The week of April 13-19 might be the strongest stretch of live music we’ve seen in Upstate New York all spring — and it could not have better timing. Upstate Concerts officially launches this week, and the booking gods decided to roll out the welcome mat with shows spanning seven regions, a half-dozen genres, and enough can’t-miss nights to make your calendar weep. From a sold-out emo homecoming in Albany to an acoustic session inside the most storied studio in the Hudson Valley, here are the ten shows that deserve your attention right now.
1. 49 Winchester at Empire Live — Albany, April 13
We’re kicking the week off in the Capital Region with a band that has been on an absolute tear. 49 Winchester out of Russell, Virginia, make the kind of country rock that sounds like it was written on a porch and road-tested for 200 nights straight — because it was. Their 2023 record Leavin’ This Holler put them on festival main stages, and the growth since has been relentless. Empire Live is the right room for this: standing-room, good sightlines, and a crowd that knows how to lean into a band that’s building toward something big. If you like Turnpike Troubadours or Jason Isbell but want to catch the next act at that level before ticket prices triple, Sunday night is your move.
2. Dashboard Confessional at Empire Live — Albany, April 15
Chris Carrabba has been doing this for over two decades now, and somehow the songs hit harder in your thirties than they did in your teens. Dashboard Confessional at Empire Live is the kind of Tuesday-night show that sneaks up on you — mid-week, mid-size room, maximum emotional damage. The Capital Region has always shown up for this band, and Empire Live’s 1,000-cap room means you’re going to feel every word of “Screaming Infidelities” from about 30 feet away. Bring a friend who pretends they’re over their emo phase. They’re not.
3. The Blind Boys of Alabama at The Egg — Albany, April 15
Five Grammy Awards. A career that stretches back to 1939. The Blind Boys of Alabama are living legends, full stop, and catching them at The Egg on a Tuesday evening is the kind of opportunity you don’t let slide. The Hart Theatre inside The Egg was built for voices like these — the acoustics reward singers who don’t need a wall of amplification, and this group has never needed anything but the songs and the spirit behind them. Gospel, soul, blues, Americana — categories blur when talent runs this deep. If you’ve never experienced them live, this is a gift. If you have, you already have your ticket.
4. Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives at The Egg — Albany, April 16
Speaking of legends who deserve a packed house every single night: Marty Stuart. The man has played with Johnny Cash, toured with Lester Flatt as a teenager, and built a catalog that bridges traditional country, rockabilly, and honky-tonk without ever sounding like a nostalgia act. His Fabulous Superlatives are one of the tightest bands on the road — they play with the kind of telepathic chemistry that only comes from years of shared stages. The Egg gets another strong booking here. Wednesday night, treat yourself.
5. Lotus at Putnam Place — Saratoga Springs, April 15
Lotus in a room the size of Putnam Place is a rare thing. This is a band that routinely fills theaters and festival tents, so catching them in Saratoga Springs’ 300-cap rock club feels like a scheduling glitch in your favor. Their instrumental electronic-jam sound translates beautifully in a tight room — the bass hits different when the walls are close enough to vibrate, and the light show scales down in a way that actually makes it more immersive. Capital Region jam fans already know. Everybody else: trust me on this one.
6. Squeaky Feet at Lark Hall — Albany, April 15
Tuesday night is stacked in Albany, and Lark Hall is throwing its hat in the ring with Squeaky Feet — a band that has been building serious grassroots buzz on the jam and festival circuit. Their sound is funky, expansive, and deeply danceable, which pairs perfectly with Lark Hall’s 450-cap room and the kind of crowd that DSP Shows and Guthrie Bell consistently attract. If you’re the type who finds new favorite bands by wandering into a mid-week show on a hunch, this is your night. Three great options within a mile of each other in Albany on the 15th — not a bad way to launch the week.
7. Soul Asylum Acoustic at Levon Helm Studios — Woodstock, April 17
Dave Pirner performing acoustically inside the barn where The Band recorded. That sentence should be enough, but let me add context: Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock is sacred ground for American music. The Midnight Ramble series that Levon himself hosted here became the stuff of legend, and every show in this room carries that weight. Soul Asylum stripped down to acoustic arrangements means you’re getting the songwriting front and center — “Runaway Train,” “Somebody to Shove,” “Misery” — songs that have aged into something richer. Hudson Valley doesn’t always get the spotlight in a week like this, but Thursday night in Woodstock? That’s a pilgrimage worth making.
8. Lorna Shore at Buffalo RiverWorks — Buffalo, April 17
Western NY gets heavy on Thursday. Lorna Shore has become one of the biggest names in modern deathcore, and their rise over the past few years has been staggering — the kind of trajectory where venue sizes double between tours. Buffalo RiverWorks is going to be a wall of sound and fury for this one. If you’re in the metal community, you already know what Will Ramos and company bring to a live setting. If you’re not, just know that this band sells out rooms that bands twice their age can’t fill. Buffalo’s heavy music scene has always punched above its weight, and this show is proof.
9. Keller Williams at Buffalo Iron Works — Buffalo, April 17
Same night, same city, wildly different energy. Keller Williams at Buffalo Iron Works is the counterweight to the chaos down the street — one man, a loop station, and an encyclopedic knowledge of how to build a set that goes from bluegrass to funk to absurdist comedy without losing the thread. The Iron Works is Buffalo’s answer to a great club show: intimate, standing-room, and close enough to the stage that you can see Keller grinning when a loop lands perfectly. Western NY gets two completely different flavors of excellence on Thursday night. Pick your adventure.
10. Band of Horses at Electric City — Buffalo, April 19
We’re closing the week in the Capital Region with Band of Horses at Electric City in Schenectady. Ben Bridwell’s voice is one of those instruments that a room either serves well or doesn’t — and Electric City’s layout should do it justice. “The Funeral” remains one of the great indie rock songs of the 2000s, but the band’s catalog runs much deeper than the singles, and their live shows have a warmth that rewards the fans who stuck around past the blog-hype era. Saturday night, a band that writes songs built for singing along, in a venue that’s carving out a strong identity in the Buffalo scene. That’s a solid way to cap a very good week.
Honorable Mentions
This week had more depth than ten slots can hold. Joey Belladonna — the Anthrax frontman who’s a genuine Central NY local — plays Turning Stone on Friday, and that show carries serious hometown weight. Haley Heynderickx brings her achingly beautiful folk sound to Assembly in Kingston on Saturday. Dogs In A Pile keep the jam wave rolling at Empire Live on Friday. And Nitty Gritty Dirt Band — legends, no qualifier needed — close out Sunday at The Egg. Not a weak night on the calendar.
This is the kind of week that reminds you why Upstate NY is one of the most underrated live music regions in the country. Seven regions, dozens of venues, and enough variety to cover every corner of your taste. Check out our full concert calendar to find what’s happening near you — and we’ll see you at a show.
