Friday, September 8, 2023 – What an amazing night of music!
What an amazing night of music at the Tarrytown Music Hall for #RocktheHall 2023. The five bands really brought it and it was a real challenge picking only one winner from such a diverse group of powerful performers.
But at the end of the day Divining Rod took home the prize.
Thanks to @no.grudges , @sophglewy , @thebadkittynyc, and @brianlarney .
A special thank you to Corcoran legends Realty and Rey Insurance Agency for their generous support. See you all at the Sleepy Hollow Music Festival next June. Stay tuned for details. Extra special thanks to River Towns Music Group & River Journal!!!
The 5th Annual, 2023 Rock The Hall Winner is…
Divining Rod
Divining Rod emerges from the pandemic with the release of an exciting new record. A residency on New York’s legendary Circle Line Cruises included playing long hours to rowdy audiences for two months. With Anthony TJ ‘Rocky’ Gallo (Cigarettes After Sex, John Legend), the well-seasoned band recorded and mixed 12 songs over a few days at Virtue and Vice Studios. Most of the tracks on Santa Monica & Other Golden Classics were recorded live over a few days. Songs that are melodic, playful, rowdy, and tender, swathed in reverb and played with heart. Originally, Divining Rod was the solo project of Hawaiian native Miyuki Furtado of the former TooPure recording artists, The Rogers Sisters. After recruiting guitarist Patrick Harmon, Furtado started playing shows handling guitar, vocals, and drums – utilizing his homemade suitcase drumset while Harmon added his unique guitar playing and harmonies to the mix. Second drummer John Malone and bassist Matt Svigals round out the band. diviningrodmusic.com
The other 5th Annual Rock The Hall Finalists
Brian Larney Band
Brian Larney Band is an eclectic, non-stop music making machine. The Connecticut native splits his time performing as a solo acoustic act and as the front-man of the Brian Larney Band. He’s an alt folk-rock singer-songwriter with an honest and thoughtful style that is as rooted in the pop music writers of the mid-1960’s and 1970s as the contemporary artists that he is often compared to. His songs are organic spoonfuls of classic pop and folk, naturally sweet, non-GMO, without the sugar crash; his style hearkens back to the days of the great American songbook, the Beatles and maybe even a bit of Partridge Family. He has been twice nominated for a New England Music award and his music has been featured on WFUV, WPLR and many college radio stations across the Northeast. He’s had placements in film and television and has shared the stage with artists like Cheap Trick, Big Head Todd and Extreme. The Brian Larney Band: Brian Larney – Vocals, Guitar, Keys Bob Hibson – Bass Nick D’Errico – Drums Gerry Giaimo – Lead Guitar youtube.com/brianlarney
No Grudges
Since High school, Gabriel and Crystalla have not only been songwriting partners but partners in real life. No Grudges is a band hailing from Queens, NY. Their sound is a blend of Punk, Funk, Rock and Soul. In 2011, they started their first band together which led them to be able to perform in NYC’s top venues such as Paramount Theater, Rockwood Music Hall, Irving Plaza, Gramercy Theater, Webster Hall, and even the infamous iHeartRadio Theater hosted by Z100. In the height of the pandemic, they launched a new project under the guise of No Grudges in April of 2020. They felt the name matched their new sound, but overall philosophy on life. They live streamed every single week for 5 months straight and grew a brand new following. With their weekly Instagram videos of covers and originals, they were able to get the attention of Tony Kanal, the bassist of No Doubt. Their cover of Janis Joplin’s “Piece of my Heart” was shared among the official Janis Joplin’s Instagram & Facebook accounts. They also joined TikTok and obtained 3k followers in their first week! This is just the beginning for them as they get ready to release their EP in the Fall of 2023. Nogrudges.co
Sophia McGlew
Sophia McGlew is a 23 year old singer songwriter from Briarcliff Manor New York. Sophia started writing songs in high school before she had confidence to play them live. After years of writing songs she finally self recorded and produced her first studio album which was released in February of 2021. Her debut album titled New Romance features her songs Medicine and Saturday. Sophia now has the confidence to rock and rule the stage with these songs playing shows live in several states. Her songs have also been played on broadcast radio and internet radio internationally and around the states. She describes her music as indie Rock and Indie pop drawing inspiration from her favorite acts such as The Cranberries, The B-52’s, and Snail Mail. Sophia is now back in the studio recording her second album. Her new songs have been well received at her live shows. sophiamcglew.com
Bad Kitty
Bad Kitty is a wild and sensuous New York City-based rock/power pop band fronted by Renee Kay, who throws down the gauntlet for the resurrection of female-fronted power pop, harkening the artistry, passion and musical chops of Pat Benatar. Founding member and musical foundation of the house of Bad Kitty is powerhouse drummer, Bart McLaughlin, whose penchant and aptitude for driving polyrhythms is bone-jarring. Guitarist Howard Collado brings a wild theatrical presence that compliments, and sometimes even rivals, that of Reneé. He backs it up by delivering a wide swath of musical inventiveness that blends endless genres. The final ingredient in this bubbling musical cauldron is bassist Coyln Hunt. With her long brown hair flowing down nearly to her knees, she could easily be taken for the leader of a witches coven, which might even be the case, as her gifted talent for bass playing is simply not of this world. Audiences are transformed by the incredibly high energy unleashed upon them by this 4-piece band. Bad Kitty’s EP, ‘Women 4 Rock’, is out on all major platforms. IG: @thebadkittynyc Live: vimeo.com/380979597
The 2023 Rock the Hall competition is over!
Join us again next year…
About Rock The Hall
Rock The Hall is designed to celebrate and elevate emerging musicians. Our judges, and prizes offer artists the opportunity to perform in front of a live audience and a first-rate panel of industry professionals. The premise is a good-natured, fun-filled evening of fantastic music, camaraderie, and community-building. Rock The Hall is also a fundraiser to support our local historic landmark theater.
The historic, Tarrytown Music Hall is one of the busiest theaters in the New York Metro region, offering the best in music, theater, dance, conversation, and film, and is a cultural destination, attracting over 100,000 people on an annual basis from all over the tri-state area. We feature world-class performers and musicians who appreciate The Music Hall for its intimate setting (843 seats), acoustics, and community enthusiasm. We are excited to bring new talent to The Music Hall Stage, through Rock The Hall, and look forward to hearing your music.
Rock The Hall Guidelines
- The competition is open to bands of all musical genres
- Bands at any stage of their musical pursuits may enter as long as they are currently not signed to a major label
- Bands must be available to perform live on September 8, 2023
- Bands must be eighteen (18) years of age or older to enter, or have the consent of a parent or guardian
- Participating bands may not be an employee, or related to any employee of Tarrytown Music Hall or any of our Sponsors
- Registration materials and songs must be submitted by midnight on August 15, 2023
- Semifinalists will be notified of their acceptance by August 31, 2022
- Bands will perform no longer than a 15 minute set
How To Enter
- Fill out an entry form, including a $25.00 non-refundable entry fee.
- Include digital access to 3 songs, 2 of the 3 must be original material. Accepted formats include links to artist website, social media, and/or YouTube.