Upcoming Events
Fall 2022 (45th Season begins)
Season Pass Holders
One price for all events & prime seating
Fall $100~Winter/Spring $140 ~ All Season $240
Tickets are available online*, at Rivers End Bookstore, or at the door.
The Anthony Joseph 'Swingtet'
September 14th $15-$18
Meet & Greet Reception (members only)
The Anthony Joseph 'Swingtet' specializes in performing classic jazz standards and ballads form the Great American Songbook of Jazz. The group has been described as providing a ‘chamber music-like’ jazz setting, creating a pleasant atmosphere that is comfortable for the listener to enjoy the music. It is also quite obvious that the band genuinely enjoys performing and will naturally develop a friendly rapport with their audience.
For this performance their program will include a special tribute to the music of Syracuse native Jimmy Van Heusen.
For more info, visit their facebook page: Anthony Joseph ‘Swingtet
Tickets available soon!
Tickets available soon!
Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters
October 5th $15-$18
The powerhouse duo of Amy Gallatin and renowned resophonic guitarist Roger Williams—20 and 40 year veterans of the New England music scene— joined forces a few years ago to explore their mutual love of country standards, served up with an acoustic treatment in the bluegrass vein. The result is a toe-tapping blend of heartfelt vocals, soaring harmonies and red-hot picking, traditional yet modern and distinct.
“Amy Gallatin unleashed her pure, silvery voice on music that ranged from bluegrass through western swing and contemporary folk, nailing each style with precision, taste and charismatic humor, and displayed a rare ability to move from sweetness to sassy grit, sometimes within a single phrase.” ~Chicago Tribune
“Amy’s voice hits you like a refreshing warm breeze, her perfect diction and crystal clear
tone seemingly effortless and at the same time passionate. Her unique voice is perfectly suited to bluegrass, country, as well as any style she cares to sing.”
~British Bluegrass News
“I highly recommend Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters to any music fan who enjoys a top-quality concert experience.” ~Larry Hoyt, host of Common Threads on WAER, Syracuse
For more info visit: amygallatin.com
Jonathan Byrd & the Pickup Cowboys
Guest emcee, John McConnell
October 19th $16-$19
The Pickup Cowboys are musical gunslingers, vaudevillian hucksters, and old fashioned tent revivalists, bringing a bold new set of working-class anthems to Americana fans. “One of the top 50 songwriters of the past 50 years.” ~Chicago Tribune.
Jonathan Byrd is a preacher’s son., Gulf War veteran, and award-winning songwriter from North Carolina, known for literary songs that have become Americana favorites. Johnny Waken cut his teeth on electric guitar opening for The Blues Brothers Band on their Red, Hot & Blue tour in 1992. Austin McCall drums with Senegalese griot Diali Cissokho, Indie duo Violet Bell, and international theatre troupe Paper Hand Puppet Intervention.
For more info visit: jonathanbyrd.com
Tickets available soon!
The New McKrells
November 2nd $16-$19
Kinlough Academy of Irish Dance will perform at 7:00 during
Meet & Greet Reception
Tickets available soon!
The line-up can be said to be a Who's Who of North Country Roots Music, with each player a top draw in their own right. Starting with songwriter John Kribs on banjo and both electric & acoustic guitar and Orion Kribs, a world class mandolin player capable of the break neck speed and nuanced solo work needed to perform in a Kevin McKrell band.
Arlin Greene is a bassist of exceptional abilities, whether it is a high energy bluegrass stomp or Celtic ballad, Greene's bass is the foundation the band’s songs are built upon. It is widely known thoughout the northeast that if you need a great fiddler call Doug Moody and percussionist Brian Melick, is worth the price of the ticket all by himself.
Behind all of this is Kevin McKrell . Kevin has performed throughout the U.S., Canada, Ireland, Scotland and Italy. His songs have been covered by bands all over the world— The Kingston Trio, The Fureys, Woods Tea Company, Hair of The Dog, to name a few. With each player in The New McKrells capable of lead singer status the harmony vocals of this collective of like minded musicians is stunning, the energy explosive, each song a gem.
For more info visit: kevinmckrell.com
Kinlough Academy of Irish Dance is registered and sanctioned with An Coimisiun, Dublin Ireland. The group is lead by former championship dancer Siobhan Smith Rodrigues TCRG. The studio is based in Oswego and offers a variety of classes for all ages and levels of dancers. Dancers are between 5-15 years of age.
Tickets available soon!
Mike Powell
with special guest John McConnell
November 16th $15-$18
With a vintage voice and a chest full of hauntingly heartfelt songs, prolific storyteller Mike Powell is the underground messenger of blue-collar soul. Each night the lights go up, this pioneering poet lets his guard down and allows the fervently fearless stories to come to life. His comfort behind a microphone and unique brand of atomic folk creates a vibe that warms the room like a long ago fire burning hot inside a cabin in the woods.
Tickets available soon!
Sultans of String Christmas Caravan
December 7th $25-$28
Celebrate the season with an adventurous musical trip around the world! Sultans of String deliver an exuberant performance … From fiery fiddle tunes to a Caribbean sleigh ride, this surprising and delightful holiday fiesta heats up when these 3x Canadian Folk Music Award winners bring their signature sound to well known gems such as Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, a djembe-driven Little Drummer Boy, a Turkish twist on Greensleeves, as well as a Gypsy-jazz inspired Django Christmas, and a Rumba Flamenca-fuelled Jingle Bells.
“We wanted to make a real contribution to the Christmas repertoire, and hopefully create some new standards”, says bandleader and Queen’s Diamond Jubilee recipient Chris McKhool. ”This is a Christmas show and album, but approached from the perspective of a world-music band. We explored diverse genres, from Quebecois fiddle tunes to collaborating with a traditional Turkish string ensemble, and jump around from the classic sounds of the Andrews Sisters, to a Himalayan sleigh ride, African roots music, Gypsy-jazz, rumba flamenco, ska, and even the grandeur of the symphony."
Sultans of String are an “energetic and exciting band with talent to burn!” (Maverick Magazine UK). Thrilling audiences with their genre-hopping passport of Celtic reels, Gypsy-jazz, Arabic and Cuban rhythms, fiery violin dances with kinetic guitar, while bass and percussion lay down unstoppable grooves. Throughout, acoustic strings meet electronic wizardry to create layers and depth of sound. The band’s Christmas Caravan CD hit Billboard’s World Music charts (#6) and The New York Times Hits list.
Special Guest, Rebecca Campbell is an acclaimed and prolific singer who also serves up percussion, Stella guitar, melodica, and harmonica. Bred in the Maritimes and Ottawa and now based in Toronto, Rebecca has performed with Jane Siberry, Parachute Club among countless others. Her gorgeous voice has graced both the big and small screen, and on over 120 recordings.
For more information visit: sultansofstring.com
Gangstagrass
January 11th $17-$20
Tickets available soon!
“the Brooklyn group brings together rappers and pickers to create music as steeped in Appalachia as it is in beats and lyrical flow. By the end of their set the members of Gangstagrass succeeded in igniting a full on dance party and showing that the melding of hip-hop and bluegrass can be done proper. Their set featured all the best attributes of both styles of music: top notch musicianship with the occasional jam, lively harmonies, and two MCs at the top of their game dropping rhymes and keeping the crowd fully hyped. In other words, they are an act not to be missed.” ~Glide Magazine, 9/5/17
"Gangstagrass fuses string instruments with hip-hop artists, resulting in arguably the best argument yet for a rap and country music marriage.” ~Rolling Stone Country
"When music is this good it smashes every borderline, every genre, every preconceived idea of what a bluegrass hip-hop fusion might sound like.” ~Essentially Pop
“Gangstagrass meld authentic bluegrass with rap and hip-hop. It's a concept that may look jarring on paper but the band does it so effectively that it's a much easier idea to sell once music fans see or hear them.” ~Forbes, 8/29/18
“A mixture of bluegrass and hip-hop that might repel some purists on either side of the country-and-rap divide, but will knock the socks off just about everybody else.”
~Wall Street Journal
For more info visit: gangstagrass.com
Tickets available soon!
Matt Nakoa
January 25th $15-$18
Matt grew up on a small goat farm in Smyrna, NY and began composing music as a teenager. Following a formative stint as a classical pianist, Matt won a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Matt has earned many songwriting awards, including a win at Kerrville Folk Festival’s prestigious New Folk Competition. Additionally, Matt’s piano music has received favorable reviews in publications including The New York Times, and his film scoring has been featured by Disney. Matt now tours internationally, recently performing at The White House, throughout India, and regularly with folk music icon Tom Rush.
“On the ivories, (think of) a hot-handed phenom who can go from Chopin to beer-drenched honky- tonk in one set ...On guitar, a Jack Johnson-esque singer-songwriter... Nakoa does not disappoint. Actually, between his piano chops, charismatic stage presence, and heartfelt originals on guitar ... he drops jaws.” ~The Boston Globe
For more info visit: mattnakoa.com
Andrew VanNorstrand Trio
February 8th $15-$18
Tickets available soon!
TBA
Tickets available soon!
Karen Savoca & Pete Heitzman
February 22nd $15-$18
Annual Meeting 4:30 ~ Pot Luck Dinner 5:15pm ~ Show 7:30pm
Grit and sensitivity. Percussion and groove. Karen Savoca and Pete Heitzman are sinuous as two skaters gliding on ice as they play across soul, R&B, roots and world rhythms, conjuring a communion between audience and stage. It’s no wonder they were recently inducted into the SAMMY Hall Of Fame.
In the words of Russ Tarby of the Syracuse New Times, "Savoca and Heitzman kicked off the show with an absolutely transcendent set and added an eighth SAMMY to their collection. The music they make together resonates from Mother Earth to the wide blue heavens."
"If she were a Native American, her name would be Sings Like Two Birds.”
~Greg Brown
"Heitzman has a sly touch that, combined with Savoca’s in-the-pocket drumming and spectacularly soulful vocals, gives the duo the impact of a four-piece band.”
~!Acoustic Guitar Magazine
"An addictive blend of hybrid pop with lots of jazz whimsy and slippery funk." ~Dirty Linen
For more info visit: karensavoca.com
Tickets available soon!
Jay Ungar & Molly Mason
March 7th $17-$20
He was a Bronx kid. She grew up in Washington State. He was raised on pop music of the 1940s and ’50s. She had a fondness for traditional fiddle music and ’30s and ’40s popular tunes. He hung out in Greenwich Village coffeehouses and roamed North Carolina and Tennessee in search of traditional players. She played clubs and colleges on the West Coast and took a liking to the jazzy sound of the Swing Era. Since joining forces—both artistically and romantically, Jay Ungar and Molly Mason have become one of the most celebrated duos on the American acoustic music scene.
These extraordinary musicians won international acclaim after Ken Burns’ The Civil War hit the airwaves. Their performance of Jay’s haunting composition Ashokan Farewell — the musical hallmark of the PBS series — left a lasting impression on everyone who tuned in. The soundtrack won a Grammy and Ashokan Farewell was nominated for an Emmy.
Jay & Molly are masters of music and storytelling who generously share their lives and their music with audiences. There are so many moments and strands to savor in the course of the evening!
Jay’s fiddling is brimming with playfulness, drama, soulfulness and technical verve, as he explores the many musical styles and idioms that he has internalized and made his own. Molly’s total mastery and inventiveness on piano and guitar is always spot-on, as she supports the tunes and follows the flow of the melody. Her rich and expressive vocals along with the resonant strains of Jay’s violin, reveal the deep emotions that flow in the duos veins.
For more information visit: jayandmolly.com
RPR
March 21st
Tickets available soon!
Tickets available soon!
The Cadleys
with special guest Mark Wahl
April 4th $15-$18
Following in the tradition of great male-female duets like George Jones and Tammy Wynette, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons, John and Cathy show how two voices blended in seamless harmony can produce one powerful sound. Featuring mostly original songs from John’s pen (including a #1 hit, “Time”), the band is John Cadley (acoustic and electric guitar, vocals), Cathy Cadley (acoustic guitar, vocals), Perry Cleaveland (mandolin, vocals), and John Dancks (bass). With soaring bluegrass harmonies, masterful songwriting, solid musicianship, and great audience rapport, the Cadleys are an entertainment delight on every level.
Engaging songwriting, multi-instrumental virtuosity, stunning vocal harmonies, using elements of folk, blues and traditional jazz. The trio is Heather Pierson (piano, acoustic guitar, tenor banjo, melodica, ukulele, vocals), Davy Sturtevant (cornet, dobro, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, vocals) and Shawn Nadeau (bass, vocals).
For more information visit: heatherpierson.com
Tickets available soon!
Heather Pierson Acoustic Trio
April 18th $15-$18
Ruddy Well Band
May 2nd
Tickets available soon!
Season Finale with
Emerging Artist Showcase
May 16th $15/Free for Members
Tickets available soon!
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