Although the temperature drops quickly, music in Central New York never truly cools down. From country superstars to vibrant local venues, the fall music schedule is ramping up.
Lakeview Amphitheater: (Onondaga Lake Park) Country pop superstar Miranda Lambert, known for singing songs with an edge, will be the first to break ground at the brand-new venue on Thursday, Sept. 3, 7:30 p.m. Lambert’s recent divorce from Blake Shelton has been her most-talked about feature lately, but the singer has won numerous Country Music Awards, including New Artist of the Year in 2005, as well as a Grammy Award for “The House That Built Me.” She’s one of the most powerful voices in country today, and a major booking for the theater’s debut.
Center for the Arts: (72 S. Main St., Homer; (607) 749-4900) The fall schedule at this 450-seat theater offers a truly expansive catalog. Starting with a Hot Tuna acoustic duo set on Sept. 25, the series goes on to feature Charlie Bertini and the AppleJazz Band (Oct. 3), a Halloween costume party with gypsy-jazzers Caravan of Thieves (Oct. 31), Amy Helm (daughter of Levon Helm) and the Handsome Strangers (Nov. 28) and a Christmas show with Grammy Award-winning Eileen Ivers (Dec. 5). Now under the leadership of Ty Marshal (former New Times digital media manager), as newly-appointed executive director, the venue marks its 10th year of operation.
Nelson Odeon: (4035 Nelson Road, Nelson; 655-9193) Owners and operators Jeff and Linda Schoenfeld are consistently ahead of the curve, with a knack for bringing remarkable talent to one of the warmest rooms in the region. Focused on finding the best sounds for the room, the couple brings all types of genres, but all with the same high standards. This season, acts like Danielle Miraglia (Sept. 12), the Jack Grace Band (Oct. 3), Sultans of String (Feb. 5) and more will light up the old grange hall.
Sterling Stage Kampitheater: (274 Kent Road, Sterling; (818) 212-9489) Although most camping festivals have already happened throughout the summer, one final episode at Sterling Stage hangs on into September. The eighth annual Last Daze of Summer Festival, Sept. 17 to 20, features roots, jam and folk music with bands like Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Fishbone, Wild Adriatic, Formula 5 and many more. .
Westcott Theater: (524 Westcott St.; 299-8886) Boasting an impressive lineup of music, the Westcott Nation club continues to draw in acts that speak to all crowds. Charlie Musselwhite (Sept. 13), Grammatik (Sept. 15) and Rusted Root (Sept. 16) all play within days, while Donna the Buffalo (Sept. 26), Metalachi (Oct. 13), Papadosio (Nov. 19) and Assembly of Dust (Nov. 20) follow close behind. With a revamped facility, the theater continues to bring in many types of talent to the mid-size room.
Lost Horizon: (5863 Thompson Road, DeWitt; 446-1934) Hardcore enthusiasts, metal maniacs and those who like their music headbangingly loud will always find a home at this long-established club. Upcoming headliners, many of them part of four-band nights, include Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls (Sept. 22), Nothing More (Sept. 23), Saywecanfly (Sept. 25), Otherwise (Sept. 28), Black Dahlia Murder (Oct. 1), Whitey Morgan (Oct. 16), Cannibal Corpse (Oct. 17) and Blessthefall (Nov. 2).
Funk N Waffles Downtown: (313 S. Clinton St.; 473-1060) After opening this second location (the mothership is still at 727 S. Crouse Ave. in the Syracuse University area) in December 2014, this venue has taken off like a bullet. Now bringing music downtown every day of the week, events span from Grateful Dead nights to jazz jams, with national and local talent filling in more dates. Boots N Shorts (Aug. 28), Tauk (Sept. 8), Sophistafunk (every Wednesday in September), Butternut Creek Revival (Sept. 20), The Brethren (Sept. 26) and more will all hit the venue throughout the fall.
Symphoria: (Performances at the Mulroy Civic Center’s Crouse-Hinds Concert Theater, 421 Montgomery St.; 299-5598) Symphoria’s schedule is split up into Masterworks, Pops, Casual, Spark, Kids and Specials, enabling listeners of all types the ability to enjoy the music in a variety of ways and settings. Pianist twins Christina and Michelle Naughton will perform Poulenc’s “Double Piano Concerto” on Sept. 12, Syracuse favorite Julie Albers comes back to play Dvorak’s “Cello Concerto” on Oct. 10 and Itzhak Perlman performs Beethoven’s “Violin Concerto” on Nov. 1.
Syracuse Friends of Chamber Music: (Performances at H.W. Smith School, 1130 Salt Springs Road; 682-7720) This group has been pulling in acclaimed ensembles for 66 years and the classical beat goes on with the Pacifica Quartet (Sept. 19), the Atos Trio (Oct. 17), the Salidore String Quartet (Nov. 14), a woodwind festival with Symphoria members (Jan. 30), the Dublin Guitar Quartet (March 5), the Prima Trio (April 2) and the Jupiter Quartet (April 30).
Folkus Project: (Performances at May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society, 3800 E. Genesee St.) The folk-flavored organization fields another tasty lineup, including Dar Williams (Sept. 25), Mouths of Babes (Oct. 9), Jay Ungar and Molly Mason (Oct. 23), the Young Novelists (Nov. 6), Ann Armstrong and Steve Hughes (Nov. 20) and the Sloan Wainwright Band (Dec. 11).
Earlville Opera House: (18 E. Main St., Earlville; 691-3550) This historic venue, which has brought activities and the arts to the community since 1892, continues to feature world-renowned talent on its stunning stage. The Eileen Jewell Band’s smoky blues will visit Sept. 12 and the incredible John Sebastian and David Grisman will play Oct. 2. This is a venue to keep an eye — and ear — on.