Nate Wilson Group
Saturday December 12 at 7:30 pm
Originally formed for a weekly residency at the legendary Stone Church near the University of New Hampshire, the Nate Wilson Group solidified its sound in 2007 with the release of their first studio EP, featuring original tracks "For the Sun," "Justify," and "Unbound."
Gathering much of their inspiration from the riff-heavy psychedelic hard-rock of the 60's and 70's, the Group has drawn comparisons to 1st generation luminaries Led Zeppelin and Cream, as well as neo-classic and stoner rock contemporaries Wolfmother, The Black Keys, Dead Meadow, and The Raconteurs.
Since their inception, the group has divided its time equally between the stage and the studio. They continue to write and tour, expanding their fanbase throughout the Northeast while promoting their debut album, Unbound. (September 2008)
The Group is Adam Terrell onguitar, Tommy Lada on bass, Nate Wilson on keys and vocals, Tom Arey on drums.
Tickets $15
Hot Day At The Zoo
Friday December 11 at 8:30 pm Hot Day at the Zoo, a fiercely progressive 4-piece string band grown in Lowell, MA, is quickly spreading their eclectic roots up and down the eastern seaboard and as far west as Colorado. Celebrating their 5th year together as a band in January \'08, David Cleaves (mandolin, vocals), Jon Cumming (banjo, dobro, vocals,), Michael Dion (guitar, harmonica, vocals,) and Jed Rosen (upright bass, vocals) HDATZ released this eagerly anticipated sophomore EP, \'Long Way Home\' in the summer of 2008.
Fans describe their pioneering sound as “ZooGrass”. Fact, fiction or fable, their tunes are layered with intricacies and depth reminiscent of Robert Hunter and the Grateful Dead. Their bluesy, grassy, jazzy, old-timey, reggae, Americana infused rock and roll was inspired by many great musicians spanning a broad spectrum of time and genre. With influences ranging from the Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, John Prine, Bob Marley, Sam Bush, Bruce Cockburn, Charles Mingus, Elvis, and bands like the Beatles, Steely Dan, Nirvana and Pink Floyd, it is easy to see and hear what makes them attract a very diverse fan base. Sights and sounds from the everyday to the exotic are infused in their craft. Tight musicianship, skillful songwriting and amazing personalities introduce us to places they have traveled, people they have loved, those they have lost, and those they surround themselves with. Hot Day at the Zoo is skillful at drawing in a draw a crowd, amusing the audience and leaving roots music fans begging for more.
Tickets $6.50
The Barra MacNeils
Monday December 7 at 7 pm
The Barra MacNeils have celebrated an outstanding recording and touring career for over 20 years. As a group, the six MacNeil siblings are widely regarded as one of the greatest live concert acts in the Celtic world. Hailing from Sydney Mines, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, the family group is deeply rooted in Celtic music, culture, dance language and history. Their numerous critically acclaimed recordings have included their own original songs as well as tried and true standards, both instrumental and vocal.
The Barra MacNeils' annual Christmas show features a skillfully performed collection of seasonal favorites complete with captivating vocals, harmonies and extraordinary musicianship. Multi-award winners, The Bara MacNeils have released numerous recordings, including Racket In the Attic (2002).
Due to the generous sponsorship of Bangor Savings Bank, UniTel, Unity College and Unity Foundation, admission to this special concert will be an unwrapped children's toy. All toys collected will be donated to local organizations that bring Christmas to underprivileged children throughout Waldo County each year. Advance tickets are available at Bangor Savings Bank and UniTel, both located in Clifford Common in Unity, and the Unity College for the Performing Arts. Please bring an unwrapped toy for each advance ticket requested.
Tickets $20 or a toy of equal value
AudioBody
Friday December 4 at 7:30 pm
AudioBody has dubbed their show "Comedic Electronica" which means its part comedy, part live music that is played in creative, humorous and unexpected ways including wearing electronic jumpsuits and drumming on a chrome spine of electro-drums. The show is a mix of crazy physical comedy, contortionism, live music, relentless sarcastic wit, and high energy stunts. They also perform LED light shows and create animated sound waves across the stage using black light effects.
The brothers got the idea for the performance after their music, produced under the name AudioBody, got international attention by being featured as part of the Emmy Nominated Extreme Diet Coke and Mentos videos performed by Fritz Grobe and Stephen Voltz of EepyBird. For a period of two months their CD, "Sound. Motion. Theater." made them the number one artists on the website CDBaby.com, the largest independent record distributer in the country.
"People from all over the world were asking us when AudioBody would be performing in their area. We got requests from the UK, Russia, Belgium and a bunch other places. We figured, why not give them what they wanted?" said Matt Tardy.
Matt and Jason Tardy's multifaceted training, and 15 years of experience in the performing arts has brought them all over the US and abroad. Some highlights include the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas, the Golden Phoenix Casino in Reno, NV and even The White House in Washington DC three years in a row.
Tickets $6 ($10 at the door)
Andrea Beaton
Thursday November 19 at 7:30 pm
One of Cape Breton's most promising young fiddlers, Andrea Beaton comes by her music honestly. Listen to her play, the power of her bow, the drive and swing of her timing, the crispness of her attack. She's making a name for herself in dance halls, concerts, ceilidhs, and festivals. Like the compelling tradition she represents, her reputation is growing, spreading beyond the island. Andrea Beaton seems destined for great things.
She's the youngest of generations of Beaton musicians. Her father, Kinnon, is one of today's most influential Cape Breton fiddlers, and you can hear some of his timing in Andrea's playing. Her mother, Betty Beaton, is one of the great piano accompanists of her generation, contributing to that remarkable Beaton timing.
Her uncle, Buddy MacMaster, is the most revered fiddler on Cape Breton island. Her cousin, Natalie MacMaster, is an enormously popular entertainer. And so it goes, back and across the generations.
Her first CD, "License to Drive 'Er," led to a nomination as Roots Traditional Solo Artist of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards. Her spring 2004 release, "Cuts," features many of the island's finest musicians on its fourteen tracks, and her love for the music, her enthusiasm and humor, and that forceful beat add up to a very compelling recording. "Cuts" was nominated for the 2005 Instrumental Recording of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards. Andrea recorded her latest release, "The Tap Session," live at a pub during a tour of Scotland. With Troy MacGillivray on piano, and a track featuring Fin Moore on smallpipes.
Tickets $11
The Folk Arts Quartet
Thursday November 12 at 7:30 pm
The Folk Arts Quartet (FAQ) combines folk styles from the fiddle world with the heritage of the classical string quartet. The result is a new hybrid genre, "ChamberGrass." As the four young women of FAQ pioneer this style they are gaining recognition for their musicianship and innovation.
The members of the Folk Arts Quartet met while studying at the Berklee College of Music. Although they were classically trained, they all have extensive experience in folk styles. Hailing from Scotland, Canada, and the United States, they each have distinct musical styles. The FAQ has had the honor of being mentored by some of the best contemporary string players around, including Matt Glaser, Natalie Haas, Eugene Friesen, John McGann.
The Folk Arts Quartet arranges traditional tunes and original compositions using an array of techniques and ideas—some they've learned from Classical string quartet pieces, others from folk bands, and others they've invented on their own. With the addition of the occasional beautiful song or energetic step dance, their groovy, contemporary style nods to their many influences and breathes new life into folk and chamber music.
The Folk Arts Quartet has stormed onto the global folk scene, receiving rave reviews wherever they perform. From their unique look to their fresh take on folk and chamber music this is a group not to miss!
Tickets $11
Kinobe & SoulBeat Africa
Friday November 6 at 7:30 pm
Kinobe Herbert is a young talented musician from Uganda who is already receiving acclaim throughout Africa, Europe and America. Kinobe started played music at the age of 5, and soon began playing alongside Africa's greatest musicians, including Youssou Ndour, Salif Keita, Baaba Maal, Toumani Diabate, Angelique Kidjo and many more. In May 2007, he released his debut album, Soul Language, which reflects his roots in traditional Ugandan acoustic music. With his band Soul Beat Africa, Kinobe blends traditional instruments from Africa with modern instrumentation to create a unique African-World music, bringing together rhythms from Africa, Asia, America, and the Caribbean.
Tickets $15
Le Vent du Nord
Thursday November 5 at 7:30 pm
Since its founding in August of
2002, Le Vent du Nord has
quickly become one of the
most recognizable and
esteemed bands of the
Québec traditional music world. The group is
now comprised of the singers and multiinstrumentalists
Nicolas Boulerice, Simon
Beaudry, Olivier Demers and Réjean Brunet.
They sing songs taken from the traditional
repertoire as well as their own compositions.
Their energy captivates and mesmerizes all
audiences.
Tickets $11
The Brew
Friday October 30th and Saturday October 31st at 8:30 pm
Massachusetts-based quartet The Brew cook up a
musical melting pot on their brand-new, self-released
album, Back to the Woods, that combines their roots in
classic rock, adding ingredients of prog, jazz, reggae,
world beat, indie, funk and orchestral pop, sometimes in
the course of a single song.
The band has been busy building a fan base by touring the northeast, playing events like
the Gathering of the Vibes in Connecticut and the Up North Festival in Maine and
headlining Boston’s famed Paradise Rock Club. They opened for Bruce Hornsby in 2006,
and again in 2008, and were voted Best Opening Act by his fan site. This year, the band
was nominated for the “Best New Groove” (Best New Artist) award at the J ammy’s in New
York City’s Madison S quare Garden.
Their eclectic stylistic palette can be heard clearly on Back to the Woods,
from the tribal world beat and prog-rock of “S een It All” and the reggae
rhythm of “Looking Down” to the jazz-funk and S ting-like vocal on
“Control,” the lush Beach Boys a cappella harmonies of the title track and
the Queen-like overkill of “Castle Walls” and the climactic “Chance
Reaching.”
Tickets $16.50
BLOU
Thursday October 29 at 7:30 pm
From Marc Escarbot Theatre in Church Point, Nova Scotia to the International Festival of Shanghai, BLOU has played its unique style of music. They had to invent a word to describe it - ACADICO. BLOU was born in Nova Scotia in 1994 and was an instant success in the maritimes. The origin of the name BLOU comes from an aboriginal man who lived at the end of the street where Patrice Boulianne resides, "L'ALLÉE DES BLOU".
Tickets $11
Bill Evans and Megan Lynch
Friday October 23 at 7:30 pm
World-renowned California bluegrass banjo player (and author of Banjo For Dummies) Bill Evans (Dry Branch Fire Squad, David Grisman, Peter Rowan) and six-time National Champion Nashville fiddler Megan Lynch (Pam Tillis, 3 Fox Drive, Jim Hurst) blend tradition and innovation, mixing original instrumentals with creative interpretations of modern tunes and a few well-chosen standards. Fast banjo and fiddle duets? Most definitely! But you’ll also be surprised at how well these celebrated bluegrass sidepersons blend their voices on bluegrass, folk and swing material from such diverse sources as Rose Maddox and Ralph Stanley to Van Morrison and John Gorka.
Tickets $15
Troy McGillivray
Thursday October 22 at 7:30 pm
Troy MacGillivray's musical prowess can be attributed
to an especially rare combination of commitment and
bloodline. By the age of six, Troy was already impressing
audiences with his step dancing skills. By 13
he was teaching piano at the renowned Gaelic College
of Celtic Arts and Crafts in St. Anne's, Cape Breton.
Troy has a roots-centered approach to his fiddling
and piano playing that has the power to inspire any
audience. Troy's 4th CD, Live At The Music Room,
is the 2008 ECMA Instrumental Recording of the
Year
His first three recordings - ELEVEN (2005), Boomerang (2003) and Musical Ties (2001) -
also received Music Nova Scotia and East Coast Music Award nominations. His latest project, When
Here Meets There, is a unique collaboration with Canadian & US National Fiddle Champion Shane
Cook that clearly showcases why both fiddlers are at the top of their game!
Tickets $11
Tree by Leaf
Saturday October 17 at 7 pm
Tree by Leaf will perform a benefit concert for hunger-relief efforts in Waldo County, as part of the third annual Arts for Hunger sponsored by the Unity Area Rotary Club.
Tree by Leaf is the unique synergy and musicianship of Garrett Soucy, whose songwriting taps at the pulse of the soul of human experience, but never dips into journal-entry pathos, Cliff Young, whose keyboards slide from roaring command to a mere hum of electricity, and Siiri Soucy, whose voice could draw a heart right out of its body. Eric Sanders adds the primal rhythm to the new TBL sound. Influences as divergent as a childhood steeped in church music, hip hop, rap, and the classical education that Cliff Young and Siiri Soucy brought to the band, turned Garrett's ear for melody and undeniable writing talent into something extraordinary.
In addition to the concert, an Art/Craft Sale featuring items donated by local artists and citizens will take place throughout October in the UCCPA Art Gallery. All proceeds from the Tree by Leaf concert and the art/craft sale will benefit the local hunger-relief efforts of the Volunteer Regional Food Pantry, People for People and Open Door. Patrons are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to the concert.
Tickets
Walkin' Jim Stoltz: Forever Wild
Thursday October 15 at 7 pm
“Jim Stoltz is a music man of exuberance and passion, with more to say in one song than Frank Sinatra ever managed in a whole bloody concert." -- Edward Abbey --
Jim Stoltz has been touring with this folk style, multimedia show, Forever Wild, since 1986. The show combines his live music, stories, and a touch of poetry with beautiful slides taken on his long wilderness treks, weaving and fading into each other in a powerful dance of images. The photos of the natural world fit perfectly with his Earthy lyrics. The combination of the incredible dual images (using two projectors and a dissolve unit) and the moving songs, results in a powerful, inspirational program. This merging of the media captures the magic and uniqueness of the wild country like no other presentation you’ve seen!
Forever Wild celebrates America’s wild lands, wild waters, and wild lives. It is a positive, uplifting concert that is often a springboard for promoting consciousness toward the wildlands, deep ecological values, and all facets of environmental awareness. By the end of the show Jim’s audiences feel the connection with all life and are often inspired to help protect the last wild places.
Concert proceeds benefit the land protection efforts of the Friends of Unity Wetlands, a regional land trust working to conserve the rich wild and working lands of western Waldo and Kennebec counties.
Tickets $10
Blaggards
Saturday October 10 at 7:30 pm
Stout Irish Rock is what Blaggards plays, traditional Irish music mixed with rock n' roll, informed by everything from Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley to Thin Lizzy and Black Sabbath. They are often compared to bands like Flogging Molly, Dropkick Murphys, and the Pogues.
Blaggards consists of original members Patrick Devlin and Chad Smalley, plus newcomers Chris Buckley and Michael McAloon.
Front man, guitarist and singer Patrick Devlin grew up in Dublin, Ireland, and moved to Houston in his early 20's. After working in the local club scene for several years, Patrick recognized a demand for Irish rock music that nobody was taking advantage of.
In 2003, while hosting a weekly open mic at an Irish pub, Patrick met bassist and singer Chad Smalley, who had recently returned from New York City and was looking for a new project. A year later, Blaggards was born.
Chris Buckley, an accomplished fiddler who has won first place awards in the Midwestern Fleadh Cheoil and competed in two All-Ireland world competitions became a Blaggard, followed in 2009 by drummer Michael McAloon, a first generation Scot-American whogrew up learning Irish step dancing, winning gold medals all across the United States before picking up the drums at age 13.
"Thoroughly irresistible, ass-kicking Irish rockers..." --
Margaret Moser, Austin Chronicle
Tickets $15
Dog Wants Out
Saturday October 3 at 7:30 pm
Dog Wants Out will perform a benefit concert for hunger-relief efforts in Waldo County, as part of the third annual Arts for Hunger sponsored by the Unity Area Rotary Club.
Dog Wants Out is a music group from Unity, Maine currently dedicated to supporting and promoting local food events through a growing season tour of Maine farmer's markets and local food events.
DWO plays Alternative Funtry Music with a folk sensibility. Their set list is designed to provide hum-along opportunities for the farmer's market crowd and includes "He Thinks my Tractor's Sexy," "Jive Talkin," "A Place in the Choir," and "Harvest Moon."
Dog Wants Out is Rob Constantine on folk keyboards (more on that later), Anna McGalliard, originally from Hickory North Carolina on banjo, Sara Trunzo singing and playing the mandolin, and John Zavodny on guitar and vocal.
Admission: Please bring a bag of non-perishable food items to the concert.
Twiddle
Saturday September 26 at 9 pm
Talented musicians with a devoted following, Twiddle are quickly carving out their own distinctive nook in Vermont’s music scene and Natural Evolution of Consciousness is an excellent debut from Vermont’s newest indie-jammers. The band features Mihali Savoulidis on vocals and guitar,
Zdenek Gubb onBass guitar and vocals, Ryan Dempsey on keyboards and B3, and Brook Jordan on drums.
Tickets $15
Schrock & Schrock
Saturday September 19 at 7:30 pm
Singer and songwriter Kate Schrock has one piece of advice for those who want to come to a new show she's putting together with her father.
"Come with an open mind," she said.
Schrock, 44, and her father, Gladden, a writer and Pulitzer-nominated novelist, will start a tour May 9 in Boothbay Harbor that will take them to venues across the state.
The show, called "VOICES: Schrock & Schrock," will be a blend of Kate's music and her father's writing. Gladden, 73, said he will read from his body of work, which includes fiction, poetry, essays and speeches.
Gladden described the format as a throwback to poetry readings with music interspersed.
"Some of her music and a lot of my writing seems to have a similar DNA," he said.
Kate, who lives in Portland, has released six albums on her Kakelane Music label. The most recent, "Invocation," came out in 2007 and is described as a blend of jazz and rock gospel that includes raggae and dancehall.
For this show, she'll pull from 20 years worth of work.
"I will probably lift out some of the B-sides, some of the more nuanced stuff," she said.
Gladden Schrock, who lives in South Bristol, is an actor, playwright and novelist who was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1974 for "Letters from Alf."
A graduate of the Yale School of Drama, he's performed at the Cleveland Playhouse and Long Wharf Theater, which he helped establish.
In 2007, he retired from teaching at Bennington College in Vermont. For more than 20 years, he fished commercially for herring while working on his writing projects.
"I'm an old coot," he said. "I've been around the barn a long time."
Both father and daughter say they have so much material they could produce three distinct shows. They plan to have an outline of what they will perform, but it will change from night to night as they play in different venues to different audiences.
Tickets $15
Hurricane Season
Thursday September 17 at 7 pm
Through a tapestry of spoken-word poetry, video projection, dance, shadow art, and
a sound collage of personal testimonies, Hurricane Season connects the issues
that surfaced in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to the "unnatural disasters"
our communities are experiencing nationwide and worldwide on a daily basis.
Alixa and Naima are the soul-sister
co-conspiracy of arts activists known as Climbing PoeTree. With roots in Haiti and Colombia, Alixa and Naima reside in Brooklyn and track footprints across the country and globe on a mission to overcome destruction with creativity. Poets, performers, print-makers,
dancers, muralists, and designers, Alixa and Naima have sharpened their art as a tool for popular education, community organizing, and personal transformation. With a set built of bamboo,
calabash, and water that surrounds the audience in a circle of shadow and light, Hurricane Season transforms spaces into sanctuaries of healing, witness, and imagination.
Tickets $10 to $25 on a sliding scale.
Howard Levy
Saturday September 12 at 7:30 pm
Howard Levy is a musician without limits. His musical adventures include journeys into jazz, pop, rock, world music, Latin, classical, folk, blues, country, theater, and film. He has appeared on hundred of cd’s, won a Grammy (1997), won a Joseph Jefferson Award (1986) for Best Original Music for a Play, and has performed many times on American and European television and radio.
Universally acknowledged as the world’s most advanced diatonic harmonica player, Howard developed a fully chromatic style on the standard 10 - hole diatonic harmonica, revolutionizing harmonica playing and taking the instrument into totally new territory. He is also an accomplished pianist and composer, and plays many other instruments as well, including flute, ocarina, mandolin, saxophone, and percussion.
Howard was a founding member of Bela Fleck and the
Flecktones. He toured and recorded two albums with Kenny Loggins, and formed Trio Globo with Eugene Friesen and Glen Velez. Howard has also performed and/or recorded with Dolly Parton, Styx, Bobby McFerrin, Paul Simon, John Prine, Paquito D’Rivera, Ken Nordine, and many others.
Tickets $20
John Brown's Body
Wednesday September 9 at 8:30 pm
With seven albums and ten years of touring across the U.S., the music of John Brown's Body has been described by the New York Daily News as "more Massive Attack than Marley", and "reverent and revolutionary at the same time",
a nod to their futuristic take on reggae music and their ability to put a unique twist on this music. The group has been called America's best and most original reggae band, and continues to play almost exclusively original material. They have performed with a variety of groups over the years, including Dave Matthews Band, Ozomatli, Broken Social Scene, and Jurassic 5, in addition to headlining across the nation at the theater level. They were awarded "Best World Music Act" at the 2001 Boston Music Awards, and "Best Live Act" the next year. As a result of the loss of bassist Scott Palmer from cancer, John Brown's Body went under some dramatic line-up changes during the Summer of 2006. Kevin Kinsella (Vocals and Rhythm Guitar) has formally left the band on good terms alongside hornsmen Dan Delacruz and Chris "C-Money" Welter. The band is now led by futureroots pioneers Elliot Martin (Vocals) and Tommy Benedetti (Drums).
Tickets $21.50
Gadelle
Friday September 4 at 8 pm
Gadelle is a four member, all woman, traditional French-Acadian band that includes former internationally acclaimed Barachois members, Helene Bergeron and Louise Arsenault. Gadelle is an old Acadian word which translates as “wild berries” and also has a connotation of a feisty female. This new group's performance is delivered with a stylistic essence and the stagecraft that Barachois was well known for. All hailing from Prince Edward Island on Canada's east coast, the four members of the group are: Helene Bergeron - vocals, piano, pump organ, fiddle, foot percussion and step dancing; Louise Arsenault - fiddle, harmonica, foot percussion, step-dancing; Caroline Bernard- primary vocalist, piano, pump organ, accordion and guitar; Paige Gallant- fiddle, mandolin, guitar, bass and step-dancing. Caroline and Paige are from the newest generation of gifted traditional musicians and are teamed up here with Louise and Helene who are veterans of the stage. Gadelle members play and dance with ferocity and conviction while putting on one heck of a show.
Tickets $15
The Janks
Thursday September 3 at 7:30 pm
Los Angeles-based band The Janks play rock and pop. Featuring original tunes by lead man and guitarist Zack Zmed, guitar and keys by Garth Herberg, Jesse Brown on drums and Wade Ryff on bass, the group mixes up the nostalgic sounds of British and American pop.
Tickets
Niamh
Friday July 31 at 7:30 pm Niamh hails from Killarney, where she started playing music at the age of 4. An All-Ireland Champion on both fiddle and concertina, Niamh had supported The Chieftains and Noel Hill, in addition to performing at festivals throughout France and England, before reaching her teens. She toured Europe, Asia and North America for 8 years as a soloist with Riverdance, performing in over 2500 shows, before returning to Ireland where she is now based.
She released her debut album "On Da Thaobh / From Both Sides" in 2007 to much critical acclaim - it was the only Irish album to make MOJO’s Top Ten Folk Albums for 2007. She was also presented with the “Best Trad Music Act 2008” award by The Irish World, the largest newspaper for the Irish community in Britain. Along with performing regularly as a solo artist, Niamh also tours extensively as a member of the Carlos Nunez band.
Niamh Ní Charra Band
Tickets
John Eddie
Saturday July 25 at 8 pm
Veteran New Jersey rocker, John Eddie's performance is the cumulative product of years of great highs, desperate lows, and "steady jobs" as a singer/songwriter in the often unforgiving music industry. Eddie's music has a rare honesty about it. There is no hype. He has you laughing along with him as he laughs at himself, and makes you
feel each empty mile and each lonely hour which separates a man who has spent too long on the road away from the love who he hopes still waits for him at home. His songs often hauntingly reach that emotional level where you feel you yourself have hung in the balance before. Each song has its key line, which stops you in your tracks and gives you pause to think deeply, a talent Eddie has perfected. Although fans may feel that the music has changed since his earlier works, they will find it has evolved in a way which seems to reflect a long road of self discovery and experience, and mirror more of the man he is. His recent recordings capture the honesty, depth, vulnerability, seasoned edge, sense of humor, and boyish charm that is John Eddie.
Tickets $15
Trio Del Rio
Saturday July 18 at 7:30 pm
Trio Del Rio is MaryAnn Price (Voice, Percussion), MariLisa (Voice, guitar), Tanner Swain (Voice, guitar, Hawaiian steel guitar), George Lohr-Brown (Basses). Trio Del Rio challenges classification. Combining blues, rock, folk, western swing, Latin, jazz, R&B, Texas swing, hillbilly and show tunes. MariLisa and Tanner met during a songwriter circle in Austin in 1998. They have been making/performing beautiful music ever since. Price is a veteran vocalist who has recorded and toured with Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks, Asleep at the Wheel and The Kinks, to name the famous. She has seven solo CDs. She coaches, produces, performs, records and arranges vocal harmonies with a strong, recognizable sound. Mark Kellogg – is an amazing talented bass player who instinctly knows what to play. With the addition of Mark, Trio Del Rio’s music took on a new dimension. Trio Del Rio’s essence is a jazzy cocktail made with MaryAnn Price’s Grace and humor, relentless guitar of MariLisa’s soulful Texas Spirit, genre-bending songwriter/lead guitarist Tanner Swain’s clarity of voice and guitar work and Mark Kellogg's driving energy.
Tickets $12
Peggy Seeger
Friday July 10 at 7 pm
Peggy Seeger, consummate singer of traditional and original songs. Younger sister of Pete Seeger and Mike Seeger, and Ewan McColl's longtime partner, Peggy Seeger began to be a songmaker in 1958 with what she considers to be her first successful song, "The Ballad of Springhill." The rest is not history - it is what is happening now. Peggy looks on herself chiefly as a singer. The fact that she plays six instruments (piano somewhat, guitar minimal-but-interesting, banjo fairly well, English concertina occasionally, autoharp/Appalachian dulcimer at-home-only-thanks-to-airline-baggage-restrictions) does not brand her an instrumentalist as she uses her instruments chiefly for accompaniment. She professes that 'my voice isn't a beautiful voice. Joan Baez has a beautiful voice. Mine is a character voice and that has helped me in singing different types of songs.'
-An extraordinary event, a benefit concert celebrating the Friends of Unity Wetlands 5th anniversary. Tickets $15.00
Colley, Deupree & Lyons
Saturday June 27 at 8 pm
Former members of Morphine perform the music of Morphine. New Orleans bluesman Jeremy Lyons, formerly of the Deltabilly Boys, joins drummer Jerome Deupree and saxaphonist Dana Colley, both former members of the alternative band Morphine, in performing the music of Morphine.
Tickets $15.00
Morgan Davis
Saturday June 13 at 8 pm
For nearly four decades Morgan Davis has been on the road travelling across Canada, the United States and Europe. His performances draw from a rich tradition of country blues, as well as his own contemporary songs infused with wit and a large dose of humour.
Originally from Detroit, Davis grew up listening to a prolific mix of rhythm and blues. The music of Jimmy Reed, Ike and Tina Turner, Chuck Berry and Fats Domino was in the air. He moved to Canada in 1968.
Toronto's music scene in the early 1970's was the perfect place for Davis to cut his teeth as a journeyman, having the opportunity to see and play with many legendary performers. Bukka White, Johnny Shines, Sunnyland Slim, Snooky Pryor, Hubert Sumlin, and John Hammond were encouraging supporters.
Over the years he has had shared the stage with Willie Dixon, John Lee Hooker, Albert King, John Hammond, Albert Collins, Eric Bibb, and Dr.John.
His most recent recording, "At Home In Nova Scotia", pays homage to Atlantic Canada where he has been a resident since 2001.
Tickets $12
Arborea
Sunday June 7 at 7:30 pm Combining the common emotional thread running through ancient British murder ballads and the more evocative music found deep in the Appalachian Mountains, Maine folk duo Arborea creates timeless music, haunted by deep shadows. Named after a species of trees, Arborea comprises Buck Curran on acoustic, slide, and electric guitars, flutes, banjo, and vocals, along with Shanti Curran, who sings lead and plays banjo, percussion, guitar, bowed strings, and ukulele. Their songs are bathed in shimmering harmonics, spectral slide, and positively spooky banjo. The songs also evoke a kind of mysterious quality, in which you are never quite sure what the songs are about, but they seem to touch a place in your soul that instinctively understands.
Tickets
Rustic Overtones
Friday June 5 at 8:30 pm
Rustic Overtones formed in Portland, ME, hometown to each of them. Members of this seven-piece outfit are guitarist and lead vocalist Dave Gutter, drummer Tony McNaboe, trombonist Dave Noyes, baritone saxophonist Jason Ward, bassist Jon Roods, alto saxophonist Ryan Zoidis, and Spencer Albee on keyboards and piano. Roods and Gutter began performing together first, in a family basement. They later added the rest of the group, all friends from high school, and became what is Rustic Overtones. Local gigs earned them a fan base that expanded as the band began to travel, appearing at close to 200 shows some years.
In 1998, the Rustic Overtones released their debut album, Rooms by the Hour, under the Ripchord Records indie label.
Following the commercial failure of its major-label album, Rustic Overtones broke up in 2002, after a three-hour farewell show at the State Theater in Portland. On July 27, 2007, the band reunited for another Portland performance, held on the roof of radio station WCYY before 6,000 fans below in Monument Square. The reunion continued with a new album, Light at the End, at first self-issued, but then released nationally by Velour Music Group on March 18, 2008.
With broader vision rising from their rekindled groove, Light at the End blends irony, humor, and intensity in framing Gutter's increasingly thoughtful lyrics.
Tickets $21.50
Lynn Deeves and Martine Locke
Friday May 29 at 7:30 pm Lynn Deeves came to the stage via the New England top-40 rock circuit in "spandex and spiked hair." The Muse called her to songwriting and she answered with "Connecting the Dots" in 1996, followed by "Soul Food" in 1998. In 2001, Deeves collaborated with fellow Mainers, Anni Clark and Dan Merrill and released "under the song tree Live!" to rave reviews (Jam Music magazine "Folk Artist of the Year"; Falcon Ridge "Favorite New Artist" runner-up). Lynn recently released her 3rd solo CD, "Live at Slate's" and has performed with America, Janis Ian and Ellis Paul. She earned 2nd place in the New England Song contest. Portland Press Herald says of Deeves: "...5 star stage presence...this gals' got a set of pipes..."
Martine Locke is an amazing talented musician with the ability to craft songs that touch her listeners on many levels. She captivates the audience with her stories and humor, and invokes their deepest emotions with her powerful vocals, memorable melodies and mesmerizing style of guitar playing. Joining Martine on stage will be drummer/singer, Dionne Ward. "When this endearing Australian is on stage doing her thing, don't try and stop her; just get out of the way and hang on for the ride. You'll be glad you did..." - Desert Weekly Post.
Tickets $12
Assembly of Dust
Saturday May 16 at 8:30 pm
Melding the deep grooves of blues and R&B with guitar work that recalls J.J. Cale and Little Feat, Assembly of Dust is a New York-based quintet which has developed a sizable following on the East Coast for their rich country-accented melodies and impressive chops. Assembly of Dust was formed by lead vocalist and songwriter Reid Genauer after the breakup of his band Strangefolk. AOD features Genauer on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, Nate Wilson on keyboards, Adam Terrell on lead guitar, John Leccese on bass, and Andy Herrick on drums. The group's first proper album was 2004's The Honest Hour, a live set which documented the band's fabled live prowess. Five "instant live" albums were released from Assembly of Dust's December 2005 tour, and the group became a favorite in jam band circles, though in interviews Genauer has said that while he respects the jam band scene, he believes his group's focus on songcraft puts them in a different league. In the spring of 2007, Assembly of Dust released their first studio effort, Recollection.
Tickets $24
The Bittersweets
Saturday April 11 at 7:30 pm
The Bittersweets, Massachusetts-born Chris Meyers (guitar, keyboards, vocals) and California native Hannah Prater (vocals, guitar), live up to their name. They fuse yellows and blues, sunniness and melancholy, with evocative lyrics and lush arrangements, transcendent melodies and Prater’s alluring voice. On every track of their new album, Goodnight, San Francisco, their recent live set, Long Way From Home, and their 2006 full-length debut, The Life You Always Wanted, the Bittersweets weave a captivating tension between hope and poignancy that rings true. The Bittersweets, now Nashville-based, "have created a roots rock/alt country sound that isn’t too country and not too rock and roll. Think Rilo Kiley without the twang or Shawn Colvin minus the twee." (A.L. Harper in BlogCritics Mag). Actually their combination of great songwriting for a lush alto voice may remind you of Over The Rhine.
Tickets $15
The Belle of Amherst
Saturday April 4 at 7:30 pm
Pam Chabora will present The Belle of Amherst, a one-woman production that will bring Emily Dickinson’s work to life. The two-act play highlights the events of Dickonson’s life, sprinkled with selections of her poetry. According to Chabora, when the audience hears those poems quoted in the context of Dickinson’s personal life, they gain an even greater appreciation for Dickinson’s timeless works.
“She just really pulls you in to what happened to her and her family,” Chabora said. “It’s very personal. ... [The audience] hears a real story, then hears the poem, and they get it.”
Chabora, a veteran stage actor and professor of theatre and dance at North Dakota State University, takes the role seriously, right down to the pantaloons under the reproduction of Dickinson’s famous white dress.
Ryan Montbleau
Friday April 3 at 8:30 pm
Emerging onto the national music scene from his home base of Boston,
Ryan Montbleau has been described as something of a Martin Sexton by
way of Van Morrison and Stevie Wonder. Yet Ryan Montbleau Band’s music
is difficult to pigeon-hole or neatly categorize. It is original yet familiar—-a
fresh sound full of firmly-rooted ingredients, including Americana, folk,
blues, ragtime and 70’s R&B and soul. Whereas the band’s intriguing
instrumentation and arrangements (not to mention top notch chops) help to
create this unique sound, all is firmly anchored by Montbleau’s water-tight
lyrics and unmistakable voice.
Having begun his career playing Boston’s coffee shops and folk venues
as a solo artist with an infectious, percussive, fingerpicking guitar style, the
charismatic Ryan Montbleau has evolved into the front man for the eclectic
ensemble that bears his name. Make no mistake—this is a band in every sense
of the word and is powered by the dynamics of Matt Giannaros (acoustic
upright bass, electric bass, vocals), Laurence Scudder (viola), Jason Cohen
(piano, organ, clavinet, Rhodes, Moog) and James Cohen (drums).
Tickets $16
Ova Dreams: A Benefit Performance for New Hope for Women
Sunday March 29 at 2:00 pm
Ova Dreams is a collaboration in poetry, improvisational dance and piano which celebrates the irrepressible urge to create. Ensemble members, musician Leslie Stein, dancer Joan Proudman, and poet Lauren Murray combine their arts to honor the life force. They are joined by very special guests artists Jackie Reifer, character actress and mime, presenting original monologues; and Beverly Mann, actor, mask maker and educator, performing mask theatre and movement.
New Hope for Women supports survivors of domestic abuse.
Tickets: $12.00
The Brew
Friday March 27 at 8:30 pm
Massachusetts-based quartet The Brew cook up a
musical melting pot on their brand-new, self-released
album, Back to the Woods, that combines their roots in
classic rock, adding ingredients of prog, jazz, reggae,
world beat, indie, funk and orchestral pop, sometimes in
the course of a single song.
The band has been busy building a fan base by touring the northeast, playing events like
the Gathering of the Vibes in Connecticut and the Up North Festival in Maine and
headlining Boston’s famed Paradise Rock Club. They opened for Bruce Hornsby in 2006,
and again in 2008, and were voted Best Opening Act by his fan site. This year, the band
was nominated for the “Best New Groove” (Best New Artist) award at the J ammy’s in New
York City’s Madison S quare Garden.
Their eclectic stylistic palette can be heard clearly on Back to the Woods,
from the tribal world beat and prog-rock of “S een It All” and the reggae
rhythm of “Looking Down” to the jazz-funk and S ting-like vocal on
“Control,” the lush Beach Boys a cappella harmonies of the title track and
the Queen-like overkill of “Castle Walls” and the climactic “Chance
Reaching.”
Tickets $14
Jen Kearney and the Lost Onion
Saturday March 14 at 8 pm
This soul/jazz/Latin sensation called Jen Kearney & The Lost Onion
features Kearney's soulful vocals, the lead guitar work of Carl Johnson
and a funky horn section starring saxaphone sensation, Mario Perrett and
trumpet/flugelhorn master, Mark Mullins. Pete MacLean and Mike Miksis
make up the incredible rhythm section that holds down a deep pocket.
Kearney is also a powerful singer and a fine keyboard player who utilizes
a variety of colorful textures throughout the music. The musicians who
make up The Lost Onion are some of the best players on the Boston scene.
There is a high level of energy on their 2006 release EAT. The songs
perfectly reflect the band's eclectic live experience. From the
organ-drenched soul of "Pick Yourself Up" and the horn-driven jazz of
"Warm Bath Eyes" to the laid back funk of "Grandpa" and the sultry blues
of "Forgiven," a variety of styles blend together in a unique stew the
band describes as "funky soul rock poured over rice and beans," and
"Stevie Wonder goes to Cuba."
Tickets $15
Kinobe & SoulBeat Africa
Saturday March 7 at 7:30 pm
Kinobe Herbert is a young talented musician from Uganda who is already receiving acclaim throughout Africa, Europe and America. Kinobe started played music at the age of 5, and soon began playing alongside Africa's greatest musicians, including Youssou Ndour, Salif Keita, Baaba Maal, Toumani Diabate, Angelique Kidjo and many more. In May 2007, he released his debut album, Soul Language, which reflects his roots in traditional Ugandan acoustic music. With his band Soul Beat Africa, Kinobe blends traditional instruments from Africa with modern instrumentation to create a unique African-World music, bringing together rhythms from Africa, Asia, America, and the Caribbean.
Tickets $15
Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams
Saturday February 28 at 8 pm
Formed in Sleepy Hollow, New York in the late 90's, Gandalf Murphy & the Slambovian Circus of Dreams create an enchanting atmosphere on stage, using traditional folk instruments, tasty electric guitar and the distinctive singing and songwriting of Joziah Longo. Citing influences as diverse as Hank Williams, Dylan, Bowie, Incredible String Band and early Pink Floyd, Longo describes the band's music as "punk-classical-hillbilly-Floyd", a mental rollercoaster of whimsical, thought-provoking songs. The Circus' live shows are where the real magic comes down, earning them critical acclaim as well as a fiercly loyal following. Their last studio release, "Flapjacks From The Sky" has been hailed as a masterpiece by many and continues to make a buzz internationally as a great americana work of art. Their newest cd, "The Great Unravel" was released in August, 2008.
Tickets $20
Railroad Earth with Old School Freight Train
Thursday February 19 at 8 pm
Railroad Earth started out in 2001, a bunch of talented friends interested in strumming some rootsy music together. It began rather informally, but then picked up the pace when their five song demo earned them a spot at the prestigious Telluride Bluegrass Festival that June. The Black Bear Sessions, their debut album, piqued the interest of Sugar Hill Records, who signed them and released two highly acclaimed albums, Bird In A House in 2002 and The Good Life in 2004.
Since then, they’ve cultivated a huge fan base, wound up by the band’s unique acoustic hybrid sound. Railroad Earth has come to thrive in a live setting; as evidenced on their 2006 live album Elko, which essentially served as an emphatic end of Phase I for the band.
"The songs of Amen Corner are the latest in a line of what can now be called classic Railroad Earth tunes. Though the band is often pigeonholed as a bluegrass or jamgrass band, that characterization mostly comes from their instrumentation—acoustic guitars, mandolin, fiddle, dobro and other stringed acoustic instruments.
But RRE also employs a full drum kit and saxophones; they are an acoustic rock band, their sound more akin to Workingman’s Dead-era Grateful Dead than Bill Monroe. They can hoedown with the best of them, but their carefully crafted songs draw from a wide palette of rock influences. -- Tom Speed in Honest Tune Opening for RRE will be Old School Freight Train, the Charlottesville, Virginia-based band that combines bluegrass, jazz, Latin, and Celtic sounds to create their music.
Tickets $22
Guy Davis
Wednesday February 18 at 7:30 pm
Guy can tell you stories of his great-grandparents and his grandparents, their days as track linemen, and of their interactions with the infamous KKK. He can also tell you that as a child raised in middle-class New York suburbs, the only cotton he’s picked is his underwear up off the floor.
He's a musician, composer, actor, director, and writer. But most importantly, Guy Davis is a bluesman. The blues permeates every corner of Davis' creativity.
Whether Guy Davis is appearing on “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” or nationally syndicated radio programs such as Garrison Keillor’s, “A Prairie Home Campanion”, “Mountain Stage” or David Dye’s,“World Café”., in front of 15,000 people on the Main Stage of a major festival, or teaching an intimate gathering of students at a Music Camp, Guy feels the instinctive desire to give each listener his all.
Tickets $16
Sometymes Why
Saturday February 7 at 7:30 pm
You might know the three women of Sometymes Why as singers with one of their other bands. Aoife O'Donovan (Crooked Still), Kristin Andreassen (Uncle Earl) and Ruth Ungar Merenda (The Mammals) have been at the center of a creative revolution in the acoustic stringband scene for the past few years.
With Sometymes Why, Aoife, Kristin & Ruth create music that moves past the "stringband" label entirely. They sing their own songs and back each other up on Wurlitzer, glockenspiel, high hat & tambourine. They appeal to a part of their audience (and a part of themselves) that's more aligned with Feist, Joni Mitchell, and Bessie Smith than by Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys.
The band is best heard live. "There's an instantly appealing quality to the trio-harmony blend of their voices, and in live performance they relate to each other with a charm and ease that radiates to the audience," said No Depression, which claimed that Sometymes Why's impromptu Sunday morning set in a parking lot at North Carolina's epic festival Merlefest "stole the show."
Since their first show at the Sidewalk Café in New York City in 2005, Sometymes Why has played extensively in the northeast, toured across Ireland, and joined their friend, Chris Thile (Nickel Creek, Punch Brothers), as the opener on two sold out tours.
Tickets $15
Nate Wilson Group
as a band in January \'08, David Cleaves (mandolin, vocals), Jon Cumming (banjo, dobro, vocals,), Michael Dion (guitar, harmonica, vocals,) and Jed Rosen (upright bass, vocals) HDATZ released this eagerly anticipated sophomore EP, \'Long Way Home\' in the summer of 2008.
Fans describe their pioneering sound as “ZooGrass”. Fact, fiction or fable, their tunes are layered with intricacies and depth reminiscent of Robert Hunter and the Grateful Dead. Their bluesy, grassy, jazzy, old-timey, reggae, Americana infused rock and roll was inspired by many great musicians spanning a broad spectrum of time and genre. With influences ranging from the Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, John Prine, Bob Marley, Sam Bush, Bruce Cockburn, Charles Mingus, Elvis, and bands like the Beatles, Steely Dan, Nirvana and Pink Floyd, it is easy to see and hear what makes them attract a very diverse fan base. Sights and sounds from the everyday to the exotic are infused in their craft. Tight musicianship, skillful songwriting and amazing personalities introduce us to places they have traveled, people they have loved, those they have lost, and those they surround themselves with. Hot Day at the Zoo is skillful at drawing in a draw a crowd, amusing the audience and leaving roots music fans begging for more.
AudioBody has dubbed their show "Comedic Electronica" which means its part comedy, part live music that is played in creative, humorous and unexpected ways including wearing electronic jumpsuits and drumming on a chrome spine of electro-drums. The show is a mix of crazy physical comedy, contortionism, live music, relentless sarcastic wit, and high energy stunts. They also perform LED light shows and create animated sound waves across the stage using black light effects.
The brothers got the idea for the performance after their music, produced under the name AudioBody, got international attention by being featured as part of the Emmy Nominated Extreme Diet Coke and Mentos videos performed by Fritz Grobe and Stephen Voltz of EepyBird. For a period of two months their CD, "Sound. Motion. Theater." made them the number one artists on the website CDBaby.com, the largest independent record distributer in the country.
"People from all over the world were asking us when AudioBody would be performing in their area. We got requests from the UK, Russia, Belgium and a bunch other places. We figured, why not give them what they wanted?" said Matt Tardy.
Matt and Jason Tardy's multifaceted training, and 15 years of experience in the performing arts has brought them all over the US and abroad. Some highlights include the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas, the Golden Phoenix Casino in Reno, NV and even The White House in Washington DC three years in a row.
One of Cape Breton's most promising young fiddlers, Andrea Beaton comes by her music honestly. Listen to her play, the power of her bow, the drive and swing of her timing, the crispness of her attack. She's making a name for herself in dance halls, concerts, ceilidhs, and festivals. Like the compelling tradition she represents, her reputation is growing, spreading beyond the island. Andrea Beaton seems destined for great things.
She's the youngest of generations of Beaton musicians. Her father, Kinnon, is one of today's most influential Cape Breton fiddlers, and you can hear some of his timing in Andrea's playing. Her mother, Betty Beaton, is one of the great piano accompanists of her generation, contributing to that remarkable Beaton timing.
Her uncle, Buddy MacMaster, is the most revered fiddler on Cape Breton island. Her cousin, Natalie MacMaster, is an enormously popular entertainer. And so it goes, back and across the generations.
Her first CD, "License to Drive 'Er," led to a nomination as Roots Traditional Solo Artist of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards. Her spring 2004 release, "Cuts," features many of the island's finest musicians on its fourteen tracks, and her love for the music, her enthusiasm and humor, and that forceful beat add up to a very compelling recording. "Cuts" was nominated for the 2005 Instrumental Recording of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards. Andrea recorded her latest release, "The Tap Session," live at a pub during a tour of Scotland. With Troy MacGillivray on piano, and a track featuring Fin Moore on smallpipes.
The members of the 
Since its founding in August of
2002, Le Vent du Nord has
quickly become one of the
most recognizable and
esteemed bands of the
Québec traditional music world. The group is
now comprised of the singers and multiinstrumentalists
Nicolas Boulerice, Simon
Beaudry, Olivier Demers and Réjean Brunet.
They sing songs taken from the traditional
repertoire as well as their own compositions.
Their energy captivates and mesmerizes all
audiences.
The Brew
From Marc Escarbot Theatre in Church Point, Nova Scotia to the International Festival of Shanghai, BLOU has played its unique style of music. They had to invent a word to describe it - ACADICO. BLOU was born in Nova Scotia in 1994 and was an instant success in the maritimes. The origin of the name BLOU comes from an aboriginal man who lived at the end of the street where Patrice Boulianne resides, "L'ALLÉE DES BLOU".
World-renowned California bluegrass banjo player (and author of Banjo For Dummies) Bill Evans (Dry Branch Fire Squad, David Grisman, Peter Rowan) and six-time National Champion Nashville fiddler Megan Lynch (Pam Tillis, 3 Fox Drive, Jim Hurst) blend tradition and innovation, mixing original instrumentals with creative interpretations of modern tunes and a few well-chosen standards. Fast banjo and fiddle duets? Most definitely! But you’ll also be surprised at how well these celebrated bluegrass sidepersons blend their voices on bluegrass, folk and swing material from such diverse sources as Rose Maddox and Ralph Stanley to Van Morrison and John Gorka.
Troy MacGillivray's musical prowess can be attributed
to an especially rare combination of commitment and
bloodline. By the age of six, Troy was already impressing
audiences with his step dancing skills. By 13
he was teaching piano at the renowned Gaelic College
of Celtic Arts and Crafts in St. Anne's, Cape Breton.
Troy has a roots-centered approach to his fiddling
and piano playing that has the power to inspire any
audience. Troy's 4th CD, Live At The Music Room,
is the 2008 ECMA Instrumental Recording of the
Year
His first three recordings - ELEVEN (2005), Boomerang (2003) and Musical Ties (2001) -
also received Music Nova Scotia and East Coast Music Award nominations. His latest project, When
Here Meets There, is a unique collaboration with Canadian & US National Fiddle Champion Shane
Cook that clearly showcases why both fiddlers are at the top of their game!
Tree by Leaf is the unique synergy and musicianship of Garrett Soucy, whose songwriting taps at the pulse of the soul of human experience, but never dips into journal-entry pathos, Cliff Young, whose keyboards slide from roaring command to a mere hum of electricity, and Siiri Soucy, whose voice could draw a heart right out of its body. Eric Sanders adds the primal rhythm to the new TBL sound. Influences as divergent as a childhood steeped in church music, hip hop, rap, and the classical education that Cliff Young and Siiri Soucy brought to the band, turned Garrett's ear for melody and undeniable writing talent into something extraordinary.
Blaggards consists of original members Patrick Devlin and Chad Smalley, plus newcomers Chris Buckley and Michael McAloon.
Front man, guitarist and singer Patrick Devlin grew up in Dublin, Ireland, and moved to Houston in his early 20's. After working in the local club scene for several years, Patrick recognized a demand for Irish rock music that nobody was taking advantage of.
In 2003, while hosting a weekly open mic at an Irish pub, Patrick met bassist and singer Chad Smalley, who had recently returned from New York City and was looking for a new project. A year later, Blaggards was born.
Chris Buckley, an accomplished fiddler who has won first place awards in the Midwestern Fleadh Cheoil and competed in two All-Ireland world competitions became a Blaggard, followed in 2009 by drummer Michael McAloon, a first generation Scot-American whogrew up learning Irish step dancing, winning gold medals all across the United States before picking up the drums at age 13. 
Dog Wants Out will perform a benefit concert for hunger-relief efforts in Waldo County, as part of the third annual Arts for Hunger sponsored by the Unity Area Rotary Club.
Dog Wants Out is a music group from Unity, Maine currently dedicated to supporting and promoting local food events through a growing season tour of Maine farmer's markets and local food events.
DWO plays Alternative Funtry Music with a folk sensibility. Their set list is designed to provide hum-along opportunities for the farmer's market crowd and includes "He Thinks my Tractor's Sexy," "Jive Talkin," "A Place in the Choir," and "Harvest Moon."
Dog Wants Out is Rob Constantine on folk keyboards (more on that later), Anna McGalliard, originally from Hickory North Carolina on banjo, Sara Trunzo singing and playing the mandolin, and John Zavodny on guitar and vocal.
Twiddle
Through a tapestry of spoken-word poetry, video projection, dance, shadow art, and
a sound collage of personal testimonies, 
Howard Levy is a musician without limits. His musical adventures include journeys into jazz, pop, rock, world music, Latin, classical, folk, blues, country, theater, and film. He has appeared on hundred of cd’s, won a Grammy (1997), won a Joseph Jefferson Award (1986) for Best Original Music for a Play, and has performed many times on American and European television and radio.
a nod to their futuristic take on reggae music and their ability to put a unique twist on this music. The group has been called America's best and most original reggae band, and continues to play almost exclusively original material. They have performed with a variety of groups over the years, including Dave Matthews Band, Ozomatli, Broken Social Scene, and Jurassic 5, in addition to headlining across the nation at the theater level. They were awarded "Best World Music Act" at the 2001 Boston Music Awards, and "Best Live Act" the next year. As a result of the loss of bassist Scott Palmer from cancer, John Brown's Body went under some dramatic line-up changes during the Summer of 2006. Kevin Kinsella (Vocals and Rhythm Guitar) has formally left the band on good terms alongside hornsmen Dan Delacruz and Chris "C-Money" Welter. The band is now led by futureroots pioneers Elliot Martin (Vocals) and Tommy Benedetti (Drums).
Gadelle is an old Acadian word which translates as “wild berries” and also has a connotation of a feisty female. This new group's performance is delivered with a stylistic essence and the stagecraft that Barachois was well known for. All hailing from Prince Edward Island on Canada's east coast, the four members of the group are: Helene Bergeron - vocals, piano, pump organ, fiddle, foot percussion and step dancing; Louise Arsenault - fiddle, harmonica, foot percussion, step-dancing; Caroline Bernard- primary vocalist, piano, pump organ, accordion and guitar; Paige Gallant- fiddle, mandolin, guitar, bass and step-dancing. Caroline and Paige are from the newest generation of gifted traditional musicians and are teamed up here with Louise and Helene who are veterans of the stage. Gadelle members play and dance with ferocity and conviction while putting on one heck of a show.
feel each empty mile and each lonely hour which separates a man who has spent too long on the road away from the love who he hopes still waits for him at home. His songs often hauntingly reach that emotional level where you feel you yourself have hung in the balance before. Each song has its key line, which stops you in your tracks and gives you pause to think deeply, a talent Eddie has perfected. Although fans may feel that the music has changed since his earlier works, they will find it has evolved in a way which seems to reflect a long road of self discovery and experience, and mirror more of the man he is. His recent recordings capture the honesty, depth, vulnerability, seasoned edge, sense of humor, and boyish charm that is John Eddie.
They have been making/performing beautiful music ever since. Price is a veteran vocalist who has recorded and toured with Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks, Asleep at the Wheel and The Kinks, to name the famous. She has seven solo CDs. She coaches, produces, performs, records and arranges vocal harmonies with a strong, recognizable sound. Mark Kellogg – is an amazing talented bass player who instinctly knows what to play. With the addition of Mark, Trio Del Rio’s music took on a new dimension. Trio Del Rio’s essence is a jazzy cocktail made with MaryAnn Price’s Grace and humor, relentless guitar of MariLisa’s soulful Texas Spirit, genre-bending songwriter/lead guitarist Tanner Swain’s clarity of voice and guitar work and Mark Kellogg's driving energy.
Younger sister of Pete Seeger and Mike Seeger, and Ewan McColl's longtime partner, Peggy Seeger began to be a songmaker in 1958 with what she considers to be her first successful song, "The Ballad of Springhill." The rest is not history - it is what is happening now. Peggy looks on herself chiefly as a singer. The fact that she plays six instruments (piano somewhat, guitar minimal-but-interesting, banjo fairly well, English concertina occasionally, autoharp/Appalachian dulcimer at-home-only-thanks-to-airline-baggage-restrictions) does not brand her an instrumentalist as she uses her instruments chiefly for accompaniment. She professes that 'my voice isn't a beautiful voice. Joan Baez has a beautiful voice. Mine is a character voice and that has helped me in singing different types of songs.'
Former members of Morphine perform the music of Morphine. New Orleans bluesman Jeremy Lyons, formerly of the Deltabilly Boys, joins drummer Jerome Deupree and saxaphonist Dana Colley, both former members of the alternative band Morphine, in performing the music of Morphine.
Originally from Detroit, Davis grew up listening to a prolific mix of rhythm and blues. The music of Jimmy Reed, Ike and Tina Turner, Chuck Berry and Fats Domino was in the air. He moved to Canada in 1968.
Toronto's music scene in the early 1970's was the perfect place for Davis to cut his teeth as a journeyman, having the opportunity to see and play with many legendary performers. Bukka White, Johnny Shines, Sunnyland Slim, Snooky Pryor, Hubert Sumlin, and John Hammond were encouraging supporters.
Over the years he has had shared the stage with Willie Dixon, John Lee Hooker, Albert King, John Hammond, Albert Collins, Eric Bibb, and Dr.John.
His most recent recording, "At Home In Nova Scotia", pays homage to Atlantic Canada where he has been a resident since 2001.
Maine folk duo Arborea creates timeless music, haunted by deep shadows. Named after a species of trees, Arborea comprises Buck Curran on acoustic, slide, and electric guitars, flutes, banjo, and vocals, along with Shanti Curran, who sings lead and plays banjo, percussion, guitar, bowed strings, and ukulele. Their songs are bathed in shimmering harmonics, spectral slide, and positively spooky banjo. The songs also evoke a kind of mysterious quality, in which you are never quite sure what the songs are about, but they seem to touch a place in your soul that instinctively understands.
Rustic Overtones formed in Portland, ME, hometown to each of them. Members of this seven-piece outfit are guitarist and lead vocalist Dave Gutter, drummer Tony McNaboe, trombonist Dave Noyes, baritone saxophonist Jason Ward, bassist Jon Roods, alto saxophonist Ryan Zoidis, and Spencer Albee on keyboards and piano. Roods and Gutter began performing together first, in a family basement. They later added the rest of the group, all friends from high school, and became what is Rustic Overtones. Local gigs earned them a fan base that expanded as the band began to travel, appearing at close to 200 shows some years.
In 1998, the Rustic Overtones released their debut album, Rooms by the Hour, under the Ripchord Records indie label.
Following the commercial failure of its major-label album, Rustic Overtones broke up in 2002, after a three-hour farewell show at the State Theater in Portland. On July 27, 2007, the band reunited for another Portland performance, held on the roof of radio station WCYY before 6,000 fans below in Monument Square. The reunion continued with a new album, Light at the End, at first self-issued, but then released nationally by Velour Music Group on March 18, 2008.
With broader vision rising from their rekindled groove, Light at the End blends irony, humor, and intensity in framing Gutter's increasingly thoughtful lyrics.
Lynn recently released her 3rd solo CD, "Live at Slate's" and has performed with America, Janis Ian and Ellis Paul. She earned 2nd place in the New England Song contest. Portland Press Herald says of Deeves: "...5 star stage presence...this gals' got a set of pipes..."
Assembly of Dust was formed by lead vocalist and songwriter Reid Genauer after the breakup of his band Strangefolk. AOD features Genauer on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, Nate Wilson on keyboards, Adam Terrell on lead guitar, John Leccese on bass, and Andy Herrick on drums. The group's first proper album was 2004's The Honest Hour, a live set which documented the band's fabled live prowess. Five "instant live" albums were released from Assembly of Dust's December 2005 tour, and the group became a favorite in jam band circles, though in interviews Genauer has said that while he respects the jam band scene, he believes his group's focus on songcraft puts them in a different league. In the spring of 2007, Assembly of Dust released their first studio effort, Recollection.
The Bittersweets, Massachusetts-born Chris Meyers (guitar, keyboards, vocals) and California native Hannah Prater (vocals, guitar), live up to their name. They fuse yellows and blues, sunniness and melancholy, with evocative lyrics and lush arrangements, transcendent melodies and Prater’s alluring voice. On every track of their new album, Goodnight, San Francisco, their recent live set, Long Way From Home, and their 2006 full-length debut, The Life You Always Wanted, the Bittersweets weave a captivating tension between hope and poignancy that rings true. The Bittersweets, now Nashville-based, "have created a roots rock/alt country sound that isn’t too country and not too rock and roll. Think Rilo Kiley without the twang or Shawn Colvin minus the twee." (A.L. Harper in BlogCritics Mag). Actually their combination of great songwriting for a lush alto voice may remind you of Over The Rhine.
Pam Chabora will present The Belle of Amherst, a one-woman production that will bring Emily Dickinson’s work to life. The two-act play highlights the events of Dickonson’s life, sprinkled with selections of her poetry. According to Chabora, when the audience hears those poems quoted in the context of Dickinson’s personal life, they gain an even greater appreciation for Dickinson’s timeless works.
“She just really pulls you in to what happened to her and her family,” Chabora said. “It’s very personal. ... [The audience] hears a real story, then hears the poem, and they get it.”
Chabora, a veteran stage actor and professor of theatre and dance at North Dakota State University, takes the role seriously, right down to the pantaloons under the reproduction of Dickinson’s famous white dress.
Yet Ryan Montbleau Band’s music
is difficult to pigeon-hole or neatly categorize. It is original yet familiar—-a
fresh sound full of firmly-rooted ingredients, including Americana, folk,
blues, ragtime and 70’s R&B and soul. Whereas the band’s intriguing
instrumentation and arrangements (not to mention top notch chops) help to
create this unique sound, all is firmly anchored by Montbleau’s water-tight
lyrics and unmistakable voice.
Having begun his career playing Boston’s coffee shops and folk venues
as a solo artist with an infectious, percussive, fingerpicking guitar style, the
charismatic Ryan Montbleau has evolved into the front man for the eclectic
ensemble that bears his name. Make no mistake—this is a band in every sense
of the word and is powered by the dynamics of Matt Giannaros (acoustic
upright bass, electric bass, vocals), Laurence Scudder (viola), Jason Cohen
(piano, organ, clavinet, Rhodes, Moog) and James Cohen (drums).
Ova Dreams is a collaboration in poetry, improvisational dance and piano which celebrates the irrepressible urge to create. Ensemble members, musician Leslie Stein, dancer Joan Proudman, and poet Lauren Murray combine their arts to honor the life force. They are joined by very special guests artists Jackie Reifer, character actress and mime, presenting original monologues; and Beverly Mann, actor, mask maker and educator, performing mask theatre and movement.
Jen Kearney and the Lost Onion
Formed in Sleepy Hollow, New York in the late 90's, 
The Black Bear Sessions, their debut album, piqued the interest of Sugar Hill Records, who signed them and released two highly acclaimed albums, Bird In A House in 2002 and The Good Life in 2004.
Since then, they’ve cultivated a huge fan base, wound up by the band’s unique acoustic hybrid sound. Railroad Earth has come to thrive in a live setting; as evidenced on their 2006 live album Elko, which essentially served as an emphatic end of Phase I for the band.
But RRE also employs a full drum kit and saxophones; they are an acoustic rock band, their sound more akin to Workingman’s Dead-era Grateful Dead than Bill Monroe. They can hoedown with the best of them, but their carefully crafted songs draw from a wide palette of rock influences. -- Tom Speed in 
Guy can tell you stories of his great-grandparents and his grandparents, their days as track linemen, and of their interactions with the infamous KKK. He can also tell you that as a child raised in middle-class New York suburbs, the only cotton he’s picked is his underwear up off the floor.
He's a musician, composer, actor, director, and writer. But most importantly, Guy Davis is a bluesman. The blues permeates every corner of Davis' creativity.
Whether Guy Davis is appearing on “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” or nationally syndicated radio programs such as Garrison Keillor’s, “A Prairie Home Campanion”, “Mountain Stage” or David Dye’s,“World Café”., in front of 15,000 people on the Main Stage of a major festival, or teaching an intimate gathering of students at a Music Camp, Guy feels the instinctive desire to give each listener his all.
With Sometymes Why, Aoife, Kristin & Ruth create music that moves past the "stringband" label entirely. They sing their own songs and back each other up on Wurlitzer, glockenspiel, high hat & tambourine. They appeal to a part of their audience (and a part of themselves) that's more aligned with Feist, Joni Mitchell, and Bessie Smith than by Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys.
The band is best heard live. "There's an instantly appealing quality to the trio-harmony blend of their voices, and in live performance they relate to each other with a charm and ease that radiates to the audience," said No Depression, which claimed that Sometymes Why's impromptu Sunday morning set in a parking lot at North Carolina's epic festival Merlefest "stole the show."
Since their first show at the Sidewalk Café in New York City in 2005, Sometymes Why has played extensively in the northeast, toured across Ireland, and joined their friend, Chris Thile (Nickel Creek, Punch Brothers), as the opener on two sold out tours.