Fridays in June at Funk n Waffles Downtown, Presented by NYS Music

NYS Music is once again proud to host Friday nights at Funk n Waffles in June. A stellar lineup of music is on tap all month long, with local and regional bands highlighting the month.

June 3 – Formula 5 with Michael Mwenso & The Shakes

June Funk n Waffles Whether you enjoy jam, jazz, funk, reggae, or electro beats… the Capital District’s Formula 5 will satisfy your musical needs. Inspired by their jam band idols, the band creates original funk-filled tunes with stimulating and expressive lyrics, soaring melodies and an emphasis on solid instrumentation and improvisation. The group’s fan base continues to grow as they’ve opened for such headliners as Twiddle, Dopapod, Spiritual Rez, and the Heavy Pets; and took over stages at Catskill Chill, Disc Jam, The Big Up, Strange Creek, and Buffalove.

Michael Mwenso and the Shakes present an improvisational execution of a powerful, soulful eclectic mix of soul/jazz/blues derived from  jazz legends such as Miles Davis and Lionel Hampton. The Harlem “mood” captivates audiences and reinforces the classic, historic feel one could relate to the late night NYC jazz scene. Soulfully driven vocals are backed up by the funky ensemble of horn-powered, bass-layered body of the Shakes.

June 10 – Candid with Castle Creek

The acclaimed hometown rockers, Candid, bring the people of Syracuse a familiar spark their growing, loyal fan base appreciates them for. The heavy-hitting rock band Candid has been on the scene since late 1998, playing alongside international renowned bands such as Fountains of Wayne, Tonic, Vertical Horizon, Andrew W.K. and Strangefolk.

Local barnyard burners Kim Monroe and Chris Eves are a powerful duo out of Syracuse. Using lyrically powerful ballads and a blues/jam influenced musicianship to captivate audiences throughout upstate New York all while maintaining their roots of familiar classic rock artists such as Led Zeppelin, the Grateful Dead, and Pink Floyd. Castle Creek  leaves their own lasting mark on fans at each venue they perform.

June 17 – William Thompson Funk Experiment with Binger and Ampevene

Uplifting, interactive , and talented, the William Thompson Funk Experiment is sure to leave crowds jubilant and moving through the late night hours. Hailing from Worcester, Massachusetts, the William Thompson Funk Experiment can be compared to the party of Dopapod, Mister F, and Formula 5, and are sure to provide a powerful performance.

Based out of Burlington, Vermont, Binger creates a unique sound, using the diverse musical soundscape of their collective influences. Elusively shedding any genre they manage to employ (often within the same song), Binger combines elements of progressive psychedelia, deep grooves of hip-hop, and improvisational jazz to create a style that gracefully skirts the line between delightful and perplexing; inventing a sound that reels you in and keeps you there with a cohesive, yet eclectic energy. 

Ampevene delivers a highly energetic, atmospheric environment, tearing the borders between every genre at their disposal. Ampevene continues to set the bar high for progressive rock throughout New York, keeping spectators on their heels from their improvisational clash of metal and jazz.

June 24- The New Daze with Space Bacon

Since 2011, the atmospheric jam quartet, The New Daze, have been using their improvisational prowess to transcend jam rock as we know it, displaying an inter-dimensional  clash of musicianship . The New Daze are no strangers to Funk n Waffles, having graced the downtown stage many times. They are also scheduled to perform at historic venues such as Nectar’s in Burlington, Vermont and Garcia’s in Port Chester. With all four of it’s members contributing vocals as well as wielding their instruments, each member has a crucial role in the direction of a performance. The New Daze, playing a unique set each night, creates its own sound of “electric boogified-rage-reggae-funk-crunch-goop”.

If you like the concept of space, and a delicious side of breakfast meat, there is really no going wrong with Space Bacon. This jamtronica quartet based out of Brooklyn is sure to leave audiences dancing and uplifted as it creates an intense, immersive fusion of electronica and funk. Space Bacon is soon to play Disc Jam in Stephantown (June 9-12), along with artists such as Dopapod, Electron, Tauk, and many others. The quartet’s love for intergalactic pork and space-seasoned fresh cuts of funky-electronic trance is a spectacle one should not miss.

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