Casey Neill to perform in Saranac Lake Saturday
SARANAC LAKE — Singer-songwriter Casey Neill performs in an intimate solo concert at Lake Flower Landing in Saranac Lake on Saturday.
Tyler Dezago, of High on the Hog, will open the evening. The concert is at 7:30 p.m., doors at 7 p.m. Admission is $15 at-the-door.
A prolific songwriter and road warrior since the late 1990s, Neill has been filtering post-hardcore energies into tales of wry lamentation, influenced by traditional music of both the British Isles and Americana, with a fascination where classic rock, The Clash and Bruce Springsteen intersect. With some 14 releases to his name, Neill has been a key, though less recognized, member of the Portland indie scene for decades.
Neill surrounds himself with a four-star supporting cast called The Norway Rats including members of The Eels, Minus 5, The Decemberists and Lucinda Williams’ band, and a guest appearance by Peter Buck (R.E.M.). His latest release as a bandleader of the Norway Rats, “Sending Up Flares,” hints at a European influence, with songs that channel everything from the cinematic sweep of golden-era U2 to the dark, complex alt-rock of PJ Harvey.
Neill travels throughout the states, Japan and Europe performing at venues such as Town Hall in New York, Bumbershoot, the Newport Folk Festival, and a recent U.S. tour as the opening act for the Indigo Girls. Neill has busked with Pete Seeger in Grand Central Station, toured with the Dead Kennedys’ frontman Jello Biafra, and has collaborated with many of the world’s finest traditional Scottish and Irish musicians. Neill’s song-writing stand firmly on a traditional foundation while still informed by contemporary voices.