Thursday July 18 will be the first of the “Thursdays on the Village Green”, a free concert series in Hamilton, NY featuring Danielle Ponder and the Tomorrow People. “Thursdays on the Village Green” is a family-friendly event, with activities hosted by the Hamilton Public Library every week starting at 5:30 p.m., and then music starting at 7:00 p.m..
Kicking off the series’ music lineup this week is groove-soul powerhouse Danielle Ponder and the Tomorrow People. The band’s groovy sound combined with Ponder’s powerful voice creates a beautiful and emotional experience for concert-goers. Ponder, a Rochester, NY native, will undoubtedly give you goose-bumps. Soultracks.com said, “Ponder’s vocals combine the spirit of the church with the speak-truth- to-power assertiveness of a movement leader.”
The Great New York State Fair is gearing up to host the biggest event of the summer in Central New York, and kicking off August 21 and running through September 2, the 174th edition of The Great New York State Fair will be host to a wide range of artists, including many local and regional acts.
Mike Powell, a Syracuse native, is a prolific writer, songwriter and storyteller. Powell has toured with many greats, and shared the stage with Martin Sexton & Shooter Jennings and is a rising star in the regional scene, with honest and heartfelt songs.
C.K. & the Rising Tide is an alternative country/folk rock band hailing from Albany. C.K. & the Rising Tide’s brand of Americana features poetic, nostalgic lyrics supported by music that is rooted in rock n’ roll and has a highly emotive baseline.
The Lightkeepers are a Syracuse-based band that provides a soul, funk, rock, jazzy blues and roots experience. As the 2016 Syracuse Area Music Award (SAMMY) winners for “Best New Artist,” The Lightkeepers are now hitting their full stride in 2019. With the previous year delivering high energy performances on “Soundcheck Live” and at the New York State Blues Festival main stage, along with the release of their SAMMY Nominated sophomore album, Talking Man’s Blues, The Lightkeepers are quickly becoming revered for their mind-blowing jams and funky grooves.
Baldwinsville’s picturesque Papermill Island was the scene for a gathering of upstart and veteran alternative rockers Friday night as the Big X Cuse, presented by Syracuse alt-rock station 95X, rolled into town.
The second-year event featured veteran alt-rockers Silversun Pickups alongside singer-songwriter Meg Myers, indie pop duo I Don’t Know How But They Found Me, and Syracuse-bred shoegazers Trench.
Silversun Pickups wasted no time getting into their brand new album Widow’s Weeds, opening the show with the slow building lead-off track “Neon Wounds” and the second track from the album “It Doesn’t Matter Why.” Joe Lester’s synth and backing vocals from bassist/vocalist Nikki Monninger provided a dreamy, danceable feel, complete with handclaps in the latter tune.
Silversun Pickups
The band got into rock star mode with a couple of early career tracks. “Well Thought-Out Twinkles” featured some stellar distorted basswork from Monninger and intense beats from the band’s secret weapon, drummer Christopher Guanlao. “Panic Switch” from their 2009 breakthrough album Swoon followed, kicking the crowd into high gear. Guitarist/vocalist Brian Aubert whipped up a frenzy playing to the sides and front of the stage while furiously riffing.
A mix of old and new songs throughout the night kept fans on their toes. The new songs were as well-received as the standards, showing a band still at the top of its game. They closed out the set with their hit “Lazy Eye,” introduced by Aubert asking the crowd to promise to meet back here at this beautiful island in ten years to catch up with each other.
Preceding Silversun Pickups was singer-songwriter, Meg Myers. In her stripped-down set, which included just Myers and her guitarist, she proved that’s all that was needed. Her voice, at times a whisper and other times a roar, commands the listener’s attention. Shades of Tori Amos and Kate Bush can be heard in her vocal style, the latter influence coming to the fore in what was the highlight of Myers’s set, a cover of Bush’s “Running Up That Hill.” Myers has the songwriting chops, passion, and vocal ability that will have her sticking around for a long time.
Meg Myers
The unwieldy-named I Don’t Know How But They Found Me had early-arriving fans dancing along to their electro-pop bass and drums that recalled Panic! At the Disco, which shouldn’t be surprising as bassist/vocalist Dallon Weekes spent several years touring with Brandon Urie’s ever-changing Las Vegas outfit. Weekes had a tremendous stage presence and utilized an array of pedals and synths to round out the duo’s sound. Drummer Ryan Seaman was a whirlwind behind the kit the entire set.
Dallon Weekes – I Don’t Know How But They Found Me
Opening the evening was Syracuse-based alt-rockers Trench. Their sound echoed mid-90s shoegaze bands such as My Bloody Valentine and the Jesus and Mary Chain with an emo slant. Vocalist/guitarist Chris Reilly’s dreamy vocals complimented guitarist Ron Ballweber’s distorted guitar to belie the sun-swept skies of Baldwinsville.
Chris Reilly – Trench
Trench has been getting a lot of play on local airwaves, especially the weekly 95X show Locals Only, hosted by recent SAMMY Hall of Fame inductee Scott Dixon. The station, along with its sister station, The Rebel, has long showcased local talent not just in specialty programming but during the day as well. The number of people at the front of the stage as Trench began playing is a true testament to this type of counter-programming local radio is doing to combat the rise of streaming and satellite radio. Also of note was the near-sellout crowd filling this island in the middle of the Seneca River. Alternative rock has evolved to include several different styles, many of which were represented at the Big X Cuse, and it is alive and well.
Update (July 10, 11:15 am): Woodstock 50 promoters have issued a statement after being denied a permit by the Town of Vernon to hold the festival at Vernon Downs in August. They will be appealing the codes enforcement officer’s ruling to the Town of Vernon Planning Board. The board has 30 days to rule on the appeal. A spokesperson for Woodstock issued the following statement late Tuesday:
In response to the denial of an event permit by the Town of Vernon, Woodstock 50 believes certain political forces may be working against the resurrection of the Festival. Local reports claim Woodstock’s filing for the permit was “incomplete” but that is not the case. Woodstock 50 officials were informed by the Town of Vernon that most questions had been answered and asked only that Woodstock submit medical, safety/security and traffic plans by this past Sunday, which it did. With a venue chosen, financing assembled and many of the artist’s supporting Woodstock’s 50th Anniversary event, the organizers are hopeful that their appeal and reapplication tonight will prevail without further political interference.
Syracuse.com is reporting that the Town of Vernon has denied an event permit application to hold the Woodstock 50 year anniversary at Vernon Downs Casino Hotel. The event was scheduled to be held Aug. 16-18 at the harness racing facility in rural Central New York.
Town attorney Vincent Rossi told the site that the application was submitted late and was “dramatically incomplete,” while also adding that Woodstock or Vernon Downs can file an appeal with the town planning board within five days. The board would then have 30 days to rule on the appeal.
Town Code Enforcement Officer Jody Thieme, in the town’s denial letter, cited a provision in the town code that calls for explicit plans for an event, including sanitation, parking, traffic control, emergency first aid, and evacuation procedures. The application, which was filed on July 3, lacked supporting documents detailing these requirements.
Vernon Downs Harness Racing Track
Additionally, town code requires applications to be submitted 120 days prior to an event, which would have been in April. Woodstock filed their initial application in June, according to officials.
Town residents and local law enforcement expressed concerns over the event at a town meeting held Monday night. The standing-room-only meeting was attended by nearly 100 people, many worried about the traffic, noise, and vandalism from the expected 65,000 attendees.
Oneida County Sheriff Rob Maciol and Oneida County Emergency Management Director Kevin Revere have spoken against hosting the event since the possibility of the Vernon site was announced, citing the lack of time needed to properly put it together.
At Monday’s meeting Maciol went a step further, saying, “It is impossible to ensure the safety of the public at this point. If you’re asking me right now, I’m not confident in saying the public will be safe.”
Revere added, “Any emergency management director will say there isn’t enough time to do this properly. The less time you have to plan this stuff, the margin of error goes up tremendously.”
With a mere 38 days left to pull off the festival, the fate of Woodstock 50 is seemingly sealed for good. The festival’s future has been in flux since April when original investors, Dentsu Aegis Network, effectively canceled the festival, sending the matter to court. Woodstock organizers sought to recoup $18.5 million they claimed was illegally taken from a festival account by Dentsu. That claim was ultimately denied at the appellate level.
Promoter Michael Lang had previously announced 80 acts to perform on three stages. Artists originally scheduled to perform include: Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus, The Killers, The Lumineers, Dead & Company, The Raconteurs, Chance the Rapper, Imagine Dragons, Halsey, Santana, Greta Van Fleet, and John Fogerty.
Woodstock officials have not yet commented on the town’s decision or whether they would file an appeal.
The City of Rome‘s annual free summer concert series on Griffo Green at City Hall begins its run Monday, July 8 with music from the combined forces of Baddogg and 24/7 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. The long-running downtown series continues each Monday (weather depending) through Aug. 19.
Baddogg is a blues-based power rock quartet with a breadth of experience in the Central New York and national music scene. They cover such classic rock stalwarts as Steely Dan, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Eric Clapton as well as a solid catalog of originals. Baddogg contemporaries, 24/7 will be bringing their brand of hard rock with them to the downtown stage as well.
Baddogg
The Swamp Drivers perform on July 15. This is a band with a truly unique approach. All of their instruments are homemade. Sometimes you’ll hear a drum set referred to as the “pots and pans.” Phil Diehl’s drums are made out of trash cans and guitarist Terry Johnson has a guitar made from a Rachael Ray frying pan. This truly unique band plays a Utica-style Southern Rock and has quite a loyal CNY following.
Dubonnet is another Central New York classic and modern rock staple. They visit Griffo Green on July 22 performing hits from Heart, P!nk, Melissa Etheridge, Led Zeppelin, and Aerosmith. It’s suggested that attendees bring a lawn chair, but it probably won’t be needed.
The husband and wife duo of Andy and Tammy Box make up The Boxed Set. They will be performing on July 29. The couple brings with them a set of familiar songs ranging from Billy Joel to Fleetwood Mac and other classic rock and acoustic staples.
The Pine Ridge Mountain Band will bring their Southern Rock flavor to Downtown Rome on Aug. 5. The band features songs from ZZ Top, the Allman Brothers Band, Tom Petty, and modern rockers Blackberry Smoke in their repertoire. Not to be missed is Rome Mayor Jackie Izzo’s very own Chief-of-Staff, Larry Daniello on lead guitar. He’s one of the area’s premier guitarists.
Jazz, funk, and blues are all on the menu when the six-piece Fabulous Mojos take the stage. Lead vocalist Cathie Timian and her band bring their highly entertaining show to the City Hall green on Aug. 12. Attendees may also be asked to participate in the action as Timian tends to bring a collection of instruments and baubles to allow for audience participation in the show. Pack your dancing shoes for this one.
Caut!on closes out this year’s summer series on Aug. 19. The group, led by guitarist/vocalist Chad Plantz and lead guitarist Michael “The Wizard” Bell, are a rootsy rock band that goes deep into the catalogs of some of the best American songwriters. You can expect to hear classics from Warren Zevon, the Grateful Dead, and Bob Dylan. They’ve also been known to have a number of local musicians sit in with them over the years so it won’t be surprising to see a familiar face up there with Chad and The Wiz.
Ithaca prog soul outfit Noon Fifteen has emerged from the studio, where they just finished recording their sophomore album Finish What You Started. The first single “The Tick” was filmed in 360° video during their recording session in the studio at Cornell University.
“We’d experimented with Vulfpeck-inspired session videos for Volume 1, and I was looking for a way to develop that concept and make it our own,” keyboard player Sam Lupowitz told NYS Music. “The 360 camera let us really show what everyone’s playing on the track in a way that’s interactive, rather than passive entertainment. I loved the idea of really putting the viewer in the studio with us.”
As the into explains, if you’re seeing stationary photos, try using a different browser or device. Toggling around on the video will allow you to view the entire recording studio – from the acoustic ceiling tile to the guitar pedals on the floor and everything in between.
The music video for “The Tick” is just the beginning. Noon Fifteen announced they will drop three new songs, play three free shows, and release three podcasts this month. They’ve nicknamed this month “Julyfecta” in honor of this trio of trios. Follow this linktree to access content (videos, podcasts, and music streaming). And if you’re in the Finger Lakes area this month, save the date for these performances:
For 16 years, the Cortland Main Street Music Series has been bringing local, regional and national music acts to downtown Cortland. This year, a total of 12 musical performances, spanning a variety of genres, will take place over the course of four free concerts every Friday this month at the CFCU Community Credit Union Stage.
The series kicks off on July 5 with the local duo of Lonnie Park and John West. Following them in the evening will be The Fall Creek Brass Band from Freeville, NY, with their funky big band sound. Headlining the evening will be alternative rockers from Connecticut, The Alternate Routes. The following week, July 12 is also SUNY Cortland Alumni weekend. The night will start off with local bands The Beauchesnes and The Cousins. To celebrate alumni weekend, internationally acclaimed Todd Hobin Band from Syracuse will be headlining. Todd Hobin Band has performed on the SUNY Cortland campus more than any other band in the school’s history, and they are returning in collaboration with the Music Legacy group’s unveiling of a commemorative sculpture for this year’s alumni weekend events.
On July 19, Cortland Main Street Music welcomes Enter The Haggis, a high-energy group of Celtic-rockers combining bag pipe and fiddles with a rock rhythm and meaningful lyrics to bring a distinctively electric sound. Opening up the night will be local favorites The Starmer Brothers, and following them will be the foot-stomping folk band The Old Main. The final Friday of July will bring Brandon “Taz” Niederauer, a sixteen-year old guitar prodigy, who got his nickname “Taz” for his ferocious guitar playing. Openers for the July 26 show includes a solo performance from Marc Ryan from Tribal Revival, as well as the soulful Americana of Mike Powell and the Black River.
Chenango Blues Association has announced a music-filled summer for Norwich with a summer concert series and the Chenango Blues Festival. The free concert series will run every Thursday at East Side Park from July 11 – Aug. 29, and the 27th annual Chenango Blues Festival will take place August 16-17.
Highlights of the Chenango Blues Music Festival lineup include four time winner of the Blues Music Award for Entertainer of the Year, Tab Benoit, and 2019 Contemporary Female Artist of the Year, Danielle Nicole. Benoit plucks on your heartstrings with each strum of his guitar, you can feel the passion he puts into his music. Nicole’s strong and sultry voice with her distinctive bass work feeds your soul. The lineup also features Downchild Blues Band, Johnny Sansone, Joe Louis Walker Trio, and much more. Check out the full lineup below. Tickets are on sale now, check out the festival website for more information.
Woodstock may be returning to Central New York at Vernon Downs for the 50 year anniversary of the iconic music and arts festival. Scheduled to be held Aug. 16-18, some of the previously announced headliners for the event include Jay-Z, The Raconteurs, The Killers, Miley Cyrus, John Fogerty and Dead & Company.
The festival would still be held on the originally planned weekend of Aug. 16-18, only now possibly at Vernon Downs Casino Hotel in Vernon, a small town located along the New York State Thruway between Syracuse and Rome. There would most likely be no camping and the performances would run from until 11:00 p.m. each day.
After Watkins Glen International Speedway pulled out as host of Woodstock 50 on June 10, organizer Michael Lang vowed the festival would still be happening and that they were in discussions with other venues. It now appears that Vernon Downs was one of those venues.
Michael Lang is no stranger to the Central New York area. Woodstock ’99 was held at the decommissioned Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome. The festival drew upwards of 200,000 people that year and was marred by riots and sexual assaults that brought the festival to a fiery conclusion.
The harness racing track located on site has a past of hosting larger concert events, the latest being Aug. 29, 2012 when Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band visited during the Wrecking Ball Tour. Track owners at the time suggested that they could comfortably host 30,000 people for the Boss’s show at their venue, a sharp decline from the 100,000 attendees Lang had originally anticipated for his event at Watkins Glen this year.
The track has also hosted Phish, the HORDE tour, the Other Ones (one of many Grateful Dead offshoots) and several versions of the regional radio festival, K-Rockathon.
Even with a lack of on-site camping, attendees would still have several lodging options in the area. The nearby Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona has several hotels and an RV park. Other local options for lodging include two state parks at Verona Beach and Delta Lake, along with several private campgrounds and hotels in nearby Utica, Rome and Syracuse.
Ticketing information was unavailable at press time but would be contingent upon organizers acquiring final permits from the town. The lack of camping would preclude the need for a mass gathering permit from New York State.
NYS Music will have more information as it becomes available.
Editor’s note: This article has been edited to reflect a different number of attendees at Woodstock ’99.
On a beautiful Memorial Day, Ray Brothers BBQ kicked off their fourth season of live music with a concert featuring The Lightkeepers, paris_monster and Chris Eves & The New Normal. “The 4th Annual Backyard BBQ” was a benefit show with ticket sales going to 4 Animal Adoption agencies in the area.
The Lightkeepers hit the stage first with classic rock covers and original tunes from their new SAMMY-nominated album Poor Man’s Blues. Lead singer Jes Sheldon has an incredible energy and charm that captures the audience and certainly sparks the band. The Lightkeepers ripped through their set and left a smoking crater on the stage.
Luckily for the huge crowd that came, that crater was filled shortly afterwards by the duo paris_monster. It is difficult to categorize their music, but in a very good way. You have not seen anything like these two, and the sound they put out is mesmerizing. With a driving bass line and synth fills, Geoff Kraly fits perfectly with singer, keys player and drummer Josh Dion. Their incredible set ended with Chris Eves (high school friend of Geoff) joining the duo on guitar for the final two songs, trading solos throughout. It’s no wonder Turkauz picked these guys to open for them on their West Coast tour. paris_monster has also been touring heavily, not only throughout the United States but Europe as well.
paris_monster
As the sun began to set, Chris Eves & The New Normal began the final set of the night. Chris and his band tore into some covers ranging from The Grateful Dead to Michael Jackson. The band also debuted several new songs from an album that will be released shortly. Everyone was grooving and swaying as the music filled the rolling hills of Central New York. It’s a wonder the beautiful amphitheater is still standing after all of these rocking sets! The audience definitely got their money’s worth with these three incredible bands, delicious BBQ Nachos, tacos, half chickens and pork, not to mention puppies and cats to pet and adopt. If you have never been or are a regular to this outdoor venue, it is a summer must. Colin and Tucker Ray have cultivated another great line up this season along with a wonderful atmosphere for live music. You can check out the rest of the line up and get tickets to The Yard Amphitheater at Ray Brother’s BBQ HERE as well as Instagram and Facebook.
