John Prine at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

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Singer/songwriter John Prine
Troy, NY - Grammy award winning singer/songwriter John Prine never fails to mesmerize audiences with his unique blend of acoustic folk, straight-ahead country and Americana classics. On January 6 at 7:30 pm, this iconic American troubadour brings his witty, socially relevant (and sometimes irrelevant) music to the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall for one memorable performance. The opening act is John's guitarist, Jason Wilber. Considered one of America's greatest songwriters, Prine intrigues audiences with colorful melodies and metaphoric words. His songs unravel tales of hilarious ironies and harsh realities. "It's a great feeling when you put something in a song and other people say that's exactly how they feel. That's the most gratifying thing about songwriting for me...being able to put those feelings down," said Prine. Born in 1946 in Maywood, Illinois, Prine incorporated music into his life at a very young age, learning to play guitar at age 12 and discovering a talent for songwriting early on. In 1971, Prine received his big break when his friend and fellow singer, Steve Goodman, played one of Prine's songs at a Kris Kristofferson show. He then signed with Atlantic Records and released his first album, titled, "John Prine," winning critical acclaim from both fans and the music industry. In the early 80's, Prine formed his own music label, Oh Boy Records. Twenty albums later, Prine still continues to awe audiences with his love for rhythm and song. Over the years, he has collaborated with such notables as Bruce Springsteen, Emmylou Harris and Bonnie Raitt. In 1992, he won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk for his album, "The Missing Years." His most recent release, "Standard Songs for Average People," with bluegrass great, Mac Wiseman, features more of Prine's distinctive husky voice and memorable lyrics. "The craft is strong on Standard Songs for Average People," said Mark Deming, All Music Guide, "but at its heart it sounds like two friends singing some old songs they love on a quiet evening, and that's part of the album's strength." Jason Wilber has played lead guitar for notable folk, rock, and country artists John Prine, Hal Ketchum, Greg Brown, Iris DeMent, Todd Snider, Greg Trooper, Carrie Newcomer, and Tim Grimm. Highlights of Jason's work with John Prine include two Grammy nominated albums: Live On Tour and In Spite of Ourselves (which spent 32 weeks on the Billboard Country Charts) and the 2006 Grammy Award winning album Fair & Square. Wilber's TV and radio appearances include Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Sessions At West 54th Street, Austin City Limits, Live with Regis and Kathy Lee, CNN's Entertainment Week, The Road, Mountain Stage, E-Town, and The Grand Ole Opry. Tickets for John Prine are $45 and $41, and may be purchased through the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall Box Office by calling (518) 273-0038 or online at www.troymusichall.org. The Music Hall Box Office opens 90 minutes prior to the performance. Otherwise, Box Office operations are handled at its business office at 30 Second Street, Monday through Friday 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall's full season schedule can be viewed at www.troymusichall.org. The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, named a National Historic Landmark in 1989, is in use over one hundred and fifty days a year. Since it opened its doors in 1875, the Hall has hosted performances by numerous world- renowned artists including Marion Anderson, Dizzy Gillespie, Peter Seeger, Ella Fitzgerald, Isaac Stern, Yo- Yo Ma, Henri Vieuxtemps, Ignace Jan Paderewski, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Jose Iturbi, Vladimir Horowitz, Yehudi Menuhin, and Artur Rubenstein, among many others.
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Local Hockey Program's Alum Projected in NHL Draft

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — An alumnus of the Atlantic Coast Academy hockey program is generating a lot of buzz heading into next week's National Hockey League entry draft.
 
And that attention can only help build the profile of the program Mike Taylor founded in 2022.
 
"The talent is here," Taylor said this week of ACA, which pairs hockey development and education for players from around the nation and the world. "I don't think as many people locally realize the talent we've had here. I don't think they realized we had a future NHL Draft pick playing in our home rink."
 
That prospect is Maksim Sokolovskii, who the NHL lists as the No. 40 North American skater in the June 26 draft.
 
Sokolovskii, a 6-foot-7 left-shot defenseman, scored 34 goals and collected 50 assists in 65 games playing for ACA in the 2024-25 season.
 
This year, he is playing for the London Knights of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, one of the top leagues of its kind in North America.
 
"Sokolovskii is a massive and highly athletic defenseman," analyst Corey Pronmon wrote this month for The Athletic. "He's a strong, mobile player who's very physical and projects to make a ton of stops."
 
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