Maple Street Concerts

— SAGE CHRISTIE (formerly Siena Christie) | HEATHER STYKA Co-bill — •Sunday, September 15, 2024 • 3:00PM • $20 (Doors open at 2:30PM)

Two extraordinary singer-songwriters with gorgeous vocals, both two-time Kerrville New Folk Finalists (Sage in '22 & '23; Heather in '15 & '17).

Tickets = $21.25 online (with a $1.25 processing fee). Pending availability tickets may be purchased at the door with cash or check only. —Note: Online ticket sales END at NOON on the concert date. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. NO REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES.

++Chicagoland debut! Since 2021, SAGE CHRISTIE (they/them) has enchanted audiences nationwide with their stunningly clear voice and image-rich narrative songwriting. Drawing comparisons to Alison Krauss, Janis Ian, and Joni Mitchell, Sage is currently working with Grammy-winning producer David Seitz on an album of their most compellingly candid songs yet, set for release in September titled "Little Deaths." Originally from Portland, OR, Sage now calls Asheville, NC home. >https://sagechristie.com/

++Chicago gem HEATHER STYKA (she/her) returns to Maple Street, debuting in 2013 on a co-bill with Mark Dvorak. With a heartfelt croon reminiscent of Billie Holiday or Patsy Cline, Styka blends folk's lyrical intricacy with a catchy, melodic pop sensibility and the grit of classic country. Her songs are smart, disarming, and cut to the truth with gutsy vulnerability. Heather's live shows are intimate and candid, akin to late-night conversation peppered with quirky humor and confessional storytelling. >http://heather.styka.com/

See "ABOUT/FAQS" for more information, and use our "CONTACT US" form as needed. We have limited ADA-compatible seating—please let us know to expect you for the best experience.

Tickets = $21.25 online (with a $1.25 processing fee). Pending availability tickets may be purchased at the door with cash or check only. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. NO REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES. —Note: Online ticket sales END at NOON on the concert date.

— RUNA — •Saturday, October 05, 2024 • 7:00PM • $25 (Doors open at 6:30PM) Innovative and Award-winning, five-piece Celtic Roots Music "supergroup" who last performed at MSC on 2/25/2017 (and sold out that show).

Tickets = $26.50 online (with a $1.50 processing fee). Pending availability tickets may be purchased at the door with cash or check only. —Note: Online ticket sales END at NOON on the concert date. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. NO REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES.

++Celebrating 15 years together as a band, Celtic-American Roots music “supergroup”, RUNA, continues to push the boundaries of Irish folk music into the Americana and roots music formats. Interweaving the haunting melodies and exuberant tunes of Ireland and Scotland with the lush harmonies and intoxicating rhythms of jazz, bluegrass, flamenco and blues, they offer a thrilling and redefining take on traditional music.

Seeking to preserve and continue a traditional culture in a modern age, RUNA creates the backbone of its signature roots sound from the musical and geographical diversity of its individually established band members. Their strive for excellence and creativity blazes a trail for the future of folk music, earning them the reputation as one of the most innovative Irish folk groups of this generation.

RUNA consists of vocalist and step-dancer, Shannon Lambert-Ryan of Philadelphia; GRAMMY-award nominated, Dublin-born guitarist; Fionán de Barra; Cheryl Prashker of Canada on percussion; Jake James of New York on the fiddle; and Tom Fitzgerald of Canada on mandolin and vocals.

The group has been honored internationally, winning Top Group and Top Traditional Group in the Irish Music Awards and three Independent Music Awards including Best LIVE Album, Best World/Traditional Song, and Best Bluegrass Song.

In conjunction with the band’s 15-Year Anniversary Tour, RUNA released their eighth album, “When the Light Gets In”, in February 2024! >https://runamusic.com/

See "ABOUT/FAQS" for more information, and use our "CONTACT US" form as needed. We have limited ADA-compatible eating—please let us know to expect you for the best experience.

Tickets = $26.50 online (with a $1.50 processing fee). Pending availability tickets may be purchased at the door with cash or check only. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. NO REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES. —Note: Online ticket sales END at NOON on the concert date.

— CARRIE ELKIN & DANNY SCHMIDT | WILD PONIES Co-bill — •Saturday, November 16, 2024 • 7:00PM • $20 (Doors open at 6:30PM)

Nashville-based musical duos and super good friends; Folk/Singer-songwriters & Americana/Country-Roots

Tickets = $21.25 online (with a $1.25 processing fee). Pending availability tickets may be purchased at the door with cash or check only. —Note: Online ticket sales END at NOON on the concert date. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. NO REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES.

++CARRIE ELKIN & DANNY SCHMIDT—Nashville-based (formerly from Austin, TX), these two outstanding songwriters are a rare breed with both a real-life romantic and artistic-musical partnership. Gypsy spirit Elkin is best known for her incredibly soulful and dynamic vocals, which have drawn favorable comparisons to Patty Griffin at her most powerful, and Nanci Griffith at her most intimate. And Schmidt, named to the Chicago Tribune's list of the “50 Most Significant Songwriters in the Last 50 Years,” is best known for his riveting poetic lyrics, which have drawn favorable comparisons to Leonard Cohen and Townes Van Zandt for their depth and complexity.

Together, their respective strengths merge into a much greater whole, a performance of great energy and spirit, and one that audiences seem to be able to connect with at once: emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually. (Danny last played solo at Maple Street on 10/28/2017. Danny & Carrie played together on 5/4/2013.)

https://carrieelkin.com/ >https://www.dannyschmidt.com/

++WILD PONIES—Although they're based in Nashville, WILD PONIES have always looked to Southwest Virginia for inspiration—where bandmates Doug and Telisha Williams were both born and raised. Partners in every way, they have spent the last decade building more than just their careers as musicians—they've built a life. One they're wildly proud of and ready to share with the world. Their latest album, “Dreamers,” centers on exploration beyond the traditional nuclear family and into the community, joys, and heartbreaks they’ve experienced as part of a queer, polyamorous family undergoing fertility treatments and becoming foster parents in the state of Tennessee.

Passionate activists, Doug and Telisha have reaffirmed that any action they take must feed their community, family, and art. As Wild Ponies gear up for the next chapter of their lives and prepare to release new music, they recommit to these priorities and introduce a reinvigorated sense of lyrical progressivism and community service.

What makes Wild Ponies so special, though, is how their community responds, perpetuating such a mystical connection in generous and unexpected ways. For Wild Ponies, that feedback loop is the circle that remains unbroken. It just keeps getting larger to welcome everybody who wants to join. (Wild Ponies performed as Doug & Telisha Williams at Maple Street in May 2012.) > https://www.wildponies.net/

See "ABOUT/FAQS" for more information, and use our "CONTACT US" form as needed. We have limited ADA-compatible seating—please let us know to expect you for the best experience.

Tickets = $21.25 online (with a $1.25 processing fee). Pending availability tickets may be purchased at the door with cash or check only. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. NO REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES. —Note: Online ticket sales END at NOON on the concert date.

— Holiday Sing-along led by Kilty Pleasure — •Saturday, December 7, 2024 • 5:30-7PM • Donations Appreciated

Free, drop in, family event. Part of the Village of Lombard's JingleBell Jubilee. We invite all to enjoy our annual sing-along. We supply the lyric books and your voices. Duo KILTY PLEASURE will be leading the songs. Donations are appreciated to support the upkeep of the historic Maple Street Chapel.

— SPECIAL CONSENSUS — • Sunday, January 5, 2025 • 3:00PM • $25 (Doors open at 2:30PM) 50th band Anniversary year & 19th year at Maple Street!

Tickets = $26.50 online (with a $1.50 processing fee). Pending availability tickets may be purchased at the door with cash or check only. —Note: Online ticket sales END at NOON on the concert date. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. NO REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES.

The Special Consensus is a bluegrass band that has achieved a contemporary sound in their four decades of performing, making their music a modern classic. The band is led by Greg Cahill, banjo player and recipient of the prestigious Distinguished Achievement Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) and inducted into the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America Hall of Greats, and includes Dan Eubanks (bass), Greg Blake (guitar) and Michael Prewitt (mandolin).

Special Consensus has received seven awards from the IBMA and two Grammy nominations (Scratch Gravel Road in 2012 and Rivers and Roads in 2018).

They are four talented vocalists and instrumentalists who follow their creative desires without straying too far from their bluegrass roots. The 19th band recording, Rivers and Roads (Compass Records, 2018), was nominated for the 2018 Best Bluegrass Album GRAMMY award and received 2018 IBMA awards for Album of the Year and Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year (for the tune “Squirrel Hunters”).

Chicago Barn Dance (Compass Records, 2020) is the 20th Special C recording that celebrates both the 45th band anniversary and the long-standing connection of country and bluegrass music with Chicago from the time of the WLS “National Barn Dance” that was a precursor to the Grand Ole Opry. The title song “Chicago Barn Dance” received the 2020 IBMA Song of the Year award.

Great Blue North (Compass Records, 2023), the 21st Special C recording, is a tip of the hat to our Canadian friends and fans made throughout nearly four decades of touring throughout the country. All songs included on the recording were written by Canadian writers and numerous Canadian musician friends of the band made guest appearances. The Gordon Lightfoot song “Alberta Bound” received the 2023 IBMA Collaborative Recording of the Year award.

We are so very proud of our guitar player Greg Blake, who received the 2023 IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year award! > https://www.specialc.com/

See "ABOUT/FAQS" for more information, and use our "CONTACT US" form as needed. We have limited ADA-compatible seating—please let us know to expect you for the best experience.

Tickets = $26.50 online (with a $1.50 processing fee). Pending availability tickets may be purchased at the door with cash or check only. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. NO REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES. —Note: Online ticket sales END at NOON on the concert date.

— HOUNDS OF FINN — •Saturday, February 22, 2025 • 7:00PM • $20 (Doors open at 6:30PM) 4-piece Celtic-infused, Americana-inspired, Folk/Rock Fusion

Tickets = $21.25 online (with a $1.25 processing fee). Pending availability tickets may be purchased at the door with cash or check only. —Note: Online ticket sales END at NOON on the concert date. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. NO REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES.

++We welcome back the HOUNDS OF FINN who played Maple Street in March of 2018 and 2015. They create spirited and invigorating Celtic-infused, Americana-inspired, Folk Rock delivered with unbridled passion, infectious enthusiasm, electrifying energy, and technical finesse. “The Hounds” engage and entertain with rousing, crowd-pleasing performances that leave their audiences tapping their toes, clapping their hands, stomping their feet, and wanting more. Pete McCauley, Leslie Rich, Michelle MacGregor, and Lojo Russo create and perform a repertoire of original songs, traditional tunes, and fresh arrangements of popular standards. With a stage full of more instruments than there are members, this St Paul, MN, based band is dedicated to exploring and bridging the gap between the old and the new. Steeped in the rich, lilting, and sometimes haunting heritage of Celtic tunes and songs, and the authentic, poignant, and often compelling legacy of Americana, Bluegrass, and Folk music, the Hounds of Finn blend these musical and cultural traditions into a distinctive sound and exciting experience.

https://www.facebook.com/houndsoffinn

See "ABOUT/FAQS" for more information, and use our "CONTACT US" form as needed. We have limited ADA-compatible seating—please let us know to expect you for the best experience.

Tickets = $21.25 online (with a $1.25 processing fee). Pending availability tickets may be purchased at the door with cash or check only. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. NO REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES. —Note: Online ticket sales END at NOON on the concert date.

— TWANGTOWN PARAMOURS with special guest NAOMI ASHLEY — •Saturday, March 22, 2025 • 7:00PM • $20 Bluesy-soulful Americana, Classic Country, and Rock.

Tickets = $21.25 online (with a $1.25 processing fee). Pending availability tickets may be purchased at the door with cash or check only. —Note: Online ticket sales END at NOON on the concert date. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. NO REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES.

Headliner ++Debuting on our stage, THE TWANGTOWN PARAMOURS are an award-winning husband and wife Americana duo from Nashville comprised of MaryBeth Zamer and Mike T. Lewis. They are three-time Kerrville New Folk Finalists and winners of Texas’s Wildflower Contest.

Their latest album is a full band retro Blues and Americana project called “Double Down on a Bad Thing.” Garnering great reviews and charting on both the U.S. RMR Blues charts and on the U.K. Blues charts. Rock Doctor Magazine said this about the album: "While those first two acoustic records made it to #11 and #2 on the folk charts and received good reviews, my gut says THIS is the album that can get The Twangtown Paramours noticed by the world at large. The songs are thoughtful, well written and the production is faultless."

Lead singer, MaryBeth Zamer was a fixture in the Washington, D.C. club circuit for many years. She performed with the band Ignition and sang background vocals for Eva Cassidy. Mike Lewis is a session musician, producer, and songwriter. He is the author of a #1 platinum pop tune in Korea, which is ranked as the second biggest selling female ballad of all time in that country. He also sometimes plays upright bass for Jimmie Dale Gilmore and does a little TV acting. He has appeared on the Investigative Discovery Channel and as a background actor on CMT’s “Nashville”.

https://www.thetwangtownparamours.com/

Opener ++With her cream and Kahlua voice, Chicago singer-songwriter NAOMI ASHLEY captivates audiences, breathing vibrant life into her diverse range of songs. Navigating seamlessly through Americana, classic country, folk, blues, and rock, Ashley's lyrically layered compositions charm with humor and a poignant understanding of the human experience. Ashley’s newest album “Love Bug” was released in February of 2024. >https://www.naomiashley.com/

See "ABOUT/FAQS" for more information, and use our "CONTACT US" form as needed. We have limited ADA-compatible seating—please let us know to expect you for the best experience.

Tickets = $21.25 online (with a $1.25 processing fee). Pending availability tickets may be purchased at the door with cash or check only. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. NO REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES. —Note: Online ticket sales END at NOON on the concert date.

— THE HIGH 48s — • Saturday, April 26, 2025 • 7:00PM • $20 (Doors open at 6:30PM) Classic Bluegrass Quintet with a Modern Attitude, Fantastic Showmanship

Tickets = $21.25 online (with a $1.25 processing fee). Pending availability tickets may be purchased at the door with cash or check only. —Note: Online ticket sales END at NOON on the concert date. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. NO REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES.

++Chicagoland debut! Since forming in northeast Minneapolis in 2006, THE HIGH 48s have been making music that combines the soulful sound of classic bluegrass with a modern attitude. They’re a band with one foot in tradition and the other in the world of music today, and one of the very few who can find an overlooked bluegrass classic in a song by M. Ward or the Clash, then throw down hard on a standard by Bill Monroe. The High 48s are also a band of songwriters. Here, too, they take a modern approach, heeding the well-worn advice to writers: write what you know. Their songs ring true to their lives as northern city-folk rather than an imagined “sweet, sunny south” of coal mines and dark hollers.

The band takes its name from railroad slang for the boxcars originally used to transport troops on the front lines in WWI that could carry 40 soldiers or 8 horses, and were later used in the US on fast-moving “hot shot” freight trains by train-hoppers looking for work during the Great Depression. >https://thehigh48s.com/

“Y'all have truly made an imprint in the world of bluegrass music so please keep on keepin' on.” —Greg Cahill, Special Consensus

See "ABOUT/FAQS" for more information, and use our "CONTACT US" form as needed. We have limited ADA-compatible seating—please let us know to expect you for the best experience.

Tickets = $21.25 online (with a $1.25 processing fee). Pending availability tickets may be purchased at the door with cash or check only. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. NO REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES. —Note: Online ticket sales END at NOON on the concert date.