Preview: Caity Gallagher and Alec Lewis Reunite at Lost & Found
Photos by Kiki Vassilakis
Two incredible songwriters will be on display this Thursday night, alongside an unparalleled appreciation for each other’s music, and the scene itself.
For many years, local songwriters Caity Gallagher and Alec Lewis were creative partners of sorts, navigating the waters of musical theater in a tandem canoe. In college, the pair wrote several musicals together and even had the incredible opportunity to produce some of them for the stage, locally. It was the basis of a long friendship that continues to this day.
“We met while performing in a production of the musical Rent together at SUNY Albany back in 2013,” Caity recalls.
“I rolled up on my longboard and she must have thought I was pretty cool,” Alec jokes. “I wasn't. But, we became fast friends and then immediately began writing music together.”
That music led to the formation of Honey Slider, a band which began ramping up in the early days of 2020. At this point, the rest of that story is a tale as old as time, with their new found momentum being chopped off at the knee, leaving the pair to regroup and go off in new directions musically.
Honeyslider 2018 - Photo by Kiki Vassilakis
“Honey Slider was a blast and instrumental for each of us in developing our musical confidence,” Alec says. “We had a great thing going but we've both discussed how going our separate ways allowed us to pursue our own musical needs more truthfully. Caity doubled down on her solo career, and I began to dabble more seriously in audio engineering, building my home studio, and branching off into live sound. I began writing and recording more than performing, which was exactly what I needed. However, eventually you miss the stage and I recently felt that I had finally discovered my own musical voice and a sonic direction that was uniquely mine and worth exploring. So, I assembled [The Alec Lewis Group] and here we are.”
This Thursday, Caity and Alec will be joining forces once again, on stage at Lost & Found in Albany, for the first time since their former project disbanded. Though it may be under their own respective monikers rather than Honey Slider, it seems as if they may have a few surprises up their sleeves for the event.
Duo show 2018 - Photo by Kiki Vassilakis
“I’m looking forward to revisiting songs we wrote – some over eight years ago! – as well as getting back on keyboard for the first time in several years,” Caity tells me. “I also miss harmonizing as much as we did with our Honey Slider songs, so I’m sure that’ll be a blast, too.”
Something of a hidden gem within the warehouse district of downtown Albany, Lost & Found is the perfect setting for their reunion. A bar and kitchen by trade, it’s certainly not your typical venue. But, with an unpretentious stage in the corner, country-western style decor and a passionate, friendly staff, the shows they do occasionally host are always a treat.
“Lost & Found is amazing,” Caity beams. “You can have a phenomenal meal and enjoy craft beer, cocktails and even slushies while listening to the music, but they also have a stage that really highlights the performance more than a usual bar might.”
Thursday night, audiences can expect to be awestruck by Caity’s lush, Americana-infused songs, which will sound right at home in the venue. The Alec Lewis Group veers more into funk-pop territory, which is sure to turn the room into a communal dance floor. Additionally, he has some fun audience participation traditions that harken back to his and Caity’s roots.
“Musical theater is at the heart of my love of performance,” Alec admits. “Since my current band is not quite as musical theater inspired, I had to find a way to bring it back into the equation. So, I have a little game with the audience where I play a short instrumental piece that I made based on some of my favorite melodies and themes from theater, film scores, and even video games. We have the audience try to guess the inspiration of each piece while we get a chance to tune our guitars without the awkward dead air that usually comes when bands have to tune mid-set.”
Needless to say, you have a great opportunity here to start your weekend early with some live and local music down at Lost & Found. Two incredible songwriters – and their friendship, to boot – will be on full display, alongside an unparalleled appreciation for each other’s music, and the scene itself. It’s something they both clearly take a lot of pride in.
“My favorite thing about being a musician in this area is the ever-expanding community,” Caity gushes. “I love how many people and places are committed to making the music scene in this area flourish, and how many opportunities there are to see great, live, original music.”
Add this to that list of opportunities, and don’t miss Caity Gallagher and The Alec Lewis Group live at Lost & Found this Thursday night, at 7:00 PM. Tickets are $10 at the door.
