Displaying items by tag: saratoga

Last year, several dozen David Cassidy fans – some of whom embarked on their journey from a few thousand miles away – descended on the Spa City last year to celebrate the life of David Cassidy. The popular singer died in November 2017 at the age of 67.

The inaugural event, billed as “A Celebration of David Cassidy’s Life,” was initiated by Cassidy fan Samantha Cox, from her home in Indiana. “I chose Saratoga because he was into horse racing and he mentioned it as his favorite place in the world,”said Cox, adding that she took on as her New Year’s Resolution a mission to do something to honor Cassidy’s life.

Cassidy appeared on The Partridge Family TV series, which aired on ABC from 1970 to 1974, and subsequently launched a solo music career. He charted more than one dozen Top 100 hits in the early 1970s, both as a solo artist and in his role as a member of the Partridge Family.  Cassidy’s passion for equines frequently brought him to Saratoga, where he bought his first yearling and where in 2001 he purchased a home.

This year, a gathering to honor Cassidy will be held May 19-20.  

Sunday May 19

10 a.m. - Re-dedication of the David Cassidy Benches at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Union Avenue, Saratoga Springs.   

6 p.m. to midnight - Author Johnny Ray Miller will sign copies of his book “When We're Singin',” and will be joined by Michael V. Pomarico – the multi-daytime Emmy Award winner who for over 27 years directed the soap opera “All My Children.” Live music will be performed by 45rpm and the event will include a silent auction. Up for auction: a boat once owned by David Cassidy, donated by his friends Dr. Jerry Bilinski and his wife, Darlene. Horse trainer Gary Contessa is also scheduled to perform on stage for a couple of numbers.  Location: King Neptune's Pub, 1 Kurosaka Lane, Lake George. Tickets: $35.   

Monday May 20

Noon to 4 p.m. at King Neptune's Pub - Johnny Ray Miller and Michael V. Pomarico will return for a brunch catered by King Neptune's Pub.  The celebration of David Cassidy's life will take place with people giving testimonials of how much David meant to them, live and on video. The silent auctions will also continue. Tickets: $50. Proceeds will go to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Columbia Greene Humane Society, Adirondack Save A Stray.

For more information on all events and to purchase tickets, go to:  www.kingneptunespub.com.

GREENFIELD – They’re always on call, never get paid, and immediately respond to crisis in the community.

Gordon McGrath, Robert Roxbury, and Jackie Atwell have each served as volunteer firefighters for more than a half-century. On Saturday, May 11, alongside young firefighters Jerrid Marshall, and Matthew Petkus, the three men will be recognized by the town of Greenfield for voluntarily serving their community for 50 years. 

Gordon "Mickey" McGrath joined the Middle Grove Fire Company when he was 18, following in the footsteps of his grandfather – an original member of the company. To date, McGrath estimates he has answered more than 4,000 calls.

Robert “Bob” Roxbury this year celebrates 51 years as an active firefighter, the past 20 in the role of fire police, where he currently serves as District Captain. Aligned with the Porter Corners Fire Co., Roxbury joined the company as his wife was in the Auxiliary and because, he says: "it's important to support your community.”

Jackie Atwell joined the Greenfield Fire Co., at the age of 21. Atwell’s father was his biggest influence in becoming a firefighter, letting Jackie – since the age of 8- hang out with him at the firehouse.   This year he marks his 51st year with the company.

The town of Greenfield is located approximately five miles north of Saratoga Springs and has a population of approximately 7,400 residents. Geographically, it is the largest town in Saratoga County, covering more than 41,000 acres.

It was a fire in 1946 which proved as main catalyst for the establishment of the Greenfield Fire District.  When a blaze destroyed a home on Maple Avenue - just outside the Saratoga Springs Fire Department district – it was left unattended because the city’s department was prohibited from responding to the fire due to insurance reasons. The towns of Greenfield and Wilton were at the time dependent on “bucket brigades” to battle fires. The Greenfield Fire District was subsequentially formed in 1947 and counts four fire companies:  Greenfield Center, Porter Corners, Middle Grove, and Maple Avenue.  

All three men continue to be active in the department, answering the emergency calls for fires, car accidents, medical events and search and rescue missions on both water and land.

A community recognition dinner honoring Atwell, McGrath and Roxbury, as well as volunteer firefighters Jerrid Marshall (7 years of service) and Matthew Petkus (6 years of service) will take place Saturday, May 11 at Brookhaven Golf Course, 333 Alpine Meadows Road, in Porter Corners. Appetizers at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. and recognition at 8. Tickets are $30 adults, $18 children 5 to 11 years of age; under 5 are free. For more information, contact Diane Czechowicz at 518 587-2410.  The event being staged in memory of local man Don Young.                   

COURT

Stephen Lerario, 43, of Greenfield, was sentenced May 3 to 25 years in jail and five years of post-release supervision, following a March conviction of attempted murder in the second degree, according to the Saratoga County District Attorney’s Office. Additional sentencing included 25 years in jail and five years of post-release supervision for the conviction of first-degree assault, 3-1/2 to 7 years for the conviction of criminal possession of a weapon in the third-degree, and 1 year for the conviction of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth-degree. All sentences are to run concurrently. The charges are related to an incident in Greenfield in April 2018 when Lerario shot his girlfriend during an argument, resulting in the victim suffering the loss of an eye, brain injury and facial fractures. 

Steven Welch, 36, of Saratoga Springs, pleaded May 6 to criminal contempt in the first-degree. Sentencing scheduled for June 24. 

James E. Rowe, 34, homeless, pleaded May 3 to failure to register as a sex offender. Sentencing scheduled for May 3. 

Sheila E. Wray, 62, of Saratoga Springs, pleaded April 29 to felony DWI. Sentencing scheduled for July 1. 

Stephen T. Ouimet, 44, of Middle Grove, pleaded May 1 to reckless endangerment in the first-degree, in Saratoga. Sentencing scheduled June 19. 

POLICE 

Kevin Kelly, 38, of Saratoga Springs, was charged April 30 with disorderly conduct/violent behavior. 

Victor Maffetone, 32, of Saratoga Springs, was charged May 2 with felony assault in the second-degree. 

Patricia Vanwicklen, 71, of Saratoga Springs, was charged May 3 with misdemeanor DWI, after being involved in a property damage accident on Ballston Avenue. 

Tony Deloatch, 27, of Saratoga Springs, was charged May 4 with endangering the welfare of a child, criminal mischief, felony criminal contempt in connection with the alleged violation of an order of protection, misdemeanor assault, unlawful possession of marijuana. 

Tyler Jackson, 27, of Saratoga Springs, was charged May 4 with disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest misdemeanor, on Caroline Street. 

Brian Raymond, 48, of Saratoga Springs, was charged May 4 with petit larceny. 

Phelicia Gignac, 23, of Queensbury, was charged May 5 with criminal possession of a controlled substance. 

Hannah Kaltenbach, 19, of Mechanicville, was charged May 5 with misdemeanor DWI, and operating a motor vehicle without a signal. 

Shelby L. Stone, 19, of Glens Falls, was charged May 1 with assault, and criminal mischief - both misdemeanors, and endangering the welfare of a child – a felony, following an alleged domestic incident in South Glens Falls.    

Edward R. Bradt, 53, of Gloversville, was charged April 30 with one felony count and one misdemeanor count of criminal contempt, and stalking in the fourth-degree, in connection with an alleged incident that occurred April 24 at the South Glens Falls School in the Town of Moreau. 

INVESTIGATION

At about 11:35 p.m. on Thursday, May 2, police were dispatched to the area of Church Street near Broadway for a possible assault in progress. Upon arrival officers found several people congregated around 34-year-old Davide Ferrara of Schenectady, but no active altercation was in progress. Ferrara was found to have an apparent head injury and Saratoga Springs Fire was sent to the scene. Ferrara suffered a significant head injury and was subsequently transported to Albany Medical Center. 

The investigation thus far indicates two groups of men, one of whom was with Ferrara, became engaged in an altercation on Caroline Street. The dispute gravitated to Broadway, north on Broadway, and then onto Church Street by the Post Office where Ferrara was found. According to police, the altercation was physical at several points during the event, with several persons involved being struck at different points along the way. 

The case is an open investigation with assistance from the New York State Police and the Saratoga County District Attorney’s Office. 

Authorities ask anyone in the area of Broadway during this incident with information regarding the event to contact the Saratoga Springs Police Department at 518-584-1800.

COURT

James F. Labarr, 29, of Saratoga Springs, was sentenced April 25 to five years of probation, after pleading to aggravated DWI, in Wilton. 

Albert B. Mercer, 63, of Saratoga Springs, was convicted on April 25 of first-degree manslaughter, and tampering with physical evidence. According to the Saratoga County District Attorney’s office, Mercer stabbed and killed his wife’s cousin, Patrick Collins, following a domestic dispute on July 1, 2018 on Zephyr Lane. 

Henry J. Desnoyers, 48, of Troy, was sentenced April 23 to 1 to 3 years in state prison, after pleading to aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, in Malta. 

Elizabeth A. Stanley, 22, of Schenectady, pleaded April 22 to criminal sale of a controlled substance, a felony, in Malta. Sentencing scheduled July 1. 

POLICE 

Angelina Pantoja, 27, of Saratoga Springs, was charged April 26 with petit larceny, in connection with an alleged incident on Ballston Avenue. 

Sierra Matthews, 24, of Ballston Spa, was charged April 27 with misdemeanor DWI, drinking alcohol in motor vehicle on highway, moving from lane unsafely and refusal to take breath test, after being involved in a property damage accident on Broadway in Saratoga Springs. 

Nicholas Hanehan, 26, of Saratoga, was charged April 27 with resisting arrest – a misdemeanor, and disorderly conduct, on Caroline Street.

Randell Overton, 36, of Saratoga, was charged April 22 with misdemeanor DWI, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle – felony, and speeding, following a traffic stop on
Church Street. 

Bartek Malikowski, 18, of Saratoga Springs, was charged April 23 with criminal possession of a controlled substance, and criminal possession of marijuana – both misdemeanors. 

Michael Heritage, 55, of Charlton, was charged April 15 with criminal contempt in the
second degree. 

Jacob Lee, 21, of Gansevoort, was charged April 23 with operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs – a misdemeanor, and unlawful possession of marijuana. 

Richard Rudolph, 52, of Galway, was charged April 24 with misdemeanor DWI, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the  third-degree, refusal to take breath test, motor vehicle equipment violation- no/ insufficient tail lamps, and unlawful possession of marijuana, following a traffic stop on Route 9N. 

Michael Kearsing, 28, of Schenectady, was charged with criminal mischief/ intent to damage property, on Jefferson Street. 

Kevin C. Leno, age 34, of Ballston Spa, was charged April 29 with criminal contempt in the first-degree, a felony, and assault in the third-degree, and reckless endangerment of property - both misdemeanors. Leno is accused of violating an order of protection and causing physical injury to a woman known to him, by striking her and pushing her off of stairs. 

Michael R. O’Dea, age 27, and Anna L. Dougherty, age 22, were each charged with two felony counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, and one misdemeanor count of criminal possession of marijuana. According to authorities, members of the Saratoga Springs Police Department executed a search warrant at 282 Ballston Avenue - Apartment #2, on April 24. The event was the culmination of a month-long investigation into possible illegal narcotics activity. During the execution of the search warrant, over one ounce of powdered cocaine, five ounces of marijuana, about $1000 cash, and miscellaneous drug paraphernalia consistent with narcotic sales were seized, police said. O’Dea and Dougherty, who both reside at the apartment, were subsequently charged, arraigned and sent to Saratoga County Jail on bail.

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Fred Astaire trips the light fantastic with Ginger Rogers on a dayglo brilliance that emanates across the frame. A pensive Snow White, encircled by a half-dozen dwarfs, hovers atop a Russian banner as the Evil Queen ominously glares from the shadows. Here is Lucille Ball exuding a technicolor presence in announcing MGM’s Ziegfield Follies in 1945. There, is “The Sound of Music” from Germany, “Dirty Dancing” from Poland, and Clark Gable in “Dancing Lady,” a promotion that comes from Belgium.

“I’ve always been fascinated by posters from this period,” says Mike Kaplan, who has collected vintage movie posters for several decades.    

“The key to collecting the vintage ones began in the late ‘70s when I went to a store called Chic-A-Boom, a memorabilia shop on Melrose,” Kaplan recalls. “There was a stack of movie posters against the wall. The first one was “Irish Eyes Are Smiling," a musical from the ‘40s and it had a full-length still photography image of June Haver, who I had a crush on as a teenager. So, I bought that one and in a way that began the second phase of the collection.”

Kaplan estimates he has 3,000 to 4,000 posters in his collection. More than 100 will be displayed in Saratoga at The National Museum of Dance at the exhibition “Art of the Dance: Posters from Hollywood’s Golden Age from The Mike Kaplan Collection.”  The exhibit will open May 10, a date that also marks what would have been Fred Astaire's 120th birthday.

“The great thing about the posters is people will be exposed to artwork from so many different countries interpreting American movies in different ways - so you get completely different interpretations of a movie from France or Italy, Germany or Japan,” says Kaplan, who grew up in Providence, Rhode Island. “There is also the size of the posters. They vary from country-to-country. People walk in and for the most part their jaws drop seeing the imagery, the size and the amount of care that went into the artwork.”   

More than 100 dance movie posters will be mounted in three of the Museum's galleries. The posters range in date from 1918 to the 1980s with the majority representing the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. 

Kaplan was 9 or 10 years old when his family vacationed in the Saratoga region. Today, he makes his home in Idaho. He has penned a pair of books -– “Gotta Dance,” and “Gotta Dance Too!” -  depicting the posters and their history. During the 1960s, he worked as marketing strategist on two iconic Stanley Kubrick films.

“With 2001 (A Space Odyssey), I was working at MGM as a publicist. I don’t think people remember this, but the film was not well-received initially. It wasn’t positioned properly. People were expecting some kind of traditional science fiction movie; instead it was this contemplative, metaphysical journey into time. The audience and the critics weren’t prepared for it. It threw people, but I just loved the movie. I thought it was one of the best films ever made and I still feel that way,” Kaplan says.

“With ‘Clockwork Orange,’ I wanted everything to be perfect so there wasn’t any misinterpretation of the movie and having everything choreographed out to the nth degree – which Stanley appreciated and loved doing because he was such a perfectionist. So, we got on very well. Kubrick was just a great artist and whatever he touched was of importance. There was just a phenomenal response to it,” Kaplan said.  

Selections of the posters have been on view in major venues such as Lincoln Center and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Art of the Dance at the National Museum of Dance will be the largest and longest installation of this collection to date, on view until spring 2020.

In addition to Astaire, several major dance and musical stars from the 20th century are highlighted such as Gene Kelly, Ginger Rogers, Shirley Temple, and The Nicholas Brothers. 

 The opening reception for Art of the Dance: Posters from Hollywood’s Golden Age will take place on Friday, May 10 at 7:00 pm. The cost is $10 per person and free for members. The National Museum of Dance is located at 99 South Broadway. For more information, 518-584-2225, or go to:  www.dancemuseum.org.

COURT

Mark A. Russitano, 33, of Utica, pleaded April 19 to attempted robbery in the third-degree, a felony, in Clifton Park. Sentencing scheduled June 14. 

Tarey B. Meyer, 49, of Saratoga Springs, was sentenced April 19 to one year in jail, after pleading to one count each aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a felony, in Saratoga Springs, and in Clifton Park, respectively. Sentence to run concurrently. 

Adam L. Benjamin, 27, of Clifton Park, was sentenced April 19 to time served and five years of probation, after pleading to felony grand larceny, regarding incidents taking place in Malta and in Ballston. 

Katie E. Barton, 38, was sentenced April 22 to 11 months in jail, after pleading to misdemeanor DWI, and  aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle – a felony, in Saratoga Springs. 

POLICE 

Richard Razzano, age 23, of South Glens Falls, was charged April 21 with misdemeanor DWI, driving the wrong way on a one-way street, and leaving the scene of a property damage accident, on Putnam Street in Saratoga Springs. 

Robert Stafford, age 23, of Ballston Spa, was charged April 21 with misdemeanor DWI, misdemeanor aggravated DWI, failure to obey a traffic device, making an unsafe turn/failure to give appropriate signal, on Broadway in Saratoga Springs.

Brittany Neddo, 28, of Cohoes, was charged April 21 with misdemeanor DWI, failure to keep to the right, failure to obey traffic control device, and refusing to take a breath test, on South Broadway in Saratoga Springs. 

Bridgette Barr, 49, of Ballston Spa, was charged April 20 with criminal trespass, a misdemeanor, on Church Street in Saratoga Springs.

Scott Parillo, 45, of Saratoga Springs, was charged April 21 with misdemeanor DWI, moving from lane unsafely, and leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, on Beacon Hill Drive. 

COURT 

Michael T. Garrick, age 36, of Schuylerville, was sentenced April 12 to 3 to 6 years, and 1.5 to 3 years, respectively, in prison, after pleading to felony robbery in Saratoga Springs, and in Halfmoon.  Sentences to run consecutively. 

John E. Gutierez, Jr., age 20, of Crown Point, pleaded April 15 to criminal possession of a controlled substance, a felony, in Wilton. Sentencing June 10. 

POLICE

Kendalyn D. Thew, age 21, of Queensbury, was charged April 14 with felony assault, resisting arrest and aggravated DWI – both misdemeanors, and moving from lane unsafely, following a motor vehicle crash on North Creek Road in the Town of Greenfield. 

Nicholas Q. Furnia, age 24, of Gansevoort, was charged April 14 with felony DWI, and speeding in the Town of Wilton. 

Waychard Robinson, age 39, of Ballston Spa, was charged April 12 with unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and moving unsafely from lane, in Saratoga Springs. 

Dale Jeffer, age 61, of Moreau, was charged April 13 with misdemeanor DWI, driving the wrong direction down a one-way street, unlawful possession of marijuana, and criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, a felony, in Saratoga Springs. 

Richard Doyle, age 56, of Ballston Spa, was charged April 13 with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle after being involved in a property accident in Saratoga Springs. 

Roy Roberts, Jr., age 50, of Saratoga Springs, was charged April 13 with unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and moving unsafely from lane, in Saratoga Springs.

Kathryn Breen, age 44, of Saratoga Springs, was charged April 14 with following too closely, drinking alcohol in motor vehicle on a highway, misdemeanor DWI, operating a motor vehicle without an inspection certificate, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. 

Justin H. Santos, age 20, of Schenectady, was charged April 12 with burglary in the second-degree, grand larceny in the fourth-degree and criminal mischief in the third-degree, all felonies, on the suspicion of his connection with an August 2017 burglary in the Town of Malta. 

Case Lailer, age 34, of Gansevoort, was charged April 9 with misdemeanor petit larceny in Saratoga Springs. 

Rashamer Shorter, age 27, of Schenectady, was charged April 10 with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and a missing/displayed improperly license plate in Saratoga Springs. 

Dennis Quinn, age 63, of Troy, was charged April 11 with criminal mischief, and criminal tampering, both misdemeanors in Saratoga Springs. 

Austin Gunter, age 32, of Scarbro, West Virginia, was charged April 11 with misdemeanor DWI and refusal to take a breath test, and a vehicle equipment violation in Saratoga Springs.

A 44-year-old man was taken into custody following a near four-hour standoff with police on Tuesday. The man, whose name was not publicly released, refused to speak to officers performing a welfare check at the man’s residence, at the Whitmore Court Apartments on Jefferson Street.  Based on initial phone conversations with public safety dispatchers, police say the man gave the impression of being a threat to himself, or to others. Additionally, he implied that he had a firearm of some sort with him, according to police.  Police negotiators from the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Special Operations Team and the Saratoga Springs Fire Department responded to the scene. Negotiations went on for close to four hours and finally broke down, police said. Based upon this lack of progress, the decision was made to make entry into the apartment, and the man was subsequently taken into custody. A black pistol, later found to be a plastic airsoft pistol, was recovered inside the apartment. The man was transported to Saratoga Hospital for evaluation. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS – The North Broadway building that has served as a Masonic Lodge for the past 65 years is being placed up for sale.  

Rising Sun Lodge No. 103 was founded in 1809 and first held meetings at Reynolds Corners, located about four miles north of Gansevoort. The lodge moved to Wilton a decade later and in the 1820s relocated to Saratoga Springs, long before Saratoga Springs became a city. Several different venues  in and around Saratoga Springs were used for more than a century that followed, before eventually purchasing the building at 687 North Broadway in the early 1950s, where the Rising Sun lodge has been located ever since. 

“Past Masters” of the local organization have included prominent 19th century Saratogians Reuben Hyde Walworth, Carey B. Moon - of the invention of the potato chip fame , and Edgar Truman Brackett, among others.    

The lodge sits on just under one-half acre of land on a corner lot, features two floors, an attic, an unfinished basement and is listed at $1.3 million.

“It’s 8,000 square feet with an unfinished floor in the attic that could be amazing. We believe whoever buys this is going to finish that third floor,” said Joann Potrzuski Cassidy, licensed associate real estate broker at Julie & Co. Realty.

The main floor features 10-1/2-foot-tall ceilings in a Lady's Sitting Room, and a butler's pantry. There are a quartet of fireplaces throughout – although some work will be required to get them re-functioning. Its potential future uses are seemingly endless: from a single-family home with nanny quarters or a neighborhood bed-and-breakfast, to an organization’s use as a private school, religious institution, or senior housing facility. A unique split staircase to the second floor lends itself to potential as a condominium project – although that would require Special Use variance from the city’s Land Use Boards.

The single staircase splits on the first landing and leads into two, opposite direction leading staircases, each feeding into a different and separate wing upstairs. One leads to a big, unfinished attic that boasts arched windows; the other to a massive meeting room where members meet and sites an altar in the center of the room, seating for the Worshipful Master against the east wall, the Senior Warden against the west wall and symmetrical rows along the north and south areas where members are seated. The Masons use ritual in their meetings and a Volume of the Sacred Law – usually the Bible, King James translation sits atop the center-room altar, but Masonry is not a religion. 

The home was built in about 1904 for Harry S. Ludlow, of Troy, and designed by architect R. Newton Brezee – designer of dozens of Saratoga Springs buildings, including many residences still standing along Union Avenue and North Broadway.

The Masons, or Freemasons, call themselves members of the largest and oldest fraternity in the world. Specific details regarding the group’s origins are murky, although it is believed likely to have come from the guilds of the stonemasons in the Middle Ages, and possibly influenced by the Knights of Templar – described by the Masonic Information Center in Maryland as Christian warrior monks formed in 1118 to help protect pilgrims making trips to the Holy Land.  A formal organization was initiated in England in 1717 and spread to the colonies within a few short years.

Masonry has a reputation of being “secretive” – there are grips and passwords that Masons share with one another – but Amy Lynch, president of the Masonic Hall Association of Saratoga Springs, says the biggest secret is the good work they do, particularly in the medical field.

“We’re the best-kept secret and we do a lot of good in the community,” Lynch said.

Under the banner of the Masonic Family, the Rising Sun Lodge is involved with the Masonic Medical Research Laboratory in Utica; the Washington Commandry is part of the Knights Templar – whose  philanthropic projects involves the Knights Templar Eye Foundation; the Cryptic council works with Parkinson’s disease research, and the Royal Arch Masons are also part of a medical research program.

Of the women’s groups – the Order of the Eastern Star – whose members include women and men, has had a regional chapter for the past 122 years and maintains a campus in Oriskany that houses a day care facility for children and independent living accommodations. The Order of the Amaranth focuses its philanthropic energies on diabetes research.

Perhaps best know are Shriners International – the fraternity based on Masonic principles and support of Shriners Hospitals for Children, at 22 locations throughout North America.

Masonic Hall Association Board Member Harold Goodsell says Rising Sun Lodge No. 103 – which is not a tax-exempt organization - is looking to relocate close to but not in the city of Saratoga Springs, to a smaller building that would be more accommodating to members and may actually construct an entirely new building to suit its purposes. 

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SARATOGA SPRINGS – Renowned performance artist and practicing Buddhist Laurie Anderson will take part in the Tang Museum’s Dunkerley Dialogues on April 17 – night two of the museum’s three-night “Bardo Now” events.

Anderson first gained widespread attention with her song "O Superman," in the early 1980s. Other major recordings include “Big Science,” “Mister Heartbreak,” “Strange Angels,” and “Home of the Brave,” among others.  Major performance pieces include United States I-V, Empty Places, The Nerve Bible, and Songs and Stories for Moby Dick.

Anderson spent time in the early 1970s as an artist-in-residence at the ZBS Foundation’s 33-acre complex on the Hudson River between the villages of Schuylerville and Fort Edward. Anderson met songwriter Lou Reed in the 1990’s and the two were later wed. She released her emotionally moving and highly acclaimed documentary film “Heart of A Dog” in 2015.

The Tang Museum, “Bardo Now,” April 16-18.

Schedule:

- 6 p.m., Tuesday, April 16 - A discussion of George Saunders’ acclaimed novel, "Lincoln in the Bardo."

- 6 p.m., Wednesday, April 17 - A talk with performance artist and practicing Buddhist, Laurie Anderson and Benjamin Bogin, director of the Asian studies program at Skidmore College.

- 6 p.m., Thursday, April 18 - Concert by guitarist, Tashi Dorji and percussionist, Susie Ibarra, performing an experimental duet conceived for this event as a musical Bardo exploration.

Events are free and open to the public and are held in conjunction with the exhibition “The Second Buddha: Master of Time,” which explores the life, legend, and legacy of Padmasambhava, a tantric master who is an iconic figure in Tibetan culture, celebrated as “The Second Buddha” and credited for bringing Buddhism to Tibet. The concept of the bardo is described in “The Tibetan Book of the Dead,” which is attributed to Padmasambhava.

The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College, 815 North Broadway. For more information, call 518-580-8080.

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Yo La Tengo is bringing their wondrous mix of sweetness and noise to the Spa City June 6 for a performance at the Zankel Music Center, on the campus of Skidmore College

The event is billed as an hour-long “live documentary,” with filmmaker Sam Green narrating the film and cue-ing images for “The Love Song of R. Buckminster Fuller,” while Yo La Tengo performs their original score live. Tickets are $25. For more information, go to: skidmore.edu/zankel.