On Sunday, June 30 at 3:52am, flames consumed the Lake George Village Bandstand in Shepard Park. The bandstand – located at the heart of the village hosts numerous summer concerts. Due to the fire, the future of Lake George’s summer concerts is now uncertain.
For years, Shepard Park has been a Summer staple in Lake George. Located in the heart of the village, the park offers beach access to the lake. On top of aquatic fun, the park has attracted countless visitors with its picnicking, and playground spaces.
At the center of the park stood the Lake George Village Bandstand. The bandstand takes the form of a stone amphitheater facing a newly renovated wooden concert stage. The amphitheater provided Lake George residents with a premier outdoor concert venue with great views of the lake.
Since its 2017 renovation, the bandstand has hosted Lake George’s free summer concerts. Starting in June 2024, a host of weekly performances were slated for the Summer. The venue planned to host performances from local bands as part of its Concert Series Wednesdays, Tribute Tuesdays, and Fridays at the Lake. In addition to this, the bandstand planned to host multiple rock, jazz, and pop music festivals.
These plans were thrown into disarray on Sunday morning when the Village Bandstand went up in flames. At 3:42am the Lake George fire department received a call regarding the fire and quickly responded with aid from North Queensbury Fire. Authorities say there were no injuries in the fire, but the bandstand structure suffered severe damage. The Post Star newspaper was among the first to report on the fire, posting this video of the aftermath to their website.
Reportedly, the fire began in a locked utility room adjacent to the stage, with an electrical cause confirmed by multiple inspectors and agencies involved. “All indication says that’s where it started. Nobody could have gotten in there because a padlock was still on the charred remains of the locked door,” said Ray Perry, Mayor of the Lake George Village, to the Post Star.
The fire has led to an outpouring of support from performing artists. Glens Falls band Seize Atlantis wrote on Instagram “Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by this from the music community to the entire 518 community at large.” Guitarist James Mullen spoke to NYS Music regarding a benefit concert for the lost venue, “Hopefully we can put together something special and help heal and rebuild for the LG community. We can’t just let this space go.”
A photo of the bandstand remnants from Seize Atlantis’ instagram post
Since the fire, the future of Lake George’s Summer concerts has been unclear. Mayor Ray Perry remains dedicated to keeping the venue’s concert plans on track, telling the Chronicle “ I’m just trying to save the summer.” Deputy Mayor Joseph Mastrodomenico Jr added “we will do what we can as soon as we can To somehow make our summer activities continue.”
Jim Anderson, Fridays at the Lake promoter, told NYS Music “We have an immediate plan that will let us play this Friday (July 5) and we are working on the longer term solution which will allow us to play all shows on the schedule.”
Dispatch performed on a cloudy summer evening at Artpark on Friday, June 28. Thousands gathered at the outdoor venue, located on the edge of the Niagara Gorge to see Dispatch, a band that performs a mixture of indie, reggae, rock and folk. Stolen Gin opened the show.
Stolen Gin has been around for 5 years and they are known for indie, pop, funk and rock, said the drummer, Josh. This is their first show touring with Dispatch in 2024. Stolen Gin gave the crowd a unique taste of their music throughout the show and set the stage for the Dispatch.
As the sun went down, Dispatch took the stage as the gentle breeze carried into the crowd. They seamlessly transitioned between genres, and the band members swapped instruments throughout their set. The memorable moment was when Brad Corrigan wrote a song about the moon on the stage after he saw the street light and thought that it was a full moon. The lyrics went “I see three moons, maybe four. There are more coming for more, we eat berries in the woods”. He said I will keep working on that song until we all sing together. Fans were singing along and dancing along as they played their iconic songs “The General”, “Bang Bang”, “Only The Wild Ones” and “Bond By Love”. Dispatch ended the show with a Birthday song for the band member Matt Embree who play guitar and bass.
Dispatch will continue their US tour throughout 2024. They will come back to the gorgeous vanue Artpark to singalong with their audience in near future.
Westside Gunn keeps making wrestling cool again. The FlyGod made an appearance on All Elite Wrestling Collision at Buffalo’s KeyBank Center. The episode — taped on Wednesday but aired this past Saturday night — saw WSG come out in support of Swerve Strickland, iced out and decked in a print of the AEW world champion’s bloody face from his wrestling inspired Fourth Rope brand. The Buffalo native served as part of Strickland’s corner during his weigh-in with Will Ospreay ahead of their heavyweight title bout at AEW Forbidden Door on Monday night at UBS Arena.
Westside Gunn came out to a big pop on AEW Collision. Photo: X/@wwerealone
However, despite coming out to a big pop from the hometown crowd, it wasn’t a happy ending for FlyGod and crew as their pal Swerve Strickland was laid-out by Will Ospreay in a “scuffle” that saw Westside and friends quickly escorted from the ring stage.
AEW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
Swerve Shows up like a boss. The feeling swerve gives off is wild he really is one of the best champs i ever seen.
— Forbidden Door PodCast (@ForbiddenDoor_) June 30, 2024
A longtime wrestling fan — with countless song tittles named in ode to his favorites — Westside Gunn remains a familiar presence in AEW universe making appearances at several live shows and ppv’s. The cultural curator has gone on to create his own wrestling inspired brand– Fourth Rope. Despite his success outside of the booth fans remain vigilant on new Westside Gunn music with his last project being October, 2023’s And Then You Pray For Me.
The Ballston Spa Business and Professional Association, located in Ballston Spa, NY, has announced its summer concert series, “Concerts in the Park.” Events and performances will take place weekly on Thursdays from 6-8 pm in Lions Music Park at the historic Iron Spring Park on Front Street. Attendees can enjoy performances from a wide variety of performers, including community symphonic bands and local rock groups.
Formed in 1983, the BSBPA is committed to making Ballston Spa a thriving, prosperous community that is great for both business and everyday life. Since its inception, they have promoted local vendors, merchants, and businesses alongside artists and musicians in and surrounding the area. The Concerts in the Park series is one of their many events promoting the extensive talent in the thriving neighborhood.
From chamber ensembles to indie rock bands, the Ballston Spa Concerts in the Park series celebrates musicians of all kinds. Listed below is the full list of those performing for Concerts in the Park.
The Ballston Spa Community Band makes their return to the concert series just in time for the opening performance. Since 2005, the volunteer musicians that make up the band have bonded over their love of music. About a dozen times each year, the Ballston Spa Community Band performs in schools, parks, and theaters in the area. Join them for a sensational opening performance on June 27.
For the last 15 years, HEARD has brought captivating fusions of jazz, improvisational, and world music to festivals and concerts all over the country. Their vibrant sound incorporates influences from West Africa, Brazil, the Caribbean, and beyond.
Based in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Fenimore Blues performs an eclectic mix of blues, R&B, and rock. The blend of genres comes from multiple inspirations, including Bonnie Raitt, Aretha Franklin, the Neville Brothers, the Allman Brothers, Linda Ronstadt, Etta James, Santana, and even Tedeschi Trucks. Their unique stage presence stems from its instrumentation – Sherian Nolan’s powerful vocals are backed by guitar, keyboards, saxophone, bass, and drums, and one band member doubling on accordion.
Concerts in the Park once again welcomes the Union Fire Company Band with an ice cream social, accompanied by a performance from the Union Fire Company Band. Support the Ballston Spa local fire department on August 1st.
Hailing from Upstate NY, Sirsy is a sassy pop-rock duo with an amazing musical ability. Drummer Melanie Krahmer, who also plays keyboards, is joined by her husband John (guitar), these multi-instrumentalists manage to sound like a full band. Sirsy is known for their passionate, honest, heartfelt live performances. The Boston Globe calls SIRSY the “little band with the big sound.”
For the last 30 years, Lustre Kings have cemented themselves as focused, driven, and passionate musicians returning to their roots. Their reverb-driven sounds of early rock lean on touchstones of country, blues, and R&B.
The Protones are a group of well-seasoned musicians bringing back the classic sounds of 70s rock to venues and festivals all over the state. Join them as they close out the Concerts in the Park series on August 22!
Papadosio brought their Summer Sequence Festival to Wonderland Forest on June 21 and 22 in Lafayette, New York. Summer Sequence has been around in different variations since 2017. This summer they decided to give the new venue in the Finger Lakes a try, moving the festival from their home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina.
Wonderland Forest, still in it’s nascent phase, was a great low-key location for a music festival, as it was intimate and hassle free. Everything was centrally located with two campgrounds on either side of the venue, and besides a trek up the hill for the late-night stage, you were never a far walk from anything. The main stage, nestled in the forest was intimate, and the trees offered a great spot for people to set up their hammocks and set up their own home bases away from their camp site. I did not venture into the other campground area, so I’m not sure if they had any other food options out that way, but the main stage did have a small menu for food. They cooked it made-to-order and they had a pretty damn good wood-fired pizza as an option. If you are camping there for a festival in the future it would probably be smart to not depend on those options for the whole weekend though. The Finger Lakes offers a ton of opportunities to take in some nature in the afternoon, both onsite and offsite, exiting and entering the venue was a breeze.
Papadosio are a mix of Prog Rock, Livetronica, Jazz and Jamband, and their eclectic style reflected on the wide-ranging line-up. Along with Psy-Dub producer Ott, both acts were scheduled to play longer sets each night. After some afternoon Yoga, the music started both days around noon. The afternoons started off laid back, with sparse crowds but as the days went on, the crowd thickened out and were really ready to go by 7 or so.
As it was a new venue, there were still a few kinks to the weekend. As reported, a neighbor in the area is not exactly excited about the venue, and the late-night stage on Friday was shut down early at 2 AM (it was supposed to go until 5). Because of the legal issues with the sound, the late-night for Saturday was entirely canceled. The late-night stage itself was a hike up the mountain, but the venue had shuttles to remedy this and escorted people back down into the late of the night. To no fault of anyone, Ott’s Saturday’s set was cut short after only 45 minutes, as a lighting storm appeared in the area. Everyone went back to take shelter at their camp sites, some left but most stayed in the hopes that Papadosio would still be able to properly close out their festival. During the break the storm turned into a torrential downpour, but as quickly as it started, it stopped. Right before their scheduled set at 10, you could hear some sounds from the stage, and the lights turned back on. Someone from venue drove around in an ATV and let people know that Papadosio would be coming on soon.
Papadosio was able to play their final set, you could tell that everyone was enjoying getting a win at the end. Wonderland Forest was a great spot for their Summer Sequence Festival, the weekend was a success with only a few hiccups. Hopefully the venue is able to work out some of the issues and they will be able to come back next summer. Papadosio still has several dates planned throughout the summer, including the Secret Dreams Music & Arts Festival in Ohio and AVL Fest in North Carolina. Wonderland Forest will be bringing back the Disco Biscuits over the 4th of July weekend for their second Biscoland music festival.
As of June 24, 2024 the MTV News website has completely vanished, taking with it over two decades of content. This comes after the closure of MTV News in 2023 by its parent company Paramount.
The result of this wipe, thousands of pieces of music journalism, including interviews, columns, and archives are now lost. With this massive blow to music journalism, let’s look back at the history of MTV News and how it shaped the field.
The history of MTV News has to begin with the beginnings of MTV as a whole. MTV began broadcasting on August 1st, 1981 at 12:01 AM. The channel execs must have known the magnitude of this launch, inaugurating the channel with footage of the Columbia Space shuttle launch and moon landing, all edited to feature the MTV logo. In many ways, the launch of MTV was as consequential as the moon landing for the music industry, changing the way audiences consumed music forever.
Prior to the launch of MTV, the music video was a fledgling medium. While superstars like the Beatles, and Bob Dylan had recorded videos to accompany songs in the 1960s, they were far from what we would consider music videos today. For instance the Beatles’ performances feature in the narrative of their 1964 hit film A Hard Day’s Night rather than acting as standalone videos. Even Bob Dylan’s iconic “Subterranean Homesick Blues” video was part of the larger Don’t Look Back documentary. Despite this lack of videos, music television was extremely popular thanks to programming like Midnight Special. These programs often featured live performances, as music videos were still not widely established as a practice.
MTV changed all of this in 1981. Following its inaugural broadcast, the station screened its first music video: the Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star.” The song’s title seemed to foreshadow exactly what MTV would do to the music industry. Because of MTV, the music video became a common part of any album roll out, with the medium becoming its own art form.
By 1984, MTV was a staple of American television, reaching 25.4 million households across the country. With this wide spread, MTV became a tastemaker for America’s youth. New Wave artists like the Human League, and Adam Ant were kicking off the “second British invasion” thanks to frequent play on the station. By the end of the decade, MTV had made the music video the paramount form of promotion, propelling superstars like Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Cyndi Lauper even further into stardom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9Lq9sqqbYY
Off of this massive broadcasting success, MTV launched MTV news in 1987. MTV News began with the twice weekly program The Week In Rock. In 30 minute segments, the program featured news about award shows and tours, and interviews with the biggest stars in music. This programming added a journalistic edge to MTV’s programming, featuring high quality reporting that was still entertaining to the station’s young audience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPj88KXBCOc
At the helm of MTV News was Kurt Loder. By the time of The Week in Rock’s launch, Loder was already an established figure in music journalism. Starting in 1976, Loder was writing for New York-based music magazines, beginning with Long Island’s Good Times. By 1978, Loder had moved to Manhattan to write for Circus, focusing on heavy metal, punk, and other emerging genres. He admits that the writing of Circus was not always the most admirable “it was a foregone conclusion that writing of any technical ambition about new acts of any real excitement or interest would make it in the mag only by the sheerest accident.”
In 1979, Loder began a 9-year career as one of the most prolific writers at Rolling Stone Magazine. Perhaps the pinnacle of his career prior to MTV was co-authoring Tina Turner’s 1986 autobiography I, Tina. The book quickly became a best-seller, launching the film adaptation What’s Love Got to Do with It, launching Loder further into the public eye. It was following this that MTV approached Loder to head their newly-established news desk.
“Linda Corradina called me and asked, ‘Have you thought about being in TV?’ I hadn’t — ever. So I went over and did a camera test, which was pretty awful, I think. And suddenly, I was there”
– Kurt Loder
Introduced by the guitar intro of Megadeth’s “Peace Sells,” Loder brought features on some of the biggest musical groups of the era. Early stories featured Depeche Mode, Public Enemy, and Anthrax. Loder’s presence brought a seriousness and professionalism to the station, while providing quality interviews and commentary. Up to that point, many viewed MTV as a raunchier, rather unserious network for America’s youth. However, Loder and MTV News proved that its programming could be just as diligent and well-produced as established news stations. While being professional, the programing managed to retain MTV’s trademark sense of rebelliousness.
Soon after its founding, MTV News began to incorporate politics and society into its repertoire in addition to music. This came to a head in 1992, preceding that year’s presidential election. In the leadup to the election, MTV News launched a $1 million “Choose or Lose” campaign to encourage young people to vote. Accompanying this was frequent political coverage, making up about 25% of its programming. In June 1992, MTV News aired “Choose or Lose: Facing the Future with Bill Clinton,” a 90 minute program featuring the candidate answering young people’s questions. By election day, the number of 18-20 year olds voting was up by 20% aiding in Bill Clinton’s electoral victory.
Despite this incorporation of politics, MTV News still remained one of the premier sources for music journalism. Perhaps one of the defining moments of MTV News’ 90s output came in the follow up of Kurt Cobain’s death. On April 5, 1994, Kurt Loder interrupted MTV’s regular programming to announce the news of Cobain’s death. This broadcast was the first time many people had heard the news, launching a wave of nationwide mourning for the biggest rock star of the era. In addition to the announcement, Loder’s coverage provided a thoughtful tribute to Cobain’s career, influence, and talent.
Following a decade of success of TV reporting, MTV News launched its website in 1996. Over the course of the next 20 years, the site became a haven for online music journalism. It hosted thousands of articles and artist interviews. Of note was the site’s hip-hop archives, such as the “Monday Mixtape” column, which featured many early interviews with future stars.
After three decades of operation, MTV News ran into serious financial woes. This began in 2017, with the site’s shift towards video content, laying off most of its editorial staff. These problems came to a head in May 2023, as Paramount announced it would shut down MTV News. With this announcement, its television and internet content was abruptly brought to a halt.
Despite this, the MTV News site remained open for over a year. However, on June 24, 2024, MTV removed the site and all of its content from the internet. Among the first to notice was former MTV News journalist Patrick Hosken. Writing on X, Hosken said “So, mtvnews.com no longer exists. Eight years of my life are gone without a trace.” If users try to access the website, they will now be redirected to the mtv.com home page. MTV has not given a reason for the website’s removal, however some such as music journalist Alex Young have speculated it could be due to hosting and legal costs.
Music lovers have taken to X to express their disappointment in the site’s deletion. Rolling Stone Senior Writer Brian Hiatt called it “disgraceful,” with Entertainment Weekly News Director Jillian Sederholm adding it was “devastatingly cruel to journalists.”
With the loss of MTV News, let’s remember the programming that helped bring music journalism to America’s youth. With Kurt Loder and countless music journalists, their television and online programming helped provide America’s youth with updates on everything from the Pet Shop Boys to the Presidency, all while establishing MTV as a news source to be reckoned with.
Those interested in exploring the history of MTV News can explore archival versions on the Wayback Machine.
If there was a music style I had to describe as ethereally tender and mystical, yet perfectly encapsulates the feeling of standing in the middle of a swarm of men while eternally wanting to scream your guts out – I would instantly push you towards Paris Paloma’s music.
Infused with Greek and biblical references, the 24-year-old UK artist somehow manages to incorporate serene vivid storytelling in her music while simultaneously arousing the most primal and aggressive feminine urges in her audience. Folk-music with a bit of a dark gothic twist, Paris Paloma dominated the stage on Jun. 26 at Bowery Ballroom and left the crowd screaming in utter awe at her evocative stage presence.
Photo by Alisha Goel
The concert started with a uniquely soothing and harmonic performance by The Army, The Navy. The American duo, consisting of Maia Ciambriello and Sasha Goldberg, serenaded the crowd with some fan favorites like “Alexandra,” and prepared the audience for a hypnotic evening at Bowery. Much like Paris’ music, the duo’s lyrics are jam-packed with intimate and poignant stories, and their music comes across as earnestly confessional. Their calming and intricate harmonies were done on their acoustic guitar, and their chord progressions felt fresh and extremely delicate.
Photo by Alisha Goel
When 24-year-old Giorgia Merolli was asked to describe her connection to Paloma’s music, she said: “I discovered Paris when Labor went viral, and I think one reason why that song went viral is because it’s the most descriptive universal way that we women can relate to us being women. I’ve never heard an artist depict so simply, yet impactfully, the female experience of oppression and shielding our real emotions just to conform to some sort of societal norm.”
Opening her set with the first song in her upcoming debut album “Cacophony,” Paloma desperately repeated the line “What did I do wrong /Will you tell me what I did wrong, what did I,” heartbreakingly resonating with her audience on the pains of feverously scrambling to figure out and reason the abhorrent behavior of past loves in aching toxic relationships.
Photo by Alisha Goel
With her vulnerability and absolute openness in songwriting, Paloma transported everyone from the vast hall at Bowery to what felt like an intimate private gathering. Candidly expressing her grief and struggles surviving in a patriarchal society, Paloma gathered something so uniquely personal to her and used it to forge an iron-clad bond of fury and understanding between every woman present in the room attentively listening to her potent voice.
Paloma also sang “as good a reason,” a lyrical concoction providing a refreshing perspective on ageism and self-love in a society that thrives on manufacturing insecurities. One of the most personally impactful songs for me from the night was titled “the fruits,” a discomforting but visceral exploration of uneven power dynamics and submissiveness.
Photo by Alisha Goel
Paloma surprised the crowd with some of her unreleased songs from her new upcoming debut album. My personal favorite was “the warmth,” which started with what felt like the most beautifully disassociating siren call, and continued with incredulously haunting symphonies and drum beats, making it remarkably distinctive from anything I’ve heard from her before.
Photo by Alisha Goel
Paloma ended the night with her viral TikTok song “labour,” the song which rapidly made her way to the Top 30 on the UK singles chart, and became an anthem for womanhood and the queer community. Screaming “labour” breathlessly on the top of my lungs was an utterly transcending religious experience. It was like we were all bound by one beautiful string – a string harboring chaos and feminine rage and fostering a phenomenon I can only describe as pure and raw human connection. All our collective tears and frustrations binded together, and I found solace and comfort in our universal aches. It was cathartic. I felt liberated.
Photo by Alisha Goel
Paris Paloma – Bowery Ballroom – June 26, 2024
Setlist: my mind (now), drywall, boys, bugs & men, notre dame, as good a reason, knitting song (unreleased), the warmth (unreleased), the last woman on earth (unreleased), bones on the beach (unreleased), the fruits, yeti
Encore: labour
Paris Paloma’s debut album “Cacophony” will be released on August 30.
Photo by Alisha GoelPhoto by Alisha GoelPhoto by Alisha GoelPhoto by Alisha GoelPhoto by Alisha Goel
The two-piece rock band, AM Gold, just released their long awaited, self-titled album on all streaming platforms.
Today, Aaron Magram and Dana Fasano make up the rock band. When the project first started, AM Gold was Magram’s solo work. Between 2017 and 2020 he released three albums, Fuckin’ A, Love Pharmaceuticals & Smooth Jazz and SuperUltraMegaMediocre along with their two EPs, Xanax and Aww Yeah!
In late 2022, the project was re-born and Magram and Fasano started to perform together. Originally, the two wanted to find other bandmates to fill out their sound more, but with the help of music technology, they no longer have that need.
With octave and vocal pedals along with guitar looping, AM Gold sounded like a full band. Recordings for this new album started in early 2024 at Magram’s home studio with the help of Bob Hershberger, who professionally mastered the album.
In preparation for the new album they’ve released three singles, “Unto You,” “Use Your Delusions I” and “Tell Me.”
Listening to AM Gold is like taking a journey through rock history. You can find the resemblance to 80’s hair rock with the opening track “Word of God” as well as “About Me.” Their intense guitar instrumentations and harsh vocals speak to the inspiration. “Sleight of Hand” is a more easy-going carefree 70’s style song.
Although this grunge punk album has clear inspiration, it is original and unique to AM Gold’s style. Their mixing and instrumentation is exactly the modern touch rock music needs in 2024.
AM Gold also has some performance dates in the Hudson Valley and you can find more information about it on their website.
Marking what would have been the late singer’s 78th birthday, The Bon Scott Estate is embarking on a number of high-profile activations to celebrate the icon’s life and music.
On July 9, the actual birthday of Scott, a tribute concert will be held at Arlene’s Grocery on New York City’s Lower East Side. The infamous rock club has hosted some of the most raucous nights of rock and roll in the 21st century, and the show will harken back to the secret set that AC/DC performed at CBGB in 1977. 16 singers will each tackle one classic AC/DC song with a stellar backing band.
44 years after his untimely passing, the music Bon Scott helped create with AC/DC continues to resonate with fans and fellow artists.
Few rock singers were as unforgettable—and have proved as enduring—as Bon Scott. As the frontman of AC/DC from 1974 until his tragic passing in 1980, his “rock n’ roll pirate persona,” street poet lyrics, and striking image have made him an absolute legend. Additionally, Bon’s vocals were featured in several pre-AC/DC bands, including Fraternity, the Valentines, and the Spektors.
But really, it is the quality of the songs of the “Bon-era” of AC/DC that serve as his greatest legacy: “Highway to Hell,” “Sin City,” “Whole Lotta Rosie,” “Let There Be Rock,” “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap,” “T.N.T.,” and “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)”—the list is seemingly endless.
How does Bon measure up to rock’s all-time great frontmen? Classic Rock Magazine declared him “The Greatest Rock n’ Roll Front Man of All Time” in 2004, beating out the lofty likes of Freddie Mercury, Robert Plant, and Axl Rose in the process.
In addition to the tribute concert, The Bon Scott Estate will be releasing a variety of merchandise and collectibles.
Two new online stores are launching in time for the birthday, one at Amazon in the U.S. and the other at Merch Jungle in Australia, making it easier and more cost-effective for fans to get their hands on their favorite singer’s merchandise. Further Amazon stores will continue to roll out throughout the world. Bon Scott’s e-commerce and merchandising program is handled by Perryscope Productions, LLC.
A brand-new merch design will be launching to commemorate the birthday by renowned Australian graphic artist Dave Homer.
Information and tickets for the NYC show can be found here. Visit here for official Bon Scott merchandise.
The Bethlehem Parks and Recreation Department, Bethlehem Public Library, and Friends of Bethlehem Public Library are teaming up to bring back their popular Thursdays in the Park event series.
All shows will begin at 6:00 p.m. on the special events lawn (adjacent to the pool entrance) at Elm Avenue Park unless an alternate park location is noted.
Bethlehem, NY just south of Albany, has all the benefits of being a smaller town while still being so close to a big city.
A staple in the community for years, Thursdays in the Park shows are the perfect summer evening activity for anyone in Bethlehem or the surrounding area looking to sprawl out on some lush grass and take in live music or performances. Almost every Thursday between June 27 and August 22 will bring a new act, with all being family-friendly performances that are great for all ages.
Unless otherwise stated, all of the shows this year will take place in Bethlehem’s largest park, the gorgeous Elm Avenue Park. Elm Avenue Park has a wide variety of facilities, including a pool complex, tennis and basketball courts, pavilions, a fitness trail, playing fields, volleyball courts, shuffleboard, a dog park, and a playground. On top of all that, the park has an elevated stage overlooking a vast grass field.
Some of this year’s diverse acts include Jester Jim the Juggler, British Vinyl, a British Invasion tribute band and a production of “Finding Nemo Jr.” thrown by the Playhouse Stage Company.
Please be advised that alcoholic beverages are prohibited. In the event of rain, every effort will be made to reschedule the events. Check the Bethlehem Parks & Recreation Facebook and Instagram pages for event cancellation notices.
In addition to the Thursdays in the Park series, multiple other community events will be happening around Bethlehem this summer. Those will be listed after the full list of Thursdays in the Park performances below.
Bethlehem NY Thursdays in the Park
Jester Jim June 27
Jester Jim is back! This is not your ordinary juggling show! With a trunk full of props and a looping machine, all will be glued to every sight and sound.
Glass Pony July 11
Encapsulating influences stretching across decades from psychedelic and jam-focused rock, to funk, post-punk, and even modern indie and post-rock, the Albany, New York collective Glass Pony offer a sound that truly translates through generations, with a stylistic blend built to engage a broad listenership.
Story Laurie July 18 Set sail for adventure with Story Laurie’s delightfully participatory performance of stories, sea chanteys, and maritime lore from the Seven Seas!
Northern Comfort July 25
Come check out this local band playing rock & blues – originals & covers e.g. Tom Petty, Allman Bros, Clapton, Dire Straits, etc!
British Vinyl August 1
The British Vinyl Band is a five-piece band from upstate New York performing songs by British groups from the early years, 1960s to early 1970s. You can always find a tribute band of one group, but now you’ve found one that pays tribute to the entire British Invasion Genre.
Emma Olson Magic (This show is at Henry Hudson Park) August 8
Emma is a young magician on the rise. She is based in New York City yet has performed all over the country, it’s safe to say her dediÂcation to the craft has paid off. Aspraised by America’s Got Talent winner Shin Lim, “She’s incredible and has such a bright future ahead of her”. She recently performed her close-up act to acclaim as part of the International Magic Festival of Madrid, and while there was show cased twice on Spanish national television. Emma will perform her interactive magic act as well as her act that has been seen on TV – Penn & Teller: Fool Us! Everyone will get the chance to see her magic live and the chance to be part of it as well or even collect a souvenir!
Playhouse Stage Company August 15
“Finding Nemo Jr.” brings a vibrant underwater world to life on stage in a story full of family, friendship, and ad venture. Featuring memorable songs such as “Just Keep Swimming,” “Fish Are Friends Not Food,” and “Go With the Flow,” and lovable characters such as Marlin, Nemo, optimistic Dory, laid-back sea turtle Crush, and the supÂportive Tank Gang!
Flame the Band August 22
Flame is a high-energy American Cover band that performs globally playing all your favorites, from the classics through today’s hits, including some originals. Formed in 2003, they gained popularity from their appearances on Good Morning America and in People Magazine. They have also been featured in Tokyo, Ja pan’s Daily Mainichi News, News-2-You, News Channel 10 and other news outlets around the world. Flame consists of talented members who happen to have dis abilities. They have toured internationally to South East Asia; Athens, Greece and Capri, Italy.
Other Happenings in Bethlehem
4th of July Family Day Thursday, July 4, 12-8:00 PM Elm Avenue Pool Complex
Regular pool fees are in effect
12:15 – 1:30 PM: Saxophone Sam
1:15 – 2:00 PM: Magician Jim Snack
2:00 – 4:00 PM: Live music by Playin’ with Fire
2:30 – 4:30 PM: Balloon Gal Jenny
9:00 PM: Fireworks sponsored by Sevenzocks Property Maintenance and Landscaping
Late Night Movie at the Pool Friday, August 2, 8:15 PM Elm Avenue Pool Complex
Join us for a late-night movie under the stars! The movie will start at approximately 8:15 p.m. Free admission after 6:00 p.m. Help us pick a movie! Simply vote for your favorite at the pool.
National Night Out
Join us as the Town of Bethlehem takes back the night with one of the largest crime prevention gatherings in the United States. Visit here for up-to-date information regarding the event.
