TROY — The Cultural Affairs Program at Hudson Valley Community College will offer a mix of musical genres during the Spring 2022 semester that will feature concerts by a handful of the Capital District’s best known and new-to-the-scene groups and musicians. Plans call for each program to be presented in-person in the Bulmer Telecommunications Center on the Troy campus, as well as live streamed from that location. The live stream access link to each program is available at www.hvcc.edu/culture. The upcoming, hour-long concerts – open free to all – are:
Sara Milonovich & Daisycutter – Thursday, Feb. 17, at noon – BTC Auditorium
Fronted by singer/songwriter and fiddle virtuoso Sara Milonovich and featuring Greg Anderson on guitars and Boo Reiners on banjo, guitar and lap steel, Daisycutter fuses bluegrass, indie roots-rock and alt-country to the delight of fans up and down the Hudson River Valley. “Northeast,” the band’s third album, was a 2021 “Album of the Year” Capital Region Thomas A. Edison Music Award nominee. “Waiting For The Stars,” the long-awaited follow up to the band’s self-titled debut album, was released in 2016. That same year Milonovich founded Rootstock, a music festival to support the next generation of northeast farmers.
Quintocracy – Thursday, Feb. 24, at noon – BTC Auditorium
Quintocracy, a wind quintet based in the Capital District, is anchored by the belief that music is for all. Classical music shouldn’t be limited to traditional settings, and the music surrounding us should be as diverse as the culture we live in. Through interactive concerts highlighted by superb artistry and engaging commentary, the group breaks the dusty, classical ensemble mold while gaining fans wherever they perform. Quintocracy features Melanie Chirignan on flute, Sue Daves on bassoon, Michael Dee on clarinet, Kelly Lockwood on oboe and Kathryn Svatek on horn.
Reese Fulmer & the Carriage House Band – Thursday, March 10, at noon – BTC Auditorium
Up-and-coming, Saratoga Springs-based, singer/songwriter Reese Fulmer describes himself as a “brand new soul,” but his songs tell a different story. With a poetic touch and unique vision, Fulmer writes lyrics and music that are a conduit to something much older and deeper. He and his band mates – Andy Arnold on electric guitar, James Gascoyne on bass and harmony vocals, and Chris Carey on drums, keyboards and vocals – are eager to share the music on “It’s All A Dream,” their debut EP released in November 2021.
Jim Gaudet & the Railroad Boys – Thursday, March 24, at noon – BTC Auditorium
Jim Gaudet and the Railroad Boys deliver a blend of bluegrass and rockabilly reminiscent of Hank Williams, Earl Scruggs and Bill Monroe. Add some storytelling and a dash of down-home humor, and it’s impossible not to have a good time. The lineup at HVCC: Gaudet, guitar and vocals; Bobby Ristau, upright bass and backing vocals; Sten Isachsen, mandolin and backing vocals, with special guests Tucker Callander on fiddle and Richie Pagano on piano. The band just released a new album, entitled “Hillbilly Rock n Roll.”
Double B & the New Orleans Drive-by Band – Thursday, April 21, at noon – BTC Auditorium
Double B – aka Bob Button, one of the region’s most respected musicians – started playing the trumpet in 1965. Fast forward through five decades of teaching, playing, recording with or opening for many great local and global bands – The Sharks, Blotto, Little Feat, Tower of Power. Double B now rides with The New Orleans Drive-By Band, a gumbo of dance music, audience participation and soulful vocals that includes jazz, New Orleans Funk, R&B and Gospel-infused Soul. Band members are Bob Assini, drums and spoons; Marcus Benoit, tenor sax; Boot Calkins, guitar, harmonica, accordion and vocals; Mike Kelley, Hammond organ; Jon Paul, bass, and Jeff Roberts, trombone and tuba.
Visit www.hvcc.edu/culture for the live stream access link to each event.
Founded in 1953, Hudson Valley Community College offers more than 80 associate degree and certificate programs in three schools: Business and Liberal Arts, Health Sciences, and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, and an Educational Opportunity Center for academic and career training. It is one of 30 community colleges in the State University of New York system and is known as a leader in distance learning initiatives and workforce training. The college has more than 80,000 alumni.
