Saturday,
July 11, 8pm
Michael Johnson
$18/$20 at door
Michael at Crossings, August 2008. Photo by Corliss Brecht
"Johnson has endured because he's such
a superb performer with a warm, expressive voice,
wonderful guitar skills and an endearing stage presence."
-Dirty Linen
"A dazzling guitarist and wonderfully expressive
singer. No two shows are alike."
-Billboard Magazine
A series of strange occurrences led Michael Johnson, a native of Denver, into music. At thirteen, he contracted a severe case of pneumonia. Concurrently, his twenty-year-old brother, Paul, was in an auto accident and suffered a badly broken leg. Faced with two invalids, the Johnson family moved hospital beds into the living room, placing the brothers side by side to recuperate. Desperate to keep them entertained, their father bought them a guitar. It proved to be a stroke of genius. The boys taught themselves together: exploring unique chord changes and progressions, experimenting with different fingerpicking and tunings, sharing everything they had learned and challenging the other to surpass the latest achievement. By the end of the year, the Johnson boys had their first gig at the local VFW hall. "They paid us $5 and all the screwdrivers we could drink," Johnson recalls. With that inauspicious beginning, Johnson had found his calling. Lessons learned early would not be forgotten: Keep trying new things and do not be bound by convention; Strive for excellence and let the music be your guide.
In 1963, Johnson went off to Colorado State University to study music but his college career was truncated when he won an international talent contest two years later. First prize included a deal with Epic Records. Epic put out "Hills," written and sung by Johnson, as a single. It barely made a ripple in the music world. Twenty-three copies were sold (13 of which Johnson can still locate) and they sent him an 11 cent royalty check, which he framed, earning him the ire of their bookkeeping department. Another part of the prize was a two week stint in a Chicago pub, although Epic didn't bother to mention he wouldn't be paid. However, that two weeks stretched into twenty-two and the last twenty were paid. Johnson began extensive touring of clubs and colleges, finding a receptive audience everywhere he went.
Michael's music and concerts have taken him all over the world. He has performed many times in Spain, Japan, Holland, Switzerland, The Philippines, Alaska and elsewhere.
His annual December 26th concert in Minneapolis is legend. He has performed with many symphony orchestras. Among the artists whom Michael is proudest to have appeared with are: Judy Collins, George Carlin, Vince Gill, Roger Miller, Bill Monroe, John McGloughlin, Josh White Sr., Cheryl Wheeler, David Sanborn, Wynonna, Trisha Yearwood, Andy Kaufman, Jennifer Warnes and many others.
Visit this philosopher-balladeer-singer-songwriter's
website to hear, read,
and learn more.
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Saturday,
July 18, 8pm
John Gorka
with Carrie Elkin
$24/$26 at door
Listening to John Gorka sing, one can get goosebumps
all over.
There are many reasons-fresh lyrics, a stunning, emotional baritone voice,
his twisted humor-but to focus on one limits the experience. -The New
York Times
"Carrie Elkin’s fourth release resounds
with a sense of warm, earthy poetry that combines a
strong folk/soul framework, her own sweet-toned but characterful vocals
and quietly
offbeat writing that never seems wilfully eccentric." Maverick
Magazine - UK
John Gorka is an honored icon of folk tradition. Energetic acoustic music that is not a trend, not a fad, but an expression of everyday life, is his trademark. John's rich baritone voice and unique songcraft weave a magical spell that can only be described as 'Gorka.'
In 1987, the young Minnesota-based Red House Records caught wind of John’s talents and released his first album, I Know, to popular and critical acclaim. His albums and his touring (over 150 nights a year at times) brought new accolades for his craft. Rolling Stone called him “the preeminent male singer/songwriter of the new folk movement.” His rich multi-faceted songs full of depth, beauty and emotion gained increasing attention from critics and audiences across the country, as well as in Europe where his tours led him through Italy, Belgium, Scotland, Ireland, Holland, Switzerland and Germany.
Godfrey Daniels is one of the oldest and most venerable music institutions in eastern Pennsylvania. A small neighborhood coffeehouse and listening room, it has long been a hangout for music lovers and aspiring musicians, and in the late 1970s, one of these was a young Moravian College student named John Gorka. Though his academic course work lay in Philosophy and History, music began to offer paramount enticements. Soon he found himself living in the club’s basement and acting as resident M.C. and soundman, encountering legendary folk troubadors like Canadian singer/songwriter Stan Rogers, Eric Andersen, Tom Paxton and Claudia Schmidt. Their brand of folk-inspired acoustic music inspired him, and before long he was performing his own songs — mostly as an opener for visiting acts. Soon he started traveling to New York City, where Jack Hardy’s legendary Fast Folk circle (a breeding ground for many a major singer/songwriter) became a powerful source of education and encouragement. Folk meccas like Texas’ Kerrville Folk Festival (where he won the New Folk Award in 1984) and Boston followed, and his stunningly soulful baritone voice and emerging songwriting began turning heads. Those who had at one time inspired him — Suzanne Vega, Bill Morrissey, Nanci Griffith, Christine Lavin, Shawn Colvin — had become his peers.
Opening for John and appearing for the first time on Crossings' stage is angelic-voiced Carrie Elkin.
With the vocal fire of Patti Griffin and the lyrical rawness of Rickie Lee Jones, Carrie Elkin's songs are, at once, intimate yet universal, naked yet richly adorned. "Her voice is simply revelatory" says the venerable English music rag, Folkwax. "Elkin presents herself as one of the most accomplished of America's new songwriting breed." Rock-n-Reel Magazine, UK.
A troubadour in the most classic fashion, Elkin has ridden a gypsy breeze of serendipity for the last ten years, landing for a time in Cleveland, Athens, Taos, Steamboat Springs, Colorado Springs and Boston, finally coming to settle in Austin, TX in the summer of 2007. Carrie was recently chosen as a Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Emerging Artist as well as a finalist for the prestigious NPR show, Mountain Stage.
A visit to John Gorka's website gives stunning glimpses into the past, present and future of this brilliant talent. You'll also get the Gorka Family's Pierogi Recipe.
Check out Carrie's web-presence here!
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Saturday,
July 25, 8pm
Sally Barris
Brandon Sampson
$14/$16 at door
"Sally Barris has a voice like sparkling crystal.
You could have knocked me over with a feather
the first time I heard her. Her writing is from a deep, yet innocent place,
and her point of view is
just a bit off center." - Kathy Mattea
Nashville-based artist and Wrensong Publishing writer Sally Barris has managed to be successful in the mainstream world of country music without giving up her folk & Celtic roots.
Her unique style, influenced by artists such as: Tony Rice, Dougie Maclean, Triona Ni Dhomhnaill & Richard Thompson, is what makes her stand out in a city known for "cookie cutter" talent. Whether in her own hands or those of a well-established artist, such as, Lee Ann Womack, or a newcomer like American Idol finalist, Kellie Pickler, Sally's music is unmistakably recognizable.
Sally is a "Songwriter poised to make the breakthrough to international recognition as a major recording artist Like Nanci Griffith, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Mindy Smith and Allison Moorer, Sally Barris doesn't easily fit into the country genre, but is one of the most talented writers currently working in Nashville," says Alan Cackett, Maverick Magazine U.K.
The Minnesota native is currently on tour with her 3rd cd: Restless Soul. Joining her on this leg is Brandon Sampson of Six Mile Grove.
In the last couple of years Minnesota native Brandon Sampson has become friends with many musicians from Nashville, TN. "I’ve toured with other singer/songwriters including Dana Cooper, Grammy Award nominee Sally Barris, and Grammy Award winner John Vezner. They’ve opened my eyes to living the life of an artist." In the last few years Brandon's music reflects more strongly on his roots, muses, and how he sees the world; also the inevitable effects of progress, what happens when children grow up and leave to find their own destinies.
Brandon's songs are about growing up and becoming a man, the importance of music, storytelling, and self-expression. "My songs are about the people I grew up with in small town USA. I tell the stories that they can’t tell themselves, because if I don’t, no one will."
And
watch a really great YouTube clip of Brandon
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Friday,
July 31, 8pm
Tannahill Weavers
$26/$28 at door
"These guys are a bunch of heroes every time they go on tour in the States"-Garrison Keillor
"Among the half-dozen most popular groups leading the
current revival of Celtic traditional music,
the Tannahill Weavers…probably make the most explicit connections
between tradition
and the electric folk reels of bands like Big Country and U-2." - Stephen
Holden, New York Times
"Travelling overseas to perform always thrusts the artist
into the role of cultural ambassador.
If that is the case, the Tannahill Weavers make Scotland out to be a country
to desire,
one with a utilitarian appreciation of the old, an acceptance of the new
and a quick and playful wit." -Ithica Journal
The Tannahill Weavers are one of Scotland's premier traditional bands. Their diverse repertoire spans the centuries with fire-driven instrumentals, topical songs, and original ballads and lullabies. Their music demonstrates to old and young alike the rich and varied musical heritage of the Celtic people. These versatile musicians have received worldwide accolades consistently over the years for their exuberant performances and outstanding recording efforts that seemingly can't get better...yet continue to do just that.
The Tannahills have turned their acoustic excitement loose on audiences with an electrifying effect. They have that unique combination of traditional melodies, driving rhythmic accompaniment, and rich vocals that make their performances unforgettable. As the Winnipeg Free Press noted, "The Tannahill Weavers - properly harnessed - could probably power an entire city for a year on the strength of last night's concert alone. The music may be old time Celtic, but the drive and enthusiasm are akin to straight ahead rock and roll."
Born of a session in Paisley, Scotland and named for the town's historic weaving industry and local poet laureate Robert Tannahill, the group has made an international name for its special brand of Scottish music, blending the beauty of traditional melodies with the power of modern rhythms. The Tannahill Weavers began to attract attention when founding members Roy Gullane and Phil Smillie added the full-sized highland bagpipes to the on-stage presentations, the first professional Scottish folk group to successfully do so. The combination of the powerful pipe solos, Roy's driving guitar backing and lead vocals, and Phil's ethereal flute playing breathed new life into Scotland's vast repertoire of traditional melodies and songs.
Visit the Tannie's website
to learn more and listen to some of their amazing music!
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Saturday,
August 8, 8pm
Prudence Johnson &
Dan Chouinard
$18/$20 at door
"Whether the fare is cool jazz, torch songs, or
country and folk ballads, she sings with a warmth
and élan that often seem intimate and effortless." -- Tom
Surowicz, [Minneapolis] Star Tribune
One of the hottest duos on the Twin Cities
jazz scene, eclectic vocalist Prudence Johnson and piano
wizard
Dan Chouinard, returns to Crossings by popular demand to
deliver their smooth mix of Gershwin tributes, Parisian music and more.
Dan is sure to have his accordion along so expect some French and Italian
gems as well as American classics from Gershwin and the like, and a few
new things they've picked up along the way.
Almost anything is possible given the wide-ranging
repertoire these veteran performers bring to the stage.
Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) listeners will recognize Johnson as a regular
on “A Prairie Home Companion” weekly radio show. Her 25-year
music career has taken her from nightclubs and honky-tonks to Carnegie Hall,
from the theater stage to the Silver Screen (Robert Redford’s “A
River Runs Through It” and “A Prairie Home Companion”
the movie), from the Midwest to the Middle East.
Chouinard has criss-crossed the country playing with Peter Ostroushko, Neil and Leandra, and Maria Jette. He wrote and starred in “Café Europa” for Minnesota Public Radio. Chouinard is sure to have his accordion along, so expect some French and Italian gems as well as American classics from Gershwin and the like.
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Friday,
August 14, 8pm
Bag-O-Dirt Band
$14/$16 at door
Originally formed in 1981 by the late mandolin/banjoist Jeff Smith of Rochester, MN, The Bag O' Dirt Band has endured for over two decades. Their music strikes a balance between both traditional and progressive styles of bluegrass music. The band’s modern arrangements come from bands such as New Grass Revival, The Lonesome River Band, Ricky Skaggs and Tony Rice to name a few. Their more traditional numbers come from bands like The Stanley Brothers, Bill Monroe, and Flatt & Scruggs. Following Smith's untimely death caused by Leukemia in 1993, the band's guitarist, Scott Seim, was determined to keep the band going and is presently the only original member remaining in the band.
The Bag O' Dirt Band members are: Scott Seim on acoustic rhythm and lead guitar, singing lead and tenor harmony vocals, Travis Nemechek on mandolin, also sings lead and tenor harmony vocals, Bill Paul on 5-string banjo with some lead vocals and John Hagen on bass, singing baritone harmony vocals.
The Bag O’ Dirt Band performs all over Central and SE Minnesota and Northern Iowa at various venues including town festivals, party venues, and Bluegrass festivals sponsored by SEMBA and MBOTMA. They have opened for such acts as: Monroe Crossing and Country Superstar and Grand Ole Opry Star, Josh Turner. The Bag O’ Dirt Band also finished Second Runner Up out of a total of nine bands in the 2007 “Race for a Place” band competition hosted by The Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association (MBOTMA) at their Harvest Jamboree Festival held in November. This led to two main stage 2008 performances at the largest Bluegrass festival in Minnesota. The band has just celebrated the release of their new CD “Dirt Tracks”!
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Saturday,
August 22, 8pm
Tret Fure
$15/$17 at door
Women’s music legend Tret Fure continues to turn out marvelous albums, her latest being “True Compass” (Tomboy Girl). Who else could have written a love song such as “Look What Love Has Given Me”? It’s a song that is at once personal and universal in its affectionate expression of happiness. Fure keeps it coming in the jazzy flourishes of the title track, the acoustic twang of “Six Beers,” the heartache of “32 Years,” the political voice of “Try” and the rhythmic “Leap of Faith.” - Gregg Shapiro, Chicago Free Press.
This talented singer, songwriter and musician has blazed a trail in the acoustic women’s music movement, and has worked with popular artists including Spencer Davis, Bonnie Raitt, Yes, and the J. Geils band, and she's returning for another captivating musical evening at Crossings!
After releasing her premier album on MCA records in 1973, titled Tret Fure, and becoming one of the first women sound engineers in the US, she left the mainstream music industry. Armed with a fierce desire to retain full artistic control, Fure began exploring the independent side of the industry and soon discovered the blossoming genre known as Women’s Music. She has been a major player in that field ever since. Now after 3 acoustic releases on her own label, Tomboy girl Records, she has re-established herself in the folk world.
Fure's acclaimed solo releases include Terminal Hold, Edges of the Heart, Time Turns the Moon, Back Home, which took both album of the year and single of the year awards for 2001 from Outvoice Top 40 and My Shoes, which took the number 2 spot for album of the year in 2003 from Outvoice. Sing Out Magazine says of My Shoes: "Fure's new solo venture signals her intent to do more than just move on. This album soars...She has never sounded better...This mature effort surely ranks among Fure's finest works and will be savored by old-time fans and new fans alike."
Each of Fure’s collections spotlights her gift for creating lyrical and musical vignettes. Whether it is her signature disarming piano ballad "That Side of the Moon”, the moving and beautiful story of her Norwegian grandparents "Ancestors" or the gorgeous love song, “Dream Time”, Fure's words transform inaccessible and complex emotions into that which listeners can viscerally touch.
For more information about Tret, video and
sound, shopping at the tomboy girl store, and forum discussions even, click
here!
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Friday,
August 28, 8pm
John McCutcheon
$25/$27 at door
John McCutcheon's songs sing of the nation’s heritage. His words channel the conscience of our people into streams of poetry and melody. He writes about subjects small and great, from a child’s haircut to freedom and human dignity – issues equally eternal and enduring. Think of McCutcheon as an incarnation of Pete Seeger and Mr. Rogers, Will Rogers and Bruce Springsteen, and above all Everyman, righteously passionate and impishly playful, blessed with gifts as a songwriter, historian, musician and storyteller that have won him praise in Australia as “the most overwhelming folk performer in the English language,” from a Russian critic as “the most versatile and compelling performer this reviewer has ever seen,” and from Johnny Cash as “the most impressive instrumentalist I’ve ever heard.”
Add to that the 31 albums in his catalog, and the six Grammy nominations and multiple Parent’s Choice and American Library Association awards they’ve won, stir in the diverse and growing following that has flocked to his shows, around the world and as nearby as a school or concert venue near you, and the point is made clear: John McCutcheon is as timeless as tradition, as immediate as tomorrow’s headlines, and as vital as any artist who seeks to enlighten as well as entertain.
If it has strings, John would probably play it. Listen to his music on his MySpace page !
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Sunday,
August 30, 7pm
Cadillac Sky
$28/$30 at door
"...they completely blew me away, they
were jogging around on the top of their strings,
sniffing out new territory with rampant curiosity.... the Pink
Floyd of Country Music" -Folkwax
"Original", "innovative", "fearless", "ambitious", "propulsive", "a marvel of emotion and razor sharp focus"....these are the words of those that have had a chance to hear the sound that for the past several years has been reverberating out of Texas from one of American music's most compelling bands, Cadillac Sky. Their music has been coined everything from "experimental acoustic music" to "psychobilly grass" but they themselves, simply hope they just make "good" music.
Bryan Simpson, Matt Menefee, David Mayfield,
Ross Holmes, Andy Moritz are Cadillac Sky. The boys' ever-increasing following
solemnly attests to the fact that the ferocity and grace that are the staples
of Cadillac Sky are best understood when witnessed first hand. Belying their
bluegrass instrumentation that imitates that of the original "Bluegrass
Boys", their music looks as much to Radiohead and the Beatles for inspiration
as it does to Bill Monroe.
The 14 original songs, all written by the band, on their stellar sophomore
release "Gravity's Our Enemy", embody
this ideal. Take for example a song like “My Precious Waltz/I Hate
How Happy She Is.” It begins with long mournful notes from the emotional
violin of Ross Holmes accompanied by the eery whistle of a musical saw,
sounding almost like Andrew Bird or gypsy-punkers DeVotchKa, before the
virtuositic banjo-picking of Matt Menefee suddenly kicks in and the passionate
wail of lead singer Bryan Simpson begins heaping scorn on an ex-lover as
the merciless groove supplied by Andy "The Panda" Moritz's upright
bass leads everyone around. But somehow even though they draw inspiration
from many far-reaching corners of creativity they manage to create a sound
that is completely Cadillac Sky. A sound that rejects the straitjacket of
labeling and instead looks to make transcendent music and ultimately to
paint its masterpiece. Cadillac Sky is a musical unit that strives with
every note recorded, every show performed, to create moments that will be
remembered and music that will last.
Get your socks blown off listening to their
music on MySpace!
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Wednesday,
September 16, 7:30pm
Old Blind Dogs
$25/$27 at door
"The Old Blind Dogs play with a compelling
energy and intoxicating rhythm,
as players and audience seem to share a wild ecstasy of emotion." -The
Scotsman
"Old Blind Dogs bring freshness and colour
to acoustic music steeped in centuries of
Scottish folklore and history." -Los Angeles Times
Since forming in the early 1990's, Old Blind Dogs have stood on the cutting edge of Scotland’s roots revival. The band has developed its own trademark style with an energetic mix of songs and tunes. Dynamic percussion, polished vocals, soaring fiddle and stirring pipes fuel the delicately-phrased melodies and traditional songs.
Sixteen years is a long time in the life of any band and most who reach that milestone are content to rest on the tried and true formulas that have worked in the past. Not so for Scotland’s Old Blind Dogs whose newly released Four on the Floor takes them bravely in many new directions. The Dogs, one of Scotland’s most highly touted traditional folk bands, are not known for shying away from change.
Compass Records' review of Four on the Floor
states it well. The Dogs have always been best known for their impassioned
live shows and the inclusion of three classic Old Blind Dogs tracks, recorded
live by the current line up, shows why. "Bedlam Boys/The Rights of
Man", "Branle" and "The Bonnie Earl O Moray" which
span
the Dog’s career, giving the listener a taste of what all the fuss
is about.
"It's that live performance thing." says Hardie. "There's an honesty about it and we work hard on the stage. Perhaps we even err on the side of being too frenetic. We don't really pace ourselves; we just go for it. I think ours is very immediate music."
Check them out on MySpace
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Friday,
September 18, 7:30pm
Willie Porter
$24/$26 at door
"Milwaukee's Willy Porter is a dazzling acoustic guitarist
with a moody baritone..."
— The Washington Post
"Willy plays rhythms that make me want to crawl inside
his guitar and sleep there forever."
— Tori Amos
How To Rob A Bank, the seventh release from esteemed guitarist singer/songwriter Willy Porter, is a self-produced tour de force on three fronts: vast and deep writing, crisp playing and powerful vocal arrangements. Rarely does an artist come to form the way Porter does here— the tunes are youthful but wise—and the production leaves a lot of room for the listener to come along and ride shotgun.
Porter is a consummate live performer who has
toured with people as diverse as Jeff Beck and Tori Amos. He continues to
deliver music that is timely and at the forefront of the new acoustic frontier.
The humorous Woody Guthrie-derived, would-be bank robber’s pre-heist
confessional in the title track captures in the studio the sharp wit and
clever wordsmithing that fans have come to expect of his shows. Porter tells
us he’ll “…hit the country clubs eating peanuts and drinking
scotch, talk the recent trends and fart into a velvet couch; that’s
how you rob
a bank.” It sounds like he means it.
The beautiful “Too Big To Sell”
is an ode to the struggling artist's life from the perspective of the impressionist–
era painters that is both historically accurate and ironic in its telling
as Porter has been on the road much of the last 20 years, but has remained
happily under the radar for much of that time.
How To Rob A Bank contains some of Porter’s best writing to date.
The diversity on the CD is a unique mix of salt and sugar. Ian Anderson
of Jethro Tull said of Porters’ work: “Willy Porter's music
demonstrates admirably that the technical excellence of his guitarplaying
will never overwhelm the essence of the song itself. In perfect symbiosis,
the two disciplines of performance and songwriting combine together to create
the unique work for which he is admired by professional peers and audiences
alike. Oh - and a pretty damn fine singer too.
Thank goodness he doesn't play the flute.” Evidence of that is abundant
on HTRAB. However, Porter’s guitar playing veers from humorous to
incendiary from track to track, while always serving the sentiment of the
tune.
Listen to tracks from his new record at his website
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Monday,
October 5, 7:30pm
Tanglefoot
$30/$32 at door
After twenty-five years, Tanglefoot,
the iconic Canadian folk/roots band with “the huge sound, the head-snapping
harmonies and stunning vocal blend,” is calling it quits. But not
before they travel around Canada and the United States saying goodbye. Crossings
welcomes Tanglefoot to their stage for their last Minnesota concert for
regional Foot Heads and others who have one last chance to see this great
band live!
In addition to hearing their lively, incomparable music once more in an
intimate and entirely acoustic setting, this evening will include a chance
to ask the band questions, hear their road stories, make requests, and mingle
with the band and other fans—less a concert than a visit with old
friends.
With a big sound and huge vocal harmonies, Tanglefoot is one of the most dynamic and irrepressible folk bands ever to come out of Canada. Tanglefoot has made headlines throughout the world of acoustic music, changing preconceptions about what ‘folk’ music sounds like, and attracting a rabidly enthusiastic horde of fans, friends and Foot Heads.
These five engaging and colorful performers have an unmatched intensity and contagious enthusiasm, and are “guaranteed to knock you out of whatever slump you’re in.” With a boatload of original material that engages both the heart and the mind, Tanglefoot draws on the Canadian historical experience to create adept and muscular music that mixes tradition and innovation with a wink and a twist.
Visit Tanglefoot's website!
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