Air
conditioning? Re-runs?
C’mon, summer’s barely a blink. It arrives, sizzles, and splits way too quick.
But this is the way nightlife likes to operate, anyhow; in brief, hot spurts of
opportunity — musical moments in time, if you will. So summertime is perfect
for diggin’ what you dig live.
There are just 83
days this summer, as opposed to the remaining 282 where Mother Nature
re-applies the suction.
Live a little. Live a
lot. There’s something to do every goddamn day. This list will get you started.
— Frank De Blase
NOTE: All dates are
subject to change.
JUNE
14 — Dave Matthews Band w/Matisyahu,
Six Flags Darien Lake, 7 p.m., $39.50-$59.50, all ages.
The Bellrays w/The
Mercies, The Bug Jar, 10
p.m., $6-$8, 18+
The Bellrays
are the last bastion of hard-driving rock ‘n’ soul. The band’s unparalleled
passion and live tent revival shows will undoubtedly save any soul you have left, and live music in general.
15 — Danny “Knuckles” Sullivan Tournedo’s, 9 p.m., free every Thursday
Knuckles tickles the ivories like an
octopus on crank. So yeah, he’s a whole lotta fun to
watch. And the music’s gorgeous too.
16 — The Lashes w/DamoneWater Street Music Hall, 7 p.m., $8, all ages
Yet another new group leading the move
away from whining to rockin’ with a dose of New Wave tossed in.
17 — Eddie Nebula & The
Plague CD release show The Bug Jar, 10 p.m., $6
This band’s 2005 hit “Rochester Girls”
has become an anthem, and in some cases a self-fulfilling prophecy. These punks
rock like grounded acrobats.
18 — Celtic SundaysMilestones, 7 p.m., free, every Sunday
19 — The White HotsLittle
Theatre Cafรฉ, 8 p.m., $5 table minimum
Keen, laid-back jazz played by three Rochester hipster-scenster cats that wax so cool they probably can feel the
earth spin.
20 — Lee Wright piano, Downtown United
Presbyterian Church, noon, free, all ages
Rockin‘ At The Knox featuring Blondie, Albright-KnoxArtGallery,
5-11 p.m., $40-$45, all ages
Say what you like, Blondie is not a
guilty pleasure. I don’t care how disco they strayed.
21 — Bauhaus Town Ballroom, 7 p.m., $37.50,
all ages
22 — ShemekiaCopelandHighFalls
Festival Site, 5 p.m., free, all ages
Johnny Clyde Copeland’s little girl, Shemekia’s music is as big and beautiful as she is. Hers is
a velvety roar. I kissed her at the airport once and haven’t been the same
since.
23 — The White HotsGazebo
@ Veteran’s Memorial Park, Webster, 7-9 p.m., free, all ages
24 — David “Fathead” Newman Montage, 7 &
10 p.m. $20-$40. 21+
25 — Kelli Hicks Little Theatre Cafรฉ, 8
p.m., $5 table minimum
26 — Acoustic blues Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, 10 p.m., free, every Monday
27 — Open Mic w/Lisa BigwoodDaily Perks Coffee House, 7-10 p.m., free, all
ages
Easily the biggest
open mic in town, where artists clammer
to get on the swollen list hours before doors open.A
fantastic way to watch artists develop and work off of one another in an
acoustically perfect setting in the South Wedge. Good Joe, too.
28 — GrupoFantasma Liberty Pole, 5 p.m., free, all ages
29 — Fred Costello Fedele’sBrookhouse Restaurant, 6-9 p.m., free, every Thursday
Everything goes better with the jumpin’, bumpin’, swingin’, swayin’ groove of
Fred’s B-3.
30 — Donna The Buffalo Rochester
Public Market, time TBA, free, all ages
JULY
1 — The Electro Kings Beale Street, 8 p.m., free, every Saturday
2 — Slumdays DJs The Bug Jar, 9 p.m., free, every
Sunday
3 — Open Blues Jam w/Dan Schmitt & TheShadowsClarissaRoom, 9 p.m., free, every Monday
4 — The Pep Band, HeritageVeteransMemorial Park, Henrietta, 4-9 p.m. (followed by fireworks), free
5 — The Margaret Explosion Little Theatre
Cafรฉ, 8 p.m., $5 table minimum, every Wednesday
6 — Dave Mason High Falls Festival Site, 5
p.m., free, all ages
7 — The Jack Allen Big Band Gazebo at VeteransMemorial Park, 7-9 p.m., free, all ages
Talk about swingin’
smooth. Just check out the wall-o-saxophones in this outfit.
8— Low Ton CD release show
The Bug Jar, 10 p.m., $6
9 — Great Blue Heron Music Festival $57
(weekend pass), $22-$30 (one-day pass), all ages (under 18 w/adult); runs July
7-9
Rochester Music Fest Frontier
Field, $50 (two-day pass; children $18), all ages; runs July 7-9
10 — The String Cheese Incident w/Rat Dog
featuring Bob Weir CMAC, 6:30 p.m., $20-$45, all ages
PeteYornWaterStreetMusic
Hall,
7 p.m., $16, all ages
11 — LumiereLittle Theatre Cafรฉ, 8 p.m., $5 table
minimum, every Tuesday
12 — The BuzzcocksTown Ballroom, 7 p.m., $15, all ages
13 — Johnny Winter w/David GogoHigh Falls Festival Site, 5 p.m., free, all ages
14 — Bonnie Raitt w/Keb Mo CMAC, 7:30 p.m., $41-$66, all ages
15 — Women’s Right To
Rock The People’s Park, all day, free, all ages; runs July 14-16
16 — 102.1 Edgefest II
w/All-American Rejects, Matchbook Romance, Yellowcard,
Story Of The Year Molson Amphitheatre, time TBA, $33.50, all ages
17 — Brave Combo Milestones, time and price
TBA
18 — Ashlee Simpson, Ashley Parker Angel, TheVeronicasSixFlagsDarienLake, time and price TBA
19 — CyroBaptista and
Beat the Donkey Liberty Pole, 5 p.m., free, all ages
20 — Big Sandy
& His Fly-Rite Boys George Eastman House, 6:30 p.m., $5-$15, all ages
Contempo
kings of western swing.
21 — American Idols Live Blue Cross Arena, 7
p.m., $48.50-$68.50, all ages.
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Frontier Field, 8:30 p.m., price TBA, followed by fireworks.
22 — Grass Roots Festival $75 (weekend
pass), $35 (under 15 weekend pass), all ages; runs July 20-23
23 — Trinidad & Tobago: Sounds of the CaribbeanIrondequoitTown Hall, 2:30 p.m., free, all ages
24 — Larry The Cable
Guy CMAC, 7:30 p.m., $41-$66, all ages
25 — The Black Crowes,
Drive-By Truckers, Robert Randolph & TheFamilyBandSixFlagsDarienLake, 6:30 p.m., $15-$45, all ages
I guess Chris and Rich needed to
release solo albums in order to see how much they needed each other. This is
the big show of the year for me.
26 — O.A.R. w/Jack’s MannequinHighFalls Festival Site, 5 p.m., free, all ages
27 — Ozzfest featuring Lacuna Coil, ZakkWylde & Black Label Society, System of a Down, HatebreedSixFlagsDarienLake, 11 a.m., $30.50-$96, all ages
28 — JGB featuring Melvin Seals Rochester
Public Market, time and price TBA
29 — Mavis Staples w/The Blind Boys Of Alabama Highland Bowl, time and price TBA
This’ll be like church splendor in the
grass
30 — PatrizioBuanne Highland Bowl, closing night of Italian picnic time and price TBA
31 — Tiger Cried Beef w/Awesome Color Bug
Jar, 9 p.m., $5-$7, 18+
AUGUST
1 — Vans Warped Tour featuring Anti-Flag, Joan
Jett, NOFX, SixFlagsDarienLake, noon, $29.50, all
ages
Every punk band and band that thinks it’s punk playing out in the gravel, dust, and sun.
2 — The Hold Steady Mohawk Place, Buffalo, time and price TBA
3 — Steve Riley & TheMamouPlayboysWaterStreetMusic Hall, time and price TBA
4 — John Seiger &
The All-Stars Port Of Pittsford Park, 7 p.m., free, all ages
Close your eyes and it’s Satchmo.
5 — The Legendary ShackshakersThe Bug Jar, 10 p.m., $6
The most dangerous, menacing live act
you will see today.
6 — Paradigm Shift featuring Gray Mayfield Flat
Iron Cafรฉ, 5 p.m., $4 ($2 w/college ID), all ages
7 — Karaoke
w/Buck and Chuck The Roost, 9 p.m., free, every Monday
8 — Keith Harden Beale Street, 7-10 p.m., free, ever Tuesday
9 — Guster w/Ray LaMontagneHigh Falls Festival Site, 5 p.m., free, all ages
10 — The Fabulous Thunderbirds w/The Coupe de Villes High Falls Festival Site, 5 p.m., free, all ages
The T-Birds are so much more than
“Tuff Enuff.” Just dig my boy Nick Curran on the
guitar.
11 — Bobby Henrie
& TheGonersVeteransMemorial Park, 7-9 p.m., free, all ages
12 — Gelan Y Los Caribes, Sarahi, GrupoCalleUno, Rumbaton, Cachao and the Spanish Harlem Orchestra Puerto Rican
Festival, noon-11 p.m., $4-$8 (one-day), $17 (three-day pass); runs August
11-13
13 — Willie Nelson w/John Fogarty Six Flags DarienLake, time and
price TBA
Birds are gonna
get stoned at this one. Clouds too.
14 — Manic Mondays DJs The Bug Jar, 10 p.m.,
free, every Monday
15 — Golden Link Sing-A-Round Twelve Corners
Presbyterian Church, 7:30 p.m., free, all ages, every Tuesday
16 — Filthy Funk Wednesdays OR assorted DJs The Bug Jar, 9 p.m., free, every Wednesday
17 — Tea Leaf Green/Donna the Buffalo LaFayette Square, Buffalo, 5 p.m., free
18 — Jack Edward Smith & Ryan T Carey ThaliOfIndia, 7-9
p.m., free, all ages
19 — Chris BottiCMAC,
7:30 p.m., $18-$43, all ages
Sulaco CD release
show Bug Jar, 9 p.m., $6,
21+
20 — The Beach Boys CMAC, 3 p.m., $13-$23,
all ages
21 — Karaoke w/Walt O’Brien Flipside, 8
p.m., free, every Monday
22 — The Monty Alexander Trio Horizons
Lounge, 7:30 p.m., price TBA; plays August 22-23
23 — The Steepwater
Band Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, 10 p.m., free
24 — GapMangioneBigBandIrondequoitTown Hall, 7 p.m., free,
all ages
25 — KeithUrbanNew YorkState
Fairgrounds, 7:30 p.m., $45-$50, all ages
26 — Bug Jar Fest Highland Bowl, all day,
free, all ages
27 — Paradigm Shift featuring Gray Mayfield Flat
Iron Cafรฉ, 5 p.m., $5 ($3 w/college ID), all ages, every Sunday
28 — Fritz’s Polka Band New York State Fairgrounds, time and price TBA
29 — DJ David Lee The Roost, 7 p.m., free,
every Tuesday
30 — Harper Dinosaur BBQ, 10 p.m., free
31 — Skaneateles Festival (pieces by Handel,
Mozart, Shostakovich) First Presbyterian Church, Skaneateles, 8 p.m., $13-$21;
runs August 9-September 2
SEPTEMBER
1 — Sonic Youth New York State Fairgrounds,
7:30 p.m., call for tix, all ages
Just imagine; Thurston Moore’s guitar
with the smell of manure.
2 — Moe.down 7 noon, $80
(three-day pass), all ages; runs September 1-3
3 — ForeignerNew YorkStateFairgrounds,
time and price TBA
Without Lou, it’s just foreign.
VENUES
Albright-KnoxArtGallery 1285 Elmwood
Ave, Buffalo,
716-882-8700
Beale Street689 South Ave,
271-4650
Blue Cross Arena100 Exchange Blvd,
232-1900
The Bug Jar219 Monroe Ave,
454-2966
Clarissa Room293 Clarissa St,
325-5350
Daily Perks Coffee House 389 Gregory St, 271-2340
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que 99 Court St, 325-7090
Downtown United Presbyterian Church121 N Fitzhugh
St, 325-4000
Fedele’sBrookhouse
Restaurant3590 W Ridge Rd, 723-9988
Flat Iron Cafรฉ561 State St,
454-4830
Flipside2001 E Main St,
288-3930
Frontier Field1 Morrie
Silver Way, 423-9464
George Eastman House900 East Ave,
271-3361
Grass Roots Festival Route 96, Trumansburg, 607-387-5098
Great Blue Heron Music Festival Wait Corners Rd & Bailey Hill Rd, Sherman, 716-484-7070
Henrietta Veterans Memorial Park595 Calkins Rd,
Henrietta,334-7700
HighFalls Festival Grounds 4 Commercial
St, 428-6690
Highland Bowl Off of South
Ave
Horizons LoungeThe Lodge @ Woodcliff, 199 Woodcliff Dr, 381-4000
Irondequoit Town Hall1280 Titus Ave,
336-7273
LaFayette Square Main and Court streets, Buffalo, 716-856-3150
Liberty Pole Corner of East
Ave and Main
St
Little Theatre Cafรฉ240 East Ave,
258-0412
Milestones 170 East Ave, 325-5880
Moe.down 7SnowRidgeSkiMountain, Turin,
315-785-5409
Mohawk Place 47 E Mohawk St, Buffalo, 716-855-3931
Molson Amphitheatre 909 Lakeshore Blvd W, Ontario
Place, Toronto, 416-260-5600
Montage50 Chestnut St,
232-1520
New YorkState FairgroundsOff Route 690, Syracuse,
315-472-0700
People’s Park Routes 5 & 20, Seneca Falls, 315-568-1219
Puerto Rican FestivalRochester Civic CenterPlaza,
234-7660
Rochester Public Market
280
N Union St,
428-6907
The Roost4853 W Henrietta Rd,
321-1170
Six Flags Darien Lake9993 Allegheny Rd, east
of Buffalo,
232-1900
Skaneateles Festival97 E. Genesee St.,
Skaneateles, 685-7418
ThaliOfIndia 3259 S Winton Rd, 427-8030
Tournedo’s @ The Inn On
Broadway 26 Broadway,
269-3888
Town Ballroom681 Main St, Buffalo, 716-852-3900
Twelve Corners Presbyterian Church1200 Winton Rd
S, 234-5044
Water Street Music Hall204 N Water St,
325-5600
Webster
Veterans Memorial Park North Ave, WebsterVillage, 265-3770
This article appears in Jun 14-20, 2006.
