BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.2.3.1//EN TZID:America/New_York X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/New_York BEGIN:VEVENT UID:154919@kingstonhappenings.org DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260123T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260123T190000 DTSTAMP:20260126T155249Z URL:https://kingstonhappenings.org/events/driftwood-w-black-mountain-symph ony/ SUMMARY:Driftwood w/ Black Mountain Symphony DESCRIPTION:Music has guided Driftwood to hallowed ground many times since its founding members\, Joe Kollar and Dan Forsyth\, started making music a s high schoolers in Joe's parents' basement. Whether the Upstate New York folk rock group—which today also includes violinist Claire Byrne\, bassi st Joey Arcuri\, and drummer Sam Fishman—are converting new fans on a ha rdscrabble tour across the country or playing to a devoted crowd at hero L evon Helm’s Woodstock barn\, the band’s shapeshifting approach to folk music continues to break new ground. And yet in many ways Driftwood's lat est work\, the transformative December Last Call\, finds the group coming home.\n\n\nRecorded in that very same basement where the Driftwood dream b egan\, December Last Call lyrically reflects on the recent past\, musing o n the ways the group grew up\, together and apart\, through curveballs lik e new parenthood or pandemic shutdowns. But sonically\, the band’s sixth album looks confidently to the future\, experimenting with new sounds whi le staying true to the bluegrass roots that built them. Across the album ’s nine tracks\, the band often leans into hard-rocking electric guitars and driving percussion: On “Every Which Way But Loose\,” we get a foo t-tapping beat and a sweeping chorus\, and on “Up All Night Blues\,” t he band shines with an ambling\, sing-along-able reflection on the challen ges of new motherhood. But other tracks\, like standout closer “Stardust \,” take a simpler route\, allowing bare-bones vocals and acoustic instr umentals to underpin a deeper emotional message.\n\n\nOne of Driftwood’s biggest differentiators—and perhaps its biggest strength—is the sheer breadth of talent in its lineup\, with Claire\, Joe\, and Dan all contrib uting as songwriters and vocalists. This creative push-pull\, where each s elects songs to share with the group and record together\, bakes vulnerabi lity and collaborative spirit into every recording. “It's at the heart o f what we do\,” says Dan. “Everybody has a strong love for songs\, for songwriting\, and we each appreciate everybody else and the way that they contribute to that.”\n\n\nWhile 2019’s acclaimed Tree of Shade tapped Simon Felice as producer\, the band opted to self-produce this latest eff ort\, leaning into their creative impulses and striving to capture their d istinctive live energy. Figuring out how to channel that on-stage intensit y into a recording has actually\, in many ways\, been a lesson in restrain t. “When I look back at the things we were writing and playing\, oh\, I don't know\, 10\, 12 years ago\, they were really arranged: a lot of you d o this here\, we're going to do this there\, we're going to break down\, w e're going to do a big build\,” Claire explains. “These days\, it's mo re like\, ‘Let's play the song and just see what happens.’”\n\n\nThi s approach makes all the more sense when you consider Driftwood’s live s hows\, which operate not only as effervescent\, twang-studded musical part ies\, but also as reunions for their throng of devoted listeners—folks w ho have started to feel less like fans and more like something bigger. “ They're supporters. They're friends\,” explains Joe. “It's crazy how m uch love we've got and how many wild situations on the road we've gotten o ut of because of those people.” Many of them are quite literally investe d in the band’s future: December Last Call was a crowd-funded effort\, a nd it wasn’t the band’s first. It’s as if every listener\, ticketbuy er\, album backer\, and general band evangelist is in on Driftwood’s big gest secret: this whole band thing has endured for nearly two decades beca use it offers a kind of community you can’t get just anywhere.\n\n\n“D riftwood is basically a beautiful friendship that happens to play music to gether\,” says Joe. “I know it's rare. I know I'm lucky to know these people and lean on them and go through these massive life changes together .” For Driftwood\, each song is like a journal entry: cathartic to creat e\, yes\, but capable of unlocking new lessons—and when shared—forging new bonds. “We're communal\, right? Humans need to be connected\,” Jo e says. “And we get to have this special thing.”\n\n\nhttps://www.drif twoodtheband.com/\nBLACK MOUNTAIN SYMPHONYBlack Mountain Symphony is a six -piece progressive folk band from the hill country outside Albany\, New Yo rk. Multi-instrumentalists\, singers and songwriters all\, BMS has toured their original compositions throughout New York State\, around the Northea st\, and across the US\, performing alongside acts ranging from Rusted Roo t to the Young Dubliners to Days of the New. Their live sets showcase a li mitless range of influences\, blending genres to create a unique emotional experience with every show. "No one's out there like Black Mountain Symph ony...the champagne of eclectic music" - Stephanie Fisher\, New Voice\, NY \nhttps://blackmountainsymphony.com/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://kingstonhappenings.org/wp-content/upload s/2026/01/556553008_1445565917368966_8635977504423545469_n.jpg CATEGORIES:@Featured,@Newsletter,Music,Nightlife and entertainment LOCATION:Colony Woodstock NY\, 22 Rock City Rd\, Woodstock\, New York\, Uni ted States GEO:42.0424924;-74.11799489999999 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=22 Rock City Rd\, Woodstock \, New York\, United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE=Colony Woodstock NY :geo:42.0424924,-74.11799489999999 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York X-LIC-LOCATION:America/New_York BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20251102T010000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR