February Songwriters Circle at Lake Shore Center for the Arts

Join us at Lake Shore Center for the Arts for the February installment of the Songwriters Circle Series, sponsored by Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation, Thursday, February 19th @ 7:30PM and featuring singer/songwriters, Fuzzy Thurston, Lara Herscovitch, and William Downe.

To be considered for Songwriters Circle, singer/songwriters can apply here.

Fuzzy Thurston

Fuzzy Thurston’s journey into music began quietly – in the corners of coffee shops and local open mics, where he played for anyone who’d listen. A working-class guy with a worn guitar and a voice full of soul, he never chased the spotlight. But everything changed after his kids were born. Suddenly, songwriting wasn’t just about chasing melodies – it became a way to make sense of life, love, and fatherhood. That renewed passion led to a sound that felt personal, authentic, and undeniably relatable. It wasn’t long before he caught the ear of several folks from Buffalo’s 106.5 WYRK, setting the wheels in motion for something bigger.

Backed by his powerhouse band, Fuzzy & The Rustbelts, Thurston has since built a reputation for raw, heartfelt songs that live somewhere between country grit, folk storytelling, and rock ‘n roll spirit. Since forming in 2019, the band has released two LPs, two EPs, and a steady stream of singles that have captured attention both locally and beyond. Their most recent album, Out West, earned over 25,000 Spotify streams and opened to a sold-out release show. With honors like winning the WYRK Taste of Country Riser Competition and being named Best Country Act at the All WNY Music Awards three years in a row, Fuzzy & The Rustbelts have taken the stage alongside the likes of Miranda Lambert, Bonnie Raitt, Allison Krauss, Rodney Atkins, and Willie Nelson-proving that the most powerful songs are still the ones that come straight from the heart.

Lara Herscovitch

Lara Herscovitch is singer-songwriter-poet-performer gem. As described in The Boston Globe, she brings “a luminous voice and a buoyant stage presence… big-hearted lyrics embrace the sum of life… Herscovitch’s music blows on the embers of a lagging spirit or a dormant creative life.”

Sound Waves Magazine described her music as “expertly written prose… songwriting at its best… Lara gets it all done with her skillful songwriting – musical timing, memorable melodies, and compelling lyrics. It’s good for your ears AND your soul” – and with a voice Performer Magazine called “clear and smooth like expensive liquor.”

The wisdom in Lara’s artistry comes from her decades of humanitarian work, focused on education, community development, environmental protection, and justice system reform. The depth of this experience resonates throughout her music; as Acoustic Live in New York City described, “She possesses not only a huge reservoir of musical talent and a voice with a bell-like clarity, but a keen sense of global concern and a fierce intellect… It might seem too good to be true, but true it is.”

She leads with authenticity, integrity, humor and heart. Her new album, Highway Philosophers, reflects about courage, authenticity, adventure, healing, love and loss, the hero’s journey, faith and freedom. Connecticut Public Radio host Colin McEnroe observed, “Lara reminds us that music can be heroic when it springs from a strong heart. Walt Whitman would recognize his own soul in her expansive American vision, and there really is no higher compliment I can pay an artist.”

William Downe

William Downe started playing traditional American and British folk music in high school talent shows and open mics in college. His early influences were Dylan, Donovan, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Gordon Lightfoot, Judy Collins, Cat Stevens, James Taylor and CSN&Y. He graduated with a degree in Theater Arts and devoted himself to a stage career from 1970-1999.

Retired, and an admirer of the newer generation of 80’s singer songwriters such as Bruce Cockburn, Annie Lennox, Peter Gabriel, Mark Knopfler, Cyndi Lauper and Sade, he began playing at open mics in Tampa in the early 2000’s and writing songs relatively late in life.

He moved to Jamestown 10 years ago to be closer to his brother and started hosting an open mic as a way to meet local musicians and learn where to play in Chautauqua County. He’s thrilled to be invited to participate in this excellent Songwriter’s Circle and hope you will enjoy his eclectic mix of songs.