Cayuga Sound Music Festival will close out back to back summer seasons in Ithaca’s historic Stewart Park and other local venues on Sept. 21-22, expanding the festival to two days during the city’s week long outdoor concert festival series.
Last year’s event helped raise nearly $50,000 to benefit non-profit organizations that specialize in helping children throughout the community. This year’s festival will be no different, with a portion of the proceeds going back into the community.
Ithaca natives, platinum recording artists and curators of the festival, X Ambassadors, will return as one of the festival’s headliners along with Young The Giant. Other artists confirmed to appear include Talib Kweli, Matt & Kim, Buddy, Sofi Tukker, Morgxn, with other artists still TBA. Local and regional artists will also appear during the two day event including KNEW, No Comply, and Lady D & the Shadow Spirits to name a few.
X Ambassadors frontman Sam Harris, shared his excitement for not only being back home, but returning to the festival, “We’re beyond thrilled to be bringing Cayuga Sound back to Ithaca this year. Last year was such a milestone for us and the prospect of making this an annual tradition is so exciting. Expect another eclectic lineup with both global acts and some our favorite Ithaca music too.”
This Fiction founder, and band manager, Seth Kallen, showed his enthusiasm, “Building a festival from the ground up was huge challenge, but the weekend was incredibly gratifying for all of us involved. To be able to create something that will continue for years to come, while giving back to such a great community was so amazing. We’re so excited to expand to two days this year and bring even more amazing music to the city of Ithaca.”
DSP founder Dan Smalls, commented on how beneficial the festival was to the community in its inaugural run, “DSP set out to bring a true world class music festival to our home town and we did just that. The comments from folks who attended were just great and we feel we created a venue that made for an amazing experience all around. We donated nearly $50,000 last year and over 80% of that stayed right here with 10 not-for-profits that help kids in our community. There is nothing more gratifying than giving back and we hope to do even more this year – both financially but also through our talk series, events and growing idea list. Just saying it aloud gets me excited for what we have in the works!”
Early bird two-day tickets for Cayuga Sound Festival will go on sale Wednesday April 4 at 10 a.m. with general admission two-day tickets going on sale Friday, April 6 at 10 a.m.
Brazilian ska-punk band Abraskadabra recently released their newest album Welcome and are coming (back) to America to celebrate. Over 15 dates, the group will tour from Boston to Denver with a stop at Brooklyn’s El Cortez on April 1, bringing one of the most interesting punk bands in Brazil to the States.
Guitarist/vocalist Buga looked back on the band’s last time touring America and noted, “We had a great time there four years ago and met one of the greatest ska icons, Brent Friedmann. He’s setting us up with awesome gigs and bands from all over the country and has become a very good friend of ours. We’re very excited to be coming back for the second time.”
Abraskadabra and their latest album, Welcome, delivers the band’s own vision of the ska-punk essence, and according to guitarist/vocalist Du, “It’s an album that sums up what this band is pretty well. Fast punk rock songs with horns, melodic vocals and backing vocals. We wanted to give no chill to the listener because we believe this is what punk rock/hardcore/ska music is all about.”
Tour Dates:
4/13 – Boston, MA @ O’Briens 4/14 – Brooklyn, NY @ El Cortez
4/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
4/17 – Hamtramck, MI @ New Dodge Lounge
4/18 – Chicago, IL @ Liars Club
4/20 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Blue Note
4/21 – Dallas, TX @ Three Links Deep Ellum (Ska By SkaWest Festival)
4/22 – Austin, TX @ Kick Butt Cafe
4/24 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Garth
4/25 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Trunk Space
4/26 – San Diego, CA @ Tower Bar
4/27 – Berkeley, CA @ 924 Gilman
4/28 – Fullerton, CA @ Slidebar
4/30 – Portland, OR @ Twilight Cafe
5/01 – Seattle, WA @ The Kraken Bar
5/02 – Boise, ID @ WavePOP
5/04 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
5/05 – Denver, CO @ Seventh Circle Music Collective
The promise of colorful blossoms, a great selection of artwork and crafts, delicious food and two full days of music will all unfold as the 70th annual Tulip Festival takes place in Albany, Saturday May 12 and Sunday May 13, 2018 in Washington Park during Mother’s Day weekend.
With the lineup just announced, there’s plenty to be excited about with a great selection of talented regional acts vibrantly showcasing the magnitude of musical skill in Albany and around the state. The lineup below is sure to offer every music lover something to look forward to. NY bands (which is nearly all of them!) are in bold. This event is free so there’s no reason not to go support these fantastic musicians.
For more information including kids events, tulip tours, volunteer opportunities, shuttle services, the BEER GARDEN and more, visit their website. And don’t forget to bring your mom.
SATURDAY, MAY 12
MAIN STAGE
Washington Park Parade Grounds
Media sponsor: 102.7 WEQX
4:30 p.m. – White Denim (Rock) – Austin, TX
3:00 p.m. – Naked Giants (Indie) – Seattle, WA 1:30 p.m. – Front Business – Albany, NY
LOCAL 518 STAGE
Washington Park Lakehouse Stage
Presented by WellCare
Media sponsor: Exit 97.7
4:45 p.m. – The Age (Neo soul) – Upstate NY 3:30 p.m. – The LateShift (Rock) – Albany, NY 2:15 p.m. – Blind Crow (Bluegrass) – Albany, NY 1:00 p.m. – Sorrow Estate (Indie folk) – Albany, NY
SUNDAY, MAY 13
MAIN STAGE
Media sponsors: 98.3 TRY, 1023 Kiss FM, 99.5 The River & PYX 106 4:30 p.m. – Dr. K’s Motown Revue (Motown tribute) – NY 3:00 p.m. – Taina Asili (Afro-Latin/reggae) – Albany, NY 1:30 p.m. – The Sea The Sea – (Indie folk/pop) – Upstate NY
LOCAL 518 STAGE
Media sponsor: Exit 97.7 4:45 p.m. – North and South Dakotas (Bluegrass) – Upstate NY 3:30 p.m. – Zan Strumfeld (Folk) – Troy, NY 2:15 p.m. – Jordan Taylor Hill (Indie roots) – Albany, NY 1:00 p.m. – Ryan Leddick Trio – (Indie acoustic rock) – Albany, NY
Any good St. Patrick’s Day celebration includes music. Music and the Irish are inseparable. According to the latest U.S. Census, nearly 12 percent of the U.S. population claim some Irish ancestry, a total of 35 million people. A very high percentage of this population is centered in the Northeast U.S., particularly right here in New York State. So, it is only fitting that the day to celebrate the Irish would be rife with music across the state. Naturally, a state with such deep Irish roots celebrates the day with parades following the parade activities, much live music can be found around New York. NYS Music provides you with a listing of some St. Patrick’s Day festivities from the North Country to Long Island, Albany to Buffalo. Whether you crave traditional Irish music, reggae, punk, reggae, rock or blues, we have you covered.
Saratoga singer-songwriter Katie Louise will perform a set at Main Street in Saugerties beginning at 9:30.
Plattsburgh’s seminal venue, the Monopole hosts Burlington’s Jiggawaltz for the funkster’s first appearance at in quite some time at the venue.
Capital District
If you’re in Albany for the St. Patrick’s Day parade, start your day off with a brunch at the Savoy Taproom on Lark. From 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. you can enjoy traditional Irish music from Toss the Feathers while enjoying traditional Irish food.
All day long, the Pearl Street Pub offers live music with DJs at night. Larry Ross gets things rolling followed by an appearance from the City of Albany Pipe Band.
Following the parade, head on down to Paulys Hotel on Central for an after-party with the sometimes punk, sometimes ska, sometimes rap act Smittix with special guest Feral Meryl from 2-6 p.m.
Celtic Hall, located on New Karner Road, hosts its own post-parade party beginning at 5 p.m. The City of Albany Pipe Band continues its busy day with an appearance at Celtic Hall, along with the An Clar Irish Dancers and the popular Celtic-rock band Hair of the Dog. Hair of the Dog has been performing since 1993 and is a regular act at Irish festivals throughout the northeast.
Also in Saratoga, a special night celebrating female voices in Irish music featuring the Grady Girls and Kara Doyle is going down at the legendary Caffe Lena. The kid-friendly event begins at 8 p.m.
Central NY
Funk ‘n Waffles in Syracuse gives St. Patrick’s Day a little zydeco flair with the soulful, funky, blues of hometown boys, Los Blancos, starting at 3:00. Dubbed “The Hardest Working Band in Syracuse,” Los Blancos has a proven track record of packing venues and laying down the funk.
Syracuse’s symphony, Symphoria, will perform a pops concert celebrating the Music of the Emerald Isle at the Onondaga County Civic Center beginning at 7:30. Tickets for this special event, which features violinist Maria Kaneko Millar a performer with Riverdance productions on Broadway as well as the touring version, are still available through the Symphoria website. Prices range from free for 18 and under to $38.
Maria Kaneko Millar
EDM jamband, Phasers Engage puts an interesting twist on the day’s festivities, throwing a house party on Tennyson Ave. with free beer for anyone 21 and over. They’ll perform from 1-3 p.m.
If you’re looking for more traditional Irish fare along the lines of the Clancy Brothers, Tommy Makem or the Dubliners, head out to Jake Hafner’s Restaurant & Tavern in North Syracuse for Quigsy and the Bird from 5-9 p.m.
The Syracuse Polish Home hosts its annual parade day corned beef and cabbage dinner with entertainment from 4-9 p.m. Jo Duz provides Irish and folk music from 4-6 p.m. followed by Just Joe from 6-9 p.m.
If you’re out Utica way, Nick Piccininni and Jay Barady of Floodwood are performing at the recently re-vamped John Devereux’s Tavern from noon until 4 p.m.
Piggy Pat’s Smoke and Ale House in Washington Mills, just outside of Utica, is now under new ownership, but that hasn’t changed the music offerings they’ve presented over the years. The Blarney Rebel Band will take the floor from 1-4 p.m. This veteran Celtic band from Utica performs traditional Irish music from pub tunes to sea shanties to moving ballads and rousing rebel songs.
Woodland Farm Brewery in Marcy, just north of Utica, gets the day off to an early start. The local farm brewery opens at 8 a.m. for liquid breakfast and keeps the party going all day, highlighted by bluegrass from Remsen Social Club starting at 1 p.m.
The Continental Kit Band will perform at the 16 Stone Brewpub in Holland Patent. Doors open at noon with Irish stew, Reubens and an almost Irish Red ready for sampling.
If you’re in Rome, Copper City Brewing Company is offering traditional Irish music by Mighty Craic from 1-3 p.m. Mighty Craic is a trio with deep roots in the Central New York Irish scene. This farm brewery will also have a taco truck on hand as well as two Irish beers freshly tapped for the day.
Western NY
Out west, Rochester, as always, has several musical offerings for St. Patrick’s Day. The Crooked North brings its brand of Rust Belt bluegrass to the Little Theatre on East Ave. from 8-10 p.m.
Three Heads Brewing hosts the reggae vibe of Personal Blend from 8-11 p.m. There is a $5 cover charge for one of Rochester’s favorite reggae bands.
The Montage Music Hall has a ’90s night on tap for St. Patrick’s Day. The 8 p.m. show features Pearl Jam tribute act, Given to Fly, R.E.M. tribute act, Dead Letter Office and Flannel Millennium, who covers music from such ’90s alt-rock staples as Stone Temple Pilots, Weezer, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Alice in Chains. Tickets for the show are $20 in advance and available at the Montage website.
Cathie Ryan, the original lead of Irish-American sensation, Cherish the Ladies, joins the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre for a Celtic Celebration both Friday March 16 and Saturday March 17. The shows begin at 8 p.m. The combination of Ryan’s beautiful voice and sarcastic wit, accompanied by the RPO, promises to be a unique night of music in the Flower City.
The Buffalo Iron Works welcomes Vancouver Celtic rockers, The Town Pants and Whitesboro native Tim Britt with his Tim Britt Band. Syracuse native and Pale Green Stars drummer, Jeff Tripoli, plays drums for the Pants, who also perform at the Smith Opera House in Geneva on March 16. The 9 p.m. Buffalo Iron Works show has a ticket price of $17-22.
NYS Music 87/90 artists, the Intrepid Travelers, return to their home base, the Sportsmens Tavern on Amherst for St. Paddy’s Day for a psychedelic jam session. Doors for the two set show open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10.
Downstate
Larry Kirwan of Black 47 brings his St. Patrick’s Day show to YMCA Boulton Center for the Performing Arts in Bay Shore. Aside from fronting the politically reactive New York-based band Black 47, Irish expatriate Kirwan hosts the show Celtic Crush for Sirius XM. He’ll be joined by Deni Bonet (violin), Coty Cockrell (keyboards), Thomas Hamlin (drums), Rene Hart (double bass), Andrew Sharp (Uilleann pipes). The band will be releasing a new single for the occasion, a remake David Bowie’s “Heroes” from a Belfast perspective. Tickets for the 8 p.m. show are $47.
Legendary Queens punks, Murphy’s Law will perform at the Brooklyn Bazzar with Drunken Rampage, Moral Panic and Runny. The 7 p.m. show costs $17 and tickets are available through Ticketweb.
Needless to say, there is no shortage of live music available to music fans across the Empire State on St. Patrick’s Day no matter what your taste. This is but a snapshot of all that is happening across the state on one day. If your area wasn’t covered by this piece, leave us a message, comment or tweet us @NYStateMusic. NYS Music’s mission is to expose ALL of New York’s musicians, venues and scenes and with your help, we can do just that. Now take this list and get out and enjoy some music!
Earlier this month, Toubab Krewe released their third studio album, Stylo, (pronounced Stee-lo), and have since hit the road for a tour following a two-year hiatus. Their last album, TK2, was released in 2010 so fans have been anxiously awaiting this new one that is simply chock full of energy, positive vibes and soul filling goodness. With Stylo, they continue their combination of musical twists and turns that ebb and flow from Appalachian and West African tones to funk, jazz and jams galore.
The album eases listeners in with “That Damn Squash.” Stocked with an endless supply of percussion on the back beat, the tune rolls along, begging listeners to get up and sway their hips. Clean guitar tones carry the song making it impossible not to bob your head to the beat. “Night Shade” hints at Middle Eastern styling, with an edgier guitar flowing along the edges of the song, creating a musical ride of ethnic rhythms that have no barrier.
As “Stylo” touches upon layers of Spanish flair, the melody brings out visions of beaches, cold umbrella drinks and toe tapping sways of dancing under the starry sky. An easy track that puts the listener into a carefree mood, it’s hard not to smile when this tune rolls along at a relaxed pace. Be prepared to suddenly want to take a vacation in the Caribbean and enjoy a cold one at the swim up bar with this track.
The Caribbean infused, African timbre shines through once again on “Saba Meniya,” picking up the beat with whimsically magical chords that tiptoe around the track, creating a beautifully mixed ensemble of musical genres. “Salut” is stacked with crisp guitar, tight drums and percussion, releasing a breath of fresh air with this uniquely laid track before heading into a quick paced jam towards the backend.
“Lafia” wastes no time taking off with an upbeat melody. A slight taste of funk and deeper rocking tones break through ever so slightly, though maintains the energetic vibe that drips throughout the entire album. Brisk notes ramble along this jam, though holds a heavier feel before emerging into a calmer “Miriama.” This melody features vocal notes and foreign lyrics, forging an air of spiritual soul that embodies this innovative song. Wrapping up the album is “Southern Tracks,” a calm track that blends mystical rhythm with psychedelic accents, bringing the entirety of the album to a clean finish.
Overall, Stylo presents a unique blend of sounds, tones and styles into a tightly wound package of creative musical melodies. If you are seeking something different and outside the box creative, this is the album to grab. It’s different, will keep you moving and a plaster a constant smile on your face.
With thousands of artists releasing new music daily thanks to technological advances which allow musicians to record a song and share it with the world in the matter of minutes, performers must be more creative than ever to break through the clutter and establish a name for themselves. Some tour relentlessly to get their name out, a few incorporate jokes or magic into their act to entertain audiences on multiple levels, and others go out and slap a “Magic Pipe” until their fingers bleed. Mike Silverman, or That 1 Guy, happens to do all three, as well as much more. On Thursday, February 28, the one-man traveling circus graced the stage in Buffalo at Mohawk Place for an unforgettable night of music, laughs and wizardry.
Like most nights with live music at Mohawk Place, the crowd was split between people who had marked their calendars the day the performance was announced and causal music lovers seeking their Thursday night fix. Things were a bit different that night, however, as those who arrived with the intention of winding down after a long day of work to some relaxing tunes were exposed to far more than they bargained for. The imminent weirdness presented itself as soon you made your way to the stage and observed the large, Festivus-esqe, pole standing atop a raised grate in front of three jumbo screens. The large pole Silverman dubs the “Magic Pipe,” is a homemade, electronically rigged pair of machined aluminum pipes connected by adjustable phosphorus bronze joints, with each pipe hosting an orchestral bass string.
Waiting for the absolute last possible second to go on before the crowd exploded in anticipation, Silverman hopped on stage, pulled out a double-bass bow, and began playing a hauntingly beautiful melody on the smaller pipe. The instrument’s unique tone sounded like a combination of Vivaldi and Pink Floyd, as the screens behind displayed psychedelic images that morphed in unison with each note played. As he hit lower notes, the room trembled with the heavy bass, and audience members could feel spiritually cleansing vibrations run through their chests. The orchestral vibes would not last long, however, as Silverman’s bolstering creativity wouldn’t allow him to stick with one genre at any point in the night. The world-class street performer quickly shifted gears to an African tribal rhythm as he played around with his numerous foot pedals, combining the infectious rhythm with a top layer of EDM beats and deep, bluesy vocals.
Two songs and the audience had already time traveled around the world and back. The performance oozed with surrealism as Silverman continued his set featuring a duck sock-puppet on one song, a cowboy boot rigged to play like Congo drums on the next, and a whimsical song about a great whale race that took place just before our very eyes to complete the trio. In between each song the incredibly talented entertainer told jokes, performed magic tricks, and spoke to the crowd as if they were friends in his living room.
Those who had seen That 1 Guy before added another dimension to the performance as they called for specific songs and yelled out phrases that were obvious inside jokes between Silverman and his audience. Aside from his own kooky songs and singing quotes from passive-aggressive Airbnb reviews he received, the renaissance man performer mixed in popular songs from Rush’s “Tom Sawyer” to jazz standards, and kept the crowd on their toes with whatever classic rock riffs came to his mind. That1Guy is the kind of virtuoso musician you’d imagine would be playing the Lincoln Center today if the hippies won (or even fought) the war.
To cap off a wildly entertaining performance, Silverman finished the night with some jazz. He told the audience he saved the jazz songs for the end as an attempt to influence a younger generation to listen to the genre. Once he had everyone buttered up with EDM and rock and roll, he played jazz standards to subconsciously influence a generation of music listeners to seek out a genre that has mostly disappeared from popular music today. When it was all said and done, the set was nearly two hours long, despite it only feeling like a few minutes. From stunning visuals to bizarre compositions you cannot hear anywhere else on the planet, That1Guy is a show all music lovers should seek out immediately. Thankfully, that should not be too difficult as the one-man circus averages an astonishing 150-200 performances a year around North America in an effort to spread joy and weirdness around the continent.
Irish Americana-pop duo Hudson Taylor, comprised of brothers Harry and Alfie Hudson Taylor, will release their new EP, Feel It Again, capturing their fresh sound and three tracks produced by Ryan Hadlock (The Lumineers, Vance Joy). They’ve also announced tour dates in both Ireland and the US, where they will be supporting Gabrielle Aplin.
The brothers honed their craft busking on the streets of their hometown of Dublin, as well as cities all over Europe, leading to the release of their debut album, Singing for Strangers, in 2015. Most recently, the band enjoyed a very successful 2017, playing to one of the biggest crowds of the weekend at the Electric Picnic festival in September, and their lead-off Irish single “Feel It Again” was one of the biggest national airplay hits of 2017. Hudson Taylor’s Irish autumn tour was a sell-out and they also played huge shows with Picture This, The Script and Kodaline.
Fresh from a sold out UK tour, Hudson Taylor are currently touring in Europe in support of their brand new single “Run With Me.” The brothers will visit North America for a tour supporting Gabrielle Aplin, kicking off in February, before returning to Ireland in March for an eight-date tour which will coincide with the release of Feel It Again.
Hudson Taylor Tour Dates (supporting Gabrielle Aplin):
Feb. 21 – Toronto, ON – Velvet Underground Feb. 22 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
Feb. 24 – Cambridge, MA – Sonia’s
Feb. 25 – Washington, DC – U Street Music Hall
Feb. 27 – Philadelphia, PA – The Foundry at The Fillmore
Feb. 28 – Columbus, OH – A&R Music Bar
March 1 – Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
March 3 – Denver, CO – Globe Hall
March 5 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
March 7 – Portland, OR – Holocene
March 8 – Seattle, WA – Chop Suey
March 10 – West Hollywood, CA – Troubadour
March 11 – San Francisco, CA – Slim’s
Ireland Headlining Tour:
March 27 – Belfast – Elmwood Hall
March 28 – Dublin – Olympia Theatre
March 29 – Cork – Opera House
March 31 – Galway – Radisson Hotel
April 1 – Limerick – The Big Top
April 2 – Castlebar – TF Royal Acoustic Room
April 4 – Derry – The Glassworks
April 5 – Carlow – The Tower
Earlier this month, Toubab Krewe released their third studio album, Stylo, (pronounced Stee-lo), and have since hit the road for a tour following a two-year hiatus. Their last album, TK2, was released in 2010 so fans have been anxiously awaiting this new one that is simply chock full of energy, positive vibes and soul filling goodness. With Stylo, they continue their combination of musical twists and turns that ebb and flow from Appalachian and West African tones to funk, jazz and jams galore.
Like most nights with live music at 