SARATOGA SPRINGS — Singer-songwriter and climate action advocate Vienna Teng will be paying an unusual, multi-faceted visit to Saratoga Springs that features three nights of musical performances at Caffe Lena, a Climate Action Workshop, and an appearance at Skidmore College.    

Caffe Lena will host Teng’s musical performances Sept. 29, 30 and Oct. 1. Concert-goers can expect an intimate experience, in-between song stories, setlists built from audience requests, and a blend of folk, pop, and classical influences that has earned Teng a global following.

Drawing on over a decade of professional experience in climate and environmental sustainability, Teng will also host a workshop on Sunday, Oct. 1 to help Saratoga community members discover what enjoyable, meaningful climate action looks like to them, tailored to their particular interests and context. This workshop is free and open to the public with advance registration at: www.eventbrite.com/e/101-climate-action-workshop-with-vienna-teng-caffe-lena-tickets-570023755397?aff=odcleoeventsincollection. 

Teng’s visit to the Spa City, which is slated to include meetings with community leaders to help advance Saratoga Springs’ climate-related initiatives, kicks off with a visit to Skidmore College Sept. 28 when she will engage with students, faculty, and staff to explore the intersection of art, music, and climate action.

For tickets and information regarding the Caffe Lena shows, go to: caffelena.org. For more information about the artist and climate-action activist, go to: viennateng.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s Action Council fundraising event, “SPAC in Conversation,” will return with Julie Scelfo, author of The Women Who Made New York and a former New York Times journalist. 

Moderated by SPAC President & CEO Elizabeth Sobol, the discussion will explore the inclusive, intersectional collection of biographies in her book, which reveal how it was women—and not just men—who built one of the world’s greatest cities. 

The event takes place Wednesday, Oct. 18 at the Spa Little Theater and the Hall of Springs, and will be highlighted by a plated lunch and boutique shopping.

Scelfo’s book, The Women Who Made New York, reveals the untold stories of the phenomenal women who made New York City the cultural epicenter of the world. Many were revolutionaries and activists, like Zora Neale Hurston and Audre Lorde. Others were icons and iconoclasts, like Fran Lebowitz and Grace Jones. There were also women who led quieter private lives but were just as influential, such as Emily Warren Roebling, who completed the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge when her engineer husband became too ill to work. 

The schedule of events kicks off at 10 a.m. with a Conversation with Julie Scelfo, Spa Little Theater, to be followed by Boutique shopping, Hall of Springs; Luncheon at 12:30 p.m., and Book signing and raffle drawing at 1:30. 

Cost to attend the fundraiser is $100 and includes admission to the discussion, Hall of Springs luncheon and boutique shopping. Tickets may be purchased at spac.org or by calling at 518.584.9330, ext. 142.  

ALBANY — It was a new wave, post-punk British invasion on Thursday, Sept. 7 at the Kitty Carlisle Hart Theatre at the Egg. English rock bands, The Psychedelic Furs and Squeeze performed back-to-back sets as part of their co-headling American Fall Tour.

The Psychedelic Furs performed first, opening their 16-song set with ‘Into You Like a Train’ off their album 1981 album ‘Talk Talk Talk.’

The band, founded in 1977 by lead vocalist Richard Butler and brother Tim Butler (bass guitar), includes members Mars Williams (saxophone), Amanda Kramer (keyboards), Rich Good (guitar), and Zachary Alford (drums). Together, they time-traveled the audience back to the ’80’s with their post-punk-leather-jacket-style, melodic vocals and songs of the era.

The Furs setlist included hits ‘The Ghost in You,’ ‘Pretty in Pink,’ as well as their biggest Top 40 single in the US, ‘Heartbreak Beat.’ The band performed several songs off their latest album ‘Made of Rain,’ released in 2020, including ‘Youll Be Mine,’  ‘Wrong Train,’ ‘No One,’ and ‘This’ll Never Be Like Love.’ A small intermission broke up the two band’s sets.

Debuting their first album in 1978, Squeeze over the decades has released 15 studio albums, their latest ‘Spot the Differrence’ was released in 2021.

Founding band members Glenn Tilbrook (lead vocals and guitar) and Chris Difford (vocals and guitar) currently are accompanied on stage by Stephen Large (keyboards), Simon Hanson (drums), Steve Smith (percussion), Melvin Duffy (pedal/lap steel guitar), and Owen Biddle (bass guitar). They opened their performance at the Egg with the song ‘Take Me I’m Yours’  followed by hits ‘Hourglass’ and ‘Up The Junction.’ 

Squeeze’s quirky, alternative vibe was met with exceptional musicianship as they band rolled seemlessly from song to song. Their setlist was comprised of crowd-favorite after favorite, leading to a slowed-down version of their American hit ‘Tempted,’ followed by a sped-up rendition of ‘Black Coffee in Bed.’ The upbeat performance left audience members smiling, some full of nostalgia, and others thinking “it really is ‘cool to be a cat.'”

To see the schedule of upcoming concerts at The Egg visit www.theegg.org. 

CAMBRIDGE — Hubbard Hall has announced the publication of “Managing the Arts in Rural Areas,” by Hubbard Hall Executive & Artistic Director David Andrew Snider.

Post-pandemic, a significant portion of the population hungers for hands-on, in-person arts experiences at a human scale. At the same time, rural areas are ripe with innovation, community connections, and an entrepreneurial spirit that fits well with creativity and arts-based community engagement. 

As rural areas continue to evolve past their previous ties to agriculture, industry, and mining, the arts offer new ways to enrich communities, spark local economies, and create tourist destinations, in tandem with their glorious surroundings, Snider writes. 

Snider has more than 25 years of experience as a director, educator, producer, and administrator. Currently he is the executive and artistic director of the Hubbard Hall Center for the Arts and Education in Cambridge, and a lecturer in the arts administration program at Skidmore College.

“Managing the Arts in Rural Areas” is available in hardcover, paperback, and e-book

ALBANY — Hot Tuna returns to the region with a show at The Egg Wednesday, Sept. 20. 

Guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady (who prior to Hot Tuna had joined forces as members of the iconic Jefferson Airplane lineup)   –  will be joined by drummer Justin Guip. 

The show is billed as the final Hot Tuna electric – “Going Fishing Tour.” Show time is 7:30 p.m., tickets are $59.50-$79.50 and available at The Egg Box Office at the Empire State Plaza, by telephone at 518-473-1845 or online at www.theegg.org.

LAKE GEORGE —Set against the backdrop of beautiful Lake George, Jazz at the Lake (Lake George Jazz Weekend) celebrates the vibrant and diverse genre of jazz and brings together talented musicians from around the country.

Now in its 39th year, Jazz at the Lake takes place Friday – Sunday, Sept. 15-17. 

The free festival takes place at the Shepard Park Amphitheater in Lake George. For more information, go to: lakegeorgearts.org.