Summer 2011 Schedule

Saturday, June 25, 2011

7:30 pm

The Waymores

Tom Kimmel


Tom Kimmel's business card facetiously reads Overnight Success, but the truth is far from it. After graduating college he worked as a short order cook, bus boy, taxi driver, chef, shipping clerk, lab technician, janitor, waiter, bartender and window washer on his way to establishing himself as an award winning songwriter (Johnny Cash, Linda Ronstadt, Joe Cocker, Randy Travis and a host of others) and critically acclaimed performing artist.


Sally Barris


Whether in her own hands or those of hit artists like Martina McBride or Lee Ann Womack, Sally’s music makes an indelible impression. And while her writing credits mightily impress—her songs have been covered by Trisha Yearwood & Keith Urban, John Michael Montgomery, Kathy Mattea and many others—fans and peers are most captivated by her bright spirit and high mountain soprano.

Don Henry


Grammy Award winner Don Henry's songs have been recorded by Ray Charles, Patti Page, Conway Twitty, Kathy Mattea and dozens of other great artists... but they shine brightest when sung by the artist who wrote them. Long appreciated as one of Nashville's finest singer-songwriters, Don is revered by fans, critics and peers alike for being one of the most inspiring, entertaining and funny(!) artists you are ever likely to see and hear.

Robin Lee Berry

Robin Lee Berry moved to northern Michigan in 1981 to raise children, write, record and perform music but has been a resident of Michigan most of her life. The beauty of the land and the water and the diversity of the seasons keeps her there.  Robin is an accomplished guitar player and songwriter with an ability to cover many styles of music with passionate and intuitive energy. Her songs are about love, life, children, growing up and growing old and about the successes and disappointments that evolve from living life .

"Robin Lee Berry reflects northern Michigan's feminine soul, blending themes of strength, courage, and vulnerability in her songs, all rendered with the spirit of awe and optimism." ~Robert Downing -Editor of Northern Express.

Greg Brown describes Berry's voice as "clear spring water gushing out from a deep place in the earth. It goes right to your heart."

Dave Boutette

That special intimacy that only comes from sharing firelight is where Dave Boutette shines.  Songs of highway hijinks and wildcat oil drillers in the Michigan woods are as likely to be heard as old favorites that have been in your head and heart for years.  For Boutette, it’s the sharing of songs that holds all the magic. Come on over, join the circle, sing a tune, stir the coals, or just enjoy the warmth. You’re welcome to hang until first light. Just be careful not to wake the folks in the tents. 

Whether banging out a set of saloon songs at a Michigan watering hole, or settling back for an evening of singing at a fire ring afterward, Dave Boutette will hold his listeners as long as they keep the lights on or until the rain starts.  Stories, advice, observations, or raffles are as apt to appear during a performance as are his songs. Blending many schools of American roots and popular music including folk, blues, swing, and old time country, his songs testify to the power of true love, rebirth, snow plows, and migrating fish.  If you get the chance, stand next to Dave.  Besides feeling taller than you actually are, you may start to see some things in an entirely new light.

John Latini

Winner of the 2009 and 2008 Detroit Blues Challenge, John Latini is a veteran singer/songwriter, performer, and above all, entertainer whose energy and presence are infused so deeply in his music that every song, indeed every style, becomes his own. Growing up in a musical family in Queens, NY hearing everything from Hank Williams to Harry Belafonte, participating in the nightly guitar pull around the family table, and finally, seeing The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show sealed his fate.

Since that time, the journey has been long and gratifying with explorations into many musical styles and collaborations with many great bands, players, songwriters and above all, friends. Through it all, the one constant remains John's ability to "deliver" the song. A captivating storyteller and an exciting performer, he compels you to watch and to listen.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

7:30 pm

Michigan Singer-Songwriters in the Round

     Every Monday night, musical history is made as the Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour begins its regular radio and television broadcast at the Kentucky Theatre.  Tour buses deliver visitors from faraway places; crowds scramble for good seats.  Volunteers wearing black shirts finish their sound checks and adjust their cameras.  The house is packed as stage lights dim. Woodsongs’ founder, Michael Johnathon, comes onstage and introduces himself as a folksinger, songwriter and tree hugger.  What he doesn’t say is he’s also a playwright, producer, author and touring artist.  Johnathon has a worldwide radio audience exceeding a million listeners each week.
    WoodSongs now has nearly 500 radio affiliates, the Internet, podcasts and XM Satellite Radio.  The television version is available to 300 PBS stations.  What hasn't changed is Johnathon’s focus on providing a showcase for grass-roots musicians who, like him, make their living on a scale much smaller than that of bands filling stadiums.    Michael’s concerts are poetic and passionate, usually performed with guitar and banjo.  “Take the inventiveness of Bob Dylan, the melodic voice of John Denver, add the showmanship of Garrison Keillor and that’s Michael Johnathon.”  Bob Spear, Heartland Review

Saturday, July 9, 2011

7:30 pm

Michael Johnathon

    Jeremy Kittel is rapidly earning a reputation as one of the nation’s most creative young musicians. Classically trained, he grew up in the Irish, folk and jazz music scenes of Ann Arbor and Detroit. As a youth he often traveled to Ireland and Scotland to further his studies of traditional music. In addition to performing with his own band and as a soloist with orchestras, Jeremy tours worldwide as the newest member of the Grammy-winning Turtle Island Quartet.

    Jeremy has performed at over a thousand concerts and festivals including the Kennedy Center, “A Prairie Home Companion,” the Ryder Cup Opening Ceremony, and Carnegie Hall. He has been guest artist with the Vancouver Symphony, Detroit Symphony, and Rochester Philharmonic Orchestras; Mark O’Connor, and Darol Anger’s Republic of Strings. Jeremy has taught at many camps and schools including the International Music Academy in the Czech Republic, Swannanoa Gathering and Mark O’Connor Fiddle Camps. He also works with school orchestras nationwide in workshops and performances, focusing on developing students’ fiddling, jazz, and improvisation skills.

    The 24-year-old fiddler-violinist-composer has earned an impressive list of accolades including multiple U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Championships, Alternative Styles Awards from the American String Teacher’s Association, and six Detroit Music Awards for Outstanding Folk Artist, Jazz Recording, and Jazz Composer. Jeremy graduated at twenty from the University Of Michigan School Of Music and was awarded the Stanley Medal, their highest musical honor. He was the first recipient of the Daniel Pearl Memorial Violin, and he recorded as a soloist on the multiple Grammy Award-winning CD “Songs of Innocence and Experience” by William Bolcom. At twenty-three he earned a masters degree in Jazz Violin from the prestigious Manhattan School of Music.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

7:30 pm

Jeremy Kittel Band

    No one remembers when the neighbors started calling the McCutcheons to complain about the loud singing from young John’s bedroom. It didn’t seem to do much good, though. For, after a shaky, lopsided battle between piano lessons and baseball (he was a mediocre pianist and an all-star catcher), he had “found his voice” thanks to a cheap mail-order guitar and a used book of chords.

    From such inauspicious beginnings, John McCutcheon has emerged as one of our most respected and loved folksingers. As an instrumentalist, he is a master of a dozen different traditional instruments, most notably the rare and beautiful hammer dulcimer. His songwriting has been hailed by critics and singers around the globe. His thirty recordings have garnered every imaginable honor including seven Grammy nominations. He has produced over twenty albums of other artists, from traditional fiddlers to contemporary singer-songwriters to educational and documentary works. His books and instructional materials have introduced budding players to the joys of their own musicality. And his commitment to grassroots political organizations has put him on the front lines of many of the issues important to communities and workers.

    The Washington Post described John as folk music’s “Rustic Renaissance Man,” a moniker flawed only by its understatement. “Calling John McCutcheon a ‘folksinger’ is like saying Deion Sanders is just a football player...” (Dallas Morning News). Besides his usual circuit of major concert halls and theaters, John is equally at home in an elementary school auditorium, a festival stage or at a farm rally. He is a whirlwind of energy packing five lifetimes into one. In the past few years alone he has headlined over a dozen different festivals in North America (including repeated performances at the National Storytelling Festival), recorded an original composition for Virginia Public Television involving over 500 musicians, toured Australia for the sixth time, toured Chile in support of a women's health initiative, appeared in a Woody Guthrie tribute concert in New York City, gave a featured concert at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, taught performance art skills at a North Carolina college, given symphony pops concerts across America, served as President of the fastest-growing Local in the Musicians Union and performed a special concert at the National Baseball Hall of Fame. This is all in his “spare time”.  His “real job”, he's quick to point out, is father to two grown sons.


Friday, July 22, 2011

7:30 pm

John McCutcheon

Legacy draws the rapt attention of music fanatics wherever they play. These talented multi-instrumentalists perform an extensive repertoire of tunes and songs from the Irish tradition. Their skill is undeniable, their arrangements complex and challenging, and their performances tight and energetic. Said Dirty Linen magazine: "This band fills the bill....a delicate combination of full-speed-ahead attack and subtle finesse." Legacy unquestionably are in the top flight of American bands performing music from the Irish tradition. Their substantial loyal following is both well-earned and well-deserved. Fiddler Valerie Plested is one of the finest and most musically expressive young talents to have emerged on the American Irish music scene. She relocated to Mississippi (to earn her MA in Anthropology/Irish Studies) from San Antonio where she was a member of Agus and the All Ireland-winning St. James’s Gate. Murphy is an exceptional player of flute, tin whistle, and bodhrán (drum), who has recently added “guitarist” and “singer” to his capable list of talents. Favorably compared to flute virtuoso Seamus Egan by Dirty Linen magazine, Justin still has a strong affinity for playing in the old-style. Like Valerie, Justin also earned an MA in Anthropology/Irish Studies. Justin Don Penzien’s dexterous work on dadgad guitar provides not only the solid, driving rhythms that are a hallmark of Legacy performances, but also perceptive and sensitive accompaniments to songs and airs. Don also contributes bodhrán, whistle, and vocals to Legacy arrangements. When not playing music, Don is a medical school professor with a PhD in clinical psychology.
Saturday, July 30, 2011 7:30 pm Legacy
Jonah, Jacob and Jason Kuhlman grew up playing music in the family band and when they joined forces with Adam Carpenter, a unique chemistry brought a new flavor of bluegrass to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Chasin' Steel is a traditionally structured four-piece bluegrass group with the majority of their songs featuring the banjo, mandolin, guitar and acoustic bass with three and four part harmonies. Although they typically structure their instrumentation in this traditional manner, their sound has, what has been called, a unique edge to it. Some have called them, "Bluegrass with a Rock & Roll attitude." They do have several songs that feature the hammered dulcimer which are always crowd pleasers. Chasin' Steel has numerous original songs, traditional songs, and contemporary bluegrass covers that have a hard driving, aggressive nature to them. Many of their loyal fans enjoy their tribute to Jimmy Martin, also known as the King of Bluegrass. They have been called a high energy band that appeals to not only hard core bluegrass fans, but to the average fan of music. It is also not uncommon to see a varied crowd of college students and older folks in the same audience.
Saturday, August 6, 2011 7:30 pm Chasin’ Steel
This Grammy Award winning singer songwriter has a voice that is familiar to millions of television and radio listeners. She has appeared at the White House three times, performed in nearly all 50 states, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand. Barbara grew up in Detroit, Michigan. She launched her career in music while attending Michigan State University, where she gained a loyal following performing in the local listening rooms and music clubs. She began touring colleges & universities throughout the United States and was voted "Best Solo Performer", "Best Acoustic Performer", and "Best Female Performer" in a national magazine poll. Hutchison is content with her career, happy to be writing meaningful songs, and to be able to present them to intelligent and attentive listeners. She loves nothing better than sharing her songs, telling their stories, and joking with her audience whether they are adults, children, or a happy mix of both. "Should her music receive the radio exposure it deserves, the rest of the world will learn what her fans already know: Barbara and her music are full of grace, humor, hopefulness, and most of all, deep humanity."
Saturday, August 13, 2011 7:30 pm Barbara Bailey Hutchison
Michael Reno Harrell is an award winning songwriter, as well as a veteran storyteller and entertainer, and he’s from the South… the Southern Appalachian Mountains to hone it a bit finer. One could compare Michael's performances to his granddaddy's pocket knife: well warn and familiar feeling, but razor sharp and with a point. His brand of entertainment appeals to a very diverse audience. A typical day for Michael might include a program for 4th graders in the afternoon and a concert for a mixed audience that evening. His original songs and stories have been described as “Appalachian grit and wit” but, as his writing shows, Michael’s awareness is much broader than the bounds of his boyhood home or even the Southern Experience. Michael's natural knack for storytelling, in print, song and spoken word has earned him praise from not only the music community but from the literary and storytelling worlds as well, having had the honor of being a Featured Teller at the National Storytelling Festival and to be Teller In Residence at the International Storytelling Center, as well as performing at major music events like MerleFest and the Walnut Valley Festival. Michael's recordings have for years received and continue to garner awards in Country, Americana and Folk circles. His humor and wit, as well as the emotional depth of his work, keep his fan base growing and staying tuned in for whatever comes next.
Saturday, August 20, 2011 7:30 pm Michael Reno Harrell
The hilarious prequel to the legendary Escanaba in da Moonlight is set in the Soady deer camp during World War II and outfitted with a whole new cast of wacky Yoopers. Eighteen-year-old Albert Soady, Jr. is celebrating his final hunting season before he becomes a sharpshooter for the U.S. Army when he falls head-over-heels for the legendary Big Betty Balou - the woman destined to become Reuben and Remnar's mother. The question is, does she have what it takes to become part of Escanaba's "royal" family? "Writing the prequel was like putting on a pair of your old, favorite shoes," says playwright, Jeff Daniels. "I never intended to write a companion piece to Escanaba In Da Moonlight. For years, I wasn't interested. Never even thought about it. Once I started writing it, though, it was just a matter of going back into that world, hearing their voices ... The thing is, with the Soadys, I never wanted to leave." The play will be produced and presented by the same production that has brought other theatrical productions to Aten Place; Armidillo Productions. Armadillo Productions is a private company located in Marshall, MI. The first play they brought to our stage was Escanaba in the Moonlight in 2004.
Thursday, Friday and Saturday August 25, 26 and 27, 2011 7:30 pm “Escanaba in Love” by Jeff Daniels
Cast of the 2004 production of Escanaba in da Moonlight
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 2:00 pm Children’s Matinee La’Ron Williams, Storyteller “Let’s Talk It Out”

La'Ron Williams is a nationally acclaimed, award-winning storyteller who has toured extensively presenting programs and workshops. His music-spiced, highly participatory performances present a dynamic blend of original and traditional tales crafted to help improve literacy, encourage community, foster cooperation, promote peaceful conflict resolution, build self-esteem, and deepen the historical understanding of the American ideal of democratic inclusion.

Special Warm-Up Performance

at 6:45 pm

by

   The Younce Guitar Duo 


















After many years of their own individual music making, guitarist Jerry Younce and guitarist Ryan Younce, father and son, have fused their musical energy to create a unique instrumental guitar duo with dynamic to behold. Together they carve out a time, space and sound that is uniquely balanced and rich with imaginative approach as they weave songs of vibrant color and rich texture that move and exhilarate. Creative and innovative, while accessible and audience friendly, the Younce Guitar Duo’s music is beautifully spoken, intuitively spirited and is played with virtuosity and soul.