The Phoenicia Playhouse is excited to become the new home of Flying Cat Music, a beloved series renowned throughout the Catskill Mountains for showcasing the best in Americana, singer-songwriters, and bluegrass—a true celebration of contemporary folk music. Building on this rich tradition, the Playhouse will proudly host and produce the Flying Cat Music concert series starting in 2025.
SATURDAY MAY 24th: The Rick Reyes Trio
Showtime: 7:00 PM (Doors @6:30pm)
Tickets: $25
ALL AGES
Rick Reyes is a troubadour, a songwriter, producer, and a storyteller performer. Although born in Bridgeport CT, Reyes grew up in the countryside of his parents’ native Puerto Rico. It was here, listening to traditional Puerto Rican folk music, that Reyes forged his love of Jibaro – a music of the people full of wistful melodies and steeped in longing. Reyes and his family returned to Bridgeport. Feeling like an outsider, homesick, unable to speak English, he started to write as a creative outlet. He kept journals of his thoughts, impressions, and observations. His father bought him a guitar and he taught himself to play. When Reyes took one of his poems and set it to music his lifelong journey as a songwriter began.
Reyes wrote about the struggles of his parents and the latino community. He wrote about the poor. The song he considers his first, Vida Diferente, captures a sense of possibility, but its optimistic rhythm is juxtaposed with lyrics that convey the frustrations of poverty. This pairing of pain and optimism reveals a tension that appears often in Reyes’ work. His words acknowledge the harsh realities of daily life, but his music won’t give in to them. It optimistically arches toward the possibility of a better future. Reyes creates music that has a traditional Puerto Rican flavor but is also open and receptive to other sounds from around the cosmos, blending classic Americana, rock, salsa, world, among others.
2025 FLYING CAT MUSIC SPONSORS
This project is made possible in part with funds from the New York State Legislature and administered by Arts Mid-Hudson
