Upstate Beat: Winter preview – Shows to heat up the months ahead

January is always my least favorite month. The holidays are over, the Christmas tree lies in a sad heap on the curb and a long month of dreary, dark days lies ahead.

Then there are those New Year’s resolutions – perhaps sorely needed, but often not fun. Dry January? I’ll be over here Googling mocktail recipes and crying into my zero-proof herbal elixir.

Then there’s the weather. Although winter is not what it used to be, January can still be one of the coldest months. What can we do? If you’re like me, you take solace in upcoming shows that promise to heat up the bleak days of January and the arctic blast of February.

In that spirit, here are 10 shows to add some fire and spice to the season.

Jan. 13. The Extreme Music Awards come to Empire Live in Albany, a production by Mike Valente of Brick by Brick and a handful of local promoters of metal, punk and hardcore music. It’s the first event of its kind, so we’re not fully sure what will ensue, but there will be awards to honor fixtures of the area scene, an all-star jam and a host of headbanging guest appearances. 

Jan. 19. The Troy trio Super 400, featuring Joe Daley on drums, Kenny Hohman on guitar and Lori Friday on bass, will heat up The Hangar on the Hudson in Troy with a rocking start to 2024.

The band, known for “telekinetic jams and big love,” in its own words, as well as a heady ‘60s and ‘70s rock vibe, is supporting the upcoming album “Spirit in the Sound.” 

Jan. 27. Lead singer and guitarist Mark Gamsjager leads a Winter Dance Party with his rockabilly revival outfit the Lustre Kings in the big hall of the Capital District Irish American Association in Albany. Dust off the dancing shoes because there will be a free swing dance lesson at 7 p.m. before the band gets rocking at 7:30.

Jan. 27. Showman Chandler Travis, a longtime opening act for George Carlin, pairs two of his favorite new projects in a special split bill at Caffe Lena featuring himself with the noisy, nutty and electric group the Buttercups as well as the quieter and acoustic Channy n Johnny. Whether slyly absurd or outright funny, the show will likely never be boring. 

Feb. 11. Jon Spencer, a legend in underground rock who last played in the area at Albany’s Lark Hall, comes to No Fun in Troy with the HITmakers, his art-punk group. Expect Spencer to look eternally young as he executes dexterous knee bends and monstrous guitar riffs while drummer Bob Bert – formerly of Sonic Youth – wails on his junkyard drum kit.

Feb. 16. The stage will heat up at Universal Preservation Hall when Bassekou Kouyate, a master of the ngoni – an ancient traditional lute found throughout West Africa – travels to Saratoga Springs for the Passport Series with his band Nogni ba to showcase a rootsy new album, “Miri,” about love, friendship and family. 

Feb. 16. New Orleans native son Glen David Andrews brings his commanding voice and fierce trombone sound to Lark Hall in Albany backed by his high-powered ensemble that fuses jazz, gospel, rock, blues and funk. Albany locals the NoLaNauts open.

Feb. 16. This show might be subdued at times, but it will also be combustible when singer Chan Marshall of Cat Power unleashes her song-by-song rendition of Bob Dylan’s 1966 Royal Albert Hall concert, one of the most fabled live sets of all time, at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. As in the original concert, Marshall will keep the first half entirely acoustic before switching to electric with a full band.

Feb. 18. Pop-punker Ted Leo is the showcase of Valentine’s week at No Fun in Troy, a weeklong celebration of the former Albany music venue that inspired many area rockers. Leo is known for his brisk, modish rock delivered with passion and political fire. Although he often performs with his band the Pharmacists, Leo’s most recent album is the solo “The Hanged Man.”

Feb. 28. Alabama eight-piece soul band St. Paul & the Broken Bones brings a new album, “Angels in Science Fiction,” and a potent live show to The Egg in Albany. The Egg isn’t typically the best spot for dancing, but surely some converts to the gospel-soul of this horn- and rhythm-fueled band will be up in the aisles and moving. 

The Week Ahead

Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs hosts a benefit tonight with clarinetist Evan Christopher’s Clarinet Road headlining the two-set show that supports Horns for Haiti, an organization providing musical instruments, repairs and mentoring to Haiti musicians. The group was founded by Bill Cole of the Woodwind Shop located downstairs from Caffe Lena. 5:30 p.m. for the dinner; concert at 7 p.m.

Local musician, theater artist and all-around creative force Josh Chambers died in 2021, but his parents Joe and Betty Chambers of Greenwich keep his artistic memory — and love for Caffe Lena — alive by hosting an annual celebration every winter. Friday’s Rock & Recitation in Memory of Josh Chambers at Caffe Lena is sold out but can be streamed at https://caffelena.tv. All proceeds benefit Caffe Lena, where Josh performed many times with his rock band Throwdown Bouquet and developed his theater company Fovea Floods. 7 p.m.

After local musician and music-scene supporter Ben Rowe was killed in a senseless shooting in Albany, his mother founded the Benjamin X. Rowe Project, a nonprofit dedicated to providing resources for aspiring artists. On Saturday, Empire Underground in Albany hosts a memorial show to honor Rowe and raise funds for the project featuring Escuela Grind, Halobite, Malicious Offense, Dogpisser, CPS and Flatwounds. 6 p.m.

Elvis, aka the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, often chose to celebrate his birthday quietly at his beloved Graceland estate. But fortunately those who honor his memory often choose to do it loudly, as will local rockabilly musicians Johnny Rabb and the Tichy Boys when they celebrate the King’s 89th birthday on Saturday at the Hangar on the Hudson in Troy. 8 p.m.

Reach Kirsten Ferguson at theupstatebeat@gmail.com.