Write a commentThe Oswego Music Hall Guest Curator Series continues on March 29 with Songs from the Trail at 7:30pm; doors open at 7pm.
Songs from the Trail is a multi-media “In the Round,” exploration of long-distance backpacking and thru-hiking life. Songwriters Bryan Titus, Marc Apostolides and Shawn Taylor share original songs and the stories from their collective thru-hikes and long-distance hikes on the Appalachian Trail, the Long Trail, The Pacific Crest Trail and the John Muir Trail. With three distinctly different musical styles and perspectives, “Songs from the Trail” is as unique and eclectic, as the journeys it explores. Authentic trail relics and a running slide show of decades of their journeys, pull the trail into the room. It’s an immersive experience of musically and metaphorically ‘re-hiking’ the trail before a live audience.
Marc Apostolides plays a deft piano and sings straight from the heart in a beautifully high, clear voice, somewhere between Bruce Hornsby and Jackson Browne. He spent decades alternating between touring music a few months a year and backpacking the rest of the year, including extended trips on the Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail, The Long Trail and the John Muir Trail. He now curates an original music barn series in CT, “the Sacred Sessions,” raises a young family and relentlessly creates and tinkers.
Shawn Taylor cultivates wandering roots music with his guitar, foot percussion, wailing harmonica and gritty soulful vocals. He’s thru-hiked the Long Trail and the John Muir Trail, and the Appalachian Trail (though he initially skipped CT until the following winter/spring). He’s spent the past 17 years as a traveling troubadour, opening for legends such as Maria Muldaur, and had the good fortune of bringing his young family on the road for 3 summers before COVID.
Bryan Titus Thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2013, without missing a single blaze, the only AT purist of the bunch. He’s a graduate of Berklee Music School, performs bicoastally and beyond, is a song writing machine and has opened for legends such as Keb’ Mo’. He performs “Post Modern Barn Dance” music on his guitar, paired with powerful, infectiously soothing vocals. "Passionate, familiar and distinct at the same time”, wrote Will Engel of the LA Examiner.
Songs from the Trail began as an impromptu “In The Round” barn show on June 2, 2024, between three new friends, having fun sharing a deep common experience. As time and miles have passed, they’ve dug into writing together, developing rich harmonies and mining deeper into their trail memories and what they represent. The trail has a way of bringing people together across time and space and there is a reason it coalesced this trio. The journey has only just begun… For further information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/people/Songs-From-The-Trail/61563660361506/ or view a video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVz77j2G4Nc.
In addition to the performance, numerous clubs, including the SU Outdoor Club and the Yakkers Paddling Club, will have information tables to share about their organizations.
Songs from the Trail, curated by Tom Lambert, is made possible through the Music Hall’s Guest Curator program, whereby new programs are introduced outside the regular concert series representing demographics and artistic genre not typical in Music Hall programming.
Tickets are on sale online now at https://www.oswegomusichall.org/ ($20; children and college students with ID $10, and under 5 are free), or at the rivers end Bookstore, 19 W. Bridge St., Oswego, although you may be able to get tickets at the door if it is not sold out. The community is encouraged to buy tickets early to ensure a seat. Tickets are cash or check only at the door.
The wheelchair accessible venue is located in the McCrobie Civic Center, on 41 Lake Street in Oswego. It is adjacent to Breitbeck Park and overlooks Lake Ontario and the Oswego Harbor. The atmosphere is intimate with candle-lit tables surrounding a small stage. Light refreshments will be available at reasonable prices.
Oswego Music Hall is a family-friendly, non-profit organization that has been run entirely by volunteers since its inception in 1977. Volunteers can earn admission to shows through various tasks — from event support to making popcorn. Students can also earn credit for community service. To volunteer, email Volunteer Coordinator Michael Moss at ocpaoswego@gmail.com.
Find more information online at https://www.oswegomusichall.org/, on Facebook, or email ocpaoswego@gmail.com.
This is a presentation of The Ontario Center for the Performing Arts Guest Curator program. It is 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.
