NYS Music 2023

Category: Southern Tier

  • Great Blue Heron Festival Announces Full Lineup, Celebrating 30 Years

    The Great Blue Heron Festival 2023 will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a lineup of fan favorites and ten new, never-been-to-The-Heron artists.

    Great Blue Heron 2023

    The Great Blue Heron Festival draws in thousands of fans from across the U.S. each year, remaining a tradition for people young and old to celebrate self-expression and music. The festival will take place at the Heron Farm in Sherman, an award-winning campsite, voted number one in the U.S. by HipCamp. The Heron is open daily for seasonal camping from May through October along with the Green Heron Growers Farm Store.

    From June 30-July 2, there will be three stages, called the Main Stage, the big top Dance Tent, and the Tiger Maple Stage, as well as over 30 artists, featuring returning headliners Donna the Buffalo. The group has been together for over thirty years, releasing over ten records, performing with various musicians, including prominent folk/roots performers such as Jim Lauderdale, the father and son zydeco musicians Preston and Keith Frank, and more. Three Heron newcomers and finalists include Keller & The Keels, Couch, and Kaleta & the Super Yamba Band.

    Keller & The Keels have been making Appalachian-style psychedelic bluegrass tunes since 2004, recording three albums since. Featuring award-winning flat picker Larry Keel, his bass-playing wife Jenny Keel, and Keller Wiliams, the trio is excited to perform at Great Heron. Boston-based group Couch infuses pop with funk, rock, and R&B/soul. Their vibrant sound is further defined by the members’ backgrounds in jazz, a cappella, and musical theatre. They celebrated the release of their debut EP, COUCH in Feb. 2021 as well as three new singles and a 20-city headline tour in 2022.

    Brooklyn-based group Kaleta & the Super Yamba Band is fronted by Afrobeat and Juju veteran Leon Ligan-Majek a.k.a. Kaleta, living his adolescent years in Lagos, Nigeria where Afrobeat was born. The group has performed across the globe, releasing its debut album Mèdaho in 2019. Other performers for the festival include Peter Rowan, Kevin Kinsella OG JBB, Henhouse Prowlers, The Probables, Root Shock, Smackdab, Dr. Bacon, New Planets, Dirty Gems, Sun King Warriors, Pa Lane, and more.

    Tickets for the Great Blue Heron Festival 2023 edition are on sale now.

  • 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.

    Ellicottville blues weekend

    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
    Ellicottville

    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.