Palatypus

Here’s a video of Matt and I in Shelburne Falls, MA in 2008 (I think…). We played at a favorite spot, Mocha Maya’s, a great spot for music, the arts in general, conversation, coffee and beer. I’ve been back to Mocha Maya’s a few times, and will be there on Saturday, May 12th in support of Greenhorn. You’ll also be able to catch Matt out there on a Saturday afternoon in June. Check out Matt’s website, www.mattdurfee.net for updates on that date and many more in June, as well as info on his highly anticipated solo release…

But back to the video… Two tunes, “Drunk” and “Broken String”. We hope you enjoy them.

Well, we’re not exactly hitting up house parties, but both shows Matt and I have scheduled for the weekend are located in “Houses”. Matt will make his second appearance (a Palatypus first) at the Kaaterskill House in Stamford, NY on Friday night. This spot is truly an old house, with a good feeling settled in and emanating up from the floor boards. It’s a tight spot, so get there early to get your seat.

The Palmer House Cafe
Saturday’s show goes down at Rensselaerville, NY’s The Palmer House Cafe, a great spot for delicious food and delectable drink. It’ll be our second swing up there, having sat for a set in the Fall of last year. The folks up there are a fun sort, and when you combine that with a stand-out menu, the room fills with ease. Get your table and bring your good mood…

Here are the details, y’all:

Friday, April 13 – 7:00 p.m.
The Kaaterskill House
18 River Street
Stamford, NY 12167

Saturday, April 14 – 7:00 p.m.
The Palmer House Cafe
1462 Main Street
Rensselaerville, NY 12147

In our first gig together since the turn into the New Year, Matt and I will open for Cabinet, a group that “weaves bluegrass, country and folk influences to powerful effect,” according to their website. I can verify that statement… I saw Cabinet play a couple of years ago when the Albany Region-based, Red Haired Strangers opened for them. Both the Strangers and Cabinet put on a great show, and Cabinet’s musicianship set a high-bar for the work Matt and I have cut out for us. We’re up for it, and definitely looking forward to a great night of music and folks. Here’s the facebook event page…

Here’s a sample of their musicianship:

Event Details:
Thursday, February 9
8:00 p.m.
Red Square
388 Broadway
Albany, NY 12207
(518) 465-0444
$7.00

We’ll be joining the ever-soulful Erin Harkes for her 4th Annual Christmas Spectacular this Thursday, December 22nd, at Savannah’s (a.k.a. The Dublin Underground) in Albany, NY. This annual event is a great way to walk into the Christmas break; it’s a true, good-time party.

Erin has spent a good part of this year solidifying her rightful place as one of the premier singers and entertainers in the Capital District. Did you catch the Albany Times Union’s Best of 2011? Yeah, that’s her… Best Singer/Songwriter in the Capital District.

If you have yet to catch one of her shows, this one is a treat. She’ll be backed not only by her rocking band, but also by the Oran Mor Pipe Band, a powerful and astounding combination. I bet we’ll persuade her to join us for a tune or two as well…

Also joining in on the spectacle:
- Chelsea Cavanaugh
- Guy Smiley

It’s a free show folks, and the stage lights up at 8:00 p.m. Head on out… Here’s the facebook event page.

Good luck struck us again… Not two weeks after we opened for Memphis songstress, Amy LaVere, we’re pleased and excited to announce that we’ll open for Providence, RI based folk and blues rockers Deer Tick. We’ll be kicking off the night at Jillian’s, in downtown Albany, NY on Saturday, December 10th starting at 8:30 p.m. I’m unsure of when doors are, but it shouldn’t matter too much, because this is a FREE show… Yup, FREE… Show up and spend your dough on booze, beer and some CDs…

Here’s a video of Deer Tick on the Letterman show last year (is the guitarist [Ian O'Neil, I think] going for 60s Dylan?):

P.S. – Deer Tick drummer, Christopher Dale Ryan and I went to the same college… Huh…

We’ve actually played quite a few shows since our last post, and we were truly pleased with our recent performance at Rensselaerville, NY’s The Palmer House. It’s a great spot in a cozy town. Songwriter John Rice joined us for a few tunes, and played some of his own as well. His family has been in Rensselaerville for over 100 years, and used to run the town’s general store in the very same building that The Palmer House now occupies. Pretty amazing legacy for that guy…

This Thursday you can catch us in Albany, NY at Valentines Music Hall and Beer Joint. We’ll be opening for Nashville Memphis songstress Amy LaVere. She has a sweet and seductive, Noir swing style, and is a pleasure to hear. And… She thumps an upright damn well. We were lucky enough to open for her a few years ago at The Parting Glass in Saratoga Springs, NY…

Here’s a sample of Amy’s sounds:

Nice right? Join us on Thursday, December 1 at 8:00 p.m. at Valentines… Here’s the facebook event page…

Until we get the site up and running (and even afterwards), you can check out our tunes on our BandCamp page. We will likely use that page to host our music, and even post a live recording or two. We’ll have the show from March 4, 2011 (Valentines) available in a week or two for certain…

In the meantime, send us suggestions for the site and we’ll see if we can incorporate them into the design.

Thanks, y’all…

Well, we’re just getting going here.  If you’ve stumbled on the site, bear with us as we bring Palatypus to the web…