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| Danielle Miraglia, 2009 |
Alash Ensemble, 2009 |
Danny Schmidt, 2009 |
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PDF Downloads:
Full Calendar
(2.6 MB) Dec-Feb |
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Fridge Calendar
(156 KB) Dec-Feb |
All ticket sales are handled by our box office service, Brown Paper Tickets.
Tickets are available online, or through a 24/7 call-in box office.
See our Ticket Info page. |
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Calendar
February 2010
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Members receive 20% discount on most shows. Tickets sold at door cost additional $2.
Doors open 30 min. before showtime. Please, no earlybirds! |
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| Wednesday, Feb. 3 • 7 PM |
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Poetry Open Mic |
| $3 at the door |
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With Featured Reader Don Levy |
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John Survivor Blake ran into some difficulties and will not be able to make the trip from Virginia to read this Wednesday. Don Levy very generously agreed to take his place.
Don Levy has been published in Tenzone, Smashing Icons, and Think 3 and has read in such venues as The Albany Public Library, The Poets in the Park Series, Arthur's Market, The Albany Art Gallery, Cafe Web, and The Woodstock Poetry Society. His work as also been featured on the Hidden City web site as well as Volume, a CD of 27 Albany area poets. He was one of the editors of OpenMic: The Albany Anthology and was the coordinator of the Gallery Poetry Society reading series at the Albany Art Gallery.
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 Boston-based quartet Jo Henley performs a modern mix of folk, rock, bluegrass, and country. They're known for fun, rollicking sets filled with well-crafted original songs that often stretch out into boot-stompin' bluegrass territory and even jazzy improv jams.
In 2008 Jo Henley recorded and released their first full-length record, Sad Songs and Alcohol, a collection of tattered tales of lost love and broken dreams. It hit the top 100 of the national Americana charts without any label support.
Tonight they'll be celebrating the release of their follow-up album, Inside Out, which features contributions by three of the original members of the Trey Anastasio Band: Tony Markellis on bass, Russ Lawton on drums, and Ray Paczkowski on keyboards. |
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Friday, Feb 5 • Midnight
Sunday, Feb 7 • 2 PM
Tues, Feb 9 • 8 PM
Wed, Feb 10 • 10 PM |
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No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre
In the Black Box Theater at Caffè Lena |
| Free |
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 The Windmill Theater Troupe, in conjunction with the Skidmore Theater Department, presents No Exit, Jean-Paul Sartre's existentialist masterpiece. Three sinners convene in a small, locked room, equipped only with a table, a mostly broken buzzer, and a paper knife, condemned to an eternity of "living" with their evil deeds.
Join us for a surprisingly modern and exciting look at the human condition and the responsibility that comes with the right to choose our own destiny.
Advance reservations strongly suggested. Email: ezahn@skidmore.edu |
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| Saturday, Feb. 6 • 8 PM |
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"Ladies Sing the Blues" |
$20—Benefit for Caffè Lena
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Sponsored and Hosted by the Saratoga Acoustic Blues Society |
| Read full description |
 Tonight the Capital District's best women singers belt the blues to benefit the region's finest acoustic blues venue—Caffè Lena! Back in the 1920s blueswomen from the Delta were among the first black singers recorded, they were the first blues singers recorded, and they were instrumental in spreading the 12-bar blues throughout the country.
 Tonight Caffè Lena and the Saratoga Acoustic Blues Society honor the enduring gifts of Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Memphis Minnie, Sippie Wallace, as well as the original modern blues of the featured singers. Accompanied by a crew of excellent sidemen too numerous to list here, we bring you the dynamite vocals of Mikki Bakken, the Dwyer sisters, MotherJudge, Sarah Pedinotti, Annie Rosen, Gail Sparlin, Becky Walton and Thomasina Winslow.
Read full bios
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 Do you know the difference between a touchdown and hoedown? Answer: hoedowns are fun! This year, don't suffer the civic duty of eating what you shouldn't and watching the Super Bowl. Get off the couch and come to Caffè Lena for a night of quality entertainment with one of Canada's finest singer-songwriters, James Keelaghan.
 This poet laureate of the folk and roots music world has earned a Juno Award, and critical acclaim from Australia to Scandinavia. His passionate mix of roots rock, Americana, and contemporary folk contains fascinating, true historical tales, and a treasure trove of gems that developed deep inside the human heart. His 2009 album is House of Cards (Borealis Records).
Openers Doug and Telisha Williams hail from Martinsville, Virginia, in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where boarded up factories stand as monuments to how fast the world can change. Like the very best singer-songwriters, this duo gives voice to the struggles of everyday people, as well ghosts of the past.
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| Monday, Feb. 8 • 7 PM |
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Saratoga Storytelling Open Mic |
| Donations at the door |
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With Featured Teller Tom Weakley |
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 In honor of Caffe Lena's 50th anniversary, Vermont humorist and storyteller Tom Weakley will be making a rare, post-retirement public appearance.
Tom's folksy, poignant, and often riotous stories celebrate the wit, wisdom, history and foibles of his family and Vermont neighbors. His storytelling career has spanned three decades, crossed continents, and earned him numerous awards. All proceeds of this evening will benefit Caffe Lena |
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| Friday, Feb. 12 • 8 PM |
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Jonathan "Jazz" Russell and the Doc Scanlon Trio |
$15 advance / $17 at the door
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| jonathanjazz.net |
 “When he solos, he embraces his instrument and enters a private cocoon, where he conjures sophisticated improvisations on the melodies of jazz standards.” —New York Times
Jonathan Russell is an exciting fourteen-year-old jazz violinist who bridges generational and cultural gaps with improvised jazz. His performances in Europe and throughout the United States at clubs and jazz festivals such as the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and the Bohém Jazz Festival in Hungary have earned the respect and praise of seasoned jazz musicians such as Wynton Marsalis, Bucky Pizzarelli and the late Les Paul.
Jonathan will be accompanied by Albany's own Doc Scanlon Trio, known for their hot swing jazz of the 1920s through the 1940s. Their song list includes the great standards of Gershwin, Berlin & Porter, as well as the jazz of Django Reinhardt, Fats Waller and Benny Goodman. This is a versatile trio with a big sound, red hot solos and tight three part harmony vocals.
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Saturday, Feb. 13
11 AM to 11 PM |
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Dance Flurry's Folk Oasis |
Free with Dance Flurry Wristband
$10 per show without
— no advance reservations |
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| www.berkshire.net/~flurry/festival |
 Caffè Lena teams up with Dance Flurry organizers to provide a foot-rest and refueling spot for tired dancers. The public at large is welcome, too. We'll have hot meals, delicious desserts, and loads of great music.
The following schedule is subject to some change, but not total change. Stay tuned as the big day approaches!
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Nightingale |
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5:00 PM |
Doo Wop with the Flipsydz |
| 12:30 PM |
Bernstein Bard Trio |
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6:30 PM |
Mark Rust |
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Jean Rohe Band |
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8:00 PM |
De Temps Antan |
| 3:30 PM |
Miss Tess & the
Bon Ton Parade |
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9:30 PM |
Andrew & Noah Van
Norstraand |
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  Karan Casey has long been one of the most innovative, provocative and imitated voices in Irish traditional and folk music. From her early years as a jazz performer in Georges Bistro in Dublin, to her heady days in New York with the celebrated Irish band Solas, to her now blossoming solo career, she has sold over half a million albums. Karan is a frequent guest on A Prairie Home Companion and has been featured on two Grammy-winning CDs.
Tonight she performs with former Solas bandmate John Doyle. Doyle's gifts as a guitarist, songwriter, vocalist, and producer have played an essential role in the ongoing renaissance of Irish traditional music. Impossibly in demand in the studio and on the road, blessed with an acute ear, a wicked sense of rhythm, and a seemingly endless stream of magic in his playing, John Doyle is one of the most prolific figures in folk and traditional Irish music.
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| Wednesday, Feb. 17 • 7 PM |
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Emerging Artist Breakout |
| $5 at the door |
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Will Dowling |
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 Skidmore student Will Dowling has been writing and performing as a singer/songwriter for years and his stage presence and subtle yet powerful vocals command an audience. Drawing on influences such as Sufjan Stevens, Jeff Buckley and Jose Gonzalez, he paints with his voice a soft, flowing image over a canvas of unique acoustic landscapes.
He brings his own emotion and feeling to his arrangements of popular songs, and his originals sound at once familiar and one of a kind. An unmistakable tone and originality of style are the hallmarks of his performance.
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| Friday, Feb. 19 • 8 PM |
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The Three Rix: |
$15 advance / $17 at the door
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Rik Palieri, Rick Nestler and Ricki Bala |
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 Old friends Rik Palieri, Ricko Nestler, and Rich (aka Ricky) Bala take the stage as a trio for the first time for an evening filled with songs both old and new, familiar and obscure, and from poignant to just plain zany! Playing individually and together in various combinations on guitars, banjos, mountain dulcimer, and perhaps even the Polish bagpipe, there will plenty of chances for singing along, foot tapping, knee slapping, and belly laughing!
Rik Palieri has performed on the Caffè stage in recent years with his friend Utah Philips as a member of the Rose Tatoo. He hosts The Songwriter's Notebook, a TV show now archived at The Library of Congress, and wrote The Road is My Mistress, a book about his musical trips around the world.
Ricko Nestler wrote the Hudson River anthem, "The River That Flows Both Ways." One of the original members of The Sloop Singers, Ricko has often played in concert with Pete Seeger, and has a seemingly endless knowledge of river songs and shantys.
Ricky Bala performs solo and in the folk trio "The Barefoot Boys," and with storyteller Jonathan Kruk as "The Hudson River Ramblers." He has appeared many times with "The Boys" at Lena's, and also at Saratoga's First Night celebration.
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| Saturday, Feb. 20 • 8 PM |
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Jim Gaudet and the Railroad Boys |
$16 advance / $18 at the door
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| www.jimgaudet.com |
 So Far, So Good is this band's first venture on the rails together but the result is a collection of memorable, hard driving, original compositions, featuring authentic three-part harmony and stellar musicianship. The quartet features Jim Gaudet on guitar and vocals, Bob Ristau on harmony vocals and bass, Sten Isachsen on mandolin and Fender Telecaster, and Tim Wechgelaer on harmony vocals and fiddle.
Together they play blend traditional mountain music with Gaudet's diverse, contemporary songwriting and memorable melodies "that'll get you singing along even
on first listen." (Nippertown) |
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 Warm as summer sunshine, real as the truth, intimate as a long overdue visit between old friends…such is a Jonathan Edwards concert. He may be best known for his million-selling 1971 song "Sunshine (go away today…)," but this is one veteran performer who is neither grizzled nor nostalgic.
In the past four decades his talents have graced fifteen albums, including Little Hands, selected in 1987 by the National Library Association as a "Notable Children's Recording." He has performed throughout North America, collaborated with artists from Emmylou Harris and Jimmy Buffett to Cheryl Wheeler, and contributed to two movie soundtracks.
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  Brittany Shoup is a 21-year-old singer-songwriter who never listened to acoustic music before she started playing acoustic music. She is a strong believer in the ever-growing DIY music industry. Her songs are honest, daring, and sometimes make people giggle. Both of her available CDs, Load of BS and Locust of Control, were recorded, mixed and produced by Brittany Shoup and released by her own For Serious Records. Her musical influences include various alternative, ska and acoustic artists.
Mal Blum is a New York-based acoustic musician with two full length albums under her belt. She provides a captivating mix of music, comedy, and wit for for a one-of-a-kind experience. A lively opener, Mal Blum has supported a plethora of national artists including Melissa Ferrick, Animal Prufrock, and Hamell on Trial. |
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 “Flat out…you have to hear this great musician…. I'm blown away”
—Jorma Kaukonen
Without a doubt, Toby is one of the very finest acoustic blues musicians alive today. This outstanding musician won the Best Performer in all categories at the prestigious International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. From the opening bars of his high-energy Piedmont style, it is easy to see why: start with the picking of David Bromberg, Merle Travis, and Robert Johnson. Then add the improvisational qualities of Buddy Guy and Mark Knopfler, and you have Toby Walker.
He makes six strings sound like a thundering army of six hundred!
He plays blues, rags, hot country picking, and coaxes more out of a guitar than you can imagine, but the originality doesn't end there. He is also a skilled singer and songwriter who draws inspiration from traditional and contemporary music.
Be ready for lots of laughs, great songs and entertaining stories as Toby tells the humorous and heartwarming tales of other masters, talks about his inspirations, and astounds with his authentic 1930 National Steel Guitar.
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| Saturday, Feb. 27 • 2 to 4 PM |
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Poetry Reading |
| FREE! |
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Featuring Sue Jefts, Mimi Moriarty, Alan Catlin, Cara Benson, James Schlett. |
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Join us for an afternoon of poetry with some of our favorite local poets. Sue Jefts, Mimi Moriarty, Alan Catlin, Cara Benson, and James Schlett will each share some of their well-crafted work. From the meditative to the gritty to the experimental, you're sure to hear something to inspire and enliven your day.
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 Tonight we step back in time to the 1970s, an especially fine decade in Caffè Lena's 50-year history and for the popular music world in general. We're pleased to present one of the decade's great voices for this special concert, Livingston Taylor.
 Liv arrived in the Boston music world in 1968 at the age of eighteen and recorded his first album for Atlantic Records at nineteen. His songs, including "I Will Be in Love with You" and "I'll Come Running;" and, recorded by his brother James, "I Can Dream of You," "Going Round One More Time," and "Boatman" (off the double Grammy-winning album Hourglass), are memorable favorites of the 1970s Top Forty radio charts.
While he toured the world with the likes of Linda Ronstadt, Jimmy Buffett, Fleetwood Mac, and Jethro Tull, he also managed to squeeze in a couple visits to Caffè Lena. It's an honor to welcome him back.
We begin this special evening with the rich, sweet, nostalgic harmonies of acoustic trio Gathering Time. |
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| Sunday, Feb. 28 • 1 PM |
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Rock Show—Benefit for Caffè Lena |
| $8 at the door |
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Featuring Caught By Desire, Next Time We Talk, and Carry The Tradition |
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 Caught By Desire
This Saratoga three-piece band plays hard rock, metal, and alternative rock. It features Trevor Kowalski on keyboards, Bradley Paquet on guitar, and Noah Chieco on drums. They are heavily influenced by Guns N’ Roses, Muse, Three Days Grace, Metallica, Deep Purple, and Creed.
Next Time We Talk
This four-piece band from Vermont plays Indie powerpop and rock featuring vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass and drums.
Carry the Tradition
Hailing from Queensbury, Carry the Tradition was a hit at last year's rock fest. They have a brand new album out and are starting to get airplay on WEQX. They play alt-rock and punk.
All That's Fallen
This four-piece pop-punk band from Cambridge, NY has a sound that has been compared to Green Day. They recently raised $2,500 for Haiti in a benefit concert that drew more than a 100 people.
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| Sunday, Feb. 28 • 7 PM |
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Skidmore Small Jazz Ensembles |
| $5 at the door |
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Benefit for Caffè Lena |
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 Come enjoy an afternoon of diverse jazz styles and inspiring talent as the
music students of Skidmore College take the stage with their guitars, brass,
reeds, keyboards, drums and vocals. They never fail to put on truly engaging
show of jazz standards and contemporary compositions. This is a great one to
bring your aspiring young music student to!
Illustration: Corey Allen, "Satchmo's Jazz." |
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Photo:
Danielle Miraglia
© 2009, Joseph Deuel
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Photo:
Alash Ensemble
© 2009, Joseph Deuel
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Photo:
Danny Schmidt
© 2009, Joseph Deuel
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Copyright © 1998-2010, Caffè Lena, Inc.
All Rights Reserved |
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