Celebrating 25 years, SIRSY adds Eddie’s HOF to repertoire

Upstate duo remarks on outstanding career

ALBANY—From auditioning for the same band to creating their own and finding love, SIRSY’s Melanie Krahmer and Rich Libutti have always been harmonized perfectly.

A gem of the upstate music scene, they have been playing together for 25 years. They have performed in every state, except Alaska, and recently sold out three shows at Caffe Lena. The remarkable duo will be inducted into the Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Hall of Fame 7 p.m. Monday, March 24 at Universal Preservation Hall.

SIRSY started as an acoustic duo, with Khramer performing vocals and Libutti playing guitar. Their strong songwriting inspired them to expand their sound, with both of them playing all the instruments, including bass and drums, to create a more electric feel —leading to over 15 years of national touring, fueled by the support of their dedicated fans.

Their talented songwriting urged them to explore a more electric feel where the two of them play all the instruments, including bass and drums. They’ve been touring nationally for over 15 years with the help from their supportive fans.

“We have a lovely community of fans that supports us,” Khramer said. “We consider our fans our extended family everywhere we go. They’ve supported us through all of our records and all of our tours,” added Libutti.

They give their fans a unique and intimate look into their journey through their tour sponsorship program. It originated from donations to help create albums where they placed acknowledgements into the covers. Now, fans can sponsor a certain number of miles and receive video shout-outs, special postcards and merch.

“It’s just amazing that that people would do that, they believe in us and want us to keep going because they all work very hard for their money. And so, it’s amazing that they want to support us in that way and it’s very inspiring. It helps us continue on,” said the duo.

Over the years they have amassed 1.2 million miles between four vans and have played with Cheap Trick, Grace Potter, Maroon 5 and opened for Brandi Carlile at a festival. Their songs have been played in “Shameless” and during a Bills/ Giants game; SIRSY has also been awarded several Eddies Music Awards, including Rock-Pop Artist of the Year and Record of the Year in 2024.

“We don’t do this job to be rich and famous,” Krahmer said. “Yeah, we would have quite a long time ago,” Libutti chimed in. “We do this job because the art that we create moves people, and it affects them. We’ve learned [from fans who approach us] it makes their lives a little bit better,” finished Krahmer.

The chemistry between the pair is tangible and has contributed to their success over the years.

“We are sincerely the best of friends—even though we spend every waking second together. And I feel like that’s what keeps us going. Just our love for creating our music and sharing it with other people and then the love we get back from them,” Krahmer lamented.

“Our community that comes to see us is a driving force for us,” Libutti added.

Giving back to the community has become an active part of who SIRSY who is. They participate in an annual fundraiser for the Trevor Project, an organization that supports LGBTQ+ kids who are in crisis, as well as the Fairport Music Festival every year, which raises money for the children’s hospital in the Rochester area.

In addition to nationally touring with the Adam Ezra Group, they participate in an annual concert called The Ramble that raises money every year for homeless veterans to provide them with dignified housing.

“We often use live streaming to as a vehicle to help support other charities and causes that we love because we always try to give back because everyone’s so good to us,” Khramer said. “An annual thing that we do is for a program called Keys Program, and it’s a children’s cancer charity program, and we do it every, every year.”

Khramer is a two-time cancer survivor and SIRSY wrote “Brave and Kind” during her first diagnosis. “I just hope that the music we’ve created or songs we’ve created have helped someone in some way or made their life better,” she said.

You can see SIRSY live at The Linda on March 29, a few days after their induction into the Eddies HOF. Tickets are on sale now for the exceptional showcase of music in the Capital Region, sponsored by MLB Construction Services, LLC and media partner WEXT.  Visit the Box Office at Proctors in-person or via phone at (518) 346-6204 Tuesday-Saturday 12 p.m.-6 p.m. or online by visiting atuph.org. 

More information on the Eddies Music Hall of Fame is available at theeddiesawards.com. The Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Awards and Hall of Fame, as well as UPH, are part of Proctors Collaborative.