27+ shows to see this week: Sept. 27-Oct. 3
We move into October with the 40th Downtown Ithaca Apple Harvest Festival and the 25th Great Cortland Pumpkinfest, both of which feature some top local bands. (Cello master Hank Roberts brings his sextet to Cornell (CANCELED!!) ) while Saint Mela returns from NYC to share a show with Maddy Walsh and the Blind Spots. Plus, the new Ronnie James Dio documentary premieres in theaters, but for two nights only!
For a more extensive roundup of upcoming shows around the Finger Lakes and beyond, check out this extensive, curated list right here!
(Note: the events are listed below in chronological order, in two separate sections)
Dio doc to premiere
“DIO: Dreamers Never Die,” the new documentary about Cortland native and legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio, will premiere this week in theaters for two screenings only.
“Ronnie James Dio's story transcends the standard rock documentary. Beautifully highlighting both his powerful voice and his gentle heart, ‘DIO: Dreamers Never Die’ delves deep into the singer’s incredible rise from ’50s doo-wop crooner to his early rock days in Elf and Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, to replacing Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath, and finally cementing his rockstar status with his own band, DIO. The first documentary to be authorized by the artist’s estate, the film incorporates never-before-seen footage and personal photos from Dio’s archives as well as offering intimate scenes with his closest peers, family, and friends, among them Wendy Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Glenn Hughes, Vinny Appice, Lita Ford, Rob Halford, Sebastian Bach, Eddie Trunk and Jack Black, as they bring viewers inside the life of one of the most beloved figures in rock.
“In addition to the feature-length film, this special event will also include a hand-picked selection of outtakes from the cutting room floor, creating an experience that is exclusive only to fans in attendance.”
See the trailer here!
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, and Sunday, Oct. 3
Where: Regal Cinemas, Ithaca
Cost: $15
Get On My Lawn!
Postponed from earlier this fall, the Lawncert house concert is back with a double bill featuring The Venissa Santí 4tet and The Bigness. Santí will be joined by keyboardist Michael Stark, bassist Walt Lorenzut, and drummer Olive Mitra; the Bigness features the duo of Kristin Bigness and John Bueno. “This outdoor concert is family friendly; pack a picnic, camping chairs. BYOB.” Update: moved to Saturday afternoon due to the weather! Sets are at 2 and 3:30 p.m.; lawn opens at 1 p.m.
When: 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1
Where: 6018 Podunk Road, Trumansburg
Cost: $10 in advance $15 cash or Venmo at the door. (Venmo ahead to @Venisaa-Santi)
Crucial Vibes
Reggae Night continues its long-awaited return at the new Ithaca club Deep Dive, which is on the site that formerly housed The Dock, Castaways, and Key West. The night features the longtime host band The Crucials, which includes members of area groups such as Jimkata, Mosaic Foundation, New Planets, and other bands paying “homage to the classics and new frontiers of reggae music.” This will be the second of three scheduled Reggae Night shows; the final one in this run is Oct. 12.
When: 8 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Deep Dive, 415 Taughannock Blvd., Ithaca
Cost: $5
We All Scream
So Good Ice Cream Stand and the Center for the Arts of Homer have teamed up to bring you the So Good Music Series every Thursday through September. This week’s edition features Jess Novak, the Syracuse singer-songwriter whose latest album is “Bad Bitch,” and new book is “Dare To Begin: Stop Dreaming & Start Creating.” Find out more about her here. So Good will feature “adult only” specialty ice cream for those 21 and up. Bring a chair or two to enjoy the show.
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: 5 South West St., Homer
Cost: free
Ready to Rock
Actor-singer-guitarist-author Rick Springfield, who has sold 25 million albums since the early 1980s, returns to the Finger Lakes, ready to showcase many of his 17 U.S. Top 40 hits, including “Jessie’s Girl,” “Don’t Talk to Strangers,” “An Affair of the Heart,” “I’ve Done Everything for You,” “Love Somebody,” and “Human Touch.” Find out more here.
When: 8 p.m. Thursday
Where: Del Lago Casino, Waterloo
Cost: $35-$65, available online here
Piano Premiere
“Pianist Jack Yarbrough gives the New York premiere of Timothy McCormack’s new monumental piano solo, ‘mine but for its sublimation.’ Created in close collaboration with the pianist over the course of nearly a year, the concert-length work highlights qualities of register, resonance, and touch. ‘mine but for its sublimation’ delves into dark, strange, and crystalline territories, at once reconciling with the nature of the piano and pointing towards its future.”
When: 8 p.m. Thursday
Where: Barnes Hall, Cornell
Cost: free and open to all
Let’s Get Liquified
The new weekly “Liquid Thursdays” continues at Liquid State Brewing Company, with host Cooper Casterline (Double Tiger and New Planets) joined by a series of rotating musicians and DJs for “an evening of live music, dance, and a full multi-media funky experience.”
When: 9 p.m. to midnight Thursday
Where: Liquid State Brewing Company
Cost: $5
40 Years of Apples
Downtown Ithaca's annual Apple Harvest Festival returns for its 40th year, celebrating the fall bounty of locally produced apples and other delectable goods on The Commons Friday-Sunday. There’s also live music at the Bernie Milton Pavilion throughout the weekend:
Saturday, Oct. 1
12 p.m., Rachel Beverly
1 p.m., Sunny Weather
2 p.m., Firefly Jazz Quartet
3 p.m., Janet Batch
4 p.m., Leo + The Maydays
5 p.m., NEO Project
Sunday, Oct. 2
12 p.m., Ageless Jazz Band
1 p.m., Yamatai
1:30 p.m., Fall Creek Brass Band
3 p.m., Viva Mayhem
4 p.m., Noon Fifteen
5 p.m., Ariel Arbisser
When: Friday-Sunday
Where: The Commons, downtown Ithaca
Cost: free
Double Header
In the midst of Cider Week FLX, South Hill Cider hosts a double bill featuring Rose and the Bros, the local Cajun-Zydeco-American band that released its second album earlier this year (read a review here), and Jennie Lowe, whose latest album “Ghost Tracks” has drawn acclaim both in the USA and abroad.
When: 6-9 p.m. Friday
Where: South Hill Cider
Cost: $10 at the door
Proving Their Mettle
Ohio metalcore band Miss May I brings “The Curse of Existence” tour to the Southern Tier to promote their new album of the same name. Find out more about them here. Currents, Kingdom of Giants, and LANDMVRKS round out the lineup for the show.
When: 6 p.m. Friday
Where: The L, 116 Breesport Road, Horseheads
Cost: $20 in advance, $25 at the door
Positive Vibrations
Syracuse reggae-soul favorites Root Shock make their long-awaited return to Ithaca. Led by powerhouse singer Jessica Brown, the band’s current lineup includes guitarist Phil Grajko, keyboardist Brian Lauri, drummer Tyre Outerbridge, and bassist Elliot Jarvis. Find out more here.
Seeing Double, an Oneonta-based rock band, opens the show.
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Deep Dive
Cost: $10 in advance, available online here; $15 at the door
Songs to Sing
Jonatha Brooke returns to upstate New York, bringing her distinctive blend of folk, pop, and rock influences. After emerging in the early 1990s in the duo The Story, Brooke has carved out a productive solo career that includes work for stage, film, television, and teaching as well as co-writing or producing songs with Katy Perry, The Courtyard Hounds, and Jessica Simpson. Her 14th record, “The Sweetwater Sessions,” came out in 2020. Find out more here.
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Where: Smith Opera House, Geneva
Cost: $27, available online here
Return Recital
Former acting university organist Timothy Olsen returns to Cornell to offer an organ recital on the Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ in Sage Chapel. The recital will feature works primarily from the past two centuries including works by Franck (on the bicentennial of his birth), American composer Craig Phillips, jazz legend George Shearing, and a transcription of the iconic melodies of Bizet’s “Carmen.”
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Where: Sage Chapel, Cornell
Cost: free
A Plethora of Pumpkins
The 25th annual Great Cortland Pumpkinfest returns to Courthouse Park in downtown Cortland, offering a variety of fun fall activities. Find out more here!
There’s also live music throughout the weekend, featuring a variety of local bands:
Saturday, Oct. 1
12 p.m., James Vandeuson
1 p.m., Jon Rogalia
2 p.m., Unreal Village
3:30 p.m., Steve Daniels Trio
5 p.m., Molly and the Ringwalds
Sunday, Oct. 2
12 p.m., The Rollin' Rust
1:30p p.m., M3
3 p.m., Past My Bedtime
When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 12-5 p.m. Sunday
Where: Courthouse Park, downtown Cortland
Cost: free
Knocking Out Parkinson’s
ONCO Fermentations will host a beer release event, “Rock Steady Round ONE,” featuring a new brew, “Knockout Round ONE,” along with live music from The Sweats, the Finger Lakes-based band performing at 4-7 p.m., a silent auction, and 50/50 raffle. The goal is to draw awareness to Empower Parkinson, Inc. a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting people with Parkinson’s Disease. Its mission is to “provide a holistic program of wellness and prevention, empowering people with Parkinson disease to ‘fight back’ to maintain their functional abilities and to age well.” For more information about the event itself, email onco@oncoferment.com.
When: 1-9 p.m. Saturday
Where: ONCO Fermentations, 397 NY Route 281, Tully
Cost: free to attend
After the Apples
Deep Dive will host a post-Apple Harvest Fest show, with local favorite Maddy Walsh and the Blind Spots joined by Saint Mela, a NYC-based band led by former Ithacans Wolf Weston and Steve Dewey that has just released a new single, “Belly,” from their forthcoming EP.
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: Deep Dive
Cost: $10 in advance, available online here; $15 at the door.
A Mighty Wind
The Cornell Wind Symphony, conducted by James Spinazzola, performs its first concert of the season. Yamatai, Cornell’s high-energy taiko drumming group, joins the ensemble for Julie Giroux’s Symphony No. 4: “Bookmarks from Japan.” Inspired by a gift of six bookmarks featuring artwork by famous Japanese artists, Giroux’s piece depicts each scene, including Hokusai Katsushika’s “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” and Hiroshige Ando’s “Kinryuzan Temple in Asakusa.” The program also includes Carl Maria von Weber’s “Overture to Der Freischütz.”
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: Bailey Hall, Cornell Cost: free and open to all
A Savage Performance
The Savage Club of Ithaca will be presenting two concerts this weekend at its new facility in North Lansing. The show, titled “The Savages Bring It Home,” will be its first concert at the newly renovated Performing Arts Center. This family-friendly show will feature “a lively variety of choral numbers and soloists… Come join us for the music, the fun and check out the new facility.” The Savage Club donates proceeds from its concerts to youth in the performing arts. The new Performing Arts Center is available at no charge to community groups.
When: 7 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday
Where: 1004 Auburn Road (Route 34), North Lansing
Cost: pay what you want
Techno Titans
Microtones returns with an eclectic experimental show featuring Brooklyn-based producer Buzzi, known for “his uncompromising speed with percussive touches and pummeling drums”; JenOne, a member of the Rochester-based underground dance music DJ collective Signal>Noise; Peter Fonda, a producer based in Ithaca, NYC, and Berlin; and Black, MA, the hard techno/experimental noise project of Ithaca’s Lexi C.M.K. Turner.
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Forest City Lodge 180, 536 W. Green St.
Cost: $10-$20, ages 21 and up
Living Legend
“An international presence that has influenced popular music for more than two generations. José Feliciano is recognized as the first Latin Artist to effectively cross over into the English music market, opening the doors for other artists who now play an important role in the American music industry.” His best-known hits include "Feliz Navidad" and "Light My Fire,” and he has been awarded more forty-five Gold and Platinum records; he has garnered 19 Grammy nominations, winning nine Grammy Awards, including the “LARAS Award for Lifetime Achievement.” Find out more here!
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: Smith Opera House, Geneva
Cost: $33-$66, available online here
Cinema Under the Stars
Postponed from August due to bad weather, the Wharton Studio Museum's 12th Annual “Silent Movie Under the Stars” will feature "Steamboat Bill, Jr." (1928) starring the incomparable Buster Keaton, with live original music by Djug Django, Jr. featuring members of Djug Django and Cloud Chamber Orchestra. The screening is part of Wharton Studio Museum's annual Silent Movie Month, which features a variety of events around Ithaca throughout October.
When: 4 p.m. Sunday
Where: State Theatre of Ithaca
Cost: free and open to all
Trio Grande
The local jazz trio of Mike Titlebaum (saxophone), Catherine Gale (vocals), and Nick Weiser (piano) will perform "The Songs We Love," which features works from the Great American Songbook, including tunes by George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Antonio Carlos Jobim, as well as the Beatles, the Beach Boys and Joni Mitchell. More recently Weiser and Gale have been performing a series of duets by Tony Bennett with pianist Bill Evans and the trio will share these new arrangements at the Conservatory.
Titlebaum performs with the Ithaca College Jazz Ensemble and has performed with Cab Calloway, Natalie Cole, Mel Torme and Branford Marsalis. Gale was raised in a family of musicians and has sung with many groups in Central New York, including the Ithaca Jazz Quartet, the Central New York Jazz Orchestra. Weiser has dazzled audiences around the United States and in Europe with performances at the Santiago de Cuba International Jazz Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Umbria Jazz Festival, the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival, New York City’s “Prez Fest,” and Carnegie Hall.
When: 7-9 p.m. Sunday
Where: Trumansburg Conservatory of Fine Arts
Cost: $10 in advance, available online here; $15 at the door
MAQ Attack
South Hill Cider’s Monday Night Jazz series continues this week with MAQ, a quartet that performs everything from classic and modern jazz to Brazilian bossa and folk music. The lineup includes Eric Aceto (violin), Harry Aceto (bass), Doug Robinson (guitar, vocals), Chad Lieberman (accordion), and Steve Pond (percussion). Learn more here.
When: 5-8 p.m. Monday
Where: South Hill Cider
Cost: free
Power of Six
The Hank Roberts Sextet comes to Cornell. (this show is CANCELED!!) The group comprises dynamic virtuosic instrumentalists: Hank Roberts (cello and compositions), Brian Drye (trombone), Dana Lyn (violin), Mike McGinnis (clarinet and soprano saxophone), Jacob Sacks (piano), and Vinnie Sperrazza (drums.) “Over his long career, Roberts has developed an original voice as a cellist, vocalist, and composer, encompassing jazz influences, abstract improvisation, soulful folk melodies, intricate new-music compositions, and vigorous rock songs. Frequent collaborators include Bill Frisell, Tim Berne, Marc Ribot, and John Zorn. The sextet’s music has a multitude of influences and finds much inspiration from jazz improvisation and composition, as well as new music.”
When: 7 p.m. Tuesday (update: this show has been canceled!!)
Where: Barnes Hall, Cornell
Cost: free and open to all
Watching the Rivers Flow
Hailing from Reading, Pennsylvania, “technical death metal quintet Rivers of Nihil comes to CNY, performing its 2021 album “The Work” in its entirety. “"We didn't really know if it was all going to connect together in any kind of logical or interesting way. It wasn't until we got the vocals done that it was clear what we had on our hands: something that actually somehow all worked together," says guitarist Brody Uttley, who describes the album as a "Sound World," a term coined by a friend. "It's an album that almost sounds like a place rather than a thing. It puts you in this world where you're not exactly sure what is going on at certain points, but eventually, it all comes together. It's harsh and cold, but also warm and inviting.” Find out more about the band here.
See a documentary about the new album here!
When: 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5
Where: The L, 116 Breesport Road, Horseheads
Cost: $15 in advance, $20 at the door
Let’s Dance!
“Join us for the exciting opening of The Shorty Gorge - Ithaca's own weekly Lindy Hop dance! No partner or experience needed!” There’s a crash course instructional session at 7 p.m., followed by the social dance at 7:30-10 p.m. “Join us on this new adventure! We have dreams of classes, live music, and other fun events in the future.”
When: 7-10 p.m. Wednesdays beginning Oct. 5
Where: Hamblin Hall in the Community School of Music and Arts (CMSA)
Cost: $5-10 sliding scale (Pay as much as you can; cash or Venmo)
Going Big
The Deep Dive Big Band makes its debut under the direction of local jazz professor Greg Evans, who teaches at Ithaca College and Cornell University and plays drums with Rose and the Bros and other area bands. The DDBB will feature players from Cornell University, Ithaca College, and the greater Ithaca Community every other Wednesday for the coming month.
When: 8-10 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5, Oct. 19, and Nov. 2
Where: Deep Dive
Cost: free; ages 18 and up
More Shows
Ben Borkowski is at Solera Tap House at 5:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday
Annie Sumi is at Firelight Camps at 6-8 p.m. Tuesday
The Center for the Arts in Homer hosts its weekly Open Mic Night at 7-9 p.m. Tuesday
Cornell’s Midday Music for Organ continues with Anna Steppler’s program “Magnificat,” which includes music inspired by the Virgin Mary, framed by two monumental early seventeenth–century Magnificat settings by H. Praetorius and H.L. Hassler, at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in Anabel Taylor Chapel
Delta Mike Shaw and Carol Xtine plays the Trumansburg Farmers Market at 4-7 p.m. Wednesday
Joey Arcuri and Friends play jazz at the Argos Inn at 5-7 p.m. Wednesday
Pierce Walsh is at the Scale House Brewery at 6-8 p.m. Wednesday
Shaka is at Salt Point Brewing at 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday
Sacred Root Kava Bar and Tea Lounge hosts its weekly Open Mic Night at 7 p.m. Wednesday
The Range hosts its weekly Salsa Night Latin Dance Party, featuring DJs and dance lessons, from 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Wednesday
Jeremy Bussman hosts the weekly Open Mic Night at the Upstairs at 8-11 p.m. Wednesday
The Percolators play Brookton’s Market at 5 p.m. Thursday
Richie Stearns returns to South Hill Cider at 5:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday
Rev Ezra plays Atwater Winery at 5:30-8 p.m. Thursday
Roger Decker is at Mangia Stattizitto in Cortland at 6-8 p.m. Thursday
The Ampesand Project is at the Scale House Brewery at 6-8 p.m. Thursday
The Oasis at Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards hosts its weekly Open Mic Night at 6-8:30 p.m. Thursday
Under Construction concludes Six Mile Creek Vineyard’s 2022 Sunset Music Series at 6-8 p.m. Thursday
Aiken is at Cortland Beer Company at 6 p.m. Thursday
Benny T brings his Open Mic Posse to The Ridge in Lansing at 6:30 p.m. Thursday
Deep Dive hosts the Caravan Vintage Bazaar, a new monthly mini-bazaar that will feature a curated selection of vintage apparel and accessory vendors along with live music and DJs, at 5:30-11:30 p.m. Thursday
The Whistlin' Dyl Trio is at Lucky Hare Brewing in Press Bay Alley at 4-7 p.m. Friday
Stratcat Willie and the Strays are at Two Goats Brewing at 5 p.m. Friday
DJ Hill spins at Deep Dive at 5-7 p.m. Friday
Sweats are at Oasis at Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards at 5-8 p.m. Friday
Robin Burnett is at Bagley’s Winery at 5-8 p.m. Friday
Tink Bennett and Derek Gasque are at McGraw Box Brewing at 5-8 p.m. Friday
Raedwald Howland-Bolton is at Aurora Brewing Company at 5-8 p.m. Friday
Toivo is at Liquid State North Shore at 5:30-7:30 p.m Friday
The East-West Blues Band is at Hopshire Brewery at 6-8 p.m. Friday
Rachel Beverly is the Dryden Hotel at 6-8 p.m. Friday
Bad Alibi is at Grist Iron Brewing at 6-9 p.m. Friday
Madd Daddy is at Homer Hops at 6-9 p.m. Friday
Tribal Revival plays at Treleaven Winery at 6-9 p.m. Friday ($5)
Josh Breen plays the Finger Lakes Cider House at 6:30 p.m. Friday ($5)
Acoustica is at Heuga’s Alpine in Tully at 7-10 p.m. Friday
Chad Mac and Steven Cali are at The Glen Haven at 7-10 p.m. Friday
People People is at Cortland Beer Company at 8 p.m. Friday
Metasequoia returns to the Range for Roo Earthling’s birthday bash at 9 p.m. Friday
Charles Young plays Brookton’s Market at 12 p.m. Saturday
DJ Dijon spins for brunch at Deep Dive at 12-4 p.m. Saturday
Sandra Esparza returns to Chateau Dusseau at 3 p.m. Saturday
Uncle Uku and the Guise are at Two Goats Brewing at 5 p.m. Saturday
Roc Street is at Bagley’s Winery at 5-8 p.m. Saturday
Roger Decker is at McGraw Box Brewing Company at 5-8 p.m. Saturday
Astro Hawk spins at Atwater Winery’s After House SunSET series at 5:30-7:30 p.m. Saturday
Stereopticon is at Grist Iron Brewing at 6-9 p.m. Saturday
Rachel Beverly is Brewer's Cafe and Taproom at 6-8 p.m. Saturday
Frieght is at Stone Bend Farm at 5-8 p.m. Saturday
The Rollin’ Rust is at Homer Hops at 6-9 p.m. Saturday
Unreal Village is at Summerhill Brewing at 6-8 p.m. Saturday
Bradford Allen is at The Glen Haven at 7-10 p.m. Saturday
McQuade, Holz, and Aiken are at Cortland Beer Company's Oktoberfest at 5 p.m. Saturday, followed by
The X’Plozionz at 8 p.m.
The Maplewood Jazz Team plays the Sunday Jazz Brunch at the Stonecat Café from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday
Tom Gath plays Cider Brunch at Summerhill Brewing at 12-3 p.m Sunday
DJ Mike Judah spins at Reggae Brunch at Deep Dive at 12-4 p.m Sunday
Rachel Beverly plays Hosmer Winery at 1-3 p.m. Sunday
Joshua Breen plays Treleaven Winery at 1-4 p.m. Sunday
Grist Iron Brewing’s Great Gib Pumpkin Fest returns on Sunday, with DJ Obvious Objects spinning from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. followed by live music from Focal Zone at 2-5 p.m.
The Cornell Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Kirsten Marshall, performs at Barnes Hall at 3 p.m. Sunday; the program includes C.P.E. Bach’s “Sinfonia No. 3,” Puccini’s “I Crisantemi,” Kenji Bunch’s “Supermaximum,” and Respighi’s “Ancient Airs and Dances Suite No. 3.”
The new weekly series Beer Wax Sundays returns to Liquid State at 4-7 p.m. Sunday
The Zydeco Trail Riders are at Two Goats Brewing at 4 p.m. Sunday
Brett Beardslee brings his weekly Monday Night Blues back to Rasta Ranch Vineyards at 5-8 p.m. Monday
The Zydeco Trail Riders play the Trumansburg Farmers Market at 4-7 p.m. Wednesday
Joey Arcuri and Friends play jazz at the Argos Inn at 5-7 p.m. Wednesday
Sacred Root Kava Bar and Tea Lounge hosts its weekly Open Mic Night at 7 p.m. Wednesday
The Range hosts its weekly Salsa Night Latin Dance Party, featuring DJs and dance lessons, from 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Wednesday
Jeremy Bussman hosts the weekly Open Mic Night at the Upstairs at 8-11 p.m. Wednesday