NYS Music 2024

Tag: capital region

  • Oobleck: Inciting Funk in the Capital Region since 2008

    Albany-based analog funk band Oobleck has been in Capital Region faces with their funk for 16 years and they don’t plan to quit anytime soon.

    Oobleck

    Oobleck, founded in 2008, is an original, analog funk band out of the Capital Region. Known regionally for inciting dance parties wherever they land, they boast a big, in your face sound inspired by New Orleans street music. It’s a melee of horns, super heavy drums and bass and your favorite type of chunky guitar riffing that leaves your bum shaking and your face grinning.

    Bass driven. Horn laden. Layered textures and dark melodies. Funk to fuel your soul. The band is made up of five members – Sam Parker on guitar, Kevin Van Genechten on drums, Scott Vorwald on tenor sax, Audrey Van Genechten on trumpet, and Josh Radigan on bass. The band meshes effortlessly to create sound that is found nowhere else in the Capital Region.

    Oobleck

    Oobleck has four albums to date – Tell Your Mom I Said Hi (2012), Rise & Shine (2013), Don’t Mistake the Barn for the Basement (2015) and their most recent Down the Rabbit Hole which released January of this year. Down the Rabbit Hole contains 11 jaw-dropping tracks that are guaranteed to immerse the listener in something fun.

    The band just finished recording a new single “Purse Candy” and are hoping to release in January, with an accompanying video filmed during the recording session that is also slated to release shortly. For the LaMP show at Lark Hall, the band worked with Frankie Cavone of Mirth Films and just released a multi-cam video of the full set which can be seen below.

    On November 8, the band supported LaMP on their tour stop through Albany at Lark Hall. The band has only one upcoming show left in 2024.

    At 8:00pm on December 6 at UNIHOG in Hoosick Falls, Oobleck hits the stage with rock & soul group Tops of Trees. Together, these two musically powerful groups create explosively funky grooves that’ll have you moving well into the night.

    Oobleck

    Oobleck has shows in 2025 with the Sugar Hold scheduled for January 10 at Ophelia’s in Albany to kick the New Year off with a dose of super funk. Oobleck plans to be back at The Eleven (Lark Hall’s downstairs bar) in Albany in early April, and at Single Cut Brewery in Clifton Park in the spring as well. The group is working on getting back to Vermont and potentially hitting up Ithaca for the first time later this spring.

    For more information on Oobleck’s upcoming shows and to hear some of their tunes, click here.

  • Playhouse Stage Company Kicks Off 37th Season in Cohoes with A Christmas Story: The Musical

    Playhouse Stage Company is set to kick off its 37th season with A Christmas Story: The Musical from Dec 4 to 22.

    Cohoes Music Hall opens with the musical on Wednesday, December 4 at 7pm. Performances continue through December 22nd, with 7pm evening performances Wednesday through Saturday, as well as 2pm matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. The season kicks off with holiday season entertainment for young and old alike.

    A hilarious and heart-warming crowd pleaser, A Christmas Story: The Musical tells the story of nine-year-old Ralphie Parker, who has pinned his hopes on getting a “Red Ryder Carbine Action BB Gun” for Christmas. The musical, with a book by Joseph Robinette, features all the iconic moments from the film, from the leg lamp award, to the bunny suit, to Ralphie’s friend Flick getting his tongue stuck to a frozen metal pole.

    It boasts a soaring, energetic score by Pasek and Paul, known for their work on Dear Evan Hansen, The Greatest Showman and more. The show is based on the 1983 MGM film, as well as the film’s inspiration, the novel In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd. The musical adaptation premiered on Broadway in 2012, in a production that featured two Playhouse Stage Company students and Capital Region natives, Jack Mastrianni and George Franklin.

    A Christmas Story musical
    “A CHRISTMAS STORY: THE MUSICAL.”

    A Christmas Story: The Musical is directed by long-time PSC Director Michael LoPorto, returning to the company after most recently directing the celebrated 2023 production of Something Rotten at Park Playhouse. LoPorto is joined by frequent collaborator Brian Axford as Musical Director. Playhouse Stage Teaching Artist and performer Gabi Bazinet-Douglas makes her PSC choreography debut on A Christmas Story after appearing as Brooke Wyndham in this past summer’s Legally Blonde: The Musical.

    The cast is led by well-known Capital Region actor and Sage Theatre Institute Professor David Baecker, as the show’s narrator, Jean Shepherd, as well as by PSC student Jack Holick as young Ralphie Parker. Joining them in the 26-person cast are Playhouse veterans Molly Rose McGrath and Nick Martiniano as Ralphie’s parents, and PSC Director of Education and Associate Artistic Director Ashley-Simone Kirchner, returning to the stage for the first time since 2019’s Avenue Q to play Ralphie’s teacher, Miss Shields. 

    The 37th Playhouse Stage Company Season continues in February with the dark musical comedy Heathers: The Musical, adapted from the 1989 cult classic film. In addition to productions at Cohoes Music Hall, the company will return to Park Playhouse in Albany’s Washington Park, and Guilderland Performing Arts Center in Tawasentha Park to present free, outdoor musical theatre for the community during Summer, 2025. Details about title selection and schedule will be announced in January.

    For more information on the upcoming show at Cohoes Music Hall – A Christmas Story: The Musical and to purchase tickets, click here.

  • “Old Friends Beckoned, New Sounds Reckoned” Jazz Project Arrives at Caffe Lena in 2025

    Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs has announced four-piece jazz project, “Old Friends Beckoned, New Sounds Reckoned,” slated to hit the stage on January 11, 2025.

    "Old Friends Beckoned, New Sounds Reckoned" Jazz Project Arrives at Caffe Lena in 2025

    Matt Steckler, Yayoi Ikawa, Lonnie Plaxico & Tony Lewis present an evening of original jazz that draws upon collective inspiration, touching the heart with one cohesive brushstroke. The names Steckler, Ikawa, Plaxico and Lewis suggest four musicians who have intersected at different points on a jazz timeline. With the project Old Friends Beckoned, New Sounds Reckoned, their shared histories converge as singular new ideas emerge. Using original scores as a canvas, the quartet strives for a deeper vibe rooted in shared sacrifice.

    Matthew Steckler, aka Matty Stecks, performs and composes in several musical settings internationally. Primarily as a saxophonist, he brings a dynamic, holistic approach to the live musical experience. As a composer and bandleader, Matthew has been recognized for his seminal work with the projects Pretzil Stex, Dead Cat Bounce, Persiflage & Musical Tramps, and been featured at festivals and major concert series in North America and Europe.

    Born in Tokyo, Japan, but raised musically in New York, pianist/composer Yayoi Ikawa is an experience of ingenuity and compassion. After recording a straight-ahead jazz piano trio on Nippon Crown release “Angel Eyes” in 2004, she self-produced “Color of Dreams” displaying her original compositions. Since then, her group has featured in various music festivals and concerts in the U.S., Italy, Japan, Costa Rica, Guadeloupe and Martinique. Yayoi believes that Jazz is a social activity, and strives to learn from elders, collaborate with peers and pass it on to future generations.

    "Old Friends Beckoned, New Sounds Reckoned" Jazz Project Arrives at Caffe Lena in 2025

    Bassist Lonnie Plaxico’s musicianship is probably best expressed in his masterful integration of different forms combining the rigorous technique of classical, the improvisation of jazz, and the rawness of funk into one exhilarating musical experience. Plaxico’s recording and performance catalog is equally impressive for its caliber, depth and diversity. He has appeared with such luminaries as Sonny Sitt, Junior Cook, David Murray, Alice Coltrane, Stanley Turrentine, Joe Sample, Abbey Lincoln, and Dizzy Gillespie. He has also recorded five critically acclaimed albums as leader.

    Tony Lewis is a drummer/songwriter from the South Bronx, New York who has worked with a variety of stellar artists including Little Richard, Sting, B.B. King, Dizzy Gillespie, Vernon Reid, Cyndi Lauper, Me’Shell N’degeocello, Rakim, Sam Moore (Sam & Dave), Michael Hill’s Blues Mob, and Craig Harris. As a child growing up in the Bronx, Tony’s early influences being around family and friends would prove to be a launching pad that led him to attend New York’s prestigious LaGuardia High School of the Arts.

    Together, this 4-piece union of ultra-talented jazz musicians are sure to light up Caffe Lena with an amazing display of their capabilities. Tickets are available online and are currently at $30.37. The exciting new show takes place on January 11 from 8:00-9:00PM. Caffe Lena is located at 47 Phila Street in Saratoga Springs.

    For more information on “Old Friends Beckoned, New Sounds Reckoned” and to purchase tickets, click here.

  • Amy Bloom Named Saratoga Arts New Executive Director

    Saratoga Arts Board of Directors has appointed long-time resident of Saratoga Springs Amy Bloom as the new Executive Director.

    Amy Bloom Named Saratoga Arts New Executive Director

    Founded in 1986 by and for artists and audiences, Saratoga Arts’ mission is to enrich the region by cultivating a vibrant arts community and by ensuring that the arts are accessible to all. In its 30+ years, Saratoga Arts has brought the arts to over 1,000,000 people through its programs and provided performing and visual artists opportunities to earn over $3,000,000 in art sales and performance fees. Saratoga Arts is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization that relies on the support of our members, friends and community.

    Amy Bloom is an experienced leader in strategy, operations, marketing, and fundraising. Amy has worked regionally as an Executive at Planned Parenthood, Hudson Headwaters Health Network, and Alliance for Better Health. In 2020, she and colleagues founded and grew a local primary care organization and then led it towards acquisition by a national health care company.

    For the last several years, Amy has been a management consultant solving organizational challenges and bringing about culture change in not-for-profit organizations and for-profit corporations around the country. Amy is passionate about evolving the landscape of the arts and the arts community in the Capital Region. Over the last 20 years, Amy has served as a board member for several arts and community organizations including: SaratogaArtsFest, SPAC Action Council and Saratoga Independent School.

    Saratoga Arts is the community arts center located on the corner of Congress Park and Broadway in historic downtown Saratoga Springs. Accommodating all genres of creativity, they are home to arts education for both kids and adults in multiple studio style classroom spaces, a dedicated printshop, rehearsal and music studios, a gallery and exhibition space, a black box theater for film, music, theater, special events, a gift shop and so much more. Amy Bloom brilliantly compliments the arts center’s mission to celebrate all forms of artistic expression.

    For more information on Saratoga Arts and Amy Bloom’s new role as Executive Director, click here.

  • Three-Event Celebration Planned for Cohoes Music Hall Sesquicentennial on Nov 23

    Cohoes Music Hall has announced their 150-year anniversary celebration which includes three major events on Nov 23.

    Cohoes Music Hall

    Saturday, November 23, 2024, marks 150 years since Cohoes Music Hall first opened its doors to the public, and the venue’s management entity, Playhouse Stage Company, will mark the momentous occasion with three public events throughout the day. Playhouse Stage Company has been producing free outdoor musicals at Albany’s Park Playhouse since 1989 and has been producing musical theatre at Cohoes Music Hall since 2016. The company has managed the Hall since August 2020. 

    From 10:00AM to 12:00PM, eventgoers can expect a free public event featuring music and activities for kids, including face painting, balloon animals, and live music from popular Capital Region children’s musician Andy the Music Man. Funny, quick-witted, warm, and tuneful, Andy Morse has been delighting young audiences for more than 27 years.

    Cohoes Music Hall
    One of the oldest music venues in the state, Cohoes Music Hall celebrates a sesquicentennial anniversary on November 23

    At 2:00PM, “London Assurance & A Toast to the Hall” begins. This special event will start with a champagne toast to Cohoes Music Hall’s 150-year history, followed by a staged reading of the play that first opened the Music Hall in 1874, and then reopened the building one hundred years later. London Assurance, adapted by Capital Region theatre artist Aaron Holbritter, will be co-presented by Creative License Theatre Collective and Playhouse Stage Company. The performance will feature Capital Region actors Ryan Palmer, Laura Darling, Amy Hausknect, Nick Martiniano, Jay Hunter, Ketih DuBois, Molly Kirby, Evan Jones, Chuck Kraus and Owen Smith.

    “Get Zep! performing The Song Remains the Same” begins at 8:00PM. Get Zep!, presented by Guthrie Bell Productions, is an upstate super group consisting of Troy’s fabled rock band Super 400 and dynamic Hudson Valley vocalist Sean Matthew Whiteford. The group has been touring the region and beyond with tributes to classic Led Zeppelin albums, selling out Cohoes Music Hall on four occasions. For this event, they’ll play “The Song Remains The Same” in its entirety, and other Zeppelin hits.

    Get Zep!

    For more information on Cohoes Music Hall’s upcoming sesquicentennial celebration and to purchase tickets for November 23, click here.

  • Nanola Celebrates 11 Years of Live Music and Good Cookin

    Malta restaurant and live music venue Nanola has announced its celebration of 11 years of service. The venue celebrates the milestone the week of November 11 with a slew of exciting menu deals and various live musical performances.

    nanola

    Nanola operates as a bar and restaurant open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. They provide some of the area’s best burgers and wings as well as some Cajun and New Orlean’s specialties. Jambalaya and even fried alligator from time-to-time graces Nanola’s menu. The restaurant has also hosted many events from weddings to funerals. They have a stage with professional sound and have had many acts take the stage over the years.

    Local cover bands and solo acts tend to fill Nanola’s schedule these days, but they still pull out the big guns occasionally and have hosted acts such as White Denim, Rusted Root, Caroline Rose, Bob Moses, Tokyo Police Club, Dogs in a Pile. Owner Shane Spillenger has repeatedly kicked himself for turning down Goose on a random Wednesday one week. This week they will be hosting Shake Rattle and Roll Dueling Pianos and Saturday night 80’s cover band Aquanett.

    Nanola also hosts weekly trivia, and all your sports viewing events with the NFL package. They also have open mic monthly and karaoke sprinkled in. In the warmer months they have three beach volleyball courts that have leagues almost every day of the week. The volleyball leagues are run by Spillenger’s partner Matthew Wink. US Olympic players have used the courts for practice.

    To coincide with this week’s anniversary, they are refining the menu to Nanola’s tried and true favorites. For a limited time only Nanola will be bringing back its buy-one-get-one happy hour between 4 and 6pm seven days a week. They will also be offering 1-dollar wings for a limited time only.

    For more information on Nanola’s 11-year anniversary celebration and to check out upcoming shows and menu changes, click here.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6ZfRNHYLXI

  • SPAC Announces 2024 “Sounds of the Season” Holiday Series

    Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) has announced that its popular “Sounds of the Season” holiday series will return from December 13-15 in Spa Little Theater.

    Sounds of the Season

    The show features genre-defying trio Time for Three (DEC 13), Damien Sneed (DEC 14) leading “A Gospel Holiday” celebration, and GRAMMY-nominated vocal ensemble VOCES8 (DEC 15). Time For Three is back by popular demand following their “Sounds of the Season” appearance in 2023. Known for energetic performances that seamlessly merge classical, Americana, modern pop, and singer-songwriter styles, the trio will bring special arrangements of holiday favorites alongside original music.

    Making his return to the Spa Little Theater stage on December 14 is multi-genre recording artist and instrumentalist Damien Sneed alongside his band. Sneed will present his new production of “A Gospel Holiday” featuring his original arrangements of gospel, jazz, and classical holiday favorites including Silent Night, The Christmas Song and Jesus, Oh What A Wonderful Child.

    The “Sounds of the Season” series will culminate on December 15 with 2023 GRAMMY-nominated British vocal ensemble VOCES8 for its “Winter Tales” program. Following their SPAC debut in 2019, the a cappella group will perform a mix of holiday music spanning centuries from Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen to Let it Snow. The announcement marks the continuation of SPAC’s year-round programming in the Spa Little Theater, which is inclusive of a fall, holiday and spring season and is part of SPAC’s mission to present year-round programming.

    Sounds of the Season
    Time for Three

    “Sounds of the Season” Program Schedule:

    A Time For Three Holiday

    Friday, December 13 | 7 PM

    Defying conventions with genre-bending excellence, Time For Three’s captivating sound merges classical, Americana, modern pop, and singer-songwriter styles, and their charismatic performances push creative boundaries. In addition to incredible arrangements of Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Led Zeppelin and others, the trio featuring Charles Yang (violin, vocals), Nicolas “Nick” Kendall (violin, vocals), and Ranaan Meyer (double bass, vocals), will present original music and special arrangements of holiday favorites.  

    Damien Sneed: A Gospel Holiday

    Saturday, December 14 | 7 PM

    A multi-genre recording artist, Damien Sneed is a pianist, vocalist, organist, composer, conductor, arranger, producer, and arts educator. Sneed returns to SPAC with an all-new project, “A Gospel Holiday,” featuring his original arrangements of gospel, jazz, and classical holiday favorites like Silent Night, The Christmas Song and Jesus, Oh What A Wonderful Child.

    VOCES8: Winter Tales

    Sunday, December 15 | 7 PM

    Touring globally, the group showcases their diverse musical expression and versatility through an extensive repertoire ranging from the Renaissance to contemporary. Their program “Winter Tales” features a mix of holiday music spanning centuries from Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen to Let it Snow.

    Damien Sneed

    For more information on “Sounds of the Season” at SPAC and to purchase tickets click here.

  • Cohoes Music Hall Announces Upcoming Show “An Evening with Patty Larkin” on November 21

    Folk-rock sweetheart Patty Larkin comes to Cohoes Music Hall on November 21 for an evening of riveting musicianship.

    Patty Larkin is a visionary of sound and wonder, a real deal version of artistry made of equal parts guitar wizardry, vocals shot through with soul and inventive lyrics that ripple across the terrain of the heart. Patty has captured audiences for over 30 years with an imagination, enchantment, and technical artistry that has redefined the boundaries of the guitar driven singer songwriter.

    With eleven studio albums and two live recordings under her belt, Patty mines the intersections of poetry and song with her innovative 14th release, Bird in a Cage, released on her own Road Narrows Records. Patty’s musical style resembles something of folk-rock with an urban feel and pop energy.

    She is best known for being a founding member of the band, Four Bitchin’ Babes. Cohoes Music Hall is set to host the artist for “An Evening with Patty Larkin.” At the event, Patty plans to play various works ranging from her early stuff to her recent poetic tracks off Bird in a Cage.

    This new album leaves standard songwriting forms behind, crossing instead into a world where rhyme is optional, and phrases unfold at their own speed. Bird in a Cage embraces those creative spaces where boundaries are fluid; its ten tracks are full of cross-disciplinary energy, the hot spark of one artist collaborating with another.

    For more information and to purchase tickets to Patty Larkin’s upcoming show at Cohoes Music Hall on November 21, click here.

  • On-The-Go! Tours to Travel Around the Capital Region

    On-The-Go! Tour performances are set to travel throughout the Capital Region, beginning this fall and running through 2025.

    On-The-Go! Tour Performance

    Collaborative School of the Arts On-The-Go! tours are sponsored by Citizens Bank and include “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Friend of a Friend: Tales of the Underground Railroad.”

    On-The-Go! 2024 Performances

    On-The-Go! will be performing “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” by Washington Irving, from October through November 2. Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill adapted the play, with Justin Friello and Lecco Morris providing original music. In the play, Hollywood A-Lister Jasmine Vander Hooven finds herself alone on a gloomy night to perform a podcast of Irving’s classic. Fans do not need to worry as Mancinelli-Cahill’s adaptation gives Irving’s tale contemporary treatment that honors the original. Complete with live Foley sound effects and music, the performance is sure to inspire and delight audiences of all ages.

    In addition to specialized student matinee performances, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” will have public performances at each Proctors Collaborative venue on Saturdays at 11am. The locations and dates for these performances are as follows: 

    10/19 at theREP  

    10/26 at the GE Theatre at Proctors 

    11/2 in the Great Hall of Universal Preservation Hall 

    2025 Performances 

    Starting in 2025, On-The-Go’s “Friend of a Friend: Tales of the Underground Railroad” by Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill and Jill Rafferty-Weinisch will begin on January 27 and end on February 15.  

    On-The-Go! Tours "Friend of a Friend" 

    Through the captivating narrative of Capital Region natives like Solomon Northup and his family, and Harriet and Stephen Myers, the audience is taken on a journey along the Underground Railroad. 

    Given Albany’s significance to the story, this original docu-play draws upon New York State archival records – vividly exhibiting the repercussions of the Fugitive Slave Act within the Capital Region’s historical landscape.  

    “Friend of a Friend” will also feature public performances, in addition to specialized student matinees, on Saturdays at 11am. The dates and locations for these performances are as follows: 

    2/1 at the Great Hall at UPH 

    2/8 on the MainStage at theREP 

    2/15 in the GE Theatre at Proctors 

    Tickets to the public performances are available through Proctor’s Box Office in-person, via phone at (518) 346-6204 Monday-Saturday from 10-6, or online here. To book an On-The-Go! tour stop at your school or business, visit here.

  • Musicians of Ma’alwyck Announce 25th Season Opening

    The Musicians of Ma’alwyck open their 25th Anniversary season with Player’s Choice, a selection of the core musicians’ favorite pieces and composers, taking place September 21 and 22 in Schuylerville and Schenectady.

    Musicians of Ma'alwyck

    Founded in 2000 by violinist and artistic director Ann-Marie Baker Schwartz, the professional chamber music ensemble Musicians of Ma’alwyck began with a specialization in pieces that may have been heard in Albany during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Since conception, the chamber has expanded their repertoire into twentieth century works, contemporaries, and commissions from emerging composers. Releases from the ensemble include Music in the Schuyler Mansion (2016) and Hyde Hall & the Silver Goddess: Operatic Brilliance of Auber, Bellini, Meyerbeer, and Rossini from the Drawing Room (2021).

    The ensemble is widely recognized for bringing history to life. Now in their 25th Anniversary season, the Musicians of Ma’alwyck have made a history of their own. With a residency of 25 years at the Schuyler Mansion in Albany, a current residency at SUNY Schenectady, five nominations for a Thomas Edison Capital Region Music Awards under their belts, and an expansive archive of performances throughout the Capital Region and beyond, this season’s addition to their repertoire is not to be missed. 

    Player’s Choice will feature a variety of works hand picked by the core musicians, including pieces from David Amram, José Ximénez, Franz Doppler, and Jean-Baptiste Bréval. Not only are pieces from these notable names being performed, the award-winning composer and multi-instrumentalist David Amram will be in attendance on Sunday, September 22 to join the spirit of musical celebration.

    Born in 1930, Amram’s musical repertoire is expansive- being dubbed “the Renaissance man of American music” by the Boston Globe and “one of the most talented musicians in the universe” by the New York Times, his reputation and skill precedes him. Amram has performed with all of the greats of the 20th century across a multitude of genres and composed for a variety of notable film scores, including ‘Splendor in the Grass’ (1961) and ‘The Manchurian Candidate’ (1962).

    The program also features the premiere of a new work by Max Caplan titled Sketches, commissioned by Judy Edwards in loving memory of her husband Dr. Keith Edwards.

    The first performance of Player’s Choice will take place in Schuylerville on September 21 at the Old Saratoga Reformed Church, with tickets at $20 per person. The second performance will be in the First Reformed Church of Scotia, with tickets at $40 per person. To conclude the weekend a celebratory dinner will be held at the Turf Tavern, with individual tickets priced at $80 per person or a combined ticket for admission to both Sunday’s performance and dinner at $105 per person. For more information and ticketing details, please visit here.