NYS Music 20​13

Category: Albany

  • Acoustic Guitar legend Leo Kottke coming to The Egg on April 26th

    Acoustic guitar legend Leo Kottke will perform at The Egg on Friday, April 26th at 8 PM as part of the American Roots & Branches concert series. Known as one of the fastest 6  and 12 string guitar players when he first emerged in the late 1960s, Leo Kottke has also become one of the most innovative and least musically classifiable artists of the 21st century. His one-of-a-kind picking style is matched in its uniqueness by his unusual, yet expressive vocal style and his stage shows mix instrumental virtuosity with a healthy dose of rambling stories, wit and humor.

    Tickets are $34.50 and are available at The Egg Box Office at the Empire State Plaza, by telephone – 518-473-1845 – or online at theegg.org.

    Read our review of the show here.

    acoustic guitar leo kottke

  • Hearing Aide: Eastbound Jesus “Northern Rock”

    Northern Rock is a bold title for an album – Eastbound Jesus define themselves with the release of their third album in as many years.

    Northern Rock not only gives rise to the sextet’s own sound, but perhaps defines something that had previously been elusive – a sub-genre of music pumping out of the northern region of this country.  It’s something a kin to southern rock, but not quite; Northern Rock encompasses a variety of musical elements from rock to alternative country to folk-like story telling lyrics neatly packaged within each strategically placed song for an album that redefines the boundaries of Americana in the north.

    Eastbound Jesus Northern Rock

    Gentle drops of rain and soft plucking in album opener, “Out Yonder,” breaks open into a welcoming harmonization of vocals and the listener is hooked. “54 Miles”, a clap along song, would surely have the masses marching to the beat of their own drummer, in this case, Carl Anderson.  Northerners are often known for their attitudes (albeit misperceived), which forlorn and edgy lead Adam Brockway captures by strumming his acoustic amid the electric instrumentation.  Dave Wright on bass provides the needed counterpoints for a smooth, rounded balance of sound while Dylan Robinson (electric guitar) pushes the limits on “Kate Belle.” Getting down to the nitty gritty, Luke Anderson takes lead vocals on “I Wouldn’t Know”, letting his punchy personality flow into his banjo, crafting character into Northern Rock.  But, the congealing medium throughout the disc is the intrinsic lap steel interjections of Zach Infante.

    Eastbound Jesus will be unraveling their disc for the masses at a release party open to the public at Revolution Hall on April 19th.  Northern Rock is an expression of what it’s like to experience the north. A style of catchy rhythms, contextual lyrics (relevant to the day in the life of a small town northerner), and a homogeneous blend of instrumentation, Eastbound Jesus established a foundation for the sound of northern rock music.

    Key Tracks: 54 Miles, North Country Girl, Where the Winter Goes

  • Record Store Day 2013: A Look at The Upsides and Downsides

    Record Store Day 2013 is upon us!!! On Saturday, April 20th, thousands will flock to their local independent record store in pursuit of exclusive, limited-quantity vinyl releases from their favorite artists. Record Store Day was started in 2007 by a coalition of independent record store owners as a “way to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding over 700 independent record stores in the US and similar stores internationally.” Jack White is this year’s Record Store Day ambassador. He owns his own vinyl shop in Nashville and presses his own records, making him the perfect man for the position.

    “The List”, containing information about each and every Record Store Day exclusive release is up on RecordStoreDay.com. I took a look through and found some unbelievably awesome releases. These are the ones that caught my eye: Trey Anastasio Blue Ash and Other Suburbs” on a 7” Picture Vinyl, Dave Matthews Band Live Trax Vol. 1 4LP Blue Vinyl Box Set, Grateful Dead Rare Cuts & Oddities 1966 on 12” Vinyl, GZA/Genius Liquid Swords 12” Vinyl Chess Box Set, Page McConnell Unsung Cities and Movies Never Made on 12” Vinyl, Phish Lawn Boy Deluxe on 12” Vinyl, The xx Jamie xx edits on 12” Vinyl and The Roots Things Fall Apart on 12” Vinyl (2LP).

    Vinyl Record/LP sales have been on the rise over the last few years. From 2011 to 2012, Vinyl sales went up 17.7 percent, going from 3.9 million to 4.6 million respectively. These sales increases show that consumers are craving vinyl, and what better way to lure them into a record shop than with an exclusive day of vinyl-only releases. Record Store Day draws unbelievable support from artists, labels, record stores and passionate music fans and overall the day is in the good spirit of keeping music alive.

    However, Record Store Day isn’t all good. Not every independent record store can participate, and the ones that do aren’t always able to stock all of the releases. For example, Last Vestige is an independent record store in Albany, NY that has been around since 1986. Owner Jim Furlong has issues with getting some of the releases because he can’t compete with bigger stores that have major connections with distributors. Furlong says, “This has become a big deal where every year, a bunch of different labels, in conglomeration with Record Store Day, manufacture these limited edition pieces and the bigger chains that do business with these labels throughout the year or with the bigger distributors, get first crack or get the majority.” In addition, Furlong encounters problems with people complaining that he doesn’t stock enough of the Record Store Day releases. He adds, “It is annoying and if you don’t have enough, people start badmouthing you on Facebook. I’ve seen some other stores get grief because either they didn’t get it when they thought they would and somebody waited in line and they had to jump in their car and run to Newbury Comics and hope they could find it there. And it just seems that it takes away from the whole joy of it all, having this big friendly competition.” Furlong goes on to say, “The topper is, within a couple weeks after they’re sold, you see on eBay all of a sudden, this stuff’s going for crazy money.” Overall, Jim Furlong and Last Vestige have a frustrating time trying to make happy everyone that comes in to shop on Record Store Day. Without strong distributor relationships, small-scale independent shops don’t have the means to stock all the releases that people are looking for. If people can’t get they want, they get angry and take to the Internet, causing frustration and annoyance for owners.

    On the other hand, The Sound Garden in Syracuse, NY, really thrives on Record Store Day. The Sound Garden is an independent record store that has one other location in Baltimore, MD (this location was ranked #2 on Rolling Stone’s list of The Best Record Stores in the USA). When I asked Eric Brush, the General Manager of the Syracuse location, about what releases he stocks for Record Store Day, he said, “We stock at least one of every release on ‘The List.’” He goes on to add, “Since record store day started, we’ve almost doubled the quantity of releases we order.” Brush had mentioned earlier that The Sound Garden was part of the original group of independent record stores that banded together to start Record Store Day. When I asked Eric Brush about how a smaller store can get involved he responded, “They have to have a relationship with some of the vendors that are putting out the merchandise and we have a relationship with every single one. But [if you don’t], there are other avenues that you can get into throughout the industry. There are one-stop distributors that carry every release from every label and manufacturer all in one place, but they charge you a little bit more. They are a part of Record Store Day and they get a very limited quantity to offer to their customers. This works against smaller stores because they just don’t have access to the quantities that we do.” Brush also talked about criteria that you must follow to be a participating record store for Record Store Day. He said that stores must sign an agreement saying that they won’t sell the releases online at all (to prevent price gauging). Brush confirms, “One thing I do know is that if you get caught selling that stuff online, you’re exempt. They just don’t take kindly to that.” Overall, The Sound Garden does well with Record Store Day because they have the relationships to stock every release so that their customers can get exactly what they want.

    Overall, Record Store Day is a great event for some, in that it helps raise awareness about independent record stores and give recorded music sales a little bump. However, it is unfortunate that some independent record stores are too small to compete with larger stores for their desired quantity of titles. Whether it’s Record Store Day or not, these independent record stores will always have competition. This event advocates for people to go out to their local brick and mortar record store, which is a huge step in the right direction. There’s no doubt that Record Store Day is an awesome way to for these independent stores to gain customers and ultimately make record collecting cool again.

  • Johnny Mathis serenades fans at The Palace Theater in Albany on April 4th

    Legendary singer Johnny Mathis performed last Thursday April 4th at the Palace Theater in Albany, NY. I was originally told about this show by my parents, who grew up listening to his classic hits and were eager to see the crooner in action.

    The Palace Theater was the ideal setting for a Johnny Mathis concert, given its rich history and architecture. The crowd slowly shuffled in with most of the fans being no younger than 55. It was an unfamiliar feeling for me to be one of the youngest concert goers at a show. I was both thrilled and surprised to see a full orchestra set up on stage.  Knowing that The Palace Theater has plenty of space for the music to travel around in, I suddenly couldn’t wait for the show to start. Luckily for me and everyone else, Johnny Mathis started the show at 8pm on the dot and was greeted with a slow-rising standing ovation. Johnny_Mathis

    The opener was “When I Fall in Love”, to which I had never heard such utter silence from a crowd. Every set of eyes and ears were locked on Mr. Mathis, giving him his much deserved attention and respect. He stated how he was “thrilled to be at The Palace” and was going to play some songs that we’ve all heard before but he loved to sing them. After a few notes, it was easy to understand why Johnny Mathis has broken the Guinness World Record for selling over 350 million of his various gold and platinum albums worldwide. Despite being 78 years old, Johnny Mathis can still sing every word as crisp and clear as on his albums, and still with great gusto. Mathis sang his classic hits such as “It’s Not For Me to Say” and my favorite, “Chances Are.” The songs were filled with charming doo-wops and sincere, long sustained notes.

    Throughout the entire show, at the start of every song, the whole audience would sigh and swoon. Johnny Mathis would sing a few notes, the crowd would sigh in admiration and I could hear the folks around me gently singing the lyrics to each other.  As humorous as it was, it was still heartwarming to be included in a nostalgic evening for concert-goers. Mathis ended the first set with an emotional cover “Yesterday” by The Beatles. There was a brief intermission where comedian Brad Upton kept guests entertained with clean cut jokes about today’s youth and their obsession with technology, the humor of getting older plus plenty of marriage/relationship advice. Mr. Upton delivered each punch line with charm that it was no surprise that he won the crowd over in just a few laughs. Brad Upton recently was the winner of the Las Vegas Comedy Festival and has appeared at Caesar’s Palace as part of the HBO Comedy Festival. bradupton2

    Johnny Mathis began the second set with the recognizable song “Pure Imagination” from the film Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. One of Mathis’ signature songs, “Misty”, received plenty of cheers due to the soaring string section and tender lyrics. The second set was mellow and easy going until Johnny Mathis brought up his fellow band mate and “Dear friend of 48 years”, Gil Reigers to center stage. The crowd got antsy as this was a sure sign that the two would play “12th of Never”, a warm ballad with gentle guitar strumming from Reigers. Johnny Mathis ended the evening by serenading the crowd with the classic song “You’ll Never Know” and thanking the talented orchestra, loyal band mates, his dedicated fans and of course, the beautiful venue, The Palace Theater.

  • Summer in Saratoga: A Rock Art Exhibition’ poster show to be held during Phish’s three-night run at SPAC

    Summer in Saratoga will take place at The Saratoga Hilton on July 5, 6 & 7 th. Admission is Free and open to all ages. The exhibit will run all three dates from 10am-3pm. The poster show will feature the best Phish inspired art, including limited edition art made specifically for the show.

    The poster show featuring Phish artists from around the country was developed and produced by a group of artists and fans, this poster show will be held in the middle of a weekend of Phish.

    Phish poster shows have been held over the years with great success, as unique posters made for the Phish shows that weekend and stop on the tour feature some of the best concert art being produced today. ‘Summer in Saratoga’ is the second event produced by The Mothership Art Collective, a group within the Phish community, comprised of artists and organizations who promote the art inspired by the band Phish. Their initial poster show, ‘First Tube’, was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey on June 16th, 2012 and was a success for all who participated in the event and raised $2000 to benefit The Mockingbird Foundation. The eclectic artists featured at this poster show displays the broad scope of Phish related art and capture the inspiration of the band in their art. The creative fan base that Phish has makes for amazing art inspired by the band, the locales and the music. The collective works hard to bring an art show to the Phish touring public each year.

    In keeping with the great tradition and success of past poster shows, Summer in Saratoga will offer free entry to all patrons, tubes available for purchase, charitable donations from the event made to The Mockingbird Foundation and a wide array of artists with posters to fit any budget. Artists will be announced in early May, as well as any special edition works that will only be available at the show.

    The Saratoga Hilton is located in downtown Saratoga Springs, only 3 miles from Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC).

  • Bella Terra (Aug 15-18 2013) Becoming one of Upstate New York’s Great Annual Festivals

    Bella Terra Festival originated in 2009 as a music, art and culture festival to raise funds for Berkshire County, Massachusetts Arts Scholarships.

    Since 2009, the festival is no longer purely a benefit event, but instead a diverse mix within the art and music scene allowing many artists to showcase their work to a larger crowd. The festival puts a large focus on the green movement, inspiring their patrons to think globally and act locally (after all, Bella Terra translates to “Beautiful Earth” in both Spanish and Portuguese). Over the past few years the festival has shown a wide variety of  support from many different organizations including Strangers Helping Strangers, Berkshire Environmental Action Team, Western Mass Labor Action, The Nature Conservancy and many more. Throughout the festival’s grounds you can see the dedication to the environmentally clean lifestyle. Aside from their righteous goal to the keep the earth beautiful, they also bring some pretty phenomenal musical acts to this quaint little farm town (so quaint, in fact, that you may find your camp site a stones throw from a grazing field of cows.) The location is absolutely beautiful and a great location to showcase a variety of different artists.

    The past few years have boasted names such as Melvin Seals and JGB, Sucker Punch, Immortal Technique, Phutureprimitive, OTT, Max Creek, Lee Scratch Perry, The Mickey Hart Band, BoomBox, Hot Buttered Rum and many, many more. Clearly this festival covers a wide spectrum of musical tastes. This years initial lineup includes Emancipator, Liquid Stranger, Zach Deputy, Max Creek, Minnesota, Abakus, Cinnamon Chasers, Start Making Sense (Talking Heads tribute), Turkuaz, The Alchemystics, Arch Nemesis, Homeboy Sandman, Bastinado (powered by Reactable), Caravan of Thieves, Goosepimp Orchestra, Deejay Theory, Cheat Code, Dj Leila, Leave it On Stage, Digital $torm, Cosmal, The Edd, The Black Rebels, Danny Pease and The Regulators, Orange Television, Mentally Ill, Wolfman Conspiracy, Waylon Speed, Lion-Bird Soudsystem, Digital Dharma, Gang of Thieves, Great White Caps, Mass Air Flow, Voltran, Luzcid, The Chronicles, The Professors, Mass, Tweed, Outer Stylie, The Hornitz, Serotheft, Redshift and Iganic Soundsystem. The second announcement included one of dubstep’s number one names, Datsik, with Michael Menert who is the first solo artist to be signed to Pretty Lights Music. Also added was Ghostface Killah, Wu Tang Clan’s hip hop legend. This is sure to be another great festival for upstate New York.

    The festival will be held August 15-18 on Gardner’s Farm in Stephentown, New York.

    For more information check out Bella Terra on Facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/bellaterrafest?group_id=0

  • The Heavy Pets’ Spring Tour Heads Through Upstate in mid-April

    The Heavy Pets have their sight’s set on the North East in April, giving fans not one but five funky opportunities to boogie deep into the night whilst taking in the sounds of their unique blend of jazz-funk and rock-and-roll deliciousness.

    In an interview by NYS Music’s Johnny Goff, with guitarist Jeff Lloyd and Syracuse University grad, Jeff explained why the Heavy Pets enjoy touring through the Upstate area while on tour,

    “NY has always been our home and our home away from home at the same time. When we are here, we get to see our families and when we are on the road, it’s always nice to be able to look forward to our east coast swings where we know we’ll be able to see our families and friends.”

    Check out the entire interview here

    heavypetsThe band will first hit the famous Nectar’s in Burlington, VT on April 17th.  Jamie Kent and the Options are the opening band that night. Admission is $7/$10 Ages:18+. The show starts at 9:00pm and tickets are available by visiting Nectar’s website here or calling 802-658-4771.

    Next up is The Java Barn in Canton, N.Y. Show starts at 9:00pm, Admission is FREE and all ages are welcome. Check out their FaceBook page for more info and upcoming events.

    The band is extra excited to be joining Conspirator & Break Science in taking over one of their favorite venues, The Westcott in Syracuse, NY April 19th! Doors open at 7:00pm and the show starts at 8:00pm. Admission is $20, all ages are welcome at this show too. Pick up your tickets online here.

    An appearance at Nietzsche’s in Buffalo, NY will continue their journey through New York on April 20th. Special guests will be the Family Funktion and The Sitar Jams. Doors open at 8:00pm show starts at 9:00pm. Admission is $10/$12 ages 21+. You can get your tickets at the venue box office. View Nietzsche’s website for all their live music listings here.

    The Pet’s will wrap up their travels through Upstate at the Bayou Cafe in Albany, N.Y. on April 23rd. Opening up for the night is the Kollectiv. Show starts at 9:00pm and admission is $10 ages 21+. Tickets can be purchased via the Bayou website here.

    With so many opportunities to see this band you really have no excuses not to get out there and support live music!

    Links: www.TheHeavyPets.com | www.facebook.com/TheHeavyPets | Twitter: @TheHeavyPets

  • Valentine’s: The Beer is Cold and the Sound is Good

    Every music lover remembers certain nights of great music with great friends: the gems that you reminisce about years and years later.  For me, more than a few of those times were at Valentine’s in Albany, NY.  It’s one of those places that things can get down and funky.

    Valentine'sTo be honest, it’s a hole in the wall.  But it’s a magic hole I love to escape to.  Have you ever pissed in a trough style urinal the same night as shaking Derek Trucks’s hand and then smoked a joint with Jimmy Herring?  Neither have I, but only because I don’t usually use the men’s room.

    Howard Glassman has been the owner and bartender of Valentine’s since 1998.  Before that he was the booking manager at Bogie’s in Albany, back when Bogie’s had acts like Guster, The Spin Doctors, Rusted Root, God Street Wine and the Ominous Seapods. When Bogie’s went in the direction of dance party music, Howard started working for Valentine’s; a year later he bought the joint.  Mike McGrath, the manager and bartender at Valentine’s, has his own background in booking live music in Albany at the old Lionheart location on Lark Street.

    Valentine'sOriginally called Papa’s Place, Valentine’s was owned by Karen Seeburg and her family.  Back then it was just a locals bar.  Enter Jeff Guthrie and Greg Bell, local Albany music promoters extraordinaire.  They caught wind of the tragically underused upstairs floor and convinced Karen to let them bring in a sound system and lighting rigs for a show once a week. In six months’ time, Greg and Jeff were bringing Karen bands every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and convinced her to allow them to set up a stage and a real sound system.  If you are familiar with hippie jambands in Upstate NY, you probably know The Deadbeats, a staple Grateful Dead cover band that have a Wednesday night residency in Albany. Greg Bell met the band in Saugerties back in 1994 and hired them for the bar and the rest is history.  Wednesday nights downstairs at Valentine’s has been an Albany tradition ever since and the party keeps going til 4 am.

    Valentine'sIn general, Valentine’s has a plethora of live music on both floors.  The downstairs caters to a smaller crowd/bands and is open for business as the main floor.  It has a pool table, some arcade games and a dart board.  Upstairs the bigger acts can fit.  I’ve seen moe. multiple times upstairs at Valentine’s.  When moe. wanted to play a random low key show, they’d advertise under the pseudonym “Monkeys on Ecstasy.” The first big show Greg brought to Valentine’s was The Weasels with Soul Asylum.  The first sold out show was Ominous Seapods with Moonboot Lover and Dr. Jah & the Love Prophets.

    I sat down with Howard to talk about the history of the venue, what makes Valentine’s such a special place and an Albany Live Music institution.

    Amy Fischer:  What are the pros of running a live music venue?

    Howard Glassman:  Live music!  I get to see live music.  I probably see more live music than anybody.  I’ve seen more music than reviewers, promoters…

    AF:  The good, the bad, and the ugly?

    HG:  Exactly!  That’s the great thing.  Oh and I get free beer.

    AF:  Do you feel like you are part of a community being a bar owner?

    HG:  I feel like this place is part of a community.  I think I am only a part of a community because I play in a band (Grainbelt), I book and I deejay, I do it all.

    AF:  What about the cons of running a live music venue?

    HG:  Dealing with bureaucracy, from all directions.  The city, radio stations, booking agents, record companies. Some people would think it’s the drunks but it’s not.  It’s not the customer.  The people that come here, they come for a reason – they come for the music.  The assholes are the ones that got dragged here by their friends and this ain’t their scene, so they’ll complain about anything, like the bathrooms that we’re all used to, they just don’t understand what we do here.  They’ll go online and rate us as being terrible because they think everything should be nice and clean.  (smirks) We’re a dive bar rock club, and our sound system is really good. The beer is cold and the sound is good.  That’s a priority for us.

    AF: (nods and smiles) “The beer is cold and the sound is good.  It’s a rock club dive bar.”

    Promoters lose money on shows all the time.  Are you better off because you are a bar owner? At least you make money on the drinks.  There are all types of music that comes here.  Do you wish that you didn’t have to bring music in that you think sucks?  If you know there will be a good crowd, you must feel you have to accommodate, knowing that people would come?

    HG:  Yeah, I learned a long time ago that you can’t book with your heart, you have to book with your head.  (pauses)  But sometimes I book with my heart, because I want to see a band and it’s cheaper for me to get them to come here to play, rather than go to NYC and pay gas and tolls. If I lose a couple hundred bucks, it will be worth it for me and for the 30 people who may come out and get their minds blown off.

    In this past year Albany has had a late night hurdle to jump over.  A “Cabaret License” has been trying to pass through the law books, requiring those under 21 to leave the establishment by 11 pm and amplified music to end by 2 am.  (Bars can legally serve until 4 am in Albany!!)  Many feared that this would further diminish the seemingly depleting visits of national acts to the area in recent years.  Albany has been a stop for Max Creek, Rufus Wainwright, Derek Trucks Band, John Scofield, Jorma Kaukonen, The Disco Biscuits, Robert Fripp with Trey Gunn and Adrian Belew, Roger McGuinn, Jeff Buckley, the Last Poets… but what tour manager would want to bring his band to a place where half their fans would be forced to leave halfway through their first set?  Luckily, Howard hasn’t been told to change anything since the bar’s hearing months ago and business continues as usual.

    The more inevitable fear seems to be the ever expanding Albany Medical Center.  The hospital has been making major renovations for a few years now and the construction workers are getting closer and closer.  And closer.  The run down housing in the neighborhood has slowly been bought out and bulldozed.

    AF:  Do you ever fear that you’ll have to shut down?

    HG:  You mean because Albany Med is eventually gonna buy the area here?  No, we’ll just buy another building.  What else am I gonna do?  (laughs)  I’m not qualified to do anything else.  This is it.

    AF:  Any last tips you’d like me to print?  How to get good service or anything?

    HG:  Don’t piss off the bartenders.  Have your money ready and if it’s packed don’t try to order a bunch of fruity shots or complicated drinks.

    AF:  (laughs) Anything else?

    HG:  Yeah, in the men’s room don’t stand too close to the trough when you take a piss –  stay six inches away or in the summer you’ll feel the splash on your shorts.

    I hope he remembered to tell Derek Trucks.

    Valentine’s is located at 17 New Scotland Avenue, Albany, NY

    Hours are 5 pm – close Tuesday thru Saturday; Sunday & Monday closed unless live music scheduled

    FYI – Valentine’s is a CASH ONLY BAR – no tabs, no credit cards accepted. There is an ATM on-site. Entry is 18 & over for most shows, otherwise 21+. Visit valentinesalbany.com for more info and their show calendar.

    Special thanks to Howard for this interview and profile on a great music venue.

  • Don’t Miss The Machine at The Westcott Theater on 4/6 and UCH 4/20

    Missed Roger Waters on tour? Well, you’re in luck–The Machine is coming to town! The New York based cover band bring back Barrett’s creativity, Water’s compassionate songwriting, Gilmour’s simplicity, Wright’s compositional talent and Mason’s resourcefulness to stage.

    The MachineSelling out theaters and large clubs across North and Central America, Europe, and Asia and performing at music festivals such as Bonnaroo, Riverbend, Gathering of the Vibes and Rock of Ages, they have earned worldwide recognition and the original members’ seal of approval. Receiving accolades from the likes of Spin magazine, The Machine are notorious for “sounding exactly like Pink Floyd.”

    “The shows are different every night”, drummer and founding member Tahrah Cohen told NYS Music. “It really depends on the age of the crowd and the city. We get a feel for who’s in the audience and tailor a set list for each show.”

    Make sure to catch The Machine live on their 2013 Spring Tour in Upstate New York!

    The Machine plays the Seneca Niagara Casino in Niagara Falls on April 5th, The Westcott Theater in Syracuse on April 6th, Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park on April 20th and BB King’s, New York on May 11th.

  • The Bayou Cafe in Albany changes its name to The Hollow Bar + Kitchen

    The Bayou Cafe in Albany, NY recently announced on their FaceBook fan page that they were under new ownership and now open under the new name, The Hollow Bar + Kitchen. The post explained that the new owners were grateful for all that the previous owner had done for the local music scene, but that they were ready to take the business in a new direction.

    In addition to the name change the Hollow boasts of bringing well known local Chef Henry Ciccone on board to help develop the new menu. Patrons can also expect a room-by-room remodel of the space with a promise to the ladies for a much more pleasant Woman’s Bathroom!

    Don’t worry live music lovers the new vision most definitely will include delivering the sweet tunes of some of the best original and cover bands in the region that the Albany Bayou was known for. The new owners want everyone to know that although the name and menu are changing they want to build on what the Bayou was to so many in the Albany music scene.

    We look forward to bringing the space back to what it has been known for over the past 10 years. Great food, great beer and great music. ~ The Hollow Bar + Kitchen

    The Hollow Bar + Kitchen
    79 North Pearl Street
    Albany, New York 12207

    Hours
    Mon: 5:00 pm – 12:00 am
    Tue – Thu: 11:30 am – 12:00 am
    Fri: 11:30 am – 4:00 am
    Sat: 4:00 pm – 4:00 am

    Twitter: @thehollowalbany | FaceBook | http://bayoucafe.com | Ph: (518) 426-8550