Tag Archives: NYC

Cole Swindell’s Down Home Tour Kicks Off In NYC

November 12, 2015 secretfangirls Leave a comment

Cole Swindell’s second “Down Home” Tour kicked off last night at the Playstation Theater in NYC. Cole’s tour was the second country tour in as many weeks to have the first show in New York, and with good reason. (Thomas Rhett and Brett Eldredge’s “Suits and Boots” Tour hit Terminal 5) The country fans in NYC are crazy, passionate and excited about the music. The whole venue was singing and dancing all night long, even to the house music. Cole is the first country artist to headline the Monster Energy Outbreak Tour (alumni include Macklemore, Iggy Azalea, and Wale)

The crowd’s energy was off the charts for the first night of tour and Cole was just as hype, making sure to give attention to the fans in the balconies, in the pit, and all the way to the fans in the back row of the venue! He encouraged fans to “get up” on each others shoulders, while many in the crowd were busy doing 12-ounce curls. Let’s get weird, y’all!

It was one of those shows where you found yourself going “YES! THIS IS MY JAM!” for pretty much every song in the set. Cole has had 4 #1 hits from his debut album and counting, the latest being his single “Let Me See Ya Girl.” (OUR #1 JAM). Cole got his start working as a songwriter in Nashville and he’s written hits for Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett & more.

The tour was in support of Cole’s “Down Home Sessions II” EP, which was released last week. Cole played every track off the EP, and, judging from the crowd’s reaction, even more jams to add to your playlist. The tour also gave Cole the opportunity to get up close and personal with his fans, after spending most of the year in stadiums opening for Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean. Cole has definitely picked up some on stage pointers from Luke!

Of course, it wouldn’t be a country show without a some “USA! USA!” chants, which were especially fitting for the Veterans Day show. Cole’s hit “Ain’t Worth The Whiskey” was also the perfect song to end the night, as Cole told the audience he’d been “waiting to sing this song all day.” With Cole waving an American flag sourced from the front row, the entire crowd sang the last chorus for the troops. Cheers to a good country song!

Setlist:
Down Home Boys
Hey Y’all
The Way You’re Lovin’ Me Now
Brought To You By Beer
Get Up
Hope You Get Lonely Tonight
Roller Coaster
Shuttin’ It Down
Dangerous After Dark
Blue Lights
Let Me See Ya Girl
Kiss
Ready
Get Me Some Of That
Beer In The Headlights
First Radio
Chillin’ It
This Is How We Roll
Ain’t Worth The Whiskey

Be sure to pickup a copy of the “Down Home Sessions II” EP on iTunes now, grab your down home crew and get to one of Cole’s upcoming shows!

Be sure to follow Cole Swindell & Secret Fangirls for more updates!

Country Music, Music, On Tour

NashFM 94.5 Announces NASH BASH 2015 At Beacon Theatre

September 24, 2015 secretfangirls Leave a comment

Nash Bash is BACK! NashFM just announced they are hosting their next Nash Bash at the legendary Beacon Theater in New York City on October 26th. Last year’s event brought Cole Swindell, Jana Kramer, Michael Ray, and Gloriana to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. It’s by far one of the biggest country music parties in NYC! This year’s lineup includes Lee Brice and Rodney Atkins. Tickets are on sale now!

NashFM’s Nash Bash 2015
October 26th at 7pm
Beacon Theatre – New York, NY
Rodney Atkins
Lee Brice
Dylan Scott
Mo Pitney
Buy Tickets

Watch the video for Lee Brice’s “I Don’t Dance” below!

Be sure to follow NashFM 94.7 & Secret Fangirls for more updates!

Boys We Like, Music, Show Review

Nathan Sykes Makes US Solo Debut With Sold Out Gramercy Theatre Show

July 23, 2015 secretfangirls 1 Comment

Nathan Sykes made his solo US debut with a sold out show at Gramercy Theatre in New York City last night. Nathan made a name for himself as the youngest and arguably the strongest vocalist in the British boyband, The Wanted which has since disbanded. After a few minor set backs like vocal surgery, Nathan is ready to take over the pop world! He’s armed with a velvety smooth voice and a classic sound that even your parents will love. And trust us, the man can SING.

A few hours before the show started, Nathan had tweeted that he was feeling under the weather and he wasn’t sure if he could even make the show. But he pulled through and sounded incredible! Nathan still hit every note and gave 110% into his performance. You never know what to expect from a debut show where the crowd doesn’t know all the songs, but Nathan had the house dancing from start to finish. In between songs, Nathan announced his debut solo album will be released in January 2016 in the United States. We can’t wait to hear recorded versions of our favorite songs from last night like “Twist,” “Freedom,” and “Money.”

Nathan Sykes at Gramercy Theatre NYC July 22nd, 2015

It was a fitting place for Nathan to launch his solo career. The Wanted played a show at Gramercy Theatre that was “where it all began,” for the band, as Nathan mentioned during the show. After last night, we’re sure that this is also the start of something new and exciting and we can’t wait to be along for the ride! We love Nathan’s 60s rat pack style and sound, and the fact that he plays with a full, 8 piece band, including a horn section. Oh, and did we mention Nathan can DANCE? It’s always a question mark whether or not a boyband member can go solo, but we just might have another JT.

Nathan Sykes at NYC’s Gramercy Theatre July 22nd, 2015
Intro
Twist
Freedom
Earned It (cover)
Over And Over Again
Famous
More Than You’ll Ever Know
Money
Kiss Me Quick

Be sure to pick up a copy of “Kiss Me Quick” on iTunes or Amazon.

Follow Nathan Sykes & Secret Fangirls on Twitter.

Big Time Rush, Boy Bands, Boys We Like, Music

James Maslow to Perform at Stream Con in NYC 10/31!

July 17, 2015 secretfangirls 2 Comments

Yesterday was James Maslow’s 25th birthday, and he decided to celebrate by giving a gift to all of his fans! James announced he is performing at Stream Con in NYC this October! James has been busy working on solo music since his run to the finals of “Dancing With The Stars” last year, and this will be one of his first solo performances. We can’t WAIT to hear what he has in store, because he was always one of our favorites from Big Time Rush. We can only hope that he’ll continue to dance, because on both BTR and DTWS, he totally crushed it. The Vine below pretty much sums up our excitement about James’ announcement.

Visit the Stream Con website for more info on James’ performance, which will be on Saturday, October 31st. He will be doing a meet and greet as well, so stay tuned for more info!

Stream Con
October 30-November 1st
Javits Center – New York, NY
Buy Tickets

Watch James’ last cover of “Cheerleader” below.

Be sure to follow James Maslow and Secret Fangirls for more updates!

Boys We Like, Jake Miller, Music, On Tour, Show Review

Jake Miller’s Dazed and Confused Tour Hits NYC

July 10, 2015 secretfangirls Leave a comment

You know you’re in for a good night when a show kicks off with a blast of confetti! Jake Miller kept the energy level high from start to finish at the second stop of the Dazed and Confused Tour at the Best Buy Theater in NYC last night. The concert was one big dance party, led by Jake and his DJ.

Jake surprised everyone by dropping an EP the day of the tour kickoff. The “Rumors” EP had been out approximately 44 hours by the time of Jake’s NYC show, but that didn’t stop the crowd from knowing every single word to the new tracks. He played nearly the entire EP: “Rumors,” “Shake It,” “Selfish Girls,” and “Yellow Lights” were all highlights of his set.

Jake took time to interact with fans in the crowd, asking how long people had been in line (11 hours for one, and overnight for another in the front row!) Of course, when Jake called out some fans to say “hey, what’s your name?” he had to do it twice so they could take a video.

Other highlights of the set included a cover of “Uptown Funk,” which Jake turned into a club remix (like we said, one big dance party). One of the most touching moments of the set was Jake’s performance of “A Million Lives,” which he said would be many fans’ favorite moment of the show. The song perfectly captures the relationship between an artist and fan, and the power of music.

Jake even invited a lucky fan on stage to rap with him during his encore of “Dazed and Confused.” Watch the video below!

Setlist
Lion Heart
Hollywood
First Flight Home
Rumors
High Life
Uptown Funk (cover)
Party in the Penthouse
Selfish Girls / Cover Medley
Glow
There Is No One Like Me
Yellow Lights
A Million Lives
Ghost
Shake It
I’m Alright
Day Without Your Love
Collide
Dazed and Confused

Pickup a copy of the “Rumors” EP on iTunes and check out all of Jake’s upcoming tour dates HERE!

Be sure to follow Jake Miller and Secret Fangirls for more updates!

Big Time Rush, Heffron Drive, Kendall Schmidt, Music, On Tour

Heffron Drive’s “Happy Mistakes Unplugged Tour” Swings Into NYC

July 2, 2015 secretfangirls Leave a comment

Heffron Drive kicked off their Summer mini-tour last night in front of a sold out crowd at NYC’s Webster Hall. The tour is in support of the “Happy Mistakes Unplugged” album that bandmates Kendall Schmidt and Dustin Belt released earlier this year. They played the full album from start to finish on acoustic guitars, bringing their full band along for the show. The enthusiastic crowd sang along to every word. You could tell it was an album they had lived with for a while. Kendall and Dustin were appreciative of their support, thanking them for being there and that they could tell the crowd appreciated the band coming out as well. It was a love fest all around.

When it comes to crowd interaction, artists either have it or they don’t. Heffron Drive completely nailed it, responding to whatever the crowd shouted out without missing a beat, having small conversations with fans near the stage, and taking time to introduce each song. It made the show seem even more personal and intimate.

Highlights of the set included a stripped down performance of “Could Be Home,” which Kendall performed solo. He said he wanted to have at least one track on the album that had “one vocal, one guitar, one take.” More up-tempto tracks like “Had To Be Panama” and “Nicotine” had the whole place rocking, acoustic or not. The album features a duet with Kendall’s Big Time Rush bandmate Logan Henderson, who sadly wasn’t available for the show to sing his part. But no worries – the crowd filled in for his parts on “Passing Time” just fine!

Setlist
Happy Mistakes
Parallel
Division of the Heart
Had to Be Panama
Nicotine
Art of Moving On
Passing Time
Could Be Home
Everything Has Changed

Check out the rest of Heffron Drive’s tour dates HERE and pickup a copy of “Happy Mistakes Unplugged” on iTunes now! Watch their video of “Division of the Heart” below.

Be sure to follow Heffron Drive & Secret Fangirls for more updates!

Country Music, Music, On Tour

Kelsea Ballerini To Play NYC’s Gramercy Theatre July 16

June 26, 2015 secretfangirls Leave a comment

Kelsea Ballerini just hit #1 on the country charts with her hit “Love Me Like You Mean It.” She is the first female to hit #1 on country radio with a debut single since Carrie Underwood in 2006. Needless to say, it’s been a great year for Kelsea, who released her debut album “The First Time” in May. She just announced her first headlining show in NYC at Gramercy Theatre in July. Tickets are on sale now!

Kelsea Ballerini
Gramercy Theatre – New York, NY
July 16th at 7pm
Buy Tickets

Watch the video for “Love Me Like You Mean It” below and pickup a copy of her album on iTunes now!

Be sure to follow Kelsea Ballerini & Secret Fangirls for more updates!

90s, Boy Bands, Music, NKOTB, On Tour, Show Review

The Main Event Tour With NKOTB & TLC Hits Long Island, NY

June 21, 2015 secretfangirls Leave a comment

There ain’t no party like a Block Party! New Kids On The Block’s Summer Tour, aptly titled, “The Main Event,” stopped at Nassau Coliseum in Long Island over the weekend. As with any NKOTB event, it was a nonstop party from start to finish! It was everything we expected from this tour, and more. NKOTB know how to BRING IT each and every night on stage. Our review started as a fangirl keysmash but we managed to recover enough to write actual words.

Round 1: Nelly
Nelly got the party started with hits like “Country Grammar,” “Ride Wit Me” and “Hot in Herre,” making everyone feel like they were back in high school.

Round 2: TLC
T-Boz and Chilli win for best outfits of the night. Their holographic jumpsuits and their dancers’ “TLC” printed overalls made us feel like we were back in 1999. The highlight of the set was a singalong to their hit “Waterfalls,” as the crowd held up lights in memory of Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes.

Round 3: New Kids On The Block
The New Kids just get better and better with age. NKOTB know how to put on a SHOW. They also know how to make every fan in the arena feel like a part of the action. Their stage setup is one of the coolest we’ve ever seen, with moving risers and multiple runways, so everyone has a chance to be close to the band. And they know exactly what the fangirls want. Change cam? Check. Tuxedos? Check. Dance Moves? Check.

Their set was a mix of old favorites and recent ones, and the year of each song’s release was written on the big screen – from 1984 to 2013. After singing “Please Don’t Go Girl,” Joey McIntyre said he’d been singing that song for 27 years, and asked the crowd if he could sing for 27 more, generating lots of screams from the audience (YES, PLEASE!)

Jordan Knight came out for a solo segment, his white shirt billowing open thanks to a couple of wind machines. Joey McIntyre followed, but decided to take things one step further and abandoned his shirt entirely. Donnie Wahlberg, once known for his tank top ripping and getting extremely um, close to fans in the front row, is happily married now to Jenny McCarthy, who was also in attendance. Instead of his old antics, Donnie led the crowd in a singalong of “Lean On Me,” while hundreds of #SelfiesForDonnie rotated on the big screen.

A highlight of the show was when the band dispersed into the crowd during “Tonight,” getting even closer to some lucky fans. Joey’s adorable son Griffin kicked off the song, singing from on top of the piano. He even did a spinning headstand. Trust us, this kid is going to be playing arenas with (we hope) his own boyband one day!

NKOTB are kicking off the 1st of 2 nights at Madison Square Garden tonight. There’s just a few more stops left on The Main Event Tour, but if you can get to a show, it’s a MUST.

Setlist:
Block Party
Crash
My Favorite Girl
You Got It (The Right Stuff)
The Whisper
Let’s Try It Again
Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time) / Valentine Girl / If You Go Away / Never Can Say Goodbye / Please Don’t Go Girl
Remix
Summertime
Dirty Dancing
Just A Friend / Good Vibrations
Tonight
Baby I Believe In You (Jordan solo)
Give It To You (Jordan solo)
Sweet Dreams (Joey solo)
Twisted (Joey solo)
I Need You / Lean On Me (Donnie solo)
Cover Girl (Donnie solo)
Games
Step By Step
I’ll Be Loving You Forever
Hangin’ Tough

Visit our Tumblr page for lots more photos from the show, such as the one below. Be sure to follow NKOTB & Secret Fangirls for more updates!

Boys We Like, Jake Miller, Music, On Tour

Jake Miller To Play Free Show at Coney Island’s Luna Park June 27th

June 21, 2015 secretfangirls Leave a comment

We can’t think of anything better than a concert at the beach in the Summer…especially a free one! Jake Miller is playing at Luna Park in Coney Island this Saturday, June 27th! The School’s Out Bash will feature a day of fun activities followed by a free Jake Miller concert at 5pm! Click here for more details on the event.

Jake Miller Free Show
Coney Island, New York
West 10th Street
June 27th at 5pm
More Info

Watch the video for Jake’s latest single, “Dazed and Confused” and pickup a copy on iTunes!

Be sure to follow Jake Miller and Secret Fangirls for more updates!

Country Music, Friday Five, Music

Friday Five: FarmBorough Festival Day 2 Preview

June 19, 2015 secretfangirls Leave a comment

We’ve been counting down the days since FarmBorough Festival was announced in October, but we’re finally just one week away from the big day! Last week we took a look at what artists to catch on opening day. Here are our must-see acts for Day 2, Saturday, June 27th when NYC goes Country!

1) Mickey Guyton – Main Stage – 3:00 PM
Mickey is one of country’s hottest young stars, and has been compared to LeAnn Rimes. She just released her first EP to rave reviews, and is currently on tour with Brad Paisley.

2) Brandy Clark – Main Stage – 3:50 PM
Brandy has written hits for nearly all of the big names in Nashville, including “Mama’s Broken Heart” with Kacey Musgraves. She was nominated for Best New Artist at the 2015 Grammy Awards for her stellar solo debut.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knhsbosT7ao

3) Striking Matches – Next From Nashville Stage – 4:15 PM
We were first struck by Striking Matches’ talent when they opened for Hunter Hayes a couple of years ago. We’re glad the duo is finding success after the release of their debut album earlier this year and can’t wait to see them again!

4) Charlie Worsham – Main Stage – 5:00 PM
Charlie has been working on his second album, a follow up to 2013’s “Rubberband.” We hope to hear some of what he’s been working on at the Festival!

5) Sturgill Simpson – Next From Nashville Stage – 7 PM
Sturgill has been making the festival rounds this year, already playing at Coachella, Stagecoach, Bonnaroo and Governor’s Ball, he knows how to win over any crowd.

We are all fangirls at heart.