Posts Tagged ‘Arts’

Thursday, June 18, 2009

ADK Music Scene: Electric Rock and a Rockin’ Ukulele!

On Friday in Plattsburgh Ten Year Vamp will be rocking out at The Naked Turtle Holding Co. This year the band has been voted Best Rock Band in Metroland and they won best local rock band in Capital Regional Living Magazine. Fronted by Debbie Gabrione, they’ve opened for some of the hottest contemporary acts, including Nickelback and Gavin Degraw. Their show starts at 10 pm.

Saturday 6/20: The big show this Saturday is in Saranac Lake at Will Rogers, 78 Will Rogers Drive. Jake Shimabukuro, ukulele player extraordinaire, will dazzle his audience on the four-stringed instrument. I’ve watched some of the videos on YouTube. He does more with his thumb than most people do with both hands and he does it with feeling! I can’t wait to see him in real life. If you get a chance to check out his version of While My Guitar Gently Weeps, and I bet you’ll be hooked. The doors open at 7 and the show is scheduled to start at 7:30. Tickets are $20 in advance and $23 at the door. You can get tickets online through Lazar Bear.

Also on Saturday in Saranac Lake Sven Curth is playing on the patio at The Waterhole. This is a free show. Sven is a favorite singer/songwriter/guitarist in the North Country from the band Jim. The show starts at 7 pm.

Another Saturday show is being held in Plattsburgh at The North Country Food Coop Upstairs Music Lounge: one of my favorite bands Russ Bailey and Crow Party. Russ plays the blues -whether electric or acoustic you’ll feel what he’s feeling. The show is from 8-10 pm and it’s free.

Sunday 6/21: On Sunday in Tupper Lake, local favorite Steve Borst is back at P2’s Irish Pub. Steve is a much sought-after guitar teacher with a lovely voice who plays his own songs and can boast an impressive repertoire of covers.

Photo: Jake Shimabukuro


Wednesday, June 17, 2009

ADK Music Scene: Tonight Jazz, Tomorrow Jazz and New Open Mic

Tonight in North Creek at barVino, The Tony Jenkins Jazz Trip is back. Show goes from 8 to 10 pm. A few of the great artists they cover are Thelonious Monk, Grover Washington and Jimi Hendrix.

Tomorrow night in Jay The Bill Stokes Jazz Ensemble is at the Village Green. This is an excellent band that encourages people to dance with their mix of swing, standards and latin jazz. Bring your lawn chairs and a picnic dinner as the show starts at 6:30 pm.

Also on Thursday in Saranac Lake at Grizle T’s ( 53 Main St.), they’re hoping a new open mic will catch on for the summer months. It’s going to be hosted by Bob Mann from Tupper Lake. There will be a sign-up sheet but no cover. Call (518) 891-6393 for more information.


Tuesday, June 9, 2009

4th Annual Adirondack Literary Award Winners

The Adirondack Center for Writing (ACW) has announced its 4th Annual Adirondack Literary Award winners. The juried awards program honors books published in or about the Adirondacks in the previous year. The awards ceremony, which took place on Sunday at the Blue Mountain Center, is one of the Adirondack Center for Writing’s most popular events. More than seventy writers, publishers, and readers attended the awards ceremony this year. Adirondack Almanack announced this year’s submissions last week. Here are the winners:

FICTION
Matt Bondurant, The Wettest County in the World
 (published by Scribner)

POETRY
Philip Memmer, Threat of Pleasure
(Word Press)

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
Joseph Bruchac
, March Toward the Thunder (Dial Books)

PHOTOGRAPHY
Mark Bowie and Timothy Weidner, In Stoddard’s Footsteps: The Adirondacks Then & Now(North Country Books)

MEMOIR
Bernice Mennis, Breaking Out of Prison: A Guide to Consciousness, Compassion, and Freedom(iUniverse)

NONFICTION
Harold Weston (Rebecca Foster, Editor), Freedom in the Wilds: An Artist in the Adirondacks(Syracuse University Press)

EDITED COLLECTION
Editor, Ellen Rocco, Stories, Food, Life (North Country Public Radio) 



PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
Roger Mitchell, 


Lemon Peeled the Moment Before: New and Selected Poems 1967-2008(Ausable Press)


Thursday, June 4, 2009

ADK Music Scene: A Mix of Pros and Amateurs

This weekend boasts an interesting mixture of professionals and amateurs. From an All-Star Open Mic to an African drumming and dance troupe, both incorporate experienced and inexperienced performers. Often jams and sessions have that kind of mix too – in this way everyone learns something. Amateurs learn to improve their skills and pros learn to improve their patience.

But first . . . there is nothing amateur about the band Atlantic Crossing, which will be at The Amos and Julia Ward Theater in Jay on Friday at 7 pm. They play a mixture of traditional songs and instrumentals from New England, the Celtic British Isles and French Maritime Canada. Music to get your feet tapping and spirits soaring.

On Saturday June 6 you have a choice:

The All-Star Open Mic Night, at BluSeed in Saranac Lake; all the winners and some of the hosts of the past season will be performing, the Dust Bunnies and the Starlights among them. What fun – you get to hear an eclectic mix of poetry and songs. Performers travel from all around the region for these democratic events. Some of the newer performers have a chance to let go of some of their first time stage-fright jitters because this will be their second time in front of an audience – they’re pros now, right? Since this is also a chance to support BluSeed the cover charge will be $6 instead of the usual $3. The performances start at 7:30 pm and will be well worth it.

At the Amos and Julia Ward Theater in Jay there will be a performance by Wulaba Drumming and Soma Beats Dancing. Show starts at 6:30 pm. I saw these folks doing their thing at the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival Rotary Show this year and it was great – very energetic and uplifting, made me want to join the class. Admission is $5.

Sunday June 7:

There is a recital to be given by the students of the accomplished Saranac Lake multi-instrumentalist Sue Grimm – obviously it’s not professional but so cute! It’s being held at BluSeed at 2 pm. You never know, you might see a future star just starting to shine.

In Long Lake at The Quakenbush Long View Lodge on Deerland Road there will be an open jam held from 4 – 6 pm. Call (518) 624-3879 for details.


Saturday, May 30, 2009

The Late Richard "Dick" Merrill Wins 2009 Hochschild Award

The late Richard “Dick” Merrill of Queensbury has been selected by the Adirondack Museum Board of Trustees to be the recipient of the 2009 Harold K. Hochschild Award. According to a press release issued by the museum:

The Harold K. Hochschild Award is dedicated to the memory of the museum’s founder, whose passion for the Adirondacks, its people, and environment inspired the creation of the Adirondack Museum. Since 1990 the museum has presented the award to a wide range of intellectual and community leaders throughout the Adirondack Park, highlighting their contributions to the region’s culture and quality of life.

Although Dick Merrill made his living as an engineer for the General Electric Company, he lived his life by giving time and talent to his community.

Merrill was President of the Southern Adirondack Library System and President of the Crandall Public Library – successfully completing an $18 million LEED certified expansion project that opened in December 2008 during his tenure.

He was President of the Chapman House Historical Museum and served as a member of the Adirondack Community College Foundation as well as the Warren Country Historical Association.

In addition, Merrill was elected to the Queensbury Town Board and served as deputy chairman. He was a member of the Queensbury Land Use Planning Board, the Indian Lake Association, and President of the Warren County Planning Board.

Dick played bagpipes for Adirondack Pipes and Drums, Inc. and served as the group’s treasurer.

Nicholas K. Burns Publishing published Dick Merrill’s book, Log Marks of the Hudson –a meticulously researched and comprehensive cross-referenced guide to a cornerstone of Adirondack history — in 2008.

In the company of his wife of fifty years Mary Merrill, Dick was also a valued member of the Adirondack Museum family. For many years, they organized a corps of volunteers in support of the No-Octane Regatta. The couple developed lively history-based programs for children and families that enriched the experience of thousands of museum visitors each year. They also originated hands-on classroom programs for students in grades K – 8. With son Dean Merrill, the Merrill’s delighted crowds at the museum’s annual Harvest Festival with their vintage steam-powered cider press.

The Adirondack Museum will formally present the Harold K. Hochschild Award posthumously to Dick Merrill on August 6, 2009. The event will begin at 3:00 p.m.

Photo caption: Dick Merrill with former U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton during her visit to the Adirondack Museum at Blue Mountain Lake, NY in 2006.


Thursday, May 28, 2009

ADK Music Scene: Ambient Tea Party, Elvis and Bluegrass!

What more could you want? Well, how about starting tonight with an open mic held from 7 to 10 pm at P2’s in Tupper Lake. Bring your instruments and enjoy the pub atmosphere in this friendly establishment.

The Elvis festival returns to Lake George and Lake Luzerne today and runs through Sunday. There are shows and attractions at several venues around Lake George and Lake Luzerne, but the event is based at the Painted Pony festival grounds in Lake Luzerne — seats are covered but it might be chilly so bring a jacket.

Friday night JEMS in Jay is having what looks to be a very interesting event: DJ Peanutbutterbreath Ambient Tea Party. This is a multi-age non-alcoholic gathering. Here’s what they say about it: “You can chill to artsy classical and soft soundscapes or jump up to bouncy party beats in the same mix”! I’m intrigued. The party kicks off at 7 pm. Admission is $5 with no charge for children under 12. Teas, coffees and pastry will be available. This new spinner hails from Plattsburgh.

Also this Friday Aiseiri will provide Irish music at O’Reillly’s Pub in Saranac Lake. The music starts between 8:30 and 9 pm. O’Reilly’s is located at 33 Broadway below Morgans 11 (which, by the way, has very good pizza). For more information call (518) 897-1111.

This weekend is the last chance to see Fiddler on the Roof at LPCA. I highly recommend this great production. Everyone does a spectacular job. Jason Brill is wonderful as Tevye and Sunny Rozakis‘s gorgeous voice deserves extra kudos.

The Adirondack Bluegrass League’s 2009 Round-Up is this weekend, May 29th & 30th. The Siver Family of Crown Point will take the stage at 8 pm Saturday. They will be playing songs from their new CD Almost Home. The festival is happening at McConchies Campground in Galway. If you play an instrument, put it in the car and bring it along . . . plenty of jamming all weekend.

At P2’s in Tupper Lake Steve Borst is playing 7-9 pm Sunday. Steve is a popular local musician who’s at home singing all sorts of requests in the rock/pop/folk arena. P2’s is looking to create a Sunday night music scene so they welcome any input you can give them. For more information e-mail P2sPub@aol.com


Monday, May 25, 2009

ADK Music Scene: Farmers Markets, An Irish Fest, and Childstock

One of my favorite things to do during the summer is go to farmers’ markets. I’m especially connected with the one held on Wednesdays at LPCA in Lake Placid (between 11 am and 1 pm). I see so many people I really enjoy – visitors and vendors alike. You can listen to live music while shopping for veggies, flowers, plants, meats, cheese, smoothies, coffee and beautiful crafts. There are so many farmers markets in the park that I’m going to defer to Adirondack Harvest which gives details and times for all of them.

Another won’t miss for me is the 2nd annual Irish Festival to be held at the Olympic Jumping Complex in Lake Placid. Shane O’Neil and John Joe Reilly are the founders and they have so much energy and love for the traditions in Irish culture that I’m sure with each year the event will grow. Great music provided by internationally known piper Micheal Cooney who, by the way, happens to live locally and Pat Egan, one of my favorite guitarists. Many other musicians and dancers will be contributing to the continuous sound. I even heard a rumor that The Dust Bunnies will be there – they’d better learn an Irish tune or two. The music combined with games (like tug of war and tossing a bale), good food and beer all make for an enjoyable two-day event. A perfect way to celebrate the end of summer.

A new for me event I’m very excited about is Childstock on July 18th in Malone, NY. This is a rain or shine grassroots festival started by two guys talkin’ over a beer – one had a band, the other land. Now in it’s fourth year Childstock has grown. There will be live music from 1 pm until at least 11 pm. The first half of the day is acoustic, including Eddy and Kim Lawrence, then electric, including headliner Raisonhead, to take you into the night.

With free camping, local food vender Shawn Glazier on the premises, a safe site (there will be underage wristbands given out as ID’s are checked) and coolers and grills allowed, there is everything you need to have a phenomenal Saturday.

Started by founders Ralph Child and Micheal Lamitie, Childstock is named for the farm that hosts the event. It’s located off of Route 30 as you head into Malone from the south. You turn onto Cosgrove Road (at Carla’s Greenery and there will be a sign) follow it to the end and make a right onto Child Road just for a moment before turning left onto Royce Road – parking will be on your left.

Here’s the acoustic line up though not necessarily in this order. There are a few acts from Malone: Liz Hathaway, a folk singer who does all of her own originals, Nick Poupore, a high school student who is reminiscent of Neil Young and Micheal Lamitie and Micheal Werhrich calling themselves Tadd Ruff, Saul Good and The Lou Daques, this band performs folk rock covers and originals. Eddy and Kim Lawrence from Moira and Mike Shepherd from Lake Placid.

Electric rock to keep you dancing into the night: Headliner Raisonhead is doing two full sets with these local acts in between, From Malone; Save The Humans and The Nebulons .

Families are asked to donate $25, individuals $10 and children under 12 are free. There is plenty of parking and there is a large tent and canopies if it rains.


Thursday, May 21, 2009

ADK Music Scene: "Fiddler," Geoff Muldaur, and More

First off: don’t forget the open minded mic tonight at BluSeed in Saranac Lake. The show starts at 7:30 pm admission is $3.

Too Human and Karen Glass are at the Amos and Julia Ward Theater in Jay at 7 p.m. Friday. Too Human gets raves where ever they play and from what I’ve heard online they deserve it. Jazz and R&B make up the majority of their high energy repertoire. Karen Glass is a storyteller with two CDs to her credit. This is a JEMS production. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, May 21, 2009

Lake Placid’s "Great Moments in Sports" Award

From the better late then never category, comes news that Lake Placid artist Arti Torrance, in partnership with the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) and the 1932 and 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympic Museum, created the national Great Moments in Sports Award earlier this year. The award is the brainchild of Torrance, and its purpose is to honor the achievement of 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team and The Miracle on Ice. The Great Moment in Sports Award, also know as the “Arti,” will be given each February 22, the day the U.S. hockey team beat the Soviets. The plaque is signed by the Mayor of the Village of Lake Placid, the Supervisor of the Town of North Elba and the President and CEO of the Olympic Regional Development Authority on behalf of all members of the Lake Placid Community and the Olympic Region.

The first-ever Great Moment in Sports Award was presented February 22, 2008, to the Football World Champions New York Giants. This year, at the request of Torrance, two awards were given for the 2008-09 sports’ season. One was presented to the Central Washington College women’s softball team, while the other went to the International Luge Federation World Champion Erin Hamlin, of Remsen.

According to a press release: “During an extraordinary act of sportsmanship on senior day, the Central Washington teammates carried the opposing team’s batter around the bases in order for her to get credited with her one and only home run of her career. The batter from Western Oregon State hit the home run, but on her way past first base she fell and injured her knee so badly that she could not even get back to first base, let alone continue to run the rest of the bases. Central Washington lost the game 4-2, but won a moral victory with its heroic act of sportsmanship.”

Hamlin, a New Yorker sliding for the U.S. luge team, became the first U.S. woman to win the world championship title. Hamlin not only won the title on her home track in Lake Placid, but also snapped the German women’s 99-race winning streak. The streak included world cup, world championship and Olympic competitions.

For more information on the Great Moment in Sports Award, please contact the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympic Museum at (518) 523-1655 ext. 226.


Wednesday, May 20, 2009

ADK Music Scene: Tonight Jazz in North Creek!

The Tony Jenkins Jazz Trip plays tonight from 8 to 10 pm, at barVino. Tony Jenkins is a Fort Edward native and plays everything from Thelonius Monk to Jimi Hendrix. barVino offers eclectic food, beer and wine menus and is located on 272 Main Street in North Creek, (518) 251 -0199.

Tomorrow night at 7:30 is the last open-minded mic night of the season. Come to BluSeed in Saranac Lake and vote for your favorite performer, giving that person a chance to perform in the All-Star open mic happening Saturday, June 6. The Starlights are hosting tonight, and sign-up is at 7 pm. Admission is $3. Come on out and support your local musicians and poets — coffee, tea and cookies are available.

Check in tomorrow at 3 pm for the weekend line-up.


Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Adk History Center Opens, Edward Cornell Exhibit

The Adirondack History Center Museum in Elizabethtown will be opening for a new season beginning on on Saturday (May 23) featuring exhibits around the theme “Celebrating a Landscape of Culture and Ideas: 1609-2009.” The museum will be open new expanded hours, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. every day. This season’s “Inside the Landscape,” will showcase contemporary artist Edward Cornell, who museum Director Margaret Gibbs calls a “cultivator of poignant creations which meld art, history and the present life of community.” “Cornell’s landscape paintings and farming implement sculptures provide viewers with a deeper appreciation of the past which widens our perspective of the present day landscape,” Gibbs said. Visitors can also see Cornell’s colossal sculpture on the front lawn of the museum.

“In and Around Essex,” is another new exhibition showing thirty-one color photographs taken by photographer Betsy Tisdale in 1972 and originally showcased in the early 1980’s. The exhibit has been revitalized for 2009 to convey how the human landscape of Essex, New York has changed over the past twenty-seven years. The museum is located at 7590 Court Street, Elizabethtown. For more information contact the museum at (518) 873-6466 or echs@adkhistorycenter.org.


Thursday, May 14, 2009

Adk Music Scene: From Bluegrass to Opera

There’s a little something for everyone this weekend. You can experience dinner with some opera, bluegrass in Jay, free blues in Long Lake and music from the French Revolution in Redford. Musicians can perform at an open mic, and fans can give back to one of our most talented Adirondack musicians, Dan Duggan. He is a generous man whose health crisis has created the need for a benefit. The options, times and venues are listed below.

Tonight P2’s Irish Pub in Tupper Lake holds an open mic from 7 pm to 10 pm.

Also tonight a performance of music from Italian operas will be presented at Little Italy in Tupper Lake, 144 Park Street. Tickets are $22, which includes the performance and a pasta dinner. Update: This event has sold out.

On Friday JEMS presents the Covered Bridge Coffeehouse (located in the Amos and Julia Ward Theater in Jay). The Homegrown String Band (a mom, dad and two daughters, one of whom reportedly plays a smokin’ fiddle) takes the stage to perform bluegrass, country and folk at 7 pm. Call (518) 946-7824 for more information.

A BluSeed Benefit concert for Dan Duggan begins at 7:30 pm Friday, $15. Reservations recommended. Roy Hurd, Dan Berggren, Jamie Savage, Rustic Riders and Joey Izzo. Another update: This concert has sold out. If you want to help Dan, please send a check payable to Dan Duggan care of BluSeed Studios, 24 Cedar St., Saranac Lake, NY 12983

In lieu of Bluseed you could listen to live Irish Music Friday night at O’Reilly’s Pub in Saranac Lake, 33 Broadway. Call (518) 897-1111 or email Morgans11Pizza@gmail.com for more information.

Blues legend Ernie Williams and his band will perform Saturday @ 2 pm at Quakenbush’s Long View Wilderness Lodge in Long Lake on Rt. 30. The 3-hour show is free of charge.

The Champlain Ball, a Champlain Quadricentennial Celebration event, will be held at 8 pm Saturday at the Plattsburgh Elks Lodge. The ball will feature authentic social dance popular in France and England in the 16th and 17th Centuries; Dance historian Michel Landry of Montreal will lead the dances and give preliminary classes at 2 pm. The Baltimore Consort will provide music. Call (518) 293-7613 or visit Hill and Hollow’s Web site for reservations and information.

Last but not least: Early music ensemble The Baltimore Consort presents “La Rocque ‘n’ Roll: Popular Music of the French Revolution,” a Hill and Hollow event, on Sunday May 17 at 3 pm at The Church of the Assumption in Redford. Tickets are $15 and it’s free to kids twelve and under.

Photograph: The Homegrown String Band will perform in Jay Friday night.


Wednesday, May 13, 2009

ADK Music Scene: Music tonight in North Creek!

Tonight at BarVino in North Creek the Fat River Kings perform from 8 pm to 10 pm. There is no cover charge. They offer an eclectic dinner menu as well as having an impressive wine and beer selection. BarVino is located on 272 Main Street in North Creek, NY, (518)251-0199, info@barVino.net

Tomorrow P2’s Irish Pub in Tupper Lake holds an open mic from 7 pm – 10 pm.


Thursday, May 7, 2009

ADK Music Scene: Battles, Bunnies, Jazz and Dancing

A musical battle in Indian Lake , three Bunnies and two Long Hares in Saranac Lake, jazz in North Creek and late night dancing at The Waterhole.

Not quite a feast . . . more of a nice spread.

On Friday May 8th at 8 pm The Battle of The Bands sponsored by ALCA will be held at the Indian Lake Theater. There is $20 registration fee and the winner takes it all home. Tupper Lake’s Fat River Kings will be one of the competing groups.

A show I shamelessly recommend is: The Dust Bunnies and Long Hares at BluSeed Studios in Saranac Lake. It starts at 7:30 pm, Saturday night. Yours truly is one of the troupe so I’m biased, but honestly we write great songs. Love, loss and laundry contemplated in three part harmony AND backed up by a fabulous rhythm section — it promises to be a fun evening. Call for reservations: (518) 891- 9402 or take your chances and just show up at 24 Cedar Street. We’d love to see you!

Also on Saturday at The Waterhole, 48 Main Street in Saranac Lake, Tim Herron Corporation (THC) starts at 10 pm for a $5 admission — late enough so you can go dancing after the Dust Bunnies!

Even more on Saturday at 7:30 pm, the Tony Jenkins Jazz Trip will be playing at Tannery Pond Community Center, 222 Main Street, in North Creek. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Call (518) 251-2505 for more information.

A correction: The open mic at Station Street I posted about last week is not a weekly event yet. They are still working out which night is most appropriate and how many times a month. As soon as I learn when the next open mic is scheduled, it will be posted.

Photo: Two Hares (Colin Dehond and Kyle Murray) and Two Buns (Tracy Poszditch and Mary Lou Reid) on way to record their upcoming CD


Thursday, April 30, 2009

ADK Music Scene: Lake Placid, Gibsons in Ellenburg Tomorrow


My first weekend blogging and only three musical events to report (two of them outside the Blue line), yikes!

If you’re in or near Lake Placid tonight @ 7:30, Station Street Bar and Grille will inaugurate its weekly open mic, hosted by Fritz and Annie. Station Street is located at the bottom of Mill Hill at 6115 Sentinel Road. You can call 837-5178 for more details. I love open mics – you never know who will stop in and it’s usually a very supportive friendly scene.

Tomorrow night in Ellenburg, just beyond the Blue Line, the Gibson Brothers are playing the Northern Adirondack Central School at 7:00. For tickets, call 518-594-3962 or 518-497-6962.

Saturday at 7PM in Glens Falls, Lindsey Mae is playing Rockhill Bakehouse. Cover charge of $3. Call 518-615-0777 for details.

The relative dearth of events this weekend brings up an issue that bothers many musicians and fans of live music in communities across the Park. We have a problem coordinating our musical events up here which can result in feast-or-famine conditions: Too few events one weekend; too many the next.

For much of the year many of our communities don’t have the population to support more than a very few events on any given evening. A wonderful event can draw only twenty or so people because two other bands are playing nearby. It’s not sustainable.

With better coordination, a slow weekend like this would’ve been a great opportunity for a band to be the only gig in town! So, I’d like to help with this problem and I’m sending out a plea to everyone reading this: Get in touch. Let me know about upcoming musical events and I will attempt to keep track . Maybe we can spread the talent and support more evenly.



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