Celtic Midwestern - Songs & Stories from Ireland to Iowa

The evening will be shared in a writer-in-the-round format and the duo will share how a chance meeting in Nashville a decade ago created a creative partnership that knows no geographical boundaries. 

Due to the musical/storyteller nature of this performance there will be a minimal charge of $10/seat in our 'stage-front' section (maximum 40 people).

Free seating will still be available at the bar and downstairs but a respectful level of noise will need to be maintained for this more laid-back performance to be appreciated.

BIOGRAPHIES

Tony James Shevlin is an Anglo-Irish singer-songwriter who's been a professional musician for most of his adult life and has performed all over the world, from Europe to Russia, Africa, America, the Middle East and Australia.

Along the way he’s had songs used by Amnesty International, The Troggs, and REM.

In 2015, Tony toured the US with his album Songs From the Last Chance Saloon – an album which brings together his influences from growing up in an Irish household, listening to the Beatles and Marty Robbins. Whilst out on the road, he wrote 11 songs – one for each thousand of the 11,000 miles he drove across the country. These songs featured on the 2017 album American Odyssey, many of the songs name-checking cities that he passed through, such as Santa Fe Sadness, Tucumcari Sunset, and Kansas City Won’t Let Me Go.

The Daily Country called American Odyssey 'an outsider’s love letter to the United States'. Americana UK called it 'a sonic postcard… Anglo Americana travelogue that hits the spot…' while RnR Magazine concluded: 'It’s like listening to a musical roadmap and at each stop there’s a good song with something to say'.

Long Way Round was released in June of this year. RnR Magazine called it 'a quietly powerful album.'

Tony splits his time between the UK, playing with his backing band The Chancers, and the US, where he performs as a solo artist.

https://tonyjamesshevlin.com/

Scott Stilwell has performed in our stage several times and is one of our favorites. Scott's songs are about everyday things, but not just about the mundane trappings of life. Life is messy. And glorious. And scary. And thrilling…sometimes all at the same time.

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Scott's songs are in their basic form, folk songs that are rooted in stories and give glimpses into life - fiction and non-fiction. Based on the concept that art is personal, he also weaves his own stories into the songs, inviting the listener into a shared experience.

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Born and raised in Iowa, Scott approaches his songs with a Mid-Western sensibility. Having spent some time in Nashville, his songs also reflect the struggle and heartache that lives in every songwriter.

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If every song tells a story, then Stilwell has many stories to tell. Songs of hopelessness, lost love, political uncertainty, cultural influence and making the best of the moments we are presented – these ideas are his songs.