Ani Difranco started her sold-out show at The Egg’s Hart Theater Tuesday night with “A New Bible.” On ukelele, she called for a new bible with two words, “Mother Earth.” The screaming and energy was a mix of concert noise and a political rally.

Pianist Ilya Kazantsev is an intense guy. At his recital Sunday afternoon in the intimate setting of the Colonie Country Club before a small but enthusiastic crowd, Kazantsev performed four works that captured his drive, volubility and particular energies.

The Albany Symphony Orchestra gave an outstanding concert Saturday night at the Palace Theatre, which spotlighted 14-year-old prodigy George Li and a new composer for the orchestra, Stacy Garrop.

It’s rare for local audiences to hear an opera diva of the magnitude of mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung, a three-time Grammy Award winner with a page long list of credentials.

Metallica has spent nearly three decades writing albums about death, violence, corruption, despair, inner demons and all sorts of unpleasant and, well, metal things.

The 11 players and singers Brian Wilson brought to The Egg on Tuesday did Beach Boys songs better than the Beach Boys ever did.

The Empire State Youth Orchestra’s playing Sunday afternoon at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall was sometimes so extraordinary that one might have mistaken it for a professional orchestra.

John Prine said he didn’t plan to sing “Grandpa Was a Carpenter” at The Egg on Saturday: His hands just found it on the guitar, so he sang about enjoying pickup truck wanderings with his grandfather, who wore suits for dinner, chain-smoked and hammered nails into planks.

Saturday night in front of packed house at the Palace Theatre, Darius Rucker more than fully proved his country chops. But it sure sounded like Hootie and the Blowfish.

No, it wasn’t midnight at the oasis, it was early evening in town. But it was Maria Muldaur, evoking her old-timey pre-hit music with four guys born after she was already a star.

The inspired artistry of pianist Emanuel Ax mesmerized a capacity crowd Wednesday night at Union College’s Memorial Chapel as part of the 38th International Festival of Chamber Music.

Peter Yorn doesn’t like to give away much of himself on stage.

After Herb Alpert and his trio finished the instrumental Latin standard “Besame Mucho,” the third song of the Sunday night show, he assured the Troy Music Hall audience that the group plays the song different every night. An audience member called his bluff: “Play it again.”

It may not have been pretty the entire time Guy Clark was onstage at The Egg’s Swyer Theatre Sunday night, but then again, Clark’s songs have never been about being pretty.

Clean as country waters: Rhonda Vincent and the Rage on Friday at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.