All Over Albany

Upbeat on the Roof 2018

The Upbeat on the Roof series starts up a new season at The Tang Museum at Skidmore tonight (Thursday).

The free Thursday evening concerts are on the roof of the museum (thus the name), and the galleries are open late.

This year's lineup is below. As in years past, it includes local acts across a range of genres.

Concerts start at 7 pm. Blurbage via The Tang.

July 5: Girl Blue
"Singer-songwriter Girl Blue, aka Arielle O'Keefe, has already gained a great deal of attention on the strength of her 2016 EP I Am Not A Star and the single "Fire Under Water," which garnered more than a million plays on Spotify in a month. Accolades have followed from the Huffington Post, Vents Magazine, and The Alt. Known for her storytelling, soft vocals, and modern production, the Albany resident plans to release a full-length album later this year. Girl Blue is making her Upbeat debut."

July 12: Decoda Chamber Music Ensemble
"The New York City-based affiliate ensemble of Carnegie Hall returns to the Tang for an engaging evening of classical music. The ensemble's performance at the Tang occurs during its annual, two-week intensive classes for advanced students of string, woodwind, brass and piano at Skidmore College. Decoda's performances over the last few years have become audience favorites, as the ensemble are not only virtuoso musicians but also passionate advocates of the arts. Note that this concert will be held indoors in the Payne Room."

July 19: Wurliday
"Fronted by a pair of powerful vocalists--Ilana Morris and Tyrone Hartzog--Wurliday brings an exciting blend of soul and funk to its Upbeat debut. The Albany-based band packs a lot of energy in its live performances with seven musicians on stage. Though the band is making its Upbeat debut, the band's founder and guitarist Justin Henricks performed with his jazz band The Chronicles during the 2014 Upbeat season."

July 26: Golfstrom
"Golfstrom calls what it plays "vintage old-world music." What exactly is that? Popular music of the 1930s through the 1960s from regions in Europe and America. Band members are Jonathan Greene (clarinet and a 2007 Skidmore graduate), Sergei Nirenburg (accordion), Bobby Kendall (bass and a 2005 Skidmore graduate), and Brian Melick (percussion). The band will be making its Upbeat debut, performing well-known tunes and hidden gems for audiences to discover."

August 2: Taina Asili
"Taina Asili is an Albany-based Puerto-Rican musician and activist who uses her music to discuss important issues of her past and present. Asili's powerful vocals combine with an energetic fusion of Afro-Latin, reggae and rock that motivates people to dance as well as create social change. As a solo artist and with an eight-piece band, Asili has toured North America and Europe, and performed at the 2017 Women's March in Washington, D.C. She and her band will be making their Upbeat debut."

August 9: William Hale
"The Glens Falls-based epic psych-folk band is led by vocalist and guitarist Lucas William Hale VanScoy, and is accompanied by Jared Phelps (electric guitar), Alicia Macier (violin), Jade Mac Duff (bass), and Maxim VanScoy (drums and percussion). William Hale will be making their Upbeat debut, playing their distinct combination of traditional folk with a contemporary electric guitar lead."

August 16: Fenimore Blues
"Saratoga Springs-based Fenimore Blues makes their Upbeat debut, forming an eclectic mix of blues, R&B, and rock. The powerful vocals of Mary Beth Arcidiacono are backed by two guitarists and fellow musicians on keyboards, saxophone, bass, and drums, with band members doubling on harmonica and accordion."

August 23: Bear Grass
"Singer/songwriter Katie Hammond began Bear Grass in 2012 as a solo-project, creating quirky songs with lyrics drawing from her childhood memories. Over the next two years she was joined by Ian White, August Sagehorn, and Tommy Krebs who provide a blend of folk, rock, and trip-hop to compliment her warm yet sorrowful vocals. The Troy-based band last played at Upbeat in 2015."

August 30: Arthur Brooks Ensemble V
"The Arthur Brooks Ensemble V is an improvisational jazz group led by musician, composer, trumpeter/flugelhornist Arthur Brooks. Founded at Bennington College in 1973, its current members are recognized professionals who have performed nationally and internationally. They combine improvisation with composition to craft unique and exciting pieces that keep audiences guessing. This is the ensemble's Upbeat debut."

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More free summer concert series
+ Freedom Park 2018 concert series lineup
+ Alive at Five
+ At The Plaza 2018
+ Rockin' on the River 2018
+ Music Haven 2018 lineup