Jan 1: Buffalo Stack The members of this band — which combines slide blues guitar, gospel organ chords, New Orleans-style horns and group harmonies, bluesy roots-rock — originally met at one of Levon Helm’s Woodstock barn jam sessions. 7:30 p.m. $15 (advance) $20 (door).
Jan 6: Gratefully Yours This dynamic band has very firmly established itself as the premiere Grateful Dead cover band in the Northeast. 8:30 p.m. $15 (advance) $20 (door).
Jan 7: Rick Danko Tribute Professor Louie and The Crowmatix, Kingston’s Rock Of Ages Horns, and Dan Shaut perform a concert honoring the late Rick Danko, who made a splash in the music industry as lead singer, bassist, and acoustic guitar player for The Band. 8:30 p.m. $20 (advance) $25 (door).
Jan 8: Open Mic Finals This ever-popular contest (it began in 1988 and has been a highly anticipated event ever since), which lets local talent shine, enters its final rounds. 7 p.m. $8, free for members.
Jan 13: Greg Brown You know you’ve made it as a songwriter when the likes of Willie Nelson, Carlos Santana, Shawn Colvin, Mary Chapin Carpenter, even Jeff Bridges cover your song — which is the case for Greg Brown. 8:30 p.m. $40 (advance) $45 (door).
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Jan 15: Brother Sun This trio of singer/songwriters not only have unique songs and lyrics to offer audiences, but also tremendous harmonies. 7:30 p.m. $20 (advance) $25 (door).
Jan 21: Livingston Taylor When this now-iconic folk artist picked up his first guitar at age 13, he had no idea it would be the start of a 40-year musical career. 8:30 p.m. $40 (advance) $45 (door).
Jan 27: Donna the Buffalo Having performed together for almost a quarter-century, this Americana band infuses original roots music, Cajun, rock, folk, reggae, and country into its sound. 8:30 p.m. $30 (advance) $35 (door).
Jan 28: Roomful of Blues The eight-piece group is known as one of the most joyful blues bands in the country. 8:30 p.m. $30 (advance) $35 (door). • The Towne Crier Café, 379 Main St, Beacon, 845.855.1300; www.townecrier.com
Jan 5: Ari Hest Born to two musical parents, this pop-rocker grew his fan base touring college campuses across the country and now has recorded 10 records. 8 p.m. $25.
Jan 6: Mike Fox and Tom Hammer This dynamic duo are making waves with their “The Bruce Show Unplugged” performance, which is an acoustic tribute to Bruce Springsteen. 8:30 p.m. $15.
Jan 12: Chris Ayer A solo guitarist, Ayer has recently signed with Sony Records, has recorded two albums, and was the 2013 recipient of the 2006 John Lennon Songwriting Contest for his original composition “Evaporate.” 8 p.m. $25.
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Jan 13: The Kennedys A husband-and-wife team, Pete and Maura Kennedy have been performing folk rock music together since 1994. 8 p.m. $25
Jan 15: Rita Harvey A former Broadway performer, Rita Harvey pays homage to the music of Linda Ronstadt. 4 p.m. $20.
Jan 20: Ellis Paul A singer/songwriter/folk artist who hails from Maine, Paul helped spark the folk music revival movement of the 1990s. 8 p.m. $20.
Jan 28: Deb De Lucca and Annie Masciandaro These two songstresses pay tribute to the music of Carole King and Karen Carpenter. 8:30 p.m. $25. • The Turning Point Cafe, 468 Piermont Ave, Piermont, 845.359.1089; www.turningpointcafe.com
Jan 7: Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto Russian pianist Ilya Rashkovskiy joins the Albany Symphony and plays one of Tchaikovsky’s finest compositions (which was dubbed “impossible to play” by his contemporaries, yet he refused to alter a single note). Other pieces in the night’s repertoire include Barber’s School For Scandal and Corigliano’s Of Rage and Remembrance. 7:30 p.m.
Jan 29: Finding DO–Re (and MI) Inspired by the Disney/Pixar blockbuster film Finding Dory, this concert takes young audience members on an underwater journey and teaches them the basics of music through the works of Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, and Puccini. 3 p.m. $20, children free. The Palace Theatre, 19 Clinton Ave, Albany, 518.465.3335; www.albanysymphony.com
Jan 10: Dancing with the Stars Live Competitors from the smash hit ABC series Dancing with the Stars take Poughkeepsie by storm with some of their electrifying choreographies. 7:30 p.m. $37–$77. • Mid-Hudson Civic Center, 14 Civic Center Plaza, Poughkeepsie, 845.454.5800; www.midhudsonciviccenter.org
Jan 13: The Wailers Featuring original members of the legendary band Bob Marley and the Wailers, these beloved musicians play a set list full of their all-time hits like “One Love.” 8 p.m. $38–$58.
Jan 14: Satisfaction — The International Rolling Stones Show This touring cover band has performed upwards of 2,500 tribute concerts over the past 15 years. 8 p.m. $30–$35.
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Jan 15: M.E. Live One of the Valley’s favorite songbirds, Melissa Etheridge has several awards under her belt, including an Oscar. 7 p.m. $68– $148.
Jan 26: Kris Kristofferson This musician is best-known for his hits “Me and Bobby McGee,” “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” “Sunday Morning Coming Down,” and “For the Good Times.” 8 p.m. $58–$108.
Jan 29: Westchester Symphonic Winds “Determination & Grit” This concert — which includes a repertoire of work by David Maslanka, Jack Stamp and Aspen Jubilee, Ron Nelson, and Carl Holmquist among others — explores the tenacity of the human spirit. 3 p.m. $20. Tarrytown Music Hall, 13 Main St, Tarrytown, 914.631.3390; www.tarrytownmusichall.org.
Jan 18: Pat Methany Known as one of the most innovative guitarists of our day, Pat Methany has won 20 Grammy Awards in 12 different genres. 7:30 p.m. $35–$55.
Jan 28: An Evening With Zeppelin Complete This six-piece ensemble is the brainchild of Hammer of the Gods, the foremost Led Zeppelin tribute band around. 8 p.m. $30–$45.
Jan 29: Los Lobos Combining blues, rockabilly, jazz, Latin and their own Mexican-American heritage, this band is recognized as one of the world’s foremost contemporary roots-rock bands. 7:30 p.m. $35–$50. • The Egg Center for Performing Arts, Empire State Plaza, Albany, 518.473.1845; www.theegg.org
Jan 20: Stockade Music Live The Stockade Kids — three up-and-coming acts from the local Schenectady area — combine their original compositions with popular songs for a live mash-up concert. 7:30 p.m. $15.
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Jan 22: Schenectady Symphony Orchestra In an evening performance entitled “Fresh Voices,” the orchestra plays a repertoire consisting of Symphony No. 8, F major, op.93 by Ludwig van Beethoven; Pavane, op. 50 by Gabriel Fauré; Vocalise by Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Mass of the Children by John Rutter. Joining the orchestra is the Niskayuna HS Chorus which sings Underwritten by Feibes & Schmitt. 3 p.m. $40–$65.
Jan 28: Domino: A Van Morrison Experience Atlanta-based singer Greg Hester sings Van Morrison’s greatest hits, “Wild Night,” “Brown-Eyed Girl,” “Domino” and more. 8 p.m. $20–$40. • Proctors, 432 State St, Schenectady, 518.346.6204; www.proctors.org
Jan 21: Amy Helm Daughter of legendary Levon Helm, Amy has made a name for herself in the music world as a singer/songwriter and released her debut solo album Didn’t it Rain in July 2015. 8 p.m. $25–$35.
Jan 28: Taylor, Chapin, and EVA Folk legends Livingston Taylor and Tom Chapin team up with the female harmonizing of the ensemble EVA for an evening of classic American roots, original tunes, and folk-revival music. 7:30 p.m. $26–$63. Cohoes Music Hall, 58 Remsen St, Cohoes, 518.465.4663; www.cohoesmusichall.com
Jan 22: Gaelic Storm This multinational group has been performing together for nearly two decades — and have even done 3,000 live shows. Its latest release, Matching Sweaters, provides its signature unique blend of traditional Irish tunes with a modern twist. 7 p.m. $20–40. • Paramount Hudson Valley, 1008 Brown St, Peekskill, 914.739.0039; www.paramounthudsonvalley.com
Our Pick
One might think that a band with eight studio albums and 3.5 million tracks sold online — as well as 18 years of performing more than 100 shows per year — would want to sit back and relax a bit. But the opposite is the case with Umphrey’s McGee, who roll into Albany this month. Formed on the Notre Dame college campus in 1997, the group has pushed the envelope of the rock genre ever since. Its most recent album, The London Session, was recorded in the legendary Studio Two at Abbey Road and was completed in only one day. Jan 28, 7:30 p.m. $25–$30, The Palace Theatre, 19 Clinton Ave, Albany, 518.465.3335; www.palacealbany.com
