Beat the winter blues this weekend with these cools shows in and around Ithaca!
Marking 50 Years
The fabled synthesizer ensemble Mother Mallard’s Portable Masterpiece Company will mark its 50th anniversary with a pair of shows this month; this is the first. The group will perform pieces from founder David Borden’s “The Continuing Story of Counterpoint” on vintage instruments that include original Moogs, Fender Rhodes pianos, and more. Mother Mallard was the first live synthesizer ensemble in the world and came about through Borden’s work with Robert Moog in Trumansburg.
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Barnes Hall, Cornell University
Cost: free
It’s Happy Hour Again
Kick off the weekend with some live music at various venues around Ithaca and Cortland: Big J Blues is at Agava Restaurant at 4-6 p.m., Cielle is at Ithaca Bakery at 6-8 p.m., The Zydeco Trail Riders are at Hopshire Farm and Brewery in Dryden at 6-8 p.m., The Devo/Massa Duo is at Autumn View Brews and Brats in Trumansburg at 6-8 p.m., Wildflwr is at the Westy at 7-9 p.m., JP Payton and the Easy Tigers Duo are at Bike Bar Ithaca at 7 p.m., Jimmy Lawler is at Cortland Beer Company at 7 p.m., and John West and Lonnie Park are at BRU 64 at 7 p.m.
When: Friday
Where: Various locations
Cost: free
Two Night Stand
The Alloy Orchestra returns to Cornell Cinema for a two-day engagement. They'll perform with the definitive restoration of Fritz Lang’s dystopian epic, “Metropolis,” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, and with a brand-new restoration of French actor-director Jaque Catelain’s “Gallery of Monsters,” a rarely seen tale of love, danger and the circus, featuring excellent cinematography, surreal costumes, and a terrifying lion attack, at 7 p.m. Saturday.
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday & 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: Willard Straight Theatre, Cornell
Cost: Tickets for “Metropolis” are $16 general, $14 for students; for “Gallery of Monsters,” they’re $14 general, $12 for students.
Event Info: “Metropolis” “Gallery of Monsters"
Freshly Squeezed
Boston-based rock-funk band Juice returns to the Haunt, where it played a pretty impressive show there a few months ago, Opening the show are Max Childs, the soul-pop project of Ithaca singer-keyboardist Max Shuhan, and Teddy Hyde.
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Where: The Haunt
Cost: $15
Team Work
Ithaca Underground will join forces with local entity Goo Lagoon to present a show at featuring Sundried, Clam Lust, and Siamese Bikes. Cover for the all-ages 9:30 p.m. show is $5.
When: 9 p.m. Friday
Where: Sacred Root Kava Lounge
Cost: $5
Roots Rockers
The Desert Stones return to downtown Ithaca for a night of classic blues, rock and country tunes.
When: 9:30 p.m. Friday
Where: The Range
Cost: small cover
Spacey Sounds
New Planets, an all-star Afro-Funk collective that includes Angelo Peters, Alicia Aubin, Yao Foli “Cha Cha” Augustine, Archer Cowen, Cooper Casterline and Emmett Scott, will make its Owego debut.
When: 10 p.m. Friday
Where: John Barleycorn Tavern, Owego
Cost: cover
Ready to Rock
Kitestring – Josh Ross, Jeremy Betterly, Phil Shay, MartyFarchion – returns to downtown Ithaca to showcase songs from their latest album, “Seven Years Good Luck.”
When: 10 p.m. Friday
Where: Ithaca Ale House
Cost: free
Cortland Rocks
Punxgiving 2019 will feature four bands – Genitor (the last show with its current lineup), The Enemies (Buffalo punk legends whose “Disconnected” was covered by the GooGoo Dolls), Sanjuro Fields and Boot Knife – with singer-pianist Rick Starmer performing in the bar room between sets.
When: 6 p.m. Saturday
Where: Cortland Beer Company
Cost: small cover
Rust Never Sleeps
Acoustic Rust – the duo of Bugs Bugliosi and Kat Patton – play a mix of indie, folk and rock, “with enough Neil Young tunes to stay true to the name.”
When: 6 p.m. Saturday
Where: Brewer’s Café and Tap Room, Dryden
Cost: free
Keeping It Country
Tailor-Made and the Dean Goble Band will perform a variety of country hits covering many decades. A country-style dinner is available at extra cost, too.
When: 6 p.m. Saturday
Where: Homer Center for the Arts
Cost: $25 (includes dinner and show); $15 (just music)
Rust Belt Grooves
Microtones will welcome two cutting-edge electronic artists: Kiernan Laveaux, “a transfeminine conduit” from Cleveland, and one of the driving forces behind In Training, a long running queer event series founded in Cleveland in 2014; and Davis Galvin, a Pittsburgh-based producer whose sound “blends American house and techno with influences from garage and modern UK bass music.” Local act Playhouse90 is also on the bill.
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Forest City Lodge 180, 536 W Green St, Ithaca, New York 14850
Cost: $5 for advance tickets Angry Mom Records; $10-15 sliding scale at the booth.
Soul Man
Singer, songwriter and pianist Marc Cohn will perform in Ithaca. Best known for his 1991 hit “Walking in Memphis,” from his self-titled debut, Cohn won the 1992 Grammy for Best New Artist. He quickly followed with 1993’s “The Rainy Season,” which produced the hit “Walk Through The World.” His latest, 2019’s “Work to Do,” is a collaborative record with gospel legends Blind Boys of Alabama, and features three new studio tracks and seven live recordings.
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: Hangar Theatre
Cost: $40-$45
Piano Man
Ithaca native Alexei Aceto will perform a solo junior recital, with a program that includes major works by Beethoven, Chopin and Liszt.
When: 8:15 p.m. Saturday
Where: Hockett Family Recital Hall, Whalen Center for Music, Ithaca College
Cost: Free and open to the public
Gathering No Moss
Satisfaction: The International Rolling Stones Tribute will come to Ithaca. Together for more than 18 years, the band performs more than 150 shows annually that capture the spirit of the Rolling Stones both musically and visually.
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: The Haunt
Cost: $20-$25
IC Sounds
Two talented singer-songwriters from Ithaca College – Kyra Skye and Michelle Shaubi – will join forces for a show in downtown Ithaca. Emma Tyme, another IC student, will open.
When: 9:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Sacred Root Kava Lounge & Tea Bar
Cost: $5
Minimalist Masterpieces
Ensemble X returns for a concert featuring two minimalist masterpieces, Steve Reich's “Proverb” and John Adams' Hallelujah Junction.” Percussionist Mike Truesdell, a faculty member at Ithaca College, will play “Temazcal” by Javier Alvarez.
When: 3 p.m. Sunday
Where: Barnes Hall, Cornell
Cost: free
Guitar Star
The Arts at Grace series begins its 16th season with prize-winning classical guitar Matthew Gillen, who will perform a variety of works. A graduate of Ithaca College and Florida State University, Gillen currently is pursuing a doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Texas at Austin.
The concert is free and open to all.
When: 3 p.m. Sunday
Where: Grace and Holy Spirit Church, 13 Court St., Cortland
Cost: free
Songs to Sing
Cortland-bred, Ithaca-based singer-songwriter Rachel Beverly returns to Ithaca’s West End for a night of originals and covers.
When: 7-9 p.m. Sunday
Where: The Westy
Cost: free
Philly Percussionists
Ithaca Underground will present a show headlined by Philadelphia's Square Peg Round Hole, the instrumental percussion-based trio of Evan Chapman, Sean M. Gill, and Carlos Pacheco-Perez. Mmeadows, the duo of Kristin Slipp and Cole Kamen-Green (they recently toured with Lake Street Dive), and locals bit.rot and LaLa Funstar round out the lineup.
When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday
Where: Casita del Polaris
Cost: $10
Double Header
Chris Ploss (Kites in the Space, Laila Belle, Justin Roeland and Nightswimmers, Lady D & the Shadow Spirits) will unveil his latest band, River Diver, and its new EP, “waybacklight.” The group includes Ploss on guitar and vocals, former Ithacan Greg McClure on drums, and fellow Nightswimmers Justin Roeland on guitar and Scott Nelson on bass. Eric Harvey, formerly of Spoon, will open the show.
When: 8 p.m. Sunday
Where: Argos Warehouse
Cost: $10
Celtic Sounds
Arise & Go will return to Bound for Glory. The trio of Tim Ball (guitar), Michael Roddy (pipes) and Ellie Goud Roddy (fiddle) play tunes from Ireland, Scotland, the Canadian Maritimes and more. The band released its second album, “Meeting Place,” earlier this year.
When: 8-11 p.m. Sunday
Where: Alternatives Library, Anabel Taylor Hall, Cornell University
Cost: free and open to all