Caffe Lena

01/09/2025

🎶✨ Experience the Ethno-Chaos of DhakaBraka! ✨🎶

Join us this March at the Spa Little Theater for a mesmerizing musical journey with Ukrainian quartet DhakaBraka! Presented by Caffè Lena and Saratoga Performing Arts Center , this groundbreaking ensemble blends Ukrainian folk traditions with dub, hip-hop, and global influences to create what Rolling Stone calls "folkdrone Bjorkpunk."

🌟 About DhakaBraka:
Formed in 2004 at Kyiv's Center for Contemporary Art "DAHK" under avant-garde theater director Vladyslav Troitskyi, DhakaBraka combines stunning vocal performances with a theatrical, visual flair. Their music transitions from intimate to exuberant, celebrating Ukrainian culture while inspiring "cultural and artistic liberation."

Don’t miss this unforgettable evening of music, culture, and creativity. Let DhakaBraka's "ethno-chaos" captivate you!

📅 When: Friday, March 14th at 7:30 PM
📍 Where: Spa Little Theater
🎟️ Tickets: On the S**C website

**C Dhaka Braka

01/09/2025

🎶✨ Folk Club Kids: Stroller-palooza!✨🎶

We had an incredible turnout for Folk Club Kids yesterday morning—our biggest group yet! The room was packed with little ones learning, playing, and singing along with the amazing Dan Bereggren and Drank The Gold ’s Oona Grady and James Gascoyne. 💛

Every Wednesday from 10:30–11:00 AM, we welcome children (ages 18 months to pre-K) and their caregivers for this joyful, interactive session of song and story. It’s the perfect mid-morning break for fun and connection!

🌟 Best of all, it’s completely FREE thanks to the generosity of the Charles R. Wood Foundation and Kevin and Claudia Bright.

📅 Join us next week and make it a part of your Wednesday routine!

01/08/2025

🎙️✨ A Night of Stories at Caffè Lena ✨🎙️

Tonight’s Storytelling Open Mic was one to remember! Despite the cold, we had a full house, warmed by the lovely words of Storyteller Claire Nolan and the many other talented voices who shared their stories.

This magical evening happens every month, and we’d love for you to join us. Whether you have a story to tell or just want to listen, the Caffè Lena stage is the perfect place to connect, inspire, and be inspired. 💛

📅 Mark your calendar for next month’s Storytelling Open Mic—come as you are and share your story or simply enjoy the magic of others. It is the first Tuesday of every month. https://www.caffelena.org/storytelling-open-mic/

01/08/2025

Irish Music Ensemble with Oona Grady and James Gascoyne!
Wednesdays at noon. 10 weeks starting January 29th. $195

Musicians interested in playing Irish dance music and open to learning by ear are invited, melody and chord players alike.
We will learn and arrange Irish dance melodies, experimenting with adding chordal and harmonic accompaniment.
Instruments commonly used to play Irish traditional music such as fiddles, flutes, tin whistles, accordions, concertinas, tenor banjos, mandolins, guitars, bouzoukis, harps, etc., are encouraged.
For more information please visit caffelena.org/school

01/08/2025

Join Drank The Gold's Oona Grady & James Gascoyne for a wonderful session of song and story. A perfect break in the morning to learn, play and sing along! Join us in-person or online.

This is a free program for children 18 months to age six, courtesy of Fenimore Asset Management, Kevin & Claudia Bright, and The Charles R Wood Foundation

01/08/2025

Our new Director of the Caffè Lena School of Music, Matt Griffin, received a heartfelt surprise this holiday season—a beautiful drawing of a guitar from one of his students! 🎨🎸

Is there anything better than seeing how music inspires creativity and connection in our students? This thoughtful gesture perfectly captures the spirit of our School of Music: nurturing talent, sparking imagination, and building meaningful relationships through the power of music. 💛

Here’s to more moments like this as we continue to grow and inspire in 2025. Check out all our upcoming classes on our website.

01/08/2025

We are sad to learn of the death of Peter Yarrow. His concerts paired music with words of encouragement and enlightenment, leaving the audience feeling inspired to meet the world with more courage, more goodwill, and more compassion. One of the best parts of the show was when he would bring a crowd on stage to join him in singing "Puff, the Magic Dragon." It would remind us that the things that made us happy when we were little kids can still make us happy today, like playing and singing together.

We send special condolences to three people who made it possible for Peter to continue performing over the past couple years: Dave Tamulevich .tamulevich, Tony Arancio and especially Bethany Yarrow Thank you.

Peter Yarrow by Joe Deuel, Caffe Lena, 2019.

01/07/2025

🎶✨ Art of the Song: Featuring Vienna Teng ✨🎶

Join hosts John Dillon and Viv Nesbitt tonight, Monday, January 6th at 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT for a special episode of Art of the Song, where they sit down with the incredible Vienna Teng.

Vienna Teng is a pianist, singer-songwriter, and a genre-defying artist whose music blends folk, pop, classical piano, and a ca****la.

✨ Encore Presentation: Tuesday at 6 AM ET / 3 AM PT

Did you know? Host Vivian Nesbitt is the former Director of the Caffè Lena School of Music and now volunteers in our kitchen, keeping her connection to our musical community alive!

Don’t miss this inspiring conversation celebrating the art of songwriting and storytelling. You can find The Art of the Song on The Folk Music Notebook. https://folkmusicnotebook.com

Folk Music Notebook, Vienna Teng

01/06/2025

📬 This Week at Caffè Lena

Sarah’s latest newsletter is here! 🎉 Dive into this week’s highlights, including upcoming shows, special events, and exciting updates as we kick off our 65th year. Don’t miss your chance to stay in the loop and join us for another unforgettable week of live music and community.

📖 Read it here: https://www.caffelena.org/2025/01/04/news-january-6-12/

This week's live music schedule for Caffe Lena, the Capital Region's #1 small venue. Open every night for concerts `and events.

01/06/2025

Such a great piece with her incredible photos. What an extraordinary evening! Thank you Stephanie J Bartik and RadioradioX.com Xperience Monthly

Words and Photography by Stephanie J Bartik. Caffe Lena, the oldest continually operating coffeehouse in the United States, has seen its fair share of history, music, and soul-stirring performances since opening its doors in 1960. Yet few have chronicled its legacy as intimately as Joe Deuel, the qu...

01/06/2025

🎶✨ Ellis Paul: A Master of Songwriting ✨🎶

Few artists embody the heart of contemporary folk music like Ellis Paul Music and More. Known for his introspective, literate approach, Ellis is a songwriter who builds entire worlds with his words—intimate, thoughtful, and deeply relevant.

Rooted in the tradition of "Boston-style" songwriting, Ellis’s songs prioritize lyrics over melody, creating vivid, three-dimensional stories that feel both personal and universal. Whether he’s reflecting on social issues or painting intricate scenes, his ability to "show, not tell" leaves audiences inspired and moved.

🎤 With nearly 40 guest appearances, songs on 50+ compilations, and a career spanning decades, Ellis continues to captivate audiences with his storytelling. His performances are intimate, his words are impactful, and his music is unforgettable.

If you love songs that make you think, feel, and reflect, don’t miss Ellis Paul at Caffè Lena!

📅 When: Sunday 1/12 at 4 PM
🎟️ Tickets on our website

Come experience the storytelling brilliance of one of the finest singer-songwriters of our time. 💛

01/06/2025

🎉✨ Thank You for Kicking Off Year 65 and Celebrating Joe Deuel with Us! ✨🎉

To everyone who joined us in person and via livestream on Saturday, thank you for making the start of our 65th year and celebration of Joe Deuel so special.

If you’ve ever been to a show at Caffè Lena, you know Joe as the man behind our pristine sound. But as we saw this weekend, Joe’s talents extend far beyond the soundboard. His tender and unique photos have captured decades of Caffè Lena’s rich history—on stage, behind the scenes, and in the hearts of all who love this space.

Hearing Joe share the stories behind his iconic photos, his memories of Lena, and his interactions with artists dating back to the 1970s was truly unforgettable. With guidance from our Executive Director Sarah Craig, the evening felt like stepping back in time while celebrating the timeless spirit of America’s Oldest Coffeehouse. It's also wonderful to know that Sarah writes down many of Joe's one-liners! There's a book there, or as Joe puts it, "a healthy-sized pamphlet," in there.

Thank you for being part of this incredible kickoff to Caffè Lena’s 65th year. Your support helps us honor our history while looking forward to the future. 💛

Photo by Stephanie J. Bartik

01/06/2025

Live At Caffe Lena: to see the full performance and get access for two weeks, purchase a live stream ticket or subscribe at https://caffelena.tv

01/05/2025

🎶✨ A Joyful Noise is Back—Every Month in 2025! ✨🎶

Saratoga and the entire Capital District, get ready to rejoice! A Joyful Noise, directed by the incredible Soulist Garland Nelson, will fill Caffè Lena with spirit-lifting music on the last Sunday of every month this year. 🎉

This soul-cleansing dinner-hour event is unlike anything else. Garland and his talented friends bring the house down with a mix of traditional gospel, contemporary church music, and soulful pop classics. Audience participation is thunderous, and staying quiet or in your seat? Impossible!

✨ What makes this event extra special?
Your ticket includes a delicious Caribbean dinner, served right to your table. Coffee and tea are included, with drinks and desserts available a la carte.

📅 When: The last Sunday of every month, starting 1/31 at 5 PM
🎟️ Tickets on our website

Don’t miss this monthly celebration of music, community, and joy. Let’s stir up the Spirit together! 💛

01/05/2025

January 4th marks the birthday of Lena Spencer, founder of the iconic Caffe Lena!

In 2025, the venue celebrates its 65th anniversary. Take a journey through the history of Lena and this folk music hub with our 2019 film, Lena: A Life in Folk.

Stream the film: https://www.pbs.org/video/lena-a-life-in-folk-3rlb2a/