When we interviewed National Park Radio last summer, touring the Northeast was on their “hope to” list. They hoped to play some gigs in that part of the country one day but were waiting for an opportunity to do so. The opportunity arrived this spring thanks to an invitation from Dartmouth College. The band was asked to do a private event there on May 18, 2024, and sent out feelers for other venues and private events to play along the way.
The husband-and-wife duo of Stefan and Kerrie Szabo primarily play small venues and house parties. One such venue is Dublin Corners Farm Brewery in Linwood, NY. Linwood is located in a very rural, out-of-the-way part of upstate New York.
“There is some very beautiful country we’ve driven through here in New York,” Stefan told me.
An audience of 50 or so listened as Stefan and Kerrie ran through their repertoire. They opened with “Wander,” a song from their latest album of the same name. Right from the opening notes of that first song and through the rest of their two-and-a-half hour set the couple projected an aura of being totally as one with their music. The words and music of each song seemed to come from some deep place within the essence of their being. If that description sounds mystical, it is not really. It is quite common among singer/songwriters who not only sing and play the music they create but feel it deeply as well.
National Park Radio does not have a big publicity machine to promote their music and tours. They rely on social media and word of mouth to “get the word out.” It seems to work rather well for them. Linwood may be an out-of-the-way place but between the promotion by Dublin Corners and the duo’s reputation the turnout was impressive.
One woman was there because her friend told her they had to go hear the band. The woman listened to National Park Radio’s music beforehand and agreed to go. She told me she was thoroughly enjoying the show. Another woman came because her daughter told her it would be worth her while. It was.
A man who lives in the Rochester area saw them in Montana when he traveled out that way for work. When he heard they were playing in Linwood he made a point of stopping by to see them. Another man heard their song “The Road Ahead” while heading out west and became an instant fan. He too was happy to learn National Park Radio was traveling to the Northeast.
Even the kids in the audience were into the music. Several of the younger set could be seen tapping their toes to “There Is A Fire.” Other songs in their set list were “Long, Long Night,” “The Great Divide,” Monochrome,” and “When The Morning Comes.” One of their lesser-known but most heartfelt songs was “I’d Do It All Over Again.”
After the show Kerrie and Stefan were as in tune breaking down their setup as they were when playing and singing. They were preparing to head east toward New Hampshire and Dartmouth.
“I feel pretty up,” Stefan said after their performance. “That will last for another hour or two and then I’ll feel a let down.” They planned to travel a couple of hours that night then find some place to stop over night. They were loading up the trailer they towed behind the Chevy van they called home while on the road when I last saw them.
If you want to hear original folk music played before a small audience by a husband-and-wife duo totally in tune with each other, National Park Radio is the band you want to hear.
