In 1987, Paul Simon introduced the magical sounds of South African choral and dance group Ladysmith Black Mambazo to the world on his groundbreaking album, Graceland. Since that time, the group on its own has earned a total of 19 Grammy Award nominations and five wins -- the most for any World Music group. The current outfit carries on the legacy of the late Joseph Shabalala’s unique sounds and styles at the Mahaiwe in Great Barrington, Mass., tonight at 8pm. (Fri, Aug 9)
Performer, actress, and singer Sandra Bernhard brings her Sandyland Live! program to the Spiegeltent at Bard’s Fisher Center in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y., tonight and Saturday at 8pm. A pioneer of the one-woman show, Bernhard’s unique and raucous blend of cabaret, stand-up, rock ‘n’ roll, and outrageous social commentary has made her one of the most critically acclaimed performers of our time. (Fri-Sat, Aug 9-10)
In eleven themed concert programs, the Bard Music Festival’s 34th season examines Hector Berlioz, the visionary French composer who helped redefine musical Romanticism. The festival, at the Bard Fisher Center in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y., kicks off with a concert featuring Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique tonight, and runs through Sunday, August 18. (Fri, Aug 9 - Sun, Aug 18)
Grammy Award-winning tenor Nicholas Phan and jazz and contemporary vocalist Farayi Malek join forces with Palaver Strings for A Change Is Gonna Come, a program of protest songs in Studio E of the Linde Center at Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass., on Saturday at 2pm. Arrangements of 1960s classics explore the sonic palette of strings and voice, with nods to the iconic originals as well as today’s cultural landscape. Repertoire includes traditional songs of protest and music inspired by social movements and historical events, including Akenya Seymour’s Fear the Lamb. (Sat, Aug 10)
Writers Cat Tyc, Andrea Kleine, and Laura van den Berg will share work around the theme of Animalia: writers and animals, in That Time of Year, a new reading series at Spotty Dog Books in Hudson, N.Y., on Saturday at 7pm. (Sat, Aug 10)
After Spring Sunset: A Tribute to Peter Schickele, a memorial concert honoring the late composer, takes place at Maverick Concerts in Woodstock, N.Y., on Saturday at 6pm. The event celebrates the life and legacy of the multi-Grammy Award-winning composer Peter Schickele, renowned as the creator of P.D.Q. Bach and the public radio program Schickele Mix. (Sat, Aug 10)
Also of note:
Modern dance company Parsons Dance returns to Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, Mass., after a 25-year absence. Performances will take place today through Sunday.
Grammy Award-winning banjoist Alison Brown brings her innovative, progressive take on her instrument to the Towne Crier Cafe in Beacon, N.Y., tonight at 8:30pm.
Rootsy singer-songwriter Leon Majcen, the son of Bosnian war refugees, brings his Americana-style catalog of original compositions to the Stissing Center in Pine Plains, N.Y., on Saturday at 7pm. Majcen should appeal to fans of Townes Van Zandt, John Prine, and Guy Clark.
Rome is Falling, a modern opera composed by American Modern Opera Company member Doug Balliett, will be staged at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Mass., on Saturday at 4pm. Rome is Falling is a zany lesson on the absurdity of what can happen when powerful people lose power.
Bousquet in Pittsfield, Mass., plays host to an evening folk festival on Saturday from 5 to 10pm, featuring Johnny Irion & U.S. Elevator, Session Americana with Kris Delmhorst, Glori Wilder, and Rounders Revival.
Americana singer-songwriter Nicole Atkins brings her unique blend of soul, Brill Building pop, 1960s psychedelia, and indie-rock to RAD Studio Space, the newest performance space in Hudson, N.Y., on Saturday at 6pm.
Indie-rock avatars Guided By Voices bring their modern rock and power-pop to Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, N.Y., on Saturday at 7pm.
Composer, performer, and media artist Pamela Z brings her voice, live electronics, sampled sound, and video to the Foundry in West Stockbridge, Mass., on Sunday at 7pm.
Seth Rogovoy is editor of the Rogovoy Report, available at rogovoyreport.substack.com.
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