Music on the Green 2018

July 01, 2018

It is summertime in the Adirondacks, and you’re in the right place to enjoy some spectacular outdoor recreation. And starting June 27, there’s no better place to spend Wednesday evenings than Saranac Lake’s Music on the Green at Berkeley Green!

Featuring local musicians, as well as regional and national acts, Music on the Green is one of Saranac Lake’s favorite summer events. A true community event—drawing a crowd of both locals and visitors alike—it's a complete Saranac Lake experience!

Bring your blankets and lawn chairs and enjoy entertainment ranging from folk to jazz to a Latin orchestra. Music starts at 7 p.m. and continues until 9 p.m. or so. There are no vendors in the park, but food and drink options are all around.

Tucked between Main Street and Broadway, Berkeley Green is smack-dab in the center of downtown, surrounded by mountain views, picturesque storefronts, and the Hotel Saranac across the street. From the hotel's terrace enjoy the music with some snacks and a pint in hand. After the concert, enjoy dinner at one of the funky downtown restaurants.

With so much great talent on stage, you won’t want to miss a single week of music! This year’s line-up features eight bands. Check them out:

June 27: Big Slyde
Genre: acoustic, Americana

At first sight, Big Slyde's instrumentation seems atypical. At first note, it becomes refreshingly familiar. Building on the foundation of guitar and cello, enhanced by the bouzouki, banjo, and dobro, the intensely original music of Big Slyde can carry you to strange and beautiful places.

July 4: Alex Torres and his Latin Orchestra
Genre: Latin salsa

This 12-piece orchestra is led by the Bronx-born bassist Alex Torres. They have performed at hundreds of festivals, arts centers, and events with their original blend of Afro-Caribbean rhythms such as salsa, merengue, cha-cha, bomba, plena, and Latin jazz.

July 11: Annie & the Hedonists
Genre: acoustic blues, jazz, roots Americana

Annie is a captivating singer. She delivers a lyric like it was a cherished bedtime story and as comfortable as your favorite sweater. Her bandmates, Peter Davis, Jonny Rosen, and Don Young are accomplished musicians. More importantly, they each have their own sense of childlike wonder, which is evident on every track that becomes more intoxicating upon multiple listenings.

July 18: Karen Savoca/Pete Heitzman
Genre: indie soul, lyrical blues

The duo's live performances are hypnotic. Having performed together for decades, Savoca and Heitzman's chemistry leaves audiences uplifted. They wow 10,000 from a festival main stage as effortlessly as they charm an audience in an intimate black box theater.

July 25: Midnite Mike
Genre: blues, jazz, rhythm and blues
Coming together because of their love for classic blues, jazz sounds, and catchy hooks, Midnite Mike mixes musicianship with live performance like no other band. Mike puts together duos, trios, and sometimes quartets to make the sound smooth, crisp, and clear. These musicians have been cutting their teeth in local and regional bands for years. Their live performances get people dancing and swaying to the beat every single song.

August 1: Ana Egge
Genre: folk

Ana Egge sings, plays guitar, mandolin, bottleneck slide guitar, and piano during her live performances. No stranger to the music scene—the folk singer-songwriter released her debut album a little over a decade ago. She has shared the stage and studio with an enviable number of highly acclaimed musicians and producers throughout her career.

August 8: Floodwood Light
Genre: bluegrass

Floodwood is a progressive string band. At a show you can expect to hear everything from traditional sounding bluegrass to jazz to the Grateful Dead...really just anything and everything. They combine brother-like rivalry, their passion for music, a lot of laughter, and a heapload of energy into one very entertaining performance.

August 15: Rani Arbo & Daisy Mahem
Genre: roots Americana

Harmony, rhythm, indelible songs—these are hallmarks of Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem, the New England based folk quartet now in its 17th year. From the Newport Folk Festival to the California World Music Festival and beyond, this band’s steadfast brew of wit, camaraderie, and musicality leaves audiences everywhere humming and hopeful with spirits renewed.

August 22: Paul Asbell Quartet
Genre: blues, jazz, and Americana guitarist

In his 50 year professional career, Paul Asbell has played and recorded with Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Howlin’ Wolf, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Paul Butterfield, Magic Sam, Earl Hooker, David Bromberg, Paul Siebel, Mary McCaslin, Sonny Stitt, Jon Hendricks, Bobby McFerrin, and many others.