NYS Music 2024

Category: Upcoming Shows

  • Ashokan Center in Olive Bridge Hosts Banjo Concert 2024 on November 15

    Ashokan Center in Olivebridge, NY has announced Banjo Concert 2024 which is to be held at Esopus Lodge Performance Hall on November 15.

    Banjo Concert 2024 takes place on Friday, November 15 at 7:30 PM at Ashokan Center’s Esopus Lodge Performance Hall. The concert is an evening of 5-string bliss with Scott Hopkins, Hilary Hawke, BB Bowness, Maggie Shar, and Keith Billik. This concert kicks off a weekend workshop and will be filled with many styles, stories, and beautiful banjo music for the community to enjoy.

    This event is part of Ashokan Center’s Banjo Weekend where eventgoers can enjoy a weekend of banjo-centric bliss with a stellar lineup of teachers in a warm and supportive environment. Dive into daytime classes, evening jam sessions, and an inspiring opening-night staff concert. Whether you’re into Bluegrass or Clawhammer (or both!) and whether you’re an advanced banjo-player or just getting started, you won’t want to miss this good-time get together with friends old and new at Ashokan, a stunningly beautiful location.

    Based out of NYC for the past 12 years, and originally from upstate, NY, Hilary Hawke has been composing, writing, teaching and performing music she loves in solo and collaborative projects, both as a multi-instrumentalist/vocalist and as a creative and versatile banjo player. Hilary performed in the Tony award winning revival production of Oklahoma! on Broadway, and Steve Martin’s production of Bright Star on Broadway. She’s devoted herself to performing and teaching old-time, and American traditional music but also brings her love of all types of music into creating her own unique sound.

    BB Bowness hails from New Zealand and has made a home in Boston for the past decade. She co-founded the band Mile Twelve who have toured intentionally and won numerous awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association. BB was awarded the 2020 Steve Martin banjo prize. She loves teaching and stays busy with a full roster of students in Boston and online. Her euphoric energy and love of the banjo are readily apparent in any of her live performances.

    Keith Billik is best known as the creator and host of The Picky Fingers Banjo Podcast, a show listened to by banjo enthusiasts worldwide, and which earned Keith a 2022 International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) award nomination for his involvement in the bluegrass industry. As a player, Keith has performed and recorded professionally for nearly twenty years, including stints with Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys, Mark Lavengood’s Bluegrass Bonanza, and his current project, Wilson Thicket. In addition to private banjo students, Keith has been a faculty banjo instructor at both Great Lakes Music Camp and Midwest Banjo Camp and is thrilled to be a part of the Ashokan Banjo Weekend.

    For more information on the upcoming Banjo Concert 2024 and to purchase tickets, click here.

  • Symphony Space To Host 44th Annual John Lennon Tribute With Kenny Loggins

    Symphony Space will celebrate love, life, and John Lennon with Kenny Loggins and other music acts during their 44th Annual Benefit Tribute as a part of their 2024-25 season.

    A multi-disciplinary performing arts center, Symphony Space was founded and functions under the belief that the arts transcend barriers, bringing communities together by celebrating both similarities and differences. 

    Known for their wide array of programming including but not limited to Selected Shorts, their immersive Wall to Wall concerts, and their Global Arts education initiative, Symphony Space boasts a full slate of original, affordable, and free programming that fosters the arts through all disciplines. 

    Among many talents and events featured on Symphony Space’s 2024-25 music season is the time honored John Lennon Tribute, now in its 44th year. Two-time Grammy Award winner Kenny Loggins will grace the stage for an evening of his favorite Lennon and Beatles Classics, and will be the recipient of the 2024 John Lennon Real Love Award.

    In addition to Loggins, the night will feature performances from Joan Osborne, Jimmy Vivino, The Kennedys, Chrissi Poland, Martha Redbone, Everett Bradley, and Music Director Rich Pagano. 

    All proceeds from the Lennon tribute will support the Theatre Within initiative. Creators of the John Lennon Real Love Project, Theatre Within provides free workshops in creative expression and mindfulness for folks of all ages that have been impacted by cancer. Notably, they bring the music and mindset of John Lennon to life in elementary and middle school classrooms in an award-winning songwriting workshop and program.

    The 44th Annual John Lennon Tribute will be hosted on Saturday, December 7. For more information on how to attend and ticket purchasing, visit the event page here.

    The rest of Symphony Space’s 2024 lineup is host to a series of impressive acts including but not limited to queer pop musician and filmmaker Be Steadwell, recipient of the Stephen Sondheim Award, National Book Award, and the 2024 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction James McBride, Grammy-winning New Orleans Rebirth Brass Band, multi-instrumental and vocalist artists in residence Jerron Paxton and Dennis Lichtman, and 1920s jazz inspired The Squirrel Nut Zippers in a Christmas Caravan show.

    The center will open the 2025 year with critically acclaimed blues and folks artist Queen Esther and continue with acts like the Arun Ramamurthy Trio, the “elegantly gritty” Big Lazy, award-winning Black folk interpreter Jake Blount, fusion act Metropolitan Klezmer, the Broadway legend Patti LuPone herself, the lively Martha Spencer and the Wonderland Country Band, Tony Trischka’s tribute to Earl Scruggs, and raga jazz fusion ensemble Falsa in addition to the return of some of their resident artists.

    For further details on their entire 2024-25 season, how to attend, and the artists featured, visit Symphony Space’s official website here.

  • American Ballet Theatre Studio Company to Perform at Binghamton University

    American Ballet Studio Company, the junior company of American Ballet Theatre, will be performing on Binghamton University’s stage on November 9.

    if it ain’t BA-ROQUE by Hope Boykin, photo by Rosalie O’Connor

    Composed of 12-18 rising stars in the ballet world ranging from ages 17 to 21, the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company is a highly mobile unit of the next generation of ballet greats. 

    Hailing from all over the globe, the ABT Studio Company members are in preparation to enter the professional ballet world, whether that be with American Ballet Theatre or other leading ballet companies worldwide.

    Nearly 80% of the current dancers in American Ballet Theatre are alumni of ABT Studio Company, including eight soloists and 14 principal dancers- notable names including Misty Copeland, Isabella Boylston, and Calvin Royal III.

    Having performed masterworks, contemporary pieces, and newly commissioned custom ballets around the world, the ABT Ballet Theatre celebrates the excellence of female choreographers throughout their work. Recent years have brought the group to stages in London, Athens, Manila, Hong Kong, and St. Petersburg in a mixed bag of performing arts centers, college campuses, festivals, and galas.

    Dying Swan by Michel Fokine, featuring Aleisha Walker – photo by Erin Baino

    On November 9, the ABT Ballet Theatre’s global travels will bring them to Binghamton University’s own Anderson Center for the Performing Arts. For one night only students, staff, and visitors alike will be able to experience the talent of ballet’s next greats in the flesh.

    Tickets for the unforgettable night of dance are available now, with general public prices starting at just $25. In addition to select discounts, ticket prices for students and children have been cut to just $10 for any seat in the house. For more information and ticket purchasing, visit the Anderson Center Box Office’s website here.

  • Hank Azaria’s Springsteen Tribute Will Hit Brooklyn Ahead of Upcoming 2025 U.S. Tour

    Hank Azaria has announced an upcoming Bruce Springsteen tribute tour. Ahead of the upcoming national tour, Azaria will play the Brooklyn Bowl on Nov. 8, as well as Springsteen’s original stomping grounds, The Stone Pony Nov. 15 in Asbury Park.

    Hank Azaria

    As a lifelong Springsteen fan the project is a labor of love for Azaria. Perhaps best known for his decades of work on The Simpsons, Azaria has began a new and different undertaking as a voice actor. Azaria spent months creating an impression of Bruce’s distinctive speaking cadence and singing ‘voice’ to conceive the tribute show. As Azaria told Rolling Stone, “I think of it as a theatrical performance,” he says. “I’m staying in character as Bruce even though I’m telling stories about myself. It’s a performance piece, but I’m not a Bruce impersonator.”

    At the debut public performance of Hank Azaria and the EZ Street Band, at Le Poisson Rouge, the sold out celebration of The Boss’ music was such a joyful experiance Azaria decided to take the show cross-country. Full details and routing for the tour will be announced soon. Azaria doesn’t simply sing Springsteen’s music, but also speaks on the impact it has had on Azaria’s personal life. “I’ve never worked harder preparing for any role than I did in perfecting a singing vocal impression of Bruce,” said Azaria. 

    The tribute performance itself is a joyful, full-tilt rock ’n roll event, and Azaria’s physicality and flair are a true homage to Bruce. Azaria channels many familiar components of Bruce Springsteen’s iconography: intimate, irreverent storytelling, connection to family, preternatural stamina, camaraderie with the band, and a palpable love for performing. Azaria has delivered a show we want to root for – invigorating, upbeat and ambitious.

    Learn more and purchase tickets here.

  • Amy Zou, Looi, and T Shan to Perform at The Sultan Room in Brooklyn on November 17

    NY-based indie/alternative artists Amy Zou, Looi, and T. Shan are set to perform at The Sultan Room in Brooklyn on November 17.

    All three featured artists create indie/alternative music and are based out of New York. Amy Zou is a singer-songwriter, musician, and producer based in Brooklyn. She spent her formative years playing classical piano and flute, before channeling her love for singing, reading, & writing into songwriting. Now, she crafts genre-bending songs, layering in sonic complexity with sometimes cerebral metaphors & fictional worlds into her lyrics. Her upcoming EP I’ve Been Looking For You captures an ambient, avant-pop-leaning sound sieved through an experiential lens of self-discovery. It is a classic hero’s journey turned inward – a search for adventure within the confines of your bedroom, half-remembered dreams, and in the place between decisions.

    Raised between China and both coasts of the US, T. Shan’s music blends increasingly wide genre influences united by his biting, confessional lyrics. His music reflects the highs and lows of modern love, yet never loses sight of where he and his family came from.On his latest EP “Flowers & Spice,” released in 2023, T. Shan sought to explore a host of new sonic terrains, from indie rock ballads to house rap dance tracks, all while telling a love story from its blossoming to its post-mortem. Intimate and hectic, saccharine yet bitter, the record braids together reflections of diving headfirst into love while hesitant from the aches of past scars, numbing yourself amidst strobe lights and D&B, and coming to peace with the good and bad of a bygone affection.

    Amy Zou

    A singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, and seasoned performer, Looi is working to release her debut EP — an intergenerational exploration of her Chinese-Malaysian heritage, which exists within the soundscapes of neo-soul, alt-indie, and r&b pop. Her cult following of listeners keeps up with her journey through enchanting performances of unreleased music, private demos, and select public releases. The November 17 show follows the release of her latest single, “Cherries.”

    The show begins at 7:00 PM on Sunday November 17. The event is 21+ and tickets are currently at $22. The Sultan Room in Brooklyn is standing room only, with very limited seating available on a first come, first served basis. It is highly recommended arriving early to secure one of the few seats. Each of these artists plan to rock the house in their own unique ways, and the performances are ones you’ll not want to miss.

    Looi

    For more information on the upcoming show at The Sultan Room on Nov 17 featuring Amy Zou, Looi, and T.Shan, click here.

  • Ethnomusicologist Joseph Alpar to Perform Love Music of the Ottoman Middle East at Arthur Zankel Music Center in Saratoga

    Ethnomusicologist, performer, and educator Joseph Alpar is set to perform music of the Ottoman Middle East at Arthur Zankel Music Center in Saratoga Springs on November 16.

    Alpar explores the intertwined histories of Jews, Muslims, and Christians in the Ottoman Empire through music at Skidmore College’s Arthur Zankel Music Center. Admission is free and open to the public. The central theme of the concert, “Aşk: Music, Love, and Mysticism in the Ottoman World,” is love in all its forms.

    It will feature poignant songs of unrequited desire, lyrical wedding ballads about marital loyalty, bawdy tunes delighting in infidelity, driving Sufi and Jewish mystical songs about divine and earthly beloveds, and musical vignettes of everyday courtship, relationships, and separation.

    The concert will tell an inspiring story of shared musical traditions and intense cultural collaboration between the peoples of the Ottoman world in several languages — Turkish, Hebrew, Judeo-Spanish (Ladino), Greek, and Arabic. Alpar will sing and perform on several Turkish and Greek instruments, joined by a stellar ensemble. 

    The event is sponsored by Skidmore’s Jacob Perlow Series, Office of Special Programs, and departments of Music, Environmental Studies and Sciences, Religious Studies, Political Science, and History. Funding is provided by endowments established by Jacob Perlow, an immigrant to the U.S. in the 1920s who was committed to furthering Jewish education, and by a bequest from Beatrice Perlman Troupin.

    For more information on Joseph Alpar’s upcoming Nov 16 concert at Skidmore College’s Arthur Zankel Music Center and to purchase tickets, click here.

  • SPAC Announces 2024 “Sounds of the Season” Holiday Series

    Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) has announced that its popular “Sounds of the Season” holiday series will return from December 13-15 in Spa Little Theater.

    Sounds of the Season

    The show features genre-defying trio Time for Three (DEC 13), Damien Sneed (DEC 14) leading “A Gospel Holiday” celebration, and GRAMMY-nominated vocal ensemble VOCES8 (DEC 15). Time For Three is back by popular demand following their “Sounds of the Season” appearance in 2023. Known for energetic performances that seamlessly merge classical, Americana, modern pop, and singer-songwriter styles, the trio will bring special arrangements of holiday favorites alongside original music.

    Making his return to the Spa Little Theater stage on December 14 is multi-genre recording artist and instrumentalist Damien Sneed alongside his band. Sneed will present his new production of “A Gospel Holiday” featuring his original arrangements of gospel, jazz, and classical holiday favorites including Silent Night, The Christmas Song and Jesus, Oh What A Wonderful Child.

    The “Sounds of the Season” series will culminate on December 15 with 2023 GRAMMY-nominated British vocal ensemble VOCES8 for its “Winter Tales” program. Following their SPAC debut in 2019, the a cappella group will perform a mix of holiday music spanning centuries from Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen to Let it Snow. The announcement marks the continuation of SPAC’s year-round programming in the Spa Little Theater, which is inclusive of a fall, holiday and spring season and is part of SPAC’s mission to present year-round programming.

    Sounds of the Season
    Time for Three

    “Sounds of the Season” Program Schedule:

    A Time For Three Holiday

    Friday, December 13 | 7 PM

    Defying conventions with genre-bending excellence, Time For Three’s captivating sound merges classical, Americana, modern pop, and singer-songwriter styles, and their charismatic performances push creative boundaries. In addition to incredible arrangements of Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Led Zeppelin and others, the trio featuring Charles Yang (violin, vocals), Nicolas “Nick” Kendall (violin, vocals), and Ranaan Meyer (double bass, vocals), will present original music and special arrangements of holiday favorites.  

    Damien Sneed: A Gospel Holiday

    Saturday, December 14 | 7 PM

    A multi-genre recording artist, Damien Sneed is a pianist, vocalist, organist, composer, conductor, arranger, producer, and arts educator. Sneed returns to SPAC with an all-new project, “A Gospel Holiday,” featuring his original arrangements of gospel, jazz, and classical holiday favorites like Silent Night, The Christmas Song and Jesus, Oh What A Wonderful Child.

    VOCES8: Winter Tales

    Sunday, December 15 | 7 PM

    Touring globally, the group showcases their diverse musical expression and versatility through an extensive repertoire ranging from the Renaissance to contemporary. Their program “Winter Tales” features a mix of holiday music spanning centuries from Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen to Let it Snow.

    Damien Sneed

    For more information on “Sounds of the Season” at SPAC and to purchase tickets click here.

  • Dave Chappelle + Killer Mike To Hit MSG in Co-headlining Tour

    Dave Chappelle + Killer Mike will join together for ‘Still Talkin That SH*T!’ their 2024 national tour. The duo will hit The Theater at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, Nov. 21.

    DAVE CHAPPELLE + KILLER MIKE

    Comedic legend Dave Chappelle, the 2019 recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, a five-time Emmy winner, and three-time Grammy winner for Best Comedy Album, is generally considered one of the greatest comedians of all time. For the first time, he will be joined by rapper, entrepreneur, and activist, Killer Mike. His most recent album MICHAEL, earned him three Grammy Awards, and BET’s Album of the Year award for its complex portrait of Black southern masculinity.  Together with the Mighty Midnight Revival, they have announced their co-headlining 2024 tour. The seven-city cross-country tour will feature a fusion of music and comedy across a joint set that will stop at Madison Square Garden a week before Thanksgiving.

    This event will be a phone-free experience. Upon arrival at the venue, all phones, smartwatches, and accessories will be secured in individual Yondr pouches, which will be unlocked at the end of the event. Guests will maintain possession of their devices at all times and can access them throughout the event only in designated Phone Use Areas within the venue.

    Tickets are available now on Ticketmaster. 

    Dave Chappelle + Killer Mike 2024 Full Tour Dates: 

    Fri Nov 15 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre

    Sun Nov 17 – Atlanta, GA – Fox Theatre 

    Mon Nov 18 – Rosemont, IL – Rosemont Theatre

    Wed Nov 20 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway 

    Thu Nov 21  – New York, NY –  The Theater at Madison Square Garden

    Sat Nov 23 – Oakland, CA – Paramount Theatre

    Sun Nov 24 – Long Beach, CA – Long Beach Terrace Theater

  • The Great Salt City Blues Concert Comes to Syracuse in December for Eighth Edition

    The Great Salt City Blues Concert 8 has been announced for its annual return to Syracuse on December 26, this time at a new venue, the St. George Church Hall.

    The Great Salt City Blues

    The area’s best musicians will be paying tribute to the music of 4 Blues Hall Of Fame members: Michael Bloomfield (2012), Johnny “Guitar” Watson (2008), Ruth Brown (2002) & Big Bill Broonzy (a charter BHOF member). Michael Bloomfield was one of the first guitar heroes of his generation, who along with Eric Clapton, was considered an early influence on many aspiring Blues guitarist’s that followed the path of the Blues boom of the late 60’s and early 70’s. 

    The GREAT Salt City BLUES Concert 8 will also be paying tribute to, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, a Texas Blues guitar great who began recording in 1954 and later re-invented himself as a funk soul master, best known for writing and singing the classic 1977 R&B hit, “A Real Mother For Ya”. Ruth Brown is also a member of the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, inducted in 1993, mostly on the strength of 50’s classics Ruth recorded for Atlantic Records. Atlantic Records was then known as “the house that Ruth built” and Ruth a consistent hit maker and was their Queen of Rhythm & Blues.

    The Great Salt City Blues
    Michael Bloomfield

    On the acoustic stage, The GREAT Salt City BLUES Concert 8 will pay tribute to the legendary Chicago Bluesman, Big Bill Broonzy, a Blues Hall of Fame artist who began performing in the 1920’s and continued to record until his death in 1958. His prolific writing skills include over 300 copyrighted compositions, including many Blues classics that formed the bedrock of Chicago Blues. The great Muddy Waters was one of his biggest fans and recorded many of Big Bill’s classics for Chess Records in the 50’s and 60’s.

    This year’s GREAT Salt City BLUES Concert 8 will be limited to 400 seated patrons and there is plenty of free parking at the Macedonian Orthodox Church parking lot. Food & beverages will be available and served by the church staff. Tickets are $30.00 advance / $40.00 at door, if available and go on sale, Nov. 1. You’ll want to jump on tickets now, as this show is sure to get packed quick.

     A series of 10 GREAT Salt City BLUES Concerts will be presented. This is concert #8 and each concert has been performed in front of a full capacity audience. Each concert is unique and never to be repeated with a changing line-up of performers featuring some of the area’s greatest musicians. Each concert is a thematic show honoring some of our greatest Blues Artists with participating musicians chosen specifically because they are best fitted for the show.

    For more information on the upcoming GREAT Salt City BLUES concert and to purchase tickets, click here.

  • Aloe Blacc Sets Out for Three-Night Residency at Iconic Blue Note Jazz Club in NYC from Jan 24-26

    Multi-platinum Hip Hop artist Aloe Blacc has announced his upcoming three-night residency at the iconic Blue Note Jazz Club in NYC. This residency takes place from January 24 to 26, 2025, ahead of the release of his upcoming new album.

    This series of intimate performances comes ahead of the release of his first album of original new music in five years, set to drop in February 2025. Known for his hits such as the diamond-certified global anthem “Wake Me Up”, as well as classics like “I Need A Dollar” and “The Man,” Aloe Blacc continues to fuse his soulful sound with a deep commitment to social change.

    This upcoming album pairs each track with a different charity or philanthropic initiative, showcasing Blacc’s ongoing efforts to use his music to make a tangible impact on the world.

    With contributions from notable producers like Hunter Hayes, DJ Khalil, and Stargate, this album promises to be both musically innovative and socially significant. At the Blue Note residency, fans will experience an up-close performance, blending his classic hits from albums like Lift Your Spirit and Good Things with previews of his forthcoming album.

    Aloe will also perform one of his latest singles, “Shine”, a moving track inspired by his work with the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, which he debuted at the 2024 Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity Ceremony in Los Angeles.

    For more information on Aloe Blacc’s upcoming three-night residency at the Blue Note Jazz Club and to purchase tickets, click here.