Empire Underground is the downstairs room at Empire Live Albany — 93 N Pearl Street, right in the center of the capital. As someone who makes the drive over from Syracuse more than I probably should, I can tell you that Albany shows tend to draw people who actually did the math and decided it was worth the trip. That energy does something to a room.
Raq Baby is bringing the Robert Johnson Tour there on Friday, September 18. Doors are at 7 PM, show at 8. This is an ages 16-and-up event.
About Raq Baby
Born Brian L. Bedford in Englewood, Chicago — he relocated to Atlanta, and his music sounds exactly like what happens when those two cities live inside the same person. The grit and weight of Chicago drill. The melodic, atmospheric lean of Atlanta plugg. He started releasing music commercially in 2022 and has been moving fast since.
The breakout was “Belt Boys,” which racked up 16 million YouTube views. Since then he’s put out project after project: Maniac Baby, El Peligro, Bloody Holiday, Abstruse, Spill Season, More Spill, the full-length I Never Gave AF_ (September 2025, deluxe edition December 2025), and the new EP Still Spillin’, released on Alamo Records in June 2026. All of that before he turned 21 — which happened June 8.
The backstory on this tour matters: in late March 2026, Raq Baby was in a serious multi-rollover car accident in Georgia. Spinal injury. Broken wrist. He performed days later wearing a neck brace. The spring leg of this tour — billed as El Peligro vs. Robert Johnson — sold out across North America. The fall Robert Johnson Tour picks up August 7 and runs more than 20 dates through September 25. Albany is one of the last stops.
Empire Underground
Empire Underground is the downstairs performance space inside Empire Live Albany, a two-floor multi-genre venue at 93 N Pearl St, Albany, NY 12207. Capacity is 500. The box office is open Monday through Friday, 11 AM to 4 PM, and tickets are also available through Ticketmaster. Find more upcoming shows in the Albany / Capital District region.
Tickets & Pricing
Tickets start at $33.80 via Ticketmaster. This show is ages 16 and up. No refunds. Grab yours before the run fills out — the spring leg of this tour sold out.