A selection of events in and around the City of Hudson by Ellen Thurston. All phone numbers are in area code 518 unless otherwise indicated.  All addresses are in Hudson unless otherwise indicated.

 

 

MEETINGS

Wednesday, June 8

Columbia County Board of Supervisors Full Board Meeting – 7:30 pm – 401 State Street

Thursday, June 9

Hudson Community Development & Planning Agency Special Board Meeting to accept sealed bids on the sale of 202, 204, and 206 Columbia Street for the purpose of construction of low to moderate housing – 1:30 pm – 1 North Front Street

Hudson Planning Board Meeting – 6:30 pm – City Hall

Friday, June 10

Hudson Historic Preservation Commission Meeting – 10 am – City Hall

Next Monday, June 13

Hudson Common Council Informal Meeting – 7 pm – City Hall

 

ELLEN’S PICKS

Wednesday, June 8

Upstreet Market, Hudson’s midweek farmers’ market, is open for business with familiar vendors and some new ones – Fresh spring greens, breads, and to-go prepared foods, including empanadas and Mexican food, are available – Rain or shine – Every Wednesday through October 26 – 4 to 7 pm – Seventh Street Park

Nick Millevoi and Slow Collins – Welcome back the electric guitar God.  Come and be melted on a weeknight. – Opening with deep digs by Hudson’s own Slow Collins – “When Nick Millevoi plays the guitar, it’s like a rocket darted skyward between clouds. With credits in Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band, a quartet that performs John Zorn’s Bagatelles, and his own Many Arms punk-jazz band, the Philly musician comes at his instrument with an open mind.”—NPR – Information at 828-1562 or The Half Moon facebook page – 8 pm – The Half Moon, 48 South Front Street

Thursday, June 9

Gallery owner Peter Jung returns as guest speaker in the Hudson Area Library’s Local History Speaker Series, offering a follow-up to his previous presentation on the Art of the Hudson River School (1825-1875) and showing specifically local artists Sanford R. Gifford, Frederic Church, and Thomas Cole.  Seventy images and paintings will be presented, along with details of the artists’ lives – Followed by Q&A – Information at www.hudsonarealibrary.org – 6 pm – Community Room, Hudson Area Library, corner of Fifth & State Streets

Joan Shelley with special guest Sam Moss – Joan Shelley is a Kentucky singer-songwriter who has been praised by Rolling Stone, NPR, Pitchfork, and The New York Times – Sam Moss is a Boston-based songwriter and string player, whose work rambles through various offshoots of Americana – Information at 828-4800 or helsinkihudson.com – 8 pm – Helsinki Hudson, 405 Columbia Street

Thursday-Sunday, June 9-12

Films at TSL:

Hockney – “…weaves together a portrait of the multi-faceted artist from frank interviews with close friends and never before seen footage from his own personal archive…Nearing the age of 80, the charismatic Hockney still works in his studio seven days a week and is reaching new peaks of popularity worldwide.”

Eva Hesse – Eva Hesse was one of America’s foremost postwar artists.  Her pioneering sculptures, using latex, fiberglass, and plastics, helped establish the post-minimalist movement.  Dying of a brain tumor at 34, she had a mere decade-long career that, despite its brevity, is dense with complex, intriguing works… In the downtown NY art scene of the 60s, she was one of the few women to make work that was taken seriously – This film is the first feature-length appreciation of her life and work.

A Monster with a Thousand Heads – A film by Rodrigo Pia – “A sharp, urgent tale of a distraught woman intent on protecting her family at all costs…an engrossing combination of thriller, drama and timely socio-political commentary.” – In Spanish with English subtitles

Unlocking the Cage – A film by Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker, the filmmakers who brought you Don’t Look Back and The War Room – This documentary follows animal rights lawyer Steven Wise in his unprecedented challenge to break down the legal wall that separates animals from humans – Wise argues on behalf of four captive chimpanzees in NY State. – His Nonhuman Rights Project is making history by filing lawsuits that seek to transform an animal from a “thing” to a “person.”

Love is Colder Than Death (1969) – For his feature debut, Rainer Werner Fassbinder fashioned a crime drama about a love triangle involving a small-time pimp, his prostitute girlfriend, and his gangster friend.  “…this is a stylishly nihilistic cinematic statement of intent.” In German with English subtitles

Viktoria – Maya Vitkova’s stunning debut feature follows three generations of women in the final years of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria and the early years of the new government…. In Bulgarian with English subtitles

Neon Bull – A film by Gabriel Mascaro.  Iremar works in a rodeo in northeast Brazil, but dreams of a fashion career in the region’s booming clothing industry – In Portugese with English subtitles

Vita Activa: The Spirit of Hannah Arendt –A new documentary about one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century.

Information and schedule at www.timeandspace.org or 822-8448 – Time & Space Limited, 434 Columbia Street

Mac-Haydn Theatre presents the regional premiere of Nice Work If You Can Get It,  with an all-Gershwin score, incredible dancing, and non-stop comedy – The show, which garnered five Tony awards for the Broadway production, runs through June 19 – Information, schedule and tickets at 392-9292 or www.machaydntheatre.org – Mac-Haydn Theatre, 1925 Route 203, Chatham

Friday, June 10

Love and Friendship – Fairview Cinema 3’s opening day of this much-anticipated film,  a comic adaptation by writer-director Walt Stillman of Jane Austen’s novella, Lady Susan, starring Kate Beckinsale and Chloe Sevigny – Schedule at  828-1900 or fairviewcinema3.com  – Fairview Cinema 3, Fairview Plaza, Route 9, Greenport

The Greyhounds will be performing as part of the Town of Greenport’s Music at Sunset Concert Series – The concession stand will be serving pepperoni sandwiches, hot dogs and hamburgers, ice cream, and soft drinks – Schedule at www.townofgreenport.com – 7 pm – Greenport Town Park, Joslen Boulevard, Greenport

Yassou with Emily Ritz – The band was formed in upstate New York, and is now based in San Francisco – It is a five –piece post-pop band “that makes tightly composed music with integrity.” – Anchored by the mesmerizing stage presence of lead singer Lilie Bytheway-Hoy, Yassou employs unconventional song structures, shifting time signatures, and stunning video storylines – Billboard recently named Yassou a band that “should be on your radar.”  Their 2013 EP, “In Fits In Dreams” garnered widespread press attention.  A striking collection of songs, it featured the vocals of former Smashing Pumpkins bassist Melissa Auf der Maur  – Information at 828-1562 or The Half Moon facebook page – 8 pm – The Half Moon, 48 South Front Street

Wickers Creek Band serves up some tasty bluegrass – Information at 672-7346 or www.facebook.com/philmontpub — 8 to 10 pm – Main Street Public House, 12 Main Street (Route 217),  Philmont

Holly Miranda with Sonya Kitchell opening – At the age of 33, Holly Miranda has already enjoyed half a lifetime in the music business.  She signed her first record deal at age 17. While nothing came of that first deal, her subsequent freedom allowed her to form a band, and go on to record solo albums, to tour and to continue recording.  Sonya Kitchell , originally from rural Massachusetts and later Brooklyn, also got an early start—as a jazz singer at the age of 13.  – Information at 828-4800 or helsinkihudson.com – 9 pm – Helsinki Hudson, 405 Columbia Street

Friday, June 10 through Sunday, June 26

Screening of 130919 – A Portrait of Marina Abramovic by Matthu Placek  an immersive 3-D film installation – On the opening weekend the film is shown from 12:00 pm on Friday, June 10 to 6 pm on Sunday, June 12 – The work will be installed in the Second Ward Foundation ‘s ground floor, and will remain over the course of three weeks.  Groups of four people will be admitted into Second Ward’s recently restored auditorium every 15 minutes, where four individual “viewing stations” will provide a stereoscopic screening of the work.  The exhibition is free, with specific times bookable at http://www.130919hudson.eventbrite.com/ or at http://www.secondward.org – In the film “Placek forges an honest depiction of the artist’s creative and emotional energy.… Placek sets Abramovic in the center of an expansive, crumbling room that will become the Marina Abramovic Institute, a space serving as the performance artist’s legacy.”  In the film, which was shot in a single take, without dialogue, Abramovic is depicted standing nude.  Both Abramovic and the space are exposed, strong, and marked with history. The film is shown by The Second Ward Foundation and Basilica Hudson in association with Visionaire Film – Information at http://www.secondward.org – Second Ward Foundation, 71 North Third Street

Saturday, June 11

Hudson Farmers’ Market – Prosharp Cutlery is on hand every weekend to sharpen your knives, scissors and small garden tools –Brett Scott will be performing in the Music Tent – Rocker Box Spice Company will in in the Guest Tent – Don’t miss the Strawberry Festival next week!  For a list of vendors and information on their products, or to sign up for a weekly newsletter visit www.hudsonfarmersmarket.ny.com – 9 am to 1 pm – Rain or shine – Corner of Sixth & Columbia Streets

Hudson Elks Lodge Annual Flag Day Parade and Festivities – The summer season kicks off with one of Hudson’s biggest events – The day begins at 10 am in Seventh Street Park with vendors and music – From 10 to 11 am: A children’s Bike Rodeo sponsored by the Hudson Police Department, with instruction on safe biking, and helmets in conjunction with Catholic Charities. The Elks Lodge Flag Day Service is at 11 am – The parade steps off at 2 pm and moves from the intersection of Green and State Streets, across Park Place, down Warren Street, and south on Front Street to the waterfront.  The parade, with some 70 units including fire companies, emergency vehicles, organizations, agencies, and government officials, is led by grand marshals including personalities from the world of local television and a bevy of local politicians and elected officials– The Hudson High School Basketball Team is marching this year, along with the Hudson High School Band.  The Hawthorne Caballeros Drum & Bugle Corps is back in full force and so is local favorite , The Ghent Band.  The Columbia-Greene Community College mascot, Rip Van Winkle, will be marching and so will the City’s spouting whale.  Watch out for The Skyliners and the Rensselaer-based jazz combo Brass-O-Mania.  – When the parade ends, festivities on the waterfront begin with a proclamation and dedication by Mayor Tiffany Martin Hamilton, a Parade Awards presentation, a carnival, encores from some of the marching bands, food vendors, and entertainment to keep the crowd busy until an enormous fireworks display goes off at dusk – Rain date is Sunday, June 12 – Information at www.hudsonflagdayparade.org/ – Parade starts at Seventh Street at 2 pm, followed by festivities on the waterfront –Henry Hudson Riverfront Park, Water Street, over the grade crossing at Broad Street, past the Amtrak Station on Front Street

Poetry Reading – The Frank Institute at CR10 presents Carter Ratcliff  – Ratcliff’s poetry books include Fever Coast, Give Me Tomorrow, and Arrievederci, Modernismo.  He published his first novel, Tequila Mockingbird, in 2015.  He is a contributing editor to Art in America.  His writings on art have been published by The Museum of Modern Art, The Guggenheim Museum, The Royal Academy and others. Among his books on art are The Fate of a Gesture: Jackson Pollock,  Postwar American Art, and Out of the Box: The Reinvention of Art. – Information at www.cr10.org or CR10 on facebook – 4 pm – The Frank Institute @CR10, 283 County Route 10, (between Routes 9G and 31), Linlithgo

Poetry Reading – Curator Tamas Panitz continues his popular reading series with poets Ian Dreiblatt and Lynn Behrendt, who was recently named Brooklyn Poet of the Week by the Poetry Foundation. – Information at hudsonoperahouse.org or 822-1438 – 5 pm – Hudson Opera House, 327 Warren Street

Author’s Reading – Joseph Luzzi, author and Bard College professor, will read from his memoir In a Dark Wood.  In this memoir Luzzi writes of the days and months that followed the terrible event that left him suddenly both a widower and a first-time father.  Luzzi’s wife, Katherine, eight-and-a-half months pregnant, was in an automobile accident, and died from her injuries less than an hour after giving birth to their daughter, Isabel.  Luzzi, a professor if Italian Studies, and a Dante scholar, begins his book with lines from Dante’s The Divine Comedy: “In the middle of our life’s journey, I found myself in a dark wood.”  The memoir describes the challenges that Luzzi faced as a grieving widower trying to balance his responsibilities as a single father and an academic, and to open himself again to love. – Information at www.roejanlibrary.org or 325-4101 – 5 pm – Roeliff Jansen Community Library, 9091 Route 22, approximately one mile south of the intersection of Routes 22 and 23, Hillsdale

First Columbians 2016 – Celebrating the Columbia County Historical Society’s Centennial:100 years of telling stories preserving and interpreting Columbia County history and culture – Live music, cocktails and dinner, a silent auction and centennial exhibitions – Information at www.cchsny.org – 5 pm to 10:30 pm – Lawn of the Vanderpoel House of History, 16 Broad Street, Kinderhook

Exhibition Opening – One Farm One Decade: Photographs by Dana Matthews – Farm life and landscapes are the subject of local artist Dana Matthews’ images taken over a 14-year period at Lucky Dog Farm in Hamden NY– The artist will also be showing a collection of unique cyanotypes of plant life – Information at tkhomeandgarden.com – 5:30 to 7:30 pm – TK Home & Garden, 441 Warren Street

Volume Reading Series – A free reading and music series featuring prose, poetry, and a short DJ set that takes place every second Saturday at 7:00 pm at Spotty Dog Books and Ale in Hudson –  This month’s program presents Benjamin Hale, Julie Metz and Mary Lou Buschi.

> Benjamin Hale is the author of the novel The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore, and the collection The Fat Artist and Other Stories. He has received the Bard Fiction Prize and Michener-Copernicus Award, among others. His writing has appeared in Harper’s Magazine, The Paris Review, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and many more.  Visit Benjamin-hale.com

> Julie Metz’s The New York Times bestselling memoir, Perfection, was a Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers Selection and is being adapted for television. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Salon, Dame, Glamour, Redbook, and Huffington Post, and the anthologies The Moment and The House That Made Me. Visit Juliemetz.com

> Mary Lou Buschi’s poems have appeared in FIELD, Willow Springs, Indiana Review and The Laurel Review. In 2014 she was nominated for Best New Poets, and was a finalist for Best of The Net Anthology. Her full-length collection, Awful Baby, was published this year through Red Paint Hill. Tight Wire, her third chapbook, comes out in June.

> The readings will be followed by book signing and a short set by DJ Stephen Bluhm.  Volume is hosted and curated by Hallie Goodman and Dani Grammerstorf French. – Information at 671-6006 or www.thrspottydog.com – 7 pm – Spotty Dog Books & Ale, 440 Warren Street

(Freak) Flag Day – The Basilica’s  freakier counterpart to Hudson’s official Flag Day festivities, featuring performances and dancing into the wee hours, and the best place to watch the official Flag Day fireworks display – Entertainment includes the third iteration of Darkwave comedy nights conceived by Hudson-based artist Annie Bielski with NYC-based artists Alexandria Tatarsky and KIZU – $2 beers served throughout the Darkwave comedy and Happy Hour from 7 to 9 pm – Mirror-Mirror, the NYC-based dark-dance either-reality band, kicks off the dance party.  Dark Dark DJ Veenger Clut will facilitate more dancing with their fearless electronic music –Proceeds from this event will benefit the arts programs at Basilica

Two other events will run concurrently (from 7 to 9 pm) with (Freak) Flag Day at the Basilica:

> Balloons, Umbrellas, and Snow – A new work-in-progress by filmmaker Matthew Placek will be on view in Basilica’s North Hall.  It is Placek’s on-going exploration of memory and the immortalization of people, relationships and time through new media

> Exhibition Opening of the Summer Back Gallery Series—A solo show of new works by James Concannon, curated by Jack Walls

> See also information above about the screening of 130919 – A Portrait of Marina Abramovic by Matthu Placek – An immersive 3-D film installation presented this weekend and beyond in association with The Second Ward Foundation. Details above.

> (Freak) Flag Day – 7 pm to 2 am – Basilica Hudson, 110 South Front Street

Flag Day Bash with DJ T-Bone –Information at 828-1562 or The Half Moon facebook page – 8 pm – The Half Moon, 48 South Front Street

Tim O’Brien with special guest Grant Gordy – Grammy Award-winner Tim O’Brien is a bluegrass/roots-music superstar.  He’s an old-time singer-songwriter who plays multiple instruments.  In the 1970s he founded Hot Rize, long regarded as one of the most innovative and entertaining bluegrass bands.  Guitarist Grant Gordy is a graduate of the Harvard University of bluegrass—the David Grisman Quintet – Information at 828-4800 or helsinkihudson.com – 9 pm – Helsinki Hudson, 405 Columbia Street

Saturday and Sunday, June 11 and 12

Hudson Cruises Weekend Sightseeing Cruises are offered on Saturdays and Sundays – Passengers often have close-up views of wildlife such as bald eagles and cormorants – Views of the Catskills, Mount Merino, Olana and the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse are always on the route.– Information and tickets at www.zerve.com/HudsonCruise/SightSee or 888-764-1844 or 518-348-8993 – Boarding at 12:30 pm, cruise from 1 pm to 2:30 pm – City dock behind the gazebo, Henry Hudson Riverfront Park, Water Street, access via Broad Street grade crossing past the Amtrak Station on Front Street.

Sunday, June 12

Fine Auction – 20^th Century, Modern & Contemporary Fine and Decorative Arts – Online catalogue, buying information, absentee/phone bid form at www.stairgalleries.com or bid online with Invaluable – Previews Wed/Thurs/Fri, Sat, June 8-11 from 10 am to 5 pm; Sun, June 12 from 9 am to Auction at 11 am – Information at 751-1000 – 11 am – Stair Galleries, 549 Warren Street

Matthew Benson, Hudson Valley farmer and photographer, and author of Growing Beautiful Food, will offer insights into the history and practice of farming at an afternoon talk and book signing held in a local garden – For a separate admission fee, the author will also be at an evening dinner held in an architectural gem of an empty house, where ticket holders will share a garden-fresh, organic meal of local vegetables and fruits with the author – To benefit the Hudson Area Library – Seating is limited – Reservations at www.HudsonAreaLibrary.org – Garden talk at 3:30 pm in a private garden in Hudson – Dinner at 6:30

Jeffrey Foucault with Rusty Belle opening – One of the finest songwriters of his generation, Jeffrey Foucault has taken, in his own words, “the small roads,” building a brick and mortar independent international touring career of ten studio albums, countless miles and critical accolades.  He has been lauded for stark, literate songs that are “as wide open as the landscape of his native Midwest” (The New Yorker), and described by The Irish Times as “quietly brilliant.” – Information at 828-4800 or helsinkihudson.com – 8 pm – Helsinki Hudson, 405 Columbia Street

Next Monday, June 13

The Columbia County Chapter of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby monthly meeting takes place in Hudson this month – This thoughtful and energetic grass-roots volunteer group is working to create political will to encourage the U.S. Congress to take serious steps to end our expensive and destructive support for fossil fuels. The group consists of normal citizens, finding their voices.  There is a role and support for everyone to learn how to make a difference in our democracy. All are welcome – 6 pm – Information at 672-7901 – Suite 210, Columbia Memorial Hospital Medical Office Building, 71 Prospect Avenue

James McCartney, son of the late Linda Eastman McCartney of Wings and you-know-who, “has remained fiercely dedicated to his musical vision of melding smart hooks and feral alt-rock with the grandeur and spiritual centeredness of psychedelic music….” While he probably can’t help but be influenced by the music of Wings and the 1960s British Invasion band, The Beatles,  James McCartney claims to be inspired by a diverse group of musicians – Information at 828-4800 or helsinkihudson.com – 8 pm – Helsinki Hudson, 405 Columbia Street

Next Tuesday, June 14

Vox Urbana, a Tucson-based Cumbia group brings Sonoran sound to Hudson – A six-piece band that combines Latin-based sounds with stories and experiences that occur in the Arizona/Sonora border region – This bi-national band has been creatively narrating stories of the border community since 2010 – Its original repertoire breaks any language barrier via its unrelenting danceable grooves – Its instrumentation consists of guitar, keyboard, sax, trombone, bass guitar, congas, and drums – Visit www.voxurbanacumbia.com –Information at 828-1562 or The Half Moon facebook page – 8 pm – The Half Moon, 48 South Front Street

Next Thursday, June 16

A Legendary Hudson Pairing – Liv Carrow & Brian Dewan – Liv Carrow, the wayward ex-local darling of the alleged local music scene, will return to play some songs for you on the glittering stage, joined by one of the world’s most unique accordion crooners, Catskill’s very own Brian Dewan.  “Bring your greenback dollars and some stamina for stringed instruments and pithy wordplay.”  — Information at 828-1562 or The Half Moon facebook page – 9 pm – The Half Moon, 48 South Front Street

ONGOING

Naturalist  Landscapes by Douglas James Maguire and Thomas Teich – Works by two artists living in and influenced by the surroundings associated with the Hudson River School – On view through June 28 – Information at northrivergallery @ gmail.com or 392-7000 – Fridays 12 noon to 7 pm, Saturdays 11 am to 5 pm, Sundays 10 am to 2 pm – North River Gallery, 34A Main Street, Chatham

Olana State Historic Site introduces new Historic Landscape Tours – This is a fundamental expansion of the visitor experience and coincides with the 50th anniversary of the saving of Olana from the brink of destruction.  These new tours present Olana as an integrated work of art, architecture, conservation, agriculture, and landscape design and take the visitor to key locations in Olana’s landscape.  Guided landscape tours along Olana’s carriage roads are available via an open-air electrical vehicle or on foot – A self-guided version is available through a downloadable cell phone app – Landscape tours will continue through Sunday, November 6 – Information at www.olana.org – Olana State Historic Site, 5720 Route 9G, Greenport 

Hudson-Athens Ferry – Hudson Cruises provides a regular evening Hudson-Athens Ferry service on Fridays and Saturdays  during the summer months  – Tickets available on the boat for cash only – Advance purchase of 10 tickets available at a discounted price on the boat – Show your ferry ticket to participating restaurants for discounts  – Information at hudsoncruises.com or 822-1014 – The ferry departs Hudson on the hour and Athens on the half hour from 5:00 pm to 10:30 pm – Board at the City dock behind the gazebo, Henry Hudson Riverfront Park, Water Street, access via Broad Street grade crossing past the Amtrak Station on Front Street

Behold! New Lebanon launches its second season as “the first museum of contemporary rural American life” – More than 100 summer tours will be offered from June 4 through October 15 – Visitors will board a shuttle to meet Rural Guides at their barns, studios, farms, nature trails and businesses.  They’ll meet the farmers, artisans, innovators, chefs, and historical preservationists who contribute to the rich back-stories of rural life and work – Information at 720-7265 or beholdnewlebanon.org . – Behold! New Lebanon, 438 Route 20, New Lebanon

FURTHER AFIELD

Saturday, June 11

Exhibition Opening – Escape from New York: Weekends in the Hudson Valley – Works by Laura Loving – On view through July 23 – Information at www.greenearts.org or 943-3400 – 5 to 7 pm – Greene County Council on the Arts, 398 Main Street,  Catskill

The Greenville Drive-In presents The First Annual Typewriter Arts Festival – Highlights include a live performance with The Boston Typewriter Orchestra, in rhythmic typewriter manipulation combined with elements of performance, comedy and satire; screening of the documentary The Typewriter (in the 21st Century), and a screening of the French romantic comedy, Populaire, in which a typewriter plays a key role; a display by local artists using the medium of typewriters, and a display of vintage typewriters. – Bring your typewriter and join the “type-in.”-  Tickets at www.drivein32.com or at the door – Information by e-mail to [email protected] or call 917-755-2452 – 6:30 pm to 11:50 pm – The Greenville Drive-In, 10700 Route 32, Greenville, Greene County

 

 

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