The Albany Symphony announced seasoned orchestra manager, Emily Fritz-Endres, as their new executive director. Fritz-Endres has more than a decade of experience within the music industry, having worked for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Boston Symphony Orchestra.
“We are thrilled that after a national search led by vice-chair of the board Daniel Kredentser and a dedicated search committee, Emily Fritz-Endres has been chosen as our new executive director. We were impressed by her proven leadership successes in financial management and strategic planning, and are excited to welcome her,” said Faith Ann Takes, chair of the board for the Albany Symphony. “Emily will be an excellent leader for the Symphony and together, we will ensure that the Albany Symphony will flourish even more throughout our region.”
During her time with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Fritz-Endres focused on financial and facilities planning, bringing the organization into alignment with the diverse Atlanta community, artistic ambition, venue solutions, audience development, and an endowment campaign. At the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Fritz-Endres served as director of board administration cultivating relationships with the orchestra’s 250 trustees and advisors. She organized projects including the opening of the Linde Center for Music and Learning at Tanglewood, two fundraising campaigns, and a governance restructure.
Fritz-Endres will take the helm as executive director beginning in August 2024 and continue the work that David Hyslop, Albany Symphony’s interim executive director, began in January 2024.
“I am honored to lead the Albany Symphony, an adventurous, future-looking orchestra devoted to championing the music of our time. I am grateful to my predecessor, Anna Kuwabara, a leader I admire for her talents in building enduring community partnerships and her commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. As the organization nears its centennial, I am thrilled to work with the wildly creative David Alan Miller, and the talented orchestra, board, and staff as we expand how our music celebrates, educates, and transforms the people of the Capital Region and beyond,” said Fritz-Endres
Fritz-Endres earned her MBA from Columbia Business School in New York and her BA from Carleton College in Minnesota. When not in music venues, she loves playing clarinet, being in nature, and mentoring queer youth.
The Albany Symphony has shows running all year, with the next show being the symphony’s Summer Soiree on June 27. More information and tickets for the Albany Symphony can be found here.
On August 24, EagleMania will return to North Creek, NY, for their headlining EagleMania Music Festival. The festival includes two live performances from The Brass Machine and the World’s Greatest Eagles Tribute Band, EagleMania.
EagleMania Music Fest – official website
Set against the backdrop of Gore Mountain, fans and attendees have the opportunity to explore the scenic location during the festival. All tickets include a pass for a complimentary skyride along the Northwoods Gondola. This gives fans the ability to hike, camp, or enjoy the views around them, all while listening to music we all know and love.
For over a decade, EagleMania has performed all over the country. Eagles, one of one the biggest bands of all time, had a major influence over thousands of fans. As lifelong fans of the classic rock band, EagleMania has dedicated their band to replicating their classic, steady sound. The band is comprised of five members, all with different experiences, stories, and expertise. However, there is one thing they all share in common, and that is their love for Eagles’ music.
Joining a little over ten years ago, EagleMania has gone through several lineups. For the last few years, the band’s official seven members: Frankie Reno, Marc Hoffman, Ken Darcy, John Gaechter, Dennis Espatman, Ron Negro, and Josh Leclerc, have been bringing their Eagles tribute all over the country. Yet, they still remained one of the biggest tribute bands of the decade. Their slogan, “The World’s Greatest Eagles Tribute Band,” exists for a reason. Since the creation of the band, they have promised to bring audiences an authentic, well-developed replication of Eagles’ music. Through thorough breakdowns of albums, hundreds of hours practicing, and a decade of performing, EagleMania has proven that they are nothing if not deserving of the title.
Below is the lineup and information on the bands performing at EagleMania Music Festival. For ticket and festival information, visit here.
August 24 @ 1:00 pm – The Brass Machine
Led by frontman “Kidd” Kyle Yagielski, The Brass Machine is one of the hottest brass bands on the scene. Formed in Buffalo, NY, The Brass Machine features a rotating cast of musicians for each performance and includes a huge variety of horns, guitars, keys, drums, and more. They have performed with many noteworthy groups, such as Earth, Wind, and Fire, and several music festivals. With The Brass Machine, no two shows are ever the same! Join them at 1:00 pm for an opener that weaves together funk, jazz, and R&B.
The Brass Machine – official website
August 24 @ 3:30 pm – EagleMania
EagleMania will be headlining the festival, following the performance of The Brass Machine. The EagleMania show consists of authentic, show-stopping renditions of Eagles’ greatest hits, as well as music from the solo acts of Don Henley, Glenn Frey, and Joe Walsh. Join the World’s Greatest Eagles Tribute Band for their performance of the songs you know and love at 3:30 pm.
English Singer, Roger Daltrey will perform as part of Tanglewood’s Popular Artists Series on June 22 at the Koussevitzky Music Shed.
Daltrey is the leader and co-founder of The Who, having performed hit rock songs like “My Generation” and “Baba O’Riley.” Aside from being the lead singer, Daltrey also wrote for The Who, including some earlier songs like “Early Morning Cold Taxi” and the band’s second single, “Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere.” The Who has been touring since its formation and have still performed within the last decade, but Daltrey has also toured as a solo act.
His first self-titled album was released in 1973. Since Daltrey, he’s released several more albums including an original motion picture soundtrack and a children’s album. Daltrey’s current tour comes two years after his last in 2022, in which he sang The Who songs and his solo music.
This year’s Tanglewood summer features classic rock artists like Daltrey, pop and orchestral performances. Tanglewood is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra located in Lenox Massachusetts on the Western side of the state. The space has concerts all summer long up until Aug 31.
Special guest, KT Turnstall will perform with Daltrey. She is a Scottish rock singer-songwriter known for her hit song “Suddenly I See.”
Roger Daltrey is set to perform at Tanglewood at 7 p.m on Saturday, June 22. To find out more information and to buy tickets you can visit the website link here.
The premier New York summer event for Deadheads and jam band enthusiasts is back. The Circus of the Dead Festival will be returning to Lee’s Campground in Saratoga Springs on June 21 and 22 for a literally jam-packed weekend of performances celebrating the spirit of the Grateful Dead.
2024 marks the second year of Saratoga Springs’ spin on their annual Circus of Life Festival, Circus of the Dead, which stemmed from a visit by Dead and Company in 2023 while they were on their final tour. While the Grateful Dead will sadly not be touring in Saratoga Springs this year, or anywhere for that matter, this year’s festival is still set to deliver an experience for Deadheads of all ages.
Highlights among the bands set to perform include high-octane new-funk electrofusion and dance band Kung Fu, never-before-heard supergroup Uncle Vin’s Band, featuring Vinnie Amico, Nate Wilson, and Al Schnier from moe.., Marc Brownstein of The Disco Biscuits, and Max Verna of The Ominous Seapods. This extraordinary supergroup promises a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration that will blow your mind and leave you craving more. Plus don’t miss genre-bending one-man band Keller Williams, who’s playing a must-see Dead Infusion set. Multiple performances will also include light shows and other visual effects. 16 other bands are billed to play during the densely packed two-day festival.
Beyond the performing artists, a variety of activities and attractions for guests will be available during the weekend. Art installations and workshops, food and merchandise vendors, circus acts and performances and LED walls, lasers and light shows will all be present to enhance everyone’s experience.
General admission tickets cover both days of the weekend and also include the ability to tent or car camp. Tickets for no-camp single days are also available, as well as early arrival and RV passes. General admission tickets are $176.88, and single-day tickets are $74.64.
Former Creedence Clearwater Revival leader, John Fogerty will perform at Tanglewood Music Festival on June 20, 7 p.m. on the coveted Koussevitzky Music Shed stage.
Fogerty is a Grammy award winning musician and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee that has shaped rock music with his distinctive country, folk, pop style. He was not only the founder of CCR but also wrote their greatest hits like “Susie Q” and “Proud Mary.” He released his first self-titled solo album in 1975. Additionally, in 1985 Fogerty released his third studio album with Warner Bros. Records, Centerfield.
In November of 2019, his “My 50 Year Trip” performance at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado was recorded for public broadcast but his tour was cut short due to Covid. Now he’s back on his “Celebration Tour,” playing at venues across the country including Tanglewood. This festival is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and is located in the Berkshire Hills of Western Massachusetts.
George Thorogood and The Destroyers will make an appearance at the performance as well. Thorogood is a rock and roll artist known for his song “Bad To The Bone.” Another special guest will be Hearty Har, a band from Los Angeles formed in 2012 by Shane and Tyler Fogerty, the two sons of John Fogerty himself. To Purchase Tickets to the show you can visit the Tanglewood website here.
The three-day Old Songs Festival of Traditional Music and Dance on the Altamont Fairgrounds outside of Albany will be held at the end of the month on June 28-30.
The 44th festival celebrates traditional music from around the world. This includes North American music from Appalachia, New England and Quebec as well as music from Ireland, West Africa and South Africa. In other words, “music with roots”.
The Main Stage performances are on June 28 and 29 from 6:30 to 11 p.m. and on June 30 3:30 to 7 p.m. There will be arts and crafts vendors, workshops, call and responses, traditional dance classes and open mics as well as concerts from various artists.
Old Songs uses the barns, a dance building and historical buildings on the property for the events and has a smaller family stage used for children’s performances. Local kids will also have a chance to participate in the festival with the “Great Groove Band.” Any child who plays an instrument can play with the band with the help of musical coaches.
Great Groove Band’s goal is to inspire the next generation of musicians. They invite any child aged 5 to 18 to perform in a professional setting. Donna Hébert created the band in the late 90’s at Old Songs Festival and in 2018, her daughter Molly Hebert-Wilson, became the director. On June 30, the band has a performance on the main stage at 2:30.
Other performances include those of Sharon Katz & The Peace Train, Robin & Linda Williams, The Ebony Hillbillies and more.
To purchase tickets and for more information you can visit the website here.
This summer, Freedom Park will hold their annual concert series from June 19 through Aug. 21, bringing 26 free shows to Scotia.
Kicking off the summer of concerts is a Taylor Swift Singalong featuring singer-songwriter,SydneyWorthley, on Wednesday, June 19.
Whether you’re a ‘Swiftie’ or not, this is sure to be a fun-filled way to open our season.
Cathy Gatta, Freedom Park Foundation Board President and Entertainment Director
This season, Freedom Park is welcoming 10 new acts ranging from party bands to classic rock, including Local 11, Roxy & The Rollers, and Reese Fulmer & The Carriage House Band.
Additionally, Soul Provider will play on Friday, June 28 during the town’s fireworks display. Triffid 2.0 will also play, bringing a revival of the Upstate New York 1980s band on Aug. 10. On the following night, the BWC Jazz Orchestra will perform a tribute show in memory of late Freedom Park visionary, Dennis Madden. Screaming Orphans make their return to Scotia to close out the season on Aug. 21.
“We’re also excited this year to offer an Improv Night with Schenectady’s Mop & Bucket Company, promising an evening filled with spontaneous humor, audience participation, and lots of fun. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to see some of the best local talent in action, delivering a night of laughter and creativity,” added Gatta.
Shows are offered every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 7 PM located at the outdoor amphitheater on Schonowee Avenue, Scotia across from Collins Park. All performances are rain or shine.
This season’s concerts are presented by Jumpin’ Jack’s Drive-In, and media partners B95.5 FM, The Daily Gazette, and Discover Schenectady.
Moreover, the Freedom Park Foundation is powered by the support of local businesses, the Village of Scotia, and Freedom Park memberships. With the addition of grants from the Schenectady County Arts & Culture Grant and Town of Glenville, and audience donations, attendees can experience a wide variety of shows free of charge while supporting local musicians.
Freedom Park Scotia Summer 2024 Concerts
June 19: Taylor Swift Singalong with Sydney Worthley
June 22: Big Fez & The Surfmatics
June 23: Music Company Orchestra
June 26: Capital District Youth Pipe Band
June 28: Soul Provider
July 6: The Rogues
July 7: SUNY Schenectady Jazz Faculty Combo
July 10: Cryin’ Out Loud!
July 13: Alex Torres & His Latin Orchestra (6:30 Learn to Salsa)
July 14: Improv Night with The Mop & Bucket Co.
July 17: Grand Central Station
July 20: Local 11
July 21: Reese Fulmer & The Carriage House Band
July 24: The Refrigerators
July 27: Get Up Jack
July 28: The Lustre Kings
July 31: Skeeter Creek (6:30 Learn to Line Dance)
Aug. 3: The Seth Tucker Band
Aug. 4: Bluz House Rockers
Aug. 7: Harvest & Rust ~ Neil Young Tribute
Aug. 10: Triffid 2.0
Aug. 11: The BWC Jazz Orchestra (6:30 Learn to Swing Dance)
The Egg, Albany’s Center for Performing Arts will host a new free series, OPEN House, starting Friday, August 2. The event is in partnership with the NYS Office of General Services, Black Arts & Culture Festival, and First Friday.
The Egg is holding a new series of events, opening their unique venue up to the community and anyone who wants to attend. Attendees who RSVP will get a preview of the space while being able to enjoy a night full of various forms of entertainment, all free of cost.
To commence the series of visual arts and music, entertainment starts at 6 PM as doors open in the lobby. Guests will be greeted by projections by B.A. Miale, a psychedelic visual and projection creator from the Hudson Valley. Additionally, the projections will be accompanied by music from a DJ set by Intell Hayesfield.
At 6:30, there will be a screening of Black Panther in The Egg’s Swyer Theatre. The movie will be followed by a performance from Ghost-Note at 8:30, to close the night out.
Ghost-Note is an 8-piece funk band headed by two members of the Grammy-winning band Snarky Puppy. The band is made up of talented musicians whose combined repertoire includes the bands of Prince, Snoop Dogg, and Erykah Badu to name a few.
Ghost-Note
Members and new patrons alike are invited to the Open House series to experience what The Egg has to offer.
For more information visit theegg.org To acquire tickets and donate to The Egg, RSVP here.
Classical chamber music ensemble Musicians of Ma’alwyck presents Pulitzer Prize winner Dominick Argento’s 1975 mono-opera “A Water Bird Talk,” paired with Anton Chekhov’s one-act monologue “On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco,” on which the opera is based.
The performance will take place on June 15 at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, with a pre-opera talk with the performers scheduled at the Hart Cluett Museum, both located in Troy.
“A Water Bird Talk” is a sharp-witted piece that follows a gentleman lecturer presenting a scholarly talk on water birds in a late nineteenth-century ladies’ club. His descriptions of each bird serve as metaphors for his own dejected life, portraying him as an inherent victim of constant ridicule from his domineering wife and daughters.
In 1962, Paul Newman directed an Oscar-nominated film adaptation of Chekhov’s play featuring music by David Amram, and Musicians of Ma’alwyck intend to pay tribute by using Arman’s score to provide musical interludes to the play. The opera boasts a 12-piece orchestra, including core Musicians of Ma’alwyck personnel: Ann-Marie Barker Schwartz, artistic director and violin; Norman Thibodeau, flute; and André Laurent O’Neil, cello. Internationally acclaimed baritone Joseph Han will also be part of the opera, with direction by Brian Sheldon, known for his work on plays like “Minutes” in Albany, and musical conducting by Micah Gleason.
“A Water Bird Talk” stands as a testament to Musicians of Ma’alwyck’s mission to cultivate and promote an understanding of American life in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, particularly in New York. The opera follows the legacy of the ensemble’s previous nationally recognized opera “Shield’s The Poor Soldier,” and other remarkable productions like “Blum’s The Ship’s Captain” and “Max Caplan’s Aleda.” They have also been in residence at the Schuyler Mansion in Albany for over twenty years, and currently hold a residency at SUNY Schenectady.
This collaboration with Troy Savings Bank Music Hall in Troy, NY promises a mesmerizing evening of musical brilliance.
Tickets are available for purchase by calling (518) 273-0038 or online here.
The first ever Belmont Festival in Saratoga Springs kicked off in grand fashion on Wednesday night, June 5th. Ahead of the historic weekend, concert goers turned out by the thousands for the official opening, a block party dubbed ‘Belmont on Broadway’ headlined by the Grammy Award winning rock band Blues Traveler.
Often referred to as “the Summer place to be,” the enthusiastic atmosphere could be felt all over the city. Propelled by the distinct voice of the legendary John Popper and his scorching array of harmonicas and harmonies, the good-time vibes were off the charts, contagious and perhaps a little rowdy.
Belmont on Broadway: Fans flocked to Saratoga Springs for a free Blues Traveler performance on 6/5/2024.
With the six-day festival expected to bring the Spa City more than $50 million in revenue, the massive crowds also meant massive business for the local shops and restaurants downtown. People of all ages lined every inch and stoop of Broadway, arriving early to catch the opening set from eight-piece local rock and soul ensemble Tops of Trees. With a steady influx of concertgoers packing in like sardines by the time the charismatic Pat McGee Band took the stage, it was Grade A entertainment all around as friends, families, and strangers stood shoulder-to-shoulder, sweaty and smiling on this humid summer night in early June.
And They’re Off: The Pat McGee Band got the party started early in Saratoga on 6/5/2024.
With stellar production services provided by the fine folks at High Peaks Production, the overall program ran incredibly smooth and both looked and sounded great from the start. After a brief word from organizers, the winners of the Belmont on Broadway window decoration contest were announced as Heidi Owen West and Stacey D’Andrea-Goodman of the Lifestyles of Saratoga boutique. Clearing the stage shortly after 8pm, it was finally time for the band everybody came out to see.
Dancing in the Streets: Concert fans lined the streets of Saratoga ahead of the Blues Traveler performance on 6/5/2024.
Once ruling the radio with chart toppers from their massive, multi-platinum selling album Hook, the beloved improv-heavy rockers from Princeton, New Jersey, Blues Traveler proved they still know how to party like it’s 1994. No stranger to headlining festivals, the band is credited as the driving force behind the original H.O.R.D.E. (Horizons of Rock Developing Everywhere) festival that successfully toured the country from 1992 to 1998, including memorable stops at SPAC just up the road. Once again playing up to a massive crowd all these years later, Blues Traveler hit them with hits early and often.
Hey babe, let’s keep in touch: John Popper sings “Run-Around” with Blues Traveler in Saratoga Springs 6/5/2024.
Consisting of harmonica wizard and band leader John Popper, along with guitarist Chan Kinchla, bassist Tad Kinchla, keyboard player Ben Wilson and drummer Brandon Hill, Blues Traveler opened with perhaps their most popular song, “Run-Around” resulting in city-wide sing-along that’s still reverberating somewhere down Caroline Street. Demonstrating their propensity to jam, Popper would catch fire early, utilizing his signature array of custom harmonicas to blow the audience away on a “Dropping Some NYC” > “Moby Dick” > “NY Prophesie” sandwich.
Dressed in a familiar floppy-brimmed hat and looking as healthy as he has in years, the band would find it’s lengthiest groove on the psychedelic Kingpin rocker “But Anyway,” while fans then took the opportunity to spark up during a cover of Tom Petty’s “Mary Janes’s Last Dance.” The heartfelt “Mountains Win Again” was perhaps the most emotional song of the evening, followed up by perhaps the funkiest in a cover of the Son Seals classic, “Funky Bitch,” which many fans often confuse as a Phish original.
Blues Traveler performing in Saratoga Springs on 6/5/2024.
Segueing nicely into an equally funky “War Pigs” keyboard jam before alligator-ing at breakneck speed into a ferocious, foot stomping rendition of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” (which the band humorously changed to “The Devil Went Down to Saratoga”), the melodic interplay between Popper and Chad Kinchla’s colorful guitar solos would shine bright all night long, but especially on 1997’s “Carolina Blues.”
Tasty Licks: Guitarist Chan Kinchla preforming with Blues Traveler on 6/5/2024.
Gracefully dipping off stage while each member of the band was given the chance to solo in the spotlights, Popper would lead Blues Traveler through the remainder of the set that combined an easy melodic flow crossed with a plethora of choice cover songs and sophisticated soul-funk boogie. With highlights that also included teases of Van Halen’s “Hot for Teacher” and Aerosmith’s “Eat the Rich,” Blues Traveler would bring the main portion of the set to a close with a massive sing along to their smash hit “Hook.”
With the curfew rapidly approaching and the enthusiastic Spa City crowd still eating it up and begging for more, the band would insight the famous “Toga” chant from the Animal House film, before encoring with one final cover, ZZ Top’s “La Grange.” A great evening of music powered by a band that’s stood the test of time, the atmosphere in downtown Saratoga Springs was downright electric and made you hope ‘the powers that be’ will take notice and introduce more events like this one in the future. For now, you can re-live this entire performance via tapper audio at the link below courtesy of Archive.org.
“The newsman said not to sit on strange toilet seats / It’s my life he’s trying to save, but anyway I found out that I got eye cancer / Too many television waves, but anyway” – Lyrics to Blues Traveler’s “But Anyway”
Up next for the band, Blue Traveler will take the rest month off before returning to the legendary Red Rocks in Morrison, CO for their annual 4th of July throwdown. Later this August, you can catch them back in New York with a pair of dates at Lewiston Artpark and the Perinton Center Park Amphitheater in Fairport.
Blues Traveler | June 5,2024 | Belmont on Broadway | Saratoga Springs, NY
Setlist: Run-Around > Things Are Looking Up, Dropping Some NYC > Moby Dick > Bass Solo > NY Prophesie > Dropping Some NYC, But Anyway, Mary Jane’s Last Dance, Mountains Win Again, Funky Bitch > War Pigs Jam > Devil Went Down to Georgia, Carolina Blues > Drums > Hook.
Encore: La Grange.
The Pat McGee Band | June 5,2024 | Belmont on Broadway | Saratoga Springs, NY
