Skidmore Announces Lineups for Free Summer Events

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Skidmore College has unveiled the 2025 programming lineups for both the Stewart’s Signature Series and the Upbeat on the Roof concert series.

Stewart’s Signature Series

This summer series, organized yearly by Skidmore College’s Office of Special Programs and made possible by a grant from Stewart’s Shops and the Dake Family, celebrates community through music, readings, and discussion by acclaimed artists and scholars. All events are free, unless otherwise specified.

The series kicks off on Tuesday, June 24, with a reading with PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction winner Garth Greenwell and Binnie Kirshenbaum, whose most recent novel “Counting Backwards” received a glowing New York Times review.

Additional highlights include a concert with jazz supergroup ARTEMIS on July 1. The quintet, which was named jazz group of the year for the second time running in fall 2024 through a Downbeat magazine reader’s poll, will be performing at the College and teaching at the Skidmore Jazz Institute.

The lineup of events hosted on Skidmore’s campus include:

• Tuesday, June 24 (8 p.m.): Fiction reading with Garth Greenwell and Binnie Kirshenbaum at the Davis Auditorium, Palamountain Hall

• Tuesday, July 1 (7:30 p.m.): ARTEMIS at the Arthur Zankel Music Center

• Tuesday, July 8 (7:30 p.m.): Ben Wendel Group at the Arthur Zankel Music Center

• Thursday, July 10 (8 p.m.): Fiction and poetry reading with Francine Prose and Ishion Hutchinson at the Davis Auditorium, Palamountain Hall

• Wednesday, July 16 (8 p.m.): Fiction reading with Jamaica Kincaid and Susan Minot at the Davis Auditorium, Palamountain Hall

Upbeat on the Roof Concert Series

The Upbeat concert series began in summer 2001 on the roof deck of the Tang Museum building. The series became so popular, however, that the concerts came off the roof and onto the lawn, but the Upbeat on the Roof name remains. 

Visitors are invited to bring blankets, camping chairs, food, and drinks to picnic on the lawn. Plenty of parking is available in the lot adjacent to the museum. In the case of inclement weather, concerts will be held inside the museum. Admission to the concerts is free. The performances begin on Thursday, July 10, at 6 p.m., and continue each week through August 21.

This year’s lineup includes:

• July 10: Alex Torres & His Latin Orchestra — This 12-piece orchestra is known for its original blend of Afro-Caribbean rhythms such as salsa, merengue, cha-cha, bomba, plena, and Latin jazz. The group’s music has been used in numerous commercials, TV shows, and films, including “Ugly Betty,” “Blacklist,” and “Shameless,” among others.

• July 17: Joan Kelsey — Kelsey is a New York City-based artist known for their folksy melodies and rich storytelling. Kelsey’s songs discuss God, loss, failure, friendship, and refracted memories.

• July 24: The Heavenly Echoes Gospel Band — The Band performs in the storied tradition of Southern-style gospel music with spirituals, hymns, traditional contemporary gospel, and originals.

• July 31: The Pine Hills Band — Borrowing mandolin and banjo from bluegrass, and percussion and electric bass from rock ’n’ roll, The Pine Hills Band creates both originals and deep-cut covers. 

• August 7: Annie and the Hedonists — Featuring musicians Annie Rosen, Jonny Rosen, Peter Davis, Don Young, and Jerry Marotta, Annie and the Hedonists covers an eclectic mix of blues, jazz, swing, and folk roots Americana. Recent projects include a 2024 cover album in collaboration with Caffè Lena. 

• August 14: Girl Blue — Girl Blue, aka Arielle Woodul, is known for her lyrical storytelling, deeply emotional songs, singable hooks, and soft vocals. She has been featured on top Spotify playlists (New Music Friday), and charts (No. 2 on US Viral Charts), and in national commercials.

• August 21: Hot Club of Saratoga — This gypsy swing ensemble specializes in the timeless sounds of Django Reinhardt and the vibrant atmosphere of 1930s Paris.