If the RSVP button doesn't work for you, simply email Randy at FZ1@prodigy.net.
Show details:
Friday, July 31 *** Planning on an OUTSIDE Show ***
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
Thunder, Rain, and one other person hold their instruments.
Thunder and Rain is a newgrass band delivering melodic hooks, rich harmonies, and grassy drive with pop-rock inspired songcraft.
Thunder plays bass. I think that's Erinn Peet Lukes.
The band was founded by Erinn Peet Lukes in Colorado in 2013. Following a pandemic-era hiatus, Lukes relocated to Nashville, where she met Amelia Ransom (fiddle) and Laura Ray (banjo). They play with a rotating cast of bass players including Amanda Accardi, currently borrowed from her bluegrass jam band Low Ground.
Thunder and Rain play, this time with two additional weather phenomena. Lightning, maybe. And Wind, probably.
“There are pop elements to Thunder and Rain songs that make them appealing to both old-school bluegrass shitkickers and people who just love great melodies.”
— Denver Westword
Thunder and Rain released their fourth album, Storybook Sessions, in October 2024.
If the RSVP button doesn't work for you, simply email Randy at FZ1@prodigy.net.
Show details:
Saturday, June 27 *** Planning on an OUTSIDE Show ***
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
Chance Stanley has a highway running through his heart.
Chance Stanley is a singer-songwriter from Marietta, Mississippi, not too far out of Tupelo. An original Artist, Stanley draws influence from classic country, as well as Americana and Red Dirt music.
Chance Stanley sings in front of an aquamarine haze. And behind a water bottle.
If the RSVP button doesn't work for you, simply email Randy at FZ1@prodigy.net.
He has been touring as a solo acoustic Artist since 2017, playing 200+ shows a year all over the country.
Chance Stanley occasionally performs as Chanc Stanley.
Chance (or Chanc) has had the humble opportunity to share the stage with heroes such as The Bellamy Brothers, Cody Canada & The Departed, The Kentucky Headhunters, and Chris Knight, just to name a few.
Chance Stanley and his first try at Photoshop.
Chance released a self-titled EP in August 2021 that garnished positive national attention on the strength of the single "Farmhouse." He went on to release Live from the Little House in the spring of 2024, and — most recently — Next Town.
Your quirky best friend who refuses to wear pants.
Shanna twirls her hair in a dress.
Show details:
Saturday, April 18 *** maybe an outside show? ***
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!
Shanna cocks her head in a dress.
Sitting at the perfect intersection of catchy and comedy, Shanna is a breath of fresh air — not afraid to have fun with her music.
Shanna sings in front of candles in a dress.
Think John Prine mixed with Ingrid Michaelson and a twist of Phoebe Buffay from Friends all wrapped up in a sweet voice accented by guitar, piano, and ukulele.
Shanna disembarks a van in a dress.
An uncensored journey of clever humor and heartbreak, extreme candor, and a hefty side of entertainment. Join us for a night to remember!
... as Danny Schmidt returns to Henry House Concerts!
We have had many talented performers at Henry House Concerts over the past twelve years, but there is no finer songwriter living today than Danny Schmidt -- and we count ourselves blessed to be having him back with new and wondrous stories to share. We hope you'll join us!
Show details:
Saturday, September 27 *** outside show ***
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!
Danny Schmidt makes sure he does it right.
A kind and gentle soul. Sharp, satirical wit. Bewitching melodies. Harmonious compositions. Skillful, expressive guitar. You don't want to miss this!
Danny Schmidt adjusts his hat.
"The most brilliant young songwriter I've heard in the past 25 years. His songs are thrillingly poetic."
Rich Warren, The Midnight Special on WFMT
Danny Schmidt wears work boots and doesn't want any tips in his guitar case..
“A Brilliant Poet! Danny Schmidt deserves all of the accolades that he has received from critics, DJs and other songwriters. He is hands-down one of the best singer-songwriters I have ever heard.”
Rowdy Franks is a West Tennessee native singer-songwriter and musician, known for his powerhouse vocal ability and genre-bending style.
Show details:
Saturday, August 30 *** outside show ***
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! Bring your suit if you want to take in the show from the pool. 🙂
Rowdy and the Strays play in the shadows.
Taking inspiration from country, rock, alternative, and soul music -- and backed by the Strays -- each show is rocking, raucous, and uniquely ... Rowdy.
Jim Findlay, Tony Chambers, and Gene Carroll -- the Colin Sphinctor Band -- will be sharing original songs -- many from their recent Upper Bottom Road album -- along with awesome covers and the wittiest of banter (no pressure, guys).
Show details:
Saturday, May 10
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 for our first outside show of 2025! (Dianna said they're not allowed back in the house.)
The band has plowed some of their earnings into professional marketing.
Whether you've seen them at the Sheldon...
The Colin Sphinctor Band play The Sheldon.
... or a previous Henry House Concert...
The Colin Sphinctor Band play the greatest show of their professional careers.
Mac Leaphart is at his very best -- wry, rugged, and recharged -- when singing songs that conjure up memories of front porches, honky tonks, heartbreaks, and dive bars.
Show details:
Saturday, March 22, 2025
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
We are planning an inside show for this one
Mac Leaphart tries out a new chair.
2018 winner of the prestigious Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition
Someone hidden in the trees sneaks a photo of Taylor.
Taylor Moates is a songwriter.
And we LOVE songwriters at Henry House Concerts! Blending his unique voice, melancholic lyrics, and skillful guitar picking, Taylor creates a sound reflecting the region he calls home.
Show details:
Saturday, February 22
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
We are planning an inside show for this one
Taylor Moates is happy to be here.
Touring with guitar in hand through homes, dives, cabins, and clubs...
Taylor Moates has a tattoo.
... Taylor brings pieces of his experiences and reflections to every story told in his music.
Waiting for Taylor.
Join us to immerse yourself in the musical stylings of Taylor Moates!
They went back to their roots on their last album...
...and they're coming back to Henry House Concerts!
On their last record, Missouri Folklore: Songs & Stories From Home, My Politic dug deep into the soil of their home state. Every song on Missouri Folklore is set against the backdrop of the Ozark Mountains, which served as the landscapes of longtime friends and bandmates Kaston Guffey and Nick Pankey's early years.
Show details:
Friday, October 4
Doors @ 7:00 for food and mingling; Music @ 8:00
$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 so we're looking at an outside show
Kaston plays guitar on the edge of his seat. Nick sits a little further back on his.
Missouri Folklore combines fine musicianship with perceptive, reflective and provocative lyrics. My Politic have produced a very fine record which provides intelligent, thoughtful insights not only into their home state but also the complexities and paradoxes of what it is to be human.
American UK
Nick just smiles as Kaston prepares to bite him.
... engaging slice-of-life storytelling, expertly-crafted characters & sibling-like harmony, shape a collection of songs that are as intimate and engaging as they are unforgettable.
Kaston comes at it from the side.
I hear hints of Don McLean in the vocal delivery ... takes me back to the early 80’s when Springsteen released his stripped-down classic Nebraska.
Don't miss this one! Hailing from right here in Pacific, Jeremiah Johnson has been making music since his school days, constantly honing his craft and evolving his sound. Join us August 30, and dance to one of the best blues bands working today!
Show details:
Friday, August 30
Doors @ 7:00 for food and mingling; Music @ 8:00
$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 so we're looking at an outside show ... but with a later start time to make things even COOLER
Jeremiah Johnson's hat hides his eyes.
One of the hottest prospects on the blues scene over the last decade.
Rock & Blues Muse
Jeremiah Johnson sings with his eyes closed.
Johnson looms as one of today’s premiere blues artists...
American Blues Scene
Jeremiah Johnson's advertises KSHE 95.
Jeremiah Johnson serves it up hard and nasty, St Louis juke joint blues punctuated by Johnson’s piercing Albert King riffs.
While Emily and Jesse do not generally perform together, they have shared the stage a time or few to magical effect. Two exceptional -- though very different -- songwriters, both blessed with exceptional -- though very different -- voices, will be trading songs for our joy and edification.
Show details:
Saturday, August 10
Doors @ 7:00 for food and mingling; Music @ 8:00
$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 so we're looking at an outside show ... but with a later start time to keep things even cooler
A perpetually upbeat, story-a-minute musical dynamo, Jesse Irwin has made a big splash in the local club scene by not only affecting a positive attitude in an all-too-often cliquish world, but also by ramping up an already charismatic vibe when the attention is on him. Formerly of the Dock Ellis Band and The Chimps, today Jesse performs every chance he can get either solo or with Diesel Island.
Emily belts a Christmas tune, probably.
Emily Wallace is quick to laugh and break into a million-kilowatt smile that has become a staple of her playful-but-put-together on-stage personality. I'd try to describe her voice, but nothing I say will do it adequate justice so just make sure you don't miss this show. Emily has been performing solo, with the duo Emily and Ali, or with The Sleepy Rubies since she was just 15 years old. You can find her vocals painted throughout the St. Louis music scene performing jazz with the Adam Maness Trio, funk and soul with Dave Grelle’s Playadors, and a little bit everything else ... including as a frequent featured guest with the Funky Butt Brass Band.
Emily sings, on Zoom it looks like.
Jesse tries to read some tiny print.
While not a show for the easily offended, this will definitely be a night to remember!
Some songs for your listening pleasure. Check 'em out!
Be good to yourself and join us for another show from ...
Carrie Welling sits cross-legged in the filtered sunlight.
...Carrie Welling.
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.
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 so we're looking at an outside show
Carrie sings into a microphone.
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 will also be performing brand new songs from her soon-to-be-released 2024 album.
Carrie hums into a microphone.
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.
Carrie gets ready to do a sit up.
"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
Some songs for your listening pleasure. Check 'em out!
Tracy McNeil and Dan Parsons are, respectively, Canadian and Australian and have been together for some time (Parsons is/was guitarist in McNeil’s band TheGoodLife). Holed up in Queensland during "that time in 2020," the couple started writing together, songs with an altogether different tone from their band's -- somewhat lighter but with the same lyrical depth, and the result is the self-titled Minor Gold, a little gem of an album where the dreams are about moving away, moving on, or just getting away from the ‘imprisonment.’
Show details:
Friday, June 7
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 so we're looking at an outside show
Minor Gold are a folksy offering with overtones of Simon and Garfunkel, a slice of Graham Nash-sounding harmony and some retro 70s and 80s production – a little something for everyone!
Minor Gold look like maybe their bums are wet.
“…like Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham at the top of their game in songs like 'Don’t Change' and 'Cannonball.'”
- Noel Mengel | LOUD MOUTH
Minor Gold – both the band and their album – are a breath of fresh air, standing on the merits of their songwriting and chemistry to deliver a beautifully refreshing collection of songs.
Hunter Peebles and the Moonlighters play some songs. Not sure where. Looks like an intimate venue. Not as intimate as Henry House Concerts, though.
Songs from the heart. There’s no better way to describe the music from Hunter Peebles. The human experience is filled with heartache, loss, love and joy. Hunter’s songs capture these sentiments with seemingly effortless simplicity and depth.
Show details:
Saturday, May 18
Doors @ 6:00 for food and mingling; Music @ 7:00
$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 so we're looking at an outside show
Hunter Peebles poses for the camera.
Hunter Peebles keeps his shirt on.
Hailing from southern Illinois, just east of St. Louis, Hunter reflects his influences in country, folk, and Americana soundscapes. With his newly formed band “The Moonlighters” hard at work in the studio for the better part of 2023, expect new releases in the near future. In the meantime, come see them live at Henry House Concerts!
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
The Colin Sphinctor Band, mustachioed.
Fresh off their SOLD OUT reunion show at the Focal Point, Colin Sphinctor is ready to rock Henry House! Bring your dancing shoes!
A member of The Colin Sphinctor Band shows off.
This smoking French goat may or may not be the official mascot of The Colin Sphinctor Band. Ask them at the show.
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.
Jess Klein poses for her When We Rise album cover.
Jess Klein laments dropping some papers.
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
Jess Klein leans into the mic.
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.
Jess Klein sports a Rolling Stones sleeveless tee.
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 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!
"The band specializes in a highly appealing form of controlled chaos, merging touching and tender passages with jittery jive that can sound like a speed freak on a bender."
- Bob Fish, Folk Radio UK
“We’re desperate to connect to people through the common human experiences that we write about and the exuberance of our live show. People have a lot of choices of how they’ll kick-back, so we intend to deliver a show where they can be free--to share in whatever they need to--joy, grief, anger, gratefulness, or bedlam!”
- Isaak Elker
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.
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
Chicago Folk / Americana singer / songwriter, Steve Dawson, has been called “one of the most underrated songwriters in American music,” who writes, “graceful, poetic songs akin to a volume of great short stories in their precise, exacting wordplay and soulful heartache.” Dawson has released six albums with his band, Dolly Varden, as well as five solo albums.
Adam Reichmann is best known as the leader of beloved Americana / roots pop band, Nadine, who just headlined at Twangfest in June. Adam’s gorgeous melodies and evocative lyrics have earned him fans all over Europe and the Midwest. This is a rare chance to see Adam solo.
John Wendland and Andy Ploof perform as a duo in The Wilhelms, as a quartet with BAJA, and with a full band in Rough Shop. The Wilhelms have a couple of releases together and their band Rough Shop has five full-length releases out.
Some songs from the guys for your listening pleasure. Check 'em out!
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.
Don’t let this one pass you by!
American Songwriter Magazine
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
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!
Danny croons.
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
Danny Schmidt plays guitar in the dark.
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."
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.
Scott bares his teeth.
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!
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.
Sofia Talvik blends into a mosaic
A singer/songwriter who is able to evoke the essence of Laurel Canyon circa the ‘60s as expressed in the work of Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, Buffy Sainte-Marie and others who were able to paint beautiful tapestries from words and music.
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.
Fats Kaplin hides behind the music. Kristy Rose doesn't.
Kristy sings. Fats plays.
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 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.
My Politic plays guitar seriously.
My Politic "comes from the same disenfranchised place which spawned punk, hip-hop, even rock and roll itself, and any and all movements born of being outside, forgotten, exploited, ignored and used by those in power."
- Dave Franklin
My Politic looks straight ahead. And over their shoulder.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_7aK18zNF8
"Civil War Song" - from Anchor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UhvwpKR5Tk
"12 Kinds of Lost" - from 12 Kinds of Lost
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csbYdENq6VI
"Fantasies of a Fox News Viewer" from Short Sighted People in Power
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 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 giving you the side-eye
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
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 with yellow smoke and regular glasses
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
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 has a heart where his head should be.
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
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 shows us he has nothing in his hands.
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
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 sits criss-cross-applesauce in boots. Not everybody can.
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
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 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
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 points his guitar at heaven.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
Ben Bedford sporting the beard he grew since the last time he played Henry House Concerts
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.
Rod Picott pointing at you from inside his album cover
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.
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
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. And someone watching TV in the background.
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
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
Published on Aug 17, 2016
"Monster" is the title track from Sarah Potenza's new album, her debut after competing on Season 8 of NBC's The Voice in 2015. This powerful live performance was recorded during a private Music Fog session at Nashville's 3rd & Lindsley Backstage. Sarah is joined by Ian Crossman (guitar), Ron Eoff (bass), Josh Hunt (drums), Michael Webb (keys), Joe McMahan (guitar), and Lisa Oliver-Gray along with Laura Mayo on backing vocals.Published on Apr 26, 2016
Sarah Potenza recorded live in Nashville, Tennessee at 3rd & Lindsley Backstage. Sarah is joined on this Music Fog session by Ian Crossman (guitar), Ron Eoff (bass), Josh Hunt (drums), Michael Webb (keys), Joe McMahan (guitar), and Lisa Oliver-Gray along with Laura Mayo on backing vocals. See more at: http://musicfog.com/home/2016/4/26/sarah-potenza-granddad.html...
Friday, March 3
Doors at 6:00 | Music at 7:30
$20 donation to the artist
Screamin'.
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.
Mike relaxing in sepia.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
