Best Music April 2018

admin Posted OnMarch 19, 2018

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Best Music April 2018: Here’s 42 rock, pop, jazz and classical concerts for moms and dads who rock and culture-vultures too. From Andy Grammer to Tomy James & the Shondells, Jeremy Denk to Madeline Peyroux and Broadway star Mandy Gonzalez. Plus two VERY hot ticket alerts for June!

April

Pink, Beautiful Trauma World Tour, Madison Square Garden – Wed-Thurs, 4/4-5: 7:30pm: Her last tour sold out 142 shows in 13 countries. (Madison Square Garden)

One Night of Queen, Ridgefield Playhouse – Fri, 4/6: 8pm: Who can’t get enough of “Bohemian Rhapsody”?One Night of Queen delivers the costumes, the four part harmonies and all they great Queen songs like “Killer Queen”, “Fat Bottomed Girls”, “Another One Bites the Dust” and “Bohemian Rhapsody”. (80 E. Ridge, Ridgefield, CT; www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org)

Richard Thompson, Emelin Theatre – Sat, 4/7: 8pm: Named by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the Top 20 Guitarists of All Time, Richard Thompson is also one of the world’s most critically acclaimed and prolific songwriters. He has received Lifetime Achievement Awards for Songwriting on both sides of the Atlantic – from the Americana Music Association in Nashville to Britain’s BBC Awards. (153 Library Ln., Mamaroneck; www.emelin.org)

Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey, Tarrytown Music Hall – Sat, 4/7: 8pm: A folkie reunion with two of the original members of Peter, Paul & Mary. Kick back and sing along to “Puff the Magic Dragon”, “Where Have All the Flowers Gone”, “If I Had a Hammer”, “500 Miles” and “Leaving on a Jet Plane”. (13 Main St., Tarrytown; www.tarrytownmusichall.org)

Eternal Spring, The Westchester Phil with Edgar Meyer, Performing Arts Center – Sun, 4/8: 3pm: The New York Times called double bassist, Edgar Meyer “the most remarkable virtuoso in the relatively un-chronicled history of his instrument.” He has a mantel-full of Grammys, a MacArthur “Genius” grant and a remarkable instinct for collaboration with the likes of Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Béla Fleck, Emanuel Ax, and now, the Westchester Philharmonic. Here he performs Bach’s Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1, Mozart’s Serenade in C minor and his own Concerto in D with The Phil. (735 Anderson Hill Rd., Purchase; www.westhcesterphil.org)

Whaaat? Andy Grammer The Good Parts Tour, Ridgefield Playhouse – Mon, 4/9: 8pm: Whaaat? A contemporary pop superstar at the intimate Ridgefield Playhouse? Andy will perform his current hit “Fresh Eyes” from his new album plus his triple platinum pop hit “Honey, I’m Good” and his gold hits “Keep Your Head Up”, “Fine By Me” and “Good to be Alive (Hallelujah)”. (80 E. Ridge, Ridgefield, CT; www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org)

“Yeah! Well she’s not such a sweet thing…” Tommy James & The Shondells, Ridgefield Playhouse – Fri, 4/13: 8pm: “Yeah, Well I’m not such a sweet thing, Wanna do ev-er-y-thing, Crimson and clover, Over and over”. Two of our favorite seminal rock hits of all time are Tommy James’ “Crimson and Clover” and “I Think We’re Alone Now.” Two more TJ hosts include “Mony Mony” and “Hanky Panky” are part of his legacy of 29 gold hits and over 100 million records sold. We’re going – who will join us? (80 E. Ridge, Ridgefield, CT; www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org)

John Prine and Sturgill Simpson, Radio City Music Hall – Fri, 4/13: 8pm: “Grandpa was a carpenter, He built houses, stores and banks, Chain smoked Camel cigarettes and hammered nails in planks…” Another WTD fave rave (who wrote the song “Angel From Montgomery” and the underground classic “Illegal Smile”) the last time we saw John Prine was at Carnegie Hall. You will appreciate the irony of his performing on Friday the 13th when you listen to his great songs like “Come Back To Us Barbara Lewis Hari Krishna Beauregard.” (Radio City Music Hall)

Hotel California, Stamford Palace – Fri, 4/13: 8pm: Hotel California performs a showcase of The Eagles megahits such as “Take it Easy” “Heartache Tonight” and of course “Hotel California” as well as selected titles from the solo works of Don Henley, Glen Frey, and Joe Walsh. (61 Atlantic St., Stamford; www.palacestamford.org)

Local! Richard Goode (piano), Caramoor – Sun, 4/15: 3pm: Richard Goode, hailed as one of the “finest pianists in the world” (The Washington Post) performs in the intimate Rosen House Music Room. Known for his interpretations of Beethoven, Goode will offer one of the composer’s late masterpieces, the Sonata Op. 101, plus works by Debussy and Renaissance and Baroque masters Byrd and J.S. Bach. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

An Evening with Bebe Neuwirth, Ridgefield Playhouse – Sat, 4/14: 8pm: Broadway legend and two-time Tony Winner for her roles in Sweet Charity and Chicago, not to mention her role as Lilith on Cheers, Bebe Neuwirth takes the Ridgefield stage with pianist Scott Cady for her new show revue Stories With Piano. (80 E. Ridge, Ridgefield, CT; www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org)

Steve Earle and the Dukes, Paramount Hudson Valley – Sun, 4/15: 7pm: Americana stalwart, Steve Earles celebrates the 30th anniversary of his album Copperhead Road – a breakthrough album of heavy metal and bluegrass that Rolling Stone called “power twang”. A prolific songwriter, Earle’s songs have been recorded by Travis Tritt, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Shawn Colvin and Emmylou Harris to name a few. (1008 Brown St., Peekskill; www.paramounthudsonvalley.com)

Jeremy Dank, piano, Performing Arts Center – Sun, 4/15: 3pm: Jeremy Denk is one of America’s foremost pianists – an artist The New York Times hails as someone “you want to hear no matter what he performs.” Winner of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, the Avery Fisher Prize, and Musical America’s Instrumentalist of the Year award, Denk was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2016. (735 Anderson Hill Rd., Purchase; www.artscenter.org)

Local! Frederich Chiu, South Salem Presbyterian Church – Sun, 4/15: 4pm: Frederic Chiu has been described as “a stunningly virtuosic pianist with a dynamic range that defies the capabilities of modern recording…” – BBC Music Magazine. Here he performs Chopin, Debussy and Prokofiev showing the way composers used the piano, from a singing instrument to a sound machine to a percussion box, concluding with the Liszt transcription of Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, considered among the most demanding piano music ever written, and labeled “the greatest works for the piano,” by Vladimir Horowitz. (111 Spring Rd., S. Salem; www.thesanctuaryseries.org)

Symphonic Music for Small Ensembles, Bedford Chamber Concerts – Wed, 4/18: 8pm: Dr. Anthony Newman and his chamber ensemble perform a Brahms Piano Quintet, a Mozart Piano Quartet and Newmans’ own Concerto for Trumpet and Strings. (St. Matthews Episcopal Church, 382 Cantitoe Rd., Bedford; www.bedfordchamberconcerets.org)

David Bromberg Quintet, Emelin Theatre – Fri, 4/20: 8pm: There’s always a lot of great picking going on when “Americana godfather” and guitar virtuoso David Bromberg collects his banjo, mandolin, dobro and fiddle playing friends for a night of blues, bluegrass and country rock. A real treat to see him in the intimate Emelin Theatre. (153 Library Ln., Mamaroneck; www.emelin.org)

German Pastry Alert! The Legacy of Brandenburg, Ars Antiqua, Church of St. Mary, Chappaqua – Sat, 4/21: 8pm: Mark Kramer (Baroque cello) is joined by Jörg-Michael Schwarz & Karen Marie Marmer, (Baroque violin) and Dongsok Shin (harpsichord) of REBEL Baroque and his Ars Antiqua chamber players for an evening of music from the private library of Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt. Including J.S. Bach, Brandenburg Concerto IV and music of Vivaldi, Valentini, Brescianello & Albinoni. German pastries, Italian confections and coffee after the show. (191 S. Greeley Ave., Chappaqua; www.ars-antiqua.org)

Cello Rock! Break of Reality, Ridgefield Playhouse – Sat, 4/21: 8pm: This electric cello rock quartet (aka indie classical) rock their own classical compositions with three cellos and percussion. Plus covers of bands like Radiohead (“I Will”), Metallica (“The Day That Never Comes”) and Nine Inch Nails (“Ghosts I”). (80 E. Ridge, Ridgefield, CT; www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org)

CMS of Lincoln Center, Classical Evolution, Performing Arts Center – Sat, 4/21: 5pm: In their final appearance of the 2017-18 season, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center explores the Classical style with three works that have endured the test of time. Including, Mozart’s Trio in E-flat Major for Clarinet, Viola and Piano; Weber’s Quintet in B-flat Major for Clarinet, Two Violins, Viola and Cello, and Brahms Quintet in F Minor for Piano, Two Violins, Viola and Cello. (735 Anderson Hill Rd., Purchase; www.artscenter.org)

Local! Anthony Roth Costanzo (countertenor) with Ruckus, Caramoor – Sun, 4/22: 3pm: The “utterly riveting” (The New York Times) Anthony Roth Costanzo appears with the newly-minted period instrument ensemble Ruckus, for a concert of cantatas by Scarlatti, Handel, and Vivaldi. Plus instrumental works by Couperin, Saint Colombe, and Marais. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

The McCartney Years, Tarrytown Music Hall – Fri, 4/27: 8pm: This tribute to the music of Paul McCartney spans two decades O McCartney from The Beatles to Wings. Songs include hits like “Hey Jude”, “Jet”, “Let It Be”, “Band On The Run”, “The Long And Winding Road”, “Live And Let Die”, “Lady Madonna” and many more performed to their original arrangements. (13 Main St., Tarrytown; www.tarrytownmusichall.org)

Almost Queen, Paramount Hudson Valley – Fri, 4/27: 8pm: Who can’t get enough of “Bohemian Rhapsody”? Almost Queen delivers the costumes, the four part harmonies and all they great Queen songs like “We Are The Champions”, “We Will Rock You”, “Another One Bites the Dust” and “Somebody to Love”. (1008 Brown St., Peekskill; www.paramounthudsonvalley.com)

Gov’t Mule, Capitol Theatre – Fri-Sat, 4/27-28: 8pm: “Mule”, formed by guitarist Warren Haynes, when he wasn’t playing with Dicky Betts or The Allman Brothers, are a Capitol Theatre staple. Haynes, who is a frequent guest to Phil Lesh & Friends, counts Cream, Neil Young, Little Feat, Pearl Jam and Traffic as key influences. (149 Westchester Ave., Port Chester; www.capitoltheatre.com)

Jazz at the Center, Big Band Dance Party, Performing Arts Center – Sat, 4/28: 8pm: The Purchase Jazz Orchestra closes out the Jazz at The Center series with a night of big band jazz favorites. Jazz at the Center is curated by Jon Faddis, Professor and Director of Jazz Performance at Purchase College, and one of the most innovative jazz trumpeters of our time. . (735 Anderson Hill Rd., Purchase; www.artscenter.org)

Duke Ellington Center Big Band, Emelin Theatre – Sat, 4/28: 8pm: Under the artistic direction of Mercedes Ellington, the DEC Big Band performs from the abundant repertoire of over 3,000 songs. At this show the orchestra will be joined onstage by a company of dancers. (153 Library Ln., Mamaroneck; www.emelin.org)

Valerie Simpson, Paul Shaffer and Darlene Love, Stamford Palace, Sat, 4/28: 8pm: Letterman bandleader Paul Shaffer teams up with his two favorite girls, Valerie Simpson (Ashford & Simpson – “You’re All I Need To Get By”) and Darlene Love (He’s A Rebel”). (61 Atlantic St., Stamford; www.palacestamford.org)

Editor’s choice! An Evening with Madeline Peyroux, Tarrytown Music Hall – Sun, 4/29: 7pm: One of our favorite artists – why has she never won a Grammy? Peyroux and her quintet brings her jazz sensibilities into roots music territory. She’s equally comfortable performing Edith Piaf’s “La Vie en Rose” as Bob Dylan’s “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesone When You Go”,Patsy Cline’s “Walkin’ After Midnight” or Leonard Cohen’s “Walk Me to the End Of Love” or her own compositions like “Dreamland”. (13 Main St., Tarrytown; www.tarrytownmusichall.org)

May

An Evening with The Cowboy Junkies, Tarrytown Music Hall – Fri, 5/4: 8pm: Another WTD favorite. Their 1987 album The Trinity Sessions, one of Pitchfork’s Best Albums of the 80s, features a breathtaking mix of original songs such as “Misguided Angel” and covers of folk rock and country songs such as Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”, “Blue Moon Revisted (Song for Elvis)” and The Velvet Underground’s “Sweet jane” – their most famous single. (13 Main St., Tarrytown; www.tarrytownmusichall.org)

Terrapin – Grateful Dead Experience, Stamford Palace – Fri, 5/4: 8pm: Terrapin performs an A-List of Grateful Dead classics plus fave Garcia Band covers of Jimmy Cliff, Little Feat and The Rolling Stones. (61 Atlantic St., Stamford; www.palacestamford.org)

Broadway! Mandy Gonzalez, Caramoor Benefit Concert – Sat, 5/5: 8:30pm: Broadway star, Mandy Gonzalez (Hamilton, Wicked, In the Heights, Madam Secretary) opens up the American Songbook in this cabaret benefit concert for Caramoor. A champagne and dessert reception with Ms. Gonzalez follows the performance. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoour.org)

Tramps Like Us, The Emelin Theatre – Sat, 5/5: 8pm: E Street Radio calls Tramps Like Us, headed by Chappaqua resident Mark Salore on guitar and vocals, “the best Springsteen tribute band. (153 Library Ln., Mamaroneck; www.emelin.org)

The Fab Faux perform The Beatles White Album, Capitol Theatre – Sat, 5/5: 8pm: Rolling Stone editor, David Fricke called The Fab Faux “the greatest Beatles cover band without the wigs.” Here they celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Beatles White Album. The Fab Faux have performed to sold-out crowds at Radio City Music Hall, the Beacon Theatre, Hammerstein Ballroom and Webster Hall. The have headlined Liverpool’s Beatles Week four times. (149 Westchester Ave., Port Chester; www.capitoltheatre.com)

Beethoven, Bedford Chamber concerts – Wed, 5/9: 8pm: Dr. Anthony Newman and his Bedford Chamber ensemble perform Beethoven’s “Eroic” Symphony No. 3 and “Kreutzer” Sonata for Violin and Piano. (St. Matthews Episcopal Church, 382 Cantitoe Rd., Bedford; www.bedfordchamberconcerets.org)

Air Supply, Ridgefield Playhouse – Fri, 5/11: 8pm: This Australian soft rock duo had eight top ten hits in the United States beginning with their debut hit “Lost in Love” and continuing with romantic gems such as “All Out Of Love”, “Even the Nights are Better”, “Making Love Out of Nothing at All” and “Dance With Me”. (80 E. Ridge, Ridgefield, CT; www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org)

Get The Led Out, Tarrytown Music Hall – Fri, 5/11: 8pm: This “no wigs or costumes” Led Zeppelin Tribute band uses six musicians (including three just to play the Jimmy Page parts) to recreate Led Zepp studio albums live with all the overdubs and multiple guitar parts that Zepp could never do live themselves. (13 Main St., Tarrytown; www.tarrytownmusichall.org)

Dark Star Orchestra, Capitol Theatre – Fri-Sat, 5/11-12: 8pm: DSO celebrates 20 years, and over 2600 concerts, performing the Grateful Dead songbook. Over the years, DSO has been joined onstage by Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzman, Mike Gordon and Jon Fishman of Phish, Keller Williams, Warren Haynes, Steve Kimock, Peter Rowan and Ramblin’ Jack Elliot. (149 Westchester Ave., Port Chester; www.capitoltheatre.com)

Echoes of Sinatra, Paramount Hudson Valley – Sat, 5/12: 8pm: Steve Kazlauskas and band keeps the legend of The Chairman of the Board alive with a vocal range that allows him to sing Sinatra’s songs in their original keys – reaching and sustaining Frank’s high notes and crooning in the lower registers that were part of his distinctive singing style. (1008 Brown St., Peekskill; www.paramounthudsonvalley.com)

Arlo Guthrie – The Regeneration Tour, Tarrytown Music Hall – Sun, 5/13: 7pm: It’s not Thanksgiving but we can always listen to another round of “Alice’s Restaurant”. Plus, “Coming Into Los Angeles”, “City of New Orleans” and “I don’t want a pickle, just wanna ride on my motor-cycle.” (13 Main St., Tarrytown; www.tarrytownmusichall.org)

Local! Scenes from Motherhood, Magdalena Baczewska, South Salem Presbyterian Church – Sun, 5/13: 4pm: Pianist and harpsichordist Magdalena Baczewska [ba-CHEV-ska], Director of the Music Performance Program and Lecturer at Columbia University, has been acclaimed as a “world-class” musician (The American Record Guide), and lauded as “eloquent & technically flawless” (The Washington Post). She presents a special program for Mother’s Day with works by Schumann, Chopin, Ravel and more plus a Champagne Toast to mothers. (111 Spring Rd., S. Salem; www.thesanctuaryseries.org)

Jackson Browne, Beacon Theatre – Thurs-Fri, 5/17-18: 8pm: “Well ‘m running down the road, trying to loosen my load…” From “Take It Easy” to “Doctor My Eyes”, “The Pretender”, “Stay”, “Runnin’ On Empty”, “Somebody’s Baby” and “These Days”, Jackson Browne rode the Laurel Canyon sound right into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (Beacon Theatre)

Art Garfunkel: In Close Up, Tarrytown Music Hall – Thurs, 5/17: 8pm: We can always listen to Art Garfunkel sing “Bridge Over Troubled Water” one more time. See him sing it live in Tarrytown, plus “The Boxer”, “Scarborough Fair”, “The Sound of Silence” and more from his solo career like “I Only Have Eyes for You”, “Cryin’ In the Rain” and “Since I Don’t Have You”. (13 Main St., Tarrytown; www.tarrytownmusichall.org)

The Keb Mo Band, Tarrytown Music Hall – Fri, 5/25: 8pm: With his unique blend of Blues and Americana, Keb Mo has garnered four Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Blues and Best Country/Acoustic Blues Albums plus five more nominations for Blues, Americana and Children’s albums. His songs range from traditional blues like “Shave Yo Legs” and “The Worst is Yet To Come” to his hit covers of “America The Beautiful” and Jone Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi”. (13 Main St., Tarrytown; www.tarrytownmusichall.org)

Hot Ticket Alert!

Bela Flek & The Flecktones, Capitol Theatre – Sat, 6/30: 8pm: 16-time Grammy Award-winning banjo virtuoso, Bela Flek reunites with his original Flecktones for a night of bluegrass and jazz fusion. Flek has received Grammy Awards in more categories than any other artist including nominated Best Country Instrumental, Pop Instrumental, Contemporary Jazz, Classical Crossover, Contemporary World Music Instrumental and Folk. (149 Westchester Ave., Port Chester; www.capitoltheatre.com)

Joe Jackson, Tarrytown Music Hall – Fri, 7/6: 8pm: One of our faves. His jazz-inflected pop sound was a genre unto itself in the age of New Wave surprises. His seminal albums Look Sharp and Night and Day still are in rotation at WTD’s house! With their iconic hits such as “Is She Really going Out With Him”, “Stepping Out”, “It’s Different for Girls”, “Breaking Us In Two”, “Look Sharp”, “Sunday Papers” and “Chinatown”. The New Yorker lauded his 2012 homage to Duke Ellington, The Duke, and his 2015 album Fast Forward, calling it “addictively listenable late career pop.” (13 Main St., Tarrytown; www.tarrytownmusichall.org)