Cafe Carpe

BILL CAMPLIN BAND
2014-09-19 20:30 - 23:00 (America/Chicago)
The boys are back in town after a stretch of going nowhere at a steady pace.

THE NEW PIONEERS
2014-09-18 19:00 - 21:00
This five piece bluegrass ball of fire featuring vocals, banjo, fiddle, guitar, bass and mandolin appears here regularly on the 2nd Thursday of the month- BUT this time it is THE 3rd Thursday. Its various members have been involved with traditional music locally, regionally, and nationally for many years.
The Pioneer’s lead singer and guitarist, Jerry Wicentowski, has been described by country music historian Bill Malone as “One of the finest singers in bluegrass music”. Jerry has also performed and recorded with such bluegrass greats as Tim O’Brien, Andy Statman, Byron Berline, Tony Trischka and others. Mike Schmidt of Spring Green, Wisconsin, is the group’s banjo player. This former French horn player has been a Nashville session musician and member of the popular Wisconsin-based bluegrass bands, Alive ‘n’ Pickin’ and the Piper Road Spring Band. He also performs occasionally with his wife Lori. Bruce King of Art Stevenson and High Water – also formerly of Alive ‘n’ Pickin’ – is on mandolin. Bruce and Mike are veterans of the Great Northern Bluegrass Festival in Mole Lake, WI – performing there every year from 1977 to 1982. Fiddle player Paul Kienitz is a member in good standing of regional bluegrass favorites, The Nob Hill Boys. Bass player John Jirak also has played banjo with various folks in the northeastern WI and Madison areas, most notably with the Green Bay based Fox River Flyer. As a bass player, he’s performed shows with the Chicago Bluegrass Band, Miltown Ramblers, Krause Family, Old Cool, Spare Time Bluegrass Band, Bob Steeno and The Old Truck, and Down From the Hills, and currently Madison’s newest, Kettle Moraine.
Like them on Facebook.

OPEN STAGE
2014-09-13 20:00 - 22:30, 2014-08-30 20:00 - 22:30, 2014-07-11 20:00 - 22:30

PETER MULVEY/Brianna Lane
2014-09-12 20:30 - 23:00
PETER MULVEY will play hop off his bicycle long enough to command our stage for a few hours. Brianna* will have to hop off first to perform the opening set.
Peter has a newish (no, he is not newish) record- not bicycling record, but the recording kind of record- Silver Ladder, produced by the Prophet named Chuck.
“The eclectic range of Mulvey’s tireless past pays handsome dividends on this stylistically sweeping, LA-recorded album. A crack specially convened band (including regular Dylan drummer David Kemper) adhere to his well-established live and direct recording approach and allow the performer’s deeply matured, naturally wry and hard-edged Americana to attain full, flowing life. – Gavin Martin, Uncut
Tireless past- that refers to the time before he had a bicycle.
For this gig, his hair will also be stylistically swept. DO NOT MISS IT.
*Brianna Lane is a gifted singer/songwriter in true Americana form. She writes and performs on an acoustic guitar as well as a banjo, crafting songs that are clear-eyed and pure—with an integrity derived from her gritty, unflinching emotional honesty.

BILL CAMPLIN & TRICIA ALEXANDER w/ ALPHA STEWART
2014-09-06 20:30 - 23:00
Through some nature of mixup, Tricia did not make it to the song swap we thought she was in on a few weeks ago. But she is delighted to join Bill and percussionist Alpha Stewart on this evening. Tricia brought Alpha into our lives a few years ago. It will be a joyous evening of music, despite some of Bill’s more depressing tunes.
TRICIA ALEXANDER– Joy-filled, uplifting and inspiring are some of the words used to describe Tricia Alexander’s music and performance – which ranges from soothing and deeply spiritual to social commentary and humor.
Singer, songwriter, performance poet, accomplished guitarist, percussionist and harmonica player, Tricia moves between jazz, blues and folk, spoken word and music, original compositions and re-interpreted cover tunes – and she does it all with seamless grace.
Tricia has been known for many years as “one of Chicago’s finest folk performers – always a little on the jazzy side” (Chicago Sun Times). Her original blues, jazz and folk music ranges from soothing and deeply spiritual to social commentary – and from lightly romantic to slightly bawdy. Humanities Iowa calls her, “A modern-day Aesop” – and the Folk Music Source Book places her “intelligent contemporary writing” in the same league as: Holly Near, Cheryl Wheeler, Anne Hills and Christine Lavin.
Vibrant, uplifting and healing with a voice, lyrics and music that resonate the heart. Blue O’Connell, Eclectic Woman, WTJU FM VA)

KAIA FOWLER
2014-09-05 20:00 - 22:00
KAIA FOWLER
The $5 cover will help support production of the benefit album for pancreatic cancer research.

JOSH HARTY & JOHN STATZ/ Camela Widad opens
2014-08-29 20:30 - 23:00
Should be a grand evening with 2 once Madison-based songwriters bringing it all back home. As always, please call to reserve.
JOHN STATZ will be bringing you some rootsy folk-rock. His yet-to-be-released newest record is produced by JEFFREY FOUCAULT.
“The singer-songwriter’s unquenchable wanderlust has taken him from Colorado to
Wisconsin to West Virginia to Hungary, and during his travels, he wrote Ghost Towns, a
full-length dripping with folk-rock immediacy and the kind of grit that cooled heels never
gather.” – Jason Heller, Westword – Denver, CO
“…a collection of beautiful songs…” “…music fireworks…” – Johan Schoenmakers, AltCountryForum – Netherlands
“…a very fine album from the first note to the last word.”- One Chord To Another (Finland)
“… a poignant album about the desolation and decay that like the bullet holes featured in
the cover art, riddle the modern world.” – Record Dept. Music Reviews – Oregon
“…a hard-chugging roots-rock record in the tradition of Neil Young and Tom Petty…” – Shepherd Express (Milwaukee)
“…dense arrangements and ramshackle jalopies like “Disclaimer” make riding through a
demilitarized zone in an old junker sound surprisingly comforting.” – The Onion – Madison, WI
“Ghost Towns makes it clear that Statz takes his art seriously. The album is a collection of
rootsy folk-rock that travels through places, time and emotions.” – Rich Albertoni, The Isthmus – Madison, WI
“…this release achieves a perfect balance between those upbeat folk-rock gems and the
subdued singer-songwriter tracks. It’s great to hear John’s music fleshed out with a full
band.”- Travis Wood, 5 Score Pachyderm – St. Louis, MO
Touring across continents, JOSH HARTY ‘s unique blend of American music has become a must-hear for those who keep the tradition of country, blues and folk close to their hearts. Born and raised on the plains of North Dakota, Josh has continued the old family tradition of playing guitar. His father, both a preacher, and the Police Chief of their small town, was also Harty’s music mentor.
“An honest voice and fingers that seem to catch fire!” -Atlanta Music Guide
“There is a dignity to this music making that leaves us feeling enriched for the experience. . . “
-No Depression
In the past decade Josh has put out three critically acclaimed albums, while touring continuously across Europe and North America, and shows no signs of slowing down. More than just moving along, he’s spending plenty of time in the communities along the way, from Brooklyn to Haarlem, from London to Portland. Josh is always looking for that balance between the rolling road and the people who inspire him, trading stories around kitchen tables and theatre stages. Harty’s live shows prove that good story telling combined with journeyman musicianship is as American as music gets.
Camela Widad opens.

PIPER ROAD
2014-08-23 20:30 - 23:00
PIPER ROAD
Last year Piper Road celebrated its 40th year of busting the borders of bluegrass with the release of its new CD – “Piper Road: 40”. Piper Road is:
Randal Harrison – Fiddle
Bob Mason – Mandolin
Mark Hembree (former “Bluegrass Boy” with Bill Monroe)- upright bass
Barry Riese — Guitar – Vocals
Bill Kangaroo — Washboard
The 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.
Please call to reserve seats.

JOHN GORKA- sold out*
2014-08-22 20:30 - 23:00
*Call the day of the show to see if anything has changed, or check for Facebook updates.

We will be very happy to have popular Red House Records recording artist JOHN GORKA back after a few year absence preceded by a many year absence. In other words, he doesn’t come often so grab the chance.
“Wry, slice-of-life observations reminiscent of Lyle Lovett and John Prine.” — Associated Press
Gorka’s most beloved songs are an enticing mixture guaranteed to make you laugh or cry. The former include “I’m From New Jersey” and “People My Age,” the first line of which pretty much says it all: “People my age have started looking gross.” He also hears frequent requests for such poignant antiwar ballads as “Let Them In” and “Temporary Road” and for a longtime favorite, “I Saw a Stranger With Your Hair”.
Many well known artists have recorded and/or performed John Gorka songs, including Mary Chapin Carpenter, Nanci Griffith, Mary Black and Maura O’Connell. John has graced the stage of Austin City Limits, Mountain Stage, etown and has appeared on CNN. His new song “Where No Monuments Stand” is featured in the upcoming documentary Every War Has Two Losers, about activist and Oregon Poet Laureate William Stafford (1914-1993).

PIERCE & GRACE PETTIS/David Hawkins
2014-08-21 20:00 - 22:30
Compass Records Artist PIERCE PETTIS has been a touring Folk singer since the mid-80’s with nine full-length albums to show for it. Pettis has performed in all 48 continental states as well as in Canada and Europe, appeared nine times on American Public Radio’s Mountain Stage, been featured on National Public Radio’s E-town, Morning Edition and World Cafe … appeared on VH-1, CBS News, and the Nashville Network.
“If records were novels, That Kind of Love would be the kind of absorbing read that makes it to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. Instead we have an album full of story songs intelligently written, with beautiful melodies. Each tune reaches deep into the heart. The music of Pierce Pettis is timeless. That Kind of Love should be in every music lover’s collection. It is simply that good. One of the more vital and critically acclaimed folk stars of recent years.” — Performing Songwriter Magazine
“Pettis doesn’t write mere songs, he writes literature… his writing just gets better all the time and his singing is marvelous, wry and warm” — Sing Out!
ABOUT his daughter GRACE PETTIS:

In her short career, Grace Pettis (listen here)earned a quick reputation for her songwriting as the winner of NPR’s Mountain Stage NewSong contest as well as Kerrville Folk Festival’s New Folk competition in 2011. She was picked up immediately by the Storyville Freedom Tour, which presented Grace alongside Willy Porter, David Wilcox and others. To-date, Grace has released two full-length albums both produced by Billy Crockett at Blue Rock Studios.
“If you only purchase only one album this year, Two Birds is it!” — Maverick Magazine (five-star review)
Songwriter David Hawkins will be opening for the Pettises.
More listening

TONY FURTADO
2014-08-17 19:00 - 21:30
Tony Furtado is an indie record label’s dream artist. He has lived primarily on the road for the last two decades. He is gregarious, engaging and entertaining, on and off stage. He’s been called a genius on banjo and slide guitar and his own creative interpretation- hybrid of Americana and indie rock is captivating. Onstage, whether playing with a band or solo, he owns the room, mixing stories of his travels with musicianship that is off the charts.
About “Live From Mississippi Studios”: On Nov 25, 2011, Tony and his band -some of Portland’s finest young musicians, played 2 exciting sets to a packed house at one of Portland’s guiding light venues for indie rock, Americana, and folk music, Mississippi Studios. The show was recorded and mixed by Rob Stroup (8-Ball Studios) and filmed by a new collective of young filmmakers called Devious Goldfish. The whole project was funded by an interactive Kickstarter campaign where Tony offered up concerts, CD’s and even some of his sculpture-work as incentives for pledges. Feeding off the thread of energy from the crowd, the performance was riveting and sincere, and the filmmakers captured that on-stage intimacy and raw emotion rarely accessible to the audience. The result is a stunning CD/DVD set, a follow-up to Tony’s 2011 release, “Golden” ( which remained on the Americana top 40 chart for months).
“I think some of my best recordings have actually been captured by bootleggers recording my band live, because in that moment, I’m just not thinking about it. All my energy is focused on the love of playing music and rolling with the moment. It’s a give and take from the audience to the stage, and back. And the music that is created is something that otherwise might not occur without that flow.” -Tony Furtado

PETE JONNSON/ TRICIA ALEXANDER/ BILL CAMPLIN
2014-08-16 20:30 - 23:00
Song swaps are fun!! Lots of different talent thrown together and inspiring each other.
TRICIA ALEXANDER– Joy-filled, uplifting and inspiring are some of the words used to describe Tricia Alexander’s music and performance – which ranges from soothing and deeply spiritual to social commentary and humor.
Singer, songwriter, performance poet, accomplished guitarist, percussionist and harmonica player, Tricia moves between jazz, blues and folk, spoken word and music, original compositions and re-interpreted cover tunes – and she does it all with seamless grace.
Tricia has been known for many years as “one of Chicago’s finest folk performers – always a little on the jazzy side” (Chicago Sun Times). Her original blues, jazz and folk music ranges from soothing and deeply spiritual to social commentary – and from lightly romantic to slightly bawdy. Humanities Iowa calls her, “A modern-day Aesop” – and the Folk Music Source Book places her “intelligent contemporary writing” in the same league as: Holly Near, Cheryl Wheeler, Anne Hills and Christine Lavin.
Vibrant, uplifting and healing with a voice, lyrics and music that resonate the heart. Blue O’Connell, Eclectic Woman, WTJU FM VA)
PETE JONNSON is a fine guitar player and singer with an interesting repertoire of Americana tunes. He was one of the members of the trio Live Bait. He has made excellent use of his early retirement to submerge himself in his music.
BILL CAMPLIN is a regular around here. The guy can sing.

RUSTY BELLE/ HAYWARD WILLIAMS
2014-08-15 20:30 - 23:00
Teaming up with local Wisconsinite HAYWARD WILLIAMS, New England’s RUSTY BELLE makes its debut at the Carpe. Drummer Zach made great contributions on Bill Camplin’s “Old Bones” record.
RUSTY BELLE’S “Common Courtesy” has received some great early press:
“Rusty Belle’s songs include a magnificent fusion of genres from country to rock and blues to 80s pop, creating a smoothie of liquid gold…” (Culture Fly, UK )
“A group like Rusty Belle is difficult to pigeonhole. The band’s “roots-rock/junk-folk”—equal parts homespun country, wistful folk, and sweaty garage punk—wastes no time stripping a song down to its bare-naked bones. For “Change My Heart,” the result is a muted, feverish rocker with country-ish phrasing and delicate, soulful harmonies. Oh, and the song’s video, which opens with a painfully awkward date and ends with a costume/dance party, is nothing short of delightful. ” (UTNE Reader)
“The mixing of genres, the interplay between the band members, and their versatile musicianship has given Rusty Belle a unique sound, and with the even more unique tact of not worrying about fitting into a particular place musically for marketing purposes keeps each album fresh and keeps them evolving.” (The New York Examiner)
“I can’t stop listening to it. Each time through I say, okay, that’s my favorite song … and then next time I say it for a completely different-sounding song … and the next time for yet another. Etc. This is a very strong recording.” (Vin Scelsa, Sirius XM Radio)
“Never judge a book by its cover appears to be the maxim of the day. He may look fresh but Hayward Williams sounds like a moody delta blues grunge sharpshooter with strong overtones of ‘Streets of Philadelphia’ era Springsteen mixed with classic Dire Straits.

With Haymaker, Williams and producer/band member Daniel McMahon pay homage to the humid levies of the Deep South. It’s a remarkably atmospheric album, spacial yet cloying, full of joy and misery and all the other contradictions that go hand in hand with the mysteries of Dixieland. Having emerged from Wisconsin clutching his garage sale Gibson ’64 in the early noughties he has gone from strength to strength, making one EP, four albums and many more fans. He cut his teeth on the dive bars of the USA and Europe and is currently cracking Australia. This is an artful mix of acoustic and electric blues rock and you soon realise that it comes from the dark places in his soul.”- Americana UK

NEW PIONEERS
2014-08-14 19:00 - 21:00
This five piece bluegrass ball of fire featuring vocals, banjo, fiddle, guitar, bass and mandolin appears here regularly on the 2nd Thursday of the month.* Its various members have been involved with traditional music locally, regionally, and nationally for many years.
The Pioneer’s lead singer and guitarist, Jerry Wicentowski, has been described by country music historian Bill Malone as “One of the finest singers in bluegrass music”. Jerry has also performed and recorded with such bluegrass greats as Tim O’Brien, Andy Statman, Byron Berline, Tony Trischka and others. Mike Schmidt of Spring Green, Wisconsin, is the group’s banjo player. This former French horn player has been a Nashville session musician and member of the popular Wisconsin-based bluegrass bands, Alive ‘n’ Pickin’ and the Piper Road Spring Band. He also performs occasionally with his wife Lori. Bruce King of Art Stevenson and High Water – also formerly of Alive ‘n’ Pickin’ – is on mandolin. Bruce and Mike are veterans of the Great Northern Bluegrass Festival in Mole Lake, WI – performing there every year from 1977 to 1982. Fiddle player Paul Kienitz is a member in good standing of regional bluegrass favorites, The Nob Hill Boys. Bass player John Jirak also has played banjo with various folks in the northeastern WI and Madison areas, most notably with the Green Bay based Fox River Flyer. As a bass player, he’s performed shows with the Chicago Bluegrass Band, Miltown Ramblers, Krause Family, Old Cool, Spare Time Bluegrass Band, Bob Steeno and The Old Truck, and Down From the Hills, and currently Madison’s newest, Kettle Moraine.
Like them on Facebook.
*NOTE: next month they will be on September 18th, the 3rd Thursday.

STRANGLED DARLINGS
2014-08-10 19:00 - 21:30
Thoughtful indie folk music (Americana doom pop) by people young, hungry & in the area so why not come give them a listen?
STRANGLED DARLINGS brings a punk intensity to their live show. Taking a cello and making it a hip hop bass. Taking mandolin and slapping it like a stubborn mule. The Portland-based duo has been creating original tunes since 2009 and breaking the mold for what hipsters consider indie music. They bring a lyrical intelligence and political punch to songs that otherwise might have just been another break up song. Their song material focuses more on witchcraft in the Civil War, the morality of Somali piracy and the curse of Anna Nicole Smith’s breast implants. The band has released three studio albums and a fourth is due out this fall. Their live show mixes technical mastery with deadpan humor and a little something to shake your rumpus.
Strangled Darlings are on an extended US tour to support their upcoming 2014 release of “Boom Stomp King”. The album focuses solely on the duo sound; the current touring set-up. Boom Stomp King is a record about objects, shelter, the ephemeral nature of your history.
Strangled Darlings are George Veech on vocals, mandolin, harmonica and Jessica Anderly on vocals, cello/bass.

The band’s name derives from a William Faulkner quote about editing your creative process without sentiment.
[the] music can feel organic and untethered, but these numbers, perhaps appropriately, have the handcrafted aspect of American quilts — colorful, stitched-to-each-other artifacts pieced together using the fabrics of dozens of other, older garments. This allows for a richness in texture, a sense of history and a sort of comfortable resonance with the past. Staccato circus-carny rap songs follow sweeping gypsy waltzes with Tom Waits edginess and the gangling grace of a Decemberists narrative. — Sleeping Hedgehog, March 2011
Seemingly unrelated genres converge into a dark and twangy mix of twisted freak folk, Romany melodies, Cab Calloway saunter, Tom Waits murder ballads and everything in between, all hammered out on a mix of traditional and modern instruments. —Williamette Week March 2011

BILL STAINES
2014-08-09 20:30 - 23:00
Anyone not familiar with the music of Bill Staines is in for a special treat.
Singing mostly his own songs, he has become one of the most popular and durable singers on the folk music scene today, performing nearly 200 concerts a year and driving over 65,000 miles annually. He weaves a blend of gentle wit and humor into his performances and one reviewer wrote, “He has a sense of timing to match the best standup comic.”
Bill’s music is a slice of Americana, reflecting with the same ease his feelings about the prairie people of the Midwest or the adventurers of the Yukon, the on-the-road truckers, or the everyday workers that make up this land.
Many of Bill’s songs have appeared in grade school music books, church hymnals, and scouting campfire songbooks; he is one of only a few songwriters to have eight songs published in the classic song collection, Rise up Singing. Composer David Amram recently described Bill as “a modern day Stephen Foster…his songs will be around 100 years from now.”
Over the decades, you have heard Bill singing on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion, HBO’s award winning series Deadwood, and Public Radio’s Mountain Stage. Additionally, his music has been used in a number of films including Off and Running, with Cyndi Lauper, and The Return of the Secaucus Seven, John Sayles’ debut as a writer- director.
In 1975, Bill won National Yodeling Championship in Kerrville Texas. Another important recognition was given to him in 2007. Presented by the Boston Area Coffeehouse Association, The Jerry Christen Award recognized Bill’s contribution to New England folk music.
Currently, Bill has recorded 26 albums; The Happy Wanderer and One More River were winners of the prestigious Parents’ Choice Award, taking a gold medal and silver medal respectively. His songs have been recorded by many artists including Peter, Paul, and Mary, Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy, The Highwaymen, Mason Williams, Grandpa Jones, Jerry Jeff Walker, Nanci Griffith, Glen Yarborough and others.
“Folk music is rich in the human spirit and experience. I’ve always wanted to bring something of value to people through my songs.” With these thoughts, Bill continues to drive the highways and back roads of the country year after year, bringing his music to listeners, young and old.
“Bill Staines has been my hero since 1977. He carries on where Woody left off-carrying on the tradition of stories and characters you wish you knew.” – Nanci Griffith
“Staines is one of the best songwriters in folk music today, penning lyrics that evoke a sense of place and a generous spirit to go along with his pretty melodies. – Associated Press
“Staines is one of folk music’s best songwriters and entertainers.” – Milwaukee Journal
“There is no better writer of instantly memorable singalong choruses in this genre of music!” – The Boston Globe
“His gentle lilting voice, spacious melodies and common-chord lyrics give his songs a homespun grace that often belies his mastery of the folk form. He is such a pure pleasure too, people forget to notice how damn good at the job of singer-songwritering he really is.” – New England Folk Almanac
“Folk singer Bill Staines’ compositions recall the paintings of Grandma Moses – simple, literal and evocative of a bucolic tranquility that modern times have almost erased.” – Hartford Courant

ELKS TEETH AND RABBITS FEET
2014-08-08 20:30 - 23:00
Elks Teeth and Rabbits Feet. It’s all original Folk Rock Noir. Big voices, some super quiet songs and some that will burn the place down.

MARK DVORAK/ BILL CAMPLIN/ JOHN SIEGER
2014-08-02 20:30 - 23:00
These shows with the “three grumpy amigos”- Larry Penn, Dvorak and Sieger- have been a delight each time, with the audience clamoring for another grumpy get-together. Sad to say, Larry Penn, is not feeling well enough to make this gig. Filling in for him will be middleweight champion BILL CAMPLIN. A whoppin’ night of great music with three great guys:
Larry Penn sings and tells stories of hard work, working people, trains, trucks, life on the road, love, nonsense, and flamingos. Noted for their elegance in simplicity, his songs are not only popular with audiences, but are acclaimed by other artists, many of whom have recorded their own renditions of Larry’s songs. His performances are delightful. Wanted you to know about him, but he won’t be here.
Bill Camplin knows a few of Larry’s songs, and those by others, and his own. And he can grump with the rest of them.
Mark Dvorak plays folk and blues on banjo and guitar – carrying on the tradition of stalwarts like the above-lauded Mr. Penn. “Mark is a charismatic performer with a spark of gentle passion that lights every concert hall and every greenway where he lifts his voice in celebration of the old songs. He has been called “a folk singer’s folk singer who follows unerringly in the footsteps of Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie,” and his song writing has been called “wondrous” and “profound.”
Like Larry, John Sieger is another Milwaukee gem, known as a prolific and talented songwriter with a semi-country bent whose songs have impressed Dwight Yoakam, Jerry Harrison, The BoDeans, Robbie Fulks and Flaco Jimenez enough to record them. He has been in numerous Milwaukee bands, including the R&B Cadets, Semi-Twang, the SubContinentals. Roots rock, country, R&B- John runs the gamut.

NICK KEHOE & friends
2014-08-01 20:30 - 23:00
NICK KEHOE with be playing with his friends Phil Brigant and Grant Blashka. They will be playing a mix of blues, old time and some newer folk-rock (originals and covers).

NOW an OPEN STAGE
2014-07-26 20:00 - 23:00
Bill Camplin Band was to play here, but they were hired away. Anyone interested in finding out more about the event for which they were hired (which you could possibly attend), please contact the Carpe and ask Kitty for details.
There will be an OPEN STAGE here.

no music- open stage moved to the 26th
2014-07-25 19:00 - 22:30
This was to be an open stage but has been changed to allow the class of some year to roam the rooms more freely during their reunion.
The open stage has now been moved to Saturday July 26.

STEVE YOUNG
2014-07-24 20:00 - 22:30
Steve Young is the American Troubadour – a major figure in Americana, contemporary folk and alt-country music.
With his no-holds-barred baritone and lightning-fast, finger-style guitar, Steve transports his audience into the musical soul of America. His contemporary edge dances with the time-honored traditions of American music. Steve is living proof of the force of true roots music, and his vibrant repertoire draws from Roots, Folk, Appalachian, Blues, Americana, Southern Gospel, Celtic and Tejano.
American Songwriter magazine, in an article about Steve, said “Once heard, Steve Young is impossible to forget.”
Steve is writer-composer of songs that are considered masterpieces. Among these are the acclaimed standard “Seven Bridges Road”, recorded by The Eagles, Dolly Parton, Joan Baez and a dozen more; “Lonesome, On’ry and Mean”, Waylon Jennings’ signature tune, and recorded by Travis Tritt, Dierks Bentley, Henry Rollins and Shooter Jennings; and the classic “Montgomery in the Rain”, popularized by Hank Williams Jr.
Steve’s most recent CD, Stories ‘Round Horseshoe Bend (Yesterday & Today, AU), is a live recording featuring 17 songs. It is Young’s 14th solo recording.
“All my CDs can be quite different in a way from each other, except the voice makes the connection”, Young commented.
“Like pure cream shot from a fire hose” is how Tom Conner, music writer for TulsaWorld, described Steve’s voice at a Woody Guthrie benefit concert in Oklahoma. Conner further chronicled Steve’s virtuosic guitar performance: “His hands move all over the strings of his acoustic guitar, ringing every one and filling the hall like an orchestra.”
Stories… follows a long list of critically acclaimed recordings. In fact, Billboard named Primal Young CD as a “Critic’s Choice” and called Young a “singer of major status.” Rolling Stone Record Guide awarded 4 stars to Renegade Picker and No Place to Fall. Plus, Nashville Scene selected Renegade Picker as one of “The 50 Best Albums Ever”, alongside recordings by Hank Williams, Neil Young and The Stanley Brothers, clear evidence of Young’s musical status.

KAREN JOHNSON
2014-07-19 20:00 - 22:30
Sweet-voiced local musician Karen has a great list of songs, favoring the likes of greats like Allison Kraus and Nancy Griffith.

COLIN O'BRIEN/ MARY GAINES & CHRIS WAGONER
2014-07-18 20:30 - 23:00
After their respective sets Colin Chris and Mary will unite for culminating set of Whimsical Tin Pan Alley Jazz, Celtic Romps and Singalongs. They’ll likely set a record for the number of instruments on the Carpe stage: two Banjos, two Fiddles, a ukelele, steel guitar, Guitar, upright cello, a mandolin and if it’ll fit, a harmonica. They did this last summer and a great time was had by all.
Banjo, fiddle, guitar, footboard playin’ COLIN O’BRIEN‘s newest CD, “After a Song”, was recorded in Nashville last summer with some of music city’s best pickers: Larry Perkins, Matt Combs, Mark Howard and Dennis Crouch. Those boys were so enthralled with Colin they urged him to move there, which he and his wife, after a bit of consideration (1 or 2 minutes), did.
It was in the summer of 2011 that Nashville music legend Larry Perkins heard Colin’s set at the John Hartford Memorial Festival. Larry was side-struck. He immediately invited him down to Nashville make a record. The result, After A Song, features 12 of Colin’s originals and a band comprised of some of the late John Hartford’s band mates.
“After A Song…Bottles the lighting that was John Hartford’s engagingly off-center songwriting” – Jon Weisberger, The Nashville Scene.
Colin even played John Hartford’s banjos for the sessions! In addition to his solo work Mr. O’Brien has also recently formed The Colin O’Brien Stringband. It’s a veritable acoustic supergroup featuring some of Music City’s finest players, Matt Combs, Mike Compton and Todd Phillips. The group will be releasing a live recording “Live at the Station Inn” in very early 2013.
Colin has recently signed on with Nashville Artist Management and Promotion Company Rockin’ Robyn Productions.
Originally a jazz-guitar major at the University of WI-Stevens Point, MARY GAINES truly found her musical voice studying jazz cello under the tutelage of the great Richard Davis (bass player with artists ranging from Sarah Vaughn to Van Morrison) at the UW-Madison. Mary is also known for her amazing voice–often compared to Bonnie Raitt but definitely her own. She (along with her husband, Chris) has done extensive work as a session musician, appearing on albums such as Smashing Pumpkin’s Gish, several Freedy Johnston, Willy Porter, and Carrie Newcomer albums, and scores of others.
A founding member of Madison’s Harmonious Wail, The Common Faces, The Bob Westfall Quartet, and The Moon Gypsies (the latter three co-founded with Mary Gaines), CHRIS WAGONER has had his foot in just about every musical circle in Madison. Classically trained as a violinist, (he also plays ukulele, hawaiian guitar, accordion), he met Mary while attending the UW-Madison. Switching to an alternating diet of jazz and classical violin studies, while playing in bands ranging from rock, blues, bluegrass, and country, to folk and jazz, Chris has been an in-demand performer and session musician in the region for almost two decades.

AN EVENING with SLAID CLEAVES
2014-07-17 20:00 - 22:00
SLAID is doing this summer tour with Scrappy Jud Newcomb.
“I’m glad I found Slaid Cleaves, because my life would have been poorer without him. You’ll feel the same, I think, when you listen to this beautifully crafted album. Listen, go to one of Slaid’s shows, take a friend, and pass on the news: Not all the good guys wear hats.”
—Stephen King
“A sharply observant songwriter with a deep appreciation for the ageless fundamentals of folk, country, and rock … one of the country’s most compelling roots artists.”
—Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader
Remember to call to reserve.

DAVID STODDARD/ BETH WOOD
2014-07-12 20:30 - 22:30
BETH WOOD is a modern-day troubadour and believer in the power of song. Her exceptional musicianship, crafty songwriting, and commanding stage presence have been winning over American audiences for sixteen years. Beth’s music is soulful, organic, intelligent, barefoot, high-energy communication of joy.
“A superb singer/songwriter whose versatility discourages labeling.” — Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“Beth Wood is a musical triple-threat — a thoughtful songwriter and talented multi-instrumentalist with a supple, soulful voice.” — Washington Post
“Wood is about as good as it gets if you appreciate the singer/songwriter genre.” – Charlotte Creative Loafing
“Lord have mercy…Wood is a down-home, old-fashioned girl with a wicked streak” — Indie-music.com
“…when you come across a recording like Beth Wood’s “The Weather Inside” you take note and recognize that this is the work of a genuine artist with a remarkable voice determined to make meaningful and lasting art.” –Lone Star Music Magazine
Noted lyricist and composer DAVID STODDARD is one of Minnesota/Wisconsin’s most decorated songwriters. Currently living in the snowy wilds of Western Minnesota, he tours sporadically throughout North America and plays mostly concert venues, living rooms, and other dedicated listening environments. You may have heard him play at local venues or festivals, or one of his many appearances on Minnesota Public Radio.
He’s played at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville and at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Kerrville, Texas, and been featured on Wisconsin Public Radio’s “Tent Show Radio.” He has won the Kerrville New Folk award, as well as songwriting awards at the South Florida Folk Festival, the Minnesota Folk Festival, and others. He has shared festival and concert stages with people like Juice Newton, Leon Russell, Rik Emmett, Lou and Peter Berryman, Michael Smith, Pat Donohue, and, now (thoroughly confirming him as a unapologetic name dropper) David Glaser. He was once mistaken for George Winston at a bookstore in Milwaukee. True story- but that guy stuffed a dollar bill into his coffee cup.

THE NEW PIONEERS
2014-07-10 19:00 - 21:00
This five piece bluegrass ball of fire featuring vocals, banjo, fiddle, guitar, bass and mandolin appears here regularly on the 2nd Thursday of the month. Its various members have been involved with traditional music locally, regionally, and nationally for many years.
The Pioneer’s lead singer and guitarist, Jerry Wicentowski, has been described by country music historian Bill Malone as “One of the finest singers in bluegrass music”. Jerry has also performed and recorded with such bluegrass greats as Tim O’Brien, Andy Statman, Byron Berline, Tony Trischka and others. Mike Schmidt of Spring Green, Wisconsin, is the group’s banjo player. This former French horn player has been a Nashville session musician and member of the popular Wisconsin-based bluegrass bands, Alive ‘n’ Pickin’ and the Piper Road Spring Band. He also performs occasionally with his wife Lori. Bruce King of Art Stevenson and High Water – also formerly of Alive ‘n’ Pickin’ – is on mandolin. Bruce and Mike are veterans of the Great Northern Bluegrass Festival in Mole Lake, WI – performing there every year from 1977 to 1982. Fiddle player Paul Kienitz is a member in good standing of regional bluegrass favorites, The Nob Hill Boys. Bass player John Jirak also has played banjo with various folks in the northeastern WI and Madison areas, most notably with the Green Bay based Fox River Flyer. As a bass player, he’s performed shows with the Chicago Bluegrass Band, Miltown Ramblers, Krause Family, Old Cool, Spare Time Bluegrass Band, Bob Steeno and The Old Truck, and Down From the Hills, and currently Madison’s newest, Kettle Moraine.
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CLOSED for the holiday
2014-07-04 08:00 - 08:05
