Editor’s Note: Steve Nover has been a Nippertown-area icon for many, many years. If you go see live music, you have certainly seen him, even if you didn’t know it. But he’s not just a guy who goes to a lot of random concerts…he is an arbiter of good taste. Steve showing up at a show means you probably picked the right show. You can also find him on Mondays, playing percussion at the CRBN Blues Jam, at the occasional Dance performance, and in the starring role in this terrific video by As Iz.
Here is Steve’s list of the Top shows he went to this year. – Mike
- Freihofer’s Jazz festival at SPAC; Booker T’s Stax revue, Galactic, Con Trumbao, Robert Glasper, Hot Club of Saratoga, Ozmosys band featuring Omar Hakim & Rachel Z, Anna Figarova Sextet, Dan Wilson Trio, Connie Han Trio, Craig Handy & Second Line Smith, Emmaline, Matt Wilson’s Honey & Salt & Red Baraat Saratoga, June 25th
- Freihofer’s Jazz Festival; Elaine Elias, Ledisi, Mather Whittaker, Super Blue; Kurt Elling & Charlie Hunter, Jazz At Lincoln Center, Garland Nelson’s A Joyful Noise, Cha Wa, Tempo Libre, Carolyn Wonderland, Skidmore Jazz Institute Faculty All-Stars, Ryan Keberle & Catharsis Saratoga June 26th
- Outlaw Music festival; Willie Nelson, Billy Strings, Larkin Poe, Avett brothers & Brittney Spencer SPAC September 18th, Saratoga
- Roger Waters MVP Arena, Albany NY July 20th….the single Concert of the year
- Thievery Corporation Empire Live Albany December 4th
- Stereolab The Basilica Hudson, October 5th
- St. Vincent Empire Live Albany, September 14th
- The Fab Faux the Hart Theater The Egg, Albany November 6th
- Steel Pulse, Aurelio Music Haven Schenectady, July 10th
- Trombone Shorty the Hart Theater The Egg, November 1st
- Nipperfest; The Figgs, Super 400, Sirsy, Girl Blue, Erin Harkes, Plan B, Glass Pony, Bad Mothers, Sawyer Fredericks, Sydney Worthley, Reese Fulmer, Caity Gallagher, Josh Casano, Angelina Valente & The Tradition Music haven Schenectady, July 23rd
- DakhaBrakha Music Haven Schenectady, August 4th
- Bonnie Raitt Palace Theater Albany, April 15th
- Jon Anderson w/ The Paul Green Academy Hart Theater The Egg Albany, August 6th
- Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives The Hart Theater The Egg Albany, January 30th
- Lemon Bucket Orkestra, Golfstrom Music Haven Schenectady, July 31st
- Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo Empire State Plaza Albany, July 13th
- Inner Circle, King Yellowman Empire State Plaza Albany, July 20th
- Joan Osborne w/ special guest Cindy Cashdollar The Swyer Theater The Egg Albany, November 11th
- Momix The Hart Theater The Egg Albany, October 6th
- Amir Elsaffar’s Rivers of Sound Orchestra Troy Music Hall Troy, April 27th
- Zakir Hussain & Triveni w/ Kala Ramnath & Jayanthi kumaresh The Swyer Theater The Egg Albany, April 10th
- Dave Mason The Hart Theater The Egg Albany, February 16th
- Melle Mel & Scorpio of Grandmaster Flash, The Sugarhill Gang Empire State Plaza Albany, July27th
- Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Alex Torres Y Sus Amigos Music Haven Schenectady, August 7th
- Kenny Barron Trio Skidmore Zankel Music Center Saratoga, June 28th
- Bela Fleck featuring Sierra Hull Hart Theater The Egg Albany, April 8th
- Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas, The Brass Machine Music Haven Schenectady, July 17th
- Puss N Boots featuring Norah Jones Sasha Dobson & Catherine Popper Larkhall Albany, March 22nd
- Stephane Wrembel The Linda Albany, December 3rd…..& free show outdoors at The Clark Museum, August 24th
- Steve Vai The Hart Theater The Egg Albany, November 5th
- Richard Lloyd, Family Tree Putnam Place Saratoga, May 14th
- Shemekia Copeland, Matt Mirabile, Mark & Jill Music Haven Schenectady, July 28th
- Jorma Kaokonen The Swyer Theater The Egg Albany, December 13th
- Billy Bragg Troy Music hall Troy, October 11th
- Sonny Landruth & Cindy Cashdollar The Swyer Theater The Egg Albany October 2nd
- Leo Kottke The Swyer Theater The Egg Albany, October 28th
- Vieux Farka Toure Caffe Lena Saratoga, August 9th
- Loudon Wainwright lll Swyer Theater The Egg Albany, April 29th
- The great Guitars; Martin Taylor, Frank Vignola & John Jorgenson The Swyer Theater The Egg Albany, April 30th
Best of the Rest (in no particular order)
- Renaissance Troy Music hall Troy, October 27th
- The Figgs The Hangar On The Hudson Troy, December 3rd
- The Surfrajettes, The Jagaloons & The Abyssmals The Hangar On The Hudson Troy, November 5th
- Todd Rundgren The Hart Theater The Egg Albany, July 19th
- The Sharks, Johnny Rabb & The Jailhouse Rockers The Hollow Bar & Kitchen April 9th
- Sky Furrow No Fun Troy, October 8th
- The Staziaks & others tribute to Scott Dorrance The Hangar On The Hudson October24th
- Frigg, Alisdair Fraser & Natalie Haas Music haven Schenectady, August 21st
- Felicia Collins Music Haven Schenectady, August 9th
- Steep Canyon Rangers, Nora Brown Music Haven Schenectady, August 14th
- Sammy Miller & The Congregation, Schenectady Faculty jazz Combo Music Haven Schenectady, July 24th
- Embe Esti The Jive Hive Albany, September 25th
- Moe Empire State Plaza Albany, July 6th
- Robert Fripp talk & Q & A The Swyer Theater The Egg Albany, September 24th
- Dadtet Niskayuna Town Hall Niskayuna, August 31st
- Albert Cummings Athens Concert Series Athens , August 5th
- Glenn David Andrews Larkhall Albany, May 28th
- Omar Sosa & Secku Keita The Sanctuary For Independent media Troy, April 1st
- Jocamo Nanola Malta,June 4th
- Keith Pray w/ Mike Wooten & Joe barna 9 Maple Ave. Saratoga October 15th
- Fuego Sonora HVCC,Troy, December 1st
- Hot Club Of Saratoga HVCC Troy, October 27th-
- Thomasina Winslow HVCC Troy, November 3rd
- Tulipfest; Parquet Courts, Welshly Arms, Powerhouse Funk band, Taina Asilli Washington Park Albany, May 7th
- Gringo Starr & His All-Stars The Hangar on the Hudson Troy, April 10th
- Cactus Blossoms, Alexa Rose The Hangar on the Hudson troy, March 29th
- NEQ, Marc Delgado The Hollow Bar & Kitchen Albany, February 18th
- Don McLean Hart Theater The Egg June 2nd
- T.V. Doctors, Vogon Poetry at No Fun Troy, February 26th
- The Squids at Ryan’s Wake in Troy, September 17th
Thanks, Steve, from NEQ! I know you have a lot of shows to choose from. We’re honored to be included.
my pleasure Todd
When do you have time to eat?
Nice write-up Steve and it was my pleasure to hang with you at many of these shows!
Still pissed that being in isolation from COVID robbed me of the opportunity to see the number#1 concert on your list – it was absolutely heartbreaking to have to sell my tickets for that show!
funny Randy, I have been losing weight lately now that you mention it
thanks Margo, yes, when you offered me your ticket I suggested it would be we together & glad you did since I got seats in the pit both days, though in the pit I couldn’t see the screens, I was told by many people that they cut away from the musicians & showed me dancing twice