SARATOGA SPRINGS — Jason Aldean announced his upcoming Highway Desperado Tour kicks off on July 14 in Bethel, and includes a stop at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Sunday, July 16. Mitchell Tenpenny serves as direct support for Aldean, alongside openers Corey Kent and Dee Jay Silver.
The entertainer released his 10th career studio album, MACON, GEORGIA, featuring 20 new songs and an additional 10 live tracks last year, and earned the Georgia-native his 27th career-charting #1 single, “Trouble With A Heartbreak.”
The band formerly known as Dixie Chicks will stage a show at SPAC in August.
SARATOGA SPRINGS —The Chicks – the band formerly known as Dixie Chicks – kick-off a 37-date mega tour June 20 in Olso, Norway before returning stateside where they will stage a show at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Aug. 6.
Emerging Canadian folk band, Wild Rivers will be opening for The Chicks at Saratoga Springs.
After nearly 14 years, The Chicks released their fifth studio album GASLIGHTER in July 2020. The Chicks have sold more than 30 million albums and are among an elite group of artists and the only female group to achieve multiple “diamond” selling (ten million copies) releases. Tickets: www.livenation.com.
Grace Pettis to stage show at Caffe Lena on Feb. 23. Photo: Nicola Gell.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Grace Pettis, will be performing at Caffe Lena on Thursday, Feb. 23 in support of her critically acclaimed latest album, “Working Woman.”
The album is hailed as a powerful testament to working women from all walks of life – all who essentially hold communities together with their service and double-duties. Guest contributions come from Indigo Girls (“Landon”), Ruthie Foster (“Pick Me Up”), Dar Williams (“Any Kind of Girl’’), The Watson Twins (‘’Never Get It Back”), Gina Chavez (“Mean Something”) and Mary Bragg (“Paper Boat’’).
Show time is 7 p.m. The show will also be available to watch live stream via Caffe Lena (caffelena.tv/programs/live-grace-pettis). For more information, go to: caffelena.org, or call 518-583-0022.
Flurry Festival returns to Saratoga Springs this weekend. Photos: flurryfestival.org.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Flurry “Winter Roots” Festival will offer over 100 sessions of live music and dance and take place Feb. 17-19 at the Hilton and City Center complex in Saratoga Springs.
Contra dancing will be showcased continuously throughout the weekend and a full schedule of swing and blues dance on Sunday. Winter Roots will include 18 different dance styles such as Irish, English country, waltz, balfolk, Czech, square dance, sean-nós/old style Irish, Métis and French Canadian, Zydeco, samba, Israeli, and Scottish country dancing, along with concerts, workshops, and opportunities to jam with other musicians.
Sessions range from beginner through experienced levels. Swing dance programming will take place only on Sunday, and Winter Roots will not include sessions specifically focused on family or children’s programming.
The Covid policy for Winter Roots is that attendees must document vaccination with an initial dose/series, plus one booster if first vaccinatedin 2021, and must document a negative rapid test on the day of entry. Masking is optional but encouraged. Masks will be provided, and some dances will have a mask-required line/section.
The full policy with additional details is available at www.flurryfestival.org/wintercovid-policy/.
Dress is casual and comfortable, with soft-soled shoes preferred. Adult prices range from $38-$145.
More information about ticket sales, the schedule of sessions and performers can be found at www.flurryfestival.org.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Jewish Community presents a Zoom discussion of the film If Beale Street Could Talk, the 2017 academy award winner directed by Barry Jenkins and based on James Baldwin’s 1974 novel of the same name at 7 p.m. on Feb. 23.
The film is the story of a young black couple’s (Tish and Fonny) romantic dreams come crashing down against the powerful reality of white society.
Registration is required for the Zoom discussion, which can be made at sjca.sjcf@gmail.com. For more information, visit www.saratogajewishculturalfestival.org or www.saratogasinai.org.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Performing Arts Center announces its first family-style CulinaryArts@SPAC event: Family Meal! with holistic health coach and nutrition consultant Barb Biagoli from 3-7 p.m. on Sunday, March 5.
Designed to cultivate healthy appetites and palates with meal planning strategies, recipes, and activities for the whole family, the event includes a 90-minute whole foods family meal-planning workshop for adults at the SPAC School of the Arts, and “Food as Art” activities for children at the neighboring Children’s Museum at Saratoga, culminating in a festive all-inclusive family-style dinner at The Pines at SPAC.
Kicking off at 3 p.m. at the SPAC School of the Arts, Biagioli will lead a 90-minute whole foods family meal-planning workshop for adults who want to cook healthier meals at home. Topics will include: how to add more whole plant foods to your plate, how to build your own seasonal whole foods meal at home, how to plan, prep, and batch cook for the week. Biagoli will offer resources, handouts, and recipes to simplify making healthy meals for every night of the week. Attendees are encouraged to bring their calendars or planners.
While parents participate in the pre-dinner workshop, children ages 5-12 are invited to participate in “Food as Art” activities like cabbage watercolor painting at The Children’s Museum at Saratoga, led by Museum and SPAC Education staff. SPAC Education team members will escort the children to and from the museum, adjacent to SPAC School of the Arts, in coordination with the adult workshop. While this program is recommended for children ages 5-12, children of all ages are welcome. Any child under the age of 5 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Attendees will then gather for an all-inclusive family supper on the SPAC campus, from 5 – 7 p.m. to enjoy dishes including chickpeas three ways, chicken fajitas and tacos, and kid-friendly red lentil dahl. Wine, craft beer and mocktails will also be served. There will be activities for restless diners and a special “dessert surprise,” inspired by artist Jackson Pollock, that participants will help create. Recipes will be available to recreate at home.
Tickets cost $50 per adult and include admission for one child under the age of 12. Tickets for each additional child under 12 cost $25. Visit spac.org for details.
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Garbage, live in Saratoga Springs July 8.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Gallagher was main songwriter, lead guitarist and occasional lead vocalist of Oasis – will be joined by Garbage for a co-headlining tour of North America this summer.
The tour, produced by Live Nation, features special guest Metric and will kick off in the state of Washington June 2, and play at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on July 8.
Garbage and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds will be supported by Metric.
Tickets go on sale this Friday, Feb. 17. Go to: livenation.com.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Big Time Rush – an overnight sensation in 2009 with the launch of the Nickelodeon television series Big Time Rush, hits the road with special guests Jax and Max for their “Can’t Get Enough Tour” June 22.
They will stage a show at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on July 3.
Following the premiere of the TV series, Big Time Rush went on to release three studio albums and performed across the globe, including five tours from 2011 to 2014. Tickets at: livenation.com.
ALBANY — Original Talking Heads member Jerry Harrison and noted touring member Adrian Belew have announced 18-additional tour dates for their upcoming ‘Remain In Light’ tour, in celebration of the band’s iconic 1980 record.
The ‘Remain In Light Tour’ will find Harrison and Belew performing songs from this monumental period of the band’s history alongside a powerhouse band, including former members of Turkuaz, Julie Slick on bass, and Yahuba Garcia-Torres on percussion.
The show will be staged Wednesday, March 8 at Empire Live, located at 93 N. Pearl Street, Albany. Call 518-900-5900, or go to: empirelivealbany.com
Firebird will be staged July 21 & 22 as part of the New York City Ballet’s four programs this summer at SPAC. Photo provided.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Performing Arts Center has announced the return of its resident companies — New York City Ballet and The Philadelphia Orchestra — to their summer home in Saratoga Springs for a celebratory season that will feature masterworks from the classical cannon, alongside SPAC premieres and debuts.
New York City Ballet returns with the full company from July 18 – 22, with its roster of more than 90 dancers under the direction of Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan, accompanied by the New York City Ballet Orchestra, led by Music Director Andrew Litton.
The Company will present four programs including “NYCB On and Off Stage,” hosted by NYCB dancers for a unique “behind the curtain” experience featuring excerpts from the week’s ballets.
Highlighting the season are contemporary new works including Play Time by Gianna Reisen set to music by Solange Knowles; Love Letter (on shuffle) by Kyle Abraham, featuring the music of James Blake; and Liturgy by Christopher Wheeldon with music by Arvo Pärt, in addition to two works by Justin Peck including the SPAC premiere of his first full-evening ballet, Copland Dance Episodes, set to four of Aaron Copland’s most acclaimed musical scores: Appalachian Spring, Billy the Kid, Fanfare for the Common Man, and Rodeo, as well as Scherzo Fantastique set to music by Igor Stravinsky, which had its World Premiere at SPAC in 2016.
Also featured is a program dedicated to three story ballets including Balanchine’s Swan Lake, Robbins’ Fancy Free and Firebird by both choreographers.
The Philadelphia Orchestra’s three-week residency (Aug. 2 – Aug. 19) will feature Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin (Aug. 11–12) leading two programs including a Rachmaninoff 150th birthday celebration, and appearances by cellist Yo-Yo Ma (Aug. 17) and violinist Gil Shaham (Aug. 16), returning for the first time in a decade in a special SPAC premiere leading Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons.
Making their 2023 SPAC debuts is a diverse roster of artists including Emmy-, Grammy-, and Tony Award-winning icon Audra McDonald (Aug. 10) for a Broadway program, and global “little orchestra” Pink Martini, featuring China Forbes (Aug. 4), in addition to pianists Isata Kanneh-Mason (Aug. 3) and Bruce Liu (Aug. 11). The 2023 season also includes a diverse line-up of conductors making their SPAC debuts, including Fabio Luisi (Aug. 2-3) for the opening two nights including the popular Festive Fireworks program, Enrico Lopez-Yañez (Aug. 4) to lead Pink Martini alongside the Orchestra, Roderick Cox (Aug. 9) in a performance of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, and Xian Zhang (Aug. 17) for Yo-Yo Ma Plays Dvořák.
SPAC also revealed its 2023 festival theme of EARTH would be integrated throughout the Orchestra’s residency, highlighted by Earth: An HD Odyssey (Aug. 18), featuring ravishing images of the planet on a large LED screen accompanied by Richard Strauss’ epic tone poem Also Sprach Zarathustra featured in 2001: A Space Odyssey and John ¬Adams’ exhilarating Short Ride in a Fast Machine. Continuing the theme, Yannick Nézet-Séguin will lead the Orchestra in the SPAC premiere of Pulitzer-Prize winning composer John Luther Adams’ Vespers of the Blessed Earth, alongside Stravinsky’s famed The Rite of Spring (Aug.12).
The popular film nights will also return to delight audiences of all ages as the Orchestra accompanies, live to picture, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire™ in Concert (Aug. 5) and Jurassic Park in Concert (Aug. 19), celebrating the 30th anniversary of the film.
Tickets will be available beginning on Feb. 14 at 10 a.m. for members (tiered by level) and on Feb. 23 at 10 a.m. for the general public. For specific program dates and performances, visit spac.org for details.
