Kristian Matsson has never remained in one place for very long. Having spent much of the last decade touring around the world as The Tallest Man on Earth, Matsson has […]
It's as if the blues met modern poetry and got infused with Zen calm. Chris Smither takes the blues in a direction all his own, offering stoic, existential ruminations sung in a weathered blues moan and set to quietly virtuosic guitar.
Paul Cebar cut his teeth musically in the coffeehouse folk scene of the mid-'70s in Milwaukee. Taking cues from the dance bands of western Louisiana (and his native Midwest,), the streets (and 45’s) of New Orleans, touring African and Caribbean combos and the soul, funk & blues of his youth coupled with early, teeth-cutting experience in the verbal hotbeds of the coffeehouse scene, Cebar is a masterful synthesist of rhythmic culture
Dave Boutette's Midwest is full of passion, humor, and a certain shaky grace. Influenced by songwriters from Chuck Berry to John Prine to Elvis Costello, he documents the travels and triumphs of life in the heartland. Dave grew up in Detroit's shadow, and he peppers his performances with stories of his home and his life on the road. Kristi Lynn Davis logged in about 1,200 performances and 240,000 kicks as a Radio City Rockette. She also sailed the globe as a singer-dancer on cruise ships and worked in musical theater productions with showbiz icons Susan Anton, Buddy Ebsen, Maurice Hines, Jack Jones, Paige O’Hara, Juliet Prowse, Rip Taylor, and others. Kristi’s had so many adventures in show business, she had to write a book to keep them all straight. Her award-winning comic memoir is titled "Long Legs and Tall Tales." Close, comforting, and warm, Kristi’s voice slips in right beside Dave’s, and her charming and confident stage presence, along with her quick wit, are adding a whole new appeal to Dave’s shows. Together they have performed at music festivals, listening rooms, and brewpubs from the Porcupine Mountains in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula all the way down to Oberlin, Ohio. Tonight marks their first show with a full band.
While in Arizona studying audio engineering, Ben Daniels decided to be a musician. A natural poet, he soon became a young songwriter schooled on Bob Dylan, Robert Johnson, J.J. Cale, and John Prine, among others.
Since 2006, Ben has written songs that speak directly to the things we all see, recognize, and think. Years later, his lyrics have the authenticity of an artist.
Together since 2008, the Ben Daniels Band cuts through with an Americana sound from the Michigan ground. From their opening song to the finale of their set, their musicianship, experience, and originality make no two shows alike. And with the bluegrass roots of Tommy Reifel (bass), Wesley Fritzemeier (drums/mandolin/fiddle), and George Merkel (guitar), Ben Daniels Band's live show never fails to take over the venue.
Special Guest: Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams
Royal Oak Music Theatre 318 W 4th St, Royal Oak, MI“If you like guitar playing, it simply doesn’t get any better than Tommy.” – Jason Isbell Tommy Emmanuel has achieved enough musical milestones to satisfy several lifetimes. Or at least […]
Special Guest: Jeff Scott
The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MIThe constant for Ann Arbor-based Bill Edwards has always been songwriting. He won first prize in Billboard’s® national songwriting contest and his songs have been recorded by other singers and featured on TV and on the silver screen. He’s held staff-writer positions in Nashville and instructed others in the fine art of words and music. But you haven't heard Bill's songs until you've heard them presented in his own fine voice and with his expressive playing. Bill will be releasing his newest album, “So Far,” at this concert with a full band. This is his ninth full-length album. Opening the show will be metro Detroit singer/songwriter/producer Jeff Scott.
The Wailin' Jennys are neither a reggae group nor an all-female Waylon Jennings tribute band. Three extraordinary voices with one singular vision: The Wailin' Jennys continue to evolve into far more than the melodious sum of their individual talents years after blowing in on a fresh acoustic breeze from Canada's midwestern heartland. Canadians Nicky Mehta, and Ruth Moody and New Yorker Heather Masse were all well-established talents individually, and their collaboration is an example of how exciting it can be when performers with distinct outlooks find ways of working together. Each member of the trio contributes distinctive original songs to the mix, which ranges from folk-rock to Celtic to traditional song. This trio has won fans for its incredible harmonies at venues ranging from "A Prairie Home Companion" (multiple times) to the small-town parks and festivals in Manitoba that gave them their start.
Ocie Elliott pen tunes that feel lived-in. Ocie Elliott is the musical duo of Jon Middleton and Sierra Lundy from Victoria, B.C., Canada. You can hear their memories, experiences, and emotions in the dusty acoustic guitars, the sparse production, and their graceful harmonies. The two have come a long way in a short time since a chance encounter in a café led to a spark, collaboration, and their ultimate partnership in music and beyond. Ocie Elliott’s debut album, “We Fall In” (Nettwerk Music Group), led to appearances with the likes of Mason Jennings, Sons of the East, Kim Churchill, Roo Panes, Current Swell and Joseph, tours of Canada, the U.S., and Europe, and having their song “Run To You” featured on an episode of Grey’s Anatomy. Ocie Elliott comes to Michigan with a new EP, “What Remains,” a batch of honest and heartfelt anthems of which Sierra says, “Since we’ve been through so much, all of these songs are so powerful to us. They’re simple, but they hold so much truth. I hope it translates to people.”