Pulling The Plug
This year, the Emelin Theatre is launching a handful of new music series, including ones titled “Indie Rock,” “Latin,” “Country,” and “Popular Song.” But the one we’re most intrigued about is called “Emelin Unplugged.” Our curiosities will be satisfied this month when Grammy winner Paula Cole kicks off the Emelin’s season on September 27. Cole’s songs, including her late-’90s hits “I Don’t Want to Wait” and “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone,” seem as if they’d transfer naturally to a stripped-down, acoustic format. It just might inspire us to unplug other parts of our lives and stick the Blackberry in a drawer for a night.
Little Seen on the Silver Screen
The summer blockbuster season is over, so it’s time to take in a few films that don’t star the likes of Iron Man or Batman. We recommend detoxing from the big-budget flicks with the annual Purchase College Jewish Film Festival, co-sponsored by the Jewish Studies Program of Purchase College and Hillels of Westchester. To celebrate Israel at 60, the festival this year features all-Israeli productions, and the lineup includes Souvenirs (September 8), Unsettled (September 15), and The Band’s Visit (September 22). Stay after for Q&As and panel discussions, and then you’ll be all set for the oncoming deluge of Oscar-bait movies this fall.
A Gospel Staple
When you hear the name Mavis Staples, you may not remember the eight Top 40 hits she had in the early ’70s with her group, the Staple Singers—which also included her siblings and her dad, “Pops”—unless, of course, you’re of a certain age. But her husky, throaty, powerful voice is instantly recognizable on the group’s hit “I’ll Take You There,” which, of course, everyone knows—or should. Luckily for us, the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Famer and innovative gospel great is still at it; her latest album, Have a Little Faith, was released last year and Staples voice is as vibrant and powerful as ever. Hear it for yourself, when Staples takes the stage at the Westport Country Playhouse on September 20.
Some Like It Hot
The Jefferson Airplane may have crashed long ago, but two of its founding members, guitar virtuoso Jorma Kaukonen and renowned bass player Jack Casady, have been jamming on successfully for nearly four decades as Hot Tuna. The rootsy duo, whose emphasis is on blues, bluegrass, and other forms of traditional music, will be joined by mandolinist extraordinaire Barry Mitterhoff for an acoustic performance. Check them out at the Tarrytown Music Hall September 6.
