Alt-rockers Everclear are coming to town on Oct. 3 to headline the third annual Sleepy Hollow Music Festival, a daylong celebration of rock’n’roll embracing the Halloween season that’s made the village a worldwide destination.
Led by founder, vocalist and guitarist Art Alexakis, Everclear came together in the Pacific Northwest in the mid-1990s, breaking through with the platinum-selling 1995 album “Sparkle and Fade.”
His raw voice and the emotionally charged lyrics and melodic hooks of his songwriting continue to resonate with audiences.
The group’s best-known songs including “Santa Monica,” “Father of Mine,” “I Will Buy You a New Life,” “Wonderful,” and “Everything to Everyone” have earned Everclear a fanbase that spans multiple generations.
River Journal spoke with Alexakis by phone to discuss the band’s upcoming appearance in Sleepy Hollow
River Journal: What can fans expect at your upcoming show? Any surprises in terms of the set list?
Art Alexakis: This is gonna be a 75-minute set, all the hits, all the fan favorites. If people have requests, they can hit us up on social media and if we get it in time and we know the song, we’ll play it. It’s gonna be a rock show, we’re just a rock band.
River Journal: Everclear’s getting ready for its national “Lucky Seven” tour starting in October. What’s the advance buzz been like from fans?
Alexakis: We’re selling more tickets than we have in decades. It’s crazy, because young people discovered the 90s. And I talk to a lot of kids who come to our shows, and I’d say a third of the people who buy tickets to our shows are between 16 and 25, which is crazy for a band full of 60-year-olds.
They tell me that there’s no honest-to-goodness rock’n’roll now, and they have to go back to the 90s for it. And I think these kids just go and listen to 90s bands and pick the flavor they like.
River Journal: You’re such an energetic performer, which must be demanding. But you’re 64 and have been living with multiple sclerosis and other health issues for a decade. Any plans to slow down?
Alexakis: Playing the shows is great, meeting the people is great. The travel is really, really hard. No plans for slowing down for at least four or five years. We’ll see. I have to leave a legacy for my family. It makes everything harder, man, harder to walk, harder to balance.
I have back issues; I had spinal fusion ten years ago, but that’s starting to act up again. Doctors are trying to find out what it is. So, it makes everything harder, but I still go out and do it because I love doing it and I love taking care of not just my family but my extended family, my band and their families. So, we’re out there rockin,’ man, ‘til they tell us to go home.
River Journal: Tell me about your advocacy for awareness about MS and recovery.
Alexakis: I talk about it during shows. We give a dollar for every ticket sold. It depends on the charity. This year it’s going to be the MS Society. Next year it’ll probably be an organization that deals with rehab and recovery, because I’m 37 years clean and sober as well, so that’s a good deal for me. That’s the two things that I usually put a lot of time into, that’s kind of where my head’s at.
River Journal: You’re coming to town as Halloween madness descends upon Sleepy Hollow. Will you and the band be into the holiday spirit?
Alexakis: I love Halloween and I love “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” We’re looking forward to coming out there.
If you go:
- What: 3rd Annual Sleepy Hollow Music Festival
- Where: Kingsland Point Park in Sleepy Hollow
- When: Saturday, Oct. 3. Gates open at 11 a.m.; music starts at 12 p.m. and runs until 8 p.m.
- Main Stage bands: Everclear, the Smithereens featuring Marshall Crenshaw, Fastball, Sophie B. Hawkins, SoulShine: An Allman Brothers Experience, and Anthony Giaccio & the Assortments.
- Regional Stage bands: Rachel Ana Dobken, Imposters, The Altogether, School of Rock Briarcliff Manor and a DJ set spinning 90s favorites.
- Refreshments: A selection of food and drinks highlighting local purveyors, chefs, eateries, food trucks and establishments.
- Halloween-themed events: Costume parade, crafts, photo ops, and live appearances by the Headless Horseman.
- Kids’ Zone: Everything from sensory and soft play, to an instrument petting zoo, to lawn games to inflatables from FunTime Amusements.
- Tickets and information: sleepyhollowmusicfestival.com
