The Band
The Band did not come from Woodstock — they came to it, and in doing so, they made the town a creative landmark. The group — Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, Garth Hudson, and Levon Helm — began as the Hawks, the backing band for rockabilly wild man Ronnie Hawkins, touring the Canadian bar […]
Ani DiFranco
Before the term “independent music” became an industry buzzword, Ani DiFranco was living it. Born Angela Maria DiFranco on September 23, 1970, in Buffalo, New York, she built one of the most remarkable careers in modern music entirely on her own terms — without a major label, without radio play, and without compromise. In doing […]
Natalie Merchant
Natalie Merchant was born on October 26, 1963, in Jamestown, New York — a small city in the southwestern corner of the state, closer to Erie, Pennsylvania, than to any major New York metropolitan area. At 16, she dropped out of high school to work at a grocery store. At 17, she joined 10,000 Maniacs. […]
Albert Grossman
Albert Grossman did not play an instrument, sing a note, or write a lyric. What he did was arguably more consequential: he built the infrastructure that turned Woodstock, New York, from a quiet artists’ colony into the most mythologized music town in American history. Born on May 21, 1926, in Chicago, Grossman earned an economics […]
Michael Lang
Michael Lang was the dreamer who made Woodstock real. Born on December 11, 1944, in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn, Lang briefly attended New York University before dropping out in 1967 and moving to Coconut Grove, Florida, where he opened a head shop and began promoting concerts. His first major production, the Miami Pop Festival […]
Caffè Lena’s Sing in the Streets 2026 | May 17, Saratoga Springs
Caffè Lena’s 5th Annual Sing in the Streets returns May 17 — 23 acts across 10 stages in downtown Saratoga Springs, free and open to all. Here’s what to expect.
Bob Dylan’s 85th Birthday Tribute at Caffè Lena | May 24, 2026
In 1961, a young Bob Dylan climbed the stairs at Caffè Lena, bombed, collected $50, and was invited back anyway. On May 24, six Capital Region artists honor his 85th birthday in that same room.
Alash at Caffe Lena | April 2, 2026
Tuvan throat singing masters Alash bring the ancient overtone vocal traditions of Central Asia to Caffè Lena on April 2. A genuinely rare Capital Region appearance not to be missed.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo at Caffe Lena | April 3, 2026
Ladysmith Black Mambazo brings their Grammy-winning South African harmonies to Caffè Lena on April 3. An extraordinary chance to hear one of the world’s great vocal ensembles in Saratoga’s most intimate room.
S.G. Goodman at Levon Helm Studios | June 26, 2026
S.G. Goodman brings her fierce, honest folk songs to Levon Helm Studios on June 26. Kentucky grit in Woodstock’s most storied room. One of the most important young voices in American music.