HUDSON FALLS —Progressive jam-fusion supergroup PAKT will perform at the Strand Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 19.
The band features Percy Jones (Brand X, Brian Eno, David Sylvian, Suzanne Vega), Adam Holzman (Miles Davis, Steven Wilson, Marcus Miller, Lenny White0), Kenny Grohowski (John Zorn, Brand X, Imperial Triumphant, Hipster Assassins), and Tim Motzer (Bandit65, Jaki Liebezeit, David Sylvian, Jamaaladeen Tacuma).
PAKT is heralded as dwelling in the realms of progressive rock, electric jazz, experimental, ambient, psychedelic and beyond.
Tickets are $25 general admission and available at the Strand Box Office; cash or check only or online at Brown Paper Tickets. Doors into the lobby, coffee shop and box office open at 6 p.m. For more information go to: www.mystrandtheatre.org. The Strand Theatre is located at 210 Main St, Hudson Falls, NY.
BALLSTON SPA — Flautist Melanie Chirignan and Harpist Darhon Rees-Rohrbacher will be performing in the Long Room at The Saratoga County History Center at Brookside Museum at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16.
In August of 2017, an ambitious flautist emailed a highly recommended harpist, and inquired if she might want to play some duets together – and, thus, Stringwynde was born. The artists each hold graduate degrees in music and perform in a variety of musical genres. As individual performers, their appearances have included solo recitals, chamber ensembles, symphonies, and many private events. As versatile educators, they have taught countless private music students as well as working in both public and private school classrooms
The musicians specialize in music of the Celtic tradition. For more information, go to: www.brooksidemuseum.org.
SARATOGA SPRINGS —Saratoga Joinery, a woodworking makerspace at 69 Caroline St., invites the community to Rooted in Community: Open House and Mural Painting event, 10a.m. – 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16.
Guests can expect shop tours, live woodworking demonstrations, make-and-take toy build stations for kids, raffle drawings and refreshments.
Saratoga Joinery, which opened in March, has been bringing people together through woodcraft, offering more than 40 woodworking classes on projects like cutting boards, picture frames, resin river charcuterie boards, hand cut joinery and kumiko.
Over 80 community members have joined the community woodshop for access to tools, fellowship, and training
Learn more about this event and Saratoga Joinery at www.saratogajoinery.org.
SARATOGA SPRINGS —Saratoga Arts Board of Directors has announced Amy Bloom as the new Executive Director.
Bloom is an experienced leader in strategy, operations, marketing, and fundraising, and a long-time resident of Saratoga Springs. She has worked regionally as an Executive at Planned Parenthood, Hudson Headwaters Health Network, and Alliance for Better Health, and in 2020 co-founded and grew a local primary care organization, and led it towards acquisition by a national health care company.
Founded in 1986 by and for artists and audiences, Saratoga Arts’ mission is to enrich the region by cultivating a vibrant arts community and by ensuring that the arts are accessible to all. For more information about Saratoga Arts, visit www.saratoga-arts.org. Saratoga Arts is located at 320 Broadway in Saratoga Springs.
Molly Burt-Westvig – Installation view, “To Trace a Sunbeam,” video projection on salvaged automotive mirrors, 2024. Photo provided.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Molly Burt-Westvig is Skidmore College’s 2024 resident for the competitive Work+Space program, which allows the Skidmore Art Department to bring an emerging artist to campus for three weeks.
During the residency, Burt-Westvig will operate from a studio in Saisselin Art Building and engage with students through artist talks, one-and-one critiques, and more. The residency will also culminate in a public exhibition at Schick Art Gallery.
The exhibition will open on Tuesday, Nov. 19, and run through Friday, Dec. 8, in Schick Art Gallery, on the second floor of Saisselin Art Building. An opening reception and gallery talk will take place from 5 to 6:30 p.m. (talk begins at 5:30 p.m.) on Tuesday, Nov. 19. All Schick Art Gallery exhibits and events are free and open to the public; visit the Schick Art Gallery website to learn more.
HUDSON FALLS — Martin Barre, the legendary guitarist of the iconic rock band Jethro Tull, will perform “A Brief History of Tull” at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8, 2024 at the Strand Theatre in Hudson Falls.
Barre, renowned for his formidable mastery of historic riffs, power chords and soaring melodic solos, celebrates the musical journey of Jethro Tull throughout the decades in his new show A Brief History of Tull.
The show will feature a special visual presentation that, together with the music, highlights the 50 years of Jethro Tull’s musical career.
Classic Tull hits played throughout the interactive performance include songs from legendary albums such as Thick As A Brick, Aqualung, Stand Up, Songs From The Wood, A Passion Play, Heavy Horses and many more. Barre will be bringing a spectacular show with his touring band, featuring Dan Crisp on vocals, Alan Thomson on bass and Darby Todd on drums.
Tix: $60/Orchestra Section, $50/lower level, $40/lower balcony, $30/upper balcony. $100 VIP Meet and Greet with Martin Barre and Dan Crisp. This is a ticketed event sold separately to the main show’s ticket and starts at 5:30 p.m.
General admission tickets are available at the Strand Box Office or online at Brown Paper Tickets. VIP tickets are available online at Brown Paper Tickets. For more information and the ticketing links, visit www.mystrandtheatre.org.
The Strand Theatre is located at 210 Main St., Hudson Falls.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Caffè Lena, the historic Saratoga Springs music venue, has announced their line-up for this year’s TrueSongs, an annual event now in its fifth year.
The performance brings to the stage true local stories of resilience and transformation, told through personal storytelling and original songs.
Set to move from Caffè Lena to the Spa Little Theater to accommodate growing demand for tickets, the program spotlights six people from Saratoga County who have overcome significant life challenges. Each has been paired with one of Caffè Lena’s professional songwriters, who will create a moving, original song that captures the story.
The public performance at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov.16 blends storytelling and live music.
“TrueSongs is about giving a voice to those who have faced extraordinary challenges and showing how, with caring support, those struggles can be transformed into hope and healing,” said Sarah Craig, executive director of Caffè Lena. “Every year, I’m moved by the courage of the storytellers and the powerful way our songwriters bring us into the emotional heart of experiences we would never otherwise know about.”
Spa Little Theater is located at 19 Roosevelt Drive, Saratoga Springs, across from the Hall of Springs on the SPAC property.
This year’s stories include: A mother’s journey from Brazil to America to support her family, supported by TriCounty Literacy Volunteers.; A daughter’s experience caring for her mother with Alzheimer’s, with the support of the Alzheimer’s Association of Northeastern NY.; A couple’s determination to remain in their home after one became wheelchair-bound, aided by Rebuilding Together Saratoga County; A military veteran’s recovery from life-threatening PTSD, facilitated by Alliance 180; A teen mother’s path to achieving her dream of becoming a nurse, supported by WAIT House; A refugee from El Salvador who now empowers others through Capital District Latinos.
Artist Information: https://www.caffelena.org/truesongs/. Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/truesongs-2024-lyrics-of-life-at-spa-little-theatre-tickets-1005261733907.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Named ‘Best Group/Duo’ in the International Acoustic Music Awards, acoustic duo Ryanhood got their first break as street performers at Boston’s Quincy Market. It was there that they were spotted by a college booking agent and thrust into the college touring scene, where Campus Activities Magazine would name them “one of the most requested acts by college buyers all across the country.”
They’ve since gone on to perform more than 1500 shows in 47 U.S. states and have shared stages with Jason Mraz, Matt Nathanson, Train, and many more. Cameron Hood’s rich and folky lead vocals, Ryan Green’s explosive guitar and mandolin riffs, and their airtight vocal harmonies prompted the Arizona Daily Star to call them, “a match made in radio heaven.”
Their most recent album, Under the Leaves, was named ‘Best of 2021’ by For Folk’s Sake.
Ryanhood, currently on tour celebrating their 20th anniversary together as a band, will perform 7 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 10 at Caffe Lena Tickets are $25. Go to: caffelena.org.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Ethnomusicologist, performer, and educator Joseph Alpar explores the intertwined histories of Jews, Muslims, and Christians in the Ottoman Empire through music at Skidmore College’s Arthur Zankel Music Center.
The event – free and open to the public, takes place 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, at Arthur Zankel Music Center’s Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall
The central theme of the concert, Aşk: Music, Love, and Mysticism in the Ottoman World, is love — aşk in Turkish (pronounced ah-shk) — in all its forms. It will feature poignant songs of unrequited desire, lyrical wedding ballads about marital loyalty, bawdy tunes delighting in infidelity, driving Sufi and Jewish mystical songs about divine and earthly beloveds, and musical vignettes of everyday courtship, relationships, and separation.
ALBANY — Metroland, published from 1978 to 2015, has relaunched as a non-profit with a mission of being a source for arts and entertainment in the region, with a special focus on nonprofits and small businesses.
“Our vision for the Metroland Now is to bridge the gap between the different cities in our area—Albany, Schenectady, Troy, and Saratoga,” said Erin Harkes, editor in chief and publisher of Metroland Now. “We want to encourage folks to travel outside of their area a bit. Saratoga is not that far from Albany. We want to physically bridge the gap and remind people of the incredible events happening here and get them excited about coming back out.”
Metroland Now will publish monthly.
Harkes leads a team that includes graphic designer Kiki Vassilakis, associate editor TJ Foster, multimedia manager Andy Scullin, and a total of 10 volunteers – six of whom had been with Metroland from its origins.
“If we treat our region like one big, beautiful city I think we can see some positive results for our vibrant arts and entertainment scene,” said Harkes in a statement. “There’s no reason we can’t rival places like Austin, Texas with the amount of talent this region has to offer.”
Hard copy issues may be picked up at some area Stewart’s locations, as well as Caffe Lena. For a full list of pick-up locations and more information, go to: www.themetroland.com.
