Troy Savings Bank Music Hall returns with the free Music at Noon series, beginning with singer and song writer Alan Goldberg on December 12.
Since 1988, on the second Tuesday of each month from October to May, the free Music at Noon concert series has presented exceptional musicians with a diverse mix of musical styles. Program sponsors include FAM Funds, Troy Redevelopment Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts, Fagan Associates, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, MVP Healthcare, and the Saratoga National Bank. This show will feature the MVP Health Care Coffee Hour.
Join the fun early for a FREE cup of Stacks coffee 11am -12pm before the show begins. Shows are free to attend and be sure to bring your lunch.
National Sawdust (Paola Prestini, Artistic Director, Ana De Archuleta, Managing Director) has announced its Winter/Spring 2024 season. In a moment of existential crisis for the performing arts field—as COVID relief funding runs out, ticket sales and fundraising lag across the industry in comparison with pre-pandemic levels, and smaller budgets frequently result in reduced opportunities and resources for artists—National Sawdust embraces its role as a “vital part of New York’s new music scene” (The New York Times), for artists and audiences alike.
National Sawdust is a dynamic non-profit cultural institution that commissions, produces, and presents programming rooted in sound and supports multidisciplinary artists and arts organizations in the creation of innovative new work. Founded in 2015 by Kevin Dolan and Paola Prestini, National Sawdust operates out of an intimate space, equipped with a state-of-the-art Meyer spatial sound system, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where it is one of the few remaining cultural venues. The New York Times has described National Sawdust as “the city’s most vital new-music hall” and as “a triumphantly successful performance space that stands for a hip, sophisticated brand of new music.”
On the eve of its tenth anniversary, taking advantage of its nimbleness, and bolstered by the recent acquisition of its state-of-the-art Williamsburg venue, National Sawdust is finding new ways—and strengthening its impactful existing programs—to support composers, musicians, and multidisciplinary artists. The organization has initiated new partnerships with fellow NYC cultural institutions that will extend its impact. It teams with Harlem Stage on a new, cross-borough, series Uptown Nights: Convent to Wythe. Together, they will present silver through the grass like nothing, an in-process solo by violinist, vocalist, poet, and interdisciplinary performance artist yuniya edi kwon, and even in the shadow of a retching fog, a new work by performance collective SUN HAN GUILD, at Harlem Stage; and (( ( PHONATION ) )), a work of sound and visuals by Bora Yoon and R. Luke DuBois at National Sawdust.
National Sawdust also joins forces this season with Sparks and Wiry Cries to present their two-day festival featuring 14 world premieres by emerging composers from around the world and a co-curated concert by composer and Hildegard Commission-winner Niloufar Nourbakhsh; with Composers Now to present the opening event of the Composers Now Festival, hosted by that organization’s visionary founder and artistic director Tania León; with Winter Jazz Fest to offer Hess Is More’s category-defying musical concert and art installation Apollonian Blackout; and with the Metropolitan Opera to produce the 2023-24 season-long initiative Opera Evolved, a series of conversations with composers and artists about the contemporary operas featured at the Met this season and the ways opera is evolving today. In Winter and Spring, Opera Evolved presents Lileana Blain Cruz and Paola Prestini in discussion of genre fluidity, and a talk about reviving work from living composers.
National Sawdust is also bringing back its indispensable artist residency program, this season hosting eddy kwon & Holland Andrews. kwon and Andrews are among a wide range of artists making use this season of National Sawdust’s Meyer Sound spatial sound system, which facilitates ambitious sonic explorations and makes the live audience experience of new works uniquely compelling. Others include Hess Is More, Bora Yoon, Bruce Brubaker, Ning Yu, Maya Beiser, Susie Ibarra and Jeffrey Zeigler, Paola Prestini, and more.
By providing today’s most visionary artists with the institution’s unique suite of resources, National Sawdust empowers them not only to experiment and make meaningful contributions to a field undergoing various paradigm shifts, but to lend their visions and voices to urgent conversations in the world at large.
Please see below for the currentWinter/Spring 2024 programming schedule.
National Sawdust Winter/Spring 2024 Schedule yuniya edi kwon and Holland AndrewsHow does it feel to look at nothing
January 12, 20247:30pm
Using a new language of deconstruction, Holland Andrews and yuniya edi kwon present an in-process performance of How does it feel to look at nothing, a pre-origin story and collaboratively developed opera about a deity of namelessness. An opera of the elemental, of pre-deities, and illusions of containment, How does it feel to look at nothing is an embodied, interdisciplinary performance emerging through a story of transitional states. Composer-performers, multi-instrumentalists, and extended technique vocalists Andrews and kwon co-create this work through composition, improvisation, dance, physical theater, and ritual.
National Sawdust and Winter Jazz FestpresentHess Is More Apollonian Circles
January 16 & 17 at 8pm
Apollonian Circles is a multi-disciplinary musical concert and art installation experience that combines elements of electronic music, jazz, theater, and performance art. Each performance hinges on audience participation and improvisation guiding an ever-changing narrative of artistic expression; we are all participants reflecting one another’s experience as if in a hall of mirrors.
This project explores the very definition of what audiences have come to expect from a traditional concert. From the moment they arrive, attendees are transported to a mysterious dream-like space where the unexpected can happen. In the literal center of the room is a large table (decorated with other-worldly artifacts and ornaments) that is both stage and set piece for the performers and audience to gather.
Apollonian Circles is a constantly evolving musical live work, where concert formats and the relationship between music, musicians and audiences are explored and challenged. Apollonian Circles grow out of a constant longing for integration. We bring together artists, performers and ultimately audiences in a space that feels wide open yet artistically distinct and defined.
The music is composed and arranged by the Danish multi-instrumentalist Mikkel Hess and performed by his band, Hess Is More, which comprises musicians from Copenhagen and New York and features notable guests such as acclaimed singer Nomi Ruiz. The scenography is developed by Danish theater luminaries Christian Friedländer and Dicki Lakha in collaboration with award-winning director Tue Beiring, and with costumes by fashion design superstar Henrik Vibskov.
National Sawdust and Sparks and Wiry Cries present Laura Nevitt (8th Annual NYC songSLAM & songSLAM Commission winner) Anger in Open Mouths: three sweet songs
January 19, 20247:30pm
Fashioned after traditional poetry slams and storytelling events like The Moth, each Sparks & Wiry Cries songSLAM gives teams of composers and performers a chance to present world premieres of art song and compete for audience-awarded cash prizes totaling up to $2,000. Each regional songSLAM is produced with a partnering local organization. Since the inaugural songSLAM of 2016 in NYC, our first come, first served registration has filled in under 15 minutes of opening, and our songSLAM audiences are typically sold out and/or standing room only. The songSLAM was developed to bring in new, energized, and invested audiences for art song while removing barriers and gatekeepers for performers and composers. Our NYC songSLAM is the flagship event and in 2024 will be produced in partnership with National Sawdust.
During the 2023-2024 season, SWC will partner with organizations across the United States and internationally to produce 8 songSLAM events, allowing for the premiere of over 100 new songs and engaging with over 200 emerging artists in the following cities: NYC (‘Sparks’ & ‘National Sawdust’), Tallahassee (Florida State University), Waco, TX (Lone Star Song), Bratislava, Slovakia (421 Foundation), Bloomington, IN (Indiana University), Chicago, IL (Fourth Coast Ensemble), Ljubljana, Slovenia (Festival Ljubljana), and Minneapolis, MN (Source Song Festival).
Every year Sparks & Wiry Cries awards a songSLAM commission prize to one of the composers from the previous NYC songSLAM. This year’s commission will be the world premiere of Anger in Open Mouths: Three Sweet Songs, by composer Laura Nevitt and poet Viviana Gill performed by mezzo-soprano Clara Osowski and pianist Erika Switzer.
Only Voice Remains A recital co-curated by Niloufar Nourbakhsh and Sparks & Wiry Cries January 20, 2024 7:30pm
Only Voice Remains is a new sparksLIVE project. The title is inspired by Iranian poet Forugh Farrokhzad’s poem of the same name, and the program explores themes of exile, loss, and migration, using a diverse range of vocal traditions rooted in Iran and neighboring regions. The music in this program explores the intersection of Persian Flamenco, contemporary singer-songwriters, and Iranian classical music intertwined with the western classical recital format. Also highlighted on the program is the Pashtun Landay—a poetic folk couplet shared by women that exists primarily through an oral tradition. Set to music by Juhi Bansal for soprano, piano, and cello, these poems highlight similar motifs of struggle and triumph echoing down generations from woman to woman. Artist performers on this program include: Mahya Hamedi (vocalist), Ava Nazar (pianist), Farnaz Ohadi (vocalist), Karen Ouzounian (cellist courtesy of Silk Road Ensemble), and Abigail Sinclair (soprano).
Composers Now presents The Opening Event of the 2024 Composers Now Festival Hosted by Tania León January 31, 2024 7:30pm
While it may be nearly impossible to capture the totality of creativity as expressed by today’s composers, Composers Now and Tania try. From the very young to the legendary, you will come away from this evening with plenty of new sounds heard and composers met. Among the participants, Tania welcomes: the recipients of the 2024 Visionary Awards — Dwight Andrews, Philip Glass and Libby Larsen; the recipient of the First Commission Award and the world premiere of a newly written work, in collaboration with Jazz Gallery; a short documentary capturing the Fall 2023 Collaborative Creative Residency at the Pocantico Center of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund; works by Paola Prestini, a percussion trio by Javier Diaz, and more.
Julian Crouch and Saskia Lane BIRDHEART February 3, 2024 6pm
BIRDHEART is an intimate chamber piece of animated theater with a sheet of brown paper and a box of sand. A show about transformation,loneliness, and the urge to fly, BIRDHEART holds a hand-mirror up to humanity and offers it a chair. Through a series of animated images built in front of the audiences’ eyes BIRDHEART creates something achingly beautiful from the humblest of beginnings.
The BIRDHEART performance is preceded by some bird themed songs performed by Saskia and Julian, and led by the extraordinary musician Philip Roebuck. Singing along is encouraged.
National Sawdust and the Metropolitan Opera present Opera Evolved: Genre Fluidity
February 22, 20247:30pm
The second installment of this three-part series celebrates artistic convergence by investigating the intersection of innovation and tradition at National Sawdust. This event brings together a diverse array of multi-faceted artists, including Paola Prestini, esteemed composer and co-founder and artistic director of National Sawdust, and dynamic theater and opera director Lileana Blain-Cruz. Attendees will be treated to rich discussions and captivating performances that highlight genre-blending compositions and illustrate the transformative power of opera.
Bruce Brubaker Eno Piano February 23, 2024 7:30pm
Brian Eno famously said, “The studio is a musical instrument.” American pianist Bruce Brubaker now says, “A musical instrument can be a studio.” Brubaker will take the stage for a concert highlighting his 12th studio album, Eno Piano. This record, released November 10 on InFiné, encompasses a selection of Brian Eno’s iconic ambient music, including Music for Airports.
Can a single instrument convey ambient music originally made through studio techniques and tape loops? Eno Piano is a companion to Bruce Brubaker’s acclaimed album Glass Piano (2015); even the two album covers are companions. Named by Pitchfork “one of the most exciting pianists in the contemporary American classical scene,” Brubaker, in Eno Piano, shows that just as the studio can be a musical instrument, a single musical instrument can be a studio.
Brian Eno’s music is a significant part of the repetition-based musical minimalism practiced by Philip Glass, Terry Riley, and others in the late 20th century. In 1971, Philip Glass performed at the Royal College of Art in London. In the audience were two 23-year-olds: David Bowie and Brian Eno. Glass’s music was a fundamental influence on Eno. Later, Glass wrote three symphonies based on the three albums of Eno and Bowie’s Berlin Trilogy. Eno Piano acknowledges this deep artistic bond.
Alkemie and guest artist Amanda Gookin A Worthy Mirror February 25, 2024 7:30pm
A Worthy Mirror represents a time-traveling dialogue with the 12th-century trobairitz—the feminine counterpart of the poet-composers known as troubadours. Together with guest artist Amanda Gookin of Forward Music Project, we are commissioning eleven female and non-binary composers to respond to and converse with the 36 extant trobairitz texts (of which we only have music for one). This body of lyric poetry represents a large group of historically female and anonymous femme voices in the literary tradition. Witty, ironic, heartbreaking, and erotic—these texts present a mirror to reflect upon what feels foreign about the past and what feels familiar, what is the role of gender and self in relationships, and how do we make space for the multiplicities of identity, both in the 12th century and today.
NationalSawdust+ presents Insectum Featuring Susie Ibarra, Jeffrey Zeigler, Graham Reynolds, and Jessica Ware February 26, 2024 7:30pm
Join a zany evening devoted to Insectum, a sonic exploration of the world of arthropods. The program takes its name from the forthcoming record release featuring composer-musicians Susie Ibarra, Jeffrey Zeigler, and Graham Reynolds, who worked closely with University of Texas at Austin entomologists to create their album showcasing original tunes such as “Mosquito” and “Melolonthinae Larvae.” American Museum of Natural History evolutionary biologist Jessica Ware shares research that unravels the evolutionary history of dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata), termites, and cockroaches (Blattodea) in this event, hosted by NationalSawdust+ curator Elena Park. Insectum will be both a celebration of the most successful and longest existing multicellular group of animals on the planet, as well as a cautionary tale about how their current threatened status poses dangers for the entire global ecosystem.
Part of NS+’s continuing For Nature series, Insectum kicks off three programs exploring the interplay and collision between the natural and human worlds, featuring artists and musicians, scientists, and activists working to preserve and restore the environment. For Nature is made possible by the generous support of Kathryn and Emmanuel Morlet and the Westcustogo Foundation.
Insectum commissioned by Golden Hornet
Co-Commissioned by Kathleen and Harvey Guion & The Guion Family Fund
Co-Commissioned by Suzanne Deal Booth & The Suzanne Deal Booth Cultural Trust
This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts
Presented in partnership with the Asia Society and its initiative, Coal + Ice: Inspiring Climate Action Through Art and Ideas.
Insectum was created in consultation with Alex Wild and Jo-anne Holley at University of Texas at Austin. Insect images displayed are courtesy of Alex Wild.
National Sawdust and Harlem Stage present Bora Yoon featuring R. Luke DeBois ( ((PHONATION)) ) March 9, 2024 8pm
( (( PHONATION )) ) is a multimedia performance by Bora Yoon with live video manipulations by R. Luke DuBois, exploring where sound connects to the subliminal using found sounds, new and antiquated instruments, electronic devices and voice. Using a sound designer’s approach to performance composition that is steered by a penchant for a song, ( (( PHONATION )) ) engages with music as music, and not as part of a genre, taking the means to one end, and using it for another to form new utterances of sound and the beginnings of a new sonic language, within its spatial and architectural context. In every case, a particular sonic geography is evoked that might be inspired by a simple, found-sound in the world, or an expression of a sonic paradox bouncing around only in the mind.
Jodie Landau Performance of Self March 15 & 16, 2024 7:30pm
Performance of Self is an immersive piece by Jodie Landau that uses chamber music and dance to weave its way through songs and stories about queerness, gender, sexuality, [online] dating, choice, consent, attraction, desire, expectations, conforming to someone’s needs vs. self-preservation, language and communication, dance, drag, costume, and the performance of self.
“We continuously construct and curate our lives, our relationships, and our selves,” says Landau, “by choice or by circumstance. We weave the stories given to us, those we gather, and those we choose to retell to form a sense of identity. In identifying ourselves and each other we look to codify and define, and in such things we find both comfort and tribulations, as well as opportunity and limitations. Within all this, gender and sexuality are heavily weighted and fascinating topics, or at least have been for me, by choice and circumstance.”
Lætitia Sadier
March 20, 2024 7:30pm
Over the course of her career, spanning three-plus decades, Lætitia Sadier has never shied away from the hard topics, or stopped advocating for the possibility of self determination and emancipation in the face of the powers that be, conscious or unconscious. This is an essential part of the foundation she co-built with Stereolab, showcasing her spiritual, scientific and sociopolitical inquiries. She’s continued this process with Monade and under her own name and as a writer/singer/musician whose every album acts as a report on her journey of the self through time, space and the collective.
On Rooting For Love, the report is set alight by the heat of a turbulent world, collapsing institutions and Lætitia’s fully engaged process of expression as well as orchestration. The opening number, “Who + What” elucidates the central issue of the album: a call for a collective striving for Gnosis — an inquisitive outlook that will lend clues to the traumatized civilizations of Earth, allowing us to evolve away from millennia of alienation and suffering and towards the achievability of healing. The musical arrangements help to embody the layers of the issue, as with “Who + What”’s combination of organ, synths, guitar, bass, trombone, drum programming, vibraphone and zither, all working along intricate paths of chord and tempo changes. Leading from the inside is the implacable presence of Lætitia Sadier, herself interacting with a vocal assembly of men and women billed as The Choir. The regular reappearance of The Choir throughout Rooting For Love is a reminder of this music being one of a people in critical mass, in addition to an evolution that continues to deepen the rich harmonic fields in which Lætitia plays.
Past wounds are addressed again and again in the libretto, as the music provides a transformational balm to aid the healing process. The melodic funk of bassist Xavi Muñoz leads a Chic-adjacent slink to the occasional dance floor vibes and no-wave rockouts, while Hannes Plattemier and Emma Mario take turns in mixing the tracks and informing the far reaches of the material, with vibes, additional drum programming and synths alongside a talented cast of players and singers from Lætita’s Source Ensemble and beyond.
Whether drawing inspiration from Zen Shiastu training, or the lyrics of Véronique Vincent, (lyricist and singer for Aksak Maboul, and once upon a time, lead singer of the French Honeymoon Killers), Lætitia faces the truth without flinching. The shadows, whatever stuff they are made of — individual and collective, present and ancestral — need to be recognized and acknowledged, because the more we heal within ourselves, the more undivided we become in the face of looming Neofascist/Neoliberal narratives polluting the inner and outer landscapes. As with the cover image of the winter tree mirrored by the word patterns of Rooting For Love, Lætitia maintains that how we heal the world that’s coming, and what we make of it, will be a co-creation. The quality of our imagination, the orientation we give our thoughts and the capacity to bring love to ourselves and the world are a first step.
Alongside her collaboration with Modern Cosmology, last year’s incredible What Will You Grow Now?, as well as her continued tours with a reformed Stereolab, Rooting For Love finds Lætitia back in the world, once again urging all our grounded inner alignment and heart power to make us better equipped for creating what’s to come.
Palaver Strings Visions + Miracles March 22, 20247:30pm
This one-hour program brings together music that is transcendent in nature, drawing inspiration from dreams, medieval chant, renaissance polyphony, spirituality, and the power of silence. Anchored by Christopher Theofanidis’ otherworldy composition of the same name, Visions and Miracles takes us on a journey through the gentle sound worlds of Arvo Part, Max Richter, and Caroline Shaw, interspersed with excerpts of Mendelssohn’s Sinfonia No. 1. With mesmerizing harmonies and moments of joy, grief, and gentleness, Visions and Miracles is evocative and reflective, grounding and transcendent.
Summa for Strings Arvo Pärt
Entr’acte Caroline Shaw
Sinfonia No. 1 Felix Mendelssohn
Visions and Miracles Christopher Theofanidis
On the Nature of Daylight Max Richter
Fiddle Set Maya French/Jamie Oshima
Ning Yu + Qubit Piano Realities
March 28, 2024 7:30pm
Piano Realities is a program of works for piano and electronics, created and produced in collaboration by soloist Ning Yu and Qubit. As one of the foremost pianists of her generation, Yu is a champion of adventurous contemporary works, particularly those that incorporate aspects of sonic technology. As such, this concert has been specifically designed to realize the full potential of National Sawdust’s Constellation audio system, a multichannel environment with dozens of speakers.
The program features work by a group of composers—all based throughout the US and Europe—centered around the relationship between the grand piano and spatial audio. Yu will perform excerpts from David Bird’s Iron Orchid, a piece they developed together closely over several years. Also featured is the US premiere of Joanna Bailie’s new work, Marblepark, which aims to create, in the composer’s words “an impossible [acoustic] space,” while Aaron Einbond’s Cosmologies places the listener at the center of a larger-than-life grand piano. The program also includes the Berlin-based, Canadian composer Chiyoko Szlavnics’ haunting Constellations I-III; the world premiere of Heather Stebbins’ Prism II, as well as the first North American performance of Alec Hall’s A dog is a machine for loving, a powerfully emotional cycle for piano and tape based on the dogs in his life.
Roger Eno March 29, 2024 7:30pm
Roger Eno is a British composer and musician whose distinctive style as a recording artist has attracted a cult following. In 2020, at the start of the global pandemic, he made his debut on Deutsche Grammophon with Mixing Colours, his first duo album with his brother, Brian. During this turbulent period, the album garnered much praise, with The Observer noting that iIts slowly unspooling, generative beauty feels like a balm for these anxious times.” His debut solo album on DG, The Turning Year, was released in April 2022, at times featuring a 20-piece string ensemble and clarinetist. Critically well received, in May 2022 he was asked to appear on NPR’s Tiny Desk series.
After The Turning Year, Roger went on to release Rarities, an illuminating EP of unreleased tracks and gems from the album session. As well as this he also released “Above and Below,” a track that became an Amazon streaming success with 20 million plays to date.
Eno was born in the Suffolk market town of Woodbridge. He became immersed in music at school and bought a battered upright piano with money earned every Saturday as a butcher’s boy. His musical education continued at Colchester Institute School of Music. After a brief interlude playing jazz piano in private clubs in London, he returned to East Anglia.
As well as first collaborating with his brother Brian and Daniel Lanois in 1983 on Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks, he has made over a dozen solo albums and other collaborative pieces with the likes of Peter Hammill, The Orb and his first “band,” the ambient supergroup Channel Light Vessel, whose line-up included Laraaji, Kate St. John, Bill Nelson and Japanese cellist Mayumi Tachibana. He’s also teamed up as a session musician and band member with artists as diverse as The Orb, Lou Reed, Jarvis Cocker and Beck, and not to mention his three-year stint as Musical Director for Tim Robbins and his band, The Rogues Gallery.
Known as a solo composer in both theater and film, Roger scored Trevor Nunn’s highly acclaimed production of Harold Pinter’s Betrayal at London’s National Theatre and, more recently, Nick Hornby’s Emmy winning TV series State of the Union, directed by Stephen Frears. Most recently he composed the soundtrack to the Erica Jong documentary Breaking the Wall.
Roger Eno lives in a small town on the border of Suffolk and Norfolk. Those two rural counties, with their quiet lanes, medieval churches and waterways, have given focus and intensity to the natural introspection of his music. He has described his creative process as one of “decomposing”—improvising in his studio early in the morning to later strip away all excess from the result to reveal the essence of the piece. His approach to the world has been likened to that of a visitor to a flea market, that nothing should be ignored, that the curious can be all too easily overlooked…
Roger’s sophomore album on DG is entitled the skies, they shift like chords, and is a quietly startling follow-up to The Turning Year. It features solo piano tracks, multi-instrumental piece, and electronic enhancement. The first track, “Strangely, I Dreamt” involves a stunning appearance on vocals by his daughter, Cecily.
Ran Blake Shimmering Shadows April 5, 20247:30pm
Ran Blake (b. 1935) will perform a rare NYC concert in solo and duo format with special guests. To celebrate the release of Ran’s biography, this concert will be inter-spliced with a live interview and film clips to present a retrospective of the life and music of this iconic pianist. From his early love of film noir, his the much heralded 1962 debut with Jeanne Lee on NewestSound Around, taking care of Thelonious Monk’s children after their apartment fire, getting caught up in the resistance after a coup in Greece on his birthday in 1967, to his highly influential teaching after founding the “Third Stream” program at the New England Conservatory; Ran Blake’s life sparkles with incredible vignettes, which he will share and
explore in his music for this performance.
In a career that now spans seven decades, pianist Ran Blake has created a unique niche in improvised music as an artist and educator. With a characteristic mix of spontaneous solos, modern classical tonalities, the great American blues and gospel traditions, and themes from classic Film Noir, Blake’s singular sound has earned a dedicated following all over the world. Blake is the recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” award and in 2022 earned a “Satchmo” award from the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation.
Maya Beiser Terry Riley’s In C(ello) April 6, 2024 7:30pm
Dubbed a “cello goddess” by TheNew Yorker, Maya Beiser creates radical works for the cello, reimagining her instrument’s boundaries with her iconoclastic performances and recordings.
On her forthcoming album, a multi-cello tribute to Terry Riley’s epic In C out in April 2024, Maya creates a hypnotic, rapturous soundscape with her cello, constructed from a series of drones and live cello loops. Joined by two of her long-time collaborators, the drummers Shane Shanahan and Matt Kilmer, this performance incorporates spatial sound designed specifically for National Sawdust’s immersive Meyer Constellation system.
National Sawdust and the Metropolitan Opera present Opera Evolved: Revival of New Work by Living Composers April 9, 20247:30pm
The compelling conclusion to this three-part series unveils the forefront of operatic innovation, offering a deep dive into the symbiosis of traditional support and cutting-edge creation in opera. This event compares the Metropolitan Opera’s groundbreaking initiative of presenting 17 contemporary works over the next five seasons with National Sawdust’s visionary plan to commission five new pieces in their 2024–25 season. The discussion will center on the transformative impact of these artistic endeavors by exploring the Met’s dedication to works by living composers and examining the pivotal role a burgeoning institution like National Sawdust can play in supporting this progressive shift.
NationalSawdust+ presents COMPOST! Featuring Melissa Clark, Tannis Kowalchuk, Mark Stewart, and More April 25, 2024 7:30pm
NationalSawdust+ digs deep into its For Nature exploration with COMPOST!, an evening of mixed fare with music, theater, and conversation devoted to the process of decomposition and cultivation. Multi-instrumentalist, song leader, composer, instrument designer, and committed composter Mark Stewart brings his Pete Seeger-meets-John Cage sensibility to bear, while theater artist Tannis Kowalchuk (co-founder of Willow Wisp Organic Farm and artistic director of Farm Arts Collective) performs a scene from her dynamic new solo show, Decompositions, which draws a parallel between the process of living, aging, and dying, and the transformation taking place in a compost pile on the stage. New York Times food writer Melissa Clark shares musings on biodegradation and moderates an engrossing discussion with farmers and activists in this nourishing NS+ evening, hosted by series curator Elena Park.
The event is part of NS+’s continuing For Nature series, three programs exploring the interplay and collision between the natural and human worlds, featuring artists and musicians, scientists, and activists working to preserve and restore the environment. For Nature is made possible by the generous support of Kathryn and Emmanuel Morlet and the Westcustogo Foundation.
Julia Jacklin New York Residency May 9, 15, 22, and 29 8pm
Since releasing her debut album Don’t Let the Kids Win in 2016, Julia Jacklin has carved out a fearsome reputation as a direct lyricist willing to excavate the parameters of intimacy and agency in songs both stark and raw, loose, and playful.
2019 follow-up Crushing was described as “a triumph” by The Independent, and “a candidate for this year’s strongest singer-songwriter breakthrough” by Rolling Stone, and her latest album, PRE PLEASURE, has been met with similar acclaim and continues to establish Jacklin as a mainstay of the indie world.
Jacklin returns to the US for the first time since her sold out PRE PLEASURE TOUR in 2022/23, and will be doing a unique series of solo residency shows alongside supporting a run of dates with Mitski.
Describing the upcoming shows, Jacklin says, “The residency idea started because in the spirit of doing what I want next year, even if it doesn’t make sense, I decided I wanted to do a Vegas Residency. The thought made me laugh, and I want to laugh more, and I want more joy in the indie rock touring circuit. I just feel like I jumped on a train in 2016 when I released my first record and it’s been a while since I’ve interrogated why I’m still on the train or asked who’s driving. I’m approaching next year’s shows with a sense of play. I want to write on the go, try things out and slow things down for a second. I want to stay in the same city for more than a night, have some breathing room in between each show to really think about what I’m doing, why I’m drawn to songwriting and public performance and how I can change my practises to be more sustainable. Maybe I can even work on my enduring stage fright in intimate rooms where I can see peoples faces, feel their support, and remember that this is all just about connecting with other people at the end of the day. I’ll be playing solo, I’ll have some guests, some friends, who knows! I’m just going to see how it feels and leave room for exploring and experimenting. Hope to see you there.”
NationalSawdust+ presents A Crisis of Responsibility: Excerpts from The Shell Trial Featuring Ellen Reid, and More to be Announced June 13, 2024 7:30pm
Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Ellen Reid joins a special NationalSawdust+ evening showcasing insights and excerpts from her new opera, The Shell Trial, written with librettist Roxie Perkins, on the heels of its March 2024 world premiere in Amsterdam. Commissioned by Dutch National Opera and based on the play De zaak Shell by Rebekka de Wit and Anoek Nuyens, the opera explores climate devastation as a crisis of responsibility via a landmark 2021 court case in which environmentalists won a shocking lawsuit against Shell Oil.
The program will include arias sung from the perspectives of diverse figures, such as The Climate Refugee, The CEO, The Artist, as well as a chorus of children representing those killed by Shell’s colonial past and climate disasters. Members of the Young People’s Chorus of New York (YPC) will perform in the evening, which will include a probing discussion featuring a climate activist along with Reid and NS+ curator Elena Park.
The composer will share her experience of creating the provocative piece, which offers a range of voices and viewpoints on whose responsibility it is to halt climate change. As the complexity of the issues in the Shell lawsuit becomes clear, boundaries between guilty party and innocent victim, past harm and future progress, and individual and collective responsibility grow increasingly blurred.
The event is part of NS+’s continuing For Nature series, three programs exploring the interplay and collision between the natural and human worlds, featuring artists and musicians, scientists, and activists working to preserve and restore the environment. For Nature is made possible by the generous support of Kathryn and Emmanuel Morlet and the Westcustogo Foundation.
The Shell Trial is a commission by Dutch National Opera, in co-production with Het Geluid (Maastricht), Opera Philadelphia, and Bregenz Festival.
The Waterhole Music Lounge has announced the live music lineup for their most renowned concert series, Winter Carnival at the Waterhole.
Over the course of 10 days, The Waterhole will bring 13 live musical acts to the Upstairs Music Lounge to keep Carnival goers moving & grooving as our community celebrates the 127th annual Saranac Lake Winter Carnival.
The 2024 lineup features 13 different bands including a plethora of fan favorites, and pairs them up with unbelievably talented opening acts that are sure to entertain and excite.
Things kick off on Friday, February 2 with Annie in the Water, well known for excitable, high energy jams, funky tones, and chill vibes. Special guests Organ FairChild from Buffalo, NY will open up the evening. This old-school organ trio has dance-heavy grooves and adventurous jamming.
Joslyn & The Sweet Compression make their first Winter Carnival appearance on Saturday, February 3. This groove-hardy trip of soul music filtered through a vivacious, and sometimes lush, modern lens, a psychedelic soundscape that exemplifies truth in music’s ability to shake up the establishment. This band will make the journey to the North from their hometown in Lexington, Kentucky, a follow up appearance at The Waterhole after the crowd fell in love with their sound at a Party on the Patio performance in 2023.
Los Blancos are the perfect compliment to the Saturday night bill. This band has been playing the Waterhole since the creation of the Upstairs Music Lounge in 1991. They rip through blues, soul, zydeco, and with their bottomless bag of tricks they always get the party started.
Wednesday, February 7 Hayley Jane returns to the Waterhole with her new band. Known for her emotive and memorizing performances, her vocals have a delicacy that touches the heart and also a raw power that can drive one into a frenzy. Open and honest, she chooses words that are both brazen and playful as she spills secrets onto the stage, spinning them into a web of burred lines.
Giovanina Bucci, who was born and raised in Plattsburgh and a dear friend of Hayley Jane will open up the night. Her musical style is nothing short of eclectic. Rooted in blues, soul, and folk, she writes about the intimate experiences that have shaped her as a human and as a songstress showcasing her unique guitar style and sultry delivery.
Thursday, February 8 features The Strictly Hip: Masters of The Tragically Hip. The band takes an almost academic approach to performing the music of Canada’s most popular band, performing with reverence, respect and accuracy.
Friday, February 9 Bellas Bartok & Folkfaces partner up for an energetic and bedazzling co-bill that is sure to keep concert goers dancing the night away. Bella’s Bartok live shows are a theatrical mix of ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ and the ‘Rocky Horror Picture’ show with a mesmerizing mix of Eastern European, Americana, punk and pop music. Folkfaces are a rowdy, roots quartet that takes its influence from weird old American music, offering an energetic variety show and traveling music review. The band explores a wide range of genres including country, blues, traditional jazz, rock & roll, honkey tonk, western swing, bluegrass, old-time, jug band and more.
Saturday, February 10 features two different shows – the first being the Post Parade Party. This day time show takes place immediately after the parade ends, and is well known as the biggest dance party of the entire year, plus its a free show headlined by another fan favorite, The Big Takeover.
Led by the powerhouse, Jamaican-born singer and songwriter NeeNee Rushie, The Big Takeover’s horn-powered global blend reveals deep fluency in reggae and world music, hints of soul and Motown, and their own infectious brand of pop classicism. Saranac Lakers will recognize The Big Takeover from their late night performance at the 2022 Northern Current Community Music Festival.
Later that evening, another show awaits Carnival goers. Fan favorite, West End Blend returns with funk and SOUL. Fronted by vocalist Erica Tracy Sullivan, WEB plays homage to classic throwback sounds while adding their own distinct vibe and flair. Behind her, the blend packs a four-piece horn section, two guitars bass, keyboards, and drums onto stages every night. From humble beginnings in an epic sweaty funky basement dance party, the Blend’s goal has always been to bring that same atmosphere to every show ever since.
Opening up for WEB will be All Night Boogie Band – hailing form the Green Mountains of Vermont, this band closed out the 2023 Party on the Patio 2023 season with a bang, and were thus invited to play during Winter Carnival. Think massive soulful vocals, big horns; and a powerfully tight rhythm section that creates a powerful and emotional blues that will make you shake your hips.
And last but certainly not least, Jatoba returns to the Carnival Lineup on Bloody Mary Sunday, February 11. This free day time show happens in the downstairs bar and will mark the band’s first Waterhole show since 2014. Jatoba sounds like groove-grass with quick bluegrass tempos driven by thumping and rockabilly-like bass lines, accentuated with soaring three part vocal harmonies. On top of this, they add effect-driven guitar solos, heavy rhythmic improvisation, beat boxing and even the occasional sitar interlude.
If you don’t want to miss a single beat of Winter Carnival at The Waterhole, consider purchasing a Week Pass for $76. This pass guarantees access to every ticketed event and saves you $24. Tickets are available for purchase on the Waterhole website saranaclakewaterhole.com and in person by stopping into the bar. As always, the Waterhole is a 21+ venue.
Isaac Mizrahi returns to the famed Café Carlyle in Manhattan with his show, “Mizrahi on Ice,” from February 6-17, 2024.
Accompanied by his band of jazz musicians led by Ben Waltzer, Mizrahi will perform a range of tunes from Arthur Freed to Grace Jones. His previous residencies in the room were sellouts, receiving widespread critical acclaim.
The New York Times noted, “he qualifies as a founding father of a genre that fuses performance art, music and stand-up comedy.”
Isaac Mizrahi has worked extensively in the entertainment industry as a performer, host, writer, designer and producer for over 30 years. Along with his annual residency at Café Carlyle, Isaac has performed at various venues across the country such as Joe’s Pub, The Regency Ballroom, several City Winery locations nationwide and comes to the Carlyle fresh from a United States tour and his run as Amos Hart in the Broadway production of CHICAGO.
He is the subject and co-creator of Unzipped, a documentary following the making of his Fall 1994 collection which received an award at the Sundance Film Festival. He hosted his own television talk show, “The Isaac Mizrahi Show” for seven years, has written three books, and has made countless appearances in movies and on television. He served as a judge on Project Runway: All-Stars for the series’ entire seven-season run and. is just completing his first season of his record breaking podcast, HELLO ISAAC. The series can be streamed on iHeart radio, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Café Carlyle is located in The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel (35 East 76th Street, at Madison Avenue). Tucked behind a Madison Avenue doorway, Café Carlyle welcomes its guests into a classic cabaret setting where incredible talent and music are paired with New York elegance and style, yet in an updated way. Originally opened in 1955, Café Carlyle is known for headlining incredible talent through the years – from classic performers such as Elaine Stritch and Eartha Kitt to more modern-day acts such as Jon Batiste, Isaac Mizrahi, Jeff Goldblum, Jill Kargman, Katharine McPhee, Dianna Agron, Alan Cumming, Debbie Harry and Rita Wilson. Café Carlyle, the New York City bastion of classic cabaret entertainment, continues to draw socialites, politicians and celebrities into its distinguished and glamorous setting.
Tickets are available online via Tock. General Seating: $140 per person / Premium Seating: $190 per person / Bar Seating: $110 per person.
The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall will welcome two incredible jazz legends in February – Joshua Redman will perform on February 7, while Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis will fill the historic venue on February 17.
Joshua Redman – February 7
From its inception, the Blue Note label has stood for “The Finest In Jazz.” The same can be said for Joshua Redman. Over the past three decades, the saxophonist, composer, and bandleader has consistently demonstrated how to honor the music’s verities while expanding its reach in contemporary settings. He found the perfect partner in young vocalist Gabrielle Cavassa.
“I had maybe heard Gabrielle’s name from her time in the Bay Area,” Redman notes, “but I wasn’t at all familiar with her music. One night in the Fall of 2021, my manager texted me in the middle of Gabrielle’s performance at a party in New Orleans. ‘You’ve got to hear this young lady,’ she said. ‘This is not a concert, it’s a casual event, and she is just riveting.’ Once I heard Gabrielle, I realized that she has an expressive quality and an intimacy and a vulnerability in her sound that is singularly captivating.” Having found a collaborator, Redman embarked on what proved to be a unique process.
“Most of my previous recordings grew out of bands that had played and toured together consistently, and eventually developed a vibe and chemistry and repertoire to the point where we felt like we had to record. But in this case, while I had worked with each of the other instrumentalists many times before in a wide variety of settings, we hadn’t yet played all at the same time in the same group; and Gabrielle and I had literally never made a note of music together.” The resulting program is “not really about the pandemic itself,” Redman stresses, “but the uniquely isolating conditions of that time certainly played a role in the music’s creation. What began as a formal concept allowing two unacquainted artists to organize their ideas – something that could be discarded if necessary over time – had gained a deeper significance. “This was an album whose meaning revealed itself in the making.” where are we will leave listeners seeking to define where they, and we, are — inspired by the latest example of Joshua Redman at his finest.
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis – February 17
The world’s premier big band, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis consists of 15 permanent members performing live in New York City and around the world. In 1988 the Orchestra was formed as an outgrowth of its concert series, Classical Jazz, with David Berger conducting. When Wynton Marsalis became artistic director in 1991, he emphasized the history of jazz, particularly Duke Ellington. The first album was Portraits by Ellington (1992), and seven years later the Ellington centennial was honored with the album Live in Swing City: Swingin’ with the Duke (1999). Under the leadership of Marsalis, the band performs at its home The House of Swing , tours throughout the U.S. and abroad, visits schools, appears on television, and performs with symphony orchestras. The Orchestra backed Wynton Marsalis on his album Blood on the Fields , which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1997.
Since 2015, the Orchestra’s albums have been issued on its own label, Blue Engine Records. The first release from Blue Engine Records, Live in Cuba, was recorded on a historic 2010 trip to Havana by the JLCO and released in October 2015. The label issued Big Band Holidays in December 2015, The Abyssinian Mass in March 2016, The Music of John Lewis in March 2017, and the JLCO’s Handful of Keys in September 2017. Blue Engine’s United We Swing: Best of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Galas features the Wynton Marsalis Septet and an array of special guests, with all proceeds going toward Jazz at Lincoln Center’s education initiatives. Blue Engine’s most recent album releases (2023) include Wynton Marsalis Plays Louis Armstrong’s Hot Fives and Sevens and The Jungle, a recording of Marsalis’ fourth symphony featuring the JLCO and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
Tickets are on sale at 10am Wednesday, December 6th to Music Hall Members. Anyone can become a member and gain access to the pre-sale. Single tickets go on sale to the general public Friday, December 8th, at 10am via phone, (518) 273-0038, in person, or online at www.troymusichall.org. More information on the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall and upcoming programs is available on the website at www.troymusichall.org.
Pre-sale tickets for Troy Savings Bank Music Hall Members are available Wednesday at 10am. Single tickets will go on-sale at 10am to the public this Friday December 8.
Acclaimed rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers has announced that their Unlimited Love Tour will extend into 2024 across the U.S. Following massive 2022 and 2023 tour runs, the band shows no sign of slowing down as they announce their upcoming North America tour slated for next year.
The 2024 run includes a stop at Darien Lake Amphitheater in Darien Center, NY, on Friday, July 12. Special Guests Kid Cudi, Ice Cube, Ken Carson, Otoboke Beaver, Seun Kuti & Egypt80, Wand and IRONTOM will be joining the band on select dates throughout the tour as well.
After wrapping up dates in North America and Europe last year, the band continued their global trek into 2023 with several dates across New Zealand and Australia in January, followed by another run of shows throughout North America, Europe, the UK, Singapore and Japan earlier this year. Most recently, Red Hot Chili Peppers concluded their sold-out Latin America leg of their 2023 tour with two shows in Buenos Aires.
Last year, Red Hot Chili Peppers took home the prestigious Global Icon Award and delivered a show stopping performance at the MTV VMAs. Their No. 1 single “Black Summer” also won the award for Best Rock Video. In addition, “Black Summer” scored a Grammy nomination for “Best Rock Song” and the band garnered a MTV Europe Music Award nomination for Best Rock and earned three American Music Awards nominations for “Favorite Rock Artist,” “Favorite Rock Album” for Unlimited Love and “Favorite Rock Single” for “Black Summer.”
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS 2024 UNLIMITED LOVE TOUR DATES
Tue May 28 – Ridgefield, WA – RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater +
Fri May 31 – Quincy, WA – The Gorge +
Sun Jun 02 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheater +
Wed Jun 05 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre =
Fri Jun 07 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater ^
Tue Jun 18 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre *
Fri Jun 21 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre ~
Wed Jun 26 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park ~
Fri Jun 28 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach ~
Tue Jul 02 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake =
Fri Jul 05 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center *
Fri Jul 12 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater ^
Mon Jul 15 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage ^
Mon Jul 22 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center #
Thu Jul 25 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center @
Tue Jul 30 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre @
+ With Ken Carson and IRONTOM
= With Kid Cudi and IRONTOM
^ With Wand and IRONTOM
* With IRONTOM
~ With Ice Cube and IRONTOM
# With Seun Kuti & Egypt80 and IRONTOM
@ With Otoboke Beaver and IRONTOM
% Not a Live Nation Date
Tickets will be available starting with a Citi presale (details below) beginning on Tuesday, December 5. An artist presale will begin on Wednesday, December 6 at 10 AM. Additional presales will run Thursday, December 7 ahead of the general on-sale beginning on Friday, December 8 at 10 AM here.
For more information on the Red Hot Chili Peppers at Darien Lake, visit their website.
2023 was a lot of things, and hopefully one of those things, for you, was music-filled. Happy to be here to help guide you to some of the good stuff in and around Rochester every month. Here are five more shows to help you finish the year off with a bang.
Philadelphia’s Another Michael returns to the Bug Jar after their killer show there last November. They come with their brand new album, Wishes to Fulfill, in tow, ready to delight fans new and old with their hooky songs featuring breezy guitars and dreamy vocals. JODI, Pluck, and Comfy round out this excellent bill.
Tickets are are $12/$15 dos and bands get started around 9pm.
Grammy-winning harmonica wizard Howard Levy, who long ago was an original member of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, brings his new four piece to Fanatics. He and his signature diatonic harmonica playing are joined by Chris Siebold on guitar, Josh Ramos on bass and Luiz Ewerling on drums.
Way back in January we recommended Mikaela Davis’ shows at Abilene and Maybird’s show at Bug Jar. Twelve months later and we’re back to recommend a show featuring them both on one bill at the brand new venue Essex. Mikaela Davis and Southern Star have since released a new album and have been touring heavily throughout the year. These two bands go way back too. Davis used to frequently play in Josh Netsky’s bands and Kurt Johnson, now a pedal steel and guitarist in Southern Star was a founding member of Maybird. Will they sit-in with each other? Only time will tell, but either way, this is sure to be a groovy psychedelic night featuring some of the areas brightest talents.
Ember, the Brooklyn-based trio of Caleb Wheeler Curtis, Noah Garabedian, and Vinnie Sperrazza will close out what has been another busy and exciting year of eclectic live music at Bop Shop Records. Creative and band focused, they will push the limits of improvisation for a night of invigorating and heady night at the intimate shop in Brighton.
moe. will jam in the new year once again at the Kodak Center, returning after their blowout run at the same venue to welcome in 2019. The band is finishing out a solid year of touring after being plagued by more unfortunate health issues, with guitarist Chuck Garvey suffering a stroke in November 2021. Rochester is blessed with many excellent live music options to ring in the new year, but this one should top them all.
Tickets are $46-106 with an option to get a 2-night package. Show will start around 8p.
The Albany Symphony has a fun, festive lineup of holiday shows this December, featuring events and performances such as The Magic of Christmas, and two shows by world-renowned pianist and Grammy nominee Yefim Bronfman. The symphony organization will get involved this holiday season with a toy drive and collaborations with new and long-time community partners during their upcoming programming.
On December 3, The Palace Theater will present The Magic of Christmas, joined by community partners including The Music Studio, Capital District Youth Chorale, Boland School of Irish Dance, and the Zorkie Nelson African Drumming Ensemble. The performance will feature favorite Christmas carols, sing-a-longs, selections from the beloved Nutcracker musical, and more festive performances for all ages. In addition, Santa Claus will make an appearance for a night filled with family fun.
On December 9 and 10, the symphony will welcome six-time Grammy nominee Yefim Bronfman to Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, performing a selection of famed classical pieces for Capital Region audiences. A world-renowned piano soloist, Bronfman will present Johannes Brahms’ Piano No. 2, Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 4, as well as the world premiere of Loren Loiacono’s Beanie’s Chapbook.
We are so fortunate to have Yefim Bronfman join us for these exciting concerts. He is one of the greatest pianists in the world, and a dear friend of our Albany Symphony. We are always deeply honored that he makes time in his busy schedule to come play with us. Working with an artist of his caliber elevates all of us, and always inspires us to match his brilliance. Hearing the mighty Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 in the legendary Troy Savings Bank Music Hall with arguably its greatest living interpreter and our brilliant Albany Symphony musicians will be an unforgettable experience for everyone!
David Alan Miller, Music Director and Conductor
In addition to the upcoming performances, audiences are invited to participate in a Toy Drive for Mom Starts Here on December 3. The organization will be accepting new and unwrapped toys for the nonprofit that works to support local parents in need of resources and support as they navigate parenthood.
Tickets for these events and more information on Albany Symphony performances are available at albanysymphony.com.
Playhouse Stage Company has opened their 36th season presenting the beloved story of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Based on the children’s novel by Barbara Robinson, the musical adaptation will be presented at Cohoes Music Hall outside Albany.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever was first published in 1971, and has since become a children’s classic holiday story. After a nearly sold out run in 2017, Playhouse Stage Company continues to present the show each year for holiday audiences in the Capital Region.
The story follows the “horrible Herdmans,” a rowdy family keen on joining the local Sunday School Christmas pageant. With humor, song, and heartwarming moments, the production brings laughter and holiday cheer to audiences all over. This year’s cast features 7 local professional actors, alongside 13 local Playhouse Stage Academy students in age appropriate roles.
The show will run from December 1-23, with 7PM performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and 2PM performances on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets for The Best Christmas Pageant Ever are on sale through The Cohoes Music Hall Box Office, by phone at 518-434-0776, or online at www.playhousestage.org.
The holiday season is here, and there may be no greater gift to give your friends and family this season than tickets to a stunning concert. Here are five can’t-miss shows in Syracuse this December that you may want to consider.
New Jersey hip-hop pioneers Sugar Hill Gang will kick off the month with a performance at Syracuse’s newest music venue, the Middle Ages Beer Hall. Known for their smash hit “Rapper’s Delight” which was the first rap single to become a top 40 hit (1979), the band has served as the inspiration to countless acts over the last four decades. In 2019, the group reunited to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the track, and have continued to tour intermittently since.
Doors open at 7pm with music starting at 8pm. Tickets are $35.
Central New York hard-rock fans won’t want to miss the reunion of Syracuse’s Brand New Sin on December 2 at The Westcott Theater. The rockers, led by Joe Altier, last performed a reunion show in 2019. Active from 2002-2012, the band performed at the 2007 Krockathon, and have opened for bands such as Black Label Society, Slash, Chris Cornell, Godsmack, and Type O Negative. The band saw commercial success in 2002 with the release of the single “My World” which was featured on MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball.
Doors open at 7pm with music starting at 8pm. Tickets are $30.
Rochester native and New York State favorite Mikaela Davis returns to Funk ’n Waffles for a show on December 8. Davis will again be joined by her band, Southern Star. The group recently wrapped up a successful tour in support of their album, And Southern Star, which saw the band open several shows for The Mountain Goats. Davis, a classically trained harpist, weaves beautiful melodies which intertwine with her band’s Grateful Dead inspired roots. A recent three-show residency in Syracuse saw the band play two sets each night; one set of Southern Star originals, and one set of Grateful Dead favorites. The band continues to rise in popularity, and this is surely one you won’t want to miss. Maybird opens the show.
Doors open at 7pm with music starting at 8pm. Tickets are $22.
Coincidentally on the same night, Davis’ recent tour partners and indie-folk rockers The Mountain Goats perform an intimate concert at the Center for the Arts in Homer. Originally the creation of singer-songwriter John Darnielle, he will be accompanied by a full band for this performance. Known for high intensity live concerts which feature Darnielle’s clever and witty lyrics, the band frequently sells out whatever venue is in their path. This performance at the Center for the Arts is no exception.
Doors open at 7pm with music starting at 8pm. Tickets are sold out.
Those looking to get in to the holiday spirt won’t want to miss this one, as Lindsey Stirling returns to Central New York as part of her annual Snow Waltz Tour. The violinist/dancer, whose performances are known for stunning choreography and theatrics, is embarking on what is now becoming an annual holiday celebration, which will see the violinist perform a wide variety of holiday favorites as well as tracks from her own Snow Waltz album.
