P.O. Box 92398
Rochester, NY 14692
www.goldenlink.org
Media contact (not for publication): Dave Townsend, (585) 467-8690
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 29, 2019
Golden Link announces its 2019–20 concert season, beginning with an evening of Americana and folk with Jonathan Byrd and The Pickup Cowboys.
Rochester, NY – Jonathan Byrd and The Pickup Cowboys are musical gunslingers, vaudevillian hucksters, and old-fashioned tent revivalists. With their latest album, Pickup Cowboy (2018), they have brought a bold new set of working-class anthems to Americana fans, and a spirit-raising show to back it up. They bring their mix of folk and Americana music to Rochester for a Golden Link concert on Friday, October 18, 2019, at 7:30 pm at the Rochester Christian Reformed Church, 2750 Atlantic Avenue, Penfield.
Jonathan Byrd is a preacher’s son, a Gulf War veteran, and an award-winning songwriter from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, known for literary, outsider songs that have become Americana favorites. The Chicago Tribune called him, “One of the top 50 songwriters of the past 50 years.” A Jonathan Byrd show brings together complex songwriting, compelling vocals, and hot guitar picking in the line of North Carolina greats Doc Watson and Tony Rice.
For this concert, Byrd will be accompanied by Johnny Waken on slide guitar, harmonica, mandolin, saw, and harmony vocals. Waken cut his teeth on electric guitar in Pittsburgh with rock legend Norm Nardini, opening for The Blues Brothers Band on their Red, Hot & Blue tour. Always the consummate sideman, Waken adds color and atmosphere to Byrd’s amazing songs.
“Take the phrasing of Townes Van Zandt and combine it with the eclecticism and blues of Ry Cooder and you’ve got Byrd, a folk singer with the heart of a rock ‘n’ roll band. Byrd’s tall tales set to music are by turns morbid, moribund and mostly magnificent musings on not-so-modern themes of love, loss and life.” – Free Times, South Carolina
Tickets: $20 ($22 at door); $15 Golden Link members ($17 at door); $10 students; free for children 12 and under. Tickets are available in advance at www.goldenlink.org
Tickets also on sale at Bop Shop Records, 1460 Monroe Ave, Rochester. No service charge for cash/check at Bop Shop; $1 per ticket if using credit card.
Phone or email interviews with the performer(s) can be arranged.
For more artist information and photos, visit Jonathan Byrd’s website: https://www.jonathanbyrd.com.
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
Jonathan Byrd and The Pickup Cowboys
Friday, October 18, 2019; 7:30 pm
Rochester Christian Reformed Church, 2750 Atlantic Ave., Penfield NY 14526
A Jonathan Byrd show brings together complex songwriting, compelling vocals, and hot guitar picking in the line of North Carolina greats Doc Watson and Tony Rice.
Tickets: $20 ($22 at door); $15 Golden Link members ($17 at door); $10 students; free for children 12 and under.
Zoe Lewis
Saturday, November 23, 2019; 7:30 pm
Rochester Christian Reformed Church, 2750 Atlantic Ave., Penfield NY 14526
Zoë Lewis is a band in one body! She plays folk originals, Gypsy jazz, jump jive, Latin grooves, vintage swing, and more on ukulele, piano, guitar, washboard, harmonica, and spoons. Her performances are high-energy and fun, full of music and stories.
Tickets: $20 ($22 at door); $15 Golden Link members ($17 at door); $10 students; free for children 12 and under.
Brooks Williams
Friday, December 6, 2019; 7:30 pm
Rochester Christian Reformed Church, 2750 Atlantic Ave., Penfield NY 14526
At the crossroads of blues and American roots music, you’ll find guitarist and singer/songwriter Brooks Williams. Born in Statesboro, Georgia, and now living in the UK, Williams did his apprenticeship in the small bars and coffeehouses of New York and Boston. There, he developed his signature sound: laid-back vocals floating over Resonator riffs, Piedmont picking, and cigar box slide. Tickets: $20 ($22 at door); $15 Golden Link members ($17 at door); $10 students; free for children 12 and under.
The Cadleys and The Brothers Blue
A January Jamboree!
Saturday, January 25, 2020; 7:30 pm
Rochester Christian Reformed Church, 2750 Atlantic Ave., Penfield NY 14526
This special double-bill of two regional favorites includes a late afternoon sing-around and a pre-concert dinner. Based in Syracuse, The Cadleys are one of the area’s most entertaining acoustic bands, performing everything from traditional mountain ballads and bluegrass classics to innovative acoustic covers and original songs. Rooted in the fertile tradition of old-time fiddle music, The Brothers Blue grow a sound all their own – offering a hybrid which unites fresh, original songwriting with elements from country, bluegrass, Cajun, and Irish music.
Tickets: $20 ($22 at door); $15 Golden Link members ($17 at door); $10 students; free for children 12 and under.
RUNA
Saturday, February 29, 2020; 7:30 pm
Rochester Christian Reformed Church, 2750 Atlantic Ave., Penfield NY 14526
Celebrating its 10-year anniversary as a band, Celtic-American “super group” RUNA continues to push the boundaries of Irish folk music into the Americana and roots music formats. Interweaving the haunting melodies and exuberant tunes of Ireland and Scotland with the lush harmonies and intoxicating rhythms of jazz, bluegrass, flamenco, and blues, they offer a thrilling and redefining take on traditional music.
Tickets: $23 ($25 at door); $18 Golden Link members ($20 at door); $10 students; free for children 12 and under.
Dana & Susan Robinson
Friday, March 13, 2020; 7:30 pm
Rochester Christian Reformed Church, 2750 Atlantic Ave., Penfield NY 14526
From Cabot, Vermont – Americana-roots and folk duo Dana and Susan Robinson combine vivid,
songwriting and storytelling with fiddle tunes, banjo grooves, elegant melodies, and rich harmony singing. Drawing upon experiences of more than 20 years of touring, Dana and Susan craft a
performance that conveys the mystery and wonders of their journey. Their unique blend of original songwriting and traditional Appalachian music bring to their performances a deep understanding of America’s musical heritage, and how it relates to our contemporary lives.
Tickets: $20 ($22 at door); $15 Golden Link members ($17 at door); $10 students; free for children 12 and under.
Mary Fahl
Former lead singer of October Project
Saturday, April 25, 2020; 7:30 pm
Rochester Christian Reformed Church, 2750 Atlantic Ave., Penfield NY 14526
Mary Fahl is an expressive, emotional singer/songwriter who first achieved fame as lead singer and co-founder of the mid-1990s NYC-based chamber-pop group October Project. The hallmark of their sound was Mary Fahl’s awe-inspiring power vocals over gorgeous melodies played with passion and sophistication. She performs with an earthy, viscerally powerful contralto that Boston Globe critic Steve Morse calls “a voice for the gods that can transport listeners to other realms.”
Tickets: $30 ($32 at door); $25 Golden Link members ($27 at door); $10 students; free for children 12 and under.
Bill Staines
Saturday, May 9, 2020; 7:30 pm
Rochester Christian Reformed Church, 2750 Atlantic Ave., Penfield NY 14526
For more than 45 years, Bill Staines has been the quintessential folk troubadour, singing his songs at the country’s top festivals, concerts, clubs, and coffeehouses. Playing 200+ dates a year and driving more than 65,000 miles annually, his music is a slice of Americana, filled with cowboys, Yukon adventures, fisherman, and everyday working people. He writes lovely, infectious melodies, and his story-filled lyrics recall with compassion and depth the landscapes and characters he’s known.
Tickets: $20 ($22 at door); $15 Golden Link members ($17 at door); $10 students; free for children 12 and under.
For more information and tickets to concerts, visit www.goldenlink.org.