Dust Bowl Faeries (photo Noah Fowler)
(SARATOGA, N.Y.) – Ryder Cooley & Dust Bowl Faeries will perform a concert of ethereal gothic folk music on the rooftop of the Tang Museum on Friday, July 8, at 7pm. This free concert is part of the Tang Museum’s UpBeat on the Roof summer music series.
Dust Bowl Faeries is an ethereal gothicfolk ensemble with a dark cabaret twist. The band was founded by artistmusician Ryder Cooley in 2013. The unique compositions of Dust Bowl Faeries have roots in Gypsy, klezmer, and vaudeville music. Accordion, singing saw, ukulele, lapsteel, electric guitar, bass, and percussion combine to create the Dust Bowl Faeries’ otherworldly sound. Band members include Karen Cole, Jen DuBois, JoAnn Stevelos, and special guest Chad Dziewior. Hazel, a taxidermy sheep, performs with the band as mascot spirit animal/gogo dancer.
The Dust Bowl Faeries released their eponymous debut album in March 2016. Music critic Seth Rogovoy, who produced the album, describes it as “a song cycle that leads listeners through darkness and light, from dream-pop to drone-rock, from girl-group harmonies to Velvet Underground-like textures, from the Arctic and into the forests, up the Hudson River on a steam-punk voyage to the psychedelic Gypsy cabarets of futures past, from cutting-edge electronica to wispy neo-folk tunes, and to netherworlds beyond.”
The album was recorded and mixed in the Hudson Valley and includes a stunning array of guest musicians, including Melora Creager of Rasputina, Tommy Stinson of the Replacements, Sara Ayers, Pete Toigo, Fredo Viola, Luis Mojica, Elric Walker and Cameron Melville.
Celebrating its 16th season, the UpBeat on the Roof summer series highlights regional musical talent in an array of styles. UpBeat on the Roof takes place every Friday, July 1 through August 26, from 7 to 8 pm and is free and open to the public. The rooftop is accessible via the museum elevator or outdoor staircases. In the case of inclement weather, the series is held inside the museum.