Caffe Lena holds 110 people. Hot Club of Cowtown has played Glastonbury, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the Grand Ole Opry. That gap between room size and résumé is exactly what makes Wednesday, August 5 worth clearing your calendar for. Doors open at 6:30 PM, show at 7:00 — and this one fills up.
A practical note: it is August in Saratoga Springs, which means racing season. Give yourself extra time getting into town. Street parking fills faster than usual on weekday evenings — Caffe Lena is on Phila Street, a short walk from downtown if you park on the edges of things.
About Hot Club of Cowtown
The Austin trio has spent more than 25 years playing at the crossroads of Django Reinhardt’s hot jazz and Bob Wills’ Western swing. Elana James (fiddle and vocals), Whit Smith (guitar and vocals), and Jake Erwin (bass) have built a sound the Belfast Telegraph called “a pretty much perfect country trio at the very top of their game” — and The Times of London praised for “down-home melodies and exuberant improvisation.”
They have toured with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson. Elana James was the first female instrumentalist in Bob Dylan’s touring band in over thirty years. They have played Glastonbury, Cambridge Folk Festival, and Jazz at Lincoln Center, and were inducted into the International Western Music Association Hall of Fame in November 2025.
They are touring now behind Limelight, their 2025 album — 11 songs spanning cowboy tunes, hot jazz, Roma folk, and Western swing classics from Jimmie Rodgers, Bob Wills, and Django Reinhardt.
About the Venue
Caffe Lena is a folk club and listening room at 47 Phila St in Saratoga Springs, in the heart of the Capital Region. It seats 110 and is one of the most respected roots music venues in Upstate New York — a room built around the performance, not the bar tab.
Tickets
Tickets are $43.38 general admission, $39.04 for members, and $21.69 for children and students (all prices include fees). A $5 livestream is also available via Caffe Lena TV, with 100% of proceeds going to the artists. Grab your tickets at the Get Tickets.