NYS Music 202​2

Tag: Caffe Lena

  • Caffe Lena Presents Third Annual TrueSongs Concert

    Caffe Lena will present the third annual TrueSongs concert on Sunday, November 12th at 8pm, highlighting local lives changed for the better by Capital Region non-profits. The concert features previously untold redemption stories involving a local non-profit organization, each will be told in words and songs at Caffe Lena. 

    Caffe Lena Presents Third Annual TrueSongs Concert

    A young woman builds her life back after a stroke, two friends start a music shop in Haiti. A daughter finds peace and fulfillment in her final days with her mother, and a woman moves forward after homelessness. Each of these previously untold redemption stories involves a local non-profit organization, and each will be told in words and songs at Caffe Lena. 

    TrueSongs was created in 2019 by the Saratoga Springs music venue Caffe Lena to show how arts and social service organizations can work together to create a healthy, whole community. Now in its third year, TrueSongs will give five community members the chance to share their personal story with a live audience.

    Each storyteller has been working with a songwriter who will follow the story with a compelling new song meant to bring out the emotional heart of the experience. 

    “We proudly partner with schools, churches and community centers throughout Haiti,” said Bill Cole, owner of Cole’s Woodwind Shop and founder of the non-profit Horns for Haiti. “The resilience of the Haitian people and their love of music has made it possible to implement projects during a very difficult time in this third world country. We’re providing musical instruments and supplies to hundreds of school children and also mentoring young entrepreneurs in starting their own sustainable businesses in the music industry.” 

    Caffe Lena Presents Third Annual TrueSongs Concert


    The TrueSongs Lyrics of Life concert will take place on Sunday, November 12th at 8p.m. at Caffe Lena. Tickets bought in advance are $20 to the general public and $10 for students. Tickets bought at the door are $22 for the general public. Likewise, $5 student rush tickets will be sold at the door with valid ID. The concert will also be available to live stream for free on Caffe Lena’s YouTube channel. For more information and to purchase advance tickets, click the link here.

  • Iconic Folk Music Venue Caffe Lena to Host Free Healthcare Clinic for Musicians

    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
    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.

  • The Blues Project arrives at Caffe Lena

    The Blues Project, formed in Greenwich Village in the mid-’60s, has postponed their October 30 show in Saratoga Springs at Caffe Lena.

    The band will announce a rescheduled date soon, when they will celebrate their first new album in 42 years, Evolution, which finds the band from a well of various musical styles and influences throughout the album’s 12 tracks.

    The Blues Project

    One of the first album-oriented, “underground” groups in the United States, the Blues Project offered an eclectic brew of rock, blues, folk, pop, and even some jazz, classical, and psychedelia during their heyday in the mid-’60s.

    The original group featured guitarist Danny Kalb (who had played sessions for various Elektra folk and folk-rock albums), Steve Katz (a guitarist with Elektra’s Even Dozen Jug Band), flutist/bassist Andy Kulberg, drummer Roy Blumenfeld, and singer Tommy Flanders. Al Kooper, in his early twenties a seasoned vet of rock sessions, joined after sitting in on the band’s Columbia Records audition, although they ended up signing to Verve, an MGM subsidiary.

    The current lineup for The Blues Project performing at Caffe Lena later this month features Katz and Blumenfeld leading a powerful new lineup that includes young and talented members Chris Morrison on lead guitar, Scott Petito on bass, and Ken Clark on keyboards and vocals.

    After the release of their debut live album, the band recorded their second album Projections in the fall of 1966, receiving rave reviews and containing an eclectic set of songs that ran the gamut from blues, R&B,  jazz, psychedelia, and folk-rock. The centerpieces of the album were an 11-and-a-half minute version of Muddy Waters’ blues standard “Two Trains Running” featuring Kalb on vocals and lead guitar, and Kooper’s instrumental “Flute Thing” featuring Kulberg on flute.

    Soon after Projections was released, Kooper and Katz left the band and in 1968 joined forces to form jazz-rock icons Blood, Sweat & Tears.  While Kooper led the band on its first album, Child Is Father to the Man, he did not take part in any subsequent releases. Soon after, Kooper, then a producer for Columbia Records, recorded with Bloomfield, Stephen Stills and Harvey Brooks for the album entitled Super Session, before doing several solo albums.  Katz, who was instrumental in the band’s phenomenal success, remained with B,S & T, into the 1970s.   Katz went on to produce Lou Reed’s best-selling and still-influential live LP Rock ‘n’ Roll Animal (as well as its follow-up Sally Can’t Dance, Reed’s only top-10 album).

    The Blues Project, with a modified line-up, reformed briefly in the early 1970s, releasing three further albums: 1971’s Lazarus, 1972’s Blues Project, and 1973’s The Original Blues Project Reunion in Central Park. After disbanding again, Blumenfeld formed Seatrain and in the 2000s performed with former Country Joe & the Fish member Barry Melton.

    The original Blues Project disbanded for good in the 90s (although Katz, Blumenfeld and Kalb performed a successful reunion tour in 2012) but realizing they still had a passionate fan base who cared about the band and its music, Katz and Blumenfeld decided to give it another try in 2021.

    Get tickets for The Blues Project here.

  • Joe Jencks and Kray Van Kirk trade songs at Caffe Lena

    Joe Jencks and Kray Van Kirk traded songs at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs on Sep. 16. The night was divided into three sets: a solo set by Van Kirk followed by a solo set by Jencks, then both singers came on stage to trade songs back and forth for a story-filled hour plus from these two singer songwriters. Joe Jencks was last featured on NYS Music at the folk music Old Song Festival of Traditional Music and Dance.

    In the solo sets, Kray Van Kirk started the night off. A highlight from Van Kirk for this listener was when he introduced a song with this: “I am going to spend my time rejecting my heritage.” He then sang a song of solidarity with people of all kinds. Van Kirk said after the show that his “ancestors were slave owners in this country.” He finished his solo set with the title track from his most recent album Midnight Commander.

    Kray Van Kirk

    Joe Jencks took the stage for his solo set and began by saying that he was standing in solidarity with the workers of Amtrak. Jencks mentioned that his friend Van Kirk, who lives in California, was fortunate that he took a plane over to the Northeast, as a trip via train could have been tricky. The highlight for this listener was also a title track. This time it was Jencks singing the title track to his new album The Coming of the Years. Jencks mentioned how this song was an homage to “getting together” and how nice it was to get together with an audience considering the past couple years of the Covid pandemic.

    Joe Jencks

    During the combined set, Van Kirk told an incredible story/legend about Irish Selkies. These are the Irish people’s version of Mermaids. Jencks continued the theme of water-related storytelling. He sang a song of acceptance that centered on “The Lady of the Harbor” (Statue of Liberty). Both singers spun tales of politics and bravery. Concluding the night, the two singer songwriters invoked Pete Seeger telling the US Congress that he was not invoking his 5th Amendment rights; he was invoking his 1st Amendment rights. Then the crowd sang along to a swelling rendition of The Youngbloods’ Smile on Your Brother. 

    Photos by Derek Java Photography

    Joe Jencks
    Joe Jencks
    Joe Jencks
    Joe Jencks
    Joe Jencks
    Joe Jencks listening to Kray Van Kirk.
    Joe Jencks

  • Caffè Lena at SPAC Festival Returns in October

    In partnership with Caffè Lena, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) announced the return of the “Caffè Lena @ SPAC” Concert Series, a free two-day festival happening on Oct. 1 and 2 from noon to 4 P.M.

    Caffè Lena

    The two-day festival will feature six bands that explore global and American folk music. The festival started in 2017, and it highlights the unique, ongoing collaboration between the arts center and the folk music venue. Sarah Craig, executive director of Caffè Lena, spoke about the diverse lineup in a statement.

    This annual collaboration has found the sweet spot of area music fans. They love the setting and the line-up. They ask me about it all year, wanting to be sure they don’t miss it. Both SPAC and Caffè Lena have deep roots, and a taste for musical exploration. The festival line-up reflects that. We have Dreamers’ Circus from Denmark bridging the folk and classical worlds. We have Oshima Brothers bridging pop and folk. We have the righteous anthems of Crys Matthews and gorgeous harmonies of Hold On Honeys. There’s a brass band playing Eastern European tunes. It’s just a huge variety, like you might find on our stages year round.

    Sarah Craig, executive director of Caffè Lena

    Oct. 1 Lineup

    Resonant Rogues from noon-1 P.M.

    Resonant Rogues are from Asheville, North Carolina, and have been winning over audiences with their genre-hopping tunes since 2013. Their original songs by Sparrow and Keith Josiah Smith speak to the heart with poetic lyrics and appeal to the ears with amazing musicianship and arrangement.

    Resonant Rogues

    Cocek! Brass Band from 1:30-2:30 P.M.

    The Cocek! Brass Band has been led by led by Sam Dechenne since 2014 and is influenced by Eastern-European and New Orleans dance songs, Afrobeat, Klezmer, and elements of reggae and Western classical pieces.

    Cocek! Brass Band.

    Dreamers’ Circus from 3-4 P.M.

    Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen, Ale Carr, and Nikolaj Busk came together to form Dreamers’ Circus in 2009 after an impromptu jam session in Copenhagen. The Scandinavian musicians have toured across Europe, Japan, Australia, and North America with their inventive reimaginings of Nordic folk and traditional tunes.

    Dreamers’ Circus.

    Oct. 2 Lineup

    Hold on Honeys from noon-1 P.M.

    Hold on Honeys is composed of Emily Curro, Raya Malcolm, and Shannon Rafferty, which offers tight-knit harmonies to nourish the soul and invigorate the senses. They began singing together during the pandemic and began public performances in June 2021.

    Hold on Honeys

    Crys Matthews from 1:30-2:30 P.M.

    Cry Matthews is among the brightest stars of the new generation of social justice music-makers. She is a powerful lyricist whose songs reflect her lived experiences of what she calls “the poster-child for intersectionality.”

    Crys Matthews

    Oshima Brothers from 3-4 P.M.

    The Oshima Brothers (Sean and Jamie Oshima) were raised in a musical family in rural Maine. They are known for their harmony-rich blend of contemporary folk and acoustic pop. The brothers have released two albums, one rooted in acoustic folk and the other more retro and metro.

    Oshima Brothers.

    Guests are welcome to bring in food, drink, blankets, and lawn chairs for the concerts. Food concessions will also be available. The concerts will take place rain or shine. Visit here for more details.

  • Michael Eck to mark 40th Anniversary in Live Music with acoustic performance at Caffe Lena

    Michael Eck will celebrate his 40th Anniversary in live music with a special performance his “spiritual home” Caffe Lena, on Sunday, September 25th.

    michael eck

    It was on Friday, October 1, 1982, that Michael Eck made his live musical debut, playing electric guitar with the hardcore punk band Deaf Zone in a Battle of the Bands at Bethlehem Central High School. The first they played was The Clash hit “Should I Stay or Should I Go.”

    For four decades since, Eck, a self-described “Roots scholar and multi-instrumentalist,” has played in every band you never heard of in Albany and some you actually may have, like The Plague, Chefs of the Future, Stomplistics, Ramblin Jug Stompers, Lost Radio Rounders and Good Things. Additionally, as a singer/songwriter, player and producer, Eck has appeared on dozens of albums.

    A recent inductee to the Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Hall of Fame, Eck is the only member who, as a longtime nationally published cultural critic, is also a voter for the national Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, in Cleveland.

    At his anniversary show on September 25, the veteran of “maximum solo acoustic gigs” in New York, New Orleans and Austin will offer self-written selections from across his career, including tunes culled from four albums (a number of which have been covered by regional artists) as well as a brace of new material (much of it never heard by a live audience), written “during the pandemic and following a stroke.”

    Eck will be joined, on a select number of show-closing songs by his adult children, Lakota Ruby-Eck (guitar) and Lillierose Ruby-Eck (violin). 

    Importantly, the show will also be a release party for Eck’s fifth solo album, “Your Turn to Shine—New Songs, Live at WEXT.” Physical copies will be available at the event, with digital distribution to follow. The title bears witness to the fact that most of the dozen selections were played live for the first time, in any context, at public radio station WEXT.

  • The Brother Brothers To Play At Caffe Lena On July 28 In Advance Of New Album

    The indie folk duo, The Brother Brothers, comprised of identical twins Adam and David Moss, will play on Thursday, July 28 at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs. Meanwhile, their Cover to Cover album will be out on August 5 via Compass Records.

    The Brother Brothers credit to Kaitlyn Raitz

    On tour in support of Cover to Cover, the Brother Brothers’ third release on Compass Records is a requisite album of covers, featuring Sarah Jarosz and other notables and some eclectic cover choices. Among their eclectic picks: Tom T. Hall’s “That’s How I Got to Memphis,” Jackson Browne’s “These Days,” James Taylor’s “You Can Close Your Eyes,” Hoagy Carmichael’s “I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes),” Robert Earl Keen’s “Feelin’ Good Again,” Richard Thompson’s “Waltzing’s for Dreamers,” Judee Sill’s “Rugged Road” and Tom Waits’ “Flowers Grave.” They also chose Harley Allen’s “High Sierra,” popularized by Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt on their Trio II album, and “If You Ain’t Got Love,” by Chas Justus of Lafayette, Louisiana dance band The Revelers.

    Adam and David Moss are acclaimed for their vocal symmetry as the harmonies they create don’t get any closer. The twins, raised in Peoria, Illinois, started singing along to the artists their dad played for them at a toddler age. Inspired by such inward reflection of the roots of their inspiration during a time of great uncertainty and creative insecurity, they decided their songs for the third album “Cover to Cover”.

    Each of their chose song has a story, a connection. “I Will” reminds them the lulled time with The Beatles’ White Album, “Feelin’ Good Again,” represent the latter of their years in Austin, Texas, during which they caught many REK shows when they weren’t performing (Adam in Green Mountain Grass and David in Blue Hit). Regarding “These Days,” on which they mesh crystalline harmonies and gorgeous guitar interludes, is their reason for doing a duo.

    The thoughtful selections and filters from the brothers’ unique musical mix of folk, bluegrass, jazz and other idioms on Cover to Cover, this album undoubtedly will earn them more. They are also connecting with the songs. According to David, they only they just picked the ones that they enjoyed doing the most.

    More information could be found on https://www.caffelena.org/. Stream this show live at caffelena.tv. with one week of access with $5 live stream ticket.

    Located in Saratoga Springs, New York, Caffè Lena is the oldest continually running coffee house in the United States. With the renovation in 2016, their expanded occupancy and updated kitchen, brought better experience to enjoy diverse extraoridinary musicians’ performances in the longest continuously operating folk music venue in the United States.

  • More Music Less Violence Showcase Comes to Caffe Lena on June 26

    On Sunday, June 26 from 4-8 pm, the More Than Music LLC will hold their fourth artist showcase, More Music Less Violence, in Saratoga Springs at Caffe Lena.

    More Music Less Violence Showcase

    The artist showcase on June 26 will feature local artists from all over the Captial Region. Performances include the likes of Emaculit, Precedence, spoken word artist The Young Optimist, GianLife, Ahzie, Mikayla Mclean, Quaudy Rouse, and Symone Noelle.

    More Music Less Violence started as a pop-up event in the summer of 2020 by Mario Johnson (also known as DJ HollyW8D), and has since been established as a permanent organization with influence throughout the Captial Region. The organization hopes to provide spaces for creative freedom and healing to bring in a new era of musicians.

     Photo Courtesy of EQPix

    Due to the COVID pandemic, there was no events going down, so I made an event. Music is a common factor that always brings people together and growing up in Brooklyn you saw violence every day. I don’t want to see it where I am living now.

    – Mario Johnson, CEO of More Than Music LLC

    In addition to the live music at the event, audiences will also hear from Team H.E.R.O.E.S.’s Jerry Ford. Team H.E.R.O.E.S. (Helping Everyone Recognize Opportunities) helps communities empower young people and families with their long-term strategies and multiple programs. 

    The audience will also get a chance to see art as it is created. BOGRAN LLC will host a live painting, and Saratoga’s C.R.E.A.T.E Community Studios will be overseeing the making of a vibrant and collaborative community banner. 

    A photo booth and raffle drawings are also open to everyone in attendance. Donations will be accepted and encouraged as the More Music Less Violence team wishes to expand its outreach in an effort to stop the spread of community violence.

    Tickets to the More Music Less Violence Showcase are $20 at the door, or the fee for the event live-stream can be purchased for $5.

  • Black Opry Revue Announced For June 24 At Caffe Lena

    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

  • Caffe Lena Announces First Annual “Sing In The Streets” Festival

    Caffe Lena will host the first annual Sing In The Streets music festival on May 22 to celebrate the venue’s 62 anniversary.

    caffe lena

    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.

    “Sing in the Streets” performances will happen from 12 P.M.- 2 P.M. on Saratoga street near Caffe Lena. Different performers include Girl Blue, The Bluebillies, Hot Club of Saratoga, Jes Hudak, Carlyn Shapiro, Reese Fulmer, and more.