At The Tabernacle

About At The Tabernacle —

They’ve been making joyful noises in the eight-sided Tabernacle since the Eighties — the 1880s! The extended octagon was erected in 1885, just eight years after Thomas Alva Edison launched the recording industry some 13 miles away. As the years passed, Mount Tabor slowly grew from a tent town into a village of Victorian homes decorated with the gingerbread woodwork that has become the trademark of the tightly-knit community today.

Nearing its 14th decade, these nights of glorious music are as memorable and sublime as the Victorian building in which the great artists so gratefully perform. It’s the vibe, the feel, the proximity of the audience, and surely the superb acoustics of this perfectly-curated cathedral of sound. Representing a step back to days of grace and manners, audiences take their cues from the serenity of the surrounding Trinity Park village green.

“This building plays like a vintage guitar,” said John Sebastian on the night he shared the At The Tabernacle stage with Hot Tuna. At The Tabernacle turns 27 this year, well-matured from that gleam in the collective eye of its volunteers, led by George Philhower, its founder.

The Tabernacle rises 45-feet from the floor to its windowed cupola, its roof supported by open truss work and two columns of solid chestnut. The list of legends to appear on that Tabernacle stage grows yearly. Once bitten, they aren’t shy about coming back, names like Ian Hunter, Donovan, Hot Tuna, David Johansen, the late Richie Havens, Tom Rush, Graham Parker, David Bromberg, and Willie Nile among many repeat guests. This Tabor treasure chest has also been the setting for Art Garfunkel, Roger McGuinn, Graham Nash, Richard Thompson, Aaron Neville, Nick Lowe Garrison Keillor, and Southside Johnny, among many others. With such notable professionals crowding the stage and this 350-person venue, it’s no surprise that people come back time and time again. — Mark Everson, NY Post