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Mission Accomplished–By Our Audience!
Greetings – Guess what?!  Folks near and far stepped forward during the May Membership Drive and Caffe Lena’s family is now 61 new members stronger! It’s so encouraging that people have come out of this pandemic still believing in the power of music to enrich our lives and strengthen our community. On behalf of our staff and board, our musicians and our audience, we thank you for believing that making music is important!

If you’re ready to do something fun and social this weekend, we have truly positive, enriching shows for you. We can’t wait to introduce you and Kemp Harris to each other! His musical storytelling is riveting. He’s a courageous, open-hearted and loving gay black man with a lot of inspiring words to share. We’re making the most of his visit to Saratoga with a Friday night concert, a Saturday morning conversation about his songwriting, and a Saturday afternoon Little Folks show for the whole family.

Our Bright Series features artists who are making waves in the music world and playing locally for the first time. We picked Cloudbelly for June’s Saturday night Bright show. Here’s a sample of their sonic poetry.

The current policy at Caffe Lena is masks when you’re out of your seats; no masks at the tables. We have 18 tables (pods) with one party at each. This presents a temporary complication for our members: because we’re selling by the pod, we can’t apply your discount at the time of sale. We will give you a Membership Ticket Rebate when you arrive for the show in the form of a voucher for food and drink, or cash. Thanks for your patience.

See you at the show,
Sarah
Every Tuesday / 8 PM
“Live From Caffe Lena” Radio Show
Listen on WEXT 97.7 & 106.1 FM
Featuring: FRICTION FARM
Aidan Quinn and Christine Stay, AKA Friction Farm, played our stage on Caffe Lena’s 61st birthday, just a week ago. They were celebrating the release of their new album, Evidence of Hope. Storytelling, social commentary, humor, and their award-winning harmonies and lyrics made the room feel like a gathering of old friends.
Wednesday, June 2 / 7 PM
Poetry Night with Jim Eve, Stuart Bartow, Judith Kerman
In-person tickets
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The tradition is a stone building
windows filled with yellow light.
Black letters, square and mysterious as granite.
Wrought iron, that other voice:
Arbeit Macht Frei
spreading its arms across the gate.
The sword turns at the door . . .
–Excerpt from “Cholent” by Judith Kerman
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Thursday, June 3 / 7 PM

Mostly Modern Presents: Soprano Cree Carrico
Cabaret & Song Cycles
Featuring World Premiere of Robert Paterson’s Cocoa Cantata
In-person tickets
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Modern classical music performed by soprano Cree Carrico, violinist Victoria Paterson, with Blair McMillen on piano.

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Friday, June 4 / 8 PM
An Evening with Kemp Harris
In-person tickets
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He’s a singer-songwriter, actor, activist, author, storyteller, educator and, in his words, an “old black man telling stories and spreading the love.” Kemp’s powers of observation and unique gift for shining a light on what it means to be alive in these times come from a lifetime devoted to genuine human connection.

Saturday, June 5 / 11 AM / $25 
When Words Collide: A songwriting workshop with Kemp Harris
Register here

In Kemp’s own words:  Someone once asked me, “what is your process for writing lyrics to your songs?” I realized that I had never really analyzed my “process”, but I know there is one. I will say that my lyrics express the totality of the person I am. It is a combination of my experiences as a black, gay man of a certain age living in America. Sometimes, it’s about politics or the society we live in or love and just living, things we all experience everyday. Like a mirror, they reflect my interpretation of the world I see around me. I do not try to convince others to adopt a particular view, nor “preach” a particular ideology. I leave that to others. I will hear a phrase, see an image, have a passing thought and know that I must put it into words and music. In this workshop, I’d like to share how some of my songs came about, those who have influenced me, rhyming verses, free form, and why I write. “We may not go about it the same way, we just do what we can do and pass it on.”
Saturday, June 5 / 8 PM 
Little Folks Show with Kemp Harris
Register for FREE In-person tickets
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As an award-winning educator for public elementary school students, Kemp knows how to light up a roomful of children. This free, one-hour, kid-friendly performance is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts & Polyset.
Saturday, June 5 / 8 PM 
The Bright Series
CLOUDBELLY
In-person tickets
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This month’s Bright Series find is the duo of singer-songwriter Corey Laitman and Grammy-nominated producer / multi-instrumentalist Anand Nayak (Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem, Heather Maloney). With a natural magnetism that generates real power, these two artists are creating extraordinarily beautiful acoustic songs that go right to the heart. Side effects may include euphoria, humming, smiling, weeping and self-care.
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Sunday, June 6 / 7 PM
Sally Rogers and Claudia Schmidt
In-person tickets
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Time-tested, true-blue folk duo Claudia Schmidt and Sally Rogers have been weaving their voices, dulcimers, and guitars together for decades. Heart-opening harmony and musical chemistry are at the heart of “Circle of the Sun,” “Lovely Agnes,” “Quiet Hills” and other timeless Rogers and Schmidt originals that have found their way into the closest thing folk music has to a bible, Rise Up Singing.
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