Granite City Folk Society

Welcome to the Granite City Folk Society !

Click Here for Ticket (& other) Info.

GCFS Schedule

Fri. Jan. 9th

Young Voices 5x5 Showcase 7pm $5 (at the door)

Five songs each by five artists for five bucks. We will not be selling tickets in advance or doing reserved seating. Come enjoy great regional talent and artistic variety. This evening’s line-up:

7:00-- Dustin Thomas (Foley)

7:30--Paul & Thomas Spring (St. Cloud)

8:00--Blind Owls (Spring Valley, WI)

8:30--Onion Tree (St. Cloud)

9:00--Mister (St. Cloud)

Mon. Jan. 26th Catie Curtis $16

There’s never been anything remotely jaded about Catie Curtis. From the first time she picked up a guitar, an instrument given to her by a neighbor who asked only that she promise to learn to play it, the native of rural southern Maine has used music as a sort of sonic superglue to bring people together. With her intoxicating brand of folk pop music, smart and enduring lyrics and engaging personality, Curtis has created a dedicated following that has grown steadily over the course of her 15-year career. With 9 albums and recognition that includes a 2006 International Songwriting Competition Grand Prize, Curtis has proven that she’s the real deal: a musician with the kind of raw talent and artistic maturity that makes her a force to be reckoned with, albeit a sweet force. “With a clear, deceptively gentle voice, she can turn on a dime and thrill the listener with unforeseen power and emotion.” -- Rolling Stone

Sat. Feb. 7th

Dennis Warner Pioneer Place Theater $15

Dennis Warner is recognized for his crafty wit, skillful musicianship and the special ability of captivating an audience. His unique blend of music and humor continually brings him to well over 100 cities each year. Accompanying his smooth vocals with his six and twelve string guitars, Dennis has performed his adult/family oriented concerts at not only major theaters, clubs and some of the best festivals around, but also in the small towns throughout America, drawing inspiration for songs that appeal to the universal aspects of our lives. One of Warner’s songs, Beads on One String, evolved into a children’s picture book. Proving to be popular and timely, the book is already well into its fourth printing. “Great songs, contagious energy and an engaging personality make Dennis Warner an outstanding entertainer. Add his smooth vocals and solid guitar work and you’ve got a fantastic show!” -- Dave Humphreys, Chicago, IL

Wed. Feb. 25th

Bill Staines $18

Bill weaves a magical blend of wit and gentle humor into his performances, His music is a slice of Americana, reflecting with the same ease his feelings about the prairie people of the Midwest or the adventurers of the Yukon. A number of Bill’s songs have been recorded by other artists, including Peter, Paul, & Mary, Makem and Clancy, Nanci Griffith, The Highwaymen, Jerry Jeff Walker, and others. Bill has recorded twenty-two of his own albums, fifteen of which are still in print. Interspersed between original songs, Bill also includes songs ranging from traditional folk tunes to more contemporary country ballads and delights in having the audience participate in many of the numbers. “Any new song that can live comfortably beside the well-worn songs of folk tradition has a good chance of surviving the test of time. Such, we believe, are the songs of Bill Staines.” -- Charles “Sandy” Paton, Folk Legacy Records

Sun. March 1st

Greg Brown (Opening Act: Noelie McDonnell) Pioneer Place Theater $35

Greg Brown’s songwriting has been lauded by many, and his songs have been performed by the likes of Willie Nelson and Carlos Santana. “My grandmother sang a lot of old Irish ballads, my grandfather played banjo, my dad had a wonderful baritone voice, and my mom played guitar and sang alto,” says Brown. “In our household, we would listen to anything that played on the radio, whether it was gospel, country, blues or rock & roll. And I grew up around Ozark snake stories, old hill tunes, church songs and fire-breathing evangelists. Writing music and telling stories all blended into the same thing.” The bite in the line and Brown’s rusty hook of a voice tell you why his previous albums have established him among the premier artists in contemporary folk music. “A wickedly sharp observer of the human condition.”-- Rolling Stone -- Opening tonight for Greg is Noelie McDonnell, an Irish lad Greg laid ears on in Co. Galway on a recent tour.

Wed. March 25th

Patchouli / Tracy Grammer (split bill) $14

7:30 - Patchouli’s Bruce Hecksel’s primary instrument is acoustic guitar. He has been schooled in many styles -- from fingerstyle, flamenco, classical & jazz to flat picking and folk. As lyricist and lead vocalist, Julie’s background is in words. When she and Bruce met they put the poetry to music and Patchouli began. Julie now plays multiple instruments. Patchouli’s deeply rooted musical base combined with advanced studies in yoga, meditation and other healing disciplines work together to make music with a remarkable capacity to inspire and uplift the human spirit.

8:30 - About Tracy Grammer, Andrew Calhoun of Waterbug Records comments, “No one sings Dave Carter’s songs better than Tracy. He chose her to be the voice of his songs. His vision, their vision, was that they shared something they both saw. She is half the reason they were so great.” “Tracy’s continuing quest to make sure that the world remembers Dave Carter marks a new beginning of artistry for her. We are lucky that she is so brave, generous and gifted.” -- Mary Chapin Carpenter

Thur. April 16th

Charlie Roth / Danny Schmidt (split bill) $12

7:30 - Charlie Roth has been called the bard of St. Cloud and is one of the hardest working musicians out there. With four CD’s to his credit he is busy writing songs for his next project. “Charlie’s music shows great compassion and understanding, but moreover, it sincerely demonstrates a sense of caring and that is the medicine that we all so desperately need.” -- Michael Chubiz

8:30 - Austin, Texas songwriter Danny Schmidt has just signed with Red House Records, won last year’s Kerrville New Folk Competition and is well on his way to becoming one of folk music’s brightest stars. He has been compared to Leonard Cohen and Townes Van Zant and has recently toured the United States and Europe to much critical acclaim. Rich Warren of Sing Out! Magazine and the long-time voice of Chicago folk music states that, “Danny Schmidt is perhaps the best new songwriter I’ve heard in the last 15 years.” Enough said.

Mon. April 27th

Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart $16

Stacey Earle and Mark Stuart met in 1991 at a songwriters night in Nashville, TN. They’ve been together ever since, getting married in 1992 and raising two children from Stacey’s first marriage. They started their own Indie record label, ‘Gearle Records’ in 1998 and released Stacey’s Simple Gearle CD that year. Stacey began her career as a back-up singer for her brother Steve Earle on his 1990 ‘The Hard Way’ tour. Her first show was on an arena stage in Sydney, Australia. Mark grew up in a musical family and learned by listening to the greats and playing Nashville’s Honkeytonks in his father’s band. By the time he was 17 he had formed his own band and cut his first record. In his 20’s, he was touring with Freddy Fender when he met Stacey. He toured for a time with Steve Earle’s band in the ‘90’s, appearing on Jay Leno and David Letterman and doing a tour with Neil Young. As a duo, Stacey and Mark have opened for Joan Baez, Willie Nelson, Richard Thompson, Iris DeMent and many more. And they have sold out BoDiddley’s the last two times they’ve played St. Cloud. Don’t wait to get your tickets for this one!

Fri. May 1st

Jerry Ostensoe / Cannery Row (split bill) 8pm $8

8:00- As a life-time resident of Southwest Minnesota, Jerry Ostensoe has sung about the prairie and its people for 35 years. He has developed an engaging musical style that blends blues, country and folk into a rich, fertile ground where stories grow. With a voice that’s true to the region and lyrics that beckon like a lonesome whistle, he sings about freight trains, love, the land, the wind and what’s just over the hill.

9:00- Cannery Row was born of a desire to combine good music and good company and to enliven some of the finest front porches, back yards and living rooms in Stearns County. Led by Dean Severson ( a founding member of GCFS) on flattop guitar and dobro, Mike Sharp on rhythm guitar and harmonica, Gary Dockendorf on mandolin, Chris Laumb on electric guitar, and Carol Anderson on upright bass, this socially conscious quintet takes a broad swipe at Americana music in its many forms--from country to folk to Texas swing.

Tickets for all shows listed above are on sale now. Click Here for ticket information.

Upcoming Concerts

More Coming Soon!


This activity is made possible in part by a grant from the Central Minnesota Arts Board, through funding provided by the Minnesota State Legislature, and the McKnight Foundation. Support for this organization has also been provided by the St. Cloud Arts Commission, through funding from the city of St. Cloud and Change for the Arts - a voluntary roundup program.

Special thanks go out to our season sponsors, Pioneer Place Theater, GrandStay Residential Suites and Bo Diddley’s Deli for their generous support. Pioneer Place Theater is a splendid venue for our larger shows. GrandStay provides first class overnight accommodations for our musician guests. Bo Diddley’s provides food & beverage for our musicians and an intimate setting for our smaller concerts and 5x5 Showcases. Thanks to those of you who have offered to co-sponsor a particular artist. We have booked ten acts with this assistance these past five years and we look forward to booking other co-sponsored artists in the future.

If you would like to listen to samples of upcoming music, click on to the musician links above.

How can you help support folk musicians and intimate live concert experiences?

By supporting the Granite City Folk Society!

Donations are tax deductible and offer donor recognition & redeemable cash vouchers. This is not a profitable enterprise. Our ticket sales typically do not quite cover musician compensation, much less postage, printing, advertising, theater rental, administrative expenses, dues, insurance, etc., etc. We have in recent years been fortunate to receive modest grants to help defray expenses, we have received in-kind donations from our season sponsors, and we have also enjoyed increasing support from patrons such as yourself. Collectively, these are the pieces of the financial puzzle that keep our boat afloat. Please consider a donation. Any amount is greatly appreciated and is tax deductible (minus voucher value).

Please click here to download a donation form.

Thanks,
GCFS

Webmaster

Mon. Jan. 26th	Catie Curtis	$16
There’s never been anything remotely jaded about Catie Curtis. From the first time she picked up a guitar, an instrument given to her by a neighbor who asked only that she promise to learn to play it, the native of rural southern Maine has used music as a sort of sonic superglue to bring people together. With her intoxicating brand of folk pop music, smart and enduring lyrics and engaging personality, Curtis has created a dedicated following that has grown steadily over the course of her 15-year career. With 9 albums and recognition that includes a 2006 International Songwriting Competition Grand Prize, Curtis has proven that she’s the real deal: a musician with the kind of raw talent and artistic maturity that makes her a force to be reckoned with, albeit a sweet force. “With a clear, deceptively gentle voice, she can turn on a dime and thrill the listener with unforeseen power and emotion.” -- Rolling Stone

Sat. Feb. 7th	Dennis Warner Pioneer Place Theater	$15
Dennis Warner is recognized for his crafty wit, skillful musicianship and the special ability of captivating an audience. His unique blend of music and humor continually brings him to well over 100 cities each year. Accompanying his smooth vocals with his six and twelve string guitars, Dennis has performed his adult/family oriented concerts at not only major theaters, clubs and some of the best festivals around, but also in the small towns throughout America, drawing inspiration for songs that appeal to the universal aspects of our lives. One of Warner’s songs, Beads on One String, evolved into a children’s picture book. Proving to be popular and timely, the book is already well into its fourth printing. “Great songs, contagious energy and an engaging personality make Dennis Warner an outstanding entertainer. Add his smooth vocals and solid guitar work and you’ve got a fantastic show!” -- Dave Humphreys, Chicago, IL

Wed. Feb. 25th	Bill Staines	$18
Bill weaves a magical blend of wit and gentle humor into his performances, His music is a slice of Americana, reflecting with the same ease his feelings about the prairie people of the Midwest or the adventurers of the Yukon. A number of Bill’s songs have been recorded by other artists, including Peter, Paul, & Mary, Makem and Clancy, Nanci Griffith, The Highwaymen, Jerry Jeff Walker, and others. Bill has recorded twenty-two of his own albums, fifteen of which are still in print. Interspersed between original songs, Bill also includes songs ranging from traditional folk tunes to more contemporary country ballads and delights in having the audience participate in many of the numbers. “Any new song that can live comfortably beside the well-worn songs of folk tradition has a good chance of surviving the test of time. Such, we believe, are the songs of Bill Staines.” -- Charles “Sandy” Paton, Folk Legacy Records

Sun. March 1st	Greg Brown (Opening Act: Noelie McDonnell)	Pioneer Place Theater	$35
Greg Brown’s songwriting has been lauded by many, and his songs have been performed by the likes of Willie Nelson and Carlos Santana. “My grandmother sang a lot of old Irish ballads, my grandfather played banjo, my dad had a wonderful baritone voice, and my mom played guitar and sang alto,” says Brown. “In our household, we would listen to anything that played on the radio, whether it was gospel, country, blues or rock & roll. And I grew up around Ozark snake stories, old hill tunes, church songs and fire-breathing evangelists. Writing music and telling stories all blended into the same thing.” The bite in the line and Brown’s rusty hook of a voice tell you why his previous albums have established him among the premier artists in contemporary folk music. “A wickedly sharp observer of the human condition.”-- Rolling Stone -- Opening tonight for Greg is Noelie McDonnell, an Irish lad Greg laid ears on in Co. Galway on a recent tour.

Mon. April 27th	Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart	$16
Stacey Earle and Mark Stuart met in 1991 at a songwriters night in Nashville, TN. They’ve been together ever since, getting married in 1992 and raising two children from Stacey’s first marriage. They started their own Indie record label, ‘Gearle Records’ in 1998 and released Stacey’s Simple Gearle CD that year. Stacey began her career as a back-up singer for her brother Steve Earle on his 1990 ‘The Hard Way’ tour. Her first show was on an arena stage in Sydney, Australia. Mark grew up in a musical family and learned by listening to the greats and playing Nashville’s Honkeytonks in his father’s band. By the time he was 17 he had formed his own band and cut his first record. In his 20’s, he was touring with Freddy Fender when he met Stacey. He toured for a time with Steve Earle’s band in the ‘90’s, appearing on Jay Leno and David Letterman and doing a tour with Neil Young. As a duo, Stacey and Mark have opened for Joan Baez, Willie Nelson, Richard Thompson, Iris DeMent and many more. And they have sold out BoDiddley’s the last two times they’ve played St. Cloud. Don’t wait to get your tickets for this one!