Spiegeltent
Meshell Ndegeocello
No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin
Photo by Charlie Gross
August 9–10
Spiegeltent
Photo by Charlie Gross
August 9–10
“The world needs more musicians like her; creatively restless and ambitious.” —NPR Music
The virtuosic Meshell Ndegeocello returns to Bard with a celebration of the prolific writer, orator, and activist James Baldwin. Winner of the 2025 Grammy Award for Best Alternative Jazz Album, No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin sees Ndegeocello embark on a prophetic musical odyssey that transcends boundaries and genres, delving headfirst into race, sexuality, religion, and other recurring themes explored in the celebrated writer’s canon. The multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and producer renders an immersive and palpable document that is as sagacious, unabashed, and introspective as Baldwin was in life.
Nearly a decade in the making, No More Water began in 2016 as Can I Get a Witness? at The Harlem Stage Gatehouse’s annual showcase honoring James Baldwin. Inspired by his seminal work The Fire Next Time, Ndegeocello deepened her exploration of Baldwin’s legacy in 2020 with Chapter & Verse, a multidisciplinary project commissioned by Fisher Center LAB.
Chapter & Verse, Meshell Ndegeocello’s multidisciplinary project on James Baldwin commissioned by Fisher Center LAB, included a monthly printed broadsheet featuring Baldwin’s words and calls to action, delivered by mail from September – December 2020. Read the broadsheets below.
Grab a bite and a drink while you’re at the Fisher Center! We offer theater concessions at Sosnoff theater, LUMA theater, and Olin Hall. Across the way, is the al fresco Spiegeltent Garden—or grab a nosh while seeing a Spiegeltent Performance. There is ample space for outdoor picnics across Bard’s campus. Nearby villages and towns in the Hudson Valley boast a large selection of restaurants, as well as a variety of hotels, motels, inns, and bed & breakfasts.
Eat & StayBard College’s main campus is located in Annandale-on-Hudson (a hamlet of Red Hook), New York, on the east bank of the Hudson River, about 90 miles north of New York City and 220 miles southwest of Boston. The Taconic State Parkway and the New York State Thruway provide the most direct routes to our campus. Click the Google map below, or get directions by entering the following address into your GPS: 60 Manor Avenue, Red Hook, NY 12571.
From the East
If you are traveling from east of the Hudson River in New York State, take the Taconic State Parkway to the Red Hook / Route 199 exit, drive west on Route 199 through the village of Red Hook to Route 9G, turn right onto Route 9G, drive north 1.9 miles, turn left onto Annandale Road, then turn right onto Manor Ave.
From the West
If you are traveling from west of the Hudson River, take the New York State Thruway (I-87) to exit 19 (Kingston), take Route 209 (changes to Route 199 at the Hudson River) over the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge to Route 9G, turn left onto Route 9G, drive north 3.5 miles, turn left onto Annandale Road, then turn right onto Manor Ave.
Spiegeltent
Accessible Seating
Wheelchair-accessible seating is available in the ring seat and floor table areas for patrons who use wheelchairs and their companions.
Wheelchair-Accessible Restrooms
A single-use, wheelchair-accessible restroom is available at the Spiegeltent.
All-Gender Restrooms
Bard College and the Fisher Center support guests of any gender identity/expression in using the restroom of their choice. Additionally, all-gender restrooms are available at all venues.
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Our “Know Before You Go” guide answers all of your pre-show accessibility and navigation questions for your next performance at the Fisher Center!
