Elvis Costello and Regina Spektor return to the State Theatre of Ithaca, the Bad Plus comes to the Center for the Arts in Homer, and Grammy-winning singer Dawn Upshaw and Afro-Punk director and founder James Spooner visit Cornell University! Plus, lots of local bands will take the stage in the coming days 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!
Ready to Rock
Practice at Presents returns to The Downstairs for a just-announced show featuring local favorites Cobra Cadaver and Triple5Spout.
When: 8 p.m. Wednesday
Where: The Downstairs
Cost: $5
Event Info
Going Big
The Deep Dive House Big Band continues its every-other-Wednesday residency 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, Feb. 22
Where: Deep Dive
Cost: free; ages 18 and up
Voices Carry
Cornell’s Midday Music series continues this week. “Vocal music of the renaissance and baroque often comes with more meanings than meets the eye. A performance of a cappella vocal trio music, presented by Seare Farhat, Clara Valenzuela, and Asher Wulfman, will explore some facets of the forbidden, multi-layered, and ambiguous through a curation of vocal works of this period. The program will feature the William Byrd Mass for 3 Voices, as well as works by Thomas Morley, Orlando de Lassus, and others.”
When: 12:30 p.m. Thursday
Where: Anabel Taylor Chapel, Cornell Cost: free and open to all
Power of Punk
Cornell University will host “A Book Talk and Conversation with James Spooner,” author of the graphic novel “The High Desert: Black. Punk. Nowhere.” “From James Spooner, the co-founder of the Afro-Punk Festival, comes a stunning graphic memoir of his coming-of-age in a miserable desert town in California in the early 1990s. ‘The High Desert’ is the story of a young man’s immersive reckoning with identity, racism, and belonging – and the story of a search for salvation and community through punk. The conversation will touch on the Black roots of punk rock, the thriving eighties DIY and punk scene in New York's East Village, and how punk rock led James to a life of art and activism.” A graphic novelist, tattoo artist, illustrator, and filmmaker, Spooner directed the seminal documentary “Afro-Punk,” which premiered at national and international film festivals, including Toronto International and The American Black Film Festival.
When: 4:30 p.m. Thursday
Where: Klarman Hall, Cornell University
Cost: free and open to all
Let’s Dance
“Join us at The Shorty Gorge for a night of live music night with Djug Django! … No partner or experience needed! Masks Required. 7:00 - 7:30PM Beginner Crash Course (Bring your friends). 7:30-10:00PM social dance to live music with Djug Django!”
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: Community School of Music and Arts
Cost: $15 at the door, cash or Venmo
Techno Time
The Downstairs hosts a night of house and techno music, featuring local DJs WhoisBriantech, Glitter Skulls, and Desert Rose.
WhoisBriantech (aka Brian Nance) is a Bronx native “with a wealth of knowledge of classic soulful house and techno music, inspired by a love of dance and immersive experience through music. He is now an Ithaca-based producer and DJ who has performed with Ithaca's Microtones collective and Ithaca Underground events.”
“Glitter Skulls is the live techno and DJ project of Ithaca-based sound engineer, filmmaker, and event booker, Chris Knight. Knight came up in the punk scene of the Hudson, Valley, NY. Upon landing in Ithaca in 2007, Knight quickly found home among the experimental DIY Organization, Ithaca Underground, where he works to provide all ages spaces where alternative and experimental music can thrive. He focuses on developing the talents of early-career performers of underrepresented backgrounds and identities across the boundaries of traditional genres.”
“Desert Rose is from the lost land of the Lower East Side (NYC) in the 90s and currently residing on unceded Haudenosaunee Seneca/Cayuga land (Ithaca). Black Caribbean Disco-inspired queer, born of House music, and lover of Funk, they are influenced by the tongues they speak and love. An energy worker at heart, Desert Rose guides listeners from the Heart to Sacral chakra and back up. Desert Rose is a tarot reader, astrologer, and brujx.”
When: 8 p.m. Thursday
Where: The Downstairs
Cost: $5
Wheels of Steel
Deep Dive will host the return of Team 607 for “Electro Lytes,” featuring local DJs Vision, Radar Radar and Double A, Highstone, and Rob Haze. “It’s What Dance Craves!” they vow.
When: 9 p.m. Thursday
Where: Deep Dive
Cost: free
Stellar Showcase
Back in person for the first time in three years, the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC) will host its annual Black History Month Showcase. “A wide range of performers and artistic styles will be featured, both from GIAC and from the community. The show will include performances from the Empire Kings, the Dorothy Cotton Jubilee Singers, the Amani Gospel Choir, the IC West African Drumming & Dance Ensemble, the GIAC Jumpers, GCF: Southside Edition, Mbusi, Revolutionary!, and more.
When: 6:30-8 p.m. Friday
Where: Whalen Center for Music, Ithaca College
Cost: free and open to all
Ready for Release
Promising “A night of original music, covers, and special guests,” local singer-songwriter Florencia Ulloa will celebrate the release of her new album, “Realize.” She’ll open with a short set of covers followed by songs from the new album and a band set with the Freese Road Bandits.
When: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Savage Club of Ithaca, 1004 Auburn Road, Groton
Cost: free; donations welcome
Walking in Winter
The Cornell University Department of Music welcomes GRAMMY-winning soprano Dawn Upshaw (A.D. White Professor-at-Large) to perform Maria Schneider’s “Winter Morning Walks.” The first vocalist to receive a MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellowship, Upshaw has given acclaimed performances on the opera stage comprising the great Mozart roles (Susanna, Ilia, Pamina, Despina, and Zerlina), as well as modern classics by Stravinsky, Poulenc, and Messiaen. “From Salzburg, Paris, and Glyndebourne to the Metropolitan Opera, where she began her career in 1984 and has since made nearly 300 appearances, Upshaw has also championed numerous new works created for her” including “The Great Gatsby” by John Harbison; the Grawemeyer Award-winning opera, “L’Amour de loin” and oratorio “La Passion de Simone” by Kaija Saariaho; John Adams’s “Nativity” oratorio “El Niño”; and Osvaldo Golijov’s chamber opera “Ainadamar” and song cycle “Ayre.”
Guest artist Scott Robinson (saxophonist-clarinetist) will join Upshaw on stage, along with Cornell students and faculty. She will also share insights about the piece and her career.
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Barnes Hall, Cornell
Cost: free, but tickets must be reserved in advance here
Triple Threat
Emerging from a four-year hiatus, NYC-bred Ithaca-based quartet Eighteen Hundred And Froze To Death will perform in downtown Ithaca. They’ll be joined by jangle-rock up-and-comers Second Spring and Material Objects, who have more new material to present.
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Where: $5
Sacred Root Kava Lounge & Tea Bar
Cost:
Four on the Floor
The Bad Plus returns to central New York, ready to showcase their latest lineup. Now in their 21st year, founding members Reid Anderson (bass) and Dave King (drums) are joined by Ben Monder (guitar) and Chris Speed (tenor saxophone) in the group’s first piano-less lineup, which continues their tradition of pushing jazz in new directions as displayed on the self-titled album released in September, 2022. “Evolution is necessary for life and creativity,” say King and Anderson. “We’ve evolved, but we’re still The Bad Plus.”
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Where: Center for the Arts of Homer
Cost: $30, available online here
Positive Vibrations
Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad returns to Ithaca to lay the groundwork for their upcoming album, “Love in Time,” due out April 7. They’ve already released a single, “Chants,” on which they’re joined by Clinton Fearon of The Gladiators and Boogie Brown Band.
Hiphop artist Felix Free will open the show.
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Where: Deep Dive
Cost: $18 in advance, available online here; $25 at the door
A Good Cause
Wintersquabee returns for its winter edition, with several area bands teaming up for a two-day event to raise funds for Logan’s Landmark, a nonprofit community organization. Here’s the lineup (subject to change):
Saturday: 11 a.m., Technicolor Trailer Park; 12 p.m., Immortal Peaches; 1 p.m., Lone Gonzo; 2 p.m., Tru Blue; 3 p.m., Brett Beardslee; 4 p.m., Los Finsteros; 5 p.m., Special Guest; 6 p.m., The Dart Brothers; 7 p.m., East West Blues Band; 8 p.m., The Roqueforts.
Sunday: 12 p.m., Maplewood Jazz Team; 1 p.m., Rena Guinn; 2 p.m., da Prof N Starr; 3 p.m., Wild Bill; 4 p.m., Carbon 66; 5 p.m., Mortal Combine
When: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, 12-6 p.m. Sunday
Where: Stonecat Café, Hector
Cost: no cover; donations welcome
Incredible Journey
Opus Ithaca School of Music will present “Concert for the Community: A Musician's Journey,” featuring the Opus Ithaca Chamber Orchestra and Jazz Combo; Guillaume Pirard, conductor; Odyssey Choir; Melissa Rooklidge, artistic director. The program will include “Mother Goose Suite” (Maurice Ravel), “Journey Into Jazz” (Gunther Schuller), Call Across (SATB Choir) (Kyle Pederson), and “Elegy (Jake Gunnar Walsh).
When: 2 p.m. Saturday
Where: St. Paul's Sanctuary, Opus Ithaca School of Music, 402 N. Aurora St.
Cost: Free and open to all; first-time concertgoers welcome@
Western Stars
The Cast Iron Cowboys conclude 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
Going Underground
The 1980 Underground returns, offering “Smoke, static, and something new for this new year: A SPECIAL GUEST. DEBUTING BAND SUBSPACE, a brand-new band consisting of former members of Nancy Babich, WILL PLAY A LIVE SET FROM 10:30 TO 11. GET YOUR LOOK ON AND STEP OUT, KIDS.”
When: 10 p.m. Saturday
Where: Sacred Root Kava Lounge & Tea Bar
Cost:
Event Info
Dynamic Duo
Cayuga Chamber Orchestra presents “Beethoven and Brahms,” featuring a program of Beethoven’s “String Trio in E-flat” and Brahms’s “Piano Quartet No. 3.” The performers include Christina Bouey, Anthony Bracewell, Rosemary Elliott, Vadim Serebryany. “With a full symphony orchestra or just a few players, Beethoven and Brahms had the ability to innovate, inspire, and transport listeners like few others can do.”
When: 3 p.m. Sunday
Where: First Unitarian Society of Ithaca (FUSIT), 306 N. Aurora St., Ithaca
Cost: Tickets are $10 for students and $35 for adults, and are available online and at the door
Funk and Beyond
Deep Dive will host an intriguing double bill featuring G-Nome Project and You Bred Raptors? “Hailing from Israel, G-Nome is the product of a longstanding musical vision to form an ensemble focused heavily on improvisation while blending elements of psytrance, dance, and funk into progressive original compositions – a style that has been coined ‘Grilled Cheese Funk at its finest.’ The band is comprised from a super group of four nationally renowned musicians – Zechariah Reich, Eyal Salomon, Eran Asias, and Yakir Hyman – who each bring a distinctive flavor to the dynamic electro-funk palate of this Jerusalem-based quartet.”
“You Bred Raptors? is a three-piece band with the Music Under New York program. They are an orchestral, post rock ensemble made up of Peat Rains on 8 string bass, Tara Hanish on cello, and Danny Sher on glockenspiels and drums. The band provides scoring work for independent film and television and has toured over 80 cities and 5 countries.”
When: 7 p.m. Sunday
Where: Deep Dive
Cost: $10, available online here
Dark Night
“GOTH NIGHT: Dark Alternative Monthly” returns, with DJ Rob Haze and DJ Law spinning a variety of darkwave/postpunk/ebm/goth/industrial/electro/synth/bass. Open to ages 21 and up.
When: 9 p.m. Sunday
Where: Modern Alchemy Game Bar
Cost: $5
Ready for Release
Silver Rein – the solo project of singer-cellist Sarah Green – will mark the release of her new single, “The Grave,” which she recorded at New Vine Records studio in Dryden. “’The Grave’ is a song about being kind to yourself even when dark thoughts haunt you in the night,” she writes on her website. She’ll be joined by special guest, Youngiee Quennell of Motherwort. La Llorona will open the show.
When: 8 p.m. Monday
Where: The Downstairs
Cost: $5
Elvis is King
Elvis Costello and the Imposters return to Ithaca to perform songs from their latest album, “The Boy Named If,” along with “other favourites.” Costello said: ”The full title of this record is The Boy Named If (And Other Children’s Stories). ‘IF,’ is a nickname for your imaginary friend; your secret self, the one who knows everything you deny, the one you blame for the shattered crockery and the hearts you break, even your own. You can hear more about this ‘Boy’ in a song of the same name." Fresh off his 10-show “100 Songs and More” residency at the Gramercy Theatre, Costello will be joined by longtime bandmates Pete Thomas, Steve Nieve, and Davey Faragher, along with recently added Charlie Sexton on guitar.
When: 8 p.m. Tuesday
Where: State Theatre of Ithaca
Cost: $62 and up, available online here
Crow Show
Longtime local favorite Crow Greenspun returns to the stage after a long hiatus, for an intimate show in which he’ll be joined by the Money Makers – John Paul Nawn, Chris Ploss, and Nate Richardson – for a night of mostly new material plus some classic Crow tunes
When: 6-8 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Argos Warehouse
Cost: $20
Battling Bach
Cornell’s Midday Music for Organ series continues, as David Yearsley presents a concert titled “G. F. Handel vs. J. S. Bach.” “Handel left little music for the organ, apart from a collection of concertos written for English organs—instruments that, for the most part, had no pedals. Yet the German organist was a pedal virtuoso. In a program that includes his own arrangements of some of Handel’s best-loved music, David Yearsley, stages an imaginary contest between Handel and the definitive 18th-century virtuoso pedalist, J. S. Bach.”
When: 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 1
Where: Anabel Taylor Chapel, Cornell
Cost: free and open to all
‘Home’ on the Road
Regina Spektor returns to Ithaca for a sold-out show that was postponed from October due to Covid; she’s touring to promote her latest album, “Home, before and after.” Spektor has performed on Broadway, Saturday Night Live and contributed to many projects spanning film, television, and music including The Hamilton Mixtape. Her 2006 “Begin to Hope” includes singles “On the Radio,” “Better,” “Samson,” as well as “Fidelity” which climbed the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Her new LP follows 2016's “Remember Us To Life,” which earned widespread acclaim. Find out more about her here!
See her recent Tiny Desk concert here!
When: 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 1
Where: State Theater
Cost: SOLD OUT!
Going Galactic
The Galactic Escort Service returns, this time every other Wednesday at Deep Dive, promising “another epic journey through sonic cosmology.” Core players include Tenzin Chopak, Emmett Scott, Michael Schuler, Josh Oxford, and Ashley Ickes, who create improvisations on a variety of instruments.
When: 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 1
Where: Deep Dive
Cost: $5
More Shows
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
Rachel Beverly 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 Salsa Night Dance Partyreturns to the Range at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays
Sarah Noell is at Atwater Vineyards at 5-8 p.m. Thursday
Richie Stearns and Friends are at South Hill Cider at 5-8 p.m. Thursday
Young Legs is at Brookton’s Market at 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday
Pat and Don are at Cortland Beer Company at 6 p.m. Thursday
Scott B Adams hosts Open Mic Night at the Scale House Brewery at 6-9 p.m. Thursday
The Brewhouse Blues Jamreturns to Hopshire Farm and Brewery at 6-8 p.m. Thursday
Benny T brings his Open Mic Posse to the Ridge in Lansing at 6:30 p.m. Thursday
DJ ha-MEEN spins for Seven Of's Latin Jazz Dinner at 7-10 p.m. Thursday
Destination Unknown is at McGraw Box Brewing at 5-7:30 p.m. Friday
Jasperoo is at Brookton’s Market at 5 p.m. Friday
Dennis Winge plays all-original instrumental guitar music at Barnstormer Winery at 5:15-7:45 p.m. Friday
Raedwald is at Two Goats Brewing at 5-8 p.m. Friday
Logan Route is at Grist Iron Brewing at 6-9 p.m. Friday
M3 is at ONCO Fermentations in Tully at 6-8 p.m. Friday
The Rollin’ Rust plays at Heuga’s Alpine in Tully at 6-9 p.m. Friday
The Ende Brothers are at Homer Hops at 6 p.m. Friday
The East-West Blues Band is at Hopshire Farm and Brewery at 6-8 p.m. Friday
Janet Batch and the Four-Bangers are at Stonebend Farm at 6-8 p.m. Friday
Clint Bush is at the Dryden Hotel at 7-9 p.m. Friday
Levi and the Wranglers play Cortland Beer Company at 8 p.m. Friday
MSZM (Michael Stark and Zaun Marshburn) returns to the Downstairs at 8 p.m. Friday ($10)
Backtalk featuring Hannah Martin is at Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards at 1-4 p.m. Saturday
Rachel Beverly is at Knapp Winery at 1-4 p.m. Saturday
Rob Ervin is at Treleaven Winery at 2-5 p.m. Saturday
Joel Kane is at Chateau Dusseau Winery at 3-6 p.m. Saturday
Terrapin Station is at Grist Iron Brewing at 5-8 p.m. Saturday
The Pelotones are at Two Goats Brewing at 5-8 p.m. Saturday
Raedwald is at Aurora Brewing Company at 5-8 p.m. Saturday
The Steve Daniels Jazz Duo is at Summerhill Brewing at 5-8 p.m. Saturday
John West and Ted Romer are at McGraw Box Brewing at 6-8 p.m. Saturday
Clint Bush is at Brewer’s Kitchen and Taproom at 6-8 p.m. Saturday
Phil Muka is at Homer Hops at 6 p.m. Saturday
Jake’s Saloon in Horseheads marks its 20thanniversary with a four-band bash – City Limits, Rotten Johnny, Garlic Band, Bowery Boys – beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday
Zach Knewstub, Nicholas Walker, and Tom Killian play jazz at Seven Of at 7-10 p.m. Saturday
M3 plays Cortland Beer Company at 8 p.m. Saturday
Metasequoia is at Tioga Downs Casino at 9 p.m. Saturday
Marc Ryan plays the Bluewater Grill in Skaneateles at 11 a.m. Sunday
Sam I Am is at Chateau Dusseau Winery at 3-6 p.m. Sunday
Erich with an H is at Two Goats Brewing at 5-8 p.m. Sunday
Traonach and Friends host an Irish Session at The Watershed at 5 p.m. Sunday
DeWayne Perry hosts the monthlyJazz Jamat the Downstairs at 5-8 p.m. Sunday
Elizabeth Seldin hosts Open Mic Night at Brookton’s Market at 5-7:30 p.m. Tuesday
The Center for the Arts in Homer hosts Open Mic Night at 7 p.m. Tuesday
SingTrece hosts her monthly Open Mic for “Singers, Rappers, Songwriters, Poets and Spoken Word” at the Downstairs at 7-9 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
Levi Dusseau 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 Salsa Night Dance Partyreturns to the Range at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays
Regional Shows
Feb. 24, Loren Barrigar, 443 Social Club, Syracuse
Feb. 24,Sponge, The L, Horseheads
Feb. 24,Gin Blossoms, Del Lago Resort, Waterloo
Feb. 24, Borgore, Westcott Theater, Syracuse
Feb. 24,The Hi-Risers, Lux Bar, Rochester
Feb. 24, moe., Palace Theatre, Albany
Feb. 25,Raul Midon, Corning Museum of Glass
Feb. 25, The McKrells, Oswego Music Hall, Oswego
Feb. 25, Fuzzrod, The Bug Jar, Rochester
Feb. 25, The National Reserve, Funk N Waffles, Syracuse
Feb. 25, Golden Oak, 443 Social Club, Syracuse
Feb. 25, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Buffalo Iron Works, Buffalo
Feb. 26, Badflower, Westcott Theater, Syracuse
Feb. 26, Steve Grills and the Roadmasters, 443 Social Club, Syracuse
March 1, Skillet, Main Street Armory, Rochester
March 1, Flogging Molly and Anti-Flag, Landmark Theatre, Syracuse
March 2, Cremona Quartet, Bailey Hall, Cornell University Ithaca
March 2, Wolves at the Gate, The L, Horseheads
March 2, Sean Rowe, Abilene Bar and Lounge, Rochester
March 3, Sunny War, Funk N Waffles, Syracuse
March 3, Jude Roberts, May Memorial UU Society
March 3,Creed Bratton, Del Lago Resort, Waterloo
March 4, The Wood Brothers, State Theatre, Ithaca
March 4,Larry the Cable Guy, Del Lago Resort, Waterloo
March 4, Sean Rowe, 443 Social Club, Syracuse
March 4, Aqueous and Litz, Westcott Theater, Syracuse
March 5, DakhaBrakha, State Theatre, Ithaca
See an updated list of dozens of shows across upstate New York happening in February and beyond!
