SARATOGA SPRINGS — At precisely noon on a May day in 1975, the Rolling Stones emerged atop a flatbed truck instruments in hand and performed live for a group of pedestrians lining Fifth Avenue in Greenwich Village. 

Fast-forward to 2020: precisely at noon on Thursday, May 21, Caffe Lena will kick-off a celebration of the café’s 60th anniversary. 

Billed as “Thursday, May 21: Caffe Lena Celebrates 60 Years of Song,” flatbed trucks will roll around town starting at noon with live bands playing music on the back. The café will announce the route in advance and say: we’d love to see you parked on the shoulder, waving and bopping in your decorated car.

At 7 p.m., a two-hour online program of stories, songs and photos will be livestreamed to celebrate each of the café’s six decades. The Tip Jar will be open for business and voluntary support for the event is welcome. The anniversary concert had originally been planned as Lena’s major fundraiser for 2020. 

Meanwhile, Caffe Lena’s “Stay Home Sessions” broadcast at 8 p.m. and upcoming performances feature: Dan Berggren Friday, May 15; Chuck Lamb & Jorge Gomes Saturday, May 16; Peter Mulvey Monday, May 18, and Deena Chappell on Tuesday, May 19. For more information, go to caffelena.org. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Performing Arts Center last week unveiled its new Learning Library, created to bring free original arts educational content to students, families and educators at a time when previously scheduled in-school presentations and classes are not feasible due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The videos and exercises feature more than 25 professional musicians and dancers affected by the pandemic such as Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company, professional stepping company Soul Steps and Caroga Arts Collective, as well as former Broadway performers, composers and local storytellers. 

“We have completely re-imagined how our educational programming can reach students, families and educators during these difficult times when in-person demonstrations and classes aren’t possible. Last year our programs served more than 49,000 students; however, with this new virtual platform, we have the opportunity to bring enriching, unique arts education content to even more students in the region and beyond,” said Elizabeth Sobol, SPAC’s President and CEO in a statement. 

Curated by SPAC with dedicated lessons for students of all ages, the video sessions include: “SPAC Breaks,” a variety of introductory lessons to exercise the creative mind; “Stories that Move,” featuring short stories with dance instruction by Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company;  “Kitchen Floor Dance Class,” led by former Broadway performer and SPAC’s Senior Director of Education, Dennis Moench, and the “Virtual Dance Lab,” advanced choreography-teaching sessions in a variety of genres. In addition to the video lessons, SPAC has created “Printable SPAC-tivities,” featuring exercises and coloring pages that teach fundamental music and dance concepts. 

The SPAC Learning Library can be accessed at spaclearninglibrary.org and is part of the Center’s new “Creative Connection” online campaign.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — As events continue to evolve regarding the COVID-19 virus, the city of Saratoga Springs has decided to cancel the Recreation Department current schedule of summer camps and other summer programs. 

Any participant who is registered for camp and/or a program will receive a full refund. 

The Recreation Center and ice rinks will remain closed until further notice. 

The Recreation parks will remain OPEN to the public, but no organized activities will be scheduled, and fields will not be scheduled until further notice. Playground equipment, basketball courts, and all other recreation equipment will remain closed. 

If you plan to use a park, please follow all NYS and CDC recommendations regarding COVID-19. All programming and facility rental questions shall be directed to the Recreation Department at recreservations@saratoga-springs.org.

NEW YORK – Earlier this month, Naxos released “This Land Sings: Inspired by the Life and Times of Woody Guthrie,” the world-premiere recording of composer Michael Daugherty’s musical tribute to the singer-songwriter and political activist Woody Guthrie.

Maestro David Alan Miller will host an online celebration to honor the release 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 21, at: Facebook.com/albanysym/live. Daugherty will also be at the event to answer questions about this album.

The album features performances by the Albany Symphony’s new music ensemble Dogs of Desire led by Miller, with vocal soloists, soprano Annika Socolofsky and baritone John Daugherty. For this release, Daugherty collaborated with producer Silas Brown, to create a recording which re-creates a vintage Capital Records 1950s soundscape. 

 “Traveling America from coast to coast with his acoustic guitar and harmonica, Woody Guthrie performed folk songs of love, wandering and social justice, including his famous anthem “This Land Is Your Land,” at Workers Union gatherings, on radio stations and street corners, and in farm fields and concert halls during the Great Depression and the Second World War,” writes Daugherty in his introduction to the album. 

To prepare for his musical tribute to this Dust Bowl troubadour, the composer drove for several weeks along the dusty backroads of Oklahoma and Texas where Guthrie once roamed, while listening to just about everything the singer-songwriter recorded during his brief lifetime (1912–1967). The composer also spent time at the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, researching his fascinating life and wide-ranging artistic output. “The music I composed gives haunting expression, ironic wit and contemporary relevance to the political, social and environmental themes from Woody Guthrie’s era.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Although the July residency of New York City Ballet at SPAC is uncertain and area Broadway shows are cancelled, Total Body Trifecta’s new TBT87 virtual studio will offer three online ballet barre classes taught by a trio of talent from New York City Ballet and Broadway to fill the void.

Originally, three DWTD classes were already scheduled by owner Mary Anne Fantauzzi for the week of July 13-18, but rather than cancel the annual tradition since 1998, she reached out to three favorite teachers with the prospect of offering Spring Zoom classes instead. 

Rising NYCB star Gilbert Bolden III will teach a classical ballet barre with a mini-variation from 2-3 p.m. on Monday, May 25. Broadway pro (Carousel, An American in Paris) and former NYCB dancer David Prottas will teach “Breakin’ It Down at the Barre” from 11 a.m. – noon Thursday, May 28, and NYCB dancer and School of American Ballet master teacher Andrew Scordato will teach Core de Ballet from 11 a.m. – noon on Thursday, June 4. 

The cost is $10 per class.  Registration and full payment are required in order to receive a Zoom invitation. For more information check the Dance with the Dancers page totalbodytrifecta.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Arts is currently seeking regional artists to apply for its 2021 Call for Artists. 

Application Deadline: May 29 at 11:59 p.m. Artists who reside in Saratoga County and the eight surrounding counties Hamilton, Warren, Washington, Rensselaer, Albany, Schenectady, Montgomery and Fulton are eligible to apply.

This is an opportunity to submit artwork for consideration to be included in solo or small group shows in the center’s exhibition space on Broadway. For more information, go to: www.saratoga-arts.org.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Annual summertime Spa City favorites, The Dave Matthews Band, will be kept off the road this year as a result of the global pandemic. 

As such, a pair of DMB’s previously scheduled dates this July have been postponed and have been rescheduled to take place one year later, July 9 and July 10, 2021. 

The band issued the following statement this week: We are disappointed to announce, that in light of the global COVID-19 pandemic, we will be moving all of our 2020 summer dates to the summer of 2021. We make this decision with the health, safety, and well-being of our fans, touring crew, and venue staff as our priority.

Your previously purchased tickets will be honored for these rescheduled performances, and we’re happy to announce that the 2021 tour includes a few additional stops that were not included on the 2020 tour. We are also providing fans with the option to refund your tickets at the point of purchase. We are incredibly grateful for all of our fans who come out to see us every summer and will miss seeing you all. For now, we will keep everyone in our hearts and minds until we can be together again.

On sale information for the new 2021 dates will be available at a later date.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The 2020 Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival has been canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Saratoga Performing Arts Center announced the cancellation May 4. The two-day event, originally scheduled for June 27-28, was to present a rich roster of artists including Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Kool & the Gang, Cassandra Wilson and Taj Mahal. 

“After 42 consecutive years presenting one of the most exceptional jazz festivals in North America, to have to cancel the 2020 Festival is both heartbreaking and devastating.  The loss of this event as an exuberant gathering of jazz-lovers is deeply painful – and the economic impact to SPAC, the community, and the many artists who were to perform is incalculable,” Elizabeth Sobol, President and CEO of Saratoga Performing Arts Center said in a statement. 

The festival began in 1978 and has been the longest continuously running jazz festival in the northeastern part of North America.

A series of live streamed performances over the festival weekend will be presented by SPAC and Caffé Lena. Titled “Freihofer’s Jazz Fest Stay Home Sessions,” the artist line-up will be announced at a later date and will include local musicians. 

SPAC also announced an initiative to donate two tickets to first responders and local health care workers for performances during its 2021 season for every ticketholder of the 2020 festival who chooses to convert all or a minimum of $25 of their ticket purchase into a tax deductible donation. SPAC depends on ticket sales and the generosity of individuals for 66% of its annual budget, therefore ticket donations will help to ensure the vitality of SPAC during these unprecedented times. Visit spac.org for options to exchange, donate or request a refund.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Journey – led by founding member and guitarist Neal Schon, keyboardist Jonathan Cain and vocalist Arnel Pineda, have canceled their 2020 tour as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting restrictions regarding large gatherings. 

Journey and the Pretenders were slated to perform at Saratoga Performing Arts Center Aug. 1. 

The band released a joint statement this week which reads: “Having seen what the world has endured during the last 45 days, and not knowing what the rest of this year or 2021 will bring, we knew the right thing to do was to make sure our fans’ health was not put in jeopardy and to provide immediate access to refund options given the unexpected events caused by this terrible virus. We would like to thank all doctors, nurses, police, other first responders and essential workers for their heroic efforts; as well as our fans for doing everything possible to stay safe.” 

Journey’s tour partners at Live Nation will ensure ticket holders will be emailed directly with their refund options including a full refund, or you can request a 150% credit + Live Nation will donate the number of tickets you originally purchased to healthcare workers on the front lines. For more details, visit livenation.com/refund. 

BALLSTON SPA – In light of the spread of COVID-19, the Board of Directors of the Saratoga County Fair has announced the cancellation of the 179th Saratoga County Fair. The event was scheduled to take place July 21 – 26.  Since its inception in 1841, the only other cancellation was during the Civil War. The Fair anticipates returning in July 2021.