Special Events at the Carl Sandburg Visitors' Center

Songbag Concert Series
FALL 2014
A monthly concert series presented by the Carl Sandburg Historic Site Association in the "Barn" at Carl Sandburg's Birthplace, in an intimate smoke, and alcohol, free environment, showcasing acoustic music in the traditional and folk style. 313 E 3rd Street, Galesburg IL, (309) 342-2361. The concerts are free and open to the public, however a $3.00 donation is greatly appreciated. All shows start at 7:00pm.
Date Performer

Saturday,
August 30, 2014

7:00pm

Roundstone Buskers

www.roundstonebuskers.net


Roundstone Buskers are Tom Jones, Bruce Burton and Shannan Sullivan.  Originally formed in 2001, and named after Roundstone, Ireland, the hometown of the great bodhran maker Malachy Kearns, the "Buskers" consisted of Shannan Sullivan (fiddle), Tom Jones bodhran/percussion/whistles) & Tom Grafton (guitar/ hammer dulcimer). The original trio played through 2003, released a successful self-titled CD and eventually disbanded yet remained good friends.

Later that year, Shannan and guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Bruce Burton started a duo simply named SullivanBurton. They played through 2007 and released the CD, “Monkey Bars” which won praise from Dirty Linen magazine.  In 2007, Tom Jones joined Bruce and Shannan and the three restarted the Roundstone Buskers.

"The Buskers" have not looked back since regaining their name becoming somewhat of an acoustic power trio claiming traditional and contemporary celtic as part of their sound. They have been called "cheeky", "punxy" and "on point" and they are fine with that.

They all sing, they all play, but most importantly.....they all listen.

Saturday,
September 27, 2014

7:00pm

 

Dave Moore

Dave Moore is one of the great songwriters to come out of the state of Iowa.  Known for his elegant songwriting and instrumental prowess on blues guitar, button accordion and harmonica he has become somewhat of a legend. 

In 1980 Dave teamed up with local songwriter Greg Brown who was just beginning to develop a national reputation.  For the next few years Dave backed up Brown on recording projects, extensive tours and several appearances on Garrison Keillor's popular A Prairie Home Companion on NPR.

In 1984 at a little folk festival, Dave won a contest whose prize was free recording time in a studio.  He took the oppurtunity to record Jukejoints and Cantinas, an album that brilliantly pulled together all of the American roots influences that had been stewing in him for years.  He passed its 14 sizzling blues and Conjunto tracks on to Bob Feldman of Red House Records, who enthusiastically offered to put it out.

In 1986 Garrison Keillor invited Dave to perform on A Prairie Home Companion and after frequent appearances, he became the show's band leader on tours to Alaska and Hawaii.  A year or two earlier he had quietly started writing his own song and in 1990 he released Over My Shoulder, an 11-song collection that has become a cult classic.

Saturday,
October 25, 2014

7:00pm

 

Keith Reins and Tara McGovern

www.folksongsyouneversang.com

 

Folk Songs You Never Sang in Grade School is one folk musician's effort to document, honor and share a collection of folk songs and personal history with them through research, essays, and performance.

 

Keith Reins, the son of a former big band saxophonist, began his musical life at the age of five with piano lessons.  In junior high and high school, following in his father’s footsteps, he began playing clarinet and saxophone in concert and jazz band.  At fourteen, he started playing professionally at country clubs and dance halls with his father and older brother.

After a brief flirtation with rock’n'roll piano in high school, Keith started hugging guitars and quickly became obsessed with traditional music.  At various times throughout the last four decades or so he has played bluegrass, old time, classic country, country blues, all manner of American folk songs and most recently, traditional Irish music.  The eclectic, improvisational nature of Irish guitar accompaniment allows Keith to synthesize all of his diverse musical influences.  He is now one of the top Irish-style guitarists in the region.

Tara McGovern, a fiddler from the age of 3, blends her Irish roots with her classical and jazz training from The University of Iowa.  Tara’s mother, Carmel, is a fiddler from Swanlinbar, County Cavan, Ireland and her paternal great-grandfather, Homer Rayburn, was a bluegrass and old time fiddler.

In addition to performing and parenting their two sons with her husband and bandmate Joe Dutcher, Tara runs the McGovern Music Studio, located in the West Music Conservatory in Coralville.

Saturday,
November 29, 2014

7:00pm

 

Small Potatoes

www.smallpotatoesmusic.com

 

Nineteen years ago, Jacquie Manning and Rich Prezioso, the Chicago-area duo known as Small Potatoes, decided to hit the road. “In one year, we quit our jobs, bought a house, bought a car, and became full-time folk singers--not exactly the greatest combination, financially speaking, or what most people would call a sound business model. We didn’t throw darts at a map, but we might as well have.”

 

They might not have had the best plan, but what they did have were great songs and musicianship, and the ability to put on a show. Eighteen years, more than a million miles, 3000 shows, and five Dodge Caravans later, they are listed as a “favorite act” by many coffeehouses, clubs and house concerts across the U.S. They have made repeat appearances at major folk festivals, including the Kerrville Folk Festival, the Walnut Valley Festival, and the Philadelphia Folk Festival.

 

From the start, they’ve called themselves eclecto-maniacs and described their music as “Celtic to Cowboy”. They say it has taken them “years of careful indecision” to come up with a mix of music that ranges from country, blues, and swing to Irish, with songwriting that touches on all of those styles and more. Their four recordings, Alive!, Waltz of the Wallflowers, Time Flies and Raw demonstrate that “indecision” can be wonderfully entertaining . They both sing, they both play guitars and an array of other instruments. They even yodel.

musical influences..



We are grateful to John Heasly who has coordinated the Songbag Concert Series for so many years for the Association.

A donation of $3.00 per person is suggested as the door (or gate) entry fee.  These door receipts go to the Songbag Concert performers to supplement a base amount paid by the Carl Sandburg Historic Site Association.  If you enjoy the concert, please be generous in support of our performers. 

Songbag Concert Series performers and refreshment costs are underwritten by the Carl Sandburg Historic Site Association and its members at a cost of approximately $2,500 per year. If you would like to support the Songbag Concert Series, become a member of the Association, and/or feel free to make a donation to the Carl Sandburg Historic Site Association, PO Box 585, Galesburg, IL 61402-0585.



Contact the Carl Sandburg Historic Site Association: carl@sandburg.org
Suggest performers or get information about the Songbag Concert Series: heasly@frontiernet.net