On June 14 at 5:00 p.m., The Rods, a heavy metal band known for its ’80s albums, will be playing as the headliners for the “Wild Wednesday” event in Liverpool, NY. Also featured at “Wild Wednesday” is Adam and the Metal Hawks, Crazy Neighbors, Love Bone, and Wicked.
Members of the Rods. From left to right: Carl Canedy, David “Rock” Feinstein, and Freddy Villano. Credit: The Rods Official Website
The lead vocalist for the Rods, David “Rock” Feinstein, first came into popularity after playing in the band Elf with his cousin, Black Sabbath member Ronnie James Dio. Elf formed in 1967, and disbanded in 1975 after releasing three albums. Most of the band was absorbed into Rainbow, including Dio but not Feinstein.
The Rods formed and released their first album, “Rock Hard” in 1980, though “Rock Hard” was later rereleased as “The Rods.” The band toured with several noteworthy metal bands, such as Judas Priest, Ozzy Osbourne, Motörhead, and Metallica. They made six more albums until the group split in 1986, with their final album of the time being “Hollywood.”
The Rods reformed in 2008, playing at the Metal Rock Fest in Lillehammer, Norway. They have continued to release albums since then, including “Vengeance” in 2011 and their latest, “The Brotherhood of Metal,” in 2019. Current members of the band include: David “Rock” Feinstein as guitar and lead vocalist; Freddy Villano for bass and vocals; and Carl Canedy for drums and vocals.
Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) has announced its Summer 2023 lineup, with performances from Dermot Kennedy to Guns N’ Roses. SPAC is a prestigious outdoor amphitheater, featuring live performances, arts education, culinary arts, literary arts, and visual arts across its campus. For over 50 years, SPAC has served as the summer home for New York City Ballet and The Philadelphia Orchestra.
In a recent meeting on May 18, the leadership and staff reflected on what they viewed as a “SPAC Transformed.” The scope and depth of SPAC’s programs has “exploded,” with the summer season including the celebration of literary, culinary, and visual arts on top of the 28 performances, 24 debuts, and 11 premieres. Over the past year, work has continued to revitalize the amphitheater’s backstage, and “The Performer’s Road” has been widened, regraded, and repaved.
The season will kick off with the Summer SPACtacular, a new fundraising event on Friday, June 2. With Live Music, DJ, Dancing, Cocktails, Culinary Delights, Fireworks and Festivities, it is divided into the sold-out “All Access Pass” and the still-available “Party Pass.”
Performing throughout the summer, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center hails from the largest performing arts complex in the world: the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Their showings in June include “From Classic to Modern” at 3:00 p.m. on June 11 and “Great Quintets” at 3:00 p.m. on June 18. For July, they are performing on July 16 at 3:00 p.m. for “From Vienna to Paris” and on July 23 at 3:00 p.m. for “The Miró Quartet.” They end their summer performances with two showings in Aug., “Spanish Journey” on Aug. 13 at 3:00 p.m. and “New Classics” on Aug. 20 at 3:00 p.m. for their final show.
Founded in 1948 by George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein, New York City Ballet is one of SPAC’s summer residents. They are performing in the second half of July. “NYCB On and Off Stage” on July 18 at 7:30 p.m. has a “behind the curtain” experience for audiences. On July 19 and 20 at 7:30 p.m. are the “SPAC Premieres,” which includes several pieces new to SPAC. “Peck & Copland” is on July 20 at 2:00 p.m. and July 22 at 7:30 p.m., and “Swan Lake, Fancy Free & Freebird” is on July 21 at 7:30 p.m. and July 22 at 2:00 p.m..
The Philadelphia Orchestra, another Summer resident of SPAC has a wide variety of performances in the month of August, starting with the “Festive Fireworks” at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 2.
Other events include: “Schubert’s ‘Great’ Symphony” on Aug. 3 at 7:30 p.m., “Pink Martini and The Philadelphia Orchestra featuring China Forbes” on Aug. 4 at 7:30 p.m., “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire™ In Concert” on Aug. 5 at 7:30 p.m., “Beethoven’s Seventh” on Aug. 9 at 7:30 p.m., “An Evening with Audra McDonald” on Aug. 10 at 7:30 p.m., “Rachmaninoff at 150” on Aug. 11 at 7:30 p.m., “Rite of Spring & Blessed Earth” on Aug. 12 at 7:30 p.m., “The Four Seasons with Gil Shaham” on Aug. 16 at 7:30 p.m., “Yo-Yo Ma plays Dvořák” on Aug. 17 at 7:30 p.m., “Earth: An HD Odyssey” on Aug. 18 at 7:30 p.m., and “Jurassic Park in Concert” on Aug. 19 at 7:30 p.m..
As a part of their Hot Summer Nights tour, TLC and Shaggy will be playing at SPAC. TLC is the best-selling American girl group of all time, they have earned 35 Major Awards, and are ranked as one of the greatest music trios. Shaggy is the only diamond-selling dancehall artist in music history, and has sold more than 40 million album units. They are also being joined by special guests En Vogue and Sean Kingston.
Formed in 2015, Dead & Company is having their final tour over Summer 2023, stopping in SPAC on both June 17 and June 18. They were created through the merging of Grateful Dead members Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, and Bob Weir with John Mayer, as well as Allman Brothers’ bassist Oteil Burbridge, and Fare Thee Well and RatDog keyboardist Jeff Chimenti. Dead & Company has completed seven tours since 2015, with 164 concerts.
Dermot Kennedy was nominated for the “Best International Male” BRIT Award in 2020, and has become a platinum-selling artist in over 12 countries through his debut album, the best-selling debut album in Ireland of this millennium. He is known for his unique ability to unify and heal through his music.
Tears for Fears is an English pop rock band that has sold over 30 million albums worldwide. They are touring with Cold War Kids as a part of their “The Tipping Point Tour Part II.” SPAC is one of the three locations for their tour in New York, with other locations including Madison Square Garden and the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts.
Big Time Rush is an American pop boy band, previously starring in “Big Time Rush,” a Nickelodeon-produced musical sitcom. It has four members: Kendall Schmidt, James Maslow, Logan Henderson, and Carlos PenaVega.
Nominated for both a Grammy and Academy award, Counting Crows is an alternative rock band that has performed for over two decades. Their multi-platinum breakout album was “August and Everything After,” with their most recent album being “Butter Miracle: Suite One,” released in May 2021. Also featured at the showing is guest star Dashboard Confessional.
The KIDZ BOP performance at SPAC is a part of their “Never Stop Live Tour,” with new songs, choreography, special effects, and the return of the Daddy Dance Off. KIDZ BOP is a family-friendly show, and the group has sold more than 23 million albums and had over 8 billion streams since 2001. The performance will feature songs from the recent “KIDZ BOP 2023” album as well as other pop hits.
Dave Matthews Band is an American rock band, originally formed in 1991. They will be performing songs from their new album “Walk Around the Moon.” Dave Matthews Band is visiting SPAC as a part of their U.S. summer tour. They are also using the tour to continue their work with The Nature Conservancy, with their partnership resulting in the planting one million trees this year.
Foreigner is known as one of the most popular rock bands in the world, with ten multi-platinum albums. Their visit to SPAC is a part of their “Farewell Tour,” with the band being joined by Loverboy, another hit-maker of the ’80s. The show promises more than 20 combined chart-topping songs.
The Chicks are the biggest-selling U.S. female band of all time and are the only female group to get multiple diamond selling releases. They have sold more than 30.5 million albums, with their last record-breaking studio album being “Taking the Long Way,” released in 2006. It received five Grammy awards, including “Album of the Year,” “Record of the Year,” and “Song of the Year.”
As a part of their “The Big Night Out Tour,” Goo Goo Dolls and O.A.R. have teamed up for a massive summer tour, including four stops across New York State. Goo Goo Dolls is a multi-platinum, four-time GRAMMY-nominated rock band. The band is partnering with “Joe Torre Safe At Home,” a nonprofit organization offering healing and education to youth who have been traumatized by exposure to violence.
Zac Brown Band, a multi-platinum and Grammy Award-winning American country band, is travelling to SPAC with their “From the Fire Tour.” This is their 10th North American tour, following the release of their “The Comeback (Deluxe)” album.
Eric Church is a country singer, winning AMC awards seven times, CMA awards four times, and being nominated for a Grammy Award ten times. The “Heart & Soul” triple album is his most recent project and has received critical acclaim. It is the result of a month-long marathon in rural North Carolina where he wrote and recorded a song per day. He is visiting SPAC as a part of his “Outsiders Revival Tour.”
Guns N’ Roses is one of the best-selling rock bands of all time, with their 1987 debut album, “Appetite For Destruction” being regarded as the best-selling U.S. debut album ever. Their 2023 tour is the band’s first North American tour since 2021’s “We’re F’N Back! Tour.”
Guns N’ Roses members, from left to right: Axl Rose, Richard Fortus, Duff McKagan Dizzy Reed, Slash, Melissa Reese, and Frank Ferer. Credit: Katarina Benzova.
The Festival of Young Artists is an annual free event that is meant to celebrate the Capital Region’s young actors, dancers, musicians, singers, poets, and visual artists. The event includes both individual displays and performances as well as large-scale productions.
The 46th Annual Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival features 21 artists over the course of the two-day festival. It includes genres from jazz to roots, funk, blues and beyond. It has been one of North America’s largest jazz festivals over the past 45 years.
The Outlaw Music Festival is the largest-ever Outlaw tour, with Willie Nelson & Family, Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros., featuring The Wolfpack, The String Cheese Incident, Los Lobos, and Particle Kid. The festival originally made its debut in 2016, where the festival was well-received and sold-out.
“Kimberly Akimbo,” a Broadway Musical that has received nominations for eight Tony Awards, including “Best Musical,” is launching their “Great Adventure Grants.” The program intends to help fund three local high school theater productions, with each school receiving $10,000 from the grant. “Great Adventure Grants” will continue as an annual initiative.
Recipients of one of the “Great Adventure Grants” from the Pan American International High School in Queens, NY. Credit: Polk & Co.
The first recipients of these grants are the Denzel Washington School of the Arts in Mount Vernon, NY; the High Tech High School in Secaucus, NJ; and the Pan American International High School in Queens, NY. The $10,000 received by each program is hoped to aid in paying for licensing, production, and other associated costs.
“Kimberly Akimbo” is about the titular character, Kimberly (played by Victoria Clark), who is a teenager suffering from a rare genetic condition. She must navigate this, as well as her family dysfunctions and her first crush. It originally opened on Broadway on Nov. 10, 2022.
The Broadway musical is based on a play with the same name by David Lindsay-Abaire, who wrote book and lyrics for the musical adaptation. The music is by Tony Award-winner Jeanine Tesori, choreography is by Danny Mefford, and direction is by Jessica Stone.
“Like the aspiring show choir characters in ‘Kimberly Akimbo,’ student performers need financial support to help realize their dreams. We are very proud to be able to support these three public school arts programs and look forward to seeing their fully realized productions next year,” director Jessica Stone said.
Showing in select theaters, exclusively on June 13, across the nation is “Soul Doctor,” a Broadway musical-movie about the relationship between “rock star” Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach and Dr. Nina Simone, a music and civil rights icon. The movie version of the musical was filmed during the “Israel at 70” Festival in Jerusalem by writer/director Danny Wise, while the screenings were organized by Fathom Events and Executive Producer Lisa Simone, Nina Simone’s daughter.
“Soul Doctor” is focused on the character of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, from his escape from Nazi Germany at a young age to his friendship with Nina Simone. Simone introduced Carlebach to soul and gospel music, which Carlebach merged with his own roots. This fusion led to a revival of Jewish music and culture.
“‘Soul Doctor’ is a testament to the healing power of music,” said Lisa Simone, “It is medicine for the soul, plain and simple. The kinship between Nina Simone and Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach demonstrates the influence we can have on each other when we look past our differences. Their impact on each other, and the world as we know it today, remains a beacon of what is possible when we follow our heart’s calling no matter the odds.”
The film’s music is by Shlomo Carlebach, with lyrics by David Schechter. Choreography was done by Abdur Rahim Jackson. Josh Young, of Broadway’s “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Evita,” plays Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach. Nya, star of “Cleopatra” and Broadway’s “Caroline or Change” revival, plays Nina Simone. Emily Padgett, star of Broadway’s “Side Show,” “Bright Star,” “Rock of Ages,” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” plays Ruth.
Civil rights activist and sister-in-law to Martin Luther King Jr., Dr. Naomi King, spoke on the film, saying, “Any person watching this movie, it’ll shake ’em, move ’em and change ‘em to help make this a better world.”
