"Storied Saloons-Local History Happy Hour"
Jan
22
5:30 PM17:30

"Storied Saloons-Local History Happy Hour"

Doors 4pm, History Told Beginning at 5:30pm

The Office of Rochester & Monroe County History present…

“Storied Saloons-Local History Happy Hours”

January Session: Abilene Bar and Lounge

“If the walls of your local watering hole could talk, what would they say? Rochester is no stranger to time-tested taverns and contemporary bars housed in historic buildings. Each of these edifices has a story to tell. What better time to hear them than during happy hour?

“Storied Saloons” explores the history of some of Rochester and Monroe County’s most interesting and iconic bar-boasting buildings. If you enjoy learning and libations, pull up a stool and join us as we uncover the past of a different tavern during each session of this exciting series.

“Abilene Bar and Lounge is housed in the oldest building on Liberty Pole Way. Before Danny Deutsch opened the popular watering hole and music venue in 2008, the almost 200-year-old edifice held connections the the flour milling industry, a local vice district, and the LGBTQIA+ community. Join historian Emily Morry to learn all about the evolution of the unique downtown gem.”

Presented by the Office of Rochester & Monroe County History in partnership with the Central Library’s Local History & Genealogy Division. (585) 428-8095.

RocCityLibrary.org

Admission is free

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A Night of Rural Blues..and more, with Fred Vine and Greg Franklin
Jan
23
7:00 PM19:00

A Night of Rural Blues..and more, with Fred Vine and Greg Franklin

Doors 4pm, Music 7pm

Fred Vine

Fred Vine is an accomplished fingerstyle and bottleneck slide guitar guitarist with eclectic musical tastes, with country blues, ragtime, and contemporary Americana making up his extensive repertoire.

With the sound of the Beatles in his head, Fred fell in love with the guitar when he first picked it up at age twelve. Among Fred’s many influences are Rev. Gary Davis, Robert Johnson, Jelly Roll Morton, Muddy Waters, Jorma Kaukonen, Chet Atkins and Duke Ellington. Fred has shared the stage with legendary performers including Muddy Waters, John Hammond, Dave Van Ronk, Guy Davis, and Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams, among many others.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=100063655251979

Greg Franklin

Greg Franklin has been playing bass for nearly half a century. The first concert he attended was the Grateful Dead at the Fillmore East, and he is steeped in the traditions of country blues, while also playing in blues, Celtic and Americana bands. He has shared the stage with Hot Tuna, Guy Davis, the New Riders of the Purple Stage, G.E. Smith, and Chris Smither, amongst many others.

https://www.facebook.com/greg.franklin.77736

Cover: $5


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"Big Blue House"-Live on Liberty Pole Way!
Jan
24
6:30 PM18:30

"Big Blue House"-Live on Liberty Pole Way!

Doors 4pm, Music 6:30pm

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/

https://www.facebook.com/events/1307673990377869

Cover: $5

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Head to the Roots with Eli Flynn & The Everymen
Jan
25
8:00 PM20:00

Head to the Roots with Eli Flynn & The Everymen

Doors 7pm, Music 8pm

Head to the Roots

Head to the Roots is a dynamic roots rock band hailing from the heart of Rochester, New York. Their music is a blend of raw rock energy and folky introspection, often performed with collective improvisational spirit on stage.

Starting the project in 2018, lead singer and guitarist Anthony Siciliano released two EPs, Transitions (2019) and Seeker (2021), both meticulously crafted in the acoustic haven of bedrooms and basements. In the autumn of 2024, Anthony, along with drummer Chris Palace and a cadre of local talent, unveiled their debut LP, Rising. Recorded at 1809 Studio with producer Dave Drago at the helm, Rising captures the group’s evolving sound and adds a fresh layer to their roots rock landscape.

Beyond the studio, Head to the Roots tours the states, delivering fun and uplifting live performances. They’ve shared the stage with luminaries such as Mikaela Davis & Southern Star, Ripe, The Nude Party, X Ambassadors, and Ghost Note, captivating crowds across the Northeast and making notable appearances at music festivals.

https://www.headtotheroots.com/

https://www.facebook.com/headtotheroots/

Eli Flynn & The Everymen

“Audiences are well acquainted with Eli Flynn as a current member of the bands , , and , and on the stylistically diverse “Running With Scissors” — his debut solo album —there’s never a dull moment. “Easier” demonstrates Flynn’s prowess as a rock vocalist as he snarls his way through the melody with a limber range and soulful swagger that recalls the aplomb of on his 2003 breakthrough album “” “Every Word Is a Mountain” borrows from playbook of danceable ’90s pop that grooves, but mixed metaphors about “my love in a sling” and “broken logic hanging from a silver chair” distract from the song’s natural charms. Flynn’s words regain focus on the very next track. “There was a time in the beginning when devotion kept me spinning but that time is past,” he sings with calm wisdom on “Hell in a Handbasket.” Slide guitar and a Fender Rhodes organ sound meld over a loping tempo that flows like a lazy river: “Have you ever met your demons, took their advice without reason? Well I have.” Throughout the record, occasional wisps of soul and funk refresh the natural charm of Flynn’s charismatic tunes. The music was entrusted to sound engineers and , whose supervision of mixing and mastering, respectively, gives the album its polish.”— BY Daniel J. Kushner, City Magazine

Eli Flynn Music is a current member of the bands Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Upward Groove, and The Able Bodies, and on the stylistically diverse “Running With Scissors” — his debut solo album —there’s never a dull moment This album demonstrates Flynn’s prowess as a rock vocalist while occasional wisps of soul and funk refresh the natural charm of Flynn’s charismatic tunes When Shawn Rotolo, Max Childs, & Lincoln All join forces with Flynn, they come together as “Eli Flynn & The Everymen”, creating an authentic musical masterpiece that you can’t catch from anyone else.

https://www.facebook.com/eliflynnmusic

Cover: $15

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The Boyd Parker Ambush
Feb
1
7:30 PM19:30

The Boyd Parker Ambush

Doors 6:30pm, Music 7:30pm

The Boyd Parker Ambush has its roots in Livingston County, much like the minor military engagement during the Revolutionary War which inspired its name. Led by two guitar-wielding lead vocalists Jeff Sherner (The Genesee Revelers) & Nick Cory Young (Burning Daylight), the lineup is rounded out by Jeff Simpson (The Genesee Revelers) on bass & Sean Sullivan on drums.

The band’s sound & set list draws heavily from both alternative country & the country rock sound of Gram Parsons with some classic country thrown in for good measure. Expect to hear songs by artists like Wilco, Old 97s and The Bottle Rockets as well as Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash and John Prine.https://www.facebook.com/boydparkerambush

Cover: $10

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"Miller's Garage," featuring David Michael Miller and Friends
Feb
6
7:00 PM19:00

"Miller's Garage," featuring David Michael Miller and Friends

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


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The Abilene Debut of "Thirteenth Floor" with Spec Guests, The Chinchillas
Feb
8
8:00 PM20:00

The Abilene Debut of "Thirteenth Floor" with Spec Guests, The Chinchillas

Doors 7pm, Music 8pm

Thirteenth Floor

“Thirteenth Floor” is a dynamic rock band that blends the raw energy of classic rock with the alternative edge of 1990s rock. Playing songs from legendary acts like The Allman Bothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers alongside ‘90s icons like Soul Asylum and Pearl Jam, the band crafts a sound that feels both nostalgic and refreshingly modern. With gritty guitar riffs, pounding drum beats, and soulful, emotionally charged vocals, their music bridges generations of rock enthusiasts.

Thirteenth Floor consists of musicians from past bands like The Infants, The Hope Dashers, The New York Vaults and Flave Country. The lineup includes Chet Parker on Lead Guitar, Steve Cavatassi on Drums, Ryan Smith on Lead Vocals, Paul Jones (Jonesy) on Rythm Guitar, Connor Needham on Bass and Scott Tartaglia on Keyboards.

The Chinchillas

The Chinchillas have been playing and recording original Americana rock’n’roll in the western New York area since 1985. Formed out of the remnants of popular Rochester area alternative music bands, the band still today retains the original lineup of Peter Anvelt (guitar, vocals), Bill Corbett (bass, vocals), Bill Ribas (lead guitar) and Paul Ruske (drums). In addition to headlining clubs and festivals throughout the region, they have opened up for national acts such as Goo Goo Dolls, 900 Ft Jesus, Jerry Harrison, Flock of Seagulls, The Ramones and Johnny Thunders. They have released several CDs on the Jargon Records independent label.

https://www.facebook.com/thechinchillasrochester/

Cover: A ridiculously low five bucks!

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 Hilary Hawke with Ross Martin
Feb
11
7:30 PM19:30

Hilary Hawke with Ross Martin

Doors 6pm, Music 7:30pm

Hilary Hawke

Hilary Hawke is completely engaging on stage with a warmth and energy that pulls an audience into the show. With 20 years of performing experience, she is most known for her creative and versatile, banjo playing in the North American old-time and bluegrass styles but also for breaking new ground in her current projects as a songwriter and arranger in the contemporary classical world as well as an instrumentalist/vocalist.

Based out of NYC for the past 18 years, and originally from upstate, NY, Hilary has been playing her own original music with brilliant guitarist, Ross Martin and up and coming fiddler Camie Howes. She debuted her first mostly instrumental album last year called “Lilygild” with guitarist, Reed Stutz (Molsky’s Mountain Drifters) and also wrote a whole album of neo-classical music called “Open the Doors” with pianist and synthesist Ola & Claude Aldous.  “I decided that I wasn’t going to try to fit into a box, but bring the music I felt inside my head and fingers into the world”.   Hilary is currently playing festivals and shows with her own music as well as playing with the great fiddler, Eileen Ivers in a cross-over Irish and Americana band called the Brigideens.

Hilary was recently the electric/acoustic guitar and banjo sub for the 2024 Tony award winning Illinoise on Broadway She also arranged the banjo music for the 2023 Tony nominated show, The Sign in Sydney Brustein’s, and taught the music to Oscar Isaac and understudies. Hilary was the original banjoist for the Tony award winning revival of Oklahoma! on Broadway, and performed in Steve Martin’s production of Bright Star on Broadway as well as many other theatre productions and with bands around the country. She also manages to keep a full private studio of students.

Hilary is the producer, engineer and host of the podcast, Banjo Chat that is quickly growing in popularity and has an emphasis on banjo players that are of a high level, but also inspiring and playing original material.

Hilary has played at Greyfox bluegrass festival, the Dubai World Expo, Austin City Limits, the Philadelphia Folk Fest, and the Folk Music Society of NY to name a few.

“Hilary is reintroducing the roots of folk to new generations while developing new standards with her original material”.

-No Depression

“Her music is entirely irony-free, joyously authentic, and refreshingly marked with her own creative chops."

— The New Yorker

https://www.hilaryhawkemusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/hilary.k.hawke/

Special Low-Dough Show—Ten Bucks at the Door

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Happy Hour with "Dean Keller's Soul Jazz Joint"
Feb
14
5:30 PM17:30

Happy Hour with "Dean Keller's Soul Jazz Joint"

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

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3RD FRIDAY HAPPY HOUR with THE OCCASIONAL SAINTS!
Feb
21
5:30 PM17:30

3RD FRIDAY HAPPY HOUR with THE OCCASIONAL SAINTS!

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

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The Return of "Frying Pan"
Feb
21
9:15 PM21:15

The Return of "Frying Pan"

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

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Abilene's 15th Annual Johnny Cash Birthday Bash!
Feb
26
7:30 PM19:30
Flamy Grant & Heather Mae
Feb
27
7:30 PM19:30

Flamy Grant & Heather Mae

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: $20 advance, $25 day of show and on sale now at https://abilene.showare.com and at the bar

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The Return of Alice Howe & Freebo
Feb
28
7:30 PM19:30

The Return of Alice Howe & Freebo

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: $20 advance, $25 day of show and on sale now at https://abilene.showare.com and at the bar

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"Love Hurts"-Stella Hill Covers Classic Nashville Country Duets
Mar
1
8:00 PM20:00

"Love Hurts"-Stella Hill Covers Classic Nashville Country Duets

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


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Stevie Tombstone
Mar
5
7:00 PM19:00

Stevie Tombstone

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

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The First Thursday of Every Month- Live Blues with David Michael Miller
Mar
6
7:00 PM19:00

The First Thursday of Every Month- Live Blues with David Michael Miller

Doors 4pm, Music 7pm

David Michael Miller

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

HONORS and HIGHPOINTS:

  • 2014 and 2015 Buffalo Night-Life Magazine - Best Male Blues Vocal

  • Represented WNY Blues Society at International Blues Challenge 2013 and 2014

  • Participates in the Blues in the Schools Programs

  • Semi-Finalist, 2013 International Blues Challenge w/ Dive House Union

  • Poisons Sipped debuted at #24 on RMR Blues Chart

  • Over 36 consecutive weeks in RMR Top 15 Blues Rock Albums

  • Performed at Artpark, Kleinhan’s, Aurora Theater, Harbor Concert Series and many local venues, bars and festivals

  • Residency with members of The Campbell Brothers at Central Park Grill

  • Shared the Stage with Tedeschi Trucks, Gary Clark, Jr., Jonny Lang, Bobby Blue Bland, Jimmie Vaughan, Shemekia Copeland, Joe Beard, Joe Bonamassa, Devon Allman and many, many more.

  • Accomplished Songwriter, Singer, Guitarist, Producer

  • Co-founder of the DHU Strand Theater and DHU Productions, LLC

  • 2015 Spark Award Winner - "Best New Artist of The Year"

https://davemillermusic.com/

Cover: $8

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"Miller's Garage," featuring David Michael Miller and Friends
Mar
6
7:00 PM19:00

"Miller's Garage," featuring David Michael Miller and Friends

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

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Rockabilly Happy Hour with The Starlite Combo
Mar
7
5:30 PM17:30

Rockabilly Happy Hour with The Starlite Combo

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

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Durham County Poets
Mar
8
8:00 PM20:00

Durham County Poets

Doors 7pm, Music 8pm

Durham County Poets

Formed in Ormstown, Quebec, Durham County Poets are a band in the truest sense of the word and have seen their popularity and reputation grow with each passing year. Each band member writes and arranges material, bringing a unique flavour to the overall mix. The band features Kevin Harvey on lead vocals, Carl Rufh on bass, Rob MacDonald on guitars, and Rob Couture on drums. The result is blues, folk, soul, gospel and R&B all woven together creating an authentic yet contemporary sound!

They have been nominated for several Maple Blues Awards, a Canadian Folk Music Award, Male vocalist of the year, as well as a Juno Award nomination for their 2019 release of (Hand me down Blues). Their latest release. (Out of the Woods) was released in May 2022, and garnered much attention with top 40, top 20, top 10 best album of the year lists for 2022

https://www.durhamcountypoets.com/

Tickets: $20 advance, $25 day of show and on sale now at https://abilene.showare.com and at the bar

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Songwriters in the Round feat. Tyler Westcott, Adrianna Noone, Candy Montgomery, and Brian Thomas
Mar
19
7:00 PM19:00

Songwriters in the Round feat. Tyler Westcott, Adrianna Noone, Candy Montgomery, and Brian Thomas

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

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3RD FRIDAY HAPPY HOUR with THE OCCASIONAL SAINTS!
Mar
21
5:30 PM17:30

3RD FRIDAY HAPPY HOUR with THE OCCASIONAL SAINTS!

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


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mssv
Apr
10
3:30 PM15:30

mssv

Doors 4pm, Music 7:30pm

Abilene Bar and Lounge and Bop Shop Records present

mssv

mssv is releasing their second studio album Human Reaction in their typical style: with a 58-show tour in the U.S. and parts of Canada. The band, composed of guitarist Mike Baggetta, Stephen Hodges on drums and mike watt on bass, creates music that is a heretofore unimagined hybrid of a punk power-trio and a dreamy experimental rock band, though they prefer the term “post-genre.” Human Reaction is being released on BIG EGO Records as a digital download, 12” LP vinyl, and via streaming platforms on September 1.

Their latest full-length album finds the oddly memorable hooks of their noir-tinged adventure music with a lot more vocals from the Main Steam Stop Valve leader Baggetta, adding more personality than ever before, alongside his bandmates, Hodges and watt, who also share in the vocal duties throughout the album.

While working out the new music on the previous mssv tour in 2022 (48 shows in 48 days to celebrate their self-titled debut), Baggetta felt it important to take the step of singing his own words every night, rather than assigning them to anyone else, with a lot of support and encouragement from Stephen and mike.

Recorded mostly on May Day immediately following that last tour, Human Reaction traverses a deeply broad sonic landscape, as expected from this nearly unclassifiable group, though with even deeper twists and turns. With inventively churning drum textures from Hodges (an instantly identifiable sound honed in his days with Tom Waits and David Lynch) and the full-steam-ahead all-in attitude from watt, (as he’s displayed throughout his storied career with MINUTEMEN, fIREHOSE, and The Stooges), there is still the impression of “pressure, combustion, power, and hissing clouds of sonic poetry,” as Premier Guitar said. Also evident is the more fearless exploring that comes from a band that has spent a lot of time together crafting their vision, as well as making room for guests like J Mascis, Petra Haden and Nels Cline on some of their previous releases.

  Baggetta has had the pleasure to work all over the world with a wide range of visionary musicians across many generations including David Torn, Jim Keltner, Nels Cline, Psychic Temple, Jeff Coffin, Henry Kaiser, Petra Haden, Rev. Fred Lane, Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, Joseph C. Philips’ Numinous with Imani Uzuri, Viktor Krauss, Jerome Harris, David Wax Museum, Jon Irabagon, Eivind Opsvik and Ruth Brown among many others. 

Even though Baggetta wrote all the songs specifically for these bandmates to play, there’s no telling which way the band will turn at any given moment, a proposition that becomes a promise when they break down and reassemble these songs live, with an instinct for restraint and an openness to anarchy.

https://mainsteamstopvalve.com/

Tickets: $20 advance, $25 day of show and on sale now at https://abilene.showare.com/ and at the bar

Special thanks to Bop Shop Records

https://bopshop.com/about-us

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The Return of "CMD"
Apr
25
5:30 PM17:30

The Return of "CMD"

Doors 4pm, Music 5:30pm

CMD

When pianist Casey Filiaci, bassist Mark Terranova, and drummer Dave Cohen first got together less than three years ago, they had no preconceived notions about what they would play. “All we knew for sure is that we wouldn’t be playing jazz standards,” recalls Filiaci, who – like Terranova and Cohen – had “been there, done that” all too often. All three Rochester musicians have extensive credits playing almost every genre of music. What happened next was a rare bit of magic in any musician’s life – a spontaneous musical melding that just felt “right.” As they improvised on Filiaci’s creative rearrangements of favorite classic rock, R&B, and pop songs, the group’s unique voice quickly evolved into something they named “Common. Music. Different.” CMD released its debut album, just a song…, on Valentine’s Day, 2023. Exactly one year later, the trio released its follow-up CD, just another song. Both were co-produced, recorded, and mixed at Rochester’s renowned Studios at Linden Oaks by Steve Forney. The material is familiar to many listeners, ranging from songs by The Eagles, Joni Mitchell and Peter Gabriel, to hits by The Beatles, Neil Young and Foreigner. But what these three veteran and seriously in-sync musicians create is undeniably original. Says Filiaci, the trio’s founder: “CMD’s intention is not to confuse or impress. It is only to offer another look – to tell each story in a different but credible way. We wish for the listener to feel as well as to hear; the only requirement is to listen. And there will be no quiz at the end!”

https://www.facebook.com/CommonMusicDifferent

Cover: $5


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3RD FRIDAY HAPPY HOUR with THE OCCASIONAL SAINTS!
Apr
28
5:30 PM17:30

3RD FRIDAY HAPPY HOUR with THE OCCASIONAL SAINTS!

Doors 4:00pm • Music 5:30pm

Yes, it’s the April “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

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Hypnotic Clambake
May
17
7:30 PM19:30

Hypnotic Clambake

Doors 6:30pm, Music 7:30pm

Hypnotic Clambake

It’ll be “like a bar-mitzvah on acid.”

Imagine a world without the accordion. Some of us would love that. Unfortunately, the band we would miss the most would be Rochester’s “Hypnotic Clambake.” Their music has been a welcome part of the Upstate, NY music scene since 1990 and continues to find appreciative audiences throughout New York State and beyond.  Accordionist Maury Rosenberg, originally from Long Beach, NY has performed with Yo Yo Ma, Peter Yarrow and David Lindley. He has made Western and Upstate, NY his stomping grounds for some of his weird, yet entertaining musicial endeavors. Everything from polkas, tangos, zydeco and klezmer music mixed with a twist of lime and an original sound true only to the “Clambake” defines this band’s unique sonic form. 

www.hypnoticclambake.com

Cover: $15

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Happy Hour with Mr. Heartache
May
30
5:30 PM17:30

Happy Hour with Mr. Heartache

Doors 4pm, Music 5pm

Mr. Heartache

Mr. Heartache is a five piece band performing a stripped down, straight ahead brand of American roots music fronted by country music archivist Jim Schleich on vocals and acoustic guitar in conjunction with Los Angeles native Roy Berns on electric guitar, Lynn Lindsay on vocals. The backline consists of Scott McNitt on drums and Eric Huppert on the Fender electric bass.

Heavily influenced by the definitive sounds of Southern California country music of times past, Mr. Heartache weaves a tapestry of songs making forays into country blues, western swing, folk inspired ballads and spirited instrumentals that introduce new generations of listeners to classic material , keeping  the honky tonk flame burning brightly.

Serving up Americana from the golden era of country and western.

https://www.facebook.com/MrHeartacheRochester

Cover: $5


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The Blue Barn Cats with Special Guest, Erin Futterer
Jan
18
8:00 PM20:00

The Blue Barn Cats with Special Guest, Erin Futterer

Doors 7pm, Music 8pm

The Blue Barn Cats

The Blue Barn Cats are Rochester folks playin’ Hot Club style Gypsy Jazz. Enjoy the sounds of Jesse (guitar), Blaize (violin), Melanie (guitar), Karl (guitar), Glen (clarinet), and Ben (bass).

Providing an eclectic mix of instrumentation and vocals, the group specializes in great American songbook standards with new takes on old classics.
For fans of Django Reinhardt and The Djangoners.

The Blue Barn Cats (@thebluebarncats) • Instagram photos and videos

Cover: $8


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3RD FRIDAY HAPPY HOUR with THE OCCASIONAL SAINTS!
Jan
17
5:30 PM17:30

3RD FRIDAY HAPPY HOUR with THE OCCASIONAL SAINTS!

Doors 4:00pm • Music 5:30pm

Yes, it’s the January “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?!

And check this out!!!! “Do you wanna be in a video?!” The Occasional Saints will be playing their original song, “Abilene,” and we’d like you, the crowd, to be in the filming of the video. This is gonna be huge fun!

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

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Joe Beard with Gian Carlo Cervone
Jan
16
7:30 PM19:30

Joe Beard with Gian Carlo Cervone

Doors 4pm, 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

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Teressa Wilcox & Friends
Jan
11
8:00 PM20:00

Teressa Wilcox & Friends

Doors 7pm, Music 8pm

Teressa Wilcox & Friends

"She sings brightly, gently, and in earnest above her fluidly percussive guitar playing." ~Frank De Blase... Teressa is a singer/songwriter who draws raw emotion from her heart into songs that people can relate too. In 2002,a recording trip to Scotland lead to numerous trips to London, England where she performed at pubs, worked with est. songwriters, and producers who's works included Keith Urban, Taylor Swift, and Madonna. Teressa signed a publishing contract with lyricist Don Black. Two songs Co written by Teressa made the top 40 charts in the U.K. She has been featured, along with her song "100 Degrees", in commercial for Time Warner's Music On Demand.

https://www.facebook.com/teressawilcox/

Herb Heins

Herb Heins 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.

https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=herb%20heins%20music

With killer rhythm section, featuring percussionist extraordinaire, Rob Huff and master bassist, Eric Davidson

https://www.facebook.com/scribedaddy/

https://www.facebook.com/eric.davidson.58910

Cover: $8


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The Abilene Happy Hour Debut of "Death Valley Hayride"
Jan
10
5:30 PM17:30

The Abilene Happy Hour Debut of "Death Valley Hayride"

Doors 4pm, Music 5:30pm

Death Valley Hayride

When you get on the Death Valley Hayride, you‘ll travel through the still smoldering intersection of the blues, folk, and the American landscape; with songs touching on redemption, good luck and bad, hope and despair, the absurdity of reality, and bein’ down to your last seeds and stems.  With unique interpretations of Prine and Waits, Jon Dee, Lucinda, Buddy, Townes, and their compatriots, plus some compelling originals, the Death Valley Hayride is: Geoff Tesch (guitars, *many* guitars), Tom Hess (keys, vocals, guitar, general wizardry), and Dwight  Kanyuck (lead vocals, voracious collector of fine songs, and rhythm guitar). Emerging from early Covid-era Jamkazam online jams, to an incubation period at the Boughton Hill Barn of Natural Wonders, Death Valley Hayride is ready for their next chapter in the Rochester music scene.  When you get off the Death Valley Hayride, you’ll be thinking "what was that song?....

https://www.facebook.com/geoff.tesch

Cover: $5

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P.V. Nunes Band
Jan
9
7:00 PM19:00

P.V. Nunes Band

Doors 4pm, Music 7pm

P.V. Nunes Band

The P. V. Nunes Band is just different. “Think Harry Chapin meets the Grateful Dead” said one club owner. The songs (written by Paul Vincent Nunes) are smart, funny, passionate, personal… and way too true. They are driven by a jamming North Coast Americana groove of dobro and electric guitar (Bernie Heveron), acoustic guitar (Paul), washboard (Dave Paprocki) and bass (Greg Franklin). Fan favorites include: New Guitar, Drive All Night, The Diner, My Daughter’s Diary, I’m Gonna Walk, Mama Loves the Reverb, Minor Key, and Some of Us Rise, But We Don’t Shine. Their new EP (“The P.V. Nunes Band “) was released on the independent Lighthouse Records label and is available on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes and YouTube. https://pvnunes.hearnow.com/the-p-v-nunes-band And you can follow them on FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/PVNunesBand/ “We’re a cover band,” says Paul, “that covers ourselves really well. We even look like us.”

Cover: $5

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Dirt Turtles with Special Guest, Amaryllis
Jan
4
8:00 PM20:00

Dirt Turtles with Special Guest, Amaryllis

Doors 7pm, Music 8pm

Dirt Turtles

Dirt Turtles is a high energy folky-tonk band out of the WNY/Fingerlakes region. This group is quickly establishing themselves as a “must-see act” with their smooth harmonies, twangy groove, and tasteful improvisational jams. The band is vocally led by Daniel McMahon and Sam Warren, literal blood relatives and lifelong friends, who have cooperated on musical endeavors together for as long as they’ve been able to play guitars. In the Summer of 2024 the duo was lucky enough to find themselves a rhythm section straight outta heaven and hence… Dirt Turtles was created. Roger Barnes is a bass player originally from Andover NY, but his music has graced folks all acrossed the globe during his illustrious career. He opened for Johnny Paycheck back in ‘93… it is far from his first rodeo. On the drums, the great Andrew “Bucky” Bossard. Bucky has been a drummer for a multitude of bands since the 90’s, some of his more notable ventures being Rubber Soul, Eric and the Bluesbirds and most recently stints with Eric Carlin’s Halfdead. Dirt Turtles’ most recent addition comes bearing a mandolin. Known best for his work with The Sweet Degenerates, Johnny VanName is the piece that ties Dirt Turtles all together. Filling their sound with tasteful licks and filling the crowds’ heart with joy. Expect to dance, expect to laugh, and try to fight the irresistible urge to crawl in the dirt with the rest of the turtles…

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560822022487

Amaryllis

Amarylllis is Karis Gregory and Christina Marie.

https://www.facebook.com/KarisSpeaksMusic.gregory

https://www.facebook.com/christina.stewart.7161

Cover: $10

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The First Thursday of Every Month- Live Blues with David Michael Miller
Jan
2
7:00 PM19:00

The First Thursday of Every Month- Live Blues with David Michael Miller

Doors 4pm, Music 7pm

David Michael Miller

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

HONORS and HIGHPOINTS:

  • 2014 and 2015 Buffalo Night-Life Magazine - Best Male Blues Vocal

  • Represented WNY Blues Society at International Blues Challenge 2013 and 2014

  • Participates in the Blues in the Schools Programs

  • Semi-Finalist, 2013 International Blues Challenge w/ Dive House Union

  • Poisons Sipped debuted at #24 on RMR Blues Chart

  • Over 36 consecutive weeks in RMR Top 15 Blues Rock Albums

  • Performed at Artpark, Kleinhan’s, Aurora Theater, Harbor Concert Series and many local venues, bars and festivals

  • Residency with members of The Campbell Brothers at Central Park Grill

  • Shared the Stage with Tedeschi Trucks, Gary Clark, Jr., Jonny Lang, Bobby Blue Bland, Jimmie Vaughan, Shemekia Copeland, Joe Beard, Joe Bonamassa, Devon Allman and many, many more.

  • Accomplished Songwriter, Singer, Guitarist, Producer

  • Co-founder of the DHU Strand Theater and DHU Productions, LLC

  • 2015 Spark Award Winner - "Best New Artist of The Year"

https://davemillermusic.com/

Cover: $8

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New Year's Eve Party and Birthday Bash!
Dec
31
7:00 PM19:00

New Year's Eve Party and Birthday Bash!

Doors 6:30pm, Party starts crankin’ at 7pm

Join us for a very special sorta New Year’s Eve celebration!!!!

Doors 6:30pm, Party starts crankin’ at 7pm...and out the door at 11pm.

Note: This is gonna be kind of a different New Year's Eve party.
We're gonna start early, surround ourselves with good
friends, good music, and good food...yeah, we'll have
ourselves one helluva great time...and end it all by 11pm...
So that everyone can get home safely and with more than
enough time to usher in the New Year in the comfort of
their homes. Please join us for a very special night!

We’ll be celebrating the New Year…

And the Birthdays of Our Great Friends…

Brian Burley (Dec 30)

and Kate Burley (Dec 31) and Fred Armstrong (Dec 31)!!!

There’ll be a Birthday Cake

and music by “Big Blue House” & Friends

If so inclined, please bring a dish to pass.

Note: This bash will end at 11pm, that we guarantee

You’ll have more than enough time to get home (and in your pj’s!) to enjoy the ball drop!

Everyone’s Invited.

No Cover Charge

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The Herb Heins Band
Dec
27
6:30 PM18:30

The Herb Heins Band

Doors 4pm, Music 6:30pm

The Herb Heins Band

Original rootsy alt rock songs and choice covers performed by a killer line-up. Featuring guitarist Kris Schramm of K-Robin Guitars, conga and percussion player Pat Meagher, bassist Eric Davidson, who performs with several projects including Krypton 88, Flint Creek and Teressa Wilcox and drummer Spencer Kornrich who is a member of the amazing Public Water Supply. The band's melodic tunes might be described as progressive roots with elements of funk, New Orleans rock n roll, blues, alt rock and old time R n' B. Call it good time music!

https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=herb%20heins%20music

https://www.krobinguitars.com/about/

https://www.instagram.com/krobinguitars/

https://www.facebook.com/eric.davidson.58910

https://www.facebook.com/spencer.kornrich

Cover: $5

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An Evening with Jack West
Dec
21
8:00 PM20:00

An Evening with Jack West

Doors 7pm, Music 8pm

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

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The Abilene Happy Hour Debut of "Four The Byrds"- A Tribute to the Byrds First Four Albums
Dec
20
5:30 PM17:30

The Abilene Happy Hour Debut of "Four The Byrds"- A Tribute to the Byrds First Four Albums

Doors 4:00pm • Music 5:30pm

Four The Byrds

The Byrds had a significant influence on music in the 1960’s. “Four The Byrds” was founded by Paul Carpenter with the specific intent of keeping the early Byrds music alive. The band is comprised of seasoned local musicians, including Paul Carpenter on 12-string Rickenbacker, Dana Gregory on drums, Ron Guidice on guitar, and Tommy Burelli on bass.

You’re gonna hear a whole lot of The Byrds…as well as some songs from other genres.

Cover: $5  

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A Salute to Gordon Lightfoot & Kris Kristofferson
Dec
19
7:00 PM19:00

A Salute to Gordon Lightfoot & Kris Kristofferson

Doors 4pm, Music 7pm

A Salute to Gordon Lightfoot & Kris Kristofferson

Calico Bunny presents a special salute to two legendary troubadours—Gordon Lighfoot and Kris Kristofferson, featuring their greatest hits, deep cuts, and more.

Calico Bunny is a unique band performing “Vintage Cosmic Americana Plus. The band covers artists such as Gordon Lightfoot, Kris Kristofferson, Gram Parsons, Kinky Friedman, Carl Perkins, Michael Nesmith, along with original songs.

Calico Bunny is new, but its members all have been part of the Rochester music scene in eclectic ways across the years. Calico Bunny is Jim Bowers (lead vocals & rhythm guitar), Chris DiStasio (lead guitar, mandolin, and banjo), James Warner (bass), and Donna Carpino (background & harmony vocals). Their individual musical journeys spans diverse genres from folk to fusion jazz to reggae to country to barber shop to pop and to good old rock ‘n’ roll. Together they make Calico Bunny a fun band to be in and listen to.

https://www.facebook.com/songwriter1955

Cover: $10

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Singer-Songwriter, Brody Schenk!
Dec
18
7:00 PM19:00

Singer-Songwriter, Brody Schenk!

Doors 4pm, Music 7pm

Brody Schenk

 Brody Schenk, Rochester, NY’s precocious troubadour, released his debut album on June 24th, 2022. Self-titled, the hard-working and gifted 19-year-old’s first album is a deeply lyrical and musical storytelling journey channeling his many influences — John Prine, Bob Dylan, Mississippi John Hurt, Keb Mo’, Taj Majal, Leonard Cohen, Jeff Tweedy, and other greats — while remaining uniquely Brody Schenk. Produced by Greg Gefell (who adds his lusciously warm pedal steel to numerous tracks) and with artwork by Alex Spacher, the debut album is available on all streaming platforms (and on CD), and contains 11 original songs written by Brody during his last years of high school before his recent graduation. His previously released and critically acclaimed original singles, Charlie Brown and Somewhere, Somehow are also widely available for streaming.

Brody’s songs are informed by his far-beyond-his-years, old-soul wisdom, honesty, wit, vulnerability, and thoughtfulness. His highly adroit playing, mostly on acoustic guitar in this offering, creates an intimate listening experience: There’s no band here, just Brody genuinely playing and singing sophisticated arrangements — immediately evident on the first track, Cash To Your Name — abutting more traditional stylings, including his timely and socially poignant Independence Day, and the album’s closing track, Papa Was A Traveler, a nine-minute odyssey about a young man trying to connect with his vagabond father.
Brody completed his solo tour of the East Coast this past Summer. Brody has opened for Tim Reynolds’ TR3, Melvin Seals and JGB, Cory Brannon, Sean Rowe, Giant Panda Guerrilla Dub Squad, among others. He also fronts the Rochester-based band, The Old Souls, and has accompanied Jack West on tour in NYC, LA, Seattle, and elsewhere.  Brody’s is currently pursuing a Songwriting Degree at Belmont University in Nashville.

Learn more about Brody Schenk by visiting his website, http://brodygeorge.com.

Cover: $7

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JUNKYARD FIELDTRIP
Dec
14
8:30 PM20:30

JUNKYARD FIELDTRIP

Doors 7pm, Music 8:30pm

The Abilene Debut of..

JUNKYARDFIELDTRIP!

Formed at the beginning of 2014, Junkyardfieldtrip was originally put together as a songwriting vehicle for Mike Gladstone and Rob Smith. After adding one of western NY’s top rhythm sections (Emmett Ientilucci and Don Torpy), the band started playing acoustic shows around the Rochester, NY area. Eventually the band started writing and playing more electric material. Junkyardfieldtrip has quickly become one of the the region’s most in-demand, elcectic bands, being nominated by City Newspaper’s Best of Rochester award for best band. On September 12, 2024, the band released it’s second full length album, “Reach” to rave reviews! The band is a regular in the prestigious Fairport Music Festival. With outstanding musicianship, memorable original material and cool and unexpected covers and remakes, JYFT is not to be missed!

https://junkyardfieldtrip.com/

Cover: $10

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Holiday Happy Hour with Tobey Village House Band with special guest, Ben Guisto
Dec
13
6:00 PM18:00

Holiday Happy Hour with Tobey Village House Band with special guest, Ben Guisto

Doors 4pm, Music 6pm

Tobey Village House Band

Tobey Village House Band plays a delicious blend of rock, soul, blues, funk, & pop…from The Band and Smokey Robinson to Bonnie Raitt and Marvin Gaye…and much, much more!

Featuring Chris Stern guitar, Greg Feltes guitar, Lauren Cannon vocals, Dan Beale bass, Joe Ryan drums, Eric Morris sax/keys , and Jimmy Kraus vocals.

https://www.facebook.com/tobeyvillagehouseband/

https://www.instagram.com/bennyjuice.music/

Cover: $7

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The Abilene Debut of "The Vivid Scene"
Dec
12
7:30 PM19:30

The Abilene Debut of "The Vivid Scene"

Doors 4pm, Music 7:30pm

The Vivid Scene

The Vivid Scene is a rock band based out of Geneseo, N.Y. that was formed in 2023. The group is made up of four SUNY Geneseo students, Trevor Donlon, Justin Maxwell, Gavin Ackerman, and Kevin Shea, on vocals, guitar, bass, and drums respectively. The four members all hail from different musical styles, with their influences ranging from Neil Young, to the Foo Fighters, to Chuck Berry, and everything in between. They play an entertaining mix of alternative/pop/classic rock hits with a handful of originals. The group has been performing extensively around the Geneseo region. Venues have included everything from private parties to town festivals, along with several bookings at the local live music hub, Drumroll Stage + Sushi Bar. This up-and-coming group has gained a dedicated fan base within the college community and are eager to expand further.

https://www.instagram.com/thevividsceneofficial/

Cover: $8

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"The Feel Good Session"
Dec
11
9:00 PM21:00

"The Feel Good Session"

Doors 4pm, Music 9pm

A full night of killer music featuring…

“The Feel Good Session”

Herb Heins

Sean Rotolo

Mike Brown

Join this area’s hottest players for a full night of jams.

https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=herb%20heins%20music

https://www.facebook.com/jameselliotcali

https://www.facebook.com/MikeBrownMusic

Cover: FREE!!!…and please don’t hesitate to throw something in the tip jar!


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Fred Vine and Greg Franklin
Dec
11
6:30 PM18:30

Fred Vine and Greg Franklin

Doors 4pm, Music 6:30pm

Fred Vine

Fred Vine is an accomplished fingerstyle and bottleneck slide guitar guitarist with eclectic musical tastes, with country blues, ragtime, and contemporary Americana making up his extensive repertoire.

With the sound of the Beatles in his head, Fred fell in love with the guitar when he first picked it up at age twelve. Among Fred’s many influences are Rev. Gary Davis, Robert Johnson, Jelly Roll Morton, Muddy Waters, Jorma Kaukonen, Chet Atkins and Duke Ellington. Fred has shared the stage with legendary performers including Muddy Waters, John Hammond, Dave Van Ronk, Guy Davis, and Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams, among many others.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=100063655251979

Greg Franklin

Greg Franklin has been playing bass for nearly half a century. The first concert he attended was the Grateful Dead at the Fillmore East, and he is steeped in the traditions of country blues, while also playing in blues, Celtic and Americana bands. He has shared the stage with Hot Tuna, Guy Davis, the New Riders of the Purple Stage, G.E. Smith, and Chris Smither, amongst many others.

https://www.facebook.com/greg.franklin.77736

Cover: $5

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Bobby Henrie and the Goners Holiday Party!!!!
Dec
7
7:30 PM19:30

Bobby Henrie and the Goners Holiday Party!!!!

Doors 6:30pm, Music 7:30pm

Abilene’s Rockabilly Holiday Party featuring…

Bobby Henrie and the Goners!

Bobby Henrie & the Goners formed in 1985 when Bobby Henrie, along with Brian Williams and James Symonds decided to start a Rockabilly band and capitalizing on their respective years of musical experience and skill. The group plays authentic rockabilly and roots rock’n’roll in the tradition of musicians that defined the genre in the 1950s; Carl Perkins, Roy Orbinson, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Burnett. In their lean trio format, the Goners are respectful of the music that preceded and influenced early Rock’n’Roll and are equally comfortable with country, blues, and swing.

https://www.facebook.com/bobbyhenrieandthegoners/

Cover:$10

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Happy Hour with Teressa Wilcox & Friends
Dec
6
5:30 PM17:30

Happy Hour with Teressa Wilcox & Friends

Doors 4pm, Music 5:30pm

Teressa Wilcox & Friends

"She sings brightly, gently, and in earnest above her fluidly percussive guitar playing." ~Frank De Blase... Teressa is a singer/songwriter who draws raw emotion from her heart into songs that people can relate too. In 2002,a recording trip to Scotland lead to numerous trips to London, England where she performed at pubs, worked with est. songwriters, and producers who's works included Keith Urban, Taylor Swift, and Madonna. Teressa signed a publishing contract with lyricist Don Black. Two songs Co written by Teressa made the top 40 charts in the U.K. She has been featured, along with her song "100 Degrees", in commercial for Time Warner's Music On Demand.

https://www.facebook.com/teressawilcox/

Herb Heins

Herb Heins 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.

https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=herb%20heins%20music

With killer rhythm section, featuring percussionist extraordinaire, Rob Huff and master bassist, Eric Davidson

https://www.facebook.com/scribedaddy/

https://www.facebook.com/eric.davidson.58910

Cover: $5

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Cancelled Due to Weather: Johnny Delaware Album Release Show
Dec
5
7:30 PM19:30

Cancelled Due to Weather: Johnny Delaware Album Release Show

Tonight’s show has been cancelled due to weather.

We’ll be open at 4pm…till at least 7pm, with the always affable Rahn D’agostino holding court.

Stop in and have some fun!

Doors 4pm, Music 7:30pm

Johnny Delaware

Johnny Delaware, originally from South Dakota, began recording and producing music in his dorm room but left college to pursue his passion full-time. After an unexpected insurance payout allowed him to complete his album "Secret Wave" in 2013, Johnny moved to Charleston, SC, where he co-created the band SUSTO and produced records for various artists. In 2016, he founded the prog-rock group The Artisanals and toured internationally. Now focusing on his solo career, Johnny's new album, "Para Llevar," will be released in November 2024 with New West Records.

https://johnnydelaware.com/

Special Low-Dough Show- Ten Bucks at the Door

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Abilene's Annual December Birthday Bash feat. Kelley's Heroes
Dec
4
7:00 PM19:00

Abilene's Annual December Birthday Bash feat. Kelley's Heroes

Doors 4pm, Music 7pm

Celebrate the birthdays of Al Casey, Al Kerstein, Danny Deutsch, Ross Falzone, and our good friends.. Andrea Parros, “Iron Mike” Bigelow, and Chef Dan Eaton! As well as Max Baer, Jr. (Jethro from The Beverly Hillbillies), Jay-Z, and Tyra Banks!

Kelley’s Heroes

Kelley’s Heroes is an Original Indie Rock band which aims to meld the great singer-songwriter traditions with classic Indie Rock power and energy. You might hear echoes of our own heroes in our songs: from Elvis Costello to Steve Earle to the Beatles.

Kelley’s Heroes members are John Kelley, Jon Gary, James Connor, and Dan Hoh.

https://www.facebook.com/KelleysHeroesBand/

https://kelleysheroes.bandcamp.com/?

Cover: $10

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“Reasonable Hour”-A Daytime Dance Party!
Dec
1
3:00 PM15:00

“Reasonable Hour”-A Daytime Dance Party!

“Reasonable Hour!”

A Daytime Dance Party for Friends New and Old

So much fun we’re doing it again!!!

Doors 2pm, Music 3pm

Throwin’ down at Abilene Bar and Lounge

DJ Ben Frazier will be spinning vinyl classic & throwbacks all day!

From DJ Ben Frazier…”On a pretty regular basis, friends say, “Hey, what time do you start on Saturday nights?” and then I say “10pm!” and they clutch their pearls and I say “I know!” because we ain’t gettin’ any younger and being in bed by 10pm is a real delight. With that in mind, THIS IS HAPPENING!

My friends know that I’ve been talking about doing a daytime dance party for literal YEARS, so I am very excited to finally pull the trigger on it. Please grab a friend or five and join us at Abilene on Sunday, December 1- there’ll be good friends, good refreshments, and GOOD VIBES all throughout the afternoon. Doors open at 2pm and I will be spinning a solid four hours of your favorite classic jams on vinyl shortly thereafter. LET’S GOOOOOOO!”

https://www.facebook.com/ben.frazier

Tending bar, creating awesome drinks…Raven Strong!

Cover: $5 at the door


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The Abilene Debut of Austin Hollow
Nov
30
8:00 PM20:00

The Abilene Debut of Austin Hollow

Doors 7pm, Music 8pm

Austin Hollow

Austin Hollow makes their first Abilene appearance, performing songs from their debut release "The Fisherman" along with classic and contemporary selections from the band's influences and heroes.

 Austin Hollow is a four piece Roots-Americana Rock band hailing from Rochester, N.Y. 

 Assembled in 2018, Austin Hollow is led by founder, guitarist, singer, and songwriter Scott Austin.

 Scott's vision of writing and recording guitar driven songs reflecting his love of Americana, Jam, Blue Grass, and Classic Rock has come to fruition in 2023 with their debut full length effort entitled "The Fisherman."

 With a deep passion for real life storytelling, Scott touches on lyrical themes such as dysfunctional human interactions, love/ hate situations, social issues, spiritual strife, and the observations of life's abundant beauty and chaos. Musically, Austin Hollow quickly switches gears between guitar riff driven rock, soft acoustic ballads, soulful blues with hints of improvised jam, and blue grass that pepper the band's smart songwriting.

 The Austin Hollow lineup includes fellow singer, songwriter, and keyboard player Mel Muscarella. Mel's blues and rock influence shine, and her soulful, powerful voice is immediately felt when first heard. With a vocal intensity and passion reminiscent of greats like Janis Joplin and Ann Wilson, Mel's playing and singing provide power and swing to the band's songwriting.

 Jona Chartrand, the former founding member of the prolific Rochester Alt Americana group Hinkley, rounds out Austin Hollow's songwriting and alternative rock leanings both in the studio and live.

https://www.facebook.com/austinhollowband

Cover: $10

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Rhett Miller of Old 97's, with Nick Cory Young
Nov
29
8:30 PM20:30

Rhett Miller of Old 97's, with Nick Cory Young

Doors 4pm, Music 8:30pm

The Return of…

RHETT MILLER

Texas native Rhett Miller is perhaps best known as the frontman of the Dallas-based alt-country band the Old 97's, although he has also pursued a critically acclaimed solo career. Formed in 1993, the Old 97's built a devoted following with their brash blend of country and power pop influences. All four members also pursued side projects, but Miller's solo career captured the most attention, with the literate songwriter training his eye on such subjects as fatherhood, sex, and love. After releasing one of the Old 97's' strongest albums in years with 2014's Most Messed Up, Miller took a new turn in his solo career with 2015's The Traveler, which featured backing from the band Black Prairie (which includes several members of the Decemberists) and a guest appearance from Peter Buck of R.E.M. Following more recording and touring with the Old 97's, Miller repaired to Brooklyn, New York, where he cut the 2018 album The Messenger with producer and multi-instrumentalist Sam Cohen, who previously worked with Apollo Sunshine and Yellowbirds.
https://www.rhettmiller.com/

Nick Cory Young

"A love letter to the music of the 90s that stands with the best of the decade."- Americana-UK

"A dozen gems." -City

"If you, like me, are a fan of mid 90’s alternative rock that wore its allegiance to Neil Young right on its sleeve for all to see and more importantly hear, then Crow Got Drunk is the album for you. I’m talking about bands like The Lemonheads, Soul Asylum, early Wilco and The Old 97s to name just a few. You’ll hear traces of all of these and then some throughout Crow Got Drunk." -Full Time Aesthetic

Nick Cory Young writes and performs indie rock with a touch of twang, sounding like a cross between vintage Wilco, Old 97s & R.E.M.

https://nickcoryyoung.com/

Tickets: $35 and on sale now at https://abilene.showare.com/ and tonight at the bar

Special thanks to Bop Shop Records!

https://bopshop.com/about-us

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Thanksgiving Eve with FLYING OBJECT, with spec guests, Dirty Escape Pod
Nov
27
8:00 PM20:00

Thanksgiving Eve with FLYING OBJECT, with spec guests, Dirty Escape Pod

Doors 4pm, Music 8pm

Flying Object

Flying Object is song based, lyric driven, electrified psychedelic rock 'n' roll from brothers Matt and Chris O'Brian (GPGDS/THUNDER BODY), Max Flansburg (Dirty Blanket), Mike Martinez, Elliot Schwartzman, and a revolving cast of superstar guest flyers. No two shows are alike with the simultaneously fluid and fully formed Flying Object. Expect the first full length Flying Object record in Spring 2025.

https://www.facebook.com/Mattobriansflyingobject/

Dirty Escape Pod

Dirty Escape Pod is a primarily acoustic blending of the bands Dirty Blanket and Flying Object performing songs from the catalogues of both bands and beyond.

https://www.facebook.com/dirtyblanketbluegrass/

Tickets: $15 and on sale now online at https://abilene.showare.com and tonight at the bar

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Special "Listening Show" feat. Katie Powderly & Adrianna Noone
Nov
26
7:30 PM19:30

Special "Listening Show" feat. Katie Powderly & Adrianna Noone

Doors 6pm, Music 7:30pm

Join us for a wonderful evening of original music.

Katie Powderly

Katie is an award-winning musician and songwriter, who has performed live on PBS & NPR stations, and has toured from New York to Colorado, Texas to Tennessee.

She has shared bills with Tony Rice, Del McCoury Band, Yonder Mountain String Band, The Steel Wheels, The Black Lillies, Lake Street Dive, Langhorne Slim, The David Mayfield Parade, and many others.

Her singing and harmonies have been compared to Emmylou Harris (The Alternate Root Magazine), Gillian Welch (Isthmus, Madison, WI) Aiofe O’Donovan (Americana UK) and Gram Parsons (City Paper, Rochester, NY.)

She was also voted “Best Country/Bluegrass Performer” in her former home of Madison, Wisconsin, in the Madison Area Music Awards.

She recently released her sophomore album, Live by the Song, Die by the Song, (Red-Winged Blackbird Records) which is a stripped-down, intimate recording of acoustic Appalachian ballads Powderly wrote one summer while splashing in the Shenandoah River, falling in and out of “love.”

This folky, bluegrass-adjacent recording serves as a contrast to her first album, Slips of the Tongue, a fully-produced Americana album featuring a smoking-hot electrified and electrifying band including such luminaries as Josh Oliver (Watchhouse/Mandolin Orange), Bryn Davies (Tony Rice, Guy Clark, Jack White), Tom Pryor (The Black Lillies), and Jill Andrews (the everybodyfields) and was recorded by Mike Zirkel at Butch Vig's famed Smart Studios in Madison, WI, with significant help from Scott Minor (Sparklehorse.)

When Katie is not on the road sharing her solo musical experiences with audiences across the nation, she is performing with her electric Americana band, The Unconditional Lovers, whose first album will be released this year (2024).

She recently stepped away from her position on the bluegrass bass, playing and singing in hard-driving PA bluegrass band, Dead Horse Revival, which features former members of Mountain Ride.

During Katie’s tenure in the band, Dead Horse Revival recorded and released a 7-track EP of original songs entitled All Hat No Saddle available on streaming platforms everywhere, and won “Best Bluegrass Band” in the Central Pennsylvania Music Hall of Fame Awards.

In the past Katie has acted as bluegrass bass sideman for such acts as The David Mayfield Parade and Woody Pines.

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://www.katiepowderly.com/

https://adriannanoone.com/

Tickets: $15 and on sale now at https://abilene.showare.com/ and tonight at the door

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Friendsgiving at Abilene-A Benefit Concert for the Homeless
Nov
23
7:00 PM19:00

Friendsgiving at Abilene-A Benefit Concert for the Homeless

Doors 7pm, Music 8pm

Fables & Fools present

Friendsgiving at Abilene - A Benefit Concert for the Homeless

“FRIENDSGIVING PARTY and DANCE!” - Benefit for the Homeless Community
Join these musical acts for the 5th annual Friendsgiving at Abilene. 100% of proceeds go to a local hospice charity, and they will be collecting new socks and undies for unhoused community members. Finger Foods! Sideshows!

Hosted by Dan Gross

Featuring the music of…

The Crooked North

Hey Mabel (acoustic)

14frets

Kubick’s Rubes

Compass & Moon

Old World Warblers

Crazy Chester’s Porch Project

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=451108294668466&set=gm.1069314341108076

Cover: $15 at the door or $10 with a donation of socks or winter gear

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