March 2: Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo. She’s always been a rule-breaker and a trailblazer and remains a bold and distinctive artist both on stage and on record. After more than three decades in rock ’n’ roll, she’s a bona-fide living legend. 8 p.m. $68-$98. March 16: Southern Soul Assembly. This band’s collaborative live shows cultivate heartfelt storytelling that draws from the members’ Southern roots, combining blues, funk, and rock to produce unique, full-bodied performances. 8 p.m. $48–$58. • Tarrytown Music Hall, 13 Main St, Tarrytown. 914.631.3390; www.tarrytownmusichall.org
March 3: Dance Off The Grid. Celebrating its fourth consecutive season at the Emelin. Each of the three evenings of this eclectic performance series features multiple world-class artists and companies surveying the diversity of today’s dance landscape. As always, the audience is invited to stay after each evening’s program for a lively and insightful Q&A session with the choreographers and the dancers to learn more about what inspires their work. 8 p.m. $27/$20. March 10: Tony Trischka Territory. Perhaps the most influential banjo player in the roots music world, Trischka’s stylings have inspired a whole generation of bluegrass and acoustic musicians with the many voices he has brought to the instrument. 8 p.m. $39/$32. March 18: Dar Williams. This famous folk singer has remained a much-heralded force at the peak of American folk music for over two decades. An inventive, emotional singer-songwriter, she is both earnest and iconoclastic, perpetually surprising audiences. 8 p.m. $50/$42/$35. • Emelin Theatre for the Performing Arts, 153 Library Lane, Mamaroneck, 914.698.0098; www.emelin.org/events
March 4: Celtic Heels Irish Dance. Joan McGrenaghan and her performing troupe have delighted audiences for over two decades. Enjoy jigs, reels and hornpipes choreographed to energetic, hand-clapping, toe-tapping instrumentals and inspiring vocals. 11 a.m. $7 children, $9 adults. March 25: Barefoot Dance Company. This unique company of young dancers will perform several innovative modern dance pieces in a delightful concert with engaging talent and inspiring music. Audience members of all ages will find the variety of work exciting and enjoyable. 11 a.m. $7 children, $9 adults. • The Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck, 661 Route 308, Rhinebeck. 845.876.3080; www.centerforperformingarts.org
March 5: Alessio Bax, Pianist. The internationally recognized Italian pianist makes a rare appearance playing Mozart, Schubert, Ravel and Scriabin. A recipient of the Avery Fisher Career Grant and former member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, he has played all over the world, with the best orchestras. 2 p.m. $25 in advance/$10 student/$30 at the door. • Union Arts Center, 2 Union St., Sparkill. 855.278.7762; www.artsrock.org
March 10: Feminine Musique. Featuring Tammy Hensrud and Korliss Uecker, singers with international careers in both opera and concert repertoire who have long been dedicated to performing works of female composers. Their combined skills as musicians, actresses and performers bring sophisticated versatility to Feminine Musique. Celebrating Women’s History Month, they will present a recital of Historical and Contemporary Women Composers. Carnegie Concert Series. 7:30 p.m. $10. • Nyack Library, Carnegie-Farian Room, 59 S. Broadway, Nyack. 845.358.3370; www.nyacklibrary.org/calendar
March 11: Rhythm in the Night. This Irish Dance Spectacular is an epic journey of good vs. evil as you are transported back to a mystical time with fast rhythms and thunderous Irish dancing the whole family will enjoy. 11 a.m. & 7 p.m. $25/$35. • Paramount Hudson Valley Theater, 1008 Brown St., Peekskill. 914.739.0039; www.paramounthudsonvalley.com
March 12: An Evening with Aretha Franklin. She is a musical and cultural icon known the world over, simply by her first name. The reigning and undisputed “Queen of Soul” has created an amazing legacy that spans an incredible six decades. 7 p.m. $225. • Bardavon, 35 Market St., Poughkeepsie. 845.473.2072; www.bardavon.org
March 17: The New McKrells. This band’s Celtic-influenced “folkgrass” delves into a formula of red-hot picking and stunning vocals; they have appeared at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and many festivals throughout the U.S. and Ireland. 8:30 p.m. $20. • Towne Crier Café, 379 Main St., Beacon; 845.855.1300; www.townecrier.com.
March 19: Hudson Valley Philharmonic 45th String Competition. This string competition gives the public a rare opportunity to hear and see some of the best young violinists, cellists, and violists in the world before their careers have even begun. 3 p.m. • Vassar College, Skinner Hall, 124 Raymond Ave., Poughkeepsie, 845.437.7400; www.bardavon.org.
March 25: 34th Annual Festival of Dance. Since 1984, the Ulster Ballet Company has showcased both aspiring and professional dancers and choreographers with a diverse range of styles and techniques. This high quality, thoroughly original program will electrify and entertain audiences of all ages. 8 p.m. $25 adults, $22 seniors, $18 children • Ulster Performing Arts Center, 601 Broadway, Kingston. 845.339.6088; www.upac.org
Our Pick:
The French Connection II: Les Belles Chanson Françaises, featuring Camille Bertault & Dan Tepfer, is the second in a three-part concert series that features emerging jazz artists examining the interplay between the American and French jazz scenes. From Edith Piaf to Yves Montand, from Serge Gainsbourg to Jacques Brel, the French songbook enchants and charms. French vocalist Camille Bertault performs with Franco-American virtuoso pianist, Dan Tepfer, in their interpretation of this playful and seductive repertoire. Bertault and Tepfer will take audiences on a musical journey in this timeless and revitalizing debut. March 18. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $25-50; $100 for a gala benefit ticket, which includes a pre-performance reception. The Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College, LUMA Theater, 60 Manor Ave, Annandale-on-Hudson. 845.758.7900; www.fishercenter.bard.edu.
