Thanksgiving Eve is the live music night of the year. See who's playing in the Utica area
Don’t be misled by all the Santa decorations and the Christmas displays on all the shelves of every store.
You didn’t lapse into a Tryptophan coma during your turkey dinner and sleep through the biggest party weekend of the year: Thanksgiving is still ahead, and with it the biggest live music night of the year, Thanksgiving Eve.
Don’t believe me? Check these out. You have more choices than pies at your Thanksgiving table.
Piggy Pat’s gets things off to a rocking start as they present a rare local performance by the ultimate Allman Brothers tribute band, Les Brers at 7 p.m.
Within the city confines, check out Showtime at Lukins (9:30 p.m.); Soul Injection at One Genny (9:30 p.m.) and Matt Grainger at the Utica Elks Lodge (6-9 p.m.). Isaac French will be at It’s a Utica Thing at 7 p.m.
A short drive out of town finds Steve Quenneville and Dave Liddy at the Cleveland House, 118 NY-49, Cleveland, and Kevin “K-Dogg” Dundon at Tavern on the Gorge in Prospect. Both shows are 6-9 p.m.
In Rome, options include Simple Props at the Snubbing Post, Spencer Morgan at DeMatteo’s and Shawn “Big Sexy" Smith at Franca’s.
In the valley, Don Pinto is at Heelpath Brewing in Frankfort from 6-9 p.m., Max Scialdone is at Fratello’s (also in Frankfort) from 7-10 p.m.; in Ilion Whiskey Creek has an 8 p.m. show at Matteson Hotel and Remedy hits the stage at Cacciatore’s at 8 p.m. Finally, Arthur’s Cottage & Hotel in Dolgeville welcomes One Day Escape with special guest Carson Murphy from 6:30-9 p.m.
Going west, advised famous bass player Greeley Ford (or someone). Not too far west. Stop in Westmoreland to catch an early 5-8 p.m. show with Second Breakfast at 7 Hamlets or Asylum Blue at Station 233 The Simple Bar at 7 p.m. Or go just a bit farther for My Darling Dreadful at Nothin’ Fancy in Vernon from 8 p.m. to midnight, Steele Brothers at Oneida American Legion from 7-10 p.m., Broken Rule at Vernon Downs from 6-10 p.m., or Before August at the Verona VFW at7:30 p.m. And, finally, a little further still will bring you to Chittenango, where you can hear Gridley Paige Naked & Scared from 6-9 p.m. at Yellow Brick Road.
Tired of fighting off Black Friday crowds for this year’s version of Tickle Me Elmo? You can recover when the party resumes on Friday, where you’ll find the Blarney Rebel Band at Piggy Pat’s at 7 p.m., Rocky Graziano playing solo at Baggs Square Brewing from 7-10 p.m. and Simple Props at Vernon Downs.
As always on special nights, some venues may be charging admission (even venues that usually don’t) some will have special hours, and some may actually require reservations, so it’s always a good idea to call ahead and check.
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Thanksgiving Eve: Where to hear live music in the Utica area
