Nippertown!

Posts Tagged ‘Schenectady’

Live: “Forever Plaid” @ Proctors’ GE Theatre

Monday, August 30th, 2010

Forever Plaid: J.D. Daw, Joseph Domencic, Marcus Stevens and Chris Crouch

“We’re the pure, the proud, the plaid,” proclaims Sparky, the wiseguy of the male vocal quartet, Forever Plaid. They’re also dead, but that’s not going to get in the way of the foursome performing one final concert before being recalled to the Great Beyond.

That concert is what you get when you see “Forever Plaid,” Stuart Ross’ jukebox musical that’s playing at Proctors in Schenectady through Sunday, September 12.

Director Guy Strohman manages to elicit some laughs from the slight script, but the “plot” is so thin it’s practically transparent.

(more…)

Tags: Forever Plaid, Proctors Theatre, Schenectady
Posted in LIVE, Theater | No Comments »

Five Firsts: David Gleason of Sensemaya, etc.

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

(photo by Niki Rossi)

NAME: David Gleason
BAND AFFILIATION: Sensemaya, Soul Session, Keith Pray’s Big Soul Ensemble
INSTRUMENT: Keyboards

1. THE FIRST ALBUM I EVER BOUGHT WAS … Hmm… I don’t think I can remember the first cassette tape I ever bought. I do remember the first CD I ever bought was “Billy Joel’s Greatest Hits.” I listened to it a bunch, and I had the piano/vocal book that went along with it. I learned a lot about harmony by comparing the chord symbols with the written music and the album.

(more…)

Tags: David Gleason, Freedom Park, Jay Street, Schenectady, Scotia, Sensemaya
Posted in Five Firsts | Comments Off

Live: Alice Cooper @ Proctors, 7/25/10

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

Alice Cooper’s classic “School’s Out” album first saw the light of day back in 1972, and what kid since then hasn’t loved the title tune, cranking it up on the radio, stereo or iPod at the end of the school year?

How many rockers from Kiss to Ozzy Osborne to the New York Dolls owe at least a part of their career success to Alice Cooper’s pioneering use of theatrical make-up and elaborate stage sets littered with guillotines, electric chairs or a hang-man’s noose swaying in the background?

(more…)

Tags: Alice Cooper, Andrzej Pilarczyk, Proctors Theatre, Schenectady
Posted in LIVE | 1 Comment »

Parade of Shoes

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

Nona Hendryx at Central Park’s Music Haven in Schenectady on Sunday, July 25:

Nona Hendryx

Photograph by Bryan Thomas

Tags: Bryan Thomas, Central Park, Nona Hendryx, Schenectady
Posted in Parade of Shoes | 2 Comments »

Live: Nona Hendryx @ the Music Haven, 7/25/10

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

Nona Hendryx

Fierce. Oh so fierce…

Nona Hendryx came on like gangbusters in Schenectady’s Central Park on Sunday evening. With a crackerjack four-piece band led by guitar hero Ronnie Drayton providing the musical rocket fuel, Hendryx simply funked up the place from the opening volley of “Rock This House” to the final 20-minute encore of “I Sweat (Going Through the Motions)” – which she transformed into a bonafide dance party by inviting members of the audience up onstage to strut their stuff.

(more…)

Tags: Andrzej Pilarczyk, Bryan Thomas, Central Park, Matt Mac Haffie, Nona Hendryx, Schenectady
Posted in LIVE | 1 Comment »

Signs of the City

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

There is no joy in Tiny Tot Land…

Park Closed Temporarily

Photograph by Bryan Thomas, Central Park, Schenectady, Sunday, July 25

Tags: Bryan Thomas, Central Park, Schenectady
Posted in Signs of the City | 1 Comment »

Five Firsts: David Caldwell-Mason

Monday, July 26th, 2010

NAME: David Caldwell-Mason
BAND AFFILIATION: The David Caldwell-Mason Trio
INSTRUMENT: Piano

1. THE FIRST ALBUM I EVER BOUGHT WAS … Either Bill Evans’ “Portrait in Jazz” or the Counting Crows’ “August and Everything After.” I got ‘em both about the same time.

2. THE FIRST CONCERT THAT I EVER SAW WAS … Sweet Honey in the Rock

3. THE FIRST MUSICAL INSTRUMENT I EVER OWNED OR PLAYED WAS … an old beat-up upright piano

4. THE FIRST SONG THAT I EVER PERFORMED IN PUBLIC WAS … not sure, sorry

5. THE FIRST BAND I WAS EVER IN WAS … the Paul Trapanese Quartet, then Larry Lewis and Solid Smoke a little bit after that.

David Caldwell-Mason will be performing as a duo with bassist Kellen Harrison at the Stockade Inn in Schenectady at 7pm Thursday, as well as at the Castle Street Cafe in Great Barrington at 8pm Friday. The duo will be bumped up to a trio with the addition of a yet-to-be-named drummer at 74 State in Albany at 8:30pm Saturday.

Tags: 74 State, Albany, Castle Street Cafe, David Caldwell-Mason, Great Barrington, Schenectady, Stockade Inn
Posted in Five Firsts | Comments Off

Be Here Now: Frank Jaklitsch @ Cafe NOLA, 7/22/10

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

Tireless singer, songwriter and all-around generous guy Frank Jaklitsch has been raising funds to help hurricane-devastated New Orleans since Katrina first rolled across the Crescent City. So it actually seems quite natural for a guy who is best known for singing Irish songs to be entertaining at the grand opening of a new New Orleans-style restaurant right here in Nippertown.

Cafe NOLA in Schenectady has been serving food for a couple of weeks now, but the restaurant will celebrate its official grand opening on Thursday, and Jaklitsch will be entertaining from 4-6pm while folks are digging into their crawfish etouffee, alligator po’ boy and red beans ‘n’ rice.

“We have eaten there twice,” Jaklitsch says, “and I find the food very good. Chef Kevin seems to be a very nice guy. It’s a small family-run business.

“To quote the Jimmy Buffett song, ‘I will be working for gumbo,’ ” Jaklitsch says with a chuckle.” I sure hope he makes it…a little bit of Nawlins heaven locally.”

Cafe NOLA and Chef Kevin

Tags: Cafe NOLA, Frank Jaklitsch, Schenectady
Posted in Be Here Now | Comments Off

Be Here Now: First Annual Animation Festival @ Proctors, 7/10 – 7/16/10

Friday, July 9th, 2010

The inaugural week-long Animation Fesival kicks off tomorrow (Saturday) at the Schenectady’s GE Theatre @ Proctors with a whopping smorgasbord of popular animated films, from family-oriented fare (Coraline, The Iron Giant) to more mature offerings (Beavis and Butt-head Do America, Fritz The Cat).

(more…)

Tags: First Annual Animation Festival, Proctors Theatre, Schenectady
Posted in Be Here Now, Film/TV/DVD | 1 Comment »

CD: Gary Wager’s “Age of an Aquarian”

Thursday, July 1st, 2010

Gary Water: Age of an Aquarian (no label listed, 2010):

You might get the wrong idea here. With an album titled “Age of an Aquarian,” it might seem difficult to get past the new-agey-ness of it all. Flip over the CD jewel case, and you’ll find as song titles as “Peace Garden #7,” “A Butterfly Song” and “An Aquarian Muse.”

Now you know you’re in new age territory, right?

Well, not so fast…

(more…)

Tags: Gary Wager, Moon & River Cafe, Schenectady
Posted in Be Here Now, CD Reviews | Comments Off