NYS Music 202​1

Category: Saratoga Springs

  • Opera Saratoga Announces A New Festival Model for Large Scale Summer Performances in 2022

    Opera Saratoga has announced a new festival model for large scale summer performances in 2022. The season will include big performances of the Barber of Seville, Petite Messe Solennelle, Sky on Swings, Sweeney Todd, and many more. 

    Opera Saratoga Summer 2022

    The performances will take place across June and July across multiple venues throughout the region. Opera Saratoga summer season plans on embracing partnerships with the Proctors in Schenectady; The Egg in Albany; Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs; The Round Lake Auditorium in Round Lake Village; The Barn at French Mountain in Lake George Village; and The Mansion Inn in Rock City Falls.

    Opera Saratoga’s Artistic and General Director Lawrence Edelson spoke on the new season model saying,

    We began asking, with so many remarkable theaters in our region, might we be able to better serve our mission by reconceiving our Summer Festival in a way that doesn’t limit us to a single venue? While we remain committed to producing in Saratoga Springs, as the opera company of the Capital Region, our goal is to provide access to our Summer Festival programming in the same way we are able to do with our year-round programs. We are incredibly excited by the opportunities of this expanded Festival model, and grateful for the opportunity to partner with so many like-minded organizations across the region to make it possible.

    Lawrence Edelson

    The summer season will start with Petite Messe Solennelle on June 2 and June 3 at 7:30PM. The show will be presented by Opera Saratoga in partnership with The Round Lake Auditorium featuring music by Gioachino Rossini. The season will wrap up with The Barber of Seville – IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA on JULY 8 at 7:30PM and JULY 10 at  2PM. The show will be produced by Opera Saratoga in Partnership with Proctors featuring music by Gioachino Rossin.

    Tickets for the 2022 Summer Festival will be available through Festival Passes and Single Tickets. Festival Passes, which provide a 20% discount on single ticket prices and priority seating for all productions and events, will be available beginning February 1, 2022. Single Tickets will go on sale March 15, 2022.  Audience members will be required to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for all performances, and masks will be required based on prevailing conditions at the time of the Festival. All policies may be adjusted in response to changing conditions, and based on the specific requirements of each venue. 

    For more information on the Opera Saratoga’s new festival model visit their website.

    The full lineup for Opera Saratoga Summer 2022 is listed below: 

    PETITE MESSE SOLENNELLE

    June 2 and June 3 @ 7:30pm

    Presented by Opera Saratoga in partnership with The Round Lake Auditorium

    Music by Gioachino Rossini

    A BROADWAY CABARET

    June 12 @ 2pm and 7pm

    Presented by Opera Saratoga in partnership with The Mansion Inn

    A JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION WITH SIDNEY OUTLAW

    JUNE 19 @ 2:30pm

    Produced by Opera Saratoga in Partnership with Proctors

    SWEENEY TODD – THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET A MUSICAL THRILLER

    JUNE 29 and JUNE 30 @ 7:30pm

    Produced by Opera Saratoga in Partnership with the Saratoga Performing Arts Center

    Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

    SKY ON SWINGS

    JULY 7 @ 7:30pm and JULY 9 @ 2pm

    Produced by Opera Saratoga in Partnership with The Egg

    Music by Lembit Beecher

    THE BARBER OF SEVILLE – IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA

    JULY 8 @ 7:30pm and JULY 10 @ 2pm

    Produced by Opera Saratoga in Partnership with Proctors

    Music by Gioachino Rossini

  • Rees Shad and the Convo Combo Return To Caffe Lena this January

    Rees Shad and the Convo Combo and are returning to Caffe Lena on January 8th, 2021. Shad is no stranger to the Saratoga Springs club, in 1984 he did open mic nights there. The founder and namesake of Caffe Lena, Lena Spencer, is credited by Shad himself as being the foundation to the start of his career.

    rees shad convo combo

    Manhattan native Rees Shad has a discography of over 30 albums. He worked for many years as a sideman and studio musician before releasing things of his own. His newest record One Glass at a Time will be performed at the show.

    The Convo Combo features drummer Bobby Kay and bassist Jeff Link, who both come together to aid Shad to create a performance akin to that of live jazz, with their twist, providing classy ambiance to any nightclub.

    rees shad convo combo

    Speaking of the new album, Shad is incredibly proud of the jazz-influenced record.

    Taken incrementally, the stories from One Glass at a Time are crafted to resonate and intensify as the lyrics and melodies sink in. This might or might not be an overarching story…the listener might suspect it. The process should be interactive. I’m hoping to help lay the crumbs that they will want to follow…striving to light up listeners’ imaginations.

    Rees Shad

    Many critics have praised Shad and his music, the Boston Herald saying, “As loamy as 10 yards of Midwestern topsoil and his complex is a nest of small-town relationships … Unexpectedly literate & moving.” The Dallas Observer also had quite a bit to tell, “Unfair to describe this work in terms of another – it’s that personal, that complete, and that well done.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fkr34GEuWZM
    Rees Shad and the Convo Combo play a song.

    Tickets to see Rees Shad and his Convo Combo live at Caffe Lena can be found here, with proof of vaccination required.

  • Aqueous Announce Spring 2022 Tour Dates

    Buffalo’s Aqueous has announced dates for their Spring Tour 2022, including shows at the new Brooklyn Made and Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs.

    aqueous spring 2022

    Aqueous will wrap up 2021 with a show at Town Ballroom in Buffalo, with Eggy joining them to close out the year. They’ll venture to New York City for their debut at Brooklyn Made on January 29. After a pair of shows in Colorado in March, the band returns east for a show in Pittsburgh on April 1, Cleveland on April 2, then Saratoga Springs on April 8. The final announced show will be in Chicago on April 23, with one festival date – Great South Bay Music Festival over July 7-10, 2022

    Aqueous Spring Tour 2022 tickets are now on sale at AqueousBand.com

  • A New Year’s Eve Celebration will take the Stage at the Universal Preservation Hall Featuring Zachary James and Laurie Rogers

    A New Year’s Eve celebration has been announced at Universal Preservation Hall and will be featuring Zachary James and Laurie Rogers. The festive concert will take place at 7PM on December 31, 2021 and is presented by Opera Saratoga and Proctors Collaborative. The concert will feature a variety of popular, Broadway, and classical favorites. It  will also culminate in Opera Saratoga’s much anticipated announcement of its 2022 Summer Festival Programming.

    New Year’s Eve Celebration

    Zachary James is well known to local audiences for his remarkable portrayal of the title role in Opera Saratoga’s production of Man of La Mancha this past summer on the SPAC Amphitheater Stage. He also starred on Broadway as Lurch in The Addams Family and has also appeared in South Pacific and Coram Boy. His Off-Broadway credits include The Most Happy Fella, Irma La Douce, Sweeney Todd, and The Pirates of Penzance. His work on the opera stage includes the Metropolitan Opera, English National Opera, Teatro Real, Opera Philadelphia, LA Opera, Opera Queensland, Arizona Opera, Virginia Opera, Nashville Opera, Anchorage Opera, Central City Opera, and more. Zachary has recorded multiple solo albums including his most recent Christmas release, Wonder and Joy. 

    Laurie Rogers who has been the Opera Saratoga’s Head of Music Staff and Director of the company’s Young Artist Program for the past ten years will be performing alongside Zachary James on piano. Laurie has served as Associate Conductor with LA Opera and has prepared productions for San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Dallas Opera, the Canadian Opera Company, Minnesota Opera, American Lyric Theater, Wolf Trap Opera, Utah Opera, Arizona Opera, and Washington National Opera, among many others. In addition to her role at Opera Saratoga, she currently serves as the Music Director for Opera at The Peabody Institute, and conducts and concertizes nationally.  

     Philip Morris who is the CEO of Proctors Collaborative spoke on the upcoming event saying, “We are the Proctors Collaborative because we love to partner with our neighbor cultural organizations.  This is a great way to open the New Year and restart what we hope will be an ever-expanding relationship with Opera Saratoga,”

    Tickets are available online at www.operasaratoga.org or www.universalpreservationhall.org. Tickets are free, but seating is limited, and advance reservations are highly recommended. All attendees will be required to show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 to enter UPH and must remain masked at all times in the venue.

    For more information on the New Year’s Eve celebration featuring Zachary James and Laurie Rogers visit Opera Saratoga’s website or Universal Preservation Hall’s website.

  • Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center to Return To Saratoga Springs

    Saratoga Performing Arts Center announced they will again partner with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, renewing an annual residency. “CMS at the Meadows,” hosted at Pitney Meadows Community Farm open-air High Tunnel greenhouse, will present twelve performances in 2022, spanning June, July, and August. The diverse orchestra will take on masterworks by the likes of Beethoven, Mozart, and Dvořák. 

    ‘CMS at the Meadows’ at Pitney Meadows Community Farm.

    “One of the highlights of this past summer’s programming was the glorious confluence of stunning music-making in a magnificent natural setting. Thanks to our partners at The Farm, we are excited to be going back there for the summer 2022 season,” said SPAC President and CEO Elizabeth Sobol. 

    Led by artistic directors David Finckel and Wu Han, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center will highlight a diverse array of performers and composers. Some CMS guests, like the acclaimed Escher String Quartet, make a welcome return to Saratoga Springs. Others, like German clarinetist Sebastian Manz, Brazilian oboist Hugo Zouza, Taiwanese-American violist Tien-Hsin Cindy Wu, and American hornists David Byrd-Marrow and Kevin Rivard, will appear at SPAC for the first time ever. 

    A previous performance of CMS at the Meadows holds an open-air crowd mesmerized.

    In addition to highlighting both familiar classics and new frontiers, CMS will also continue their intentional efforts to highlight BIPOC music and musicians. A special Juneteenth concert will see acclaimed BIPOC composers Jessie Montgomery, Florence Price, and William Grant Still make their SPAC debuts. 

    “It will be an exciting summer, and we can’t wait for everyone to hear it,” Finckel and Wu Han shared in a statement. 

    The Hill Tunnel at Pitney Meadows Community Farm.

    Tickets to all six Chamber Music Society programs (performed at 3 pm and 6 pm rain or shine) will be available for purchase at spac.org, beginning on December 10th with a presale for SPAC members. The general public will be able to purchase tickets starting December 17th. See the full summer schedule below: 

    Sunday, June 12 @ 3PM & 7PM: Quintessential Quintets

    ANI KAVAFIAN, Violin

    IDA KAVAFIAN, Violin

    PAUL NEUBAUER, Viola

    STEVEN TENENBOM, Viola

    DAVID FINCKEL, Cello

    Mozart: Quintet in G minor for Two Violins, Two Violas, and Cello, K. 516 (1787)

    Dvořák: Quintet in E-flat major for Two Violins, Two Violas, and Cello, Op. 97, “American” (1893)

    Sunday, June 19 @ 3PM & 7PM: From the Harlem Renaissance to Today  

    MSIMELELO MBALI, Bass–baritone

    WU QIAN, Piano

    STELLA CHEN, Violin

    GUILLERMO FIGUEROA, Violin

    TIEN-HSIN CINDY WU, Viola

    NICHOLAS CANELLAKIS, Cello

    Still: Suite for Violin and Piano (1943)

    Montgomery: Duo for Violin and Cello (2015)

    Price: Quintet in A minor for Piano, Two Violins, Viola, and Cello

    Additional vocal works TBA

    Sunday, July 10 @ 3PM & 7PM: The Magic of Mixed Ensembles

    MICHAEL BROWN, Piano

    CHAD HOOPES, Violin

    KEITH ROBINSON, Cello

    TOMMASO LONQUICH, Clarinet

    KEVIN RIVARD, Horn

    TBA, Viola

    Mozart: Quartet in G minor for Piano, Violin, Viola, and Cello, K. 478 (1785)

    Schoenfield: Trio for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano (1986)

    Dohnányi: Sextet in C major for Clarinet, Horn, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Piano, Op. 37 (1935)

    Sunday, July 17 @ 3PM & 7PM: Astounding Winds

    JUHO POHJONEN, Piano

    ADAM WALKER, Flute

    HUGO SOUZA, Oboe

    SEBASTIAN MANZ, Clarinet

    MARC GOLDBERG, Bassoon

    DAVID BYRD-MARROW, Horn

    Reicha: Quintet in E minor for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, and Horn, Op. 88, No. 1 (1811-17)

    Beethoven: Quintet in E-flat major for Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, and Piano, Op. 16 (1796)

    Françaix: L’heure du berger for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, and Piano (1947)

    Poulenc: Sextet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, and Piano (1932-39)

    Sunday, August 14 @ 3PM & 7PM: The Escher Quartet

    ESCHER STRING QUARTET

    ADAM BARNETT-HART, Violin

    BRENDAN SPELTZ, Violin

    PIERRE LAPOINTE, Viola

    BROOK SPELTZ, Cello

    Haydn: Quartet in B-flat major for Strings, Hob. III:78, Op. 76, No. 4, “Sunrise” (1797)

    Walker: Lyric for String Quartet (1946)

    Webern: Langsamer Satz for String Quartet (1905)

    Dvořák: Quartet in E-flat major for Strings, Op. 51 (1878-79)

    Sunday, August 21 @ 3PM & 7PM: Beethoven’s Archduke

    WU HAN, Piano

    ARNAUD SUSSMANN, Violin

    DAVID FINCKEL, Cello

    Beethoven: Trio in C minor for Piano, Violin, and Cello, Op. 1, No. 3 (1794-95)

    Beethoven: Trio in B-flat major for Piano, Violin, and Cello, Op. 97, “Archduke” (1810-11)

  • REO speedwagon and Styx Co-Headline 2022 Summer Tour, with shows at Jones Beach and SPAC

    For the first time since 2018, legendary rockers REO Speedwagon and Styx will join forces for a summer 2022 co-headlining tour, with special guest Loverboy. The “Live & UnZoomed” tour will make spots at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on August 17, then close the tour out at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh on August 21.

    reo speedwagon styx

    REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin said of the pending tour, “Tommy (Shaw) and I have done a number of Zoom performances together during the pandemic, and REO and Styx are ready to go get UnZoomed, and out on the road for our fifth U.S. tour together. Add our great friends Mike Reno and the Loverboy guys, and I am totally psyched. If I wasn’t performing in it, I would totally come out to see this show. See you all, LIVE and UNZOOMED!”

    Styx’s Tommy Shaw agreed, saying “I can’t think of a better way of touring the USA next year than with good friends we’ve known for years and performed with on many a stage. What a great night of music this will be!” And Loverboy’s Mike Reno shared, “We can’t wait to take the stage and rock this summer, it’s gonna be awesome. These are all the groups I grew up with, and I’m there too. Best tour of the summer…guaranteed.”

    Tickets for various cities of the trek go on sale starting Friday, December 10th at 10 am local time on LiveNation.com. Styx and REO Speedwagon will be offering VIP packages via their own exclusive pre-sales beginning Monday, December 6 at 10am local time at REOSpeedwagon.com and StyxWorld.com.

    Citi is the official presale credit card of the U.S. “Live & UnZoomed” tour dates. Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets beginning Tuesday, December 7 at 10am local time until Thursday, December 9 at 10pm local time through Citi Entertainment. For complete presale details, visit www.citientertainment.com.

    Canadian fans who are American Express® Cardmembers can get Front Of The Line presale access to purchase tickets to the Toronto show before the general public beginning Tuesday, December 7 at 10am ET until Wednesday, December 8 at 10pm ET at https://www.ticketmaster.ca/americanexpress/94.

    REO Speedwagon, Styx and Loverboy “Live & UnZoomed” Summer Tour 2022  

    DATE               CITY                            VENUE                                    CLOSER

    Tue 5/31          Grand Rapids, MI          Van Andel Arena                      REO Speedwagon

    Wed 6/1           Cuyahoga Falls, OH      Blossom Music Center              Styx

    Fri 6/3              St. Louis, MO                Hollywood Casino Amp.            REO Speedwagon

    Sat 6/4             Tinley Park, IL              Hollywood Casino Amp.            Styx

    Tue 6/7            Milwaukee, WI              American Family Insurance Amp. REO Speedwagon

    Wed 6/8           Clarkston, MI                DTE Energy Music Theatre       Styx

    Fri 6/10            Noblesville, IN               Ruoff Music Center                   REO Speedwagon

    Sat 6/11           Cincinnati, OH              Riverbend Music Center            Styx

    * Mon 6/13       Rogers, AR                   Walmart Amphitheatre              REO Speedwagon

    Tue 6/14          Kansas City, MO           Starlight Theatre                       REO Speedwagon

    Fri 6/17            Alpharetta, GA             Ameris Bank Amphitheatre       Styx

    Sat 6/18           Tampa, FL                    MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amp. REO Speedwagon

    Sun 6/19          West Palm Beach, FL   iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre Styx

    Fri 7/8              Denver, CO                  Ball Arena                                Styx

    Sat 7/9             Salt Lake City, UT         USANA Amphitheatre               REO Speedwagon

    Tue 7/12          Auburn, WA                  White River Amphitheatre         REO Speedwagon

    Wed 7/13         Ridgefield, WA              RV Inn Style Resorts Amp.        Styx

    Fri 7/15            Mountain View, CA       Shoreline Amphitheatre            Styx

    Sat 7/16           Irvine, CA                     FivePoint Amphitheatre            REO Speedwagon

    Tue 7/19          Chula Vista, CA            North Island Credit Union Amp.  Styx

    Wed 7/20         Phoenix, AZ                 Ak-Chin Pavilion                       REO Speedwagon

    Fri 7/22            Austin, TX                    Germania Insurance Amp.        Styx

    Sat 7/23           Dallas, TX                     Dos Equis Pavilion                    Styx

    Sun 7/24          Woodlands, TX             Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion REO Speedwagon

    Fri 8/5              Virginia Beach, VA        Veterans United Home Loans Amp. REO Speedwagon

    Sat 8/6             Charlotte, NC                PNC Music Pavilion                  Styx

    Mon 8/8            Nashville, TN                Ascend Amphitheater               Styx

    Wed 8/10         Raleigh, NC                  Coastal Credit Union Music Park REO Speedwagon

    Fri 8/12            Bristow, VA                   Jiffy Lube Live                          REO Speedwagon

    Sat 8/13           Camden, NJ                 BB&T Pavilion                          Styx

    Tue 8/16          Toronto, ONT.              Budweiser Stage                      Styx

    Wed 8/17         Saratoga Springs, NY   Saratoga Performing Arts Center REO Speedwagon

    Fri 8/19            Mansfield, MA               Xfinity Center                            Styx

    Sat 8/20           Holmdel, NJ                  PNC Bank Arts Center              Styx

    Sun 8/21          Wantagh, NY                Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater REO Speedwagon

  • Dispatch and O.A.R. Announced 2022 Tour with Shows at SPAC, Artpark and Jones Beach

    Legendary rock groups Dispatch and O.A.R. will share the stage together in summer 2022, with a 37 date tour announced this past week. The two groups will make their way through New York in August 2022, with shows in Saratoga Springs (SPAC), Lewiston (Artpark) and Long Island (Jones Beach). The tour kicks off in June, and will find the two groups joined by special guests Robert Randolph Band (July 15-August 10) and G. Love (August 12-September 10).

    dispatch O.A.R.

    Dispatch and O.A.R. each got their start in the mid-90s as indie rock groups with a jam/roots vibe, performing on the same lineups, occasionally mistaken for each other and after 25 years, finally collaborating together.

    For the first three or four years of our career, we’d often see each other kind of weaving in and out of each other’s storylines. Then we didn’t see each other for a long time but there was always this idea that we eventually would get together. I think it was just a matter of everyone figuring out how their own individual lives fit with the band, and so the planets just kind of aligned.

    Chadwick Stokes, co-founder of Dispatch, as told to American Songwriter.

    Tickets for the tour will be on sale at Noon on December 6, with public on-sale starting December 10 at Noon. For tickets or more information, click here.

    dispatch O.A.R.


    Dispatch & O.A.R. 2022 Tour

    7/15 – Mesa, AZ – Mesa Amphitheatre

    7/16 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium

    7/17 – San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre

    7/19 – Paso Robles, CA – Vina Robles Amphitheatre

    7/20 – Rohnert Park, CA – SOMO Village Event Center

    7/22 – Bend, OR – Les Schwab Amphitheater

    7/23 – Redmond, WA – Marymoor Park

    7/24 – Bonner, MT – KettleHouse Amphitheater

    7/28 – Nampa, ID – Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater

    7/29 – Salt Lake City, UT – Venue TBD

    7/30 – Denver, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre

    8/5 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy

    8/6 – Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheater

    8/7 – Columbus, OH – EXPRESS LIVE!

    8/9 – Indianapolis, IN – TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park

    8/10 – St. Louis, MO – St. Louis Music Park

    8/12 – Cleveland, OH – Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica

    8/13 – Highland Park, IL – Ravinia Festival *on-sale spring 2022

    8/14 – Sterling Heights, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre Freedom Hill

    8/15 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE

    8/18 – Philadelphia, PA – TD Pavilion at the Mann

    8/19 – Gilford, NH – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion

    8/20 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center

    8/21 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center

    8/23 – Lewiston, NY – Artpark

    8/25 – Bridgeport, CT – Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater

    8/26 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion

    8/27 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater

    8/28 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center

    8/30 – Asheville, NC – Salvage Station

    8/31 – Charlotte, NC – Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre

    9/2 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater

    9/3 – Wilmington, NC – Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park

    9/4 – St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheatre

    9/8 – Austin, TX – ACL Live at The Moody Theater

    9/9 – Houston, TX – The Lawn at White Oak Music Hall

    9/10 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory

  • Caffe Lena Announces December 2021 Events

    Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs has announced their December 2021 lineup of shows. The venue will close out the year in style with tons of performances throughout the month starting on December 2, 2021. 

    Caffe Lena December 2021
    caffe_lena_explore_saratoga_

    Caffe Lena was opened in 1960 and became a staple of Saratoga Springs launching many of America’s best loved and well known songwriters, ranging from big names like Bob Dylan in 1961 to Sawyer Fredericks in 2014. After the passing of its founder Lena Nargi Spencer in 1989, Caffè Lena was converted to a non-profit institution supported by concert revenue, private and corporate donors, grants and bequests, and an ever-evolving team of volunteers. The venue recently went through renovations in 2016. It began a $2 million renovation of their 19th century building in Saratoga’s historic downtown. It wrapped up in 2017, guarantees a home for Lena’s celebrated programming for decades to come, creates 100% handicap-accessibility to our second floor performance space, and brings the listener and artist experience in line with the club’s international reputation.

    The schedule will start with Scott Sharrard on Thursday, December 2nd at 7pm and Friday, December 3rd at 8pm. He is a lead guitarist and music director of the Gregg Allman Band from 2008 to 2017 and Guitarist/ Vocalist for Little Feat since 2019. 

    Caffe Lena December 2021
    Scott Sharrard photo provided by Caffe Lena.

    Planet Light will take place on Saturday, December 4th at  8pm featuring Jonathan Greene (woodwinds), Bobby Kendall (bass), Brian Melick (drums), Zorkie Nelson (drums), Mitsuko Suzuki (violin), Elizabeth Woodbury Kasius (piano), Garland Nelson (vocals) and Kelly Bird (vocals) for an evening of seasonal arrangements and original material. 

    Dirty Grass Players with Kendall Street Company will take place on  Friday, December 10th at 8pm. These two bands redefine what it means to play bluegrass as they combine elements of psycadelic jam music with jazz, rock and more. 

    Street Corner Symphony on Saturday, December 11th at 8pm. Runners up in NBC’s all-vocal competition, The Sing-Off, this contemporary acapella group can bounce between all genres of music.

    Caffe Lena December 2021
    Street Corner Symphony photo provided by Caffe Lena.

    Kimberly Hawkey’s: A New Noel will take place on Sunday, December 12th at 7pm.This concert will be a celebration of Hawkey’s newest record, A New Noel, an original holiday album that was created in collaboration with songwriters Justin K. Rivers and Lecco Morris. 

    Kohler and Kelly will take place on Thursday, December 16th at 7pm.Fiddler Gretchen Koehler and jazz pianist Daniel Kelly blend traditional dance fiddling with jazz. 

    Sirsy will take place on Friday, December 17th at 8pm. They are an indie pop-rock duo bring a special stripped-down acoustic storyteller set to the Lena stage.

    Caffe Lena’s Annual Holiday Folk Show will take place on Saturday, December 18th at 4pm & 8pm. The show will feature Trish Miller, John Kirk, Sara Milonovich, David Kiputh and Addie and Olin return to the stage for two shows to celebrate the holiday season.

    The Fretless will take place on Sunday, December 19th at 7pm. A Juno Award winning Canadian quartet that transforms fiddle tunes and folk melodies into intricate, high-energy arrangements.

    A Very Leonard Christmas with Let’s Be Leonard will take place on Thursday, December 23rd at 7pm featuring a jazzy five-piece rock and roll jam band presenting their annual holiday show.

    Let’s Be Leonard photo provided by Caffe Lena.

    Amy Helm will take place on Wednesday, December 29th and Thursday, December 30th at 7pm.Amy Helm is the daughter of Levon Helm and former member of Olabelle, Amy Helm is blessed with a powerful voice and an uncanny songwriting skill rooted in American tradition

    Both In-Person and Live Stream tickets will be available. To purchase tickets and collect more information visit Caffe Lena’s website.

  • Foo Fighters 2022 Tour will stop at SPAC, Citi Field

    Newly inducted Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Foo Fighters will be giving the people a lot more of what they want in 2022 with an 18 show tour of amphitheaters, stadiums and festivals across North America. The tour kicks off in May in Burgettstown, PA, with Empire State shows at Citi Field in Queens on July 17 and two nights later at Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

    foo fighters

    The 2022 dates will mark Foo Fighters’ most extensive North American run since the February release of the band’s 10th album, Medicine at Midnight hailed as “brighter and more optimistic than anything they’ve ever done” (Rolling Stone)” and “one of Foo Fighters’ best albums of this century” (Wall Street Journal). 

    Foo Fighters 2022 North American Tour

    5/14 – The Pavilion at Star Lake – Burgettstown, PA

    5/20 – Coastal Credit Union Music Park – Raleigh, NC

    5/24 – PNC Music Pavilion – Charlotte, NC

    7/17– Citi Field – New York, NY 

    7/19 – Saratoga Performing Arts Center – Saratoga Springs, NY

    7/22 – Rogers Centre – Toronto, ON

    7/24 – Lincoln Financial Field – Philadelphia, PA

    7/27 – Maine Savings Amphitheater – Bangor, ME

    7/29 – Osheaga Festival – Montreal, QC

    8/1 – Ruoff Music Center – Noblesville, IN

    8/3 – Huntington Bank Stadium – Minneapolis, MN

    8/6 – Empower Field at Mile High – Denver, CO

    8/8 – USANA Amphitheater – Salt Lake City, UT

    8/10 – Big Sky Events Arena – Big Sky, MT 

    8/13 – T-Mobile Park – Seattle, WA 

    8/18 – Banc of California Stadium – Los Angeles, CA 

    8/20 – Banc of California Stadium – Los Angeles, CA

    Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets beginning Tuesday, November 30 at 12 p.m. ET until Thursday, December 2 at 10 p.m. local time through Citi Entertainment. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com.

    For further information on Foo Fighters’ 27th anniversary tour, including special guests to be announced soon, keep an eye on foofighters.com.

    Tickets will go on sale to the public on Friday, December 3rd at 10 a.m.

  • Jam for Tots Shows Announced for 12 Cities Across New York

    Across New York State, 13 venues will play host to Jam for Tots shows, bringing music venues and patrons together in an effort to support those most in need across the Empire State during the 2021 Holiday Season.

    Patrons are encouraged to see live music at any of the shows below, and bring with them a new, unwrapped toy for a child. Each venue will have a box for toys to be dropped off in, All toys will be donated to local charities to each venue, keeping the community effort benefitting those in the immediate area.

    Thursday 12/2 – The Deadbeats, Nanola, Malta
    Thursday 12/2 – Open Mic hosted by Jon Pinder, Stewart House, Athens
    Thursday 12/9- Tato and Friends, Funk n Waffles, Syracuse
    Saturday 12/11 – Mihali, Bearsville Theater, Woodstock
    Saturday 12/11 – Mikaela Davis with Girl Blue, The Hollow, Albany
    Friday 12/17 – The Samples with Rich Ortiz, Putnam Place, Saratoga Springs
    Saturday 12/18 – Hollis Brown, The Falcon, Marlboro
    Saturday 12/18 – Sydney Worthley, El Modernist and Josh Morris, Lark Hall, Albany
    Saturday 12/18 – El Nac: A Christmas Special, The Waterhole, Saranac Lake
    Sunday 12/19 – The Nutcracker, The State Theatre, Ithaca
    Sunday 12/19 – 11th Anniversary Party, The Strand Theater, Hudson Falls
    Saturday 12/25 – Televisionaries & Awful Kanawful, The Bug Jar, Rochester
    Friday 12/31 – Pasadena w/Joint Operation, Buffalo Iron Works, Buffalo

    We thank the venues, artists and fans who support Jam for Tots each year, and make the holidays a little brighter for those most in need.

    jam for tots