Tuesdays through Saturdays, June 25—July 13.

This summer’s celebration kicks off with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, playing big band classics by Duke Ellington and others, ideal for swinging the night away. Tickets and passes go on sale May 22. Visit the more website for more details.

Read the full press release to read about this summer’s swinging 25th Anniversary.

vulgarweed: sandandglass: Total respect. Not only was she...

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 17:50:30 -0400

vulgarweed:

sandandglass:

Total respect.

Not only was she the first female writer to make the Forbes billionaires list, she then became one of the very few people to take herself off that list by giving so much to charity that it actually made a dent in her fortune.

And she gets it. There aren’t enough generous billionaires in the world who remember where they came from, therefore private charity isn’t the ultimate (only) answer to poverty like some politicians would have us believe. We are all interconnected, we all need each other, in democratic countries we are part of the government, and so keeping needy people from falling into complete destitution and despair is an important and worthy role for government to take. It benefits all of us in the long run. And nobody who feels comfortable and secure now (fewer and fewer of those people around these days) has any guarantee they won’t need help themselves someday.

Barack Obama Reelection Signals Rise Of New America

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:26:23 -0500

Barack Obama Reelection Signals Rise Of New America

globalFEST: 10th year of the groundbreaking music festival by globalFEST — Kickstarter

Sun, 14 Oct 2012 20:51:29 -0400

globalFEST: 10th year of the groundbreaking music festival by globalFEST — Kickstarter:

Thank you generous supporters! globalFEST has exceeded its goal and funding is now guaranteed. BUT, we’ve got 1 day left so LET’S KEEP GOING! All funds raised will go towards building globalFEST’s services and programs as we move from being a singular catalyzing event to a year-round non-profit service organization for the world music community and beyond. Remember, $60 includes a ticket for globalFEST 2013 on January 13. Last year’s show sold-out well in advance—guarantee your spot for globalFEST’s 10th anniversary edition with your contribution!

globalFEST (gF) began as a creatively curated bright spot for global music lovers in the dark days of early January in NYC. Over its first decade, gF’s groundbreaking annual 3‐stage, 12‐band world music showcase/festival has become one of the most catalytic world music events in North America and the premier gateway event for emerging and established artists from around the world.

globalFEST is also a party, turning winter doldrums into a multi-continent romp at one of downtown New York’s most historic venues, spotlighting artists who represent diverse global styles, ranging from traditional and folk to hybrid acts that incorporate classical, rock, jazz, electronic dance music and hip‐hop. Since 2003, gF has provided more than one hundred groups from around the world access to stages across North America. globalFEST is committed to keeping ticket prices low – with no increase in the past decade – to encourage festival-goers to explore new and unfamiliar sounds and discover new favorites.

The last six months have marked milestones in both organizational and programmatic development for globalFEST. Now an independent 501c3 non-profit organization, gF has grown from an annual showcase/festival into a year‐round resource for cultural curators, global music artists, and the live music industry as a whole.

The launch of globalFEST’s Touring Fund (gFTF) offers competitive grant opportunities to all tour‐ready gF alumni artists. gFTF is an innovative program designed to encourage cultural exchange by offsetting the high cost of touring in the U.S., and to encourage performances in new, underserved markets.

globalFEST has also expanded its presentations outside of NY. In Spring 2012, globalFEST brought its curatorial vision to stages at SXSW, the country’s most influential independent music conference and festival and atBonnaroo, one of the country’s most beloved festivals. gF artists performed alongside Radiohead, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fun, Questlove, Bon Iver, and St. Vincent. Through these events, gF and the participating artists garnered national coverage in such media as SPIN magazine, The New York Times and the Austin‐Statesman.

This September, globalFEST presents events on two continents: including a day-long showcase of eight New York-based diaspora artists at Paris’Festival d’île de France, and collaboration between Debo Band and Forro in the Dark with the legendary Joshua Light Show at NYU’s Skirball Center

gF is now planning for its next phase of development providing expanded service for the performing arts field in general and the world music field in particular. It is uniquely positioned to have impact on the entire live music industry—in NYC and beyond.

The festival directors, Bill Bragin of Acidophilus: Live & Active Cultures, Isabel Soffer of Live Sounds and Shanta Thake of Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater- along with a dedicated cadre of volunteers - produce this highly anticipated event on an entirely unpaid basis.

We rely on the generosity of our Kickstarter supporters to help make all these ambitious programs possible, and we thank you! Please give as much as you can, and help spread the word!

geminiandscorpio: So this is happening all over the east...

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 00:52:11 -0400

geminiandscorpio:

So this is happening all over the east village right now.

nprmusic: brendancodey: David Byrne’s office/studio - the idea...

Sat, 18 Aug 2012 16:41:46 -0400

nprmusic:

brendancodey:

David Byrne’s office/studio - the idea is to make people walk across this so that each person changes what’s coming out of the amp depending what pedals they step on. Byrne’s the best.

Pedal Walk With Me.

White vs. Lowery (or I Don't Have Time For This)

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 23:28:54 -0400

theclatterofkeys:

yesterday i tweeted this:

“i’m 2 busy hustling 2 make a living 2 wade into NPR’s E.White http://n.pr/Nx0Pge vs D.Lowery: http://bit.ly/LwFgbf but it all feels bad”

this, i’ll admit, was a hasty and somewhat confusing tweet.

and then my friend musician matt the electrician called (imagine that! a phone call!) wanting know what i really thought, because he’d read both articles and was curious. last night a friend stopped me to say she’d read my similar facebook post and was curious what i really thought too.

“i dont have time for this today”, is what i think. i’m up at 8am to start a day that will include the following: listen to and approve a radio edit for my new single, which has to get to the mastering lab this morning. read, edit, and approve a draft of the bio for my new record so that advance copies of the music can get to press in time for long lead coverage. confirm a rate and schedule a day as soon as possible with my photographer so we can make photos for my album package and publicity photos. film a new pitch vid for the final stages of my pledge music campaign, which closes next week. oh, and eat. and that’s just my morning.

it absolutely kills me that my current list of daily tasks, the inbox of the modern independant musician during pre-release set-up, keeps me from doing more than skimming these articles. this is important stuff, and i hate having to choose which fire to fight first. but i will try to take a second on this flare-up.

Read More

On the costs of "free" downloading: an open letter from David Lowery

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 08:35:00 -0400

On the costs of "free" downloading: an open letter from David Lowery:

Compelling response to an @nprmusic blog post about the ethics and implications of free downloading by David Lowery (Cracker / Camper van Beethoven). Long read, especially if you read all the comments, which remain thoughtful and surprisingly spam-free. I just wish there was more discussion about the role the ISP’s play in enabling this dysfunctional economy, and ways in which they might be brought into the conversation about getting proper compensation to artists.

Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (@LMCC): Training, Networking, Talks: Arts Advancement Series: Boost Your Social Media Presence

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 20:01:01 -0400

Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (@LMCC): Training, Networking, Talks: Arts Advancement Series: Boost Your Social Media Presence:

In 2012, social media remains an evolving terrain in which artists and organizations must determine which platforms, levels of participation, and tracking methods are most effective and sustainable for their own needs. To inform this process, LMCC invited six artists and arts professionals who are effectively using social media to share their approaches, successes, and lessons learned.

They asked me about my history with social media. So I told them. And now I’m telling you.

Special secret preview of Festival Award Winning Film @nyiff....

Sat, 26 May 2012 18:38:09 -0400

Special secret preview of Festival Award Winning Film @nyiff. No, don’t ask what it is. If I tell you, they’ll have to kill me. w/ @howtogive, @junecohen, @heyjudester and Jonathan.

Garden in full bloom. (Turn sideways)

Sat, 26 May 2012 12:22:49 -0400

Garden in full bloom. (Turn sideways)

"LINCOLN CENTER This highbrow hub has enticements almost every day on its elegant summer slate. The..."

Fri, 18 May 2012 13:05:00 -0400

“LINCOLN CENTER This highbrow hub has enticements almost every day on its elegant summer slate. The Midsummer Night Swing fiesta spans June 26-July 14 and welcomes dance instructors to demonstrate their skills alongside peppy bands like Johnny Colon & His Orchestra, Orquesta Broadway and Crytzer’s Blue Rhythm Band. Lincoln Center’s free Out of Doors Festival runs July 25-Aug. 12, and standout events include performances from the Stooges Brass Band and Gypsy Roma Urban Balkan Beats (July 26), the OurLand celebration of Irish culture with members of the Mekons and Cracker (July 29), the Bad Plus’s New York premiere of its new work, “On Sacred Ground” (Aug. 2), and the 29th annual Roots of American Music Festival with Nona Hendryx, Aloe Blacc and more (Aug. 11-12). Also, on July 20, diverse artists from the rock, hip-hop and jazz spheres (including Kyp Malone and Tunde Adebimpe of TV on the Radio, Mavis Staples and Dr. Lonnie Smith) join the Impressions to honor the 70th birthday of the late R&B poet Curtis Mayfield; lc.lincolncenter.org.”

- http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/20/arts/music/summers-pop-and-jazz-festivals-load-their-lineups.html

Free dance lessons from top instructors will be given at...

Fri, 18 May 2012 12:42:41 -0400

Free dance lessons from top instructors will be given at the David Rubenstein Atrium on June 6, 13 and 20, followed by dance parties, in anticipation of Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Night Swing.

On these three Wednesday nights, dancers and aspiring dancers can learn how to swing dance or salsa before Lincoln Center’s outdoor dance party Midsummer Night Swing starts its 24th season on June 26. The “Dancing 101” evenings begin at 7 p.m. with music spun by a top DJ, then there is a dance lesson given by a noted professional instructor that runs from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Guests then enjoy dancing until 10 p.m. Cocktail specials will be offered, and refreshments will be for sale.

(Read the entire press release here.)

via lincolncenter:

It’s all FREE! @LCOutofDoors

Wed, 09 May 2012 13:56:06 -0400

It’s all FREE! @LCOutofDoors

The hosts of today’s Battle of the Drumlines: Brooklyn...

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 23:22:49 -0400

The hosts of today’s Battle of the Drumlines: Brooklyn Steppers Marching Band. @Asphalt_Orch.estra, check out their moves!

(by activecultures)

Maybe you've seen this by now: @globalFEST_NYC at @Bonnaroo. Now read the full press release

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:42:57 -0400

Maybe you've seen this by now: @globalFEST_NYC at @Bonnaroo. Now read the full press release:

Global Bonnaroo: New York’s globalFEST Curates Tent at America’s Biggest, Best-Loved Summer Music Festival

Since it began nine years ago, globalFEST (globalfest.org) has become North America’s most influential showcase and festival of global music, centered around its annual multi-stage event in New York each January.

But now it’s taking the show—and its distinctive curatorial vision—on the road to Bonnaroo on Saturday June 9, 2012. The first globalFEST tent will also host Spectrum Road, a supergroup tribute to Tony Williams with Vernon Reid, John Medeski, Jack Bruce and Cindy Blackman-Santana.

The not-for-profit globalFEST, co-founded and produced by Bill Bragin, Isabel Soffer, and Shanta Thake, has now expanded to include curating at other festivals in the US and globally (including Bonnaroo, SXSW, and Festival D’ Ile de France), and oversees the globalFEST Touring Fund, which provides much needed tour support for local and international artists to reach new markets throughout the US.

“globalFEST’s role in developing audiences for a wide variety of international music styles and to encourage artistic risk taking in the performing arts field has made significant strides for venues, audiences and artists alike,” explains Soffer. “We hope our mission to encourage cross-cultural exchange, support diverse programming, and develop meaningful cultural diplomacy relationships will create new opportunities within the performing arts field and beyond.”

“Part of our goal has been what I half-jokingly refer to as ‘infiltration.’ We’ve been successful in moving world music to the center of the conversation in the performing arts world,” Bragin notes. “In recognition that the touring ecology for global music moves between non-profit performing arts centers, festivals and commercial venues, we’ve now started to work on infiltrating the more commercial music field as well, especially targeting younger audiences.”

“Through globalFEST’s ‘infiltration’ success, we are acknowledging that a younger audience now exists for world music,” Thake adds. “Bringing globalFEST to these festivals is working to fill an actual desire of festival audiences to see these world music bands in venues and festivals that they frequent.”

“I’ve attended globalFEST in January in New York every year for many years now, and I’m always blown away by the music that I discover there,” enthuses Ashley Capps, Bonnaroo co-founder. “The curators behind globalFEST are deeply aware of the most exciting music being created throughout the world, and they’ll bring a strong vision and more than a little magic to the World Music Tent at Bonnaroo this year.”

“Bonnaroo represents a huge leap forward – to reach some of the most active, and open-minded indie-music audiences at one of the most beloved and best curated festivals in the country,” says Bragin.

Debo Band: Debo Band is not about recreating some mythical gilded age of Ethiopian pop. Taking cues from vintage and contemporary artists unsung in the West, they unleash rolling grooves, serpentine melody lines, and joyful vocals. A sound that won them a record deal on indie stalwart label SubPop/Next Ambiance, produced by Gogol Bordello’s Tommy T, which will come nationally in June.

“Though their music is steeped in 1960s Ethiopian music, to me, they’re a rock band first. That means the beat is hard, the guitar is blistering, the horns are lyrical and you don’t have to understand what is being said to understand the emotions behind the voice. Their appeal is universal.”–NPR Music

Janka Nabay & The Bubu Gang: Hard-hitting beats from the grand master of Sierra Leonean bubu, an age-old ritual music turned modern hybrid thanks to a Brooklyn-based gang of musicians.

“Nabay severely strips down this (traditional Bubu music) setup while preserving its teeming twitchiness, using keyboards and carburetor pipes to create a minimal but undeniably kinetic brand of music that he weds to socially conscious lyrics.”- Pitchfork

Khaira Arby: Arby’s music shifts seamlessly between the edgy and progressive and the traditional and deeply rooted. She turns to her mixed Berber and Songhai roots, blending ripping electric guitar with the forefather of the banjo and funky drum breaks with the traditional percussion of the scraper and the calabash.

“Shrouded in regal colors, she presides over a small army of brilliant African musicians, who create a hypnotic backdrop for her gloriously swooping vocals. On the live stage, she’s all showmanship and command.”–NPR Music

La-33: Colombia’s hottest salsa outfit is also its cleverest: on top of pitch-perfect originals, the band has won fans worldwide with its blazing, tongue-in-cheek shout out to the Pink Panther and Henry Mancini.

“The three lead singers of La-33, from Bogotá, Colombia, were also its dancers. Colombia has become a latter-day stronghold for the Cuban-rooted salsa that thrived 30 years ago in New York City….Its own music was sleekly kinetic.”—New York Times

Pedrito Martinez: The Thelonious Monk International Jazz competition-winning percussionist and former Yerba Buena member has won the hearts of rock stars like Eric Clapton and Roger Waters and honed his groups near-telepathic communication, in music that ranges from traditional batá-rumbato Cuban jazz, son, and timba.

“A crowd-pleasing Cuban percussionist and singer now based in New York, who hybridizes his songs with touches of jazz, soul and hip-hop.”—New York Times

Red Baraat: An impossibly funky, New York-born mix of brass band-does-Bollywood extravaganza, bringing both Indian bhangrabeats and red-hot brass to the dancefloor—and more recently to the White House.

“Imagine a New Orleans street band playing Indian Bollywood tunes with a go-go beat — you can’t? The group uses their improvisational sound to blend the dhol, a double-sided, barrel-shaped North Indian drum, with brass funk. It’s a crazy blast of fun.”—NPR

Lincoln Center Out of Doors 2012 line-up is now online

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:15:01 -0400

Lincoln Center Out of Doors 2012 line-up is now online:

There are way too many shows to talk about - read the complete press release here: http://lc.lincolncenter.org/2011-09-11-04-44-38/press-room

In case you somehow missed the Midsummer Night Swing...

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:00:18 -0400

In case you somehow missed the Midsummer Night Swing announcement…

lincolncenter:

JUST RELEASED: The 2012 season of Midsummer Night Swing has been announced! The festival will run from June 26 –to July 14.

Highlights include:

- U.S. debut of The ABC&D of Boogie Woogie with Axel Zwingenberger on piano, Ben Waters on piano and vocals, Dave Green on bass and Charlie Watts on drums

- U.S. debut of Mestres do Forró Nordestino: a tribute to Luiz Gonzaga with the masters of Brazilian Forró: Maciel Melo, Biliu de Campina, Walmir Silva and the band Quarteto Olinda

- New: “Dancing 101s,” three pre-season nights of free dance lessons and DJs in the David Rubenstein Atrium

- New: “Silent Discos” following regular dancing on July 7 & 12, with dancers hearing music only through headphones

(Read entire press release here.)

Louisiana Cuisine

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:53:42 -0400

Louisiana Cuisine