The Live Beat

THE MILK CARTON KIDS ANNOUNCE 2016 TOUR DATES; 

The @MilkCartonKids have announced a series of North American headline tour dates in April and May, 2016, in support of their acclaimed album Monterey, released in May of this year. Tickets for their “Monterey Spring Tour” go on sale this Friday at 10am local time. The tour begins in New England in early April and finds the duo back in New England in mid-May.

Here are the dates and venues where the New England fans can here and see the band live in 2016:

Monterey Spring Tour 2016 New England:

April 7 - Fall River, MA, @NarrowsCenter for the Arts

April 8 - Fairfield, CT, @FTCPresents - The Warehouse

The Call It What It Is Tour - Every online order includes a CD of the new album "Call It What It Is" upon its release (available April 8, 2016).

It had been seven years since Ben Harper last played a show with the Innocent Criminals, so when the time came to reunite for a live tour in 2015, the band—percussionist Leon Mobley, bassist Juan Nelson, drummer Oliver Charles, keyboardist Jason Yates, and guitarist Michael Ward—quickly discovered that Harper had more in mind than simply revisiting the group's prodigious collection of hits. In fact, Harper had been quietly amassing material for a new record, Call It What It Is. "I thought we would be more energized and revitalized by thinking outside the box and starting with new material in the studio before we dug into the old stuff," explains Harper. "It was meant to be a signpost that we're here to forge new ground musically and personally. Because of that, the older material started to sound brand new too.” The new album is Harper’s second release for Stax Records. Perhaps most associated with icons like Booker T & The MGs, Otis Redding and Isaac Hayes, Stax is a seamless fit for Call It What It Is, due to its rich Civil Rights-era legacy and its dedication to spreading soul music in all its most powerful forms. The result is perhaps the proudest accomplishment of Harper's prodigious career. "The time we took with this record has let me look it straight in the eyes and say that I gave everything I could to it and that it's exactly the way we intended it to be. To be able to say that we've left no stone unturned just feels great." For the legions of Ben Harper fans that have been waiting eight years for a new album with the Innocent Criminals, it feels even better.

Capitol Theater Port Chester, NY  4-2-15 Show: 8:00 PM 18 and over $62 // $97.50 (ADVANCE) $67 // $102.50 (DAY OF SHOW) Tickets - http://ticketf.ly/1OLiKOn

Ryan Montbleau Solo Acoustic Perfomances in New England this weekend 

Unfortunately for all of us New Englanders, Ryan Montbleau is no longer living in New England, having relocated within the last year and a half to Brooklyn, NY. That doesn’t mean however, the singer songwriter has abandoned his New England Roots. And while he’s “…shutting down…” the full band tour for the remainder of the year in order to concentrate on songwriting, he does have a few solo performances line up taking him though New England this weekend, beginning tonight. If you haven’t seen a Ryan Solo performance, here’s your chance. Expect to be blown away by the sincerity of hi lyrics and the bare bones intimacy of his stage presence, something he’s developed over more than ten years on the road.  

Wednesday Sep 30 Solo Acoustic The Spot Providence, RI 180 Pine St, Providence, RI 02903 7 – 10:30 P.M. The Spot UnderGround $15

Thursday Oct 01 Solo Acoustic Bull Run 215 Great Rd., PO Box 1228 Rt. 2A, Shirley, MA 01464 8 P.M   Bull Run $20 - $35   Oct 02 Solo Acoustic Cafe Nine 250 State Street New Haven, CT, 06511 Cafe Nine 9 P.M $15 - $18

On September 17th, Connecticut’s newest live music venue, The Warehouse at FTC, unofficially opened it’s doors to benefactors and live music fans for the first time. Located in the heart of downtown Fairfield, CT, the 640 person capacity venue will offer fans flexible seating options depending on the artists booked, and compliments to intimate 225 seat StageOne theater right next door. The evening’s concert festivities opened with Bridgeport’s own, Jen Durkin and the Business, and continued with headliner Rusted Root. It was a spectacular evening of live music from both bands, and saw RR run through a swath of hits; opening with the eloquent “Beautiful People,” and included “Back To The Earth;” “Laugh At The Sun;” “Send Me On My Way;” “Martyr;” “Drum Tip/Ecstasy” and more! Photographer Katie Settle was on hand and The Live Beat is proud to share her work with you.

Be sure to follow The Live Beat to keep up with show announcements, reviews and news that  happens at The Warehouse at FTC, as well as all over New England.

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Come celebrate the legacy of #DemseZullo and #TheAlchemystics this evening in Northampton at #TheIronhorse!