Music & Events

In a darkened bedroom, lit only by the amber glow from an old floor model radio, two young brothers aged 6 and 12 lay in their beds, listening to the country music broadcasts from the Grand Ol’ Opry, and practiced their harmonies. Two years later, the youngest one was playing the definitive 8-year-old’s version of “Desolation Row” on his ukulele. He soon abandoned that instrument to teach himself the flute, violin and guitar.

Within ten years, and barely out of high school, Garnet Rogers was on the road as a full-time working musician with his older brother Stan. Together they formed what has come to be accepted as one of the most influential acts in North American folk music.

Since then, Garnet Rogers has established himself as ‘One of the major talents of our time”. Hailed by the Boston Globe as a “charismatic performer and singer”, Garnet is a man with a powerful physical presence – close to six and a half feet tall – with a voice to match. With his “smooth, dark baritone” (Washington Post) his incredible range, and thoughtful, dramatic phrasing, Garnet is widely considered by fans and critics alike to be one of the finest singers anywhere. His music, like the man himself, is literate, passionate, highly sensitive, and deeply purposeful. Cinematic in detail, his songs “give expression to the unspoken vocabulary of the heart” (Kitchener Waterloo Record). An optimist at heart, Garnet sings extraordinary songs about people who are not obvious heroes and of the small victories of the everyday. As memorable as his songs, his over-the-top humour and lightning-quick wit moves his audience from tears to laughter and back again.

“Garnet Rogers is capable of awe-inspiring and unpredictable stuff – and that includes more than just music”

Resolutely independent, Garnet Rogers has turned down offers from major labels to do his music his own way.

Call (603) 526-6899 to reserve your seat for the show. All shows begin at 7:30pm (unless otherwise noted) with the Dining Room opening at 5:30pm for those interested in dinner service beforehand. Credit Cards will be charged at the time of reservation and tickets are non-refundable. Seating is assigned and parties will be assigned to sit together at tables.

A little bit of time has passed between when Jon Pousette-Dart as a teenager started forging a path in the musical landscape that started in the 60’s and laid a foundation with the original Pousette-Dart Band. Throughout the 70’s and into the 80’s the band earned a loyal national following and produced 5 releases for Capitol that made a deep imprint in the world of album radio, when we all used to only listen to vinyl. When the band parted ways, Jon continued working and slowly began navigating back to where he started writing and recording in earnest with many of Nashville’s finest, and some twenty odd years ago Jon crossed paths with Jim Chapdelaine one of the more formidable musicians he crossed paths with. Jon continued touring as their musical collaboration continued to brew into a satisfying vital musical landscape of it’s own.

Turn the clock ahead some years and a few questions might be asked. What do two left handed guitar players and the combined experience of rummaging around the music business since the early 1970’s equal? It could equal a squalid path of broken dreams, less than half paid mortgages, multiple marriages, many junked cars, and closets full of suitcases of clothes with the indelible after scent of Marlboro’s and Budweiser’s ground into the sinews of years in dark dressing rooms contained in gin joints where the holy grail and graduation degree was 5 sets a night till closing time.

The scattered joy in producing moments of pure musical ecstasy, intermingled with financial panic and steady diet of sleepless nights in Holiday Inn’s crisscrossing America’s heartland. Or in this case, leading to two kindred souls who by fate and good fortune discovered they could weave musical tapestry that spoke to all those that heard without a word being said between them.

And so it came to be.

Monsignor Pousette-Dart and Senor Chapdelaine discovered they shared a gift both in the studio and on the stage that rose above the hum drum drudgery of day to day existence, and were able to reach into people’s souls and pull out pieces of magic that created joy and fresh air, no matter which roads or towns their journeys took them.

And now as fate would have it, they have a renewed passion and vigor to explore the world of flats, sharps, repeats, words and crescendos to make small babies smile and precious mothers relax into their easy chairs and remember all the good that the world holds.

Men too.

So, no matter your predilections, or worries or concerns in your everyday life, consider taking a moment to breath, and buy a ticket when they come to your town.

It’s something to seriously consider to see and hear where little pieces of joy come to life.

Call (603) 526-6899 to reserve your seat for the show. All shows begin at 7:30pm (unless otherwise noted) with the Dining Room opening at 5:30pm for those interested in dinner service beforehand. Credit Cards will be charged at the time of reservation and tickets are non-refundable. Seating is assigned and parties will be assigned to sit together at tables.

*Wednesday*

From New Jersey, John Gorka is a world-renowned singer-songwriter who got his start at a neighborhood coffeehouse in eastern Pennsylvania. Though small, Godfrey Daniels was and is one of the oldest and most venerable music institutions and has long been a hangout for music lovers and aspiring musicians. In the late 1970’s, John was one of these aspiring musicians. Although his academic coursework at Moravian College 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 MC and sound man, encountering legendary folk troubadours 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 original 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.

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. With unusual drive and focus, John hit the ground running and, when an offer came from Windham Hill’s Will Ackerman in 1989, he signed with that label’s imprint, High Street Records. He proceeded to record five albums with High Street over the next seven years: Land of the Bottom Line, Jack’s Crows, Temporary Road, Out of the Valley and Between Five and Seven. His albums and his touring (over 150 nights a year at times) brought new accolades for his craft. His rich multifaceted 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. He also started sharing tours with many notable friends—Nanci Griffith and Mary Chapin Carpenter among them. All this brought his music to an ever-widening audience. His video for the single “When She Kisses Me” found a long-term rotation on VH-1’s “Current Country,” as well as on CMT and the Nashville Network.

In 1998, after five successful recordings and seven years at Windham Hill/High Street, John felt the need for a change and decided to return to his musical roots at Red House Records. The choice was driven, in part, by the artistic integrity that the label represents in an industry where the business of music too often takes precedence. The 1998 release After Yesterday marked a decidedly different attitude towards making music for John, and his next release The Company You Keep held fast to his tradition of fine songwriting, yet moved forward down new avenues. Its fourteen songs displays John’s creative use of lyrics and attention to detail. Andy Stochansky played drums and shared production credits with John and Rob Genadek. Ani DiFranco, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Lucy Kaplansky and Patty Larkin contributed stellar guitar work and vocals to this fan favorite. Old Futures Gone was informed by his life as husband and father of two young children and also contained the colorful experience of many hard years on the road. Writing in the Margins followed in 2006 and was an engaging collection of sweet and serious songs that spanned many musical genres—folk, pop, country and soul—and featured guest vocalists Nanci Griffith, Lucy Kaplansky and Alice Peacock. Now with this, his 11th studio album, he returns to his roots with So Dark You See, his most compelling and traditional album to date.

In addition to his 11 critically acclaimed albums, John released a collector’s edition box featuring a hi-definition DVD and companion CD called The Gypsy Life. Windham Hill also released a collection of John’s greatest hits from the label called Pure John Gorka. In 2010, he also released an album with his friends and Red House label-mates Lucy Kaplansky and Eliza Gilkyson under the name Red Horse. Getting high praise from critics and fans alike, it landed on the Billboard Folk Charts and was one of the most played albums on folk radio.

Many well known artists have recorded and/or performed John Gorka songs, including Mary Chapin Carpenter, Nanci Griffith, Mary Black and Maura O’Connell. John has graced the stage of Austin City Limits, Mountain Stage, etown and has appeared on CNN. His new song “Where No Monuments Stand” is featured in the upcoming documentary Every War Has Two Losers, about activist and Oregon Poet Laureate William Stafford (1914-1993).

John Gorka lives in Minnesota and when not on the road, he enjoys spending time with his wife and children. He continues to tour, playing festivals, theaters and clubs all over North America and Europe.

“Listening to John Gorka sing, one can get goose bumps all over. There are many reasons: fresh lyrics, a stunning emotional baritone, and his twisted humor.” – New York Times

Call (603) 526-6899 to reserve your seat for the show. All shows begin at 7:30pm (unless otherwise noted) with the Dining Room opening at 5:30pm for those interested in dinner service beforehand. Credit Cards will be charged at the time of reservation and tickets are non-refundable. Seating is assigned and parties will be assigned to sit together at tables.

Maia Sharp has had her songs recorded by Bonnie Raitt, The Chicks, Trisha Yearwood, Keb’ Mo’, Cher, Edwin McCain, David Wilcox, Art Garfunkel, Lizz Wright, Paul Carrack, Lisa Loeb, Terri Clark, and many more. And through it all, Maia has continued to record her own albums including: nine solo releases, one collaborative project with Art Garfunkel and Buddy Mondlock, and her duo project- Roscoe & Etta (with writing/production partner Anna Schulze).  Each release has been embraced by press and radio and has led to extensive touring and appearances on Mountain Stage, Acoustic Cafe, World Cafe, NPR’s “All Things Considered,” CBS Early Morning, and the Today Show to name a few.  Maia performs solo (or with a band when it’s appropriate) incorporating some of the songs you may have heard from the artists mentioned above and tells the stories behind those songs. Her new album, “Reckless Thoughts” was released in August, 2023 and features the singles “Kind,” “Old Dreams,” and “She’ll Let Herself Out.”

For over 25 years, Catie toured full-time in the US and Europe, releasing 14 recordings and selling over 250,000 CDs (not to mention streaming and downloads). She has recorded for major (EMI Guardian) and independent (Rykodisc, Vanguard and Compass) labels, collaborating with some of the finest musicians and producers in the country. Before the pandemic, she continued to play shows for a legion of fans who shared stories with her at the merch table night after night. Her songs have been featured in films and tv shows, and she performed several times at the White House during the Obama administration. She’s intensely grateful for those years and honored to know that her music has been an integral part of so many people’s lives.

Catie has been making the transition to working as a community mental health counselor over the past three years. Her job as a therapist, while incredibly fulfilling, does not feed the artist in her! “I still need and want to create music. It can be hard to find the time, but writing is still how I make sense of my life and the world around me. Writing a song is like putting together a puzzle using the head, heart, hands and a guitar.” Fortunately, it’s important to her fans, too. With financial support from fans (through Patreon) Catie has written dozens of songs over the past couple of years, eleven of which appear on her new album The Raft. She would love for you to be a part of this special community of support, which you can find here: https://www.patreon.com/catiecurtis.

Call (603) 526-6899 to reserve your seat for the show. All shows begin at 7:30pm (unless otherwise noted) with the Dining Room opening at 5:30pm for those interested in dinner service beforehand. Credit Cards will be charged at the time of reservation and tickets are non-refundable. Seating is assigned and parties will be assigned to sit together at tables.

David Francey is a Scottish-born Canadian carpenter-turned-songwriter, who has become known as “one of Canada’s most revered folk poets and singers” (Toronto Star). Born in Ayrshire, Scotland to parents who were factory workers, he moved to Canada when he was twelve. For decades, he worked across Canada in rail yards, construction sites, and in the Yukon bush, all the while writing poetry, setting it to melodies in his head and singing it to himself as he worked.

A truly authentic folk singer, Francey is a documentarian of the working person who never imagined earning a living from his music. But when he was in his 40s, his wife, artist Beth Girdler, encouraged him to share his songs and sing in public. The reaction was instant. His first album Torn Screen Door came out in 1999 and was a hit in Canada.

Since then, David has released thirteen albums, won four Juno Awards and has had his songs covered by such artists as The Del McCoury Band, The Rankin Family, James Keelaghan and Tracy Grammer.

Francey also had the honour of receiving the prestigious SOCAN Folk Music Award as well as taking home the Grand Prize in both the International Acoustic Music Award and in the Folk category for the John Lennon Songwriting Award.

"David’s straightforward songs tell honest stories of real people and real places. Poetic perception and a keen eye for the heart of the matter are trademarks of the man and his music. His songs and stories are a direct connection for audiences seeking depth and meaning in the day-to-day." Shelter Valley Folk Festival

David Francey was born in Ayrshire, Scotland where he got his first taste of the working life as a paperboy. At age 10 he was devouring the newspapers he delivered, establishing a life-long interest in politics and world events while developing the social conscience that forms the backdrop of his songs.

He was twelve when his family immigrated to Toronto. He says he can trace his love of the land, the history, and the people of his adopted country to weekend family drives exploring southern Ontario. Music played a large part in these family outings. They sang traditional Scottish tunes as they drove through the Canadian countryside. Dad and sister Muriel sang melody, while mother and David sang harmonies.

His attachment to Canada grew with travel. He hitched across the country three times, then thumbed his way to the Yukon. This attachment surfaces in his songs of rail lines, farms, and the St. Lawrence Seaway. He grew to understand the people while working in Toronto train yards, the Yukon bush, and as a carpenter in the Eastern Townships. These experiences colour his first CD, Torn Screen Door, with songs like Hard Steel Mill, Gypsy Boys, and Working Poor and his second, Far End of Summer, with Highway, Flowers of Saskatchewan and February Morning Drive.

In concert David is a singer and a storyteller. His wry humour and astute observations combined with his openhearted singing style have earned him a loyal following.

David lives with his wife, artist Beth Girdler in the quiet but charming Lanark Highlands in southern Ontario. They are visited often by their son Colin, daughters Amy and Julia and grandkids Tristan, Alice and Millicent.

Call (603) 526-6899 to reserve your seat for the show. All shows begin at 7:30pm (unless otherwise noted) with the Dining Room opening at 5:30pm for those interested in dinner service beforehand. Credit Cards will be charged at the time of reservation and tickets are non-refundable. Seating is assigned and parties will be assigned to sit together at tables.

“David Wilcox’s ongoing musical journey is compelling and richly deserving of a listen.”
— Rolling Stone

David Wilcox is a penetrating storyteller. The revered folk musician has an effortless talent for spinning lyrics that quietly cut deep, and crafting melodies that seamlessly ride the plot twists and turns. Wilcox handily exemplifies the power of lyrical and musical catharsis.

Pick any song from Wilcox’s new acoustic album, My Good Friends, and you will find yourself instantly immersed. Sometimes you’ll see yourself in the lyrics, other times you’ll marvel at the four-minute mini-movie. My Good Friends is a stripped-down, acoustic collection of ten songs, a fan-requested creative respite for Wilcox as he also continues to work on a full band album coming in 2024.

Of special note on the new recording is “Jolt,” with its jittery rhythm playing perfect backdrop to lyrics about today’s obsession with online fear mongering and internet disinformation. The title track is a folk-blues number about living a life filled with close calls and surviving them all. Then there’s a trio of story songs – “Dead Man’s Phone,” “This Is How It Ends,” and “Lost Man” – that are as cinematic as they are charismatic. Wilcox says those last three songs “create a whole movie in my imagination.”

In fact, the way Wilcox feels about every tune on My Good Friends proves this is indeed a fan-requested labor of love. “I am grateful for the community that sustains me – my good friends,” he says. “These are the kind of friends that get you through difficult times. The kind of friends that you go to for a fresh perspective when the future looks grim. These songs grew out of conversations with friends, and they hold ideas that I like to have around.”

Such dedication to honoring personal and heartfelt music has been the backbone of David Wilcox’s entire career. The Ohio native with the warm baritone found his artistic muse in North Carolina during the mid-1980s. In 1987, he released his debut album, The Nightshift Watchman, which led to winning the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival in 1988. That translated to a four-album stint with A&M Records starting with 1989’s How Did You Find Me Here, which sold 100,000 copies by word of mouth. Thirty-plus years and twenty-plus albums later, Wilcox won top honors in the 23rd annual USA Songwriting Competition in 2018 for his effervescent “We Make the Way by Walking” from his last album release, The View From the Edge. Wilcox has deservedly earned praise over the years in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, and Rolling Stone, to name a few. He also has a dedicated and vocal core of fans who regularly write to thank him for his work and the impact his songs have had on their lives.

Today, Wilcox is still earning his admirers with storytelling that cuts deep into the soul and observes the human condition from both the nerve center and the outside looking in. That kind of storytelling is certain to become a good friend.

Call (603) 526-6899 to reserve your seat for the show. All shows begin at 7:30pm (unless otherwise noted) with the Dining Room opening at 5:30pm for those interested in dinner service beforehand. Credit Cards will be charged at the time of reservation and tickets are non-refundable. Seating is assigned and parties will be assigned to sit together at tables.

Alice Howe & Freebo have undeniable chemistry. Rock bass legend Freebo weaves his fretless stylings into Alice’s soulful, impeccably-tuned vocals for a harmony-driven performance showcasing two uniquely compelling songwriters.

Best known for his ten years playing bass with Bonnie Raitt, Freebo has toured and recorded with some of the greatest artists of his generation, including John Mayall, Ringo Starr, Crosby Stills & Nash, Maria Muldaur, and Dr. John. For the past twenty-five years, he’s been writing and performing his own original music. Alice Howe is a lifelong singer and songwriter beginning to make a name for herself, and recently had the honor of being named Best Female Artist at the International Acoustic Music Awards. Freebo and Alice have been working as a duo since 2017, and he produced her latest record Circumstance, recorded at iconic FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Their new album Alice Howe & Freebo Live was the #1 Most Played Album on Folk Radio in the month of its release. 

Listen to Alice Howe & Freebo Live:

https://orcd.co/ahfbolive

Video:

https://youtu.be/WhQrphrdPcw?si=Yl6Ww9VGQP7RPl5m

https://youtu.be/lKm0dsHc3M4?si=VuEutD3a8RnyCh_T

Call (603) 526-6899 to reserve your seat for the show. All shows begin at 7:30pm (unless otherwise noted) with the Dining Room opening at 5:30pm for those interested in dinner service beforehand. Credit Cards will be charged at the time of reservation and tickets are non-refundable. Seating is assigned and parties will be assigned to sit together at tables.

*Sunday* Two Shows! 
2pm OR 7pm

Now celebrating five decades of touring, Tom has been thrilling audiences here and abroad with hits like No Regrets, Circle Game, Remember Song, Urge for Going and Merrimack County.

Tom Rush’s impact on the American music scene has been profound. He helped shape the folk revival in the ’60s, the folk-rock movement of the ‘70s, and then the renaissance of the ’80s and ’90s, his music having left its stamp on generations of artists. James Taylor, Emmylou Harris, Tom Petty and Garth Brooks have cited Tom a major influence. His early recordings introduced the world to the work of Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne and James Taylor. Subsequently, his Club 47 concerts brought national attention to emerging artists such as Nanci Griffith and Shawn Colvin.

Tom will be accompanied by Matt Nakoa for these shows.

Call (603) 526-6899 to reserve your seat for the show. All shows begin at 7:30pm (unless otherwise noted) with the Dining Room opening at 5:30pm for those interested in dinner service beforehand. Credit Cards will be charged at the time of reservation and tickets are non-refundable. Seating is assigned and parties will be assigned to sit together at tables.

*Sunday* Two Shows! 
2pm OR 7pm

Now celebrating five decades of touring, Tom has been thrilling audiences here and abroad with hits like No Regrets, Circle Game, Remember Song, Urge for Going and Merrimack County.

Tom Rush’s impact on the American music scene has been profound. He helped shape the folk revival in the ’60s, the folk-rock movement of the ‘70s, and then the renaissance of the ’80s and ’90s, his music having left its stamp on generations of artists. James Taylor, Emmylou Harris, Tom Petty and Garth Brooks have cited Tom a major influence. His early recordings introduced the world to the work of Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne and James Taylor. Subsequently, his Club 47 concerts brought national attention to emerging artists such as Nanci Griffith and Shawn Colvin.

Tom will be accompanied by Matt Nakoa for these shows.

Call (603) 526-6899 to reserve your seat for the show. All shows begin at 7:30pm (unless otherwise noted) with the Dining Room opening at 5:30pm for those interested in dinner service beforehand. Credit Cards will be charged at the time of reservation and tickets are non-refundable. Seating is assigned and parties will be assigned to sit together at tables.

35th Annual Christmas Concert

Harvey Reid and Joyce Andersen have combined their talents to create one of the most potent duos in American acoustic music. Award-winning multi-instrumentalists, prolific creators, peerless troubadours, commanding singers and seasoned entertainers, the Maine couple draws from a deep and diverse repertoire of original, traditional and contemporary music. Mesmerizing harmonies, passionate collaborations, deep and hard-hitting musicianship, good-natured humor, stories and stage interplay drawn from decades of touring make for an unforgettable and moving concert experience. 

Merging their voices with a wide array of acoustic and slide guitars, autoharps, violin, viola, banjos and mandolins, they jump effortlessly between moods, tempos, genres and eras of American music, bringing an entertaining, mesmerizing and educational musical experience to every kind of audience. Bluegrass legend Doc Watson was a big fan of their music. 

Acoustic Guitar Magazine called Harvey Reid “…one of the true treasures of American acoustic music,” and one of his 32 recordings was selected in their list of Top 10 Folk CDs of all time. Joyce has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Conan O’Brien Show, Philadelphia Folk Festival, Mountain Stage and World Café, and her songs are being sung by a growing number of other artists and even choirs. 

Reid & Andersen can also be found playing banjo, plunging into the ocean, fixing their house, writing songs, live-streaming on YouTube at their Puffin and Loon channel, or singing classic country as the Hank & Dixie and the Knotty Pine Boys band around York, Maine where they are raising two teenage sons. They created the Puffin & Loon Lounge in their 1880’s carriage house, which in warmer weather has been host to private and public concerts and other musical gatherings. Reid has recently published his 33rd book, the landmark 500 page non-fiction Troubadour Chronicles, that is beginning to create a stir in the singer-songwriter world. 

Reid & Andersen were inducted in 2023 into the Maine Music Awards Hall of Fame, and they continue to create, record and perform, mostly close to home in Northern New England.

Call (603) 526-6899 to reserve your seat for the show. All shows begin at 7:30pm (unless otherwise noted) with the Dining Room opening at 5:30pm for those interested in dinner service beforehand. Credit Cards will be charged at the time of reservation and tickets are non-refundable. Seating is assigned and parties will be assigned to sit together at tables.