Cool Club & the Lipker Sisters describe their sound as “Down Home Chic”: intricate harmonies from three sisters laid over a jazz-and-R&B rhythm section that also knows its way around rock and roll and Latin swing. Friday, October 30, they bring that full range to Lovin’ Cup in Rochester for their Halloween Bash, costume contest and all.
About the Show
The band traces back to 2008, when guitarist-vocalist Rick Hoyt and drummer Joe Galusha formed The Cool Club as a jazz quartet in the Finger Lakes. The group transformed around 2013 when Marilla Lipker caught a set at a wine bar and asked to join as vocalist, then brought her sisters Grace and Elizabeth along. “With three of us we could hone in on those three part harmonies that are really common in jazz,” Marilla told Rochester City Magazine in a feature that called the group “reviving old music for new generations.”
Together, they run a set spanning the Great American Songbook, classic R&B from the Boswell Sisters to Aretha to Beyoncé, and their own original compositions — roughly 40 percent originals on a typical night. The band’s self-titled debut album was recorded live over two days at Electric Wilburland Studio in Ithaca with zero overdubs: what you hear is what you get in the room. They’ve built a following through appearances at the Lilac Festival, Corn Hill Festival, and Ontario Beach Concert Series, along with radio sessions on WGMC Jazz 90.1 and WRUR’s Open Tuning. RochesterEvents.com calls them “one of the most popular acts in the Finger Lakes region,” and their Lovin’ Cup dates have earned that.
The Halloween Bash adds a costume contest to the night. At last year’s edition, winners walked away with tickets to the band’s New Year’s Eve show.
Venue & Logistics
Lovin’ Cup is at 300 Park Point Dr. in Rochester. It’s a bar, restaurant, and music venue with community seating that may put you at a shared table with other ticket-buyers, which fits a band whose shows feel communal from the first song. The Finger Lakes region room holds 250. This band’s Lovin’ Cup dates have a history of selling out, so the advance ticket is the one to grab.
Tickets
Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. The show is all ages. Showtime is 8:00 p.m. Buy tickets