Unity Hall is excited to announce its third season of virtual concerts in response to the Covid-19 shutdown. The 2021 Winter/Spring Music Series will open on Saturday, March 13 with the pop, rock and soul duo SIRSY from Albany, NY. The free concert will premiere at 8:00 p.m. on the Unity Hall website and will be viewable throughout the following two weeks.
Five additional concerts for the Winter/Spring Music Series will be streamed every other Saturday through May 22. Concerts will feature vocalist Julia Goodwin of Baldwinsville (3/27); Barneveld native Jeremy Shaw now living in North Carolina and Josh Daniel (4/10); Albany’s Annie and Jonny Rosen from Annie and the Hedonists (4/24); Utica’s Rich Mancini, now living in Arizona (5/8); and Utica songwriter Jayne Critelli (5/22).
The Boston Globe calls SIRSY “the little band with the big sound.” SXSW Music Blog says “SIRSY is NOT simply a two piece, the sound they make is a head scratching, WOW!”
SIRSY is fronted by charismatic vocalist/ drummer Melanie Krahmer who has “one of the most powerful and flexible voices you’ll ever hear.” (Times Union). Guitarist, and Mel’s husband, Rich Libutti plays a road-worn Rickenbacker guitar through a pedal board full of vintage effects. These multi-instrumentalists manage to sound like a full band. Their energetic show can vary from acoustic to electric, and might even include planned comic bits.
Before the pandemic SIRSY was performing more than 250 touring shows per year. They’ve opened for: Maroon 5, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Train, RaRaRiot, Third Eye Blind, Collective Soul, Lifehouse, Blues Traveler, Cheap Trick, and many more. Although the lyrics can be introspective and the power of Sirsy can get pretty intense, “there is no sadness there”, Mel says. On stage they radiate joy. “It’s just us being free and playing music…”
Their most recent full-length recording project, “Coming into Frame”, was produced by Grammy-winners, Paul Kolderie & Sean Slade (Radiohead, Hole, Dresden Dolls, Pixies). SIRSY’s song “Cannonball” was featured on the hit TV show “Shameless” (on Showtime). Their song “Revolution” was the theme song for a PBS documentary “So Right, So Smart”. (The music video for ‘Revolution’ was also in rotation on HBO).
Unity Hall’s Virtual Concerts are free and each musician is compensated for their performance from money raised by Unity Hall. Online audience members are also encouraged to make donations through Unity Hall’s “virtual tip jar” where proceeds go to each week’s performers.
The 2021 Winter/Spring Virtual Concert Series is presented with member support from the Unity Hall Foundation and sponsored by Townsquare Media and the Blue Moon Cafe, heard locally Sunday mornings from 7am – Noon on 96.9FM WOUR.
The Music Series project was also made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by CNY Arts.
Information about upcoming virtual concerts, other Unity Hall presentations is available at www.unityhall.com and Facebook/HistoricUnityHall.
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