Sturtz
Jan
24
7:00 PM19:00

Sturtz

Boulder-based Sturtz returns to our stage on January 24, 2025 playing folksy Americana music that has been described by NPR as “A reassuring breath of fresh air that pulls me back to simpler times."

(Click on the picture for more details)

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David G. Smith
Oct
11
7:00 PM19:00

David G. Smith

Internationally acclaimed artist-songwriter David G. Smith is an acoustic roots solo performer with a lyric-intensive style featuring guitars, resonators, and a voice that range from dirt-funk to intimate. His music is a blend of folk, Americana, country, and blues. David was recently accepted as a Juried Artist by Noel Paul Stookey Music-To-Life, is a 2008 International Song Competition 1st Place Winner, a Robert Oermann DISCovery award recipient, and a two-time ISC Semifinalist. He performs at the prestigious Bluebird Cafe in Nashville where his shows are regularly sold out.

David has released 11 albums, several with appearances by Mary Gauthier and Keb Mo. He has three nationwide #1 singles and four nationwide #1 albums including his latest release, Witness Trees, which is on the Roots Music Report (RMR) Folk & Alt-Folk Charts. His single “River Gonna Talk,” was a nationwide 2023 #1 on the NACC chart and reached #1 in the nation on Radio Guitar One's Top 30 Americana Chart. David has been featured in American Songwriter and his songs have appeared on TNT, Lifetime Network, Travel Channel , several PBS affiliates shows, and he has a string of indie & major-indie song-cuts. His last 4 albums have been accepted for Grammy consideration. His Give-Back series donates time and raises money and awareness for a variety of charitable causes. David, his voice, and his songs, are authentic.

“I have walked beside David G Smith for many, many years, and I am in awe of his body of work. David’s brand new record, 'Witness Trees’, produced by Neilson Hubbard, contains groove, story, great singing and great songs. Bravo! “—Mary Gauthier/Artist

"Like John Prine and Guy Clark, David G Smith draws inspiration from his life and those around him. His songs capture the drama and good times, the laughter and loss that are the components of the modern world." - Tom Wilks, ICON Magazine

"David G Smith is a major find." - Robert K. Oermann, Music Row/Nashville

Opening acts: The Young Family, K Squared

(+++ ABOUT OUR OPENING ACTS +++)

+++ NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. +++

Doors open at 6:15 pm; concert starts at 7:00 pm with two opening acts. $15 general admission, $8 members and students with ID; free for ages 12 and younger (become a member before or at the show and $tart $aving right away!).

No advance ticket sales. Admission only at the door.

+++ Free, off-street parking is available in the church lot across the street from our hall. +++

Baked goods, coffee, tea, and water available for purchase in the Community Center.

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Pretend Friend
Sep
27
7:00 PM19:00

Pretend Friend

  • Black Forest Community Center (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Pretend Friend is an Americana band born on the endless horizon of the plains. With roots in Wichita, Kansas, Pretend Friend's high-energy performances meld elements of folk, bluegrass, classic rock, traditional, and jam band music. Tradition is honored; convention is cast aside. PF has been inspired by consistent musical evolution since 2015.

With compelling songwriting at its core, Pretend Friend weaves together rich melodies with evocative lyrics of love, passion, nostalgia, controversy, and spirituality. Pretend Friend pursues a poetic, unbridled approach to musical expression. Bending time, space, and genre, Pretend Friend will transport you to another dimension with quick-pickin' bluegrass, spellbinding harmonies, psychedelic jams, and award-winning songwriting.

"Pretend Friend respects tradition and its musical heritage while consistently breaking new ground. The combination of expert writing and outstanding musicianship places the band in rarified company—one of those bands that wows fellow musicians with its acumen and leaves everyone tapping their toes and singing along to songs that seem to have always been." - Jedd Beaudoin | Host/Producer of Strange CurrencyKMUW (NPR), Wichita, KS

Opening acts: Revele and Gio, Gil Bierman

(+++ ABOUT OUR OPENING ACTS +++)

+++ NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. +++

Doors open at 6:15 pm; concert starts at 7:00 pm with two opening acts. $15 general admission, $8 members and students with ID; free for ages 12 and younger (become a member before or at the show and $tart $aving right away!).

No advance ticket sales. Admission only at the door.

+++ Free, off-street parking is available in the church lot across the street from our hall. +++

Baked goods, coffee, tea, and water available for purchase in the Community Center.

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Brad Colerick Trio
Sep
13
7:00 PM19:00

Brad Colerick Trio

  • Black Forest Community Center (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

The first time Southern California-based singer-songwriter Brad Colerick heard himself referred to as an emerging artist, it made him laugh. He wondered how long it might be before he fully emerged. After independently releasing six solo albums, he now claims to be just that, and responded to requests by longtime fans by putting out Emerging Artist, a compilation album of their favorite songs from his catalog. Released in 2023, Emerging Artist gathers material frequently requested at his concerts, plus personally meaningful tracks from each of his previous albums as well as several new recordings. Themes of hope and community stitch together the collection — uplifting reminders of what has drawn listeners to the prolific Nebraska native’s music and shows since he released his album Cottonwood in 2006.

Colerick often tries out his new songs out at Wine & Song, the weekly showcase for local and touring artists he’s been hosting in South Pasadena for 14 years. The series has become the hub of a supportive community of musicians, songwriters, and fans. Onstage, Colerick — the so-called Nighttime Mayor of South Pasadena — is a cheerfully engaging presence, bantering with audience members and sharing stories between numbers.

Brad is also an Emmy award-winning producer, music supervisor, and composer of music for commercials. Credits include projects for Coca-Cola, Budweiser, Nike, JCPenney, Sears, McDonalds, Taco Bell and other top brands. He has recorded and produced celebrity talent including Diplo, Johnny Cash, BB King, Shawn Colvin, Buddy Guy, Take 6, DMC, Amy Grant, Peter Noone, and many others.

Joining Brad for our concert will be Steve Hanson on mandolin and banjo, and Jim Pipher on bass.

Here’s what others are saying about Brad Colerick:

“One of a baker's dozen of acts to watch in the folk community around the world” - Billboard Magazine

“Colerick's stories are worth hearing… His warm, sunny, homey tenor brings alive the characters, places and relationships in these 11 songs.” — Associated Press

Opening acts: Joseph Teichman, Craig Walter

(+++ ABOUT OUR OPENING ACTS +++)

+++ NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. +++

Doors open at 6:15 pm; concert starts at 7:00 pm with two opening acts. $15 general admission, $8 members and students with ID; free for ages 12 and younger (become a member before or at the show and $tart $aving right away!). Open jam near the front door from 5-6:30. All are welcome, to play, or just to listen!

No advance ticket sales. Admission only at the door.

+++ Free, off-street parking is available in the church lot across the street from our hall. +++

Baked goods, coffee, tea, and water available for purchase in the Community Center.

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Beth Gadbaw  Celtic Trio
Aug
23
7:00 PM19:00

Beth Gadbaw Celtic Trio

NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. $15 GENERAL ADMISSION, $8 MEMBERS.

Described by Irish Music Magazine as “exceptional”, singer Beth Gadbaw’s style is defined by impressive vocals, driving bodhrán (pronounced bow-ron) drum, and a pair of cowboy boots. The Redstone Review calls Beth “a Celtic angel…with all her heart in it,” and Sing Out! says “lovely, with a light, bouncy energy…her voice often acting as an instrument in itself.“

Folksinger Beth Gadbaw grew up singing harmonies with her triplet sisters in a musical household in Western Colorado. Gadbaw came of age singing in Irish pubs and English folk clubs, and is a former Fulbright scholar and award-winning singer, composer, and teacher. She lives in Lyons, Colorado with her husband and two daughters.

Beth was drawn to Irish music at the age of seven upon discovering what it meant to be Irish-American. Her mother's side of the family hailed from upstate New York, having emigrated to America during the Great Famine. Her love of learning about her family history first took her to Ireland in 1996 where she attended the Joe Mooney and Willie Clancy Summer Schools; subsequent summers found her camping on the beach at Miltown Malbay rising early to jump into the Atlantic before heading to trad singing classes and sessions until the wee hours of the morning. After completing her Masters in Music Education at the University of Colorado with an emphasis in Ethnomusicology, she returned to Ireland as a continuing education student at the National University of Ireland, Galway, where she studied Irish Gaelic in evening classes in the city and attended residential intensives in Connemara.

It was not until spending a Fulbright year in Devon, England, that Beth fell in love with English folksong, attending folk clubs in the moors and on the shores of Devon and Cornwall. She bolstered her music-teaching income by busking on the picturesque, rainy streets of the villages of Southwest England, carrying her 26 string harp and her hat to collect pennies and pounds, singing all the way.

Gadbaw's debut solo album The Green Fields and the Mountains High is a compelling collection of traditional and original songs in English and Irish Gaelic. Beth approaches ballads, drinking songs, and sean-nos repertoire with rare strength and sensitivity, at times bold, at times demure, always passionately and skillfully. In 2016, Beth was commissioned to set the poetry of Welsh Poet Laureate Gwyneth Lewis for four-part choral voices. Her voice has appeared in productions for stage, for Colorado and Oregon Public Television, and on various recordings. She has made guest appearances with the Chieftains and has opened for The Battlefield Band, Lunasa, and The Seamus Egan Project. Most recently, she has toured with Fiddler Sandra Wong and acclaimed bouzouki player Roger Landes.

Joining Beth will be Sandra Wong, who delights with mesmerizing melodies on fiddle and on the antiquated Swedish nyckelharpa. Colorado legend Steve Mullins completes the trio on guitar and mandolin. Artistic, imaginative, and skillful, Gadbaw, Mullins and Wong evoke ancient Celtic and world roots.

Opening acts: Old No. 1, Scott Krokoff

(+++ ABOUT OUR OPENING ACTS +++)

+++ NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. +++

Doors open at 6:15 pm; concert starts at 7:00 pm with two opening acts. $15 general admission, $8 members and students with ID; free for ages 12 and younger (become a member before or at the show and $tart $aving right away!). Open jam on the front porch from 5-6:30. All are welcome, to play, or just to listen!

No advance ticket sales. Admission only at the door.

+++ Free, off-street parking is available in the church lot across the street from our hall. +++

Baked goods, coffee, tea, and water available for purchase in the Community Center.

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Luke Bulla
Jul
26
7:00 PM19:00

Luke Bulla

NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. $15 GENERAL ADMISSION, $8 MEMBERS.

Luke Bulla has been singing and playing music most of his life, touring with and singing in his family band from the age of four. Luke took up the fiddle at age seven. Over the course of the next few years, he won the National Fiddle Contest in Weiser, Idaho, six times in his respective age categories. His seventh win came in the Grand Champion division at age sixteen, making him the youngest to have earned the title at the time.

In the spring of 1999, Luke moved to Nashville to establish himself as a full time musician. He spent his early years in Tennessee playing fiddle in Ricky Skaggs’ band, Kentucky Thunder, which earned him his first Grammy Award. Following the Skaggs stint, he became a member of the John Cowan Band. Luke has also performed and/or recorded with Brandi Carlile, Jim Lauderdale, Darrell Scott, Alison Krauss, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Edgar Meyer, Bela Fleck, Bryan Sutton, Shawn Colvin, Tony Rice, Chris Thile, Peter Rowan, Patty Griffin, Glen Phillips, Rodney Crowell, Earl Scruggs, and many others. Luke was also a perennial instructor at Mark O’Connor’s fiddle camps in his early Nashville years.

In 2009, Luke released a solo EP featuring Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Bela Fleck, Aoife O’Donovan and many more. That same year, Lyle Lovett asked Luke to join his Large Band, with whom he toured full time until 2023.

Luke released the LP, Who Loves You Better, produced by Bryan Sutton, in May 2016. After many years as a sideman, Luke is currently touring the country playing solo performances.

Opening acts: Beans and Biscuits, Ava Grace

(+++ ABOUT OUR OPENING ACTS +++)

+++ NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. +++

Doors open at 6:15 pm; concert starts at 7:00 pm with two opening acts. $15 general admission, $8 members and students with ID; free for ages 12 and younger (become a member before or at the show and $tart $aving right away!). Open jam on the front porch from 5-6:30. All are welcome, to play, or just to listen!

No advance ticket sales. Admission only at the door.

+++ Free, off-street parking is available in the church lot across the street from our hall. +++

Baked goods, coffee, tea, and water available for purchase in the Community Center.

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Bettman and Halpin
Jul
12
7:00 PM19:00

Bettman and Halpin

NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. $15 GENERAL ADMISSION, $8 MEMBERS.

Multi-award winners Bettman and Halpin have a well-earned reputation for hypnotizing performances filled with irresistible lyrics, transcendent harmonies, and roof-raising instrumentals. Their concerts combine high-energy upbeat bluegrass/roots inspired compositions, beautiful ballads with soaring vocals and heartfelt lyrics, and groovy feel-good songs that audiences will be singing in their heads for weeks thereafter.

Bettman and Halpin create an authentic connection with their audience - they have become known for their storytelling and playful banter as much as for their whole-hearted songs and instrumental wizardry.

Bettman and Halpin have been touring as a duo since 2008, and can be found performing at various arts centers throughout the US as well as some of the biggest folk and bluegrass festivals. Their music creates a fully acoustic, delightfully eclectic sound far greater than the sum of its parts, taking the listener from up-tempo down-home fiddling, to soulful sorrowful ballads, to super hooky folk/pop with catchy melodies and lyrics. 

Stephanie Bettman is a true triple threat. An accomplished writer, singer, and fiddler, her lyrics are infused with wit and wisdom, poetry, and insight. Vocally she draws comparison to the soaring soprano of Joan Baez and the plaintive emotion of Emmylou Harris. Meanwhile, her fiddling, which combines elements of bluegrass and jazz, is inspired by such masters as Stephane Grappelli and Byron Berline. A former actress and trapeze artist, Ms. Bettman creates an authentic connection with her crowd no matter what the size.

Luke Halpin is a renowned multi-insrumentalist. A master of the guitar, mandolin, fiddle, and banjo, Halpin draws inspiration from the likes of Sam Bush, Mark O’Connor, and Tony Rice. A dynamic and sensitive vocalist himself, the harmony blend he and Ms. Bettman achieve is at times simply transcendent. Halpin has a long history in the music biz, having shared the stage with the likes of Merle Haggard, Lone Star, and The Steve Miller Band, just to name a few. His quirky sense of humor is a perfect foil to Stephanie's dry witty presence.

Bettman & Halpin's 5 CDs have received national and international radio play along with critical acclaim, reaching the top 3 on “Folk DJ Radio” and number 1 on “The Roots Mosic Report.”

Here’s what others are saying about Bettman and Halpin:

“Storytellers in the fireside tradition." - The Pasadena.Star

''...emotive, Joan Baez-inspired vocals, award-winning fiddle playing, head-spinning mandolin and guitar picking, and velvety, close harmonies.." - Music News Nashville 

Opening acts: Vincent Chavez, Ukulady with Ceruleus

(+++ ABOUT OUR OPENING ACTS +++)

+++ NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. +++

Doors open at 6:15 pm; concert starts at 7:00 pm with two opening acts. $15 general admission, $8 members and students with ID; free for ages 12 and younger (become a member before or at the show and $tart $aving right away!). Open jam on the front porch from 5-6:30. All are welcome, to play, or just to listen!

No advance ticket sales. Admission only at the door.

+++ Free, off-street parking is available in the church lot across the street from our hall. +++

Baked goods, coffee, tea, and water available for purchase in the Community Center.

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Tanasi
Jun
28
7:00 PM19:00

Tanasi

NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. $15 GENERAL ADMISSION, $8 MEMBERS.

TANASI is an award-winning world grass trio of three celebrated Asheville, NC-area roots artists. Their sound features the tight sister harmonies of MerleFest-winning songwriter Anya Hinkle and Mary Lucey (Biscuit Burners, Uncle Earl) with the inimitable dobro musings of Billy Cardine, who Jerry Douglas calls “an amazing Dobro player, fluent in everything that I do and everybody that has come before.”

Members of the trio have toured the world over from Japan to India to Europe and across the US on stages such as Bonnaroo, the Grand Ole Opry, MerleFest, Carnegie Hall, the Ryman Auditorium, and Rockygrass. After our years of performing together, the trio has leaned in to bring their own unique world-inspired mountain music to listening rooms, festival stages, and theaters across the US and Europe.

Here’s what others are saying about Tanasi:

“Certainly striking, certainly beautiful… everything one could look for in a bluegrass-tinged Americana”— AmericanaUK

“…vivid songwriting and transportive vocals…”— Folk Alley

Opening acts: Ben and Ben Music, Paul Wigton

(+++ ABOUT OUR OPENING ACTS +++)

+++ NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. +++

Doors open at 6:15 pm; concert starts at 7:00 pm with two opening acts. $15 general admission, $8 members and students with ID; free for ages 12 and younger (become a member before or at the show and $tart $aving right away!). Open jam on the front porch from 5-6:30. All are welcome, to play, or just to listen!

No advance ticket sales. Admission only at the door.

+++ Free, off-street parking is available in the church lot across the street from our hall. +++

Baked goods, coffee, tea, and water available for purchase in the Community Center.

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Acoustic Eidolon
Jun
14
7:00 PM19:00

Acoustic Eidolon

NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. $15 GENERAL ADMISSION, $8 MEMBERS.

Acoustic Eidolon, featuring Joe Scott on double neck guitjo and Hannah Alkire on cello are from Colorado and have graced stages throughout the US, Europe, Australia and Canada. With thirteen CDs and two DVDs to their credit, these masterful artists continue to captivate audiences throughout the world with their signature “new acoustic” sound and boundless possibilities in blending Celtic, Americana, World & Flamenco musical influences, something that Dirty Linen Magazine praises as “a sumptuous musical feast.” They are described by the Swallow Hill Music Association as “an evening of brilliant instrumentality,” and Georgia’s Good Life Magazine enthuses, “Acoustic Eidolon offers concert-goers a chance to absorb some of the most powerful and intriguing music on the scene today.”

Their original sound is created by the mixing of their diverse musical backgrounds and their unusual instrumentation including the one-of-a-kind double neck guitjo, an instrument of Joe’s own design praised by USA Today as a “beautiful harp-like sounding instrument … like nothing we’ve ever heard before.” The double-neck guitjo has 14 strings and Joe has developed his own style and technique, playing both necks simultaneously. Classically-trained cellist Hannah Alkire studied with G. Magyar of the Hungarian String Quartet and is recognized internationally for her stunning tone and emotional, impeccable playing and for taking the cello places it’s never been before.

What started as a musical journey between kindred spirits blossomed into their marriage in 2001. The result is a coupling of intricate and passionate music with genuine and engaging stories. They are each virtuoso players but their stories and connection to the audience add the backdrop of transparency from their lives, from the struggles to the triumphs.

Opening acts: Tula, The Three of Us

(+++ ABOUT OUR OPENING ACTS +++)

+++ NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. +++

Doors open at 6:15 pm; concert starts at 7:00 pm with two opening acts. $15 general admission, $8 members and students with ID; free for ages 12 and younger (become a member before or at the show and $tart $aving right away!). Open jam on the front porch from 5-6:30. All are welcome, to play, or just to listen!

No advance ticket sales. Admission only at the door.

+++ Free, off-street parking is available in the church lot across the street from our hall. +++

Baked goods, coffee, tea, and water available for purchase in the Community Center.

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Lynne Hanson
May
10
7:00 PM19:00

Lynne Hanson

NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. $15 GENERAL ADMISSION, $8 MEMBERS.

Too tough for folk and too blues-influenced for country, Lynne Hanson’s brand of porch music with a little red dirt can turn on a dime from a sunshine, blue-sky ballad to a full-on thunderstorm of gritty Americana swamp. Her hard-living music has garnered her the nickname “Canada’s own Queen of Americana.” And while her deep, bluesy croon has drawn comparisons to Lucinda Williams and Gillian Welch, it’s the poetry of her lyrics that really sets her apart.

A two-time Canadian Folk Music Award winner, Hanson is known for her high energy, roots-guitar-driven live performances, whether playing solo or with her band the Good Intentions. She has an uncanny way of connecting with her audience with an authenticity that is as entertaining as it is disarming.

“A contemporary blend of both mainstream hip & retro musicality … Her voice potentiates popular music with modern sensitivity that’s effective & assertive … Lynne Hanson is that good an artist.” - Americana Highways

“On stage Hanson has a wonderful charm and disarming sense of humour … a spontaneity and honesty that enchants.” - Americana UK

Opening acts: Front Range Highway, Otero Avenue band

(+++ ABOUT OUR OPENING ACTS +++)

+++ NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. +++

Doors open at 6:15 pm; concert starts at 7:00 pm with two opening acts. $15 general admission, $8 members and students with ID; free for ages 12 and younger (become a member before or at the show and $tart $aving right away!).

No advance ticket sales. Admission only at the door.

+++ Free, off-street parking is available in the church lot across the street from our hall. +++

Baked goods, coffee, tea, and water available for purchase in the Community Center.

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Heavy Diamond Ring
Apr
26
7:00 PM19:00

Heavy Diamond Ring

NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. $15 GENERAL ADMISSION, $8 MEMBERS.

Some things are just meant to last. When Sarah Anderson and Paul DeHaven met and began playing together in 2004, they had no idea just how deep the well of their musical partnership would prove to be. After the disbanding of indie-folk sweethearts Paper Bird, the duo founded Heavy Diamond Ring and never looked back. HDR is the culmination of their signature sound: a fountain of open-hearted folk-rock, steeped in vocal harmony and group synergy.

Led by Anderson's smooth-as-honey vocals and DeHaven's rugged guitar chops, the band has been described as "open-road, long drive music," having "a little bit of twang and a whole lot of beef,” and their live show as "infectious and contagious." The band is rounded out by veteran knockouts Blake Stepan on bass, Mike Lang on keys, and Orion Tate Ignelzi on percussion. Last fall’s second full-length LP, All Out of Angels, produced by Ben Wysocki and Mark Anderson, features a duet with Nathaniel Rateliff.

Here’s what others are saying about Heavy Diamond Ring:

"Heavy Diamond Ring creates a sound that feels as classic as rolling down the windows in the summer - a super highway to a new frontier." - 303 Magazine


"...a helping of contemporary indie-folk that goes down easy, augmented by some subtle, snaky guitar work, walls of harmony vocals and Anderson's attention-grabbing vocals." - CS Indy

Opening acts: Amore, David Khaliqi

(+++ ABOUT OUR OPENING ACTS +++)

+++ NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. +++

Doors open at 6:15 pm; concert starts at 7:00 pm with two opening acts. $15 general admission, $8 members and students with ID; free for ages 12 and younger (become a member before or at the show and $tart $aving right away!).

No advance ticket sales. Admission only at the door.

+++ Free, off-street parking is available in the church lot across the street from our hall. +++

Baked goods, coffee, tea, and water available for purchase in the Community Center.

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Raul Reynoso and New West +++Special 30th Anniversary Celebration Concert+++
Apr
12
7:00 PM19:00

Raul Reynoso and New West +++Special 30th Anniversary Celebration Concert+++

ADVANCE TICKET SALES, $30 ONLINE THROUGH OUR WEBSITE AND AT THE DOOR.

The Black Rose is celebrating its 30th Anniversary with this special concert featuring Raul Reynoso and New West. The show will be conducted a little differently from most of our shows. In place of our normal opening acts, we will have special guests perform, make presentations, and tell stories highlighting the history of the Black Rose. During intermission we will distribute cupcakes and sparkling cider to all of our guests and celebrate with a toast to the Black Rose. Raul and New West will then take the stage and put on an hour show.

About New West: New West is all about songwriting that celebrates the working cowboy, music in the western swing style with hints of Django Reinhardt’s own guitar stylings, and music that entertains, by performers who love what they do. New West is a winner of The Will Rogers Award for Best Western Group, Academy of Western Artists. Mike Fleming writes beautiful songs about the West and about cowboys. Not the fantasy cowboys of the movies, but the genuine article. To bring his songs to life, he assembled a dynamic vocal trio with David Jackson and Raul Reynoso. Their voices blend smoothly, and their harmonies are crafted artfully. Can you call a 3-piece group a band? When one of the three is Raul Reynoso, yes. One of the finest acoustic guitarists in the business (and with New West he doubles on mandolin with comparable skill), his tasteful solos and fills give each song even greater depth and character. Add to the mix the extraordinary musicianship and showpiece vocals of David Jackson, and you have New West.

Raul Reynoso's incredible instrumental & vocal talent has made him one of California's most sought after musicians and performers. Raul has played at the Grand Old Opry and recorded an LP with Larry McNeely titled "Power Play." He is a two-time Western Regional flatpicking champion who has been nominated three times for best instrumentalist by the Western Music Association. For ten years he was the lead member of the "Thunder Mountain Boys" and "The Rhythm Brothers" at Disneyland. He is most noted for his expertise on acoustic guitar and mandolin with a mastery of styles ranging from bluegrass and western swing to 30's jazz in the tradition of the legendary Django Reinhardt. Raul has released his own CD entitled “Royal Street.”

Michael Fleming was raised at the foot of the Colorado Rockies. There he developed a profound love for the West and its people that has compelled him to create music celebrating its culture. He has been described by reviewers as “a creative and perceptive songwriter” whose work is “among the most innovative in Western Music.” Mike writes most of the original material for New West and won the Academy of Western Artists (AWA) 1997 Will Rogers Award/Best Western Swing Song for his composition, “Sometimes This Old Cowboy Gets the Blues,” as well as the 1997 Western Music Association/Song of the Year and 1998 AWA Best Song with co-writer, Les Buffham, for ”Below the Kinney Rim.“

David Jackson, bass player extraordinaire, is much in demand as a studio musician and voice-over artist. He is known for his infectious enthusiasm and humor and has wowed audiences across the country with his prowess and versatility on bass, piano, and accordion. In 1996 Dave was honored by the California Country Music Association as Best Instrumentalist. He has played and sung with luminaries such as Kenny Rogers, Hoyt Axton, Cher, Jackson Browne and Dwight Yoakum, to name a few. His true love is music and poetry about the West. He brings abundant experience and heart to this sweet singin' trio.

+++ $30 ADVANCE TICKET SALES THROUGH OUR WEBSITE AND AT THE DOOR. +++

Doors open at 6:15 pm; concert starts at 7:00 pm.

+++ Free, off-street parking is available in the church lot across the street from our hall. +++

Baked goods, coffee, tea, and water available for purchase in the Community Center. Complimentary cupcakes and sparkling cider will be served at intermission.

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Swing Je T'aime
Mar
22
7:00 PM19:00

Swing Je T'aime

NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. $15 GENERAL ADMISSION, $8 MEMBERS.

In a whimsical corner of the musical universe, nestled between the sassy strums of a guitar and the sultry sway of a bass, you’ll find Swing Je T’aime - a quintet where gypsy jazz is the main course, and quirk is the special of the day. It’s said that every band has its beat, and this one pulses to the rhythm of something delightfully out of the ordinary.

Aaron Walker, the maestro of mischief, once dreamt up a symphony of sounds so vivid, it could only take shape in the real world through the imagination of a band of misfit musicians who are half Nikola Telsa, three quarters Alton Brown, and twenty-five percent Toney Stark.

Swing Je T’aime wasn’t just a band; it was a movement on a melodious mission, spinning stories through strings and serenades. The five troubadours - Aaron (guitar), Laura (vocals), Luke (guitar), Gary (bass) and Manuel (drums), each a virtuoso with a touch of vaudeville - set out to conquer hearts one plucky tune at a time.

From the frost-kissed landscapes of Iceland to the effervescent buzz of Germany, they’ve swung up everything from quaint town squares to grand festival stages. With Laura’s voice leading the charge - a honeyed voice that hypnotizes unsuspecting listeners - they’ve left audiences utterly enchanted, spellbound, and delighted.

As time waltzed on, Swing Je T’aime became not just a band, but a group of cherished friends; notorious for turning the mundane into the magical. They’ve become the acoustic alchemists of the jazz world, known for crafting gold out of mere musical notes.

Gypsy swing, old standards, new classics, American Songbook, and mashed up pop tunes, there isn’t anything they won’t reshape, remake, and reimagine.

Opening acts: Kevin Mastin, Frank Moore

(+++ ABOUT OUR OPENING ACTS +++)

+++ NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. +++

Doors open at 6:15 pm; concert starts at 7:00 pm with two opening acts. $15 general admission, $8 members and students with ID; free for ages 12 and younger (become a member before or at the show and $tart $aving right away!).

No advance ticket sales. Admission only at the door.

+++ Free, off-street parking is available in the church lot across the street from our hall. +++

Baked goods, coffee, tea, and water available for purchase in the Community Center.

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Pete Wernick's Flexigrass
Mar
8
7:00 PM19:00

Pete Wernick's Flexigrass

NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. $15 GENERAL ADMISSION, $8 MEMBERS.

Flexigrass is the creation of Colorado’s own “Hot Rize” bluegrass legend, Pete “Dr. Banjo” Wernick, renowned bluegrass musician worldwide, bestselling author, songwriter, teacher, and longterm president of the International Bluegrass Music Association.

What is “Flexigrass?” It’s Pete’s combination of his fiery and melodic bluegrass banjo picking with clarinet, vibraphone, bass, and drums—a mix of both traditional and modern elements of American roots music. The band includes Colorado all-stars of traditional jazz and country: Greg Harris (vibraphone), Bill Pontarelli (clarinet), Kris Ditson (drums), Roger Johns (bass), and featured vocalist “Colorado Songbird” Joan Wernick, popular KGNU radio host.

Surprising listeners is nothing new to Wernick. Grounded in a deep knowledge of musical traditions, he follows the lead of groundbreaking innovators by fusing compatible sounds into a unique and appealing band style.

Flexigrass has performed throughout the U.S. from its Colorado home base. Fans from Béla Fleck to George Winston have sung its praises, and the music press has described it with phrases like “fundamentally futuristic”, “an amazing accomplishment,” “beguiling and instantly accessible,” “fantastic,” and “wildly enjoyable.”

Check out the one and only Flexigrass!

Opening acts: Mark Gillick, Jimmy Lee Robbins

(+++ ABOUT OUR OPENING ACTS +++)

+++ NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. +++

Doors open at 6:15 pm; concert starts at 7:00 pm with two opening acts. $15 general admission, $8 members and students with ID; free for ages 12 and younger (become a member before or at the show and $tart $aving right away!).

No advance ticket sales. Admission only at the door.

+++ Free, off-street parking is available in the church lot across the street from our hall. +++

Baked goods, coffee, tea, and water available for purchase in the Community Center.

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Braithwaite, Uveges, and Sokol
Feb
23
7:00 PM19:00

Braithwaite, Uveges, and Sokol

  • Black Forest Community Center (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. $15 GENERAL ADMISSION, $8 MEMBERS.

The BUS Band, made up of KJ Braithwaite, Joe Uveges, and Jim Sokol, have the kind of vocal blend that stops a crowd in mid-murmur. They've been performing on and off for 30 years, making laughter and music as easily as breathing Rocky Mountain air. Their covers of Crosby, Stills and Nash are the stuff of local legend and their originals are listener friendly, thoughtful, funny, and filled with harmony.

KJ Braithwaite, a rock and rockabilly guitar wizard, feels guitar in the same way as Eric Clapton -less is more, and space makes the music speak. With 40 plus years of playing guitar and 4 albums under his belt, he is also one of the finest songwriters in the region.

Jim Sokol has been part of 4 albums with Joe Uveges including the critically acclaimed "Up Please," a 2008 release that also features Phil Volan. His voice could be Irish Tenor, it could be Sting, it could be David Grey. He never fails to have just the right quip for the moment, often at the expense of one of his fun-loving mates. He also brings understated percussion for this acoustic sound with the occasional soulful harmonica solo.

Joe Uveges has become a fixture on the C.S. music scene with 5 Gazette "Best Of's” including 2011 and 2012 "Best Solo Musician" awards, publishing credits in film and with Goodnight Kiss Music out of CA. He has 9 original albums released, the latest recorded in Nashville with Stephanie Pauline (When theSmoke Clears). He is one of the most engaging performers in Colorado Springs with his legendary "On the spot" songwriting skills that make every event once in a lifetime.

Opening acts: Grapefruit Moon, Grant and Betsy

(+++ ABOUT OUR OPENING ACTS +++)

+++ NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. +++

Doors open at 6:15 pm; concert starts at 7 pm with two opening acts. $15 general admission, $8 members and students with ID; free for ages 12 and younger (Become a member before or at the show and $tart $aving right away!).

No advance ticket sales. Admission only at the door.

+++ Free, off-street parking is available in the church lot across the street from our hall. +++

Baked goods, coffee, tea, and water available for purchase in the Community Center.

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Blue Canyon Boys w/CC Bluegrass
Feb
9
7:00 PM19:00

Blue Canyon Boys w/CC Bluegrass

NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. $15 GENERAL ADMISSION, $8 MEMBERS.

The Blue Canyon Boys are equal parts purists and innovators when it comes to bluegrass: they stay true to the form’s roots while constantly reimagining their relationship to tradition. The result is a toe-tapping mix of haunting standards, genre-bending arrangements, and catchy original numbers—all built on the bedrock of their collective bluegrass mastery.

Ever since founding members Jason Hicks and Gary Dark launched the Blue Canyon Boys in 2006, the Blue Canyon Boys have raised the bar for bluegrass bands. They bring it all: seamless brother-duet style, crisp instrumentation, unvarnished lyrics and subversive humor.

After winning first place in the 2008 Telluride Bluegrass festival band contest, the Blue Canyon Boys went off at full tilt, taking the bluegrass circuit by storm, performing in illustrious venues both across the country and internationally. Their distinctive sound, honed from over a decade of performing together, moves easily from instrumental wizardry to playful ribbing, ultimately and repeatedly hitting a high note—the rare confluence of harmony that leaves the soul ajar.

The seasoned quartet features Gary Dark on mandolin, Jason Hicks on guitar, Drew Garrett on bass, and Chris Roszell on banjo. Their latest album, aptly titled “7,” is perhaps their most polished and poignant yet. Classic bluegrass, clean and raw, blended effortlessly with the band’s homegrown compositions, then peppered with a judicious cover or two, such as the band’s riveting take on Warren Zevon’s “Carmelita,” or Queen’s “Fat Bottomed Girls.”

Whether calling on their old timey musical roots or reconnoitering the future, the band’s musical prowess never wavers. This is high lonesome sound at its best: a driving pulse that weaves through harmonies and fierce rhythms, always with the reminder that as long as the music plays we are never quite alone.

Opening act: Colorado College Bluegrass Ensemble

(+++ ABOUT OUR OPENING ACTS +++)

+++ NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. +++

Doors open at 6:15 pm; concert starts at 7 pm with two opening acts. $15 general admission, $8 members and students with ID; free for ages 12 and younger (Become a member before or at the show and $tart $aving right away!).

No advance ticket sales. Admission only at the door.

+++ Free, off-street parking is available in the church lot across the street from our hall. +++

Baked goods, coffee, tea, and water available for purchase in the Community Center.

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Greg Schochet & Little America Acoustic Quartet
Jan
26
7:00 PM19:00

Greg Schochet & Little America Acoustic Quartet

NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. $15 GENERAL ADMISSION, $8 MEMBERS.

Greg Schochet is a full-time performer, teacher and producer in Boulder, Colorado. Equally adept on guitar and mandolin, he is fluent in all manner of acoustic and electric styles, specializing in bluegrass, swing and country. He was the lead guitarist for Halden Wofford & the Hi*Beams for 16 years, Colorado’s beloved and venerable honky-tonk and western swing band. He now fronts Greg Schochet & Little America, a 5-piece western swing band. Greg is an integral part of Colorado’s thriving roots music scene and is a sought after instructor, session player, producer and collaborator.

He has performed at such wonderful venues as Prairie Home Companion, Red Rocks, Strawberry Music Festival, Sisters Folk Festival, RockyGrass, New Orleans Jazz Fest, as well as countless performing arts centers, clubs, bars, rodeos and flatbed trucks. Greg is also a winner of the 2021 Rockygrass Flatpick guitar contest.

A veteran of many teaching camps such as the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, Targhee Music Camp, Walker Creek Music Camp, California Coast Music Camp, Montana Fiddle Camp, and Colorado Roots Music Camp; Greg has also been a guitar and mandolin teacher at Woodsongs Music, Colorado’s premier acoustic music store, for some 20 years. His teaching practice centers around preparing students to thrive in ensemble settings, whether it be a campground jam or a working band.

Wherever there is a mandolin, a country guitar and people hearing music from Colorado, you are hearing the influence of Greg Schochet. A gentleman, a teacher and the finest picker I’ve ever known. ” - Danny Shafer

Greg will add Bret Billings and dobro and harmonica, Conner Hollingsworth on uprifght bass, and Dusty Rider on banjo to round out the Little America Acoustic Quartet.

Opening acts: Dan Bjugstad, Margot Krimmel and Nicolette Andres

(+++ ABOUT OUR OPENING ACTS +++)

+++ NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. +++

Doors open at 6:15 pm; concert starts at 7 pm with two opening acts. $15 general admission, $8 members and students with ID; free for ages 12 and younger (Become a member before or at the show and $tart $aving right away!).

No advance ticket sales. Admission only at the door.

+++ Free, off-street parking is available in the church lot across the street from our hall. +++

Baked goods, coffee, tea, and water available for purchase in the Community Center.

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Adam Gardino
Jan
12
7:00 PM19:00

Adam Gardino

NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. $15 GENERAL ADMISSION, $8 MEMBERS.

Our first six concerts of our 30th Anniversary year feature some of the more popular artists we’ve had on our stage over the years. None better to start with than Adam Gardino who since 2005 has been an “up-and-coming” fingerstyle guitarist, musician and songwriter in the Pikes Peak region. His style combines the smoothness of James Taylor and the energy of Brad Paisley to deliver exciting, jaw-dropping performances. His attention to the intricacies of acoustic guitar arrangements, delivered with a voice as clear as his mountain roots continues to wow audiences today.

At the age of 16, Adam placed in the Top Five of the International Fingerstyle Competition held in Winfield, Kansas. He kept competing in the annual contest, honing his skills and stage craft, hoping to eventually squash those pre-show jitters. Though the butterflies never flew away, in 2010 he placed 3rd behind Pete Huttlinger and Japan’s Grand Champion Akihiro Tanaka. After graduating from University of Colorado Denver in 2012 with a B.S. in Music Performance, he took 1st at 23 years old - among the youngest ever to win. And most recently in 2019 he re-entered again, after the 5 year mandatory hiatus for 1st Place winners - and won for a second time.

While working as a musician in Colorado Springs, Adam caught the eye of the legendary cowboy chuck-wagon group the Flying W Wranglers. He joined them in 2014, and for 5 years he grew in knowledge and experience from the best country and western musicians in the business. This opportunity gave him room to expand on his soloing abilities, his singing and his chops as an entertainer while continuing to perform all around the western states. Highlights included playing for the Western Music Association, the Academy of Western Artists, the annual Chuckwagons of the West Jamboree, and opening for country star Josh Turner at the Flathead County Fair in August of 2018.

Fans love the friendly, easy-going demeanor Adam has on and off the stage. Quick to break down the “invisible barrier” between performer and audience, goofy-but-true stories and jokes often accompany the high-flying stunts attempted on the fretboard. As one critic would write, "He could play the phonebook and make it interesting".

Although Adam possesses great arranging abilities for tunes like “Peter Gunn”, “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number”, “On Broadway” and “Pink Panther”, some of the most requested tunes are his hilarious original songs. “Dentist Chair Blues” covers an untimely tooth appointment; “Filthy Rich” talks of the lengths one might go to marry for money, and “Procrastinate” personifies that “evil” voice everyone hears inside their head on most frosty mornings. These tunes are included on his multiple CD releases.

Oh, and Adam is one of the most popular teachers in the Black Rose Music School, teaching a variety of fingerstyle and related guitar classes.

Opening acts: John Spengler, Jerm Boor

(+++ ABOUT OUR OPENING ACTS +++)

+++ NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. +++

Doors open at 6:15 pm; concert starts at 7 pm with two opening acts. $15 general admission, $8 members and students with ID; free for ages 12 and younger (Become a member before or at the show and $tart $aving right away!).

No advance ticket sales. Admission only at the door.

+++ Free, off-street parking is available in the church lot across the street from our hall. +++

Baked goods, coffee, tea, and water available for purchase in the Community Center.

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Craig Walter Acoustic Quartet
Nov
10
7:00 PM19:00

Craig Walter Acoustic Quartet

  • Black Forest Community Center (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. $15 GENERAL ADMISSION, $8 MEMBERS.

Craig Walter has performed from New Jersey to California and is a familiar presence in Colorado Springs venues. He is a singer, songwriter, and performer who has several records and CDs to his credit. First Stop, Still Learnin’ How To Fly, Driftwood Fires, and the 2021 release Last Chance Café are collections of Craig’s from-the-heart original songs. Craig has performed at the Fine Arts Center, the Pikes Peak Center, MeadowGrass, and at Stargazers tributes over the past several years. We first heard Craig last year as a Black Rose opening act and liked him so much we invited him back this year as a Feature Act!

Craig will be joined on stage by an all-star cast of Colorado Springs musicians:

  • Susan Rissman is a veteran singer who has performed throughout the Colorado Springs area. She is a very popular artist and is known for her appearances with many local bands including “One Fine Day” and “Tiny Barge & the Big Chill.” She has performed on stage with and Craig and other area musicans on numerous occasions and has contributed to Craig’s studio recordings.

  • Paul Haller and Craig have a long relationship in a variety of musical ensembles including the band “Tight Squeeze.”  Paul has actively participated in all of Craig’s recordings at Green Mountain Studio and has provided a wide variety of piano and keyboard backing for both recordings and live performances.  His tasteful playing keeps him in high demand on the local music scene.

  • Steve Foster rounds out the quartet on acoustic bass.

Opening acts: Lawrence Shiroma, Bryse Boynton
(+++ ABOUT OUR OPENING ACTS +++)

+++ NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. +++

Doors open at 6:15 p.m.; concert starts at 7 p.m. with two opening acts. $15 general admission, $8 members and students with ID; free for ages 12 and younger (Become a member before or at the show and $tart $aving right away!).

+++ Free, off-street parking is available in the church lot across the street from our hall. +++

Baked goods, coffee, tea, and water available for purchase in the Community Center.

View Event →
David Berkeley
Oct
27
7:00 PM19:00

David Berkeley

NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. $15 GENERAL ADMISSION, $8 MEMBERS.

Singer/songwriter David Berkeley channels the earthy spirit of Donovan and Elliott Smith with his fusion of finger-plucked guitar ballads and tastefully arranged pop/rock. David Berkeley’s gift as a songwriter and storyteller is that he sees the tragedy and comedy in life, writing songs capable of both breaking and healing the heart. Berkeley has been called a “musical poet,” by the San Francisco Chronicle, and the New York Times praises his “lustrous, melancholy voice with shades of Tim Buckley and Nick Drake.” That voice and his gift with words is what first sets Berkeley apart from all other guitar slinging songwriters.

But it is his onstage charisma and unparalleled between-song repartee that truly puts him in a class by himself. Each show is truly unique, and his humanity shines through every note he sings and every word he speaks. Berkeley has released seven studio albums, one live album, and authored two books, each of which pairs with one of his albums. He has won many songwriting awards and honors including ASCAPs Johnny Mercer Songwriting Award. His 2017 release was a never-before tried concept: a novella comprising ten intertwining stories and an album of ten accompanying songs (one for each story). His latest release is Oh Quiet World, an album written during the lockdown after his family escaped Spain during to Corona. It’s an intimate and uplifting collection that we all need to hear right now.

David lives with his wife and two boys in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In addition to his solo career, he is also one half of the wildly creative Trans-Atlantic costumed duo Son of Town Hall. Berkeley’s music has also been remixed by many of the world’s top EDM DJs. He tours all over the country and world and has opened/toured with Dido, Don McLean, Ben Folds, Billy Bragg, Ray Lamontagne, Nickel Creek, and many more. He was a Kerrville New Folk winner, and a New Song and Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Finalist. He’s performed on World Café, Mountain Stage, Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, XM Loft Sessions, Acoustic Café…

Here’s what others are saying about Davis Berkeley:

“Berkeley crafts his songs like watercolor paintings. Intimate and introspective, his gentle yet colorful melodies are graceful and resonate long after the last note fades.” – Creative Loafing,

“If you're into literate soulful singer songwriters, David Berkeley is the Gabriel García Márquez of beautiful-voiced troubadours.” – KRUU

Opening acts: Colton Fox, Eli Cook

(+++ ABOUT OUR OPENING ACTS +++)

+++ NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. +++

Doors open at 6:15 pm; concert starts at 7 pm with two opening acts. $15 general admission, $8 members and students with ID; free for ages 12 and younger (Become a member before or at the show and $tart $aving right away!).

No advance ticket sales. Admission only at the door.

+++ Free, off-street parking is available in the church lot across the street from our hall. +++

Baked goods, coffee, tea, and water available for purchase in the Community Center.

View Event →
John Hewitt
Oct
13
7:00 PM19:00

John Hewitt

NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. $15 GENERAL ADMISSION, $8 MEMBERS.

John Hewitt is a singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and filmmaker based out of Edmonton Alberta. In March of 2020 John’s Alberta debut was set to be released but the pandemic brought all motion to a halt. Focussing on the studio and songwriting, he continued to produce, write and record throughout 2021, coming up with material for 2021’s Dead Lovers and Hollywood Reality and 2022’s Life Blood & Tears. In that time he produced several local Edmonton acts including Will Ryan’s Way on Down the Mountainside and Angie Klein’s Made in Alberta.

2022 saw the return to the road where John performed across Canada, Montana, Utah and Colorado at the Canmore Folk Festival, Wild Oats & Notes, Waynestock, the Whitefish Songwriter Festival, Millwoods Canada Day Celebrations, Waterton Opera House, Gallery House Concerts, the New Moon Folk Club, Northern Lights Folk Club, Lethbridge Folk Club, Nickelodeon Folk Club, and our very own Black Rose Acoustic Society.

John continues to tour, and between tours he continues to produce local Edmonton acts including his own works Life Blood & Tears: Vol. II and Broken Rebels, released in May 2023.

Here’s what people are saying about John Hewitt:

"With artfully crafted songs, masterful musicianship and humbled authenticity, John Hewitt is the full package and the real deal. John's natural ability to tell a story through song, combined with his down-to-earth welcoming of the audience into his world, are just two of the many noteworthy qualities that will ensure the continued success and longevity of his career." - Rhea March - Host & Producer 'It Takes A Village CJSR Radio Network

The songcraft of John Hewitt is spot on. He not only tells a story but does it in an engaging way with complementary lyrics, melody, and arrangements. Basically John is a hardworking artist that pays attention to all the details of his presentation and our audience loved it!" - Gallery House Concerts

Opening acts: Black Rose Jammers

(+++ ABOUT OUR OPENING ACTS +++)

+++ NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. +++

Doors open at 6:15 pm; concert starts at 7 pm with two opening acts. $15 general admission, $8 members and students with ID; free for ages 12 and younger (Become a member before or at the show and $tart $aving right away!).

No advance ticket sales. Admission only at the door.

+++ Free, off-street parking is available in the church lot across the street from our hall. +++

Baked goods, coffee, tea, and water available for purchase in the Community Center.

View Event →
Beppe Gambetta
Sep
22
7:00 PM19:00

Beppe Gambetta

  • Black Forest Community Center (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. $15 GENERAL ADMISSION, $8 MEMBERS.

Beppe Gambetta is an Italian guitarist, vocalist and composer who found a way to make Italian and American traditions speak together with one voice. Born in the seaport city of Genova and raised on American flatpicking, he developed a unique captivating guitar and performance style.

From a young acoustic guitarist channeling Italian and American folk and bluegrass into a signature style, he became a singer, composer, arranger, sound engineer and concert producer. At age 65 he has added one more title: Poet. It turns out he has a lot to say about roots, role models, the road and artistic freedom.

Beppe is beloved all over the world, gaining new fans and friends with every performance and every new recording. Where The Wind Blows is no exception and may be his best one yet. In 2019 Beppe was awarded with the title of “Genoa Ambassador To The World” by the Genoa Mayor Marco Bucci.

Here’s what others have to say about Beppe:

…and he expresses himself in a voice of unhurried warmth and passion.” (Alan Tigay, World Listening Post)

His incredible versatility combined with his charm and engaging stage presence make Beppe’s concerts evenings of high quality music and relaxed entertainment. Overriding all else, however, is the brilliance of his talent.” (Cornish Guardian)

Though he's shown over the years that he can keep pace with the Tony Rices and Dan Crarys of the world, it is Gambetta's understated elegance as a flatpicker that has set him apart and made him an in-demand partner the worldover.” (Sing Out!)

…spinning a thick weave that sometimes calls to mind what a duet by Doc Watson and Leo Kottke might sound like.“ (Mike Joyce, The Washington Post)

In the end Gambetta’s originals offer some of the most intriguing listening for their amazing virtuosity, pleasing tunefulness, and beyond-category pedigree. He’s truly a man of the world.“ (Roger Levesque, Penguin Eggs)

Opening acts: Kara and the Kosmos, Lost Joe

(+++ ABOUT OUR OPENING ACTS +++)

+++ NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. +++

Doors open at 6:15 pm; concert starts at 7 pm with two opening acts. $15 general admission, $8 members and students with ID; free for ages 12 and younger (Become a member before or at the show and $tart $aving right away!).

No advance ticket sales. Admission only at the door.

+++ Free, off-street parking is available in the church lot across the street from our hall. +++

Baked goods, coffee, tea, and water available for purchase in the Community Center.

View Event →
Red Mountain Boys
Sep
8
7:00 PM19:00

Red Mountain Boys

  • Black Forest Community Center (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. $15 GENERAL ADMISSION, $8 MEMBERS.

Look out now, here they come!!

The Red Mountain Boys are a hot bluegrass supergroup lighting up the Pikes Peak region.

A longtime staple of the scene, Alan Begley (Willie Bean Bluegrass) fronts the Boys with his Martin flat-top guitar. Lewis Mock (Kansas State Hall-of-Fame musician, Radford & Lewis Band) brings the fire with his five-string banjo. Jon Murphy (Grandpa’s Cough Medicine, The Grass is Dead) keeps the Boys rock solid with his metronome-like bass playing. Jeff Daugherty (2014 John Hartford Songwriting Award winner) plays his mandolin like a man possessed.

Take their instrumental prowess, add in four-part vocal harmonies and world-class songwriting and LOOK OUT – it’s a recipe for powerful, hard-driving bluegrass music.

redmountainboys.com

Opening acts: K Squared, Unsooprrvized

(+++ ABOUT OUR OPENING ACTS +++)

+++ NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. +++

Doors open at 6:15 p.m.; concert starts at 7 p.m. with two opening acts. $15 general admission, $8 members and students with ID; free for ages 12 and younger (Become a member before or at the show and $tart $aving right away!).

No advance ticket sales. Admission only at the door.

+++ Free, off-street parking is available in the church lot across the street from our hall. +++

Baked goods, coffee, tea, and water available for purchase in the Community Center.

Food Truck available in the parking lot before the show from 5:00-7:00 pm.

View Event →
Chain Station
Aug
25
7:00 PM19:00

Chain Station

NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. $15 GENERAL ADMISSION, $8 MEMBERS.

Chain Station is a 4-piece, high-energy, get ‘em out on the dance floor string band from Denver, Colorado. Their music is well-steeped in Americana roots, with vocal harmonies that are high, lonesome, and tight. Their picking ranges from lightning-fast to mountain mellow. They are a bluegrass band that would satisfy a picky old-timer and delight fans of newgrass, a delicate balance indeed.

In the summer of 2006, Alex Thoele and Jon Pickett met while playing guitars around a campfire, high on a mountaintop in Estes Park, CO. The two have been entertaining and writing music ever since. In 2010, they were joined by mandolin player and fellow midwesterner Jarett Mason. The newest addition to the band as of December 2018 is Chris “C-Bob” Elliot on banjo and vocals.

They've become known for winning over crowds with creative, fun original songs that flow from the mountains, through them and right back to you. Pure Mountain Music! It's obvious these guys love what they do, engaging their growing fan base with energy and stage antics that guarantee one hell of a night out.

The band’s highly anticipated new album Backroads went public May 11, 2019. The album Where I want To Be was released October, 2016. In 2015 a live album Chain Up Volume 1 had a limited release, and their debut studio album Dancin’ With the Law hit the scene in 2013. They have directly supported bands such as The Del McCoury Band, The Travelin’ McCourys, The Devil Makes Three, Todd Snider, Sierra Hull, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, Fruition, Trout Steak Revival, The Railsplitters, Lil’ Smokies, Hot Buttered Rum, Deadphish Orchestra and many more.

Chain Station has been living life through music and adventures together for eight years. Relentless gigging in and around their home state of Colorado, the midwest, and Canada has made this band of brothers one of the tightest, most professional ragtag pack of muppets on the scene today.

Opening acts: Scott Cadenasso, Collapsing Stars

(+++ ABOUT OUR OPENING ACTS +++)

+++ NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. +++

Doors open at 6:15 p.m.; concert starts at 7 p.m. with two opening acts. $15 general admission, $8 members and students with ID; free for ages 12 and younger (Become a member before or at the show and $tart $aving right away!).

No advance ticket sales. Admission only at the door.

+++ Free, off-street parking is available in the church lot across the street from our hall. +++

Baked goods, coffee, tea, and water available for purchase in the Community Center.

View Event →
Buddy Mondlock Duo
Jul
28
7:00 PM19:00

Buddy Mondlock Duo

NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. $15 GENERAL ADMISSION, $8 MEMBERS.

Buddy Mondlock writes songs. He does it so well that some great songwriters have recorded his songs on their own albums. Guy Clark, Nanci Griffith, and Janis Ian, to name just a few. You might’ve heard his song “The Kid” (recorded by David Wilcox; Peter, Paul and Mary; and Cry, Cry, Cry) and maybe even sung it yourself around a campfire. He draws you into his world - where a single snowflake follows the trajectory of a relationship, where you get your pocket picked by a Roman cat, where you might swim over the edge of the world if you’re not careful, and where dreams that don’t come true still count.

His latest album, Filament, finds him exploring some new territory, both sonically and rhythmically. Songs like “Problem Solved” and “Sunlight In My Pocket” are propelled along by drums and percussion. Others are painted with woodwinds and string arrangements. Buddy is at heart a storyteller and the songs cover a lot of territory, ranging from a young artist who finds fame too soon in the title song, to the wonders and mysteries found in “The Dark,” a song he co-wrote with the great Guy Clark.

When Buddy’s not on the road you can find him in Nashville, but he grew up in Park Forest, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. After college he moved to the city, playing open mics at Chicago’s famed Earl of Old Town, where he once opened for the amazing Steve Goodman. Buddy was 21. Says he could have walked out of there that night and gotten hit by a bus and he wouldn’t have felt like life cheated him at all.

When Buddy made his first trip to Texas from his native Chicago, Guy Clark heard him singing one of his songs under a tree at the Kerrville Folk Festival and liked it. So Guy went back to Nashville, opened the door and said, “listen to this kid, he’s good!” A publishing deal and a U-Haul headed south soon followed.

People were starting to pay attention. In 1987 he was a New Folk Award Winner at Kerrville and he released his first album, On the Line. Over the next few years David Wilcox recorded “The Kid” on his first record for A&M. Buddy did some writing with this other new kid in town named Garth Brooks. Janis Ian heard him singing at the Bluebird Cafe and asked him if he’d like to write with her. Their song “Amsterdam” got recorded by Joan Baez. Nanci Griffith asked Buddy to sing on a show she was taping for Irish television. She ended up liking that song so much that she recorded “Comin’ Down In the Rain” on her Grammy Award winning collection Other Voices, Other Rooms. Once Garth became a star, “Every Now and Then” ended up on his album The Chase.

Buddy has toured all over the U.S. and Europe. Buddy’s second album got picked up by Son Records, a small label in Ireland started by the band U2, and he’s toured there consistently ever since. In 1996 Peter, Paul and Mary recorded “The Kid,” and then asked the kid himself to sing with them on their “Great Performances” TV special. He won a Kerrville Music Award for Song of the Year with “The Kid” that year as well.

Since then he’s released a string of critically acclaimed solo recordings on his own label and on EMI. In 2003 Buddy toured North America and Europe with Art Garfunkel and Maia Sharp in support of their album Everything Waits To Be Noticed. Filament will be his seventh album. In recent years Buddy has been writing songs with military veterans through a program sponsored by an organization called Music Therapy of the Rockies, and he includes several of those songs in his shows (and one on his new album). “This has been such a powerful experience and I’m honored to have been trusted with these stories of trauma and of triumph too,” he says.

In addition to writing and touring Buddy also teaches songwriting. Along with one-day workshops across the US and Europe, he has also been a staff instructor at the Swannanoa Gathering, the Kerrville Folk Festival Song School, the Sisters Folk Festival Song Camp, and retreats like Ellis Paul’s New England Songwriter Retreat and Cedarsongs in Tennessee.

Opening acts: David Boye, Mark Gillick

(+++ ABOUT OUR OPENING ACTS +++)

+++ NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. +++

Doors open at 6:15 p.m.; concert starts at 7 p.m. with two opening acts. $15 general admission, $8 members and students with ID; free for ages 12 and younger (Become a member before or at the show and $tart $aving right away!).

No advance ticket sales. Admission only at the door.

+++ Free, off-street parking is available in the church lot across the street from our hall. +++

Baked goods, coffee, tea, and water available for purchase in the Community Center.

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The Wildwoods
Jul
14
7:00 PM19:00

The Wildwoods

NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. $15 GENERAL ADMISSION, $8 MEMBERS.

The Wildwoods are an enchanting Folk/Americana trio based in Lincoln, Nebraska, whose flowing songwriting tandem has been praised by Paste Magazine as "focused and charmingly human." The Wildwoods' delicate melodies and descriptive lyrics come from nature, love, experiences from the road, and growing up in Nebraska.

The band released their debut album, Sweet Nostalgia, followed by a duo EP, Birdie & Goose, in 2017, and quickly established themselves as a creative, harmonious, and instrumental force in their local music scene. Since then The Wildwoods have released two full-length records, Across A Midwest Sky (2019) and Foxfield Saint John (2023), as well as a handful of singles, “Little Home” (2020) and “Like My Old Man” (2021), and have supported touring acts such as Elephant Revival, Arts Fishing Club, The Accidentals, The Way Down Wanderers, and Jamie Wyatt.

Along with performing several Sofar concerts in cities such as London, Brooklyn, and St. Louis, as well as a European tour in 2019, the group has performed at several festivals including: Summerfest, The Nebraska Folk and Roots Festival, Wakarusa, and the Flatwater Music Festival.

In 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022 The Wildwoods were nominated by the Omaha Arts and Entertainment Awards as a top Americana/Folk artist in Nebraska, and in 2022 they were named “Best Band” by the Lincoln Journal Star’s Lincoln’s Choice Awards. The group’s musical momentum continues into 2023 by placing as a top 3 finalist (out of more than 1,000 submissions from around the world) in the Gems in The Rough contest, hosted by popular YouTube channel GemsOnVHS. The band’s most recent release, Foxfield St. John (February 2023), has cultivated a sophisticated and captivating sound to their well crafted songs and musicianship.

Comprised of husband and wife team Noah (guitar) and Chloe Gose (violin), as well as Andrew Vaggalis (bass), The Wildwoods draw inspiration from a wide range of influences including Watchhouse, The Decemberists, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Nickel Creek, Joni Mitchell, Gregory Alan Isakov, and Peter, Paul, & Mary. The folk/Americana trio work to harmoniously and delicately blend their voices to create a sound so nostalgic that you may find yourself dreaming and longing for those sweet memories from your former days.

What People Are Saying

“I appreciate the mixed elements of this track that make it feel both old-fashioned and brand new. The vocals steal the show on this one, certainly. The organic feeling of the way the vocals connect really makes the track stand out. Call it what you will, this is a meaningful, beautiful, and powerful track. It rolls the classics into a succinct and modern sound.”

— Greg Jones - Ear to the Ground Music

Opening acts: Brittany Jean, Ben Guihan

(+++ ABOUT OUR OPENING ACTS +++)

+++ NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. +++

Doors open at 6:15 p.m.; concert starts at 7 p.m. with two opening acts. $15 general admission, $8 members and students with ID; free for ages 12 and younger (Become a member before or at the show and $tart $aving right away!).

No advance ticket sales. Admission only at the door.

+++ Free, off-street parking is available in the church lot across the street from our hall. +++

Baked goods, coffee, tea, and water available for purchase in the Community Center.

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Birds of Play
Jun
23
7:00 PM19:00

Birds of Play

NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. $15 GENERAL ADMISSION, $8 MEMBERS.

Birds of Play is an Americana Roots quartet based in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado. Their distinct sound is rooted in and inspired by their connection to the land on which they reside. The band features multi-instrumentalists and songwriters Alex Paul (guitar, upright bass, mandolin and vocals), Eric Shedd (upright Bass, mandolin, guitar and vocals), Anneke Dean (violin, guitar, and vocals), and Jack Tolan (guitar, mandolin, electric bass and vocals).

Their arrangements and compositions are a reflection of their vast and teaming pools of inspiration from artists such as Wood Brothers, Punch Brothers, and Andrew Bird. Birds of Play’s high-caliber musicianship and songcraft are laced with imagination and a vibrant, intuitive understanding of the human condition - while their live shows weave together an intricate tapestry of place, authenticity, magic, and humor.

Four years into this journey, Birds of Play are venturing further out of the nest to create community and bring people together to share in universal themes of love, connection, and wonder. With an uplifting and joyous exuberance - and a fourth studio album on the horizon for release this summer - these four dear friends are riding the thermals of their creativity to ever-greater heights.

Opening acts: Mike Holweger, Michelle Mandico

(+++ ABOUT OUR OPENING ACTS +++)

+++ NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES. ADMISSION IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AT THE DOOR. +++

Doors open at 6:15 p.m.; concert starts at 7 p.m. with two opening acts. $15 general admission, $8 members and students with ID; free for ages 12 and younger (Become a member before or at the show and $tart $aving right away!).

No advance ticket sales. Admission only at the door.

+++ Free, off-street parking is available in the church lot across the street from our hall. +++

Baked goods, coffee, tea, and water available for purchase in the Community Center.

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