Noon Fifteen’s new album Finish What You Started dropped October 16, ten songs about love, vampires, politicians, and other monsters. One reviewer called it “a record about fear that positively glows with brazen defiance.” On Thursday, October 29, the Ithaca prog soul band brings it to Funk ‘n Waffles in Syracuse, arriving right on time for Halloween week.
About the Show
The bill pairs Noon Fifteen with Rising Ghosts, a Syracuse alternative funk outfit that has been building a following in the 315 since 2023.
Noon Fifteen is difficult to reduce to a single genre tag, which is probably why the most useful descriptions lean on comparisons. Their sound has been called “Queen meets Aretha, or Lake Street Dive and Yes watching horror movies in their parents’ basement,” and that actually tracks. This is a five-piece: Mandy Goldman on vocals and guitar, Samuel B. Lupowitz on keyboards and vocals, Joe Massa on guitar, Harry Nichols on bass and vocals, and Simon Bjarning on drums and vocals. Rich harmonies, a Hammond organ, Motown grooves, and rock opera ambition — the band’s own shorthand is “unapologetically retro,” and they own it.
Finish What You Started is their third record. The ten tracks use horror conceits — vampires, doppelgängers, haunted houses — as metaphors for fear, identity, and self-doubt. Reviewer Michael Kellermeyer described it as “unapologetically retro (complete with a hammond organ’s cozy hum) and a kick-ass anti-depressant in album-form, without sacrificing intellectual curiosity or existential honesty.” Singles “Barricades,” “Imposter,” and “Feel” preceded the full release; this Syracuse date is one of the first chances to hear the whole thing live.
Opening is Rising Ghosts, the Syracuse-based alternative funk band fronted by Ashley Rose. Their sound layers soulful vocals over a “powerful and funky rhythm section,” with songs described as built for the dance floor. They made their debut in early 2023 and were featured in 95X’s Locals Only Spotlight for debut single “Hero.”
Venue & Logistics
Funk ‘n Waffles at 307 S Clinton St is a 200-capacity bar and music venue in downtown Syracuse. It’s the kind of close room where you’ll feel the Hammond organ rather than just hear it. Doors open at 7:00 p.m.; show starts at 8:00 p.m. The event is 18+. Find more central New York shows on the regional calendar.
Tickets
Tickets start at $13.07 and went on sale August 5, 2026. Buy tickets