2019 Listening Room Season
Friday, January 18th at 7:30 pm
Martin Sexton
Saturday, February 16 at 7:30 pm
The Wildwoods
Friday, March 1st at 7:30 pm
FREDDY & FRANCINE
Friday, April 12th at 7:30 pm
Jessica Paige
Saturday, May 25th at 7:30 pm
Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal
Friday, June 21 at 7:30 pm
MAX HATT / EDDA GLASS
Opening show: Roger Landes, Robin Harrell
Saturday, July 20th at 7:30 pm
FY5
Friday, September 27th at 7:30 pm
MARK ERELLI
New England-based multi-instrumentalist Mark Erelli wears many hats–singer, songwriter, sideman, producer–but approaches each of these varied roles with a belief in the transformative power of paying attention. Bearing witness to small details and fleeting moments is what dignifies our everyday stories, rendering the mundane profound. This principle governs Erelli’s approach to his craft, and is uniquely evident on his latest release, Mixtape, which features revelatory reinterpretations of songs by the Grateful Dead, Neko Case, Roy Orbison and others.
Erelli’s two decade career highlights include 11 solo albums, stints accompanying Josh Ritter, Paula Cole and Anais Mitchell, and a pair of records he produced for GRAMMY-winning songwriter Lori McKenna. Ever since Billboard magazine heralded the “simple, atmospheric grace” of his Signature Sounds debut, Erelli’s belief in the sacredness of an examined life has driven him between the ostensible extremes of lullabies and murder ballads, western swing and protest anthems. It has propelled him from the hallowed stages of the Newport Folk Festival, Grand Ole Opry and Royal Albert Hall, and beckoned him back home, to better nurture his 16-year marriage and be a father to his two young boys.
Whether he’s holding a pen or a Telecaster, Erelli’s music welcomes even the casual listener, but those who choose to dig more deeply are richly rewarded. Perhaps that is what Folk Alley hears in Erelli’s songs, when it encourages people to “listen close; there’s sure to be something in there to break your heart a split second before it leads you straight to grace.”
Friday, October 18th at 7:30 pm
THE CRANE WIVES
In Japanese folklore, the crane wife is a bird disguised as a woman who spins fine silks from her own feathers, until her identity is discovered. The Crane Wives spin fine songs from whole cloth, and you will never want the melodies to leave your head.
From murky origins in Chinese restaurants, high school ska bands, and dorm room jam sessions, the band came together in 2010 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and immediately began gathering a following with intricate melodies, sister-harmonies, and compelling songcraft. Initially part of the indie folk boom, their sound has grown and broadened with each new recording till categorization becomes difficult: rock, pop, folk? Just call it really good music.
Audiences and critics agree: seven “Jammie” awards from influential radio station WYCE in ’11, ’12, ’16 and ’17; winner of Best Folk/Country song from international competition ArtPrize for “Easier” in ’12; and selection as one of ten “Entries We Loved” from the renowned NPR Tiny Desk Contest for “High Horse” in ’17.
Kate Pillsbury: guitars, vocals, a twinkle in her eye that tells you she sees through your BS but chooses to be amused by it. Emilee Petersmark: guitars, banjo, vocals, boots that will stamp out injustice wherever it may lurk. Ben Zito: bass, occasional howls, secret production weapon. Dan Rickabus: drums, harmony vocals, engineering, relentless and frankly exhausting levels of positivity.
Four albums released to date: “Safe Ship, Harbored” (2011), “The Fool In Her Wedding Gown” (2012), “Coyote Stories” (2015), and “Foxlore” (2016), plus a series of new singles in 2017, all available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Google Play, Bandcamp, CDBaby, and hell, even Myspace. If you want to hear about love, life, fear, hope, pain, and the occasional natural disaster, this band, and these songs, are for you.
Friday, November 8 at 7:30 pm
The Talbott Brothers – Acoustic
Our favorite brother duo is back supporting their ” Run No More” tour. Tonight will just be Nick & Tyler, acoustic !!
Blood is thicker than water and there’s nothing like family creating music together to prove it. With contrasting blood-harmonies and left-handed/right-handed guitar playing, singer-songwriter duo The Talbott Brothers combine rock, blues and pop with honest storytelling.
Nick and Tyler were born and raised in Imperial, a small town in Southwestern Nebraska, just a stone’s throw from the Colorado border. They began writing and performing together before relocating to their mother’s birthplace of Portland, Oregon. Tyler, the youngest (lead vocals, baritone guitar, harmonica) and Nick, the oldest (backing vocals, lead guitar) discovered their love of music after digging their dad’s old dreadnaught guitar out of the basement and teaching themselves to play along to Johnny Cash, Bob Seger and the Beatles on vinyl.
Following the release of 2017’s GRAY, they found themselves in front of sold out crowds in the US and sharing the stage with ZZ Ward, Johnnyswim and AJR. Ear to the Ground Music dubbed the record as one of the ‘Top 5 Albums of the Year’ stating it as, “equal parts optimistic and captivating, inspiring and hopeful.”
Through rigorous touring and over half a million streams on Spotify, they continue to build a strong and loyal fanbase wherever they go.
Their new single ” Run No More” was just named by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the best Americana Songs to HEAR now !!!
Saturday, November 9th at 7:30 pm
THE TALBOTT BROTHERS BAND
YES !!! We are doing two nights of shows. Saturday night the boys are bringing in their band for a whole new set of music !!!! We’re hoping you’ll go on a TB binge and come both nights. See you there.
Friday, December 13th at 7:30 pm
Roger Landes & Chipper Thompson
Roger Landes and Chipper Thompson: best friends and two dramatically different musicians had long appreciated each other’s ability and style and even jammed together, but never played in true collaboration until recording a landmark CD of original music for two bouzoukis, “Janissary Stomp,”in 2001. [ The Janissaries were the elite “shock troops” of the Ottoman Sultan, and the intense, rather eastern tenor of much of the music Chipper and Roger composed for the project suggested its name.]
Roger’s background is in the traditional music of Ireland and Scotland, as well as Medieval European music and a smattering of Mediterranean-based World Music. Chipper’s is an eclectic blend of Appalachian ballads, Rock-n-Roll, Blues and that same dash of Eastern flavor. As much as they loved each other’s style, couldn’t they find some tunes to play together? They found that they would have to create their own music to play together, and it came to them the first time they jointly composed a tune, and the recording went far beyond that beginnings. The result is a tour de force of globe-trotting, genre-blending music played entirely on the bouzouki.
Roger and Chipper toured in support of the CD 2004 -2007, with one of their last performances being at The Listening Room in 2006. In May of 2019 they decided to do some concerts together and rekindle the energy and magic of “ The Stomp” recording !! It was mind-blowing !! So don’t let the fact that you’re not sure what a bouzouki is stop you from coming to see these guys. It’s going to be a fun night of music.
Past shows: