ALBANY — Call it genius marketing, or call it good timing, Hartley’s Encore is set headlining a special Alive at Five after party at The Hollow Bar + Kitchen following Lettuce’s performance on Jennings Landing on Thursday, July 18.
The next day, the local band drops its latest single “All To You” on Spotify. It’s that kind of preparation that’s helping the band feed into the collective awareness, and allowing them to spread its influence outside of the Capital District. Later this summer, the funk band trucks up to the 2019 Adirondack Independence Music Festival at the Carl R. Wood Park.
But, first, let’s talk about Thursday.
Frontman and keyboardist Luke Malamood is high on expectations for the evening. It starts, he said, with Lettuce’s pro bono performance to the Alive at Five audience.
“I can’t recall Albany having a band of that caliber, at the top of its game, playing at Alive at Five,” he said.
Lettuce, the funky sextet out of the Empire State, has spent the better part of two decades building a reputation as one of the hardest working funk bands in the region. The sextet just dropped its latest album, “Elevate” and is currently raging through an extensive tour throughout the East Coast.
Hartley’s Encore is building a reputation of its own in our region. The funk and soul band returns to The Hollow after a drum-splitting performance opening for Victory Soul Orchestra.
Thursday night’s show at The Hollow is dubbed an official Lettuce After-Party show. Special guests are to feature John Drabik, of Wurliday, JB a.k.a Dirty Moses, and Joel Yannuzzi of Victory Soul Orchestra. The last time these performers were in the same room together, they all packed The Hollow with an electric performance.
Doors open at 7:30 p.m. with music to set soon afterwards at around 8 p.m. Admission will cost $10, or $5 for anyone with an Alive at Five wristband. The show is for those 21 years or older.
