(November 27, 2016) – The Towne Crier in Beacon will be hosting the inaugural Rootstock: A celebration of music and farming dedicated to “rooting the next generation of farmers”. The event will take place TONIGHT from 6:00 – 9:00 PM.

Featuring music from Floodwood, Daisycutter and Steamboats–three acclaimed indie bands with ties to the New York farming and conservation communities–all concert proceeds will benefit American Farmland Trust and National Young Farmers Coalition.

Floodwood

Floodwood is an Americana Newgrass band, hailing from Upstate, NY. Its members are veteran musicians who’ve performed on stages around the world over the last 20 years. They breathe fresh life into timeless acoustic music and play with the dexterity and chops of seasoned pros.

 

Daisycutter

Daisycutter is the “downtown upstate” culmination of the NY musical melting pot in action. They combine a wide-screen city view with a bracing dose of rural realism into a searing mix of indie roots-rock and alt-country. Frontwoman/ singer/ fiddler/ songwriter Sara Milonovich has also been a highly sought-after accompanist in the rock, folk, bluegrass, americana, and celtic music worlds, and has performed and recorded throughout North and South America, Europe and beyond. Growing up on a working farm in rural upstate New York, she began playing when she was four, and by nine was leading her own band (around the same time she learned to drive a tractor.) After a collection of awards for fiddling, singing, songwriting, and composing, she left school at sixteen to hit the road with NY bluegrass band The McKrells. A diverse trajectory led her from there through a busy career as an accompanist and collaborator with such artists as Richard Shindell, Pete Seeger (on his Grammy-winning At 89 album), Eliza Gilkyson, and Mountain Quickstep, among others, while simultaneously earning a degree in Biology from Cornell.

Steamboats

Steamboats is an ensemble of picker-singer-songwriters who combine reverence for the American vocal group with a progressive sensibility all their own. Singers Nick Throop, Mario Rincon and Jon Jaffee hone gospel and a capella backgrounds, their soaring harmonies reminiscent of The Soul Stirrers and Fleet Foxes alike. Their debut EP (“Steamboats,” 2015) features accordionist Kate Dunphy of Carte Blanche and drummer Jon Shiffman of Bleachers. Their sophomore release (“Chosen Peace,” 2016) is now available at steamboatsmusic.bandcamp.com

As the average age of the American farmer nears 60, without young farmers able and willing to step into their shoes, we jeopardize our nation’s food security and access, and risk losing our valuable farmland to development.

The community is invited to enjoy an evening of indie folk and roots-rock music to celebrate and support our local farmers and help grow the next generation. Visit https://rootstockfest.org/ for more information.

Suggested donation: $20.

The Towne Crier is located at 379 Main Street in Beacon.