LIVE, IN GE THEATRE AT PROCTORS!

Baby, it’s cold and dark outside! Come celebrate the lengthening of days to come at Sing Solstice! Spend an evening with the irresistible foursome of Kim & Reggie Harris and Terry Leonino & Greg Artzner (Magpie) - a bright, warm and wonderful musical celebration of nature’s Season of Light that from ancient times to the present inspired such Midwinter celebrations as Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hannukah, Yule and more in cultures around the world. We’ll welcome the coming - and very welcome! Winter Solstice with music and laughter - its Midwinter, and we turn toward the light of Spring -join us to celebrate Mother Nature’s New Year!!

The enormously talented and charismatic foursome creates a transcendent, often otherworldly sound with stunning harmonies & instrumentals, alternately powerful, touching, funny & charming. Who better to greet the light?

Opening the concert: Pokingbrook Morris Dancers, in full medieval costume, performing the mesmerizing “Abbots Bromley Horn Dance, which originated in the ancient Cotswold region of England!

"A rare artist...strong poetry, complex melodies, clever wit”      SING OUT!

A perennial audience favorite, she comes onstage in simple jeans and shirt. She’s droll, irreverent, completely unselfconscious, poignant and hilarious…in short, absolutely brilliant.

It has always seemed as if there were two Cheryl Wheelers, with fans of the New England songwriter relishing watching the two tussle for control of the mic. There’s Poet-Cheryl, writer of some of the prettiest, most alluring and intelligent ballads on the modern folk scene. And then there’s her evil twin, Comic-Cheryl, a militant trend defier and savagely funny social critic.

Tickets: $30 Advance / $35 Day of Show / Gold Circle $50 [Priority Seating + 6:30 pm Meet & Greet onstage] Location: GE Theatre

Her plain-spun songs have been hits for such mainstream stars as Suzy Bogguss and Dan Seals, recorded by everyone from Bette Midler to Maura O’Connell, Peter Paul & Mary, Juice Newton and Garth Brooks; then on to Kathy Mattea, Holly Near and Melanie. While not strictly an activist performer, her smash song “If It Were Me” has gotten much airplay in this era of school shootings.

Her appearances on 8th Step stages have included several album release concerts, a sellout duo with Christine Lavin, and as part of the blockbuster On a Winter's Night with Patty Larkin, Cliff Eberhardt and John Gorka.

Wheeler is wonderful on CD, radio or YouTube - but Wheeler LIVE is - and we mean this - not to be missed!

KENNY WHITE comes to the world of the touring singer-songwriter following a long and successful musical journey. Long List of Priors, his aptly named newest album, collects his latest original songs - snapshots of the human condition from heartwarming to humorous. Radio favorites are “Cyberspace,” and “A Road Less Traveled” featuring David Crosby on harmony vocals.

Hailed by reviewers from The New York Times to the San Francisco Chronicle for his thrilling and unique piano playing, talented singer-songwriter White is also a successful NYC-based record producer. He has written, performed, and produced music for hundreds of TV and radio commercials, and film soundtracks including four by independent filmmaker John Sayles. He has toured with stars Judy Collins, Stephen Stills and Tom Jones, among others, and appeared on dozens of recordings by other musicians.

PROFESSOR ERASTUS BETTEROV-UNDERHILL & HIS CULT OF STORYTELLERS RETURN!

CAST: Barbara Chepaitis, Catherine Danforth, Gabriel Fabian, Kelvin Keraga, Tony Malinowski, Mary Murphy, David Steele

It's Halloween, the night when ghosts and spirits roam the Earth…

Once again Dr. Betterov-Underhill and Friends will haunt the halls of The Eighth Step with a new mix of creepy, comic, and thought-provoking ghost stories. Dr. Betterov-Underhill will of course shamelessly market his fine line of Dead People Products, including his world-renowned Crème-de-menthe embalming fluid. Join us on a spooky and sometimes silly journey to the dark side of our imagination.

COME IN COSTUME FOR A FREE GOURMET DESSERT!!

PROF. BETTERHOF-UNDERHILL & TWO OTHER CAST MEMBERS WILL APPEAR WITH HOST RAY GRAF FOR A CALL-IN ON WAMC’s “VOX POP,” 2-3 PM ON HALLOWEEN! TUNE IN & CALL THE CAST!

Halloween's origins date back more than2,000 years. On what we consider November 1, Europe's Celtic peoples celebrated their New Year's Day, called Samhain (SAH-win).

On Samhain—what we know as Halloween—spirits were said to walk the Earth as they traveled to the afterlife. Fairies, demons and other creatures were abroad, intermingling with humans just this one night of the year.

For hundreds of years storytellers have taken us by the hand and led us into old houses filled with apparitions: phantoms woven from memories and dreams, exploring the dark core of our humanity.

These tales reflect our souls, where characters cross the line between life and death, caught in situations that often draw out their deepest emotions. The supernatural explore the natural: frailty and strength, loss and recovery. Behold the nurturing power of imagination!

Tickets: $18 Adults, $8 Children Under 12
Location: Addy Theatre (3rd floor via lobby elevator in Box Office arcade, turn left)

"From the deeply rooted Celtic traditions of Cape Breton to the rapid fire guitar work of Chet Atkins and Doc Watson, Cormier sings the songs in a mellow baritone and frames them with virtuosic playing on a bevy of instruments, including fiddle, guitar, banjo, mandolin, and piano” ACOUSTIC GUITAR

“Gunning is the next big thing in the True North of Song, an artist as compelling, as assured and attentive to every nuance of the writing process, as Lightfoot, Cockburn and Stan Rogers before him” TORONTO STAR

Two of Canada’s greatest and much-honored solo roots singer-songwriters return to once again create their unique, soaring musical synergy that is simply otherworldly. Gunning & Cormier are great friends, frequent collaborators, co-writers and touring partners; the pair share a rare musical and personal affinity. For the past few years they've lived down the road from one another in Canada's beautiful Nova Scotia and the neighborhood has exploded with their great music.

Every song has to meet their very high, combined standards and they don't take it lightly. “We really put our heart into it,” says Gunning.

Tickets: $28 Advance / $30 Concert Night /$45 Gold Circle [Priority Seating + Meet the Artist 6:30 pm onstage] Location: GE Theatre

Widely celebrated for both his Celtic and Blues music, Cormier had spent 10 years immersed in the U.S. Blues world, playing memorable nights at the Grand Ole Opry with artists such as Waylon Jennings, Marty Stuart, Earl Scruggs, Bill Monroe, Charlie Louvin and Vince Gill. Now he was back home in Canada.

“We were totally blown away by J.P.’s playing,” recalls Gunning. “I remember him saying if you ever do a CD, I want to play on it.” That happened, and much more. They played together and wrote together whenever they could, coming up with songs that graced both their projects, over the years showered with awards and nominations on the East Coast and nationally.

“Dave is such a part of my life,” says Cormier. “Dave is like my family, he’s like a blood relative to me, and he’s always been that way.” Says Gunning, “We love singing together, we love playing guitar together, it just works.”

In their music you can hear passion, power and their mutual delight in their intricate guitar interplay and in their gorgeous vocals. "You sometimes can’t tell us apart," says Gunning of their . "When we sing together we find a sibling harmony - we blend like brothers.”

Two songwriters, interpreters, guitar players, and singers at their peak bring to the stage the power of song between two friends, brothers, uncompromising performers. We're thrilled to listen - in person!

“Perceptive…clever…right up there with The Beatles and Bob Dylan” NEW YORK TIMES

David Roth: "His voice is clear, his words are poetry, his heart is open, and it makes me open the windows of my car and smile at strangers" BOSTON GLOBE

Anne Hills: “A stunning soprano tone has made her one of contemporary music’s premiere vocalists … Her knack for writing heartfelt songs [has] brought her to the upper echelon of her craft” ALL MUSIC GUIDE

A glorious evening bringing together Anne Hills, one of the most beloved voices of the contemporary folk music scene, joining perennial favorite David Roth, with his unique songs, offbeat observations, moving stories, sense of the hilarious, and powerful singing and subject matter!

Tickets: $27 Advance / $29 Day of Show / $45 Gold Circle [Priority Seating & 6:30 pm Artist Meet & Greet onstage]

DAVID ROTH strikes many chords, hearts, and minds with his unique songs, offbeat observations, moving stories, sense of the hilarious, and powerful singing and subject matter. Singer, songwriter, recording artist, keynote speaker, workshop leader and instructor, David has earned top honors at premier songwriter competitions and taken his music, experience, and expertise to a wide variety of stages in this and other countries full-time for three decades.

David’s stunningly lyrical songs have found their way to Carnegie Hall, the United Nations, several Chicken Soup for the Soul books, the Kennedy Center, Peter, Paul, & Mary’s “Discovered” (Warner Brothers), the Kingston Trio’s “Born at the Right Time,” NASA’s Goddard Space Center (“Rocket Science” went up on the Space Shuttle Atlantis’s May 2009 mission to repair the Hubble Telescope). Winner of 4 Positive Music Awards and the 2015 Grace Note (Unity Worldwide) for Outstanding Contribution to New Thought Music,

David teaches at the Augusta Heritage workshops, SummerSongs, Common Ground on the Hill (MD), the Woods Dance & Music Camp (Canada), WUMB’s Summer Acoustic Music Week (NH), Moab Folk Camp (UT), Rowe Center (MA), Pendle Hill (PA), Lamb’s Retreat (MI), the Swannanoa Gathering (NC), the National Wellness Institute (WI), and for many other songwriting groups and associations around the country. Founder/director of the Cape Cod Songwriters Retreat, he is creator/host of Cape Cod’s “Full Moon Open Mic” which, for 12 years has provided a forum for musicians while at the same time collecting donations ($14,000 to date) for local non-profits to help neighbors in need.

ANNE HILLS: Whether singing her own songs, the words of six-year-old Opal Whiteley, or her song settings of the Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley; whether playing guitar, banjo, or simply a Tibetan bell, Hills puts her whole heart and soul into the musical moment. She tours extensively, winning over audiences with her warm, lively and humorous performances.

She has received numerous awards and much recognition for her live performances, her unique solo and collaborative recording projects, and her overall artistry. Recognized as one of folk music’s finest voices, her song “Follow That Road” was the title cut of the Martha’s Vineyard Songwriter Retreat and has long been a certified folk classic. (And if you love her writing, be sure to check out her “Haiku a Day” shared via her Facebook page!)

“Especially eloquent mixture of the old and the new” NEW YORK TIMES

“There probably aren’t too many bands hiding on the misty moors who can match the Tannahill Weavers for consummate musicianship…and the kind of group cohesiveness that borders on telepathy” KNIGHT-RIDDER

“Formed from a Paisley pub session in 1968, seminal trailblazers the Tannahill Weavers now also rank as national treasures” SINGOUT!

Traditional Celtic music at its best! With fire-driven instrumentals and songs, haunting ballads and a good dose of humor, Scotland’s iconic Tannahill Weavers have transformed traditional Scottish material and brought it into the modern world, vitally alive and kicking!

Members of the Scottish traditional Music Hall of Fame, “the Tannies” have been joined by exciting piper and fiddle player Iain MacGillivray, Scotland’s youngest Clan Leader Iain and a fluent Gaelic speaker who has worked on the popular “Outlander” and “Men in Kilts” series, and other high-profile productions.

“Scotland's Tannahill Weavers play acoustic instruments, but the atmosphere at their shows is electric…Tight and as versatile as any band in the Celtic music revival… can summon rock 'n roll intensity or haunting introspection” BOSTON GLOBE

“Location: GE Theatre at Proctors

Tickets: $28 Advance / $30 Day of Show / $50 Gold Circle [priority seating + Meet & Greet 6:30 pm onstage]

The Tannahills have turned their acoustic excitement loose on audiences with an electrifying effect. They have that unique combination of traditional melodies, driving rhythmic accompaniment and rich vocals that make their performances unforgettable.

From reflective ballads to foot-stomping reels and jigs, the variety and range of the material they perform is matched only by their enthusiasm and lively Celtic spirits.

“The Tannahill Weavers - properly harnessed - could probably power an entire city for a year on the strength of last night's concert alone. The music may be old time Celtic, but the drive and enthusiasm are akin to straight ahead rock and roll." WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

CD Release: The Legend of Sugarbelly

“Truth be told, there just aren’t many who can deliver Americana in as interesting and entertaining a manner – or give acoustic traditional blues such a contemporary sound – as Davis, and it sure is a lot of fun hearing him explore the different sides of the genre” BLUZ POWR BLOG

"Skilled singer & guitarist…combines a folklorist’s encyclopedic knowledge of the blues with an actor’s intensity and flair” SUNDAY GAZETTE 

“Intimate, richly nuanced tales….stomping acoustic blues” BLUES REVUE

American Roots, Blues, Folk, Spoken Word, New Artistic Renaissance, he does it all, on vocals, 6 & 12 string guitar, harmonica, 5 & 6 string banjo, didgeridoo.

Guy Davis is a two-time, back-to-back Grammy nominee for Best Traditional Blues, a musician, actor, author and songwriter. Guy uses a blend of Roots, Blues, Folk, Rock, Rap, Spoken Word, and World Music to comment on, and address the frustrations of social injustice, touching on historical events and common life struggles. His theater background shines through the lyrical storytelling of songs “God’s Gonna Make Things Over” about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, “Welcome to My World,” and “Got Your Letter In My Pocket.” His storytelling is sometimes painful, deep and real, an earthy contrast to modern-day commercial music; he means to create thought, underlined by gentle tones from his guitar or banjo fingerpicking.

He recently added Broadway Composer to his CV by writing the incidental music for the recent Tony nominated revival of his father’s play - that would be stage legend Ossie Davis' play, "Purlie Victorious."

Meanwhile, he has won a Keeping The Blues Alive Award, and was nominated by The Blues Foundation for Best Song of the Year, Best Acoustic Album of the Year, Best Acoustic Artist of the Year, and Best Instrumentalist. It’s a fact that he's been nominated nearly two dozen times by the Blues Foundation.

Among hundreds of print appearances, he's been featured in articles or reviews by VillageNew York Times, Voice, Boston Globe, Pulse Magazine, Blues Magazine, Acoustic Guitar, Dirty Linen, Songlines, Blues Blast Magazine, Living Blues, Down At the Crossroads, The San Francisco Chronicle, Association For Independent Music (formerly NAIRD), Playboy Magazine, National Public Radio (NPR), "Folk Alley", and several Sirius channels.

Asked about his experience as a performer, Guy replied, “There is no tale so tall that I cannot tell it, nor song so sweet that I cannot sing it.” True words from a delightful and monstrously talented performer.

Tickets: $29 General Admission / $27 Advance / $45 Gold Circle [Priority Seating + Meet the Performer with Guy 6:30 pm onstage]

Location: Addy Theatre at Proctors

SLOOP CLEARWATER SAILS TO KINGSTON… PRESENTING PERFORMANCES ON TWO STAGES AT KINGSTON’S 10TH ANNUAL EARTH FAIR - ON THE WATERFRONT!

GUY DAVIS MAGPIE EMMA’S REVOLUTION SUNDUB ARM-OF-THE-SEA PUPPETS PIEDMONT BLUZ PULSO de BARRO THE RIX TAINA ASILI & ENSEMBLE B2S SONGS OF PETE SEEGER

Food Kid’a Activities Clearwater Sloop Tours Green Exhibitors Face Painting Clean Energy Local Farms E-Bike Test Rides Keegan’s Root Beer Floats Homespun Merry-Go-Round

Solaris Tour Boat Electric Vehicles Showcase Fine Local Restaurants Sustainable Living Info Crafts Recycling Food Vendors & more!

Tickets: FREE [yes, believe it!] Rain or shine
Location: TR Gallo Park, 30 Rondout Landing - on the Kingston waterfront

Festival by the City of Kingston with Hudson River Maritime Museum & More

Music by Radio Kingston, The Eighth Step & Radio Kingston

Four of Contemporary Folk’s Finest Voices Unite & Ignite!

**LIVE & LIVESTREAM

Sally Rogers: “Sterling guitar-banjo-dulcimer work…achingly sweet voice imbues her ballads with classic poignance” WASHINGTON POST

Claudia Schmidt: ”Talent and the fire of genius” BOSTON GLOBE

Emma’s Revolution: “Fervent and heartfelt” NEW YORK TIMES

Boundless energy and truth-telling lyrics on original and borrowed songs from four of folk music’s finest and most outspoken musical voices…

Soaring harmonies and sterling instrumentals abound in a concert celebrating mothers as women, artists and change-makers, part of the foursome’s second annual “Every Day is Mother’s Day” tour from New England to the West Coast. The group banded together to “lift up mothers and foremothers, trail blazers and hell raisers of all kinds,” says Pat Humphries. “The actions we can take and the songs we can sing to make this world a better place are the focus of our lives’ work and will take center stage," says Sally Rogers.

Performing with Rogers & Schmidt has deep meaning to Humphries. She relishes this tour as an opportunity to showcase women’s contributions to music, remembering the specific effect on her as a young aspiring musician. “When I was in college considering music as my full-time career, Jean [Ritchie] and Hazel [Dickens] and Alice [Gerrard] were busy breaking ground for women in a field full of male performers. These women carved the path for the next generation of singers and songwriters. That’s where I found Claudia Schmidt and Sally Rogers. Seeing Claudia and Sally among the names on concert series and festival rosters gave me hope there might be room for me. Both drew from the rich traditions of the past and carried that influence into their own writing - through the lens of their current life experience. Their example paralleled my trajectory and helped propel me forward in pursuit of my place on that continuum. Sandy & I are excited to be sharing the stage with Claudia and Sally.”

For all their different styles, the four accomplished, award-winning singer-songwriter-instrumentalists share a passionate dedication to humanity and social justice, creating luscious harmonies backed by stellar instrumentals: guitars, dulcimers - and with a nod to Humphries’ mentor Pete Seeger, maybe a little banjo.

Exuberant, joyful, warm, magical. Join us!

**Use Code Step for $5 off General Admission tickets - live show only!

CLAUDIA SCHMIDT & SALLY ROGERS: With heart-opening harmony and musical chemistry like no other, they have long been weaving their voices, dulcimers and guitars into uniquely lush music, singing with a joy that audiences find so irresistible they frequently join right in. Each a solo master of her craft, together they tell story-songs and rich vignettes set to stellar instrumentals. Time has deepened and enriched the music created by these long-time friends and performing partners.

EMMA’S REVOLUTION (Pat Humphries & Sandy O): They are known for fearless lyrics and melodies you can’t resist singing whether at a protest or a concert. Their inspiring songs - from hard-hitting cultural commentary to ringing anthems - have travelled around the world, sung for the Dalai Lama, praised by Pete Seeger and covered by Holly Near. The dynamic pair’s signature sound soars with harmonies and ringing acoustic instruments on songs that span folk to jazz and funk to rock.

TICKET NOTE: Gold Circle includes front center section seats & 6:00 pm Artist Reception Onstage
Location: GE Theatre at Proctors

The Same Storm marks another career milestone for one of Canada's most inspiring and accomplished singer-songwriters, a captivating performer currently nominated for two Canadian Folk Music Awards including Best Solo Artist. Self-effacing and very, very funny, he is a master of his craft: his knack for perfectly timed on-stage banter and gracious storytelling has endeared him to audiences and fellow performers alike. He has shared the stage with legends like Ron Hynes, Rita MacNeil, Stuart McLean, and Stompin’ Tom Connor and of course, J.P. Cormier, with whom he performed a blockbuster show on our stage last season..

His knack for connecting with audiences is lifelong, preceding the skills and experience he’s earned on the road—Gunning shares the same sort of relationship with music as an eagle does with the sky. From a very young age, music has been Gunning’s way of interpreting the world around him, the lens through which he sees it, and the medium by which he engages with his community and his audiences.

He has never needed to look far beyond his Pictou County, Nova Scotia backyard for inspiration. That’s where the characters live. That’s where the stories come from. Often shining a light on the well-deserving underdogs, he’s never shies away from tougher topics, staying true to the folk music tradition. In recent years, those topics have tended to be more social and environmental in nature - causes that he holds near and dear. Nowhere has that been more evident, or public, than Dave’s strong stance against a local bleached kraft pulp mill - a proven polluter in the community.

Called “a voice of Nova Scotia,” Gunning combines a finely-tuned balance of sincerity and impeccable performance that makes him one of the country’s most engaging entertainers.

The Same Storm continues along a similar path similar to its predecessors - celebrating moments big and small, lending a voice to the folks that need it most, and indulging in a bit of nostalgia on the way - but always with an eye toward the future and the stories it will bring.

Tickets: $27 Advance / $29 Day of Show / $40 Gold Circle 
Location: Addy Theatre

Performers gather for a tribute to Ukraine, its people, its culture and to its heroic struggle for freedom - with John McCutcheon & more surprise guests via video!

JOHN KIRK & TRISH MILLER(music of Peter Ostroushko)

JONNY & ANNIE ROSEN (of Annie & the Hedonists)

MAGPIE (Terry Leonino & Greg Artzner)

VALERI & SVITLANA BILOSHAPKO

ALINA SERDYUK

MARINA SERDYUK

LUI COLLINS

With thanks to longtime Step friend Carol Coogan for the poster image!

Proceeds will provide medical supplies & other humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

The three uber-talented, veteran musicians are reminiscent of - well, three Adirondack streams merging to form one mighty river:

National hammered dulcimer champion Dan Duggan is known for his wizardry on the instrument, as well as his flat-picking guitar licks. Peggy Lynn sings in her bluesy alto about strong women and life in the North Country. Dan Berggren's songs and stories give voice to the spirit of hard-working folks and inspire care of our beautiful planet.

The Jamcrackers at once bring us back to the days of mountain men, strong mountain women, settlers and Gilded Age visitors, and take us forward to tomorrow's issues shaping the future of our beloved mountains and beyond. Join us!

HARRIS: “Dances between genres without hesitation and rides the highs and lows of each song's content with a confident wisdom that only comes from a lifetime of studying folk music.” WFUV-fm

WICTOR: “Can fingerpick like the best of them…an absolute madman on the lapsteel. Unquestionably, anyone who has ever heard a Wictor show will permanently place him in the company of the best in the genre.” THECOUNTRYBLUES.COM

REGGIE HARRIS is a magnificent performer on intricate guitar and soaring vocals, a singer-songwriter, storyteller, recording artist and world-renowned song-leader, a passionate, engaging and inspirational entertainer. He focuses new and needed energy on the important role of music in discussions of contemporary racial inequities, and addresses the struggle for human rights by bringing to life the lessons of history as he has experienced them in his own colorful life. He criss-crosses the country inspiring joy, unity, tolerance and peace through the powerful medium of live music.

PAT WICTOR burst on the folk and acoustic scene as an innovative slide guitarist known for fresh and memorable interpretations of traditional and contemporary songs. Since then, he has made his mark as a singer-songwriter penning lean and poetic songs that honor and extend rural blues and gospel traditions. For seven years he toured as one third of Brother Sun, the powerful harmonizing trio with Joe Jencks and Greg Greenway, garnering critical acclaim, two #1 CDs on the Folk DJ charts, and a continent-spanning tour schedule.

**Tickets: $28 General Admission / $26 Advance / $40 Gold Circle [zpriority Seating & 6:30 pm Artist Reception onstage     

LIVE, IN GE THEATRE AT PROCTORS!

Baby, it’s cold and dark outside! Come celebrate the lengthening of days to come at Sing Solstice! Spend an evening with the irresistible foursome of Kim & Reggie Harris and Terry Leonino & Greg Artzner (Magpie) - a bright, warm and wonderful musical celebration of nature’s Season of Light that from ancient times to the present inspired such Midwinter celebrations as Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hannukah, Yule and more in cultures around the world. We’ll welcome the coming - and very welcome! Winter Solstice with music and laughter - its Midwinter, and we turn toward the light of Spring -join us to celebrate Mother Nature’s New Year!!

The enormously talented and charismatic foursome creates a transcendent, often otherworldly sound with stunning harmonies & instrumentals, alternately powerful, touching, funny & charming. Who better to greet the light?

Opening the concert: Pokingbrook Morris Dancers, in full medieval costume, performing the mesmerizing “Abbots Bromley Horn Dance, which originated in the ancient Cotswold region of England!

Gold Circle: 6:30 pm Meet & Greet onstage

Significant in early times, the Solstice was viewed as a mystical omen of hope. It reminded us that every year our darkest days inevitably give way to light - especially meaningful in view of war and unrest around the world and here at home. May we achieve peace - and live in the light. We’re keeping the ticket prices low, our Solstice gift to you - join us!

Now the days grow a little longer, a little shorter each night

Touch this flame to another candle in this season of light

With lights in every window on our houses and trees

We’ll push away the darkness for a new year of peace.

-Magpie

On Solstice, the shortest day and longest, darkest night of the year will soon break into a new dawn, lighting our way to Spring and Summer: fertility, new growth and rejuvenation, warmth and chances for renewal.

THIS LIVE CONCERT WILL BE VIDEO RECORDED AND BROADCAST ON SOLSTICE NIGHT: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 6 PM - DETAIL TO COME.

**Gold Circle tickets include Priority Seating & 6:30 pm “Meet the Klezmatics” onstage.

For Hanukkah, the foremost and best loved klezmer band offers an evening of their Grammy-winning collaboration with Woody Guthrie’s recently discovered lyrics. The Klezmatics bring their hip, East Village sensibility to this favorite time of year, when candles and family warmth light up the dark nights.

Here Klezmer meets American Folk — focusing on Guthrie’s newly discovered Hanukkah songs, lyrics in English with Eastern European musical flourishes.

Folk icon Woody Guthrie - itinerant champion of workers, rider of the rails who wrote “This Land is Your Land” - wrote Hanukkah songs? Indeed he did, and in a pairing as richly diverse as Guthrie’s life itself — from the plains of tiny Okemah, Oklahoma to the cultural stew of post-war Brooklyn — his evocative lyrics are the perfect match for the music of the Klezmatics. This concert has already become an enduring addition to the holiday canon, with tracks penned by the songwriting legend and music from the premiere ambassadors of Yiddish culture.

Guthrie’s Jewish lyrics (previously unknown) can be traced to the unusual collaborative relationship he had with his mother-in-law, Aliza Greenblatt, a prominent Yiddish poet and confidant of Guthrie during his tenure in Coney Island. Guthrie’s Jewish lyrics came as a surprise to Nora Guthrie, Woody’s daughter (and the album’s Executive Producer), who learned of Woody’s Judaism connection in a chance encounter with the Klezmatics and Itzhak Perlman after a concert. Guthrie was introduced to Perlman as “Aliza’s granddaughter.” She recalls, “All my life, I’ve been introduced as Woody’s daughter…but this was the first time I’d ever been introduced as ‘Aliza Greenblatt’s granddaughter!”

The deft wordcraft, endearing playfulness, and fiery progressive worldview of Guthrie’s lyrics are in good hands with the adventurious and virtuosic playing of the Klezmatics. Trumpeter Frank London says, “The words are all his, but the diversity of musical styles is quintessentially Klezmatic.” London says that some songs lent themselves to overtly Jewish klezmer music, others to more American forms, like classic dust-bowl country tunes. The band’s influences in setting the lyrics to music ranged from sacred (Hasidic nigunim –wordless tunes often used in prayer – and Gospel) to secular (freylekhs – traditional dance music – and hoedowns).”

In an “A” review of the Grammy-winning CD that inspired this concert, the Chicago Sun Times says the music “skips merrily our of the speakers and becomes the life of the party.” Now, it makes its 8th Step-Proctors debut on December 2nd!

“…a complete joy…Guthrie’s lyrics are transformed from dust-gathers to living, breathing, vital pieces of music…Woody’s Jewish in-laws would certainly have been proud”   ALL MUSIC GUIDE

Jencks: “Resonant, honey-rich voice...open-hearted humanity” WFUV-fm

McCalla: "Alluring contemporary folk…both inspired and inspiring" ROOTS MUSIC REPORT

**Tickets: $29 General Admission / $27 Advance / $40 Gold Circle      
Location: The Addy Theatre at Proctors

DEIDRE McCALLA: Her songwriting reveals an unyieldingly honest perspective expressed with a lyric touch, celebrating the power and diversity of the human spirit. A Black woman, mother, lesbian, and feminist, her songs embody hope and celebration, struggle, loss and longing.

McCalla grew up around the folk scene in New York City’s MacDougal Street, where she started her career in its coffeehouses. Moving on to California into the epicenter of the Women’s Music movement, she put out three records on the prestigious Olivia Records label. She has shared the stage with a long list of notables including Suzanne Vega, Tracy Chapman, Holly Near, Odetta, Cris Williamson, and Sweet Honey in the Rock. In short, she has long been in the forefront of Black musicians ‘redefining how Black folk do folk,’ as she puts it.

Her phenomenal current release Endless Grace (2022), her first in several years, soared to #1 on FAI folk radio charts both as an album and for its song “Shoulder to the Wheel” - a total of three songs from the album were charted. Meanwhile, numerous reader and listener polls around the country ranked Endless Grace among their ten best folk albums of 2022. “Shoulder…” went on to take IAMA’s 2023 “Best Folk/Americana/Roots” award. Welcome back, Deidre!

“Crafts winsome melodies that suggest deeper currents running alongside her carefully observed lyrics” -Berkeleyside

JOE JENCKS

International touring musician, award-winning songwriter, and celebrated vocalist, brings performances of musical beauty, social consciousness and spiritual exploration. Or to put it more informally, he is one hot singer!

Merging conservatory training with his Irish roots and working-class upbringing, Jencks delivers mesmerizing musical narratives fleshed out with heart, soul, groove and grit. He blends his well-crafted instrumentals and vivid songwriting, serving it up in a lyric baritone voice with the edgy richness of a good sea-salt caramel. 

A founding member of the folk superstars Brother Sun, he has penned several #1 folksongs including the ever-relevant and gorgeous “Lady of The Harbor,” Jencks has become a fan favorite throughout North America and most certainly here at The Step, where his Spring ‘23 show-stopping version of “What A Wonderful World” with Susan Werner still echoes.

“Tells our stories, his story, and the untold stories, as an American folk master can - with heart and unfettered perfection.” SIRIUS XM RADIO

"A rare artist...strong poetry, complex melodies, clever wit”      SING OUT!

SHE’S BACK: a perennial audience favorite, she comes onstage in simple jeans and shirt. She’s droll, irreverent, completely unselfconscious, poignant and hilarious…in short, absolutely brilliant.

It has always seemed as if there were two Cheryl Wheelers, with fans of the New England songwriter relishing watching the two tussle for control of the mic. There’s Poet-Cheryl, writer of some of the prettiest, most alluring and intelligent ballads on the modern folk scene. And then there’s her evil twin, Comic-Cheryl, a militant trend defier and savagely funny social critic.

Her plain-spun songs have been hits for such mainstream stars as Suzy Bogguss and Dan Seals, recorded by everyone from Bette Midler to Maura O’Connell, Peter Paul & Mary, Juice Newton and Garth Brooks; then on to Kathy Mattea, Holly Near and Melanie. While not strictly an activist performer, her smash song “If It Were Me” has gotten much airplay in this era of school shootings.

Her appearances on 8th Step stages have included several album release concerts, a sellout duo with Christine Lavin, and as part of the blockbuster On a Winter's Night with Patty Larkin, Cliff Eberhardt and John Gorka.

Wheeler is wonderful on CD, radio or YouTube - but Wheeler LIVE is - and we mean this - not to be missed.

KENNY WHITE comes to the world of the touring singer-songwriter following a long and successful musical journey. Long List of Priors, his aptly named newest album, collects his latest original songs - snapshots of the human condition from heartwarming to humorous. Radio favorites are “Cyberspace,” and “A Road Less Traveled” featuring David Crosby on harmony vocals.

Hailed by reviewers from The New York Times to the San Francisco Chronicle for his thrilling and unique piano playing, talented singer-songwriter White is also a successful NYC-based record producer. He has written, performed, and produced music for hundreds of TV and radio commercials, and film soundtracks including four by independent filmmaker John Sayles. He has toured with stars Judy Collins, Stephen Stills and Tom Jones, among others, and appeared on dozens of recordings by other musicians.

Professor Erastus Betterov-Underhill & his Cult of Storytellers return to celebrate 13 lucky years of Whispering Bones:

Tanya Gorlow, Jeannine Haas, Kerry Kazmierowicztrimm, Kelvin Keraga, Tony Malinowski & The Snickering Witches!

It's Halloween, the night when ghosts and spirits roam the Earth…

Once again Dr. Betterov-Underhill and Friends will haunt the halls of the Eighth Step with a new mix of creepy, comic, and thought-provoking ghost stories. Dr. Betterov-Underhill will shamelessly market his fine line of Dead People Products, including his world-renowned Crème-de-menthe embalming fluid. Join us on a spooky and sometimes silly journey to the dark side of our imagination.

COME IN COSTUME FOR A FREE GOURMET DESSERT!!

Halloween's origins date back more than2,000 years. On what we consider November 1, Europe's Celtic peoples celebrated their New Year's Day, called Samhain (SAH-win).

On Samhain—what we know as Halloween—spirits were said to walk the Earth as they traveled to the afterlife. Fairies, demons and other creatures were abroad, intermingling with humans just this one night of the year.

For hundreds of years storytellers have taken us by the hand and led us into old houses filled with apparitions: phantoms woven from memories and dreams, exploring the dark core of our humanity.

These tales reflect our souls, where characters cross the line between life and death, caught in situations that often draw out their deepest emotions. The supernatural explore the natural: frailty and strength, loss and recovery. Behold the nurturing power of imagination!

Tickets: $15 Adults, $7 Children Under 12
Location: The Addy Theatre

Lui Collins: “One of New England’s clearest and most distinctive folk voices, with unusually piercing lyrical insight” HARTFORD CURRENT

“Franke songs are often devastatingly simple, joyfully anthemic, just plain quirky or wonderfully suggestive—but always, unforgettable” CHICAGO MAGAZINE

A rare night with two of our finest singer-songwriters, much-loved solo performers (and old friends). Lui Collins and Bob Franke have thrilled us from our days along Albany’s Washington Park to the present at Proctors. Yes, a solo concert by either is always an event. But bringing them together promises a truly magical night!

BOB FRANKE ranks among the most prolific and important folk songwriters of our times. Many of his songs, like “Hard Love,” “For Real,” “Thanksgiving Eve,” and “The Great Storm Is Over” are beloved to folk audiences, guaranteed to be heard sung onstage by a musical colleagues too numerous to count, around folk festival singalongs after dark, but more widely, sung by church choirs.

Franke’s truly a songwriter’s songwriter, and his songs have been recorded by Peter, Paul, and Mary, Kathy Mattea, John McCutcheon, Garnet Rogers, and David Wilcox, among others.

In concert, his intimate songs and potent ballads are interspersed with revealing anecdotes – sly blues about bicycles, computers, and cagey catfish; daffy ditties about manic monkeys, psychedelic polkas, and adjusting to our loved ones’ foibles. His voice is warm, soft and familiar; he’s a superb guitarist but never a show-off; he wants to meet and befriend his audience, neighbor to neighbor, friend to friend.

LUI COLLINS: “One of New England’s first and brightest stars,” said The Boston Globe, while the Boston Herald dubbed her a “folksinger for our times.” Onstage she’s enthralling, her voice clear and warm and rich, her performance transporting. Her lyrical and lush songwriting inspired the irascible Dave Van Ronk to call the multi-instrumentalist “one of the best guitarist-arrangers I have heard in years.”

She has been delighting audiences, writing and recording for over 40 years, her early Philo and Green Linnet recordings earning international acclaim. She has performed with Pete Seeger, Bonnie Raitt, Stan Rogers, Garnet Rogers, Dar Williams, John Gorka; and with Garnet Rogers on our stage..

Guitarist/Grammy-nominated producer ANAND NAYAK accompanies Collins in a wide range of styles and languages; more than a decade of creative collaboration shines in their fluid musical dialogue onstage.

Join us for a very specia night!

Paxton: “Perceptive…clever…right up there with The Beatles and Bob Dylan” NEW YORK TIMES

McCutcheon: “The multi-instrumentalist wonder, a master at leading into a song with a story” THE SUN

Two prolific masters of Folk Music in one very special night! Musicians, storytellers and cultural icons, they celebrate the release of Together, their brand new album of jointly written songs!

Folk music legends and dear friends get Together for their first joint album due out 10/13/23!

What happens when two of folk music’s most beloved and prolific songwriters join forces? Songs about history, the news, baseball, cowboys, America, love, the remembered, the forgotten. From the stirring “Ukrainian Now” to the hilarious “Same Old Crap,” the immigrant story of “In America” to the heart stopping finale “Together,"“ each song shines - as would be expected of this partnership.

John McCutcheon and Tom Paxton have been pals for decades, but it was COVID and Zoom that turned them into a songwriting team. Every Monday at 2PM they’d tell jokes, reminisce about old friends, and, of course, talk lots of sports. Eventually one would say, “Well, guess we better write a song, huh?” And off they’d go, two old warhorses pulling the plow. Now, a hundred songs later, they’ve gathered fourteen for their first joint recording, the aptly titled Together.

**GOLD CIRCLE TICKETS INCLUDE PRIORITY SEATING & 6:30 PM MEET & GREET TOM PAXTON & JOHN McCUTCHEON ONSTAGE.

Grammy Lifetime Achievement honoree Tom Paxton has been a force in the folk music world since the 1960’s, penning songs made famous by Peter, Paul, & Mary, the Kingston Trio, John Denver, Johnny Cash, Pete Seeger, Judy Collins, and more. His song “Last Thing on My Mind,” is “one of the best damn songs ever written,” declares McCutcheon.

John McCutcheon is a part of the generation of folksingers that grew up singing Tom Paxton songs. His own impressive catalog of songs spans forty-four albums, six Grammy nominations, numerous awards and accolades and the citing of his song “Christmas in the Trenches” as “one of the 100 essential folk songs,” by Folk Alley.

Together, they have seeded the folk music landscape with hundreds of songs, sung by thousands for decades. With the album Together they add another bunch of great new ones to the repertoire of our time. And, given the bounty of those Monday afternoons, this is only the beginning.

1 Ukrainian Now

2 This Campfire

3 Do the Work

4 Invisible Man

5 Same Old Crap

6 In America

7 Letters from Joe

8 The Fan

9 Complete

10 Everything

11 Life Before You

12 Christmas in the Desert

13 Prairie Star

14 Together

Hear songwriters Paxton & McCutcheon sing their poignant and beautiful “Ukrainian Now” in person on Friday, October 27th; meanwhile, here it is sung by an all-star folk cast:

Can’t resist adding this beautiful cut:

"From the deeply rooted Celtic traditions of Cape Breton to the rapid fire guitar work of Chet Atkins and Doc Watson, Cormier sings the songs in a mellow baritone and frames them with virtuosic playing on a bevy of instruments, including fiddle, guitar, banjo, mandolin, and piano” ACOUSTIC GUITAR

“Gunning is the next big thing in the True North of Song, an artist as compelling, as assured and attentive to every nuance of the writing process, as Lightfoot, Cockburn and Stan Rogers before him” TORONTO STAR

Two of Canada’s greatest and much-honored solo roots singer-songwriters return to once again create their unique, soaring musical synergy that is simply otherworldly. Gunning & Cormier are great friends, frequent collaborators, co-writers and touring partners; the pair share a rare musical and personal affinity. For the past few years they've lived down the road from one another in Canada's beautiful Nova Scotia and the neighborhood has exploded with their great music.

Every song has to meet their very high, combined standards and they don't take it lightly. “We really put our heart into it,” says Gunning.

Tickets: $28 Advance / $30 Day of Show / $50 Gold Circle 
Location: GE Theatre

Gunning & Cormier go back 24 years when Dave's fiddle player dropped out of a show at the last minute. “He hired me for a gig when I was just back from Nashville, nobody knew me here,” says Cormier. Widely celebrated for both his Celtic and Blues music, Cormier had spent 10 years immersed in the U.S. Blues world, playing memorable nights at the Grand Ole Opry with artists such as Waylon Jennings, Marty Stuart, Earl Scruggs, Bill Monroe, Charlie Louvin and Vince Gill. Now he was back home in Canada.

“We were totally blown away by J.P.’s playing,” recalls Gunning. “I remember him saying if you ever do a CD, I want to play on it.” That happened, and much more. They played together and wrote together whenever they could, coming up with songs that graced both their projects, over the years showered with awards and nominations on the East Coast and nationally.

“Dave is such a part of my life,” says Cormier. “Dave is like my family, he’s like a blood relative to me, and he’s always been that way.” Gunning feels the same way. “Absolutely, we just became fast friends, and we’ve been working together ever since.” Gunning boils it down. “We love singing together, we love playing guitar together, it just works.

In their music you can hear passion, power and their mutual delight in their intricate guitar interplay and in their gorgeous vocals. "You sometimes can’t tell us apart," says Gunning of their instrumental. "Or sometimes even our vocals you can’t tell apart, which is really weird because our voices are nothing alike, but when we sing together we find a sibling harmony - we blend like brothers.”

Two songwriters, interpreters, guitar players, and singers at their peak bring to the stage the power of song between two friends, brothers, uncompromising performers. We're thrilled to listen - in person!

$28 Advance / $30 Concert Night /$45 Gold Circle [Priority Seating + Meet the Artist 6:30 pm onstage

BONUS: GRAMMY NOMINEE SETH GLIER ON PIANO!

Grammy-nominated Seth Glier is a singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. NPR describes his voice as “otherworldly” while praising him as “an engaging performer and storyteller.” His critically acclaimed, emotionally dense catalog of work often draws upon traditional roots music, experimental instrumentation, and moody atmospheres that result in soulfully intelligent stories that can alternatively fight the power or break your heart.

MAGPIE: Terry Leonino & Greg Artzner Celebrate 50 Years!

with Special Guests Rolly Brown, guitar & Ralph Gordon, acoustic bass

“The breadth of their musical tastes, the depth of their commitment to humanist ideals, the precision of their chamber-folk arrangements and, above all, the graceful sympathy of their vocal harmonies...refined over the years to an effortless rapport” WASHINGTON POST

"Tumultuous applause and a standing ovation” SPOLETO FESTIVAL

Marking their 50th anniversary, we celebrate singer-songwriters, multi-instrumentalists and musical activists Terry Leonino & Greg Artzner [Magpie] for their remarkable musicianship, stunning close harmony on songs both original and borrowed, and their activism. Onstage, they touch poignantly on important subjects, then cut loose on classic swing numbers for great fun along the way.

The duo, with backing by longtime musical friends Rolly Brown (guitar) and Ralph Gordon (acoustic bass), will include songs from their upcoming 50th Anniversary album Endless River: Celebrating 50 Years.Here’s a sample cut, a Utah Phillips song written by

Backed by their own superb instrumental arrangements Magpie creates a sound always powerful, rich and moving, effortlessly inspiring people to come together through the power of song. The award-winning duo, veterans of many years of Phil Ochs Song Nights (their version of “When I’m Gone” always inspired a standing, singalong ovation ending every single Step show) and solo nights - well, too numerous to count. They often musically support unions, peace, justice and vital environmental issues. They are proud, vital and solid “links in the chain” [-Pete Seeger], two of our finest and most talented contemporary performers dedicating their time and considerable talent to leaving this world a better place.

From their nest in the mountains of Middleburgh, NY, and before that in the thriving arts scene of D.C.-Maryland, Terry and Greg have traveled the globe creating their unique sound with breathtaking vocal and instrumental versatility. They move easily from traditional songs to vintage blues, to swing, country or folk classics, to contemporary and important original compositions. They weave their spell with powerful voices often in rich harmony, guitars, mandolin, harmonica, dulcimer and concertina.

Happy Anniversary, Magpie! Long may you play and sing!

***Optional tickets are available for a very special anniversary reception at 6:30-7 pm onstage [included in Gold Circle Tickets, which also include priority seating]

“Yet another masterpiece in her gallery of recordings. The writing is personal and poignant, the performances pure Tret. I love it!”
WANDA FISCHER, WAMC-fm

Award-winning, warm and wonderful singer/songwriter/guitarist TRET FURE opens our 2023-24 season, introducing her 18th CD Lavender Moonshine, a spectacularly lush album of original topical and love songs.

A pioneer of Women’s Music and trailblazer as a woman in the field of sound technology, Fure’s long and prolific performing career was propelled by an early recording collaboration with Spencer Davis, followed by her stellar first solo album Tret Fure.

She began her career at the age of 16, singing in coffeehouses and campuses in the Midwest, and at 19 moved to L.A. in hopes of obtaining a record deal. Within a year she was performing as guitarist and vocalist for Davis, touring with him and penning the single for his album Mousetrap. She went on to record her own album Tret Fure in 1973 on MCA/UNI Records, produced by the late Lowell George of Little Feat. Its success led Fure to open for such bands as Yes, Poco, and the J Geils Band.

In the early 80s, Tret discovered the blossoming genre known as Women's Music, and embraced it, leaving mainstream music. the independent side of the industry. industry. Known for her technical expertise, and breaking barriers for women in tech, she recorded the best of women's music, including mixing the legendary Meg & Cris at Carnegie Hall (1983). She performed as a duo with Cris Williamson throughout the 90s, also serving as producer and engineer; they releasing three CDs together before Fure again went solo. Today she boasts nine acoustic solo releases on her own independent label “Tomboy Girl Records” and a full touring schedule.

A featured performer at Old Songs Festival 2023, she regularly appears at 8th Step, including a week as teacher-performer at our smash SeegerSongs Adirondack weekend at Sagamore Great Camp along with John McCutcheon, Guy Davis and others.

More info will be posted here on the brand new album, but here’s a video teaser, called “The Great Backslide”:

**LIVE & LIVESTREAM!

Sally Rogers: “Sterling guitar-banjo-dulcimer work…achingly sweet voice imbues her ballads with classic poignance” WASHINGTON POST

Claudia Schmidt: ”Talent and the fire of genius” BOSTON GLOBE

Emma’s Revolution: “Fervent and heartfelt” NEW YORK TIMES

Soaring harmonies, boundless energy and truth-telling lyrics on original and borrowed songs from four of folk music’s finest and most outspoken award-winning musical voices. They join to observe Mothers Day as women, activists and artists!

CLAUDIA SCHMIDT & SALLY ROGERS: With heart-opening harmony and musical chemistry like no other, they have long been weaving their voices, dulcimers and guitars into uniquely lush music, singing with a joy that audiences find so irresistible they frequently join right in. Each a solo master of her craft, together they tell story-songs and rich vignettes set to stellar instrumentals. Time has deepened and enriched the music created by these long-time friends and performing partners.

EMMA’S REVOLUTION (Pat Humphries & Sandy O): They are known for fearless lyrics and melodies you can’t resist singing whether at a protest or a concert. Their inspiring songs - from hard-hitting cultural commentary to ringing anthems - have travelled around the world, sung for the Dalai Lama, praised by Pete Seeger and covered by Holly Near. The dynamic pair’s signature sound soars with harmonies and ringing acoustic instruments on songs that span folk to jazz and funk to rock.

TICKET NOTE: Gold Circle includes front center section seats & 6:30 pm Artist Reception Onstage
Location: GE Theatre at Proctors

JOE JENCKS, Opening

 “A HIP, WRY, GIFTED PERFORMER”   -National Public Radio

"THE MOST INNOVATIVE SONGWRITER WORKING TODAY       -Chicago Tribune

As our audiences will testify, Werner’s been knocking it out of the park – or concert hall – all around the U.S. for 20+ years.

She’s one of the most flat-out entertaining and musically talented performers to ever hit our stage, where she’s introduced several prior CDs. She slides effortlessly among jazz, contemporary folk and pop with sassy wit and classic Midwestern charm. Her boundless versatility early in her career emerged as a hallmark of Werner’s talent and has proven a quintessential ingredient of her engrossing musical persona.

A triple threat as writer, singer and musician, Werner has proven one of the most prolific singer/songwriters in the U.S. since her 1995 BMG/Private Music major label debut, and her earliest days performing for us back on Willett Street.

Her concept albums, including 2013’s delicious tribute to agriculture “Hayseed” (hay bale onstage) have won her passionate fans and interviews on NPR’s “Morning Edition” as well as inspiring covers from Tom Jones, Michael Feinstein and Betty Buckley.

With formidable chops on guitar and piano along with a graduate degree in voice performance, her shows are a one-woman master class in musicianship. Her songs are noted for their poetry and sharp wit, and also for astonishing stylistic range.

But when she steps underneath the lights, grand piano and guitar onstage with her, it’s pure magic!