Upcoming Events at the Clayton Opera House

Robin Wall Kimmerer
Author of "Braiding Sweetgrass"
Thursday, July 23 at 7:30pm
Tickets are $35/$40/$45 (Side/Center/Premium)
*Co-presented with Save the River
*Sponsored by the Enchanted Edible Forest at Cross Island Farms

Robin Wall Kimmerer…is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. She is the author of Bud Finds Her Gift, The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants, which has earned Kimmerer wide acclaim. Her first book, Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses, was awarded the John Burroughs Medal for outstanding nature writing, and her other work has appeared in Orion, Whole Terrain, and numerous scientific journals. In 2022, Braiding Sweetgrass was adapted for young adults by Monique Gray Smith. This new edition reinforces how wider ecological understanding stems from listening to the earth’s oldest teachers: the plants around us.

Robin tours widely and has been featured on NPR’s On Being with Krista Tippett and in 2015 addressed the general assembly of the United Nations on the topic of “Healing Our Relationship with Nature.” Kimmerer is a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology, and the founder and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment, whose mission is to create programs which draw on the wisdom of both indigenous and scientific knowledge for our shared goals of sustainability. In 2022 she was named a MacArthur Fellow.
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As a writer and a scientist, her interests in restoration include not only restoration of ecological communities, but restoration of our relationships to land. She holds a BS in Botany from SUNY ESF, an MS and PhD in Botany from the University of Wisconsin and is the author of numerous scientific papers on plant ecology, bryophyte ecology, traditional knowledge and restoration ecology. She lives on an old farm in upstate New York, tending gardens both cultivated and wild.

Joe Bouchard Band
Original Member of Blue Oyster Cult
Thursday, July 30 at 7:30pm
Tickets are $20/$25/$30 (Side/Center/Premium)
*Sponsored by Allan Newell

Joe Bouchard is a legendary recording artist, songwriter, and founding member of the iconic rock band Blue Öyster Cult. A Clayton, New York native, Joe grew up on a family farm where his love of music began alongside his brother Albert. After earning a degree in Music Education from Ithaca College, he joined the band that would become Blue Öyster Cult, helping shape its signature sound for 16 years. As bassist, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist, Joe co-wrote classics including "Astronomy" and contributed to timeless hits like "Don't Fear the Reaper," "Godzilla," and "Burnin' for You." His work with the band earned nine gold and two platinum records while touring audiences across North America, Europe, and Japan.
Following his time with Blue Öyster Cult, Joe built a successful career as a solo artist, composer, producer, author, and educator. He has released multiple solo albums, performed with his band Blue Coupe, collaborated with artists around the world, and written instructional music books for aspiring musicians. His songwriting continues to reach new audiences through covers by artists such as Metallica, while his ongoing recording and touring schedule reflects a lifelong passion for music. From his hometown roots in Clayton to an internationally acclaimed career, Joe Bouchard remains one of rock's most respected and influential musicians.