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1999 Spring Schedule
Date	Description
26-Jun-1999 Saturday 8:30 / $TBA	Watkins & the Rapiers A six-member neo-folk-rock band whose acoustic, rhythmic style incorporates echoes of Cajun, country, jug band music, reggae, soul, and swing. "The Rapiers play with wit, humor, and a (nearly) total lack of pretense," (Colorblind James). The inspired moments vary widely from polkas about hearing too many polkas, to folk-rock anthems about convenience stores and television characters, to renditions of local television jingles.
25-Jun-1999 Friday 8:30 / $5	The Nines Prepare to romanced by CNY's finest female jazz ensemble. This is a tight-knit band that enjoys the mellow and lively music from early jazz greats ... a performance packed with style and grace to spark even the darkest night.
19-Jun-1999 Saturday 8:30/10:30 / $10	Ashley Cox w/ JimmyJohn McCabe This special double-bill features two exciting examples of the bright future of music: Syracuse's folk/alternative siren Ashley Cox and Jimmyjohn McCabe of Binghamton. With her big heart and big talent, Ashley Cox is one of the most compelling examples of alternative folk/acoustic music! Her songs have evocative, moving lyrics, made all the more so by her skillful performances. Ashley's good friend Jimmyjohn McCabe is perhaps better known in his role as front-man for the alternative-rock band YOLK. Jimmyjohn is touring solo to celebrate the release of his first solo CD, Baby to Baby. Plan ahead -- this is sure to be a big night!
18-Jun-1999 Friday 8:30 / $TBA	TBA
12-Jun-1999 Saturday 8:00 / $8	Off The Cuff Comedy
11-Jun-1999 Friday 8:30 / %5/$7	Jose Alvarez & Azucena Barrientos This unique and talented duet offer a repertoire based in boleros, (the touchstone of romantic music all over Latin America), sones mexicanos (the afro-Mexican legacy), son cubano (the afro-Cuban fusion), and songs from Puerto Rico, Argentina, Peru, with original compositions which retain the traditional styles. Jose's diversity as a guitarist and songwriter and Azucena's voice create an original and eclectic sound of black and mestizo cadence full of deep soul and tradition.
05-Jun-1999 Saturday 8:00 / $TBA	Young Blood with Joel Ackerson & Friends
04-Jun-1999 Friday 9:00 / $10	Brooks Williams with special guest: William Nicholson "Brooks Williams is one hell of an act who can fill a venue instantly with his presence and fill the imagination with his songs and stories ... he possesses a melodic virtuosity on the guitar that runs like liquid from his fingers and blows the socks off any other player you could name" (The Irish News). Brooks says, "I want to take my guitar to that place where the lines between the categories blur - acknowledging the powerful voices of the last hundred years, but moving ahead to a frontier as yet to be determined."
29-May-1999 Saturday 8:30 / $5	Lise Winne & Jason Kessler A sweet, clear voice, master 12-string guitarist, and a nimble violin join together to present Elizabethan and Renaissance folk songs, as well as innovative originals.
28-May-1999 Friday 8:30 / $5	Bergman Broome w/ Barbara Paradowski A former Syracusean now working out his new home base of Seattle, is subverting the grunge scene with the introduction of Ukulele music not heard of since the 1920's. The youth are shocked and titillated by his tuneful prowess and verbal acrobatics. Caution: Bergman Broome is not for the metaphorically timid... Broome's sense of irony and disappointment found in the process of growing older is balanced by a playful sense of humor in songs such as "Ponce de Leon's Mid-Life Crisis"
23-May-1999 Sunday 7:00 / $sliding scale	Gypsy Red (CD Release Celebration) A five-piece band from Syracuse with over 50 original songs to their credit, GYPSY RED's music chronicles the endless journey of the spirit, ever seeking its way home. Guitarist John Sardella strums the rhythm on his melodic 12-string acoustic guitar, while Traci Eves holds down the bottom on bass, Jim Hugunin keeps the heartbeat on percussion, Joe Davoli, Jr. serenades all with his haunting violin melodies, and soaring above all is lead vocalist Cherie Lavaway. These talents blend to create a new age folk sound that is hot and haunting, combining ageless wisdom with a spicy new sound.
16-May-1999 Sunday 7:00 / $8/$10	Barbara Kessler with special guest: Laurie Geltman On Kessler: "This musician could ride on the sweet, soaring clarity of her voice alone. But she offers so much more. Her vocal and instrumental musicianship is a showcase for superlative songwriting." On Geltman: "Geltman deploys elements of rock, folk, country and punk with panache on [her latest album] No Power Steering, tying them all together with well-honed hooks and a voice that's tender and corrosive by turns."
08-May-1999 Saturday 8:00 / $8.00	Off the Cuff Comedy
07-May-1999 Friday 8:30 / $8/$10	The Kennedys Syracuse favorites, the Kennedys' personal brand of folk-rock shimmers with an alternative sensibility driven by roots-rock rhythms, seductive melodies, and scintillating guitar wizardry. The New Yorker called them "the best-kept secret in folk rock." But it's no secret to us that, as Wired magazine says, the Kennedys write "classic stuff, the type of music you ache to hear again and again on your radio." And their music is even better in person!
02-May-1999 Sunday 7:00 / $8	David Massengill w/ TBA Master story-teller, songwriter, and mountain dulcimer-player Massengill celebrates a new CD of songs destined to be folk classics!
01-May-1999 Saturday 8:00 / TBA	Open Mike to benefit Pride Committee of Syracuse	A "May Day Open Mic'" Fundraiser for the Syracuse 1999 GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender) Pride Festival. Hosted by Monika Gries (pianist) and Eugene Koveos (singer / songwriter / guitarist). Other performers will include Nick Orth (singer / songwriter / guitarist) and Karen Hall (poet), and one or two surprises!
30-Apr-1999 Friday 8:30 / $6	Gideon Freudmann Freudmann redefines the conventional boundaries of the cello by adding influences including folk, blues, bluegrass, and jazz to create a "cellobop" sound all his own. You simply won't believe it if you don't come see it!
25-Apr-1999 Sunday 7:00 / $8	Kelly Joe Phelps w/ Beth Amsel Phelps doesn't just give you the fire, raw energy & passion of the country blues; he re-invents the dobro into achingly beautiful & sinister coils of sound. Amsel's powerful voice and compelling songs will remind you of the power of folk music!
24-Apr-1999 Saturday 8:30 / $8/$5	Annie Wenz and Shrinking Violets Expect (1) to participate on any number of exotic percussion instruments in the course of a spiritual and geographical travelogue-in-song with Annie Wenz, and (2) lots of foot-tapping and contagious melodies from the rich silk voice & viola of Julia and the skilled guitar & prehensile throat of Darryl who are the duo of Syracuse ex-patriots, Shrinking Violets.
23-Apr-1999 Friday 8:00/10:00 / $5	The Nines A six-person, tight-knit band brought together with a passion for traditional jazz and swing and a desire to re-energize the sounds of the past.
17-Apr-1999 Saturday 8:30 / $8	David Massengill w/ Jason Kessler DAVID MASSENGILL's performance at Happy Endings that was to have occurred at 8:30 on April 17th has been re-scheduled for Sunday, May 2 at 7:00 PM. All tickets sold for the April 17th show will be honored on May 2nd at 7:00.
16-Apr-1999 Friday 8:30 / $7/$5	Hugh Blumenfeld The "words & music full of passion and poetry" of Connecticut's State Troubadour mix haunting ballads, political satire, and amazing songs composed on-the-spot!
15-Apr-1999 Thursday 7:30 / $4	Joel Ackerson Band w/ Confusion Flats The cure for the tax form blues.
09-Apr-1999 Friday 8:30 / $8/$6	David Hamburger and Jack Williams Two of the best guitarists you'll ever hear join forces for one amazing show of real-world lyrics, down-home humor, and an acoustic guitar-dobro duel!
03-Apr-1999 Saturday 2:00 / $3	Joel Ackerson Band We asked Joel and his band if they could come over to our house to play.
02-Apr-1999 Friday 8:30 / $8	Kim Simmonds A "Solitaire" acoustic blues show from the man synonymous with "Legendary British Blues Guitar" and founder of Savoy Brown!
26-Mar-1999 Friday 8:30 / $8/$10	Chris Smither Chris Smither is "A smart, contemporary songwriter and awesome guitarist whose rhythmic groove and melodic sense are banked deeply in the hot fires of the blues. His songs are infectiously melodic, driven by a fluid blues groove, delivered with plenty of hot guitar and sure, passionate vocals" (Boston Globe). Special Guest: Deb Pasternak
20-Mar-1999 Saturday 7:00 / $6 ($3 students)	Scholastic Jazz Jam Young jazz cats can jam with a professional rhythm section!
14-Mar-1999 Sunday 7:00 / $6	Colleen Sexton "Marty's little sister has a bluesy voice, warm stage presence, & contagious songs," says Joe Cleveland. Colleen replies, "...for the record, in addition to being Martin's little sister, I'm also psyched to be a two-time Boston Music Award Nominee this year for outstanding new folk act [and] outstanding debut folk CD (Step Outside)." Special Guest: Tamara J. Brown
06-Mar-1999 Saturday 8:30 / $5	Ashley Cox w/ Joel Ackerson
05-Mar-1999 Friday 8:30 / $5	Stacey Earle w/ Larry Hoyt Spare, sparkling country-folk songs that bridge the sweetness of Lone Star State of Mind-era Nanci Griffith with the grounding grit of Gillian Welch. Hoyt's voice a la Johnny Cash delivers honest-to-goodness folksongs that are both of those things. (Honest & Good!)
27-Feb-1999 Saturday ?:00 / $?	TBA
26-Feb-1999 Friday 8:30 / $5	Lui Collins
21-Feb-1999 Sunday 7:00 / $8	Bob Franke
20-Feb-1999 Saturday 8:30 / $5	Wyldefire
19-Feb-1999 Friday 8:30 / $5	Ratsy
13-Feb-1999 Saturday 8:00 / $8	Off the Cuff Comedy
12-Feb-1999 Friday 8:30 / $5	Ashley Cox
06-Feb-1999 Saturday ?:00 / $?	Joel Ackerson Band and Guests
05-Feb-1999 Friday 8:30 / $7	Jennifer Kimball
30-Jan-1999 Saturday 8:300 / $5	Michael Jerling w/ John Frantz
29-Jan-1999 Friday 8:30 / $5	Annie Gallup
23-Jan-1999 Friday 8:30 / $5	Dana Robinson "Dana Robinson's got ... great chops! He's one of the few contemporary singer-songwriters whose songs display a strong respect for the centuries-old folk tradition." --Phil Shapiro (host of "Bound For Glory," WVBR's live concert broadcast in Ithaca, NY)
22-Jan-1999 Friday 8:30 / $5/$10	Jolie Christine Rickman w/ Free Radicals
17-Jan-1999 Sunday 7:00 / $10	Salamander Crossing Salamander Crossing looks like a bluegrass band, but here is the truth: with fiddle, banjo, guitar, bass, stunning vocals, and skillful songwriting, this band brings "back porch" music into the twenty-first century. Combine the zip of bluegrass, the soul of Appalachia, and the honest clarity of contemporary folk, and you've got the idea. It's roots music with an edge.
16-Jan-1999 Saturday 9:00 / $6/$8	Greg Greenway w/ Becky Keefe It is the conviction you will notice first, born in the soul, nurtured in the South, persistent throughout. On stage, you can hear the whispers of his musical journey and diverse influences: the passion of Richie Havens, the lyrical guitar of James Taylor, the rhythmic politics of Peter Gabriel, The Police, and a wealth of Third World artists. The result is an unmistakably unique and dynamic talent.
15-Jan-1999 Friday ?:00 / $?	TBA
09-Jan-1999 Saturday 8:00 / $8	Off the Cuff Comedy
08-Jan-1999 Friday 8:30 / $5	Lisa Bigwood and the Woodland Band
02-Jan-1999 Saturday ?:00 / $?	Joel Ackerson Band with Confusion Flats
1998 Fall Schedule
Date	Description
26-Dec-1998 Saturday 8:00 / $4	Joel Ackerson Band and guest TBA
20-Dec-1998 Sunday 7:00 / $8	Vance Gilbert with Shrinking Violets Raised in Philadelphia and a resident of Boston, Vance is one of a very few black artists to embrace the singer/songwriter genre. While his voice may continually garner soulful comparisons and his guitar draws flattering allusions to George Benson, Vance cites Shawn Colvin as his inspiration (they have toured extensively together). It is this meeting of worlds that gives Vance his uncompromising edge.
12-Dec-1998 Saturday 10:00 / $8	Off the Cuff Comedy
6-Dec-1998 Sunday 5:30 and 8:00 / $10	The Burns Sisters w/ Annie Gallup
28-Nov-1998 Saturday 7:00 and 10:00 / $9	Karen Savoca w/ Peter Mulvey
27-Nov-1998 Friday 8:00 / $4	Joel Ackerson Band and guest TBA
22-Nov-1998 Thursday 7:00 / $8	Cliff Eberhardt w/ Thom Rayne
21-Nov-1998 Saturday 8:30 / $5	John Rossbach
20-Nov-1998 Friday 8:30pm / $8/$10	Rod Macdonald Happy Endings proudly welcomes Syracuse favorite Rod Macdonald to the Happy Endings stage for the first time! Rod has performed a number of times in Syracuse and has garnered quite the local following. One of the best in the business, Rod is renowned for his love of performing. Opening the show will be the powerful songs and voice of Lisa Bigwood.
14-Nov-1998 Saturday 8:00 / $8	Off the Cuff Comedy
13-Nov-1998 Friday 8:30 / $5	Ashley Cox w/ Lauren McMahon
08-Nov-1998 Sunday 7:00 / $10	Paul Geremiah w/ Dennis Golterman Paul puts on an amazing show whenever he's played here, which just goes to show that Acoustic Guitar is more than correct to call him, "One of the best country blues finger-pickers ever." Believing this doesn't take a leap of faith...one listen and you'll know it!
07-Nov-1998 Saturday 8:030 / $4	Joel Ackerson Band and Confusion Flats
06-Nov-1998 Friday 8:30 / $12	Bill Morrissey w/ Deb Pasternak Bill Morrissey has been described as a "swamp Yankee," a peculiar brand of New England bluesman sprung from the backwaters of New England and New Hampshire in particular. While he has made his name through the circuit of coffeehouses that dot the New England region, his music stands alone in the fold world for its detail, clarity, and literary insight. Deb Pasternak's music is not traditional folk music, even though she tours on the folk and acoustic circuit. There's no neo-Wobbly polemics here, no Sweet Betsies from Pike or songs about settlers or brave laddies. This is contemporary music, full of broad influences but uniquely her own, traces of jazz, pop, blues, and a lot of stuff you can't put your finger on but love anyway.
25-Oct-1998 Sunday 7:00 / $12	Eric Andersen with James Keelaghan THE Eric Andersen. A night of incredible songwriters!
18-Oct-1998 Sunday 7:00 / $5	Margo Hennebach w/ Magdeline Hsu-Li Crisscrossing the country with guitarist/husband Saunders, pianist and guitarist Hennebach has captured the attention of critics and fans alike with her wide-ranging vocals, award-winning songwriting and commanding presence.
11-Oct-1998 Sunday 7:00 / $12	Martin Sexton Talented Syracuse native
10-Oct-1998 Saturday 8:30 / $12	Martin Sexton Talented Syracuse native
9-Oct-1998 Friday 8:30 / $12	Martin Sexton Talented Syracuse native
4-Oct-1998 Sunday 7:00 / $5	Peter Keane Keane's songs are insinuatingly memorable -- at once classic-sounding, yet thoroughly personal. His approach is not too different from his musical mentors, men such as Ramblin' Jack Elliot, Dave Van Ronk and Paul Geremia -- all artists who approach the country blues idiom with a vast knowledge of the tradition, yet with such strong personal insights that any accusations of austere reverence are plainly off the mark. In 1994, Keane moved from Cambridge, Massachusetts to Austin, Texas. The change of environment was dramatic but successful, and even in a musical climate which features nearly as many players as fans, Keane quickly established himself as an important addition to the roots-oriented scene.
2-Oct-1998 Friday 8:30 / $6 to 8	Steve Tilston Steve has been praised for a "rich, relaxing, and addictive" voice and "an impeccable musicianship and complete command of the guitar." His albums have received critical raves in Britain and abroad. In addition to his solo work, he has traveled as a musician with the Ballet Rampbert Company and as a member of John Renbourn's celebrated 1980's group Ship Of Fools (along with former touring and recording partner Maggie Boyle). Also among his accomplishments is his single-handed resurrection of the arpeggione, a classical bowed guitar. Steve's use of this instrument on past albums added yet another dimension to the unique quality of his music. Recognized as a skilled, innovative guitarist as well as a powerful and sensitive songwriter, Steve has a gift for creating songs that sound like well-worn traditional tunes. And just as traditional music does, Steve's songs are finding their way into other musicians' repertoires. Two of Steve's pieces, Slip Jigs and Reels and The Naked Highwayman are featured on the latest Fairport Convention album, Jewel In The Crown. And the music to Let Your Banjo Ring was featured in Sing Out! magazine.
25-Sep-1998 Friday 8:30 / $6	Chuck Brodsky master songwriter
24-Sep-1998 Thursday 8:30 / $6	Carrie Newcomer heartland folk musician-poet
19-Sep-1998 Saturday 8:30 / $6	Irene Farrera Happy Endings proudly presents Venezuelan singer-songwriter IRENE FARRERA for a night of passionate, percussive Latin music. Farrera sings music from South America in a rich contralto and plays guitar with a unique flamenco-funk style. Original songs from Spanish and English touch on themes of love, nature, and topical social issues. Farrera's sound is drawn from the rousing joropos and gaita rhythms of her native Venezuela. Her voice has been compared to fine chocolate, full of spice and flavor, and inspiring passionate declarations.
18-Sep-1998 Friday 8:30 / $5	Louise Taylor As a songwriter confident in her artistry, Louise Taylor moves you in a deep way -- with intensity and sweetness. Her music is inherently sincere, drawing on her multifaceted life experience for sustenance and inspiration. She juxtaposes simultaneous truths -- power and vulnerability, hope and fear, danger and security, pain and comfort. When Louise Taylor reaches within herself to express a song, the world seemingly comes to a halt. A passionate singer with a rich, sensuous and warm voice, she is also a fiery foot-stomper who learned how to exert musical prowess as an unamplified street musician, riding her song on a strong beat and a tight groove.
17-Sep-1998 Thursday 8:30 / $7	The Kennedys Syracuse favorites, THE KENNEDYS' personal brand of folk-rock shimmers with an alternative sensibility driven by roots-rock rhythms, seductive melodies, and scintillating guitar wizardry. THE NEW YORKER called them "the best-kept secret in folk rock." But it's no secret to us that, as WIRED magazine says, the Kennedys write "classic stuff, the type of music you ache to hear again and again on your radio." And the music is even better in person!
14-Sep-1998 Monday 8:30 / $5	Chris Chandler "We're going to hear a lot more from this 'Watergate Generation' guy -- I wish I could hear him paying it on the subway," says Pete Seeger. Tom Paxton says, "Chris Chandler reminds me of my own self way back when -- listen to him now!" With a unique blend of spoken word and raw folk music, Chris Chandler has put together an act that has broadened, become more versatile, and is wowing audiences more than ever before. This year at the Kerrville Folk Festival he received a standing ovation in the middle of a piece and the crowd stayed up for the remainder of the show.
13-Sep-1998 Sunday 7:00 / $5	Four Shillings Short "Think of Dead Can Dance minus the new-agey spaceyness, plus the energy of _Riverdance_, and you might get close to imagining the unique sound of this acoustic band," says Joe Cleveland of Happy Endings. With musicality, good fun, and an unusual repertoire, Four Shillings Short will create an entertaining and unforgettable experience for the Happy Endings audience.
12-Sep-1998 Saturday 8:00 / $7	Off-the-cuff Comedy improvisational group comedy
11-Sep-1998 Friday 8:30 / $5	Terri Allard folk-country artistry
1998 Summer Schedule
Date	Description
31-Jul-1998 Friday 8:30pm / $5	Armor & Sturtevant Acoustic Celtic & Folk music
1998 Spring Schedule
Date	Description
17-May-1998 Sunday 7:00pm / $5	Barbara Kessler An incredible night of songs and songwriters whose crafts(wo)manship will amaze you. BARBARA KESSLER is one of the bright lights in contemporary folk's national night sky. Her songs tell vivid stories of the pathos and passion in everyday life. JOLIE CHRISTINE RICKMAN is a local songwriter whose first CD release, Smattering, is an impressive debut.
25-April-1998 Saturday 9:00pm / $5	Y'All Old-time music for the 21st century!
24-April-1998 Friday 8:30pm / $5	Annie Gallup Master lyricist and innovative acoustic guitarist returns to Happy Endings celebrating a new CD! Special Guest: Dana Edelman
19-April-1998 Sunday 7:00pm / $5	The Jazzabels These two Buffalo women (on guitar, accordian, flute, & more!) put together some of the best acoustic roots-rock & contemporary folk around! Great songwriting, musicianship, & they're just plain fun!
18-April-1998 Saturday 8:30pm / $5	Jennifer Kimball The voice of some storied angel with devilishly inventive melodies and harmonies. Now finishing up recording her first full-length solo CD, Jennifer proves herself a major talent!
17-April-1998 Friday 8:30pm / $8 ($5 in advance)	Camp Hoboken Christian Bauman, Rachel Bissex, Greg Cagno, & Linda Sharar. Songsters from New Jersey kidnap Vermonter Bissex into joining this superb songwriters-in-the-round.
10-April-1998 Friday 8:30pm / $5	Gideon Freudmann Folk, Blues, & Bop brewed up by virtuousic cellist!
04-April-1998 Saturday 8:30pm / $5	Suzzy Roche A Roche sister goes solo with amazing results! Special Guest: Margo Hennebach
03-April-1998 Friday 8:30pm / $5	Tom Stahl Energetic, melodic & moving Buffalo trucker-turned songwriter with a Dylanesque sensibility.
29-March-1998 Sunday 7:00pm / $8 ($6 in advance)	Peter Mulvey Smart and moving acoustic alternative folk with innovator Peter Mulvey and our own Ashley Cox. Sure, the kids will like it, but don't think it won't appeal to an adult sensibility, too! Special Guest: Ashley Cox
28-March-1998 Saturday 8:30pm / $TBA	Judy Banky Health-conscious contemporary music from the heart.
22-March-1998 Sunday 7:00pm / $15 ($12 in advance)	Dave van Ronk An evening of acoustic blues with legend Dave Van Ronk and Bostonian blues stand-out Kevin So! Special Guest: Kevin So
15-March-1998 Saturday 7:00pm / $TBA	Night of Women's Music w/ Jane Zell & friends
08-March-1998 Saturday 7:00pm / $8	James Keelaghan Extraordinary & Renowned Canadian Singer-Songwriter.
28-Feb-1998 time unknown, price unknown	Syracuse Community Radio, Lou Reed Night Local performers pay tribute to SU and Velvet Underground alum, Lou Reed. A benefit for Syracuse Community Radio's continuing efforts to bring grassroots radio to Syracuse airwaves.
27-Feb-1998 8:30pm, $5	Andy Kimbel Andy Kimbel is an acoustic blues guitar finger-picker and string-bender! The Philadelphia Inquirer calls him, "Definitely the finest singer-songwriter playing the blues." Part of Kimbel's talent is how he charms his reverent audiences with warmth and good humor. He combines this with a unique selection of material that ranges from gentle ballads and pointed originals to hard-driving blues and slide guitar using various tunings and harmonics. Energetic and passionate, his own distinct interpretations set him apart and give even old traditional blues a new face.
21-Feb-1998 8:30pm, $7	David Massengill "David Massengill is a master songwriter, story-teller, and mountain dulcimer player. Never dogmatic or facile, he's one of the most entertaining, humorous, thoughtful, and thought-provoking performers I know," (Joe Cleveland). Dirty Linen says "Massengill ranks with Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, and Paul Simon." Frank Rabey (Mountain Xpress) writes: "The fact is, Massengill is one of the finest wordsmiths working in music." His cast of characters includes illegal immigrants, prostitutes, moonshiners, failed revolutionaries, and regular joes. "A decade in Greenwich Village has honed this Tennessee wordsmith's brilliant natural songwriting into exquisite art. One marvels at the lyrical power" wrote Jeff McLaughlin of the Boston Globe. Special Guest: Larry Hoyt
20-Feb-1998 8:30pm, $8/$10	Danny Kalb The Folk & Blues great, returns for a second show! (see 01-Feb) Special Guest: Colin Anderson
15-Feb-1998 7:00pm, $7/$4 kids	Ceili Rain Ceili (Kay-lee) Rain, the passion-child of Syracuse's own Bob Halligan, is a six-headed joy-monster of surround-sound, rock-til-ya-drown Celtic hoe-down. "The musicianship of the members of this band is more than just impressive, and to say that they play with a certain joie de vivre is the height of understatement," (Joe Cleveland).
14-Feb-1998 7:30pm, $7	Off-the-Cuff Improvisational comedy theater
13-Feb-1998 8:30pm, $8/$10	John and Mary The members of 10,000 Maniacs take a break from the band to perform a special acoustic show! Special Guest: Oz & Biz
08-Feb-1998 7:00pm, $8	Susan Werner The comment you may hear most frequently about Susan Werner is that she has it all. With a powerful and expressive voice, remarkable ability with both guitar and piano, a songwriting language all her own and a sure command of the stage, she is widely regarded as one of the most riveting performers on the acoustic circuit. "Her voice will blow you away, her songs are smart and clever, and her on-stage charisma is amazing--she's sort of like a female Martin Sexton," (Joe Cleveland).
07-Feb-1998 8:30pm, $5	Daniel Cartier
06-Feb-1998 8:30pm, $5	Hugh Blumenfeld "Another of my favorite performers, Hugh Blumenfeld does what I never thought possible: He writes intelligent, powerful songs with a suburban landscape! His melodies often have a grandeur that sweeps you right up with them, and makes you feel part of some larger community. Hugh's lyrics detail the world around us, finding in the everyday both the ludicrous and the deeply meaningful. It's been far too long since his last visit to Happy Endings!" (Joe Cleveland) Sing Out! says of Hugh's latest CD, "Mozart's Money is a masterpiece." The Music Matters Review calls it an "exciting collection of literate, intelligent songs, sung with straight-forward abandon. There is plenty of humor--a thoughtful kind that sends you chuckling towards sanity." "Mozart's Money is just plain fun to listen to. Hugh tempers the heart of a romantic with a biting political sensibility." (Andrew Calhoun, Waterbug Records)
01-Feb-1998 7:00pm, $8/$10	Danny Kalb DANNY KALB is one of the greats of acoustic folk and blues music. He's the founder of the seminal New York City urban electric blues band, The Blues Project. His credits are a proverbial "who's who" in folk and acoustic music. From Dave Van Ronk, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Judy Collins, Sam Charters, to BB King, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Michael Bloomfield and to jazz masters like Sun Ra. His new release, Livin' With The Blues, is the first new album in more than 20 years from a musician deserving of "the ultimate compliment," according to Blues Review editor Andrew Robble's liner notes, which is "to be called--a blues man... Danny Kalb is the embodiment of a blues man." More than three decades since the lightening-fast guitarist first caught the public's ear as a guitar virtuoso of the Greenwich Village folk music revival, Danny Kalb remains a bluesman of prodigious skills and soul, and a man well-worth listening to anew. Special Guest: Colin Aberdeen
31-Jan-1998 8:30pm, $3	Danny Holmes Danny Holmes is one of the most talented and best-known singer-songwriters ever to come from Central New York. A Danny Holmes show has the energy of a rock band, the intimacy of a solo performer, and a unique, improvised zaniness that makes each show different and exciting. He performs a diverse mix of his own material which encompasses funk, rock, cool jazz, and melodic ballads.
30-Jan-1998 8:30pm, $7	Caryn Lin Caryn Lin transcends musical categories. On customized electric violin and viola & acoustic violin she plays original compositions which capture emotion and thought in passionate, beautiful soundscapes. Classical, folk, rock, new age, and jazz idioms blend seamlessly in Lin's innovative musical vision. "Think of her as Jon Luc Ponty mixed with John Gorka, not something you'll hear everyday and more than interesting," says Joe Cleveland.
24-Jan-1998 8:30pm, $5	Brooks Williams "Brooks Williams is one of the most exciting performers who has recently added Happy Endings to their tour schedules. He writes great songs, has an amazing stage presence, and what he does with an acoustic guitar will leave you awe-struck!" says Joe Cleveland. Rob Weir, The Valley Advocate writes that Brooks' new CD, Seven Sisters is "the best thing Brooks Williams has ever done, and perhaps the singer/songwriter album of the year. ... Williams blends his poetic imagery with mind-numbing guitar dexterity. Simply a stunning release. (5 stars)" The Berkshire Eagle: "Brooks Williams is that rare bird on the contemporary folk scene: like Bill Morrissey and Greg Brown, he is an utter original." San Antonio Light: "Williams is a fret monster who has to be seen to be believed!" Acoustic Guitar: "Intelligent, soulful songwriting and dazzling guitar work."
23-Jan-1998 8:30, $6/$8	Greg Greenway "His career is ready to explode." So says Philadelphia's long-respected DJ, Gene Shay of Boston's Greg Greenway. Greenway has been described as "one of the strongest, and finest voices in folk music." The Boston Globe wrote, "He made his mark on the national scene with the foot-stomping passion of his shows, but also with a winning and credible between-song intimacy." "Whether he's singing about the death throes of a relationship, or the malicious way we throw our sons into battle, Greg Greenway sings with a passion that's hard to ignore." (Ed McKeon, New Britain Herald). Special Guest: Ashley Cox
1997 Fall Schedule
Date	Description
23-Dec-1997 8pm, $10/$12	Martin Sexton What can a Syracuse fan of the new folk and acoustic music say about Martin Sexton? He is simply an incredible presence on stage, absolutely captivating. And he grew up here--we're bursting with pride! His voice is bigger than the full moon on a clear winter night, and his guitar is as powerful as a Syracuse snow! Yes, there's ONE SHOW ONLY, so get your tickets now! Opener: Mindy Jostyn
21-Dec-1997 7pm, $5	Vince Bell Acoustic contemporary folk singer/songwriter Vince Bell pens "rock-folk-country hybrids that are brimming with the man himself, a lot like Leonard Cohen's in their hopeless romance, Randy Newmanish in their eye for detail." This Texas songwriter had just cut a demo of his songs with Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric Johnson when a drunk driver broadsided Bell's car and sent him into a coma. It took him six years rehab and a lot of guts, but he recovered, the premature death notice in the Austin American Statesman notwithstanding. His delayed debut CD, Phoenix, is a record of that struggle. Bell will remind you of his mentor, the late Townes Van Zandt, with his songs that are both spare and powerful. Opener: Gary Reynolds
18-Dec-1997 8pm, $5	Bernice Lewis Acoustic contemporary folk singer/songwriter
14-Dec-1997 5pm and 7:30pm, $10	Burns Sisters Christmas Show Bluegrass, country, new folk, original and traditional Xmas tunes
11-Dec-1997 8pm, $6	Karen Savoca and Pete Heitzman CD release party; danceable contemporary folk-funk
07-Dec-1997 7pm, $TBA	Acoustic Christmas Party Gary Frenay, Shrinking Violets, & John Davey, with special guest Ilene Weiss and others TBA Traditional and original Christmas songs in a folk-band setting
23-Nov-1997 7pm, $6/$8	Ellis Paul Happy Endings presents the long-awaited return of Ellis Paul to Syracuse! Performing Songwriter Magazine calls him "a master storyteller, who delivers songs with a passion that undeniably sets him apart in the company of a new breed of songwriters." Ellis is spell-bindingly good, and his merest whisper can fill the largest room. If you haven't seen or heard him before, you will be amazed. If you have seen him before, you've already called for tickets! Opener: Dana Cooke
22-Nov-1997 8:30pm, $5	John Rossbach "John Rossbach is one of the treasures of Syracuse. His engaging personality, good humor, and down-home, tear-it-up, stop-you-in-your-tracks pickin' on the guitar, mandolin, and banjo make his shows a country back-porch good ol' time," says Joe Cleveland of Happy Endings. From the ethereal mournfulness of an Appalachian mountain ballad to the bounce of boogie-woogie, John Rossbach's powerful and compelling voice evokes the many moods and magic of traditional American folk music. As an award-winning multi- instrumentalist, he lifts his audiences with the lilt of an old-time mandolin melody, rivets them with a low-down delta blues, and impassions them with a fiery banjo breakdown! His notorious puns, outrageous tall tales and humorous anecdotes keep everyone lighthearted even when he's just sung the saddest country ballad imaginable!
20-Nov-1997 8pm, $5	Mectapus
16-Nov-1997 7pm, $5/$7	Cosy Sheridan Since The Boston Globe dubbed her, "...one of the best new singer songwriters in the United States," Cosy Sheridan has blossomed into one of the most captivating performers on the acoustic music circuit. People react to Cosy Sheridan and her music much as they do when rediscovering a favorite possession they hadn't even realized was missing. Filled with delight, curiosity, and a sense of return, Sheridan is a musical reminder. Her music consistently envelops, prods, and surprises, reconnecting listeners with images and places which have slipped away. Rich in metaphor, Cosy's dreamy vocals and infectious melodies are impossible to shake. Her astounding sense of lyricism, coupled with intricate and masterful guitar work, has carved out an indelible niche for Sheridan in the Who's Who of contemporary folk music. Opener: Kris Delmhorst Kris Delmhorst has a relaxed, unpretentious manner on stage, and the joy she takes in performing is clear and infectious. Through her consistently busy playing schedule and the steady sales of her self-released cassette Swim For It, she continues to win over fans throughout the Northeast.
15-Nov-1997 8:30pm, $5	Gideon Freudmann Gideon Freudmann returns to fill Happy Endings with "cello bop"! Gideon is one of the truly unique voices in eletro-acoustic music. He combines quirky-catchy songwriting in the spirit of Mose Allison and Dan Hicks with instrumental pieces that run the gamut from laid-back, cool & bluesy, to wildly energetic virtuousic masterpieces. Opener: Ken Bonfield Ken Bonfield's music spans folk, jazz, new age. An impressively talented guitarist, his fingers move magically from string to string conjuring images saturated with feelings. You'll join with Chuck Brodsky in asking, "Just how many fingers does this guy got?!"
08-Nov-1997 8pm, $5	James Mee Contemporary folk, singer songwriters
06-Nov-1997 8pm, $8	Annie Burns and the Rain w/ Dana Cooke Folk, bluegrass, gospel, country
02-Nov-1997 8pm, $5	Mindy Jostyn Acoustic multi-instrumentalist and songwriter
01-Nov-1997 8pm, $5	Anne Weiss Folk, blues, singer songwriter

Author:	Ted Crane
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