 September 13, 2024 (Friday): Harry Manx with Kevin Breit  click
for details
Like the song says....."Im just wild about Harry!!"..and you will be too!
It takes begging and pleading to get Harry to come to the States these days. I did and he is!! What can I say about Harry....we have had him here many times....for a reason. Canadian artist (artist in every sense of the word) Harry Manx known as the "Mysticssippi" blues man has been called an "essential link" between the music of East and West, creating musical short stories that wed the tradition of the Blues with the depth of classical Indian ragas. I mean, who else would play a banjo, guitar and sitar, and keeps the beat with his feet. Oh, and great songs too. There is no one like him. He has created a unique sound that is hard to forget and deliciously addictive to listen to. We are obviously hooked on Harry too. As we said, his U.S. appearances can be a rare sighting, so we are so happy and lucky he is back!
Joining Harry is award winning Canadian guitarist Kevin Breit with a genre-bending style that encompasses jazz, blues, country, and experimental rock.
It's gonna be a super show!!!
September 14, 2024 (Saturday): Darin & Brooke Aldridge click
for details
Ya know when I say, you gotta see this act? Well ya gotta and bettah!
I have wanted to get this husband and wife country bluegrass act for awhile. They are so pure. Watch this video of a song they wrote about the Ryman “Grand Ole Circle” …where they of course have graced.
Darin and Brooke continue to ascend to new heights in the industry while maintaining their easy-going, down-to-earth connection with audiences everywhere. Brooke is a four-time consecutive winner and reigning Female Vocalist of the Year for the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA). She was nominated for a fifth time in 2021 while Darin is a former IBMA Mentor of the Year and a truly gifted singer and multi-instrumentalist. Darin and Brooke have also been recognized with the IBMA’s nomination for 2021 Vocal Group of the Year. They have had multiple nominations over the years from the IBMA, the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA), and the Inspirational Country Music Association. On April 18, 2023, they were named “Bluegrass Artists of the Year” at the Absolutely Gospel Music Awards. Well if that’s not enough to get you here I don't know what is!!???
Come join us in welcoming them to our stage for the first time. And they are so dang cute together!
September 20, 2024 (Friday): Eileen Ivers & The BRIGIDEENS click
for details
Featuring Eileen Ivers, a brand-new acoustic powerhouse, fiery female band came together as a group of talented musicians and singers from the Celtic and Americana traditions. Led by Grammy awarded, Emmy-nominated, 9-time All-Ireland Fiddle Champion, Eileen Ivers, Eileen formed the group to showcase the mighty dimension of talent in today’s female artists. Native New Yorkers, Caitlin Maloney is on lead vocals and Hilary Hawke on 5-string banjo, upright bass, clarinet, spoons and background vocals. Anna Colliton, a Chicago native, is a master of the bodhran, the traditional Irish frame drum, and cajon/percussion. From Maryland, guitarist and vocalist, Colin Forhan, also plays tenor banjo and concertina. Colin performs double duty as a member of Eileen Ivers and Universal Roots.
Check them out.
September 27, 2024 (Friday): Heather Pierson click
for details
A Celebration of Heather's New Album, Back To The Light
SMAC is honored to bring this special show to celebrate the release of Heather's forthcoming album, Back To The Light, her most vibrant release yet. The first single, 'Up Here In The Mountains', will be released June 21. Back To The Light was recorded at Acadia Recording Company in Portland, ME with her trio mates Shawn Nadeau on bass and drummer Craig Bryan. This new album of Heather's originals pulsates throughout with the grooves of New Orleans, the beauty of Appalachia, and Sunday-go-to-meeting celebration. 'Everybody's tryin' to be free of the ghosts that haunt them at night,' she sings in the title track, and what better way to nourish and embolden oneself in the darkness than with the medicine of song?
We agree…..don't miss it!
September 28, 2024 (Saturday): Gibson Brothers click
for details
There’s a reason why Ricky Skaggs pulled Eric and Leigh Gibson off the stage at the Ryman two decades ago and offered to produce their debut record.The same thing that led David Ferguson and Grammy Award winning producer and Black Keys front man Dan Auerbach to co-write and produce their 14th album “Mockingbird” (2018) and release it on his own label Easy Eye Sound alongside cultural icons such as Hank Williams Jr. and Dr. John:the Gibson Brothers are the real deal.They can pick.They can sing.And they can write a damn good country song. They’ve won about every bluegrass award you can name and released albums on almost every premier Americana label you can think of including Sugar Hill and Rounder, and, if that’s not enough, their songs have been recorded by bluegrass legends no less than Del McCoury. It’s a resume almost anybody in country music would be proud to have. But despite all of this, the Gibson Brothers are not yet household names. Their latest album, “Darkest Hour,” produced by dobro master Jerry Douglas might just change that.
I tell you what they are household names in our house!!
Oh, I love these these bluegrass greats!!! You name a bluegrass award and they have won it : Songwriter of the Year, Entertainer of the Year, Emerging Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Vocal Group of the Year....and some of these multiple times! These brothers of bluegrass, write really amazing songs, have beautiful voices and are just the real deal. In a climate of new grass and a glut on new string bands, these brothers hold true to the old time bluegrass and country. They were featured on Prairie Home Companion last year and of course many of you have seen them here at Christmas....they always bring the house down. They have a sound that is so sincere. It's like they grew up in a country band decades ago, when the divisions of country music were not so defined. But they are every bit of here for today's' stages. They have a killer band, and are a personal favorite of mine....Come highly SMAC recommended.
October 5, 2024 (Saturday): Darrell Scott click
for details
Hey all you song writer lovers … this guy in my opinion is 100% exactly what singer songwriter should be. Scott has collaborated with Steve Earle, Sam Bush, Emmylou Harris, John Cowan, Verlon Thompson, Guy Clark, Tim O'Brien, Kate Rusby, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Mary Gauthier, Dan Tyminski, and Brad Paisely recorded his song "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive" on the finale of Justified ( a favorte SMAC show by the way!) Here is his version of this great song with some talented friends.
Gaining new fame by touring with Robert Plant and the Zac Brown Band (2 years with each), and producing albums for Malcolm Holcomb and Guy Clark and being named "songwriter of the year" for both ASCAP and NSAI, Darrel Scott has been one buys song writer. A multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter who mines and cultivates the everyday moment, taking the rote, menial, mundane, and allowing it to be surreal, ever poignant, and candidly honest, lilting, blooming, and resonating. The words he fosters allow us to make sense of the world, what is at stake here, and our place in it. And ultimately, Darrell knows the sole truth of life is that love is all that matters, that we don't always get it right, but that's the instinctive and requisite circuitous allure of things, why we forever chase it, and why it is held sacred.
These days find him roaming his Tennessee wilderness acreage hiking along the small river, creating delicious meals with food raised on his property and playing music. He often leads songwriting workshops to help people tell their own truths with their stories, and is as busy as always writing, producing, performing, and just plain fully immersing himself in life. For this night he will immerse himself up a country road. Happy to have him back.
October 11, 2024 (Friday): Maia Sharp & Willy Porter click
for details
What a GREAT DOUBLE BILL ... TWO GREAT SONGWRITERS
Maia Sharp
Maia has had her songs recorded by Bonnie Raitt, The Chicks, Trisha Yearwood, Keb’ Mo’, Cher, Edwin McCain, David Wilcox, Art Garfunkel, Lizz Wright, Paul Carrack, Lisa Loeb, Terri Clark, and many more. And through it all, Maia has continued to record her own albums including: nine solo releases, one collaborative project with Art Garfunkel and Buddy Mondlock, and her duo project- Roscoe & Etta (with writing/production partner Anna Schulze). Each release has been embraced by press and radio and has led to extensive touring and appearances on Mountain Stage, Acoustic Cafe, World Cafe, NPR’s “All Things Considered,” CBS Early Morning, and the Today Show to name a few.
Bonnie Raitt says, "Maia is making some of the most innovative and soulful music around with songs that are head and shoulders above the rest. She has become one of my favorite artists….a brilliant album, start to finish.”
Willy Porter
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. 30 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 thrust to critical acclaim began in 1994 with Dog Eared Dream and continues with his latest The Ravine.
Don’t miss this night of great songwriting.
October 13, 2024 (holiday weekend): Sunday Funday Wine Dinner
This Event Also Helps to Benefit Mountain Top Music
Carol Noonan and friends with Our Hilarious Bafoon of a Wine Critic Nigel Hoggsbottem. A Not So Serious Wine Dinner!!
Come see one of the most unique events SMAC has to offer .
Between each course there will be segments of music, film clips and hilarious banter from “wine critic” Nigel Hoggsbottem. The fun starts in the Lobby at 5:00 with apps and your first wine ... so please be prompt.
October 17, 2024 (Thursday): Comedian Bob Marley click
for details
I don't know any other person who worked harder to keep us entertained during 2020 and beyond than comedian Bob Marley. His daily videos were a comic relief from the world's challenges, and there have been many. Bob has a gift and a way of finding the hilarity in the obvious and the seemingly common occurrences in our sometimes mundane lives. In fact, he would make fun of me for saying all this!!. I can just hear him mocking me now!
On a personal note, Bob kept my staff from going crazy! We appreciate him for being one of the artists that was willing to do shows in whatever way he could to make venues and people laugh..whether it was a small capacity show or a drive in…he did it all. Nothing can stop the Bob Marley train and we love him for that. And yes, I said artist!!
Bob is not just our Maine comedian, he is one of the funniest people in the current world of comedy. His viral videos have thrust him into further popularity as one of the hottest and most sought after comedians in the country. But we are lucky he will still come to us! You know'em, you love'm...more than 15 years as a stand-up comic, Maine's own Bob Marley has been featured in his own special on Comedy Central, and is one of the few comics to do the complete late night TV circuit: The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Craig Kilborn. But all those accolades aside, he is just one of us, and we can't get enough of him. And geesh don't we all need to laugh right now. Always a quick sell out!
October 18, 2024 (Friday): Rickie Lee Jones click
for details
Rickie Lee Jones is an American musician, storyteller and two-time Grammy winner who has been inspiring pop culture for decades, beginning with her star-making self-titled debut, followed by the seminal Pirates. Named the “premiere song-stylist and songwriter of her generation” by The New Yorker, and “The Duchess of Coolsville” by Time magazine, Jones released her Grammy-nominated album Pieces of Treasure in 2023, a reunion with Russ Titelman, who produced her first two records. Jones’ celebrated memoir Last Chance Texaco was named Book of the Year by MOJO and a Best Book of the Year at Pitchfork and NPR. The Independent writes, “There has always been something defiant about Rickie Lee Jones . . . a voice from a dream, elusive yet familiar, transcendent, a messenger from another place.”
October 19, 2024 (Saturday): The Lone Bellow click for details
Zach Williams, The Lone Bellow’s lead singer and principal songwriter, can pinpoint just about exactly when the Brooklyn-based group serendipitously willed itself into being. It was around 9 a.m. one morning in 2010, at Dizzy’s Diner in Park Slope, Brooklyn, where The Lone Bellows guitarist and Williams’ old friend Brian Elmquist was working a shift. Williams, up to then performing as a solo artist, needed a place to try out some new songs; for a scuffling artist, the diner was as good as any rehearsal space. He asked fellow singer Kanene Pipkin, just returned to New York City from living in Beijing, to meet them at the diner and the trio did more than merely jam. With the beginnings of a repertoire and an already strong communal spirit, that fateful morning they became The Lone Bellow. As Williams recalls, “Three songs in I realized I should quit what I’m doing and just make music with these people.”
October 26, 2024 (Saturday): Mike Farris click
for details
I read a review that said that ..."there aren't many current male singers who use their voices to soar, float and deliver material with the spiritual commitment of Mike Farris." I couldn't agree more and we just loved him his late visit. Grammy award winning Mike Farris is truly a soulful singer in every sense of the word. If you are as tired as I am of the wimpy you tube singers they are pumping out these days, than Mike Farris is the cure. A little renegade, a little Gospel, a little Sam Cooke , and a lot uniquely his own. We are wicked excited to have him back. Check him out.
November 1, 2024 (Friday): Bruce Cockburn click
for details
Dubbed "The Canadian Bob Dylan," Bruce Cockburn has 40 albums and nearly 400 songs to his name in over 50 years of music-making. He embraces folk, jazz, rock, and world as he sings heartfelt stories of personal exploration, politics, and spirituality. A twelve-time Juno Award winner, Bruce is one of Canada’s most revered, treasured, and innovative artists. It’s been too long since we have had him back. So happy he will grace our stage.
November 2, 2024 (Saturday): Erica Brown and the Bluegrass Connection details
We love this band…the pride of Maine...they have been through thick an thin with us these last few years and we are so happy to have them back on our stage!!!
Their latest album, Blue Pine Moon, and Erica and her five piece band feature some of the finest musicians in New England. The band features award winning fiddler and singer Erica Brown, Matt Shipman on mandolin, Lincoln Meyers on guitar, Eli Gilbert on banjo and Kris Day on bass. They are energetic, fun and diverse as they incorporate music from the traditional Bluegrass, Folk and Country repertoire as well as French Canadian fiddle music and original songs. It will be a super night of music as always from these special SMAC friends.
November 9, 2024 (Saturday): Ellis Paul click
for details
Ellis is a true Renaissance man. An astute storyteller, poetic and literate, with a stellar stage presence…Ellis Paul is one of those gifted singer/songwriters. Though some may refer to him as a folk singer, he is more, for lack of a better word, a singular storyteller, a musician whose words reach out from inside and yet also express the feelings, thoughts and sensibilities that most people can relate to in one way or another, regardless of age or upbringing. Besides being a fierce troubadour, he can add movie soundtracks, children’s books, artwork and more to his resume.
Don’t miss’em :>)
November 15, 2024 (Friday): Susan Werner click
for details
What can we say about Susan, but when I think of her I think of thoroughly talented, smart and entertaining. She would hate me for saying this, but I think she is the Mary Poppins of us singer songwriters. Her songwriting is poignant and her message is heartfelt…but always getting her point across with a little sugar on top. Couldn't we all have a little of that lately.
But back to her impressive career... Over the course of her twenty-five year touring career, Susan Werner has built a reputation as one of the country’s most compelling live performers. With formidable chops on guitar (she began playing at age 5) and piano (she was a guest on Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz) along with a graduate degree in voice performance, her shows are a one-woman master class in musicianship. Her songs are noted for their poetry and sharp wit, and also for their astonishing stylistic range. She’s written songs in the style of Gershwin and Cole Porter (I Can’t Be New, 2004), gospel music (The Gospel Truth, 2007), traditional Cuban “son” (An American In Havana, 2016), and New Orleans junk piano (NOLA, 2019). In 2014 she composed the music and lyrics to the musical theater score Bull Durham, The Musical (MGM) and her latest recording of original songs, The Birds of Florida, took flight.
November 16, 2024 (Saturday): Tricky Britches click
for details
The RETURN of one of our favorite bands. It’s been too long. Some bluegrass , some country, some folk…some all of that! Tricky Britches formed in 2009, when four friends in Portland, Maine, took their fiddle tunes and country songs on the road across the US. Since then they have released three albums of original material: Comin’ in Hot (2016), Good Company (2013), and Hard Fought Day(2011). They have played on stages big and small across the US, Hawaii, and Europe. But Tricky on our stage is just the most special.
November 22, 2024 (Friday): Juston McKinney click
for details
With multiple appearances on “The Tonight Show”, one-hour specials on “Comedy Central”, and “Amazon Prime”, including “Parentally Challenged” and “On Mid-Life Support”, Juston is at the top of his game. He just released his 5th stand-up special, “On the Bright Side”, currently streaming on his YouTube channel.
Juston was born in Portsmouth, NH and grew up living on the border of New Hampshire and Maine. In the late 1990’s after spending seven years as a Deputy Sheriff in rural Maine, he traded his gun for a microphone and moved to NYC to pursue a career in comedy. He quickly became a regular at Comic Strip Live, Stand-Up New York, Dangerfield’s, Gotham, Caroline’s on Broadway and the New York Times called him, “Destined for stardom.” Juston has starred in numerous Comedy Central shows including his half-hour Comedy Central Presents and his one-hour special “Juston McKinney-A Middle-Class Hole”. He has multiple appearances on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien as well as a Showtime Special with Rob Gronkowski. He has also appeared twice at Denis Leary’s, Comics Come Home at the TD Garden. His TV & movie credits include; The King of Queens,100 Centre Street, The Zoo Keeper and Here Comes the Boom.
November 23, 2024 (Saturday): Amy Helm click
for details
When creating her fourth album, the soulful and reflective Silver City, Amy Helm was guided by her North Star: women’s voices. “Women whispering, singing, shouting their stories - speaking the truth. I wanted to dig into that inherited narrative and reach for what I could.” The epistolary anthology is a collection of conversations that travel through time, exploring and celebrating womanhood in all its complexities. Silver City blends the folk twang of Helm’s childhood with gospel and soul, drawing inspiration from varied stories: the life of Helm’s great-grandmother, the story of a young fan struggling with substance abuse, Helm’s own life as a single mother and hard-touring singer. Recorded at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, New York, and produced by Josh Kaufman, the album finds Helm exploring themes of womanhood, single motherhood, and personal struggles, offering songs that are deeply personal and narrative-driven. With Silver City, Helm embraces the beauty of age, survival, and transformation through her powerful, story-rooted performances. Here with a great band.
November 30, 2024 (Saturday): The Martin Sexton Abbey Road Show details
Martin Sexton puts his signature style on his rendition of this iconic Beatles album combining what Rolling Stone calls his “soul-marinated voice” with his inventive guitar prowess.
We are all invited to Come Together to experience these brilliant songs celebrated in such a compelling reimagined way.
So excited to have Martin here!. Plain and simple....he is one of the best singers I have heard in my lifetime. I was lucky enough to have him sing on one of my albums when he was kicking around Boston, many, many years ago. Little did I know how big a star he would become, and we most humbly welcome him for another visit to Stone Mountain."His outstanding taste in songwriting as well as a soul marinated voice that can easily be compared to the likes of a young Steve Winwood or Van Morrison."- Rolling Stone "The best live performer I've ever seen."- John Mayer. We couldn't agree more…
December 7, 2024 (Saturday): Dana Cunningham and Carol Noonan details
ONE SHOW ONLY ...
Annual Christmas Concert at The Little White Church in Eaton, NH
Dana the composer and pianist, and Carol the singer songwriter together form a really beautiful and fun Christmas show that they play annually at this special place on Crystal Lake in the quaint village of Eaton NH.
Doors open at 7:00 pm - Show begins at 7:30pm
Again, this concert is held at the Little White Church in Eaton NH
Tickets may only be purchased
through the Stone Mountain Arts Center Box Office
Join Dana and Carol for a very special holiday memory
at the Little White Church.
Please Note:
* This is not a SMAC produced show, so SMAC memberships or credits do not apply.
December 8, 2024 (Friday): Annual Christmas Craft Fair Sunday details
The SMAC Kitchen will have a nice brunchy/lunchy menu available all day. (reservations for tables suggested)
Our Halls are "decked" alright!! Two beautiful halls full of some of area artisans and crafters. These are the prettiest Christmas rooms in the Valley. We are proud to announce once again our annual Christmas Craft Fair. Santa will be parking and The SMAC Box Office will be open for all kinds of gift ideas like concert tickets deals and gift certificates. The Bar will be open in the Queen Post Cafe for some Christmas cheer and C'mon by and get all yer shopping done! It's a Christmas Tradition!!
Wanna Be A Vendor?
If you are interested in becoming a vendor for this fair, please email us and pitch your crafty items and booth set up and we will get back to you if we think you will be suitable for this year's event.
The space fee is $125.00 and you will also receive a 50.00 gift certificate from us as a thank you for being part of our event.
December 11, 2024 (Wednesday): Comedian Bob Marley click
for details
I don't know any other person who worked harder to keep us entertained during 2020 and beyond than comedian Bob Marley. His daily videos were a comic relief from the world's challenges, and there have been many. Bob has a gift and a way of finding the hilarity in the obvious and the seemingly common occurrences in our sometimes mundane lives. In fact, he would make fun of me for saying all this!!. I can just hear him mocking me now!
On a personal note, Bob kept my staff from going crazy! We appreciate him for being one of the artists that was willing to do shows in whatever way he could to make venues and people laugh..whether it was a small capacity show or a drive in…he did it all. Nothing can stop the Bob Marley train and we love him for that. And yes, I said artist!!
Bob is not just our Maine comedian, he is one of the funniest people in the current world of comedy. His viral videos have thrust him into further popularity as one of the hottest and most sought after comedians in the country. But we are lucky he will still come to us! You know'em, you love'm...more than 15 years as a stand-up comic, Maine's own Bob Marley has been featured in his own special on Comedy Central, and is one of the few comics to do the complete late night TV circuit: The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Craig Kilborn. But all those accolades aside, he is just one of us, and we can't get enough of him. And geesh don't we all need to laugh right now. Always a quick sell out!
December 13, 2024 (Friday): Stone Mountain LIVE for Christmas details
Hosted by Carol Noonan and the Stone Mountain Boys
featuring Duke Levine, Kevin Barry and very special guest Guitar God Bill Kirchen
There is simply no better place to celebrate the holidays than at Stone Mountain Arts Center! With the lights all strung and garlands galore, Stone Mountain LIVE at Christmas is the whole "Experience"... it takes all the best aspects of this special place on the hill and packs it into one fun festive night! Stone Mountain's owner, Carol Noonan, who hosts this unique revue style show with her house band the Stone Mountain Boys ... featuring guitarists Duke Levine and Kevin Barry. Featuring special guest, the one and only Bill Kirchen...famed of his Commander Cody days and his version of Hot Rod Lincoln, well if we could have a a favorite Uncle for SMAC, it would be him!!
December 14, 2024 (Saturday): Stone Mountain LIVE for Christmas details
Hosted by Carol Noonan and the Stone Mountain Boys
featuring Duke Levine, Kevin Barry and very special guest Guitar God Bill Kirchen
There is simply no better place to celebrate the holidays than at Stone Mountain Arts Center! With the lights all strung and garlands galore, Stone Mountain LIVE at Christmas is the whole "Experience"... it takes all the best aspects of this special place on the hill and packs it into one fun festive night! Stone Mountain's owner, Carol Noonan, who hosts this unique revue style show with her house band the Stone Mountain Boys ... featuring guitarists Duke Levine and Kevin Barry. Featuring special guest, the one and only Bill Kirchen...famed of his Commander Cody days and his version of Hot Rod Lincoln, well if we could have a a favorite Uncle for SMAC, it would be him!!
December 21, 2024 (Saturday): Adam Ezra Group click
for details
If you haven’t connected with Adam Ezra Group yet, this underground, Americana songwriter and his bandmates seem to have popped out of nowhere. They’ve established a connection with their fans unlike any other, and are suddenly selling out theaters throughout the Northeast. This folk musician, activist began playing shows over 20 years ago. When music venues wouldn’t hire him, he played bars, bookstores, fields, and parking lots, often raising money for causes he cared about; a practice that grew into his nonprofit organization Rally Sound, empowering communities through music. These winners of the 2023 New England Music Award’s “Americana Act of the Year”, inspired John Oates to invite Adam to begin a songwriting friendship that would lead to John co-writing and producing their upcoming release “Hold Each Other Now”. How did this happen? Adam will tell you: "One person at a time, over many years and thousands of shows, decided to turn their heads to listen."
These days you’ll find Adam and his bandmates, Corinna Smith (Fiddle), Poche Ponce
(Bass), and Alex Martin (Percussion), constantly out on the road. If you look at their
tour schedule now, you can buy tickets to see them at festivals, rock venues, and
theaters around the country, but you will also see their tour continuously peppered with
activism and grassroots events; a testament to an artist who will never forget where he
came from, and whose mission is about much more than music.
December 31, 2024 (Tuesday): Soggy Po' Boys click
for details
with Celia Woodsmith of Della Mae
The New Orleans styled Soggy Po Boys, native to New England, are spreading the good news of New Orleans music across the northeast and beyond. Joined by Celia Woodsmith a Grammy nominated performer, vocalist, percussionist, and songwriter. A show not to be missed! Perfect to say goodbye to 2024.
*Please note:
Our usual showtimes apply so you can be home for your own countdown :>)
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January 25, 2025 (Saturday): The Suitcase Junket click
for details
The first time Suitcase was here some lucky folks saw him as part of our free music series. That was the first time he blew everyone away. Since then performs to a packed house and does the same. I just love this guy. Totally original and totally a giver when it some to his audience. You feel like part of his journey. One man band, doesn't do this artist justice. Suitcase is an Artist, tinkerer, tunesmith, swamp Yankee. Matt Lorenz is a one-man salvage specialist singing into the hollow of a Dumpster guitar, slipping a broken bottleneck onto the slide finger, railing on a box of twisted forks and bones, rocking till every sound is ragged at its edges, till the house is singing back. Then, unplugging all the amps and letting one mountain ballad soar over the raw strings on that guitar. Every night is a hard-driving, blues-grinding, throat-singing search-and-rescue junket. Sooner or later everything rusts, busts, and gets tossed into the junk heap: iron, bones, leather, hot rods, muskrats, the night, the heart. The goal is to recover it. To waste nothing. To create new ways from old. This is The Suitcase Junket. A Big Staff Favorite for a reason!!!
February 8, 2025 (Friday): Cécilia click
for details
Erin Leahy, Timi Turmel, and Louis Schryer ... Canada's finest
We are very excited about this show..Erin was here with her brother Donnell Leahy and Natalie MacMaster, (Canadina royalty) a while back and she was outstanding, as are Timi and Louis. Traditional music that causes a wonderful stir and fills to overflowing every venue – that is Cécilia! Widely recognized as three of Canada's finest musicians, it is a pleasure to see how much enjoyment Timi Turmel, Erin Leahy, and Louis Schryer find in playing together. While honoring their heritage as Cécilia, their music making has an undeniably fresh and high-spirited sound.
They bring the best of many musical worlds together in their explorations of traditional, Celtic and Quebecois music. Every one of their pieces is skillfully arranged and highlighted with influences from contemporary, classical, jazz and swing styles. Cécilia's recent debut album Accent is an impressive offering full of vibrant rhythms and melodies, all resonating with a unique warmth and richness of expression.
Each performance by Cécilia is a call to come out and share – not only in the joy of three dedicated musicians making music together but also in creating with Timi, Erin, and Louis a unique and memorable musical experience. You'll find yourself with a smile that lasts long after the final notes of Cécilia's accordion, piano, and violin have melted away.
February 14, 2025 (Friday): On A Winter's Night on Valentine's Day details
Reunion Tour 2025 Featuring
John Gorka, Patty Larkin, Lucy Kaplansky, and Cliff Eberhardt
Presenting the Reunion Tour of “On A Winter’s Night” from veteran singer-songwriters that remain among the brightest stars of the singer/songwriter movement for the past three decades. In 1994 musicians gathered together, to showcase music of the Winter Season on the now-classic On A Winter’s Night CD, followed by several years of touring collaborations. As soloists, these artists have released dozens of recordings and toured steadily through the decades, with fond memories of their touring days together. The winter season is again celebrated by these unique and popular performers, back together by popular demand. AND FOR VALENTINE'S DAY!!!
Grab someone you love and come on out for a Winter’s Eve of voice and song.
March 13, 2025 (Thursday): Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy details
The entertainment world is filled with extraordinary stories. But few match the beguiling true-life tale of Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy, Canada’s reigning couple of Celtic music, whose dazzling career achievements underpin an incomparable off-stage life. Indeed, when two of the planet’s very best fiddle players married in 2002, the proverbial mantelpiece was instantly crammed with JUNO and East Coast Music Awards. Though MacMaster and Leahy followed different trajectories – she a Cape Breton native who could step-dance before she could walk; he the oldest brother of acclaimed family group Leahy – both had assuredly crested the traditional music peak. Their first recorded collaboration, 2015’s Bob Ezrin-produced album One, which was followed by 2016’s A Celtic Family Christmas (and which cemented the couple’s status as powerhouses on the seasonal circuit) confirmed MacMaster and Leahy are as dynamic working together as they were working apart. Performing thousands of shows and collaborating with a multitude of world renowned artists Natalie’s and Donnell’s family and work-life have been intertwined. Their values are equally as important in their life as music. They believe incorporating family into the performances and their music is the perfect way to maintain a healthy work-life balance. MacMaster and Leahy now have five beautiful children, and Natalie and Donnell devotion to them is job number one. On a personal note, I cannot describe the elation and emotion when this family performs together...love is not a big enough word. We LOVE them ... comes highly SMAC recommended.
March 29, 2025 (Saturday): Altan click for details
Wow, it’s been too long since we have seen these dear musical friends. With a career in Irish music for 35 years, Altan has achieved legendary status in a genre that has been equally shaped by the band's influence and genius. Audiences from Ireland to Japan to Australia to Europe have embraced their heartwarming, dynamic live performances and their exquisitely produced, award-winning recordings. Over a dozen releases to date, ranging from the most touching old Irish songs to hard-hitting reels and jigs. Chicago Weekly, said, "Thought by many to be the finest traditional Irish combo working today, Altan seamlessly blend dazzling instrumental prowess and the gorgeously delicate vocals of Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh" I would whole heartedly agree. They have not been here for many years and we have missed them. The real deal of Irish bands...don't miss their welcome return.
April 12, 2025 (Saturday): Lonesome Ace Stringband click
for details
Ya know we get more than our share of string band pitched to us these days. But with all the rebooting and reinventions of bluegrass and old timey music, every once in while something more pure comes through and I was so glad we hosted this band. EVERYONE loved them!
Case in point from from Canada , the Lonesome Ace Stringband is an old-time band with bluegrass chops that play some righteous folk and country music. There's a depth of groove and sense of space not often heard in bluegrass today, a level of instrumental interplay and vocal blend uncommon in old-time, and an on-stage rapport that transcends all of this. Click to listen to a sweet ballad on YouTube. But no worries they can S&@t kick it with the rest of them.
April 19, 2025 (Saturday): Alison Brown click
for details
Alison Brown“Like James Taylor’s voice or B.B. King’s guitar, Alison Brown’s banjo is an instrument possessed of a unique sonic signature and an inescapable beauty….an artist who never ceases to delight.”
—Billboard Magazine
One of the most multi-faceted minds in roots music, Alison Brown is a GRAMMY-winning musician, GRAMMY-nominated producer, former investment banker (with an AB from Harvard and an MBA from UCLA), and co-founder of The Compass Records Group which is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2023. Although Alison began her musical career as a teenager in the Southern California bluegrass scene, she has built a reputation as one of today’s most forward thinking and innovative banjo players. She is known for taking the instrument far beyond its Appalachian roots by blending bluegrass and jazz influences into a sonic tapestry that has earned praise and recognition from a variety of national tastemakers including The Wall Street Journal, CBS Sunday Morning, NPR, and USA Today. On her new release, aptly titled On Banjo, Alison continues her musical explorations on a set of original compositions that explore the range of the banjo. The album features an eclectic cast of collaborators including Steve Martin, Kronos Quartet, Sharon Isbin, Anat Cohen, Sierra Hull, Stuart Duncan and members of the Alison Brown Quintet.
Alison is the recipient of the USA Artists Fellowship in Music and the Distinguished Achievement Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association. In 2019, she was inducted into the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame. Alison serves on the Board of Governors of the Recording Academy and as co-chair of the Steve Martin Banjo Prize.
“Banjo music is seldom thought of as ‘mellow’ or, dare we say ‘pretty,’ but Alison Brown makes it so in the jazz-classical-pop-folk-Latin mix of the Alison Brown Quartet. As a true ground-breaker, [she’s] opening up whole new vistas for an instrument once solely associated with pickin’ ‘n’ grinnin’.” —USA Today
So many accolades ... I hope we are deserved of her... for the third time on our stage. Check her out. Always with a great group of players.
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for checking out our schedule... Tickets are on sale Online or at the Arts Center Box Office. 