• 14850 Cinema main page

Ithaca, 3 May 06 -- Central New York is never short on folk musicians, but this month we have a rare opportunity to welcome the only independent folksinger ever to set a Guinness World Record. Lis Harvey comes to Cortland and Ithaca next weekend, gracing the stage at the Blue Frog Coffeehouse on Friday, and Juna's Cafe on Saturday.

• Blue Frog Coffeehouse
• Juna's Cafe

Following a trio of shows in California last week and this weekend, the hard-touring Harvey is heading east to start a mid-May sweep of the northeast beginning next Thursday night in Schenectady and wrapping up in Ashland, New Hampshire on the 19th, before heading to the heartland.

It sounds like a busy May, but it's nothing compared to the alt-folksinger's claim to fame; the Guinness Book of World Records recognized her for making the first solo tour of all fifty states in just sixty days. Harvey, who's performed in Ithaca before, explains, "I was going through an over-achievement phase." She says she's glad she didn't try to do fifty states in fifty days. "It's important to have room to grow!"

Other than having to fly to Hawaii and Alaska for gigs in those distant states, Harvey's record-setting tour was entirely a road trip. "Although I did have a private jet offer from some company that rents private jets to Really Rich People. They got off the phone fast when they realized I don't fit into that category."

During brief interludes when she's not on the road, Harvey says she's learning to grow things, experimenting with gardening in "scary-looking mondo pots" she got from Freecycle. "It is wondrous to play in the dirt and wrangle with things like roots and sun and the right amount of water. Little tomatoes, yellow peppers, herbs and amaryllis... I can't wait to come back from the road and see how tall my bits have grown."

But first, Cortland's Blue Frog Coffeehouse has an impressive lineup this weekend. The always-popular Edie Carey plays the Frog on Friday evening at 8, Rachael Davis performs Saturday at 8, and Peter Mulvey will share some material from his new album on Sunday at 7. Don't miss these shows!