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| Chandler Travis Philharmonette, 2010 |
Gballoi, 2010 |
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PDF Downloads:
Full Calendar
(2.36 MB) Sep-Nov
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Fridge Calendar
(140 KB) Sep-Nov
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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
June 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, Jun. 2 • 7 PM |
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Poetry Open Mic |
| $3 at the door |
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Featured Readers: Marsha Kroll and Mary Kane |
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2007 Bucks County Pennsylvania Poet Laureate Marsha Kroll’s poems have appeared or will be appearing in 5 A.M., Cimarron Review, Hayden's Ferry Review, U.S.1 Worksheets, Quercus Review, and Paterson Literary Review, among other literary journals. She has also been honored with a number of poetry awards, including an Honorable Mention and an Editor's Choice Award from the Allen Ginsberg Awards series, and 2nd Prize from the Mad Poets Poetry Contest. She is also a two-time Finalist in the River Styx International Poetry Competition. Her chapbook, Modeling With Miss America, was published by Finishing Line Press.
Cape Cod, Massachusetts, poet Mary Kane is the winner of the 2009 Regional Poetry Award from the Cape Cod Cultural Council, a semi-finalist in the Alice James Books Beatrice Hawley Prize, and a two-time winner of the Wallace Stevens Poetry Prize from the University of Connecticut. Her poetry chapbook, She Didn't Float, was published by Harlequin Ink. |
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For the second year running Caffè Lena will devote a weekend to the art of the spoken word, with more than a dozen accomplished poets offering words of freedom, beauty, challenge, and revelation. The festival will open on Friday evening with a full-length performance by renowned NYC slam poet Taylor Mali, and will continue on Saturday with workshops and readings throughout the afternoon and evening.
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| Friday, Jun. 4 • 8 PM |
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Poetry Festival |
$15 advance / $17 at the door
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Taylor Mali |
| www.taylormali.com |
 “To watch Mali is to watch a full-body poetic assault—with humor his central weapon.”
—The Portland Phoenix
“Taylor Mali is a ranting comic showman and literary provocateur.” —The New York Times
Taylor Mali is one of the best known poets to have emerged from the poetry slam movement. Articulate, accessible, passionate, and downright funny, Mali studied drama in Oxford with members of The Royal Shakespeare Company and puts those skills to work in his live performances. He was one of the original poets to appear on the HBO series Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry and was the "Armani-clad villain" of Paul Devlin's 1997 documentary film SlamNation.
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Workshops will take place in the Glasby and Susman meeting rooms at the Saratoga Springs Public Library. Six workshops will be offered at various times between 12:30 and 4:00 pm.
Poetry Readings will be offered on the Caffè Lena stage from 3 to 6 PM, and 7 to 10 PM.
Readers include Joe Bruchac, Lyn Lifshin, Paul Pines, Daniel Nester, Diane Lockward, Frannie Lindsay, Don Levy, Susan Deer Cloud, Naton Leslie, Christine Gelineau, Barbara Ungar and Nancy White.
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 There can be no doubt that Frank Vignola is now one of the world's most highly sought after acoustic guitarists. He has amply demonstrated his mastery of every genre from fusion and commercial pop-jazz to hard bop, post-bop, swing, rock, and blues.
Cited by jazz guitar legend Les Paul as one of the top five guitarists of all time, Vignola has toured and recorded with Bucky Pizzarelli, Les Paul, Lionel Hampton, Donald Fagen, Queen Latifah, Ringo Starr, Madonna, Dave Grisman, and Mark O'Connor.
The trio tackles a unique, high-energy repertoire featuring contemporary tunes by The Police, Frank Zappa, and Black Sabbath; not-so-contemporary numbers by Bach and Mozart; and of course jaw-dropping, lightening fast gypsy jazz originals.
Their high-octane performances and good-time vibe never fail to bring astonished fans to their feet, making each appearance an unforgettable experience.
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| Wednesday, Jun. 9 • 7 PM |
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Emerging Artist Breakout |
| $5 at the door |
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Student Vocalist Showcase |
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 Caffè Lena is proud to participate in SaratogaArtsFest, a weekend-long showcase of Saratoga's vibrant cultural life. The festival, now in its fourth year, offers a huge array of events focused on music, theater, dance, literary and visual arts.
With offerings appealing to everyone from seasoned connoseurs to schoolchildren, we encourage you to buy an ArtsPass and spend a fresh June weekend exploring the rich offerings that abound in our beautiful city! |
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| Friday, Jun. 11 • 3 PM |
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Saratoga Artsfest |
| $20 at the door |
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Acoustic Blues Guitar Workshop with Jon Shain |
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 Acoustic Blues Guitar Workshop with Jon Shain
Spend an hour working on your fretboard skills with Durham, NC blues guitarist Jon Shain. This workshop is designed for advanced beginners to intermediate players. The teaching will touch on signature riffs, turnarounds, and open-tuned slide playing.
Jon Shain was a finalist in the 2009 International Blues Challenge in Memphis and has shared stages with Keb Mo, John Hammond, and Jorma Kaukonen. Shain will be performing at Caffè Lena along with The Grandsons later in the evening.
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  North Carolina fingerstyle guitarist Jon Shain is a fretboard master and ace harmonica player who creates a musical gumbo of old time New Orleans jazz to traditional Piedmont blues classics, with some very fine new ballads mixed in.
Performing with him for this special show is the award-winning Washington, DC ensemble The Grandsons.
Moving and shaking into their 23rd year, the Grandsons play an exhuberant blend of Americana featuring rhythm and blues, rockabilly, swing and country two-steps.
This is modern folk music at its finest with instrumental skills rivaling the finest classical players, and an unguarded spirit of pure fun!
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  Walt Michael is a virtuoso of tremendous influence in the revival of that complicated, heavenly instrument, the hammered dulcimer. His wide repertoire ranges from old-time Southern Appalachian, to Celtic, to breath-taking originals.
His forty-year career has taken him from the coal camps of Appalachia to the Closing Ceremonies of the 13th Olympic Winter Games, and to countless folk festivals and clubs of excellent repute in between.
Walt's Company consists of Evan Stover and Frank Orsini on fiddle, and Tom Wetmore on bass.
Kate and Steve emerge from the Pacific Northwest with songs of romance and hope and a mission to "harmonize community" in towns across the nation. Lifetime musicians and award-winning songwriters, Kate Power & Steve Einhorn play guitars, banjo and the mighty little ukulele, and sing with a feel for the story behind the song.
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 “If a young Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel had ever gathered with Brian Wilson and the young Beach Boys and formed a Nashville string band, it might just have sounded like The Farewell Drifters.” —Zachary Greenberg, The Nashville Review
With shimmering harmonies, gently propulsive acoustic instrumentation, and disarmingly honest songwriting, the  Farewell Drifters of Nashville, TN have arrived at an engaging, inventive musical hybrid all their own—a pure and welcoming sound that satisfies traditional bluegrass fans, but has also won over folk and singer/songwriter enthusiasts, and even the denizens of rock clubs! The five-piece band does its thing with a trad line-up of two acoustic guitars, mandolin, fiddle, and upright bass.
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| Monday, Jun. 14 • 7 PM |
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Storytelling Open Mic |
| $5 at the door |
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| Wednesday, Jun. 16 • 7 PM |
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Emerging Artist Breakout |
| $5 at the door |
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Featuring The Rambling Methods |
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 Wylie Brown, a Skidmore Filene Scholar, began writing folk songs during his first year at Skidmore College. This past year he collaborated with four other Skidmore students to create the Rambling Methods, an alternative rock group with folk, blues, and reggae twists. Their songs have a strong emphasis on intriguing lyrics and sentimental melodies backed by an assortment of musical genres. The music leaves room for expression while also saving moments for the energetic electric guitar solos of a rock and roll band. This show is for folk lovers and rockers alike.
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 In the one year that the Fighting 86s have been playing together, they've watched their mix of  traditional Celtic music and classic rock tunes skyrocket them to the forefront of the local Irish music scene. Drawing on Celtic music ranging from traditional pieces to songs by modern Irish bands U2, the Saw Doctors, and Flogging Molly the Fighting 86s deliver a tremendous amount of energy and create a sound that is all their own.
The trio features Brian Gibney on guitar and vocals, Mark Frederick on fiddle, and Steve Butler on bodhran.
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 Fusing alt-country, roots rock and folk, Lucy Kaplansky presents her songs with warmth, power and a gorgeous, evocative voice. Blend all that musical talent with funny stories, cogent remarks, and self-effacing wit and you have a deeply satisfying night of entertainment.
Lucy has released five solo albums on Red House, two of which have received the top award from the Association For Independent Music in the pop category.
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| Sunday, Jun. 20 • 7 PM |
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Dan Bern with Common Rotation |
$20 advance / $22 door
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| www.danbern.com |
 Topical, intelligent, unpredictable, a modern musical Lenny Bruce.
“...the Dylan for the skateboard generation.” —Gavin Music Report
Singer-songwriter Dan Bern has more stray thoughts, makes more obscure and askant connections, tries on more hats, slips into more pairs of shoes, eavesdrops on more conversations, reads more minds, and hears more voices than the rest of us. And what a lucky break for us that he has had a pen laying around to document, describe, and share so many of them. He's a folky troubadour with a rock-and- roll heart and the knack for combining humor and intelligence. He has published a full-length novel, exhibited his paintings, and released seventeen albums.
Dan's latest release is a collection of short childrens' songs called Two Feet Tall.
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| Wednesday, Jun. 23 • 7 PM |
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Emerging Artist Breakout |
| $5 at the door |
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Featuring the Sam Whitehouse Duo |
| www.samwhitehouse.com |
 Sam’s musical influences include the likes of Susan Tedeschi, Bonnie Raitt, John Mayer, Etta James, Ani DiFranco, Norah Jones, and many more. Before moving to New York, Sam’s prior band projects included The Verdict, a Boston cover band, as well as two lively blues/classic rock bands. She’ll be performing tonight with James Edward on guitar. |
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 Everytime this Brooklyn roots-rock, vintage country band has played Caffè Lena during the last few years they've gotten better and better, and now they're getting some serious traction: an appearance on NPR's Mountain Stage; a nomination for Artist of the Year from the Roots Music Association; and a spot on the 2009 Grammy ballot.
The bandleader and songwriter is Schenectady native Blake Christiana, supported by Trevor MacArthur on guitar, Rick Bugel on bass, and Jay Frederick on drums. Though they make their home in Brooklyn their sound is pure country-Texas roadhouse, backwoods Kentucky.
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| Saturday, Jun. 26 • 8 PM |
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Roy Hurd with Frank Orsini and Meadow |
$15 advance / $17 at the door
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| www.royhurd.com |
 Roy Hurd is one of the Adirondack's best-known singer/songwriters, loved by thousands of die-hard fans inside the Blue Line and beyond. His lyrics reflect the country independence and love of nature, family and good times that is so much a part of life in the mountains, with crowd-pleasing melodies that range from roadhouse rock to sweet folk ballads.
Joining Roy will be long-time partners Frank Orsini on fiddle and Roy's daughter Meadow on harmony vocals.
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| Sunday, Jun. 27 • 7 PM |
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The Lee Boys |
$16 advance / $18 door
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One of America's finest African-American Sacred Steel Ensembles |
| www.leeboys.com |
 This family group consists of three brothers, Alvin Lee (guitar), Derrick and Keith Lee (vocals), along with their three nephews, Roosevelt Collier (pedal steel guitar), Alvin Cordy Jr. (7-string bass) and Earl Walker (drums). Each member began making music at the ages of 7 and 8 in the House of God church they attended in Perrine, FL.
“Sacred steel” is a type of music described as an inspired, unique form of Gospel infused with rhythm and blues, jazz, rock, funk, hip-hop, country and ideas from other nations. This music form was totally unknown outside the church until the mid 1990's when folklorist Robert Stone attended House of God services and recorded the music and documented its history, contributing the name “sacred steel.”
When The Lee Boys bring their joyous spiritual sound to the stage, audiences often dance, shout out, and always have a great time. Their unique sound has generated collaborations with Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers Band, The Black Crowes, Gov't Mule, The North Mississippi Allstars, and Victor Wooten, among many others. |
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| Wednesday, Jun. 30 • 7 PM |
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Emerging Artist Breakout |
| $5 at the door |
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Featuring The Holy Six |
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 The Holy Six is Liam Rees, who plays long-form guitar meditations influenced both by American Primitive style guitarists as well as Indian raga and Middle Eastern music. He currently lives in and studies the ancient Hindustani classical music of India. |
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Photo:
Chandler Travis Philharmonette
© 2010, Joseph Deuel
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Photo:
Gballoi
© 2010, Joseph Deuel
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Copyright © 1998-2010, Caffè Lena, Inc.
All Rights Reserved |
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