About
Weekly concert series continues until Oct. 9
Less than a year after taking over the entertainment reins at Little Stony Point Citizens Association, Bryan Jennings has expanded the musical offerings beyond a weekly song circle and two annual festivals. He even brought a bluegrass band to Bar-ber on Main Street in Cold Spring.
Founded by Pete Seeger and others in 1984, the Philipstown group has presented The Hoot and Maple Syrup Day since the mid-1990s.
"Pete was always playing banjo and making syrup," says Fred Martin, the nonprofit's vice president. "We have his old evaporator behind the fence."
In June, Jennings produced a country-themed performance by Woody Guthrie's grandson, Cole Quest. The annual Hoot, with seven bands, takes place on Sunday (Sept. 13), followed by a series of shows that are part of a new series called Down by the Riverside. It kicked off on Sept. 4 with the Stephen Clair Band from Beacon, featuring Clair, Daria Grace (bass) and Aaron Latos (drums). Brian Grahn and Karen Kapoor opened with an acoustic set.
At peak attendance, about 150 people, half of them under 10 years old, enjoyed plenty of pizza on a humidity-free evening. Volunteers Bo Bell, Mike Muller and Jennings tended to the sound system. Others donned bright-yellow safety vests and shined flashlights on orange construction flags to usher people across the dark roadway after the performance.
The back porch of the Volunteer Center, which doubles as a stage, is augmented by a substantial deck at ground level. To keep the music going for six hours during the Hoot, bands will alternate between the two platforms, breaking down and setting up while others perform. The acts include Kat Lee Rivers, Gotham River (David and Jake Bernz) and the Americana Band from the Beacon Music Factory.
The five-piece group Dr. (Sept. 25) is a passion project of Bryan Kopchak, who runs a monthly jazz jam at Quinn's in Beacon. Known primarily as a drummer, he will trade the sticks for guitar, vocals and vocoder. Regarding the band's name, he says, "There is an element of healing tunes, among other songs, to help the listener delve deep into who they are."
Along with Stephen Clair, the other Beacon-based artist in the series is Damon Banks on Sept. 18, accompanied by Gwen Laster on violin, David Gilmore on guitar and Todd Isler on drums. "When I was living in the city, we all came through the ranks," says Banks, who plays bass. "It'll be fun to bring people together and preview some songs from the next record."
The quartet will also perform stripped-down versions of selections from his 2013 album Travelguides, which features horns and lush arrangements. "I've played these songs with acoustic guitar and upright bass," he says. "It's up to me to figure out how to translate the texture of the record and let a new cast of people breathe new life into it."
For the remainder of the series, Jennings imported The Scrub Ups (Oct. 2) and Jorge Caraballo and the Freakin' Ricans (Oct. 9). The performances are underwritten by an unsolicited grant from the Franklin Foundation. "When we asked to reach out and thank the people involved, they said, 'Sorry, it's anonymous,' so we're going to pay it forward," says Martin.
Little Stony Point is located at 3007 Route 9D in Philipstown. The Friday concerts begin at 6 p.m. For more info, see littlestonypoint.org.
Less than a year after taking over the entertainment reins at Little Stony Point Citizens Association, Bryan Jennings has expanded the musical offerings beyond a weekly song circle and two annual festivals. He even brought a bluegrass band to Bar-ber on Main Street in Cold Spring.
Founded by Pete Seeger and others in 1984, the Philipstown group has presented The Hoot and Maple Syrup Day since the mid-1990s.
"Pete was always playing banjo and making syrup," says Fred Martin, the nonprofit's vice president. "We have his old evaporator behind the fence."
In June, Jennings produced a country-themed performance by Woody Guthrie's grandson, Cole Quest. The annual Hoot, with seven bands, takes place on Sunday (Sept. 13), followed by a series of shows that are part of a new series called Down by the Riverside. It kicked off on Sept. 4 with the Stephen Clair Band from Beacon, featuring Clair, Daria Grace (bass) and Aaron Latos (drums). Brian Grahn and Karen Kapoor opened with an acoustic set.
At peak attendance, about 150 people, half of them under 10 years old, enjoyed plenty of pizza on a humidity-free evening. Volunteers Bo Bell, Mike Muller and Jennings tended to the sound system. Others donned bright-yellow safety vests and shined flashlights on orange construction flags to usher people across the dark roadway after the performance.
The back porch of the Volunteer Center, which doubles as a stage, is augmented by a substantial deck at ground level. To keep the music going for six hours during the Hoot, bands will alternate between the two platforms, breaking down and setting up while others perform. The acts include Kat Lee Rivers, Gotham River (David and Jake Bernz) and the Americana Band from the Beacon Music Factory.
The five-piece group Dr. (Sept. 25) is a passion project of Bryan Kopchak, who runs a monthly jazz jam at Quinn's in Beacon. Known primarily as a drummer, he will trade the sticks for guitar, vocals and vocoder. Regarding the band's name, he says, "There is an element of healing tunes, among other songs, to help the listener delve deep into who they are."
Along with Stephen Clair, the other Beacon-based artist in the series is Damon Banks on Sept. 18, accompanied by Gwen Laster on violin, David Gilmore on guitar and Todd Isler on drums. "When I was living in the city, we all came through the ranks," says Banks, who plays bass. "It'll be fun to bring people together and preview some songs from the next record."
The quartet will also perform stripped-down versions of selections from his 2013 album Travelguides, which features horns and lush arrangements. "I've played these songs with acoustic guitar and upright bass," he says. "It's up to me to figure out how to translate the texture of the record and let a new cast of people breathe new life into it."
For the remainder of the series, Jennings imported The Scrub Ups (Oct. 2) and Jorge Caraballo and the Freakin' Ricans (Oct. 9). The performances are underwritten by an unsolicited grant from the Franklin Foundation. "When we asked to reach out and thank the people involved, they said, 'Sorry, it's anonymous,' so we're going to pay it forward," says Martin.
Little Stony Point is located at 3007 Route 9D in Philipstown. The Friday concerts begin at 6 p.m. For more info, see littlestonypoint.org.