2008 - 2009 Calendar

Findlay Napier and the Bar Room Mountaineers

Saturday, September 20th at 7:00pm
$18 advance, $20 at the door

Findlay is best known for his work with award winning Scottish Celtic group, Back of the Moon, and is joined by previous band mate, Gillian Frame, the inaugural winner of the "Young Scottish Traditional Musician of the Year" sharing her vocal and fiddling talents. Completing the Mountaineers are percussionist powerhouse Paul Jennings, formerly of Croft No. 5 and Old Blind Dogs, and Douglas Millar's fluid lines putting the ivory icing on a piano cake! They are song-focused and taking Scottish traditional material and presenting it in a new sophisticated light. More information: Findlay Napier & the Bar Room Mountaineers.  

Tom Paxton

Saturday, October 25th at 7:00pm
$25 advance, $28 at the door 

Tom has been an integral part of the songwriting and folk music community since the early 60s Greenwich Village scene, and continues to be a primary influence on today's "New Folk" performers. "Perceptive...clever...ranks up there with the Beatles and Bob Dylan..."-Dirty Linen "Tom's songs have a way of sneaking up on you. You find yourself humming them, whistling them, and singing a verse to a friend. Like the songs of Woody Guthrie, they're becoming part of America."-Pete Seeger For more information on Tom: Tom Paxton

Leon Redbone

Saturday, November 29th at 7:00pm
This concert at the Town Hall Theater on Merchants Row

(Note: Just desserts/coffee/tea/juices - no meal at this concert)
$30 advance, $35 at the door 

For more than three decades, Leon Redbone has been one of the concert scene's most unlikely successes. Redbone has made a career out of reviving songs from jazz, blues and pop history. He has appeared on "Saturday Night Live" and "The Tonight Show". Redbone has always been a mystery man, not even revealing his real name. At his core, is his initial calling to simply honor songs from the past. "Resolutely behind the times...Leon's man-out-of-his time shtick seemed a quaint novelty in the mid- '70s. While the rest of the world was twisting to disco, Redbone was recording standards from the '20s and '30s, performing them down-tempo and with a resonant, clenched baritone that evoked the memory of the megaphone singers from yesteryear. Twenty-five years later Redbone's act is no longer a novelty, it's a distinctive, warmly welcome persona that stands out on the musical landscape."- The Washington Post For more information: Leon Redbone

Michelle Shocked

Friday, January 16th at 7:00pm
$30 advance, $35 at the door 

One of the true originators of what is commonly now referred to as "Americana", well before it was popular, Michelle burst on to the scene in 1989 when her landmark album, "Short, Sharp, Shocked" landed her a Grammy Nomination as "Best New Artist". "She seemed to her first fans a kind of punkier version of Suzanne Vega - a woman folkie with bite. Since then, she's confused everybody with pretty much annual reinventions of her style and material."- Neil Blackmore, Rough Guides Music. Fiercely independent and versatile, she is an incredibly prolific singer-songwriter who refuses to be categorized. Her music and performances are influenced by her Texas roots, her politcal activism, and a self-assured style. She has been likened to troubadours such as Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Woodie Guthrie, yet can swing, rock, and even melt your heart like no other. Michelle continues her tradition of constantly re-inventing herself with her incredibly moving and soulful new release, "ToHeavenURide", recorded live at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and featuring a full Gospel Choir and band with several original songs and a selection of covers. A special performance. More information: Michelle Shocked

Chris Smither

Saturday, January 17th at 7:00pm
$18 advance, $20 at the door 

New Orleans-bred folk-bluesman, "Smither, an American original, a product of the musical melting pot, and one of the absolute best singer-songwriters in the world."-Associated Press "Chris settles into his distinctive combination of folk and blues...His rich, velvety voice and mature spoken-song vocals convey a sense of truth and add depth to these introspective compositions." --All Music Guide "a wandering Zen troubadour with a blue guitar, a hot fingerpicking style and a gravelly voice that could make any material sound deep and cool"-Associated Press "Smither delivers one of the most riveting live shows you're ever likely to see. His growling vocals, badass finger picking and uniformly brilliant songs are here in spades."--Rollingstone.com Visit: Chris Smither

Patty Larkin

Friday, February 13th at 7:00pm
$18 advance, $20 at the door 

Patty has been redefining the boundaries of folk-urban pop music for more than 20 years with her inventive guitar wizardry, vocals and uncompromising lyrics. Rolling Stone praises her "evocative vocals, and subtle sonic shading". "One of American music's most distinctive guitarists...Larkin's delicate yet expressive alto probes matters of the spirit and soul..."--New York Times. A special return visit. More on Patty: Patty Larkin

Garnet Rogers

Saturday, March 7th at 7:00pm
$18 advance, $20 at the door 

Hailed by Boston Globe as a "...charismatic performer and singer - one of the major talents of our time". With his "smooth, dark baritone voice" --Washington Post , his incredible range and thoughtful, dramatic phrasing, Garnet is widely considered to be one of the finest singers anywhere. His music is full of passion and purpose, exposing the ills of human nature, while offering a hopeful and healing message that celebrates the power of love and life. Always an exciting performance. A Canadian treasure. A little more information: Garnet Rogers