Real Good for FREE: Made in the Shade of The Egg

Last year, in celebration of its 35th anniversary, The Egg launched its new, lunchtime Made in the Shade of The Egg summer performance series, featuring seven concerts which took place outdoors on the Empire State Plaza near The Egg.

Well, Peter Lesser and the fine folks at The Egg are doing it again this summer, and they’ve nearly doubled the series to a baker’s dozen performances. The series will run all summer long and feature a diverse range of performing arts from Latin jazz groups to string quartets, from punk-bluegrass bands to contemporary dance ensembles. And admission to all Made in the Shade of The Egg performances is FREE.

Performances will be held at 12noon every Wednesday from June through August, in conjunction with the Farmers Market hosted by the NYS Office of General Services. Chairs are provided, as are tables for those who want to spice up the performance with a lunchtime picnic.

Here’s the full schedule of Made in the Shade of The Egg summer series for 2014:

June 4
LARK STRINGS
String quartet performs classical, jazz and popular selections

June 11
HOT CLUB OF SARATOGA
Gypsy swing in the style of Django Reinhardt & Stephane Grappelli

June 18
THE RAY SPIEGEL QUARTET
World fusion jazz on marimba, guitar, bass and percussion

June 25
THE WORLD PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE
One-of-a-kind ensemble combines African, Indian, Caribbean and North American music

July 2
BIRDS OF CHICAGO
A soulful mix of folk, country, rhythm & blues

July 9
OLD MAN MARKLEY
Folk and bluegrass with a rock ‘n’ roll attitude

July 16
ANNIE & THE HEDONISTS
Interpreting the songs of the great female blues, jazz, country and folk singers

July 23
QUICKSTEP
Lively fiddle tunes, lonesome folksongs and some fancy footwork, too

July 30
THE ZEPHYR WOODWIND QUINTET
A program of classics for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and French horn

August 6
AJKUN BALLET THEATRE
Classical ballet with a contemporary sensibility

August 13
SENSEMAYA
Fusing hot Latin dance rhythms with the cool sophistication of jazz

August 20
THE SIGNATURE BRASS QUINTET
Classical, ragtime, pops and Americana on trombone, horn, tuba and trumpets

August 27
THE ELLEN SINOPOLI DANCE COMPANY
Provocative and richly imagined modern dance choreography

ADDITIONAL UPCOMING REAL GOOD FOR FREE EVENTS FOR 2014:
River Street Festival @ River Street, Troy, Saturday, June 14
Music in the Park @ Schodack Town Park, Schodack, 6pm Tuesdays
Tuesday Nights in the Park @ Cook Park, Colonie, 6pm Tuesdays
At the Plaza @ Empire State Plaza, Albany, 5pm Wednesdays
Rockin’ On the River @ the Green Island Bridge Parking Lot, Troy, 5pm Wednesdays
Wednesday Night Summer Concert Series @ Shepard Park, Lake George, 7:30pm Wednesdays
Jazz On Jay @ Jay Street, Schenectady, 12noon Thursdays
Alive at Five @ Jennings Landing, Albany, 5pm Thursdays
Concerts in the Park @ Wiswall Park, Ballston Spa, 6pm Thursdays
UpBeat On the Roof @ Skidmore College’s Tang Museum, Saratoga Springs, 7pm Fridays
Powers Park Concert Series @ Powers Park, Troy, 6pm Saturdays
Music Haven Concert Series @ Central Park’s Music Haven, Schenectady, 7pm Sundays
Jazz at the Lake @ Shepard Park, Lake George, 9/13-14/14