Guy Davis. Thursday, March 16, 2023. Doors: 6:30 p.m.; Show: 7 p.m. Stoltz Listening Room, 40 E. Dover Street, Easton, MD
“Truth be told, there just aren’t many who can deliver Americana in as interesting and entertaining a manner – or give acoustic traditional blues such a contemporary sound – as Davis…” The Blues PowR Blog
American roots artist Guy Davis once said, “I like antiques and old things, old places, that still have the dust of those who’ve gone before us lying upon them.”
Blowing just enough dust off roots music to see its beauty is something Guy has excelled at for over twenty years of songwriting and performing. His reverence for the music of the blues masters who’ve gone before him has been evident in every album he’s ever recorded or concert he’s given. Guy’s musical storytelling is influenced by artists like Blind Willie McTell and Big Bill Broonzy, and his musicality by artists as diverse as Lightnin’ Hopkins and Babatunde Olatunji. https://guydavis.com/wp/
Seamus Kennedy Friday, March 17, 2023 Doors: 7:30 p.m.; Show: 8 p.m. Stoltz Listening Room, 40 E. Dover Street, Easton, MD
Awarded “Best Irish/Celtic Male Vocalist” every year since 1993 by The Washington Area Music Association! In his thirty years of professional performing, Seamus Kennedy has taken his music from Alaska to Florida, Maryland to California, and a host of stops in between, playing everything from the pubs to the concert halls. As a result, he’s a master showman of exceptional musical skills and unmatched repartee. As a headliner at Celtic festivals such as Hunter Mountain (NY); Celtic Classic (PA); Longs Peak Scottish/Irish Festival, (CO) and at Sacramento (CA) Highland Games, Seamus’ trademark is his ongoing interaction with his audiences. From the moment he steps on stage, he starts talking to them — and encourages them to talk back! He is quick with a quip and likes nothing better than to discover someone in the audience who is similarly inclined! https://seamuskennedy.com/
The Met: Live in HD 12 pm Lohengrin (Wagner). March 18, 2023, 12pm. Avalon Theatre, 40 E. Dover Street, Easton, Md.
Wagner’s soaring masterpiece makes its triumphant return to the Met stage after 17 years. In a sequel to his revelatory production of Parsifal, director François Girard unveils an atmospheric staging that once again weds his striking visual style and keen dramatic insight to Wagner’s breathtaking music, with Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin on the podium to conduct a supreme cast led by tenor Piotr Beczała in the title role of the mysterious swan knight. Soprano Tamara Wilson is the virtuous duchess Elsa, falsely accused of murder, going head-to-head with soprano Christine Goerke as the cunning sorceress Ortrud, who seeks to lay her low. Bass-baritone Evgeny Nikitin is Ortrud’s power-hungry husband, Telramund, and bass Günther Groissböck is King Heinrich.
This live cinema transmission is part of the Met’s award-winning Live in HD series, bringing opera to movie theaters across the globe.
Medium Debbie Wojciechowski. Saturday, March 18, 2023. Doors: 7:30 p.m.; Show: 8 p.m. Stoltz Listening Room, 40 E. Dover Street, Easton, MD
During her interactions with audience members, Debbie draws on her extensive background and experience to deliver sensitive messages in a respectful manner from loved ones who have passed on to the “other side.”
Ever since her metaphysical journey began before she was 21 with two near-death experiences and the loss of her parents, Debbie has sought to learn more about her special gift…and to share it with others. Along with her formal certification as a Medium from the Lisa Williams International School of Spiritual Development, she has had a successful career in mental health and grief counseling with federal law enforcement.
Debbie feels both humbled and privileged to channel special messages from beyond to her audience. https://www.mediumdebbie.com/
Fairytales On Ice Sunday, March 19, 2023 Doors: 1:30 p.m.; Show: 2 p.m. Avalon Theatre, 40 E. Dover Street, Easton, MD
Join Belle, the Beast, and some new friends as they take us on the original tale – Live On Ice! The characters skate through adventures, magic, and celebration – but beware of the Enchantress who wants to have the beast remain a monster for the rest of his days. Can Belle, her friends, and our royal audience help save the day? https://www.facebook.com/fairytalesonice/
Goldpine. Thursday, March 23, 2023. Doors: 6:30 p.m.; Show: 7 p.m. Stoltz Listening Room, 40 E. Dover Street, Easton, MD
“I love these guys…their never-ending onslaught of bold harmony is undeniable.” Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes)
Exposing the pains of severed relationships and unearthing the pursuits of love and purpose, Goldpine is cathartic, moody, raucous, and relevant…all intertwined into one.
Veterans of making soul-stirring music, Ben and Kassie have been offering their own brand of raw Americana for years to audiences large and small. Recent winners of the 2022 Rocky Mountain Songwriter Contest at the Red Lodge Songwriter Festival, and finalists in the Kerrville Folk Fest 2021 New Folk Competition, the duo’s bold harmonies are clearly a channel for their highly charged songwriting.
They put their hearts and souls into their music, as evidenced by their self-produced debut LP, “One”, a snapshot of the current season of their lives — symbolizing a new beginning and an homage to their past— leading them to where they are now.
Sonny Landreth & Cindy Cashdollar. Friday, March 24, 2023. Doors: 6:30 p.m.; Show: 7 p.m. The Avalon Theatre, 40 E. Dover Street, Easton, MD
Meet Sonny Landreth and Cindy Cashdollar, the Louisiana slide guitar wizards whose trademark bottle neck chops and dobro and steel string talents culminate in world renowned showcases of guitar virtuosity.
Revered for his unique slide guitar technique, Sonny Landreth has collaborated with many legendary performers, including John Hiatt, Jimmy Buffett, Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton.
Five-time Grammy winner Cindy Cashdollar’s expertise is in great demand on both steel guitar and dobro. She’s worked with many leading artists in various genres including Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Rod Stewart, and Ryan Adams.
Performing a mix of original songs with contemporary and traditional blues and roots music, their shows are electric, virtuosic, and tastefully delivered by two great instrumental masters.
The Steel Wheels. Friday, March 31, 2023. Doors 7:30 p.m.; Show: 8 p.m. The Avalon Theatre, 40 E. Dover Street, Easton, MD
Having staked their claim as independent upstarts in the burgeoning Americana scene, The Steel Wheels have long been at home in the creative space between tradition and innovation, informed by the familiar sounds of the Virginia mountains where the band was formed, but always moving forward with insightful lyrics and an evolving sound.
Whether at a joyous summer festival, in their many shows across the country and beyond, or in the studio, The Steel Wheels continue their mission set out over a decade ago: shaking up traditions to see what sticks, telling stories, and joining communities through song.
Having gained the experience of thousands of shows, festivals and many miles on the road, this stubbornly independent band has formed deep bonds with each other and the audience that sustains them. https://www.thesteelwheels.com/
The Met: Live in HD, 12:30 pm Falstaff (Verdi). Saturday April 1, 2023, 12:30pm. Avalon Theatre, 40 E. Dover St, Easton, Md.
Baritone Michael Volle stars as the caddish knight Falstaff, gleefully tormented by a trio of clever women who deliver his comeuppance, in Verdi’s glorious Shakespearean comedy. Maestro Daniele Rustioni takes the podium on April 1 to oversee a brilliant ensemble cast that features sopranos Hera Hyesang Park, Ailyn Pérez, and Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano Marie-Nicole Lemieux, tenor Bogdan Volkov, and baritone Christopher Maltman.
This live cinema transmission is part of the Met’s award-winning Live in HD series, bringing opera to movie theaters across the globe.
Mile Twelve. Saturday, April 1, 2023. Doors: 7:30 p.m.; Show: 8 p.m. Stoltz Listening Room, 40 E. Dover Street, Easton, MD
“Mile Twelve’s strength lies in its ability to apply bluegrass’ natural affect to modern concerns.” WBUR, Boston’s NPR Station
Boston’s modern string band, Mile Twelve, is back in motion. From the first manic downbeat of their virtuosic new record, “Close Enough to Hear”, you’ll discover a band that is ready to explode from a restless pandemic-induced hiatus.
You’ll hear the same warmth and innovation that earned the band IBMA’s 2019 Album of the Year nomination and 2020 New Artist of the Year Award, and that’s gained them an international reputation as one of the most dynamic bands in contemporary acoustic music.
Heard as a whole, “Close Enough to Hear” and their live shows display the vast creative potential of the bluegrass quintet — banjo (BB Bowness), mandolin (Korey Brodsky), fiddle (Ella Jordan), acoustic guitar (Evan Murphy) and upright bass (Nate Sabat) — in the hands of world-class musicians. https://www.miletwelveband.com/
Chris Barron of the Spin Doctors. Friday, April 7, 2023. Doors: 6:30 p.m.; Show: 7 p.m. Stoltz Listening Room, 40 E. Dover Street, Easton, MD
Chris Barron, the singer and founding member of Spin Doctors, is known these days for solo shows that have all the lyric poetry and singing virtuosity that Spin Doctors fans appreciate, along with a range of expression and songwriting that will delight and surprise.
Chris plays nifty chords on an old Gibson to masterfully crafted songs that are poignant yet wistful and funny, all the while singing in a manner that’s sweet and somewhat different from what you would expect if you only knew his hits, “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong” and “Two Princes”.
Live, his stage patter is almost as entertaining as his singing. A powerful storyteller, at once hilarious and thought provoking, Chris sets up his songs with anecdotes from a life on the road, from opening for and encountering legends like the Rolling Stones to Polar expeditions. https://thechrisbarron.com/home
Shemekia Copeland. Saturday, April 8, 2023. Doors: 7 p.m.; Show: 8 p.m. The Avalon Theatre, 40 E. Dover Street, Easton, MD
“Shemekia Copeland has established herself as one of the leading blues artists of our time.” NPR Music
Award-winning blues, soul and Americana singer Shemekia Copeland possesses one of the most instantly recognizable and deeply soulful roots music voices of our time. She is beloved worldwide for the fearlessness, honesty and humor of her revelatory music, as well as for delivering each song she performs with unmatched passion.
Winner of the 2021 Blues Music Award for B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year, Copeland connects with her audience on an intensely personal level, taking them with her on what The Wall Street Journal calls “a consequential ride” of “bold and timely blues.” NPR Music says Shemekia sings with “punchy defiance and potent conviction.” The Houston Chronicle describes her songs as “resilient pleas for a kinder tomorrow.” https://shemekiacopeland.com/
The Met: Live in HD, Der Rosenkavalier (Strauss). Saturday April 15, 2023, 12pm. Avalon Theatre, Easton Md.
A dream cast assembles for Strauss’s grand Viennese comedy. Soprano Lise Davidsen is the aging Marschallin, opposite mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard as her lover Octavian and soprano Erin Morley as Sophie, the beautiful younger woman who steals his heart. Bass Günther Groissböck returns as the churlish Baron Ochs, and Markus Brück is Sophie’s wealthy father, Faninal. Maestro Simone Young takes the Met podium to oversee Robert Carsen’s fin-de-siècle staging.
This live cinema transmission is part of the Met’s award-winning Live in HD series, bringing opera to movie theaters across the globe.
Karla Bonoff. Friday, April 21, 2023. Doors: 7:30 p.m.; Show: 8 p.m. The Avalon Theatre, 40 E. Dover Street, Easton, MD
Born and raised in Southern California, Karla Bonoff was a songwriter by the age of fifteen. Establishing herself in the early ‘80s as one of LA’s major artists and songwriters, Karla’s legacy as a writer and performer is captured in Billboard’s review of her song “All My Life” (made popular by Aaron Neville and Linda Ronstadt’s Grammy-winning cover): “Long before Alanis and Jewel, there was a breed of singer/songwriters whose earthly anthems of soul-searching, heartache and joy touched souls in a way few can muster today.”
Karla’s many accomplishments include: opening for James Taylor and Jackson Browne, working with musicians such as Russ Kunkel, Joe Walsh, Waddy Wachtel, Danny Kortchmar, Don Henley, and Peter Frampton, and singing “Somebody’s Eyes” in the hit Kevin Bacon movie “Footloose”. https://www.karlabonoff.com/
Adam Ezra Group. Thursday, April 27, 2023. Doors: 7:30 p.m.; Show: 8 p.m. Stoltz Listening Room, 40 E. Dover Street, Easton, MD
Working outside the confines of the traditional music industry, Adam Ezra and his bandmates – Corinna Smith (fiddle), Alex Martin (drums), Poche Ponce (bass) – built a community of fans through sheer grit and determination.
Fusing folk intimacy and rock energy with soul power and pop charm, the band first emerged from Boston in the early 2000s and quickly garnered widespread acclaim for their bold, insightful songwriting and interactive, euphoric performances.
From hole-in-the-wall bars and house concerts to sold-out headline shows and dates with the likes of Little Big Town, The Wallflowers, Gavin DeGraw, Train, and The Wailers, Ezra and his bandmates treated every single gig like their last, attracting a die-hard following that believed not just in the music, but in their commitment to activism and social change, as well. https://www.adamezra.com/
Glenn Miller Orchestra. Friday, April 28, 2023. Doors: 6:30 p.m.; Show: 7 p.m. Avalon Theatre, 40 E. Dover Street, Easton, MD
“A band ought to have a sound all of its own. It ought to have a personality.” – Glenn Miller
Formed in 1938, the Glenn Miller Orchestra — which would later include the likes of Tex Beneke, Marion Hutton, Ray Eberle, Paul Tanner, Johnny Best, Hal McIntyre, and Al Klinck — soon began breaking attendance records all up and down the East Coast.
They would also go on to create record-breaking recordings that defined a world-changing era, such as “Tuxedo Junction”, “In the Mood”, “Moonlight Serenade,” “Pennsylvania 6-5000”, and “Chattanooga Choo-Choo”, among so many other classics.
Don’t miss this opportunity to capture the enduring magic of Glenn Miller Orchestra’s unique sound on the Avalon stage!
The Met: Live in HD, Champion (Blanchard). Saturday, April 29, 2023 12:55pm. Avalon Theatre, 40 E. Dover Street, Easton, Md
Six-time Grammy Award–winning composer Terence Blanchard brings his first opera to the Met after his Fire Shut Up in My Bones triumphantly premiered with the company to universal acclaim in 2021–22. Bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green is the young boxer Emile Griffith, who rises from obscurity to become a world champion, and bass-baritone Eric Owens portrays Griffith’s older self, haunted by the ghosts of his past. Soprano Latonia Moore is Emelda Griffith, the boxer’s estranged mother, and mezzo- soprano Stephanie Blythe is the bar owner Kathy Hagan. Yannick Nézet-Séguin takes the podium for Blanchard’s second Met premiere, also reuniting the director-and-choreographer team of James Robinson and Camille A. Brown.
This live cinema transmission is part of the Met’s award-winning Live in HD series, bringing opera to movie theaters across the globe.
The Dirty Grass Players, Saturday, September 18, Doors: 7:30 p.m.; Show: 8 p.m.
Bria Skonberg, the Canadian trumpet virtuoso and her band played two different sets at the Pavilion on the Friday evening. This meteoric rising star with her golden voice and masterful trumpet playing blew the top off the tent with her highly accomplished entertainment skills and an eclectic program including Cole Porter, the Beatles, Sonny and Cher and her own beautiful soulful and bluesy “So is the Day”. The musicianship of her band was exceptional and special praise should be given to the pianist and keyboard player Mathis Picard the 25 year old Juilliard trained composer, producer and band leader in his own right.
The festival always brings a surprise bonus and the Sunday Tidewater Jazz Brunch was the venue for the really talented Hot Club of Baltimore led by guitarist Michael Harris with bassist Blake Meister and guitarist Connor Holdridge who performed some up tempo numbers also featuring a medley of Django Reinhardt tunes including “Limehouse Blues”. The music was the perfect complement to the sunshine and the Tidewater’s superb crabcakes and Bloody Marys.
Members of the Easton improvisation troupe will take the stage at the Avalon Foundation’s Stoltz Pavilion on Friday, July 23 at 8:00 pm. The Talbot County Improv Show will feature music by local musician Dan Van Skiver and include members of the Reflex Improv Annapolis group.