Community News

The Oswego Music Hall presents Peter Mulvey with opening act Mark Wahl on Saturday, Oct. 19.

The show begins at 7:30 p.m. at the McCrobie Civic Center, 41 Lake St. in Oswego. Doors open at 7 p.m.

“Peter Mulvey is one of my favorite performers,” said Oswego Music Hall Artistic Director Tom Lambert. “He’s not only a great singer-songwriter but he’s also an excellent storyteller and an even better human being.”

Mulvey has been a songwriter, road dog, storyteller and almost-poet since before he can remember. Raised working-class Catholic on the Northwest side of Milwaukee, Mulvey spent a college semester in Ireland and immediately began cutting classes to busk on Grafton Street in Dublin. He hitchhiked through the country, finding whatever gigs he could.

Back stateside, Mulvey spent a couple years gigging in the Midwest before lighting out for Boston, where he returned to busking – this time in the subway – and performing in coffeehouses. Small shows led to larger shows, which eventually led to regional, national and international touring. The wheels have not stopped since.

His colorful career includes 19 records, one illustrated book, thousands of live performances, a TEDx talk and a decades-long association with the National Youth Science Camp. Mulvey has opened for luminaries such as Ani DiFranco, Emmylou Harris and Chuck Prophet, appeared on NPR and emceed festivals – including his own boutique festival, the Lamplighter Sessions, in Boston and Wisconsin. Taking an annual autumn tour by bicycle, Mulvey never stops.

He has built his life’s work on collaboration and an instinct for the eclectic and the vital. He folds everything he encounters into his work. Poetry, social justice, scientific literacy and a deeply abiding humanism are all on plain display in his art.

In late January 2019, Mulvey and his band, SistaStrings (Chauntee and Monique Ross) with Nathan Kilen on drums, decamped to their home turf, the Cafe Carpe, in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, where they spent just five days making two records in the tiny back room. The live record, “Peter Mulvey with SistaStrings: Live at the Cafe Carpe” is out now on Righteous Babe Records. It’s a celebration of a world that is temporarily on hold: a small folk club packed with listeners and a band shoulder-to-shoulder playing and singing with intimacy and abandon.

Further information and videos are found at https://www.petermulvey.com/ and https://www.youtube.com/user/petermulvey43/videos.         

Mark Wahl is a singer-songwriter, guitarist and luthier. He has been around the local acoustic music scene for decades and is known by many as the former director of the Ontario Center for Performing Arts (the Oswego Music Hall). A graduate of SUNY Oswego, Mark retired from his business in design and general contracting to direct his full energies to his music, the Oswego Music Hall, and his lutherie shop, where he produces and repairs fine acoustic instruments.

Mark’s songs are often poignant vignettes with powerful use of metaphor and simple, compelling melodies. Mark’s 2018 CD release “Circadia” was nominated for best album in the “Americana” category of the SAMMYs (Syracuse Area Music Awards). Mark’s popular 2013 CD “Everything Returns” was recorded with his trio “Canvas Moon.”

For more information, visit https://www.markwahlguitars.com/music.

The Oswego Music Hall’s season continues with Carsie Blanton on Saturday, Nov. 2.

Shows start at 7:30 p.m. and doors open at 7 p.m. for all National Stage concerts. For a complete performance schedule and ticket information, visit the Oswego Music Hall website at https://www.oswegomusichall.org/  or stop at the river’s end bookstore, 19 W. Bridge St., Oswego. 

Ticket prices for the National Stage range from $17 to $30 at the door. Admission is half-price for children aged 6 to 16 and free for those aged 5 and younger. Tickets can be purchased at any concert, online, or at the river’s end bookstore in Oswego. The community is encouraged to buy tickets early to ensure a seat. Tickets are cash or check only at the door.

Located in the McCrobie Building, the wheelchair accessible venue is adjacent to Breitbeck Park and overlooking Lake Ontario and Oswego Harbor. The atmosphere is intimate with candle-lit tables surrounding a small stage. Light refreshments will be available at reasonable prices.

The Oswego Music Hall is a family-friendly, non-profit organization that has been run entirely by volunteers from its inception over 40 years ago. Volunteers can earn admission to shows through various tasks, from running the sound board to making popcorn. Students can also earn credit for community service. To volunteer, email Volunteer Coordinator Michael Moss at ocpaoswego@gmail.com.

For more information about the Oswego Music Hall, visit https://www.oswegomusichall.org/ or email ocpaoswego@gmail.com.

Oswego Music Hall concerts are made possible in part with funding by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the governor and New York Legislature. Other major supporters are the City of Oswego and Shineman Foundation.