Live Music/Concerts

September 15, 2016 - 3:27pm
Review: Psychedelic indie rockers filled the stage with music, dancers and costumes for a true night of total performance.

Of Montreal frontman Kevin Barnes is his generation’s undiscovered David Bowie.

There’s something for everyone at an Of Montreal show. Even if you’re not into watching a rock ‘n’ roll musician dress up in makeup and glitter, the music will keep anyone dancing. However, don’t bring your kids, unless you’re okay with them seeing sensual dancers, strip teases and a man dressed in an inflated penis costume.

December 1, 2014 - 12:26pm
The legendary piano man will stop by Syracuse March 20, officials announced this morning.

Last week, entertainment juggernaut AEG Live tipped off local media about an upcoming concert announcement, something they billed as "major."

It doesn't get much more major than Billy Joel.

November 13, 2014 - 11:02pm
Electricity spread throughout a packed Schine Underground as over 300 enjoyed music from Cash Cash, Julian Nelums and Almond.

Fog slipped through the doors of Schine Underground Wednesday evening as a night of electronic dance music, referred to as EDM, began. Three different acts took the stage in what turned out to be a nearly three hour-long party.

Cash Cash, the New Jersey-based EDM trio, headlined the final installment of University Union’s Bandersnatch series for the fall semester of 2014.

November 9, 2014 - 11:11pm
The former Rilo Kiley singer led a spirited, impressive, career-spanning solo show at the State Theatre of Ithaca on Nov. 8.

Inside the State Theatre of Ithaca Saturday night, it might as well have been 1978. Jenny Lewis, the former lead singer of Rilo Kiley who’s now fortifying an impressive solo career, wears her sonic influences proudly.

October 28, 2014 - 5:50pm
Review: Despite being down one guitarist, the Nashville-based power rockers charmed a tiny crowd at The Haunt in Ithaca on Sunday, Oct. 26.

What’s in a name? That which we call Diarrhea Planet by any other name would sound as sweet. Despite, or perhaps in virtue of, having what could possibly be one of the worst band names of the decade, Diarrhea Planet rocked The Haunt in Ithaca, N.Y. last Sunday with their brand of heavy metal, '90s tributes and just plain rock 'n’ roll.

October 15, 2014 - 5:23pm
Review: Charismatic rapper GoldLink matched the energy of electronic DJ Trippy Turtle at the semester's first small concert at Schine Underground.

A slowly growing crowd clusters together in front of a small, dimly lit stage, the glare of neon spotlights in their eyes. A DJ puts the final touches on his onstage setup, press people mill about to the side of the stage and the excitement in the air mounts as showtime approaches.

October 10, 2014 - 6:28pm
Review: Three raucous acts took the stage at the Lost Horizon on Thursday, Oct. 9 for an evening of guitar noise and explosive energy.

Thursday's punk concert at the Lost Horizon had teeth that bit. That much is easy to discern. What's difficult to pinpoint, however, is when that realization actually set in.

September 28, 2014 - 9:26pm
Review: How seven Audio Arts graduate students, three musical acts and more than 60 orders of waffles transformed one Saturday night into a bedrock moment for campus-based DIY.

Legendary alternative musician Lou Reed. Indie-pop band Ra Ra Riot. Singer-songwriter Pete Yorn.

The careers of these music artists were all made, in one way or another, at Syracuse University. Last night at Funk ’n Waffles, a new group of students launched its inaugural event to help campus musicians find big breaks of their own.

September 11, 2014 - 1:13pm
We scoured Central New York to find the don't-miss indie, alternative and hip-hop shows of fall 2014 so you don't have to.

There's no denying the scores of Instagrammed pumpkin spice lattes and apple cinnamon baked goods that autumn brings. There's also no denying how delicious those confectionary treats are. But fall is also harvest season, and this year, plenty of concerts are ripe for the picking here in Central New York.

Syracuse's position in the state allows it to be a pinwheel of sorts, with awesome shows within an hour's drive in each direction. From dreamy indie pop to classic folk to trippy reggae, CNY has it all. Here's the proof: seven anticipated shows you won't want to miss this season.

August 27, 2014 - 1:08pm
Review: Movie and television star Kevin Bacon brought his Hollywood swagger to the New York State Fair with his band, The Bacon Brothers, on Aug. 23.

The New York State Fair is all about fried delights and guilty pleasures, but it was an entirely different kind of bacon that drew a crowd at the Chevy Court stage on Saturday night. 

Actor Kevin Bacon and his brother Michael performed as The Bacon Brothers, doling outbursts of wisdom and life lessons during their hour-and-a-half-long set.