The Johnsburg Town Board voted unanimously to approve leasing Tannery Pond Community Center to the group operating the facility. The center, with the lease, will continue to promote arts, education, and community events.
The venture began in April 2021, with the lease going into effect on January 1, 2024. Tannery Pond features an art gallery space, an auditorium, and various community rooms. It hosts exhibits, musicals, concerts, plays, and various other performing arts events year-round.
Their core values include being accessible and welcoming to all, pursuing excellence in all aspects of programming and operations, supporting creativity and experimentation, being respectful to audiences, and much more. For years, the town government has subsidized the building’s operation, maintenance, repairs, utilities, and capital expenses as well as a portion of its programming and administrative costs, totaling upwards of $100,000. Due to this, the center has raised funds and received grants to continue operations.
Tannery Pond Center Executive Director Candice Murray said to The Sun that large organizations, like the New York Council for the Arts, that award grants to performance venues want sponsoring groups to either own their facilities or have a long-term lease in place before they award any money.
Improving the quality of life in Johnsburg is a priority for Tannery Pond, and hopes to secure partnerships to be awarded more grants, and bring more people in. These include the Adirondack Folk School to teach people about traditional crafting techniques, and to host shows and performances presented by the Adirondack Center for the Arts and the Seagle Colony festival.
Tannery Pond Center (TPC), the 501C3 organization that manages Tannery Pond Community Center (TPCC), is excited to enter into a long-term lease with the Town of Johnsburg. We have worked toward this partnership since 2021 and are very excited to finalize the lease. It will give increased ability to fundraise and apply for grants which we were previously not eligible to receive. We are excited about what the future holds and are looking forward to being able to provide more programming and offerings to the community.
Tannery Pond
Tannery Pond will now be able to get more and better shows and concerts, as well as exhibits. These events will be more culturally enriching, with more school-aged kids activities planned in the mix.
The townspeople have 30 days to bring the issue to a public vote if they wish to overturn it, but there has been substantial support.
Today is May 18, or, 518 Day. The 518 is a huge region of New York State, an area code established in 1947 and covering 24 counties.
Extending from the Mohawk Valley just west of Utica, to the Vermont and Massachusetts borders, and north to Canada, the 518 includes Albany, Schenectady, Troy, Glens Falls, Plattsburgh and the entire North Country, Saranac Lake and the entire High Peaks region, plus Schoharie, Catskill, Hunter and Caroga Lake.
Among this wide swath of the state is a great deal of music, from bands to venues, festivals to promoters, concert series and figures in the scene, the 518 has a rich amount of music, so much that we thought a great way to celebrate 518 Day (May 18), was to come up with a list of Five Hundred Eighteen things that make the 518 a great place for music.
But we only had a week, so in working with our friends at 518scene.com, we came up with at least a start – 51.8 (rounded up to 52) music venues, bands, promoters, series and more, that make the 518 so great. Read our list below and their list here.
1. Caffè Lena
Founded in 1960 by Lena Spencer, Caffè Lena is the oldest continually running coffee house in the country. Home to an incredible array of folk, Americana, blues and international acts, this Saratoga Springs institution is a must for any music lover in the 518 and beyond
2. The Waterhole
Nestled in the Adirondack town of Saranac Lake, The Waterhole is a staple of the community, with concert series such as Party on the Patio, Saturday Night at the Waterhole, plus a packed calendar of music during Winter Carnival each year. If you’re in the Adirondacks for vacation this summer, stop in to see Eric and Kiki and catch a show at the fabled venue.
3. Tupper Lake Summer Sunset Concert Series
Just west of Saranac Lake on Route 3, you’ll find the town of Tupper Lake, and with it a pair of summer concert series, held on Monday and Wednesday nights. You’ll find unbelievable sunsets on Tupper Lake, a backdrop for music that photos just don’t do justice.
4. Ominous Seapods
A band that calls the greater 518 home, Ominous Seapods have long praised the region with songs like “Leaving the Monopole” and “Pull from Adirondack Blue,” the group have reunited in recent years to great fanfare, including guitarist Dana Monteith flying in from Australia for the shows.
5. The Park Theater
Glens Falls is undergoing a renaissance as of late, with a great deal of businesses, shops and restaurants peppering downtown and Glen Street, with the Park Theater a centerpiece to it all. The venue brings in national artist, comedy acts, jazz acts, Third Thursday and much more, as well as an educational partnership with nearby districts, bringing in a new generation of sound and light technicians.
6. Memorial Meltdown
Coming up over Memorial Day Weekend, the Charles R. Wood festival commons in Lake George will host the second Memorial Meltdown, featuring Twiddle and Frends, Dogs in a Pile, TAUK, One Time Weekend, Annie in the Water and much more. Tickets are on sale now.
7. Palace Theatre
Opened during the height of the Great Depression, Albany’s Palace Theatre shines brightly, entering its 10th decade and continues to host artists from all genres in a beautifully restored venue.
Artwork by Kelly Garrett
8. Annie in the Water
With a fanbase that is spread to every corner of the 518, and well beyond, Annie in the Water have established their catchy Indie/Americana sound all throughout the state, with fresh songwriting and energetic live performances a hallmark of their New York presence.
9. Caroga Arts Collective and Caroga Lake Music Festival
Located northwest of Amsterdam, the quiet town of Caroga Lake has woken up in recent years thanks to the Caroga Arts Collective bringing in music nearly year-round, as well as revitalization efforts on the century old Sherman’s Amusement Park. The lineup for music this year at Caroga Lake Music Festival is eye-opening too.
10. Greg Bell/Guthrie-Bell Productions
Local promoter Greg Bell has established the Albany jam-scene since the early 1990s, giving bands like moe., Ominous Seapods, Peter Prince and Moonboot Lover and dozens (if not hundreds more) a chance to make their name in a town rife with live music venues and crowds.
11. Freedom Park Scotia series
The annual series at Freedom Park in Scotia is flanked by Jumpin Jacks (great ice cream and burgers), the Mohawk River (with waterski performances) and a calendar of music that stretches from May to September each year.
12. Parish Public House
In downtown Albany along Broadway, you’ll find no better place for live music and cajun food than Parish Public House. Housed in a historic building and section of Albany, the legacy of live music in the 518 starts at the Parish door for bands looking to build their name and make fans in Albany.
13. Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
Originally opened in the 1870s, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall has some of the best sound in the region, hosting artists of all genres who praise the excellent acoustics of the room. The free Music at Noon series has recently returned, and is always worth checking out.
Artwork by Kelly Garrett
14. Mirth Films
The team at Mirth Films has been around for only five years, but in that time frame they’ve established themselves as the premier Audio/Video company, capable of covering shows in all corners of the Capital Region without blinking an eye. Its no surprise they recently won three Eddies Awards for their efforts. Check out their recent interview with harpist Mikaela Davis.
15. Indian Ladder Farming Man Festival
Returning in July for year two, Indian Ladder farms invites you to partake in great beer and cider, as well as great music and farm vibes at Farming Man Festival. This apple picking destination has the perfect summer getaway, well worth a trip towards the Heldeberg Escarpment.
16. moe.
You know moe. has made their name on the 518 when they get a street named after them, which is what happened in February on moe.day in Albany. Add in countless shows at Valentines, two snoe.downs in Lake Placid, and the roots established on Western Avenue in the 1990s, you’ll find members of moe. gigging around the 518 with BlueStar Radiation, Midnight Sun and more.
17. Putnam Place
Saratoga Springs is blessed with a wealth of history, but Putnam Place is where music history is written on a regular basis, as nationally touring bands are seen alongside regional artists, making the venue a must spot for fans looking for a break from the bars of Saratoga or just needing to see what the next big band is that’s touring through the area. Check out their calendar and don’t miss Prince/Bowie on May 20.
18. The Egg
Designed by Wallace Harrison, based on a concept from then-Governor Nelson Rockefeller (picture a half a grapefruit in a bowl, and you can see the origin), The Egg has two venues inside – The 900 seat Hart Theater, and the 450 seat Swyer Theater, both of which offer pristine acoustics for performances of all genres. Notably, Mike Gordon of Phish released a live album, The Egg, from a recording of a December 11, 2011 performance at The Egg.
19. Nanola
Looking for a quiet spot for loud music and great food? Malta is the spot for you, with Nanola located on Route 9, with excellent cajun food and a variety of musical offerings throughout the week and especially in the summer.
20. Lark Hall
The recently opened Lark Hall brings with it a century of music history, and has quickly established itself as a must-stop venue for musicans and fans alike. You’ll be able to catch performances of RENT in June, plus the reunion of Space Carnival on July 6, along with much more.
21. Cohoes Music Hall
Coming up on 150 years, the Cohoes Music Hall has been revitalized in the last 50 years, with renovations and restoration taking place, while welcoming musicals, live music, tribute bands and comedians.
22. MVP Arena
Whether you call it The Knick, The Knickerbocker, Pepsi Arena, Times Union Center, or MVP Arena, anyone in the 518 knows what you’re talking about. The downtown arena that opened in January 1990 and has played host to Billy Joel, Phish, NCAA Tournaments, demolition derbies, and even inaugurations of governors.
23. The Linda
Affectionately known as WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio, The Linda is a restored 1926 art-deco bank that welcomes a widely-diverse roster of performing arts, concerts, debates, lectures, and also serves as a recording studio.
24. QE2
While not open under the name anymore, in the 1990s, the QE2 established Albany as a hotbed of the growing Alternative scene in the country. Grunge, hardcore and alternative rock acts could be found performing at the QE2 any given night in the ’90s. The venue has since been sold and renamed The Fuze Box, and continues to bring great music to the 518.
25. The Sembrich
The Marcella Sembrich Opera Museum, also known as The Sembrich, is an historic teaching studio located at Bolton Landing in Warren County. Built from 1922-24 as a teaching studio for New York Metropolitan Opera diva Marcella Sembrich, the 2023 “Trailblazers” Music Festival will celebrate the music of David Smith, Marin Alsop, Alma Mahler and Philip Glass.
26. Proctors Theatre
Originally a vaudeville theater, this Schenectady venue has welcomed legends of the stage and screen, as well as musicians to the stage. Proctors is nearing its centennial year in 2026, and always has the greatest hits from Broadway for fans looking to stay local as they take in a musical or play.
Artwork by Kelly Garrett
Ed note: new area code 838 is popping up in the 518, and we welcome a challenge to find Eight Hundred Thirty Eight things that make this region the best for music, but let’s take this one area code at a time.
This summer, Tupper Lake, located a few miles west of Lake Placid, announces the return of its Summer Sunset Stage Concert Series, featuring two free concert events on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Tupper Lake makes up the Tri-Lakes region along with nearby Saranac Lake and Lake Placid, located in Franklin County. The village was the top lumber producer in New York State, first settled during the town’s lumber production period in 1844.
Since 1976, Tupper Lake has been celebrating the artists and artisans that make up the small community. Before Tupper Arts, there was the Tupper Lake arts council, then named Tupper Lake Presents. It was re-established as a community entity in 2018 when Tupper Arts Vice President Louise McNally helped plan the re-launch. Tupper Arts have grown and set up a year-round programming tradition involving the community, providing easy access to the arts.
This summer, Tupper Lake brings back the weekly live music events to the Tupper Lake Sunset Stage on Mill Street in Flanders Park, starting around 7 p.m. and ending by 8:45.
Tupper Lake Monday Summer Sunset Series Lineup
July 4- Michael Shofi, Brock Gonyea, and Folkfaces
Kicking off the series is Michael Shofi, a 25-year-old singer-songwriter living in Astoria, Queens, specializing in nature-based indie, folk music. Since he was a child, he spent the summers in Tupper Lake and is so glad to be sharing his music with the community. Brock Gonyea is a singer and songwriter from Tupper Lake with a classic country sound. Finally, Folkfaces is a New York state-based roots music quartet that plays a mix of original and traditional music, driven by songwriter and frontman, Tyler Westcott (Vocals, Guitar, Banjo, Harmonica, Kazoo) who founded the band in 2011. The lineup changes from time to time, currently including multi-instrumentalist and fiddler Brendan Gosson, upright bass player, Patrick Jackson, and percussionist Dan Schwach on drumkit and washboard.
The Big Takeover is a seven-piece New York band, fronted by the charismatic Jamaican-born singer and songwriter Nee Nee Rushie. They play original music that is rooted in the genres and rhythms of Jamaican pop: reggae, rocksteady, and ska while bringing in the spirit of Motown.
July 17- The Altered Tones
The Altered Tones is a four-piece band out of Long Lake consisting of guitar, bass, and drums playing a mix of acoustic and electric covers of classic alternative and rock songs.
July 24- Night School
Night School is a five-piece dance-rock band from Tupper Lake, performing some of the most popular dance hits from the past few decades and today, from The Beatles to Talking Heads, or from Rick James to The B-52’s.
July 31- Shakespeare in the Park: The Tempest
The Tempest is an abridged version of the Shakespeare classic by director Karen Lordi-Kirkham. This tale, one of Shakespeare’s most popular, involves magic, a deserted island, betrayal, comedy, and love. Performances run from July 28-Aug. 2 at various venues in the state. For more information, visit here.
Aug. 7- Annie & The Hedonists
Annie & The Hedonists interprets the songs of the great female blues artists of the 20s, 30s, and 40s, including Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Rosetta Tharpe, Ella Fitzgerald, and others while incorporating other styles like bluesy country, roots Americana, and western swing. The band is Annie Rosen on lead vocals, Jonny Rosen on guitar and vocals, Peter Davis on clarinet, tenor guitar, piano, and vocals, Don Young on bass and vocals, and Jerry Marotta on percussion/drums.
Aug. 14- An Evening with The Silks
The Silks are a true grit rock and roll band out of Providence, Rhode Island, winning two consecutive Boston Music Awards for “Blues Artist of the Year” in 2016 and 2017. The group is made up of frontman Tyler-James Kelly, Uncle Sam Jodrey on drums, Jonas Parmelee on bass, and Johnny Trama on rhythm and lead guitar.
Aug. 22- The Bob Stump Band
The Bob Stump Band highlights blues and Appalachian folk music, moving on to cover popular bluegrass, country, jazz standards, and rock music. The band features Bob Stump on guitar and vocals, Doug Moody on fiddle, Tom White on banjo, fiddle, and mandolin, and Roy Coates on the big bass.
Tupper Lake Wednesday Summer Sunset Series Lineup
July 12- New Horizons Swing Band
The New Horizons Swing Band is a part of New Horizons Bands of Northern New York, initiated by Roy Ernst, a professor at the Eastman School of Music. New Horizons was designed for seniors who wanted to learn an instrument or those who needed to restart their instrument, now an international organization. The Swing Band is made up of community members, many retired from a variety of backgrounds and careers.
July 19- Moment’s Notice
Moment’s Notice is a local, four-piece band with veteran musicians Karen Baker on keys, Mike Joyce on electric guitar/vocals, Dan Spada on electric bass/vocals, and Sadie Spada on lead vocals/percussion. They cover a wide range of genres including jazz, Latin, blues, rock, and country.
July 26- Rose & The Bros
Rose & The Bros is a group based out of Ithaca that specializes in Cajun and Zydeco music from South West Louisiana, including sweet vocal harmonies and a few crooning country classics in the mix. It started as a collective dream between Rosie Newton, internationally touring fiddle player and singer and banjo player Richie Stearns, eventually bringing in guitarist Paul Martin. The band is now complete with their rhythm section featuring Angelo Peters (leader of Big Mean Sound Machine), Greg Evans, and Sally Freund.
Aug. 2- The Midnight Stargazers
The Midnight Stargazers Cosmic Country Band is an entertaining four-piece acoustic band from Bloomingdale, NY. They play their own blend of original songs as well as many familiar classic country, country rock, and country folk tunes.
Aug. 9- Junction Jam
Junction Jam is a rock band quartet that plays music from the 60s through the 90s and will have you up dancing and singing while traveling back in time.
Aug. 16- Organ Fairchild
Organ Fairchild was created in 2020 by Jam scene mainstays Joe Bellanti, Corey Kertzie, and Dave Ruch. The trio met in 1983 as members of the Buffalo, NY, Grateful Dead cover band Wild Knights, and wrote their first original music together in 2020. They have individually played with Bob Weir, Rob Wasserman, Robbie Krieger (The Doors), Nels Cline, Tony Rice, moe., and more, and now create juicy jams and groovy tunes together.
Aug. 23- Larry Ham Quartet
Pianist, composer, and arranger Larry Ham is a veteran New York sideman, performing, touring, and recording with many great jazz artists. David Dupont of Cadence Jazz Magazine wrote, “He glides over the keys with each note articulated cleanly…his playing is masterful.”
For more information about Tupper Lakes’ Summer Sunset Stage Concert Series, happening Mondays and Wednesdays all summer long, visit here.
The Quad Counties of Clinton, Essex, Franklin and Hamilton counties will see a more than 125% increase in funding to arts organizations and artists, with a priority on funding of Native American and othre indigenous people’s arts, culture and history.
Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts
Along with significantly increasing the amount of money the SCR Program will be able to regrant to arts organizations and artists in Clinton, Essex, Franklin and Hamilton counties, the additional funding enables ALCA to expand its offerings and services to the entire four-county region. In addition to the ongoing grant categories of Community Arts and Arts Education, ALCA’s SCR Program is reviving the Individual Artist grants, which have not been offered in the ADK Quad-County region in approximately a decade.
This increase in SCR support means an expansion of both the funding and services ALCA provides to arts organizations and artists in the four-county region, which translates into wider benefits for residents of, and visitors, to the many varied communities within the region, according to Jean-Marie Donohue, Development General Director of ALCA.
We are grateful to NYSCA for this generous increase, which is a validation of the truly indispensable work ALCA has been doing for all four counties in our service area since at least the mid-2010s. We are also excited about the opportunity the increase in funding offers to extend and deepen our service to the abundance of wonderful artists and arts organizations in the region. Although ours is a rural area, the communities we serve range from the City of Plattsburgh to the tiniest hamlets in remote stretches along the Canadian border and in the heart of the Adirondack mountains.
Jean-Marie Donohue Development General Director of ALCA
Each grant category lists several criteria on which applications are evaluated—for example, artistic merit, organizational competence, service to the community, and local priorities for SCR funding in Community Arts. In this last one, priorities include projects that address areas of distinct cultural deficiency—e.g., programs for underserved rural communities; and projects that focus on, or represent, aspects of our region’s history or cultural identity/diversity. With the presence of the Akwesasne community based north of Franklin County in mind, ALCA’s grants program will add the priority of projects dedicated to Native American and other indigenous people’s arts, culture and history.
photo provided by the Tahawus Cultural Center
As seen above, the exhibit “Journey” at the Tahawus Cultural Center, Au Sable Forks, in Essex County, was presented in Fall 2022 featuring the work of two Town of Black Brook/Clinton County-based artists, painter Heidi Gero and fiber artist Carrie Plumadore, a project supported by SCR funding awarded to the Appleby Foundation, Inc., Tahawus Center and Rebecca Kelly Ballet.
Tannery Pond Center, located in the southern Adirondack town of North Creek, will host American Rootsenanny on Sunday, January 15, featuring three exciting American Newgrass bands: Ragged Company, Keanan Stark & Orion Stark, and Sugar & The Tree.
Ragged Company is a Saratoga Springs based trio is a viola, and two guitar group with all three artists on vocals performing in a folk, rock and roots style music. Keanan Stark & Orion Kribs are an Adirondack duo have brought their blend of modern yet classically old-timey sounds to many appreciative audiences in the Northeast and beyond.
Keanen Stark plays guitar, harmonica, and banjo and Orion Kribs plays mandolin and guitar. Each a capable lead vocalist, Stark and Kribs swap old-timey folk, blues, bluegrass, and classic americana tunes, and dabble at entertaining endless other influences and flights of fancy. Sugar & The Tree is a Roots, Americana duo featuring the songs of Heather Richards & Marc Clayton. The duo will be joined by a 5-piece band.
Underwritten by the Glenn and Carol Pearsall Adirondack Foundation, “Dedicated to improving the quality of life for year-round residents of the Adirondack Park”.
Tannery Pond Center features a full schedule of arts programming, including exhibits of original art, musical concerts and performances, as well as workshops and children’s programs. TPC is dedicated to enriching lives with quality arts programming and a welcoming community center, the result of dedicated benefactors, Elise and Woody Widlund, who purchased the property, erected the building and donated it to the care of the Town of Johnsburg with an official ribbon cutting and dedication in 2002.
Tickets for Americana Rootsenanny are $15 in advance, $20 Day of Concert, and free for Youth 18 and younger. For advance price tickets, please visit the TPC box office, or call (518) 251-2505, or purchase online thru Eventbrite. Some “Day of Event” tickets are reserved for purchase at the box office.
And don’t miss the Tannery Pond Center Winter Coffee House Series, starting January 29. For more info visit Tannery Pond. Sunday, Jan. 29 | 3 PM Sunday, Feb.| 3 PM Sunday, Feb. | 3 PM Sunday. March | 3PM Sunday March | 3 PM
Tannery Pond Community Center is located at 228 Main Street, North Creek, NY. Previously this winter, Tannery Pond Center hosted The North Country Jazz Project.
The North Country Jazz Project is an 18 piece big band that plays various types of music including jazz, standards, Latin and funk music is a unique way. The group consists of many Glens Falls and southern Adirondack musicians who have extensive musical backgrounds in teaching and performing on many stages throughout the country. Self-described as a “Big Band with a Purpose,” the group is ready to play music for the audience’s enjoyment and to promote the love of all forms of music through their unique renditions and style.
With tunes ranging from holiday favorites to toe-tapping standards and high-energy jazz, you’ll enjoy a memorable evening of top-notch music. The night honors Glenn Pearsall for his generous donation to TPC.
