Doors 4:00pm • Music 5:30pm

Yes, it’s the March “Third Friday” Happy Hour!!!!

And it’s Abilene Bar and Lounge’s 17th Anniversary!!!

Do NOT miss this monthly party!!! Great music by The Occasional Saints, Genesee Beer specials during Happy Hour, Prizes, T-shirt giveaways and more!!! Did we say beads?!

The Occasional Saints

Playing primarily original songs by keyboard player P. V. Nunes, the Occasional Saints brand of music is New Orleans blues and swing. The band is: P.V. Nunes on keyboards and vocals, Carmen Verzillo on lead guitar, Jay Chafee on bass, Michael Verzillo on drums, Rick McRae on trombone, and Mark Bradley on sax.

https://www.occasionalsaints.com/

Cover: $6

Doors 4pm, Music 7pm

Liam Grant

"Liam Grant is a New England guitarist with a punk ethos, cut from the American Primitive cloth. The restless guitar explorations, modal epics, and driving uptempo rags recall the likes of Grant's pedagogue, Takoma Records, and the path that was paved by his forebears John Fahey, Robbie Basho, Peter Walker and later Glenn Jones, Steffen Basho-Junghans, Jack Rose, and others.

Bridging that past Grant evokes the pith of the landscape in which he was raised. Personal instrumental memoirs and ruminations on the banks of the Merrimack River. Amoskeag. And the place where the waters flow around it. Salmon tails up the falls and black pearls from the river. The exodus to Stratton-Eustis and the Last Night on the Dead River before the great flood.

"Although only 23 years old, Liam’s become a leading force in a much needed third wave revival of American Primitive music. Despite his age, Liam’s the very definition of 'an old soul' and while he draws on a wide variety of contemporary influences, he also channels a comprehensive history of the blues as well as a deeper energy that informs both his playing and songwriting." -- Rob Vaughn, Portland, Oregon – July 2023

https://carbon-records.bandcamp.com/album/amoskeag

Clinton's Folly

Old Time tunes & songs from Canal Country Dan Lynch / Allegra Whiting / Clara Riedlinger

With Will Veeder and Joe Tunis

https://willveeder.bandcamp.com/album/exit-interview

https://willveeder.bandcamp.com/album/exit-interview

https://www.facebook.com/events/487652281069033

Cover: $10

Doors 4pm, Music 7pm

“Singer-Songwriters in the Round”

https://www.facebook.com/events/1120124476370592

Tyler Westcott

Tyler Westcott is a poet, singer/songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist based out of Buffalo, NY. Westcott breathes new life into roots music spanning multiple genres and decades. Also creating new music inspired by the old. He specializes in original songwriting, folk, country blues, traditional jazz, bluegrass and old time, western swing, and more. Armed with his trusty guitar, banjo, and harmonica, he has a knack for describing the human condition with humor and joy, Often in timely and topical songs reflecting the current state of the world. Westcott will guide you through a myriad of genres and decades of eclectic roots music while seamlessly weaving in his own original cuts.

https://www.facebook.com/tylerwestcottmusic/

Adrianna Noone

Adrianna Noone is an indie/folk/americana singer-songwriter born and raised in Rochester, NY. Her songs tell tales of love and heartache, blending indie and rock with a slight yankee twang. She formed her band at the start of the pandemic in 2020 and has since played at the Rochester Lilac Fest, Party in the Park, Buffalo’s Thursday & Main, and Babeville. At 25, she has sung with Brandi Carlile, opened for Lyle Lovett, and continues to tour the northeast and Midwest solo, with her band, or previously as 1/6 of the Rochester-based band Public Water Supply.

https://adriannanoone.com/

Candy Montgomery

Candy is a sweet singer with a passion for 60's female country tunes.

https://www.facebook.com/candyscountry/

https://www.instagram.com/candycountrymusic

Brian Thomas

https://www.facebook.com/brian.erg

Cover: $10

6pm till 9:30pm

from danny deutsch…

“You all know Abilene as a place of community, where all are welcome to enjoy music, friendship and fun together.

I say all this in preface to the following: In these highly polarized and uncertain political times, a lot of us feel lost and don’t know where to turn. Some of us fear that our democracy is under attack.Some of us fear what might happen to friends, family, and members of our community who are ostracized, bullied and threatened because of their status as citizens, their religious beliefs, sexual orientation and lifestyle. I share that same fear.

As a lot of people have expressed these feelings over the past few months, and have asked where they can turn, I certainly don't have an answer.

But...I do think it's high time we meet. It's time we gathered for a totally informal get-together to chat about the things that matter most...and it'll simply be a chance for people to come together, share thoughts, and connect.

Bring a friend, make a friend, grab a beer, a cocktail, or a glass of wine in a "no-pressure," open environment.

No agenda---Just people having a casual, but real talk about real issues.”

So...if you're free next Tuesday, March 18, we invite you to come down to Abilene Bar and Lounge 153 Liberty Pole Way. We'll be open from 6pm till 9:30pm....and we promise some great music in the background.

Note: in future meetings, we'll have information about rallies, action items, etc. For now, let's just get together and know that we're not alone in our frustration...and that better days lie ahead

Doors 2pm, Music 3pm

FREIGHT w/s/g The 86ers

FREIGHT
Freight is a 3 piece, original Alt Country / Rural Rock / Americana band based out of Ithaca, NY. The band is comprised of veteran musicians who individually have shared stages with the likes of Eilen Jewell, John Prine, The Mavericks, Leon Russell, James McMurtry and many other roots music heavyweights. Founded by midwest transplant JP Payton in early 2020, Freight has risen to the fore of the region's growing Americana landscape. Drawing comparisons to the art rock of Wilco, the psychedelia of The Grateful Dead and the songcraft of Jason Isbell, Freight is both traditionally familiar and sonically adventurous. Freight's debut album, Hard Worker, released in October 2022 on Switchyard Records, has been met with critical acclaim.

"This is a recording of skilled musicians and friends enjoying what they do. In so many ways it is like a debut album, but by grown-ups, and it sounds like they had such fun bringing it to life together." - Americana UK

"The debut album, Hard Worker, sometimes reminds us of the long-awaited Jason Molina's way of making songs. Although with a greater optimism in the lyrics, Payton's voice is close to the emotional tone of the late singer." - Dirty Rock Magazine

"Hard Worker's 10 songs traverse a wide musical terrain, blending country, funk, rock and psychedelic influences with traces of Wilco, The Grateful Dead, John Prine, Dave Alvin and other roots-music staples - all woven together to a blue collar backdrop for Payton's warm baritone vocals and deeply personal lyrics." - Jim Catalano WXXI

Payton’s plaintively poetic and confessional songwriting belies a nuanced and empathetic understanding of the human condition. Drummer and Knoxville native Bowman Townsend (Black Lillies) has toured nationally showcasing his pocket centric groove, and veteran bassist Mike Brando (Janet Batch) rounds out the rhythm section with a commanding sense of tone earned from decades of professional gigging. All told, Freight's groove is seasoned, road-tested, and danceable fun. Recent highlights include several successful regional tours and appearances at main stage Ithaca Fest 2023, City Winery Pittsburgh and the famed Purple Fiddle in Thomas, West Virginia.

With a new album titled Old Bones due in the coming year, Freight is on a steep upward trajectory in the region and beyond. Featuring 11 new original songs, recorded at Sunwood Studios in Trumansburg, NY by Jaime Gartelos, Freight is well positioned to expand their exposure in 2025.

www.freightmusic.com

The 86ers

The 86ers are a 4 piece band out of Ithaca NY whose sound sits at the crossroads of punk rock and country music. With metal, rock and outlaw country influences these fellas rock the dance floor and tug at your heart strings with their original material and you’ll be singing along to outlaw anthems. 

Cover: $10 at the door

Doors 11:30am, Music 2pm - 5pm

We’re opening at 11:30am for one Huge-ah St. Patty’s Party.

There’ll be drink specials all day and a Massive Post-Parade Bash from 2pm till 5pm with Live Celtic Rock by…

SISTERS OF MURPHY

They’ll be performing a musical blend of Celtic drinking songs and Rust Belt Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Sisters of Murphy

Sisters Of Murphy is a 7 piece Celtic-Rock band that hails from the city of Rochester, NY, USA.

Boasting a 20 plus year career of live shows and a host of original releases, "SOM" continues to write, record, and perform, sharing both their memorable songs and classics from legends of the "Irish" genre.

THE STORY OF SISTERS OF MURPHY

Silverdish Record's artists Sisters Of Murphy are a Celtic Rock band hailing from Rochester, N.Y. USA. Twenty plus years and 3 releases later, Sisters Of Murphy continue to perform, write, and record their fusion of Irish inspired Rock & Roll, drawing on traditional Celtic elements with lyrical themes that range from humor and fun, to passion and perception. Legendary 3HB brew master Geoff Dale calls SOM "The most fun band going in Rochester and it is not even close!" 

Sometime way back in the early 2000's, Rochester, N.Y. natives, vocalist Mark Tichenor and bassist Bruce Lish, decided to step away from performing their original rock music to form a Irish-Celtic themed party band to play gigs surrounding St. Patrick's day to celebrate their love for Celtic Rock, have some fun, and challenge themselves on stage. Their collaborative creation, Sisters Of Murphy, have since evolved to include 7 members, a legion of dedicated fans from years of live performances, and pockets of listeners of their discography around the globe. 

Musically, Sisters Of Murphy set themselves apart from their peers by writing songs that flirt with Rock, Traditional Celtic, Pop, and Alternative elements creating a modern sound that becomes a genre of their own.

In 2025, SOM continues to perform live, with shows scheduled this spring and summer. Live surprises include new original songs being introduced on stage at select shows as well as new cover songs from legends of the genre.

https://www.facebook.com/events/373087045472197/?ref=newsfeed

https://sistersofmurphyband.com/home

Doors 4pm, Music 5:30pm

Backyard Chemistry

Backyard Chemistry is one of Rochester’s most versatile cover bands, playing a wide variety of popular music. Come on out for a great time with good people!

https://www.facebook.com/backyardchemistry

Cover: $5

Side Eye

Side Eye is a four-piece band featuring soul rock and roll music. Continuously working on new original songs and tight set lists for up to 3 hour performances! Plans are coming together for another trip to the studio to record our first full length album. 

"Side Eye is Incredible. These guys are good and it's all original. Bluesy" - Daniel DeLucenay Photography "2023". 

Lifelong players and lovers of music and performing, Side Eye pools together decades of experience and multiple influences to create new and exciting music rooted in rock and blues. Our “Soul Rock N Roll”. 

https://sideeyeband.com/home

Reid Burton

Reid is one of Rochester’s coolest country blues singers..and is currently the co-frontman of BB Dang

https://www.instagram.com/reid_burton_official/

https://www.facebook.com/events/400032963168382

Cover: $10

Doors 4pm, Music 7:30pm

Jack West

He is, at once, a teenager writing and recording in his bedroom and a well-traveled rock ‘n’ roll veteran. He’s already toured the country, performed with Eddie Vedder when he was just 12, and recorded two albums and an EP, while releasing a series of singles, including last year’s “Missing Out,” which featured a solo by Pearl Jam’s Mike McCreedy.

While the pandemic ravaged the country over the past two years, young West was busy writing and recording the nine new songs on NUMB – and an additional eight more tracks he intends to release on another album before the end of the year.

Coming off last year’s techno-driven single, “A Little Shine,” West’s musical direction continues to take off in new directions, with a hazy, psychedelic feel to the music that reflects our collective isolation during Covid, and the increasing reliance on social media to connect, even as we remain trapped alone in our individual silos. The constant refrain is like a pep talk to ourselves that we’re going to get through this, we’ll be OK, but without any certainty of it.

“That’s why I believe people will relate to what I’m singing about,” says West. “Especially kids my age.”

Indeed, NUMB offers a running travelogue and diary of the last couple of years in West’s life, starting with the first track and single, “Montreal,” a propulsive, electro-driven song – Tame Impala meets Gary Numan – about the “shit hitting the fan” in a relationship with his hometown girlfriend while separated; Jack in San Francisco and she in the title’s Canadian city. “The album is like a book, with each song a different chapter,” says Jack. “I like to write about real things. I’ll sit in my room for hours, record all night, and go to school with no sleep the next day.”

NUMB is an album unabashedly influenced by heightened experiences, what Jack has referred to as “dream-pop acid music,” with hints of ‘60s psychedelia (a trippy take on the Doors’ “Love Street”), ‘80s Brit synthpop (“Montreal”) and up-to-date lo-fi beats (“Candy Flip”), taking us to actual cities (“Goodbye LA,” with its Laurel Canyon folk-acoustic guitar or “21,” reflecting the urban grit of New York’s Central Park), while ruminating about missed connections, experiences gained and lessons learned.

“That’s just personally the way I’ve been feeling the last two years,” admits Jack. “And I know a lot of other people feel the same way. We’ve all lost something during this time, either loved ones, jobs or relationships.”

There are songs that touch on such teenage tropes as jealousy and regret (“All Good”), best friends in rehab (“10:15”) or one-night stands (“21”).

“It’s old and new at the same time,” says Jack about his musical growth. “I’m modernizing the past.”

Jack West is wise beyond his years. He was barely 13 years old when he wrote “Old Soul” four years ago and since then, has released a debut album (2019’s For the Record), a live EP (2020’s Live at Easy Street Records from a performance at the renowned Seattle retail store) and a handful of “Covid singles,” including “Forever,” “The Last Arcade,” “Missing You” and “A Little Shine.”

His touring resume includes performances at the BottleRock Festival in Napa, CA, followed by performances at the 50th Woodstock Celebration in Bethel, NY, and at notable rock photographer Danny Clinch’s Transparent Gallery in Asbury Park, NJ. 

BottleRock talent buyer Tom Hoppa called West “the forefront of the next generation of rock ‘n’ roll. His BottleRock performances captivated and awed audiences. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Jack – he is an artist for all to keep on their radar.”

No longer a wunderkind, Jack West is becoming a man and a first-class musician in front of our eyes and ears. NUMB finds him graduating into the big leagues.

https://www.jackwest-music.com/

https://www.instagram.com/jackwest32/

https://www.facebook.com/Jackwest32

Cover: $10

Doors 6pm, Music 7:30pm

An Intimate Evening with Blues Great and Rochester Music Hall of Fame Member...

JOE BEARD and Very Special Guest: Gian Carlo Cervone

Born and raised in Ashland, MS, guitarist Joe Beard grew up with the Murphy brothers, one of whom later found an international following as Matt "Guitar" Murphy. Guitarist Nathan Beauregard lived with Beard's cousin, so he was surrounded by aspiring and veteran blues musicians while growing up, and he began singing at an early age. Beard became interested in playing guitar via the Murphy brothers, who sat in with a young B.B. King when he played at the Roosevelt Lake Club. Beard began to learn guitar at age 17 from Ernest Scruggs, a neighbor, before heading to Chicago. Beard moved to Rochester, NY, and from time to time would visit one of his brothers in Chicago. He quickly became enamored of the blues being played in clubs there by people like Jimmy Reed and Sonny Boy Williamson. Beard sat in with John Lee Hooker one night and received encouraging words from Hooker, and also later sat in with his idol, Muddy Waters.While in Rochester, he formed the Soul Brothers Six, playing bass and singing, but he didn't perform in public on guitar until 1965. Beard befriended classic blues guitarist Son House, who was a neighbor in Rochester, and played a concert for students at the University of Rochester in 1968. Beard worked as an electrician by day and would occasionally play out at night and on weekends for most of the '60s on through to the '80s. He has a reputation as one of the best local players around, and though he may not be a household name in other parts of the U.S., he toured Europe in 1983 and did studio and stage work with Buster Benton, Lafayette Leake, and Memphis Slim. At the famed BK Lounge, Beard and his backing bands opened for Bobby Bland, Albert King, and others.

https://www.facebook.com/joebeardblues

https://www.facebook.com/gian.c.cervone

Special thanks to our friends, Doug Camp and Cicero Ryland Jr..,true music fans.

Cover: $10

Kevin Gordon and Band

Doors 3:00pm • Music 4:00pm

The call came between the first two recording sessions. “I knew something was up when the first scan results came back; I drove straight to New Orleans and stayed pretty much out of my mind for three days. I was terrified, and thought I would lose it completely if I sat in my house staring at the wall any longer,” recalls Kevin Gordon. “They were using words like malignant, which scared the hell out of me. Those second tracking sessions were more emotional for me, personally,” he continues.

The artist – who has dueted with Lucinda Williams, been profiled in the New York Times, performed on NPR World Cafe, and seen his songs covered by Keith Richards, Irma Thomas, Levon Helm, and Todd Snider (in Hard Working Americans)  – is talking about his throat cancer diagnosis during the making of unapologetic rock & roll record ‘The In Between,’ his seventh album and his first full-length since 2018’s acclaimed ‘Tilt & Shine.’

With guitars, drums, and bass completed for most tracks but vocals for only one or two, the sessions had to go on indefinite pause while Gordon underwent radiation and chemotherapy. “The doctor was allowing for all sorts of scary results, including my voice changing,” says Gordon, continuing, “I thought, am I going to be wearing a voice box? But there was an odd calm about it: this was the hand I'd been dealt.”

“During treatment, I was able to maintain a sense of hope, which is uncharacteristically optimistic for me. I got off easy. When you do chemo, you’re sitting in one of those rooms with a bunch of other people and most of them were much worse off,” he says.

Lead single and album opener “Simple Things,” written during the pandemic about, as he puts it, “contact, that exchange of energy between me and an audience,” took on new meaning while Kevin was receiving treatment. 

It took the better part of a year for doctors to certify Kevin as cancer-free. When his singing voice started to return to him, making music felt urgent and vital in a new way. “Unfortunately, nothing changed with my voice!,” he jokes.

“But it was all that much sweeter on the other end. The first gig back, a short solo set broadcast live on radio, it was pretty scary, the starkness of it. I wasn’t sure how it was going to go,” he says.

His singing on ‘The In Between’ crackles and sparks with life.

Much of the support he received came from the East Nashville musical community, in which he is held in high regard. Aaron Lee Tasjan wrote on Instagram, “All I know is KG writes the songs that inspire a lot of us. One of our finest, no doubt.”

Jim Lauderdale said simply, “He’s amazing.”

Lucinda Williams, with whom he dueted on his recording of “Down To the Well,” opined, “He’s writing songs that are like short stories, and I really like the kind of swampy, bluesy sound.”

The press has also widely praised his prior half dozen albums. Rolling Stone called him a “juke joint professor” while its sister webpage Rolling Stone Country termed his music “gripping.” Associated Press has called his music “brilliance… mesmerizing.” The Nashville Scene and Premier Guitar both opined that his last album ‘Tilt & Shine’ may have been the best album out of Nashville, TN in 2018.

The New York Times, in a full profile under the headline “A Musician Or a Poet? Yes to Both,” characterized his music as “an often harrowing tour of the back-roads South.” Of the themes on ‘The In Between,’ Kevin says, “The older I get, the more I’m thinking about what my friend Kenny Stinson called ‘all that old southern shit.’”

Take the character study “Marion,” loosely based on a real-life coworker at Kevin’s first job, as a dishwasher in a restaurant owned by a gay man in Monroe, Louisiana. “Man, it was just a freaky scene,” Kevin recalls. He continues, “It’s probably the most diverse group of characters I’ve ever encountered. Some of the employees were gay men, and some of the crowd as well. So fucking tragic, he shot himself.”

Kevin had started writing “Keeping My Brother Down” years before after reading about Emmett Till’s murder. He finished it, drawing a through line to Eric Garner and the events of Ferguson, MO. It’s written from the point of view of a sympathetic white southern male. “It felt important to give voice to justified outrage. There’s a lot of anger. There’s a lot of guilt, in a way,” he says.

Sometimes, it’s the subtexts that lean into the southern aspects. The autobiographical title track on the album reckons with aging, contemplating the tension between wanderlust and the security of home. The song references money buried in the yard, a tale Kevin heard growing up about his great-grandfather’s practice. “I asked my mother and she doesn’t remember anything like that. I know that that’s true, that if he didn’t bury it in the ground, he kept cash in the house in hidden places.” The in-between consciousness. Hidden places. Southern shit.

Though largely true-to-life, “The In Between” also calls on one unforgettable, hypothetical image: “Feeling like Gary Busey playing old Howard Hughes.” Gordon says, “I was immediately thinking, can I do that? Gary Busey has never played Howard Hughes!”

Other songs also draw on his lived experiences, past and present. The scuzzy, garage boogie of “Catch a Ride” shouts Kevin’s determination to follow this rock & roll road as far as it goes. He says, “I wrote that right before the 2nd set of tracking sessions--which took place about a week before I finally got the final diagnosis of throat cancer, and less than a month before beginning radiation treatment. So—I think there's a certain amount of faith and urgency coming out there in the lyric—metaphorically addressing an unnamed higher power, just wanting everything to be okay.”

In the swaying “Tammy Cecile,” accompanied by a playful fiddle, about the tense dalliance, began after Kevin found a photograph of himself and the titular character . “My friends tried to steer me away. I didn’t take that as a sign,” he deadpans, adding, “I just look back and see how much she was craving a deep attachment that was missing from her family life, and would do all sorts of things to try to force that, in her relationships. ’Cutting’ wasn't a common term then. But she could also be very strong and confident.”

The Black Flag reference in the song checks out as well, Kevin attests, saying, “I was listening to a lot of Black Flag. I’d been a skateboarder in junior high and high school. All those bands out of the LA punk scene were a big part of the skating culture at that time. X, they were probably my favorite out of all of that stuff. I saw them twice in the early- to mid-‘80s.”

“You Can’t Hurt Me No More,” written with Kim Richey, comes on like a fever trance. It’s a title the song’s narrator of the song hopes is true. “You see your ex and all that façade crumbles,” Kevin says of the song.

Part of the richness of his writing comes from Gordon’s degree in poetry earned from University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop.

He and producer/guitarist Joe V. McMahan laid down music for several tracks, with lyrics to be written later, as it turns out, quite a bit later. “I did it to push myself. I felt confident enough about the songs’ basic forms to chart out an arrangement and record it. It’s a more abstract way of working,” he says, exclaiming, “You hope that you left the right number of bars of whatever chord in the right place for the lyrics. When we cut it with the band, it just felt really good.”

Joe V. McMahan (Justin Townes Earle) also spent formative years in northern Louisiana. Kevin explains, “In some ways, the fact that Louisiana still has more of a dance culture than other places, that music is tied to movement in that way, that means something.” For instance, “Hey Destiny” could be a long-lost British invasion cut.

Recording vocals after he was declared cancer-free brought a new clarity “Coming out of that, it definitely did create a certain sense of not only urgency but a sense of permission, that I felt more comfortable saying a few things more plainly than I had before,” he says.

Kevin sings on “Coming Up” about his parents splitting up in 1980, followed by his initial, 1984 encounter with an electric guitar. He worked for two weeks farming for his stepfather on a cotton and soybean farm before quitting and joining a punk band. “We played our first gig for half a case of beer. Our second gig, we demanded more compensation, so we got a full case of beer,” he says, laughing. He recounts, “We were packing this place. We had people from a holy roller church protesting out front with signs.  It was insane.”

For the punk rock-adjacent “Love Right,” the two dialed the tempo up high, as Kevin puts it, “greasy but still pretty straight.” The rock & roll music disguises some deep digging, Kevin singing about his mother kicking his father out, first to remarry into a family where Kevin didn’t fit, and then to go to California to try and strike it big with his software company. He sees echoes in his own life, like being that he was on the road for chunks of his own kids’ childhoods, and sees some of the darker temptations in his father deep within himself.

Part of his newfound perspective comes from understanding the physically abusive household in which his father grew up. “My dad’s biological father was apparently quite a piece of work. I never knew the man but he came to see me once when I was a baby. This is something that my father only talked to me about once in my lifetime. My grandfather ended up dying in a bar fight outside of Dallas, over Easter weekend, in 1965 or ’66, hit in the head with a pipe.”

The task of the song, Kevin says, is “actually talking about forgiving my dad, showing empathy for him, as a human being.” He adds, “I was trying to get at this whole thing about personal intimacy, the awkwardness of it. I’m a lot more empathetic the older I get. You realize, oh, it’s really not easy being an adult.”
All of this—the feeling of life his found in his early punk rock band, his family trauma, the heartbreak, raising his kids in Nashville, TN, his cancer, doing the best he could and observing how others try for the same, and yes, “all that old Southern shit,” is captured in ‘The In Between,’ recalling Faulkner’s aphorism “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”

Or, more succinctly, as he told a concert audience last summer, with his electric guitar strapped on instead of his radiation headgear, “It feels good to be doing this instead of that other thing that I was doing.”

https://kg.kevingordon.net/

Tickets: $25 and on sale online at https://abilene.showare.com and today at the door

Doors 4pm, Music 9:15pm

StratCat Willie & the Strays

StratCat Willie Hayes is an old-school bluesman who has been writing and playing for over sixty years. Some of his earliest influences included T-Bone Walker, Mike Bloomfield, B.B. King, Johnny Winter, and Duke Robillard. In 1995, after several years of gigging in local clubs and fronting many cover bands, his affinity for and love of the blues led him to form a band that would allow him to focus exclusively on the blues.“ Blues Plate Special” was a harmonica driven blues band that covered everyone from Little Charlie & the Nightcats to the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, as well as writing and recording original songs. With Blues Plate Special, he worked hard to keep the blues alive in the Southern Tier of New York, recording three studio albums along with one live album. In 2019, in an effort to explore other styles of the blues, he pulled several players together that had been with him for many of those fifty-plus years to form “StratCat Willie & the Strays”. In 2020, armed with thirteen original tunes, he took the Strays into the studio. The result was “On The Prowl”, which debuted on SiriusXM BLUESVILLE’s “Rack of Blues” and remained on the Roots Music Report charts for six consecutive months, finishing #52 on the RMR “Top 200 Contemporary Blues Album Chart for 2021”.Following up on that success, late in 2021 StratCat Willie brought the same players together to record “On A Hot Tin Roof”. Comprised of twelve new original tunes written entirely during the pandemic, the music not only reflects the darkness of the times, it also reflects the “Good News of the Blues” and the joy of classic swing/jump blues by tapping into the rich sound of a backing horn section and soulful background vocals. This album also enjoyed widespread popularity and earned a slot on BLUESVILLE’S “Rack of Blues”. In the Fall of 2022, just as they were ready to dive into their next studio project, one of the Strays died unexpectedly. Following that, there were some other unexpected personnel changes, as well as the ravages of time. So, n late 2023, StratCat Willie pulled together the Strays that he was gigging with most, and recorded his third studio album, “Don’t Slow Down!”. The result is a hard driving, guitar-centric project that addresses the challenges raised by those losses and the relentless passage of time. Over his fifty plus year career, StratCat Willie has shared the stage with many musicians across the United States. From New Orleans, where he has jammed with legends like Walter “Wolfman” Washington, to San Francisco, Memphis, Nashville, and Boston,he is always looking to meet and play with different folks. StratCat Willie not only enjoys the spontaneity of a good blues jam, he revels in the opportunity to bring new players together and “make a statement”. Continuing the influences of the old masters with his swinging, upbeat style, he always pays tribute to and recognizes those great African-American men and women who gave us this amazing art form.

https://stratcatwillie.com/

Doors 4pm, Music 5:30pm

The Starlite Combo

The Starlite Combo is a rockabilly trio hailing from the Rochester, NY area. Doing their part to keep the spirit of Sun Records alive, performing Rockabilly and Rock n’ Roll, and tracing a direct line from the music of classic artists such as Elvis, Carl Perkins, Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran, and Gene Vincent, all the way up through more recent artists like Ronnie Dawson, Brian Setzer, and JD McPherson

https://www.facebook.com/starlitecombo

Cover: $5

Doors 4pm, Music 7pm

David Michael Miller

Hailing out of Buffalo, NY, a town rich with music history, David Michael Miller, nationally touring founder and lead singer of Miller and The Other Sinners, brings his brand of acoustic based southern soul to the road with his side solo project, Miller’s Garage. Named after his grandfather’s business in Wellsville, NY where he spent a lot of time growing up, Miller uses this side project as a story-teller for introducing his songs and the stories in their individual lyrics and melodies. He blends his diverse americana influences pulling from gospel, country blues, soul and folk. Garages are a place to fix broken things, disassemble and put back together again.

David grew up mostly in the country,  south of Buffalo, NY, in Allegany County.  At a very young age he began singing in church, surrounded by gospel music, which has impacted his writing to this day.  Growing up through the 70's and 80’s, he was exposed to all different styles of music, learning piano, sax and eventually, guitar.  Blues, R&B and soul music always inspired him though he never embraced those forms until much later in life.  He was composing from a very early age and was recording his own church albums at the age of 12.  In college he did a short internship in Nashville and was somewhat disillusioned by the music industry.  Not long after, he was married to his high school sweetheart, started a family and got away from pursuing music for a few years.

Church kept him connected to music, and round 1995 he started a band called Painted By Moses out of Buffalo, influenced by the Seattle scene, releasing a couple albums of songs he had written that sold over 2500 copies in a couple years.  They had radio airplay all around the United States on college and niche stations, playing several large festivals in Western New York through Chicago. 

After several more years of almost exclusively playing gospel music, his thoughts on religion evolved and he began writing differently, and finally letting his blues and soul influences rise to the surface.  Inspired by Buffalo artists such as Tommy Z, he started a band called Beautiful Bones with his son Joshua, his nephew Nick Peterson and the legendary keyboard player, Jim Ehinger, writing and performing blues and soul all around WNY.  They had the privilege of opening for several national acts including Joe Bonamassa and David Allen Coe. 

With changes in direction of the members of that band, he joined with members of the Todd Eberwine band to form Dive House Union (DHU), a 6 piece jam band, fusing rock, blues, soul and funk. With DHU, he was the lead singer and primary writer, contributing most of the material for two live albums, one recorded at Kleinhans Music Hall and another at the Aurora Theater.  With DHU, he also had the privilege of sharing the stage with many national acts such as Tedeschi Trucks, Jonny Lang, Gary Clark Jr., Bobby Blue Bland, Jimmie Vaughan and many others.  DHU has toured regionally and competed in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN, making it to the semi-finals. 

More recently, his work on a solo album, Poisons Sipped, has afforded him unexpected international airplay, accolades, chart positions on the Roots Music Report.  He had the opportunity to do a separate solo album, Same Soil, with Grammy nominated producer, Mike Brown, released July 1st 2016.  Same Soil was recorded with the help of some of the incredible musicians here in WNY, tracked in Temperamental Studios in Geneseo, NY, with 50% of the album recorded with pre WWII instruments.  That album is dedicated to the memory of his grandfather, Myron Miller.

Since then, he’s formed “Miller and The Other Sinners”→ www.millerandtheothersinners.com and released 3 albums with a group of amazing musicians, and is now back working on several solo album projects.

PRESS:

“David Miller's music is earthy and soulful. A bluesy rock style, a rich voice and guitar, along with years of experience, it adds up to a musical pilgrimage that attracts attention and stimulates a crowd. People get interested, and that's golden!” - Holt Vaughn, Founder and CEO of the Award Winning group of media companies TheEastcoGroup.com
"Miller is one of the finest soul-based singers in our region, and throughout “Poisons Sipped,” he proves he’s also one of our most vibrant songwriters. Elements of gospel, R&B, electric blues and singer-songwriter leanings collide here to form a collection of elegant, stately and eminently grooving songs, delivered with consistent passion. This is incredibly spirited stuff, and it represents a new high-watermark for Buffalo-born recordings.” -  Jeff Miers, Buffalo News

"Dave has a great soulful voice that may be the best sounding to have come out of WNY since Billy McEwen, his songs are catchy, funky, full of meaning as is his tasty guitar work."  - Tommy Z, International Recording Artist

"Poisons Sipped is a perfect cocktail of Blues, Soul, and Gospel flavors! Do yourself a favor and treat your ears to one of the best albums of the year!” -  Selwyn Birchwood, Alligator Records Recording Artist

“From “old-school” blues/ rock to sweet soul and gospel David Miller knows his stuff. A singer/songwriter and storyteller singing from what he has experienced, Miller is one of those guys who plays it from the heart. The notes falling from his guitar are drenched with passion and, when he opens his mouth and begins to sing, you know it’ nothin’ but the pure unadulterated truth. David Michael Miller is the real deal. If I had to label Miller, I would most likely call him a soul singer but, he is so much more. With each time that I listen to Poisons Sipped, I hear something new. This is an album that is destined to become a classic, passing down through the ages as one of those things that we all come to know and love.” - Bill Wilson, Reflections in Blue

https://davemillermusic.com/

https://millersgaragemusic.com/

Cover: $10

Doors 4pm, Music 7:30pm

Stevie Tombstone

After a chance meeting with Roy Acuff, Stevie (then a young man) was certain he would always be a musician. Georgia born relation of the legendary fiddler, Clayton McMichen, Stevie immersed himself in the world of rock and the underground music scene of the 80s in Atlanta, but never lost the twang of his childhood. Almost three decades later he has become an accomplished performer, songwriter and guitarist, as well as an integral the Atlanta and Austin Music Scenes at various points in time. He now hangs his hat in Western North Carolina.

​In addition to his published works with his 1980s swampabilly band, The Tombstones, Stevie has released five solo albums and half a dozen music videos. The Tombstones song, Nobody, became a college radio anthem. The roots punk song about the Carolina Lights and was later recorded by rock icon Stiv Bator.

​Tombstone's debut full length release, 730 AM, featured performances by members of Wilco, Jason and the Scorchers, The Bad Livers, and The Georgia Satellites, and offered tracks that peaked on the Satellite Radio charts. After several comps and EPs, his 2011 release, Greenwood, reintroduced Stevie to Americana and folk listeners with the autobiographical tale of his journey to Greenwood to mark the grave of then unhonored Robert Johnson.

​Over the years, Tombstone’s bandmates and co-conspirators have been a veritable who's who of underground and nationally recognized players. Priding himself in his ability to cross genres, he has also had the honor of sharing the bill with the likes of Leon Russell, The Stray Cats, Greg Allman, Willie Nelson, Drive By Truckers, Marshall Tucker Band, Johnny Bush, and The Ramones and the list goes on.

In addition to producing and writing for other artists, Stevie still maintains a hardcore troubadour outlook, enjoying a grassroots following that's kept him on the trail for the last three decades. 

​Best-kept secret, Stevie Tombstone, is a quintessential troubadour, a veteran musician who crafts powerful folk songs tinged with classic country and vintage blues influences.

​There are many different species of the Music Artist. Various combinations of singers, songwriters and entertainers.  But it’s the ones that wear their art that get to us the most. The ones that don’t know how not to tell the truth in their music and reveal the raw and ragged triumphs that in the end are more beautiful because of the honesty of the struggle. These are the Artists that get in our bones and shake loose our demons by slaying their own with chords and words. Artists like Johnny Cash, Janis Joplin…and Stevie Tombstone." Outlaw Magazine

https://www.stevietombstone.net/

Special Low-Dough Show- Ten Bucks at the Door

Doors 7pm, Music 8pm

Stella Hill

The sass of a rhinestone cowboy hat and the comfort of a well-loved pair of jeans: Stella Hill pays tribute to the classic Nashville duets made famous by Dolly Parton & Porter Wagoner, Tammy Wynette & George Jones, and Emmylou Harris & Gram Parsons. Stella Hill is the songwriting collaboration between keyboardist Josh Massicot and string player Liz Ristow. The wife and husband duo write songs with earnest lyrics, tight vocal harmonies, and richly textured arrangements that incorporate an eclectic fabric of musical tastes: from jazz to folk, from country to classical. The duo’s third EP, Lost at Sea, was recorded by Grammy award-winning engineer and producer Will Russell in a historic church outside of Ithaca, NY. Lost at Sea (2024), North Star (2020) and Stella Hill’s eponymous EP (2019) are available on Bandcamp and all music streaming platforms.

https://www.facebook.com/stellahillmusic

Cover: $10

Doors 4pm, Music 7:30pm

Alice Howe & Freebo

Alice Howe and Freebo present a unique study in contrasts, bringing together a rising voice in Americana music and a venerable rock, folk, and blues icon. Each a compelling performer in their own right, they both lead and support each other in their well-crafted songs with flawless harmonies and tasteful instrumentation. They have worked as creative collaborators in the studio and on stage since 2017. Freebo weaves his unique fretless bass stylings into Alice's superb vocals for a presentation with undeniable chemistry.

 To hear Alice Howe sing is to be enraptured by the natural, unaffected beauty of her voice. There’s no artifice, no histrionics — just honest, authentic, emotionally resonant singing in the tradition of the roots music that shaped her. On Circumstance, her second and latest album, the Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter guitarist displays her vocal prowess and introspective writing in abundance, mining both her heart and her musical tastes for a deep, personal journey across an Americana soundscape dotted with blues, folk, country, soul and rock. Recorded in two sessions at the legendary Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, where Etta James and Wilson Pickett once shook the walls, the record channels their spirits with 11 stirring tracks that pull no punches diving into the vagaries of the heart and her own personal journey. As an old soul inside a 30-something millennial, Alice puts her stamp on Americana’s venerable strands with 10 standout originals evoking both the classic singer-songwriters and the seminal music that once filled airwaves, roadhouses and juke joints.

Freebo is best known for his decade of touring and recording with Bonnie Raitt, and has distinguished himself as one of the great bassists of our time, playing on records with CSN, Maria Muldaur, John Mayall, Ringo Starr, Dr. John, and Neil Young as well as appearing on Saturday Night Live, The Midnight Special, The Muppet Show, and in concert with the legendary Spinal Tap. Not willing to simply rest on those achievements, Freebo delved more deeply into his creativity and has become a highly regarded singer/songwriter, now working on his 6th full-length solo CD. A multi award winner and finalist in numerous songwriting contests, Freebo’s music reflects his compassionate concern for the world and people around him, and his lyrics and open stage banter have helped him connect with listeners worldwide. A live musical experience with Freebo is astute, insightful, clever, and truly melodic.

https://www.alicehowe.com/

https://freebomusic.com/about

Tickets: $25 and on sale now at https://abilene.showare.com and tonight at the bar

Doors 4pm, Music 7:30pm

Flamy Grant

Award-winning and Billboard-charting artist Flamy Grant is a shame-slaying, hip-swaying, singing-songwriting drag queen from western North Carolina. Her 2022 debut record, Bible Belt Baby, was nominated for Best Pop Album at the San Diego Music Awards and was named one of the Top Ten Queer Country Albums of 2023 by Rainbow Rodeo Magazine. Flamy is a winner of the 2023 Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Competition and a nominee for the 2023 QueerX Award for Best Drag Artist. She has been featured in Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, People, Billboard, and more. Both a powerhouse vocalist and an intrepid songwriter, Flamy blends the art of drag with her iconic folk/rock sound to create a memorable musical experience.

Flamy is the first drag performer to appear on Christian music charts, with both her song “Good Day” and her Album Bible Belt Baby reaching #1 on iTunes — the latter staying at the top for nine consecutive days. Additionally, “Good Day” debuted at #20 on Billboard’s Christian digital sales chart. Her music has over 750,000 streams on Spotify, Apple, and Amazon. Flamy has collaborated with Adeem the Artist, Jennifer Knapp, Semler, and Derek Webb. In addition to playing the New Folk winner’s showcase at the 2023 Kerrville Folk Festival, she has played Wild Goose Festival in North Carolina, San Diego Pride’s SheFest, and headlined Blount County Pride in East Tennessee, where she won a court victory after a local district attorney threatened to enforce Tennessee’s drag ban.

It’s no accident that Flamy’s drag name is an homage to Amy Grant, the undisputed queen of Christian music and 90s chart-topping pop artist. Much of Flamy’s music centers on the queer spiritual journey, telling stories of resilience and recovery from religious trauma in a world where LGBTQ+ people are frequently ignored by, harmed in, or ejected from religious spaces. With a bold lip, a big lash, and a blistering voice, Flamy drags audiences to a soulful, uplifting church of her own making. This down-to-earth diva has entertained music lovers from Los Angeles to Nashville with her funny, frank, and fabulous songs.

“Her vocals soar… A mix of Wynona Judd smokiness and Dolly Parton realness. Her lyrics sparkle as brightly as her rhinestone jumpsuit.” —Andy Kaufman, Music Connection Magazine

“A cheeky country-disco track… guaranteed to smear a smile across your face as bold as a heavy lip.” —Rachel Cholst, TheBoot.com

https://www.flamygrant.com/

Heather Mae

Heather Mae, the acclaimed social justice singer-songwriter, fearlessly bares her soul in her music, creating an intimate space of shared vulnerability for her listeners. Her unbridled honesty, both on and off stage, has cultivated a devoted fanbase and garnered recognition, including accolades like the winner of the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Songwriter Showcase and Northeast Regional Folk Alliance Artist-Activist of the Year award.

In her 2019 release, “Glimmer,” Heather Mae crafts a luminescent masterpiece, drawing parallels to vocal powerhouses Adele and Sara Bareilles. With storytelling depth reminiscent of Florence Welch, the record uniquely centers on mental health, with each lyric unveiling a portrait of resilience and self-discovery.

Positioned on the cusp of unveiling her upcoming post-pandemic double record, Mae embarked on a mission to address the stark gender disparity for music producers—a mere 4% representation by women. In 2023, Heather Mae rallied a dynamic collective of women and non-binary talents in Nashville, assembling luminaries like producer ZDAN and Lollies, alongside guest artists such as Grammy award-winning musician Allison Russell and the extraordinary duo Sistastrings. Together, they crafted two electrifying albums in two distinct genres, showcasing the unparalleled talent and versatility of women and non-binary music makers.

Mae is poised to make a resounding impact with both groundbreaking records slated for release in 2025.

https://www.heathermae.net/

Tickets: $25 and on sale now at https://abilene.showare.com and tonight at the bar

Doors 4:00pm • Music 7:30pm

15th Annual Johnny Cash Birthday Bash

Hosted by “The Abilene Four,” featuring Tommy Brunett, Brian Williams, James Mcavaney, and Bobby Henrie.

Join us in celebrating the life and music of Johnny Cash. There’ll be a ton of great musicians joining in all night..

With performances by Rita Coulter, Don Christiano, Ron Hart, The Starlite Combo, John Kelley, Adrianna Noone, Jeff Riales, Brian Lindsay, Richard Storms, Pete Griffith, Steve Lyons, Jim Symonds, Lori Mulligan, Jeff Spevak, Reid Burton, Candy Montgomery, and Katie Haverly

Sponsored by Iron Smoke Distillery

Iron Smoke Whiskey Specials All Night Long!

https://www.facebook.com/events/895737572617426

Tickets: $22 and on sale now online at https://abilene.showare.com/ tonight at the bar

Unfortunately, Abilene Bar and Lounge will NOT be open tonight.

Dusty Bottle Band is unable to play and we need to reschedule their performance.

Please look to our website calendar and Facebook page for the upcoming Dusty Bottle date.

Be safe..and have a great Saturday!

Doors 7pm, Music 8pm

Dusty Bottle Band

A full night of the Grateful Dead!!!

Dusty Bottle is a Grateful Dead Tribute band from Western/Central NY. They have an amazing time with it and hope you will too. Each song they do will never be played the exact same way twice, while maintaining the integrity of the original composition.

https://www.facebook.com/adustybottle/

https://www.facebook.com/events/1318693182649646

Cover: $10

Doors 4pm, Music 9:15pm

Frying Pan

A perversion of all that is holy with the blues, Pat Moschiano spits words, moans, barks and howls while Ken Frank shakes the floor, Brian Shafer rattles the walls and Phil Marshall sears the meat. Never the same meal served out of this frying pan.

https://www.facebook.com/unclephilmarshall

https://www.facebook.com/brian.shafer.902

Cover: $7

Doors 4:00pm • Music 5:30pm

Yes, it’s the February “Third Friday” Happy Hour!!!!

Do NOT miss this monthly party!!! Great music by The Occasional Saints, Genesee Beer specials during Happy Hour, Prizes, T-shirt giveaways and more!!! Did we say beads?!

The Occasional Saints

Playing primarily original songs by keyboard player P. V. Nunes, the Occasional Saints brand of music is New Orleans blues and swing. The band is: P.V. Nunes on keyboards and vocals, Carmen Verzillo on lead guitar, Jay Chafee on bass, Michael Verzillo on drums, Rick McRae on trombone, and Mark Bradley on sax.

https://www.occasionalsaints.com/

Cover: $6

Doors 4pm, Music 6:30pm

Biscuit Brothers

The Biscuit Brothers – Caleb and Jethro - are time-traveling buskers who bring history to life with a lively mix of Americana, folk, old-time, bluegrass, and ragtime music. Featuring clawhammer banjo, guitar, and mandolin, their performances blend storytelling, humor, and historic tunes for an engaging and unforgettable experience.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/8289635607730641

Big Blue House

Big Blue House is your home for songs to remember. They’re a trio of seasoned musicians with experience in a variety of genres, merging styles and voices into a unique gumbo of folk, rock, blues, jazz and reggae. They offer a blend of voices, acoustic rhythm and lead guitar and stand-up bass. You’re gonna love the sounds of Brian Burley, Harvey Possemato, and Bob DeRosa.

https://www.bigbluehouseband.com/

Cover: $8

Doors 4pm, Music 6:30pm

Herb Heins presents Songwriter Sessions at Abilene
Three Wednesdays in a Row
Early start time..6:30pm
No Cover Charge!

Songwriter Sessions pairs host Herb Heins with some of the most talented songwriters and performers in the WNY region. These sessions will give the audience a chance to hear a wide variety of talent presenting new and innovative music that represents some of the best of what our part of the world has to offer. Each session will feature a regional songwriter; some established, many up and coming. Some sessions will feature full bands or backing musicians. Herb and guests will perform together on each other’s songs as well as doing solo sets. New songs, works in progress and songs improvised on the fly are all part of the show. Writers may discuss how songs came to be or their creative process. Here is your chance to see and hear these wonderful artists up close and personal.

Herb’s been composing, performing and recording in Rochester and WNY since 1985. His recent projects include Papa Herb & The Sol Vibration, Got Herb?, guest performances with The Gregory Street Pilgrims tribute to The Byrds album Sweetheart Of The Rodeo, performing with members of Into The Now’s tribute to The Rolling Stones album Goat’s Head Soup and guest performances with The English Project. Herb is also a member of The Nashville Songwriters Association. Herb’s album New For You and Papa Herb & The Sol Vibration’s album One Time is available on all streaming platforms.

February’s guest songwriters will be Brian Burley with James Via.

Brian Burley is the guitarist, singer-songwriter of the highly acclaimed Rochester band, Big Blue House, a band that plays a variety of genres, merging styles and voices into a unique gumbo of folk, rock, blues, jazz, and reggae.

James Via is the guitarist and driving force behind Rochester rockabilly band, Krypton 88. With their roots planted firmly at the "big bang" of rock and roll, Krypton 88 delivers its own brand of revved-up Americana, Rockabilly and Honky Tonk music.

https://www.facebook.com/herb.heins/

https://www.bigbluehouseband.com/

https://www.facebook.com/bdburley

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=100063608649070

No Cover Charge

Doors 7pm, Music 8pm

Victrola Voilà!

Victrola Voilà! (yes, the exclamation point is part of the band name) was first formed by guitarist Melanie Moralez in Montana in 2022. After relocating to Rochester, NY in 2024, she re-formed the group with Brian Williams on bass, Jim Santa on guitar, and Gavin Rice on various instruments, including drums, guitar, and banjo.

The band focuses on playing a Django Reinhardt repertoire, which can be described as 1920s, 30s, 40s Parisian swing/hot club/jazz manouche with a bit of old timey blues, French musettes, and vintage jazz standards included. 

MELANIE MORALEZ (band leader, guitarist) has been playing guitar for much of her life and started focusing on this genre in 2016 as she co-formed Seattle-based bands Lulu Swing and Byron Street Swing. She was, later, also a member of the long-established band Montana Manouche. She enthusiastically attends "Gypsy Jazz"/Django camps all over the country, where she's had the opportunity to hear and learn from the masters. She's an avid jazz jam host and eagerly looks forward to continuing to contribute to the swing jazz manouche community in Rochester. 

GAVIN RICE (banjo, guitar, and more) is an early jazz enthusiast and collector studying at the Eastman School of Music, where he majors in music education and jazz performance with a focus on upright bass. Passionate about the Jazz Age, Rice is recognizable for his keen, vintage, fashion stylings. He owns over 50 vintage instruments and is a proficient, multi-instrumentalist. He incorporates authentic period instruments into performances and educates others on the rich history of early jazz, aiming to revive interest in lesser-known figures beyond the genre’s giants. He brings a joyful, often comedic, voice to Victrola Voilà! by presenting as the band’s highly entertaining front man.

BRIAN WILLIAMS (bass) launched his musical career in 1972 with the Swamp Root String Band playing festivals and fiddler's conventions all along the Appalachians. Later, he joined the John Mooney Blues Band and toured for 10 years performing in clubs, festivals and concert halls from Maine to Chicago to New Orleans, sharing the bill with national acts; Muddy Waters, Albert King, John Lee Hooker, Paul Butterfield and Asleep at the Wheel. In 1985 he joined “Bobby Henrie and the Goners,” performing Roots R’n’R, Rockabilly and Swing in honky tonks, dance halls and festivals coast-to-coast. 

In 2000, he formed the French Jazz trio Lumière and later, the Djangoners playing “Gypsy Jazz” in the tradition of the great Django Reinhardt. 

Brian also plays with the Bossa Nova Bradley Brothers, the Biltmore Commandoes and is now pleased to be part of the Rochester, NY incarnation of “Victrola Voilà!” 

JIM SANTA (guitar) has been studying Gypsy jazz with Stéphane Wrembel for the past three and a half years, honing his craft in a style he deeply admires. Though not a career musician, this marks his first band experience since high school—many years ago. He’s thrilled to be part of such an incredible group and to share in the magic of making music together.

https://www.facebook.com/p/Victrola-Voila-100083496693414/

Cover: $8

Doors 4pm, Music 9pm

Erin & Ross

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Erin Futterer and Ross Falzone…Live at Abilene Bar and Lounge, where they first met.

 Erin Futterer and Ross Falzone have been writing and performing together now for over 6 years.  Their unique yet nostalgic sound reflects their diverse musical backgrounds and experiences: from the conservatory to the street, to the studio. Through their original songs and reimagined versions of standards, the duo seeks to include the audience in the magic and the mystery of the musical experience. 

“…It was magic. It was Tin Pan Alley ensconced in velvet. It was a trip to the moon on gossamer wings…I was enchanted, entranced, entertained.” -Frank De Blase, “The F Word”

https://erinandrossmusic.com/

Cover: $10

Doors 4pm, Music 5:30pm

Dean Keller’s Soul Jazz Joint

DKSJJ is a feel good, grooving jazz band that will lift your spirits and put a smile on your face!

Can you swing AC/DC?  “Highway to Hell” yes!  Take a popular song known to modern audiences and arrange it to sound like a throwback to the classic soul jazz sound of the 60’s; that’s the inspiration for Dean Keller’s Soul Jazz Joint.

They engage their audiences in a unique listening experience by playing songs they probably know the words to, and asking them to figure out the titles; they call it Name That Tune - Soul Jazz Style.  It’s great fun watching audience members going, ”Oh, I know this one…what is it called?  Oh yeah, it’s…!”  Recent additions to the playlist include BeBop Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift in the style of Cannonball’s “Work Song”, The Doors played a la Shirley Bassey (you know, the voice that sang the James Bond theme Goldfinger?), a New Orleans street beat reworking of The Super Mario Brothers Theme, and a tip of the hat to local legend Steve Gadd with an arrangement of Rickie Lee Jones’s “Chuck E’s In Love”.

You’re in for a truly swingin’ time!

DKSJJ is Dean Keller on sax, Greg Woodsbie on keys, Andrew Martelle on bass, and Rich Thompson on drums.

https://www.facebook.com/DKSoulJazzJoint/

Cover: $5

Doors 4pm, Music 7:30pm

Calabash

Calabash is a four-piece band from Rochester, NY. Weaving between sentiments of funk, rock, folk and beyond, the quartet achieves a unique sound that, at once, feels classic and fresh. With a proclivity for improvisation, the group takes its audience on an adventure into the unknown, making each performance a unique and memorable experience. Will Schantz-Guitar, Vocals, Andy Hogan - Bass and Vocals, AJ Magee-Keyboards and Vocals, Marcus Peters- Drums

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572363836581

https://www.facebook.com/events/999037182140836

Cover: $8

Doors 4pm, Music 6:30pm

Herb Heins presents Songwriter Sessions at Abilene
Three Wednesdays in a Row
Early start time..6:30pm
No Cover Charge!

Songwriter Sessions pairs host Herb Heins with some of the most talented songwriters and performers in the WNY region. These sessions will give the audience a chance to hear a wide variety of talent presenting new and innovative music that represents some of the best of what our part of the world has to offer. Each session will feature a regional songwriter; some established, many up and coming. Some sessions will feature full bands or backing musicians. Herb and guests will perform together on each other’s songs as well as doing solo sets. New songs, works in progress and songs improvised on the fly are all part of the show. Writers may discuss how songs came to be or their creative process. Here is your chance to see and hear these wonderful artists up close and personal.

Herb’s been composing, performing and recording in Rochester and WNY since 1985. His recent projects include Papa Herb & The Sol Vibration, Got Herb?, guest performances with The Gregory Street Pilgrims tribute to The Byrds album Sweetheart Of The Rodeo, performing with members of Into The Now’s tribute to The Rolling Stones album Goat’s Head Soup and guest performances with The English Project. Herb is also a member of The Nashville Songwriters Association. Herb’s album New For You and Papa Herb & The Sol Vibration’s album One Time is available on all streaming platforms.

February’s guest songwriter on Wednesday, February 12th is Kris Schramm, luthier and owner of K-Robin Guitars. Kris performs his soulful and grounded-in-reality original tunes with the band, Senor Jefe, as as playing with bands such as Stars Malign. Kris has also been a featured singer in tribute shows to Jimi Hendrix and The Last Waltz. Whether singing, playing bass or guitar, Kris brings a powerful sense of feel and melody to all he does.

https://www.krobinguitars.com/

https://www.facebook.com/kris.schramm.1

No Cover Charge