2009 Performers

Greg Brown will be our Friday night headline concert performer, at Valhalla in the Cartwright Center on the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse campus.

Greg Brown was born in the Hacklebarney section of southeastern Iowa and raised by a family that made words and music a way of life. His seasoned songwriting, storytelling, and music are deeply rooted in that place. He moves audiences with warmth, humor, a thundering voice and his unpretentious musical vision.

Greg’s music is an intricate mix. It’s no wonder — he is an intricate mix of a person. Though a touring musician for over thirty years, he has never abandoned those things that move him deeply — family, home, poetry and the natural world. Music and words flow through him and he uses them to paint simple yet powerful images on a canvas of gospel, blues, country, rock, and jazz. A firm believer in community and ecological responsibility, he often uses his music to support these causes — both directly (doing benefit concerts and through sales of benefit CD’s) and indirectly (using his gift for words to point out environmental or social ills in his strong yet subtle voice).

Greg stays busy writing and performing, and with the release of his new album "The Evening Call," he will be performing at festivals and theaters across North America. When not on the road, he splits his time between Iowa and Missouri with his children and wife Iris DeMent.

Pert Near Sandstone is a hard-driving stringband from Minneapolis St. Paul. Gathered round an old-timey microphone, the boys play well-crafted original stringband material, as well as being purveyors of many songs from the old-time and bluegrass traditions. They are a riot to see live--this ain't no shirt and tie bluegrass music--this is high-octane, gritty, stringband music that's sure to get you outta your seat and keep you dancing all night... With the release of their newest album, "Needle and Thread" the boys are continuing to take their music out on the rivers and roads of the country as a part of the revitalization of the American stringband tradition.

String Ties calls the hills of the upper Mississippi home, blending Bluegrass, Old-time Country, Swing, Gospel, and Folk into an engaging version of acoustic music~~evoking nostalgia, love lost and found, moonshine hills, and sturdy shoes on a barn~dance floor. The tight harmonies, powerful instrumentals, (on guitar, banjo, mandolin, and bass), and good~natured fun of this dynamic group have delighted audiences of all ages for more than a decade at parties, festivals, weddings, and everywhere the joy of great music is celebrated. These fans bear witness to "feeling (String Ties’) love of music, the crowd, and each other"...And of their magic to convert: "I never thought I would be a bluegrass fan, but after listening to them, you just can’t help it."

Peter Mayer writes songs for a small planet—songs about interconnectedness and the human journey; about the beauty and the mystery of the world. Whimsical, humorous, and profound, his music breaks the boundaries of "folk", and transcends to a realm beyond the everyday love song, to a place of wonder at the very fact of life itself. Peter has gradually gained a dedicated, word-of-mouth following, selling out shows from Minnesota to Texas, New England to California. He has eight CDs to his credit, and has sold over 50,000 of them independently.

Ellie and Leela Grace - Being raised by professional musicians on equal parts hippie rock and roll and old-time music could leave a pair of sisters mightily confused and rather strange . . . or it could make them one of the more unique and beautiful forces in folk music today. We’re relatively confident most days that Leela and Ellie Grace chose option two.

Amy Speace - Possessing a commanding voice, a distinctive melodic sensibility and an uncanny knack for nailing complex emotions in song, AMY SPEACE makes music that’s both illuminating and effortlessly accessible. Her forthcoming release, The Killer In Me, follows her 2006 breakthrough Songs for Bright Street. While Songs won her a loyal international fan base, The Killer In Me finds the NY-based artist forging into deeper, darker lyrical and musical terrain, delivering an album of startling intimacy and resonance.

Tom Pease has an infections sense of fun and community building. With movement, sign language, humor and joy, he creates concerts that leave audiences laughing and singing. He's performed full time since 1982, often giving more than 200 performances per year. He's also been a frequent presenter at early childhood and environmental conferences, keynoting and leading breakout sessions that explore the role of music in shaping our lives and the world we live in. Tom inspires and connects with every show he does.

Greg Herriges / Telluric Currents
Greg Herriges plays an eclectic mix of original and traditional "whirled" music on guitar, voice, and bouzouki (Greek lute), with a dazzling approach honed by his studies of Asian and other international styles. An award-winning composer and author of international guitar books, he is joined by tabla player G. Waryan and ethnopercussionist Troy Berg to put new spins on everything from Turkish folk and Indian classical music to Japanese koto tunes and surf-rock.

Small Potatoes - The Chicago based folk duo of Jacquie Manning and Rich Prezioso say it has taken them years of careful indecision to develop a repertoire they describe as "Celtic to Cowboy." Superb musicianship and showmanship, award-winning songwriting, and a strong sense of tradition has made them, as Dirty Linen Magazine said, "one of the most polished, inventive, and entertaining shows on the circuit."