Ky McClinton doesn’t treat covers as fill material between originals. His signature “Ky Mode” involves stripping a familiar song down to its frame and rebuilding it with a slow, soulful gravity — vocal harmonies layered over blues-inflected guitar until the song feels discovered rather than borrowed. On Saturday, December 26, McClinton brings his full six-piece band to Funk ‘n Waffles in Syracuse. Admission is free, which makes this an easy case for a night out the day after Christmas.
About the Show
The Ky McClinton Band is an Albany-based six-piece whose sound sits at the intersection of blues rock, R&B, and soul. McClinton, a Listen Up Award nominee known for heartfelt vocals and an engaging stage presence, fronts the group alongside core members Isaiah Thomas and Joseph Pouliott, with saxophonist Isiah Allen contributing the vocal harmonies that give the band its layered, textured sound. A September 2025 profile in Mirth Films called him “The Next Great Musician From The Capital Region” and described his guitar work as featuring “insane blues rock melodies with incredible timing,” noting that he plays primarily by feel rather than technical reference. Influences include John Mayer, Jimi Hendrix, Michael Kiwanuka, and Goose, a range that explains how the band moves between slow-burn groove and high-energy blues without ever losing their footing.
The band has shared stages with touring acts including Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds and The MJT Soul Rockers, and their footprint across Upstate New York covers venues from Lark Hall and Ophelia’s on Broadway in Albany to Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs. Their sets balance original compositions with reworked covers built on “tight musicianship and spontaneous energy” — enough structure to hold the room and enough room to stretch. No support acts are listed for this date.
Venue & Logistics
Funk ‘n Waffles combines a bar, live music room, and restaurant under one roof at 307 S Clinton St in downtown Syracuse. At 200 capacity, it’s a room close enough to feel every note and big enough to fill with energy, one of the reliable stops on the central New York circuit for regional talent worth tracking. Doors open at 7:00 p.m., show starts at 8:00 p.m. This is an 18+ event.
Tickets
Admission is free. Tickets are available through TicketWeb; they went on sale October 20. Buy tickets