Comin’ Soon: New Concert Announcements

Veteran singer-songwriter Garland Jeffreys recorded his first album back in 1969, and he’s still going strong, as he proves on his new album, Truth Serum. Catch him in action at WAMC-FM’s The Linda in Albany at 8pm on Friday, January 24. Tickets are $18. Also coming up at The Linda is the Brooklyn-based band Chica Libre, who meld their Peruvian-Columbian-Afro-Caribbean sound with hot-wired surf and psychedelic guitar riffs when they leap into the spotlight at 8pm on Saturday, March 8. Tickets are $15.

Brad Paisley was announced as the headliner for 2014’s A Taste of Country Music Festival even before last summer’s inaugural three-day fest wrapped up in June. Now organizers have added two more headliners – Dierks Bentley and Brantley Gilbert – to the fest’s sophomore edition, which is slated to return to Hunter Mountain in Hunter on Friday-Sunday, June 13-15. Three-day all-fest tickets are currently on sale at a variety of prices beginning at $130.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: The King of the Blues – the great B.B. King, that is – returns to the spotlight at Albany’s Palace Theatre. Tickets go on sale at 12noon on Friday, December 6.

The Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park will be hosting the Lo Dough Ho Ho holiday concert at 8pm on Friday, December 13. Co-presented by JAMZ 96.3, the benefit bash will feature performances by Shaggy, Mack Wilds, 2 Pistols, DJTGIF and DJ iROC. Tickets are $10 in advance; $15 at the door – with proceeds to benefit Toys for Tots. Also new on the UCH concert calendar is For Today on Thursday, February 13. Opening the show at 7pm will be Like Moths to Flames, Stray From the Path, the Plot in You and Fit for a King. Priced at $17 in advance ($20 at the door), tickets go on sale at 10am on Monday, December 2.

UPDATE: The Peter Rowan concert originally slated to take place at the Ale House in Troy on Sunday (December 1) has been moved across the street to the Hangar. Advance tickets are available at the Ale House. Or GO HERE to win a pair of FREE tickets…

The stridently independent, self-proclaimed “little folksinger” Ani DiFranco will be stepping into the spotlight at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington at 8pm on Saturday, May 3. Priced at $29, $49 & $79, tickets are scheduled to go on sale to the general public at 12noon on Friday (November 29).

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: James Taylor is returning for a two-night stand at Tanglewood in Lenox.

It’s all about the blues, the blues and the blues. The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield is presenting “The Blues Show,” a triple-barreled big, bad blues attack featuring Roomful of Blues, Popa Chubby and Local 518 faves the George Boone Blues Band. It hits the stage at 7:30pm on Saturday, February 15. Tickets are on sale now, priced at $39.50 and $49.50.

CANCELLED: The eagerly anticipated concert by Italian prog-rock band and soundtrack kingpins Goblin with opening act Zombi – who were originally slated to take the stage at the Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park on Sunday, December 8 – has been officially cancelled. According to promoters Step Up Presents, “No reason was given.” We are sad…

The Soweto Gospel Choir has hared the stage with such superstars as U2, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Robert Plant, Celine Dion, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Peter Gabriel, Josh Groban and Andre Rieu. And they’ll be bringing their mix of African gospel, Negro spirituals, reggae and American popular music to the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington at 8pm on Friday, February 14. Tickets are $25, $50 & $65. Also at the Mahaiwe… the ever-seductive Margo Timmins leads Cowboy Junkies into the Mahaiwe at 8pm on Saturday, March 8. Tickets are $30 & $50.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: In addition to James Taylor (see above), a batch of other new concerts have been announced for the 2014 summer season at Tanglewood in Lenox, including Josh Groban, Ellis & Delfeayo Marsalis, the Maria Schneider Orchestra, Jason Alexander, John Williams, Garrison Keillor and more.

UPDATE: Last week we announced the all-star Experience Hendrix tribute concert – featuring Buddy Guy, Jonny Lang, Bootsy Collins, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Dweezil Zappa, Eric Johnson and lots more – would be making a tour stop at the Palace Theatre. Now the ticket info has been released – priced at $39.75, $49.75, $59.75 & $79.75, tickets for the concert will go on sale at 10am on Saturday, December 7.

Acclaimed jazz vocalist Faye Vincent and guitarist Anders Nilsson team up for a candlelight concert at the Omi Visitors Center in Ghent at 6:30pm on Saturday, December 7. The concert will be followed by a cookies-and-sparkling wine reception. Tickets are $10. They will also conduct a three-hour master class at 11am on Sunday, December 8. Registeration is $65.