by Tim Nekritz | nekritz@gmail.com
To say one of the most distinctive musical venues in the region is off the beaten path is an understatement.
Nestled in the woods off rural Kent Road, just west of the Oswego County line, one can find Sterling Stage, with a unique vibe, friendly atmosphere and devoted following.
How did a draw for musicians and music fans grow deep in the woods in the town of Sterling?
It started with a friendship and a shared love for music, said Eric McElveen, who has run Sterling Stage operations for nearly three decades.
“Tommy Ryan, the venue owner, and I, held our first event Memorial Day Weekend 1995,” McElveen recalled.
“He had been working it as a Christmas tree farm and was exploring creative alternatives for his land. I was looking for a place in the area to start a music festival; we are both Deadheads,” or fans of the music of the Grateful Dead, McElveen explained. “A mutual friend of ours, Terry Finch, got us together and it took off from there.”
True to the DNA of something established by Deadheads, Sterling Stage is where you find bands that like to jam, a community that feels like family and a very laid-back atmosphere.
“I handle all the customer service for the events I produce personally, which is likely not happening too many places, and of course the thing that could actually be called unique is the vibe,” McElveen noted. “That may sound cliched, but thousands that have experienced it will testify to what I’m describing. Known as ‘Happy Sterling’ to the participants, this ethereal energy abounds and is like the magic roux of the whole gumbo.”
Despite spending so much time in the Sterling area, I somehow had never visited Sterling Stage until a friend invited me to check out its String Fling in July 2023.
I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but it lived up to its billing as a welcoming, friendly and chill venue.
The musical acts were all very good with a nice variety. The people were kind and welcoming. Taking a walk around the grounds, we would pass by a campsite and complete strangers would be happy to chat and offer food or beverages. The vendors throughout the grounds and especially in the Artist Village, loved to talk about what they sold and created and enjoyed conversations of any length.
The secluded wooded nature, with trees throughout the property and a very back-to-nature feel, underscores its charm. Tickets are general admission and the ability to camp overnight in a festival-style space on the ample grounds is available with every ticket.
You don’t head to TicketMaster to get those passes either; people are more likely to buy from local business partners or sometimes even the bands performing.
Many fans make a long weekend out of the experience. According to the Sterling Stage website, gates open at 9 a.m. Thursdays with attendees checking out by 11 a.m. on Monday. The number of people who stay on site and make connections is part of what makes it special. Mutual respect is as well, with quiet hours in effect from 11:30 p.m. to 10 a.m. during festivals.
McElveen is certainly no stranger to running large events, as the week of this interview he was in the process of announcing the lineup for the 2024 New York State Blues Festival, for which he serves as festival director and booker.
Sterling Stage’s season schedule to date includes the latest incarnation of its Memorial Day Weekend gathering in the Sterling Stage Folkfest from May 23 to 26 and the Happy Sterling Festival from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1.
While the NYS Blues Festival will have headliners known nationwide to music fans — like Little Feat this year and Buddy Guy in 2023 — Sterling Stage will have indie and under-the-radar acts that are popular within the venue’s fanbase, or who will become favorites when fans see these acts.
Sicard Hollow, who was headlining the main stage on the night I visited the String Fling and who will return for this year’s Folkfest, is the kind of act many would associate with Sterling Stage. One could categorize them as a jam band, playing long songs featuring soloing and improvisation. The musicians were all pretty much virtuosos, soloing and playing on to the delight of an energized crowd.
Despite the main stage moniker, its setup is nothing like the large stages you would see at the New York State Fairgrounds or Oswego Harborfest. It’s a modest edifice where fans are up close dancing, twirling hula hoops or generally enjoying themselves. Many attendees are longtime friends, but always have room for others to join the circle. The bands are accessible to chat before and after their shows.
Strolling up the hill to the side stage, known as the Sinatra Stage, that evening showed the kind of intriguing folk or bluegrass bands one can also see. The excellently named Dishonest Fiddlers were a trio who played in a semicircle around an antique mic. They would lean in to play a vocal point or to share vocal harmonies. Their onstage energy and sense of camaraderie also reflected the “Happy Sterling” vibe that McElveen promotes.
“The Sinatra Lounge area is quite possibly one of the coolest spots to dig music and hang out in the entire world,” McElveen said.
Working on touches large and small to ensure Sterling Stage maintains its vibe and quality takes plenty of effort but also seems like a labor of love to McElveen.
“For me, it’s a continuous ongoing process throughout the whole year,” McElveen said, noting that any individual event “is hundreds of pieces coming together” and “definitely is one of those ‘it takes a village’ type of things.”
“We have a wonderful community of people each doing their part,” McElveen said.
As to the future of Sterling Stage, McElveen and that community have a big milestone on the horizon.
“Next year is the 30th anniversary year so I’m hoping we’ll be doing what we do enjoying great music in a beautiful setting with kind people!” McElveen said.
For more information on Sterling Stage or upcoming events, visit SterlingStage.com.
