All Over Albany

Alive at Five lineup 2012

Alive at Five, now with more Bacon.

The city of Albany announced the lineup for this year's Alive at Five series of free concerts at the Albany Riverfront Park amphitheater at the Corning Preserve. The concerts are on Thursday evenings and start at (surprise) 5 pm.

Here's the schedule...

All descriptions from city press release

June 7: Dave Mason (of Traffic)
With a career spanning more than 50 years, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Dave Mason has been hailed by fans and critics alike as one of the most talented guitarists and songwriters in the world. The Worcester, England native helped found the influential group Traffic at the age of 18 before moving on to a string of platinum and gold solo albums. Dave's distinctive playing and vocals have been featured on landmark rock recordings by Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, George Harrison and Fleetwood Mac.

With: The Emerald City Band
Before their untimely breakup in 1982, Troy's legendary Emerald City Band were one of the northeast's hottest original rock groups. Thirty years later, the original lineup returns to rock the region.

June 14: Bootsy Collins
Bootsy Collins' unmistakable bass playing and psychedelic sense of style have made him a true trailblazer throughout his 40 years in the music industry. Recording with James Brown's Original J.B.'s, legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Parliament-Funkadelic, and his own wildly inventive, Grammy-winning groups, Bootsy helped invent the sound of funk while redefining the role of bass guitar in popular music.

With: Soul Session
Led by high-energy vocalist Garland Nelson, Soul Session is a spirited local ensemble performing multi-genre soul music with spontaneous originality.

June 21: Patty Smyth & Scandal
Rock and roller Patty Smyth is the powerful voice behind enduring hits like "The Warrior", "Love's Got a Line on You", "Goodbye to You" and the smash duet with the Eagles' Don Henley, "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough". As a solo artist and with her band, Scandal, she's accumulated platinum records and singles, been nominated for Oscars and Grammys, and was even asked to join Van Halen while eight months pregnant (she declined).

With: Sirsy
Soulful indie pop rock duo Sirsy is a musical breath of fresh air. Recently signed with Arizona's Funzalo Records, the rest of the musical world is beginning to take notice of these hard-working Capital Region favorites.

June 28: Dickey Betts & Great Southern
A true southern rock icon and founding member of the Allman Brothers Band, Dickey Betts is one of the most influential guitarists of all time. Before striking out on his own, Betts wrote and sang on the Allmans' biggest hit, "Ramblin' Man", and composed many of the group's best-loved songs. The New York Times calls Betts "one of the great rock guitarists" and Rolling Stone ranks him among their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.

With: Kirsten Thien
New York City singer-songwriter Kirsten Thien has earned international acclaim by carving out a unique contemporary blues sound built on her insightful songs and soulful delivery.

July 5: Local Blues Night
Three great Capital Region blues bands share the stage. The bands will be decided by public vote at the Downtown Albany Blues Competition tonight, May 4. 13 bands compete for the big gig at venues throughout downtown. Mayor Jennings and the City of Albany will honor the memory of legendary Capital Region bluesman Ernie Williams. For more information on the Downtown Albany Blues Contest.

July 12: The Bacon Brothers
Long before Kevin Bacon launched his prolific stage and film career, and before Michael Bacon became an Emmy-winning composer for film and television, they were just two brothers growing up surrounded by music in Philadelphia. The Bacon Brothers have now been honing their acclaimed, gritty roots-rock over two decades and six albums, safely erasing any preconceptions about well-known actors "dabbling" in music.

With: The Stray Dogs
The Stray Dogs specialize in acoustic rock with bite, showcasing powerful vocals, adventurous song arrangements, and a unique musical sensibility that makes them crowd favorites wherever they play.

July 19: Buckwheat Zydeco
American musical legend Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural, Jr. and his band, Buckwheat Zydeco, are the preeminent ambassadors of Louisiana zydeco music. The band USA Today called "zydeco trailblazers" rang in their 30th anniversary with the adventurous, Grammy-winning album Lay Your Burden Down - and Buckwheat Zydeco shows no signs of letting up any time soon.

With: Captain Squeeze & The Zydeco Moshers
Led by accordionist Greg "Captain Squeeze" Speck, the Zydeco Moshers have been bringing their high-energy Mardi Gras party to ecstatic Capital Region audiences for over fifteen years.

July 26: Smash Mouth
Multi-platinum pop-rockers Smash Mouth have sold more than 10 million albums worldwide, taking over radio waves far and wide with smash hits like "Walkin' on the Sun", "All Star", "Then The Morning Comes", "Can't Get Enough of You Baby" and their re-imagining of the Monkees classic "I'm a Believer". A '60s-flavored garage band with a keen pop sensibility and a style all their own, Smash Mouth is the sound of a nonstop summer party.

With: The Dylan Emmet Band
Fueled by rich harmonies and clever melodic ideas, The Dylan Emmet Band's mosaic of pop, jam, soul and hip-hop music brings something truly different to the Northeast's popular music landscape.

August 2: Country Night: Lee Brice
While country music fans may be most familiar with Lee Brice through his #1 hit, "A Woman Like You" or the 2010 smash "Love Like Crazy", the South Carolina singer-songwriter has been a fixture in the industry for years. The four-time Academy of Country Music nominee has written hit songs for superstars like Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney and the Eli Young Band. Brice's new album, Hard 2 Love, ensures that his name will soon be just as recognizable as his high-profile peers.

With: Wendy Owens & Renegade
Born and raised in the farmlands of upstate New York, Wendy Owens is country through and through. Backed by some of the northeast's finest musicians, the little girl with the big voice has been wowing audiences everywhere since 2007.

August 9: The Beach Bums: A Tribute to the Beach Boys
One of the greatest pop groups of all time, the Beach Boys celebrate their 50th anniversary this year. Formed in 1998, the Beach Bums are the ultimate tribute to the California ambassadors of sunshine, bringing the sound and feel of a '60s beach party to audiences everywhere. From "Barbara Ann" to "Wendy", The Beach Bums recreate the Beach Boys' gorgeous harmonies and instrumental magic live and in person.

With: Grand Central Station
One of the Northeast's hottest and most versatile dance bands, Grand Central Station keep the party going with upbeat music from every era.

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And the city rules for the concerts:

+ No glass containers of any kind

+ No alcoholic beverages

+ No coolers, backpacks, bags, containers, packages, thermoses, cups, bottles, cans, flasks.

+ No animals or pets (excluding ADA-defined service animals)

+ Security personnel reserve the right to inspect any bag, container or package and confiscate any prohibited or illegal items.

+ Any type of recording of the performance or presentation is prohibited without prior written consent.

+ All attendees should be prepared to present age identification at any time if they intend to consume alcohol.