Unity Hall Press Release Archive

Jeremy Wallace 7-17-2010
Leon Etienne 7-10-2010
Rusty Doves 5-21-2010
St. Patricks Kick-Off Party 2010
Festival of Lights 2009      
Barbershoppe Quartets 2009

 

Event: Jeremy Wallace Concert

Date, Time: Saturday, July 17 8pm

Location:  Unity Hall, 101 Vanderkemp Ave. Barneveld

Admission: $12 Unity Hall Foundation,  Mohawk Valley Blues Society                                     
                        Members or in advance. $15 Non Members at the door

Jeremy Wallace has collected praise from people with credentials that lend extra weight to the glowing words they use to describe him.  Folk and blues legend Dave Van Ronk called Wallace ‘…one of the most arresting new talents I have heard’, saying, ‘When I hear him I get the feeling I got the first time I heard Bob Dylan and Arlo Guthrie.’  Paul Babin, manager of blues guitarist John Hammond, calls Wallace ‘…the real deal’ and proclaims that Jeremy represents ‘…Americana at its best’.

Wallace brings his three piece band to the Unity Hall stage in Barneveld on Saturday, July 17 for a riveting night of acoustic and electric blues and roots rock.  Opening the 8 o’clock concert will be special guest Brian Mulkerne, Chairman of the Mohawk Valley Blues Society and a fine musician in his own right.

The concert, sponsored by Adirondack Diner & Lanes, is a great opportunity to catch an artist whose song writing and style has inspired comparisons with Dylan, Tom Waits, Steve Earle, Lyle Lovett and Bruce Springsteen.  The Café Lena in Saratoga, a venue that has hosted so many of the world’s most acclaimed folk, blues and American performers over the last 50 years, counts Wallace as ‘…one of the most exciting additions to our roster in recent years’ and describes his songs and performances as, ‘… pure heaven for anyone serious about American roots music.’

Drawing from three albums filled with compelling tales of the lost and newly found hopes and dreams of real and fictional characters, a Jeremy Wallace concert makes for an evening of music that stays with you a long time.  So ‘old school’ that he writes his lyrics using an old typewriter, Jeremy Wallace creates songs as compelling as those written by the great blues musicians his friend and mentor Dave Van Ronk turned him on to.  Wallace sings them in a mature narrative voice that reflects his world and connects powerfully with ordinary people.

His dynamic debut, My Lucky Day, was an exploration of his influences - some folk, stripped down but powerful blues, a tinge of rock, and bit of country and. For his second full length album, She Used To Call Me Honey, Wallace pushed the boundaries, putting greater emphasis on the raw energy of his craft, producing a stunning album that both diverged from and complemented his previous material.

His latest CD, Suicide Suitcase, contains new originals and traditional songs that shine from the confidence in Wallace's voice and guitar and the solid backing provided by percussionist Tom Costagliola, and Matt Gruenberg, on standup bass.

More information about Jeremy Wallace is available online at www.jeremywallace.com and   www.myspace.com/jeremywallace/music .

Tickets are $12 in advance and at the door for members of the Unity Hall Foundation or the Mohawk Valley Blues Society.  Advance sale tickets are available at Adirondack Diner & Lanes on Rt. 12 in Mapledale, just south of Barneveld.  Tickets the night of the show will be $15 for non UHF or MVBS members.

The Unity Hall Foundation is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1995 to maintain Unity Hall as a center for the arts and community activities in Barneveld, New York.  The Hall is available for public and private functions.  Information about Unity Hall and the Unity Hall Foundation is available at www.unityhall.com, or by phone at 315-520-8231. Information about the Mohawk Valley Blues Society is available at www.mvbluessociety.com

Event: Leon Etienne

Date, Time: Saturday, July 10 1pm

Location:  Unity Hall, 101 Vanderkemp Ave. Barneveld

Admission: Free
 

Magician and illusionist Leon Etienne presents his family-friendly performance of magic at Unity Hall in Barneveld in a special matinee at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 10.  This audience engaging show produces miles of smiles, lots of laughter and plenty of amazement as this talented magician makes things appear and disappear with reality defying skill.

At the age of thirteen, Leon Etienne was struck by lightning while playing baseball.  Surviving that high voltage encounter was a feat for Etienne, who had begun to dabble in magic a year earlier.  While he had no interest in testing his ability to withstand another brush with lightning, Leon did continue to develop his now remarkable skills as a magician and illusionist.

More than a decade as a professional performer of magic has only increased Etienne’s love and passion for the art of magic.  He has traveled the globe, performing in entertainment hotspots across the U.S. and internationally in Ireland, Wales, Australia, and at the world-famous magic circle in London, England. His performances have earned Leon prestigious awards, including  Magician of the Year honors, and Stage Magic Champion from the Magicians' Alliance of Eastern States.

Constantly striving to learn new techniques and skills to apply to his own original magic effects, Etienne has spent time learning from the modern-day masters of magic, including Juan Tamariz and Derren Brown. Etienne became one of only 200 magicians worldwide invited to Fechter's Finger Flicking Frolic, an annual convention where the world’s best up and coming illusionists  study and perform with master magicians.  Etienne has filled major theatres, earning rave reviews for the display of Vegas-style illusions and award winning sleight-of-hand.

‘Leon raises the audience to such a high that the excitement lasts even after the show! It is evident he has put a lot of time and energy into what he does. He's extremely professional and hands down the best magician I have ever seen -- and with three little boys, I have seen quite a few.’

This event is sponsored by the North Country Libraries of Barneveld, Prospect, Remsen and Holland Patent.  Unity Hall is operated and maintained as a center for the arts and community activities by the Unity Hall Foundation, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1995.  The Hall is available for public and private functions.  Information about Unity Hall and the Unity Hall Foundation is available at www.unityhall.com, or by phone at 315-520-8231

Event: The Rusty Doves

Place: Unity Hall – 101 Vanderkemp Ave. Barneveld, NY

Date / Time: Friday, May 21, 2010 - 8pm

Admission: $8 / $10

The Rusty Doves are hard to peg – and that’s a part of what makes them so special and enjoyable.  A Doves performance is a kaleidoscope of sound. Alyssa Stock  and Jerry Dee deliver unique interpretations of bluegrass, swing, pop and old-time jazz standards, as well as their own original material.  Few groups cover a range of artists as diverse as Leonard Cohen, Fats Waller, Radiohead, The Animals and Metallica.  The Doves not only do it, they do it with a style and flair that makes it work wonderfully.

Alyssa Stock plays mandolin and handles the lead vocals.  Her extraordinary voice transitions smoothly, giving poignant, tender and powerful voice to the wide range of material she and Jerry Dee cover in a typical set. Dee, on upright bass, is equally versatile thanks to a musical background that includes classical training on the bass and time spent in reggae, funk, rock and jazz-fusion bands. Jerry's style has been described as playing the bass "like a dance partner- with agility, command and a steady rhythmic excitement that becomes contagious."

Whether playing in a rowdy bar or a concert hall, the Doves always manage to draw a strong response from people of all ages and walks of life.   The ‘live’ acoustics of the upstairs theater make Unity Hall a great place to catch the Rusty Doves in concert.  Don’t miss the chance to catch two of the regions most talented and entertaining musicians live in a venue perfectly suited to their style.

Tickets are $8 if reserved in advance or for Unity Hall Foundation members.  Tickets at the door will be $8 for foundation members and $10 for non members.  Reservations and group discounts can be arranged by e-mailing tickets@unityhall.com.  Food and refreshments will be available.

This event is sponsored by the Unity Hall Foundation, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1995 to maintain Unity Hall as a center for the arts and community activities in Barneveld, New York.  The Hall is available for public and private functions.  Information about Unity Hall and the Unity Hall Foundation is available at www.unityhall.com, or by phone at 315-520-8231

Event: St. Patrick’s Kick-Off Party

Place: Unity Hall 101 Vanderkemp Ave., Barneveld, NY          

Date: Saturday, March 6, 2010 Time: 8:00pm  

 Admission: $10 & $12

Unity Hall in Barneveld presents the antidote to Cabin Fever – the annual St. Patrick’s Kick-Off Party, Saturday, March 6 at 8pm in the theater of the historic performing arts center.

This Irish infused evening of music and dance brings together the talents of the Blarney Rebel Band and the lovely high-stepping lasses of the Butler-Sheehan Academy of Irish Dance, the longest continuously run Irish dance school in North America.

The Celtic repertoire of The Blarney Rebel Band gets audiences dancing, clapping and singing to rousing renditions of everything from traditional Irish tunes to rollicking pub songs, lively sea songs, moving ballads, stirring rebel songs and hand-clapping jigs and reels. Talented players and strong harmonies make the BRB a great live band!  Their most recent CD, Buy My Soul has sold all over the world, Stand With Me Boys, a song from it, recently placed No. 1 in the Irish and Celtic Music Podcast Best of 2009 Listener’s Poll. The BRB consists of Mark Sisti - banjo, mandolin, mandola, pennywhistle, concertina, accordion, flute, vocals; Al Sisti - bass guitar, vocals; Dan Sisti – guitar, vocals; Amanda Straney, fiddle, vocals; Jessica Voce - bodhran, tambourine, percussion.


Started in Dublin, Ireland, over 70 years ago by the ‘First Lady of Irish Dance’, Mae Butler, and introduced in North America as the Butler Academy in Syracuse some 40 years ago by her son, Patrick Butler, himself a champion dancer, the Butler School has trained countless dancers in traditional Irish dance.  Many have gone on to become instructors themselves.  In 2006, Patrick Butler joined forces with Pattie Sheehan, a former student who went on to participate in the World Championships in Ireland, to form the Butler-Sheehan Academy.  Patrick Butler passed away in 2007, but Ms. Sheehan proudly continues the Butler family tradition of training dancers in the Rome, New York studio. 

Dancers from age 4 – adult dance for exercise, the joy of it, or for those things as well as the chance to train to entertain in public or to test their talent against others.  Many Butler-Sheehan dancers have earned titles at dance competitions throughout the northeast.   

Tickets are $10 if reserved in advance or for Unity Hall Foundation members.  Tickets at the door will be $10 for foundation members and $12 for non members.  Reservations and group discounts can be arranged by e-mailing tickets@unityhall.com.  Food and refreshments will be available.

This event is sponsored by Turner Lumber of Barneveld in association with the Unity Hall Foundation, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1995 to maintain Unity Hall as a center for the arts and community activities.  The Hall is available for public and private functions.  Information about this event, Unity Hall and the Unity Hall Foundation is available at www.unityhall.com, or by phone at 315-520-8231.

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Event: Evening of Song

Place: Unity Hall 101 Vandekemp Ave., Barneveld, NY          

Date: Saturday, December 12, 2009 Time: 7:30pm  

 Admission: $6 & $8

Before you ring in the New Year, sing out 2009 with an evening of timeless tunes performed by two great Barbershop Quartets, The Lost Horizons and the Barbershoppe Belles.  Both groups will perform rousing and fun filled sets of acapella songs at Unity Hall in Barneveld, NY on Saturday, December 12 at 7:30.

Enjoy an evening of song featuring classics from America’s great songbook, including some wonderful holiday songs.  Admission for this event is being rolled back to prices of yester-year, too.  Tickets are priced at just $6 for Unity Hall Foundation members and $8 for non-members.  They will be available at the door the night of the event.

The voices of the BARBershoppe Belles have entertained music lovers , including performances throughout the region, including performances at the New York State Fair in Syracuse and the immensely popular Remsen Barn Festival.  The first four letters in the group’s name are capitalized, as each represents the first letter in the name of one of the four talented women in the quartet – Bonnie Wigandt of Oriskany (lead), Arlene Costello of Holland Patent (baritone), Rose Hosp of Barneveld (bass) and Bev Hill from Van Buren (tenor).

The Lost Horizons Barberhop Quartet brings together four male members of the Barbershop Harmony Society that have earned acclaim for a repertoire that includes strong arrangements of everything from contemporary favorites to patriotic and gospel tunes – in addition traditional barbershop style staples.  Fred, Rusty, Doug and Phil also entertain regionally as members of the Mohawk valley New Horizons Barbershop Chorus.

This pre-holiday event will be presented in a venue perfectly suited for the wonderful harmonies of these two groups.  Unity Hall, built in 1896, features an upstairs theater with acoustic qualities that bring out the best in un-amplified voices.

This event is sponsored by the Unity Hall Foundation, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1995 to maintain Unity Hall as a center for the arts and community activities in Barneveld, New York.  The Hall is available for public and private functions.  Information about Unity Hall and the Unity Hall Foundation is available at www.unityhall.com, or by phone at 315-520-8231.

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Event: Festival of Lights

Place: Unity Hall 101 Vandekemp Ave., Barneveld, NY          

Date: Sunday, December 13 2009 Time: 4:30-8:30  

 Admission: FREE

The historic village of Barneveld, New York is picturesque any night of the year.  One night in December of each year the lovely town, nestled in the foothills of the Adirondacks, becomes even more charming.  It is night of the Festival of Lights, the evening that luminaries are added to the creative holiday decorations in and around the homes throughout the village.

This year’s Festival of Lights takes place on Sunday, December 13. In addition to the village wide celebration of the season, Unity Hall will host an open house including several events.  The historic community meeting house at 101 Vandekemp Ave kicks things off with the arrival of Santa at 4:30.  Mr. Claus will welcome children with cookies, refreshments and stories.

At 5:30 the hall’s second floor theater is the setting for a program of holiday music, stories and songs.  Performers will include area favorites Dan Evans & Pete Ruben, Don & Bev Cantwell, and the Rusty Doves. Short Holiday stories will also be presented by special guests.