The GottaGetGon Folk Music Festival is set to return to Saratoga Springs for the first time since 2019 this weekend from Friday, September 2 to Sunday, September 4.
GottaGetGon festival poster.
The festival, which since 1970 has been run as a public function of the Pickin’ & Singin’ Gatherin’, an Albany folk music club, is promoting the weekend as their 50th anniversary celebration, with the festival being put on ice during 2020 & 2021. It will feature concerts and a number of other festivities each day at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds in Ballston Spa.
Performers of the weekend include Saro Lynch-Thomason, a ballad singer, folklorist, illustrator, author and social activist from Asheville, NC, Alex Cumming, an English singer, accordionist, pianist and dance caller based in Vermont, Coracree, a folk four-piece that mixes various European and American styles, and the Piedmont Blūz, a husband-wife acoustic duo that specializes in country blues.
Other GottaGetGon festival events include a potluck dinner on Friday evening, a Saturday night family dance, musical workshops on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and an open mic event on Sunday.
Food will be provided at the festival, and information regarding tickets, camping and more can be found on the Pickin’ & Singin’ Gatherin’ website.
Taking place at the Charles R. Wood Festival Commons in Lake George, the event is headlined by moe., a Buffalo jam rock band whose 30+ year career includes spots opening for The Allman Brothers and The Who, as well as Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, a Maryland funk group. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong will close out Friday night with a two set performance and moe. will close out Saturday and Sunday night with a pair of two set performances of their own.
Other noteworthy performers at ADK Independence Music Festival include the Ryan Montbleau Band, Austin rock group White Denim, and Boston jam band Dopapod. Singer-songwriter Hayley Jane will perform as an “artist at large,” appearing on stage with a number of different bands throughout the weekend.
Performance schedule for the Adirondack Independence Music Festival.
Gates at the Festival Commons will open at noon on Friday with music beginning at 1 p.m., while gates open at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday with music beginning at noon.
Along with music, the event will feature a variety of food and craft vendors for those attending. Information regarding tickets and more can be found on the Adirondack Independence Music Festival website.
The second ever Catskill Mountain Jubilee took place this past weekend. Nestled within the Catskill Mountains at the Blackthorne Resort, the festival provided a great mix of nature and comfort. There was a pool with DJs playing throughout the weekend, several stages, including a late night rave hangar, lakes, cabins, even a haunted house!
Aqueous & Friends ft Craig Broadhead at The Hangar Stage
The music was phenomenal throughout the whole weekend. Sit ins included Aqueous & Friends featuring Craig Broadhead, DJ Logic & Friends as well as Star Kitchen featuring James Casey and Natalie Cressman, and DrFameus featuring Glyfiks were the musical sets that stood out to me. Put a saxophone in my face and I’m hooked!
Craig Broadhead
Dark Star Orchestra played four sets over the course of both nights with the first night being a recreation of 6/3/76. Highlights included a “Might As Well” opener, “Lazy Lightning,” “Dancing in the Streets,” and a thumping two-song encore featuring “The Wheel” and “The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion).” The second night proved to be much slower and the “Drums” jam was going nowhere. An incredible “White Rabbit” encore brought life back into the crowd, but not without the sound dropping out for a bit.
Dark Star Orchestra
After the main shebang there was much to do, late night shows were aplenty. DJ Logic with Craig Broadhead, James Casey, & Natalie Cressman was my favorite late night shindig but I also enjoyed Baked Shrimp at 3 a.m.
Marc Brownstein with Natalie Cressman during Star Kitchen
Laura Lee’s gospel set was soul touching and right during that Sunday morning church time. Marc Brownstein made a funny crack about how shorts aren’t showbiz appropriate as he mustered through the hot sun in jeans at the Star Kitchen set.
James Casey sitting in with Star Kitchen
Catskill Mountain Jubilee has something going for it; the grounds are really enjoyable. With every event there’s issues and problems that need to be solved but seeing how well it’s done for it’s second year, I think this festival has a bright future ahead. It has a good mix of live and electronic music, activities, chill spots, amenities, and a good crew.
The Park Theater announced it will host the Glens Falls Arts / Business District Street Festival & Creative Economy Panel Discussion event sponsored by the ACE (Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy). The event is scheduled for August 18, from 5 P.M. to 8 P.M.
The Park Theater – ACE! Glens Falls Arts / Business District Street Festival & Creative Economy Panel Discussion Event
The Park Theater is a premier theater, concert, and event destination just a short drive away from Albany, Saratoga Springs, and Lake George located on Park Street in Glens Falls. It is supported by a non-profit organization The Park Theater Foundation, which is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in the Glens Falls community by providing a venue for quality and affordable entertainment and educational opportunities in the performing arts.
This event will include an outdoor festival celebrating Glens Falls arts and culture featuring members of the Arts District of Glens Falls and Glens Falls Collaborative. Thoughtful exhibitions will be available such as the interactive thought piece by The Hyde Collection, a live Plein air painting by North Country ARTS, and a “FolkLife” Exhibition preview by the Crandall Library. Additionally, there will be guided tours provided of Park Street Hospitality’s new development, “Park & Elm,” along with a walking tour of the new downtown Glens Falls mural program.
Taste buds could also be satisfied with Raul’s Mexican Grill, Mean Max Brew Works, and Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery, along with small plates and a beer garden highlighting regional beverages provided by Doc’s Restaurant. The food is fresh since they are locally produced and donated by Sunset Farm.
The event will also include a distinguished panel to discuss organizational synergies that allow for place-making innovation that builds community and sustainability including for-profit and not-for-profit businesses and institutions. The panel invited a selection of professionals including Jeff Mead (President, Business Operations, and General Manager of Adirondack Thunder and Cool Insuring Arena), Monica Kurzejeski (VP Property Management at Redburn Development), Ben Miller (Operations Manager at Park Street Hospitality) and Sam Parker (Capital Region Representative for Governor Hochul). Panel moderation will be handled by Judie Gilmore (Director of the Opalka Gallery, Russell Sage College).
“Glens Falls is creating an energy that is increasingly helping anchor the upstate Creative Economy. The infrastructure improvements and collaborative nature of important stakeholders is creating the perfect environment to drive awareness and attraction from a place making perspective. ACE! feels it’s important to share that story with other cities in our region.”
Corey Aldrich
This event is open and free to the public, with a special thanks to the Glens Falls Collaborative for helping to underwrite this event.
Da’ Block Music & Arts Festival will premiere at The Bronx Brewery from 1:00 pm to 10:00 pm on Saturday August, 27, 2022. The festival will feature bands Left In The Attic, Ronx, Incircles, and artists Pigkaso, Iamchelseaiam, July Quin, and Emelia Vero.
Da’ Block Music & Arts Festival
Holding the mission that empowering local music in the borough, creating a safe space for culture and providing a platform for the local community will help build a lasting creative legacy, Da’ Block Music and Art Festival will also hold a jam session by That Houseparty Tho as well give vibes with DJ First Class, Ultraviolet and Lynn. The collaboration between Bronx creatives Bryan Durieux, Uptown Melody and The Fox & King contributed to this exciting festival.
The Fox and King, Inc. (TFAK) is a Bronx located artist development, booking and media agency founded in 2011 while The Uptown Melody is a platform dedicated to highlighting Bronx and Uptown creatives through dynamic live music events created by Bronx-native singer Ayanna Williams. Bryan Durieux is a Bronx-based artist takes on alternative R&B/Soul.
“As the birthplace of hip-hop, our local community has provided the world with music, art, fashion, food, literature and pop culture icons.”
Ayanna Williams
“The Bronx is defined by its culture and creativity. It’s time to celebrate our contributions with a festival that’s dedicated to our local community.”
Fernando Michael
“We’re empowering the Bronx with our music and our culture. This festival will be the first of its kind in the borough and we’re looking to leave this creative legacy for the next generation.”
Bryan Durieux
Tickets for the festival will go on sale this week via Eventbrite and will also be available to patrons at the door on the day of the show.
The Albany Latin Festival will return to Washington Park in Albany on August 27 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with live music, dance, art, raffles, Latino craft and food vendors, and more.
Ritmo Caliente will headline the Latin Festival music showcase with other performers in the lineup including Hip Hop Jibaro, Grupo Los Costeños, Bronte Roman with a Celia Cruz tribute, and R&B artist Mirage. The lineup includes a diverse set of Hispanic music genres for all to experience and enjoy.
The Latino culture, specifically music, art and dance are beautiful. Some friends and I came up with the Albany LatinFest years ago to develop an event to share the culture, but more importantly an event that Latino families would be proud to experience. We knew from the beginning that this would not only be a celebration of art and culture, but also a statement of inclusion because the Latin Fest is for everyone.
-Pedro Diaz, founder and President of the Albany Latin Festival Association
The Albany Latin Festival Association aims to promote and develop Hispanic cultural events in the capital region. The Latin Festival is one way for the organization to honor the contributions of Hispanic performing artists and promote an appreciation for multi-cultural diversity.
Previous talents at the festival have included Bachata Heightz, Don Sonero, Tony Vega, Ray de la Paz, Jorge Blanco, Raulin Rosendo, Hector Tricoche, Alex Torres & his Latin Orchestra, Tito Rojas, Tony Swing, Anissa Gathers, Michael Stuart, Ismael Miranda, among many others.
In the case of rain, the festival will be held near the Corning Preserve Boat Launch. For more information, and upcoming events, visit the Albany Latin Festival Association website.
NYC’s Electric Zoo has just announced its star-studded lineup for official afterparties you don’t want to miss. There will be 12 Afterparties over the course of four days including Tchami, Camelphat, Martin Garrix, CloZee, Loco Dice, and more to come.
On September 2 through the 4, NYC’s premiere EDM festival Electric Zoo will upgrade Randall’s Island Park into a futuristic, tech-driven paradise. The festival features some highly anticipated sets from headliners like Porter Robinson, CloZee, and Armin Van Buuren across four stages. Thus, highlighting both rare performances from legacy acts and the biggest breakthrough artists.
Electric Zoo will take music fans on a cosmic musical journey beyond their wildest imaginations with 3.0, a gathering that embraces unexplainable phenomena and will open music fans’ minds to new sounds and experiences.
EZoo is excited to announce its official parties that will take place each night after the festival ends at many of the city’s most magnificent venues including Webster Hall, Brooklyn Mirage, Quantum, Marquee, Superior Ingredients, Lavo, and Avant Gardner from September 2-5.
Dice is returning to EZoo after 11 years for a highly anticipated return on the Carl Cox Invites stage. “Dice is always evolving with his sound of music that you cannot put in a musical box at all. He really does push the boundaries, which makes me excited to hear what he will pull out of the bag next.”
– Carl Cox
Since its inception, the founders have taken Electric Zoo around the globe, creating satellite soirées in Mexico, Brazil, and China. Still, its hometown in NYC continues to be the most popular, selling out year after year. A crowd of nearly 100,000 gather in Randall’s Island Park annually, according to organizers, with a record-breaking 107,500 attending in 2019.
The vibes are immaculate, and 2022 will be another ambitious undertaking destined to transport its fans beyond musical boundaries.
Tickets are available to Festival Pass Holders Wednesday, August 10th. If you do not have a pass, you will have 24 hours to purchase one in order to get ticket access to the after-parties. To purchase tickets for Electric Zoo and to learn more about the festival, click the link here.
The 10th annual Summer Hoot Festival will return to Olivebridge, NY, from Aug. 26-28 for three days of music, food, nature, and community. The festival will feature nearly two dozen musical performances in a family-friendly environment.
Folk-roots musicians Mike Merenda and Ruth Ungar Merenda of The Mammals together produce and host the event. The duo started the Hoot Festival back in 2013 with friends and hold the event twice a year in the winter and summer to celebrate music and nature.
This year’s lineup features the talents of NY-based Naiika Sings, Catalan instrumentalist Lau Noah, Hudson Valley’s What?, dancers City Stompers, The Mammals, and many more. The Hoot has long attracted some amazing acts, including previous performances from Pete Seeger, David Bromberg, Natalie Merchant, Ani DiFranco, and Amy Helm, among others.
The Summer Hoot Festival promotes environmental sustainability alongside its intention to spread a love of music. The festival is completely powered by solar energy and uses reusable pint cups to reduce waste. Additionally, festival proceeds will benefit the year-round cultural and environmental education programs at the Ashokan Center.
It’s not every day that people of all ages can safely explore nature and enjoy new music together, but here at the Hoot that’s just the beginning. This festival lets us share the joy and freedom I was privileged to experience in my own childhood at Ashokan, and keep the party going for generations to come.
– Ruth Ungar Merenda, Hoot Event Producer and Director of Community Outreach for the Ashokan Center
The Summer Hoot Festival musical acts will take place across two stages with speakers in between sets offering talks on nature, nutrition, fitness, and more. Guided hikes to the Ashokan Center’s Cathedral Gorge and historic Covered Bridge will also be made available.
Information about ticket prices, additional programming, camping, and more, can be found on the festival’s website. The Summer Hoot Festival will take place at the Ashokan Center, located at 477 Beaverkill Road in Olivebridge, New York.
On September 17th, Brooklyn Comes Alive will return to The Brooklyn Mirage for its sixth installment. This one-day festival brings together the best genres of live music ranging from jazz, jam and funk. Likewise, this event features some unforgettable collaborations, unique one-off performances and one-of-a-kind music experiences.
Inspired by New Orleans and its famed Jazz & Heritage Festival, Brooklyn Comes Alive has been breaking the mold of traditional festivals with unprecedented music experiences since 2015. This year, Brooklyn Comes Alive will feature STS9, Medeski Martin & Wood, Lettuce, and the debut of Cool Cool Cool, an unforgettable project from former members of Turkuaz.
It is so rewarding to work with some of our favorite artists to deliver special performances, debut new projects, and create memorable experiences for fans and bands alike at Brooklyn Comes Alive. That we get to do this in one of the country’s best live music venues, in the best city in the world, is a dream come true. Brooklyn, we’re back, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you at the incredible and unique venue, The Brooklyn Mirage.
– Festival director Gideon Plotnicki (GMP Live)
Brooklyn Comes Alive was built from the fabric of the vibrant live music community of Brooklyn. Much like past “Comes Alive” events, Brooklyn Comes Alive 2022 will be full of exciting firsts and never-before-seen surprises. This event will mark STS9’s first show in NYC since 2019 when they last took over the Brooklyn Mirage. Similarly, Medeski Martin & Wood, who have not played on their home turf in NYC since 2019, will use the special appearance to celebrate their 30th anniversary as a band, which took place last year.
Lettuce will be notching both their Brooklyn Comes Alive debut and their Brooklyn Mirage debut as they celebrate the release of their latest album, Unify, but the band’s individual members are all Brooklyn Comes Alive veterans.
Brooklyn Comes Alive 2022 Lineup:
STS9 Medeski Martin & Wood Lettuce Cool Cool Cool (former members of Turkuaz: Craig Brodhead, Chris Brouwers, Michelangelo Carubba, Shira Elias, Sammi Garett, Greg Sanderson and Josh Schwartz*)
General admission tickets are available in three tiers, starting at $65 and increasing as tiers sell out. The elevated VIP experiences, VIP and Super VIP, include expedited entry, access to the VIP Mezzanine with perfect sightlines to the stage and more. With the Super VIP package including exclusive limited edition merch item.
All tickets, including VIP packages, can be purchased at the link here.
After a successful inaugural year in 2021, Pine Barrens Jam is set to return in 2022. Billed as a “festival for Long Island, by Long Island,” the music festival will take place on August 20, once again at Blue Point Brewing in Patchogue. Pine Barrens Jam seeks to highlight everything Long Island has to offer and features a lineup that features entirely Long Island-based bands and artists.
This year’s headliner on the Jelly Jam Stage will be high-energy funk-rock group The Chris Ruben Band, along with fellow Pine Barrens Jam alums Dysfunktone and Drop The 4. The event also features an acoustic stage set to be named in honor of Long Island native and late songwriter Travis McKeveny, with The Famous Doctor Scanlon Band set to headline a lineup of local original songwriters there.
General Admission tickets are $40 and the VIP package is $65. (Children under the age of 5 do not need a ticket to attend.) Pine Barrens Jam has also teamed up with another local festival, STATTfest, to create a Double Fest Pass for $55. This special pass gives ticket holders access to both Pine Barrens Jam and STATTfest on September 24 at The Salt Shack in Babylon. All tickets can be purchased through pinebarrensjam.com.
The event prides itself on its grassroots nature, fueled by a dedicated team of volunteers. Those interested in helping out Pine Barrens Jam and getting involved as a volunteer or local business sponsors looking to donate services or goods, reach out to Executive Director Nick Balzano at pinebarrensjam@gmail.com.
