Two Nights of Driftwood at the Ransom Steele Tavern

Driftwood may be based in Binghamton, but they tour extensively on the East Coast and beyond. Luckily, they’ll be returning to the area for two shows on June 17th and 18th. Driftwood unites the grassroots music of the Southern Tier with Appalachian Americana, rock, classical, and folk in a delightfully energetic fashion. They bring together folk voices with intricate musicianship. Driftwood takes the best of old-time records and combines them with the energy of now. “We started off playing rock in high school. Then studying jazz and classical music in college. Then we dove headfirst into folk and bluegrass. At some point I guess we kind of met in the middle,” says guitarist-songwriter Dan Forsyth. They are true musicians who know that they are being heard in the “right-now,” while recognizing the intimacy of the past. This is all to say, that for two nights, you can’t expect a better show in the Southern Tier. On Friday the 17th, the Crawdiddies, a group formed on the premise of “why not, it just might work” opens the night. Combining Cajun, zydeco, roots, rock, and reggae, they create a groove-laden sound that is unquestionably original. The following night, June the 18th, the Americana-blues duo Merkley and Morgan opens up, recreating a sound that is mostly heard on the records of the ‘20s and ‘30s – this time, in person. The Ransom Steele Tavern is located at 552 Main St. in Apalachain. Tickets are $15 dollars in advance (highly recommended) or $20 dollars at the door. Both shows start at 8pm. This weekend of music is presented in part by Triple Cities Carousel. That’s us!