The heartbeat of Saranac Lake and Winter Carnival

It’s the middle of winter, when Saranac Lake is seeing its typical near-zero temperatures, and blocks of ice are being pulled out of Lake Flower. As Winter Carnival inches closer, hundreds of locals and visitors are getting excited for what can only be described as the best ten days of the winter. At the center of all the hype? The Waterhole Music Lounge. 

We all know that the Waterhole is the heartbeat of Winter Carnival, but maybe not everyone knows how this must-see music venue came to be, in its current form. I had the chance to chat with current owners Kiki and Eric, about their story, and how this hometown venue has transformed itself into a premier destination for music enthusiasts.

The origin and the evolution of the Waterhole

Fifty three years. That’s how long the Waterhole, originally named Waterhole #3 for an old cowboy western movie, has been a mainstay in Saranac Lake. But, it's come a long way from its origins as a one-story bar that hadn’t been built with music in mind. That’s where Kiki and Eric come in.

Over a decade ago now, Eric was a student at Paul Smith’s College, and just so happened to be neighbors with the owner of the Waterhole at the time. Upon getting a gig working at the venue (which started having live music events in 1991 after Billy Allen built additions to the building), Eric ended up also playing his first thirty shows at the Waterhole, in his own band that still plays today. Throughout this time, Eric met his wife Kiki at the Waterhole too! Fast forward a few years, and after some time spent leasing the building, Eric and Kiki came to own the Waterhole. 

While live music events were happening before Kiki and Eric became owners, they had their own vision for what the Waterhole could become. There were some bigger names that had come to play, like The Flecktones and Leftover Salmon, but the vision was bigger this time, for a venue where not only did big names come to play every now and then, but a venue that regularly held live music events with names big and small, from far away and locally, that all community members could enjoy.

Ushering in this new era of the Waterhole were, of course, some changes to the venue itself. New downstairs windows, bartop, and upgrades to the exterior space (patio renovations & a fresh paint job), just to name a few. From a creative perspective, they also have worked with local artists to develop a unique style in their graphics, used for social media, posters, merchandise, and art within their building. Just in the arts alone for their business, it takes a community. Eric does some of the artwork himself, but he gets help from folks like Eric Ackerson (poster designs), Sadie May's Art & Design (logo & poster designs), Aaron Hobson (logo designs), and Katie Mae Erskine (music hall murals & paintings, poster designs). These physical and graphical changes all give context and character to the music scene at the Waterhole.

A new music scene comes to life

In talking with Eric and Kiki about the music scene, there was an emphasis on how they try to find musical artists that, from the age of 21 to the age of 70+, nearly anyone could come and listen to and get something out of. One of their staple events that has blown up is Party on the Patio, a weekly music series that showcases a 50/50 mix of well-known names and up and coming talent. As Eric described it, “Party on the Patio is the best, least-known bands in the country.” Speaking from experience, it’s a space where friends can gather and feel safe about expressing their interest in music, to dance and get weird, and to mingle with the local community. A big part of that is the warm, welcoming, and highly efficient bartending staff that Kiki does an excellent job of leading, which translates to folks being able to have fun in a safe and joyful environment. Just that one music event has translated to the success of many artists, and the creation of a community of music lovers who make it a point to not only go every Thursday to Party on the Patio in the summer, but attend all their other local live music events.

When asked about some of the regulars that they book, Eric flipped my question on me and asked which regulars I really enjoyed and thought encapsulated the Waterhole’s story, and I was quick to answer. The story behind the band I chose, a parade-day Winter Carnival regular, is a mix of luck, fate, and friendship.

When the bar first reopened eight years ago, they only had two weeks to book music before the start of Winter Carnival. Eric scrambled to speak with agents, and ended up connecting with one band that happened to be playing in Saratoga the day before parade day (Friday). They had Saturday free, and could come up on short notice. Eric had no clue who they were, but took a chance and booked them anyway. That band was West End Blend. Nearly every year since then, West End Blend has been gracing the Waterhole’s stage for an end-of-carnival party, and it is truly one of the highlights of everyone’s year. The last Saturday of Winter Carnival ends up being a celebration of that last second miracle that happened eight years ago, which has turned into a lifelong friendship between Eric & Kiki and West End Blend. The band recorded a live album - "Live at the Waterhole" - and even played at Eric and Kiki’s wedding.

That anecdote captures the genuine reality of the type of business Eric and Kiki run. It’s part and parcel of what makes Saranac Lake so special too. It’s DIY. It’s community-oriented. It’s creative and different. Unlike big venues in big cities, artists playing at the Waterhole interact directly with the owners. Kiki is working on promotion, and she’s hosting them when they arrive. Eric is doing the booking, and working on sound prior to and during shows. It’s the reason why groups like the Mallett Brothers, Bella’s Bartok, Folkfaces, and Driftwood, just to name a few, come back year after year. 

Winter Carnival

With these very special ten days approaching, the Waterhole has a line-up that includes the regulars we have come to know and love. Because it's tough to get acts to travel to our little, snowy mountain town in the winter, this ten day line-up is a showcase of the best Northeast bands and artists. They include Jatoba (haven’t played at the Waterhole since 2014!), Annie in the Water (a long time regular), and The Strictly Hip (a national touring band out of Buffalo). Another stand-out for this year’s line-up is Joslyn & the Sweet Compression, who made for a wildly fun and stand-out Party on the Patio during the summer last year. You can buy tickets to all the musical performances separately, but Kiki and Eric are offering a great deal on a week pass, where you purchase one ticket for the full concert series. With this option, you won’t need a physical copy of a ticket! Your name will be put on a list, so just let the door folks know who you are, grab a bracelet, and party! And after that big West End Blend party on Saturday night, I’ve got inside information that bartender Carey Beth from the Waterhole has the best Bloody Mary mix in town, so don’t miss stopping in on Sunday morning.

Winter Carnival is a family reunion of sorts, where everyone travels back to Saranac Lake to catch up with friends and enjoy the festivities. Like I said at the start, the Waterhole is the heartbeat of winter carnival, and there’s no better place to gather with new and old friends alike, and celebrate our snowy town. 

~Thank you to Kiki and Eric for providing several of the above photos. Say hi to them next time you visit!