August Music Highlights
Fr/Sa 8/14 & 15- A BLACK CHINA, BOBBY DELICIOUS, D.J. ALI GRUBER at Rosendale Café, Rosendale—Some of you probably visited Rosendale last month to attend the Street Festival, during a weekend of perfect weather (for a change). Bet you had a good time, didn’t you? Well, this month we have a nice weekend of new artists, old school grooves, and a good cause to boot. A Black China (Fr 8/14) is an up-and-coming New Paltz-based group featuring Jesse Towey, Matt Grande, NYC and Austin ex-pat Jamal Ruhe, and the ubiquitous Johnnie Wang working on a modern guitar rock sound with odd pop overtones—think Television updated. They’re sharing a bill with DJ Ali Gruber—she of the sweet soul and R&B flavor on the turntables—to raise money for local pooch Satchmo, who recently needed reconstructive surgery to a fix a mangled front paw. The next evening (Sa 8/15), Rosendale’s own Bobby Delicious brings his unique hip-hop vision to the usually all-acoustic Café, but not to worry…the bass is an acoustic upright! Bobby D makes it look easy with effortless flow, so come on down and kick a 40 with him. Yo. (Sorry…I suck at this.) Rosendale Café, 434 Main St., Rosendale, www.rosendalecafe.com, 845.658.9048. 8 PMFr/Sa/Su 8/21, 22, 23- JACK DEJOHNETTE, LARRY GRENADIER, and PAT METHENY at Bearsville Theater, Woodstock—Music lovers have not one, not two, but THREE chances to catch this trio of legends at the Bearsville Theater, and in doing so have the pleasure of knowing the admission goes to Family of Woodstock, the Queen’s Galley, and several other effective local charities doing all they can to help folks get through rough times. Pat Metheny came out of the gate with Bright Size Life in 1975, creating a new guitar style and sound that has become widely influential, and since has worked with a wide range of artists (Steve Reich, Ornette Coleman, David Bowie to name a few) always maintaining an identifiable and influential sound. Kingston-based Larry Grenadier has become a highly sought after bassist who has appeared with Metheny, Brad Mehldau, John Scofield, and Joshua Redman. And, of course, Woodstock’s own Jack DeJohnette: one of the greatest drummers of all time and quite possibly the most recorded, (easily over 1000 albums) with some of the all-time greats—John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, Keith Jarrett, Bill Evans and Miles Davis among many, many others. This will be one of the shows you do NOT want to miss this month, so get your tickets in advance at www.bearsvilletheater.com, and bring a non-perishable food item for donation to those in need. Bearsville Theater, 291 Tinker St. (Rte. 212), Bearsville/Woodstock, www.bearsvilletheater.com, 845.679.4406. 8 PM
Sa 8/15, 8/22- A PERFECT GIFT: ALL THAT IS JAZZ at Arts Along the Hudson, Water St. Market in New Paltz (8/15) and Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center in Poughkeepsie (8/22)—This group of young regional jazz artists—Andrew Greeney, drums; Lewis R. Greeney, bass; Christian Joao, saxophone; Ian Martusewicz, guitar; Bryan Polack, trumpet; Miles Rachel Sandler, vocals/spoken word; John Sardo, trumpet; Kyle Vock, upright bass—were assembled in 2007 by Sara Street, founder and artistic director of Artists Alliance Against Violence (AAAV), a non-profit promoting music and arts programs as a means to create vehicles of self-expression, thereby reducing frustration that leads to violence. They have since performed around the area, including benefit performances at the Women’s Health Expo, Center for Creative Education’s Kingston Karnival Celebration of the Arts, and the UCSPCA’s Fur Ball, featuring original compositions as well as standards by Thelonius Monk, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and others. Sa 8/15: Arts Along the Hudson, Water St. Market, New Paltz, 4-8 PM; Sa 8/22: Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center, 9 & 12 Vassar St., Poughkeepsie, www.cunneen-hackett.org, 845.486.4571, 8-10 PM
Fr/Sa/Su 8/14-16, 8/21-23- The 20th Annual Bard Music Festival presents WAGNER AND HIS WORLD at the Richard B. Fisher Center, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson—While last month’s Bard’s Summerscape focused on the historical relevance of composer Richard Wagner (see July issue of Roll) by exploring his artistic contemporaries and influences, this month’s Bard Music Festival explores the music and the man himself. “Weekend One: The Fruits of Ambition” tracks the upward arc (1830-1860) of his stellar career in Germany, and his development into “the true heir of Beethoven.” “Weekend Two: Engineering the Triumph of Wagnerism” explores the highs of the premiere of his epic Der Ring des Nibelungen (“The Ring”) and international acclaim, as well as the lows of his overt nationalism and anti-Semitic polemics. The American Symphony Orchestra, directed by Leon Botstein, bring the great works to larger-than-life, with guest lectures and discussions, and of course, Spiegeltent is right next door, with food, drink, cabaret, and Spiegelclub ‘til the wee hours. Richard B. Fisher Center, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, fishercenter.bard.edu/bmf, 845.758.7900. See website for performances and times.
August- Spotlight on THE BASEMENT, Kingston—It’s been a hard fought corner over there in Kingston, where Broadway and Albany meet. Under a number of guises, The Basement has been pretty much THE underground music source for the county (Snapper McGee’s notwithstanding), and new manager Richard Stango is doing what he can to keep it alive. Summers are also for cold beer, loud music, and sweaty clubs, and with the new improvements….the Basement is the place. The Basement, 744 Broadway, Kingston, www.myspace.com/thebasement744. Shows at 9 PM
Every Th—OPEN MIC (contact openmic@basementvenue.com)
Mo 8/10—Jettison Never
Sa 8/16—TEAM RUCKUS presents These 3 Poisons, Makeoutmusic, Rest Among Ruins
Th 8/20—Open Mic w/ Buddha Heroes
Fr 8/21—Hudson Valley Horrors Benefit w/ Shiragirl, Tiger Piss, Chesty Malone
Sa 8/22—Caleb Lionheart, The Marine Electric, With The Punches, The Peeps
Su 8/23—Take One Car, Straight Jacket Love Machine, TBA
Tu 8/25—Drewcifer’s B-Day w/ Stench, No, Hellfire
Fr 8/28—Rehab For Quitters, TBA
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