The annual Summer at the Plaza 2023 Festival lineup has been announced, taking place at the Empire State Plaza in Albany, featuring family-friendly concerts, movies, and festivals, starting with the annual July 4 celebration.
The Summer at the Plaza 2023 celebration kicks off on July 4 with an exciting program with incredible live music. The “Queen of Percussion” Sheila E. has made a name for herself as one of the most talented musical icons over the decades. She is fearless and passionate, following the beat of her drum, and touching the lives of many over the years. Sibling Upstate NY natives Jocelyn & Chris also perform. Along with the performances are the best fireworks display in the region and great food and beverages.
Featured on June 21 is a Pride Night Celebration with Jan’s Jukebox, of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 12 and All Stars season 6, and special guest DJ Phoenix, from 6-9 p.m.
The popular Lunchtime at the Plaza Concert Series returns this summer, featuring live music and a variety of food trucks on ten Wednesdays between June 7 and Aug. 16 from noon to 1:30 p.m.
The lunchtime concert series provides an excellent opportunity for state employees and the public to come to the Empire State Plaza and enjoy being out in warmer temperatures and summer sun while listening to live performances and eating a healthy lunch from one of the Plaza food vendors or shopping at the weekly farmers market.
Jeanette Moy, Commissioner of OGS
Kicking off the series is Acute Inflections, New York’s Jazzy R&B duo, consisting of Elasea Douglas (vocalist) and Sadiki Pierre (bassist). June 14 brings Upstate NY native Maria Zemantauski, who has toured Spain, Italy, and across the continental United States to great acclaim. She brings Brian Melick to perform a variety of Spanish classical, flamenco, and American fingerstyle music. June 21 features a Make Music Day celebration featuring Heard, a collective of musicians who bring their skills and passion for world music, jazz, and improvising to create irresistible grooves set in a unique sonic tapestry.
The Lunchtime at the Plaza series on June 28 acts have yet to be announced, and the following week has no concert because of the July 4 celebration. Veteran Appreciation Day is July 12, featuring the Gone Gray Band, performing a mix of 50s, 60s, and 70s music that shaped their lives. July 19’s show has acts that have also yet to be announced. July 26 features Carmen and Life’s Guilty Pleasures with lead singer Carmen Lookshire from Albany, performing a mix of jazz-infused songs. The last few weeks feature The Age performing R&B/soul on Aug. 2, The Dominant 5, a brass ensemble, on Aug. 9, and finally R&B group Legacy on Aug. 16.
The New York State Food Festival returns Aug. 16 from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. The annual Food Festival pairs a wide variety of delicious food and beverages with an exciting lineup of free entertainment, featuring the Robert Randolph & The Family Band, with an additional performance by Flavour. Robert Randolph has jumped from spiritual to secular music, finding an audience among roots rook aficionados, jam band followers, or blues fans with his fiery, passionate instrumental work and heartfelt music.
Returning on Sept. 13 from 5-9 p.m. is the Hops & Harvest Festival, celebrating the best of what autumn has to offer in Upstate New York as well as tasty beers crafted by several local breweries. This year will feature a performance by the Yonder Mountain String Band, with additional performances by Sicard Hollow and Bees in the Barn. Grammy-nominated progressive bluegrass group Yonder Mountain String Band is celebrating its 25th year as a band. Blending bluegrass with elements of rock, alternative, psychedelic and improvisational music, the band exists and excels in a rock world, without drums, as an acoustic group, performing at festivals, rock clubs, theaters, and stadiums.
Summer at the Plaza 2023 also features the Capital Concert series with a variety of artists. Commissioner Jeanette Moy said the lineup “includes something for everyone, with alternative, rock, country, and hip-hop artists taking the stage and providing the public with evenings full of free entertainment.” Kicking off the series on July 12 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. is Spin Doctors and Cracker. Spin Doctors, from New York City, had an extremely successful run in the 90s with their 1992 debut album Pocket Full of Kryptonite, featuring the familiar hits “Two Princes” and “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong.” Peaking at No. 4 on the Top 100 singles chart, “Two Princes” had more U.S. radio spins than any other rock & roll song in 1993.
Cracker has been described as a lot of things over the years: alt-rock, Americana, insurgent country, and many more. Cofounders David Lowery and Johnny Hickman have been rockin’ for a quarter of a century – amassing ten studio albums, multiple gold records, thousands of live performances, and hit songs that are still in current radio rotation around the globe, including “Low,” “Euro-Trash Girl,” “Get Off This” and “Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out With Me.”
July 19 brings heavy-hitting rock legend Night Ranger to the stage, captivating audiences with its killer melodies, and intricate instrumentation, selling over 17 million albums worldwide, performing across more than 4,000 stages, and acquiring a radio audience that exceeds one billion. They have earned widespread recognition that includes both multi-platinum and gold albums, and have released an impressive amount of hit singles and album tracks including “Sister Christian,” “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me,” “When You Close Your Eyes,” and the anthemic “(You Can Still) Rock In America.”
Returning to the Summer at the Plaza series on July 26 is the unique modern country Eli Young Band, a true band of brothers who play their own instruments and write their own songs. The band was founded by Eli Young with guitarist James Young, bassist Jon Jones, and drummer Chris Thompson at the University of North Texas in 2000. The trailblazing group has come a long way since its founding, producing Billboard’s No. 1 Country Song of the Year and winning the ACM Award for Song of the Year with “Crazy Girl,” plus multiple CMA, CMT, ACA, and Teen Choice Award nominations.
Closing out the Capital Concert Series is a hip-hop night with Big Daddy Kane, featuring performances by Roxanne Shanté and Black Sheep. Big Daddy Kane made a name for himself as one of hip-hop’s most lyrical, diverse, innovative, trendsetting MCs. He is the first rapper to ever hold two sold-out shows at the world-famous Apollo Theater for women only. With several gold albums, Kane has endured a long career, releasing iconic songs like “Ain’t No Half Steppin’,” “Raw,” “Smooth Operator,” “Warm It Up,” and more.
Other events include free fitness classes starting June 6, free and open to individuals of all ages, regardless of fitness level or experience. The classes will be held at a new outdoor location on the Empire State Plaza this summer, between The Egg and Cornerstone. Lessons take place every Tuesday and Thursday through Aug. 31 from 5-6 p.m.
For more information about the Summer at the Plaza 2023 lineup, visit here.
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