68° F | Schenectady, NY
Live music makes green market buyers happy, boosts sales
It wasn’t even noon yet on a Saturday in early February at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, but Tom Choiniere had already had a long day. But he wasn’t tired. Launching into another folk-rock original, he grinned as he looked over the microphone at the customers browsing the vendor booths. This is what he loves about playing here the most — the people. Posted on February 26, 2012.
“I like the diversity of people — that’s a corny word,” Tom Choiniere said. “The chaos, right? The friendly chaos amidst the people. You never know who’s gonna show up, and when you have kids standing in front of you dancing, and rubbing their brownies all over their clothes, it’s amusing; it’s entertaining. I’m probably more entertained by them than they are by me.”
Tom Choiniere performs at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market at the Division Street Elementary School on a recent Saturday morning. (photo: Brian McElhiney/Gazette Reporter)
A view from the balcony of the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market, held indoors in the colder months. (photo: Brian McElhiney/Gazette Reporter)
Market patrons stop to listen and dance along to the Hill Hollow Band’s recent performance at the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market at the Troy Atrium. (photo: Brian McElhiney/Gazette Reporter)
Schenectady Greenmarket patrons relax in chairs set up in front of the stage inside Proctors’ Arcade, as Running the River performs on a recent Sunday morning. (photo: Brian McElhiney/Gazette Reporter)
“We enjoy playing here, and it’s a way of giving back to the community,” said Running the River guitarist and lead vocalist Neil Yetwin. “It’s very informal, and it gives us a chance, particularly in the winter months, . . . to try out new material, and people come up and offer some other opportunities through the markets also. So it’s a win-win situation for all parties.”
