Celeb Shot: Erin Harkes
The local musician and comedian is gearing up for two of her biggest Saratoga shows yet. PLUS: wintertime experiences in Lake George, Kindred's new brunch and more.
Erin Harkes isn’t a Saratogian, but given the amount of time she’s spent performing in the Spa City, she might as well be. “Saratoga has been like a second home to me since 2001 when I started playing at Gaffney’s,” the Capital Regionite recently told me between bites of a bagel at Spot Coffee. “There was this unspoken—like, you know, ‘We're a family here.’ I was an outsider, and they welcomed me.”
More than two decades later, Harkes is at the pinnacle of her career as she gears up for two momentous shows at storied Saratoga venues. On Wednesday, November 29, she’ll kick off Lena Go Round, a monthly songwriter showcase at Caffe Lena, and on Wednesday, December 6, she’ll host a release party for her new YouTube special and comedy album as part of her monthly Women Aren’t Funny comedy series at Universal Preservation Hall.
“To have these two incredible venues and to be able to flex both [comedy and music] muscles on a regular basis with these two places…” she trails off. “I’m a Saratogian now.”
SLAH: How would you describe this current era of your life?
EH: For a long time I had been doing a lot of covers as a solo musician, which was basically 80 percent of my income. And my patience for those gigs just kind of died. I used to have no problem just being background music. It paid well. It was a decent job—I just got really tired of it. And so I started to make a shift toward comedy, which is all my own material all the time, and a shift toward original music. It’s not as lucrative, but it’s more worthwhile to me and better for my soul.
Did you always know you wanted to be a musician?
No, not even a little bit. My first quote-unquote dream of being a musician was watching Star Search when I was little. I would sing in my basement—hiding where nobody could hear me. I was always very shy. There was a part of me that always wanted to sing, but there was a bigger part of me that never thought it was possible. When I tried out for solos in high school, I never got them. I never stood out.
What changed?
I always say that it’s half ability and half balls. You can paraphrase—you don’t have to say balls. Because I think I knew that I had the ability, but I didn’t have the courage. And I had to slowly find that. You hear people that aren’t necessarily the best singers, but they’re working it and you enjoy watching and listening because you feel the confidence and you feel the passion. I think that’s better than somebody who’s really trained at it.
How’d you get into stand-up comedy?
I remember watching old comedy—the late-night stuff that we probably weren’t supposed to be watching—with my sister. I never thought about being a comedian, but I would start to tell stories while I was singing songs. I would get people to laugh on occasion, and it would be like, “Oh, that feels good.” It wasn’t until after I got sober that I was really drawn to wanting to try it. But I was very scared, and rightfully so. It’s still, to this day, one of the most terrifying things I’ve ever done. And one night about 11 years ago, a guy I knew was hosting an open mic and I happened to have the night off. I just said, “All right, I’m just going to do it.” Much like anything else that I was ever addicted to in my life, I was hooked immediately. But at least this might not kill me.
What’s something people don’t realize about being a comedian?
We don’t want help writing jokes.
Tell me about Women Aren’t Funny.
I host and produce the show. I usually bring two or three other comedians—all women, obviously. I’ve been pulling some local comics, some comics from New York, Boston. I have some friends in Toronto and other places. I know some comedians that live in LA but if they’re going to be in New York for a while, I try to line it up so they can come.
What’s special about the December 6 show?
This is a special event because I’m releasing a comedy album and a YouTube special. I was going to have a celebration regardless, so was like, Why not use this to draw attention to my monthly series? It’s such a beautiful venue; it just made sense to have it there.
How did the monthly songwriter showcase that will highlight rising talent at Caffe Lena come to be?
I get a little emotional when I think about it because stepping away from doing the cover shows and moving toward original music felt like quitting my day job, which is terrifying. When I played a show in June—my first time playing at Caffe Lena—I somehow sold it out. That was the turning point for me. I’m like, this is what I was meant to do. This is what I need to do. I had the idea for the songwriter showcase and honestly didn’t have high hopes. I sent a message that said, “Would you think about doing this?” And Caffe Lena was all for it. It was honestly the most flattered I’ve ever been in my whole life.
How would you describe your music style?
I always just say the word rock. Some people would describe it as folk, but I feel like it’s a little harder and edgier than that. I guess it’s a little bit of blues, too.
And your comedy style?
Definitely observational humor. A lot of self-deprecating humor. My poor, patient husband is a lot of my material. He’s such a good sport.
What’s your favorite thing about Saratoga?
I love the arts community. There’s always been such a good camaraderie between musicians. It’s not cutthroat. It’s more like, “How can we help you?” I remember playing a gig one time where I forgot a mic stand. I posted something on Facebook and somebody brought me a mic stand.
Do you have any philosophies?
Always ask. You can’t be afraid of rejection. A lot of times people are like, “How did you get that opportunity?” I’m like, “I asked for it.”
—Natalie
Brunch Goals
Saratogians just got one more option for a mid-morning weekend meal: Last week, Kindred began hosting Sunday brunch from 10am-3pm. On the menu? Four types of Benedict, chicken and waffles served with an over-easy egg and hot honey, a trio of flatbreads and a breakfast sandwich topped with gochujang aioli. And don’t forget the boozy brunch cocktails, like Sweet Potato Pie (vanilla vodka, Averna, Biscotti, cinnamon, milk, pumpkin and chai) and Razzle Dazzle (Kru cold brew, Effen raspberry vodka, demerara and Spirited Awakening coffee liqueur). New this Sunday: bottomless mimosas made with OJ, apple cider or cranberry juice.
State Champs
Speaking of boozy drinks, Saratoga apparently enjoys them even more than the rest of New York State. That’s according to an article published this week by the New York Post that dubs Saratoga Springs the “drunkest” city in the state. The article sites a recent study that found that the percentage of heavy drinkers in Saratoga is 5 percent above the national average of 19 percent and 6 percent above the state average of 18 percent. This week, many Saratogians wore this superlative as a badge of honor, sharing the above post about the article to their Instagram Story.
Match Day
This past Thursday marked the kickoff of Stewart’s Shops annual Holiday Match campaign, a program that to date has raised more than $36 million for local children’s charities. Shoppers at any Stewart’s location can donate to the cause at checkout, and at the end of the campaign (Christmas Day) Stewart’s will match the funds raised. Applications for funding are now open; to see a list of organizations that have received funding last year, click here.
In other Stewart’s news, the 2023 snow globe ornament is now available in stores.
Lake George Gets Lit
While the magical Ice Castles won’t be returning to Lake George this season (our unpredictable upstate winters made maintaining a castle made of ice quite difficult), two all-new immersive wintertime experiences will be coming to the shores of the Queen of American Lakes. First up is Winter Realms, an experience being put on by the creators of Ice Castles that features hundreds of thousands of lights, a 60-foot Christmas tree, visits with Santa, and a 60- by 90-foot ice skating rink. “I guarantee you,” Ice Castles Director of East Coast Operations Brad Buehlhorn said in a press conference Wednesday, “between the ice rink and the tree, we’ll give Rockefeller Center a run for its money.” Winter Realms opened yesterday; get tickets now.
Later this winter (December 8, to be exact) a second interactive experience will welcome guests to experience the magic of the season. Winter’s Dream is a series of immersive multimedia installations that will transform the Fort William Henry historical fortress into a fantastical dreamscape. Created by Montreal-based entertainment studio Moment Factory, which specializes in “bringing people together in public spaces to share collective moments of wonder,” per Lead Concept Writer Bronwyn Averett, Winter’s Dream is certainly something you’ll need to see to believe.