Feb
5
Sat
On A Winter’s Night @ The Regent Theatre
Feb 5 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
On A Winter's Night @ The Regent Theatre

“On A Winter’s Night” from veteran singer-songwriters Christine Lavin, John Gorka, Patty Larkin, Cheryl Wheeler and, Cliff Eberhardt. These are among the brightest stars of the singer/songwriter movement for the past three decades.

CHRISTINE LAVIN
The New Yorker calls her, “wildly entertaining.” The Orlando Sentinel calls her, “a folkZinger.” She’s working on her 24th solo album. ASCAP awarded her book, Cold Pizza For Breakfast, the 43rd Annual Deems Taylor Award. Broadway stars Betty Buckley and Sutton Foster sing her songs. In April 2019 she’s inducted into the Rochester NY Music Hall Of Fame. When not making music, she makes videos. When not making videos, she bakes bread. But most of all she loves touring with musicians whose work she adores.

JOHN GORKA
Hailed by Rolling Stone as “the leading singer/songwriter of the New Folk movement,” John Gorka is perhaps the quintessential singer-songwriter of the 90’s folk scene. Originally from New Jersey, John served an apprenticeship at Godfrey Daniels coffeehouse in Bethlehem, PA, then the Greenwich Village Fast Folk scene. Winning the prestigious New Folk award at the Kerrville Folk Festival, in 1984, he was then signed to Red House Records on which he released his landmark first of 17 recordings, I Know. Boston Globe penned Gorka “for the sophisticated intelligence and the provocative originality of his songs.” Recent accolades include 2016’s Indie Acoustic Project’s Best Singer/Songwriter CD of the Year for Before Beginning (Red House Records). 2018 brought his latest release, and 14th of his career, True In Time (Compass Records).

CHERYL WHEELER
Brilliant, hysterical performances and beautifully crafted songs, Cheryl Wheeler truly needs to be seen to be appreciated. Nothing you read in print, nor nothing you hear on her albums prepares you for how good a performer she is. You may not be familiar with Cheryl, but you have probably heard her music. Highly respected as a songwriter by her peers, Wheeler’s songs have been covered by artists like Dan Seals, Peter Paul and Mary, Kenny Loggins, Garth Brooks, Suzy Boggus, Melanie, Bette Midler, Maura O’Connell, Sylvia, Kathy Mattea, and Holly Near. “Strong poetry, complex melodies, clever wit.” (Singout!)

PATTY LARKIN
She redefines the boundaries of folk-urban pop music with her inventive guitar wizardry and uncompromising lyrics and vocals. Acoustic Guitar Magazine hails her, “soundscape experiments” while Rolling Stone praises her, “evocative and sonic shading.” She has been described as, “riveting” (Chicago Tribune), “hypnotic” (Entertainment Weekly), and a “drop-dead brilliant” performer (Performing Songwriter). Recently an Artist-in-Residence at Berklee College of Music – and now on the faculty at Fine Arts Work Center – Larkin reflects, “I have been energized by the poets, writers and artists I have met while teaching, and find myself on a journey to break down some of the predictable pathways that songs can travel.” Her 14th CD, Bird In A Cage, is currently in production.

CLIFF EBERHARDT
One of the most original songsmiths currently on tour, Eberhardt is a highly intelligent, articulate artist whose penetrating and profound lyrics are sometimes overshadowed by his extraordinary guitar playing. Upon close listening, the Philadelphia-born singer’s gift for the English language is abundantly clear. The words that tumble from his mouth are framed by a raspy yet deeply elegant voice. Like John Hammond and Richie Havens, Eberhardt continues to carry the torch for traditional and contemporary folk music through his strong live shows. Whether he’s out on tour solo or with a small band, Eberhardt’s guitar playing, singing, and original folk songs and blues make for a compelling, thought-filled, emotional roller coaster of a concert.

Jan
14
Sat
Atwater Donnelly Band @ Rose Garden Coffeehouse
Jan 14 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Atwater Donnelly Band @ Rose Garden Coffeehouse

The highly acclaimed husband-wife duo, Aubrey Atwater and Elwood Donnelly, present delightful programs of traditional American and Celtic folk songs, a cappella pieces, old-time gospel songs, dance tunes, and original works. Elwood and Aubrey blend gorgeous and unusual harmonies and play guitar, Appalachian mountain dulcimer, mandolin, tin whistle, harmonica, banjo, bones, spoons, limberjacks, and other surprises including Appalachian clog dancing, French Canadian footwork, and Tap.

Their performance is appealing to all ages, and with humor, audience participation, and a relaxed stage presence, Aubrey and Elwood explain song origins to create a deeper understanding of the music and its cultural history. And, because they have such an extensive repertoire, special programs and workshops can be tailored for festivals, schools, colleges, libraries, women’s history, and holidays.

Aubrey and Elwood are often joined by Cathy Clasper-Torch, who adds a deeply rich third dimension with fiddle, cello, Chinese erhu and vocals. Since 2003, the Atwater~Donnelly Trio has become a driving force on the regional folk circuit.

For More Last Dane Productions Events Click here.

Feb
18
Sat
Carole Wise / Cold Chocolate @ Rose Garden Coffeehouse
Feb 18 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Carole Wise / Cold Chocolate @ Rose Garden Coffeehouse

Carole Wise and Cold Chocolate

Our split bill features Maine singer-songwriter Carole Wise, the winner of our 2022 Rose Garden Performing Songwriter Competition, and Cold Chocolate, the Boston-based folk/bluegrass fusion duo of Ethan Robbins and Ariel Bernstein.

CAROLE WISE

Carole Wise is a singer/songwriter from Brunswick Maine. Her music is sweet and soulful, drawing on a lifelong passion for education, the beauty of the natural world, and the adventures of finding truth through life’s challenges.

Carole Wise’s new album, THE LONG WAY HOME, is a compilation of lyric and melody that grew from its creative seed: a calling of the heart. Listeners will connect their own life journeys home – to a physical space, self or new beginnings – in Carole’s songs of gratitude and courage. Themes of nature, social justice, emotions and feelings infuse her songs with meaning: “The album is about our human journey and each song, a chosen path. On what journey will our paths cross?”

COLD CHOCOLATE

Cold Chocolate is a genre-bending Americana band that fuses folk, funk, and bluegrass to create a unique sound all their own. Featuring Ethan Robbins on guitar, Ariel Bernstein on percussion, and backed by some of the root’s music scene’s finest players, this group from Boston is impressing audiences throughout New England and beyond. Punctuated by tight harmonies and skillful musicianship, and with a focus on songwriting, Cold Chocolate has quickly gained recognition for their original music and high-energy shows. The band has shared bills with Leftover Salmon and David Grisman, and regularly performs at venues and music festivals up and down the East Coast.

For more Last Dance Productions Events, click here.

On A Winter’s Night @ Regent Theatre
Feb 18 @ 8:00 pm – 10:30 pm
On A Winter's Night @ Regent Theatre

Patty Larkin, John Gorka, Cliff Eberhardt, Lucy Kaplansky

Presenting the Reunion Tour of “On A Winter’s Night” from veteran singer-songwriters that remain among the brightest stars of the singer/songwriter movement for the past three decades. In 1994 Christine Lavin gathered them together, along with folk and Americana artists to showcase music of the Winter Season on the now-classic On A Winter’s Night CD, followed by several years of touring collaborations. These artists have released dozens of recordings and toured steadily through the decades, with fond memories of their touring days together. The winter season is again celebrated by these unique and popular performers, back together by popular demand.

Mar
11
Sat
Peter Asher In Concert @ An Unlikely Story
Mar 11 @ 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Peter Asher In Concert @ An Unlikely Story

PETER ASHER: A MUSICAL MEMOIR OF THE 60S AND BEYOND

Entertainment legend Peter Asher–whose voice, as one half of Peter & Gordon, “literally soared through Carnegie Hall” (Fox News)– brings his 4 piece ensemble to the event space of Plainville’s An Unlikely Story for a JUST ADDED 2 p.m. live performance in the book store’s first ever concert event.

“…as Mr. Asher regaled a delighted audience with stories… he conjured history in the making, before it was set in stone.” – Stephen Holden, New York Times

“…the exuberant Mr. Asher knew anyone who rocked and everyone who mattered.” –Wall Street Journal

“An all-around charming and delightful fellow — he reminisces about his whole career and it is highly entertaining” – Steve Martin

“Everybody should go and see it — I’ve seen it myself twice” – Linda Ronstadt

“The Man, The Myth, The Legend! …and a true friend! Great wit and music. A true storyteller! What more could you possibly want? Don’t miss this!”–Hans Zimmer

We first came to know him through the global smash “World Without Love” as one half of the British Invasion duo Peter & Gordon. He returns–now a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire– in “Peter Asher: A Musical Memoir of the 60s and Beyond” which brings a multimedia experience to the stage of An Unlikely Story., hosted by the two-time Grammy winner for Producer of the Year. Peter Asher moved effortlessly from his role with Peter & Gordon to Music Executive with the Beatles’ Apple Records, then famously- (as in cover of Rolling Stone magazine level famous)- to Producer and Manager, handling the careers of James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt and a host of others. Books abound, documentaries with half-truths (and worse) are all too common, but, now, finally, Mr. Asher tells first hand his tales from the eye of the cultural hurricane in this intimate evening in Plainville, Massachusetts.

For more Last Dance Productions Events, click here.

Apr
29
Sat
Patty Larkin In Concert w/ Crys Matthews @ Maxwell Auditorium
Apr 29 @ 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Patty Larkin In Concert w/ Crys Matthews @ Maxwell Auditorium
Patty Larkin in concert to benefit the Healing Garden at Mass General Waltham, MA.
PATTY LARKIN is a visionary of sound and wonder, a real deal version of artistry made of equal parts guitar wizardry, vocals shot through with soul and inventive lyrics that ripple across the terrain of the heart. Described as riveting (Chicago Tribune), hypnotic (Entertainment Weekly), and a drop-dead brilliant performer (Performing Songwriter), Patty has captured audiences for over 30 years with an imagination, enchantment, and technical artistry that has redefined the boundaries of the guitar driven singer songwriter.
Already being hailed as the next Woody Guthrie, Crys Matthews is among the brightest stars of the new generation of social justice music-makers. A powerful lyricist whose songs of compassionate dissent reflect her lived experience as what she lightheartedly calls “the poster-child for intersectionality,” Justin Hiltner of Bluegrass Situation called Matthews gift “a reminder of what beauty can occur when we bridge those divides.”
For more Last Dance Productions Events, click here.
Sep
23
Sat
A Healing Garden Benefit: Jamie Walker & Friends with The Gravel Project featuring Jen Kearney @ Regent Theatre
Sep 23 @ 7:30 pm – 10:15 pm
A Healing Garden Benefit: Jamie Walker & Friends with The Gravel Project featuring Jen Kearney @ Regent Theatre
A Healing Garden Benefit
Presented by Patio Records
Proceeds will go towards caring for the Pratt Family Healing Garden at Mount Auburn Hospital.
JAMIE WALKER and Friends
Jamie Walker is the guitarist and vocalist for the legendary Swinging Steaks and has been the lead guitar player and vocalist with Susan Cattaneo. As another young kid inspired by the Beatles’ appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, Jamie Walker started writing songs on the school bus in 2nd grade. What do you do when you are obsessed with songs and the guitar in particular? You learn how to play and find some friends to play with!
Jamie fronted and fueled several Boston bands with his songs in the 1980s; the Lines, the Drive (V66 and MTV Basement Tapes), and finally, Swinging Steaks (Capricorn Records 1990 to present). A few of his songs became Boston radio staples on WBCN, WCOZ, WZLX, and WAAF in Worcester and have appeared in Hollywood movies and on tv. Jamie has made some friends over the years and has some old friends along too. So this is about more than just the music.
On this particular evening will be a veritable all-star cast, including:
Laurie Young (vocals, trumpet) brings the role of the goddess to the forefront and co-fronts the band
Joe Donnelly (drums) of the Del Fuegos, Swinging Steaks, and Wall of Grass
Pat Dreier (Keyboards, vocals) of the Lines and the Drive
Dave Weden (guitar/banjo) and Clayton Young (bass, vocals) of John Cate and the Van Gough Brothers
Dennis Semprebon (drums and percussion) of Craig Carter and the Hurricanes
Brad Kohl (saxophone) of Hot Acoustics and Group Therapy
They play roots rock music, that is, songs wrapped in elements of rock, pop, country, soul, R&B, and blues.
The Gravel Project featuring Jen Kearney
Initially created by Andrew Gravel (vocals, guitar), The Gravel Project is an all-star band of Boston music veterans, including brother, Jordan Gravel (organ, keys), Dave Fox (drums), and Eguie Castrillo (percussion). The Gravel Project’s live show blends rock, world music, and jazz with power and soul. Carrying the tradition of 70’s blues and psychedelic rock music, The Gravel Project embodies the spirit of Santana combined with the classic raw energy and moving songwriting of The Allman Brothers and Tedeschi Trucks Band. With three studio albums, a live album, and countless past performances, the future is bright for Boston’s The Gravel Project, and as the title of their 2022 studio album suggests, there are “Many Miles Ahead.”
For more Last Dance Productions, click here.
Nov
18
Sat
The Kennedys @ The Rose Garden Coffeehouse
Nov 18 @ 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm
The Kennedys @ The Rose Garden Coffeehouse

The Kennedys, Songwriting duo Pete and Maura Kennedy make a strong return to the studio and stage after three years of weekly live-streamed lockdown-era concerts. They took the opportunity to explore classic songwriting in-depth, performing over a thousand songs during the pandemic. That vast overview strengthened and refined their own writing and laid the foundation for this new collection of original, socially-conscious songs.

“After such a deep dive into American roots music, we felt like we had a new set of writing tools. We were ready to create this body of work, and there’s just SO much to write about,” says Maura. “During our five-year hiatus from writing and recording, America changed in massive ways, divisive ways that have shaken our whole foundation. That has to be addressed by creative artists, those of us who have a voice to speak for others. Our love of the great things about this country, things that are under threat, is the reason we decided to make “Headwinds” the title track of the CD. Political and social headwinds are making it hard to get back “home’ to our greatness as a nation. We want to push back in a positive way against those winds.”

In addition to singing and writing, Pete and Maura are multi-instrumentalists. The thirteen songs are cast in a soundscape that draws from the classic canon of American roots, in keeping with the theme of getting back “home” as a nation. Acoustic and electric guitars, a vintage steel guitar, a gospel-inflected piano/organ mix, and even a slide ukulele all add colors to a song bag of sounds that have drawn us together during hard times. Pete and Maura believe that those sounds still have the power to pull us through again.

The Kennedys began their writing and touring life three decades ago as members of Nanci Griffith’s Blue Moon Orchestra, developing their own sound as a frequent support act on Nanci’s tours across America, Ireland, Scotland and England. Collaborations with Nanci continued, culminating in Pete and Maura producing her final album, “Intersections.” Along the way, they hosted a nationwide radio program, “The Dharma Cafe” on Sirius/XM, wrote and released sixteen CDs of original music, and have been core artists on folk radio, expanding their audience further with the inception of the AAA and Americana formats.

More Last Dance Productions events here.

Jan
27
Sat
On A Winter’s Night 2024 @ Regent Theatre
Jan 27 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm

Presenting the Reunion Tour of “On A Winter’s Night” from veteran singer-songwriters that remain among the brightest stars of the singer/songwriter movement for the past three decades. In 1994 Christine Lavin gathered them together, along with folk and Americana artists to showcase music of the Winter Season on the now-classic On A Winter’s Night CD, followed by several years of touring collaborations. These artists have released dozens of recordings and toured steadily through the decades, with fond memories of their touring days together. The winter season is again celebrated by these unique and popular performers, back together by popular demand.

CLIFF EBERHARDT

One of the most original songsmiths currently on tour, Eberhardt is a highly intelligent, articulate artist whose penetrating and profound lyrics are sometimes overshadowed by his extraordinary guitar playing. Upon close listening, the Philadelphia-born singer’s gift for the English language is abundantly clear. The words that tumble from his mouth are framed by a raspy yet deeply elegant voice. Like John Hammond and Richie Havens, Eberhardt continues to carry the torch for traditional and contemporary folk music through his strong live shows. Whether he’s out on tour solo or with a small band, Eberhardt’s guitar playing, singing, and original folk songs and blues make for a compelling, thought-filled, emotional roller coaster of a concert.

JOHN GORKA

Hailed by Rolling Stone as “the leading singer/songwriter of the New Folk movement,” John Gorka is perhaps the quintessential singer-songwriter of the 90’s folk scene. Originally from New Jersey, John served an apprenticeship at Godfrey Daniels coffeehouse in Bethlehem, PA, then the Greenwich Village Fast Folk scene. Winning the prestigious New Folk award at the Kerrville Folk Festival, in 1984, he was then signed to Red House Records on which he released his landmark first of 17 recordings, I Know. Boston Globe penned Gorka “for the sophisticated intelligence and the provocative originality of his songs.” Recent accolades include 2016’s Indie Acoustic Project’s Best Singer/Songwriter CD of the Year for Before Beginning (Red House Records). 2018 brought his latest release, and 14th of his career, True In Time (Compass Records). True In Time (Compass Records).

On A Winter’s Night

LUCY KAPLANSKY

“A truly gifted performer…full of enchanting songs” (New York Times). Blending country, folk and pop styles, Lucy has the unique ability to make every song sound fresh, whether singing her own sweet originals, covering country classics by June Carter Cash and Gram Parsons, or singing pop favorites by Lennon/McCartney and Nick Lowe. Lucy’s iconic voice has been featured in film and on television, including commercials like Chevrolet’s iconic “Heartbeat of America” jingle. A Billboard-charting singer and one of the top-selling artists on Red House Records, she has topped the folk and Americana radio charts and has been featured on shows throughout the world from NPR’s Weekend and Morning Editions to BBC Radio to CBS Sunday Morning. One of the most in-demand harmony singers, Lucy has sung on countless records, performing with Suzanne Vega, Bryan Ferry, Nanci Griffith, and Shawn Colvin.

PATTY LARKIN

She redefines the boundaries of folk-urban pop music with her inventive guitar wizardry and uncompromising lyrics and vocals. Acoustic Guitar Magazine hails her, “soundscape experiments” while Rolling Stone praises her, “evocative and sonic shading.” She has been described as, “riveting” (Chicago Tribune), “hypnotic” (Entertainment Weekly), and a “drop-dead brilliant” performer (Performing Songwriter). Recently an Artist-in-Residence at Berklee College of Music – and now on the faculty at Fine Arts Work Center – Larkin reflects, “I have been energized by the poets, writers, and artists I have met while teaching, and find myself on a journey to break down some of the predictable pathways that songs can travel.” Bird in a Cage, her 14th CD now available, puts poems from ten notable poets to song, including US Poet Laureates William Carlos Williams, Stanley Kunitz, Kay Ryan, Robert Pinsky, and Billy Collins, for a new and haunting collection that pulses with the magic of lyricism. Poems are made to be shared aloud, and with Bird, Patty takes up that tradition and sets it aglow.

You’ll undoubtedly be warm On This Winter’s Night.

More Last Dance Productions events here.

Mar
24
Sun
Danielle Miraglia @ The Mass Arts Center
Mar 24 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Danielle Miraglia @ The Mass Arts Center

Danielle Miraglia comes armed with a strong steady thumb on an old Gibson and an infectious stomp-box rhythm with tunes ranging from heart-felt to socially conscious that will move both your heart and hips. Her latest “Bright Shining Stars” debuted at #15 on the Billboard Blues Charts. Cascade Blues Association calls it “… tough as rawhide, but smooth as blended whiskey.”  Released Oct 2020 with Vizztone Label Group, it’s a solo acoustic folk/blues record that highlights the one-woman-band live sound she’s honed over the years, featuring guest appearances by talented friends Laurence Scudder, Peter Parcek and Richard “Rosy” Rosenblatt. It includes originals as well as a collection of songs she covers at live shows, paying homage to influences like Big Bill Broonzy, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin and more, plus the title track “Bright Shining Stars,” written by her husband, Tom Bianchi.

For More Last Dance Productions events, click here.