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Jake Manzi, Ali Lou & the Sugar Boys, and Alex Northrup

  • Abilene Bar & Lounge 153 Liberty Pole Way Rochester, NY, 14604 United States (map)

Doors 4pm, Music 7pm

Jake Manzi

Jake Manzi has been on a journey, and he’s ready to tell you all about it.

Raised in western MA and residing in Los Angeles, Jake’s unique brand of folk rock has earned him significant acclaim, sold-out hometown shows, and opening slots for Dawes, NRBQ, Ron Sexsmith, M. Ward, Lori McKenna, and more.

After a decade of writing songs, making records, and touring across the country, Manzi presents his third full-length record, Getting Somewhere. Recorded mostly-live at Recorders in LA, it’s a confident, assured collection of no-frills Americana gems.

Getting Somewhere sees Manzi at his best, roadtipping through eleven songs that start in nostalgia and end up landing firmly in the present. “When you go, the trouble begins,” he sings, heartsick, in the first track. By the end of the record, accompanied by whirling organ and distant, roomy-sounding drums, things have changed: “I’m finally waking up.”

Co-produced with Gabriel Bernini, the album favors an invisible approach to production: complete takes captured live and minimally dressed up with overdubs. The songs breathe, and the performances speak for themselves. The result is vibrant and immediate, closer to what it sounds like when Manzi takes the stage.

With driving piano that nods to Jackson Browne, heartachey lap steel, and the shimmer of glockenspiel recalling Springsteen's most energetic moments, Getting Somewhere takes us through winding roads with plenty of detours, landing in a place of quiet confidence, truehearted and speckled with delightful imperfections.

Jake is no stranger to collaboration. As part of a close-knit Italian family, he grew up singing around the table after homemade dinners. During a two-month artist residency in France, Manzi wrote much of Getting Somewhere and also collaborated with guitarist (and Remi Wolf co-writer) Jack DeMeo. Together, under the name The Breadwinners, they released their first LP titled ‘Starter’ in February of 2026.

DeMeo’s guitar and vocals appear on Getting Somewhere, alongside keyboardist Eli Salus-Kleiner, Tim Heidecker band lap and pedal steel player Connor “Catfish” Gallagher, Mikaela Davis’ bassist Shane McCarthy, Charlie Faragher on drums, and many more. It’s a lineup featuring old and new: longtime Massachusetts pals who also made the westward migration, and new friends made in LA.

Written during a period of perpetual motion—bouncing from apartment to apartment, undergoing sweeping growth both artistically and personally—Getting Somewhere is an LA record in spirit and sound, with Manzi's New England heart beating at its center.

-Kimaya Diggs

https://www.jakemanzi.com/

Ali Lou & the Sugar Boys

Ali Lou & the Sugar Boys

Ali Lou and the Sugar Boys are a bluegrass band from Rochester, New York. The trio blends Americana nostalgia with a fresh, playful twist. Known for their lighthearted charm, they bring a little sparkle, a little grit, and a whole lot of heart to every performance.

https://www.instagram.com/ali.lou_music/

Alex Northrup

Alex Northrup is a musician/composer/songwriter/producer from and based in Rochester, NY. Lately he’s been playing his own tunes with his backing band the Darlingtones and making a racket onstage with Overhand Sam & Bad Weapon and occasionally with some other groups.

https://www.facebook.com/alexnorthrupmusic/

Cover: $15 at the door


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