Looking to infuse your gloomy February in the Hudson Valley with some live music? Arts editor Peter Aaron rounds up six live music shows worth catching, from synth pop star Annie Hart to America's top power pop band live, Cheap Trick.
Bonny Light Horseman/Joe Pug
February 7
Bonny Light Horseman is a folk supergroup made up of Grammy- and Tony-winning singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell ("Hadestown"), Eric D. Johnson (Fruit Bats, Califone, the Shins), and Josh Kaufman (Bob Weir, Craig Finn). The trio's self-titled debut, released last month, has been eliciting critical raves for its ghostly takes on traditional English ballads. Chicago-based troubadour Joe Pug's road-weary tunes echo with the musical spells of Dylan, Prine, and Cohen and the literary slants of Steinbeck, Whitman, and Carver. The two acts share this intimate night at Levon Helm Studios. (The Weight Band plays the Band February 15; Tanya Tucker trucks in March 6.) 7:30pm. $30, $45. Woodstock.
Cheap Trick
February 7
If you've somehow never seen America's top power pop band live, well, you really need to correct that sad situation. This month, the pride of Rockford, Illinois—roaring frontman Robin Zander, mugging guitarist Rick Nielsen, thundering bassist Tom Petersson, and Petersson's son Daxx now in place of original drummer Bun E. Carlos—blows the ornately decorated roof off the Palace Theater. As liberating as anthems like "Surrender," "I Want You to Want Me," and "Southern Girls" hit via record, it just don't get no better than the real, live thing. In concert, Cheap Trick never disappoints. (Get the Led Out lionizes Led Zeppelin February 1; the Wood Brothers knock it out February 8.) 8pm. $34.75-$64.75. Albany.
Eric Person Plays Ronald Shannon Jackson
February 9
Drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson (1940-2013) was one of New York's avant-jazz pioneers, performing with Albert Ayler, Cecil Taylor, and Ornette Coleman; in the mid-1970s he was in the latter's electric free funk band, Prime Time. In 1979 he formed the Decoding Society, a group that featured a pre-Living Color Vernon Reid on guitar and future Ben Harper sideman Eric Person on saxophones. Person pays tribute to the music of Jackson at the Falcon with this date, which also features keyboardist Neil "Nail" Alexander, bassist Robert Kopec, and drummer Dean Sharp. (Cindy Cashdollar slides in February 3; Telepathic Moon Dance jams February 6.) 8pm. Donation requested. Marlboro.
Zoltan Fejervari
February 16
Pianist Zoltan Fejervari has performed in his native Hungary as a soloist with the Budapest Festival Orchestra, the Hungarian National Orchestra, and the Concerto Budapest Orchestra. Here, he adds the 1872 Howland Cultural Center to the list of prestigious venues he's appeared at, which also includes Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, the Library of Congress, the Palau de Musica in Valencia, and the Biblioteca Nacional de Buenos Aires. For the program, which is being produced by the Howland Chamber Music Circle, he'll perform works by Beethoven, Haydn, Bartok, and Janacek. (9 Horses trots in February 8; the Lincoln Trio plays March 1.) 4pm. $30 ($10 students). Beacon.
Annie Hart/Alexa Wilding
February 18
Fans of David Lynch's "Twin Peaks" reboot may recognize Brooklyn vocalist and keyboardist Annie Hart from her synth pop trio Au Revoir Simone's appearance in the series. In 2017, she released her solo debut, Impossible Accomplice, which was singled out by New York magazine's Bedford and Bowery blog for its "resonant, tender, and not too sweet" sounds. Hart, who has collaborated with arch French synth duo Air, shares this bill at the Half Moon with townie Alexa Wilding, whose music draws on her experiences as the mother of twins (one of whom is a cancer survivor). Her third and most recent album is 2016's ethereal Wolves. 8pm. Call or check website for ticket prices. Hudson.
Jesse Malin
