NYS Music 202​1

Category: Watertown

  • Summer Goes Out with A Bang at the Alex Bay Summer Send Off 2

    Seems the air is getting cooler which means our summer is coming to an end, but to kick it off you might as well go out with a bang at Riverboat’s seasonal closing party. The second annual Alex Bay Summer Send Off Party will be the weekend of Friday October 1 and Saturday October 2. There will be two full nights of live music that’ll feature headlining performances by Wild Adriatic and LITZ on Saturday night.

    Alex Bay Summer Send Off

    This summer’s send off will be rooted in the spirit of rock & roll. Wild Adriatic is a third time returning guest at the stage, with roots in the Capital District and a smooth sound filled with groove heavy guitars and enough grit to get you moving.

    The power house psychedelic funk band LITZ will close the night right on Saturday, or close out the year essentially. This Maryland based band will have something for everyone, from funk, jam, go-go, soul, to even electronica. Their late night set has tons of built up anticipation where this will be their debut at Alex Bay and they know how to make a good first impression.

    If you can’t make it on Saturday, Friday has a lot in store. The Reflexions are performing at the Pre-Party as an 8 piece in alt-funk band project put together by none other than Joshua West (Annie in the Water and Lucid). The reggae/roots Americana band will debuting at The Riverboat along with HANZOLO fusing soul, jazz, rock, and funk. The Upstate alt-funk band will continue to fill the air and stage with another 7 piece band. 

    On Saturday for happy hour, loop master Cozmic Theo will perform a solo set to set off the night, followed by Nash Robb of The Old Main.

    Get your tickets for Summer Send Off now. Just $20 for 2 days of music with a weekend pass ticket purchased at the link below. Single show tickets will be available at the door for $10 on Friday and $20 on Saturday.

  • Watertown Anticipates New Amphitheater Residing in Thompson Park

    Watertown anticipates a new amphitheater that will reside in Thompson Park. The amphitheater plans were announced at Watertown’s city council meeting on Tuesday July 6, 2021.

    Watertown Amphitheater

    The entire proposed project is estimated to cost $7.7 million. The City council plans to use part of the Department of Defense grant to help cover the cost of the amphitheater. The grant won’t completely cover the costs for the amphitheater. The city will still have to cover an estimated $1 million on soft costs.

    There is not a lot of information on the upcoming amphitheater but there is some. The Amphitheater will reside in Thompson Park on ​​Kite Hill in Watertown. It will include a stage and band shell, and the natural slope of the hill would be used for seating. It’s unsure if that seating will be built in or if people will have to bring their own. 

    Ryan Henry-Wilkinson, a council member spoke on the amphitheater saying, “It’s something that this council wants. It’s something the last council wanted, but it was always on a wish list, like, ‘It would be nice to do that if we could.” 

    Part of the allure of the amphitheater would be that it could help bring more people to visit Watertown and help create a better economy for the community. When people come to town for a concert they might buy food from a local restaurant, get a room at a hotel, and stop at other attractions in the town. The amphitheater could be used as a year-round facility, which would open it up to being able to  hold events like Concerts in the Park, Snowtown USA, the Harvest Festival, and weddings all year round and generating income for the city all year round. 

    For more information visit the Watertown City Council’s website.

  • Sackets Harbor Announces Summer Concert Series

    The Sackets Harbor Historical Society has released their schedule for the 2021 summer concert series. Located near Lake Ontario, Sackets Harbor’s theme represents anticipation for live concerts to come back.

    Sackets Harbor

    The name of the concert series for 2021 is “Happy To Be Together Again.” This concert series is held every summer Sunday, 3:00 to 5:00 in the Grove at the Sackets Harbor Battlefield State Historic Site. There will be bands and musicians from musical genres of country, Latin, pop and dance, jazz, Broadway, blues and bluegrass.

    Sackets Harbor Summer concert series

    7/11 – Bryan Brundige and His Piggly Wigglies (Swing)
    7/18 – Atlas (80’s Party)
    7/25 – Jess Novak Band (Country Rock)
    8/1 Son BoriKua (Caribbean)
    8/8 – The Bad Husband’s Band (Vintage Rock)
    8/15 – The Gibson Brothers (Bluegrass)
    8/22 – Ruby Shooz (50’s – 60’s)
    8/29 – Double Barrel Blues Band (Rock)
    9/5 – Maria DeSantis Orchestra (Big Band)

  • First-Ever North Country Arts Festival Starts September 4

    The North Country Arts Festival will be bringing the North Country Community together to celebrate the arts this September. Along with more popular events, smaller events such as workshops, classes, open mic nights, small concerts, and theater productions will also take place in a variety of businesses and public spaces, starting September 4.

    North Country Arts Festival

    Anticipating over the course of the month an audience of 5,000 people in person, and 15,000 people online through their media sponsorship with NCPR and partnership with North Country Now. 

    This month-long, county-wide event encourages tourism and economic activity throughout St. Lawrence County by showcasing their region’s art industry, which is a critical component of their regional identity. Popular events, such as artists’ studio tour, PorchFest, Remington Arts Festival, plus a new art market during the Ives Park Concert Series will be held within the time frame of the NoCo Arts Fest.

    If you’re interested in signing up to participate in any or all of these events, listed below, you can contact their Programs Coordinator at amanda@slcartscouncil.org, or visit their website. The deadline to apply to participate in the events for any artist or musician is June 30th.

    Some featured  events that they will be having are listed below, 

    Ives Park Concert Series Arts Market, September 4th, 12 pm-6 pm: a full day of concerts and an art market on Labor Day weekend partnering with Community Performance Series, and another performance in collaboration with Clarkson University, also holding an art market during this event.

    Porchfest, September 4th in Potsdam, and September 5th in Canton 12 pm-5 pm: a musical event on individuals’ porches in Potsdam and Canton residential neighborhoods.

    Remington Arts Festival, October 2nd, 10 am-4 pm: a Canton community event commemorating the birth of Frederic Remington, held during St Lawrence University’s Laurentian Weekend.

    Artists’ Studio Tour, every weekend in September across the county: in artists’ home studios across the county over several weekends, a revamp of the event that they have organized for the last 34 years. This year they decided to choose a different region of the county for each weekend to better cater to the artists and patrons. The schedule is as follows:

    September 11th/12th – Colton/Parishville area

    September 18th/19th – Canton/Ogdensburg/Gouverneur area

    September 25th/26th – Potsdam/Madrid/Massena area