A highly selective preview of cultural events taking place over the next two weekends in the greater Hudson, N.Y., region, including guitar-rock at Helsinki Hudson; an all-star variety show at BSP Kingston; four solo exhibitions at The School in Kinderhook, N.Y.; and an early-music salute to Shakespeare.
The Figgs
THE FIGGS & UPPER CRUST BRING GUITAR ROCK to HELSINKI HUDSON
(HUDSON, N.Y.) – Long-running upstate power-pop trio The Figgs and satirical hard-rockers The Upper Crust bring their catchy guitar-rock to Club Helsinki Hudson on Friday, May 20, at 9pm. The Figgs’ albums are stuffed with Kinks-inspired power and melodies, vibrant harmonies and sonic experimentation recalling The Beatles, plus the grit and youthfulness akin to the best rock bands from the Who to the Ramones. The Upper Crust is a Boston-based satirical rock band, a fusion of tongue-in-cheek Spinal Tap rock antics as performed by alleged members of the European aristocracy, including Lord Bendover (guitar, vocals), the Duc d’Istortion (guitars, vocals), Count Bassie (bass, vocals), and Jackie Kickassis (drums).
THE SCHOOL MARKS 2ND ANNIVERSARY with FOUR SOLO EXHIBITIONS
(KINDERHOOK, N.Y.) – Jack Shainman’s gallery The School marks its second anniversary with “A Change of Place: Four Solo Exhibitions,” featuring painting, photography, and sculpture by Pierre Dorion, Hayv Kahraman, Richard Mosse, and Garnett Puett, opening with a reception on Sunday, May 22, from 2 to 6pm. Work by the four artists converges in themes of transformation, environment, and remembrance.
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Simi Stone
‘MODERN VAUDEVILLE’ at BSP KINGSTON FEATURES ALL-STAR CAST
(KINGSTON, N.Y.) – “Modern Vaudeville,” a variety show based on the James Hurst story “The Scarlet Ibis” and featuring an all-star cast pulled together by Diggy (Elijah) Lessard, a graduating senior at Woodstock Day School, takes place at BSP Kingston on Sunday May 22, at 7pm. Among the performers are bassist Stefan Lessard of the Dave Matthews Band; Bobby Tisdale of “Bob’s Burgers;” pianist Marco Benevento; firewalker and burlesque performer Veronica Varlow; “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not” magician Albert Cadabra; Amy Helm; and Simi Stone. All proceeds will benefit the Woodstock Day School Music Department.
Edgar Choueiri
ENGINEER to DEMONSTRATE STATE-of-the-ART SOUND SYSTEM
(HUDSON, N.Y.) – Acoustic engineer Edgar Choueiri will discuss his binaural audio set-up, which he claims can a fool listeners into believing they are experiencing a live performance when they are actually hearing a recording, in a presentation entitled “Making Waves — Sounds of the Future” at the Hudson Opera House on Sunday, May 22, at 2pm, as part of Close Encounters with Music’s “Conversations With…” lecture series.
Christine Gevert
EARLY MUSIC GROUP PLAYS ELIZABETHAN MADRIGALS and MOTETS
(GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass., and LAKEVILLE, Conn.) – Early music organization Crescendo presents “Elizabethan Music and The Sounds of Hamlet,” a concert featuring madrigals and motets plus a world premiere by composer Juan Mesa, based on three quotes from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, at Great Barrington’s First Congregational Church on Saturday, May 21, at 6pm, and again in Lakeville at Trinity Lime Rock on Sunday, May 22, at 4pm. Performers are the Crescendo Chorus, soloists, the viola da gamba ensemble Arcadia Viols, and Laurence Wallach on continuo organ. Crescendo artistic director Christine Gevert will conduct.