Your Guide to Live Music in Upstate New York
Your Guide to Live Music in Upstate New York
Celebrating the musicians, builders, and visionaries who made Upstate New York a force in American music.
89 Inductees Across 7 Regions
From Buffalo’s funk and punk scenes to Rochester’s Eastman School pipeline, from the Woodstock creative commune to Albany’s underground, Upstate New York has shaped American music in profound and often underrecognized ways.
No Upstate city rivals Buffalo for sheer musical breadth. Rick James defined funk from the East Side. Ani DiFranco built the DIY independent label movement from her Buffalo apartment. The Goo Goo Dolls gave the world "Iris." Cannibal Corpse became the best-selling death metal band of all time. Grover Washington Jr. invented smooth jazz. Griselda put Buffalo back on the national hip-hop map. And Harold Arlen — the man who wrote "Over the Rainbow" — was a Buffalo native.
The Eastman School of Music is the single most important institutional pipeline for Upstate NY music talent. It trained Chuck Mangione, Steve Gadd, Ron Carter, Mick Guzauski, Mitch Miller, Angelo Badalamenti, and Maria Schneider. Lou Gramm of Foreigner grew up in Rochester. Cab Calloway was born there. Son House was rediscovered there in 1964.
When Albert Grossman moved to Woodstock in the 1960s and built Bearsville Studios, he created an ecosystem that attracted Bob Dylan, The Band, Van Morrison, Todd Rundgren, and dozens of jazz legends. Levon Helm hosted the Midnight Ramble concerts from his barn. Alan Gerry saved the Woodstock festival site by building Bethel Woods Center for the Arts.
Jimmy Van Heusen — who wrote "Come Fly with Me" for Sinatra — was born in Syracuse. Ronnie James Dio grew up in nearby Cortland. Joey Belladonna of Anthrax hails from Oswego. Earth Crisis pioneered metalcore. Joe Bonamassa, the world's top-grossing blues artist, opened for B.B. King at age 12 in Utica.
Phantogram, State Champs, Drug Church, Maria Brink of In This Moment, MacArthur Fellow Vijay Iyer, and Voice winner Sawyer Fredericks all have roots here. Greg Haymes built the scene by writing about it for 30 years. Greg Bell booked 3,000 shows. Brooks Brown built WEQX into the last independent alternative radio station in America.
10,000 Maniacs formed in Jamestown. X Ambassadors came out of Ithaca. Orleans gave us "Still the One." Gym Class Heroes launched from Geneva. And the GrassRoots Festival in Trumansburg has been bringing communities together through music since 1991.
7 inductees matching your filters
Woodstock (resident)
Groundbreaking jazz composer and pianist Carla Bley was a longtime Woodstock resident. Her large-scale compositions and fearless experimental approach made her one of the most...
View Profile →Pawling (Hudson Valley)
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Daryl Hall chose to build an intimate restaurant and music club in Pawling, a small Dutchess County town. Daryl's...
View Profile →Woodstock (resident)
One of the greatest jazz drummers alive, Jack DeJohnette has been a Woodstock resident for decades. His work with Miles Davis, Keith Jarrett, and countless...
View Profile →Woodstock (resident)
The Lovin' Spoonful founder became a longtime Woodstock resident. John Sebastian's impromptu performance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival is one of the event's most memorable...
View Profile →Palenville (Catskills)
The Felice Brothers, from Palenville in the Catskills, became one of the defining Americana bands of their generation. From subway-busking origins to acclaimed albums like...
View Profile →Woodstock
Todd Rundgren lived in Woodstock for decades, recording his landmark solo albums and producing classic records at Bearsville Studios — including Meat Loaf's Bat Out...
View Profile →Woodstock area
Legendary bassist for King Crimson and Peter Gabriel, Tony Levin has been based in the Woodstock/Hudson Valley area for decades. His Chapman Stick playing and...
View Profile →The Upstate Music Hall of Fame is a living project. If you know of a musician, producer, promoter, or music industry figure from Upstate New York who should be recognized here, we want to hear from you.