WhorlWood Live at Park Coffee House in Holland Patent, NY

On November 7, I had the pleasure of bringing WhorlWood to Park Coffee House in Holland Patent, New York, for an evening of live acoustic music. It was a great opportunity to share our original songs and arrangements in an intimate listening-room setting with an audience that appreciates folk, bluegrass, jazz, and roots music. This wasn’t a planned performance. The group that was originally scheduled to play, had a family emergency. So we were invited to fill-in just a few days prior.

Park Coffee House: A Community Music Tradition

Park Coffee House has built a special place in the Central New York music community by creating a welcoming space for live folk and acoustic music. Located in the historic Twin Churches at the village green in Holland Patent, the coffee house is a project of Foothills Rural Community Ministry, a nonprofit, non-denominational charitable organization.

The venue’s philosophy is summed up nicely in a quote featured on its website: “Through the coffee house, the community is bound together by the spirit of authentic folk music.”

Concert evenings have the feel of a traditional community coffee house. Doors open at 7 PM, with performances beginning at 7:30. Guests can enjoy homemade desserts, coffee, tea, cocoa, and cider, prepared and served by volunteers. Refreshments are offered in exchange for donations, with proceeds supporting the local food pantry and other Foothills Rural Community Ministry programs.

I appreciate venues like Park Coffee House that make room for independent musicians while bringing people together around live music. It’s a model that puts community at the center of the experience, and one that helps sustain a regional music culture beyond the concert itself.

The Park Coffee House concert series features a variety of regional and touring folk artists, singer-songwriters, traditional musicians, and acoustic groups. It’s the kind of listening room where audiences can discover new music, hear familiar traditions interpreted in fresh ways, and connect directly with the musicians. Visit the Park Coffee House website for current concert announcements and details.

About WhorlWood: Folk, Bluegrass, Jazz, and Original Music

WhorlWood gives me an opportunity to explore a wide range of musical influences, drawing from folk, bluegrass, jazz, and roots traditions, with plenty of inspiration from music around the world. We bring together original songs, instrumental arrangements, and familiar material, leaving room for improvisation and the interplay between musicians.

For this performance, WhorlWood appeared as a trio featuring Perry Cleaveland on mandolin, fiddle, and vocals, Doug Henrie on upright bass, and me on guitar and vocals. The stripped-down instrumentation gives us plenty of room to move between songs, grooves, and instrumental passages.

WhorlWood Live Recording: November 7, 2026

I’m sharing the complete performance here as a special offering for subscribers. It’s a chance to revisit the evening, hear the music as it happened, and enjoy the full set even if you weren’t able to join us in person.

The recording features 18 tracks, most of them original songs I’ve written. All tracks are original compositions by Michael Gonzalez except tracks 4, 8, 13, and 15. Together, they reflect the range of influences behind WhorlWood’s music, moving between contemporary songwriting, traditional roots, and improvisational acoustic playing.

WhorlWood — Recorded live at Park Coffee House
Holland Patent, NY | November 7, 2026

Complete Setlist

1. Follow Me
2. Feel the Spirit
3. Waves
4. Midnight Moonlight (Peter Rowan)
5. Lavender
6. Kashong Creek
7. Stirred
8. Duncan (Paul Simon)
9. Lovin’ Machine
10. Belong
11. Climb
12. Glass Palace
13. Ain’t No Reason (Brett Dennen)
14. Someday Soon
15. Louis Collins (Mississippi John Hurt)
16. Mad Mad World
17. Newshade
18. Eagle Flyway

Support Independent Music and Community Programs

Independent music thrives through community. Everything I do—from performing and recording to radio, music education, workshops, and community enrichment programs—is connected by a desire to make music accessible and bring people together.

I’ve created a membership program for listeners who want to be part of that work. Monthly support helps sustain not only my recording and performance projects, but also the broader programs and events I produce throughout the Finger Lakes and Central New York. It helps cover the time, equipment, resources, and planning that go into keeping these opportunities available.

There are four membership levels, starting at just $5 per month. Members receive access to exclusive recordings, behind-the-scenes material, special listening experiences, and other offerings. More importantly, membership provides a dependable foundation for continuing to create, teach, perform, and build community through music.

If you enjoy what you hear here, I hope you’ll consider becoming a member and helping make more of it possible.

Explore Membership & Become a Supporter

Thanks to everyone who joined us at Park Coffee House, the volunteers who make these concerts possible, and all the listeners and supporters who continue to make independent music part of our communities.