On April 30, the Bearsville Theater will flicker to life with the sounds of memory and music, hosting an evening that reaches from the bohemian cafés of Greenwich Village to the barns and back roads of Levon Helm’s Woodstock.
The event, “A Night of Freewheelin’ Music & Words,” is part book talk, part homegrown concert, and part fundraiser—supporting the Levon Helm Memorial Scholarship Fund at Onteora High School. The night will bring together authors, musicians, and community members in celebration of artistic culture.
“This is really a celebration of Woodstock’s legacy,” said event organizer and author John W. Barry. “This town has nurtured artists, writers, musicians for more than a century—it’s stitched into the cultural and economic fabric of the place.”
Barry, a former USA Today Network journalist who spent years chronicling music in the Hudson Valley, will be joined by Rolling Stone senior writer David Browne and Bloomberg columnist Francis S. Barry. Their conversation—set in the lounge at Bearsville—will trace the roots of American artistic expression: Browne’s book revisits Greenwich Village’s heyday, Barry’s explores the life of Levon Helm and his legendary Midnight Rambles, and Francis’ reflects a cross-country journey taken during the pandemic to understand America’s political divide.
Following the discussion, a supergroup of seasoned performers will take the stage as the Turkey Scratch All-Stars—named for Helm’s Arkansas hometown. Led by keyboardist Brian Mitchell, who played with Helm and recorded with Bob Dylan, the lineup includes trumpet player Steven Bernstein, bassist Mike Merritt, and drummer Eric Parker. “These are veterans of the Levon Helm Band,” Barry said. “I’ve known them 20 years—they’re the real deal.”
Barry, who spent nearly a decade embedded with Helm and his crew, says the scholarship tie-in was nonnegotiable. “Levon loved this community, and he loved its future—he’d hand kids drumsticks at shows. He never took Woodstock for granted,” Barry said. “Using his name to help a young person launch their life—that would make him smile.”
Tickets to the event are $30, with proceeds going toward both production costs and the scholarship fund. The evening is presented in collaboration with the Bearsville Theater and marks a renewed chapter for the venue, which has undergone revitalization under new management.
“Change is unavoidable,” Barry said. “But change can be inspiring. That’s what artists do—they evolve. That’s what Levon did. That’s what Dylan did. That’s what Woodstock continues to do.”
Editor’s Note: Lizzie Vann, owner of the Bearsville Theater, provides in-kind support to The Overlook.