7:30 pm $18. Center for Well-Being, Lemont. 

If you like harmony, this show is for you! The Early Mays (Emily Pinkerton, Ellen Gozion, and Rachel Eddy) are known for their flawless three-part harmonies that come to life when performing songs in an old-time style.

They burst on to the scene with a #2 debut on the National Folk-DJ charts: an eponymous album where fiddle, banjo and guitar are the backdrop to heart-melting three part vocal harmonies. Most recently, they took home the blue ribbon in the Neo-Traditional Band Competition at Clifftop 2016 (The Appalachian String Band Music Festival).

There is an unsurpassed magic that springs from entwined and entrancing vocal harmonies.  The Early Mays love the camaraderie of the studio, the road, and rehearsals, and you can feel the gratitude radiate from whatever stage they are on.  You’ll never leave a show without carrying a little bit of that warmth away with you.

“As local folk music goes, The Early Mays are a bit of a supergroup… Together, they literally make beautiful music — a play on the Appalachian folk all three are steeped in, with close vocal harmonies, and guitar, banjo and fiddle work.” – Andy Mulkerin, Pittsburgh City Paper

7:30 pm $18. Center for Well-Being, Lemont. 

Maeve Gilchrist is bringing a harp to Acoustic Brew  — and we don’t mean a harmonica. Gilchrist has taken the Celtic harp to new levels and She’s performed with internationally renowned orchestras traditional Irish folk groups, and contemporary settings.

You may remember Keith Murphy as part of a trio with Hanneke Cassel and Mike Block that performed on our stage in fall 2015, with Nightingale (spring 1998) or Assembly (spring 2003) . His direct and intimate style of traditional singing in English and French infuses old ballads and songs with a powerful immediacy while his rhythmic and percussive finger style of guitar playing brings new shape and color to his songs.

Together, the duo will be playing lots of tightly knotted tunes and singing a lot of harmonies, hopefully breathing some new life into old, substantial material.

“If there’s a soundtrack to a fine summer, this is it. If there’s a musician who can bask in tradition yet immerse herself musically in the multicoloured experience of life, it’s Gilchrist.” – Siobhan Long, Irish Times

7:30 pm $16. Center for Well-Being, Lemont. 

Ramblin’ Dan Stevens was born and raised right here in central Pennsylvania. Although he’s logged more than 100,000 miles as a traveling bluesman, he’s never forgotten where his musical journey began.

Stevens’s music and his life are inspired by Mississippi John Hurt, and Woody Guthrie, and Dave Van Ronk just to name a few. He’s been a full-time musician since 1991 and surrounds himself with vintage and custom instruments acquired in his many travels. Usually packing three guitars, any given performance may find him choosing to play a 1950’s Sears Silvertone, a 1931 National Steel, a retro lime green Resophonic, and more.

His original songs remain true to the traditional forces which powerfully shaped his early musical development and prompt listeners to praise the authenticity of his approach. In live shows, Dan often pauses between songs, offering historical trivia or relating incidents from his personal experience.

“This troubadour of acoustic blues has the knack for capturing the essence of the blues.  Dan Stevens will no doubt join the ranks of Paul Rishell and Keb’ Mo with strong cuts that convey authenticity.” – Blues Rag, Baltimore Blues Society

7:30 pm $18. Center for Well-Being, Lemont. 

SONiA disappear fear’s songs that transcend genres and languages. Her canon of 17 albums encompass folk, blues, world music, and everything in between. She’s written in Spanish, Hebrew, Arabic, and German.

Her latest double CD “LIVE at MAXiMAL” was in the first round running Grammy for Folk Album of the year and received the nomination for Best Live Album  by the IMA -Independent Music Awards (USA). She has shared the stage with Bruce Springsteen, Peter, Paul and Mary, Chris Thile, Sheryl Crow, Pete Seeger, and many more.

“There is an exuberance and passion shining from SONiA as she warms the audience with her humanity, charm and a touch of glamour.” – Roger Dietz, Sing Out Magazine