Terry Kitchen, Mark Stepakoff, Jack Byrne at Somerville Armory Cafe Saturday Nov 9

Somerville Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe presents singer/songwriters Terry Kitchen, Mark Stepakoff and Jack Byrne on Saturday November 9. The show begins at 7:00 pm and admission is $15 at the door. The Armory Cafe is at 191 Highland Avenue, Somerville, just a few blocks from the Magoun Square Green Line T station. For more information call 617-718-2191, visit <a href="https://artsatthearmory.org/">artsatthearmory.org</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions">www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions</a> or email <a href="mailto:SomervilleSongwriterSessions@gmail.com">SomervilleSongwriterSessions@gmail.com</a>. Somerville Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe presents contemporary folk singer/songwriters in concert, usually on the first Saturday of each month. The Armory Cafe features live music in an intimate setting, a menu featuring sandwiches, soups, desserts and coffees, and plenty of free parking. Our 11/9 performers: Called "one of New England's best songwriters" by The Boston Globe, Terry Kitchen has been performing on folk stages across the country since the 1990s, releasing a dozen albums filled with literate musical storytelling, supple guitar playing and distinctive, intimate vocals. His 2020 CD Next Time We Meet reached #5 on the national Folk-DJ chart (with its single "Party on the Roof" reaching #4 on the song chart), and his songs have won the Mid-Atlantic and USA Song Contests and been runner-up in the John Lennon Song Contest. His novel Next Big Thing, set in the Boston music scene, was called "a great debut novel" by The San Francisco Book Review. He is also currently working on a musical, Once More with Hurt Feelings. More at <a href="https://terrykitchen.com/">terrykitchen.com</a>. A longtime fixture on the Boston folk music scene, singer-songwriter Mark Stepakoff is widely admired for his mix of wryly humorous and wistfully poignant material, in the vein of artists such as John Prine and London Wainwright III. Mark has received numerous songwriting awards and was selected for the Emerging Artist showcase at the 2024 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. Mark recently released his seventh album, The Sound Of That. His previous releases have reached as high as number 2, and his songs as high as number 3, on the national Folk-DJ airplay chart. More at <a href="http://markstepakoff.com/">markstepakoff.com</a>. Boston-based singer/songwriter Jack Byrne was raised in a musical family and has been writing songs for as long as he can remember. Jack has played in rock bands, jazz combos, sung in operas and choirs, and enjoys infusing his indie-folk songwriting with elements from these various musical experiences. He has been playing originals around the Boston area for the last decade and has released three EPs to date. Jack also teaches private lessons in guitar, voice, banjo, ukulele, and songwriting. Jack is passionate about sharing the gift of music in the local community through performing, collaborating, and teaching. More at <a href="https://jackbyrnemusic.com/">jackbyrnemusic.com</a>.

Arts at the Armory Cafe

Erin Ash Sullivan, Colette O'Connor, Beth DeSombre CD Release Concert at Somerville Armory Cafe Saturday Oct 5

Somerville&nbsp;Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe&nbsp;presents singer/songwriters&nbsp;Erin&nbsp;Ash Sullivan,&nbsp;Colette O'Connor&nbsp;and&nbsp;Beth&nbsp;DeSombre&nbsp;on&nbsp;Saturday&nbsp;October 5.&nbsp;All three artists are celebrating new CDs. The show begins at&nbsp;7:00&nbsp;pm&nbsp;and admission is $15 at the door.&nbsp;The Armory Cafe is at 191 Highland&nbsp;Avenue, Somerville, just a few blocks from the Magoun Square Green&nbsp;Line T station. For more information&nbsp;call 617-718-2191, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://artsatthearmory.org/" target="_blank">artsatthearmory.org</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions</a>&nbsp;or email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:SomervilleSongwriterSessions@gmail.com" target="_blank">SomervilleSongwriterSessions@gmail.com</a>. Somerville&nbsp;Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe&nbsp;presents contemporary folk singer/songwriters in concert on the first&nbsp;Saturday of each&nbsp;month. The Armory Cafe features live music in an&nbsp;intimate setting, a menu featuring sandwiches, soups, desserts and&nbsp;coffees, and plenty of&nbsp;free parking. Our 10/5 performers: New&nbsp;England native&nbsp;Erin&nbsp;Ash Sullivan's&nbsp;music reflects a deep sense of place, and her lyrics—sometimes&nbsp;heartfelt, sometimes funny—are&nbsp;always authentic and drawn from her&nbsp;lived experience. WFUV's John Platt describes Erin as "a special&nbsp;talent that reminds me of early Dar&nbsp;Williams." Erin's 2021 debut&nbsp;solo album,&nbsp;We&nbsp;Can Hear Each Other,&nbsp;reached #10 on the FAI DJ Chart, and she was a 2023 "Most&nbsp;Wanted"&nbsp;selection from the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. She's won&nbsp;the Rose Garden Coffeehouse Performing Songwriter Competition and the&nbsp;Mark&nbsp;Erelli Judge's Choice Award in the New England Songwriting&nbsp;Competition, and she has been a finalist in the Great American Song&nbsp;Contest and&nbsp;the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest. Her new album&nbsp;Signposts&nbsp;and Marks&nbsp;debuted in July 2024. More at&nbsp;<a href="https://erinashsullivan.com/" target="_blank">erinashsullivan.com</a>. Colette&nbsp;O'Connor&nbsp;is a New England-based singer, storyteller, songwriter, neoclassical&nbsp;composer, and skilled acoustic guitarist. Her voice&nbsp;combines the&nbsp;richness of folk with the strength of Americana, and the charm of her&nbsp;songs is all in the balance. Her new album,&nbsp;Double&nbsp;Down,&nbsp;was released in summer 2024. Born on San Diego Naval Base in&nbsp;California, Colette came to Massachusetts after her father's tour of&nbsp;duty was&nbsp;over and the family moved back home to start an organic farm&nbsp;in Plympton, MA. Influenced by two coasts, O'Connor's music is a&nbsp;delightful&nbsp;blend of sunshine, kindness, philosophy, and New England&nbsp;wit. Now with three album releases, O'Connor has been touring the&nbsp;country with her&nbsp;music since 2012, and is regularly featured in&nbsp;concerts, community radio and television from New England to&nbsp;Nebraska. More at&nbsp;<a href="https://coletteoconnor.net/" target="_blank">coletteoconnor.net</a>. Beth&nbsp;DeSombre &nbsp;writes songs that are "smart and uplifting...focusing on the&nbsp;quiet meaning to be found in ordinary life" (Sing&nbsp;Out! Magazine),&nbsp;exploring issues from the personal to the political. Her music&nbsp;touches both mind and heart, with insights wrapped in melody and&nbsp;harmony that&nbsp;stay with you after the echoes of the last chorus have&nbsp;faded away. Her newest CD,&nbsp;Holding&nbsp;the Threads,&nbsp;released this summer, is her most&nbsp;personal album to date, telling&nbsp;stories about family, crisis, and finding hope in darkest of times.&nbsp;The first two singles from the album each&nbsp;debuted at #3 on the&nbsp;Folk-DJ chart. Her previous EP,&nbsp;The&nbsp;Sea Beside Us&nbsp;(2023), tells stories of ships and the ocean. Her 2017 EP,&nbsp;Resistance,&nbsp;which was written in response to the political situation after the&nbsp;2016 election, is a fundraiser for the ACLU. More at&nbsp;<a href="https://bethdesombre.com/" target="_blank">bethdesombre.com</a>.

Cafe at Arts at the Armory

The Lied To's, Cosy Sheridan, Sam Bayer at Somerville Armory Cafe Saturday Sept 7

Somerville&nbsp;Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe&nbsp;presents an evening of musical duos on&nbsp;Saturday&nbsp;September 7&nbsp;with&nbsp;Americana duo&nbsp;The&nbsp;Lied To's,&nbsp;nationally&nbsp;known songwriter&nbsp;Cosy&nbsp;Sheridan with&nbsp;Charlie&nbsp;Koch&nbsp;and&nbsp;host&nbsp;Sam Bayer with&nbsp;David&nbsp;Troen-Krasnow.&nbsp;The show&nbsp;begins at&nbsp;7:00&nbsp;pm&nbsp;and admission is $15 at the door. The Armory Cafe is at 191 Highland&nbsp;Avenue, Somerville, just a few blocks from the&nbsp;Magoun Square Green&nbsp;Line T station. For more information call 617-718-2191, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://artsatthearmory.org/" target="_blank">artsatthearmory.org</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions</a>&nbsp;or email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:SomervilleSongwriterSessions@gmail.com" target="_blank">SomervilleSongwriterSessions@gmail.com</a>. Somerville&nbsp;Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe&nbsp;presents contemporary folk singer/songwriters in concert on the first&nbsp;Saturday of each&nbsp;month. The Armory Cafe features live music in an&nbsp;intimate setting, a menu featuring sandwiches, soups, desserts and&nbsp;coffees, and plenty of&nbsp;free parking. Our 9/7 performers: The&nbsp;Lied&nbsp;To's&nbsp;are Susan Levine and Doug Kwartler, two multi-talented Massachusetts&nbsp;singer-songwriters who joined forces in 2014 to create&nbsp;a potent mix&nbsp;of folk, Americana and country. The duo took their name, in part,&nbsp;from the Everly Brothers song, "When Will I Be Loved.” Their&nbsp;self-titled debut CD, released in 2015, rose to the top of the roots&nbsp;rock charts and landed in the top 100 of the&nbsp;No&nbsp;Depression&nbsp;readers' poll.&nbsp;Their 2018 CD&nbsp;The&nbsp;Lesser of Two Evils&nbsp;received universal praise for its gritty instrumentation, impeccable&nbsp;harmonies and honest songwriting.&nbsp;The music website&nbsp;The&nbsp;Daily Country&nbsp;wrote that it was "contemporary and timeless," while Tom&nbsp;Haugen of The Daily Vault called it, "nothing&nbsp;short of&nbsp;brilliant." Their 3rd album,&nbsp;The&nbsp;Worst Kind of New,&nbsp;released in March 2022, has been hailed “the best kind of hurt”&nbsp;by Folk Radio UK.&nbsp;The Lied To’s play venues throughout New England&nbsp;and beyond, including sold-out concerts at Club Passim in Cambridge,&nbsp;MA, and The&nbsp;Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, TN. More at&nbsp;<a href="https://liedtomusic.com/" target="_blank">liedtomusic.com</a>. New&nbsp;Hampshire folksinger&nbsp;Cosy&nbsp;Sheridan&nbsp;has been called one of the era’s finest and most thoughtful&nbsp;songwriters. She first appeared on the&nbsp;national folk scene in 1992&nbsp;when she won the songwriting contests at both The Kerrville Folk&nbsp;Festival and The Telluride Bluegrass Festival and&nbsp;released her&nbsp;critically acclaimed CD&nbsp;Quietly&nbsp;Led.&nbsp;The&nbsp;Albuquerque&nbsp;Journal&nbsp;called her "a Buddhist monk trapped in the body of a&nbsp;singer-songwriter." She plays a percussive, bluesy guitar style,&nbsp;which perfectly offsets the intimate poetry of her lyrics. She has&nbsp;performed at&nbsp;coffeehouses, festivals and concerts in every corner of&nbsp;the country, and is the founder and director of the Moab Folk Camp in&nbsp;Moab, Utah.&nbsp;Backed by the strong rhythms and harmonies of her bass&nbsp;player Charlie Koch, her live performances are wide-ranging,&nbsp;entertaining and&nbsp;always tuneful. More at&nbsp;<a href="https://cosysheridan.com/" target="_blank">cosysheridan.com</a>. Boston&nbsp;musician&nbsp;Sam&nbsp;Bayer,&nbsp;accompanied by long-time percussionist David Troen-Krasnow, is your&nbsp;literate, exuberant guide to an imaginary&nbsp;world where housewives win&nbsp;the Nobel Prize in physics, poker-playing children gamble over their&nbsp;bedtimes, and metaphorical elephants&nbsp;pirouette in the den, four and a&nbsp;half minutes at a time. His latest studio CD,&nbsp;The&nbsp;Great Indoors,&nbsp;brings 11 gems from his universe to yours.&nbsp;More at&nbsp;<a href="https://sambayer.com/" target="_blank">sambayer.com</a>.

Mary Casiello, Jay Verchin, Rachel Marie at Somerville Armory Cafe Saturday May 4

Somerville&nbsp;Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe&nbsp;presents an evening of music on&nbsp;Saturday&nbsp;May 4&nbsp;with&nbsp;songwriter/songwriters&nbsp;Mary&nbsp;Casiello,&nbsp;Jay Verchin&nbsp;and&nbsp;Rachel Marie.&nbsp;The concert features a set by each artist, followed by&nbsp;a round robin&nbsp;song swap. The show begins at&nbsp;7:00&nbsp;pm&nbsp;with an open mic and the features begin at 7:30 PM. Admission is&nbsp;$15&nbsp;at the door. The Armory Cafe is at 191 Highland Avenue, Somerville,&nbsp;just a few blocks from the new Magoun Square&nbsp;Green Line T station.&nbsp;For more information call 617-718-2191 or visit&nbsp;<a href="https://artsatthearmory.org/" target="_blank">artsatthearmory.org</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions</a>.&nbsp;To sign up for the open mic email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:SomervilleSongwriterSessions@gmail.com" target="_blank">SomervilleSongwriterSessions@gmail.com</a>. Somerville&nbsp;Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe&nbsp;presents contemporary folk singer/songwriters in concert on the first&nbsp;Saturday of each month. The Armory Cafe features live music in an&nbsp;intimate setting, a menu featuring sandwiches, soups,&nbsp;desserts and&nbsp;coffees, and plenty of free parking. Our 5/4 performers: Mary&nbsp;Casiello&nbsp;is a Boston-area&nbsp;singer, songwriter, and pianist. She is a graduate of Berklee College&nbsp;of Music, where she&nbsp;was a voice principle and received a Bachelor’s&nbsp;of Music in songwriting.&nbsp;Her&nbsp;solo material is creative, quirky, and cathartic,&nbsp;and has received&nbsp;favorable comparison to artists like Sara Bareilles, Billy Joel, Ben&nbsp;Folds, and Carole King. She has been a&nbsp;frequent face in the&nbsp;Boston-area music scene, having shared stage with Darlingside,&nbsp;Gretchen and the Pickpockets, Kristen&nbsp;Ford, Rachel Marie, Jessye&nbsp;DeSilva, Kristen Ford, George Woods, Olivia Brownlee, Florie Namir,&nbsp;and many others.&nbsp;She&nbsp;is&nbsp;also a singer, songwriter and keyboardist for the energetic rock&nbsp;band Three At Home, who were 2019 New England Music&nbsp;Award nominees&nbsp;for Best in Massachusetts. The band have received critical acclaim&nbsp;from publications like&nbsp;Medium&nbsp;and&nbsp;features in&nbsp;Country Queer.&nbsp;"Mary should be a famous songwriter for Disney or Pixar ….&nbsp;Positive energy in spades … a&nbsp;wonderful voice … just plain&nbsp;likable." - Brian Carroll,&nbsp;Red&nbsp;Line Roots.&nbsp;More at&nbsp;<a href="https://threeathomeband.com/" target="_blank">threeathomeband.com</a>. Always&nbsp;colorful,&nbsp;Jay Verchin&nbsp;is an alto, tenor, songwriter, and conductor from Worcester, MA.&nbsp;Graduating from Clark&nbsp;University in 2021, Jay served for two seasons&nbsp;as the Assistant Conductor and Tenor Section Leader for the Clark&nbsp;University&nbsp;Concert and Chamber Choirs. They currently are a member of&nbsp;the Tutti Music Collective board and chorus, and sing weekly&nbsp;with St.&nbsp;John’s Catholic Church professional Schola in Worcester. Formerly,&nbsp;Jay held section leader positions at All Saints&nbsp;Church in Worcester,&nbsp;St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Cambridge, and has appeared with&nbsp;Nightingale Vocal Ensemble,&nbsp;Magari Ensemble, and Jubilate Choir.&nbsp;Their most notable work was&nbsp;premiering Rachel Burckardt’s Mt. Auburn Requiem in&nbsp;October 2022,&nbsp;and as the Bo’sun in the 21st Century Premiere of Gena Branscombe’s&nbsp;Choral Drama,&nbsp;Pilgrims of&nbsp;Destiny.&nbsp;In&nbsp;addition to singing, Jay is a&nbsp;Jewish educator, and in 2021, released their first full length album,&nbsp;Vessels.&nbsp;More at&nbsp;<a href="https://jayverchin.com/" target="_blank">jayverchin.com</a>. Rachel&nbsp;Marie&nbsp;(she/they) follows in a&nbsp;tradition of unapologetically forthright women folksingers, with&nbsp;songs that hearken to&nbsp;"overstuffed lines of Tori Amos,&nbsp;philosophical turn of Indigo Girls, and lilting vocals like Joni&nbsp;Mitchell" (Victoria Farmer,&nbsp;The&nbsp;Christian Humanist Podcast). The&nbsp;social awareness of folk meets the introspection, catharsis, and&nbsp;healing of the singer-songwriter tradition. "Add in a&nbsp;brilliantly woven, genuine, and sometimes silly banter and Rachel’s&nbsp;unique show will stay with&nbsp;you a long time" (Tom Bianchi, 24&nbsp;Hour Music). Boston-based and Pennsylvania-raised, Rachel has played&nbsp;at prestigious folk&nbsp;venues including the me &amp; thee (MA), Club&nbsp;Passim (MA), the Burren (MA), and Godfrey Daniels (PA). Rachel's&nbsp;latest full-length album,&nbsp;False&nbsp;Foundations, was released in May&nbsp;2018, and a new album is in the works for 2024.&nbsp;More at&nbsp;<a href="https://rachelmarie.com/" target="_blank">rachelmarie.com</a>.

Terry Kitchen, Ksenia Mack, Thea Hopkins at Somerville Armory Cafe Saturday April 6

Somerville&nbsp;Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe&nbsp;presents an evening of music on&nbsp;Saturday&nbsp;April 6&nbsp;with&nbsp;songwriter/songwriters&nbsp;Terry&nbsp;Kitchen,&nbsp;Ksenia Mack&nbsp;and&nbsp;Thea Hopkins.&nbsp;The concert features a set by each artist, followed&nbsp;by a round robin&nbsp;song swap. The show begins at&nbsp;7:00&nbsp;pm&nbsp;with an open mic and the features begin at 7:30 PM. Admission is&nbsp;$15&nbsp;at the door. The Armory Cafe is at 191 Highland Avenue, Somerville,&nbsp;just a few blocks from the new Magoun Square&nbsp;Green Line T station.&nbsp;For more information call 617-718-2191 or visit&nbsp;<a href="https://artsatthearmory.org/" target="_blank">artsatthearmory.org</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions</a>.&nbsp;To sign up for the open mic email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:SomervilleSongwriterSessions@gmail.com" target="_blank">SomervilleSongwriterSessions@gmail.com</a>. Somerville&nbsp;Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe&nbsp;presents contemporary folk singer/songwriters in concert on the first&nbsp;Saturday of each month. The Armory Cafe features live music in an&nbsp;intimate setting, a menu featuring sandwiches, soups,&nbsp;desserts and&nbsp;coffees, and plenty of free parking. Our 4/6 performers: Called&nbsp;"one of New England's best songwriters" by&nbsp;The&nbsp;Boston Globe,&nbsp;Terry&nbsp;Kitchen&nbsp;creates songs that are portraits&nbsp;of ordinary people and emotions,&nbsp;captured with extraordinary compassion, honesty and humor. He's been&nbsp;performing&nbsp;on folk stages across the country since the 1990s,&nbsp;releasing a dozen albums filled with literate musical storytelling,&nbsp;supple guitar playing and distinctive, intimate vocals. His 2020 CD&nbsp;Next&nbsp;Time We Meet&nbsp;reached&nbsp;#5 on the national&nbsp;Folk-DJ album chart (with its single "Party&nbsp;on the Roof" reaching #4 on the song chart), and his songs have&nbsp;won the&nbsp;Mid-Atlantic and USA Song Contests and been runner-up in the&nbsp;John Lennon Song Contest.&nbsp;In&nbsp;the 1980s he was the&nbsp;leader of the groundbreaking Boston band Loose&nbsp;Ties, whose experiences he recounts in his novel&nbsp;Next&nbsp;Big Thing,&nbsp;called "a great debut novel" by&nbsp;The&nbsp;San Francisco Book Review.&nbsp;He also published a collection of short stories,&nbsp;Coping&nbsp;Mechanisms,&nbsp;in 2020. More on Terry at&nbsp;<a href="http://terrykitchen.com/" target="_blank">terrykitchen.com</a>. Boston-based&nbsp;singer/songwriter&nbsp;Ksenia&nbsp;Mack&nbsp;performs with blend of fiery and sultry vocals while her unique style&nbsp;of guitar&nbsp;playing tells a deeper truth. A founding and current member&nbsp;of the Porch Party Mamas, Ksenia is continuing a performance&nbsp;career&nbsp;that spans decades. She is also a respected guitar teacher.&nbsp;More&nbsp;on Ksenia at&nbsp;<a href="https://kseniamack.com/" target="_blank">kseniamack.com</a>. A&nbsp;member of the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe of Martha’s Vineyard,&nbsp;performing songwriter&nbsp;Thea&nbsp;Hopkins&nbsp;calls her music&nbsp;Red Roots Americana.&nbsp;The&nbsp;Washington Post&nbsp;describes Thea as a "standout”. She's performed at clubs,&nbsp;concert halls and&nbsp;festivals throughout North America and Britain and&nbsp;released a series of acclaimed CDs. Her new album is scheduled to be&nbsp;released in May 2024. More on Thea at&nbsp;<a href="https://theahopkins.com/" target="_blank">theahopkins.com</a>.

Zion Rodman, Rob Laurens, Sam Bayer at Somerville Armory Cafe Saturday March 2

Somerville&nbsp;Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe&nbsp;presents an evening of music on&nbsp;Saturday&nbsp;March 2&nbsp;with&nbsp;songwriter/songwriters&nbsp;Zion&nbsp;Rodman,&nbsp;Rob Laurens&nbsp;and&nbsp;Sam Bayer.&nbsp;The concert features a set by each artist, followed by&nbsp;a round robin&nbsp;song swap. The show begins at&nbsp;7:00&nbsp;pm&nbsp;with a short open mic and the features begin at 7:30 PM. Admission&nbsp;is&nbsp;$15 at the door. The Armory Cafe is at 191 Highland Avenue,&nbsp;Somerville, just a few blocks from the new Magoun Square&nbsp;Green Line T&nbsp;station. For more information call 617-718-2191 or visit&nbsp;<a href="https://artsatthearmory.org/" target="_blank">artsatthearmory.org</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions</a>.&nbsp;To sign up for the open mic email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:SomervilleSongwriterSessions@gmail.com" target="_blank">SomervilleSongwriterSessions@gmail.com</a>. Somerville&nbsp;Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe&nbsp;presents contemporary folk singer/songwriters in concert on the first&nbsp;Saturday of each month. The Armory Cafe features live music in an&nbsp;intimate setting, a menu featuring sandwiches, soups,&nbsp;desserts and&nbsp;coffees, and plenty of free parking. Our 3/2 performers: Zion&nbsp;Rodman&nbsp;is a multi-instrumental singer-songwriter. He grew up in Cape Cod and&nbsp;has been performing his original work&nbsp;since the age of 15. After a&nbsp;5-year stint in Chicago, Zion is back in the Boston music scene for&nbsp;good. Zion's debut album&nbsp;You're&nbsp;Invited&nbsp;(2017) was recorded and released in Boston to positive reviews, and&nbsp;his follow up EP&nbsp;Did&nbsp;Not Wake Up Today&nbsp;was highlighted by AFROPUNK prior to its release: "Rodman turns&nbsp;up the volume of his melodic indie pop, with his stunning&nbsp;voice just&nbsp;barely masking his anger beneath the hook." His most recent&nbsp;album&nbsp;Whatever&nbsp;Happens&nbsp;was recorded in Chicago&nbsp;and released in 2020. These days, Zion is&nbsp;dedicating his time to playing with his band around the Boston area,&nbsp;organizing&nbsp;events with EBASS to support local musicians, securing a&nbsp;monthly residency at The Ford in Medford, and freelance sound&nbsp;engineering. He's shared the stage with nationally touring musicians&nbsp;such as Ellis Paul (Club Passim) and The Ries Brothers&nbsp;(Taffeta).&nbsp;Zion currently lives in Jamaica Plain with his fiancé and two cats.&nbsp;More at&nbsp;<a href="https://zionrodmanmusic.com/" target="_blank">zionrodmanmusic.com</a>. "Rob&nbsp;Laurens&nbsp;culls his naturalistic ballads from the fertile soil of American folk&nbsp;tradition, but his intimate, incisive lyrics&nbsp;embody the best&nbsp;instincts of the contemporary songwriter movement."-Scott&nbsp;Alarik,&nbsp;Boston&nbsp;Globe.&nbsp;Rob Laurens is a&nbsp;songwriter's songwriter. With a keen eye for subtle,&nbsp;understated detail, Rob creates songs whose lyrics resonate like the&nbsp;words of a writer; his songs tell stories, often expressing the kind&nbsp;of ideas and complexity of emotions more typically tackled&nbsp;in the&nbsp;work of a poet or novelist. Steeped in the knowledge of many kinds of&nbsp;American traditional music—especially&nbsp;Appalachian ballads—Rob&nbsp;paints his stories in the simple language of the best folk songs. Rob&nbsp;has lived and traveled&nbsp;throughout the United States, and has what has&nbsp;been described by Dave Palmater of WUMB 91.9 FM Boston as "the&nbsp;rare&nbsp;ability to write songs that seem like they've always been&nbsp;there." Rob has won the New Folk Award for Songwriting at both&nbsp;the&nbsp;Kerrville Folk Festival (TX) and its sister festival, The&nbsp;Columbia River Festival (WA). He has returned to play the main stage&nbsp;at these and other festivals, including the Strawberry, High Sierra,&nbsp;and Napa Valley Festivals in California. He tours both east&nbsp;and west&nbsp;coasts, playing such clubs as The Freight &amp; Salvage in Berkeley,&nbsp;California, and Club Passim in Cambridge. More&nbsp;at&nbsp;<a href="https://roblaurens.net/" target="_blank">roblaurens.net</a>. Boston&nbsp;musician&nbsp;Sam&nbsp;Bayer&nbsp;is your literate, exuberant guide to an imaginary world where&nbsp;housewives win the Nobel Prize in&nbsp;physics, poker-playing children&nbsp;gamble over their bedtimes, and metaphorical elephants pirouette in&nbsp;the den, four and a half&nbsp;minutes at a time. His latest studio CD,&nbsp;The&nbsp;Great Indoors,&nbsp;brings 11 gems from his universe to yours. More at&nbsp;<a href="https://sambayer.com/" target="_blank">sambayer.com</a>.

Alex Fam, Tom Smith, Jack Byrne at Somerville Armory Cafe Saturday February 3

Somerville Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe presents an evening of music on Saturday February 3 with songwriter/songwriters Alex Fam, Tom Smith and Jack Byrne. The concert features a set by each artist, followed by a round robin song swap. The show begins at 7:30 pm with a short open mic and the features begin at 8 PM. Admission is $15 at the door. The Armory Cafe is at 191 Highland Avenue, Somerville, just a few blocks from the new Magoun Square Green Line T station. For more information call 617-718-2191 or visit <a href="https://artsatthearmory.org/">artsatthearmory.org</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions">www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions</a>. To sign up for the open mic email <a href="mailto:SomervilleSongwriterSessions@gmail.com">SomervilleSongwriterSessions@gmail.com</a>. Somerville Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe presents contemporary folk singer/songwriters in concert on the first Saturday of each month. The Armory Cafe features live music in an intimate setting, a menu featuring sandwiches, soups, desserts and coffees, and plenty of free parking. Our 2/3 performers: Alex Fam is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist whose lyric-driven songs invite listeners on a journey of reflection and joy. Alex's songs draw inspiration from nature and a sense of childlike wonder. She masterfully combines violin, ukulele, and vocal looping. Alex is also a visual artist. Alex’s second album Real Life Magic is accompanied by an original collage exhibit. Alex is the 2022 recipient of the UU Mass Action "Ruth Rowan Award", which is given to a person or group who is actively engaged in social justice and who motivates others to take action, as well, through music. More at <a href="https://alexfammusic.com/">alexfammusic.com</a>. Tom Smith's songs are in turns humorous, touching, thought provoking, and inspiring. Deeply rooted in the old-school folk tradition, his timeless stories are told with a voice that is honest and sincere with melodies that you will remember forever. In the words of noted singer/songwriter Barbara Kessler, "Tom Smith will make you laugh and cry (maybe even in the same song) – a very captivating songwriter and performer." Tom grew up in rural Pennsylvania and honed his music chops in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Now a folk veteran of over forty years, Tom performs at festivals, coffeehouses, schools, and concerts throughout the Northeastern United States to audiences large and small, young and old. More at <a href="https://tomsmithmusic.com/">tomsmithmusic.com</a>. Jack Byrne is a Boston-based singer/songwriter who weaves intricate fingerstyle guitar lines into his intimate indie-folk songs. Jack was raised in a very musical family and his earliest musical experiences were playing and singing with his parents and siblings. In Jack's own music, you can hear influence from artists such as Iron &amp; Wine, Johanna Warren, and Simon &amp; Garfunkel. Jack also teaches private lessons at NEMPAC and The New School of Music, and sings in the choir at the Old North Church in Boston. His latest album, New Beginnings and Resolutions, is available on all streaming platforms. More at <a href="https://jackbyrnemusic.com/">jackbyrnemusic.com</a>.

Rachel Marie, Rob Siegel, Dann Russo at Somerville Armory Cafe Saturday December 2

Somerville Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe presents an evening of music on Saturday December 2 with songwriter/songwriters Rachel Marie, Rob Siegel and Dann Russo. The concert features a set by each artist, followed by a round robin song swap. The show begins at 7:30 pm with a short open mic and the features begin at 8 PM. There is a suggested donation of $15 at the door. The Armory Cafe is at 191 Highland Avenue, Somerville, just a few blocks from the new Magoun Square Green Line T station. For more information call 617-718-2191 or visit <a href="https://artsatthearmory.org/">artsatthearmory.org</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions">www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions</a>. To sign up for the open mic email <a href="mailto:SomervilleSongwriterSessions@gmail.com">SomervilleSongwriterSessions@gmail.com</a>. Somerville Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe presents contemporary folk singer/songwriters in concert on the first Saturday of each month. The Armory Cafe features live music in an intimate setting, a menu featuring sandwiches, soups, desserts and coffees, and plenty of free parking. Our 12/2 performers: Rachel Marie follows in a tradition of unapologetically forthright women folksingers, with songs that hearken to "overstuffed lines of Tori Amos, philosophical turn of Indigo Girls, and lilting vocals like Joni Mitchell." The social awareness of folk meets the introspection, catharsis, and healing of the singer-songwriter tradition. "Add in a brilliantly woven, genuine, and sometimes silly banter and Rachel's unique show will stay with you a long time." More at <a href="https://rachelmarie.com/">rachelmarie.com</a>. Rob Siegel is a performing songwriter (and car guy) from Newton, MA, by way of Old Bethpage, NY, Amherst, and Austin, Texas. In addition to his songwriting, Rob has written the monthly column The Hack Mechanic™ for Roundel, the magazine of The BMW Car Club of America, for 35 years. In addition, online Hack Mechanic columns appear weekly on Hagerty’s and BMW CCA’s websites. Rob has also written for Road &amp; Track, Sports Car Market, Forbes, and Bimmer, and is the author of eight automotive-related books, including The New York Times-reviewed Memoirs of a Hack Mechanic. Given his druthers, he’d rather be a full-time performing songwriter, but damn the cars sure are a lot of fun. More at <a href="https://robsiegel.com/">robsiegel.com</a>. Dann Russo used to play in and around Boston as a solo artist, rocking venues like The Burren and the Lizard Lounge. With reckless abandon, Dann (and band) leant into driving, acoustic rock &amp; sweet, sweet ballads. He currently performs with Mary Casiello and Kari Paisley-Flango (and friends) in Three at Home - rocking faces, knocking down doors, and wrecking all the china as if they were bulls. More at <a href="https://threeathomeband.com/">threeathomeband.com</a>.

Eric Schwartz, Terry Kitchen, Chris & Meredith Thompson at Somerville Armory Cafe Saturday November 4

Somerville Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe presents an evening of music on Saturday November 4 with songwriter/songwriters Eric Schwartz and Terry Kitchen and folk duo Chris &amp; Meredith Thompson. The concert features a set by each artist, followed by a round robin song swap. The show begins at 7:30 pm with a short open mic and the features begin at 8 PM. There is a suggested donation of $15 at the door. The Armory Cafe is at 191 Highland Avenue, Somerville, just a few blocks from the new Magoun Square Green Line T station. For more information call 617-718-2191 or visit <a href="https://artsatthearmory.org/">artsatthearmory.org</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions">www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions</a>. To sign up for the open mic email <a href="mailto:SomervilleSongwriterSessions@gmail.com">SomervilleSongwriterSessions@gmail.com</a>. Somerville Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe presents contemporary folk singer/songwriters in concert on the first Saturday of each month. The Armory Cafe features live music in an intimate setting, a menu featuring sandwiches, soups, desserts and coffees, and plenty of free parking. Our 11/4 performers: If Lenny Bruce and Bill Withers had a lovechild… Award-winning singer/songwriter, performer, satirist, multi-instrumentalist and entertainer Eric Schwartz has been prodding and wooing folk audiences for twenty-five years. From Bleecker Street’s Bitter End to Hollywood’s Improv, from Philly Folk to Falcon Ridge to Kerrville… Eric's songs have been sung by Ronny Cox, Holly Near and Van Dyke Parks, and been played on radio shows as diverse as Bob and Tom’s Morning Show and NPR’s All Things Considered. Eric is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Music Therapy in order to treat those he has traumatized from the stage. More at <a href="https://ericschwartz.com/">ericschwartz.com</a>. Called "one of New England's best songwriters" by The Boston Globe, Terry Kitchen creates songs that are portraits of ordinary people and emotions, captured with extraordinary compassion, honesty and humor. He's been performing on folk stages across the country since the 1990s, releasing a dozen albums filled with literate musical storytelling, supple guitar playing and distinctive, intimate vocals. His 2020 CD Next Time We Meet reached #5 on the national Folk-DJ album chart (with its single "Party on the Roof" reaching #4 on the song chart), and his songs have won the Mid-Atlantic and USA Song Contests and been runner-up in the John Lennon Song Contest. In the 1980s he was the leader of the groundbreaking Boston band Loose Ties, whose experiences he recounts in his novel Next Big Thing, called "a great debut novel" by The San Francisco Book Review. He also published a collection of short stores, Coping Mechanisms, in 2020. More on Terry at <a href="http://terrykitchen.com/">terrykitchen.com</a>. Twin sisters Chris &amp; Meredith Thompson are "powerful performers with a natural warmth for the live concert stage" writes Tom Lounges in The Beat. They achieve a vocal harmony known uniquely to siblings, combining effortlessly as two parts of a whole, then emerging as unique individual voices, creating the vocal sound that has become their trademark. Chris plays percussive, riff-driven guitar. Meredith plays congas and flute. The Thompsons tell stories that resonate with the audience, stories that celebrate common experience. The Thompsons have performed in venues across the US and released seven albums. "It is their mix of intriguing stories of people's hopes and histories that makes The Thompsons' music so compelling." (MaryAnn Robertson, Spotlight) More at <a href="https://www.cmthompson.com/">www.cmthompson.com</a>.

Ella McDonald, Dave Dersham, Sam Bayer at Somerville Armory Cafe Saturday Oct. 7

Somerville Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe presents singer/songwriters Ella McDonald, Dave Dersham and Sam Bayer on Saturday October 7. The concert will feature a solo set by each artist, followed by a round robin song swap. The evening begins at 7:30 PM with a short open mic and the features begin at 8 PM. There is a suggested donation of $15 at the door for the performance. The Armory Cafe is at 191 Highland Avenue, Somerville, just a few blocks from the new Magoun Square Green Line T station. For more information call 617-718-2191 or visit <a href="https://artsatthearmory.org/">artsatthearmory.org</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions">www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions</a>. To sign up for the open mic email <a href="mailto:SomervilleSongwriterSessions@gmail.com">SomervilleSongwriterSessions@gmail.com</a>. Somerville Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe presents contemporary folk singer/songwriters in concert, usually on the first Saturday of each month. The Armory Cafe features live music in an intimate setting, a menu featuring sandwiches, soups, desserts and coffees, and plenty of free parking. Our 10/7 performers: Ella McDonald is a Cambridge-based musician and songwriter whose thoughtful, intimate lyricism glides from haunting to healing in the same breath. Their 2018 debut album February is a lyrical exploration of their growth in friendship, self love, and queerness, and musically melds folk and R&amp;B influences into a cohesive body. In 2022, Ella suffered a brain injury that left them unable to read, write, or play music for several months. Now, as they heal, Ella is returning to music and offering us their most vulnerable and moving work yet, reminding audiences that hope is a discipline. You can find Ella on Instagram @ella.mcd, Tiktok @ellammcd, and on Spotify and Apple Music as Ella McDonald. More at <a href="https://ellamcd.com/">ellamcd.com</a>. Dave Dersham is a sly humorist, cultural critic, a melancholy optimist; a blend of uncanny rhythm and muted chords, wielding space for the open-hearted. His ambient folk music encompasses cautionary yarns of submerging archipelagos, the unfolding eco-dystopia, Samoan pigskin heroes, and the whimsy of demolition work among the Pioneer Valley lowlands, where Dave spent his formative years, meandered, and eventually returned. His 2003 CD The Burn of Summer earned abundant airtime on WUMB, WERS, and a finalist selection in Mountain Stage's "Emerging Artist" competition. His 2011 CD Gilding the Lilies featured accompaniment by Lloyd Thayer and Jared Fiske on lap steel, electric guitar, percussion, and keyboard and was distributed internationally. "Dersham taps hopeful melodies and reverses lyrical expectations at every turn...exudes a brand of humane charm that sets him apart from every other songwriter you'll see this year."-Club Passim. More at <a href="https://davedershammusic.com/">davedershammusic.com</a>. Boston musician Sam Bayer is your literate, exuberant guide to an imaginary world where housewives win the Nobel Prize in physics, poker-playing children gamble over their bedtimes, and metaphorical elephants pirouette in the den, four and a half minutes at a time. His latest studio CD The Great Indoors brings 11 gems from his universe to yours. More at <a href="https://sambayer.com/">sambayer.com</a>.

Old Tom & the Lookouts, Ciderdown, Jack Byrne at Somerville Armory Cafe Saturday Sept. 9

Somerville Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe presents Old Tom &amp; the Lookouts, Ciderdown, and Jack Byrne on Saturday September 9. The concert will feature a solo set by each artist, followed by a round robin song swap. The evening begins at 7:30 PM with a short open mic and the features begin at 8 PM. There is a suggested donation of $15 at the door for the performance. The Armory Cafe is at 191 Highland Avenue, Somerville, just a few blocks from the new Magoun Square Green Line T station. For more information call 617-718-2191 or visit <a href="https://artsatthearmory.org/">artsatthearmory.org</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions">www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions</a>. To sign up for the open mic email <a href="mailto:SomervilleSongwriterSessions@gmail.com">SomervilleSongwriterSessions@gmail.com</a>. Somerville Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe presents contemporary folk singer/songwriters in concert, usually on the first Saturday of each month. The Armory Cafe features live music in an intimate setting, a menu featuring sandwiches, soups, desserts and coffees, and plenty of free parking. Our 9/9 performers: Old Tom &amp; the Lookouts, spearheaded by Alex Calabrese, is a Boston-based indie-folk band. Through brooding lyrics and wistful melodies, Old Tom’s projects culminate to cast a lens on mental health. Alex’s striking vocals pay homage to influences such as Tom Waits, Phoebe Bridgers, and Frightened Rabbit. The band’s latest original record, a co-creation with violinist and vocalist Cecilia Vacanti, Just For Beasts, depicts a story of non-linear progress and perseverance. "Just for Beasts is one of those essential records that everyone should give a spin." (Music Mecca) Old Tom &amp; the Lookouts have been seen on Sofar Sounds stages throughout the U.S., as well as at iconic venues such as Club Passim (Cambridge, MA), City Winery (Boston, MA), The Press Room (Portsmouth, NH), Pete's Candy Store (NYC, NY), and Skylark Lounge (Denver, CO). More at <a href="https://oldtommusic.com/">oldtommusic.com</a>. Ciderdown is singer-songwriter Marissa Fritz. She has a special place in her heart for writing lyrics inspired by Shakespeare's female characters, playing covers of her favorite band The National, and petting dogs. She has also published several pieces of short fiction under the pen name M. Leanne Fritz. You can find her on Instagram @_ciderdown_. Jack Byrne is a Boston-based singer/songwriter who weaves intricate fingerstyle guitar lines into his intimate indie-folk songs. He is influenced by artists such as Iron &amp; Wine, Johanna Warren, and Simon &amp; Garfunkel. Jack also teaches music at NEMPAC and the Hopkinton Center for the Arts, and sings in the choir at the Old North Church in Boston. His latest album, New Beginnings and Resolutions, is available on all streaming platforms. More at <a href="https://jackbyrnemusic.com/">jackbyrnemusic.com</a>.

Dean Stevens, David Dodson, Terry Kitchen at Somerville Armory Cafe Saturday June 3

Somerville Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe presents an evening of topical music on Saturday June 3 with Costa Rica born folksinger Dean Stevens, Maine songwriter David Dodson and award-winning Boston singer/songwriter Terry Kitchen. The concert will feature a solo set by each artist, followed by a round robin song swap. The show begins at 7:30 pm and there is a suggested donation of $15 at the door. The Armory Cafe is at 191 Highland Avenue, Somerville, just a few blocks from the new Magoun Square Green Line T station. For more information call 617-718-2191 or visit <a href="https://artsatthearmory.org/">artsatthearmory.org</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions">www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions</a>. Somerville Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe presents contemporary folk singer/songwriters in concert, on the first Saturday of each month. The Armory Cafe features live music in an intimate setting, a menu featuring sandwiches, soups, desserts and coffees, and plenty of free parking. Our 6/3 performers: Costa Rica born folksinger Dean Stevens has been delighting audiences of all ages throughout the Americas for the past thirty years. An exuberant performer of distinctive style and wit, he combines an intricate, self-taught guitar style with a versatile and expressive singing voice. He has established himself as a formidable creator and interpreter of songs in both English and Spanish, exploring a wide variety of personal and social topics that celebrate the Earth while annoying the narrow minded. His latest CD is At Last. Pete Seeger says "Dean Stevens will inspire you." More on Dean at <a href="https://facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064552575359">facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064552575359</a>. Camden, Maine songwriter David Dodson's unique original songs range from heartfelt to hilarious. He's an energetic, soulful and funny performer who writes in many styles, from poignant ballads to over-the-top tangos. His secular hymn "The Farthest Field" has been sung all over the world. He plays a mean guitar, tells a good story, sings like a bird, and he's got rhythm. Who could ask for anything more? The Boston Globe called Dodson "An eyes-twinkling, word-twisting, pretension-shattering wit that delighted and surprised the crowd all night." He has shared the stage with everyone from k.d. lang to Sha Na Na, and his songs have been recorded by numerous folk artists and comedians. His CDs include Weasel Rhythm and Goldenrod. More on David at <a href="http://daviddodsonmusic.com/">daviddodsonmusic.com</a>. Called "one of New England's best songwriters" by The Boston Globe, Terry Kitchen creates songs that are portraits of ordinary people and emotions, captured with extraordinary compassion, honesty and humor. He's been performing on folk stages across the country since the 1990s, releasing a dozen albums filled with literate musical storytelling, supple guitar playing and distinctive, intimate vocals. His 2020 CD Next Time We Meet reached #5 on the national Folk-DJ album chart (with its single "Party on the Roof" reaching #4 on the song chart), and his songs have won the Mid-Atlantic and USA Song Contests and been runner-up in the John Lennon Song Contest. In the 1980s he was the leader of the groundbreaking Boston band Loose Ties, whose experiences he recounts in his novel Next Big Thing, called "a great debut novel" by The San Francisco Book Review. He also published a collection of short stores, Coping Mechanisms, in 2020. More on Terry at <a href="http://terrykitchen.com/">terrykitchen.com</a>.

Phil Henry, Steve Allain, Beth DeSombre at Somerville Armory Cafe Saturday May 6

Somerville Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe presents a concert on Saturday May 6 with singer/songwriters Phil Henry, Steve Allain and Beth DeSombre. The concert will feature a solo set by each artist, followed by a round robin song swap. The show begins at 7:30 pm and there is a suggested cash donation of $15 at the door. The Armory Cafe is at 191 Highland Avenue, Somerville, just a few blocks from the new Magoun Square Green Line T station. For more information call 617-718-2191 or visit <a href="https://artsatthearmory.org/">artsatthearmory.org</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions">www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions</a>. Somerville Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe presents contemporary folk singer/songwriters in concert, on the first Saturday of each month. The Armory Cafe features live music in an intimate setting, a menu featuring sandwiches, soups, desserts and coffees, and plenty of free parking. Our 5/6 performers: Vermont singer-songwriter Phil Henry exudes the skill of a craftsman and the authenticity of an artist. He builds detailed worlds and characters who speak through Phil’s words, with "vivid lyrical imagery that captures the imagination." (Seven Days, VT) The upbeat acoustic rhythms, soulful melodies, and lush instrumental textures are no carbon-copy folksongs but instead are an expression of Phil’s individuality and devotion to craft. The new album, Chasing Echoes, is an alchemy of Phil's detailed songwriting and the energy of his live band Phil Henry and the News Feed. Phil was also chosen as one of the Most Wanted Artists in the 2022 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival's Emerging Artists Showcase. More at <a href="https://philhenryband.com/">philhenryband.com</a>. Providence singer-songwriter Steve Allain was raised on country music and Elvis Presley records, with a side helping of Atlantic Canada folk music. As he grew he was exposed to the electric blues of Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan and the songwriting of the Beatles. He followed his muse to the Musicians institute in Hollywood, then Webster University in St Louis, and then the Cleveland Institute of Music, earning a Master's degree. His guitar playing led to an interest in songwriting and performing, and his songs reflect his unique blend of influences. His 2011 album thirteen was highly praised for both its vibrant, accessible songs and its impeccable musicianship. Since its release Steve has performed both as a solo artist and as half of the duo Cardboard Ox with singer-songwriter Tracie Potochnik. More on Steve at <a href="https://steveallain.com/">steveallain.com</a> and <a href="http://cardboardoxmusic.com/">cardboardoxmusic.com</a>. Boston singer-songwriter Beth DeSombre writes songs that are "smart and uplifting...focusing on the quiet meaning to be found in ordinary life" (Sing Out! Magazine), exploring issues from the personal to the political. Her music touches both mind and heart, with insights wrapped in melody and harmony that stay with you after the echoes of the last chorus have faded away. Her 2017 EP Resistance, a fundraiser for the ACLU written response to the current political situation, reached #10 on the folk charts (with two top-10 songs). Her 2016 CD I Was Here was produced by Sean Staples, and includes guest appearances by Tracy Grammer, Vance Gilbert, Laura Cortese, and other music luminaries. An award-winning writer in many formats, her most recent book, her eighth, was just published. She also has a brand new EP, The Sea Beside Us, focusing on songs of shipping and the ocean. More at <a href="https://bethdesombre.com/">bethdesombre.com</a>.

Adam Rothberg, Phil Berman, Sam Bayer at Somerville Armory Cafe Saturday April 1

Somerville Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe presents a concert on Saturday April 1 with singer/songwriters Adam Rothberg, Phil Berman (of Phil and the Flying Leap) and Sam Bayer. The concert will feature a solo set by each artist, followed by a round robin song swap. The show begins at 7:30 pm and there is a suggested donation of $15 at the door. The Armory Cafe is at 191 Highland Avenue, Somerville. For more information call 617-718-2191 or visit <a href="https://artsatthearmory.org/cafe">artsatthearmory.org</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions">www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions</a>. Somerville Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe presents contemporary folk singer/songwriters in concert, on the first Saturday of each month. The Armory Cafe features live music in an intimate setting, a menu featuring sandwiches, soups, desserts and coffees, and plenty of free parking. Our 4/1 performers: Adam Rothberg's music captures the heart, soul and folk-rock-pop appeal of the great songwriters of the '60s, '70s and beyond, while happily occupying a style all its own. The multi-instrumentalist has performed with Joan Baez and produced and recorded with some of the nation's top singer-songwriters, including Dar Williams, co-producing her breakthrough album The Honesty Room. He has shared stages with Cowboy Junkies, Duncan Sheik, Bill Morrissey, Cliff Eberhart, Victoria Williams and Mark Olson, Sloan Wainwright, Meg Hutchinson, and Amy Speace, among others, and is well known for his work with Boston-based children's musician Vanessa Trien. While best known for helping other artists further their careers, his unique combination of chops, talent and musical roots gives him a voice all his own. More at <a href="https://adamrothberg.net/">adamrothberg.net</a>. Songwriter Phil Berman's melodies and lyrics usher the Great American Songbook into the 21st century. He and his band Phil and the Flying Leap twist and re-imagine music across multiple genres of classic American song spanning Vaudeville to Nashville to Somerville and everywhere in-between. The group's lush arrangements, with virtuosic musicianship from violinist Rachel Panitch and bassist Forrest Pettengill augmenting Berman's spirited guitar work, offer vibrant live performances full of heart, joy, and rich vocals. The group released their debut album Play the Part in 2021. The 13-track LP wrestles with questions of work, worth, purpose, and the heart in the age of the Great Resignation, weaving together folk, jazz, musical theater, rock, and French chanson. More at <a href="https://philandtheflyingleap.com/">philandtheflyingleap.com</a>. Boston musician Sam Bayer is your literate, exuberant guide to an imaginary world where housewives win the Nobel Prize in physics, poker-playing children gamble over their bedtimes, and metaphorical elephants pirouette in the den, four and a half minutes at a time. His latest studio CD, The Great Indoors, brings 11 gems from his universe to yours. More at <a href="https://sambayer.com/">sambayer.com</a>.

Terry Kitchen, Susan Levine, Mark Stepakoff at Somerville Armory Cafe Saturday March 4

Somerville Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe presents a concert on Saturday March 4 with award-winning singer/songwriters Terry Kitchen, Susan Levine and Mark Stepakoff. The concert will feature a solo set by each artist, followed by a round robin song swap. The show begins at 7:30 pm and there is a suggested donation of $15. The Armory Cafe is at 191 Highland Avenue, Somerville. For more information call 617-718-2191 or visit <a href="https://artsatthearmory.org/">artsatthearmory.org</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions">www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions</a>. Somerville Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe presents contemporary folk singer/songwriters in concert, on the first Saturday of each month. The Armory Cafe features live music in an intimate setting, a menu featuring sandwiches, soups, desserts and coffees, and plenty of free parking. Our 3/4 performers: Called "one of New England's best songwriters" by The Boston Globe, Terry Kitchen creates songs that are portraits of ordinary people and emotions, captured with extraordinary compassion, honesty and humor. He's been performing on folk stages across the country since the 1990s, releasing a dozen albums filled with literate musical storytelling, supple guitar playing and distinctive, intimate vocals. His 2020 CD Next Time We Meet reached #5 on the national Folk-DJ album chart (with its single "Party on the Roof" reaching #4 on the song chart), and his songs have won the Mid-Atlantic and USA Song Contests and been runner-up in the John Lennon Song Contest. In the 1980s he was the leader of the groundbreaking Boston band Loose Ties, whose experiences he recounts in his novel Next Big Thing, called "a great debut novel" by The San Francisco Book Review. He also published a collection of short stores, Coping Mechanisms, in 2020. More on Terry at <a href="http://terrykitchen.com/">terrykitchen.com</a>. You might not find a straight-out love song in Susan Levine's music, but you will find honest songs about the complexity of relationships, the challenges and joys of motherhood, and the search for grace in the smallest moments. Susan's voice has garnered comparisons to Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton, and her songwriting has been praised for its honesty and poetry. A finalist in the Kerrville New Folk Competition, the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest, and the International Songwriting Competition, Susan also performs as one half of Americana duo, The Lied To's, with Doug Kwartler. More at <a href="https://susanjlevine.com/">susanjlevine.com</a> and <a href="https://liedtomusic.com/">liedtomusic.com</a>. Boston-based singer-songwriter Mark Stepakoff is widely admired on the New England folk music scene for his mix of wry humorous material and poignant ballads, in the vein of artists such as John Prine and Loudon Wainwright III. He has released five CDs and has placed six songs in the top 10 on the national Folk-DJ radio airplay chart, reaching as high as number 3. His most recent CD, Any Port In A Storm, was chosen by Metronome Magazine as one of its top 20 albums for 2018. More at <a href="http://markstepakoff.com/">markstepakoff.com</a>.

S22: conversations

Wondering what to do in Boston? Places to eat? Free activities? Good for a group? Date night spot? Girls night out? The best things to do? Ask Joyraft!

Best places to go in Boston? Things to do? Places to eat?

Questions & answers about things to do in Boston

Recs 💬

Community recs 💬

S4: top picks

The most fun, cool and unique things to do in Boston. Can’t miss events, shows and experiences. Concerts, restaurants, bars, free things in Boston and beyond.

The most fun and cool events happening around Boston

Hot and new things to do in Boston

Hot & new

Hot & new 🔥

S11: happening this weekend

What to do in Boston this weekend? From festivals, concerts, performances, free events, screenings and more, Joyraft has the best things to do in Boston.

25+ things to do in Boston/Cambridge/Somerville this weekend

Things to do in Boston this weekend

This wknd

This weekend for you

S21: roundups

Our top picks: outdoor dining, free events, spring festivals, best bars, upcoming concerts, museum parties - the latest in and around Boston.  Slug: joyraft-top-picks-best-things-to-do-boston-ma

Top picks of the best things to do in and around Boston

Joyraft picks: Boston’s best things to do

Best of 💫

Curated by Joyraft ⭐️

S20: c+d experiences

Discover new, unique events and experiences happening in and around Boston. Perfect for date night, good for a group or with a friend. Be the first to know.

The newest events happening in and around Boston

The newest events on Joyraft

Just added to Joyraft

S28: calendar experiences

This week in Boston

This week in Boston 📆

This week 📆

S16: editor picks

The most unique and can’t miss things coming up in Boston / Cambridge / Somerville and beyond. Festivals, food, drinks, fairs, concerts, art and free activities.

Unique and Can’t Miss Things to Do in Boston

Can’t-miss things to do in Boston 🚨

Can't-miss things to do 🚨

S2 (A): top experiences

The most popular things to do on Joyraft. Concerts, restaurants, bars, events, parties, openings, kid friendly, date ideas, free things in Boston and beyond.

Top 20 things to do in Boston

Top 20: Joyraft’s most popular

Top 20 on Joyraft

S3 (A): trending experiences

Discover can’t miss events and things to do in Boston. The most fun, unique and cool events coming to the Boston area this spring and summer.

The hottest events happening in Boston

Trending events on Joyraft

Trending 📈

S17: interest based

Your guide to everything free in and around Boston. From events, to fairs, to festivals, to outdoors. Joyraft has all the free events happening near you.

100+ free things to do in Boston and beyond

Free things to do in Boston

Free things to do

S19: interest based

Discover kid-friendly fun in Boston, Massachusetts, and surrounding areas! Enjoy hands-on exhibits at the Boston Children’s Museum, explore the New England Aquarium, and visit the Franklin Park Zoo. Find parks, playgrounds, and seasonal events perfect for families across Massachusetts.

Top 20 kid-friendly things to do in Boston, MA

Kid-friendly things to do in Boston

Kid-friendly events

S18: interest based

Where to eat and drink in Boston? Joyraft has Boston’s newest bars, restaurants and specials. Drinks and pre fixe dinner menus. Cambridge & Somerville too.