On with the show
ALBANY – Cait Tizzone has been called a rockstar. She certainly dresses the part.
One night, Lucid Street’s songstress stood offstage at the dimly lit Lost & Found, wearing a lavender unitard with silver sleeves and gossamer-thin wings—an ethereal vision in a warehouse district bar. Where it was dark, she was light. Amid earth tones, she resembled cotton candy at a county fair on a summer night.
It was one of the “way too many” outfits she has collected over the years. Shannon Tehya, setting up for a “Name That Tune” game as the opening act, wore another of her outfits. Harley Lindh, who would later accompany Tizzone on stage, sported a pair of her boots. More outfits hung on a rack to the side of the room.
“I honestly don’t know [how many],” she later said.
A crowd steadily filled the venue just before the “Herstory” event, a music showcase celebrating women’s contributions to the industry. The show intended to highlight the impact of female musicians, who have often been overlooked in traditional music history narratives.
Canned music blared over the stereo as the minute hand crept closer to showtime. The venue’s staff moved through the crowd, tending to customers.
“Can we kill the music?” Tizzone yelled from the floor.
A moment later, the radio gave way to the hum of conversation.
Rockstars are seldom demure.
Lucid Street is gearing up for the release of its debut album. The band—Tizzone, drummer Mike Ilyadis, guitarist Nolan Hassler, and bassist Phil Manitta —blends diverse musical influences while maintaining a distinct sound. A staple of Albany’s music scene, the trio frequently performs at Lost & Found and other local venues.

The band traces its origins to the local open mic circuit, where the founding members met and gradually built their lineup. Through auditions and live collaborations, Lucid Street developed its signature style, drawing from jazz, pop, classic rock, and heavy metal.
“We’ve been working on this album for a while, and it’s really a reflection of all our different influences,” Tizzone said. “One song might sound like Dio-era Black Sabbath, and another might have a salsa beat. It’s eclectic but cohesive.”
Lucid Street’s varied sound is shaped by artists such as Queen, Mariah Carey, and King Crimson. Tizzone, an avid Queen fan, even has a tattoo of Freddie Mercury’s signature. Their music defies simple classification, leading them to embrace unconventional genre labels.
“Our originals are strong, and we’re always looking ahead,” Ilyadis said. “But even with covers, we never settle—we always challenge ourselves with new material.”
Lucid Street’s debut album will be available later this month, marking a new milestone in the band’s journey. As they refine their style and expand their presence in the local and regional music scene, their unique blend of influences continues to reach a growing audience.
The band has already started writing material for its next album while continuing to perform live. According to Hassler, performing is both a challenge and a release.
“For me, it’s therapeutic,” he said. “If I’m going through something, being on stage clears my mind.” Tizzone describes performing as a job that she enjoys. Her stage persona comes on like flipping a switch, she said. “It’s about being 100% impulsive, 100% of the time,” she said. “I always think about how I can make each performance better than the last.”