When going through a (favorite) Susan Branch recipe book, we came across our favorite Gazpacho recipe!

Enjoy!

Can cupcakes be any trendier?!  We think not AND now Woodstock will soon have a shop dedicated just to cupcakes – Looking forward to learning more about that, we will follow up with the owners for a foodie friday posting!

This Saturday in Gardiner (35 mins south of Woodstock, by New Paltz) thousands will gather in the orchard of Wrights Farm for the Gardiner Cupcake Festival. Cupcakes, Music, wine tastings and children’s activities make this a great family event.

Saturday May 19th from 12-6PM

Giant Tents make this a rain or shine event

Get Directions to Wrights Farm

Host Mark Ruffalo & Melissa Leo are teaming up tomorrow, May 15th in Albany, NY for NEW YORKERS AGAINST FRACKING CONCERT.   Many amazing artists are on the bill:  Natalie Merchant, Citizen Cope, Medeski Martin + Wood, Joan Osborne, The Felice Brothers John Sebastian and man many others.

The rally begins 4:30PM – 6:00PM on the West Capitol lawn and the concert at 7:00PM at The Egg.

If you cannot be there in person, show your support on facebook and click here to learn about this all important cause.

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Since we have a gig in Saugerties tomorrow night, we wanted to let you know about a SirLady endorsed restaurant in the village (open for lunch & dinner) that is walking distance to the John Street Jam – Miss Lucy’s Kitchen.

It is a SirLady endorsed boite since every dish is farm to table and locally sourced ingredients and DE-licous!

Make sure to save room for dessert – Yum.  Don’t forget the tickets for the John Street Jam go on sale at 6:45PM so get dinner on the early side.

John Street Jam is one of the best kept “secrets”.  It is one of the most special, intimate venues to catch artists – so good – that people don’t like to let the cat out of the bag, since it always sells out.

You know how it feels when you discover something and then part of your wants to tell the whole world about it, but another part of you just wants to keep it to yourself and relish in it?

Well that is how we feel about John Street Jam.    It takes place in a old Dutch Church and the stage is a circle of 4 musicians within a square of the audience in the main room.  Tickets are only $5 and only available at the door, which opens at 6:45PM.

They only take place the 2nd Saturday of each month, this Saturday May 12th Kirsten DeHaan will be performing along side Attila Vural (on a 14 string guitar!), Josie Diels, Seth Davis, Celeste, Fire Dean, Chris Krtanik and Big Joe Fitz.

See you Saturday!

Saturday, May 12 6:45 (doors open),  2 rounds of 4 musicians perform.

16 john Street Saugerties, NY 12477

see map/get directions

Ah yes!  So your hanging with some friends and they casually throw out a band reference from the 60s and 70s and because it was so casual in reference, it was therefore assumed that you know of that band.  Yeah Yeah, sure sure.    Think quick.  You could just go with the flow, nod your head and maybe change the subject to something you feel more confident about.  You could excuse yourself and google the referenced band  in the bathroom and come back to the conversation with some new found knowledge. Lastly, you can just read the SirLady blog on Mondays and be proactive with random bits of rock history.

**Definitions below defined by Rock Snob*s Dictionary:

Afrika Bambaataa.  Zulu-centric old-school Bronx DJ whose 1982 hit “Planet Rock” put Tommy Boy Records on the map and fused hip-hop with electronic – an ambassador of hip-hop culture to the white world in the early eighties whilst presiding over his own “Zulu Nation” collective of DJs and b-boys uptown.

Bad Brains.   Jazz fusion hailing from Washington, D.C., who cashed in on the NY hardcore punk scene in 1980 with their single “Pay to Cum.”   The subsequent introduction of reggae and heavy-metal elements into Bad Brains’ sound did little for their sales but everything for their legend and cult status.

Big Star. Anglophilic early-seventies American combo whose first two albums, #1 Record and Radio City, have Koran-like status in Power-Pop circles.  Led by Memphis native Alex Chilton, who began his career as a teenager with the blue-eyed-soul boys the Box Tops (“The Letter”), Big Star recorded tunes that, while catchy, were too fraught with druggy tension to be commercial-thereby guaranteeing the group posthumous “great overlooked band” status.  Chilton, who later had a Replacements song named after him, is now a rheumy-eyed eccentric who occasionally performs with original Big Star drummer Jody Stephens and their adoring acolytes at quasi-reunion shows.

Black Flag.  Seminal California hardcore punk band, occasionally confused by novice snobs with Steve Albini’s (producer who hates to be called a producer who broke Nirvana and plays ironically in bad bands)  Big Black.  At the time of its 1978 recording debut on its own SST label, Black Flag had a revolving-vocalist policy, but that changed in 1981 when the job was handed permanently to Henry Rollins.  Afer the band split in 1986, founding Black Flag bassist Greg Ginn devoted his energies to SST, which released the early albums of proto-grunge bands Husker Du, Sonic Youth, and Dinosaur Jr., as well as those of his own band, Gone: Rollins cut his hair and strenuously cultivated an image as a Renaissance man, starting his own publishing company (named 2.13.61, after his birthdate), releasing solo albums, moonlighting as an actor, and winning a Grammy in 1994 for a “spoken word” album.

The American answer to the Mojito, the Mint Julep is quintessentially American.  The signature cocktail of the Kentucky Derby many a Julep will be consumed tomorrow at the races.  Originating in the early 18th Century  there are many variations on the receipe, like the Bloody Mary.  There is nothing better than a well crafted Julep and nothing worse than a bad one; so pay attention to these tips from Esquire  Magazine’s cocktail expert;

1. Use a prechilled, dry 12- or 14-ounce glass, tall and slim (better yet, of course, the traditional silver beaker).

2. Crack the ice, making sure to drain off any excess water before putting it in the glass.

3. Don’t handle the glass with bare hands, as the touch of a hand kills the frost. Likewise, each julep should be served with a napkin or small linen doily.

4. The glass will not frost if in the wind, if wet, with undried ice or if excessively handled. You can sometimes speed the frost by twirling the glass or by placing in coldest part of refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

5. Use only the freshest mint and, of that, the smallest, most tender leaves.

6. If you use a straw, keep it short so you can get your nose in among the mint.

Ingredients

• mint
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 ounces bourbon

Instructions

When we were in England last year for the Hop Farm Fest, we told new friends we were from Woodstock, the witty Brits replied “Oh you know a thing or two about throwing a festival, don’t you?”

We don’t have to rest on our 1969 laurels because Radio Woodstock throws a hell of a festival called Mountain Jam!  This year Ben Folds Five with be reunited, Steve Windwood is headlining, Michael Franti and Spearhead will be making their seventh (!) consecutive appearance and up and coming bands (loving Dawes & Trombone Shorty) will be gracing the stage and many many many more:

Hurry up and get your tickets!   This is such a popular event that when the fest is done, people are already making their plans for the next year.  You can camp on the mountain (in our older age we are liking the luxury camping option) or you can stay in nearby hotels (there are plenty due to the ski season at all prices points).

Every week night at 8PM you can tune into Radio Woodstock (online) and listen to Mountain Jams of past, DJ Drew is diving into the archives.  If your a spotify member check out the playlist for Mountain Jam.

No car?  No problem.  There is a luxury bus that will be busing in NYC residents (only $39).  This is such a well run fest that they have anticipated all your needs.  Your a vegetarian and not into the same old same old hotdog and hamburger fare…. then you would be very happy with the food options at the fest; featuring the best restaurants and food trucks in the Hudson Valley.  A general store has all the camping gear and other things you didn’t know you needed until you settled in.

No wonder Rolling Stone Magazine, along with many other noteworthy national publications, consistently rates Mountain Jam as one to the top music festivals in the country.

Rock On!

Tomorrow is the first day of May and our countdown begins to the K-Rob Foundation event on May 20th in Rhode Island.  ”K-Rob” is Kevin Robinson a pro gold medal winning BMX althete  who is a product of the school of hard knocks, growing up in East Providence.  Kevin knows first hand the importance of athletics.  The mission of the K-Rob event is to transform the lives of deserving children in the East Providence community by helping to get children involved and keeping them involved in athletics.  We achieve these goals by  teaching children the importance of perseverance, goal setting, and overcoming adversities.

We were thrilled to be asked to perform at this huge fundraising event and it will be the first time fans can hear all the songs on the forthcoming album, Purusa.

We hope to see you there!

Last week, we received an email that Levon was ailing and to keep him in our prayers.  We knew then, that the end was near and pray we did.  Thankful for the legacy of Levon.  There has been a lot of things said over the past few days in tribute, but one of the most poignant sentences we heard was “you earned your rest, Levon”.