Music at ArtAwake has always been a diverse experience featuring acts that range from classical or jazz student groups to well-established community rock bands, or faculty ensembles from schools in the area. This year, we have a fantastic line up, and we invite you to catch as many performers as you can!

FunkNut – House of Guitars Stage @ 2pm

A little bit of Funk with a whole lotta Soul, FunkNut is an organ based quartet whose one mission is to bring Funk to the ears of men, women, and children! Featuring Tony Gallicchio, Tristan Greene, Joe McNinch and the latest addition of Joe Dellaria, Funknut was formed in ’08 has played with artists like The Temptations, The Four Tops, Soulive, KRS-One, Paticle, and Break Science as well as being on the TV show OnStage and radio stations across the northeast.

 Dear Dexter – WRUR Stage @ 2:40pm

Dear Dexter is an acoustic rock and we are made up of guitar, a bass, vocals, and drums. Creating music the group is proud to share, Dear Dexter has played a benefit at Water Street and was chosen to participate in 100.5 The Drives 10 Ugly Bands Competition to open at 10 Ugly Men.

Jubin Matloubieh – Rohrbach’s Stage @ 3pm

Jubin Matloubieh is a classical double bass major at the harolded Eastman School of Music.  He will be performing ‘Prelude,’ ‘Allemande,’ ‘Courante,’ ‘Sarabande,’ ‘Bouree,’ and ‘Gigue’ from “Bach Cello Suite 3,” one of Bach’s most popular pieces today.

The Wallpaper – House of Guitars Stage @ 3:20

An alternative rock band, The Wallpaper is a common name around the indie/garage/alternative scene in Rochester.  Influenced greatly by early 90′s alternative like REM and the Pixies, as well as 50′s and 60′s pop and rock music like Buddy Holly and The Beach Boys, The Wallpaper put out their first album “Never Never” last year and are currently working on a second called “Somewhere”. They are going on their first tour next month through the Midwest.

Mbira dzeMugomo Guru – WRUR Stage @ 4pm

Mbira dzeMugomo Guru is the performing ensemble of the Eastman School of Music Mbira program, which is devoted to the understanding of Shona musical, spiritual, and cultural traditions embodied in the mbira and its music.  The group features mbira, traditional Shona singing, hosho, and ngoma, and hopes to honor both the spiritual traditions of the instrument and its music and the culture native to the location in which they are performing it.

Sterling Chord – Rohrbach’s Stage @ 4:10pm

Cordero Martinez and Caroline Sterling are freshman at the University of Rochester.  Both are involved with UR music groups and are very talented vocalists.  Their voices over an acoustic guitar are something people of all ages will greatly enjoy.

Peach Preserves – House of Guitars Stage @ 4:50pm

Peach Preserves is the offspring of a recording session that took place in July of 2011, where Zack, Danny, and Adrian decided the musical chemistry was too good to end with only one session.  Specializing in original “Junk Hop” music – combining elements of Jazz, Funk, and Hip Hop – each musician in the group has dedicated their life to studying their instrument, and the group hails from the Eastman School of Music and University of Rochester. Their first album, the self-titled “Peach Preserves” was recorded live, providing a lens through which the musicians could adequately express themselves and their improvisation, as well as the extensive interaction that takes place in every live performance.

Dave McGrath – Rohrbach’s Stage @ 5:20pm

Dave McGrath has been recording, performing, and pleasing audiences for over 20 years. His self-titled debut CD was released in 2005 and more recently, “Songs of The Road”, in 2008. Dave is currently working on his third CD, an acoustic banquet of old and new originals, along with a few obscure covers. Dave demonstrates his vast range of influences ranging from rock, to pop and country. Dave’s diverse armory of cover songs and his polished originals appeal to a wide variety of audiences, from the old to the very young.  His talent has earned him the title of “Best Solo Musician” by The City Newspaper.

The Desert Monsoon Band – WRUR Stage @ 5:30pm

The Desert Monsoon Band consists of students throughout Rochester who play Sufi music, an ancient genre of music created using proto-indo-iranian verses and predominantly ancient gypsy scale by prophets and poets of the mystique desert land of the present middle-east. Playing modern renditions of Sufi songs, the Desert Monsoon Band includes guitars, banjo, violin, flute, accordion, harmonica, djembe, cajon, keyboard and the Indian percussion instrument Tabla.

The Josh Netsky Band – House of Guitars Stage @ 6:10pm

The Josh Netsky Band has been performing in the Rochester area and elsewhere for around 4 years.  The Folk/Indie/Psychedelic group consisting of 2 guitars, bass, drums, banjo/keys is currently working on their newest album called “The Spirits.”  This new project is a concept album about ghost towns accompanied by a performance film in which Josh and his brother, Adam, traveled to the ghost towns and performed the songs.

Ethan Lipkind – Rohrbach’s Stage @ 6:30pm

A sophomore at the University of Rochester, Ethan Lipkind has been writing his own songs for the past few years and is about to release his first EP.  Ethan strips his music down when performing live to an acoustic guitar and his refreshing vocals.

Cabbage and Baggage – WRUR Stage @ 6:50pm

Cabbage & Baggage is a small acoustic performance ensemble that formed in September of 2010 and has been performing around the city ever since. Olivia Frise (flute), Bryan Brown (strings) and Sam Wiler (bassoon) comprise this group that plays everything from Irish to Bluegrass to jazz to rock to an original genre they call “newgrass romanticism.

Oddish – House of Guitars Stage @ 7:40pm

For almost three years now, Oddish, a band born and bred in Rochester, has been developing and honing its raw, original sound. Consisting of bassist Andy Debbins, guitarists, lead vocalists Kieran Kriss, lead guitarist Dan Novograd, and drummer Jake Haskel, Oddish creates a sound that is as versatile as the possible meanings behind its name. With a range of sounds from bass- and drum-heavy grooves to ambient guitar flutters, our music leads the audience on an aural journey through the plains of human emotion.

Alex Murray – Rohrbach’s Stage @ 7:40pm

Alex Murray has been writing his own material for quite some time now.  The junior from the University of Rochester has performed numerous times on campus both as a solo artist and as part of After Hours, the only coed cappella group on the UR campus.

Mev and the Extra Sleeves – WRUR Stage @ 8:20pm

With an equal interest in contemporary classical, indie, and experimental  music, percussionist/composer Matt Evans offers a versatile palette of  performance styles and musical thoughts.  Currently based in Rochester, New York where he attends the Eastman School of Music, he spent a number of years performing and living in Columbus, Ohio while attending the Ohio State University.  His toy/junk instrumentalist work includes instruments such as: toy piano, glass bottles, melodica, tuned desk bells, crumpled paper, thumb piano, and jingling keys.  He hopes to engage audiences with music that is strange yet satisfying; unorthodox but enjoyable.

Andrew Marks – Rohrbach’s Stage @ 8:50pm

Andrew Marks is a singer-songwriter from Rochester who has an upbeat acoustic sound.  He was featured in a nationally distributed music publication, Hear Say, where he was described as “[a]…singer-songwriter who creates heartfelt lyrics that really make you stop and listen.” For four years now, Andrew has been performing regularly across New York and surrounding areas.  Andrew brings a unique voice and playing style that creates a captivating and intimate performance.

Groovelixir – House of Guitars Stage @ 9pm

From Rochester comes a refreshing fusion of new-school hip-hop and old school jazz. The recipe for Groovelixir consists of equal parts live instrumentals and synthesized beats, produced loops and improvised lines, and consumption will leave you nodding your head in approval. Just the remedy the doctor ordered for stagnant music that sounds like something you’ve heard before, hopefully this musical hybrid will be a fresh, new sound that will exceed your aural expectations.

End of Days Stringband (EøD) – WRUR Stage @ 9:40pm

The End of Days Stringband (EøD) is a group of three acoustic musicians/students in Rochester who create a sound that is pleasantly unique.  Influenced by American roots, bluegrass, folk, Motown, and jazz, EøD uses guitar, mandolin, cello, banjo, fiddle, and vocals to captivate its audience. EøD repertoire consists covers and traditional folk songs along with originals that are sure put a smile your face.

Nevergreen – House of Guitars Stage @ 10:20pm

Nevergreen is a female-fronted, five-piece, progressive rock-reggae band whose members, all originating from Upstate New York, have musical roots in everything from metal to hip-hop. Add this blend to influences like No Doubt, Sublime, Incubus, and RX Bandits, and you will get the “je ne sais quoi” that is Nevergreen. The band has been performing since 2009, sharing the stage with national acts such as Soulive, John Brown’s Body, and The Movement. Their first studio release, “The Light Show EP” was released in 2009, followed by “The People to Paradise EP” and the “Roc City Xmas” single in 2010. The first full-length production “A Lesson in Leisure” and music video for the single “Platinum Pedestal” became available in the fall of 2011. The band is currently in pre-production of their next studio project. Nevergreen continues to evolve, slowly defining its existence in the music world.

Jahn Henry – House of Guitars Stage @ 11:15pm

Jahn Henry is a live electronic group made up of Guy Higgins and Eddie Davis III.  Their music includes mash-ups of instrumental electronic music, ambience, live drumming, and improvisation. Jahn Henry breaks down some barriers and creates a multisensory atmosphere by projecting images onto themselves and the adjacent surfaces. They have performed all throughout Rochester and promise a unique show.