Caffe Lena – Week at a Glance

Greetings – The weather was in a wonderful mood for Caffe Lena at SPAC on Saturday afternoon. A crowd estimated at 2,000 gathered on the lawn for our usual eclectic mix of music, from folk stalwart Tom Chapin to Jordanian singer Farah Siraj. It felt like a lot like the Caffe, with a blue sky for a ceiling and green grass for a floor. People came to take in the music, see their friends and neighbors, and many stayed for the full five and half hours. This free festival is intended as a Thank You to the thousands of people who make it possible for SPAC and Lena’s to keep filling their stages with wonderful shows. So, let me say it one more time: Thank You.

This week is an even split between familiar favorites and carefully selected newcomers. On the familiar side we have two pairs of men who really nail the vocal harmonies:  Saratoga’s own Maswick & Brown, with their Beatles-inspired originals, and the much-celebrated North Country bluegrassers, The Gibson Brothers. On the newcomer side, we have the delightful Martha Spencer from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. She’s an Appalachian flatfoot dancer, songwriter, singer and bandleader with a special sparkle. And we welcome back the Mercer Patterson Quintet, who played a fabulous set of original jazz at last May’s Sing In the Streets Festival. They’ve got a bunch of sparkle, too!

See you at the show,
Sarah