Cafe Carpe

OLD SAP (w/out Jackson Grimm)
2022-07-14 20:00 - 22:00 (America/Chicago)
Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve seat and indicate whether you are likely to eat here.
Masks recommended in our intimate back room space.
Jackson is unfortunately unable to do this tour. OLD SAP will perform admirably for two….
OLD SAP is an Americana songwriter. He will be appearing here solo.
Folk Rock, banjo stomp,
a calligraphy bird
in silhouette branches
Old Sap owns a “cowboy-sweet timber that rambles through his songs [and a] physical charisma that make his performances so engaging.”
“a range of musical expression that wanders between musings about nature’s cyclic harmony and the love and anguish inherent to the human condition.” —Flathead Beacon
Old Sap has crossed numerous highways through the country in the past decade. Finally landing in Asheville in 2018, the new ensemble released their first album together at the end of 2019.
A Yard with Lilacs is an Eclectic Americana album. The full band sound features honky tonk guitars, a New Orleans-style horn section, thrashing drums, infectious melodies, soul-warming harmonies, and sparkling flourishes from fiddle and piano. Guided by lyrics that are imagistic, funny, and heart-wrenching, listeners are teased back to a less-anxious time and place.
After its release, A Yard with Lilacs has been enjoying regional radio play from WNCW and 98.1 The River.
In a live setting, Old Sap often performs as a stripped-down folk trio. The banjo sets the groove while the baritone guitar and fiddle swarm and swoon around it. Next comes the stomp of the foot, like a freight train crossing an old steel bridge. Harmonies streak across the sky, prayers sent up millennia ago now swooping into the modern day. In a direct and energetic style, Old Sap stretches out a blanket and beckons listeners to lay down their troubles, lose their shoes, and dance around in the grass. It’s more sound than people expect from a few simple elements—a sound that’s surprising, familiar, modern and timeless all at once.
JACKSON GRIMM marries folk pop melodies with the lonesome sound of traditional Appalachian music. In a region with a strong music culture, it is no surprise that Grimm’s songwriting is representative of his musical birthplace: Asheville, NC.

MARIANNE FLEMMING/ CRIS PLATA/ BILL CAMPLIN
2022-07-09 20:30 - 23:00
Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve seats and to indicate whether you are likely to eat here. Masks in our intimate backroom space are generally recommended.
This will be a grand evening with 3 songwriters sharing the stage and rotating songs.
Originally from south Florida, MARIANNE FLEMMING has been a professional musician for more than 30 years, winning numerous songwriting and “Best of” awards for her jazzy, bluesy sound. Marianne is known as a fine singer, composer and guitarist. She has opened for many national acts including Donavon, Taj Mahal and Roger McGuinn of the Byrds. Marianne has toured the United States, Europe and the Caribbean. Even having Bo Diddly sit in with her while busking in Hyde Park.

From The Bluebird Café in Nashville, to The Bitter End in New York and Seattle’s Folk Life stage, Marianne has appeared on many stages across the country. Her recorded music has been played on radio stations around the world. Flemming’s song “Come on Back to My House” was covered for a compilation project of LA woman vocalists and released on a CD called “Her Voice”. That song sits in with covers of John Prine, Bob Dylan and Richard Thompson. In addition, songs from 2 of her CD’S were re-packaged into a compilation CD and distributed in Germany by Square One Records.
After spending 10 years in Madison Wisconsin, Marianne added family and children to her proudest of accomplishments. Currently, residing in SW Washington, Marianne balances her day job as a special education teacher, mother, and music obsession with mostly a smile. She continues to perform, write and record. She has just released her 5th recording project, ” Across the Hemisphere”, recorded and produced at home, under lockdown and unrest with her husband guitarist Kevin Neil.
Together they describe their style as “Hill Billy- Bosa Nova” and sometimes can be spotted as the “The Billy Novas”.

“Marianne’s audience rapport was engaging. She sang with wonderful pitch, and controlled abandon. Flemming’s guitar playing was inventive and smooth, and her compositions were clever and interesting -musically and lyrically.”
Robert Goss, Production Coordinator, PSU Lincoln Performance Hall, Portland OR
“The combination of her great lyrics and stellar musicianship makes this woman a cult legend.”
Rachel Bissex, Singer/Songwriter
I was blown away by Marianne’s talent. I can’t remember the last time I was so impressed with a performer – not only do I love her guitar playing, but she has an amazing singing style, and as if that isn’t enough, she writes great songs too!
David Duthie, Bassist, River City Ramblers

Varying between a jazz-inflected, sinuous voice reminiscent of Rickie Lee Jones and Natalie Merchant, the solid folk sensibility of Janis Ian, and the straight-ahead emotionalism of Patty Griffin, songwriter/vocalist/guitarist Marianne Flemming has been writing and performing memorable lyrics and melodies for many years. Michael Henchman, Producer, Singer/Songwriter, Multi-instrumentalist
CRIS PLATA was born in South Texas, the son of migrant workers. Those early days of living in different migrant camps and following the harvest from region to region, exposed Cris to a wide range of musical experiences.
His early musical experiences reflect his Mexican heritage. This heritage includes Norteno (Northern Mexico border music), conjunto (elements of both European and Mexican music fused by early residents of South Texas), and ranchera (Mexican country) music. Today, Cris describes this as “Mexican roots” music.
Another strong influence stamped its mark on this man at an early age. This can be best described as the Texas singer-songwriter genre. Texas has long been the hot bed of musical talent that has been forged by its wide open vistas and its independent nature. Out of this landscape, Texas has “grown” notable and innovative singer-songwriters such as: Bob Wills (Texas swing), Townes Van Zandt and Lyle Lovett (masters of melodic story songs with a uniquely Texas soul), and Steve Earle (his “Guitar Town” is the epitome of gritty country-rock, a standard that Nashville writers have yet to reach).
With all of these influences, how do we describe Cris Plata’s music in a nutshell? Perhaps we will have to borrow the term Tex-Mex and redefine it. “Tex” would now stand for Texas singer-songwriters and “Mex” would stand for Mexican root’s music. But don’t let this definition confine your impression of his music. Just listen to his music and the best definition will be your own.
BILL CAMPLIN has played here a few times.
Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve seats.

PIPER ROAD
2022-07-08 20:30 - 23:00
Stay tuned for Covid updates. Masks are recommended during the performance.

PIPER ROAD was born into the age of rock & roll with individual backgrounds diverse as classical, cowboy, folk, blues and Dixieland. Influenced by some live performances of Doc Watson and Bill Monroe and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band release of “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” in the early 1970’s, they put away the electric amps and guitars and developed a unique acoustic/bluegrass style. They never completely abandoned their musical roots and have blended Irish fiddle tunes with American country, big band, novelty and space-aged Grateful Dead inspired jams.
The band continues to swing! With their strong bond of friendship, commitment to quality musicianship and continuing support of a strong fan base, Piper Road invites you to join them as their show hits the road. The current Piper Road roster has accumulated over 100 years of experience performing together.

SPOOK HANDY
2022-07-07 19:30 - 21:00
Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve seats and to indicate whether you are likely to eat here.
Masks recommended in our intimate listening space.
If you loved the music of the folk revival (a.k.a. – the “folk scare”) and you are looking for a real troubadour who is keeping the passion, purpose and spirit of folk music alive and keenly relevant to TODAY, then SPOOK HANDY is your man.
He performed alongside Pete Seeger more than 50 times from 2003 – 2013. He’s also worked with Peter and Paul from Peter Paul & Mary, Tom Paxton and Christine Lavin, and his own compositions have been used in film and theater and have charted as high as No. 2 on the International Folk Radio Charts as recently as 2019.

SONG CIRCLE w/ TRICIA ALEXANDER- Canceled
2022-06-30 18:30 - 20:30
Sorry- this has been cancelled- Tricia has had an exposure to Covid and will be isolating. New month should be on.
Round robin song circle led by TRICIA ALEXANDER– (performer, poet, healer, “with a voice, music and lyrics that resonate the heart”) done informally, not from the stage, no microphones. This is a lovely gathering of singers, songwriters, musicians and music appreciators, poets, and storytellers held somewhat regularly on the last Thursday of each month (unless interrupted by a pandemic).
Traditional Round Robin protocol applies – everyone is part of the circle and has an opportunity to: play, pass or request a song from someone in particular or from anyone in the circle.
Everyone is welcome to attend. $5 cover for musicians and audience. Come early and have a bite to eat- therein lies our sustenance.

SHI*UNAUTS- MULVEY/ PORTER/ CAMPLIN
2022-06-25 20:30 - 22:30, 2022-06-24 20:30 - 22:30

SHI*UNAUTS- PORTER/ MULVEY/ CAMPLIN
2022-06-23 20:00 - 22:00

ACOUSTIC OPEN STAGE
2022-06-18 18:30 - 21:00
Out of respect for others, please wear masks if the space becomes crowded.
This is an acoustic open stage, sound system set up in advance.
Share your songs (or stories- storytellers welcome) in a two song rotation with others, being respectful of the time if songs are long.
Please support our business by buying drink and/or food.

NEW PIONEERS
2022-06-16 19:00 - 21:00

BILL FEST- MILLER & CAMPLIN
2022-06-12 19:00 - 21:00
A surprise add-on as BILL MILLER finds himself back in his home state, and BILL CAMPLIN just happens to be here too.
Serving a limited menu from 6-7. Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve seats and to indicate whether you are likely to eat here.
BILL MILLER is an award-winning Native American recording artist, performer, songwriter, activist, painter, and world-class accomplished flute player. Over the entirety, Miller has produced over a dozen albums, received three Grammy Awards, numerous NAMA awards (including a “Lifetime Achievement Award) and led Wisconsin’s La Crosse Symphony Orchestra. He is now touring in support of a recent collaboration album Look Again To The Wind: Johnny Cash’s Bitter Tears Revisited where Bill has the title track.
A Mohican Indian from northern Wisconsin, Bill Miller has long been one of the most admired figures in the Native American music arena and beyond. As an award-winning recording artist, performer, songwriter, activist, and painter, he’s been a voice for the voiceless, a link between two great and clashing civilizations.
With his new album, Chronicles of Hope, Bill hopes to further inspire fans, both present and future. “My faith in my Creator leaves me content with the gifts I have,” he says, “and I use them to enrich the world through His blessings. I choose to bless people rather than curse them, to be a peacemaker rather than a warmaker.” As songs like “The Promise” make clear, Bill feels just as passionate about saving the environment of North America, the land of his forebears. ” I think we should feel as if we’re living in the Garden of Eden, and we should take care of the land,” he says emphatically. “I’ll always use my music to urge people to preserve the land.”
Bill has an equally active career as a painter. His work has been shown and sold in prestigious galleries around the country, and he maintains a studio at his Nashville home, where he lives with his wife and children. With so busy a personal and professional life, it would seem that Bill Miller could cruise ever onward in easy contentment. But artists don’t work that way. “I’ve been given a lot of second chances in my life,” he says. “I’ve been through alcoholism and other problems. I was lifted out of the ditch, and I still see a blue sky above. After years of living against the grain, I see things as rivers, creeks and rainstorms, as the liquid layers of my life.”
A recent article about Bill Miller.
BILL CAMPLIN looks forward to sharing songs with his friend Bill.

BILL CAMPLIN w/ MICHAEL HECHT
2022-06-11 20:00 - 21:00
Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve seats and indicate whether you are likely to eat here.
Wearing masks in the intimate space of the back room is recommended.
Readings this time include Ukranian poets, American poet-Jane Kenyon, American poet Murray Jackson, prose from James Agee’s Let Us Now Praise Famous Men (tenant families in the deep south), American poet Vachel Lindsay (Abraham Lincoln), American poet Paul Lawrence Dunbar (I know why the caged bird sings) and poets Georgia Johnson/Joyce Kilmer, and prose from All Quiet on the Western Front.
Bill waxing billoquent on a prior upcoming show alongside MICHAEL HECHT:

“…..I will be sharing an evening of excerpts form the writing of poets, playwrights, authors and historical figures with Michael Hecht.

This will be at least the 7th time we have worked together with me supplying songs spaced between the writing he has organized and reads from. I have never had a better collaboration in which to place songs, which in this case are all my own writings. It is not to presume that I am equating my own lyrics with any of these writers, but allows me to visit the type of writing that has inspired and informed me through out my 74 years ( minus the first 7 or so). Most of Mr. Hecht’s choices were specifically unknown to me so I am in the audience too. As I listen I find a comfortability in performing that I have seldom had. It feels so right.”

AD HOC TRIO
2022-06-10 20:00 - 22:00
Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve seats and to indicate whether you are likely to eat here. Be aware that COVID restrictions could be in place, and be prepared to present proof of vaccination and wear a mask in the listening room if they are. Call with any questions or concerns.
STEVE BORCHARDT, PERRY BAIRD, and CHRISTIAN ELLESTAD first came together as THE AD HOC TRIO in 2021 for Fort Atkinson’s Rhythm Remix fest. Encouraged by the sound they developed and the response of audiences, they’ve continued their musical collaboration performing a blend of folk, pop, country, and traditional songs. Steve and Perry handle vocals, accompanying on acoustic guitars, while Steve also plays mandolin and Christian fleshes out the trio’s offerings with delicate violin enhancements.
As solo musicians and as members of various area musical groups through the years, the three are familiar to Carpe audiences. Borchardt and Ellestad have played with The Merry Horde bluegrass band and Baird previously partnered with Mike and Patty McDougal in The Buzzards and currently is in the Rose Among Thorns quartet. Borchardt and Baird are Fort Atkinson natives, while Ellestad hails from Sun Prairie. They continue to appreciate opportunities to play at one of the Midwest’s finest listening rooms!

BILL KIRCHEN (of Commander Cody) w/ Radoslav Lorkovic
2022-06-08 20:00 - 22:00
Purchase tickets below. Masks recommended in our intimate listening room space to protect performers and any vulnerable among us (which is all of us, really). Windows will be open for better ventilation.
Upon tallying how many decades he’s worked as a professional guitar slinger, Telecaster master BILL KIRCHEN quips, “Well, they don’t make 50 years like they used to.” They don’t often make careers like his, either.

Grammy nominated guitarist, singer and songwriter BILL KIRCHEN first gained national recognition as a founding member of Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen. His trademark guitar licks drove their Hot Rod Lincoln cut into the Top Ten in 1972. He has released twelve CDs on his own, and played guitar live or on record with a who’s who of Americana and Roots Rock ‘N’ Roll, among them Gene Vincent, Link Wray, Bo Diddley, Hazel Dickens, Emmylou Harris, Dan Hicks, Nick Lowe, and Elvis Costello.
Bill Kirchen and Radoslav Lorković both came of age in America’s midwest, albeit in different states and a decade apart. Piano and accordionist Rad was born in Croatia, grew in Iowa, and has had a 40 + year career as a soloist and sideman to Odetta, Shawn Mullins, Greg Brown and more. Rad and Bill met at a Townes Van Zandt festival in Italy in 2018, and then they played a half dozen gigs together on the 2022 Outlaw Country Cruise. Rad now holds the piano chair with Asleep At The Wheel, and confessed to Bill that he grew up learning Commander Cody’s boogie-woogies and other songs. He knocked ’em dead doing the late Cody’s parts on Bill’s Outlaw Cruise tribute to the late Commander. They’ve now teamed up for a week long whirlwind run through the heartland, and with a combined century’s worth of songs, they ain’t gonna run out of material

CLOSED FOR A BIT
2022-05-25 08:00 - 2022-06-01 16:30
Family gatherings are compelling us to take this week off.
We hope you enjoy yourselves.
Back in the swing of things evening of June 1.

MY POLITIC
2022-05-21 20:30 - 22:30
Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve seats. NOTE: COVID protocols of proof of vaccination and mask wearing in the listening room are likely to still be in place.
Tried and true- They were here in October and hit it out of the park.
MY POLITIC is a folk/Americana band based in Nashville TN. Kaston Guffey and Nick Pankey grew up together in Ozark MO and started My Politic around the age of 15. Kaston writes character driven story songs and Nick adds sibling-like harmony to create a unique sound that is totally their own.

Inspired by artists like John Prine, Woody Guthrie, Randy Newman Nina Simone, Patty Griffin, Simon & Garfunkel, classic country and so much else, My Politic has recorded 9 albums to date and have released 3 of those since moving to Nashville 7 years ago. “Anchor” (2015) “12 Kinds of Lost” (2017) and The band’s latest effort, “Short-Sighted People In Power” (released 10/30/2020). It is a brutally honest, sometimes angry, sometimes satirical album about the current state of things in american politics and culture. It is meant to be heard in full. They’ve also had the pleasure of appearing at Americanafest and multiple times at The Bluebird since moving to Nashville.
My Politic has been all over the country for years thriving in intimate house concerts settings, dive bars and everywhere in between. Unique midwestern storytelling in harmony.
Press:
Short-Sighted People in Power”
“They are inspired, brave and brilliant songs, remarkably comprehensive but never preachy or ponderous. It’s perfect for this American moment. Rendered tenderly with close harmonies throughout, it evoked the sound of Don Henley and Glenn Frey singing Randy Newman songs. It’s subversive, but also soulfully charming.”– Paul Zollo – American Songwriter
“...it might come off as a rootsy, country-folk fusion but its importance transcends such a sonic description. It comes from the same disenfranchised place which spawned punk, hip-hop, even rock and roll itself, and any and all movements born of being outside, forgotten, exploited, ignored and used by those in power.”– Dave Franklin – Dancing About Architecture
“…not to be missed. The album boasts beautiful harmonies, heart-tugging bluegrass string arrangements, and lyrical reflections on loneliness, loss, addiction, and struggle. Even with its sad subject matter, the songs provide a warm blanket of comfort, a cure of for what ails you in the form of a front-porch jam session, a campfire conversation, or an intimate living room gathering of friends.” Mother Church Pew
“a time capsule of these times, that will stand as a statement for a future perspective to judge. Woody Guthrie would be proud. –Paul Mcgee – LonesomeHighway.com

LONESOME BILL CAMPLIN
2022-05-20 20:00 - 22:00
Masks recommended. We will try to keep doors and windows open but COVID seems to be having its way so be careful.
I don’t care what anyone says, Bill can sing and play guitar with the best of them.
Come check him out.

DANCE AROUND MOLLY
2022-05-19 19:00 - 21:00
Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve seats and indicate whether or not you are likely to eat here.
Check for any COVID updates.
New to the stage as this moniker, DAM is comprised of the ‘best of the best’ of ‘pickers’ out of Madison, WI.Starr Moss, Trent Cuthbert, Michael Falk, Dave Havas and Paul Kienitz are out playing their own brand of bluegrass inspired music. As they are experienced journeymen of the BG scene (Mark Hembree Band, Hen House Prowlers, Nob Hill Boys, Sweet Grass, Squirrel Gray, Reeltime Travelers, etc.)…count on a unique bend of driving classics, original songs and masterly instrumentals that define the bands sound.

DULCIMER FEST
2022-05-14 20:00 - 22:00
Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve seats and to indicate whether you will be dining here that evening.
The mostly annual Southern Wisconsin Dulcimer Club festival in Janesville gives us the opportunity to present their featured performers.
LORINDA JONES Mountain Dulcimer
DONA BENKERT Mountain Dulcimer
PAM BOWMAN Hammer Dulcimer

LUKE CALLEN minus LONG MAMA- important update!
2022-05-13 20:30 - 22:30
ATTENTION- the LONG MAMA portion of this show has been canceled, as they have tested positive.
LUKE CALLEN will soldier on, joined by Dandy Freling of Milwaukee, and the ticket price will be $10.
We will reschedule LONG MAMA when we can.
Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve seats and indicate if you are likely to dine here.
Masking during show and being vaccinated strongly encouraged. We will try to keep air exchange high with window ventilation.
LUKE CALLEN
At the intersection of Harry Smith’s Old Weird America – the songs of heartworn highways – and the tumult of today you can find the music of Luke Callen. The songs – equal parts tragic comedy and hopeless reverie – paint a picture of the places and people that make up his earthly home. A poet – a player – a folk singer – Luke has traversed his country unraveling tall tales – short tunes and all that’s hidden underneath.
Originally from the river town of La Crosse, Wisconsin – the heart of the Driftless Region on the Mississippi River – and currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota by way of Colorado Luke brings his humble sense of humor and humanity wherever he may go. His last two albums below your knows (2019) and Hard Sardine (2021) – reach from the ethereal to the eternally real – whimsical walks in the out of doors to hopelessness and heartache and all the in betweens. He is currently working on his third studio album with Erik Koskinen – set to be released in 2022.
DANDY FRELING
Combining a touch of the high and lonesome hollers of the Appalachian hill people with the low-down, dusty grooves of the cosmic cowboys, Dandy has created a unique sonic banquet sure to satisfy the hunger of any weary passerby.
LONG MAMA Milwaukee songwriter Kat Wodtke leads Andrew Koenig and Nick Lang (Buffalo Gospel), along with Samual Odin (Horseshoes & Hand Grenades), on this middle western journey of wide-open spaces & tight spots, each song shimmering with honesty, heart, and grit. Debut LP coming 2022!

KATIE SCULLIN/ COREY MATHEW HART
2022-05-12 19:30 - 21:30
Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve seats, and to indicate whether you are likely to eat before the show, or not.
A grand evening with 2 songwriters who will do separate sets, as well as a few songs together.
KATIE SCULLIN is an award-winning singer and songwriter who has captivated audiences at festivals, listening rooms, and private parties all the way from Northern Wisconsin to the heart of Texas country. Whether performing solo or backed by her band, Katie’s sound pulls from the influences of pop, rock, and soul, tied together by her signature rhythm guitar, broad vocal range, and newly infused keys. Some people sing because they can. And then there are those who write searching lyrics because they must, who work on music because they are compelled to deconstruct, reinvent and refine. Katie has a way of wrapping you in her rhythm, surprising you with a jab here and a soft, elegant whimper there. She has turned the indie-pop ballad on its head, and continues to craft an impressive arsenal of original songs planted firmly in her own style.
From the time COREY MATHEW HART started singing at a young age, his voice has amazed audiences. “The human voice is such a wonderfully complex instrument. So often, words can fail to portray the whole meaning or idea you are trying to get across, but in song you can convey more emotion and add more depth and dimension to the written word,” says Hart. And he does just that with a voice and songs that earned Hart two MAMAs (Madison Area Music Association awards) in 2011, one for best male vocalist and the other for best Folk/Americana album. Most recently, Corey won the Overture Rising Stars competition in 2014 and has been selected as a finalist in the 2015 NewSong songwriting competition. His latest project, Lost Lakes, is turning heads both locally and nationally.

BILL CAMPLIN w/ MICHAEL HECHT
2022-04-30 20:00 - 21:00
Michael will do readings from Herman Melville (Billy Budd), Kurt Vonnegut (Slaughter House Five), Quentin Crisp, and William Golding (Lord of the Flies)
Bill will provide appropriate musical interludes.

MATT SAYLES & the DRIFTLESS REVELERS
2022-04-29 20:30 - 22:30
Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve seats.
COVID precautions may still be in place, so be prepared to show proof of vaccination and to wear a mask in the listening room.
THE DRIFTLESS REVELERS formed in the second spring of the first global pandemic of the 21st century, with one ear turned toward the shellac platters and Victrola virtuosos of the early to mid 20th century, and the other ear glued to the soundscapes of the 1960’s & 1970’s American freak-folk scene.
​Featuring the original songwriting of Ben Nelson, Matthew R. Sayles, and Jerod Kaszynski, the Driftless Revelers will pleasure a crowd with plectral banjo tones, the mournful wailing of resophonic steel guitars, and the up-right bass bellows of an era that can’t quite be defined, but revels in the timeless ephemera of weird old-time American music.
​With influences as varied and eccentric as a proper musty smelling thrift store record collection, the band grooves merrily through early roots blues and jazz music, to hillbilly and string band howlers, all the way into the not-quite folk but not-quite psychedelic realms of their own creation.
​A Driftless Revelers show will lure you in with their joy–keep you dancing with their search for the cosmic groove in the confines of stringed instruments–and will send you on your way with flashbacks of the Driftless Revelery found only in the essence of the intangible reaches of notes once played– that then fall silent.
Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve seats.

SONG CIRCLE w/ TRICIA ALEXANDER
2022-04-28 18:30 - 20:30
Round robin song circle led by TRICIA ALEXANDER– (performer, poet, healer, “with a voice, music and lyrics that resonate the heart”) done informally, not from the stage, no microphones. This is a lovely gathering of singers, songwriters, musicians and music appreciators, poets, and storytellers held somewhat regularly on the last Thursday of each month (unless interrupted by a pandemic).
Traditional Round Robin protocol applies – everyone is part of the circle and has an opportunity to: play, pass or request a song from someone in particular or from anyone in the circle.
Everyone is welcome to attend. $5 cover for musicians and audience. Come early and have a bite to eat- therein lies our sustenance.

MARK HUMMEL and BLUES SURVIVORS
2022-04-26 19:30 - 21:30
Ticket link is below the bio. COVID precautions (proof of vaccination and wearing of masks in listening room) may still be in place. Updates will be posted a couple of days before the show. Call if you have concerns.
MARK HUMMEL and BLUES SURVIVORS w/Rusty Zinn, Billy Flynn, Randy Bermudes, and Wes Starr.
“this is a rare pairing of guitarists Rusty Zinn & Grammy winner Billy Flynn with the amazing rhythm section of Wes Starr( drums) & Randy Bermudes (bass). Top it off with Grammy Nominee, two-time Blues Award winner Mark Hummel on harp & vocals and you have one of the heaviest blues bands on the planet!!!”
Mark Hummel, Rusty, Billy, Wes & Randy’s resumes include touring and recording with Asleep at the Wheel, Fabulous Thunderbirds , James Cotton, Otis Rush, Jimmy Rogers, Jimmy Vaughn, Snooky Pryor, Kim Wilson, Delbert McClinton, Marsha Ball, Brownie McGhee, Charlie Musselwhite, Charles Brown, Eddie Taylor, Legendary Blues Band, Luther Tucker, Jimmy Dawkins, Omar and the Howlers, Anson Funderburgh and many more.

Video: https://youtu.be/8k85RXyeWYY
“Hummel, a specialist in West Coast Blues, knows a thing or two about about how to please an audience” – New Yorker
“Hummel plays the harmonica with the fat, full sound that made Little Walter sound almost like a saxophonist rather than a harp man”. -Chicago Sun-Times
“Mark Hummel is a Harmonica Virtuoso. He is one of a handful of the Best Players ever on the Instrument”. – Blues Revue Magazine

JEFF STEHR/ MARK SORIANO/ ELIZA HANSON
2022-04-23 20:00 - 22:00
This is a date rescheduled from COVID-intense January.
Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve seats. Proof of vaccination will be requested. Mask wearing optional. This is supposed to be a warm day, allowing us to have some upper windows open for air exchange.
It is not surprising that JEFF STEHR, a twenty-first century, glass half-empty cognoscenti songwriter from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, enjoys stage names. Hunter Gatherer. Matthew McCudahy. Rich Caramel. In dark times, entertainers need more than melodies and rhymes to conjure up the good times.The songs are mostly wordplay atop a bed of Jamaican one drop rhythms, explicit and implied, and dusted with powdered sugar, cocoa and diatonic doom. All styles and influences are on the menu. All genres are accomplices.
When he’s not doing solo shows, Jeff plays the piano with The Best Westerns.
ELIZA HANSON knows how to smooth out life’s ups and downs by covering them with melody and charm. After releasing her first EP in 2016, she has been very fortunate to enjoy acclaimed success around the Milwaukee area playing stages such as Turner Hall, Milwaukee PrideFest, Evanston SPACE, The Frequency, among many other venues. After a postponed 2020 tour, Eliza got back on the road in 2021 bringing her music to places it’s never been before, collecting new stories and friends along the way. Now home, she’s gearing up to get back in the studio to record a full length record sure to combine the honesty of a traditional singer/songwriter, mixed with an indie folk flare to project a style all her own. Eliza blends soulful vocals with carefully crafted lyrics to create an emotionally authentic listening environment.
Over the last decade, MARK J. SORIANO has played for many of Milwaukee’s favorite bands like Dropbear Collective, The Oxleys, Fellow Kinsman and The Hatchets. When the world shut down in 2020, Mark stepped out of the drummer’s role and began recording as a solo artist, releasing a handful singles and now his debut EP, So Strange. As a Milwaukee native, Mark not only pulls inspiration from folk, country and alternative rock, but from the unique experiences of the city itself.
“This song and the entire EP were recorded over quarantine and was my way of dealing with everything. Like many other people, I fell hard into my vices so all of the songs helped me reflect and ultimately, turn things around. Music has always pulled me out of the dark and I hope these songs can help someone else.”-Mark
Until Dec. 13th, all sales from this single, made on bandcamp will be donated to the Safe Harbor Program at the Milwaukee Rescue Mission. The program is dedicated to helping men break free from addictions and provides both long-term and short term services.

ACOUSTIC OPEN STAGE
2022-04-15 19:00 - 21:00
Impromptu decision-
Out of respect for others, please wear masks if the space becomes crowded.
This is an acoustic open stage.
Share your songs (or stories- storytellers welcome) in a two song rotation with others, being respectful of the time if songs are long.
Please support our business by buying drink and/or food.

MARK HEMBREE BAND
2022-04-14 19:00 - 21:00
Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve seats.
ATTENTION: re the coronavirus situation. The small space of the listening room prevents any reasonable distancing. For the safety of everyone, and to protect the performers who cannot mask while performing, we will be requiring:

proof of vaccination
mask wearing in the listening room, (and recommending it in all of our spaces when not eating or drinking.)

Keep checking for updates, as circumstances could require further measures, or even cancellation.

Hembree’s band combines powerful vocals and hot picking to bring a new sound to the bluegrass stage. Featuring MARK HEMBREE, PAUL KIENITZ, STARR MOSS, and MICHAEL FALK.
Mark Hembree started his music career in Wisconsin in the 1970s, and before long was hosting a live radio show from the Glenmore Opera House near Green Bay. After a couple of years in Denver with the Monroe Doctrine, he returned to Wisconsin briefly before an audition at a local festival netted a job with Country Music Hall of Fame legend Bill Monroe, the Father of Bluegrass Music.
He became a Blue Grass Boy in 1979 and worked with Monroe for five years, then was one of the founding members of the Nashville Bluegrass Band. While in Nashville he recorded with several well-known artists, including the all-star band Dreadful Snakes (with Jerry Douglas, Béla Fleck, Roland White, Blaine Sprouse, and Pat Enright) and Peter Rowan (on the Grammy-nominated album “New Moon Rising”).
He returned once again to Wisconsin in 1989, played with local bluegrass groups the Rounders and Nob Hill Boys, and Western swing bands the Western Box Turtles (including Asleep at the Wheel steel guitarist Eddie Rivers) and his own group, the Best Westerns.
Additionally, he has appeared as a guest lecturer and instructor at various music workshops, seminars, and film presentations, as well as in Bill Monroe tribute shows on “A Prairie Home Companion” and at North Carolina’s MerleFest (performing with Del McCoury, Roland White, Blake Williams, Peter Rowan, and Bobby Hicks). He also appears in the feature-length documentary film “Powerful: Bill Monroe Remembered,” directed by Joe Gray and produced by the International Bluegrass Music Museum.

At Mark’s side; Paul Kienitz, well-versed in traditional bluegrass fiddling, has performed and recorded with a number of fine Wisconsin bands, including the Nob Hill Boys, where he first met up with Mark Hembree, resulting in future bands and projects. He was the featured fiddler in a special “Blue Grass Boys Reunion” Bill Monroe tribute featuring mandolin virtuoso Mike Compton and Blue Grass Boy alumni Bob Black, Tom Ewing and Mark Hembree. The go-to fiddler in the Badger State, he and Hembree are longtime partners in crime.
Guitarist and singer Starr Moss spent nearly four years with the Chicago-based Henhouse Prowlers, traveling in the U.S. and abroad. Two U.S. State Department tours afforded the opportunity to perform and collaborate with local musicians in Russia, Mauritania, Zambia, Nigeria, and Uganda. Other musical highlights include performances at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music and the International Bluegrass Music Association’s annual conventions. Starr’s fiery solos and solid rhythm power the ensemble.
On banjo is Michael Falk, a hard-driving traditional banjo style and agile lead and harmony vocalist. His versatile playing serves well whether it’s a high-speed breakdown, old-time fiddle tune, or lonesome ballad. Michael has been playing with the Squirrel Gravy Bluegrass Band for the past four years after relocating to Madison from Ohio for graduate studies at UW Madison.

TODD ALBRIGHT
2022-04-09 20:00 - 22:00
Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve seats. COVID protocol of proof of vaccination and mask wearing in listening is likely to still be in place.

TODD ALBRIGHT is a country blues, twelve string guitar player and vocalist based in Detroit, Michigan. Grounded in the pre-war era of the blues tradition (1880-1939), Todd is a mindful purveyor of blues history. His repertoire upholds musical pillars such as Blind Willie McTell, George Carter, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Leadbelly. His life’s work continues the distinguished tradition of the very roots of American music as told by the African American musicians who created it. Todd joined Jack White’s Third Man records in 2016.

Todd’s vigorous, gritty and soulful performances are accompanied by stories of the masters and a deep intuitive sense of respect for craft, providing audiences with a meaningful experience while creating a transcendent moment. One of the top blues guitarists in the world, Todd is the only contemporary twelve string player in his genre.
Todd began playing the blues while still a teenager, some twenty-five years ago. Initially, he was drawn to the sound of the finger-picked style and has since immersed himself in the foundational music and narratives of American culture. Over the years, Todd has shared the stage with artists such as Roy Book Binder, Charlie Parr, Paul Geremia, and Dakota Dave Hull.
Todd’s first full-length LP, Fourth Floor Visitor, was released by Jett Plastic Recordings out of Detroit, Michigan (2017). His latest album, Detroit Twelve String: Blues & Rags, is out now on Third Man Records (2017).

“The character and emotional vibe of the performance are delicious…” Acoustic Guitar Magazine

“…an explosion of acoustic wonder. Albright plays with heart, daring, and conviction.” American Blues Scene

AN EVENING w/ SAM BAKER
2022-04-08 20:30 - 22:30
NOTA BENE: If COVID is still on the loose, proof of vaccination and mask-wearing in the listening room will be required.
“Simultaneously beautiful and broken…Sam Baker is an artist worth waiting for” – NPR All Things Considered
“The Bard of the Workaday World” – Wall Street Journal
“Maybe the most captivating songwriter in America.” – Lone Star Music
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“Sam Baker is an island of warmth and hope in dangerous times.” – Neon Filler

Sam Baker is a lyric writer, artist, and survivor. His songs are stories of everyday people facing everyday challenges: a young Mennonite welder who finds love, a ditch digger supporting his family, a veteran grappling with post-war life, a single mother driving around with a car full of baby junk, a widower writing ‘her’ name in the sand, and a straight-haired orphan in a house full of curls. They are survivors. Like Sam.
In 1986 Sam was on a train for Machu Picchu when a bomb exploded in the carriage he was riding in. Seven died. Through a series of miracles, and the help of everyday people doing their best–his angels–he survived.
Physical recovery was hard. Emotional recovery harder. Melody came to him–compelled him to turn an old guitar upside down so his gnarled hands could play. Slowly, the words came–one true line–“Sitting on the train to Machu Picchu, the passenger car explodes.” He made a record. Then another. There were glowing reviews, more records, awards in Rolling Stone; sold-out shows in Europe, Canada, and the US; songs in TV shows; and an hour with Terry Gross on Fresh Air. Sam was a singer.
Sam uses his art to tell his story–whether from a symphony in Oregon, an art gallery in Santa Fe, a large theater in Kansas City, a small room in The Netherlands, or a song-writer retreat with soldiers. He travels the world sharing his songs, grateful for each day, helping us see the beauty in little things and hope for things to come.

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