Native to New York City, Craig Greenberg has been heavily involved in the region’s music scene for over a decade and a half. Greenberg has channeled the spirit of classic alternative and soul musicians, such as Billy Joel, Ben Folds and Randy Newman, while blending their influences with new narratives concomitant to his experiences, in his music.
Craig Greenberg
While his performances on stage in New York City-based venues have harnessed crowds of music fans in the Metro area, the timeline of his works begins in 2007, after the release of his rock debut EP The World and Back. Three years later, his second debut EP Spinning in Time receiving national airplay helps to conjure momentum to his career, following his third release (as well as his first full length album) The Grand Loss & Legacy being covered by Huffington Post and ranking the top of RELIX’s Top 30 Radio albums chart.
2015 “The Grand Loss & Legacy” Album Cover
His 2020 album Phantom Life carries tracks conveying a blend of sounds derived from pop and rock, and lyrical sentiments wielding an axis on life obstacles and opportunities. The Between the Sea and the Sky EP is set to be released on December 16, 2022.
Greenberg’s most recent piece is his single “Quarantine Queen” from September, 2022, which emerged from the period of the COVID-19 pandemic and touches on the frustrations he experienced in his dating life, living in NYC. Craig sat down with NYS Music to discuss his discography and upcoming release of Between the Sea and the Sky.
Heather Occhino: I came across your website and I was reading your bio just to find out more about your background as an artist, so I wanted to ask you, what made you initially pursue a career in music?
Craig Greenberg: Well I actually feel the path chose me.. When I graduated from college and I was mainly just a guitar player I didn’t think I was up for the lifestyle of being a musician. I tried out other creative areas (including comedy writing) and also considered studying creativity for a graduate degree in psychology. It wasn’t until I finished my first few full songs that it started to click in my head that I could actually do it. And then a couple years later when I got my first gig singing in bars (while living abroad in South America), that was my no turning back point.
HO: I read in your bio that your independent work of pop/Americana music started with your ‘The World and Back’ EP back in 2007. What drove you to make music within that genre (were you involved in that music scene growing up?)
CG: I didn’t set out to make music in that genre.. I just got labeled that way. I actually think “Americana” is used as a default when there isn’t a more apt description or if the reviewer is lazy (lol). As far as the “pop” description, I think I’ve always had a good sense of writing hooky melodies, so maybe that’s where that came from.
HO: Going more into your biography on your website, I also saw that your debut album, “The Grand Loss & Legacy” was included in a publication by the Huffington Post and received national airplay and was ranked in another publication as being in the Top 30 Radio albums. (Congratulations) How did that momentum impact you and what did it mean for your career, moving forward from that point?
CG: Well it certainly put me on the map in terms ofindustry recognition.. especially from the singles “That Girl is Wrong for You”, and “Death on the Liberty Line” that got praise from the HuffPost and Relix magazine and received airplay around the country. And that album also gave me confidence to move closer to what my band sounds like live, a more raw and rocking sound. That was rewarding and liberating!
HO: Your latest single that came out last month on the 30th is called “Quarantine Queen”. Is it intended to be about anyone in particular, perhaps someone dear to you in your life?
CG: Well, sometimes my songs are true stories, sometimes they’re based on a true story, and sometimes they’re complete fiction. Quarantine Queen would fall in the last category. It came out of a lonely period during the early days of the pandemic in NYC. I was frustrated with the reality of dating during those weird times and wrote a song about my dream companion to spend lockdown with.
HO: Is this song set to be part of your upcoming EP to be released in December?
CG: Yes
HO: I read that your music reflects the experiences you are going through. That leads me into my next question, which is, do you find that the emotional tones you inject in your music are part of a more spontaneous creative process or do you usually plan prior on what type of energy a project is going to deliver?
CG: I find that the emotional feeling in my songs can come out of my experience, but also could be just a mood I’m in, but for sure it’s never planned in advance–I never sit down and say I want to write a song about this or that topic. Generally I sit at the piano (or guitar) and just see where the feeling in the moment takes me. Though when making an album, the songs I choose to record may be based on wanting to have a variety of mood and energy to give it range.
HO: When and where do you plan on performing next?
CG: Rockwood Music Hall, Dec 21st – it will be the EP release show!
HO: In the last part of your bio, I read that you performed with prominent musicians such as Mike Gordon of Phish, Jackson Browne and Victor DeLorenzo from Violent Femmes. Do you plan on working with musicians like the ones just mentioned again and what has the experience of performing with big names given you?
CG: Well, I would jump at the chance to perform with any of them again. Aside from Jackson Browne, who I’ve had the extreme privilege of getting to know a bit and performing with a few times over the years, the others were more random occurrences. Victor DeLorenzo was at a songwriting event I attended for many years in the mid-west, and we have many musical friends in common, so there’s a decent chance our paths will cross again.
Unity Hall in Barneveld will host blues-rock Blueprints, roots and country-based The Dust Devil Band, and blues/psychedelic folk-rock Brian Mulkerne Band, plus special guests, at the CNY All-Star Benefit Concert on Sunday, November 20 from 3 to 6 p.m. The concert at the Oneida County venue is to support Nicole Deveny Gaines-Parker, who is battling cancer.
Full Auditorium at Dust Devil Band Show
Proceeds will be for the benefit of Nicole, Malcom and the rest of the Gaines-Parker family.
I am blessed to have made many great musical friends over the years, and many of them will be appearing at the show at historic Unity Hall. Most of the performers have known Nicole since she was a little girl. For them to come to play at this event is very special and meaningful to Nicole and Malcolm and to all our family. Unity Hall is my favorite concert venue – aesthetically beautiful, acoustically perfect, and thoroughly magical! This is going to be a very memorable show for all involved!
Having been formed in 1988, the Blueprints have debuted shows for prominent artists, such as the legendary blues and roots rock band, Nighthawks and the Red Hot Louisiana Band. The group is comprised of vocalist and guitarist George Deveny, vocalist and pianist Dave Liddy, drummer Oscar Crandall and bassist Ken McConnell Jr., who were all inducted in the NY Blues Hall of Fame. The other CNY-based bands also hold remarkable stances, as The Dust Devil Band emerged in popularity during the 1980s, while the Brian Mulkerne Band is known for bringing musical favorites in the Mohawk Valley music scene.
Blueprints Band
The Dust Devil Band consists of members, vocalist, guitarist and harmonicist Ed Rosenburg, pedal steel guitarist George Newton, drummer Darryl Mattison, bassist and vocalist Dane Porter and vocalist and guitarist George Deveny. Having been favored by music fans during the 1980’s, the band has re-established their presence in the Central New York music scene, bringing multiple sold-performances at Unity Hall.
The Dust Devil Band
Brian Mulkerne Band, a prominent band in the music scene of Mohawk Valley, is made up of leading member behind the vocals and guitar, Brian Mulkerne, other vocalist and guitarist Tim Baldwin, drummer Oscar Crandall, bassist Ken McConnell Jr., and slide guitarist Deveny. They have garnered a reputation for delivering what is considered to be musical favorites by fans.
Brian Mulkerne Band
Special guests in the performance include Mal P Entertainment drummer and producer Malcolm Gaines-Parker, harmonicist Skip Murphy from SAMMY Hall of Fame, Out of the Blue and Merry Pranksters, vocalists Rebecca Miner of Rebecca Miner Trio and Fabulous Mojos, Sydney Pinto of Walrus and Paul Case Band, Sharon Allen of Merry Pranksters and Better Than Bowling, drummer Bob Holz of Bob Holz and a Vision Forward, drummer Carl Marucci of Clean Street, vocalist and guitarist John Savage along with producer George Deveny, bassist John Handzel of Drivin’ Sideways and Rebecca Miner Trio and bassist Ari Marucci of Lower Tolpa. Included at the show will be a silent auction and baked goods for sale at the concert.
Tickets to the benefit at Unity Hall in Barneveld are $30 each and can be purchased here.
The Dust Devil Band Performance at Unity Hall in 2020
Produced by Brandon “Brick” Lohr and Jason “J” Hubert, the inaugural Ramble Festival held at Camp Ramblewood in Darlington, MD from October 7-9, transpired smoothly, as fans enjoyed nearly perfect fall weather near the Susquehanna, mere miles from Pennsylvania. Camp Ramblewood has held other music events, but Ramble Fest hosted a wide variety of bluegrass, brass, indie rock, blues, country, Americana and folk music from Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Indiana, Colorado, California, and many other states, with fans traveling from all over the US and internationally to enjoy fun in the sun with cool nights & campfire jams.
Headlined by Leftover Salmon, Keller Williams, and The Traveling McCoury’s, along with many local and national bands, Ramble Festival had numerous activities, a busking competition, kids’ shows and play areas, yoga, charity auctions & raffles, live art painters, an on-site art gallery, and numerous clothing, food & art vendors. Art Director Lindsay Jamison and her staff of volunteers spent weeks getting the site and the art gallery in the Beer Hall ready for the event. Street Team lead Will Gibbons also ran the instrument raffle, where two fans won a guitar and banjo signed by the headliners, with proceeds donated to Backline and Rage Against Addiction.
Camping was superb. Ramblewood has 200 pristine acres on a rolling hillside, with a lake, fire pits, large cabins, and wide fields, with ample trees & grassy shade. Food & drink vending was plentiful, including local microbrews, and food trucks with typical festival fare such as pizza & burritos, as well as veggie and farm-to-table options. There was onsite parking for the thousand or so attendees (though the lot nearly filled up during the peak on Saturday night). There were a few RV spots (no power & water hook-ups), as well as car camping, but the best camping was near the stages.
Fri. Oct. 7: Abby Bryant & The Echoes, Caleb Stine Band, Kendall Street Company, Rufus Roundtree & Da B’More Brass Factory, Arkansauce, Bella’s Bartok, Big Something, Keller Williams Grateful Grass feat. The Hillbenders, Kendall Street Company & Dirty Grass Players – late-night in the barn.
Friday started off smooth and sunny, with Rufus Roundtreee and his band leading a second line march from the campsites down the hill, where Abby Bryant & The Echoes kicked off the weekend on the Main Stage. Abby is a vocalist & guitarist from Charlotte (since relocated to Asheville), who performed a mix of soul & Americana, with great instrumental work by her band & cohort in songwriting, guitarist Bailey Faulkner.
A quick jaunt up the hill and past the food trucks brought us to the Beer Hall, an indoor stage with standing room for a thousand. Caleb Stine & Band treated us to cool country with a tinge of bluegrass. Kendall Street Company from Charlottesville next played on the Main Stage, with thoughtful and often funny lyrics, great harmonies, and energetic, punk stylings, deft guitarwork, sax, and engaging vocals by lead singer Louis Smith.
Back at the Beer Hall, Rufus Roundtree, who is from Parliament Funkadelic, led his band Da B’More Brass Factory on vocals & trombone, with fiery NOLA-style, Go-go tinged funk, supported by trumpet, sax, tuba, guitar & drums. Arkansauce next tore up the Main Stage with speedy banjo riffing by Adam Collins, Ethan Bush on mando, Zac Archuleta on guitar, and Tom Andersen on upright bass.
The wildness of Bella’s Bartok engaged our feet as we returned to the Beer Hall, with fast, energetic fiendish horns, driven by lead singer Asher Putnam, with Alex Kogut on accordion, synth, and keyboards, Riley Goodemote on trombone, and Julia playing feisty washboard. Mixing sonic styles of Googol Bordello with punk, folk, and klezmer music, an amalgam of genres and theatrical sensibilities. They were a new discovery to me, and fan favorites by the end of their set.
Big Something, a hip hop pop rock fusion jam band from Burlington, NC, heated up the Main Stage at sunset, with Casey Cranford’s signature EWI and sax work driving the melodies along with dueling guitar monstrosities Jesse Hensley and Nick MacDaniels, with Josh Kagel on keys and trumpet, Doug Marshall on bass and Ben Vinograd on drums holding it down. Stylistically chameleons, they drift from tight riffs to expansive jams, sometimes evoking Lettuce, other times Lotus, and at times channeling Umphrey’s McGee, basically all over the place, with aplomb.
The incredible sound and lights apparently challenged the main stage power generator, which failed shortly thereafter, and was not resurrected until the next day. This only major glitch of the weekend was trouble, but thankfully, the production team planned generous stage switchover times, so crews had time to migrate Keller Williams over to the Beer Hall. Stage Manager George Barrick reactivated that stage, which had prepared to close for the night.
Keller and The Hillbenders treated us to his widely-popular Grateful Grass set. The Beer Hall was a bit crowded, so staff asked fans to help move tables and chairs out of the way, which quickly added enough space to get everyone inside – just in time, since the only few raindrops of the weekend fell outside and chilled the night air as temperatures fell into the low 40s. Keller & friends treated us to a fun-filled set of Dead classics, including a killer Scarlet > Stranger, and a trippy They Love Each Other back and forth into and out of Cumberland Blues, followed by a lovely Bird Song > Cassidy [24-bit SBD/Stage Matrix recording by George Barrick].
No proper first day would be complete without a late night set, held in the Ramble Stage, aka “The Barn” (a nice, cozy place to warm up as temps dropped further at night). Kendall Street Company joined The Dirty Grass Players, which was the most musicians jammed onto that tiny stage. The Barn was well-appointed, with brass chandeliers, hanging flower arrangements and festive lighting. There were two late-night picking circles, one at the Hill Camp w/ Bella’s Bartok, and another down at the Lake Camp, with Deer Creek Sharpshooters & Fishing for Hippies to end the night.
Sat. Oct. 8 – Dogs in a Pile, Arkansauce, Armchair Boogie, Dirty Grass Players, Toothless (kids set), Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Underground Springhouse, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Kyle Hollingsworth Band, Leftover Salmon, Neighbor.
After much-needed rest, I arose Saturday morning to the distant sounds of another second line by Naptown Brass Band from Annapolis, MD. I ran up the hill to meet them as they marched down into the main field and kicked off the day for Charm City Junction, towing along recently-rousted dancing campers, led by the Vibe Tribe‘s Holly Reasner.
Arkansauce fired up the Beer Hall next. Saturday Bands played with some overlap, as there were 17 or more performance on Saturday. Dogs in a Pile was another great band that all my friends recommended. They had a great turnout, especially since they started around 1pm, and many campers partied quite late the night before.
Baltimore’s finest, the Dirty Grass Players kicked it up in the Beer Hall, with some overlap with Armchair Boogie on the main stage, another new band I really enjoyed. Toothless played a kids’ set on the small barn stage. Underground Springhouse continued in the Beer Hall, while Caleb Stine returned in the barn.
We kicked our socks off to Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band (a funny name, because it’s only 3 people). Hailing from Indiana, the “Big” is for Jayme Peyton, who is a ginormous human as well as guitarist. They’re a wild country blues band, with heavy guitar shredding and “reckless” washboard by Breezy Peyton. Breezy actually lit her washboard on fire in the middle of a song!!! The band and audience had a good laugh; neither eyebrows nor hair were burnt in the process.
AJ Lee & Blue Summit, a bluegrass/Americana band from Northern California, continued at the Beer Hall, playing towards dinnertime. Heading back to the Main Stage, I wolfed down some tasty mac & cheese from Cosmic Charlie’s Grateful Grill, one of my favorite food trucks conveniently located between the two biggest stages.
Maryland native Kyle Hollingsworth (from String Cheese Incident) and his Band lit up the main stage, with a mix of organ and keyboard-infused jammy rock, tight & funky drums, bass & guitar. They played a variety of originals and classics, rearranged with speed & intensity, sprinkled with riffs & quotes from various well-known songs. Kyle is a killer clavinet and synth player, playing with percussive rhythm, electric piano and effects, his talented band adding fuel to his fire.
Ramble’s resident emcee, Libby Eddy (plays fiddle in The Jakobs Ferry Stragglers), got up to announce Leftover Salmon dressed as a giant avocado. She wrote page-long summaries of each band. As she rattled off superlatives, Vince Herman (in a blue unicorn costume) laughed and told the audience, “first time our band has ever been introduced by an avocado“! Ramble Festival founders Brick and J dressed as a tiger and bumblebee, to fit the costume theme, “furry creatures”.
Another favorite band, Neighbor (founded by Pink Talking Fish’s keyboardist Richard James), capped off Saturday night in the barn, followed by late-night campfire jams by Fishing for Hippies, Caleb Stine, Annie Sellick, and Pat Bergeson.
Sun. Oct. 9 – Travers Brothership, Country Current, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Woody! kids set, Neighbor, Bella’s Bartok, Busking Competition, Empire Strikes Brass, Armchair Boogie, Pink Talking Fish, The Travelin’ McCourys, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Arkansauce, & Armchair Boogie – late-night in barn.
Travers Brothership, based near Asheville, started the last day off with searing blues guitar intensity by frontman Kyle Travers, who formed the band with his twin brother and drummer, Eric. They’ve played all over the US & Europe, and are widely praised. Their new album is slated to be released next year, so they played a song or two off their new album.
The bluegrass band, Country Current, is the US Navy’s official band, formed in 1973. They’ve played for Presidents Bush, Clinton, Obama, and have toured nationally as well as overseas. They are all Musician Petty Officers, wearing their uniforms proudly on stage in the Beer Hall, playing guitar, banjo, bass, drums, fiddle, mando, and pedal steel guitar.
AJ Lee and Blue Summit returned to play the main stage, followed by Muskrat Flats in the beer hall, and another special kids’ set by Woody!, who is Jon Wood of Dancing Bears, ELM, Psycho Killers, and other Baltimore-based bands. His 7-yr-old daughter Ella helped her dad set up his mic and danced with her friends and other kids in the barn.
Neighbor treated us again to another tasty set on the main stage in the mid afternoon, followed by another wild dance party by Bella’s Bartok in the Beer Hall. The horn-heavy Empire Strikes Brass hit the main stage in the afternoon, and Armchair Boogie returned to the Beer Hall to close out the afternoon.
Pink Talking Fish brought resounding thunder and intermingling of songs by Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, and Phish to the main stage, as a massive flurry of bubbles filled the air and caught the brilliant light trackers scanning over the field, filling it with geometric patterns and a spectrum of color.
Emcee Libby Eddy introduced The Traveling McCourys as “the best band on the planet!!!” – the final headliner set of the weekend. This long, wonderful weekend of music ended with a joint collaboration between AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Arkansauce, and Armchair Boogie, packed into the barn with as many fans as could still stand or dance, with a couple more campfire jams that lasted until 3 or 4 am.
Few festivals are successful upon inception, but through great planning, Ramble Festival attracted over a thousand people to its first annual event. They sold a hundred tickets at the “steepest discount” to fans on site.
“It takes a village”. I met dozens of staff, volunteers, artists, campers, production crew from Harford Sound, lighting engineers, photographers & videographers, vendors, artists, medical personnel (Bear Care), and vendors. There were zero injuries or problems, nobody got stuck in the mud, the weather was absolutely perfect, and the camping is the best of any music event I’ve attended. Everyone was friendly, helpful, fun, and smiling all weekend.
Brick and J are music lovers first and foremost. They hired a skilled team, adept at multiple roles. They asked their friend Phil Chorney (Charm City Bluegrass) to recruit a wide cast of musicians from all over. Skilled directors & coordinators were carefully chosen for Volunteers, Artists, Hospitality (Sandee Taylor), Marketing (Kelsey Riegger) and Media Coordination (Zach Ubaldini), as well as staff photographers Chris Gamber among many other pros.
Some of these bands I’d heard about, and saw them for the first time at Ramble Festival, a sentiment shared by many fans. I’ve seen all the headliners multiple times, which got me interested when J told me about Ramble at B Chord. I did some research on only a few of the bands I hadn’t seen, which left the rest as pleasant surprises.
Ramble Festival was quite smooth, even though it’s only in its first year. Everyone felt like family, with an atmosphere reminiscent of Catskill Chill, Bear Creek, and High Sierra Music Festival. Brick, J, Phil, and their wonderful cast & crew deserve accolades for making Ramble the best music and art experience of the year.
Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams announced their long-awaited album Live At Levon’s! will be released on Feb. 3. They have also announced a tour with stops in Tarrytown, Poughkeepsie, and Woodstock.
Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams returned to their Woodstock home in 2019 to create the record, after a long year of touring. They recorded it at Levon Helm Studios, a historic and dual-purposed recording studio and live music venue founded by the legendary Levon Helm. The duo played multiple shows there with the Midnight Ramble Band, fronted by Helm with whom Campbell served as a bandleader for over a decade.
The album was supposed to be released in 2020 after a live performance was recorded at the studio with their musician friends. Of course, the pandemic stopped that from happening, and Campbell ended up catching COVID in March 2020. With all that aside, they are ready to perform and get back into touring.
I’ll never forget the first time I experienced performing as a child and knew my lot in life was set. The only reason I am a singer is because of the indefinable spark that happens with the giving and receiving of your most intimate selves, back and forth, between the artist on stage and the audience there in the room. If I can’t see the audience because of lighting, it almost becomes even more spiritual, because it’s all just feeling them—us together in the moment. And each performance/audience has its own personality. If you can drop the thinking and just ‘be’ with them and this sharing of your most intimate selves, there’s no describing the transcendence.
Teresa Williams
The record Live At Levon’s! puts Campbell’s world-class guitar skills on display, and shows his songwriting capabilities. William’s vocals provide raw honesty and her trademark fragility and ferocity. Their new single “Angel of Darkness” is out today.
Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams are also going on tour, and are hitting Tarrytown on Nov. 18, Poughkeepsie on Nov. 19, and a special performance at the Levon Helm Studios where they recorded the album in Woodstock on April 22. Their brand-new album is available for preorder here and to purchase tickets to their tour go here.
Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams Tour Dates
2/2 – Easton, MD – Avalon Theatre – Stoltz Listening Room 2/3 – Richmond, VA – Richmond Music Hall 2/4 – Johnson City, TN – Down Home 2/5 – Decatur, GA – Eddie’s Attic 2/7 – Jacksonville Beach, FL – Blue Jay Listening Room 2/8 – Tampa, FL – The Attic 2/10-17 – Miami, FL – Cayamo Cruise on Norwegian “Pearl” 2/24 – Washington, DC – Mountain Stage @ The Kennedy Center 3/15 – Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird Cafe * 3/16 – Ann Arbor, MI – The Ark * 3/18 – Chicago, IL – Old Town School * 3/19 – Milwaukee, WI – Shank Hall * 3/21 – Madison, WI – Stoughton Opera House * 3/22 – Minneapolis, MN – The Parkway * 3/24 – Kansas City, MO – Knuckleheads * 3/25 – St. Louis, MO – Off Broadway * 3/26 – Nashville, TN – City Winery * 3/28 – Asheville, NC – Grey Eagle * 3/29 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle * 3/31 – Washington, DC – Miracle Theatre * 4/1 – Ardmore, PA – Ardmore Music Hall * 4/14 – Great Barrington, MA – The Mahaiwe PAC ^ 4/22 – Woodstock, NY – Levon Helm Studios
The Avett Brothers have announced shows in 2023, with a lone pair of shows in May taking them to Beak & Skiff Apple Orchard in Lafayette on May 20 and at Artpark in Lewiston on May 21. They’ll be closing out 2022 with a three-night run in Brooklyn and ring in the year at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Avett Brothers, featuring siblings Scott and Seth, is a Grammy-nominated folk-rock band from North Carolina known for songs like “Kick Drum Heart,” “I and Love and You,” and “Ain’t No Man.”
The three-time GRAMMY Award nominees made mainstream waves with their 2009 major label debut, I And Love And You, which landed at #16 on the Billboard Top 200 & garnered critical acclaim. In 2012, The Carpenter hit #4 on the Billboard Top 200, followed by Magpie And The Dandelion in 2013, which debuted at #5 on Billboard’s Top 200. In 2016, the band was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. The group most recently released the 2020 EP The Third Gleam.
Tickets for The Avett Brothers at Beak and Skiff and Artpark go on sale Friday, October 28, at 10AM on ticketmaster.com and at venue box offices.
Avett Brothers Tour Dates
Saturday, May 20 – Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards, Lafayette, NY
The popular Lift Concert Series in Troy presents performances of new, independent music featuring regional performers. The lineup for the 2022 series was announced, and it features a variety of genres of performances.
The Lift Concert Series takes place at the historic Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. It is curated by Organ Colossal: Sam Torres and Sophia Subbayya Vastek. The audience is invited to take the freight elevator to the backstage area, and be seated on stage, with the musicians, creating an intimate concert experience. Concerts last about an hour, and after the show concert goers are encouraged to go to the many restaurants or breweries in Troy.
The series starts on Dec. 14 with Rajna Swaminathan and Utsav Lal. Swaminathan has has been described as “a vital new voice” (Pop Matters), creating “music of gravity and rigor… yet its overall effect is accessible and uplifting” (Wall Street Journal). She is one of only a few women who play the mrudangam professionally. Lal is recognized as one of the most talented musicians of his generation, stunning the world with his innovative handling of Indian Classical Music on a Western instrument.
For World Piano Day on March 29, the Lift Concert Series will be hosting an event featuring local and regional pianists of different musical genres. The lineup is to be announced. The final event is on April 26, where Half Waif will be performing. Singer, songwriter, and producer Nandi Rose resides in the Hudson Valley and writes and records under the name Half Waif. Over the past decade, she has built upon her classical training to create a bold and unique sound that melds pop and folk songwriting styles with experimental production and arrangements.
Tickets for the Lift Concert Series at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall can be found here.
Most serious music fans know about Bob Dylan’s first show at Cafe Wha? in NYC. He was a 19-year-old college dropout, he had just hitched a ride with friends across the country, but even after his first gig, he hadn’t made it yet. Luckily, through the mutual friend of Dave Van Ronk, Dylan secured a second gig with Lena Spencer, Caffe Lena’s proprietor. He played his first out-of-town gig at the newly established folk music coffee house in Saratoga Springs, according to Andrew Nguyen for the Blackwing Music Foundation. Caffe Leena took on the unknown musician and invested in him, even though Dylan didn’t have much of anything to his name — no money, no fame, and — though we can’t know for sure — likely no health insurance.
Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs
According to Caffe Lena, 43% of professional musicians in the U.S. have no health insurance, and among full-time musicians, the numbers are even higher. To recognize and address this issue, and to increase accessibility for live performers unilaterally in accordance with their values that put Bob Dylan on over 50 years ago, Caffe Lena will host their first ever Musicians’ Health and Wellness Outreach pop-up clinic for uninsured musicians from the Capital District and Lower Adirondack region. The clinic will be on October 23 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The clinic is funded by Caffe Lena, its (over 1,000) members, and Saratoga Hospital Community Health Center and Hudson Headwaters Health Network are providing funding and staffing. Medical Professionals are volunteering to check in on their local musicians. The clinic will include custom-fitted earplugs for onstage hearing protection, blood pressure screening, HEP-C/HIV screening, insurance navigator consultation, Tai Chi and kits for those aged 45-64 to self-administer a colorectal screening.
“Taking care of this community is what we do—and we are proud of it,” said Renee Rodriguez-Goodemote, MD, medical director of Saratoga Community Health Center. “We are delighted to partner with Caffe Lena and Hudson Headwaters to serve local musicians and keep them in good health.”
If any conditions are diagnosed at the screening that will require follow-up or medicine the Saratoga Community Health Center will provide it for free until the musician can be enrolled in affordable health insurance.
This is just the latest of the legendary Caffe Lena’s work to support independent musicianship. Caffe Lena is guided by Lena Spencer’s staunch belief in music appreciation in live, intimate settings, without regard for the fame or station of said musicians. In 2020, Caffe Lena launched their School of Music, for adults and children to study folk music in new and old contexts. The school has a donor-funded scholarship to ensure accessibility. Caffe Lena is a 501 (c) non-profit organization, with music almost every day, live and live-streamed. The former wood shop, turned cafe, turned iconic venue has just undergone renovations to make the space 100% handicap accessible. See the calendar of upcoming events and shows here.
Amid a 20-date fall tour of North America that kicked off in early-October, Violent Femmes played City Winery’s intimate Main Stage on a rain-soaked evening on Thursday, October 13 in the West Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. The underground folk punk legends who formed in 1981 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin were gracing the City Winery stage yet again – for the fourth of five consecutive sell-outs.
Violent Femmes | Photo by Michael Dinger
As drenched concertgoers hustled into the venue’s main entrance along 11th Avenue to escape the downpour, there were several options to pass the time until showtime at 8:00 pm. Many participated in the free wine tasting featuring a Limited Edition Violent Femmes Cabernet Sauvignon – each of the five residency dates featured its own label artwork with band autographed bottles also available. Some patrons attended the art exhibit (“Live From the Cell Block: Will Livingston and His Silk Screen Machine”) taking place on the second level, a remarkable body of work featuring vintage-style concert posters Livingston created during his forty years in prison. While other fans who came for dinner and a show were seen seated at tables on either side of the standing floor orchestra section, or in the balcony section with a bird’s-eye view of the ‘action’ to unfold shortly.
City Winery Stage Backdrop | Photo by Michael DingerLimited Edition Wine Bottles | Photo by Michael Dinger
Preceded by Amy Ray (Indigo Girls) and Jeff Fielder who opened the October 9 and 10 shows, Alsarah and the Nubatones provided support for Violent Femmes on the October 11, 13 and 14 dates. Although their musical genre could not be any different from the post-punk headliner to follow, the East-African retro-pop group formed in Brooklyn in 2011 nonetheless quickly won the over the crowd. Performing on a stage bathed in soft violet and fuchsia light for more than 30 minutes, the five-piece ensemble enchanted the City Winery audience with Alsarah’s beautiful voice and soulful presence, accompanied by backing vocals from her sister Nahid. The dynamic fusion of sound was equally rounded out with pulsating basslines courtesy of Mawuena Kodjovi and warm timbre, low texture rhythms from Brandon Terzic playing an oud (an 11-string instrument similar to the lute).
Alsarah | Photo by Michael Dinger
During the stage turnover following Alsarah and the Nubatones’ set, I chatted with a lovely couple from Denmark who revealed to me that their entire vacation itinerary was planned around this specific concert, ever since it was originally announced in the early summer. With the cozy venue now quickly filling up in anticipation of Violent Femmes taking the stage, I surveyed the crowd surrounding me and noticed the age diversity of the attendees – many of whom were twentysomething – a testament to the everlasting legacy of the Femmes, and a point to which frontman and guitarist Gordon Gano would speak to in the closing moments of the night.
After a brief introduction of the band by City Winery’s emcee, Gano and his two bandmates – founding member Brian Ritchie (bass guitar) and John Sparrow (their drummer since 2016 who plays on a Weber charcoal kettle grill!) – appeared from stage left to loud applause from the nearly 400 fans in attendance. The trio was joined by longtime touring partner and multi-instrumentalist (including a 6-foot contrabass saxophone) Blaise Garza.
Gordon Gano | Photo by Michael DingerBrian Ritchie | Photo by Michael DingerJohn Sparrow | Photo by Michael DingerBlaise Garza | Photo by Michael Dinger
Over their nearly four decades together as a band, Violent Femmes have released ten studio albums, with their last being 2019’s Hotel Last Resort and for which they toured extensively. On this night of their residency stay, fans of the Femmes were indulged to a 21-song setlist, lasting for more than 90 minutes, that spanned their nearly four decade career. The most recent material played from their discography – which otherwise focused on the first twenty years of their career – was “Memory,” taken from their ninth studio album (We Can Do Anything, 2016).
However, if you came to this show hoping to witness live offerings from their stellar 1983 self-titled debut album, as I did, you were not disappointed. All the Femmes’ classics that made up their distinctive, early career sound were played, including “Good Feeling,” “Gone Daddy Gone,” “Blister in the Sun,” “Kiss Off” and “Add It Up.” Gano’s unmistakable, nasal-style voice, accompanied by Ritchie’s thumping bass lines (whether using his signature Ernie Ball acoustic or his MusicMan StingRay electric), was solidified with a solid percussion backbone provided by Sparrow (albeit via a minimalist approach using steel brushes on a non-traditional setup of drums). All of which afforded a superior listening experience in the state-of-the-art venue with custom-designed audio acoustics.
Brian Ritchie | Photo by Michael Dinger
In their new “home away from home,” the Femmes displayed an easy-going chemistry coupled with undeniable showmanship. The band were in top form, and so too were the audience, as many sang the chorus to any catchy lyrical pop nugget they recognized, while others chose to abandon their coveted dining table for any nearby space to dance in. The ‘stole-the-show” moment came when banjo ace and New York (Syracuse) native Tony Trischka made a special guest appearance on “Country Death Song” and “It’s Gonna Rain” – both from the Femmes’ sophomore studio album (Hallowed Ground, 1984) – the former of which Trischka performed the recorded version at the Secret Sound Studio at nearby West 24th Street.
Tony Trischka | Photo by Michael Dinger
The Violent Femmes’ tour culminates at The Eastern in Atlanta, Georgia on October 28. Tickets for remaining shows on the fall run are available here.
Violent Femmes | Photo by Michael Dinger
Violent Femmes Setlist: Prove My Love > Promise > Memory > Confessions > I’m Nothing > Life Is an Adventure > Country Death Song > It’s Gonna Rain > Breakin’ Up > Nightmares > Jesus Walking on the Water > Good Feeling > Dance, Motherfucker, Dance! > Gimme the Car > I Held Her In My Arms > Color Me Once > Gone Daddy Gone > Blister in the Sun > Kiss Off > Encore: In the Dark > Add It Up
Musicians Natalie Merchant, Simi Stone, James Felice and Berkshire Bateria are set to perform at the Save our Democracy Rally at Catskill Point on Monday, October 17, from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.. Located on 1 Main Street, Catskill, NY, this event aims to articulate the vision of the local Democratic candidates who are seeking to support women’s rights, protect voting rights and to create a more diverse and inclusive New York State.
Save Our Democracy Rally serves to protect voting rights and to create a more diverse, inclusive, and just New York State.
Hosted by beloved longtime Hudson Valley radio personality Carmel Holt, the Save Our Democracy Rally is free to attend and will be held indoors at Catskill Point. Presented by the Columbia County and Greene County Democratic Committees in conjunction with Club Helsinki and Melmar Productions, it comes in advance of the November elections and will encourage participation in the upcoming elections.
Speakers for Save our Democracy Rally
Speakers at the Save our Democracy Rally will include New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey, Assembly woman Didi Barrett, Chairman of the Green County Democratic Committee Lori Torgersen, Chairman of the Columbia County Democratic Committee Sam Hodge, Congressional District 19 Candidate Josh Riley, Democratic Candidate for Assembly District 102, Nicholas Chase, and NY Supreme Court Judge Candidates Heidi Cochrane, Meagan Galligan and Sharon Graff.
Performers
Natalie Merchant’s 40-year career has earned her a place among America’s most respected recording artists as well as garnering a reputation for her quality songwriting. She has also been active in promoting a number of non-profit organizations by lending both financial support and raising public awareness, particularly in the Hudson Valley where she resides.
Simi Stone, the former frontwoman of Suffrajett and The New Pornographers, is a musician, songwriter, and visual artist born and raised in Woodstock.
James Felice is a member of the Felice Brothers, an American folk rock/country band originally hailing from Palenville, NY in the Catskills. Berkshire Bateria, a samba band, will provide authentic Brazilian music.
Free parking for the Save our Democracy Rally will be at Dutchman’s Landing. The Catskill Visitor’s Center will provide golf cart rides to and from Catskill Point.
When you spy a fireman on a balcony, you pray for lives to be saved. When that fireman is Dante Mazzetti singing from a balcony, your ears perk up and your attention becomes fixed.
With over forty-two thousand followers on Facebook, Dante Mazzetti must be doing something right. As both a singer/songwriter with a folksy style, and as New York City fireman, Dante Mazzetti has become quite an unintended social media master.
In the continuing search for guests on The Long Island Sound podcast, I came across Dante on Facebook. I’m positive that the AI (Artificial Intelligence) led me to him, or maybe it was some sort of cosmic connection that led to our interview.
Covid Creativity
The impact of the quarantine and Covid changed our lives forever. Even the landscape of the New York City workplace has taken on a new shape, as many refuse to go back to the old normal and reimagine their workplace as more mobile than ever. Musicians accustomed to working out in the trenches of pubs, bars and music festivals were relegated to their homes to sort out the next steps in their creative careers. Some felt the stifling effect of not being heard, and others turned to their creative minds to discover new outlets for their art. Everyday people resorted to Zoom calls to keep connected to family, friends and community. Yet the desire to connect with each other on a deeper level was a thirst unquenched.
Technology can be a challenge to baby boomers like myself, whereas younger generations seem to be born with a Matrix-type connectivity which still amazes me.
I’ve followed some musician’s live streams on Facebook, some great, and some not so great. I was introduced to Twitch, as an alternative to the Facebook Livestream, which has brought a modicum of success to performing musicians during quarantine. Twitch was originally started by a group who built a community of like-minded video gamers in need of a competitive environment to showcase their skills. Eventually the platform, geared to quality video, evolved into a virtual stage for musicians seeking the thrill of a live performance. The ability to have a virtual tip cup, allowed musicians to generate income during the shutdown.
Maybe it’s the lack of a live audience that hindered many musicians from effectively commanding the virtual live stream. Maybe it was the perceived chasm of technology to overcome which encumbered the performance, I don’t know, but I do know when someone is able to command the platform. The ability to have themselves heard and drive more and more fans to their music, and seemingly crack the social media code to build a new fanbase. I put Dante Mazzetti in the win column. Facebook has been Dante’s goto platform for live streaming, supported by Instagram ads to attract new fans.
“The first time I was like, you know, it’s like, sideways, the whole show, but then, you know, people really started to jump in.”
Dante Mazzetti
There’s a Dylan-like quality to Dante’s demeanor and performance. He invites you onto his balcony as his intimate style of performing allows you to peer into his world. We can read about Dylan’s entrance to the Folk scene in Greenwich Village, and imagine what it was like to see him at Cafe Wha. I would think the impact of these early hootenanny’s may have been the inspiration for Dante Mazzetti’s daily balcony sessions during the Covid quarintine.
Bellowing from a Balcony
The live steam balcony sessions started out as a daily routine as his followers on Facebook and social media began to grow. The marketing and business acumen of his wife Jessica, helped propel them into the stratosphere of notoriety, allowing this humble podcast host to take notice.
With my suburban mindset, I asked Dante, how did his neighbors react to the sessions? He said they started their queries, when his sessions became less frequent, as they hope for more. It appears the community was not only building on the Internet, but locally as well.
Dante and Jessica were recent guests of mine on the Long Island Sound podcast, and I began to digest his music in preparation for the conversation. I became intrigued by the depth of his lyrics, especially in the song, Blue and Gold. Dante seems to be very prolyfic in his songwriting, hitting the studio every six weeks or so to nail down more tracks and recently written songs. We explored the song Hey Mama, which made me reminisce about the musings of Hank Williams, as Dante painted his landscape in lyric and melody, accented by an old soul in a young man.
Dante is a multi-instrumentalist, covering the gamut of styles that we now call Americana. His music is comforting and warm, as he seems ready to pick up the guitar anytime, anywhere to entertain or just hang out. Here’s what Jessica had to say about his songwriting:
“And, and I think in all of Dante’s music when it does have a positive spin, which he’s doing a lot more lately, there is this dose of reality.”
Jessica Gerono
Prior to Covid, Dante would perform over sixty shows a year, Mazzetti has been featured on radio stations throughout the world, has opened for several major artists, such as Ben Folds, Guster, and America, and was chosen to star in Levi’s “What’s True” national television commercial campaign. Ten years into his formal musical career, I believe he is on the brink to set things ablaze with his music.
As an active New York City Fireman, the reality of the day hits you in a moment’s notice. Each call to respond could just be an unintended alarm or chance to save a life from a burning inferno. Dante’s development of the muse is both tangible and sensible, calling us to be present in the moment, with the promise of igniting an interest to know more about this artist, and reminding us that maybe it’s time to just hang out on the balcony.
