Show Detective – Weekend Shows – 2/16 – 2/18
Written by Staff on February 15, 2024
Show Detective.
Friday, February 16th
Cat Power Sings Dylan, Troy Music Hall, Troy, 8pm
The 1966 Royal Albert Hall concert
Last November in London, Cat Power took the stage at Royal Albert Hall and delivered a song-for-song recreation of one of the most fabled and transformative live sets of all time. Held at the Manchester Free Trade Hall in May 1966—but long known as the “Royal Albert Hall Concert” due to a mislabeled bootleg—the original performance saw Bob Dylan switching from acoustic to electric midway through the show, drawing ire from an audience of folk purists and forever altering the course of rock-and-roll. In her own rendition of that historic night, the artist otherwise known as Chan Marshall inhabited each song with equal parts conviction and grace and a palpable sense of protectiveness, ultimately transposing the anarchic tension of Dylan’s set with a warm and luminous joy. Now captured on the live album Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert, Marshall’s spellbinding performance both lovingly honors her hero’s imprint on history and brings a stunning new vitality to many of his most revered songs.
Passport Series: Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba, Universal Preservation Hall, Saratoga Springs
“Ngoni virtuoso Bassekou Kouyate can make notes bend like light rays in the desert heat.” -Time Out Magazine
Bassekou Kouyate is one of the true masters of the ngoni, an ancient traditional lute found throughout West Africa. He is a virtuoso, innovator, stronghold of tradition all at the same time.
He has collaborated with many musicians in and outside of Mali: He has shared the stages with the likes of Youssou N‘Dour, Ali Farka Toure, Bela Fleck, The Kronos Quartet, Taj Mahal, Eliades Ochoa, Damon Albarn and Michael League. He was one of the key musicians on Ali Farka Toure’s posthumous album “Savane” which was released July 2006, played in the Symmetric trio alongside Toumani Diabate (kora) and was part of Taj Mahal’s “Kulanjan” project. He won several BBC Awards for his celebrated debut album “Segu Blue” (Outhere Records). Bassekou was GRAMMY nominated for the follow up “I speak fula” (Outhere Records) and played hundreds of concerts all over the globe, sharing the stage with musicians from Paul McCartney to John Paul Jones, Bono & many others.
Gimme Gimme Disco – 18+ ONLY, Empire Underground, Albany, 9pm
Brian Kane and The Beginning, Rustic Barn Pub, Troy, 8pm-11pm
Brian Kane and The Beginning, a local favorite Rock the Barn! If you want to have an epic night, come join the party!
Lark Hall Presents Glen David Andrews and special guests The NoLaNauts, Lark Hall, Albany, 8pm
Glen David Andrews, a native son and a beloved musician of New Orleans, is a warrior for cultural preservation at a time when indigenous traditions are being threatened in the city.
His commanding voice and fierce trombone sound – both a powerful, emotional, and resonant blend of smoothness and grit – as well as his disarmingly honest manner provide a musical experience that never fails to meet the moment.
Glen’s music is packed with beauty, hard-earned truths, compassion, humor, anger, joy, and – most of all – hope.
Glen comes from a storied and extended family of musicians. He was born in New Orleans’ historic Tremé neighborhood, which many consider to be the oldest Black community in the United States. Transfixed by the magic and mystery of the city’s second-line parades, Andrews and his older brother, Derrick Tabb of the Rebirth Brass Band, along with their younger cousin Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, learned the history of the brass band tradition firsthand from iconic figures like Tuba Fats.
Folk Heritage Series: Christine Lavin, Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs, 8pm-10pm
Christine Lavin is a witty, songwriter-storyteller with a flair for the creative, the dramatic, and the humorous.
Since the ’70s, when she launched her career at Caffè Lena, Christine’s zany antics have split the sides of audiences around the globe. Lavin humorously pokes fun at the ills of society, contemporary culture and, of course, herself. But don’t be fooled! She’s an acute observer of the human condition. Masked within her side-splitting lyrics and onstage pranks (baton twirling! looping!) are tender, sincere tales that remind us that moments of shared laughter are indeed precious.
Called “A fearless folkZinger!” by the Orlando Sentinel, “Wildly entertaining,” by The New Yorker, and “A fresh kick in the pants!” by the late Paul Newman, the indefatigable Christine is currently working on her 26th solo album.
The Folk Heritage Series is made possible by the Charlie Pickett & Kathleen Rehl Endowment Fund.
Stream this show live at Caffè Lena TV. Enjoy one week of access with your live stream ticket.
Funk Night, Lost and Found, Albany, 10pm
Valentine’s Week – The Great 518 Cover Show, No Fun, Troy, 8pm-11pm
Saturday, February 17th
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Troy Music Hall, Troy, 7:30pm
The world’s premier big band, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis consists of 15 permanent members performing live in New York City and around the world.
In 1988 the Orchestra was formed as an outgrowth of its concert series, Classical Jazz, with David Berger conducting. When Wynton Marsalis became artistic director in 1991, he emphasized the history of jazz, particularly Duke Ellington. The first album was Portraits by Ellington (1992), and seven years later the Ellington centennial was honored with the album Live in Swing City: Swingin’ with the Duke (1999).
Henry Johnson: Ballad of a Forgotten Hero, Universal Preservation Hall, Saratoga Springs
By Rachel Lynett
Dramaturgy by Eunice Ferreira
Henry Johnson has a street named for him in Albany, but why? The World War I soldier proved his bravery on the battlefield with the all-Black New York National Guard 369th Infantry Regiment. He led a victory parade through the streets of his birthplace but was scarred in body and spirit by the toils of war. For decades, he was denied his due from the United States military.
Playwright Rachel Lynett, with historical and dramaturgical research by Skidmore professor Eunice Ferreira, brings Henry Johnson to life with text and music from the Jazz and Ragtime era and more. Discover how the fight to recognize a real hero was finally won in 2015 when Henry Johnson received the Medal of Honor from President Barack Obama. This 45-minute play is a perfect companion to studies about World War I history, Black history and New York State history.
The Erotics, Empire Underground, Albany, 6:30pm
Joe Mansman & The Midnight Revival , Same Ole Rat, 3DB
Dynasty Wrestling – It Was All A Dream, Empire Live, Albany, 6:45pm
David Brighton’s SPACE ODDITY – The Quintessential David Bowie Tribute Experience, Cohoes Music Hall, Cohoes, 7:30pm-10pm
SPACE ODDITY is a live, theatrically staged, elaborately-costumed multi-media spectacle that transports audiences on a musical journey through the constantly metamorphosing career of David Bowie, which was notable for constant reinvention and visual presentation in both his music and on stage.
Over the last 20 years,SPACE ODDITY, starring David Brighton, has performed throughout the USA, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Finland, Germany, Estonia, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Spain, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Portugal, Israel, New Zealand and China and is widely considered to be the world’s premier tribute to David Bowie.
Playin’ with Fire Band, Rustic Barn Pub, Troy, 8pm-11pm
Playin’ With Fire Band is an Original Rock band based out of NY who write and perform music that comes from their roots of classic rock, punk, heavy metal, country , blues and pop.
Dave East w/ DJ King Bully, DJ Siroc, DJ GoodLyfe, Putnam Place, Saratoga Springs, 10pm-2am
A strong lyricist adept at telling gritty street narratives, Harlem-based MC Dave East has a style heavily reminiscent of ’90s New York hardcore rap while sounding fresh enough to compete with the contemporary hip-hop landscape. After building a buzz with several independent mixtapes during the early 2010s, East caught the attention of his favorite rapper, Nas, who signed him to Mass Appeal. Several Billboard-charting releases followed, including 2016’s Kairi Chanel, 2017’s Paranoia: A True Story, and 2020’s Top 40 hit Karma 3. East also branched out into acting and portrayed Method Man on the Hulu series Wu-Tang Clan: An American Saga. The iconic rapper guested on East’s 2022 release HDIGH. This was followed by Book of David, a collaboration with Buda & Grandz and DJ Drama. East’s ambitious second studio album, Fortune Favors the Bold, arrived in 2023.
Valentine’s Week – Ted Leo / The Men Who Loved Music, No Fun, Troy, 7pm-11pm
Sunday, February 18th
Third Sunday Bluegrass Jam, Rustic Barn Pub, Troy, 5:30pm-9pm
Bluegrass Jams are for making new friends, sharing songs, playing and listening to blue grass and new-grass. All skin levels are welcome.
Flurry Festival Decompression: Hubby Jenkins, Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs, 7pm-9pm
From busker to the Carolina Chocolate Drops to solo artist, Hubby Jenkins takes his folk/blues & old-time music from the road to the stage.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, Hubby Jenkins is a talented multi-instrumentalist who aims to share his love and knowledge of old-time American music. Jenkins’ career as a musician has taken him on a journey into his Southern roots and the African American history that wove itself through country blues, ragtime, fiddle and banjo, and traditional jazz. His musical education started as a busker, developing guitar and vocal skills on the sidewalks and subway platforms of New York City. An ambitiously itinerant musician, he took his show on the road, playing the streets, coffee shops, bars, and house parties of cities around the country.
After years of busking around the U.S and making a name for himself, Jenkins became acquainted with the Carolina Chocolate Drops. From 2010 to 2014 he was an integral part of the Grammy award-winning group. Since 2015, he has been an active touring and recording member of the Rhiannon Giddens band, as well as performing solo.
Valentine’s Week – The Dating Game w/ host Brandon Nature, No Fun, Troy, 7pm-11pm
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