Drank the Gold

Saturday April 18 2026

Drank the Gold are Oona Grady (fiddle/viola/vocals) and James Gascoyne (guitar/banjo/vocals), who play and sing North Atlantic dance tunes and folk songs.    

Steeped in Irish music for as far back as she can remember, Oona spent many years living in Cork, Ireland, where she honed her skills as a fiddle player and Irish music specialist. Upon moving back to her hometown of Ithaca, NY, Oona immersed herself in the local traditional music scene and incorporated old time and Cajun tunes into her repertoire.

Growing up outside Louisville, KY, James was surrounded by music from an early age; radio, vinyl records, church music, and live concerts were a part of daily life. Finding his own musical style as an adult, James always keeps his ears open for sounds – new, old, familiar, or strange. While singing and playing guitar and banjo with Drank The Gold, he delves into the traditions of American old time and Irish dance tunes, while keeping true to his borderless, experimental musical roots.

Performer web page: DrankTheGold.com

Kray Van Kirk

Saturday May 16 2026

A fine finger-style guitarist with a precise baritone, Kray Van Kirk has a Ph.D. from the University of Alaska, but he set science aside to write songs, tell stories and summon heroes. “We are driven by myth and the seasons of the heart,” he says, “and the stories are all true. There is a dark cave inside each of us, and monsters of all kinds lurk there, all the more lethal for being hidden. The quest is to journey inside, render the monsters powerless, find whatever it is that burns at the core of your soul and bring it back into the light. In a world divided it is critical to write songs and tell stories that show absolutely everyone they get to be the hero. Nobody is left behind.” Of this charming, Quixotic, and decidedly eclectic performer, the Borderline Folk Club in New York wrote, “It is what every singer-songwriter should aspire to.”

Performer web page: krayvankirk.com