SARATOGA LIVINGThe City. The Culture. The Life.

Maybe I’m crazy, but it seems as though major recording artists have been announcing their future touring plans way, way in advance of when they used to. Case in point: This past July, it was “leaked” that popular Americana band The Lumineers would be playing the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) in June 2020. That’s right, we learned of the show nearly a year before it would take place.

Theoretically, this cushion provides the band with more than enough time to sell out the venue; and if they were, say, bundling their new album, III, with tickets purchased (I’m just guessing here), that would certainly give a bump to the album’s sales numbers and potentially, help their standing on the Billboard charts. With heavy local airplay for the band’s singles “Gloria” and “Life in the City,” it’s kept the buzz hot for Lumineers tickets, and as far as I can tell, the inside of SPAC’s amphitheater is completely sold out at this point, with just lawn tickets still available.

That said, knowing about the show nearly a year in advance doesn’t make me any less excited for it—or a number of other top-shelf concerts happening next year that have been teased early on. In our humble opinion, here are the 10 most anticipated upcoming rock shows (so far) in Saratoga, the Capital Region and within (reasonable) driving distance of here.

Jesse Malin at Colony in Woodstock, NY – Thursday, February 20
Just 1.5 hours from Saratoga Springs is the famed hippie enclave of Woodstock, NY, which despite the name, isn’t where the historic 1969 festival took place. It is, however, a quaint little town with wonderful restaurants and window shopping options—and a handful of music venues that welcome in top national acts. Not familiar with Jesse Malin? The New York City troubadour’s been an underground favorite since releasing 2002’s critically acclaimed The Fine Art of Self Destruction. (Many moons ago, I went on my first date with my future wife to a Malin show at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City.) Malin’s latest, Sunset Kids, was one of 2019’s most underrated gems. It’s worth more than a few mid-work-day spins on Spotify. Get tickets here.

Fitz and the Tantrums at Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park – Wednesday, February 26
Los Angeles neo-soul band Fitz and the Tantrums first broke onto the indie scene with 2010’s Pickin’ Up the Pieces and not surprisingly, soon found their way onto mainstream radio with 2013’s bumping “Out of My League.” Then they dropped the A-bomb earworm that is “HandClap” in 2016, and all bets were off. They’ll be swinging through Clifton Park’s Upstate Concert Hall on their “All The Feels Winter Tour 2020.” Make sure to grab a ticket or two before they sell out. You can get them here.

Roseanne Cash at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga – Wednesday, February 29
Anybody else excited about the opening of Saratoga’s new year-round events space, Universal Preservation Hall (or as the cool kids call it, UPH)? Yeah, I figured as much. Imagine my glee when I learned that they’d nabbed Grammy-winning country-folk artist Roseanne Cash to break the place in (if you’re wondering, she’s the late Johnny Cash’s eldest daughter). She’ll be supporting her 14th studio album, She Remembers Everything. Grab tickets here.

Josh Ritter at Bethesda Episcopal Church in Saratoga – Thursday, March 12, 2020
A friend of mine recently saw Josh Ritter, and the crowd gave him a standing ovation in the middle of the concert. Ritter’s latest album, Fever Breaks, which came out earlier this year, has been on a bunch of year-end best-of lists and for good reason: It’s a master-class in songwriting, and was produced by fellow Americana musician and Grammy darling Jason Isbell, who performs on the record along with his wife, Amanda Shires (she of all-woman supergroup The Highwomen). Ritter’s actually been releasing records since the late ’90s, and his earlier stuff deserves multiple spins, too (especially, 2006’s The Animal Years). He’ll be appearing in a Caffè Lena-sponsored event at Saratoga’s Bethesda Episcopal. Take me to church! Get tickets here.

Kurt Vile at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock – Monday, April 13, 2020 
If you happened to catch Kurt Vile’s show this past July at Skyloft in Albany, you would’ve been treated to a lengthy set by the musician, featuring all of his stoner rock “greatest hits.” (You’ve more than likely come across “Pretty Pimpin’” or “Loading Zones” [see above] on alternative rock radio.) Vile is returning to the area—or at least the general vicinity—this April to play a set at the revered Levon Helm Studios, the one-time recording studio and farm/home of The Band’s late drummer-singer Levon Helm. Unfortunately, the show’s sold out, but one can almost guarantee that there’ll be “miracles” turning up on the secondary market soon. Don’t, um, fret.

Alison Krauss at The Palace Theatre in Albany – Saturday, May 2
Whether you discovered Alison Krauss via the O, Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack or were simply a massive fan of the bluegrass star before that, I think we can all agree that there are few voices out there in music-ville that are sweeter than hers. (I once got into an argument with a friend about whose voice was naturally better, Krauss’ or Adele’s; my money was on Krauss, and I still think I’m right.) Whether she’s insinuating her voice with Robert Plant’s (of Led Zeppelin fame) or those of her own virtuoso backing band, Union Station, what you get from Krauss is nothing short of a treasure chest of Americana. At the Palace, she’ll be supporting her two-year-old album, Windy City, that debuted at No.1 on Billboard‘s Country and Bluegrass album charts. Or maybe even a new, as-yet-released album. I guess we’ll have to see. Get tickets here.

Tanya Tucker at The Egg in Albany – Friday, May 22
Tanya Tucker’s big comeback album, her first in 17 years, While I’m Livin’, which was co-produced by angel-voiced Brandi Carlile and Shooter “Son of Waylon” Jennings, has received four Grammy nominations, including Song Of The Year. Long before she was having her latest moment in the sun, Tucker was a veritable country hit-making machine, charting with classics such as “Delta Dawn” and “Soon.” Seemingly anything that Carlile touches these days turns to gold, so I’m bullish on Tucker’s chances for a golden gramophone or four. Get tickets while they’re still available here.

The Lumineers at SPAC in Saratoga – Saturday, June 6
My wife complains that The Lumineers are one trick ponies, naming an excessive number of their songs after girls. She’s not wrong, but the majority of them—”Ophelia,” “Cleopatra,” “Angela,” “Gloria,” “Donna,” “Elouise” and “Darlene”—are massively catchy songs, which end up worming their way into your ear, one way or another. And that doesn’t even include their first major radio hit, “Ho Hey,” or their latest single, “Living in the City.” They’ll be touring in support of their third album, the aptly titled III. And if you haven’t gotten tickets to their SPAC show yet, shame on you. Get lawn tickets here.

Alanis Morissette with Garbage and Liz Phair at SPAC in Saratoga – Wednesday, July 8
With the #MeToo Movement in full effect, a Jagged Little Pill musical on Broadway and retro everything still in in the rock world, it’s a better time than any to revisit Alanis Morissette’s female-empowerment home run that was 1995’s Jagged Little Pill, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this coming year (despite what Jezebel thinks). Plus, you can’t go wrong with her supporting acts: Garbage, fronted by Scottish firebrand Shirley Manson, released a number of hit songs throughout the ’90s (the band also features producer Butch Vig on drums, he who produced Nirvana’s groundbreaking Nevermind); and insanely underrated indie rocker Liz Phair, whose back catalog is nothing short of an American (feminist) treasure. Get tickets here.

The Avett Brothers at Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown – Thursday, July 23 + Friday, July 24
North Carolina’s Avett Brothers, who’ve been releasing albums since the early aughts, but really saw their star rise when producer extraordinaire Rick Rubin sat in the control room for their 2009 album I And Love And You, are returning for a twofer at Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown July 23-24. As luck would have it, that also happens to be Hall of Fame Induction weekend, meaning there’s a high probability that baseball greats could be wandering around the farm-like music venue or nearby towns. (Have your autograph book or ballpoint and baseball at the ready!) Trust me: I’ve seen these guys live more than once—at Ommegang, too—and they put on a killer show. Don’t miss out. Get tickets here.

Reality check: Many Saratogians are going to be working from home over the next few weeks (and possibly longer) because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Maybe you’ve already been home, trying to wrap your head around next steps and wondering whether you should even set foot outside. If you have kids, that’s more than likely the case.

No, this isn’t the easiest time to be a Saratogian, but one glimmer of hope during this time of inconvenience is all of the wonderfully entertaining options that already exist within the confines of your home. No, I’m not talking about that copy of War and Peace that’s been staring you down since freshman year of college. I’m talking about binge-able TV and movies. What’s a better escape than popping some popcorn and getting engrossed in a new TV series or epic movie?

For those of you spending (forced?) family time together in the coming weeks, I’d suggest first taking a deep breath—then getting lost in these great movies and TV shows with Saratoga connections. Here are the 10 best options.

Movies

Saratoga (1937) – What better way to kick off your mandatory staycation with a black-and-white classic. Saratoga was actress Jean Harlow’s final movie—she died at the tender age of 26 in June of ’37. (She was sort of a proto-Marilyn Monroe.) Harlow, who died before the movie wrapped, causing Director Jack Conway to finish it using stand-ins, acts opposite the great Clark Gable. It’s got an 84 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, so it won’t be like Christmas ’88, when Uncle Dan decided to rent Ishtar.
Saratoga Connection: What’s in a name?

Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) – Fun fact: The little boy in Kramer vs. Kramer, Justin Henry, who became the youngest actor to ever receive an Oscar nomination, years later attended Skidmore College. The film is one of the best—but saddest—on this list, as it hinges on a messy divorce. But it stars Dustin Hoffman (see below) and Meryl Streep, so the top-notch acting will make up for the “I’m not crying, you’re crying” that’ll be going down that night.
Saratoga Connection: Little Billy Kramer’s a future Skiddie!

Billy Bathgate (1991) – When I was a fifth-grader at Lake Avenue Elementary School, my classmates Sanford Mirling and Maureen Toomey—Patrick’s sister—tried out and got the part of extras in Billy Bathgate, a movie starring Dustin Hoffman and Nicole Kidman, which filmed some scenes in Saratoga. (I deeply regret the decision not to follow suit.) While it’s not the world’s greatest movie, it’s worth the watch just for the Saratoga-peeping. It also co-stars Bruce Willis, who, at the time of filming, was two films deep in the Die Hard canon.
Saratoga Connection: Saratoga scenes include glimpses of Saratoga Race Course and the Saratoga Spa State Park

Sneakers (1992) – This is sort of a ’90s version of those movies that come out these days that you can pretty much assume the cast did just for the hefty paycheck. (Hey, look, we all gotta make money, right?) But it’s actually a pretty fun movie—perfect for an open holiday evening. You don’t really need to think too hard about it. It also stars Robert Redford, Dan Aykroyd, Sidney Poitier and a late-career River Phoenix, who tragically died in 1993.
Saratoga Connection: In one of the better cameos in Capital Region history, former broadcast news anchor Ernie Tetrault, who spent his entire 42-year career at our local CBS affiliate, makes an appearance in the film. Blink, and you’ll miss him. Thank the lord for our TV-pausing capabilities.

Becoming Bond (2017) – If you’re a fan of the 1969 James Bond movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, which features the only one-time Bond, Aussie George Lazenby, you’ve probably wondered why he only struck once. Saratogian Josh Greenbaum, a talented director and documentarian, tracked down Lazenby and created this wonderful documentary on his life leading up to and directly after the movie. It’s exclusively on Hulu.
Saratoga Connection: Director Josh Greenbaum is a graduate of Saratoga Springs High School.

TV Shows

The Americans (FX) – Yeah, so the Russians hacked our last presidential election. That much we know. The cable show, which premiered in 2013—and takes place in the early ’80s—follows two deep-cover Russian KGB agents, Elizabeth and Philip Jennings (Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys, respectively), who are posing as American citizens in Washington, DC. They have two kids, live a normal life, work a normal job—but when nobody’s looking, the Jennings pop on disguises and carry out assassinations for the Reds. It’s a truly gripping, binge-able show.
Saratoga Connection: The show’s spooky score was written by Skidmore College graduate Nathan Barr.

Stranger Things (Netflix) – Depending on how much vacation time you took over the holidays, you could easily binge the first three season of Stranger Things. MILD SPOILER ALERT: The Season 3 finale features a hilarious duet between Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and his new girlfriend, Suzie (Gabriella Pizzolo), which ends up saving the world.
Saratoga Connection: Schenectadian Pizzolo, who you have to wait until nearly the final scene in the Season 3 finale to see, got her start in showbiz performing at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, among other local arts venues.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Prime Video) – This is must-watch streaming TV, and there are three amazing seasons to binge. Following the glorious life and times of Miriam “Midge” Maisel, a Jewish housewife, who takes up standup comedy after her husband leaves her, Mrs. Maisel is a joy from start to finish. You could watch one a day to keep the suspense building—or just binge the entire damned thing in a single night. It won’t be the first time.
Saratoga Connection: The fellow who plays Maisel’s ex-husband, Joel, is none other than Skidmore grad Michael Zegen. A friend’s mother told me all about him at a recent Passover seder. He sounds like a real mensch.

The Walking Dead (AMC) – This might be one you want to watch late-night, long after you’ve put your tots to sleep. (Or, because of the subject matter, that you just want to avoid altogether.) You’re probably not going to be able to binge ten seasons of this zombie apocalypse smash-hit over the course of the COVID-19 outbreak, but let me tell you: The first few seasons rush by quickly, because they’re gripping, thrilling and full of gore that you might be embarrassed you enjoy as much as you do. Look out for Jon Bernthal, a one-time Skidmore student, who plays the loud, brash adulterer cop, Shane Walsh.
Saratoga Connection: Actor Jon Bernthal

Friends (Netflix) – Despite Friends not being available on Netflix anymore, you can still rent it, for a nominal fee per episode, on Amazon Prime or iTunes—or, dare I say, dust off your old DVD player and order the boxed set and go to town. Like The Walking Dead, this one-time NBC hit stretches over 10 seasons, so there’s a lot of ground to cover. Plus, there are some wonderful connections to Saratoga embedded in the show.
Saratoga Connection: Back in September 2018, Saratoga Living published the ultimate guide to connections between Saratoga and Friends. One of the most obvious ones? The show’s Executive Producer/Director Kevin S. Bright actually lives in the area and is on the board at Ballston Spa’s Gateway House of Peace and Saratoga’s Caffè Lena, among others.