| A little more than 20 years ago, on a cold November evening, a small group of Door County visitors and residents gathered at a local inn, enjoying the first of what has become a popular tradition: monthly winter folk concerts. During this time, more than 55 talented folk singers and songwriters from all over the country have performed at the White Gull Inn.
The concerts were conceived by the Innkeeper Andy Coulson, a banjo player himself and lover of traditional and contemporary folk music. Coulson was frustrated by the lack of live entertainment during the long quiet Door County winters. The first concerts were loosely based on the "house concert" concept, in which traveling folk musicians, often on tight budgets and in need of work, are invited into the homes of fans along the route of their travels. The fans provide the musician with food and lodging in return for a concert to a small group of friends, often right in their living rooms. A collection at the door goes to the artist to help defray expenses.
The house concert circuit has provided work and travel expenses for generations of singers and brought folk music to many rural areas that are too small to otherwise provide such entertainment. "I wasn't sure who would come to a concert on a weekday in winter in Fish Creek," Coulson recalls thinking in the beginning. "But we had plenty of room and board , and figured that we had nothing to lose. At the very least, we'd have some quality folk music in Fish Creek."
In the beginning, it was not easy finding artists willing to come so far for such a small turnout. However, as word got around, more and more musicians decided that a "working holiday" in the quiet beauty of the Door Peninsula was worth the trek to the north country. The series has gradually been able to attract in more and more well known performers, such as Anne Hills, Chris Smither, Tom Paxton and Cheryl Wheeler, many of whom normally play in much larger halls.
The pre-concert dinners, now almost as popular as the concerts, were added in recent years at the request of local residents. White Gull chefs responded by offering an optional fixed price dinner, served at 6 pm for each concert.
Concert tickets are $14.00-$16.00 and can be purchased at the door, although most concerts are sold out, so advance ticket purchase and reservations for the pre-concert dinners are recommended. You may purchase tickets at the White Gull front desk, or you can do it by phone, using a credit card.
Date: Wednesday, November 9, 2011, 8 PM
Cleveland-born David Wilcox was inspired to play guitar after hearing a fellow college student playing in a stairwell. His lyrical insight is matched by a smooth baritone voice, virtuosic guitar chops, and creative open tunings, giving him a range and tenderness rare in folk music. He released an independent album in 1987, was a winner of the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk award in 1988, and by 1989 he had signed with A&M Records. His first release on the label, ‘How Did You Find Me Here’, sold over 100,000 copies the first year largely by word of mouth. Now, 17 albums into a career marked by personal revelation and wildly loyal fans, David continues to find and deliver joy, inspiration, and invention.
Considered a 'songwriter's songwriter', his songs have been covered by artists such as k.d. lang and many others. In addition to his writing prowess, his skills as a performer and storyteller are unmatched. He holds audiences rapt with nothing more than a single guitar, thoroughly written songs, a fearless ability to mine the depths of human emotions of joy, sorrow and everything in between, and all tempered by a quick and wry wit.
Reflecting on well over 20 years of record-making and touring extensively around the US and world, Wilcox says, “Music still stretches out before me like the head-lights of a car into the night. It’s way beyond where I am, but it shows where I’m going. I used to think that my goal was to catch up, but now I’m grateful that the music is always going to be way out in front to inspire me.”
Tickets: $16
Optional pre-concert fixed price dinner served at 6 PM: Cardomom Scented chicken, sweet corn cakes with shitake mushroom cream, mixed greens salad, browned butter pumpkin cake for dessert. $19.95
Tickets for the concert, dinner reservations and information are available by calling the White Gull Inn at 800-624-1987.
Date: Wednesday, December 7, 20122
We are pleased to welcome back Michael Peter Smith, a fixture of the American folk music scene and widely considered to be one of the finest songwriters of his generation. He has played every major folk club and festival in the country, worked with Bob Gibson, Corky Siegel, Anne Hills and John Prine, and his song, The Dutchman, was popularized by fellow Chicagoan Steve Goodman. Michael wrote the music for the Steppenwolf production of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, for which he was awarded two Tony’s.
His autobiographical one-man show entitled Michael, Margaret, Pat & Kate, garnered four Joseph Jefferson awards, Chicago's equivalent of the Tony. Weavermania!, a show celebrating the works of the Weavers, was conceived by Michael and his wife Barbara Barrow, has performed to enthusiastic crowds at art centers, folk festivals and music clubs in the United States since 1999.
Michael continues to travel, playing concert halls house concerts, clubs and festivals, and his prolific songwriting has never waned, with now close to 500 original tunes in his impressive catalog. Tickets: $16
Optional pre-concert fixed price Holiday dinner served at 6 PM: Beef tenderloin with chestnuts and peppercorns, bordelaise, fried spaetzle, crispy potato cakes, spinach salad, Steamed chocolate pudding for dessert. $20.95
Tickets for the concert, dinner reservations and information are available by calling the White Gull Inn at 800-624-1987.
Date: Wednesday, January 11, 2012
The Berrymans were some of the first folk musicians booked at the White Gull winter concert series, established in 1985, and have returned for a sold out performance each January for the past 25 years. Critics describe their original music as “intelligent and wickedly funny material which is never bawdy or risque but is rich with wordplay and witty images.” Lou and Peter Berryman began their musical partnership in high school in Appleton, Wisconsin, in the nineteen sixties. By the eighties, they had established themselves as a prominent feature of the songwriting subculture of Wisconsin's capital, playing their original material every week for almost ten years in the run-down but trendy music room of Madison's Club de Wash. Gradually expanding their circuit, they began crisscrossing the continent and gaining national attention with appearances on such programs as Public Radio's A Prairie Home Companion and NPR's Weekend Edition. Regular appearances at festivals and folk music clubs all across the country now serve as venues for the songs contained in their twelve recordings and three songbooks, which have been performed by everyone from Garrison Keillor to Peter, Paul and Mary. Tickets: $16
An optional pre-concert fixed price dinner will be served at 6 PM. The menu consists of: Pork Loin chop stuffed with italian sausage, fennel garlic mashed potatoes and Jack Daniels whisky cream. Cranberry walnut cake for dessert. $19.95
Tickets for the concert, dinner reservations and information are available by calling the White Gull Inn at 800-624-1987.
Date: Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Rogers, who last performed at the White Gull in 2009, has a large and loyal North American fan base. For nearly a decade he toured with his older brother, the late folk legend Stan Rogers. Before his tragic death, Stan said of his brother that “no other person can claim to be so much an influence on my music, or so indispensable to what I do as Garnet.” Most recently, Rogers has been performing with Greg Brown to sold-out venues.
Hailed by the Boston Globe as a "charismatic performer and singer", Garnet is a man with a powerful physical presence - close to six and a half feet tall - with a voice to match. With his smooth, dark baritone, his incredible range, and thoughtful, dramatic phrasing, Garnet is widely considered by fans and critics alike to be one of the finest singers anywhere. His music, like the man himself, is literate, passionate, highly sensitive, and deeply purposeful. An optimist at heart, Garnet sings extraordinary songs about people who are not obvious heroes and of the small victories of the everyday. As memorable as his songs, his over-the-top humor and lightning-quick wit move his audience from tears to laughter and back again. Tickets: $16
Audience members are encouraged by Rogers to bring non-perishable foods or items of personal care to the concert as donations to Feed My People.
Optional preconcert fixed price dinner served at 6 PM: Carnitas pork fajitas with onions, peppers, Monterey Jack cheese, Mexican rice, blackened vegetables, Tres Leches cake for dessert.
Tickets for the concert, dinner reservations and information are available by calling the White Gull Inn at 800-624-1987.
Date: Wednesday, March 28, 2012
The Steel Wheels are truly an Americana band, rooted in musical styles that explore the territories between blues and bluegrass, old-time sing-alongs and foot-stompin’ fiddle tunes. They are subtle innovators who respect the past but whistle their own tunes, layering in rich textures and decidedly modern energy to forge a new sound.
“Imagine a blend of the passion of the Avett Brothers, the instrumentals of Old Crow Medicine Show, and then sprinkle in the backwoods feel of The Legendary Shack Shakers. In truth, attempting to compare [The Steel Wheels] to anyone is an injustice, since after one listen you can hear that they stand very well on their own perch.” - John Walker, Americana Roots
2010 was a breakout year for The Steel Wheels culminating with five nominations from The Independent Music Awards including “Nothing You Can’t Lose” taking top honors as “Best Country Song”. The four-piece band is based in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, where lead singer and primary songwriter Trent Wagler has been a scene staple for nearly a decade. Multi-instrumentalist Jay Lapp was touring with several successful Midwest bands when he and Wagler crossed paths in Harrisonburg, Virginia and a musical partnership began. The two are joined by upright bassist Brian Dickel and fiddler Eric Brubaker to form The Steel Wheels.
“There is purity and power in the sound of this band that few come close to tapping. Tight pickin’, passionate energy, and Wagler’s voice soars like an eagle.” – Martin Anderson, WNCW Music Director
Wagler’s voice which has been compared to that of Darrell Scott and John Fogerty is accentuated by smooth four-part harmonies. Brubaker’s fiddle, both lively and evocative, suits the band exactly, and Dickel’s upright bass grounds the outfit. Jay Lapp’s signature mandolin style is remarkable and unmistakable.
The band shines exceptionally in their live shows, and their palpable chemistry translates easily to their latest album, Red Wing, which garnered critic’s praise and was met with tremendous success on the radio. It spent 13 weeks on the Americana Music Association Top 40 radio charts, topping out at #15.
The Steel Wheels have quickly built a following across the US and Canada that appreciates the honest and deceptively simple sound. They have appeared at Americana festivals such as the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Festival, Kerrville Folk Festival, Floydfest, Albino Skunk Music Festival, Smoky Hill River Festival, Atlanta Dogwood, Folk Alliance, Appalachian Uprising and many more. In addition they have headlined at venues such as NPR’s Mountain Stage, Eddie’s Attic, The Ark, Bluebird Café, Uncle Calvin’s Coffeehouse, Club Passim, and Calgary Folk Club among others. Wagler and Lapp also have taken a duo show to Ireland and have appeared with Peter Rowan at the ‘Ards International Guitar Festival. Tickets: $16
Optional pre-concert fixed price dinner served at 6 PM: Guinness braised beef short ribs with mashed potatoes, caramelized carrots and braised cabbage. Dublin cheesecake for dessert. $19.95
For tickets and reservations, call the inn at 920-868-3517 (toll free 800-624-1987)
Date: Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Since its inception 35 years ago, the Special Consensus has been touring the US and internationally. It has appeared on The Nashville Network “Fire On The Mountain” show, toured for three seasons as 4/5 of the cast in the musical Cotton Patch Gospel (music and lyrics by Harry Chapin), and released fourteen recordings. In November 2003, The Special Consensus received a standing ovation after its first performance on the Grand Ole Opry at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium. International tours have brought The Special Consensus to the United Kingdom, Canada, Europe, Ireland and South America.
The Special Consensus repertoire features original compositions by band members and professional songwriters. . The repertoire also includes traditional bluegrass standards by Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs and other bluegrass legends as well as songs by artists from other musical genres (such as "Blue Skies" by Irving Berlin).
Band leader Greg Cahill plays banjo and sings baritone and tenor vocals. Chicago born and bred, Greg has been playing bluegrass banjo since the early 1970s and formed The Special Consensus in 1975. He has composed many banjo instrumentals and released three albums featuring his unique style: Lone Star (1980) with guests Jethro Burns and Byron Berline, Blue Skies (1992) with fellow Chicagoan Don Stiernberg, and Night Skies (1998) with Don and guests Sam Bush, Glen Duncan and Tom Boyd. Greg is a 2011 recipient of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Distinguished Achievement Award.
Other band members include: Rick Faris, who plays mandolin and sings lead, baritone, tenor and high baritone vocals; David Thomas, who plays bass and sings lead, baritone, tenor and high baritone vocals; and Dustin Benson who plays guitar and sings lead, tenor, baritone and bass vocals.
An optional pre-concert dinner will be served at 6 PM. The menu consists of: Stromboli – filled with pork sausage, prosciutto, tomatoes, garlic, mozzarella cheese, Tirimisu for dessert. $19.95
For tickets and reservations, call the inn at 920-868-3517 (toll free 800-624-1987)
Folk Musicians Previously Featured at the White Gull
Date: 1985-2011
Musicians who have appeared in the White Gull folk concert series in the 27 seasons since its inception in 1985: Tom Paxton, Cheryl Wheeler, John McCuen, Bob Gibson, John McCutcheon, Chris Smither, Michael Smith, Bill Miller, Fred Alley, Vance Gilbert, Neal & Leandra, Lou and Peter Berryman, Michael Johnson, Garnet Rogers, Pat Donohue, Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum, Joel Mabus, David Mallett, Suzzy and Maggie Roche, Cindy Mangsen and Steve Gillette, Bill Staines, Buddy Mondlock, Bryan Bowers, Peter Keane, Mark Dvorak, Anne Hills, Willy Porter, Michael Miles, Bob Bovee and Gail Heil, Jim Hurst and Missy Raines, Dave Moore, Cathie Ryan, Small Potatoes, Matt Watroba, Peter Mayer, Kenny White, Natalia Zukerman, Eric Lewis, Tommy Burroughs, Andy Ratliff, Hans Christian, David Roth, Brooks Williams, Steppin In It with Rachel Davis, James Keelaghan, Chuck Pyle, L. J. Booth, Johnsmith, Clay Riness, Tom Pease, Louise Taylor, Christopher Shaw and Bridget Ball, Mark Dvorak, Priscilla Herdman, Claudia Schmidt, Moe Dixon, Susan Smentek, Cosy Sheridan, Becky Schlegel, Don Stiernberg, Victoria Vox, Wil Maring and Robert Bowlin, Michael Johnathon, Daisy May Erlewine and Seth Bernard, Peter Mulvey, Jonathan Byrd, Jerry Rau, The Special Consensus, Phil Passen and Highland Road, Antje Duvekot, the Waymores, the Honey Dewdrops.
The concerts are held approximately once a month, November through April, beginning at 8 pm, after an optional dinner served at 6 pm .
Phone 920-868-3517 or Toll Free 888-364-9542
E-mail innkeeper@whitegullinn.com
PO Box, 160, Fish Creek, WI 54212
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