The 30th annual Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival in Trumansburg is back with over 80 performers on five stages during July 21-24 at the Trumansburg Fairgrounds.
The festival is held at the Trumansburg Fairgrounds in Trumansburg which is located about 10 miles north of Ithaca on the west side of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region of Central New York. Since the birth of the festival, the guiding quote has always been “to create joy in the midst of crisis is a powerful thing and brings magic to the table.”
Grassroots was founded by Donna the Buffalo, and is a mission-based organization that focuses on nurturing local artists and talent while reaching around the globe to bring world music and culture to new audiences to inspire creativity and foster community building. Four days before the festival there is a Culture Camp, which helps community building by having attendees going to four days of music and dance workshops led by regional and national artists.
Grandstand of Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance.
Starting on July 7, every Thursday morning at 11 am, Troy Music Hall will host a free outdoor concert series in Barker Park, located at the corner of 3rd and State streets in Troy.
The summer series will go through August 25 and feature the talents of 8 musicians over the course of the summer. Read more about each of the featured acts below.
July 7: ANDY THE MUSIC MAN
Andy “The Music Man” will open the Barker Park Kid’s series on Thursday, July 7. A popular children’s music artist known for connecting with his audience he mixes traditional and original songs. There will be sing-a-longs, dancing, play-acting, and storytelling.
July 14: HEARD
HEARD, a collective of musicians who have a passion for world music, improvisation, and jazz, will be the next featured group in the series. Their sound includes influences from West Africa, Brazil, the Caribbean, and beyond.
July 21: WATCH REGGIE RUN
Watch Reggie Run consists of father Dave and his son, Luke, who has autism. The two formed their group in 2017 and named the band for how they spend their time together when they are not making music: watching Luke’s sister Reggie run in sporting events. The duo loves music and finds it is a great way to connect despite Luke’s limited communication skills. All of the original songs are inspired by Luke and are for all ages.
July 28: TERRI ROBEN
Terri Roben has worked in children’s music and movement for over 30 years. Over that time, she has performed in schools, festivals, coffeehouses, and taught classes for preschoolers to 5th graders. Her music CD, Riverwalk & Other Songs can be found online.She previously owned her business, Music Together, and taught for 11 years.
August 4: TROY PUBLIC LIBRARY
The Troy Public Library will be presenting Under The Sea Story Hour on August 4.
August 11: JORDAN TAYLOR HILL
Jordan Taylor Hill’s music is rooted in the traditional West African music and the diaspora which he combines with the sounds of today. As a songwriter and performer, he inspires and entertains all of his audiences.
August 18: ELLEN SINOPOLI DANCE COMPANY
Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company is a not-for-profit art organization and is committed to creating, collaborating, educating, and partnering as they share their work with all audiences. The 31-year-old dance company holds concerts, showcases, residencies, workshops, and educational and community outreach.
August 25: THE RAGTIME WIND JAMMERS
The Ragtime Wind Jammers consist of Dave Lambert, Woody Strobeck, Steve Lambert, Mike Lawrence, and Ron Bill. The local jazz group encourages audience participation as they visually show acoustic ideas in their performance. Their use of banjo, trumpet, guitar, clarinet, trombone, bass, and drums will make for an exciting soundscape.
In case of inclement weather, the event will not be rescheduled, so be sure to check Troy Music Hall’s website for the latest details.
Youngstown, NY, located in Niagara County, will host their 3rd Annual Village Music Fest on August 6, 2022 at Veterans Park. The event runs from 12pm-10:30pm, with Canadian Rock band “The Trews” headlining the night.
Youngstown is an historic village in the Town of Porter located 11 miles north of Niagara Falls. Situated at the mouth of the Niagara River where it meets Lake Ontario, residents and visitors to Youngstown enjoy the local shops and restaurants, water activities and amazing sunsets.
Don Ames, a village of Youngstown Historian notes that the area was known to Native tribes for hundreds of years before the French explorer La Salle left his mark by building a small fort in 1670, less than a mile north of where the village is now located. The French gained control of the Great Lakes area and by 1727 built the “Castle” which became the centerpiece of Old Fort Niagara.
Presented by Barry Entertainment, the 3rd annual Village Music Fest features more than 25 local vendors and artisans, food trucks, drinks, games and much more.
Live music can be found all day from artists including The Trews, Melissa Barry, Scott Celani, Tonemah, Grub, No Vacancy, Moondog, Busted in Eden and more.
Tickets will also be available at the gate or can be purchased in advance – $20 for General Admission and $40 for VIP, which includes front of stage viewing.
The Green-Wood Cemetery series of concerts in Brooklyn will feature boundary-breaking performers in its historic catacombs from July through September. This season features performances with violinist/violist and interdisciplinary performing artist eddy kwon, multi-instrumentalist and composer Zeena Parkins, and free jazz legend William Parker.
The Green Wood Cemetery
Established in 1838, The Green-Wood Cemetery is recognized as one of the world’s most beautiful cemeteries. As an affordable alternative to traditional burial spaces, the Catacombs are rarely open to the public. At the same time, Green-Wood is also an outdoor museum, an arboretum, and a repository of history. Throughout the year, it offers innovative programs in arts and culture, nature and the environment, education, workforce development, restoration, and research.
eddy kwon – July 6th and July 7th
eddy kwon will display their unique brand of interdisciplinary performance art, which explores transformation and transgression, ritual practices and mythology. Their art is inspired by American experimentalism, as shaped by the Associate for the Advancement of Creative Musicians as well as Korean folk timbres and inflections, textures, and movements from natural environments.
eddy kwon
Zeena Parkins – August 10th and August 11th
Zeena Parkins will bring their pioneering electro-acoustic style to the Catacombs. Parkins has designed a series of one-of-a-kind electric instruments and is also a master of modern harp practice.
Zeena Parkins
William Parker – September 21st and September 22nd
The New York City native William Parker will perform with his blistering improvisational bass. He has had a prolific career, released over 150 albums, published six books, and influenced countless students, musicians and artists over his decades long career.
William Parker by Peter Gannushkin
Because the Catacombs are deep in the Cemetery, attendees will be transported to and from the Catacombs from Green-Wood’s Main Entrance (25th street and Fifth Avenue) via trolley. There will be two performances each night, at 6:30 and 8pm.
Tickets start at $40, and are $35 for Green-Wood members. Attendees must wear a face covering at all times on the trolley and in the Catacombs. Doors close 30-minutes after the time on their ticket.
Songs at Mirror Lake Returns to Lake Placid for Summer 2022, with a slate of free shows each Tuesday night from 7-9pm in Mid’s Park, a green open space featuring spectacular views of Mirror Lake from Main Street.
photo by Shaun Ondak
Each of the seven nights of music have a different theme, and all shows are held rain or shine. Attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket and enjoy the music in the park, or paddle over in a boat and catch the show from the water.
Songs at Mirror Lake finds its roots in Mid’s Park, which is named after Mrs. Henry (Mildred) Uihlein who was instrumental in saving this open space on Main Street in Lake Placid. In the early 1940’s this piece of land was to be sold for development, but Mrs. Uihlein (or Mid as her friends called her), who was active in village concerns and the Garden Club, heard of this news and believed that this piece of property should belong to the village of Lake Placid. SAML notes it was her dream and vision that this land remain open, be beautifully landscaped and be a relaxing place for all to enjoy. Mid, together with a group of very enthusiastic people and with financial support from the village of Lake Placid, raised the money required to purchase the property.
On July 4, 2005, the park was dedicated and named Mid’s Park and a brand new bandshell named for Dr. Paul White has been completed.
Songs at Mirror Lake (SAML) is an all-volunteer, nonprofit community organization whose mission is to introduce residents and visitors to a diverse range of musical offerings and to provide regional artists with a platform for exposure and experience. SAML is made possible by a generous grant from the New York State Council on the Arts Decentralization Program, with support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature and administered by the Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts.
“Rock the Bronx” summer music series kicks off on Saturday, June 25th, with additional concerts on July 23rd and August 21st on the plaza outside the Bronx Music Hall, presented in partnership with The Fox and King inc. and the Underground FLC.
Bronx Music Hall
The BMHC is run by the nonprofit Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco). The 14,000 sq. ft. music hall will be the first newly constructed music performance venue to open in the Bronx in more than a half century. It will offer a variety of flexible indoor and outdoor spaces for concerts, film, dance, live theater, and spoken word events, as well as music and dance classes, serving 20,000 in-person audience members and students annually at full capacity post-pandemic.
The series features emerging artists from the borough and the surrounding area that span various genres bringing a variety of new sounds to the South Bronx throughout the summer. The series will be emceed by Marco Soccoli, a New York City music mainstay who played drums for the band the Roxx, and managed the drum departments at Sam Ash Music and Manny’s Music on 48th street’s legendary music row. Show lineup is showed below.
Blackfort & Black Lotus Band – June 25th, 3:00pm
Blackfort
Leading off the series is Blackfort, a duo of artists hailing from the Bronx influenced by soul, rock, hip-hop, blues and Afro-Punk.
Black Lotus Band
Following up is the R&B and soul music band Black Lotus Band. The band is comprised of vocalist, songwriter and guitarist Duo Greene from Manhattan, keyboardist Sean from the Bronx, bassist and guitarist K$tuss from Brooklyn and drummer V from Long Island.
Francesca Lamantia Savoy & Left in the Attic – July 23rd, 3:00pm
A Multitude Of Drops
Francesca Lamantia Savoy from A Multitude of Drops will start the show. Francesca and her band play both electric and acoustic music and formed in the Bronx in 2019.
Left In The Attic
Then, Left in the Attic, another Bronx-based trio will perform their style of garage band rock. They feature Jacks on guitar, Crissy on bass and Murphy on the drums. The band members met in high school and have been performing together since 2008.
Duriex – August 21st, 3:00pm
Duriex
Singer-songwriter and performer Duriex will close the series. They will be joined by other performers to be announced later in the summer.
The Bronx has a history of being the nexus of important music scenes—from being the cradle of hip hop to the center of salsa music. The young musicians in this series are carrying that banner into the 21st century playing rock and R&B on their own terms, revitalizing the music scene of the Bronx.
– Elena Martinez (co-artistic director of the BMHC)
Seating in the plaza is limited, so attendees are welcome to bring lawn chairs. In the event of inclement weather, the performances will move inside the Bronx Music Heritage Center, located at 1303 Louis Nine Blvd, at 4:30pm.
Events on the Bronx Music Hall plaza are free. BMHC also provides a livestream on their Facebook page.
The Sackets Harbor Historical Society announced the lineup for their free upcoming summer concert series, Concerts on the Waterfront.
Held from 3:00 to 5:00 pm every Sunday from June 26 through September 4, the summer concert series is back for its 38th season. Last year, the theme represented the relief of the return of live music. The 2022 theme, “Let’s Celebrate!” is yet another joyous return for summer shows.
The spectacular waterfront views of Lake Ontario make for a perfect music venue, and Sackets Harbor also holds a deep historical significance. After the War of 1812 broke out between Great Britain and the United States, the harbor became the center point for American naval and military operations along Lake Ontario.
Each concert in the series will be held at the Sackets Harbor Battlefield, and the long-standing popular jazz group Sacci Band will open the series on June 26. Featuring American pop music from the WWII era and styles from the Golden Age of Swing, the band continues to honor traditions with the series’ first performance.
Other upcoming performances for the summer series include Tink Bennett and Taylor Made, ATLAS, The Dakotas, Oceans Below, and Maria DeSantis Orchestra, among others. With genres such as jazz, country, classic rock, Latin jazz, folk, classical and more, Concerts on the Waterfront certainly has something for everyone to enjoy throughout the summer season.
Over the course of the summer 11 talented, diverse groups will take the stage at the Sackets Harbor Battlefield. Guests are invited to bring chairs and blankets, and should the weather not permit an outdoor show, the rain site will be St. Andrews Parish Center on East Main St. & Woolsey St.
Below are the full summer series concert dates.
Concerts on the Waterfront 2022 – “Let’s Celebrate!”
June 26 Sacci Band (Big Band)
July 3 Tink Bennett and Taylor Made (Country)
July 10 Alex Torres and his Latin Orchestra (Latin)
July 17 Atlas (80’s party)
July 24 Dakotas (Alternative Blue Grass)
July 31 Son BoriKua* (Caribbean)
August 7 Oceans Below (Favorites)
August 14 Ruby Shooz* (50 – 60’s)
August 21 10th Mountain Division Army Band (Tentative)
August 28 Hot Jazz Jumpers (Jazz)
Sept. 4 Maria DeSantis Orchestra (Big Band)
*These concerts are made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the N. Y. S. Council on the Arts, with support of the Governor and State Legislature, and administered by the St. Lawrence County Arts Council.
The annual CFCU Cortland Main Street Music Series continues to grow with a 2022 line-up featuring the best local talent from CNY plus world-class bands. The series celebrates 19 years of bringing local, regional and national acts to Downtown Cortland with genres ranging from rock, Americana, folk, country, blues and many points in between. Doors open at 5pm for all shows and music begins at 6pm every Friday in July.
The City of Cortland, home of the Main Street Music Series, is centrally located in the scenic seven valleys of Central New York. Historically known as the Crown City, for its position as the highest elevation city in the state, Cortland is a gateway to the Finger Lakes Region and destination spot for live music and cultural events.
15 artists will grace the CFCU Community Credit Union stage over the course of five free concerts, all taking place at Rose Hall, at 19 Church Street Cortland.
The series kicks off with a triple billing on Friday, July 1st with headliners James Barker Band and supporting acts Taylor Made and Jon Rogalia. James Barker Band have fueled an incredible story over the last six years, largely on their own, from playing opening spots in small Ontario bars to charting multiple No. 1 singles, garnering hundreds of millions of global streams, and headlining some of Canada’s largest country music festivals. Now, with new music on the way, the four-piece is continuing their meteoric ascent in Nashville. In 2017, they sent their single “Chills” straight to the top of Billboard’s Canadian Hot 100 chart. The upbeat anthem also achieved Platinum status, alongside other songs from their introductory LP Game On, earning them numerous national awards. In addition, these best-friends have already amassed another six GOLD-certified and PLATINUM-certified tracks.
The second week of the series follows on July 8th with local roots rock band The Unknown Woodsmen and fellow area artists The Rollin’ Rust and Austin MacRae. Music fans across the Northeast are talking about CNY-based band The Unknown Woodsmen, who draw from the classic sounds of rock to create their own blues-reggae flavor of infectious rock grooves. Since its inception in 2011, the band has spent countless hours honing their signature sound and tirelessly performing throughout the Northeast. Whether it is their crafty hooks, old-school grooves, or energetic stage presence, The Unknown Woodsmen captivate crowd after crowd at show after show to a growing base of loyal fans in the Central New York region.
The series turns things up a notch in the third week, when The Rods headline the Friday, July 15th show at Rose Hall. They’ll be joined by supporting acts Sydney Irving and the Mojo and local singer songwriter Quona Hudson. The Rods are a series favorite and classic heavy metal band that rocked their way through the 80’s with a powerful, raw energy that led them on tours with some of today’s greatest metal bands—Judas Priest, Ozzy, Motorhead, and Metallica, to name just a few. Listeners will find that The Rods are still a force to be reckoned with today, as they continue on at full-throttle, with a new line-up and a forceful, vintage sound.
Friday, July 22nd, the CFCU Cortland Main Street Music Series will drench Rose Hall in the blues, when Joe Louis Walker brings his band to the Cortland stage, with opening sets by regional favorites Mike Powell and Raedwald Howland-Bolton. Joe Louis Walker, a Blues Hall of Fame inductee and four-time Blues Music Award winner celebrates a career that exceeds a half a century. A true powerhouse guitar virtuoso, unique singer and prolific songwriter, he has toured extensively throughout his career, performed at the world’s most renowned music festivals, and earned a legion of dedicated fans. Walker’s 1986 debut album Cold Is the Night on HighTone announced his arrival in stunning fashion, and his subsequent output has only served to further establish Walker as one of the leading bluesmen on the scene. NPR Music has called Walker “a legendary boundary-pushing icon of modern blues,” and he is already being referred to within the blues world as a living legend.
Rounding out the last show of the series on Friday, July 29th, Rose Hall will welcome headlining act Upstate along with opening artists Miss Tess Duo and Cloey Tierno.
The CFCU Cortland Main Street Music Series, presented by CFCU Community Credit Union, is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization with a mission to enrich Cortland’s culture and contribute to a vital downtown by providing an annual series of concerts by local, regional and national artists. Additional sponsorship is provided by the Cortland County Business Development Corporation and the Cortland County Convention and Visitors Bureau to promote “Crown City Rising,” a communications platform aiming to inform downtown stakeholders and the community at large about the ongoing Main Street reconstruction process.
More information can be found by visiting CrownCityRising.com and more information about the series can be found by following updates on Facebook and Instagram or by visiting their website at MainStreetMusicSeries.com.
Making their first visit to Albany since October 2017, Spafford returned to the Capital Region with a vengeance on Thursday, June 16. Headlining week two of Albany’s beloved Alive at 5 concert series, organizers could not have booked a more appropriate act for “Jam Night” than the Arizona improv quartet; a band that’s bolstered their reputation in recent years by occasionally surprising audiences with unannounced single-song shows.
Despite a tornado warning in areas of Western New York, mother nature played nice and so did the band. Indeed the jams at Jennings Landing on this night went long and strong and judging by the look on many of the first timers in the crowd, it was as if the music was hitting them over the head like a sonic sledgehammer, and they loved it.
Opening band and local legends Annie in the Water started the evening as only they know how. The whole band was delighted to be playing for Alive at Five and you could tell from the first note. Although it wasn’t the jam-heavy sets fans may be accustomed to, the Annie boys threw down a well-rounded set that had a large portion of people on their feet. They chose original songs as well as an excellent cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” that have brought their fans to fall in love with the band.
Setlist: Time to Play, In the Sand, Lights up, River, Dreams (Fleetwood Mac), Seeds, Dancing the Night Away
In an age where “jamming” is often viewed as a dirty word, Spafford makes no bones about what type of band they are. Comprised of Brian Moss (guitar/vocals), Jordan Fairless (Bass), Andrew “Red” Johnson on keyboards and Nick Tkachyk on drums, their social media bio simply says “We Jam.” But while the theme for this week was “Jam night,” this was anything but your typical Spafford show. For one thing it was totally free, thus attracting a lot of curious and first-time listeners. Second, due to the 8pm city curfew, there was only time for the band to play one set and no encore. Another key component missing was the bands elaborate light show, which due to the time of day was an impossibility.
Well aware of these limitations, Spafford played it smart and went with an almost “festival-like” setlist. With first time ears upon them, they decided to offer up a collection of some of their more well known and more accessible compositions. Kicking things off with one of the songs that put them on the map, the opening riff of “Electric Taco Stand” made it clear that despite the constraints, these Arizona cats came to Albany to boogie down. After a beautiful and contemplative version of the Andrew “Red” Johnson sung “Slip and Squander,” bassist Jordan Fairless had his chance to shine on what was perhaps the highlight of the night, “Leave the Light On.” Shifting gears from its reggae style structure, this version would drift into a delicate and blissfully sublime space before Jordan would reel it in and lead fans through the call and response portion of the song, so catchy even first timers could be seen mouthing the words in unison.
Worth noting is that the guys appeared to be having an absolute blast on stage. Smiles all around, Jordan in particular seemed more jovial than his usual self, even making all kinds of “bass faces” and playing off Brian’s tasty licks by sticking out his tongue during an absolutely epic version of “Back Door Funk.” Showcasing their versatility and flaunting their ability to blend various genres seamlessly into one, the evening had everything from filthy funk and up-tempo jamtronica, to rump-shaking reggae, introspective instrumentals and all out rock n’ roll shred fests courtesy of Mr. Brian Moss and his custom Thomas Milana guitar: The Raven. In fact, if there was an actual way to keep track of such things, I’d be willing to bet Moss played more notes during this set than any other performer in Alive at 5 history.
After working their way through “Mind’s Unchained,” the show would come to a glorious end by way of the anthemic “Salamander Song” in which the audience was encouraged to “dance the whole way home.” Judging by the look on some of the freshly melted faces of Albany’s first timers, that’s exactly what they may have done. While it may not have been your typical two-set Spafford show, there was still plenty to like about this performance. Savoring every minute of it, Albany fans can only hope it doesn’t take 5 more years for this very talented band to return.
6/16/22 | Alive at Five | Albany, NY
Setlist: Electric Taco Stand, Slip and Squander, Leave the Light On, Backdoor Funk, Mind’s Unchained > Salamander Song
Up next in the Alive at 5 concert series is Classic Rock night with Lita Ford headlining and up-and-coming New York band Candy Ambulance opening things up. The event is scheduled to take place on June, 23 at Jennings Landing on Thursday, June 23, 2022 and as always, is completely free.
Sunset at the Stables will be host bands on July 1, 8, 15, and 22 and will feature some of the region’s most talented musicians, with Knox Farms as a backdrop. As well, there will local food and beverages from 42 North Brewing Company. Event producer and 42 North Brewery Founder, John Cimperman, spoke about how excited he is for the festival.
We were thrilled with the response to the music series last summer. It proved to be the ideal venue for a night of music and relaxation. The Stables at Knox Park provides the ideal backdrop to highlight some of the great musical talent from our region.
Folkfaces is a Buffalo-based quartet who are known for their fusion of genres like Americana, folk, blues, and jazz. The band consists of Tyler Westcott (guitar, vocals), Ellen Pieroni (saxophones), Patrick Jackson (upright bass), and Dan Schwach (drums, washboard).
Miller and The Other Sinners is a nationally touring Southern Soul band from Buffalo, NY. Since August of 2015, they have performed over 700 shows across 21 states and Canada from house parties to festivals. They are known for their unforgettable shows and their blend of memphis soul, gospel spirit, and funky rhythm and blues.
Miller and The Other Sinners.
July 15 at 6 P.M- Leroy Townes Band
Leroy Townes Band is an original Buffalo Americana band performing vinyl-era inspired folk-rock with a shot of country.
Farrow is a funk and soul Buffalo-based band led by producer/bass player André Pilette and singer/lyricist Michael Farrow, with Tim Webb on drums, Cory Clancy on guitar, and Michael Ruopoli on percussion. The band features a group of diverse musicians with an old school sound.
Tickets are onsale now for $20, and some may be at the door for $25 as well, and they can be bought here.
