Upstate New York runs on rock and roll. In any given week the region’s stages light up with arena headliners, reunited legends, rising indie acts, and the bar bands that turn a Tuesday into a night worth leaving the house for. The lawn at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, the amphitheaters at Darien Lake, CMAC, and Bethel Woods, the riverfront at Artpark, and club rooms like Empire Live in Albany give touring rock a home in every corner of the state.
This page is your live, always-current guide to every rock concert on our radar across Upstate NY — classic rock and arena anthems, hard rock and metal-leaning bills, alt and indie, jam, and everything in between. Shows are listed with the soonest dates first, so the next night out is always at the top.
We cover the whole region: the Capital Region and Saratoga, Western NY and Buffalo, the Hudson Valley, Central NY and Syracuse, the Finger Lakes, the Southern Tier, and the North Country. New tours, festival lineups, and on-sale dates land here as soon as they’re announced, and we flag presales and ticket links so you can lock in seats before they’re gone.
More guides: Country Concerts in Upstate New York · Comedy Shows in Upstate New York · Hip-Hop Concerts in Upstate New York
By region: Rock Concerts in Albany & the Capital Region · Rock Concerts in Buffalo & Western NY · Rock Concerts in the Hudson Valley · Rock Concerts in Syracuse & Central NY · Rock Concerts in the Finger Lakes
David Lee Roth (w/ Faster Pussycat) at Glens Falls Civic Center — March 28, 1988
Diamond Dave on the Skyscraper World Tour at the Glens Falls Civic Center with Faster Pussycat opening.
Echo & the Bunnymen at Union College — March 29, 1984
Echo & the Bunnymen on The Killing Moon Tour at Union College — “The Killing Moon” is one of the greatest songs of the ’80s.
The Bangles at Palace Theatre — March 29, 1989
The Bangles on the Everything Everywhere tour at the Palace Theatre. Susanna Hoffs and the band were riding the success of “Eternal Flame.”
Grateful Dead at Rochester Community War Memorial — March 30, 1973
The Grateful Dead at Rochester’s Community War Memorial on March 30, 1973. A composite soundboard/audience recording survives on archive.org with 12 reviews. This was the Dead in their early-1973 prime.
Prince and the Revolution at Carrier Dome — March 30, 1985
One of the most important concerts ever performed in upstate New York. Prince and the Revolution at the Carrier Dome on March 30, 1985 — the Purple Rain tour at…
Elvis Costello & The Attractions at Palace Theatre — March 25, 1979
Elvis Costello & The Attractions on the Armed Funk tour at the Palace Theatre. “Armed Forces” had just dropped — and Costello was on fire.
Grateful Dead / The Black Crowes at Knickerbocker Arena / Aiko’s — March 25, 1990
Two historic shows on the same night: the Grateful Dead at the Knickerbocker Arena, and The Black Crowes at Aiko’s in Saratoga Springs before their debut album even came out.
U2 (w/ Pixies) at Knickerbocker Arena — March 21, 1992
U2 on the Zoo TV tour with the Pixies opening at the Knickerbocker Arena. This was the reinvented, ironic, multimedia U2 — “Achtung Baby” era, Bono as The Fly. A…
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at Knickerbocker Arena — March 21, 1995
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on the Dogs with Wings tour at the Knickerbocker Arena. “Wildflowers” had just come out — arguably his masterpiece.
The Moody Blues / John Mayall at University Gym, SUNY-Albany — March 22, 1970
The Moody Blues and John Mayall at SUNY-Albany — the Moodies were in their orchestral prog-rock prime, and Mayall was the godfather of British blues.