Closing out the Railway Cafe’s 9th year are our Vermont neighbors Steve Gillette and Cindy Mangsen. Join us this Friday, May 14th, at MCLA Gallery 51 at 7:30pm.

With over two decades of songwriting and touring, Steve and Cindy have perfected the combination of high quality recordings and entertaining stage shows. Steve and Cindy bring together their love of traditional music and their wealth of original songs. Accompanying themselves on the guitar, concertina and banjo, their live performances are known for rich harmony, compelling songs and a good dose of humor.

Steve Gillette has been writing songs since the 1960’s and his songs have been covered by Ian and Sylvia, John Denver, Garth Brooks, Linda Ronstadt, Tammy Wynette, and many others. But Steve’s own versions are some of the best, with his warm baritone voice and his unique finger-picking guitar style. Steve has conducted songwriting workshops all over the US and Canada, and is on the Board of Directors of the Kerrville Folk Festival. He is author of the book Songwriting and the Creative Process, a standard text in songwriting groups. His latest CD is a coming-of-age story chronicling a fictional character during the jazz era.

Cindy Mangsen is "one of the finest singers in American folk music" (Come for to Sing). Accompanying herself on guitar, banjo, concertina, or mountain dulcimer, Cindy is known for her compelling interpretations of traditional ballads, as well as for her own writing and her wonderful ear for harmony. She has recorded several solo albums as well as collaborations with Steve Gillette, Priscilla Herdman, Anne Hills, and Michael Smith. Her latest solo album, Cat Tales, is devoted to "songs of the feline persuasion." Cindy has led singing and ballad workshops at the Augusta Heritage Center in West Virginia and The Woods in Ontario, Canada.

Railway Cafe Concerts take place at MCLA’s Gallery 51, 51 Main St., North Adams, MA at 7:30pm. Admission for this event is: $12 in advance, $15 at the door, $10 for students and seniors, and MCLA ID holders are admitted for an additional discount. To reserve, email or call 413 664 6393.

The next Railway Cafe Concert taked place THIS Friday, April 9th at 7:30 with Peter Mulvey and his special guest, Hayward Williams. Peter has been on the singer-songwriter circuit since the early 90’s when he was busking at one of the T stations in Boston. Two decades, a midwestern move and nearly 12 CDs later, Peter is still doing his thing: writing thoughtful songs and singing in his baritone voice.

Over the past 20 years, Mulvey has pursued a restless, eclectic path as a writer and musician - immersing himself in Tin Pan Alley jazz, modern acoustic, poetry, narrative, and Americana stylings. Relentlessly touring as a headliner – his attitude is, "When you love what you do, you can work all the time," – he has also shared the stage with luminaries such as Emmylou Harris, Richard Thompson, Ani diFranco, Indigo Girls, and Greg Brown, and has attracted an audience that stretches from Anchorage to Amsterdam.

His many years on the road have seasoned his abilities as a performer. Whether playing solo or with a band in tow, Mulvey has a rare ability to hold an audience’s attention and transport them, using wit, humor, and a subtle but sophisticated melodic and harmonic sensibility to gracefully introduce complex and provocative concepts and characters. His albums have always maintained the spontaneity and edge of his live performances. As a complement to his touring and recording, Peter has also kept a hand in education; teaching guitar and songwriting workshops across the country. His songs and deep voice have been heard in documentary films, major television shows, and by dance and theater companies. Still, it is the live performance that defines his work.

Said The Irish Times:"Peter Mulvey is consistently the most original and dynamic of the US singer-songwriters to tour these shores. A phenomenal performer with huge energy, a quick fire, quirky take on life, and an extraordinary guitar style. A joy to see."

His support and partner for the evening will be Hayward Williams. Peter has highly recommended his friend for this show and part of Peter’s tour. I figure if Peter Mulvey likes him, so will we and I look forward to hosting Hayward and Peter at the Railway Cafe on Friday, April 9th.

Railway Cafe Concerts take place at MCLA’s Gallery 51, 51 Main St., North Adams, MA at 7:30pm. Admission for this event is: $15 in advance, $18 at the door, $12 for students and seniors, and MCLA ID holders are admitted for an additional discount. To reserve, email or call 413 664 6393.

It’s time. It’s time for spring. It’s time for another Railway Cafe show. And it’s about time that we’ve hosted these two artists. Join us THIS Friday, March 12th at 7:30 pm at MCLA Gallery 51.
 
Reed Foehl, formerly of Acoustic Junction and Fool’s Progress, is a Massachusetts-native Coloradoan with strong friend and family ties here in the Berkshires. His brother Stewart will be opening for him, and you’ll be impressed with the talents of this musical family. Both Reed and Stewart were in Acoustic Junction, though both pursued more personal material not meant for the jam-band style of AJ. Within a couple of years after the band split, the Foehls each had solo albums of their own - and a solid, devoted following.
 
Reed has opened for some of my favorite performers including Patty Griffin and Ray LaMontagne, as well as Taj Mahal and Dave Matthews. Reed Foehl’s new record Once an Ocean pulls together a touch of country folk and edgy roots rock with the bold honesty intrinsic to modern songwriting – his landscape of lush tones and solid songs touches the raw truth of love and tragedy carved from the full range of human emotion. The Boston Globe says: "He sings like he feels every note… Each song tells a story, all of which he relates astonishingly well."
 
Stewart Lewis has a powerful stage presence and a soulful mix of folk and pop which have earned him the opportunity to open for Sheryl Crow, Ani Difranco, Shawn Colvin, Paula Cole, Roseanne Cash, and Patty Larkin. Besides expressive and emotional compositions, Stewart has also entered the writing world with a semi-autobiographical novel called "Rock Starlet".
 
You will not want to miss this rare appearance of the brothers Foehl. Admission for this event is $12 in advance, $15 at the door, $10 for students and seniors. MCLA ID holders get an additional discount. Railway Cafe Concerts take place at MCLA’s Gallery 51, 51 Main St., North Adams, at 7:30pm. To reserve in advance, call 413 664-6393, or email .