OntheWilderSide

Sunday, 1/28 – 3 PM–Ahmad Ali & Clutch – East Enders Coffee House, Riverhead

Thursday, 2/1 – 7:30 PM – Miller’s Crossing – Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts – $10.  Miller’s Crossing will be performing at the Patchogue Theatre’s “Live
in the Lobby” Concert Series.  Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the Patchogue Theatre Box Office or at the door. Refreshments will be available. The theatre is located at 71 East Main Street , Patchogue N.Y. For more information please visit
http://patchoguetheatre.com or visit http://millerscrossingbluegrass.com

Friday, 2/2 – 8 PM – Sloan Wainwright will perform at Garden Stage (formerly Coffee House Concerts) at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Garden City. Sloan Wainwright comes from a long line of amazingly gifted singer/songwriters. Her family tree (brother Loudon, nephew Rufus, niece Martha) reads like a who’s who of contemporary popular music. Sloan’s incredible gift is not only her unique songwriting ability but also her smoky, deep voiced rendition of songs. Her musical style melds the best of pop, folk, jazz and blues to create a soulful hybrid.

With six original CD releases to her credit, Sloan continues to write, sing and perform with a depth that makes the heart ache with recognition and a passion that calls it to rise above. To maintain her own sense of creative diversity, Sloan has written numerous musical compositions for theater and dance and teaches at many of the best-known master songwriter series and workshops. Sloan is an independent artist making grown-up girl music in the truest sense – a rare, one of a kind voice that speaks deeply to our humanity and leaves us forever changed.  Showtime is 8 pm (doors open at 7:15), Tickets $15

Saturday, 2/3 – 8 PM – The Kennedy’s – FMSH – First Saturday Night Concert Series, Congregational Church of Huntington.  The story of Pete and Maura Kennedy’s personal and professional relationship, now in its second decade, is somewhere between fate and a fairytale. How else can you explain a chance meeting in Austin between two East Coast-born musicians that immediately sparked a songwriting collaboration, a first date at Buddy Holly’s grave, an enduring romance, and a creative partnership that radiates warmth, positive energy, and captivating music?

In 1992, Virginia native Pete Kennedy was playing a solo show at Austin ’s Continental Club on a brief sabbatical from his duties as country-folk singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith’s lead guitarist when he met former Syracuse , NY , resident Maura Boudreau, enjoying a night off from performing with her own country-rock band, The Delta Rays. The duo “instantly connected on a soul level, or maybe even something deeper,” according to Pete. They wrote their first song together the following day before Pete returned to the road, and rendezvoused ten days later at mutual hero Buddy Holly’s grave in Lubbock , Tex. , 500 miles equidistant between them. And that’s how it started .

Later, when Griffith needed a harmony singer to replace Iris Dement on short notice for a British tour in Spring ’93, Maura was an obvious choice, and her touring life alongside Pete began. While boarding the plane to England , Nanci informed the duo that they would serve as the opening act for many of the shows on her tour, as well as performing in her backing band. With a need for material to fill their set, Pete and Maura wrote an inspired set of songs in Dublin that would become the basis for their 1995 first album: River of Fallen Stars .

The body of work The Kennedys have created since their 1994 wedding is a reflection of their musical and philosophical influences and experiences separately and as a couple. A child of the ’50s, Pete was compelled to pick up his older sister’s guitar after seeing The Beatles perform on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and was soon absorbing the new sounds of The Byrds and folk-rock. After studying at Boston College , Pete immersed himself in classical and jazz guitar, and later became a session player in the Washington , DC , area. When fellow picker John Jennings took a sabbatical from his role as Mary Chapin Carpenter’s lead guitarist, Pete stepped into his shoes. On a final show with Carpenter in 1991 on Austin City Limits before she took a hiatus for songwriting, Pete sat in with fellow guest Nanci Griffith, was invited to join her band, and accepted.

Meanwhile, Maura Boudreau was learning there was more to music than pop when she discovered England ’s groundbreaking folk-rock group Fairport Convention, and, most significantly, country-rock singer Emmylou Harris, whose recordings led Maura to the traditional music of Patsy Cline. She subsequently switched from playing others’ material to forming the country-oriented Delta Rays and writing her own songs and relocating her band to Austin .

After several years of touring and recording with Nanci Griffith, the duo seceded amicably from Griffith’s Blue Moon Orchestra and became The Kennedys, recording CDs that encompass their favorite musical styles while incorporating the naturalistic, transcendental and mythological teachings of Joseph Campbell, Eckhart Tolle, Walt Whitman, and various Eastern-oriented philosophers into their songs and lives. Their goal is to live in the moment, appreciating every second of sensation, which imbues their music with a constant sense of wonder and freshness.

As confirmed road warriors and performance addicts, The Kennedys have logged well over 1,000 gigs and half a million miles of touring, bringing their songs and spirit to venues ranging from the prestigious Newport, Falcon Ridge and Kate Wolf music festivals to the most intimate house concerts.

Saturday, 2/3 – 8 PM – Odetta – Landmark on Main Street , Port Washington

Sunday, 2/4 – 2 PM – Victor Kastel – East Meadow Public Library 

Sunday, 2/4 – 2 PM – Fred Eaglesmith – University Café, Stony Brook  Fred Eaglesmith, one of Canada ‘s top singer-songwriters, will perform at Stony Brook University ‘s The University Cafe in the Sunday Acoustic Concerts series on Sunday, February 4th at 2 P.M. It’s an early show so you will be out in plenty of time to watch the football game later that day. This is Fred’s first visit to Long Island and we are thrilled we were able to get him to play the Cafe, in response to your many requests.

I (Charlie Backfish) had the opportunity to see Fred and his band on a co-bill with Ian Tyson a few years ago in Manhattan and have to say I was amazed by the intensity of his performance. He’s hard to peg but reminds me a bit of Steve Earle, John Prine and Tom Russell all rolled into one. Fred’s comments between songs are priceless in and of themselves. And the songs are incredibly brilliant.  Fred Eaglesmith grew up on a series of farms in southern Ontario where he also listened to Elvis and other roots music on the radio, bought a guitar, and left home at age sixteen setting out  on the road. With his band The Flying Squirrels, Eaglesmith is a true road warrior as well as a prolific recording artist with sixteen albums to his credit since his 1980 debut recording. His songs often focus on the people he has known along the way and speak to the human condition.  “I think the bottom of the barrel is where the answers are” he has said, as the blue collar world is effectively captured in his songs.

The winner of a Juno Award, Eaglesmith’s songs have been recorded by other artists in two tribute albums, along with covers by The Cowboy Junkies, Dar Williams, and Kasey Chambers. Film director Martin Scorsese has used Eaglesmith’s songs as have other directors. Eaglesmith has a most devoted and passionate fan base, known as “Fredheads,” as well as acknowledgement by critics who constantly place his CDs on their top ten lists. His most recent CD, Milly’s Cafe, reached the Americana top 10 in 2006.

A Fred Eaglesmith show is a true experience, a mix of passionate and moving music as well as hilarious commentary delivered by one of the great performing artists on the contemporary music scene. In the words of one reviewer, “it takes a jaded soul to leave a Fred Eaglesmith show unaffected.” Admission to this show is $20.00 with a student ticket of $15.00. You can reserve by email to SundayStreetWUSB@aol.com and let us know you will be coming.  The University Café website is www.universitycafe.org and the concert is listed under “Special Events.” The University Cafe is a not-for-profit organization located in the Stony Brook Union Building at Stony Brook University . The Sunday Acoustic Series is co-sponsored by WUSB-FM.

Sunday, 2/4 – 3 PM–Ahmad Ali & Clutch – East Enders Coffee House, Riverhead

Saturday, 2/10 – 8:30 – Russ Seeger and Brian Sendrowitz – Eclectic Café, Bay Shore  Russ Seeger is a uniquely talented songwriter and guitarist who’s been around the Long Island scene since the ’70s when he was a member of The Sheiks. Russ’ most recent band project is The Last Hombres, with drummer Levon Helm. Russ also performed on the Bob Dylan tribute album, “Dylan Uncovered.”  Recent local performances have included opening for Brooks Williams at the University Cafe and an appearance at The Song Box.

Brian Sendrowitz.  Beat Radio is a New York based indie pop collective that played their first show in June of 2005. Brian Sendrowitz sings, plays guitar and writes the songs. Phil Jimenez plays guitar and keyboards and produced the record. The band also features Jim Mansfield on drums and Mike McCabe on bass. Beat Radio was quickly embraced by the New York music scene and has frequently been compared to the likes of Broken Social Scene, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and Luna. The group just finished recording their debut LP “The Great Big Sea” in Huntington , NY , and has made it available for download at beatradio.org.

Brian Sendrowitz is a singer and songwriter from Bellmore . He started playing guitar in the eighth grade listening to Led Zeppelin. Then he heard Nirvana and spent most of high school playing in punk rock bands. Brian studied creative writing and literature at Purchase College and for a time he couldn’t decide whether he should be a writer or a musician. Eventually he chose music figuring it would probably be a little less lonesome. He released his first record “Morning is Broken” in 1998 of which Newsday’s Kevin Amorim remarked, “You may just think you’re listening to a young, American version of Cat Stevens.”

Saturday, 2/10 – 8 PM – Jim Frazzitta – The Folk-Groovin’ Café
A warm and supportive coffee house event with spirited music and good times.
Singer/Songwriter, Solo/Acoustic/Unplugged
Open Time—All musicians and poets welcome
Special after-hours jam with Jim and friends
Doors open at 7:45 pm    Show begins at 8:00 pm

Sunday, 2/11 – 5 PM – Red Molly / Jim Colbert – House Concert – Merrick  (Reservations Required) – $20 suggested donation – www.courthouseconcerts.com or email courthouseconcerts@yahoo.com

Red Molly: Laurie MacAllister, Abbie Gardner and Carolann Solebello have come together to form one of the hottest independent bands of the past few years. They play traditional and modern music in a way that’s always fresh and new.  All three members are wonderful songwriters and skilled multi-instrumentalists with amazing voices, and their harmonies will make you say ‘Wow!’ They also choose an amazing array of cover songs, from traditional country and western to modern writers like Patty Griffin and Ryan Adams. Plus, they deliver a good, juicy murder ballad like no other trio around!
As good as their CDs are, (and they are REALLY good) they only give a glimpse into experiencing their live show. Don’t miss this chance to see them in a friendly, intimate house setting.

Jim Colbert: Hailed by The Performing Songwriter Magazine as “A valued subscriber,” Jim Colbert first played his songs in public two days before his fortieth birthday. Colbert has since opened for or shared the stage with Sparky & Rhonda Rucker, Deirdre Flint, Joe Crookston, Small Potatoes, and the Barking Spider String Band, Crabapple String Band, among others. Living in Bellefonte , Pennsylvania , Colbert’s work has been featured on the Americana in Paris and Sisyphus Tracks radio webcasts, with his song Pale Green Eyes included on the Americana in Paris Best of the year, and has been featured on Take Note Radio on WPSU-FM.

Sunday, 2/11 – 2 PM – Ahmad Ali – Central Islip Public Library Local blues musician Ahmad Ali will give a presentation on “The Evolution of Rhythm and Blues.”   Singer/Guitarist Ahmad Ali and his band will perform soulful renditions of classics from blues to Motown, funk and more. Ali will also discuss the history of African-American music in America , its development, and its influence on popular culture.  This program is free and open to the public. It will be held at the Central Islip Public Library on 33 Hawthorne Avenue . For information and directions, please contact the library at (631) 234-9333.  More information on Ahmad Ali: www.ahmadalimusic.com  www.myspace.com/ali7music  www.myspace.com/ahmadalijams

Friday, 2/16 – 8 PM – Modern Man – Our Times Coffee House, Garden City A cross between Crosby, Stills & Nash and the Marx Brothers – David Buskin, Rob Carlson and George Wurzbach are three celebrated singers and songwriters, “terrific instrumentalists with gorgeous voices and hilarious wits.” Together they are fast redefining something-or-other and delighting audiences as they interweave themes ranging from God to Godzilla, from manliness to cluelessness, from ESPN to the FBI with a vocal blend that has not been heard since Ella and F. Scott Fitzgerald went their separate ways.

Folk fans will no doubt remember David Buskin from “Buskin and Batteau,” (he was Buskin) and from his songs recorded by such artists as Judy Collins, Johnny Mathis, Roberta Flack, Peter Paul & Mary, Tom Rush, Pat Benatar and Sadao Watanabe. His “jingles” for Coca Cola, J.C. Penny, Stauffer’s, Goodyear, Burger King, NBC , US Air, AmTrak, Continental Airlines, Jif and the US Postal Service have won him advertising’s Oscar, a “Clio.” David recently helped create the animated children’s TV show, “Generation O” on the WB Kid’s Network.

Rob Carlson is a writer, producer and comedian. He is a regular contributor to “The American Comedy Network, a national syndicator of radio comedy. He also runs “The Producers,” his own Creative Services studio in Fairfield , CT. Rob was almost famous for fifteen minutes as half of “Carlson and Gailmor.” Their debut album ” Peaceable Kingdom ,” on Polydor Records, was a critical and commercial success. However, Gailmor took off to Europe with his girlfriend before a second album could be done, leaving Rob the broken and bitter man he is today.

Brooklyn ‘s George Wurzbach is “The best thing that ever happened to David and Rob” – Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. An award winning composer, performer and producer, Wurzbach’s songs and arrangements have been performed by Johnny Cash, Kathy Mattea, Roy Clark and a whole bunch of guys nobody’s ever heard of. He is author of “Country Riffs for Piano,” published by Hal Leonard, and operates Odo Island Music, a music scoring and production studio in Brooklyn. “You got a problem with that?”

Over the last six years audiences up and down the East Coast and in such far-flung outposts of civilization as Ohio , Florida and Texas , have found them a delightful change of pace. As Showbusiness Weekly put it: “Buskin, Carlson and Wurzbach should be arrested for being so funny.” Or as Back Stage put it, “…these guys are the Thomas Alva Edisons of humor. They’re inventive. You know, the bulb goes on.” Don’t miss MODERN MAN, because like Christine Lavin said, “You’ll love these guys; they are the cleverest band of the new millennium.”

Their debut CD, “The Wide Album,” recorded live at New York ‘s “Bottom Line” and their 2002 CD “Modern Immaturity” are available in some stores and from the Modern Man website, www.Modernman3.com. George’s solo CD “Not Pictured,” selected by Performing Songwriter Magazine as a top 12 Indie Release, is also available, as are David’s “Heaven in Free Tonight” and Rob’s “Peaceable Kingdom.”

Saturday, 2/17 – 7:30 PM – Joe Crookston & Bill Meehan – FMSH Hard Luck Cafe

Saturday, 2/17 – 8 PM – Ronan Tyne – Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts

Sunday, 2/18 – 2 PM – Pat Wictor and David Jacobs-Strain – University Café, Stony Brook

Saturday, 2/24 – 8:30 PM – Ray Anderson’s Pocket Brass Band – Last Licks Café, Huntington

Sunday, 2/25 – 3 PM –Ahmad Ali & Clutch – East Enders Coffee House, Riverhead

Corrections and Comments are welcome.   Support Live Music on Long Island .
Gary Schoenberger

FMSH (Folk Music Society of Huntington ) First Saturday Concerts and Hard Luck Café.  Congregational Church of Huntington , 30 Washington Dr. , Centerport.  For info: 631-425-2925  www.fmshny.org.  Most concerts are preceded by a one-hour open mic.

Eclectic Café.  The Eclectic Café is held on the second Saturday of the month, September through May at:  The Unitarian Universalist Society of South Suffolk 28 Brentwood Road, Bay Shore , NY 11706 631-968-0667 Parking is available along Brentwood Road and in the Sinai Reform Temple parking lot across the street. We ask that you please avoid parking in the medical offices’ parking lots south of the church.
The open mic starts at 7:30pm. Performers wishing to participate should sign up by 7:30. The featured artists begin at about 8:30pm. Admission is $10 for non-members ($5 for High School students with ID), and $8 for members. Membership is $12 a year. You can become a member at any time and your membership will be for a full calendar year, starting that month. Family memberships are also available. Ask at the ticket table for details.  Refreshments are available. We would also appreciate a donation of canned or dry food for local charity.  The Eclectic Café is an all-volunteer, non-profit committee of the UUSSS

University Café, Stony Brook. Tickets are $25.00 with a student rate of $20.00. Ticket information/reservations may be made by email to SundayStreetWUSB@aol.com or by calling 631-632-1093. Please visit the website at www.universitycafe.org.  The University Café (a not-for-profit organization)  is located in the Stony Brook Union, near  the LaValle Stadium Parking Lot, at Stony Brook University .  Press contact: Charlie Backfish at 631-632-1093 or via e mail: CBackfish@notes.cc.sunysb.edu

Garden Stage.  All shows are at 8:00 p.m.  Doors open at 7:15 PM Tickets $15.  Garden Stage is a an all- volunteer, non-profit, committee of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Central Nassau.  Indulge in delicious homemade desserts in the Malette Gallery while enjoying the work of local artists during the intermission.  Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Central Nassau .   223 Stewart Avenue . Garden City.  516-248-8855 www.uuccn.org  calendar@uuccn.org   1/2 Block North of the Long Island Railroad, Nassau Boulevard Station.

Acoustic LI at CoolBeanz. (in the Green Hills Shopping Center ) 556 N. Country Road (25A) St. James. 631-862-4111

Soul Growth Open Mic.  101 N. Wellwood Avenue , Lindenhurst .  631-957-4692 7:15 Open Mic sign in . 8:00-9:30 First Open Mic.  9:45-10:30 Featured Artist 10:45-12:00 Second Open Mic.  A $10 donation will be collected at the door  Peace and light.  David and Patty

The Pisces Cafe Unplugged (14 Railroad Avenue, Babylon ) on the third Thursday of each month.  Four acoustic original performers/groups, 30 minute sets. For booking, and further information, www.doloresloebl.com.

Last Licks Café, 109 Brown’s Road (UU Fellowship), Huntington.  Open mike at 8:00 p.m. Concert at 8:30 p.m. Refreshments available. $10 all.  631-427-9547. www.lastlickscafe.org .

Dr. Finley’s.   Kevin Barry, singer/songwriter, has an informal Celtic Night Every Wednesday evening at 8 PM Dr. Finley’s of 43 Greene St. , Huntington Village,
Free admission, $2.50 pints, full buffet, hosted by yours truly.  It’s a great out of the way place to take in some cheer.  All are welcome.

Tennessee Jack’s BBQ  148 Carleton Ave. , E. Islip   (631)581-9657

Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts  Tickets $20.00   71 East Main Street Patchogue   (6731) 207-1313   www.PatchogueTheatre.com Also, LIVE IN THE LOBBY is a series of concerts for small audiences held in the lobby of the Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts, on the first Thursday of every month at 7:30 PM. These concerts feature artists from the Long Island area playing a wide variety of mostly original music in an intimate setting. The PTPA bar will be open; there will be chairs set up for sitting, and room around the bar for standing. All ages are welcome but proof of age 21 is required for service at the bar.   Visit Live in the Lobby in My Space: www.myspace.com/liveinthelobbyatptpa Showtime 7:30 PM – Tickets at the PTPA box office or at the door.

Boulton Center for the Performing Arts  Main St , Bay Shore   Tickets $20  631-969-1101  www.boultoncenter.com

Songbox. Please make advance reservations by sending an email to songbox@optonline.net.  You will be sent a confirmation and directions via return email.  If you have no email call 516-579-5365 for reservations.

The Folk-Groovin’ Café at St. Lawrence of Canterbury Church  655 Old Country Road , Dix Hills – 3/10 mile West of Deer Park Rd. (Rt. 231)
Admission-$7 Coffee, Tea, and light refreshments served  For more information, please call 631-368-1920

Eastenders Coffee House – 40 Main Street , Riverhead – Free Admission

If you are a performer with a gig on Long Island , please send me details (date, time, location, directions, cost, your web-site, etc.) four to six weeks in advance.  I’ll include your gig in Long Island Concert Notes.

If you know someone who wants to be included in the distribution of Long Island Concert Notes, please have them send an email request to liconcertnotes@optonline.net

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