ALBANY — The Egg will present an immersive evening of Indian dance and music that bridges tradition and innovation.
Titled “Ragas in Motion” and part of the Resonance Series at the Egg, the free (suggested donation $15) special event showcases a dynamic journey through Indian dance forms, from the elegance of classical traditions like Bharatanatyam and Kathak to contemporary, modern interpretations.
The night features the innovative artistry of Barkha Patel, a visionary Kathak dancer and choreographer; Ishita Mili, a choreographer seamlessly integrating hip-hop, contemporary, and Indian dance forms to tell powerful stories: and Ravish Momin, a pioneering percussionist blending South Asian traditions with cutting-edge global rhythms.
Opening the night will be performances by local Bharatanatyam dance schools Alapana Arts (Lavanya Raghuraman) & Mudra School of Dance (Mathangi Srinivasan).
Food by Spice Malabar at 6 p.m.; Performance 6:30 p.m. Hosted by Arun Ramamurthy. For more information, and to RSVP, go to: www.theegg.org/events/event/ragas-in-motion/.
Moonlight Benjamin performs live at UPH in Saratoga Springs March 29.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The electrifying sounds of Moonlight Benjamin will grace Universal Preservation Hall on Saturday, March 29.
The powerhouse Haitian singer-songwriter – hailed by The Guardian (UK) as the “Caribbean Patti Smith,” and with a favorable nod from Iggy Pop – delivers a unique fusion of voodoo rhythms and blues-infused rock.
Born and raised in Haiti, Benjamin’s musical roots run deep in the sacred traditions of Haitian voodoo, which she integrates with the driving force of blues and rock.
The performance, presented as part of the Music Haven Passport Series, will take place 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 29.
Eddies 2025 HOF Inductee Charlene Shortsleeve. A ceremony will take place at UPH in Saratoga Springs March 24.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Universal Preservation Hall hosts the seventh class of inductees into the Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Hall of Fame at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 24.
This year’s inductees celebrate diverse musical genres and contributions to the Capital Region’s music scene. The class of 2025 includes Brian Melick, Charlene Shortsleeve, Dan Berggren, Emerald City, SIRSY, Stony Creek Band, The Clay People and The Sharks.
Since its inception in 2019, the Eddies Hall of Fame has honored 48 individuals. The 2025 ceremony will be in the Great Hall at UPH. The ceremony is open to the public and includes musical performances, a social hour, videos on the musical career of each inductee, and acceptance speeches.
The inductees
Brian Melick: internationally acclaimed percussionist who has been featured recording artist on over 450 commercially released recordings.
Charlene Shortsleeve – an artist in her own right, legendary nightlife curator of the notorious 288 Lark, and founder of the QE2 nightclub on Central Avenue in Albany, which featured artists such as Sonic Youth, 10,000 Maniacs, Marilyn Manson, the Wallflowers, Allen Ginsberg and Jim Carroll.
Dan Berggren – a celebrated career as a folk artist is deeply rooted in the storytelling traditions of the Adirondacks.
Emerald City – dynamic pop-rock band, became a staple of local stages and earned a reputation for performances that captivated audiences across the East Coast through 1981.
SIRSY – the powerhouse duo of Melanie Krahmer and Rich Libutti, started making music in 2000 and have toured ever since, playing 200 shows annually across the U.S. and Canada.
Stony Creek Band – a timeless country and folk sound that has fostered a deep connection with its audience through decades of dedication and artistry.
The Clay People – known for their electrifying fusion of metal and punk and live shows that continue to produce an ever-evolving sound canon.
The Sharks – a seven-piece group featuring a three-piece horn section and a pop-rock favorite of the Capital Region, that have remained a beloved part of the community’s musical history.
More information about the Eddies Music Hall of Fame is available at theeddiesawards.com. The Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Awards and Hall of Fame, as well as UPH, are part of Proctors Collaborative.
The celebratory event will bring together fans, fellow musicians and community members to honor the remarkable artists and contributors. Tickets available by visiting atuph.org, through the Box Office at Proctors in-person, via phone at 518-346-6204 Tuesday-Saturday 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Groups of 10 or more can get tickets by calling 518-382-3884 x 139.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, Skidmore College invites the community to experience “Voices of Ukraine,” a moving celebration of Ukrainian culture through its rich musical and dance traditions, at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 30, at the Arthur Zankel Music Center, at Skidmore College.
Co-presented by Skidmore’s Department of Music and the Ukrainian Classical Voice Project, the concert will highlight rarely heard works from Ukrainian opera, art song, and folk traditions, offering a poignant tribute to Ukraine’s resilience and artistic legacy. The event is free and open to the public.
Under the musical direction of the Metropolitan Opera’s Yelena Kurdina, “Voices of Ukraine” will showcase an extraordinary lineup of artists, including many Skidmore community members.
The Zorepad Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, led by Skidmore student and Artistic Director Lucas Lewyckyj ’26, will join the concert’s vocal and instrumental performances, bringing the beauty of Ukrainian folk traditions to life with traditional Ukrainian dance.
The afternoon will open with remarks by Dr. Andrij Baran, president of the local branch of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America. Baran is known not only for his brilliance as a cardiologist but also as a passionate historian, tireless researcher, and honorary Cossack-in-disguise. His deep knowledge and unwavering dedication to Ukraine’s cultural and historical legacy will set the stage for the program.
For more information, visit the Zankel Music Center website.
LAKE GEORGE — Bands N’ Beans: the biggest party in the North Country.
The Lake George Arts Project is hosting the 31st annual Bands N’ Beans on Sunday, March 30. The event takes place 2 – 7 p.m. at the Fort William Henry Conference Center.
Twenty-five local restaurants will be battling it out for the coveted People’s Choice Award with their best chili creations. The heat doesn’t stop there: nine live bands will be performing on two stages throughout the day.
The musical lineup:
Ballroom Stage – The Switch, The Stony Creek Band, The Lustre Kings, Vinyl Vault, and the ILL Funk Ensemble.
Acoustic Room – Tim Wechgelear & Friends, Mark & Jill, Shine On, and Dirt Cheap.
Bands and Beans is a fundraiser for the Lake George Arts Project’s free and open-to-all art programs. Proceeds from the event support programs like the year-round Courthouse Gallery exhibitions, the Summer Concert Series, and the popular Jazz at the Lake festival.
Doors open at 1:30. Ballroom opens at 1:45 pm. Early-bird tickets are available for $25 until March 29th. Tickets are $30 at the door. For tickets and more information, visit the Lake George Arts Project website: www. lakegeorgearts.org or call 518-668-2616.
The Pete Best Band will perform live at The Strand on March 23.
HUDSON FALLS — Original Beatles drummer Pete Best and The Pete Best Band are coming to the Strand Theatre for a 3 p.m. matinee concert on Sunday, March 23.
The band offers the audience a rare opportunity to get up close and personal to the early days with Pete on drums, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Stu Sutcliffe.
Best formed The Pete Best Band in the late 80’s.
The show includes anecdotes from the drummer about those early days of the Beatles, and a set list that delivers the sound of Liverpool, the sound of Hamburg and the sound that started a revolution.
Tickets are $50/orchestra section, $40/floor seating, $30/balcony and are available at the Strand Box Office, cash or check only or online @ Brown Paper Tickets. For the ticketing link, visit www.mystrandtheatre.org. Doors open into the coffee shop, box office and lobby at 1:30 p.m.
The Strand Theatre is located at 210 Main St., Hudson Falls.
Awakening Spring – a new exhibition opens at Spring Street Gallery.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Spring Street Gallery invites the public to join an opening reception for “Awakening Spring: A Mixed Media Journey Through Nature’s Sculptural Forms” artworks by Jenny Hutchinson and Joy Muller-McCoola on Saturday, March 15 from 6-8 pm.
This exhibition explores the awakening of spring through painterly and sculptural mixed media and felt, capturing the beauty of growth, transformation, and its resourcefulness. Using uplifting colors, the works highlight resilience, the artists’ first beginnings of new waves of trickling water over stones, greenery, florals, growth, and warmth through organic materials and intricate craftsmanship.
“The artwork is fluid, dynamic, explorative and transformational – both of nature and the artist’s creative processes emphasizing the dimensionality of the work,” Belinda Colón, Curator and Director said in a statement. “The exhibition is an experience, something for visitors to immerse themselves in.”
There will also be an artist talk 7 – 8 pm on March 27. A portion of the sales will support a local environmental conservation organization. For more information go to: springstreetgallerysaratoga.org. Gallery Hours are Wednesdays 6-8 pm, Sundays 11-1 pm, or by appointment. Email appointment requests to springstreetgallerylist@gmail.com at least 24 hours in advance.
Spring Street Gallery is located at 110 Spring St., Saratoga Springs. Phone: 518-290-0660.
SARATOGA SPRINGS —Comedian Jerry Seinfeld will make an appearance at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on July 24, 2025. Tickets are available at LiveNation.com.
Seinfeld’s comedy career took off after his first appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1981.
Eight years later, he teamed up with fellow comedian Larry David to create what was to become the most successful comedy series in the history of television: Seinfeld. The show ran on NBC for nine seasons.
His latest Emmy nominated Netflix projects include Jerry Before Seinfeld and 23 Hours to Kill along with the web series, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
Isaac Scott, June 6th, 2020. Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2020, archival pigment print, 22 x 30 inches, Tang Museum collection, from The Jack Shear Collection of Photography, 2020.33.5, image courtesy Tang Teaching Museum.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College invites the public to attend a Curators’ Tour for the exhibition ‘Everforward, Neverback’ on Thursday, March 20, at noon.
The exhibition presents art from the Tang collection that reveals how the experiences of members of various ethnic and racial groups—including Black Americans, Indigenous Americans, and other people of color—can offer narratives of joy, beauty, and community as acts of resistance. ‘Everforward, Neverback’ was recently recognized by New York City-based art publication Hyperallergic as a must-see exhibition.
The tour will be led by Skidmore College Professor of American Studies Beck Krefting and three students from her fall 2024 course “Critical Whiteness in the United States.”
Dayton Director Ian Berry will give a Curator’s Tour on Thursday, April 24, at noon of the exhibition ‘A Field of Bloom and Hum.’ All tours are free and open to the public.
For more information, visit https://tang.skidmore.edu or contact the Tang Visitors Services Desk at 518-580-8080.
