Weekend Roundup

It’s the big holiday weekend, which means that things a tad slow around town, music-wise – unless, of course, you’re a James Taylor fan.

But there’s still plenty of great music to hear around Nippertown, and lots of it is free.

Here are some suggestions:

FRIDAY, JULY 2
First Friday arts walk @ various locations, Albany (FREE)
Fairview Avenue, Whoa Nelly! @ Moon & River Cafe, Schenectady (FREE)
The Brian Patneaude Quartet @ Skidmore College’s Tang Museum, Saratoga Springs (FREE)
Boston Pops Orchestra with Idina Menzel, Doc Severinsen, more @ Tanglewood, Lenox
The Mike McMann Band @ Lyon’s Lake, Nassau
Ten Year Vamp, Erin Harkes @ the Bayou, Albany
Hillbilly Horns @ Freedom Park, Scotia (FREE)
David Calarco’s Jazz Conclave @ Justin’s, Albany
Stoned On Bluegrass @ Canal Square, Cohoes (FREE)
Swing dance with Peg Delaney Quartet @ the Elks Lodge, Albany
Amalgama, Scrap Metal, Ashes & Dust @ Valentine’s Music Hall, Albany

SATURDAY, JULY 3
Smokey Green @ Salem Town Gazebo, Salem (FREE)
Pearl-Palooza featuring Rusted Root, We Are Scientists, Civil Twilight, Locksley, more @ North Pearl Street, Albany (FREE)
Steve Hackett, Renaissance @ The Egg, Albany
The Luis Bonilla Quintet @ Skidmore College’s Zankel Music Center, Saratoga Springs (FREE)
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder @ Belleayre Music Festival, Highmount
Sirsy, Lunic, Love for the Masses @ Putnam Den, Saratoga Springs
Grizzly Adamz, Media @ the Bearsville Theater, Woodstock
The Lee Shaw Trio @ Justin’s, Albany
Lil Jay & the Cardsharks @ Quintessence, Albany
Slaughterhouse Chorus, Skadee, Smittix @ Savannah’s, Albany
James Taylor & Carole King @ Tanglewood, Lenox (SOLD OUT)
Chicago, the Dobbie Brothers @ SPAC, Saratoga Springs
Zappa Plays Zappa @ the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Great Barrington

SUNDAY, JULY 4
Frank Jaklitsch, the Fighting 86’s @ Canal Square, Cohoes (FREE)
Herman’s Hermits featuring Peter Noone, the Happenings, Soul Session, Jim Gaudet & the Railroad Boys @ Empire State Plaza, Albany (FREE)
James Taylor & Carole King @ Tanglewood, Lenox (SOLD OUT)
California Transit Authority, Sirsy @ Clifton Common, Clifton Park (FREE)
The Tom Healey Band @ the Stony Creek Inn, Stony Creek
Bluesology, New Shoes @ Congress Park, Saratoga Springs (FREE)

MONDAY, JULY 5
Jim Gaudet & the Railroad Boys @ North Albany Studios, Albany (FREE)
Dan Johnson & His Band, Poor Boy’s Soul @ Valentine’s Music Hall, Albany
James Taylor & Carole King @ Tanglewood, Lenox (SOLD OUT)