Ghost Funk Orchestra brings its genre-blending sound of soul, psych rock, salsa, and beyond to Adams Theater in Adams, Mass., tonight at 7:30pm. Led by composer/multi-instrumentalist Seth Applebaum, Ghost Funk Orchestra has been praised by NPR, Bandcamp, and Brooklyn Vegan, and has played legendary festivals such as Montreal Jazz, LEVITATION, Treefort, Telluride Jazz, and beyond. (Fri, May 23)
Saul Williams , the groundbreaking rapper, singer, songwriter, musician, poet, writer, and actor who burst into the public consciousness as Nuyorican Poets Cafe’s Grand Slam Champion in 1996 and then the star of the 1998 independent hit Slam – brings his spoken-word artistry to the Hunter Center at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Mass., on Saturday at 8:30pm. Williams has toured the world with his band, opened for Nine Inch Nails, and had records produced by Rick Rubin and Trent Reznor. His performance at MASS MoCA celebrates the opening of Vincent Valdez’s major exhibition Just a Dream. (Sat, May 24)
Trisha Brown Dance Company takes to the rooftops of the MASS MoCA campus in North Adams, Mass., on Saturday at 2pm and 4:30pm, to perform Roof Piece, a 1971 site-specific work that forever changed the notion of dance’s relationship to the environment in which it is performed. The work highlights the physical structure that anchors MASS MoCA’s place as one of the world’s most unique art institutions. The performance will take place throughout the MASS MoCA campus, including outdoors. (Sat, May 24)
Also of note:
Obie and New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award-winning playwright Amy Herzog’s Mary Jane is running at Bridge Street Theatre in Catskill, N.Y., tonight through Sunday, June 1 (Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30pm; Sundays at 2pm).
Grammy Award-nominated Memphis-based Southern Avenue brings its blend of roots, blues, and soul to Lark Hall in Albany, N.Y., tonight at 8pm. Southern Avenue’s music is a blend of soulful, warm, sisterly harmonies, funky Memphis grooves, and tough, blues-infused guitars, all wrapped in positive, feel-good vibes.
Roots-rock singer-songwriter Rees Shad and his band the Conversations bring their new batch of songs from the new album, Porcelain Angel, to Studio 9 at the Porches in North Adams, Mass., on Saturday at 7pm. Since his 1994 debut, Anderson, Ohio, Rees Shad has been on a relentless quest to push the boundaries of musical storytelling, earning him a reputation as not just a songwriter but a true architect of narratives in the world of contemporary folk and Americana.
Four Nations pays tribute to 18th century French diva Marie Fel with a program of works by composers of her era at Time and Space in Hudson, N.Y., on Saturday at 2:30pm.
Corey Glover, best known as frontman of Grammy Award-winning Living Colour, brings his new group, the Soul Experience, to the Falcon in Marlboro, N.Y., on Saturday at 7:30pm. The Soul Experience plays a mix of soul classics, hidden gems, and standout tracks from Glover’s solo career and the Living Colour catalog.
Tenor Eric Finbarr Carey and pianist Erika Switzer will perform works by Beethoven, Schubert, and Benjamin Britten at Van Buren Hall in Kinderhook, N.Y., on Sunday at 3pm, bringing down the curtain on the Concerts in the Village season.
Seth Rogovoy is editor of the Rogovoy Report, available at rogovoyreport.substack.com.
The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.