CAFE CARPE

 

18 South Water Street West

Fort Atkinson, WI 53538

(920) 563-9391

cafecarpe@sbcglobal.net

 

Please call to confirm data and make reservations.  Note our show-times.

THE CALENDAR IS SOMETHING LIKE THE FOLLOWING:

REMEMBER THAT RESERVATIONS ARE ONLY HELD UNTIL 15 minutes before SHOWTIME, since, especially for popular shows, we have the problem that some who reserve do not show, and some who show have not reserved.  For the performer, a bird in the hand is worth two on paper.  This does not apply if the tickets have been paid for in advance, and is, of course, only a problem for shows which sell out.  If you show up late and there is still space you can get in. The bottom line is courtesy- if you do not intend to use any or all of the tickets you have reserved, or if you know you cannot make it on time, please call to let us know.  

 

 

 

Please call to confirm data and make reservations. 920-563-9391

 


WEEKLY E-MAIL UPDATES:

If you sign up to be on our mailing list, you are likely to receive frequent ( a relative term) updates which may or may not contain more information than is listed below. If you truly want to be in the know, our recommendation is that you do not rely on either this or the updates we e-mail to you, but both. You may be screaming "too much information", but we feel that this method will provide you just the right amount of knowledge.  Note also that Bill, the customary creator of these e-mails, does not seek editing advice prior to their distribution.  You may note a few misspelled words, misplaced apostrophes, and typos.  Find it in your hearts to forgive him such sins.  His mother was not an English teacher, (though his brother and niece were).

 

CARPEOOLING

Last year Kitty set up a carpooling group on yahoo, since some people have expressed that they would come to more shows if carpooling were an option.  Many of you come from the same place, and could save some money and have a smaller environmental impact if you rode together.

 
The group is called carpeoolers- A group for those interested in carpooling to shows at the Cafe Carpe in Fort Atkinson. Interested persons can join the group and then post to it to offer or ask for rides to specific performances at the Cafe Carpe.  ( This site can also be used for those who need to get rid of tickets and those who desire tickets to find each other when a show at the Carpe is sold out. You must join the group to post messages. Our version of match.com. We hope you find each other.)
 Join the group at http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/carpeoolers/ .   Facebook could also be useful in facilitating ridesharing.

 

 

2010      Become our fan on facebook.

 

 

IF YOU WISH TO READ JUST THE CALENDAR sans descriptions, SCROLL FURTHER BELOW.

 

 

ADVANCE PAY  indicates that you should make reservations and PAY IN ADVANCE. Might not get a seat if you don't.  We always recommend calling us to reserve seats, since it allows us to be better prepared for whatever an evening may bring.

 

FRI AUG 20  8:30  $7.50  reservations recommended

ICARUS DRIFTING

In 2006 by singer/songwriter Eric Cox began this group with a bold premise in mind: a band that could blur the edges between folk, rock, blues, indie, and classical music; a band with a distinctive sound – singular and inimitable; a band grounded in lyrics and melody, lifted by the sonic grace of a violin and propelled by the driving rhythms of guitar, bass, and drums.  

Cox is
a lyrical disciple of influences ranging from Neil Young through Bono, Eddie Vedder, and Ray Lamontagne. He is joined in Icarus/Drifting by a group of diversely influenced and talented musicians. Each has taken the initial premise of the band and stretched the boundaries of creative possibility far beyond the original conception. Sam Grabow (violin/piano/organ) is a classically trained violinist with influences ranging from Classical pieces through Celtic and Hungarian fiddling and into avant garde modernism. Grabow lends the band a distinctive flair and an expansive emotional range. Keith Muellenbach (bass/vocals) adds his keen melodic sense to the textural layers to the music both vocally and instrumentally, and the bass lines he creates lend the songs an undeniable sense of propulsion. The final ingredient to the band's instrumental mix is guitarist Pat Zyduck. A fingerstyle specialist and songwriter in his own right, Zyduck provides the band a diverse palette of emotive, intricate guitar passages and gives the band a rootsy feel. Floating between lush violin melodies and the spacious yet urgent sounds of guitar and bass, Cox fills out the sound of Icarus/Drifting with his impassioned, soulful vocals. 

www.icarus-drifting.com

 

SAT AUG 21  8:30  $8 

BILL CAMPLIN BAND

 

THU AUG 26  8:00 $12

KRISTA DETOR DUO

With her highly acclaimed album, Mudshow (“A Small Miracle..” Rolling Stone) Krista Detor was established as a gifted player on the world stage. Together with partner and producer, David Weber, she’s since released the follow-up album, Cover Their Eyes (“One of the best albums of the year..” Revolver) continuing to push the edges of genre while remaining close throughout to the lyrical thread that defines her work.
She’s reached #1 on the Euro-Americana chart and her music’s been featured at the Cannes Film Festival, on NPR, PBS, the BBC, as well as countless U.S. and European National, Regional & Local radio shows. She’s appeared on both U.S. and European television and collaborated on the Emmy nominated PBS Special Wilderness Plots.
Most recently, she was honored to be chosen to be a part of the Darwin Songhouse, with 7
other songwriters in Shrewsbury England, writing for 7 days songs & completing a live CD to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin in his hometown. The event and subsequent concert were covered extensively by the BBC. Currently, Krista has just completed a new solo album, Chocolate Paper Suites, with guest artists Colin Linden, Moira Smiley (Voco), Mark Erelli, Malcolm Dalglish, Jason Wilbur, Dena Al-Safaar, Karine Polwart, Chris Wood and a host of other talented players, which will be released in Europe and the U.S. February, 2010.

“..A small miracle… wonderful, intensive music.. she would be good on every stage in the world..”
- Rolling Stone
“..Like a poet and a playwright, she makes songs out of crystalline moments.. her talent and the content of her songs are what set her apart..”
- MusicDish
“Detor’s portraits are finely painted… a million miles above moon, spoon and June..”
- Folkwax
“Stunning Record..”
- Financieel Dagblad, Holland
“A Masterful Collection…* * * *1/2 (4 ½ Stars!)”
- Maverick Magazine, UK
“The intimacy of the songs.. make you feel as if Detor sings only for you.. [you] will be won over after listening only once..”
- De Morgen, Belgium
“Smooth dark vocals and perfect songs..”
- Heaven Magazine, Netherlands
"[Her] music is haunting, beautiful, magnificent, stunning..." - Home of Rock Magazine, Germany

www.kristadetor.com

 

FRI AUG 27  8:30  $10 

MARE EDSTROM w/ KENN FOX/ Nora Collins

Mare Edstrom and Kenn Fox are entering their seventh year of interpreting the blues as a duo. Mares vocal styling’s display an amazing range, and while she is rootsy and authentic, she is also known for stepping outside the traditional boundaries of the blues. Kenn comes to the blues with the ability to inspire the audience with both his technical abilities as a player and his encyclopedic knowledge of everything from bottleneck to Piedmont fingerpicking. You will hear blues gems from the 20s thru the 50’s as Mare and Kenn dig deep into their vast repertoire of historic blues. Mare’s new blues compilation “Mare’s Blues” was recently selected as a pick of the month by the renowned Blues Blast Magazine.

www.mareedstrom.com  www.noracollins.com

 

THU SEP 2  7-9  $7.50  

THE NEW PIONEERS

This five piece outfit featuring vocals, banjo, fiddle, guitar, bass and mandolin are doing a once-a-month performance here, usually the 2nd Thursday- (not this time, though). Its various members have been involved with traditional music locally, regionally, and nationally for many years.

The Pioneer’s lead singer and guitarist, Jerry Wicentowski, has been described by country music historian Bill Malone as “One of the finest singers in bluegrass music”. Jerry has also performed and recorded with such bluegrass greats as Tim O’Brien, Andy Statman, Byron Berline, Tony Trischka and others. Mike Schmidt of Spring Green, Wisconsin, is the group’s banjo player. This former French horn player has been a Nashville session musician and member of the popular Wisconsin-based bluegrass bands, Alive ‘n’ Pickin’ and the Piper Road Spring Band. He also performs occasionally with his wife Lori.  Bruce King of Art Stevenson and High Water - also formerly of Alive 'n' Pickin' -  is on mandolin. Bruce and Mike are veterans of the Great Northern Bluegrass Festival in Mole Lake, WI - performing there every year from 1977 to 1982. Fiddle player Paul Kienitz is a member in good standing of regional bluegrass favorites, The Nob Hill Boys. The newest member of the band is Bruce's son, Bruce Jr., who joined in early 2009 as the bassist. 

 

FRI SEP 10  8:30   OPEN STAGE

 

SAT SEP 11  8:30  $8

BILL CAMPLIN BAND

 

THU SEP 16  8:00  $15

ARTISTRY OF THE GUITAR with  KEN BONFIELD, STEVE DAVISON, and  special guest DAKOTA DAVE HULL

A feast for guitar lovers:  a players in-the-round with the guitarists swapping songs, and often sitting in on each other's tunes.
"Artistry of the Guitar is a feast not only for guitar lovers, but for anyone with a passion for acoustic music, including old-time blues, jazz, Celtic or world music with a contemporary twist."
- Cape Ann Beacon (Mar 27, 2009)

www.kenbonfield.com   www.dakotadavehull.com www.artistryoftheguitar.com

 

SAT SEP 18  8:30  $7.50 

THE BUZZARDS

is a trio made up of Madisonians Mike and Patty McDougal and Fort Atkinson native Perry Baird. With vocals accompanied on 6-and 12-string guitars, cello, harmonica, and accordion, the group features a blend of contemporary and traditional folk music selections in a variety of tempos and styles.  Mike McDougal was long a figure on the Chicago folk-music scene, playing the club and coffeehouse circuit as a member of the Mississippi Flanagan quartet and later as a solo act. He moved to Wisconsin in 1979. An energetic vocalist and musician, Mike is adept at finger- and flat-picking guitar styles, and he also adds cello accompaniment to a few numbers. Harmonizing with a clear alto voice and taking an occasional turn at lead vocals is Mike’s wife, Patty, who also plays harmonica and accordion. The group’s vocal mix is completed by Baird, a baritone who also plays 6- and 12- string guitars. A typical Buzzards evening will include arrangements of songs by such contemporary singer/songwriters as Bill Staines, Harry Nilsson, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Eric Bogle, Tom Waits, David Mallett, and Art Thieme, with more eclectic selections, traditional songs, and original compositions sprinkled throughout.

 

FRI SEP 24 & SAT SEP 25   Lorine Niedecker Wisconsin Poetry Festival here in Fort Atkinson

If interested, Check out the schedule of events at www.lorineniedecker.org.

 

FRI SEP 24  8:30  $15  reserve and pay in advance

BOULDER ACOUSTIC SOCIETY

BAS’ music is haunted by the past and focused on the future. It’s indie-folk that draws from Appalachian roots, gritty gospel and the contemporary urban soundscape. BAS’ mission to merge tradition with innovation produces a unique sound and an unforgettable live entertainment experience.

Five years, five albums and relentless touring have honed Boulder Acoustic Society into one of tightest and most entertaining bands of any genre. The pulsing percussion and thumping bass of Scott Aller and Neil McCormick support the dual lead vocals of multi-instrumentalists Scott McCormick and Aaron Keim.

All this, from a band who wear vintage clothes, savor small batch bourbon, and rock the ukulele.

www.boulderacousticsociety.net

 

SAT SEP 25  8:30 $5  

BILL CAMPLIN

While this performance is in conjunction with the Lorine Niedecker Wisconsin Poetry Festival, it is open to the general public.

 

SUN SEP 26  7:00  $10 

ANNE HILLS

“Anne Hills is such an exquisite singer that it’s understandable that people might be swept up in the pure beauty of her voice and thereby overlook her writing. That would be a mistake. For me, Anne’s writing, in songs like ‘Follow That Road’ and many others, is as direct, melodic and deep as any work being done today. She is quite simply one of my absolute favorite songwriters.”
— Tom Paxton

 

“A singer of superb vocal purity ... she gives songs a life of their own.   Anne Hills could sing the week’s cable listings and make them sound marvelous.”   -Martin Keller,  Minnesota Monthly

www.annehills.com

 

FRI OCT 1  8:30  $15 

CLAUDIA SCHMIDT

Michigan native Claudia Schmidt has covered a lot of musical ground, beginning with a stirring rendition of "Tammy" at age 4 around a neighborhood bonfire. Then came years of choirs, a guitar, a dulcimer, and some theatre thrown into the pot.

Thirty-two years as a touring professional have found her traversing North America as well as Europe in venues ranging from intimate clubs to 4,000 seat theatres, and festival stages in front of 25,000 rapt listeners.  She is familiar with the mediums of radio and TV, including regular stints on Public Radio International's "A Prairie Home Companion" in its early incarnation, and starring in an hour-long documentary called "I Sing Because I Can't Fly," produced by KTCA TV in St. Paul.  She participated in the delightful Les Blank movie "Gap-Toothed Women," contributing a song as well as an interview.  She wrote an award-winning score and performed in the Goodman Theatre's Chicago production of Brecht's "Good Person of Szechuan."   

She has recorded thirteen albums of mostly original songs, exploring folk, blues, and jazz idioms featuring her acclaimed12 string guitar and mountain dulcimer playing.  Recently, she collaborated with the New Reformation Jazz Band on a Dixieland gospel recording and a tribute to Gershwin and Ellington in celebration of their hundredth birthdays.  Claudia’s latest release on Redhouse Records -- Wings of Wonder-- features many new songs with instrumental support by Dean Magraw and Peter Ostroushko.  Her most recent work in the Jazz field “I Thought About You,” is her second leading her own swinging sextet - Claudia Schmidt & The JumpBoys.  In the fall of 2003 Claudia released an all spoken word CD featuring some of the many pieces she’s made famous in her performances over the past thirty years.  The CD, ROADS, includes 17 poems and essays from her rich performance repertoire.  In the Summer of 2006 Claudia released her first self-produced folk/acoustic CD Spinning.  This recording is a coming home of sorts for Claudia with a studio full of Michigan’s finest musicians.   

A musician who has always hated categories, she describes herself as a "creative noisemaker," which has irritated some critics but delighted many audiences, who learn to expect anything at a Schmidt concert, hymn, poem, bawdy verse, torch song, satire, and the gamut of emotions.  Her live performances are not to be missed.  Her musicality is astonishing.  Her joy and love of performing are contagious.  She can weave the elements of music and stage into a program so unified and full of life that one critic has described a Claudia Schmidt concert as "....a lot like falling in love.  You never know what's going to happen next, chances are it's going to be wonderful, every moment is burned into your memory, and you know you'll never be the same again." 

www.claudiaschmidt.com

 

SAT OCT 2  8:30  $10 

THE PINES

www.thepinesmusic.com

 

FRI OCT 22  8:30  $15  pay in advance

MIKE DOWLING SOLO

www.mikedowling.com

 

SAT OCT 23  8:30  $8 

BILL CAMPLIN BAND

 

FRI NOV 12  8:30  $20  pay in advance  

CHRIS SMITHER

www.smither.com

 

 

Just the calendar:

 

FRI AUG 20  8:30  $7.50    ICARUS DRIFTING   reservations recommended

 

SAT AUG 21  8:30  $8  BILL CAMPLIN BAND

 

THU AUG 26  8:00 $12  KRISTA DETOR

 

FRI AUG 27  8:30  $10  MARE EDSTROM w/ KENN FOX/Nora Collins

 

THU SEP 2  7-9  $7.50  THE NEW PIONEERS

 

FRI SEP 10  8:30   OPEN STAGE

   

THU SEP 16  8:00  $15    ARTISTRY OF THE GUITAR with  KEN BONFIELD, STEVE DAVISON, and  special guest DAKOTA DAVE HULL

 

SAT SEP 18  8:30  $7.50  THE BUZZARDS

 

FRI SEP 24  8:30  $15  pay in advance   BOULDER ACOUSTIC SOCIETY  

 

SUN SEP 26  7:00  $10  ANNE HILLS

 

FRI OCT 1  8:30  $15  CLAUDIA SCHMIDT

 

SAT OCT 2  8:30  $10  THE PINES

 

FRI OCT 22  8:30  $15  pay in advance  MIKE DOWLING SOLO

 

SAT OCT 23  8:30  $8  BILL CAMPLIN BAND

 

FRI NOV 12  8:30  $20  pay in advance CHRIS SMITHER

 

 

Website design by Satchel Paige Welch.  Contact at cafecarpe@sbcglobal.net