Author: Pete Mason

Today is March 15, or, 315 Day. The “315” in Central New York State is so named for an area code established in 1947 covering 18 counties.

Stretching from the Canadian border west of the Adirondacks, the “315” follows the shores of Lake Ontario southwest towards Rochester, and south to the Allegheny Plateau. The “315” includes the cities of Syracuse, Utica, Rome, Cortland, Oswego, Saint Lawrence, Canton, Massena, Watertown and most of the Finger Lakes, as far west as Keuka Lake.

This significant portion of New York State is home to Syracuse University, an institution at the center of music in Central New York in terms of venues, students and alumni. Across the “315” are an immense number of artists and bands who have called the region home, dozens of music venues, classic music festivals, promoters and events that make the “315” a diverse median of a state rich in music history around every corner.

So to celebrate 315 Day (March 15), we begin a series of Three Hundred Fifteen things that make the “315” a great place for music.

Since we only had a week to work on this, instead of all Three Hundred Fifteen at once, we figured to start with 16, or about 5% of 315. Check out our 518 Day list and stay tuned for an annual update to each list (with 716 Day coming this summer!)

1. Empower FCU Amphitheater At Lakeview

Originally the site of a toxic waste dump, courtesy of Solvay Process Company that dumped soda ash on the site for decades, the venue sits on the shore of Onondaga Lake and if you didn’t read the first part of this sentence, you may never know what once lay beneath.

Lakeview Amphitheater (now named Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview) is a success story for bringing a large scale venue to Syracuse, including acts like Phish, Pantera, Shania Twain, Zac Brown Band, Breaking Benjamin, Luke Bryan and other national artists. Once a Super Fund site, the venue has unparalleled sunsets and views, with a capacity of just over 17,000.

2. Sophistafunk

An exhilarating live music experience, Sophistafunk blends intoxicating beats, heavy synth basslines and funky vocals for a one of a kind performance. The group was selected by Guy Fieri to be house band on Guy’s Grocery Games and again on Guy’s Ultimate Game Night. Sophistafunk has performed across the country at venues, underground shows and music festivals, and continues to be the premier funk band from Central New York.

3. The SAMMYs

The Syracuse Area Music Awards were founded in 1993 by Frank Malfitano and have soldiered on every year since, having recently handed out the 31st annual awards on March 2, 2024. With People’s Choice Awards, live music from artists living in the greater Syracuse area, and a wealth of music history coming together on stage each year, the SAMMYs are at the core of the “315.”

4. Crane School of Music

Located at SUNY Potsdam, the Crane School of Music offers undergraduate and graduate programs, emphasizing performance and practice. The school’s symphony and chorus have performed at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, traveling internationally to Germany, Spain and even Cuba. With a legacy dating back to 1886, more than 300 concerts, recitals and lectures each year make the Crane School a hallmark music institution.

5. Earlville Opera House

Originally constructed back in 1892, the Earlville Opera House was destroyed twice by fire in its early years, with the current building standing strong for more than 125 years. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this landmark in a village of 800, Earlville Opera House is a Madison County gem, and founded as as not-for-profit, volunteer-based community organization in 1972.

6. Los Blancos

Blending blues, funk, R&B, zydeco and rock, Los Blancos have gained acclaim in Central New York, as well as sharing the stage with Little Feat, Los Lobos, Gov’t Mule, Merl Saunders, Hubert Sumlin. The group, consisting of Colin Aberdeen (electric guitar/vocals), Mark Nanni (keyboard/accordion/vocals), Steve Winston (bass/vocals) and Mark Tiffault (drums), can be found playing frequently at Shifty’s and 443 Social Club and Lounge.

7. moe.down

Starting in 2000, moe. began holding their own festival – moe.down – in Turin, NY at Snow Ridge Ski Area. The Labor Day Weekend festival brought together moe.’s peers in the jam community, rising artists from across the Northeast, as well as artists who influence moe.’s sound. After moving for two years to Gelston Castle in Mohawk, NY, the festival returned to Turin in 2012 and was held annually until 2014, since returning in 2017 and 2019. Read our history of moe.downs 1-15 here.

8. Stanley Theatre

Utica’s original movie palace, the Stanley Theatre opened in 1928 with capacity of nearly 3,000 and was designed by famed architect Thomas Lamb, who also designed the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, Proctor’s in Schenectady and Landmark Theatre in Syracuse. The Stanley Theatre currently hosts concerts as well as a number of musicals, courtesy of Broadway Utica.

9. NYS Fair

The Great New York State Fair isn’t just rides, exhibits, a competitions for Best Milk in New York State, live music takes center stage at Chevy Court as well as the Grandstand (now Suburban Park). The original grandstand was demolished in 2016 to make way for an updated area that could continue to attract national artists during the annual state fair – the oldest of its kind, having been founded in 1832 by local farmers for agriculture and local fairs. Only in the 1950s did The Great New York State Fair begin to have a greater focus on music and entertainment to attract a new generation, appealing to families and the rise of pop culture. Check out last year’s lineup here.

10. Mike Powell

Hailing from West Carthage, NY in Jefferson County near Fort Drum, Mike Powell is not only a musician, but one of the greatest lacrosse players of all time. His jersey, #22, was retired in 2023 by Syracuse University, where he was a four-time All-American and holds the record for most career points.

Since graduating from Syracuse, Powell has released six albums and written more than 200 original songs, drawing on influences including Bob Dylan, John Prine and Woody Guthrie. Powell has performed with his group The Black River and, most recently, The Echo Sound, which is gaining acclaim across Central New York. An indie folk rock singer, Mike Powell’s sound and evolution from athlete to musician is among the greats to come from the “315” with many years of music yet to come.

11. Homer Center for the Arts

Located in a former Baptist church, Homer Center for the Arts was created as a way to save the building and provide something for the Homer community, just north of Cortland. And create a community they do – artists, musicians, workshops, galleries, community theater and film screenings make Homer Center for the Arts an institution supporting not just the Village of Homer, but the greater Central New York region as a whole.

12. Syracuse Stage

Syracuse Stage, a professional theatre company that has produced plays since 1974, the Stage celebrates their 50th anniversary in the 2023-24 season, now underway. Connected to Syracuse University with the Drama Department, students are cast in plays and musicals, as well as hold Black Box shows, all under the direction and guidance of professors and professionals who make Syracuse Stage a connection between the city and university, with events open to the public.

13. The Birdseed Bandits

Comprised of Adam Ludemann, Seth Becker, and Nash Robb, The Birdseed Bandits released their eponymous debut album in 2013, a collection of “greatest hits” from the band’s first two years together. Forming a unique style that has catchy, foot-stomping, mug-waving folk/rock songs through the use of banjo, mandolin, guitar and upright bass, Birdseed Bandits stopped performing in 2014, but left a mark on the Central New York music scene in their time together.

14. The Yard Amphitheater

An outdoor music venue at Ray Brothers BBQ in Bouckville, NY, The Yard Amphitheatre has become a rural destination for live music acts including Ryan Montbleau, Martin Sexton, Yonder Mountain String Band, Keller Williams and many more. With a capacity of 1,500 and great barbeque right next door, The Yard is a must-visit destination venue. Check out their 2024 shows here.

15. Crouse Chimemasters

For anyone having lived close to the west side of Syracuse University’s campus, or been a student walking the SU campus around 8am, 11:45am or 6pm, you will have heard the bells of Crouse College ringing, and inside is a tradition that dates back in 1889. The Syracuse Chimemasters create daily melodies thrice daily working with a system of levers and pulleys that ring the 14 bells in the belfry of Crouse College. You might hear anything from “Mamma Mia” to Star Wars selections, as well as solemn and classical music, from these seasoned veterans who rock the bells for 135 years and counting.

16. Smith Opera House

Located in the heart of the Finger Lakes, Smith Opera House has offered performing arts and cultural events since 1894. The interior was restored in the early 1990s, playing host to numerous artists including Phish, Frank Zappa, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel, as well as live events from Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva Music Festival and much more.

Ed note: a new area code – 680 – is popping up in the 315 – as the population of the region expands. While we welcome a challenge to find Six Hundred Eighty things that make this region the best for music, we’re focusing on the classic 315 area code, for brevity’s sake.