WEXT 518 Local Fest
A full-day celebration of the sounds the station champions every day.
2:00 - The Sugar Hold
3:00 – Shannon Tehya
3:45 – The Alec Lewis Group
4:55 – The Belle Curves
5:55 - Aila Chiar
6:45 - Sly Fox & The Hustlers
8:20 - SIRSY
WEXT brings its Local 518 Music Fest back to Music Haven for a second year, turning Schenectady’s Central Park into a full-day celebration of the sounds the station champions every day. This year’s seven-act showcase offers a wide-ranging taste of the Capital Region’s music community, moving from local rock to indie, hip-hop, and pop, while honoring the artists who help give the 518 its distinctive creative voice.
The day begins with The Sugar Hold, a band that resists easy genre labels and leans instead into the simple pleasure of connection, melody, and a good time. Their sound makes a fitting opener for a festival built around discovery, local pride, and the kind of homegrown talent WEXT has long brought to listeners across the region.
Shannon Tehya follows in duo form, bringing the warmth, hope, and “soft girl pop” spirit of a Cambridge-born songwriter whose music blends folk-rooted arrangements with an inviting, contemporary glow. Her songs carry a sense of openness and community, pairing emotional honesty with a lightness that feels equally at home in an intimate listening room or on an outdoor summer stage.
The Alec Lewis Group adds a sharp, groove-forward turn to the afternoon. Led by producer, engineer, and frontman Alec Lewis, the Albany-based four-piece mixes contemporary funk, classic rock, blues, and polished pop instincts into original songs built for movement. With rhythm at the center and musicianship driving the sound, the group reflects another side of the Local 518 scene: ambitious, versatile, and ready to stretch beyond a single lane.
The Belle Curves, the Troy-area project led by singer-songwriter, bassist, and creative force Delaney Hafener, bring jangly power-pop, rootsy alt-country, folk storytelling, and a slightly sardonic wit to the Music Haven stage. Hafener’s songs prize authenticity, clever melodies, and sharp observations, often balancing tenderness with humor and self-awareness. Whether appearing stripped down or expanded into a fuller band sound, The Belle Curves represent the shared life of a regional scene where collaboration, craft, and character matter.
Aila Chiar broadens the festival’s reach with a boundary-pushing blend of hip-hop, R&B, soul, and singer-songwriter directness. Born and raised in Albany, Chiar has quickly become one of the area’s most compelling young performers, pairing personal lyricism with command, versatility, and purpose. Her work brings a modern pulse to the lineup while keeping storytelling and identity at the center.
As evening arrives, Sly Fox & the Hustlers carry the torch for high-energy, blues-based rock and roll. Built on sweat, soul, and the live-wire belief that music should be felt as much as heard, the band brings the festival into a bigger, bolder gear. Their sound connects classic influences with a working-band spirit, delivering the kind of performance that invites audiences to lean in, dance, and stay loud.
Closing the night, fan favorites SIRSY bring the experience of a seasoned touring act and the intimacy of a duo that sounds far bigger than two people. With Melanie Krahmer’s powerhouse vocals and drums and Rich Libutti’s inventive guitar and bass work, SIRSY has built a reputation on heart, volume, resilience, and connection. They send the second Local 518 Fest out with the energy of a road-tested band and the homecoming warmth of artists deeply rooted in the region.
Together, these seven acts reflect the breadth of what WEXT’s Local 518 celebrates: working artists, rising voices, longtime favorites, and songs that carry the sound of this community well beyond the stage.
(Thanks to Mona Golub and Music Haven for their generosity and support in producing the Fest, and for letting us borrow these words from the Music Haven program).