Doors 4pm, Music 7pm

“A Couple of Wanderers” - Faith Kelly and Caswyn Moon
Faith Kelly and Caswyn Moon are two solo artists who travel together from the Catskills of New York to share their songs to everyone everywhere. Caswyn starts off with his punky yet melodic Americana with old country undertones while Faith accompanies him with her Moog synthesizer. Once he's done rockin' his set,  Faith Kelly takes over with her spacey folk rock'n'roll with Appalachian mountain roots.
A little about the show. They usually play two separate sets. Caswyn Moon begins with Faith Kelly accompanying his music with her Moog synthesizer.  Then Caswyn steps away and Faith begins her set. Just a couple of wanderers. Playing music to anyone, anywhere. For no apparent reason.

http://www.faithkelly.com/couple-of-wanderers.html

https://www.facebook.com/faith.xkelly

Mike Brown

In addition to a prolific career as a singer-songwriter, producer and multi- instrumentalist, Grammy-nominated artist Mike Brown is an incredibly dynamic and versatile collaborator. His debut record, American Hotel, was self-recorded in all 50 states over the course of eight years, and features a staggeringly diverse roster of 75 special guests, including members of: The Band, Los Lobos, The Jayhawks, Wilco, Television, Nine Inch Nails, Bare Naked Ladies, Guster, Goo Goo Dolls, The Wallflowers, Counting Crows, Sparklehorse, Gwar, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Matchbox Twenty, The Meat Puppets, Soul Asylum, Cracker, Superdrag, Whiskeytown, Morphine, Moxy Fruvous, Belle and Sebastian, 10,000 Maniacs, The Minus 5, Freedy Johnston, Letters To Cleo and Soul Coughing. 

Brown is also the founder of Temperamental Recordings, a recording studio and label based out of a former Methodist church built in 1828.  In 2011 the impressive space and collection was featured on The History Channel show American Pickers, with Brown appearing as an expert and appraiser of musical instruments and vintage recording equipment. 

In 2014 Brown released a CD with a childhood friend Zac DeCamp titled Automatic Music Can Be Fun and, with the help of Brian Grunert from White Bicycle Design Firm, was nominated for a GRAMMY in the Best Recording Package category against Jay-Z, David Bowie, Metallica, and Reckless Kelly. 

https://mikebrown.org/about

Cover: $10 at the door

Doors 4pm, Music 7:30pm

Rendezvous Des Amis

Louisiana native Brandon Moreau has played Cajun and Creole music all over the country for over 25 years, including a ten-year residency on Bourbon Street. He has toured with many bands, including Ray Abshire, Acadien Cajun Band and the Dixie Club Ramblers. Brandon brings his passion for traditional Louisiana’s music to Rochester, forming the base of a band with true Louisiana love. 

Bobby Henrie is a talented and highly regarded musician: a multi-instrumentalist who is proficient in many genres. He has a deep love for the music and style of the Balfa Brothers, who introduced the music of Southwest Louisiana to the world. Together, Bobby and Brandon are a force on twin fiddles, reminiscent of the true old sounds of the Balfas.

Adding to the mix is Betsy Terr Fuller of the fabulous Terr family. Betsy is a powerhouse on rhythm guitar and has been an ambassador for Louisiana music and culture for many years. Our special guest tonight is C’est Bon front person Barbara Sanders, who will be locking in on rhythm with her solid t’fer skills. 

Joining the band on triangle will be Barbara Sanders. Oh yeah!

Rendezvous Des Amis is here to bring the sounds of Southwest Louisiana to your front door step…and the stage of Abilene Bar and Lounge.

Cover: $15 at the door

Doors 6:30pm, Music 7:30pm

Benny Bleu

Banjo troubadour Benny Bleu will release his much-anticipated album "When I Am A Fossil" with his incredible backing band:
Huck Tritsch: Drums
Eric Heveron-Smith: Bass
Gus Tritsch: Fiddle

“New York-native, Benny Bleu is a geologist by trade, banjo player and singer-songwriter who touches on our connections with the natural world and each other.” – Putumayo World Music

Benny Bleu Haravitch plays old time banjo in the Finger Lakes of upstate New York – a land defined by deep lake valleys and steep highlands.

https://bennybleu.com

Einstein’s Dreams

The brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Eric Heveron-Smith, Einstein’s Dreams blends chamber folk textures with jazz-infused improvisation. Weaving Alan Watts references into stories about migratory birds, Heveron-Smith’s voice soars as he alternates between soulful bass lines and shimmery, fingerpicked chords on his six string bass. 

 In 2025, Einstein’s Dreams released their debut album Flight Manifest (funded in part by a grant from the Genesee Valley Council on the Arts). The album plays with themes of space travel, birds, and evolution, acting as a launch pad for flocks of woodwinds, stacks of brass, and entire landscapes full of stringed instruments. Eric’s own multi-instrumental tendencies are augmented by special guests including Benny Bleu on banjo, Tony Padilla (Mambo Kings) on congas, and hammered dulcimer player Max ZT (House of Waters). 

https://www.instagram.com/einsteinsdreamsmusic/

Cover: $20

Doors 4pm, Music 7pm

Jaybird and the Jukebox Junkies

Yeah, this is some straight, rockin’ Rockabilly!

This dynamic three piece will get you dancin’!

They play old 50’s Rockabilly and Juke Joint Swingl.

Jaybird and the Jukebox Junkies are Jay Bird Gorleski on “Dog House Upright Bass,” Tony Cajiga on vocals and guitar, and Jim Bassano on lead guitar.

This is one very experienced troupe….Jay Bird has played with Rocky Velvet, The Eldorados, The Lustre Kings, Slick Fitty, and Bootleg Hooch. Tony fronts The Starlite Combo. Jim plays with Bec and the Bopcats and Ruby Shooz….Quite the resume!

Cover: Super Low-Dough Show! A Mere $8 at the Door

Doors 4pm, Music 7:30pm

Foxrow

“Foxrow is the folk/Americana project of Emma Jude and Seth Owen Becker, blending rich harmonies and seasoned songwriting.  Drawing from folk, indie, and Americana roots, the duo crafts songs that are intimate, cinematic, and deeply human.

Since September 2025, Foxrow has embraced a monthly release schedule, writing, recording, producing, and releasing a new song every month. The result is a growing catalog of authentic, heartfelt music that captures the spirit of two lifelong musicians dedicated to the craft of songwriting and storytelling.”

https://Foxrowmusic.com 

Jesse Elizabeth

As a free-spirited deep feeler, Jessie Elizabeth is creating Alternative Americana music for listeners to twirl around in the woods somewhere, shed a few tears, shake a fist, or all of the above. With a knack for genuine storytelling and imaginative yet poignant lyricism, the indie artist invites audiences into her world with her empowering debut album, To Go and Grow, released July 2025. 

Originally from the Buffalo area and now based in Syracuse, Jessie has been considered a rising voice in Central New York since stepping onto the scene in the fall of 2022. She had gathered the courage to do her first open mic just months earlier, and the rest was history. Her combined artistry and authenticity quickly began turning heads at the start of her career and has continued to open more doors for her to connect with a growing community. To date, she has shared the stage with numerous national or international acts including The Rainbow Girls, John Muirhead, Hayley Jane, Abby Posner, The Trouble Notes, and The Arcadian Wild, and has played venues across upstate New York and into Ontario, Canada. Jessie brought the story full circle in August 2025 by selling out her album release show at Funk ‘N Waffles  —the very same Syracuse venue where she did her first open mic just three years prior.

Jessie’s performances are vulnerably captivating —marked by intricate vocal quality, raw honesty, and a magnetic stage presence. Grounded in indie-folk lyricism, she sings about the highs and lows, pressures and privileges that come with the paradox of existing on a beautifully abundant earth within the often limiting confines of society. Add her compelling band to the mix, and the result is a dynamic live show that feels like catharsis for nature lovers, queer folks, sensitive souls, and freethinkers alike —where strong songwriting and quality musicianship complimentarily shine.

With songs that weave elements of folk, rock, pop, and country all in one album, it's hard to pin her music down to a single genre, but the throughline of To Go and Grow is Jessie’s strong artistic and conceptual voice. The record draws influence from Jessie’s love of Northeastern landscapes while chronicling her journey of self-discovery and questioning the status quo in the wake of heartbreak. Since its release, To Go and Grow has garnered over 25k streams on Spotify alone, with multiple singles from the project receiving air time on radio stations such as 95X Syracuse, WAER FM Syracuse, Tunes 92.5 Watertown, and WICB Ithaca. She sowed a solid ground to stand on with this debut effort, and her plan is to keep going and growing wherever the music leads.

https://jessieelizabeth.com/

Cover: Special Low-Dough Show-$10 at the Door

Doors 4pm, Music 7pm

Deke Dickerson and the Ecco-Fonics

Don’t miss Deke Dickerson’s newest band venture , Deke Dickerson and the Ecco-Fonics.

Rounding out the Ecco-Fonics will be Trevor Lake (Texas Headphones) on bass and Chris Sprague (Los Straitjackets) on drums

Dickerson is a veteran of the Southern California roots music scene and has toured for years with various bands, including the Dave and Deke Combo and Deke Dickerson and The Whippersnapppers. His former band members have gone on to play with Social Distortion, X, Tiger Army, and Los Straitjackets.

Dickerson is the author of Sixteen Tons: The Merle Travis Story (BMG Books, 480 pages), the first-ever full-length biography devoted to Country Music Hall of Fame member Merle Travis, a brilliant, multitalented, and deeply troubled artist who is widely considered a genius. He has also had two books published by Voyageur Press, The Strat in the Attic and The Strat in the Attic 2. As a well-known historian of roots music, Dickerson has contributed liner notes to reissue projects for such labels as Capitol, RCA, Bear Family, and Sundazed, and has written for several guitar magazines.

In 2019 Dickerson won the Ameripolitan Music Award for Musician of the Year.

https://dekedickerson.com/

https://trevorlake.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/chris.sprague.50/

Tickets: $20 and on sale right now at https://abilene.showare.com and at the bar

Doors 4pm, Music 7pm

Watch Your Step

Watch Your Step is a country band from Buffalo, NY. They play both originals and covers, and they like to play a wide variety of country music from traditional bluegrass to a more modern sound. This is their Abilene Bar and Lounge debut.

https://watchyourstepband.com/

The Byways

The Byways are an Alt Rock band out of Rochester, NY. Fronted by singer and bassist Alex Goettel, their original songs convey real-life messages and stories, with the music carried out by advanced musical talents Cameron Seib (guitar/backing vocals), Graham Wolfe (keyboard/guitar), and Matt Goettel (drums/backing vocals).

https://www.instagram.com/bywaysroc?igsh=OTluNXFkemUyZGY1

Ivy’s Home

Ivy’s Home offers a unique blend of original music and covers that merges modern folk songwriting with the classic roots of Americana. They show their stylistic range in their original music with burnin’ hot bluegrass licks and emotional thought-provoking songwriting. Their debut album, “After All This Time,” has just been released and is available for streaming on all major platforms.

Each member of the band brings their own level of musicianship, making their live performances truly special. The band members include Noah Martella: Guitar/Vocals, Sophia Foti: Vocals, CJ Militello: Guita, Jessica Kromer: Fiddle, James Raspanti on the bass and Kyle Michaels on drums.

Ivy’s Home has been playing in the Upstate New York area since the summer of 2023. they plan to continue touring their new album while also recording and releasing more original music in 2026.

www.ivyshomeband.com

Cover: $10

Doors 4pm, Music 7pm

The Forest Dwellers

The Forest Dwellers are a reggae-infused folk/ indie group based out of Rochester, NY that plays universal medicine music. The band blends melodic elements with incredible vocal harmonies. Stemming from different styles and genres The Forest Dwellers fuse them into a new take on a familiar sound all its own.

https://www.facebook.com/theforestdwellersmusic585/

Cover: $10 at the Door

Doors 6:30pm, Music 7pm

Roberta Faceplant

Roberta Faceplant is a honky tonk hurricane from Philadelphia. Safely in the middle of a Venn diagram where kitsch meets bitch, the five-piece Outlaw Americana band has been called “a cowpunk miracle” and been compared to “Southern Culture on the Skids fronted by Laura Bell Bundy.” It’s Country, but you can hear the city.

Raucous guitars, a driving rhythm section, and the raw, powerful, and soulful vocals of frontwoman Katie Feeney make Roberta Faceplant a five-fingered fist of Country grit. Lyrically, Feeney and the band pull no punches, tackling current events with tongue in cheek humor and rage. Peppered with Bob Seger-style working-man themes and a dose of Southern Rock, the band still holds tight to the true spirit of country music - three chords and the truth. 

Over the last year, Roberta Faceplant has performed at venues such as Johnny Brenda’s (Philadelphia), Ardmore Music Hall (Ardmore, PA), Skinny Dennis (Brooklyn, NY), and at events like Baby’s First Rodeo in Philadelphia, PA, while opening for artists like Low Cut Connie, Emily Nenni, Dylan Earl, Hannah Juanita, Olivia Ellen Lloyd, Rebecca Porter, and more. The band was named “Best Band” by Delaware Public Media in 2025 and their last two EPs received radio play on stations like KOOP 91.7 FM and KLKT 107.9 FM in Texas; NOLA County Radio in New Orleans; and WXPN 88.5 in Philadelphia.

Roberta Faceplant released their second six-song EP, Brisket & Cigarettes, on September 26, 2025, and is currently working on their first full length album.

https://www.robertafaceplant.com/

Candy

Candy is a high energy country band drawing influence from the golden age of country music. Led by Candy, her band brings the grit, twang, and honky-tonk rhythms that are integral to the genre. Candy’s storytelling, sharp humor, and unforgettable stage presence have quickly made her a staple in the western NY music community.

https://www.candy-country.com/

Tickets: $10 advance, $15 day of show and on sale now at https://abilene.showare.com and at the bar

Doors 4pm, Music 7pm

A Different Thread

Driving into the path of a solar eclipse, Alicia Best and Robert Jackson wrote a song called “Over Again.” It would become the title track of their third album, a record shaped by distance, resilience, and finally starting a new life together in the U.S. 

Best, from Durham, North Carolina, and Jackson, from the UK, met while busking on the cobbled streets of Ireland and discovered both a musical and personal harmony that was serendipitous. They formed as A Different Thread and over the next decade, toured across continents simply to stay together. Many of the songs on Over Again were written during the years when visas and closed borders kept them apart.

After receiving the paperwork to settle together in North Carolina, the duo faced a period of intense transition. “We had been in limbo for so long,” Robert recalls. “I had just quit drinking, packed my life into a suitcase, and moved across the ocean. We had all these songs we had been carrying and we knew we had to lay them down.” Then in the middle of recording, Alicia’s grandmother died, adding grief to the mix. "The songs became our way of holding onto hope through all that. When the eclipse came, we saw it as a symbol of our own transformation. Over Again is us letting go of the past, finally putting down roots and choosing a brighter future together,” the duo reflects.

The title track recently won the Folk/Americana category at the International Acoustic Music Awards, signaling the duo’s rising recognition. Over Again follows a breakout year that included a performance at MerleFest, placements on Apple Music editorial playlists, and growing attention on the international circuit.

Crowdfunded by a global fanbase, the album was recorded in the duo’s tiny-home studio and Betty’s in Chapel Hill, NC, (known for hosting artists such as Watchhouse, The Mountain Goats, and Tyler Childers). It was later completed at Alma Vale Studio in Bristol, UK.

Across it’s eleven tracks, Over Again evokes bittersweet nostalgia, balancing intimate storytelling and social commentary, with charming harmonies, memorable hooks, and an underlying feeling of hope. 

Pivotal track, "The Prophet," examines the intersection of religion, profit, and political power while calling for environmental responsibility. “Loving your neighbor is also about loving the soil they walk on and the environment their children play in,” Best says. “We have to stop pretending things are okay and take action to protect the world we live in.”

A Different Thread will support the album with an extensive international tour across North America, Spain, France, and England. 

https://www.adifferentthread.com/

The Grievous Angels

The Grievous Angels blend a unique mix of traditional and contemporary influences ranging from American Roots, Flamenco, and Jazz to Indie, Psychedelic, and Cosmic Country. Formed in 2025, the duo is composed of members from the Rochester bands Archimedes and Los Pajaritos.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579380244184#

Special Low-Dough Show-$15 at the Door

Doors 4pm, Music 7pm

Brody Schenk

Brody Schenk is a rising singer-songwriter whose music blends heartfelt storytelling with a variety of musical influences. Brody’s songs are deeply rooted in humanity, nature, the universe and the beauty found in honest moments.

Hailing from Rochester, New York, Brody picked up the guitar at a young age and quickly found his voice through songwriting and musicianship. After an adolescence spent performing locally, Brody moved to Nashville, Tennessee. Never afraid to take matters into his own hands, he has self booked three national tours and performed in over twenty five states at the age of twenty.

Whether he's performing solo or backed by a full band, Brody brings a soulful energy to the stage—connecting with listeners through powerful lyrics, irresistible rhythm, and a deep passion for the craft. His latest single, “Shitty Friends” showcases his dynamic range and authentic honest approach to songwriting, earning him praise from both fans and critics alike.

Brody has had the opportunity to share the stage with artists such as Donna the Buffalo, Melvin Seals & JGB, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Cory Branan, Sean Rowe, Ghost Light, Tim Reynold’s Trio, and more.

Brody is currently residing in East Nashville and focusing on writing, recording, and touring, with new music on the way.

We’re thrilled to once again be hosting Brody!

https://brodyschenk.com/

https://www.facebook.com/brodyschenkmusic/

instagram.com/brodyschenk

Cover: $10 at the Door

Doors 4pm, Music 5:30pm

Woody Dodge

Sometime in the early 90’s music journalists started to use the label “Americana” for rock bands that incorporated bluegrass and country music into their sound. Before Uncle Tupelo and Wilco became the standard bearers for the genre, Woody Dodge was writing and performing original songs that fuse rock, bluegrass, and American folk styles.

Woody Dodge has five studio recording of original music including Emma’s Dance, nature Is Strange, Humble Me, Better Angels, and 2020’s EP Volume 1.

After a long hiatus, Woody Dodge returns to the stage for this special appearance at their home base venue, Abilene Bar and Lounge.

Woody Dodge is Billy Lambert-guitar and vocals, Jon Gary-bass, Mark Wilcove-guitar, and Sean Sullivan-drums.

https://woodydodge.com

Cover: $8

Doors 4pm, Music 9:15pm

Trashy Annie

Trashy Annie: Grit, Guts, and Rock ‘n’ Roll

Born in the the dusty bars of Austin, Texas and raised in sweaty rock clubs from New York to L.A., Trashy Annie roars with a raw, genre-defying sound that’s equal parts country soul, hard rock edge, and punk defiance. Fronted by 2023 CMA of Texas Americana Artist of the Year Annie Davis, this band doesn’t just play music—they throw a damn party you'll never forget. “Grittier than Ashley McBryde or early Kacey Musgraves ever went, and I bloody love it” raves Rockin' Magpie, and they aren't wrong.

​Annie, a self-made entrepreneur and expert in the field of biomechanics , picked up her first guitar at 44, taught herself one chord, and wrote “Runnin” in 2020, fueled by whiskey and a middle finger to fear. She hit an open mic, caught the songwriting bug, and spent the pandemic mastering instruments, writing, and helping produce her own tracks with an unrelenting vision.

 When trolls trashed her online for wearing clothes that are “too young” for her, she didn’t flinch—she named the band Trashy Annie, turning hate into a badge of unapologetic authenticity.

​Following her second release, 2022 banger “Nuclear Meltdown,” Annie recorded with heavyweights from The Refreshments, The Wallflowers and Faith Hill to develop her own unique sound. Her debut album, Sticks and Stones (May 2023), is a 12-track gut-punch of catchy hooks and raw storytelling, with songs like “Bama” and “Born Pretty” celebrating outliers who live loud. Backed by a powerhouse crew—Miles Barker (bass), Blake Jurasin and Amir Neubach (guitars), Ryan Smith (drums) —she and her band began touring relentlessly, playing 100+ shows across the United States in their first year alone.

​Live, Trashy Annie’s a high-energy riot, channeling Janis Joplin’s fire and Joan Jett’s swagger. “You can’t leave their show in a bad mood—it’s physically impossible,” fans say.

 Yes, , Trashy Annie’s here to break rules and raise hell. Catch them before they burn the house down.

https://www.trashyannie.com/

Cover: $10 at the Door

Doors 6pm, Music 7pm

Igor & The Red Elvises

Igor Yuzov was born in Germany, raised in Ukraine and studied in Russia. He grew up in the former Soviet Union, where folk music was the norm and rock'n'roll was illegal. A rebellious streak, however, led him to seek out the forbidden music. As soon as it became possible, Igor left Russia for America with his “Folk'n'Roll" band Limpopo and was personally greeted by Ronald Reagan. In 1993, Limpopo won Ed McMahon's Star Search and their popularity began to blossom. In 1995, Igor dreamed that Elvis Presley came to him and told him to start playing rock'n'roll. Igor and his Russian friends became Red Elvises and gave street performances on Santa Monica's 3rd Street Promenade. As their crowds grew larger, the City of Santa Monica ordered them to discontinue their street performances. Evolving over the years, Igor’s music has been labeled "Siberian Surf Rock” which contains humorous lyrics and grooves that forces his audience to dance. Over the past 20 years, Red Elvises have constantly toured all over the world with occasional breaks to record new music and to participate in film and television projects.

As an independent band, Red Elvises have produced 12 studio albums, two live albums, a live concert DVD, and a Greatest Hits compilation. Some of their most notable film contributions include music and or performances in “Six String Samurai”, “Mail Order Bride”, “Armageddon”, “Skippy”,  “Melrose Place”, “Fastlane", “Penn and Teller's Sin City Extravaganza”, “VH-1 Behind the Music”, and “MTV”. Red Elvises have performed for large festivals, private parties, and played on massive stages such as 2005's Live 8 Benefit Concert. No matter where they perform, Igor & Red Elvises always bring the party with them!

https://www.facebook.com/igorandredelvises/

Tickets: $18 advance, $22 day of show and on sale now online at https://abilene.showare.com and at the bar

Doors 6pm, Music 7:30pm

A Very Special Performance!

Featuring…CAROLYN WONDERLAND & SHELLEY KING!

A musical force equipped with the soulful vocals of Janis and the guitar slinging skills of Stevie Ray, Carolyn Wonderland reaches into the depths of the Texas blues tradition with the wit of a poet. She hits the stage with unmatched presence, a true legend in her time.

“She’d grown up the child of a singer in a band and began playing her mother’s vintage Martin guitar when other girls were dressing dolls. She’d gone from being the teenage toast of her hometown Houston to sleeping in her van in Austin amid heaps of critical acclaim for fine recordings Alcohol & Salvation, Bloodless Revolution, and most recently, Miss Understood, Peace Meal, and Moon Goes Missing.

Along with the guitar and the multitude of other instruments she learned to play – trumpet, accordion, piano, mandolin, lap steel – Wonderland’s ability to whistle remains most unusual. Whistling is a uniquely vocal art seldom invoked in modern music, yet it’s among the most spectacular talents the human voice possesses.

That vocal proficiency was well-established in the singer’s midteens, landing her gigs at Fitzgerald’s by age 15. She absorbed Houston influences like Little Screamin’ Kenny and soaked up the Mad Hatter of Texas music, Doug Sahm. The Lone Star State was as credible and fertile a proving ground for blues in the 1980s as existed, especially in Austin with Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Angela Strehli, Omar & the Howlers, and Lou Ann Barton all in their prime. By the following decade, Austin’s blues luster thinned, but Houston, always a bastion of soul and R&B, boasted the Imperial Monkeys with the effervescent Carolyn Wonderland as ruler of the jungle.

Today, Carolyn is one of the most recognized names in her genre across Austin and the state of Texas.

Shelley King is a musical ambassador of the Austin, Texas sound. For the past twenty years King has built a solid national career as a singer and songwriter who is both a successful solo artist and leader of a formidable band of Austin’s finest musicians. Her blend of original blues, rock, folk, country, soul and gospel led her to be the first woman appointed by the Texas Legislature to represent the state as it’s Official Texas State Artist – Musician; an honor similar to poet laureate. On stage she leads her band through tangents of electric Southern blues and acoustic folk, revved-up Cajun country and rock and roll with a charismatic ease that evidences the resilience of a lifelong performer. She has won Austin Music Awards for Song of the Year and Best Roots Rock Band and released seven albums of original music to rave reviews and radio chart success. Shelley tours relentlessly, performing over 180 dates a year at venues from coffee shops and house concerts to big theaters and major festivals across the world. Her songs have been recorded by numerous national and international artists and appeared in feature films.

https://carolynwonderland.com/

https://www.shelleyking.com/

Tickets: $30 advance, $35 day of show and on sale now online at https://abilene.showare.com and at the bar

Doors 4pm, Music 7:30pm

INDIA RAMEY

After the success of her fiery 2024 LP, Baptized By The Blaze, Nashville outlaw siren India Ramey is back with Villain Era, set for release on May 8, 2026, via Copaco Records/Blue Élan. Baptized By The Blaze was the story of Ramey’s journey through the fire, a harrowing passage toward healing and empowerment. Villain Era is firmly rooted in her own reckoning; it doesn’t ask for permission, it kicks the door wide open.

“This album is the ‘healed’ me,” Ramey says. “I didn’t know how to have boundaries because I was such a people pleaser. When you live your life that way, you lose sight of who you really are. I’ve spent the last few years finding my authentic self, reclaiming my identity. The title track, ‘Welcome To My Villain Era,’ is me saying I’m not going to suffer fools anymore. I’m not compromising anymore. If my boundaries offend you, I’ll happily play the villain in that story.”

Armed with that conviction and a new batch of songs, Ramey left the South for the first time to record in Los Angeles with two-time Grammy-nominated producer Eric Corne. Together, they built a soundscape as cinematic as it is cathartic. Ramey, whose fans have taken to calling her “The Woman In Black” and “the Wednesday Addams of country music,” told Corne she wanted the album to sound like Johnny Cash and Loretta Lynn had risen from the grave to score a Quentin Tarantino film. Corne assembled a powerhouse band to help her pull it off, including Ted Russell Kamp (Shooter Jennings) on bass, Eugene Edwards (Dwight Yoakam) and Chris Masterson (Steve Earle, The Mastersons, The Wallflowers) on guitar, Eleanor Whitmore (Steve Earle & The Dukes, The Mastersons) on fiddle, Kevin Brown on drums, Boo Bernstein (Emmylou Harris, Dwight Yoakam) on pedal steel, and Haley Spence Brown (The Doohickeys) on backing vocals.

“He didn’t just listen to me, he heard me,” Ramey says of Corne. “The musicians were equally respectful of what my vision was, and they went above and beyond. It was the most collaborative, emboldening recording experience I've ever had.”

The result is Villain Era: ten spaghetti western–meets–honky tonk vignettes, penned solely by Ramey, laced with grit, gallows humor, and emotional precision. 

With the first notes of opener “We Ride at Dawn,” Ramey puts her boots on the ground and reclaims her territory. A callback to “King of the Ashes” from her 2020 LP Shallow Graves, the song rises from the rubble with reverb, ghostly pedal steel, and the promise of revenge from the women who survived. On “Scattered and Smothered,” Ramey trades the battlefield for a Waffle House booth at 2 a.m., where heartbreak meets hangover in a haze of regret. “Well I’m a hot mess, I must confess / Ever since he brought up takin’ next steps / And my drunk ass needs some hash browns and scrambled eggs,” she sings, As patrons fight, chairs fly, and late-night shenanigans ensue in the background, our heroine is lost in thought, hoping the grease soaks up the memories of the night she’s attempting to put in her rearview. 

The tone turns bittersweet on “Crying in My Lingerie,” a deceptively upbeat breakup song that captures the loneliness of a woman who’s realizing her marriage is over. Doing her best to fan the flames of something long since gone, she drowns her sorrows in boxed wine. Dressed in the now-meaningless symbols of desire and devotion, she realizes she’s become a divorcee in waiting. 

Throughout Villain Era, Ramey explores what it means to step fully into oneself after years of just trying to survive. “There’s a lot of freedom in knowing yourself,” she says. “It makes you feral. But in these times, joy is resistance. We should be having some fun, too.” 

Saving Country Music once wrote, “Many of the women in country music these days love to sing about lighting stuff on fire to symbolically tease their empowerment. With India Ramey, you think she’ll actually haul off and do it.” It’s an apt description for an artist who doesn’t just tell stories of strength, she lives them out loud.

With five studio albums under her belt, Ramey continues to be one of country music’s fiercest truth-tellers. Her 2017 breakout Snake Handler landed her on Rolling Stone’s “10 New Country Artists You Need to Know.” Her 2020 “post-apocalyptic western” album, Shallow Graves, earned international recognition, debuting at #6 on the Euro Americana Chart. Then came 2024’s Baptized By The Blaze, a searing chronicle of her battle with a dependence on prescribed medication and PTSD stemming from childhood trauma. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, she sang on the title track, “Yesterday I set myself on fire / With my own hands I built that funeral pyre / I built it so high the flames touched the sky / And now I am alive because I died.”

Now, with Villain Era, India Ramey stands unapologetically in her power, delivering songs that cut deep and laugh loudly, songs that balance the weight of lived experience with the freedom of release.

https://www.indiaramey.com/

Cover: Special “Low-Dough Show” - Fifteen Bucks at the Door

Doors 4pm, Music 7:30pm

Sarah Borges Band

Featuring Eric Ambel

One way or another, Sarah Borges connects with casual mastery. Whether it’s with the comrades she’s collaborated with over nearly 20 sparkling years of music-making, or the vivid portraits of people’s lives – and occasionally her own – she’s sketched in scores of emotionally resonant songs. But most of all, Borges has built a loyal following by connecting, through her own charismatic, down-to-earth spirit, with her audience – whether they’re longtime fans from back when she broke through with her terrific “Silver City” debut in 2004, or newcomers just now joining the party with her brand new 2022 album, “Together Alone”, her eighth. “Sarah’s a fearless writer and performer,” says producer Eric ‘Roscoe’ Ambel, “and she’s a very good musician.” As anyone familiar with Sarah’s songs and performances knows, genuinely soulful music that connects with us -- and connects us to each other -- can simultaneously steal, and heal, hearts. This connection is what has kept Sarah touring and making music for many years, and what keeps us coming back to see her do it.

To call Eric Ambel “The Godfather of Americana” would be doing Ambel a disservice, as his career as a singer/guitarist/songwriter/producer stretches beyond the boundaries of even that seemingly all-encompassing genre. Before Dave Cobb and Shooter Jennings were piling up Grammys behind the boards, Ambel was working with bands like the Backsliders, Bottle Rockets, and Blue Mountain, producing records that would form the foundation of what people now call Americana. 

This isn’t even taking to consideration Ambel’s debut solo album, Roscoe’s Gang (1988), which Rolling Stone called “the record Keith Richards should have made,” and which, along with his bona fide rock ‘n’ roll pedigree (a member of Joan Jett’s original Blackhearts lineup, The Del-Lords, collaborations with Syd Straw and Mojo Nixon) earned Ambel a reputation as the go-to producer and guitarist for anyone seeking that raw, loose, electric sound that Ambel made seem so effortless, but proved elusive for so many. Nils Lofgren enlisted Ambel to produce his landmark solo record Crooked Line and the aforementioned Backsliders, Bottle Rockets and Blue Mountain followed, leaning on Ambel to produce the albums that remain their most memorable and enduring works. 

https://sarahborges.com/

https://www.ericambel.com/gigs/

Tickets; $20 advance, $25 day of show and on sale right now at https://abilene.showare.com and at the bar

Special thanks to our good friends at Bop Shop Records!

Doors 4pm, Music 7:30pm

Big Sandy and HIs Fly-Rite Boys

Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys

Since forming in 1988 in Southern California, Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys have become one of the world’s most beloved Americana/Roots acts, drawing from the deep musical waters that flow just beneath the surface of Rock & Roll’s fertile soil. A childhood passion for Country, Doo-Wop, and Rhythm & Blues 45s led Sandy (born Robert Williams) to pursue a singing career as a teenager, beginning a life in music that continues decades later. And as his personal record collection continues to grow (75,000 and counting), so does the depth of the musical influences that stream through his songwriting and singing style A critically acclaimed tribute to Tex-Mex hero Freddy Fender, released at the beginning of the 2020 lockdown, points the way forward for Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys as they continue on a path of musical growth. After nearly 35 years on the road, and more than two dozen releases to their credit, they remain key figures on the ever-changing Americana circuit, both on record and in live appearances.

https://www.bigsandy.net/

https://www.bigsandy.net/

Tickets: $25 advance, $30 day of show and on sale now online at https://abilene.showare.com and at the bar

Doors 4pm, Music 8pm

A Celebration of the Music of…

Neil Young and Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young

Neil Young…The prolific gadfly who frequently jumps from languid folk-inspired music to noisy, full-on rock & roll, while visiting any and all points in between.

Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young….The definitive folk-rock supergroup, led by David Crosby's surreal lyrics, Graham Nash's poetic nuance, Stephen Stills' muscular playing, and Neil Young’s inspirational songwriting and playing.

This wonderful night of joyful music will feature the following musicians…

Mike Bowers on drums, Jack Moore on guitar and vocals, Pete Robinson on vocals, Rick Ruhmel on keyboards and vocals, and Tom Sylvester on bass guitar

https://www.facebook.com/events/2145979076144636

Cover: $15

Doors 6:30pm, Music 7:30pm

“Abilene on the Road” presents…..

Bahama Mama 50th Anniversary Show! One Night Only!

Live at Photo City Music Hall, 543 Atlantic Avenue, Rochester, NY 14609

Bahama Mama

Bahama Mama. widely recognized as one of the first white-reggae bands in America, performed up & down the East Coast between 1973 and 1979, blurring the line between Rock and Reggae, and laying the groundwork for future bands like John Brown’s Body, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Thunder Body, The Medicinals, Mosaic Foundation, and more. Bahama Mama truly are the “Godfathers” of that “Roots Rock Reggae”sound.

Bahama Mama released two killer singles, "Lonesome Cowboy / Upstate Skank,” and "Hurricane / Future Fear" and an album, "Bahama Mama Live,” now all highly collectible discs.
Do NOT miss this reunion of original members, Ron Stackman, Lou Lavilla, Jim Schwartz, Jim Kraut, and Charlie Freida….50 years in the making!

Tickets: $25 advance, $30 day of show and on sale now at https://abilene.showare.com, Abilene Bar and Lounge, and Don’s Original (4900 Culver Road, Rochester, NY 14622)

Special thanks to our great friends at Don’s Original!

Doors 4pm, Music 5:30pm

MYSTIC STEW

With roots firmly planted by acoustic instruments, the band brings irresistible energy, endearing themselves to audiences of all ages with electric enthusiasm. Formed in 2014 Mystic Stew is a 5 piece Independent Country Rockin' Americana Band.

In 2024 the band celebrated their 10th Anniversary by recording a widely anticipated second full-length studio album while continuing to tour the Wineries, Brew Pubs and Music Venues around the Finger Lakes Region.

Mystic Stew is Ross Brown, Chris Towner, Colin Hansford, Joe Distefano, and Greg Clark.

https://www.mysticstew.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MysticStew

Cover: $7 at the door

Doors 4pm, Music 7:30pm

John Prine Birthday Tribute featuring the Boyd Parker Ambush

Boyd Parker Ambush

The Boyd Parker Ambush has its roots in Livingston County, much like the minor military engagement during the Revolutionary War which inspired its name. Led by two guitar-wielding lead vocalists Jeff Sherner (The Genesee Revelers) & Nick Cory Young (Burning Daylight), the lineup is rounded out by Jeff Simpson (The Genesee Revelers) on bass & Sean Sullivan on drums. The band’s sound draws heavily from legendary singer-songwriter John Prine so it's no surprise that the group is returning to Abilene for the fifth year in a row to honor and pay tribute to an artist often referred to as "the Mark Twain of songwriting". Expect to hear songs from throughout Prine's almost 50 year career and don't forget to bring your dancing shoes.

https://www.facebook.com/boydparkerambush

Tickets: $15 and on sale now at https://abilene.showare.com/ and at the bar