Aretha Franklin at New York State Fair — August 23, 2001
The Queen of Soul performed at the New York State Fair in Syracuse. Aretha Franklin’s voice was a national treasure — ‘Respect,’ ‘Natural Woman,’ ‘Chain of Fools.’ Hearing Aretha live at the State Fair was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that no recording could capture.
The Allman Brothers Band at New York State Fairgrounds — August 22, 1986
The Allman Brothers Band played a rare one-off at the New York State Fairgrounds — a genuine surprise during their 1982–89 hiatus. About 5,000 fairgoers watched the Juke Horns sit in on ‘Southbound’ and ‘Into the Mystic.’ A dormant Southern-rock legend, briefly awake in Syracuse. Forty years ago.
The Monkees at Stanley Theater — August 21, 1996
The Monkees brought their 30th-anniversary reunion to the ornate Stanley Theatre in Utica. Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones and Peter Tork running through ‘I’m a Believer,’ ‘Daydream Believer’ and ‘Last Train to Clarksville’ under the theater’s gilded ceiling — a perfect pairing of ’60s pop nostalgia and one of Upstate’s grandest rooms. Thirty years ago.
David Crosby at Bardavon Opera House — August 20, 2016
David Crosby played the Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie. From The Byrds through CSN&Y, Crosby’s harmonies shaped the sound of a generation. His solo shows in his later years were intimate, honest, and deeply moving. Ten years ago.
The Beach Boys at Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena — August 19, 1986
The Beach Boys rolled into the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton at the height of their mid-’80s touring machine. ‘Good Vibrations,’ ‘California Girls,’ ‘Surfin’ USA’ — endless summer harmonies in a Southern Tier hockey barn, two years before ‘Kokomo’ put them back on top. Forty years ago.
Richie Havens at The Turning Point — August 18, 1996
Richie Havens — who opened Woodstock in 1969 — played The Turning Point in Piermont. The man who opened the most famous music festival in history, performing in a tiny Hudson Valley cafe. From Yasgur’s Farm to a 100-seat room. Full circle. Thirty years ago.
Ray Charles at Clemens Center — August 17, 2001
Ray Charles brought a lifetime of American music to the historic Clemens Center in Elmira. Brother Ray at the piano, rolling through ‘Georgia on My Mind’ and ‘What’d I Say’ — a genuine late-career treasure, coming less than three years before his death. The Southern Tier got one of the last true giants. Twenty-five years […]
Phish at Plattsburgh Air Force Base — August 16, 1996
Phish threw The Clifford Ball on a decommissioned Plattsburgh Air Force Base — their first-ever festival and roughly 70,000 fans camped on the tarmac. Three sets a day, F-16 flyovers, a chamber orchestra playing Debussy, and a legendary late-night jam from a flatbed truck circling the campground. Thirty years ago.
Willie Nelson at Olympic Center — August 15, 1986
Willie Nelson played the Olympic Center in Lake Placid — the same arena where the Miracle on Ice happened in 1980. ‘On the Road Again,’ ‘Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain,’ ‘Whiskey River’ in the Olympic arena. Country’s outlaw king in the Adirondacks. Forty years ago.
Jethro Tull at Mid-Hudson Civic Center — August 14, 2001
Jethro Tull brought the flute-driven prog-folk to the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie. Ian Anderson on one leg, flute in hand, ripping through ‘Aqualung’ and ‘Locomotive Breath’ — the arena that usually hosts hockey turned into a British rock cathedral for a night. Twenty-five years ago.