TRICIA ALEXANDER w/ ALPHA STEWART, JR
2025-05-24 19:00 (America/Chicago)
Music and Spoken Word – Blues, Jazz & Folk with
TRICIA ALEXANDER and Alpha Stewart, Jr.(percussionist of wonder and light)

The vision for this concert grew out of Tricia’s practice as a performing & healing artist.
The simple act of a room full of people singing together gently opens & nourishes our hearts. Music helps us recharge – it lifts our spirits & at the same time energetically sends a unifying ripple of love out into the into the cosmic energy stream that we are all drinking from. Healing IS possible through the shared experience of sound & resonance. Even through these darkest of days, we can create safe & sacred space for & with – each other.
Hoping you will join us and sing along . . .
Tricia will be doing an afternoon workshop from 2 to 5– information here.

Tricia’s music & ministry:

1) We Are The People (that we’ve been waiting for)
Music Video Spirit Art – using the recording of Tricia’s song as the sound track

2) Her interview with Mark Helpsmeet’s (Song of the Soul, Northern Spirit Radio)

Music CDs and Poetry Books available at Tricia Alexander.com

ROUND ROBIN w/ Tricia Alexander
2025-05-28 18:30 - 20:30, 2025-06-25 18:30 - 20:30, 2025-07-30 18:30
Round robin 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 Wednesday (formerly Thursday) of each month.
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.

SCAMMED! a TNW Ensemble Theater PLAY
2025-05-30 20:00
TNW ENSEMBLE THEATER
ticket link follows play description
More than 7,000 people get scammed every day in this country, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
But what if one of them decided to fight back and flip the script on the scammers?

That’s the premise of Scammed!, an original comedy/adventure play from TNW Ensemble Theater. When a freelancing editor falls for a sophisticated version of a classic scam, she assumes the rip-roaring, amoral alter ego of Helen Wheels to get even. She gets help along the way from her coffee shop cohort, an unconventional banker named Johnny Angel, and a helpful good citizen – or is he? Scammed! takes audiences behind the scenes in the world of hackers and con artists, showing the similarities between scams and current events.

Scammed! is written by Danielle Dresden, directed by Francisco Torres, and features performances by Megan Mori, Donavon Armbruster, and Patrick Chounet, with cameo appearances by Donna Peckett, Shane Heim, who also serves as stage manager, Francisco Torres, and Danielle Dresden. Graphics by Michael Duffy.

KAREN JOHNSON
2025-05-31 20:00
KAREN JOHNSON grew up in West Allis, WI, surrounded by music. One of her favorite memories is listening to old country tunes with her dad while riding along in his old pick-up truck. At a young age, Karen learned to play the Tamburitza and sing harmony as a member of the American Croatian Silver Strings Tamburitzans. Now playing the guitar, she has been performing at various venues since 1998 but loves playing in the Carpe’s listening room.
Karen sings songs of her favorite artists including Joan Baez, Nanci Griffith, Alison Krauss, and Suzy Bogguss, to name a few.
Links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dclx2nwDJNY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6pYX8uK25o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z6AN79G3TE

JACK WILLIAMS
2025-06-04 19:30
JACK WILLIAMS– A South Carolinian, an uncommonly unique guitarist, a writer of vivid songs with a strong sense of place, and a storyteller in an old Southern tradition.
“…. his artistry… is nothing short of amazing. Dazzling picking, expressive voice, unique and interesting songs. He is a showman in the best sense of the word and just wowed our audience. I think they would have followed him anywhere.”— Rich Warren, formerly of WFMT “Midnight Special”, Chicago, IL

BEATS WORKIN'
2025-06-05 19:30
“Though not unique it is no less true that ‘BEATS WORKIN’ is the outgrowth of a series of jam sessions attended by 5 guys who love traditional bluegrass music, while believing that the genre is not set in stone, and that through the joy of making music, tasteful and creative contributions are waiting to be discovered (We think Bill would be proud!). As we each looked at the other 4 and concluded those guys are near-irreplaceable, the transition to a band seemed quite natural.”
Band bio follows ticket link:

THE BAND:

VIKTOR BRUSUBARDIS– bass, vocals
Viktor began performing on the bass in the spring of 2021, joining members ofChicken Wire Empire, The Milbillies, and co-founding the Milwaukee bluegrass band “SugarBush”. He has shared the stage with artists Dead Horses, Chicken Wire Empire, Billy Bronsted (Billy Bronsted and the Bluegrass Buddies), Mike Mangione (Mike Mangione and the Kin), and others. Viktor enjoys exploring different genres including Jazz, Classical, Bluegrass, Folk, Americana, and Old Time Music. While Viktor is not playing the bass he performs as a classical cellist in Milwaukee’s Festival City Symphony and teaches cello in the Milwaukee YouthSymphony Orchestra’s Progressions program. During his summers he participates in festivalssuch as the Musiques et Vignes en Confluence festival in the Loire Valley of France, the Gott istgut festival in Struppen Germany, Latvian Song and Dance Festivals in Canada and the United
States, and other local festivals. Currently, Viktor regularly performs with groups Beats Workin’,
Sugar Bush, Milwaukee Hotclub, and Cream City Hotclub.

KEN FINKEL Banjo and vocals
Ken got involved in Bluegrass while at the University of Rochester (NY), Largely self-taught, he made his way to Cincinnati where he met Dede Wyland and Jim Price through mutual friends. During a gig in Chicago, they came down along with Peter Knupfer and Dan Crownover. Turned out they formed Grass, Food, and Lodging. In their five years together, they built a strong regional following and gained national recognition, appearing on the Prairie Home Companion, and many prestigious festivals around the country. Following GF&L, Ken had his own booking agency,
representing Bluegrass, Roots, Blues, and Irish musicians and doing event booking and stage management- Summerfest, Bastillle Days, etc. A long career in the software industry followed. The passion for Bluegrass was reignited when GF&L had reunions in 2013 and 2015.

PETER ROLLER- Dobro
Peter is a longtime performer and composer of fingerstyle and slide guitar music. In the ‘80s he was main accompanist for 1st generation bluesman Yank Rachell, acting as Producer and playing guitar on his Grammy-nominated Blues Mandolin Man album. In the ‘90’s Roller’s original lap slide instrumental Rancho Mirage was included on the popular compilation Masters of Acoustic Guitar, while he also performed and recorded with dance band Paul Cebar & the Milwaukeeans, gospel quartet The Masonic Wonders, and Violent Femmes bassist Brian Richie. After retiring as Professor Emeritus of Music from Alverno College, Roller returned to his early love for Bluegrass and old-time Country Dobro, writing adventuresome pieces and performing with eclectic band The Resonators along with Beats Workin.’

JOHN STINEMAN- Mandolin, vocals
Growing up in Wabash, IN , John was introduced to Bluegrass music by the many people who migrated from Appalachia for employment. Upon witnessing an exceptional flat picker in the local music store he decided he could “do that “, bought a guitar and commenced. After refining his musicianship and moving to Florida he founded The Kitchen
Table Boys, his first success in music .He eventually became a member of Big Timber Bluegrass, a long time Orlando based band that had been founded by Chubby Anthony, who had fiddled with the Stanley Brothers, and later featured frequent guest appearances by Chubby Wise, legendary fiddler with Bill Monroe in the late 1940’s. Upon moving to Asheville , NC in 2001 he co-founded One Leg Up, a five piece swing ensemble that toured the Southeast until 2019.
During the pandemic John relocated to Northern Illinois and has returned to playing Bluegrass music, concentrating on mandolin, as a member of Beats Workin.’

JERRY WICENTOWSKI– Guitar, lead vocals
As a teenager growing up in New York City, Jerry was inspired to sing Bluegrass music by the performances of first-generation artists. His high clear voice carries on the tradition of the pioneers of Bluegrass, but his singing is far from a pale imitation or carbon copy of those early greats. Jerry’s performances have uniqueness, depth of feeling, and most important, respect and reverence for the music. He revisited the material of one of his early inspirations in his most recent CD tribute to Mac Wiseman entitled, ‘Thanks, Mac!’. Mac himself praised Jerry’s work saying, “Jerry, I’m very flattered by your interpretation of my material and I think it’s a wonderful piece of work! I heartily endorse it, and I’m very pleased that you’re carrying on my legacy.” In October 2019, just prior the pandemic, Jerry featured material from his recording on the stage of the historic Station Inn in Nashville.

SATCHEL PAIGE
2025-06-06 20:15

BILL CAMPLIN w/ MICHAEL HECHT
2025-06-07 20:00
Literary artist MICHAEL HECHT will read excerpts from speeches or literature, and BILL CAMPLIN will sing a song between each excerpt. Readings will be from: Olivia Gatwood Angela Jackson, Jack Kerouac, Van Gogh, Charles Brandt, Shakespeare, Herman Melville, Langston Hughes, and Jimmy Santiago Baca.
Bill & Michael have done this collaboration many times with different readings, and really enjoy the concept, as have those in attendance.

CORKY SIEGEL
2025-06-11 20:00
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.
Sagacious songs and instrumentals from the trail blazing legend of Siegel-Schwall, Chamber Blues, and Symphonic Blues
“A Piano and harmonica virtuoso of remarkable invention and wit” – BILLBOARD MAGAZINE

BILL MILLER
2025-06-12 19:30
Bill discovered he had already had a gig on the 13th, so he rescheduled to this date.
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.
For over 30 years, Bill Miller’s music has amplified the whispers of Native peoples’ hearts, while bridging cultures around the world with his signature sound: thunder (the voice), wind (the Native American flute), water (the guitar), and soul (the story).

MOJOHAND
2025-06-14 20:30
MOJOHAND – ROCK & ROLL, GINGER SOUL, AND JERSEY TWANG
New Jersey-born, Brooklyn-based band Mojohand have been writing rockin, country-soul-soaked songs and playing them in every bar, backyard, and basement willing to have them for the past seven years. Their energetic and melodic brand of rock & roll, ginger soul, and Jersey twang has won over crowds from coast to coast.
For their third studio LP “Dungarees”, Mojohand locked themselves in the live room at Business District Recording in Johnson City, NY and let the tape roll on a vintage 4-track ampex machine. The result is a timeless album that evokes the thousands of late nights onstage refining their raucous style and infectious songs, and the countless miles they’ve traveled together in their van chasing down the same promises that rock & roll has made with its fingers crossed for generations and generations.
The first single from Dungarees, “Santa Fe” is a melodic and laid back travelogue inspired by some of Mojohand’s less-glamorous nights on the road. “Santa Fe” showcases Mojohand’s knack for synthesizing their love of classic country-rock and southern-soul records into timeless bites of ear-candy.
Mojohand is known nationally for their relentless work ethic, electric live shows and catchy, classic songwriting. Their sound is uniquely their own, while also often compared to Americana heroes John Prine and Townes van Zandt, legendary rockers such as Bruce Springsteen and Drive-By Truckers, and beloved soul musicians like Otis Redding and Nathaniel Rateliff.

Mojohand was born in 2017 from the fiery remains of countless high school bands and side projects. Having played music together since their age was in the single digits, childhood friends Elijah Klein and Joe Dinardo joined with keyboardist Ian D’Arcy and began gigging around the Garden State with a revolving cast of local musicians. When Elijah met drummer Jasper Mahncke in New York City, the group found their groove and locked in with a flurry of singles and shows around the Northeast – from the woods of Vermont to packed bars in New York City and everywhere in between. To date, Mojohand has played 250 shows, driven over 60,000 miles, performed 9 American tours and a Canadian date, and have opened for national acts including Oteil Burbridge, Kyle Gordon, Summer Dean, and Whitey Morgan.
Mojohand’s love of The Road is palpable. At the end of their set, you’ll often hear lead singer Elijah deliver an open invitation to the audience: “The best part of driving around and playing shows all over the country is meeting new people. So come say hi when we’re done playing! We’d love to shake your hand.” “The road is what it’s all about; meeting new types of people, seeing how they react to the songs. A crowd in Texas might feel a groove completely differently than one in New York City. And so every night of tour, we learn a little more about how to deliver a great show and connect with the crowd.”

SHITUNAUTS- Thursday
2025-06-19 20:00
WILLY PORTER PETER MULVEY RANDY SABIEN BILL CAMPLIN in the semicircle, holding down the fort.

SHITUNAUTS- Friday
2025-06-20 20:30

SHITUNAUTS- Saturday
2025-06-21 20:30
WILLY PORTER PETER MULVEY RANDY SABIEN BILL CAMPLIN in the semicircle, holding down the fort. Summer solstice with the mostest

SHITUNAUTS- Sunday
2025-06-22 18:00
WILLY PORTER PETER MULVEY RANDY SABIEN BILL CAMPLIN in the semicircle, holding down the fort.
We will open at 4.

RESONANT ROGUES
2025-06-26 20:00
The RESONANT ROGUES ’ dark Appalachian folk paints a picture of their lives in the mountains of Western North Carolina and on the road. Anchored by the songwriting duo of Sparrow (banjo, accordion) and Keith Smith (guitar), they’ve traveled the byways and highways of America and crossed the oceans with instruments in tow. From riding freight trains to building their own homestead, the pair are no strangers to blazing unconventional trails. At once rooted and adventurous, each song tells a story of real experiences, friendships, and challenges.
“Their intense cohesion is so intertwined that it feels like they’re playing with one pair of hands.” -No Depression

“This is country music as classic as it comes.” -Holler Country

ANNE HEATON w/ Frank Marotta, Jr.
2025-06-27 20:30
Singer-songwriter and pianist ANNE HEATON has captured audience imaginations for over fifteen years with her songs that are, by turns, “tender, barbed and spiritual” (Washington Post). She’s been featured by the New York Times Popcast, played numerous times on NPR and shared the stage with artists such as Jewel, Sarah McLachlan and jazz drummer Max Roach. She teaches at Berklee College of Music Summer Programs and is the founder of Soul Songs School, an online songwriting program.
She will be performing with her multi-instrumentalist husband Frank.
Says Chip Duncan- “I met Anne at a party but didn’t realize at the time I was speaking with a luminary! Anne and her guitar playing husband have developed an outstanding reputation as songwriters, performers, and teachers of the craft. When I saw Anne play with Willy Porter at Shank Hall last fall, I became an immediate fan. She’s fun, funny, charming and wow, what a voice … and what great songs!”
Anne is currently earning her Master’s in Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she hopes to research the outcomes of songwriting as a social emotional learning tool for teenagers. Anne lives in Milwaukee where she enjoys coffee, Lake Michigan and being a mom to two freethinking daughters.
To listen to Anne’s music, join her on YouTube, Apple Music or Spotify
Press
“Stunning” – PASTE
“Absolutely gorgeous” – New York Times Music Popcast
“Lush, introspective, elegant” – Boston Globe
“The recording is so good. I’ve always been a huge fan of Anne Heaton.” – Richard Milne, WXRT
“Strong, emotive and slightly haunted” – Boston Herald
“Superb” – Performing Songwriter Magazine
“Tender, barbed and spiritual” – Washington Post
“Thoughtful, emotionally intense” – Sound & Vision
“[Heaton’s] compelling piano melodies and clearly articulated phrasing remind me of Carole King” – Naomi Arenberg, “Folk on WGBH” NPR
“[Heaton] always enchants with a clear-hearted delivery that’s distinctively her own” – Chicago Reader

CLOSED around the 4th
2025-06-29 08:00 - 2025-07-11 11:30
People seem to have other things to do that do not involve the Carpe around the holidays, and so we will find other things to do.
Let’s keep our democracy.

WEARY RAMBLERS
2025-07-11 20:30
Newly formed Iowa folk duo, WEARY RAMBLERS bring years of experience to the stage with award-winning songwriting and chemistry. CHAD ELLIOTT and KATHRYN FOX showcase multi-instrumental performances with tight harmonies and great storytelling.
WINNERS OF 21ST ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL ACOUSTIC MUSIC AWARDS IN “BEST GROUP/DUO” CATEGORY!
“That man’s music is as honest as was Woody Guthrie’s.”- Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
More bios follow ticket link-

Chad Elliott blends folk roots and soulful writing to deliver an original sound with over two decades of being on the road. Elliott is lauded as “Iowa’s Renaissance man” by Culture Buzz Magazine. He has penned more than 1,500 songs in his career while also cultivating his skills as a painter, sculptor, illustrator and author. Elliott’s career demonstrates a love of folk, roots and singer-songwriter music. He has worked with and shared the stage with artists of the highest caliber, including Odetta, Tom Paxton, Loudon Wainwright III, Ruthie Foster, Greg Brown, Bo Ramsey, etc.
“When listening to Fox for the first time, one might wonder, how can a young woman make a violin sound so good?” – Cityview Magazine
Deemed “fiddler extraordinaire” in Cityview Magazine, Kathryn Fox is a DownBeat award winning artist. She played on the Grammy-nominated track “All My Tomorrows” with Kate McGarry. Kathryn toured internationally with fiddle troupe, Barrage 8, with shows in Europe, the U.S. and Canada. She has performed, recorded PBS specials and recorded with George Benson, The Beach Boys, The Eagles, Pharrell Williams, Natalie Cole, Gloria Estefan, Osmond Brothers, Gloria Gaynor, Chick Corea, Bobby McFerrin, Kenny Loggins, Mark O’Connor, Ryan Montbleau, Seth Walker, Edgar Meyer and Joshua Bell.

LONESOME BILL CAMPLIN
2025-07-12 20:00
After much cajoling, LONESOME BILL CAMPLIN has agreed to play here.
He is preparing a set list. Perhaps he will even publish it on this site.

GRANT PEEPLES/ Jim Hoehn
2025-07-17 19:30
A self-described “tree-hugger that watches NASCAR,” GRANT PEEPLES is known for his axe-sharp socio-political tunes, raucous humor and heart-gigging ballads.
He is the recipient of the Focus Foundation Award for Creative Excellence, which cited the “humor, compassion and wisdom of his songs,” and their “unflinching social insight and cultural acuity.” Grant tours coast to coast, and is a regular performer at The Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, the 30A Songwriters Festival, and The Florida, Folk Festival. January 2019 marked a second tour in The Netherlands, where FolkForum.nl described him “…a pure storyteller, in the best American folk tradition…” and his show “…one of those gems that you will remember for a long time…”
“Patriots, priests, pole-dancing for god, and the politics of belief. Grant Peeples’ music isn’t easy, but it’s real as hell, and beautiful t’boot. “—Americana Gazette
“His songs are the antithesis of hooks, ear candy, and popular music…” Rick Davidson, MusicFest News
“He’s the Woody Guthrie of the New Millennium.”—Larry Newman-WSCA Portsmouth NH
JIM HOEHN will do a brief opening set.

Jim CRAIG/ Mark DVORAK/ Bill CAMPLIN
2025-07-19 20:00
A lovely in-the-round song swap with JIM CRAIG, MARK DVORAK, and BILL CAMPLIN should make for a fantastic evening of music and camaraderie. Ticket link follows bios.
JIM CRAIG came of age during the folk boom, “listening to Pete Seeger and Dave Van Ronk, but also more obscure musicians like Dock Boggs and Pink Anderson, folks who were off the map but were rediscovered in the early ’60s.” He was a regular at the Green Dragon Inn, where we came to know and love him for his understated warm grace. Jim has guitar chops and a beautiful baritone voice, and an interesting repertoire of songs.
He taught guitar at the Old Town School of Folk Music, jammed with figures in the Chicago folk scene such as Eddie Holstein and Steve Goodman. He is the owner of Hogeye Music in Evanston. He is a gentleman.

MARK DVORAK is a modern day troubadour who has never stopped performing, writing and recording. He has been called “a folk singer’s folk singer” with “an encyclopedic knowledge of traditional songs.” His original songs are described as “wondrous” and “profound.” Though Mark often appears in theaters and on festival stages, he is also at home in a more intimate setting. His concerts are a mix of the familiar and the new, traditional folk and standards from the American songbook. He plays authentic country blues guitar and picks great old-time banjo.
Mark enjoys involving his audiences in sing-along songs, just like The Weavers used to do, and mixes in his own well-crafted and infectious originals. Mark has a refreshing, down-to-earth stage presence, and is a very engaging performer. He sings with a clear, signature voice, and he likes to joke around with the folks who attend his shows. Throughout the program he’ll interject personal anecdotes and add a touch of history or social context to the performance.
“Masterful” Chicago Tribune
“The real deal. His show is funny, passionate, intimate & unforgettable” Old Town School of Folk Music
“One of a vanishing breed. Although all of us benefit from the tradition, Dvorak is one of the few who keep it alive.” Utah Phillips
And then there’s BILL CAMPLIN, who can sing and play guitar too. Amazing
Did I mention this will be a really fun in-the-round?

THIRD COAST BLUEGRASS
2025-07-23 19:30
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.

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?”

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

PIERCE PETTIS
2025-07-26 20:00
Happy to have Pierce return-
PIERCE PETTIS is one of today’s most celebrated American songwriters. His songs, tinged with his Appalachian upbringing, have been called “profound,” “beautifully delivered,” “wry,” “sensitive,” and “an integral part of any singer/songwriter’s collection.” After a lifetime of crafting finely-wrought, heart-touching songs, Pierce feels that he’s finally found his comfort zone. “The biggest change,” he says of this point in his career “has been getting over myself and realizing this is a job and a craft. And the purpose is not fame and fortune (whatever that is) but simply doing good work.”
“Pierce Pettis bares a gentle soul with a keen eye, a soulful voice, and perfect guitar accompaniment for his beautiful songs – a masterful poet treasure” -Darrell Scott, songwriter/recording artist “I have loved Pierce’s music for many years now-he has the gift of a true inner compass.” -Eliza Gilkyson

“From the time I was very little, I always had the music going in my head,” Pettis explains. “Like my own personal soundtrack or something. I also come from a fairly musical family: my mother went to music school and was an excellent organist and pianist. And my sisters all played piano and other instruments. In school, I met other kids who wanted to be rock stars, just like me. From the time we were around 10 or so up through high school, we put together various bands — all of them horrible.”His “horrible” bands didn’t deter him though and even though he had a nagging feeling (“I thought I was supposed to be a doctor or something.”) he persevered, not only playing music but writing songs in a mix of rock, folk, country and R&B genres that landed him an unpaid position as a staff writer for Muscle Shoals Sounds Studios. While there, his track “Song at the End of the Movie” found its way to Joan Baez’s 1979 album Honest Lullaby.Pettis hit the road and became a member of the “Fast Folk” movement in New York in the mid-1980’s. He released one independent solo album, Moments (1984) before signing with High Street Records, a division of Windham Hill. There, he released three albums: While the Serpent Lies Sleeping (1989), Tinseltown (1991), and Chase the Buffalo (1993). His relationship with Tinseltown producer Mark Heard transcended the album. After Heard’s untimely death in 1992, Pettis committed to including a song of Heard’s on every one of his own albums, a practice that continues to this day. Pierce Pettis’ songs have been recorded by artists including Susan Ashton, Dar Williams, Garth Brooks and Art Garfunkel.His album, “That Kind of Love” on Compass Records was released January 27 2009. In 2013, “New Agrarians –Songs & Stories of the Southland” was released, a co-effort by Pierce Pettis, Kate Campbell & Tom Kimmel. “Father’s Son”, Pettis’ newest solo project for Compass Records Group, was released January of 2019 to widespread critical praise in the US, UK and Europe.
Pettis currently lives in NE Alabama with his dog, Buddy, and his cat, Aretha.

Satchel Paige/ carisa
2025-08-01 20:30
Two songwriters sharing the evening-
SATCHEL PAIGE– creator of pretty melodies with complex composition
“carisa’s music is best categorized as bedroom cafe. It hints at some of her influences, primarily bossa nova, folk, and jazz. Her lyrics are often straight from the pages of her journal and are always autobiographical in some way.”
bio from her: “carisa is the name that was bestowed upon a young child, born underwater in the dark of night. As it grew, it became increasingly more obsessed with the sound of its own voice and vowed to force others to hear it. Now, older and with a seemingly impressive grasp of the English language, it arms itself with a guitar and aforementioned utterances to lay siege to the earlobes of any and all humans nearby. BEWARE. You may enjoy the show.. but at what cost?”

RACHEL DREW & JOHN SYZMANSKI
2025-08-02 20:30
RACHEL DREW is a singer-songwriter from Chicago celebrated for her soulful voice and catchy, self-penned tunes that blend pop, folk, and soul. She grew up singing 3-part harmony with her parents and making up songs on the family piano. For Rachel, music and harmony are home, medicine, and pure connection. Joining her on guitar is JOHN SYZMANSKI, a seasoned player with deep roots in the Midwest music scene. John has played with Jon Langford, Bethany Thomas, and The Bright Shiners, and his intricate, expressive guitar work adds depth and nuance to Rachel’s already compelling performances.
Alan Harrison of The Rocking Magpie writes of Old Sky New, “There’s something of a hint of Dusty in Memphis, minus the strings here; as Rachel has a similar breathy and pearlescent voice that reels you in, and before you know it you’re sitting totally engrossed in the offering coming out of the speakers… In many ways songs like Stuck In The House All Day and Please Don’t Wake Me Up are Classic Country songs; but the arrangements are pure Laurel Canyon at its height when Linda Ronstadt and Mama Cass could do no wrong.”

Rachel’s latest album, Old Sky New, was recorded at Grammy-winning Joyride Studios and was named one of the 13 Best Chicago Albums of 2024 by the Chicago Sun-Times. She’s also been featured on NPR’s Great American Folk Show and played at WFMT’s Folk Stage, steadily growing a loyal following among fans of story-driven, intimate performances.

The Son of West Branch, America's Great Humanitarian
2025-08-08 20:00
Something different, which should be of interest: a live acoustic performance of a concept album based on a radio drama about the life of Herbert Hoover. Ticket link follows event description.
Twenty five years (more or less) after playing Cafe Carpe’s open mic, Central Michigan University Professor (and Janesville native who worked at Fort’s Highsmith company) WILL ANDERSON and his songwriting partner Lazlo Weed’s JOHN NORLAND return for the first-ever acoustic performance of their award-winning Herbert Hoover concept album “The Son of West Branch, America’s Great Humanitarian.”

To further explain:

Will Anderson was artist-in-residence at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site in 2008. During his residency he wrote the radio drama script “The Son of West Branch, America’s Great Humanitarian” to mark Hoover’s 150th birthday. It documents the life of America’s 31st president from his humble Midwest beginning in West Branch, Iowa to the eve of his election in 1928, and stars Phil Proctor of the Firesign Theater audio troupe. It rocks far more than you’d think it would.

WILL & JOHN created and will perform nine musical pieces to complement the drama. A recording of vignettes from the drama will be played before the songs to give them context.
Following the performance of the concept album, the duo will play two of John’s original songs that were in the set that they played at the Carpe in 2000 as an encore of sorts, and a send off for John before he goes off to Memphis to record with his new band at Sun Studios.

LONESOME BILL CAMPLIN
2025-08-09 20:00
Ridin’ again. If he falls, he’ll get back up.
“….consummate guitar, voice, and lyrics, and with a mix of folk and rock-influenced tunes. And an awesome sense of humor.”
