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Ithaca Festival returns, with dozens of area favorites performing on the Commons throughout the weekend. Plus, there are a bunch of other cool shows around Central New York in the coming week!
Songs to Sing
Dan Forsyth of Driftwood hosts 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.” Note: Singer/Songwriter Night will take a summer break after this week, and return in the fall
When: 6-8 p.m. Thursday
Where: Hopshire Farm and Brewing, Dryden
Cost: free
Combing It Down
Right after the Ithaca Festival Parade concludes, the Comb Down returns to downtown Ithaca, bringing with them their incessant funk grooves and boundless energy. The band features some of Ithaca’s top talents – keyboardist Jon Petronzio, bassist Andrew Battles, trombonist TJ Schaper, guitarist Brian Mlodzinski, drummer Ashley Ickes, percussionist Bryan Davis and trumpeter Jack Storer – playing funky instrumentals.
When: 7:15 p.m. Thursday
Where: Bernie Milton Pavilion, The Commons
Cost: free
Going B.I.G.
The Frank White Experience returns from Syracuse with its Live Tribute to Notorious B.I.G. “The Frank White Experience brings things to a new level with live instrumentation, bringing the sounds of Notorious B.I.G. to your ears in a way never heard before! The Frank White Experience is the genre leader in live Hip-Hop tribute bands. Best described as the Dark Star Orchestra of Hip-Hop, The Frank White Experience delivers a quality of sound and homage akin to acts like Pink Talking Phish, Lizards, Bad Fish and Start Making Sense. The first of its kind, The Frank White Experience not only covers the music of Biggie Smalls but takes their listeners on a journey back through the beloved soundscape of 1990’s Hip-Hip, making them a guaranteed crowd pleaser sure to rock any audience in any venue, large or small.”
Local hiphop artists Anthony Kannon (who just signed a record deal) and Corey Loveless will open the show.
When: 8 p.m. Thursday
Where: Deep Dive
Cost $20
Let’s Dance
Argos Warehouse Lounge & Event Space will host an Ithaca Festival Parade After-Party with djGourd and DJ ha-Meen. Proceeds will benefit the Ithaca Festival, which is a non-profit organization.
When: 10 p.m. Thursday
Where: Argos Warehouse
Cost: $5
It’s a Festival!
Ithaca Festival returns to downtown Ithaca, with dozens of local bands and performers on tap throughout the weekend on the Bernie Milton and Dewitt Park stages, as well as at the Cayuga Street Circle. Friday’s bands include the Strange Heavy, the Ilium Works, Metasequoia, and Gunpoets, while Saturday will see Alan Rose & the Restless Elements, Freight, Front & Main, Noon Fifteen, https://ithacafestival.org/silent-discoMaddy Walsh & the Blind Spots perform on the Bernie Milton Stage. Sunday’s lineup includes Papa Muse, Ariel Arbisser, ¡Viva Mayhem!, and SingTrece & Stone Cold Miracle.
The Silent Disco returns from 10 p.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday nights.
When: Friday-Sunday
Where: Downtown Ithaca
Cost: free; buy a button to support the festival
Jerry Rigged
Scuba Jerry – an Ithaca-based band harvesting music from the catalog of the Jerry Garcia Band – comes to South Hill Cider. The band includes Mark Maynard, Cooper Casterline, Kenny Christianson, Russ Friedell, and Cha Cha.
When: 5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday
Where: South Hill Cider
Cost: $10
Folk Favorite
The Finger Lakes Cider House's “Friday Night Farm Jams” series hosts the return of area favorite Joe Crookston, “songwriter, guitarist, painter, fiddler, slide player, eco-village member, and believer in all things possible. Named 2016 Folk Alliance International Artist-in-Residence and signed to I Book Shows along with David Francey and Irish Mythen. His songs are being made into films.”
When: 6-9 p.m. Friday
Where: Finger Lakes Cider House
Cost: $10
Blues Brothers
Rose Hall’s Spring Concert Series continues with two area favorites – Digger Jones and Raedwald Howland-Bolton – who put their own spin on blues and roots music. Digger Jones includes Chris Merkley, Stiv Morgan, and Chad Dean, while Raedwald plays his resonator guitars at venues all over upstate New York.
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Rose Hall, 19 Church St., Cortland
Cost: $10, available online here and at the door
In Two Deep
The two-night “Baritones at the Barn” promises “a rollicking journey through opera, art song, music theatre, and other delights,” with performances by baritones Tim LeFebvre, Todd Thomas, and Steven Stull accompanied by pianists Blaise Bryski and Richard Montgomery.
When: 7-8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Where: CRS Barn Studio, 2622 N. Triphammer Road, Ithaca
Cost: Tickets are available at the gate: $20, general admission; $5, kids under 18; free for kids under 12
Improv on Tap
Adam Arritola, the curator behind Miami Psych Fest and Rochester Experimental Week, comes to perform in Ithaca as part of his 50-state tour. Promising “an incredibly eclectic night filled with mystery and surprise,” Arritola will be freely improvising with Syracuse's very own Caleb Crittenden, who runs the Cruel Symphonies Label. This will be the only night that the two will duo on the tour. Flose (Charles Chatman), Wraith, Psionic Octopus, and Stinkmeat all offer local support. “To close out the show, all of the acts will band together to create special collaborative magic.”
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Sacred Root Kava Lounge & Tea Bar
Cost: $10
Uncut Gems
Dirty Gems is the collaboration between Double Tiger (Jay Spaker) and djGOURD (Brian Mlodzinski of The Comb Down), featuring two DJs, live guitar, bass, and drums “traveling across genres centralized in deep African funk.” They’ll be joined by some special guests for this “sweaty getdown,” which is Deep Dive’s first-ever night-time deck session.
When: 9 p.m. Friday
Where: Deep Dive
Cost: $5-$10 sliding scale donation
A Lot of Laughs
Comedian Kevin Farley comes to Ithaca, ready to showcase his distinctive brand of Midwestern-bred humor. The younger brother of the late Chris Farley, Kevin Farley “began his career in entertainment as a member of Chicago's famous Second City comedy troupe, where he honed his skills as a writer and performer. From there, he went on to appear in a number of popular television shows and movies,” including "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "The Waterboy," and "Joe Dirt."
Ithaca’s own Mike Brindisi will open the show, along with Buffalo’s Jacob Morrison.
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: Lakewatch Inn
Cost: $25, available online here
Colorful Sounds
Trumansburg Conservatory of Fine Arts will host an opening event for “Synesthesia: The Color of Sound,” the annual spring show of the Cayuga Arts Collective. “Curated by founding members Domenica Brockman and Marina Delaney, this exhibit features both established and emerging artists who this year explore the relationship between art and music or sound. The opening celebration will feature music by DJ Obvious Objects and an interactive audio and visual installation by Mark Oros.” The show runs through July 28, with open gallery hours Fridays and Sundays at 1-5 p.m.
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: Trumansburg Conservatory of Fine Arts
Cost: free
The Buck Stops Here
The 86ers, Cast Iron Cowboys, and Drew Kiddoo and the Blackouts team up for the inaugural Buck Fest, which features three of Ithaca’s top alt-country/Americana/cowpunk bands. Note: There’s no cussing or hat wearing at the bar.
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: Forest City Lodge 180
Cost: $5
Let’s Roll
Deep Dive will host an Ithaca Fest After Party featuring Flying Object, the “lyric-driven, groove-based rock ‘n’ roll” from Matt and Chris O’Brian of Thunder Body and Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad.
When: 9 p.m. Saturday
Where: Deep Dive
Cost: $10
A Good Cause
South Hill Cider will host a fundraiser for Oji:sda, whose mission is expanding “indigenous visibility, land literacy and good health by using innovative methods of sharing ancestral knowledge. Through media arts and authentic curriculum we focus on environmental protection, sustainability, community wellbeing, healing, and cultural vibrancy.” Performers will include Akwesasne Mohawk singer Bear Fox and Lydia Garrison, a fiddler and banjo picker, as well as La Llorona, the solo loop/vocal/violin project of Alejandra Diemecke of the Ilium Works, and dance troupes from Southside Community Center. Dinner plates will be available for $10 for adults, and $5 for kids under 12
When: 3-7 p.m. Sunday
Where: South Hill Cider
Cost: $20 suggested donation
In Session
Traonach and Friends continue their Live Irish Music Session on alternating Sundays at the Watershed, carrying on in the fine tradition of their much-beloved sessions at the Argos, The Chapter House, and Micawbers.
When: 5-8 p.m. Sunday
Where: The Watershed
Cost: free; donations welcome
Sunday Jazz
The Savage Club of Ithaca’s “Jazz Stars,” a free six-concert and conversation series “aimed at broadening the accessibility and appreciation of jazz and live performance to a wider range of people,” continues with jazz guitarist Dennis Winge, who just released “Sketches,” his third album in three years.
“In line with this goal of broadening the accessibility and appreciation for jazz, each of the six scheduled performances will give a different young high school “rising star” a safe and supportive opportunity to play in front of a jazz-loving audience.” For this show, Winge will be joined by rising jazz star Jacob Merrill, a saxophonist from Ithaca High School who leads the band Three Sharp Minors. The Ira Kamp Trio, which also includes Peter Rothbart and Domo Ronsvalle (Lansing High), will open the evening.
“This isn’t just a jazz concert,” said Brian Wansink, one of organizers of the series for the Savage Club, which hosts the events. “These aren’t just stars from the City or Eastman. These people are going to share secrets, their love for jazz, their journey, things like that. It’s a concert and a conversation.”
When: 6:30 p.m. Sunday
Where: Lansing Performance Hall (The Savage Club), 1004 Auburn Road, Lansing
Cost: free; donations welcome
Triple Threat
Sunk Coast returns to the Downstairs, joined by Grass Jaw and Oleg Kuksgauzen. “Sunk Coast wails on and on about attachment, self-delusion, uncertainty, and precarious social identities through the vessel of indie alt-country garage emo. If you like Pinegrove, Andy Shauf, or Wilco, you'll probably find this music sufferable.” Check out their music here!
When: 7 p.m. Sunday
Where: The Downstairs
Cost: $7
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). MAQ plays the 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month.
When: 5:30-8:30 p.m. Monday
Where: South Hill Cider
Cost: free
Finnish Folk
The Finger Lakes Finns will sponsor a concert with the Finnish folk band Kardemimmit, who will play music on traditional Finnish kanteles while singing in their native language. Band members Maija Pokela, Jutta Rahmel, Anna Wegelius, and Leeni Wegelius compose, arrange, and produce their own music, which is characterized by mesmerizing vocal harmonies. “Alongside 15 and 38 stringed kanteles, singing has a big part in Kardemimmit’s musical universe where original pieces with a modern approach still have a strong foundation in Finnish, Eastern European and Scandinavian traditions. The Finnish reki-singing style, 19th century dancing music and Perhonjokilaakso kantele playing style, Eastern Finnish archaic improvisation and ancient runo singing are all present in Kardemimmit’s music.” Members of the Finger Lakes Finns will provide traditional baked goods and coffee after the concert.
When: 7-9 p.m. Tuesday
Where: First Unitarian Society of Ithaca (FUSIT)
Cost: free admission; donations are welcome
Going Galactic
The Galactic Escort Service returns every other Wednesday to 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
Where: Deep Dive
Cost: $5
Bon Ton Roulet!
Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble return to Ithaca, bringing their unique sound from the town of Grand Coteau in Louisiana’s Creole country. “Get those dancing shoes ready for Curley's soulful, bluesy vocals and the band's hard-driving zydeco beat will keep you dancing well into the night.”
Opening the show is Living Myths, “Folk-Rock-Experimental from the heart and soul of the American experience.” Angelo Peters (Big Mean Sound Machine, Swamp Kids, Dom Martyr) is joined by Michael Schuler, Jason Shegogue, and Willie B on drums for this show. Check out the self-titled EP that came out in December here!
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, June 8
Where: Deep Dive
Cost: $15, available online here; $20 day of show
New York Rock
Practice at Presents will host its first show of June, returning to Sacred Root for garage rock show featuring locals Microbes, Mostly and Gravestone Glue along with Pons from New York City.
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 8
Where: Sacred Root Kava Lounge & Tea Bar
Cost: $10
Getting It Started
The Downtown Ithaca Summer Concert Series kicks off its 2023 season with Bead N Bone, an alt-reggae band formed in 2017 by singer-guitarist London McDaniel to “share the Groove of Life, Consciousness & Love through music.” The concert series runs through Sept. 14; see the full lineup here!
When: 6-8 p.m. Thursday, June 8
Where: Bernie Milton Pavilion, the Commons
Cost: free
More Shows
Moqueca is at Brookton’s Market at 5-7:30 p.m. Thursday
Venissa Santi and Zack Knewstub play “their favorite jazz standards and obscure gems” at South Hill Cider at 5:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday
Tru Bleu is at Six Mile Creek Winery at 6-8 p.m. Thursday
Pat and Don are at Cortland Beer Company at 6 p.m. Thursday
Oliver Burdo is at Scale House Brewery at 6-8 p.m. Thursday
Seneca Cheese Company hosts Open Mic Night at 6-8:30 p.m. Thursday
Rev Ezra and Monallo are at Atwater Vineyards at 6-8 p.m. Thursday
Doc Possum is at Grist Iron Brewing at 6-9 p.m. Thursday
Benny T brings his Open Mic Posse to the Ridge in Lansing at 6:30 p.m. Thursday
Marc Ryan is at the Cortland DAV at 6:30 p.m. Thursday
Levi Dusseau is at the Glen Haven at 7-9 p.m. Thursday
GoGone plays Deep Dive at 5-7 p.m. Friday
Brett Beardslee plays Bagley’s Winery at 5-8 p.m. Friday
The Delta Mike Shaw Band is at Liquid State Brewing North in Romulus at 5-7:30 p.m. Friday
Howard Rothenberg plays Brookton’s Market at 5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday
Black Robin Band is at Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards at 5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday
UnParallel Live is at Seneca Cheese Company at 5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday
Marc Ryan is at Wolffy’s Tavern at 6 p.m. Friday
The Payton Bird Duo is at Homer Hops at 6-9 p.m. Friday
Bradford Allen is at Summerhill Brewing at 6-8 p.m. Friday
Biggs and Young are at ONCO Fermentations at 6-8 p.m. Friday
Rose Alaimo plays the Cortland Free Library at 6 p.m. Friday
Freight is at Hopshire Farms and Brewery at 6-8 p.m. Friday
Tru Bleu is at Treleaven Winery at 6-9 p.m. Friday
Mystic Twangers are at Grist Iron Brewing at 6-9 p.m. Friday
The Band 3 is at Scale House Brewery at 6-9 p.m. Friday
The Dart Brothers are Two Goats Brewing at 6-9 p.m. Friday
Backtalk with Hannah Martin plays Wagner Vineyards at 6:30 p.m. Friday
Rachel Beverly is at the Glen Haven at 7-9 p.m. Friday
Grooveyard marks 30 years of rocking at Jake’s Tavern in Horseheads at 8 p.m. Friday
Exit 11 is at Cortland Beer Company at 8 p.m. Friday
Clint Bush, Quona Hudson, and The Cousins play the Village Tavern in Marcellus at 8 p.m. Friday
Terrapin Station are at Grist Iron Brewing at 1-4 p.m. Saturday
M3 is at McGraw Box Brewing at 2-5 p.m. Saturday
The Major Keys are at Treleaven Winery at 2-5 p.m. Saturday
Unreal Village plays Chateau Dusseau Winery at 3-7 p.m. Saturday
Aunt Millie’s Biscuits is at Scale House Brewery at 4-7 p.m. Saturday
Levi Gangi plays Bagley’s Winery at 5-8 p.m. Saturday
Darkwine is at Summerhill Brewing at 5-8 p.m. Saturday
Moe Michnick is at Homer Hops at 6-9 p.m. Saturday
Jazz Asylum are at Heuga’s Alpine in Tully at 6-9 p.m. Saturday
Tailor Made plays McGraw’s Music in the Park series at 6 p.m. Saturday
Roger Decker is at Brewer’s Café and Taproom at 6-8 p.m. Saturday Jr. Rich Project is at Grist Iron Brewing at 6-9 p.m. Saturday
Deco & The Dusters are Two Goats Brewing at 6-9 p.m. Saturday
Cozmic Theo plays Brookton’s Market at 7 p.m. Saturday
Off the Rails plays Cortland Beer Company at 8 p.m. Saturday
Bendher is at the Ransom Steele Tavern in Apalachin at 9 p.m. Saturday
Dom Martyr plays the Upstairs at 9 p.m. Saturday
Ben and Sarah are at Heuga’s Alpine in Tully from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday
Blue Skies play the Live Jazz Brunch series at Stonecat Café from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday
The Dart Brothers are at Grist Iron Brewing at 2-5 p.m. Sunday
Harmonic Dirt are at ONCO Fermentations at 2-5 p.m. Sunday
The Tony Serdula Band is at the Horseheads Brewing Seneca Lake at 2-5 p.m. Sunday
Seattle Sons are at the at Nest Tavern in Apulia at 4 p.m. Sunday
Ampersand Project is at Scale House Brewery at 4-7 p.m. Sunday
40 Theeves are at Two Goats Brewing at 4-7 p.m. Sunday
Brett Beardslee is back with the blues at Rasta Ranch Vineyards at 5-8 p.m. Mondays
Mark Maynard hosts Open Mic Night at Lucky Hare Brewing in Hector at 6-8 p.m. Mondays
The Downstairs hosts Poetry & Prose Open Mic Night at 6:30-9 p.m. Monday
The Freight Duo is at Firelight Camps at 6-8 p.m. Tuesday
Kenneth McLaurin hosts Open Mic Stand Up Comedy Night at the Downstairs at 7-9 p.m. Tuesday
The Center for the Arts in Homer hosts Open Mic Night at 7p.m. Tuesdays
Auburn Public Theatre hosts Open Mic Night at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays
The Westy hosts its new Open Mic Night at 9 p.m. Tuesdays
Three Stone Fire are at the Trumansburg Farmers Market at 4-7 p.m. Wednesday
Jesse Collins and Friends host the Sandwich Sessions at Brookton’s Market at 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesdays
The Argos Trio plays jazz at the Argos Inn at 5-7 p.m. Wednesdays
Louiston with Colleen Countryman plays Lucky Hare Brewing in Hector at 5-7 p.m. Wednesday
Rachel Beverly is at Ithaca Beer Company at 6-8 p.m. Wednesday
The Inner Crazy is at Bright Leaf Vineyard in King Ferry at 6-8:30 p.m. Wednesday
JP Payton plays Salt Point Brewing at 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday
DJ Dale hosts Trivia Night at Revelry Yards at 7-9 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 Party returns to the Range at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays
The Upstairs has resumed its weekly Open Mic Night, now at 8:30 p.m. to midnight Wednesdays
Raedwald Howland-Bolton plays South Hill Cider at 5:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, June 8
Radio London is at Six Mile Creek Winery at 6-8 p.m. Thursday, June 8
The Brewhouse Blues Jam returns to Hopshire Farm and Brewery at 6-8 p.m. Thursday, June 8
Regional Shows
June 1, Collective Soul and The Summit, Perinton Center Park Amphitheater, Fairport
June 1, Nikki Hill, Abilene Bar & Lounge, Rochester
June 1, Styx, Watertown Fairgrounds Arena, Watertown
June 1, Chris Trapper, 443 Social Club, Syracuse
June 1, The Hollywood Vampires, Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, Bethel
June 2, Joan Osborne: A Tribute to Jerry Garcia, Lincoln Hill Farms, Canandaigua
June 2, Styx, Artpark, Lewiston
June 2-3, Taste of Syracuse with Spin Doctors and Eve6, Syracuse
June 3, Noah Kahan, Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards, LaFayette (SOLD OUT!)
June 3, Justin Hayward, Del Lago Resort, Waterloo
June 3, The Garcia Project, Prison City Brewery North, Auburn
June 4, The Bacon Brothers, Point of the Bluff Vineyards, Hammondsport
June 6, Chris Duarte, Abilene Bar and Lounge, Rochester
June 6, An Encore Tribute to the Music of Paul Simon, The Ridge, Chittenango
June 7, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Artpark, Lewiston (CANCELED!)
June 7, Curtis Salgado, 443 Social Club, Syracuse
June 8, Thomas Rhett, MVP Arena, Albany
June 8, Deer Tick and Rafay Rashid, Lincoln Hill Farms, Canandaigua
June 8, Chris Stapleton with Charley Crockett and The War & Treaty, St. Joseph's Health Amphitheater at Lakeview, Syracuse
June 9, Spafford, Lincoln Hill Farms, Cazenovia
June 9, Chelsea Handler, Del Lago Resort, Waterloo
June 9, Organ Fairchild, Abilene Bar and Lounge, Rochester
June 9-10, Mike Powell, 443 Social Club, Syracuse (SOLD OUT!)
June 9-10, moe., Saranac Brewery, Utica
June 10, Glengarry Bhoys, Center for the Arts, Homer
June 10, Buddy Guy, Artpark, Lewiston
June 10, Rainbow Kitten Surprise and Carol Ades, Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards, LaFayette CANCELED!
June 10, Luke Bryan, St. Joseph's Health Amphitheater at Lakeview, Syracuse
June 10, Los Lobos and Taj Mahal Quartet, Point of the Bluff Vineyards, Hammondsport
June 10, Jeffrey Osborne, Del Lago Resort, Waterloo
