PREVIEW: Rodney Dukes Talks Unity in the Community
07/25 @ Riverfront Park, Troy
**This review originally appeared in our July 2026 print issue**
Photo provided
“[Dukes] has taken a barrier and used it to lift himself back up along with the entire community.
One thing that most of us in music have faced, whether it’s a small local scene or a national one, is rejection. We’ve all been told no and had the door slammed in our face at one point or another. The thing that makes all of us unique is how we react to these roadblocks.
It’s easy to believe the naysayers and start losing confidence in what you do, or even who you are. To have the fortitude and self confidence to not only keep moving forward, but also strive is hard. Even harder is taking the negativity and molding it into something positive while uplifting others along the way.
That is exactly what Rodney Dukes is doing with “Unity in the Community.”
The idea for the multi-genre concert on July 25 at the Riverfront Park in Troy, came to Rodney after a miscommunication had left his band Legacy Music Group off a very important event they were slated to play.
It was after this unfortunate event that Dukes was contacted by his friend Kevin Pryor, of the not-for-profit organization Troy Look. Pryor told Dukes that they should just “do their own thing.”
“I was kind of reluctant at first,” Dukes begins. “I thought that kind of defeats the purpose if we do our own thing, because we should be on the platforms as all the other heavy-hitter bands that are frequently performing all over the place.
“After some reluctance I decided, ‘Alright, we might as well.’”
That decision ended up not only creating “Unity in the Community,” but also gaining his band some positive attention and even some high profile gigs. The first Unity in the Community took place last July and featured music from BerkStar, Doc Horton and the Jay Street Band, the Upstate Dance Band, and Dukes’ own band. Not one to rest on his laurels, Dukes promises that this year’s Unity in the Community is going to be even bigger — adding not only more music, but also community resources.
“We have ten bands this year and we basically covered almost every genre, from Motown, R&B, reggae, blues, rock… we've even got country music in there as well.”
Being that this is a community event, Dukes wanted to add resources to the event that you may not normally associate with a music show.
“From 12–3 p.m. we're going to have a resource fair. As of right now, I have 15 employers, 15 nonprofits and three branches of the military that are [participating].
“It is specifically for those that can't get certain resources or [gain] employment.”
Dukes also talks about the inclusion of these services being a step toward removing the stigma of seeking assistance or employment services, and the way in which having them alongside a concert may just provide the right opportunity for someone to take the first step in seeking assistance.
“Some people may not want to take that step to go to a resource center or a job fair. It can be very overwhelming,” Dukes admits. “But when we have something that's outside, they can wear what they want and listen to music. They may be more inclined to take advantage of the services.”
While this year's Unity in the Community has grown exponentially from its inception, Dukes has no plans of slowing down. He’s already thinking about the future of the event, including expanding it from the singular location at Riverfront Park to a regional, multi-show production.
“I want to keep expanding. I want to be able to bring this to Albany and Schenectady as well and collaborate with those [individuals] in the music scene,” Dukes says enthusiastically.
With his drive, determination, and community-focused ethos, there’s no doubt that Dukes will continue to grow this event year after year. He’s taken a barrier, and used it to lift himself back up along with the entire community.
