Cafe Carpe

more details to come 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. Her […]

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 […]

CAMPLIN, that is.  Likely to be on this date

PiperRoadSpringBand presents the FIENDS of SpringBandMusic Brian “Looper” Lucas (guitar, harmonica, vocals) leads the return of Bob Mason (mandolin, guitar, vocals); Billy Kangaroo (washboard, vocals); Johnny “Pops” Widdicombe (upright bass, vocals); Mike Schmidt (banjo, guitar, vocals) as the FIENDS make their debut at the Cafe Carpe stage. Barry “BlackBarry Riese will be making a specials […]

RAY BONNEVILLE  We love Ray, and it’s a joy when he can 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, […]

JEFFREY FOUCAULT FORT ATKINSON DISRAG "Homegrown great- not an oxymoron" THE NEW YORKER: “Jeffrey Foucault sings stark, literate songs that are as wide open as the landscape of his native Midwest” THE IRISH TIMES: “Quietly brilliant” UNCUT: “The music of Wisconsin native Foucault is the kind so many aspire to but never attain: beat-up troubadour […]

It's been a long time, but happy to have THE TILLERS back! The Tillers have been thumping their own distinctive sound of string band style folk music for a decade, riding it all over the country and across the sea. Four studio albums and one live record have won them praise as modern folk storytellers […]

THE RAMBLIN’ KIND is a classic Country & Western band from Milwaukee & Madison, featuring the fabulous RUTHIE MCQUINN of the Krause Family Band on vocals and fiddle.

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 […]

DEIDRE MCCALLA doesn’t merely take the stage - she owns it. Her songs embody hope and celebration, struggle, loss, and longing - sometimes all in one song! Long in the forefront of Black artists exemplifying the varied ways Black folk do folk, Deidre is riding high on her current release Endless Grace which dominated the June 2022 Folk […]

“Gorka is widely heralded for the sophisticated intelligence and provocative originality of his songs.” - THE BOSTON GLOBE Originally from New Jersey, JOHN GORKA is a world-renowned singer-songwriter who got his start at a neighborhood coffeehouse in eastern Pennsylvania. Though small, Godfrey Daniels was and is one of the oldest and most venerable music institutions […]

Night one!! MIKE DOWLING virtuoso guitar player:  engaging voice, self-deprecating wit and an arsenal of elegant interpretations of old blues, swing, ragtime, and original tunes” RANDY SABIEN a bluesy, rockin', swingin', funky, jazz violinist with an intensely rhythmic, vibrant and inventive style

Night tw0! MIKE DOWLING virtuoso guitar player:  engaging voice, self-deprecating wit and an arsenal of elegant interpretations of old blues, swing, ragtime, and original tunes” RANDY SABIEN a bluesy, rockin', swingin', funky, jazz violinist with an intensely rhythmic, vibrant and inventive style