Unity Centre Shows in 2010
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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!
Kalmia Traver and Alex Toth, formerly of the John Brown's Body horn section, have been musical partners for over 5 years. In June of 2007 they joined forces with the worldly percussionist Craig Myers (of Mike Gordon Band) at an art opening/party held in an old milk plant in Burlington VT. The night's magic and chemistry was undeniably potent. In the ensuing months Rubblebucket was born out of 9-hour rehearsals (containing meditative 40-minute vamps), epic home-made vegetarian meals, raucous basement parties, and moonlit escapades in Burlington and Boston.
Finding inspiration in hard work and honor in following one's dharma, the group dove into a lifestyle of tireless touring. Over the course of two years they gigged their way to recognition in markets throughout the Northeastern and Midwestern USA, and the band's determination and taste for life on the edge never dwindled. At a typical Rubblebucket show a willing participant can expect to dance hard, sweat, feel warm and maybe even happy, they may even feel a communal sense of reverie with the band and the rest of the crowd. That is the dream that Rubblebucket members carry in their hearts.
Rubblebucket won the 2009 Boston Music Award for Live Act of the Year and was featured in the December 2009 issue of Relix Magazine's "On The Verge: 5 Artists You Should Know." Additionally they were chosen by SPIN Magazine as a "Must-hear artist from the 2009 CMJs." 2010 promises to be an exciting year, with a new single to be released in April, Ozomatli support tour this spring, new album & music videos in the works, and festivals including Camp Bisco 9 and High Sierra this summer!
Ameranouche
Annalivia plays traditional music from North America, the UK and Ireland with fresh, modern interpretations, while also adding their own original songs and tunes to the traditional canon. All this they achieve with grace, style and an abundance of youthful energy! |
The Toughcats
Friday October 15 at 7:30 pm A three piece indie folk band from the Fox Islands in Penobscot Bay, the Toughcats lend a contemporary and interesting feel to Scruggs-style bluegrass, deep South ragtime, and singer-songwritery folk  that shows a great feel for songwriting and fine musicianship.
The trio showcases Jake Greenlaw on suitcase, percussion and vocals; Colin Gulley on banjo, mandolin and vocals; and Joe Nelson on guitar and lead vocals.
Though you might peg them as a bluegrass band, the Tough Cats have just as much Tom Waits as twang in their sound. Their second album, 2006’s "Pinata," combines old-timey picking with a rock edge, all buoyed by a sense of humor, some wicked vocal harmonies and a whole lot of energy.
“Call it new old-time music, folk revival, or whatever the heck you want to,
but this trio will likely be making waves beyond their home of Penobscot
Bay, Maine with their well-crafted songs and infectious playing soon
enough, and you should be in the know when it happens.”
-Ben Johnson in The New London Day, CT
All proceeds from this concert will benefit local hunger relief efforts in Waldo County, Maine as part of the 4th Annual Arts for Hunger sponsored by the Unity Area Rotary Club. Tickets $15 |
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Shemekia Copeland
Saturday October 9 at 8 pm 
At a young age, Shemekia Copeland is already a force to be reckoned with in the blues. While still in her 20s, she’s opened for the Rolling Stones, headlined at the Chicago Blues Festival and numerous festivals around the world, scored critics choice awards on both sides of the Atlantic (The New York Times and The Times of London) and shared the stage with such luminaries as Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Taj Mahal and John Mayer. Heir to the rich tradition of soul-drenched divas like Ruth Brown, Etta James and Koko Taylor, Copeland’s shot at the eventual title of Queen of the Blues is pretty clear. By some standards, she may already be there.
For as appealing as that regal title may sound, though, and for as much as she respects the rich legacy of artists like Bessie Smith, Etta James or Koko Taylor, Copeland insists that there’s more to who she is and what she does than a twelve-bar ballad or a Chicago shuffle could ever convey.
Never Going Back, her debut on Telarc, captures Copeland at a crossroads on that artistic path – a place where numerous new avenues are open to her. While Copeland will always remain loyal to her blues roots, Never Going Back takes a more forward view of the blues, and in so doing points her music and her career in a new direction.
Tickets $26.50 |
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The Outside Track
Monday October 4 at 7:30 pm A stunning synthesis of virtuosity and energy, The Outside Track's marriage of Canadian, Scottish and Irish music and song has been rapturously received around the world. Hailing from Scotland, Ireland, Cape Breton and Vancouver,  its five members are united by a love of traditional music and a commitment to creating new music on its foundation. Using fiddle, accordion, harp, guitar, flute, step-dance and vocals these five virtuosos blend boundless energy with unmistakable joie de vivre. Each player within The Outside Track is a master of their chosen instrument with the band stacking up an impressive amount of international awards. This amount of talent alone would be enough to recommend the band but in this case the end result is so much greater than the sum of the parts. The line up comprises Norah Rendell (Canadian Traditional Singer of the Year nominee), Mairi Rankin (Beolach), Ailie Robertson (Live Ireland Winner, BBC Young Trad Finalist), Fiona Black (BBC Fame Academy Winner), and Cillian O'Dalaigh. The band have enjoyed 3 years of extensive touring in the UK and Europe
Tickets $10 |
Their supporting fans will not be disappointed. Million to One is easily the couple’s best album to date and threatens to break all the rules of the rock-folk-Americana genre. The album’s main attraction--whether weaving through the folky, banjo-flavored “As My Eyes Run Wild,” the bar-room blues stomper “Covered” or the pedal-steel-laced “End of Time”--is the gorgeous, white-knuckle-tight harmony singing of Mike + Ruthy, who have clearly been spending the last ten years honing their vocal blend. With its soft, breathy delivery, Mike’s voice (not to mention songwriting) has been compared to Paul Simon, and indeed the vocal duets on this album will call to the listener’s mind that particular quintessential duo.
Mike + Ruthy met in NYC, just out of college. Daughter to Hudson Valley fiddling legend Jay Ungar and folk-singer Lyn Hardy, Ruthy’s was a past steeped in the folk tradition. Mike had his musical roots planted in the ska-punk and rock scene blasting from the college radio station in his hometown of Durham, NH. The two fell in love and went on to form the folk-rock behemoth The Mammals, which toured the world many times over. Now married and settled just outside Woodstock, NY, they tour with a full band or as a duo and sometimes share the stage with their fiddling two-year-old son, Will.
Band members include: Vince Dewald- vocals, guitar, banjo, harmonica; Jimmy Dewald- upright bass, electric bass, vocals;Ben Andrews- violin, electric guitar, mandolin; Jeremy Shanok- drums, percussion, vocals; Melissa Merrill- Vocals. Buxter Hoot’n’s wide array of sounds stretch from haunting violin and banjo, to electric rockers, psychedelia, and stripped down fingerpickers. Vince Dewald and Melissa Merrill deliver blues-soaked vocals on songs tackling topics from martial law to love in modern times, with their message coming through in the direct, poetic tradition of Bob Dylan and Townes Van Zandt. Buxter Hoot’n sets itself apart by combining rock 'n roll musical complexity and intricate harmonies with traditional backporch roots and soul. They have shared the stage with such artists as: Jackie Green, The Builders and the Butchers, Los Lobos, Devil Makes Three, and Hot Buttered Rum. They will be performing at the Unity Centre for the Performing Arts as part of an East Coast tour promoting their critically acclaimed second album, In Another Life. “As much as I like the “Crazy Heart” soundtrack, T-Bone Burnett, Stephen Bruton, and Ryan Bingham have got nothing on Buxter Hoot’n, who can do rustic Country/Americana music like apparently only a young bunch of California dwellers can.” -Rachel Timans (Ammuse, NY)
This group of seasoned musicians seamlessly blend traditional and contemporary music with themes of northern New England, its interesting culture and rich heritage, effectively transporting the listener to the great state of Maine—from mountains to foothills to coast, from factory worker to farmer to fisherman. Dave’s own sturdy songcraft is uniquely suited to express these traditional themes and imagery of hard work, community, and family together with stunning clarity. The trio also features
Kevin O'Reilly on bass and Eric McDonald on mandolin.
The trio’s inventive use of instrumentation on guitar, mandolin, electric bass, and tin whistles along with their strong three-part vocal harmonies which hearken back to the great folk bands of the 1960s create an unique musical tapestry rarely heard in the contemporary folk landscape.
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Sonos
Friday September 10 at 7:30 pm  In December 2008, Los Angeles vocal collective Sonos debuted at the Hotel Café in Los Angeles. Emerging from the Southern California college a cappella scene with the singular aim of turning the genre on its head, Sonos reinvents a 21st century songbook with bold reinterpretations of vital indie artists who inspire the sextet. The result is a spellbinding fusion of ancient and contemporary sounds, as songs by the likes of Radiohead (“Everything in Its Right Place”), Sara Bareilles (an a cappella UCLA alum herself, she joins Sonos for a rendition of her “Gravity”), Fleet Foxes (“White Winter Hymnal”), Bon Iver (“Re:Stacks”), Rufus Wainwright (“Oh What a World”), Björk (“Joga”), Imogen Heap (“Come Here Boy”) and other cutting-edge creators are transformed into mesmerizing vehicles for voices only. The repertoire also extends to the iconic mainstream, hence their radical trip-hop rendition of the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back", their soulful take on Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence" and their travel montage with The Bird and the Bee's "Again and Again." Tickets $15 |
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Celtic Colors Showcase
Thursday August 26 at 7:30 pm This special Celtic Colors showcase will feature: Colin Grant, Dawn & Margie Beaton Jason Roach with Chrissy Crowley, and Rachel Davis. Tickets $10 |
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Pogey
Thursday August 19 at 7:30 pm 
For the last 5 years, POGEY has been bringing audiences to their feet all over Canada and the United States with their unique blend of traditional and contemporary music. POGEY's five members combine fiddle, mandolin, acoustic guitar and banjo with bass, drums and four part vocal harmonies to produce their trademark Nova Scotia Sound.
Pogey's high octane and fully interactive stage shows have kept the band in high demand at major festivals, conferences and top clubs.
After a showcase at Canada's 2008 East Coast Music Awards, POGEY was recruited to perform the Kansas City, Pittsburgh and Great American Irish Festivals. 2009 will see the group continue to make main stage appearances at Irish festivals in Milwaukee, Dublin OH, Buffalo, Chicago and more. A new all original recording is underway and will be released in early 2010.
Tickets $10 |
The Clancy Legacy
The Dave Carroll Band
It is no surprise then that Bua, lending to its Irish Gaelic meaning of ‘innate gift,’ have quickly risen to the status of America’s premier traditional Irish music ensemble.
As a band, Bua have performed at numerous festivals including Boston’s prestigious Irish Connections Festival, The Milwaukee Irish Festival, Cleveland’s Irish Cultural Festival, Celtic Fest Chicago and The Saline Celtic Festival. As individuals they’ve shared the stage with a host of top Irish musicians including Martin Hayes, David Munnelly, Liz Carroll, Larry Nugent, Paddy Keenan, Aoife Clancy, Pat Broaders, Dennis Cahill, John Williams and more!
With a Trad trio comprised of the amazing Jason Roach on piano, and embarrassingly talented Darren MacMullen (bouzouki, mandolin, guitar, banjo) Grant hooked up with the rough and red-eyed blues/funk rhythm section of Merlin Clarke and Donnie Calabrese on bass and drums. Together, the group produces a fervent yet calculated rhythm that backs an expressively diverse range of tunes. While the lively sound never strays too distantly from its Celtic roots, the Colin Grant Band has found an open ear in everyone from indie scenesters to blue-haired bingo stampers.
Colin has just released his second full-length album, Fun For the Whole Family-a highly anticipated follow-up to the acclaimed Colin Grant solo debut.
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Matt and Shannon Heaton
Thursday July 8 at 7:30 pm Boston-based husband-and-wife duo Matt & Shannon Heaton offer updated and traditional Irish music on flute/guitar/bouzouki/accordion, stirring traditional-style singing, and a fresh, appealing stage show. Their Feb 2009 CD "Lovers' Well" (songs of loss and love) is their 4th as a duo. 
Musically speaking, the Heatons play the heck out of their instruments (Irish wood flute/accordion, guitar/bouzouki). After years of study in Chicago, and many nights of music in Clare, Galway, and their adopted home of Boston, Irish Music Magazine’s John O’Regan wrote, “their duet playing is tight, sweet, and tasteful, lacking nothing on either technical expertise or instrumental virtuosity.”
As for their singing, when Matt and Shannon perform centuries-old songs, it feels current, conversational. They make traditional music relevant to American audiences. O’Regan wrote “songwise [there are] hints an older domestic sound, the familiar down home harmonies of The Carter Family and Tim and Mollie O’Brien.”
Tickets $10 |
Combining their love for traditional and folk music as well as original songs and tunes the Paul McKenna Band have been playing to audiences throughout the UK since 2006.
With a contemporary approach to songs, although not straying too far from their roots, their arrangements are both fresh and innovative.
Their exciting sound is created through outstanding vocals, driving Guitar and Bouzouki, intense Fiddle playing, a warm pairing of Flute and Whistles and dynamic Bodhrán and percussion.
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.
Formed in the winter of 2003 in New Paltz, NY, The Trapps are an American band that taps the roots of Americana, folk, and rock and roll, and wraps it all into a tightly-knit package that is entirely their own. Though their musical influences are far reaching, the greatest strength of the band is their commitment to the song – all at once they can grab you with powerful harmonies like the Jayhawks or rivet you with a high intensity jam like the Black Crowes, but for this band, it is never done loosely or in a way that pulls the listener away from the essence and presentation of the song itself. For The Trapps, the song is the law, and like the mountain climber, there are a great many ways to approach the ascent, but the thrill is to ultimately finish having learned something along the way.
Led by Sean Schenker (lead vocals, guitar), Warren Gold (lead guitar, slide guitar), Jason Sarubbi (upright & electric bass, backing vocals) and Seth Moutal (drums, percussion, backing vocals), the band puts a strong emphasis on lyrical fiber. On the band’s new CD release, “Cheap Seats”, songwriter Sean Schenker describes some of what a listener can expect from the album: “These are songs from the heart… Stories of seeking and searching for truth and for understanding. Reflections on personal experiences of birth, death, love and ultimately the universal aspects of perseverance and growth.”
Boréal Tordu
Thursday June 17 at 7:30 pm Boréal Tordu began when fiddler Steve Muise and singer Robert Sylvain discovered a mutual interest in the music of their shared Acadian heritage. While signs of their parents' French culture can still be found in Maine, it was almost lost to their generation, after years of forced assimilation. More than a revival, their music represents a continuation of musical traditions passed down from the Acadians, the Québécois, and the unique French-speaking people of the the Republic of Madawaska and milltowns all over New England. In addition to Muise and Sylvain, Boréal Tordu features Pip Walter on guitar and backing vocals and Andy Buckland on upright bass. Thrice nominated for the Portland Phoenix reader’s poll award for Best World Music Act, Boréal Tordu continues to innovate and abide in a genre by itself. Tickets $10 |
Rachel is a vibrant young fiddler who was born and raised in Baddeck, Cape Breton. Rachel began playing fiddle at the age of 12, learning first from her grandfather, Clarence Long. then studying with Karen Beaton for four years. Most recently, Rachel has studied fiddle with Kyle MacNeil through her studies at Cape Breton University where she is working towards a Bachelor of Arts degree in Celtic Studies.
This is Rachel’s third year as a featured performer in the Celtic Colours International Festival. During the 2007 Celtic Colours Festival, Rachel was presented with the Tic Butler Memorial Award for outstanding contribution to the Cape Breton culture.
Born and brought up on the Northern Shores of Cape Breton Island, Buddy MacDonald was exposed at an early age, to the singing and story telling of some of the great Celtic singers of his native Island. Much of his song-writing is still influenced by this style he was so familiar with as a young boy. Over the years he has travelled and entertained audiences throughout Canada, the United States, Germany, Scotland and the Scandinavian countries, performing as a solo act and in different combinations with other musicians from Cape Breton. He has performed on stage with many of Eastern Canada's traditional artists such as Natalie MacMaster, Howie Mac Donald, Ashley MacIssac, Dave MacIssac, John Allan Cameron and more. Since Celtic Colours International Festival began ten years ago, Buddy has been the host of the late night Festival Club, and has performed over various parts of the Island with Scotland's Dougie MacLean,Archie Fisher, Irelands Tommy Makem, Michael Black, and hosts of other artists from all over the world of music.
Kayln Rock, Rocki, featured musician from New York, will open for the show. She is active on the concert scene, including the Mercury Lounge in NYC. Leslie Stein and Jim James will each perform music. Woody Gaul, he doesn’t even have to be seen for his lines to be heard above everyone else. Eric Auld, writer, speaker/ blogger type from NY, will be doing some, well...poetry. He’s sneakin in, being a friend of Rocki’s. That happens sometimes.
Peter, Leslie, and Jim Reitz live in central coastal Maine and have performed together often in community theater and just when they think they have each other figured out... Peter has appeared in feature films and writes for stage and film and to put together his much needed alibis. Leslie acts in theaters in Belfast and Waterville and Jim Reitz acts and builds, including sets for feature films and for The Peter Paton Show. Jim James is originally from England. A lifelong actor from Belfast, Woody escaped to NYC last year.
Ian Sherwood
The Brew
Saturday May 29 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 “Seen It All” and the reggae rhythm of “Looking Down” to the jazz-funk and Sting-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 $15 |
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Duane Andrews and Dwayne Cote
Thursday May 20 at 7:30 pm Duane Andrews’s music is the product of a great ear, an adventurous spirit and a love of music that is beyond category. Uniting what would seem to be impossible – traditional Newfoundland music with the Gypsy Jazz of the legendary Django Reinhardt, Andrews makes it not just work – he makes it soar.  The award winning guitarist, composer, producer and international performer’s new album, Raindrops, is the best evidence yet of his truly unique musical vision and is the sound of him, literally, bringing it all back home.
After graduating from the Jazz Studies program at St. FXU with honours, Duane spent several years studying contemporary music composition at the Conservatoire International de Paris and at the Conservatoire National de Region in Marseille, France.
It was during his time in France that Reinhardt’s music had a profound impact on Duane. Upon returning to his home province of Newfoundland and Labrador he began fusing traditional Newfoundland music with Reinhardt’s style and his own original compositions. This work resulted in the 2004 release of his dynamic debut solo CD, simply titled, Duane Andrews, the 2006 release of the multiple award winning “Crocus” and his 2008 release “Raindrops” which features a collaboration with the Atlantic String Quartet.
Andrews will be performing with renowned Cape Breton fiddler Dwayne Cote
Tickets $10 |
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Darol Anger’s Republic of Strings
Friday May 14 at 7:30 pm 
Somewhere beyond or behind all musical borders lies a creative terrain where bluegrass, jazz, classical, pop, and various world musics mingle, played by musicians who care more for inspiration than they do for genre. If that place has a name, it's surely the Republic of Strings, for no one knows its contours better than veteran Darol Anger and a constantly developing population of young excellent string players, including Mike Block, Scott Law & Lauren Rioux. They have created the visionary musical landscape of the Republic, exemplified by their 2 recordings, Republic Of Strings and Generation Nation, for Compass Records, and yet-to-be-titled 2010 release.
Drawing from an array of sources that includes Bluegrass, Celtic and Appalachian musics, Ornette Coleman, Scandinavian string bands, Aretha Franklin and the quartet's own members, Generation Nation documents a unique intergenerational exchange. Compelling musical textures, elegant solos and vocals all emanate from a startlingly diverse group of guests. "There's a lot of respect and love going on among the players," says Anger, "and I think it comes out in the music". One listen proves that he's exactly right.
Tickets $15 |
The Spinney Brothers
Richard's high energy show is a combination of fiddling virtuosity and stunning showmanship. He continues to evolve an innovative approach to traditional Celtic jigs, reels, and strathspeys.
The Press Gang
Jim has directed, composed and performed music for some of the most popular theatre productions of the past two decades,as well as creating soundtracks for plays, documentaries and videos. He has performed extensively on radio and television in Canada and abroad, and has toured throughout Canada, the US, Europe, Japan and Australia.
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Hot Day At The Zoo
Saturday April 17 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 |
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Todd Wolfe Band
Sunday April 11 at 7:30 pm Gritty, bluesy and full of fire, Todd Wolfe, former guitarist for Sheryl Crow, favors heavy riffs, wicked phrasing, dirty slide and syrupy tones. There's plenty of distorted guitar on strong originals and classic covers. The Wolfe Band was born during the downtime from Sheryl Crow tours. They are an edgy, adventurous, boundary pushing quartet who mix original material with Howlin' Wolf and Robert Johnson chestnuts. Wolfe consist of Eric Massimino on bass, Dave Hollingsworth on drums and John Cree on percussion. They have shared the bill with the likes of The Allman Brothers, Black Crowes, Blues Traveler, Dickey Betts, Peter Frampton, and Johnny Winter. Tickets $15 |
The entertainment industry has certainly noticed: Steve is two-time winner of the SESAC Americana Music Award, received an Emmy nomination for Sesame Street and scored two Emmy-winning TV series, and contributed to the recent Grammy-nominated Guy Clark album, “Workbench Songs.” After quietly slipping us songs all these years via the voices of pop megastars (Barbra Streisand, Dusty Springfield, Paul Anka), Nashville legends (Guy Clark, Doug Stone), outrageously famous puppets (Sesame Street), and the world’s most popular bear (Winnie the Pooh theme song), Steve is finally stepping out as an artist to perform favorite songs you may already know – plus a shimmering collection of new ones. Some of those, appear on two recent albums of his own that were beautifully produced by Grammy winner Don Henry. Evident throughout are Steve’s hard-won life experience, relentless honesty, mischievous humor and deep social conscience.
Along the path that has led him from his New York roots to California and then to Nashville, Steve has built on the work of the artists he loves most – The Beatles, Woody Guthrie, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, James Taylor and Randy Newman – to create his own signature blend of styles. That path continues to feed Steve’s ongoing artistic growth, clearly evident on his latest release, “Distance Over Time.” From its poignant opening
track (“John’s Pond,” featuring Bruce Hornsby), this impeccable, engaging, and timeless tapestry of songs, further establishes Steve as an enduring – and endearing – original voice of American music.
Cynthia MacLeod
Thursday April 8 at 7:30 pm From her home base in tiny Prince Edward Island, Canada, fiddling sensation Cynthia MacLeod has built an international reputation that is expanding around the globe. It's a reputation founded in raw talent, nurtured by boundless energy, and polished to a gleaming finish by a touring schedule that has taken her across Canada, through New England, and as far away as Japan. And all this before she's 25 years old. In that time, she has produced three critically-acclaimed (and top-selling) CDs. Head Over Heels (2002) won her instant credibility with a hard-bitten music industry and was named Album of the Year. Her second CD, Crackerjack (2004), built on her growing reputation as a precise, lively interpreter of traditional fiddle music. Hot Off The Floor (2007) combined that traditional sound with newer compositions and cemented Cynthia's place among the very best in East Coast fiddle music. Tickets $10 |
states, touring Internationally with various folk, jazz and contemporary music
projects.
Aidan O Donnell first saw Gilchrist play at a club in Brooklyn
with up and coming New York Band 'I want to be an Astranout'.
After playing a session together in Gilchrist's tiny kitchen they continued to form a
dynamic musical partnership that had it's sold-out debut performance at the
Edinburgh Jazz Festival in Aug 2008.
Maeve Gilchrist's traditional Scottish background shines through her songs and innovative
chromatic harp playing, which, when paired with O'Donnell's melodic bass
playing creates a truly rich and unique acoustic voice.
"Gilchrist is a phenomenal harp player who can make her harp sing with unparalleled purity or bounce with Afro-inspired rhythmic playing similar to Senegalese Kora music." (Dirty Linen, 2008).
Conversation at Midnight
“…Whatever you want to call it, Kearney and the Lost Onion provide a dense musical potpourri that is ever surprising…The Stevie Wonder comparisons that follow Kearney around are evident on tunes like “Pick Yourself Up,” while a more jazz/funk tune like “Amity” suggests Aretha Franklin joining Blood, Sweat, and Tears for a gig in Brazil.” (Jay Miller, Patriot-Ledger, 2/07)
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Troy MacGillivray and Kimberly Fraser
Thursday March 25 at 7:30 pm Kimberley Fraser was born on Cape Breton Island and nurtured within its rich musical heritage. She first began to impress audiences at the age of three with her step-dancing talents. Soon after that she took up both the fiddle and the piano. Like many in Cape Breton, music is not new to Kimberley’s family. She proudly owns the fiddle of her great great grandfather, spanning the musical tradition within her family over a hundred years. 
Though still in her early 20s, Kimberley’s career is already a distinguished one. Kimberley has shared the stage with such notables as Alasdair Fraser, Lunasa and Martin Hayes. Kimberley is also in demand for her piano skills, accompanying various Cape Breton fiddlers at home and abroad. She had the honour of being the pianist for the acclaimed Irish musical group, Cherish the Ladies, during their tour of Sweden in May of 2004. Her impact upon the music of Cape Breton has not gone unrecognized. In 2000, Kimberley received the Tic Butler award for significant contribution to Cape Breton culture.
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
Tickets $10& |
Born in Scotland of Irish /Italian parents now living in Kinsale, Co.Cork,Ireland Emma Kate has studied music in the Cork School of Music and with Dr Veronica Dunne in the Leinster School of Music in Dublin. She has also participated in numerous master classes in London and Vienna,and has won many competitions such as the Lieder Cup, the Duhallow award,and the Margaret Dillon award. Operatic roles include Frasquita ( Carmen), Valencienne (The Merry Widow) , The Mother (Amahl and the Night Visitors) , Kate Pinkerton ( Madame Butterfly) Light Opera roles such as Julie ( Showboat) and Sr. Margaretta ( Sound of Music). Emma Kate has performed at various Arts Festivals around Ireland including Westport, Kinsale and Cork and Summer Concerts in Kinsale of Irish traditional and Classical Music led to the album Aisling na nGael,(An Irish Dream ).
Since the first tour in 1967 the boys have travelled extensively in their mission to gain traditional music a wider audience and respect. Their warm and vital performances have won them friends from the village halls of their homelands to international concert and festival stages, establishing a precedent that many others have followed.
True originals, direct from the tradition, the Boys have earned respect on both sides of the Atlantic and continue to act as role models for countless younger musicians. Their concerts, recordings and compositions were crucial in bringing about the current explosion of interest in all facets of Celtic music.
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The Toughcats
Friday March 12 at 7:30 pm A three piece indie folk band from the Fox Islands in Penobscot Bay, the Toughcats lend a contemporary and interesting feel to Scruggs-style bluegrass, deep South ragtime, and singer-songwritery folk that shows a great feel for songwriting and fine musicianship.
The trio showcases Jake Greenlaw on suitcase, percussion and vocals; Colin Gulley on banjo, mandolin and vocals; and Joe Nelson on guitar and lead vocals.
Though you might peg them as a bluegrass band, the Tough Cats have just as much Tom Waits as twang in their sound. Their second album, 2006’s "Pinata," combines old-timey picking with a rock edge, all buoyed by a sense of humor, some wicked vocal harmonies and a whole lot of energy.
“Call it new old-time music, folk revival, or whatever the heck you want to,
but this trio will likely be making waves beyond their home of Penobscot
Bay, Maine with their well-crafted songs and infectious playing soon
enough, and you should be in the know when it happens.”
-Ben Johnson in The New London Day, CT
All proceeds from this performance will benefit Unity Barn Raisers Tickets $15 |
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Cara
Thursday March 11 at 7:30 pm When you look at the mass of talented musicians coming out of Ireland these days and all the young and energetic bands trying to get to where bands as Lúnasa, Altan, Dervish, Beoga or Gráda already are, you might well ask, why a german band should even try to go professional and tour the world with their own interpretation of Celtic Music. Surely this is not going to work out! That's what the members of CARA heard over and over again when they started. 
But their debut CD "In Colour" was a massive success, and festivals and venues all around Europe booked the band. In 2006 they woke interest and got signed by one of the best booking agencys in the US, RealGoodMusic (RGM), the second CD "In Between Times" won them a nomination for the German Critics Award, a nomination for CD of the year by "Folker" Magazine and they were voted as one of the 10 most influential bands of the last decade by "Folkworld" Magazine. Since then, they've got 3 successful tours through the United States under their belts, sharing the big american stages with the named above top-bands of the genre.
Cara tour world wide with their unique interpretation of Celtic music. They are rooted in traditional music and song, but their own exciting compositions have received wide critical acclaim. While the two female lead singers are surely a hallmark of the band, the quality standard for instrumentals and arrangements is equally high. Cara combine their mastery of vocals, piano, fiddle, flute, guitar, bodhrán, uilleann pipes, accordion and concertina with a dry-witted and very entertaining stage presence.
Tickets $10 |
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Christopher Williams with special guest Ellen Tipper in a Benefit for the Ripple Effect Project Saturday March 6 at 7:30 pm Christopher Williams is a songwriter, storyteller, and entertainer - offering songs that are honest and confessional and performances that engage 
audiences with an appealing mix of intense passion and humor. With
“lush guitar work, and sweet soaring vocals,” (Boston Phoenix)
punctuated by the percussive vulnerability of a single djembe hand
drum, Williams is a “hard-touring singer-songwriter and a master at
spreading his personal energy out into a live audience.” (Madison
Isthmus) Touring nonstop nationally for the last ten years at a pace of
more than 130 shows a year, Williams has built a faithful following of
listeners around the country and is a true independent artist,
releasing eight records on his own label. He has toured with Grammy
Award winning band Jars of Clay and has also played with
songwriter luminaries Arlo Guthrie, Phil Keaggy, and David Wilcox.
Williams has a heart for social justice issues and supports Blood:Water
Mission and International Justice Mission and his newest studio
release, ‘Sweet Redemption,’ showcases songs about his recent trips to
Kenya and Uganda. This spring he
is celebrating the release of a new live recording, called 'Something
As Simple,' that features the feeling of a true live performance with
stories, the signature djembe playing and his unique guitar style.
Ripple Effect Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting self-sustainable agricultural and educational endeavors of independent orphanages in Sub-Saharan Africa. Please bring non-perishable food items to the show. Tickets $18 |
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Girlyman
Friday February 26 at 7:30 pm 
Can the members of Girlyman read each other’s minds? Sometimes it seems so. Onstage they
often finish one another’s sentences or burst into improvised three-part ditties so tight they seem
rehearsed. Truth is, the Atlanta-based trio has had years to develop this rapport. Doris Muramatsu
and Tylan Greenstein became best friends in second grade. The two met Nate Borofsky in college
at a talent show, and since then they’ve been creating their own unique language of three-part
harmony. Informed by 60s vocal groups like Simon & Garfunkel and The Mamas and the Papas,
and infused with years of classical and jazz training, Girlyman’s songs are a dance of melody and
suspensions – an irresistible blend of acoustic, Americana, and rock The Village Voice calls “really
good, really unexpected, and really different.”
Everything’s Easy, Girlyman’s fourth studio album, is the band’s most intimate and sophisticated effort. Self-produced and engineered, Everything’s Easy was recorded with a single, ten thousand dollar microphone, financed by fan donations. This microphone, along with the work of Grammy-winning mixer Ben Wisch, has created an immeasurably rich sound. Tickets $18 |
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The Brew
Saturday February 20 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 “Seen It All” and the reggae rhythm of “Looking Down” to the jazz-funk and Sting-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 $13.50 ($15 at the door) |
surrogate-sister harmony and matching dresses. Their repertoire combines several of the Sisters' passions -- country music from before they were born and new interpretations of those traditions -- to create a fresh take on what it means to be country.
The Sweetback line-up features the lavish voices of Zara Bode and Emily Miller joined by an all-star cast of instrumentalists including: West Virginian triple threat Jesse Milnes; Stefan Amidon on drums; Philly's stringed slayer Ross Bellenoit on rippin' Telecaster, and a the newest Sweetback Sister Bridget Kearney on bass.
Their debut EP Bang! was released in early 2007 and earned them a spot on A Prairie Home Companion's talent contest for twenty-somethings. A full length album Chicken Ain't Chicken was released June 30th on the Signature Sounds label.
Portland's Roy Davis (born and raised in Maine's Waldo County, where his heart will always remain) firmly states in the album artwork for his latest and most dynamic indie/folk album yet, "Although it says only my name on the cover, this CD was conceived, created and produced with Jon Nolan, Travis Kline, Kerry Ryan, Bernie Nye and Justin Maxwell at Milltown Recording Co. in Rollinsford, NH."
Holed up in the down-to-earth and sonically remarkable Milltown studio, Roy Davis and his group of closely-knit cohorts (sometimes, The Dregs) worked their fingers to the bone to bring us an 11 song voyage of indie-rock and folk that pleads with us to not call it by those names. As the sounds shift between minimalist roots arrangements and heavy handed dirge-rock, the lyrics are human and confrontational, like the Eulogy for an innocent bystander.
Each mind is distinct and audible; Kerry Ryan's dynamic drumming, Travis Kline's soaring guitar with noise-rock tendencies, Bernie Nye playing several roles including Roy's creative partner since they were high school kids jamming in their friend's basement.
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Hope for Haiti – Caribbean Opera Star Phillip Mentor and Grammy Award Winner Paul Sullivan in a Red Cross Benefit
Friday January 22 at 7:30 pm 
Born in Belmont, Port of Spain in the beautiful island of Trinidad and Tobago, Earl Mentor Phillip is a trained opera singer and has performed in musical plays and theaters and with symphony orchestras. Phillip's voice training has been in the classic mode and his extensive repertoire includes German, French, Italian as well as English material which include Gospel and Negro spirituals. As a concert vocalist and baritone, Phillip has performed throughout most of the United States and Caribbean.
He has performed with the New Philharmonic of New Jersey, Montclair Chamber Orchestra and the Morristown Chamber Players. Phillip studied at Montclair State University as well as with teachers and coaches from the New York City Opera such as Edward Pierson, James Wilson and Jerry Brown, the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic and the American Symphony.
Among his awards are first place in the North American Guild Voice Competition, African-American Singer of the Year in 1986, first runner-up in the Metropolitan Opera Regional and Outstanding Young Vocalist of New jersey.
Phillip is a great story teller and his presentations are thought provoking and he is a delightful performer.
Grammy Award winner Paul Sullivan has enjoyed a richly varied and distinguished career as a composer and a pianist. As a soloist, with his trio, and as a member of the Paul Winter Consort, he has played concert tours in most of the United States and Europe, as well as Croatia, Israel, Costa Rica, and Japan. He has performed among the dunes of the Negev Desert, in Leonard Bernstein’s living room, and on the stages of many of the world’s finest concert halls. 100% of the proceeds will benefit Haiti Relief efforts by the American Red Cross and Water Projects International. Tickets $10 |