Deep Dive hosts a Sunday night triple bill, Practice Presents stages two cool shows, and the Upstairs will have a Saturday night double bill of Grateful Dead-inspired bands. Plus, there are a few Valentine’s Day-themed shows around the area!
Note: the events are listed below in chronological order, in two separate sections.
See an updated list of dozens of shows across upstate New York happening in February and beyond!
Also, NPR's 2023 Tiny Desk Contest is now open for entries! Read more here!
Red Hot
Simply Red will host another pop-up event at South Hill Cider, with chef Samantha Buyskes dishing up her famous fried chicken and catfish from Mama Red’s Comfort Kitchen. Live music will be provided by the quartet of Richie Stearns, Rosie Newton, Ben Gould, and Steve Selin. “For many years Steve played music with Richie Stearns at Chef Sam's restaurant Simply Red in Trumansburg, at Sheldrake Point Winery and at Red Newt Cellars. She is bringing her recipes and Steve will play the string-band music that he loves!” All items will be available à la carte until she runs out; take-out will be available, as will indoors and outdoors seating, depending on the weather.
When: 5-8 p.m. Thursday
Where: South Hill Cider
Cost: free; cost for food
Ready to Rock
Practice at Presents returns to Deep Dive with another cool rock show, this one featuring Ithaca favorites Patchwork Down, Stranded With A Kiss, and The Ilium Works along with Binghamton’s Tijuana Danger Dogs.
When: 9 p.m. Thursday
Where: Deep Dive
Cost: $10
Roll Dem Bones!
Good Bones brings old-time music to Freeville, with some of Ithaca’s most talented musicians teaming for an evening of fun tunes: Lloyd Graves, tenor banjo, tenor resonator guitar, vocals; Harry Aceto, resonator guitar, vocals; Kraz, washboard, bells, whistles; Brian Earle, clarinet; and Dave Davies, trombone. “Sounding like a New Orleans street band, Good Bones hits the sweet spot when swing, hillbilly, country blues, & jug band music all came together in the 1930s & 40s, filling the dancehalls of Texas & Oklahoma, and the street corners of Memphis & New Orleans. Perfect for swing dancing and two-stepping, or just tapping your foot.”
When: 6-8 p.m. Friday
Where: Hopshire Farm and Brewery
Cost: free; donations welcome
Boot Scootin’
The Whiskey West duo of Eric Winders and Steve Tatowicz “will be strapping on their boots to play some songs off their new album, ‘Freight Train Mama.’ It will be a night of acoustic guitar, drums, and singing till the bar kicks them to the curb.”
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Where: The Downstairs
Cost: $5
Going Underground
Practice at Presents hosts its second show of the week, heading to downtown Ithaca for a quadruple punk bill featuring two out-of-town bands – latchkey kids (New Jersey) and Magazine Beach (Washington, D.C.) – along with local groups Microbes, Mostly and Gravestone Glue. Open to all ages.
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Where: Sacred Root Kava Lounge & Tea Bar
Cost: $10
Start Chopin
The Cornell Department of Music welcomes Cornell Center for Historical Keyboards artist-in-residence Mike Cheng-Yu Lee for an all-Chopin recital. Lee will perform on the CCHK’s 1850 Pleyel “pianino,” an unusual instrument similar to one that was a mainstay of Chopin's career as a composer and teacher. Works include a selection of pieces Chopin composed during his 1838-39 stay in Majorca, as well as his late masterpiece, the Sonata in B-minor, Op. 58.
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Where: Barnes Hall, Cornell
Cost: free and open to all
The Low Down
The Cornell Glee Club welcomes area high school singers to campus for their annual clinic “New York Lower Voices Sing.” Led by guest clinician Dr. Rayvon Moore, Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at Friends University, the Glee Club and high school participants present a concert that culminates the experience. In addition to his duties at Friends, Moore is the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Wichita Chamber Chorale and the Director of Music Ministries at Chapel Hill United Methodist Church. Moore specializes in topics on conducting gesture, programming, and interpreting the spiritual. He has held faculty positions at Colgate University, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and The Young Musicians Foundation, among others, and he also served as Associate Conductor of the Eastman-Rochester Chorus and Chorale.
When: 4:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Sage Chapel, Cornell
Cost: free and open to all
Bowling for Jerry
Scuba Jerry – Russ Friedell, Kenny Christianson, Cooper Casterline, and Mark Maynard – will host “Scuba Bowl 1” at Liquid as they pay tribute to the music of Jerry Garcia. “ARE YOU READY FOR SOME JERRY?!?!?”
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: Liquid State Brewing Company
Cost: donations welcome
Love Songs
Singing Notes and Slinging Jokes – the duo of Ithaca’s own SingTrece and Kenneth McLaurin – will perform a Valentine’s-theme show in downtown Auburn. “Presented by R&B Entertainment in association with Auburn Public Theater, this intimate evening of live music, laughs, and fun is for everyone!”
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: Auburn Public Theatre
Cost: $20, available online here
Heart Songs
The Savage Club of Ithaca returns with “From The Heart,” its long-awaited love-themed Valentine’s Concert that will feature choral, instrumental, and solo performances. “It promises to be an enjoyable night out for the family, couples, and anyone who loves live music.”
The Savage Club of Ithaca is a nonprofit charitable 501(c)(3) organization. “Our mission is to cultivate a lifelong pursuit and enjoyment of the arts through our support of community groups and events. If you would like to donate to our Community and Youth Grants or if you are a local arts group interested in applying for a grant, please click here.”
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: First Unitarian Society of Ithaca, 306 N. Aurora St., Ithaca
Cost: $10, available online here, and at the door
Western Stars
The Cast Iron Cowboys continue their weekly February residency in downtown Ithaca. The band includes bassist Josh Chamberlain (aka Rev Ezra), Max Moses, and slide guitarist Rob Beck, who play a mix of covers and originals they characterize as “Real American Music.”
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturdays in February
Where: The Downstairs
Cost: $7
Let’s get Jellicle!
Deep Dive will present the Jellicle Ball in tribute to the long-running Broadway show and hit film. “Join your hosts Tilia Cordata and Femme de Violette for a screening of 1998's film of ‘Cats’ with live shadowcast and performances featuring your favorite local performers of drag, burlesque and dance! Doors open at 8 p.m. for a dance party with the Dutchess of Spirit Posse; the movie will begin at 9 with a dance party to follow. Plus, it’s a fundraiser for Brown Coat Cat Rescue.”
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: Deep Dive
Cost: $15 in advance, available online here; $20 at the door
Dynamic Duo
Dark Hollow – the long-running Grateful Dead tribute band – and Organ Fairchild – a funky, jammy organ trio from Buffalo – team up for “One More Saturday Night” in downtown Ithaca.
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: The Upstairs
Cost: $15 in advance, available online here (low ticket alert!)
Read a Nov. 2021 interview with Organ Fairchild here!
Underground Jazz
ICU kicks off its monthly residency, as “jazz groups from Cornell University and Ithaca College join forces for a night of Jazz, jamming, and community on the second Sunday of February, March, and April with special guests.
When: 7-9 p.m. Sunday
Where: The Downstairs
Cost: donations welcome
Super Show
Looking for an alternative to the “Big Game”? Brooklyn's GIFT and Los Angeles's Hooveriii come to Deep Dive for a psychedelic night of music. GIFT’s 2022 debut album, 2022’s “Momentary Presence,” was dubbed “a portal to another dimension” by Rolling Stone. Hooveriii (pronounced “Hoover Three”) recently released “A Round of Applause,” its second full-length album. Ithaca's own garage-rockers Microbes, Mostly kicks off the evening.
When: 8 p.m. Sunday
Where: Deep Dive
Cost: $8 in advance, available online here or at Press Café; $15 at the door
Cupid via Cuba
The Venissa Santí 4 Tet will play a Valentine’s Day show in downtown Ithaca. “A Cuban-American vocalist and composer, trained in jazz in Philly and schooled in sacred and secular Afro Cuban rhythms in Havana And Matanzas Cuba, Venissa Santí has traveled a long road to develop her signature style.” The 4 Tet features Michael Stark on piano, Walt Lorenzut on bass, and Olive Mitra on percussion. Area favorite Whistin’ Dyl will open the show with his western-inflected original songs.
When: 8 p.m. Tuesday
Where: The Downstairs
Cost: $10
Before Bach
Cornell’s Midday Music for Organ series continues as DMA student Nathan Mondry presents German and French music from the generation before J. S. Bach, including contrapuntal works from Bach’s presumed teacher, the Lüneburg organist Georg Böhm (1661-1733) and a suite by Jacques Boyvin (c. 1649-1706), organist at Rouen Cathedral.
When: 12:30 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Anabel Taylor Chapel, Cornell
Cost: free and open to all
Trio Grande
Firefly Trio – Keith Evan Green (drums), Kevin Jones (guitar), and Stu Zimny (acoustic bass) – will play “a swinging mix of jazz standards and original tunes” in downtown Ithaca.
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Where: The Downstairs
Cost: pay what you can
Going Galactic
The Galactic Escort Service returns, this time on every other Wednesday at Deep Dive, promising “another epic journey through sonic cosmology.” Core players include Tenzin Chopak, Emmett Scott, Michael Schuler and Ashley Ickes, who create improvisations on a variety of instruments.
When: 9 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15
Where: Deep Dive
Cost: $5
More Shows
Jaimie Lee is at Atwater Vineyards at 5-8 p.m. Thursday
Pat and Don are at Cortland Beer Company at 6 p.m. Thursday
The Brewhouse Blues Jam returns to Hopshire Farm and Brewery at 6-8 p.m. Thursday
Scott B Adams hosts Open Mic Night at the Scale House Brewery at 6-9 p.m. Thursday
Benny T brings his Open Mic Posse to The Ridge in Lansing at 6:30 p.m. Thursday
Rockabilly Steve and BR3 are at Two Goats Brewing at 5-8 p.m. Friday
Roger Decker is at McGraw Box Brewing at 5-8 p.m. Friday
Freight's JP Payton and Liam Lawson are joined by Rena Guinn at Stone Bend Farm at 5:30 p.m. Friday
Mudflats is at Grist Iron Brewing at 6 p.m. Friday,
Darkwine is at Trax at Greek Peak in Virgil at 6-8 p.m. Friday
Quona Hudson is at Homer Hops at 6 p.m. Friday
Steve Romer is at the Hiawatha Inn in Truxton at 6 p.m. Friday
McArdell and Westers are at ONCO Fermentations in Tully at 6-8 p.m. Friday
Ronnie Leigh plays at Heuga’s Alpine in Tully at 6-9 p.m. Friday
Scott Michael plays Cortland Beer Company at 8 p.m. Friday
Dave Turner is at Treleaven Winery at 1-4 p.m. Saturday
Prime Box plays Brookton’s Market at 1:30-4 p.m. Saturday
Scott Michael is at Chateau Dusseau in Locke at 3-6 p.m. Saturday
The Bradshaw Blues Trio is at ONCO Fermentations at 4-7 p.m. Saturday
Levi Gangi is at Grist Iron Brewing at 5-8 p.m. Saturday
Chickenwire Parachute is at Two Goats Brewing at 5-8 p.m. Saturday
Billy Golicki and the Therapists are at Summerhill Brewing at 5-8 p.m. Saturday
Rocco Rich and Aaron Craig are at Homer Hops at 6 p.m. Saturday
Solera Tap House hosts the Retro Prom at 6-10 p.m. Saturday
DJ Dijon spins at the Retro Dance Party at Hopshire Farm and Brewery at 6-8 p.m. Saturday
Metasequoia returns to the Range at 9 p.m. Saturday
Tom Chamberlain is at Summerhill Brewing at 12-3 p.m. Sunday
Lisa Ann Wright comes to Brookton’s Market at 1-3 p.m. Sunday
Country Express plays a Valentine’s Dance and Dinner at the Cortland Country Music Park at 2-5 p.m. Sunday
Jasperoo returns to Brookton’s Market at 5-7 p.m. Tuesday
Roger Decker is at Pontillo's Pizzeria in Cortland at 6-9 p.m. Tuesday
The Center for the Arts in Homer hosts Open Mic Night at 7 p.m. Tuesday
Auburn Public Theatre hosts Open Mic Night at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays
The Westy host its new Open Mic Night at 9 p.m. Tuesdays
Jesse Collins hosts the Sandwich Sessions at Brookton’s Market at 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday
The Argos Grove trio plays jazz at Bar Argos at 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesdays
Sacred Root Kava Bar and Tea Lounge hosts its weekly Open Mic Night at 7 p.m. Wednesday
The Salsa Night Dance Partyreturns to the Range at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays
Regional Shows
Feb. 9, Tyler Rich, The L, Horseheads
Feb. 9, Jarrod Dickenson, Abilene Bar & Lounge, Rochester
Feb. 10, Alter Bridge, Del Lago Resort, Waterloo
Feb. 11, Sawyer Fredericks, Oswego Music Hall, Oswego
Feb. 11, Bush, Del Lago Resort, Waterloo (SOLD OUT!)
Feb. 11, Dark Hollow + Organ Fairchild, The Upstairs, Ithaca
Feb. 11, RED, The L, Horseheads
Feb. 15, Natalie McMaster, UB Center for the Arts, Buffalo
Feb. 15, Alan Doyle, Town Ballroom, Buffalo
Feb. 16, The Mountain Goats and Lilly Hiatt, Water Street Music Hall, Rochester
Feb. 16, Zoso: The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience, Westcott Theater, Syracuse
Feb. 16, Our Lady Peace, Del Lago Resort, Waterloo
Feb. 17, Flogging Molly, Main Street Armory, Rochester
Feb. 17, The Honey Dew Drops, May Memorial UU Society
Feb. 17, Matt Nakoa, 443 Social Club, Syracuse
Feb. 17, Dokken and Lynch Mob Reunion Tour, Del Lago Resort, Waterloo
Feb. 17, Brule County Bad Boys and Dangerbyrd, Lux Bar, Rochester
See an updated list of dozens of shows across upstate New York happening in February and beyond!