Recent years have seen the Hudson Valley become a regular stop for touring bands on the independent end of the spectrum. Venues like BSP Kingston and Colony Woodstock bring some of the world’s best bands to small stages for intimate concerts that put you face-to-face with working musicians. Here are five shows to catch this summer if you love killer licks, beautiful harmonies, and cathartic sing-alongs.
Todd Snider
When: July 24
Where: Club Helsinki
RIYL: Sensitive Twang
Snider is a classic under-the-radar songwriter, penning a few sleeper 90s hits on records like Songs for the Daily Planet and working with remarkable consistency over the intervening 25 years. He gets support from Molly Thomas.
Martin Courtney and Ryley Walker
When: July 26
Where: BSP Kingston
RIYL: Jam Wizardry
Courtney and Walker find the midpoint between virtuoso guitar picking and hummable tunes, both in their solo work and in Courtney’s main gig as the frontman of easy-rock bigwigs Real Estate.
The Sweet Clementines
When: August 2
Where: The Falcon
RIYL: Smart Pop
John Burdick is the very definition of a scene mainstay, playing in, recording with, and promoting a good many local bands in his role as songwriter, guitarist, and music writer. His long-running Sweet Clementines project will be playing a handful of local dates this summer, including this intimate gig at The Falcon.
Mark Mulcahy
When: Aug 22
Where: BSP Kingston
RIYL: Jangle Pop
In his role as singer and songwriter for classic groups like Miracle Legion and Polaris, Mulcahy played on some of the catchiest songs this side of former tourmates REM. If you were a weird kid who watched lots of reruns on The N, you’ll know him from his iconic theme song for 90s classic The Adventures of Pete and Pete.
Sheer Mag
When: Aug 30
Where: BSP Kingston
RIYL: Ironic Riffs
Sheer Mag perform at that extremely fruitful intersection of idolatry and irony, appreciating both the awesomeness of riffy classics like “The Boys Are Back In Town” and Back in Black while pushing them to heights of both absurdity and beauty unimagined by their predecessors. 2019’s A Distant Call finds the radical politics in the band’s rad-as-hell sound.
