Dance Party returns to Bryant Park for its 10th anniversary from May 1 to May 16. Each night will correspond to a different style of dance.
Dance Party events will take place every Wednesday and Thursday from May 1 to May 16. At each event, attendees meet at the iconic Bryant Park fountain to learn basic steps with expert instructors at 6pm. Afterwards, participants can test out their new moves to live music performed by a diverse selection of bands from 7pm-8:30pm.
The two week-long event sees over 10 different styles of dance for anybody to pick up and learn. A slew of talented individuals and groups makeup the festival’s lineup this year. This year’s series kicks off with New York City’s signature brand of Salsa and R&B served up by Uptown Royalty. Disco’s golden era is accentuated by The Disco Nights.
Other artists in the lineup include Judy Santos, Charles Turner & Uptown Swing, KD Browne, La Charanga Pacha and Jimmy Bosch Salsa Masters. Various different and diverse genres performed include salsa, disco, R&B, Bachata, Lindy Hop, Motown, Charanga, Cuban Salsa, and Cha Cha Cha.
For the last ten years, Bryant Park Dance Party has highlighted diverse cultures and traditions from around the globe and across the boroughs of New York City. More than 50,000 participants have danced on the Fountain Terrace and expert instructors have taught 32 different social dance styles ranging from Bhangra to Polka; Cumbia to Lindy Hop; Flamenco to Contra. After learning the dance steps, audiences immediately put those moves to use, dancing to live music from renowned bands.
Uptown Royalty
“Over the past ten years, Bryant Park Dance Party has grown to a new level, offering some of the most exciting, diverse, free entertainment in one of New York’s most beautiful settings. This year, we’re featuring a range of styles, both traditional and new, and the colorful lineup brings together so many different parts of the City. This series is so special to me because it brings so many New Yorkers together to dance and have the time of their lives.”
Talia Castro-Pozo Bryant, Park Dance Party Producer
For more information on the Dance Party festival at Bryant Park visit the parks website by clicking here.
NYC-based R&B singer/songwriter Brendan James has released a brand new single titled “Feel Alive,” from his upcoming album Focus.
Brendan James is an alternative pop, soul, and R&B fusion singer and producer. James and his producer Stroobz Beats recently released their latest single “Feel Alive” from the upcoming album Focus. The track marks the artist’s fourth studio single.
Brendan’s self-proclaimed identity as an “old soul” is epitomized by both his musical inspirations and his own body of work. From Earth, Wind, and Fire to Usher and Luciano Pavarotti, Brendan’s musical inclinations are brimming with generations of spirit and souls.
Brendan James’ single “Feel Alive” has strong emotion tied in each note. It has elements of pop-R&B, alternative, and even gospel. One can argue there is something of an emo undertone here. The track’s layered vocals, powerful intonations, and flowing melody provide a real treat for the soul.
James’ style is in every sense, dynamic. The track has multiple changes in melody and vocal style. The soundscape this track occupies is unique, yet reminiscent of those who came before him. Brendan James’ music speaks to a variety of people from hip hop and R&B enjoyers to pop and alt enjoyers as well. Simply put, this track starts strong and ends stronger.
Make sure to stay up to date on the release of Brendan James’ upcoming album, Focus. For more information on the artist, visit his Spotify here.
Stephane Wrembel is proud to announce that the highly anticipated Django a Gogo Music Festival is coming to New York City. This festival is held at The Woodland in Maplewood, New Jersey from May 1-3, and will culminate at The Town Hall in NYC on May 4.
Stephane Wrembel
The festival features performances by Angelo Debarre, Serge Camps, and Frank Anastasio, who are making their first American appearance. Django a Gogo is a celebration of the unparalleled music legacy of jazz guitarist and composer Django Reinhardt.
Django á Gogo has united some of the world’s most exceptional musicians to honor the timeless Sinti guitar style. This year’s festival promises a dynamic lineup, featuring renowned artists from France, Canada, and the United States. The event showcases the vibrant evolution of Reinhardt’s repertoire through reinterpretation, improvisation, and cross-cultural collaborations.
Django a Gogo 2024 Festival Dates & Features
Wednesday May 1, 2024 8PM The Woodland (Maplewood, N.J.) DJANGO NEW ORLEANS featuring: Stephane Wrembel and Josh Kaye on guitar, Adrien Chevalier on violin, Joe Correia on Tuba, Scott Kettner on drums, David Langlois on percussion, Nick Driscoll on sax/clarinet, Joe Boga on trumpet and Sarah King on vocals
Thursday May 2, 2024 8PM The Woodland (Maplewood, N.J.) THE GYPSY GUITARS TRIO Legendary Angelo Debarreâs trio Featuring: Angelo Debarre (guitar), Serge Camps (guitar), Franck Anastasio + many guests
Friday May 3, 2024 8 PM The Woodland (Maplewood, N.J.) STEPHANE WREMBEL BAND + GUESTS Featuring: Stephane Wrembel on guitar, Josh Kaye on guitar, Ari Folman-Cohen on bass and Nick Anderson on drums
Funk/rock-fusion trio Pocket Bandits have announced the release of their debut single, “The Pocket Bandit,” on April 5. The trio hails from Ithaca and hopes to dazzle listeners with their upcoming track.
The debut single is set to put Pocket Bandits out there once and for all. The single is a bold opening volley from a band of experienced musicians with big ambitions for their new collaboration. The trio is comprised of Joe Massa, Samuel B. Lupowitz, and Simon Bjarning. Joe and Samuel have played together for a decade.
The group practices a fusion of sounds from funk, progressive rock, and jam-blues. The music sees a funky guitar-organ combo that keeps the listener entranced. The trio can be described as a fun, funky fusion of R&B grooves, jazz improvisation, rock intensity, and catchy-yet-unpredictable songwriting.
The single is to be marked with a record release at The Downstairs in Ithaca on Saturday, April 6. Pocket Bandits plays two sets of original material, and a third set backing up Marlyand-based post-rock singer-songwriter Mark Hennessey.
The group aims not merely to show off, but to fill the dance floor with their engaging original compositions, as well as the occasional crowd-pleaser by artists from The Beatles to Billie Eilish. Their debut single showcases the groups experience, talent, and ability to make groove ensue.
To stay up to date on Pocket Bandits’ upcoming releases and to find out more about the trio, click here. Make sure to check out their upcoming shows as well.
Goose has announced more headlining 2024 show dates which includes two nights at SPAC. The newly announced run will begin in NJ at Holmdel’s PNC Bank Arts Center on September 1 and the following week will see the band returning to SPAC for two shows on September 6 and 7. This summer and fall will be the first extensive touring Goose will be doing with their new drummer Cotter Ellis.
The new slate of fall shows will see Goose hit the Midwest and then the West Coast, with the tour concluding on September 28 in Stanford, CA at Frost Amphitheater. This comes after an extensive June schedule of shows that includes stops in St. Louis, Atlanta, and New York City before concluding with a hometown show at Westville Music Bowl in New Haven, CT. Goose is also set to play the SolShine Festival in Chillicothe, IL this Memorial Day Weekend. See below for a full listing of upcoming shows.
The September tour ticket pre-sale lottery for all newly announced Goose dates is currently underway and will continue through Saturday, April 6, at 5pm ET. Lottery winners will be charged and notified via email by the evening of Thursday, April 11 at 5pm ET. Public on-sales are set to begin Friday, April 12 at 10am (local). For more information, please visit www.goosetheband.com/tour.
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Greenpeace, a global network of independent campaigning organizations that is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, safeguard our planet for future generations, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people over profits.
Goose 2024 Tour Dates
MAY
24-26 – Chillicothe, IL – Summer Camp Presents Solshine: A Music & Arts Reverie †
JUNE
4 – St. Louis, MO – The Factory
5 – St. Louis, MO – The Factory
7 – Greenwood Village, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
8 – Greenwood Village, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
10 – Omaha, NE – Steelhouse
11 – Kansas City, MO – The Midland
12 – Indianapolis, IN – Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park
14 – Swanzey, NH – Northlands Music & Arts Festival (Two Sets) †
15 – Canandaigua, NY – CMAC
16 – Cleveland, OH – Jacobs Pavilion
18 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater
20 – Atlanta, GA – Fox Theatre
21 – Atlanta, GA – Fox Theatre
22 – Atlanta, GA – Fox Theatre – SOLD OUT
23 – Charlotte, NC – Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre – SOLD OUT
25 – Portland, ME – Thompson’s Point
26 – Portland, ME – Thompson’s Point
28 – Philadelphia, PA – Mann Center
29 – New York, NY – Forest Hills Stadium
30 – New Haven, CT – Westville Music Bowl
SEPTEMBER
1- Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
6 – Saratoga Springs, NY – SPAC Broadview Stage
7 – Saratoga Springs, NY – SPAC Broadview Stage
9 – Charlottesville, VA – Ting Pavilion
14 – Minneapolis, MN – The Armory
15 – Waukee, IA – Vibrant Music Hall
17 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Plaza at America First Field
19 – Missoula, MT – KettleHouse Amphitheater
20 – Missoula, MT – KettleHouse Amphitheater
21 – Seattle, WA – Remlinger Farms
22 – Troutdale, OR – Edgefield Concerts on the Lawn
24 – Eugene, OR – Cuthbert Amphitheater
26 – San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre
The fourth annual HillTap Festival, filled with a full day of outdoor activities and live music from three bands on two stages, will return to Ellicottville, NY on July 27.
The HillTap Festival will start with a chairlift ride up to Spruce Lake with live music, adventure activities, craft food and beverages. The festival will then head back down the mountain for two additional bands to wrap up the full day of activities. “HillTap is truly a one-of-a-kind event. The opportunity to host an event at the top of the mountain is truly unique. There is no better venue to merge great music, adventure, and craft beverages,” said 42 North Brewery Founder, John Cimperman. Niki Klein, Director of Resort Services at Holiday Valley adds, “It’s great to partner with 42 North on this event. Their adventurous spirit fits our DNA. We encourage attendees to spend the morning hiking and biking the trails and then spend the afternoon up at Spruce Lake”.
The festival lineup includes Buffalo-based Grateful Dead tribute band Workingman’s Dead, a southern soul band from Buffalo – Miller and the Other Sinners, and the old-time influenced folk-rock band Smilo and The Ghost. Miller and The Other Sinners have played over 700 gigs, ranging from house parties to festivals, across 21 states and Canada since August 2015. The band puts on an incredible performance that is full of catchy grooves, amazing musicianship, and well-written, emotionally charged songs.
Since their formation in 2016, Smilo and the Ghost have been entertaining audiences in the Northeast with their hard-driving, folk-rock with an old-time feel. The Erie Reader named their debut album, Ghost Writers, one of the “Top Three Albums of 2018.” Since then, Smilo and the Ghost have served as the opening act for national touring artists such as 10,000 Maniacs and Grammy-winning country duet Dan and Shay.
The vendor line-up at HillTap includes SUP Erie Adventures, Mud, Sweat & Gears, Tom’s Pro Bikes, Holiday Valley E-Bikes, 716 Fly Fishing, and Hatchet & Hops. Each of the vendors will be offering product exhibitions and demonstrations so attendees are encouraged to bring their adventure gear to take part in the adventure. Additionally, regional food trucks will be on-site during the festival.
Early bird tickets are now on sale for $35 and include free parking, a lift ticket up to Spruce Lake, and a full-day of music and adventure sports demo’s and clinics. A twilight ticket will also be offered that provides admission to the base of the mountain for the final two musical performances. The event runs from 12 noon until 9 pm. For tickets and more information on HillTap, fans can visit here.
Electric Forest Music Festival announced an additional 40+ artists to their 2024 lineup coming to Rothbury, Michigan. Taking place June 20-23, Electric Forest maintains its reputation of being one of the most immersive and and interactive festivals in the world. It’s fostered atmosphere of connection and discovery are why it sells out so fast.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
This renowned festival blessed their attendees even further by making their 2024 lineup even more stacked. Some of the new additions include melodic bass maestro Seven Lions, experimental bass expert G Jones, and hard techno priestess Sara Landry. They also brought on the Grammy-nominated band Hiatus Kaiyote and post-punk connoisseurs Emo Nite.
Electric Forest maintains their priorities of keeping a mixture of genres performing across their fields. They invited Nashville’s Brandi Cyrus and Chicago’s rising trio Levity. Plus, tech house sensations ODD MOB & OMNOM are presenting HYPERBEAM. Deep bass lovers will be pleased to know that the multi-instrumentalist Boogie T got added to the line-up. His blend of dubstep and funk is like no other in the scene right now.
Boogie T, Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
These new additions are joining an already stacked roster of headliners making this festival a can’t miss in 2024. Some of which include, the dubstep king himself Excision, Forest favorite Pretty Lights, and the most skilled producer in the game, Subtronics.
Subtronics, Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
Collaborative sets are taking forest by a storm this year. Look out for EVERYTHING ALWAYS (Dom Dolla & John Summit), LSZEE (Close & LSDREAM) and Gigantic NGHTMRE (Big Gigantic & NGHTMRE). Jam band lovers are always in for a treat at Forest with of course two performances from The String Cheese Incident. Plus sets from The Disco Biscuits and Umphrey’s McGee will be must sees this year.
The Disco Biscuits, Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
Electric Forest has remained committed to constant re-imagination of what the festival experience can be and they do this flawlessly. They listen to their fans and make a blended lineup full of so many talented artists across an array of genres. However, they go beyond this through their production, programming, and curation of dedicated festival communities. For more information on all the magic Electric Forest 2024 holds visit here.
On March 30, the Bozeman, Montana-based Kitchen Dwellers capped off a pair of impressive shows at Brooklyn Bowl, proving that jamgrass is thriving nationwide on their cross-country L.F.G Tour.
Going into Saturday night, the crowd was eager with anticipation; Friday’s show saw a sit-in from opener Cris Jacobs and encored with a thrilling cover of “The ‘59 Sound” by New Jersey rock bandthe Gaslight Anthem.
Saturday’s opener, Yam Yam, gave a jazz-funk-infused performance, setting the tone with a high-energy psychedelic kick-off to the night. Jason Mescia’s saxophone playing was a welcome standout surprise, a sound not typical for a night of bluegrass. The Kitchen Dwellers opened with unmistakable bluegrass energy on “Wind Bitten” from their latest album, Seven Devils, before dipping into their back catalog with “Broken Cage.” Shawn Swain showcased impressive talent on the mandolin during the instrumental “Whitewater.” Bassist Joe Funk, banjo player Torrin Daniels, and guitarist Max Davies then shared vocals to harmonize over Willie Nelson’s “Bloody Mary Morning.“
The band’s rock and roll inspiration showed in Torrin Daniels’ impassioned vocals on “Shadows.” Performed today, the 2019 song’s lyrics and delivery could be seen as an early sign to come of the rising folk-rock resurgence seen in artists like Noah Kahan and Zach Bryan. The band would turn back to a more bluegrass sound with a “Muir Made” sandwich, slotted around “Unwind” which offered a tease of the heavier jamming in the second set.
The first set then closed out, aided by a sit-in from Fruition’s guitarist Kellen Asebroek on piano. With the addition, the group performed Elton John’s Love letter to New York “Mona Lisa’s and Mad Hatters,” showing off the band’s ability to take a song and transcendence genre. Asebroek stayed on keys to perform Fruition’s 2016 song “The Meaning,” closing out the set.
Performing against the carnival-inspired backdrop at Brooklyn Bowl, the Western quintet easily evoked the feeling of a picture-perfect state fair. The Kitchen Dwellers describe their version of jamgrass as “galactic” and the description is fitting for a show that rides from highway tunes to dark looping jams. The second set opened with “Drowning (… Again)” as the band began to take a more exploratory route and opened up to deeper jamming. The group would nod again to the local crowd performing Justin Townes Earle’s “One More Night In Brooklyn.“
The Kitchen Dwellers continued pulling the audience through the edges of bluegrass jamming with “Phaedrus” and “Their Names Are the Trees.” Through the band’s skillful picking, it was easy to see how the worlds of metal and bluegrass share common bonds through a love of shredding guitar. The playing would bring the crowd to an energetic crescendo, with the whole room dancing during “Sundown.”
Before starting into their recent single, “The Crow and The Raven,” the band would call the crowd’s attention to their guest, New York City-based director Kayla Arend, a college friend of the group who recently directed the song’s music video.
The band dipped into a dark rhythmic jam rhythm for the title track on “Seven Devils.” Proving to be anything but it’s namesake, “The Living Dread” injected energy into attendees before the band took a brief respite before an encore. A cover of Emmitt-Nershi Band’s “New Country Blues” gave Torrin Daniels a chance to stretch his rock star bravado for a wild-eyed, chest-pounding performance to close-out the night.
The Kitchen Dwellers are cooking up a show well worth seeing two nights in a row. With a deep repertoire to pull from and a stadium-worthy light show from Matt Allmond, expect to find the Kitchen Dwellers serving up galactic jamgrass across the country. Kitchen Dwellers are on tour now, you can find out more and purchase tickets through their website. Their latest album Seven Devils is available for streaming.
Set 1: Comet > Southern Flavor > Paradise Valley Cabin Pressure > Drop Tine Night Rider’s Lament, Meagher’s Reel > Waterford Son, Woods Lake, Daughter, Daughter [1] > Pretty Daughter [1]
Set 2: Pendulum, Here We Go > Can’t Stop Now, Years of My Life > Sit At My Table, Covered Bridges > Ebenezer’s Winter, What the Night Brings > Covered Bridges
Encore: The ‘59 Sound
[1] With Cris Jacobs and Bryan McDowell
Kitchen Dwellers – Brooklyn Bowl – March 30, 2024
Set 1: Wind Bitten > Broken Cage Whitewater > Bloody Mary Morning, Shadows, Muir Maid > Unwind > Muir Maid, Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters [1] The Meaning [1]
Set 2: Drowning (… Again) > One More Night In Brooklyn > Drowning (… Again), Phaedrus, Their Names Are the Trees > E.M.D. > Sundown, The Crow and the Raven, Prelude > Seven Devils > The Living Dread
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
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.
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 76th 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 LakehouseStage
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.
