Category: Genres

Ellicottville’s 2023 Winter Blues Weekend Coming up January 20-22

In the Western New York town of Ellicottville, the village will heat up this winter during Winter Blues Weekend, held January 20-22 at various venues and establishments in town. These hot spots will feature live and local blues artists on Friday and Saturday night, with more events planned during the long weekend, all free and open to the public.

Located in the heart of the Chautauqua-Allegheny Region, Ellicottville is located less that an hour northeast of Jamestown and less than an hour south of Buffalo. Presented by the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce, this high-energy, soulful celebration in the heart of the village will feature more than 15 regional acts. Ellicottville also offers eclectic shops, unique restaurants and two ski slopes all within walking distance.

Winter Blues Weekend has always been a hit with both our locals and visitors. We’re looking forward to welcoming back some of the greatest Blues artists in our area, as well as some new acts. We hope you will give these musicians a warm welcome!
Jessica Wallace, business development manager of the Ellicottville Chamber

The music kicks off Friday evening and continues through Sunday afternoon, allowing you to kick back and listen to amazingly talented musicians, perhaps after a day of skiing the local slopes.

“We want to make sure that everyone who comes to Ellicottville can enjoy these live performances at no cost,” said Wallace. “Many restaurants start their entertainment schedules in the afternoon, giving families with young children a chance to plan a fun, musically-inspired lunch or dinner out and take part in all the excitement.”

Book your lodging now so you can look forward to enjoying a weekend of great music, fun dining, eclectic shopping and freshly groomed ski conditions. A complete schedule of live music for Winter Blues Weekend 2023 will be posted on ellicottvilleny.com.

January 11, 2023
Watch Neon Avenue perform the Music of The Grateful Dead

Born from the depths of the 2020 Pandemic, Neon Avenue is a group of Capital Region musicians came together to play the music of the Grateful Dead. With the stalling of the music industry, a creative outlet was needed for these 5 individuals. What was first a casual get together playing some dead tunes quickly escalated into a singular goal of putting together a live stream. Something special happened during these early sessions/shows and a “one-and-done” livestream turned into something much more.

In less than 2 years as a band, Neon Avenue has made quite a stir in the ever popular (and saturated) Gratefully-inspired tribute scene, growing quickly to become one of the bigger draws in the Upstate NY capital region Dead scene. The band brings a fresh take on the Grateful music that you know and love while placing an emphasis on improvisation, unique setlist construction, deeper cuts into the grateful songbook and a primal energy that they draw from their loyal fans during live performances. With past appearances at the Town of Hoosick Falls concert series, Long Lake’s “Meat.Beer.Music” music festival, as well as scheduled appearances at Lake George Steamboat Company’s “Rock the Dock Music Festival”, “Rockin’ on the River” for the city of Troy, and numerous headlining shows around the Capital region, the word has certainly gotten out about this band. Composed of veteran musicians from numerous local groups like Formula 5, Slipknot! (80’s/90’s Dead tribute), Stone Revival Band, Knot Dead, Jocamo, and more, this combination of players has set out to push the boundaries of the standard Dead tribute.

The group of Joe Davis (Formula 5), Mike Urbon (Knot Dead), Mike Cassels (Stone Revival Band, Jocamo, Knot Dead), Mike McDonald (Formula 5, Knot Dead) and Doug Klein (Slipknot, Robanic, Knot Dead) were re-inspired playing the music of the Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia Band, Ratdog, and others. While existing in an endless sea of 1970’s era Grateful Dead tributes, this group strives to separate itself with a dedication to unique arrangements of setlists and song segues, utilizing extended improvisation, playing deeper cuts from all eras of the Dead, JGB, and Ratdog songbook.

January 11, 2023
Historic Cohoes Music Hall Announces Three New Events

The historic Cohoes Music Hall announces three new shows to their calendar of upcoming events, featuring Hootenanny at the Hall, A Night of Joni Mitchell, and Stephen Pearcy’s “The Voice Of RATT.”

The Cohoes Music Hall opened its door in 1874 in Cohoes. It was restored in 1974 to become what it is today, a historic music hall with a great lineup of events. In late December, the venue was awarded $1.88 million in funding through New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation grants, transforming it into an energy-efficient building.

Their upcoming lineup of events features three new shows on the bill. On Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m. Steven Pearcy brings “The Voice of RATT” to the Cohoes Music Hall. He is the founder, lead singer, and songwriter of the metal rock band RATT, credited with having been a pioneer of the early 80’s Sunset Strip rock scene. RATT has nearly four decades of success, having released eight albums and played thousands of shows worldwide all the while selling over 20 million records. He will be performing all the hits, including “Round & Round,’“ “Wanted Man,” “Lay It Down,” “Lack Of Communication,” “Dance” and many more.

Other events added at the Cohoes Music Hall include A Night of Joni Mitchell with Zan & The Winter Folk, Girl Blue, Hold on Honeys, and Belle-Skinner on March 11. The evening will be celebrating the music of the legendary Joni Mitchell, with four of the Capital Region’s premier musical acts together. Finally, the second annual Hootenanny at the Hall will happen on March 25. The event focuses on celebrating Country, Bluegrass, and Blues in the Capital Region, featuring three incredible artists/bands, The Moon Shells, Caity & the Gallaghers, and Jacob Shipley.

There are more events happening at the venue that have already been announced, including Zach Nugent and Dead Set on Jan. 20, The British Legends of Rocks Show on Feb. 17, ACROBAT, The International U2 Tribute Show on Feb. 25, Haley Reinhart on March 24, and many more.

Information about the events announced at the Cohoes Music Hall and to purchase tickets, visit here.

January 11, 2023
“The Marvelous Mr. Mizrahi” returns to Café Carlyle, Feb. 14-25

Isaac Mizrahi will return to Café Carlyle in February with his all-new show, “The Marvelous Mr. Mizrahi,” for a two-week residency, running from Valentines Day through the 25th.

Accompanied by his band of jazz musicians – led by Ben Waltzer – Mizrahi will perform a range of tunes from Arthur Freed to Grace Jones. The New York Times notes that Isaac Mizrahi “qualifies as a founding father of a genre that fuses performance art, music and stand-up comedy.”

The Marvelous Mr. Mizrahi

Isaac Mizrahi has worked extensively in the entertainment industry as a performer, host, writer, designer and producer for over 30 years. Along with his annual residency at Café Carlyle, Isaac has performed at various venues across the country such as Joe’s Pub, The Regency Ballroom, several City Winery locations nationwide and comes to the Carlyle fresh from his run as Amos Hart in the Broadway production of CHICAGO.

Mizrahi is also the subject and co-creator of Unzipped, a documentary following the making of his Fall 1994 collection which received an award at the Sundance Film Festival. He hosted his own television talk show, “The Isaac Mizrahi Show” for seven years, has written three books, and has made countless appearances in movies and on television. He served as a judge on “Project Runway: All-Stars” for the series’ entire seven-season run. Previous residencies of Mizrahi’s at Café Carlyle were sellouts, receiving widespread critical acclaim.

Performances will take place at Café Carlyle from February 14-25 (Tuesday-Saturday) at 8:45pm. Weekday pricing begins at $100 per person for General Seating, $150 per person for Premium Seating, and $85 per person for Bar Seating. Weekend pricing begins at $135 per person for General Seating, $185 per person for Premium Seating, and $100 per person for Bar Seating. Reservations can be made online via Tock. Café Carlyle is located in The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel (35 East 76th Street, at Madison Avenue).

January 10, 2023
Steve Aoki Announces First U.S. Tour Since Pandemic, Stop at Terminal Five, New Single “New York” Out Now

Steve Aoki announces his first U.S. tour since the pandemic started, with a stop at Terminal Five on March 16. He also announced a new single titled “New York” with Regard, featuring mazie out now.

Steve Aoki, Photo Credit: Jana Schuessler

Steve Aoki is a 2x-GRAMMY-nominated music producer, artist, fashion designer, entrepreneur, and Dim Mak Records founder. He has been described by Billboard as one of the most in-demand entertainers in the world.” He holds the Guinness World Record for “Most Traveled Musician in a Single Calendar Year,” performing at nearly every top festival worldwide, including Coachella, Ultra Music Festival, Lollapalooza, Fuji Rock Festival, Tomorrowland and Electric Daisy Carnival.

Aoki has collaborated with an impressive list of artists, including BTS, Maluma, Snoop Dogg, Linkin Park, blink-182, One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson, Machine Gun Kelly, and Lil Uzi Vert. He released three Platinum singles, six Gold singles, and over ten Top 10 radio records in his career. Aoki recently released his album HiROQUEST: Genesis, featuring collaborations with Taking Back Sunday, Mod Sun, Kane Brown, and more, and sold a staggering 27K+ CDs. His ongoing HiROQUEST brand is a growing extension of him and the worldwide community he created through his music, welcoming all into his universe.

Aoki announced his brand new fiery single “New York” featuring multi-platinum DJ and producer Regard and up-and-comer alt-pop artist mazie. Regard has amassed a worldwide following since the release of his chart-topping 2019 hit “Ride It,” and has gone on to achieve over 10x Top 10 single chart placements globally. mazie went viral on Tik Tok for her song “dumb dumb,” which amassed 70+ million cumulative streams, and her debut album “blotter baby” is coming out in 2023. Together on the track, the three come together to make the pop anthem of the year.

Aoki also announced a winter run of dates, his first since the pandemic started. The 12-city run sees him wrapping up in Terminal Five on March 16. Ticket information can be found here.

HiROQUEST: GENESIS TOUR DATES:

Wed, Feb 22 / Montreal / New City Gas

Thu, Feb 23 / Toronto / Rebel

Fri, Feb 24 / Chicago / Aragon

Sat, Feb 25 / Las Vegas / Hakkasan

Wed, Mar 1 / Washington DC / Echostage

Thu, Mar 2 / Austin / Stubb’s

Fri, Mar 3 / Dallas / Factory at Deep Ellum

Fri, Mar 3 / Las Vegas / Omnia

Thu, Mar 9 / Denver / Mission Ballroom

Fri, Mar 10 / Los Angeles / Shrine Expo

Sat, Mar 11 / San Francisco / Bill Graham

Sat, Mar 11 / Las Vegas / Omnia

Wed, Mar 15 / Boston / Big Night Live

Thu, Mar 16 / New York / Terminal 5

Sat, Mar 18 / Las Vegas / Omnia

January 10, 2023
Patti Smith Celebrates 76th Birthday at Brooklyn Steel

As 2022 was wrapping up its final week, Patti Smith returned to Brooklyn Steel for two nights on December 29 and 30 to celebrate her birthday (which coincided with the second evening). Brooklyn Steel was flooded with fans for the shows, seemingly sold out on the evening we attended and sold out on Dec. 30. The venue’s size and layout made it an excellent atmosphere for an intimate performance.

In her true spirit, Smith’s show was an amalgamation of poetry, beauty, and fierceness wrapped in a blanket of rock and roll. The show featured her high energy songs such as “Free Money,” “People Have the Power,” and her mainstay take on Them’s “Gloria.” Earlier that day, the world had lost iconic British fashion designer and cultural influencer Vivienne Westwood. Many musicians had taken to social media to pay tribute to her, and Smith dedicated her song about sadness and loss “Redondo Beach” to Westwood after saying a few words.

A motif of the evening was time, given the impending change of year and two more important milestones – the birthdays of both Smith and her long-time collaborator and guitarist Lenny Kaye. While taking a brief break mid-set, the band covered “Time Won’t Let Me,” “If I Could Turn Back Time,” and “Time Is On My Side” while a cover of The Chambers Brothers’ “Time Has Come Today” came later in the show. With Kaye’s birthday a few days prior, Smith rallied the audience for a round of “Happy Birthday” for his day (Smith had her birthday moment with the sold-out crowd the next evening, with cake!).

Along with Patti Smith, her band includes Lenny Kaye and her son Jackson Smith on guitar, Tony Shanahan on bass/keys, and Jay Dee Daugherty on drums. Smith’s tradition of performing shows for her birthday (and by nice coincidence, celebrating the upcoming New Year) is one not to miss.

Patti Smith – Brooklyn Steel – December 29, 2022

Setlist: Dancing Barefoot, Redondo Beach, Free Money, Ghost Dance, Because the Night, My Blakean Year, Nine, Pissing in a River, Time Won’t Let Me (>) If I Could Turn Back Time, Time Is on My Side, One Too Many Mornings, Peaceable Kingdom / People Have the Power, Summer Cannibals, Ain’t It Strange, Time Has Come Today, People Have the Power

Encore: Happy Birthday to You, Gloria

January 10, 2023
moe. to join Umphrey’s McGee at Red Rocks in June
In the midst of the band’s 25th year, Umphrey’s McGee will once again return to Colorado, performing two nights at the fabled Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and they’ll be bringing along longtime friends moe. for the shows.

Umphrey’s McGee will start their Colorado run with one night at Dillon Amphitheater on June 15th, followed by two nights at Red Rocks on June 16th and 17th. moe. will be performing an extended set each night at Red Rocks, opening up for Umphrey’s.

Umphrey’s McGee shared in a statement, “We are thrilled to be welcoming our long-time compadres moe. for an extended set both nights at Red Rocks! Dillon Amphitheater easily became one of our favorite venues following our debut last year. And if you have rocked the Rocks with us before, you know it is not-to-be-missed – if you have’t, make this your year.”

umVIP will be offering enhanced experience packages for Dillon and Red Rocks to make the Colorado weekend smooth and seamless. Enjoy program perks including exclusive pit access in Dillon and a private set at Red Rocks, signed posters, merch and more. Read up on the works here.

Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, January 10th, with general on sale beginning Friday, January 13th.
- Tuesday, January 10th, 10:00 am MT: umVIP tickets go on-sale
- Wednesday, January 11th, 10:00 am MT: Two-Day Umphrey’s Pre-Sale tickets for Red Rocks only
- Thursday, January 12th, 10:00 am MT: Limited venue Pre-Sale for all three shows
- Friday, January 13th, 10:00 am MT: General on-sale begins for all three shows
- Tuesday, January 10th, 10:00 am MT: umVIP tickets go on-sale
- Wednesday, January 11th, 10:00 am MT: Two-Day Umphrey’s Pre-Sale tickets for Red Rocks only
- Thursday, January 12th, 10:00 am MT: Limited venue Pre-Sale for all three shows
- Friday, January 13th, 10:00 am MT: General on-sale begins for all three shows
January 10, 2023
Joe Magnarelli Quartet to Visit Jazz Central in Syracuse

Joe Magnarelli, a world-class jazz expatriate from the Salt City, always makes time for his hometown when on tour. Even with a busy road schedule, the prodigal son will have an upcoming stop at the Jazz Central theater on Saturday, January 21st at 7:30 pm.

Magnarelli, who made his bones with stints in Harry Connick’s band and the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, will front his current touring trio of luminaries, including organist Pat Bianchi, veteran of the Pat Martino and Lou Donaldson groups; Eastman School faculty Bob Sneider on guitar, and drummer Joe Strasser, former percussionist for artists as diverse as Harold Mabern, Jane Monheit, David Hazeltine, and Kyle Eastwood; all are leaders in their own right.

We haven’t seen enough of Joe Mags of late, due to pesky conflicts like pandemics. Area fans have been waiting too long for his return, so we expect them to line up for this one as well. The red carpet will be fully rolled out.
Larry Luttinger CNY Jazz founder

Well known to local audiences, Joe has appeared many times at CNY Jazz festivals and concerts, to play with his group, as a guest soloist with other jazz legends, or with the Syracuse Symphony and Symphoria.

Magnarelli’s career output continues to grow as his heavy international schedule continues into its fourth decade, including past experience with leaders Buddy Rich, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Brother Jack McDuff, Maria Schneider, Ray Barretto, his wife, Akiko Tsuruga, and many groups of his own. He has recorded over 15 albums as leader and logged many, many more as a sideman.

If you do attend, mask wearing is encouraged at the cozy downtown venue. Jazz Central is located at 441 E Washington St, Syracuse. Advance sale tickets are available now at cnyjazz.org/tickets

January 9, 2023
Damn Tall Buildings Bring Brooklyn Bluegrass to Caffe Lena on January 20

Brooklyn-based bluegrass trio Damn Tall Buildings will bring their fresh bluegrass sound to Caffè Lena on January 20 at 8PM with unmatched energy and enthusiasm that creates a captivating, high-energy sound.

Damn Tall Buildings

Consisting of fiddler/vocalist Avery Ballotta from Bozeman, guitarist/lead vocalist Max Capistran from Bedford, and bassist/lead vocalist Sasha Dubky from Philadelphia, Damn Tall Buildings is a tight, harmonizing, swinging trio that specializes in bluegrass but also expertly ventures through jazz, ragtime, country swing, and contemporary singer-songwriter styles. They have been called “The Carter Family for the millennial generation” by the Boston Globe.

Damn Tall Buildings is a damn fine trio, mixing bluegrass, swing, and foot-stomping old-time music you wouldn’t think possible from a band from Brooklyn.
No Depression, Chris Griffy

Continuing the busk energy in their early days, Damn Tall Buildings still radiates the energy of a ragtag crew of music students playing bluegrass on the street. But anchoring that energy is their instrumental chops, their strong songwriting, and their varied influences that stretch beyond bluegrass. Their latest release was their thrid full length album called Sleeping Dogs including 11 tracks in the summer of 2022.

Holding the mission that “To provide music, connection and learning from a legendary venue”, Caffè Lena presents extraordinary music in Saratoga Springs. It is renowned for its long history on continuously operating folk music venue in the United States. It has been recognized as “An American treasure” by The Library of Congress. The GRAMMY Foundation also recognized for its important contributions to the development of American music. In 2020 they launched a School of Music for the purpose of carrying on the folk tradition of music as a social pastime.

The performance of Damn Tall Buildings will start at 8PM and doors at 7:30PM (EST). Livestream is also available. Tickets for student or child are $10, while $18 for members and $20 for general admissions. For ticket and more information, please visit this link.

January 9, 2023
French Montana and DJ Drama Add Latest Edition To Coke Boys Mixtape Series

French Montana returns with the latest edition of his signature mixtape series. Hosted by DJ Drama, Coke Boys 6: Money Heist Edition, is a combined Gangsta Grillz and Coke Boys presentation, featuring a host of up-and-comers and established names. Bronx native — French Montana — debuted the Coke Boys series in 2010 and followed it with his first national tour. At the time, Montana represented everything authentic coming out of the Bronx, bringing a new sound and wave. In like manner, the “Unforgettable” rapper presents the next generation of trendsetters from the Bronx and the rest of New York.

French Montana’s Coke Boy 6 mixtape features upcoming talent from the Bronx

DJ Drama & French Montana’s Vision

The 29-track LP seems to be a mashup of precocious and established artists from the East and South. While French Montana recruited the best from New York, DJ Drama is no stranger to artist discovery himself. The legendary DJ has hosted projects with some of hip hop’s premier acts and has (despite hailing from Philadelphia) established himself as a major figure in the southern rap scene. Together, the duo bring the essence of the Coke Boys and Gangta Grills era, while showcasing rising stars.

The Grammy-nominated French Montana is one of hip hop’s most recognizable faces

Coke Boys 6: Money Heist Edition sees up-and-comers the likes of Dthang, Bando Gz, King Combs, Rob 49, EST Gee, get to showcase themselves along with more established stars like A$AP Rocky, Kodak Black and French Montana himself.

As always, the Moroccan born Montana will look to provide an authentic street presence to the Coke Boys 6 while bringing a fresh idiosyncratic sound to complement them, the same way he made his name over a decade ago.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by dramalikethedj (@djdrama)

I want to accomplish everything off my bucket list. And I’m not talking about like Grammys, because we can’t control that. You can’t control people like you can control the streets. Because, number one, I always wanted to make albums full of all the best music that I love from back in the day.
– French Montana for GQ Magazine

January 8, 2023