All Over Albany

Eastbound Throwdown 2018

The Eastbound Throwdown music fest returns to Irwin Farm in Salem September 7-8. Early bird passes are on sale now -- they're $50. Camping is included.

The fest is a joint production of the band Eastbound Jesus and the promoter Guthrie/Bell Productions. Blurbage:

This year's lineup includes a mix of artists that have played the festival in previous years, and ones that while have never played the Throwdown stage, are acts that Eastbound Jesus has grown to be friends with and fans of over the years while performing in the region.

Lineup will include: EASTBOUND JESUS (PLAYING BOTH DAYS), THE MALLETT BROTHERS BAND, THE BLIND OWL BAND, GIRL BLUE, THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE CHORUS, ELIJAH OCEAN, THE EASTERN HIGHS, DAN JOHNSON, SAINTS AND LIARS.

This will be the festival's third year at Irwin Farm. With local vendors, two stages built by the band themselves, and friends and family as volunteers to staff the event, it is truly a grassroots festival with a hometown feel.

The full festival lineup will be out June 1.

Salem is in Washington County, about an hour's drive northeast of Albany and about 40 minutes east of Saratoga Springs.

Fresh Grass Festival 2018

Trampled by Turtles. / photo via Trampled By Turtles Facebook

The Fresh Grass Festival is back at MASS MoCA September 14-16. Festival passes are currently $115 for adults / $99 for students / $46 for kids (under 6 free). The passes include admission to the museum's galleries.

Headliners for this year's festival include Trampled By Turtles, Yonder Mountain String Band, Indigo Girls, Ricky Skaggs, and Rhiannon Giddens. Here's the full announced-so-far lineup...

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Old Songs Festival 2018

The Old Songs Festival is set to return June 22-24 at the Altamont Fairgrounds. And tickets are now on sale.

Old Songs is an org focused on keeping traditional music and dance genres alive through performance, classes, and other programs. And the annual festival plays along with the theme. Blurbage:

Discover the music of the people! Old Songs celebrates folk, Celtic, and roots music; from Ireland, Quebec, the Caribbean, New England, and more. Songs, both current and relevant, by contemporary songwriters are also heard at the festival.

SING, DANCE, JAM and LISTEN at this participatory event for the whole family, Old Songs encourages audience members to join jam sessions, take part in learn-how sessions, sing sacred harp, move their feet to our great dance bands or take a Friday afternoon class.

That link above includes a lineup of performers.

Tickets are $125 for an all-festival pass for adults / $120 for seniors / $55 for students and youth / free for kids 12 and younger. (Prices for all-festival tickets go up starting June 2.) Single-day session tickets start at $45 for adults. Camping is also available.

photo via Old Songs

Green River Festival 2018

Michael Franti. / photo: Hiroki Nishioka via Michael Franti Facebook

The Green River Festival returns July 13-15 in Western Mass. This year's lineup includes Michael Franti and Spearhead, Old Crow Medicine Show, Dr. Dog, Josh Ritter, Deer Tick, Lucy Dacus, and a bunch of other acts. The announced (so far) lineup is below.

The festival is on the grounds of Greenfield Community College in Greenfield, Massachusetts -- it's about a two-hour drive from Albany.

There's currently early-bird pricing on tickets through March 14. A full weekend pass is $109.99 / $149.99 with camping. Friday day tickets are $34.99, Saturday is $64.99, and Sunday $59.99.

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Disc Jam 2018

The (world's only?) disc golf music festival -- Disc Jam -- returns to Stephentown June 7-10. And the lineup -- which includes more than 80 acts -- is out. Headliners include Lotus, Beats Antique, Galactic, The Motet, Electron, and Barber Acoustic.

Full festival passes are currently $180, camping included.

Also: The festival includes a 27-hole disc golf course on site. Blurbage: "Playing at least a round is a must for Disc Jam enthusiasts and the course encourages both the avid and first timer players to try their hand on the course, all at no additional cost to play (outside of tournaments) with discs provided free of charge for those interested in playing."

Disc Jam is at Gardner's Farm in Stephentown in southeast Rensselaer County not far from the Massachusetts border.

photo via Disc Jam

Saratoga Jazz Fest 2018 lineup

Jon Baptiste will be playing with The Dap Kings.

The annual Freihofer's Saratoga Jazz Festival is June 23-24 at SPAC. And the lineup's out -- it includes Chris Botti, Herbie Hancock, Jon Baptiste with The Dap kings, Gregory Porter, and Mavis Staples.

The full announced lineup is below.

Tickets go on sale March 1.

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Grey Fox Festival lineup 2018

Del McCoury Band

The Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival returns July 19-22. And the lineup is out -- it includes The Del McCoury Band, Sam Bush Band, Hot Rize, Jerry Douglas, The Wood Brothers, Della Mae, and many others.

The full lineup is listed below.

Festival tickets are currently $210, which includes camping (price increases May 1). Day passes are $75. Kids 12 and under are free with a ticketed adult.

Grey Fox is at the Walsh Farm in Oak Hill, in northern Greene County, not far from the Albany County line. It's about 30 miles south(west) of Albany.

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Mountain Jam 2018 lineup

Jack Johnson

The lineup for this year's Mountain Jam festival is out: It's headlined by Jack Johnson, Sturgill Simpson, and Alt-J, and also includes acts such as The War on Drugs, Portugal. The Man, Father John Misty, The Decemberists, and Jenny Lewis.

The full lineup, which includes a few Capital Region locals, is below.

This year's Mountain Jam is June 15-17 at Hunter Mountain. A three-day general admission is pass is currently $184 ($219 with camping).

Hunter Mountain is in Hunter, New York, in the northern Catskills. It's a little more than an hour drive from Albany.

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