EC-CHAP Acoustic Artist Series:2023-2024 Talent Showcase All Stars

Tickets $15.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $20.00 at the Door

EC-CHAP MEMBER DISCOUNTS & FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM AVAILABLE

SPECIAL NOTE: EC-CHAP Talent Showcase represents a platform for anyone of any age to share their talent before a live audience. We are much more than an “Open Mic”- as we encourage talent sharing across any genre; and provide the time and opportunity to do so.

We respect and support the talent of ALL participants. Over the past year, we identified three individuals that have demonstrated a talent for writing original lyrics and musicianship and wish to highlight their talent trough this new event.

We invite you to join us for the debut of the “Talent Showcase All Stars” for EC-CHAP’s 2023-2024 performance Season!

Meet The All Stars!

Finn Rowan, Tom Turci & John Clark

Since 2016 EC-CHAP has offered a monthly Talent Showcase, settling in on the 2nd Wednesday of the month. Over the past eight (8) years, we have enjoyed a lot of folks sharing a lot of talent! From original music - to visual arts; from comedy - to movement; and from spoken word - to hula-hoop artists, we have been fortunate to offer a platform for individuals and groups to share their passion for creative expression.

During the pandemic, we were able to keep the fire burning for over a year through a “Virtual” Talent Showcase model. Folks would submit their work as a video clip, and we compiled their work and streamed a “live” monthly session publicly on our YouTube channel. We are grateful and appreciate all those that contributed and continued to support this offering through the years!

Finn Rowan is an indie folk singer/songwriter born and raised in CT. After learning to play guitar in high school, he quickly found his creative outlet in writing and have been using it ever since. In forever growing passion and love for music, he is working towards the creation of his first album. Until then you can follow his journey and listen to his sound on Facebook and Instagram @TheFinnRowan.

Tom Turci is a central Connecticut guitarist, singer and songsmith. His musical roots stem from bluegrass, blues, folk, rock and country. His original music echoes sounds from the 70's and earlier. Fingerstyle picking, downhome strumming, harmonicas singing and a voice all his own to give it life. Tom writes and performs solo around Connecticut. He also frequently performs with local Southington band "Shed Rats", and with musician Nathaniel Hintz. His mission is to bring community and authenticity back to music, providing the best and most genuine sound possible to his own music and performance. You can find out more about Tom's music on his website tomturci.com

John Clark has been a part of the local music scene in eastern Connecticut since he moved here from Florida at age seventeen. He has contributed vocals and rhythm guitar to several duos and various bands, including collaborations with his brother Marty Clark, as well as Nashville recording artist Sarah Lou Richards. All the while, he has been crafting a small trove of personal original songs composed of the various radical musings and eccentric observations of an unschooled creative and social dreamer. John gives voice to the inner workings of his heart and soul, and the excited anticipation of whatever comes next.

Join us for an evening of original acoustic music with these All Stars! This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP). Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm. Tickets $15.00 in advance online / $20.00 at the door. 20% Discount at Door for EC-CHAP Members.

Soft drinks and snacks available. "BYOB&F" - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required). You can also bring your paid ticket to Willington Pizza House (or WP Too) for eat-in or take-out the night of the show and receive 15% off your meal purchase. Ask for "The Packing House" pizza! Click here for secret recipe. 

For more information, please call 518-791-9474.

EC-CHAP Acoustic Artist Series: Mad Agnes CD Release (Folk)

Tickets $20.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $25.00 at the Door

EC-CHAP MEMBER DISCOUNTS & FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM AVAILABLE

Special Note: We welcome Mad Agnes to The Packing House Stage! Their classic Folk sounds and unique harmonies will take us back to a place we remember in this debut performance. Join us for this special evening of original music by these outstanding musicians.

The genre-bending trio, MAD AGNES, delivers smart songwriting, passionate performances, and an ease with one another on stage that invites the audience into their world of human connection and spontaneous fun. They transport listeners with well crafted instrumentation, using guitars, mandolin, ukulele, piano, an inventive keyboard, and three-part harmonies as tight as jeans from the dryer.

Mad Agnes has won hearts on two continents with their signature intricate harmonies, compelling songwriting, and passionate delivery. The genre-bending trio—Margo Hennebach, Adrienne Jones and Mark Saunders—creates an exciting, inclusive performance, delivering new original songs, selections from their thirteen album catalog, story telling and impromptu vocal improv.

“A refreshing adventure for those who enjoy well-sung and well-written acoustic music. Margo Hennebach, Adrienne Jones and Mark Saunders cast an enticing spell. [They] manage to be smooth and edgy at the same time, a rare feat.” Rich Warren, Sing Our! Magazine

“A refreshing adventure for those who enjoy well-sung and well-written acoustic music. Margo Hennebach, Adrienne Jones and Mark Saunders cast an enticing spell. [They] manage to be smooth and edgy at the same time, a rare feat.” Rich Warren, Sing Our! Magazine

“If you’ve been struggling to find a link back to that addictive sound of progressive/alternative folk groups like Steeleye Span, Fairport Convention and Renaissance, listen up...Mad Agnes recreates with authenticity many of the musical qualities that adored us to those aforementioned groups. It’s definitely magic.” Robert A. Lindquist, Singer Magazine

In their current iteration, Mad Agnes uses primarily one microphone around which they form and re-form, early-radio style. Their ease with one another on stage invites the audience into their world of human connection and spontaneous fun. Well-crafted instrumentation – using guitars, mandolin, ukulele, piano, melodica, an inventive keyboard and three-part harmonies as tight as jeans from the dryer – enthralls audiences again and again. Mad Agnes is now recording their newest studio album, “Llikey Story”.

Join us for an evening of nostalgia and harmony with Mad Agnes! This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP). Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm. Tickets $20.00 in advance online / $25.00 at the door. 20% Discount at Door for EC-CHAP Members.

Soft drinks and snacks available. "BYOB&F" - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required). You can also bring your paid ticket to Willington Pizza House (or WP Too) for eat-in or take-out the night of the show and receive 15% off your meal purchase. Ask for "The Packing House" pizza! Click here for secret recipe. 

For more information, please call 518-791-9474.

EC-CHAP Acoustic Artist Series: Julia Autumn Ford with Jeff Howard (Folk / Indie)

Tickets $20.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $25.00 at the Door

EC-CHAP MEMBER DISCOUNTS & FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM AVAILABLE

JULIA AUTUMN FORD is an international touring artist that has been playing professionally since she was a teenager. After spending her senior year of high school recording her debut self-titled EP, she graduated and immediately went on her first tour. She has toured extensively throughout the USA playing festivals, TV & radio. As a member of Belle of the Fall, an indie folk duo comprised of JAF and Tracy Walton, she released 3 critically acclaimed albums; Earthbound, Rise Up, and The Bending of Light.

JAF has a knack for writing songs that explore the depths of human existence. She can make the heaviest of subjects seem light as a feather. She is most known for her unique and ethereal voice which has been described as "buttered chocolate" and "as if fairies and cotton candy were playing together in a fishbowl".

She currently resides in the northwest corner of CT where she has a private music teaching studio and works at On Deck Sound Studio in Northfield, CT as a videographer and assistant engineer.

Julia will be accompanied by guitarist Jeff Howard.

JEFF HOWARD is a Great Barrington, MA based music educator and professional guitarist. From an early age Jeff immersed himself in live music and professional recording circles. At 14, Jeff joined the successful jam-band The McLovins. The group’s viral fame led Jeff to share the stage with legends such as Buddy Guy and Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips. Currently, Jeff enjoys working as a music department head at Miss Halls School in Pittsfield, MA.

Join us for an evening of original music with these excellent musicians! This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP). Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm. Tickets $20.00 in advance online / $25.00 at the door. 20% Discount at Door for EC-CHAP Members.

Soft drinks and snacks available. "BYOB&F" - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required). You can also bring your paid ticket to Willington Pizza House (or WP Too) for eat-in or take-out the night of the show and receive 15% off your meal purchase. Ask for "The Packing House" pizza! Click here for secret recipe. 

For more information, please call 518-791-9474.

EC-CHAP Acoustic Artist Series: Twice Around (Folk / Indie)

Tickets $20.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $25.00 at the Door

EC-CHAP MEMBER DISCOUNTS & FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM AVAILABLE

SPECIAL NOTE: Tune in for two upcoming radio interviews with Twice Around this week!

• 1:00pm, Wednesday, January 10th, “Pan American Express” with John Murphy, WECS, 90.1FM

• 3:00pm, Saturday, January 13th, Something Different” with Mark Ramone, WECS, 90.1FM

Very Special Note: Acoustic Duo, “Twice Around” opened our Performance Season in September 2019. Then COVID-19 came on the scene to close The Packing House from March 2020 to September 2021. Once again, “Twice Around” opened our “Reopening” Season in September 2021, and again last Season in 2022.

Well… They’re back! EC-CHAP is pleased to present this warm and seasoned acoustic duo: “Twice Around”!

TWICE AROUND is an acoustic duo equipped with a couple of guitars, their voices and a grand love of music. Their self-crafted songs tell stories of the heart (sometimes broken, sometimes full) and walking your own path. Longtime friends Frank Veres and Luisa Tanno have been making music together since 1996. They started in a 10-piece Funk band, then in a harmonious trio that eventually became a duo. Much of their music-making has been in Frank’s basement recording studio where they tinker and play to their heart’s content revealing their efforts onstage and in three full length CDs of original music.

They may be considered a modern, yet semi-throwback duo with a sound that could be classified as singer/songwriter with an essence of Pop and Melancholy. The foundation of their music is acoustic guitar and vocals; often with harmonies and guitar interplay, sometimes just one guitar and one voice, raw and rich. Their latest CD "Here Before" features 12 original songs that explore the ups and downs of all matters of the heart with an optimistic perspective. We’ve all been “Here Before”. They play original music along with a selection of familiar and unexpected covers.

Over the decades they have gone through cycles of performing every weekend and cycles of performing a few times a year, but never have they been away from audiences, and each other, for this long. Like all of us, they’ve missed the singular connection that happens when sharing the experience of live music, especially in true listening spaces such as The Packing House. An evening with them includes original music, stories in between songs and a real affection for their audience. You can get a preview of their music by visiting the listening page of their website: https://twice-around.net/home

Join us for an evening of original music with Twice Around! This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP). Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm. Tickets $20.00 in advance online / $25.00 at the door. 20% Discount at Door for EC-CHAP Members.

Soft drinks and snacks available. "BYOB&F" - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required). You can also bring your paid ticket to Willington Pizza House (or WP Too) for eat-in or take-out the night of the show and receive 15% off your meal purchase. Ask for "The Packing House" pizza! Click here for secret recipe. 

For more information, please call 518-791-9474.

EC-CHAP Acoustic Artist Series: Sperry Creek (Bluegrass)

Tickets $20.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $25.00 at the Door

EC-CHAP MEMBER DISCOUNTS & FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM AVAILABLE

SPERRY CREEK bring fresh harmonies and instrumentation that hold true to the bluegrass genre. This five-piece band from Connecticut formed after some local pickers spent the height of the pandemic keeping each other sane through socially distant backyard jam sessions. It didn’t take the group long to realize that good sounds were happening. They soon adopted the name of a nearby creek, and the band was officially formed in the summer of 2020.

Sperry Creek is made up of longtime musicians Scott Freemantle (bass); Marilyn Toback-Reveley (guitar); Bill Reveley (fiddle); Corrie Folsom-O’Keefe (mandolin) and Dan O’Keefe (banjo), who all share a passion for bluegrass music. A culmination of musicians from other well known CT bands, Sperry Creek has allowed us to share our love of music with others throughout the New England bluegrass scene.

Please join us for an evening of classic bluegrass. This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP). Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm.. Special Pricing: Tickets $20.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $25.00 Cash Only at the Door.

 Soft drinks and snacks available. We are pleased to offer our exclusive "BYOB&F" TM model - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required).  You can also bring your paid ticket to Willington Pizza House (or WP Too) for eat-in or take-out the night of the show and receive 15% off your meal purchase. Ask for "The Packing House" pizza! Click HERE for secret recipe. 

 For more information, please visit: www.thepackinghouse/upcoming or call 518-791-9474.

EC-CHAP Acoustic Artist Series: Ramblin' Dan Stevens (Blues)

Tickets $20.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $25.00 at the Door

EC-CHAP MEMBER DISCOUNTS & FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM AVAILABLE

At the young age of sixteen, DAN STEVEN's romantic streak was ignited by his first guitar teacher in small town central Pennsylvania who told him stories about the lives of traveling blues musicians like Mississippi John Hurt and Fred McDowell. After being inspired by Woody Guthrie’s book, “Bound for Glory”, the magnetic lure of the road captured his imagination and with a driving passion he hitchhiked and hopped freight trains, guitar in hand across the United States five times, eventually covering over 100,000 miles.

Always seeking diverse experiences, he has worked as a teacher in Pennsylvania and Arizona, a rock climbing instructor in New Mexico, broke his collarbone riding bulls in Colorado.and sailed schooners for a living on the Eastern seaboard. He lived full time on his own wooden sloop in Mystic CT for a couple of years while performing solo up and down the East Coast. A highlight of this period was sailing throughout Central and South America as mate aboard David Crosby’s (Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young) sailboat, the Mayan.

Musically, Dan continued to hone his guitar skills taking lessons from renowned acoustic guitarist and W.C. Handy Award winner Paul Rishell, who taught him how to play slide. Later, he was blessed to study with Greenwich Village based folk/blues icon Dave Van Ronk during the last years of Van Ronk’s storied life. His repertoire reflects the influence of his revered teachers who actually knew and performed with many of the legendary blues masters. His tastes include delta blues “bottleneck slide” tunes, the more carefree piedmont style, and arrangements comprised of complex orchestration with plenty of chord changes up the neck in the spirit of Dave Van Ronk. His originals remain true to the traditional forces which powerfully shaped his early musical development and prompt listeners to praise the authenticity of his approach.

As a full time professional musician since 1991, Dan continues to tour incessantly along the East Coast, U.S. Virgin Islands, U.K., Germany and Canada. He has appeared with such artists as Johnny Winter, James Cotton, Charlie Musselwhite, Arlo Guthrie, Richie Havens, Charlie Daniels, Livingston Taylor, Ronnie Earl, and others. An irrepressible guitar collector, Dan 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 Gibson J-200, 1950’s Sears Silvertone, a 1931 National Steel, a retro lime green Resophonic, and more.

Dan’s most recent CD, “Dirt Floor Sessions”, has been described as having a real, raw, rockin' feel with songs encompassing sounds from his major influences. Several cuts are interpretations of intricate finger style arrangements learned directly from mentor Dave Van Ronk. Others invoke the spirit of the delta through his newfound interest in primitive homemade instruments, specifically the 3 stringed cigar box guitar and one stringed diddley bow. Rounded out with Dan's originals and the addition in just the right spots of tuba, clarinet, lap steel and percussion, the disc is a true snapshot of his musical evolution.

Termed “Connecticut’s hardest working bluesman” by the New York Times in 2002, he plays over 200 engagements a year, including concerts, clubs, festivals, coffeehouses, community and private events and educational programs. He has appeared at Long Island’s Riverhead Blues Festival; the Berlin Blues Festival in Connecticut; was the closer in the acoustic section of the Fleet Blues Festival in Albany, New York and Pennsylvania’s Harry Smith Festival. Dan was a finalist at the International Blues Challenge '08 on Beale Street in Memphis TN with partner Chris D'Amato and has been chosen to be included on the roster of the Music Under New York program enabling him to perform in prime locations throughout the MTA system such as Times Square and Grand Central Station. He is also endorsed by Connecticut’s State Arts Commission and the New England Foundation for the Arts. He lives on the shoreline in Old Lyme, Connecticut with his wife Gail and daughter, Haley.

Join us for an evening of great stories and sassy blues with Ramblin' Dan. This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP). Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm. Tickets $20.00 in advance online / $25.00 at the door.

Soft drinks and snacks available. We are pleased to offer our exclusive "BYOB&F" TM model - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required).  You can also bring your paid ticket to Willington Pizza House (or WP Too) for eat-in or take-out the night of the show and receive 15% off your meal purchase. Ask for "The Packing House" pizza! Click HERE for secret recipe. 

 For more information, please visit: www.thepackinghouse/upcoming or call 518-791-9474.

EC-CHAP Acoustic Artist Series: Poor Monroe (Bluegrass)

Tickets $20.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $25.00 at the Door

EC-CHAP MEMBER DISCOUNTS & FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM AVAILABLE

NOTE: Poor Monroe returns to The Packing House! We welcome Eric Lee (guitar/fiddle), Sean Davis (guitar), Gareth Buckley (bass), Chris Boucher (banjo), and John Benjamin (mandolin) to share their unique blend in our intimate Listening Room.

Formed at the start of 2021, POOR MONROE is a New England-based bluegrass collaboration of long-time friends with nearly a century’s worth of performing experience (cumulatively speaking).

In addition to receiving two New England Music Awards nominations, and enjoyed a tremendous break out year, with performances including the Green River Festival, Podunk Bluegrass Festival, Ossippee Valley Music Festival, Basin Bluegrass Festival, and Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival. That’s no small feat, considering the band is less than two years young.

Drawing from distinct musical paths, this energetic group of seasoned players bring a unique approach to their performances, delivering unmistakably tight vocal harmonies and scorching tempos that form the benchmark of the genre.

Featuring songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Eric Lee, guitarist Sean Davis, bassist Gareth Buckley, banjoist Chris Boucher, and mandolinist John Benjamin, Poor Monroe is a collaboration of long-time friends whose dedication and expertly-honed performances catch the attention of every audience.

Performing original and traditional material with a deep sense of honoring the legacy of bluegrass music, this group of fiscally-bereft but spirit-full individuals shows how a love of music and good sense of humor can transcend trying times.

Please join us for an evening of original bluegrass music - from high energy foot-stompin’ tunes to emotional tear jerkin’ arrangements by this new bluegrass band. This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP). Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm. Tickets $20.00 Advance (Online) / $25.00 Door.

 Soft drinks and snacks available. We are pleased to offer our exclusive "BYOB&F" TM model - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required).  You can also bring your paid ticket to Willington Pizza House (or WP Too) for eat-in or take-out the night of the show and receive 15% off your meal purchase. Ask for "The Packing House" pizza! Click HERE for secret recipe. 

 For more information, please visit: www.thepackinghouse/upcoming or call 518-791-9474.

EC-CHAP Acoustic Artist Series: Bastards of Fine Arts (Indie/Folk/Rock)

Tickets $20.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $25.00 at the Door

EC-CHAP MEMBER DISCOUNTS & FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM AVAILABLE

NOTE: I had the opportunity to meet Steve Mayone, founding member of the Bastards of Fine Arts twice - when he accompanied Kate Taylor at The Packing House pre and post pandemic. Our most recent encounter led to his return with his acoustic duo including Matt Keating, the other original “Bastard”. It is with great pleasure that we present Steve and Matt as the Bastards of Fine Arts! Join us for these incredibly talented musicians as they fill our intimate listening room with their original acoustic works!

BASTARDS OF FINE ARTS are a new band with old roots: MATT KEATING and STEVE MAYONE are songwriting veterans, singularly releasing multiple albums and garnering rave reviews from around the world. Both began their careers in the 1990’s with bands and as solo artists, sharing the studio and stage with Levon Helm, David Bowie and Larry Campbell. NPR says of Keating "In a career spanning 20 years, Keating has established himself as one of America's great under the radar songwriters. His work is rife with clever incisive tunefulness." Of Mayone Americana UK says "The stark truth is Mayone is a master songsmith. He crafts and molds his stories eloquently and intelligently and there's not many that you can say that about".

Keating and Mayone joined forces in 2014 and began a productive songwriting collaboration. Joined by Jason Mercer on Bass (Ron Sexsmith, Ani DeFranco) and Greg Wieczorek on Drums (Norah Jones, Autumn Defense) they began playing gigs and creating a weekly music video series “New Song Forward Friday”. Their debut album A GOOD SIGN was released in 2022 to early rave reviews. Stereo Embers The Podcast calls it “… A joyous and jangly blast of hook-laden indie pop” while Dirty Rock proclaims A GOOD SIGN to be “one of the best albums of the year”.

“The band has filled out their sound with rhythm stalwarts bassist Jason Mercer (Ron Sexsmith, Oh Pep) and drummer Greg Wieczorek (Norah Jones, Autumn Defense). Fans of the Jayhawks, the Flying Burrito Brothers, and singer-songwriters in the vein of Lyle Lovett, Freedy Johnston, Lowell George and Michael Penn will find something to enjoy on A GOOD SIGN.” -ROCK CELLAR MAGAZINE

“Matt Keating and Steve Mayone met in New York in 2016, since then they haven't stopped playing together and call themselves Bastards of Fine Arts. The fruit of that friendship is a lush debut album called A GOOD SIGN. The result is a superb 14-song album of catchy American rock jam packed with fabulous melodies balancing power pop and upbeat folk with perfect arrangements to remote woods, perfect for casting an intimate campfire glow from New York. The band that accompanied Bastards of Fine Arts is bassist Jason Mercer (Ron Sexsmith, Oh Pep) and drummer Greg Wieczorek (Norah Jones, Autumn Defense) to make one of the best albums of the year.” - DIRTY ROCK

“… A joyous and jangly blast of hook-laden indie pop” - STEREO EMBERS THE PODCAST

Please join us for an evening of original acoustic music from these outstanding”Bastards”! A show not to miss! This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP). Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm. Tickets $20.00 Advance (Online) / $25.00 Door.

 Soft drinks and snacks available. We are pleased to offer our exclusive "BYOB&F" TM model - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required).  You can also bring your paid ticket to Willington Pizza House (or WP Too) for eat-in or take-out the night of the show and receive 15% off your meal purchase. Ask for "The Packing House" pizza! Click HERE for secret recipe. 

 For more information, please visit: www.thepackinghouse/upcoming or call 518-791-9474.

EC-CHAP Acoustic Artist Series: A Special Evening with Lyricist and Composer Crys Matthews (Indie)

Tickets $25.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $30.00 at the Door

EC-CHAP MEMBER DISCOUNTS & FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM AVAILABLE

SPECIAL NOTE: EC-CHAP is excited to welcome prolific lyricist, composer, and performing artist Crys Matthews to The Packing House! Crys's debut performance in our intimate setting will confirm the truth of her words and power in her messages - leaving you wanting more. From her home in Washington DC to Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, Crys Matthews is on a trajectory for national recognition. This is a performance not to miss!

CRYS MATTHEWS is nothing if not ambitious. In August 2019, she simultaneously released both a new full-length album, The Imagineers and an EP, Battle Hymn For An Army Of Lovers. These collections showcase two sides of Matthews’ dynamic songwriting; The Imagineers is a selection of thoughtful songs about love and life while Battle Hymn For An Army Of Lovers tackles social justice themes. Songs from both projects have already won her recognition and awards. She was one of ten finalists (from a pool of 5,000) in the year's New Song Music Competition and, after performing at Lincoln Center on November 30th she was named grand-prize winner. Matthews also won the People Music Network's Social Just Songs contest at the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance.

Matthews blends Americana, folk, jazz, blues, bluegrass and funk into a bold, complex performance steeped in traditional melodies and punctuated by honest, original lyrics. Having been compared to everyone from Toshi Reagon to Tracy Chapman to Ruthie Foster, Matthews’ eclectic infusion of genres has won her honorable mentions at the 2013 and 2014 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest and extensive radio play from Woman of Substance radio to WTJU-Charlottesville and WMRA-Harrisonburg to KBOO-Portland.Matthews has shared stages with Melissa Ferrick, Chris Pureka and Liz Longley, as well as several regional artists such as Owen Danoff, Eliot Bronson, and Heather Mae.

Equally at home in an acoustic listening room as she is on stage at large music festivals, Matthews has quickly gathered a loyal following on the east coast playing such prestigious venues as The Birchmere, The Hamilton, and Jammin' Java. Matthews’ festival and showcase roster has included BMI's Island Hopper Songwriter Festival, the 40th Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival, Folk Alliance International, 30A Songwriters Festival, Northeast Regional Folk Alliance and many more.

A prolific lyricist and composer, Matthews has found inspiration in her surroundings; from driving through the Blue Ridge Mountains to the compelling and heart-breaking love story of Richard and Mildred Loving. Thoughtful, realistic and emotional, Matthews’ songs speak to the voice of our generation and remind us why music indeed soothes the soul.

Join us for a special evening with this powerful singer-songwriter. This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP). Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm. Tickets $25.00 in advance online / $30.00 at the door.

Soft drinks and snacks available. We are pleased to offer our exclusive "BYOB&F" TM model - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required).  You can also bring your paid ticket to Willington Pizza House (or WP Too) for eat-in or take-out the night of the show and receive 15% off your meal purchase. Ask for "The Packing House" pizza! Click HERE for secret recipe. 

 For more information, please call 518-791-9474.

EC-CHAP Acoustic Artist Series: Poor Monroe (Bluegrass)

Tickets $20.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $25.00 at the Door

EC-CHAP MEMBER DISCOUNTS & FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM AVAILABLE

NOTE: Eric Lee, (fiddler extraordinaire) returns to The Packing House with “Poor Monroe”. - a fresh authentic bluegrass project. We welcome Eric Lee (guitar/fiddle), Sean Davis (guitar), Gareth Buckley (bass), Chris Boucher (banjo), and John Benjamin (mandolin) to share their unique blend in our intimate Listening Room.

Formed at the start of 2021, POOR MONROE is a New England-based bluegrass collaboration of long-time friends with nearly a century’s worth of performing experience (cumulatively speaking).

In addition to receiving two New England Music Awards nominations, and enjoyed a tremendous break out year, with performances including the Green River Festival, Podunk Bluegrass Festival, Ossippee Valley Music Festival, Basin Bluegrass Festival, and Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival. That’s no small feat, considering the band is less than two years young.

Drawing from distinct musical paths, this energetic group of seasoned players bring a unique approach to their performances, delivering unmistakably tight vocal harmonies and scorching tempos that form the benchmark of the genre.

Featuring songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Eric Lee, guitarist Sean Davis, bassist Gareth Buckley, banjoist Chris Boucher, and mandolinist John Benjamin, Poor Monroe is a collaboration of long-time friends whose dedication and expertly-honed performances catch the attention of every audience.

Performing original and traditional material with a deep sense of honoring the legacy of bluegrass music, this group of fiscally-bereft but spirit-full individuals shows how a love of music and good sense of humor can transcend trying times.

Please join us for an evening of original bluegrass music - from high energy foot-stompin’ tunes to emotional tear jerkin’ arrangements by this new bluegrass band. This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP). Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm. Tickets $20.00 Advance (Online) / $25.00 Door.

 Soft drinks and snacks available. We are pleased to offer our exclusive "BYOB&F" TM model - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required).  You can also bring your paid ticket to Willington Pizza House (or WP Too) for eat-in or take-out the night of the show and receive 15% off your meal purchase. Ask for "The Packing House" pizza! Click HERE for secret recipe. 

 For more information, please visit: www.thepackinghouse/upcoming or call 518-791-9474.

EC-CHAP Acoustic Artist Series: Sperry Creek (Bluegrass)

Tickets $20.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $25.00 at the Door

EC-CHAP MEMBER DISCOUNTS & FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM AVAILABLE

SPERRY CREEK bring fresh harmonies and instrumentation that hold true to the bluegrass genre. This five-piece band from Connecticut formed after some local pickers spent the height of the pandemic keeping each other sane through socially distant backyard jam sessions. It didn’t take the group long to realize that good sounds were happening. They soon adopted the name of a nearby creek, and the band was officially formed in the summer of 2020.

Sperry Creek is made up of longtime musicians Scott Freemantle (bass); Marilyn Toback-Reveley (guitar); Bill Reveley (fiddle); Corrie Folsom-O’Keefe (mandolin) and Dan O’Keefe (banjo), who all share a passion for bluegrass music. A culmination of musicians from other well known CT bands, Sperry Creek has allowed us to share our love of music with others throughout the New England bluegrass scene.

Please join us for an evening of classic bluegrass. This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP). Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm.. Special Pricing: Tickets $20.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $25.00 Cash Only at the Door.

 Soft drinks and snacks available. We are pleased to offer our exclusive "BYOB&F" TM model - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required).  You can also bring your paid ticket to Willington Pizza House (or WP Too) for eat-in or take-out the night of the show and receive 15% off your meal purchase. Ask for "The Packing House" pizza! Click HERE for secret recipe. 

 For more information, please visit: www.thepackinghouse/upcoming or call 518-791-9474.

EC-CHAP Acoustic Artist Series: Ramblin' Dan Stevens (Blues)

Tickets $20.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $25.00 at the Door

EC-CHAP MEMBER DISCOUNTS & FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM AVAILABLE

At the young age of sixteen, DAN STEVEN's romantic streak was ignited by his first guitar teacher in small town central Pennsylvania who told him stories about the lives of traveling blues musicians like Mississippi John Hurt and Fred McDowell. After being inspired by Woody Guthrie’s book, “Bound for Glory”, the magnetic lure of the road captured his imagination and with a driving passion he hitchhiked and hopped freight trains, guitar in hand across the United States five times, eventually covering over 100,000 miles.

Always seeking diverse experiences, he has worked as a teacher in Pennsylvania and Arizona, a rock climbing instructor in New Mexico, broke his collarbone riding bulls in Colorado.and sailed schooners for a living on the Eastern seaboard. He lived full time on his own wooden sloop in Mystic CT for a couple of years while performing solo up and down the East Coast. A highlight of this period was sailing throughout Central and South America as mate aboard David Crosby’s (Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young) sailboat, the Mayan.

Musically, Dan continued to hone his guitar skills taking lessons from renowned acoustic guitarist and W.C. Handy Award winner Paul Rishell, who taught him how to play slide. Later, he was blessed to study with Greenwich Village based folk/blues icon Dave Van Ronk during the last years of Van Ronk’s storied life. His repertoire reflects the influence of his revered teachers who actually knew and performed with many of the legendary blues masters. His tastes include delta blues “bottleneck slide” tunes, the more carefree piedmont style, and arrangements comprised of complex orchestration with plenty of chord changes up the neck in the spirit of Dave Van Ronk. His originals remain true to the traditional forces which powerfully shaped his early musical development and prompt listeners to praise the authenticity of his approach.

As a full time professional musician since 1991, Dan continues to tour incessantly along the East Coast, U.S. Virgin Islands, U.K., Germany and Canada. He has appeared with such artists as Johnny Winter, James Cotton, Charlie Musselwhite, Arlo Guthrie, Richie Havens, Charlie Daniels, Livingston Taylor, Ronnie Earl, and others. An irrepressible guitar collector, Dan 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 Gibson J-200, 1950’s Sears Silvertone, a 1931 National Steel, a retro lime green Resophonic, and more.

Dan’s most recent CD, “Dirt Floor Sessions”, has been described as having a real, raw, rockin' feel with songs encompassing sounds from his major influences. Several cuts are interpretations of intricate finger style arrangements learned directly from mentor Dave Van Ronk. Others invoke the spirit of the delta through his newfound interest in primitive homemade instruments, specifically the 3 stringed cigar box guitar and one stringed diddley bow. Rounded out with Dan's originals and the addition in just the right spots of tuba, clarinet, lap steel and percussion, the disc is a true snapshot of his musical evolution.

Termed “Connecticut’s hardest working bluesman” by the New York Times in 2002, he plays over 200 engagements a year, including concerts, clubs, festivals, coffeehouses, community and private events and educational programs. He has appeared at Long Island’s Riverhead Blues Festival; the Berlin Blues Festival in Connecticut; was the closer in the acoustic section of the Fleet Blues Festival in Albany, New York and Pennsylvania’s Harry Smith Festival. Dan was a finalist at the International Blues Challenge '08 on Beale Street in Memphis TN with partner Chris D'Amato and has been chosen to be included on the roster of the Music Under New York program enabling him to perform in prime locations throughout the MTA system such as Times Square and Grand Central Station. He is also endorsed by Connecticut’s State Arts Commission and the New England Foundation for the Arts. He lives on the shoreline in Old Lyme, Connecticut with his wife Gail and daughter, Haley.

Join us for an evening of great stories and sassy blues with Ramblin' Dan. This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP). Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm. Tickets $20.00 in advance online / $25.00 at the door.

Soft drinks and snacks available. We are pleased to offer our exclusive "BYOB&F" TM model - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required).  You can also bring your paid ticket to Willington Pizza House (or WP Too) for eat-in or take-out the night of the show and receive 15% off your meal purchase. Ask for "The Packing House" pizza! Click HERE for secret recipe. 

 For more information, please visit: www.thepackinghouse/upcoming or call 518-791-9474.

EC-CHAP Acoustic Artist Series: Tracy Walton with Jeffrey Howard (Indie/Folk)

Tickets $20.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $25.00 at the Door

Socially Distanced Tables | Masks Optional

EC-CHAP MEMBER DISCOUNTS & FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM AVAILABLE

You may have seen Tracy Walton on our stage as part of Belle of the Fall. Tracy returns as a Solo Artist, revealing a new set of original work.

TRACY WALTON wears many musical hats: Singer songwriter, bassist, producer, author, and studio owner. He has toured the country with various groups including most recently the duo Belle of the Fall. Tracy has also played bass with David Bromberg, and Vernon Reid among others.

Tracy's 4th solo album, Small Town America has just been released (summer 2021). He also produces albums for artists at his studio, On Deck Sound Studio, in Northfield CT. Tracy will be joined by Jeffrey Howard on guitar.

Please join us for an evening of original works and debut of Tracy’s new solo album Small Town America. This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP). Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm. Tickets $20.00 Advance (Online) / $25.00 Door.

 Soft drinks and snacks available. We are pleased to offer our exclusive "BYOB&F" TM model - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required).  You can also bring your paid ticket to Willington Pizza House (or WP Too) for eat-in or take-out the night of the show and receive 15% off your meal purchase. Ask for "The Packing House" pizza! Click HERE for secret recipe. 

For more information, please call 518-791-9474.

EC-CHAP Acoustic Artist Series: Ash & Eric (Indie/Folk)

Tickets $20.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $25.00 at the Door

Socially Distanced Tables | Masks Optional

EC-CHAP MEMBER DISCOUNTS & FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM AVAILABLE

Ash & Eric, a fresh creative Massachusetts based acoustic duo debuts at The Packing House on December 3rd! Their thoughtful lyrics and sweet melodies will make you wanting more.

ASH & ERIC have never shied away from life’s hard edges. The married couple’s new album “Sure” (May 2022) is “a tale of love… [with] some heartaches and a pinch of disputation along the way” (Americana UK). Hailing from the gritty heart of New England (Worcester, MA), the two find consolation in discovering beauty in the challenges of life.

Their musings reflect the hope and pain we all experience, sung in voices as vulnerable and honest as their lyrics. Their songs feel like a warm welcome, a shoulder to lean on and a hand to hold at the end of a long day. No Depression says their writing will leave listeners “...coming away from many of these [songs] cleansed,”. Their warm harmonies, swirling acoustic guitars, and easy stage presence have earned them a dedicated following in the emerging US folk scene, performing with folk legends like Livingston Taylor, Mark Erelli and Vance Gilbert.

Their independent 9-song release, “Sure”, was recorded, mixed and produced by Eric at a boarding school in Western Massachusetts, and will be accompanied by a feature-length film, releasing fall 2022.

Please join us for an evening of original works from this acoustic duo. This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP). Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm. Tickets $20.00 Advance (Online) / $25.00 Door.

 Soft drinks and snacks available. We are pleased to offer our exclusive "BYOB&F" TM model - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required).  You can also bring your paid ticket to Willington Pizza House (or WP Too) for eat-in or take-out the night of the show and receive 15% off your meal purchase. Ask for "The Packing House" pizza! Click HERE for secret recipe. 

 For more information, please call 518-791-9474.

EC-CHAP Acoustic Artist Series: A Special Evening with Tom Paxton and the DonJuans (Folk)

Tickets $35.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $40.00 at the Door

Socially Distanced Tables | Masks Optional

EC-CHAP MEMBER DISCOUNTS & FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM AVAILABLE

November 3, 2022 will certainly be a Special Evening at The Packing House! Folk Legend and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Tom Paxton will grace our stage with his song, humor, and wit. Tom will be joined by Acoustic Duo and Grammy winning artists, the “DonJuans”. This is a show not to miss!

TOM PAXTON as become a voice of his generation, addressing issues of injustice and inhumanity, laying bare the absurdities of modern culture and celebrating the tenderest bonds of family, friends, and community.

In describing Tom Paxton’s influence on his fellow musicians, Pete Seeger has said: “Tom’s songs have a way of sneaking up on you. You find yourself humming them, whistling them, and singing a verse to a friend. Like the songs of Woody Guthrie, they’re becoming part of America.” Pete goes on: “In a small village near Calcutta, in 1998, a villager who could not speak English sang me What Did You Learn In School Today? in Bengali! Tom Paxton’s songs are reaching around the world more than he is, or any of us could have realized. Keep on, Tom!”

Guy Clark adds: “Thirty years ago Tom Paxton taught a generation of traditional folksingers that it was noble to write your own songs, and, like a good guitar, he just gets better with age.” Paxton has been an integral part of the songwriting and folk music community since the early 60’s Greenwich Village scene, and continues to be a primary influence on today’s “New Folk” performers. The Chicago native came to New York via Oklahoma, which he considers to be his home state. His family moved there in 1948, when Tom was 10 years old, and he graduated from Bristow High School and The University of Oklahoma, where he majored in drama while his interest in folk music grew and eventually predominated.

Brought to New York courtesy of the US Army, Tom remained there following his discharge. His early success in Greenwich Village coffeehouses, such as The Gaslight and The Bitter End, led to an ever increasing circle of work. Then in 1965 he made his first tour of the United Kingdom — the beginning of a still-thriving professional relationship that has included at least one tour in each of the succeeding years.

He has performed thousands of concerts around the world in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, Scandinavia, France, Italy, Belgium, Holland, England, Scotland, Ireland and Canada. That these fans still enjoy his work is a testament to the quality of his recent work, and to the enduring power of modern standards like The Last Thing On My Mind, Ramblin’ Boy, Bottle Of Wine, Whose Garden Was This?, Goin’ To The Zoo and The Marvelous Toy. Paxton’s songbooks, critically acclaimed children’s books (available from HarperCollins – see the page for children), award-winning children’s recordings, and a catalog of hundreds of songs (also recorded by many renowned artists including Willie Nelson, Placido Domingo, Paul Simon, Townes Van Zandt and Tiny Tim), all serve to document Tom Paxton’s 40-year career.

Tom received a 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy during the 51st Annual GRAMMY® Awards. He was nominated for a GRAMMY for Comedians and Angels in 2007, and Live in the U.K. in 2006. He was also nominated for GRAMMYS in 2003 for his Appleseed Records CD, Looking For The Moon, and in 2002 for his children’s CD, Your Shoes, My Shoes. He has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from ASCAP, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the BBC in London.

Tom Paxton’s place in folk music is secured not just by hit records and awards, but by the admiration of three generations of fellow musicians. An internationally recognized and loved cultural figure, he has always chosen goodwill over commercial success. His generosity has taken the shape of a benefit concert performance for a little girl fighting leukemia, or a personal note of encouragement to an up-and-coming songwriter. This is the man who wrote and lives the words, “Peace will come, and let it begin with me.”

He is one of the great songwriters of the last century and will be reckoned as one of the greats in this new century, as well. He is a man we have come to regard as our friend.

THE DONJUANS will join Tom Paxton to make this memorable evening one to never forget!

By their name you might assume that the DonJuans rely merely on their good looks. However, you will be impressed to know that the group includes two GRAMMY® Award-winning songwriters, Don Henry and Jon Vezner. Their song, “Where’ve You Been” (recorded by Kathy Mattea) was the first song in country music history to sweep all major song of the year honors including the GRAMMY®, ACM®, CMA, and the Nashville Songwriter’s Association International (NSAI) awards.

In the nearly 25 years since “Where’ve You Been,” Don and Jon have performed in venues from the Bottom Line in New York City to the Bluebird Café in Nashville, sharing stages with artists as diverse as Joey Ramone, John Hartford, Michael Johnson, and David Crosby. Their songs have been recorded by a multitude of artists including Janis Ian, Ray Charles, John Mellencamp, and Miranda Lambert to name a few. Working as a duo, the DonJuans bring an impressive array of songs, experience, and gifted musicianship.

Collectively, songs by Tom Paxton and the Don Juans have been covered by: Harry Belafonte, John Mellencamp, Miranda Lambert, Neil Diamond, Ray Charles, Nancy Griffith, Judy Collins, Pete Seeger, Janis Ian, Kathy Mattea, John Denver, Faith Hill, B.J. Thomas, Blake Shelton, Peter, Paul & Mary and Bob Dylan… just to name a few! Within days of writing and playing together, they knew they were onto something. Now they’re taking it on the road!

Join us for a Special Evening with Folk Icon Tom Paxton and the DonJuans! This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP). Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm. Tickets $35.00 in advance online / $40.00 at the door. 20% Discount at Door for EC-CHAP Members.

Soft drinks and snacks available. "BYOB&F" - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required). You can also bring your paid ticket to Willington Pizza House (or WP Too) for eat-in or take-out the night of the show and receive 15% off your meal purchase. Ask for "The Packing House" pizza! Click here for secret recipe. 

For more information, please call 518-791-9474.

EC-CHAP Special Program: An Evening with The Blues Project (Rock)

Tickets $30.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $35.00 at the Door

Socially Distanced Tables | Masks Optional

EC-CHAP MEMBER DISCOUNTS & FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM AVAILABLE

We are excited to present this Special Program featuring The Blues Project! Steve Katz, one of the founding members shared his stories of his time with The Blues Project and Blood Sweat and Tears at The Packing House last April. He now returns with original member Roy Blumenfeld and the entire band. Join us for trip back in Rock & Roll History!

In the fall of 1965, The Blues Project played alongside the likes of Big Joe Williams, Son House, Bukka White, Skip James, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters and Otis Spann, to name a few. It was these legendary sold-out performances at the famed Cafe Au Go Go in Greenwich Village that eventually led to the release of their phenomenal debut album, Live at the Cafe Au Go Go. The Blues Project made a musical revolution, turning many people on to the American blues heritage.

The blues, however was only their starting point…

In 1966, after their leader Danny Kalb declared that "we're not reviving the blues, we're looking to interpret what's happening today," the Blues Project moved beyond the blues and recorded their studio masterpiece, Projections, an album that defies description, ranging from folk-rock to soul, from rock 'n' roll and blues to jazz, all blended together to produce a tremendously wide spectrum of music. With that album they advertised that there was no type of music they could not play, always managing to give each their own special sound - a bit of rock 'n' roll, a touch of rhythm 'n' blues, some soul, a dash of jazz, and you still have only a portion of their style.

Straight out of New York, the Blues Project soon toured all over North America. Back then, California, was the place to be, with San Francisco and Los Angeles as the two epicenters of the new age of rock and roll. The five New Yorkers played there and conquered the West.

In Los Angeles, MGM gave them the red carpet treatment They were put up at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, given a tour of the Hollywood film studios, and were even rewarded with a private showing of the new David Lean film, Doctor Zhivago.

In San Francisco, the birthplace of the hippie counterculture movement and of the psychedelic rock, they achieved the admiration of their local peers. The not-yet famous Grace Slick, for example, dreamed to be the band's new female singer after sharing the bill with them at the Avalon Ballroom when she was still a member of the Great Society. Ed Denson, manager of Country Joe and the Fish, was another who became an instant fan after seeing them at the Matrix. "Their stage presence and their performance have an authority which comes from the secure knowledge that they are one of the best groups going," he recalls. "For the three weeks that they were here they were indisputably the best band in the city."

He was so right. Danny Kalb on lead guitar, Steve Katz on rhythm guitar and harmonica, Roy Blumenfeld on drums, Andy Kulberg on bass and flute, and Al Kooper on organ, all skillful musicians who mastered their instruments. They were so talented and versatile that they set a high standard for other performers of their generation.

In 1967, at the peak of their success and after the release of their third album, Live at Town Hall, the band appeared at one of their last gigs - the legendary Monterey International Pop Festival which featured Otis Redding, The Byrds, Jimi Hendrix and many more soon to be legends. The Blues Project then split up in two different directions, with Kooper and Katz forming Blood, Sweat & Tears, and Kulberg and Blumenfeld keeping the Blues Project name and carrying on for another year and for another album, Planned Obsolescence, before changing the name of the group to Seatrain.

At the dawn of the 70s, for the joy of their old fans, Danny Kalb and Roy Blumenfeld put together a new version of the Blues Project with which they released two new albums, Lazarus in 1971, and Blues Project in 1972. The good reception eventually led to what their fans really wanted and waited for for a long time, i.e. the reunion tour of the classic lineup which culminated with their widely acclaimed appearance at the 6th Annual Schaefer Music Festival in Central Park in June of 1973, and with the release of a live album, Reunion In Central Park.

After a few sporadic reunion concerts through the 80s and 90s, the "original" Blues Project disbanded for good, most of all because Al Kooper became too busy with his solo career, and the passing away of Andy Kulberg in 2008. Despite it all, even in the new millennium, the band maintained a die hard fan base of old and new fans, so it was mostly for them that at least Danny Kalb, Steve Katz, and Roy Blumenfeld, did a new reunion tour in 2012. The shows were well received and their fans asked for more so, in 2021, here we go again. The Blues Project is alive and well, with Katz and Blumenfeld leading a new powerful lineup that also includes three young and talented "pupils": Chris Morrison on lead guitar, Scott Petito on bass, and Ken Clark on keyboards and vocals.

The Blues Project was one of the first, and remains one of the finest of the creative bands. Go and see them at The Packing House! Trust me, they're like a fine wine. They get better with age, and the best is yet to come!

This will be an Extra Special Evening with the debut of the band’s newest recording release, “Evolution”!

Join us for a Special Evening with The Blues Project! This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP). Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm. Tickets $30.00 in advance online / $35.00 at the door. 20% Discount at Door for EC-CHAP Members.

Soft drinks and snacks available. "BYOB&F" - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required). You can also bring your paid ticket to Willington Pizza House (or WP Too) for eat-in or take-out the night of the show and receive 15% off your meal purchase. Ask for "The Packing House" pizza! Click here for secret recipe. 

For more information, please call 518-791-9474.

All proceeds from this concert go to support EC-CHAP.

Songs for Ukraine

A Benefit Concert for the People of Ukraine

Tickets $30.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $35.00 at the Door

Doors Open at 5:30pm - Performance Begins at 6:30pm

Masks Optional | Socially Distanced Tables

100% of ALL Proceeds go to support the People of Ukraine

PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT a BYOB&F Event

We are pleased to present this special event to support the people of Ukraine!

This benefit Concert represents a collaboration between the Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance (EC-CHAP) and Julia Autumn Ford.

100% of ALL proceeds generated through Ticket and Merchandise sales, Donations, Sponsorships, and Raffles will be forwarded to our partner Direct Relief for distribution to Ukraine.

We give Special Thanks to the three performing artists: Xavier Serrano; Frank Critelli & Muddy Rivers; and Foolish Wisely for contributing their time and creative talent to this important cause.

Visual artists, Christopher Gunderson and Carol Mackiewicz Neely will each create a painting “live” during this event which will be raffled to guests along with many other interesting items generously donated by regional businesses and organizations.

Sincere thanks to Scot Haney, Meteorologist for WFSB Eyewitness News 3 TV for his support and willingness to serve as Master Of Ceremony for “Songs for Ukraine”!

The People of Ukraine Need Your Support!

We hope that you will join us for this important event! Tickets, Donations, and Sponsorships are available above.

Doors open at 5:30pm so come early - Grab a snack and a drink; check out raffle items and buy a bunch of tickets for your favorite things. Hey… you never know!

If you are unable to attend, and/or would also be interested in supporting the people of Ukraine through a Tax Deductible Donation or becoming a Sponsoring Organization, please click on the appropriate tab above for details and giving.

FOOLISH WISELY

FOOLISH WISELY lives in the space between waking and dreaming. Intricate folk/americana-inspired songwriting supported by a diverse variety of instrumentation lays ground for luxuriant harmonies to paint over, which bring to life a surreal-yet-familiar world that exists within us all.

The band is made up of RJ Mac Carthaigh and Julia Autumn Ford, both multi instrumentalists and internationally touring artists with their own extensive histories in groups including Belle of the Fall, Field of Birds and The Slambovian Circus of Dreams.

They draw inspiration from the likes of Paul Simon, David Byrne, Van Gogh, Blind Connie Williams, Ai Weiwei, Crosby Stills & Nash, Britney Spears, as well as the world and phenomena surrounding and within them.

Xavier Serrano

XAVIER SERRANO is a local native to New Haven, CT Influenced by artists like The Pentangle, Bert Jansch and Nick Drake, Xavier fuses traditional melodic styles with forward-thinking and unconventional forms. His songwriting spins stories of reawakening, self-growth, and the contemplations of life utilizing on the discordant chords of jazz, folk, and alternative rock.

Frank Critelli with Muddy Rivers

FRANK CRITELLI is a Performing songwriter based in New Haven Connecticut. He has performed in streets and subways, clubs and coffeehouses, barrooms, classrooms, theaters, and festivals for over 30 years. Frank Critelli’s songs run the gamut from pretty folk songs to filthy rockers. Frank Critelli also co-hosts The Local Bands Show with Rick Allison on 99.1fm, WPLR, New Haven.

Please join us for an evening of acoustic originals and arrangements by these talented artists. This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP) and Julia Autumn Ford. Doors 5:30pm / Show 6:30pm. Tickets $30.00 Advance (Online) / $35.00 Door.

Please Note: This is NOT a BYOB&F Event

Food and beverage will be available for purchase on site. As this is a Benefit Concert, no food or beverage will be allowed to be brought into The Packing House venue.

EC-CHAP Acoustic Artist Series: Twice Around (Folk / Indie)

Tickets $20.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $25.00 at the Door

Socially Distanced Tables | Masks Optional

EC-CHAP MEMBER DISCOUNTS & FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM AVAILABLE

We’ve created a Tradition!

Acoustic Duo, “Twice Around” opened our Performance Season in September 2019. Then COVID-19 came on the scene to close The Packing House from March 2020 to September 2021. Once again, “Twice Around” opened our “Reopening” Season in September 2021.

Well… They’re back! Opening our third Consecutive Season September 2022! EC-CHAP is pleased to present: “Twice Around”!

TWICE AROUND is an acoustic duo equipped with a couple of guitars, their voices and a grand love of music. Their self-crafted songs tell stories of the heart (sometimes broken, sometimes full) and walking your own path. Longtime friends Frank Veres and Luisa Tanno have been making music together since 1996. They started in a 10-piece Funk band, then in a harmonious trio that eventually became a duo. Much of their music-making has been in Frank’s basement recording studio where they tinker and play to their heart’s content revealing their efforts onstage and in three full length CDs of original music.

They may be considered a modern, yet semi-throwback duo with a sound that could be classified as singer/songwriter with an essence of Pop and Melancholy. The foundation of their music is acoustic guitar and vocals; often with harmonies and guitar interplay, sometimes just one guitar and one voice, raw and rich. Their latest CD "Here Before" features 12 original songs that explore the ups and downs of all matters of the heart with an optimistic perspective. We’ve all been “Here Before”. They play original music along with a selection of familiar and unexpected covers.

Over the decades they have gone through cycles of performing every weekend and cycles of performing a few times a year, but never have they been away from audiences, and each other, for this long. Like all of us, they’ve missed the singular connection that happens when sharing the experience of live music, especially in true listening spaces such as The Packing House. An evening with them includes original music, stories in between songs and a real affection for their audience. You can get a preview of their music by visiting the listening page of their website: https://twice-around.net/home

Join us for an evening of original music with Twice Around! This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP). Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm. Tickets $20.00 in advance online / $25.00 at the door. 20% Discount at Door for EC-CHAP Members.

Soft drinks and snacks available. "BYOB&F" - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required). You can also bring your paid ticket to Willington Pizza House (or WP Too) for eat-in or take-out the night of the show and receive 15% off your meal purchase. Ask for "The Packing House" pizza! Click here for secret recipe. 

For more information, please call 518-791-9474.

All proceeds from this concert go to support EC-CHAP.

EC-CHAP Acoustic Artist Series: Sperry Creek (Bluegrass)

Tickets $10.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $15.00 Cash Only at the Door

Masks Optional | 75% Capacity | Socially Distanced Tables

EC-CHAP MEMBER DISCOUNTS & FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM AVAILABLE

SPERRY CREEK bring fresh harmonies and instrumentation that hold true to the bluegrass genre. This five-piece band from Connecticut formed after some local pickers spent the height of the pandemic keeping each other sane through socially distant backyard jam sessions. It didn’t take the group long to realize that good sounds were happening. They soon adopted the name of a nearby creek, and the band was officially formed in the summer of 2020.

Sperry Creek is made up of longtime musicians Scott Freemantle (bass); Marilyn Toback-Reveley (guitar); Bill Reveley (fiddle); Corrie Folsom-O’Keefe (mandolin) and Dan O’Keefe (banjo), who all share a passion for bluegrass music. A culmination of musicians from other well known CT bands, Sperry Creek has allowed us to share our love of music with others throughout the New England bluegrass scene.

Please join us for the debut performance of Sperry Creek at The Packing House and an evening of classic bluegrass. This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP). Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm.. Special Pricing: Tickets $10.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $15.00 Cash Only at the Door.

 Soft drinks and snacks available. We are pleased to offer our exclusive "BYOB&F" TM model - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required).  You can also bring your paid ticket to Willington Pizza House (or WP Too) for eat-in or take-out the night of the show and receive 15% off your meal purchase. Ask for "The Packing House" pizza! Click HERE for secret recipe. 

 For more information, please visit: www.thepackinghouse/upcoming or call 518-791-9474.

EC-CHAP Acoustic Artist Series: Debut Performance by Foolish Wisely (Indie/Folk)

Tickets $20.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $25.00 Cash Only at the Door

Masks Optional | 75% Capacity | Socially Distanced Tables

EC-CHAP MEMBER DISCOUNTS & FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM AVAILABLE

NOTE: You may have seen Julia Autumn Ford on our stage as part of Belle of the Fall. Julia returns to The Packing House with RJ Mac Carthaigh as the acoustic duo “Foolish Wisely”.

FOOLISH WISELY lives in the space between waking and dreaming. Intricate folk/americana-inspired songwriting supported by a diverse variety of instrumentation lays ground for luxuriant harmonies to paint over, which bring to life a surreal-yet-familiar world that exists within us all.

The band is made up of RJ Mac Carthaigh and Julia Autumn Ford, both multi instrumentalists and internationally touring artists with their own extensive histories in groups including Belle of the Fall, Field of Birds and The Slambovian Circus of Dreams.

They draw inspiration from the likes of Paul Simon, David Byrne, Van Gogh, Blind Connie Williams, Ai Weiwei, Crosby Stills & Nash, Britney Spears, as well as the world and phenomena surrounding and within them.

Please join us for an evening of acoustic originals and arrangements by this new duo. This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP). Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm. Tickets $20.00 Advance (Online) / $25.00 Door.

 Soft drinks and snacks available. We are pleased to offer our exclusive "BYOB&F" TM model - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required).  You can also bring your paid ticket to Willington Pizza House (or WP Too) for eat-in or take-out the night of the show and receive 15% off your meal purchase. Ask for "The Packing House" pizza! Click HERE for secret recipe. 

 For more information, please visit: www.thepackinghouse/upcoming or call 518-791-9474.

PERFORMANCE CANCELLED DUE TO ANTICIPATED STORM. RESCHEDULED TO FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2022

EC-CHAP Acoustic Artist Series: Sperry Creek (Bluegrass)

Masks Optional | 75% Capacity | Socially Distanced Tables

EC-CHAP MEMBER DISCOUNTS & FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM AVAILABLE

PLEASE JOIN SPERRY CREEK AT THE PACKING HOUSE ON FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2022.

SPECIAL PRICING!

 For more information, please visit: www.thepackinghouse/upcoming or call 518-791-9474.

EC-CHAP Acoustic Artist Series: Debut Performance ~ Poor Monroe (Bluegrass)

Tickets $20.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $25.00 Cash Only at the Door

Proof of Full Vaccination or Negative COVID Test within 72-Hours (administered by a health professional) & Masks Required | 50% Capacity | Socially Distanced Tables

EC-CHAP MEMBER DISCOUNTS & FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM AVAILABLE

NOTE: Eric Lee, fiddler extraordinaire, returns to The Packing House after three years with a new bluegrass project: “Poor Monroe”. We welcome Eric (guitar/fiddle), Sean (guitar), Gareth (bass), John (mandolin), & Chris (banjo) to share their unique blend in our intimate Listening Room.

Formed at the start of 2021, POOR MONROE is a New England-based bluegrass collaboration of long-time friends with nearly a century’s worth of performing experience (cumulatively speaking).

Drawing from distinct musical paths, this energetic group of seasoned players bring a unique approach to their performances, delivering unmistakably tight vocal harmonies and scorching tempos that are the benchmark of the genre.

Eric Lee (guitar/fiddle), Sean Davis (guitar), Gareth Buckley (bass), John Benjamin (mandolin), & Chris Boucher (banjo), perform traditional material and Lee's original songs with a deep sense of honoring the legacy of bluegrass. Together, they show how the love of music and a good sense of humor can transcend trying times.

Please join us for an evening of original bluegrass music - from high energy foot-stompin’ tunes to emotional tear jerkin’ arrangements by this new bluegrass band. This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP). Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm. Tickets $20.00 Advance (Online) / $25.00 Door.

 Soft drinks and snacks available. We are pleased to offer our exclusive "BYOB&F" TM model - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required).  You can also bring your paid ticket to Willington Pizza House (or WP Too) for eat-in or take-out the night of the show and receive 15% off your meal purchase. Ask for "The Packing House" pizza! Click HERE for secret recipe. 

 For more information, please visit: www.thepackinghouse/upcoming or call 518-791-9474.

CONCERT CANCELLED DUE TO HEALTH ISSUES

TO BE RESCHEDULED

EC-CHAP Acoustic Artist Series: Debut Performance by Foolish Wisely (Indie/Folk)

***CONCERT CANCELLED***

NOTE: You may have seen Julia Autumn Ford on our stage as part of Belle of the Fall. Julia returns to The Packing House with RJ Mac Carthaigh as the acoustic duo “Foolish Wisely”.

FOOLISH WISELY lives in the space between waking and dreaming. Intricate folk/americana-inspired songwriting supported by a diverse variety of instrumentation lays ground for luxuriant harmonies to paint over, which bring to life a surreal-yet-familiar world that exists within us all.

The band is made up of RJ Mac Carthaigh and Julia Autumn Ford, both multi instrumentalists and internationally touring artists with their own extensive histories in groups including Belle of the Fall, Field of Birds and The Slambovian Circus of Dreams.

They draw inspiration from the likes of Paul Simon, David Byrne, Van Gogh, Blind Connie Williams, Ai Weiwei, Crosby Stills & Nash, Britney Spears, as well as the world and phenomena surrounding and within them.

Please join us for an evening of acoustic originals and arrangements by this new duo. Also planned is the “World Debut” of their new music video!. This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP). Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm. Tickets $20.00 Advance (Online) / $25.00 Door.

 Soft drinks and snacks available. We are pleased to offer our exclusive "BYOB&F" TM model - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required).  You can also bring your paid ticket to Willington Pizza House (or WP Too) for eat-in or take-out the night of the show and receive 15% off your meal purchase. Ask for "The Packing House" pizza! Click HERE for secret recipe. 

 For more information, please visit: www.thepackinghouse/upcoming or call 518-791-9474.

EC-CHAP Acoustic Artist Series: Solo Artist Tracy Walton (Indie/Folk)

Tickets $20.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $25.00 Cash Only at the Door

50% Capacity | Socially Distanced Tables | Masks Required

EC-CHAP MEMBER DISCOUNTS & FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM AVAILABLE

NOTE: You may have seen Tracy Walton on our stage as part of Belle of the Fall. This year, Tracy returns as a Solo Artist, revealing a new set of original work.

TRACY WALTON wears many musical hats: Singer songwriter, bassist, producer, author, and studio owner. He has toured the country with various groups including most recently the duo Belle of the Fall. Tracy has also played bass with David Bromberg, and Vernon Reid among others.

Tracy's 4th solo album, Small Town America has just been released (summer 2021). He also produces albums for artists at his studio, On Deck Sound Studio, in Northfield CT.

Please join us for an evening of original works and debut of Tracy’s new solo album Small Town America. This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP). Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm. Tickets $20.00 Advance (Online) / $25.00 Door.

 Soft drinks and snacks available. We are pleased to offer our exclusive "BYOB&F" TM model - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required).  You can also bring your paid ticket to Willington Pizza House (or WP Too) for eat-in or take-out the night of the show and receive 15% off your meal purchase. Ask for "The Packing House" pizza! Click HERE for secret recipe. 

 For more information, please visit: www.thepackinghouse/upcoming or call 518-791-9474.

EC-CHAP Acoustic Artist Series: Ramblin' Dan Stevens (Blues)

Tickets $20.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $25.00 Cash Only at the Door

50% Capacity | Socially Distanced Tables | Masks Required

EC-CHAP MEMBER DISCOUNTS & FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM AVAILABLE

At the young age of sixteen, DAN STEVEN's romantic streak was ignited by his first guitar teacher in small town central Pennsylvania who told him stories about the lives of traveling blues musicians like Mississippi John Hurt and Fred McDowell. After being inspired by Woody Guthrie’s book, “Bound for Glory”, the magnetic lure of the road captured his imagination and with a driving passion he hitchhiked and hopped freight trains, guitar in hand across the United States five times, eventually covering over 100,000 miles.

Always seeking diverse experiences, he has worked as a teacher in Pennsylvania and Arizona, a rock climbing instructor in New Mexico, broke his collarbone riding bulls in Colorado.and sailed schooners for a living on the Eastern seaboard. He lived full time on his own wooden sloop in Mystic CT for a couple of years while performing solo up and down the East Coast. A highlight of this period was sailing throughout Central and South America as mate aboard David Crosby’s (Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young) sailboat, the Mayan.

Musically, Dan continued to hone his guitar skills taking lessons from renowned acoustic guitarist and W.C. Handy Award winner Paul Rishell, who taught him how to play slide. Later, he was blessed to study with Greenwich Village based folk/blues icon Dave Van Ronk during the last years of Van Ronk’s storied life. His repertoire reflects the influence of his revered teachers who actually knew and performed with many of the legendary blues masters. His tastes include delta blues “bottleneck slide” tunes, the more carefree piedmont style, and arrangements comprised of complex orchestration with plenty of chord changes up the neck in the spirit of Dave Van Ronk. His originals remain true to the traditional forces which powerfully shaped his early musical development and prompt listeners to praise the authenticity of his approach.

As a full time professional musician since 1991, Dan continues to tour incessantly along the East Coast, U.S. Virgin Islands, U.K., Germany and Canada. He has appeared with such artists as Johnny Winter, James Cotton, Charlie Musselwhite, Arlo Guthrie, Richie Havens, Charlie Daniels, Livingston Taylor, Ronnie Earl, and others. An irrepressible guitar collector, Dan 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 Gibson J-200, 1950’s Sears Silvertone, a 1931 National Steel, a retro lime green Resophonic, and more.

Dan’s most recent CD, “Dirt Floor Sessions”, has been described as having a real, raw, rockin' feel with songs encompassing sounds from his major influences. Several cuts are interpretations of intricate finger style arrangements learned directly from mentor Dave Van Ronk. Others invoke the spirit of the delta through his newfound interest in primitive homemade instruments, specifically the 3 stringed cigar box guitar and one stringed diddley bow. Rounded out with Dan's originals and the addition in just the right spots of tuba, clarinet, lap steel and percussion, the disc is a true snapshot of his musical evolution.

Termed “Connecticut’s hardest working bluesman” by the New York Times in 2002, he plays over 200 engagements a year, including concerts, clubs, festivals, coffeehouses, community and private events and educational programs. He has appeared at Long Island’s Riverhead Blues Festival; the Berlin Blues Festival in Connecticut; was the closer in the acoustic section of the Fleet Blues Festival in Albany, New York and Pennsylvania’s Harry Smith Festival. Dan was a finalist at the International Blues Challenge '08 on Beale Street in Memphis TN with partner Chris D'Amato and has been chosen to be included on the roster of the Music Under New York program enabling him to perform in prime locations throughout the MTA system such as Times Square and Grand Central Station. He is also endorsed by Connecticut’s State Arts Commission and the New England Foundation for the Arts. He lives on the shoreline in Old Lyme, Connecticut with his wife Gail and daughter, Haley.

Join us for an evening of great stories and sassy blues with Ramblin' Dan. This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP). Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm. Tickets $20.00 in advance online / $25.00 at the door.

Soft drinks and snacks available. We are pleased to offer our exclusive "BYOB&F" TM model - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required).  You can also bring your paid ticket to Willington Pizza House (or WP Too) for eat-in or take-out the night of the show and receive 15% off your meal purchase. Ask for "The Packing House" pizza! Click HERE for secret recipe. 

 For more information, please visit: www.thepackinghouse/upcoming or call 518-791-9474.

EC-CHAP Acoustic Artist Series: Twice Around with Curtis Brand (Folk)

Tickets $20.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $25.00 Cash Only at the Door

50% Capacity | Socially Distanced Tables | Masks Required

EC-CHAP MEMBER DISCOUNTS & FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM AVAILABLE

After three years (almost to the day), CT based acoustic duo, Twice Around return to kick-off our Grand Reopening event at The Packing House! Luisa and Frank will be joined by local singer/songwriter Curtis Brand.

TWICE AROUND is an acoustic duo equipped with a couple of guitars, their voices and a grand love of music. Their self-crafted songs tell stories of the heart (sometimes broken, sometimes full) and walking your own path. Longtime friends Frank Veres and Luisa Tanno have been making music together since 1996. They started in a 10-piece Funk band, then in a harmonious trio that eventually became a duo. Much of their music-making has been in Frank’s basement recording studio where they tinker and play to their heart’s content revealing their efforts onstage and in three full length CDs of original music.

They may be considered a modern, yet semi-throwback duo with a sound that could be classified as singer/songwriter with an essence of Pop and Melancholy. The foundation of their music is acoustic guitar and vocals; often with harmonies and guitar interplay, sometimes just one guitar and one voice, raw and rich. Their latest CD "Here Before" features 12 original songs that explore the ups and downs of all matters of the heart with an optimistic perspective. We’ve all been “Here Before”. They play original music along with a selection of familiar and unexpected covers.

Over the decades they have gone through cycles of performing every weekend and cycles of performing a few times a year, but never have they been away from audiences, and each other, for this long. Like all of us, they’ve missed the singular connection that happens when sharing the experience of live music, especially in true listening spaces such as The Packing House. An evening with them includes original music, stories in between songs and a real affection for their audience. You can get a preview of their music by visiting the listening page of their website: https://twice-around.net/listen-buy.

CURTIS BRAND traces his musical roots back to the Weavers and Josh White, with more contemporary influences from Harry Chapin, Jim Croce, Kris Kristofferson and Willy Nelson. Curtis freely admits that the core of his music is the words. Curtis would say, “The words have a rhythm of their own”, and the creative task he undertakes is to tell a story in which the rhythm of the words and the rhythm of the music match. When you hear Curtis for the first time, you won’t recognize most of the songs. While he will occasionally do a cover of a song by Woody Guthrie or Willie Nelson, most of his performance songs are his own creations which explore the joys, challenges, and side effects of life. Curtis views his music as an extension of his life's work, helping people he meets by sharing the stories of real people and their time on the planet. “I think that’s what Woody was doing,” he says, “and that’s a pretty good example to follow.”

A review of his music by Susan Price Dziedzic noted “Spending an evening with singer/songwriter/storyteller Curtis Brand leaves one with that peaceful, easy feeling of a barefoot summer’s evening; of relaxing on the back porch in a pair of faded old jeans, favorite beverage in hand, surrounded by best friends. His music, his stories, and even the essence of the man himself, just put folks into a state of laid-back easiness.”

Join us for an evening of original music with Twice Around! This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP). Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm. Tickets $20.00 in advance online / $25.00 at the door. 20% Discount at Door for EC-CHAP Members.

Soft drinks and snacks available. "BYOB&F" - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required). You can also bring your paid ticket to Willington Pizza House (or WP Too) for eat-in or take-out the night of the show and receive 15% off your meal purchase. Ask for "The Packing House" pizza! Click here for secret recipe. 

For information and table reservations, please call 518-791-9474.

All proceeds from this concert go to support EC-CHAP.

THIS EVENT IS CANCELLED.

EVERY ATTEMPT WILL BE MADE TO RESCHEDULE THIS PERFORMANCE.

***CANCELLED - EC-CHAP Acoustic Artist Series: Ramblin' Dan Stevens (Blues) - CANCELLED***

Tickets $15.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $20.00 at the Door / Special Student Price $10.00 at the Door (WITH VALID I.D.)

Ramblin' Dan Stevens performs a mix of traditional finger style blues, Americana and originals and has entertained audiences throughout the United States, Germany, UK, Canada and US Virgin Islands.  His unique style of "bottleneck" slide playing includes use of a homemade, three stringed "Cigar Box Guitar" and one stringed "Diddly Bow", both primitive blues instruments.

A finalist in the International Blues Challenge on Beale St. in Memphis TN and protege of the legendary folk and blues icon  Dave Van Ronk, Dan has been lauded as a raconteur and for the authenticity of his approach.  Dave’s career  has recently been highlighted by the release of the the Coen Brothers movie, “Inside Llewyn Davis”, set in the  Greenwich Village scene in the sixties. Also, Dan plays regularly in the New York City Subway System in locations such as Times Square and Grand Central Terminal. (Dan Stevens)

Join us for an evening of great stories and sassy blues with Ramblin' Dan (and ask him about his hat)! This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP). Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm. $15.00 Advance / $20.00 Door. Soft drinks and snacks available.

We are pleased to offer our exclusive "BYOB&F" model - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required).  You can also bring your paid ticket to Willington Pizza House (or WP Too) for eat-in or take-out the night of the show and receive 15% off your meal purchase. If you're feeling sassy, SPECIFICALLY ask for "The Packing House" pizza! You won't go wrong. Click here for secret recipe. 

For information and table reservations, please call 518-791-9474.

EC-CHAP Acoustic Artist Series: Belle of the Fall (Indie/Folk)

Tickets $15.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $20.00 at the Door / Special Senior ($18.00) & Student Price ($10.00) at the Door.

EC-CHAP “Frequent Flyer” Rewards Program Now Available

They're Back… 

BELLE OF THE FALL continues to demonstrate a thoughtful approach to song writing and performance. Their unique sound, sweet harmonies, and musicianship differentiates these artists from many.

As the first musical artists to perform at The Packing House in 2015, their image appears as a part of “A Canvas of History and Social Change”, EC-CHAP’s 200’ mural along RT-32 in Willington. Belle of the Fall will debut their new album, “The Bending of Light” with us on February 1st.

Cast of Characters:

Tracy Walton- 2014 and 2015 New England Music Award nominee Best Male Performer. An accomplished bassist and songwriter who has written for Alfred Books and taught at the National Guitar Workshop. Tracy is a Taylor guitar artist. 

Julia Autumn Ford- CT Music Award Nominee Best New Artist 2014 and Song of the Year 2015. Her debut solo album has gained her well deserved attention as a singer of rare talent. "It's almost freakish how good she sings. I watched her and it was hard to process that it was actually coming out of her mouth." Joe Michelini, River City Extension.

Weapons of choice: 

Julia - The obvious choice for lead singer in any situation, acoustic guitar, yukitar, occasional melodica. Tracy- Upright bass, vocals, drums when back lined as he is not a fan of carrying things. 

The Rise of Belle of the Fall:

In 2014 Tracy Walton produced Julia Autumn Ford's debut album at his studio On Deck Sound Studio. In essence the record is somewhat the birth of Belle of the Fall, as Tracy plays all of the instruments on the record and Julia sings. Later that year they would tour the East Coast together sharing bills playing separate solo sets, with Tracy sitting in on some of Julia's songs. 

Sometimes an idea seems to simple so it takes a while for it to come to fruition. Simply put, two is often better than one. With Belle of the Fall it was as simple as an agreement of "All in." The summer of 2015 was the right time for two forces to collide. 2016 finds the duo going strong with their debut album, “Earthbound”  released on April 5th. 

"Acoustic folk duo Belle Of The Fall has proven that musical soul mates do in fact exist.” Vents Magazine

Please join us for an evening of original works and sweet harmonies by these talented artists!! This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP). Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm. Tickets $15.00 in advance online / $20.00 at the door. Senior and Student pricing available. 20% Discount at Door for EC-CHAP Members.

Soft drinks and snacks available. "BYOB&F" - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required). You can also bring your paid ticket to Willington Pizza House (or WP Too) for eat-in or take-out the night of the show and receive 15% off your meal purchase. Ask for "The Packing House" pizza! Click here for secret recipe. 

For information and table reservations, please call 518-791-9474.

All proceeds from this concert go to support EC-CHAP.

PERFORMANCE CANCELLED DUE TO PROJECTED STORM - RESCHEDULED IN APRIL

SPECIFIC DATE TBD

CANCELLED - EC-CHAP Acoustic Artist Series: Ramblin' Dan Stevens (Blues) - CANCELLED

Tickets $15.00 in Advance (ONLINE) / $20.00 at the Door / Special Student Price $10.00 at the Door (WITH VALID I.D.)

Ramblin' Dan Stevens performs a mix of traditional finger style blues, Americana and originals and has entertained audiences throughout the United States, Germany, UK, Canada and US Virgin Islands.  His unique style of "bottleneck" slide playing includes use of a homemade, three stringed "Cigar Box Guitar" and one stringed "Diddly Bow", both primitive blues instruments.

A finalist in the International Blues Challenge on Beale St. in Memphis TN and protege of the legendary folk and blues icon  Dave Van Ronk, Dan has been lauded as a raconteur and for the authenticity of his approach.  Dave’s career  has recently been highlighted by the release of the the Coen Brothers movie, “Inside Llewyn Davis”, set in the  Greenwich Village scene in the sixties. Also, Dan plays regularly in the New York City Subway System in locations such as Times Square and Grand Central Terminal. (Dan Stevens)

Join us for an evening of great stories and sassy blues with Ramblin' Dan (and ask him about his hat)! This program is hosted by the "Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance" (EC-CHAP). Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm. $15.00 Advance / $20.00 Door. Soft drinks and snacks available.

We are pleased to offer our exclusive "BYOB&F" model - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required).  You can also bring your paid ticket to Willington Pizza House (or WP Too) for eat-in or take-out the night of the show and receive 15% off your meal purchase. If you're feeling sassy, SPECIFICALLY ask for "The Packing House" pizza! You won't go wrong. Click here for secret recipe. 

For information and table reservations, please call 518-791-9474.