BROOKLYN, NY — Highway 81 Revisited, the independent music publication dedicated to celebrating indie, alternative, Americana, progressive rock and heavy metal, will celebrate its 15th anniversary with intimate performances on Saturday, October 17, 2026 at Sleepwalk in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn featuring iconic guitarist, author and producer Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith Group), alongside Brooklyn-based psych-pop/multimedia artist Idgy Dean.
The evening will include vinyl giveaways from friends of Highway 81 Revisited, including the record labels La Société Expéditionnaire (operated by Lou Rogai of Lewis & Clarke), Loosegroove (operated by Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam), Royal Potato Family (whose roster includes Mike Dillon, Grayson Capps and Leslie Mendelson) and Vampire Blues (operated by Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth).
Tickets can be purchased at this link. Follow Highway 81 on Instagram for more info leading up the show, and stay tuned for our interview with Lenny Kaye.
For more than half a century, Lenny Kaye has remained defiantly uncategorizable and “kaleidoscopic in his creative output” (Aquarium Drunkard). The longest-serving member of the Patti Smith Group, he curated the seminal garage rock anthology Nuggets — “one of the most influential compilations ever.”
A renowned writer, Kaye also co-wrote Waylon Jennings’ autobiography, penned music to Allen Ginsberg’s poetry alongside Paul McCartney and Philip Glass, and as a producer has helmed projects for Suzanne Vega, Soul Asylum and Jessi Colter. This summer he released his debut solo album, Goin Local.
Idgy Dean is an artist who “infuses her one-woman psychedelic rock with a calming Zen presence that belies the emotional intensity of her DIY Beats” (Red Bull Music Academy). She has opened for Thundercat, Dorian Concept, Liars and Britta Phillips and has headlined sold-out shows at House of Yes in Brooklyn and Aryln Studios in Austin. She teaches yoga and has earned her master of divinity degree from Harvard School of Divinity.
Since journalist Michael Lello created the site in 2011, Highway 81 Revisited has featured in-depth interviews with influential artists such as Alice Cooper, Peter Hook (Joy Division, New Order) and Robert Hunter (Grateful Dead lyricist), indie stars like The Head & The Heart, Wilco and My Morning Jacket, prog-rock royalty like Rick Wakeman and Steve Hackett, jam band standouts like Billy Strings and Oteil Burbridge, and metal legends including Judas Priest, Anthrax and Venom. Lello also focuses on up and coming artists, especially those based in the NYC market.
Highway 81 Revisited has also provided a space for emerging photographers and writers to gain access to concerts and build their portfolios via photo galleries and reviews hosted on the site. Lello recently launched a sister Substack called The Soundcheck, which features exclusive interview content and personal reflections from his decades of experience as a music writer and fan.
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