NYS Music 20​18

Category: Upcoming Shows

  • Vermont’s first WinterWonderGrass hosts Grass After Dark series

    A favorite feature of the Colorado version of the winter music celebration, WinterWonderGrass Stratton has finally introduced its own iteration of the Grass After Dark Series with one month until the event kicks off.

    Grass After Dark

    Bluegrass fans new to the festival should be aware that festival tickets are not required for the Grass After Dark series. All of the late night shows are 21+ and are a separate purchase from the WWG day festival tickets. Grass After Dark tickets are limited and expected to sell out quickly. You can secure your spot at the event by purchasing your tickets at the WWG website.

    The night series opens on the eve of WWG Stratton day festivities, with An Evening with the Infamous Stringdusters on Dec. 13 at Grizzly’s. The GAD series is hosted between two intimate mountainous locations for four nights of bluegrass in the village. Dec.r 15 is the only night attendees will have to choose between Grizzly’s and the Green Mountain Room in Black Bear Lodge at the Stratton Mountain Resort. The full GAD late night show schedule is down below:

    GRIZZLY’S:

    Thursday, Dec. 13 – An Evening with the Infamous Stringdusters
    Saturday, Dec. 15 – Keller Williams and Fruition
    Sunday, Dec. 16 – Billy Strings and Lindsay Lou

    BLACK BEAR LODGE:

    Friday, Dec. 14 – Horseshoes & Hand Grenades and Saints & Liars
    Saturday, Dec. 15 – The Kitchen Dwellers and Rumpke Mountain Boys

    Tickets are still available for those interested in the full WinterWonderGrass community experience. Single day prices are currently $59 for Friday, $79 for Saturday, and $59 for Sunday. For the complete festival schedule and all ticket packages, visit the WinterWondergrass website for more information.

  • Twiddle’s Mihali makes solo debut with ‘Fading State’

    Twiddle frontman Mihali recently released politically charged single “Fading State” for his upcoming album. The album is yet to be titled and fans are eagerly anticipating a release date. The new single features vocals from Nahko (Nahko and Medicine for the People) and Trevor Hall who support Mihali in this advocacy-driven single. Produced by Johnny Cosmic of Stick Figure, Mihali’s reggae single focuses on protecting the environment and putting aside political agendas for the greater good.

    The issue is continuously met with opposition motivated by greed. It’s up to all of us as individuals to do what we can…to do our part to make a positive change in the world. With our current political climate, I think now is the perfect time for this single to be released.

    Mihali refers to “Fading State” as the spark that influenced most of his newest musical creations. While the debut album is yet to be announced, glimpses of the anticipated album will show up throughout the course of Mihali’s solo December tour of the Northeast. There are four New York shows lined up in the rapid fire schedule below.

    Mihali Tour Schedule:

    Dec. 5 – Mercury Lounge –  New York, NY 
    Dec. 6 – Spcae Ballroom – Hamden, CT
    Dec. 7 – Putnam Place – Saratoga Springs, NY
    Dec. 8 – Funk ‘n Waffles – Syracuse, NY
    Dec. 9 – Portland House of Music – Portland, ME
    Dec. 11 – Wonder Bar – Asbury Park, NJ
    Dec. 12 – 8 x 10 – Baltimore, MD
    Dec. 13 – BSP-3 – Kingston, NY
    Dec. 14 – Jewel – Manchester, NH
    Dec. 15 – Gateway City Arts – Holyoke, MA

    Watch Mihali’s “Fading State” music video down below and get a feel for what to expect on his premier solo album.

    Editor’s Note: This article was edited to correct the title of the song. 

  • Funk Night Returns with Beau Sasser Escape Plan’s Tribute to Aretha Franklin

    Funk Night returns to Parish Public House, this time, boasting a musical selection of the late Aretha Franklin tunes on Nov. 15. Beau Sasser (Kung Fu) is no stranger to hosting Funk Night in downtown Albany, as he’s done many times prior with Albany’s own Justin Henricks, as well as members of Kung Fu, Turkuaz, Wurliday, Dopapod and more.

    For Funk Night’s latest installment at the downtown Albany brick accented bar and music venue, a changing lineup of Beau Sasser (Hammond Organ), Bill Carbone (Drums) and Justin Henricks (Guitar) of Beau Sasser’s Escape plan will serve up a tasty tribute to the sorely missed Queen of Soul.

    Get your tickets in advance and hold your place in line to boogie. “Ain’t no way” you’re missing this one!

  • Lettuce Announces Busy January Tour

    Lettuce launches the far-reaching and fast-paced Vibe Up 2019 tour in Rochester on Jan.10. The funk group will return to New York later for performances at the Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park on Jan. 12 and at Brooklyn Steel on Jan. 19.

    The band’s legendary career spans two decades. Their sound has matured and “stewed” to perfection over time as evidenced on their latest album Witches Stew. The new album is contemporary jazz fusion inspired by and in tribute to Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew. It would be an oversight to ignore that music like Davis’ was what influenced and initially drew the group together at Boston’s Berklee College of Music in 1992.

    Out-of-state, the tour will bring Lettuce to major cities like Boston, Nashville, Philadelphia, Detroit, Atlanta, Cleveland, and more over the course of one month. Tickets are on sale now. For more information, visit the Lettuce website here.

    [Witches Stew] “…groundbreaking release, the effort allows Lettuce to do justice to their influences, while still retaining their own collective persona.” – All About Jazz

    Affectionately referred to as “Everybody’s favorite funk band” by Red Bull Music, Lettuce only has one performance left for 2018. Currently touring Witches Stew now, the last opportunity to see Lettuce live in 2018 is a special one-night only show with the Colorado Symphony in Denver on Nov. 10. See below for the full January 2019 Vibe Up Tour schedule.

    Lettuce January Dates:

    Jan. 10 – Anthology Live – Rochester, NY*
    Jan. 11 – House of Blues – Boston, MA*
    Jan. 12 – Upstate Concert Hall – Clifton Park, NY*
    Jan. 13 – Higher Ground Ballroom – South Burlington, VT*
    Jan. 15 – The Vogue – Indianapolis, IN*
    Jan. 16 – St. Andrew’s Hall – Detroit, MI*
    Jan. 17 – Rex Theater – Pittsburgh, PA*
    Jan. 18 – Infinity Music Hall & Bistro – Hartford, CT*
    Jan. 19 – Brooklyn Steel – Brooklyn, NY
    Jan. 22 – Whitaker Center – Harrisburg, PA
    Jan. 23 – House of Blues – Cleveland, OH
    Jan. 24 – Madison Theater -Covington, KY
    Jan. 25 – Marathon Music Works – Nashville, TN
    Jan. 26 – Center Stage – Atlanta, GA

    * with Ghost Note

  • Let’s Be Leonard tour will spread the holiday cheer throughout New York

    With fall holiday vibes steadily taking over New York all November, Let’s be Leonard will be kicking it off by spreading their extremely versatile and energetic jazzy music all month. The high spirited jam band has announced several shows even including a free night at Putnam Place for Thanksgiving Eve.

    With stages scattered throughout Albany, Oswego, Plattsburgh, and Saratoga Springs, the acoustic vibes set for these evenings will be relaxing for any group. Audiences will experience the band’s talented line-up with Karl Bertrand (Lead Vocals & Rhythm Guitar), Matt Griffin (Lead Guitar), Connor Dunn (Saxophone), Chris Cronin (Bass Guitar) and Paul Gauy (Drums) also including a lively collaboration at their Albany show with the Leah Woods Band.

    Perhaps the most anticipated night scheduled is their annual “A Very Leonard Christmas” which as their last date in Saratoga, will be traditionally held at Caffe Lena. They are fresh off a series of nights at the Barrelhouse in Saratoga Springs and a post-Phish show at the City Beer Hall so they are more than familiar with these attractive venues.

    The passionate story of Let’s Be Leonard itself is what makes them thrive and reminds their loyal fanbase why their style is unique. All five band members quit their jobs, invested what money they had into equipment and a tour bus, and have been living together in a music-centric collective lifestyle since early 2015. This dedication has incited the support and admiration from local radio and also allowed them to have the courage to expand on their national tours. For those looking to enjoy the Leonard experience, see the dates below.  Tickets for Caffe Lena are already available.

    Upcoming dates:

    Nov. 9 – The City Beer Hall – Albany, NY w/ Leah Woods Band
    Nov. 16 – The Brick Bar – Oswego, NY
    Nov. 17 – The Monopole – Plattsburgh, NY
    Nov. 21 – Putnam Place – Saratoga Springs, NY (Thanksgiving Eve)
    Dec. 21 – Caffe Lena – Saratoga Springs, NY (A Very Leonard Christmas)

    Check out the latest single from the band’s sophomore release Static below and their bandcamp page here.

  • Ariana Grande Begins Her Sweetener World Tour in Albany

    Singer-songwriter Ariana Grande will return to the Capital Region for the first time since her Honeymoon Avenue World Tour in 2015, and kicks off her 4th World Tour, featuring her new album Sweetener, at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY on March 18, 2019. Ticket pre-sale for the Sweetener World Tour begins November 1st through November 3rd via American Express.

    The pop princess revealed on Wednesday October 24 via Twitter that she would soon announce the world tour dates for her latest album, released in August earlier this year. Not one to disappoint, the next day Grande shared her initial U.S. performances on arianagrande.com as well as posting them on her Twitter. The singer has promised that fans abroad can expect international tour dates to be announced.

    Former Victorious actress is also planning on making three other appearances in New York during the course of her tour, one in Western NY followed up by hitting two major performance venues in NYC. Falling soon after her Albany concert, Grande’s third Sweetener performance brings her to the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY on March 22, 2019. The last two dates announced for the U.S.-portion of the Sweetener tour are June 14 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and the famous Madison Square Garden on June 18, 2019.

    All other U.S. tour dates are listed below

  • Scumdog Millionaire$ plan Inaugural performance post-Disco Biscuits in Albany

    After The Disco Biscuits wrap up their two-night run at The Palace Theatre in Albany, head down to Parish Public House for an after-party featuring the debut of Scumdog Millionaire$. Born out of Funk Night in Albany, the inaugural affair will focus on exploring the sounds of wild improvisation amid heavy grooves.

    Scumdog Millionaire$ features Rob Compa (Dopapod), Adrian Tramontano (Kung Fu), Beau Sasser (Kung Fu) and Justin Henricks (Wurliday). The show starts at 11:30pm and goes late – $10 cover at the door. More info can be found here.
    Scumdog Millionaire$

  • Warren Haynes Celebrates 30 Years of Christmas Jam

    Boasting an impressive 30 year run, the preparations for Warren Haynes’ Annual Christmas Jam are  underway. The popular, two-night benefit will take place on Dec. 7 and 8 in Asheville, NC at the U.S. Cellular Center. Tickets for presale were released on Oct. 19, along with a limited number of discounted two-day passes and VIP packages. Regular ticket packages go on sale at 10 a.m. on October 26th.

    Grammy Award-winning vocalist-songwriter, prolific producer, and notorious guitarist, Warren Haynes has more than upheld his reputation by continuing to curate performances that draw crowds year after year. Haynes spoke on the event’s transformation over the years stating,

    I can’t believe that it has been 30 years since myself and a few friends held a small event in a local club so we could all play together around the holidays and donate a small amount of money to charity… It’s gone from being a local event to an international one and we couldn’t have done it without the help of all the great artists, bands, and musicians that have donated their time through the years… This is truly going to be the biggest and best Christmas Jam yet.

    This year’s line-up, in alphabetical order, for Dec. 7 is as follows: Dark Side of the Mule, Grace Potter, Jamey Johnson, Marco Benvento, and Mike Gordon of Phish. Dec. 8, also in alphabetical order, includes: Dave Grohl and friends play “PLAY”, Eric Church, Gov’t Mule, Jim James, and Joe Bonamassa. While local and international music fans can expect stellar performances both evenings, the entertainment doesn’t stop there. There’s no need to wait around till dusk; attendees can treat themselves to “Xmas Jam By Day” concerts and events. Also note that there are still other artists to be announced as the Christmas Jam draws nearer so be on the lookout for further announcements.

    The 2018 Christmas Jam marks 30 years of great music, but it also commemorates 20 years of Warren Haynes collecting donations specifically for the Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity. Haynes’ investment in his community and long-term commitment to this cause has resulted in the Christmas Jam collectively raising roughly 2.3 million dollars for Habitat for Humanity. For concert goers looking to be more directly involved in the charity, there is another day event which coincides with the concert. “Before the Jam, Lend a Hand” brings together the musical artists, event staff, and attendees to help construct those homes which are only possible due to concert proceeds.

    The link below is a video of Warren Haynes performing “Melissa” with Warren Haynes with Jake Shimabukuro at last year’s 29th Christmas Jam.

  • Aqueous Shares 2018 Halloween Concert Theme

    Buffalo-based, rock-quartet Aqueous is celebrating the launch of their latest LP, Color Wheel, with one of their most extensive tours to date starting on October 24th in Hamden, CT. This year Aqueous will be bringing their notorious improvisational style to the legendary Knitting Factory in Brooklyn for Halloween 2018. “We take Halloween pretty seriously over at camp AQ. In previous years we’ve done some wild themes where we’ll incorporate all the music and the whole vibe of whatever the theme is,” shares Aqueous guitarist, Mike Gantzer. Previous Halloween themes have included Wizard of Oz, Back To The Future and Super Mario Brothers.

    Attendees of this year’s Halloween special can expect a one-of-a-kind, Nicktoons influenced performance from the group backed with support from Chicago-based band Mungion (pronounced mung-yin). Gantzer spoke further regarding the excitement and motivation behind their upcoming event by stating,

    We wanted to pay tribute to a golden era of cartoon history: Nicktoons! We all grew up loving shows like Doug, Rocko’s Modern Life, Rugrats, Ren and Stimpy, Hey Arnold, Spongebob Squarepants, and the list goes on and on. The music from a lot of these shows is so awesome, and it’s gonna be a blast diving down this rabbit hole of nostalgia and blending the whole Nickelodeon vibe within the AQ sound. Add Mungion as support to the mix, and you’ve got a pretty bombastic show going down for Halloween this year.

    Limited tickets remain for Aqueous’ Halloween hi-jinks at the Knitting Factory. All other upcoming tour dates for the Color Wheel tour can be purchased via Aqueous’ website.

  • Ominous Seapods and moe. members to join forces for January Cohoes show

    Mutants clamoring for moe Ominous Seapods after January’s successful three show run have something to look forward to in January 2019. Seapods members Tom Pirozzi (bass and vocals), Max Verna (guitar), Brian Magini (keyboards) and Ted Marotta (drums and percussion) will be joined by moe.’s Al Schnier (guitar and vocals) and Vinnie Amico (drums) for a one-night performance by moePods, Jan. 26 at the Cohoes Music Hall.

    Seapods vocalist and guitarist Dana Monteith moved to Australia following the band’s break-up in 2001 but has traveled back to the states for several reunion shows since. Monteith will not make the trip from down under for this show, however.

    Ominous Seapods and moe. came up in the same Upstate NY jamband revival scene of the early ’90s, performing at the same venues and often collaborating. With the addition of moe.’s Schnier and Amico to the lineup, the group will bring a fresh take on Seapods and moe. songs.

    General admission tickets for the event will go on sale Monday, Oct. 22.