Born in Vermont to actor Jack Straw, Syd Straw has lived a sort of Type O life as a universal donor. Endowed with a unique and powerful voice that ranges from youthfully sweet to gravelly world-weary, she’s sung with a list of names so long it would be a mistake to list them all.

I notice that these words appear often in the Popolo listings. Apparently, we enjoy artists who, in addition to following their own muse, labor to bolster the talents of others. That’s a gift, as you probably know; being called up to do this work more than an honor, in fact it proves just how much you’re needed.

Believe it or not, Syd Straw started her career as a backup singer for Pat Benatar. Actually I only learned this when researching her chockablock past to write this. After Pat the list is long…don’t make me do it. In the late eighties she fronted The Golden Palominos for a spell, that quirky band with changing members as famous and revered as Michael Stipe, T Bone Burnett, and drummer Anton Fier. The group had an international following and also launched Syd’s career as a writer and solo artist. Clearly she leveraged the reverential relationships she’d built as a singer; her first solo record featured a who’s-who including Van Dyke Parks, Richard Thompson, John Doe, Marshall Crenshaw, Dave Alvin, Daniel Lanois, Ry Cooder – a list of talent that certainly wouldn’t play on YOUR record. Her debut, “Surprise,” was released sometime in the late 1980s and won her many fans.

Some of you will know her as that math teacher on “The Adventures of Pete and Pete.” Some will know her as a collaborator with Wilco for the AIDS benefit album, “Red Hot and Country.” She’s released several solo albums and is a tireless worker you might find in so many corners of the recorded canon.

But on Thursday, July 24, at 8:00pm, you can find her at The Windham Ballroom.
Don’t miss this quiet American legend in a one-night performance in Bellows Falls at the Windham Ballroom.

Doors are at 8:00pm and the show starts at 8:30pm.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 on the day of show.

You can buy them online at the top of this page or by calling the restaurant.
Dinner reservations are recommended for 5:30 – 6:00pm if you intend to catch the show.