NYS Music 202​1

Tag: Town Ballroom

  • Lettuce Blaze Buffalo Native Rick James’ ‘Mary Jane’ At Town Ballroom

    Lettuce blazed back to Buffalo during their Fall run of their 2021 Bring Back The Love Tour. This past July they crushed Lake George and Western New York’s Art Park. The group played the fully renovated historic Buffalo Town Ballroom on Main Street. The three floor club is an infamous hometown venue to funk artists Rick James and Soulive.

    Lettuce Buffalo

    Lettuce founding member Sam Kininger joined for one just gig this summer at the Lake George Adirondack stage. This fall, he has been on tour with Lettuce for every club date and has helped fill out a three-piece brass section with Benny Bloom and Ryan Zoidis. Like Drummer Adam Deitch told NYS music, “Sam’s the godfather of Lettuce”

    Lettuce Buffalo

    The November 11 performance went from 8:15 till 10:15 with Lettuce crushing all the way through without leaving the stage for the encore. The current Lettuce hybrid batch is also made up of Erick “Jesus” Coombs on bass, Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff on guitar and Nigel Hall on keyboards and vocals.

    Lettuce Buffalo

    They treated the Buffalo audience to “Break Out” from their infamous 2004 Live in Tokyo Album. Legendary artist Steve Gadd told NYS music the secret to any live gig. “When you get it musically to a level where everyone on the bandstand is having fun and can hear each other and you can trust the audience is hearing it the way you are, it gets to a spiritual level. In Japan or wherever you are. That’s the goal.”

    The spirit of Buffalo legend Rick James could be felt in the house on Wednesday. To pay homage to the city of Buffalo’s funk artist, Lettuce burnt “Mary Jane” from his debut album Come Get It. Like Buffalo native Alan Evans told NYS Music about James’ music, “Its hard to choose…Bustin out of L Seven on vinyl, you kinda can’t go wrong with. That’s a dope record.”

    Come catch Lettuce bust out more funk on the road in America with dates leading up to a New Years Eve show at Miami’s North Beach Band Shell. The first week of the new year Lettuce Drummer Adam Deitch will join DJ Logic & a world-class line-up of Friends including Karl Denson on saxophone and MonoNeon on bass at New York’s Blue Note. Lettuce kicks off 2022 with a European tour starting 2/22 for two months.


    Lettuce – Town Ballroom – Buffalo, NY, November 11, 2021

    Setlist: Purple Highness, Dump, Breakout, Suppit, Mary Jane, Sly>Silence is Golden-> Mr Yancey, Central Nyack, Pep n Step, Move on Up, Don’t Change for Me

  • The Allman Betts Band announce ‘Trippin Into Spring 2022’ tour, with Stops in Buffalo, Utica and Albany

    The Allman Betts Band has announced their ‘Trippin’ into Spring 2022′ tour dates. The run will begin on March 1 in Milwaukee, WI, and will make stops across the country and Hawaii.

    Allman Betts Spring Tour

    Ahead of the Spring tour, the Allman Betts Band will be on the road as part of The Allman Family Revival tour – a 19 date, star-studded celebration of the life, spirit, and music of Gregg Allman.

    When The Allman Betts Band released Down to the River in June of 2019, the debut album represented not only the first time the group had recorded together, but, in fact, the first time the seven-piece ensemble had ever played together. If Down to the River was the sound of the band’s combustible sparks igniting, then Bless Your Heart is their bonfire, built for the summer of 2020 and beyond; a double-album follow-up fueled by road-forged camaraderie and telepathic musical intensity, vibrantly reflecting the individual and collective experiences of these seven, all drawing inspiration from the band’s symbolic hometown- a place Devon Allman calls “the United States of Americana.” 

    Allman Betts Spring Tour

    All up to date news and tour information can be found at allmanbettsband.com.

    The Allman Betts Band ‘Trippin’ Into Spring’ 2022 Tour Dates

    3/1 @ Turner Hall Ballroom | Milwaukee, WI
    3/2 @ Kalamazoo State Theatre | Kalamazoo, MI
    3/3 @ Kent State University | Kent, OH
    3/4 @ Riverfront Live | Cincinnati, OH
    3/5 @ Robins Theatre | Warren, OH
    3/6 @ EXPRESS LIVE! | Columbus, OH
    3/9 @ Town Ballroom | Buffalo, NY
    3/10 @ The Stanley Theatre | Utica, NY
    3/12 @ Garde Arts Center | New London, CT
    3/16 @ Lebanon Opera House | Lebanon, NH
    3/18 @ Loos Center for the Arts | Woodstock, CT
    3/24 @ Hart Theatre at The Egg | Albany, NY
    3/27 @ Whitaker Center | Harrisburg, PA
    4/1 @ Hawaii Theatre | Honolulu, HI
    4/2 @ Maui Arts & Cultural Center | Kahului, HI

  • Umphrey’s McGee 2022 Winter tour Starts with 5 Dates Across NYS

    Umphrey’s McGee 2022 winter tour will start with 5 tour dates across New York State. The world tour will have 26 stops and will start on January 14, 2022 in New York City.

    Umphrey’s McGee winter tour

    Umphrey’s McGee is an American Jam band that is originally from South Bend, Indiana. The band started back in 1997 and are known for their experiments with many musical styles, including rock, metal, funk, jazz, blues, reggae, electronic, folk and more. Some of their most well known songs include “Ocean Billy,” “Puppet String,” and “Nothing too Fancy.” 

    The band’s winter tour will start on January 14, 2022 at Terminal 5 in NYC and will Wrap up on May 27, 2022 at the Rockjavik in Reykjavik, Iceland. The band’s second stop will also be at Terminal 5 in NYC on January 15, 2022. The third stop will be at Town Ballroom in Buffalo on January 20, 2022. The fourth stop will be at the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse on January 21, 2022. The last stop in New York will be at Palace Theatre in Albany on January 22, 2022. 

    People can snag presale tickets for all shows and umVIP packages for select dates starting on Wednesday, November 3rd at 12PM EST. General on sale will begin Friday, November 5th at 12PM EST. 

    For more information on Umphrey’s McGee 2022 Winter tour visit their website.

  • moe plans 2021 Fall Tour, with stops in Buffalo, Long Island, Port Chester

    New York, they’re comin home again. moe. will head out on their 2021 Fall Tour in October, making stops at four venues across their home state of New York.

    moe fall tour 2021

    After stopping Upstate at Apple Valley in early August, moe. heads out to Summer Camp Music Festival in Chillicothe, IL. They’ll headline ADK Independence Festival over Labor Day weekend, and the head to the rescheduled New Orleans Jazz Fest in early October.

    Town Ballroom hosts moe. for three nights in the town where they started, followed by a three night run in Chicago. moe. performs on Long Island at The Paramount in Huntington in late October, with a Halloween-Eve show at The Fillmore in Philadelphia the next night.

    In December, moe. will stop at Brooklyn Bowl for an intimate show, followed by two nights at The Capitol Theatre and four nights at The Sinclair in Boston.

    Tickets go on sale Friday, July 16 at 10 AM ET – get tickets here.

    moe. Fall Tour 2021

    Oct. 8-9 – The Civic Theatre – New Orleans, LA

    Oct. 14 -16 – Town Ballroom – Buffalo, NY

    Oct. 21-23 – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL

    Oct. 28 – College Street Music Hall – New Haven, CT

    Oct. 29 – The Paramount – Huntington, NY

    Oct. 30 – The Fillmore – Philadelphia, PA

    Dec. 9 – Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn, NY

    Dec. 10-11 – The Capitol Theatre – Port Chester, NY

    Dec. 15-18– The Sinclair – Cambridge, MA

    moe fall tour 2021

  • In Focus: Music Venues Across New York State

    It’s been over a year since music venues had to shut down, and signs of life are starting to be seen this spring. With the passage of the COVID relief bill, which provides $15 billion for music venues across the country, small businesses are able to breathe a sigh of relief. Warm weather allows outdoor venues, both new and old, to utilize space to accommodate socially distanced shows while we wait for the country to get vaccinated and infection rates to subside

    arlene's grocery music venues
    photo by Joseph Buscarello

    Looking back on the February installment of this photo series, we can see the seasons changing and venues coming to life, if not getting a facelift. By the time we bring you the next edition, we hope to see fans in the crowd and venues back to business, with a greener summer to come.

    A list has been circulating on Facebook recently, one well worth sharing. As you check out the current state of venues across New York State, courtesy of NYS Music’s photography team, consider these rules moving forward for the post-pandemic live music scenes across New York and the country.

    RULE #1: No guest list. Don’t ask. Not now. Not ever. Everyone in the live music industry has been out of work for 13 months and we all need your support now more than ever. Buy the damn ticket.

    Rochester – photos by Corinne Cummings

    RULE #2: Support local. Before you buy that high priced ticket to see that big name artist at that big corporate venue, consider putting that money back into your own community. This is the best way to ensure that a thriving arts & culture scene will return to cities across America.

    Ithaca – photos by Casey Martin

    RULE #3: Wear a damn mask. If you’re going to a show, tiny cloth go over mouth & nose. Period. Vaccinated? Don’t care. Already had it? Don’t care. Rona is a hoax? Also don’t care. We only get one shot at restarting this machine. Please don’t be the one that messes it up.

    New York City – photos by Joseph Buscarello

    RULE #4: We are not babysitters. We get it. Social distancing sucks. Masks suck. You’re tired of washing your hands. After more than a year of isolation, all you wanna do is lean in close and spew your spittle on friends and strangers alike. But it’s been 13 months. You know the rules by now — please follow them.

    Buffalo – photos by Zachary Todtenhagen

    RULE #5: No free drinks. Don’t ask. Venues have been shutdown for 13 months waiting for this moment. Support them.

    Utica – photo courtesy of The Stanley Theatre

    music venues

    RULE #6: Tip your bartender. 20% is ok. 25% is better. More than 25% is best. Anything under 20% is a non-starter.

    Brooklyn – photos by Steve Malinski

    RULE #7: Support the scene. Can’t make the show? No problem. It costs $0.00 to support us in other ways. Share the posts. Listen to the music. Invite your friends to the event page. In order for this to work, we need all hands on deck.

    The Hudson Valley – photos by Mickey Deneher

    RULE #8: Be kind. Look — it’s been awhile. We’re gonna be a little rusty. Plus, so much of what needs to happen in order to bring back live music safely is new for all of us — fans, venues, promoters and artists alike. There will be hiccups. There will be lines. There will be unforeseen circumstances. Be nice anyway.

    Plattsburgh – photos by Jerry Cadieux

    RULE #9: Go to the merch table. Support the artists. Buy the t-shirt. Buy a sticker.

    Syracuse – photos by Josh Davis

    RULE #10: Have fun. You’ve been waiting for this moment for more than -fully. Come out early. Stay out late. Dance. Laugh. Make a new friend. Discover a new band.

    Albany photographer Zach Culver went on a road trip this month and shares his photos of venues in Denver, CO and Las Vegas, NV.