Someday, the band members of Driftwood hope to take over the world. Until then, Syracuse is a close second.

Folk-rock band Driftwood will play this Friday at The Westcott Theater, the first venue to kick off the band’s fall tour. The concert starts at 8 p.m, with doors opening at 7 p.m. Bluegrass-rock band The Old Main will open the show.

Fans can expect classics from Driftwood’s five previous studio albums, as well as new songs off of their upcoming album, which will be released this winter.

Joey Arcuri, the bassist of Driftwood who is originally from Syracuse, is excited to return to The Westcott.

“The Westcott’s a cool venue,” Arcuri said. “It’s a large stage. It’s a big sound system. There’s some seats, but basically the open floor encourages dancing and it’s always a rock ‘n’ roll time.”

Following their show at The Westcott, Driftwood is set to play in several major cities, including New York, Philadelphia, Albany, Rochester and Ithaca. Arcuri said the best part about being on tour is all of the laughs that come along with it.

“We have a lot of fun together, so we look forward to the comradery of the band,” Arcuri said. “It’s fun to travel — although all of the things you hear about it being tiring is true, it’s counteracted by all the fun and the laughs that we do have.”

The band was originally founded in 2005 by instrumentalists Dan Forsyth and Joe Kollar, when the duo began playing music together in high school in Binghamton. Forsyth and Kollar started off as a jam band, playing funk-rock music. It wasn’t until they began to write their own songs — along with the additions of violinist Claire Byrne, drummer Will Sigel and Arcuri — that Driftwood was fully formed.

Driftwood describes their music as “song-driven folk-rock,” with many bluegrass influences stemming from their upstate New York roots. Kollar, who plays the banjo, was especially attracted to the acoustic scene of the grassroots Ithaca area. Many of his songs are inspired by the upstate New York environment where he grew up.

“I mention a lot of trees in my songs and a lot of rivers, and I sort of grew up by a river,” Kollar said. “I imagine if I was in a different sort of area of the country, or a different place, I might not make those connections with the landscape and the sort of the feel of the environment.”

The members said they are full of excitement with the release of their new album this winter. The band believes their new music will represent Driftwood in its most honest and true form.

“We get better at making albums as we get more experience and the more we do it, so I think this is the finest representation of Driftwood yet,” said Arcuri.

Opening for Driftwood at The Westcott Theater is bluegrass rock band, The Old Main. The band’s drummer, Mitch Eckler, said he’s excited for the high energy of the show and to reunite with Driftwood.

“It seems like the only way you see any of your friends in this industry is to play a show together,” Eckler said.

One thing that constantly draws both The Old Main and Driftwood back to The Westcott, they said, is the life and energy of the Syracuse community. Eckler said Syracuse has a culture of appreciating originality. It always feels like home, he said.

Published on October 9, 2018 at 10:12 pm