1980s electro-pop pioneer Howard Jones makes his long-awaited return to Ithaca, two Trumansburg bands team up for Friday night show, and Cornell hosts some cool weekend concerts.
Please be sure to check with each show’s event page for various venue protocols, as well as potential postponement or cancellation information. Stay safe, and enjoy as much live music as you can in the coming days!
And don’t forget – it’s time for the 2022 NPR Tiny Desk Contest! It's open to area musicians of any style — you'll just have to upload a video of you or your band performing one original song. The contest is open through March 14. Find out all the details here.
Welcome Return
Two years after he was originally scheduled to perform in Ithaca, Howard Jones will return to the Hangar Theatre. After playing solo last time, Jones will come with his Acoustic Trio, which also includes Robin Boult (Roger Daltrey, Dave Stewart) on acoustic guitar and Nick Beggs (Kajagoogoo, Belinda Carlisle) on chapman stick. They’ll deliver a new take on Jones’s many 1980s hits – including “You Know I Love You,” “No One is to Blame,” “Things Can Only Get Better,” “Life In One Day,” etc. – as well as more recent material, including from his 2019 album, “Transform.” Learn more about him here.
Opening the show is singer-songwriter multi-instrumentalist Rachael Sage, who will perform songs from her recent album “Character,” along with select pieces across her repertoire of 14 albums and her new collaborative side-project, Poetica. Sage will be joined by violinist Kelly Halloran, who has played with Michael Franti and Tom Morello. Learn more about her here.
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Where: The Hangar Theatre
Cost: $39.50-$45, available online here.
String Thing
Richie Stearns and Friends return to South Hill Cider for a night of old-time tunes. Richie, best known for his work with the Horse Flies, Richie & Rosie, and the Evil City String Band, will be joined by Steve Selin, Joe Hayward, and Sam Schmidt for tonight’s event. See the venue’s covid guidelines here.
When: 4-7 p.m. Thursday
Where: South Hill Cider
Cost: free; donations welcome
Songs to Sing
Dan Forsyth of Driftwood will host Singer/Songwriter Night, a new series taking place every first Thursday of the month at Hopshire: “This is an opportunity for songwriters to share their craft with each other. Bring a song you are working on, it doesn’t have to be complete, to get input from your peers. All are welcome to come listen respectfully.”
When: 6-8 p.m. Thursday (postponed from last week)
Where: Hopshire Farm and Brewing, Dryden
Cost: free
Future Past
The Cornell Department of Music welcomes members of Nuova Pratica as they join keyboardist Nathan Mondry to present two concerts this weekend, broadly split into 17th- and 18th-century programs. Featuring an eclectic mix of old and new "historical" music with a running thread of improvisation, they will explore dance music as well as different combinations of duos and trio sonatas, featuring composers like Corelli and LeClair. Nuova Pratica is an ensemble of composer-performers who specialize not only in the performance of European baroque music, but also in its composition and improvisation. The ensemble aims not only to provide audiences with new and exquisitely composed music in styles they know and love, but to explore these historical techniques by applying them to other kinds of music.
When & Where: 8 p.m. Friday at Sage Chapel; 7 p.m. Saturday at Barnes Hall
Cost: free; Campus visitors and members of the public must adhere to Cornell’s public health requirements for events, which include wearing masks while indoors and providing proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test.
From T-burg to Ithaca
A pair of Trumansburg-based bands will join forces for a show in downtown Ithaca. Cold Springs Rd. is an indie alt-rock band featuring four childhood friends and Trumansburg High School alumni who named their band in “tribute to the village they all grew up in together and still happily call home.” Vicious Fishes also features four T-burg natives “who love to play rock and roll of all types but draw most of our influence from punk rock.” Check them out here.
When: 9:30 p.m. Friday
Where: The Upstairs
Cost: small cover
Second Sight
The second installment of a new residency at The Upstairs will feature Beatscene Hub’s extended family of producers and DJs “showcasing the finest electronic and dance music in The Finger Lakes. Featuring all original sets and the region’s most forward-thinking selectors. Join us for high-energy dance music and deep grooves.”
When: 9 p.m. Saturday Where: The Upstairs
Cost: $5
Sunday Sounds
The Cornell Contemporary Chamber Players, a student organization committed to ensuring that Cornell remains at the forefront of contemporary music and performance practice, will be working with guest ensemble Red Desert in a three-day residency, culminating in a final performance on Sunday. Composers in Cornell’s DMA program will be featured, including works by Joshua Biggs, Maria Alejandra Bulla, Laura Cetilia, John Eagle, Miles Jefferson Friday, and Han Xu. Red Desert is the duo project of clarinetist Katie Porter and composer/percussionist Devin Maxwell. The group has been performing, commissioning, creating, and championing interesting music for over 17 years.
When: 3 p.m. Sunday
Where: Lincoln Hall B20
Cost: free
Franckly Speaking
The Music at St. Luke series presents a concert by organist Jeffrey Snedeker to celebrate the 200th birthday of César Franck (1822-1890), the Romantic composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher who worked in Paris during his adult life.
When: 4 p.m. Sunday
Where: St. Luke Lutheran Church, 109 Oak Ave., Collegetown,
Cost: free
Piano Pair
Two piano (+) ensemble HereNowHear (Andrew Zhou and Ryan McCullough) performs Karlheinz Stockhausen's “MANTRA,” featuring Joshua Biggs as sound diffusionist, alongside 2017 Fromm Foundation Award commission “Sedgeflowers” by American composer John Liberatore.
When: 8 p.m. Sunday
Where: Barnes Hall
Cost: free
It’s Johnny Dowd Time
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with local icon Johnny Dowd, who will host a live online presentation of “Silk Scarf,” a music video by Truus De Groot, from the album “Homemade Pie,” and a new release of “Mystery Woman” online here.
When: 12 noon Monday
Where: Online
Cost: free
Winge-ing It!
Guitarist Dennis Winge kicks off his monthly residency in downtown Ithaca, presenting solo renditions of jazz, originals, pop-rock, and more on the third Wednesday of every month thereafter. Learn more about him here.
When: 7-9 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Monks on the Commons
Cost: free; donations welcome
More Events
Aiken is at Cortland Beer Company at 6 p.m. Thursday
Jeremy Bussman hosts the weekly Open Mic Night at the Upstairs at 7 p.m. Thursday
Rachel Beverly is at Hopshire Brewing at 6-8 p.m. Friday
Six String Shotgun is at Homer Hops at 6-8 p.m. Friday
Sandra Esparza is at Grist Iron Brewing at 6-9 p.m. Friday
Billy Golicki is at Cortland Beer Company at 8 p.m. Friday
The 86ers and Friends return to Stone Bend Farm at 4-7 p.m. Saturday
Metasequoia’s Roo Earthling is at Summerhill Brewing at 6-8 p.m. Saturday
Sam Swanson is at Homer Hops at 6 p.m. Saturday
Two-Horse Johnson is at Grist Iron Brewing at 6-9 p.m. Saturday
Billy Golicki is at Drifters on Owasco at 6:30 p.m. Saturday
The X’Plozionz are at Cortland Beer Company at 8 p.m. Saturday
Sandra Esparza is at Summerhill Brewing at 12-3 p.m. Sunday
The Center for the Arts in Homer hosts its weekly Open Mic Night at 7 p.m. Tuesday
Kitestring’s Josh Rosh and Jeremy Betterly are at Salt Point Brewing at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday
Benny T brings his Open Mic Posse to Crossroads Bar and Grille in Lansing at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday
Sacred Root Kava Bar and Tea Lounge hosts its weekly Open Mic Night at 7 p.m. Wednesday
