Write a commentRock n’ roll meets folk when the band Driftwood comes to Oswego Music Hall in the McCrobie building on Saturday, Feb. 10th at 7:30 pm— an evening of dinner and live music!
Combining upright bass, banjo, acoustic guitar and violin with their rock vibe, Driftwood brings a unique and exciting folk/rock sound to Oswego Music Hall’s winter line up. The band is composed of Binghamton natives Dan Forsyth, Joe Kollar, Claire Byrne and Joey Arcuri, who met in high school and formed a rock band. Over time they found their sound drifting toward folk as they played together and studied jazz and classical music throughout college. Their tone is reminiscent of bands like The Lumineers, particularly on soft and simple tunes like “A Rock and Roll Heart”, while other songs feature
powerful banjo runs and shredding violin that might remind the listener of Mumford and Sons.
“It’s sometimes tough to keep any sort of focus on style or sound when you have three different songwriters,” guitarist Dan Forsyth concedes. “But it also allows us to branch out and explore in ways other bands don’t. Describing the Driftwood sound, banjo player Joe Kollar offers, “I consider our sound to be more of an attitude and an approach – the result of all of our influences in a completely open musical forum where the only stipulation is to use bluegrass instruments and create it from the heart.”
That’s as close to being pinned down as Driftwood ever gets. Such has always been the case for artists blurring and blending genre lines in order to innovate. Yes, they wield old-time instruments, but they do so with a punk-rock ethos. “I do not know much about punk music, but I do know that it gives me a feeling of tearing into something without inhibition,” violinist Claire Byrne says, adding, “Old-time music has the same feeling for me. The music was a release for people living extremely hard lives in harsh conditions. In this way, the two styles of music are very similar: It’s digging in and making a statement. It’s rocking out and feeling totally reborn through the song.”
Tickets for Driftwood are $20 in advance and $22 at the door. Tickets can be purchased on-line at http:// oswegomusichall.org/ or at the river’s end bookstore; also at any Hook or Saturday concert. Children under 12 are half- price and those under 5 are free.
More about Driftwood can be found at www.driftwoodtheband.com.
Prior to the band’s performance, the Music Hall’s Annual Meeting will be held at 4:00 followed by a dish-to-pass supper at 5:15. Beverages will be provided. Show is at 7:30.
Overlooking the shore of beautiful Lake Ontario, the Oswego Music Hall is a wonderfully intimate venue in which to enjoy Driftwood’s music. It is located within the McCrobie Civic Center at 41 Lake Street, Oswego. The show will take place on the main stage. Performances at the venue consist of three stages: The National Stage, Open Mic Fridays and the Hook. All shows start at 7:30 pm and doors open at 7:00.
Open Mic Friday is held on Friday nights before all Saturday shows, making it a popular place for local and regional talent to be heard. Carey Eidel, Director of Auburn Public Theatre, will guest host the next Open Mic on Feb. 9. Admission is $2. The Hook debuts this year on Friday, Feb. 16. Sharing the stage will be singersongwriters Cam Caruso, Corey Paige and the Ghost Town Ramblers. The round robin setting allows the performers an opportunity to interact with the audience and each other and to discuss the songwriting process. Admission is $12.
The Music Hall is a not-for-profit arts organization, founded to provide a performance venue for the community and support for performing artists. It is run wholly by volunteers since its inception 40 years ago. Volunteers can earn admission to shows through various tasks— from running the sound board to making popcorn. Students can also earn credit for community service. Find more information online at http://oswegomusichall.org/ or email: [email protected].
Concerts are made possible in part with funding by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
