Sugar Maple Music Festival welcomes Son Volt to the Majestic Thursday, March 30 in support of Notes of Blue.

The 10 songs on Notes of Blue are inspired by the spirit of the blues, but not the standard blues as most know it. The unique and haunting tunings of Mississippi Fred McDowell, Skip James and Nick Drake were all points of exploration for Farrar for the new collection. The album opens with the country soul of “Promise The World”, followed by “Back Against The Wall”, a song that could stand alongside the great Son Volt songs of their early albums. However, Notes Of Blue reflects the blues as it resides in the folk tradition, but heavily amplified. The primal stomp of “Cherokee St”, the frenetic guitar on “Static” and the raw slide in “Sinking Down” exude grit and attitude. Conversely, tracks such as “The Storm” and “Cairo and Southern” seamlessly meld blues with hypnotic melodies that add a unique balance to Notes of Blue.

Tickets available here.

Kaia Kater will perform at 2017 Sugar Maple Music Festival on Friday August 4.  Born of African-Caribbean descent in Québec, Kaia Kater grew up between two worlds: one her family’s deep ties to Canadian folk music in her Toronto home; the other the years she spent learning and studying Appalachian music in West Virginia.

Her acclaimed debut album Sorrow Bound (May 2015) touched on this divide, but her new album, Nine Pin (May 2016), delves even further, and casts an unflinching eye at the realities faced by people of color in North America every day. Her songs on the new album are fueled by her rich low tenor vocals, jazz-influenced instrumentation, and beautifully understated banjo, and they’ve got as much in common with Kendrick Lamar right now as they do with Pete Seeger.

“Kater is one of the most exciting roots musicians to come along in years.” –  Matt Hendrickson, Garden & Gun 

“Nine Pin is unlike anything you’ll hear this year.” –  Rachel Cholst, No Depression 

“…plaintive, mesmerizing…writes and performs with the skill of a folk-circuit veteran…” – Rolling Stone

Looking for a family-friendly way to celebrate Valentine’s Day? Come to the Barrymore Theatre at 1 p.m., February 12th, for the 16th Annual United Way Bluegrass Benefit. Six bands and performers are volunteering their time and talents with all proceeds going to United Way of Dane County. Longtime United Way advocate Dave Kinney has organized this concert since its inception.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to bring your entire family to a fun and entertaining event while giving back to our community,” said Kinney. “I’m proud of the positive change United Way brings to our community and I love that I can contribute to that change with this concert.”

Over the last 16 years, this annual concert has grown in popularity among bluegrass fans and families who are looking for kid-friendly activities. Thank you to Barrymore Theatre, Steve Gotcher (Audio for the Arts), WORT 89.9 FM and Isthmus for their partnership.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 5 – 12. Children 5 and under are free. For families, there is a maximum cost of $20. Tickets are available at the door and online.

Program of Performers

Cork ‘n Bottle String Band 1:00 p.m.

Sparetime Bluegrass 2:00 p.m.

Dave Landau – The King of Kids Music 2:30 p.m.

MadFiddle & Highway 151 3:00 p.m.

The Soggy Prairie Boys 4:20 p.m.

Old Tin Can String Band 5:00 p.m.

Molly Tuttle
Thursday Jan 12, 7:30 pm (2 sets)
The Barrymore Theatre Lobby
Tickets $10 in advance by phone, on-line or at the door
Presented by the Four Lakes Traditional Music Collective

“[Molly Tuttle] sings with the gentle authority of Gillian Welch, yet plays astoundingly fleet flat-picking guitar like Chet Atkins on superdrive.”  – American Songwriter Magazine

A virtuoso multi-instrumentalist and award winning songwriter with a distinctive voice, Molly Tuttle has turned the heads of even the most seasoned industry professionals. Since her performing debut at age 11, she’s appeared on A Prairie Home Companion, was featured on the cover of Flatpicking Guitar Magazine (the first woman ever to be featured on the cover), won first place in the prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting Competition at MerleFest, and recently graduated from the Berklee College of Music, which she attended on a Hazel Dickens Memorial Scholarship.

Her lovely voice, impeccable and fiery guitar playing, and sensitive song writing make Molly Tuttle a star on the rise. She has already received more than two million YouTube views and, with her project The Goodbye Girls, appeared on the Newport Folk Festival and opened a series of sold out theater shows in Fall 2015 on tour with The Milk Carton Kids. In 2016, the Molly Tuttle Band has toured extensively and will be featured on several prominent festivals including Rocky Grass Festival, Wintergrass Festival, and many others, and received a 2016 IBMA Momentum Award as Instrumentalist, singling her out as one to watch in the genre. Molly now makes her home in Nashville and has completed work on her debut solo album with producer Kai Welch, to be released in early 2017.