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| Saturday, Oct. 1 @ 8 PM |
EMBER SWIFT With Special Guest Betty Dylan
|
$14/12 |
  www.emberswift.com
Ember Swift shows are part concert, part protest rally, glued together by good-natured humor and sparkling high spirits. Ember on guitar and vocals, Lyndell Montgomery on electric violin and bass, and Adam Bowman on drums have put on some of the most memorable shows seen at Lena's in recent years.
Their songs have soaring melodies and spacious harmonies, the funkiest grooves, and the coolest electronic enhancements. Along with their beautiful smiles and playful antics, this band speaks out loud and clear for gay rights, peace, fair trade, and social responsibility.
Special guest Betty Dylan is a funky alt-country husband-wife duo from Nashville. Their onstage antics got them banned from the Bluebird (a moment forever memorialized in song), but we trust they'll fit just right with Ember. www.bettydylan.com |
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| Sunday, Oct. 2 @ 7 PM |
BOB MALONE
| $12/10 |
 "You're a Baby Boomer wondering why nobody writes songs like your old favorites...Bob Malone is the kind of guy that could make you weep." --The Palm Beach Post
www.bobmalone.com
Far more boisterous than your average folkie, Bob Malone is a boogie-woogie and blues piano master of the Dr. John/Professor Longhair variety whose sly and rowdy songs produce a lot of laughs and wows from audiences coast to coast.
A tireless showman, he's likely to turn up in a three-piece suit and stomp and leap throughout his piano romps. Bottomline: he's a heck of a good time and one of the finest musicians you're likely to find. |
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| Thursday, Oct. 6 @ 7 PM |
THE BOBS
| $22/18 |
 www.bobs.com
The Bobs are known for their witty, tuneful, original a capella material, and outrageous covers of classic songs. They present shows that are part theater, part comedy, part performance art, and, most of all, unique.
Their "band without instruments" uses voices and body percussion to fill a room with an orchestra of harmonious sound as they present a repertoire that ranges from soulful to satire, amazing to moving, and familiar to unimaginable.
Formed in the Bay Area in 1981, the Bobs have sold out venues around the world, released twelve albums, earned four Grammy nominations, gained legions of adoring fans, and won just about every a cappella award there is to win. |
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| Friday, Oct. 7 @ 8 PM |
ROB RITCHIE AND TERRY YOUNG
| $12/10 |
  www.robritchie.ca / www.terryyoung.ca
We came to know these two singer-songwriters as members of the Canadian folk band Tanglefoot. Rob wrote some of Tanglefoot's most enduringly popular songs, including "McCurdy's Boy," "Seven A Side" and "Buxton." His first solo album, Five O'Clock Shadow, feature the unique character sketches his audiences have some to love, supported by very fine piano playing.
Terry is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, proficient on mandolin, banjo, pennywhistle, harmonica and of course guitar. His aggressive, creative instrumental approach is a central feature of Tanglefoot's sound. As a solo artist Terry's songwriting extends beyond Tanglefoot's traditionalism, incorporating jazz, blues, and pop elements. |
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| Saturday, Oct. 8 @ 7 & 9:30 |
LUCY KAPLANSKY
| $22/20 (advance sales
only) |
 www.lucykaplansky.com/site.html
Fusing alternative country, roots rock, and folk music with rare style and intelligence -- not to mention a truly charming and high-spirited stage presence -- Lucy presents her thoughtful songs about the human condition with warmth, power and a gorgeous, evocative voice.
Raised in Chicago, Lucy began her professional life as a clinical psychologist, switching courses a decade ago to set out on the path of a full-time singer-songwriter. Since then she has released five solo albums on the Red House label, two of which received the top award from the Association For Independent Music in the pop category.
She has collaborated with luminaries like Nanci Griffith and Shawn Colvin, and toured in America and Europe on her own and with Dar Williams and Richard Shindell as the "folk supergroup" Cry Cry Cry. |
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| Sunday, Oct. 9 @ 7 PM |
JACQUI McDONALD
| $12/10 |
Sorry, this show has been cancelled!
www.perrottsfolly.com/JacquelineMcdonald.html
Liverpool's Jacqui McDonald is a legend in her own right! For more than 40 years audiences on both sides of the Atlantic have loved her as half of the famed Liverpool folk duo Jacqui and Bridie, and now as a solo performer.
One of the greats of the folk circuit since her debut with the legendary Weavers in the 1960s, Jacqui is known around the world for her beautiful soprano voice and her dry British wit. With traditional and contemporary songs, tales that will have you in stitches, and unique dancing dolls, she's the perfect performer to entertain the whole family. |
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| Sunday, Oct. 9 @ 7 PM |
CHIP WILSON With TONY MARKELLIS
|
$10 |
 www.jumpinsomethin.com
New Orleans singer-songwriter and Katrina refugee Chip Wilson will be joined by local bassist Tony Markellis (Trey Anastasio, David Bromberg, Mamas & Papas) in a special show of blues, soul tunes, and flood related classics by Dylan and Randy Newman. Wilson was playing over four hundred gigs a year in the French Quarter before he evacuated his hometown. Since then he has been staying with family in the Berkshires and has headlined a series of benefit shows that have raised more than $30,000. He recently completed a field recording, produced by Jery Krenach, that documents his hurricane experience.
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| Friday, Oct. 14 @ 8 PM |
MARY GAUTHIER With Special Guest Corley Roberts
|
$15 |
 www.marygauthier.com / www.corleyroberts.com
Unflinching honesty and compassion are trademarks of the gritty, country-tinged folk of singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier ("Go-shay"), who sings the stories of addicts, broken-hearted lovers and forgotten souls with haunting detail and a smoky, beautifully weathered voice.
Born in Thibodaux, Louisiana, Mary's travels took her from a Kansas City jail cell to the Louisiana State University philosophy department to the successful Boston restaurant she owned, and all of these experiences color her songs about the downside of American life.
After the release of her second album, Drag Queens in Limousines, "all hell broke loose": Rolling Stone gave it a four-star rave, MOJO, Q, Gavin Report, and other publications joined in on the chorus, and she received the Independent Music Award "Country Artist of the Year" honors from GLAMA. Her latest album, Mercy, Now, is winning rave reviews on both sides of the Atlantic. |
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| Saturday, Oct. 15 @ 8 PM |
CAROLYN HESTER
|
$15/12 |
 Sorry, this show has been cancelled!
www.carolynhester.com
Carolyn Hester sings her southwestern flavored originals and folk favorites with a warmth and grace that makes you understand why she has long been regarded as one of the most vital and appealing of the folk revival singers.
Her debut LP for Columbia in 1962 featured a Greenwich Village newcomer on harmonica, Bob Dylan. In the early 1980s, she took a fledgling fellow Texas folksinger named Nanci Griffith under her wing which led to Hester singing on Griffith's Grammy winning "Other Voices, Other Rooms" album.
She can also be heard on Dylan's 30th anniversary album recorded at Madison Square Garden in 1992. Her trips back East are a rare treat for her many longtime fans. |
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| Saturday, Oct. 15 @ 8 PM |
SKIDMORE JAZZ ENSEMBLES
|
$5 |
 Proceeds
to Benefit Caffe Lena
www.skidmore.edu/academics/music/curriculum/skidjazz.htm
Squeeze yourself in with the adoring crowds for a night of jazz featuring
student musicians from Skidmore College's nationally renowned music
department. You'll hear everything from standards to cutting edge pieces
played on a huge variety of instruments: keys, drums, guitar, bass, reeds,
vibes, flute, and always some fabulous, torchy singing. This is a fun night out
for performers and audience alike--give it a try!
Painting: Stephanie
Chivers, Berkshire County High School |
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| Sunday, Oct. 16 @ 7 PM |
BILL MORRISSEY |
$18/16 |
 www.billmorrissey.net
Bill Morrissey's lyrical gifts and graceful, understated melodies have put him on festival stages across the world; into theatres, concert halls, and coffeehouses; garnered him critical acclaim from magazines, authors, and music peers; and have earned him two Grammy nominations.
With songs influenced by Mississippi John Hurt, Hank Williams and Bob Dylan, Morrissey captures the harshness and small sadnesses of his characters, but tempers it all with wry humor that often leaves the listener with a smile.
Opener Graham Isaacson has cancelled, Torey will open. |
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| Tues., Oct. 18 @ 7 PM |
CRIS WILLIAMSON
| $22 |
 A voice "like honey on a cello." - Bonnie Raitt
www.criswilliamson.com
Cris Williamson is a powerful force for good whose credits go far beyond the number of albums produced or sold. Decades before the alternative music market was formally coined, and light-years before women enjoyed influence in the recording industry, this feminist music pioneer was busy paving the way for today's independent women artists.
Singer, songwriter, spirit healer, and teacher of the "art of the possible," Cris Williamson came into prominence in the 1970s with the release of "The Changer and the Changed." Today that album stands among the best selling independent albums of all time. From the clubs where she first performed to sold-out performances at New York's venerable Carnegie Hall.
Cris Williamson has stirred souls and opened minds with music that celebrates human strength, tenacity, and resilience. |
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| Wednesday, Oct. 19 @ 7:30 PM |
NANCI GRIFFITH AND THE BLUE MOON ORCHESTRA
(AT THE EGG)
|
$28 concert only/$45 with reception |
 The Egg presents this concert in cooperation with Caffe Lena.
All tickets purchased directly from us will support Caffe Lena.
www.nancigriffith.com
Nanci Griffith’s musical journey has taken her from her Texas folk and country roots, to her own brand of "folkabilly." Caffe Lena was an important part of Nanci’s rise, as she performed here regularly throughout the 1980s. Since then she has gone on to grace the stage at New York’s Carnegie Hall, Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry and London’s Royal Albert Hall, been nominated for numerous Grammy awards and won two. She has used her prestige to travel to Vietnam, Cambodia and Kosovo in support of the abolition of landmines. Her latest album, “Hearts In Mind,” is filled with songs of peace and love in a time of war. Her Blue Moon Orchestra is pianist James Hooker, guitarist Clive Gregson, drummer Patrick McInerney, and Le Ann Etheridge on bass.
Nanci Griffith will be our guest of honor at a 6:30 pre-concert reception, open only to those who have purchased tickets through Caffe Lena. In celebration of our 45th Anniversay, tickets for the concert and reception will be $45. Don’t miss this rare chance to meet Nanci in person! |
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| Friday, Oct. 21 @ 8 PM |
SEAMUS KENNEDY
| $12/10 |
 www.mcnote.com/seamus
Come enjoy the music and mirth of one of Ireland's most popular exports--Seamus Kennedy! Originally from Belfast, Seamus performs across the nation for audiences which range from the Pope to kindergartners.
He has an endless supply of rib-tickling jokes, stories and one-liners which can leave an audience breathless from laughter. But he has his serious side, too, and when he performs a somber ballad you can hear a pin drop.
He has won so many "Wammies" (Washington Area Music Association Awards) that he is now exempt from the category of Best Irish Male Vocalist. |
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| Saturday, Oct. 22 @ 7 PM |
WORK O' THE WEAVERS
| $15/12 |
 "FANTASTIC!" -- Pete Seeger
"You really do sound like the Weavers!" -- Ronnie Gilbert
www.workotheweavers.com
'If I Had A Hammer,' 'Midnight Special,' 'The Sloop John B,' 'Goodnight, Irene,' 'This Land Is Your Land, 'Wimoweh,' 'House Of The Rising Sun.' These songs, all of which were written or first popularized by The Weavers, have become familiar to millions across the globe. With faithful adherence to their original arrangements, Work O' the Weavers--David Bernz (vocals, banjo & guitar), James Durst (vocals, guitar & recorder), Mark Murphy (vocals & bass), and Martha Sandefer (vocals)-- recalls the spirit of The Weavers, providing an echo of their music and insight into their story. "This could be a long running, historical, entertaining, enlightening show that could run for years. Brilliant." --Christine Lavin |
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| Sunday, Oct. 23 @ 7 PM |
THE STRAWBS
| $22/20 |
 www.acousticstrawbs.co.uk
This folk-rock trio is the highly-acclaimed acoustic version of the legendary West London electric band so popular during the 60s and 70s. It is still fronted by the heart and soul of the Strawbs, Mr. Dave Cousins. He writes the songs, sings them in his inimitable style, and provides unique guitar stylings. He is joined by long-time Strawbers Chas Cronk and Dave Lambert who add more guitar, plus banjo and dulcimer.
It's hard to believe, but this three-piece packs all the intense, emotional energy of the original six-piece electric band and makes intimate coffeehouse engagements possible, a genuine thrill for fans across North America. |
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| Wed., Oct. 26 @ 7 PM |
ROSALIE SORRELS
| $22 |
 www.rosaliesorrels.com
We're so pleased to have one of Lena's favorites back on stage! Though trying hard to stay retired, the Travelin' Lady has once again been lured from her log cabin in Idaho for a brief tour of her favorite clubs. This totally hip and ageless chanteuse combines a folksinger's clarity and populist ideals with the worldliness of a hard-living blues singer. She mixes traditional numbers, contemporary folk standards, wry observations on modern life and short autobiographical tales.
With a political fighter's passion and the grace of a poet, her performances are always deeply felt, effortless, and altogether lovely. |
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| Friday, Oct. 28 @ 8 PM |
GEORGE WARD
| $12/10 |
 www.mulesong.com
A lifelong collector and performer of traditional songs, folklorist, composer and performer George Ward draws on the rural singing tradition of the American Northeast for his main inspiration.
Ancient ballads migrant in the New World, songs of the rural home and hearth, songs of the lumber woods , the rivers and canals are central to his repertoire. They are joined by songs of social movements, the Down-Rent Wars of nineteenth century New York, the American Revolution, and by comic songs from a variety of traditions. |
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| Saturday, Oct. 29 @ 8 PM |
MARK TOLSTRUP
| $14/10 |
 Hurricane Katrina Benefit Concert
www.marktolstrup.com
Acoustic bluesman Mark Tolstrup, who has a special connection in his musical heart with New Orleans, will be joined by special guest Little Toby Walker, plus stellar sidemen Tony Markellis and Dale Haskell for a night of driving delta blues and ragtime.
Tickets are $14 and additional donations are encouraged. The plan is to generate at least $1,000 for the New Orleans Musicians Clinic, a long-established charity that is now helping musicians rebuild their lives and careers, with an eye toward getting New Orleans' unique and beloved music community back on its feet as soon as possible.
Our baker, Lizzie Mehrtens, a native of New Orleans whose family is safe but homeless, will be serving up authentic red beans and rice. Don't miss!!! |
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| Sunday, Oct. 30 @ 7 PM |
GANDALF MURPHY AND THE SLAMBOVIAN
CIRCUS OF DREAMS
|
$16/14 |
 www.slambovia.com
This whimsical, eccentric, joyful and endearing rock band is made up of Joziah Longo, singer-songwriter and guitarist; his wife, Tink Lloyd, on accordion, cello and flute; Sharkey McEwen, lead guitarist; and Tony Zuzulo, drummer.
Gandalf's energized, do-right repertoire is imbued with mystical stirrings and idealism suggestive of the 1960s. Musically, their influences run from Van Morrison to Pink Floyd, and the band is fond of ''quoting'' recognizable snippets of songs from the Beatles within its own tunes. They seem to defy both the generation and genre gaps with a typical audience mix of college students, parents, hardcore folkies and hard rock purists. |
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