Thursday, Sept. 28: There’s no overestimating the influence of the Cowboy Junkies on the aesthetics of “low”, leading, decades after they rocked the world with whispers, directly to the phenomenon of dreampop and to the genre that I hereby deem closet folk (think early Iron and Wine).
Overheard at Taste of New Paltz 2017, between two young girls: “I have sprinkles all over my shoe!” “I have hot sauce in my shoe.” That more or less sums up the particular genius of this annual event at the Ulster County Fairgrounds.
Monday, Sept. 25: African guitar styles, especially that of the Tuareg, have been an increasing part of the vibrancy and life of the electric guitar internationally, still resonating with freshness and cultural purpose here in the birth- and death-place of the instrument.
Sunday, Sept. 24: Very few bands have ever comfortably supported three songwriters, and even two can be a fractious challenge. Consider, then, the rare case of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young – not only four songwriters in one outfit, but four established ones who had written hits with their previous bands: Buffalo Springfield (Stills and Young), the Byrds (Crosby) and the Hollies (Nash). Imagine the wrestling over vinyl bandwidth.
Sunday, Sept. 24: Flying Machine features substantive contributions from five-time Grammy winner Cindy Cashdollar on steel guitar, paired on a track with drummer and family torchbearer Gabe Butterfield. Avant-garde vocalist, composer and violinist Iva Bittová appears on the same track as the reed player and scholar of animal sounds David Rothenberg and the world-recognized harmonic overtone singer Timothy Hill. Imagine that. No, really.
Saturday, Sept. 23: The Grammy-nominated band will donate all proceeds to support the mission of the Hurley Heritage Society. Professor Louie has recorded and produced music for many artists in LRS Studios in Hurley for more than 30 years. Located on the farm of John and Anna Kaufman, the studio looks out over the fields that inspired the critically acclaimed 2016 album, Music from Hurley Mountain.
Saturday, Sept. 23: The difficulties of working with film “create a sense of performance, of danger and the possibility of loss.”
Saturday, Sept. 23: The blues vocalist, a three-time Grammy nominee and daughter of legendary blues guitarist Johnny Copeland, is a regular performer at the Falcon at Marlboro. Such is the company that the Falcon keeps, where an endless stream of notables, legends and the next generation pass through the two venues at Tony Falco’s shrine of great music and local beer, seven nights a week.
Wednesday, Sept. 27: Father and son will converse about the creepy novel that they just wrote together, Sleeping Beauties, which takes place in the near future in a small Appalachian town whose primary employer is a women’s prison. Something happens when women go to sleep. The Washington Post’s Ron Charles dubbed the tale Orange Is the New Black Death.
Kites over the Hudson at Washington’s HQ, Family Day at the Dorsky Museum, Science on the River at Norrie Point, Seine and sing at Esopus Meadows, Hobo Night with Bindlestick Bill at Hyde Park Train Museum and Erica’s Stage IV breast cancer journey