Five-piece improvisatory group, QWANQWA is making their debut in North America this fall; travelling on their first tour in the U.S. in over 20 states. Their performance locations feature a variety of memorable places, including Rochester’s Eastman School of Music, Flushing Town of Hall in Queens, Beacon’s Howland Cultural Center, Saratoga’s Caffe Lena, Buffalo’s Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Centre, and more.
QWANQWA, based in Ethiopia’s capital and largest city, Addis Ababa, are dedicated to furthering the country’s unique musical tradition rooted in string – classical music blended with new styles influenced by new compositions. Having recruited some of the most prominent names in the country’s music scene, they’ve created room for exploration of new sounds while implementing traditional and region-based beats and moods.
QWANQWA’s released works include three critically-acclaimed albums, Volume One (2014) and Volume Two (2015); and Volume Three (2020). The group has performed at two major European tours with knockout shows at the Roskilde and WOMEX festivals in 2016 and 2017 and members of QWANQWA have performed with some of the biggest names in Ethiopian music and beyond: Getachew Mekuria, Mahmoud Ahmed, Mulatu Astatke, The EX, Thurston Moore, Fred Frith, Butch Morris, and more.
American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, Chris Stapleton entertained some 20,000 fans at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on Friday, August 26. Supporting tour acts included Morgan Wade and Elle King.
Setlist: Nobody to Blame, Parachute, Second One to Know, Starting Over, Millionaire (Kevin Welch cover), Hard Livin’, Worry B Gone (Guy Clarke cover), What Are You Listening To?, Traveller, Whiskey and You, Arkansas, You Should Probably Leave, Midnight Train to Memphis (The Steel Drivers cover), Might as Well Get Stoned, Cold, Free Bird/The Devil Named Music, I Was Wrong, Joy of My Life, Fire Away, Broken Halos, Tennessee Whiskey (David Allan Coe cover).
Michael Eck will celebrate his 40th Anniversary in live music with a special performance his “spiritual home” Caffe Lena, on Sunday, September 25th.
It was on Friday, October 1, 1982, that Michael Eck made his live musical debut, playing electric guitar with the hardcore punk band Deaf Zone in a Battle of the Bands at Bethlehem Central High School. The first they played was The Clash hit “Should I Stay or Should I Go.”
For four decades since, Eck, a self-described “Roots scholar and multi-instrumentalist,” has played in every band you never heard of in Albany and some you actually may have, like The Plague, Chefs of the Future, Stomplistics, Ramblin Jug Stompers, Lost Radio Rounders and Good Things. Additionally, as a singer/songwriter, player and producer, Eck has appeared on dozens of albums.
At his anniversary show on September 25, the veteran of “maximum solo acoustic gigs” in New York, New Orleans and Austin will offer self-written selections from across his career, including tunes culled from four albums (a number of which have been covered by regional artists) as well as a brace of new material (much of it never heard by a live audience), written “during the pandemic and following a stroke.”
Eck will be joined, on a select number of show-closing songs by his adult children, Lakota Ruby-Eck (guitar) and Lillierose Ruby-Eck (violin).
Importantly, the show will also be a release party for Eck’s fifth solo album, “Your Turn to Shine—New Songs, Live at WEXT.” Physical copies will be available at the event, with digital distribution to follow. The title bears witness to the fact that most of the dozen selections were played live for the first time, in any context, at public radio station WEXT.
Sci-fi Middle Eastern fusion prog rockers Consider the Source announced their fall “Maxx Power Tour” and released a cover video of Opeth’s “Death Whispered a Lullaby”.
Maxx Power Tour
Consider the Source is a Sci-fi fusion trio blends progressive rock and improvisatory jazz, soaked in Indian and Middle Eastern styles. Their latest electric album, You Are Literally a Metaphor, reaches a peak of their fifteen-year musical journey. It includes he same fury and dazzling virtuosity of their previous work, Metaphor is also a portrait of three musicians reaching new levels of maturity.
Consider the Source
The “Maxx Power Tour” will be their return to a fully electric performance since they performed a hybrid acoustic electric tour with their “Hybrid Vol. 1: Such As A Mule”. From the bluesy swing of “When You’ve Loved and Lost Like Frankie Has” to the ethereal electro-synths of “Sketches From a Blind Man”, they continue to infuse minimalist pop, progressive metal, and freewheeling improvisation in their omnivorous musicality.
Three of Metaphor’s nine songs are Eastern European traditionals. Bassist John Ferrara’s new Taurus bass pedals and guitarist Gabriel Marin’s new custom Vigier double-neck guitar add new dimensions to the band’s already diverse sound.
As for their new cover music video, Opeth is one of the few bands who influenced the three of Consider the Source individually during our adolescent years and later collectively as a group.
They write extended compositions that are emotionally dark and brilliantly tie together sections of extreme heaviness with mellow acoustic passages. Their top-notch production, tight rhythms and catchy melodies have become something we strive for in our own original music. We’ve wanted to cover one of their songs for a long time but couldn’t pick just one favorite. We hope you enjoy our interpretation of “Death Whispered A Lullaby” with a couple of our favorite riffs added in at the end from “Closure” and “Deliverance”.
Consider the Source
FULL SCHEDULE:
09.02 Millersville, PA – Phantom Power * 09.03 Stuart, VA – Front Porch Fest 10.13 Baltimore, MD – The 8×10 ** 10.14 Abingdon, VA – Between the Vines 10.15 Pamplin, VA – Fly High CROPtober Fest 11.04 Portland, ME – Bayside Bowl 11.05 Hartford, CT – Arch Street Tavern *** 11.10 Saratoga Springs, NY – Putnam Place 11.11 Burlington, VT – Nectar’s 11.12 Asbury Park, NJ – Wonder Bar **** 11.17 Sellersville, PA – Sellersville Theater * 11.18 Pembroke, MA – Soundcheck Studios ***** 11.19 Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Made **** 12.01 Charlottesville, VA – The Southern 12.02 Asheville, NC – Asheville Music Hall 12.03 Charlotte, NC – Heist Brewery and Barrel Arts 12.08 Atlanta, GA – Smith’s Olde Bar 12.09 Raleigh, NC – The Pour House Music Hall * w/ Chestnut Grove ** w/ Seven Teller *** w/ The Mushroom Cloud **** w/ Baked Shrimp ***** w/ Bella’s Bartok
Thursday, August 25 marked the debut performance of Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD) at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), a remarkable step for the all-star Grateful Dead tribute act featuring drummer Joe Russo, guitarists Scott Metzger and Tom Hamilton, keyboardist Marco Benevento and bassist Dave Dreiwitz.
photo by Zak Radick
An enthusiastic Saratoga Springs crowd – one that has seen JRAD perform from Brooklyn Bowl to The Palace Theatre and stops across the country – was treated to a fitting opener of George Jones’ “The Race Is On,” followed by an extensive “Shakedown Street” that followed. After “Row Jimmy” (which had a “They Love Each Other” tease at the start), the band shifted into “Dancing In The Street” and then seamlessly into “The Music Never Stopped,” which featured teases of “Dancing” and “Shakedown Street” intertwined throughout, then provided a sharp return to the end before closing the set with “Touch of Grey.”
photo by Zak Radick
After a setbreak full of Tom Petty songs, Russo, wearing a Late Night with Seth Meyers shirt, led the band through a rousing jam that worked its way into “Playing in the Band.” Hinted at by pre-show MoTown songs (and The Chordettes “Lollipop” post show music), JRAD then debuted Smokey Robinson’s “Second That Emotion” after the 20 minute “Playing.” The highlight of the night would arise in “Brown Eyed Women” that found Hamilton, Metzger and Benevento alternating in taking the lead in the jam, each of them finding higher peaks to reach with each passing of the baton. “Let It Grow” and Dylan’s “When I Paint My Masterpiece” followed the scorching “BEW,” and the set was brought to a close with an upbeat “Franklin’s Tower.”
During the encore of “I Know You Rider,” Hamilton found every peak to take the envigorating jam up another step, as JRAD gave the SPAC crowd an uplifting number on which to end their historic night.
Set 1: The Race Is On, Shakedown Street > Row Jimmy > Dancing In The Street > The Music Never Stopped > Touch Of Grey
Set 2: Playing In The Band, Second That Emotion > Brown-Eyed Women > Let It Grow > Masterpiece > Franklin’s Tower
Nostalgia, Hawaiian shirts, good vibrations and the sounds of Motown were abound in Saratoga Springs on Thursday August 18th, as legendary summer surf rock pioneers The Beach Boys and iconic Motor City hitmakers The Temptations belted out classic after classic at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC). Celebrating Sixty Years of The Sounds of Summer, the evening played out like a trip down memory lane, taking the mostly older audience back to a time when, on the surface, things just seemed simpler. Like a snapshot through American history, fans welcomed the chance to hear the songs that provided the soundtrack to so much of their lives.
The Beach Boys took fans at SPAC on a Surfin’ Safari on 8/18/22
From Hitsville USA to the Spa City, the evening kicked off with the Motown soul of The Temptations. Dressed in matching green suites, the dapper looking group was led by original member Otis Williams along with Ron Tyson, Terry Weeks, Tony Grant and Jawan M. Jackson and also included a full orchestra as part of the backing band. With vocals ringing true and like a well-oiled machine, the tightly choregraphed set included fan favorites “Get Ready,” “I’ll be in Trouble, “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me), “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” and “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.” With the crowd fully engaged and singing along to almost every song, not only were fans having a good time, but it seemed like the members of The Temptations were too, exchanging smiles and high five handshakes that felt genuine and unchoreographed. After a medley of songs paying homage to other Motown greats of the era, The Temptations closed their set with a song everybody knows, their signature hit “My Girl.”
Otis Williams and The Temptations performing at SPAC 8/18/22 – Photo by Zak Radick
After a brief break to clear the stage, the fun-filled evening continued with an elaborate pre-produced video introduction that flashed images and soundbites of The Beach Boys storied career. With the group’s 60th anniversary of their first album, Surfin’ Safari, approaching in October – their impact on American culture through the decades cannot be overstated. Watching the montage of popular television shows and movies the band has been featured in – from Good Morning Vietnam, Cocktail, Look Who’s Talking, and the closing credits of Boogie Nights, to shows like Full House and Friends and their complicated association with the Fab Four, it’s clear not only does this band continue to have a wide-ranging generational appeal, but that their songs have indeed stood the test time.
Have Mercy: A career spanning video montage of The Beach Boys plays moments before showtime on 8/18/22
With a minimal stage setup that simply included some artificial palm trees and a jumbotron LED screen, original Beach Boy Mike Love and longtime member Bruce Johnston walked to the front of the stage and showed their love for the Saratoga crowd by blowing them kisses before launching into the first of many surf rock medleys, kicking the party off with a “Do It Again”>”Surfin’ Safari”>”Catch a Wave” trifecta. Bolstering their iconic sound with help from talented supporting musicians Tim Bonhomme, John Cowsill, Brian “Ike” Eichenberger, Christian Love, Randy Leago, Keith Hubacher and Scott Totten, this incarnation of The Beach Boys both looked and sounded great.
Working their way through all the fan favorites – the surfing songs like “Rockaway Beach,” “Surfin’ USA,” and ” Surfer Girl,” to the cruising anthems like “Little Deuce Coup,””409” and “Little Honda” it was clear The Beach Boys not only welcomed the nostalgia, but thrived in it. With their signature sun-drenched vocal harmonies for days, hearing songs like “Don’t Worry Baby,” “I Get Around, “Wouldn’t it Be Nice” and “Sloop John B” felt truly special and provided some of the biggest ovations of the evening, but perhaps the loudest came on the heels of an emotional rendition of “God Only Knows,” a song many consider to be one of the greatest ever written.
After telling a short story about the time he ran into The Beatles in India, Mike Love would sing an original song called “Pisces Brothers”, before the band would string together another series of love songs (“Darlin,” Then I Kissed Her,” Help Me Rhonda”) that saw some of the elderly couples embrace in sentimental overload. Picking the tempo back up, possibly out of fear of being too mushy, “Dance, Dance Dance, ”Do You Wanna Dance?” and a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Rock and Roll Music” came next, followed by everyone’s favorite a luau anthem ”Kokomo,” which had everyone on the SPAC lawn singing and smiling, making the final song of the set, “Good Vibrations,” very fitting. The Beach Boys would return to the stage for a two song encore, “Barbara Ann” and “Fun, Fun,Fun,” sending the audience home satisfied and happy.
After more then six decades of performing, both The Beach Boys and The Temptations have proven they still have what it takes to entertain at a high level and that there is still an audience hungry to see them. With an astounding catalog of songs that have become engrained in American culture and themes that remain universal – teenage love and angst, rebelling against authority, driving fast and having fun in the sun, hearing them played live can feel almost surreal at times. It didn’t seem to matter the original members of each group were few and few between, it was all about being there in the moment, singing the songs you grew up on, and rediscovering a piece of your own youth. A great night of ‘Greatest Hits,” have mercy on me for saying it, but even Jess and the Rippers would have found this show satisfying.
If you missed the stop in Saratoga Springs, don’t worry baby, New Yorkers still have a few more chances to catch the Sixty Years of The Sounds of Summer Tour. The Beach Boys and The Temptations play Bethel Woods on August 25th, the Chautauqua Amphitheater on August 26th, and swing by Wildwood, NJ on August 27th.
The Beach Boys | August 18, 2022 | Saratoga Springs, NY | SPAC
Setlist: Do It Again, Surfin’ Safari, Catch a Wave, Hawaii, Little Honda, Rockaway Beach, Surfin’ USA, Surfer Girl, Don’t Worry Baby, Little Deuce Coupe, 409, Shut Down, I Get Around, Be True to Your School, Getcha Back, You’re So Good to Me, Darlin’, God Only Knows, Pisces Brothers, California Girls, Sloop John B, Wouldn’t It Be Nice, Then I Kissed Here, Help Me, Rhonda, Do You Wanna Dance, Kokomo, Good Vibrations
Encore: Barbara Ann, Fun, Fun, Fun
The Temptations | August 18, 2022 | Saratoga Springs, NY | SPAC
Setlist: Get Ready, Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue), The Girl’s Alright With Me, Beauty is Only Skin Deep, I’ll Be In Trouble, The Way You Do The Things You Do, Ain’t Too Proud to Beg, Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World is Today), I Wish It Would Rain, Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me), Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone, I Can’t Get Next to You, Is It Gonna Be Yes or No, Get Up (I Feel like Being a Sex Machine / I Want to Take You Higher / Let’s Get It On, Treat Her Like a Lady / Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now, My Girl
Fans of classical music and the Chamber Music Society will now get the chance to hear them in Saratoga throughout the entire year instead of just the customary summer performances. Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) has announced a new year-round residency for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center that is slated to begin later this year. 2023 marks the 10 year anniversary for this yearly residency, which is now extended throughout the entire year, affirming SPAC’s commitment to providing programming outside of the traditional summer season.
Performances from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center will return to the Spa Little Theatre for the first time since 2019. The next scheduled dates are on October 15, March 18 and May 13 with the summer performances to be announced at a later date. All scheduled musicians and accompanying selections can be found below.
While CMS may have just taken their final bow for the summer, we can’t think of a better way to celebrate the residency’s upcoming SPAC 10th anniversary in 2023 than by extending the scope of what they do in Saratoga.
~ Elizabeth Sobol, President and CEO of Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Subscriptions to all three programs will be available to purchase at spac.org beginning August 26 at 10 a.m. for SPAC members. Member presales are tiered by level, and members will receive their presale start time via email. Subscriptions will be available to the general public beginning August 31 at 10 a.m. Single tickets will be available to purchase on September 8 at 10 a.m.
Monday, October 15, 2022
MICHAEL STEPHEN BROWN, Piano
KRISTIN LEE, Violin
RICHARD LIN, Violin
JAMES THOMPSON, Violin
MATTHEW LIPMAN, Viola
MIHAI MARICA, Cello
JOSEPH CONYERS, Double Bass
Bach Concerto in D minor for Keyboard, Strings, and Continuo, BWV 1052 (1734)
Schubert Rondo in A major for Violin and String Quartet, D. 438 (1816)
Handel/Halvorsen Passacaglia in G minor for Violin and Viola (1894)
Mendelssohn Double Concerto in D minor for Violin, Piano, and Strings (1823)
Saturday, March 18, 2023
JESSICA RIVERA, Soprano
MICHAEL STEPHEN BROWN, Piano
GILLES VONSATTEL, Piano
NICHOLAS CANELLAKIS, Cello
IAN DAVID ROSENBAUM, Percussion
CoplandEl Salón México for Piano and Percussion (arr. Bernstein) (1932-36, arr. 1941)
BernsteinThree Meditations from Mass for Cello, Piano, and Percussion (1971, arr. 1977)
Ginastera “Chacarera” from Cinco canciones populares argentinas for Voice and Piano, Op. 10 (1943)
Chávez “North Carolina Blues” for Voice and Piano (1942)
Ginastera “Gato” from Cinco canciones populares argentinas for Voice and Piano, Op. 10 (1943)
Ponce “Estrellita” for Voice and Piano (1912)
Bernstein “I Feel Pretty” from West Side Story for Voice and Piano (1957)
Bernstein “Somewhere” from West Side Story for Voice and Piano (1957)
Golijov Mariel for Cello and Marimba (1999)
Villa-Lobos“A maré encheu” from Guia prático for Piano (1932)
Villa-Lobos “O polichinelo” from Prole do bebê for Piano (1918)
Ginastera Pampeana No. 2, Rhapsody for Cello and Piano, Op. 21 (1950)
León “Oh Yemanja” from Scourge of Hyacinths for Soprano, Cello, and Piano (1994)
Gershwin Cuban Overture for Piano, Four Hands, and Percussion (1932)
Saturday, May 13, 2023
WU HAN, Piano
ARNAUD SUSSMANN, Violin
DAVID FINCKEL, Cello
Beethoven Sonata in F major for Violin and Piano, Op. 24, “Spring” (1800-01)
Beethoven Trio in G major for Piano, Violin, and Cello, Op. 1, No. 2 (1791-93, rev. 1794)
Dvořák Trio in E minor for Piano, Violin, and Cello, Op. 90, “Dumky” (1890-91)
Logic and Wiz Khalifa co-headlined at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, August 23. The Vinyl Verse Tour features 24kGoldn, Fedd the God, DJ Drama, and C Dot Castro. Within the nearly full amphitheater, the group of artists performed ongoing acts without missing a single beat.
DJ Bonics warmed up the audience to upbeat popular hip hop songs before C Dot Castro hit the stage. Settling in on stage, Castro rapped effortlessly to a fast beat entertaining the large crowd. For some in the audience, it was their first time hearing his music, and this didn’t stop them from dancing and chanting the lyrics right back.
DJ Drama kept the beats rolling for Pittsburg native, Fedd the God. Fedd instantly gave his full energy while performing original songs. Near the end of Fedd’s set, he jumped into the crowd and continued rapping without hesitation.
24kGoldn performed his hit songs “Valentino,” and “Mood,” while many in the crowd sang along, and danced without any encouragement needed.
The lights dimmed and Multi-platinum GRAMMY® Award-nominated Logic, nurtured the crowds excitement as he jumped on stage and performed songs including “Everyday,” “1-800-273-8255,” and more. Logic’s sound projects the same as it does on recordings and he comfortably delivered his lyrics at a rapid pace while walking from side-to-side on the stage.
Following Logic, the lights dimmed one more time for Grammy and Golden Globe nominee, Wiz Khalifa. Khalifa stood on a tall platform and opened with classic hip-hop record “Black and Yellow.” The standing audience waved their arms up and down to the beat of each song; there were a select few that jumped.
Wiz Khalifa and Logic are bringing their Vinyl Verse Tour 2022 to Saratoga’s Performing Arts Center on August, 23. Featuring special guests 24kGoldn, DJ Drama, C Dot Castro, and Fedd the God, the 28-city tour kicked-off on July 27 in Irvine, CA, before making stops across the United States. The August 23 date follows a performance at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on August 16 and preludes their last New York stop of the tour on August 25, at the Darien Lake Amphitheatre.
Since bursting his way onto the scene with his 2011 full-length debut, Rolling Papers, and the classic hip hop record, “Black and Yellow,” Wiz Khalifa has continued to elevate his status among the mainstream elite. Records like “23,” “Or Nah,” “Payphone” and “Young, Wild and Free” have not only maintained replay value, but has solidified Wiz Khalifa as one of the most popular hip hop acts across the world. His 2015 record “See You Again” — which served as a tribute to Paul Walker in the movie Fast 7 — earned him Grammy and Golden Globe nominations while amassing over 5 billion views on Youtube.
Since his emergence in 2010, multi-platinum GRAMMY® Award-nominated Logic has separated himself from the pack as one of the most prolific and prevalent artists of the past decade, a New York Times Bestselling author, and a positive force for change. His record “1-800-273-8255” is the previous phone number for the American National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL) and earned the Maryland native two Grammy-award nominations. With a sizable discography to his name, Logic has progressed from a now-legendary run of cult-like mixtapes to three number one albums, sold out arena tours on multiple continents, and 6 billion streams and counting.
Produced by LiveNation, tickets for the 6:30 p.m. performance can be found on their official website.
There’s been quite a buzz surrounding the Buffalo-based rock/jam quintet eberwine lately, seemingly out of nowhere. The band’s name has been popping up all around social media and summer festivals across the Empire State asking the question, “Who the heck is eberwine?” So who is eberwine? They’re the next band you need to see live.
The five-piece headed out this past weekend to honor the music of the Grateful Dead and Phish with a DeadPhish weekend that made stops at the Riverboat Bar in Alexandria Bay, Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs, and Flour City Station in Rochester. Each night, eberwine played one set of original material and one set of DeadPhish. Each show seeped in its own distinct vibe including a noted variation with the cover set setlist.
Post covid, the jam scene feels different. Fans are looking for something new and different. Enter eberwine. While people in the Buffalo jam scene have known about the band’s lead guitarist and frontman Todd Eberwine for years, eberwine may just be Western New York’s best-kept secret. And this weekend was their coming out party.
The band’s original material is rooted in rock and blues, but hidden among this traditional music lineage are hints of 90’s alternative rock greats like Pearl Jam and Smashing Pumpkins. You can hear the influence of jam scene greats like the Dead or Phish, but eberwine doesn’t imitate. There’s a great sense of familiarity with the band’s original material; it sounds like everything you know but is unlike anything you’ve heard before. Even the band’s covers are unique. Eberwine isn’t trying to play like Jerry or Trey. His style floats in fluidity between dark, edgy intensity and moments of brightness and sheer joy. At times, he appears to be in a trance, as if the notes are coming from a place that only he can see. He’s captivating to watch.
And while the band carries Eberwine’s namesake (with obvious reason), the rest of the band’s personnel are equal contributors to the band’s live show. Bassist Pablo Zabrycki and drummer Jay Race add a deep, steady foundation that’s critical to the band’s groove and rhythmic sound. Guitarist and vocalist Aaron Ziolkowski creates layers of subtle harmonies with Eberwine on all accounts. For this three-day run, keyboardist Scott Molloy filled in for the band’s primary keyboard player who wasn’t able to play the shows due to other commitments. But you wouldn’t have known that by seeing any of the three shows. Molloy’s contributions were thoughtful in placement and flow. eberwine may be a “new band”, but these five are highly experienced, players who thrive in moments of improvisation. Like they’re social media accounts claim, they are in fact a “ROCK band that JAMS.”
