The Rogovoy Report: Berkshire and Hudson Valley Cultural Preview
Apr 18-27, 2023
With so much going on culturally speaking in our greater Berkshires/Hudson Valley region, this is my highly selective, curated snapshot of some of the most promising upcoming events …
MOUNTAIN GOATS BRING WHIMSICAL INDIE-FOLK to ALBANY
Indie-folk artists the Mountain Goats bring their rootsy, laid-back, serio-comic aesthetic and plainspoken harmonies to Upstate Concert Hall in Albany, N.Y., on Tuesday, April 18, at 8pm. (Tue, Apr 18)
LITTLE FEAT BRINGS CLASSIC AMERICANA to TROY
Little Feat, still featuring Bill Payne on keyboards and vocals and Fred Tackett on guitar, bring their funky blend of American roots-rock to Troy [N.Y.] Savings Bank Music Hall on Tuesday, April 18, at 7:30pm. (Tue, Apr 18)
RICHARD LLOYD BRINGS NEW YORK PUNK to EGREMONT BARN
The Richard Lloyd Group, led by the titular founding member of punk-rock legends Television, brings its New York City style of rock ‘n’ roll to the Egremont Barn in South Egremont, Mass., on Wednesday, April 19, at 7:30pm. (Wed, Apr 19)
JAZZ VIBES QUARTET PLAYS FREE CONCERT at HUDSON LIBRARY
The Michael Benedict Jazz Vibes Quartet entertains at Hudson Area Library in Hudson, N.Y., on Wednesday, April 19, at 6pm. The band will perform both straight-ahead and Latin-influenced jazz. (Wed, Apr 19)
MARCUS ROBERTS BRINGS MODERN JAZZ to BARD COLLEGE
Marcus Roberts’ Modern Jazz Generation and the Bard Jazz Innovators, a concert led by award-winning pianist and composer Marcus Roberts, will take place in Olin Hall at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y., on Thursday, April 20, at 8pm. Roberts, who is also a professor of music at Bard, will perform with his eight-piece professional ensemble, Modern Jazz Generation, in a variety of player combinations throughout the evening with the Bard Jazz Innovators, a nine-piece student ensemble. (Thu, Apr 20)
ARLO GUTHRIE BRINGS STORIES and MEMORIES to ALBANY
Famed folksinger Arlo Guthrie brings his new spoken word show What’s Left of Me, featuring stories, rarely seen video footage, and audience Q&A, to the Egg in Albany, N.Y., on Friday, April 21, at 7:30pm. (Fri, Apr 21)
NATALIA ZUKERMAN & MELISSA FERRICK SING for EARTH DAY
Singer-songwriters Natalia Zukerman and Melissa Ferrick headline the Get Your Green On Earth Day Concert at the Methodist Church in Millerton, N.Y., on Saturday, April 22, at 7pm. Proceeds will benefit Rock Steady Farm, a queer-owned and operated cooperative farm rooted in social justice. (Sat, Apr 22)
RACHELLE GARNIEZ & ERIK DELLA PENNA SING NYC SONGS in SPENCERTOWN
Singer-songwriters Rachelle Garniez and Erik Della Penna join forces to perform songs about New York City, with an accompanying slide show of old photos taken in 1928, in their program, Sidewalks of New York, at Spencertown Academy in Spencertown, N.Y., on Saturday, April 22, at 8pm. Both artists bring a wealth of inspirations and influences, from Tin Pan Alley to folk to Americana and more. (Sat, Apr 22)
CAROLYN WONDERLAND BRINGS BLUES GUITAR to DALTON
Carolyn Wonderland will perform at the Stationery Factory in Dalton, Mass., on Saturday, April 22, at 7:30pm. The Texas guitarist, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist’s album Tempting Fate was named one of the top ten Best Blues Albums of 2021 by MOJO Magazine. Wonderland spent three years as lead guitarist in blues legend John Mayall’s Blues Breakers, the first woman ever to hold that position, where her male predecessors included the likes of Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, Peter Green, and Coco Montoya. (Sat, Apr 22)
LARRY CAMPBELL & TERESA WILLIAMS CELEBRATE CD RELEASE at LEVON HELM STUDIOS
Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams, the first couple of Americana, celebrate the release of their terrific new live album, Live at Levon’s, with a concert -- where else? -- at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, N.Y., on Saturday, April 22, at 8pm. (Sat, Apr 22)
SAVION GLOVER BRINGS TAP ENSEMBLE to THE EGG
Savion Glover brings his tap dance ensemble and musicians ORCHeST’DaNCE RA to the Egg in Albany, N.Y., on Saturday, April 22, at 8pm. (Sat, Apr 22)
SUSAN WERNER BRINGS FOLK-POP to 8th STEP
Singer-songwriter-pianist-guitarist Susan Werner, called by National Public Radio “a hip, wry, gifted performer,” will bring her original mix of folk, rock, pop, gospel, blues, and Americana to the 8th Step at Proctors in Schenectady, N.Y., on Saturday, April 22, at 7:30pm. Singer-songwriter Joe Jencks will warm up the crowd for Werner. (Sat, Apr 22)
APHIDS BRING EXPERIMENTAL THEATER to PS21
Australian experimental theater group APHIDS bring their program The Director to PS21 in Chatham, N.Y., for three shows, on Saturday, April 22, at 2 and 7pm, and again on Sunday, April 23, at 2pm. In The Director, the theater artists demystify and expose the death industry, using humor and first-hand knowledge to dig a little deeper into what happens after we go. (Sat-Sun, Apr 22-23)
MANHATTAN CHAMBER PLAYERS BRING BACH and COPLAND to MAHAIWE
The Manhattan Chamber Players make their Close Encounters With Music debut at the Mahaiwe in Great Barrington, Mass., on Sunday, April 23, at 4pm, performing works by Bach, Copland, and Mendelssohn. (Sun, Apr 23)
DORIC QUARTET PLAYS HAYDN, BERG at UNION COLLEGE
The Doric String Quartet and pianist Benjamin Grosvenor from the UK perform works by Haydn, Berg, and Bridge at Union College’s Memorial Chapel on Sunday, April 23, at 3pm, presented by Capital Region Classical. (Sun, Apr 23)
Roll Call: Founding Members
Anne Fredericks
Anonymous (5)
Erik Bruun
Benno Friedman
Richard Koplin
Steve and Helice Picheny
Rhonda Rosenheck
Elisa Spungen and Rob Bildner/Berkshires Farm Table Cookbook