On June 24th, Black Opry Revue will perform at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, bringing with them styles that include country, blues, folk, and Americana music.
Black Opry Revue
Black Opry is a home for Black artists and Black fans of country, blues, folk, and Americana music. It was firstly started by Holly G., a Black country music lover in the format of a website. It connected Black country performers and connect with likeminded fans. The musicians gathered together and started their tour to bring racial equality to country music. The Black Opry Revue has performed sold out shows in Nashville, Memphis, Houston, Chicago, New York City and Atlanta with a revolving group of performers that represent a wide, diverse range of styles.
Country music has been made by and loved by Black people since its conception. For just as long, we have been overlooked and disregarded in the genre by fans and executives. Black Opry wants to change that and create a joyful, supportive space where Black artists can be heard and celebrated.
Black Opry founder Holly G.
Caffè Lena is a premiere concert venue presents extraordinary music in an intimate setting with 82 years’ history. Located in Saratoga Springs, it is renowned as the longest continuously operating folk music venue in the United States. In person or virtually, Caffe Lena provides stage for various artists and bands nearly every night. They also offers homemade desserts, locally sourced light fare, coffee, wine and beer to enjoy during the show.
Caffe Lena
Since 1960, our mission at Caffe Lena has been to provide a stage for American roots music to flourish. This music wouldn’t be here without the contributions of Black culture. Black Opry Revue is a really special opportunity to celebrate that culture and the performers who are working to break down walls within the music industry.
Carolyn Shapiro, marketing manager at Caffe Lena
The performance at Caffe Lena will be a writers-in-the-round concert. Besides the singing performances, artists will also share the stories behind their songs. The artisits include singer-songwriters, Roverta Lea and Nikki Morgan, and country music singer Tae Lewis. Roberta Lea blends soul, pop and RnB with thought provoking lyrics while Nikki Morgan developed traditional gospel music and now creates captivating melodies and insightful lyrics. Tae Lewis is a fast-rising country music singer from North Carolina.
Black Opry Revue will take place at Caffe Lena on Friday, June 24th with doors at 7:30pm and the show beginning at 8pm. The show will also be available to live stream for up to one week on Caffe Lena TV, the venue’s live streaming platform. In-person tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Student rush tickets are available at the door for $5. Buy tickets and view the schedule here
Even though it may be 200 miles to the nearest (ocean) beach, Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs is heating things up – aloha style – to kick off the Saratoga Summer. On Thursday, June 9, Saratoga Living will present The Jagaloons with special guest DJ BoyBoy for “Beach Please.”
Hailing from Albany, The Jagaloons play guitar-driven, reverb-drenched, all-instrumental rock and roll. This trio takes the surf music of the 1960s and adds modern and eclectic influences, creating their own unique sound. The Jagaloons have performed all over the Northeast since 2015 and have released a couple of full length albums on UK-based Sharawaji Records.
Throw on your most sizzling upscale resort wear, with Tiki-chic beach attire encouraged – photos will be taken for the next issue of Saratoga Living.
“Beach, Please” Summer Kickoff attendees will receive:
A welcome tiki cocktail by Wine and Liquor Shop of Malta
Sip of Sunshine tastings and more beer from Lawson’s Finest Liquids
The Lumineers kicked off the 2022 Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) season in Saratoga Springs on Sunday, May 29th with their Brightside World Tour. Upwards of 20,000 fans poured into SPAC on a beautiful May evening that felt more like mid-summer. They played songs spanning their entire catalog, including dusting off one that hadn’t been played in almost a decade.
SPAC 5/29/22
After a 2 year delay due to COVID, the Boulder, CO Folk/Rock band made its first stop in Saratoga Springs. While the band hails from Colorado, they are no strangers to upstate New York. Brightside, the new album, was produced by Palenville, NY native and renowned musician Simon Felice, and engineered by David Baron at his Sun Mountain Studios in Ulster County, NY. Currently in the middle of their east coast swing, the group will continue throughout the Northeast and Midwest, before returning to NYC for a two night stand at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens.
SPAC 5/29/22
The evening opened up with Ohio based Caamp, an American folk/indie group performing for the eager crowd. After a short break that allowed the audience to mingle and enjoy the picturesque grounds, the Lumineers took stage to thunderous applause. Beginning with “Brightside” from their new album, then followed by well known songs “Cleopatra” and “Ho Hey”.
At times, the audience started their own sing-alongs with some of their most popular songs. Towards the end of the performance front-man Wesley Shultz was assigning parts to the crowd, which they eagerly belted out. “Big Parade” which the band said hadn’t been played in about 9 years, was met with excitement. Another highlight came at the end of the show when they closed with the song “Stubborn Love” which had the crowd chanting along.
As the show ended, I overheard one fan exclaim to her friend “That was so much fun, I can’t wait for the next one” Fans certainly left with their hearts full of excitement, for the next stop on the tour, the next show at SPAC, and the summer season to begin in Saratoga Springs.
The Lumineers – SPAC, Saratoga Springs, NY – May 29, 2022
Setlist: Brightside, Cleopatra, Ho Hey, Flowers in Your Hair, Angela, A.M. Radio, Dead Sea, Slow It Down, Charlie Boy, Never Really Mine, Gloria, Sleep on the Floor, Ophelia, Leader of the Landslide, Where We Are, Rollercoaster, Morning Song, Big Parade
Encore: Donna, Submarines, Birthday, Remington / Reprise, Stubborn Love
Pre-Goose Peter Anspach project, Great Blue, wrapped up a memorable five-show run of dates through the East Coast over May 14-19. Featuring their first festival appearance of the season, the short-lived mini-tour managed to create a significant buzz amongst the jam scene faithful and included stops in Philadelphia, Rhode Island, DomeFest in Ohio, and a pair of New York shows in Rochester and Saratoga Springs, respectively.
Peter Anspach of Goose performing with Great Blue in Saratoga Springs 5/19/22
While the fun-loving Anspach is mainly known for his work with breakthrough psychedelic improv rockers Goose, these shows shinned the spotlight on a different side of “Handini.” Fully embracing the excessive “rock star” persona that’s partially been suppressed with his main band, it was in these more relaxed club-like environments where Anspach was truly able to get his “ya-ya’s” out. The result was nothing short of live music magic.
Couldn’t make it to any of the shows? No worries! NYS Music caught up with the band for their instant classic performance at Putnum Place on Thursday, May 19, and has all the sights (and some of the sounds) of the what many in attendance could be heard calling “one of the best show they’ve ever seen.”
Kicking off the show with an outstanding opening set from genre bending electronic rockers Escaper, the NYC based band were also joined by special guest Luke Bemand of Lespsecialon bass for the evening. With positive lyrics, danceable grooves and impressive compositions, even their seemingly simple jams morphed into straight-up heaters, particularly when the hard slapping hand of Bemand took the reins. After closing their set with a new, 9 minute sprawling epic called “Spaceship,” Escaper front man Will Hanza humbly took the opportunity to express his sincere gratitude to those in attendance, saying “Thank you guys so much. You know, after all we’ve been through, all of us, it means a lot that we can all gather for these things, so thank you and please keep doing it.”
Will Hanza of Escaper and Lespecial’s Luke Bemand performing at the Putnum Place in Saratoga Springs 5/19/22
After a brief intermission, the Thursday night funk party resumed in full force as our evening’s headliners Great Blue set their controls for the sun and lifted off like a rocket ship from hell, opening up with the songs “Lily’s Tiger” quickly followed by “Willy” from their 2013 album Rewind. While many Goose fans are only just discovering Great Blue, make no mistake, this is anything but a new band. Comprised of four longtime friends, their origins go all the way back to their high school days in the basement. Along with Peter Anspach, Great Blue is also comprised of Ethan Michael on guitars and sometimes keyboards, Seth Suzker on bass, and presumably paying homage to the late Taylor Hawkins by wearing a Foo Fighters shirt, was Nick Hanna on drums.
Together, Great Blue has been performing for more than a decade now and have four studio albums to their credit. With no shortage of songs in their back catalog to choose from, the band would amp things up even more with a high octane rendition of “Together Not The Same” that featured an insane guitar solo from Anspach whole completely lost himself in the music, smiling ear to ear while thrashing about the stage in a pure punk rock fury. After working their way through “Banana Jam” and a cover of Vampire Weekend’s “Sunflower,” Goose fans in attendance became audibly excited as the bass-heavy reggae groove of “Doc Brown” swept over the room. While the “Back to the Future” inspired jam was originally written by Great Blue, in recent years the song has been adopted by Goose and has become a regular staple of their live show, but the surprises wouldn’t end there as the quartet seamlessly sandwiched into another familiar Goose song in the form of “Whales” before eventually returning back to the reggae roots of “Doc Brown.”
Watch fan shot footage of Great Blue performing “Doc Brown” live from the Putnum Place in Saratoga Springs 5/19/22
Following that up with 2014’s “Crossfaded Mammoth,” Great Blue then unveiled their latest neo-psychedelic jam “Blue Marbles.” After “Pancakes,” someone in the audience yelled out “You guys are so fucking good!” to which Anspach enthusiastically replied from the stage, “It’s this band!” pointing over to his mates. “These guys are awesome, I love them.” Shifting gears, Peter would take a moment to reflect on former beloved band mascot Leo, a golden retriever who was with them back in their earliest days in the basement, always sitting in no matter how loud the PA was turned up.
“Lion in the Grass” was then played in memory of Leo and also featured one of the most memorable moments of the evening when Anspach and guitarist Ethan Michael ended up playing a portion of the song while both laying down on the stage. “Jeff Engborg,” both a real person and a real song came next while the main portion of the show wrapped up with an emphatic rendition of “Seeker.” As the clock approached 1am on this Thursday night, Great Blue still had one more surprise up their sleeve. Like a spaceship returning from the great beyond, our fantastic voyage then touched down with a cover of the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s smash hit, “Around the Word.” Suddenly, in what appeared to be a spontaneous last second call, the band then busted into Goose fan favorite, “Yeti,” perhaps the most well-known song originally penned by Great Blue and later adopted by their high flying friends.
Guitarist Ethan Michael performing with Great Blue in Saratoga Springs 5/19/22
As the house lights came on and fans scurried to buy up any and all Great Blue merch, more than one person could be heard calling this “the best show they’ve seen in years” and “the best $15 they’ve ever spent.” Indeed, it was a good one. Full of unbridled energy, youthful exuberance, danceable funk-filled grooves, soaring sonic peaks and over-the-top charisma, Great Blue unleashed an instant classic performance on this night in the Spa City. With their mini-run now in the rearview, all eyes are looking ahead to the Westville Music Bowl this weekend when Peter Anspach rejoins his “other” band, Goose, for their highly anticipated summer tour kick off.
Watch fan shot footage of Great Blue covering RHCP and ‘Yeti” from Saratoga Springs 5/19/22
Great Blue | Putnum Place | Saratoga Springs, NY | 5/19/22
Setlist: Lily’s Tiger, Willy, Together Not The Same, Banana Jam > Sunflower (Vampire Weekend) > Rogue II, Butterflies, Doc Brown >The Whales<Doc Brown, Mammoths, Blue Marbles, Pancakes, Lion in the Grass, Jeff Engborg, Seeker
Encore: Around The World (Red Hot Chili Peppers) > Yeti
Escaper | Putnum Place | Saratoga Springs, NY | 5/19/22
Setlist: Res Magna > No Stings > Breakaway, Cicada, Rare Form, Enjoy the Silence, Spaceship
*This set featured Luke Bemand of Lespecial sitting in on Bass
For more audience recorded video and images from the show, check out the full gallery by NYS Photojournalist Zak Radick below:
Caffe Lena will host the first annual Sing In The Streets music festival on May 22 to celebrate the venue’s 62 anniversary.
Music will take place at six sites in the historic downtown Saratoga Springs neighborhood, with each site having display photos and memorabilia associated with each decade of the venue’s operation.
Carolyn Shapiro, a Caffe Lena staff member and one of the performers for the afternoon, spoke in a statement about the festival. Shapiro also won an Eddie Award for Folk/Traditional Artist of the Year.
Sing in the Streets celebrates our venue’s history but it’s also a celebration of the community that helped our historic venue survive the turmoil of the last couple years. We’re encouraging people to visit every stage and get their Folk Passport stamped for a chance to win an Emcee Membership, which entitles you to two free shows a month for an entire year,
Also, Kira Favro, Caffe Lena’s Board President, spoke of the anniversary celebration.
We have a lot to celebrate this year. We marked our 60th during the peak of the pandemic. Now it’s time to gather in person and enjoy music and survival. Caffe Lena has a long history, but its future is going to be even longer.
The festival features various musical styles, like pop, country, folk, bluegrass, and children’s music. The festival is free, but people can donate to support Caffe Lena’s community services, like free shows for kids, music in nursing homes and homeless shelters, free music lessons, and more.
Opera Saratoga’s Artistic and General Director Lawrence Edelson has announced that he will step down from Opera Saratoga after the 2022 Summer Season. A member of the company since 2014, Edleson will be taking his talents to The University of Houston as Professor of Practice and Artistic Director of The Moores Opera Center.
Lawrence Edelson
The Moores Opera Center is considered one of the most prestigious programs for opera training in the country. The institution regularly brings home National Opera Association awards. Lawrence Edelson will also continue in his role as Artistic and General Director of American Lyric Theater in New York City. Here, he mentors emerging opera composers and oversees the development of new works.
As expected, Opera Saratoga is sad to see Edelson go. That being said, the company wishes him the best of luck in his future endeavors. Edelson’s final remarks are as follows:
When I first came to Saratoga Springs as a guest director in 2013, I fell in love with this community and when I had the opportunity to join Opera Saratoga as Artistic and General Director the following year, I knew that I was about to embark on a very exciting journey. I truly could not have imagined how rewarding my time at Opera Saratoga would be. I have had some of the most meaningful experiences of my life during my time with the company, and I am deeply grateful to the artists, our entire staff, and our committed and generous supporters who make it possible for Opera Saratoga to contribute so vibrantly to the region year-round.
The SPAC 2022 Summer performances and concerts have been announced, with a wide variety of artists and performances coming to the venue. For 50 years, SPAC has been the Summer home of New York City Ballet and The Philadelphia Orchestra, and has hosted thousands of concerts for the best-in-class artists across all genres.
Opera Saratoga was formed in 1962 to present opera in English and showcase young singers, and they are performing multiple dates with different performances. On May 26, they are performing “Stars of Tomorrow.” From June 2-3 they are performing Petite Messe Solennelle. On the 12 at 2 P.M. and 7 P.M. they are performing “A Hundred Years of Broadway – A Broadway Cabaret.” Finally, during the 29-30, they are performing Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center is part of the largest performing arts complex in the world, and draws more people to chamber music than any other organization of its kind. They will be performing “Quintessential Quintets” on June 12 at 3 & 7 P.M. On the 19 at 3 & 7 P.M. they are performing “From the Harlem Renaissance to Today.” On July 10 at 3 & 7 P.M. they are performing “The Magic of Mixed Ensembles.” On August 14 at 3 & 7 P.M. they are performing “The Escher Quartet.”
The New York City Ballet will be coming to SPAC to do multiple dates with different varieties of shows. On July 12 at 7:30 P.M. they will be performing “NYCB On and Off Stage.” On the 13 and 16 at 7:30 P.M. they will be performing “20th Century Masters.” On the 15 at 7:30 P.M. and the 16 at 2 P.M. they will be performing “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
Adrian Danchig-Waring in Summerspace, Credit Photo: Erin Baiano
The Philadelphia Orchestra will be having its residency at SPAC from July 27-August 13, with a variety of performances including Yo-Yo Ma, The Princess Bride in Concert, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban™ in Concert and more.
The Lumineers are a GRAMMY nominated-multi platinum folk rock band who gained commercial success with their 2012 hit “Ho Hey.” They will also be having CAAMP on tour with them, also an American folk band who have released two albums and one EP to date.
Zac Brown Band is an American country music group with seven studio albums, two extended plays, and two live albums. They had 13 singles go #1 on the Billboard Country Charts, and their first album The Foundation is certified triple-platinum. Their special guest will be the Robert Randolph Band, a six-time GRAMMY-nominated American gospel band led by Robert Randolph.
John Mulaney is an SNL five-timer host who has also written for the show for several years. He has done numerous Netflix specials and has been on different talk shows.
Steely Dan is an American rock band founded in 1971 by members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. Rolling Stone has called them “the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies,” and they have several top hits.
Josh Groban is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actor, and record producer. His first four solo albums have been certified multi-platinum and in 2007 he was charted as the number-one best-selling artist in the United States, with over 22.3 million records. He has since sold over 25 million records worldwide.
Dave Matthews Band is a 13-time GRAMMY-nominated American rock band. The band has sold over 31 million albums in the United States, making it one of the top 100 highest-selling music acts of all time.
Rod Stewart is among the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold over 120 million records worldwide. He has had 10 number-one albums and 31 top ten singles in the UK, six of which reached number one. He has had 16 top ten singles in the US, with four reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson. According to Billboard, they are the best-selling boy band of all time with 130 million records sold worldwide.
Luke Bryan is an American country music singer and songwriter and is one of the most successful and awarded country artists of the 2010s and 2020s. He has also been a judge on American Idol since 2018.
The Beach Boys are an American rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. They are one of the most critically acclaimed, commercially successful, and influential bands of all time. They had seven top 10 hits between April 1963 and November 1964. They were one of the few American groups to maintain popularity after the British Invasion.
Jason Aldean is an American country music singer, songwriter, and record producer. His albums are all certified platinum, and his 2010 album, My Kinda Party, is certified quadruple-platinum. He has also received five Grammy Award nominations throughout his career.
Eastbound Jesus & Guthrie/Bell Productions have announced the lineup for the 2022 installment of the Eastbound Throwdown, planned for September 9-10 on Irwin Farm in Salem, NY.
Friday’s Lineup includes host-band Eastbound Jesus, The Mallett Brothers Band, Folkfaces, Muddy Ruckus, and Ginger Roots. Saturday features Cabinet, Saints & Liars, Deadgrass & Friends, The Honey Smugglers, Steadman’s Landing, Wild Leek River, Dan Johnson, The Button Men, Turf ‘n’ Turf and two more sets from Eastbound Jesus.
Weekend Passes (include camping) have been on sale since April 1st and are already more than half sold out. Last year’s festival sold out well in advance and organizers anticipate the same this year. Tickets are available here.
Eastbound Throwdown 2022 is an all-ages event with children 15 and under free to enter. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
This June in Saratoga Springs, Saratoga Performing Arts Center has partnered with two other venues, Saratoga Arts and The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College, to host Dance Around Town: A Photographic Celebration.
Saratoga Springs Performing Arts Center
The display will be split into three distinct exhibitions and each of these exhibitions will hosted at one of the priorly stated venues. Moreover, These exhibitions will feature world-renowned artists like Mikhail Baryshnikov, Betti Franceschi, and Robert Tracy. All three exhibitions will be available for viewing at no cost. For more information on the exhibitions and artists visit spac.org.
Saratoga Springs “Dance Around Town” Schedule
Merce My Way
Location: The Pines at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Viewing Times: June 5 (2pm-5pm); June 6-9 (12pm-5pm); June 17-19 (12pm-5pm)
The collection will also be available for viewing to all ticket holders of SPAC’s classical programming. Additional viewing times are to be announced.
Ageless Dancers
Location: Saratoga Arts
Dates: June 18 – August 13
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 am – 5 pm | Saturday 12 pm – 4 pm
Robert Tracy on Dance
Location: The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery
Caffe Lena is known for its extraordinary music and for being the longest operating folk music venues within the United States. Caffe Lena has now taken it to another level with their launch of their brand new app “Caffe Lena TV.”
The app allows easy access to live streaming concerts, archived videos, and the opportunity to be an interactive audience member by texting comments throughout the show. To download the app, just search “Caffe Lena TV” in your AppStore (iOS), PlayStore (Android) or Roku Store or click the link above and follow the instructions to sign in!
Caffe Lena launched a School of Music in 2020 which helps to carry on the folk tradition of music for students, children and adults. Some of America’s best loved songwriters have gotten their careers launched from Caffe Lena like American-blues songwriter, Sawyer Fredericks.
Caffe Lena was called “An American treasure” by The Library of Congress and is recognized for their help in the development of American music from The GRAMMY Foundation.
Check out Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs and the world-class performers that will get your foot tapping to the music. The Caffe Lena App thanks those for supporting their non-profit venue and keeping independent music alive!
