Live music in Cortland, NY

A long-running weekly open mic at The Nocturnal Café offers a welcoming stage for music and storytelling. In its fifth year and a local favorite in Ithaca, the evening features a rotating lineup of hosts that includes Aria Dawn, Satya Celeste, Laik Uticone, and others. Performers share songs or stories while the crowd enjoys a creative, community-centered atmosphere.

Orleans brings its Final Tour to the stage, celebrating a remarkable legacy. The pop rock group behind the 70s favorites Still The One, Dance With Me, and Love Takes Time marks 54 years with a catalog spanning more than 17 albums and four DVD releases, along with steady demand for live performances over five decades. The current touring lineup features co-founder Lance Hoppen with his brother and longtime member Lane Hoppen, joined by Brady Spencer, Tom Lane, and Tony Hooper, presenting the band’s music with spirit, finesse, and a faithful touch for audiences far and wide.

This showcase of original sounds from New York brings together three distinct acts. Mike Powell and The Echosound offer a Syracuse-rooted take on Americana rock built on original songs. Ruha takes its name from a Sanskrit term tied to self-cultivation and ascent, a guiding idea that shapes the band’s music. Digger Jones, a central New York blues rock trio with a presence that outstrips its three-piece lineup, draws influence from a century of blues and from rock and roll of the 60s, 70s, and today.

John Craigie has spent more than a decade crafting music that invites listeners in with unvarnished sincerity, favoring songs that feel like heartfelt conversations over showy theatrics.

At TreeHouse Studio & Lounge, a weekly Afro-Cuban traditional and folkloric dance class features live percussion and instruction from Adolfo Castillo and Lisbet Lopez, professional dancers and culture bearers from Guantánamo, Cuba. Sessions invite participants to connect with Afro-Cuban and Caribbean rhythms and to move with energy and intention. Expect narrative-driven dances, monthly introductions of new styles with warm-up reviews of earlier material, and a focus on the relationship between rhythm and movement with live drumming. Training supports technique useful across many movement arts and encourages both physical and mental well-being. The atmosphere is inclusive and welcoming. All ages, backgrounds, and experience levels are invited, and no prior dance experience is needed. Bringing water and a towel is recommended. The class runs with a minimum of six registered participants each week, and those enrolled are added to a WhatsApp group for class communication. Pricing is $15 per class when paid monthly, for example $60 for four weeks, or $20 for a single drop-in. Sliding scale options, pay-what-you-can, and punch card discounts are available, and no one is turned away for lack of funds. First-time students register and pay in advance via Venmo (@Salsa-Ithaca) or Cash App ($SalsaIthaca). To arrange payment by cash, check, or another method, indicate this on the registration form and an organizer will follow up. Registration signifies an agreement to pay. For questions or arrangements, contact 607-375-7090 or salsaithaca@gmail.com.