Central Park is ready, once again, to come alive for the summer, as Music Haven Concert Series celebrates its 30th anniversary of “traveling the world one concert at a time.” New this year, the series also adds theater and film as elements in its most ambitious season ever.
Seven Sunday global shows are joined this summer by eight additional evenings of diverse entertainment, including Shakespeare in the park, an American singalong, a symphonic pops concert and a new Woodstock documentary.
In April, Music Haven was recognized at the inaugural Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Awards, garnering Concert Series of the Year, with Founder/Producing Artistic Director Mona Golub taking home Best Promoter or Presenter. The trophies underscore Golub’s efforts at enriching Schenectady’s cultural cachet and serve as touchstones for continued work towards making Central Park a truly global destination on its own.
Music Haven Concert Series 2019
7 p.m. Sundays
July 7—Raghu Dixit
Dubbed “India's biggest cultural export” by The Guardian, Raghu Dixit’s contemporary global sound embraces elements of rock and hip hop, while rooted to India's rich cultural heritage. Special Guests: Crossroads—Jay Gandhi & Yacouba Sissoko.
July 14—Casuarina
Named for the street where the band formed, Casuarina has gone from humble Rio de Janiero beginnings to rarified status as one of Brazil’s finest, sultriest Samba combos. Special Guests: Eduardo de Carvahlo e Forró de Bom.
July 21—The Garifuna Collective
Garifuna Collective preserves traditional Caribbean coastal rhythms like Wanaragua and the semi-sacred Hungu-Hungu with turtle shells, jawbones, guitars, bass and spiritual singing. Special Guest: Bodoma Garifuna Culture Band.
July 28—Seamus Egan Project
Simply put, Solas founder and multi-instrumentalist Seamus Egan is a giant in the world of Irish traditional music, and he returns to his roots with a top notch quartet. Special Guest: Kevin McKrell.
Aug. 4—Thornetta Davis
Multiple award-winner “Detroit’s Queen of the Blues,” Thornetta Davis has sung her truth alongside Bonnie Raitt, Kid Rock, Bob Seeger, and a host of blues luminaries. Special Guest: Tas Cru.
Sponsored by WEXT 97.7/106.1
Aug. 11—Cimarrón
Like the Spanish Fandango, the Colombian Joropo that Cimarrón brings from the plains of the Orinoco River, is fierce, stomping and virtuosic. Special Guests: Sten & Maria Z.
Rain Site—Niskayuna High School Auditorium
Aug. 18—Jupiter & Okwess
Kinshasa-born “Jupiter” Bokondji’s band Okwess marries the American funk heard during his youth in Germany with the Congolese Rumba of his homeland. Special Guests: TBA.
Sponsored by WEXT 97.7/106.1
Rain Site—Niskayuna High School Auditorium
Additional performances at the Music Haven 2019
All shows 7 p.m.
Wednesday, July 17—The Turbans
Melding music from “manywhere” - Balkan beats, North African drones, Flamenco fire – these London-based legends will ignite a global dance party of dynamic proportions.
Sponsored by: WEXT 97.7/106.1
Thursday, July 18—Hamiltunes: An American Singalong
The first and only official Hamilton singalong brings Broadway karaoke all the way back to the American Revolution. Don’t throw away your shot to be part of the phenomenon. Co-presented with Proctors.
Thursday, July 25—Huntertones
Brooklyn’s horn-driven Huntertones are fearless, whether twisting a well-known cover or blasting out brassy originals. The genre-defying sextet is all about the groove.
Sponsored by WEXT 97.7/106.1
Friday and Saturday, July 26–27—Will Kempe’s Players: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Troy’s Will Kempe’s Players bring the Elizabethan era back to life with William Shakespeare’s enduring comedy classic, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, complete with clowning, music, combat and mirth.
Wednesday, July 31—A Tribute to Nick Brignola
A who’s who of jazz stars - drummer David Calarco, saxophonist Gary Smuylan, trumpeter Joe Magnarelli, pianist Tim Ray and bassist John Lockwood celebrate the late baritone master Nick Brignola. Special Guests: The SUNY Schenectady Faculty Jazz Combo.
Co-presented with SUNY Schenectady
Friday, Aug. 2—Woodstock: Three Days that Defined a Generation
Barak Goodman’s new Woodstock documentary looks at the eternal “three days of peace and music” anew, from the rain-soaked audience’s vantage point.
Co-presented with WMHT
Friday, Aug. 9—School of the Performing Arts at Proctors Cabaret
Students of The School of the Performing Arts at Proctors present “A Broadway Cabaret”—an exciting collection of classics and current hits now gracing the Great White Way.
Saturday, Aug. 10—The Schenectady Symphony Orchestra
The SSO returns, under the baton of Brett Wery, with a host of selections from Hamilton,
A Star is Born, Disney’s Frozen, Star Wars and more. Guest vocalist: Mia Scirocco.
Rain Site—Niskayuna High School Auditorium