Capital Repertory Theatre has completed renovations after a recent move to Albany. Founded in 1981 and first operating at 111 N. Pearl St., a former Grand Cash Market, theRep’s prior location housed performances for 39 years, ending the era on March 13, 2020 with a performance of “The Irish and How They Got That Way.”
With Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill as Producing Artistic Director since 1995, the theatre became fully affiliated with Proctors in 2013. theRep was a member of the League of Resident Theatres, under its contracts and regulations.
The new and renovated relocation now sits in the traditional lands of the Mohawk and Mohican people, taking over what formally was a St. Joseph’s Church. The new location has a capacity of 302 occupants, rather than a limit of 286 at the former location. Only half a mile from the old venue, the new building serves as a step-up for the theatre, expanding on everything to be desired at the old location.
The $14 million project couldn’t have been done without the donations and support garnered through loving fans of the venue, and with increased seating and other new luxuries, the venue will surely repay the favor.
You can view even more of the Capital Repertory Theatre renovations with a sneak peek and stay updated on upcoming shows at their website. If you’ve ever visited the previous venue or are looking for shows in Albany, we recommend staying in the know by signing up to the Proctors Collaborative newsletter.
Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night for EQXposure to hear new music from Fine Grain, Sarah King, and many more!
WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.
Fine Grain is tonight’s featured band for EQXposure. Pearson will be playing a collection of songs from their latest release, Missing Adult, now streaming all over the world and available for purchase on Bandcamp. Tune in to hear the tunes and join the discussion of this awesome bands incredibly creative and unique full length release, that is a genre bending and deeply interesting work of art to listen to.
Other artists featured tonight include Sarah King, who celebrates the release of her latest EP The Hour. Read our review of her new album here.
And stayed tuned for Jade Relics, a Vermont-based production group made up of Rico James, Elder Orange, and IAME and their latest tunes “Start Over” and “With You.” Plus check out Laveda, a genre blending dream pop/rock outfit who set nostalgic and cinematic moods with a 90’s-esque sound reminiscent of The Sundays and My Bloody Valentine.
Coming this summer to rest stops along Interstates 81, 84, 86, 87, 88 and 90, New Yorkers and other travelers can discover new bands and artists thanks to the State Division of Tourism sponsoring the “Rest Stop Pop Up NY” Thruway Concert Series.
At the state’s Welcome Centers, multiple bands will be featured throughout the day, offering a small but distanced festival feel. Service Areas along I-90 and I-87 will feature top rock and jam acts performing on stages set up in parking lots, starting at 10am and going until 10pm.
moe. will give a nod to their New York roots by make appearances at rest stops near Buffalo, Utica and Albany. And provided their drummer can catch a ride, The Assortment of Crayons will reunite at the Plattekill rest stop on I-87 North.
Heading along I-88 and I-81, a broad selection of bluegrass and metal bands will perform at the more rustic rest areas located on these comparatively lesser traveled highways. Meanwhile, I-84 will feature singer-songwriters from the Hudson Valley at each of the four rest stops. Don’t miss July 4 with Don McLean at the Brewster Rest Area.
I-86, the state’s newest highway, will feature Buffalo’s Organ Fairchild. Much like the band, I-86 was years in the making and brings together many great parts of the state in one solid collective.
The new ‘Text Break’ stops will feature acoustic performances only, with requests taken by texting your song request to 38262. There will be no shows along I-495 on Long Island.
When the State Division of Tourism was asked what could go wrong with these Pop Ups, a representative admitted there would be some issues.
For one, there’s only so much parking, and while we will allow you to park on the grass for that true festival feel, some folks may need to park on the side of the road and walk into the festival. This state has a great history of parking cars and walking miles to see music, whether it’s the original Woodstock festival, Summer Jam 1973, or The Clifford Ball. We want to give people the real music experience, including, but not limited to, fatigue and mild exhaustion upon arrival at your destination.
Judith McCarty, State Division of Tourism
McCarty also discussed safety measures, saying “Of course people will socially distance. And if they don’t we hope they’re spending money and we feel that trade off is worth the risk.”
Alcohol will not be sold at any Thruway Rest Stop, per usual, but CBD vendors will be on hand for to provide attendees with an energetic natural high. “We strongly encourage CBD use. Please don’t drink and drive. That would make us look really, really bad,” said McCarty.
The State Division of Tourism feels that the Rest Stop Pop Up concert series will encourage travel across the state, and also allow travelers to learn about the history that happened here.
Additionally, toll money will be used to help balance the state budget.
Thank you for reading. This was an April Fools article, published on April 1, 2021.
On March 26th, Voorheesville-local Annie Scherer dropped her debut indie-pop album, an introspective collection of songs titled Garden Bed.
Photo credit: Sherry Kocienski
In the album, Scherer dives deep into her emotions, with each song tackling a different point in Annie’s life where she had to overcome hardship and ultimately grow as a person.
On each track, Annie takes the listener on an emotional journey, inviting them along on sonically exhilarating ride that expands as the album progresses.
We spoke with Annie and asked her a few questions about Garden Bed:
Aaron Ginsburg: The themes of your album have a lot to do with being introspective. Has COVID-19 given you time to be more introspective, and in what ways has it affected your creative process?
Annie Scherer: I’ve had a lot of time with my thoughts, which was mostly a good thing. I was finally able to relax and take a step back, which I never allow myself to do. At the beginning of quarantine, I had a hard time finding inspiration and seeking out creativity. But I also used the time I was given to find my sound and record my album. AG: What artists have had the biggest influence on you, and can we hear any of their influence in your album Garden Bed?
AS: Artists who use a lot of visuals in their songs are always among my favorites, as are those who write tangible lyrics and catchy melodies. I really enjoy alternative artists, such as Lana Del Rey and Lorde, whose influence can be heard in my instrumentation. I also love the memorable melodies of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.
AG: As a musician during the pandemic, it must be difficult to get the same quality of outside feedback on your work due to the fact that you can’t play live and can’t gather in large groups. Has that been a problem for you?
AS: The pandemic has forced us to rely on social media, which is not a great way to get feedback. I never know if people are sick of seeing my promotional posts, but I don’t really have a choice nor do I let that stop me. Live music is nice because you’re surrounded by people who support you. It becomes a symbiotic experience.
AG: What do you want your listeners to feel when listening to your album Garden Bed?
AS: I want listeners to feel a mix of emotions when they hear my music. “Skyline” should arouse feelings of sentimentality, while I hope they feel inspired when they hear “Phases Grow.” All my songs were written to create an emotional response.
AG: What do you have in store for us next? Do you have a musical direction you are aiming to go to?
AS: I already have a vision for my next album. Garden Bed mostly consists of a brighter tonality, and lots of it is acoustic and light. The next one is likely to have darker and more minor elements. The contrast and change in theme will enrich the musical experience for my listeners.
“Andy Warhol,” a single from Garden Bed.
The tracks on Garden Bed were primarily written and produced by Annie in collaboration with David Finch, Aidan Sloppy, Kyle Robinson, Ryan Davis, Maggie Roberts, Ben Grant, Tom Evans, Brenden Beaver, Ali Genevich, Rosemary Michaud and Elizabeth Miller.
Over a period of three months, Annie recorded her vocals and digital instruments in her mother’s home. She hopes the music will resonate with listeners and inspire them to persevere through their own hardships.
You can listen to Garden Bed, as well as other work by Annie Scherer, on all streaming platforms and on her website.
You can ask many different people within the Albany area how the local music scene is, and no matter what style they’re into, they all say the same thing: Albany has a vibrant, collective, and interesting music scene and style.
One scene in particular has always been prominent, the metal, hard rock, alternative and hard-core genres in the Capital District. Those scenes have fluctuated in size and popularity, but members of this community have gone on to form bands, re-form bands into new projects, and they all share the same love for the music and keep the good times rolling.
Today, the spotlight goes to the Capital District metal band Deveria. Turning on the first track on their latest album Suicide Forest, and magically brought back to a time in the early 90’s, when shows graced the stage on the regular at Saratoga Winners, the radio stations WVCR, ZROCK and PYX 106 were delighted to sponsor shows, bands could be found in every club with a stage. A time where show bills and glasses were always full.
From the start of the album, Suicide Forest has the chemistry and workings of a band of friends working metal magic. With a tight sound production, as the first song kicks in the energetic and powerful drumming from John Suski lets you know it’s time to take notice and get your head and shoulders grooving. Christian Bivona’s guitar work is up front, exciting you and reminding you of the golden age of metal when Metal Church and Exodus albums showed the world that guitarists made songs rise above everything.
The rhythm section is rounded out with the impressive and tight bass work of Marvin Veeder, his full sound in conjunction with John Suski makes for a groove that makes you want to tap your foot wherever you may find yourself listening to this album.
Now, let’s address the crown jewel of this local-metal ensemble. Leading the band in a harmonic journey reminiscent of the great days of old Queensryche, Charles Woodward. His range and placement speaks of a veteran of songwriting. It was exciting to hear an album with this style that is not heard too often anymore. If you are a fan of heavy metal and wish to revisit an era that ruled the Capital District in a time of the late 80’s and early 90’s, do not sleep on Deveria.
Singer-songwriter Sarah King has released her debut EP, The Hour, a splendid, soulful voyage to the darkest corners of Americana. It’s the perfect showcase for her show-stopping vocals and gothic bluesy story songs, something made all the better by the smartly minimalist arrangements conjured by co-producers, Simone Felice and David Baron (The Lumineers, Bat for Lashes, Jade Bird, Felice Brothers).
photo by Arielle Thomas
The tune that will likely command the most attention is her reinvention of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.” This take is as slow and minimal and softly acoustic as its gets – a thumb strummed solo guitar riding an E minor drone (sorry, Spinal Tap, this and not the D minor, is the saddest of keys/chords). Even though this guitar and voice spotlight is swaddled in a cathedral’s worth of cavernous reverb, it retains a crispness and clarity, like all the tracks on this impeccably engineered collection. This cover is further distinguished by the ghostly alternative melodies King conjures, she’s like a bebopper of acid folk. There’s shades of Nick Drake, Alexi Murdoch and Blue-era Joni Mitchell in the quietude and Dolly Parton, one of her inspirations along with Adele and White Stripes, in the controlled country crack in King’s voice.
The track “Poison” has a churchy gospel vibe. Here Sarah King responds justifiably likewise to a cruel lover who can’t take what he dishes out (“I’m not bent, I’m not broken by your crimes. I gave you a taste of your medicine and you say I poisoned you”). Like many tunes on the album, there’s great texture here – tiny sonic delights barely audible in the mix like the ghostly roto-speaker electric guitar in this tune.
My personal favorite, “Nightstand,” hammers home the spooky soulful vibe. It’s a murder ballad driven by a swirly Rhodes piano, guitar crunch, Hammond organ wail, rich background vocals and gut-punch lyrics. Case in point, the chorus:
I was born with the cord wrapped around my neck It’s not something I could ever forget The world’s been trying to take me out since the day I first arrived There’s a darkness a-reaching for my hand I keep a gun in my nightstand Waiting for music to bury a body by
The funereal shuffle of “Cold Hard Ground” brings to mind the artsy country blues of Wrecking Ball-era Emma Lou Harris. It’s a minor blues articulated with a slurry snare-brushed beat, honey toned organ and minimalist piano. Co-producer David Baron, proprietor of Sun Mountain Studios in the Hudson Valley where the EP was recorded, is an analog synth collector. He adds some very outta-space keyboard swirl and ambience here, along with (possibly) a mellotron-treated vocal chorus. He’s a master of the less is more approach.
photo by Christian James
“Not Worthy the Whiskey” is a swaggering stomp-and-holler about making peace with your dark past. The tune is propelled by percussive handclaps and stomps and boasts a whistling-down-the-alley intro ala Billy Joel’s “The Stranger.” It’s another deep blue lament, ones that floats in and out like a dream.
Like much great music, King’s debut EP was born of loss. In the press notes she says: “My dog died, my ex-husband died and my mama died too. Life is too fucking short, I’d just spent almost a year traveling in a tent away from my instruments and facing so much loss, I realized I never wanted to be away from music again.”
King’s partnership with Felice came about when she sent him a shot-in-the-dark email containing a performance video of “Nightstand,” which to an invitation to record that tune and four more. We are lucky that King found the strength to put her loss into such fresh, emotionally revealing, brave music. And she’s lucky to have found, in Felice and Baron, producers who could bring her art to life is such a beautifully restrained and achingly gorgeous way.
Key Tracks: Nightstand, War Pigs, Not Worth the Whiskey
The Saratoga Performing Arts Centeris bringing back the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s residency making it the first series of live performances since 2020 for SPAC.
The Saratoga Performing Arts Center is located in Saratoga Springs and has been around for over 50 years. Their first summer season hosted 21 shows over the span of four weeks. The center had performances from non-classical musicians over time including Harry Belafonte in 1967 and a record breaking performance from Grateful Dead in 1983. In 2014 the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center became SPAC’s third resident company.
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center developed when the president of the Lincoln Center at the time, William Schuman, wanted an organization dedicated to chamber music. It officially began in 1969 in the Alice Tully Hall. CMS started educational and developmental programs for young musicians. There are about 70 performances that take place outside of New York City and the country per season. They are a part of several residencies and even have their own record label.
The Chamber Music Society residency at SPAC comes back this year after the 2020 season was cancelled due to COVID-19. This season is from June 13 until August 29 featuring compositions from Beethoven’s string quartets and Schumann’s Piano quartet in E-flat major. The U.S premiere of Twelve Blocks by pianist Michael Brown is also a part of the agenda. The co-Artistic directors David Finckel and Wu Han return along with the Calidore String Quartet’s SPAC debut.
The series takes place at Pitney Meadows Community Farm which has large outdoor space for events. It will have a maximum capacity of 200 per performance and each performance is 75 minutes without an intermission. Socially distanced pods for two are provided for ticket buyers from the price of $100-120. Tickets for subscriptions to all six shows will be available on April 1 for SPAC members and April 6 for the general public. Single performance tickets are available on April 12 for SPAC members and April 16 for the general public and won’t be available at the door. Tickets can be purchased on SPAC’s website along with additional information regarding COVID-19 protocols.
On your way to SPAC, don’t forget that Stewart’s Shops is your ice cream shop! With over 345 shops in 31 counties across New York and southern Vermont, the convenience store chain is known for their fresh &local dairy products. With dozens of choices at the cone counter, you’re bound to find something you love! Try a shake, sundae, or cone today, What’s Your Flavor?
Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear new music from Northsidesound, Annie Scherer and many more!
WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.
“Five” by Northsidesound out of Albany kicks off EQXposure on Sunday. Pearson says of the group, “The fastest and probably the worst comparison to make to describe their sound is to recall Sublime – however, that seems far too weak of a link to pin this band down. The vibe of tune “Five” is only similar, but the playing of all the musicians on the cut share a glimpse of things to to come. There seems to be nothing that these guys can’t achieve and this song is outstanding to say the least – fun, hip shaking, and some truly great guitar playing and melodies.”
Annie Scherer‘s “ You know” is up later in the show. Annie is celebrating the release of her album Garden Bed, and her latest single “You Know,” which debuted on 102.7 FM WEQX this past Thursday, is a gorgeous piece of music. A slow jam that is magnetic and infectious, peering directly into the soul of the listener. Annie’s melody and lyrics are so deeply personal and direct, it’s as if she is singing directly to and about the listener.
GRAMMY-winning Albany Symphony Orchestra music director David Allan Miller announces its 2021-2022 season, featuring Timeless Masterpieces from Beethoven to Tchaikovsky and several other exciting composers of current time.
The Albany Symphony
The season will honor Music Director David Alan Miller’s 30th anniversary, as well as virtuosic soloists: Richard O’Neill, Shai Wosner, Eric Berlin, Peter Kolkay, Maya Buchanan, Gloria Cheng and Timothy McAllister. Other composers include John Corigliano, Jessie Montgomery, Viet Cuong, John Williams, Tania León, and more.
“We are thrilled to be able to share some of the greatest works of all times with our subscribers and patrons, especially after an enormously challenging, difficult year,” said Albany Symphony Music Director David Alan Miller. “We will perform many of our very favorite classics, from Scheherazade to Mozart’s Jupiter and Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique Symphonies. And, we will also celebrate many of the most exciting composers of our time, including Jessie Montgomery, Viet Cuong, and my dear friend Tania León. I’m looking forward to several exciting commissions and world premieres and feel so fortunate to be joined in my anniversary season by so many creative artists and great performers who mean so much to me.”
The season opens in October 2021 with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 Eroica, one of the most transformational works in music history. The musical catalogue glides from classics to modern composers, showcasing many talents through a variety of musicians.
The 2021-2022 season runs from October through the American Music Festival in June. Subscriptions offer patrons the opportunity to purchase their favorite seat before tickets go on sale to the general public. The Compose Your Own season subscriptions offers flexibility and convenience. Through the Nielsen Associates’ Student Access Program, students can purchase discount subscriptions and enjoy the full benefits of being a subscriber for as little as $45. To purchase a subscription online, visit http://www.albanysymphony.com or call the Albany Symphony Box Office at 518-694-3300.
31 years ago today, the Grateful Dead were finally able to play a show in the city of Albany thanks to the brand new Knickerbocker Arena, aka The Knick. Somehow, they had gone all this time without ever paying a trip to New York’s capital. But now with a shiny new venue opened just months earlier that easily fits thousands, Albany became a logical destination for the Dead. This would mark the first of thirteen shows the band would play at this venue. But Spring of 1990 is a particularly special time of Dead, one of their most acclaimed and widely popular tours of all time. So it’s only fitting that these first Albany shows are captured in the band’s 1996 official live release Dozin’ At The Knick. Much of the album’s material is rightfully culled from this special, first ever Albany Dead show.
Local promoter Greg Bell of Guthrie/Bell Productions played a small but critical role in those March 1990 shows.
A friend of mine worked for Mayor Whalen and I was the only Deadhead she knew, so they asked me to come in snd speak to the Mayor’s people, the Police, Fire Department and several other various Albany officials.
I gave them advice on how to deal with the Deadheads. They listened to everything that I suggested and it was one of the most relaxed and cool scenes I had ever seen at an East Coast show.
This would be the first night of a three-night run in Albany and the Dead were quickly and comfortably settled in at the Knick. This sentiment comes across in the quasi-casual start to the “Let The Good Times Roll” that opens the show this evening. By the end though, the band is fully engaged, as is the rest of the building. Riding this early wave, the band then quickly jumps into the crowd favorite “Help On The Way.” Jerry Garcia digs into his guitar’s bag of tricks and comes up with some interesting effects on “Slipknot!” And despite some shaky early lyrics, there’s no issue with the dismount on “Franklin’s Tower” and the Knick crowd eagerly shows their love for this quintessential sequence of Grateful Dead.
Bob Weir then takes center stage and coolly leads the band through “Walkin’ Blues” which is featured on the album. But somehow, to the disbelief of Deadheads worldwide, the “Loser” that follows somehow did not make the final cut. A goosebump-inducing roar of approval from the Knick greets this one and the performance certainly lives up to it. Garcia’s singing is steady on this one and his poignant solos along with Brent Mydland’s blasting organ fills help fuel this instant classic.
The first set also features “Desolation Row,” one of the many Bob Dylan songs the band would cover and make their own. More delicate guitar licks from Garcia and intricate bass play from a “turned up” Phil Lesh dominate this one. The Dead’s first ever set at the Knick then closes up with a lively take on “Tennessee Jed,” with the crowd in full sing-along mode, and Bob Weir’s typically rowdy “One More Saturday Night.”
With their first set at the Knick now in the books, the Grateful Dead then proceed to rip through a second set that, justly, makes up a significant portion of the album. It fills up the entire second and some of the third of the three-disc release. “Playin’ In The Band” is the set opener choice and sets the tone nicely. Phil Lesh and his vibrant bass play continue to shine early on this one before the jam begins to stretch and digress. Mydland and his electric keys also add a spiritual element to this jam that gets heavy in a hurry. However, instead of truly going off the deep end, the jam calmly and steadily veers into the opening chords of “Uncle John’s Band.”
March 24, 1990 Knickerbocker Arena
This band rips through the composed section with ease, stretching it out nicely between verses with ease. This proficiency carries right over to another quick and rapid-fire type jam, one that seems to almost be a continuation of PITB. But instead of stretching it out again, Garcia quietly begins strumming the open to “Terrapin Station,” much to the crowd’s delight. This caps the set’s powerhouse opening trifecta of Dead classics.
The whole band is locked in on the song and it’s customary outro jam never gets stale on this one, with each member adding a little “spice” of their own to keep it interesting – Mydland especially. But as the jam loses its “Terrapin” structure, an old friend emerges. A slow-building familiar four chord jam begins to develop, none other than the “Mind Left Body Jam.” Dead scholars maintain this is the first one in more than five years, if not longer. It’s believed by some to be related to the Paul Kanter song “Your Mind Has Left Your Body” and also shares the same chord progression as “You’re All I Need To Get By,” among other songs. To the Knick’s delight, the Dead dust off this simple, pyschedelic instrumental that’s labeled on the album as “Mud Love Buddy Jam” in a nod to a former taper’s description of it.
After lengthy “Drums” and “Space” sequences led by drummers Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart, “The Wheel” emerges in boisterous fashion. But this one is kept pretty short and simple. At its conclusion, another familiar Dylan cover immediately takes shape, this time it’s “All Along The Watchtower.” Garcia produces a bed of wailing guitar sounds that dominate this cover that’s been a part of the Dead’s live repertoire since 1987.
After the band is done toying around with the “Watchtower” jam, things slow down one last time for a typically poignant Garcia-sung “Stella Blue.” Brent Mydland leads the backup harmonizing vocals while Garcia delivers a pair of hauntingly beautiful guitar solos in a staggering, soulful juxtaposition to the raucous “Watchtower” from just minutes earlier.
The opening shuffle-beat of “Not Fade Away” then emerges, giving the Dead one last chance to jam. They rip through the Buddy Holly cover with no abandon, gladly declaring their love “will not fade away.” This then devolves into Weir singing by himself while the rest of the band phonetically sings the beat before it then turns into the full Knickerbocker Arena crown singing the chorus back to the band well after they’ve left the stage- a truly special Grateful Dead moment that Dozin’ captures beautifully.
Grateful Dead Knickerbocker Arena – Albany, NY 3/24/90
Set 1: Let The Good Times Roll, Help On The Way-> Slipknot!-> Franklin’s Tower, Walkin’ Blues, Loser, Desolation Row, Tennessee Jed, One More Saturday Night
Set 2: Playin’ In The Band-> Uncle John’s Band-> Terrapin Station-> Mind Left Body Jam-> Drums-> Space-> The Wheel-> All Along The Watchtower-> Stella Blue-> Not Fade Away
