SARATOGA SPRINGS — Willie Nelson & Family, Bob Dylan, Wilco, Lucinda Williams, and Waylon Payne will perform at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Aug. 2 as part of the 10th anniversary Outlaw Music Festival Tour. 

Since its 2016 inception in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the Outlaw Music Festival, led by Willie Nelson, has united music legends with current-day superstars in celebration of the outlaw spirit and genre-defying music. Artists have included Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, John Fogerty, John Mellencamp, Luke Combs, Neil Young, Phil Lesh, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Sheryl Crow, Van Morrison, ZZ Top, and others. 

This year’s milestone tour kicks off May 13 and will include 35 stops across 22 states.

Tickets go on sale on Friday, Feb. 7, via http://OutlawMusicFestival.com and http://ticketmaster.com. VIP packages will also be available.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Singer/songwriter Pete Muller will be performing at Caffe Lena on Thursday, Feb. 20 with his band the Kindred Souls. 

Muller will be performing selections from his critically lauded album “More Time,” recorded in Memphis with acclaimed producer/engineer Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price). The collaboration revitalized the songwriter 

The show is also a celebration of Muller’s new EP, “Live at Joe’s Pub.” 

The concert will be staged 7 p.m. Thursday Feb. 20 at Caffe Lena, 47 Phila St. in Saratoga Springs. For more information, go to: caffelena.org.  

SARATOGA SPRINGS — After two decades of Sublime reverence, Badfish  is adding some of their original music to the mix when they perform in Saratoga Springs on Feb. 20. 

The Rhode Island-based band recently released its second new song, as the follow-up to the band’s first single, “High on You.”

For 22 years, the band have successfully paid tribute to Sublime, the short-lived but influential California group that brought ska-punk and reggae-rock to the mainstream. They are no putting out their own original music alongside being known as a cover band. 

Onstage, Badfish will play the best of Sublime as well as the best of Badfish. Showtime is 8 p.m. on Feb. 20 at Putnam Place, 63A Putnam St., Saratoga Springs. Tickets are $25-$100; 18 & over. Tickets available at: www.badfish.com/tour. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A slew of newly added shows were recently announced to stage at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in 2025. 

Joan Jett – who first gained international acclaim as a member of the Runaways and later co-founded her own Blackheart Records, since 1979 has showcased a stellar musical career while leading her band Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Jett will be joined by Billy Idol at SPAC on Aug. 17.  

May 18th will see comedian Matt Rife at SPAC on his 2025 Stay Golden Tour. The tour includes back-to-back headline shows at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York City. 

Jason Aldean’s ‘Full Throttle Tour’ – featuring special guests Nate Smith, RaeLynn & Dee Jay Silver, will be staged on Sunday, May 25. 

On Friday, Sept. 5, Tedeschi Trucks Band, led by the dynamic duo of Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, will perform with guests Gov’t Mule and Nolan Taylor

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Chicago announced they will stage a show at Saratoga Performing Arts Center Aug. 10. 

Last year saw the band release the 26-track live collection “Chicago At The John F. Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts, Washington, D.C. (9/16/1971),” covering all three studio albums from their 1969 debut to 1971.

Chicago have toured every year since the beginning, and 2025 marks the band’s 58th consecutive year of touring. 

Tickets: go to livenation.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Performing Arts Center has announced its 2025 New York City Ballet season will be staged July 9-12 as part of its 59th season in Saratoga. 

The residency will feature full-length story ballet Coppélia, which held its world premiere at SPAC in 1974; Jerome Robbins’ The Four Seasons, an audience favorite set to Verdi’s vibrant melodies; George Balanchine’s masterpiece Stravinsky Violin Concerto and Justin Peck’s newest work for NYCB, Mystic Familiar, which will have its world premiere as part of NYCB’s 2025 Winter Season. 

New York City Ballet will bring 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. 

“As we approach our 60th anniversary, our historic partnership with New York City Ballet continues to be a remarkable source of pride and inspiration,” Elizabeth Sobol, president and CEO of Saratoga Performing Arts Center said in a statement. “Nowhere else in the world outside of New York City does the full company of dancers and musicians present a robust week of repertoire, every single year. SPAC is unique and incredibly fortunate to be able to bring these world-class artists to our community.”

Returning for the first time since 2019 is Coppélia, the delightful tale of a mad inventor and the life-like doll he creates. Coppélia is considered one of the greatest comic ballets of the 19th Century and has remained one of the best-loved classical works in the ballet repertory. The lavish production, featuring scenery and costumes by Rouben Ter-Artunian, additional costumes by Karinska, and lighting by Mark Stanley, is slated for four performances as part of the season. It will feature a large cast of children, including many from the Capital Region.

Highlighting the season are two performances dedicated to works by Jerome Robbins, George Balanchine and NYCB Resident Choreographer Justin Peck. The program opens with The Four Seasons by Robbins, an audience favorite set to Verdi’s vibrant score. Returning to SPAC for the first time since 2017 is Stravinsky Violin Concerto, one of Balanchine’s signature works featuring two of his most ingenious pas de deux. 

Closing the program is the SPAC premiere of Justin Peck’s Mystic Familiar, his 25th work for New York City Ballet. Mystic Familiar is set to an original score by composer, recording artist and performer Dan Deacon, who also provided the score for Peck’s heralded 2017 ballet The Times Are Racing. The set design will feature a backdrop by the Los Angeles-based visual artist Eamon Ore-Giron, whose work was featured in the 2024 Whitney Biennial. The costumes will be designed by fashion designer and co-founder of Opening Ceremony Humberto Leon, who has previously worked with Peck on costumes for The Times Are Racing and several other projects; with lighting design by frequent Peck collaborator Brandon Stirling Baker. 

In an effort to increase access to these performances, SPAC also announced that it has launched new promotional ticket offers exclusive to the New York City Ballet residency. As part of this initiative, a new “$40 under 40” ticket offer, inviting individuals up to 40 years old to enjoy $40 tickets inside the amphitheater. To make access to world-class performance more affordable for families, SPAC has introduced two special promotions including a new Family Four Pack, including four amphitheater seats for $99, and an expansion of its “Kids in Free” program. The program, which currently allows children 12 and under free access on the lawn with an accompanying adult and 50% off amphitheater tickets will extend to children ages 16 and under for New York City Ballet performances. Visit the Ways to Save page on spac.org for all offers, discounts and exclusions. 

Tickets will be available beginning at 10 a.m. on Jan. 30 for members (tiered by level) and at 10 a.m. on Feb. 7. for the general public. 

The New York City Ballet season in Saratoga will take place July 9-12. For tickets, and information about specific dates and performances, go to: spac.org.