The Kitchen Table Songwriter Series Season 2 - Show 2 ~ Duos & Duets ~

Kitchen Table Songwriter Series, Season 2, Show 2 ~Duos & Duets~

The Varsity is proud to host the next show in The Kitchen Table Songwriter Series, brought to you by our co-producing duo, Mila Maring and John Reimbold, showcasing the bounty of incredible talent in the region and beyond. We’re celebrating the 2nd show of the 2nd series with a night of Duos & Duets!

Our show line-up is packed with perfect pairs ~ Mila & John, LoveSeat, Snowbird Street Band, and Carter & Connelley round out the night.

Here’s more on the artists on the bill:

Mila & John

A native of Carbondale, Illinois, Mila Maring grew up in a family rich in art and music. She and her late husband, Kelley Sims, were integral to the Southern Illinois music scene. With their band, The Rural Kings, they released two well-received albums - Dandelions (2012) and Level Best (2016). While Mila dabbles with several instruments, her forte is songwriting. In 2017, she was invited to the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival Songwriting contest.

John Reimbold grew up in Chicago in the 1960s, writing poetry and annoying his siblings with incessant whistling. During his college years, he resurrected his mother’s 1920s mandolin, started playing guitar, and wrote song lyrics. Over the years, John played and sang at family weddings, around campfires, and in a rock and roll band with old friends in numerous attics and basements.

John and Mila met in 2019, while John cared for his wife Shirley during her late stages of dementia. Mila was on a parallel path with her husband, Kelley. Mila and John’s personal and musical partnerships evolved, without question, and Shirley and Kelley’s memories are ever-present in their lives and their music. Mila and John have been writing together and performing as a duo at various venues in Southern Illinois and at open mics near and far. Their sound can be folky, poppy, and rocking, as well as sad, hopeful, and happy. The duo released an album of original compositions entitled Without Question (2023) and a single, Pirates of the Shawnee (2022), as part of a project titled We Are for Egypt. They look forward to performing and recording as their singing and songwriting continue to evolve.

LoveSeat

Bill Poss is a songwriter and performer from Effingham, IL, who toured North America for two decades - first solo, then with the Ginn Sisters and Fred Eaglesmith. Since moving home to Effingham, IL in 2013, he founded the Moccasin Creek Festival and Poss Music Works NFP. He continues to write songs and book gigs for himself, his duo with his wife, JJ LoveSeat, and his bluegrass band, The High Test String Band. He brings all these acts together in Bill Poss and the Useful Tools, A Variety Show. He also teaches songs to kids and performs to a wide variety of audiences, from children to retirees. Comfortable standing by himself telling stories and performing a riveting folk set, or rocking out with his five-piece band, Bill Poss cuts a wide path, shifting easily from folk and bluegrass to country and rock

Snowbird Street Band

The Snowbird Street Band is Betsy Brink and Cody Dawkins. Their music features Betsy on acoustic guitar, Cody on banjo, and vocals from both. One could call their sound ‘folk-rock meets bluegrass’, but finding a label that does them justice is a challenge. Their music displays a fire, energy, virtuosity, and wonderful amiability. They absolutely rock and have to be seen to be believed. The two met in Alaska, and soon migrated to Key West, where they played non-stop--everywhere from clubs and coffee houses to seaside streetcorners. The duo relocated to Cody’s stomping grounds in Southern IL in recent years, where they have developed a loyal following. and have become one of the region’s most popular acts

Carter & Connelley

CARTER & CONNELLEY is a singer-songwriter guitar duo (Curt Carter and Tom Connelley) that plays acoustic rock to bluegrass with spoken word interludes. Original compositions highlighting the artists’ love of the natural world make up the bulk of the writing. Every song or reading has a story, a purpose, an inspiration. Their love of the earth and family, respect for those who have gone before, and interest in Native American beliefs are evident throughout. Their musical influences span classic rock to John Hartford to John Prine and beyond. They have been called “Illinois’ preeminent folk warriors” and remain solely atop this realm in the Midwest.

Advance tickets are available here on Eventbrite for $10, and $15 at the door on the night of the show.

This show is sponsored by Carbondale Hearing Center.

The Varsity is in the heart of downtown Carbondale at 418 S. Illinois Ave. For more, go to www.thevarsitycenter.org for more on the historic venue and upcoming events.

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