The Barn at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, home of the Midnight Ramble, has had 13 concert dates confirmed as canceled or postponed since a late-May management change.
Eight additional concert dates have been canceled at Levon Helm Studios, bringing the number of confirmed disruptions since a late-May management change to 13 as a public dispute over control of the Woodstock venue continues.
The studio’s website now lists canceled performances by Haley Heynderickx and Max García Conover on July 22, Shovels & Rope on July 23, Searows on July 24, Lola Kirke on Aug. 8, Jake Shimabukuro on Aug. 22, Shinyribs on Aug. 29, and Rachael & Vilray on Dec. 12.
An Oct. 8 performance by Angelo De Augustine also appears to have been canceled. The studio’s website labels the show “cancelled,” and no option to purchase tickets is available, though the venue has not separately confirmed its status.
Including that show, 13 concert dates have been disrupted since Brian Parillo took control of the studio in late May, with 10 cancellations and three postponements.
The venue has not publicly explained the latest cancellations, and there is no indication that each is connected to the management dispute. Other concerts remain scheduled, including sold-out performances by The Devil Makes Three, Brian Fallon and the Painkillers, and John Craigie.
The disruption comes as Parillo, 48, the studio’s new president and a longtime shareholder who said he produced the first Midnight Ramble in 2004, has accused Amy Helm of concealing company records and mismanaging the business.
Parillo accused Helm of “malfeasance” in a statement posted Monday to the studio’s official Instagram account. He also rejected the idea that Helm, the daughter of the late drummer Levon Helm, had a “birthright” to lead the institution her father founded.
“Sandy and I care deeply about Levon’s legacy, and we were worried it was being co-opted and mismanaged by Amy,” Parillo wrote, referring to Levon’s widow and Amy’s stepmother, Sandra “Sandy” Helm. “After attempting for years to resolve the dispute, our patience ran out.”
Parillo added: “No claim of ‘birthright’ washes clean a decade-plus of malfeasance.”
The post did not detail the alleged misconduct or include records supporting the accusations. A representative for Amy Helm said she could not speak in detail at this time, but reiterated that Amy and her family have “full faith in the legal system.”
The comments escalated a family feud that burst into public view over the weekend, when Amy Helm, 55, wrote on social media about the “disturbing circumstances” surrounding her father’s home and recording studio. Her post had drawn more than 7,000 reactions and almost 900 comments by Monday night, including many from fans and musicians opposing the management change.
Shows by the Tim O’Brien, Sam Grisman and Victor Furtado Trio scheduled for Aug. 13 and 14 at The Barn were among the previously announced cancellations. Grisman said on social media that refunds would automatically be issued through the original method of purchase.
The trio will instead perform one show at the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock on Aug. 13.
Grisman did not give a reason for the cancellations. His announcement included a photograph of Levon and Amy Helm together.
Three Midnight Ramble dates have also been postponed without a public explanation. A Helm Family Midnight Ramble scheduled for June 6 was postponed, while two Sun Records Midnight Ramble concerts scheduled for Aug. 1 and 2 are now listed as postponed, with new dates to be announced.
A confrontation between Amy Helm and Parillo drew Woodstock police to The Barn, as the concert space is known, on May 28. No charges were filed, and the two have given conflicting accounts of what happened.
Parillo said Monday that he offered Amy Helm a settlement after conducting the initial phase of what he described as an investigation and sharing the results with her. He declined to provide details of the proposed settlement or the investigation.
“Amy has made her response publicly known,” Parillo wrote. “She would rather burn her father’s company to the ground by mobilizing ignorance and hatred against LHS instead of accepting responsibility for her actions. If she can’t have it, then no one can.”
The statement also addressed the outpouring of support for Amy Helm on social media.
“People are quick to judge and slow to forgive,” the post reads. “I believe that it should be the exact opposite. We appreciate that you are coming from a good place in expressing your support for Amy, but we urge you to wait for the full story to come out.”
Sandra Helm separately objected to the public discussion of the dispute and what she described as an invasion of her privacy in an Instagram post on Monday.
“I refuse to be any part of the erroneous portrayal of my private life, or to stand idly by and watch Levon’s legacy to be besmirched,” the post reads. “This is no one else’s business. I welcome people to come here and enjoy what Levon left for us all to share and experience together.”
Several prominent musicians expressed support for Amy Helm.
Graham Nash, who, like Levon Helm, has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, wrote that he was sorry to hear what had occurred. Nash has performed at the venue.
“Here for you with all the support you need,” he wrote.
Connor Kennedy, a Woodstock guitarist and songwriter, said he would not return to the venue under its present management.
“I look forward to returning to play at Levon’s; a place that is home to me,” Kennedy wrote on Instagram. “But not until things are set right.”
Grahame Lesh, the son of the late Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh, also expressed support. He has performed with Amy Helm at The Barn and elsewhere.
“Amy, you know that the whole Lesh family is with you unconditionally,” Lesh wrote. “Like the rest of your musical family, the next time I play The Barn will be with YOU!”
This article was updated on July 16.
John W. Barry is a reporter for The Overlook. Reach him at john@theoverlooknews.com.
Noah Eckstein is the editor-in-chief of The Overlook. Send correspondence to noah@theoverlooknews.com.
