Some folks are lucky to find what they love to do at an early age and quietly settle in for the long haul expanding and developing their work over the arc of a lifetime. Willy Porter is one of those artists. He has followed his own path to explore the sacred language that music truly is. Thirty years after his solo recording debut, he continues to reach further into his guitar & pen while stretching the form of what his own music can be. His live shows are guitar driven events—equal parts grit, soul, and muscle—that are electrifying, dynamic, and wholly original in the way that his voice blends and fuses with his virtuoso fretwork.

As a babe Jeffrey Martin sought out solitude as often as he could find it. He’s always been that way, and he has never understood the whole phenomenon of smiling in pictures, although he is a very happy guy. One night in middle school he stayed up under the covers with a flashlight and a DiscMan, listening to Reba McEntire’s 'That’s the Night that the Lights Went Out in Georgia' on repeat until the DiscMan ran out of batteries. That night he became a songwriter, although he didn’t actually write a song until years later.

One of the Midwest’s most prolific and passionate songwriters, May Erlewine has a gift for writing songs of substance that feel both fresh and soulfully familiar. Her ability to emotionally engage with an audience has earned her a dedicated following far beyond her Michigan roots. This year, May is teaming up with Chicago guitar wizard, Packy Lundholm. The heart forward power duo will be offering their music in the name of love, service and rock & roll.