The Bargain / American Elm

The Bargain / American Elm

The Bargain is a blend of guitar‑driven acoustic pop, soaring ballads, and tight harmonies. Featuring Frank Critelli, Muddy Rivers, and Shandy Lawson, the band’s sound pulls from influences as wide‑ranging as The Band, Metallica, and Goethe, delivering performances that are spirited, warm, and unmistakably their own.

American Elm, is the long‑running creative project of Connecticut songwriter Chris Bousquet. “The better I feel about a song, the less I know where it came from,” says Chris, with both confidence, and an overwhelming sense of awe for the mysteries of the creative process. This is why for the past decade and a half, a mostly solo endeavor was given the name American Elm. “American Elm was never just Chris Bousquet and Chris Bousquet was never American Elm. If that sounds ‘mystical’,” says Bousquet, “that’s because to me, it is.”

Together, these two acts create an evening defined by contrast and connection, offering resonant songs, lived-in performances, and a shared commitment to craft that makes the night memorable from start to finish.