History update
At Stone & Snow's house concert we had fun talking about it being 15 years since we started, so I thought I should update the blog post with all of our shows. So through 2025/26 season we've had 71 concerts not counting the cancelled ones.
Bluff View history is one where I step back and say wow, then I say... boy that wasn’t enough fun. Should have booked more! Really wondering if I missed a 2011 concert. None were duds, all were special in so many different ways. Feel free to post a comment on how many you’ve made. Now if you think this blog has a schedule and it does have planned concerts at the end, I believe it's best to use our Facebook page.
You know from the start we were asked, "really you open your house up to strangers?" Well yes we do, but in 15 years we've only had two memorable visitors that were both harmless and unique. Everyone else is like us, friendly and so welcoming to listening to music. Newbies and strangers and welcomed and encouraged.
What do your neighbors think? Well they say in the house concert world being friendly with your neighbors is important. Our neighbors have been to the concerts, and they are great people. We live out in the country on a cul-de-sac so plenty of road parking.
Lori and I lived in Manitowoc where after we started dating, house concerts with Fritz & Mary Shuler were the best thing in the world. Now Fritz's started in his house and grew larger so he moved them to his store, Golden Ring Folklore Center, so you sat around his albums for sale.
House concerts in general are mere private parties where traveling musicians play for the pass of the hat. BMI/ASCAP can't really claim royalties because we're not a business. 100% of the hat goes to the artist, and your audience brings their own beverages so no sales are being had.
The format is so much fun to talk about, and artists love them. As a host, I normally serve up our musical guests salmon on the grill for dinner and make sure they have a warm home with cats to pet and to spend the night.
So now guess on how many accordion or fiddle players we’ve hosted. Anyone know who picked up my bouzouki and played it smoothly? Which concert started outside for the first set and inside for the second? What night was so hot the air conditioning just couldn’t keep up? Which was your first? Have you made others in the area? Which concert had Bill Monroe's fiddle player? Who is a niece of a famous musician? Which artist is so allergic to cats that I shampoo the carpet before they attend? We've had European connections to Switzerland and Sweden; can you guess which two? Which musician also played at Fritz's series back in Manitowoc? What couple started dating after one of our house concerts?
We've had a good network of three other house shows within the LaCrosse area; but I try not to book too many. I don't want to burn out our audience, and I don't want to compete with my business friends like Trempealeau Hotel, Leo & Leona's, Pump House, and Root Note too much.
Updated in Nov 2023 with pictures and/or links of song tracks or ONE video from the night. (if there are more you can find them in my Around Town Playlist)
Of course the best way to keep track of our schedule and where we are really located is at our Facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/BluffView/
And some of you are not on Facebook, so subscribe to our infrequent E-news email at :
Finally here is a collection of live music from the Bluff View... if you buy this you get to tell me who to go buy their music as a pay it forward.
Now the history....
2008
Wil Maring & Robert Bowlin (Feb show)
Heather Waters & Rich McCulley
Mike & Amy Finders (Summer show)
Steve Gillette & Cindy Mangsen Oct 18th
2009
Norah Rendell & Brian Miller March 8th
Allison Sattinger & Matt Coleman (May 27th rare Thursday night)
Becky Schlegel July 17th
Heather Waters & Chuck Lee Bramlett Oct
2010
The Pines
Tori Sparks (cancelled lost voice)
Clay Riness (Saturday & Sunday shows)
Seth Horan (July Show)
David Stoddard & David Glaser
Mary Mack with Don D Harvey opening act. Dec 10th
2011
Dana & Sue Robinson
Doug Spears (canceled Easter)
Two Tap Trio - Norah Rendell, Brian Miller, Nathan Gourley (Xmas Show)
The next day was setting the room for a Xmas tour on Sunday, I put two songs from Friday on the tour video.
2012
Beth Wood May 5th
Evie Laden & Keith Terry Jun 23rd
Lindsey Lou & Flatbellys Nov 16th
2013
Beth Wood & David Stoddard Mar 15th
Carrie Elkin & Danny Schmidt Apr 27th
Prairie Smoke Fest Fundraiser Jun 29th
Mary Mack & Tim Harmston Sep 27th
WhiskeyBelles Nov 2nd
2014
Norah Rendell & Brian Miller Feb 7th
Drew Nelson Apr 25th
Barbara Jean & Erik Koskinen Sep 13th
Pigtown Fling Stringband Nov 8th
2015
Bill Staines Mar 6th
Natalie Gelman Apr 10th
Kelly McRae & Matt Castleline Sep 18th
WhiskeyBelles Oct 23rd
We so love these women, and this was their second booking. Next visit in LaCrosse was when they were booked at the Pump House. Their Xmas CD is solid fun and great music and includes "Santa Lost a Ho" My all time favorite top ten Christmas song, and sure beats Grandma Got Run Over, so much it showed up in the Pete and Pat Show.
2016
Michael Johnson (canceled health issues)
Barbara Jean & Erik Koskinen Mar 19th
Jillian Rae & Eric Martin Oct 7th
Brian Miller & Randy Gosa Nov 4th (Norah was ill)
2017
Bill Staines March 3rd
Emily Earle w/Jessie McDonald May 5th
Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers Sep 29th
Chicago Farmer Nov 9 & 10th
2018
Siri Undlin of Humbird & Luke Callen Feb 9th
Hobbes always picked the back row.
Beth Wood Mar 10th
Caitlin Jemma Apr 13th
Photos by Pete Solberg
Pigtown Fling Stringband - May 5th 60th birthday party
What a blast, thanks for everyone who could come and celebrate with me.
Sofia Talvik - Sep 22nd
Natalie Gelmen - Oct 27th
Yes it was our only Halloween themed concert, and Natalie did have me play harp on one song... pretty cool. I'm thinking Pete Solberg took these pictures too.
.jpeg)
Randy Sabien - Nov 16th
2019
Humbird & Andy Hughes - Feb 9th
This video was taken by Dylan Overhouse.
Pat Ferguson & Christian Staehly - May 3rd (reschedule from March due to weather)
Claude Bourbon - Oct 18th
Chicago Farmer - Nov 9th
2020
Luke Callen & Nici Pepper - Feb 7th
Merry Weathers - Postponed Pandemic
Miss Tess - Postponed Pandemic
2021
Sarah Morris & Annie Fitzgerald - Postponed Pandemic
2022
Humbird & Luke Callen - Feb 12th
Eddie Allen - Mar 25th (originally schedule in 2021 moved because of pandemic)
Caludo - Jul 6th at the Trempealeau Hotel
Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno - Sep 23rd
Good Morning Bedlam - Dec 9th (rare Xmas tree was up)
2023
Mike Munson - Mar 3rd (Two Chickadee Project)
Stone & Snow - Mar 31st
Nikki Grossman - May 5th (Two Chickadee Project)
Weary Ramblers (Kathryn Severing Fox & Chad Elliott) - Oct 6th
Barnaby Bright - Nov 3rd
2024
Jaspar Lepak & Ben Cook-Feltz Feb 9th
Ben ended up being sick, but we had an awesome night with Jaspar, here's my favorite song from the night.
Jessica Malone Sat April 27th
I got three good videos from the night; two covers Natural Woman and Ain't No Sunshine plus this Sweet Sunlight that also includes Pat sniffing Jessica's skirt during the song. It was Pete & Pat's first concert they were allowed in the room. They did ok if you forgive Pete's sniffing and Pat's knocking over the plant on the speaker. Jessica thought it was pretty funny having them sit in the front row and stare at her. The picture of Jessica in the video was with her new earrings from Elements by Lori Ella.
Lojo Russo Fri Oct 11th
I have been following Lojo for a few years, and wrote a review of her release "No Scars No Stories" in Dave's Basement Tracks
She was great fun... here's a video from the night:
Sarah Peacock Fri Nov 1st
Implusively I quickly booked Sarah after watching this video:
Then I tracked her down to a bus in the 2024 Mile of Music, boy is she going to be a fun house concert.
And I was right, it was a great weekend of fun since we became the home base for Sarah, Willow and Danni Nichols who traveled with Sarah to watch Willow (Sarah's daughter). We missed them so when they all left, the house quickly became quiet again. Toddlers got to love them. Danni opened the night.
Sarah was intense, fun, charming, and all the other accolades.
2025
We were saving a spot for spring that never worked out, so when Frank Critelli emailed that he would be in the area in April we jumped at it. All the way from CT! April 4th
Jess Klein May 10th
Yes the concerts were close enough without any problems so the cats enjoyed the room for a month with chairs to run, to sleep and to fight. Jess was a person we first met at SERFA in 2024 and then saw her at Moccasin Creek. I worked up the courage to ask her for a concert spot, and with the help of her agent we got a date. Here's a song with great meaning, because if you buy the song on Bandcamp the proceeds go to World Central Kitchen.
Fall has the first concert scheduled for:
Loveseat - Sep 27th
Sadly Bill and JJ ended up with a friends funeral that weekend and could not bring their magic to the series up from Effingham IL. No problem they are now booked for the Fall of 2026.
Maygen and the Birdwatcher - Nov 8th
Boy the house was a rocking with a four piece Americana band. Yes we can easily fit four, have a look:
2026
Johnsmith Feb 7th
We used our Feb spot for the local Kerrville New Folk legend who lives ten miles from the house. John is such a great soul and he brought his daughter Elisi for harmony and banjo texture. He got us singing on the last song.
David Stoddard and Beth Wood - May 3rd
Yes if you are allergic to cats, this is the concert for you. Since Beth is very allergic we even go to the extreme of cleaning the carpets to rid the dander; and the cats will be closed in the three seasons room. Scroll up, you will find this is David and Beth's third time to the series, and second together. David and I share May 2nd as a birthday so the rare Sunday afternoon concert was truly a fun event with unique treats. They got us singing too.
2026/27 Season :
This year will have a rare 5th concert because I always said if Kelly Hunt sent me a request for a date that fits the schedule, I'm booking the fifth. So let's check out the schedule:
Loveseat - Sat Sep 26th - Bill and JJ Passalacqua travel up from Effingham IL to share their unique covers and originals. Bill is a long time touring artist who spent years honing his trade in Austin TX to take up residency in IL and start the Moccasin Creek Festival. He and JJ actually got married on the Shady Stage seven years ago. We've made four of the last five year to MCF, and have our tickets for next year. I trust Bill's taste immensely, and I was introduced to him by none only than Chicago Farmer. Yes they were booked last year and it fell through after a good friend of theirs died and his funeral was on that date. FB Event link : https://www.facebook.com/share/1GhdNpoN7u/
Shanna In A Dress - Thu Oct 22nd - I met Shanna during 2020 covid and the Great River Folk Fest On-line Songwriter contest. She went on to win the contest plus the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest and Kerrville New Folk contests, plus other accolades. We've become close friends and we actually travelled to see her play in the CO Rocky Mountain Folks Fest main stage. She, Lori and I will be traveling up to FARM in the Twin Cities after that is why she is on a rare Thursday night. FB Event link : https://www.facebook.com/share/18iyoetChF/
Pair of Kelly's - Fri Nov 20th - Both K's play guitar and they will do both solo songs and duos with both guitar and banjos. Kelley Smith has such a unique picking style reminiscent of a blues player; while Kelly Hunt brings her Southern roots to her vocals and songs. They are sure to mix in a few traditional songs too. When they get close to our area, I never hesitate driving over an hour and a half. Now I get to sit back and go wow, they are in the house. FB event link : https://www.facebook.com/share/1MARZxE9Dh/
Dan, Mary & Tim - Sat Feb 6th - After such a warm winter night last Feb with John Smith & Elisi; I decided I really want to keep that Feb spot local if I can. We've had Luke Callen, Siri (Humbird), Andy Hughes, Clay Riness, Prairie Smoke, Pigtown, and Eddie Allen; so having Dan Sebranek, Mary Cortesi, and Tim Kolek was a natural. The last time these three hit the road to Colorado to do a Dan Fogelberg tribute, Tim came back with a broken shoulder from a skiing accident. This time that shouldn't happen; and I've asked them to pull out some rare originals that they don't share everywhere. It should be another night of magic because we know how talented they are. FB Event link : https://www.facebook.com/share/17Q7YXrHzX/
The Dangling Participles - Sat Mar 13th - Coming from Lansing MI Austin Kaufmann and Tamiko May are English teachers who are so much fun. We met them at FARM in 2022 and have kept touch. You know how much of I love husband and wife banter, plus this time it will likely be the first time we have some tasteful brass added to a concert. FB Event link : https://www.facebook.com/share/1FgtG6gWMb/
I'll add more details later.
Comments
Post a Comment