Since April already was.

We kick it off with some old friends going back as far as the Green Dragon, which many of you have never heard of, but which is the place which got us into this mess. If we were there right now, we would be wet.

Friday May 3 ROXANNE NEAT returns to the stage having retired from a teaching career. She performs a nice range of contemporary and traditional folk music, her sweet, beautiful voice accompanied by dulcimer, piano and guitar.

Saturday May 4 MITCH THOMAS & FRED CAMPEAU and JIM & VIVIAN CRAIG, all also friends since the Green Dragon, have put together an ukeclectic show that promises to bring a smile, and maybe a tear or two.

In addition to their tight vocal blending, the foursome stretch out with some instrumental surprises: Viv and Mitch on ukuleles, Fred on guitar, banjo, and Hawaiian resonator guitar, and Jim on concertina, guitar, and bass ukulele (yes, you read that right). There’ll be old songs, blue songs, and some new songs, written by Jim and Viv.

Fred Campeau and Mitch Thomas have been a team since the early 70′s, when they met while both were performing around Chicago. Fred plays guitar, banjo, fiddle and harmonica, and was a long-time member of the Volo Bogtrotters. In addition to playing guitar, banjo and ukulele, Mitch teaches choir, theater and uke, and is a two-time winner of the Wheatland Festival Folksinging Contest.

Jim and Vivian Craig have been harmonizing for almost forty years. When not loosely affiliated with Mitch and Fred, Jim and Viv perform with Chicago-based Na Mele Aloha, an Hawaiian music ensemble.

Coming up next Friday May 10 and also on Friday May 17 is a spectastic show with JEFFREY FOUCAULT & COLD SATELLITE on an album release tour with their brand spankin’ new CD Calvacade. Catch a listen on our website.

COLD SATELLITE is the result of a collaboration between Jeffrey and his friend, acclaimed poet Lisa Olstein.

“Taking unpublished poems and fragments of writing from Olstein, Foucault has added words and weaved the result into a powerful mix of rock (with some menacing electric guitars), folk and country. A stellar lineup that includes Billy Conway (Morphine, Twinemen) on drums; Jeremy Moses Curtis (Booker T) on bass; David Goodrich (Chris Smither) on electric guitars; and Nashville session veteran Alex Mccollough on pedal steel help Foucault deliver beguiling, interesting songs in a variety of moods.” -The Telegraph, reviewing the first record, named Cold Satellite. Which is not to mention HAYWARD WILLIAMS, another something special from Wisconsin.

As if the debut performance by this team of wunderkindof were not enough, the PINES are opening for them. Please call to reserve and pay in advance for these shows. Both acts have strong followings, and there may not be seats available if you wait too long.

And the hits just keep on coming. On May 18, JOSH HARTY makes a home visit after traveling about for many months, gathering his talented friends CHRIS WAGONER & MARY GAINES and JIM SCHWALL together for a killer evening.

May 24 KAIA FOWLER returns with a recovered ankle, and May 25 the three grumpy amigos, JOHN SIEGER, LARRY PENN & MARK DVORAK, will shed their collective grump and deliver another great show.

The last weekend in May first weekend of June THE OCCASIONAL QUARTET, including Willy Porter, Peter Mulvey, Randy Sabien, and Bill Camplin will play Friday Saturday and Sunday evenings. Delaying may also be a bad choice for these performances, since some of these guys have been known to win popularity contests.