Tag: proctors theater

In Focus: The Last Waltz at Proctors Theatre

The Last Waltz 2022 concert tour with Warren Haynes kicked-off with two excellent shows on November 3rd & 4th at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester. I was determined to see at least one show on the tour. Looking at the schedule, that show had to be at Proctors Theatre on Saturday, November 5 in Schenectady.

Proctors is one of the nicest theatres I have been to in New York State and may even be one of the nicest theatres in the US. The architecture, the history, the restoration, the sound quality, the staff, everything about Proctors Theatre makes it a special venue to see a performance such as The Last Waltz.

Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, Garth Hudson and Robbie Robertson were The Band. Their Thanksgiving concert 1976 was filmed live at the Winterland Arena in San Francisco and the concert became a celebration. The film became The Last Waltz. If you’re a fan of The Band, if you want to see & hear great timeless music, you just know, the music & songs from The Last Waltz, it’s going to be special.

The Last Waltz 2022 at Proctors Theatre included Warren Haynes, Jamey Johnson, Kathleen Edwards,
Anders Osborne, Dave Malone, John Medeski, Cyril Neville, Terence Higgins, Bob Margolin and Mark
Mullins & the Levee Horns. The band will be joined by Taj Mahal & Don Was and other musicians at
future dates. The song selections and arrangements were both familiar and unique.

My friend mentioned that he thought the 2022 horn arrangements closely followed the original 1976 Last Waltz horn charts arranged by Allen Toussaint. The Levee Horns played true to the New Orleans sound. The set lists will vary slightly from show to show. The concert highlights are far too many to count. Terence Higgins on drums is extraordinary. For me, Jamey Johnson’s vocals, especially on ‘Georgia’, Kathleen Edwards multi-instrumental musicianship & and her vocals on Bob Dylan’s ‘Forever Young’ were heart felt and everyone together on Dylan’s ‘I Shall Be Released’, that was excellent.

The tour continues November 9 the at the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford, CT and wraps-up on December 4 the at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. Along the way, there will be performances in Boston, DC, Richmond, Atlanta, Florida and Oakland, CA. This is one of those must-see 2022 concert performances. If you’re local or within travelling distance, this concert should not be missed. Find more on the Last Waltz 2022 concert series here.

November 9, 2022
Chubby Checker’s Rock n Roll/Doo Wop Spectacular Rolls into Proctors on November 19

The Rock n Roll/Doo Wop Spectacular, featuring four great acts – Trish Anderson, The Duprees, The DooWop Project and Chubby Checker – will perform at Proctors Theatre in Schenectady on Saturday, November 19.

Headlining the show is the legendary, ageless Chubby Checker. Chubby looks like he is fifty and sings and dances like he’s 50 too. In 1959, “The Class” was his first hit record. “The Twist” was originally a “B” side, but Chubby tirelessly promoted it on tv, in interviews and in performances. By the summer of 1960, “The Twist” became a #1 hit, introducing the concept of couples “dancing apart to the beat” and leading to a revolution in dancing with one dance craze leading to another (the Jerk, the Hully Gully, the Boogaloo, etc.), and Chubby was at the forefront with “The Fly,” “The Pony” and “The Hucklebuck.”

In 1962, “Pony Time” was a #1 hit that was on the charts for 16 weeks, and Chubby starred in two movies: “Don’t Knock the Twist” and “Twist Around the Clock.” For the first time in record history, “The Twist” re-entered the charts and, by January of 1962, it was #1 again on the Billboard charts. Chubby Checker merchandise was everywhere: t-shirts, shoes, ties, dolls, even chewing gum! More huge hits followed: “The Fly,” “Let’s Twist Again,” “The Limbo Rock, “ and he won the Grammy for Best Rock Performance. He was the only act to have 5 albums in the top 12 at the same time. In 1964, Chubby married Catharina Lodders, Miss World of 1962.

Chubby continues to push musical boundaries while performing all over the world. In 1988, “Yo Twist,” performed with the Fat Boys, was a #14 hit and in 2007 “Knock Down the Wall” went to #1 on the Billboard Dance charts, introducing Chubby Checker to a new generation of fans. Chubby looks and sounds young and continues to display his historic dance moves. You’ll see why Chubby Checker was recently voted “Casino Performer of the Year” and why “The Twist” was the most frequently played song on the radio in the history of rock music.

Co-headlining the show is The Doo Wop Project. The Doo Wop Project consists of five Broadway stars from smash hit shows like JERSEY BOYS and MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL. This supergroup of Broadway stars transforms hits from the classic and modern American pop songbook into unforgettable renditions of your favorite songs. The Doo Wop Project traces the evolution of the classic American Doo Wop sound with five guys singing tight street-corner harmonies (including songs by The Crests, The Belmonts, the Flamingos and more). This musical journey includes the hit-sounds of Motown (including The Temptations and Smokey Robinson) and of classic East-Coast Pop royalty like Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and Dion. Finally, we will experience “DooWopified” versions of hit songs by more recent stars such as Michael Jackson, Jason Mraz, Garth Brooks, Maroon 5 and more. Audiences will be moved to reminisce, and newer generations will marvel at classic golden Doo Wop sounds… as well as versions of more recent hit songs.

Additionally, WMHT (PBS) will televise THE DOO WOP PROJECT’s brand new tv concert-special in June, giving the capital district audience an exclusive first look. Like their live show, this concert special gives a taste of the unparalleled authenticity of sound and vocal excellence in the group’s recreations of some of the greatest American hits in Pop and Rock history.

Fantastic audience favorite, The Duprees, will also grace the Proctors stage. The Duprees are known worldwide for their romantic interpretations of some of the most beautiful love songs ever written. They possess a smooth yet powerful vocal quality and heavenly harmonies, evidenced in the huge hit “You Belong to Me.” Other hits include: “My Own True Love,” “Gone with the Wind,” “Why Don’t You Believe Me,” “Have you Heard” and “Theme from Exodus.” Although their romantic harmonies are second to none, The Duprees also present a dynamic stage show that will bring the house down.

Opening the show is long-time regional fav Trish Anderson, singing female hits of the era. In her fifth decade of performing, Trish is most widely recognized as the lead singer of the Bluz House Rockers (26^th year with them). Trish was inducted into the New York State Blues Hall of Fame and has shared the stage in concert with Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone, Pat Benatar, Joan Jett, Eddie Money, Marshall Tucker, and Little Feat, A singer-songwriter, her “Three Dollar Bill’ went to #2 on the pop 100 charts in Denmark. She and her band also perform every January on the Delbert McClinton Sandy Beaches cruise into the Caribbean. Her friend Trez Gregory, who backed up Brooks and Dunn in concert for 7 years, will travel from Ohio to back up Trish at Proctors.

Tickets are on sale now at Proctors Box Office, by phone at (518) 346-6204 and on line at proctors.org.

October 28, 2022
The Last Waltz Tour to stop in Port Chester, Schenectady and Huntington this November

Warren Haynes, Don Was and Jamey Johnson will reunite this November for The Last Waltz 2022 Tour, a live celebratory tour that pays homage to The Band’s 1976 farewell concert. The 13-show tour will see these three artists, along with an all-star lineup, to recreate moments from Martin Scorsese’s 1978 film The Last Waltz.

The concert event is presented by Robbie Robertson, his son Sebastian, and Keith Wortman of Blackbirds Presents. The aforementioned all-star lineup joining Haynes, Was, and Johnson includes Anders Osborne, Kathleen Edwards, Dave Malone, John Medeski, Cyril Neville, Terrence Higgins, Bob Margolin, Mark Mullins, along with the Levee Horns, who will play the original arrangements of the late Allen Toussaint.

The tour kicks off with two nights at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester on November 3 and 4, then head up I-87 to Schenectady for a performance at Proctors Theatre. After a stop at The Met in Philadelphia, the tour heads to Huntington, Long Island for a show at The Paramount. The tour will conclude with a performance at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg, Florida on November 20.

Tickets go on sale here Friday, September 16 at 10 am ET.

The Last Waltz Tour 2022
Nov. 3 & 4 — Port Chester, NY @ The Capitol Theatre
Nov. 5 — Schenectady, NY @ Proctors Theatre
Nov. 6 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Met Philadelphia
Nov. 8 — Long Island, NY @ The Paramount
Nov. 9 — Wallingford, CT @ Toyota Oakdale Theatre
Nov. 11 — Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre
Nov. 12 — Washington, DC @ Warner Theatre
Nov. 13 — Richmond, VA @ Altria Theater
Nov. 15 — Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy
Nov. 17 — Pompano Beach, FL @ Pompano Beach Amphitheater
Nov. 18 — St. Augustine, FL @ The St. Augustine Amphitheatre
Nov. 20 — St. Petersburg, FL @ Mahaffey Theater

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KbKd7ni7ik

September 13, 2022
Boyz II Men Announce Tour Stop at Proctors in Schenectady

The award winning R&B Group Boyz II Men will be coming to Proctors in Schenectady at 8 p.m. on Saturday, August 27. Michael McCary, Nathan Morris, Wayna Morris and Shawn Stockman found fame during the 1990s with Motown Records. The group is currently the best-selling R&B group of all time, selling over 64 million albums.

Boyz II Men dropped their debut album in 1991 called Cooleyhighharmony. The album sold over nine million copies and won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. The album included hits such as “Motownphilly” and “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday.”

Since then, the 4-time grammy award winning R&B group went on to release mega-hits like “I’ll Make Love to You,” “End of the Road,” “One Sweet Day,” and many more. In 2011, Boyz II Men celebrated their 20^th anniversary by releasing an album fittingly named Twenty. This album was the group’s first in nearly ten years.

On top of their Grammy awards, they’ve also won nine American Music Awards, nine Soul
Train Awards, three Billboard Awards, and a 2011 MOBO Award for Outstanding Contribution
to Music, and many more iconic achievements.

Outside of their musical achievements, the group also started their own charity called Boyz II Men House. The charity was established to support individuals and organizations that focus on improving quality of life while contributing to those who are less fortunate.

Pre-sales for the August 27th show will begin at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 15 with the official on-sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 18. Tickets are available through the Box Office at Proctors, in person or online at proctors.org.

March 27, 2022
2022 Eddies Music Awards Nominees Announced, Ceremony to be held at Proctors

The fourth annual Eddies Music Awards nominees have been announced, with an in-person ceremony scheduled for April 24, 2022 at Proctors Theatre in Schenectady.

There are over 210 finalists in 36 categories honoring the work of 2021. Nominations and voting are determined by a group of judges that represent the local community.

The Eddie Music Awards ceremony will return to the theatre after a two-year absence, as it was postponed twice due to the pandemic. It eventually was live-streamed and last year’s show was able to have a small audience. Co-founder and producer Jim Murphy is excited to be back:

It was important we continue to shine a light on the local music scene, even if it was scaled back. This year is a return to a full-scale celebration. We hope the whole music community comes together.

NYS Music is proudly nominated for Arts Publication of the Year, with Zach Culver nominated for Best Photographer of the Year and Alain Clerine nominated for Best Writer of the Year.

At the ceremony, there will be performances by Erin Harkes, Buggy Jive, Nite Train w/ Thomasina Winslow, Hot Club of Saratoga, Rich Ortiz, and Super 400. Erin Harkes will be continuing her past role as emcee. She also hosted the first Eddies Music Awards in 2019 and was a musical performer at the 2020 Eddies Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Buggy Jive is a soul rock song-writer who takes influence from Led Zeppelin and Prince. He has been nominated each year of the Eddies Music Awards including a record five nominations this year, and was a winner of Video of the Year in 2021.

Nite Train w/ Thomasina Winslow is a seven-piece blues group who has been around in the Capital Region for almost 20 years. In 2019, they were an Eddies Music Award nominee for Best Blues Act. They released their newest album titled “Cat on A Mission” in late 2020.

Hot Club of Saratoga are a swing collective that play music that reflects the style of The Quintet of the Hot Club of France that were prominent in the 1930s. They are nominated this year for Best Jazz Artist.

Rich Ortiz is a singer-songwriter who has opened for Chicago, REO Speedwagon, Styx and many other touring artists. He is a three-time Eddie nominee for Solo or Duo Performer of the Year, with a win in 2019.

Super 400 are a rock trio who have been together 26 years, and have one live and four studio albums. They are 2022 Eddies nominees in the Rock/Pop Artist of the Year category.

The Eddies Music Awards’ tickets are on sale now.

Solo or Duo Artist of the Year
Buggy Jive
Girl Blue
Dave Maswick & Joel Brown
Om Quillio
Sean Rowe
Sirsy

Solo or Duo Performer of the Year (Covers)
Rick Bolton & Jackie Dugas
Jeff Brisbin
Steve Candlen
Sten Isachsen & Maria Zemantauski
Rich Ortiz
Maurizio Russomanno

Party Cover Band of the Year
Diva & The Dirty Boys
Legend
Mixed Roots
Off The Record
The Refrigerators
Soul Session

DJ of the Year
DJ AyO
DJ Ketchup
DJ RVMBA
DJ ShOw
DJ T.G.I.F.
Intell Hayesfield

Country/Bluegrass Artist of the Year
Brule County Bad Boys
Jim Gaudet and The Railroad Boys
The Insolent Willies
Red Haired Strangers
Three Quarter North
Marty Wendell

Country Cover Band of the Year
Beatin’ the Odds
Courtney Shayne: A Patsy Cline Experience
E.B. Jeb
Skeeter Creek
Stony Creek Band
Whiskey Highway

Americana Artist of the Year
Annie & the Hedonists
The Lazy Suns
Lost Radio Rounders
Sara Milonovich & Daisycutter
The Nocturne Troubadours
Rusticator

Rock/Pop Artist of the Year
Dark Honey
Jocelyn & Chris
Joe Mansman and The Midnight Revival Band
Super 400
Under the Den
Warden & Co.

Alt/Indie Artist of the Year
Architrave
Curious Comet
E.R.I.E.
joetaurone
Sean Rowe
The Sea The Sea

Folk/Traditional Artist of the Year
Dan Berggren
Drank The Gold
Reese Fulmer
John Kirk and Trish Miller
Michael Jerling
Carolyn Shapiro

Hip Hop/Rap Artist of the Year
B Chaps
Dezmatic
Mike Larry Draw
Sime Geezus
Emcee Graffiti
JB!! aka Dirty Moses

Jazz Artist of the Year
Joe Barna
Bright Dog Red
Hot Club of Saratoga
Chuck Lamb
Dylan Perrillo
Colleen Pratt

Punk/Hard Rock Artist of the Year
After the Fall
BattleaXXX
Candy Ambulance
Fine Grain
Prince Daddy & the Hyena
Kid Vicious

Metal/Hard Rock Artist of the Year
Bad Mothers
Bendt
Brick by Brick
The Erotics
Malefic
Psychomanteum

Jam Band of the Year
Ampevene
Annie In The Water
Glass Pony
Hilltop
Let’s Be Leonard
Raisinhead

Blues Artist of the Year
Amy Ryan Band
Biscuits ‘n’ Gravy
George Fletcher Blues Band
Matt Mirabile & Alison Jacobs
SoulSky
Mark Tolstrup & Jill Burnham

RnB/Soul/Funk Artist of the Year
The Age
Anneice Cousin
The E-Block
Buggy Jive
Ali Sifflet
Victory Soul Orchestra

Electronica Artist of the Year
Madeline Darby
Fox Kraft
SM Ink
PJ Katz
Rambutan
soo do koo

Classical Artist/Ensemble of the Year
Albany Symphony Orchestra
Albany Pro Musica
Glens Falls Symphony Orchestra
Musicians of Ma’alwyck
Opera Saratoga
Schenectady Symphony Orchestra

World Music Artist of the Year
Taina Asili y La Banda Rebelde
Heard
Jordan Taylor Hill
Sten Isachsen & Maria Zemantauski
Mixed Roots
Alex Torres & His Latin Orchestra

Best Venue Small (up to 299 people)
Caffé Lena
The Hangar on the Hudson
The Hollow Bar + Kitchen
The Linda
Nanola
9 Maple Avenue

Best Venue Medium (300-999 people)
Cohoes Music Hall
The Egg
Lark Hall
Putnam Place
The Strand Theatre
Van Slyck’s (Rivers Casino & Resort)

Best Venue Large (1,000 people and up)
Empire Live
Palace Theatre
Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Times Union Center
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

Presenter of the Year
A Little Booking Agency LLC
DJ T.G.I.F.
Guthrie Bell Productions
Step Up Presents
Sugar Productions
Super Dark Collective

Radio Station of the Year
RadioRadioX
WAMC
WCDB
WEQX
WEXT
WVCR

Radio DJ of the Year (terrestrial or streaming)
Wanda Fischer (WAMC)
Art Fredette (RadioRadiox)
Sime Geezus (WSPN)
Andy Gregory (WEXT)
Bill McCann (WCDB)
Jeff Morad (WEQX)

Record Label of the Year
Cacophone Records
Equal Vision
Lorchestral Recording Company
Magnetic Eye Records
Paintbox Records
Upstate Records

Live Production Crew of the Year
824 Productions
Aces
Denis Entertainment Group
High Peaks Sound
Live Sound Inc
Specialized Audio-Video Inc.

Music Recording Studio of the Year
Fool’s Hill Music
Jim Mastrianni Studio
Millstone Studio
NRS Recording

Arts Publication of the Year (print, TV or new media)
Nippertown
NYS Music
Preview (Times Union)
The Spot 518
The Ticket (Daily Gazette)
Xperience Monthly

Music Journalist of the Year
Alain Clerine (NYS Music)
R.J. DeLuke (Times Union)
Michael Hallisey (The Spot 518, Nippertown)
Indiana Nash (Daily Gazette)
Liam Sweeney (Xperience Monthly)
Don Wilcock (Nippertown)

Music Photographer of the Year
Stephanie Bartik
Frank Cavone
Zach Culver
Jim Gilbert
Rudy Lu
Andrzej Pilarczyk

Songwriter of the Year
Girl Blue
Reese Fulmer
Buggy Jive
Sara Milonovich
Lecco Morris & Justin K. Rivers
Sean Rowe
Russel the Leaf
Seth Warden

Music Video of the Year
As Iz – “Steve Nover is Here (Infinite Cha Cha)”
Buggy Jive – “Tiptoes”
Don Ferlazzo – “Take A Look At Me Now”
Joe Mansman and The Midnight Revival Band – “Renegade Love”
Jocelyn & Chris – “Sugar and Spice”
SIRSY – “Astronauts”
The Nocturne Troubadours – “You’re Not Alone”
The Sea The Sea – “Stumbling Home: Oil on Paper”

Record of the Year
Dan Berggren – “Imagine That”
Jocelyn & Chris “- Sugar and Spice”
Erin Harkes – “New Year’s Day”
Kate McDonnell – “Ballad of a Bad Girl”
Mike McMann – “True”
Prince Daddy & the Hyenas – “Curly Q”
Sean Rowe – “Squid Tattoo”
Carolyn Shapiro – “Honeydew”

Album of the Year
Bright Dog Red – “In Vivo”
Candy Ambulance – “Hard-Boiled”
Reese Fulmer – “It’s All a Dream”
Sime Gezus – “Shadow of Death”
Buggy Jive – “You Won’t Like the Answer”
Mike McMann – “True”
Sara Milonovich & Daisycutter – “Northeast”
Sean Rowe – “The Darkness Dressed In Colored Lights”
Marty Wendell – “Risky Business”

March 23, 2022
“Rent” 25th Anniversary Tour is Coming to Proctors Theatre

The world renowned and award winning musical RENT is coming to Schenectady for it’s 25th Anniversary Farewell Tour, as the musical will be at Proctors Theatre for back to back nights on February 11th and 12th.

RENT, the musical created by Jonathan Larson, follows the lives of a young group of artists pursuing their dreams in Lower Manhattan. Debuting on February 13th, 1996 at the New York Theatre Workshop, RENT then went to Broadway in April of that same year, winning a Pulitzer Prize award as well as a Tony award.

The musical was adapted into a movie in the year 2005. RENT also became one of the longest running musicals on Broadway, showcasing the production for 12 years.

After its run on Broadway, RENT began to tour all over the United States and the rest of the world performing in six continents and 27 countries. For international tours, RENT was translated into different languages.

RENT has toured around the world for 24 years and this year will be fans last opportunity to see it.

To purchase tickets to see RENT for it’s 25th and final tour, go to Proctors.org. You may also purchase tickets in person at the box office or by dialing 518-346-6204, Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-2 p.m

February 1, 2022
Albany Symphony Welcomes Guest Conductor Erina Yashima for Performance at Proctors

Special guest conductor Erina Yashima is leading the Albany Symphony Orchestra on January 8 at Proctors Theater in Schenectady. Yashima will lead Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, as well as Vivian Fung’s A Child’s Dream of Toys and Alexander Glazunov’s Violin Concerto.

Yashima is a German conductor and a rising star in the industry. She has played worldwide with acclaimed ensembles and orchestras.

The Albany Symphony Orchestra is two-time GRAMMY award-winning, and their performance is described as “virtuosic” and features classical work that is lesser-heard. The symphony also has more ASCAP awards than any other orchestra.

The Albany Symphony, conducted by Maestro Miller.

Founded in 1930, the symphony serves an audience of more than seven counties and parts of three states. The symphony is the only organization to have made multiple appearances at Carnegie Hall’s Spring for Music festival.

The symphony is led by music director David Alan Miller who is beginning his 30th year of service. The symphony also provides award-winning education in their program Symphony in Our Schools.

Tickets for the Albany Symphony with Erina Yashima at Proctors Theater on January 8 can be found here. The event will also be streamed online, tickets for which can be found here.

January 6, 2022