If you have not made it to the Chenango Blues Festival, it is one of the most amazing hidden gems in all of New York State and this year’s headliners are yet again incredible. Leading up to the festival are the annual Thursday night free concerts in the Norwich park, bringing diversity, dancing and joy to the village rain or shine.
Check out the lineup below featuring THE RECORD COMPANY, CALIFORNIA HONEYDROPS, JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR, LOS LOBOS, THE TRAVELING MCCOUREYS, JOHN BROWN’S BODY and so much more. We caught up with the man with the plan, volunteer booker and show runner Eric Larsen:
315 Music: How long has the Thursday night music series in Norwich been happening?
Eric Larsen: The Chenango Blues Festival is in its 32nd year. We started doing the Thursday Concert Series a few years after that. It began as three shows leading up to the festival and has expanded from there.
315 Music: What do you take into account when booking all these amazing events as far as diverse genres and acts?
EL: We put an emphasis on trying to offer a wide spectrum of great music. There are so many interesting genres of music and people’s interests are very diverse so we try to reflect that in our programming. We listen to as much as we can and we take in to account recommendations from fans and other events. Every year is a challenge because there are so many things you could do with the lineup and only eight or nine spots to do it in!
315 Music: Why do you believe live music is important to your community and to the world in general?
EL: To us, music is the great uniter. People from every background respond to it and it’s an opportunity for the whole community to gather and have that communal experience. At our shows you’ll see every segment of society represented and I think that’s powerful. If we can provide the opportunity to people who might not otherwise be able to bring their family to see these artists that’s reason enough to do them. Sometimes we feel a little fragmented-music can bring us all together. For a rural county like Chenango and a smaller town like Norwich these shows are also a source of local pride, bringing national caliber artists to our downtown and drawing attention to what a nice area this is just adds to the good feeling all our volunteers get from seeing people enjoy the shows. It’s especially rewarding to see attendees travel sometimes great distances to take in the music.
315 Music: What are you most excited for in this summer series?
EL: The NBT Thursday Concert Series is pretty much the highlight of our year. So much work goes in to it that all of us get really excited leading up to the actual shows. I always like to give credit to all the people who contribute to putting the concerts on. It definitely takes a team! Our organization is one hundred per cent volunteer run and the same people who fundraise are out there picking up trash after the shows.
We have zero paid staff so all our resources can go to presenting high caliber shows. It’s a true labor of love. Every show is someone’s favorite so it’s hard to say what we are most looking forward to. I guess you have to say that what we are most looking forward to is seeing old friends and new coming together and being a wonderful audience for some very deserving artists.
315 Music: What other businesses help out, support, give back and add to these awesome events?
EL: As much as we depend on our many volunteers, all our efforts wouldn’t get us far if we didn’t have some generous sponsors. NBT Bank has been our naming sponsor for decades and their commitment to us and to our community is impressive and much appreciated. We also receive strong support from some local foundations like the Greater Norwich Foundation, R C Smith Foundation and the Follet Foundation. We are fond of saying that free shows aren’t really free-they are just free for you! That’s only possible because of the generous support we receive.
315 Music: If you could time travel to any past musical moment in history, where and why would you choose?
EL: It would be pretty tough to pick out one show to travel back in time for. Muddy Waters in Southside Chicago? Allman Brothers at the Fillmore? Beatles at the Cavern Club? B B King at the Royal? Fats Domino, Snooks Eaglin, Professor Longhair for the heyday of New Orleans music. Maybe Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival? Can we go see them all?
If only we could go see them all, but better yet, we have so much to look forward to thanks to the many volunteers bringing central New York to life this summer. Kudos to the sponsors and all working behind the scenes and see you all on the dance floors.
