NYS Music 2023

Category: Festival News

  • Bryant Park Picnic Performances Continue With Accordions Around the World

    Bryant Park Picnic’s free, live performances presented by Bank of America, continue on Friday, Aug. 25 at 7 pm with Accordions Around the World. The performance promises a wide range of notable performers, featuring Diana Burco, Suistamon Sähkö, and Ragini Ensemble.

    This year’s festival, curated by Ariana Hellerman, includes the Latin Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Diana Burco, one of Colombia’s biggest stars, performing in the regional vallento style from the Atlantic Coast, Suistamon Sähkö, an innovative electronic quartet, blending Finnish traditional elements with techno, promising an exhilarating dance party, and the Ragini Ensemble, an all-women subgroup within the Brooklyn Raga Massive. They will enchant listeners with their rendition of traditional matrilineal music from the South Asian diaspora.

    Attendees to Bryant Park Picnic Performances are welcome to bring their own food, or purchase on-site food and beverages from venders near the Lawn. All performances promise exciting new dishes and classics from the five boroughs, with a rotating line-up of local artisanal venders curated by Hester Street Fair. Stout NYC offers giant pretzels, gourmet popcorn, amongst other snacks. Additionally, a selection of beet, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase.

    About the Performers

    Diana Burco, a singer, songwriter, and accordion player, is rising to the forefront of the explosive, multidimensional Colombian music scene. Burco has long held a passion for Colombia’s traditional music, playing and investigating the genre since childhood. Since then, she has taken her exploration to the next level, traveling throughout Colombia in search of the country’s varied forms and expressions, and has studied and collaborated with the masters that interpret them.

    Burco’s deep cultural fluency and wide-ranging contemporary explorations truly mark her as a 21st century troubadour – charting an original path rooted in Colombia’s deep heritage. She has participated in programs and platforms around the world including One Beat Colombia, Ethno World, and MAPAS (Artes Performativas del Atlantico Sur).

    The Arctic Etnotekno act Suistamon Sähkö from Finland gains momentum gig by gig and cheerfully moves through ethno techno and smoke shack sounds to the world of hip-hop. The group favors a boisterous rave atmosphere, synthesizer buzz, rap declarations, and a Soviet-made accordion, making the audience jiggle and the cottage floor shake. The Suistamon Sähkö rhythm universe is a rambunctious mix of primitive primordial force and experimental dance music. In addition to Finnish stages, the Suistamon Sähkö spark has also flown to international arenas in Germany, France, and Russia.

    During their short existence, the group has published three albums and a dozen music videos which have attracted attention. Suistamon Sähkö was selected as the opening act of the notable World Music Expo Womex Tampere 2019 and as the showcase act of the Folk Alliance International in New Orleans in early 2020. In 2022 the band performed as part of globalFest meets TinyDesk.

    Exploring a merging of diasporic songs, matrilineal folk songs, and beat-driven celebratory chutney anthems, the Ragini Ensemble, in partnership with Brooklyn Raga Massive, gathers songs born out of the South Asian diaspora spread wide, fragmented, and reforged in Reunion Island, Guyana and Trinidad.

    Speaking, or rather singing into the aesthetic body of work defined by the “Coolitude” movement, this set is inspired by the legacy of post-indentureship collective memory, nostalgia, and reclamation of joy in the gathering to sing, itself a cultural practice known as “baithak gana.” Tabla player/Electronic artist, Roshni Samlal, violinist/looper Natie, harmonium player/singer Pratima Doobay, and dholak player/singer Kajol Ji re-envision the sounds of their homeland and history.

    Bryant Park Picnic Performances Remaining Schedule

    August

    August 11 – Joe’s Pub: Shaina Taub

    August 18 – New York City Opera: From Vienna to Broadway!

    August 19 – New York City Opera: Alessandro Lora in Concert

    August 25 – Accordions Around the World: Diana Burco, Suistamon Sähkö, Ragini Ensemble

    August 26 – Roulette Intermedium: Immanuel Wilkins, 75 Dollar Bill, Ka Baird

    September

    September 01 – The Classical Theatre of Harlem

    September 07 – American Symphony Orchestra: American Expressions

    September 08 – New York City Opera: Romeo and Juliet

    September 09 – Drom: Gaye Su Akyol (U.S. Debut)

    September 14 – Harlem Stage: 40th Anniversary Celebration

    Additional Performance Information

    For the most current information please visit bryantpark.org/picnics.

  • Celebrate México Now Festival Coming to NYC this November

    Celebrate México Now Festival (CMN) will be returning to NYC from Nov. 14 to 21, confirmed at locations in both Manhattan and Brooklyn. Programs are across literature, photography, culinary arts, film, dance, and music. Each is a part of the pipeline connecting the arts and culture communities of NYC and Mexico.

    The 20-year-old festival returned to live programming last year following the COVID-19 pandemic, run by award-winning curator and producer Claudia Norman of CN Management. Most events are free to attend. CMN has thus far showcased nearly 450 artists and partnered with over 150 venues and cultural institutions throughout NYC.

    Confirmed Dates

    Ximena Pérez Grobet: Reading Finnegans Wake – Center for Book Arts, Manhattan – Nov. 14 at 6:00 p.m.

    Ximena Pérez Grobet will take the audience through the nine-year process of creating, editing, and publishing the limited edition of Reading Finnegans Wake. Using a classic edition of Finnegans Wake by James Joyce that was published in 1965, Pérez Grobet unbound the book, carefully cut the text apart nearly line by line, then reassembled it. This resulted in four knitted versions of the text.

    Daniel Ramos: Eres Muy Hermosa – Camera Club of New York, Manhattan – Nov. 15 at 6:00 p.m.

    In the fifth year of collaboration with the Camera Club of New York, CMN will be hosting photographer Daniel Ramos. He will be discussing his solo exhibit Eres Muy Hermosa, which showcases a series of portraits made with a 4×5 large format view camera in bars and clubs at night in Monterrey, North Mexico.

    Mexico Writes Now: An Evening with Carmen Boullosa, Ximena Santaolalla, Naief Yehya, Alvaro Enrigue, and Oswaldo Zavala – The Center for Fiction, Brooklyn – Nov. 16 at 6:00 p.m.

    Some of Mexico’s leading voices in academia, poetry, novel, and essay writing will be assembled at the Center for Fiction, discussing their experiences living and working in NYC. Along with the acclaimed writer Carmen Boullosa, authors Ximena Santaolalla, Naief Yehya, Álvaro Enrigue, and Oswaldo Zavala will read their work and share their favorite Mexican films, photographs, and paintings with the audience.

    Boullosa’s novel La otra mano de Lepanto has been acknowledged as one of the top works of literature written in Spanish in the last 25 years. She has written a dozen volumes of poetry and has published nineteen novels, two books of essays, and ten plays.

    Diana Wangeman and Jesús “Pat Boy” Chablé: The Present and Future of Ancestral Practices – Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Manhattan – Nov. 18, TBA

    A unique event featuring two indigenous creators seeking to preserve ancestral practices through very different forms of art. Diana Wangeman acts in the culinary preservation of ancient records of corn cultivation and preparation through her popular Brooklyn tortilleria and restaurant Sobre Masa. Jesús Chablé, better known as Pat Boy, performs rap in Mayan and teaches others to rap in Mayan, helping to preserve the language.

    A Tribute to Lourdes Grobet – King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center on NYU Campus, Manhattan – Nov. 20 at 6:00 p.m.

    CMN will pay tribute to the late Mexican photographer Lourdes Grobet, presenting the final two projects Grobet finished before passing. The first is Bering, Reunión Familiar, a documentary and a part of Grobet’s larger project on the Bering Strait. The second is Laboratorio de Teatro Campesino e Indígena, medio siglo de historia, a book that Grobet worked on for over 30 years.

    SHIFT with Antonio Sánchez and Bad Hombre, Thana Alexa, BIGYUKI and Lex Sadler; Echoes in Proximity; and Ampersan, Co-Presented with World Music Institute – Le Poisson Rouge, Manhattan – Nov. 21 at 7:00 p.m.

    The only ticketed event as of present, the concert will conclude the CMN Festival. Audiences can expect a showcase of unique, yet contemporary sounds by award-winning musicians that blend genres and styles to create a dynamic music experience. The event will be co-presented with the World Music Institute.

    Tickets for the Celebrate México Now Festival are available here. For more information and for updates on future events, check out CMN’s website.

  • Seedstock Music Festival Lineup for this August

    Seedstock Music Festival has recently announced its schedule for the 2023 festival on Aug. 12 in Cortland, NY. The festival is returning to its roots with a one-day festival after its 2020 and 2021 absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Credit: Seedstock Music Festival

    For over two centuries the Reed family farmed among the hills near Cortland, and for over a century, that farm was known as Reed’s Seeds. When a group of friends moved in to the property, the owners Don and Carol Reed had only one rule: if the boys ever threw a party, they better be invited.

    That year in 2008 was the very first Seedstock Festival, owing its name to the farm itself. It would grow from a one-day party with a handful of local bands to a three-day festival with two dozen bands and a thousand people. After its absence in the pandemic, Seedstock returned to a one-day party for 2022’s show and the upcoming 2023 show.

    While food is available on the property throughout the day, it is a BYOB event. Glass bottles are not allowed, and all recyclables with deposits are gathered. The money from this is donated to the Cortland Youth Bureau for their music program.

    Festivities are divided between the Backyard Stage and the Forest Stage, with 13 bands in attendance for the 2023 Seedstock Music Festival. The gates open at 10:00 a.m. and the first performance begins at 11:00 a.m. on the Backyard Stage.

    Credit: Seedstock Music Festival

    Backyard Stage

    Corey Paige – 11:00 a.m.

    Raedwald Howland-Bolton – 11:45 a.m.

    Miss Tess – 1:15 p.m.

    Mike Powell & the Echosound – 3:15 p.m.

    Fall Creek Bass Band – 5:15 p.m.

    The Unknown Woodsmen – 7:30 p.m.

    Digger Jones – 9:00 p.m.

    The Unknown Jones – 10:30 p.m.

    Forest Stage

    Brad Allen & Casey Widger – 12:30 p.m.

    People People – 2:15 p.m.

    Metasequoia – 4:15 p.m.

    The Rollin’ Rust – 6:15 p.m.

    DJ KIDD & SYDCHIK – 11:45 p.m.

    More information on the bands and the festival, as well as tickets, are all available on the Seedstock Music Festival website. Tickets are in high demand with a limited quantity, and any remaining tickets will be sold at the gate. Children 12 and under receive free admission.

  • Cannastock to Return to Capital Region this October, Featuring Andy Frasco & the U.N.

    Cannastock, the largest consumption-friendly cannabis festival in New York, will be returning to the Capital Region at Milton near Poughkeepsie on Oct. 7 from 1:00 to 7:00 p.m. Live music will be headlined by Andy Frasco & the U.N., with additional performances by the reggae group SunDub. Over 100 exhibitors will be present on the fields outside the Hudson Valley Sportsdome.

    Guests will interact with the industry pioneers bringing recreational cannabis to the Hudson Valley, including cannabis brands, growers, and manufacturers. In addition to cannabis products available at the new Green Market, festival-goers will be able to enjoy games, gourmet food trucks, and a craft beer and wine garden.

    This year will also feature the announcement of the winners for the Excelsior Cup, a competition for the best cannabis products in NYS.

    After two sold out Cannastock festivals, we are excited to produce the biggest and best one ever; this time in a spacious grassland with the Catskill Mountains as our backdrop. There will be more exhibitors, games, and chill out areas, along with a larger variety of food trucks and craft beers and wine. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and enjoy live reggae music all day followed by a performance by our favorite party band, Andy Frasco & The U.N.

    Cannastock Co-Founder Gary Chetkof

    Andy Frasco & The U.N., a blues and rock band, are loved for their kaleidoscopic musical fusion and one-of-a-kind onstage audacity. They will soon release their new album, L’Optimist, their sixth studio album. The new album charts a path of self-exploration and personal discovery through introspective lyrics and music.

    SunDub released their debut album, Burden of Love in 2019 to millions of views. The reggae group rallies around the idea that people are the strongest when they work together with those from different backgrounds to create positive change. The core quintet of the group includes guitarist Finn Singer; bassist Josh T Carter; vocalist and keyboardist Eric “The General” Toussaint; and the brother-sister team of Joanna Teters as lead vocalist and Ben Teters as a vocalist and drummer.

    An after-show party will be held at the Falcon in Marlboro, NY, featuring Cool Cool Cool.

    Tickets will increase in price as it grows closer to the Cannastock Festival. For more information and for tickets, visit here.

  • The Phoenix Festival Returns For A Second Year Of Programming

    The Phoenix Theatre Ensemble revealed its lineup for its second annual Phoenix Festival, set to run from Sept. 28 to Oct. 21. The event will feature an engaging mixture of live theater, dance, music, and arts. Phoenix Festival includes 30 performances and will take place on multiple indoor and outdoor stages in Nyack, New York. 

    Founded in 2004, Phoenix Theatre Ensemble is a nonprofit theatre ensemble producing in New York City and Nyack. Phoenix Festival is aimed at celebrating classical theater, music, local culture, and the creative spirit of the Nyack community. 

    Festival venues include the tented outdoor meadow stage at Marydell Faith and Life Center, the garden at Hopper House, the Nyack Center, the ‘little theater’ at Nyack’s RCC Culinary Arts Center, Maureen’s Jazz Cellar and Nyack’s classic restaurant the Hudson House. The festival boasts a diverse set of programming with something for all ages and interests. 

    We’re excited about the 2023 program, and proud to present world class live performances at affordable prices rarely available in ‘big city’ locations.

    Craig Smith, executive director, Phoenix Festival

    This year’s performances range from classic theatrical shows like Crime and Punishment and Now I am Alone, to stand-up poetry, and even an augmented reality tour. One of Phoenix Festival’s most innovative and creative performances is Pan and The Lost Boys. The show combines theater and dance to examine Black masculinity through hip-hop. Stemming from the killings of Tamir Rice, George Floyd, etc; Pan looks at the impacts of these events on the health, wellness, and growth of young black men in America.

    The Phoenix Festival gets underway on Sept. 28 with Crime and Punishment, directed by Karen Case Cook. A full list of performances can be found below. For tickets and details about the festival click here. 

    Festival Schedule 

    September 28- Crime & Punishment- Nyack Center

    September 29- Crime & Punishment- Nyack Center

    September 30- Remembering Good Harbor Beach- The Garden at Edward Hopper House Museum and Study Center

    September 30- Crime & Punishment- Nyack Center

    October 1- Crime & Punishment- Nyack Center

    October 4- Scandalton- Maureen’s Jazz Cellar

    October 5- Pan and the Lost Boys- Nyack Center

    October 6- Wind and the Willows- Marydell Faith and Life Center

    October 6- Pan and the Lost Boys- Nyack Center

    October 7- Wind in the Willows- Marydell Faith and Life Center

    October 7- Honduras- Marydell Faith and Life Center

    October 7- Pan and the Lost Boys (sold out)- Nyack Center

    October 8- Children’s Shakespeare Theatre- Marydell Faith and Life Center

    October 8- Wind in the Willows- Marydell Faith and Life Center

    October 9- Children’s Shakespeare Theatre- Marydell Faith and Life Center

    October 9- Wind in the Willows- Marydell Faith and Life Center

    October 11- Drinks with Dead Poets- Hudson House Upstairs Bar

    October 12- Drinks with Dead Poets- Hudson House Upstairs Bar

    October 13- Drinks with Dead Poets- Hudson House Upstairs Bar

    October 14- ArtsRock Concert- Marydell Faith and Life Center

    October 14- Drinks with Dead Poets- Hudson House Upstairs Bar

    October 15- Now I Am Alone starring Geoffrey Owens- Marydell Faith and Life Center

    October 19- Reflections from the Shallow End of the Dating Pool- The Little Theater at RCC Culinary Arts Center

    October 20- Reflections from the Shallow End of the Dating Pool- The Little Theater at RCC Culinary Arts Center

    October 21- Reflections from the Shallow End of the Dating Pool- The Little Theater at RCC Culinary Arts Center

  • Aqueous Will Perform Last Shows at The Great Flamingle II Festival

    Aqueous has announced they will perform their final shows as a band before their hiatus at The Great Flamingle II Festival on the grounds of the Great Blue Heron Festival in Sherman, NY on Aug. 11 and 12.

    The Great Flamingle II

    Aqueous is a Buffalo-based groove band with a loyal following who put on spectacular shows. The band is taking a hiatus from touring after the band’s guitarist and keyboardist, who also does vocals, David Loss, welcomed his child into the world. He wants to spend more time at home raising his child, making the difficult decision to step away from the group.

    Before the band disbands, they will perform at The Great Flamingle II Festival. Featuring two nights of incredible music, camping, and art, host band Aqueous will perform five sets throughout the weekend (including a special day-time set Saturday), and are joined by a carefully curated lineup of some of their favorite national, regional, and local bands.

    The lineup includes Dopapod, TAUK, Flamingosis, Mungion, a Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater tribute set led by AQ’s Mike Gantzer, TAND (AQ drummer Rob Houk’s new band), Witty Tarbox, The Pickle Mafia, Damone Jackson’s Outcome and much more. On Aug. 11 and 12, these bands will grace the stage on the grounds of the Great Blue Heron Festival, which just celebrated its 30th anniversary earlier this month.

    This year’s Flamingle is genuinely going to be epic, and I don’t use that term lightly! With the band opting to take a break from touring after the festival in favor of prioritizing Dave’s new role as a father, these shows will represent a joyful celebration of the band and our love for each other and our fans. We’re leaving everything we’ve got on that stage over these two nights, and we’re beyond stoked to expand the festival to two nights at a place so special to us, which gives us every opportunity to deliver on our vision for an amazing fan experience top to bottom. We’re also bringing in some of our closest BAND FRIENDS that we’ve toured with over the years to help us tie a beautiful bow on this chapter of AQ. We urge fans far and wide to come to be a part of what will surely go down as one of the most unforgettable experiences in AQ history…

    Mike Gantzer of Aqueous

    Tickets are on sale now!

  • 13th Annual Lake George Music Festival to be Held in August

    The 13th annual Lake George Music Festival will be held August 6th to the 17th. The festival will take place at the historic and lakeside Carriage House on the grounds of the Fort William Henry Hotel.

    Lake George Festival music

    Lake George has often received wide-spread admiration and reverence as a cultural destination, yet that public sentiment seems to have lost its relish in recent years. This culturally vibrant location was once heavily influenced and supported by the presence of 20th century artists such as composer Samuel Barber and visual artist Georgia O’Keeffe. Though lacking these spirited artists and musicians today, The Lake George Music Festival hopes to shift the open opinion of the location back in this direction.

    The festival aims to make that change with the assistance of classical music. Individuals from the classical music world remain adamant in the town’s position as a cultural and musical staple, as it is known as one of the most loved classical artist retreat locations in the nation.

    This year’s musicians represent numerous professional orchestras including The Cleveland Orchestra,
    Philadelphia Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, and the Czech Philharmonic. Students in the festival’s
    fellowship program represent nearly every music school in the nation including The Juilliard School, the
    Yale School of Music, and the Curtis Institute of Music. Musicians from as far away as New Zealand,
    China and the Czech Republic will be in attendance this season.

    This year, the festival will bring together over 100 classical artists, composers, podcasters, radio hosts, and pedagogues for public concerts and other events. The venue will offer festivalgoers an intimate experience bringing them up close to some of the nation’s best and brightest artists.

    The Festival is committed to commissioning and premiering new works. This year’s commissions include
    a new solo violin work by Juilliard School Dean, David Serkin Ludwig, a full Symphony Orchestra piece by
    Curtis alumni Sheridan Seyfried, and a chamber work by Curtis and Princeton graduate Alyssa Weinberg.

    Building off last year’s successful opening night where they presented Grammy award-winning trio Time
    for Three, the first public performance will be held on Aug. 9 in Shepard Park. Famed electroacoustic violin/cello duo ARKAI is set to perform with the Lake George Music Festival Symphony.

    The festival along with Lake George’s other music staple, the Lake George Jazz Weekend hosted by the Lake George Arts Project have both brought musical enrichment to the town. Still, the aura of summer tourism and people’s avoidance because of that make their enrichment difficult to solidify and bring to light.

    Founder and CEO of the festival, Alexander Lombard, claims, “Great arts and culture is happening in Lake George and now is your chance to be there for it vs. lamenting about missing what happened. The Curtis Institute of Music, where one of the Music Festival’s founders studied, as well as many of our alumni, uses the phrase “tomorrow’s artists today.” This, I feel, is especially relevant to what’s happening now in Lake George.”

    Festival passes are available for sale now for $149/$49, or, single tickets will be available at the door for
    $25. Parking is affordable and convenient only steps from the venue.

  • Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lauryn Hill and More Highlight 2023 Global Citizen Festival Lineup

    Returning to the Great Lawn of Central Park in New York City on Saturday, September 23 at 2:00 pm, international advocacy organization Global Citizen has announced its lineup for the 2023 free admission festival.

    In addition to the headliners Red Hot Chili Peppers and Ms. Lauryn Hill, Megan Thee Stallion, Conan Gray, and the Stray Kids will take the Central Park stage. As a mashup between rock, hip-hop, R&B, and other genres, the festival brings together some of the industry’s best for the annual event.

    The Red Hot Chili Peppers

    Global Citizen’s campaign focuses on the major issues surrounding extreme poverty worldwide, the impacts of climate change, hunger crises, and inequities affecting women and girls.

    Beginning in Australia in 2008, Global Citizen continues operations in New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Berlin, Melbourne, Lagos, etc. to emphasize the movement to put an end to extreme poverty.

    The festival’s curator since 2015, Chris Martin of Coldplay, and the Global Citizen Festival’s co-founders Ryan Gall and Hugh Evans have put together spectacular shows not only in New York City but in other landmark cities across the globe.

    Last year saw Usher, SZA, and Tems perform at Black Star Square in Accra, Ghana in front of thousands, all to help raise money and spread awareness for the organization’s cause.

    Over the past 10 years, 43.6 billion dollars in commitments have been announced through Global Citizen platforms, impacting nearly 1.3 billion lives worldwide, with attendees of this year’s event being able to add even more to that total through awareness and donations.

    Ms. Lauryn Hill

    Ticket Information

    Tickets to this year’s show are free and accessible by joining the movement and taking action on the Global Citizen app or at www.globalcitizen.org. On the website, you are free to scroll through the issues the organization combats and additional event information.

    SZA performing at the 2022 Global Citizen Festival in Accra, Ghana

  • Watch: Sleepy Hallow Puts Sheff G On The Phone at Rolling Loud

    As Rolling Loud Miami came and went, fans got to enjoy a host of performances by over 100 of hip hop’s best acts. Likewise, there were those unable to take part for various reasons. Notably, Lil Durk did not perform due to his recent hospitalization for dehydration. Likewise, Sheff G did not take part but due to his recent legal troubles. The troubled-but-talented Brooklyn native was to make his much-awaited return at Rolling Loud Miami after serving nearly two years behind bars for gun possession. However, the “We Getting Money” rapper got himself in hot water after he and close friend Sleepy Hallow were part of a large-scale gang indictment.

    Winners Circle Entertainment/ Sleepy Hallow – Rolling Loud Miami 2021 (Show Recap)/Youtube

    As for Sheff G in particular, the indictment accuses him of offering up money and expensive jewelry in exchange for the commission of violent acts. In one alleged incident, Sheff G organized a crew of three shooters, drove them to a crime scene, and then acted as the getaway driver.

    “Sheff G became a prominent member of this gang and became central to our investigation,” said Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. “Sheff G used a lot of the money that he earned to facilitate further gang activity. He encouraged gang members to participate in violent crimes.”

    Sleepy Hallow Puts Sheff G on The Phone

    While Sleepy Hallow was able to bail out and make his Rolling Loud dates, the latest charges were a major setback for Sheff G who was initially scheduled to be released sometime in June and had teased his return to the stage at Rolling Loud. In light of his close friend’s circumstances, Sleepy Hallow bridged the gap between Sheff G and the fans by putting the incarcerated rapper on the phone, to much fanfare from the crowd.

    In the short clip, Sheff G gets the Rolling Loud crowd amped by telling them to “turn the f**ck up.” With the drill scene’s recent stagnation Sheff G’s presence woud’ve been a major boost for New York hip hop. The Brooklynite is one of the most talented young rappers from the new-age and is one of the key figures that helped spark the drill scene in New York.

  • Northern Current Returns to Saranac Lake this September

    Northern Current is back for another year of live music on Labor Day weekend. The annual free festival takes place on Sept. 3 at Riverside Park in Saranac Lake. The celebration gets underway at Noon and runs until 9:30 PM. 

    Located at the base of Lake Flower, Riverside Park provides a picturesque setting for the event. The festival looks to celebrate the beauty and richness of Saranac Lake and the surrounding Adirondack Mountains. Northern Current is focused on enriching the cultural and artistic diversity of the town by presenting a diverse set of performing artists. This year’s lineup features offerings of Rock, Blues, R&B, Afrobeat, Americana, Old Time Folk, Jazz, Country, and more.

    www.northerncurrentadk.org

    Headlining Northern Current is Canadian outfit Bywater Call. The group’s blend of rock, blues, and R&B results in a soulful and powerful sound. Standout vocalist Megan Parnell fits perfectly with the cascade of horns and noisy guitars that usually features in Bywater Call’s music. Together the group has carved out a lane somewhere between Southern Soul and modern blues-rock. 

    Local bands High on the Hog and Midnight Stargazers will open up the festival. Other New York acts include Afro-funk outfit Kaleta & Super Yamba Band and Americana pairing Richie & Rosie. The festival will also feature Huntress & the Holder of Hands, The Soggy Po Boys, Badenyah Drum & Dance, and DiTrani Brothers. 

    In addition to live music, Northern Current boasts a designated “kid zone,” merchandise, and local food vendors. The event is scheduled to take place rain or shine. Visit here for details and information about the event.