Steve Earle solo show to benefit Hudson River Sloop Clearwater

KINGSTON―Acclaimed songwriter Steve Earle will perform a solo acoustic concert to benefit Hudson River Sloop Clearwater on Wednesday, April 29 at 7 p.m. at the Tempo Performing Arts Center, 29 Wurts Street, in Kingston.

The show is being produced in partnership by Clearwater, Tempo Kingston, and Radio Kingston.

A protégé of legendary songwriters Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, Earle quickly became a master storyteller in his own right. His songs have been recorded by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, Emmylou Harris, The Pretenders, and countless others.

Earle has earned three Grammy awards for Best Contemporary Folk Album and been nominated four more times.

In 2020, Earle was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2023, he was honored by the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music. Most recently, he became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in September of 2025.

TEMPO Performing Arts Center, a project of the nonprofit Kingston Music Initiative under the leadership of Executive and Artistic Director Tom Krueger, transformed the long-vacant Trinity Methodist Church into a vibrant performance venue and music education center.

The venue fills a unique niche in the Hudson Valley's performing arts landscape—intimate enough to create profound connections between artists and audiences, yet substantial enough to attract world-class talent while keeping ticket prices accessible.

"This is an incredibly important time for a community space and a place where we can connect and celebrate what's great about Kingston," said Krueger.

"TEMPO's mission is to build community through the shared love of music by providing a safe space, open and accessible to all, where artists can write, perform, and record, where students can learn their craft, and above all, where our diverse and vibrant community can gather, connect, and celebrate one another,” Krueger added.

For this concert, Earle will be performing solo with an acoustic guitar in the intimate and sonically sublime main hall at the recently opened Tempo Performing Arts Center in Kingston.

Only 250 tickets will be available at www.viewcy.com/event/an_evening_with_steve.

The concert will benefit Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, a member-supported nonprofit dedicated to protecting the Hudson River through education, advocacy, sailing, and music, and is a project of the Clearwater Festival.

The organization owns and operates a historic 106′ Hudson River Sloop replica, recognized as America’s Environmental Flagship.

“We are so fortunate to share an evening with Steve Earle, one of America’s favorite songwriters and storytellers. Steve’s history with Clearwater founder Pete Seeger, and the Great Hudson River Revival will make this a truly special evening at a truly wonderful new venue,” said David Toman, executive director of Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.

“This spring also marks 60 years since Pete began hosting concerts to raise the funds to build Clearwater, and we are proud to continue to build community through music,” Toman

Sixty years ago, the Hudson River was near death from decades of industrial polluters. In 1966, folk musician and activist Pete Seeger was in despair over the pollution of his beloved Hudson River. After reading the seminal texts, A Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (1962) and Sloops of the Hudson by William Verplanck and Moses Collyer (1908), he announced plans to “build a boat to save the river” along with his wife, Toshi, and a dedicated group of fellow musicians and activists. They believed that a replica of the historic sloops that once sailed the Hudson would allow people to experience its beauty and be moved to preserve it.