The New York State Blues Festival took place at the fairgrounds in Syracuse on June 11, 12, and 13. The festival, which was founded in 1992 and has become an annual summer staple in Central New York, featured 18 different musical acts over three days.

Festival headliner Gary Clark Jr. closed out the weekend on Saturday in front of an estimated crowd of 15,000. Attendees packed the Chevy Court area of the fairgrounds, creating a scene reminiscent of one seen during the New York State Fair. Clark was making his first return to Central New York since a sold-out performance at Beak & Skiff in 2024. The blues-rock guitarist dazzled attendees with his spirited and psychedelic guitar playing. They performed for nearly two hours, bringing the festival to a stunning close.

Friday was headlined by rising star Grace Bowers. While much debate has surrounded what genre Bowers fits into, with Bowers herself proclaiming early in her Friday set that she was not a blues act, one thing was certain: those in attendance were witnessing the rise of a musical force. Bowers blurred the lines of blues, jazz and grunge rock with her guitar playing, during their 90 minute set. The band covered Hole’s “Celebrity Skin” early on, and one could see musical similarities to Courtney Love. Her band kept pace the whole way, despite travel difficulties which prevented their regular bass player from making it to the show in time. This forced them to perform as a trio, with her normal guitarist shifting to bass duties. One never would have known if Bowers didn’t mention it, a true testament to the skill of the band.

Over the course of three days, there was plenty of music to appease blues purists. Standout sets included Piper & the Hard Times, Ray Fuller & the Blues Rockers, and Eddie 9V. Blues saxophoneist Vanessa Collier, a Central New York favorite, dazzled attendees, performing her own rendition of a guitar-dual with guitarist Laura Chavez, only this time with Collier armed with a sax.

The festival also had several Central New York ties, with the Joe Whiting Band, Matt Tarbell, Phil Petroff, and Colin Aberdeen all performing throughout the festival, along with Blues Ignition, a Central New York based student-led blues rock band, which kicked off Saturday’s music.

While the weekend was nearly perfect, things weren’t without challenges. The start of the festival was met with thunderstorms and heavy rain, which swept in shortly after JW-Jones began his set on Thursday. This forced concert goers to seek shelter in nearby buildings and while the forecast looked bleak at times, the rain eventually gave way. Those who stuck around were treated to sets from Rick Estrin and the Nightcats, and Tommy Castro and the Painkillers, who had quite the blues jam late in the evening, with Estrin, and Syracuse’s own Nate Gross joining on stage.

One of the aspects I appreciate most about the New York State Blues Festival is that they do an excellent job showcasing the musical acts. While many festivals feature large numbers of acts performing rushed, 30 minute sets, Blues Fest schedules the most acts for 90 minute sets. This allows for the artists to settle in to their performances and deliver sets similar to what you would experience at a stand alone concert, allowing their skills to shine and creating a better listening environment for attendees.