2017 Concerts

January 7th, 2017 (7 PM) - Matt the Electrician & John Elliott

Get ready to start 2017 with a couple of incredible singer songwriters! Gail and I became familiar with Matt the Electrician and John Elliott at an International Folk Alliance conference. We are both lovers of great songwriters, and "great songwriter" is a term that fits both Matt and John to a "T". They tell their stories with great musicality and warm and genuine stage presence. They are both awesome solo performers, and magic happens when they perform together.

Matt the Electrician
Matt Sever began playing coffee houses when he was 15 years old and broke into the Austin music scene in 1996 when he began hosting an open mic night at the now defunct Flipnotics Coffeespace.

When Sever would arrive at gigs still sweaty from a long days work in Austin’s summer heat, he would often explain, "Hi, my name is Matt, and I'm an electrician." Regulars to his shows began referring to him as "The Electrician," and the moniker stuck.

Described as "a young Paul Simon wrapped around a Tom Waits heart," his songs are often highly autobiographical, both telling the story within the song as well elaborating during live sets. Margaret Moser of the Austin Chronicle wrote that Sever is known for the ability to “hold everyone rapt like a bunch of babies in front of dangling car keys.” as he fills his songs, live shows and studio albums with an “endearing parade of characters.

Go to Matt's website to hear some of his songs.

John Elliott
John Elliott has been described as a legend among songwriters.

“He’s found the right room,” according to songwriter J. Wagner continues. “He’s bold and brave. He out tricked the trickster. He writes only the good parts of co-writes. He’s the real deal, an honest writer.”

Amy Sue Berlin says “Elliott’s songs will take you on an emotional roller coaster. He brilliantly describes the raw realities of his unique perspectives of life. The passion behind his voice and his words makes you feel as if you are a character in his story.”

Samples of John's songs can be found here.

February 4th, 2017 (7 PM) - Dana Louise & the Glorious Birds

A few years ago Ezra Idlet of Trout Fishing in America told us his daughter was beginning to write songs and perform. Fast forward a couple of years and Dana sat in with Trout Fishing at the Kerrville Folk Festival and the crowd wouldn't let her leave the stage! She absolutely blew everyone away, and she has continued to do so as she tours the country with her fabulous band, the Glorious Birds.

From the moment she takes the stage, you know you are in for a treat. But don't take our word for it, go to: DanaLouseMusic and give a listen to some of her music. There has been a lot of interest in this concert, so I doubt any further narrative on my part is necessary, but if I were you, I would grab my reservation fast, because this concert will sell out quickly!!!

March 11th, 2017 (7 PM) - Robby Hecht & Caroline Spence

Robby Hecht and Caroline Spence are both members of the exclusive club of “Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Award Winners”. They are also two of the most skilled songwriters performing today.

When I visit with songwriters at Kerrville and other festivals that Gail and I attend, Robby Hecht’s name almost always surfaces. His lyrics are just mesmerizing, they are gentle, yet strong; and beautiful yet provoking. His unique voice grabs your attention immediately, and you find yourself leaning forward to make sure you don’t miss a word. He is a talented songsmith, but also a very accomplished musician, weaving intricate melodies throughout his songs.

Carolyn is gaining a lot of attention in Nashville. In fact, Rolling Stone magazine recognized her as one of a handful of young Nashville artists that everyone should keep their eye on. Rolling Stone also published a very flattering article last month about her soon to be released album. Her beautiful voice and incredible songwriting talent are enhanced by her skills as a musician. You just won't believe the beauty and complexity of the songs she writes, this young woman can turn a phrase.

Ok, enough gushing, if you want to hear for yourself how wonderful these two are, here are their websites;

Caroline Spence Music

Robby Hecht

They both also have videos on YouTube.

April 1st, 2017 (7 PM) - johnsmith

Gail and I have had the opportunity to see Johnsmith perform a number of times over the years. Each time we have enjoyed him more and more. As I was preparing this invitation, I have been listening to his music, and I am just astounded at his songwriting. Combine that with his gentle confident delivery and musical skills, and you have the recipe for an awesome spring evening of awe-inspiring music at Sycamore Creek on April 1st. I get chill bumps just thinking about it. His songs are, simply put, works of art. From "Family Artifacts" about his siblings going through their parents belongings after his parents passed away; to "Down a Gravel Road" about growing up on a farm and walking down a gravel road in the Cherokee Nation; to "Hole in the Clouds", a song of optimism and hope, Johnsmith covers the spectrum of subjects and emotions.

Buddy Mondlock sums it up quite nicely, "I feel like every time one of Johnsmith's songs gets heard a little healing happens to the world."

But you don't have to take our word for it, go to johnsmithmusic for a taste. There is also a great video of him playing "Family Artifacts" at the 2016 Folk Alliance International Conference on YouTube. Don't dilly dally, we are already receiving requests for reservations for this concert before we even send out the invitation.

October 15th, 2017 (3 PM) - Kym Warner and Warren Hood

One of the high points of Fischer Fest 2016 for Gail and me was the outstanding performance by Kym Warner and Warren Hood. We chased them outside after their performance to ask them to play Sycamore Creek. October 2017 was our first available vacancy and fortunately for the Sycamore audience, they agreed to kick off the 2017/2018 season!

Kym Warner is a founding member of The Greencards. Originally from Australia, the band formed in Austin, TX and gained national attention when they supported a multi-state tour with Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan. The Greencards are favorites on the festival circuit with appearances at MerleFest, Grey Fox, Austin City Limits, SXSW, Telluride, Bonnaroo, Telluride, Lollapalooza, and the Cayamo cruise to name just a few.

Kym has penned many of the tracks on The Greencards five studio albums. Two of his instrumentals have been honored with Grammy nominations. Last summer's release, The Brick Album has become a fan favorite and featured two of the band's musical heroes on separate tracks: Sam Bush and Vince Gill.

Warren Hood began playing the fiddle at the age of eleven. He attended Berklee School of Music where he was awarded the school's top honor - The String Achievement Award. He has since gone on to win numerous awards for string virtuosity and has been recognized three times as String Player of the Year in the Austin Chronicle Music Poll. The son of Austin, TX music legend, Champ Hood (Uncle Walt's Band, Toni Price), Warren has become an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and singer. He has toured extensively as a member of acclaimed Bay Area band The Waybacks (featured on NPR) who accompanied former Grateful Dead founder Bob Weir and as violinist for world-renowned recording artists, The BoDeans. He has also performed and/or recorded with such noteworthy artists as Lyle Lovett, Joan Osborne, Emmylou Harris, Ben Kweller, Little Feet, Elvis Costello, Susan Tedeschi, Gillian Welch, and Alejandro Escovedo.

"The cream always rises to the top, and there are young performers out there who will find their audience [such as] Warren Hood, a terrific songwriter and singer." ~ Lyle Lovett

"Hood has style to burn, with a knack for composing songs as ageless as they are pleasing to hear." ~ Margaret Moser, The Austin Chronicle

Links...

YouTube Videos of Kym and Warren:
My Mississippi Delta Home
Waiting for a Train

Warren Hood…
Warren Hood's Facebook Fan Page
Warren Hood's YouTube Channel

Kym Warner…
Kym Warner Wikipedia Article
The Greencards

November 4th, 2017 (3 PM) - 2017 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Award Winners

2017 New Folk Award Winners. (left to right) - photo by Susan Roads

Mia Rose Lynne (Nashville, TN), Rachel Kilgour (Duluth, MN), Chris Moyse (Nashville, TN), Ingrid Graudins (Nashville, TN), Winona Wilde (Toronto, ONT), Letitia VanSant (Baltimore, MD),

The Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition
There is a yearly competition every May at the Kerrville Folk Festival to discover promising new singer-songwriters called the New Folk Competition. Thirty-two finalists are selected from a field of up to 800 entries to share two of their original songs in an afternoon appearance on the stage of the Threadgill Theater during the Festival. From these 32 finalists, six Award Winners are selected by a small group of well-established performing songwriters.

A win at Kerrville carries considerable prestige in the singer/songwriter community. This is in part due to the peer-professional judging and the festival’s long history of recognizing emerging artists who have later gone on to wider success. There have also been examples of notable performers who have appeared as finalists in the competition without ever earning a win.

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2017 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Award Winners

Mia Rose Lynne A northern California native, Mia grew up singing harmonies in the family western swing band and fell asleep in the Winnebago on summer nights to the sounds of campsite jamming at bluegrass festivals. She went on to pursue a career in musical theatre, touring nationally and internationally, and along the way, she found herself in Nashville, where her love for roots music resurfaced and the songs began to write themselves. YouTube video of "january"

Rachel Kilgour - Rachael Kilgour is a Minnesota-based songwriter and performing artist whose sincere, lyric-driven work has been called both brave and humane. Kilgour has been featured at NYC’s Lincoln Center and by the ASCAP Music Cafe at the Sundance Film Festival. A versatile performer, Kilgour has shared stages with the likes of indie artists Haley Bonar & Jeremy Messersmith as well as folk legends Greg Brown, Cheryl Wheeler & Lucy Kaplansky. " YouTube video of "Welcome to America"

Chris Moyse - Moyse grew up playing bars in the Rockwell-esque towns of New England but says he feels more at home in Nashville. “It’s that weird thing where I was stuck in limbo there for a bit when I moved down here. I hadn’t been exposed to the South and I had to get used to even just how friendly people are. But the culture, the sounds of the city and the people and the food and the music, really seeped into my bones and grabbed a hold of me. I think a lot of that comes through in my music now.” YouTube video of "Rain or Shine"

Ingrid Graudins - Ingrid is not able to join us for the tour, but we hope to have her CD available for sale at the concerts.

Winona Wilde - A child of Iraqi parents, she was born Noosa Al-Sarraj and became infatuated with playing classical music on piano at a young age. At the same time, her country music-loving nanny planted the seeds for her future devotion to artists like John Prine, Hank Williams and Loretta Lynn, and by her teens she discovered a natural ability to write songs in a similar style. YouTube video of "Pop & Chips for the Apocalypse"

Letitia VanSant - Upon weighing the power of music to move people, she left her nine-to- five job to become a musician. She hasn’t looked back since, and for good reason. She’s won a slew of awards and she’s graced the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, and placed among the Top 10 listener-voted “Songs of the Year” by her local radio station WTMD. YouTube Video of "Gut it to the Studs"

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These artists will play 2 one hour sets in the round. The New Folk Award Winner concert has become one of the most popular concerts of our series so don't procrastinate in requesting reservations, as this one will more than likely sell out quickly. This concert will be the first of a 6 concert tour around Central Texas.

December 9th, 2017 (7 PM) - Ellis

Gail and I met Ellis in 2013 when she was one of six Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Award Winners that year. Since then, we have never missed an opportunity to attend her performances. Her uplifting lyrics leave audiences feeling hopeful and positive. From the first strum of her guitar and the first word of her first song, you know that you in for a very special evening of music.

This quote from Dave Schiff, Just Out - Portland, Oregon sums it up:

"Ellis walks on stage, flashes a bashful grin and does what she does best: singing her heart out every single time. She has a lovely voice, guitar chops and a graceful songwriting style; however, there is something about her live performance that is transformational. The sum is greater than the parts, and she is amazing."
— Dale Schiff, Just Out (Portland)

Her mission is "to open people's hearts", and we believe you will agree that she has accomplished that goal after you attend this concert.

But you don't have to take our word for it, go to ellis-music.com for a taste.