Urban H2O

Urban H2O Presents HOPE MACHINE & BILL TOMS
Saturday, February 19th at
Beczak Environmental Education Center
35 Alexander Street
Yonkers, NY

HOPE MACHINE: "rabble-rousing, FOLK-ROCK, native-americana, INDUSTRIAL-ROCKABILLY, foot-stompin’ songs"

Don’t miss this rare local gig by a crowd-drawing favorite act. Steve Kirkman and Fred Gillen Jr. are the core of Hope Machine, with drummer Eric Puente and often joined by Abbie Gardner, of Red Molly, and other good friends. Their performances are true celebrations of community, spontaneity, and freedom and feature songs that explore the human condition.

Hope Machine’s Urban H2O show will feature rock and folk songs from their most recent CD, Big Green Hope Machine; part of a tour which included a Guthrie Archives show at NYC’s Irving Plaza with Jonatha Brooke and others.

The group stems back to June of 2003, when Anna Canoni was looking for a couple of singers to help celebrate her grandfather Woody Guthrie’s birthday.  Her search led her to Fred Gillen Jr. and multi-instrumentalist Steve Kirkman, a well-known songwriter in the Hudson Valley.  One of the outcomes of that day’s “hootenanny” was Gillen and Kirkman leading a Woody sing-along at the Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival. The morning of the festival Gillen suggested that they call themselves Hope Machine, which came from a Woody Guthrie quote:  “About all a human being is, anyway, is just a hoping machine.” Hope Machine is an official program of the Woody Guthrie Foundation and Archives.

BILL TOMS: “Although he can rock with the best of them, Toms has another musical side, exploring the folk traditions of Americana with an introspective pen.” Washington Observer

Bill Toms made a name for himself as lead guitarist for the legendary band, The Houserockers; opening for The Band, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Little Feat and Stevie Ray Vaughn. It was the result of those days that Bill Tom’s acclaimed CD, “American Babylon,” was recorded and produced by Bruce Springsteen. Now playing solo and with his band, Hard Rain, Toms has performed with and opened for Levon Helm, Marshall Crenshaw, The Kennedys, Steve Forbert, Dave Alvin, Lloyd Cole, and Ellis Paul. His latest CD, Live at Moondogs: Another Moonlight Mystery was released in 2010.

Bill Toms Urban H2O show promises to capture American traditions of rhythm, blues, soul, folk, and country with his trademark songs that burrow deep into the soul.

Tribes Hill’s monthly Song Circle brings together top local songwriters and performers for a spontaneous, joyous, musical exploration of the human experience.  Urban H2O presents these rising Hudson Valley artists in an intimate and informal setting.

“Tribes Hill is a vibrant part of the folk tradition.”  –John Platt, host of WFUV’s “Sunday Breakfast” show

TICKETS $10 - Doors open 7pm

Includes FREE beer from our sponsor—Hudson Valley’s award-winning Captain Lawrence Brewing Company—bring your own mug!

URBAN H20 is a new performance venue in downtown Yonkers presenting the Hudson Valley's best local and regional artists. It is a collaboration of the Tribes Hill music collective and the Beczak Environmental Education Center. Shows are the third Saturday of every month at Beczak, an eco-friendly renovation of a former factory social club along the Hudson River in downtown Yonkers.

Beczak Environmental Education Center is a non-profit organization that presents exhibits and programs for all ages to raise environmental awareness and to encourage informed stewardship of rivers.

Steps from Yonkers Amtrak and Metro-North station. Ample free parking.

upcoming shows:
March 19 - Gathering Time / Mike Agranoff
April 16 - Rob Morsberger / Ina May Wool
May 21 - Matt Turk / Tom Breiding