Catskill Chill Festival Returns
The jam band gala will hold its last weekend at Camp Minglewood before moving to a new location.
New Paltz Musicians Launch New Organization
Members of indie band Breakfast in Fur will christen the Hudson Valley Music Collective with an event on September 9.
Top New York Improvisers Visit Beacon
Mary Halvorson and Ches Smith will perform at Quinn’s on September 8.
The Sediment Club Makes Noise in Hudson Tonight
The young avant-punk trio will perform with other bands at the Half Moon.
The Pisces Full Moon and Your Power to Choose
Our minds and our emotions work in tandem: how we happen to be feeling at the moment when we encounter a situation, person or idea can influence our thoughts about it. At the same time, our thought patterns and belief systems influence how we articulate and manage our emotions; they reflect how much power we…
Donna the Buffalo Stampedes into Woodstock
The popular roots Americana band will play Levon Helm Studios on September 4.
The Museum Without Walls
The Storm King Art Center is a museum without walls that merges the outdoors and the art world. And, with children’s programming, events, and a family-friendly vibe, they provide ample reasons to explore. Now the only problem is deciding which programs to hit without just moving in there!
Sexmob Steams Up Accord Train Station
Trumpeter Steven Bernstein’s band will play an intimate show at the historic site.
Michael Tischler’s NYC
New York City is iconic; its raw evolutions, containing a constant swell of people and ideas, are documented so that what once was, such a short time ago, will not be forgotten. Photographer Michael Tischler, a native New Yorker, is one concerned with capturing the multitudinous angles of this most beloved city. Using HDR technology…
Dog Day Eats
It’s too hot to turn on the oven. Luckily, several local gems feature clean food at a good price in a summery space that’s truly kid-friendly.
Exploring Energy Healing with Brett Bevell
Renowned local energy healer Brett Bevell will lead two workshops in the Hudson Valley this month, offering opportunities to both receive and share simple yet powerful energy healing techniques. In Rhinebeck on Saturday, August 22, 2:30-4:30pm, Bevell will lead “This Is Spinal Zap: Group Energy Healing” at Izlind Integrative Wellness Center and Institute. In this…
Woodstock Concert Will Benefit Archive Preservation
“Alf-Scan” will assist with the costs of digitizing the Alf Evers collection and will star Ed Sanders, Jules Shear, Tom Pacheco, and others.
An Apartment for Artists
It’s no secret that art as a career is not the most lucrative option. Earning a living by simply creating and trying to sell art is nearly impossible these days, and for something as time consuming as artistic creation, holding a day job while keeping creative can be tricky. That’s why RUPCO is opening their…
Multimedia Production Premieres Near Hudson
Writer and musician Seth Rogovoy’s “Rockin’ the Shtetl” will feature guest performer Ryder Cooley.
The Big Latch On
Every August for the past ten years, thousands of women around the world have gathered together in small, local groups to breastfeed their children at a set time and be counted by witnesses. For locals, it’s a chance to normalize and celebrate breastfeeding in our community.
Marilyn & Tani
Marilyn Crispell and Tani Tabbal will perform an improvised duet at the Bearsville Theater Saturday night.
Tracy Bonham’s New Album
On August 29, catch Tracy Bonham at one of her record release shows at Bearsville Theater in Woodstock.
“Woody Guthrie’s American Song”
A giant of American mythology, the wayfaring folk singer Woody Guthrie spread his nation-defining songs across the country at the height of the Great Depression. Songs like “This Land is Your Land,” “Bound for Glory,” and “Nine-Hundred Miles” have imbued themselves into American cultural consciousness permanently. From August 7 to 30, Shadowland Theater will pay…
Jocelyn Arndt Kicks Off Marlboro Residency
The hopeful young singer-songwriter will play Monday nights at the Falcon this month.
Be a World Class Mountain Bike Racer at Windham
There are lots of reasons to attend the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup with your family: to cheer American athletes up close, to try your hand at the sport, and to celebrate the Hudson Valley at Windham Mountain, which remains the only U.S. stop on the World Cup circuit. But there’s even more to it…
Taurus (April 19-May 20) for August 2015
Your central question seems to involve your relationship to risk. This may show up a few different ways, but mainly I mean creative and sexual risk. Let’s start by admitting that anything either truly creative or sexual involves taking a chance. You might say that’s the sensation of authenticity—dancing with a measure of uncertainty and…
Jenny Milchman’s Magical Mystery Book Tour
This June, when the nation was riveted by the escape of two convicts from a maximum security prison in the Adirondacks, Phoenicia author Jenny Milchman was astounded: her third novel, As Night Falls, (Ballantine, 2015) has the same storyline, right down to the physical size of the pair and their plan to cross uncharted woods…
A Hudson Valley Wellness Tour
While nearly everyone else in the country was getting ready for fireworks and barbecues, I spent July 4th weekend sampling the wellness offerings of Asheville, North Carolina. There was the salt cave in the middle of downtown (its walls, ceiling, and floor covered in over 20 tons of Polish and Dead Sea salt)—a haven that…
Video: On the Cover
Walter’s photographs deploy layers of irony. Her ad-hostile pictures mimic the very formula advertisements use—she often works with lenticulars, photos whose appearance changes when you look at them from different angles, and in many of her photographs she plays the part of each subject to expose the stereotypes that populate the world of commercials. “I’m…
Gemini (May 20-June 21) for August 2015
Hang out with people who make you feel good about yourself, or said more accurately, people around whom you feel good being yourself. I recognize there’s something unusual going on with the mutable quality of self-assessment or inner emotional sensation—how fast it can change, and the forces to which it’s subject. I suggest you go…
The Books They’ll Carry: Operation Veteran Admission
David Carrell is a solid man with tightly-cropped blond hair and a heavy Texan drawl. When we meet in a Starbucks on Route 9 just south of Poughkeepsie, he’s just come from his post-traumatic stress disorder therapy. He has nightmares. He has flashbacks. “You just can’t forget it,” he says.
Junk at PS21 on August 7 and 8
Junk performs at PS21 as part of the Chatham Dance Festival on August 7 and 8.
Aries (March 20-April 19) for August 2015
To express oneself boldly and freely does not always feel free. Often there is work involved. Yet this is different than ordinary toil or effort, because it’s possible to experience time in a much lighter way—to get lost in one’s work. Really that expression is opposite what it means, which is to find oneself in…
Cancer (June 21-July 22) for August 2015
It’s time to consider how resourceful you are. By that I mean how actually resourceful you really are. Monetary resources are often extolled and valued at the expense of many other forms of energy, though I’m including money in this statement. Let’s start with all resources; that is, the possibility that everything on Earth, at…
Bobby Previte’s Lasting Impact
Bobby Previte is equally revered for his magical skills as a musician and the constantly surprising works he produces as a composer of ensemble, film, dance, and theatrical scores. A list of the names who’ve drawn on his talents stretches from John Adams to John Zorn. Over his nearly four-decade professional career, his innovative rhythms,…
Vanaver Caravan: Dancing on the Bluestone
The Vanaver Caravan’s SummerDance troupe will perform at the Bon Odori Festival on August 9 at 11am, the Rosendale Theater on August 9 at 2pm, Opus 40 on August 13 at 5:30pm, and at the Rail Trail Café on August 14 at 3:30pm.
Leo (July 22-August 23) for August 2015
Venus will be retrograde in your sign through early September, which represents one of the great developments in your life. Or better said, it can, if you align yourself with the mission that it’s describing. That mission is to fully identify with your purpose. Taurus is associated with the 10th house of your solar chart—your…
CD Review: Christine Spero’s “Spero Plays Nyro”
Why and how dare she devote an entire album to songs by Laura Nyro when we can just listen to the originals on Spotify? I’ll tell you why. Because Christine Spero fully inhabits these songs, uncovers hidden nuances, and with her stunning ensemble—including drummer Peter O’Brien, bassist Scott Petito, saxophonist Elliot Spero, and Christine’s own…
Who’s Dancing, Who’s Watching, and Who Cares
Sometimes, you need to dance as though nobody is watching. Other times, it’s nice to know that everyone really is watching, and that in some way they’re dancing with you.
Virgo (August 23-September 22) for August 2015
You seem to be seeking some missing element of yourself, but don’t drive yourself nuts along the way. What you’re looking for is right with you, though it seems to be obscured by a narrow view of yourself. Get that out of the way. It’s a little like a billboard blocking the view of Lake…
CD Review: “The Poughkeepsie Jazz Project”
If you want to catch some of the best jazz in the Hudson Valley, head over to the Derby bar and restaurant on Main Street in Poughkeepsie. Since 2013, the duo of pianist John Scanlon and bassist Ben Basile has held court there every Tuesday, jamming with an array of local talent each week and…
Robert Irwin’s “Excursus” at Dia
Robert Irwin’s Excursus: Homage to the Square³ will be on view at Dia: Beacon until 2017
ArtScene TV Episode 8
Stephen Blauweiss gives a behind-the-scenes look at what to expect in this month’s segments of ArtScene.
Libra (September 22-October 23) for August 2015
You don’t need to fit yourself into a small space—especially for anyone else’s benefit. Yet that would be one of the few reasons you might try to do it, and this is worth careful thought. Obsession over what other people might think has long been a problem, though never so much as today, when nearly…
Joyful Responsibility and Responsible Joy?
How much self-gratification do you owe yourself, and what duties and responsibilities do you owe others?
CD Review: Zs’ “XE”
Higgins and current fellow Zs Sam Hillmer (sax and pedals) and Greg Fox (percussion and electronics) are nothing short of poets of noise. Even in the most assaultive moments on Zs’ new record, XE, a sense of delicacy, separation, and emotive purpose prevails.
The Julie Ruin at the Spiegeltent on August 1
The Julie Ruin will perform at the Spiegeltent on the campus of Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson on August 1 at 8:30pm. Tickets are $25-$65.
On the Cover: Margeaux Walter
An Ikea heart pillow attacks its owner with a knife. A body blends into a wall of Internet memes like a Redditing chameleon. A picnicking couple is smothered by a pile of corn. These are all scenes that you will find in Margeaux Walter’s photographs or short films.
Scorpio (October 23-November 22) for August 2015
This is the time to think about large goals, and to take steps toward accomplishing them. As you do this, remember that great achievements are always the condensed results of many small efforts and experiments. It’s also true that often, the real direction of events or developments is not knowable until much later in a…
Ashokan Summer Hoot from August 21 to 23
August 21-23. Once again it’s time for the Ashokan Center’s annual Summer Hoot, three days of world-class roots music, dancing, camping, hiking, food and craft vendors, and all-around family fun. Currently in its third year, the Hoot is already one of the East Coast’s most beloved folk music-based gatherings and a much-anticipated tour stop for…
“The Arabian Nights”: A Kaleidoscope of Stories
“The Arabian Nights” is currently in HVSF summer repertory along with “A Winter’s Tale,” “An Iliad,” “The Tempest,” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
Esteemed Reader: The Painting is Finished
Shards of sunlight swirled around the kitchen table, refracted by a crystal hanging from a string inside the window. Like daytime fireflies, the light-specks moved across the walls and faces of two young children sitting in chairs in front of watercolor paintings, brushes in hand.
Sagittarius (November 22-December 22) for August 2015
There’s that old adage about the spirit of the law and the letter of the law. You need to honor both now, in a balanced way. In any discussion, particularly involving your professional affairs, there are no absolutes; there’s no room for purism. But there’s enough space and mental bandwidth to balance the most important…
Catskill High Peaks Festival from August 9 to 19
August 9-19. In a case of overflow from the summer music festival round-up that runs every year in our June issue, there’s this acclaimed, six-years-young chamber music event at the Carey Institute for Global Good. The combination student residency and concert series features instruction by a world-renowned faculty that includes violinists Renee Jolles and Peter Zazofsky; violist Pierre Henri Xuereb; pianists Michael…
Alice Ripley on August 22
As part of Rhinebeck’s Center for Performing Arts’ Annual Gala, Tony-award-winning artist Alice Ripley belts out some of her favorite songs and crafts some of her most beloved stories. The Gala will be August 22 at 7pm.
Shaggy Dog Story
Our dog, Shazam, is quirky. For instance, he’ll stand with his head thrust into a bush for 10 minutes, unmoving, gently flaring his nostrils as if in floral reverie—behavior I’ve never seen in any other dog. Lee Anne refers to this as Shazam’s “Nature Boy” pose. I’m sure dog psychologists the world over understand why…
Capricorn (December 22-January 20) for August 2015
The space you’re trying to hold open is emotional space, which is inner space. Your current project is not about your social standing, though it may feel that way. Nor is your life about getting what you deserve. So far as I can see, what you need is to hold open territory within your own…
Dick Dale on August 19
August 19. Cowabunga! The undisputed king of the surf guitar splashes our way for a painfully rare upstate summer show at Daryl’s House Club. Besides being the most influential player of the instrumental surf rock genre (guitarists ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Johnny Ramone have worshipped him) the Southern California native is credited with inventing…
Auroville Information Session on August 19
On August 19 from 7:30-10pm, the Woodstock Community Center will host an information session on Auroville. A number of residents and representatives from Auroville will answer questions about the project and share photos and news of its development.
Aquarius (January 20-February 19) for August 2015
[image-1} Is everything in the world really about contracts and agreements? From the highest courts in the land to the most intimate encounters, we’re told this again and again—and I’ve said it a few times myself. Yet we seem to live in a time when people tend to honor only those agreements that they want…
WGXC Lodge From August 21 to 23
August 21-23. It seems like only last month—not six years ago—that we covered the collective, grassroots effort to launch the Hudson Valley’s only community radio station, WGXC (90.7-FM in Greene and Columbia counties and online). Since then, the volunteer-run effort has added to its endlessly varied schedule with broadcasts centering on regional and international news,…
The Dutchess County Fair From August 25 to 30
Pies, livestock competitions, and blooming onions: the holy trinity of the county fair. From August 25 through 30, the triad returns to the 144-acre Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck.
Larry Beinhart’s Body Politic: Love of the Loons
The Republicans are rolling out the clown car again, just like they did in 2012. But this time, they’re stuffing even more clowns in as it rumbles and tumbles down the byways that wind through the primary states on the way toward the party’s nomination of a presidential candidate.
Pisces (Februaru 19-March 20) for August 2015
Your relationship environment is a kaleidoscope these days, with influences and personalities changing shapes and colors day by day. If you look, you’ll observe many things you’ve never seen before. This kind of change will work to your advantage, and to make the most of the energy, I suggest you dance with the movements and…
Ted Leo on August 21 at Mass MoCA
August 21. New Jersey-born indie/punk singer-songwriter Ted Leo toiled for years in bands like Chisel, the Spinanes, and Citizens Arrest before breaking through in the early 2000s with Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. In 2010, he and Aimee Mann formed the Both, a duo project that passed through our area not long ago; he’s also…
Saugerties Artists Studio Tour from August 14-16
Artists will be holding demonstrations of their prowess, and collections will be on display, from August 14 to 16.
Creative Neighbors: Woodstock and Saugerties
The Most Famous Small Town in the World flies its peace signs with pride. A casual observer might be forgiven for thinking this place is resting on its hippie laurels, stuck in time. But quirky, iconic Woodstock, home of high-end creative pyrotechnics for well over a century, gifted and burdened with the legacy of the…
Parting Shot: Susan Copich
Susan Copich’s photographs pack a wry punch. She casts herself front and center throughout her “Domestic Bliss” photo series, alongside her daughters and husband, mocking and engaging viewers in scenes fraught with dark humor.
Well-Spent: The Dog (and Cat) Days Edition
It may be the dog days, but there are plenty of ways to keep your pets happy, healthy, and safe in the summer heat. From a spa day to bacon-flavored ice cream to water sports, give your dogs (and cats) some fun and pampering in the pet-friendly Hudson Valley.
Sweeney Todd From August 13 to 23
The Woodstock Playhouse Productions Professional Summer Cast presents “Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” Thursday August 13 to Sunday August 23.
The Country Farmhouse Gets Creative
Viewed from the street, the home is deceptively unassuming, another two-story balloon frame construction dwelling in a neighborhood of similar houses, where residents tack on additions as needed. All the nearby houses are similar, all are slightly different. But since 2004, when O’Connor and Osburn bought this old country farmhouse, an ingenious transformation has been…
It’s Not Hubris to Play With Crayons
You’re familiar with the idea of hubris, yes? It’s that amplified blend of blind, stubborn ego and overreaching that spelled the tragic downfall of many a character in the myths and dramas of Greek antiquity.
Second Time Around: Rough Cut Brewing Co.
With its cedar shingles and red trim, Rough Cut is a cheerful presence on Route 44/55 and one of just a handful of eateries, including the Mountain Brauhaus and Gander Inn, along a 10-mile stretch of rural roadway. The brewpub is strategically located four miles southeast of Minnewaska State Park and its stream of hungry,…
Kingston Artists Soapbox Derby on August 16
The Derby rolls through Kingston for the twentieth time on August 16 at 1pm.
Lessons from The Hills: Gardening on Rocky and Steep Slopes
The Hills neighborhood of Port Ewen was created in the mid-1980s by blasting bluestone outcroppings that overlook the historic Rondout waterfront in Kingston. Nearby is a bluestone quarry, one of many that provided the principal material for the construction of New York City’s sidewalk system in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Interview with Thaddeus Strassberger
Sparrow conducts a probing interview with Thaddeus Strassberger, director of “the Wreckers,” and opera by Ethel Smyth at Bard College.
Jazz in the Valley on August 16
Jazz in the Valley opens its gates at 11am on Sunday, August 16 in Waryas Park.
Zen and the Art of Discipline: Teaching Adults to Stop Fighting Like Children
The hula hoops hang, unused, around the Kindermusik classroom in Red Hook while the students, in their stocking feet, sit in rapt attention. The teacher, Beth Anspach, in a tie-dyed t-shirt that reads, “We wish you well,” animatedly details a framework for disciplining children. It’s called Conscious Discipline, and it differs from traditional methods in…
2015 Summer Reading Roundup
Outstanding new books for young readers by Hudson Valley authors and illustrators, reviewed by Anne Pyburn Craig, Susan Krawitz, Nina Shengold, and Robert Burke Warren.
Video: On the Cover
Walter’s photographs deploy layers of irony. Her ad-hostile pictures mimic the very formula advertisements use—she often works with lenticulars, photos whose appearance changes when you look at them from different angles, and in many of her photographs she plays the part of each subject to expose the stereotypes that populate the world of commercials. “I’m…
New Books for Teens
THE BULLET CATCH: MURDER BY MISADVENTURE Amy Axelrod & David Axelrod Holiday House, 2015, $17.95 Orphan Leo has always relied on his wits and his peers. When he and his crew are forced onto the city streets, he discovers a knack for petty crime. But wrong is still wrong. We meet the young trickster as…
Postcards From the Edge
Our friendly little New Horizons robot flew through the Pluto-Charon system one Tuesday morning in mid-July, and people have been talking about it. It’s beautiful how much everyone seems to care. Mike Brown, a professor at Caltech and the discoverer of Eris (and therefore the demoter of Pluto), was right the first time around—Pluto is…
