Category: Albany

Teddy Swims Coming to Syracuse and Albany this Fall

Vocal powerhouse Teddy Swims has announced additional dates on his I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy North American tour, with shows announced for Syracuse and Albany this fall.

The tour dates are paired with the deluxe edition of Swims’ acclaimed debut album, releasing on April 26, I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1.5).

Teddy started to gain notoriety with a series of covers starting in 2019, including Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You” and Shania Twain’s “You’re Still The One,” leading to his signing to Warner Records in 2020. He honed his voice and songwriting across EPs Unlearning [2021], Tough Love [2022], and Sleep Is Exhausting [2022]. He showcased his sky-high range by collaborating with artists such as Maren Morris, Meghan Trainor, X Ambassadors, ILLENIUM, Tiësto, Armin Van Buuren, and Matoma.

Teddy Swims is currently on the road, continuing his I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy Tour in the UK and Europe, then heads to New Zealand, Australia, and Asia, before bringing it to North America. See the full list of upcoming tour dates below.

Tickets go on sale Friday, April 26 at 10am local time. Click HERE for more information.

Teddy Swims Fall 2024 North American Tour

Aug 9-11 San Francisco CA Outside Lands

Sep 6 Reno, NV Grand Sierra Resort – Grand Theatre

Sep 8 Dillon, CO Dillon Amphitheater

Sep 12 Council Bluffs, IA Harrah’s Council Bluffs – Stir Concert Cove

Sep 13 West Fargo, ND Lights Amphitheater

Sep 14 Hinckley, MN Grand Casino Hinckley Event Center

Sep 17 Madison, WI The Sylvee

Sep 18 St. Louis, MO The Factory

Sep 20 Pittsburgh, PA PPG Paints Arena*

Sep 23 Columbus, OH KEMBA Live! Indoor Pavilion

Sep 24 Syracuse, NY Landmark Theatre

Sep 26 Albany, NY Palace Theatre

Sep 28 Atlantic City, NJ Ocean Casino Resort – Ovation Hall

Oct 2 Greensboro, NC Piedmont Hall

Oct 3 Knoxville, TN Tennessee Theatre

Oct 6 Fayetteville, AR JJ’s Live

Oct 8 Savannah, GA Johnny Mercer Theater

Oct 10 Tampa, FL Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – Hard Rock**

Oct 13 Durant, OK Choctaw Grand Theater

Oct 15 Lubbock, TX The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences –

Helen DeVitt Jones Theater

Oct 16 El Paso, TX Abraham Chavez Theatre

Oct 18 Flagstaff, AZ Pepsi Amphitheater at Fort Tuthill County Park

Oct 19 Valley Center, CA Harrah’s Resort Southern California – The Events Center

Oct 21 Anaheim, CA House of Blues

*Supporting Aerosmith

**Rescheduled show

Additional Teddy Swims 2024 Tour Dates:

Apr 26 Cologne, Germany Carlswek Victoria

Apr 28 Paris, France Elysee Montmartre

Apr 29 Antwerp, Belgium Muziekcentrum Trix

May 1 Copenhagen, Denmark KB Hallen

May 2 Oslo, Norway Rockefeller Music Hall

May 4 Stockholm, Sweden Fallan

May 7 Hamburg, Germany Grosse Freiheit 36

May 8 Berlin, Germany Tempodrom

May 10 Tilburg, Netherlands Poppodium 013

May 11 Tilburg, Netherlands Poppodium 013

May 13 London, UK 02 Shepherds Bush Empire

May 14 London, UK 02 Shepherds Bush Empire

May 15 Manchester, UK 02 Apollo Manchester

May 16 Birmingham, UK 02 Academy Birmingham

May 18 Glasgow, UK 02 Academy Glasgow

May 20 Dublin, Ireland Olympia Theatre

May 21 Dublin, Ireland Olympia Theatre

May 23 Liverpool, UK Liverpool Olympia

May 24 Leeds, UK 02 Academy Leeds

May 25 Newcastle, UK 02 City Hall Newcastle

May 27 Nottingham, UK Rock City

May 28 Bristol, UK 02 Academy Bristol

May 29 Bristol, UK 02 Academy Bristol

May 31 Birmingham, UK 02 Academy Birmingham

June 1 Manchester, UK 02 Apollo Manchester

June 2 London, UK 02 Shepherds Bush Empire

June 29 Denver, CO Endless Sunshine Festival

July 4 Christchurch, NZ Christchurch Town Hall

July 6 Auckland, NZ Spark Arena

July 7 Wellington, NZ TSB Arena

July 9 Brisbane City, AUS Riverstage

July 11 Moore Park, AUS Hordern Pavilion

July 12 Moore Park, AUS Hordern Pavilion

July 13 Melbourne, AUS Margaret Court Arena

July 14 Melbourne, AUS Margaret Court Arena

July 17 Adelaide, AUS Hindley Street Music Hall

July 19 Perth, AUS Riverside Theatre

July 26 Niigata, Japan Fuji Rock Festival

Aug 2 Montréal, CAN Osheaga

Aug 3 Windsor, CAN The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor

Aug 4 Chicago, IL Lollapalooza

Aug 7 Hampton Beach, NH Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom

Aug 16 Biddinghuizen, Netherlands Lowlands Festival

Sep 21 Louisville, KY Bourbon & Beyond Festival

April 29, 2024
Saints Did Conquer – Queensryche and Armored Saint at Empire Live in Albany

A hefty double-bill of old-school metal stomped into a packed Empire Live in Albany on April 26 – Queensryche and Armored Saint. Both acts have long legacies of gigs in the Albany area: Seattle’s Queensryche first came through the area promoting their debut e.p., opening for Twisted Sister in Scotia in 1983, and have played the area fairly regularly for 40+ years, most recently warming up Judas Priest at the MVP Arena in 2022.

photo by Mark Kurtzner

L.A. metal heroes Armored Saint first played the region in early January 1985 – again, in Scotia – warming up for Metallica and WASP and promoting their debut LP ‘March of the Saint’. So there’s some history here, and Albany showed up for this gig – the venue was sold out, and vintage metal tees and battle vests were on display for a great Friday night of heaviness.

Happily, there wasn’t a long, agonizing wait through a half-dozen opening bands – Armored Saint hit the stage at 8 p.m. sharp, walking on stage to an intro tape of Judas Priest’s classic “Delivering the Goods”, and proceeded to deliver the goods with a crushing 50-minute set of headbanging gloriousness. As vocalist John Bush pointed out early on, although Saint were a regular visitor to the Albany region through the late 80s (mostly at the long-departed temple of metal, Saratoga Winners in Latham), it has been almost 33 years since the band has been here. The last gig this band played hereabouts was at Winners in October 1991, with Wrathchild America. Soon after, the band went dormant when Bush joined New York’s Anthrax, and since they reunited early this century, they have not been back to their Albany stomping grounds of yore. They more than made up for their absence this Friday night.

photo by Mark Kurtzner

Saint kicked off proceedings with the hammering “End of the Attention Span”, an ode to the damage done by small screens, social media and on-demand culture, taken from the killer newest AS record, ‘Punching the Sky’. Unlike Queensryche, who were playing an album-specific vintage set, Saint covered their entire discography this night, launching immediately thereafter into a steamrolling “Raising Fear”, title track of their underrated 1987 third record. Next up were a pair of songs from Saint’s (arguably) most-acclaimed LP, 1991’s Symbol of Salvation, the propulsive “Tribal Dance” (during which drummer Gonzo Sandoval earned his wage admirably), and a soaring “Last Train Home”, with the audience roaring the chorus back to Bush and the band. The title track of their 40-year-old (!) debut LP, March of the Saint, followed, which spawned headbanging and more vocal crowd participation, and the excellent “Left Hook From Right Field” (from 2010’s La Raza) was a cool surprise – the Saint have been mixing up setlists on this run with Queensryche, and while killer second record Delirious Nomad was sadly unrepresented this night, “Left Hook” was one that hasn’t been played every show, a great choice.

Next up was “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants”, another standout from newest LP Punching the Sky, which saw guitarists Jeff Duncan and Phil Sandoval unleashing some Thin Lizzy-esque guitar harmonies. Saint, in contrast to the headliners, is pretty much the same guys who have been with the band since back in the day. Bush, the Sandoval brothers and bassist Joey Vera have been in the band since their inception, and guitarist Jeff Duncan has been with the band since 1988. Only guitarist Dave Prichard, who sadly passed in 1990 from leukemia, is missing from the lineup that recorded their debut EP in 1983.

photo by Mark Kurtzner

Other than Bush talking about how many years it had been since the band played Albany, the band kept the stage banter to a minimum and used their time for music, hammering out each song into the next. “Win Hands Down”, the roaring title track from their 2015 LP, came next, into another crowd favorite, “Can U Deliver” (again from the ‘84 debut), with the band wrapping up with a blasting, high-velocity “Reign of Fire” (again from Symbol of Salvation). When this band’s debut hit the streets in 1984, the slogan was “Saints Will Conquer” – and they did so in heroic fashion this night.

Unlike Saint, who have always led the charge for traditional, real old-school metal, Queensryche have historically cast a wider net, dipping their toes into prog-metal, concept albums (including 1988’s legendary ‘Operation: Mindcrime’), and mainstream success (1990’s ‘Empire’), and over the years leaning fairly far away from their trad-metal beginnings. But not tonight – this was a old-school, early Queensryche set, with the band playing their debut self-titled 1983 EP, and 1984 debut album ‘The Warning’ back-to-back and in order.

That debut EP was a monumental beginning for this band – in 1983, every metalhead on the planet seemed to own and love that record, including this writer as a 15-year-old, and you cannot deny the quality of those 4 songs, which the band opened their set with this night: the legendary “Queen of the Reich” began proceedings, arguably the most well-known song of the night, into the raging “Nightrider” and “Blinded”, both long-ignored deep tracks in the band’s catalog, but truly excellent, hammering real metal. “The Lady Wore Black” is more epic, and more indicative of what was to come for Queensryche after 1983, and sounded great.

photo by Mark Kurtzner

The rest of the set was debut LP The Warning, soup-to-nuts, in order, from “Warning” through “Roads to Madness”. The band played it flawlessly. While Armored Saint’s lineup is fairly unchanged from days of old, three of the five band members who recorded the music from these early Queensryche records are no longer with the band: only guitarist Michael Wilton and bassist Eddie Jackson remain from the ‘classic’ lineup, but vocalist Todd La Torre (who had been with the band for 12 years now) is able to replicate former singer Geoff Tate’s vocals on these early songs with uncanny accuracy. In all honesty, my personal enthusiasm for ‘The Warning’ is nowhere near the nostalgic appeal I feel for the debut EP, but the band nailed it and there was a percentage of the crowd who were all-in for every single moment.

The band didn’t deviate from the stalwart, old-school vibe for the encore, trotting out “The Prophecy”, an EP-era deep track that never made the record, but eventually saw light on ‘The Decline of Western Civilization – Part II’ soundtrack a few years later, a great choice. It was only the final track, “Empire”, that post-dated 1984. And to their credit, the band kept the set-list old-school and metal instead of taking the easy route for the encore and playing crowd-pleaser hit singles like “Silent Lucidity” or “Jet City Woman” (or something from ‘Mindcrime’) – no doubt some of the more casual fans would have preferred that, tonight was about the old-school. All hail both bands, but game, set and match went to the Saint.

photo by John Moore

photo by John Moore

photo by Mark Kurtzner

photo by Mark Kurtzner

photo by Mark Kurtzner

photo by Mark Kurtzner

photo by Mark Kurtzner

photo by Mark Kurtzner

photo by Mark Kurtzner

April 28, 2024
The Head And The Heart Announce Summer Headlining Tour Coming to Albany, Rochester, and La Fayette

The Head And The Heart have announced a headlining run of summer North American dates, beginning July 20 in West Des Moines, IA., and concluding August 20 in Moorehead, MN. The group is coming to Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards on July 24, Palace Theatre on July 28, and Kodak Center on July 29. They are also opening for The Black Keys at MSG on Oct. 30.

Photo Credit: Shervin Lainez

The Head And The Heart will be joined on select dates by Phosphorescent, Michigander, Madison Cunningham, and Houndmouth.

2023 was a triumphant year for the group, who sold out the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre outside Denver for the seventh time, co-headlined a tour with The Revivalists and Father John Misty, and launched their own music festival, Down in the Valley, in Napa, CA. The event featured acoustic and full-band sets from The Head and the Heart plus some of today’s top folk and rock talent, including Dawes, Miya Folick, and Faye Webster. The group was touring in support of their fifth studio album, Every Shade of Blue – released in 2022.

Initially self-released in 2011, The Head And The Heart’s self-titled breakout debut produced instant classics including “Rivers and Roads,” “Down in the Valley” and “Lost In My Mind” (#1 at AAA) and is now certified Gold. 2013’s Let’s Be Still and 2016’s Signs of Light settled into Billboard’s Top 10 Albums chart. The single “All We Ever Knew” became the band’s first #1 at on the Alternative chart and was also #1 at AAA for nine straight weeks. The band’s fourth full-length, Living Mirage, was released to critical praise in 2019.

The band has appeared in Cameron Crowe’s Roadies and their music has been featured in countless other commercials, films, and TV shows. The Head And The Heart has performed 15 times on national television, including appearances on Ellen, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Austin City Limits, and more.

For more information and to purchase tickets to their upcoming tour, visit here.

The Head And The Heart Tour Dates

6/30 Hartford, CT The Capitol Groove Festival *

7/12 Bend, OR Hayden Homes Amphitheater !

7/14 Seattle, WA Day In Day Out Festival *

7/19 Saint Paul, MN Minnesota Yacht Club *

7/20 West Des Moines, IA Val Air Ballroom &

7/21 St. Louis, MO Saint Louis Music Park &

7/24 La Fayette, NY Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards &

7/25 Burlington, VT Waterfront Park &

7/28 Albany, NY Palace Theatre &

7/29 Rochester, NY Kodak Center &

7/31 Wilmington, NC Greenfield Lake Amphitheater &

8/1 Charleston, SC The Refinery &

8/2 St. Petersburg, FL Jannus Live &

8/3 Orlando, FL House of Blues Orlando &

8/6 Birmingham, AL Avondale Brewing Co. &

8/7 Little Rock, AR Robinson Center &

8/8 Wichita, KS The Cotillion &

8/10 Bellevue, NE Outlandia *

8/12 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre $

8/13 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre #

8/15 Aspen, CO Belly Up Aspen ^

8/17 Bozeman, MT The ELM ^

8/18 Columbia Falls, MT Scout & Gather ^

8/20 Moorehead, MN Bluestem Amphitheatre ^

9/14 Templeton, CA Whale Rock Music & Arts Festival *

9/17 Tulsa, OK BOK Center %

9/18 Austin, TX Moody Center %

9/20 Louisville, KY Bourbon & Beyond *

9/21 Houston, TX Toyota Center %

9/16 Phoenix, AZ Footprint Center %

9/27 Los Angeles, CA Kia Forum %

9/28 Palm Springs, CA Acrisure Arena %

9/29 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre %

10/10 Pittsburgh, PA PPG Paints Arena %

10/11 Toronto, ON Scotiabank Arena %

10/12 Cleveland, OH Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse %

10/13 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena %

10/16 Charlotte, NC Spectrum Center %

10/18 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena %

10/19 Atlanta, GA State Farm Arena %

10/21 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center %

10/24 Columbus, OH Nationwide Arena %

10/26 Indianapolis, IN Gainbridge Fieldhouse %

10/27 Knoxville, TN Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center %

10/30 New York, NY Madison Square Garden %

11/2 Baltimore, MD CFG Bank Arena %

11/7 Chicago, IL United Center %

11/9 Milwaukee, WI Fiserv Forum %

11/12 Detroit, MI Little Caesars Arena %

With The Decemberists (!), Phosphorescent (&), Michigander (^), Madison Cunningham ($), Houndmouth (#)

The Black Keys (%)

April 25, 2024
Alice Cooper To Perform At Palace Theatre This Summer

Rock singer Alice Cooper will perform at the Palace Theatre in Albany on July 31 as part of his “Too Close For Comfort” Tour.

Alice Cooper has pioneered his grandly theatrical brand of hard rock that was designed to shock many. With equal inspiration from vaudeville, garage rock, and horror films, the ensemble put on a theatrical production complete with electric chairs, guillotines, fake blood, and boa constrictors. He is still on tour regularly, taking his dark and horror-themed theatrics to audiences all over the world.

Cooper and his family relocated to Phoenix after he was born in Detroit, Michigan. The Alice Cooper Band was founded when the members were still in high school in Phoenix. Frank Zappa found the band in Los Angeles in 1969 and later signed them to his record company. Their breakthrough third album Love It to Death, which debuted on the charts in 1971, was the result of their collaboration with the up-and-coming record producer Bob Ezrin. It was followed by the hits “Killer,” “School’s Out,” “Billion Dollar Babies,” and “Muscle of Love.” Every album release was accompanied by a more grandiose traveling stage production. They later released their album titled Greatest Hits, in 1974. Cooper subsequently released his now classic debut solo album, Welcome to My Nightmare in 1975, which was backed by his legendary and groundbreaking theatrical “Welcome to My Nightmare” concert tour.

Alice Cooper’s impact on rock & roll and popular culture has been widely recognized for a considerable amount of time. Throughout his incredible career, he has received numerous accolades and awards, sold-out tours, platinum records, and numerous other honors.

Cooper will perform at the Palace Theatre in Albany on July 31 as part of his “Too Close For Comfort” tour. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 19 via Ticketmaster.

April 22, 2024
Ophelia’s on Broadway to host Ryan Dempsey and Frends April 19-20

This weekend in Albany, Ophelia’s on Broadway welcomes Ryan Dempsey and Frends for two musical nights of jam-packed jam band members. The Twiddle keyboardist will be leading a cavalcade of stars on Friday, April 19 and Saturday, April 20.

On April 19, Dempsey welcomes Mike Gantzer from Aqueous, Vinnie Amico of moe., Joshua West of Annie in the Water, Billy Stark on Bass, as well as a few surprise guests.

Saturday April 20 finds Frends Vinnie Amico of moe., Billy Stark on bass, Scotty Somerville from Late Shift, Hayley Jane on vocals, Al Schnier of moe., and host Ryan Dempsey.

Tickets are available here for Friday and here for Saturday.

Ophelia’s on Broadway is located at 388 Broadway, and is the new name of Parish Public House (formerly Red Square).

April 17, 2024
Bruce Springsteen makes the wait worth it for Albany fans

On Monday, April 15, “The Boss,” Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band finally returned to a sold-out crowd at Albany’s MVP Arena.

Bruce Springsteen in Albany, NY – Jarron Childs

Albany’s show was originally set for September 19 of last year, but because of some health complications, Bruce Springsteen elected to postpone many of his September tour dates. This was his second postponement of the tour. They not only said they were going to make up those dates, but also announced in October, a European leg of the tour.

The show started promptly at 7:30pm with no opener. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band took the stage to a roaring crowd of approximately 17,000 people. He interacted well with the crowd, using many hand gestures to get everyone amped up. Unlike many artists today, Springsteen also had fans sit behind the stage and took time out to perform to them too.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band tour continues in Syracuse on April 18. If you can’t catch Springsteen live this time around, he also recently released a live album, Songs of Celebration, that is available on all streaming platforms.

Setlist: Candy’s Room, Adam Raised a Cain, Lonesome Day, Ghosts, Letter to You ,The Promised Land, Atlantic City, Trapped (Jimmy Cliff cover), Spirit in the Night, Hungry Heart, Nightshift (Commodores cover), Racing in the Street, Last Man Standing, Backstreets, Because the Night, Downbound Train, She’s the One, Wrecking Ball, The Rising, Badlands, Thunder Road

Encore (Part 1): Light of Day, Born to Run, Bobby Jean, Dancing in the Dark, Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out

Encore (Part 2): Twist and Shout (The Top Notes cover), I’ll See You in My Dreams

April 17, 2024
In Focus: Suzanne Vega at The Egg

Many know of Suzanne Vega for her infamous tunes such as “Luka” or “Tom’s Diner,” but they may not know that she’s been a New York native since she was two-and-a-half years old and that her brand new world tour just launched here in Albany.

The tour, titled “Old Songs, New Songs, and Other Songs,” is in celebration of a new album she teased throughout her live performance. No word on a title or release date as of yet, but she did perform new songs and announced on-stage that it should be out late this year, if not early next year.

The stage of The Egg itself was dressed simply, with no fluff. A stool, two guitars (one with quite the pedalboard), and some mics. Suzanne Vega walked out and was accompanied by Guitarist Gerry Leonard.

Wearing a black pantsuit and a welcoming smile, Suzanne Vega walked to the microphone and graciously accepted the applause the Albany crowd enthusiastically gave. Taking a small bow and putting on a black top hat, she started in by leaning into the ‘old’ with tunes like “Gypsy” and “Small Blue Thing” and weaving back and forth in time throughout her catalog, reminding us of her soft, soulful, yet powerful voice and one-of-a-kind musical storytelling.

In between songs, she takes moments to talk to the audience and the intimate setting of The Egg is perfect for it. She tells the stories behind some of her songs and gives more insight to who she wrote them for and why. imparting a personal touch into the show and sheds light on things in her life, especially a specific camp counselor with whom she worked alongside at another nearby camp many years ago. Before letting any story get stale, however, Suzanne gets to the music and delivers.

Gerry Leonard’s smooth and airy, guitar blended with Suzanne’s acoustic guitar and vocal accompaniment seamlessly as he turned his solo instrument into a soundscape by employing looping pedals to sustain melodies and rhythms. This was best exemplified by the final song of the set “Tom’s Diner” where a makeshift drum beat was created and looped while guitar plucks melodically assisted.

In addition to his glowing performance on Tuesday, Leonard also co-wrote Vega’s 2014 album Tales from the Realm of the Queen of Pentacles and has worked with other talented musicians such as David Bowie, Roger Waters, and Duncan Sheik.

Suzanne Vegas world tour will continue on to the Kupferberg Center for the Arts in Flushing, NY on September 27 and at Old Dutch Church in Kingston, NY on October 4.

April 14, 2024
Savion Glover Returns for Dance in Albany Series at The Egg

The performing arts centers at The Egg and the University at Albany, which jointly present Dance in Albany, are proud to present Savion Glover on Saturday, April 13, 2024, at 8 pm at The Egg.

Glover has visited the region for performances and speaking engagements on many occasions, most recently as part of the Dance in Albany series in April 2023. “PaRT.TU The LaST HooFeR STaNDiNG” is the second installment of Glover’s Cinema Stage CoLLeqSHuNz which continues to explore the boundaries between mental health and self-expression. According to Glover, the show creates an environment where the highest form of sensitivity is necessary to welcome complete comprehension.

Born in 1973, the tap dancer, choreographer, and actor has graced the stage since childhood. Before he was a teenager, Savion Glover made his mark in the leading role of the Broadway musical The Tap Dance Kid, starring alongside Hattie Winston, Samuel E. Wright, Martine Allard, Jackie Lowe, Barbara Montgomery, Alfonso Ribeiro, the recently deceased Hinton Battle, who won a Tony Award for his performance, and the late Alan Weeks, a long-time Capital Region resident who ran the Student Theatre Outreach Program (STOP) at The Egg for many years.

Glover developed his own dancing style, “free style hard core.” The Tony Award winner eventually worked with dancing greats Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis, Jr. Among his credits are starring roles in major motion pictures like Jelly’s Last Jam, for which he made history as the youngest-ever recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts grant. As a choreographer, his work has helped maintain tap dancing as an art form in the modern dance world. His starring role in the musical Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk, which he also choreographed, debuted on Broadway in 1996. The musical chronicles events in African-American history and brought him another Tony for Best Choreographer.

Savion Glover was made known to the younger generation with recurring appearances on Sesame Street. He also holds the credit as the live captured dancing motion behind Mumble the Penguin in Happy Feet, the film on which he also served as co-choreographer.

Tickets are $36 and are available at The Egg Box Office on the Concourse Level of the Empire State Plaza in Albany, by phone at 518-473-1845 and online. After Glover’s show, there is one performance remaining in the Dance in Albany series. The Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company will take the stage at The Egg on Saturday, May 18 at 8 p.m.

April 8, 2024
New Supergroup BEAT To Pay Tribute To King Crimson

Newly formed supergroup BEAT will be touring the country this fall and paying tribute to one of the legendary progressive rock bands of all time, King Crimson. BEAT is spearheaded by a pair of iconic guitar players in Adrian Belew and Steve Vai who are joined by Tool drummer Danny Carey and bassist Tony Levin. The tour includes three stops in New York: New York City’s Beacon Theatre on October 5, The Kodak Center on October 19 and at The Egg in Albany on October 21.

BEAT will be reinterpreting three different King Crimson albums in Discipline, Beat, and Three of a Perfect Pair. Former Crimson band members Belew and Levin will be joined by Carey and Vai to put their spin on these and other selected deep cuts. The supergroup has the blessing of King Crimson leader Robert Fripp who is even credited with giving the band its name.

“The 1981 through 1984 King Crimson created a music all its own. Timeless. Beautiful. Complex. Fierce. For the fans who lived through it then, and the ones who never got to witness it, our aim is to bring it to life again. A monumental task but we’re going for it! There are not enough exclamation points to express my excitement!”
~ Adrian Belew

An artist ticket pre-sale is already under way using the code BEATTOUR, and general ticket sales start today at 10 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster. See below for a full list of the full Fall tour dates.

BEAT’s 2024 Tour Dates:
09/12 – San Jose, CA @ San Jose Civic
09/13 – Napa, CA @ Blue Note Napa Summer Sessions at Meritage Resort
09/14 – Los Angeles, CA @ The United Theater on Broadway
09/15 – Anaheim, CA @ City National Grove of Anaheim
09/17 – San Diego, CA @ Humphrey’s Concerts
09/18 – Phoenix, AZ @ Celebrity Theatre
09/20 – Austin, TX @ The Paramount Theatre
09/21 – Houston, TX @ Bayou Music Centre
09/22 – Dallas, TX @ Majestic Theatre
09/24 – Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern
09/26 – Fort Lauderdale, FL @ The Parker
09/27 – Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live
09/28 – Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall
09/29 – Charleston, SC @ Charleston Music Hall
10/01 – Charlotte, NC @ Knight Theater
10/02 – Durham, NC @ Carolina Theatre of Durham / Fletcher Hall
10/04 – Washington, D.C. @ Warner Theatre
10/05 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
10/06 – Glenside, PA @ Keswick Theatre
10/08 – Richmond, VA @ Carpenter Theater in Dominion Energy Center
10/09 – Red Bank, NJ @ Count Basie Center
10/11 – Boston, MA @ Shubert Theatre
10/12 – Hampton Beach, NH @ Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
10/14 – Halifax, NS @ Rebecca Cohen Auditorium
10/15 – Moncton, NB @ Casino New Brunswick
10/17 – Montreal, QC @ Maisonneuve Theatre
10/18 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
10/19 – Rochester, NY @ Kodak Center
10/21 – Albany, NY @ The Egg
10/22 – Greensburg, PA @ Palace Theatre
10/23 – Reading, PA @ Santander Performing Arts Center
10/25 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre
10/26 – Cincinnati, OH @ Taft Theatre
10/27 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
10/28 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
10/30 – Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Theatre
11/01 – Chicago, IL @ Copernicus Center
11/02 – Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theatre
11/03 – Madison, WI @ Orpheum Theater
11/04 – Minneapolis, MN @ State Theatre
11/06 – Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre
11/08 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Theater at Virgin Hotel

April 5, 2024
Lineup for 2024 Albany Tulip Festival Announced

The City of Albany is hosting the 76th Annual Albany Tulip Festival presented by KeyBank on Saturday, May 11, and Sunday, May 12 in Washington Park.

The Albany Tulip Festival is Albany’s signature spring event, featuring nearly one hundred artisans selling their handmade crafts, a fine arts show, delicious food trucks, the KidZone family fun destination, three world-class live entertainment stages, a brand new wellness stage with free dance classes, Yogafest, and more than 100,000 tulips can be admired in the historic Washington Park. The festival will bring many genres from across the state and beyond performing on multiple stages for the many people that attend.

Since Mayor Erastus Corning II read the first Tulip Festival Proclamation on May 14, 1949, the Mother’s Day weekend celebration has become one of the Northeast’s biggest and most beloved yearly events. Featuring area vendors, businesses, community organizations, and original local artists on every stage the Tulip Festival honors Albany’s four centuries of history while looking ahead to its future. As always, this event is free and open to the public.

For more information about the 2024 Albany Tulip Festival, visit here.

SATURDAY, MAY 11, 2024

HOT YOGA SPOT’S “YOGAFEST”

Washington Park Parade Grounds

9 a.m. – 10 a.m.

FREE – RESERVE HERE

TULIP QUEEN CORONATION CEREMONY

Washington Park Lakehouse Stage
Nominations are accepted through April 19th. NOMINATE HERE!

11:30 a.m. –The Mendelssohn Club (Lakehouse Stage)

A local institution for over a century, this acclaimed male chorus is the longest-continuously performing arts group in the Capital Region.

11:45 a.m. – Tulip Queen Procession (Begins at formal Tulip Beds by Moses Statue)
The 2023 Tulip Queen Olivia Owens, Mayor Kathy Sheehan, and the Dutch Settlers Society lead the 2024 Tulip Queen finalists to the Lakehouse Stage.

Noon – Tulip Queen Coronation (Lakehouse Stage)

Mayor Sheehan and MC Chad O’Hara of B95.5 crown the 76^th Albany Tulip Queen in this traditional highlight of Tulip Fest weekend.

PARKALBANY’S MAIN STAGE

Washington Park Parade Grounds

1:30 p.m. –OF THE ATLAS: Catskill NY-based songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist Jay Woodruff has led the alternative rock band Of The Atlas through a range of styles and incarnations. Initially, it was a solo act by the enthusiastic and longtime member of the thriving and diverse regional underground rock community, Woodruff fleshed the group out into a powerful blend of introspective indie, vibrant art rock, and infectious power pop. Now joined by Ethan Klee and Kenny Rowe.

3:00 p.m. –PRINCE DADDY & THE HYENA: Prince Daddy & the Hyena is an American punk rock band from Albany formed in 2014. They have released three full-length albums and four extended plays.

4:30 p.m. –THE FRONT BOTTOMS: When you turn on a record from The Front Bottoms, you hear the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of two lifelong friends who stare down personal tragedy and the madness of a world gone haywire by simply playing a little louder together. The New Jersey natives went from playing in the woods to performing in high school bands. After the lead singer finished college, The Front Bottoms officially formed – creating their 2011 self-titled independent debut.

A whirlwind of prolific output and countless gigs followed. The Front Bottoms reached a critical peak with 2017’s Going Grey. It received praise from The FADER, Stereogum, VICE, A.V. Club, and more. Along the way, the band performed on Late Night with Seth Meyers and NPR’s “Tiny Desk,” graced the stages of Coachella, Austin City Limits, and Bonnaroo, and toured with the likes of Blink-182, Manchester Orchestra, tallied nearly 100 million streams, sold over 500,000 album equivalents, and launched the annual holiday festival Champagne Jam, which expands year over year at an unprecedented rate.

The Front Bottoms. Photo credit: Maddie McCafferty

WEXT’S 518 STAGE

Washington Park Lakehouse Stage

1:00 p.m. – SIDE B: Four-piece alternative rock band from Upstate New York consisting of drummer Dylan Travison, bassist Eric Mitchell, guitarist AJ Horton, and vocalist Ian Justino. Their debut release The Low Budget Romance EP is out now.

2:15 p.m. – SOFIA CORTS: “Sofia Corts is an 18-year-old singer-songwriter from the Albany area on the cusp of a national breakout. Self-taught on guitar and keyboards, her songwriting effortlessly blends genres, pop, R&B, and a hint of jazz, while generating infectious, memorable melodic hooks.

3:30p.m – CAMTRON5000: Camtron5000, a rapper from Albany, has been creating alternative hip-hop music since 2016. He hopes to break the stereotypes of what it means to be a rapper. Channeling a dynamic yet playful energy with his skilled lyricism, and sporting a logo crafted from his gapped smile, Camtron5000 is a musical personality unlike any other.

4:45 p.m. – THE INSOLENT WILLIES: The Insolent Willies is an upstate New York-based roots-rock band known for their hip-shaking mix of quirky, clever original songs and unpredictable interpretations of tunes from all over the musical map. The band consists of Bill Ackerbauer (acoustic guitar, harmonica, mandolin, vocals), Frank DeVer Pullen (bass, banjo, vocals), Paul Gavry (accordion, fiddle, vocals) and Evan Gavry (guitars, percussion, vocals).

SUNDAY, MAY 12, 2024

PARKALBANY’S MAIN STAGE

Washington Park Parade Grounds

1:00 p.m. – OFF THE RECORD: Off The Record Trio is the Capital District’s only 1960’s rock and roll lounge band. Awarded an “Eddie” for Best Capital District Party Cover Band two years in a row, the trio plays 60’s vintage tunes and some hidden nuggets with a modern twist. It is led by the dynamic and engaging Joanna Palladino on vocals with local favorite Geo on guitar/vocals along with Bob Resnick splashing rock and roll rhythms on a minimalist drum set.

2:30 p.m. –FUNK EVOLUTION : Formed in 2010, Funk Evolution has been bringing top-shelf entertainment to the Northeast for 14 years and features a who’s who of musicians from New York and Massachusetts. They are best known for their high-energy delivery and unique arrangements; epic mashups of classic R&B with modern Top 40, 15-minute mega-medleys, and their legendary ‘Sax Battle’ featuring original 14-year member, Justin Godlewski on Alto saxophone. Funk Evolution is one of the most diverse entertainment groups in the region and has been recognized internationally as one of the top entertainment groups in the nation.

4:30 p.m. –NEW YORK PLAYERS: New York Players are New York’s Dance Party Experts, an entertainment powerhouse with a focus on corporate and private events, nightclubs, concerts, and festivals.

WEXT’S 518 STAGE

Washington Park Lakehouse Stage

1:00 p.m. –GIRL LOVE: Girl Love is the Albany-based, folk project of award-winning poet and songwriter, Laura Beth Johnson. She is known for her dark blend of story and soul – awarded the Lucy Monro Brooker Poetry Prize from the University of Indianapolis in 2017. In 2019, she received the Songwriting Scholarship by Image Magazine and a Poetry Scholarship from the Hudson Valley Writers Guild in 2022. In 2023, Girl Love was nominated for two Eddies.

2:15 p.m. –THE E-BLOCK: The E-Block is a five-piece indie R&B band based in Upstate New York, blending the acoustic warmth of singer-songwriter music with an ice-cold rhythm section informed by modern R&B.

3:30 p.m. –REESE FULMER & THE CARRIAGE HOUSE BAND: “Reese Fulmer & The Carriage House Band challenge the traditional relationship of a songwriter and his band, with a fluidly rotating cast of top-notch players and a flair for experimentation that combine for a unique and mesmerizing live performance. Add to that a keen lyricism that explores the human experience with a patient and poetic touch.

4:45 p.m. –OOBLECK: Oobleck, founded in 2008, is an original, analog funk band out of the Capital Region. Known regionally for inciting dance parties wherever they land, they boast a big, in-your-face sound inspired by New Orleans street music. It’s a melee of horns, super heavy drums and bass, and your favorite type of chunky guitar riffing that leaves your bum shaking and your face grinning.

April 4, 2024