Sat June 9th 8pm Hudson Opera house concert

This Saturday I'll be performing in Hudson, NY it's a cool town filled with expat NYC'ites: artists, restaurateurs, creatives, tinkerers. It's full of thoughtful people in need of air, space, and a place to get out of the corporate urban environment for some lets get real and local attitude. Some call it the new Brooklyn of upstate.

For those too far away, I'll be live on WGXC community radio Friday June 8th at 5pm performing live and chatting about what it's like to be a stationary presence with so much shuffling and movement about. Hope you can tune in to the live stream, click to listen in the top right corner of the website.

Here's a nice shout out for my concert from one of those cool designers that have found Hudson so appealing: Andrew Nelson and Upstate's Downtown Weeklythanks Andrew.

 

SUBWAY GIRL NYC
at Hudson Opera House



Like the picture above, a busker's life can be that of one without a face, just another in the crowd providing a soundtrack for those moving from point A to point B. Cathy Grier, aka Subway Girl NYC is not one to sit unnoticed. Since 1999 she has been participating in New York City’s MTA program, Music Under New York and been turning heads ever since. 

"New York based singer-songwriter, activist, Cathy Grier combines rhythmic guitar, gutsy vocals and an infectious energy. Grier mixes folked-up blues with a political mind-set, and there’s more than a little funk in there too.” Time Out, NY Smith Galtney

Cathy has opened for Laura Nyro and Joan Armatrading, received an MTV basement tape award, and has performed at Avery Fischer Hall, BAM and has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning.

“You’ve really got to see Cathy, she has such great energy and you can see that she loves what she’s doing, it’s contagious.”  Larry Wolfert, DJ WRSU radio

Performing Saturday, June 9, 8 pm

HUDSON OPERA HOUSE
327 Warren Street 
Hudson 
More info here

 

Winter Walk Hudson, NY

what a wonderful event performing at Hudson New York's 15th annual Winter Walk.  The street became a sea of pedestrians of all ages and number of feet (many many 4 legged kind).  I sang in a wonderful design, furniture and home goods store called Culture+Commerce Project.  I had a speaker on the sidewalk and people either looked in through the storefront windows or joined inside the warm shop.  It was fun to perform for people whose reason to be there was the event, to stroll, to come upon chance moments of performance, the stilt walker, the tango dancers in the bodega window, the saxophonist in a hair salon, lovely. Community in all it's splendor. And me performing in a store. Passers by would fill into the shop, spill onto the street. Straying from my original repertoire with a nod to Brenda Lee's 'Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree,'  spontaneous dancing and singing filled the air, but when later I sang Dylan's Like A Rolling Stone" I turned to see and hear a crowd singing along, loud 'How does it feel?" I reminded people that years ago most homes had a piano and people spent hours singing along to favorite tunes. At that moment we were a big family home for the holidays and sharing in our love for music to possibly help ignore our differences, if but for a moment. 

Here's a clip of me performing and the various people that stopped by.

CG winter walk 11.jpg

Culture+Commerce Project Warren St Hudson, NY

I kept repeating "I'm performing here where industrialized steel meets reclaimed wood, and the NYCSubwayGirl is singing out from the underground to the metaphorical one above ground." In the subway, rushing commuters are on a mission, and many give a smile, a thumbs up, and shrug of shoulders as if to say..."if I only had more time....", Winter Walk provided a welcome change. Participants had plenty of time and the people showed it with their support and love of the event.  I was also happily surprised to find up the street, Paul and Marc Mueller of Mecca Bodega, my Music Under New York buddies, a wonderful duo of hammer dulcimer and various percussion performing on a sidewalk to dancing children and enthralled listeners.  Small world, Hudson is a special town and for a moment between the festively decorated main street USA, known as Warren Street and happy togetherness, there was a glimmer of what we are all capable of. Occupy Love leapt into my mind of possibilities.