Another Todd Alsup and MajorWho NACA Showcase!

Another MajorWho and Todd Alsup NACA success! Todd was selected for a showcase at the Mid-Atlantic Festival, a smaller NACA conference for schools in the region that didn't attend the main conference in the fall.

This is another great opportunity for Todd to perform for hundreds of student talent buyers and bookers from college campuses across the region. Todd already has a full calendar of college dates in the spring and we'll be looking to build on that success at the MAT Festival and continue to book more college dates throughout the Spring and Fall of 2010.

Here's a great shot of Todd hanging with Matt Pinfield backstage at the John Varvatos Road Recovery event from last week. Photo by Tracy Ketcher.

Road Recovery Benefit @ Varvatos Store (CBGB) a great success!

What a night! MajorWho was thrilled to help support Road Recovery's benefit concert last week at John Varvatos' store in NYC. His store is located in the old CBGB's and gets used occasionally as a performance space. So many of the performers and Road Recovery staff walked in with nostalgia in their eyes, remembering back as many as 30 years since their first gigs they played and attended at CBGB's.

Emceed by longtime Road Recovery supporter Matt Pinfield and his radio partner Leslie Fram, the show opened with performances by Road Recovery Performance Workshops, followed by the Road Recovery Staff band including: Knox Chandler on bass, Adam Roth on guitar, Mark Boquist on drums, Owen Comansky on guitar, Tom Dudley bv's- and Road Recovery house band Crazy James. It is such a thrill to see the kids perform the songs for a packed house that we've produced and recorded with them in the studio. The staff band was joined by MajorWho artist Todd Alsup, who sat in on keys and sang a fantastic version of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground."

Road Recovery Participants Meet With Peter Frampton Before The Show

Following the opening bands, the first of the two headliners performed. Denis Leary and The Enablers (featuring Road Recovery staff Adam Roth and Owen Comaskey) did their hybrid comedy-rock routine, including some of Denis' more well known songs such as "The Rehab Song," "F*** You," and his most famous, "A**hole."

Then came the headliner - the legendary Peter Frampton. Peter played a mostly acoustic set, but was joined by a keyboard player and bassist. The crowd loved hearing his classics - "Show Me The Way," "Baby I Love Your Way," and "Do You Feel Like We Do." He broke out the Framptone guitar/vocoder sound to raucous applause. For his encore, Frampton did his rendition of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and then invited the Enablers on stage for a reprise of "A**hole."

The show was packed, John Varvatos was a gracious host, and was a terrific night for Road Recovery. All of the artists voiced their overwhelming support for Road Recovery, who both raised money and awareness for their cause. Congrats to Gene Bowen, Jack Bookbinder, and the entire Road Recovery family for such a successful event. We look forward to many more amazing Road Recovery events and collaborations in the new year.

John Varvatos with MajorWho Artist Todd Alsup

Todd Alsup + MajorWho @ NACA

We're here in Lancaster, PA - home of the Amish, Shoo-fly pies, and the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) Mid-Atlantic Conference. We're presenting MajorWho artist Todd Alsup at our booth, meeting student talent buyers from colleges around the region.

Todd's got a showcase tomorrow afternoon, which is a distinction most of the exhibitors would die for - it's a chance to perform for the entire convention and reach all the delegates in a single shot. Last year after his showcase in Hartford, our booth was mobbed with talent buyers.

Here's a quick pic of Todd talking to students at our booth.


Last year's showcase translated into a slew of great college gigs for Todd and we're already off to a great start this year.

Todd Alsup News - PBS Placement and NACA Showcase

Fun news from the world of Todd Alsup. Major Who recently found out that Todd's song "Good Fight" from his EP "Facts and Figures" is going to be used in the PBS show "Road Trip Nation." This show is a perfect match for Todd's song, which talks about pursuing your dreams. Way to go on getting this license!

About the show (from www.roadtripnation.com):

• It all started with four friends and one dilemma: "what do I want to do with my life?" Fresh out of college and unsure about the career paths in front of them, they were determined to expose themselves to more than just the traditional life roads. They hopped in an old RV, painted it green, and hit the road to talk with inspiring people from all walks of life to find out how they came to do what they love for a living.
• Today, Roadtrip Nation has evolved into a PBS series, three books, an online community, and a student movement. We send people on the road who are interested in exploring the world outside their comfort zone, talking with individuals who chose to define their own road in life, and sharing their experiences with our generation.

In other fantastic news, Todd was selected as a showcase artist at this year's NACA Mid-Atlantic conference. It is the second year in a row Todd will have a NACA showcase. It's quite an honor to be one of the only musicians chosen for showcase out of hundreds of submissions. Todd will have a chance to perform for hundreds of college students that book talent for their campuses. 50 shows or bust!

Todd Alsup gets another NACA Showcase!

Todd Alsup and Major Who Booking have once again impressed the college crowd, being chosen for a second year in a row for a NACA (National Association for Campus Activities) showcase - this time at the Mid-Atlantic festival in Lancaster, PA.

There were over 700 submissions for only about 50 showcase slots, of which fewer than 15 were given to musicians.

Todd will be performing for 1000 student talent buyers from colleges across the region. Last year, Todd's Northeast Convention showcase translated into a slew of gigs up and down the east coast, and we're sure that with this year's showcase we will build on that success in the coming school year.

Songwriters Hall Of Fame, Todd Alsup and Lamont Dozier !

I had a wonderful evening last night with Todd Alsup at the Kaufman Center for the 2009 Songwriters Hall of Fame Abe Olman Scholarship for Excellence in Songwriting awards ceremony.

This year's scholarship winners

This year Todd was selected as one of the showcase artists on the 2009 Songwriters Hall of Fame CD for his song "The Good Fight" and spent the evening mixing it up with current and previous recipients of the award including Wes Hutchinson and new Major Who and Threshold Music Studios friend Kirsten Thien.

Preceding the award ceremony there was a Master Class given by songwriting icon Lamont Dozier, of Holland-Dozier-Holland, the songwriting powerhouse who created the Motown Sound, writing the hits for the Supremes, the Temptations and many more. Real words of wisdom and insight from a legend!

Todd and I spent some time with Lamont, who was also celebrating his 68th birthday! A brief list of Mr. Doziers credits include: Where Did Our Love Go, Baby Love, How Sweet it is (To Be Loved by You), Stop! In The Name of Love, I can't help myself (Sugar Pie Honeybunch), Standing in the Shadows of Love, and You Can't Hurry Love.

Todd Alsup w/ Lamont Dozier

Jezebel Music props for Todd Alsup

Here is a very cool recent review of Todd Alsup from Alicia Dreilinger of Jezebel Music.

March 30, 2009

Todd Alsup

LOCAL SPOTLIGHT NYC
It’s always a pleasure to discover new pop music that excites – because, so often, at best it succeeds at being merely pleasant and chummy. Fortunately, singer-songwriter/pianist Todd Alsup proves that some pop can still transcend the suspect platitudes most listeners have come to expect. Alsup accomplishes this by balancing his serious musicianship – his piano chops have merited a sponsorship by Yamaha – with a hint of gentle playfulness. Consequently, his talent never feels forced upon the listener. Rather, his songs shimmer with warmth, allowing them to be pensive and personal without ever teetering on standoffish and insular. He admixes into this recipe his significant vocal range. He hits the notes right, with an integrity equal to that displayed by his piano playing. In addition to venues outside of the city, Alsup frequently performs around town at places such as Rockwood Music Hall. As his career keeps galloping forward, be sure to check out its vital velocity.

by Alicia Dreilinger

www.toddalsup.com

Todd Alsup and Neil Diamond at NYU !!

Todd Alsup was asked to perform this week @ the NYU Skirball Center in NYC during an event honoring his friend and former NYU Professor / President Emeritus Dr. L. Jay Oliva. Todd's 2 song set went along with performances and speeches from several other entertainment / business alumni including Neil Diamond , Broadway stars Elena Shaddow (Light in the Piazza Natl. Tour), Peter Lockyer (South Pacific) and Baakari Wilder (Noise/Funk) in addition to Todd Alsup, jazz musician Matt Shulman, sportscaster Kenny Albert and more. Todd and Mr. Diamond had a chance to chat it up at the reception afterward and we managed to get a pic..

Turned out to be a nice excuse to get my suit on.. AND my Neil on- because, i must admit, i am a full on Neil fan. Having Todd on the same stage was very special..

Alec Gross kills 'em dead at Canal Room. Cassidy rocks out..

What a great night of friends, fans and music we had at the Canal Room this past week during Alec Gross' EP release party- featuring an earlier set by The Cassidy Project.

I've included a couple of shots below, and will post up some of the music and video when it becomes available, but if you missed the show- well.. that's your bad.


These photos were provided by Alec's friend Nicole Caldwell and edited by MW. Her blog is: kobiashimaru.blogspot.com

The show also proved to be a who's who of local musicians showing their support including Todd Alsup, Katy Pfafll, Phil Galitzine of Atomic Tom, Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil, Nate Campany, and more..

March Madness Music Gigs

So you thought fun was over in February? Guess Again! March is just as hoppin! Get ready for some great performances by Alec Gross, Diane Birch, Paula Valstein, Todd Alsup and many others!

March 2nd
8pm: Diane Birch @ Ella Lounge

March 3rd
9pm: Paula Valstein @ Joe's Pub

March 6th
8pm: Alec Gross @ Think Coffee

March 10th
8pm: Supove @The Stone

March 12th
8:30pm: Diane Birch @ Cornelia Street Cafe

March 13th
9pm: Wes Hutchinson @ Rockwood Music Hall

March 19th
7pm: AtomicTom @ Pianos

March 26th
8pm: Casey Shae @ Union Hall

March 27th
8pm: Todd Alsup @ Rockwood Music Hall
8:30pm: Katy Pfaffl @ Bar4 in Park Slope
9pm: Shayna Zaid @ Rockwood Music Hall

March 30th
3pm: Alec Gross @ Eastern Connecticut State University

Upcoming Shows! Fun-filled February!!!

Here are some of the hottest Indie performers you don't want to miss! The weather starts to warm up and people come out from hibernation, what better way to enjoy it than with some music...

February 10th
7pm: Diane Birch @ Irving Plaza

February 12th
8pm: Risa Binder @ Westpoint Military Academy
8:30pm: Diane Birch @ Cornelia St. Cafe
9pm: AtomicTom @ Canal Room

February 13th
8:30pm: Katy Pfaffl @ Living Room
9pm: Wes Hutchinson @ Rockwood Music Hall

February 14th (Valentine's Day, don't forget those flowers!)
11am: Paula Valstein on WPKN Radio
12pm: Shayna Zaid on WPKN Radio
8pm: Todd Alsup @ Mattison Park

February 16th
8pm: Diane Birch @ Ella Lounge

February 17th
8pm: Wes Hutchinson @ Pianos

February 22nd
7pm: Lights Resolve @ Mercury Lounge

February 23rd
8pm: Diane Birch @ Ella Lounge

February 26th
8pm: Alec Gross @ The Canal Room (Record Release Party!!!)

February 27th
8:30pm: Katy Pfaffl @ Bar4 in Park Slope

February 28th
8pm: Casey Shea @ Pianos (with special guest Wes Hutchinson on bass)
11pm: Shayna Zaid @ Rockwood Music Hall

*More info regarding addresses and cover charge at bottom of blog*

Todd Alsup with Rich Hammond and Aaron Comess

MajorWho and Steve Greenwell are doing another track for Todd Alsup with Aaron Comess (think Spin Doctors) on drums and Rich Hammond (Joan Osbourne) on bass.
Sounds GREAT!..

pss.. Todd's track "MONDAY" is mixed and will be up on the sites by the end of next week.

Todd Show at Rockwood

Come get in the Holiday Spirit with a spectacular, heart warming performance by Todd Alsup!

**The weather outside might be frightful, but the music will be delightful!**



Rockwood Music Hall
196 Allen St
Friday, December 12 @11:00 pm

No Cover! 18+ with valid ID

Come unwind with a great night of music- but be sure to come early for the best seat in the house!

Bring your friends and spread the word!

MajorWho Media is an artist development and music production and publishing company founded by Sheldon Steiger and James Walsh. Visit our website and blog for community updates.

Highlights: NACA Northeast Conference

This weekend (Nov. 6-9) definitely turned out to be a great one at the NACA Northeast Conference. Although it was cold and rainy outside, it sure was warm and welcoming inside the CAMP Marketplace! Our booth was bustling with curious college students; walking away with Todd Alsup gift bags and a one-of-a-kind song by Alec in the making.
A few booths down from us were these crazy guys with all sorts of exotic animals! Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Well, not really, but he had an alligator, a South American raccoon, a fox, a couple snakes (Todd's favorite), a bobcat, and a chinchilla! I was happy to have pet both the fox and the chinchilla (cutest animals ever!)
Todd was given the chance to shine by performing at the 11:00 showcase on Saturday morning. As usual, he gave the performance of a lifetime, engaging the crowd with his energetic personality and voice. He did awesome singing in front of a crowd of more than 1,000+ people! Alec Gross had a great following as well and was in the running to perform a few songs for the on-sight selected showcase.
After Todd's showcase, we all relaxed outside. Slowly, the students emerged from the room and came over to congratulate Todd on such a wonderful performance! Later, at the 4pm CAMP Marketplace, our booth was flooded with students who wanted to meet Todd. Many of them told him how amazing he was, while others mentioned how much they connected with his music. Todd was a celebrity for an hour, and we must have given away almost 80 bags! It was CRAZY! Alec did well for himself too! Alec wrote 50 personalized songs for enthusiastic students. Every student that heard their song reacted with overwhelming joy and laughter!
Overall, it was a successful weekend for everyone. We met some great people, made some awesome friends and hope to visit them at their campus in the near future!
The picture above is the MajorWho Booth #629! From the left- Jeremy Sklarsky, Carla Bissi, Alec Gross, James Walsh, Todd Alsup.

NACA - Great Success!

Carla Bissi, Todd Alsup Jeremy Sklarsky, James Walsh, and Alec Gross at the MajorWho Booth at NACA MidAtlantic 2008

MajorWho is back home after a great weekend in Lancaster, PA at the NACA Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference. MWM was there with artists Todd Alsup and Alec Gross. They made a lot of great contacts with student leaders and activities planners from colleges across the region.

NACA is really an incredible thing. Students want entertainment on their campuses, but don't have the means on their own to seek out artists, especially independent ones. This gives artists like Todd, Alec, and the others we work with at MajorWho the chance to directly reach the bookers on these campuses.

We're really looking forward to another conference next week in Hartford, CT, where Todd will be showcasing - which we noticed really does make a huge difference. We had a great time there to be sure - but we can't wait to reach the people the best way we know how: Todd singing at the piano for 700 college students.

Its the little things:) Todd Alsup and YAMAHA

Todd Alsup has recently been endorsed by Yamaha, what a great honor! Click on the following links to check out his picture on the Yamaha website!

Todd Alsup gets Yamaha Endorsement!

Very exciting news from the halls of MajorWho. We're proud to announce that Todd Alsup has been elected as a Yamaha Endorsement Artist. Todd will join a select list of amazing artists who Yamaha helps support, including Elton John, Paul McCartney, Norah Jones, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Sara Bareilles, Gavin DeGraw, and Sheryl Crow.

Out of a long list of applicants to this program, Todd was one of the very few who were chosen. Yamaha picked up on what we've known since we met Todd - he is an artist with tons of talent and untold potential.

Other exciting Todd news:
Todd's song "The Good Fight" has been put into rotation on college radio stations around the Northeast and Midatlantic regions - at least 15 stations (that we know of) have added him in the last week alone.

Congrats Todd on all the success!

Todd Alsup @ Rockwood Sat. 8PM; NACA SHOWCASE!, etc...

Todd Alsup back at Rockwood Music Hall! Todd will be performing with his band this Saturday night at 8 pm.

Rockwood Music Hall
196 Allen St. (Allen St. and Houston St. on the Lower East Side)
8-9 PM. Come early as space is limited and will fill up quickly!

Todd was recently selected to showcase at the NACA Northeast Conference Spotlight High in Hartford, CT. Todd was one of the few musicians chosen to showcase out of hundreds of submissions to perform for the student talent buyers and bookers for scores of northeastern colleges and universities. MajorWho Booking will be attending both the Northeast and Midatlantic Conferences representing both Todd Alsup and Alec Gross who are sure to book tons of gigs.

Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ

Todd Alsup and Paula Valstein enjoying a brief moment between their sets at the very classy Mattison Park. Todd and Paula both performed last weekend at the Wave Gathering Music Festival in Asbury Park. Unfortunately we don't have any shots of Alec Gross, but he assures us the video is spectacular. Everyone had great gigs and enjoyed the company of many Asbury Park locals and good friends.

Todd also performed on Sunday night at Georgie's in AP to a very enthusiastic crowd and they booked him on the spot for another gig later this summer.

Another part of the Wave Gathering Festival was a series of panel discussions. Our good friend Steve Greenwell sat on a panel to discuss recording and producing, while MajorWho's James Walsh took part in a panel on artist development with Ron Haney (Near Records), Colie Brice (AERIA Records), and Mark Swersky (The Melody Club/Sony Music Publishing). Panels were great and very informative..

Asbury Park, for all of its musical history, is still in its development stages and is undergoing a number of changes. The town is seeing a great deal of investment that will hopefully spur growth. There is a small group of dedicated people who are working hard to develop new cultural opportunities for the town - restaurants, clubs, music venues. We'll be watching closely to see how things take shape. Special thank you's go out to Gordon Brown and Scott Stamper for all their effort making MajorWho artists feel welcome.

Todd Alsup @ Billboard

Here's Todd Alsup @ Billboard for an in-studio performance and interview. Todd performed an acoustic version of "The Good Fight" (which you can hear on our jukebox to the right and on his myspace) and then gave a short interview. The footage will be available shortly on Billboard's website and we will keep you posted when they post it.

Todd wasn't the only artist that day to play the Billboard Cafe - just before we arrived English soul singer/songwriter Adele performed. If you haven't heard her, check her out. She's one of the hottest artists on one of the hottest labels (XL) right now.