Two bands that built their reputations on completely different flavors of big sound — one soaring and emotionally devastated, the other relentlessly distorted — are sharing a stage in Kingston this July. Band of Horses and Dinosaur Jr. are co-headlining UPAC on Friday, July 10, and the pairing alone is reason enough to block out the evening and make the drive to the Hudson Valley.
About Band of Horses
Band of Horses has been doing something specific and hard to replicate since their 2006 debut Everything All the Time — Ben Bridwell’s vocals sit somewhere between a cry and a cathedral, and the songs underneath them trade in the kind of emotional resonance that stays with you long after the drive home. Their 2010 album Infinite Arms earned a Grammy nomination, and their most recent record, Things Are Great (2022), finds them still working the same territory of change, longing, and personal resolution — themes that don’t age out.
About Dinosaur Jr.
Dinosaur Jr. arrives from a different angle entirely. Formed in 1984, the band helped shape the grunge movement by emphasizing volume and attack — a guitar-first philosophy that J Mascis has carried forward with enough force to remain influential among players and songwriters to this day. The original lineup of Mascis on guitar and vocals, Lou Barlow on bass, and Murph on drums reunited in 2005, and the second act has been as productive as the first — their 2021 album Sweep It Into Space is the latest of five studio records since reforming.
The Venue
UPAC — the Ulster Performing Arts Center — is a theater on Broadway in Kingston, presented by Bardavon Presents with DSP Shows. The box office is open Tuesday through Friday, 10am to 4pm; call 845.339.6088 for information. If you are coming from the north or west, build in extra time for the drive — Hudson Valley traffic on a summer Friday has its own personality.
Tickets & Pricing
Tickets are on sale now, with pricing tiers at $50.50, $60.50, $70.50, and $76. Bardavon members receive early pre-sale access and discounts not available through other platforms. Showtime is 8:00 PM. Buy Tickets