At 7:30 p.m. on two different nights, Friday, Nov. 7 and Saturday, Nov. 8, the five-member band Driftwood of Binghamton, New York will perform their electrifying style of Americana folk rock with a nod to 1960s R&B, 1970s country rock, contemporary pop, folk and traditional Appalachian music in the Coolidge Theatre at the Deane Center for the Performing Arts at 104 Main Street in Wellsboro. There will be room for dancing at each concert.  

The Nov. 7 show is the third of six concerts being presented by the Wellsboro Community Concert Association for WCCA subscribers during the 2025-2026 season. Theater seating is still available and also open to the public. 

Because of the band’s popularity, WCCA is offering a second Driftwood concert on Saturday, Nov. 8 for the public. Veterans who attend are being given a special half-price ticket discount on Saturday only. Theater seating is still available. 

On stage those two nights will be Driftwood’s founding members Joe Kollar and Dan Forsyth, both on guitar along with Claire Byrne on violin, Joey Arcuri on upright bass and Sam Fishman on drums. Kollar, Forsyth and Byrne write original songs for the group and share the role of lead vocalist. Arcuri also sings.

Forsyth and Kollar, friends since childhood, began performing together as a duo in 2005. In 2006, they formed Driftwood, adding a bassist, mandolin player, and drummer.

In 2008, as the bassist and mandolin player were preparing to leave the band, Forsyth and Kollar were introduced to Byrne, a classically trained violinist. She soon joined and in 2009, they released their first album, “Rally Day” and began making a name for themselves as Driftwood. 

The group’s fast-paced arrangements of Americana standards, vocal tradeoffs and penchant for genre-bending improvisation quickly generated an audience in their native Binghamton and beyond.

Late in 2011, the bassist left Driftwood and soon afterward, Arcuri joined.

Driftwood was averaging more than 150 shows a year in 2011 and building a dedicated following of fans known up and down the East Coast as “Drifters.” 

“City Lights,” their fourth studio album was released in 2016. The band members demonstrated that their song subjects, playing, singing and recording abilities and relationships had all matured.

On Nov. 20, 2018, the band released their second live album titled “Driftwood Live at The Purple Fiddle.” This album is filled with fan favorites and displays Driftwood’s electrifying live performance skills, blending the ghost of traditional American folk music with a modern rock-n-roll energy to create something that is uniquely their own. 

The band’s fifth studio album, “Tree of Shade” was released on April 5, 2019. The resulting 11 tracks showcased an evolution in the band’s sound with more thought-provoking new songs by Forsyth, Kollar and Bryne.

In 2021 Fishman joined the band, completing Driftwood’s current lineup. 

“December Last Call,” Driftwood’s sixth studio album was released on March 22, 2024. It was recorded in the band’s original basement studio and is a reflective album about the group’s musical career, new parenthood, and navigating life’s challenges during the pandemic.  

“These songs are a snapshot of us in the last few years,” said Byrne. “They are a reflection on life, past, present and future, and portray a group of great friends who have continued to evolve together and separately over more than 15 years.”  

“Right now, we are on our ‘Always on Tour’ tour. We’re always on the road. That’s just what we do,” Byrne said.

For more information about a season subscription for adults and/or for students, 13 to 18 or individual tickets to attend the four remaining regular concerts, visit www.wellsborocca.org or call the Wellsboro Community Concert Association at 570-404-0411. Youngsters ages 12 and under are admitted free to the regular season concerts when accompanied by a paying adult.