P.O. Box 92398
Rochester, NY 14692
www.goldenlink.org
Media contact (not for publication): Dave Townsend, (585) 467-8690
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 24, 2024
Americana guitarist and songwriter Abbie Gardner from the trio Red Molly returns to Golden Link
Rochester, NY – Abbie Gardner is a fiery dobro player with an infectious smile who performs solo or with Americana darlings Red Molly. Her acclaimed tales of love and loss, both gritty and sweet, are propelled by her impeccable slide guitar chops. Her live show is truly unique – as an award-winning songwriter, captivating vocalist, and world-class lap style dobro player, she has an unmistakable sound all her own. She, along with special guest Ryan David Green, will be performing for the Golden Link Folk Singing Society on Friday, November 15, 2024, at 7:30 pm at Greece Baptist Church, 1230 Long Pond Road, Rochester NY 14626.
Though she has traveled around the world with Red Molly, Abbie Gardner stands strong as a solo act and has opened for Lori McKenna, Hot Rize, and Martina McBride.
Her vocals and unaccompanied dobro are masterfully captured on her 2022 CD DobroSinger. The record made it to #11 on the Billboard Blues Charts and #2 on the Folk DJ Charts. It’s a raw and intimate recording full of blues, heartfelt ballads, and the ache of the unknown. It’s quite a contrast to her previous CD, Wishes on a Neon Sign (2018), which featured a co-write with Chris Stapleton and leaned on full band production.
Abbie will be joined for this concert by special guest Ryan David Green, who will play a few songs during her set and join her for some songs as well. Half of the Tucson AZ acoustic duo Ryanhood, Green is known for his virtuoso acoustic guitar playing and delicate vocal tunes. Acoustic Guitar said that his new solo album Off and Running is “worth a listen for fans of both instrumental guitar and singer-songwriter music.”
"Abbie is leaving her mark by trailblazing a new path. She has fused her dobro playing, singing, and songwriting into a seamless vehicle of musical expression. If you have never seen Abbie live you owe it to yourself to do so …" – Bluegrass Unlimited
"DobroSinger is a masterclass in how to deliver a song, taught by an artist who is at the top of her game." – Ron Olesko, Folk Music Notebook
Online ticket sales end at midnight on November 14.
General Admission: $25 ($27 at the door)
Golden Link Members: $20 ($22 at the door)
Students: $10
Children under 12: $5
See below for a calendar listing of this and other upcoming concerts.
Phone or email interviews with the performer(s) can be arranged.
Photos of the performers are available at:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_wnU3-4eJhUJ3pkjFscIKC4JpKX2ykUN?usp=sharing
Founded in 1971, the Golden Link Folk Singing Society is dedicated to presenting, promoting, and preserving folk music in the Rochester area. Golden Link is a volunteer-operated and member-supported 501(c)3 not-for-profit arts, cultural, and educational organization.
CALENDAR LISTINGS
Abbie Gardner with special guest Ryan David Green
Friday, November 15, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Greece Baptist Church, 1230 Long Pond Rd, Rochester, NY 14626
Abbie Gardner is a fiery dobro player with an infectious smile who performs solo or with Americana darlings Red Molly. Her acclaimed tales of love and loss, both gritty and sweet, are propelled by her impeccable slide guitar chops. Her live show is truly unique – as an award-winning songwriter, captivating vocalist, and world-class lap style dobro player, she has an unmistakable sound all her own. Abbie will be joined for this concert by special guest Ryan David Green, who will play a few songs during her set and join her for some songs as well.
Tickets: General Admission: $25 ($27 at the door), Golden Link Members: $20 ($22 at the door), Students: $10, Children under 12: $5. For more information, visit www.goldenlink.org.
Christmas Céilidh Band
Friday, December 6, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Greece Baptist Church, 1230 Long Pond Rd, Rochester, NY 14626
Céilidh (pronounced “KAY-ley”) is the Gaelic word for a social gathering where traditional music, dancing, and storytelling abound. Featuring Kevin Angus, Pat Carey, Paul Gluchowski, Cathy McGrath, and Ben Ford, Rochester’s Christmas Céilidh Band has been delighting audiences for more than 20 years with their take on the holiday seasons. Christmas, New Year’s, Hogmanay, Winter Solstice, Yule, and St. Andrew’s Day are celebrated in music and song along with winter’s journey through the Celtic nations of Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Brittany, Galicia, Isle of Man, and Cornwall. Traditional and contemporary instruments bring the unique sound of the Christmas Céilidh Band to life for their audiences.
Tickets: General Admission: $20 ($22 at the door), Golden Link Members: $15 ($17 at the door), Students: $10, Children under 12: $5. For more information, visit www.goldenlink.org.
New Voices Showcase: Levi Gangi / Kelly Izzo Shapiro
Saturday, January 11, 2025 at 7:30 pm
Greece Baptist Church, 1230 Long Pond Rd, Rochester, NY 14626
For this year’s "New Voices" Showcase, we will be featuring two local musicians who are new to our monthly concert series.
Levi plays a vast catalog of original folk and Americana music, as well as covers in the vein of Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Fleetwood Mac, and Ryan Adams. He grew up playing piano and guitar, sneaking into the practice rooms behind the music majors in college. He has an enduring love for the magic and the sweat of songwriting.
A dedicated songwriter who studied at the music conservatory at SUNY Purchase, Kelly Izzo Shapiro has a sound that has been compared to Joni Mitchell, Janis Ian, and Sarah McLachlan. She is a Woody Guthrie Songwriting Contest winner and has written more than 4,000 songs. She has also written two musicals – one performed at the acclaimed New York Musical Theater Festival – with a third in the works. She is one of the producers of the annual showcase of songwriting talent called "If All of Rochester Wrote the Same Song." For this concert, she will be accompanied by her husband, guitarist Mike Shapiro.
Tickets: General Admission: $20 ($22 at the door), Golden Link Members: $15 ($17 at the door), Students: $10, Children under 12: $5. For more information, visit www.goldenlink.org.
Home Remedy (Rosie Newton & Lydia Garrison)
Saturday, February 8, 2025 at 7:30 pm
Greece Baptist Church, 1230 Long Pond Rd, Rochester, NY 14626
Home Remedy features original songs by Lydia Garrison written on fiddle, banjo, and guitar, paired with Rosie Newton’s emotive and powerful singing and playing on fiddle, accordion, and guitar. They both come from the old-time music tradition, which means they know how to put their heads down and get in the groove with fast and rocking fiddle and banjo tunes. You may know Rosie from Ritchie & Rosie (with Richie Stearns) or Rose and the Bros and Lydia from The Darling Clementines or The TurtleDuhks – with two members of the Juno Award-winning Canadian band The Duhks.
Rosie and Lydia were both fortunate to grow up in families where music was part of the culture. For Rosie it was old-time music, Scottish & Irish music, and Classical. Rosie attended Ithaca College for viola performance and soon became a rising star in the local Ithaca traditional music scene.
Lydia went with her mother to music camps and festivals, where she was immersed in Cajun, Zydeco, and old-time music. The local GrassRoots festival became Lydia’s musical church, where she fell in love with bands like Donna the Buffalo and The Jennie Stearns Band for their groove and songwriting.
Tickets: General Admission: $20 ($22 at the door), Golden Link Members: $15 ($17 at the door), Students: $10, Children under 12: $5. For more information, visit www.goldenlink.org.
Joe Newberry & April Verch
Friday, March 21, 2025 at 7:30 pm
Greece Baptist Church, 1230 Long Pond Rd, Rochester, NY 14626
Joe Newberry and April Verch showcase tunes, ballads, step dancing, and original songs by way of the Ozarks and Canada’s Ottawa Valley, respectively. With beautiful harmony singing, breathtaking instrumentals, and exquisite dancing, these two singular musicians hit the stage in perfect rhythm, making audiences remember why this music existed in the first place.
Verch (fiddle, vocals, step dance) is best known for two decades of international touring with The April Verch Band and a 2020 JUNO Award Nominee. Newberry (guitar, banjo, vocals) is an award-winning songwriter known for his work with mandolin icon Mike Compton, as well as The Transatlantic Sessions and A Prairie Home Companion.
Tickets: General Admission: $25 ($27 at the door), Golden Link Members: $20 ($22 at the door), Students: $10, Children under 12: $5. For more information, visit www.goldenlink.org.