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 A Billy Jonas performance is an explosion of energy. In sing-alongs, bang-alongs, whisper-alongs, as well as improvised songs, his primary instrument will be YOU! Concerts begin with a simple "tuning" of the audience; from there a whimsical trajectory carries listeners through stories of life, love, and triumph over 'Murphy's Law.'
Jonas' engaging (and we mean for All ages!) original pieces are played on fanciful "industrial re-percussion" instruments made from found objects. Jonas' recent work has garnered a Parents Choice Gold Award, and inclusion on the New York Times "Best" listing.
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| Wednesday, April 4 • 7 PM |
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POETRY OPEN MIC |
| $3 |
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With Featured Reader "The Poet Essence" |
| open-mic |
 This months' featured reader has released two CD's of her work: "Persuasively Seduced" and "Four Seasons." She has performed around NYC and Albany, and recently toured four cities with HBO's 'Def Poetry' performer Black Ice.
The winner of a Caffe Lena Poetry Slam, her integrity and quiet power have made her a favorite among local poetry audiences.
Open mic sign-up begins at 6:30 and readers start at 7. Each poet reads one long poem or two short poems. The featured reader performs for 20 minutes.
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 João Luiz and Douglas Lora of São Paulo have been performing together for over ten years, perfecting a sublime synchronicity and effortless live style.
Their extensive repertoire is a seamless blend of classical guitar duos (Bach, Sor, Scarlatti) and the traditional music of their native land, such as samba, maxixe, choro and baião.
This unique program, along with their phenomenal mastery of Brazil's intricate rhythms, has won them top honors at international competitions in South America and Europe. Rapidly gaining exposure in the United States, their American engagements include Carnegie Hall, Symphony Space, and now Caffè Lena!
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 With high vocal harmonies, fleet picking, off-the-cuff stage banter and a knack for vintage style, The Hunger Mountain Boys have a show that's bound to please.
In the tradition and spirit of the classic country duets of the 1930s, '40s, and '50s, they capture the authentic early country sound and fiery energy of such legendary duets as the Monroe Brothers and Louvin Brothers.
In addition to their old classics, stringband-style barn-burners, and weepy emotional death ballads, the 'Boys write much of their own heartfelt material. The trio features Kip Beacco on mandolin, fiddle and guitar; Teddy Tetlow Weber on guitar and steel guitar, and Matt Downing on bass.
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| Sunday, April 8 |
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CLOSED FOR EASTER |
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| Monday, April 9 • 7 PM |
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STORYTELLING OPEN MIC |
| $3 |
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 With Lou squeezing the accordion and Peter on guitar, this Wisconsin-based duo brings down the house with their brilliant, comical songs in the tradition of Tom Lehrer and Flanders & Swann.
With eleven albums and a long line of classic knee-slappers to their credit, they draw inspiration from the unlikeliest sources, such as sports headlines, mother love and state pride.
This is a show for anyone with a quick mind who appreciates clever wordplay and clear thinking.
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| Saturday, April 14 • 8 PM |
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WOODS TEA COMPANY |
| $18/15 |
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| woodstea.net |
 This three-man stringband from Vermont performs a winning combination of Celtic tunes, bluegrass, sea shanties and folk songs, interspersed with plenty of wit and comeraderie.
Their shows often feature up to a dozen different musical instruments, including banjo, guitar, bodhran, concertina, fiddle and whistles, plus rousing vocal harmonies by Mike Lussen, Rusty Jacobs, and Howard Wooden. National Public Radio called them "Vermont's hardest working folk group," a moniker richly deserved after seven albums and frequent tours across the US.
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 This former Philadelphia jazz singer turned Boston songwriting sensation has a subtle sense of timing that shows itself in his riotous humor, unfailing connection to his audience, in his songwriting prowess, and most especially in his ability to combine all three in one show.
His most recent album, "Angels, Castles, Covers," is a tip-of-the-hat to the songwriters that have inspired him through his career, from Jimmy Hendrix, to Aretha, to Motown and Joni Mitchell. Vance's captivating shows have been big-time crowd pleasers at Lena's since the mid-90s.
Kelly Fint, the acclaimed chanteuse of NYC jazz trio Dave's True Story, will reveal a different side of her talents as she opens the show with a set of her own riveting, original songs."
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 "When you disappear fear between people, what you have is love." - SONiA
With that simple guiding principle, lesbian activist Sonia Rutstein seeks to do no less than bring about peace on earth with her inspirational anthems and open-hearted stagecraft.
A mix of topical folk and sweaty rock 'n' roll, with a touch of get down blues and get up reggae, SONiA and drummer/harmonizer Laura Cerulli spread their message internationally, including tours to unsettled regions of the Middle East. Not content to 'preach to the choir,' they sent a copy of their latest album to Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
We don't know how well he liked it, but we know you'll leave this show with a renewed sense of the positive possiblities before us.
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| Saturday, April 21 • 8 PM |
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PIERCE PETTIS |
| $18/15 |
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With Special Guest Malcolm Holcombe |
| www.piercepettis.com |
 Pierce Pettis, adored by both critics and public alike, writes songs that create unity by reminding us of the deep truths that we already know.
Pierce is a native of Alabama who was influenced both by the social struggles of his youth, and the folk and rock sounds of the '60s. Over the years he has developed a pliable sound that draws from rock, folk, country, and R&B, informed by a soulful, spiritual yearning and a poet's eye for detail.
 In addition to his national touring schedule Pierce has been a songwriter for Muscle Shoals, Polygram and Universal in Nashville. He has received numerous awards, including a 1999 Country Music Award from ASCAP for You Move Me --recorded by Garth Brooks.
Concert-goers will get a big bonus tonight as North Carolina native Malcolm Holcombe opens the show. Rolling Stone magazine, which gave his album a four-star review, writes: "Haunted country, acoustic blues and rugged folk all meet [here]..."
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 Acclaimed multi-instrumentalist David Lindley combines American music traditions with African, Arabic, Asian, Celtic, Malagasy and Turkish music, all with an expansive, playful approach that is as irresistible as it is virtuosic.
"Mr. Dave's" unique performances feature a wild array of stringed instruments, plus his uncanny vocal mimicry and eccentric sense of humor. He has been smashing musical barriers throughout his four-decade career, from the pyschedelic Middle Eastern experiments of his world music rock band Kaleidoscope to the reggae grooves of El Rayo-X, and along the way he has been a deft sideman to everyone from Jackson Browne to Dolly Parton. |
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 For all you fans of Camille West, Lucy Kaplansky and Christine Lavin, here's a wonderful new discovery: Deborah Holland of Los Angeles, CA.
She's a songwriter, a full-time professor of music at Cal State, a mom, and an all-round funny, lovely, smart lady. As lead singer of Animal Logic she appeared on Letterman, VH-1 and MTV.
Her own albums have covered everything from the political songs of the '30s, to fine contemporary folk that landed her gigs on Mountain Stage and World Café. Her latest album, Bad Girl Once . . ., ranges in style from folk, rock and blues, to jazz and electronica strikingly unified by Deborah's warm voice.
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 Singing blues guitarist Paul Rishell and his harmonica-blowing partner Annie Raines have a knack for rearranging vintage blues, mostly of the rural sort, in a most refreshing way. They get into a deep groove on stage, soaring off on riffs that will pull your heart right along for the ride.
Winners of a Blues Award for 'Blues Album of the Year,' Paul and Annie have recorded with Susan Tedeschi, Pinetop Perkins and Rory Block, and continue to tour as members of John Sebastian's J-Band. With their album, "Goin' Home," (Tone-Cool) the duo once again shows a gift for granting new life to old neglected songs.
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  Kelly Joe Phelps is at the peak of his songwriting powers, tackling engaging story songs and soul-baring ballads with equal aplomb. Though most highly regarded for his phenomenal playing (he established himself as perhaps the foremost living practitioner of acoustic slide guitar with his 1999 Ryko release, Shine Eyed Mister Zen) there's nothing traditional or predictable about his mystical lyrics.
His latest album, Tunesmith Retrofit (Rounder), sticks with his country-blues and folk roots, but contains a number of surprises, including a return to the banjo (picked lightening fast!) and the first original instrumentals he's ever recorded, including "MacDougal," a spirited ragtime homage to folk legend Dave Van Ronk.
Jon Shain is a North Carolina-based songwriter who has delighted Caffe Lena audiences with his opening sets for Bill Morrissey and Professor Louie. His accessible, rootsy style mixes Piedmont blues, swing and ragtime with original songwriting that finds those heartstrings and gives them a good, hard yank. |
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