The Waterhole’s free live music series Party on the Patio continues this summer and turns the Adirondack village’s Main Street into a block party every Thursday night. Every Party on the Patio is free and with Happy Hour running from 4-7pm each Thursday, there will be various drink specials as well. Locals and fans often gather outside the fence enclosing the patio area with dogs and children to take in the tunes as well. On rainy evenings, bands will move into the Waterhole’s upstairs music venue.
Doors open at 6pm, music starts at 7pm and goes until 10pm. The season series started on April 19th and goes until October 4th.
Since the 1990s, national acts such as Soulive, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, moe., Ominous Seapods and the Del McCoury Band have graced the Waterhole’s stage, among countless others in the 20 years the venue has been hosting music. Owner Eric Munley’s continues a tradition of music at The Waterhole that has been praised by fans both in and out of the Adirondacks for continuing to the live music pumping in the North Country.
Check out the musicians coming to The Waterhole this summer for Party on the Patio!
October 4th – Swampcandy – Old Times Blues – Stomp Boogie – Annapolis, MD
Party on the Patio show artists from earlier this season
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!
Plans are in motion to move Higher Ground one city over to Winooski, from South Burlington, VT
Winooski City Manager Jessie Baker is excited for the proposal for her city.
‘We as the city are very excited about the potential and we are excited to welcome them back to the city,’ she said. ‘They would be a great community partner and it would bring a lot of vibrancy downtown. We would welcome them with open arms.’
The proposed venue will include 1,500 seats and will also have 20,000 square feet of office space. It will be a four-story building on Main Street.
The next step in the process will be between the development partner and a potential tenant to negotiate ownership structure and figure out financing for the project, Baker said.
“I am confident that both parties are working hard to make it happen,” she said. “It is pending financing.”
Higher Ground currently has two separate venues. The Ballroom holds 750 people, while the Showcase Lounge has a capacity of 300.
Higher Ground moved from Winooski to South Burlington in 2004.
So, what do you do when your actively touring band goes on a hiatus? If you’re Scott Hannay (Mister F), you play video games, or at least video game music… or both. Scott Hannay Plays Video Games – Multiplayer Edition, is a unique twist on the 8-Bit music that so many gamers hold dear. Hannay is bringing five of his favorite musicians as part of his new project to The Jewel in Manchester, NH this Saturday, and The Monopole in Plattsburgh on February 23.Scott Hannay Plays Video Games Multiplayer Edition features a rotating cast of video game loving, musically inclined masters all trying to level up. Hannay handles keys duties and will will be joined by fellow Mister F band mate Matt Pickering on drums, guitarists Matt Dempsey (Cosmic Dust Bunnies) and Andrew Carton (Chromatropic), percussionist Josh West (Annie in the Water/Lucid) and bassist Billy Comstock (Annie in the Water, Twiddle).
Over the summer Mister F performed what became known as the “Game Genie” set at the Night Lights Music Festival. While working on that project, Hannay began to perform a series of solo shows, showcasing his 8-bit prowess. With Mister F on hiatus, Hannay wanted to expand the idea to include a full band that would change players with each new city or performance.
“I put a post out on Facebook to sort of see if the idea would grow legs, and it did,” Hannay told NYS Music. “I had a number of people reach out immediately about wanting to be involved.
The Multiplayer Edition was debuted on Jan 19 at Toads Place in New Haven, CT. The set featured Comstock, Dempsey and Cosmic Dust Bunnies drummer Eric Hyland.
As a young boy, Hannay cut his teeth on his family’s piano by gingerly plunking out notes to his favorite video game tunes. By his teen years, he was obsessed with MIDI files, bought some cheap software and began transcribing video game soundtracks like Mega Man 1, 2, 3, Contra, Mario 1, and Zelda 1 . Transcription gave way to recording and recording ultimately led Hannay to learn guitar, bass and keys. All of which gave way to Hannay becoming a working a musician.
Hannay’s skills behind the keys has led to sit-ins with a laundry list of artists including Umphrey’s McGee, Twiddle, Dopapod, Turkuaz, Pink Talking Fish, Aqueous, The Werks, Mihali and Frends, Particle, and Kung Fu.
And while Hannay’s history of video games and 8-bit artistry indicates the Scott Hannay Plays Video Games project is a literal dream come true, Hannay noted in a Solitaire Cash review that he’s excited by the reaction of his fellow SHPVG players.
“One of my favorite things about this, that I discovered last week at Toad’s Place, is how much fun the others are having, ” Hannay said, ” I know how much I love playing this stuff, and how much video game music has meant to my musical growth since I was young. It also breaks off a piece of childhood and brings it right to the forefront – with a full band, that part of the experience is made quite obvious.”
Scott Hannay Plays Video Games – Solo Edition is also slated to stop in Plattsburgh, NY on February 23 at Monopole. Tickets for this Saturday’s show at Jewel Music Venue will be available at the door for $10. Show starts at 8pm and is 21+.
It’s been six years since the last Ominous Seapods show, but after two sell out shows in Cohoes and a first time performance at Brooklyn Bowl, you’d be remiss not to wonder why they don’t reunite more often. With fans flying in from as far as the Carolinas, Germany, and the west coasts of America and Australia (where gitarist/vocalist Dana Monteith has made his home in Perth), three impressive reunion shows found audiences reuniting and excited for all that was in store. As Mike Wren mentioned in passing that night “Every so often, it’s a bookmark you come back to,” and perhaps that best describes the audience support and reverence for the Seapods.
The Ominous Seapods have a lasting legacy of influence on musicians in the jam scene. They are held with reverence by fans and music journalists who are still enamored (and rightly so) by the jam scene of the ’90s, and continue to inspire awe and musicians today. Promoter Greg Bell of Guthrie/Bell Productions spoke on January 12 about his history with the band dating back to 1992, and was all smiles throughout the night, having brought back to Albany the elder statesman of the jam scene. Despite it being a warm night outside, it was far from a warm up night inside, as the band hit the ground running and hit all the marks, right off the bat.
Cohoes Music Hall was the perfect venue for this show, as it has been for Max Creek, Garcia Project, and soon Turkuaz and Melvin Seals with JGB. The fourth oldest music venue in New York, the 1871 hall has undergone a transformation in the past two years and become an excellent show location that fits perfectly between clubs like The Hollow and Putnam Den, and larger rooms such as The Egg. So with two sold out shows, bassist Tom Pirozzi’s 50th birthday and a reunion of Plattsburgh Mutants on tap, the Music Hall was abuzz early thanks to Stone Brewing’s DidgeriDoom IPA, a nod to Monteith, who moved to Perth, Australia following the last Seapods show in 2011 at Valentines. Monteith also sported an AC/DC shirt, perhaps a subtle reference to their then-final show where they performed “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll).”
Opening up with “I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon,” the first big jam of the night came from “Theme for Another Enlightened Rogue” and the segue into “The Guide to Roadside Ecology” with Dana getting down to business early, and often. A few acoustic numbers came next, notably “Branch’s House” which grew smoothly into “The Pull from Adirondack Blue” and “Waiting 4 the Bomb to Drop” and Pirozzi and guitarist/vocalist Max Verna driving the set ending sandwich of “Sally” > “Cali” > “Sally.”
The energy continued to flow out of the setbreak with “Leaving the Monopole” getting checked off everyone’s ‘must hear’ list. The Seapods’ signature song still finds fans today who visit the ‘Single Stick’ in Plattsburgh and explore the lore that influenced the band’s writing. A debut of “Cumberland Blues” caught a few off guard, but it was pleasantly surprising that the band chose to throw a new cover into the mix this weekend. The jam of the set was around “Schizophrenic Rain,” which bookended “Oberon and Titania” and “Passengers En Route” and served as the most fluid and dialed in portions of the night, with a keys/bass/drums jam in the midst of the medley. A rockin “Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley” kept the flow of the night going, with “Hey Donnie Osmond” closing the set out. An encore of “That’s How they Got Along” and “Michael Murphy 3” left a great deal of tunes in the tank for Saturday night.
Setlist, January 12, 2018 Set 1: I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon, 1/4 lb. Hot Dog, Theme For Another Enlightened Rogue ->
The Guide To Roadside Ecology, Millworker’s Lament*, Long Black Veil**, Guardian Angels*** -> Candy Cane Flame***, Branch’s House**** -> Jam -> The Pull From Adirondack Blue, Waiting 4 The Bomb To Drop, Sally Simpson -> First Day In California ->. Sally Simpson,
Set 2: Econobrain intro^ -> Old GP, Leaving The Monopole -> Counting Time -> Cumberland Blues^^, Schizophrenic Rain -> Oberon And Titania -> Passengers En Route -> Schizophrenic Rain -> Sneakin’ Sally Through The Alley, Hey Donnie Osmond
Encore: That’s How They Got Along, Michael Murphy 3
*Max solo acoustic
**Lefty Frizzell cover, first time played, without Mangini, Verna on acoustic guitar and Pirozzi on upright bass
***Verna on acoustic guitar
****Monteith on acoustic guitar
^with Doug Burns
^^Grateful Dead cover, first time played
Entering night two with much colder weather at their back, fans returned to Cohoes Music Hall sporting a variety of flannel on par with an L.L. Bean outlet. “Jet Smooth Ride” lifted the crowd up and into the night. “Cary Suite” and “Final Destination” had the band finding the pocket and staying there, jamming without the drawback (or benefit, if you will) of ADD. The jams were even more on point and didn’t let up or evaporate before their time. The set ending pair of “Anything is Possible” with Monteith on egg beater and “Blackberry Brandy”
A second set that flowed freely was on tap, starting with a more than 15 minute “Jump for Joy” opener. Monteith took some time to mention how hard it was for him to leave Perth to get to New York for these shows, but expressed casual gratitude for the response from fans. A string of segues led to a 12 minute “John Henry’s Hammer” and a second “Pull from Adirondack Blue” in as many nights. “Bong Hits and Porn,” one of the best song titles ever, was slid into a sweet groove and held on for nearly 15 minutes and found Monteith back on eggbeater.
For the final song of the night, Pirozzi took over on guitar for “Ship,” and led the crowd in the sing-along. With fans cheering for one more, my friend David leaned over and said “You can’t finish the weekend without “Leaving the Monopole,” and lo and behold, they would not. Once again, we got the Seapods tune, and the fans who were only there that night revelled, danced and sang the words as easily as they did in 1995.
Setlist: January 13, 2018 Set 1: Jet Smooth Ride, Cary Suite, Final Destination > She Makes the Journey, Serpents in the Sand, Railyard Scene > Somedays > Stephen O’Rourke > The Fiesta, Anything Is Possible (w double Eggbeater jam) > Blackberry Brandy
Set 2: Jump For Joy, Sad Corner > What’s the Buzz, Keep in Mind > Waiting Room > Gunshot Static > John Henry’s Hammer > The Pull from Adirondack Blue, Bong Hits & Porn*
Encore: Ship, Leaving the Monopole
* with Monteith on eggbeater
For the final set of the reunion, a performance at Brooklyn Bowl was the perfect closing to the weekend. Owned by former Wetlands owner Pete Shapiro, having Ominous Seapods perform at Brooklyn Bowl brings them full circle and to a stage built on the shoulders of former Wetlands staples like themselves. The performance was an opening slot for the Zen Tricksters, and would be a distilled, “best of” set compared to the previous two shows. Fan Gabe Sasso noted that the crowd ate up how tight the band sounded, with one standout highlight “Josephine’s Grand Motion” which was not played the previous two nights. And with the final note of “Bong Hits and Porn,” Mutants are back to waiting for the next reunion shows to be announced, and based on response from these shows, one would hope it will be less than six years between shows.
Setlist, January 14, 2018 Set 1: Blackberry Brandy, Sneakin’ Sally Through The Alley, The Guide To Roadside Ecology, Michael Murphy 3, Josephine’s Grand Motion, Sally Simpson > First Day In California > Sally Simpson, The Pull From Adirondack Blue, Leaving The Monopole, Bong Hits And Porn
The 121st Saranac Lake Winter Carnival starts February 2, 2018 and features 17 acts over eight days. Among the list of local and national bands slated to perform are regional favorites Donna The Buffalo, Sophistafunk, and Lucid. All performances take place at The Waterhole Music Lounge in Saranac Lake. For the first time ever, VIP passes are available, which entitle the purchaser to all shows during the carnival as well as special cocktail hours. Tickets are available at the Waterhole or online. The folks at The Waterhole also put together a Spotify playlist of all the featured artists:
Saranac Lake Winter Carnival 2018
February 2– O’Death with Tigerman Woah & Arthur Buezo – 9pm $13 Adv $15 Door February 3 – Kung Fu with The English Project – 9pm $17 Adv $20 Door February 6 – Swampcandy – FREE SHOW 9pm Downstairs February 7 – Sophistafunk with Jiggawaltz – 9pm $10 Adv $12 Door February 8 – Donna the Buffalo with The Old Main – 8:30 pm $18 Adv $22 Door February 9 – Lucid with Bella’s Bartok – 9pm $20 February 10 – Post Parade Party with Raisinhead – 2pm “After the Parade” FREE SHOW February 10 – West End Blend with The Big Takeover – 9pm – $10 February 11– The Plate Scrapers at Bloody Mary Sunday – FREE SHOW – 2pm Downstairs
Scott Hannay Plays Video Games Multiplayer Edition
The Ominous Seapods have a lasting legacy of influence on musicians in the jam scene. They are held with reverence by fans and music journalists who are still enamored (and rightly so) by the jam scene of the ’90s, and continue to inspire awe and musicians today. Promoter Greg Bell of Guthrie/Bell Productions spoke on January 12 about his history with the band dating back to 1992, and was all smiles throughout the night, having brought back to Albany the elder statesman of the jam scene. Despite it being a warm night outside, it was far from a warm up night inside, as the band hit the ground running and hit all the marks, right off the bat.
Cohoes Music Hall was the perfect venue for this show, as it has been for Max Creek, Garcia Project, and soon Turkuaz and Melvin Seals with JGB. The fourth oldest music venue in New York, the 1871 hall has undergone a transformation in the past two years and become an excellent show location that fits perfectly between clubs like The Hollow and Putnam Den, and larger rooms such as The Egg. So with two sold out shows, bassist Tom Pirozzi’s 50th birthday and a reunion of Plattsburgh Mutants on tap, the Music Hall was abuzz early thanks to Stone Brewing’s DidgeriDoom IPA, a nod to Monteith, who moved to Perth, Australia following the last Seapods show in