As we leave 2021 behind and welcome 2022, here are a few fine events with which to celebrate the tradition of transition. Check websites for current COVID protocols and event status.
Art Show at Wassaic Project | through March 19
“What Comes After,” a group show curated by Eve Biddle, Bowie Zunino, Jeff Barnett-Winsby, and Will Hutnick at Wassaic Project in Amenia, is now on view through March 19 from Saturdays from noon to 5pm. The free exhibit presents 10 artists throughout the seven floors of the compound’s Maxon Mills facility. Featured are works by Roxanne Jackson, Kristen Schiele, Luis Edgar Mejicanos, Ashley Epps, LaTonia Allen, Zachary Fabri, Woomin Kim, Dana Robinson, Natalia Arbelaez, and Taha Clayton.
Frenchy and the Punk Livestream | December 29
Like many bands during the pandemic, New Paltz’s perpetually active acoustic duo Frenchy and the Punk have, sadly, seen their touring regimen adversely affected by necessary lockdowns and cancelations. But the twosome is keeping busy with weekly livestream gigs from their home rehearsal space. This week’s themed livestream mini-concert is titled “Cogs and Batfrogs” and will take place on December 29 at 4pm. The show is free and virtual tips are encouraged.
Regional Bach Concerts Set | December 31-January 2
Celebrate the New Year in classical style! On December 31 at 6pm, the Berkshire Bach Society will present “Bach at New Year’s” with Berkshire Bach ensemble director and soloist Eugene Drucker, harpsichordist Kenneth Weiss, and a program of all six of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Brandenburg Concerti at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Or catch the same program on January 1 at 3pm at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall in Troy or on January 2 at 3pm at the Academy of Music in Northampton, Massachusetts. See website for ticket prices and details.
Dark Star Orchestra Jams in Albany | December 31
If ringing in the New Year with a celebration of the music of the Grateful Dead sounds good to you, then make your way to the Palace Theater in Albany on December 31 at 9pm for an epic show by Dark Star Orchestra. Performing for over 20 years at this point, Dark Star Orchestra bases their concerts on actual Grateful Dead set lists, honoring both the band and their fans while seeking out the unique style and sound of each era and offering their own informed improvisations. Tickets are $41.50-$55.
NYE Dance Party at Bearsville Theater | December 31
Get your groove on for New Year’s Eve on December 31 at 8pm with “Together,” a DJ-dominated dance party at the Bearsville Theater in Bearsville. The explosive extravaganza includes mixed beats by Lady Verse, Shaman Vybez, DJ Joey Hernandez, Majic Juan, and Jungle Punk B2B Skillathon, as well as live drumming by Ngonda Badilla of Diata Diata International Folkloric Theatre, visuals, a midnight balloon drop, and more. Tickets are $20-$25.
David Kraii, Larry Packer in Windham | December 31
Maybe you’d like something a little more musically downhome on New Year’s Eve? If so, wend your way to Windham’s East Wind Hotel & Bar for a cozy concert by rustic singer-songwriter David Kraii and famed fiddler Larry Packer. The latter, a Hudson Valley music scene veteran of more than four decades, launched his long career in 1967 with New York band Cat Mother and the All Night Newsboys and can be seen accompanying The Band during their 1976 farewell concert in the film The Last Waltz. Admission is free.
Met Livestream of “Cinderella” in Millerton | January 1
On January 1 at 12:55pm, the Moviehouse in Millerton will screen Massanet’s “Cinderella” in a live cinema transmission from Lincoln Center as part of the Met’s award-winning Live in HD series to bring opera to movie theaters across the globe. For the performance, Laurent Pelly’s storybook staging is presented with an all-new English translation in an abridged 90-minute adaptation with mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard as its rags-to-riches princess. Tickets are $28.
“Things Past: Mining Memory” in Rhinebeck |
through January 23
“Things Past: Mining Memory,” a solo exhibition of over 25 oil on linen paintings by Christie Scheele, is on view now through January 23 at Albert Shahinian Fine Art in Rhinebeck. The works “spring from the artist’s memories of particular places and moments in time,” says the gallery’s description. “These memories bring a dynamism to the imagery as she paints, and the emotions present have an intensity that underlies the more apparent serenity in her work.” See website for visiting hours.
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This article appears in December 2021.
