Americana Showcase: Prime
Songwriters in the Round
The Showcase returns! Enjoy an intimate evening of live Americana music featuring a talented lineup of songwriters sharing stories and songs in a collaborative “round” format. This relaxed, engaging performance highlights the heart of roots music in an iconic setting.
Friday, November 20 at the Historic Chateau
6:30 pm Doors
7:30 pm Music
Tickets:
$30 General Admission ($40 day of show)
$40 Premium Reserved
$200 Table for 4
Bar by Bleu Duck Kitchen and Dry Run Mocktails
Six Mile Grove frontman Brandon Sampson returns to the Historic Chateau Theatre as host of Americana Showcase: Prime with special guest co-host, Rochester-based songwriter, Becky Schlegel.
Six Mile Grove honors its roots; you’ll catch the influences of MN music’s best - from Bob Dylan to the Jayhawks - but has also forged its own sound and space on a stage. Their longtime friendship and touring with legendary Johnny Cash guitarist Bob Wootton affirmed their uncompromising commitment to their Americana artistry and musicianship.
With a voice that floats, whispers, and soars, Becky Schlegel is a songwriter whose music bridges country, bluegrass, and folk traditions with thoughtful, original storytelling. Her songs travel the backroads of the heart, exploring themes of love, longing, wonder, and belonging. Rich in imagery and authenticity, Becky's music invites listeners on a journey where every song opens a new horizon.
Six Mile Grove pedal/lap steel guitarist John Wheeler will join as a guest accompanist.
This songwriters in-the-round showcase will feature:
Coyote Brothers: Hayward Williams and John Hardin
The two came together after a moving in overlapping circles for a number of years. It was Hardin who first proposed the idea of working together, asking Williams to produce "The Piasa Bird". During this process, they discovered how well suited they were as a duo, and after Hardin co-produced Williams' record
"Pretenders", the decided to 'hitch their wagons together' and form what they now call Coyote Brother.
A majority of their debut, self titled record was engineered by Hardin at his home studio, with the remainder recorded remotely at locations across the country. In addition to Hardin and Williams, featured on the record are Charles Koltak on drums, Jeremy Moses Curtis on bass, Brooks Milgate on keys, and Eric Heywood on pedal steel. The record was mixed by Alex Bush of Sonikwire Studio and mastered by Ed Walsh of Resonant Mastering.
At its core, Coyote Brother is steeped in the spirit of traditional country music with rich imagery, timeless storytelling, and poignant melodies that carry the listener throuch the drama of the modern world.
Hardin is a Madison, WI, based artist, who previously toured under a pseudonym which, when viewed through the lens of the changes he has gone through personally, he insists is not important. From 2005 to 2013, his music appeared in numerous television spots, and he shared the stage with Gregory Alan Isakov, Over The Rhine, Sara Watkins, Jeffrey Foucault, and more. He released 2 records during this period, "Fools & Thinkers" and "Visions Of The Sea", touring extensively behind both before deciding to take time off to engage with and work on his 'personal and mental maladjustments'. He returned to music with 2016's "The Piasa Bird".
Williams is based in Milwaukee, WI, and like Hardin, he took time off after years of extensive touring to tend to his mental health and gain control of persisting anxieties. His most recent records since returning to music, "The Reef" and "Pretenders" , re-enforced his well earned reputation as a soulful folk artist. As a solo artist, Williams has released 7 records, toured across 3 continents, and has shared the stage with artists such as Jose Gonzalez, Sturgill Simpson, and the Secret Sisters.
Aaron Kelly and Demi Clara
Aaron Kelly and Demi Clara were established solo performers before meeting in 2022, but they've been playing together ever since. They write about the full range of emotions that being a human being in the modern world inspires, and include empathy, John Prine, Glen Hansard, and Lucinda Williams as influences.