6/3/17: Today’s Top Tips: Saturday

MUSIC: Ray Wylie Hubbard @ The Hangar on the Hudson, Troy. The return of the terrific Texas troubadour, in advance of his new album, Tell the Devil I’m Getting There as Fast as I Can, due out in August. 8pm. $20. GO HERE to read a new interview…

FESTIVAL/MUSIC: Freedom Fest @ Freedom Square, Troy. Free music, free food, free arts activities and lots more to celebrate and motivate the spirit of creative resistance. Featuring Taina Asili y la Banda Rebelde – the Local 518 band that rocked the stage at the Women’s March on Washington – and the hip-hop duo Katani. Rain location is next door at the Sanctuary for Independent Media. 3pm. FREE.

MUSIC: “This Land Sings: Songs of Wandering, Love, & Protest” @ EMPAC at RPI, Troy. For his tribute to Woody Guthrie, Grammy Award-winning composer Michael Daugherty has composed 11 original songs and five instrumental pieces blending original lyrics with music that often draws from the simple, yet enduring folk melodies that Guthrie would rework into his own songs. 12noon. $19.

FESTIVAL/MUSIC: FLY 92.3’s Summer Jam 2017 @ the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs. Featuring Flo Rida, Sabrina Carpenter, Bebe Rexha, Daniel Skye, Hey Violet, Max & the Party Pupils. 3pm. $25, $35, $45 & $65; lawn $20. GO HERE for more info and the schedule of performance times…

MUSIC/COMEDY: Don White @ Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs. Singer-songwriter-storyteller and all-around funny man. With singer-songwriter Tom McWatters. 8pm. $20.

MUSIC: Sandbox Percussion @ EMPAC at RPI, Troy. Percussion compositions by David Crowell, Andy Akiho, Christopher Cerrone and Steve Reich. 3pm. $10.

MUSIC: The Suitcase Junket @ Club Helsinki, Hudson. The indie-blues-centric one-man band returns to Hudson for another begoggling performance in support of his new album, Pile Driver. With Caroline Rose. 9pm. GO HERE for more info…

AUCTION: From Music to Art: The Camilla and Earl McGrath Collection @ Stair Galleries, Hudson. McGrath was a NYC gallerist, and the auction includes works by Larry Rivers, Andy Warhol, Yoko One, Jean Cocteau, Giorgio de Chirico, Annie Leibovita and many more. He was also the President of Rolling Stone Records, and the auction does include Stones memorabilia, including gold and platinum records. 11am.

FESTIVAL/MUSIC: Adirondack Bluegrass League’s Bluegrass Round-Up @ McConchie’s Heritage Acres, Galway. Day Two of the feat features the Dog House Carpenters, Just Us With Empty Pockets, Warren County Ramblers, Just Passin’ Thru, Al & Kathy Bain, Smokey Greene, Yak Yak Creek, Hale Mountain Pickers, the Mason Zink Band, Cedar Ridge, the Atkinson Family, Zink & Company. 10am-9pm. $20; $10 after 5pm; youth under 16 free.

MUSIC: Argus Quartet @ St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Troy. The concert by the forward-thinking string quartet is part of the American Music Festival. 9:30am. $10.

MUSIC: Phil Ochs Song Night @ The Linda, Albany. Sonny Ochs and Wanda Fischer co-host the evening as Greg Greenway, Pat Wictor, Tom Prasada-Rao and Reggie Harris dig into the rich songbag of the late Phil Ochs. 8pm. $18.

MUSIC: Albany Symphony Orchestra @ EMPAC at RPI, Troy. The centerpiece of the weekend’s American Music Festival features conductor David Allan Miller and special guests Chee-Yun (violin) and Shankar Tucker (clarinet) playing new music, including world premieres by Reena Esmail and Katherine Balch. 7:30pm.

MUSIC: Totally Gnarly @ the Low Beat, Albany. With Dr. Beardface & the Spaceman and the Savage Randys. 8pm.

MUSIC: Chris Thomas King @ Valatie Community Theater, Valatie. Who’s got the blues? Mr. King does, that’s who. 8pm. $25.

MUSIC: The North & South Dakotas @ Wolf Hollow Brewing, Glenville. 9pm.

MUSIC: Late Night with Guitarist Andrew McKenna Lee @ EMPAC at RPI, Troy. The master guitarist’s wildly genre-bending performance of his own compositions and arrangements, ranging from Bach to Steve Reich. 9:30pm. $10.

MUSIC: Jeanne MacDonald @ the Bridge Street Theatre, Catskill. Cabaret night. 8pm. $22; $10 students. GO HERE for more info…

FESTIVAL/MUSIC: The Lake George Elvis Festival @ various locations, Lake George. It’s all-Elvis all the time this weekend in Lake George as more than 50 Elvis Tribute Artists (that’s apparently the politically correct term these days) compete for big prizes, go on cruises, entertain in local nightspots, ride in a parade, etc. 9am. GO HERE for more info and a complete schedule of fest events…

MUSIC: Opera Saratoga @ Saratoga Arts Center, Saratoga Springs. “Swan Songs” features arias and ensembles from the final operas by composers from Monteverdi to Richard Strauss. 2pm. FREE.

MUSIC: Jes Hudak @ One Caroline Street Bistro, Saratoga Springs. It’s a homecoming concert! With Phene-X. 9pm.

MUSIC: Roosevelt Dime @ Parish Public House, Albany. A seamless melding of the feel-good groove of classic Rhythm and Blues with acoustic Americana instrumentation. 8pm.

MUSIC: The Duke Robillard Band @ the Van Dyck, Schenectady. He’s back, and it’s house-rockin’ time once again. 6:30 & 8:30pm. $22.

MUSIC: James Hearne @ Colony, Woodstock. The Catskill singer-songwriter’s album release party for Through Private Wars. With Matthew O’Neill. 9pm. $12.

MUSIC: Right Coast Collective @ Putnam Den, Saratoga Springs. Featuring Apollo, Johnny2Phones, Cody Bricks, $aucekiid Reesey, Quale Jak, ZEO, DJ-SUN on the 1’s & 2’s. 10pm. FREE.

MUSIC: Dealt the Blues @ the Greenbush Inn, East Greenbush. 8pm.

THEATER: “Kunstler” @ Barrington Stage Company’s St. Germain Stage, Pittsfield. Jeff McCarthy stars in Jeffrey Sweet’s play about radical lawyer and civil rights activist William Kunstler. 3 & 7:30pm. Through Saturday, June 10. GO HERE to read review… ALSO: At 1pm, Karin Kunstler offers a free talk, “An Up-Close Portrait of Her Father, William Kunstler.”

MUSIC: Riff Rock ’17 @ Chrome, Waterford. Featuring Uncivil Liberty, Frozen Sun and Blase DeBris. 8pm.

MUSIC: Jeanne O’Connor and Azzaam Hameed @ the Thirsty Owl, Saratoga Springs. 6:30pm.

COMEDY: Rich Vos @ the Funny Bone, Guilderland. 7 & 9:45pm. $15. Through Sunday.

MUSIC: Barb Wired @ Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Troy. 9:30pm. FREE.

MUSIC: Hey Jude…the Tribute @ the Glove Theater, Gloversville. 7pm. $20; $15 seniors.

MUSIC: Regional Music Showcase @ Jupiter Hall, Guilderland. Featuring Talia Denis, Crush and Where’s Alex. 7:30pm. $10.

MUSIC: The Slackers @ BSP Lounge, Kingston. With Los Thujones. NYC ska band. 8pm. $20.

THEATER: “The Trojan Women” @ Skidmore College’s Bernhard Theater, Saratoga Springs. Celebrating the 25th summer of SITI workshops at Skidmore, the Suzuki Company of Toga, Japan presents an adaptation of the classic Greek tragedy. 7:30pm. $15; $7 seniors.

MUSIC: Dennis D’Asaro @ Eden Cafe, Loudonville. 7pm.

BURLESQUE: Roxxi Tart’s 1920’s Burlesque Revue @ Hudson Harbor Steak & Seafood, Albany. 8pm. $20.

FESTIVAL: PolishFest @ the Blessed Virgin Mary of Czestochowa Church, Latham. 12noon. $5; children age 12 and younger are free. Through Sunday.

THEATER: “True West” @ Ghent Playhouse, Ghent. Sam Shepard’s play examines the tension between two estranged brothers – Hollywood screenwriter Austin and drifter/thief Lee. Directed by Patrick White. 8pm. $20; $10 students. Through Sunday. GO HERE to read review…

MUSIC: Wylder @ Vapor, Saratoga Springs. 9pm. FREE.

GO HERE for info regarding art gallery and museum exhibits…

Is there an event that we may have overlooked? Just add it in the comment box below…