P.O. Box 92398
Rochester, NY 14692
www.goldenlink.org
Media contact (not for publication): Dave Townsend, (585) 467-8690
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 19, 2026
Golden Link presents the finger-style guitar and precise baritone voice of Kray Van Kirk
Rochester, NY – An eclectic performer and fine finger-style guitarist on both 6- and 12-string guitar, Kray Van Kirk is a charming, Quixotic, and decidedly eclectic performer who set aside his Ph.D. in Fisheries to write songs, tell stories, and summon heroes. Last here for the 2024 Turtle Hill Folk Festival, Van Kirk is based in California and returns as part of a months-long tour of the US, bringing us new myths to tilt at 21st-century windmills. Kray Van Kirk will be performing on Saturday, May 2 at 7:30 pm at the Greece Baptist Church, 1230 Long Pond Rd., Rochester, NY.
His song “Thunderbird” resurrects the Phoenix in an empty desert diner in the American Southwest. “The Queen of Elfland” plucks Thomas the Rhymer from the English-Scottish border in 1250 and drops him and the Queen into a subway car. “The Midnight Commander” celebrates an insane old man leading the city of New York to take up arms (and underwear) against hatred.
Van Kirk’s new album, Empire, is a way to summon heroes and remind us that hope is not dead. As he says, “Hope happens ... as a community, all of us together. No one is excluded; no one is left out.”
“Kray Van Kirk is a gifted songwriter whose allegorical weave of contemporary and mythological themes is both remarkable and tremendously relevant. He backs that up with deft guitar work and a voice that embodies power and genuine tenderness. A stellar and meticulous musician, equally rooted in the mind and the heart.” – Joe Jencks
“The evening’s act was Kray Van Kirk, whose 12-string guitar and soaring vocals were spellbinding.” – Daily Fringe Review, Edinburgh, Scotland
Online ticket sales end at midnight on May 1.
General Admission: $25 ($27 at the door)
Golden Link Members: $20 ($22 at the door)
Students: $10
Children under 12: $5
See below for calendar listings for this and other upcoming concerts.
Photos of the performers are available at:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1itUdQ1VH1dNEzcbkvGIhjdS6kc9BfsQK?usp=sharing
Phone or email interviews with the performer(s) can be arranged.
Founded in 1971, the Golden Link Folk Singing Society is dedicated to presenting, promoting, and preserving folk music in the Rochester area. Golden Link is a volunteer-operated and member-supported 501(c)3 not-for-profit arts, cultural, and educational organization.
CALENDAR LISTINGS
Kray Van Kirk
Saturday, May 2, 2026, 7:30 pm
Greece Baptist Church, 1230 Long Pond Rd, Rochester NY 14626
A fine finger-style guitarist with a precise baritone, Kray Van Kirk has a Ph.D. from the University of Alaska, but he set science aside to write songs, tell stories, and summon heroes. “We are driven by myth and the seasons of the heart,” he says. “The quest is to journey inside, find whatever it is that burns at the core of your soul, and bring it back into the light.” A charming, Quixotic, and decidedly eclectic performer, Van Kirk has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland and toured the U.S. and Canada.
Tickets: General Admission: $25 ($27 at the door), Golden Link Members: $20 ($22 at the door), Students: $10, Children under 12: $5. For more information, visit www.goldenlink.org.
Garnet Rogers
Saturday, May 16, 2026, 7:30 pm
Greece Baptist Church, 1230 Long Pond Rd, Rochester NY 14626
Canadian singer-songwriter Garnet Rogers – who at age 18 was touring with his brother, the late folk legend Stan Rogers – has established himself as a formidable solo artist, performing at folk clubs and concert halls across North America. An optimist at heart, Garnet sings extraordinary songs about people who are not obvious heroes and about the small victories of the everyday. As memorable as his songs, his over-the-top humor and lightning-quick wit moves his audience from laughter to tears and back again.
Tickets: General Admission: $30 ($32 at the door), Golden Link Members: $25 ($27 at the door), Students: $10, Children under 12: $5. For more information, visit www.goldenlink.org.
Pete & Woody: An Unlikely Friendship
Friday, June 12, 2026, 7:30 pm
Greece Baptist Church, 1230 Long Pond Rd, Rochester NY 14626
Created by New York City folk singers Steve Suffet and Pat Lamanna, Pete & Woody: An Unlikely Friendship is a one-hour multimedia presentation that explores the relationship between folk icons Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. After they first met in 1940, Woody Guthrie became Pete Seeger’s mentor, inspiration, and guide who set him on a journey that continued all his life. Over time, however, their relationship changed, and Pete became Woody’s champion, helping to promote Woody’s songs and story as Woody’s mental and physical health began to deteriorate. Pete continued to play this role after Woody passed away in 1967, and much of Woody’s worldwide popularity today is a direct or indirect result of Pete’s efforts.
Pete & Woody consists of 15 songs performed live, along with slides and narration. Suffet and Lamanna originally developed it for the Walthamstow Folk Club in London, England, where it was enthusiastically received in October 2019. They have presented it several times since and look forward to presenting it anew for Golden Link, with Richard Mattocks delivering the narration.
Tickets: General Admission: $10. Tickets are available in advance online at www.goldenlink.org or purchase at the door (cash or check only).