Nestled in the rolling hills between the Catskills and the Helderberg Mountains sits one of New York’s most unlikely music venues. Hidden down a quiet country road in Medusa, Velvet Earth Farm doesn’t announce itself with neon signs or marquee lights. Instead, it invites listeners into a weathered barn, sprawling fields and a community built around the simple idea that music deserves to be heard with intention.
For the last several years, owner Dmitriy Bolotny has transformed the former farm into a DIY listening sanctuary, hosting an intimate concert series each month from May through September. National touring musicians stop there not because it’s the biggest payday on the tour, but because it’s one of the most unique. Artists play to attentive audiences, camp beneath the stars and become part of a community that values connection over spectacle. Despite growing up only a few miles away, I somehow had never made the trip to Velvet Earth Farm until July 10. I arrived looking forward to seeing New Orleans favorites The Deslondes. I left having experienced something far more profound.
Ironically, while the significantly more famous “other” barn just down the road at Levon Helm Studios continues to be embroiled in a public dispute over ownership and legacy, Velvet Earth Farm felt refreshingly free of that kind of noise. There was no pretense, no politics and no sense that anyone was trying to recreate a legend. Instead, Bolotny has quietly built something rooted in hospitality, artistic curiosity and a genuine love for musicians and audiences alike. That purity of purpose could be felt from the moment people began unfolding lawn chairs, spreading blankets and greeting strangers like old friends.
The night began with a solo set from Brooklyn alt-country artist Twain, the stage name of singer-songwriter Mat Davidson, whose résumé includes collaborations with members of Big Thief and former bands Low Anthem and Spirit Family Reunion. Inside the Velvet Earth barn, conversation disappeared almost immediately. Twain’s songs floated gently through the room, somewhere between folk, country and slow-burning indie rock. Every lyric demanded attention. Every silence felt intentional. It became obvious within minutes that this wasn’t the kind of audience checking phones between songs. People leaned forward. Children sat quietly. Even shifting in your chair almost felt like breaking an unspoken agreement. By the final notes, Davidson had the farm completely hypnotized.
One of Velvet Earth Farm’s greatest strengths isn’t just the music, it’s what happens between it. Guests wandered the grounds, explored the property and shared conversations with complete strangers. Others visited the beverage tent operated by Schoharie County’s Wayward Lane Brewing, whose partnership with the venue has become a regular fixture over the past two seasons. While Bolotny doesn’t drink himself, he understands that hospitality means creating space for everyone, and Wayward Lane has become an ideal partner in helping cultivate that atmosphere. Everywhere you looked there was movement, but none of it felt rushed. The evening unfolded at the pace the music demanded.
Back inside the barn came another trip to New Orleans. Chris Acker & the Growing Boys delivered what may have been the biggest surprise of the evening. Acker writes songs the way great short-story authors write fiction. Equal parts humor, heartbreak and blue-collar honesty. Whether joking between songs or quietly unraveling tales of ordinary people, he possessed the effortless charisma of someone who’s spent years perfecting his craft without ever needing the spotlight. Backed by pedal steel player Nikolai Shveitser, bassist Zach Tomas, drummer Sam Gelband and guitarist Dave Hammer, The Growing Boys elevated every song with understated elegance. By the end of the set, one question lingered. How isn’t Chris Acker a household name?
Then came the moment everyone would be talking about afterward. Following Acker’s performance, Bolotny invited the audience to leave the barn and follow him into the nearby pasture. A short walk later, listeners gathered around hay bales as twilight settled across the Catskills. Fresh off releasing their remarkable debut album Secret Earth, New Orleans string band Coralai performed Velvet Earth Farm’s annual twilight field set.
Playing instrumental compositions inspired by nature, Coralai allowed the landscape to become another member of the ensemble. Wind moved through the tall grass. Birds answered between songs. Fireflies slowly emerged as daylight disappeared. With mountains stretching across the horizon and the sky changing colors by the minute, it genuinely felt like being baptized in the arts. It was one of the most beautiful concert settings I’ve ever experienced. There were moments throughout the evening when I questioned whether I belonged there. The audience seemed deeply connected, not only to the venue, but to each other and to this particular corner of the musical universe. However, when Coralai began to play, suddenly those thoughts disappeared and there wasn’t anywhere else I wanted to be.
After a quick deer tick check, everyone returned to the Velvet Earth barn where folding chairs disappeared, making room for dancing. Bolotny introduced the night’s headliners to thunderous applause. Few modern Americana bands embody the spirit of New Orleans quite like The Deslondes. Formed more than fifteen years ago as informal jam sessions on Deslonde Street, the band comprised of Sam Doores, Riley Downing, Dan Cutler, Howe Pearson and John James Tourville has become one of Americana’s most beloved cult bands. Rather than revolving around one songwriter or one frontman, all of its members contribute songs and share vocal duties, creating an ever-changing musical conversation rooted in friendship as much as musicianship.
Drawing equally from classic country, Western swing, rural blues, rockabilly, folk, R&B, jazz and old-time New Orleans traditions, The Deslondes wear their roots on their sleeves. Their music has often been described as a musical gumbo with equal parts The Band, Allen Toussaint, George Jones, Fats Domino and front porch folk music. That communal approach has earned them immense respect throughout the New Orleans music community, where they’re regarded not simply as an outstanding band but as ambassadors of the city’s collaborative spirit.
Their latest recordings, including material from their covers album, Don’t Let It Die: Vol. 1, alongside fan favorites spanning their entire catalog, perfectly captured that chemistry. As one member stepped forward to sing, another stepped back. Songs flowed seamlessly between writers, personalities and moods and the result felt wonderfully organic. The Deslondes famously describe themselves as bringing “less honkin’ and more tokin’,” and this Friday night they absolutely lived up to that reputation.
Couples swing danced in front of the stage. Others stomped across the old barn floor with joyful abandon. Nobody stood still for long. Yet beneath the easygoing charm remained what has always separated The Deslondes from many of their contemporaries. Their extraordinary songwriting. Songs about family, wandering, heartbreak and the open road carried equal measures of melancholy and optimism, delivered with weathered sincerity rather than manufactured nostalgia. Still, when it came time for their song “Muddy Water,” I couldn’t help but feel like they we’re looking deep into my soul.
“Run to the holler
By the old trash pile
Pig farm’s closed
But kids are still hog wildRun to the river
-Lyrics from “Muddy Water”
By the jumping bridge
I play my blues
For the small town kid”
Like Velvet Earth Farm itself, The Deslondes aren’t interested in chasing trends. They’re interested in authenticity. Bolotny often speaks about wanting Velvet Earth Farm to become more than just another venue. He wants it to become a gathering place. A refuge. A home for touring musicians who might otherwise bypass rural upstate New York altogether. Judging by the smiles leaving the property that night, he’s succeeded.
Driving home through the winding back roads, I kept thinking about how strange it was that I had lived only minutes away from this place for so much of my life without ever experiencing it. Maybe that’s part of Velvet Earth Farm’s magic. It isn’t trying to become the next Levon Helm’s Barn. It doesn’t need the mythology, celebrity or headlines. And it certainly doesn’t need the controversy. While others may spend years debating ownership of a legacy, Bolotny is quietly building one of his own one concert, one artist and one unforgettable evening at a time.
The 2026 season continues on August 15 with another New Orleans-inspired evening featuring Anna Moss, Sabine McCalla and Key West folk duo Jess & Jill before concluding September 19 with Johnny Franco & His Real Brother Dom alongside Joseph Terrell and Gina Leslie. If you’ve never visited Velvet Earth Farm, don’t wait much longer. Go. Bring a blanket. Meet someone new. Listen closely. In an era where live music can often feel transactional, Velvet Earth Farm reminds us that concerts can still build community, inspire wonder and leave us just a little different than when we arrived. Support places like this. They don’t come around very often.
Twain | July 10, 2026 | Velvet Earth Farm | Medusa, NY
Chris Acker & the Growing Boys | July 10, 2026 | Velvet Earth Farm | Medusa, NY
Coralai | July 10, 2026 | Velvet Earth Farm | Medusa, NY
The Deslondes | July 10, 2026 | Velvet Earth Farm | Medusa, NY
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