69° F | Schenectady, NY
Beach Boys are back and stopping at SPAC
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Putting the long-estranged Beach Boys back together for their “That’s Why God Made the Radio” album, their first in 20 years, and the 50th anniversary tour that visits Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Saturday took “about 10,000 phone calls — no exaggeration — a year of planning and a ton of forgiveness,” said Jeff Foskett, literally the Beach Boys’ secret weapon.
Escovedo, Bootsy Collins are ready to groove
Thursday, June 14, 2012
After 15 Alejandro Escovedo shows, all at least good, I only saw the Texas rocker lead the same band twice by catching him with his Sensitive Boys within a few weeks last year at the Calvin Theater in Northampton, Mass., and at The Egg in Albany. The Sensitive Boys were unusually stable for Escovedo, who is restless and all about context and has led bands ranging from cozy duos to raucous big bands with strings.
Concerts, festivals to launch outdoor season
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Despite the ice-swamp weather over the past few weeks, what’s happening on area stages proves summer is happening after all.
Redbone, Raitt among spate of artists this week
Thursday, May 31, 2012
In honor of Bob Dylan — he turned 71 a week ago today and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Tuesday — let’s call this Jukebox “The Times They Are a-Changin’.”
Big Easy: Bands galore, dark joints, good eats
Thursday, May 24, 2012
So what happened in New Orleans besides Jazz Fest? Glad you asked.
New Orleans Jazz Fest simply full of surprises
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Saxophonist Donald Harrison first came on the Congo Square stage at Jazz Fest in New Orleans last week wearing a white suit, the very model of a modern major jazzman, playing alto sax. He later left and emerged in super-elaborate, regal green Mardi Gras Indian garb as Big Chief of the Congo Nation, leading his feathered tribe in ancient parade chants; exemplifying the range of Jazz Fest in one set: from venerable New Orleans traditions to jazz and pop, with blues soul and world music on the side.
J.B. Scott’s reunion to evoke great memories
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Only something as completely cool as Jazz Fest in New Orleans could keep me away from the J.B. Scott’s Reunion Party on Saturday at Michael’s Banquet House.
Levon Helm was voice of an earlier America
Thursday, April 26, 2012
While Levon Helm’s death hit hard anyone who loved rock ’n’ roll, the sadness may feel universal but also very specific. Everybody of a certain age (mine, and younger) remembers the first impact of that voice. It seemed to emanate from deep in the past and wield a strange healing power, especially as it hit us all at a bad moment of national torment.
Pete Donnelly finds full musical plate satisfying
Thursday, April 19, 2012
“There’s never enough time to do all the music,” lamented Pete Donnelly, (far left) who makes more music in less time than most — with four bands. Tonight he plays with The Figgs (including Pete Hayes and Mike Gent) at Valentine’s, opening for and accompanying veteran British pub-rocker Graham Parker.
Fates decree: Now is time for Malone Brothers
Thursday, April 12, 2012
So, what’s Dust Woofie?
NRBQ, Moody Blues, Los Lobos to pass through
Thursday, April 5, 2012
NRBQ, the Moody Blues and Los Lobos (at left) have traveled so far making music that their tours would probably add up to the distance from here to the sun: 93 million miles.
Lynne focuses on good parts of life in new disc
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Shelby Lynne plucks the first notes we hear on her new album, “Revelation Road,” from a mandolin. She had never played one before. She plays and sings every note on the album, and she’ll play solo on Friday at The Egg.
Holdsworth, Dead Cat Bounce play Saturday
Thursday, March 22, 2012
It’s wrong: two first-class jazz shows on Saturday, both in Schenectady, too. The all-star Alan Holdsworth Band plays at the Van Dyck (237 Union St.) at 7 and 9:30 p.m. Meanwhile, across town, Dead Cat Bounce returns to the Proctors GE Theatre.
It’s time for rockin’ o’ the Celts — and more
Thursday, March 15, 2012
This St. Patrick’s Day week, we have so much Celtic music — and everything else — so let’s get right to it. At left if Enter the Haggis.
Generations of musical families set to perform
Thursday, March 8, 2012
The name of a band may be no more than a franchise. Or it can signify a dynasty — multigenerational musical families where heredity and shared experience combine in sometimes mysterious ways to carry talent through the gene pool.
It’s a big weekend for moe., Patneaude, Harris
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Call it homecoming weekend — when local heroes moe. and Stefon Harris come home to play, and when Brian Patneaude sends new music out into the world by playing a gig here at home.
Get set for a musical-cultural-verbal mixture
Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012
And now for something(s) completely different . . . There’s a lecture/deconstruction of a Beatles album, a concert-reading-Q&A by Mike Doughty (left), and a cross-cultural hybrid performance.
New Orleans moves to mountains for weekend
Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012
The New Orleans-style muffalettas from Perreca’s turned our ears toward the Big Easy. Or maybe it started when Dennis played some Johnny Adams, but our annual music-in-the-mountains meeting dived deep into Crescent City funk last weekend.
Waite, Frampton, Wolf to rock blasts from past
Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012
How brightly can stars of the ’70s and ’80s still shine? That’s a timely question as the Palace Theatre this week announced coming shows by Bonnie Raitt and a Queen tribute and as three stars of that era — walking and still rocking blasts from the past — play here this week.
Marsalis, Vignola, Voices make jazzy weekend
Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012
The string of exceptional Proctors jazz shows that started last week with Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber keeps rolling with two shows this weekend: Branford Marsalis on Friday on the Mainstage and Frank Vignola in the GE Theatre on Saturday in an Eighth Step presentation.
