Soundoff: Update: Joan Shelley show cancelled!
Plus, Analogue Sons, Bob Dylan Tribute, Sarah Hennies & Tristan Kasten-Krause, 'We Want The Funk!' doc, Hiroya Tsukamoto, and much more!
Joan Shelley plays at Angry Mom Records on Friday night.
Update: this show has been canceled! Here’s the blurb from Angry Mom Records:
TONIGHT’S EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED: unfortunately, due to health reasons tonight’s event has been cancelled. For all current ticket holders please contact Angry Mom Records via the telephone at 607-319-4953 for reimbursement information. We are currently working with Joan Shelley for a reschedule date and wish her a speedy recovery.
(Below is my original column from yesterday)
Since moving to the second floor at 115 The Commons, Angry Mom Records has regularly hosted shows in its mezzanine space. Most of them have showcased local or regional bands, but occasionally, a nationally touring act will come through. That continues this weekend, when acclaimed indie-folk artist Joan Shelley performs on Friday night.
Based in Louisville, Kentucky, Shelley has drawn praise for her sinuous voice and deeply personal lyrics. She works with her husband, Nathan Salsburg – in tandem, the pair creates a distinctive sound that gives heft to the often-delicate songs.
“If Nick Drake and Sandy Denny had had a kid, she may have grown up to be Joan Shelley,” according to Rolling Stone.
Shelley’s latest full-length, “The Spur,” came out in 2022. Produced by James Elkington, the album featured Bill Callahan on the song “Amberlit Morning.”
Last October, Shelley released a five-song EP, “Mood Ring,” which drew positive reviews, such as: “Shelley has the kind of bright and clear voice that brims with tenderness and patience, which also means that any forces that threaten to unsettle those traits immediately register within it.” (Pitchfork)
Local singer-songwriter Jennie Lowe will open the all-ages show, which starts at 8:10 p.m. Advance tickets are $15 cash at Angry Mom or $18 online (click here for tickets). Day-of-show tickets are available only in the shop for $20 cash or $23 credit/Venmo.
Analogue Sons celebrate ‘Giligia’
On March 25, the Analogue Sons released their debut full-length album, “Giligia.” After last week’s bad weather, the band will host a rescheduled release show at South Hill Cider at 4:30 p.m. Sunday; there’s a $10 cover at the door.
Tracked and recorded by Craig Welsch at Rear Window Studios in Brookline, Massachusetts, the album features cover artwork painted by Jesse Hill. The nine instrumental songs showcase the band’s trademark blend of ska, reggae, jazz, dub, rock, soul, and Eastern European influences.
The group includes Mike Stark (keyboards), Lars Burggren (drums), Aaron Speiser (dubs, melodica), Alicia Aubin (trombone), Lee Hamilton (sax), and Jason Shegogue (guitar).
By the way, the band, which got its start years ago backing up Jay Spaker (J-San), will return to its roots on June 21 when they accompany Mosaic Foundation frontman Cha Cha at the Ithaca Reggae Festival.
Doin’ Dylan
Longtime CNY music fans may remember Jamie Notarthomas’s annual Bob Dylan Birthday Shows, where the singer-songwriter would play a series of shows around the region in which he would play dozens of Dylan songs from all eras of his long career.
In the past few years, Notarthomas has focused his energies on The Ridge, a venue in Chittenango situated in a natural amphitheater, and curated “Tribute Tuesdays,” a series of shows paying homage to various bands and musicians.
This Saturday, which just happens to be Dylan’s 84th birthday, The Ridge will kick off its 2025 summer season with “A Collective Tribute to the Music of Bob Dylan.”
Running 5-10 p.m., the event will feature a plethora of CNY musicians, including Bess Greenberg (aka KidBess), Thomas Westcott, Ashley Cox, and many more. Regional favorites Dark Hollow will perform a “Dylan & The Dead” set to round out the night
Tickets for the show are $20 in advance and available online here. At the door, admission is $25. The Ridge is at 1281 Salt Springs Road in Chittenango.
More shows
Here are a few more noteworthy events happening in the next few days.
• At 8 p.m. Thursday, Sarah Hennies and Tristan Kasten-Krause are at the Downstairs. The percussion and double-bass duo is touring to promote their debut EP, “The Quiet Sun,” which “presents two works that each show a different lens into the large-scale forms they have developed together.” (Read more about the project here.) A longtime Ithacan who now teaches at Bard College, Hennies has worked on a dazzling array of projects in recent years. Kasten-Krause has played with the experimental black metal band Scarcity as well as Sigur Ros, Jessica Pavone, Steve Reich, Henry Threadgill, and many others. They’ll play two sets beginning at 8 p.m.; admission is “pay what you can.”
• WSKG is sponsoring a free screening of the new Indie Lens documentary “We Want The Funk!” at the Greater Ithaca Activities Center at 6 p.m. Friday. GIAC is 301 W. Court St.; there also will be free popcorn and drinks.
• Acclaimed guitarist Hiroya Tsukamoto has been making regular visits to Central New York in recent years, and he’ll return Friday night to perform the “Acoustic Guitar Masters” show at Cortland’s Rose Hall. A Japanese-born fingerstyle guitarist who moved to the United States in 2000 to attend the Berklee College of Music, Tsukamoto has been praised for “soulful performances that create an orchestra at his fingertips.” Raedwald Howland-Bolton will open the 7 p.m. show. Tickets are $18 and available online here. (Also, at 11 a.m. Saturday, Tsukamoto will host a guitar workshop for students of all experience levels and ages; it costs $30 ala carte, $40 at a bundled discount with Friday’s show.)
• Syracuse has few stellar shows this weekend: Carolina Chocolate Drops co-founder Dom Flemons plays a Folkus Project concert at the May Memorial UU Society at 8 p.m. Friday, Hammell on Trial brings his “Driving All Night” one-man show to the 443 Social Club & Lounge at 7 p.m. Saturday, and Carsie Blanton is at the Song and Dance at 7 p.m. Sunday. Plus, this next one:
• We’re just two months away from the annual Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance. But if you want to feel those vibes this weekend, host band Donna the Buffalo is at Syracuse’s Westcott Theater at 8 p.m. Saturday. The Rollin’ Rust will open the show; the Cortland-bred Americana band has been gaining a wide following over the past couple of years. Tickets for the 8 p.m. show are $36.77 and are available online here.
• At 8 p.m. Saturday, Nattali Rize brings her “Liberate” album launch tour to Ithaca for a free show at Deep Dive. Drawing and reggae and world music influences, Rize and her band are known for their powerful live shows. She says: “With a new album in tow and a new era on the horizon for humanity, we are fulfilling our Mission and purpose as musicians to bring sound, word, power & frequencies to uplift and connect to our Human Family across borders and waters. We are in a time where LIVE MUSIC is a HEALER with the ability to UNIFY us in the moment, sending ripples of positivity into our collective reality. The album is called LIBERATE and it’s LIBERATION TIME! Come free up your body & mind on the dance floor with us!”
• At 7 p.m. Sunday, the Beacon on Aurora concert series brings Martyn Joseph to the First Unitarian Church of Ithaca. Cited by BBC 6 Music as “One of the most charismatic and electrifying performers in Britain today…tough and passionate,” the Welsh singer-songwriter is known for creating a huge sound with just his voice and guitar. His latest album is 2024’s ““This Is What I Want To Say.” There’s a $20 suggested donation at the door; cash preferred. Electronic payment options (direct to artist) will also be available.
For more shows, check out my full CNY Concert Calendar, which I’ve updated a few times since posting it on Wednesday.
Jim Catalano has covered the Ithaca and Central New York music scene since 1992