Get up, get down

I want to give you all a heads up about an August event headed to the Uptown District of Utica.

But first, an aside: By Uptown District I'm referring to the area around the Uptown Theatre. In recent years, the area has seen some revitalization with Cafe Domenico at the helm. Across the street, those of Heidelberg fame recently opened, The Balkan, a restaurant for casual dining. In the past few months, they've added to that project, opening a higher end restaurant/bar The Hadley, directly connected to The Balkan. The Hadley features a pianist or jazz music every Friday and Saturday, with a bar menu and sit-down dinner menu. I'm also told to expect the Domenicos to open The Green Onion Pub sometime in July on the other side of the Uptown Theatre.

Why bring this up in a music blog? Simple: More venues equals more opportunities and more places for local musicians to perform.

Local musician Mike Galime had that thought in mind when he began putting together Uptown Getdown to take place Aug. 15. The event will fill the three theaters in the historic building from 2 to 10 p.m. with music, independent film and art.

It's a celebration of Utica's art and an opportunity to give the Uptown District a boost, said Galime, a long time supporter of local music with his band The Band Charlie. He hopes the event will be another welcome addition in the newly developing Uptown District and encourage others to make their mark in that area as well.

Visit the site www.theuptowngetdown.com for specifics.

Pictured above: An archive photo of the Uptown Theatre marquee, 2014 Genesee St.