Red Tail Ring – Friday, October 18, 2013

Red Tail Ring

Red Tail Ring is the musical brainchild of two old-time-minded Michiganders – Michael Beauchamp and Laurel Premo. The collaboration blends the loving attention of revivalist fervor with the playful creativity of starting from scratch. Whether rendering a traditional tune or one of their many original compositions, the duo infuses each song with musical imagination, haunting harmonies and instrumental artistry on fiddle, banjo, mandolin, jawharp, and plain-old foot stomping.

“We love pushing the boundaries of what a traditional song can be,” says Beauchamp. “It informs how we write our original songs. There’s a real energy exchange between the old and the new.”

There’s a real energy from these two young but seasoned performers. They love making music in all senses of that word – playing and performing and writing, putting their own stamp on traditional tunes and infusing their new creations with an authentic traditional spirit and sound. On stage together, Laurel and Michael create something rare as they use every facet of their voices and instruments – including guitar, fiddle, banjo, octave mandolin, mandolin and jaw harp – to connect with audiences.

I first heard Red Tail Ring in showcase at FARM in fall of 2012 and was so impressed I offered to host them on the spot. Then I got to hear them in full concert performance at WFMT’s Folkstage was thrilled by their performance. Check them out at the links below – I think you’ll like what you hear. Then get in touch to get an invitation.

http://www.redtailring.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Red-Tail-Ring/191858664170133
http://www.youtube.com/user/redtailring

Music at 7:30 p.m. Potluck and socializing at 6:30 p.m. Please bring a dish and beverage to share. Wine or beer are welcome. Water, glasses, dishes and silver provided.

For more information and an invitation, please contact Lee by e-mail at windycityhouseconcerts@gmail.com or at 773-334-5776.

Suggested artist donation $20 (All funds go to the musician.)

To get emails about our shows, please click here to subscribe to our mailing list.

Thursday, October 10, 2013: Beth Wood

Beth Wood in Wyoming

We are blessed to host Beth Wood, a singer/songwriter with an amazing voice, great guitar playing and wonderful songs this week. She can rock the house as she does when singing the Star Spangled Banner to open baseball games or present a poignant, sensitive ballad in a small, sweet voice. But don’t just take my word for it:

“Beth Wood is a musical triple-threat — a thoughtful songwriter and talented multi-instrumentalist with a supple, soulful voice.” — Washington Post

Picture a home-body with an ever-present wanderlust, an introvert with a passion for performing, a creative free-spirit with enough discipline to rework her dream year after year, calloused little hands and a big pile of curly hair…and you’ve got Beth Wood, modern-day troubadour. She won the 2005 Kerrville New Folk Contest, along with another dozen awards for her performances and songwriting at the national and regional level. I’m happy to brag on Beth as a friend, but the point is that Beth is widely recognized in the folk world for her songs, performance and spectacular vocal ability.

If you ask Beth to describe her music, she might just shrug. Some have called it folk, pop, folk-pop, country-folk, Americana, etc. Beth prefers to say it is soulful, organic, free-range, barefoot music delivered through a high energy communicator of joy. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram calls Beth “a superb singer-songwriter whose versatility discourages labeling.” Beth’s songs tell of life and love, stories of all kinds of folks she knows or has seen.

Beth is wonderful to be around – her joy and energy are contagious. Her performances are masterful and warm and personal at the same time. Please get in touch so you can be part of this wonderful evening.

http://www.bethwoodmusic.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Beth-Wood/157422938805
http://www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.aspx?epk_id=26213
http://twitter.com/#!/bethwoodmusic
http://www.myspace.com/bethwoodmusiccom

Music at 7:30 p.m. Potluck and socializing at 6:30 p.m. Please bring a dish and beverage to share. Wine or beer are welcome. Water, glasses, dishes and silver provided.

For more information and an invitation, please contact Lee by e-mail at windycityhouseconcerts@gmail.com or at 773-334-5776.

Suggested artist donation $20 (All funds go to the musician.)

To get emails about our shows, please click here to subscribe to our mailing list.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013: Stephanie Bettman and Luke Halpin

Stephanie Bettman and Luke Halpin

Stephanie Bettman is at least a triple threat. An accomplished writer, singer, and fiddler: her lyrics are infused with wit and wisdom, poetry and insight. Vocally she draws comparison to the soaring soprano of Joan Baez and the plaintive emotion of Emmylou Harris. Meanwhile, her fiddling, which combines elements of bluegrass and jazz, is filled with influences from such masters as Stephane Grappelli, Byron Berline and Johnny Gimble. A former actress and circus artist, Bettman is at ease in front of an audience and creates intimacy with her crowd no matter the size.

Luke Halpin is a renowned multi-instrumentalist. A master of the guitar and the mandolin, impressive on fiddle, banjo, and adept at nearly anything he picks up. Halpin draws inspiration from the likes of Sam Bush, Mark O’Connor and Tony Rice and holds his own in comparison. A dynamic and sensitive vocalist himself, the harmony blend he and Bettman achieve is chilling and at times simply transcendent. Halpin has a long history in the music biz, having shared the stage with the likes of Merle Haggard, Lone Star and The Steve Miller Band (to name a few). His quirky sense of humor is a perfect foil to Stephanie’s dry witty presence.

Together, Bettman & Halpin are fast earning a reputation for hypnotizing performances filled with irresistible lyrics, transcendent harmonies and roof-raising instrumentals. They have been a featured act at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, KS along with musical heroes Byron Berline, Michael Martin Murphy w/ Pat Flynn, and Tommy Emmanuel. Their music creates a fully acoustic, delightfully eclectic sound far greater than the sum of its parts: taking the listener from up-tempo down home fiddlin’, to soulful sorrowful ballads, to super hooky folk/pop with catchy melodies and lyrics that will stick with you long after the concert is over. Touring nationally together since2008, Bettman & Halpin have been recognized in various Regional and National competitions, including:

  • Grand Prize Winners in the So Cal Live Acoustic Music Competition
  • Winners in Southern California’s Topanga Banjo / Fiddle Contest
  • Music Connection’s Top 25 New Music Critiques

Their first 2 CDs have received national and international radio play and critical acclaim, both reaching the top 10 on the National Folk DJ chart. Their Live CD is out and they are currently working on their 3rd studio release.

We love Stephanie and Luke and so will you. We’ve been fans for a long time and have hosted them before in New Mexico, so it’s our pleasure to share their music with our friends here in Chicago!

http://stephaniebettman.com

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1079164746

https://twitter.com/#!/stephaniebettma

https://www.facebook.com/lukehalpinmusic

https://twitter.com/#!/lukehalpin

Music at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. BYOB wine or beer. Water and glasses provided.

For more information and an invitation, please contact Lee by e-mail windycityhouseconcerts@gmail.com or at 773-334-5776.

Suggested artist donation $20
(All funds go to the musicians.)


To get emails about our shows, please click here to subscribe to our mailing list.

Saturday, May 25, 2013: Hungrytown

Hungrytown Picnic

Hungrytown is the band name of celebrated musical duo Rebecca Hall and Ken Anderson. Their deceptively simple compositions are rooted firmly in folk tradition. Listen closely to Rebecca’s finely crafted lyrics, painting pictures and telling stories. Hear beautiful singing and playing and harmonies from a musically gifted duo. And spend time with two of the nicest people we know.

“Hungrytown make folk music of astonishing delicacy and purity. If Rebecca is the nightingale, singing with a voice of captivating beauty, then Ken’s arrangements are a lacework of branches, a frame of natural beauty in itself. Contemporary American folk music is full of people trying to evoke times gone by and there seem to be almost as many ways of doing this as there are old-timey acts. Hungrytown have a distinctive slant on this whole idea and I think the quiet beauty of their music almost sounds like a prayer for calm in a febrile world.” – John Davy – Flyinshoes Review (UK)

“I love the sound of Rebecca Hall’s voice. There’s a sweetness and a worldly wisdom, in perfect balance.” – Roger McGuinn

“When not performing, this duo is known as Rebecca Hall and Ken Anderson and you will need to go a long way to find a more talented and likeable couple. Their music mixes the snow of their home in Vermont, the dew on the grass of a cool summer morning in the Appalachians, the hard-scrabble grittiness and pluck of common folk the world over together with the melancholy of lost loves, broken hearts, and shattered dreams, distilling it into an intoxicating, hauntingly seductive blend that you always want more of. Ken and Rebecca’s multi-instrumental artistry’s range and depth is impressive, running from a shy lover’s soft, gentle caress to a hardened, bitter fist shaking against an evil fate, to a wry, ironic, self-mocking sense of humor. Their voices, each a thing of wonder in its own right, when combined completely bowl you over and by turn lift you to dizzy heights of joy and dash you to aching sadness. If you enjoy folk music with substance and style, your appetite for Hungrytown will never be satisfied.” – Mark Pendleton – Las Cruces, NM Sun News

Please join us for an evening of music and fellowship with Hungrytown. With food for the body (potluck) and soul (music and friends), you’ll be happy you visited Hungrytown.

http://hungrytown.net
https://www.facebook.com/Hungrytown
http://www.reverbnation.com/hungrytown
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL66159D7617A47F92

Potluck and Socializing at 6:30 p.m. Music at 7:30 p.m. Please bring a dish and wine or other beverage to share.

For information and an invitation, please contact Lee by e-mail windycityhouseconcerts@gmail.com or at 773-334-5776.

Suggested artist donation $20
(All funds go to the musicians.)


To get emails about our shows, please click here to subscribe to our mailing list.

Saturday, February 25, 2012: Antje Duvekot

Antje pearl necklace hi res
Antje Duvekot is one of the brightest singer-songwriters to rise out of Boston’s competitive acoustic music scene. Her second studio album, “The Near Demise of the High Wire Dancer” on Black Wolf Records was released in 2009 (she has a new live album out since then). Antje chose one of her favorite songwriters, Richard Shindell to produce the album. Richard lent his talent to the record and brought in well respected musicians such as John Gorka, Lucy Kaplansky and Victor Krauss.

“What a blessing to have worked with someone as talented as Antje. With a voice like hers, and songs as good as these, a producer (especially a first-time producer!) just tries to get out of the way, to do no harm, and to let the artist speak for herself.” – Richard Shindell

“The Near Demise of the High Wire Dancer” demonstrates why, according to The Boston Globe, “Antje Duvekot’s provocative, dark-eyed ballads are becoming the talk of the folk world. Duvekot has gotten hotter, faster than any local songwriter in recent memory.” The songs on the album reflect both Duvekot’s personal journeys and her observations of those of others. Antje remarks “I’ve come to find that writing about someone else’s struggles or happiness feels just as cathartic as writing about my own.”

“As far as I can tell, Antje is the whole package… I’ve had this reaction once in the past 10 years, and that was the first time I heard Patty Griffin… Antje has proven once again that she ranks with the most intense and beautiful songwriter on the planet”- Dave Marsh former Editor of Rolling Stone and XM/ Sirius Satellite Host

Along with 7 new songs, Antje and Richard decided to add studio versions of some of her best known songs such as, “Merry Go Round”, which was used in a Bank of America national TV ad campaign as well as radio favorite “Long Way”. “Since I first recorded this older material live, I have become a better performer”, Antje explains “I decided to revive the songs that were worthy and produce them properly so that I should not be such a bad mother to them”.

Singer songwriter Ellis Paul says “Antje is the rare artist that can write about the social and the personal in the same breath. She is as understated as she is wise and her songs go down mentally as well as soulfully. Her voice has a sound of innocence and naivety which makes razor sharp insights into the human condition.”

Neil Dorfsman, the producer of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Sting says, “When I first heard Antje I knew I was witnessing something very special. She creates an entire, detailed world in verse, and takes you there with beautiful and understated melody. Her songs are stunning paintings of color and shade and always generate the heat and light that real art should. In an unpoetic and ‘in your face’ world, she is lyrical and subtle.”

http://antjeduvekot.com
http://www.facebook.com/AntjeDuvekotMusic

Suggested artist donation $20

Music starts at 7:00 p.m. Socializing from 6:00 p.m.

Light refreshments provided, BYO wine and/or potluck refreshments to share are welcome.

For more information and an invitation, please contact Lee at 575-571-9178 or by e-mail at lasalturashouseconcerts (at) gmail.com.

Saturday, February 4, 2011: Hungrytown

Hungrytown

Hungrytown is the band name of celebrated musical duo Rebecca Hall and Ken Anderson. Their deceptively simple compositions are rooted firmly in folk tradition; “in fact, Hungrytown’s music offers such an aura of authenticity–in titles and in tunes–it could be easily mistaken for original trad transcripts,” declares Lee Zimmerman of Performing Songwriter, and Rachel Nones of the Feminist Review raves “Hungrytown is American folk music at its zenith.” Early reviews of the CD have landed the group daily airplay on XM Radio’s “The Village,” and Hungrytown songs are beginning to appear on playlists across the country, including Boston’s WUMB, New York’s WFUV and Philadelphia’s WXPN.

In Hungrytown, things are not always what they seem. In “Rose or the Briar,” a Carter-Family-style parlor ballad, a young man is drawn to a beautiful girl, but finds her lovely appearance offset by her prickly disposition. “One Morning in May,” conjuring ’60s-era folk rock, begins with a soldier marching confidently off to what he thinks will be an quick and easy victory, only to find himself mired in an endless and pointless war. The metaphorical heart of the album, “Hungrytown Road,” is a bluegrass waltz depicting a poor girl’s longing to discover her potential beyond the boundaries of her limited and difficult life. Indeed, each character in Hungrytown is a resident–the variety of musical styles reflect each of their personalities, trials and perils. Hungrytown is a place where many of us have been, and where many of us still live.

And now Hungrytown has a new CD out, “Any Forgotten Thing.”
Read all about it in this New York Music Daily review: http://newyorkmusicdaily.wordpress.com/2011/12/06/hungrytown/.

Please come join us for a wonderful evening of music and friendship. Ken and Rebecca are good friends (this is our third time hosting them) and you will enjoy their music and their warmth as people.

http://hungrytown.net
https://www.facebook.com/Hungrytown
http://www.myspace.com/hungrytown

Suggested artist donation $15

Music starts at 7:00 p.m. Socializing from 6:00 p.m.

Light refreshments provided, BYO wine and/or potluck refreshments to share are welcome.

For more information and an invitation, please contact Lee at 575-522-5197 or by e-mail at lasalturashouseconcerts (at) gmail.com.

Saturday, December 3, 2011: Kate MacLeod


Kate McLeod

Backed by her own guitar, fiddle, and harmonica, Kate MacLeod sings of life with both deceptive subtlety and uncompromising power.
“Kate MacLeod would take the breath away from any audience. She appeals to fans of bluegrass, Celtic and traditional American folk music,
with elements of each being revealed in her performance. Listeners are engaged by the richness and maturity of her original material.
While challenging enough for seasoned folk aficionados, her music remains accessible to less experienced ears. Count on a magical show.
I couldn’t have expected anything better.” -Bill Beneke, Princeton Coffeehouse, Princeton, IL

I can personally attest to all of these comments. When I first got to hear Kate perform at a Folk Alliance Showcase, I knew I wanted
to book her. I caught her in the hall outside the showcase room and we decided to book a show. It took a couple years, but now I can
share Kate’s amazing talents with you.

http://www.katemacleod.com/
http://www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.aspx?epk_id=88743
http://www.youtube.com/user/macleodkate

Details:
Saturday, December 3, 7:00 p.m.
Music starts at 7:00 p.m. Socializing from 6:00 p.m.
Light refreshments provided, BYO wine and/or potluck refreshments to share are welcome.<br /
Please RSVP to Lee at lasalturashouseconcerts@gmail.com
or by phone: 575-522-5197.
Suggested artist donation $15

Thursday, October 20, 2011: Sarah McQuaid


Sarah McQuaid

Renowned for her warm, engaging stage presence, Sarah McQuaid is a versatile and beguiling performer.
In addition to her own elegantly crafted originals, she interprets traditional Irish and Appalachian folk songs,
Elizabethan ballads, 1930s jazz numbers, surprise covers and lively guitar instrumentals with panache and poignance.

Her deliciously earthy voice delivers a powerful emotional punch that’s matched by her distinctive, eloquent guitar style.
Add this to wonderful storytelling and a genuinely heartfelt rapport with her audience, and you have all the ingredients of a great night out.

http://www.sarahmcquaid.com/
https://www.facebook.com/sarahmcquaidmusic
http://www.reverbnation.com/sarahmcquaid
http://sarahmcquaid.bandcamp.com
http://www.youtube.com/sarahmcquaid

Details:
Saturday, August 20, 2011, 7:00 p.m.
Music starts at 7:00 p.m. Socializing from 6:00 p.m.
Please bring potluck food and wine to share.
Please RSVP to Lee at lasalturashouseconcerts@gmail.com
or by phone: 575-522-5197
Suggested artist donation $15

Saturday, September 24, 2011: Stephanie Bettman and Luke Halpin

Stephanie Bettman and Luke Halpin

Stephanie Bettman is a triple threat. An accomplished writer, she infuses her music with wit and wisdom, exploring the many facets of the human heart. Stephanie’s songs are sometimes sad, sometimes sassy, but always stunning. As a vocalist, she moves effortlessly from her up-tempo bluegrass originals (featuring her fiery fiddling), to a soothing honey-sweet ballad, to a rousing passionate anthem. While her first-rate fiddling combines elements of bluegrass and jazz, in her essence there is tribute to such masters as Stephane Grappelli, Byron Berline, and Johnny Gimble. One thing’s for sure, if Stephanie Bettman is on the bill, you are in for an unforgettable performance that will have you hooked from the first fiddle line to the last sweet harmony.

Touring with Stephanie is multi-instrumentalist Luke Halpin, who is equally adept on mandolin, fiddle and guitar. Inspired by the likes of Sam Bush, Tony Rice, and Mark O’Conner, Luke’s perfectly blended harmonies and his instrumental expertise together with Stephanie’s artistry and performance make for a dynamic experience audiences are discovering from coast to coast.

If you heard them on one of their earlier visits to Las Cruces, you already know all of this. So mark your calendar and come join us. If you haven’t heard Stephanie and Luke, you are in for a remarkable treat.

http://stephaniebettman.com

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1079164746

https://twitter.com/#!/stephaniebettma

https://www.facebook.com/lukehalpinmusic

https://twitter.com/#!/lukehalpin

Suggested artist donation $15

Music starts at 7:00 p.m. Socializing from 6:00 p.m.

Please bring potluck food and wine to share.

For more information, please contact Lee at lasalturashouseconcerts@gmail.com or by phone: 575-522-5197

Saturday, August 20, 2011: Jan Seides

Jan Seides

Jan Seides (pronounced Sigh-deez) has won major awards in regional to national songwriting competitions. Her songs combine down-home honesty with up-town sophistication, and have been described as Nanci Griffith meets Broadway.  Jan holds a Music degree from University of Texas. Her unique musical background includes a degree from University of Texas, School of Music. There she studied piano and composition, exploring folk, classical, jazz, pop, rock and country. She is a spellbinding storyteller in both word and song.

http://www.janseides.com/

Details:
Saturday, August 20, 2011, 7:00 p.m.
Music starts at 7:00 p.m. Socializing from 6:00 p.m.
Please bring potluck food and wine to share.
Please RSVP to Lee at lasalturashouseconcerts@gmail.com
or by phone: 575-522-5197
Suggested artist donation $15