On Friday, January 6, Annie in the Water released “Frozen Lake,” a song 369 days in the making, having been written on January 2nd, 2022.
The song’s genesis comes from keyboardist Matt Richards, who arrived home from a New Years Eve trip to Lake Placid with a few friends, and having been listening to indie artists like Snail Mail and Pinegrove, he was inspired to sit at his piano the moment he got home.
Richards explains the story behind the song:
This is about how over the summer of 2021 I went to Lake Placid with my then-girlfriend, and from the perspective of now being there again during the winter after we broke up, standing on the frozen lake, looking back at the docks where we were standing in the summer time, questioning the nature of our relationship and breakup.
Matt Richards, keys/vocals, Annie in the Water
Annie in the Water spent 2022 recording “Frozen Lake” mostly separately in their own creative spaces, rather than all together in the studio to try to give the tune a “bedroom” approach. When the recording was finished, the band had it mixed by recording engineer Corey Hayward in his self-made studio space.
The track released on January 6, 2023.
Annie in the Water recently also released Live at Artfarm, Vol. II, a collection of live versions of five songs recorded at Artfarm Recording in the Catskill Mountains. Most tracks on the live album were performed over the course of 2022, meant to highlight newer tracks that have yet to be featured on a studio release. Give a listen below.
Raisinhead have been playing music together for over 15 years, and on New Year’s Eve, the beloved Upstate band will play in Saranac Lake at the Waterhole Music Lounge. This is the perfect North Country spot for music lovers to ring in 2023 together.
Raisinhead was formed by Rob Beaulieu in 2001, who wanted to play improvisational music in a live setting. Each band member Ted Grey (guitar), Brian Mangini (keys), Tom Pirozzi (bass) and Jeff Prescott, Chadd Ploss and Scott Apicelli (drums) has been involved in other musical projects and still manages to get together and play the music of The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, The Allman Brothers and many original tunes. The band consists of former members of The Ominous Seapods, Harvest, The Deadbeats, & Fat Albatross, to name a few.
Raisinhead is three-singer band, which gives the audience a constantly changing vocal perspective, tune by tune. The diverse background, joy of performing, and decades of experience between the members is what gives the band its high energy sound. The band has built a strong following in Upstate New York that promises audiences an interactive evening of sound, energy, and pure fun.
Raisinhead is always at its best on stage, under the lights, doing their thing, and creating an experience you won’t forget any time soon.
Doors open at 730pm on December 31, with the Joshua West Quartet kicking the night off at 830pm. Advanced Price Tickets are $10, Day of Show Tickets are $12. Tickets can be purchased here or at the downstairs bar.
The Waterhole in Saranac Lake will bring 12 different musical acts to the Upstairs Music Lounge from across the Northeast, keeping Winter Carnival-goers movin’ & groovin’, as the town celebrates the 126th annual Saranac Lake Winter Carnival.
The 2023 musical lineup at The Waterhole features fan favorites and pairs them up with unbelievably talented opening acts, a perfect compliment to the fun and activities during Winter Carnival.
The Waterhole Winter Carnival 2023 lineup
Annie in the Water will kick things off Friday February 3rd with high energy jams, funky tones, and chill vibes. The Reflexions will open the night with their blend of Reggae and Funk vibes with world music grooves.
With a larger-than-life stage presence, Saturday February 4th headliner, Underground System is a show not to be missed. This six-piece act hails from New York City, mixes dance club vibes with Afrobeat, Latin-style tunes and other musical themes from around the world. The group started in 2018 with a reimagining of Fela Kuti’s work, and grew into an internationally touring indie dance band. Expect flute, congas, sampling, and hypnotic, infectious grooves.
Midweek will feature a solo performance from Ryan Montbleu on Tuesday February 7th. Ryan will fill the music hall with his eloquent and soulful songwriting for which he is known for. Haley Jane will open the night with a solo performance of her own. Expect raw intensity and linguistic prowess. She has a deeply emotive and highly magnetizing presence that combines a diverse sound with Vaudevillian style story telling.
Wednesday Feb 8thDavid Sommerstein of NCPR will host a Beat Authority Dance Party! Listeners can expect a fresh, eclectic choice of dance music from all over the world. You may hear cumbia or bluegrass, afrobeat or jazz, it’ll keep your head a-noddin’ and your spirits up! Join in the groove and enjoy.
Thursday Feb 9th, The Frank White Experience brings things to a new level. Bringing the sounds of Notorious B.I.G with live instrumentation to your ears in a way never head before! FWE brings listeners on a journey back through the beloved soundscape of 1990’s hip hop.
Friday February 10th The Mallett Brothers Band will return from the deep woods of Maine on Friday 2/11. You can expect alternative country, grunge, with a side of beards and flannels. Partnered with them is Saints + Liars a Vermont-based Americana group, blending variants of honky-tonk, folk, bluegrass, and rock n’ roll.
Saturday the 11this sure to be the biggest dance party of the week! The post-parade party is free and will be led by Rose + The Bros. This 6-piece ensemble made their Saranac Lake debut in September 2022 at Northern Current: A Community Music Festival. Hailing from Ithaca, NY the band is rooted in southern dance tradition, with the addition of crooning vocal harmonies, and country music influence; listeners can expect distinctive rhythmic patterns based in a Louisiana sound, with additional reggae and melodic drum tones.
Later that same Saturday night, West End Blend will bring the FUNK + SOUL! Fronted by vocalist Erica Tracy Sullivan, WEB plays homage to classic throwback sounds while adding their own distinct vibe and flair. Behind her, the blend packs a four-piece horn section, two guitars bass, keyboards, and drums.
Party goers will not want to miss Chestnut Grove opening the night! The Pennsylvania-grown quintet has continued seeing its efforts bear fruit since it formed in Perkiomenville, Pa. in 2011, growing a dedicated fan base and a songbook filled with truly heartfelt, groove-worthy original work. And when it comes to their abilities to groove within the canon of classic rock greats, well, they ain’t slouches there, either.
And on Saturday the 12th, DiTrani Brothers will wrap things up with one final party! They hail from the woods of Vermont and play original songs from and about the dystopic present, ragtime and jazz tunes, the perfect complement to Bloody Mary Sunday.
The street level bar will be open every day of the week & boasts the largest selection of craft beer in the Blue Line. As you travel upstairs, you will find The Upstairs Music Lounge: a destination music venue. On the 2nd story there is a magnificent dance floor and a fully stocked bar. Make sure to keep going up and check out the 3rd story balcony. There you will find additional seating for when your dancing feet are tired, and a truly unbeatable birds-eye view of the stage & dance hall. Concert tickets are available for purchase on the Waterhole website www.saranaclakewaterhole.com and in person by stopping into the venue. Winter Carnival Week Passes will be offered for $82. This pass guarantees access to every single show. As always, the Waterhole is a 21+ venue.
The Waterhole Music Lounge in Saranac Lake has announced its Fall 2022 live entertainment schedule, featuring an irresistible lineup of music.
The Waterhole Music Lounge is located on Main Street in Saranac Lake and serves as a spot for locals and tourists to gather together and enjoy all types of music.
To kick off the schedule of fall and winter events on Oct. 15 is Lucid, a rock act emerging from the Champlain Valley and the greater Adirondack Mountains. They are known for their live shows where they play a whirlwind of genres and tones.
The Waterhole is family to our band. And there’s something just so unique about that place and that stage, this collective consciousness in that space. Everybody knows that The Waterhole is special and is so for a million different reasons. You get there, you start playing, and everyone is involved in what’s unfolding on stage. Everybody is tuned in; it’s an incredible experience.
Lowell Wurster, singer of Lucid
On Oct. 22, The Sideways return for their fourth performance. From Rochester, the eight-piece band plays disco pop with heavy jazz influences. The annual Halloween bash will take place on Oct. 29 and will include a costume contest and music by town-wide favorites Chestnut Grove. The quintet has grown a dedicated fanbase since forming in 2011. Muddy Ruckus is opening, making their Waterhole debut.
November brings more talent to the Waterhole Music Lounge. On Nov. 4 Gratefully Yours, a Grateful Dead tribute band, will perform. On Nov. 9, Matt Heckler will perform. He is a solo multi-instrumentalist that doesn’t fit into any ordinary category. Donna The Buffalo, known for touring the country while remaining independent, and as one of the industry’s most diverse roots-music bands will perform on Dec. 2.
December will bring more iconic acts, like the intoxicating band Sophistafunk, who has been described as “Rage Against the Machine meets The Roots, dipped in P-Funk.” They will perform on Dec. 9. The last show scheduled is local favorites Raisinhead. They have been playing music for twenty years, and will perform on New Year’s Eve at the Waterhole.
Tickets for all Fall 2022 concerts at The Waterhole can be purchased here. Doors open at 7:30 and shows begin at 8:30 p.m. As always, the Waterhole is a 21+ venue.
Chestnut Grove, a Pennsylvania-based rock band, is on the road in support of a new single, with some New York dates in the near future. “All For You” is now available on streaming platforms and the band plans to release an EP titled Can’t Stand The Music sometime early next year.
Last month, Chestnut Grove performed a “revved-up” Free at Noon set at Philadelphia’s World Cafe Live for a lively audience who danced, sang along and got a preview of the new EP. Click here for pictures and an audio recording of the performance. This comes in advance of their scheduled gig this weekend in Camden, NJ for WXPN’s Xponential Music Festival on September 18.
In late October and early November, Chestnut Grove will make their way throughout New York State. Shows in Syracuse and Saranac Lake are scheduled for October 28 and 29, respectively. And the band’s show on November 3 at Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs will receive support from Consider the Source. Additional tour dates can be seen below.
Chestnut Grove 2022 Fall Tour
September 18th Xponential Music Festival, Wiggins Park – Camden, NJ
September 24th Pro Re Nata Brewery – Crozet, VA w/ Disco Risque
October 8th Pick Fest – Boyertown, PA w/ The Manatawny Creek Ramblers
October 28th Funk N’ Waffles – Syracuse, NY
October 29th Waterhole – Saranac Lake, NY
November 3rd Putnam Place – Saratoga Springs, NY w/ Consider the Source
November 17th Sellersville Theater – Sellersville, PA w/ Consider the Source
November 23rd The Soundback – Phoenixville, PA w/ Hunter Root
November 25th Jeremiah’s Banquet Hall – Williamsport, PA
November 26th King’s Rock Club – Erie, PA w/ Medusa’s Disco
The Northern Current Music Festival in Saranac Lake returns for Labor Day weekend, featuring local and international artists representing contemporary music’s past, present, and future.
The festival’s mission is to enrich Saranac Lake’s cultural diversity by celebrating various musical heritages. The event is free, and family-friendly, with various activities for kids and adults. The daylong celebration will happen in Riverside Park in Saranac Lake on September 4.
TEKE is a female-fronted Montreal-based Japanese psych-rock group that features traditional Japanese instruments, flute, and trombone alongside raging guitars and a pulsing rhythm section. They create a sound reminiscent of the 1960s and 1970s era psychedelic Japanese soundtracks.
Leading The Big Takeover is Jamaican-born singer and songwriter NeeNee Rushie, creating a horn-powered global blend of reggae and world music, with hints of soul and Motown, and their infectious brand of pop classicism.
Hailing from Brooklyn, Ghost Funk Orchestra is the brainchild of producer and multi-instrumentalist Seth Applebaum. The band has evolved from a one-man band to a ten-piece powerhouse live band that draws heavy influence from the worlds of soul, psych rock, salsa, and beyond.
Rooted in southern dance tradition and the addition of soft vocal harmonies, Rose & The Bros from Ithaca will serve with their Lousiana sound and reggae undertone.
The Outcrops are from the woods of Northern New Jersey, presenting original blues-infused rock and roll. The four-piece was formed in 2016 by lead vocalist Cassidy Rain and lead guitarist Bryan Schroder.
Crackin’ Foxy is a ukulele-driven ensemble, featuring tight instrumental arrangements and close vocal harmonies inspired by 30s swing, Hawaiian, and NOLA jazz.
For more information about the Northern Current Music Festival happening in Saranac Lake on September 4, go here.
GRAMMY-nominated, platinum-selling artist Sophie B Hawkins is celebrating the 30th Anniversary of her debut album Tongues and Tails with a 2022 U.S. tour. The tour starts off July 29th, with an appearance at the Cohoes Music Hall in Cohoes, NY and runs through December 2nd in Minneapolis, MN. She’ll also be joining Paula Cole and Judy Collins on select dates – full routing can be found below.
Sophie B. Hawkins by Shervin Lainez
Tongues and Tails is an album won multiple awards and sold-out concerts. It also appeared in hit films and TV shows, and five more albums. As a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Sophie has been fully involved in every aspect of her records herself, from background vocals and playing her own instruments, to engineering and production of her albums. Currently Sophie B. Hawkins is in the studio working on new music that showcases the artist at her best.
Sophie B. Hawkins 2022 Tour Dates
July 29 – Cohoes, NY – Cohoes Music Hall + July 30 – North Tonawanda, NY – Riviera Theatre + July 31 – Arundel, ME – Vinegar Hill Theatre * August 12 – Lake Placid, NY – Lake Placid Performing Arts Center + August 27 – Cincinnati, OH – Fountain Square Summer Music Series * September 29 – Old Saybrook, CT – The Katherine Hepburn Cultural Center * September 30 – Vienna, VA – Jammin Java * October 2 – Charleston, West Virginia – NPR Mountain Stage * October 6 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel * October 9 – Franklin, TN – Franklin Theatre * October 10 – Atlanta, GA – City Winery * October 13 – Denver, CO – Solid Dove Underground * October 15 – Beverly Hills, CA – The Canyon @ The Saban Theatre ^ October 16 – Ojai, CA – The Canyon @ The Libbey Bowl ^ October 17 – Kirkland, WA – Kirkland Performance Center * October 18 – Portland, OR – The Old Church * October 19 – San Francisco, CA – Yoshis * October 20 – San Juan Capistrano, CA – The Coach House Concert Hall * October 22 – San Diego, CA – Voodoo Lounge at House of Blues * October 23 – Agoura Hills, CA – The Canyon – Agoura Hills * October 26 – Phoenix, Arizona – Musical Instrument Museum * October 28 – Houston, TX – The Bronze Peacock at House of Blues * October 29 – Cedar Park, Texas – The Haute Spot in Cedar Park * October 30 – Dallas, Texas – The Hifi Dallas * November 2 – Kent, OH – Kent Stage * November 3 – Warrendale, PA – Jergel’s Rhythm Grille * November 5 – Philadelphia, PA – City Winery Philadelphia * November 6 – Riverhead, NY – Suffolk Theatre + November 9 – Fairfield, CT – Sacred Heart University + November 10 – South Orange, NJ – SOPAC + November 11 – Chester, NY – Sugar Loaf Performing Arts Center + November 12 – Lexington, MA – Isaac Harris Cary Memorial Building + November 18 – Tampa, FL – Attic * November 19 – Mount Dora, FL – Mount Dora Community & Events Center + November 20 – Orange Park, FL – Thrasher -Horne Center + November 27 – Concord, NH – Capitol Center for the Arts * November 28 – New York, NY – City Winery * December 1 – Evanston, IL – Space * December 2 – Minneapolis, MN – Dakota *
*Sophie solo +co-headline date with Paula Cole ^co-headline date with Judy Collins
Open Sky Arts Festival returns for its second year at The Lake Placid Center for the Arts with a series of outdoor concerts running from August 11 to 14.
This year’s festival is a celebration with eight musical acts ready to bring audiences the best entertainment. Over the course of four days, attendees can enjoy the beautiful Lake Placid atmosphere, live music, food, and more.
Open Sky Arts Festival brings a great lineup to its audiences this year – including various genres such as bluegrass, rock, pop, blues, and even a performance specifically intended for families. Just recently added to the lineup, The Hillbenders will kick off the festival on August 11 at 8:00 pm with tickets starting at $15.
The Hillbenders
On Friday, August 12 at 7:00 pm, grammy-nominated artists Paula Cole and Sophie B. Hawkins will take the stage. The two acts are known for their ‘90s hits such as “I Don’t Want to Wait” (Cole) and “As I Lay Me Down” (Hawkins).
Saturday, August 13 brings four acts to The Lake Placid Center for the Arts. The lineup includes the family show The Secret Agency, The Larry Stephenson Band, Emmylou Harris, and finally The Spin Doctors at 8:00 pm. On August 14, Martin Sexton will close out the festival beginning at 2:00 pm.
Emmylou Harris Photo Credit: Kat Villacorta
Situated right in the historic Olympic village of Lake Placid, the LPCA provides programming, performances, exhibitions, and educational opportunities for all visitors and residents of the area to enjoy. The LPCA was founded in 1972 and continues to this day to enrich, inspire, entertain, and educate the greater community.
Festivalgoers can purchase passes or individual tickets to the performances. Individual tickets range, starting from $15 to $75 and passes are $200 or $175 for LPCA members. For tickets and more information, visit the LPCA website, here.
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.
Northern Current, a free annual music festival based in the northern Adirondacks, will return for its third time this Labor Day Weekend. Hosted on September 4 in Saranac Lake’s Riverside Park, the event will feature six different acts from noon to 9:30 PM.
Promotional poster for Northern Current.
Having held its inaugural celebration in 2019, Northern Current replaced Hobofest, a community festival held annually on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend for the decade prior until the organizers’ retirement.
With North Current being cancelled in 2020 and holding a “pared down” event in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2022 marks the return of a full fledged festival. In addition to music, the day will include kid-oriented activities and sale from local food vendors.
Headlined by TEKE::TEKE, a female-fronted Japanese psych-rock band from Montreal, Northern Current states that its mission “is to enrich the cultural diversity of the town by celebrating a myriad of musical heritages.”
Supporting TEKE::TEKE are female-led reggae band The Big Takeover, Brooklyn ten-piece funk group Ghost Funk Orchestra, Ithaca country/bluegrass band Rose & the Bros, New Jersey roots rock group The Outcrops, and the ukulele-led Crackin’ Foxy, a local Saranac Lake band.
Additional information about Northern Current’s partners, location and more can be found on their website.
