The last time Jamiroquai graced NYC with its presence, they sold out the newly opened Nokia Theater Times Square for two nights back in 2005. The band was hot off the heels of their latest release, Dynamite, and it seemed like the United States could not get enough of their frontman, Jay Kay. Fast forward to 2018 and the East Coast was aching for some Jamiroquai news. After teasing 4 U.S. dates via Twitter, it was finally announced that their triumphant return to NYC would occur on September 8 at the Forest Hills Stadium in Queens.
Saturday finally arrived and the crowd did as well to a day full of drizzle and promise. Gangstarr’s DJ Premier took the stage at 7 pm to start a massive dance party for anyone that beat the traffic. The legendary producer spun ’90s hip hop tracks for the ever-growing crowd to get down to as the sky continued to open up on everyone that arrived. He warmed up the crowd for 45 minutes before the stage was set for the main act.
Just after 8 pm, the enormous screen on stage lit up and the band members began to assemble as Jay Kay ran on stage to a thunderous applause. As Jay’s helmet moved up and down while changing colors, they started things out with “Shake It On,” off of the new album, Automaton, before diving into 2001’s “Little L” off of A Funk Odyssey. The party continued with “Use The Force” and the always funky “Space Cowboy.”
“Alright” from Traveling Without Moving kicked the crowd into fifth gear and gave everyone the opportunity to sing along with Jay during the chorus. He brought it back to 2018 with “Dr Buzz” off the new album and followed that up with the hit, “(Don’t) Give Hate a Chance.” Continuing the hop between decades, they dove into “Main Vein” as the rain started coming down a little harder. No precipitation was going to keep this crowd from enjoying their night and the classic “Runaway” was the perfect soundtrack to the weather. Jay was met with a phenomenal cheer as he sang the opening lyrics, “Can you dig it? There’s something in the air tonight”.
Jamiroquai knows what their fans love and “Cosmic Girl” could not have come at a better time in the show. This psychedelic disco track illuminated the crowd as they continued to lose their minds before Jay slowed things down and treated everyone to the slow version of “Emergency on Planet Earth” off of their debut album. Soon enough, the sounds of Jay’s Lamborghini Diablo SE30 could be heard over the speakers as they dove into “Travelling Without Moving.”
The crowd exploded with cheers as they started “Canned Heat” and I certainly saw at least a dozen ‘Vote for Pedro’ shirts dancing harder than anyone else. Jay allowed his bandmates to really jam out this song and the funky beat never stopped. The last song of the set was 2002’s “Love Foolosophy” and the crowd could not have been more receptive of this choice. Jay thankfully understood the strict 10 pm curfew enforced by the venue, so without leaving the stage, they dove headfirst into their most popular hit, “Virtual Insanity.” The crowd and the band gave it all they had as 10 pm approached. Amidst a roaring applause, Jay promised they would be back and we couldn’t have been happier.
The Buffalo quartet Aqueous has announced that their upcoming and long-awaited studio record; Color Wheel, will be dropping on October 12. Since their last 2014 release entitled Cycles, the group has felt a strong sense of progress and evolution in their sound that Aqueous guitarist/keyboardist David Loss describes as, “Color Wheel feels like a step forward for the band in every way. We tapped into a distinctly more emotional and purposeful space when writing it.” He also went on to say that the lyrics and themes that listeners will encounter in their journey throughout the album will have a sense of relatability which makes the project that much more special to them.
The album boasts a 10-song track list which has been kept unheard with exceptions like “Second Sight” and “Weight of the Word.” The anticipation of the songs is even that much more intense since Aqueous will not be releasing it all at once. Considering that it is a concept album, it will be presented in waves with the first being available next week! The Aqueous guitarist explained this creative decision by stating, “There’s a certain continuity to this entire album, and it unfolds in a way that makes the track order important for the experience. We wanted to release the album in waves, ultimately, to give people a chance to settle into each section of the album and digest it thoroughly before diving into the next.”
With such a thrilling project at hand, it only seems logical to accompany it with announcing a cross-country tour. However, this will be their most extensive one to date and will be filled with appearances by several other groups including moe., ELM, The Heavy Pets, and many more!
See track list and tour dates below:
Color Wheel
Second Sight
How High You Fly
Realize Your Light
Split The Difference
Color Wheel
Good Enough
Half In, Half out
Weight Of The Word (feat. Turkuaz Horns)
Mandela Effect
In It (For Me)
AQUEOUS
Upcoming Tour Dates:
9/7 – Saranac Brewery – Utica, NY **
9/20 – Resonance Music and Arts Festival – Thornville, OH
9/21 – Rex Theater – Pittsburgh, PA *
10/6 – Liberty Pumpkin Ball – Roaring Ranch, PA
10/19 & 10/20 – The Palace Theater – St. Paul, MN >
Summer may be on its way out, but that doesn’t mean all the fun has to go with it. NYS Music is here to ensure you start off the fall months with great live music and continue it all throughout the month of September.
Salem
September 7th & 8th – The two day grassroots festival Eastbound Throwdown, presented by Eastbound Jesus, Guthrie Bell Productions and the Irwin Family will take place in Salem at the Irwin Farm on the 7th and 8th. The event will feature activities for kids, local food and beverage vendors, and a stellar lineup including Kitchen Dwellers, Girl Blue, Saints & Liars, Grassroots Rebels and two nights of Eastbound Jesus. Event link.
Saratoga – Putnam Place
September 14th – To get your Phish fix, come out on the 14th to Putnam Place to see the Lizards recreate all of the classic songs of their iconic catalog. Event link.
September 21st – Bringing another fantastic tribute to Saratoga, Start Making Sense will be recreating the full Talking Heads experience that is sure to have you strapping on your dancing shoes. Event link.
September 22nd – Singer-songwriter Ryan Montbleau will be bringing a very special full band performance to Saratoga featuring songs from his latest album I Was Just Leaving. The performance is sure to be full of the emotive and raw energy the album has been highly acclaimed for. Event link.
September 28th – On their mission to make fusion music “cool” again, Kung Fu will be bringing their new-funk movement to Putnam Place with improvisational hip-hop, rock and jazz group, Lynch. Event link.
Buffalo – Nietzche’s
September 8th – Donny Frauenhofer and NYS Music are bringing you the Psychedelic Disco Party featuring the original jazz-fusion supergroup themselves, Donny Frauenhofer Band, the funk-based and indie-inspired group Witty Tarbox, and the groovy stylings of Our Friends Band. Event link.
September 13th – For a performance that speaks to every intricacy of the human experience from the good to the bad, come out for the one of a kind sound of The Observers with special guests and bluegrass group, Dr. Hamilton’s Remedy. Event link.
Cohoes – Cohoes Music Hall
September 16th – Technically trained and highly acclaimed pianist Holly Bowling will be bringing her improvisational, jam-band inspired stylings to Cohoes Music Hall. Event link.
September 27th – Following her release of her album This Too Shall Light on September 21st, Amy Helm will be bringing a sentimental performance of her Americana, country, blues and gospel-inspired sound to Cohoes. Event link.
Albany – The Hollow Bar + Kitchen
September 22nd – Promising to deliver the dream Grateful Dead setlist, Gratefully Yours will be doing what they do best at The Hollow on the 22nd. Event link.
September 29th – One of New York’s favorite jam bands, Formula 5 will be bringing the funk and soul to Albany along with experimental rock-fusion quartet, Swimmer. Event link.
Troy – Hangar on the Hudson
September 30th – To celebrate their 30th anniversary, Supersuckers will be stopping by on The Big Show tour for a performance that is sure to, “rock the pants right off of you!” Event link.
Known for their enthralling fusion of soulful harmonies, gripping guitar and unpredictable drum patterns, The Nth Power played at Funk ‘n Waffles Rochester on Thursday, August 23 to a cold room devoid of the passionate crowd they deserved. The tiny crowd could have been a blessing in disguise since the uncomfortable volume may have been a discouragement to first time listeners seeking the band out in the future.
Despite a harsh beginning to the show, moments of clarity during some of their jams showed the room what they can do. Their stage presence added to the spectacle, with Nick Cassarino (vocals/guitar), Nikki Glaspie (drums/vocals) and Nate Edgar (bass) all equally emotive with instruments in hand. Edgar is probably the most amusing to watch, balancing on one foot and bobbling his head, creating almost a bass player caricature.
Cassarino took a moment during their performance to plug a charity the band wholeheartedly supports. The Harold Robinson Foundation helps the underprivileged youth in South LA connect with nature by sending them to a three-day outdoor camp. The foundation is highly rated for remaining transparent about their operations and is definitely worth checking out.
The Nth Power soldiered on, displaying a fierce mashup of Earth Wind & Fire’s “Shining Star” and “Mighty Mighty” that lit up the room before delving into one of their most beloved tunes “Only Love” off their 2016 album Abundance. Overall it was a show worth seeing but hopefully the sound will be more on point next time to do justice to their playing.
The Albany Capital center hosted a triple-bill of heavy metal music on Friday, Aug. 3 — Halestorm, In This Moment and New Years Day — all of which featured a female lead singer. Halestorm, the Grammy Award-winning band out of Red Lion, Pennsylvania, may have been the headlining act, but it was a special night for Maria Brink of In This Moment. For Brink, the Capital District concert was a homecoming event for the Clifton Park native. She dedicated her band’s set to her family and friends in the audience.
Legendary Grateful Dead founder and guitarist Bob Weir announced this week that due to popular demand they will be including an additional 3 shows in the upcoming Wolf Bros Tour. Major cities Chicago, Boston and New York will be seeing multiple performances at iconic venues like the Chicago, Wang and Beacon Theatres.
In what is expected to be a stellar and electrifying tour, the band will be revisiting several Grateful Dead classics in their lineup of songs that Weir has excitedly described will be played in a “trio setting.” Although this is the group’s first formal tour, the chemistry between members is undeniable as both Weir and veteran drummer Jay Lane collaborated in the American Jazz band RatDog. Not to mention the contributions on bass guitar from the successful musician, producer, and president of Blue Note Records, Don Was. This culmination of different sounds from each of these widely respected musicians has earned this tour tremendous popularity and will certainly be a beautiful rekindling and demonstration of the legacy of Grateful Dead music.
See tour dates below:
October 16 Reno, NV—Grand Sierra Resort and Casino
October 18 Los Angeles, CA—The Theatre at Ace Hotel
The indie garage-punk quartet Shannon and the Clams has been electrifying the nation with a vintage sound which incorporates elements of doo-wop, classic R&B, garage psych and surf rock into their high energy performances. At Panorama Music Festival we had a chance to catch up with guitarist Cody Blanchard and drummer Nate Mahan to discuss their extensive touring schedule, recording their most recent album Onion (produced by Black Key’s Dan Auerbach), and their plans for the future.
Ryan Randazzo (RR): Your music is described in many different ways from doo-wop, surf rock, R&B, psychedelic; you’ve got an entire array of genres in there. How did you sound form to become what it is now?
Cody Blanchard (CB): It was all Shannon at first. She was playing open mics by herself and just really wanted to love that ‘60’s girl group sound. Then we started a really ramshackle band in 2008 with different people, and it was really punk because we were sloppy and 21 years old. We just kind of rolled with it and made it fun. Then we got better and started working with better people, like Nate our current drummer for the past few years, and he is better than our old drummer. It just got tighter and we added a keyboard player, so that allowed us to get more nuanced, bigger sounds. I also think we get really restless musically and want to explore new zones. Then we hear more different kinds of music we’ve never heard before and it all gets mixed in.
RR: What kind of music are you guys into right now?
CB: I’ve been into some old country stuff. I’ve been really into mid to late ‘80’s synth driven R&B stuff. There’s this period of music that me and my wife have been trying to describe and we call it “cocaine comedown,” and it’s like late ‘70s early ‘80s. It almost sounds like disco, but it’s low and everything’s sad sounding. It sounds like the next day. Some of The Eagles’ later shit sounds like that, and Lindsey Buckingham has a couple of really clean and tight sounding tracks. I love that stuff right now. It’s very sad disco music. What do you think?
Nate Mahan (NM): I don’t know. I’ve still been high out on the early country; just exploring. California country music in particular. The Central Valley is such a strange part of California and there are so many weird genres that originate from it.
CB: It’s the frontier of the frontier.
NM: Yeah. It’s not the fancy part of California. You think the fancy part of California, you think San Francisco or L.A., which is glamorous, but the Central Valley has this whole working class thing. It’s strange that it would yield a band like Korn. I’ve been listening to Korn a lot. It’s just a strange zone for creative activity for whatever reason, and I’ve been exploring that recently myself.
RR: You recently released Onion which was produced by the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach. How was working with him, and how was creating this album different from other albums you’ve done in the past?
CB: Very different. He’s a very hands on producer. He likes to get really into the song structure and add tons of layers. It was cool not being responsible for everything. Our first few albums we recorded ourselves and I just felt like we were always doing everything. It was rad to have an outside party to come in and contribute stuff or just have a totally outside perspective on it.
NM: Getting songs down fast and having lots of time to explore what we could do with them and mess with the arrangements. I feel like it works to such an advantage when you know that what you have is quality and you can really just go from there and build it.
CB: Yeah, start with a strong foundation and layer a bunch of crazy shit on top of it. The other thing is his studio is extremely streamlined, so I think because he likes to add lots of instruments really fast and not have to wait around to move things in the studio or something. I’ve never seen that before. Most studios you’ll have to go in the closet and haul out the vibraphone, then get out the microphone, and it takes like an hour. He doesn’t have that much stuff, but it’s all ready to go. You can just record that and go, which is cool and inspiring.
NM: Yeah definitely because if you wander by an instrument, see it and go, “I’m hearing something,” he’ll say, “Great, record.” Five minutes, done. Efficient.
RR: You guys have a really extensive touring schedule. You’re going to Europe then coming back to the West Coast and working your way east. How have you noticed your audience differs from region to region, and what would you describe as your favorite market/which one do you feel you need to break into more?
CB: One of our biggest markets is the L.A. area. A lot of young kids there, and a lot of really high energy kids out there. Some really great shows. Europe has been slow for us because we’ve worked with so many different booking agents. I don’t know – we just keep changing, but I think we’re trying to do some of the bigger festivals in Europe to get our name out there. In Europe, I’ve definitely noticed in the Netherlands people are very stiff as an audience. They’re very cool and friendly, but as an audience they’re very stiff. No dancers. I love the U.K. a lot, which most bands don’t like for some reason. We do well there, and I really like the people; they’re really rowdy.
It’s been interesting touring with Dan Auerbach because our audience is generally very rowdy and unruly, and Dan’s audience, who didn’t know our material also, was very pleasant and mild mannered, so that was kind of fun.
RR: How were your first few shows with his audience?
CB: They loved it. It was a really different vibe. New Orleans is a very rowdy place, which I love.
NM: Florida too. There’s something about that hot weather, you just want to have a good time.
RR: How do you feel your shows differ from a festival set like today at Panorama and your normal touring shows?
CB: They’re shorter at festivals. It probably sounds better when we’re touring because we do a normal soundcheck. We’re not as close to the audience at festivals; there’s more an energetic distance so it doesn’t feel as intimate. I feel like we play pretty much the same. We usually do an hour to an hour and fifteen minute set on our normal tours so festivals are just a little shorter.
RR: I was talking to a couple of your fans after your set, and asked them if they had anything they’d want me to ask you, so their question was: “If you guys all live so far apart from one another, how does your songwriting and recording process work?”
CB: We each usually make demos at home then meet up for a week or less and rehearse. Usually if we have a show, we meet a few days early. The last record, we met in Oakland and rehearsed a bit then met in Seattle and recorded demos of the songs at a friend’s house with the full band. I feel like next time, going into Auerbach’s studio, we can come less prepared. I feel like we were pretty well prepared last time, but I feel like we could show up and fuck around more. Everything seemed rushed at a different studio before that, so I was going into it like, “We’ve got to be ready with each song,” but it’s tough because stuff is expensive. Playing the songs as a group is also SO different from the recording process.The end product of recording with Dan is different. The things that end up on top are so different from what was originally on top of the recording.
RR: Are there any elements of your sound or show that you feel like you’d want to add? Maybe a new light rig, psychedelic images, new instruments?
NM: I think we all have plenty of ideas (laughs).
CB: I used to think about that stuff all the time, then I started realizing that the return of investment on energy is pretty low. I think people are happy with a very human show or experience. But if we had tons of money… we’ve had tons of weird ideas.
RR: What’s your weirdest?
CB: I used to want to do weird sketches on stage and crazy costumes; hire our own lighting person and do our own spotlights. I used to want to do weird inflatable creatures and shit on stage. I made some animatronic, weird monster one time for our record release show three years ago. I just took old toys that are motorized and moved around, but put different things on the outside so they looked totally different. I put real animal fur and fake eyeballs on them; that was cool. That shit is just a lot of extra effort and takes up a lot of space, and we want to focus on the music. We’ve been trying to keep it really efficient. Lately, I’ve been less ambitious with stage elements and more focused on our sound.
RR: What are your big plans for 2019?
CB: I’ll bet we record next year. I think I’ll be ready. I think it’ll be a faster turnaround because when we recorded our last album, Dan’s label wasn’t quite ready for records to come out, so we had to wait a year. I think we’ll record. I would like to.
NM: Hopefully we go and visit Australia.
CB: Yeah, we were talking about trying to go to Australia or Japan, we’ve just never had a good connection. We’d love to do either of those. We’re heading to Mexico City later in the year, and I would love to go to South America and Central America. I feel like that audience would love it also. We’ve met a few bands from there, like big bands, and they always say, “You’ve got to come down.” Hopefully we’ll get a chance.
This summer’s concerts have been heating up for sure. Friday July 27 was no different when four time Grammy winner, Pat Benatar and her long time husband/guitarist Neil Giraldo co-headlined the Vine at Del Lago along with another 80’s icon, Rick Springfield.
Pat and Neil have been performing together since 1979 and have been an unstoppable husband and wife team since 1983. Together they have written and produced many gold and platinum and multi-platinum hits including “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”, “Love is a Battlefield”, “We Belong”, and “Invincible”.
At just about 9 p.m., the seasoned musical veteran performers hit the stage with their band and kicked right off into “All Fired Up”, “We Live For Love”, and “Invincible”. The dynamic duo of Pat and Neil had the sold out audience at Del Lago fired up for sure, as no one was quite sure who would be performing first on the bill, Rick or Pat and Neil.
Their sound was like pure vinyl. If you closed your eyes, it was as good as a recording. Flawless. Pat’s vocals were simply powerfully amazing as she hit all the high notes effortlessly, especially on “We Live For Love. Neil’s guitar work is just plain brilliant. His technique and playing style that has defined the Benatar sound for nearly 40 years remains perfect never missing a lick, bend or nuance.
Their set included a stripped down, acoustic side as well when they performed powerful “Shine” intimately for the audience. “Shine”, released in 2017, was written in support of the women’s rights movement, and the record reflects the Shine Together Movement, which is her voice to hopefully affect positive change in the world and government. This was a beautifully performed acoustic number.
Finishing out the twelve song set, was a very cool rendition of “Heartbreaker” with a few twists thrown in including a medley of Cash’s “Ring of Fire”, Hendrix’s “Purple Haze”, The White Stripes “Seven Nation Army”, and a cool little “Godfather Theme” instrumental.
After nearly forty years of making hit after hit, Pat and Neil have pretty much proved that they are in fact invincible.
Setlist: All Fired Up, We Live for Love, Invincible, Promises in the Dark, We Belong, Disconnected, Hell is for Children, You Better Run, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Love is a Battlefield (Encore: Shine, Heartbreaker
On a beautiful day in Lake George, Formula 5 held their Rock the Dock Festival provided family fun and good music for the plethora of attendees that made their way through the gates. A portion of Rock the Dock’s profits were donated to the Fund for Lake George, a non-profit organization focused on keeping the Lake clean and healthy.
Rock the Dock is a very intimate festival, taking place on the dock for the famous steamboats the Mohican and the Lac du Saint Sacrement, with the Minne Ha Ha docked there for the event as well. Attendees were able to go up on any of the three boats to watch the music, enjoy the full service bars, or look at the stunning scenery of some of the Adirondack mountains standing tall around the lake. For food options, the festival featured trucks from the Plaid Pancake and O’Pablo’s Mexican Food, a father/son snow cone tent, and a tent selling hamburgers and hot dogs.
The music kicked off with Saratoga Springs-based group Let’s Be Leonard, a 5-piece rock outfit that put forth a very unique sound while still providing the listener with the familiarity of that “jam band” tonality. Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Karl Bertrand addressed the crowd saying how different it was to have the audience on boats after performing the first few songs, seemingly enjoying the uniqueness of the festival. The group ended their set with an impressive segment of an original tune “Good” into the Grateful Dead’s classic “Estimated Prophet,” into another original “Princess on the Run” which was one of the highlights of the set.
Next up was the New England-based electrofunk group Strange Machines, a nice change of pace after the rock stylings of Let’s Be Leonard. Strange Machines play the Saratoga/Albany area often, so the crowd started to fill in as their set continued. The group’s set included many fan-favorites, such as “Klepto,” “Canopy,” “Motion Potion,” and a newer one, “Wook in a Onesie.” Strange Machines also covered a Grateful Dead song, following in Let’s Be Leonard’s footsteps, performing their take on the classic Bob Weir-penned “Feel Like a Stranger,” which had the crowd boogieing like it was 1980 all over again.
Trey Anastasio Band)’s Russ Lawton and Ray Paczkowski funk duo Soule Monde were the final band to take the stage before the headliners, Formula 5, performed, and they brought the house down with their danceable grooves and jazzy melodies. This was one of the first few gigs Paczkowski played since the removal of his brain tumor, and he didn’t waste any time getting back into the swing of things as he coaxed those familiar Milkman sounds out of his vintage keyboards. The pair performed a mixture of songs from their newest LP, Must Be Nice, and their previous EPs, and they had the whole crowd dancing by the end of the set. Before they concluded the music, the duo brought up Formula 5 guitarist Joe Davis to sit in on their tune “Bernard,” where he locked in with Ray’s keyboard melodies and got to show off some of his chops to the crowd before F5’s set.
As the sun started to set over the lake, Formula 5 took the stage for the final set of the evening. The group performed a range of their original music, from one of their newer songs, the uplifting “Blue,”to a bust-out with the electronic “Nu-Gen.” One of the highlights of the set was the debut of the classic Warren Zevon tune, “Lawyers, Guns, and Money,” often covered by Widespread Panic, which had the crowd singing along and dancing the night away as the last glimpses of sunlight disappeared behind the mountaintops. Another bust-out from the night was the blues-jazz fusion tune “Excalibur,” a song that’s been shelved for a while, which was met with ecstatic cheers from the crowd as the jam at the end of the song drew to a close. “Nu-Gen” was the jam of the night, featuring an electronic jam that isn’t typical of Formula 5’s style, lasting around 15 minutes. After a short encore break, drummer Greg Marek came out to say a quick thank you to everyone attending, and the group broke into their another new song, “Breaking Glass.”
Rock the Dock featured a lot of local, talented bands, and unique vendors that provided attendees with the ultimate small festival experience. The festival will return in 2019. More videos and audio from some of the sets will be coming in the future.
Setlists
Formula 5 Come Along, Pedro* -> Excalibur, Sad Bed* -> Lawyers, Guns, and Money^, Blue -> Nu-Gen
E: Breaking Glass
* Unfinished ^ Warren Zevon cover, debut
Soule Monde Slide B, Whassat, The Story, Take My Hand, Jody Grind, Allah Uya, Bernard*, Tango
*with Joe Davis (Formula 5, guitar)
Strange Machines Golden Rule > Remote Dream > Golden Rule, Canopy, Wook In a Onesie > Moose Soup, Motion Potion, Feel Like a Stranger*, Klepto
*Grateful Dead cover
Let’s be Leonard Sunrise, Foresight, Open Your Eyes, How Do You Fall In Love?, Good > Estimated Prophet* > Princess on the Run
There’s nothing like a great concert to brighten summer days even more. Here to make it all the more easy for you, NYS Music is bringing you our run down of all the can’t-miss action throughout New York State’s music scene throughout July.
Rochester – Funk ‘N Waffles
July 6th – You will not want to miss Andy Frasco’s “party blues with a touch of barefoot boogie,” style as him and his band bring feel good music to Funk ‘N Waffles with The UN. Click the link for more event and ticket details. Event link.
July 7th – The night following their Syracuse show, Victor Wainwright and The Train will be bringing another show sure to make you smile to Rochester. Event link.
July 10th – Syracuse native, Funk ‘N Waffles house band, Pearly Baker’s Best, will be moving over to Rochester for the night to perform their tribute to the Grateful Dead with David Gans. Event link.
July 12 – Adam Ezra Group, a personal favorite of mine, will be bringing their roots rock to Rochester and it is sure to be a show you do not want to miss! Event link.
July 13th – The Gerry Jarcia String Band will be making a stop on their summer Powerwagon Tour and is bringing along some “post nuclear music” courtesy of the dynamic group, Electric Kif. Event link.
July 18th – Reggae artist Alika will be playing at the Music Hall with M.A.K.U Soundsystem to celebrate of self discovery through music and, as always, bring the party with their punk, funk and rock sound. Event link.
July 19th – Indie rock and R&B infused band, Little Bird, will be stopping by on their summer tour with the funk fusion quartet, The Phryg. Event link.
July 21st – It’s Cosmic Brownie’s 1 year anniversary and they want Rochester to join in on the celebration! To commemorate the occasion, the alternative hip-hop duo will be playing with electronic drummer and producer, Hybrid Beats, as well as Level 7. Event link.
July 25th – Calliope Musicals will be making the long and treacherous trek from space (or Austin, Texas) with special guests Stationary Escape Pod for an energetic and alluring night of music. Event link.
July 31st – Amoramora guarantees that every show is sure to, “blast you off into a cosmic dance party,” so don’t miss this golden opportunity to witness their rock ‘n’ roll with special guest Walrus Junction. Event link.
Syracuse – Funk ‘N Waffles
July 6th – The award-winning blues, soul and rock songwriter, Victor Wainwright, will be stopping in Syracuse on the album release tour of his band Victor Wainwright and The Train accompanied by Doug Woolverton on Trumpet. Event link.
July 9th – Dead Nights are the best nights, especially when they are brought to you by Pearly Baker’s Best. Event link.
July 11th – Before the always-traveling group hits Rochester, Adam Ezra Group will be performing with New York native group, The Sea the Sea. This powerhouse pairing is sure to make for an incredible night of music you can’t miss. Event link.
July 14th – Upstate New York has the privilege of being graced with another stop on Gerry Jarcia’s Powerwagon Tour. Once again, the string band will be joined by Electric Kif. Event link.
July 18th – The night before their Rochester show, Little Bird will be playing Funk ‘N Waffles with lively afro-beat and reggae group Akuma Roots. Event link.
July 19th – Chris Eves and the New Normal, rock, funk, blues and jam band, will be performing with special guest, The Melting Nomads, who will be supplying dirty funky fusion. Event link.
July 21st – It’s sure to be a jam-packed night full of electrifying performances as the Barroom Philosophers, Ponder, General B and The Wiz take on Funk ‘N Waffles for the night. Event link.
July 26th – For all alternative music fans, Calliope Musicals with Philadelphia-native band, Pet Cheetah, is sure to be a show to remember. Event link.
July 27th – Andy Frasco & The UN will be kicking off a vibrant month of music at Funk ‘N Waffles in Rochester and will be closing it out at Syracuse. Make sure to come out for the good vibes and great music. Event link.
Lake George
July 13th – A lot of exciting things are happening with one of our favorite Upstate New York-local bands, Formula 5, and included on this list is the fact that they will be hosting the second annual Rock the Dock Festival in Lake George. The festival will be held on the dock of the Lake George Steamboat Company and will host a multitude of other great acts including Soule Monde, Strange Machines and Let’s Be Leonard. On your way to the event, make sure you grab a Formula 5 flavored shake at Ben & Jerry’s! Event link.
Saranac Lake – The Waterhole
The historic Waterhole in Saranac Lake welcomes West End Blend for ‘The Blender’ – a two night affair with Bella’s Bartok as special guest on Friday, July 13, and a tribute to Prince with WEB on Saturday, July 14. Two day passes cost $24, or $15 each day at the door. On Saturday afternoon enjoy a FREE show with “Blender on the Patio” will go from 5pm to 10pm featuring Jiggawaltz, Adrian Aardvark and Arthur Buezo.
Buffalo – Nietzsche’s
The Jazz Happy Hour that got you through every Monday in June is continuing on through July at Nietzche’s in Buffalo with another incredible lineup of artists.
July 2nd – Frontstreet Men will be bringing a high energy set full of covers of some classics as well as their own bluesy, funky originals. Event link.
July 9th – No strangers to jazz at Nietzche’s, Jared Tinkham Trio will be taking over happy hour on the 9th. Event link.
July 16th – Buffalo-based and renowned jazz improvisation artist, Donny Frauenhofer, will be performing on the 16th. Event link.
July 23rd – Head out on the 23rd to enjoy some smooth sounds from the Brendan Lonighan Octet. Event link.
July 30th – To close out yet another month of the happiest hours in Upstate New York, Buffalo Infringement Festival Presents Curtis Lovell. Event link.
Just after 8 pm, the enormous screen on stage lit up and the band members began to assemble as Jay Kay ran on stage to a thunderous applause. As Jay’s helmet moved up and down while changing colors, they started things out with “Shake It On,” off of the new album, Automaton, before diving into 2001’s “Little L” off of A Funk Odyssey. The party continued with “Use The Force” and the always funky “Space Cowboy.”
September 21st – Bringing another fantastic tribute to Saratoga, Start Making Sense will be recreating the full Talking Heads experience that is sure to have you strapping on your dancing shoes. 
July 6th – You will not want to miss Andy Frasco’s “party blues with a touch of barefoot boogie,” style as him and his band bring feel good music to Funk ‘N Waffles with The UN. Click the link for more event and ticket details. 
