Items tagged with 'The Egg'
"The Bandleader Who Changed America" at The Egg
That clip embedded above is a segment about James Reese Europe from (we think) the Jazz documentary by Ken Burns. It's a quick overview of Europe's life and his music.
The Egg is hosting a multimedia talk this Thursday, October 4 about the great jazz bandleader and composer James Reese Europe. It's connected to the Harlem Hellfighters exhibit that's on display in the Abrams Building at the ESP. Blurbage:
Through the use of photos, film, and live music, this multimedia presentation will focus on the life and music of James Reese Europe (1880-1919), an extraordinary individual who was not only instrumental in the success of the Harlem Hellfighters, an African-American military regiment from New York that was dispatched to fight for France in World War I, but had a major influence in the development of jazz, swing, and contemporary dance music.
Featuring special guests Michael Dinwiddie, associate professor at New York University's Gallatin School and William Meckley, founder and music director of the Empire Jazz Orchestra, this special evening will also include a musical demonstration and performance by jazz pianist and composer David Gleason, highlighting the history of early jazz music and Europe's profound impact as a bandleader.
The presentation starts at 6:30 pm Thursday and it's free.
The Glory Can Never Fade
There are still a few months to catch the The Glory Can Never Fade: The Legacy of the Harlem Hellfighters exhibit at the Empire State Plaza. It's in the Vietnam Memorial Gallery in the Abrams Building just off State Street.
The 369th Infantry Regiment -- "the Harlem Hellfighters" -- was the regiment in which Henry Johnson served. The exhibit covers of the history of the group and its impact. It's on display through next February.
(Also, while you're there, go around the corner and take a minute to see the Fritz Glarner mural.)
Jackson Galaxy "Total Cat Mojo Live" at The Egg
The host of Animal Planet's My Cat From Hell -- Jackson Galaxy -- will be at The Egg November 23 for what's billed as "Total Cat Mojo Live." Tickets go on sale this Saturday, September 8* -- they're $39.50 and up.
Show blurbage:
Popularly known as the "Cat Daddy," Jackson is on a mission to educate people about cats and deepen the human and cat bond, while reducing the number of animals that end up in shelters. Over time, Jackson has developed and honed his philosophy known as "Cat Mojo," which teaches cat guardians the skills to help their feline friends build confidence within their environment. Jackson has written extensively about his work and philosophy in his two New York Times best-selling books, "Catify to Satisfy" and "Catification."
He's also appeared on the Animal Planet show Cat vs. Dog.
Black Violin at The Egg
The duo Black Violin is set for a show at The Egg May 17, 2019. Tickets go on sale the general public this Thursday, July 26 -- they're $34.50 and up.
Band blurbage:
Black Violin - featuring Wil Baptiste and Kevin "Kev Marcus" Sylvester - blends classical, hip-hop, rock, R&B, and bluegrass with influences ranging from Shostakovich and Bach to Nas and Jay-Z. Their major label debut recording "Stereotypes" is anything but stereotypical as they break all the rules in creating their one-of-a-kind musical fusion that has rocked concert halls and festivals worldwide.
Black Violin is also lined up for a "SPAC on Stage" show at SPAC August 20, but it's been sold out for months. It's the second straight year the duo sold out their SPAC on Stage show. Black Violin also played Troy Musical Hall this past April.
Two more 2019 concerts announced for The Egg
January 11: "We Shall Overcome": A Musical Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr featuring The Damien Sneed Band
Stefon Harris at The Egg
Acclaimed jazz vibraphonist -- and Albany High School grad -- Stefon Harris is set to play a show at The Egg December 1. Tickets are on sale now -- they're $34.
This week Harris was named a winner of a Doris Duke Artist Award. Each artists receives $250k in flexible funding (along with as much as $35k for retirement savings). The awards are given to "exemplary individual artists in contemporary dance, jazz, theater and related interdisciplinary work who have demonstrated their artistic vitality and commitment to their field." Harris-specific blurbage:
With astonishing artistry and virtuosity, Stefon Harris has risen to become one of the most admired artists in jazz. He is a recipient of the Martin E. Segal Award from Lincoln Center and has earned four Grammy nominations. He has also been named Best Mallet Player eight times by the Jazz Journalists Association and was chosen as Best Vibes in the 2018 and 2017 DownBeat Magazine critics polls, the 2016 Jazz Times Expanded Critics Poll, the 2014 Jazz Times Critics Poll and the 2013 DownBeat Critics Poll.
Harris' 11th album as a band leader, "Sonic Creed," recorded with his band Blackout, will be released in 2018. ...
Harris' venture into new technological advances led to the co-founding of The Melodic Progression Institute (MPI) in 2013 with partner Clif Swigget. MPI released its first app in 2016, Harmony Cloud, an ear-training learning tool now available on iTunes, with a focus on designing innovative ways to help musicians learn and grow.
And he's an Albany High School grad, class of 1991. While in school here he was also a member of the Empire State Youth Orchestra.
photo: Elizabeth Leitzell
Amanda Shires at The Egg
Americana/roots singer/songwriter Amanda Shires is set to play a show at The Egg July 25. Tickets are on sale now -- they're $29.50.
Shires will be touring this summer as the lead up to a new album in August. Album blurbage:
To The Sunset is a compelling collection of narratives often told from a female perspective. The themes range from grappling with self-esteem in "Mirror, Mirror" to mental illness and addiction in standout track "Wasn't I Paying Attention?" and the power of a changed perspective with a dash of her signature wit in "Break Out The Champagne". Shires has a penchant for delivering her stories in ways that are intelligent and poetic yet thoughtful and warm, feeling as if coming from a good friend.
Shires also performs with Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit, which won the Grammy for Best Americana Album this year. And, as it happens, she and Isbell are married. Here's a NPR interview with them both from this past December about their music and all sorts of stuff.
The opener for the show at The Egg: The one and only Sean Rowe.
Miranda Sings at The Egg
The comedy act Miranda Sings will be at The Egg July 13. Tickets are on sale now -- they're $39.50 and up.
The title for the show is "Miranda Sings Live... No Offense with special guest Colleen Ballinger." Miranda Sings is the YouTube-famous act -- Colleen Ballinger is the comedian / actor who plays her. Blurbage:
The character Miranda was created in 2008 and became mainstream when Colleen received a personal call from Jerry Seinfeld to appear on his series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, and subsequently The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. 'Miranda's' origins were intended as a parody of the young, self-absorbed singers with more far more confidence (and vibrato) than talent which Colleen saw uploading videos to YouTube. Miranda is known for her overdrawn red lips, questionable advice about singing and life, a deluded self-confidence, and over-the-top rants about her family and personal problems.
"Miranda" is also the basis for the Netflix series Haters Back Off!
More recently-announced comedy shows
+ March 31: Pretty Much The Best Comedy Show: Julie Kottakis at Proctors
+ April 7: Cuzin Maine at Troy Music Hall
+ May 18: Nick Swardson at The Egg
518 Songfest 2018
Moriah Formica
This year's 518 Songfest is May 18 -- 518 Day -- at The Egg. Tickets are on sale now -- they're $9.77-$20.
And the headliner this year is Moriah Formica -- who, as you know, had a strong showing on the most recent season of The Voice. The lineup also includes Super 400 (playing an acoustic set), singer/songwriter Sydney Worthley, Sandy McKnight's Pop-Clique, and Grammy award-winning songwriter Julie Gold.
Blurbage: "Songfest is a unique live concert experience, in that the artists get to perform their songs, as well as talk a bit about their music and experiences as creators and musicians."
The event is a fundraiser for Exit 97.7 WEXT and the Columbia Arts Team.
Shovels & Rope at The Egg
The Americana duo Shovels and Rope is set to play The Egg March 21. Tickets go on sale this Friday, January 12 -- they're $34.
Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent "combine threads of traditional folk, country and rock." They recently released an album on which they collaborated with a bunch of other musicians covering tracks from artists ranging from The Breeders to Chuck Berry.
Also announced for The Egg
+ February 21: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
+ February 24: Shelby Lynne
Tickets for both shows also go on sale this Friday.
Dweezil Zappa at The Egg
Dweezil Zappa is set for a return to The Egg April 24. Tickets go on sale this Friday, December 1 -- they're $39.50 and up.
Show blurbage:
Dweezil Zappa performs Frank Zappa, an evening of his father's music, keeping the legacy of the iconic rocker alive! Playing a long, ambitious set of Frank Zappa favorites and obscure gems, Dweezil respectfully executes his father's music beautifully. He is uniquely qualified to bring these compositions back to life with complete authenticity from the page to the stage. Helping to deliver the goods is his absolutely stellar band of first-rate musicians.
Zappa has played The Egg a handful of times in recent years and the shows have either sold out or been very close to selling out. So if you'd like to go, it's a good idea to get tickets sooner rather than later.
photo via Dweezil Zappa Facebook
Andrew Bird at The Egg
Violinist/songwriter/singer Andrew Bird is set to play a show at The Egg March 5. Tickets go on sale this Friday, November 3 -- they're $40 and up.
Bird released a new this month. Echolocations: River is an instrumental he recorded while standing in the Los Angeles River. And last year he released an indie folk album, Are You Serious -- here's an NPR Tiny Desk concert supporting that.
The show at The Egg is in the 982-seat Hart Theatre.
Brad Mehldau
Also announced for The Egg today: Brad Mehldau Trio April 22. Tickets on sale this Friday -- they're $34.50.
photo: Addie Juell
Greensky Bluegrass at The Egg
The jamgrass band Greensky Bluegrass is set to play a show at The Egg January 24. Tickets go on sale this Friday, September 29 -- they're $29.50.
From a Relix profile earlier this year, about how the jam met the grass:
As Greensky Bluegrass' original compositions mounted, the "trad-grass" tunes began to fall by the wayside a bit, opening the door for the extended improvisations that highlight the band's current live show. "Early on, when we were doing bluegrass, we realized that so much of it is so similar," Hoffman says. "We used to play these three-hour shows, and when we were playing all bluegrass songs that are three minutes long, that was lot of goddamn songs. I remember being like, 'Why don't we just play one bluegrass song for twice as long, instead of playing two songs that are exactly the same?' And that's kind of where our improvisation was born."
The opener for the show at The Egg is Billy Strings.
photo via Greensky Bluegrass website
They Might Be Giants at The Egg
The duo They Might Be Giants are set to return to The Egg April 22. Tickets go on sale to the general public September 22 -- they're $27.50.
Of course, TMBG have a song about The Egg. It's embedded above -- it was part of the band's "venue songs" series. A thousand years ago, we talked with John Flansburgh about the song:
"The Egg" is actually a very good example of a song that is really responding to the extraordinary qualities of the venue itself. I mean how many venues are like The Egg, you know -- none. It's sui generis as they say in the legal profession.
The song "The Egg" is one of the few songs I've ever written while driving. I recorded it on a tape recorder singing out loud. When I got to the parking lot of The Egg I sat in the back of my car and put some chords to it and then I gave it to the band and we played it that night.
This upcoming concert is billed as an all-ages show: "Science, Kids, and Beyond."
Rodrigo y Gabriela at The Egg
The duo Rodrigo y Gabriela is set to play a show at The Egg November 12. Tickets go on sale this Friday, September 15 -- price isn't posted, yet. (It looks like there's also a pre-sale via the band's site.)
Rodrigo y Gabriela are Rodrigo Sánchez and Gabriela Quintero, acoustic guitarists originally from Mexico whose music is influenced by flamenco, rock, and heavy metal. Listening to them -- and the huge sound they produce -- it's easy to forget they're just two people.
They were last in town in 2016 for a show at The Egg.
photo: Peter Neill
Neko Case at The Egg
Neko Case is set to play a show at The Egg January 15. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday, September 1 -- they're $34.50 and up.
Case hasn't released a solo album in a few years. She was collaborated with k.d. lang and Laura Veirs on an album released last year, and she was part of the new album from the New Pornographers this year. So maybe there's some new solo music from her on the way.
The last time she and her intergalactic voice made a stop here was at Troy Music Hall in March 2016.
photo: Dennis Kleiman
Phantogram, now at The Egg
The Phantogram show lined up for the Schaghticoke Fair Grounds July 27 has been moved to The Egg. The promoter's press release cites "unforeseen circumstances." Tickets already purchased will be honored, and refunds are available at the point of sale.
Tickets are $35 ahead / $38 day of. It's a general admission show in The Egg's Hart Theatre, which has a maximum capacity of 982.
When the show was first announced, Tycho was on the bill as an opener. But the act is no longer playing the show.
Phantogram shows usually sell out when they return home to this area -- the date at Upstate Concert Hall earlier this year sold out -- so it wouldn't be a surprise if this one does, too.
photo: Timothy Saccenti
Hurray for the Riff Raff at The Egg
The folk/rock/blues act Hurray for the Riff Raff is set to play a show at The Egg September 15. Tickets go on sale this Friday, June 30 -- they're $29.50.
Hurray for the Riff Raff is centered around Bronx native Alynda Lee Segarra. From an All Things Considered profile earlier this year:
So at 17, she left, literally thumbing rides and hopping trains across the country. She made New Orleans her home and eventually started the band Hurray for the Riff Raff. Their music sounds like those long road trips Segarra made in the West: A mixture of rock, folk and blues. But their new album is something different, because Segarra finally got to point where she was ready to grapple with the part of her identity that she'd pushed away when she was younger. She's a Puerto Rican woman, from a New York neighborhood, and that history is now part of her music. The new album is called The Navigator.
The album was released this spring and it's gotten strong reviews.
The opener for the show at The Egg is Xenia Rubinos.
photo: Sarrah Danziger
Made in the Shade 2017
Kat Wright and the Indomitable Soul Band will be there in June.
The Made in the Shade series of free lunchtime concerts on the Empire State Plaza starts a new season in June 7. The concerts are Wednesday at noon underneath The Egg (thus the name).
Here's the lineup...
Kevin James at The Egg
Comedian/actor Kevin James will be at The Egg June 23 for a stand-up show. Tickets are on sale now -- they're $55 and up.
James, of course, starred on The King of Queens for many years, as well as appearing in movies. And he now has a new sitcom.
He's made a couple of stops here in recent years at The Palace. This show at The Egg is in the 982-seat Hart Theatre.
More comedy
+ That John Mulaney show July 27 that was originally scheduled for The Egg, but moved to The Palace because of demand has added a second show that same night at 9:30 pm.
+ Demetri Martin is returning to The Egg October 6.
+ And this year's comedy lineup for the Solid Sound Festival at MASS MoCA June 23-25 includes: John Hodgman (of course), Michael Ian Black, Eugene Mirman, Phoebe Robinson*, Nick Offerman, and Jean Grae's The Show Show with DJ Quelle Chris. (It looks like Robinson has replaced Aparna Nancherla in the lineup.)
photo via Kevin James Facebook.
Demetri Martin returning to The Egg
Comedian/actor Demetri Martin is returning to The Egg October 6 for a stand-up show. Tickets go on sale this Friday, April 21 -- they're $35 and up.
Martin's style is understated and observational, with a lot of one-liners (also: diagrams). From his Facebook page yesterday: "If they could read, I think wolves would be very offended by most fairy tales." He also has a film -- Dean, which he wrote and directed -- coming out in June.
He's made stops in this area a few times, the last at The Egg in 2015.
Drive-By Truckers at The Egg
The alt-country band Drive-By Truckers are set to play The Egg July 25. Tickets go on sale this Friday, April 14 -- they're $29.50 and up.
The band is touring support of a "blunt, pissed-off Trump-era anthems" album released last fall. Here's a recap of a show they played recently in Austin. [Rolling Stone] [Austin360]
The show at The Egg is one of four new concerts announced this week for the venue. Also newly announced...
May 13: The BoDeans
May 18: Big Head Todd & The Monsters
August 15: Buddy Guy
Tickets for those shows also go on sale this Friday.
photo: Danny Clinch
John Mulaney at The Egg -- now at The Palace
Update: This show has been moved to The Palace.
Comedian John Mulaney is set for a stand-up show at The Egg July 27. Tickets went on sale today (March 22) -- they're $29 and up.
Blurbage:
He most recently starred in the Broadway hit, "Oh, Hello on Broadway" alongside Nick Kroll. In 2015 Mulaney released his 3rd hour stand up special a Netflix Original titled "THE COMEBACK KID" which the AV Club called "his best hour of his career." He began his career in New York's East Village and has since toured around the world. In 2008, he began writing at "Saturday Night Live" where he appeared as a "Weekend Update" correspondent and co-created characters such as "Stefon" with Bill Hader. He currently writes for IFC's "Documentary Now" and for Netflix's "Big Mouth" on which he voices the character of Andrew.
The show at The Egg is in the 982-seat Hart Theater.
A handful of other comedy shows coming up...
518 Songfest 2017
The 518 Songfest returns to The Egg April 1. The headliner is Sawyer Fredericks, of American Idol The Voice fame. Also on the card: Girl Blue, The Sea The Sea, John Davidson, and Sandy McKnight.
Blurbage: "Songfest is a unique live concert experience, in that the artists get to perform their songs, as well as talk a bit about their music and experiences as creators and musicians."
Tickets go on sale this Friday, February 24 -- they're $30 ahead / $35 day of. The concert is a benefit for Exit 97.7 WEXT and the Columbia Arts Team. It's in the 450-seat Swyer Theater.
Welcome to Night Vale "All Hail" at The Egg
The touring live show of the popular podcast Welcome to Night Vale is set to return to The Egg April 10. Tickets go on sale this Friday, January 20 -- they're $30.
The date at The Egg is part of the tour for a new Nightvale live show -- "All Hail" -- that includes narrator Cecil Badlwin and guests, music by Disparition, and Erin McKeown as the weather.
From the podcast's blurbage:
WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE is a twice-monthly podcast in the style of community updates for the small desert town of Night Vale, featuring local weather, news, announcements from the Sheriff's Secret Police, mysterious lights in the night sky, dark hooded figures with unknowable powers, and cultural events.
Turn on your radio and hide.
The creators of the show were -- Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor -- were recently on the podcast Bad with Money With Gaby Dunn and talked about how they started Night Vale and how they've funded it.
photo via Welcome to Night Vale FB
Aimee Mann at The Egg
Singer/songwriter Aimee Mann is set to play
Mann announced today that she has a new album -- her first in five years -- coming out in March. Mental Illness includes contributions from Ted Leo, with whom she toured a few years back (they made a stop at Helsinki Hudson).
It isn't mentioned on The Egg listing for the show, but it looks like Jonathan Coulton will be the opener.
The show at The Egg in the 982-seat Hart Theatre.
BNL
By the way: The Barenaked Ladies show at The Egg April 21 is sold out.
KT Tunstall at The Egg
KT Tunstall
Singer/songwriter KT Tunstall is lined up for a show at The Egg February 24. Tickets go on sale this Friday, December 16 -- they're $29.50.
Tunstall's star rose very high about a decade ago -- for a while it seemed like her songs were in every movie or TV show. But apparently things weren't going so well for her in her personal life and at one point didn't plan to make any more albums. Things turned around though, and she got back to recording -- she released a new album this past fall and it's gotten pretty good reviews.
Sarah Jarosz
Also announced this week: singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Sara Jarosz at The Egg March 9. Tickets go on sale this Friday -- they're $29.50.
She was recently nominated for the 2017 Grammys in the best folk album and best roots performance categories.
St. Paul and the Broken Bones at The Egg
The soul band St. Paul and the Broken Bones is set to play a show at The Egg March 5. Tickets are on sale now -- they're $35 and up.
From a profile of frontman Paul Janeway at Rolling Stone:
These days, Janeway channels fire-and-brimstone energy as the frontman of St. Paul and the Broken Bones. During the band's feverish live shows, he yelps, screams, croons and often dives into the audience. At a gig in South Carolina recently, Janeway hoisted himself onto an audience member's back. "He's a cat who can do an Otis Redding - he's very interesting to watch," Keith Richards told Rolling Stone last year, after St. Paul and the Broken Bones opened up for the Stones. Janeway isn't shy talking about his ability to fire up a crowd. "Our booking agent was like, 'Just be proud you're opening for the Stones, but nobody's going to pay attention to you,'" he says. "I was like, 'F[---] that. I'll get them to pay attention.' And I got them to pay attention."
See also this review by Ann Powers of the group's new album over at NPR.
Also recently announced for The Egg: The Barenaked Ladies on April 21. Tickets are on sale now -- they're $59.50 and up.
photo: David McClister
Sawyer Fredericks at The Egg
Sawyer Fredericks is set to play a show at The Egg December 4. Tickets are now on sale -- they're $29.50.
As you know, Fredericks is from Fultonville in Montgomery County and won the 8th season of The Voice in 2015 when he was just 16 years old. Earlier this year he released his first major label full-length album.
In May 2015 Fredericks played a show at The Palace as part of The Voice and it sold out. This time around he's in the 450-seat Swyer Theater at The Egg.
The opening act is Gabriel Wolfchild and The Northern Light.
photo via Sawyer Fredericks Facebook page
Savion Glover at The Egg
Tap dance king Savion Glover will be at The Egg October 15 for a performance. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday (July 15) -- they're $34 and up.
The performance at The Egg will be the premiere of a new work by Glover, "New Soundz" -- it's a collaboration with jazz saxophonist James Carter. Glover's company of dancers will also be performing and they'll be joined by Carter's quartet.
Glover is, of course, a titan of the dance world. As his mentor, Gregory Hines, said of him many years ago: "He could arguably be the best tap dancer that ever lived. He's a genius."
Most recently, Glover was nominated for a 2016 Tony for his choreographer work on the Broadway show Shuffle Along.
Ben Folds at The Egg
A solo Ben Folds is set to stop at The Egg September 26 for a show. Tickets go on sale this Friday (July 15) -- they're $39.50 and up. (It looks like there's also a pre-sale.)
Tour blurbage:
Folds' upcoming solo tour comes at the anniversary of his critically acclaimed most recent album So There (New West Records). The record debuted last September at #1 on both Billboard's Classical and Classical Crossover charts. So There showcases new pop songs by Folds, along with the debut recording of his critically acclaimed "Concerto For Piano and Orchestra." The album has been praised for its forward-thinking studio craft and creative spontaneity.
The tour is being touted as a "solo rock tour," and "will feature Folds performing his classic and current pop songs, telling stories, interacting with the audiences, and improvisation with a host of instruments."
Dweezil Zappa
Also set for The Egg: Dweezil Zappa's "DWEEZIL ZAPPA Plays Whatever The F@%k He Wants Tour a tribute to 50 Years Of Frank" on October 25. Tickets go on sale Friday (July 15) -- they're $34.50 and up.
Zappa was at The Egg last year playing Frank Zappa's music and that show sold out. So getting tickets sooner rather than later isn't a bad idea if you want to go.
photo via Ben Folds FB page
Chris Hardwick at The Egg
Comedian/host Chris Hardwick will be at The Egg this Thursday, June 9 for a comedy show. Tickets are $39.50.
Hardwick has a bunch of different jobs hosting various TV shows. But a lot of his fame traces back to his popular podcast, The Nerdist -- which has in turn, grown into all sorts of various offshoots.
He had an hour-long comedy special -- Funcomfortable -- on Comedy Central earlier this spring.
Josh Ritter at The Egg
Singer/songwriter Josh Ritter is set to play a show at The Egg July 22. Tickets go on sale to the general public next Tuesday, May 10 -- they're $28 and up.
Ritter will be appearing with The Royal City Band backing him. They're touring in support of the album Sermon on the Rocks, which was released last fall.
He was last in town for a show at the Troy Music Hall in the fall of 2013.
photo: Laura Wilson
A slice of The Egg
We stumbled across this cross section diagram of The Egg in the AlbanyGroup Archive Flickr collection recently, and thought it was interesting how it shows everything packed into the venue's shape.
From the "History & Architecture" page over at the The Egg's website:
Architecturally, The Egg is without precedent. From a distance it seems as much a sculpture as a building. Though it appears to sit on the main platform, the stem that holds The Egg actually goes down through six stories deep into the Earth. The Egg keeps its shape by wearing a girdle - a heavily reinforced concrete beam that was poured along with the rest of the shell. This beam helps transmit The Egg's weight onto the supporting pedestal and gives the structure an ageless durability that belies its nickname.
AlbanyGroup Archive: You've checked out the AlbanyGroup Archive on Flickr, right? It's a huge rabbit hole of local historical photos.
Rodrigo y Gabriela at The Egg
The duo Rodrigo y Gabriela is lined up to play a show at The Egg June 23. Tickets go on sale this Friday, March 25 -- they're $46.50 and $56.50.
Rodrigo y Gabriela are Rodrigo Sánchez and Gabriela Quintero, acoustic guitarists originally from Mexico whose music is influenced by flamenco, rock, and heavy metal. Listening to them -- and the huge sound they produce -- it's easy to forget they're just two people. Here's a show they played for KEXP a few years back.
They were last in town for a show at The Egg in 2014.
photo: Peter Neill
Deer Tick at The Egg
The indie band Deer Tick is set to play a show at The Egg March 18. Tickets go on this sale this Friday, December 11 -- they're $31.50. (There's also a pre-sale.)
The show is billed as an acoustic set in support of the album Negativity. The opener is Mutual Benefit.
Deer Tick has been making stops in the Capital Region for a bunch of years, and the shows often seem to be popular. So, getting tickets sooner rather than later might not be a bad idea. The show is in the 450-seat Swyer Theater.
photo via Deer Tick FB
David Sedaris at The Egg
Author David Sedaris will be at The Egg April 9. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday, November 20 -- they're $38.50 and $48.50.
It's been a few years since Sedaris last made a stop here -- 2013, we think. And his appearances are often very popular. So, if you'd like to go, getting tickets sooner rather than later is probably a good idea.
The most recent book from Sedaris is Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls.
If you've never seen Sedaris in in a live performance, (in our experience) it goes something like this: he reads a bit, he talks a bit, reads a little bit more, talks some more, people laugh -- sometimes not exactly sure of when they should. So it's kind of like you'd expect.
photo: Hugh Hamrick
Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings at The Egg
Sharon Jones
Soul band Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings are lined up for a show at The Egg December 5. Tickets go on sale this Friday (September 11) -- they're $34.50 and up.
The group will be touring in support of their last album, as well as their upcoming holiday album -- It's A Holiday Soul Party -- that is scheduled for release in October (here's a preview).
photo: Jake Chessum
Welcome to Night Vale live show at The Egg
A touring live show of the popular podcast Welcome to Night Vale will be at The Egg May 18. Tickets are $30 and they're on sale now.
From the show's blurbage:
WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE is a twice-monthly podcast in the style of community updates for the small desert town of Night Vale, featuring local weather, news, announcements from the Sheriff's Secret Police, mysterious lights in the night sky, dark hooded figures with unknowable powers, and cultural events.
Turn on your radio and hide.
The show has been described as "Lovecraftian", "caught somewhere between Weird Twitter and Tales of the Unexplained", "like NPR meets The Mothman Prophecies," and channeling David Lynch and Orson Welles. As co-creator Jeffrey Cranor explained to All Things Considered:
I've always been fascinated by conspiracy theories. And also, to a lesser extent fascinated by the Southwest desert. Fascinating things probably happen there on a regular basis. So I came up with this idea of a town in that desert where all conspiracy theories were real, and we would just go from there with that understood."
The live show at The Egg is in the Hart Theater.
photo via Welcome to Night Vale FB
Demetri Martin at The Egg
Comedian Demetri Martin is returns for a stand-up show at The Egg January 29. Tickets go on sale this Friday, November 14 -- they're $42.50.
Martin's been on Comedy Central a bunch -- both as part of his own show, and on The Daily Show. He's also appeared in a handful of movies, including (most recently) Contagion and In a World...
His style is understated and observational, with a lot of one-liners -- "Don't be so quick to judge others. Take your time and really get into it."
More upcoming comedy:
+ November 20: Hannibal Buress at The Egg
+ December 5: Gabriel Iglesias at The Palace
+ December 13: John Oliver at The Palace
+ March 7: Lily Tomlin at Troy Music Hall
+ April 18: Paula Poundstone at Troy Music Hall
+ April 24: Bill Cosby at The Palace
+ May 5: Brian Regan at The Palace
Live Nation advertises on AOA.
Hannibal Buress at The Egg
Comedian Hannibal Buress is set for a standup show at The Egg November 20. Tickets go on sale this Friday (September 4) -- they're $28.
Buress has been showing up all over TV during the last few years. He's had his own special on Comedy Central, co-stars on The Eric André Show during Adult Swim, is part of the cast of Broad City, guested on Louie, Bob's Burgers, The Mindy Project, and also made appearances on the late night shows.
A few other notable comedy shows coming up:
+ September 27: Carly Aquilino at The Egg
+ October 16: Lewis Black at The Palace
+ October 25: Amy Schumer at The Palace
+ December 13: John Oliver at The Palace
photo via Hannibal Buress website
Carly Aquilino at The Egg
Comedian Carly Aquilino, from MTV's Girl Code, will be at The Egg for a standup show September 27. Tickets go on sale this Friday (July 25) -- they're $25 ahead ($30 day of) and up.
Over its two season Girl Code, featuring Aquilino and other female comedians, actresses, and musicians riffing on all sorts of topics -- has become one of MTV's biggest hits.
Tracy Morgan at The Egg 2014
Comedian Tracy Morgan will be back at The Egg June 22 for a stand-up show. Tickets go on sale this Friday (April 4) -- they're $35.50.
Morgan is, of course, famous for his long run on SNL and his role on 30 Rock in which he played comedian and movie star "Tracy Jordan." That role sometimes verged on art imitating life. (See also: Questlove's celebrity stories.) Morgan said as much on Fresh Air in 2009.
Morgan was last in town for a show at The Egg last June. That show sold out (or was very close to a sell out), so if you'd like to go this time around, it's probably a better idea to tickets sooner than later.
Live Nation advertises on AOA.
photo: Tracy Morgan Facebook
Rodrigo y Gabriela at The Egg
Coming to The Egg: Rodrigo y Gabriela on April 26. Tickets go on sale this Friday (March 7) -- they're $44.50 and up. (There's also a pre-sale.)
Rodrigo y Gabriela are a little bit hard to describe. Acoustic classic rock? Acoustic guitar metal? Influenced by bands such as Metallica, the Mexican duo first got noticed in Dublin, Ireland. They've since ended up touring all over the world, appearing on TV, with their music ending up in all sorts of other media. They're kind of mesmerizing to watch, seeing just two people get all that sound out of two acoustic guitars.
The show at The Egg is in the 982-seat Hart Theatre. The opener is folk singer/songwriter Bobby Long.
photo: Peter Neill
Neko Case at The Egg
Singer/songwriter Neko Case is set to play a show at The Egg May 7. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday (January 31) -- they're $35. (They're already on sale to members of The Egg.)
Case's music is somewhere in the vicinity of the intersection of indie rock, alt-country, and folk rock -- both in her solo work and with The New Pornographers. Her most recent album -- The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You (review) -- was nominated for best alternative music album at the Grammys.
She has a tremendous voice. Among the phrases used to describe it:
+ "so powerful, nuanced and pure"
+ "astonishing, siren-like"
+ "uniquely clear and powerful"
+ it "usually stops people in their tracks"
+ "Neko Case has a cold, so her range & power last night were downgraded from 'Intergalactic Sonic Anomaly' to 'Eschaton-Announcing Messenger.'"
Case will be performing in The Egg's 982-seat Hart Theater.
photo: Emily Shur
Deer Tick, Bastille to swing through
Bastille is an English band (go figure).
A few bits of concert news from today that might interest you:
Deer Tick
Indie band Deer Tick will be making another stop in the area at The Hollow in downtown Albany March 7. Opener is Toy Soldiers. Tickets are on sale now -- they're $18 ahead / $20 day of.
Deer Tick has played this area a bunch of times over the past few years. They seem to have a lot of fans here. (The Hollow holds about 300.)
Bastille
Alterna/synth rock band Bastille is set to a play a show at Upstate Concert Hall June 2. Opener is Wolf Gang. Tickets go on sale this Saturday (January 18) -- they're $20.
Bastille's song "Pompeii" has been played everywhere over the last -- including about a zillion plays on YouTube. They were just nominated for a bunch of awards in the British equivalent of Grammys. And they're set to play SNL January 25.
Ed Kowalczyk
Ed Kowalczyk -- you know, the guy from the band Live -- is lined up for a show at The Egg March 20 (Swyer Theater). Tickets go on on sale this Friday (January 17) -- they're $35.
Kowalczyk's show is being billed as "'I Alone' Acoustic," a play off the once-huge Live song and, um, probably the fact that he's playing an acoustic show.
Speaking of guys with acoustic guitars who sound like they're from the 90s... The Band of Horses show at The Egg February 23 is sold out.
Earlier on AOA: Capital Region concert venues, by size
photo via Virgin Records
"She Loves You -- The Beatles and New York"
The Egg and musicologist Gordon Thompson are teaming up for a week of events in February to celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Beatles' arrival in New York. Event blurbage (link added):
The festivities begin with eight multi-media lectures held in various venues around the Capital Region. Led by musicologist and Beatles scholar Gordon Thompson, the program, entitled "She Loves You - The Beatles and New York" will explore the impact of the British invasion on New York, led by The Beatles in February 1964, their historic concert at Shea Stadium, John Lennon's NYC connection and discuss how their music continues to be an inspiration to composers and performing artists today. ...
The celebration culminates with two performances at The Egg, beginning with "All You Need is Love", a Valentine's Day Concert of Beatles love songs performed by a number of regional artists. "This concert will demonstrate how the Beatles' music has been an important part of generations of New York performing artists, whether they are rock, jazz or folk musicians, said Peter Lesser, The Egg's executive director.
The schedule for the eight multimedia lectures is after the jump. And that concert at The Egg -- "All You Need is Love" on February 14 -- is free, though you'll need a ticket.
The week of Beatlemania concludes with a show by The Fab Faux, a Beatles tribute act, at The Egg February 15. Tickets for that start at $35.
Band of Horses at The Egg
As it happens, the band includes no actual horses.
Alt/indie rock group Band of Horses is set to play a show at The Egg February 23, according to the band's tour page. Tickets go on sale Monday, December 9 -- they're $37.25 (that includes fees).
Band of Horses emerged from the ashes a previous band around the middle of the last decade with the album Everything All the Time. That album included the song "The Funeral," which you've probably heard even if you don't think you've heard it -- in addition to regular air play, the song's been featured in a ton of other media.
The Band of Horses show is in The Egg's 982-seat Hart Theater. It's being billed as an acoustic show. Also that night: The Wood Brothers in the adjacent Swyer Theater.
photo via Band of Horses website
Fall 2013 season at The Egg
Richard Thompson will be there in September.
The Egg has announced a slate of concerts for this fall. Tickets go on sale to the public July 24.
Without further ado, a quick scan of that slate...
On top of The Egg
A few people mentioned seeing workers -- and a railing -- on top of The Egg today.
So... preparations for an Egg-top roof party? Or, finally, an effort to signal the mothership?
Alas, no.
The workers are up there re-coating the roof, part of normal maintenance that happens every 5-8 years, a state Office of General Services spokesperson told us. The railing is a temporary safety measure. The work is expected to be finished around September 1.
The mothership will just have to wait.
[photo via @fujontap -- thanks!]
Earlier AOA: Cracking open the origins of The Egg
Lyle Lovett at The Egg
Lyle Lovett is lined up for a show at The Egg July 5. Tickets go on sale to the general public April 18 -- they're $58 and $68.
Lovett will performing with his "acoustic group" (as opposed to his "large band"). Here's a show from last August with Lovett and that lineup.
When not performing, Lovett takes photos -- here's a set from his visit to Albany in 2011. And recently he's been he's been designing shirts.
Previous Lyle Lovett shows at The Egg have sold out, so if you'd like to go to this one, getting tickets sooner rather than later is probably a good move.
photo: Michael Wilson
Tracy Morgan at The Egg
Comedian Tracy Morgan will be at The Egg June 28 for a stand-up show. Tickets are $35.50 -- they go on sale this Friday (January 22).
Morgan is, of course, famous for his long run on SNL and his role on 30 Rock in which he played comedian and movie star "Tracy Jordan." That role sometimes verged on art imitating life. (See also: Questlove's celebrity stories.) Morgan said as much on Fresh Air in 2009.
Here's a recent Grantland video interview with Morgan.
Morgan played the Palace back in 2010.
Live Nation advertises on AOA.
photo: Tracy Morgan Facebook
Demetri Martin at the The Egg
Comedian Demetri Martin will be at The Egg March 16. Tickets are $39.75 -- they go on sale this Friday (January 25.)
Martin has appeared frequently on Comedy Central -- he's had his own show, and also a recurring spot on The Daily Show. He has an understated style, using one-liners and a sketchpad. He's also a palindromist. A few of the recent jokes he's posted on Facebook:
If I had to pick one artist to tile my bathroom I would go with MC Escher.
i_ (Letter i with shadow)
The lap of luxury is close to the crotch of luxury.
Oh oh, oh well. A suburb? A fat nasty baby T? Santa? Fab! Rub us all. Ew. Ho ho ho. <---- Holiday Palindrome
You might also recognize Martin from a few movies -- he played Elliot Tiber in Taking Woodstock and one of the microbiologists in Contagion.
Live Nation advertises on AOA.
Marc Maron at The Egg
Comedian Marc Maron will be at The Egg February 1. Tickets are $27.50 -- they go on sale to the general public this Friday (January 4).
Update: If you'd like to get in on the pre-sale, the code is "bazooka."
Maron has been in comedy for long time, and has made a bunch of appearances on TV. But the thing for which he's gotten the most recognition lately is his popular interview podcast WTF with Marc Maron.
More comedy, even sooner: John Oliver -- of Daily Show fame -- will be at The Egg January 11.
Live Nation advertises on AOA.
photo: Dmitri von Klein
Josh Ritter at The Egg
Singer/songwriter/author/guy with very blue eyes Josh Ritter is playing a show at The Egg February 13. Tickets go on sale to the general public November 28 -- they're $34.50.
Ritter was last here a year ago, at the Egg, for a solo acoustic show. This time around he'll be performing with the Royal City Band.
He released an EP earlier this year. And had a book published the summer before.
A few years back Paste included Ritter on its list of the 100 greatest living songwriters. (He was #97)
photo: Marcelo Biglia
Drawing: tickets for John Oliver at The Egg, and dinner at City Beer Hall
John Oliver is pointing at you.
Drawing's closed!
Comedian John Oliver -- you know, from The Daily Show -- will be at The Egg January 11. We have two tickets for the show and we're giving them away. BUT. WAIT. There's more. We also have a $40 gift certificate for dinner at the City Beer Hall before the show. And, yes John, WE ARE ALSO giving that away.
To enter the drawing, please answer this question in the comments:
John Oliver is British. So, what's you're favorite Britishism -- real or made up?
This could be anything: cheeky, crikey, loo, dodgy, nutter, flat, sixes and sevens. Or even one that you make up that sounds plausibly British. (It might help to watch a few episodes of Skins. But not the fourth season, because the end is completely bonkers.) We'll pick one winner at random.
John Oliver first got attention in the UK doing standup and a politics-themed comedy radio show. He joined the Daily Show in 2006. And he still co-hosts a satirical news podcast about US and UK events called The Bugle.
His show at The Egg starts at 8 pm on January 11. Tickets are on sale now. They're $32.50.
Important: All comments must be submitted by noon on Thursday, November 1, 2012 to be entered in the drawing. You must answer the question to be part of the drawing. One entry per person, please. You must enter a valid email address (that you check regularly) with your comment. The winner will be notified via email by 5 pm on Thursday and must respond by 5 pm on Friday, October 2.
Live Nation advertises on AOA.
photo: The Daily Show / John Oliver website
John Oliver at The Egg
Comedian John Oliver -- of Daily Show fame -- will be at The Egg January 11 (it doesn't appear the show has been posted there, yet). Tickets are $32.50. They go on sale this Friday (October 12).
As you probably know from the Daily Show, Oliver is British. He first got attention in the UK doing standup and a politics-themed comedy radio show. He joined the Daily Show in 2006. And he still co-hosts a satirical news podcast about US and UK events called The Bugle.
Jeff Dunham: Ventriloquist/comedian Jeff Dunham will be at the TU Center January 27. Tickets are $44.50. They go on sale this Friday.
Live Nation advertises on AOA.
photo: The Daily Show / John Oliver website
Ken Burns at The Egg
Documentary director Ken Burns will be at The Egg November 26 for "an engaging evening" with historian and Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer. Tickets are now on sale. They're $10.
Burns -- the man with his own effect -- and Holzer will be discussing Burns' life and "his passion for history," as well as his many respected PBS documentaries, including The Civil War, The National Parks: America's Best Idea, and Prohibition.
The event starts at 7:30 pm. It's a co-production with the NYS Archives Partnership Trust.
David Sedaris at The Egg
The Egg announced today that David Sedaris will be appearing there April 11 -- yep, as in 2013. Tickets go on sale September 7. They're $38.50 and $48.50.
Sure, this is like forever into the future. But if Sedaris' earlier appearances here are any indication, there's a good chance the show will sell out. Something to keep in mind if you think you might want to go.
If you've never seen Sedaris in in a live performance, (in our experience) it goes something like this: he reads a bit, he talks a bit, reads a little bit more, talks some more, people laugh -- sometimes not exactly sure of where they should. In other words, it's pretty much like a David Sedaris story.
(By the way: Sedaris has already appeared at the Palace and Proctors in the past. The Egg gives him a Capital Region hat trick. Congratulations, sir. Update: Both Eric and KJS alert us that Sedaris has already appeared at the The Egg. So he's starting on Capital Region hat trick #2.)
On the subject of performances next year: The Egg also announced that jazz vocalist/composer Kurt Elling will be performing there March 24. Ticket also go on sale next Friday. They're $29.50.
photo: Hachette Book Group
Gillian Welch at The Egg
Gillian Welch is playing a show at The Egg July 13. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday (June 1) -- they're $34.50.
Welch is a big part of the modern Americana/bluegrass/alt-country scene. She frequently records and performs with David Rawlings -- they also have their own boutique record label. But Welch has also collaborated with a bunch of acts, including Alison Krauss, Ryan Adams, Emmylou Harris, The Decemberists, and Ani DiFranco.
Alt-country (or whatever you want to call it) concerts seem to have done well at The Egg recently. The Conor Oberst show July 25 is already sold out. If you're thinking about catching Welch's show, you might want to get a ticket earlier rather than later.
photo: Paxton X
Death Cab for Cutie at Ommegang, Conor Oberst at The Egg
Deathcab for Cutie
And all the (now somewhat older) indie kids went "Squee!"
Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie is playing at Brewery Ommegang July 21 (a Saturday). It's an outside, rain-or-shine show. Tickets go on sale May 4 (this Friday). They're $39.50.
As you know, Death Cab is a former indie fave now gone mainstream. Frontman Ben Gibbard also collaborated with Jimmy Tamborello on The Postal Service. (His collaboration with Zooey Deschanel was less successful). And Death Cab is Seth Cohen's favorite band.
Conor Oberst
Conor Oberst is playing The Egg July 25 (a Wednesday). Tickets go on sale May 4. They're $35 ahead / $40 day of.
Oberst has often created music under the name Bright Eyes, along with a bunch of other collaborations. The show at The Egg will be solo and acoustic.
Death Cab photo: Danny Clinch
Anti-fracking concert at The Egg
The Egg announced today there will be a "New Yorkers Against Fracking" concert there May 15 -- and the lineup is includes a bunch of names you'll recognize: Medeski, Martin & Wood; Natalie Merchant; Citizen Cope; The Felice Brothers; Joan Osborne; Tracy Bonham; Toshi Reagon; Dan Zanes; Ida; The Horse Flies; The Ahkwesasne Women Singers.
The show will be hosted by actors Mark Ruffalo and Melissa Leo. Ruffalo, who lives in the Catskills, has been a vocal opponent of fracking -- lobbying at the Capitol and starting an org to fight it.
Tickets went on sale this morning. They're $150 and $40 / $20 for students and seniors. Presumably proceeds from the concert will be benefit New Yorkers Against Fracking.
The original announcement for this concert include Yoko Ono in the lineup, but organizers say she wasn't confirmed.
John Waters at The Egg
Looking waaaay ahead: John Waters and his one-man Christmas show will be at The Egg December 2. Tickets go on sale this Wednesday (thus the mention now) -- they're $35 and $50.
So, what does a John Waters Christmas snow involve? From the blurbage:
Like a wayward Santa for the Christmas obsessed, legendary filmmaker and raconteur John Waters rides into town on his sleigh full of smut, spreading yuletide cheer... Waters's rapid-fire monologue explores and explodes traditional archetypes as he shares his compulsive desire to give and receive perverted gifts, a religious fanaticism for Santa Claus, and an unhealthy love of true crime holiday horror stories.
So, basically what you'd expect.
Here's an interview with Waters from last November in the Baltimore Sun about the show and his apparently unconditional, un-ironic love of Christmas.
Ingrid Michaelson at The Egg
Singer/songwriter/glasses wearer Ingrid Michaelson will be playing a show at The Egg May 14 (it probably won't be chilly by then, so you won't need her sweater). Tickets go on sale this Friday (January 27) -- they're $25.
Michaelson's album Human Again is currently the #1 album on iTunes.
photo via Ingrid Michaelson's website
Guster at The Egg
Update: The Egg says there's been a change. The Guster show is still scheduled for March 28th, but Jeff Garlin will not be appearing with them.
Boston Alt Rock band Guster is known, in part, for its quirkiness and sense of humor. They'll be pairing with Curb Your Enthusiasm's Jeff Garlin for what's being billed as a rare acoustic concert on March 28th at The Egg. Wait, is this music or comedy? What would it sound like? Maybe something like this podcast series they teamed up for a while back.
Tickets for the show are $27.50. They go on sale on Friday at noon.
The Egg as text
For no other reason than it's Tuesday and raining: a picture of The Egg made from the letters in the words "the egg."
Made with Textify.it.
[via Kottke]
Rent at The Egg
525,600 minutes...
There are a lot of amateur theater productions in the Capital Region -- a lot of high quality amateur theater productions.
But few, if any, are as ambitious as Our Own Productions' version of Rent, opening this weekend at The Egg. The $22,000 budget is more that twice what is normally spent on a single local musical theater production.
It didn't start out that large -- but it looks like it could prove to be a worthwhile investment for the relatively new theater company.
Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt at The Egg
Lyle Lovett is coming back to The Egg in January -- and he'll be joined by John Hiatt.
They pair played The Egg in 2008. It was a great show -- they were good separately, but they also played off each other really well. And Lovett was very funny as he peppered Hiatt with questions throughout the night.
The show is January 25. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Tuesday. They start at $64.50.
TEDxAlbany is coming up
TEDxAlbany -- the local spinoff of the popular TED series -- is coming up next Thursday at The Egg (that's November 4).
The lineup of speakers looks interesting. A few of them:
- Eben Bayer, co-founder of Green Island startup Ecovative Design
- James Howard Kunstler, arch-nemisis of urban sprawl
- Improv expert Kat Koppet
- The Veggie Mobile's EJ Krans
- UAlbany professor Edward Cupoli, who's part of the "nanoeconomics" constellation at the school
Jeff Gaines, a consultant from Cohoes, is the organizer of the event -- he'll be giving a talk on "Why is Everyone So Fat, Broke and Busy."
Tickets are $34.75 if you register before Sunday. After that, they're $39.99.
AOA is a media sponsor of TEDxAlbany. We figured it could be an interesting day -- both because of the speakers, but also because of the other people attending.
Earlier on AOA: Ecovative's Eben Bayer at TED Global
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings at the Egg
This should be funky: soul band Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings are coming to The Egg January 22 (it's not posted on the website yet). Tickets go on sale to the general public next Wednesday. They start at $30.
SJ and the Dap Kings play soul music that sounds like it's straight out of 1970 (that's good). Here's a show they played earlier this year at The Newport Folk Festival and a set from this year's SXSW.
Even if you've never heard of the Dap Kings -- you've probably heard them. They were the backing band on many of the tracks on Amy Winehouse's Back to Black album, including "You Know I'm No Good" and "Rehab."
This week: The Max Weinberg Big Band will be at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Friday night. Tickets are $48. Weinberg recently explained why he isn't joining Conan O'Brien's new show on TBS.
Emmylou Harris coming to The Egg
Emmylou Harris will be playing The Egg November 14. Tickets are already on sale for Egg members. They'll be available to the general public August 17. They start at $54.50. (Egg box office: (518) 473-1845.)
Harris is, of course, an icon of American music -- and she's played with seemingly everyone.
photo: Eric Frommer (Flickr user armadilo60)
Rodrigo y Gabriela at The Egg
In what we're guessing will be a fun show, heavy metal Spanish acoustic guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela are coming to The Egg October 12.
If the "heavy metal Spanish acoustic guitar" thing sounds odd -- have a look at the video embedded above. They're totally unexpected and awesome. There are a bunch of clips of them on YouTube.
Tickets for the show go on sale July 23. They're $44.50 and $49.50. (The tickets are available pre-sale to Egg members and it looks you could probably get through the Rodrigo y Gabriela site.)
Also: Guitarist Bernie Williams -- the former center fielder for the Yankees -- is coming back to the Egg October 2 for "an evening of jazz and rock topped off with Latin rhythms." Tickets start at $24.50 and go on sale July 21.
[via Nippertown]
Tickets for Jakob Dylan at The Egg
I'm on a horse.
Update! The contest is closed! Winners have been emailed. Check your email!
So, our friends at WEXT emailed us today and were like:
Hey, we have some tickets for the Jakob Dylan show at the Egg. Would you like to give them away to the AOA people?
And we were like:
Yes. Yes, we would.
OK, here's the deal. Thanks to WEXT, we have six pairs of tickets to give away to Saturday's show. Jakob Dylan will be performing with a band that includes Neko Case (!) and Kelly Hogan. They collaborated with him on his second solo album, which came out earlier this month.
To enter, just answer this question in the comments:
What's your favorite thing by a Dylan? It could be Jakob Dylan, Bob Dylan, Dylan Thomas or Whoever Dylan.
We'll select the six winners at random from the posted comments.
Important: You must post your comment by 11:59 pm on Wednesday April 14, 2010. One entry per person. You must include a working email address with your comment. The winner will be notified by email before 9 am on Thursday. The winners must respond with their full name by noon on Thursday.
Tickets for the show are $33. It starts at 7:30 pm on Saturday.
Over the Rhine at The Egg
Their label is called Great Speckled Dog -- after their Great Dane.
This could be a nice Sunday evening: Over the Rhine at The Egg.
The folk/indie duo has a been a favorite of critics for a long time (they're in Paste's "indie rock alphabet book.") And the holiday show they play each year in Cincinnati, their hometown, has become a sought-after ticket.
The show starts at 7:30 pm this Sunday. It's $28. Vienna Teng opens.
Ben Folds' short tour of the ESP
From the Twitter stream of Ben Folds, who performed at the Egg last night:
http://twitpic.com/kmz72 - this is where i'm playing in albany. they call it an egg, but its more football like
http://twitpic.com/kmz2r - its a sad day when our society makes women go to the bathroom in public trash cans
http://twitpic.com/kmz97 - empty seats at soundcheck, egg in albany
http://twitpic.com/kohmv - albany egg: post soundcheck, people showed up to cover up some of the red.
[via @marciepry]
photo: Ben Folds
Five upcoming shows worth checking out
Four of the five.
There are a bunch of interesting/good/fun concerts lined up for the Capital Region over the next two months.
Here are a few (of the many) that are worth checking out...
The Egg is famously strange
The Egg has popped on another "weird building" list -- it's #4 on Popular Mechanics' list of "The World's 18 Strangest Buildings--And Why We Love Them." The mag geeks out on The Egg's "intensive support system."
Last year the theater showed up on a list of 50 strange buildings. One more list and we think The Egg gets inducted into the hall of fame.
Earlier on AOA:
+ Cracking open the origins of The Egg
+ Talking with They Might Be Giants' John Flansburgh about The Egg
(Thanks, Arielle!)
Dalai Lama, take 2
Tickets for the Dalai Lama's on-again Albany visit will go on sale this Friday at 10 am. The Buddhist spiritual leader will be appearing at the Palace Theatre on May 6 (that's a Wednesday) at 2 pm. Tickets are $85 and $55.
There's also going to be a simulcast at The Egg -- those tickets are $18 and also go on sale Friday (the info's isn't posted on The Egg's site, but we called and confirmed today.)
And in case you're wondering: yep, this appearance is still being sponsored by the Ethical Humanitarian Foundation -- the org associated with NXIVM.
Demetri Martin at The Egg
Demtri Martin -- noted person, comedian and palindromist -- will be at The Egg April 17. Tickets are $35.
Martin's got this understated, kind of nerdy style of humor that involves charts, music and wordplay. Here's a whole bunch of his stuff on YouTube. He's been a contributor on the Daily Show and he recently started his own show on Comedy Central.
[via]
photo: Flickr user gaelenh
The Egg among jewels
The ESP has a different feel at night.
It's another interesting photo from Flickr user iessi. We like the effect on the lights.
While we're local Flickring, check out this great shot of the moon through one of the sculptures at ESP by el neato and this pic of the sky (and skyline) by J.D. Fielding.
Earlier on AOA:
+ Take a left on Western, head for heaven
photo: Flickr user iessi, used under a CC license
Talking with They Might Be Giants' John Flansburgh about The Egg
That's John on the right. Of course, that's also John on the left.
The Egg is "exciting and old," so much so that it prompted They Might Be Giants' John Flansburgh to write a song about it. TMBG is back in town this week to play a couple of shows at the "performance orb." John was nice enough to talk with AOA about one of the stranger venues the band has played -- and let us in on what they were thinking the first time they encountered our giant concrete egg.
TMBG's video about The Egg
As we mentioned last week in our post about the origins of The Egg, the "giant cement performance orb" prompted a song by The Might Be Giants. Here's a fun video (with intro by John Hodgman!) that goes along with that song. It's definitely worth watching. And you never know, there might a little more discussion about all this a little later today.
Cracking open the origins of The Egg
"The Grapefruit" just doesn't have the same ring.
OK, here's the legend.
Governor Nelson Rockefeller is having breakfast with Empire State Plaza architect Wally Harrison. They're discussing the need for a building that would break up the vertical lines of the towers when Rocky looks down at his half grapefruit, tops it with an overturned coffee cup and says, "That... it should look like that."
... said KGB about Drawing: What's something that brought you joy this year?