When it comes to chemistry, Mike Merenda and Ruth Ungar have plenty to spare. Onstage, they are Mike + Ruthy, a husband-and-wife duo setting the folk scene ablaze. Singers and storytellers, poets and parents, the two tour with their children in tow, embodying a down-home approach to Americana that is honest, beautiful and raw. Bouncing between festivals and intimate venues, these troubadours bring harmony-driven fiddle and banjo tunes to more than 100 shows a year.

Road-tested material such as the pair’s celebrated reharmonizing of Woody Guthrie’s “My New York City” cement Merenda and Ungar’s status as a “national treasure,” according to peer Anaïs Mitchell.

Merenda’s poignant songs paint pictures of the world we want to live in, inspired in great part by his favorite author, Daniel Quinn. With songs like What It All Is, and Beyond Civilization, his lyrics embrace the notion that we are all connected, to each other and to the Earth. His crowd-pleasing piece, Sunshiner, is an ode to clean living which simultaneously honors the past and looks to the future with the sing-along lyric, “Yes my Daddy was a miner, but I’m gonna be a sunshiner” and was nominated for an International Folk Music Award for Song of the Year.

Ungar’s unique vocal style ranges from a capella balladry to earthy soul and country. She was raised in a folk music family and learned the fiddle at a young age. Her father is fiddler/composer Jay Ungar, best known for his composition Ashokan Farewell which she also enjoys performing. Like her father’s evocative fiddling which is well known to elicit tears from many a rapt audience, so too does Ruthy weave a magical spell with her sonorous and emotional singing - as they like to joke: “making people cry is the family business!”

Mike + Ruthy have recorded and performed their exquisite, original folk music together for two decades as the duo Mike + Ruthy and with their seminal folk rock quintet The Mammals. They make their home in the lush Hudson River Valley of New York where they and friends host their own thriving community folk festival, The Hoot.

A recent tour of the UK, prompted this concert review from Celtic Music Radio, “Hailed by many as Americana trailblazers, Ruth Ungar and Mike Merenda, happily married and exuding togetherness on stage, are also gently-mannered activists with well-crafted songs that successfully ask potent questions and raise issues to probe how we can improve the planet. They deliver their material persuasively and in an eloquent manner with enjoyment of their music underpinning the approach overall. The music is the motivator throughout.”

Mike + Ruthy concerts blend artistry and authenticity, with fiery fiddle & banjo, emotionally potent harmonies, and dynamic stories that deepen the experience. Tap your toes, dance, or sit back sing along as Mike + Ruthy “roam effortlessly through the whole span that is Americana, from alt-country to folk to bluegrass." (The Bluegrass Situation)

http://www.themammals.love/mikeandruthy

Raised on the central coast of California and currently living in Lafayette, LA, Elise Leavy has a distinctly unique voice as a singer and songwriter. Often likened to Joni Mitchell and Judee Sill, Elise says it must be the California seawater getting inside her head and heart from an early age. She has been writing songs since she was 8 years old, and has studied the art of singing and harmony for the better part of her 24 years. After graduating from the New England Conservatory of Music and living in New York City, and then Nashville, TN, she is now thrilled to be preparing to release her fourth solo project, a group of songs written and recorded in Brooklyn, NY with a full band of amazing local musicians. Check out her music at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2zxHRgTQnY.

Violinists Trina Basu and Arun Ramamurthy reimagine the potential of string chamber music with a unique sound both deeply intimate and cinematically expansive. Rooted in traditions of South Indian classical music, Western chamber music, and jazz, the duo is uniquely positioned to create a sound that feels ancient, orchestral, and contemporary or as The New Yorker put it “free-flowing and globe-spanning.” Combined with the duo’s fluency in improvisation, there is a clear architecture to their sound that still gives space for the two violins to be delightfully indiscernible and shine individually. Their debut album, Nakshatra, the Sanskrit word for constellation, is a profound exploration of this dance between a collective and singular sound, bursting with energy, playfulness, and a cosmic gravitas.

As a duo they have been artists-in-residence at Avaloch Farm Music Institute and Next Stage Arts Project, and have performed at Ragas Live Festival, The Jazz Gallery, Bang on a Can, Benque Cultural Center, Sri Ramanjaneya Sangeetha Sabha, and Lyric Chamber Society of NY. Varying colors, shapes, and sounds emerge from the ensemble with their esteemed collaborators, who have included cellists Marika Hughes and Jake Charkey, percussionists Dan Kurfirst and Rich Stein, bassists Damon Banks and Rashaan Carter and guitarist Shane Parish. Basu and Ramamurthy are married and live in Brooklyn, NY with their two young children.

https://www.spinstersounds.com/trina-basu-arun-ramamurthy-artist-page

Over the past eleven years, Upstate has garnered acclaim for their effortless and genre-dodging arrangements, which flourished on two previous albums A Remedy (2015) and Healing (2019). The group swelled with members, traveled the country on a national headlining tour, and secured support slots with The Felice Brothers, Marco Benevento, Lake Street Dive, Mt. Joy, and the Wood Brothers. Upstate now welcomes multi-instrumentalist Dylan McKinstry, who engineered, mixed, and, along with Mary Webster, produced their third full length album, You Only Get A Few. https://upstatelovesyou.com/

Katie Martucci is a performer, bandleader, singer and composer who believes in the necessity of creative process for the self and the power of music to build and sustain community. Her latest release ‘Note to Self’ on La Reserve Records is a collection of songs about the “unspoken third thing in the room” — stories surrounding friendship, family history, imposter syndrome, her own personal journey with epilepsy and more. Drawing inspiration from the writing and production of artists like Madison Cunningham and Emily King, Martucci's songs are lush and cinematic. "No matter what Katie Martucci chooses to sing, it absolutely captivates us. Her voice is incredible, warm, and personal." - Ear to the Ground Music In addition to her solo work, Katie tours nationally with The Ladles, her folk-pop trio, while providing music workshops for local communities and developing sustainable touring methods. She is also the bandleader for Tucci Swing, a jazz ensemble featuring intricate three-part vocal harmony, and has worked as a producer for Eva Lovullo on her latest EP ‘tried to be everything.’ Katie has been featured on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and scored film for National Geographic."

https://www.katiemartucci.com/bio

This pass is STILL a great deal! We added a show to our list, and hope you can help us reach our guarantee pay for each band.

Mama’s Broke have spent the past nine years in a near-constant state of transience, pounding the transatlantic tour trail. They've brought their dark, fiery folk-without-borders sound to major festivals and DIY punk houses alike, absorbing traditions from their maritime home in Eastern Canada all the way to Ireland and Indonesia. Nowhere is the duo's art-in-motion approach more apparent than on their long-awaited JUNO nominated sophomore record Narrow Line (released May 2022 on Free Dirt Records) It's the sound of nowhere in particular, yet woven with a rich synthesis of influences that knows no borders.

For a group defined by constant touring, it’s not surprising that the two artists that make up Mama’s Broke, Lisa Maria and Amy Lou Keeler, met on the road. As Lisa remembers it, “Amy was driving her old Mercedes from Montreal to Nova Scotia and I was looking for a ride. We spent the 17 hours in the car talking almost exclusively about music. By the time we reached Halifax we started playing together, and within a week or two became a band.”

Both coming out of traveling communities that are focused on music and protest, the two owe the way in which they move through the world to the integrated and self-sustaining nature of DIY culture and activism. It was a busy life that took them on a roundabout annual touring schedule running between Canada, the United States, Ireland, the UK, and Europe. In each country, they built grassroots DIY communities to support their music or moved along the pathways of communal organizing that sustained other touring artists.

The eleven songs on their newest release, Narrow Line, burrow deeply with close harmony duets, commanding vocals, and poignant contemplations on cycles of life, including birth and death. Tinges of Americana stand side-by-side with the ghosts of Eastern European fiddle tunes and ancient a cappella ballad singing, melding into an unusually accessible dark-folk sound. A careful listen of Narrow Line invokes an ephemeral sense of place—whether real or imagined—inviting us to take comfort in the infinite possibilities of life, whether or not we ever choose to settle down.

The driving force behind this band is – and has always been – the commitment to challenge borders between people, places, and traditions; while encouraging freedom of expression and community through music.

Check out their recent Tiny Desk Concert performance! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeFcUbGW1gA&t=1s

From raging fiddle tunes, to saxophone solos and unrequited love songs, the music of The Faux Paws would be hard to pin down with standard genre descriptions. The trio’s contagious groove, and feel-good melting pot folk music has been honed over ten years of playing together, and is the sound of three close friends (two of which happen to be brothers), who feel a musical kinship that transcends any stylistic limitations. Now, after nearly a decade of music making, the bi-coastal trio are releasing their self-titled debut album “The Faux Paws”

Brothers Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand grew up playing contra dance music with their musician mother in the band Great Bear. Chris Miller grew up in Florida, and he was enamoured with bluegrass, and studied jazz before going on to play with GRAMMY nominated Cajun-country band The Revelers. Since meeting in 2012, the trio have toured across North America several times, sometimes under the name The Faux Paws, sometimes as part of other larger ensembles. But due to their commitments to other bands and musical projects, the timing was never right to focus on making The Faux Paws a priority. Instead, they took their time learning about different styles of music from one another, and finding where their interests and skills could create unexpected and exciting new sounds. “I love super glossy pop music, and Chris is always pushing more of a jazz influence” says Noah.. “But we all have a strong background in dance music, so almost everything we do has rhythm and groove, and is based around hook and feel”.

https://thefauxpawsmusic.com/

Dinner served at 6:00 and music will start at 7:00. We are excited to have our talented friends from Louisiana coming to play music and make amazing food for our community. It will be quite the party! Amazing dance music by cajun all stars Blake Miller, Kevin Wimmer, Jo Vidrine, and Colin Gould. A Louisiana dinner will be served with meats smoked here at Sweet Land Farm by Jo Vidrine, sold ala carte along with a gumbo made the day of the show. Tickets for the show do not include food. Dinner will be $15 and can be bought evening of. Dessert by Rachel Conroy for $7.

Jo Vidrine writes of himself: I call myself the Freelance Cajun, seemed like a good ear-catching name that serves as an umbrella title for some of the things that I do. My passions lie in music, photography, and sharing food from southwest Louisiana. I have a deep connection and sense of place in south Louisiana through its music, culture, and access to the natural world. As time has gone on I've managed to turn my passions into business ventures. I am a traveling musician playing cajun music in many place across the country and internationally. I've been fortunate to explore the professional photography world as a shooter and as an assistant to many amazing artist. I also from time to time feed the masses Louisiana-based "glory meals" in an effort to share some of my home traditions and build community every chance I get.

We are very excited to host this new band! The Shabbys is a unique trio combining the sounds of old time fiddle, banjo, and accordion with close harmony singing and timeless songwriting. Three friends who bring together the deep rhythm and drive of Appalachian and Midwestern fiddle traditions with the country-tinged songwriting of an Irish immigrant and the dreamlike sounds of the early 70s California coast. Stephanie Coleman is an old-time fiddler based in Brooklyn, NY. Originally from Chicago, Stephanie was first exposed to the fiddle as a child through her father, a fiddler himself. For more than two decades, she has immersed herself in Appalachian and Midwestern styles of old-time fiddling, exploring both the craft and the rich history behind the music. She spent several years touring with the acclaimed stringband Uncle Earl and has collaborated with countless notable musicians, including banjo wunderkind Nora Brown, Watchhouse’s Andrew Marlin, and clawhammer banjo virtuoso Adam Hurt. Stephanie has performed and taught at festivals and workshops throughout the United States, Europe, and Australia and remains a regular award winner in the renowned contest at the Appalachian String Band Festival in Clifftop, West Virginia. Most recently, she appeared in HBO’s Crashing starring comedian Pete Holmes and played fiddle in the score to Radiolab’s nine-part series Dolly Parton’s America. Raised on the central coast of California and currently living in Lafayette, LA, Elise Leavy has a distinctly unique voice as a singer and songwriter. Often likened to Joni Mitchell and Judee Sill, Elise says it must be the California seawater getting inside her head and heart from an early age. She has been writing songs since she was 8 years old, and has studied the art of singing and harmony for the better part of her 24 years. After graduating from the New England Conservatory of Music and living in New York City, and then Nashville, TN, she is now thrilled to be preparing to release her fourth solo project, and her first big record, a group of songs written and recorded in Brooklyn, NY with a full band of amazing local musicians. Eamon O’Leary from Dublin is a long time resident of New York City. A singer and string player, with deep roots in the world of Irish trad, he is one half of The Murphy Beds with Jefferson Hamer. Their debut album was described by The Hufffington Post as one that “bears repeated listening from start to finish, with ten beautiful, crystalline songs.” He is also a member of The Alt with Nuala Kennedy and John Doyle. His songwriting can be heard, most recently, on The Silver Sun from Reveal Records.

Please consider purchasing an all-season pass for the 2023 summer series! We are so lucky to bring these world class musicians to our farm, and hope you can help us in supporting their art. By purchasing this all-season pass, you are giving the musicians a guaranteed payment for their show. This is also a great deal! Don't miss it...

Western Centuries came out of the Pacific Northwest, inspired in the urban corridors and backyards of Seattle. Cahalen Morrison and Ethan Lawton met there, where Cahalen was playing primarily as part of acoustic duo Cahalen Morrison & Eli West, and Ethan was working with Zoe Muth and the Lost High Rollers. The two began playing together casually, and bonded over their love for a few Dirk Powell records which featured vocals by Jim Miller. When they heard that Miller had moved to Seattle they made a point to connect with him and the three found a shared artistic outlook as well as a burgeoning friendship.

Each an established musician in his own right, Morrison, Lawton and Miller (a founding member of roots-jam band Donna the Buffalo) equally shared lead singer and songwriter duties, while swapping instruments onstage with ease. Western Centuries was born—a band without a leader; a ship without a captain. They celebrated their third album as a “band’s band” with the release of Call the Captain, (a tongue-in-cheek reference to the band’s lack of hierarchy), that came out April 3, 2020 on Free Dirt Records.

At the tail end of the pandemic, with international touring ahead in 2022 and a new album freshly recorded, Jim Miller tragically passed away on tour with the band. Losing the heart of the band tore these friends to pieces, but they kept moving, using Miller’s songs to process their grief and relive their memories of times past. Miller’s spirit looms large over Western Centuries today, and their upcoming album on Free Dirt Records will serve as a tribute to his songwriting, musicianship, and humble camaraderie.

Along with Cahalen Morrison and Ethan Lawton, Western Centuries is fleshed out on tour by bassist Nokosee Fields, pedal steel player Thomas Bryan Eaton, known for his work with Miss Tess, and fiddler Oliver Bates Craven, formerly of the Stray Birds.

Jennie Lowe is an internationally renowned singer songwriter. With five studio albums under her belt she continues to churn out songs that speak to the joy and sadness that life is. Her live shows are not to be missed. “That voice ascends like smoke into the title track, which glows like Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day’ The setting is the outskirts of Upstae New York small towns, the imagery poetically suggestive.” “Lowe stakes out her songwriter’s territory.” Nick Hasted- Uncut UK on the album Ghost Tracks https://jennielowemusic.com/home

Based in Ithaca, NY Richie Stearns and Rosie Newton play a combination of old fiddle tunes and new songs. The international touring duo draw from old time, Appalachian folk, blues, African, cajun, and country music, creating new sounds and intriguing vocal harmonies. 
Richie is also known for playing with the Horse Flies, and Natalie Merchant, and Rosie performs with The Duhks and Preston Frank, Rose and the Bros and Home Remedy. Together they have three recordings, Tractor Beam, Red Dog Run and their most recent project, Nowhere in Time.

The Brother Brothers are the indie folk duo of Adam and David Moss. The identical twins were born and raised in Peoria, Illinois and originally based in Brooklyn, but have been ultimately and profoundly shaped by indiscriminate rambling. They are the kind of people who have a story about everything, and moreso, one you might genuinely like to hear.

Soon to be touring a covers record aptly named “Cover to Cover,” their 3rd release on compass records is a requisite album of covers, inspired by an inward reflection of the roots of their inspiration during a time of great uncertainty and creative insecurity. “When you’re not quite sure what to say, why not say what someone else said, but say it in your voice.” The Brother Brothers sing from the heart no matter who’s words they're using. The message may be the same, but when you find one to amplify, “why not say it again?”

The brothers called in some good old friends to play on the album, including Rachael Price (Lake Street Dive), Sarah Jarosz, Michaela Anne, Alison Brown, and hired some of nashville’s finest session musicians, namely Jeff Picker (Ricky Skaggs), Matthew Meyer, Ryan Scott and Michael Rinne. American Songwriter once said, “no matter what musical context Adam and David Moss may come to put themselves in, what the duo want to say through music will always come to show the beauty that exists—even in the deepest cracks—of human living." Proclaims No Depression, “the warm harmonies and silky melodies of identical twins David and Adam Moss evoke the kind of ’60s-era folk tunes that reverberated through dark, wood-paneled bars in the Village… If these brothers aren’t among the Americana Music Association’s nominees for Emerging Artist or Duo-Group, I want a recount.”

The Brother Brothers’ luminous touring career spans international headlining, support runs with the likes of Keb Mo, I’m With Her, Big Thief, Lake Street Dive, and Shakey Graves, as well as key plays at NPR's Mountain Stage, FreshGrass Festival, Folk Alliance, Woodford Folk, Nelsonville Music Festival, and Edmonton Folk among others.

Jake Blount is an award-winning musician and scholar based in Providence, RI. He is half of the internationally touring duo Tui, a 2020 recipient of the Steve Martin Banjo Prize, and a two-time winner of the Appalachian String Band Music Festival (better known as Clifftop). A specialist in the early folk music of Black Americans, Blount is a skilled performer of spirituals, blues and string band repertoire. Blount has performed at the Kennedy Center, the Newport Folk Festival, and numerous other venues across and beyond the United States. He has presented his scholarly work at museums and universities including the Smithsonian Institution, Berklee College of Music and Yale University. His writing has appeared in Paste Magazine, No Depression, and NPR.

John Doyle and Mick McAuley’s nearly telepathic musical connection began in the truly groundbreaking Irish-American band, Solas. Now, both have flourishing high profile solo careers and periodically come together to brush off some Solas standards and lots of their individual material, played together, for these magical musical offerings. Both natives of Ireland and each from musical families, John Doyle and Mick McAuley are true powerhouses in traditional Irish music.

John Doyle’s influences include well-known English folk singers Nic Jones, Martin Carthy, Richard Thompson and The Watersons; Scottish singers Dick Gaughan and John Martin; fellow Irishmen Paul Brady and Al O’Donnell; and his father, Sean Doyle – probably the biggest influence of all. Having started his professional career at the age of 16, John went on to form the highly acclaimed super group, Solas, with Seamus Egan, John Williams, Karan Casey and Winifred Horan, which took the folk and Celtic music worlds by storm, in no small part due to John’s powerhouse rhythmic guitar style and innovative arrangements. Since then, John’s flourishing solo career, highly regarded solo albums, and in demand studio prowess as producer have made him one of the busiest artists in all of traditional music. He is a Grammy nominated artist for his 2009 recording with fiddler Liz Carroll, “Double Play”, has performed at the White House, was music director for folk music legend, Joan Baez, guitarist for Mary Chapin Carpenter, and has recorded and/or performed with a who’s who of folk, Celtic, bluegrass and old-time music, including Tim O’Brien, Kate Rusby, Eileen Ivers, Karan Casey, Rodney Crowell and Jerry Douglas. John’s original rhythmic and percussive guitar style has been emulated by guitarists all over the world.

Mick McAuley is an Irish musician, composer and songwriter who has recorded and toured internationally for many years. While his music is rooted firmly in the Irish tradition, he has been part of a movement which continues to push the musical boundaries of that tradition to bring Irish music to a wider and more diverse audience around the world. As a long-time member of the Irish-American ensemble SOLAS, he has recorded and toured nine albums with them and received widespread international acclaim. The Boston Herald hailed SOLAS as “the best Irish traditional band in the world”. A multi-instrumentalist, Mick plays accordion, melodeon, concertina, whistles and guitar and been a guest on many recordings and performances including Patti Larkin, Paul Brennan (of Clannad), Susan McKeown and mick Hanly among many others. Most recently, Mick spend many months as accordionist for Sting in his Broadway Production, The Last Ship. Mick’s debut solo album, An Ocean’s Breadth was awarded Best Celtic Album of the Year by The Washington Post.

We are excited to have our talented friends from Louisiana coming play music and make amazing food for our community on May 20th. It will be quite the party! Music by Old Fashioned Aces: Blake Miller, Amelia Biere, Jo Vidrine, and Colin Gould. A Louisiana cajun dinner with meats smoked here at Sweet Land Farm by Jo Vidrine will be sold ala carte along with a gumbo made the day of the show. Tickets for the show do not include food. Dinner will be $15 and can be bought evening of. Dessert by Sara Mae for $7.

Dinner served at 6:00 and music will start at 7:00.

Blake Miller & the Old Fashioned Aces are breathing new life into an old sound. It’s traditional Cajun music in a traditional setting, but more than that, it’s a powerhouse trio having fun. Whether they appear as an acoustic trio or a full electric band, finer musicians playing Cajun music cannot be found. In a world where it seems everyone is continually stretching the boundaries of Louisiana French music, the Aces nest comfortably inside the well worn tracks of Cajun Music. From old fiddle tunes, to classic dance floor packers, to bilingual country classics, their music is comfort food for the Cajun music fan.

Jo Vadrine writes of himself: I call myself the Freelance Cajun, seemed like a good ear-catching name that serves as an umbrella title for some of the things that I do. My passions lie in music, photography, and sharing food from southwest Louisiana. I have a deep connection and sense of place in south Louisiana through its music, culture, and access to the natural world. As time has gone on I've managed to turn my passions into business ventures. I am a traveling musician playing cajun music in many place across the country and internationally. I've been fortunate to explore the professional photography world as a shooter and as an assistant to many amazing artist. I also from time to time feed the masses Louisiana-based "glory meals" in an effort to share some of my home traditions and build community every chance I get.

This is a record release show for the new album 'It's Music.' Rose & The Bros are a powerhouse ensemble rooted in southern dance tradition with the addition of crooning vocal harmonies and country music influence. The band has a distinctive rhythmic presence which is based in the Louisiana sound, with additional Reggae and melodic drum tones. The band's goal has been to stay true to their own musical voices, while having a strong obligation to the dancer in their tempos and musical feel.

Just Announced!! If you are a season ticket holder, this is an extra show to say "thank you" for you support. There will be a donation jar by the ticket table if you feel extra generous, it will all go to Bruce.

Bruce Molsky is one of the most revered “multi-hyphenated career” ambassadors for America’s old-time mountain music. For decades, he’s been a globetrotting performer and educator, a recording artist with an expansive discography including seven solo albums, well over a dozen collaborations and two Grammy-nominations. He’s also the classic “musician’s musician” – a man who’s received high praise from diverse fans and collaborators like Linda Ronstadt, Mark Knopfler, Celtic giants Donal Lunny and Andy Irvine, jazzer Bill Frisell and dobro master Jerry Douglas, a true country gentleman by way of the Big Apple aptly dubbed “the Rembrandt of Appalachian fiddlers” by virtuoso violinist and sometimes bandmate Darol Anger.

Molsky digs deep to transport audiences to another time and place, with his authentic feel for and the unearthing of almost-forgotten rarities from the Southern Appalachian songbook. His foils are not only his well-regarded fiddle work, but banjo, guitar and his distinctly resonant vocals. From tiny folk taverns in the British Isles to huge festival stages to his ongoing workshops at the renowned Berklee College of Music, Molsky seduces audiences with a combination of rhythmic and melodic virtuosity and relaxed conversational wit – a uniquely humanistic, downhome approach that can make Carnegie Hall feel like a front porch or parlor jam session.

Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno play old-soul roots music, fluidly melding a backbone of Appalachian traditional music with fresh iconic melodies and the tightly wound vocal harmonies of indie folk. Both Leva and Calcagno, now just out of college, grew up steeped in old-time music, Leva in Lexington, Virginia and Calcagno in Seattle, Washington. After meeting in 2016 they soon collaborated on Leva’s debut record Time is Everything which Rolling Stone wrote “shone a light on the past without giving up its place in the present.” In support of the record, they embarked on an extensive tour that stretched to the most northern reaches of Canada and overseas to Europe. Over the course of these varied and occasionally lonesome shows and travels, the pair developed their collaboration into a distinct sound that led to the imagination and writing of their new eponymous record Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno, out now on Free Dirt Records.
http://vivandriley.com/