Cafe Carpe

CLARK BECKHAM
2026-07-31 20:30 (America/Chicago)
With over 38k listeners on Spotify and 200k followers on Instagram, CLARK BECKHAM is making waves in the world of secular music. Ticket link follows bio.
Growing up just outside of Nashville, Tennessee, Clark discovered an undeniable love for music through church and later on as a street performer. After graduating from Lee University, the multi-instrumentalist traded in the bustling streets of downtown Nashville for the bright lights of Hollywood. In 2015, Clark received his golden ticket for Season 14 of American Idol where he captivated millions across the globe and was voted the runner-up of the season. Clark’s live performances dominated the top 10 most-viewed videos on American Idol’s YouTube channel.
Inspired by musical icons from Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles to Marvin Gaye and Al Greene, Clark combines his love of timeless Soul/R&B music with pop sounds and melodies to create a sound uniquely his own. With a captivating and dynamic energy, complemented by his effortless vocal range, Clark’s musical journey is just getting started.
In 2018, Clark released his Year One EP, which debuted at #6 on iTunes’ Alternative chart and #22 on Billboard’s R&B Sales chart. Since then, Clark has performed with the famous Nashville Symphony, opened up for platinum-selling recording artists Jon Bellion and Allen Stone, and was nominated for a Teen Choice Award. Clark is currently gearing up to resume his tour to promote the release of his album, Light Year, which infuses elements of Soul/R&B with pop melodies. The latest release from the album, “Luckiest Man,” is a lyrically beautiful, stripped down track with a deeply personal meaning.
See Clark perform live on Youtube.

Bill Camplin w/ Michael Hecht
2026-08-01 20:00
Michael Hecht will do readings- a tribute to the road not taken, and Bill will periodically inject a song.

NICK DITTMEIER & THE SAWDUSTERS
2026-08-07 20:30
Hailing from, and proudly remaining in, the river town of Jeffersonville, Indiana, singer-songwriter and guitar virtuoso NICK DITTMEIER has spent more than a decade chronicling Midwestern lives through a sharp, evolving blend of roots music. Backed by the Sawdusters—Shelley Anderson on bass and Chase Palmer on drums—he has built his reputation through relentless touring across the U.S. and Europe and a steady run of records grounded in narrative songwriting and grit.
After early solo EPs, the Sawdusters broke through with Midwest Heart / Southern Blues (2016), refined their approach on All Damn Day, and expanded their palette with 2022’s Heavy Denim, which folded synths and unease into post-pandemic Americana. (More bio follows ticket link.)

Their latest album, Apparition, pivots toward a more direct, visceral sound. Recorded in Louisville, the record opens with the kinetic instrumental “Reckless” before diving into propulsive alt-country on “Revenge,” a gospel-tinged meditation on temptation and consequence. Elsewhere, “All Downhill From Here” blends Midwestern twang with New Orleans funk, while the eerie “Scratching at Your Back Door” leans into the tension between classic murder ballads and modern true-crime obsession. Songs like “Out in the Cold” and “Black Dad / White Mom” anchor the album in history and autobiography, balancing tradition with lived experience.
With Apparition, Nick Dittmeier and the Sawdusters deliver their most direct and confident album yet, an electrifying account of real lives and long miles.

YAZMIN & BEAT ZERO
2026-08-08 20:30
YAZMIN & BEAT ZERO Yazmin is a powerful singer-songwriter and pianist, who weaves heartfelt lyrics with Cuban-influenced rhythms and sounds, shaped by years of study in Havana meshing with her deep Folk, Rock and Jazz musical roots. With Beat Zero, they reach across existing music genres to create a new sound that transmits their deep love and care for the world through song.

ROAD DOG CD Release Party- Mark Hummel All Stars
2026-08-13 20:00
Chicago blues by some of its finest practitioners.
MARK HUMMEL is joined by OSCAR WILSON, BILLY FLYNN, ROGRIGO MONTOVANI, and PATRICK SEALS
MARK is a road warrior – a true Blues Survivor. Along the way, he has crafted his own trademark harmonica sound – a subtle combination of tone, phrasing and attack combined with a strong sense of swing. Mark has been with Electro Fi Records since 2000, releasing five CDs. Thanks to Mark’s earlier albums, constant touring and appearances at the major blues festivals, he’s firmly established his solid reputation around the US and Europe.
OSCAR WILSON is the Chicago born & based singer who fronts the Cash Box Kings and writes most of his own songs for Alligator Records. Oscar is the best traditional Chicago Blues singer out there today. Wilson is also stellar showman who always engages his audience and leaves the screaming for more. He and the CBK’s have garnered a slew of BMA Music awards.
Grammy-nominted Harmonica man/singer/songwriter/bandleader/author/impresario MARK HUMMEL was born in New Haven, CT but moved to Los Angeles as a newborn. Hummel took up an interest in blues harp & rock-blues music in high school but soon discovered the originators like Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson & Little Walter. Soon after, Hummel frequented the Ash Grove club on Melrose Ave. in LA where he saw (in a three month period) three blues legends he would later work with on a regular basis; Charlie Musselwhite, Brownie McGhee (w/Sonny Terry) & James Cotton. By 1985 Mark Hummel’s Blues Survivors hit the road full time & continue till the present (Hummel’s memoir, “Big Road Blues: 12 Bars on I-80” recounts many road exploits). Hummel’s been featured on over thirty recordings since 1985 including his 2014 Blind Pig Records, Remembering Little Walter (a recording of a Hummel Blues Harp Blowout.) The CD was nominated for a Grammy Award and won two Blues Music Awards. Hummel’s most recent release, Harpbreaker (September 2018/Electro-Fi), is an all-instrumental harmonica album that redefines the scope and beauty of what the instrument is capable of in the right hands.
BILLY FLYNN is the Grammy winning guitarist on Cadillac Reconds and Beyoncé’s version of “At Last”. Billy is on over 200 blues recordings and performances of Kim Wilson, Cash Box Kings, Legendary Blues Band, Pinetop Perkins, Jimmy Dawkins, Otis Rush, Jimmy Rogers, Kieth Richards, James Cotton and Eric Clapton. Flynn is a Delmark Records artist & a multi instrumentalist.
Brazilian musician RODRIGO MANTOVANI is a four time BMA bass playing nominee-he plays with Nick Moss, Jontavious Willis, Big Creek Slim, Curtis Salgado and others. He’s the premiere upright blues bassist. Rodrigo now lives in Chicago.
PATRICK SEALS is a popular drummer from Chicago who plays with Curtis Salgado, Nick Moss and many others in the blues biz.

DARREN GARVEY
2026-08-15 20:00
DARREN GARVEY is performing solo in support of his latest album As A Scribble, a collection inspired by the wonder of childhood imagination and the beautiful messiness of everyday life. He is highly regarded as a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and collaborator in the indie and folk world. His song ‘Paper Rose’ received honorable mention at the 2026 Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Songwriter Showcase and he is an Everwood Foundation Artist Retreat recipient.Known for his musical cross-pollination, Darren’s expressive and inventive style has been utilized by a myriad of artists from his Chicago beginnings (Cameron McGill, Ernie Hendrickson, Chicago Farmer, Miles Nielsen) to Colorado’s vibrant music community (Elephant Revival, Daniel Rodriguez, Nathaniel Riley, Bonnie Paine) to the endless song-scattered Wisconsin (Trapper Schoepp, Cory Chisel, Courtney Hartman, Dead Horses, Field Report). Darren calls Grafton Wisconsin home and is a longtime member of transcendental folk outfit Elephant Revival.

ROUND ROBIN w/ TRICIA ALEXANDER
2026-08-19 18:30 - 20:30, 2026-09-16 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 3rd Wednesday 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.

WHITCOMB/ CAPLAN CELLO DUO
2026-08-20 19:30
Benjamin Whitcomb and David Caplan– This dynamic duo delivers an unforgettable evening of virtuosic cello music spanning the playful and dramatic. Their program features sparkling works by Rossini, the technical fireworks of Popper, the modern elegance of Halsey Stevens, rich Romanticism from Glière, and vibrant pieces by two outstanding Mexican composers.
Intimate, expressive, and full of energy — perfect for a memorable night of exceptional chamber music

LOGAN METZ
2026-08-21 20:30
Ticket link follows bio.
LOGAN METZ is a musician, educator and raconteur based in Wisconsin. His songwriting spans many genres, from jazz and rock to folk and country, but it’s all marked by artful chord changes, a character-centric narrative style, and a wry lyrical wit rooted firmly in the Tom Waits/ Randy Newman school of piano-based storytelling.
Metz moved from his hometown of Milwaukee to Los Angeles at age 18, where he studied screenwriting and philosophy at Loyola Marymount University. After graduating, he worked as a music and English teacher in east LA, while touring and recording with a number of local bands.
During this time he developed a creative and academic interest in the process of adapting classic literature into music, a subject which continues to inspire Metz’s work; he wrote plays, essays, poems, soundtracks and children’s albums, and would even go on to publish musical collaborations with Nigerian playwright and Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka.
In 2015 Metz earned a master’s degree from the University of Chicago — his thesis, a full-length 1960’s rock-opera adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello — and soon after released his first solo album, “The Last Remaining Payphone in L.A.”
In 2018 Metz won a Fulbright scholarship to teach at IE University in Madrid, but turned down the award in favor of re-joining his old college friends’ band, Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real, as a multi-instrumentalist. Since then he has had the honor of playing with Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Joe Walsh, Jimmy Buffett, Eddie Vedder, Warren Haynes, Robby Krieger, John Densmore, Mike McCready, Bob Weir, and in 2023 began playing piano on tour with Willie Nelson himself.
Between touring gigs, Metz lives in Wisconsin, where he tinkers away on passion projects, including a strategy card game, a full-scale stage musical, and an upcoming solo album, the first singles of which — “Sunrise” and “Overrated”—are now streaming everywhere.

HARMONIOUS WAIL
2026-08-22 20:15
HARMONIOUS WAIL
Featuring the SuperStar2020 winner, vocalist extraordinaire Maggie Delaney-Potthoff !
Americana flavored Gypsy Jazz on full tilt! Harmonious Wail combines the searing wit, humor and mandolin virtuosity of vintage Jethro Burns performances, the Continental panache of Django and charm of Edith Piaf inspired vocals to create a unique musical journey.

ACOUSTIC OPEN STAGE
2026-08-27 18:30 - 20:30
This is an acoustic open stage, sound system set up in advance, just sit or 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.

KAREN JOHNSON
2026-08-28 20:00
Please call 920-563-9391- ideally before the day of the show, to reserve seats and to let us know if you will be dining with us.
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, however, the Carpe’s listening room is truly special and one-of-a-kind!
Karen sings songs of her favorite artists including Joan Baez, Nanci Griffith, Alison Krauss, and Suzy Bogguss, to name a few.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dclx2nwDJNY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6pYX8uK25o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z6AN79G3TE

THE BOSTON IMPOSTERS
2026-08-29 20:00
Ticket link follows bio:
THE BOSTON IMPOSTERS are a husband-wife singer-songwriter duo and music educators based in Southeast Wisconsin. Davey Harrison and Maire (pronounced like Mary) Clement began collaborating many years prior, but their duo was officially founded during their time living as Midwestern Imposters in Boston. The duo blend beautiful harmonies, accompanied by acoustic guitar, mandolin, and banjo to craft heartfelt original songs. Inspired by traditional, classic and contemporary folk music, The Boston Imposters write about their lives and experiences, inspired by the people who have been a part of their journey.
“Hearkening back to the traditional folk duos of the 1950s and 1960s, The Boston Imposters represent the genre at its most pure: two capable voices, supported by sparse-yet-effective instrumentation, working together to earnestly share stories anyone can relate to.” – Elena See, FolkAlley.com

CORKY SIEGEL/ ERNIE WATTS/ KALYAN PATHAK
2026-09-05 20:15
It is fortunate. CORKY SIEGEL has headlined at places like Lincoln Center (“They Love Corky Siegel in Lincoln Center” – NEW YORK TIMES) Kennedy Center (“Siegel is a phenomenon” – WASHINGTON POST), Symphony Center (Chicago), the San Francisco Ballrooms during the summer of love, and even the Aspen Music Festival (“Blows a lot of people’s minds” – ASPEN TIMES) but OMG, his favorite hang is Cafe Carpe.
This time he’s bringing back 2x Grammy winner 4x nominated modern jazz saxophone icon ERNIE WATTS for the second time, if you can believe that!
They met on a concert series of prestigious venues in India and have since been joined at the very hip.
Ernie has toured with the Rolling Stones, and a member of Buddy Rich band, the Charlie Hayden quartet, and has performed and/or recorded with everyone from cannonball Adderley to Frank Zappa who named Ernie “The Grand Wazoo.” ALL ABOUT JAZZ calls him “A marvel.”
And if that is not enough (nothing is ever enough with Corky – or Cafe Carpe for that matter) he’s bringing along KAYLAN “Johnny Bongo” PATHAK – tabla wizard (“Percussion Magic” – DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE) who happened to be Aretha Franklyn’s favorite. Sorry Aretha – now he’s our favorite.
With this cultural and sonic contrast, songs and solos, this unlikely force of The Three Musicteers and Tres Amigos will take all of us to beautiful and exciting places we’ve never been before.

For those that are not already familiar;
Corky Siegel is the pioneering force behind Siegel-Schwall, Symphonic Blues, Chamber Blues, Jingles for Democracy (his new project for social harmony) and his life-altering music workshops.
He’s a writer of humorous and insightful songs hailed by BILLBOARD MAGAZINE as; “a piano and harmonica virtuoso of remarkable invention and wit.”
“Incomparable legacy” – MAKING A SCENE
“Mesmerizing, surprising, and all together pleasing” – SING OUT MAGAZINE.
“Charms the ears off anyone who hears him” – CHICAGO SUN TIMES
“For more than half a century,” the ASSOCIATED PRESS notes, Siegel has been “making the world slightly smaller and kinder,” a mission that feels increasingly relevant today.
And about Ernie from ALL ABOUT JAZZ; “He breathes fire, can cool with ice, whip up a storm, and shape his sax sound in ways otherworldly. This is a powerful, yet sensitive, technically Herculean, yet human, complex yet elegantly beautiful player – no, a marvel.”
Come marvel with Ernie, Corky and Kalyan in the intimate setting of the Cafe Carpe – the Jewel of Ft. Atkinson.
Other than that – nothing special.

ANCORA STRING QUARTET
2026-09-09 19:30

PAUL SPRAWL
2026-09-10 19:30
Paul says, “I quit my day job in Sept. 1997 and embarked on the long and winding road of being a full-time performer who writes and records his own songs and performs all over North America and in Europe. My songs are of a rootsy Americana sort. As much as anything else, I’m coming from a country blues place, but even people on the streets in Mississippi generally don’t know what country blues is anymore. That’s alright, because people like it when they hear it! ”
“PAUL SPRAWL is a fine songwriter and very original guitarist whose music reflects his colorful experiences as a constantly traveling musician. “— Lee Townsend – producer/manager of Bill Frisell, also produced Loudon Wainwright III, Joe Henry

JOHN STANO/ JOHN SIEGER
2026-09-11 20:15
Two Milwaukee songwriters will share the evening.

Singer/songwriter JOHN STANO’s sound is a distinctive blend of acoustic and slide guitar, stellar rack harmonica, expressive vocals and insightful songwriting developed over many years of performance and study. He sometimes adds a little mandolin, cigar box guitar or banjo to the mix as well. His style can be described as a combination of Folk, Americana and Country Blues. Initially self-taught, John went on to study American fingerstyle guitar at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and harmonica with national blues legend, Jim Liban.
“If there’s an unsung hero in American Music right now it just might be JOHN SIEGER… His voice is a study in emotional grace, one that touches all the places inside us that need touching… Sieger shows us that walking down a familiar sidewalk and grabbing melodies from thin air is a holy pursuit, and then carving words into the music takes things right into an eternal quest for permanence.”— BILL BENTLEY, BENTLEY’S BANDSTAND // AMERICANA HIGHWAYS
Songwriter, singer and guitarist JOHN SIEGER has a long resume. His band the R&B Cadets ruled the dance floors in Milwaukee in the 1980s, playing a mix of his originals and obscure soul tunes unearthed by bandmates Paul Cebar and Robin Pluer. Their debut, “Top Happy,” for Twin/Tone Records, turned out to be their finale. In the late 80’s his band Semi-Twang recorded for Warner Brothers Records. Both bands have regrouped in recent years and since then, Semi-Twang has released three more collections of his songs, most recently and ode to his hometown, “Kenosha.”
Other Sieger songs have been covered by a long list of great artists including Dwight Yoakam (Don’t Need It Done), Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads (Rev It Up), The Bodeans (The Strangest Kind), Flaco Jimenez (I Found Out), Robbie Fulks (You Break It – You Pay), Phil Lee (I Hope Love Always Knows Your Name, Neon Tombstone) and Greg Trooper (My Bluebell, Real Like That and others). Recorded but still waiting to be released, is a version of “Salty Tears,” sung by Etta James.
“Sieger on Songs,” his column at UrbanMilwaukee.com, is John’s ongoing love letter to the music he digs.

LONESOME BILL CAMPLIN
2026-09-12 20:00, 2026-10-03 20:00

SCOTT COOK
2026-09-17 20:00
SCOTT COOK writes sturdy, straight-talking songs that see the good in you. In 2007 the West Virginia-born, Western Canada-raised songwriter quit his job teaching kindergarten in Taiwan and moved into a minivan. He’s made his living as a troubadour ever since, touring almost incessantly across Canada, the US, Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere, averaging a hundred shows and a dozen summer festivals a year, and releasing eight albums of plainspoken, keenly observant verse along the way.
“Whip-smart, bone-achingly lovely, socially committed songs presented with a bold, elegant directness evoking the very best of the folk music tradition.” —Notional Space
More bio follows ticket link

His seventh album Tangle of Souls spent two weeks at #1 back home on Alberta’s province-wide community radio network CKUA, and earned Scott his third Canadian Folk Music Award nomination, for English Songwriter of the Year. Its second single “Say Can You See” was the second most-played song of 2020 on Folk Alliance International’s folk radio charts, and took top honours for the folk category in both the 2020 UK Songwriting Competition and the 2020 Great American Song Contest. His follow-up Troubadourly Yours comes out in August of 2026 on CD and vinyl, followed by a 302-page hardcover book and audiobook of extended liner notes, road stories and ruminations. Its first single “There Is a River” won the grand prize in the 2025 Great American Song Contest and its second single “Frankie’s Braids” took first prize in the Special category. Amid all the bitterness and division in the world, Cook’s shows are an ongoing invitation to circle up around the fire.
“He sings his heart and soul, and in doing so lets light flood into your own… He has a good eye for imagery, a gentle human touch, a wry sense of humour, a whole lot of integrity, a warm, rugged voice and a bunch of memorable lines… Truly one of Woody Guthrie’s children.” –RnR Magazine

MATTHEW CARLSON
2026-09-18 20:15
After 30 years of playing shows, making records and writing songs, it’s fair to call MATTHEW CARLSON a veteran. From his current work in the Stick Arounds and Harborcoat, to his previous stints in The Pantones and Third Uncle, Carlson has spent a lifetime writing songs filled with vivid characters, detailed worlds, and personal touches.
Carlson is a born storyteller. His solo acoustic shows are filled with emotional, funny, and moving stories about the hidden lives and places behind his songs. To see Matty C play solo is to see, feel, and hear his songs in a new, and perhaps more profound way.
Harmony, bombast, and distortion are removed from even the most boisterous of numbers, and a bare, more vulnerable version of the songs appears. The tunes take on new life as they are stripped to only the most essential of ingredients.
Over the last three years, Matty has played more than 120 shows across 31 states. This enormous spate of gigs featured performances in a wide variety of spaces including homes, breweries, festivals, listening rooms, theatres, bars, and back patios..
Throughout his long career, Matty has performed at venues and festivals like the NXNE Festival, the Hideout in Chicago, IL, Rockin’ The Suburbs Fest, The Blind Pig, The Lager House, PodJam Las Vegas, The Robin Theatre, and many more.
In addition to his touring and recording efforts, Matty also works tirelessly at his Substack and podcast,What Am I Making. WAIM is a space for Matty to share his experiences as an independent touring artist, and it affords him the opportunity to explore the corners of our current culture and how it is shaping the ways in which we live and create. You can learn more at whatamimaking.substack.com.

AN EVENING with ABBIE GARDNER
2026-09-25 20:30
Named a “triple threat” by Bluegrass Unlimited, ABBIE GARDNER has made a name for herself as one of the the only solo dobro troubadours in the country. Don’t let her infectious smile fool you, beneath that radiant exterior lies the soul of a fierce and fiery slide guitar player.
You might know her best from her work with Americana darlings Red Molly, but Abbie Gardner centered her own gritty, sweet tales of love and loss on her 2022 solo album DobroSinger. It reached #11 on the Billboard Blues chart. She’s a Kerrville New Folk Finalist (2025) and was nominated for Folk Alliance International’s Artist of the Year (2025). Her live show is truly unique – heartfelt vocals and warm stage presence, backed up by top notch picking on an instrument that is more typically in the background. Come for the heartfelt, intimate ballads and stay for the raw, bluesy picking. Gardner’s got all your musical bases covered.

​ ​”Abbie is leaving her mark by trailblazing a new path. She has fused her dobro playing, singing, and songwriting into a seamless vehicle of musical expression. If you have never seen Abbie live you owe it to yourself to do so… and if you have seen her live…you know what I am talking about.”– Mike England, Bluegrass Unlimited“DobroSinger is a masterclass in how to deliver a song, taught by an artist who is at the top of her game”– Ron Olesko, Folk Notebook​“The playing and singing are both impeccable and loaded with personality. You can hear every nuance of the slide, smooth one moment or rattling slightly at the end of a phrase like punctuation; and her intimate, pitch-perfect vocals—wistful, playful, confessional—sound like they’re dancing with the guitar.”– Blair Jackson, Acoustic Guitar Magazine

SARAH MORRIS
2026-10-01 20:00
SARAH MORRIS is a Minneapolis-based Americana singer-songwriter whose crystalline voice and benevolent storytelling have earned her recognition as one of the Midwest’s most compelling musical voices. Over the course of six albums and a decade-plus of steady, determined songwriting, Morris has made a practice of allurement. Her new album, Say Yes, is a suggestion and an encouragement, a delicate search for the honest way forward.
Winner of the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Competition in 2018 and three-time Midwest Country Music Organization Songwriter of the Year, Morris creates music that gracefully balances technical precision with profound emotional resonance.
More bio follows ticket link.

A graduate of the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, Morris honed her craft during formative years in Nashville before returning to Minnesota to influence a new generation of songwriters. Her approach dwells somewhere between vocal precision and the contours of a heart that remains pointedly human, with a lyrical sensibility that lies just beyond what can be expected of mere syllables and sound.
Beyond Kerrville, Morris’s songwriting has garnered national recognition as second-place winner of the 2026 Telluride Troubadour contest, the Chris Austin Songwriting Competition, top four finalist in the NewSong Music Competition, and third-place winner at the 2023 Songwriter Serenade. L’etoile Magazine’s Jon Hunt called Morris “a bright, clear, brilliant songwriter…pure and crisp and perfect.” The Midwest Country Music Organization recently named Morris the Americana Artist of the Year.
Morris maintains a robust tour schedule with her band of Twin Cities elite players: drummer Lars Erik-Larson, fiddle and background vocalist Haley E. Rydell, multi-instrumentalist and producer Dave Mehling, and bassist Nick Salisbury. Her active recording career spans six albums, from her 2011 debut Lonely or Free through her 2023 Album of the Year winner Here’s To You, earning international airplay and critical acclaim on both Americana Music Association and Euro Americana charts.
The Star Tribune’s Chris Riemenschneider praised her “Norah Jones-like approach to Americana, smoothing over its rough edges with a butter-velvety voice and an intimate songwriting style.”

CONNOR GARVEY
2026-10-02 20:15
Ticket link will appear soon.
CONNOR GARVEY is an award-winning singer-songwriter from Portland, Maine, with the amiable presence of an entertainer, the lyrical depth of a poet, and the enchantment of a storyteller.
​Garvey leaves audiences uplifted and inspired through a positive message delivered in a way proves you can be optimistic and self-aware without being boring.
​First time listeners often are drawn to Garvey’s engaging performance style, accomplished musicianship, and memorable melodies. But his lyrics project a depth and sincerity that allow the observant listener to find meaning beyond the catchy hook. “Connor isn’t afraid to tackle some heavy-duty subjects” writes Americana Highways.
​On his latest release, Another End of the Year, Garvey shows his maturity as a songwriter, addressing personal and universal subjects through a series of lyrical stories. This collection of songs reflects the wisdom gained from experiencing life.
​“…simply top-tier material, a record that’s completely original and brimming with musical ideas and emotional depth far beyond his years…yet another example of a Maine artist deserving of a global profile.” – The Maine Edge
​Onstage, Garvey is driven by the shared, spontaneous moments that can only come from live performance.
​He thrives in the intimacy and connection best observed in the brief space between the last note of a song and the applause – when audience and artist alike share a moment of reflection of the common experience.
​This combination of songwriting and performance strength has earned Garvey numerous awards including being named winner of the Kerrville New Folk, Rocky Mountain Folks Fest, SolarFest, Wildflower Art and Music Festival and Maine Songwriters Association songwriting competitions, voted as Most Wanted artist at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, nominated for Best Male Performer in the New England Music Awards, and a top new singer songwriter by Sirius XM’s The Coffeehouse. It has also put him on stage at many of the country’s most notable folk festivals and intimate venues headlining shows and supporting great acts such as Brett Dennen, Catie Curtis, Storyhill, John Gorka, Ellis Paul, David Wilcox, and more.
​Most importantly, his songs move people. They have and found their way into important life moments and experiences like marriages, funerals, cross country road-trips, and memorable nights out listening to live music.
​Outside the musical world, Garvey is a skilled group facilitator. Whether serving at an international peace camp for Israeli and Palestinian youths or leading a group of adult coworkers, he brings people together to find common experience and purpose. But like his music, he tackles these heavy subjects while infusing a strong sense of joy, playfulness and fun.
​“Connor Garvey continues to surprise me. That’s a good thing. A very good thing. There is no chance that his shows will be repetitive or suffer in a dull sameness. Connor’s got the spark: a creative spark that literally shines all around him when he’s on stage. His recordings are equally charming. He has a way of turning a phrase or skewing a song scenario so that it makes the listener take note. That’s a real talent.” – No Depression
​“First-rate songwriting with equally solid vocals and a tapestry of keen musicianship.” – Portland Press Herald

VON CARPE FAMILY- a benefit for HOMELESS COALITION
2026-10-04 15:00 - 17:00
Back again this year. Early concert with meal to follow.
The Von Carpesters feature siblings Karen, Lisa and Eric Reinhardt joined by daughter Laura Christianson, grandson Camdyn James Cloute, daughter-in-law Steph Kilkenny and husband Jim Marousis, and perhaps others to be added.

CLAUDIA RUSSELL & the FOLK UNLIMITED ORCHESTRA
2026-10-09 20:00
CLAUDIA RUSSELL returns to the Midwest with a special expanded version of her longtime Americana ensemble, the Folk Unlimited Orchestra, featuring Wisconsin favorites Eric Lewis and Jimmy Kaplan.
Longtime Door County audiences may remember Claudia from her years performing with Northern Sky Theater, in shows includingGoodnight Irene, Old Friends and Fish and Whistle. Eric shared the stage on several of those productions, while James Kaplan served as musical director and became known throughout Wisconsin as the composer of Guys on Ice, Lumberjacks in Love and other beloved regional shows.
Since then, Claudia has built a national career around her remarkable voice and distinctive songwriting. She’s a two-time Kerrville New Folk finalist, was named WUMB’s Artist of the Year, and has been featured on NPR’s All Things Considered. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wrote: “Russell has a voice that is made for folk music. She breaks hearts.”
Since those early AFT days, Eric Lewis has become a beloved regional artist in his own right — a first-rate guitarist and multi-instrumentalist whose musicianship stands easily alongside the best players in folk, roots and country music.
With Bruce Kaplan on electric guitar and mandolin, plus Eric and Jimmy, this is a rare reunion built around Claudia’s original songs, rich arrangements, and several decades of shared musical history.
Check out Claudia in her various ensembles at http://bit.ly/C-B-YOUTUBE

ERNIE HENDRICKSON
2026-10-10 20:15
Bio follows ticket link.

Hailing from Shullsburg, Wisconsin, ERNIE HENDRICKSON is a voice of American roots music, influenced by icons like Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, and Jerry Garcia. His 2007 solo record, Down the Road, which the Illinois Entertainer deemed “Groundbreaking,” pushed him onto the Midwest’s radar as an emerging singer-songwriter. His second and third records, ‘Walking with Angels’ and ‘One For the Dreamers,’ found him working with industry veterans Bo Ramsey (Lucinda Williams, Greg Brown) and Chad Cromwell (Neil Young, Mark Knopfler), respectively. Roll On,’ was released in the summer of 2019 and was recorded in Chicago by producer Brian Deck (Counting Crows, Iron, and Wine).
Ernie’s second set will be of TODD SNIDER covers in honor of what would have been Todd’s 60th birthday.
Ernie has played stages from the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville to the Living Room in New York City and all points in between, and his songs have been in regular rotation at over 100 different radio stations across the country. Each performance is a unique exploration of melody and spirit, a must-see for any music lover.
He recorded his newest album, “Live at Cafe Carpe,” here in December 2023.

GUZZO (Jeremy) PINC
2026-10-11 18:30
“Here is my bio you jackasses! I didn’t make it funny…which is funny.”
GUZZO PINC (also known as Jeremy Pinc) is a multi-disciplinary artist currently living in Fort Atkinson, WI. Well known in the Midwest as a painter, Guzzo has been writing and recording music for as long as he has been painting, and also has deep ties to the Cafe Carpe. He has been a part of several musical projects with the Carpe’s very own Satchel Paige and he even worked at the Carpe for several years in the 00’s.
His songs bring out a dimension not often felt in his abstract visual art and tell stories about the Chicago suburbs he grew up in and also about his more recent “country” home in Fort Atkinson. His musical style reveals a blend of the 60s/70s folk/rock he was raised on, mixed with the 80s/90s alternative/punk scene of which he was part.
As we are not usually open on Sunday, we are having a special menu of two choices created by Guzzo: spaghetti w/ meatballs or veggie spaghetti
Let us know your choice when buying your ticket.
If possible, please buy tickets more than a day in advance so that we can plan for seating and eating.

LAURA VEIRS
2026-10-16 20:30
LAURA VEIRS returns with Temple Songs, her first album in four years—and the first she has written,
recorded, arranged, produced, and performed entirely on her own. “I didn’t know if I would write songs
again,” says Veirs, who spent the intervening years building a backyard studio, getting married, blending
a family with four teenagers, deepening her visual art practice (painting), and expanding her music
teaching. “Turns out that period was a gathering phase. When I made the commitment to recording the
album myself, the muse caught me again and it came together very quickly.”
Written and recorded in three months in the fall of 2025 in Veirs’ backyard “Temple of Bloom” studio,
Temple Songs marks a new level of artistic independence. While 2022’s Found Light (co-produced by
Veirs and Shahzad Ismaily) was a declaration of autonomy, Temple Songs goes further: every creative
decision—what to record, how to record it, and how it should sound—was Veirs’ alone. Made with just two
mics and a laptop in a 10’ x 14′ room, the album feels unmistakably “Veirs-ian,” yet strikingly new.
Veirs embraced the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi throughout the process, choosing not to pitch-correct
vocals or edit out rough edges. “I wanted to make something that sounds as organic and human as
possible,” she says. Mixing by Philip Weinrobe (Adrienne Lenker) adds sympathetic finishing touches to
Veirs’ 14th solo album.
Because the Temple of Bloom wasn’t built for recording, the studio itself became a collaborator. Veirs
paused takes for rain on the skylight—or let it stay. She waited out neighbors’ conversations, raced to
finish a sensitive vocal before a stump grinder roared to life, and included the presence of resident
bluejays, passing crows, and other neighborhood sounds. These ambient intrusions lend the album an
intimate, lived-in authenticity.
Influences range from Mac DeMarco’s commitment to trusting his personal taste to the anarchists and
feminists of the late 1800s and their rallying cry, “no gods, no masters.” “It was hard to get the white man
off my shoulder,” Veirs says. “I wrestled with a lot of doubt. But there were many happy accidents and
eventually I found a flow—seeing the studio again, for the first time since my 20s, as a private place for
exploration.”
Clocking in at a concise 30 minutes, Temple Songs’ 11 tracks capture a songwriter in peak form. The
album is intimate, dreamy, brave and quietly defiant, built around Veirs’ intricate fingerstyle nylon-string
guitar, vulnerable vocals, and bold electric guitar embellishments. “Arc Still Bends” reflects feelings of
contemporary futility, offset by a hopeful chorus. “River’s Song,” an ode to one of Veirs’ children,
showcases her gift for simplicity and emotional precision. “Pulse” veers into art-experimental territory,
culminating in a cacophonous duet between electric guitar and sax. “No Masters” is a sparse, punk rock
call for collective self-determination, while “Sunlight and Doom” incorporates elemental fragments from
the ancient Greek lyricist Sappho.
Veirs played guitars, bass, drums, tambourine, percussion, and sings vocals; the only outside contribution
is saxophone by a secret special guest. She used no click tracks and no electronic instruments, working
by feel and intuition while watching bamboo sway outside her studio window. At 52, three decades into
her career, Veirs reconnects with herself through a radically new process—one that feels both fresh and
profoundly earned. She also designed the album’s calligraphy and paper-collage back cover art,
extending the project’s handmade ethos.
“I needed to make this to connect more deeply with my taste, aesthetics, and confidence,” says Veirs.
Longtime fans will recognize the core of Laura Veirs here—unfiltered and renewed—and new listeners
will discover an artist fully inhabiting her creative powers.
(Tickets will be $35 day of show.)
