Columns
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By Mike Stampalia. 50 years ago: The Pointer Sisters @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center And although the Pointer Sisters’ performance was entertaining, possibly even great, the performance put on by their two dancing fans rivaled the professional act as an attention getter. Starting on the lawn, the two women danced their way down the […]
The Turd: An American Journey, Chapter 12 – Xperience Fiction – by Liam Sweeny. Standing in a line of cars waiting for the overworked, myopic guard to grant them passage, Ernest had all the feeling of the flight into an apocalypse. Cars bumper to bumper on the way out and only six or seven, his […]
(Image: Arlo Guthrie and Pete Seeger at SPAC, 7/1/75 – photo by the Saratogian) By Mike Stampalia. 50 years ago: Arlo Guthrie & Pete Seeger @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center The pair played nearly three hours, taking only a 20 minute intermission in the middle of the evening. Throughout the performance, they played both together […]
Life on the Cutting Edge – Discoveries – by Liam Sweeny. Sweden has bottled sunlight into molecules, creating liquid solar fuel that holds clean energy for over six months. https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2019/06/bottling-sunshine-without-batteries/ Japan has created a plastic that dissolves in seawater within hours and enriches the soil in just 10 days. https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/scientists-japan-develop-plastic-that-dissolves-seawater-within-hours-2025-06-04/ Scientists found a fungus that […]
By Mike Stampalia. 40 years ago: Commodores / Spyro Gyra / Stevie Ray Vaughn & Double Trouble / Dave Brubeck Quartet / Woody Herman All-Stars with Harry “Sweets” Edison, Al Cohn, Carl Fontana, John Bunch, George Duvivier, Jake Hanna & Buddy tate / Dr. John / Jackie Mcean/Rene McLean Sextet / The Johnny Otis Show […]
Sarah Holub Schrom – Xperience History – by Liam Sweeny. Originally published in September 2019. Art is the currency of meaning. The great thing about such a currency is that you don’t need to hoard it, because just one work can grow in meaning, or change meaning over time, and all you have to do […]
(Image: Jazz fans don their foul-weather gear during an early afternoon shower at the Kool Jazz Festival at SPAC, 6/29/85 – photo by Bruce Squiers for the Saratogian) By Mike Stampalia. 50 years ago: Stephen Stills @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center His voice, the same one that led CSN&Y for years, failed him several […]
(Image: 1975 ad for Tanglewood Popular Artist Series) By Mike Stampalia. 50 years ago: Stephen Stills / Tom Waits @ Tanglewood The opening act of the evening was singer Tom Waits. Waits looks and sounds like a Bowery wino who’s coming off a long binge. In a hoarse, guttural voice, he sang and growled […]
(Featured image: WAITING FOR THE DEAD – Grateful Dead fans wait to get into the SPAC grounds Thursday. The concert broke the attendance record as 40,231 “Deadheads” converged on SPAC. Photo by Bruce Squiers for the Saratogian.) By Mike Stampalia. 40 years ago: The Grateful Dead brought – still, to this day – the biggest […]
(Image: Advertisement for 2015 Solid Sound Festival) By Mike Stampalia. 50 years ago: Eric Clapton / Santana @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center It was the recipe for the perfect rock concert. All of the right ingredients were there and in the proper amounts. One part performing arts center, one part good weather, two parts […]
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