August 6, 2019 · 9:45 am

Please Join Me in Celebrating Tedra’s 52nd Birthday!

Monday, August 26th, 5 – 7 PM
465 Old Market Rd., Sanfordville

The event will be catered by: 

Will Trithart
Owner/Chef, The Big Spoon

Gail Anderson
Owner/Chef, The Marigold Kitchen & Bakery

Wally Siebel
Executive Chef, the Hermitage

It’s that time again. Time to celebrate Tedra’s birthday and pull together to get her elected to the House of Representatives. For me, the thought of serving the community by spending weeks of my life in Washington gives me palpitations but Tedra has selflessly agreed to run for office to make a difference that will go far beyond the North Country.

I have had the honor of working with Tedra on the Energy Task Force she created when she was a County Legislator and on numerous other endeavors. She is one of those rare people who is more interested in ends than means; someone who knows the difference between values and ideology. I believe that she has the capability to be a catalyst for change in a body that values political capital over results.

So it is also my honor to host this celebration and fundraiser for Tedra.

Suggested Contribution Levels:

$52 Guest | $104 Friend
$250 gift | $520 Birthday Blast

Everyone is invited and welcome, and donations of any amount are important and appreciated! Please make contributions payable to “Committee to Elect Tedra Cobb” or contribute and RSVP online HERE.For more information on becoming a host or to RSVP, please contact Ella Kruczynska, Tedra’s Finance Director, at Ella@TedraCobb.com or (603) 930-3799

Contributions or gifts to The Committee to Elect Tedra Cobb are not tax-deductible. Printed in-house, labor donated.
❑ Birthday Blast: $520 ❑ gift:: $250 ❑ Friend: $104 ❑ Guest: $52
❑ I wish to support Tedra Cobb at the amount of $ _________

Please write and send checks to:
The Committee to Elect Tedra Cobb
P.O. Box 713
Canton, NY  13617

RSVP by Email to Ella@TedraCobb.com
Or call (603-930-3799)

Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation and name of employer of individuals whose contributions exceed $200 in an election cycle.
To contribute by credit card, please return this completed form or click HERE to donate and RSVP online.

Name: _________________________________________________________
Mailing Address: __________________________________________________
City/St/Zip: _____________________________________________________
Occupation: _____________________________________________________
Employer: ______________________________________________________
Daytime Phone:__________________
Email:__________________________________________________________

Contribution Amount: $________
Billing Address (If different than above):
___________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Card Number: ________________________Expiration Date:____________

Contributions to The Committee to Elect Tedra Cobb are not tax-deductible. The Committee may accept contributions of up to $2,800 per election from individuals and non-multi-candidate PACs ($5,600 for the primary and general elections combined), and $5,000 per election from federal multi-candidate PACs ($10, 000 for the primary and general elections combined)

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October 9, 2018 · 7:49 pm

Down to the Wire: Another Benefit Concert For Tedra

Mark Lyon
and 
Mary Ann Casale

Sunday, October 28, 4:00 PM

At The Hermitage
(Robin McClellan’s home)
in Sanfordville.

I am excited that Mary Ann, a dear friend and a regular here, will join Mark for the final benefit of this campaign season at the Hermitage. They were scheduled to kick off this year in January, but when Mary Ann fell ill, it turned into a solo concert for Mark who carried it brilliantly. Now, at last, they will perform together and it should be a great show.

Tedra has had an amazing quarter, raising $715,000, primarily from individual donors and without accepting contributions from corporate PACs. 65% of her donors live in the 21st Congressional District and 87% live in New York State. And she has crisscrossed the district, talking with and listening to the people in it.

I have known Tedra for many years. She combines a passion for the region and those of us who live in it with the ability to work with people of all stripes to craft policies that are effective and fair. This is something sorely needed in these divisive times. I truly believe that she will serve the needs of the people in this district because she knows and understands those needs and will work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to be effective.  For more information on Tedra go to her web page or her Facebook page.

If you aren’t able to attend and want to donate to her incredible grassroots campaign, click here!

Mark Lyons 01

Mark

Mary Ann 2018a

Mary Ann

Mark draws from folk, blues, country, and bluegrass and is guided by nature and ethereal influences. He teaches guitar with the Musical Way Academy. Mary Ann says, “He is a very very very VERY good guitar player. He is very engaging with the audience and his easy way is something that you don’t find too often. He plays to play, not to perform.”

He is also interested in the use of music in the healing arts. “It is my goal to make people feel when they listen to my music,” said Mark. In addition to playing, he built his own guitar in local luthier, Tracy Cox’s shop. He is recording at SUNY Potsdam this fall and winter and hopes to release his first album soon. He is also working on a full band project.

Mary Ann has had a  busy year of touring both as a duo with Tas Cru and a member of his Band of Tortured Souls. With over 60 performances from the famous Rum Boogie Café on Beal Street in Memphis to a summer filled with festivals throughout the northeast and Canada, this has been a year of travel. She has also logged in many hours recording full backup vocals for 3 of Tas’ albums at Subcat Studios in Syracuse. Her Sammy Award (Syracuse Area Music Award) nominated album, Restless Heart has gotten a good amount of national and international airplay.

2018 was a busy year as she set out to join the band mid-tour with a lineup of 7 shows in Topeka, Kansas, and Memphis in mid-January. This tour had also earned her a spot on the acclaimed Women in Blues Showcase Stage in Memphis. She has co-written two songs Heal My Soul and the acclaimed Memphis Song for Tas Cru’s latest album, Memphis Song,  as well as adding multiple vocal tracks for that album. After a full summer of performances both locally, nationally, and in Canada, she’s currently writing for two new projects. She continues to do small concert venues locally and on the national blues festival circuit and is booking into 2019.

I hope you’ll be able to come out and listen to great music and support our local candidate for Congress.

 

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August 31, 2018 · 11:49 am

Just In!

I have 2 upcoming events on September 16 and 18 and I want to make sure that you don’t miss them because one was lost below the fold!

September 16: An evening of fine food, beer, and music, to benefit Planned Parenthood (Reservations Required).

September 18: A musical benefit for Tedra for Congress with Gretchen Koehler and Daniel Kelly.

Click the links for more details about each of them (or just scroll down); they both promise to be lovely!

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August 31, 2018 · 11:39 am

A Benefit for Tedra for Congress

Gretchen Koehler
and
Daniel Kelly

Light Refreshments from
Big Spoon Kitchen

Tuesday, September 18, 7 PM

The Hermitage (Robin McClellan’s)
Stockholm

Koehler and Kelly 01

It’s an honor to host another benefit for Tedra, this time with two world-acclaimed musicians, local fiddler Gretchen Koehler and pianist Daniel Kelly. Among the terms used to describe them are “genre-busting,” “irresistible rhythmic environments,” “captivating soundscapes,” and “a delivery that ranges from elegant to fierce, searing to sensitive. ” But my favorite accolade comes from another local musical legend, Barb Heller, on Folkalley.com, “Koehler & Kelly deliver The Picture and The Thousand Words.” (For more about this fine duo, check out their website.)

But wait, there’s more! In addition to the music and comradery, there will be light refreshments provided by the inimitable Big Spoon Kitchen. This local venture is new, but its founders, Rose Rivezzi and her son Will Trithart, have been cooking, eating and appreciating healthy and tasty food all their lives. This is a great opportunity to sample their savory delights and find out more about their weekly take-home meals.

I do hope you’ll be able to join me for an evening of fine food and fine sounds and to offer generous support to Tedra’s campaign for Congress.

This is an open event so please disseminate this invitation or its contents widely. The campaign is also trying to gauge how many people will be coming so please RSVP to events@tedracobb.com if you can…but if you find yourself free at the last minute, come anyway.

If you can’t make the event and want to donate to Tedra’s campaign you can do that here.

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August 31, 2018 · 11:31 am

Craft Beer and Harvest Bounty: A Benefit for Planned Parenthood of North Country New York

Tapas of the Season from our Local Farmers
Prepared by Legendary Local Chef Wally Siebel

Award-Winning Beer from Master Brewer Nathan Drake
Township 7 Brewery, Dickinson Center, NY

Luscious, sweet treats prepared by Gail Anderson
Owner of the new Marigold Kitchen and Bakery in Potsdam

Music will be provided by local guitar prodigy Mark Lyon

Sunday, September 16, 3-5 PM
At the Hermitage
465 Old Market Rd.
Sanfordville

For the benefit of Planned Parenthood of the North Country New York

PPNCNY logo

Wally’s fabulous dishes crafted from the finest local fresh produce will delight your palate. Nate will share his exquisite beer and expertise in brewing, describing each beer, the flavors, and how they are brewed. Gail will give you an advanced taste of what’s to come in her new restaurant (opening this fall on Market St.) Mark’s sonorous guitar and Robin’s Adirondack style home will provide the setting for these gustatory delights.

Most importantly, all proceeds will go to support Planned Parenthood of Northern New York’s critical role of providing reproductive health care to local men and women at a time when it is critically needed.

So I hope you’ll join us for this event, perhaps the most ambitious one I’ve planned for the Hermitage. It features two chefs, a brewer, and a musician and, as always, a worthy cause.

$75 per person
Space is limited to 28 people, so please reserve early!
Call Lucille to RSVP at 315-782-1818 ext. 249 or send a check to PPNCNY, 160 Stone St., Watertown, NY 13601, by September 7.

 

A little more about the Beer, Bounty, and Music

Wally Seibel has been enjoying cooking and eating for as long as I’ve known him (and that’s a long time!). He has been guest chef at many local restaurants, including the award-winning 1844 House, and was the restaurant critic for the Watertown Daily Times for nine years.

I met Nate Drake, founder of Township 7 Brewing Co., when he returned to his ancestral home in Dickinson Center from Alaska. We shared some stories about brewing and he mentioned he was going to start brewing again. When I tasted his first brew, I had a feeling he had the touch. It was only when I tasted his Chocolate Peanut Butter Stout–and liked it–that I knew he had a real gift.

 

Marigold Kitchen and Bakery Logo

Gail Anderson and I met when we served on the Board of the Potsdam Coop. As a former restaurant owner, she brought a sound knowledge of business and food to the Board. I had the pleasure of sampling some of her creations when she brought them to the Board meetings and at dinner at her house. I am thrilled that she is opening a new restaurant, the Marigold Kitchen and Bakery, on Market St. in Potsdam, so I will be able to enjoy her fine cooking more frequently!

Mark Lyons 01

My dear friend of many years, Mary Ann Casale, had been raving about a young local guitarist, Mark Lyon. Finally, last January, she scheduled a concert here with him. Nearly on the eve of the concert, she fell ill and Mark was left to play the gig alone. And Mary Ann was right, he is a truly talented musician.

Mark draws from folk, blues, country, and bluegrass and is guided by nature and ethereal influences. He teaches guitar with the Musical Way Academy. Mary Ann says, “He is a very very very VERY good guitar player. He is very engaging with the audience and his easy way is something that you don’t find too often. He plays to play, not to perform.”

He is also interested in the use of music in the healing arts and has been accompanying Becky Harblin during Tibetan Singing Bowl Sound Baths. “It is my goal to make people feel when they listen to my music,” said Mark. In addition to playing, he built his own guitar in local luthier, Tracy Cox’s shop.

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July 20, 2018 · 1:47 pm

Paul Meyers 

Benefit for Tedra Cobb’s
Campaign for Congress

Monday, July 30, 7 PM

The Hermitage (Robin McClellan’s)
Stockholm

Paul is a world-renowned jazz guitarist based in New York City. He spent his high school years in Potsdam and studied at Crane with Dick Stephan. Since then, he has had a career of touring, teaching, and playing the New York scene with an amazing number of stellar musicians (for a more complete bio, see his website). Every summer, though, he comes back to the North Country to relax with family and grace a few local audiences with his beautiful sound. 

Paul was the second person to play a house concert here and has come back on numerous occasions, sometimes alone and sometimes with other musicians. I’m thrilled to welcome him back, this time to play a benefit for another old friend of mine, Tedra Cobb who, you may have heard, is running for Congress. I hope you’ll be able to come to hear Paul play, talk with Tedra, and donate a little (or a lot) to her campaign.

For more information click here to go to my website where you will find directions to the Hermitage.

This is an open event so please disseminate this invitation or its contents widely. The campaign is also trying to gauge how many people will be coming so RSVP to events@tedracobb.com if you can…but if you find yourself free at the last minute, come anyway.

If you can’t make the event and want to donate to Tedra’s campaign you can do that here.

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January 25, 2018 · 8:12 pm

Mark Lyon

Update:

Saturday, January 27 at 7:00 PM

At The Hermitage
(Robin McClellan’s)
in Sanfordville.

Unfortunately, Mary Ann has come down with double pneumonia and won’t be able to make it. Mark will be here and I hope you’ll come out for his debut at the Hermitage!

Mary Ann approached me about doing this concert with Mark Lyon last year to help him get some exposure to the local music scene. I didn’t have to hear or meet Mark to agree, I know I can trust Mary Ann’s judgment in this regard, but looking over his bio (below) I’m more excited than ever about this concert! This is a new pairing of musicians and they are still working out the performance; I can only tell you that they will play individually and together and, if past performance is any gauge, delight us.

Mark and Mary Ann are going to donate 50% of the proceeds to Tedra Cobb’s campaign for the 21st Congressional Race. I have known Tedra for many years and worked with her on energy, environment, and social issues in the region. She combines a passion for the region and those of us who live in it with the ability to work with people of all stripes to craft policies that are effective and fair. This is something sorely needed in these divisive times. For more information on Tedra go to her web page or her Facebook page.

The suggested donation is $10 and reservations are not required.

Mark Lyon

 

Mary Ann Casale in electric mode (she’ll be playing acoustic here, though)

 

Mark draws from folk, blues, country, and bluegrass and is guided by nature and ethereal influences. He teaches guitar with the Musical Way Academy. Mary Ann says, “He is a very very very VERY good guitar player. He is very engaging with the audience and his easy way is something that you don’t find too often. He plays to play, not to perform.”

He is also interested in the use of music in the healing arts and has been accompanying Becky Harblin during Tibetan Singing Bowl Sound Baths. “It is my goal to make people feel when they listen to my music,” said Mark. In addition to playing, he built his own guitar in local luthier, Tracy Cox’s shop.

Mark is in the process of recording his first album. I’m hoping that his appearance here will help grow his dedicated following!

Mary Ann has had a busy year of touring both as a duo with Tas Cru and a member of his Band of Tortured Souls. With over 60 performances from the famous Rum Boogie Café on Beal Street in Memphis to a summer filled with festivals throughout the northeast and Canada, this has been a year of travel. She has also logged in hours recording full backup vocals for 2 of Tas’ albums at Subcat Studios in Syracuse. Her Sammy Award (Syracuse Area Music Award) nominated album, Restless Heart has gotten a good amount of national and international airplay.

2018 will be starting off busy as she sets out to join the band mid-tour with a lineup of 7 shows in Topeka, Kansas, and Memphis in mid-January. This tour has also earned her a spot on the acclaimed Women in Blues Showcase Stage in Memphis. Mid-March starts a round of gigs around NY State and radio performances which include a stop at McGeary’s in Albany and Caffe Lena in Saratoga. More performances and tours are pending. While local performances are few and far between, she calls the North Country of NY State her home and still finds great joy in performing in this area. Feb. 24 starts performance on her 3rd album…soon to be named. All of the music is written and she is in the process of lining up musicians to perform on this new venture.

In other news, Tas Cru, a frequent performer here with Mary Ann, had his album Simmered and Stewed nominated for a Blues Music Award. This is, indeed, a high honor. Congratulations, Tas!

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November 13, 2017 · 8:11 pm

Alex Smith Returns

Friday, December 1
7:30 PM

Robin McClellan’s
(The Hermitage)

Sanfordville

$10 Admission

Alex 01

It’s late fall so it’s time for Alex to grace the Hermitage again. He is on the verge of releasing the live album he recorded at the legendary Caffè Lena’s and it should be available in time for sale at the concert. He is also coming to the end of a record 200-show year and he’s still working on his new studio album, “Fuel, Air, Compression, Spark.” And he still has found time to get in a little bow hunting here and in Kentucky. Ah, youth! But his singing and songwriting reflect a far older soul.

Alex grew up in Long Lake, in the heart of New York’s Adirondack Park, and his music strives first and foremost to echo the culture of that area. He builds songs from a blend of traditional folk harmony and strikingly modern lyrics, confronting today’s most pressing issues with grace while paying homage to the musical tradition of the region.

Alex’ characters, though fictional, live and breathe a balance between beauty and imperfection. His stories draw on the triumphs and hardships of friends, relatives, and neighbors near and far, and he has worked tirelessly to carry the music of northern New York to audiences nationwide.

I hope you will come by and enjoy his deep, sonorous voice and words.

Robin
Alex 02

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October 22, 2017 · 4:50 pm

Tas & Mary Ann, Benefit for Local Living Venture

Featuring music by Rick Bates (aka Tas Cru) & Mary Ann Casale

Saturday, November 4 at 7:00 PM

At Robin McClellan’s 
(The Hermitage)
in Sanfordville.

These two talented and generous musicians are once again playing to raise money, this time for the benefit of the Local Living Venture. I hope you will come and listen to their beautiful music and support the tireless work of the Local Living Venture. The suggested donation is $10 and reservations are not required.

Mary Ann’s CD “Restless Heart” continues to garner critical acclaim:

“You can’t put a label on her music. It is blues & folk with a fine dose of soul & jazz. Twelve fine songs that are worth listening to.”
~ Eric Campfens, Barn Owl Blues, The Netherlands

“With a real ‘when music was music’ vibe running throughout, this singer/songwriter in bluesy trappings hits it out of the park with just the right sound & fury.”
~ Chris Spector, Midwest Record, Lake Zurich, IL

“Whatever the styles, Mary Ann’s vocals will snare you with their honest emotion.”
~ Music Morsels Reviews

Tas Cru’s new album Simmered & Stewed is a collection of previously recorded material that has been re-mastered with new instrumentation, backup vocals, and a new sound. Like a fine wine, or a delicious stew that has mellowed over the years, Simmered and Stewed proves that some songs get better age. It is available on the VizzTone label.

For more information click here to go to my website where you will find directions.

I hope you’ll be able to come out and listen to great music in support of a great cause!

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May 24, 2017 · 8:27 pm

Alex Smith

Saturday, June 3
7:30 PM

Robin McClellan’s
(The Hermitage)

$10 Admission
Alex is coming back for another concert! Everyone who plays here brings something unique and for me, Alex superpower is his songwriting. Not to diminish his skills on the guitar and his great pipes, but Alex is a master storyteller. Walking confidently in the footsteps of Bill Morrisey, Greg Brown, John Hartford, and, of course, Stan Rogers, he captures people in their relationship with each other and the place they live.

Since his appearance last November, Alex has recorded a live album at the legendary Caffè Lena’s, scheduled for release in mid-July. He is also on track for 200 shows this year though that hasn’t stopped him from preparing for a new studio album, “Fuel, Air,
Compression, Spark.”

Alex grew up in Long Lake, in the heart of New York’s Adirondack Park, and his music strives first and foremost to echo the culture of that area. He builds songs from a blend of traditional folk harmony and strikingly modern lyrics, confronting today’s most pressing issues with grace while paying homage to the musical tradition of the region.

Alex’ characters, though fictional, live and breathe a balance between beauty and imperfection. His stories draw on the triumphs and hardships of friends, relatives, and neighbors near and far, and he has worked tirelessly to carry the music of northern New York to audiences nationwide.

I hope you will join me in celebrating his return!

Robin
“Alex is a wonderful poetic writer who captures words full of meaning, matching them with creative music that creeps quietly into the past at the same time as dancing with the present, and sneaking a peek at the future.”
    – Bob Everhart, Country Music News International
“Alex is a natural storyteller with a rich voice who is creating poignant songs rooted in the heritage of his Adirondack home.”
    – Sarah Craig, Caffe Lena (Saratoga Springs, NY)

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