January Music Highlights

Fr 1/18- ANI DIFRANCO & HER BAND/ PETE SEEGER & FRIENDS at Riverspace Theatre, Nyack—While this would be an important event on strictly musical terms, you know with these two strong-willed uncompromising politically active artists sharing a bill, there’s a good cause being fought for, and it ain’t the Scooter Libby Defense Fund. Regardless of how you feel about nuclear power, the Indian Point reactor sets a bad example, leaking radioactive waste into the Hudson and presenting a prime target for terrorism, endangering 20 million people with no viable evacuation plan in case of disaster. Community groups including The Hudson River Sloop Clearwater and Westchester Citizen’s Awareness Network need funds to continue the legal fight against Indian Point’s re-licensing. Both Pete and Ani are donating their services for a special night of music and awareness. 119 Main St., Nyack, www.riverspace.org, 845.348.1880. 8 PM

Fr 1/25- THE ORGANIKS at the Colony Café, Woodstock—The Organiks live up their name: Bruce Katz can make a B3 scream and sigh, and takes center stage in this quartet of high powered old-school New York blues/soul. With latter-day Band member Randy Ciarlante on drums and vocals, tenor sax man Jay Collins (from Gregg Allman and Friends), and one-time Jimmy McGriff guitarist Chris Vitarello, these guys keep the legend alive (most of these guys are quite familiar to attendees of Levon Helm’s Midnight Ramble) with a mid-winter Woodstock appearance. Colony Café, 22 Rock City Rd., www.colonycafe.com, 845.679.5342.

Sa 2/2- WILL KIMBROUGH w/ AMY LOFTUS at Club Helsinki, Great Barrington MA—As a guitarist for Todd Snider, Kim Richey, Jimmy Buffett, Rodney Crowell, Josh Rose, and many others, Mobile-born/ Nashville-based Will Kimbrough has left asses shaking and tongues wagging with his unbelievably tasteful and passionate 6-string work. He happens to also be a first-rate producer, singer, and songwriter, so 100 miles would not be an unreasonable distance to drive to hear the guy that the Americana Music Association awarded Instrumentalist of the Year play his pop gems. With Nashville’s Amy Loftus (Best new singer/songwriter, Nashville Scene, 2005). Club Helsinki, 284 Main St., Great Barrington, MA, www.clubhelsinki.com, 413.528.3394

Fr/Sa 2/1&2- THE AMERICAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA at The Richard B. Fisher Center, Bard College, Annandale-On-Hudson—Under the watchful baton of director and conductor Leon Botstein, The American Symphony Orchestra is operating at a high level, in the words of the New York Times, “superbly responsive…..exceptional.” A program of well-known favorites includes Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Scriabin’s Piano Concerto in F-sharp Minor, Op.20 (with guest soloist Wui-Ming Gan, piano), and Copland’s Symphony No. 3. The Richard B. Fisher Center, Rte. 9G, Annandale-On-Hudson, www.fishercenter.bard.edu, 845.758.7900. 8 PM, with pre-concert talk w/ Richard Wilson, ASO composer-in-residence at 6:45 PM

Sa 1/26- REBECCA PRONSKY and LUCY WAINWRIGHT ROCHE at the Rosendale Café, Rosendale—Brooklyn native Rebecca Pronsky brings her literate songwriting and warm toasty voice to the Café to knock the chill out of mid-January. Touring her recent release Departure and Arrivals (Nine Mile Records), she is joined by good friend and fellow Gothamite Lucy Wainwright Roche, the daughter of songwriter/performers Loudon Wainwright and Suzzy Roche (of the Roches). Wainwright Roche has been getting in some opening slots with both Loudon and Rufus Wainwright, and has recently released her first recording 8 Songs, a solo acoustic CD of originals and choice covers. Rosendale Café, 434 Main St., Rosendale, www.rosendalecafe.com, 845.658.9048. 8 PM