This time of year, Christmas music is inevitably in there air everywhere, whether it be Downtown Saratoga or the Wilton Mall or wherever you’re getting that last-minute shopping done. And to that point, we’ve come up with a long list of holiday-themed concerts and events for you to attend this weekend (yes, we’ve checked it twice). And at the top of that list, and our Editors’ Pick for this week, is Jewel’s Handmade Holiday Tour coming to the Palace Theatre this Friday, December 14, at 8pm.
Singer-songwriter and draw for the holiday tour is Jewel Kilcher, a four-time Grammy nominee and New York Times bestselling author (read our exclusive interview with her). She’s recorded 11 studio albums, but is perhaps best known for her 1995 debut album, Pieces of You, which went platinum 15 times over and spawned a number of hit singles such as “Who Will Save Your Soul,” “Foolish Games” and “You Were Meant for Me.”
It turns out that Jewel’s not the only artistic Kilcher. She grew up singing with her father, Atz, and her brothers, Atz Lee and Nikos, in remote Homer, AK (about four hours south of Anchorage). Now the Kilcher family has its own Discovery reality show, Alaska: The Final Frontier, which documents the kind of rural upbringing that the singer-songwriter had (she’s also appeared in several episodes). Friday, fans of Jewel and her family will have a chance to see them live at the Palace Theatre. Jewel’s 2nd Annual Handmade Holiday Tour includes holiday originals by the Kilcher family, hit songs written by Jewel and classic Christmas carols sung by the whole family. Concertgoers will also get the opportunity to make handmade holiday gifts inspired by the Kilcher family.
And if you need more Christmas music (and fun) this weekend, then check out the great list below.
Friday, December 14
Disney On Ice: 100 Years of Magic – All weekend (December 13-16) at the Times Union Center in Albany.
Chuck Lamb Quartet – 9pm, pianist Chuck Lamb plays with the Brubeck Brothers Quartet at 9 Maple Avenue.
Boho Chic Holiday Party 2018 – 5-9pm with complimentary champagne cocktails and holiday cookies at Boho Chic Boutique in Ballston Spa.
WRGB Melodies of Christmas – All weekend (December 13-16) and celebrating 39 years of Melodies of Christmas at Proctors Theatre in Schenectady.
The Mountain Snow Orchestra – 8pm at The Egg in Albany.
Saturday, December 15
Holiday Folk Show – A folk music Christmas favorite, Saturday (8pm) and Sunday (3pm) at Caffè Lena.
8th Annual Saratoga SantaCon – Enjoy one of the Capital Region’s largest pub crawls, 1-10pm, starting at Bailey’s Saratoga.
Viennese Classics with the Albany Symphony – Saturday (7:30) and Sunday (3pm) at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.
Orchestra of St. Luke’s performing Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos – 7pm, presented by SPAC and performed at Bethesda Episcopal Church in Saratoga (to learn more click here).
13th Annual Santa Speedo Sprint – 12-4pm, take a jog through Albany and no, you don’t have to wear a speedo. Starting at Albany Society for the Advancement of Philanthropy (ASAP). This event is held in conjunction with A Taste Of Lark: Chili & Chowder Edition, same times all along Lark Street in Albany.
Sunday, December 16
A Saratoga Christmas with The McKrells – 7pm, a Home Made Theater (HMT) tradition: Christmas classics with the Kevin McKrell at The Spa Little Theater.
Albany Gay Men’s Chorus presents ‘Everything Possible’ – 4-7pm at First Lutheran Church in Albany.
Blue Christmas: A Tribute to the King – 6-8:30pm at Panza’s Restaurant in Saratoga Springs.