LIVE: The McKrells @ Music Haven, 8/12/12

Photographs by Stanley Johnson

It’s certainly not the way that you would want to end your season, but what can you do? The music world is full of the unexpected, and you’ve got to be able to improvise…

The Music Haven in Schenectady’s Central Park was slated to wrap up its 2012 season with the Irish band McPeake. But unfortunately, the band was unable to get into the U.S. due to a last minute visa snafu, so they were forced to cancel their Schenectady appearance.

Mona Golub and her staff – who produce the free Music Haven concert series each summer – did some last-minute scrambling and finally convinced the McKrells to do a double-header – playing the Central Park concert immediately following their previously booked show down in Catskill.

And it all worked out wonderfully. The father-and-daughter team of Kevin and Katie McKrell brought along a top-notch line-up of musicians – including fiddler-vocalist Sarah Milonovich, bassist-vocalist Rick Bedrosian, guitarist Greg Anderson and banjoist-mandolinist Chris Leske.

Opening the show were fiddler Jane Rothfield and guitarist Allan Carr – one-half of the traditional folk band Red Hen – opened the show in fine fashion.

And a grand time was had by all.