Cafe Carpe

ACOUSTIC OPEN STAGE
2024-06-01 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
This is an acoustic open stage, sound system set up in advance, just stand up and play.
Share your songs (or stories- storytellers welcome) in a two song (think 7-9 minutes) rotation with whoever else is there to play, being respectful of others.
Please support our business by buying drink and/or food.

SETH BERNARD
2024-06-06 20:00 - 22:00
TICKET LINK follows bio.
SETH BERNARD came to an understanding early that music, poetry and art, along with activism, farming and earth science, all intertwine into one great work. Probably because of the crowded farm dinner table, where books of poetry, tapes of jazz, blues, rock n’ roll and traditional music, guests of all kinds, and even the occasional raptor being rehabbed all shared space. Some folks call this “folklife,” and in Seth’s music it’s as likely to show up through a Casio SK-1 or a Gretsch electric as much as a fiddle or high harmony.
In recent years, Bernard has launched the Clean Water Campaign for Michigan, a social movement using storytelling and music to uplift the groundswell of support for water issues, and Title Track, a non-profit organization engaging creative practice to work for clean water, racial equity, and youth empowerment.
“I know that the future of music is in good hands with people like Seth around to be its caretaker. More importantly, I know the future of our world is in good hands.”– Greg Brown, Folk Legend
“This music not only swings, rocks, and grooves – it matters. It’s the voice of a real community, with a sound and a message the world needs to hear.” – Bill McKibben, Author, environmentalist, journalist
“The argument for the most influential human in the Michigan music uprising of the past decade may begin and end with one Seth Bernard.” – Jack Clark, Red House Concerts

MARK STUART
2024-06-07 20:00 - 22:00
Ticket link follows bio.
MARK STUART spends every year as a full-time working artist and musician. Mostly performing his own unique shows, doing singer-songwriter concerts, he can be witnessed excelling as a band guitarist at hometown Nashville, Tennessee gigs or sessions, too.
Notable artists such as Freddy Fender, Steve Earle, Joan Baez, and Steve Forbert have employed him for his musicianship. In a duo act with his artist wife, Stacey Earle, he spent thousands of days on tour and released many albums on their own independent label, Gearle Records.
Whether it be Cambridge Folk Festival, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, MTV, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, Stan Rogers Folk Festival, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Kerrville Folk Festival, Merlefest, or countless small festivals and theaters, Stuart’s storytelling, guitar playing, vocals, or songs have caught the attention of music lovers.
When asked to define Mark Stuart’s music it is virtually impossible, as his versatility screams out loud. Rock, blues, folk, country, and more are evident in his performance. Electric, acoustic, slide guitar-all make up his musical toolbox. Travis-style, Chicago blues, honky tonk country, finger-style folk-all are there when you hear him. His songs are oftentimes autobiographic pieces, but, can be constructed from the viewpoint of a lifelong troubadour who is paying attention to the world he sees around him. He could, at any given time, toss a Paul McCartney or John Fogerty or Woodie Guthrie song into his set.

THE FLYING CHAUCERS
2024-06-08 20:00 - 22:00
THE FLYING CHAUCERS aka Daniel Connolly and Keralee Gueneviere —
began auspiciously and explosively in 2013 when K stumbled upon D’s gig on a subzero night in a famous Chicago dive bar. With her face towards a Guinness and her back towards the band, Keralee heard Daniel’s empyrean harmonies and delicatatious finger pluckings; then turned around to “face the music..”
Since then, in the great bardic tradition, The Chaucers have sung together and separately to Kings & Queens, commoners and communists, miscreants and magistrates, luminaries and lay-bouts, the pretentious and the still-pretending in Chicago, Mexico, Colorado, Minnesota, Nashville, Wisconsin and points beyond…
And…. if you aren’t too darn careful they are going to come to your house and sing to you! Join in the fun wherever you can find us; two hot meals, a bed and some scratch for the road keeps us going a long, long time. Influenced by the great Crosby Stills Nash, Neil Young, Fairport Convention, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Linda Ronstadt, John Prine, Wilco, America’s Best Contacts, The International House of Pancakes, Harry Nielson and oh yeah America’s biggest ball of twine!

3 legged SHITUNAUTS-day 1 of 4 Thursday
2024-06-13 20:00 - 22:00
WILLY PORTER RANDY SABIEN BILL CAMPLIN
(Peter Mulvey found something worse to do.)

3 legged SHITUNAUTS- day 2 of 4 Friday
2024-06-14 20:30 - 22:30

3-legged SHITUNAUTS- day 3 of 4 Saturday
2024-06-15 20:30 - 22:30

SHITUNAUTS- day 4 of 4- Sunday
2024-06-16 18:00 - 20:00
WILLY PORTER RANDY SABIEN BILL CAMPLIN
(Peter Mulvey found something worse to do.)
We will open at 4, and are serving food. Please come at least an hour early if you plan on eating here.

ROD MACDONALD
2024-06-20 19:30 - 21:30
ROD MACDONALD ticket link follows bio
Some of you may know Rod from the days he played at Charlotte’s Web in Rockford. His visits to the Midwest are rare, so take advantage of this opportunity.
Rod MacDonald is an American singer-songwriter, novelist, and educator.[1] He was a “big part of the 1980s folk revival in Greenwich Village clubs”,[2] performing at the Speakeasy, The Bottom Line, Folk City, and the “Songwriter’s Exchange” at the Cornelia Street Cafe. He co-founded the Greenwich Village Folk Festival. He is perhaps best known for his songs “American Jerusalem“, about the “contrast between the rich and the poor in Manhattan” (Sing Out!), “A Sailor’s Prayer”, “Coming of the Snow”, “Every Living Thing”, and “My Neighbors in Delray”, a description of the September 11 hijackers’ last days in Delray Beach, Florida, where MacDonald has lived since 1995. His songs have been covered by Dave Van Ronk, Shawn Colvin, Four Bitchin’ Babes, Jonathan Edwards, Garnet Rogers, Joe Jencks, and others. His 1985 recording “White Buffalo” is dedicated to Lakota Sioux ceremonial chief and healer Frank Fools Crow, whom he visited in 1981 and 1985, and who appears with MacDonald in the cover photograph. Since 1995 MacDonald has lived in south Florida, where his cd, “Later that Night” was named “Best Local Cd of 2014” by The Palm Beach Post [3] and reached the top ten in national roots music charts. His first novel, The Open Mike, about a young man in the open mike scene of Greenwich Village, was published on December 5, 2014, by Archway Publishing.[4] On May 1, 2018, MacDonald released his 13th solo recording, “Beginning Again,” on Blue Flute Music.[5]

MIKE COMPTON & JOE NEWBERRY
2024-06-21 20:30 - 22:30
MIKE COMPTON and JOE NEWBERRY, masters of old-time mandolin and banjo/guitar, dig deep into early country music and blues. Their duet-singing, two-man string band ranges between traditional songs, instrumentals, ‘mother’ ballads and original tunes. It’s not about the number of notes with Compton and Newberry, but telling the truth and respecting the song. More bio following ticket link.

Mike Compton is a Grammy award winner, IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year nominee, a steady sideman for John Hartford from 1994 until Hartford’s death in 2001, and mandolinist for the Nashville Bluegrass Band. Mike is inarguably the world expert on Bill Monroe-style bluegrass mandolin, and is also steeped in old-time fiddle tunes, early string band music and Delta blues. He’s entertained from Carnegie Hall and the White House to our house.
Known far and wide for his powerful banjo playing, Joe Newberry is a prize-winning guitarist, songwriter, and singer to boot. In addition to his work with Mike, Joe plays with fiddler and step-dancer April Verch. He was a frequent guest on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion, and was a featured singer on the Transatlantic Sessions. He won the songwriting prize for “Gospel Recorded Performance” at the 2012 IBMA Awards for his song, Singing As We Rise, and was co-writer, with Eric Gibson, of the 2013 IBMA Song of the Year for They Called It Music.

JOY CLARK
2024-06-22 20:00 - 22:00
JOY CLARK is a New Orleans-born singer-songwriter, lyrical guitarist and composer who creates soulful compositions that celebrate peace and the undeniable power of love. Her intricate rhythms and warm melodies reveal a sweet vulnerability that have enchanted audiences around the world. Growing up the daughter of a minister, she learned to create an atmosphere ripe for an emotional experience. She believes music is her ministry and intimacy is her superpower. Listen to Joy’s latest single “Good Thing” wherever you get your music.
SistaStrings say “Joy Clark is hands down one of our favorite musicians making music right now. With meaningful lyrics and her own distinct style of guitar playing, this will certainly be a night you don’t want to miss!!”
(You may have seen her perform with her (and our) pals Allison Russell and SistaStrings.)

SONG CIRCLE w/ TRICIA ALEXANDER
2024-06-26 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 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.

GRANT PEEPLES/ The Rough and Tumble
2024-06-28 20:00 - 22:00
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. More bio follows ticket link.

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…”
Gurf Morlix, who has produced Lucinda Williams, Mary Gauthier, Ray Wiley Hubbard, Robert Earl Keen, and Slaid Cleaves—has produced five of Grant’s records, including his most recent release of original songs, “Settling Scores Vol II” (2018), and a special release, ‘Bad Wife,’ (Feb 2020) a collection of songs written by women songwriters, a tribute to women in the year of the 100th anniversary of women getting the right to vote in the US.
Grant has invited The Rough and Tumbleis a toe-tapping bluegrass/Americana duo from New Hampshire, to open for him
“The Rough & Tumble make music that’s progressive folk style, rooted in acoustic bluegrass, with lyrics that are provocative and sensitive on each side as you flip the coin.” ~ Americana Highways

BILL CAMPLIN & MICHAEL HECHT
2024-06-29 20:00 - 21:30
Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve seats and let us know if you will dine here that night.
Literary artist MICHAEL HECHT will read excerpts from speeches or literature, and BILL CAMPLIN will sing a song between each excerpt. Readings this time will be from Jimmy Baca,Van Gogh, Mary Oliver, Tennesee Williams, and Hecht himself.
They have done this collaboration many times with different readings, and really enjoy the concept, as have those in attendance.

CLOSED JULY 3 thru JULY 11
2024-07-03 08:00 - 2024-07-12 11:30
celebrating our independence

PIPER ROAD
2024-07-12 20:30 - 22:30
PIPER ROAD for this run is:

Randal Harrison – Fiddle
Bob Mason – Mandolin
John Widdicombe — Bass
Mike Schmidt- Banjo
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.

DRIFTLESS REVELERS
2024-07-13 20:30 - 22:30
Buy tickets below. Bio will follow ticket link.

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.

LES OISEAUX/ Sam Landowski
2024-07-17 19:30 - 21:30
Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve seats and to let us know if you will be eating here that night.
Otherwise known as the glocal celebrity couple PINCYNTH, Jeremy Pinc and Cynthia Holt are spreading their “ailes” and taking off in a new artistic direction. Expect to be transported to new heights by their soaring harmonies and migrate across lakes of poetic beauty as LES OISEAUX dip their beaks in the feathered nest that is LE CAFE CARPE.
Home-grown Sam Landowski opens.

ORDINARY ELEPHANT
2024-07-18 20:00 - 22:00
Full bio follows ticket link.

Mesmerizing folk duo ORDINARY ELEPHANT has spent the better part of the last decade on a never-ending tour that’s earned married couple Crystal and Pete Damore widespread critical acclaim and made fans of luminaries like Tom Paxton and Mary Gauthier. In 2017, the pair took home the International Folk Music Award for Artist of the Year on the strength of their breakout album, Before I Go, and two years later, they returned with the similarly lauded Honest, which the Associated Press hailed as “one of the best Americana albums of the year.”
The band’s new stripped-down, self-titled collection is the purest distillation of their sound yet, showcasing the arresting power of the couple’s gorgeous harmonies and intricate fretwork. The songs are timeless, rooted in rich, character-driven storytelling, and the performances are similarly transportive, fueled by delicately intertwined banjo, guitar, and octave mandolin. Though the songs were born out of a period of deep uncertainty, the record itself is a work of profound self-assurance, one delivered by a duo whose personal and professional lives embody the limitless possibility of honest, organic collaboration. Press play on Ordinary Elephant and you’ll hear more than just a husband and wife; you’ll hear the sound of sincerity and commitment, of patience and gratitude, of learning to let go of expectation and revel in the simple beauty of the moment.
“I’m a big fan of Ordinary Elephant—their intimate songs, the weaving harmonies, and the stories that draw you in as if you were gathered around an enchanted campfire.”- Eliza Gilkyson
“It is pure. It’s masterful. It is brilliant in the simplicity of two voices and two instruments spinning together, intertwining in utter beauty and perfection, even in its imperfections.”- Red Line Roots
“Ordinary Elephant showcase folk music at its best. Commentary of social issues, a focus on the importance of family and seeking out the highest human aspirations, delivered with tender care and precision – never over-playing or needing to throw in tricks.”- Listening Through The Lens

LONESOME BILL CAMPLIN
2024-07-20 20:00 - 22:00
Please call 920-563-9391 to reserve seats and to let us know if you will be eating here.
LONESOME BILL sits again, on the stage to nowhere. Enjoy his beautiful voice and guitar musing as he romps through an eclectic range of music.

DAVE HAUSE/ Tim Hause
2024-07-25 20:00 - 22:00
DAVE HAUSE is a Philadelphia singer-songwriter who “mixes punk-rock roots with vulnerability of Americana”- Rolling Stone
Since releasing his debut album, Resolutions, in 2011, Dave has poured his whole heart, soul and life into his music.Has toured with the likes of The Avett Brothers, Frank Turner, Loudon and Martha Wainwright, Bad Religion, Social Distortion, Lucero, The Gaslight Anthem, and more.
“Distill[s] pop tendencies into sweetly strong Americana moonshine that will no doubt trouble the upper reaches of the charts” – PopMatters
“Euphoric … Hause has become expert at melding introspective, often edgy, Americana lyricism with the most irresistible of pop-rock hooks.” – Rolling Stone
“A defiant welcome to Americana … Hause proves he’s integrated his scrappy roots well and deserves a spot among this genre’s most sincere songwriters.” — No Depression
“Devastatingly honest and beautiful songs.” — People

Dave’s brother TIM HAUSE will do an opening set and then accompany Dave during his set.

YAZMIN & BEAT ZERO
2024-07-27 20:30 - 22:30
Remember to come early if you plan on eating. Full bios follow ticket link.
YAZMIN & BEAT ZERO trio made their Cafe Carpe debut last year and are excited to return to their favorite cozy stage. Yazmin, who currently resides in New Orleans, LA, was born and raised in Northern Wisconsin by professional musician parents. At age 12 after attending a concert by a Cuban-jazz group, she instantly fell in love with Afro-Cuban jazz and dedicated herself to a life-long immersion in Cuban culture.
Her original music draws inspiration from these Caribbean influences as well as the likes of Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder and Queen, a melting pot of ingredients!

This summer she’s on tour across the Midwest with her trio Beat Zero. Their 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.
You will be swept away by a riveting fusion of Latin-Funk and Folk/Rock, weaving between both English and Spanish with ease and inviting listeners to cross between worlds with each note. Along with these original songs, Yazmin & Beat Zero also interpret familiar classics with their own twist. You may be equally called to dance or to shed a tear before the night is over.

DANNI NICHOLLS & ROBBY HECHT
2024-07-31 20:00 - 22:00
(Sarah Peacock is no longer available for this – Robby HECHT is taking her place. )Bios below ticket link.

DANNI NICHOLLS is UK-born and Nashville-based, an acclaimed artist, well known on both sides of the Atlantic for her soulful voice and captivating stage presence.
-Nominated for three Americana Music Association UK awards, including Album of the Year for Mockingbird Lane in 2017, Artist of the Year in 2018, and Song of the Year for Hear Your Voice in 2020
-Two studio albums recorded with Emmylou Harris’ Red Dirt Boys band.
-Shared the stage with acclaimed musicians like Lucinda Williams, Yola, Todd Snider, The Secret Sisters, Angaleena Presley, and Sturgill Simpson.
“Her passion for her craft is unparalleled. Her depth of emotion, commitment to the song, and ability to go deep makes her a rare artist” – Jed Hilly, Director of the Americana Music Association
​“An artist with the elegance and imagination to restore your faith in the visceral power of an original song”- Paul Sexton, BBC Radio 2 and freelance print/broadcast journalist
“Smoky soul, folk-pop and heart-wrenching alt-country, all in a rich voice” – Q Magazine
“An artist full of wisdom and soul” – Maverick Music Magazine
ROBBY HECHT has been captivating audiences as a touring singer-songwriter for over two decades, combining quietly impactful songwriting reminiscent of Tom Waits or Jim Croce with the graceful vocal resonance of James Taylor. With a remarkable blend of insightful lyricism, memorable melodies, and a voice that carries both strength and tenderness, his music resonates with audiences from all walks of life.

CORN POTATO STRING BAND
2024-08-01 20:00 - 22:00
THE CORN POTATO STRING BAND earns high praise in traditional American music, keeping old time fiddle and banjo music from a one-way trip to the dustbins of history. Theirs is a story of struggle, hard knocks and triumph. Essentially unable to cope with modern life, the members of this band are outcasts of society who survive by playing the lost music of the flatlands where they were raised.
The Corn Potatoes are all multi-instrumentalists dedicated to continuing the music and dance traditions of the Central and Southern US. In addition to being champion fiddlers they play banjo, guitar, bass and mandolin and deftly handle many different antiquated styles including ballads, “ho-downs,” country “rags” and southern gospel, specializing in twin fiddling and double banjo tunes. More below the ticket link.

“This is Americana and then some, taken spryly with a good deal of humor, a dose of seriousness, and sometimes reverence, but always with finger-lickin’ tasty chops everywhichwhere. Hard to tell who’s playing what at any point, as all (Aaron Jonah Lewis, Lindsay McLaw, Ben Belcher) are multi-instrumentalists, but it hardly matters, as there’s not a jot of grandstanding, just a deep love of the polyglot style and the sort of pinpoint precision and interplay one expects in swing, hot jazz (which took its cue from the styles the Corn Potato-ers inspissate), and bluegrass. Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange
“I’ve heard quite a lot of old-time fiddle and banjo playing, trust me, but I’ve never heard it like this… played at break-neck speeds, Aaron’s fiddle whipping around tight corners like a high-end sports car. It was like watching Bach hopped up on speed, composing kickass barn dance tunes in Appalachia. Kind of.” –No Depression
“They blew the audience away. A half-hour of standards, obscurities and charming banter later, the decidedly hip multi-instrumentalists received one of the most thunderous ovations of any opening act I’ve witnessed in quite some time.” –PopMatters

RAY BONNEVILLE
2024-08-02 20:15 - 22:15
RAY BONNEVILLE We love Ray, and it’s been too long since he has come to play and not just take advantage of our cheap lodging as he passes through.
A lot of heavy praise for Ray here. Ticket link follows bio.
An acclaimed raconteur, Ray strips his bluesy Americana down to its essentials and steeps it in the humid grooves of the South, creating a compelling poetry of hard living and deep feeling.
Jim Withers (Montreal Gazette) describes his sound as “folk-roots gumbo… a languid Mississippi Delta groove, seasoned with smooth, weathered vocals and a propulsive harmonica wheeze.” Whether performing solo or fronting a band, playing electric or acoustic guitar, Bonneville allows space between notes that adds potency to every chord, lick, and lyric. Thom Jurek (Allmusic.com) remarks, “With darkness and light fighting for dominance… he’s stripped away every musical excess to let the songs speak for themselves.”
Often called a “song and groove man,” Bonneville has lived the life of the itinerant artist. To learn more about that, come to the show or read further on his website.

CASH BOX KINGS featuring Queen Lee Kanehira
2024-08-03 20:15 - 22:15
THE CASH BOX KINGS will be joined by QUEEN LEE KANEHIRA, recognized as one of the premier blues and boogie woogie piano players in the world today. She was the winner of the inaugural 2019 Chicago International Blues Piano Competition. She regularly tours throughout Europe, Asia, and North America as a solo artist (and as a member of the Cash Box Kings). She was a featured artist for the Otis Span Tribute concert at the 2024 Chicago Blues Festival.

“Oscar Wilson’s powerful and deep voice harkens back to the golden age of Chicago blues. Nosek blows spirited, muscular harp. The Cash Box Kings serve up undeniable proof that they remain one of the top blues bands of this era.”
–Blues Music Magazine
“The Cash Box Kings play with taste and feel and it was faith restoring to know there’s guys out there that still know and appreciate real blues.”
-Blues Legend Charlie Musslewhite

PAT BYRNE
2024-08-08 19:45 - 21:45
Following his 2021 Into The Light album, PAT BYRNE delivered strong new works in 2022. His unmistakable
voice and cinematic lyrics continue to touch our universal humanity. Supported by legendary musicians from
Emmylou Harris’s band, he presents another gem with “Only a Man”. Recorded at The Next Waltz with Bruce
Robison and band, “Until it Isn’t” is a gorgeous rendition wistfully recalling lost love. Byrne’s December
2022 release, “Feels Like Living”, makes palpable the working musician’s struggle and uncertainty,
underpinned by a nostalgic arrangement of strings and harmonium.
Into the Light, recorded at the Sound Emporium studio in Nashville, takes the listener on an
emotional journey with lyrics both touching and agonizing—heightened by Byrne’s dynamic vocal
style.“Byrne delivers 11 original tunes ranging from the buoyant pop of “Capsize” to the anthemic rock & roll of
the title track to the tender balladry of “Precious Cargo” and “Win Lose or Drown.” A strong supporting
cast helps make Into the Light one of the best-sounding singer-songwriter albums to come out of Austin in
years. What ultimately stands out the most is how strong “Into the Light” is from start to finish. Every track
radiates, and rewards repeated listening.”-Peter Blackstock, Austin American Statesman
“I really appreciate the aggressive storytelling of Pat Byrne’s songwriting style. The overall sound draws
easy comparisons to modern gritty Americana artists like David Ramirez, Ryan Adams, and Jason Isbell.
Byrne deserves to be in that company with his gritty vocal and poignant lyrical style.” -Greg Jones, Ear to the Ground Music
“The raspy melodic soul of Byrne’s voice recalls the emotional spells the late Austin troubadour Jimmy
LaFave used to cast, though Byrne’s songwriting bears a more distinctive Irish stamp. He’s more
contemporary that strict traditionalists, putting him more in the league of Glen Hansard or Luka Bloom.”
-Peter Blackstock, Austin American Statesman
December 2021 saw Byrne’s Into The Light, named a top 10 album of the year by the Austin American
Statesman. He was also awarded the Black Fret “Member’s Choice” grant as of the top three vote recipients
of member vote allocation process.
Byrne migrated from Ireland to Austin, Texas in late 2017. Since then, he has melded two musical cultures
known for introspective lyricism and raw, from-the-heart emotion – with spectacular results.

NIGEL WEARNE- cancelled
2024-08-09 20:15 - 22:15
“vocal swagger of Van Morrison and dark spirituality and intelligence of Nick Cave” – 4 STARS | The Weekend Australian
“tailor made for fans of Tom Waits…with fire and brimstone lyrics that recall Nick Cave” – Rhythms Magazine
NIGEL WEARNE saunters after dark in the music of the night, blending blues, jazz and Americana-noir. Hailing from Gunditjmara country in the deep south of Australia, he’s a guitarist and multi-instrumentalist with diverse influence from Nick Cave, Tom Waits and Rickie Lee Jones. A deep thinker and truth speaker with a penchant for all things peculiar, he sings of human frailty, grace and the cosmos; songwriting that cuts to the bone.
More bio after ticket link:

Nigel has toured Australia, New Zealand, the US, UK and Canada and he’s performed at a long list of music festivals, including MerleFest, AmericanaFest, Cambridge Folk Festival (UK), Adelaide Guitar Festival (Australia), Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, Mile of Music and Old Settler’s Music Festival.
His sophomore album, Black Crow garnered wide critical acclaim including a 4-STAR review in Rolling Stone, a nomination for Best Country Album at the Music Victoria Awards and it debuted at #1 on Australia’s AMRAP Charts. His latest offering The Reckoning (released Nov 2023) received a nomination for Best Blues Work at the 2023 Music Victoria Awards, a 4-STAR review in The Weekend Australian and had two songs selected as finalists (top #10) in the International Songwriting Competition. Inhabiting the after-dark realms of blues, jazz, soul and rock ‘n roll; this is Americana-noir.
“a bit of Waits, some Early James and C.W. Stoneking” – POST TO WIRE
“poignant and mysterious” – MAVERICK MAGAZINE UK
“an eruption of energy, rhythm and melody” – RHYTHMS MAGAZINE

MAD AGNES- show has been cancelled
2024-08-10 20:30 - 22:30
Ticket buyers look for an e-mail from the Carpe. We will issue a credit. Sorry-
Bios follow buy ticket section

MAD AGNES has won hearts on two continents with their signature intricate harmonies, compelling songwriting, and passionate delivery. The genre-bending trio—Margo Hennebach, Adrienne Jones and Mark Saunders—creates an exciting, inclusive performance, delivering new original songs, selections from their thirteen album catalog, story telling and impromptu vocal improv.
In their current iteration, Mad Agnes uses primarily one microphone around which they form and re-form, early-radio style. Their ease with one another on stage invites the audience into their world of human connection and spontaneous fun. Well-crafted instrumentation – using guitars, mandolin, ukulele, piano, melodica, an inventive keyboard and three-part harmonies as tight as jeans from the dryer – enthralls audiences again and again. Mad Agnes’ latest recording, Likely Story, was released on Feb. 1, 2024, and is being nationally promoted from Feb-April. It is available NOW BY CLICKING HERE.
In November, 2022, Mad Agnes was commissioned by the Frick Pittsburgh to write a song based on the exhibit, American Perspectives: Stories from the American Folk Art Museum Collection. To watch the music video, and hear how they wrote “Plum Tavern,” CLICK HERE.
“If you’ve been struggling to find a link back to that addictive sound of progressive/alternative folk groups like Steeleye Span, Fairport Convention and Renaissance, listen up…Mad Agnes recreates with authenticity many of the musical qualities that adored us to those aforementioned groups. It’s definitely magic.” Robert Linquist, Singer Magazine
“Dazzling harmonies, superb arrangements, terrific instrumental virtuosity, brilliant original songs and fine treatments of other material… there really aren’t enough superlatives to describe one of the best evenings I’ve seen in the many years I have been involved in the Folk scene.” Folk on the Moor, Devon, UK

ALICE WALLACE
2024-08-16 20:15 - 22:15
Here I Am, Nashvillian songstress ALICE WALLACE declares on her new album. It’s a title that hints at her deeply personal, confessional songwriting style, one that invites the listener to gaze at her beating heart as each intimate secret pours out, propelled by a powerful, expressive delivery that marks her as one of the true vocal talents of her generation.

“Alice Wallace, whose steady tenor is shot through with Crystal Gayle’s ache, Linda Ronstadt’s country essence” — Holly Gleason, Pollstar

​“Wallace, who sang a dead-on lovely version of Palomino mainstay Linda Ronstadt’s “Long Long Time,” was clearly tickled to be a part of the revived history.” — Bob Strauss, Los Angeles Daily News
​“She’s stunning, and McQueen ‘The Cincinnati Kid’ cool” – Ray Wylie Hubbard

She’s survived the highs and lows of life, love, and the music industry and finally produced the album she feels she was destined to make. Here I Am, she says, the real Alice Wallace.
This album marks a return to themes of self-examination after several collections that featured predominantly story songs. “I needed to make a record that was really true to myself, both for me and for my fans who have encouraged me in ways I am so grateful for,” Alice explains. “Songs are how I process. And writing this album helped me process so much of what has happened in the last few years.”
Alice moved to Nashville four years ago after more than a decade in southern California, and Here I Am is the first of her albums to be recorded in true Music City style, backed by a lineup of world-class musicians and recorded in two whirlwind days with no rehearsal, just the way the best session players like to do it. Produced by Nick Buda (Taylor Swift, Martina McBride, Dolly Parton) the album features some of the most talented musicians Nashville has to offer. In addition to Buda on drums, the record features Grammy-winning guitarist Kenny Greenberg (Willie Nelson, Wynnona Judd, Hayes Carll), bassist Ted Pecchio (Doyle Bramhall II, Susan Tedeschi) and keyboardist Jimmy Wallace (The Wallflowers). And although Alice had never played with any of the musicians before, the combined talents in the room made for an electric experience that brought her songs to life in vibrant and unexpected ways.
Wallace was named 2017 Female Vocalist of the Year by the California Country Awards and her voice has been called “a powerful natural occurrence… an awe-striking wonder” by Saving Country Music. She previously released four solo albums, the latest of which, 2019’s Into the Blue, earned recognition from Rolling Stone Country with the title track being named one of the Best Americana Songs to Hear Now.
