Ben Schmidt - May 24, 2014

SOLD OUT

(As of 5/23/14 - we will maintain a standby list)

Ben Schmidt is a guy from Chicago who lives in Iowa. He's a teacher. More specifically, he's an artist in residence at an elementary school for the arts. That's cool, and would be enough for me to be impressed with this guy, but he's also a very fine musician. I first saw Ben perform as part of Peter Mulvey's Lamplighter Sessions at the Cafe Carpe. It was a fantastic evening of live music. I'd not heard of Ben Schmidt--or, at least this Ben Schmidt--before that evening. Ben is an incredible guitar player, one of those guys who's just fun to watch play. He's also a songwriter of some depth, tackling some truly interesting subjects. In fact, one reviewer has stated, "He stands out not for any gimmicks or outlandish gestures, but rather for the subtlety of his writing and his unforced, natural performances." His writing and playing has been compared to the likes of Leo Kottke, Kelly Joe Phelps, Tom Waits, Greg Brown and John Gorka. That's some fine company and being a Midwesterner, probably the type of praise that would make a guy like Ben blush.

So come on out and help us kick off summer by joining us for this Saturday night show on Memorial Day weekend. We'll have a campfire going to stand around between sets and beer (and other beverages) in the washtubs. Maybe there'll even be a rhubarb pie for those first few folks through the buffet line. I can assure you, it'll be a fun evening. For this show, doors will open at 7 PM and music will begin at 7:30 PM. Please reserve your seats for this evening; to do so, RSVP to Milesdog@tds.net. We’re asking $10.00 at the door per person, with all proceeds going to the artist. BYOB for the communal beverage tub, and a snack to share if you like. Let's fill the house and give Ben a warm Three Springs Barn welcome!