Submitted by Amy Albert
(May 25, 2023) — The Buttonwood Tree at 605 Main Street in Middletown presents the following events in June, 2023. For information on all shows and performances, visit www.Buttonwood.org or call (860) 347-4957 Email: TheButtonwoodTree@gmail.com
Friday, June 2, 2023/Songwriting Group Anything Goes, and local favorite Terri Lachance. Show starts at 8:00 p.m. Admission is $20. Anything Goes is a trio featuring Steve Azzaro, guitar and vocals, Marian Bairstow, ukulele and vocals and Bob Lee, bass and vocals. We perform covers and original compositions by Steve at senior centers, open mics and first Fridays at Wayfinders in Chester. Steve’s original songs may be seen on his YouTube channel.Terri Lachance is a singer songwriter who interprets life through song. She has six CD’s of original music with one more in production. Her music can be found under Terri and Rob Duo. She will be performing with Bruce Hazard; musician extraordinaire. He plays violin , washboard, spoons, harmonica and saw.
Saturday, June 3, 2023/New England songwriters Michael Briar, Zach Andersen, and Quest the Bard. Show starts at 8:00 p.m. Admission is $15. Michael Briar has been writing and recording original music since 2006, however, only now in 2023 has he decided to take the solo route. You may know him from his other bands, Æther Body or The Terrible Fates. Michael’s debut solo album, Hallows, came out this past January, and he hopes that his music brings joy and healing to all his listeners. Zach Andersen is an extremely talented singer-songwriter also from the New Haven area who sings songs about a multitude of subjects, including, but not limited to, allergies, The Legend of Zelda, anime, and imperfect timing. Seeing Zach live is always a treat and is sure to be a great time. Quest the Bard, aka Brother Collin of The Terrible Fates, alongside Michael, is a sonic sorcerer unlike any other. What he can unlock within our minds with his arcane beats and eldritch synth lines is a joy that goes unbridled within your soul. Dust off your dancing shoes and get ready for the musical stylings of Quest the Bard.
Friday, June 9, 2023/Hudson Valley-Based Bluegrass Band Tilly Foster. Show starts at 8:00 p.m. Admission is $15. Based in the Hudson Valley, the group’s name comes from the roots of the people who settled there. Tilly Foster was an iron mine on the land once owned by Tillingham Foster. The workers were hard-working Italian and Irish Immigrants. What better way to pay tribute to the original blue collar men of the valley than with this name? Tilly Foster was formed in the Summer of 2017 and ever since has been presenting a modern twist on the bluegrass/ Americana world, with original compositions that meld an eclectic array of styles. The band members, inspired by a modern fusion ranging from Led Zeppelin, Grateful Dead, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, and even Punk Rock Legends like The Clash, have been attracting lots of notice while staying true to the bluegrass sound.
Friday, June 16, 2023/Hip Hop Artist El Vee. Show starts at 8:00 p.m. Admission is $5. Elvee (born December 18), better known as The Ultimate Emcee Elvee, is an underground hip hop legend in his hometown of Middletown. Elvee embodies a style that he calls mindless. This is based on The Ultimate Emcee Elvee being the core of many different styles of rap. His ability to transform himself is nothing short of amazing, this is why he is called The Ultimate Emcee Elvee.
Saturday, June 17, 2023/Jazz-Blues Group Tony Davis & The Bonanza. Show starts at 8:00 p.m. Admission is $15 Tony Davis is an internationally renowned guitarist and composer based in New York City. He regularly performs in NYC’s top venues such as The Blue Note, Birdland, Smalls, and Mezzrow. He has played at the Newport Jazz Festival and currently leads several projects such as his trio, solo guitar and voice, and a co-led duo with Brazilian vocalist Jamile. He released his debut album, “Golden Year,” which features an all-star lineup of some of modern-day’s most acclaimed jazz musicians, such as Dezron Douglas, Eric McPherson, and Steve Wilson. Since then, he signed with La Reserve Records for his co-led album with vocalist, Jamile, “Daring Two Be,” released in 2022.
Saturday, June 24, 2023/Bluegrass Band Sperry Creek. Show starts at 8:00 p.m. Admission is $20. Sperry Creek brings fresh harmonies and instrumentation that hold true to the bluegrass genre. This five-piece band from Connecticut was 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.
