Ballads have been a source of inspiration for Lindsay Straw since her childhood in Montana, but she truly grew into the art while studying at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. There she began to tie together the threads of the traditions she was most passionate about: English, Scottish, Irish and American songcraft. She also founded a young Celtic trad band at the college, The Ivy Leaf, which she draws from to fill out the music on her new second album, "The Fairest Flower of Womankind." In addition to her own sensitive, agile accompaniment on guitar and bouzouki, Straw is joined by members of The Ivy Leaf, Daniel Accardi (fiddle), Armand Aromin (fiddle), and Benedict Gagliardi (concertina, harmonica), plus renowned Maine guitarist Owen Marshall (The Press Gang). Throughout, Straw’s tender vocals and careful arrangements draw out the inner depths of these old songs, telling tales of women from beyond the ages. Straw will be joined tonight by mandolin player Jordan Santiago.

Daymark is an international trio performing traditional Irish music infused with infectious energy, raw power, and Northern swagger. Fusing the talents of Will Woodson (flute, border pipes), Dan Foster (fiddle) and Eric McDonald (guitar, vocals) the group presents a classic blend of wind and string as driving flute meets virtuosic fiddle, underpinned by expertly delivered guitar. Sharing a love for the music of generations past, in Daymark’s sound one can hear the echoes of Irish-American dance halls from the 1920s and 30s, alongside the lonesome tones of Donegal country fiddlers and the rollicking smoky pubs of Northern England’s immigrant neighborhoods. Each member of Daymark is well established in their own right, and collectively the three have lived and studied traditional music across Ireland, Scotland, England, America, and Canada. Foster hails from Northern England, and developed his music in the lively session scene there before honing his fiddle style in Limerick under master musicians. Woodson holds a master’s degree in traditional music from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow, and in addition to his musical work is an established pipemaker, performing on an instrument of his own construction. McDonald is a native of Boston, and learned his music in the city’s sessions and folk clubs before studying at the famed Berklee College of Music. 

Drenched in the emotions of blues, folk and country music, the extraordinary roots singer/songwriter Kerri Powers uses her dramatically dark and beautiful voice to mine the melancholy depths of romantic heartbreak and broken dreams in the edgy narratives of her songs. A native of rural Massachusetts, Powers sings the blues with such authentic, downhome grit that you might well think she's from Mississippi. Besides being a consummate chronicler of disappointment and despair, she can also morph into an impishly naughty rebel with a cause, a Mark Twain-like trickster whose wry words, dramatic sense of dynamics and phrasing can also celebrate joy and hope. Her new CD is called "Starseeds." Kerri will be joined by drummer Marco Giovino who is Robert Plant's drummer and Tom Jones' Music Director. Says John Apice, of No Depression, “I don’t know where this young lady came from but it’s got to be a secret place. This is not the kind of singing and performing that can be easily taught. It has to be in your spirit, in your blood and the fact that she is from the Northeast is going to confound the artists down South, in the Delta, in Memphis, Clarksdale, Austin, and Nashville.”

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

Unlike most folk artists who look to far off places for the inspiration behind their music, Rhode Island songwriter Jon Campbell writes from a strong sense of place. His music reflects on the uniqueness of life in coastal New England, and is brought forth from his personal experience and great familiarity with his subject matter. At times humorous, at times poignant, these songs are a glimpse into life as it is lived where the sea and land meet. Increasingly, his material is being performed and recorded by singers from Cape Cod to Cape Disappointment, and beyond to Ireland, and he himself has taken these songs to stages as far away as Alaska. Jon has been a recognized Rhode Island State Council on the Arts Folk Artist since 1982, and he has been involved in a large number of recording projects both as performer and producer.

Rory Raven is a mentalist with 20 years of experience reading minds and astonishing audiences. Neither a psychic nor a magician, he offers a compelling kind of entertainment unlike anything audiences have ever seen. With a few simple props (paper and pencil, a pack of playing cards, some paperback books, and the thoughts of volunteers) Rory involves the audience in a highly unusual – and unusually entertaining – experience. Thoughts are revealed, predicitions come true, and perhaps even the spirits are summoned... FAQs: Okay, let's start with that title - what's a mentalist? A mentalist is a theatrical mind-reader... a performer who, using a variety of techniques, is able to produce results that would only seem possible by psychic or paranormal means. And those techniques would be...? They range from a knowledge of subtle psychological principles and the quirks of human behavior, to quick thinking and a good memory. Rory is also interested in things like suggestion, non-verbal communication, and the so-called trance state. And he doesn't hesitate to borrow ideas from the stage magician, either! So is he psychic or what? No. Not everyone believes him when he say that, but there's not much he can do about it. People who believe in the paranormal will believe no matter what he tells them, and those who don't believe won't believe no matter what he shows them. Always a great evening … why not see what YOU think!