New concert series to start Dec. 8
By Sam Waller
The Aztec Theater will be home to a new monthly concert series starting in December.
Albany Live, which was formed in October, has scheduled several live performances for its Songwriter Series at the theater, starting up pretty quickly on Wednesday, Dec. 8 with Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis.
Albany Live is a nonprofit organization established to support the cultivation of live music events hosted at venues, according to Michaela Smith, the group’s president.
“We’re trying to bring more people to Albany who haven’t been here before,” Smith said, “and also provide local Albany folks the opportunity to see some great bands play in the Aztec.”
Other confirmed dates have Chris Knight performing Feb. 5, followed by Paul Cauthen on March 3, and Radney Foster on April 29. Albany Live is working to schedule shows for January and later in the spring.
“We’ve got some good names already and some others that we’re communicating with,” Smith said. “We hope to potentially have larger concerts, maybe outdoors. We have plans for a summer series as well, and that will likely provide some bigger names.”
Patron packages are available at Gold Album ($2,500), Platinum Album ($5,000) and Diamond Album ($10,000) levels. The packages include reserved seats in the first three rows, access to a VIP lounge and charitable tax writeoffs.
Smith said individual tickets will start at $50. Concertgoers will have an opportunity to purchase VIP passes for $50.
“Tickets will be available to purchase on our website, albanylive.org,” she said. “Tickets will be live by Thanksgiving (today) for the Bruce and Kelly show.”
Smith said each show in the 284-seat venue will have assigned seating.
“We have a premium for the first three rows, but there’s not a bad seat in the Aztec,” she said.
Smith said artists have given the Aztec good reviews as a performance venue.
“Everyone we’ve spoken with who’s played at the Aztec previously has been extremely impressed with the acoustics and with the sound system that has been installed there,” she said. “After COVID, bands appreciate getting back out in front of an audience. I think the bands who have been doing this a while appreciate an intimate setting that a small venue like the Aztec has, just to be able to connect with the audience.”
The ease of audience interaction fits well with the theme of the initial series, Smith said.
“That’s why our first series is the Songwriter Series,” she said. “We feel the people who will be performing want to talk to the audience and tell a little bit of the background on how or why they wrote the song. I think that makes for a more personal concert.”
