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| Greg Klyma, 2009 |
Bread & Bones, 2011 |
Seamus Kennedy, 2011 |
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PDF Downloads:
Full Calendar
(2.8 MB) Mar-May |
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Fridge Calendar
(235 KB) Mar-May |
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
December 2011
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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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 Carl Sandburg. Poet of the people, certainly, but few know that Sandburg was also one of the most important song collectors of the early 20th century. His "American Songbag," published in 1927, remains a keystone of folk literature and a divining rod for musicians fascinated by the deep roots of American music. In fact, in 2004 popular family musician Dan Zanes recorded Parades and Panoramas, an entire album of songs culled from the book.
 With "Carl Sandburg's American Songbag," Lost Radio Rounders—Tom Lindsay and Michael Eck—bring their unique, witty acoustic duo stylings to popular Sandburg selections such as "The Midnight Special," "John B. Sails," "Shenandoah," and "Turkey in the Straw." Pete Seeger, whom Sandburg called "America's tuning fork," has given his blessing to Lost Radio Rounders, urging them to keep the old songs alive, saying, "It's so important that you are doing this."
Opener Putnam Smith, who hails from Portland, Maine, could be an old-world troubadour fresh from the 19th Century. After all, he lives in a log cabin, plays his Grandfather's banjo, and has printed up the jackets of his new CD on a 1901 Pearl Letterpress (hand set type, pedal powered!). Yet this rootsy multi-instrumentalist songwriter (he also plays guitar, mandolin, and piano), steeped as he is in old-time Appalachian traditions, is very much a storyteller for the modern age.
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 Each Dec. this traditional klezmer ensemble squeezes onto the Caffè Lena stage to bring a little Yiddishkeit to the season with an emotionally uplifting performance of music, comedy and lessons.
Each year their repertoire expands and deepens, from swinging, danceable songs in Yiddish and Ashkenazic Hebrew, to stories, humor, short theatrical pieces, and poems. They make everything accessible to a mixed audience with translations, cue cards, and that universal language that makes your toes tap. If you haven't seen Wholesale Klezmer recently, it's time to rediscover them.
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 Always inventive and seeking fresh collaborations, Matthew Carefully is well known to area audiences for his years with folk-rock band the Kamikaze Hearts. Since the breakup of that band, Matthew has released two solo albums that feature rich, lush acoustic soundscapes with a feel of poignancy and thoughtfulness. This sound is perfect for Matthew's latest project, which he'll debut this evening: a soundtrack for Brunswick, a film about landscape change told through the personal story of a Rennselaer County farmer's lifelong connection to his now-threatened land.
Bailiwick is a Skidmore College based acoustic band with four members and ten instruments. Their influences are diverse, from the jangly folk-infused psychedelia of the mid-1960s to the sugary dementia of Animal Collective, and everything in between. Somehow this makes music which some people describe as "beautiful," "intriguing," and even "good." Bailiwick delivers an energy and fullness that is seldom found in acoustic bands.
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| Wednesday, Dec. 7 • 7 PM |
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Poetry Open Mic |
| $3 at the door |
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With Featured Readers Judith Prest and Jan Tramontano |
| jantramontano.com |
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Judith |
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Jan |
Judith Prest, is a poet, collage artist, and holds a certificate in Expressive Art Therapy. Her poetry has appeared in many literary journals and anthologies including Moments of the Soul, Spirit First, Beloved on the Earth (Holy Cow Press), and Layers of Possibility. Her latest book, Late Day Light, a full length poetry collection, came out in June 2011.
Jan Marin Tramontano is a poet and fiction writer living in upstate New York. Her poems and stories have appeared in a variety of print and online journals. She has written three poetry chapbooks, Floating Islands, Woman Sitting in a Café and the upcoming Paternal Nocturne (Finishing Line Press, January 2012) as well a penning her father's memoir, I Am a Fortunate Man. Her novel, Standing on the Corner of Lost and Found, has just been released. |
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| Friday, Dec. 9 • 8 PM |
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The Long Memory: A Tribute to Utah Phillips |
$22 adv / $24 door
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Featuring Duncan Phillips, Dan Schatz, Anke Summerhill, Doug Wintch and Paul Rasmussen |
| thelongmemory.com |
 “Yes, the long memory is the most radical idea in this country. It is the loss of that long memory which deprives our people of that connective flow of thoughts and events that clarifies our vision, not of where we're going, but where we want to go.”
—U. Utah Phillips
As the son of Bruce "Utah" Phillips, Duncan Phillips began traveling on the road with his father in the winter of 2000. Utah referred to Duncan as his "road manager", but Duncan jokes that everyone knows his father couldn't be managed.
Utah was known as the Golden Voice of the Great Southwest, anarchist, organizer, humanitarian, teller of tall tales and outrageous stories…and so much more. Tonight we'll follow his songs back to the wellspring that is Utah Phillips and find our history, our story, the community we share.
Duncan and Utah made their final road trip together to play at Caffè Lena in 2008, shortly before Utah passed away. Coincidentally, Caffè Lena was the first place Phillips played as a professional folksinger following his flight from Utah in 1969. That Duncan should return to our stage to release this special tribute album seems especially fitting.
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 The Ladies Auxiliary Ukulele Orchestra is a rare treat for irreverent unplugged fans across the country. Formed in 1994, the members now include songwriter and educator Bernice Lewis, composer and teacher Cathy Schane-Lydon, and artist Sarah McNair. Close-cropped harmonies and unrestrained ukulele strumming produce a highly original sound.
Their sets boast something from every era, ranging from Mozart to Radiohead, all of which benefit from fresh arrangements and a vocal delivery with tongues buried firmly in cheeks. Nothing is sacred in the Ladies' quest for suitable material. Their sets boast something from every era, with expected and surprising genres equally lavished with attention to harmony, humor and originality. |
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 Enjoy a relaxing afternoon in the midst of the seasonal hustle and bustle. Susan Trump transports her audience to a place far from a busy world. It's a place where music brings joy, peace, humor and fond memories of family, friends, and happy times. She sings and plays her way into our hearts with a gentle voice and inspirational, uplifting songs, both original and traditional.
She is an in-demand teacher with outstanding instrumental skill on mountain dulcimer, guitar, and banjo. She has released four solo recordings, including Live at Caffè Lena which captures the excitement of one of her "sold-out" weekend performances.
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| Wednesday, Dec. 14 • 7 PM |
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Emerging Artist Breakout |
| $5 at the door |
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Jes Hudak |
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 Jes Hudak, whose formidable songwriting and performing talent are showcased every week on Bravo's newest reality show "Platinum Hit," knew what she wanted to do with her life from a very young age. She started playing piano at the age of 8. By 13 she was performing her original songs at Caffe Lena's Open Mic Night. She recorded her first collection of songs and self-released her first album when was in the ninth grade.
In 2009 she won Pop Single of the Year 2009 at the LA Music Awards for her original song "Another Day," followed by a 2010 appearance at Lillith Fair LA. Early last year Jes released an EP, National Holiday, the title track of which won the Billboard World Song Contest in Pop and her music video was selected as AOL's Featured Music Video of The Day.
Jes won her spot on Bravo's "Platinum Hit" last year. As fans of "Platinum Hit" know, the challenges are tough, the criticism brutal, and the pressure cooker atmosphere makes for lots of drama. The show has had a profound effect on Jes so far. "My writing process is completely different now. It's totally changed," she says. And no matter what happens to her on the show, her growing fan base can rest assured that they will hear more from this talented and ambitious performer. Jes Hudak is here to stay.
Bonnie Logan and Vito Mamone have had to postpone |
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 “Flat out…you have to hear this great musician…. I'm blown away”
—Jorma Kaukonen
“A real killer with fantastic technique. He just knocks me out.”
—John Hammond
Without a doubt, Toby Walker is one of the very finest acoustic blues guitarists working 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, Dec. 17 • 8 PM |
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Annual Holiday Folk Show Sold Out!!! |
$16 adv / $18 door
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With Addie & Olin, Linda Schrade & David Kiphuth, and John Kirk & Trish Miller
CD Release Concert for "Peace & Goodwill for the Winter Holidays" |
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 CD release of "Peace and Goodwill for the Winter Holidays" featuring John Kirk, Trish Miller, Linda Schrade, David Kiphuth and Addie and Olin for the region's only 'Candlemas-Hanukkah-Ramadan-Solstice-Christmas-Kwanzaa-New Year-Boxing Day-Epiphany event!' This extravaganza is complete with exquisite singing on seasonal and sentimental holiday songs, humor, swanky décor and audience participation highlighted by stunningly beautiful vocals backed by stellar fiddle, guitar, mandolin, banjo, Dobjo, piccolo, concertina, flute and soprano saxophone.
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 “She is in the poetic lineage of Greek tragedy, Café Voltaire antics, of dada and surrealist play but with a post-modern, hip sensibility. I am transfixed when she's on stage.” —Poet/Performer Anne Waldman
Pyrenean-born, Brooklyn-based Nicole Peyrafitte creates imaginative performance art encorporating two continents and four languages. She employs multimedia stagings based on her visual art and writings, and sometimes even her cooking! She began working with celebrated jazz bassist Mike Bisio while living in the Capital District for fifteen years, and has toured frequently with him in the US and France.
Tonight their reunion will celebrate music, poetry and improvisation via selections of Peyrafitte's recent Bi-Valve, a series of writings and paintings that address the feminine from pre-historic cave paintings to contemporary feminist theory and the concerns of ecology.
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 His works are not the usual. Many have described his playing as both rhythmic and dynamic. Tristan's percussive sounds and moving "slow-tones" could be compared to that of Reich, Satie, Glass, Balinese Gamelan, and electronic music's beats and resonance. He is presently studying at Berklee College of Music with a focus on both composition and performance. Last December, he released his first album with producer Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls. Much of what will be heard on his next release will be performed for the first time here at Lena's.
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 . . . And now for something completely different! Former Rockapella star Sean Altman's comedy song concert JEWMONGOUS is "tuneful and sharply witty" (Los Angeles Times) and "bawdy with a wicked modern streak" (Washington Post), combining "the tunefulness of the Beatles and the spot-on wit of Tom Lehrer" (Boston Globe). Altman, who "writes hilarious and irreverent acoustic rock songs about his awakening Jewish awareness" (Jerusalem Post), founded Rockapella and led that group through its heyday years on the Emmy-winning PBS-TV series "Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?", for which Altman co-wrote the famous theme song. All faiths welcome, especially Jews. Not appropriate for kids unless you're training them to be sailors.
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Saturday, Dec. 24
& Sunday, Dec. 25 |
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Closed for Christmas |
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 Guitarist Danny Gotham and singer songwriter John Kribs (aka the Racquette River Rounders) began their partnership late in 1978 when along with bassist Michael Hadfield they formed The Racquette River Rounders; an eclectic string band performing everything from traditional reels and jigs to Fats Waller, Elvis Presley and their own original music. The band traveled extensively and made two records before "officially" disbanding in 1982. All these years later they still find time to perform together several times each year. This "not quite Boxing Day" show at Lena's has become an annual event.
Danny now lives in Chapel Hill North Carolina, teaches guitar and tours with internationally known mandolinist Peter Ostroushko. John makes his home in the southern Adirondacks and performs both solo and with several local and regional groups. He also chairs the Southern Adirondack Musicians Fund. They will be joined on fiddle by Doug Moody of the McKrells, bassist/guitarist Orion Kribs from Black Mountain Symphony, and Kevin Maul of the Burns Sisters and countless other top bands on dobro.
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 Boston-based quartet Jo Henley performs a modern mix of folk, rock, bluegrass, and country that their fans like to call "new roots." 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. This is a crowd-pleasing ensemble, as evidenced by their winning (by a mile!) the Audience Choice Award at Caffè Lena's 50th Anniversary festival.
The inside scoop is that Jo Henley is not a person. Rather, the ensemble consists of longtime musical collaborators Andy Campolieto and Ben Lee, along with drummer Mike Dingley and bassist Kent Stephens.
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| Gathering Time |
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Fairview Avenue Bluegrass |
Gathering Time offers delicious, three-part vocal blends backed by fine acoustic, electric and bass guitar creating a wall of harmonious sound and wave of memories. With a stylistic breadth ranging from the dyed-in-the-wool folk sound of Peter, Paul & Mary to the folk-rock harmonic complexity of Crosby, Stills & Nash, Gathering Time is a trio that's "getting a whole beehive-full of buzz" on the national folk scene right now.
Albany's own Fairview Avenue features bluegrass harmonies from two-part to four-part, passionate instrumental picking, original tunes from every member's pen, and a fun stage presence. They also play some non-bluegrass songs in decidedly bluegrass fashion with tons of enthusiasm and energy.
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Photo:
Greg Klyma
© 2009, Joseph Deuel
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Photo:
Bread & Bones
© 2011, Joseph Deuel
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Photo:
Seamus Kennedy
© 2011, Joseph Deuel
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Copyright © 1998-2011, Caffè Lena, Inc.
All Rights Reserved |
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