Doors 3:00pm • Music 5:30pm

It’s gonna be a very special happy hour on the 22nd of February when two hard hitting, Funky,Rocking Americana bands, Soul Passenger and Nobody’s Marigold share the stage at Abilene. What a wild double bill!!

The bands include a veritable who’s who of veteran Rochester musicians and recording artists such as Ethan Porter (Mr. Nashville himself), Jeff Gilhart (Backseat Sally), Roy Stein (Jet Black Berries, My Plastic Sun), April Laragy (Raw Magillys, Atomic Swindlers), Dave Cohen (Prime Time Funk) etc…etc…. The bands are gonna tear the roof off the joint and hope you can join them in the festivities.

https://www.facebook.com/nobodysmarigold
https://www.facebook.com/soulpassenger4/

Doors 3:00pm • Music 9:30pm

BUFFALO ROSE - Formed in Pittsburgh, PA in 2016, the group blends folk, soul, and bluegrass into something amorphously Americana, but decidedly their own. Three prominent singers (Shane McLaughlin, Lucy Clabby, and Rosanna Spindler) provide stunning vocal harmonies over dynamic, engrossing layers of stringed instruments. Specifically, acoustic guitar (McLaughlin), upright bass (Jason Rafalak), mandolin (Bryce Rabideau), and dobro (Malcolm Inglis.) Their sharp sense of rhythmic experimentation and evocative, storytelling lyricism come together for a sound with both shimmer and punch; it’s foot-tapping and breathtaking in turn. Buffalo Rose offers a warm, passionate homage to America’s classic musical traditions, with modern twists that keep things interesting—and damn fun.

 It all started with a the song “Mama Have Mercy.” Singers McLaughlin and Clabby, along with former member Mariko Reid, got together with Inglis to record a live take of the song for the FoundSound Songwriter Series. “Before the video was shot,” says McLaughlin, “we knew that this was something we had to keep doing together.”

Buffalo Rose soon grew to include Rabideau and Rafalak, and they released their debut EP, Red Wagon, in November 2016—just six months after their formation. The local response was enthusiastic. Encouraged, they started to work on a longer record. Meanwhile, their captivating stage presence and strong musicianship scored them lineup spots alongside national acts such as The Infamous Stringdusters, The Dustbowl Revival, Yarn, Kuinka, and Dangermuffin. Their first full-length album, The Soil and the Seed, was released on March 30th, 2018. It received glowing attention from Pittsburgh media, including features on radio stations 91.3 WYEP, 102.5 WDVE and Pittsburgh Pirates "Friday Night Rocks".

 With the recent addition of Rosanna Spindler in the Fall of 2018, the band has begun work on material for a new album and continues to book shows both locally and across state lines. With any luck, you’ll soon hear their catchy ‘soul-grass’ stylings at a venue near you.

https://www.buffalorosemusic.com

Cover: $7

Doors 7:00pm • Music 9:30pm
Do NOT miss this killer show!!!

THE SURFRAJETTES!
Toronto's premier psychedelic instro surf band!!!
Featuring Nicole Damoff - Guitar, Shermy Freeman- Guitar, Sarah Butler- Bass...and Rochester's Anna Liebel on Drums

https://www.facebook.com/thesurfrajettes

With Special Guests...
The Shine
https://www.facebook.com/Trevorlake69

Cover: $10

****SPECIAL MONDAY NIGHT SHOW****
Doors 6:00pm, Music 7:30pm

Help us celebrate GEORGE HARRISON’S BIRTHDAY!!
7th ANNUAL HARRISON BIRTHDAY BASH!!!

Hosted by…
Don Christiano
with Todd Bradley on Bass and Gregory Andrews on drums.
With A Little Help from My Friends…The Beatles Unplugged.
There’ll be special guests…and many great songs.

Featuring performances by:
Steve Lyons
Ray Paul
Steve Piper
Bob Doc Fischetto
Charlie Newcomb
Rita Coulter
Todd Bradley
Kerry Regan
Walt O'Brien
Phil Marshall
Gregory Andrews
Teressa Wilcox
Herb Heins
Mark Bradley
and maybe a couple surprises as well!
www.facebook.com/donchristiano

Cover: $5

Doors 4:00pm • Music 8:00pm

Jungle Steve & Friends!

Born and bred in Buffalo, New York, Jungle taught himself guitar at an early age. After he left home at just 15 he began playing town to town as he traveled up and down the east coast. Streets turned into stages and after a number of years, Jungle returned to his hometown with new life experiences and new heart-wrenching lyrics. Now, his soulful vocals can be heard from the iconic Nietzsche’s stage in his hometown, Buffalo as well as many others in the region. Jungle Steve recently won this year’s Singer-Songwriter competition at Penny Lane Cafe in Clarence.

https://www.facebook.com/Junglestevemusic

Cover: $5

Doors 4:00pm • Music 8:00pm

Thrilled to announce the fourth of the Wednesday February Residency, hosted by Singer-Songwriter, Ryan M. Yarmel!!!!:

Wed, Feb 27: Yarmsband with The Televisionaries

https://www.facebook.com/ryan.m.yarmel

Cover: $5

***SPECIAL SHOW****
Doors 4:00pm • Music 8:00pm

THE ACCIDENTALS!

Named among Yahoo Music’s “Top 10 Bands to Watch in 2017,” The Accidentals’ adventure began in their hometown of Traverse City, MI, when Larson, a sophomore cellist, and Buist, a junior violinist, were paired for a high school orchestra event. The gifted young musicians became fast friends and before long, bandmates. Having both grown up in musical families with professional pianists for fathers and vocalists for mothers, their shared influences bounced between classical, jazz, bluegrass, country, alt-rock, and the obscure. 

Dubbing themselves after the musical notes that fall outside of a key signature, The Accidentals recorded and released a pair of independent albums in 2012 and 2013, the latter funded by a hugely successful Kickstarter. Their original songs revealed a band with wide-ranging influences but always true to their orchestral roots. National applause and attention followed, as did acclaimed collaborations with some fellow local artists and independent filmmakers. Other career highlights included scoring arrangements for a 75-piece orchestra to accompany them on their original songs as well as arranging pieces for an opera/dance production with Jennifer and Ryan Lott (Son Lux).

The past five years have seen The Accidentals perform over a thousand live shows, including headline dates, festival sets, and shared stages along such diverse acts as Keller Williams, Martin Sexton, Brandi Carlile, Andrew Bird, The Wailers, Joan Baez, and others. 2015 saw the band embark on their first full-scale national tour. Their SXSW debut saw them hailed by Billboard Magazine for “displaying a genre-hopping range of influences and some smart songwriting skills to go with their abundant musical chops.” 

Now, at long last, The Accidentals unveil their most compelling and finely honed work to date. Co-produced by Buist, Larson, and Dause with engineer Jason Lehning (Mat Kearney, Guster, George Jones, Alison Krauss) at Asheville, NC’s Echo Mountain Recording, ODYSSEY sees the band joined by such friends and fans as acoustic guitar maestro Kaki King, bassist – and fellow Michigander – Dominic John Davis (Jack White, Beck), Carbon Leaf guitarist Carter Gravatt, Keller Williams and The Decemberists’ Jenny Conlee, who spent three days in the studio alongside the band, lending her distinctive organ to a number of the album’s key tracks.
“It was a really collaborative process,” says Larson. “A lot of these songs had been hashed out at our live shows over the past few years, so we had a very strong idea of what we wanted in the arrangements. 

The Accidentals’ inviting spirit of shared creativity is perhaps best represented by the album’s audacious first single, “KW,” showcasing the inimitable guitar work of Keller Williams, whose own virtuosic genre-agnostic approach towards music making inspired the song in the first place.

From the orchestrated rock of “Memorial Day” to the album-closing “Ballad Tendered Gun” – surprisingly, The Accidentals’ first instrumental to be included on an LP – ODYSSEY is a strikingly dynamic work, both layered and unhurried, bittersweet yet life-affirming. Rich with literary references, whispers of nostalgia, and an unstoppable sense of forward motion, its songs were written independently by Buist and Larson and then arranged and refined by the group, creating a perfect yin/yang between individual introspection and dynamic cooperation, each artist bringing her own unique perspective to the process.

“We rely on each other to create a balance,” Buist says. “I think that’s the key to this band. Our styles of songwriting and arrangement are very different, so when they come together, they create this variation that couldn’t happen any other way.”
The goal as ever is to experiment and experience, exploring new ideas and approaches while always staying true to their roots. With ODYSSEY, The Accidentals have conjured a truly one of its kind sound and vision, booming with free-thinking musicality, wisdom, and an understanding that growth is a process, not something that happens overnight. The Accidentals are already moving forward on their amazing journey, rolling down the windows on an open road towards someplace that’s both true and transcendent.
“I don’t think there are really any limits in terms of genre or instrumentation,” Larson says. “We just really enjoy making music that connects.” “For us, it’s about the experience and collaboration and trying to learn as much as we can,” Buist says. Every day is an opportunity.”

https://www.theaccidentalsmusic.com/


Tickets: $15 advance, $18 day of show and on sale at Abilene Bar and Lounge, Record Archive and online at https://abilene.showare.com

Doors 3:00pm • Music 6:00pm

Happy Hour with great drink specials..$1 off well drinks and $1 off craft draft pints from 3pm till 7pm, free munchies and live music featuring…

Black Night Blues Band is a classic jazz and blues band with a glimpse into the future. Not loud but stylistic and a straight ahead ensemble of jazzy blues and cool combo jazz. Clever arrangements. Emotional-not technical, Black Night Blues Band shines when adding a bit of funk to the mix along with a sometimes roughneck groove. The band is named after the Charles Brown and Bobby Bland song, “Black Night.” Get ready for a night of tunes by such legends as Albert Collins, Freddie King, Duke Ellington…and with a nod to today’s great bluesmen like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, and Taj Mahal.

The band consists of Mark Francis (guitars, vocals), Jonathan Feldman (keyboards, vocals), Jerry Garcia (drums), Kirk Stamp- (tenor sax) and Mike Francis (trumpet). These six players bring their wide range of taste and influence of blues & jazz together to form a melting pot of great music rejecting the status quo.

Doors 3:00pm • Music 9:30pm

We’re thrilled to present from Edinburgh, Scotland…

THE JELLYMAN’S DAUGHTER

Scottish duo The Jellyman's Daughter lands squarely in the middle of a strange crossroads between bluegrass, post-rock, folk and soul. Mixing their unique vocal harmonies with wild and visceral cello, driving guitar and sweet mandolin, Emily and Graham write their songs together with a focus on doing something new.

 After making each other’s acquaintance in Edinburgh in 2011, the pair soon found a love for playing music with each other, staying up into the wee hours making home recordings. The duo’s debut album, released in late 2014, established The Jellyman’s Daughter as something fresh and exciting. Reviewers unanimously remarked upon the originality in Emily and Graham’s songwriting and arrangements, while they enjoyed the sweet closeness of their vocal harmonies, as well as Graham’s unconventional cello playing. The Sunday Herald (Scotland) made it one of their Top Albums of The Year, noting that “Graham can make his instrument as percussive as a drum, as grounded as a bass or as sweet as a fiddle... when Kelly and Coe sing together, their harmonies squeeze the heart."

They started 2015 as they meant to go on, winning even more praise following bigger­-exposure live performances, including a nomination for Best Acoustic Act in the Scottish Alternative Music Awards, and spreading their wings much further afield, spending a month touring Germany, The Netherlands and Denmark. After a successful appearance at Folk Alliance International in Kansas City early in the year, Emily and Graham spent 2016 gigging extensively, including a tour of Canada in September, while they returned to Folk Alliance in February 2017 with an official showcase.

The Jellyman’s Daughter have now finished their second album, ‘Dead Reckoning’. The new album takes its title from a navigational term that, when applied to the human spirit, is analogous to navigating our way through life, and how we progress (or otherwise). This theme permeates the 10 songs on the new record in different ways, ranging from the overwhelming sense of bleakness imbued by many world events in recent years to more personal experiences of steering a course through relationships and journeys both physical and emotional. Featuring prominently is banjo player Jamie Francis (of Radio 2 Folk Award nominees Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys) and double bassist Paul Gilbody (KT Tunstall, Adam Holmes & The Embers) while Toby Shaer (Cara Dillon, John McCusker) provides fiddle on two songs. Graham himself wrote the arrangements for the 16-piece string orchestra, while Edinburgh-based composer Luci Holland conducted the ensemble during recording. The album is a marked step forward in maturity, depth and scope while retaining the affinity that is the foundation of the duo’s sound.

https://www.thejellymansdaughter.com/

Cover: Special Low-Dough Show-Ten Bucks at the Door!

Doors 7:00pm • Music 8:00pm

Americana band, The Tragedy Brothers will be playing old favorites, some originals and tunes from their latest  CD City Limits.

A mix of inspired American music, Wasting Time is the product of several years of hard work and thoughtful songwriting by band leader Joe Appleby and this band of brothers.
www.tragedybrothers.com

With Special Guest…Bright Brown

Bright Brown is sonic cinema, the visually poetic songwriting of Brooklyn based singer and Stick player, Alex Nahas. Bittersweet layers and textures abound, and beautifully crafted songs exist at the core. Alex's verse boldly chooses to sit “between the meager and the mundane” elevating the everyday. He generates a broad sonic palette on the rarely seen, Chapman Stick conjuring up a filmic landscape.
Originally hailing from San Francisco where he formed the critically acclaimed art rock ensemble, Laughingstock, Alex has collaborated in the studio and on stage with John Vanderslice, Zoe Keating, DJ Shadow, Mates of State, and Jill Tracy amongst other artful denizens of the SF music scene. He's also shared the stage with the likes of Death Cab For Cutie, Richard Buckner, Spoon, Frank Black, and Robin Guthrie of The Cocteau Twins.
http://www.brightbrownny.com

Cover: $5

Doors 1pm, Music 1pm

TO BENEFIT GIGI'S PLAYHOUSE MUSIC PROGRAM
about gigi’s playhouse Rochester
A group of dedicated individuals who have been touched by Down syndrome have been working hard to bring GiGi’s Playhouse to our own backyard.
At GiGi’s Playhouse, all ages are welcome, from pre-natal to adults. The positive and uplifting environment of GiGi’s Playhouse Rochester will empower those with Down syndrome and their families to reach their highest potential. GiGi’s Playhouse’s custom, research-based curriculum works towards advancing literacy, math skills, gross and fine motor skills, improving low muscle tone, building self-esteem, preparing for the workforce and more while fostering acceptance, awareness and networking resources for parents, siblings and the community. All programs are FREE of charge: cost will not be a barrier to achievement
www.gigisplayhouse.org
LIVE MUSIC feat.
John Akers
Troy M. Cusson - Musician
"Dead Flowers"
Food Vended by Meat the Press - Rochester, NY
Cover Donation: $10 at the door

Doors 4pm, Music 7:30pm

REVEREND KINGFISH!

Blues, Stomps and Novelty Tunes Rendered in the Authentic Style!!!

Catch Reverend Kingfish Live!

Recently arrived in Rochester, Reverend Kingfish performs a mix of early blues, jazz, and tin pan alley along with original tunes in the style of the beginning of American popular music. 

As an ordained minister, Reverend Kingfish expresses his faith through music. And that music is derived from the jazz and blues musicians of the early 20th century. The list of influences includes timeless greats such as Blind Blake, Fats Waller, the Boswell Sisters, Blind Boy Fuller, Scrapper Blackwell, Emmett Miller, Jimmie Rodgers, and too many more to mention.

There is something special about the music of this era; before multi-track recording, synthesizers, digital editing and everything that cheapens artistry. Recordings were a single take and musical styles were just evolving. It was a period of unparalleled creativity. Reverend Kingfish strives to keep this era fresh and relevant.

www.reverendkingfish.com

Cover: $5

Doors 4:00pm • Music 8:00pm

****SPECIAL SHOW****
New Freedom Blues Tour
Town Mountain

Town Mountain is banjo player Jesse Langlais, mandolin player and vocalist Phil Barkerarker, vocalist/guitarist Robert Greer, fiddle player Bobby Britt, and bassist Zach Smith. Since releasing their debut album Original Bluegrass and Roots Country in 2007, Town Mountain have made a name for themselves in bluegrass and roots circuits and have amassed a sizable catalog of original songs. They’ve toured with a who’s who of like-minded artists, including Ralph Stanley and His Clinch Mountain Boys, the Del McCoury Band, Greensky Bluegrass, Yonder Mountain String Band, and many others. Southern Crescent debuted at number four on Billboard’s Bluegrass Chart, and held strong in the Americana Music Association’s Radio Chart Top Forty for 10 weeks. In 2016, Town Mountain made their Grand Ole Opry debut, performing both at the Opry House and at the famed Ryman Auditorium. 

With New Freedom Blues, Town Mountain has found a way to build off their past accomplishments and deep musical roots and to craft something new, exciting, and unapologetically authentic in terms of who they are as musicians and as people. Langlais sums it up well, saying, “This album illustrates the fact that bluegrass music will continue to be an ever-changing genre.

https://www.townmountain.net/

Tickets: $10 advance, $15 day of show and on sale at Abilene Bar and Lounge, Record Archive and online at https://abilene.showare.com

Doors 4:00pm • Music 7:30pm

Road tested troubadour. Relentless songwriter. You’ll find GREG KLYMA at the crossroads of Tom Petty and Hank Williams playing his well-loved guitar and spinning yarns. Greg is on tour in support of "Never Knew Caroline", featuring Peter Case, Gurf Morlix, and Bill Kirchen (http://nodepression.com/album-review/greg-klyma-and-his-old-guitar). 

 Some artists find inspiration in romantic break-ups, others find it in rediscovering their roots. For Boston-based singer-songwriter Greg Klyma, it came from both.

Never Knew Caroline, his latest release, finds him coping with a toxic end of a romantic relationship and recalling the musicians from his Buffalo, NY hometown that inspired him in his formative years. The album opens with the title track, where we find Klyma at home while on the move after a period of “drowning in the mud” of his own mind. The album shifts gears with “Sand,” a song reminiscent of both Harvest-era Neil Young and more recent releases by the Decemberists. “Discovery,” Klyma sings, “is just stumbling across a thing that's always been.”

Morlix and Case are featured on “Kristofferson,” one of the album’s focal points. In this poignant ballad, Klyma pays homage to one of his songwriting heroes in both the title and the style of the song, while his delivery will draw comparisons to another hero, Willie Nelson.

The honky-tonk “Ex-Girlfriends Cost Less Money Than Ex-Wives” may or may not be tongue-in-cheek as Klyma proclaims, “you’ll spend less dating ten women than you will losing one bride.” It’s 1970’s outlaw country at its finest, made all the richer by guest guitarist Bill Kirchen.

The genre diversity shouldn’t come as a surprise from an artist well studied in American music. “Old school country, classic rock, and singer-songwriter folk are three styles of music that I love. I love to listen to 'em. I love to play 'em,” he says, “my wheelhouse finds me standing in the long shadows of Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Steve Earle, Tom Petty, and Mick & Keef, to name a few.”

His birthdate puts him squarely in the middle of Generation X, but Greg Klyma is an old-school troubadour. His enduring themes, articulate and amusing stories, and populist ideals make him one of those rare young artists who is carrying the torch of Woody and Ramblin' Jack. He rolls in off the road, pulls out a guitar, and proceeds to take us back to the basics: family, love, gratitude, and laughter. It's the timeless art of the true troubadour, keeping alive the American folk tradition.

http://klyma.com/

https://www.facebook.com/events/253498662240017

Cover: $5

Doors 3:00pm • Music 5:30pm

Happy Hour with great drink specials..$1 off well drinks and $1 off craft draft pints from 3pm till 7pm, free munchies and live music featuring the Abilene debut of alt-country band...

THE BOYD & PARKER AMBUSH

The Boyd & Parker Ambush is a band that specializes in Americana/ Alt Country music consisting of Nick Young, Jeff Simpson, Jeff Sherner & Jesse Sprinkle. The band covers songs by such acts as the Old 97’s, the Jayhawks, Wilco, Merle Haggard, John Prine, Gram Parsons, George Jones and Eddie Cochran to name a few. Nick Young has performed with the band, Burning Daylight and has released two solo albums including “Truth Is” and his most recent effort, "South Lima". He tours nationally and has recorded locally and in Nashville, TN with such heavyweights as Al Perkins and Ken Coomer. Jesse Sprinkle is a multi-instrumentalist & founding member of the 1990’s Seattle-area rock band Poor Old Lu. He has toured nationally with bands such as Dead Poetic, & Demon Hunter and has also released several solo efforts including “Surrounded By Lights” and “Streamstory”. Jeff Sherner & Jeff Simpson were founding members of the Jaspers and currently play with the Rochester area band, the Genesee Revelers. They have performed at various festivals, such as Greentopia and in numerous bars in western New York.

Doors 3:00pm • Music 9:00pm

Join in this celebration of the life of acclaimed singer-songwriter, Townes Van Zandt!

Featured performers include….

Jackson Cavalier

Emily Ana Monaco

Ryan Yarmel

Zach Kochan

Ryan Sutherland

https://www.facebook.com/jluczak234

https://www.facebook.com/ryan.m.yarmel

https://www.facebook.com/zkochan

https://ryansutherland.bandcamp.com/

Townes Van Zandt (March 7, 1944 – January 1, 1997), was a critically acclaimed American singer-songwriter.Much of Van Zandt’s musical canon—songs such as "Pancho and Lefty", "For the Sake of the Song", "Tecumseh Valley", "Rex's Blues", and "To Live is to Fly"—are widely considered masterpieces of American folk music. His musical style is often described as melancholy in sound and delivery with rich and poetic lyrics. During his early years, Van Zandt was widely respected for his guitar playing and fingerpicking ability.

In 1983, six years after Emmylou Harris had first popularized it, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard covered his song "Pancho and Lefty,” reaching number one on the Billboard country music chart.Much of Van Zandt’s life was spent touring various dive bars,  often living in cheap motel rooms and backwoods cabins. For much of the 1970s, he lived in a simple shack without electricity or a phone.

His influence has been cited by countless artists across multiple genres, and his music has been recorded or performed by numerous artists, including Bob Dylan,  Willie Nelson,  Merle Haggard, Norah Jones, Counting Crows, Steve Earle, Robert Earl Keen Jr., Nanci Griffith, Guy Clark, Gillian Welch, Pat Green and Natalie Maines.

He suffered from a series of drug addictions and alcoholism,  and was given a psychiatric diagnosis of bipolar disorder. When he was young, the now-discredited insulin shock therapy, erased much of his long-term memory.

Van Zandt died on New Year’s Day,  1997 from cardiac arrhythmia, caused by health problems stemming from years of substance abuse..

Cover: $6

****SPECIAL EVENT****
Doors 3:00pm, Music 3:30pm

Don't miss this extra special fundraiser for the music program at World of Inquiry School No. 58

Featuring live music by ...
OLD SOULS

and

"SATURDAY DETENTION” - A band featuring School 58 teachers, and guest performances by School 58 students

https://www.facebook.com/oldsoulsrocny

Suggested minimum donation: $5

**** SPECIAL SHOW****
Doors 7:00pm • Music 9:00pm

Dean Shot's "TRIBUTE TO HOWLIN' WOLF!"

DEAN SHOT: Having spent almost 6 years playing guitar next to Hubert Sumlin, Dean Shot learned much of what he knows about Howlin’ Wolf from his relationship with Hubert. Dean took Hubert's word to heart when Hubert asked him to carry the music forward and give it to others. Dean has been a student of Howlin’ Wolf‘s music for over 20 years now. Sumlin was Wolf’s right hand man and guitarist for over 27 years and recorded most of the great singers hit songs with him. His guitar stylings were an integral part of the Wolf sound and the two are almost inseparable. Hubert took Dean under his wing, mentoring the young guitarist from NJ during his formative years. Learning priceless lessons and getting the information directly from the source had a profound effect on Dean as a musician and as a being. Dean serves as the bandleader, guitarist and arranger for the project. Dean hopes to honor Wolf, Hubert and all the other great musicians that helped create the original sound with his honest and true tribute to the One and Only Chester Burnett, aka The Howlin’ Wolf.

THE SOLID SENDERS: The Solid Senders are one of the tri-state areas most authentic, entertaining, high-energy and crowd-pleasing blues and roots bands. They are highly sought after by venues and festivals who want to give their audiences the best in roots music. Music that is of the highest quality, informed, and creative.

https://www.facebook.com/HowlinWolfTribute

Tickets: $10 advance, $15 day of show and on sale now at Abilene, Bop Shop Records, Record Archive and online at https://abilene.showare.com/

Doors 6:00pm • Music 7:30pm

Geneva Records' lyric-spinning Americana-folk phenom, Mike Frazier, will be visiting Abilene Bar and Lounge for a rare and intimate, solo performance on Monday, March 11th. Last time in Rochester, Frazier was opening for a sold-out Amigo the Devil show, as a spotlight tour support.

Catch Frazier with Rochester's own The Sugargliders and Chris Bethmann, for an early evening of poignant, powerful, and prescient Americana-folk. Check out the musicians, below, and mark your calendars for the show.

Mike Frazier - Winchester, VA
https://www.facebook.com/MikeFrazierVA/
https://mikefrazierva.bandcamp.com/album/elegy

The Sugargliders - ROC
https://www.facebook.com/The-Sugargliders-406768836376485/
https://soundcloud.com/thesugargliders

Chris Bethmann - ROC
https://www.facebook.com/chrisbethmannmusic/
https://soundcloud.com/user-484323500/sets/naked-bourbon

Special thanks to Abilene’s good friend (and music maven), Tim Avery!

Cover: $6

Doors 4pm, Music 7pm

Pre-St. Patrick's Day Irish Session

Opening at 7pm is Gavin Barry, Fenian Folksinger.

Headliners at 8(ish) is Johnny Ryan and the Crossroads Quintet, Rochester’s Finest Irish Trad Music.
Cover;$5

Doors 4:00pm • Music 8:00pm

First, Catch them live on “Open Tunings with Scott Regan” at 11am this morning…Set your dial to 88.5, WRUR.FM.

Then get ready for a full night of roots music featuring Who? What? When? Why? & Werewolves? They’re a really good Folk/Roots/Bluegrass band from Delaware County, PA.

https://www.facebook.com/6wband

Cover: $6

Doors 4:00pm • Music 7:30pm

Sarah Eide is a lot of things – an award winning composer of film and game music, a classically trained pianist, and a performing singer-songwriter. As a graduate of Boston’s Berklee College of Music, it’s no surprise that her talent has taken her further than most independent artists – allowing her to pave a non-traditional path and lifestyle of full-time artistry.

In an industry that can often feel oversaturated with stale soundscapes, lifeless lyrics, and predictable patterns, Sarah Eide’s music cuts through the clutter. Drawing comparisons to iconic contemporary pianist such as Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, and Ben Folds, Eide’s music is equally thoughtful, quirky, intentional, and honest. It’s a sound she describes as cinematic folk rock with nuances of jazz and pop.

“In a lot of ways my life as a film/game composer crosses into my life as a songwriter. I treat my songs like scenes of movies… as though I’m scoring the lyrics. Most of my songs are written that way and I’ve heard time and again that my music sounds a bit like it was written for film.”

Sarah’s resume is just as diverse as her musical influences – including her more recent collaboration with YouTube sensation Alan Becker of Animator vs. Animator, co-creating the Fishwife Tales project with award-winning poet, Jennifer Jean and writing music for rising star children’s author Laurel Nakai. In Chicago (her current locale) she has found herself supporting artists in a variety of genres as a backing keyboardist and vocalist, such as chamber-pop group, Wooden Rings and R&B singer Sierra Candia.

www.saraheide.com/

With Special Guests.

Cover: $5

Doors 3:00pm • Music 5:30pm

Happy Hour with great drink specials..$1 off well drinks and $1 off craft draft pints from 3pm till 7pm, free munchies and live music featuring…

The Greg Farley Band

Greg Farley was born in Highland, NY, a small town on the Hudson River. His dad was a teamster who drove tractor trailers and his mom worked at the A&P. In 2006 he began touring out of his car playing house shows, small bars, and on the street, burning CDs, wrapping them in road maps, stamping GF on the front. From the east coast to California and back, he saw landscapes and cities that most of the people he grew up with never got the chance to see.

Upon returning he was lent a fiddle by a good friend, took up learning old time tunes from players like Ruth Ungar and Rudy Efram, before joining The Felice Brothers. He played and recorded with them for the next ten years, toured internationally, made it to the Billboard 200 list, and played as a member of Conor Oberst's backing band for his 2017 solo LP Salutations, all while working other jobs in his down time: He mucked stalls on a horse farm, waited tables at a vegetarian restaurant, worked as a carpenter, arborist, woodworker, and sawmill operator. Through it all, his music was the only constant. 

Now Greg is striking out on his own with his debut album, Taker Easy, recorded in Stanfordville, NY with producer/engineer Nick Kinsey. For the album, Greg mines his own history for stories of class struggle, nature, love, pain, work, and family, all set against the backdrop of the northeast. Farley will be on the road promoting the release of his new record. At the end of the day, Farley has nothing to lose and something to say, and he’s saying it from the gut.

https://gregfarleymusic.com/

Doors 3:00pm • Music 9:00pm

A TRIBUTE TO THE GRATEFUL DEAD!

Featuring the sounds of …

DELILAH JONES!

A full night of the Dead…

Fresh, new 5 piece Grateful Dead tribute band featuring 5 veteran musicians with diverse backgrounds- together for the love of the music….featuring Mike Bowers on drums, Steve Kralles on guitar and vocals, Jack Moore on guitar, pedal steel and vocals, Chris Ott on keyboards and vocals, and Joe Worden on bass and vocals.

www.facebook.com/DelilahJonesBand/

Cover: $6

Doors 11:00am • Music 1:30pm

ST. PATTY’S PARADE DAY!!!
We’re opening at 11am for one Huge-ah St. Patty’s Party. There’ll be drink specials all day and a Massive Post-Parade Bash from 1:30pm on Featuring Live Acoustic, Folk, Americana, Bluegrass, and Originals performed by.

THE OBSERVERS

From Buffalo, The Observers take you on a journey of human experience. Their shows allow you to travel through a myriad of emotions from tear in your beer ballads, to remain in your brain melodies, and even down home, foot stompin' hootenannies.

Featuring…Allen Greystone - Guitar, Harmonica and Vocals
Benjamin Perrello - Mandolin, Guitar and Vocals
Josh Gage - Ukulele, Guitar and Vocals
Tyler Westcott - Banjo, Guitar and Vocals
Dan Schwach - Percussion, Washboard and Vocals
Patrick Jackson - Bass and Vocals

https://www.facebook.com/theobserverssee

Doors 7:00pm • Music 8:30pm

SWIMMING BELL

From Brooklyn, Swimming Bell's music is experimental folk. She fingerpicks electric guitar, and builds upon her songs using acoustic guitar, and vocal loops to create expansive harmonies, rhythms, and atmosphere all within captivating melodies.
“...full of infectious melodies, shimmering harmonies and pungent, pulsing rhythms.” - Huffington Post
“ …a lush, mid-’70s California vibe” - Brooklyn Vegan
“…mesmerizing. It's five songs and each one of them is worthy of a listen.” - Paste Magazine

www.swimmingbell.com

Monteagle is the solo project of Brooklyn based singer songwriter Justin Giles Wilcox. Most known for his work writing, singing, and producing for the studio based project Nassau. Monteagle finds Wilcox bringing together an all-start cast of live musicians and navigating further into the uncharted territory of ethereal Americana. The debut album “Midnight Noon” is out now on Firetalk Records (Redeye Distribution).
"Wilcox flashes his gifts for melody and creating a tone of melancholic sweetness that gives the songs an appealing, lived-in feel” - All Music
“Wilcox is hitting that sweet spot in his songwriting abilities” - Austin Town Hall
“The organic outing offers warmth like a hearth on a winter’s day” - Week In Pop
http://justingileswilcox.com/

Plus Special Guests.

Cover: $5

Doors 6:00pm • Music 7:30pm

Don Diego Geraci: guitar and vocals

Marco Mamo Betti: Drums  

Luca Chiappara: double bass

The Lustre King’s Mark Gamsjager: guitar and vocals

The Don Diego Trio has been nominated as "Best Rockabilly Band" at the 2016 and the 2017 Ameripolitan Awards, flying to Austin, Texas, to take part in this incredible music week dedicated to the classic side of American music. Backstage, artists like James Hand, James Intveld, Chris Casello, Rosie Flores, Joel Paterson, have been playing all over the world for the showcases of the awards. Adam Lopez, Dale Watson, Jack Grelle, Ags Connolly, Marti Brom, Pat May, and many many others ...

They have played at the famous Broken Spoke, at the Big T Roadhouse, at the C-Boys (hosting, in both places, the world famous "Chicken Shit Bingo"), at the ABGB. They also played their own shows at both the Continental Clubs in Austin and Houston. In the Western Flyers’ house, in front of the bosses of the Bob Wills Association (a community for the preservation of the western swing music all over the world, created by Bob Wills' daughter).

"Diego is a ripping guitar player!"
~Jim Heat (Reverend Horton Heat)

"Diego is a great guitar player!"
~Deke Dickerson

Cover: Special Low-Dough Show- Ten Bucks at the Door!

***SPECIAL SHOW****
Doors 4:00pm • Music 8:00pm

AMY LaVERE!
With Special Guest: WILL SEXTON

Playing songs from Hallelujah I'm A Dreamer, recorded with husband and noted guitarist Will Sexton. You’ll love these tunes, and Amy LaVere classics, all in the very intimate surrounding that is Abilene Bar and Lounge.

www.amylavere.com

Tickets: $12 advance, $15 day of show, available at Abilene and online at https://abilene.showare.com/

Doors 4:00pm • Music 8:00pm

The Cave Twins is David Mayfield & Abby Rose. Identical twins separated at birth and reunited in song. David Mayfield, a Grammy & Emmy nominated artist grew up in a family band and has toured & recorded with groups like The Avett Brothers, Black Keys, & Mumford & Sons, and made numerous appearances on television including The Late Show with David Letterman & The Grand Ole Opry. Abby grew up alone. With no one to hear her cries. She eventually turned those cries into "songs" and toured extensively with Northeast Ohio supergroup "The Speedbumps" until she found out that she had a long lost twin brother. However, It's not their sordid pasts or even the chilling tale of their separation and journey to find each other that makes them special. No, it's their unique blend of playing instruments and singing words that really sets them apart. Their music has been described as, "A nice mix of short cute little songs & shorter cuter littler songs". Make a point to go see them in a cave near you!

https://www.cavetwins.com/

Cover: Special Low-Dough Show—Only $10 at the door!

Doors 3:00pm • Music 5:30pm

Slingin’ drinks….Amanda Profit

Happy Hour with drink specials ($1 off well drinks and craft draft pints from 3pm till 7pm), free munchies and live music featuring the return to Abilene of….

MOJO MONKEYZ!

They’re a 6 piece soul, blues, R&B, rock and funk band!!! The band is Jude Olson on vocals and harmonica, Joe Ross on guitar, Jim Kelsey on bass and vocals, Jim Gubiotti on keys and Rick Burgett on drums and vocals. Get ready to rock!!!

www.mojomonkeyz.com

Doors 3:00pm • Music 9:00pm

Live Blues with…
STEVE GRILLS & THE ROADMASTERS!

For Steve Grills, the Blues has been a life long journey. Growing up he heard the music of Big Bill Broonzy, Leadbelly and Lightnin' Hopkins from his father's record collection. Through the Beatles, Steve discovered Chuck Berry and he has not looked back since. He has searched out the roots of Rock and Roll, uncovering many great artists who have influenced and inspired him. Primarily among these are Robert Lockwood Jr., Earl Hooker, Freddie King and Albert Collins. Steve befriended Robert Lockwood Jr after meeting him in 1978. In 1992, Robert  invited Steve and his band to perform at his Legendary Blues Festival near Cleveland,Ohio. Steve later recorded with Robert on Shakin Smith's CD Harmonica Wizard.

Steve and his band the Roadmasters ( named after Earl Hooker's band) draw their repertoire from these and other artists, allowing contemporary audiences the opportunity to discover the vitality of the music of these legendary and influential musicians.

Steve has released a cd of recordings he did with pianist Ernest Lane entitled After Hours on the Toogaloo label. Steve is very excited to have had the opportunity to record with Ernest. Ernest's musical career reaches back to the late 1940s when he played and recorded with the enigmatic delta blues guitarist Robert Nighthawk. Ernest backed Nighthawk on his Aristocrat (later Chess) recordings Black Angel Blues (Sweet Black Angel) and Annie Lee Blues. Blues scholars consider these recordings with Nighthawk to be among the greatest Post war Chicago blues records ever made.

www.stevegrills.com

Cover: $5

Doors 7:00pm • Music 8:30pm

JACK WEST & BAND!

Jack has a new band...and they're ready to rock Abilene! Jack West started performing at open mic nights at the tender age of 8 in his hometown of Rochester in Western New York.

He is a regular at the Fairport Music Festival and can be found at The Inn on Broadway during the Rochester International Jazz Festival where he has performed for the past three years. His gigs have taken him across the state of New York and beyond , where his most notable performance was at the Rock2Vote festival , an official Pearl Jam initiativein Missoula, Montana in the summer of 2018.

Jack writes his own music, plays guitar, bass, ukulele, and is currently teaching himself piano and attempting the banjo .

Jack is currently in the studio recording his first album with Barrett Jones of Laundry Room Studio.

It will be available on multiple streaming platforms as well as vinyl in late spring of 2019 .

https://jackwestlive.com

Cover: $5

***SPECIAL SHOW****
Doors 4:00pm • Music 8:00pm

SELWYN BIRCHWOOD BAND!
2013 Albert King Blues Guitarist of the Year Award Winner

If you’re a fan of Hound Dog Taylor, Robert Randolph, Lucky Peterson…and the Campbell Brothers, do NOT miss this hot, hot, blues band!!!

Selwyn has torn it up at the Abilene Roots-Americana Stage of the Rochester International Jazz Festival and he’s sure to tear it up again. He’s touring in support of his latest Alligator Records release, Pick Your Poison.

www.selwynbirchwood.com

Tickets: $15 advance, $20 day of show, and on sale beginning Tuesday, February 12 at Abilene, Bop Shop Records, Record Archive and online at https://abilene.showare.com/

Doors 4:00pm • Music 8:00pm

An Intimate Evening with Blues Great and Rochester Music Hall of Fame Member...

JOE BEARD!

www.facebook.com/joebeardblues

And his special guest…DAVID MILLER!

“From “old-school” blues/ rock to sweet soul and gospel David Miller knows his stuff. A singer/songwriter and storyteller singing from what he has experienced, Miller is one of those guys who plays it from the heart. The notes falling from his guitar are drenched with passion and, when he opens his mouth and begins to sing, you know it’ nothin’ but the pure unadulterated truth. David Michael Miller is the real deal. 

https://www.davemillermusic.com/

Do not miss this special night of music!

Special thanks to our friends, Doug Camp and Cicero Ryland, Jr., true music fans.

Cover: $5

Doors 4pm, Music 8pm

****SPECIAL SHOW****
From Boston..
The Womps
The Womps are a rising Boston-based alt rock jam band, dazzling audiences with fiery performances that draw on influences including funk, progressive rock and roll, fusion jazz, punk and folk. Formed around a shared love for all things weird and impossible, they strive to make each show unique through collective improvisation, finely-tuned harmonies, and carefully crafted songs of all shapes and sizes. The Womps are Kailey Zercher - violin and vocals, JP Goldman - bass and vocals, Jason Lilly - guitar and vocals and Enguerran “OG” Altmayer on drums. Since starting at the Berklee College of Music, The Womps have played over 90 shows in more than 25 cities in the US and Canada.

The summer of 2018 the Womps released three singles, an electrifying cover of Dolly Parton’s country classic “Jolene” and two original tunes, the frenzied “Barefoot Sensei” and rocking ballad “Anthem of My Age.” All three are from The Womps latest album.The album was recorded live and almost entirely on tape at Defiant Audio on Long Island.

For more information about The Womps, go to their website:

www.thewompsofficial.com

www.thewomps.bandcamp.

with special guests…

Dream Float

https://www.facebook.com/DreamFloatMusic/

Cover: $5

Doors 3:00pm • Music 6:00pm

Happy Hour with drink specials ($1 off well drinks and craft draft pints from 3pm till 7pm), free munchies and live music featuring the return to Abilene of….KUBICK’S RUBES!

Based in Rochester, NY, Kubick’s Rubes is an acoustic roots band that mines the old-time and bluegrass styles, throwing in ample amounts of Western Swing to get your toes tapping. The Rubes love a great song, close vocal harmonies, and the simple pleasures of picking together. Check them out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Kubickrubes/

Doors 3:00pm • Music 9:30pm

Rustbelt Roots-Steet Folk-Punk and Rock with…
TAIL LIGHT REBELLION!

The Tail Light Rebellion story….Like all good teenage madmen dreamer poets who fell in love with the beat generation, I found a guitar and saw it as my ticket out of nowhere, and it’s painful banality. Started playing in bands to get lost in the beat, scream and sing my piece, and go places. My head was a muddling of the different music I heard growing up, from everything big in the 90s (Punk, Ska, Industrial, old 80s Thrash Metal, 60s and 70s rock my parents listened to as well as their collection of old Irish folk music)
Heard the Pogues for the first time while I was drinking a bottle of MD 20/20 while waiting for a flight to meet up with friends down in Virginia, and fell in love with what they had done: You could be both that heavy without distortion, and intelligent lyrically. I was blown away. Needless to say, I quit the band I was in and started playing under the name The Swaggerin’ Growlers in Seth Moore’s basement in 2004.
Discovered Woody Guthrie and Common Rider and felt this weird thing called hope for the first time in my life. Strange new direction for a former sad bastard. Moved from my native New Hampshire to Boston in 2006 to give music a real go - the trendy destination for all rock and rollers of the area at the time. It’s there that heard Mischief Brew, from my buddy Twitch, a basement show regular, who happened to catch them with Leftover Crack and said ‘this guy reminds me a lot of you’. Let’s be honest, a) I’m not nearly that good and b) that changed my goddamned life about as much as the Pogues did. Same with the World / Inferno Friendship Society. In spite of the hellish environment that New England could be, I saw the potential for passion and beauty in it all. Something much, much bigger than I had ever seen or felt before. I immediately started playing with both aforementioned bands, and started touring the second I could pull it off with a 5 person band.
After about the 5th or so lineup disintegration, a personal life that was growing increasingly violent and desperate, and a trashed band name that made booking damn well near impossible, I had some life reevaluation to do. Erik and Denise’s house, better known as the Mischief Brew / Fistolo Records compound, had become a sanctuary over the years for us weird traveler types that did strange things to both folk and punk, between Erik’s creative output, and Denise’s magical ability to herd cats - I ended up there a lot before, during, and after tours. At the time, Erik was covering one of my favorite New Model Army songs, Vagabonds. So I put together the opening line of Vagabonds (We followed the tail lights out of the city, moving in a river of red) and Erik’s proto Mischief Brew band, Kettle Rebellion - I was utterly hooked on the song Away With Purity, and the gritty texture everything had.
Tail Light Rebellion was born. (insert trumpets).
Why? Because when your car is totaled, you either stay where you’re at and call it over, or get another one, and keep driving. I’m still me, and I’m still hear to scream and sing my piece. Spent the next few months homeless yet again, this time out of choice to escape the nightmare I was living in, and crash landed in an apartment in Boston’s mostly forgotten Borough - Hyde Park. The infamous Hyde Park triple decker, where I recorded a demo in the basement. It’s there that I met Tim, this fantastic percussionist with a passion for video and scoring music for them, (now done under the name Chozame Studios) and some kid living in the garage rehearsal space, Rob Black (Y’all know Burt Camero by now). Mixed down the demo at my good friend Griffin Sullivan’s place, as well as an extended few days at the Fistolo compound, and down the goddamned road I went.
Still am. Probably always will be.
Since then I’ve lived van lived on the street, lived in Grand Rapids, MI, Memphis, TN, and as of this writing, Greensboro, NC. Each place I stay is home and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

www.taillightrebellion.org

Cover: $6

****SPECIAL EVENT!****
Doors 4:30pm • Music 5:00pm

“MarthaPalooza Unplugged” For 7 ½ hours on a hot afternoon two summers ago, a Brighton backyard channeled the freewheeling musical spirit of a mini Woodstock as local musicians, individually and collectively stepped up to the mic, plugged into their amps and delighted listeners as they let loose with a variety of rockin’ and bluesin’ and rollicking good tunes. This “happening” inspired the promoters to encourage the eclectic cross-pollenization of musically inspired friends from different genres and backgrounds. This event came to be known as…”MarthaPalooza.”

We will recreate the spirit of this communal event on this chilly March night with your host, Martha Schermerhorn. Martha is a Rochester, NY based visual artist, sculptor and photographer whose works have been widely exhibited nationally. The dream and creation of a music festival in her own backyard, for her, was “a major bucket-list item.” Martha is delighted that Abilene was willing to help keep the spirit of MarthaPalooza Summer 2016 alive. She loves music of all genres..and she also loves a good party!

Here’s the line-up…so far!

The Tree shakers- Grant cos and Babak Elahi

Dave Puls

Alex Lobos

Fred and Shawn

Just Us- Cathy Smith and Maureen Oberman

The Marthas

The Greenes feat. Richard, Nevada and Dallas Greene

No Cover Charge...Just a tip jar!

Doors 5:00pm • Music 6:00pm

Winner of the 2017 Ameripolitan Music Award for Best Female Rockabilly Artist...

Lara Hope & The Ark-Tones

Named the “Best Up-And-Coming Band” by Hudson Valley Magazine, Lara Hope and the Ark-Tones are New York’s premier "Roots Rock n' Roll & Rockabilly Twang" outfit. They recently released their 2nd full length album, "Love You to Life", in August 2017, and have been hitting the road hard, spreading the gospel of American music wherever they go. Describing their sound, Hope explained to Rockabilly Online “I would say we are a new take on an old sound. It’s been described as ‘pan-americana’ which means we use many areas of early rock and roots music as a creative launchpad. Where it goes from there is anyone’s guess, because while we appreciate old music, we don’t want to write songs that have already been written."

They’ve built a great network of venues in the US by touring heavily, and like many American bands, they have gained supportive fans and excellent press overseas as well. They recently completed their first European tour, successfully spending the month of April 2018 in Belgium and Holland. Hope was featured on the cover of UK Rock n’ Roll magazine in March 2015, and New York’s Ulster Magazine in March 2016. The band has had the privilidge of playing with many of their musical heroes including Joan Jett, The Reverend Horton Heat, Tiger Army, Gary US Bonds, Dale Watson, Big Sandy, Wayne Hancock, and America, and has performed at at a variety of national festivals including Viva Las Vegas, Ink n Iron, and The Nashville Boogie.

Born from a hybrid of Lara’s former rockabilly band The Champtones, and upright bassist Matt’s international psychobilly act, The Arkhams, The Ark-Tones hit the ground running in 2012 and haven’t slowed down since. Lara and Matt also perform as a duo (The Gold Hope Duo), and can even be found as the country/western entertainers at the one of longest running family resorts in New York, the Rocking Horse Ranch, performing under the name Lara and the Hope'Alongs. In 2017, Lara Hope won the Ameripolitan Music Award for Best Female Rockabilly Artist, accepting the award at The Paramount Theater in Austin, Texas, surrounded by musical heroes. The band is also known for their visually arresting videos - “Whiskey Pick” (from their debut album) and “I’m the One” (re-recorded for the new album) were official selections in the 2014 and 2016 Woodstock Film Festival.

https://www.larahopeandtheark-tones.com/

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

Doors 4:00pm • Music 7:30pm

Come join us in a celebration of a country music legend at our 1st ANNUAL DOLLY PARTON BIRTHDAY BASH!

Hosted by Teagan & The Tweeds
with many special guests…to be announced!
TeaganandtheTweeds.com

Cover: $6

Doors 3:00pm, Music 9:30pm

Ice Cream Social

Ice Cream Social was started in Rochester, NY on Cinco De Mayo, 2018. When guitarist/vocalist Beau Ryan drummer Joshua Lowenberger and bassist Mike N Ez put a set together to fit a bill at the Angry Goat Pub in Rochester's South Wedge. Over the course of the show the band adopted over thirty different band names, assuming a new identity before the start of each song. In the end the name "Ice Cream Social" was chosen as the crowd favorite and the band has kept the name since. Ice Cream Social plays electric and acoustic covers of popular songs from 60's era bands like the Beatles and Rolling Stones up to modern hits from acts like Jack Johnson, Black Keys, Foo Fighters and more.

https://www.facebook.com/icecreamsocialrocks

Cover: $5

Doors 7:00pm • Music 9:00pm

The Cotton Toe Three

After their December appearance at Abilene, we just had to have ‘em back!!!

This blues trio is comprised of Mike "CottonToe" Scrivens on vocals and acoustic/resonator guitars, "Washboard Dave" Paprocki, and Jay Chaffee on uplright bass.

All three members collectively bring decades of regional and national touring experience to the stage, as well as all being members of the Son House Blues Night, a monthly open-mic gathering of local blues musicians in the Rochester area.

The trio performs sets of blues music that consists of songs from the muddy waters of the Delta, the juke joints of Chicago, modern players of the genre, and original tunes with an Americana flair.

https://cotton-toe.bandcamp.com/album/weston-blues

Cover: $5

***SPECIAL SHOW!****
Doors 7:00pm • Music 8:30pm

CHIP TAYLOR!
Songwriters Hall of Fame 2016 inductee Chip Taylor has been writing and performing for nearly 60 years and shows no sign of slowing down. The New York Times says it best , “If you only know him as the as the guy who wrote ‘Wild Thing’ and ‘Angel of the Morning” — you don’t know him! Chip Taylor is making some of the most distinctive acoustic music around today.” Fix Your Words is Taylor's upcoming 2018 release and follows closely after his acclaimed A Song I Can Live, which Sweden's foremost music site, Rootsy.nu called "so powerful and packed with emotions. Joy, sadness, melancholy, a sense of humor. And an abundance of compassion and humanity. It's an album I will treasure forever. It will have a special place in my record collection, next to Bob Dylan's "Time Out Of Mind" and Leonard Cohen's "You Want It Darker". Creating distinctive music that is also enduring and influential has been Chip Taylor’s métier over the course of what is closing in on five decades as “one of America’s finest songwriters as well as a masterful singer and performer,” says Rolling Stone. His two best-known songs are only some of the many pop, rock, country and R&B chart hits he wrote in the 1960s (Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield and Frank Sinatra all recorded his songs). Taylor was then one of the pioneers of the pivotal country-rock movement as a recording artist in the 1970s. 
His 1973 album, Last Chance, remains a beloved cult classic. But after refusing to play by the Nashville establishment rules, Taylor gave up music for full-time professional gambling in 1980. "Chip Taylor could've rested on his laurels years ago and still been way ahead of everybody else today. Lucky for us he didn't and he's making some of the most relevant music out there," said Buddy Miller just last year. Since returning to music in 1996 he has enjoyed elder statesman stature within the Americana, contemporary folk and singer-songwriter scenes as an artist in his own right as well as in collaboration on albums and in performance with John Prine, Carrie Rodriguez, Kendel Carson and John Platania. In a remarkable and prolific run, Taylor has released nearly an album a year since his return, each rising high on the Americana chart. As England’s The Guardian notes, “Chip Taylor, like Johnny Cash, is well worth rediscovering by a new generation.”

http://trainwreckrecords.com

Tickets: $18 advance, $22 day of show, on sale now at Abilene, Record Archive, Bop Shop Records and online at https://abilene.showare.com/

Doors 3:00pm, Music 5:30pm

Happy Hour with great drink specials including $1 off well drinks and craft draft pints from 3pm till 7pm, free munchies and Kissin’ Whiskey a potent concoction of original music with vintage rock & roll, blues and your grand-dads soul.

The band features Steve Scarpulla, Adam Schmidt. John Peck and Mike Kalinowski

https://www.facebook.com/kissinwhiskey

Don’t miss their Abilene debut.

Doors 3:00pm • Music 9:00pm

Live Rhythm & Blues with..
Luca Foresta and the ElectroKings

With a style unlike any other, Luca Foresta and the ElectroKings have broken the mold with their energy and emotional intensity to captivate audiences in clubs across Western New York. The group focuses on creating their original songs based on the danceable roots of American music such as blues, swing, and good old rock and roll. Intermingled with their original tunes, the band covers a wide variety of musical styles. They include familiar tunes from the 1950's such as those of Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Big Walter Horton, Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson and Elmore James, to the current West Coast sounds of William Clarke, James Harman, Charlie Musselwhite, Rod Piazza and Little Charlie and the Nightcats

www.facebook.com/pg/Luca-Foresta-and-the-ElectroKings-210486412378513

Cover: $5

Doors 7:00pm • Music 9:00pm

HYPNOTIC CLAMBAKE! ~ Imagine a world without the accordion. Some of us would love that. Unfortunately, the band we would miss the most would be Rochester’s “Hypnotic Clambake.” Their music has been a welcome part of the Upstate, NY music scene since 1990 and continues to find appreciative audiences throughout New York State and beyond.  Accordionist Maury Rosenberg, originally from Long Beach, NY has performed with Yo Yo Ma, Peter Yarrow and David Lindley. He has made Western and Upstate, NY his stomping grounds for some of his weird, yet entertaining musicial endeavors. Everything from polkas, tangos, zydeco and klezmer music mixed with a twist of lime and an original sound true only to the “Clambake” defines this band’s unique sonic form.

www.hypnoticclambake.com

Cover: $7

****SPECIAL SHOW****
Doors 4:00pm • Music 7:30pm

Phoebe Legere!

It is easy to get lost in the sheer beauty of Phoebe Legere’s shamanic voice. Her pianism runs the gamut from Harlem stride, to modal improvisations to rollicking New Orleans jazz and blues. Phoebe straps on her accordion, delivering authentic Cajun Joyfulness. “I love to bring people together. I love to see them dance and smile.” At Abilene Phoebe will be singing songs from her upcoming album Squeeze Me…Phoebe says, “These are songs about how we live now”: from ‘Texting in the Dark’ to ‘Crazy White Trash,’ and her first radio hit “Marilyn Monroe” to her recent roots radio top-20 song about a lady truck driver (Heart of Love). This is a rare opportunity to experience Phoebe’s intellectual, comedic and musical range in an intimate environment. Phoebe is an accomplished blues guitar player, and she also plays many traditional instruments from Donkey Skull and Aztec Death Whistle, to Spoons and Native American flute. Phoebe will be joined by local hero Washboard Dave Paprocki and bassist Jay Chafee. Phoebe is known for transcendent jams that blend jazz, blues, Zydeco, Native American medicine chants into a spicy, spiritual gumbo. All proceeds from the show go to Phoebe’s nonprofit Foundation for New American Art, a 501 c3 organization founded that brings Art and Music to the children of low-income communities. “Phoebe Legere is one of the most, inspired and talented creative-supernovas on the planet.” Hits Magazine 

Tickets: $10 advance, $15 day of show, on sale at Abilene Bar and Lounge and online at https://abilene.showare.com/

Doors 3:00pm • Music 9:30pm

The Return of
McKINLEY JAMES!

McKinley James is a 17 year old rock ‘n’ roll guitarist/singer, from Rochester, NY and now living in the musical mecca that is Nashville.
His father, drummer Jason Smay (Los Straitjackets, JD McPherson) helped raise McKinley in a very musical household. He started on the Hammond organ at 7 but discovered his passion for guitar at 10. His influences range from Link Wray to Freddie King and Otis Redding. He started performing in Rochester blues and jazz clubs at age 13 and has performed with Chris Duarte, The Nighthawks, Joe Beard, and JD McPherson. McKinley is also the face of the latest Eric Church album campaign, having starred in his music videos, and also appears on the album cover for Church’s latest record, “Mr. Misunderstood.” McKinley is very excited to be touring in support of his first EP, “Live in Nashville,” recorded in October, 2016 at the Family Wash.
Joining McKinley James and Jason Smay for this special gig is keyboardist, Ray Jacildo (JD McPherson) .
You are NOT going to want to miss this night of blistering blues guitar!!!

https://www.mckinleyjames.com/

Tickets: $5 advance, $8 day of show, available beginning Friday, January 25 at Abilene, Record Archive and online at https://abilene.showare.com/

Doors 7:00pm • Music 9:00pm

CHRIS BETHMANN is an Americana songwriter on the rise. A native of Rochester, NY, he's a storyteller, and a poet, channeling influences like Eric Church, Jason Isbell, James McMurtry, and Bruce Springsteen. Equally at home on the electric and acoustic guitars, Bethmann sings about urban renewal, love and loss, and coming of age with honesty and integrity. He can lull you into introspection and energize you with tasty riffs and wit in consecutive songs. His latest release, Naked Bourbon (December 2018), is a rock 'n roll testament to coming of age in the millennial era. Bethmann is joined by Scott Kwiatek on bass and and New York City-based Eric Metzgar on drums, the rhythm section featured on Naked Bourbon. They are trained improvisors with rock 'n roll roots, giving Bethmann's songs an unpredictable and tasteful quality. 

https://www.facebook.com/chrisbethmannmusic

Cover: $5

Doors 3:00pm, Music 9:30pm

A Tribute to the Grateful Dead! Featuring….the hugely requested return to Abilene of…

MUD CREEK!

The group came together in 2011 in an effort to fulfill a long standing desire to front a band together. Chad Ayers and Trevor Whiting grew up together and routinely played and sang together, but never performed in the same ensemble. When the opportunity presented itself, they joined forces and brought in the talented, well versed, rhythm section of Bryan Law and Andy Opett. With the foundation of the group set, the addition of Manny Gaspar pushed the group to the next level.

Starting out as roots-rock group with a diverse set list, the group soon discovered that they were drawn to the feel, the drive, and the creativity of the Grateful Dead catalog. The move was made to head in that direction while still holding on to some of their favorites like Tom Petty, The Allman Brothers Band, and The Band. Combining great grooves, classic songs, and musicians that focus on playing off each other, Mud Creek wants you to feel what they play and make it so you have nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile….  

Band Members
Andy Opett – Drums & Percussion
Bryan Law – Bass Guitar, Vocals
Chad Ayers – Rhythm & Lead Guitars, Vocals
Manny Gaspar – Piano, Organs, Vocals
Trevor Whiting – Rhythm & Lead Guitars, Vocals

http://www.mud-creek.com

Cover: $5

***SPECIAL SHOW***
Doors 7:00pm • Music 8:00pm
Record Archive Backroom Lounge
33 1/3 Rockwood Street, Rochester, NY 14610

CHRIS TRAPPER!

Chris Trapper began his career as the front man for late-90’s alternative rock band The Push Stars (Capital Records). With four CD releases and several high-profile national tours-including a run with Matchbox Twenty-The Push Stars served to establish Chris as an authentic talent.

As a singer-songwriter, Chris is most known for his original song, “This Time,” the #1 selling song on the Grammy-nominated soundtrack for the film August Rush (Robin Williams, Jonathan Rhys Meyers/Warner Bros Pictures). His music can best be described as lyrically driven roots-pop with a knack for telling everyday stories. The New York Times has called his work “classic pop perfection.”

www.christrapper.com

with special guest

Tickets: $22 advance, $25 day of show and on sale at Abilene Bar and Lounge, Record Archive and online at https://abilene.showare.com

Doors 3:00pm • Music 5:30pm

Happy Hour with great drink specials..$1 off well drinks and $1 off craft draft pints from 3pm till 7pm, free munchies and live music featuring…

OTTER SPACE WRANGLERS!

Otter Space Wranglers present their unique take on the music of The Grateful Dead, as well as other bands from the same era (Pink Floyd, Cream, etc.). They blend classic songs with spontaneous improvisational jams. Expect funky grooves, smoking leads, and tons of fun.

Marc James-keyboards and vocals, Andy Thoresen-drums and vocals, Paul Schmitt-bass and vocals, James Wood-guitar and vocals, Jason Turiano-guitar and vocals.

www.facebook.com/Otter-Space-Wranglers-2023141431257454

Doors 3:00pm • Music 9:15pm

The Return to Abilene of…
The Brothers From Other Mothers!

“There's the family you're born into and there's the family you choose. They are brothers from other mothers.”

Miles Watts & The Brothers From Other Mothers are from Rochester…and love  playing the Blues in all of its diverse shades.

The brothers are a four-piece band with taste, experience, and set lists that audiences love. They are an "original-cover band" of blues, rock, funk,  Americana and take their shows to new yet familiar places with lots of ear candy for everyone.

However you label it, you’ll love their sound!

https://www.facebook.com/mwbfom

Cover: $5

****SPECIAL SUNDAY SHOW****
Doors 4:00pm • Music 5:00pm

The Return of Guitar Slinger…
Chris Duarte!

Don’t miss a couple of blistering sets by this blues master!
www.thechrisduartegroup.com

Tickets: $13 advance, $17 day of show on sale at Abilene Bar and Lounge and online at https://abilene.showare.com/

Doors 7:00pm • Music 9:00pm

MISS PAULA & THE TWANGBUSTERS!

"MIss Paula & The Twangbusters deftly mix up a “juke joint cocktail for your soles” – a potent blend of 50’s/60’s honkytonk country, boogie woogie and jump blues – shaken and stirred! Described as “Patsy Cline meets Bessie Smith” and “the love child of Loretta Lynn & Jerry Lee Lewis”, the band is led by “Miss Paula” Bradley, on piano, rhythm guitar, and dynamic vocals. No stranger to Northeastern audiences, she is a founding member /lead singer of “Girl Howdy” and has toured with Americana darlings “Uncle Earl”, as well as with musical powerhouses Tony Trischka and Bruce Molsky. Joining her are roots rhythm aces Kevin Maul (“The Lustre Kings”) on slidin’ steel guitar; Peter Bearup (“The Coveralls) on sizzling electric guitar; Jaybird Gorleski (“Rocket Velvet”) on doghouse bass and Bob Resnick, drums, and together they mine the catalogs of such diverse greats as Carl Smith, Patsy Cline, Ruth Brown and Webb Pierce, to name a few!"


“The love child of Loretta Lynn and Jerry Lee Lewis
— Michael Levine, Twangbusters Press

WWW.REVERBNATION.COM/TWANGBUSTERS

https://www.facebook.com/Twangbusters

Special Low-Dough Show--Only $10 at the door !

Doors 7;00pm, Music 8:30pm

A full night of alt-country, rock and original tunes featuring...
The Darts
Ithaca, New York’s THE DARTS are living proof that raw energy, ambition and honesty can still rise to the surface in an area loaded with musical talent. Put aside the usual pigeonholes: Americana, Rock n’ Roll, Alt Country– things like style and genre classifications are meaningless here–it takes much more for a band to really make a personal connection with people. The Darts get this.

By aligning their dedication to hard work with a growing signature sound, the Darts are developing a niche all their own— one with a rock n’ roll foundation and just the right amount of pop and alt country polish to make it all sound like a memory from the summer of your youth.

Hailing from all around the Ithaca area, their 5-piece sound is essentially comprised of guitars, drums, bass and vocals. While their music is original, their influences are familiar, and range from the Jayhawks and REM to the Beatles and The Band, from Dawes and Pink Floyd to The Guess Who and Motown. The Darts are relatively new on the scene, but each of the members are alumni from other bands: The Bay-area’s The Naked Barbies, The New York Rock, Cats Elbow, Radio London, Lil Anne & Hot Cayenne, and a number of others in and around our area.

Singer/guitarist Todd Edmonds, bassist Rick Kline, drummer Dan Lashkoff, lead guitarist Rob Van Vleet, and rhythm guitarist Andy Russell all contribute to the songwriting task, adding layers to material each member might bring to the group. It is a process that has yielded some really great collaborations.

The Darts are excited to help keep defining the landscape of our area’s indie-rock music scene.
https://www.facebook.com/TheDartsRock/

Mortal Combine
Mortal Combine is an original Americana, Alt-Country band. Their style could be called rural, romantic, reflective rock that feels like it comes from somewhere close to home. Michael Callahan is the singer, songwriter for the band and hails from Lodi, NY.
https://www.facebook.com/mortalcombinemusic/

With Teddy Keaton

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1343929247
Cover: $6

Doors 3:00pm • Music 6:00pm

Happy Hour with great drink specials ($1 Off Well Drinks and $1 Off Craft Draft Pints from 3pm till 7pm), FREE HOT DOGS ON THE PATIO!!! and the return to Abilene of  THE ANGLE!

The Angle is a 5-piece band performing homegrown original music…songs that were born in a barn in Upstate, New York…an acoustic/electric mix that leaves you wanting to hear more.

Check out the original rock sounds of Rick Palumbo, Scott Schipper, Scott Stevenson, Tom McTamity and Chris Zolellick.

www.facebook.com/The-Angle-1439706646286180

****Special Saturday Afternoon Show****
Doors 1:00pm • Music 2:00pm

DURHAM COUNTY POETS!

Durham County Poets are from the Chateauguay valley located in Quebec, Canada. Their influences are varied, from blues to folk, from jazz to gospel, with elements of the Band, James Taylor, Jimmy Reed, even some Leon Redbone. Each member brings a different musical background to the band that marries into a sound that has been labeled as soulful folk.

“This group plays bluesy country/folk with a lot of verve. The lead singer sits in his wheelchair and just kills every vocal. The recording on “River” has mostly an ambient sound with very little reverb. It gives the listener a sense of sitting in a living room somewhere, listening to the band crank out one great tune after another.”- Acoustic Live in New York City, album review.

Here’s the deal, they tore it up at the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival and as part of the Little Theatre Concert Series…don’t miss them in the intimate setting that is Abilene!

www.durhamcountypoets.com

Tickets: $10 advance, $15 day of show, on sale beginning Friday, January 25 at Abilene and online at https://abilene.showare.com/

Doors 4pm, Music 8pm

Spend Election Night with…

Big Sandy & HIs Fly-Rite Boys

Over the last three decades, Big Sandy and his Fly-Rite Boys have kept up a constant cycle of traveling back and forth across the lower 48, then hopping across the pond to Europe and beyond. They bring with them a brand of American music that has earned them an induction into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, several national television appearances, guest spots on The Grand Ole Opry, and a slew of adoring fans.

 "I truly love being out on the road, and I feel blessed to have the opportunity to sing my songs all over the world," said Sandy. "But when I'm away from the U.S. for too long, it's like I need a recharge... like I need a solid dose of everything Americana. Give me a Chuck Berry song while rolling down the interstate, or a truck stop conversation with a waitress who once danced with Lefty Frizzell, and I'm good for another three thousand miles”.

https://www.bigsandy.net/

Tickets: $20 advance, $23 day of show...Tickets on sale beginning Tuesday, February 26...at Abilene and online at www.abilenebarandlounge.com