Doors 7pm, Music 8:30pm

Rhett Miller (of the Old 97’s) - Acoustic

Texas native Rhett Miller is perhaps best known as the frontman of the Dallas-based alt-country band the Old 97’s, although he has also pursued a critically acclaimed solo career. Formed in 1993, the Old 97’s built a devoted following with their brash blend of country and power pop influences, making a splash with 1995’s Wreck Your Life, which won the group a brief stay on the roster of Elektra Records, a period kicked off with one of their finest hours, 1997’s Too Far to Care. All four members also pursued side projects, but Miller’s solo career captured the most attention, with the literate songwriter training his eye on such subjects as fatherhood, sex, and love. Making his solo bow with 2002’s The Instigator, most of Miller’s solo albums have been dominated by cool, melodic pop tunes with a drier and more confessional bent than his work with the band, though 2012’s The Dreamer explored a middle ground between his pop and alt-country sensibilities, and the 2011 set The Interpreter: Live at Largo revealed he’s a sure hand with other people’s songs.

Strictly speaking, Miller launched his own career before the Old 97’s were formed. He recorded his first solo album, a series of acoustic folk songs entitled Mythologies, in 1989. Future Old 97’s bassist (and a solid songwriter in his own right) Murry Hammond produced the album, and their partnership later blossomed into a full-fledged band. While releasing a string of well-received albums with the Old 97’s, Miller and Hammond also performed together as the Ranchero Brothers, a two-man acoustic duo that was originally launched as a means of testing new music for the Old 97’s in front of a live audience. The Ranchero Brothers developed their own distinct following, although no albums resulted from the project.

Taking time off from the Old 97’s, Miller began recording his first major-label solo effort in February 2002, this time with the help of producer/multi-instrumentalist Jon Brion. The Instigator appeared nearly seven months later, followed by a tour with ex-Crowded House frontman Neil Finn in early 2003. Miller then returned to the studio with the Old 97’s, squashing worried rumors that he planned to halt the band’s career and focus on his solo efforts. He did, however, find time to balance the two projects, and his second solo release, The Believer, was issued by Verve in February 2006.

After returning to the studio with the Old 97’s for 2007’s Blame It on Gravity, Miller continued his juggling act by recording another solo album. The self-titled record appeared in 2009 courtesy of his new label, Shout! Factory. His next two solo albums, 2010’s The Interpreter: Live at Largo and 2012’s The Dreamer, were both released by Miller’s own Maximum Sunshine label. After releasing one of the Old 97’s’ strongest albums in years with 2014’s Most Messed Up, Miller took a new turn in his solo career with 2015’s The Traveler, which featured backing from the band Black Prairie (which includes several members of the Decemberists) and a guest appearance from Peter Buck of R.E.M. Following more recording and touring with the Old 97’s, Miller repaired to Brooklyn, New York, where he cut the 2018 album The Messenger with producer and multi-instrumentalist Sam Cohen, who previously worked with Apollo Sunshine and Yellowbirds. The album was released by ATO Records.

https://www.rhettmiller.com/

Tickets: $40 and on sale now online at https://abilene.showare.com and tonight at the door

Doors 5pm, Music 6:30pm

Amy Lavere & Will Sexton

There’s something uniquely fun about Amy Lavere, even when she’s breaking your heart. She is well known among songwriters and critics alike. NPR’s Robert Siegel says she “specializes in lyrics that are more barbed than her sweet soprano prepares you for.” Her growing catalogue of material and steady critical acclaim suggest a first-tier presence on the Americana and indie-folk/punk circuits. Her latest album is Painting Blue on Nine Mile Records (Glorietta, David Wax Museum, Carson McHone, Patrick Sweany, Greyhounds).
Amy’s live performances are anything but predictable. She might appear on stage with a full band, sporting a mask and pink wig, or simply be a natural in blue jeans and sandals, but her upright bass and clever song delivery are constants. Her voice is at once the bully and the victim. She’s performed in venues as wide-ranging as St. Andrew’s Hall in London and Memphis’ famed dive bar Earnestine and Hazel’s. There’s no room she can’t find an audience in and charm it to pieces.
“Most of my life,” says Will Sexton, “I’ve complicated things musically. But, nowadays, I have a different approach: it’s less cerebral, and more about gut and soul.” It’s been an evolution years in the making for revered guitarist/vocalist Sexton, who launched his career when he still in grade school. Now the towering Texan, and a bit over 50 years of age, brought this new philosophy to bear on his first solo record in a decade, Don’t Walk the Darkness, a 2020 release from Big Legal Mess Records.
Along with older brother Charlie, the San Antonio-born Sexton was a musical prodigy who eventually moved to Austin, coming of age in the city’s hothouse environment. Playing with iconic Lone Star figures such as Doug Sahm, Joe Ely, Roky Erickson and Stevie Ray Vaughan, he scored a major label deal while still in his teens fronting Will and the Kill.
Over the past three decades, Sexton has grown into a skilled musical polymath: an esteemed writer, producer, session player and solo artist with a string of acclaimed LPs to his credit.

https://www.amylavere.com/
http://www.willsexton.com/

Tickets: $15 advance, $20 day of show and on sale now online at https://abilene.showare.com/ and at the bar

Doors 4pm, Music 7pm

Frying Pan

A perversion of all that is holy with the blues, Pat Moschiano spits words, moans, barks and howls while Ken Frank shakes the floor, Brian Shafer rattles the walls and Phil Marshall and Jack Schaefer sear the meat. Never the same meal served out of this frying pan.

https://www.facebook.com/unclephilmarshall

https://www.facebook.com/brian.shafer.902

Cover: $10

Doors 4pm, Music 7pm

Eli Flynn & The Everymen

Eli is a touring musician, performing across the country with his bands, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad and Eli Flynn & The Everymen. He has performed at such notable stages as The House of Blues, Mercury Lounge, and Bottlerock Festival.

“Audiences are well acquainted with Eli Flynn as a current member of the bands Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Upward Groove, and The Able Bodies, and on the stylistically diverse “Running With Scissors” — his debut solo album —there’s never a dull moment. “Easier” demonstrates Flynn’s prowess as a rock vocalist as he snarls his way through the melody with a limber range and soulful swagger that recalls the aplomb of Gavin DeGraw on his 2003 breakthrough album “Chariot” “Every Word Is a Mountain” borrows from The Able Bodies playbook of danceable ’90s pop that grooves, but mixed metaphors about “my love in a sling” and “broken logic hanging from a silver chair” distract from the song’s natural charms. Flynn’s words regain focus on the very next track. “There was a time in the beginning when devotion kept me spinning but that time is past,” he sings with calm wisdom on “Hell in a Handbasket.” Slide guitar and a Fender Rhodes organ sound meld over a loping tempo that flows like a lazy river: “Have you ever met your demons, took their advice without reason? Well I have.” Throughout the record, occasional wisps of soul and funk refresh the natural charm of Flynn’s charismatic tunes. The music was entrusted to sound engineers Lincoln All and Aaron Lipp, whose supervision of mixing and mastering, respectively, gives the album its polish”. — BY DANIEL J. KUSHNER

https://www.facebook.com/eliflynnmusic/

Good Gorgeous

Good Gorgeous is 4 piece band from Rochester, NY that creates dreamy, danceable indie rock for the hopeless romantics.

What started, mid-pandemic as Rochester-based singer, songwriter Sullivan Slentz’s bedroom pop, solo project has evolved into an eclectic rock quartet that blends influences from synth-pop, surf-rock, r&b, and early 2000s emo, to create their signature sound. Dynamic, dreamy, danceable, indie rock with an inescapable sense of nostalgia and emotionally raw lyrics that pull at the heartstrings. Good Gorgeous has become known for their electrifying stage presence and high-energy performances.

https://itsgoodgorgeous.com/

Cover: $10

Doors 4pm, Music 5:15pm

Son Henry Band

The Son Henry Band is a raucous, heel-stompin', two-steppin', honkytonkin', guitar-shreddin’, funkalicious,  dance and sing-along party featuring Blues, Rock, Funk, and Country style originals and covers that get people to move!

https://sonhenry.com/

Cover: $5

Doors 4pm, Music 9:30pm

Texas Headphones

Texas headphones are a Rochester based country rock outfit that draws influence from classic 90’s country as well as the forefathers and Mothers of country music such as Merle Haggard, George Jones Patsy Cline etc. The band started in April of 2024. Mike Maier plays telecaster guitar and sings, Ryan Yarmal plays bass and sings, Trevor Lake plays acoustic guitar and sings, Alex Cote plays drums and sings and Collin Bay plays pedal steel.

Yes, “Rustbelt Country” at its finest!

https://www.instagram.com/texasheadphonesofficial/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568951642033

Doors 5pm, Music 7pm

Calabash

Calabash is a four-piece band from Rochester, NY. Weaving between sentiments of funk, rock, folk and beyond, the quartet achieves a unique sound that, at once, feels classic and fresh. With a proclivity for improvisation, the group takes its audience on an adventure into the unknown, making each performance a unique and memorable experience.

Calabash is Will Schantz on guitar and vocals, Marcus Peters on drums, AJ Magee on keyboards and vocals, and Andy Hogan on bass and vocals.

https://www.calabashband.com/

https://www.facebook.com/events/661352713395155

Cover: $10

Doors 3:30pm, Music 4pm

Thirteenth Floor

“Thirteenth Floor” is a dynamic rock band that blends the raw energy of classic rock with the alternative edge of 1990s rock. Playing songs from legendary acts like The Allman Bothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers alongside ‘90s icons like Soul Asylum and Pearl Jam, the band crafts a sound that feels both nostalgic and refreshingly modern. With gritty guitar riffs, pounding drum beats, and soulful, emotionally charged vocals, their music bridges generations of rock enthusiasts.
Thirteenth Floor consists of musicians from past bands like The Infants, The Hope Dashers, The New York Vaults and Flava Country. The lineup includes Chet Parker on Lead Guitar, Steve Cavatassi on Drums, Ryan Smith on Lead Vocals, Paul Jones (Jonesy) on Rhythm Guitar, Connor Needham on Bass and Johnny Hardcastle on Keyboards.
Cover: $5

Doors 5pm, Music 8pm

The Herb Heins Band

Herb’s been composing, performing and recording in Rochester and WNY since 1985. His recent projects include Papa Herb & The Sol Vibration, Got Herb?, guest performances with The Gregory Street Pilgrims tribute to The Byrds album Sweetheart Of The Rodeo, performing with members of Into The Now’s tribute to The Rolling Stones album Goat’s Head Soup and guest performances with The English Project. Herb is also a member of The Nashville Songwriters Association. Herb’s album New For You and Papa Herb & The Sol Vibration’s album One Time is available on all streaming platforms.

Rounding out the band are the following players…Jeff Bazarian on guitar and vocals, Kevin Frisch on bass and vocals,and Kris Schramm on guitar.

.https://www.facebook.com/SolVibration

https://www.krobinguitars.com/

Cover: $5

Doors 6pm, Music 7pm

Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters

The music of Asheville, North Carolina based outfit Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters is nuanced, bringing insight and wit to the stories Platt tells through songwriting. Lyrically driven, the band’s country roots music often inspires introspection, whether it be about life on the road, heartache or hope.

There is an empathetic and charming wit ingrained in Platt’s songwriting. She has a knack for accessing a deep well of emotion and applying it to her story-telling, whether she is writing from her own experiences or immersing herself into the melody of emotions in another person's life.

Performing along with Platt, The Honeycutters are Matt Smith (pedal steel and electric guitars), Rick Cooper (bass/vocals), Evan Martin (drums/vocals), and Kevin Williams (keys/vocals).

https://www.honeycutters.com/

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

Doors 6pm, Music 7pm

Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters

The music of Asheville, North Carolina based outfit Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters is nuanced, bringing insight and wit to the stories Platt tells through songwriting. Lyrically driven, the band’s country roots music often inspires introspection, whether it be about life on the road, heartache or hope.

There is an empathetic and charming wit ingrained in Platt’s songwriting. She has a knack for accessing a deep well of emotion and applying it to her story-telling, whether she is writing from her own experiences or immersing herself into the melody of emotions in another person's life.

Performing along with Platt, The Honeycutters are Matt Smith (pedal steel and electric guitars), Rick Cooper (bass/vocals), Evan Martin (drums/vocals), and Kevin Williams (keys/vocals).

https://www.honeycutters.com/

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

Doors 4pm, Music 7pm

Singing River

“In a world of cookie-cutter pop and algorithm-driven playlists, Singing River stands as a defiant testament to the enduring power of handcrafted American music. With their debut album Talkin' Destination Blues, the duo of Mikey James and Anthony Kuhn have concocted a sonic brew that's equal parts nostalgia and innovation, served up with a generous helping of what they playfully now dub "olde tyme rock ‘n soul.”

 Imagine, if you will, a jukebox in a dive bar at the crossroads of time. That's where you'll find Singing River, spinning yarns and strumming chords that could have been birthed in the 1930s or dreamed up yesterday. It's a sound that's as comfortable rubbing shoulders with The Band as it is sharing a drink with the Traveling Wilburys.

 Mikey James, the band's beating heart, is no stranger to the ebbs and flows of the music industry. From his days drumming with Longwave in the early 2000s NYC rock scene to his solo ventures as Mikey Jukebox and Hawker M. James, James has been a musical chameleon, absorbing influences like a sponge. Now, reunited with his teenage bandmate Anthony Kuhn, he's found the perfect foil for his eclectic vision.

 Their debut LP, Talkin' Destination Blues doesn't just blur the lines between genres; it takes a steamroller to them and paves a new sonic highway. It's as if the ghosts of American music past decided to throw a party, invited a few future spirits, and Singing River showed up with the muse and a killer playlist. Each track is a time machine, a mood ring, and a history lesson rolled into one, delivered with the kind of authenticity that can't be faked.”

https://www.facebook.com/singingriverny/

Cover: $10

Doors 4pm, Music 7:30pm

THE FOX SISTERS

The Fox Sisters are a six piece party outfit that play original music influenced by American Rhythm & Blues of the 1960’s. The band formed in 2013 when a group of friends, all veterans of the Rochester NY music scene, got together for kicks and immediately sparks flew! Before long they were known as the Flower City’s premier party starters and the go to band for night clubs, dances and backyard BBQ’s. 

2015 saw the release of their first single, “Right Hip Pocket”, and full length album Under The Stars. Both received rave reviews and went to the top of the local radio charts for 3 months! 

In 2017 The Fox Sisters starting their own label, Dive Records, and released two back to back singles. “Stuck on You” b/w “Yeah Yeah” (DIVE 001) and “My Finest Hour” b/w “On The Upside” (DIVE 002). They closed out the year by recording a live session for WFMU. 

2018, 3rd single on Dive recorded in the Squire’s storied Subterranean Studios in Rochester, NY. Double A sides! “Busy Bee” b/w “Uum Uum Uum”. 

2019: The Sisters top off a year of hot live gigs with an appearance at the WFMU Ichiban 10-Year Anniversary show 

2020, The Fox Sisters return with a full-length album, "Bust Out!". Twelve original tracks recorded at the Subterranean Studios. First single served up is "The Song I Sing", with video directed by Austin Lake (of Rochester, NY greats The Televisionaries and Aweful Kanawful).  

2023: The Fox Sisters release an LP on FOLC Records (Madrid, Spain) titled Bright White Light. Twelve powerhouse songs recorded at Saxon Studio in Rochester, NY.  Produced by the seventh sister Chris Zajkowski (Squires of the Subterrain). 

Know this, The Fox sisters are defenders of all that is real and full of soul. They stand firm with the belt of truth buckled round their waists, and the shield of righteousness in place. 

https://foxsisters.com/

https://www.facebook.com/events/1886595202137434

AWEFUL KANAWFUL

https://www.instagram.com/awefulkanawful/?hl=en

Cover: $10

Doors 5pm, Music 10:15pm

Bobby Henrie & the Goners

This is gonna be one crazy, late-night bash!

Don’t miss the old-school rockabilly and roots-rock sounds of Bobby Henrie, Brian Williams, and Jimmy Symond, as Bobby Henrie & the Goners rock Abilene Bar and Lounge…late into the night!

https://www.facebook.com/bobbyhenrieandthegoners/

Cover: $10

Doors 4pm, Music 5:30pm

Brian Lindsay Band

Brian Lindsay delivers an inspired roots-rocking record that is filled with swagger and inspired performances.  Backed by his veteran band and some of New York’s finest musicians, they burn through 10 songs in his trademark conceptual format. With his lyrical craftsmanship, he transports the listener to places and times, bringing a renewed sense of hope and purpose to a world...that is long over-due for revival. 

Following the success of Lindsay’s first 3 LPs, The Crossing, Esperanza, The Monkey, The Tango and the Boogaloo, which all had songs that were added to over 150 Triple A format radio stations nationally, critics agree this LP, REVIVAL is his finest.

The Brian Lindsay band has shared the stage with The Smithereens, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Shooter Jennings, Donna the Buffalo, Willie Nile, Poppa Chubby, The Outlaws and The Little River Band, to name a few.  

https://brianlindsay.net/

https://www.facebook.com/blindsaymusic

Cover: $5

Doors 4pm, Music 9:15pm

Rock Bottom String Band

They play music inspired by bluegrass, punk, country, roots, and rock at breakneck speeds with a whole lot of fun.
Born in 2013 from backyard jams in the town of San Marcos, TX, they’ve become an internationally touring presence in the alternative Americana community.
The goal of every show is to enjoy life with good times and new friends.
Rock Bottom brings that energy to each performance to guarantee an engaging and immersive experience for the audience.

Here’s the band…

Tara Miller - trash & vox

Born & raised in Seguin, TX, Tara started drumming at 5 years old. She picked up guitar, piano & a whole lot of trash along the way.
Her favorite things to eat are migas, tacos, & her wife.
Her favorite thing about RBSB is that people actually like them and their music. It gets her every time.

Alex Schultz - Guitar & vox

A.K.A. Pinecone. A.K.A. Alexander Joseph "Muhtha Fuckin" Schultz. A.K.A. Fender's Dad.
He has been happily married to Fender's Mom for 7 years.
RBSB is Alex's first and only band. His Mom bought a garage sale guitar while she was pregnant with him because she, "Had a feeling he might play it some day".
Alex is a closet nerd. Don't shit talk Jack White in Alex's presence. He has a college degree in building stuff, and builds stuff while he's not touring with Rock Bottom.

Mack Dart - Fiddle & vox

A devourer of books, art supplies, and anything pink and sparkly!
100% proud and certifiable nerd, willing and able to talk about Star Trek for a long, long, long time.
Happy dog mom to two pit-mixes, and definitely wants to pet your dog too!
Has been playing violin for about 13 years. Favorite thing about RBSB family? - Playing loud, fast, and fun!

Brian "Papa" Briseño - banjo

Papa was born as Brian Christopher Briseño the 1st but in his teenage years his friends started calling him Papa out of the love and respect they all share for him. Papa grew up skateboarding and listening to the soothing sounds of punk rock and metal.
Papa scored his first acoustic guitar at the age of 20 and about 6 months later, he bought himself a banjo.
Being a part of RBSB has been one of the funnest things in his life!!

Sasha Sonnier - bass & VOX

Sasha grew up obsessed with making music in their bedroom and learning any instrument they could get their hands on. After many years of playing in bands from all types of genres (jazz, blues, punk, metal, ska and bluegrass), Sasha has joined up with RBSB to lay down the low end.
In their spare time, Sasha fixes instruments and other gear at their home in Texas.

https://www.facebook.com/rockbottomstringband/

https://www.rockbottomstringband.com/

Cover: $10 at the door

Doors 4pm, Music 7pm

A Girl Named Genny

Since 2016, A Girl Named Genny has graced the many bars and living rooms of Rochester, NY. What started as a music hang out amongst friends transformed into a band with three self produced albums, and several extensive tours that have sent the band from coast to coast of the United States.

Armed with “folk” instruments, A Girl Named Genny has always sought to push the norm of what is expected from an Americana band. Influences draw from jazz-roots music, to bluegrass-folk genres, and even rock and roll. Fiddles solos, vocal harmonies, meaningful lyrics, high energy jams, and more are just some of the ingredients of what makes their shows work.

Now in 2025 they continue to do what they love. Use their craft to connect with their audience, and provide music that can lift the human soul. Or at least, give you a reason to sing along for an evening!

https://www.agirlnamedgenny.com/

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 showcase their versatility by performing as a full band, complete with drums and bass.

Their debut single, "Going Under," 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: Guitar, and Jessica Kromer: Fiddle. When performing as a full band they are joined by Casey McMahon 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 their run of shows while also recording and releasing more original music in 2025.

https://ivyshomeband.com/

Cover: $15

Doors 7pm, Music 8pm

High Pines

Yes, it’s pseudo-funk for the junk in your trunk!

High Pines brings high energy, low down funk, with no one show being the same as the last. High Pines is sure to get your feet moving and your body grooving.

So….buckle up, shimmy down…and High Pine will shake your loins…and then not call you back!

https://highpines.space/

with Stickybun

Cover: $10

Doors 4pm, Music 6:30pm

Calico Bunny

What’s in a name? Surprisingly, a lot!

Calico Bunny is a vocal-driven “Vintage Cosmic Americana” band. Calico Bunny’s name comes from one of its members mishearing a lyric in Gram Parsons’s classic “Return of the Grievous Angel.”  The name Calico Bunny fits the band well because its Vintage Cosmic Americana sound is a direct descendant of Parsons’s own “Cosmic American Music.”    

Through its Vintage Cosmic Americana sound, Calico Bunny pays homage to and celebrates such unique and trailblazing artists as Gram Parsons, Kinky Friedman, Carl Perkins, Michael Nesmith, Kris Kristofferson, Gordon Lightfoot, and many others. Calico Bunny also performs original songs embracing the spirit of Vintage Cosmic Americana.  

The five members of Calico Bunny are Jim Bowers (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, and songwriter), Donna Carpino (background and harmony vocals) Chris DiStasio (lead guitar, lap steel guitar, mandolin, and banjo), James Warner (bass), and Mike Mattice (drums). Collectively, they bring together rich and varied musical experiences spanning an array of genres from folk to fusion jazz to country to barber shop to pop to good old rock ‘n’ roll.

https://jimbowers-wordsandmusic.com/my-bands

Cover: $8

Doors 4pm, Music 5:30m

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: $5

Doors 6:30pm, Music 7:30pm

Harmonica Lewinski
Out for kicks, Harmonica Lewinski plays music that has been called “tropical trash, greasy garage, dirty disco, and party punk.” In between touring the USA and releasing a slew of vinyl and cassette tapes, they have built a following with their original sound and dance-party live shows. Calling all freaks – get to the go-go.

https://www.facebook.com/harmonicalewinski666/

with Special Guests..

Luxury Suite

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

Doors 7pm, Music 7:30pm

Stage Fright - A Tribute to The Band

“I would choose a Stage Fright experience every time! What an unexpected, hardworking, committed and heartfelt performance by every single, super talented and LOCAL SF member and friend! I never stopped smiling, moving or finding myself happily surprised the entire night…As anyone who has made music knows...the best music is often never heard. SO glad I heard Stage Fright.”– Antonio Vigliotti

Founded in 2015, Stage Fright is a tribute to the one and only Canadian/American roots rock phenomenon, The Band. Recognized as the premier The Band tribute in the greater Finger Lakes and Twin Tiers region, Stage Fright brings the same spirited energy and powerful group vocals to their performances that the musicians of The Band captured when their greatest songs were originally written and recorded. Stage Fright focuses on the music of The Big Pink era, playing classics such as “The Weight,” “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” and “Up on Cripple Creek” with a fresh vitality that invites the audience to sing-along and become a part of the show. They also showcase deep cuts, such as “Look Out Cleveland,” “Tears of Rage” and “Jemima Surrender” with a sincerity that brings a new appreciation to the incredible music of The Band.

Stage Fright’s annual sell out performance of The Last Waltz at the Deane Center features acclaimed musicians from NY and PA, joining the band in a passionate and joyful celebration of one of the greatest rock concerts of all time.

Stage Fright is comprised of the members of YETSU, whose organic roots rock sound has helped define the summer sound on the finger lakes for the past several years.

Sean Monroe of Big Flats NY (Bass and Vocals) pitched the idea for a Band tribute. Monroe was a founding member of the well-known original classic rock band Brainbell Janglers and covers guitar/mandolin/vocals with the acoustic cover band Vinyl Roots.

Joe Callahan of Wellsboro PA (Guitar and Vocals) Callahan is also the main singer/songwriter for the popular Finger Lakes Americana folk band House of Sterling, and acoustic guitarist/vocalist with Vinyl Roots.

Mike Nickerson of Corning NY (Drums, Accordion, and Vocals) Nickerson is an in-demand drummer that plays with a variety of regional bands and also drummer for the Grateful Dead tribute band Planet Jr.

Mike Watkins of Addison NY (Keyboards and Vocals) Watkins also covers keyboard and vocals with Planet Jr. and singer/songwriter/guitarist/fiddler in the Americana folk group, Green Holler.

Joe Narde of Corning NY (Percussion): As well as playing with Monroe and Callahan in Vinyl Roots, Joe was the original drummer with Brainbell Janglers. Narde also DJs The Sunday Drive show on Deep Nuggets internet radio.

https://www.facebook.com/StageFrightTheBand/

Cover: $15 at the Door

Doors 2pm, Music 3pm

CC & The Boys

CC & The Boys are a Pro Country/Southern Rock Party Band., doing ALL the hits and sing-along party favorites. You’ve seen them performing across the country in some of country music’s biggest venues...but on this Sunday afternoon, the party will be on Abilene’s patio!!

If you’re a fan of David Graham & the Eskimo Brothers, Classic Country, Rockin’ Country..and More, ya gotta be at 153 Liberty Pole Way in Rochester!

Looking for a good time, Look no further. Lets Boot, Scoot and Boogie.

Ps. This band features an old, old friend of Abilene’s, Amos Rose. You won’t wanna miss them.

https://ccandtheboys.com/

https://www.instagram.com/ccandtheboys

Cover: $10 at the Door

Doors 4pm, Music 5:30pm

Cultivator

With their new double CD release, “ Another day in the country”, Cultivator brings their rocking Americana show to Rochester’s favorite music mecca, Abeline, for a mix of original country-esc tunes with themes that range from loving the smell of your tractor to current social commentary. Deadheads love the unscripted improv as well as the story telling yarns. Singer songwriter Bob Bunce leads the band with his beat supporting bass work and is the main vocalist. Rochester favorite Herb Heins weaving guitar work and pro percussionist Jim Patric are the backbone of the lively sets.

https://bobbunce.com/

Cover: $5

Doors 6pm, Music 8pm

NIKKI HILL!

Nikki Hill is one of our absolute favorites !!!

Nikki Hill is sweet seduction, sweeter threat, and smoldering energy. An original force in American music, she is tender and tough, flamboyant, witty and dangerous. To put it plainly, Hill brings daggers back to the stage and studio. Overlapping soulful, sensual and bold vocal tones with powerful chrome-plated riffs and swagger, her voice finds a home in it - a soul singing, bar rocking, roots 
revivalist, that writes with frank self-reflection at a dancing tempo.

Hailing from Durham, North Carolina, Nikki Hill enjoyed R&B, soul, pop and hip hop at home. In addition, she sang gospel in the church choir from childhood through her early teenage years. Gradually, she developed her ears for garage rock, rock n' roll, blues and roots, while also picking up influence from living along the legendary Mississippi River - in St. Louis, Missouri, New 
Orleans, Louisiana, and currently Memphis, Tennessee. In Nikki’s mind, a fertile mix of all the different types of music she had heard arose, and gradually these merged into something quite special, as she found her own voice, which the world was gradually introduced to on her many constant tours, where she took more and more audiences by storm with her distinctive vocals and 
energetic stage performance.

After self-releasing and producing her debut album, Here’s Nikki Hill, her musical contributions continued, with her song “Struttin’” released on Deke Dickerson and The Bo-Keys Soul Meets Country EP, produced by Scott Bomar in Memphis, TN. The momentum continued through the release of her second album, Heavy Hearts Hard Fists, recorded at Fort Horton Studios in Wyldwood, TX. The acclaimed album was accompanied by a worldwide tour in the US, Europe, Australia, India and Morocco, and over 30 festivals, including Montreux Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, and Byron 
Bay Blues Festival, receiving praise for uplifting the new songs with an erupting live performance. 

“Think Tina Turner fronting AC/DC and you’ll have half of the picture. She’s a machine…you’ve got no excuse if you miss seeing her… Nikki Hill is a revelation, her band masters of rocket-fueled bluesy swing, her voice the beacon which calls you home… a vocal powerhouse who don’t mess around.” 
(Rolling Stone). Hill’s current touring band is Matt Hill (guitar), Laura Chavez (guitar), Nick Gaitan (bass), and Marty Dodson (drums).
On Nikki Hill's third self-produced and self-released album, Feline Roots, she lets her soul rip. Nikki and her band take a muscular groove — celebrating and wailing over love, transgressions, the hard times, and wild freedom — and inject it with timeless effect, giving Nikki a foundation on which to 
build.

It's her version of rock n' roll that can only come from her stories. Nikki Hill has never been afraid to take the road less traveled, and it's clear with "Feline Roots" that she's living every word.

https://nikkihillrocks.com/

Tickets: $35 advance, $40 day of show and on sale now online at https://abilene.showare.com and at the bar

Doors 4pm, Music 7:30pm

Ben de la Cour

“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”  
– Carl Jung

With songs that explore life’s murky corners and shadowy characters, Ben de la Cour’s music occupies the intersection between gothic Americana and dark, gritty folk. In a genre that has become increasingly polished and pop-friendly throughout the 21st century, Ben’s stark tales of heartbreak, supernatural menace, and the ever-present specter of death harken back to folk’s roots, making him a modern torchbearer of a classic sound.

The result is a haunting, harrowingly personal version of folk music that has earned high praise from outlets like American Songwriter, Maximum Volume and NPR as well as a 2023 Grammy Award nod. Ben was named a Kerrville New Folk Winner shortly after the 2016 release of Midnight in Havana and began maintaining a regular presence on the road, playing more than 100 shows a year.
Ben’s is a sound fueled by the stories and struggles of its creator, a lifelong searcher who’s never been afraid to shine a light on his own demons.

“Folk music has a long tradition of darkness,” he explains, “and darkness is something I know a little bit about.”

That darkness takes on new dimensions with his fifth record, Sweet Anhedonia, a gripping collection of Americanoir soundscapes haunted by crooked folk ballads, scorched-earth heartland rockers and even the occasional ode to love, hope and redemption. Bouncing between first-person narratives and sharply-written character studies, these songs radiate a bruised, battered energy, with Ben delivering each one in a voice that’s textured by years of hard touring and even harder living.

Sweet Anhedonia makes room for acoustic fingerpicking, electric amplification and a host of bizarre and evocative soundscapes, casting Ben de la Cour’s stories against backdrops of sinister roots music (“Appalachian Book of the Dead”), Springsteen-sized heartland rock (“Suicide of Town”), moody minimalism (“Maricopa County”), and orchestral, cinematic bombast (“Shine on the Highway”). With “Numbers Game,” a song that weighs the resilience of the human spirit against the gravity of human suffering, he even writes from a female’s perspective, duetting with fellow East Nashville resident and close friend Becky Warren over arpeggiated guitar and bowed fiddle. Like all of Sweet Anhedonia, the song’s textures are rough-edged and lovingly pockmarked, emphasizing authentic performances over well-scrubbed perfection. It’s a setting that suits Ben’s writing well, with the songwriter subtly nodding to his influences — including Townes Van Zandt, Nick Cave, and authors Raymond Carver and Toni Morrison — while creating something starkly singular.

Ben recorded the album with Jim White, a cult folksinger celebrated for his own Southern gothic sound. “Jim’s album Wrong-Eyed Jesus! helped me through a truly terrible time in my life,” he says. “I’ve always been such a big fan of his music, so I tracked him down and basically camped outside his house until he finally agreed to produce my record. I think he did it so I’d leave him alone, but the joke’s on him because now he’s never going to be able to get rid of me. We worked together in Athens and Nashville, taking alternative approaches to my songs by building soundscapes and percussive patterns. The goal was to make an art record — something that felt small. But somehow, everything kept expanding and becoming more twisted as we went along, and here we are. I think Jim refers to these things as ‘psychic bonsai.'”

Albums like Ben’s 2012 debut, Ghost Light and 2018‘s career-shifting The High Cost of Living Strange not only chronicled de la Cour’s deep sense of restlessness but also his various attempts to wrestle his own vices into submission.

In 2020 Ben released Shadow Land, his first album to be recorded since completing a stint in rehab. Despite his continuing struggles with the internal forces waging a war within his head, Ben’s stays in various institutions didn’t just bring clarity to his life; they added new perspectives to his music, too. The experiences made him increasingly empathetic to other people’s struggles, and that awareness shines on Sweet Anhedonia’s sharply-written songs. He doesn’t just sing about this way of life; he lives it too, dedicating his working hours between tours to his job as a clinical associate at a recovery center for teenage boys.

“I have love for all the characters I write about, even the ones who seem to have no redeeming qualities whatsoever,” he explains. “They have redeeming qualities to me. To be a good writer, you have to have empathy, and part of that is resisting the urge to judge or justify the things your characters do. Sometimes you just present your characters and follow them along their path, writing about whatever they’re up to without getting in their way. They’re sensitive and very easily spooked. And I’ve never been shy about presenting unlikable narrators, because that’s subjective anyway. Plus, I think it’s a human thing to root for ‘the bad guy.’ We all want to hold out hope for redemption, right?”

Sweet Anhedonia unfolds like a soundtrack for the resilient, the run-down, and the battle-scarred among us, its various vignettes glued together by a man who’s logged years on a battlefield of his own making. A leading light of folk music’s underground, Ben de la Cour continues to sharpen the blade while charting his own murky path towards redemption.

https://www.bendelacour.com/

Special Low-Dough Show - Ten Bucks at the Door

Door 4pm, Music 5:30pm

Piranha Loco

Piranha Loco members all bring a diverse set of experiences to the band, including international jazz festivals to sold out shows in New York City and throughout the Northeast. The music is considered Americana / a blend of rock, country, jazz , blues and funk.  The songs are originals and covers. The covers are songs from artists such as John Hiatt , Flying Burrito Brothers, James Taylor, Bob Dylan , Grateful Dead, and more..with the originals mostly influenced by the above artists.

The BAND MEMBERS

Gary Spinelli Guitar/vocals. “I was 9 years old on February 9th,1964, sitting in front of a black and white 15 inch TV anxiously waiting to see the first performance of the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show. Two summers and about 100 lawn cuttings later, I had enough money saved up to buy my first guitar and amp. Since then I've had the privilege of playing with a lot of great local musicians and also got to play in a few bands here and there. I took time off for many years to raise a family and now I have been given the opportunity to be part of a great band of fantastic musicians. The best of both worlds. My influences include The Beatles, Eric Clapton, Robben Ford, George Harrison, Lowell George, Derek Trucks, Jeff Beck, Sonny Landreth and many more.”

John Nau Bass / Vocals “My learning curve included time spent with jazz, fusion, country, and rock groups, most notably with Tom Passamonte in” Malibu” and with my bandmates Doug and Dave in “Rockforce/Curfew”. When my two beautiful daughters entered my life, I changed hats for awhile and played in a number of party/wedding groups. As my girls hit high school age, I was again able to return to more creative pursuits, performing with jam band “Jupiter 4H Project”, a number of classic rock bands, alt country band “Carol and the Impalas”, R&B group “The Scoundrels”, and girl pop group, “Left On Red”, with whom I did some short tours.”

Van Sanzotta Drums “On my eleventh Birthday I got my first full drum set, began practicing and never looked back. I joined one band after another and another… Road Work, The Starlords, Kelly Roberts, Platinum, Westside Drive, Doc Kavanagh, Full House, Scarecrow, The Tweeners, Betty Mangold, Freight Train, Cosmic Debris, Debbie Kendrick, Cactus Soul, The Jerks, Black Caddy Band and The Tom Cats. Along the way I worked with some very talented and inspiring drummers in the area that helped me develop my skills and push me to the next level. After its all said and done, it all boils down to feeding this passion that I have for making good music with good friends, and making it sound as good as we possibly can.”

Scott Schipper Guitar / vocals Scott like many others were influenced by the Beatles first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. He was so impressed he started bugging his parents for a guitar the day afterwards.. that didn’t work so he bought an old arch top guitar off of a friend for five dollars , it only had three strings to start out with . He played in a couple of high school bands and took some time off to raise a family, started to do some recording and met some other musicians in the 80s, performed in a band called Willpower then Medicine Man in the early 90s and then joined the Dave Matthews Band tribute, Tripping Billies. After Tripping Billies, Scott formed the original music jam band Jupiter 4H Project. Scott was also in the Americana band, The Angle.

James Ellison Guitar / vocals James came from a musical family, all his siblings were expected to take up an instrument. His interest in guitar was sparked by the British Invasion of the 60’s. The Beatles , Stones, Kinks, and later the Byrds, Dylan, and The Band. Along the way the influence of the old blues music of John Hurt And Blind Blake along with Irish pub music from the Dubliners, Clancy Brothers and Planxty. Starting as a bass guitarist with the Dady Brothers and the Emigrants evolved into guitar accompanist for several of Rochester’s folk musicians . In 1998 he formed the Irish band Wildgeese with Emon McCormack. He went on to play with the Irish band 1916, and the Americana band, The Angle.

https://piranhaloco.com

Cover: $5

Doors 4pm, Music 8pm

​Austin Hollow

Austin Hollow makes their second Abilene appearance, performing songs from their debut release "The Fisherman" along with classic and contemporary selections from the band's influences and heroes.

 Austin Hollow is a four piece Roots-Americana Rock band hailing from Rochester, N.Y. 

 Assembled in 2018, Austin Hollow is led by founder, guitarist, singer, and songwriter Scott Austin.

 Scott's vision of writing and recording guitar driven songs reflecting his love of Americana, Jam, Blue Grass, and Classic Rock has come to fruition in 2023 with their debut full length effort entitled "The Fisherman."

 With a deep passion for real life storytelling, Scott touches on lyrical themes such as dysfunctional human interactions, love/ hate situations, social issues, spiritual strife, and the observations of life's abundant beauty and chaos. Musically, Austin Hollow quickly switches gears between guitar riff driven rock, soft acoustic ballads, soulful blues with hints of improvised jam, and blue grass that pepper the band's smart songwriting.

 The Austin Hollow lineup includes fellow singer, songwriter, and keyboard player Mel Muscarella. Mel's blues and rock influence shine, and her soulful, powerful voice is immediately felt when first heard. With a vocal intensity and passion reminiscent of greats like Janis Joplin and Ann Wilson, Mel's playing and singing provide power and swing to the band's songwriting.

 Jona Chartrand, the former founding member of the prolific Rochester Alt Americana group Hinkley, rounds out Austin Hollow's songwriting and alternative rock leanings both in the studio and live.

https://austinhollow.com/

https://www.facebook.com/austinhollowband/

Cover: $10

Doors 4pm, Music 7:30pm

Delilah Jones

All Dead - All The Time!
Delilah Jones is a high energy improvisational jam band from Rochester NY - playing the music of the Grateful Dead.

Delilah Jones is Jack Moore - Guitar/vocals, Mike Bowers - drums , Jason “Smiley” Engleson - keys/vocals, John Bloom - Guitar/vocals, Joe Worden - Bass/vocals

https://www.facebook.com/DelilahJonesBand

Cover: $10

Doors 4pm, Music 7:30pm

Sarah Borges Band

Feat. 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.

Fast forward to the early months of 2020, when the life-altering global pandemic hit populations hard. Closer to home, the crisis not only suddenly, jarringly halted performers touring or playing shows large or small, but also quashed the creative chemistry that comes from musicians getting together and jamming in the same room. As an artist whose lifeblood flowed from these real-life exchanges of camaraderie and community, the Boston-based Borges was faced with perhaps the most daunting question of her professional career: How to connect and continue as a vital and viable working artist amid a frightfully uncertain future fraught with unknowns.

That’s where the aptly named brand new album, “Together Alone,” comes in. In a true-life twist on the old saying, “when life gives you lemons …”, a homebound Borges did the one thing she knew how to do better than almost anything else. She picked up her guitar and started writing songs such as “Wasting My Time,” which serves as a thematic linchpin of sorts for the new album. Set to a measured, ruminative gait and carried on dark currents of electric guitar and Hammond organ, the lyrics feel like a gathering storm.  “It’s been awhile now since I’ve seen my friends / Don’t know when I’m gonna see ‘em again,” Borges sings with the kind of pensive ache her twang and torch-lit voice was born for. “Without them around / It’s harder to pretend that I know where I’m going.” With the new normal being an isolating life in lockdown limbo, the song seems to wonder whether time, in this context, is actually wasting us, rather than the other way around.

It was, for Borges, a scary proposition. But the solitary confinement that necessitated writing alone also felt liberating.  “I think my self-editing tool is always fierce, and it’s what prevents me from being more prolific,” Sarah says. “I feel like I’m always writing in blood, like I have to stick to what I wrote the first time. But when you’re home alone, and it’s a pandemic, and you don’t know if anyone will ever even hear the songs, all bets are off. You can write what you want and feel free to cross it out as many times as you want.” Even the job Borges took as an airport courier during the pandemic to keep the bills paid and home hearth burning proved creatively useful. The temporary gig translated into a boisterous new track, namely the lighthearted rave-up, “She’s A Trucker,” based on the multi-Boston Music Award winner’s four-wheeling across state lines, carrying occasionally strange cargo. Recently, “I drove to Albany to deliver an airplane engine piece, and another day it was ocular tissue – totally weird, random stuff,” she says with a laugh. “But all that time, I was thinking about my music. With anything you love to do, you always have to find a way forward if you can.” Besides, she adds, “there aren’t many lady truck driver songs, so I thought I’d try my hand at one.”

Speaking of hands, Sarah received a huge one in the person of her longtime mentor Eric “Roscoe” Ambel, the venerable producer and guitarist who’s played with everyone from Joan Jett & The Blackhearts to Steve Earle and The Dukes. More recently, Ambel’s been Sarah’s band mate and co-conspirator in addition to his usual job running his Cowboy Technical Services Recording Rig studio in Brooklyn, NY.  “Sarah and I had just come back from an incredible musical experience on the ‘Outlaw Country Cruise,’ in February [2020], ” recalls Ambel of the traveling multi-artist, fan-filled  getaway. But as the pandemic permeated life and gigs were canceled, the water-bound jaunt started to feel like it was the last good time anybody was going to have for a very long time. To get a sense of just how good a time was had, check out the rollicking new tribute to the cruise, “You Got Me On The Boat,” a sunny slice of hedonistic escapism co-written with Sarah’s boyfriend, Bottle Rockets bassist Keith Voegele, who contributes bass and vocals across several of the album’s tracks.

That all changed when the state’s powers-that-be locked down the studio. With the pandemic scuttling any chance of  working live at CTS, the two were forced to brainstorm what Ambel amusingly refers to as the “MacGyver Method” of recording songs,  referencing the hit ‘80s TV series. Except that the idea involved a hell of a lot more than a rubber band, stick of gum, and strategically employed paper clip to escape the clutches of the villainous COVID-19.  Here’s how it worked: One by one, Borges would send along her home-recorded guitar and vocal demos – with Sarah singing into her iPhone, and utilizing her clothes closet as a vocal isolation booth – to Ambel’s home recording setup. He’d listen carefully to the rudimentary tracks, and then sort out who in his musical Rolodex might play what, where, when, and how.  The tricky part, Ambel says, was that “I had to think of not only great players, but great players that could do a very good job recording themselves at home.”

Among those ready, willing, and able was Voegele, residing in Springfield, Illinois. Another was Keith Christopher, Ambel’s longtime Yayhoos band mate currently playing bass with Lynyrd Skynyrd, and living in upstate New York. A talented trio of drummers scattered from New York to Nashville also sent in dispatches. To ensure a rapport between far-flung musicians that felt organic, “I got songs to them in a very specific building order. Basically, we all went back to the ‘70s in recording style, working on one song at a time until it was complete. Time and geography didn’t really matter,” says Ambel. “It was exciting to be on the virtual receiving end of all these great songs and performances.” One unforseen benefit to recording remotely? “I’ve gotten a lot more confident playing solo through writing this record,” says Borges. “Because I wrote on acoustic guitar, the songs had to be able to stand on their own enough to make a demo. Plus, my callouses have gotten much better!”

Given the circumstances, it’s all the more remarkable that roughed-up romps like “Lucky Day” (a metaphorical love song about how the search for true romance can prove as elusive as a winning lottery ticket), have the bracing, flesh-and-blood feel of like-minded musicians in sync. The chemistry doesn’t sound remote at all. Paramount to the entire enterprise, of course, were the fresh ideas Borges put to paper and the spirited music she envisioned in the first place. “Sarah’s a fearless writer and performer,” says Ambel, “and she’s a very good musician.”  “It feels like me,” says Borges, who calls making the record nothing short of  “a lifeline.” “The record feels really comfortable, like a second skin already. It’s a good representation of who I am, both musically and personally.”

In fact, contemplative tracks such as “Something To Do” and “13th Floor” are candid reflections that cut to the marrow of who she was, and who she’s always becoming.  “On ‘13th Floor,’ I was thinking about risk,” says Borges, “I’m still trying to sort out what six years alcohol-free means to me, and I still draw on some of those feelings from ‘drunk-town’ for songs. And ‘Something To Do’ – recorded almost entirely during lockdown – harkens back to those days when calling a random number on a bar wall might have seemed like a good idea.” Ironically, to find inspiration for the album’s final song, “Together Alone,” that had no lyrics or music attached to its title, Borges and her band hit the road for a few select, socially distanced dates in the Midwest this autumn. The shows, her first in over a year, proved challenging amid varying statewide vaccine or mask mandates (or lack thereof). But she didn’t return home empty-handed.  

“Together Alone,” written across, and about, dividing distances on the road, is a bittersweet lament of loss, memory, and separation rendered in waltz time. “It’s the little things I’m missing / Now that they’re gone,” Borges muses over a mournful melody. “Lines across faces, and photos from places / Our shadows growing long.”  But as anyone familiar with Sarah’s songs knows, genuinely soulful music that connects with us — and connects us to each other — can simultaneously steal, and heal, hearts. Ultimately, if  “Together Alone” carries any message or lesson, it’s about finding the courage to face the hard times head on and not give in or up. And it’s about caring enough to bring the things that you miss, and that matter, back to life. –Jonathan Perry

https://sarahborges.com/

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

Doors 4pm, Music 8pm

The Cactus Blossoms

At its best, harmony duo singing can transform simple math into a magic trick. One plus one, instead of equaling two, suddenly yields an unexpected third thing. An upper-case ONE. A universal hum. A deep vibration that encompasses two different points of view. On their latest release, Every Time I Think About You, brothers Jack Torrey and Page Burkum, aka The Cactus Blossoms, once again prove themselves to be among the most adept – and distinctive – modern practitioners of that magic. But like any great magician, The Cactus Blossoms can’t – or won’t – fully explain the illusion they create.

“Harmonies are a big part of our sound, but in some ways they’re the part we focus on the least,” says Burkum. “We put most of our attention and energy into the songs themselves and then the harmonies just happen.”

There’s all kinds of magic happening on Every Time I Think About You, a record that sounds more like a band than any other in the Cactus Blossoms discography, thanks to contributions from Jeremy Hanson (drums), Jacob Hanson (guitar) and Phillip Hicks (bass). “There She Goes” casts its romantic regret against a danceable bop beat, and the title track is a heart-wrencher about loss and letting go.

“Even if you don’t set out to write songs with a theme in mind it seems like one usually presents itself,” says Torrey. “This record keeps returning to the idea of ‘moving on’ — from one place to another, from people and situations that bring you down, from loss and grief.”

http://thecactusblossoms.com/

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

Special thanks to our good friend (and huge supporter of live music), Doug Camp

Doors 7pm, Music 8pm

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/

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

Doors 6:30pm, Music 7:30pm

Live at the Temple Theater, 50 Liberty Pole Way, Rochester, NY 14604

Los Straitjackets

Los Straitjackets are masters of the 'combo sound-' the two guitar, bass and drums lineuppioneered and popularized by the early Beatles. Using the music of the Ventures, TheShadows, Link Wray and Dick Dale as a jumping off point, the band has takentheir unique, highenergy brand of instrumental rock & roll around the world. Wearing their trademark Lucha LibreMexican wrestling masks, Los Straitjackets have also served as the backing band for Nick Lowesince 2016. Their latest release, Somos Los Straitjackets demonstrates why Los Straitjacketshave reigned as the kings of modern instrumental rock for over thirty years with shimmeringtremolo, relentless drum grooves, and hooks so catchy they don’t need lyrics to get stuck inyour head

https://losstraitjackets.com/

Tickets: $35 advance, $40 day of show and on sale now online at https://abilene.showare.com and at Abilene Bar and Lounge

Doors 4pm, Music 8pm

Jason Ringenberg

(Of the famed Jason and the Scorchers)

Americana Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award-winning punk roots singer-songwriter, performer, and barnstorming force of nature... “The Godfather of Americana" - Mojo

Renowned music critic Peter Cooper once said, “Jason Ringenberg is Nashville’s greatest 20th-century rock ‘n’ roll frontman.” With statements like that, you would think Jason might rest on his laurels now that he is in his 60s. Not so. His new record Rhinestoned once again sets Ringenberg on a collision course with people’s souls. It reaffirms the claim that not only is he one of rock ‘n’ roll's greatest frontmen but also one of the preeminent singer-songwriters of his generation. His journey started in the 1960s Midwest, a place straight out of Norman Rockwell's America. He was born and raised on an Illinois hog farm that bordered the Rock Island Line Railroad. At an early age he heard classic country artists on his dad’s truck radio but also was exposed to the 1960s singer-songwriters like Bob Dylan and Neil Young by his older siblings. He attended college at Southern Illinois University, studying history and music. He played banjo in a bluegrass band called Gary, Jason, and Chico. After seeing The Ramones in a dorm basement cafeteria, he immediately quit the bluegrass band and formed his own punk rock group, Shakespeare’s Riot, gaining notoriety around Southern Illinois as one of the first regional bands to combine classic country with raw punk rock. By 1981 he realized he had taken that musical journey as far as he could in Southern Illinois. On July 4 he loaded up his ‘71 Econoline van and headed to that musical Mecca of all Meccas: Nashville, Tennessee. He didn’t know a soul nor had ever even set boots in the town. He jumped in feet first, jamming at every dive or party that would let him have the mic. Within a few weeks he formed Jason and the Nashville Scorchers and never looked back. Widely considered one of most influential Americana/Outlaw country bands in history, Jason and the Scorchers tore up stages across the planet. One UK journalist called their 1984 show at the Marquee “one of the Top Five gigs of all time.” By the late 80s their legendary luster began to dim, although they continued to tour and make records. In 1991 Ringenberg snagged a record contract with Capitol Nashville. He began to build his solo brand, touring as a solo artist and eventually releasing a series of critically acclaimed records. In 2002 he launched a children’s music character called Farmer Jason, winning an Emmy Award in 2009 for his PBS music video program. He would often perform a Farmer Jason show in the daytime and then a solo Jason Ringenberg concert that night in the same city. From 2000 to 2015 he performed an average of 200 shows a year all over Europe and North America. In 2017 he saw yet another renaissance in his career. The U.S. National Park Service approached him to be their Artist-in-Residence at the Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park. He spent a month hiking those pristine mountains, doing concerts in the campgrounds, and writing songs. He experienced an explosion of creative energy not seen since his salad days with Jason and the Scorchers. The resulting songs form the basis for two defining records: Stand Tall, released in 2018, and now Rhinestoned. Rhinestoned is heavily influenced by the ethos and energy of mid-1960s Nashville. The record is populated by forgotten ghosts and old souls. There is a song about one of Crazy Horse’s close Lakota friends and another about the Freedom Riders. He even tackles a love affair gone wrong in World War I Flanders. He covers Hank Williams, The Carter Family, and the classic Easter hymn Christ the Lord Is Risen Today, all the while making each track sound uniquely his own. The record was recorded by George Bradfute, whose studio is located in the basement of the 1950’s country superstar Jim Reeves. The old tile floor and pine paneling are still there, conjuring up old memories and soaking up new ones. So his journey winds on. As Ringenberg says in Rhinestoned: “A song can be a lover or a true best friend and it will not forsake you when you reach the end...”

Tickets: $15 advance, $20 day of show and on sale now online at https://abilene.showare.com and at the bar