Ithaca is a small Finger Lakes city famous for its waterfalls, its gorges and two major colleges, and it has one of the most musical cultures of any town its size in America. It's the birthplace of the Moog synthesizer, the home of the GrassRoots Festival, a hotbed of old-time fiddling and a place where Irish sessions, jazz jams and open mics fill the week. This guide covers Ithaca's history, its music scene and venues, and where to find open mics and open jams.
A Brief History of Ithaca
The southern end of Cayuga Lake was the homeland of the Cayuga Nation, one of the six nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. During the American Revolution, the 1779 Sullivan Expedition destroyed Cayuga villages and crops in the region. After the war, the land was surveyed for veterans, and New York's surveyor general, Simeon De Witt, named the settlement after the Greek island of Ithaca, home of Homer's Odysseus.
Ithaca grew as a lake port and milling town, but its future was shaped by education. In 1865, Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White founded Cornell University on the hill above town, and in 1892 the Ithaca Conservatory of Music, which became Ithaca College, opened downtown. In the 1910s, the city was briefly a center of the silent film industry, with studios shooting serials against its dramatic gorges and waterfalls.
Today Ithaca is known for its progressive politics, its pedestrian Ithaca Commons, its farmers market, its wineries along the Cayuga Wine Trail and its playful slogan, "Ithaca is Gorges." Its two colleges make it a lively, creative and youthful community.
The Ithaca Music Scene
Ithaca's musical credentials are remarkable. In 1964, engineer Robert Moog developed his groundbreaking synthesizer in nearby Trumansburg, changing popular music forever. Ithaca College's School of Music, which began as a conservatory, and Cornell's music department supply a steady stream of jazz and classical players.
The region is also a national center for old-time and roots music. Ithaca's old-time fiddlers and string bands are known far beyond Central New York, and the band Donna the Buffalo grew out of this scene and helped found the Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival in Trumansburg, a beloved summer gathering of roots, Cajun, zydeco, reggae and world music that has run since the early 1990s. Irish traditional music, reggae and jazz all have devoted local communities, and community radio station WITH 90.1 FM champions local musicians.
Popular Live Music Venues in Ithaca
- State Theatre of Ithaca (downtown) – A restored 1928 theater for touring rock, country, blues and comedy.
- Bailey Hall (Cornell University) – A grand concert hall for classical and special events.
- The Haunt – A long-running rock club for touring and local bands.
- Deep Dive – A bar and music venue with a well-equipped stage, open mics and live band karaoke.
- The Downstairs (121 W. Martin Luther King Jr. St., below The Watershed) – A membership-supported listening room for jazz, folk and experimental music, with regular jams and open mics.
- The Nocturnal Café (103 S. Geneva St.) – A café with a popular weekly open mic.
- Bar Argos (Argos Inn) – A cozy bar known for weekly jazz and Irish music.
- Liquid State Brewing (620 W. Green St.) and South Hill Cider (550 Sandbank Rd.) – Local spots with regular jazz, old-time and bluegrass music.
- Community School of Music and Arts – Concerts, classes and roots music events.
Open Mics and Open Jams in Ithaca
For a small city, Ithaca offers a full week of opportunities for players, from student-friendly jazz sessions to traditional Irish seisiúns. Below are the standout events, followed by a schedule.
Before you go: Many Ithaca events follow the academic calendar, and some jams are monthly. Always check the venue's or host's website or social media before heading out with your gear.
Open Mics
- Wednesday Open Mic at The Nocturnal Café (103 S. Geneva St.) – Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. A welcoming community open mic; sign-up slots fill quickly with faithful regulars.
- Deep Dive Open Mic – An open mic with one of the most advanced sound setups in town, alternating open mic performers with live band karaoke.
- SingTrece's Open Mic at The Downstairs – A periodic open mic for singers, rappers, songwriters and poets.
- Danby Food and Drink Open Mic (Danby) – Second Wednesdays. A low-key night to share a song, a poem or a laugh, with "no stage and no pressure."
Jazz Jams
- Jazz Jam at The Downstairs (121 W. MLK Jr. St.) – First and last Sundays of the month at 6:00 p.m., with DeWayne Perry. "It's all about the music."
- Cornell Jazz+ Jam Session (101 Lincoln Hall, Cornell University) – Select Saturdays at 4:00 p.m. during the academic year, hosted by the Tomás Comesaña Quartet. Cornell students, visitors and members of the Ithaca community are all invited to participate.
- Liquid State Brewing Jazz Jam (620 W. Green St.) – Has run on the second Monday of the month at 8:00 p.m., with the Ryan Peterson Trio and a monthly guest opening the session in the Barrel Room.
- Cornell & Ithaca College Jazz Nights at The Downstairs – Collaborative jazz-and-jam nights with student groups and special guests on select Sundays in the spring.
Irish and Old-Time
- Irish Session at Bar Argos (Argos Inn) – Tuesdays, 7:00–9:00 p.m. A long-running weekly session hosted by members of local Celtic band Traonach, with special guests. Free.
- Intergenerational Irish Music Session (Sacred Root Kava Lounge & Tea Bar) – Tuesdays, 7:00–9:30 p.m. Welcomes players and listeners of all ages. Free.
- Old-time music – Ithaca's old-time community gathers at cideries, breweries and house jams; South Hill Cider regularly hosts old-time and bluegrass evenings. Ask around at a session to find the current jam.
Ithaca Open Jam & Open Mic Schedule at a Glance
| Day | Event | Venue | Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday (1st & last) | Jazz Jam (6 p.m.) | The Downstairs | Jazz |
| Monday (2nd) | Jazz Jam (8 p.m.) | Liquid State Brewing | Jazz |
| Tuesday | Irish Session (7 p.m.) | Bar Argos | Irish |
| Tuesday | Intergenerational Irish Session (7 p.m.) | Sacred Root Kava Lounge | Irish |
| Wednesday | Open Mic (7 p.m.) | The Nocturnal Café | All Styles |
| Wednesday (2nd) | Open Mic | Danby Food and Drink | All Styles |
| Saturday (select) | Jazz+ Jam Session (4 p.m.) | Cornell, Lincoln Hall | Jazz |
Tips for Playing Ithaca's Open Mics and Jams
- Learn some tunes by ear. Irish and old-time sessions rely on ear learning; listening first is part of the etiquette.
- Watch the academic calendar. Campus jams pause during breaks, and student crowds thin out in summer.
- Prepare for hills and snow. Ithaca's steep streets and winter weather make getting around with gear a challenge.
- Go to GrassRoots. The July festival in Trumansburg is the best place to meet the region's roots musicians.
Helpful Local Resources
- WITH 90.1 FM (withradio.org) – Community radio with weekly "shows to see" roundups.
- The Downstairs (thedownstairsithaca.com) – Jams, open mics and membership info.
- Downtown Ithaca events (downtownithaca.com) – Downtown event calendar.
- Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival (grassrootsfest.org) – The region's signature roots music festival.
