If you have never made the trip into Cohoes for a show, this is a fine reason to start. Cohoes Music Hall opened in 1874 — one of the oldest operating music halls in the country — and it is the kind of room that rewards the drive before the first note is played. Ornate, acoustically brilliant, and sitting in a small city on the Hudson that most people blow past on 787 without stopping. Friday, May 8 gives you a reason to stop. Two grunge-era tribute acts, 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM, tickets $25–$49.
About the Show
Opening at 7:00 PM is Lounge Act, a Nirvana tribute out of northern New Jersey that has been working the NJ/NY circuit since 2010. They go deep — Bleach, Nevermind, In Utero — with the kind of catalog commitment that earns a crowd before the headliner even hits the stage.
Headlining at 8:00 PM is Drown, a New York City band that bills itself as the Northeast’s only Smashing Pumpkins tribute. That claim carries some weight when you look at the lineup: drummer Nikolas McEnerney — the band’s founder — has more than 30 years on the kit and has worked as a drum tech for Ian Paice of Deep Purple. Their set runs from Gish all the way through Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, which covers the full arc of the Pumpkins’ prime years. If you have a soft spot for any of that material, this is the kind of set list you show up early for.
About Cohoes Music Hall
Cohoes Music Hall is at 58 Remsen St. in downtown Cohoes — about 10 miles north of Albany, just off 787. The 600-capacity room has been hosting live performances since 1874, and the acoustics were built for it. Managed by Playhouse Stage Company. Box office is open Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM; phone is (518) 434-0776. If this is your first time in the room, give yourself a few minutes when you walk in — the Capital Region does not have many spaces that look like this.
Tickets
Tickets are $25–$49 and on sale now. Doors at 7:00 PM, show runs through 10:30 PM. Buy tickets here.