Robert Johnson News

Bang on a Can will present an ALL LIVE Bang on a Can Marathon on Sunday, May 3, 2020 from 3pm-9pm ET. The Marathon will be streamed online at marathon2020.bangonacan.org, featuring 26 LIVE performances from musicians' homes in NYC and around the country.

'I think everybody just needs to do what's in their heart and play what they need to play. I don't think the blues has to go any particular direction; I think everybody who creates in this genre need to do it their own way.' -- Albert Castiglia, on the future of the blues...

'Real isn't how you are made, but it's something that happens to you.' Based on the classic, award-winning children's book by Margery Williams, our world premiere production of The Velveteen Rabbit follows the journey of a toy rabbit on its quest to becoming real.

PlayPenn, the new play development organization which assisted in the development of the Tony Award-winning international hit OSLO by J.T. Rogers, has announced their 2020 New Play Development Conference Plays and Haas Fellows.

Peter Karp is known for many things. An assertive singer, a skilled guitarist and a passionate performer, he's also an individual who writes songs that frequently reflect tales told as part of life's journey, spawned by passion and personal experience.

Enjoy a rare thing: A black musical rooted in the blues that conjures up mythic characters and is also, fundamentally, a feel-good family story. THUNDER KNOCKING ON THE DOOR in the hands of the social activist theater company Ten Thousand Things is a celebration of love, music, movement, and the mystical moments that cause us to transform into new, fuller versions of ourselves.

The Ben Rice Blues Band embark on their Spring 2020 Tour, with a local performance at Full Circle Brewing Company, 620 F Street, Thursday, February 20. Showtime is 8 p.m. and admission is free. 

The Tony-winning Roald Dahl classic finds its way to the stage through the eyes of Matilda Wormwood – a brilliant little girl with a few special powers, learning to tell her story in the world of characters like Ms. Honey, The Trunchbull, and many more!

Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram, the head-turning 20-year-old blues guitarist and vocalist from Clarksdale, Mississippi, will perform live at the Brooklyn Bowl in Brooklyn on Thursday, February 27, 2020. Ingram is embarking on his second headlining tour, “Fish Grease 2: A Juke Joint Tour,” traveling across North America and Canada this winter. In addition to his headlining dates, he will also open shows for Buddy Guy and Vampire Weekend. His debut on Alligator Records, Kingfish, received a Grammy Award nomination, and was declared the #1 Best Blues Album Of 2019 by tastemaker UK music magazine MOJO. NPR Music included Kingfish in their list of Best Debut Albums of 2019. Ingram recently received five 2020 Blues Music Award nominations including nods for Album Of The Year, Best Emerging Artist Album and Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year. The 41st Annual Blues Music Awards will be presented by the Blues Foundation in Memphis on May 7, 2020. With his eye-popping guitar playing and his reach-out-and-grab-you-by-the-collar vocals, Kingfish delivers each song with unmatched passion and precision. NPR Music calls him a “rising blues prodigy…a torchbearer.” Concert information is as follows:

Shakespeare once wrote, a?oeIf music be the food of love, play on!a?? Although he was talking about satiating an appetite for love, why not listen to music to celebrate love? You can extend the Valentine's Day festivities this year by going to see Dennis Johnson and the Mississippi Ramblers perform at The Sofia on February 15. Their show has been called a?oea must seea?? by Modesto View Magazine and Johnson was lauded as a a?oemaster slide guitarista?? by Rootstime Magazine. BroadwayWorld Sacramento spoke to Johnson about the upcoming performance and what we can expect in the future.

The Fire This Time Festival, the destination for early career and emerging playwrights from the African diaspora, announces its 2020 dates. The 14-day festival, presented in collaboration with FRIGID New York, which annually honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will take place from January 20 to February 2, 2020. This year, seven commissioned dramatists will be presented in repertoire as part of the annual celebration held at the Kraine Theater in the East Village.

City Winery Chicago, 1200 W. Randolph Street, announces two-time Grammy Award-winning country artist Rodney Crowell, funk-soul group Robert Randolph & the Family Band and more. The following shows go on sale to the public on Friday, December 13 at noon. Tickets will be available at citywinery.com/chicago.

Deadline reports that 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse' director Peter Ramsey will direct 'Love In Vain,' a new biopic about Blues pioneer Robert Johnson.

Carolyn Dorfman Dance, a premiere modern dance company based in New Jersey and New York City, makes their debut performance at the new Madison Community Arts Center at 10 Kings Road, on Sunday, November 17, at 3:00 p.m. Tickets for the limited space venue are $20.00 for adults and $10.00 for students.

For the final performance of the 2019 season, The Church of Beethoven, Oak Park will introduce its audience to Soprano Josefien Stopplenburg, who is jointing lutenist Joel Spears who performed last year.

Carolyn Dorfman Dance, a premiere modern dance company based in New Jersey and New York City, will make a special appearance in Orlando at the Dr. Phillips High School Auditorium, 6500 Turkey Lake Road, on Saturday, October 19 at 7:30 p.m. The performance is a mid-residency event by the dance company which begins on Tuesday, October 15th and includes a residency at Dr. Phillips High School in which the company will teach daily master classes and set a work on student dancers. Master Classes for high school, college and the public will take place during the week from Orlando to Tampa.

Renowned guitarist, multi-platinum-selling singer-songwriter, bandleader and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Steve Miller has released a new song from his rarities box set, WELCOME TO THE VAULT, out October 11 via Sailor/Capitol/UMe. The song, 'Say Wow!,' recorded by Miller in 1973, is making its release debut with WELCOME TO THE VAULT.

Trojan Jamaica is proud to announce the release of the groundbreaking new compilation, RED, GOLD, GREEN & BLUE, available July 12, 2019 at all music retailers and streaming services.

Ida Mae's new record Chasing Lights was released on June 7th, and is currently #10 on Billboard's 'Heatseekers' album chart. The record has been widely acclaimed by publications including Rolling Stone Country who dubbed Ida Mae one of '10 New Country and Americana Artists You Need to Know', as well as NPR's 'All Songs Considered'. 

Next week, FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club & Private Event Destination, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond.