The village was rockin’ like it was sittin’ on top of the world last Wednesday, July 16.
The BlackLites, one of Syracuse’s top rhythm and blues groups, boogied on the Amish-style country gazebo in front of a vintage-vehicle audience at Washington Park while the Black Water blues band plugged in two blocks away in the brick-lined amphitheater at Johnson Park where Liverpool Is The Place stages its free summer concerts.
More than 400 folks enjoyed each band under the sunshine.
In the summertime, Liverpool is becoming the place to be for live music. Not only does Johnson Park host a couple concerts each week, but four other village venues — Café at 407, the Limp Lizard Barbecue, The Retreat and the White Water Pub — regularly book bands.
Café society
The popular coffeehouse, Café at 407 at Ophelia’s Place will be closed from Aug. 4 through 8 while the kitchen is renovated, but music will liven up the scene before and after.
The invigorating Americana quartet, Butternut Creek Revival, appears at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 24, while guitarist-singer Isreal Hagan plays a solo set of R&B on July 31.
Mark Zane & Friends return on Aug. 14 to the café at 407 Tulip St.
Admission is free at Café at 407, but you’ll be encouraged to drop a little something in the musicians’ tip jar; 451-5544.
Bedlam at Limp Lizard
The pulled-pork pulls ’em in at The Limp Lizard BBQ, 201 First St., but so does the live music booked there by co-owner and electric bassist extraordinaire Scott Schimpff.
Syracuse blues guitarist Terry Mulhauser and Electric Bedlam go crazy at about 9 p.m. on Saturday, July 25. Mulhauser previously picked the six-string for Syracuse’s pioneering electric blues band The Kingsnakes.
A combo curiously named Hold the Air appears there on Aug. 7, and the Chad Bradshaw Blues Trio plugs in on Aug. 16
Admission is always free at the Lizard, and the Southern-style vittles are reasonably priced and well-spiced; 451-9774.
Dancin’ on the patio
Meanwhile at The Retreat, the patio’s rockin’ and rollin’ through Sept. 11.
The award-winning restaurant, on the corner of Vine and First streets, hosts jam-master Jamie Notarthomas from 7 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, July 23; 12 A.M. performs in the same time slot on Thursday, July 24; and the Sammy-winning band Stroke resurrects James Brown on Saturday, July 26.
Multi-instrumentalist Mark Macri returns to the patio at 6 p.m. Sunday, July 27; and the versatile Michael Crissan sings again at 7 p.m. Monday, July 28.
Prime Time, featuring vocalist Paul Valentino, who lives in Liverpool, returns to The Retreat at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 29; and Elephant Shoes, a classic rock duo featuring g guitarists Joe “Biz” Bisignano and John Lerner, who both live in Liverpool, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 30.
Admission is always free at The Retreat, and the food can’t be beat. The kitchen, helmed by talented chef Todd O’Hara, remains open nightly until 11 p.m.; 457-6358.
Playing at the Pub
Over at the White Water Pub, on the Basin Block at 110 S. Willow St., the original rock band called I Am Fool returns to rock the deck at 9 p.m. Friday, July 25. Featuring trumpeter TamaraLee Shutt, who lives in Liverpool, I Am Fool will play songs from its CD, “Freak in the Machine.” Bring your Billikens!
Singer Scott Wheeler rolls into the pub at 8 p.m. Saturday, July 26. The Custom Taylor Trio gets countrified at 8 p.m. Aug. 7 followed by another twangy fiddle trio, the Hootin’ Anges, on Aug. 9. Fab Five Paul Davie, who lives in Liverpool, returns to the White Water deck at 7 p.m. Aug. 14, and the lovely Letizia Duo is scheduled for 9 p.m. Aug. 19.
For pub info, dial 314-7398. The live music continues there through early-September, and admission is always free.
Playing at the park
The tunes continue at Johnson Park at 7 p.m. every Monday and Wednesday through Aug. 20.
On Wednesday, July 23, the Kambuyu Marimba Ensemble will perform two sets of African-inspired rhythms. The Christopher Ames Band plays original rock on Monday, July 28, and Larry Hoyt & The Good Acoustics play folk tunes on Wednesday, July 30.
The Johnson Park concerts are all free; liverpoolistheplace.com.
