Jo Henley Live at Club Passim!

On Monday, May 21, Jo Henley will return to the legendary Club Passim in Cambridge, MA, for a very special acoustic-electric show. Located in Harvard Square on 47 Palmer St., Club Passim is one of the country's oldest and most respected folk music venues whose subterranean stage has been graced by just about everyone notable in the American music scene in the past 50 years. It is a superb listening room, with wonderful acoustics, delicious food, beer, wine, coffee & tea, an intimate setting, and it is the perfect venue for what will be one of the few shows we play in the Boston area until late-summer.

For the occasion, we have been putting together a jam-packed show featuring not only our full-band electric sound, but also a stripped down version of Jo Henley, with Mike D. stepping out from behind the kit to play keyboards on some new and old JH songs, and Ben mixing it up with acoustic and electric guitar, as well as dobro and banjo. This unplugged style is not necessarily new for us--we frequently rehearse this way--but we don't often get a chance to really showcase ourselves this way. I think you will really dig it, especially you old-school JH fans. We decided there is no better place to show all sides of what this band can do than Club Passim.

For those of you who are used to seeing us in loud, cavernous bars and clubs around town, with bad sound, worse lighting, this is your show. And if you haven't caught JH in a while, come on out. We have no local shows planned for the rest of the spring or early summer, so don't miss this one! We go on at 8 sharp. Reserve your seats in advance by going here. Come for dinner, stay for the music! I know it's a Monday and all, but don't let that deter you. I promise you you'll be glad you came out rather than stayed home.

If you do not live in the Boston area but still want to catch our Club Passim show, you are in luck! You can watch from the comfort of home via a webcasted broadcast for a mere $3 through Concert Window. I hope it goes without saying that, convenient as a webcast is for out-of-towners, there is no substitute for experiencing music live, so if you can make it to the show, pretty please do! We really need everyone's support for a successful show. We love to make music, but we love even more to share it. A huge amount of time, effort, and sacrifice goes into doing what we do year after year. Don't sit home. Support the arts! Come out to Club Passim on Monday, May 21!

Down to the Mountains

It's been a while since we've hit the road and headed down south to the mountains of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, but that's exactly where we'll be next week. On Thursday, April 26, we'll be back at the Acoustic Coffeehouse in Johnson City, TN, and then the following night, Friday, April 27, we'll be performing at Craggie Brewing Company in lovely Asheville, NC. We'll wrap up our three-night run in Concord, NC, on Saturday, April 28, at The Wine Room. We love each of these towns and are really excited to bring with us new songs and new arrangements old Jo Henley favorites, many of which feature Mike D. stepping out from behind the kit and playing keyboards. This is Jo Henley like you've never seen us before. You won't want to miss these shows. Check our schedule below and please spread the word!

Thursday, April 26 @ The Acoustic Coffeehouse, Johnson City, TN. 8pm.
Friday, April 27 @ Craggie Brewing Company, Asheville, NC. 9pm.
Saturday, April 28 @ The Wine Room, Concord, NC. 8pm.

See you on the road...

Andy & JH

Upcoming March Shows!

Hey everyone,

We've been on a roll lately. The crowds are growing, excitement's building. It's been really amazing to watch. I can feel it in our jams and see it on the faces of all of you who come out to the shows each time.  Good things are happening, and we're looking forward to keeping things going TONIGHT (3/23) in Portland, Maine at Blue. We take the stage at 8pm sharp. We've played Portland before, but it's been awhile, so we are asking anyone and everyone to spread the word and come on out to Blue tonight!

Then begins 3 shows in the Albany area over the course of the next 7 days...

We kick things off tomorrow night--Saturday, March 24--in downtown Schenectady, my hometown, at the Moon & River Cafe. This is a very intimate venue, and for the occasion we have planned a very special set, part electric and part acoustic--or, should I say, half with drums and half without. (Well, okay, so maybe more with drums than without, but you get the gist!) We've been rehearsing and writing a bunch of songs with Mike on keyboards instead of drums, just to change things up a little bit, come up with new ideas, and approach old JH songs in fresh light. It's been super fun for us, and when we debuted these new arrangements at the Blue Moon Coffeehouse show a couple months ago, the response was incredible. Probably one of our favorite shows ever. The Moon & River Cafe is a smiliar venue, and so we thought it would be a perfect opportunity to do it again. Bill Ackerbauer, a local singer-songwriter who is a terrific player and a really nice guy to boot, will open the show with a short set from 8-8:30, and then we'll go on immediately after him. Moon and River Cafe serves food, so get yourselves a seat (remember, this place is small and is going to fill up!), and make a night of it. This will be one to remember, I promise.

The following day--Sunday, March 25--from noon till 2pm, we will be perfroming at the Greenmarket, which is Schenectady's farmers market. It takes place outdoors in the summer months, and in Proctors each Sunday the rest of the year. I happened to stop by on a whim last fall and thought it was such a cool event that I contacted the Greenmarket the next day and offered JH's services free of charge. I believe in the cause (fresh food; local farmers), and I support anything positive in the Sch'dy community, so be sure to come on out, pick up fresh, local meat, produce, wine, breads, etc, and you'll get to catch Jo Henley as an added bonus!

Then on Friday, March 30, we have the fine pleasure of opening up for Eastbound Jesus at Putnam Den in Saratoga Springs, NY. These guys are terrific--in fact, from what I hear they are on the cover of this week's Metroland--so let's get as many people out as we can and fill the place. It's destined to be kick-ass show! We go on at 9pm.

Last but not least, the next day, March 31, we will head up to Burlington, VT, for an early 6pm acoustic show at Radio Bean. Burlignton always shows Jo Henley a lot of love, so we're really looking forward to it. 

Good things are happening. Jump on board. See you there!

Fri, 3/23 Porland, ME @ Blue
Sat, 3/24 Schenectady, NY @ Moon & River Cafe
Sun, 3/25 Schenectady, NY @ Greenmarket
Fri, 3/30 Saratoga Springs, NY @ Putnam Den
Sat, 3/31 Burlington, VT @ Radio Bean

Andy & JH

www.johenley.com
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Farm Aid

UPDATE: We are happy to annoucne that our cancelled show last week at Blue in Portland, ME, has been rescheduled for Friday, March 23, at 8pm. Spread the word!!

***********************************

Last week, I received an email from someone from the Hudson Farmers Market, in Hudson, NY, asking if we would be interested in playing at their outdoor market sometime this spring or summer. She said she really liked our music and thought we would make a great fit. Without a second thought, I said, sure, love to. We set a date--Saturday, June 9--and that was that. 

Later, I wondered how she knew to contact me? Had she caught a Jo Henley show somewhere along our travels? Had she heard us online? Or on the radio? Or YouTube? 

The truth is, I still don't know. I never asked her. But I'm wondering if it's because we are playing two other farmers markets this month--this Saturday, March 10, at the Cambridge Winter Market in Cambridge, MA; and then on Sunday, March 25, at my hometown's own Schenectady Greenmarket--and now, somehow, Jo Henley has managed to generate buzz amongst the organic and local farming community. Watch: this month? Farmers markets; next year? Farm Aid! 

Hey, that'd be fine with us. We have played plenty of benefit shows, fairs, fundraisers, and small festivals over the years.--places where there is usually little or no pay involved--and each and every instance it's been worth it. If we can donate our time and music to a good cause and help out in some way, we're all for it. Obviously, we can't do that all the time or else we'd never be able to support our tours, studio time, merchandise, and all the other things that make a band function, but if there was ever a cause that has our support, it's the plight of our farmers.

As somehow who as often as possible tries to buy locally-sourced foods, I am a firm believer that so much of what ails our country--from obesity to the economy to civic pride--can be salved by supporting our farmers. Plus, what is more Americana than farming? And when I say "farmers," I am including local vintners, artisan bakers, and so on. If you want the freshest, tastiest meat or fish or dairy or produce you ever had, don't go to the big-box supermarkets; go to a farmers market. Local products are not only better for you, but better for the environment because they aren't shipped across the continent.

Farmers markets are not just outdoor summer events, either. The two we are playing this month are both indoor winter markets. And there are tons of them. Don't believe me? Here is a link to the farmers markets in Massachusetts alone. Do a quick google search for your state or community; I'm sure you'll find ones you didn't even know existed.

There a good people right in your own backyards producing amazingly delicious and heathful foods for us. Let's support them. And if you do, as an added bonus, you just might catch Jo Henley playing there too!

Saturday, March 10, Cambridge Winter Market, Cambridge, MA. 10am-2pm.
Sunday, March 25, Schenectady Greenmarket, Schenectady, NY. 10am-noon
Saturday, June 9, Hudson Farmers Market, Hudson, NY. TBA

See you there!
Andy & JH

Big Boston Show This Weekend!

Just a reminder to all of our fans here in the Boston area that we are playing at the Hard Rock Cafe this Friday night, February 24, at 9pm (sharp).  The good folks at Fleming Entertainment have put together a terrific lineup of Americana bands, and Jo Henley is excited to take the stage first and get the festivities started!  Coming on the heels of some truly memorable Jo Henley shows in recent weeks, we are really looking forward to this show and have even worked up a few surprises.  Come on out! 

Tickets are $10 at the door or can be purchased online here.  We also still have a very limited number of pre-sale tickets for $8 each, but they are going fast, so if you want one, send us an emai.

Friday, February 24 @ 9pm
Hard Rock Cafe Boston
22-24 Clinton Street (Faneuil Hall)
 
Also, for anyone on the South Shore who missed our epic set last Sunday at the Americana Jamboree at T-Bones Roadhouse in Plymouth, you have another chance to catch us this Sunday, February 26, from noon till 4pm.  As always, we will play 3 sets, and there is no cover to get in! 

We also will be making a return trip to Portland, ME, for a special performance at Blue, on Thursday, March 1, at 8pm.  Portland is relatively new territory for us, so please tell all your friends and family and everyone you know up there who loves good live music to come on out.  Let's try to fill the place!

More news coming soon.  Stay tuned...

Andy & JH

New Shows Added!

Hey friends,

We've added some new shows to our upcoming schedule that we wanted to be sure to share with you, including a return to Portland, ME; a show at Putnam Den in Saratoga Springs with our new friends Eastbound Jesus; the 2nd Annual Americana Jamboree at T-Bones Roadhosue in Plymouth, MA; and a big Boston show later this month, Friday, February 24, at Hard Rock Cafe.  There are many more shows in the works, a live in-studio radio performance, a couple of tours we are excited to announce shortly, and a bunch of new material we're getting ready to record this spring, so there is lots of fun stuff going on behind the scenes at Jo Henley Headquarters.  Stay tuned!

• Tues, 2/7 - Interview and live in-studio performance with Ben and Andy on 95.9 WATD's "Almost Famous" at 9pm
• Sat, 2/11 - Blue Moon Coffeehouse, Rockland, MA, 7:30pm
• Sun, 2/19 - Americana Jamboree at T-Bones Roadhouse, Plymouth, MA, 4pm
• Fri, 2/24 - Hard Rock Cafe, Boston, MA, 9pm
• Sun, 2/26 - T-Bones Roadhouse, Plymouth, MA, noon-4pm
• Thurs, 3/1 - Blue, Portland, ME, 8pm   

Happy, Happy New Year

Greetings, friends!

Well, if you are reading this, it must mean you survived the holidays--congratulations!  This is going to be YOUR year, I just know it.  It certainly is going to be Jo Henley's, that's for sure.  I can feel it.  Good things are on the horizon.

We wrapped up 2011 in style, with a memorable Caffe Lena show that almost started off as a complete disaster when Kent became very ill and was unable to take the stage, but wound up being one of our favorite shows of the year.  Ben and I unexpectedly got to play much of the show as a duo, which is always a treat for us, and then we had Mike join us and invited our buddy and bassist Tony Markellis to come up and finish off the first set with a 4 or 5 songs before Tony had to duck out to play his own show down the street.  Ben, Mike, and I made it through the second set and had a blast do so, breaking out a couple new tunes, and even some old JH rareities that had been shelved for awhile.  Best of all, we were able to raise $700 for Ben's dad's foundation, which will go toward coninuing to help poor communties in India build schools and hospitals, a project that for many years was close to the Reverend's heart.  We had a full house, an amazing audience, and were able to help out those in need.  All in all a trmendously successful night!

One bit of news...this weekend's show on January 22 at T-Bones Roadhouse in Plymouth has been cancelled due to...football.  Yes, football.  As is always the case each year during the NFL playoffs season at T-Bones, live music loses out to Patriots postseason games--they bar can squeeze more people in if they set up tables where the bands play.  It stinks--we never like to lose out on a gig for any reason--but T-Bones, and all of you who come out to see us there, are always so good to us that we really can't complain.  Be sure to check our schedule and come out next month!

The silver lining in this cancellation is that it frees up the weekend and gives us even more time to dedicate to songwriting.  We have plans for several records this year--a live album and two EPs.  The two EPs are shaping up to be two halves of a larger whole--a double album perhaps?--with sounds, themes, and textures that will show a different side of Jo Henley.  It's been extremely liberating and exciting to really tap into one another's talents and bring everything we have to the table as far as instrumentation and creative thinking, and I think you all will agree once you start to hear what we've been coming up with.  This month we'll be heading to the mountains of Vermont for a couple of music retreats out in the boondocks, away from the relentless dim and distractions of the city, to clear our minds and fully immerse ourselves in the material. 

Also, in addition to new records, we're also planning a couple of tours this year, including a return to California in September, and a southern tour this spring, so be on the lookout for more information about that and much, much more!

Andy & JH

Jo Henley returns to Caffe Lena!

Hi friends,

We are super excited to be capping off 2011 with a very special show in beautiful Saratoga Springs, NY, at Caffe Lena on Friday, December 30 at 8pm!  Caffe Lena has long been one of our favorite rooms to play, and this time we will be recording the show for a future release.  So if you want to be part of a future JH record, make sure you are in the crowd!  We have a bunch of new tunes to share, plenty of old favorites, and we've ever been working up arrangements of a couple of holiday-themed tunes, just for the occasion. 

But our Caffe Lena performance has an even more important purpose this time, beyond just new tunes and a future album:

2011 has been quite a rollercoaster ride for Jo Henley, both individually as well as collectively, from the release of Mohawk this spring, to the terrific addition of bassist Kent Stephens, to the sudden passing of Ben's father in September.  The good news is that we're still a unit, still making music together, and still loving every minute of it.  If the past few months have taught us nothing else it's that life is something to be cherished and celebrated, and so in the spirit of all that Ben's dad, Reverend Lee, stood for, we are donating the proceeds of our Caffe Lena show to the foundation set up in his honor, which supports the many charities for which Rev Lee worked so dilligently his whole life.  Through the years as a minister, Ben's dad was a tireless advocate for the poor and disenfranchised both here in the States and abroad, raising money to help build hospitals and schools in India, the Congo, and South America.  Jo Henley plans to set up a more permanent way to make contributions to these causes going forward and have some big ideas as to how to chip in as best we can, and we thought our Caffe Lena show, during this holiday season, was the perfect time to get that ball rolling.   

So, if you live in Upstate New York and will be in the Saratoga Springs area on Friday, December 30, please come celebrate New Year's Eve Eve with us!  We will perform two full sets of music, and best of all, your ticket will help make a positive impact on the world.  Can't beat that!

There is always a full house when we play Caffe Lena, so be sure to reserve your tickets today by going here, or else by calling 1-800-838-3006.  

Andy & JH

 

November News

Hi friends,

We have few upcoming shows that we want to remind you about, starting with this Saturday, November 12, at T-Bones Roadhouse in Plymouth, MA.  T-Bones is one of our favorite gigs, with dynamite BBQ, cold beer on tap, and some of the finest folks around.  And did I mention it's absolutely FREE?  That's right, no cover, so climb out of bed, come on out, and join us for 3 sets of music from noon-4pm!

Then on Friday, November 25 we will be performing in Boston at Church as part of Fleming Entertainment's Black Friday Bash.  This is one show you definitely do not want to miss!  We've got some exciting surprises in store for you and intend to keep everyone on their feet and shaking off all those mashed potatoes and slices of pie.  Showtime is at 8:30pm SHARP, with two awesome Americana bands following us--A Ton of Blues, and Grassroot.  Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online here.  As our way of saying thanks, everyone who buys a ticket for the Black Friday Bash will get one free Jo Henley CD of your choice!   

Finally, we are happy to announce to all of our Upstate NY friends, and everyone else who wants to make the trip to always-lovely Saratoga Springs, that we will be back at Caffe Lena on Friday, December 30!  Not only is this one of the finest, most intimate places to see Jo Henley, but we will be recording this one for an upcoming release, so if you want to be part of JH's recorded history, this is your chance!  Tickets always go fast for our Caffe Lena shows, so get 'em while you can by going here.

More shows, stories, news, and other happenings coming soon, so stay tuned!

Andy & JH

Never Can See the Sun (Before it Sets)

For better or worse, I am not the kind of songwriter who sits down every day, picks up a guitar, and works on a new song.  Some songwriters I know do just that.  They will say, Okay, this week I am going to write a new tune every morning, or every night before I go to bed, or some other regimented exercise like that.  I can't operate that way.  Sometimes I probably should be more regimented when it comes to songwriting, but the truth is that I am far more invested in songs that take shape organically.  I need to go out and live life, see what catches my attention, find out what inspires me.  It could be anything: a sunny day; a day at the beach, a newspaper article, something a friend says, hearing bad news, lost love, a death in the family.  If I try to force myself to write when I'm not feeling it, the end result is usually a song that lacks emotion or that I know deep down lacks heart.  Even if it sounds good to someone else, I will know it's phony, in which case it will soon be shelved.  It's just the way it is. 

Lyrically, Mohawk is a very personal album for me.  I had a built-in theme to work with--my hometown, a once-proud small American city whose best days are behind her, and my life growing up there--which allowed me to remain focused, both in terms of the words and the mood/style of the music.  Keeping the same headspace over the course of 6 months is not that easy to do, but the upside is that more often than not a cohesive set of songs emerge, rather than a hodge-podge of ideas and themes that have nothing to do with one another.  But after we released Mohawk, I wasn't sure what to write about next.  I usually try not to write anything new right away after we release a new record, because inevitably I am always most excited by our newest material, and therefore the songs on the new album would no longer sound new to me, if that makes any sense.  I usually wait a few weeks or a month before I let my nmind begin to think ahead,.  Except after Mohawk, it seemed to take me longer than usual to find my muse.  Turns out this wouldn't be a problem at all.

Getting together with Ben a couple times a week to play guitar and work on new songs is nothing new; it's what we've been doing pretty much nonstop for the past 15 or 16 years.  But in the last month or two our sessions have begun to yield some exciting new material, and at a steady clip, too.  Last week we wrote a new song in about 10 minutes, called "The Fall Comes Early."  The week before it was the same thing: Ben, without givign it any thought, fingerpicked this catchy little melody that caught my ear.  As always when he does something like this I say, "Is that yours?"  Ben has an uncanny knack of learning covers in nanoseconds, and even more impressively, he remembers them for all eternity, whereas if it's not a cover in our regular Jo Henley rotation, it's wiped from my memory for good and I'll have to relearn it from scratch.  'No," he assured me, "this one's not a cover.  It's just something I came up with now."  I loved it.  I came up with a guitar part to compliment his and we messed around with it for a few minutes.  Then I hit record on my iPhone's memo recorder app thingy and we ran through it again so that I could later put words and a melody to it later on, or else see if any lyrics I already have will go with this new piece of music.  On my way home from his house that night, I blasted it in my car and the melody nearly wrote itself.  Before I went to bed that night I had the lyrics done, and the next day we added a B section over which Ben could play a little solo.  And just like that, "Never Can See the Sun" was born.  Since then we've had several more songs emerge in much the same fashion, which has been really exciting.  Good things are happening.  The muse is alive and well!

Never Can See the Sun

The more I look the less I see, it's true
The more I look the less I see
The road ahead, it disappears from view
And all I'm asking for is a little light
You never can see the sun before it sets

The more I learn the less I know, it's true
The more I learn the less I know
Around the world, and everywhere I go
All I'm asking for is a little help
You never can see the sun before it sets
You never can see the sun before it sets

The more I climb the further down I fall
The more I climb the further down
I stumble around like an answer no one knows
And all I'm asking for is a little love
You never can see the sun before it sets
You never can see the sun before it sets
You never can see the sun before it sets

Stay tuned.  More to come...

-Andy

Just Announced: Post-Turkey Day Show in Boston!

We are happy to announce that our next Boston show will take place at Church on Friday, November 25 (the day after Thanksgiving)!  Fleming Entertainment has put together an awesome lineup for the holiday weekend, which, along with Jo Henley, will include the bands Grassroot and A Ton of Blues.  We hit the stage first, at 8:30 SHARP.  We have been quietly amassing a batch of new material that we are looking forward to sharing with you, as well as your old JH favorites, so come on out.  There is no better way to get rid of all those slices of pumpkin pie and second-helpings of mashed potatoes and gravy than by sweating it all out at a Jo Henley show. 

Tickets are $10 at the door, but anyone who buys a ticket from us ahead of time will receive a free copy of our latest album Mohawk!  Send us an email for more details.

Jo Henley Rides Again 9.16.11

Hi everyone,

One of our good friends and biggest fans recently remarked that he knew Jo Henley was up to something good because he hadn't heard from us recently.  My first reaction, having just spent the previous week doing nothing but working on new songs, learning a couple covers, and rehearsing like crazy with the boys, was to think, "Huh?  We've been here all along!  We haven't gone anywhere!"  But the more I thought about it, the more spot-on his assessment was.  We have been quiet the past month, and we have been up to good things.  Simply put, we needed a facebook break, a website break, a youtube break--basically, time off from the endless social media self-publicizing/whoring required of today's working musician.  And we also had a minor bump in the road in the form of a small personnel change, but that's all water under the proverbial bridge now and has resulted in nothing but positive energy for the band.  Our public hiatus--if it can even be called that--is over.  We have lots of exciting news, songs, gigs, and happenings to share with you all over the next couple weeks.   

First things first:  Those of you who have come out to see us lately have probably noticed we have an new face holding down the low end these days.  A veteran of several notable West Coast alt-country bands, including Shoestring Strap (try saying that one three times fast!), Kent Stephens comes to us from sunny San Diego and has been a pleasure to make music with.  In addition to his bass prowess, Kent also adds another dimension to the band in the form of vocal harmonies, which is something we are all really happy about and excited to see what new directions that takes us, not to mention being just an all 'round good guy.  So come on out, say hi, and introduce yourself.  He doesn't bite, and even if he does, he tells us he's up to dates on all his shots.

After a leisurely August, we are ready to kick things up a couple notches and get ourselves back to fighting form, beginning tomorrow afternoon, where we'll be performing as part of the 3rd Annual Salmon Falls Street Festival in Shelburne Falls, MA.  We've played Shelburne Falls several times over the past few years, and the folks out there always show us a lot of love.  It also just so happens to be a gorgeous part of New England, and given the weekend weather forcast, I reckon tomorrow will be bunches of fun.  So if you live out in the Northhampton area or find yourself out that way, please come on out.  It's a music and arts festival on the main drag and it's free to the public.  We play from 3-4pm.  See you there!

Ben has become our resident JH archivist as of late, accumulating a slew of live shows from the summer.  We plan on putting as many as we can up here on our website to share with you, so check back soon for some rare Jo Henley live shows.  Among them is our Canalfest 2011 show from July, with our friend Tony Markellis joining us on bass.  That was such a fun gig, and such a beautiful setting, right on the banks of the Mohawk River.  Some epic jams went down that day, if I do say so myself.  You'll definitely want to look for that one. 

As I said, lots more news to share with you soon, including new gigs, photos, live downloads, and sneak peeks of our new songs. 

Have a great weekend,
Andy & JH

Canalfest photos and Toad this Friday!

Our friend and defacto band photographer Karen Morse took some excellent photos of us with Tony Markellis joining us on bass at last weekend's Canalfest 2011 at Mabee Farm.  Check 'em out!  We had such a fanatastic time performing our Mohawk songs on the banks of the Mohawk River to a great audience who all showed up to have a good time.  Couldn't have asked for a better day!

We also wanted to share with you that we are playing this Friday night, July 22, at Toad in Cambridge, MA, opening up for LA's Rose's Pawn Shop.  Those of you old-school JH fans will be happy to know that Tim Weed plays fiddle for RPS and will be back in town for the occasion, which means the likelihood of him joining us on stage is damn near 120%, something we are very much looking forward to.  In all honesty, due to a communication lapse somewhere along the way, we just found out that this date is confirmed and that we are in fact playing on Friday, so our apologies for the late notice.  We would have told you sooner had we known!  Toad is one of this city's best little music rooms, but the "little" part can't be underestimated, so be sure to get there on time and get a seat (or a place to stand).  Music starts at 9pm sharp, and as always at Toad, it's FREE to get in!

"Mohawk" on the Mohawk

Dear friends,

We want to remind everyone, especially our Albany-area fans, that this Saturday, July 16, we are performing at this year's Canalfest 2011.  Hosted by the Schenectady Historical Society, Canalfest takes place at Mabee Farm, which is the oldest standing home in the Mohawk River and is located on the beautiful banks of the Mohawk River.  We can't think of a more perfect location for play the songs off our new album Mohawk!  Mohawk, as most of you already know, in large part celebrates the long history of Schenectady and the Mohawk Valley, so this is a very cool gig for us, and we are thrilled to be part of what promises to be a fun day. 

Our set is from 12-1pm, but the days kicks off at 11, so come out early--and bring the kids!  Among the other acts on the bill are Rich Bala, Everst Rising, and Ramblin' Jug Stompers. 

This is a free, outdoor, all-ages show that celebrates an important achievement in American history.  It doesn't get much more Americana than this!

Canalfest 2011
Saturday, July 16 from 11am-4pm
Mabee Farm Historic Site
1080 Main Street (Route 5S)
Rotterdam Junction, NY 12150
(518) 887-5073
mabeefarm@gmail.com

Need directions?

Reviews for "Mohawk," and other love songs...

Just a quick reminder for all you in the Boston area that we're back at Porter Belly's in Brighton Center this Friday night.  No cover, tasty food, cold adult beverages, and 3 sets of Jo Henley.  Always a good time when we go to Porter Belly's, so don't miss it.  Music starts at 9:30.

Also, our new album Mohawk has gotten a few write-ups the past week that we'd like to share with you, including one in Dutch!  Yup, that's right, Johan Schoenmakes of altcountryforum.com, an Americana webzine out of the Netherlands, reviewed Mohawk  You can read it for yourself here.  (My Dutch is a tad rusty these days--as in, I know not a single word--so I copied and pasted the text into google translator.  Far from a perfect translation, I'm sure, but close enough to get the gist of it.) Thanks, Johan!  

Here are a couple other reviews...

Bob Dylan 70th Birthday Bash!

We have been invited to join in honoring Bob Dylan as he celebrates his 70th birthday at a concert on Saturday, May 21, at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. Caffe Lena has chosen a few select bands and musicians to participate in this special evening, and we are delighted that Jo Henley was among them.  Bob Dylan has had a profound impact on us and we all count ourselves as huge fans of The Bard. In what should be an inspired evening of wonderful music, each band/artist will perform 2 or 3 Dylan songs.  I won't tell you which songs we've selected--I don't want to spoil the surprise--but I think if you love Dylan, you will love our choices.  

Bob Dylan's 70th Birthday Bash
Skidmore College Dance Theater
Show starts at 8pm
Tickets are $25--all proceeds go to help support Caffe Lena

For more details & ticket info, please go here.

More about the event from Caffe Lena:

"Today we celebrate the 70th birthday of Caffè Lena's most famous alum, the unsurpassed songwriting legend Bob Dylan. Bob Dylan performed at Caffè Lena in 1960 and 1961, playing sets of traditional songs rather than the celebrated anthems he was soon to release. Dylan's presence at Caffè Lena is felt in the profound influence he has had on all the songwriters who followed him onto our stage, inspiring five decades of personal reflection and powerful poetry.  Tonight we welcome a host of regional musicians to play Dylan's best loved songs, and raise funds to support Caffè Lena on the ocassion of the venue's 51st anniversary.