Live music in Onondaga County, NY

The Syracuse Food Truck Takeover & Market brings a rotating selection of local food trucks, live music, and vendors to the CNY Regional Market’s A-Shed. Guests can sample savory and sweet dishes while browsing unique finds and enjoying the performances. It runs rain or shine under the A-Shed, so everything stays covered if the weather turns.

After Dark Presents brings Wednesday 13 to The Song & Dance in Syracuse, with Above Snakes and Mythorya also performing. Entry is open to ages 16 and up with valid ID, and anyone younger than 16 must attend with a parent or legal guardian.

Jake Blount, pronounced blunt, brings a scholar’s insight and a performer’s fire to Black folk music at May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society in Syracuse, NY. First known for standout string band work, he now weaves deep archival repertoire with the pulse of contemporary Black genres, turning banjo, fiddle, electric guitar, and synthesizer into tools for reimagining tradition. His recordings, including acclaimed releases on Smithsonian Folkways, trace a path that bridges past and future while refusing easy genre labels. Recognitions such as the Steve Martin Banjo Prize, multiple International Folk Music Awards nominations, and top honors at Clifftop reflect both mastery and momentum. Blount’s résumé spans stages like Carnegie Hall, the Newport Folk Festival, the Library of Congress, and NPR’s Tiny Desk, along with collaborations that include Rhiannon Giddens, Molly Tuttle, the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Adia Victoria, Adeem The Artist, and the Kronos Quartet. Beyond performance, he is an active educator and advocate, sharing research on Black string band history at institutions such as Yale, Berklee, and the Smithsonian, and contributing writing to outlets including Rolling Stone, NPR, Paste, and No Depression. This engagement is supported by the Statewide Community Regrants Program of the New York State Council on the Arts with assistance from CNY Arts, by the County of Onondaga’s Tier Three Project Support program administered by CNY Arts, and through the generosity of Folkus members.

Haggis X-1 brings a rousing night of Celtic rock to Middle Ages Music Hall, powered by veteran members of Enter the Haggis. Marking three decades of spirited performances and memorable songs, the band pairs crowd-favorite pub anthems like "One Last Drink" and "Down With The Ship" with brand-new material. Expect propulsive rhythms, pipes, fiddle, and big choruses that spark communal singing, keeping the energy high throughout. The set blends beloved Enter the Haggis staples with new tunes for a vigorous, tuneful showcase made to set the room in motion. Presented by Visions FCU.

JTD brings music to Stingers Pizza Pub in Manlius, with food and drinks available to enjoy.

J & The Tie Dyers bring a harmony-forward set to Stingers, showcasing precise vocal blends. The evening centers on lively music and a friendly crowd.

Jamie McLean Band brings a lively, crowd-moving performance to the 443 Social Club, blending New Orleans soul, Americana roots, Delta blues, and a bit of New York swagger. Frontman Jamie McLean delivers searing guitar work and soulful vocals, honed through appearances alongside artists like Derek Trucks, Gregg Allman, Aaron Neville, and Dr. John at major stages that range from Madison Square Garden to Japan’s Fuji Rock. Expect heartfelt, honest songwriting with melodies and grooves that invite singing and dancing, all wrapped in a rich, roots-driven sound.

At captain Riley’s house, the Tigers high school cheer squad gathers for their annual sleepover, bringing along tangled love triangles, a lustful boyfriend, and lingering tension after a cheer stunt gone viral disrupts their team bonding. The night turns grim when a teammate dies in the front yard, leaving everyone to wonder whether more violence will follow and who is to blame. Driven by a pop-forward score with big belting and a playfully silly script, this musical mixes teen drama with a darkly comic mystery as the girls learn to cheer for themselves.

This program traces the vibrant currents of early twentieth century Paris with music that moves between jazz sparkle and modernist color. Darius Milhaud opens with Le boeuf sur le toit, a lively salute to the French avant-garde shaped by jaunty, jazz-tinged rhythms. Maurice Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major follows, blending refined grace with buoyant, syncopated energy. The finale is Igor Stravinsky's 1919 suite from The Firebird, by a composer whose work helped place Paris at the heart of musical modernism, glowing with iridescent orchestral hues and building to a triumphant close.

Soup Jam 2026 blends live music with homemade soups and chili for a friendly community gathering. The lineup includes Nate Gross Band, Vaporeyes, Jeremy Kennedy's Sacred Medicine, and Transient Kicks. A soup and chili cook-off invites cooks to compete for a year-long Middle Ages Music Hall concert pass. Attendees can sample entries, enjoy six hours of live performances, and vote for their favorites. A suggested donation of $10 is encouraged. Bring an appetite, invite friends, and, if you like to cook, bring your best recipe.

This concert spotlights the harp in a range of settings. Harpist Victoria Kinney teams up with pianist Svetlana Kuksgauzen for Barbara Irish’s arrangement of Maurice Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite for harp and piano. Additional performances include the Victoria Harp Ensemble and pieces for harp with flute, harp with bell tree, and harp with chamber orchestra. Further details will be shared.

Free Range Vocals is a circle singing and vocal improvisation workshop facilitated by Colleen Kattau. It offers a welcoming, low pressure space to connect through sound and reclaim your voice. Everyone is invited, and no prior singing experience is required. The approach draws on Bobby McFerrin’s Circle-song and Rhiannon’s Vocal River Series. Each session opens with deep listening, breath work, and gentle exercises to free the voice and throat. Participants explore music in motion, build improvised songs together in the circle, and those who wish may try guiding the group. The format is fully participatory and centers collective, creative singing. A sliding scale donation of $10 to $20 benefits Pink Rock Culture Co-op, pay what you can. An RSVP ticket count of at least five people is required no later than two days in advance for the workshop to take place. RSVP options are available for all months in 2026.