Comin’ Soon…

Yes, while The Egg is fighting for its funding life, it’s full steam ahead in the booking department. A whole big, new bunch of concerts have been lined up that now stretch into the fall season, including Iris Dement with Bruce Robison (Saturday, May 1); the Carolina Chocolate Drops with Guy Davis (Sunday, May 2); Taj Mahal with Catherine Russell (Thursday, May 6); the legendary Doc Watson with Richard Watson and David Holt (Sunday, August 1); Tim O’Brien and Bryan Sutton (Sunday, October 3); and bassmaster Victor Wooten (Saturday, October 16).

Openers: The Egg in Albany has also just announced opening acts for a batch of shows on its spring concert schedule. Suzanna Choffel opens for Carbon Leaf on Thursday, February 25; Jenny Scheinman opens for Rosanne Cash on Saturday, February 27; Holly Williams opens for John Hiatt on Thursday, March 4; and Garrison Starr opens for Shawn Colvin on Saturday, April 17.

Singer-songwriter Martin Sexton and the duo of Jay Ungar and Molly Mason have been added to the line-up of performers at the Loved Ones for Haiti benefit concert at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, Mass. at 7pm Sunday. Proceeds will go directly to the United Nations Foundation’s Help us Help in Time: Central Emergency Response Fund.

The Linda has signed up several new shows, including the Roots Music Festival on Saturday, March 27, featuring the Leigh Gibson Band, Railbird, the Heavenly Echoes Gospel Singers, Red Haired Strangers and Palatypus. Other new shows include Texas singer-songwriter Bob Schneider on Friday, April 2, and the Hold Steady rocking the house with a dance party (no seats) on Wednesday, April 7. The Oranges Band opens for the Hold Steady.

The Hold Steady also rumbles into the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock on Thursday, April 8 – once again with the Oranges Band. And the Bearsville will also be hosting its own Haitian relief benefit concert at 8pm on Saturday, February 20. Among the musicians donating their talent to the cause are the Jack DeJohnette/David Sancious Duo, Happy Traum, Ingrid Sertso & Karl Berger, the Marc Black Band, Jerry Marotta, Voodelic, Empress Selektor DJ and more. Suggested admission is $20, and proceeds will go to the Haitian People’s Support Project. Also on the Bearsville concert calendar is singer-songwriter Amos Lee, who steps into the spotlight on Friday, March 19.

As part of the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus, the Empire State Plaza Convention Center will host a concert by Joe and Hidden Beach Unwrapped featuring Mike Phillips on Saturday night. The concert begins at 7pm, and admission is $50.

Yowza, yowza! The ’80s are back – with a vengeance – at Bogie’s in Albany on Friday, March 19. It’s a time-trippin’ flashback triple bill featuring Missing Persons, Tommy Tutone and Gene Loves Jezebel.

Deer Tick is headed back to town, and this time around, it looks as though they’ll be landing at Valentine’s Music Hall in Albany on Monday, May 10.

In other club action around town: Moonboot Lover and Hot Day at the Zoo take over Putnam Den in Saratoga Springs on Friday, February 26. The Ataris grab the headline slot at Bogie’s in Albany on Wednesday, March 3. Danny Barnes does the opening act honors for Phish’s Mike Gordon at Revolution Hall in Troy on Friday, March 5. The veteran folk-pop, tokin’ twosome Brewer & Shipley will be special guests at Levon Helm‘s Midnight Ramble in Woodstock on Saturday, March 13. Uncle Kracker heads to Northern Lights in Clifton Park on Sunday, March 28. Eilen Jewel sparkles at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs on Wednesday, April 21, while Willy Porter takes the stage at Revolution Hall in Troy on that same night.