Empire Underground is the downstairs club at Empire Live Albany — the closer, smaller room on North Pearl Street with a capacity of around 350 and a track record of booking the kind of band that rewards getting there early. On Saturday, September 12, 2026, that band is Galactic Empire, a masked cinematic metal ensemble from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, midway through a North American headline run. Doors open at 6:00 PM.
About Galactic Empire
Galactic Empire launched in December 2015 with a YouTube video: a heavy metal version of the Star Wars Main Theme, performed completely straight by musicians in full villain cosplay. It could have been a one-off novelty. Instead, it turned into three full albums devoted to the Star Wars universe, a genuine touring career, and a cult following that spans the metal world and the Star Wars fandom alike.
Then, as lead guitarist Lord Sihk explained: “After three albums of tribute to the mighty Sith Lord John Williams, we realized we had run out of Star Wars music.”
The answer was CineMetal — released October 2025 on Pure Noise Records. Twelve tracks. Twelve franchise themes. Fifty years of blockbuster cinema converted into heavy metal: Superman, Avengers, Back to the Future, Batman, ET, Indiana Jones, Godzilla, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, Lord of the Rings, Terminator, and Pirates of the Caribbean. The September North American tour is the headline run supporting that album. Albany is mid-run — they play Buffalo’s Rec Room on September 10, hit Empire Underground on the 12th, and push on to Asbury Park the following night.
Venue Info
Empire Underground sits beneath the broader Empire Live Albany complex at 93 North Pearl Street in downtown Albany. The club hosts rock, metal, punk, hip-hop, and alternative — a mid-sized room where the stage is close and the sound stays focused. For a band whose entire performance is built around full theatrical spectacle, that kind of room works in the audience’s favor. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster or at the box office.
Tickets & Info
Showtime is 6:00 PM on Saturday, September 12, 2026. Tickets available at the link below.
Get Tickets — Galactic Empire at Empire Underground