Newsletters
Look Who’s On Stage This Week!
Greetings – That’s beautiful spirit Shamarr Allen up there blowing his trumpet. Give his photo a click and see if you don’t start smiling at his Quarantine Chill. Gratitude to Shamarr for bringing the party no matter how . . .
New Classes & New Shows For You
Greetings – If you’re ready for some good cheer, some grounding wisdom, some encouragement, this weekend’s schedule will make you happy. We also have a new slate of music classes online . . .
2 Ways to Put Harmony In Your Life
Greetings – Streaming is here to stay. It has become an essential tool in keeping artists and venues afloat and audiences engaged. Our goal is to make it a great experience for you, and economically viable for us and our artists. Hence, CaffeLena.TV, our new livestreaming platform and . . .
Stories & Poems At the End of Summer
Storytelling Night will feature leading regional storytellers Jeannine Laverty, Christie Keegan and Margaret French. Laverty tells stories connected to country folk, both from her own life and from the farming life of others. Tonight she will offer a medley of Adirondack tales of Jeanne Robert Foster and Edna West Teall. Keegan’s personal stories weave together the wonders of childhood, questions of adolescence and stark realities of adulthood…
Schedule Change for Travers Weekend
Greetings – We’re coming up on Travers Weekend in Saratoga Springs, which marks the peak of the horse racing season. We had planned to bring you two nights of legendary trumpeter Doc Severinsen & The San Miguel 5. However, at the age of 94 (!) Doc decided to hunker down at home until Delta abates. We quickly retooled the weekend . . .
Beautiful voices, old friends & new discoveries.
Greetings – We’re here to keep live music alive, whatever it takes. Once again, our nationally touring artists are being affected by postponements and cancellations, and of course that’s just one of many setbacks large and small being faced by a world hoping to see the pandemic disappear in the rearview mirror. While we all do what we can to get recovery back on track, there are things you can take the edge off . . .
The Free Festival Is This Weekend!
“Caffe Lena at SPAC” has been fun every year, but this one feels especially celebratory. (Click the header for details.) This 2-day festival is free thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, and our friends at SPAC. If you haven’t felt ready for an indoor show, this is your chance to get a taste of the music you love in an outdoor setting. Bring a picnic or . . .
Exciting Newcomers This Week!
Greetings – Two in from Texas this week! Ley Line and the Quebe Sisters. The number of national bands hitting the road is growing daily, with most organizing their tours around outdoor music festivals. Things are getting better for touring artists, but the music world is still nowhere close to normal. If you’re watching our livestream . . .
Folk, Jazz, Indie Rock and Lots of Fiddles!
Greetings – We’ve been experiencing the most extraordinary concerts lately. The feeling is special in part because many in the audience and on the stage have been starved for live music for so long. And it’s partly that barriers crumbled during the pandemic. I refer to the barriers that would have prevented some of our recent artists from playing such a small room. Or barriers that would have defined a style of music as not appropriate for our room . . .
Photo Contest, Family Music and More
Greetings – We have a fun challenge for you! We’ve learned that some of our online viewers are heading outdoors and gathering with friends to watch our livestreams. What a great idea! Send a photo of you livestreaming a Caffe Lena show and we’ll enter you in a drawing. The prize is a Caffe Lena red fleece blanket, perfect for picnics and outdoor shows, and a copy of Caffe Lena: Inside America’s Legendary Folk Music Coffeehouse (Powerhouse Books, 2013).