SARATOGA SPRINGS — The songs of Mississippi John Hurt have been covered by everyone from Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and Dave Van Ronk, to Donovan, Jerry Garcia, and Jorma Kaukonen – both as a soloist and with his band Hot Tuna – and he famously performed at Caffe Lena shortly before his death in the mid-1960s. 

On Saturday, April 29 a bevy of entertainers will perform atop the Caffe Lena stage in tribute to the singer and songwriter who has influenced a world of musicians with his unique fingerpicking style.  

The fundraiser features four duos playing the music by and inspired by Mississippi John Hurt.  Performers include the Piedmont Bluz Duo of Valerie and Benedict Turner, Annie & Jonny Rosen of Annie and the Hedonists, Erin Harpe & Jim Countryman and Mark Tolstrup & Jill Burnham of Mark & Jill.

Monies raised will benefit the Mississippi John Hurt Foundation, established by Hurt’s granddaughter, Mary Frances Hurt. The Foundation is a non-profit organization devoted primarily to preserving the musical legacy and history of Mississippi John Hurt, while providing musical and educational opportunities to disadvantaged youth. Through the music of John Hurt, children and adult music fans alike are exposed to the rich oral, musical, and literary traditions of the Mississippi Delta and surrounding areas. 

Funds raised will also support a film, currently in production, about his life and legacy.

For tickets and more information, go to: caffelena.org. 

ALBANY — The NYS Writers Institute and the UAlbany Performing Arts Center, both based at the University at Albany, present a slate of actors who will participate in Selected Shorts, the hit public radio and podcast series featuring readings of classic and new works of short fiction by acclaimed actors. 

The program will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 29 at the UAlbany Performing Arts Center on the uptown University at Albany campus located at 1400 Washington Ave. in Albany.  

Actor/comedian Jane Curtin will perform in the program. She will be joined by Teagle F. Bougere from Queen America and New Amsterdam’s Mike Doyle.  The trio of thespians will perform selections from books by Ann Tyler, Ray Bradbury, Meron Hadero and Robin Hemley.  

Selected Shorts is produced by Symphony Space in New York City and broadcast on more than 150 stations to about 300,000 listeners around the country. The Selected Shorts podcast consistently ranks as one of the most popular podcasts on iTunes, with more than 100,000 downloads each week. 

Advance tickets are $15 for the general public and $10 for students, seniors and UAlbany faculty-staff.  Tickets purchased on the day of the show (pending availability) are $20 for the general public and $15 for students, seniors and UAlbany faculty-staff.  All tickets must be purchased on-line from the UAlbany Performing Arts Center’s website at www.albany.edu/pac.  

SARATOGA SPRINGS — House of Hamill will appear at Caffé Lena on Friday, April 21 for a spring return engagement. Showtime is 8 p.m.

House of Hamill’s music has been described as sophisticated, independent Celtic-folk. The band includes Rose Baldino (fiddle and vocals), Brian Buchanan (fiddle, vocals, and guitar), and Caroline Browning (bass, mandolin and piano). The trio tours nationally, performing at Celtic festivals and established folk venues.

All three musicians also tour with the band, Enter the Haggis. Their 2023 schedule will lead them to at least 28 states and 3 countries, including hosting a sold-out musical bus tour through the west of Ireland in October. Their third album, “Folk Hero,” received strong support on the 2022 Folk-DJ charts, as well as from Celtic music podcasters. A new album release is planned for later this year. 

For tickets and more information, see www.caffelena.org or call 518-583-0022.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — New York Times bestselling author V. E. Schwab will be visiting the Spa City this weekend as a stopover of a monthlong nationwide tour.   

Schwab has authored more than 20 books, including the acclaimed Shades of Magic series, Villains series, Monster of Verity duology, Cassidy Blake series and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. 

Tor Books published the trade paperback of Schwab’s “The Invisible Life Of Addie Larue” on April 11. 

Described as a genre-defying breakout novel, it is a sweeping story about a woman who lives forever, but is destined to be forgotten. More than 1.4 million copies have been sold and the book spent over 40 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. 

The event, In conversation with Jennifer Dugan, is presented by Northshire Bookstore and will take place 7 p.m. Saturday, April 15 at Presbyterian New England Congregational Church, 24 Circular St. in Saratoga Springs. For ticket information, go to: northshire.com. 

ALBANY — The UAlbany Performing Arts Center presents Dan Froot & Company in Pang! for three public performances taking place at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday, April 20-22, on the uptown University at Albany campus located at 1400 Washington Ave. 

Pang! is an original work adventurously staged as a triptych of live radio plays based on the oral histories of real working-class American families hungering for change. It explores social challenges ranging from food insecurity to gun violence to foreclosure to anti-immigrant bias. Pang! aims to raise awareness, decrease stigma and promote cross-class dialogue around circumstances faced by families living below the poverty line.

Performed as if recording a live radio broadcast or podcast, the actors at microphones voice dozens of characters from 18-months to 77-years old; from a Burundian refugee speaking in his home language to a 7-year-old Miami boy whose dialogue is spoken in unison by the entire ensemble. Pang!’s performers include Natalie Camunas, Krista Gonzalez, Christopher Rivas and Froot.

Over the course of eight months in 2015-16, the company created six book-length oral histories of families living with food insecurity in Cedar Rapids, Los Angeles and Miami. They then collaborated with one of the families from each city to devise the three 30-minute plays that comprise Pang! The families consulted with the company continuously throughout the adaptation, rehearsal and performance processes. 

Advance tickets are $15 for the general public and $10 for students, seniors and UAlbany faculty-staff. Tickets purchased on the day of the show (pending availability) are $20 for the general public and $15 for students, seniors and UAlbany faculty-staff. All tickets must be purchased on-line from the UAlbany Performing Arts Center’s web site at www.albany.edu/pac. Information and assistance can be obtained by contacting the UAlbany Performing Arts Center’s main office at 518-442-3995 or PAC@albany.edu.

In addition to the public performance, Pang! will also be performed for area high school students on Thursday and Friday, April 20 & 21 at 10 a.m. Admission is free, but reservations are required. Limited seating is available. Educators wishing to bring groups can contact the UAlbany Performing Arts Center office at 518-442-3995 or PAC@albany.edu. Home school students and parents are also welcome.

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Gov’t Mule will stage a show at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on July 28.

The band will be performing the hits, plus a set of Dark Side Of The Mule performing Pink Floyd classics. 

Tickets on sale Friday, April 14 at livenation.com.