By Danny Coleman
originally published: 10/22/2020
"Most of these songs are like old friends to us; we grew up with them and they stuck with us both musically and lyrically. A song like "At Seventeen" by Janis Ian is one that we covered and it helped all three of us get through our teenaged years and it still resounds with people today. So, we've gotten to be old friends and these songs certainly are like that also."
Gathering Time are a Long Island, NY folk trio with four previous albums under their collective belts and they have been quietly making in-roads in the folk music genre for more than a decade. These three muses have recently delved back into their and many others pasts with a new album of cover material; a departure from their norm.
"The album is called "Old Friends" and we released an advance single from it in July because the album is entirely sort of iconic 1960's and 70's folk rock songs; or at least songs by iconic groups and songwriters,"says Stuart Markus one of the founders of the group.
"We've done four albums of mostly originals with one or two covers or songs by our friends. We do a fair number of tributes shows, parks concerts, library shows for example where we have specialty shows all built around 1960's and 70's folk rock which is really the music that has influenced us the most; we kept on having people coming up to us and asking if we had an album of us just doing that. So, after four albums of originals we decided to put one together and as time went on and we started working on it and times being what they are, we decided to include a number of the particularly socially and politically conscience songs of the era as well and that's gotten a lot of attention over the last four months."
Gathering Time? An interesting and somewhat open ended moniker for a folk trio; so, how did it come about?
"All three of us live here on Long Island and we are called Gathering Time,"continued Markus, "We were at a folk conference called N.E.R.F.A the North East Regional Folk Alliance and we had been trying to come up with a name for months and we could never come up with one that we all agreed on. So, we were at this conference and got a whole lot of attention there from folk deejays who came up to us and said, "When you get something recorded, we want to play it" and several concert presenters who said, "When you guys decide on a name let us know, we want to book you" so we had to finally decide on one. The thing about these N.E.R.F.A conferences is that there is music happening all over the place and whenever we started singing and harmonizing people would just gather around and we noticed that this was thje case whether it was there or singing on the streets for fun or at a local pub. So, we said, ok let's do something with gathering; we had a couple of variations of that; gathering strength, hmm maybe not; gathering dust definitely didn't work. I suggested Gathering Time and everyone kind of looked quizzically and said, "Yeah, that's kind of cool" and then we realized that it could go two ways; time for gathering like people getting together or harvest time or it could be "If I could save time in a bottle" like if you could collect time and save it up. So, we all kind of went with that."
"Old Friends"is a collection of classic material that dotted their set lists pretty much all of their lives, so when the decision was made to record them it should have been a fairly easy task; or was it?
"Our first album came out in '08, so we do one about every three years or so but this one took a lot longer to produce than we expected it to but it came out pretty well. We thought this would be quick and easy to knock out because we've been playing these songs so long but as we got into the recording process we kind of expanded our sights and said, these songs could use some drum parts so we had to go to a studio and find a drummer to work on those, we decided to add other guitar parts; we are three people, two of us play guitar and bass, one of us plays mostly percussion and all three of us sing. So, we decided to produce the best sounding album that we could rather than just reproducing what we do live so that kept on adding time. Then there were other things that happened; the studio's computer hard drive had a melt down and the engineer decided that it was time to build himself a new one and that caused a few months of delays. One of our people's day jobs got really onerous and he had to take some time off because he was working 12-hour days and he was too wiped; so, delays kept on happening. It kind of felt like something was holding us back until this particular time and we thought, OK now is the time to release the album."
"It's more folk rock than pure folk. There is one Peter, Paul and Mary song on there but the album opens with "Turn! Turn! Turn!" by The Byrds which is really the first folk rock band; it was a song written by Pete Seeger so there's the folk connection. We've got "Get Together" by The Youngbloods, a couple of songs by Simon & Garfunkle, one by Joni Mitchell, one by Gordon Lightfoot; it sort of runs the gamut. We have one that was written for Blood, Sweat & Tears, one by the Grateful Dead, ("Ripple") who had a folky side that people sometimes forget about; it's all these acts that kind of had a foot both in rock and folk to some degree so..."
Over the years, they have been a model of consistency with very few tweaks; well OK, there was one variation.
"There was one change; one guy who did our first two albums and was with us for our first six years or so. He decided to step back because we were starting to tour more and more and I don't think he liked being away from his wife; he never quite gave us the reason but he decided to quit the band in the Fall of 2012 but he stayed with us through all of the gigs that we had booked at the time and his last gig with us was in March of 2013. We brought in Gerry McKeveney to replace him and Gerry and I actually knew each other from a songwriter's workshop group from back in the 1990's. I didn't realize the skillset that he had was exactly what we were looking for; a few friends had suggested him, I gave him a call and we had a nice conversation and he turned out to be the first and the last person we auditioned and he's been with us for seven and a half or eight years now and then there's Hilary Foxsong who has been with us from the beginning."
With the album released and the world in flux; what is next going forward? Markus says that here too they have a plan.
"Well," he said with a laugh,"Right now; promoting the album. It just seems like a timely time to release it with everything that is going on and maybe some of these iconic songs have found new found relevance to the times. So, we're trying to ride out the publicity that we're getting on this; we actually promoted it to folk radio and it came up the number one album on the folk DJ chart for September. We've done some streaming shows, we did some outdoor shows over the summer that were deemed safe enough with people and us well-spaced enough. We'll do some shows from Gerry's living room which is fairly large and just do the best we can to ride out the storm and once it's safe enough to stick our heads out hopefully we'll be out and touring again. It has been tough on musicians. The three of us can get together but we don't want to do it where the audience can't gather safely; we did a couple of drive in concerts here on Long Island over the summer and one parks concert where they actually put chalk circles in the grass telling people where to sit so that they can stay safely spaced; it's certainly was better than not playing at all."
Markus says the album is available,"Via downloads or physical cd"and that the best way to puchase it and/or to find out more about them is to visitwww.Gathering-time.com .
That's it for this week! Please continue to support live and original music and until next week....ROCK ON!
This week's event listings
Al's Airport Inn636 Bear Tavern Road West Trenton
(609) 883-5252
Wed. 4 p.m. LGBTQ Happy Hour
Arts Council of Princeton 102 Witherspoon Street Princeton
(609) 924-8777
Sat. 3 p.m. Day of the Dead Workshop: "Sugar Skulls." $30 (advance)
Candlelight Lounge 24 Passaic Street Trenton
(609) 695-9612
Thurs. 6 p.m. Thursday Night Blues Jam Hosted by The Mojo Gypsies. $5 (Includes hot buffet)
Championship Bar 931 Chambers street Trenton
(609) 396-5457
Tuesday 8 p.m. "Jam Night" Hosted by Nikki & Caleb
Clubhouse at Mountain View 850 Bear Tavern Road Ewing
(609) 771-0400
Thurs. 6 p.m. Lisa Bouchelle
Fri. 6 p.m. Full Grown Men
COARadio.com 125 South Main Street Hightstown
(609) 241-7103
Sun. 7 p.m. "Rock On Radio" feat. Matt O'Ree w/ Eryn O'Ree and Estelle Massry
Cooper's Riverview 50 Riverview Plaza Trenton
(609) 393-7300
Thurs. 8 p.m. El Ka Bong
Fri. 7 p.m. The Mega Tones
Sat. 7 p.m. "Social Saturdays" feat. 80's Undercover
Mon. 7 p.m. "Sunny Monday Blues Jam"
Dacey's Pub 215 West Philadelphia Avenue Morrisville, PA
(215) 295-4838
Fri. 6 p.m. "Acoustic Music Night "
All Events Ages 21+
Dog & Bull Brew House 810 Bristol Pike (Rte. 13) Croydon, PA.
(215) 788-2855
Fri. 6 p.m. Jeff Selby
Sat. (12 p.m.) "Howl-O-Ween Dog Costume Party" "Saturday Brunch" feat. (4 p.m.) Nothing But A Nightmare
Sun. 4 p.m. Brian Elliot
German American Society 215 Uncle Pete's Road Hamilton
(609) 585-5200
Fri. 7 p.m. "Witches Ball Tricky Tray" Hosted by The Jeremy Fund. $25 includes a sheet of tickets. (This is a Biergarten event)
Hamilton Tap & Grill 557 US Route 130 North Hamilton
(609) 905-0925
Fri. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Tues. 8 p.m. Quizzoholics Trivia
Hopewell Valley Vineyards 46 Yard Avenue Pennington
(609) 737-4465
Thurs. 5 p.m. Sahara Moon
Fri. 5 p.m. "Music & Merlot" feat. Just Us
Sat. (1 p.m.) Victor Tarassov & Yannaki Arrizza (5 p.m.) "Music & Merlot" feat. Catmoondaddy
Sun. 2 p.m. "Jazzy Sundays" feat. Hopewell Valley Jazz Ensemble
Iron Plow Vineyards 26750 Mount Pleasant Road Columbus
(732) 306-9111
Fri. 6 p.m. Terry Revel
Sat. 7 p.m. Jon Savage
Sun. 2 p.m. AudioPilot
Laurita Winery 85 Archertown Road New Egypt
(609) 752-0200
Thurs. 5 p.m. "Cornhole Tournament"
Fri. 6 p.m. "Vineyard Vibes October Music Series on the Lawn" feat. Pennington Station Band. $15 (advance)
Sat. 11 a.m. "Fall Festival" w/ (11:30 a.m.) Gary Philips (3 p.m.) Roundabout (6:30 p.m.) Dan & Nicole
Sun. 11:30 a.m. "Fall Festival" w/ (12 p.m.) Living The Dream (4 p.m.) Rick Winow
Wed. 12 p.m. "Girls Night Out"
Mamma Rosa's 572 Klockner Road Hamilton
(609) 588-5454
Fri. 6 p.m. Paul Plumeri & Joe Zook
Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company909 Ray Avenue Croydon, PA
(215) 458-7081
Tues. 5 p.m. "Adult Trick or Treating"
Odd Logic Brewing Co.500 Bristol Pike, Bristol, PA
Thurs. 6 p.m. Beer Trivia
Fri. 6:30 p.m. "Paint & Pints"
Old Town Pub 135 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown
(609) 291-9232
Thurs. 8 p.m. Quizzoholics Trivia
Palmer SquareNassau Street Princeton
Sat.12 p.m. Kindred Spirit
Patriots Crossing 1339 River Road Titusville
(609) 737-2780
Thurs. 8 p.m. Open Mic Night
Wed. 7 p.m. "Quizzo"
Princeton Country Club1 Wheeler Way West Windsor
(609) 452-9382
Fri. 6 p.m. Kindred Spirit
Revere Restaurant802 River Road Ewing
(609) 882-6365
Sat. 6 p.m. Danny Lynch Project
Romeo's Restaurant & Pizza10 Schalks Crossing Road Plainsboro
(609) 799-4554
Fri. 7 p.m. "Halloween Celebration" w/ the Blue Eyed Balladeer
Rossi's Bar & Grill 2110 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton
(609) 890-2004
Thurs. 6 p.m. Ernie White
Sparky World Famous Beer Garden4333 New Falls Road Levittown, PA
(215) 943-2321
Thurs. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Mon. 9 p.m. Game Night w/ Kid Dalton
Temperance House 5 South State Street Newtown, PA
(215) 944-8050
Thurs. 7p.m. "Blues Night" w/ Steve Guyger
Fri. 7 p.m. Bad Hombres
Tues. 8 p.m. Trivia w/ Righteous Jolly (outdoors)
Wed. 7 p.m. Open Mic Night w/ Cara Cartney
Terhune Orchards 330 Cold Soil Road Princeton
(609) 924-2310
Sat. 12 p.m. Michael Patrick w/ Suburban Relics
The Beer Garden at Snipes Farm 890 West Bridge Street Morrisville, PA
Sat. 9 a.m. "Fall Weekends On The Farm" Farm Fair
Sun. 10 a.m. "Fall Weekends On The Farm" Farm Fair
The Bog (Cranbury Golf Club)
49 Southfield Road West Windsor
(609) 799-0341
Sat. 7 p.m. Halloween Party w/ Guns 4 Hire. Ages 21+, $75 (Includes costume contest, buffet, 3 hour open bar)
The Cool Cricket 216 Burlington Street Fieldsboro
(609) 291-9110
Fri. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Sat. 6 p.m. Drunken Clams
Trenton Social 449 South Broad Street Trenton
(609) 989-7777
Thurs. 5 p.m. "Happy Hour Throwback Thursday" w/ Jay Kountree
Fri. 5 p.m. DJ ItsJustAhmad
Mon. 8 p.m. "Monday Night Karaoke" Hosted by Sweets
Tues. 7 p.m. Open Mic Night w/ Kyle & Mike
Triumph Brewing Company (New Hope, Pa. Location)
400 Union Square New Hope, Pa.
(215) 862-8300
Thurs. 8 p.m. Trivia
Sun. 7 p.m. Open Stage
Working Dog Winery 610 Windsor Perrineville Road Hightstown
(609) 371-6000
Sat. 1 p.m. Rob Messina
Sun. 2 p.m. Chris Swatt
WWFM 89.1 FM HD2 RadioMCCC Old Trenton Road West Windsor
Jazzon2.org
Mon. 7 p.m. "Danny Coleman's Got The Blues"
About the author:
Danny Coleman is a veteran musician and writer from central New Jersey. He hosts a weekly radio program entitled 'Rock On Radio' airing Sunday evenings at 7:00pm EST on ThePenguinRocks.com where he features indie/original bands and solo artists.
EVENT PREVIEWS
The Newton Theatre presents Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives on August 12th
(NEWTON, NJ) -- The Newton Theatre presents Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives on Wednesday, August 12, 2026 at 7:00pm. In a career spanning over 50 years, dozens of albums, and too many shows to count, Marty Stuart charts a course through new territory at every chance possible.
BoDeans - 40th Anniversary Tour comes to Newton Theatre in August
(NEWTON, NJ) -- BoDeans are celebrating the 40th anniversary of their critically acclaimed debut album, Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams, in 2026. In honor of the anniversary, the band has a special tour planned which comes to The Newton Theatre on Friday, August 14, 2026 at 8:00pm.
Music Box at the Borgata presents The Marshall Tucker Band on August 14th
(ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) -- Music Box at the Borgata presents The Marshall Tucker Band on Friday, August 14, 2026 at 7:30pm.
Christone "Kingfish" Ingram to Headline 2026 Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival
(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Christone "Kingfish" Ingram has been announced as the headliner for the 2026 Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival. The free festival will be held on Saturday, August 15th on the Green. The music begins at noon and runs until 10:00pm. The lineup also includes James Langton New York All-Star Big Band, Richard Baratta Gotham City Latin/Jazz Septet, LaBamba and the Hubcaps, and Dylan Triplett.
The Newton Theatre presents Supernova: A Tribute to Oasis on August 15th
(NEWTON, NJ) -- Supernova: A Tribute to Oasis comes to The Newton Theatre on Saturday, August 15, 2026 at 8:00pm. They are an Oasis tribute band obsessed with recreating the raw energy, intensity and swagger of a real Oasis gig.
Rob Garrett's Neil Diamond: The Tribute comes to Atlantic City
(ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) -- The Grand at Golden Nugget Atlantic City presents Rob Garrett's Neil Diamond Tribute on Saturday, August 15, 2026 at 8:00pm. The longtime Las Vegas performer has been called "the best of the best" when it comes to tribute acts.
Showboat Resorts Garden Pier hosts RE-WIND 69' Music Festival
(ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) -- The inaugural RE-WIND 69' Music Festival at Showboat Resorts Garden Pier takes place August 14-16, 2026 - the anniversary weekend of the original Woodstock 1969 festival. This is a spectacular revival of a moment in American history when music united generations, healed communities, and sparked cultural change. For three unforgettable days, Atlantic City becomes a living time capsule, bringing the spirit of Woodstock and 1969 back to life through world-class recreations of the now legendary musical performances by a dynamic mix of New Jersey musicians along with national and international touring acts.
Widespread Panic to Play Three Nights at Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena
(ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) -- Widespread Panic is taking over Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena for three nights from August 14-16, 2026 with shows at 8:00pm each night. The popular jam band has been together over three decades. Tickets are available for each show individually or as a 3-Day Pass.
The Temptations to Bring the Motor City to the Ocean City Boardwalk on August 18th
(OCEAN CITY, NJ) -- Legendary Motown group The Temptations look to continue their celebrated touring schedule with a summer stop at America's Greatest Family Resort, Ocean City, New Jersey on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers and multiple GRAMMY Award winners celebrate more than six decades of hits with their acclaimed live performances, remain one of the most enduring and influential groups in American popular music. Renowned worldwide for their signature harmonies, impeccable choreography, and an iconic catalog of timeless hits, their legacy continues to span generations.
Prudential Center presents Reggae stars Beres Hammond and Beenie Man on August 20th
(NEWARK, NJ) -- Newark will see a night of reggae's best when Beres Hammond and Beenie Man perform live at Prudential Center on Saturday, August 20, 2026 at 8:00pm. Experience the artistry of Beres Hammond, one of Jamaica's most esteemed vocalists, as he graces the stage with Marcia Griffiths and Baby Cham. It will be an exceptional evening featuring the captivating performances of reggae music, showcasing soulful melodies and heartfelt expressions.
FEATURED EVENTS
