Category: Spotlight Series

Arts at the Armory Spotlight Series Presents L. Shankar

Thursday, September 17, 2026

Arts at the Armory is delighted to welcome living legend and musical pioneer L. Shankar to the Spotlight Series

L. Shankar is a violinist, vocalist, and composer whose career has redefined what Indian classical music can sound like on a global stage. Born in Madras into a family of musicians—his father V. Lakshminarayana was a celebrated Carnatic vocalist and violinist—Shankar began vocal training at age two and gave his first solo concert at seven. He went on to earn a doctorate in ethnomusicology from Wesleyan University, where he connected with jazz musicians including Ornette Coleman and John McLaughlin.

L. Shankar is known for inventing the double violin—a stereophonic double-necked electric violin; he debuted the instrument in 1981 on Phil Collins’ solo album (Face Value) and on his own album (Who’s to Know). He has released over 20 albums and dozens of unique and legendary collaborations including many recordings and tours with artists like Peter Gabriel, PIL, Talking Heads, Yoko Ono, Echo and The Bunnyman, among others. Shankar co-wrote the Grammy nominated soundtrack Passion for the Martin Scorsese film Last Temptation of Christ.

Now considered a living legend, a pioneer, and a musical genius, L. Shankar is a prolific international touring artist. With a career spanning decades, L. Shankar’s devotion to making groundbreaking music continues – in 2024 he released two world music albums: Full Moon and Over the Stars, followed by the star-studded pop-rock album Answers in 2025.

For this Spotlight performance Shankar will perform his original Indian classical ragas and compositions along with a handful of classic Shakti pieces. He will be accompanied by an all star duo of percussion including fellow Shakti family member Selvaganesh Vinayakram, who is a two-time Grammy Award winning member of Shakti and also the son of original Shakti member Vikku Vinyakram. On tabla is Amit Kavthekar, a longtime student of the late great Zakir Hussain and Zakir’s father Ustad Alla Rakha. Amit is regarded as one of the top-ranking tabla players of his generation regularly playing with master musicians of Indian music such as Amjad Ali Khan to jazz musicians such as Al Di Meola.

L. Shankar: double violin, vocals

Selvaganesh Vinayakram: mridangam (double-headed barrel drum), kanjira (small frame drum), konakkol (vocal percussion)

Amit Kavthekar: tabla (tuned hand drums) and spoken percussion

Tickets available now: experience the genius of L. Shankar at Arts at the Armory on September 17th. Doors will open at 7:00pm, the concert will begin at 8:00pm with a TBD opener.

Tickets: $45 advance / $50 day of show. General Admission seating.

Tickets purchased for L. Shankar are non-refundable. All sales are final.

We strive to be a welcoming, accessible community arts space. We are delighted to be a part of Mass Cultural Council’s Card to Culture program.

Arts at the Armory will offer 10 free tickets (max of 2 free tickets per person) to EBT, WIC and ConnectCareholders for each Spotlight Series performance. Please contact elyse@artsatthearmory.org for more information.

Arts at the Armory Spotlight Series Presents Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Piano & Voice

Friday, October 9, 2026

Experience the unmistakable voice and songwriting of Alec Ounsworth in an intimate, piano-driven reimagining of his indie rock catalog.

Arts at the Armory welcomes Alec Ounsworth—best known as the founder of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah—to the Spotlight Stage on October 9, 2026.

Long recognized for his guitar-led performances, Ounsworth is now exploring a more pared-down approach at the piano—bringing a new level of intimacy and emotional clarity to songs that helped define the early 2000s indie scene.

As the driving force behind Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Ounsworth built a devoted following through a fiercely independent, direct-to-fan approach in the early days of music blogging and MySpace. That commitment to artistic autonomy earned admiration from artists like David Byrne and David Bowie.

Following a run of intimate European shows, this performance offers a rare opportunity to hear Ounsworth’s work reimagined—up close and in a new light.

“The holistic craftsmanship of Ounsworth’s musicality is impressive.” – Allmusic

“…the sort of live-wire creativity that keeps music careers going longer than early skeptics could have imagined.” – NPR

Tickets available now for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Piano & Voice on Friday, October 9th at Arts at the Armory. Doors open at 7:00pm, the music will start at 8:00pm with a local opener.

Tickets: $35 advance / $40 day of show. General Admission seating.

Tickets purchased for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Piano & Voice are non-refundable. All sales are final.

We strive to be a welcoming, accessible community arts space. We are delighted to announce we will join Mass Cultural Council’s Card to Culture program.

Arts at the Armory will offer 10 free tickets (max of 2 free tickets per person) to EBT, WIC and ConnectCareholders for each Spotlight Series performance. Please contact administrator@artsatthearmory.org for more information.

Arts at the Armory Spotlight Series Presents Tito Puente, Jr.

Friday, December 11, 2026

The heir to the “King of Mambo,” continues his passionate mission to nurture his father’s magnificent Latin jazz and salsa legacy.

He has found captive audiences who echo his passion. Crowds lured to a venue by the father are returning to see the son — and to once again participate in the high voltage celebration that takes place on stage and spills onto the dance floor.

Tito Puente, Jr. and his ensemble brings exhilarating Latin rhythms that will get your feet moving. They will be joined by dancers and musicians from MetaMovements who will energize an immersive evening that will begin with complimentary dance lessons when doors open. The evening will continue with an opening set by MetaMovements’ Conjunto Obaye and their unique blend of Cuban music designed for dancing, including Afro-Cuban, Rumba, Salsa and Son. With one foot in Boston and the other in the Caribbean, MetaMovements is an artist collective advancing community engagement and well-being through music, dance and participatory cultural events.
This concert will be proudly co-presented by Ágora Cultural Architects.

Tickets available now for this exciting Spotlight offering! Doors will open for dance lessons at 7:00pm on Dec 11; live music and more dancing will begin at 8:00pm.

Tickets: $40 for General Admission (Standing Room Only). The Mezzanine and main floor will have limited tables and seating available on a first come first serve basis.

Questions? Contact Arts at the Armory at 617-718-2191 or info@artsatthearmory.org

Tickets purchased for Tito Puente Jr. are non-refundable. All sales are final.
We strive to be a welcoming, accessible community arts space. We are delighted to participate in Mass Cultural Council’s Card to Culture program.

Arts at the Armory will offer 10 free tickets (max of 2 free tickets per person) to EBT, WIC and ConnectCareholders for each Spotlight Series performance. Please contact administrator@artsatthearmory.org for more information. Ticket requests must be submitted 3 business days before an event occurs.