Big Something has been touring long enough to have played everything from beer halls to festival fields; what the North Carolina six-piece does best is remind you that the smaller room is usually the better show. On Thursday, November 19, they bring six instruments, seven albums, and a decade-plus of improvisation-built muscle to Middle Ages Beer Hall in central New York, with opener Big Blitz along for the night.
About the Show
Big Something is a Burlington, NC-based ensemble formed in 2009, featuring Nick MacDaniels (vocals, guitar), Jesse Hensley (lead guitar, vocals), Casey Cranford (saxophone), Ben Vinograd (drums), Josh Kagel (keys, trumpet), and Matt Laird (bass). Over more than a decade of active touring, the band has released seven studio albums and built a following by keeping live sets loose: improvisation-heavy, genre-defying, the kind of show where fans of Umphrey’s McGee, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, or The Disco Biscuits tend to end up eventually. Their sound pulls from rock, funk, psychedelia, reggae, and electronic grooves without fully committing to any of them.
Their most recent record, Headspace (2023, Truth Serum Records), is worth knowing before you walk in. The 12-track album was recorded at Pachyderm Recording Studios in Minnesota, the same facility where Nirvana recorded In Utero, with GRAMMY-nominated producer John Custer. It carries real emotional weight: much of the lyrics were written by Paul Interdonato, a close collaborator and friend who passed away in 2017, and the album centers on mental health themes, with the band partnering with organizations including Sound Mind Live and SAMHSA’s National Helpline. Guest contributors include SUSTO, Andy Frasco, and Josh Phillips.
Opening the night is Big Blitz, a Pittsburgh-based trio of brothers Lucas and Mason Ciesielski (saxophones, synthesizers) and drummer Nick Grabigel. They describe their music as making dancing “mandatory, rather than optional,” merging jazz, dance, rock, and electronic influences into something designed to get the room moving. Get there early — this is the kind of opener you don’t skip.
Venue & Logistics
Middle Ages Beer Hall, at 120 Wilkinson Street in Syracuse, holds 400 people for this one — a different proposition than the festival stages where Big Something also appears. Doors open at 7:00 p.m., with the show starting at 8:00 p.m. The event is all ages; guests under 18 are admitted with a guardian. The Syracuse date is part of a Northeast run that continues to Buffalo on Nov. 20 and Morgantown, WV on Nov. 21.
Tickets
Tickets are $20, with fees totaling $25.46. Buy tickets