Serendipity ruled the day last week when my wife Irene Fizer spotted an upcoming outdoor concert taking place in the Hudson Valley, featuring the singer-songwriter Julie Byrne and the harpist Mary Lattimore. Irene and I had been planning to check out the event space–the Storm King Arts Center in New Windsor, New York–for quite a while, as we’ve passed the Center several times over the past few years, on our way to DIA-Beacon. So, we felt fortunate to secure two tickets a few days before the show, and we started to plan what to pack for our al fresco dinner. Although we missed the chance to partake in the picnic specials offered by several food vendors at the Center that night, we filled our own picnic basket with some gluten-free treats, and then set out for an easy hour-and-20 minute drive north, from our home in New Jersey to the Hudson Valley.
The evening was quite humid but not too hot as Storm King is situated in a stunningly beautiful valley within the Catskill Mountain range. Many concert goers brought their young children who frolicked and ran around with glee around the mowed lawns. The expansive lawns gave way to meadows in the distance, all graced by a set of towering modern sculptures, and a trio of hawks who soared high above our heads in the open sky.
Once the concert began, a hushed mood took over the audience, as Julie Byrne came out onto the small stage, which was ringed with a string of fairy lights. After Byrne introduced herself, she reflected that this concert was kind of a homecoming for her, as she is a native New Yorker, and has been touring for over a year, both in the US and abroad, to promote her acclaimed 2023 album, The Greater Wings.
Dressed in a cropped wrap-around summer top, black pants, and black boots, Byrne entranced the audience with eight songs, primarily drawing cuts from The Greater Wings. However, she opened the concert with I Live Now as a Singer, from her previous album Not Even Happiness.
The mood at the outdoor venue was joyful and festive. The Storm King Art Center offers a sublime setting to take in an outdoor concert, though I must add that the sound system and the acoustics were not ideal, especially for Byrne’s intimate singing voice. Irene and I were fortunate to nab a space on the lawn directly in front of the stage, but we wondered if the audience members further in the back on the lawn were able to appreciate Byrne’s exquisite, understated performance style as much as we could.
In turn, the wind began to pick up, and the sky became more overcast, as the concert progressed–though only a few raindrops punctuated Byrne’s half of the show. Moreover, the scuttling gray rain clouds and the brisk wind actually worked to underscore the somber and melancholic nature of her songs. She continued her performance with three songs from The Greater Wings album. These included Flare, The Greater Wings, and Moonless. Byrne was accompanied by her longtime collaborator Katie Von Schleicher who played keyboards and electronics in a masterful fashion. Von Schleicher also provided the sonic foundation for Byrne’s graceful finger-picking guitar-playing and vocals.
Byrne’s fifth song was the recently released track entitled ‘22. Byrne has dedicated this touching hymn-like love song to her longtime friend, producer, and bandmate Eric Littmann, who passed away in 2021. Byrne then mentioned that she would like to play for us the very first song that she learned to play on the guitar which was Jackson Browne’s These Days. The wistful refrain of this song, as she sings it, always brings tears to my eyes.
At the conclusion of her performance, Byrne spoke warmly about sharing the stage with harpist Mary Lattimore, and the two hugged before Lattimore began her set. We were lucky to hear Lattimore play the harp for about 15 minutes, as we watched the open sky slowly fill up with storm clouds. A few rain drops quickly turned into a deluge, so we reluctantly decided to pull out our raincoats as we made a mad dash to our car, which was parked just behind the main concert lawn.
Byrne’s concerts are intensely soulful and reverent, yet she always ends each song with a smile and a charming laugh. Her penultimate song, Natural Blue, has an intoxicating chorus that stays in your mind for days. For the finale, she chose her magical song Sleepwalker, which she performed by herself, accompanied only by her guitar.
I have seen Byrne perform live several times now, and each and every time I am deeply moved by her performance. She has an amazing voice, a self-effacing yet enchanting presence, and she is a truly gifted songwriter. Don’t miss her if she is in your area. You can check out her upcoming tour stops here: https://juliemariebyrne.com/#tour
Here is my video of Julie Byrne's Moonless from the show:
