Rachael Kilgour with special guest Eve Goodman – Saturday September 30, 2023, 7:30pm
Rachael Kilgour returns to SongSpace! Rachael is a Canadian-American songwriter and performing artist whose plain-spoken, lyric-driven work and intimate performances have endeared her to listeners and fellow artists alike. The 2015 grand prize winner of the NewSong Music Competition and a winner of the 2017 Kerrville New Folk Contest, she has been featured at NYC’s Lincoln Center and The Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Her forthcoming album, written in memory of her late father and produced by Rose Cousins, will be released in September of 2023. Her oft-noted “unapologetic lyrics” (Rolling Stone) and “master crafted indie folk” sensibilities (Billboard) are on full display in this latest collection of songs.
Hailing from Boston, MA by way of Nashville, TN, Eve Goodman has made Pittsburgh her home since 2001. With four CDs in her collection, in 2022 she started a new video project “Pittsburgh Songscapes” with Bridget McKenna on video production and Christopher Mark Jones on audio production. Performing original material in different Pittsburgh neighborhoods, you can view the finished pieces on youtube at Eve Goodman Music. Check out the Behind the Scenes.
Christopher Mark Jones with special guest Alex Meleshenko – Saturday November 4, 2023, 7:30pm
Christopher Mark Jones draws from folk, country, blues, jazz and R ’n’ B sources to stage his literate folk rock meditations. Using diverse points-of-view to narrate and critique life and love in uncertain times, he invites listeners to think, feel and dance. Recorded and live arrangements leave space for his musical co-conspirators to both express their personalities and honor the host creation. Listeners hear echoes of “Greg Brown’s pacing and a Lyle Lovett attitude” (Ben Shannon), as well as of John Prine, Bruce Coburn and Darrell Scott. Looking for the Light (2021) is his sixth recording of original folk/roots songs, while Montréal Encore (2022) is a French-language recording created in collaboration with the poet Bernard Pozier.
Alex Meleshenko is one of Pittsburgh’s most wonderful and best-kept secrets. Alex plays amazing instrumental pieces on guitar, ranging from Augustin Barrios and Miguel Llobet to Jerry Reed, Leo Kottke and more. If that weren’t enough, Alex is an outstanding luthier, creating custom-built 6-, 12- and nylon-string guitars that are treasured by players and listeners alike. As a performer, Alex’s goal is to send you to a peaceful place for a time of quiet reflection.
An evening with Bertha and the Belles – Saturday January 27, 2024, 7:30pm
Bertha and the Belles brings together four of the finest Country, Swing, Folk, and Old-time players in Pittsburgh. The band features the powerful singing of Pam Hawley, the remarkable fiddling of Alice Backer, the lovely, rootsy vocals of Annie Trimble, AND some of the best duet and trio vocal harmony around. In addition, the powerful rhythm section of Annie’s guitar, Pam’s banjo uke, and “Bertha” — Richard Gordon’s bass — provides a solid backdrop for an exciting mixture of country, swing, spiritual, old -time and other folk music. Your toes will be tappin’ and your fingers will be snappin’!
Songwriters’ Showcase with Liz McBride – Saturday March 23, 2024, 7:30pm
In March we bring together four of the freshest singer-songwriter voices in Pittsburgh. Liz McBride will share music and conversation with Lenni Green, Louie Castle and Ol’ Whitetail:
Liz McBride has been playing guitar since she was 7 and is predominantly self-taught. She has built her skills and her audience through the creation of web content and has released 9 albums. Originally from Youngstown, Ohio, Liz has been living and performing in Pittsburgh since she moved here in 2016 to attend Duquesne University. She graduated with her masters and has been working as an outpatient therapist since 2018. In addition to her beautiful and insightful songwriting, Liz gives new life to music you know and love with her own unique arrangements.
Lenni Green is a Multi-genre / Multi-instrumental / Composer / Songwriter / Producer. Originally on the track to receive a Master’s degree in classical clarinet, Lenni Green has since taken her musical endeavors on a completely independent creative path, wearing many hats as a multi-instrumental, multi-genre songwriter, composer, producer, performer, and teacher.
Louie Castle returns to SongSpace with a blend of Latin roots, psychedelic rock, rap, gospel and freestyling, with a little jazz and soul thrown in for good measure. He’s played everywhere from The Saturday Light Brigade community radio show to The Abbey in Lawrenceville and The Rocks Landing Bar & Grille in McKeesport, the Sleeping Octopus Art Jam, and more.
We’re also very pleased to welcome Ol Whitetail bacjk to SongSpace. Ol’ Whitetail is a singer-songwriter who grew up in rural northern Appalachia and lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She uses literary devices and elements of visual design to create cinematic folk songs with hints of country blues, ragtime, and jazz. Her lyrics are inspired by philosophy, magic realism, activism, and nature. Her style of guitar playing is a variation on the Piedmont blues, inspired by Etta Baker.
An evening with Peter Mulvey – Saturday May 4, 2024, 7:30pm
We’re thrilled about the return of Peter Mulvey to SongSpace! Peter Mulvey has been a songwriter, road-dog, raconteur, and almost-poet since before he can remember. In 1989 he spent a year in Ireland, busking on the streets of Dublin and hitchhiking to whatever gigs he could find. Back stateside, he spent a couple years gigging through the bars of his native Midwest before taking off for Boston, where he returned to subway busking and coffeehouses. Small shows led to larger shows, which eventually led to regional and then national touring. The wheels have not stopped since. Twenty albums, one illustrated book, thousands of live performances, a TEDx talk, a decades-long association with the National Youth Science Camp, opening tours and gigs for luminaries such as Ani DiFranco, Greg Brown, Emmylou Harris and Chuck Prophet, appearances on NPR, an annual autumn tour by bicycle, emceeing festivals, hosting his own Lamplighter Sessions for years in Boston and in Wisconsin… he has built his life’s work on collaboration, on an instinct for the eclectic and the vital.
