Sea of Tranquility and VisionMerch.com are thrilled to announce Sea of Tranquility Fest 2022 live at the Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie, NY on October 1, 2022. 

Sea of Tranquility is a web portal for information, news, and reviews related to the worlds of progressive rock, various forms of metal, and fusion music with a large following on social media and YouTube.  The Sea Of Tranquility team organized an online event, Sea Of Tranquility Fall Fest, in 2020 that was very well received and had some great bands involved (Uriah Heep, Doro Pesch, Mark Kelly from Marillion, Andy Powell from Wishbone Ash and many more).

Inspired by the success of the online version, Sea of Tranquility founder Pete Pardo decided to take the next step and hold a live in person version of the event. “SoT Fall Fest 2022 will bring together many of the elements that make our YouTube Channel & Webzine a daily destination for so many people-progressive rock, classic rock, hard rock, heavy metal, and insightful conversation. Join us for a jam-packed day of music & talk! Break away from your television, computer, tablet, and phone as the Sea of Tranquility crew break away from Zoom for a day full of music & discussion at The Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie, NY. You are all welcome!” – Peter Pardo, SeaOfTranquility.org

Sea of Tranquility Fest 2022 will feature live version of popular Sea of Tranquility panels in the afternoon and a Q&A with Chris Caffery of Savatage and Trans-Siberian Orchestra.  

The evening portion will feature performance from Nektar, Vanilla Fudge (featuring original members Mark Stein, Vince Martell, Carmine Appice and Pete Bremy), Pat Travers Band, Epic Tantrum and Sonus Unbra.  There will also be a live Q&A with Andy Powell of Wishbone Ash between sets.

“We’re happy to be headlining the Sea Of Tranquility Festival on Saturday, October 1,” says Nektar’s Derek “Mo” Moore. “Hope you can join us for what’s sure to be a great evening! We are looking forward to seeing and meeting you there!”

Lastly, respected author and SOT recurring guest Martin Popoff is also honored to be a part of the festival and looking forward to participating.

“It’s an honor for me to be part of the Sea of Tranquility Fall Fest. Pete Pardo, through his encyclopedic music knowledge and easy manner delivering it many times a week for years, has built up an impressive like-minded community of fully 76,000 subscribers, many of who have

been clamoring for something like this certainly for at least the nearly two years since it’s become a rumor. It’s going to be a huge pleasure meeting in person so many of them along with many of the fellow speakers Pete calls up to share in the Sea of Tranquility experience day after day, across all his many shows, each celebrating some aspect of the rock ‘n’ roll experience.”

“Discussion, debate and possibly a few drinks will be the order of the day, as Pete has planned live on-stage versions of many of the shows we see on the channel, followed by generous Q&As. I’m looking forward to the vendors as well, and then once into the evening, the esteemed slate of classic rock, heavy metal and progressive rock bands Pete has gotten to be part of entertainment across two simultaneously humming stages. All told, this is the ultimate celebration of the extended Sea of Tranquility family under one roof, analyzing and celebrating music. And once all our voices are hoarse, we get to settling in for a dance card of legendary rock bands—many of whom have been discussed on the channel repeatedly through the years—all doing their thing in the spirit of communion Pete has effortlessly fostered through his remarkable channel.”

Tickets:
$60 General Admission (general admission tickets get entrance to evening and afternoon sessions)
$75 Reserved Seats in the Chance theater (Reserved Tickets get entrance to evening and afternoon sessions)

Tickets are available at this location.

More about Nektar:

For more than 50 years, Nektar has taken legions of fans on audio-visual journeys to far reaches of the universe and the depths of the ocean with their immersive blend of sight and sound. These prog-rock pioneers have been champing at the bit to get back on the road and are excited to announce they will tour America’s Northeast and Midwest this autumn, with many more dates scheduled through Spring 2022. The “Vinyl Sides Live” Tour marks Nektar’s eagerly awaited return to the road, spotlighting some of the best-loved “album sides” from their evergreen catalog, as well as 2020’s acclaimed release, “The Other Side,” plus new material.

Formed in Germany in 1969 by British expats, Nektar soaked up the musical freedom they found in their new home, favoring extended compositions and concept albums over the constraints of pop. They were among the progenitors of the progressive rock movement of the 1970s as well as the jam-band scene that arose in the late 1990s. Their sound traveled well to the States, where they enjoyed Top 40 success with “A Tab in the Ocean” (1972) and “Remember the Future” (1973). Nearly 20 albums and a half-century later, the band’s artistic and personal charisma has earned them masses of devoted fans, who have flocked to festivals such as NearFest and ProgStock, and venues like the Wildey Theatre (where they perform multi-night sold-out shows) to indulge their passion for the Nektar experience.

Currently, Nektar features three of the original members – Derek ‘Mo’ Moore (bass guitar, vocals), Ron Howden (drums, percussion, vocals) and Mick Brockett (visual environment). Ryche Chlanda (guitar, vocals) and Randy Dembo (bass guitar, bass pedals, 12-string guitar, vocals) are alums of previous Nektar incarnations. World-class multi-instrumentalist Kendall Scott completes the lineup on keyboards; his performance credits include Project/Object and Ryche Chlanda’s Flying Dreams. They will be joined onstage by Maryann Castello on backing vocals.

More about Vanilla Fudge:
Vanilla Fudge is an American rock band known predominantly for their slow extended heavy rock arrangements of contemporary hit songs, most notably “You Keep Me Hangin’ On”. The original line–up Featured Mark Stein, Tim Bogert , Vince Martell and Carmine Appice.

The Fudge is currently touring with three of the four original members: Stein, Martell, and Appice with Pete Bremy taking over for Tim Bogert when he retired in 2009.

Vanilla Fudge has been cited as “one of the few American links between psychedelia and what soon became heavy metal.” Vanilla Fudge also is known to have influenced other major bands such as The Nice, Deep Purple, Yes, Styx, Led Zeppelin, and Uriah Heep.

More about Pat Travers Band:
Patrick Henry Travers is a Canadian rock guitarist, keyboardist and singer who began his recording career in the mid-1970s and has released such popular albums as 1979’s “Live! Go for What You Know” and 1980’s “Crash and Burn,” and such classic rock tunes as “Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights)” and “Snortin’ Whiskey.” Some of the very best rock musicians have backed Travers over the years, including bassist Peter “Mars” Cowling, and drummers Nicko McBrain and Tommy Aldridge, while Travers has shared bills with some of the greatest rock acts of all-time, including Rush, Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Motörhead, and Ozzy Osbourne, among many others. 

More about Epic Tantrum:
Syracuse based Epic Tantrum released their critically acclaimed debut album, “Abandoned in the Strangers Room” in January of 2020. The release has been praised around the world for their first rate songwriting and stellar musicianship.

“A perfect blend of prog and metal” – Mike Portnoy, (Dream Theater, Sons Of Apollo and more)

“this band is a force to be reckoned with” – Pete Pardo, Sea of Tranquility

More about Sonus Umbra:
Sonus Umbra is a prog rock group made up of some of the most accomplished veteran musicians of the Chicago rock music scene. The band which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary traces its roots back to early 90’s Mexico City, followed by a stint in the late 90’s and early 00’s in Baltimore. Sonus Umbra has released six critically acclaimed albums, toured extensively throughout North America, and appeared at major music festivals including RoSfest (USA), Progtoberfest (USA), Terra Incognita (Canada) and Rompiendo Fronteras/Breaking Borders (Mexico). The band includes Rich Poston on guitar/keyboards/vocals, Tim McCaskey on guitar/vocals, Steve Royce on flute/vocals/holophonics, Roey Ben-Yoseph on lead vocals/percussion, Brittany Lee Moffitt on lead vocals, Bill Harrison on drums, with Andy Tillotson on drums/guitar/vocals and Luis Nasser on bass the last two standing from previous incarnations. Sonus Umbra plays dark, symphonic prog rock that is equally influenced by bands like Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Rush, Jethro Tull, Iron Maiden and King Crimson.

More about Chris Caffery:
Chris Caffery an American musician, best known for his work as a member of Savatage and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.   

More about Andy Powell:
Andy Powell is an English guitarist and songwriter. He is a founding member of the British band Wishbone Ash, whose use of twin lead guitars was influential. Wishbone Ash are noted for their extensive use of harmony twin lead guitars, which had been attracting electric blues bands since Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page had played together in the Yardbirds in 1966 Their contributions helped Andy Powell and Ted Turner to be voted “Two of the Ten Most Important Guitarists in Rock History” (Traffic magazine 1989), and to appear in the “Top 20 Guitarists of All Time” (Rolling Stone). Melody Maker (1972) described Powell and Turner as “the most interesting two guitar team since the days when Beck and Page graced The Yardbirds”. Several notable bands have cited Wishbone Ash as an influence, including Iron Maiden, Van Halen, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Thin Lizzy, Metallica, Dream Theater, Overkill and Opeth.