Saturday Gator Stage Performers
Raffles will be scheduled throughout the day at Gator Stage. Winning numbers will be listed at the Folk Club Table. The 50/50 raffle will be announced at 8:30 pm.
Singer-Songwriter Competition 10 am -12 pm
Over 70 singer-songwriters applied for this competition. The preliminary judges listened to all of the artists and chose their top 12. They will perform from 10-12 in a random order. Michael Stock, Bob Lind, and Susan Moss will be our final judges for this event. The 3 “top winners” will be announced at 5:45 pm. Check out the Singer-Songwriter page for their bios and to listen to their perform.
12:15 pm Rebecca Berlin
Imagine the voice of Sara Bareilles mixed with the honesty of Joni Mitchell and the poetic lyricism of Ani DiFranco. If there’s one word to describe Rebecca Berlin it is alchemy. Her musical style, “folk with a twist”-blends the narrative quality of traditional folk with elements of jazz and musical theater, and she is known for unique melodies and song structures, vulnerable storytelling and a voice that cuts through the noise. After taking a 13 year break from music to pursue dance and build her career as a Pilates/Yoga/Gyrotonic teacher, Rebecca burst back into the music scene in 2023 and is rapidly gaining attention as a writer, singer and performer. Past releases include “Anatomy of a Breakdown” (2006), and “Grief Triptych” (2023); her upcoming album, “Questions and Answers”, is set to release in the Fall of 2024.
12:45 pm Mike Kinnebrew
CS Lewis once remarked that “we read to know we are not alone,” and countless people have traveled many miles across several decades to listen to Mike Kinnebrew’s music for the same reason. He began writing songs as a teenager because he was “mesmerized by the way a song could reach out and grab you by the heart—or the throat,” and his love for language burns through each of his songs, whether he’s writing about everyday affairs like taking his kids to school and vacationing at the beach, or more vulnerable subjects like his struggles with anxiety and alcohol. His single, “What’s Left of Me,” broaches the latter with a simple, well-crafted melody and songs like “Where the Big Waves Are” and “Wrestle the Sea” tackle the former. He has a knack for finding the remarkable in the ordinary, following in the South’s long lineage of great folk artist, and draws from cross-genre influences like Tom Petty, Gabe Dixon, and Darell Scott. Whether he’s solo or flanked by a full band, Mike has mastered the art of making an audience feel a full range of emotions with a guitar in his hand.
1:15 pm Arielle Silver
I was born on the Gulf of Mexico, raised in the mid-Atlantic, skinnydipped through college in Walden Pond, and now live a traffic jam away from the Pacific Ocean in my adopted state of California.
Before I ever opened my mouth to scream or cry, my dad was strumming his guitar and singing songs from the best troubadours of his time. I studied classical woodwinds in college, and from the minute I picked up a guitar, I began writing songs of my own. Across time and space, songs and stories are – have always been – the great human connector.
Let’s be human together.
1:45 pm Veronneau
Award-winning Washington DC based VERONNEAU defy categorization. At the core, the husband-and-wife duo – Quebecoise vocalist Lynn Veronneau and UK guitarist Ken Avis – translate the themes of their musical journeys into captivating multilingual performances with spirited, jazzy, retro, soulful original songs and classics from the worlds of bossa nova, French chanson, folk, blues and pop.
VERONNEAU delights through Lynn’s spectacular voice, her heartfelt and artful delivery of the lyrics and through Ken’s brilliant and vibrant playfulness on the guitar. They play off one another, carefully choosing songs for their powerful melodies and imagery. They have built a devoted following through constant tours and recordings. Since releasing their 2011 debut album “Joie De Vivre/Joy of Living”, which includes their hit “La Mer”, streamed over a million times on Spotify, they have released four Top 10 charting studio albums, two acclaimed live full length albums and several singles with a variety of collaborators.
2:15 pm Dawn Loves Nash
A refreshing new harmonic uplifting sound that brings the good vibes with their own musical style Happy o-SOUL Music with an Island Twist.
NEW, Unique and REFRESHING.. their harmonies are familial and melt into each other. Their love and charisma – timeless, their songs, their story with a unique ability to transport the audience on a journey of pure love of self, life and each other.
2:45 pm Elijah Wald
Elijah Wald has been performing for almost fifty years, and ranges from blues, folk, ragtime, swing, country, and cowboy songs to classic Swahili pop, the Bahamian guitar style of Joseph Spence, and Mexican corridos.
Elijah’s mentors include Dave Van Ronk, with whom he performed, recorded, and wrote Dave’s memoir, The Mayor of MacDougal Street; Howard Armstrong, the legendary Black string band master, with whom he toured for five years; Eric Von Schmidt, the founding father of the Cambridge folk/blues scene; and Jean-Bosco Mwenda, the father of Congolese acoustic guitar.
He has also written a dozen books, including several histories of blues and Dylan Goes Electric!, the basis of the film A Complete Unknown. His shows blend music and stories from a wide range of people and places in a compellingly personal style.
3:15 Twangtown Paramours
3:45 pm Danny Schmidt
Named to the Chicago Tribune’s list of the “50 Most Significant Songwriters in the Last 50 Years,” Austin, TX-based singer/songwriter Danny Schmidt has amassed a cult following for his poetic, poignant lyrics. With a craftsmanship and emotional depth drawing comparisons to Leonard Cohen and Townes Van Zandt, Schmidt is considered a preeminent writer. Sing Out Magazine proclaimed that: “Schmidt is a force of nature: a blue moon, a hundred-year flood, an avalanche of a singer-songwriter. His songs are a flood of poetry, mythology, folk wisdom, and surprise. He is perhaps the best new songwriter we’ve heard in the last 15 years.”
4:15 pm Miles and Mafale
4:45 pm Couldn’t be Happiers
5:15 pm Ruth Wyand
A highly skilled fingerstyle guitarist combining masterful playing with a knack for storytelling, clever lyrics, and a great sense of humor.
Ruth Wyand is a walking encyclopedia of American music styles, playing a mix of Americana, jazz, blues, folk, country augmented by Piedmont and bluegrass clawhammer fingerpicking. Performing well-crafted instrumental arrangements of classics ranging from Doc Watson, Etta Baker, Jimi Hendrix, Leo Kottke to Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington along with her own compositions always makes for a captivating show. Each song no matter how different has a firm Ruth Wyand stamp of style on it.
5:45 pm
Announce the winners of the National Songwriting Competition
6:00 Ken Holt and The Promise
The son of a U.S. Marine, I grew up in seven states, settling in Jacksonville, FL. Musical influences include my Uncle Henry’s mandolin; Duane and Dickie’s guitar harmonies; John and Paul’s six chord songs; and AM radio. Today, my music blends together all the above. In the early 80’s I played bass with New England band, The Blend. Two MCA records and tours including opening slots for The Who, ZZ-Top, Hall & Oats and Charlie Daniels, gave me a taste of taking it on the road.
Reflecting and projecting ahead, music is what I do. The 2025 release of SHADES OF LIGHT has produced three, Indie Top 40 songs / Country, insightful record reviews, and increased performance opportunities. My GOAL remains the same: to create, share and perform music that is welcoming to all listeners, respectful of differing experiences and points of view, and hopeful in its messaging.
6:45 pm Alice Howe and Freebo
Alice Howe and Freebo present a unique study in contrasts, bringing together a rising voice in Americana music and a venerable rock, folk, and blues icon. Each a compelling performer in their own right, they both lead and support each other in their well-crafted songs with flawless harmonies and tasteful instrumentation. They have worked as creative collaborators in the studio and on stage since 2017. Freebo weaves his unique fretless bass stylings into Alice’s superb vocals for a presentation with undeniable chemistry.
7:30 pm Mad Agnes
Mad Agnes is a genre-bending folk-rock trio from Connecticut consisting of Margo Hennebach, Adrienne Jones and Mark Sauders. The group is known for its smart songwriting, intricate instrumentation, and captivating three-part harmonies. Their live performances are described as intimate and engaging, using a single microphone to create a spontaneous and fun atmosphere.
8:35 pm Livingston Taylor
Livingston Taylor picked up his first guitar at the age of 13, which began a 50-year career that has encompassed performance, songwriting, and teaching. Born in Boston and raised in North Carolina, Livingston is the fourth child in a very musical family that includes Alex, James, Kate, and Hugh. Livingston recorded his first record at the age of 18 and has continued to create well crafted, introspective, and original songs that have earned him listeners worldwide.
From top-40 hits “I Will Be in Love with You” and “I’ll Come Running,” to “I Can Dream of You” and “Boatman,” the last two recorded by his brother James, Livingston’s creative output has continued unabated. His musical knowledge has inspired a varied repertoire, and he is equally at home with a range of musical genres—folk, pop, gospel, jazz—and from upbeat storytelling and touching ballads to full orchestra performances.
Livingston has never stopped performing since those early coffeehouse days, shared the stage with major artists such as Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt, Fleetwood Mac, Jimmy Buffett, and Jethro Tull, and he maintains a busy concert schedule, touring internationally. He is a natural performer, peppering his shows with personal stories, anecdotes and ineffable warmth that connect him to his fans. His relaxed on-stage presence belies the depth of his musical knowledge, and fans might just as often be treated to a classic Gershwin or something from the best of Broadway.
Livingston is a full professor at Berklee College of Music, where he has taught a Stage Performance course since 1989. He teaches young artists invaluable lessons learned over the course of an extensive career on the road; the course is consistently voted the most popular at the College. His high-selling book, Stage Performance, released in 2011 offers those lessons to anyone who is interested in elevating their presentation standards to professional standards.
Livingston’s 50th year of making music was celebrated by Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, both declaring January 18, 2017 “Livingston Taylor Day”.
