Jazz, Irish music on tap this weekend
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » It’s another weekend that refuses to concede that summer is over. There are two major outdoor music festivals taking place in the area that defy the calendar and provide great entertainment.
Irish 2000 takes place on Saturday at Saratoga Fairgrounds in Ballston Spa. It will be nonstop music on two covered stages between 11 am and 11 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, the annual Lake George Jazz Festival is happening at Shepard’s Park on Canada Street in Lake George.
This is the 21styear of what is officially known as the Irish Music and Arts Festival. It began in 1997 at the no longer existent Heritage Park in Colonie. Despite torrential rains, 2,700 people turned out. It taught the organizers two things. One: the area craved diversity in their Irish music. On the opening bill were the extremely traditional Clancy Brothers and the contemporary Celtic rock group Black 47.
The other lesson learned was that the festival needed a larger space. The next year, they moved to the Altamont Fairgrounds, where continued growth made them move once again, this time to the Saratoga Fairgrounds in 2000. In the process came a new name – Irish 2000.
However, the basic guideline remained the same. Great music that is diverse enough to appeal to families who generally attend during daylight hours and to a younger crowd who make up the evening audience.
For example, this year there are two stages. At the Nelligan Stage the afternoon crowd will listen to groups that tend to be both local and traditional. Indeed, you can’t get any more local than Kevin McKrell, who though he has a national reputation, lives in Ballston Spa. His group, The McKrells, perform 3- 4 p.m. and at 6:15 p.m. Kevin returns to team up with another local musician, Jeff Strange, to play until 7:15 p.m. There is, of course, family- oriented music before and in-between both McKrell sets.
Closing the music at Nelligan Stage is Get Up Jack, who play 7:45- 9 p.m. Get up Jack is a group that performs in the tradition of classic groups like The Dubliners and The Wolfe Tones. If you really listen, you’ll also hear influences of The Clancy Brothers.
The Coors Stage will be the place for more contemporary Irish music. Indeed, the space will not only feature sounds from all types of genres, but the groups are from all over the map.
The music starts at 11 am and builds in intensity as the day goes on. At 5:45 p.m. the female pop-rock group Screaming Orphans takes the Coors Stage to play till 6: 55. They are followed by the Chicago- based The Tossers from 7:35- 8:50 p.m. At 9:30 the festival’s headliner Shilelagh Law, a contemporary band out of New York City, plays till 11 P. M. It closes the festival.
Throughout the day, there are exhibitions of Irish dance and pipe bands. And, of course, vendors will be selling crafts, food and drink. Yes, adult beverages will be available to those of 21 years of age. Tickets are $20 at the gate, day- ofshow, and $15 in advance. For more information, go to irish2kfest.com.
For a more mellow couple of days of music a short trip to Lake George’s Shephard’s Park might be in order. The annual Lake George Jazz Weekend takes place on Saturday and Sun- day. The free music starts at 1 p. m. and each day features three nationally known groups.
Saturday night will feature a fourth performance at 7:30 p.m. Titled, “Celebrating the Music of Weather Report”. It’s a tribute to the ground- breaking group, Weather Report, that influenced all of jazz between 1970 and the mid-1980s. It’s produced by composer- arranger-musician Jason Miles. It promises to be an event that puts the history of jazz into modern perspective.
All events are free. Just be sure to bring a chair.
For more information, contact Lake George Arts Project at 518- 668-2616, lakegeorgearts.org.