Live Music: Looking Ahead

FEBRUARY, 2025

Talbot Mayo

Friday, February 7, 7:30-9:30PM

Fresh off the release of her new solo EP “Big Shot”, recorded in Nashville and produced by Grammy award winner, Matt Rollings, Talbot Mayo has been described as “one to watch.” As a singer/songwriter and musician, she delivers memorable performances every time she takes the stage. Talbot's writing weaves together a variety of genres and sounds to create something unique but still relatable. Rooted in old-time bluegrass and country standards, Talbot’s music also draws influence from honky-tonk and even modern alternative rock to provide a broad appeal while maintaining an unmistakably raw and rootsy identity.

Backing up Talbot are bandmates Luke Chohany on lead guitar, Dave Rich on drums, and her dad, Bill Mayo, on upright bass. Familiar to many regional music fans, these players have performed with a variety of local acts and have decades of experience between them.
WEBSITE

Sheridan Rúitín

Saturday, February 8, 7:30-9:30PM

Sheridan Rúitín is a young Celtic band from the suburbs of New York, rooted in tradition and fueled by innovation. They weave a tapestry of ancient musical heritage with contemporary flair – from lively jigs and reels to poignant ballads and ethereal harmonies. The group invites listeners on a musical journey that transports them to the rolling hills of Ireland, filling the gap between Celtic rock and traditional Irish folk ballads.
WEBSITE

Teddy Thompson

Thursday, February 13, 7:30-9:30PM

“Country music has been inescapable for me, a recurring theme,” says Teddy Thompson. “At the age of 10 or 11, that's the first thing I heard where my ears pricked up and I'm like, 'Oh, this is music? I like
this.'”

The simplicity and emotional intensity of classic country – à la Hank Williams, Patsy Cline and George Jones - has been a big part of Thompson's own sound as an artist, which the New York Times called “beautifully finessed” and NPR hailed as “the musical equivalent of an arrow to the heart.”
WEBSITE

RUSTY SAL

Friday, February 14, 7-9PM

Made up of an all-star cast of Baltimore Americana musicians, Rusty Sal is a sure-fire good time for lovers of classic country. The groove is provided by upright bassist Alex Lacquement and drummer EJ Shaull-Thompson, the twang comes from the lead guitar work of Lucas Chohany, and sky high Dolly Parton-esque vocals from singer Letitia VanSant top it all off. After getting together as friends for a few years to practice singing three-part harmonies, the trio decided to book a few gigs with a drummer, which soon blossomed into Baltimore’s popular honky-tonk two-stepping nights.
WEBSITE

blue cactus duo

Saturday, February 15, 7:30-9:30PM

Led by songwriters Steph Stewart and Mario Arnez, Blue Cactus got their start among the active honky-tonk circuit of North Carolina, developing an electrified twang that now branches out effortlessly into folk, alt-country, and psychedelic-tinged rock. Having released two records to critical acclaim, they have grown a cult following in the South and beyond, their introspective lyricism and blistering guitar techniques making the band potent in the studio and on stage. Praised by No Depression for their ability to paint “beautiful pictures of limitless possibility” in roots music, Blue Cactus firmly bear the flag for a new generation of country and Americana.
WEBSITE

James Maddock

Saturday, February 22, 7-9PM

James Maddock’s status as a fixture on the Folk and Americana scene is confirmed with every listen of any song in his prodigious catalog. Relix Magazine put it this way: “James Maddock possesses the kind of lived-in craggy voice that would sound authoritative if he were singing the sports pages. Fortunately, he doesn't need to do that because his compositional skills are a match for his delivery."
WEBSITE

Micky Braun (of Micky and the Motorcars) with Jeff Crosby:
Hold This Town Together Tour

Sunday, February 23, 3-5PM

Micky Braun:
For a handful of summers about 30 years ago, tourists who wandered into a large dancehall in Stanley, Idaho, witnessed a family tradition finding new life. Young and old sat shoulder-to-shoulder, taking a break from the town’s mountain hikes and river campgrounds to take in Muzzie Braun and the Boys––a local family band who’d made it to the Johnny Carson Show, effortlessly spouted cowboy poetry and Western swing at gatherings around the country, and featured Muzzie’s four young sons––precocious boys with rock-and-roll futures, the youngest of which is Micky Braun.

The Braun brothers never stopped. Big brothers Cody and Willy started Reckless Kelly, and Micky and Gary left Idaho for Austin and started Micky and the Motorcars, a road-dogging favorite whose nonstop tour for the last 24 years has defined not just the lives of the brothers, but also shaped Austin’s roots-rock resurgence that has played out over the last two decades. Micky and the Motorcars cement their place as elder statesmen of that alt-country scene who have managed to master that ever-elusive blend of artistic familiarity and surprise.

Beyond his role of co-fronting the band, Micky has been a prolific writer having written with Parker McCollum, Reckless Kelly, Randy Rogers, Cody Canada, Bruce Robison, Kevin Welch, Jason Eady, Adam Hood, Jessie Plemons, Wade Bowen, Courtney Patton, and more. “If you can put your heart on your sleeve and say it, it’s the best medicine for people,” Micky says. Micky will be performing with longtime collaborator and writer Jeff Crosby.
WEBSITE

Jeff Crosby:
Born and raised in Idaho, Jeff Crosby has been sharing his unique perspective of Americana throughout the US and Europe over the past decade. After moving to Los Angeles CA in 2012, Crosby landed 2 songs ("This Old Town" and "Oh Love, Oh Lord") on the hit FX series Sons of Anarchy which has led to the band continually performing over 200 shows a year throughout the US and Europe. 
WEBSITE

MARCH, 2025

Sam Nitzberg and That’s That

Saturday, March 1, 7-9PM

Singer-songwriter Sam Nitzberg is co-founder of local roots/Americana act The Old Part of Town, who appeared here in a sold-out show in January 2024. This past summer, Sam released Sam plays well with others., his second solo album, full of his melodic and well-crafted songs, along with a healthy dose of eclectic, re-imagined cover tunes. To celebrate, for this special show, Sam’s put together That’s That, with many of the musicians who appeared on the album: Edward & Monica Graham (bass and vocals, respectively) from the Soul Magnets, “Captain” Kirk Kness (keyboards) from Stewbone and the Jerry Tripsters, along with current and former members of TOPOT, Steve Raskin (drums) and Brian Whaley (fiddle/vocals).
WEBSITE

Robbie Fulks

Sunday, March 2, 3-5PM

Robbie Fulks is a singer, recording artist, instrumentalist, composer, and songwriter. His most recent release, 2017’s Upland Stories, earned year’s-best recognition from NPR and Rolling Stone among many others, as well as two Grammy® nominations, for folk album and American roots song (“Alabama At Night”).
WEBSITE

Liz Longley

Thursday, March 6, 7-9PM

"...Longley's spirited vocals send your heart plunging." - American Songwriter

Liz Longley is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter celebrated for her stop-you-in-your-tracks voice and deeply emotional music. Known for her distinctive blend of folk, pop, and Americana, Liz has earned accolades from prestigious songwriting competitions, including the BMI John Lennon Songwriting Scholarship Competition.
WEBSITE

Ari and the Buffalo Kings

Saturday, March 8, 7-9PM

Weaving mindfulness practice, spiritual experience, and roots music from around the world, Ari and the Buffalo Kings gives your mind a fresh glass of spring water and your heart a warm embrace. The band’s second album, In the All Together, is out now, full of irreverent folk romps, transcendent soundscapes, and heartfelt lyrics inspired by the inner wisdom of our truest selves.
WEBSITE

Jax Hollow

Saturday, March 15, 7-9PM

“Imagine if Taylor Swift rocked, imagine a female Eddie Van Halen, imagine songwriting chops like Liz Rose and Jeffery Steel combined and you have Jax Hollow.” – Nashville.com

Jax Hollow is an untamable force of nature. Hailing from Nashville by way of Western Massachusetts, The Berklee College Of Music graduate is bringing a much needed revival to rock with her fresh innocence and serious talent. Jax’s sound is a unique blend of Classic Rock, Blues, and Americana, combined with songwriting, riffs, ripping solos, and powerful vocals. Her debut record, “Underdog Anthems” was produced and engineered by music legend Michael Wagener (over 100 million records sold).
WEBSITE

Steve Davis Quintet

Sunday, March 16, 3-5PM

"Steve is one of the greatest Trombone Players in the world”
- Freddie Hubbard

Steve Davis is widely regarded as one of today’s leading voices on the trombone. After graduating from The Hartt School’s Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz (’89), Davis first gained widespread recognition in 1990 upon joining as the last to join the Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Steve’s first record dates would be Blakey’s last, including One For All (A&M), the title track penned by Davis.

Over the years since, Davis has worked with a broad range of jazz luminaries such as his first mentor Jackie McLean, Chick Corea, Benny Golson, Jimmy Heath, James Moody, Cecil Payne, Dizzy Gillespie’s All-Stars, Jimmy Heath, Ron Carter, Joe Farnsworth, Harold Mabern, and many others. Raised in Binghamton, New York, Steve has performed at major venues around the world including appearances at the North Sea, Montreal, Vienne, Montreaux, Newport, JVC, Detroit, Chicago & Playboy Jazz Festivals, The Jimmy Fallon Show with Stevie Wonder and at The White House Tribute to Ray Charles (PBS).
WEBSITE

Kalos

Monday, March 17, 8-10PM

Kalos is made up of three innovative interpreters and composers of Celtic roots music: Eric McDonald, Ryan McKasson and Jeremiah McLane. They are masters of tradition who purposefully explore the dark corners floating on its edges, delivering an alluring musical complexity full of spontaneity and joyful exuberance. Their individual artistry is enhanced when together. In short, the sum creates a greater whole. Pulling from parallel strands of influence, they create a swirling level of intensity that traverses darkness, light, and everywhere in between.
WEBSITE

Gallery Quartet

Sunday, March 30, 2-4PM

The Gallery Quartet is a classical string quartet presenting works by masters from the classical period to the present. Founded over 40 years ago as the quartet in residence of the Washington County (MD) Museum of Fine Arts and regularly perform in the recital hall built to accommodate chamber music.

The Gallery Quartet will perform classical and romantic string quartets, as well as quartet arrangements of folk and popular pieces.  There will be music that's familiar to some, and genres that may be new to some.
Video of the quartet playing!
WEBSITE

APRIL, 2025

Ebb and Flow of the Deer Creek Chorale

Saturday, April 5, 7-9PM

The Ebb and Flow is an a cappella ensemble which formed during the pandemic as a way to gather outside in a small group and enjoy singing together. The group was originally the Ladies Six and has evolved into a 12 member choir with a new name. The theme for the 2024–2025 concert season is Rise, my Soul. The performance will include music from many genres, including sacred music from various countries and styles, art songs with lyrics by Shakespeare to William Blake, and American and English folk music.
WEBSITE

FALL FOLLIES: COMEDY IN SONG

Sunday, April 13, 3-5PM

Annie Gill, Katherine Merryman and Andrew Stewart return to Manor Mill with a broad array of comical songs and scenes that will leave you laughing for more. Come enjoy Fall Follies: Comedy in Song!
LISTEN – Katherine Merryman
LISTEN – Annie Gill
LISTEN – Andrew Stewart

Lisa Bastoni and Letitia VanSant

Saturday, April 19, 7-9PM

Lisa Bastoni
Lisa Bastoni (Northampton, MA) is a 2022 & 2023 New England Music Award nominee (Roots), 2020 & 2019 Boston Music Award Nominee (Folk) and winner of 2019 New Folk at the esteemed Kerrville Folk Festival. In addition to her work in music, Lisa Bastoni is a visual artist and teacher, and mother to two young children. Lisa Bastoni has opened for/performed with Lori McKenna, Dar Williams, Regina Spektor, The Secret Sisters, Teddy Thompson, and many others.
WEBSITE

Letitia VanSant
Letitia VanSant’s lyrics trace questions about why the world is the way it is into the human soul. With sparse indie folk arrangements fortifying a distinctly intimate vocal style, her stage presence is down-to-earth and immediate.
Letitia is one half of Golden Aster, a vocal harmony-focused duo with Laura Wortman of the Honey Dewdrops, and lead vocalist for classic country band Rusty Sal.
WEBSITE

May, 2025

Summer Dean

Thursday, May 1, 7:30-9:30PM

Summer Dean is a rising star in the Texas music scene. With a captivating stage presence and raw, honest songwriting, she's quickly making a name for herself. Her live shows are a blend of confidence and vulnerability, showcasing her talent as both a performer and storyteller.

Dean's recently released album, "The Biggest Life," captures her most powerful work yet. Produced by Texas legend Bruce Robison, the album features tracks like "Big Ol Truck" and the poignant "Lonely Girl's Lament," showcasing her ability to connect with listeners through relatable experiences.
WEBSITE

Grace Pettis

Friday, May 2, 7:30-9:30PM

“Grace has a melodic way of writing that not only stays in your head but reads what’s sitting in your soul. She writes what I’ve always wanted to say.” - Ruthie Foster (Grammy-nominated blues artist

Grace Pettis’ much-anticipated sophomore MPress Records release, Down To The Letter, captures the Nashville-based (formerly Austin-based) singer-songwriter at the peak of her song writing powers. Chronicling the end of a marriage and the reclamation of self after betrayal, codependency, and loss with heartbreaking detail, the lyrics deftly toe the line between personal pain and universal catharsis. 
WEBSITE

Roy Book Binder

Saturday, May 3, 7:30-9:30PM

Who can say they were friends with Rev. Gary Davis, Pink Anderson, and Robert Lockwood? And toured with Bonnie Raitt, JJ Cale, and Hot Tuna? Roy can. He has the stories, the licks, and the timeless music in his fingers. Featured on PBS, "Fresh Air" with Terry Gross, Roy Book Binder is keeping the tradition of American blues alive and growing. We are privileged to have Roy at Manor Mill for the third time! Please join us in welcoming this legendary musician and storyteller.
WEBSITE

Pat Byrne

Friday, May 9, 7-9PM

Following his 2021 Into The Light album, Byrne delivered strong new works in 2022. His unmistakable voice and cinematic lyrics continue to touch our universal humanity. Supported by legendary musicians from Emmylou Harris’s band he presents another gem with “Only a Man”. Recorded at The Next Waltz with Bruce Robison and band, “Until it Isn’t” is a gorgeous rendition wistfully recalling lost love. Byrne’s December 2022 release, “Feels Like Living”, makes palpable the working musician’s struggle and uncertainty, underpinned by a nostalgic arrangement of strings and harmonium.

“The results — Irish Americana, by turns rollicking and resonating, that’s driven by his gruff growl of a voice — suggest that he’s one to keep an eye on.” - Stuart Munro, The Boston Globe

WEBSITE

BLANK PAGE

Saturday, May 17, 7-9PM

Born and raised in MD, high school seniors, Blank Page, write and perform original country music with versatile influences. Their harmonies and lyrics will have you leaving the show remembering your love for music.
Listen to their debut single!

The Montvales and Lauren Calve

Friday, May 23, 8-10PM

The Montvales
Born and raised in Knoxville, TN, Sally Buice and Molly Rochelson of songwriter duo The Montvales spent much of their formative years busking amidst the Elvis impersonators and musical saw players of the town’s Market Square, honing their uniquely boisterous harmonies and driving, joyful sound. The two now make their home in Cincinnati, OH, spending their days touring extensively and crafting intimate, storytelling-driven songs that explore the joys and perils of self-determination. Their new album, Born Strangers, is produced by Mike Eli LoPinto (producer and co-writer of Emily Nenni’s “On the Ranch”, guitarist for Chris Stapleton) and recorded in Sean Sullivan’s Tractor Shed Studio in Nashville.
WEBSITE

Lauren Calve
Lauren Calve has been undergoing a metamorphosis in her life, a massive shift. You can hear it seeping through every song, oozing out of every lyric, and feel the shedding of her skin with every note on her first full-length album Shift. The subtle and understated yearning in her voice, the intonation in her haunting vocals and delivery, Calve is longing for something more. Through the ten-track collection of songs, she invites the listener to come along on her journey of self-discovery and change, demonstrating a musical masterclass in the art of emotional storytelling.
WEBSITE

AUGUST, 2025

Ragged Union

Friday, August 15, 8-10PM

Ragged Union's signature bluegrass-and-beyond sound has appeared at festivals, concert series and events all across the USA, England, and China, since 2013. Past performances include IBMA Wide Open Bluegrass, John Hartford Memorial Festival, Northwest String Summit, Durango Meltdown, Shrewsbury Folk Festival (England), and the Qingdao International Beer Festival (China), to name a few. The band’s recipe for tasty contemporary bluegrass contains three main ingredients: ‘Outsider Songwriting’ - poetic lyrics that stretch beyond the ‘normal’ country themes, ‘Timeless Melodies’ that are new, yet sound familiar and classic, and ‘Unexpected Arrangements', rich compositional ideas, changes in feel and tempo, and an overall songwriting approach that isn’t trying to conform to what everyone else is doing. All of these concepts come together in an impressively exciting and memorable live performance.
WEBSITE

September, 2025

The Nighthawks

Saturday, September 20, 4:00-6:00PM

"On this landmark anniversary, founder, lead singer and harpmaster Mark Wenner is still at the helm, while drummer Mark Stutso, guitarist Dan Hovey and bassist Paul Pisciotta all share vocals and songwriting, making this lineup one of the strongest. Decades of gigs and rabid fans have earned them the name “The Best Bar Band In The World.” More than a bar band or blues band, as they’re frequently labeled, this is a band that played with Carl Perkins in addition to Muddy Waters."
- Vizztone, 2022
WEBSITE

october, 2025

Lucy Kaplansky

Friday, October 3, 7-9PM

Lucy Kaplansky is an acclaimed singer-songwriter of rare talent, “a truly gifted performer with a bag full of enchanting songs” (The New Yorker) and “the troubadour laureate of modern city folk” (The Boston Globe).

She has released nine critically acclaimed CDs, two of which were awarded Best Pop Album of the year by the Association for Independent Music. National Public Radio described her 2012 album Reunion as “a master class in making the personal universal,” and National Public Radio’s Scott Simon called her new album Last Days of Summer, released in June 2022, “Absolutely wonderful....utterly beautiful and affecting... Lucy sings songs from her life with resonance in ours.”
WEBSITE