JACKSON EMMER $15
2023-06-23 20:00 - 22:00 (America/Chicago)
Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve seats and to indicate whether you are likely to eat here.
JACKSON EMMER is an award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer from Carbondale, Colorado. His work blends humor with heartache, and tradition with exploration. Emmer’s writing is often compared to that of John Prine and Guy Clark. He has toured the US since 2009, collaborated with Grammy-winners, and co-written 40+ songs with folk music legend Tom Paxton. Emmer has opened for Robert Earl Keen, Sierra Ferrell, and Tim McGraw. His work has been featured in Rolling Stone, Billboard, 1200+ Spotify playlists, and 200+ radio stations worldwide.
“Few are writing songs like Jackson Emmer.” – Rolling Stone
Jackson Emmer has quietly built his reputation as a deft songwriter and commanding singer on the outskirts of country music. His gentle, lush, raspy vocals stand out in the crowded field of Americana. Emmer began singing at the unlikely age of 20. However, due to the arid, mountain climate, and the rigors of long bar gigs, Emmer’s vocal cords were soon in tatters. By 28, he had lost his voice completely.
Undeterred, Emmer saw this as an opportunity — a fresh start disguised as defeat. “I’m a quiet optimist. There is only one way: forward,” Emmer says. He rebuilt his voice from the ground up, learned to sing again, and a new sound emerged. The scars of mountain living forever sealed into his timbre. Lush with overtones, ghostly harmonics, and friendly grit, Emmer’s voice is better than ever.

DAVE RAMONT & GERALD DOWD $10
2023-06-24 20:30 - 22:30
Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve seats and to indicate whether you will be dining here. These talented gents opted for a slightly lower cover than they deserve in order to draw in the masses to check them out.

Dave & Gerald have been playing together for a couple decades, and on this night they’ll join on each other’s songs.

GERALD DOWD was called the “Hardest working drummer in Chicago” by WXRT’s Richard Milne, playing on over 100 records. He was Robbie Fulks’ longtime drummer and has played with Mavis Staples, Eddie Vedder, Prairie Home Companion, Neko Case, Marshall Crenshaw, George Jones and many more. But he’s also a singer/songwriter, his second full-length record Fathers Day out this August, following his oft-acclaimed debut Home Now. No Depression magazine said “Drunks, players & heartbreakers run amok in Dowd’s hook-heavy, cleverly crafted tunes. Their bad deeds are celebrated with humor and catchy pop melodies, influenced by everything from country to rock to R&B, all tied together with a great pop sensibility.” He celebrated it’s release by playing 13 straight hours with 16 bands, raising over $10,000 for the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

DAVE RAMONT has been playing around the Midwest and points beyond for years, releasing 4 records, populated by muddy skies, tipsy moons, spider bites and vagabonds. Mark Guarino of the Chicago area’s Daily Herald said his record Scrawny was “The finest collection of songwriting I’ve heard in a long time.” Dave has also produced records for other singer/songwriters and released 4 records with dick smith, a swillbilly band he co-founded. “These cats are mighty whacked. But they’re hella good. They take old forms and play the hell out of them in new ways. It’s bluesy old-timey, it’s inbred urbane country, it’s…hell, I don’t know what it is but I’m diggin’ it.” –Frank Goodman, puremusic.com

“I really felt under the charm of “Scrawny” and it’s always a pleasure to discover a new guy with a real musical personality. I’m looking forward to playing songs off the album.” Raymond Swennen, “Roots Revival” Radio ATL Bree, Belgium

“The world could always use another quality singer-songwriter with meaty lyrics, gritty vocals and a tight back-up band.” The Austin Chronicle

SONG CIRCLE w/ TRICIA ALEXANDER
2023-06-29 18:30 - 20:30, 2023-08-31 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.

YAZMIN & BEAT ZERO
2023-06-30 20:30 - 22:30
Ticket link follows bios. Those of you who saw the Randy Sabien Trio here in December will have already been introduced to Yazmin’s talents. “She was incredible…… How brilliant is she? She is absolutely fantastic. What a voice, what a keyboard player, just absolutely extraordinary.” Nanci Griffith
YAZMIN & Beat Zero serve up a unique blend of lyric-driven folk-rock mixed with Cuban rhythms, jazz-informed harmonies and classical foundations. Blues, R&B, Funk, Timba, Latin Jazz, and Rock are all part of the recipe. Yazmin’s songwriting is honest and soul-baring, diving into subjects such as creative burnout, finding one’s life purpose, immigration, and of course, love. She weaves between both English and Spanish with ease, inviting listeners to cross between worlds with each note. You may be equally called to dance or to shed a tear before the night is over.
The show features Yazmin’s powerful keyboard playing and soaring vocals as well as the talents of her world-class band: Grammy-nominated Álvaro Benavides from New York City on bass and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Gillespie from Minneapolis, MN on drums.
Yazmin & Beat Zero are touring across the Midwest this summer. This is a rather momentous occasion for Yazmin as it’s the first time reforming her trio since the pandemic and since losing her father and lead violinist T Bruce Bowers to cancer in 2020. T Bruce was a founding member of the Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua where Yazmin now performs in the house band. He was also one of her greatest musical collaborators. After several transformative years spent in grief and quarantine, Yazmin is ready to step fully into this next chapter and emerge with new wings, hence the tour’s title: The EMERGENCE Tour.
Raised by two professional musician parents, Yazmin started playing the piano and singing before she could walk. At age 12 while on the path of classical piano competition, she happened upon Afro-Cuban music for the first time and her life took a new direction. She spent over a decade studying Latin piano with Rebeca Mauleón-Santana in San Francisco and eventually moved to Cuba to continue her studies. Yazmin has toured nationally and recorded three solo albums. Highlights from her career include opening for Nanci Griffith, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and being featured on Michael Feldman’s Whad’Ya Know? radio program. Aside from music, she’s also an accomplished painter, dancer, teacher, and tour guide of the island of Cuba.
Alvaro Benavides, born in Caracas, Venezuela, began his musical studies at the age of 12 under the tutelage of his grandfather, a prominent trumpet player and music teacher from his native country. Later he attended Berklee College Of Music in Boston MA after earning a Best Entering Student Scholarship where he graduated as part of the Class of 2000. Moving to New York in 2004 he began working with local bands and artists in different genres. There he landed a gig with Pedrito Martinez and along with two other musicians, they formed the Pedrito Martinez Group. He recorded two studio albums and one live album and toured the world for a few years. This earned him a Grammy nomination and the opportunity to play with the likes of Wynton Marsalis, John Scofield, Steve Gadd, Ruben Blades, Issac Delgado and many more fantastic musicians in many different venues around the world. He currently plays with local musicians in the city and with his own band under his name. He also works as a musician and assistant MD for Pregones/PRTT theater in New York with sites in The Bronx and the theater district in Manhattan under Desmar Guevara, Musical Director for the theater.
Andrew Gillespie is a drummer and percussionist from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Having lived in Brazil and Puerto Rico, and spent considerable time in Cuba and New Orleans, he counts the traditions and roots of these locales as his chief influences. Andrew holds an individualized BA degree in music, Latin American studies, and Portuguese from a combination of the University of Miami and the University of Minnesota. Beginning in 2003, Andrew cut his teeth in many Latin, Brazilian and New Orleans groups in the Twin Cities music scene. In 2010 he relocated to New York where he worked with several New Orleans style brass bands, neo-soul and funk groups, including the Akie Bermiss Trio (of Lake Street Dive) who he still performs with currently. In 2016 he returned to the Twin Cities where he teaches private lessons, works on his piano skills, and performs with various groups.
Yazmin has toured nationally, recorded three albums and appeared on countless other recordings as a pianist, vocalist, or accordionist. Since she was 5 years old she’s been a regular performer in concerts and theatrical productions at the Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua. She has opened for artists such as Nanci Griffith and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and been a guest on Michael Feldman’s Whad’Ya Know? radio program. The raw emotion of her songs is transmitted through her powerful stage presence, evocative lyrics, and full-hearted storytelling.
Yazmin teaches piano, composition, voice, and popular Latin dances. She composes music for television, film, and commercials, and owns and operates her personal music label and publishing company. In 2019, she founded Nautilus Exchange to lead dance-, art-, and music-focused tours of Cuba. In her art, Yazmin works primarily in acrylics, pastels, and charcoal.

CLOSED FOR A FAMILY REUNION
2023-07-01 08:00 - 23:30

PIPER ROAD- SOLD OUT!!
2023-07-07 20:30 - 23:00
Word is that this will be an album release party. Ticket link follows bio.
PIPER ROAD is:

Randal Harrison – Fiddle
Bob Mason – Mandolin
Mark Hembree — Bass
Barry Riese — Guitar – Vocals
Bill Kangaroo — Washboard

Piper Road Spring Band 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.

CORKY SIEGEL $35
2023-07-08 20:30 - 22:30
Ticket link follows bio. If anyone is having issues purchasing tickets using that link, please call 920-563-9391 and ask for help.
CORKY SIEGEL is, of course, the award-winning composer who, at a very young age, learned his craft at the feet of such legendary first generation bluesmen as Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf and as a part of Siegel-Schwall Band.
Corky Siegel is known internationally as one of the world’s great blues harmonica players, blues pianist, singer-songwriter, creator of CHAMBER BLUES and the sole pioneer/composer of award-winning revolutionary works that weave blues and classical forms together. Co-founder of the SIEGEL-SCHWALL BAND, and Blues Hall of Fame Inductee, Corky Siegel has a catalogue of recordings on RCA, Vanguard, Alligator, and million selling blues/classical recordings on the iconic classical label Deutsche Grammophon. His close associations with the blues masters in the earlier days of Chicago blues, his essential part in the blues rock revolution, and his surprising success in bringing together blues and classical audiences make him a pivotal (though inconspicuous) figure in modern music history. “underappreciated national treasure” – DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE.

THIRD COAST BLUEGRASS
2023-07-13 19:30 - 21:30
Ticket purchase link follows the bio.
THIRD COAST BLUEGRASS (TCB) is a band of longtime friends and musical cohorts with deep roots in the Upper Great Lakes bluegrass scene going back to the 70’s. The lineup speaks (and picks and sings) for itself, in alphabetical order:

Marc Edelstein – Bass & Vocals
Ken Finkel – Banjo & Vocals
Peter Knupfer – Fiddle (& you don’t want the vocals!!)
Don Stiernberg – Mandolin & Vocals
Jerry Wicentowski – Lead Vocals & Guitar

TCB’s repertoire spans bluegrass classics, hidden gems, originals, and adaptations from amazing songwriters. The band highlights Jerry’s “true to the tradition” vocals, seamless trios and masterful instrumentals. With world class soloists Don and Peter stepping out front on the instrumentals with rock solid banjo from Ken, it’s as powerful as it is tasteful. Marc’s bass and Jerry’s rhythm guitar lay down the essential rhythmic foundation. As Don says, “Back to the roots of the hard grass with admired colleagues who are also great friends. What could be better?”

HAYWARD WILLIAMS BAND
2023-07-14 20:30 - 22:30
HAYWARD WILLIAMS Buy tickets below bio- $15
“Williams is a strong singer-songwriter with seven albums to his name, but even by his high standards, “Every Color Blue” is a golden collection, his voice, heavy and light in one breath, emboldened by assuring church organ on “If You Want Me to Beg” and Memphis soul horns on “Paradise Springs” — and launching him closer to the Springsteen stratosphere than ever before.” – Piet Levy— Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
“Hayward Williams’ voice has that wonderful quality that draws people in from the next room to ask Who is that?… I will put this vocal (Fades Away) up against any track by the Great Ones, including Roy Orbison.” – Darrel Norman— ReverbRaccoon
Hayward will have a full band with him-
Charlie Koltak- drums. Jeremy Moses Curtis- bass James Rohr-keys

JULIANNE MACARUS & DEAN MILANO
2023-07-15 20:00 - 22:00
Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve seats and to indicate whether you will dine with us that evening.
DEAN MILANO & JULIANNE MACARUS have worked together, in various groups of fellow musicians, for over forty years, participating in Chicago area’s vibrant music scene. Julianne collaborated with acclaimed songwriters JAMES MCCANDLESS and MICHAEL SMITH in performance and on albums, and been involved in theater.
In the seventies, Julianne joined Dean, Rick Shryock, and Jean Gordon Sredl, and the trio became a quartet called “The Casualaires.” The concentration was on Broadway and Swing music from the 20’s, 30’s & 40’s, along with country, jazz, some originals, and odd pieces you might not, otherwise, encounter.

Dean and Julianne worked together, in the 80’s, in Rubbaband, a group that won the Regional Marlboro Contest, (co-winners with The Sundowners), at The Bar RR, in Chicago; and, again, at The Dry Gulch, in Schiller Park, Illinois, a country western dinner theatre.

Meanwhile, Julianne played on two of Dean’s CDs, (“Songs about Stuff” and “Vestiges: More Songs about More Stuff”), and released a cassette album of original songs, called, “Miss my Baby.“

“Something to Think About,”is Dean’s latest CD.

GOLDPINE
2023-07-19 19:30 - 21:30
Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve seats and to indicate whether you are likely to eat here that night.
GOLDPINE are Benjamin and Kassie Wilson. Formerly known as ‘My One and Only’, the duo has reimagined their “southern-soul,” “curious-grit” and emotionally honest lyrics into Goldpine.
Through a chance encounter in Nashville back in 2006, Benjamin and Kassie Wilson were sure of each other from the start. “Kassie knew she was going to marry me from the first time she saw me…and she was right,” Ben gloats. After nearly a decade of honing in on their sound, they’re ready to give the world their self-produced debut LP, One.
With this fresh start, Goldpine wastes no time showing what they stand for. Their lead single, “Wander Away,” is somewhat of a public service announcement about mental health. “We explored the ideas of separating yourself from worries and giving yourself a break,” Ben shares. “I think it’s so important that when we are in a place where we feel like we are in need, maybe that is the exact time to reach out to others who are also in need.” The track begins with a soft picking guitar, alongside Ben & Kassie’s unmistakable harmonies — sonically putting you at ease — leading up to a fuller sound that showcases Kassie’s powerhouse of a voice.
The sophomore single of One, “When I Get to Heaven,” takes you on a musical roller coaster ride. Starting off leisurely the track quickly turns into a toe-tapping tune, back into the subtle, raw vocals of the duo, ending with a gospel flair. “Sometimes, when I’m looking for rest in the midst of life’s hustle, I picture myself under this magnificent tree, just laying down in the grass,” Ben explains about the inspiration for the track. “It’s a heavenly place, where the atmosphere is at such peace and comfort…I’m reclining and in absolute rest there.”
Exposing the pains of severed relationships and unearthing the pursuits of love and purpose, Goldpine is cathartic, moody, raucous, and relevant…all intertwined into one. Veterans of making music, Ben and Kassie put their hearts and souls into this album. One is a snapshot of this season of their lives — symbolizing a new beginning and an homage to the halcyon journey of ‘My One and Only’ — leading them to where they are now. Laced with bold vocal harmonies and fervent lyrics, One, is the perfect introduction to Goldpine.
As their music evolved, the name didn’t necessarily grow along with it. “We were called My One and Only for about 5 years,” the two explain. “Throughout those years we realized that the name was putting out a certain vibe, of the depth of the music, that was not quite accurate with where our style was heading.” Drawing inspiration from their roots, the name Goldpine signifies their past and their future; Kassie grew up on Pines Road in Alabama, so ‘pine’ represents the past and ‘gold’ is the lasting and valuable element that represents the future.
Touring since 2016, they have been lessening the gap between music and the audience by disclosing their stories behind the lyrics at every venue along the way. From festivals like 30A Songwriting Festival and Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, to listening rooms throughout the United States, Ben and Kassie have been offering their own brand of raw Americana to audiences large and small. Recent winners of the 2022 Rocky Mountain Songwriter Contest at the Red Lodge Songwriter Festival, and finalists in the Kerrville Folk Fest 2021 New Folk Competition, the duo’s bold harmonies are clearly a channel for their highly charged songwriting. Presented the “Discovery Award” in 2018 by acclaimed music critic Robert K. Oermann (Music Row Magazine), Ben and Kassie declared performance as their love-share to the world, and since then, have maintained the love and commitment they put into their shows.
Staying true to their vision from the very beginning, Goldpine continues to stand out. With their debut album of “heart-wrenching songs about loss, raucous tunes about how music is perceived as an art, and short songs about being over-zealous” on the way, 2022 shows an auspicious future for the pair.
“…a melding of raw acoustic music with meaningful lyrics that paint a picture of their and our journey.” -Eric Dahl, host of Fox 17 Rock & Review Radio & TV

J E SUNDE & ANNA VOGELZANG
2023-07-21 20:30 - 22:30
Two songwriters who are friends will share the evening- on stage together, trading songs. Ticket link follows bios.
J.E. SUNDE (Jonathan Edward Sunde) is a songwriter and composer based out of Minneapolis, MN. Jon studied western classical music with a vocal emphasis at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. Starting in college, Jon spent ten years making beautifully unusual music with The Daredevil Christopher Wright. He has since released three solo records with his most recent record, “9 Songs About Love,” released in November of 2020. With a love of songwriters and performers like Leonard Cohen, Nina Simone, and Paul Simon, Jon writes densely poetic songs with a bent toward the philosophical. Also, his voice sounds like some sort of weird angel.
ANNA VOGELZANG believes in the power of songs. Since 2004, she has independently released 7 award-winning albums and toured extensively throughout the US, opening for a wide range of acts from Gillian Welch to Sara Bareilles. Atwood Magazine says her songwriting is “beautifully visceral”, exuding “the kind of storytelling ability passed down through decades of folk tradition – it walks the line between the modern and the nostalgic”. Her voice has been described as “an ethereal, lucid thing” that “nets melodies like it’s catching monarchs”. A reviewer loves her “quirky melodies which showcase an artistic point of view”.
Anna — a melody-driving, songwriting, multi-instrumentalist — has spent her formative years spread across the country, learning the musical languages of the Midwest, West Coast, New England and all that lies in between. Building community from coast to coast, she has traveled with home on her fingertips, her music peppered with flavors of nostalgia and perpetual motion.

RICHARD GILEWITZ $20
2023-07-22 20:00 - 22:00
Ticket link (for the Saturday show) at bottom following bio and workshop information.
For nearly four decades, American fingerstyle wizard RICHARD GILEWITZ has fascinated listeners with 6 and 12-string finger gymnastics while spinning enchanting yarns of a seasoned raconteur. His concert performances around the world spill over with unexpected turns of the funnies, thought-provoking takes on life on the road, and tunes that propel the audience on a magical journey of sight and sound. His signature playing style delivers a technical diversity of banjo style patterns and classical arpeggios with a rhythmic percussive approach, exploring the history of guitar with sounds of folk to Americana, the blues to the classical, ragtime to pop, and somewhere in between.
In addition to his concert performances, his GillaCamp Guitar and Ukulele Workshops, Meet the Artist Seminars, Clinics, and Avenues for Success educational program for schools inspire players worldwide, providing opportunities for music lovers to work on their craft and young players to learn fingerstyle techniques and tips of the trade. (Richard is offering workshops Sunday for those who are interested- see below.)
Today, recognized world-wide as a performer who has a quirky take on everything around him, Richard continues to live up to this depiction with rousing shows filled with offbeat observations combined with his right-hand wizardry and heaps of technique. With Richard’s performances teeming with sparkles of mood mastery and wonderment, he shares a fresh impression of sound to the listener during his concert appearances and at his workshops.
Says Spectrum Magazine, “Much of the charm of a Gilewitz performance is in the stories he tells. He wondered aloud to the audience how many ducks he could take out in a fight if he were to be attacked by a flock of the sneaky waterfowl.”
“Ear-boggling” The Washington Post
“His complex, energetic originals have made Gilewitz popular on the festival and club circuits as a solo performer.” Guitar Player Magazine
”His performance style is very crisp and precise, allowing the personality of the music to shine through.” Dirty Linen Magazine
“His quick wit and twisted sense of humor has made him an entertainer as well as a fine guitarist.” Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine
WORKSHOPS OFFERED Sunday July 23rd 2023-

$35 per class/ $80 for all 3.

Sign up with Richard at rgilewitz@gmail.com
Must sign up Wednesday night July 19th
www.richardgilewitz.com www.gillacamp.com

All materials will be provided
All levels welcome!
“you’ll laugh as you learn!” – The Columbus Dispatch

10:30-11:30 Acoustic Guitar Kaleidoscope
The Fingerpicking Engine
Master the system of fingerstyle picking patterns, how
to play strategically with others, symphonic capo use
and tricks to obliterate stage fright

11:30-12:30 explore Open D tuning and the concepts of
note treatments, transfer options, harmonics, and the
variety of expressions available for performance.

1:30-2:30pm Ukulele adventures –
Match the fingerstyle picking pattern of your choice to an accompanying rhythm pattern while playing in a group setting.

SONG CIRCLE w/ TRICIA ALEXANDER $5
2023-07-26 18:30 - 20:30

GARETH PEARSON
2023-07-27 20:00 - 22:00
Buy tickets below. Bio follows ticket link.

GARETH PEARSON is referred to as “The Welsh Tornado” which is particularly appropriate, seeing as this special talent combines fingerstyle pyrotechnics, with explosive lead runs making Pearson one of the most exciting acoustic musicians gigging today.
Gareth has a distinctive style that can be heard through his creative and innovative arrangements which cover a wide spectrum of genres, including country/folk/classical/pop/rock/jazz/swing and bluegrass music, along with his own beautiful and often intricate original compositions.
Drawing his playing style initially from influences such as Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, Jerry Reed and Tommy Emmanuel, he has developed a style that is both inspiring and entertaining.
Within a year of taking up the guitar, Gareth was opening for Tommy Emmanuel on his 2005 UK tour. It was in Cardiff where Tommy invited Gareth to play at the CAAS convention (Chet Atkins Appreciation Society) in Nashville Tennessee.
Later that year, Gareth was performing and touring alongside Ray Davies (The Kinks), John Renbourne, and Southside Johnny and the Ashbury Jukes. During the Southside Johnny tour, Gareth was invited by Southside to be flown over to the USA to open for his annual New Years Eve concert at the Count Basie Theatre in New Jersey.
The following year Gareth was invited by Tommy Emmanuel to be the support act for his UK tour, following extensive UK supports to Jan Akkerman, Andy McKee and appearing at numerous Folk Festivals and Guitar workshops including the Montreal Jazz Festival.
“Gareth is fast becoming one of the worlds most renowned instrumental guitarists.” Adam Walton (BBC Radio Wales)
“I really respect Gareth’s abilities. He’s a great young man and a great ambassador for the acoustic guitar.” Tommy Emmanuel
“I’m Gareth’s number one fan! What a guitarist! His original compositions hit the ears like cool spring water on a hot summer’s day. His stage show has everyone up on their feet. Fingerstyle guitar is in good hands for the next generation.” Stefan Grossman
“Not only is Gareth one of the most amazing guitarists around, he is a really nice guy and funny as hell!” Andy McKee

SAM KNUTSON/ Jeff Stehr
2023-07-28 20:30 - 22:30
Buy tickets below. Bios will follow ticket link.

SAM KNUTSON is a singer-songwriter from Iowa City. His most recent album is Donkey Island. He is happy as a pig in *#*@ in a listening room. https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=d0-gRGmjEDU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=7yy5pdcBYRQ
Of late he has been involved with the Iowa Opera House project.
From the Shepherd Express: “Sam Knutson’s 2022 release Donkey Island is a collection of observational folk songs. “Already Gone” recalls John Hartford’s breezy melancholy, while “Prayer for the Downtown” leans into the lineage of fellow Iowan Greg Brown. The album’s sparse instrumentation allows Knutson’s songwriting to shine. In fact, his Bandcamp discography reveals a songwriter ripe for discovery. Milwaukeean Jeff Stehr’s fondly recalled Jamaica-centric combo The Tritonics and his current project Still No Tomatoes present him in collaborative settings.”
Jeff Stehr will open. Jeff is a glass half empty cognoscenti songwriter from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is fond of using stage names like Hunter Gatherer, Matthew McCudahy and Ike Witt, which are just a few of the many reasons why you have likely never heard of him.
Jeff’s songs are mostly wordplay and present-day doomsday reportage propelled by one drop rhythms and held aloft on ukulele wings and guitar strings. Jamaican ingredients conspire and collaborate with folk, pop, rock and blues influences to get into your head and steal your heart, but all genres are accomplices.   When not performing solo, Jeff (guitar, ukulele, harmonica, vocals) is one half of Still No Tomatoes, a duo project launched in 2022 with his Tritonics bandmate Mike Lizzo (trombone, baritone horn, melodica, vocals). Following is a review of their work:
In the diminutive Milwaukee ensemble “Still No Tomatoes”, Jeff Stehr plays guitar and ukulele; Mike Lizzo, trombone and baritone. Although their music is mostly original, the texts of the proudly quirky duo are concerned with the familiar tropes and preoccupations that have long populated the American songbook.Yet the band comes across as triumphantly new. Perhaps it is the orchestration that allows for this impression. When was the last time that you heard a ukulele and trombone duet? When they sing together, their voices are intervallically close; the sound soft and certain. Lizzo plays his trombone or baritone softly as if loudly would be impolite. They take water from a fountain of diverse experience and dip into a deep pool of genres. What to call it? Currently, they describe their music as “Hodgepop”. This is accurate. Stehr takes generously from the songbook of his experience, plays around with the hodgepge he finds, and writes music that ranges from the witty to the poetic. Despite the impatience of its name, “Still No Tomatoes” is ripe for the table.
Jeff has had his fingers in many Milwaukee music groups: the Tritonics, the Best Westerns, the John Sieger Combo, the Mike Benign Compulsion, Mark Truesdell & The Lost Pioneers, World Roots, Brave New Groove and C-Food Buffet, who once accidentally opened for Jimmy Buffet at Alpine Valley Music Theater in 1990.

BILL CAMPLIN/ MICHAEL HECHT/ BILL MILLER
2023-07-29 20:00 - 22:00
Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve seats and let us know if you will be dining here this night.
BILL MILLER
This will be a song swap with readings by Michael Hecht in between.

LILLI LEWIS TRIO
2023-08-03 20:00 - 22:00
BUY TICKETS below bio.
Athens, Georgia native turned New Orleans Folk Rock Diva LILLI LEWIS is a powerhouse composer and performing artist with “storytelling with transformative empathy and classically trained poise.” Jewly Hight, NPR.org. Lewis is a voice for the voiceless in Americana, her third full album for Louisiana Red Hot Records, lauded by NPR, Rolling Stone, Offbeat Magazine and the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “One of the most powerful records of 2021, Lilli Lewis‘ Americana offers up 13 tracks of raw, unfiltered talent… jaw-dropping vocal stylings, sharp lyricism, irresistible hooks and a needed perspective that’s often overlooked…” Lorie Leibig, TheBoot.com
Trained as an opera singer and classical pianist, singer-songwriter Lewis has been a composer, producer and performing artist for over two decades. She has been known as the Folk Rock Diva since performing in the Folk Rock band The Shiz, founded with her wife Liz Hogan. During the shutdown, Lewis performed a powerful set for the Kennedy Center’s Arts Across America series, sang “My American Heart” for a voters’ rights benefit (where Broadway star Mandy Patinkin compared her voice to “the color of light”), and performed for WWOZ-FM’s Piano Night benefit alongside celebrated artists like Jon Batiste, Ivan Neville.
As the live music scene started to rev up again, Lewis started 2022 with a live set for The Kennedy Center, followed by performances as New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, and Mountain Stage to name a few. Lewis also received a “Spirit of Folk” award from Folk Alliance International for her efforts with a New Orleans based public health campaign, and her work in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Folk, Americana, and Country music. Her full ensemble, known as the Lilli Lewis Project, is a pan-generational cult of radical decency” willing to traverse any musical terrain, bearing the spirit of days when everyone still seemed to believe music could change the world. As the story goes, Lewis’ mother was told her baby probably wouldn’t survive because of lung trouble in utero. Lewis now uses those same lungs to bring what she calls sacred songs into profane spaces, and though she’s abandoned trying to define her sound, she hopes her audiences leave her performances knowing two things: that they are brilliant as they are, and that they have the ability to use their own brilliance to make a better world.

ANNA p.s.
2023-08-05 20:00 - 22:00
Cover $15. Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve seats and to let us know if you will be dining here this evening.
Anna p.s. is a nationally touring Indie Folk Artist, entertaining audiences across the states as a one-woman-symphony with guitar, foot percussion, flute, and more. They play original tunes with the occasional unique take on a cover.
“Anna adds a diverse set of musical elements in her direct and plaintive songs with the use of looping. Whether adding to the melody or harmonic underpinnings with her voice, silver flute, or beautiful whistling, the effect of this work on Anna’s easy-paced songs is expansive.”– George Schricker, Wild Rose Moon

DANA COOPER
2023-08-10 20:00 - 22:00
Buy tickets below- bio will follow ticket link:

DANA COOPER is a poetic songwriter, an insightful storyteller, and a rousing musician currently from Nashville. His mixture of flat-picking, finger picking, and percussive strumming is “Legend Among Other Guitarists.” His harmonica playing is equally impressive. As one critic noted, “he sings like an angel and plays like the devil.” His Latest CD “I Can Face The Truth” charted on 5 Radio Charts including Americana, Indie Folk, Alt Folk, Alt Country & Roots.
Dana Cooper has had a vast career starting with his 1st self-titled Release on Elektra Records. His studio band consisting of legendary players- Leland Sklar & Russ Kunkel. During his years as a Troubadour, Dana has received many accolades including The Spirit of Folk Award, Heritage Musician Award, Best Male Songwriter Award- Indie Acoustic Project, Best Record – The Tennesseean, Nashville Music Award Nomination Best Pop Album
He has also collaborated with many established artists: Lyle Lovett, Tom Kimmel, Don Henry, Maura O’Connell, Sally Barris, Susan Werner, Kim Richey, Hal Ketchum, Pierce Pettis, Kim Carnes to name a few. With his Latest CD Release “I Can Face The Truth”, Dana faces hard truths head on with humor and heartfelt expression.

DRIFTLESS REVELERS
2023-08-12 19:30 - 22:30
Buy tickets below bio:
The DRIFTLESS REVELERS play string band freak folk from the fringes of the driftless and the reservoirs of revelry.
It’s someone’s birthday, and they wanted a fun band for the occasion. We found ’em.
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 Revelry found only in the essence of the intangible reaches of notes once played– that then fall silent.
“Scrappy string-based freak-folk, featuring songs like ‘Meat Raffle Mambo,’ ‘Wisconsin Saturday Nights’ and ‘Jesus Shaves’ that both revere and good-naturedly poke fun at state culture — [The Driftless Revelers] may remind listeners of Lou and Peter Berryman or even the old Free Hot Lunch! band.”–Isthmus Magazine, Madison, WI.

​”It’s a little ‘out there’: Driftless Revelers release American Fork Standards–Volume One Magazine, Eau Claire

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. 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.

LONESOME BILL
2023-08-18 20:00 - 22:00
CAMPLIN, that is.
He’s back! You just can’t keep a lonesome guy down.
” Bill co-presides at the Fort Atkinson, WI, cafe, bar, and listening room called Cafe Carpe. Occasionally you’ll see him performing there ….with his consummate guitar, voice, and lyrics, and with a mix of folk and rock-influenced tunes. And an awesome sense of humor.”

ALEX MCMURRAY w/ Glenn Hartman
2023-08-19 20:30 - 22:30
Cover charge $15 Buy tickets below bio
ALEX MCMURRAY
“A good songwriter writes good songs. A great songwriter writes overarching poetic narratives. The songwriter as lyric poet doesn’t just turn out albums or mixes, they weave myths that touch our collective soul and seem at once personal and in synch with the human zeitgeist. Alex McMurray is such a writer.” John Swenson
Songwriter, singer and guitarist Alex McMurray has been writing and performing music professionally in New Orleans since 1989. Past and current bands include Tin Men, The Valparaiso Men’s Chorus, The Write Brothers, Royal Fingerbowl, 007, Debbie Davis and the Mesmerizers and Happy Talk Band. He has worked as a sideman with Susan Cowsill, Paul Sanchez, Spencer Bohren, Greg Schatz, “Papa” John Gros, Lynn Drury and many others. In 2002 he spent six months performing sea shanties as “Cap’n Sandy” at Tokyo DisneySea.
Awards include the 2020 Offbeat Magazine Best Country/Folk/Singer-Songwriter Artist and Album awards for his 2020 release “Lucky One”, a 2014 Big Easy award for best Roots Rock artist and 2010 Big Easy award for Album of the Year. He has been performing as a leader and sideman at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival since 1993. He played himself on the HBO series “Treme” for several episodes. 2020 has seen him release two albums of original songs, Lucky One and Road Songs. He hosts the weekly “Fireside Chat” webcast every Tuesday night live from the Faraway Lounge at 8pm under his nom de covid “Mister Tuesday Night”.
Alex will be accompanied by his friend Glenn Hartman on accordion.

An Evening with DANIEL CHAMPAGNE
2023-08-23 19:30 - 21:30
Ticket link will follow bio.
If you’re wondering what Australian singer, songwriter and one-of-a-kind guitar virtuoso DANIEL CHAMPAGNE did after his 44-city US tour over the summer of 2022, he proceeded immediately to Canada for 30 mostly sold-out shows and then to New Zealand for another 30 mostly sold-out shows. There’s a Christmas break, and then a monumental tour of Australia. Obviously the best word to describe Daniel is “relentless”.
Daniel will bring his tour back to America starting in mid-July 2023 and continuing through October for an even more ambitious 50 shows! He’ll return to many venues he performed in 2022, and will be adding new shows in places he hasn’t performed in many years.
One reviewer recently wrote “Daniel Champagne exudes a natural ease on stage, as he sings poignant lyrics and beautifully crafted melodies that invariably whisk the heart up with grand romanticism. Coupled with an exhilarating guitar talent that transcends mere acoustic playing to replicate a whole band, Champagne must be seen to be believed.”
The story goes that Daniel first picked up his instrument of choice as a 5-year-old following in the footsteps of a musical father. He began writing songs at 12, training classically throughout his teens and performing wherever he could, honing his craft and developing the dynamic live show that he is renowned for today. At 18 he left school, turned professional and hit the road without looking back.
The following decade saw him release 5 studio albums, tour relentlessly around the globe with upwards of 300 shows per year, play some of the biggest festivals under the sun and share stages with the likes of Tommy Emmanuel, INXS, John Butler, Lucinda Williams, Ani DiFranco, Judy Collins and Rodrigo y Gabriela.
In early 2020 as the COVID pandemic ground all touring to a halt, Daniel returned to Australia writing music and further honing his craft and returned to international audiences with a swag of new songs and a complete new live show.
His current release, “Shimmer Through The Windscreen” is making waves on the streaming services and promises great critical acclaim once it is circulated to the media.
For fans of guitar, songs or just artistic expression at its finest, this show is a must see!
WHAT THE PRESS SAY..
“The word Prodigy seems to entirely fall short of this soft-spoken young man’s skills, he coaxes sounds and melodies out of his instrument that literally drop jaws.” The Calgary Herald, CANADA
“Today I saw the future of Folk – Festival goers flocking in the thousands towards the main stage to witness a young musical phenomenon from Australia dish out an absolute show-stopper.” The Firefly Column, USA
“Daniel Champagne is a crossroads. Fusing the strong traditions of Blues, Folk and other roots art with pop showmanship and admirable lyrical ability. I firmly believe that he will become an ambassador for roots music in a time where it desperately needs representation.” The Indie Blender, CANADA
“reinventing roots guitar” Rhythms Magazine, AUSTRALIA
“Watching Daniel Champagne perform is a once in a lifetime experience. He is a true prodigy that plays like no one else could possibly play unless they spent at least two lifetimes studying the art.” BW Review, NEW ZEALAND

ACOUSTIC OPEN STAGE
2023-08-25 18:30 - 20:30, 2023-09-08 18:30 - 20:30
This is an acoustic open stage, sound system set up in advance.
Share your songs (or stories- storytellers welcome) in a two song (think 8-10 minutes) rotation with whoever else is there to play, being respectful of others.
Please support our business by buying drink and/or food.

SARAH THE RED as part of Community Event Rhapsody
2023-08-26 12:00 - 13:30
RHAPSODY is a family-friendly, free community event featuring six venues with regional musical talent scheduled at each throughout the day following the River Run 5K. Enjoy a day of music, dining, and shopping during this end-of-summer celebration!
12PM-1:30PM: Cafe Carpe (sponsored by Johnson Financial Group): SARAH THE RED
FULL VENUE SCHEDULE Venue Schedule & band stage sponsors:
11AM-12:30PM: Jones Market (sponsored by Jones Market): Mambo Surfers
11AM-12:30PM: KidZone in Bicentennial Park (partnering with BASE Fort Atkinson, sponsored by Enbridge): Nazario Chickpeazio
12PM-1:30PM: Cafe Carpe (sponsored by Johnson Financial Group): SARAH THE RED
1PM-2:30PM: Riverwalk Plaza by Brock’s (sponsored by Spacesaver): Pro Pittman
2PM-3:30PM: Good2Go Fort (sponsored by TDS Telecommunications LLC): MadTadders
3PM-4:30PM: Mr Brews Taphouse – Fort Atkinson (sponsored by Badger Basement Systems): 7000apart
4PM-9PM: Barrie Park Bandshell (sponsored by Artisan Graham Real Estate): Tinker Boys (starting at 3:30PM); Zac Matthews(starting at 6PM)
Also happening on August 26 in Fort Atkinson: Tour de Fort Bike Race! (Contact the Fort Atkinson Lion’s Club for more information.)
Duck races for kids ~ Contact BASE Fort Atkinson for more information.

ORDINARY ELEPHANT
2023-09-01 20:00 - 22:00
International Folk Music Awards 2017 Artist of the Year ORDINARY ELEPHANT captivates audiences with their emotionally powerful and vulnerable songs, letting the listener know that they are not alone in this world. The collaboration of husband and wife Pete and Crystal Damore, their connection, and their influences (such as Gillian Welch, Guy Clark, Anais Mitchell) all meet on stage.
“Two become one, in song…hand-in-glove harmonies surprise the listener with focused intensity and musical mastery,” says Mary Gauthier. The Associated Press is calling their latest album, Honest, “one of the best Americana albums of the year.”

LONESOME BILL CAMPLIN
2023-09-09 20:00 - 22:00
Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve seats and to let us know if you will be eating here that night.
Cover charge $12,
Lonesome Bill rides again.
