Night and day

For 27 years now, Joe Rubino and his Nietzsche’s (248 Allen St.) cohorts have been providing a festival-within-a-festival during the annual Allentown Art Festival. It has become a bit of a ritual by now to stroll around the Art Festival for the first part of the day, and then end up at the far end of Allen Street for the abundant roster of bands performing inside the venerable club, from early afternoon through early morning.

There has always been something jubilant about the whole affair. Maybe it has something to do with seeing people in broad daylight you don’t normally encounter until well past the witching hour. Or perhaps it’s just taking in so many outstanding area bands and artists during the course of a single day. (Civic pride is not without its charms, even for the night-crawling, music-lover type.)

Whatever the reason, the Nietzsche’s annual soiree is a don’t-miss, and this year’s lineup — which kicks off at 2 p. m. Saturday, continues until far past a sensible hour, and then picks up again at 2 p. m. Sunday — is the most broad, varied and dynamic roster to date. (Or at least since 1990, when I moved to Buffalo.) Here’s the full schedule.

Saturday

2 p. m., Kilissa Cissoko: Elegant singer-songwriter fare from a fine musician.

3 p. m., Square Circle: Original rock with a slight jam-band tinge.

4 p. m., Celtic Sessions: Traditional Irish music, as creamy and gorgeous as a freshly poured Guinness.

5 p. m., New Clear Fusion: A fusion of rock, soul, funk and R&B.

6 p. m., Sonic Garden: All Dead. All good.

7 p. m., Africo: World beat, with guest erstwhile Fibs bassist Jim Iarocci.

8 p. m., Neville Francis & Riddim Posse: Reggae. The real deal.

9 p. m., Family Funktion & the Sitar Jams: Traditional Indian music with fat grooves, plenty of funk and hot musicianship.

10 p. m., Flatbed: Roots, alt-country, cosmic American music.

11 p. m., The Steam Donkeys: See above, but add a healthy dose of Bakersfield’s Buck Owens.

Midnight, Dali’s Ghost: Modern psychedelic music. Go down the rabbit hole.

1 a. m., Peanut Brittle Satellite: Eclectic, inspired, funky, freaky.

Throughout the day on the front-of-club satellite stage, you can catch performances from Scott Celani, Josh Gage’s Genuflectors, Rick Smith and the Heavenly Chillbillies.

Sunday

2 p. m., Tim Baldwin with Heidi Maria and Maria Peach: Blues-based folk.

3 p. m., The Fibs: Does humor belong in music? Yup. Dr. Demento’s favorite Buffalo band.

4 p. m., A Potter’s Field: Wonderfully idiosyncratic altrock.

5 p. m., Outlyers: The Byrds, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty might be the influences, among others, but this band has the original songs to back up those influences.

6 p. m., Skiffle Minstrels: Rockabilly hillbillies of the highest order.

7 p. m., Nelson Starr and the Benjamins: Poplaced alt-rock, with a twist. (That twist being killer chord changes.)

8 p. m., John Lombardo and Joe Rozler: A tour through some of the finest, strangest and occasionally obscure rock and pop of the ’60s, hosted by a pair of wonderful musicians.

9 p. m., The Allen Street Jazz Band: Time to light the candles and indulge in some deep, blue, velvety vibes.

Throughout the day’s program, catch Rob Falgiano and Ann Phillipone as they alternate sets with rear-stage performers. Admission to Nietzsche’s is $2 per day.

Gig picks

Tonight, Niagara Falls band Settings celebrates the release of its new disc inside the Town Ballroom (681 Main St.) beginning at 6 p. m. This Is An Empire, Crush, the Everlasting, Inlite and Remember Tomorrow will open the all-ages show.

On Saturday, Pink Mountaintops, Quest for Fire and Chylde perform inside Soundlab (110 Pearl St.) beginning at 8 p. m.

On Monday, Halestorm, Burn Halo, Since October and the Veer Union arrive at the Town Ballroom. Doors for the all-ages show open at 7 p. m.

On Wednesday, Passion Pit is joined by Cale Parks inside Mohawk Place (47 E. Mohawk St.) beginning at 8 p. m. That same evening, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists play the Tralf (622 Main St.), beginning at 8 p. m.

Next Friday, Roomful of Blues plays the Lafayette Tap Room (391 Washington St.) at 9 p. m.