April 12 - The Colin Sphinctor Band
And now, without further a-doo-doo...
...The Colin Sphinctor Band
This will be the #2 time we've had parts of Colin Sphinctor at Henry House, and we are delighted they'll be putting on their own special show for us again! Jim Findlay (guitar and accordion), Tony Chambers (lead guitar), and Gene Carroll (bass guitar) will be sharing original songs -- many from their 2023 album Upper Bottom Road -- along with select covers and the wittiest of banter.
Show details:
- Friday, April 12
- Doors @ 6:30 for food and mingling; Music @ 7:30
- $20 donation, payable the night of the show
- All merchandise proceeds go to the artists -- and we're all about supporting independent musicians
- Potluck food and beverages -- bring something to share
- Weather has confirmed it will be perfect
Fresh off their SOLD OUT reunion show at the Focal Point, Colin Sphinctor is ready to rock Henry House! Bring your dancing shoes!
March 9 - Jess Klein
Jess Klein has performed across the world, including the Newport Folk Festival, Winnipeg Folk Festival, Fuji Rock Festival in Japan and sold-out shows in renowned listening rooms like Joe’s Pub NYC, The Borderline in London, Club Passim in Boston, and Fogartyville in Sarasota, FL. Jess has appeared on Good Morning America and NPR’s All Things Considered and toured across the US, Europe, and Japan solo and with such artists as Arlo Guthrie, John Fullbright, and Carlene Carter.
Show details:
- Saturday, March 9
- Doors @ 6:00 for food and mingling; Music @ 7:00
- $20 donation, payable the night of the show
- All merchandise proceeds go to the artist -- and we're all about supporting independent musicians
- Potluck food and beverages -- bring something to share
- Weather has confirmed it will be perfect
The Bluegrass Situation hails her work as “one part grassroots social activism, two parts alt-country guitar rock — a combo we can certainly get behind.”
Over two decades and 11 albums, Klein has pursued a remarkable creative evolution that’s seen her dig ever deeper for resonant emotional insights, while continuing to refine her eloquently melodic, effortlessly accessible song-craft. Her live shows explore the musical offerings of many styles - from rock-n-roll to folk to classic jazz standards.
Klein – whom the New York Times calls "a songwriter with a voice of unblinking tenacity" – has always used music to dream her way forward. Please join Jess and Henry House Concerts, as we dream our way into 2024!
Good Morning Bedlam - Friday, October 13
For Friday the 13th...
...we bring you Bedlam!
Good Morning Bedlam has become an innovative force in the midwest folk scene. Their shows are known for their contagious energy, as they careen about the stage. With tight soaring three part harmonies, and thumping kick-drum, they captivate their audience night after night.
Show details:
- Friday, October 13
- Doors @ 6:30 for food and mingling; Music @ 7:30
- $20 donation, payable the night of the show
- All merchandise proceeds go to the artists -- and we're all about supporting independent musicians
- Potluck food and beverages -- bring something to share
- Weather has confirmed it will be perfect
- Outdoor show? We sure hope so!
GMB has played at festivals alongside Shakey Graves, Sam Bush, Jason Isbell, The Infamous Stringdusters, Trampled By Turtles and others, claiming the first-place title at the John Hartford Memorial Festival Band Competition.
Heartland Songwriters Revue - Friday, September 29
The Heartland Songwriters Revue is made up of Steve Dawson from Chicago, and John Wendland, Andy Ploof, and Adam Reichmann from St. Louis, singing originals and covers "in the round."
Show details:
- Friday, September 29
- Doors @ 6:30 for food and mingling; Music @ 7:30
- $20 donation, payable the night of the show
- All merchandise proceeds go to the artists -- and we're all about supporting independent musicians
- Potluck food and beverages -- bring something to share
- Weather has confirmed it will be perfect
- Outdoor show? We sure hope so!
Some songs from the guys for your listening pleasure. Check 'em out!
Beth Bombara - Saturday, August 12
Show Details
- Saturday, August 12
- Doors @ 6:00 for food and mingling; Music @ 7:00
- $20 donation, payable the night of the show
- All merchandise proceeds go to the artist -- and we're all about supporting independent musicians
- Potluck food and beverages -- bring something to share
- Weather has confirmed it will be perfect
- DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER, this might just be our first outdoor show...
Bombara’s last album, Evergreen, was well-received by fans and media alike. “The likes of Aimee Mann and Jewel are fair comparisons,” noted the L.A. Weekly, “every tone is tinged with emotion, nothing is wasted.” With It All Goes Up -- releasing just before this show -- Bombara has risen to a new level. “There's more light, more hope in this record,” she says, “and it feels more positive sonically, as well.”
After studying music in college, she began playing in other people’s bands. It speaks to the depth of her musicianship that she played guitar and percussion in one band, bass in another project, and keys in yet another – Bombara has talent and ears way beyond those of your average singer-songwriter.
She has shared stages with the likes of Josh Ritter, Joe Pug, Lilly Hiatt, Samantha Crain, Old 97’s, Centromatic, and Beth Hart. “There’s a maturity and complexity that transcends most rootsy Americana offerings. Bombara is an artist with far more miles than years on her.” - Twin Cities Media
Danny's Back! Danny Schmidt - Friday, June 2
This show is very special to us! Danny opened the Henry House Concerts series back in 2013 with his (now) wife Carrie Elkin. The first email announcement went out that July to nine good friends and family for the show on October 28. We had about 35 people in attendance, and the crowd was wowed by Danny and Carrie singing on borrowed equipment. Not bad for our first -- and a Monday night -- show!
45 shows later, we have gained many, many more great friends. We hope you can join us for Danny Schmidt!
Show details:
- Friday, June 2
- Doors @ 6:30 for food and mingling; Music @ 7:30
- $20 donation, payable the night of the show
- All merchandise proceeds go to the artist -- and we're all about supporting independent musicians
- Potluck food and beverages -- bring something to share
- Weather has confirmed it will be perfect
Named to the Chicago Tribune's list of the "50 Most Significant Songwriters in the Last 50 Years," Austin, TX-based singer/songwriter Danny Schmidt has amassed a cult following for his poetic, poignant lyrics. With a craftsmanship and emotional depth drawing comparisons to Leonard Cohen and Townes Van Zandt, and with fantastical narratives reminiscent of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Salman Rushdie, Schmidt is considered a preeminent writer. Sing Out! magazine proclaimed that: "Schmidt is a force of nature: a blue moon, a hundred-year flood, an avalanche of a singer-songwriter. He is perhaps the best new songwriter we've heard in the last 15 years."
"Everything about the man is gentle, except his capacity for insight, which is crushing."
- Songwriter Jeffrey Foucault
Some songs from Danny Schmidt for your listening pleasure. Check 'em out!
Scott Biram - Friday, April 28
Get ready for a night of raw and raucous blues-infused rock with the one and only Scott H Biram! The self-proclaimed "Dirty Old One Man Band" is bringing his electrifying stage presence and soulful sound to Henry House Concerts!
With his signature blend of blues, country, punk, and metal, Biram has been entertaining audiences around the world for over two decades. His live shows are legendary, featuring intense guitar solos, pounding rhythms, and Biram's gritty, whiskey-soaked vocals.
Show details:
- Friday, April 28
- Doors @ 6:30 for food and mingling; Music @ 7:30
- $20 donation, payable the night of the show
- All merchandise proceeds go to the artist -- and we're all about supporting independent musicians
- Potluck food and beverages -- bring something to share
- Weather has confirmed it will be perfect
“It might be baptism, or it might be murder, either way...you gonna see the light.”
Some songs from Scott H. Biram for your listening pleasure. Check 'em out!
David Newbould - Saturday, October 29
David Newbould is confirmed for Saturday, October 29, so save that date.
Doors at 6:00 / Music at 7:00
Check him out: https://davidnewbould.com/
National Park Radio - Saturday, September 17
National Park Radio is returning to Henry House Concerts on Saturday, September 17, so save that date.
Doors at 6:00 / Music at 7:00
Check 'em out: https://www.facebook.com/NationalParkRadio
Sofia Talvik - Friday, August 12
All the way from Sweden...
...a show years in the making.
Show details:
- Friday, August 12
- Doors @ 6:30 for food and mingling; Music @ 7:30
- $20 donation, payable the night of the show
- All merchandise proceeds go to the artist -- and we're all about supporting independent musicians
- Potluck food and beverages -- bring something to share
- Weather has confirmed it will be perfect
Prepare yourself for a unique and intimate evening, not unlike the coffeehouses and speakeasies of bygone days. Sofia's delicate songs show off her angelic voice enhanced only by a tasteful mix of harmonies and delays, and accompanied by her acoustic guitar and the rhythm section of her own two feet.
Kristi Rose & Fats Kaplin - Saturday, July 30
Kristy Rose and Fats Kaplin...
...are bringing everything they've got.
Kristi Rose & Fats Kaplin show details:
- Saturday, July 30, 2022
- Doors @ 6:00 for food and mingling; Music @ 7:00
- The band will have merchandise for sale -- and we're all about supporting independent musicians -- so bring a little extra folding money
- Weather has confirmed it will be perfect
- We'll have potluck food and beverages -- bring something to share
- Asking $20 donation for Kristi Rose & Fats Kaplin, payable the night of the show
Husband and wife duo, Kristi Rose & Fats Kaplin are Nashville based musicians known for their individual work and their collaborative projects.
Fats Kaplin, is one of Americaʼs most original instrumental composers and the premier modern interpreter of string band blues, folk, country and world music. His music, full of mystery and lifeʼs rough edge is the equivalent of artʼs “Modern American Primitivism.”
Fats has been called upon to tour and record with hundreds of artists--Jack White, John Prine, Buddy Miller, Elvis Costello, Beck, Tinariwen, Colin Linden, Pure Prairie League, Tom Russell, Roy Bookbinder, Mary Gauthier, Jason Ringenberg (of The Scorchers) his own Kane-Welch-Kaplin and countless others.
Kristi Rose and Fats, reside in a world where traditional and modern meet, where desperation and joy commingle. Though they remain firmly rooted in the Americana world, their stage presence evokes memories of the cabarets of 1920‘s Berlin, just as much as the traveling medicine shows of the rural south. It is filled with rags, ballads, waltzes and laments as well as magical sleight of hand and musings on the state of our lives in these modern times.
My Politic - Saturday, June 25
Click here to RSVP with the number of people in your party.
My Politic is EXCITED to be playing Henry House Concerts…
...and we're STOKED too!
My Politic show details:
- Saturday, June 25, 2022
- Doors @ 6:30 for food and mingling; Music @ 7:30
- The band will have merchandise for sale -- and we're all about supporting independent musicians -- so bring a little extra folding money
- Weather has confirmed it will be perfect
- We'll have potluck food and beverages -- bring something to share
- Asking $20 donation for My Politic, payable the night of the show
Kaston Guffey and Nick Pankey grew up together in Ozark, Missouri, and started My Politic when they were just 15. Kaston writes character driven story songs, and Nick adds sibling-like harmony to create a sound that's both hauntingly familiar and uniquely their own.
Inspired by artists like John Prine, Woody Guthrie, Randy Newman, Bob Dylan, Patty Griffin, Nina Simone, Simon & Garfunkel..., My Politic has released three albums since moving to Nashville seven years ago: Anchor (2015); 12 Kinds of Lost (2017); and Short-Sighted People In Power (2020). They have traversed this country for years, thriving in intimate house concerts settings, listening rooms, dive bars, and any place they get to share their vision.
My Politic is unique Midwestern storytelling ... in harmony.
Welcome Jason Wilber - Friday, May 13
Jason Wilber is super happy to be playing Henry House Concerts...
...and we're super happy to have him.
Visit his Jason's official website and note that Jason was John Prine's guitarist to get yourself excited.
A little about Jason Wilber...
Jason Wilber is an American singer, guitar player, songwriter, and recording artist. In addition to his work as a solo recording artist, he is also known as the long time lead guitar player for singer-songwriter John Prine. Other artists Jason has accompanied live or in the studio include Iris Dement, Greg Brown, Tom Russell, Sheryl Crow, Mary Gauthier, Todd Snider, Tim Grimm, Bill Wilson, and Over the Rhine.
Jason Wilber’s latest record, Time Traveler, plays like a radio signal emanating from some distant outpost. Folk music from the future, with themes at once timeless and timely. Wilber strums stories from space stations and post-apocalyptic bunkers, alongside down to earth parables on the mysteries and truths of life. Wilber has had plenty of time to ponder the day dreams and fantastic journeys that wind up in his songs. For 24 years he logged countless hours gazing out the windows of planes, trains, busses and cars while on the road with country/folk icon John Prine.
“I was 26 when I started playing guitar with John Prine. During the summer Time Traveler was recorded, I turned 50. I had been playing with John essentially my entire adult life.”
Jason Wilber
In Wilber’s multi-decade journey with Prine, the Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer has graced stages from the Grand Ole Opry to Austin City Limits, Seth Myers & Conan to Letterman & Colbert. And he’s been a key player in high-profile collaborations with a host of legends including Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Miranda Lambert, Susan Tedeschi, Josh Ritter, Kacey Musgraves & more.
Show Details
- Friday, May 13, 2022
- Doors @ 7:00; Music @ 8:00
- Jason will have merchandise for sale - and we're all about supporting independent musicians - so bring a little extra folding money
- Weather has confirmed it will be perfect
- We'll have potluck food and beverages -- bring something to share
- Asking $20 donation for Jason Wilbur, payable at the door
Some songs from Jason Wilber for your listening pleasure. Check 'em out!
Tommy Womack is Back - Sunday, April 3
Tommy Womack and his bright eyes.
A little about Tommy Womack
Tommy has won the “Best Song” award in the Nashville Scene Critics Poll twice. His three books (including Cheese Chronicles, a cult classic) have four- and five-star reader ratings on Amazon. He's written songs for Todd Snider, Jimmy Buffett, Jason & the Scorchers, and Dan Baird among others. Tommy played in Government Cheese from ’85 to ’92, and in the bis-quits (with Will Kimbrough) from ’92 to ’94 -- which included the honor of making a record for John Prine’s label. He has made eight solo albums since then (counting his new one, I Thought I was Fine) and three albums with a side project band called Daddy (again with Will Kimbrough).
“He made this album with one eye on his legacy
and the other one just rolling around in his head.”
- Steve Horowitz, popMATTERS
Tommy Womack Show Details
- Sunday, April 3, 2022
- Doors @ 2:00; Music @ 3:00
- Tommy will have merchandise for sale - and we're all about supporting independent musicians - so bring a little extra folding money
- Weather has confirmed it will be perfect
- We'll have potluck food and beverages -- bring something to share
- Asking $20 donation for Tommy Womack, payable at the door
SOLD OUT! Clem Snide - Friday, February 11, 2022
The Clem Snide show is "sold out." We have reached full capacity and are no longer accepting RSVPs for this show.
Clem Snide with pink smoke and sunglasses.
A little about Clem...
Named for a William S. Burroughs character, Clem Snide first emerged from Boston as a three-piece in the early 1990’s, and the group would go on to become a cult and critical favorite, picking up high profile fans from Bon Iver to Ben Folds over the course of three decades and more than a dozen studio albums. NPR highlighted the Israeli-born Eef Barzelay as “the most underrated songwriter in the business today, with a sneakily firm grasp on poignancy and humor,” while Rolling Stone hailed his songwriting as “soulful and incisive,” and The New Yorker praised his music’s “soothing melodies and candid wit.”
“I look up to Eef with total respect and admiration,”
- SCOTT AVETT
“The line between desperation and inspiration has always been quite thin for me,” says Barzelay. “You don’t have to suffer to be an artist, but I think there’s got to be some heat on you, because the ultimate goal is always to turn sorrow into grace.”
The road to ‘Forever Just Beyond,’ Barzelay’s stunning album under the Clem Snide moniker, was an unlikely one, to say the least. Produced by Scott Avett of The Avett Brothers, the record is a work of exquisite beauty and profound questioning, a reckoning with faith and reality that rushes headlong into the unknown and the unknowable.
Clem Snide Show Details
- Friday, February 11, 2022
- Doors @ 7:00 for food and mingling; Music @ 8:00
- Clem will have merchandise for sale - and we're all about supporting independent musicians - so bring a little extra folding money
- Weather has confirmed it will be perfect
- We'll have potluck food and beverages -- bring something to share
- Asking $20 donation for Clem Snide, payable the night of the show
Curtis McMurtry - October 15
Click here to RSVP with the number of guests in your party.
Curtis's new album (left). Curtis (right).
A little about Curtis...
His grandfather is author Larry McMurtry. His father is songwriter James McMurtry. He was mentored and championed by the late great Guy Clark. It's no surprise Curtis McMurtry's songs are full of vivid characters.
In 2015 Rolling Stone magazine included Curtis in their list of "21 Country-Music Artists You Need to See" at SXSW (along with Kelly Willis, Rat Wylie Hubbard, Suzy Bogguss, Robert Earl Keen, Ryan Bingham, and Willie Nelson).
In 2017 Rolling Stone magazine named Curtis one of the "10 New Country Artists You Need to Know" and described him thusly:
Sounds Like: Barbed late-night ruminations on wicked crimes of the heart, sung with a sly smile
For Fans of: Lyle Lovett, Leonard Cohen, unapologetic Americana
In February 2021, Curtis released his third album, Toothless Messiah, to continued critical acclaim.
Diana Burgess is a cellist, composer, and educator based in Austin, TX. Her debut solo album You Run is out now, and was recently featured on NPR's All Songs Considered.
Curtis McMurtry Show Details
- Friday, October 15, 2021
- Doors @ 7:00 for food and mingling; Music @ 8:00
- Curtis will have merchandise for sale - and we're all about supporting independent musicians - so bring a little extra folding money
- Curtis will be accompanied for this show by Diana Burgess of Mother Falcon!
- Weather has confirmed it will be perfect
- We'll have potluck food and beverages -- bring something to share
- Asking $20 donation for Curtis McMurtry, payable the night of the show
- COVID? Gathering with friends for live music is super important to us so we want to keep that going with some sensible precautions. At the moment, we anticipate having the doors and windows open for ventilation, our room filters running, and no mask requirement. We will be monitoring the situation in our area and will update based on current health department guidelines. Please read our "reminder" email that goes out the week of the show for up-to-the-minute information. 🙂 Thank you!
Two things about McMurtry up front: Nobody in Austin is doing anything quite like his music right now, and his talent as a lyricist is well above the vast majority of young songwriters in town."
- Peter Blackstock, Austin360.com
Jimbo Mathus - September 18
Click here to RSVP with the number of guests in your party.
A little about Jimbo...
As a well-known musical visionary and collaborator with the likes of Buddy Guy, Elvis Costello, Andrew Bird, Squirrel Nut Zippers, T-Bone Burnett, and others, Mathus' reputation precedes him.
With his current band, he brings together the house musicians from Dial Back Sound studio in Water Valley, Mississippi, who have collectively played on hundreds of Deep South R&B, blues, rock, and Americana albums. Together they form an impressive rhythm section capable of spanning material from Mathus' entire 20-album solo catalogue.
Jimbo Mathus Show Details
- Saturday, September 18, 2021
- Doors @ 6:00 for food and mingling; Music @ 7:00
- Jimbo will have merchandise for sale - and we're all about supporting independent musicians - so bring a little extra folding money
- Weather has confirmed it will be perfect
- We'll have potluck food and beverages -- bring something to share
- Asking $25 donation for Jimbo Mathus, payable the night of the show
- COVID? We know it's nothing to sneeze at, so we are asking ALL guests to please wear a mask inside unless actively consuming food/beverages -- and we will be keeping the house well-ventilated ... if anything changes with CDC guidelines nearer the show, we will update with pertinent information.
Gathering with friends for live music is super important to us so we want to keep that going with some sensible precautions. Thank you!
"Up until meeting Jimbo Mathus, all my musical heroes were dead. Jimbo was anything but and just oozed musicality of a kind I thought was extinct. He is an enigma, a walking contradiction: wild yet refined, worldly yet colloquial. He represents his own brand of the American musical tree."
- Andrew Bird
Carrie Welling - Friday, August 27
Click here to RSVP with the number of guests in your party.
A little about Carrie...
A self-described ‘military brat,’ Welling’s struggle to feel rooted in any one place carved an unharmonious path of heartbreak, doubt, and insecurity that defined her 20s and early 30s… a journey that lead to her soul-defining rebirth as an international touring artist with a place to call home in Nashville, TN.
Her bold, sultry voice, reminiscent of Sheryl Crow’s grit, Natalie Maines’ twang, and Stevie Nicks’ heart, is upstaged only by the genuine love and connection this natural performer has with her fans both on and off stage.
Melodies rich in folksy, Americana roots, paired with empowering, honest lyrics are stunningly showcased in Welling’s full length 2020 album High Heels and Heavy Things.
Carrie Welling Show Details
- Friday, August 27, 2021
- Doors @ 6:30 for food and mingling; Music @ 7:30
- Carrie will have merchandise for sale - and we're all about supporting independent musicians - so bring a little extra folding money
- Weather has confirmed it will be perfect
- We'll have potluck food and beverages -- bring something to share
- Asking $20 donation for Carrie, payable the night of the show
- COVID? We know it's nothing to sneeze at, so we are asking ALL guests to please wear a mask inside unless actively consuming food/beverages -- and we will be keeping the house well-ventilated ... if anything changes with CDC guidelines nearer the show, we will update with pertinent information.
Gathering with friends for live music is super important to us so we want to keep that going with some sensible precautions. Thank you!
"I'm coming for the ones that said I'd never have what it takes.
I've created a monster."
from "Monster" by Carrie Welling & Alex Wong
Ben Bedford Breaks the Seal - July 31, 2021
A little about Ben...
He's back. You may recall that Ben first graced our stage as one half of the Tall Trees in 2014 and last played Henry House Concerts in December 2018. We are very excited to have him "break the seal" as our first show since the onset of the COVID pandemic!
In July of 2010, Bedford was named one of the “50 most significant Folk singer-songwriters of the past 50 years” by Rich Warren of WFMT-Chicago. The list also included Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, Anais Mitchell, Joni Mitchell, and John Prine.
In May of 2018, Bedford was named one of the six Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk winners at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas.
Ben Bedford Show Details
- Saturday, July 31, 2021
- Doors @ 6:00 for food and mingling; Music @ 7:00
- Ben will have merchandise for sale - and we're all about supporting independent musicians - so bring a little extra folding money
- Weather has confirmed it will be perfect
- We'll have potluck food and beverages -- bring something to share
- Asking $20 donation for Ben Bedford, payable the night of the show
- COVID? We know it's nothing to sneeze at, so we'll be asking any guests who are not vaccinated to please wear a mask -- and we will be keeping the house well-ventilated ... if anything changes with CDC guidelines nearer the show, we will update with pertinent information. Gathering with friends for live music is super important to us so we want to keep that going with some sensible precautions.
Out on the rise, west of the town, where the tall Needlegrass burns to the ground.
We sit inside, together apart, and a window of light shines in the dark.
from Bedford's The Hermit's Spyglass
The Illinois songwriter is a masterful storyteller who can turn what seem like obscure historical references into engaging tales rife with vivid, stark imagery.
–Erik Ernst, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Mike Farris Returns! - September 7, 2019
Welcome Back, Mr. Farris
We are thrilled to have Mike Farris back to Henry House Concerts! If you were lucky enough to attend Mike's first show, you know this will be an experience that words cannot describe, so we'll let these accolades -- and Mike's music -- do the rest of the talking.
Mike Farris has enough heart, soul, and power to light up a city. He mixes up the elements and turns them into something new, beautiful, and uniquely his own. - Buddy Miller
There are plenty of emotional, soulful singers around, but Farris’ rootsy, organic pipes and pure gospel-infused passion elevate him to the top of the heap, something his well-deserved Grammy win confirmed. Others may dip into a similar well of religious fervor, yet Farris modulates his voice, shifting from sensitive to raise-the-tent sermonizing intensity, often in the same song. - Hal Horowitz, American Songwriter magazine
If Mike Farris were the one on television at 4 am instead of those clowns that speak in tongues that translates into “send me money,” then I believe we’d have a lot more souls saved in this world!!!!!! He’s phenomenal! That voice. That soul. Those songs. Good God, man! - JACK INGRAM
Mike Farris Show Details
- Saturday, September 7, 2019
- Doors @ 6:00 for food and mingling; Music @ 7:00
- The band will have merchandise for sale - and we're all about supporting independent musicians - so bring a little extra folding money
- Weather has confirmed it will be perfect
- We'll have potluck food and beverages -- bring something to share
- Asking $25 donation for Mike Farris, payable the night of the show
Mike McClure - August 10, 2019
Mike McClure is on the internet. Visit the Mike McClure Band there.
Red Dirt Rock Star
Mike McClure writes songs. He's written a whole lot of them. So many that he probably doesn't remember how all of them go. His songs are so good that other people like to sing them. Super famous people. Mike McClure has a band. There are four of them (sometimes just three). They have instruments and they play them. They also have a van they ride around in. Mike also makes records. He's made a lot of them. He also makes records for other people. You've probably heard some of them. Mike also likes swords and looking at weird things in antique stores. He raises ducks and geese or some kind of bird. He also raises kids. Life is funny and Mike McClure laughs at it. What What
McClure’s songs have been covered by many country and Red Dirt greats including Garth Brooks (“I’d Rather Have Nothing”) and Cross Canadian Ragweed (“Fighting For”). He has also produced albums for Stoney LaRue, Jason Boland, Whiskey Myers, and Turnpike Troubadours.
Mike McClure Show Details
- Saturday, August 10, 2019
- Doors @ 6:00 for food and mingling; Music @ 7:00
- The band will have merchandise for sale - and we're all about supporting independent musicians - so bring a little extra folding money
- Weather has confirmed it will be perfect
- We'll have potluck food and beverages -- bring something to share
- Asking $20 donation for Mike McClure, payable the night of the show
SOLD OUT! - Smooth Hound Smith - July 27, 2019
This show is sold out. We hope you can make a future show at Henry House Concerts.
A little about Smooth Hound Smith
Smooth Hound Smith is a foot stompin' American roots and rock band founded by Zack Smith (guitars/vocals/foot drums/harmonicas/banjo) and Caitlin Doyle-Smith (vocals/percussion). Established in 2012, and based in East Nashville, TN, they record and perform a varied and unique style of folky, garage-infused rhythm & blues. Using primal foot percussion, complex, fuzzed-out, finger-picked guitar patterns, warbled harmonicas, tasty harmonies and syncopated tambourine, they are able to create something rugged and visceral: a modern interpretation of early blues, soul, and rock 'n' roll music that harkens back to the traditions of hazy front porch folk songs as well as raucous back-alley juke joints.
SHS has traveled over 150,000 road miles, playing over 800 shows in their tenure, across America, Europe, and Canada, all in the last five years. In addition to their own headlining shows, they have toured as support for bands such as the Dixie Chicks (25 dates in the US and Canada in 2016/2017), The Record Company, The Secret Sisters, Lindi Ortega, Anders Osborne, and Jamestown Revival.
Their eponymous debut album garnered attention from media outlets such as Nashville's independent radio, WRLT Lightning 100, as well as publications like American Songwriter and RELIX Magazine. They were also selected over thousands of other bands to perform at the 2015 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, TN. In addition, the music of Smooth Hound Smith has been featured on CMT’s Nashville, MTV’s The Real World and the Esquire Network.
Smooth Hound Smith's second full-length album, Sweet Tennessee Honey, was released in 2016, and features appearances by Natalie Maines (Dixie Chicks), Sarah Jarosz, and Jano Rix (The Wood Brothers). They continue to tour heavily while working on new material for a third full-length album, expected to be released in 2018.
Visit Smooth Hound Smith on Facebook
Smooth Hound Smith Show Details
- Saturday, July 27, 2019
- Doors @ 6:30 for food and mingling; Music @ 7:00
- The band will have merchandise for sale - and we're all about supporting independent musicians - so bring a little extra folding money
- Weather has confirmed it will be perfect
- We'll have potluck food and beverages -- bring something to share
- Asking $20 donation for Smooth Hound Smith, payable the night of the show
National Park Radio - May 17, 2019
A little about National Park Radio
Formed in Harrison, Arkansas in 2012, National Park Radio, headed by singer/songwriter Stefan Szabo, have infused the surrounding region (and many others as well) with their unique brand of indie folk music. Emerging from the shadows cast by giants Mumford & Sons, The Decemberists, and The Avett Brothers, NPR offers the indie folk world something a little different: an outstanding blend of incisive songwriting and organic Americana charm, alongside a heritage in genuine mountain music.
Emotional, gut-wrenching, but still incredibly hopeful, National Park Radio’s music reverberates important themes about life, love, and difficult choices, all while echoing the enduring beauty of the band’s deep-seated roots in the Ozark Mountains.
Visit National Park Radio on Facebook
National Park Radio Show Details
- Friday, May 17, 2019
- Doors @ 6:00 for food and mingling; Music @ 7:00
- The band will have merchandise for sale - and we're all about supporting independent musicians - so bring a little extra folding money
- Weather has confirmed it will be perfect
- We'll have potluck food and beverages -- bring something to share
- Asking $20 donation for National Park Radio, payable the night of the show
Burney Sisters - March 1, 2019
A little about the Burney Sisters
The sisters started singing around the house when they were barely able to walk. With some vocal coaching from Mom, they began harmonizing long before they picked up instruments. Olivia found her first love in a one dollar garage sale ukulele. After a few online tutorials, she was well on her way to being the performer and teacher she is today. Currently, Olivia writes the bulk of the tunes that the sisters perform, including their single "Constellations" and the popular "Plastic," which appeared on their debut 2017 EP.
Not to be outdone by her older sister, Emma picked up the guitar at the age of 9, and began learning songs of her own. Now, she helps Olivia with all of the arrangements and harmonies and has expanded her instrumental arsenal to include bass, banjo, keys, and a recent revival of her love for the fiddle. Their soul nurturing sibling harmonies and tunes are reminiscent of The Avett Brothers, Cowboy Junkies, and Indigo Girls. Their follow-up EP, "Where We Stand" was released in 2018 by St. Louis label Gaslight.
Visit The Burney Sisters on Facebook
The Burney Sisters Show Details
- Friday, March 1, 2019
- Doors @ 6:00 for food and mingling; Music @ 7:00
- The band will have merchandise for sale - and we're all about supporting independent musicians - so bring a little extra folding money
- Weather has confirmed it will be perfect
- We'll have potluck food and beverages -- bring something to share
- Asking $20 donation for The Burney Sisters, payable the night of the show
Ben Bedford Returns
A little about Ben...
In July of 2010, Bedford was named one of the “50 most significant Folk singer-songwriters of the past 50 years” by Rich Warren of WFMT-Chicago. The list also included Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, Anais Mitchell, Joni Mitchell, and John Prine.
In May of 2018, Bedford was named one of the six Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk winners at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas.
Ben last played Henry House Concerts in November of 2014 as one half of the Tall Trees. We are excited to have him back solo for our final show of 2018.
Ben Bedford Show Details
- Friday, December 7, 2018
- Doors @ 6:00 for food and mingling; Music @ 7:00
- The band will have merchandise for sale - and we're all about supporting independent musicians - so bring a little extra folding money
- Weather has confirmed it will be perfect
- We'll have potluck food and beverages -- bring something to share
- Asking $20 donation for Ben Bedford, payable the night of the show
Rod Picott - August 3, 2018
A little about Rod Picott...
Seventeen years ago Rod Picott dropped his tool belt, picked up an acoustic guitar and released his first album Tiger Tom Dixon’s Blues. The acclaimed debut put a nail in the coffin of his construction career and ignited his second career as a singer-songwriter. With his new album, Out Past The Wires, that second career reveals itself in full flame.
Like much of Picott’s catalog, many of the songs on Out Past The Wires center around the lives of working people and the losses, defeats and small victories that can come hard won in a calloused world.
Rod Picott show details:
- Friday, August 3, 2018
- Doors @ 6:00 for food and mingling; Music @ 7:00
- The band will have merchandise for sale -- and we're all about supporting independent musicians -- so bring a little extra folding money
- Weather has confirmed it will be perfect
- We'll have potluck food and beverages -- bring something to share
- Asking $20 donation for Rod Picott, payable the night of the show
Click here for some nice accolades (and a video) from Rolling Stone (For a bonus, scroll down a little in the article to see something new from former Henry House Concerts performer, Mike Farris!)
Sample some of Rod's music...
Lilly Hiatt - June 17, 2018
Lilly Hiatt played the house on June 17, 2018. She and her band graciously made room for a couple of local musicians, as well.
Reina del Cid - April 5, 2018
A little about Reina del Cid...
Part singer-songwriter, part rock band, you can find Reina del Cid at the intersection of lyrical storytelling and scorching solos. In January of last year, Del Cid released a music video for the song "Death Cap," filmed in Iceland and directed by the band's longtime creative collaborator, Jason Ho. Their music has been featured by Paste Magazine, NPR, and Baeble Music, and their new release, Rerun City is out now!
This show will be an acoustic trio version of Reina del Cid: lead singer Reina del Cid on guitar, Andrew Foreman on stand-up bass, and a "mystery guitarist."
Reina del Cid show details:
- Thursday, April 5, 2018
- Doors @ 6:00 for food and mingling; Music @ 7:00
- The band will have merchandise for sale -- and we're all about supporting independent musicians -- so bring a little extra folding money
- Weather has confirmed it will be perfect
- We'll have potluck food and beverages -- bring something to share
- Asking $20 donation for Reina del Cid, payable the night of the show
RSVP now for this show, with the number of guests.
Some songs from Reina del Cid for your listening pleasure. Check 'em out!
Sarah Potenza - May 13, 2017
Show details:
- Saturday, May 13
- Doors @ 6:00 for food and mingling; Music @ 7:00
- Sarah will have merchandise for sale -- and we're all about supporting independent musicians -- so bring a little extra folding money
- Weather has confirmed it will be perfect
- We'll have potluck food and beverages -- bring something to share
- Asking $25 donation for Sarah, payable the night of the show
A little about Sarah
We'll let Rolling Stone handle this part (from Sept. 2016: "10 New Artists You Need to Know"):
After Potenza's spellbinding blind audition yielded a four-chair turn on NBC's The Voice, a visibly moved Pharrell Williams told her she was "giving this generation something they've never seen before." Potenza is to the blues what Adele is to pop: a colossal-voiced singer who merges her old-school influences with a modernistic sound. Her new album, Monster, solidifies endless Janis Joplin vocal comparisons but also colors between the lines of Memphis blues, Nashville Americana, New Orleans funk and L.A. punk. Its lyrics are personal and personally therapeutic, as she empowers herself through tunes denouncing industry naysayers and embracing her fuller-figured, boisterous self.
Some Media
Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies' Mike Farris Plays Henry House Concerts March 3
Friday, March 3
Doors at 6:00 | Music at 7:30
$20 donation to the artist
Mike Farris is a musical renaissance man. He’s toured as lead singer for the Southern Rock Band, Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies, and following the demise of blues & rock legend Stevie Ray Vaughn, as the lead singer for the incomparable blues band, Double Trouble. In his solo career, he began to rediscover and reinterpret traditional black spiritual music by adding his own mix of vintage southern soul. For his efforts, Farris won the prestigious Americana Music Award for Best New & Emerging Artist, a Dove Award for Best Traditional Gospel Album of the Year and a 2015 GRAMMY® award for Best Roots Gospel Album.
He has appeared at multiple festivals including Merlefest, Telluride & Bonnaroo, electrifying audiences with the impact of his live performance. He has contributed vocals to Patty Griffin’s GRAMMY®-winning Downtown Church project, as well as Rodney Crowell’s latest album, Tarpaper Sky. Additionally, Farris was invited to be a featured performer in 2011 at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 16th Annual American Masters concert honoring Aretha Franklin alongside such acts as Lauryn Hill, Chaka Khan, Cissy Houston, and Ronald Isley. Most recently he performed on Austin City Limits for their inaugural “Hall of Fame Show” into which Willie Nelson and Double Trouble were inducted.
Curtis McMurtry - March 31, 2017
Son of James McMurtry and grandson of Larry McMurtry (yeah, the author of Lonesome Dove and Last Picture Show), Curtis McMurtry will play in our house on March 31, 2017. We just copied and pasted this from Curtis's website to give you a taste, but please visit that site and explore more for yourself... "Though Curtis McMurtry is only 25 years of age, many of the characters in his songs seem to have given up on life decades ago. His debut solo album Respectable Enemy chronicles the narrations of unapologetically bitter individuals still haunted by the ghosts of lovers and friends they have long since driven away. From the doomed narrator of "Foxhole" to the resigned nostalgia of "Eleanor's House" Curtis writes to break your heart into sharp, jagged pieces.
Curtis was born and raised in Austin, Texas and grew up listening to local songwriters like Matt The Electrician, Jon Dee Graham, and his father, James McMurtry. From 2009-2013 Curtis studied music composition and ethnomusicology at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York, primarily writing contemporary chamber music for banjo and strings. In 2013, Curtis moved to Nashville for a year to sharpen his songwriting skills by co-writing with veteran writers including Fred Koller and Guy Clark. Curtis has since moved back to Austin where he often performs as a quartet with cellist Diana Burgess (of Mother Falcon), upright bassist Taylor Turner (of Magia Negra) and trumpeter Nathan Calzada."
Curtis was just interviewed on NPR on February 25, 2017. Listen to the interview and some of his music here:
Eric Taylor - July 16, 2016
Eric Taylor is a master storyteller and has been one of the finest southern songwriters for the last four decades. Influencing such well-known artists as Nanci Griffith, Lyle Lovett (both of whom have covered several of his songs) and Steve Earle, Taylor tours extensively throughout North America and Europe. He has appeared on Austin City Limits, Late Night With David Letterman, NPR's "Morning Edition" and "Mountain Stage" and BBC Radio. A mesmerizing performer whose shows will leave you wanting more.
Details
Saturday, July 16, 2016
Doors open at 6:00 for food, drink, and mingling
Music starts at 7:30 (with our traditional opening set at 7:00)
Asking a $20 donation for Eric - payable that night.
Eric Taylor will have merchandise for sale and we're all about supporting independent musicians, so bring a little extra folding money. 🙂
What people are saying about Eric Taylor...
I'm always the opening act when I'm around Eric. I love his voice, and he has a great narrative quality and sense of detail. He sort of takes you out of your own reality and into the reality of his songs. It's good writing no matter how you cut it.
– Lyle Lovett
He's the real deal. Eric Taylor was one of my heroes and teachers when I started playing around Houston in the early 1970s.
– Steve Earle
If you have yet to experience an Eric Taylor concert, if you love the sort of songwriting that changes your perspective while enthralling to the point of making you forget to breathe, if you love storytelling that is never predictable or derivative and akin to the best fiction-writing, if you love guitar work that is never flashy but always brilliant, if you love discovering an artist that is singularly of his own mold, then Eric Taylor is your man.
– Denise Williams, Hillbilly Haiku House Concerts
Eric Taylor is one of the few artists I've ever seen with a greatness that wreathes about him as he takes the stage, no matter what size the venue. An audience instinctively knows to shut up and pay attention. This is a man who takes the art of songwriting – and the art of performance – seriously. And, at the end of the set, the audience will have been transported some place and back again. Eric Taylor doesn't just make you feel the sun and taste the dust of Texas, he takes you places and puts you inside people's minds. From prison inmates trying to fathom the jumble of their lives to little kids watching their family implode, Eric Taylor makes it real. Aspiring – and accomplished – songwriters leave Eric Taylor shows shaking their heads with awe. And well they should.
– Charlie Hunter, Flying Under Radar Productions
Smooth Hound Smith - March 27, 2016
We had American roots duo Smooth Hound Smith - comprised of "one-man-band" Zack Smith (guitars/vocals/foot drums/harmonicas/banjo) and Caitlin Doyle (vocals/percussion) - back on March 27, 2016 and here a few pictures from that show. But, we're trying to get them back on January 13, 2017 becuase they were AMAZING.
Tommy Womack - April 15, 2016
I guess we could spend a lot of time copying and pasting Tommy's information into this site, but the internet is a beautiful thing, so let's use it... tommywomack.com.
Tommy has a YouTube Channel too: Tommy's YouTube Channel
Verlon Thompson - September 4, 2015
Songwriters seem to flourish on the fertile Oklahoma plains. Woody Guthrie, Roger Miller, Leon Russell, J.J. Cale and Jimmy Webb. Add Verlon Thompson to that list.
Thirty years as a professional songwriter and traveling troubadour serve as credentials. As a solo performer, and as the trusted sidekick of Texas Americana songwriting icon Guy Clark, Verlon has viewed the world from stages everywhere from Barcelona to Binger (his hometown in Oklahoma).
Along the way Verlon Thompson compositions have been recorded by Jimmy Buffett and Alan Jackson, Anne Murray, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Kenny Rogers, Randy Travis, Del McCoury, Sam Bush, Trisha Yearwood and many more.
Equally important in his songwriting and live performances, Verlon's guitar work cannot go unnoticed. His guitar can be heard on recordings by Restless Heart, Pam Tillis, and many more, including, and especially Guy Clark.
Verlon has co-produced Guy Clark's Grammy nominated album Cold Dog Soup as well as The Dark, Workbench Songs, and Somedays the Song Writes You.
Verlon Thompson is currently on the road. Or in the studio. Or writing in his bunkhouse on the river in Tennessee...
....but never far from the fertile plains of Oklahoma.
Javier Mendoza - May 8, 2015
Born in Virginia and raised in Spain, Javier Mendoza headed back to the States on a soccer scholarship to play for St. Louis University. When an injury kept him from playing, he picked up the guitar and began writing music. Soon after he signed a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell, writing for Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin, Emilio Estefan and others. Approached by Bass/Schuler Entertainment to begin showcasing and an increase in demand to tour, Javier hit the road as a singer-songwriter and performer.
Javier has independently sold over 50,000 albums and has received many honors including “Best Solo Artist”, “Best Male Vocalist” & “Best Pop Artist” by the Riverfront Times Music Awards. He was a finalist in the Independent Music Awards and was selected as a Budweiser True Music Artist. “Beautiful”, “On Top of the World” and “Veronica” received radio airplay. Mendoza’s songs have also been featured on several TV reality shows and he’s had multiple magazine features and live performances on both radio and TV. He’s played at more than 200 music venues and Universities across the country and Europe and was voted “One of Colleges Hottest Artists” by Campus Magazine. He’s released 15 albums and will be back in the studio this Fall recording some new music with Grammy Award Winning Record Producer, Toby Wright. Javier has shared the stage with Willie Nelson, Los Lobos, The Roots, Ben Folds, Jars of Clay, Michael W. Smith, Chris Tomlin, Santana, Idina Menzel, Martin Sexton, Raining Jane, Victor Wooten, and many more.
Recently having moved to Nashville, TN, he’s been welcomed into the songwriting community…performing with Barry Dean (Ingrid Michaelson's "Girl Chase Boys"), Luke Laird (Grammy winning producer and writer for Kasey Musgraves), Lori McKenna (Hunter Hayes' "I Want Crazy") and others.
Hannah Aldridge - March 2015
Americana singer/songwriter Hannah Aldridge's record Razor Wire was ranked on many 'best of' lists for 2014 including in the top 10 by americana music blog No Depression (alongside Sturgill Simpson and Justin Townes Earle) and was ranked in the top 100 in the USA on the AMA radio charts and #6 in the Netherlands and #11 in the UK on the Americana charts. Two KDHX DJs named Hannah's album to their top ten lists as well, and Ed Becker of Songwriter's Showcase calls it his number one pick for a debut album in 2014!
Tall Trees - November 2014
Tall Tees are Tim Grimm & Ben Bedford. They played with with Connor Grimm and Jackson Grimm.
Bobby Bare, Jr. & Nikki Lane - April 2014
Bobby Bare, Jr. and Nikki Lane played our house in April 2014.
Danny Schmidt and Carrie Elkin - October 2013
Our first-ever house concert - Danny Schmidt and Carrie Elkin - in October 2013