This guide will be updated throughout the year and allows you
to easily look for performances, events and festivals in your area. You can view them by
Venue, by a particular month, or even search on a performer's name.
If you want your event included in the Simply Folk Calendar, contact Stephanie Elkins
at Wisconsin Public Radio, 821 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706, call
608-890-3177 or E-mail simplyfolk@wpr.org
Count This Penny
Count This Penny is from Madison, Wisconsin by way of East Tennessee and East Texas. They write shiny, bluegrass-tinged folk songs born of doggedly traveling to and from the hills of home.
Steve Cohen & Peter Roller
Steve Cohen, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a performing musician, an educator, and a booking agent. He has been sponsored by Hohner Inc., the world's largest maker of harmonicas, since 1986. He also plays the guitar and sings. Steve performs regularly in several of his own ensembles, averaging more than 100 personal appearances a year and is in demand as a sideman for local and national groups.
Performer Site: http://www.stevecohenblues.com/index.html
5/23/2013
6:00 PM
Olin Turville Park
John Nolan Dr.
Madison, WI
The Whiskey Farm
The Whiskey Farm is an Americana band from Madison, Wisconsin. Formed in 2010, the band released their first record, “Middle of America,” in 2011 and subsequently won the Madison Area Music Award for Best Americana/folk song for “If I Were You.” The Onion A.V. Club described The Whiskey Farm as “straddling the line between bluegrass and folk, blending technical wows with accessible songwriting for very pop-minded Americana.”
Performer Site: http://thewhiskeyfarm.com/
5/23/2013
6:00 PM
Olin Turville Park
John Nolan Dr.
Madison, WI
The Whiskey Farm
The Whiskey Farm is an Americana band from Madison, Wisconsin. Formed in 2010, the band released their first record, “Middle of America,” in 2011 and subsequently won the Madison Area Music Award for Best Americana/folk song for “If I Were You.”
Performer Site: http://thewhiskeyfarm.com/
The Kruger Brothers
Some call the Kruger Brothers "jazz", some call them "classical" and some call them "bluegrass". The are all correct! Experience what happens when these innovative and soulful world-class virtuosos put on a musical performance not to be forgotten.
Performer Site: http://www.krugerbrothers.com/
Kaia Fowler
With a supple, strong voice, Kaia Fowler conveys deep emotions with such honesty and intimacy that listeners feel the joy and sorrow, uncertainty and triumph, regret and serenity captured in her songs. Always, her versatile guitar playing complements the intriguing melodies beautifully. This concert features Peter Mulvey, Perry Baird and Kaia Fowler.
Performer Site: http://www.kaiafowler.com/
5/24/2013
7:30 PM
Drea's Bar
S7863 Hwy G
Loreto Ridge (Hillpoint), WI
RUNA
RUNA brings its Celtic roots music to Loreto Ridge, kicking off the unofficial start of summer with a concert. With members hailing from Ireland, Canada and the US, RUNA’s diversity brings a fresh sound to traditional Celtic tunes. A 2013 Independent Music Award nominee (Best Song - World/Traditional), RUNA will be joined by Dave Curley (County Galway, Ireland) of the Celtic traditional band Slide.
Performer Site: http://www.runamusic.com/wordpress/
Tracy Beck
Tracy Beck is a singer/songwriter whose music combines poetic lyrics, tuneful melodies and soulful harmonica. Her music lures you into reflective story telling that is fueled by longing for love, yearning for the West, and the search for passion and self-discovery. She will lift you up, inspire you and set you free.
Performer Site: http://www.tracybeck.com/
Tracy Feldman
Event Email: jerryw@earlham.edu
Although Tracy has moved out of Wisconsin to North Carolina, he is driving all the way back here to be with us again. His concert last year was so well received that we had to have him back! If you missed his masterful guitar, creative lyrics, or miraculous fiddle (or caught it) here’s another chance. Singer-songwriter Tracy Feldman brings his voice, guitar, and fiddle again to our living room in Minocqua.
Louie's Coop
1441 E. Russell Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53207 414-747-9012
John Stano
The trademark of singer/songwriter, John Stano’s individual sound is a distinctive blend of acoustic six string, twelve string and National steel slide guitar, mandolin, rack harmonica and expressive vocals, developed over many years of performance and study. Initially self-taught, John went on to study American fingerstyle guitar at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and harmonica with national blues legend, Jim Liban. ‘Sing Out’ compared John’s music to early Bob Dylan while ‘Dirty Linen’ was reminded of Country Joe McDonald. His style could be described as acoustic folk-blues, or perhaps Americana, as John’s influences also include rock, bluegrass, alt country and contemporary acoustic music.
Performer Site: http://www.johnstano.com/
Macyn Taylor
The Wurst Times Festival (WTF) and the Madison Area Music Association (MAMA) celebrate Wisconsin and Madison, the heart of the unification movement. Rally on by joining us Sunday, May 26, 2013 for local soul-shaking music and civic-minded fare. The solidarity celebration begins on Madison’s sublime east side, home of the one and only High Noon Saloon and The Brass Ring. The revelry starts rockin’ at 11:00 a.m. and will roll on until 9:00 p.m. The third annual Wurst Times Festival showcases the best of local talent with over 25 original bands scheduled to play the all day event. We could stop with the fabulous music, but we don’t! We have locally made, scrumptious brats, paired perfectly with Wisconsin’s finest beer! Vegetarians can also tickle their taste buds with vegetarian brats!
Performer Site: http://www.macyntaylor.com/home/Welcome.html
Wurst Times Festival
The MAMAs will be running the MAMA/Max Ink Stage at the High Noon Saloon this year for the third annual Wurst Times Festival showcases the best of local talent with over 25 original bands scheduled to play the all-day event. This year the main stage will feature many of your favorite MAMA-nominated acts. We could stop with the fabulous music, but we don’t! We have locally made, scrumptious brats, paired perfectly with Wisconsin’s finest beer. Vegetarians can also tickle their taste buds with vegetarian brats. Java Cat will provide free coffee from 11 am to 2 pm.
Jess Holland - YMCA Benefit Concert
The Cookery’s Wine Bar will be hosting a benefit concert for the Door County YMCA’s Strong Kids Campaign. The enchanting Jess Holland will perform spirited folk songs starting at 7 p.m. A cover charge of $10 will be collected at the wine bar door, all proceeds will go towards the Y’s annual campaign.
Performer Site: https://www.facebook.com/jesshollandfolk
Bill and Bobbie Malone
Madison's favorite country duo Bill and Bobbie Malone return to close out the Hog's 34th year. Bill shares his encyclopedic knowledge of country music every Wednesday morning on "Back to the Country" on WORT-FM. Expect an evening of traditional music with Texas highlights when they take the stage with guitar and mandolin in hand to blend their voices in wonderful harmony.
Performer Site: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bill-C-Malone/239745532725337?sk=info
The Dang-Its
The Dang-Its play “Western Swing, Honky Tonk & Americana” music, including many styles of roots-oriented American music: country and country blues, bluegrass, folk, rockabilly and more. They feature a rich mix of classics, American standards, contemporary and original songs. The Dang-Its have performed at hundreds of community concerts, festivals, and performing arts centers all over Wisconsin and six neighboring states and have been perennial recipients of awards in Madison area “best-of” reader’s polls since 1998.
Performer Site: http://www.dang-its.com/
6/1/2013
6:00 PM
Waterhouse Foods
110 E Lake St
Lake Mills, WI 53551 920-945-0660
Kaia Fowler
With a supple, strong voice, Kaia Fowler conveys deep emotions with such honesty and intimacy that listeners feel the joy and sorrow, uncertainty and triumph, regret and serenity captured in her songs. Always, her versatile guitar playing complements the intriguing melodies beautifully.
Performer Site: http://www.kaiafowler.com/
Mazomanie Music Conservancy Hall
15 Marion St
Mazomanie, WI 608-767-2920
Round the Bend
Based in Madison, Wisconsin since 2000, Round the Bend blends Bluegrass, Old-Timey, and Western Swing in captivating versions of traditional songs that evoke nostalgia, love lost and found, and barn-dancing fun. Spirited vocals, tight harmonies, inventive instrumentals and down-home humor have delighted audiences of all ages at parties, festivals, community concerts, weddings, and senior centers. Tailoring selection of tunes to hosts' requests, the band offers concert-style shows or low-profile background music. Round the Bend loves to have a good time with audiences.
Performer Site: http://roundbend.com/
6/7/2013
7:30 PM-
9:00 PM
Mazomanie Music Conservancy Hall
15 Marion St
Mazomanie, WI 608-767-2920
Round the Bend
After enjoying audiences in many venues around Wisconsin since 2000, Round the Bend (Bluegrass, Old-Timey and Western Swing) will retire after 2 final performances in June. Free, donation encouraged. House band "Staff Infection" plays 6pm-7:15.
Performer Site: http://roundbend.com/
An Evening with Joan Baez
It is no exaggeration to report that Joan Baez has been as busy as ever in the five years since she celebrated those joyful landmark years of 2008-2009, the 50th anniversaries of her legendary residency in 1958 at the famed Club 47 in Cambridge, and her subsequent debut at the 1959 Newport Folk Festival.
Performer Site: http://www.joanbaez.com/
6/8/2013-
6/9/2013
12:00 PM
Yahara Place Park
Yahara Place & Riverside Dr.
Madison, WI 53532
Noon – The Andreas Kapsalis & Goran Ivanovic Guitar Duo (Chicago)
1:30 -- Tani Diakite & The Afrofunkstars
3:00 – Fareed Haque & The Flat Earth Ensemble (IL)
4:15 -- The Handphibians (Front of Stage)
5:00 -- The Pimps of Joy time (Brooklyn, NY)
7:00 -- Grupo Fantasma (Austin)
Sunday, June 9th
11:30 - The Whiskey Farm
1:00 – Communist Daughter (St. Paul/ No. WI)
2:45 -- Hurray for the Riff Raff (New Orleans)
4:45 -- Kingsley Flood (Boston)
6:30 -- MarchFourth Marching Band (Portland, OR)
6/9/2013
2:00 PM
Black Hawk Folk Society
Mountain View Community Center
WI Hy 152 and Cty S
Mt Morris, WI 920-787-7475
Lou & Peter Berryman
Put some zip in your summer. Lou & Peter Berryman are master singer/songwriters of some of the best witty, zingy, weird, and wonderful songs on the planet. With Lou on accordion and Peter on guitar they spin out songs that delight their audiences.
Performer Site: http://www.louandpeter.com/
6/12/2013
8:00 PM
Wisconsin Union Terrace
UW Memorial Union
Madison, WI
The Whiskey Farm
The Whiskey Farm is an Americana band from Madison, Wisconsin. Formed in 2010, the band released their first record, “Middle of America,” in 2011 and subsequently won the Madison Area Music Award for Best Americana/folk song for “If I Were You.”
Performer Site: http://thewhiskeyfarm.com/
Minnesota Irish Music Weekend
Presented by the CIM, the Minnesota Irish Music Weekend is a unique festival that pairs world-class traditional Irish musicians and teachers with learners of all ages and abilities for a weekend of workshops, lectures, Friday night ceili, social community meals with sessions and a rare and virtuosic Saturday night concert featuring the visiting artists.
Performer Site: http://www.centerforirishmusic.org/mim-2013/
6/14/2013
7:30 PM
Lake Country Unitarian Universalist Church
W299 N5595 Grace Dr
Hartland, WI 53029
Ronny Cox
With Radoslav Lorkovic and Chojo Jacques.
Like Ronny, the songs are eclectic, funny, touching, insightful and compelling. Each tune showcases an original, sophisticated lyric-driven sound and the stories that accompany these songs… are something else entirely.
Performer Site: http://www.ronnycox.com/
6/14/2013
Time: TBA
Lake Country Unitarian Universalist Church
W299 N5595 Grace Dr
Hartland, WI 53029
Ronny Cox (Lake Country Concerts)
Ronny Cox is an artist who wears a variety of hats — from actor to musician to family man — but if there is one common thread that pulls it all together it's the “real” person that wears each hat and the warmth his craft brings to anyone exposed to his many talents. His musical style is eclectic and he confesses that he has no set-in-stone criteria for picking or writing songs.
Performer Site: http://www.americanaagency.com/Ronny_Cox.html
Celia Farran
Celia is a singer, songwriter, actress, and storyteller who dishes up the most delicious concoction of the silly and the sacred. She is an amazing multi-faceted artist. From powerful, heart-felt vocals to wacky comedic improvisations, you honestly never know what will happen with Celia on stage. Think Enya meets Tori Amos meets Gilda Radner.
Performer Site: http://www.celiaonline.com/
Trampled by Turtles
Acclaimed band Trampled by Turtles continue to receive praise for their new album Stars and Satellites available now on Thirty Tigers/RED. Since forming in Duluth, Minnesota in 2003, Trampled by Turtles always felt they were able to attain an energy on stage that can’t be found in the studio. For Stars and Satellites, however, Trampled by Turtles didn’t want to simply try to recreate a live show. “We wanted to make a record that breathes,” explains Dave Simonett (guitar/vocals), “musically we wanted to step out of our comfort zone.” “You know how sometimes they say ‘less is more,’” notes Erik Berry (mand olin), “that’s what Stars and Satellites is about.”
Performer Site: http://trampledbyturtles.com/
Round the Bend
Free. Hot dogs and root beer floats for sale. Bring picnic lunch. Donald Park has 700 acres of woodlands, prairie, wetlands, rock outcroppings, trout steams, and hiking trails.
Based in Madison, Wisconsin since 2000, Round the Bend blends Bluegrass, Old-Timey, and Western Swing in captivating versions of traditional songs that evoke nostalgia, love lost and found, and barn-dancing fun. Spirited vocals, tight harmonies, inventive instrumentals and down-home humor have delighted audiences of all ages at parties, festivals, community concerts, weddings, and senior centers.
Performer Site: http://roundbend.com/
'Grass, Food & Lodging
Many, many banjo rolls later, the band makes it's first, and likely its only re-grouping in a rare concert opportunity guaranteed to recharge any latent anti-disco sentiments of the time. Original members Dede Wyland - guitar, and Peter Knupfer - fiddle, rejoin local personalities; Ken Finkel - banjo, and Jim Price (JP) - mandolin, to reform the original group. Bluegrass wizard Jon Peik is on bass for the reunion. In addition, local musician-à-terre, Tom Schwark will supply basso to the group's acapella renderings just as he did throughout the group heydays. The evening promises to be a nostalgic and more mature revisiting of Bluegrass plus an in-person opportunity to hear one the best vocal trios on any stage - then and now.
Performer Site: https://www.facebook.com/GrassFoodandLodging
The Dang-Its
The Dang-Its play “Western Swing, Honky Tonk & Americana” music, including many styles of roots-oriented American music: country and country blues, bluegrass, folk, rockabilly and more. They feature a rich mix of classics, American standards, contemporary and original songs. The Dang-Its have performed at hundreds of community concerts, festivals, and performing arts centers all over Wisconsin and six neighboring states and have been perennial recipients of awards in Madison area “best-of” reader’s polls since 1998.
Performer Site: http://www.dang-its.com/
Michael Perry and the Long Beds
Mike Perry & the Long Beds will kick-off the Wisconsin Music Arts Festival (WMAF) at 6:30 PM with a FREE CONCERT on the west side of Monroe’s courthouse square. The music of Perry & the Long Beds has been variously described as ‘country folk,’ ‘roughneck folk,’ ‘folk-twang,’ and Americana, but they prefer the description given by an audience member; “You sound just like Gordon Lightfoot… only zippier!”
Performer Site: http://www.myspace.com/thelongbeds
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
In 2013, Ladysmith Black Mambazo – led by founder and leader Joseph Shabalala – celebrates over fifty years of joyous and uplifting music that marries the intricate rhythms and harmonies of their native South African musical traditions to the sounds and sentiments of Christian gospel music. In those years, the a cappella vocal group has created a musical and spiritual alchemy that has touched a worldwide audience representing every corner of the religious, cultural and ethnic landscape. Their musical efforts over the past five decades have garnered praise and accolades within the recording industry, but also solidified their identity as a cultural force to be reckoned with.
Performer Site: http://www.mambazo.com/
6/21/2013
7:00 PM
Monroe High School PAC
1600 26th St
Monroe, WI
Pieta Brown
Distinguishing herself from the crowd of singers and songwriters, Pieta Brown is being called "one of the best modern songwriters," with a seductive voice and an unmistakable style. With one foot in her Iowa home and one in Alabama where she grew up, she is a mercurial sort--a free-spirited beauty who is both self-possessed and disarmingly unaffected.
Performer Site: http://www.pietabrown.com/home.cfm
6/21/2013
8:00 PM
Monroe High School PAC
1600 26th St
Monroe, WI
Livingston Taylor
Livingston Taylor is not just the brother of James. Liv’s forty year career has encompassed performance, songwriting, and teaching. He is a natural performer, peppering his shows with personal stories, anecdotes, and ineffable warmth that connect him to his fans.
Performer Site: http://www.livtaylor.com/
The Dang-Its
The Dang-Its play “Western Swing, Honky Tonk & Americana” music, including many styles of roots-oriented American music: country and country blues, bluegrass, folk, rockabilly and more. They feature a rich mix of classics, American standards, contemporary and original songs. The Dang-Its have performed at hundreds of community concerts, festivals, and performing arts centers all over Wisconsin and six neighboring states and have been perennial recipients of awards in Madison area “best-of” reader’s polls since 1998.
Performer Site: http://www.dang-its.com/
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
In 2013, Ladysmith Black Mambazo celebrates over fifty years of joyous and uplifting music that marries the intricate rhythms and harmonies of their native South African musical traditions to the sounds and sentiments of gospel music. In the mid-1980s, Paul Simon visited South Africa and incorporated Black Mambazo’s rich tenor/alto/bass harmonies into his Graceland album (remember “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes?”) – a landmark 1986 recording that was considered seminal in introducing world music to mainstream audiences. A year later, Simon produced Black Mambazo’s first U.S. release, Shaka Zulu, which won a Grammy Award in 1988. Since then, the group has been awarded two more Grammy Awards and has been nominated a total of fifteen times including a nomination for their most recent CD release, Songs From A Zulu Farm.
Performer Site: http://www.mambazo.com/
6/22/2013
6:30 PM
Monroe High School PAC
1600 26th St
Monroe, WI
Lucy Michelle & The Velvet Lapelles
Take a pinch of mountain gypsy, a dash of psych-folk, and a combine it with an ocean of split-open-and-melt lyricism, intricately delivered by one of the most unique voices in music, and you have Lucy Michelle and The Velvet Lapelles. In 2008, this fiery five-piece band burst onto the music scene and have blossomed into one of the most celebrated and cherished young talents to emerge in recent history. Using instruments from accordion to cello to ukulele, they combine a dash of equal parts; old-time, mountain, bluegrass, gypsy, rag, polka, folk, punk, pop, with the whistle of Andrew Bird.
Performer Site: http://lapelles.com/
6/22/2013
8:00 PM
Monroe High School PAC
1600 26th St
Monroe, WI
The BoDeans
"I've always thought of the BoDeans as a truly American band," says Kurt Neumann, the founder, primary writer and frontman of the veteran Milwaukee-based group. "We were blue-collar kids straight out of the heartland-how could we be anything else? ‘Roots rock' was a label I fought when I was younger, but I came to realize that if by ‘roots' you meant blues, rock, country and soul all slammed together into one sound, then I'd say yes-that is the sound of American-made music."
Performer Site: http://www.bodeans.com/
6/22/2013
8:00 PM
Shank Hall
1434 North Farwell Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 414-276-7288
'Grass, Food & Lodging
Many, many banjo rolls later, the band makes it's first, and likely its only re-grouping in a rare concert opportunity guaranteed to recharge any latent anti-disco sentiments of the time. Original members Dede Wyland - guitar, and Peter Knupfer - fiddle, rejoin local personalities; Ken Finkel - banjo, and Jim Price (JP) - mandolin, to reform the original group. Bluegrass wizard Jon Peik is on bass for the reunion. In addition, local musician-à-terre, Tom Schwark will supply basso to the group's acapella renderings just as he did throughout the group heydays. The evening promises to be a nostalgic and more mature revisiting of Bluegrass plus an in-person opportunity to hear one the best vocal trios on any stage - then and now.
Performer Site: https://www.facebook.com/GrassFoodandLodging
'Grass, Food & Lodging
Many, many banjo rolls later, the band makes it's first, and likely its only re-grouping in a rare concert opportunity guaranteed to recharge any latent anti-disco sentiments of the time. Original members Dede Wyland - guitar, and Peter Knupfer - fiddle, rejoin local personalities; Ken Finkel - banjo, and Jim Price (JP) - mandolin, to reform the original group. Bluegrass wizard Jon Peik is on bass for the reunion. In addition, local musician-à-terre, Tom Schwark will supply basso to the group's acapella renderings just as he did throughout the group heydays. The evening promises to be a nostalgic and more mature revisiting of Bluegrass plus an in-person opportunity to hear one the best vocal trios on any stage - then and now.
Performer Site: https://www.facebook.com/GrassFoodandLodging
6/23/2013
7:30 PM
HOUSE CONCERT
Madison, WI
Garnet Rogers
Event Email: annedave@chorus.net
Garnet Rogers has established himself as 'One of the major talents of our time". Hailed by the Boston Globe as a "charismatic performer and singer", Garnet is a man with a powerful physical presence - close to six and a half feet tall - with a voice to match. With his "smooth, dark baritone" (Washington Post) his incredible range, and thoughtful, dramatic phrasing, Garnet is widely considered by fans and critics alike to be one of the finest singers anywhere. His music, like the man himself, is literate, passionate, highly sensitive, and deeply purposeful.
KG & The Ranger
Saddle up your imagination for a ride to the Old West with award-winning cowboy yodelers KG & The Ranger. Their smooth harmony singing will bring back memories of the Sons Of The Pioneers, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry and other cowboy stars of the silver screen. They yodel in harmony! They keep the audience entranced with interesting bits of history about the cowboy songs they sing. And Ranger Rick twirls his lariat in a fascinating display of trick rope-spinning. Western entertainment for all ages!
Performer Site: http://www.kgandtheranger.com/
6/27/2013
7:00 PM
Cravath Lakefront Park
Whitewater, WI
The Dang-Its
The Dang-Its play “Western Swing, Honky Tonk & Americana” music, including many styles of roots-oriented American music: country and country blues, bluegrass, folk, rockabilly and more. They feature a rich mix of classics, American standards, contemporary and original songs. The Dang-Its have performed at hundreds of community concerts, festivals, and performing arts centers all over Wisconsin and six neighboring states and have been perennial recipients of awards in Madison area “best-of” reader’s polls since 1998.
Performer Site: http://www.dang-its.com/
Highway 61 Revisited: A Bob Dylan Retrospective
Severin Behnin leads the Blue Canvas Orchestra in a retrospective of the songs of the incomparable Bob Dylan. Dylan, a Minnesota Native, is an undeniable musical pioneer, using his unequalled songwriting talent as a sword in the civil rights and anti-war struggles of the 60s and 70s. He has won many awards throughout his career including 11 Grammy Awards, an, Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award; He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Songwriters Hall of Fame, and has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Join the Blue Canvas Orchestra with special guests Corey Carlson, Barbara Jean Meyers and Danielle Nepstad as they interpret and honor the work of this legendary figure.
Michael Perry & The Long Beds
Join Michael Perry and his band the Long Beds for a night in which the music will be punctuated by Perry's stories (some new and some "classic"). Band member Billy Krause was the first to encourage Perry to perform the songs he'd composed in between writing bestselling books. As Perry says about that inaugural concert, "I ain't sayin' I was nervous, but I ripped out a 60-minute set in 32 minutes flat!" These days he is more relaxed and the band (often with special guests) gathers onstage like friends who are simply happy to be singing together—as they are.
Performer Site: http://sneezingcow.com/
6/29/2013
7:30 PM
Folklore Village
3210 County Highway BB
Dodgeville, WI 608-924-4000
Liz Carroll & Dáithí Sproule
Join two luminaries of Irish traditional music for a special evening concert together of fiery fiddle tunes, Irish ballads and beautiful arrangements of traditional songs.
Performer Site: http://www.lizcarroll.com/home.cfm
6/30/2013
6:30 PM
Veteran's Memorial Park
Brodhead, WI
The Dang-Its
The Dang-Its play “Western Swing, Honky Tonk & Americana” music, including many styles of roots-oriented American music: country and country blues, bluegrass, folk, rockabilly and more. They feature a rich mix of classics, American standards, contemporary and original songs. The Dang-Its have performed at hundreds of community concerts, festivals, and performing arts centers all over Wisconsin and six neighboring states and have been perennial recipients of awards in Madison area “best-of” reader’s polls since 1998.
Performer Site: http://www.dang-its.com/
The Dang-Its
The Dang-Its play “Western Swing, Honky Tonk & Americana” music, including many styles of roots-oriented American music: country and country blues, bluegrass, folk, rockabilly and more. They feature a rich mix of classics, American standards, contemporary and original songs. The Dang-Its have performed at hundreds of community concerts, festivals, and performing arts centers all over Wisconsin and six neighboring states and have been perennial recipients of awards in Madison area “best-of” reader’s polls since 1998.
Performer Site: http://www.dang-its.com/
7/11/2013-
7/14/2013
Time: TBA
E. Washington Ave and South Dickinson St. Intersection
Madison, WI 53703
Seventh Annual La Fête de Marquette
The stars will be on display at La Fête de Marquette à La Rue Dickinson this summer. A truly stellar group of performers who span the globe from the Sahara Desert to the Arcadian Prairie will be arrayed for your enjoyment at the intersection of E. Washington Ave and South Dickinson St. Madison, WI. In its eighth year the free music event, which attracts thousands, celebrates French culture and benefits the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center, will be staged from July 11 – 14th. The French-themed event occurs on or near Bastille Day (July 14th), the French national holiday.
7/13/2013
10:30 AM
Mount Morris Town Park
Mt Morris, WI
26th Annual Black Hawk Folk Festival
Scheduled performers are Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys, Bill & Kate Isles, Andrea Stader, Greg Boerner, Ken Lonnquist, and the Hollands, with Bill Kehl returning as master of ceremonies.
7/13/2013
Time: TBA
Mount Morris Town Park
Mt Morris, WI
Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys
Hailing from all corners of the Great Lakes State of Michigan, Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys are giving a nod to American traditional music, while boldy taking their own songs in new directions. Distinct vocals, tight harmonies, instrumental expertise, and creative arrangements are all essential characteristics of their unique sound. The group focuses on the original tunes of Lindsay Lou Rilko, which include true-life tales of bank-robbing aunties, moonshinin' grandpas, and celebrations of love, life, and nature. It's an infectious vibe that could only have been born in the heart of America's Fresh Coast!
Performer Site: http://www.lindsayloumusic.com/
7/14/2013
11:30 AM-
2:15 PM
Cathedral Square Park
Kilbourn Ave & N Jefferson St
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Bastille Days, Milwaukee’s popular French festival and one of the nation’s largest French-themed celebrations, returns to downtown Milwaukee’s Cathedral Square Park, July 11 – 14. The free, four-day bash attracts over 250,000 visitors annually who enjoy live music, an international marketplace, chef and wine demos, French and Cajun cuisine, roaming busker entertainment and a signature 43-foot Eiffel Tower replica offering hourly light shows.
Performer Site: http://www.johnstano.com/
Highway 61 Revisited: A Bob Dylan Retrospective
Severin Behnin leads the Blue Canvas Orchestra in a retrospective of the songs of the incomparable Bob Dylan. Dylan, a Minnesota Native, is an undeniable musical pioneer, using his unequalled songwriting talent as a sword in the civil rights and anti-war struggles of the 60s and 70s. He has won many awards throughout his career including 11 Grammy Awards, an, Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award; He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Songwriters Hall of Fame, and has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Join the Blue Canvas Orchestra with special guests Corey Carlson, Barbara Jean Meyers and Danielle Nepstad as they interpret and honor the work of this legendary figure.
7/19/2013-
7/21/2013
Time: TBA
Marquette Tourist Park
Sugar Loaf Ave - County Rd 550
Marquette, MI 49855
35th Annual Hiawatha Traditional Music Festival
The Hiawatha Board is excited about the upcoming 35th Annual Hiawatha Music Festival! We’ve come a long way in 35 years, with lots of great traditional music and dance gracing our Main Stage performances, Second stage,Workshops, and all the music and dance that happens throughout the Festival campground every year. As part of the 35th Annual Celebration, the Hiawatha Board of Directors is sponsoring a “Remembering the Years Campsite Contest” to recognize this year’s Festival as a milestone and something very special: 35 years of absolutely some of the best traditional music and dance!
Brother Sun: Joe Jencks, Greg Greenway, Pat Wichter
Event Email: annedave@chorus.net
National touring artists Joe Jencks, Greg Greenway and Pat Wictor have made their mark as veteran touring singer-songwriters. But Brother Sun is no songwriter's round. The trio's harmonies, as much as their lyrics, tell what they are about: warm as a campfire, stirring as a gospel church, rousing as a call to arms. Fusing folk, Americana, blues, pop, jazz, rock, and a cappella singing, Brother Sun is an explosion of musical diversity and harmony, in the finest of male singing traditions.
A Biselle KlezKamp!
Music, dance, language, art, and cultural studies--plus age appropriate children's
programming--are the lively
core of this whirlwind 12-hour extravaganza of Eastern Euro
pean / American Jewish life. A Biselle KlezKamp is the Midwest's premiere Yiddish event. This year's program will be as rich as ever. Our world renowned staff will return with new and exciting offerings, and we've implemented suggestions from previous attendees to make this event even more responsive to the needs of all participants, veterans and newcomers alike.
7/24/2013
7:00 PM
The Riverside Theatre
116 West Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 414-224-3000
Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers,
Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, featuring Edie Brickell will perform songs from their album Love Has Come for You as well as songs from Rare Bird Alert and other new tunes at The Riverside Theater this Summer.
The new collaboration, Love Has Come for You, is set for release on April 23 on Rounder Records. The North American tour, which kicks off on May 22 in Ft. Meyers, FL, will showcase new material performed by Martin and Brickell, along with the unique hybrid of bluegrass and comedy that Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers have been delighting audiences with at their sold-out,
critically acclaimed shows.
Performer Site: http://www.steepcanyon.com/
5 Milers Folk Music Benefit
The 5 Milers, a musical group formed in Neenah, Wisconsin, will be presenting a fun, spirited concert on Thursday, June 28 at 7:30 p.m. The show features the music of the Kingston Trio, Peter Paul and Mary, Ricky Nelson, Dion, The Crycle, Weavers, Limeliters and more.
Performer Site: http://www.5milers.com/5milers.com/Welcome.html
Merle Haggard
The word “legend” usually makes an appearance at some point when discussing Merle Haggard. It’s an acknowledgment of his artistry and his standing as “the poet of the common man.” It’s a tribute to his incredible commercial success and to the lasting mark he has made, not just on country music, but on American music as a whole. Merle Haggard is one of the legends of Outlaw Country that remain with us – we lost Waylon and Johnny but we still have Merle! He performed under the Big Top in 1999. We are so pleased to welcome him back to the tent!
Performer Site: http://merlehaggard.com/
Lake Country Unitarian Universalist Church
W299 N5595 Grace Dr
Hartland, WI 53029
The Steel Wheels
The Steel Wheels have captured audiences across the country with their heady brew of original soulful mountain music and their deep commitment to roots and community. Based in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, this dynamic four-piece string band marries old-time musical traditions with their own innovative sound and lifestyle, generating a truly magnetic revival.
Performer Site: http://www.thesteelwheels.com/fr_home.cfm
Sugar Maple Traditional Music Festival
The Four Lakes Traditional Music Collective (FLTMC) in partnership with the Barrymore Theatre is presenting a series of shows as a benefit for the Sugar Maple Traditional Music Festival. Based in Madison, Wisconsin, the Sugar Maple Festival is a two-day outdoor festival that celebrates traditional music and dance through performances, educational workshops, and interactive jam sessions This family-friendly festival offers entertainment for people of all ages.
Performer Site: http://sugarmaplefest.org/
Gordon Lightfoot
Legendary singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot is celebrating 50 years of masterful songwriting, multi-platinum albums and international hits. He’s calling his anniversary tour the “50 Years on the Carefree Highway Tour.” And that momentous tour will be making a stop at the Big Top, where Gordon will perform his immortal classics like “Early Morning Rain,” “If You Could Read My Mind,” “Carefree Highway,” “Sundown,” and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” Mr. Lightfoot was recently inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Don’t miss this real living legend in concert, on the Big Top stage for the second time since 1999.
Performer Site: http://www.gordonlightfoot.com/
Whitney Mann with Corey Hart
Whitney Mann is an old soul with a child's glow. Her story is only beginning. It's the story of a poetic farm girl from Michigan who grew up to open for Loretta Lynn. It's the story of a young woman whose voice will break your heart but whose songs will bring you back for more. Her new package of country ballads and barn tales is called The Western Sky.
Performer Site: http://www.whitneymannmusic.com/
Gaelic Storm
Their fifth album was released on the band’s own label, Lost Again Records, and showcases the incomparable songwriting and accomplished musicianship of a band that has made their mark bringing fans to their feet two hundred days per year. The group’s ability to deftly incorporate a rock sensibility into their sound affords them rare crossover appeal. With their signature acoustic production, Gaelic Storm blends indie-folk and world grooves with Celtic tradition.
Performer Site: http://www.gaelicstorm.com/
Kathy Mattea
Expect to hear Kathy’s most recent music alongside her Top 20 radio hits: from the signature ballad “Where’ve You Been?” to the iconic “Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses.” Barbara Jean was the winner of our 2011 Songwriting competition. She is a multi-instrumentalist whose music brings together rich imagery from Lake Superior’s rugged banks, reflections on difficult choices poised in matters of the heart, and masterful musicianship.
Performer Site: http://www.mattea.com/
The BoDeans
“I’ve always thought of the BoDeans as an American band,” says Kurt Neumann, the founder, primary writer and frontman of the Milwaukee-based group. 'Roots rock’ was a label I fought, but if by ‘roots’ you meant blues, rock, country & soul all slammed together into one sound, then yes—that is the sound of American-made music.” Thanks to Neumann’s renewed passion and determination, the BoDeans are still going strong a quarter century after their debut album led them to win a Rolling Stone readers’ poll as “Best New American Band,” and nearly 20 years after their “Closer to Free” became a massive hit and the theme song of the sitcom Party of Five. Big Top is pleased to welcome The BoDeans back for their third time on our stage.
Performer Site: http://www.bodeans.com/
Katie Powderly
Katie Powderly’s music permeates the boundaries of genre, inhabiting a space somewhere between alt-country and folk. It transcends the confines of linear chronology, as well; it is vintage and current, nostalgic and prophetic. Respectful of tradition while remaining relevant, Powderly presents a promising musical hybrid in her painstakingly hand-hewn tunes.
Performer Site: http://www.katiepowderly.com/
Lyle Lovett and his Large Band
Lyle Lovett is a singer, composer and actor who has broadened the definition of American music in a career that spans 14 albums. Coupled with his gift for storytelling, the Texas-based musician fuses elements of country, swing, jazz, folk, gospel, and blues in a convention-defying manner that breaks down barriers.
Performer Site: http://www.lylelovett.com/
Low, The Pines, Birds of Chicago
Duluth has spawned some amazing musical talent including “minimalist rock” trio Lowe who champion a style of music known as “slowcore” (so named for its sometimes glacial, trance-like pace.) Low celebrates its 20th anniversary as a band, during which time they have had their songs covered by Robert Plant and have toured with Radiohead and Wilco. Also on the bill, fellow Duluthians, The Pines, an indie-roots band that produces hip and haunting musical landscapes. And introducing “two of the most compelling new voices in Americana roots music” according to the Chicago Sun-Times, JT Nero and Allison Russell of Birds of Chicago. Fire dancers of The Spin Collective continue the groovy vibe between sets.
Leo Kottke
Leo Kottke is bona fide “Guitar God” known for his innovative finger-picking style on 6 and 12-string guitar. For over 40 years, Kottke has been writing and playing music, and touring all over the country. His performances are known as much for his instrumental brilliance as they are for his comic wit and his baritone singing voice. Leo’s musical style is so intricate that the uninitiated listener will swear that they are hearing more than one guitarist and several instruments playing. But in fact it is one man and one guitar, and 10 lightning-propelled fingers.
Performer Site: http://leokottke.com/
Old Last Night featuring Della Mae, Blue Canvas Orchestra and Michael Perry
Every year on the Saturday after Labor Day, we celebrate the year with our “Old Last Night” variety night. Our own Blue Canvas Orchestra, under the Old Last Night leadership of our renowned fiddler Bruce Bowers, kicks the evening off with their own brand of high-energy, bluegrass/folk-inspired, crowd-pleasing music. Michael Perry, humorist and host of Tent Show Radio, adds his Wisconsin-grown wit and humor to the night. And this year, we welcome bluegrass sensation Della Mae to close out the evening.
Performer Site: http://dellamae.com/fr_empirefreedownload.cfm
Greensky Bluegrass and Elephant Revival
Big Top is throwing a year-end, jam-grass party before the tent gets packed away for the winter. All of the seats will be out of the tent. But we’re keeping the stage up and the sound & lights lit for one last night. And on that stage, we’re bringing two of the hottest young bands on the festival circuit today. Elephant Revival has played at the Big Top three times, becoming a crowd favorite. The five etheric souls in Elephant Revival hail from Nederland, Colorado. They play their own unique brand of gypsy/rock/Celtic/Alt-country/folk. Greensky Bluegrass is perhaps the best-named band in bluegrass! Combining traditional bluegrass with rock n roll and indie Americanna, the 5-piece band hails from Kalamazoo, Michigan. You’ll either need to bring your feet for standing or lawn chairs for sitting for this show. Sounds like a dancin’ good way to close out the summer.
Round the Bend
After enjoying audiences in many venues around Wisconsin since 2000, Round the Bend (Bluegrass, Old-Timey and Western Swing) will retire after 2 final performances in June. Free. Hot dogs and root beer floats for sale. Bring picnic lunch. Donald Park has 700 acres of woodlands, prairie, wetlands, rock outcroppings, trout steams, and hiking trails.
Performer Site: http://roundbend.com/
PETER MULVEY 6th ANNUAL BIKE TOUR
For the past six Septembers, Peter Mulvey has done a tour by bicycle, traveling from gig to gig with just a guitar and a saddlebag full of supplies and clothes, with no support vehicle. Just himself and a small cadre of bicycling friends. Its not an eco-crusade, and by now its clearly not a PR stunt. Its simply a ton of fun, and a way to step off the hamster-wheel of 21st Century corporate travel convenience and back into the actual world.
Performer Site: http://www.petermulvey.com/