Show Detective – Weekend Shows – 3/14 – 3/16

Show Detective.

Friday, March 14^th

DakhaBrakha, SPAC, Saratoga Springs, 7:30pm

Embark on a musical journey with DakhaBrakha, the groundbreaking quartet from Kyiv, Ukraine; known for their innovative blend of Ukrainian folk traditions and global influences. Dubbed as “ethno-chaos,” their sound fuses traditional folk melodies with rhythms and instruments from India, Africa, the Middle East, and beyond, creating a unique and unforgettable musical experience.

Come From Away, Proctors Theater, Schenectady

Broadway’s COME FROM AWAY is a Best Musical winner all across North America!

This New York Times Critics’ Pick takes you into the heart of the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night, and gratitude grew into enduring friendships.

Don’t miss this breathtaking musical written by Tony® nominees Irene Sankoff and David Hein, directed by Tony-winning Best Director, Christopher Ashley and musical staging by Tony-nominee Kelly Devine. The tour is directed by Daniel Goldstein with musical staging by Richard J. Hinds, based on the original Broadway direction and choreography.

Club 90s: Bieber Night, Empire Live, Albany, 9pm

Jefferson McDonald’s Great Balls Of Fire, Cohoes Music Hall, Cohoes, 7:30pm-9:30pm

The hits of Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Willie Nelson, Ray Price, and more explode from the stage in this celebration of classic rock featuring acclaimed musician, actor and composer Jefferson McDonald.

Dubbed “the Victor Borge of Rock and Roll” who was “born inside a piano,” McDonald, an award-winning actor and composer, has brought his passion for music, comedy, and drama to stages all over the United States and Canada. He developed his new concert, Great Balls of Fire, as a showcase for the hits of Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Willie Nelson, Ray Price, The Rolling Stones, and more, as well as his original material. This thrilling new show explodes off the stage with McDonald’s signature energy, and a band of special guest dynamite musicians.

Maggie’s Clan, Rustic Barn Pub, Troy, 8pm-11pm

Maggie’s Clan is a high-energy Celtic rock band from upstate NY.

The Alec Lewis Group at The Eleven at Lark Hall (FREE SHOW), Lark Hall, Albany, 6pm-8pm

The Alec Lewis Group is formed and fronted by local sound engineer, producer and musician, Alec Lewis and features his own original songs and compositions. Hailing from Albany, NY, The ALG sports a fresh mix of contemporary funk influences from Cory Wong to Kruangbin, fused with guitar-driven classic rock and blues elements drawn from the likes of Dire Straits and David Gilmour, all topped with a modern pop sensibility and vocal stylings that firmly root the group and its sonic blueprint in our modern musical DNA.

Spafford w/ Strange Machines, Putnam Place, Saratoga Springs, 8pm

Spafford is known for their astonishing improvisational ability and off-the-cuff extended jams, Spafford paints a picture in real-time each night with a musical palette known only to each other. It’s a private language comprised of both their talent as musicians as well as their formidable catalog of influences, spanning 90’s alt-rock radio hits to Steely Dan and The Crystal Method. Each Spafford show is a sonic pilgrimage, the journey of a team of musicians so in tune with each other that a single note communicates intent and purpose. Spafford is amongst the most creative and hard-traveling bands on the contemporary jam scene, performing countless sold-out headline dates along with high profile festival sets at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Firefly Music Festival, and many others.

Kevin McKrell, Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs, 8pm-9:30pm

“A lilt to the tunes, a bouncing drive to the melodies & a touch of melancholy that seems to go hand in hand w/ the Celtic folk persona”

McKrell is a masterful Irish music entertainer who is one of Saratoga’s best known exports. He has played festival stages, clubs and concert halls around the globe, including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. His originals have become folk staples throughout the English speaking world, and his wicked sense of humor is nearly as legendary as his songs.

Wizard Fest – Human Zoo / Anthill Annihilator / Haunted Cat, No Fun, Troy, 7pm-11pm

From “Bar People.”

3/14 5:00 PM Too Nuts Trio with Matty Finn- Frog Alley Brewing

3/14 5:00 PM Tracy & Friends- Prime at Saratoga National

3/14 5:30 PM Christine Spero- Wishing Well

3/14 5:30 PM Christine Spero- Wishing Well

3/14 5:30 PM Jay Yager- Tinney’s Tavern

3/14 5:30 PM Tooty And The Motherpluckers- Wheatfields Clifton Park

3/14 6:00 PM Bennett Brothers- Dock Browns Tavern

3/14 6:00 PM Dave Gallagher- Thirsty Owl

3/14 6:00 PM Had The Radish- Inn at Saratoga

3/14 6:00 PM Jim McArdle- Carsons Woodside Tavern

3/14 6:00 PM Little Saints Duo- Saratoga Winery

3/14 6:00 PM Matt Evans- Powers Pub

3/14 6:00 PM Mike O’Donnell- Cock & Bull

3/14 6:00 PM Pat Decker- Scarlet Knife

3/14 6:00 PM Rich Ortiz- Hilton Garden Inn,,, 30Park

3/14 6:00 PM The Alec Lewis Group- Eleven at Lark Hall

3/14 6:30 PM BJ Fitzgerald- Peddlers Bar & Bistro

3/14 6:30 PM Chris Dollard- Diamond Club at Embassy Suites

3/14 6:30 PM Jeff Stein- Other One Brewery

3/14 6:30 PM Tim & Norm- Artisanal Brew Works

3/14 7:00 PM 2 Broke Beths- Kraverie

3/14 7:00 PM Dazey Duo- Quarters

3/14 7:00 PM Diane Ames & Steve Cowles- Bunker Saratoga

3/14 7:00 PM Keri Alonzo- Principessa Elena

3/14 7:00 PM Kevin McKrel, Arlin Greene, Frank Orsini- Caffe Lena

3/14 7:00 PM Nocturne Troubadores- Parting Glass

3/14 7:30 PM Dakhabrakha- Spa Little Theater

3/14 8:00 PM DJ Dillon Robert- Misfit

3/14 8:00 PM Maggies Clan- Rustic Barn Pub

3/14 8:00 PM Ragged Company Band- Cooperstown Distilling Saratoga

3/14 8:00 PM Rustic Spirit- Holy Moses Tavern

3/14 8:00 PM Skeeter Creek- Wicked Eatery

3/14 8:00 PM Spadford & Strange Machines- Putnam Place

3/14 9:00 PM Matt Niedbalski Quartet- Nine Maple

3/14 9:00 PM POGO- Centre St Pub

3/14 9:00 PM Ten Most Wanted- Vapor

Saturday, March 15^th

Vanguard: Evening in Vienna, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, 7:30pm

David Alan Miller, conductor

Vanguard, the Albany Symphony’s dedicated volunteer and fundraising organization, is delighted to present Evening in Vienna! This event features a concert program of Viennese waltzes and music performed by the Albany Symphony, live dancing accompanying the performance, and a post-concert reception at the Arts Center of the Capital Region.

Caligula Blushed – A Visceral Live Experience for Smiths & Morrissey Fans, The Linda, Albany, 8pm-10pm

Caligula Blushed—The most authentic tribute to The Smiths and Morrissey working today! Dedicated to the notion that fans of the Smiths and Morrissey want to hear some of the greatest music ever written in a true live concert setting, Caligula Blushed delivers an authentic rendition of Smiths/Morrissey songs, with each performance based on an impeccable set list.

Seasoned Mozzer Quinn’s spot-on mannerisms and vocals, paired with the band’s top flight musicians, render each Caligula Blushed performance a visceral live experience for all Smiths and Morrissey fans!

Kevin McKrell Saint Patrick’s Day Celebration, The Egg, Albany, 7pm

Somewhere tonight, across the country or across the sea, a singer, sitting on a stool on a pub’s corner stage, is belting out a Kevin McKrell song and the crowd is singing along. McKrell pioneered American Celtic music beginning in 1979 with his band ‘Donnybrook Fair’. The original trio’s 1982 album Tunnel Tigers remains a landmark of the form, with its blend of Clancy Brothers swagger and upstate NY attitude. Kevin McKrell is best known, though, for his indelible songs—classics like ‘Donegal’, ‘I Miss the Rain’, ‘Dublin Town’ and the eternal ‘All of The Hard Days Are Gone’—which, in addition to the raft of pub singers mentioned afore, have been sung and recorded by artists such as The Furey Brothers, The Kilkennys, Stephens Green, The Kingston Trio, Bob Shane, North Sea Gas, Hair of the Dog, Seamus Kennedy ,The Druids, The Dublin City Ramblers ,Wood’s Tea Company and Get Up Jack.

Charles Wesley Godwin, The Palace Theater, Albany, 8pm

with special guest Nolan Taylor

For a while there, Charles Wesley Godwin was in something of a funk. A typically prolific writer, and one who over his first two critically-acclaimed albums had proven himself to be a reflective and soulful songwriter and singer — a storyteller in the vein of his heroes like Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and Bruce Springsteen— Godwin found himself in a state of stasis last year. To hear him tell it, he was frozen in place — unable to find the words to what he hoped would become his new songs and under a level of pressure he’d never previously experienced.
And yet, what would ultimately inspire the man was right in front of him all along: family.

Hair of the Dog Hooley, Universal Preservation Hall, Saratoga Springs

Together since 1993, Hair Of The Dog is one of the world’s foremost Celtic bands, releasing 10 best-selling CDs along the way. The Irish Echo stated, “Hair Of The Dog’s, Liam Left the Lights On Again CD…in its entirety is simply a delight to listen to,” and the Kingston, New York Freeman Times declared, “Hair Of The Dog plays with a cohesive oneness that most bands never get. They are a regional music treasure.” Hair Of The Dog has racked up millions of certified Spotify Streams while closer to home, HOTD has repeatedly been named, “Best Band,” since the late 1990’s, by the Northeast’s top regional newspapers and magazines and has had millions of certified streams on Spotify. Based in Upstate New York, Hair Of The Dog is Rick Bedrosian (guitar and vocals), Larry Packer (fiddle), Dan Samson (bass and vocals) and Gene Garone (drums).

38 Spesh, Empire Underground, Albany, 7pm

Annie in the Water w/ Special Guests Fungkshu, Cohoes Music Hall, Cohoes, 8pm-11pm

Annie in the Water is an experience and a culture of compassion and joy. The band’s Americana Indie Rock found its roots in acoustic guitars without limits. Their songwriting, led by guitars and synthesizers overtop a ground-shaking rhythm section, offers the listener the ability to traverse across multiple genres.

Because every show is different, experiencing the music of Annie in the Water live can be compared to paddling with a river. At times you may find yourself in the calm of the flow while at other times you may be deep in the rapids while the music churns and grows in energy. With the ebbs and flows you’re reminded of the constant that you are a part of something greater than yourself, working together with the forces around you and caught in the midst of a beautiful moment in time. Each performance is another adventure.

Brian Kane & The Beginning-St.Patrick’s Day Party! Rustic Barn Pub, Troy, 8pm

The RB will be the place to be with Brian Kane and The Beginning! Come party with the Irish or like you are!

Parade Day at The Eleven with Nickopotamus (FREE Show) Lark Hall, Albany, 3pm-7pm

An eclectic juggernaut, Nickopotamus combines elements of rock, jam, funk, punk, groove, and zydeco to provide the listener with a visceral experience that will leave them singing along. Nickopotamus is a good-time/high energy live band that has been known to have just as much fun on stage as their fans do. Hailing from Albany, NY this 4 piece band is led by song writer/ guitarist Nick Souder.

Ladies Night ft: King Bully & Sly Fox, Putnam Place, Saratoga Springs, 11pm-3am

Come get down on the biggest dance floor in Saratoga with King Bully and Sly Fox.

King Bully blurs the lines between Dancehall, Afrobeat, Hip-Hop, and Latin into what is a refreshing departure from anything else you’ve heard. The Troy NY native not only dominates the Capital Region club circuit, he also boasts an impressive list of concerts, which includes acts like Dababy, Lil Baby, Cardi B, Fabolous, DMX, Ja Rule, Ashanti and more. Always sure to get the crowd hype and the club packed, DJ King Bully is the sound that keeps any party going strong.

Guitarist Sly Fox is best knows as the front man for blues-rock outfit Sly Fox and The Hustlers.

Bright Series: Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road, Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs, 8pm- 9:30pm

Blending Appalachian tradition w/ fresh innovation, delivering dynamic, virtuosic performances that honor the roots & redefine the genre.

Hailed by No Depression as “the future of bluegrass”, Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road bring a fresh and dynamic energy to Appalachian stringband music. Rooted in tradition yet brimming with innovation, this award-winning ensemble delivers a powerful blend of storytelling, virtuosic musicianship, and boundary-pushing creativity.

At just 22, North Carolina’s Liam Purcell has already made waves in the bluegrass world—earning accolades like the RockyGrass Instrumental Championships on mandolin, banjo, and guitar and leading Cane Mill Road to the IBMA Momentum Band of the Year award. Drawing inspiration from his Deep Gap roots near Doc Watson’s home and his studies at Berklee College of Music, Liam bridges the gap between tradition and modernity, breathing new life into the genre.

Their latest album, Yellow Line, showcases Liam’s commitment to honoring Appalachian music while adding his own innovations, creating a sound that feels both timeless and fresh. From heartfelt originals to driving bluegrass jams, every performance transports listeners to the front porch of Liam’s mountain home.

Don’t miss the chance to experience Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road live in Caffè Lena’s intimate listening room—a night of top-tier musicianship and unforgettable bluegrass magic.

The Bright Series is made possible by a generous gift from Kevin & Claudia Bright.

Wizard Fest – Merciless Metal Market – Vintage Market, No Fun, Troy, 12pm-5pm

Wizard Fest – Horse Grave / Carnwennan / Altar / Schenectavoidz, No Fun, Troy, 7pm-11pm

From “Bar People.”

3/15 1:00 PM Nymbis- McGeary’s Irish Pub

3/15 1:00 PM Toss The Feathers- Browns Brewing Hoosick Falls

3/15 12:00 PM Refrigerator’s- Troy St. Patricks Day Parade

3/15 12:00 PM ST. Patricks Day Music- Powers Pub

3/15 2:00 PM Carmen Lookshire- Indian Ladder Farms

3/15 2:00 PM Jukebox Rebellion- Carsons Woodside Tavern

3/15 4:00 PM Padraig Timoney- Lanies Cafe

3/15 4:00 PM Richard Russo- Dancing Grain Farm Brewery

3/15 4:00 PM Seize Atlantis- Unified Beer Works

3/15 5:00 PM Dan Sherwin- Yanni’s Too

3/15 5:00 PM Maggies Clan- Ryans Wake

3/15 6:00 PM Debby Gabrione- Hilton Garden Inn,,, 30Park

3/15 6:00 PM Juniper- Scarlet Knife

3/15 6:00 PM K&O Duo- Carsons Woodside Tavern

3/15 6:00 PM Kilashandra- S&S farm Brewery

3/15 6:30 PM Don Felazzo- Other One Brewery

3/15 7:00 PM Act Your Age- Muddy’s Bar & Restaurant

3/15 7:00 PM Pearl- Emack & Bolios

3/15 7:00 PM Sugarhold & Shortwave Radio Band- Unihog

3/15 7:00 PM The Switch- Nanola

3/15 7:30 PM Enter The Haggis- Revolution Hall

3/15 8:00 PM Brian Kane & The Beginning- Rustic Barn Pub

3/15 9:00 PM Jeff Hill Gang- Towne Tavern

3/15 9:00 PM Jukebox Rebellion- Van Slycks at Rivers Casino

Sunday, March 16^th’

Jefferson McDonald’s Great Balls Of Fire, Cohoes Music Hall, Cohoes, 3pm-5pm

The hits of Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Willie Nelson, Ray Price, and more explode from the stage in this celebration of classic rock featuring acclaimed musician, actor and composer Jefferson McDonald.

Dubbed “the Victor Borge of Rock and Roll” who was “born inside a piano,” McDonald, an award-winning actor and composer, has brought his passion for music, comedy, and drama to stages all over the United States and Canada. He developed his new concert, Great Balls of Fire, as a showcase for the hits of Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Willie Nelson, Ray Price, The Rolling Stones, and more, as well as his original material. This thrilling new show explodes off the stage with McDonald’s signature energy, and a band of special guest dynamite musicians.

Old Blind Dogs, Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs, 7pm-8:30pm

Scotland’s legendary folk band blending Celtic tradition and innovation with electrifying energy and timeless melodies.

Experience the vibrant energy and rich traditions of Scottish folk music with the legendary Old Blind Dogs! Celebrating over 30 years on the road, this powerhouse quartet combines timeless Scottish and Celtic traditions with modern influences, creating a sound that is both innovative and deeply rooted. Hailing from Aberdeen’s eclectic music scene, the band’s journey began in 1992 with a mission to bring the songs and tunes of the North East of Scotland to audiences worldwide.

Today, Jonny Hardie (fiddle/vocals), Aaron Jones(cittern/guitar/vocals), Ali Hutton (pipes/whistles), and Donald Hay (percussion/vocals) form a dynamic lineup of Scotland’s finest traditional musicians. Together, they deliver electrifying live performances filled with compelling energy and intoxicating rhythms.

With accolades including induction into the BBC ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards ‘Trad Music Hall of Fame and their celebrated 14th studio album Knucklehead Circus, Old Blind Dogs continue to push the boundaries of Scottish folk while honoring its essence.

Unfortunately, Jonny Hardie, Old Blind Dogs’ beloved fiddler, is still facing visa delays and won’t be able to join the band for this tour. However, we’re thrilled to welcome the brilliant Sarah Collins in his place! Based in the Baltimore/DC area, Sarah has deep roots in the Boston traditional music scene and spent part of her childhood in Edinburgh, making her a natural fit for the band’s Scottish folk sound. Blending influences from Scottish, Irish, and Old-Time fiddle styles, Sarah brings a dynamic and heartfelt energy to the stage. While Jonny will be missed, we know that Sarah will carry the torch beautifully—don’t miss the chance to see her in action with Old Blind Dogs at Caffè Lena! Join us for an unforgettable evening of music that bridges tradition and innovation, performed by one of the most celebrated bands in Scottish folk music.

Can’t make it in person? Stream the show live at Caffè Lena TV. Enjoy two weeks access with your live stream ticket.

Wizard Fest – Casket / Noir / Multiple Pieces / JudgeXJudy, No Fun, Troy, 6pm-11pm

From “Bar People.”

3/16 12:00 PM Mike McMann Duo- Indian Ladder Farms

3/16 12:00 PM Padraig Timoney- Other One Brewery

3/16 12:00 PM Scott Chamberlain- Powers Pub

3/16 2:00 PM Nymbis- McGeary’s Irish Pub

3/16 3:30 PM Mark Pierre- Hank Hudson Brewing

3/16 4:00 PM Tim Wechgelaer & Chris Carey- Carsons Woodside Tavern

3/16 5:00 PM Bobbie Van Detta- Charlton Tavern

3/16 6:00 PM Chris Carey- Scarlet Knife

3/16 7:00 PM 80’s Band wsg Jenna Sue- Wicked Eatery

3/16 7:30 PM Enter The Haggis- Revolution Hall