Upbeat on the Roof returns July 9 with free Tang Concerts

2026 Upbeat on the Roof Series Begins July 9

 Free summer concert series highlights regional musical talent

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY (May 15, 2026) — The Tang Museum at Skidmore College announces the 2026 Upbeat on the Roof concert series. The free outdoor concerts begin Thursday, July 9, at 6 pm and continue each Thursday evening through August 20.

The series highlights regional musical talent in an array of styles, including funk, pop-punk, R&B, folk, indie folk, indie pop, and Americana. Performances take place on the lawn outside the Tang and are free and open to the public.

 The Lineup

July 9: Oobleck
July 16: Paintbrush Charlie
July 23: The E-Block
July 30: Carolyn Shapiro
August 6: Little Saints
August 13: Nice Hockey
August 20: The Millstone Rounders

Before each concert, Tang Art Educators will offer Crafts on the Grass: art-making kits for kids starting at 5:30 pm. A different craft will be available each week. All projects are suitable for children ages 5 and older, with adult supervision recommended. Materials will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Upbeat concert series began in summer 2001 on the roof deck of the Tang building. The series became so popular, however, that the concerts came off the roof and onto the lawn. The Upbeat on the Roof name remains. Visitors are invited to bring blankets, camping chairs, food, and drink to picnic on the lawn; plenty of parking is available in the lot adjacent to the museum.

In the case of inclement weather, the art-making activities and concerts will be held inside the museum.

Admission is free. The Tang is on the campus of Skidmore College. The main entrance is at 815 N. Broadway in Saratoga Springs. For more information, please call the Visitors Services Desk at 518-580-8080 or visit tang.skidmore.edu.

 About the Performers

July 9: Oobleck

Oobleck is a high-octane, five-piece funk band that has performed around the Capital Region, Hudson Valley, and Vermont since 2008. The band plays grungy original horn funk inspired by the after-dark variety of New Orleans street music, with heavy drums and bass, chunky guitar riffs, and highly improvised, kinetic horns. The group’s sound is high-energy and dance-focused, moving among soul-funk, Afro-funk, and expansive improvisation.

July 16: Paintbrush Charlie

Paintbrush Charlie is a pop-punk-adjacent trio based in Troy, New York. Featuring Julia Alsarraf, Brendan Tompkins, and Katy Chau-Westfall, the band creates high-energy performances of punchy yet tender songs that hit straight in the feelings.

 July 23: The E-Block

The E-Block is a four-piece R&B band from upstate New York that blends the acoustic warmth of singer-songwriter music with an ice-cold rhythm section informed by modern R&B. With wide-ranging influences and a free-flowing style, The E-Block has earned a reputation as a distinctive live act in the New York scene and beyond.

 July 30: Carolyn Shapiro

Carolyn Shapiro, Skidmore class of 2015, is an award-winning old-time banjo player and songwriter from the Southern Adirondacks. Named Folk/Traditional Artist of 2026 by the Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Awards, Shapiro blends a soulful, contemporary edge with deep-rooted traditional style. Her songwriting pushes the boundaries of the banjo and explores the intimate complexities of being human. She returns to the Tang after her debut Upbeat on the Roof performance in 2022.

 August 6: Little Saints

Little Saints is an original band born in Saratoga Springs. The three-piece, genre-bending group features singer-songwriter Natalie Santini, guitarist Andy Arnold, and bassist Ian Dingman. Drawing on influences including Brandi Carlile, Stevie Wonder, and the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Little Saints blends Americana, indie folk, and modern soul.

 August 13: Nice Hockey

Nice Hockey is a donut-fueled indie-pop quartet from Schenectady, New York, featuring Skidmore Psychology professors Dom Vuvan and Harrison Schmitt. The power-pop band was started by Dom and Chad and completed by Harrison and Eric. Their songs are charming and big-hearted, with stories about friendship, everyday life, chameleonic vibes, and how to survive the impossible.

 August 20: The Millstone Rounders

The Millstone Rounders perform acoustic Americana that incorporates country, gospel, blues, trans-Atlantic fiddle breakdowns, and proto rock ’n’ roll. Performing on acoustic instruments around a single microphone, the group creates a sound that is both timelessly classic and thoroughly contemporary.

About Skidmore College

Founded in 1903, Skidmore College is a highly selective, private liberal arts college of about 2,700 students located in the dynamic town of Saratoga Springs, New York. Consistently ranked as a top liberal arts college by U.S. News & World Report, The Princeton Review, Forbes, and more, Skidmore has also been recognized for its innovation, value, and sustainability efforts. Skidmore fosters academic and personal excellence — all driven by a belief that Creative Thought Matters. Its comprehensive array of opportunities encompasses more than 40 bachelor’s degree programs, including popular offerings in business, psychology, and the creative and performing arts; competitive NCAA Division III athletics; world-class facilities; and hands-on civic engagement and career development resources.

About the Tang Teaching Museum

The Tang Teaching Museum at Skidmore College is a pioneer of interdisciplinary exploration and learning. A cultural anchor of New York’s Capital Region, the institution’s approach has become a model for university art museums across the country — with exhibition programs and series that bring together the visual and performing arts with fields of study as disparate as history, astronomy, and physics. The Tang has one of the most rigorous faculty-engagement initiatives in the nation, the Mellon Seminar, and robust publication and touring exhibition initiatives that extend the institution’s reach far beyond its walls. The Tang Teaching Museum’s building, designed by architect Antoine Predock, serves as a visual metaphor for the convergence of ideas and exchange the institution catalyzes. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, from noon to 5 pm, with extended hours until 9 pm Thursday. More information at http://tang.skidmore.edu.