Doors open at 7:00 pm; show at 7:30 pm
Fall 2025 Season
Winter/Spring Season Pass $195
Oswego Music Hall Ticket Information:
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Season Pass Holders purchase the entire season at a discount. They get the best seats in the house, which are typically upfront tables. Anyone sitting with pass holders must purchase VIP seating.
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VIP seating (typically $5 above general seating) is preferred, forward seating. It is usually table seating.
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General seating is the balance of seating in the house. Any ticket level may sit there.
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Guest Curator shows are NOT included in a season pass.
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NOTE: Ticket prices listed here for individual shows DO NOT include Eventbrite fees.
Winter/Spring 2026 Season
There are so many stars in the music world that shine only for a moment. And there are stars that rise and fall, but the heat of some stars can’t be contained and must rise again. Toronto based singer-songwriter Julian Taylor is one of those phoenix-like stars.
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His first moment in the sky started and ended with the hit-making band Staggered Crossing. After their breakup, Julian could have walked away, satisfied with that bright, brief moment. Instead, he went back to work, starting at the bottom, playing in cover bands, working bars, running an open stage as a solo artist. There were moments of impact when he formed the Julian Taylor Band and released two albums. But those were mere steps in the process. When he decided to strip his songs to the basics and go solo with his soul-folk 2020 album, The Ridge, his career rose over the horizon again and sparkled brighter than the first time. Mostly acoustic and sung in Julian’s distinctive warm baritone, The Ridge earned him two JUNO Award nominations, one Canadian Folk Music Award for Solo Artist, five Native American Music Award nominations, plus a nomination for the Polaris Music Prize.
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In 2022, Taylor released his follow up album Beyond the Reservoir. It received a nomination from the Country Music Association of Ontario Awards in the Roots Artist of the Year category, a nomination for a JUNO Award in the Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year category, and two Ontario Folk Music Award nominations for Song of the Year and Performing Artist of the Year. “Julian Taylor’s music is a beacon of hope in troubled times. His lyrics are thoughtful and inspiring, and his voice is both powerful and tender. This is music that will lift your spirits.” (Canadian Beats) - Wayne Arthurson
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Website: https://juliantaylormusic.ca/home
Video: https://youtu.be/Ta4yuqBG5rc
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"Rising folk music star" --Ann Powers, NPR
“Matthews puts it all on the line, speaking words of hope at every turn”
– Bob Fish, Folk Radio UK
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A troubadour of truth, Nashville resident Crys Matthews is among the brightest stars of the new generation of social justice music-makers. An award-winning, prolific lyricist and composer, Matthews blends Country, Americana, Folk, Blues, and Bluegrass into a bold, complex performance steeped in traditional melodies punctuated by honest, original lyrics. She is made for these times.
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Of Matthews, ASCAP VP & Creative Director Eric Philbrook says, “By wrapping honest emotions around her socially conscious messages and dynamically delivering them with a warm heart and a strong voice, she lifts our spirits just when we need it most in these troubled times.” Justin Hiltner of Bluegrass Situation adds, her gift is a "reminder of what beauty can occur when we bridge those divides." In her own words, Matthews says her mission is: "to amplify the voices of the unheard, to shed light on the unseen, and to be a steadfast reminder that hope and love are the truest pathways to equity and justice." Her new album is an embodiment of and a testament to that mission.
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When Matthews attended a panel at Folk Alliance International in February of 2024, she heard a Scottish Folk artist inquire as to how many record labels pursue what the artist referred to as "music from my tradition," four words that intrigued Matthews. "I loved the idea of that. It seems like the best way to talk about music: what is your tradition, who are your people, what is the fabric of you?"
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A daughter of the South by way of Nashville now and North Carolina forever, and the self-proclaimed poster child of intersectionality, Matthews is boldly answering those questions on her new album aptly titled Reclamation.
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Recorded in Nashville, TN at Sound Emporium Studios, Reclamation was produced by Levi Lowry (co-writer of Zac Brown Band's hit song Colder Weather). The project features her partner on and off stage Heather Mae, her friends and fellow singer-songwriters Kyshona, Melody Walker, and Chris Housman, and some of the best musicians in Music City like Megan Coleman, Megan Elizabeth McCormick, Ellen Angelico, Ryan Madora, Jen Gunderman, and Michael Majett.
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"This album is both sonically and ideologically the fullest representation of who I am as an artist and as a human," she says. A preacher's kid, a Black woman, a Butch lesbian, and a proud Southerner who sings social justice music right alongside 'traditional' Country and Americana music, Matthews is reclaiming not just of the space Black artists have been denied in Country and Americana music, not just of the space LGBTQ people have been denied in communities of faith, not just of the autonomy women have been denied over their own bodies, she is reclaiming the South that raised her.
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Website: https://www.crysmatthews.com
Video: https://youtu.be/GyrH9D79-uY
National Stage
3rd Annual Women in Music Show
The Rebel Eves (Amanda Rogers opens)
March 7th $17-22
Meet & Greet reception with local, women-owned businesses at 6:30
A fearless, sister-powered musical movement, grounded in honest storytelling, three-part harmonies, and shared struggles as women in the male-dominated music industry, the trio calls their music “Empowered Americana.”
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The Rebel Eves started with a "stars-aligning" type of friendship and musical collaboration. With beginnings in early 2022, the group formed from the love of creativity and the belief that the joy of connection can break down barriers that women have historically been put into in the music industry, society, and religious spaces. Composed of three Michigan bred award winning songwriters, Katie Pederson, Grace Theisen and Jilian Linklater have spent the better part of the last decade writing, touring, and harmonizing across the country with successful solo careers. With Grace and Jilian both coming out as queer in the last couple of years and Katie being a strong ally to the LGBTQIA community, it is incredibly important to the band that the Rebel Eve shows create safe spaces for this community in particular, especially in a world where their rights are being challenged and taken away at lightning speed. They wrote Heaven Without You as a way to reframe and push back on the messaging that heaven is only accessible to certain groups of people; they believe heaven can be created right here, right now, no matter who or how you love. In June of 2023 for the single’s release, they partnered with the Tennessee Equality Project, a nonprofit that is working for the equality of the LGBTQIA community in Tennessee through legislation. This year, they will be donating a portion of the proceeds from their merchandise towards the ACLU for the continued fight for the many injustices happening in the United States.
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With a motto of connection over perfection, in less than two years the band has reached new heights in their collaboration, outselling venues in Michigan and sharing main stages at large independent midwest festivals with national touring acts such as The Wood Brothers, The War & Treaty and The Accidentals. They have played festivals such as BlissFest, Mile of Music, and Sonic Lunch. This summer they will be making their debut appearance at Frederik Meijer Gardens, Wheatland Music Festival and Sisters Folk Festival in Oregon. With record merchandise sales over the last two years, they have quickly won over the hearts of their audiences with their honest storytelling, hair raising harmonies, and compelling lyricism that makes for true listening room moments attendees won’t soon forget. Cultivating moments of vulnerability, laughter, original songs, and incredible 3-part harmonies in their shows, they can promise you will walk away feeling inspired, connected, and hopeful. Their first EP, Shake The Ground, will be out this September. You can hear the first two singles off this album, American Dream and Rebel Eve on all streaming platforms. Their full length album will be out in the spring of 2026.
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Website: https://www.therebeleves.com
Video: https://youtu.be/INaKp0P9MRs?list=RDINaKp0P9MRs
Amanda Rogers
Website: https://www.amandaspiano.com
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF--oUzDHNE&list=RDzF--oUzDHNE&start_radio=1
Guest Curator Series
Curator: Dave Kaspar
#JazzbyTheLake features the trio Très Guitars
March 13th $17-20
Eighteen strings, three guitars, one joyous night"
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The first Spring 2026 Presentation of #JazzbyTheLake features the Trio
Très Guitars. The trio showcases guitarists Drew Serafini, Jeff Martin, and John Magnante.
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John Magnante is the co-founder of the group ESP. ESP celebrated their 25th anniversary here at the Oswego Music Hall in October of 2023. John is a graduate of Oswego State, where he was a featured player in the school's "Solid State Jazz Ensemble". He also studied guitar at The Musical Institute of Technology in Los Angeles. Along with ESP, John has performed with Atlas and Soft Spoken.
Jeff Martin specializes in traditional, contemporary Jazz, blues and RnB. The Jeff Martin Trio has performed at three straight Syracuse Jazz Festivals. His debut album, "First Take". was nominated for a Syracuse Area Music Award in 2024; his latest EP was nominated in 2925. Jeff plays in several other groups including Sola-Mar-Tini, Shawn Seals SMX, and the Hanlon-Carrolll-Martin Organ Trio.
Drew is a bandleader, composer, arranger and a guitar instructor. He earned a degree in music from Ithaca College. He has over fifteen years as a solo and ensemble performer. Drew previously performed at #JazzbyTheLake as a bandleader for Nancy Kelly in 2022.
This event is presented by The Ontario Center for The Performing Arts Guest Curator Program. Made possible in part by The New York Council for The Arts.
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National Stage
Liz Longley (Cam Caruso opens)
March 21st $20-25
Billboard: "...from Americana to gospel-flavored soul to shimmering pop anthems and touches of jazz!"
Funeral For My Past's warm sound was curated by 5time Grammy-nominated producer Paul Moak (Mat Kearney, The Weeks, Caitlyn Smith). Liz launched a wildly successful crowd-funding campaign that placed her as the fourth most-funded solo female musician ever on Kickstarter history. Her deeply devoted fans contributed over $150,000 in order to help her purchase the rights to and independently release Funeral For My Past, far surpassing the initial goal of $45,000. The elements of Longley's demeanor that have helped foster such a connection with her fans show up throughout the album itself: it's at times cozy and heartwarming, but with a bite that makes each track difficult to forget.
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Website: https://www.lizlongley.com
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1hrm8f6oqs&t=4s
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National Stage
2 x 2 Partner Series
Co-bill with The Rough & Tumble and The Honey Badger
April 11th $17-22
The Rough & Tumble
"Wow, what an appealing package. High-quality originals in all sorts of traditional veins, from haunting ballads to stomping, screaming folk anthems.”​ - M. McLeod, Empty Nest Concerts
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The Rough & Tumble, a dynamic duo comprised of Mallory Graham and Scott Tyler, have been captivating audiences with their unique blend of dumpster-folk and thrift store-Americana for over a decade. The Pennsylvania-born Graham and Central California's Tyler have a knack for weaving together elements of joy, sorrow, comedy, and drama in their music, leaving audiences on the edge of their seats. On November 24, 2024, the band released their new record, Hymns for My Atheist Sister & Her Friends to Sing Along To.
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An album for the faithful, the faithless and the somewhere-in-between. The Rough & Tumble’s latest, Hymns for My Atheist Sister & Her Friends to Sing Along To, is a record wherein all are welcome. For those that are brokenhearted from a faith that didn't love them back, those who are still carrying religious baggage, or those who are continuing in the faith they were taught as children. It's an album about truth, about mystery, and most importantly about loving your neighbor. This message is at the forefront of the vocally expansive opening track and first single “Love Them Too,” released October 4, 2024.
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In contrast to their full-band 2023 studio album Only This Far, Mallory Graham & Scott Tyler’s approach to this record is a path less traveled. Instead of the band’s signature unpredictable multiple instrumentation, they created a challenge of using less. All instrumentation on this record was limited to what Graham was permitted to have in her church growing up– piano, organ, guitar, and tambourine. This intention meant that The Rough & Tumble would lean heavily on the human voice– and not just their own. Orchestrating from across the country, the duo called on fellow musicians Dave Coleman, Alice Wallace, Flagship Romance, Halley Neal, The Honey Badgers, Ordinary Elephant & Sam Robbins to fly in vocals from afar. The result is what the duo calls “The Congregation of Kind Souls.” The collaboration not only forms an irrepressibly emotive sound, but embodies the theme of inclusion and acceptance, as each artist utilized their artistic voice with full creative license without Graham & Tyler dictating specific notation.
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Hymns for My Atheist Sister & Her Friends To Sing Along To is already profoundly reaching live audiences as the band performs on tour– for both the religious and irreligious. The Rough & Tumble are walking a tightrope– not of neutrality, but of radical love that appeals to the heartstrings of a wide array of audiences– most poignantly in a time of a country critically divided.
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The curious listener may not be able to decipher the particulars of the band’s beliefs from listening to the record– and that might be the point. Hymns for My Atheist Sister & Her Friends to Sing Along To is neither dogma nor doctrine, but a direct path to the soul.
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Website: https://www.theroughandtumble.com
Video: https://youtu.be/3kyIZZxGjaQ
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The Honey Badgers
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“Hope in a chaotic world… The Honey Badgers are true poets who know the secret of thoughtful lyrics.” - Indie Boulevard
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When Michael Natrin asked Erin Magnin to dust off her fiddle and join him for a couple songs at a local songwriter showcase, the two never imagined they were creating a musical partnership that would continue far into the future. Playfully calling themselves The Honey Badgers, more to make themselves chuckle than to make any sort of a statement, the two discovered a chemistry between their voices that demanded to be heard. Thus, the duo was born.
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The Honey Badgers’ folk/Americana sound has been likened to that of The Civil Wars and The Swell Season. They are known for their intense, unique harmonies, their sincere lyrics and melodies, and their undeniable and captivating onstage charm. Weaving their voices together with Michael’s driving guitar and Erin’s wistful violin, they spin stories and songs about finding yourself, finding each other, and finding your way in the world.
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The Honey Badgers have been creating music together since the summer of 2011. In their first several years working together they released their debut EP, “Booth Bay”, a thoughtfully crafted second EP, “Soul”, as well as a collection of live recordings entitled “Mad Season”. In the years following the duo’s conception, they played all over their home state of Delaware and the surrounding area, from the Delmarva Folk Festival in Hartly to the World Cafe Live at the Queen in Wilmington. They opened for nationally touring act The Lone Bellow, as well as local Delaware favorite New Sweden.
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In 2019 they committed to diving further into their music in many ways, quitting their respective jobs to pursue music full time, and releasing their first full length album, “Meet Me” in March 2019. “Meet Me” is a colorful story that has been unfolding since Michael and Erin met. The songs are new, but the feelings within them are familiar - from the blooming of new love to the comfort of seasoned love, losing yourself and finding yourself, from feeling alone in a fast moving world to finding connection in a room full of strangers.
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In June of 2024, following a devastating few years of navigating personal loss and a global pandemic, The Honey Badgers released their second full-length album, “The Earth Turns and So Do We”, a mature and varied collection of original songs focused on the repeating cycles of life, death, love, and time itself. The album reached #15 on the July 2024 FAI Folk Radio Chart. A song from the album, “Bring With You Nothing,” won Gold in the Folk Category and 3rd place overall in the 2025 SAW Mid-Atlantic Song Contest.
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With the release of their most recent album, The Honey Badgers are back to touring, creating, and building community on the road. They continue to meet new people, fall in love with new places, and write new songs. Their most recent single, “Summer Skin”, reached #1 on the June 2025 FAI folk radio charts. They hope to continue growing alongside their music - after winning the 2023 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Emerging Artist Showcase and the 2024 Susquehanna Folk Festival Emerging Artist Showcase, “emerging” has become a guiding light for the two musicians.
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Website: https://www.honeybadgerfolk.com
Video: https://youtu.be/jwKZIDBwPrI
National Stage
An Evening with Tom Rush, accompanied by Brenden Cleary
April 25 $35-$40
“Never miss a chance to see Tom Rush live. He's got that rare one-of-a-kind quality that makes you realize you’ve seen somebody who really matters.” - Exclaim Magazine
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Tom Rush is a gifted musician and performer, whose shows offer a musical celebration…a journey into the tradition and spectrum of what music has been, can be, and will become. His distinctive guitar style, wry humor and warm, expressive voice have made him both a legend and a lure to audiences around the world. His shows are filled with the rib-aching laughter of terrific story-telling, the sweet melancholy of ballads and the passion of gritty blues.
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Rush’s impact on the American music scene has been profound. He helped shape the folk revival in the ’60s and the renaissance of the ’80s and ’90s, his music having left its stamp on generations of artists. James Taylor told Rolling Stone, “Tom was not only one of my early heroes, but also one of my main influences.” Country music star Garth Brooks has credited Rush with being one of his top five musical influences. Rush has long championed emerging artists. His early recordings introduced the world to the work of Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne and James Taylor, and in more recent years his Club 47 concerts have brought artists such as Nanci Griffith and Shawn Colvin to wider audiences when they were just beginning to build their own reputations.
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Tom Rush began his musical career in the early ’60s playing the Boston-area clubs while a Harvard student. The Club 47 was the flagship of the coffee house fleet, and he was soon holding down a weekly spot there, learning from the legendary artists who came to play, honing his skills and growing into his talent. He had released two albums by the time he graduated.
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Rush returned with a splash in 1981, selling out Boston’s prestigious Symphony Hall in advance. Time off had not only rekindled Rush’s love of music, it had re-ignited music audiences’ love of Rush. He instinctively knew that his listeners were interested in both the old and the new, and set out to create a musical forum like the Club 47 of the early sixties to allow artists and newcomers to share the same stage. In 1982, he tried it out at Symphony Hall. The show was such a hit it became an annual event, growing to fill two, then three nights, and the Club 47 series was born. Crafting concerts that combined well known artists such as Bonnie Raitt or Emmylou Harris with (then) unknowns like Alison Krauss or Mark O’ Connor, Rush took the show on the road. From the ’80s to the present day, Club 47 events have filled the nation’s finest halls to rave reviews, and have been broadcast as national specials on PBS and NPR.
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Today, Tom Rush lives in New Hampshire when he’s not touring. His voice has grown even richer and more melodic with training, and his music, like a fine wine, has matured
and ripened in the blending of traditional and modern influences. He’s doing what he loves, and what audiences love him for: writing and playing …passionately, tenderly…knitting together the musical traditions and talents of our times
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Brendan Cleary’s music is like a warm ray of sunshine on a cold day; comforting, familiar, and brimming with soul. Sharing stories and songs that have shaped his life, he is opening his heart to America’s Northeast and making the darkest of days bright and clear. Brendan Cleary is Tom’s latest discovery of a talented young musician he feels deserves a wider audience.
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Website: https://www.tomrush.com
Video: https://vimeo.com/912351572?fl=pl&fe=sh
Brenden Cleary
Website: https://brendanclearymusic.com/home
Video: https://youtu.be/fBdR31oJNss
National Stage
Season Finale & Emerging Artist Showcase
Headliner Announcement coming soon!