NYS Music 2023

Tag: Bop Shop Records

  • Five Can’t-Miss Shows in Rochester This December

    2023 was a lot of things, and hopefully one of those things, for you, was music-filled. Happy to be here to help guide you to some of the good stuff in and around Rochester every month. Here are five more shows to help you finish the year off with a bang.

    December 6: Another Michael at Bug Jar

    Philadelphia’s Another Michael returns to the Bug Jar after their killer show there last November. They come with their brand new album, Wishes to Fulfill, in tow, ready to delight fans new and old with their hooky songs featuring breezy guitars and dreamy vocals. JODI, Pluck, and Comfy round out this excellent bill.

    Tickets are are $12/$15 dos and bands get started around 9pm.

    December 7: Howard Levy 4 at Fanatics

    Grammy-winning harmonica wizard Howard Levy, who long ago was an original member of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, brings his new four piece to Fanatics. He and his signature diatonic harmonica playing are joined by Chris Siebold on guitar, Josh Ramos on bass and Luiz Ewerling on drums.

    Tickets are $25 and the show starts at 7pm.

    December 8: Mikaela Davis and Southern Star at Essex

    Way back in January we recommended Mikaela Davis’ shows at Abilene and Maybird’s show at Bug Jar. Twelve months later and we’re back to recommend a show featuring them both on one bill at the brand new venue Essex. Mikaela Davis and Southern Star have since released a new album and have been touring heavily throughout the year. These two bands go way back too. Davis used to frequently play in Josh Netsky’s bands and Kurt Johnson, now a pedal steel and guitarist in Southern Star was a founding member of Maybird. Will they sit-in with each other? Only time will tell, but either way, this is sure to be a groovy psychedelic night featuring some of the areas brightest talents.

    Tickets are $30 and the show starts at 7pm.

    December 16: Ember at Bop Shop Records

    Ember, the Brooklyn-based trio of Caleb Wheeler Curtis, Noah Garabedian, and Vinnie Sperrazza will close out what has been another busy and exciting year of eclectic live music at Bop Shop Records. Creative and band focused, they will push the limits of improvisation for a night of invigorating and heady night at the intimate shop in Brighton.

    Tickets are $20 and the music gets going at 8pm.

    December 31: moe. at Kodak Center

    moe. will jam in the new year once again at the Kodak Center, returning after their blowout run at the same venue to welcome in 2019. The band is finishing out a solid year of touring after being plagued by more unfortunate health issues, with guitarist Chuck Garvey suffering a stroke in November 2021. Rochester is blessed with many excellent live music options to ring in the new year, but this one should top them all.

    Tickets are $46-106 with an option to get a 2-night package. Show will start around 8p.

  • Five Can’t-Miss Shows in Rochester This November

    Well, that October was a treat wasn’t it? But, no rest for the weary live music fanatic. November is hot on it’s heels with a concert cornucopia of it’s own. Here are five delectable morsels to feast your ears on in Rochester this month.

    November 6: Dumbo Gets Mad at Bug Jar

    The Bug Jar continues its string of pulling in fresh and interesting talent from abroad with this Italian group coming to little old Rochester. Dumbo Gets Mad is a psychedelic pop band that is textured and rhythmic with a patina of that European stangeness. The bill is rounded out by avant-garde drumming wizard Sean Hamilton, Drippers, and Breastfed to Death. Sure to be another fun one.

    Tickets are $15 and music should get going around 9pm.

    November 8: Charlie Parr at Bop Shop Records

    Almost exactly a year after his last Rochester show, at the Arbor Loft, Charlie Parr returns to town for a gig at the much smaller and more intimate space at Bop Shop Records. If you liked him then you’re gonna love him here, and if you missed him then, no better time or place to get to love him. As we said then: “Through finger picks, slides, foot stomps and that ragged voice with unexpected range, there wasn’t empty space wanting for anything more.”

    Tickets are $20/$25dos and music will start right around 8pm.

    November 9: Vijay Iyer Trio at Kilbourn Hall

    The best set of jazz in Rochester this year may not happen during jazz fest. Vijay Iyer returns to play a hometown show for the first time in almost a decade with his dynamite trio, with Linda May Han Oh on bass and Jeremy Dutton replacing Iyer’s usual drummer Tyshawn Sorey. But no matter, this is going to be a stunning set of piano trio in the stunning confines of Kilbourn Hall.

    Tickets range from $32 to $45 and the show will start at 7:30pm.

    November 14: Jake Xerxes Fussell at Abilene

    In the just a singer with a guitar category of folk music, you can’t really do much better than Jake Xerxes Fussell. This Georgian plumbs the depths of traditional folk and blues music and puts his own magical spin on everything he plays. From Philadelphia, stellar songwriter Rosali will open with a special solo set of her own that should make this one hell of an evening at the old saloon.

    Tickets are $20 and the music gets started at 7:30pm.

    November 26: Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real at Water Street Music Hall

    Lukas Nelson, if you didn’t know, is the son of country legend Willie Nelson, who he of course has played with. He and the Promise of the Real were tapped to be Neil Young’s backing band and he also has sung with Lady Gaga. So yeah, pretty good creds. But Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real don’t need to impress you with lineage, these guys are carving out their own legendary path.

    Tickets are $32 and the show starts at 8pm.

  • Rochester’s Bop Shop Records Releases Full Fall Lineup

    Bop Shop Records, an independently-owned record store in Rochester, has announced their upcoming lineup of shows for this fall. The run starts with a trio of jazz legends, Joseph Daley’s Tuba Trio, consisting of Warren Smith, Scott Robinson, and Joseph Daley.

    Bop Shop Records

    Bop Shop Records opened in the Cobbs Hill neighborhood of Rochester in 1982 with owner Tom Kohn, who spent the 70s working for MXR and Rounder Records, where he collected music from all kinds of genres. The venue hosts jazz, folk, and blues artists at the store, and boasts a collection of over 200,000 records available.

    This fall’s lineup will feature Joseph Daley’s Tuba Trio, Preston Reed, Charlie Parr, and Brooklyn’s own Ember Trio. Ember is a collaborative music group that is based in exploration, improvisation, and creativity. The jazz group includes Caleb Wheeler Curtis on alto saxophone, Noah Garabedian on bass, and Vinnie Sperrazza on drums. The group will make their stop at Bop Shop Records on December 16.

    Bop Shop Records is excited to welcome Joseph Daley’s Tuba Trio on October 3. The group explores improvisational concepts of Sam Rivers, the famed jazz composer and multi-instrumentalist who accompanied the likes of Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis. Daley dedicated his newest record, The Tuba Trio Chronicles, to the memory of Rivers, his good friend and mentor.

    Joseph Daley's Tuba Trio

    More information and tickets are available at bopshop.com/events. Tickets are currently available now for all shows. To attend a show, register at BopShop.com. Concertgoers may pay in advance or at the door. Tickets and information are also available at (585) 271-3354.

    Bop Shop Fall Events

    10/3 – Joseph Daley’s Tuba Trio
    10/8 – Preston Reed
    10/10 – Soft Machine
    10/13 – The Mat Maneri Quartet
    10/19 – Eric Vloeimans & Will Holshouser
    11/4 – New Origin Trio
    11/8 – Charlie Parr
    11/18 – Joel Harrison
    12/4 – Bill Kirchen’s Honky Tonk Holiday Show
    12/16 – Ember Trio

  • Five Can’t-Miss Shows in Rochester Area This June

    In Rochester, there are nine days in June that are, for many, the richest nine days of live music on the calendar, named the Rochester International Jazz Fest. But we’ll get to that in a separate post. There’s plenty of other live music to go around this month, so let’s get right to it!

    June 8, Deer Tick at Lincoln Hill Farms

    It’s summer, outdoor shows are king, and most of the outdoor venues are not in Rochester proper. So excuse us if we jump a little bit outside Monroe County here. Lincoln Hill Farms is a great little spot in Canandaigua, and with Dan Small Presents picking up the booking duties their calendar is filling out nicely. One show that has caught our particular attention is this little rock band that could from Providence, Deer Tick. They haven’t played these parts in a bit. Combining superb songwriting with reckless barroom energy, they’ll show you a great time. Rafay Rashid will open the show.

    The music will start at 630pm and tickets are $30.

    June 10, Surprise Chef at Photo City Music Hall

    Australia is exporting some fantastic music these days, across most any genre you can think of. Surprise Chef, a quintet out of Melbourne, is churning out some seriously good instrumental soul-funk like you’d expect from deep in Brooklyn or deep in the South. Catch their twist on things in their Rochester debut. Alanna Royale will open the show.

    Music gets started around 8pm and tickets are $15.

    June 11, The Wood Brothers at Perinton Center Park Amphitheater

    If you’ve seen live music at the Perinton Amphitheater before it was likely of the free community concert variety. But this year Rochester Events is trying it out as a big show venue, starting with Collective Soul on June 1. A week and a half later Rochester faves The Wood Brothers will grace the stage. Ever since a couple of raucous barn burners at the aforementioned Rochester International Jazz Fest some Junes ago, they’ve made Rochester a regular stop. Needless to say, many barns have been burned. They are returning again with another excellent new album in tow. Shovels and Rope open up this time around.

    Show starts at 7pm and tickets are $39.50.

    June 26, David Murray and Kahlil El’Zabar at Bop Shop Records

    Jazz Fest is not the only time of year to catch world-class jazz in Rochester. And even during Jazz Fest, it isn’t the only place to catch world-class jazz. Case in point, Bop Shop Records, one of the best places to catch adventurous music all year round, is bringing back the great Kahlil El’Zabar, who has appeared there so many times, he must be dubbed the Rusted Root of the Bop Shop (iykyk). This time around he is joined by the legendary tenor saxophonist, and his friend of over 40 years, David Murray. Together they are called the Golden Seas Duo and this is a golden opportunity to have your mind blown.

    Show will get started at 8pm and tickets are $25/$30 dos.

    June 30, Budos Band at Photo City Music Hall

    Tying this whole post up in a neat little bow, here is another instrumental soul band at Photo City Music Hall, another Jazz Fest alumnus, and another great jazz show butting up against Jazz Fest. Budos Band will probably start up late enough to come check it out after your Jazz Fest fun though, so we’d suggest partaking in both. Budos Band is on the supreme Daptone Records label and is one of the best things on the label. Heavy, funky, soulful, and as with everything else on this list, not to be missed! Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor get the show started.

    Doors open at 7pm and tickets are $26.

  • Five Can’t Miss Shows in Rochester This February

    We can’t predict if there is ever going to be any significant snow in Rochester this winter, but we can predict you’ll have a blast if you follow our recommendations for live music in February. As much as we’d like to have at least some of the white stuff to enjoy, hopefully not enough to impede your access to any of these shows or to cause any weather-related cancellations. Get out there and support your local bands and venues.

    February 11: Moving Mountains at Flour City Station

    Moving Mountains is a quartet from right here in Rochester. If you like your rock progressive, then these guys will scratch that itch with aplomb. The path from point a to point b is rarely a straight line, and the journey is a wild ride. They’ll be joined by Extended Family and The Ribbon Project. /each band has members with February birthdays, so maybe there will be cake?

    Doors are at 7:45p and tickets are $10.

    February 13: Ethnic Heritage Ensemble at Bop Shop Records

    Drummer Kahil El’Zabar returns to Bop Shop Records with his Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, including Cory Wilkes on trumpet and Alex Harding on saxophone. You will be transported, inspired, moved and touched spiritually, and that will just be the first song. Adventurous mind-expanding jazz doesn’t just come to Rochester for one week in June. Come explore some new sounds.

    Show starts at 8pm and tickets are $25/$30 dos.

    February 16: The Mountain Goats, Lily Hiatt at Water Street Music Hall

    Indie-folk rock stalwarts The Mountain Goats come to Water Street Music Hall as a semi-annual reminder to the music lovers of Rochester that not every big show passes us over for Buffalo, Syracuse, and Ithaca. Touring behind their 2022 release, Bleed Out, they’ll bring those and others from their decades-long career for you to sing along, rhythmically bob your head, and perhaps shuffle your feet. Don’t make the mistake of arriving too late to hear opener Lily Hiatt.

    Show starts at 8pm and tickets are $40.

    February 18: JD Simo at Fanatics Pub

    This one is a short drive out of town down in Lima, but totally worth it. Fanatics is a small bar that hosts good blues bands from near and far. On this night, Nashville guitarist JD Simo comes through on his duo tour with drummer Adam Abrashoff. Simo isn’t a straight blues man, mixing in rock, jazz and soul to concoct a unique sound that eventually lead to face-melting jams. He’s got a new album just out this month, Songs from the House of Grease, that’ll do good to warm you up for the show.

    Show starts at 7pm and tickets are $25.

    February 25 – The Moho Collective at Three Heads Brewing

    Rochester’s The Moho Collective, Kurt Johnson on guitar and pedal steel, Justin Rister on bass, and Ryan Barclay on drums and percussion, “collect” musical styles from across the globe, combining them in new and mystifying ways. On this night they will be joined by The Mighty High and Dry’s Alan Murphy on keys which is an addition with exciting possibilities, fleshing out their material in new and interesting ways.

    Doors open at 8pm and tickets are $10.