Honky Tonk Wednesdays
April 5, 12, 19, 26 at Rice Hall VFW Post 1386
Local guitar whiz Connor Kennedy rose from taking his first musical steps at area open mics to performing with Lindsey Webster, Kate Pierson, and Little Feat’s Bill Payne to joining the revived Steely Dan. This month, Kennedy, who’s also led his own bands and recently toured with Rachel Yamagata, is running this country music series at Rice Hall VFW Post 1386. With a promise of “dancing, cold beer, hot pickin’,” each night will feature Kennedy and his crack band of drummer Lee Falco, keyboardist Will Bryant, and bassist Brandon Morrison. Pedal steel great Cindy Cashdollar will join the group for the April 12, 19, and 26 shows. 7pm. $10.
Laufey
April 7 at Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center
“I’m definitely very influenced by composers like Ravel and Chopin,” says Icelandic-Chinese singer-songwriter Laufey (pronounced “Lay-vay”). “But when I discovered the Great American Songbook and the music of George Gershwin and Richard Rodgers, it felt like this middle ground between jazz and classical that suited me perfectly.” Raised between Reykjavík and Washington, DC, Laufey, who here visits the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, mixes pop jazz and lo-fi bedroom pop and has collaborated with the Icelandic Symphony and London Philharmonia orchestras. (Joan Osbourne plays with Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams April 14; the Manhattan Chamber Players perform April 23.) 8pm. $24-$44.
Sonic Wave
April 7-27 at Upstate Films
Local film buffs take note: April is the coolest month to catch one of 21 flicks showcasing the art of cinematic sound in Saugerties and Rhinebeck. Sonic Wave, a month-long celebration at Upstate Films, is putting the brand-new speakers, amps, and controllers at Starr Cinema and Orpheum Theater to the test beginning April 7. Settle into your seat for music from across the ages, including Prince: Sign o’ The Times, Carole King: Live from Central Park ’73, Little Richard: I am Everything, and The Who’s Tommy. Copresented with Bardavon Presents.
Suicide Eyes
April 8 at Arts Society of Kingston
Local actor Taylor Seupel’s short film Suicide Eyes—a 14-minute dark comedy meant to prompt discussion of an often-taboo subject—returns for an encore following its February debut. Hailed by educators as a must-see, the film follows a young man named Jake who decides to end his life. Still, there are circumstances he can’t escape and events that unfold—to which he must bear witness. Join Seupel, a SUNY New Paltz grad, for a Q&A following the screening.
“Tinder Live! with Lane Moore”
April 8 at Colony Woodstock
Tired of spending your Saturday nights swiping left (or right)? Lean into the ridiculous reality that is online dating at “Tinder Live! with Lane Moore.” Watch as Moore takes to the stage to project her phone screen as she swipes through the local harem of men on Tinder and engages in an evening of playful, interactive hilarity with the audience. Followed by an exclusive book signing with Golden Notebook, two weeks before Moore’s second book, You Will Find Your People: How to Make Meaningful Friendships as an Adult, drops on April 25.
Mary Halvorson’s Clone Decay
April 10 at Quinn’s
Described as “the most future-seeking guitarist working right now” by NPR, Mary Halvorson has brought vital new breath to the New York experimental jazz scene. As a band leader she’s released an armful of acclaimed albums, and as a collaborator she’s worked with leading lights like Marc Ribot, John Zorn, Anthony Braxton, Jessica Pavone, Weasel Walter, Tom Rainey, Elliott Sharp, and Ches Smith. Her new project Clone Decay, which also features Kalia Vandever on trombone and Weston Olencki on trombone and electronics, hits Quinn’s for this April date. (Drummer Bryan Kopchak hosts the first Thursday jazz jam April 6.) 8:30pm. $20.
Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba
April 13 at the Falcon
Malian master of the ngoni, an ancient traditional lute found throughout West Africa, Bassekou Kouyate has worked with such names as Paul McCartney, Youssou N’Dour, Ali Farka Toure, John Paul Jones, Bela Fleck, the Kronos Quartet, Taj Mahal, Blur’s Damon Albarn, and Snarky Puppy’s Michael League. Mentored by the great Toumani Diabate, he became a member of the kora virtuoso’s Symmetric Orchestra in the 1980s and with his wife, singer Amy Sacko, produced a number of popular cassettes and was in constant demand on Malian television. He brings his enchanting band, Ngoni Ba, to the Falcon for this rare upstate appearance. (The Jeff “Tain” Watts Quartet jams April 2; SunDub stirs it up April 22.) 7pm. $30 suggested donation.
Home from Here
April 15 at Unison Arts Center
Fans of John Burton’s radio show and podcast “Home from Here”—stemming from his depiction of a mental health crisis and the ensuing legal journey—won’t want to miss his mid-month performance in New Paltz to benefit Unison Arts Center. “I think the subjects of mental health, creativity, music, the legal system, and a redemptive path through all of that resonate way more broadly than I thought they would,” says Burton, whose show (which took four years to write) is testament to the arts pulling him back into community and binding us all together. With guitarist Rich Dashnaw.
The Bard Lectures with Neil Gaiman
April 15 and 16 at the Fisher Center
Award-winning author Neil Gaiman joins the 20th anniversary season at the Fisher Center with a lecture series on writing, in which he will explore creative strategies, share stories, and offer advice—live and in-person. The Bard professor and Fisher Center Advisory Board member’s illustrious career, spanning journalism to graphic novels plus myriad accolades for stage and screen writing, serves as the foundation for his talks. The conversation commences with “Why Be a Bard?” and “A String of Pearls: How We Come to Be Us” and concludes in October with the final trio of talks.
Rick Wakeman
April 15 at Bearsville Theater
In which the hallowed Yes keyboardist makes his way back to the Bearsville Theater for an evening of his music and stories. Before his time in Yes and Strawbs, Rick Wakeman was a much sought-after session musician in the late 1960s and early 1970s who played on more than 2,000 records that include such hits as Cat Stevens’s “Morning Has Broken” and David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” and “Life on Mars”; he’s also played with other notable artists like Donovan, Cilla Black, Marc Bolan, Black Sabbath, Lou Reed, Mary Hopkin, Al Stewart, Elton John, and John Williams. 8pm. $49-$79 advance; $54-$84 day of show; $150 VIP meet and greet.
Odds Against Tomorrow
April 20 at Hudson Hall
Hudson Hall’s inaugural film series, Movies on Mainstreet, invites audience members to experience the magic of the single-screen picture palace each month via classic films curated by hometown heroes. April’s pick, Odds Against Tomorrow (director Robert Wise’s taut 1959 noir partially shot on location in Hudson and featuring myriad local residents as extras) is not only rooted in Columbia County—the film’s dramatic focus, a heist, goes down in Hudson—but also includes a special exhibition of original on-set photographs provided by the Hudson Area Library History Room. Indeed, there’s no place like home.
“Rude Mechanics”
April 20-30 at Bridge Street Theater
Despite its long-ago setting (London, January 1612), “Rude Mechanics” rings hauntingly relevant. The world-premiere by playwright Eric Hissom unfolds in a South Bank theater (in the court of King James) as they frantically prepare for a royal performance. What begins with a spear carrier in Shakespeare’s troupe ultimately gives way to a period comedy about the insanity-turned-wonder of trying to create art—and by extension produce theater—during a time of pandemic, ahem, plague. Like the River Thames, this show promises to be fast and furious (not to mention fun and likely phenomenal).
Tig Notaro
April 21 at the Bardavon
After her September 2022 appearance in Poughkeepsie was canceled, Tig Notaro is poised to say hello to Dutchess County. Again. Lauded for an ability to bring levity to heavy moments (“Hello, good evening, I have cancer” is the opening of her 2012 album, Live), Notaro—named one of the “50 best stand-up comics of all time” by Rolling Stone—is bringing the “Hello Again” tour to the Bardavon in celebration of lots of things—chief among them Drawn, a 2021 animated stand-up special turned album. Swing by and say ‘hi.’
Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams
April 22 at Levon Helm Studios
For this rollicking night, hometown heroes Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams return to the spot where it all happened—“it” being Levon Helm Studios, the site where Live at Levon’s!, their newest album, was recorded. Guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Campbell and singer and guitarist Williams are, of course, very familiar with the venue, having both been long-time accompanists of the late Band drummer, who called the rustic venue his home. Expect a packed turnout for this event headlined by today’s beloved first couple of American roots music and their ace band. Will Lawrence warms up. (Cabinet opens up April 13; the Heavy Heavy weighs in April 14.) $80 seated, $45 standing. 7:30pm.
Benefit for the Vanaver Caravan’s Projects in Auroville
April 22 at Matagiri
Since 2014, the Vanaver Caravan has created cultural exchange programs in India, sharing world dance and music in schools and communities. This winter, they visited to Auroville for the fifth time, working with 200 students from the Aikiyam School. On Earth Day, Matagiri in Mount Tremper hosts a benefit concert for the Caravan to sustain their wok in India. The concert will open with a performance by semi-retired satirists Mikhail Horowitz and Gilles Malkine, followed by Bill and Livia Vanaver, fiddler Chelsea Needham, and members of the Vanaver Youth Dance Company along with special guests. The music and dance company, which celebated its 50th anniversary in 2022, is one of the most longstanding and vibrant parts of the Mid-Hudson Valley arts ecosystem.
John John Brown
April 22 at Howland Cultural Center
John John Brown’s “concerts” are nothing short of novel: The Kerrville New Folk winner is at home sharing the stage with giant comics, iconic photographs, and moving panoramas—all of which converge in “Songs, Stories, & Art—Lessons from Strangers,” an original project turned live performance. Brown introduces his audience to 14 distinct characters (from an aging Vietnam veteran to a young man with mental illness wandering through Walmart) while strumming his six-string and delivering a moral: Each of us has a story others can learn from.
Whose Live Anyway?
April 25 at The Egg
In a bout of serendipitous timing (March marks the show’s 20th anniversary season), the current cast of the Emmy-nominated “Whose Line is it Anyway?” will descend upon Albany to hatch a hilarious evening of improv, live at the Egg. Join Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, Jeff B. Davis, and Joel Murray as they present 90 minutes of improvised comedy (and song!) inspired by audience suggestions and, by extension, participation. Watch and wait as witty scenes reveal the next stage star—who could be you. Fun for all ages plus PG-13 language.
Hudson Valley Tango Festival
April 28-30 at the Senate Garage
Enthusiastic dancers and brave newcomers alike are invited to Dojo Dance Company’s Tango Festival 2023—featuring a full slate of master classes, afternoon practicas, and evening milongas for all abilities. Revel in the strains of live music from the Latin Grammy award-winning Pedro Giraudo Tango Quartet (Saturday) and Pittsburgh Tango Trio with Javier Sanchez (Sunday) and watch the seductive steps of tango stars Hugo Patyn and Celina Rotundo, direct from Buenos Aires.
This article appears in March 2023.
