Time: 12:00pm-

Location: Pearl St. Albany, NY 12207 (map)

ALBANY – PearlPalooza, downtown Albany’s highly-anticipated, free, all-ages music festival, returns for its 12th year on September 18. Presented by SEFCU, in association with WEQX, The Downtown Albany Business Improvement District (BID), and Sugar Productions, the event includes a diverse lineup of locally- and internationally-acclaimed musical acts, MVP Health Care’s YogaPalooza mass yoga gathering, and high-quality local vendors - all just steps away from some of downtown Albany’s finest dining, retail, and entertainment establishments. 
 
All performances will take place on the Remarkable Liquids Stage at N. Pearl Street & Sheridan Avenue. DJs from WEQX will spin music between sets, and attendees are encouraged to enjoy food, beverage, and retail specials and events from nearby businesses. 

This year’s PearlPalooza features performances from: 

Slothrust – 4:45 PM
Educated musicians all with backgrounds in classical, jazz and blues, the band’s newest work, Parellel Timeline, once again sees Slothrust leaning into improvisation — something that in the past has lent itself to the infectious energy of their live shows. Parallel Timeline, mixed by industry legend Billy Bush and mastered by Heba Kadry, is a masterclass in balancing tenderness with the fierce guitar work bandleader Leah Wellbaum has become known for. With a distinct yet unified sound that blends progressive rock, acoustic and pop, Slothrust has never been more confident. 

Jocelyn & Chris – 3:30 PM 
Think rock is dead? Meet Jocelyn & Chris. Two analog souls hell-bent on inciting a new rock revival. Jocelyn & Chris and their band have charted three consecutive commercial radio singles in the Billboard AAA Top 40, taken two records to #1 on the Relix Jambands Top 30 Album Chart, and appeared nationally on NBC’s Today Show. Jocelyn & Chris’s new single “Sugar and Spice,” released in July 2021, was lauded by American Songwriter as “pure American rock goodness” and was a Most Added US Radio Single for three consecutive weeks. The video for the track was also added to rotation on MTV. 

Glass Pony –  2:15 PM
Encapsulating influences stretching across decades from psychedelic and jam-focused rock, to funk, post-punk, and even modern indie and post-rock, the Albany collective Glass Pony offer a sound that truly translates through generations, with a stylistic blend built to engage a broad listenership. With a focus squarely set on delivering the most captivating live performance possible, the band utilizes infectiously danceable grooves colored with virtuosic individual performances that deftly blend into a cohesive whole. 

Timbre Coup – 1:00 PM 
Timbre Coup was formed in 2007 just outside Albany, NY in the town of Altamont. After many years and hundreds of shows alongside bands like The New Deal, Dopapod, Papadosio, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, and Consider the Source, along with festival appearances at such events as Camp Bisco, Moedown and Mountain Jam, Timbre Coup brings a little something for everyone. With dynamic compositions, melodic and haunting vocals, as well as slick chops, this quartet entertains with a fervor.  

MVP Health Care presents YogaPalooza – 12:00 PM 
The Capital Region’s only street-wide yoga event returns for its fifth year to kick off the activities on Pearl Street in front of the Remarkable Liquids Stage at 12:00 PM. Instructors from local studio The Hot Yoga Spot will offer a free, one-hour, all-levels yoga class led from the stage. Find more information and register for Yogapalooza here. 

“SEFCU is thrilled to join WEQX, The Downtown Albany Business Improvement District, and Sugar Productions in bringing PearlPalooza to life. The fantastic music, art, and of course, great food, will make the event another one to remember for all who attend,” said SEFCU President and CEO Michael Castellana. “Along with giving people of the Capital Region a fun and safe way to come together to kick off early fall, PearlPalooza is a wonderful way to highlight everything Downtown Albany has to offer, including restaurants, and venues for culture, entertainment, and family fun.”

“We are super grateful to be able to work with such amazing partners at The Downtown Albany BID and the area businesses who put a lot of thought and effort into this year’s event. We cannot thank the sponsors enough for making PearlPalooza possible,” said WEQX Program Director Jeff Morad. “The one-stage approach will allow for more space not only for attendees but also for vendors who have really taken a hit over the past year-plus. We are thrilled to be able to spotlight three incredible Capital Region based bands who also took a hit in an already difficult world to live…the world of being a band. Slothrust as headliner is a dream come true for the entire staff here at EQX and we hope it is for you too!”

“YogaPalooza is a fun and exciting opportunity to showcase the benefits that yoga can have on a person’s overall health and well-being,” said MVP Health Care’s President and CEO, Christopher Del Vecchio. “We are so proud to sponsor this annual celebration of holistic wellness, which highlights the importance of creating a healthy community through exercise and a healthy lifestyle. We look forward to seeing you there!”

“We are delighted to collaborate with an incredible team of local partners to help highlight the heart of Downtown with this annual festival,” said Downtown Albany BID executive director Georgette Steffens. “After pivoting the event to the virtual realm in 2020, we are excited to bring live music back to Pearl Street this September. This year’s single stage format will allow attendees more room to spread out and more time to visit a number of new businesses and Downtown favorites between sets. With YogaPalooza, great local vendors, and Downtown’s best dining and retail steps away, PearlPalooza is like no other free music festival.”

PearlPalooza 2021 is presented by SEFCU, in association with WEQX, Sugar Productions, The Downtown Albany BID, Remarkable Liquids, Silver Therapeutics, Albany Parking Authority, MVP Health Care, O’Connell & Aronowitz, Albany Distilling Company, Redburn Development, The Hollow Bar + Kitchen, Hampton Inn & Suites Albany-Downtown, High Peaks Event Production, Empire Live, The Hot Yoga Spot, and The City of Albany. 
 
$5 event parking is available at ParkAlbany’s Riverfront Garage (Broadway & Columbia Street) and Quackenbush Garage (Orange Street between Broadway & Water Street) – both just a few blocks from the action! Find more at downtownalbany.org/parking. 

For more information, visit: 
downtownalbany.org 
weqx.com 

Event Ground Rules: no outside alcoholic beverages, glass containers, dogs or pets (with the exception of ADA-certified service animals), recording of performances, or bad attitudes will be allowed at PearlPalooza. Security personnel have the right to inspect any bags brought onto the premises.

Please do not attend the event if you have tested positive or display any symptoms of COVID-19, or if you have been in close contact with anyone that has tested positive in the past 14 days. If unvaccinated, please practice social distancing and wear a mask in compliance with current New York State and CDC safety guidelines. COVID-19 is still a risk and attendees acknowledge that they are responsible for their own safety at the event.