SAT JULY 6
Ben Taylor
Ben Taylor’s 2012 effort, Listening, seamlessly merges the sounds and styles of folk, pop, soul, urban, reggae and country/western, running the gamut from spacious acoustic numbers to multi-layered vocals and fresh beats.
Ben is an accomplished singer/songwriter and recording/touring artist in his own right, and is indeed the son of James Taylor and Carly Simon.
He’s written a pile of great songs, possessing a preternatural understanding of melody and a mastery of the understated lyric. He’s got a voice that lingers in the air–tuneful, expressive, the kind of voice that makes its impact with the smallest turn of a whispered phrase.
He proves that the talent runs in his family. He’s always kept his standards high, and when his sound began to evolve, it showed the influence from those closest to him. But it’s still quintessentially Ben Taylor.
Tickets $22 Doors 7 PM Show 8 PM
Thanks to the Times House B&B, lovers of great music and owners of a terrific B&B, for sponsoring this show ! Check them out, they’re just 2 blocks from the venue!
FRI JULY 12
The New Riders Of The Purple Sage
In the summer of 1969, John Dawson was looking to showcase his songs while Jerry Garcia was looking to practice his brand new pedal steel guitar. The two played in coffeehouses and small clubs initially, and the music they made became the nucleus for a band—the New Riders of the Purple Sage
In 2006 as they went back on the road with a revived and inspired lineup, bringing the songs of John Dawson back to the ears of adoring crowds nationwide as well as taking those songs to places they’ve never been before musically. Led by David Nelson and Buddy Cage, the current touring lineup includes Michael Falzarano (Hot Tuna) on guitar and vocals, Ronnie Penque on bass and vocals and Johnny Markowski (Stir Fried) on drums and vocals.
Before John Dawson passed away on July 21, 2009, he had given the guys his blessing and was excited to know his music is being heard live again by new generations of fans. Keeping the NRPS spirit and flame alive, the band released Where I Come From in 2009, its first studio album in twenty years. Featuring a slew of new songs written by David Nelson and Robert Hunter among other band originals, the New Riders’ renaissance continues to grow, both on record and at their live shows, where they are continually breaking out new songs, while staying true to the legacy that was started over 40 years ago by John Dawson and Jerry Garcia.
Tickets $28 Doors 7:30 PM Show 8:30 PM
SAT JULY 13
Kashmir – The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Show
Kashmir is the most authentic representation of Led Zeppelin on the modern national touring scene. Each of the four band members assumes their individual role with pinpoint accuracy. Kashmir possesses the live stage show, sound, and likeness to bring audiences and fans back to the days when the mighty Led Zeppelin ruled the musical landscape.
With the playlist of every classic rock station and the most identifiable voice in rock history, Kashmir’s show features Page’s iconic double-neck guitar, Bonham’s drum solo, the stage show of the era, and most importantly, the greatest hits that make up the soundtrack to peoples’ lives. For those who dream and wish to experience a live Led Zeppelin show, dream no more—Kashmir fits the bill, hitting every stop along the way, leaving you hungry for more.
“Hits you like a Hammer of the Gods…” - Boston Globe
Tickets $23 Doors 7 PM Showtime 8 PM
FRI JULY 19
Todd Snider
Todd Snider has been hailed as the Jerry Jeff Walker and John Prine of our time. Few artists in this or any age can both appear to be taking it less seriously than he is while managing to entrance, engage, and delight audiences with one astonishing tale after another.
Singer-songwriter Todd Snider first garnered attention for his timely alt-rock satire “Talkin’ Seattle Grunge Rock Blues”, a folk-rock song that struck a chord with younger people fed up with angry alternative rock bands and, at the same time, appealed to aging rockers who grew up with the folk revival of the 1960’s.
Todd Snider reminds us to look beyond our surroundings and consider what’s going on in this world. For years now, folk singer Snider has been one of those artists who gives voice to America and continues to make observations that bring us together. If you haven’t yet answered his knock, then maybe it’s time to open up your front door and let Todd Snider in for a real and refreshing evening of, make no apologies, tell-it-like-it-is performance.
SPECIAL GUEST : Tommy Womack
Tommy Womack has been called everything from “Tom Lehrer with a Telecaster”to “Nashville’s best loved musical eccentric,”. An award-winning recording artist and a published author, Womack writes songs as honest as anything Hank Williams or Steve Earle ever recorded, and has attracted the attention of the national press while accumulating a loyal following.
Womack came to Nashville from Kentucky, where he led the legendary post-punk band Government Cheese.
Tickets $28 Door 7:30 PM Showtime 8:30 PM
SAT JULY 20
Incendio
In both Italian and Spanish, Incendio means fire. It is a fitting name for a musical group whose sound is all about energy, exploration, and passion.
At the heart of Incendio’s sound is the Latin or Spanish guitar, which conjures romantic as well as powerful, bold images. Their music is not solely flamenco, classical, Middle Eastern, Celtic, jazz, rock, trance, or pop, but all of them.
Showcasing the timeless sound of the Spanish guitar in a variety of settings, Incendio takes the listener on a global musical experience.
All I can say is go see Incendio live, it’s an outing you will never forget. – Amazon
Tickets $23 Doors 7 PM Show 8 PM
FRI JULY 26
Bennie & The Jets – The Elton John Show
If your thing is the music of Elton John and his band, then this is the perfect show for you. Greg Ransom plays the Elton John character with aplomb, but most importantly – he has mastered the songs, both vocally and on the piano.
His band is top-shelf too, pulling together all the parts of a master’s music and performing it like you want to hear it.
Benny and the Jets have performed all across the country and also overseas, last summer entertaining our troops in Iraq. This is a classy show, pure fun and great music, sung and played as it should be.
Tickets $24 Doors 7:30 Showtime 8:30
SAT JULY 27
The Vagabond Opera
Bohemian Cabaret ensemble Vagabond Opera is described by the Washington Post as “A band of ceaseless charisma, boundless energy, impeccable musicianship and more than a little touch of both the naughty and exotic.”
The group delivers passionate offerings of Bohemian cabaret for young and old. Paris hot jazz, gut bucket swing, tangos, Ukrainian folk-punk ballads, klezmer and vigorous originals meet a world of riverboat gambling queens, Turkish belly dancers, and the enigmatic Marlene Dietrich. Weaving elements of Kurt Weil, Duke Ellington and Edith Piaf with absurdist flair, theatrics and an old world mood.
Vagabond Opera was created in 2002 by European-trained opera singer and composer Eric Stern. Then disillusioned with the classical opera world, Stern created a new context for opera: Performance on a more intimate scale incorporating not only opera but elements of Weimar Cabaret, Arabic and Balkan forms, and the original music that springs from the ensemble’s fertile creative work. This is a visceral artistic ensemble that features powerful instrumental and vocal performances coupled with a highly eclectic and theatrical experience.
Tickets $22 Doors 7 PM Show 8 PM