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A proud Londoner born and bred, Mark has lived and worked in the Capital Region for over 25 years. A self-confessed "prog nerd", he maintains that his life was changed upon hearing "Close to the Edge' and "Foxtrot" at the age of 14. Along with his wife and 2 daughters, the major loves of his life are Arsenal Football Club and Belgian beer. Oh, and not forgetting Delilah the dog.

Concert Review: “Rock the Fall” with E.R.I.E and Sydney Worthley @ The Linda 09/24/2023

Mark Hudson Sep 29, 2023

“Live at The Linda Live” is a series of shows broadcast on the last Sunday of every month on WAMC – Northeast Public Radio. Hosted by the redoubtable Peter Hughes, this…

Concert Review: Squeeze / Psychedelic Furs @ The Egg, 09/07/2023

Mark Hudson Sep 9, 2023

What at first glance seemed to be an unlikely pairing of disparate bands proved to be a terrifically entertaining evening of music at The Egg Thursday night.Squeeze and…

Concert Review: Roomful of Blues @ The Linda, 07/07/2023

Mark Hudson Jul 10, 2023

The joint was definitely jumpin' when Roomful of Blues played at The Linda on Friday night.Amazingly formed in the late sixties, this venerable Rhode Island-based band…

Concert Review: Tears For Fears / Cold War Kids @ SPAC, 07/02/2023

Mark Hudson Jul 4, 2023

According to their 1985 Billboard # 1 hit single, Tears For Fears informed us that “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.”I don’t know about that, but the veteran British…

Concert Review: Nellie McKay @ The Linda 06/22/2023

Mark Hudson Jul 2, 2023

Nellie McKay transformed The Linda into an intimate piano bar situated somewhere in Greenwich Village, Harlem, or maybe even Montmartre on Thursday night.All due to the…

Concert Review: The Australian Pink Floyd Show – “Darkside 50 Tour” @ Palace…

Mark Hudson Jul 1, 2023

The Australian Pink Floyd Show delivered an interstellar performance that captivated an enthusiastic crowd at The Palace Theatre on Thursday night. This tribute band, in…

Concert Review: Wishbone Ash @ The Linda, 06/13/2023

Mark Hudson Jun 16, 2023

A modestly sized but enthusiastic crowd was treated to a sumptuous example of twin guitar heroics at The Linda on Tuesday night, courtesy of the veteran UK rock band Wishbone…

Concert Review: Rival Sons / The Record Company / Starcrawler @ Empire Live 06/04/2023

Mark Hudson Jun 6, 2023

The West Coast visited Albany Sunday night for a nearly 4-hour concert of exciting and dynamic music from 3 disparate bands that stylistically ran the gamut of this thing we…

Concert Review: Kofi Baker’s Cream Faith @ Empire Underground 05/26/2023

Mark Hudson May 28, 2023

You may be familiar with the term “nepobaby.” It is somewhat disparagingly aimed at those artists, actors and musicians who have the distinct advantage of having famous…

Concert Review: Who Are You (The Music of The Who) @ The Linda 05/20/2023

Mark Hudson May 22, 2023

Who Are You, a Who tribute band, blazed through an exciting 2 hour set before a decent-sized and appreciative crowd at The Linda Saturday night.My biggest takeaway from…

Concert Review: Boz Scaggs @ The Egg, 05/14/2023

Mark Hudson May 15, 2023

Boz Scaggs served up a sumptuous spread of sleek, soulful, syncopated and sophisticated songcraft to a sold-out and hungry crowd at The Egg Sunday night.The dapper…

Concert Review: Drive-By Truckers @ The Egg, 05/08/2023

Mark Hudson May 13, 2023

Drive-By Truckers played a dark and brooding 2-hour set at The Egg Monday night.The Athens, Georgia band has been active since 1996 and are still led by co-founders…

Concert Review: Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes @ The Egg, 05/05/2023

Mark Hudson May 8, 2023

Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes warmed an enthusiastic but disappointingly sparse crowd at The Egg Friday night at the Hart Theatre with a spirited, if at times…

Concert Review: Manticore (Emerson, Lake & Palmer Tribute) @ The Linda, 04/22/2023

Mark Hudson Apr 26, 2023

There aren’t many tribute bands out there devoted to the music of the prog-rock legends Emerson Lake and Palmer. The reason is pretty obvious. You have to have your chops…

Concert Review: Little Feat / Miko Marks @ Troy Music Hall, 04/18/2023

Mark Hudson Apr 20, 2023

Little Feat delighted a sold-out crowd at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall Tuesday night.The versatile veteran rockers jammed a packed (jampacked?) audience into happy…

Concert Review: Al Stewart with The Empty Pockets @ The Egg, 03/26/2023

Mark Hudson Mar 29, 2023

Al Stewart is a natural storyteller.This much was evident at the wonderful show he played to a capacity audience at the Swyer Theatre at The Egg Sunday night.…

Concert Review: The Furious Bongos @ The Linda, 03/25/2023

Mark Hudson Mar 27, 2023

The Furious Bongos, a Frank Zappa cover band out of Southern Wisconsin (Hello Wisconsin!) played the third show in The Linda’s “Mardi Prog 2” series of concerts Saturday…

Concert Review: Bruce Hornsby @ Troy Music Hall, 03/23/2023

Mark Hudson Mar 25, 2023

There are certain guitarists you can identify after a couple of notes, regardless of the song being played.SRV, EVH, Allan Holdsworth, Carlos Santana, Jeff Beck, Pat…

Concert Review: Toto @ The Egg, 03/15/2023

Mark Hudson Mar 17, 2023

Toto delighted a capacity crowd at the Hart Theatre Wednesday night with a scintillating set of classic rock hits and some deep album cuts.If this is “Yacht rock,” then…

Concert Review: Nektar (50th Anniversary Tour) @ The Linda, 03/09/2023

Mark Hudson Mar 11, 2023

Progressive space rock veterans Nektar made a triumphant return to The Linda Thursday night, almost a year to the day since they had last played at that venue.It was…

Concert Review: Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew with Cool Cool Cool @ Empire Live, 03/08/2023

Mark Hudson Mar 10, 2023

Although they didn’t play that particular song, Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew were certainly “Burning down the House” this Wednesday night at Empire Live. The Talking Heads…

Concert Review: Run Rabbit Run: A Tribute to Pink Floyd @ The Linda, 03/04/2023

Mark Hudson Mar 6, 2023

The Linda’s series of prog-related concerts – Mardi-Prog II – got off to a wobbly start Saturday night with the performance of local Pink Floyd tribute act Run Rabbit Run.…

Concert Review: Super 400 plays Led Zeppelin II @ Colony Woodstock, 03/03/2023

Mark Hudson Mar 5, 2023

Ok, so Super 400 plays Led Zeppelin. Take 2. Volume 2.For those of you fortunate enough to attend their show back in October of last year at Cohoes Music Hall, you would…

Interview: Joe Williams of Toto

Mark Hudson Feb 21, 2023

Joseph Williams is the lead vocalist for the mega-platinum rock band Toto, which he joined in 1986. In late January, I chatted to him about their impending tour which stops…

Concert Review: Jon Spencer and the HITmakers / Bloodshot Bill @ Lark Hall, 1/31/2023

Mark Hudson Feb 2, 2023

ALBANY - The double bill at Lark Hall Tuesday night was the perfect antidote to the January blues as we leave that most miserable of months with a fond “Good riddance.” A…

Best of 2022: Mark Hudson’s Five Favorite Gigs of the Year

Mark Hudson Jan 1, 2023

So, I attended a baker’s dozen of concerts in the capital region in 2022, representing Nippertown as a writer. Many thanks to Jim, Laura, Mike, and all of the team - it is a…

Concert Review: Steve Vai @ The Egg, 11/5/22

Mark Hudson Nov 7, 2022

ALBANY - Steve Vai strolled onto the stage at the Hart Theatre at The Egg Saturday night looking every inch the guitar god that he is. Resplendent in a lime green jacket,…

CONCERT REVIEW: Renaissance @ Troy Music Hall, 10/27/2022

Mark Hudson Oct 30, 2022

TROY - Renaissance played the venerable Troy Savings Bank Music Hall Thursday night as part of their “Legacy Tour 2022.” It would prove to be an evening plagued with…

LIVE: Super 400 with Sean Matthew Whiteford and Chris Carey, performing the music of Led Zeppelin @…

Mark Hudson Oct 10, 2022

COHOES - Super 400 blew the roof off the venerable Cohoes Music Hall Saturday night with two dynamite sets of music made popular by rock behemoths Led Zeppelin.Super 400…

LIVE: Adrian Belew @ The Egg, Albany, 08/19/2022

Mark Hudson Aug 21, 2022

Adrian Belew “Elevator Summer Tour 2022” – The Hart Theatre at The EggA disappointingly sparse crowd at the Hart Theatre was rewarded with a scintillating display of…

LIVE: Jon Anderson and the Paul Green Rock Academy @ The Egg (Hart Theatre), 08/06/2022

Mark Hudson Aug 8, 2022

Jon Anderson, the founder, main songwriter, and former lead singer of prog rock legends Yes, wrapped up his short East coast tour with a performance at a near-capacity Hart…

LIVE: Chicago / Brian Wilson @ SPAC, 07/17/2022

Mark Hudson Jul 18, 2022

Chicago gave a perfectly poised professional performance at SPAC Sunday night. I don’t mean to damn them with faint praise. The current 10-piece lineup of this veteran band…

LIVE: The Levin Brothers @ The Strand Hudson Falls, 06/19/2022

Mark Hudson Jun 20, 2022

A disappointingly sparse crowd witnessed the Levin Brothers show at the Strand Theatre Hudson Falls this Sunday. Those that did attend were treated to a fine 2 hour set of…

Live: The Hu @ Empire Live, 05/14/2022

Mark Hudson May 16, 2022

Hu’s on first? No, actually The Hu were headlining at Empire Live this Saturday; The Haunt were on first. The South Florida band's frenetic brand of alt hard rock, fronted…

LIVE: Del Amitri @ The Egg, 04/16/2022

Mark Hudson Apr 18, 2022

Scottish band Del Amitri rolled into town Saturday night in support of their 2021 album “Fatal Mistakes", their first since 2002.Opening the show was a set from their…

LIVE: Steve Hackett (Genesis Revisited) @ The Egg, 04/10/2022

Mark Hudson Apr 12, 2022

I first saw Steve Hackett live on stage in January of 1977 in Birmingham, England. He was still a member of Genesis, and they were touring in support of their “Wind and…

LIVE: Stick Men @ The Linda, 04/08/2022

Mark Hudson Apr 10, 2022

Somber organ music plays. It’s like we are in church. An expectant hush falls over a sold-out crowd at The Linda. A solitary figure takes the stage. He does not speak. He…

LIVE: Rael (Genesis Tribute) @ The Linda, 04/02/2022

Mark Hudson Apr 5, 2022

Funny thing, tribute bands.I was recently back home in England visiting family, and as a birthday surprise, my younger brother and his girlfriend got me a ticket to see…

LIVE: Nektar @ The Linda, 03/24/2022

Mark Hudson Mar 25, 2022

Cosmic, man…The venerable Nektar trundled into The Linda Thursday night to treat a small but devoted audience to a two-hour plus set of their psychedelically tinged prog…

LIVE: Yacht Rock Revue @ Empire Live, 11/13/2021

Mark Hudson Nov 15, 2021

You have to hand it to Yacht Rock Revue. They know their schtick. That schtick was created in 2008, when members of Y-O-U, an Atlanta-based indie band going nowhere slow,…

LIVE: PAKT @ Strand Theatre, Hudson Falls, 09/12/201

Mark Hudson Sep 13, 2021

PAKT delivered a one-and-a-half-hour set of improvised fusion at the intimate Strand Theatre in Hudson Falls Sunday night.The quartet consists of Percy Jones - fretless…

LIVE: King Crimson with The Zappa Band @ SPAC, 08/23/2021

Mark Hudson Aug 24, 2021

The “seven-headed beast” (Robert Fripp’s description) that is King Crimson roared into the Saratoga Performing Arts Center Monday night, destroying all in its path.Well,…

SVAC presents the Blues. Southern Vermont Arts Center. Saturday, August 7th

Mark Hudson Aug 9, 2021

The inaugural “SVAC presents the Blues” one day festival, was held Saturday, August 7th in the idyllic surroundings of Manchester’s Southern Vermont Arts Center.Promoter…

LIVE: Billy Cobham’s Crosswinds Project featuring Randy Brecker @ The Swyer Theatre, The Egg…

Mark Hudson Nov 7, 2019

Billy Cobham is from Panama.Billy Cobham wears a bandana.They say this cat Cobham is a bad mutha...(shut your mouth!)But I'm talking about Billy. Drummers keep…

LIVE: Renaissance 50th Anniversary Tour @ The Hart Theatre at The Egg, 10/19/2019

Mark Hudson Nov 6, 2019

Renaissance made a welcome return visit to the Hart theatre at the Egg last Saturday as part of their 50th anniversary tour. They last played the venue 2 years ago almost to…

LIVE: Kansas @ The Palace Theatre, 10/26/2019

Mark Hudson Nov 6, 2019

"Bet ya didn't expect that!" said a smiling Ronnie Platt as he soaked in the applause of the Palace Theatre last Saturday.Kansas had just played a rousing rendition of…

LIVE: Dream Theater @ Palace Theatre, Albany 10/12/2019

Mark Hudson Oct 21, 2019

Progressive Metal.It's certainly not everyone's cup of tea. But there surely can be few finer and more dedicated practitioners of this sub genre than Dream Theater.…

LIVE: Special EFX All-Stars @ Swyer Theatre at The Egg 10/10/2019

Mark Hudson Oct 16, 2019

The Special EFX All-Stars delivered a bright hour and three quarters set of contemporary jazz before a sparse but enthusiastic crowd at the Swyer Theatre last Thursday. The…