Activist Holly Near Set to Perform at Caffe Lena, Aug. 5th

SARATOGA SPRINGS – On Aug. 5th, legendary singer/songwriter, actress, teacher, and activist Holly Near is set to perform at Caffe Lena. The artist continues to inspire and reveal the power of social change through song, with a career that spans five decades. Performing alongside Near that night are John Bucchino, Jan Martinelli, and Christelle Durandy.

After 50 years of bold work, Holly Near is still one of the most consistent and well-informed voices for change. Her work is loving, challenging, funny, and thought-provoking, and remains rooted in the global community. As an outspoken singer and ambassador for peace, Near brings a unique integration of world consciousness and self-evaluation, always growing and sharing her experience humbly and boldly.

With a background in both music and theater, Near enjoyed success as an actress before changing her focus to songwriting, making the most of her clear voice and knack for compelling melodies. In 1971, Near joined the cast of Free the Army, an activist entertainment group founded by Jane Fonda that performed off-base for soldiers in the U.S. and the Pacific. Working with FTA helped focus Near’s ideas about the importance of music in activism and the rising women’s movement. She went on to become a major figure in the rise of the women’s music movement in the ’70s. Near is known for the anthemic quality of many of her songs. As a songwriter, she takes up the challenge of turning big concepts into small, personal stories. In response to the slaughter of the students at Kent State, she wrote “It Could Have Been Me.” And following the assassinations of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk in San Francisco, she penned “Singing For Our Lives,” which has become an anthem for the LGBTQ community and appears in the Unitarian Church hymnal.

It seems that whenever we need the comfort and wisdom provided by Holly’s art, she is there for us, like a loyal friend at the ready with an understanding, warm hug. Always refreshingly kind and down to earth, Holly makes everyone feel at home at her performances.

– San Francisco Bay Times.

In 2019, Near began a website project called Because of a Song, an online historical archive that documents some of the influential artists that rose from the feminist lesbian music scene in Oakland, California. The site can be viewed at www.becauseofasong.com. A recipient of dozens of awards from organizations such as the ACLU and the National Organization of Women, Near was one of Ms. Magazine’s Women of the Year recipients and has been nominated for Grammys as well as the Legends of Women’s Music Award. Near reflects: “I do not separate my music from my heart, nor do I separate my ideas from my daily life. I open myself up to learning as much as I can about humanity and this mysterious life experience … Moment by moment, I integrate what I learn into my personal life, personalizing my politics. It is from this personal place that I write my songs.”

TICKET INFORMATION:

Doors open at 7:30 pm for the 8:00 pm show. Tickets are $35.00 for general admission, $32.00 for members, and $17.50 for students and children. To purchase your tickets, please click here. For those that wish to catch the show via livestream, they may do so by purchasing access for $5.00. To purchase livestream access, please click here.