Miss the Rock Academy take on Pink Floyd’s The Wall up at the Byrdcliffe Barn last weekend? Needing to hear some hot music outdoors to completely shake the winter’s cobwebs, and the past week’s rainy hangover, once and for all?
The 8th season of the free Woodstock Concerts on the Green, curated and engineeed by the Woodstock Music Shop’s Jeff Harrigfeld, who also records everything he presents, starts up this Saturday, May 25 with a 1 p.m.-6 p.m. line-up that starts with those talented and fired-up students from the new Paul Green Rock Academy (who go on to perform the best of Zep in Bearsville next weekend), the booty shakin’ bluegrass group Two Dollar Goat, Sin City playing “cosmic American music,” world musicians Passero; the Hamilton Hill Robotic Steel Band from Schenectady, classic rock and blues from the Ronnie Bait Band and up-and-comers Two Dark Birds closing out what promises to be a truly great bill.
“The concerts have developed into a tradition by building community, promoting business and most importantly, giving local musicians a chance to share their music with locals and visitors,” noted Harrigfeld of the Village Green events he’ll be putting on for the town every other week on June 8, June 29, July 6, July 27, August 10, August 31 and September 7 featuring talented musicians from all over the Hudson Valley.
In addition to those young kids from the Paul Green Rock Academy — one of the sponsors of the concerts this year, alongside the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce & Arts, Radio Woodstock, Chronogram, Mid-Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union, Markertek, Photosensualis, Woodstock Apothecary and the Woodstock Music Shop — some of the musicians expected to play this summer include the likes of Catskill-based instrument inventor Brian Dewan, folksters Mike & Ruthy, Dharma Bums, Eric Erickson, dubster Ras T. Asheber, young Noel Fletcher, quiet legend George Quinn, the Rev. Thunderbear Traveling Road Show, Kris Garnier & friends, and dozens more.
According to Harrigfeld, a free compilation CD of the 2012 Woodstock Concerts on the Green performances that he’s made will be handed out to concert goers while supplies last.
It’s true Woodstock fun, in classic rock and roll style (with quite a few truly contemporary touches, as befits the changes the entire region’s been going through of late).
For a full schedule and further information, including bad weather updates, visit ulsterpub.staging.wpenginechamber.com or look for Woodstock Concerts on the Green on Facebook.
Then again, you can also just find Harrigfeld at the Woodstock Music Shop, alongside his wife Jenn, at 6 Rock City Rd, call 679-3224, or e-mail concertsonthegreen@gmail.com.
Join the family! 
