Dave Kerzner, with a new album, full band, and audiovisual experience
Matt Dorsey, with a full band
Mystery
Rachel Flowers
The Mahavishnu Project
Unitopia
Exhibitors:
Bob Moog Foundation featuring Robeone (Robert Schindler)
The Bandwagon USA
ProgRock.com
More to come!
A New Home!
After 6 years, ProgStock has a new home in 2023!
The Williams Center in Rutherford, NJ, a 101-year-old performing arts center in the heart of Rutherford, located at 1 Williams Plaza, Rutherford, NJ 07070, will be the home of the ProgStock Festival in 2023 and (we hope) for many years to come!
We bid a fond farewell to our former home, the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway, NJ. We will especially miss her crew, but the time has come to make a fresh start!
Ticket sales will start on Saturday, June 3rd at 12:00PM US Eastern time with our ProgDucer passes.
Our 5-year Patron passes are already available with your choice of the best available seat this year and for future years at ProgStock, plus many other incredibly awesome perks! Contact us now for details before tickets start selling to the general public.
Access to artist meet-and-greets that day (after Prog-Ducers)
Available starting in mid-September:
Live-Streaming: $10-$15 USD (for each performance)
Can’t make it to the festival this year, but want to join in the fun from the comfort of your own home? Each main stage performance of this year’s festival will be broadcast as a separately ticketed event on the StageIt livestreaming platform. Prices for these livestreamed shows are very affordable, so feel free to throw us onto the big screen at home and join us for as many of our stellar performances as you wish!
Legendary Dutch progressive rockers Kayak recently announced they will return with their 18th studio album ‘Out Of This World’ on May 7th, 2021. Now they are pleased to reveal the first single taken from that album, and you can watch the video for ‘Mystery’ here:
Founding member Ton Scherpenzeel comments: “This song is about the, in my view, unfathomable mystery and wonder that is the world around us. No matter what stunning progress science makes, and whatever religion wants us to believe, the essence will always be that: a mystery. Which doesn’t mean we have to stop trying to figure it all out.”
The album is now also available for pre-order, arriving as a Limited CD Digipak, Gatefold 2LP + CD, and as Digital Album. An exclusive blood red vinyl edition is available directly from the band. Pre-order now here: https://kayak.lnk.to/OutOfThisWorld
The full track-listing is as follows: 1.Out Of This World 2.Waiting 3.Under A Scar 4.Kaja 5.Mystery 6.Critical Mass 7.As The Crow Flies 8.The Way She Said Goodbye 9.Traitor’s Gate 10.Distance To Your Heart 11.Red Rag To A Bull 12.One By One 13.A Writer’s Tale 14.Cary 15.Ship Of Theseus
‘Out Of This World’, the band’s eighteenth studio album, with 15 new tracks, spanning 70 minutes of energetic and incredibly diverse material- though still very much recognizable as Kayak. It is clear that the new found energy has gained even more momentum since Hans Eijkenaar rejoined the group. Although they were forced to cancel all tours because Ton Scherpenzeel suffered a heart attack at the end of 2019, and immediately after that because of the Covid pandemic, we’re hearing a band that, since the demise of Pim Koopman in 2009, has not sounded more together, balanced and motivated. The current line-up of the band is as follows:
Ton Scherpenzeel – Keyboards, lead and backing vocals Bart Schwertmann – Lead and backing vocals Marcel Singor – Guitar, lead and backing vocals Kristoffer Gildenlöw – Bass, lead and backing vocals Hans Eijkenaar- Drums
Kayak History: KAYAK was formed in Hilversum, The Netherlands, back in 1972, by keyboard player Ton Scherpenzeel and drummer Pim Koopman who struck up a friendship in their early teens after meeting at a local volley ball club. They were committed to writing original material. With loads of melodic, symphonic songs in their pocket they recruited fellow music conservatory student Max Werner (lead vocals) and Johan Slager (guitar). After bass player Cees van Leeuwen joined, the first lineup of KAYAK was complete with the new band being signed by EMI Records being launched as a new supergroup. Their debut album ‘See See The Sun’(1973) featured a minor hit single , ‘Lyrics’, with ‘Mammoth’ and the title track also reaching the top 40. The album sold well in Holland, earning the band significant critical acclaim and developing a growing army of passionate followers.
After a series of successful albums and several hit singles in their homeland KAYAK was on the verge of an international breakthrough in 1977 when the single ‘Want you to be Mine’, from ‘Starlight Dancer’ achieved chart success in the U.S, peaking at #55 in the Billboard Charts. KAYAK was even voted Most Promising Band of the Year by the influential American music magazine Record World. Due to the fact that charismatic lead singer Max Werner wanted to fill the vacant position of drummer meaning the band was suddenly without a lead singer, making it impossible to embark on an American tour. KAYAK focused on finding a vocalist instead. The search began with advertisements placed in British magazine ‘Melody Maker’, spotted by Edward Reekers, a huge fan of the band since the early days. Passing the audition with flying colors he became the new frontman for KAYAK and with the addition of two female singers the band returned to the recording studio to create their 6th album, the award winning ‘Phantom of the Night, which turned out to be their commercial peak. The blend of progressive rock and immaculate pop brought them phenomenal success. The album went to number one on the charts, reaching platinum status and ‘Ruthless Queen,’ became their highest charting single, (#4 in the Dutch charts).
The next album, ‘Periscope Life’ (1980), was similar in style and recorded in Los Angeles. It consolidated KAYAK’s position as one of Holland’s most popular bands. With their next effort, ‘Merlin’ (1981), KAYAK returned to its original progressive and symphonic rock roots, with a suite about the legendary medieval magician on side A. Many music fans considered this a milestone in the bands career. Personal and musical struggles within the band however led to a break up in 1982. The first era of KAYAK ended after the release of the semi live album ‘Eyewitness’.
The next chapter in KAYAK’s career began in 2006 with ‘Kayakoustic’, presenting the now seven-piece band in an intimate setting.In the new millennium KAYAK was resurrected after an 18 year pause and came back with the strong symphonic crossover album ‘Close to the Fire’ (2000) with again Pim Koopman on drums and Max Werner on vocals. Unfortunately, due to ill health Max was soon forced to leave, with ex- Vandenberg singer Bert Heerink, who already joined the band on stage, taking over. With Heerink three studio albums were recorded, including the rock opera’s ‘Merlin – Bard of the Unseen’ and ‘Nostradamus – The Fate of Man’, their most ambitious efforts yet. The rock opera’s, dominated by longer, prog-based compositions, also showed KAYAK’s theatrical side with an extended cast of singers and dancers contributing to an impressive first rate live experience. It also marked the return of Edward Reekers and introduced Cindy Oudshoorn as first female lead singer.
2008 was an important year celebrating their 35th anniversary and embarking on a large tour taking the group to the theaters and clubs. ‘The Anniversary Box’, a DVD containing the Paradiso concert as well as a collection of fan chosen tracks is released.
The tragic, unexpected death of drummer and composer Pim Koopman one year later in the middle of the ‘Letters From Utopia’ tour almost led to KAYAK’s downfall, but two years later the group re- emerged with Hans Eijkenaar on drums and the album ‘Anywhere But Here’, dedicated to Koopman. After a period of two years preparing and recording the new rock opera ‘Cleopatra- The Crown of Isis’ was released in 2014. Shortly before the tour, lead singers Reekers and Oudshoorn unexpectedly and inconveniently announced their departure, leaving the band in disarray. But as they say “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” and like the proverbial cat with nine lives – in 2018 KAYAK came back with a vengeance and ‘Seventeen’.
We are living in unprecedented times and crossing over uncharted waters, it’s a new world; one we may have to get accustomed to for the foreseeable future.
As of March 20th, there are a reported 255,729 Coronavirus Cases since the outbreak began in December of 2019. 10,495 have died due to the virus and 89,918 people have so far recovered from the virus, of course, these are only the documented cases and the numbers could be much worse; there is no end in sight the short term.
(Covid-19) is attacking the social and economic fabric globally and does not discriminate against race, creed, sexual orientation, political affiliation or anything else for that matter. It has ravaged and even closed down most trades and no industry has been spared, from restaurants to schools, airlines, supply chains, and the entertainment industry.
While this is devastating to all industries, I believe one of the hardest hit are musicians, some of which do not have a second job, they rely solely on tours, music and merch sales to pay the bills. Many musicians have more than one job outside of music to sustain a living however due to the layoff and closers of businesses these musicians are dealing with the same issues as full-time musicians, loss of most all income. Most musicians lack one of the most basic and fundamental needs: insurance!
So we reached out on social and asked musicians some basic questions on how they are dealing with this Pandemic?
Ember Swift ~ China
How are you adapting to the Covid-19 Pandemic? I’m not sure a person reacts to a pandemic as much as a person has to react to the response the society has to a pandemic. The pandemic will occur whether we have a reaction or not. It will just calmly sneak through all our societies and infect some, take some, spare others, etc. The reaction from each country from the government down to community levels is what we all have to adapt to, not so much the virus itself. For me, I have gone through many different phases over the past 2 months, emotionally and psychologically. The isolation, the panic, the fear, the frustration, the eventual calm, and inward thinking, the reshuffling of personal goals, etc. This is something I just wrote about on my blog, but I’ve been chronicling the experience throughout this whole time: http://emberswift.com/lockdown-imposition-or-opportunity/
What type of challenges or opportunities has this presented to you? The opportunity to re-assess the future, really figure out what I want to accomplish when life returns to normal, analyzing my life in a more complete and detached way and then coming to some conclusions about how I want to move forward. There’s nothing like being forced into a “stall” or “pause” that can help you determine which paths to take when you’re finally able to put your foot back on the gas, so-to-speak. On a practical level, I have been studying Chinese again (hope to do my HSK Level 6, a Chinese language proficiency exam, in June), practicing guitar every day, cleaning and sorting my life, doing physical exercise and strength training in the home, and really focusing on my kids and their education–not just scholastically but as people.
Are you working on a new release? My new album was completed late last year but still needed some finishing touches. This got seriously delayed and the originally planned-for release date was March 2020. That didn’t happen, of course, so now I’m slowly tying up loose ends but aiming for a September release. No matter what, I’m still really proud that there are some great songs in the pipe even if it takes a bit longer to release them to the world.
Are you planning on performing via a live streaming platform? I thought of doing this in February, but during that time the rest of the world was going about life as usual and there wasn’t much of a call to do it. Now that everyone is on lockdown, I may consider it! I’ve never done a live-stream concert, but it sounds like a good challenge.
How has this affected you on a personal level? I sort of spoke about this above in how it has forced some self-reflection and re-assessment of goals/direction etc. It’s also challenged my patience and positivity, but I think I’ve become stronger for it. I would also note that pushing myself to do things on a daily basis that are good for me and trying to stick to it in a disciplined way (not that I’m always perfect because, yes, I do miss days!) has been the healthier approach to this. It’s really easy to get lost in TV series or constant media consumption when you’re stuck indoors, but I find this mind-numbing and hollowing. In the end, what’s best for me isn’t best for everyone, but this experience will show each of us, individually, what kind of life we want to life vs. the kind of life we have been living. This is invaluable information for our futures.
Will you continue creating and performing now and after the dust settles? Nothing will ever change the fact that I’m a musician and songwriter and creator. I have gone through worse ordeals in life and, in the end, the music still anchors me and serves as my greatest outlet for inspiration and expression. I often say that music is my essential nutrient and, without it, I’d be depleted. Therefore, there’s not a single droplet of doubt that I will continue to create and perform music indefinitely… most likely until my time on this earth comes to its natural end.
Ember Swift Is a Canadian Folk Pop musician based out of Beijing, China, Ember is planning on releasing her 13th album in September 2020
How are you adapting to the Covid-19 Pandemic? Like everyone really, the worse part of it for me is the ignorance of others who could harvest and pass it to others who might not be able to survive. The other is the hoarding of everyday items we all use and need, selfish assholes in the world instead of realizing there is more than just themselves.
What type of challenges or opportunities has this presented to you? Clearly the biggest one is not being able to tour, live shows and appearances are my life’s blood now. The business used to go hand in hand in terms of albums and sessions to royalties to touring. These days without being able to tour and play live, I just watch the past earnings dwindle at a rapid rate. It’s not so bad but upcoming shows and months of cancellations will turn into desperate times. Are you working on a new release? On several actually, I just finished my next solo album with Frontiers Records, “Wide Awake (In My Dreamland)”, I got my keyboardist/guitarist of SOTO a deal on the same label which I am co-writing and co-producing the album with my producer of the new JSS album, Alessandro Del Vecchio and we have started writing/recording the next WET album. I was stressed I had to do all of this while touring with Sons Of Apollo and my acoustic dates in May with Jason Bieler but the positive of this self-quarantine means I can do it all stress-free now.
Are you planning on performing via a live streaming platform? At the moment no, I don’t want to pressure or stress anyone out now financially that might be tightening their belts at this time. We’re all gonna suffer from this and I personally don’t feel it’s right to ask anyone to invest in me further until we see the light at the end of the tunnel. I don’t feel I have anything to offer in terms of pay-per-view or streaming so I would rather ride it out and hope the end is sooner than later.
Are you offering your fans any incentives to help support your music? I am pushing things here and there, again not asking them to invest money in now, more to remind them I will be returning soon, hopefully! I am trying to do my part in sharing my thoughts on staying the course, follow the advice so we can go back to normal life sooner than later. How has this affected you on a personal level? So far, not much, I am pretty much a homebody anyway, I gather with a small group of friends here and there but am actually quite content I could enjoy being at home during this time. It’s not difficult for me to hole up at home especially as I said, I am leisurely getting things I had to do without stress.
Will you continue creating and performing now and after the dust settles? Yes, I already answered this and any postponed shows have already been rebooked for upcoming months with hopes those don’t get moved as well. That will be the worst part, everyone clamoring to rebook all of these canceled tours and shows at the same time. People will need time to get their lives back in order before they will be ready to spend as they were before this all went down. I am hoping for everything to come back orderly so we can all pick up where we left off.
Jeff Scott Soto is a Los Angeles, CA-based rock singer best known for his work with Sons of Appolo, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Solo artist Soto is also part of many other projects.
How are you adapting to the Covid-19 Pandemic? I have been following the progression for about 3 weeks now, In Canada, they closed everything mostly and we have to stay home. Hopefully, the quick response here will keep the casualties low. In the Studio, we are always locked up anyway.
What type of challenges or opportunities has this presented to you? The biggest challenge was to decide if we canceled the European gigs for Mystery and Huis ( end of March 2020) it was a hard decision to make, did not please everyone, but now we know we took the decision and we are glad we took it before, it was forced on everyone.
The opportunities are that we will have more time for a while to create new music, but at the same time, I think all our 2020 gigs will be canceled now.
Are you working on a new release? Yes, both Mystery and Huis are working on new albums, both were already planned before the pandemic.
Are you planning on performing via a live streaming platform? The band has thought about it, we were supposed to try one this weekend but we had to cancel because everything is closed in Montreal. We are looking at what we will do with that, probably offering more Live videos in the coming week.
Are you offering your fans any incentives to help support your music? Our fans have always been really good to MYSTERY, and now I think it is important that they support their families,
How has this affected you on a personal level? Sincerely, very scared and not optimistic for once. I hope everything will be fine but…
Will you continue creating and performing now and after the dust settles? Of course, I am afraid traveling to other countries will become more difficult, We will see how this will change the world,
Michel St-Pere is a multi-instrumentalist Canadian founder of AOR Prog Band Mystery, a full-time member of Huis and Owner ofUnicorn Digital an independent record label.
What type of challenges or opportunities has this presented to you? Well we just had to cancel playing on Cruise to the Edge and two Canadian dates with The Flower Kings because of the Corona virus. As it is now I have festivals booked this summer with both HFMC and The Flower Kings. At the moment they’re happening but you never know?
Are you working on a new release? I had decided to record with HFMC Corona or not. However, we really had to change plans with The Flower Kings, with the result we’re about to start the recording as soon as possible.
Will you continue creating and performing now and after the dust settles? Corona will not make me stop. When this is blown over I most likely have two albums ready for release.
Hasse Fröberg is a Swedish Guitarist, composer, and vocalist for HFMC – Hasse Fröberg & Musical Companion and The Flower Kings
How are you adapting to the Covid-19 Pandemic? Musicians are adaptable, we are used to having to deal with the obscure … it’s harder for others I think, well again it’s about adapting, you cut your cloth according to your needs …
Are you working on a new release? We are working on a new release hopefully for later in the year
Are you planning on performing via a live streaming platform? Possibly, we will look at live streaming and other options.
Will you continue creating and performing now and after the dust settles? It obviously depends on us all getting through it …but we are always optimistic (our middle name ) I hope everyone stays safe.
John Young is the founder, keyboardist, and songwriter for British Prog Band Lifesigns as well as a touring member and or session musician for the likes of Bonnie Tyler, the Scorpions, and Fish among others.
How are you adapting to the Covid-19 Pandemic? Well after the recent surgeries I thought this was the beginning of a fresh new start however this terrible virus has taken us all by surprise, being diabetic I have heart disease I am very vulnerable. I have not had the flue for over 7 years so I do have a strong immune system. I will not take any chances and will remain in lockdown until this thing is under control. I have plenty to do ie writing new music and rehearsing them.
What type of challenges or opportunities has this presented to you? As above
Are you working on a new release? Yes, working on songs for the second part Planetary Overload “HOPE” and my Solo album, “The First and Last” and one other project which will be revealed later in the year
Are you planning on performing via a live streaming platform? Sean and I might do something for the upcoming vinyl release of Artificial TBC
Are you offering your fans any incentives to help support your music? I haven’t thought about it, but I think you will see two new videos released very shortly that will hopefully push the album a little
How has this affected you on a personal level? I am just worried about my family, my Dad is 92 on 28th and my step mum is still alive at home and is completely isolated so that’s a good thing but I still worry about them. My brother has diabetes and Heart disease too so Like me we have to be very careful.
Will you continue creating and performing now and after the dust settles? We are planning to back to the USA in the new year and we are working on a European tour. UPF and UNITOPIA
Mark Trueack is an Australian Vocalist, Songwriter & Producer for both UPF (United Progressive Fraternity) – Unitopia
I set my new solo album to free on Bandcamp and asked that anyone who wants to buy it, take it and give the money to another artist who might need it more than I do right now.
John Battema is a US-based Progressive Rock keyboardist for Ephemeral Sunas well as a solo artist
Well, I’m more bothered about the others at this point. This virus is a test for selfishness. And yep, Transport Aerian Reunion Belgium and Netherlands tour has gone to hell. But hey.
Hamlet is the founder and multi-instrumentalist of Transport Aerian, a Belgian Avant-garde prog band who’s recent release is a charity single calledBig Heart
Going through my recently acquired orchestration books. Just finished a symphonic pieces based on Peruvian folk music! Hopefully, I can premiere it sometime soon!
GabrielIwasaki is a Peruvian Prog Metal keyboardist and Composer, he has released two solo albums he’s also has recorded and toured with of Flor de Loto
ProgStock is celebrating its 2nd year as a Progressive Rock Festival held in Rahway, New Jersey at the Union County Performing Arts Center on October 5th, 6th, & 7th, 2018.
Patron Ticket Sales will end at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, June 12th, 2918
Regular Ticket Sales begin on the same day at 12:00 NOON!!
All remaining tickets will be on sale at that time and will be priced at $195 for lower level seating and $165 for mezzanine seating for the entire three days of ProgStock including our late-night events!!
The final artist line-up is listed below, however, Eddie Jobson, Michael Sadler, and Tom Brislin have not yet confirmed who will play in their bands, so there will be more artist news as it develops.
The performers at ProgStock 2018 are talking to each one other and should result in some special musical collaborations onstage during the festival weekend!!
ProgStock Schedule
Friday 10/5/2018
3:30 pm-4:30 pm – Orpheus Nine
4:30 pm-5:30 pm – break and meet & greet with Orpheus Nine
5:30 pm-7:30 pm – In Continuum
7:30 pm-9:00 pm – break and meet & greet with In Continuum
9:00p m-11:00 pm – Michael Sadler
11:00 pm – meet & greet with Michael Sadler
12:00 pm – ProgStock Late Night Event: House of Prog’s Progressive Coffeehouse featuring Dark Beauty, Steve Unruh, Rachel Flowers
Saturday 10/6/2018
11:00 am-12:00 pm – Ryche Chlanda & Flying Dreams
12:00 pm-1:00 pm – break and meet & greet with Ryche Chlanda & Flying Dreams
1:00 pm-2:15pm – Accordo dei Contrari
2:15 pm-3:30 pm – break and meet & greet with Accordo dei Contrari
3:30 pm-4:45 pm – Tom Brislin & Friends
4:45 pm-6:00 pm – break and meet & greet with Tom Brislin & Friends
6:00 pm-7:30 pm – Enchant
7:30 pm-9:00 pm – break and meet & greet with Enchant
9:00 pm-11:00 pm – IQ
11:00 pm – meet & greet with IQ
12:00 pm – ProgStock Late Night Event: Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius, Fernando Perdomo & Out to Sea-Band
Sunday 10/7/2018
11:30 am-1:00pm – IZZ
1:00 pm-2:30 pm – break and meet & greet with IZZ
2:30 pm-4:00 pm – Evership
4:00 pm-5:30 pm – break and meet & greet with Evership
5:30 pm-7:30 pm – Mystery
7:30 pm-9:00 pm – break and meet & greet with Mystery
9:00 pm-11:00 pm – Jobson Plays ‘UK’
11:00 pm – meet & greet with Jobson Plays ‘UK’
THE PROGRESSIVE COFFEHOUSE – LATE-NIGHT FRIDAY
Rachel Flowers
Steve Unruh (Resistor, The Samurai of Prog, UPF – United Progressive Fraternity)
Dark Beauty
Robert Schindler aka Robeone
LATE NIGHT SATURDAY NIGHT BANDS
Joe Deninzon and Stratospheerius
Fernando Perdomo and the Out-To-Sea Band
Visit the ProgStock website for information about hotels, transportation, and Rahway hospitality!! http://www.progstock.com
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