If you have never made the trip to Caffe Lena for a show, August 6 is a good night to start. The Nields — sisters Nerissa and Katryna Nields — bring their close-harmony folk-rock to this 110-seat listening room on Phila Street in Saratoga Springs. Doors open at 6:30. Show starts at 7:00. In a room this size, that timing matters.
About The Nields
The Nields have been at this for more than 35 years. They formed in 1987, built a catalog of 21 albums, and traveled the arc from acoustic folk trio to five-piece rock quintet and back to a duo — Nerissa writing the songs, Katryna out front on lead vocals. If that sounds like a band that has figured out exactly who they are, it has.
The Chicago Tribune called their vocal blend “a disarming mix of clean folk harmonies and clenched Generation-X angst.” Apple Music goes with “equal parts The Beatles, the Cranberries, and Joni Mitchell.” Both hit something real. They opened for James Taylor, Indigo Girls, Ani DiFranco, and 10,000 Maniacs on the way up, and they still sound like nobody else.
Their 21st album, Circle of Days (2023), was built from pandemic-era daily walks and traces the turning of the seasons track by track. It is a record made for close listening in a quiet room — exactly the kind of listening that Caffe Lena is designed for.
The Nields have called this venue “one of our favorite gigs in all of folkdom,” and they return regularly. A band that loves a room plays differently in it.
About Caffe Lena
Caffe Lena is a 110-seat folk club and listening room at 47 Phila Street in Saratoga Springs. At this capacity, there are no bad seats. If you are driving up in August, know that it is racing season — downtown fills up fast, and Thursday evenings add the track crowd to the mix. Aim to arrive by 6:30 when doors open.
Tickets
General admission is $30.37, all fees included. Member tickets are $27.11, and a child or student rate is available at $15.18. Can’t make it in person? Caffè Lena TV streams the show live for $5 or by subscription. Get tickets at caffelena.org.