CNY Concert Calendar: May 28-June 4
Check out these shows in Ithaca, Cortland, Homer, Lafayette, Syracuse, and the rest of CNY in the coming week!
Suroor performs at Angry Mom Records on Wednesday night.
Welcome to my latest Concert Calendar! This curated list will give you a heads-up on planning your concert-going in the coming week, which is chock-full of cool shows around Central New York: Avril Lavigne and Coheed & Cambria in Syracuse, Billy Currington at Beak and Skiff, Paul F. Tompkins in Homer, and the Chapel of Dog Festival in Cortland.
Also, the Ithaca Festival is this weekend, but you’ll have to check their website for a schedule of the bands beyond Thursday’s post-parade show with Maddy Walsh and the Blind Spots at the Bernie Milton Pavilion.
As a reminder, I update the web version of this newsletter regularly throughout the week; please check jimcat.substack.com for the latest news. Given the recent inclement weather, it’s worth checking in with the outdoor venues to see if there are any postponements or cancellations before you head to a show.
I’ll be posting my Soundoff column later this week, too – don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss out. I just passed the 200-subscriber mark and am well on the way to 300!
Additionally, I recently activated my Substack “pay” option, so those of you who have previously pledged your support should now see this activity reflected on your account.
Unreal Village is Tom Gath and Ted Walsh
Wednesday, May 28
Nikolai Ruskin is at the Trumansburg Farmers Market at 4-5:30 p.m. Wednesday, followed by Gerard Burke at 5:30-7 p.m.
Argos Grove plays jazz at Bar Argos at 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesdays
Brookton’s Market hosts Jazz Night at 6-8 p.m. Wednesday
Unreal Village (Ted Walsh and Tom Gath) is at Bright Leaf Vineyard at 6-8 p.m. Wednesday
Jazz Night returns to Deep Dive from 6 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Wednesday
The Nocturnal Café hosts Open Mic Night at 7 p.m. Wednesday
Sing Sea Chanties at Bike Bar Ithaca at 7-9 p.m. Wednesday
Avril Lavigne is at Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview in Syracuse at 7 p.m. Wednesday
Deanna Bogart is at the 443 Social Club & Lounge at 7 p.m. Wednesday
The Venissa Santi 3rio is at the Downstairs at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday CANCELLED due to illness!
Practice at Presents and Ithaca Underground will join forces to bring Suroor, Tungsten Lungs, and more bands to Angry Mom Records at 8 p.m. Wednesday ($10)
The Levin Brothers and Pat Labarbera are at Funk N Waffles at 8 p.m. Wednesday
Thursday, May 29
Benny and The Mex are at Just Breathe Legal Dispensary in Tyre at 5 p.m. Thursday
The Papa Muse Duo is at South Hill Cider at 5:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday
Dave Richman plays solo classical and jazz guitar at the Stone Cat Café at 6-8 p.m. Thursdays
The Lori Barrett Duo is at Ithaca Beer Company at 6-8 p.m. on Thursday
Scale House Brewery hosts Hector Open Mic Night at 6-9 p.m. Thursday
Aiken Nadge is at Cortland Beer Company at 6-9 p.m. Thursday
Atwater Winery hosts Dave & Jenn’s Karaoke Experience at 6-9 p.m. Thursday
From left: Jess Novak and Ashley Cox
Ashley Cox and Jess Novak with return to Moondog’s Lounge in Auburn with guest Kaylee Hale at 7-9 p.m. Thursday
Atlas Bowl hosts Vinyl Night with DJ Dan Aloi at 7-10 p.m. Thursday
Maddy Walsh and the Blind Spots play a post-Ithaca Festival parade show at the Bernie Milton Pavilion around 7:15 p.m. Thursday
The Foundation of Light hosts Dance Sanctuary with DJ Raiel at 7:30 p.m. Thursday
23 North Restaurant and Bar hosts its weekly Karaoke Night at 8 p.m. Thursday
Delaques continues Improv Thursdays at the Nocturnal Café at 8-11 p.m. Thursday
Practice at Presents brings Crime Waves, Birth (Defects), Carpet Crawler, and Skeleton Hands to Angry Mom Records at 8 p.m. Thursday
Date Night brings Bossa Nova Jazz to the Downstairs at 8-10 p.m. Thursday
Dylan Michael and Filled to the Brim are at Funk N Waffles at 8 p.m. Thursday
Tavern on the Commons hosts Karaoke Night at 10 p.m. Thursday
Friday, May 30
Chapel of Dog Fest Vol. 2 kicks off at Cortland’s Rose Hall at 4:30 p.m. Friday
Donna Colton is at Anyela’s Vineyards at 5-7 p.m. Friday
Virgil Cain is at Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards at 5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday
Wingnut plays South Hill Cider at 5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday
Tremayne Harer is at 29 Neat Whiskey Bar at 5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday
Justin Goodband is at BRU64 at 6-8 p.m. Friday
Lil’ Anne and Hot Cayenne are at Hopshire Farm and Brewery at 6-8 p.m. Saturday
Crystal Vision is at Homer Hops are 6-8 p.m. Friday
Throckmorton is at Brookton’s Market at 6-8 p.m. Friday
The Time Riders are at Stone Bend Farm at 6 p.m. Friday
Jes Sheldon and Mark Westers are at Heuga’s Alpine in Tully at 6-9 p.m. Friday
Michaela Clark is at Owego’s John Barleycorn Tavern at 6-9 p.m. Friday
The Notorious Stringbusters are at Finger Lakes Cider House at 6-9 p.m. Friday ($5)
The Prison City Rockers are at Prison City Brewing North at 6-9 p.m. Friday
Bad Alibi is at Grist Iron Brewing at 6-9 p.m. Friday
Terrapin Station is at Two Goats Brewing at 6-9 p.m. Friday
The Scott B Adams Acoustic Ensemble (with Eric Aceto and Doug Robinson) is at Scale House Brewing at 6-9 p.m. Friday
DJ ha-MEEN is at the “Spinning for Ovid” benefit at Osmote Winery in Burdett at 6-9 p.m. Friday
Danby Food and Drink hosts “Sing-A-Long for Sanity” at 6-9 p.m. Friday
Raised on Radio is at Wolffy’s Grill and Marina at 6-9 p.m. Friday
Jason on Guitar is at McGraw Box Brewing North at 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday
Doug and Eamonn Hubert are at Wagner Vineyards at 6:30-9 p.m. Friday
Los Blancos are at ONCO Fermentations at 7-9 p.m. Friday
Homebrewed Comedy is at McGraw Box Brewing at 7-9 p.m. Friday
Cortland Coffeehouse PLUS presents Jonathan Ochshorn at Unitarian Universalist Church of Cortland at 7-9 p.m. Friday
Casual Splash returns to the Downstairs with The Rungs, Don’t Don’t, Teencat, and DJ Titus Sav at 7 p.m. Friday ($10)
The Papa Muse Duo is at Lucky Hare Brewing in Owego at 7-9 p.m. Friday
The John and Bob Dean Duo is at Auburn Public Theatre at 7-9 p.m. Friday
90 Proof is at Summerhill Brewing at 7-10 p.m. Friday
The Ron Spencer Band is at Moondog’s Lounge in Auburn at 7-10 Friday
Dry County Welders are the Brackel Pub and Grub in McDonough at 7-10 p.m. Friday
Billy Currington, Parmalee, and Cole Goodwin kick off Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards 2025 season at 7 p.m. Friday
Coheed and Cambria, Mastodon, and Periphery play Syracuse’s Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview at 7 p.m. Friday
Greg McQuade is at Cortland Beer Company at 8 p.m. Friday
The M&Ms are at Hairy Tony’s in Cortland at 8 p.m. Friday
Blues Traveler is at del Lago Resort and Casino at 8 p.m. Friday
1980_Underground brings Diavol Strain, Academy Order, and Architrave to the Nocturnal Café at 8 p.m. Friday ($10)
Deep Dive will host a free Ithaca Festival After Party featuring djGOURD at 8 p.m. followed by some of the town’s top musicians (see the poster below!) at 10 p.m.
Saturday, May 31
DJs RDF, J-SUN, GOURD, Highstone, ha-MEEN, Proper Philth, and Anthony Mansfield spin at “Vinyl in the Alley” next to the Downstairs at 1-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
The Lansing Performing Arts Center hosts “Rock The Nursing Home: A Workshop for Solo Musicians” at 1:30-4:30 p.m. Saturday
Strange Heavy and Freight are at Knapp Winery at 2-5 p.m. Saturday
The First Unitarian Society of Ithaca celebrates the 50th anniversary of the FUSIT Organ at 2 p.m. Saturday
Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ are at Point of the Bluff Vineyards in Hammondsport at 3 p.m. Saturday
Funky Blu Roots is at Anyela’s Vineyards in Skaneateles at 3-6 p.m. Saturday
Soul Risin’ kicks off Middle Ages Brewing Company’s 2025 Loading Dock Series at 4 p.m. Saturday
Cruise Control is at Treleaven Winery at 4-7 p.m. Saturday
Levi Dusseau plays Owasco Lake Brewing at 5-7 p.m. Saturday
Fresh Vintage is at Scale House Brewing at 5-8 p.m. Saturday
The Soul Benders are at Lucky Hare Brewing in Watkins Glen at 5-8 p.m. Saturday
Yetsu
Yetsu is at Elmira’s Eldridge Park at 5-8 p.m. Saturday (Postponed to Sept. 1)
Joel Kane’s Uptown is at Aurora Brewing Company at 5-8 p.m. Saturday
The Bent Rails are at Danby Food and Drink at 6-8 p.m. Saturday
Kitestring is at Brewer’s Kitchen and Taproom at 6-8 p.m. Saturday
Catharsis is at Summerhill Brewing at 6-8 p.m. Saturday
The Smokin’ Loons are at Hopshire Farm and Brewery at 6-8 p.m. Saturday
All Good is at Homer Hops are 6-8 p.m. Saturday
The Letter 5 is at McGraw Box Brewing at 6-9 p.m. Saturday
Bob Keefe & The Surf Renegades are at Abandon Brewing Company in Penn Yan at 6-9 p.m. Saturday
Betty’s Ghost is at Kookalaroc’s Bar and Grill in Watkins Glen at 6-9 p.m. Saturday
90 Proof is at Grist Iron Brewing at 6-9 p.m. Saturday
Aaron DeRuyter and the Confluence are at Two Goats Brewing at 6-9 p.m. Saturday
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, The Infamous Stringdusters, and Melt are at Westcott Theater in Syracuse at 6 p.m. Saturday
Mick Fury plays Funk N Waffles at 6:30 p.m. Friday
Benny and The Mex are at McGraw Box Brewing North at 6:30-8:30 p.m. Saturday
The Neo Politans and Amber Martin & The Fruit Stand are at Atomic Tom’s in Binghamton at 7 p.m. Saturday
Orozco Gallery hosts a dance party with DJ aparece at 7 p.m. to midnight Saturday
Adam Parker is at the Glen Haven at 7-10 p.m. Saturday
The “Pray for Blood & Gore Tour” brings Centragore, Blood Desecration, Coronary Thrombosis, and Smokeborn Blasphemy to The Jugg on Teall in Syracuse at 7 p.m. Saturday
The Village Swing Trio – Wayne Gottlieb, Harry Aceto, Brian Earle – concludes its May residency at the Downstairs at 7:30-10 p.m. Saturday, joined by guest Catherine Gale
Billy Golicki is at Cortland Beer Company at 8 p.m. Saturday
Vaporeyes is at Funk N Waffles at 8 p.m. Saturday
Ragged Sole plays the Boar’s Nest 414 “Hector Homecoming” party at 8 p.m. Saturday
Get Zep! is at Deep Dive at 9 p.m. Saturday CANCELLED!!
Old Tall Buildings and Free Whenever play at Funk N Waffles at 9:30 p.m. Friday
Double Tiger and Friends play at Flour City Station in Rochester at 10 p.m. Saturday
Heavy Bone and Good Times Zydeco plays a free Ithaca Festival After Party at Deep Dive at 10 p.m. Saturday
Sunday, June 1
The monthly Bluegrass Jam returns to the Downstairs at 12-4 p.m. Sunday
Jazz. Happens plays the 1890 House Ice Cream Social at 1-4 p.m. Saturday
DJs RDF, J-SUN, GOURD, Highstone, ha-MEEN, Proper Philth, and Anthony Mansfield spin at “Vinyl in the Alley” next to the Downstairs at 1-6 p.m. Sunday
Levi and Madeleine are at Summerhill Brewing at 1-4 p.m. Sunday
Tim Britt is at Grist Iron Brewing at 1-4 p.m. Sunday
The Tarps play Americana Vineyards Winery at 2-4 p.m. Sunday
Delta Mike Shaw is at Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards at 2-5 p.m. Sunday
The Amy Lynn Trio is at Skaneateles Brewing at 2-5 p.m. Sunday
The Double Standards are at Lansing Harbor at 2-5 p.m. Sunday
The Nate Gross Band continues ONCO Fermentations’ Sunday Blues Series at 3-5 p.m. Sunday
“The Verb Takes a Walk” Poetry and Music Event returns to the Lansing Perfomring Arts Center at 3-5 p.m. Sunday
The Shylocks play Middle Ages Brewing Company’s Loading Dock Series at 4 p.m. Sunday
Jon Rogalia and the Swamp Boys are at the Nest Tavern in Apulia Station at 4-7 p.m. Sunday
StratCat Willie and The Strays are at Two Goats Brewing at 4-7 p.m. Sunday
Trevor Stribing and Oliver Burdo are at Scale House Brewing at 5-8 p.m. Sunday
Pat Tato plays a free show at Funk N Waffles at 6 p.m. Sunday
GoGone returns to Osmote Winery at 6-8 p.m. Sunday (CANCELLED!)
Practice at Presents hosts its monthly Community Showcase at Deep Dive, with Horn Rims, Lemon Law, and Burn the Boats playing at 6 p.m. Sunday ($10)
DeWayne Perry hosts Jazz Jam at the Downstairs at 6-9 p.m. Sunday
Comedian Paul F. Tompkins brings “Varietopia” to the Center for the Arts of Homer at 8 p.m. Sunday
Pat Tato hosts Open Mic Night at Funk N Waffles at 8:30 p.m. Sunday
Brett Beardslee
Monday, June 2
Brett Beardslee brings the blues to Rasta Ranch Vineyards at 5-8 p.m. Monday
MAQ is at South Hill Cider at 5:30-8:30 p.m. Monday
Mark Maynard hosts Open Mic Night at Lucky Hare Brewing in Hector at 6-8 p.m. Monday
Poetry & Prose Open Mic Night returns to the Downstairs at 7-9 p.m. Monday
Half Past Dead plays Funk N Waffles’ Dead Night at 7:30 p.m. Monday
Tuesday, June 3
Annie Burns and Friends (Doug Robinson, Harry Aceto, Chad Lieberman, and Ron Riddle) kick off the “Tuesdays at Taughannock” series at the Inn at Taughannock Falls at 5-8 p.m. Tuesday
Dead Gowns and Sarah Noell are at Stone Bend Farm at 6 p.m. Tuesday
The Dirt Turtles Duo is at Firelight Camps at 6-8 p.m. Tuesday
Ready to Strike are at the Nest Tavern in Apulia Station at 6-9 p.m. Tuesday
Cozmic Theo plays GreenStar Co-op’s 5th Anniversary Party at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday
The Center for the Arts of Homer hosts Open Mic Night at 7-9 p.m. Tuesday
Open Mic Stand Up Comedy Night returns to the Downstairs at 7-9 p.m. Tuesday
Wednesday, June 4
Patrick Young is at Bright Leaf Vineyard at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday
Zydeco Trail Riders are at the Trumansburg Farmers Market at 4-7 p.m. Wednesday
Argos Grove plays jazz at Bar Argos at 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesdays
Brookton’s Market hosts Jazz Night at 6-8 p.m. Wednesday
The Nocturnal Café hosts Open Mic Night at 7 p.m. Wednesday
John Simon kicks off the new “Fireside Sessions” series at New Park Event Venue at 7 p.m. Wednesday (advance tickets are available here)
Jim Catalano has covered the Ithaca and Central New York music scene since 1992