Norah Jones, Natalie Merchant to Play Hudson Valley Votes Virtual Concert

Norah Jones, Natalie Merchant, and Sean Lennon will perform at the third annual Hudson Valley Votes concert and rally, which will be held virtually October 17th at 8 p.m. ET.

The event will feature a mix of musical performances and guest speakers, as well as appearances from down-ballot candidates in upstate New York, including U.S. Representative Antonio Delgado, State Senator Jen Metzger, and State Senate candidates Michelle Hinchey and Karen Smythe. The show will air on Hudson Valley Votes’ YouTube channel, Radio Kingston, and Radio Woodstock, and while the event is free, organizers are encouraging people to donate to ActBlue, with net proceeds benefiting Common Cause New York.

Additional musical performers include Wilco’s Nels Cline,  Emily King, John Medeski, and Meshell Ndegeocello, while special guests include Fred Armisen, Amanda Seyfried, Tim Guinee, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Bobby Tisdale.

Hudson Valley Votes initially canceled its plans for its yearly concert due to Covid-19, but decided to put on a virtual event to “bring attention to the importance of local elections, civic engagement, and to push for record turnout at the polls.” Some of the performances and speeches were filmed at Hutton Brickyards, while others will be sent in remotely.