Bigger Beast Records / All Boats Rise Entertainment

Stephen Peter Rodgers:

- I won’t tell Steve’s story…because his songs do it for him in a very special way. Stephen Peter Rodgers has this ability as a songwriter to find the tiniest sliver of light and perspective inside of the dark times we all encounter at some point in our lives. And through this, his songs give us hope and remind us that we’re never alone. To me, that’s always been the power of anything Steve creates. He brings joy through a lens of truth, honesty, creativity, and poetically magical connection. With a vocal tone unlike any other that sometimes showcases tinges of Leonard Cohen and John Moreland, and a stream of consciousness style of writing that can sometimes feel akin to early Dave Matthews with a touch of indie folk, Stephen Peter Rodgers for decades has been one of the handful of artists who has defined the sound coming of out the CT songwriting community. I’m forever blessed to call Steve a dear friend. He’s an inspiration, he’s an icon, and I’m not confident this incredible growing community exists without the work Stephen Peter Rodgers has personally done as an artist, venue creator and proprietor, open mic host, record producer, and friend to us all over the last 20 plus years. Please help me in welcoming Stephen Peter Rodgers to the first annual 21 Songwriters Music Festival! It’s truly an honor

Frank Critelli:

- When I learned that outside of being an artist, radio host, and a live music curator, Frank Critelli was a farmer and a gardener, everything just clicked and made sense to me. It’s simple…Frank finds joy in watching things grow, helping things grow, and learning about himself and the world around him from that process. And that view point on humanity is one of the things that makes him a brilliant writer. The other thing he carries with him that is such an incredible tool to possess is his ability to teach us all what he’s learned in a way in which we can all individually understand it. He’s the professor of this music community who’s songs simultaneously touch the mind and the heart. His performances create an experience with lyrical layers and depth that simply change you. A song performed live in front of you by Frank Critelli is a musical butterfly effect to your soul that will forever change how you walk your next steps. We’re sincerely lucky to have him in this community and I’m extremely excited to have him on the first annual 21 Songwriters Festival!

Riley COtton:

I first met Riley in the parking lot at Urban Lodge Brewing before sharing the stage with her that day for a songwriter round. I was unloading my van and it was my 5th show in 3 days so I was half a human at that point. My first impression was that she was so incredibly kind and had such a joy for performing her music and being a part of a collaborative and creative community. Her vibe was immediately uplifting for me that day. She sat next to me at the songwriter round and when she started her first song one thing stood out to me immediately…her voice . I’m a long time student of the music industry and as a college intern I learned from the head of product development at Atlantic Records the idea of the “one note stamp” that every iconic artist has. This concept that every icon from Willie Nelson to Dave Matthews to Cindi Lauper to Dolores O’Riordan (The Cranberries) to Michael Jackson can sing one note and you know it’s them! Riley’s voice has that quality. Smokey yet sincere, haunting yet sweet, she uses this impactful vocal tone to tell vivid stories with layers in a true folk fashion. Soon to be considered “iconic” voices have been pushing folk/americana to the forefront over the last ten years such as Bon Iver, Iron & Wine, Brandi Carlisle, John Moreland, etc. As a result, in the last two years, we’ve seen this formally niche genre infiltrate the top tier of popular music becoming a launch pad for giant artists like Noah Kahan and Zach Bryan to launch from. I believe Riley Cotton has the ability to carve out a home for herself in this world and I’m excited to watch her career grow and to have her on the first annual 21 Songwriters Music Festival!

Seth Adam:

Last summer I saw Seth perform in West Haven and finally confessed to him that he was, and still is, an idol of mine. Before Americana Music was “the thing”, I was idolizing his fliers that were hung up on the wall at Daddy’s Junky Music in Orange, CT and I was sneaking into Toads Place to watch him play Americana and Rock n Roll unlike anybody else I had ever seen. When I was a youth - Seth personified the cool modern rock guys I loved but had such an intricate understanding of the brilliance of some of the greats like Tom Petty. Seth was WRITING SONGS! And making the kind of music I wanted to make. In turn he became a beacon for me to follow when I was coming out of college and moving back home. As luck would have it, I started to get put on local bills with Seth in my mid twenties and it took me years to actually talk to him because I was so nervous. . Nowadays I get to call him a dear friend and I look forward to any opportunity I get to see him play. The Connecticut music scene is lucky to have this guy and and if it’s not him personally, whoever does end up finally blowing the doors off this CT Music Scene - he or she will have at least 3 or 4 chapters on the pathways forged by Seth Adam…the heart on his sleeve rock n roller that puts on a show like nobody else! This festival wouldn’t be the legit community celebration I wanted it to be if he wasn’t on the bill! Simply put!

Undercover Cameo:

Vocal harmonies are sacred. The voice is the only instrument that comes 100% from the body and soul. So taking two different voices and making them one instrument is a delicate excercise. Now taking two special voices and making them a singular “instrument” in rare cases can be pure alchemy. And that’s what you have with Undercover Cameo. Lucas Neil has a voice than can be reminiscent of the sweet and somber side of Thom Yorke from Radiohead blended with the melodic knowledge of some of the best artists modern indie pop and folk has to offer. Long story short…this guy can sing! But he doesn’t show off. He lets his words and melodies do the talking as they find your heart then reach into your chest and hold it just tight enough to let you know you’re not alone. Olivia Charlotte is pure soul. There’s an element of fire and spirit in her vocal that she harnesses underneath an umbrella of “sweetness” in this setting to create a delicate juxtaposition now known as “Undercover Cameo”. As a unit, they have something special to say as they sweetly sing their way into your mind and heart - and I’m excited to see where they can take this beautiful sound they’ve created together.

Charlotte Roth:

- I’m brand new to Charlotte’s music and so I spent some time diving in and listening. And honestly…I’m absolutely blown away. With a spellbinding understanding of space and melody and the ability to convey emotion with subtle melodic runs that cross a substantial range yet feel effortless in her delivery, Charlotte Roth has found a sonic home somewhere in between ambience, lyrical connection, and subtle power. Vocally, her more powerful side feels like the upper register of Joni Mitchell on the Blue album whereas her lower register is reminiscent of some of the more subtle yet melodic classic Sarah McLaughlin tracks. (Now how about that for a vocal range! ). All of this incredible vocal talent is set to a beautiful ambient folk back drop akin to some of the best orchestrated Bon Iver ballads off “For Emma, Forever Ago” as she seems to weave her lyrical stories out of brief but moving little moments inside of the human condition that pull you in peacefully yet strongly. Her current tracks on Spotify are fantastic but I’ve also heard she’s got a new record in the works! I’m extremely excited to hear her at the first annual 21 Songwriters Festival and I hope they press her new record to vinyl because sonically, her voice belongs on wax!

Riley Johnson:

Riley is a younger cat on the scene that showcases so much of what is cool about the new generation of singer/songwriters. Riley is contemporary and modern but has such an in-depth understanding of “the greats” and he channels some of the coolest elements of icons like Jackson Browne and Jimmy Buffet. Like he’s the young guy who you can immediately tell after one note that his parents had an amazing record collection! But he’s seemed to weave it into something that is truly his own . He’s got soul, he’s got vibe, and I’m certain he’s got a big future because his music elevates the joy level in a 50 mile radius around him whenever he performs. See him now in a true songwriter’s atmosphere before the ticket prices are parallel to a car payment

Marisa Bloom -

Marisa is a force! She is a fighter, she is brilliant, and she is making an impact! As a musical artist, Marisa is steeped in alternative punk and pure honesty with a vocal akin to early Gwen Stefani. Creatively, Marisa is possibly one of the most talented writers I’ve ever encountered as outside of her passion as a recording artist and her day to day life as a mom, she runs her highly successful digital magazine “RockMommy” with weekly articles covering incredible women in music - with beautifully written, thought provoking pieces that push talented women from across the globe to the forefront of the creative world. Marisa is a mother, singer/songwriter, entrepreneur, and overall powerhouse who fronts a rock band, runs a major music magazine, and has dedicated so much of her talents and energy to helping foster a community for growing female artists inside of the Connecticut Music Scene. I am so grateful to have Marisa in this community and excited to have her on the first annual 21 Songwriters Music Festival!

Adam Christoferson

- I’ve struggled to write this blurb about him because I still can’t find the words for such an epic yet humble man. Adam is an incredibly gifted singer/songwriter who chose to take his passion for songwriting and turn it into a “movement” and a “mission” when he founded Musical Intervention; a Connecticut not for profit that creates a clinical and community based space for people to write,share, and record music. Musical Intervention is an organization that studies the impact of the arts on mental health and maintains a goal to foster the belief that creating arts helps fulfill the human need to be seen and understood. In a world where making music can feel out of reach for so many, Adam has created a powerful entity that makes the creation of music attainable for all. Building a space like this centered around empathy, dignity, and self expression is simply a selfless act by an incredible artist who’s used his knowledge of music to truly make a difference in the lives of so many. Adam embodies everything that is beautiful and special about the creative process and how it is pivotal to the human experience. We are honored to have him on the 21 Songwriters Music Festival and in lieu of any cover charge for this festival, we will be collecting donations of any size throughout the day for Adam’s amazing organization. My belief is that in the long run, Musical Intervention will be (if it isn’t already) the cornerstone that the Connecticut Music Scene and music community is built upon. We are beyond lucky to have such an impactful and mission oriented creative as a part of this growing community.

Simone Marie:

- I first encountered Simone Marie at a songwriting round at WeHa Brewing & Roasting in West Hartford. She sat behind her keyboard singing incredibly and passionately performing her songs. But she had an inaudible backbeat I found so infectious that by the time she got to her last song, I was actually playing the bass drum on top of the indoor wood picnic table. . (Crowd participation is always fun right? ) Rhythmically she is reminiscent of the more mainstream tracks that came out of Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings at their peak. Lyrically she is clever and approaches her stories of love and love lost with a perspective that’s poetically refreshing but still easily relatable, in a space similar to Sarah Bareilles. Vocally, she is as precise as a true jazz vocalist with a tonality similar to the Smokey side of early Fiona Apple. Her pop sensibility is infectious and modern with an understanding of the greats within the sonic space she is creating inside of. She makes a wonderful addition to this growing songwriter community and I’m delighted to have her on the first annual 21 Songwriters Festival!

Eddie Seville:

- Alternative Country/Americana with a Northeast flair, Eddie Seville is an incredible songwriter. Dark yet warm, brilliant yet easily understood, poetic yet real, poignant yet open-ended, Eddie Seville paints pictures in my mind when he performs. It’s the same way I feel about Tom Waits when I close my eyes and focus in on his lyrics. However, vocally Eddie reminds me of my favorite modern Americana vocalist, BJ Barnham of American Aquarium . Sincere with a rock edge…

As I look at the growing CT songwriter community and I envision it as a giant thanksgiving table, Eddie Seville is the uncle that brought his own wine and has a riveting story for everybody about how he wrestled away or poetically tricked away the last bottle in the store from some rich guy in a 3 piece suit . I haven’t spent too much time with Eddie yet but I’ve been admiring from afar for a while now and I’m so excited to have him on the first annual 21 Songwriters Music Festival!

Let’s Officially Invite Julia Autumn Ford to The 21 Songwriters Music Festival!

- I first encountered Julia at a songwriter round I attended at New Park Brewing in West Hartford, CT. Straight up, she’s a “subtle powerhouse” that sounds like she’s performing through a vintage tube amp possessed by the ghosts of forgotten poets who still have something they are desperate to convey. Her voice was incredible. It’s haunting and the subtle nuances in how she delivers melody blends so incredibly well with her nylon string guitar playing that anything she performs feels less like a singer/songwriter performance and more like a subtle sonic movement or watching an emotional movie with your ears . This is akin to how I feel listening to certain records from Iron & Wine or The Paper Kites. She also writes so poetically. I vividly remember a performance of hers at a Park City Music Hall songwriter round where she sang a song about a fictional character, “The World’s Tallest Man” and the nuanced lyrics blended so beautifully with the juxtaposition of Julia’s vocal and guitar delivery. From my vantage point, creativity and artistry don’t seem like something Julia Autumn Ford “does”, rather it’s assuredly something she “is” and I’m eagerly awaiting a vinyl pressing of her new music as her voice would sound incredible coming through my vintage Sansui tube stereo reciever over a morning cup of coffee on a cold November day . Excited to have her on the first annual 21 Songwriters Music Festival and grateful to have her as part of this growing community

Anne Marie Menta:

She doesn’t know this…but I’m a huge fan. She is the one that introduced me to the power of folk music. I was a pop and jam oriented songwriter and when I started to make a little noise in the CT scene in 2015 I guess I showed up on her radar. She began following me on social media and simply showed me an abundance of kindness and support at a time when I was just learning who I was as an artist. Then I went and saw her perform at Cafe Nine. I sat there in awe for the first half of her set and then spent the second half taking notes. Anne Marie Menta tells stories. Listening to her perform is like reading one of those great story books where the chapters are short so you feel smart and accomplished when you finish a chapter and then you keep going and the next thing you know you’re like “wow I read a whole book…and it has changed me!”. Because she pulls you in. You lose track of time as she sings stories that resonate deeply with little moments in your own life that were tucked back into your subconscious. Basically I always saw folk music as something that targeted the thoughts of listeners versus the emotions. Anne Marie Menta taught me that folk music can grab your heart by way of your mind. And I’m so grateful she will be gracing us with her presence at the 21 Songwriters Festival

D’Pew:

- D’Pew, is the new moniker for awe inducing singer/songwriter Nick Depuy. My experience with Nick began at a songwriter round on a stage inside of a workout gym in New Haven maybe 8 years ago. When he started to perform I was speechless. He is the most precise male vocalist I’ve ever heard up close and he has a command over his guitar and corresponding vocal melody that is eerily reminiscent to the king of male singer/songwriters…James Taylor (yeah I know those are big words but trust me…they’re factual ). Lyrically clever and brilliantly eloquent, Nick is a guy I believe should be selling out clubs across the country and there’s a good chance he might be in the foreseeable future. Recently he’s moved beyond his traditional folk and singer/songwriter brand and has decided to go under the moniker “D’Pew” adding his passion for theatre and performance art to his formidable expertise in melody and songwriting. If his first single under this name entitled “Hummingbird” is a sign of what’s to come, it seems as though Nick has added an element of ethereal sonic depth to his songwriting approach and production which pushes him to the ideal place for a growing artist…defining his own sound! And what an incredible sound it is! Long story short, Nick is brilliant. He is one of my favorite artists in the region and has quickly become one of my favorite people period. It’s a privilege watching his creative journey and we are honored to have him on the first annual 21 Songwriters Music Festival!

Chris Kiley:

- I first encountered Chris as the front man for a band called “Lion’s Teeth” and he opened my eyes quickly to incredible songs, a killer vocal tone, and a command of songwriting and vocal dynamics that inspired me to expand my approach to songwriting and explore new ways to convey emotion melodically and rhythmically. In my somewhat limited experience with him, I found his passion for music infectious and right away I believed that he could be a powerful voice in the Connecticut Music Community with the talent to break out and garner a large audience nationally. Chris took some time off from rock n roll to become a father and watching from afar on social media, it brought me joy to see him making music a part of his day to day family life as it is an integral part of his being (something you notice the moment he starts to perform). He even had his adorable son handing out fliers a week ago at the CT Folk festival . The kid chased folks all over the festival grounds handing out over 500 fliers one at a time to every human being he could find showing that the passion displayed in his father’s music has assuredly been passed on genetically . While balancing fatherhood and rock n roll isn’t easy, Chris has begun working on his solo project and like me, he has been using the No Worries stage as a place to work through his new tunes and refine them before heading into the studio. Chris has the ability to be your new favorite artist instantly and you should make a point to see him this Friday as we officially welcome him to the first annual 21 Songwriters Music Festival! If you’re looking for me during his set, I’ll be in the front row listening was

X-Ray Lite:

Bryan is an absolutely killer guitarist that to my ears pulls as much influence from Pink Floyd and The Black Crowes as he does from the funkier and jammier guitar world Someone You Can XRAY has lived in regionally for years. He establishes an incredible canvas for Dana Newman to color upon and she comes to the easel with every color in the giant crayola box the cool kids had in elementary school . Dana carries a spirit unlike any other I’ve ever encountered. On vocals and harmonica Dana is equal parts blues rocker, beat poet, soul singer, and spiritual songstress. As a unit they carry a musical vibe that feels like it celebrates the good times with an understanding that the nuances of humanity and the flaws within us all are what makes the days walking on this planet special. Good time music with soul, depth, and purpose - this pair of exceptional human beings puts on some of the best live performances in the state of CT no matter the format they’re in . We will be keeping a fire extinguisher handy at the festival as the probability is high that they’ll be setting the stage ablaze

Let’s Officially Invite Liz Reed to the 21 Songwriters Music Festival:

- I met Liz Reed for the first time at a “Folk Does Motown” performance a little less than a year ago. I watched Liz as part of a community of folk artists ranging in experience and style communicate in such a special way to both the audience and the other artists and at that moment I knew I met someone special. A true advocate for songwriting and community, Liz runs her own local folk festival annually and is one of the regular songwriters’ open mic hosts at WeHa Brewing & Roasting! Her latest release, “Tall Trees & Empty Highways” showcases her traditional but powerful approach to folk music. However, what stands out most to me is the wide range balance in her vocal delivery. She has the ability to quietly sing a folk inspired melody but then push her vocal into an operatic power space, not unsimilar to a female Roy Orbison…which is so cool! But her ability to use that performance “tool” dynamically is where Liz Reed, to my ear, separates herself and defines her personal sound. I’m super grateful to have her on this year’s festival and I’m certain she is making an incredible impact on the growing CT songwriter community!

Lee Totten:

Less than a week ago I got a text from Lee Totten right before he was hopping on stage at an open mic in London. The day before he was setting up a PA for himself and 3 other bands to perform a street festival in downtown Hartford CT. Basically - I’m pretty sure he has a Time Machine or a Rick And Morty style portal gun and just hasn’t told us all yet .

And I’m relatively convinced that Dos Equis modeled their “most interesting man” campaign after seeing Lee Totten perform somewhere on this planet. “I don’t always stay at the bar for 4 hours, but when I do, it’s because Lee Totten is telling stories in the corner with his guitar”. If your household has a Jäegermeister sign in the basement, Lee Totten was a household name, as his early years cutting his teeth in bars across the country led him to write the Jaeger Song earning him a full fledged endorsement from the brand. If you caught him on tour opening for The Barenaked Ladies, Third Eye Blind, or Everclear, you became an instant fan. But all that aside, Lee came out of the nineties rock scene with the spirit of a true storyteller and a poet. Now I believe that the most brilliant songwriters ever are the ones who have a unique perspective and “angle” from which they write from. Well that’s Lee…the artist, traveler, troubadour, poet, father, entrepreneur that has become a centerpiece in the growing CT songwriter community because he’s a man who squeezes everything he can out of this life and then picks up his guitar and tells us all the lessons he’s learned through the lens of a brilliant and kind human being that’s fought the battles and won! As this music scene and songwriter community grow, there will be cornerstones that it is built upon. Lee Totten has been and will continue to be one of those cornerstones that helps to raise us all up at one time or another when we need it. I’m honored to call Lee a dear friend and grateful for his presence at the first annual 21 Songwriters Festival!

Eddie Seville:

Speaking of Eddie Seville - with the force of Bruce Springsteen, a poetically lyrical approach to telling stories akin to John Prine, the voice of Bob Seger, and the lyrical wit of Tom Waits, Eddie has become one of my favorite singer/songwriters in the region. The guy’s a monster performer that has passion pouring out of every note - and if you know anything about the music I personally make, then it should be no surprise that after hearing Eddie a few times, I started to idolize him. As a multi-instrumentalist, he regularly writes and performs with members of Bad Company, Queen, and even former bandmates of the late great folk troubadour (and one of my songwriting heroes) Tim Harden. Eddie’s music is a bit too country for rock radio and a bit too rock for country radio…but he wouldn’t have it any other way cuz he simply is 100% authentic in everything he does . He annually tours internationally and continues to write songs for major label artists across the globe as well play drums backing up other industry legends! We at the Bigger Beast/All Boats Rise family are super excited to have Eddie Seville on the first annual Shelter From The Storm Concert singing one of his own and one of his favorite Dylan tunes!

Lucas Neil:

With a voice that seamlessly pivots between Thom Yorke & Jeff Buckley (it’s honestly mind blowing on occasion ), a sonic presence plucked from the best of Gregory Alan Isakov with shadows of the softer sides of Neal Young’s catalog, Lucas Neil is an artist’s artist making modern ambient new folk with depth. Laced with poetic imagery and subtle obscure yet powerful statements, Lucas’ super power is his command of melody amongst the smokey sonic backdrop he paints both instrumentally and with the “width” of his vocal tone. My dear friend, and internationally touring songwriter Eddie Seville said it best when he heard Lucas perform w/ his group Undercover Cameo at the 1st Annual 21 Songwriters Festival. He walked off stage and told me “those two sing colors man. It’s like from a different planet. It’s unbelievable!” I couldn’t agree more Eddie! The talent is undeniable and the sound is almost physically tangible. I can’t wait to hear Lucas play one of his tunes and attack a Bob Dylan classic at the first annual Shelter From The Storm show!!

Canyon:

I was first introduced to Canyon at the 2014 New England Music Awards as photographer and music blogger Lisa Sanchez Gonzalez made a point to introduce her to me as we crossed paths in the hallways of that Lowell, MA auditorium. I hadn’t heard her music but she had such an incredible presence and she exuded an immeasurable amount of kindness and positivity in such a sincere way. I felt at that moment that she most likely was a very special artist, but as things go, I was hyper focused on my band, my nomination for that evening, and kinda in my own bubble at that point of my journey and I didn’t really get the chance to learn more about her music until a faithful day two years later…

On that day, about 2 years from our initial brief interaction, I’m waking up on Sunday morning after a miserable sleep in a miserably uncomfortable motel room after performing solo shows all night at the Montauk Music Festival in NY and I walk over to a little populated area in downtown Montauk hunting for coffee.

Feeling like it was monsoon-ing on my downtrodden weary soul after a rough gig the night before, I hear this angelic voice that felt like somebody handed me a spoonful of sunlight. As I have done for most of my life, I followed my ears and they led me to none other than Canyon singing her heart out with her guitar next to a place that served me a delicious cup of coffee and possibly the best bagel I ever ate. This would be the 1st of many times I accidentally stumbled into Canyon’s music when I needed it most

Straight up - Canyon is a treasure. An incredible artist that soulfully lights up the room when she performs. Her vocal range is substantial. Her vocal tone is like the perfect cup of chai tea. Warm and relaxing with just enough spice to grab your ear and never let go. Her delivery, to my ear, is reminiscent of the best of Cat Stevens in that it is conversational and when she sings it feels like she’s sitting across the table from you in a quiet cafe empathetically talking through the intricacies of life with you. As a writer, she’s authentically sincere and hopeful yet raw and unapologetic in her honesty.

Everything’s she released is gorgeous but her latest releases are absolutely flawless and carry a beautifully delicate production level that makes it impossible to deny Canyon’s brilliance.

The Bigger Beast/All Boats Rose Ent. Family is honored and super excited to welcome Canyon to the 1st Annual Shelter From The Storm Concert! She’s taking on a Dylan song that’s one of the most amazing songs ever written and her performance is certain to be one of the highlights of the night!

Bryan Titus:

I’m just gonna say it…sometimes when I hear Bryan Titus, I wanna sell all my instruments and start collecting stamps or something. This guy’s a beast! In the blink of an eye his voice can go from Ray Charles to Layne Staley (Alice In Chains). He’s got a poet’s soul and an adventurer’s spirit - he has even hiked the entire Appalachian Trail!

He writes flawless tunes that could win awards for their master class level of structural perfection, but his secret weapon is that on top of all that greatness, he is lyrically authentic, sincere, heartfelt, clever, and honest.

As a result, when you hear him perform, it’s absolutely impossible not to become an instant fan!

With nothing but his voice and his guitar, Bryan can make you dance, he can make you think, he can make you smile, he can make you cry, and he can bring you a sense of peace and perspective.

He recently moved back to his home state of Connecticut after a stint in California where he was selling out rooms across the Santa Barbara region.

The state of Connecticut is lucky to have him as a part of this growing community and the Bigger Beast/All Boats Rise family is absolutely honored to have him at the first annual Shelter From The Storm Concert singing one of his killer tunes off his upcoming album and taking on a Bob Dylan classic he personally selected.

We’re gonna most likely lose our deposit on the venue because his voice is gonna peel the paint off the walls when he sings the Dylan song he chose!

But it’ll be worth it and we’ll find a way to cover the cost of the damages

Halley Neal:

With a whimsical yet heartfelt and delicately soulful vocal set atop a flawlessly performed Americana backdrop sonically akin to the Jeff Lynne produced Tom Petty masterpiece “Full Moon Fever”, Halley Neal’s 2022 album, entitled Beautiful & Blue, is simply fantastic.

One of the leaders in the next generation of female New England singer/songwriters, Halley graduated from Berklee College of music in 2019 and then spent a bunch of time in Nashville crafting a sound steeped in the knowledge and creative influence of some of the best in the industry including a personal hero of mine in Clay Cook (Zac Brown Band/John Mayer).

A main stay in the growing regional folk and Americana music scene (Falcon Ridge, Black Bear, etc.) and now a full time New England resident, Halley Neal’s incredible early career accolades can only be surpassed by what’s to come in her super bright future.

With the keen ability to find beautiful and inspiring songs inside of her own journey as well as the universal ups and downs we all face in our lives, alongside a voice that to my ears takes the best qualities from some of my favorite female Americana & pop vocalists like Lisa Loeb, Layla McCalla, & Patty Griffin - Halley Neal makes music centered around positivity and peace that we all need to hear at certain points in our lives.

The team at Bigger Beast/All Boats Rise Ent. is incredibly honored to have Halley Neal on the 1st Annual Shelter From The Storm Concert and I’m personally amped to hear her take on possibly the greatest masterpiece in Bob Dylan’s songbook. I’m certain it’s going to be one of the highlights of the evening

I’m brand new to Laura and her music as she entered my atmosphere for the first time this summer when I got connected with her through an urgent need to fill some show dates at an apple orchard in Guilford, Connecticut.

I ended up playing there eventually and she even came with her daughter to listen when I did

I was immediately intrigued by her kindness and finally in the last few months I took the time to dive into her music…and legit…WOW!!!!

Laura can sing!!!!

And when I say that…I mean she can sing ANYTHING!!!!

She can channel a sweet and understated but soulful vocal akin to Leigh Nash from Sixpence None The Richer, she can belt out a country coated rocker vocally akin to Melissa Etheridge, she can even channel ambient pop akin to Tori Amos or Sarah McLaughlin…and she does it all flawlessly and seemingly effortlessly

Her songs are honest and authentic. She’s a writer, she’s a singer, she’s a mom, and she makes music that is universally relatable but with a pop sensibility that makes her music belong on the playlist you listen to every day while you drive to work, clean your house, make your first cup of coffee in the morning or pour that first glass of wine after a long day .

Basically her music fits into your daily life as effortlessly as oxygen. It’s sincerely fantastic!

We’re lucky to have such a kind and talented artist in this community and beyond honored to have her at the 1st Annual Shelter From The Storm Concert to help prevent family homelessness in Connecticut. She’ll be singing one of her awesome tunes as well as one of my absolute favorite Bob Dylan classics. I’m very excited to hear her crush it!

Tracy Walton:

Tracy’s got a musical swagger and subtle grit reminiscent of the best of John Mellencamp with a vocal delivery that carries the storytelling pacing and undertone of Bowie.

This combines with a subtle hint of wrasp in his lower register and a hint of the gentle side of Neil Young or Jackson Browne when he sings in his higher register - making his vocal delivery incredibly dynamic and essentially “tangible” coming out of the speakers.

But outside of that aformentioned almost shapeshifting vocal capability - Tracy Walton is a dynamic artist that thinks and creates far beyond the walls of the typical singer/songwriter.

His songs have layers lyrically that are emulated and amplified by a keen sense of production and sonic space. His deep love of music and his innate ability to create this sonic landscape is most likely why he is the owner and operating producer/engineer at On Deck Studios in Northfield, CT. (A studio that has done wonderful work to support and nourish the regional singer/songwriter community.)

I listened to almost everything Tracy has released to try and get a singular pulse on him as an artist, but after I ripped apart maybe 20 of his songs, I essentially found elements of everything that is awesome in any piece of important music over the last 60 years.

So now I’m thinking that’s his super power.

Everything starts with a great song and Tracy’s got a Mack truckload of those. But what makes his music so special is that he seems to write and record with the concept of the whole song wrapped around the words. There’s something very powerful about an artist that can lyrically write a verse with a creative but in depth knowledge of how to make those words connect further inside of instrumentation, vibe, presence, and production.

Tracy is a pillar in the regional music community as both an artist and a mentor/teacher/producer and I’m super thankful for all the work he’s done to give so many artists in the region opportunities to grow as creatives and performers

We at Bigger Beast/All Boats Rise Ent. are absolutely honored to have him at the 1st Annual Shelter From The Storm Concert and he’s actually singing my favorite Dylan song (he’s got great taste!). I was potentially going to sing it, but he called it and I’m honestly excited to hear him perform it

Robert C. Fullerton:

Picture this…it’s mid October, you have a warm mug of apple cider cupped in your hands. You’re sitting at your rustic little kitchen table in your New England log cabin and staring out the window at leaves falling from your favorite tree. You’re pondering an amalgamation of memories and some of life’s riddles that you keep stored in your brain for the rare times that you have a quiet moment to yourself. The sun is starting to set, and you can smell your favorite childhood meal simmering on the stove almost as if you’ve quietly gone back in time in your mind.

That is what a Robert C. Fullerton song sounds and feels like!

Robert is a New England treasure. Part poet, part philosopher, part guitar master.

He approaches his instrument like I feel Michelangelo most likely approached a canvas.

There’s a delicate technique to the way he creates beautifully memorable melodies and finds ways to have his masterful approach to the guitar (which is truly his own) interact with his lyrics and vocal delivery.

Part James Taylor, part Robert Frost, part Leo Kotke, part Gordon Lightfoot - 100% Robert C. Fullerton.

Robert is one of my favorite writers in New England and one of my favorite guitarists period. Every time I hear him play, I rush home to write a song…he’s that inspiring to me

Beyond all of that, Robert is a wonderful friend to the community and goes above and beyond to be kind and encouraging to every artist and venue he crosses paths with.

Legitimately…he’s possibly one of the greatest guys I’ve ever met and has become one of my absolute favorite humans

So with great excitement, The Bigger Beast/All Boats Rise Ent. Family is honored and excited to have Robert C. Fullerton for his first show back from his recent heart surgery and to welcome him to the stage for the 1st Annual Shelter From The Storm Concert on 1/11/25

Anne Marie Menta:

If you read my post in September when we were lucky to have Anne Marie on the 1st Annual 21 Songwriters Festival, you already know how much I absolutely adore this incredibly kind and talented woman and her beautiful music.

But then, at the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance in Maine this November she pulled out this picture of her as a teenager, performing with her brother’s guitar on stage, and my heart just completely melted.

Anne Marie Menta is an absolute New England treasure who has been performing folk music for decades and this amazing photo proves it!!

So on her graphic for the 1st Annual Shelter From The Storm Concert, I had to put the two pictures side by side…the one of her singing her heart out as a teenager that looks like she’s on stage at the Newport Folk Festival in 1964, right next to the one of her winning over every ear in the crowd at the 21 Songwriters Festival 5 months ago…it’s just such an amazing visual representation of how truly authentic she is as a person, a creative, and a performer .

With an incredible knack for telling a story and singing to you as if she’s about to be your guide on an unforgettable journey; Anne Marie Menta is a poet with a voice that recalls some of the best folk songstresses of all time, and a heart so big you can hear it in every word she sings

We’re blessed to have her in this community and honored to have her at the 1st Annual Shelter From The Storm Concert to help prevent family homelessness in Connecticut

What can you say about Lee Totten that hasn’t already been said about Chuck Norris?

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again…Lee Totten is an absolute force that has become a cornerstone in the post-Covid rebuild of the Connecticut singer/songwriter community. (Can’t say that about Chuck Norris! )

It takes a very special man, with more incredible stories than Bill Shakespeare and more mind blowing life experiences than Forest Gump, to make a living with a song about Jäegermeister!

Seeing a Lee Totten live show is equivalent to watching Tom Waits at 2am in the corner of a Key West dive bar while there’s a hurricane that the news is saying may sink the whole island. The bar is all out of rum, you ate too many stale peanuts, and your only choices to wash the taste out of your mouth are Jäeger, half a handle of the cheapest Don Quixote vodka known to man, or a glass of the finest scotch on the island that you can barely afford.

But there’s one restaurant open 3 blocks away that has free pizza and unlimited soda. However, in order to get there, you have to convince the other 7 people at the bar (which includes a cast of characters that not even the imagination of George Lucas could fathom) to help you build a boat out of discarded beer bottles and coconut shells so you all can get there safely.

What I’m basically saying is that his performances are a life altering experience, a riddle that makes you ponder every up and down in your life, find the humor inside of it all, and then just decide to do a cannonball right into the deep end of this giant pool of humanity, irony, mystery, and poetic truth.

Lyrically, Totten has a distinct ability to stare directly at the elephant in the room and then make it feel welcome amongst the tapestry of humanity he portrays in his songs. It’s a circus in all the best ways - being sung to you by the singer/songwriter equivalent of the Dos Equis “World’s Most Interesting Man”.

Straight up…Lee Totten is a legend and an incredible human being on top of it all that extends himself to help support every artist along his path. I’m incredibly lucky and forever grateful for his friendship.

And we are honored and excited to have him as part of the 1st Annual Shelter From The Storm Concert singing one of his awesome songs and plucking one his favorites from the Bob Dylan catalog to sing for us all!

Inner Groove:

If Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young were writing the songs and Roseanne Cash was singing while she stared out the window at a starry night sky knowing her true love was on a rocket ship to the moon - and the band backing her up was the backing band on Jackson Browne’s Running On Empty Record, - it might sound like Inner Groove

Inner Groove is a Folk/Americana duo comprised of Denise Jones and Tom Sekscenski.

Their song catalog, 3 albums in, all truly feels like a beating heart in all its beauty and human imperfections laid amongst a garden of sunflowers on a slightly colder than usual early August evening. Sweet but not too sweet. Honest but hopeful…

But for me…the magic dust in this group is that once the flawless roots driven musical foundation is laid down by Tom…the vocal delivery grabs you by the shoulders with both hands and pulls you in.

Denise’s voice is beautiful. It’s somehow both powerful and delicate. The harmonies on their records take that sweetness in the vocal and add the CSNY color that I personally find the most endearing about their records. At times

Denise’s vocal also has this “country-command” and authority to it that I can’t help but recall the best of Shania Twain or Reba McEntire.

We at the Bigger Beast/All Boats Rise Family are absolutely honored to have them at the 1st Annual Shelter From The Storm Concert and are grateful to have such a wonderfully talented and community oriented group of artists as a part of the CT singer/songwriter community

They chose a tune from the Muscle Shoals gospel side of Bob Dylan’s catalog and I was elated when they chose it cuz I can’t wait to hear them own it!

Adelaide Punkin:

It was at a Pass The Guitar event about a year ago when I watched her perform and immediately after, my dear friend and folk road warrior Frank Critelli told me “that Adelaide Punkin, you can just tell she’s a lifer! She is all about the music; she’ll be making great art and writing songs forever!” And that’s a big statement from a brilliant and wise man…especially when referring to a teenager who is not yet even finished with high school.

So then I did my research and learned that when she was just 8 years old, Adelaide started a charitable organization to bring musicians together and help brain injury survivors called Rock Yer Block . Now that’s a rare and serious level of ambition and compassion for such a young creative! And my experience tells me that it’s those with heart, ambition, and fearlessness that really make an impact in this industry. So yeah…I’m betting the house on Adelaide!

Personally - I first met her as I was loading my gear into the Hartbeat Festival years back and we started talking about music. (I’m always intrigued as to what the young folks are listening to these days ) I was shocked as she began talking about old albums from Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder like an expert. I felt as if I had gone back in time because I couldn’t fathom how this young woman carried so much knowledge of music history and the greats that made it. At that moment I thought to myself…if this is the future of the music community…then I can rest easy at night .

In light of all that - the Bigger Beast/All Boats Rise family is so excited to have Adelaide Punkin on the first annual Shelter From The Storm Concert and I can’t wait to hear her take on a Bob Dylan classic! I don’t wanna let the cat out of the bag, but in typical Adelaide fashion, she picked possibly the most epic song from his catalog and is prepared to absolutely crush it!

Brian Jarvis:

There’s very few people in the Connecticut music community I have known longer than Brian Jarvis. In a unique way, I think that’s given me a very cool vantage point on his music.

I’m sure it’s also given him a unique perspective on me as well as we’ve crossed paths at probably every single phase of my own artistic journey from 21 year old Frank who thought he was taking over the rock n roll world to jaded 35 year old Frank worn out from the music industry to 40 year old Frank finding his home inside of a community oriented music mindset.

Brian, to my ears, has musical “eras” like Bob Dylan (which is why he was a top choice on this event!), Neil Young, etc. (Yes I know somebody more modern and very successful has recently done a wonderful job of marketing the concept of musical “eras” but the artists who did it first were folks like Dylan, Young, Bowie, etc.)

There’s the “Beautifully Broken” era around 2012 when he wrote heart on his sleeve songs with a pop sensibility that were sonically reminiscent of Duncan Sheik as well as the singer/songwriters that we all idolized at that time such as David Gray and nineties/early 2000s radio rock greats like Vertical Horizon.

From that launch point, Brian took to the road supporting noteworthy acts like Howie Day, Sister Hazel, and Brendan James among others.

That seemed to lead to the late 2010’s pre-Covid “World On Fire” era where Brian started to find a path inside the studio using a new approach to sonic space and an innate feel for melody to convey his signature heart on his sleeve emotion. This era peaked in 2019 with the song “The Spark” which to my ear is simply flawless and should’ve catapulted Brian to every radio station and Spotify playlist in the indie pop and alt singer/songwriter world.

Then, well you know, we were all forced to take a break. And during that period, Brian spent much of his time as a devoted husband and now, most recently, a father. He also runs a monthly songwriter round at Urban Lodge Brewing where he plays a huge role in raising up the regional songwriter community by utilizing all of his experience on the road and in the studio.

He is starting to release his next batch of music and following up my favorite Brian Jarvis era to date with what I’m deeming the “Something New” era. He seems to have taken what he was doing in his “World On Fire” period and added a new sense of perspective while further defining his sonic landscape making it impossible not to connect with his words and his songs. I’d add his latest tunes, “Something New” and “Stay” to my personal Brian Jarvis greatest hits record for certain and I’m excited to hear what he’s got in store as he releases more new music in 2025.

We at Bigger Beast/All Boats Rise Ent. are super excited to have Brian Jarvis on the 1st Annual Shelter From The Storm Concert to help prevent family homelessness in Connecticut and beyond grateful for his willingness to be a part of the event in between working on his new record and being a new father to his 8 month old baby girl Madeline Mae .

Because I’m a super nerd that grew up in front of a television, I have an affection for old random tv commercials .

So when I found out that we were getting a rare duo performance for this event from two singer/songwriters I absolutely love - all I could think of was…

Hey! You got peanut butter on my chocolate!

Hey! You got chocolate in my peanut butter!

Two great tastes that taste great together…Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups…

Hey! You got Muddy Rivers on my Frank Critelli!

Hey! You got Frank Critelli on my Muddy Rivers!

Two great artists that are great together!…Frank Critelli and Muddy Rivers!

Move Over Captain Kirk & Mr. Spock

Keep Swimming Sponge Bob & Patrick

Don’t Lose Your Pipe Wrenches Mario & Luigi

Good Will Hunting Wasn’t “That Great” Ben Affleck & Matt Damon

Go back to intergalactic smuggling Han Solo & Chewbacca!

Cause when the stars align and Frank Critelli & Muddy Rivers join forces…every other duo in history gets knocked down a few pegs to make room for this group of juggernauts at the top of the ladder.

Not since Tom Brady was throwing touchdown passes to Rob Gronkowski was there a duo that inevitability would blow your mind every time they were in the spotlight.

But all jokes aside, it’s just not fair. Like does anybody remember the the 1992 Olympic Basketball team that had Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Karl Malone, David Robison, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Scottie Pippen, etc. all in rotation and the scores were like 174 to 6 against every other country we played?

How about in that Ghostbusters Movie when “The Gatekeeper” met “The Keymaster”

This duo is really that awesome!

In all sincerity, I can’t even properly describe the music without beakers, microscopes, excel files, every thesaurus printed in the last 47 years, and 6 years studying under Britain’s greatest authors and poets.

But I’ll try…

Heartfelt, sincere, authentic, joyful, clever and honest…the songs they write individually and together.

Frank Critelli has the heart of a poet, the weathered but strong soul of an empathetic soldier, and the ability to captivate an audience with a story unlike any other. A gardener at a nunnery, a bartender, a road warrior, an activist, and just a special and selfless human being the makes musical connections in an unbelievably authentic way.

Muddy Rivers writes and creates like the best of the “Everyman” singer/songwriters. The Jim Croce’s & Don McLean’s of the world. Poetic, but attainable. Honest but hopeful. Sincere but strong. Tonally his vocal owns the folkier side of Chris Isaac, and the smoother side of one of my modern favorites, Hayes Caryl. With his husband/wife duo Still Rivers, Muddy’s sincerity as a writer and vocalist are truly undeniable and hard not to adore.

As solo artists, as 2/3 of “The Bargain”, as human beings…they’re both just awesome!

We at Bigger Beast Records/All Boats Rise Ent. are absolutely honored to have them at the 1st Annual Shelter From The Storm Concert perform one of their songs and a Bob Dylan cut that Frank Critelli called dibs on the moment we told him about the show! (It’s his favorite Dylan tune!)

LeFever:

New England has a rich history of blues and of Americana tinged singer/songwriters - LeFever has seemed to find the perfect mix between the two to create beautifully composed songs with the grit and swagger of the best of northern blues.

Two time winners of the Blues Foundation Annual Blues Challenge, and North East representatives in some of the nation’s biggest blues contests including the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN - LeFever is a powerhouse!

A guitar toting duo with soul, drive, charisma, and a dynamic that borders on pure magic.

Dawn Lepere’s vocals are somehow both gritty and sincerely smooth. There’s no better way to describe the vocal than to simply say that the “swagger” is authentic and impeccable. Rich, sultry, soulful, and haunting at times - it’s sincerely flawless.

Can’t wait to hear them live! It’s going to be an epic experience!

Christine Bile’:

Hailing from Pittsfield, Massachusetts is a multi-instrumentalist and vocal powerhouse that was put on my radar only a few months ago…but wow! I mean wow!

If you follow my 365 albums in 365 days challenge that I’ve done for the last 4 years, you’ve probably noticed my affection for gospel music and legendary soul/gospel singers from Sam Cooke to Mavis Staples. Vocalists like that create a sonic presence that I’m deeply drawn to and in turn, they make up a huge portion of my music catalog. Well as soon as I heard Bile’ sing “just know I’m a truth teller” and the sub woofers on my stereo system kicked in…I was hooked!

With a swagger half way in between Macy Grey and Dusty Springfield and a vocal that borrows as much from my all time favorite soul singer Roberta Flack, as it does gospel, jazz, early blues, and the mainstream side of Americana - Christine Bile’ is an absolute breath of fresh air and I became an instant fan the moment Mark Sherry sent me her music!

Even now, as I write this blurb on a Sunday morning in the parking lot of a Home Depot, her vocal is coming out of my car stereo and it’s almost “huggable” the way it fills every speaker, pulls you in, and then wraps around you carrying a message of honest hope and authentic positivity. I can’t wait to hear her live at the 1st Annual 21 Songwriters Music Festival (Western New England Edition)! It’s gonna be epic!!

Bryan Titus:

What can I say about Bryan Titus that won’t make me sound like a slightly musically intimated fan boy? He makes it seem so easy!!! With a voice that can go from Ray Charles to Lane Staley in the blink of an eye and the songwriting perspective of Lyle Lovett and Jim Croce, backed by the melodic expertise of Smokey Robison - this guy is simply a powerhouse.

The coolest part…he’s also an incredible human being who has hiked the Appalachian trail, is an avid lover of nature, and will sing anywhere for anybody who needs to hear a good song

This “stomp and holler” rhythm and blues laced folk rocker can peel the paint off the walls in a theatre, bring a crowd down to a pin drop in a listening room, or fill the floor with joyous folks and stomping feet at a barnyard dance. He literally can do it all!

Not only are we at the Bigger Beast Team delighted to have him on this year’s 21 Songwriters Western New England Edition, but we’re also elated to be releasing his new album in 2025. If you haven’t heard him yet, 21 Songwriters is a great place to start…you have my guarantee that he’ll make you an instant fan before he gets to his first chorus

Tony Vacca:

Okay, so I have no business describing Tony Vacca’s music…this man is operating on another wavelength. Seriously…I’ve broken out three different thesaurus’s and I can’t find the right words

Tony is an incredible percussionist that composes music steeped in World Music roots with a deep knowledge of American Jazz.

He’s been performing from the US to West Africa for over 30 years and uses drumming as a tool to discover and nurture common ground in a globalized community. This belief and perspective makes his music incredibly powerful and soulful.

This has led to collaborations with a magnitude of artists across the globe including pop icon Sting (), Senegalese Afro-pop star Baaba Maal, Jazz trumpeter and World Music legend Don Cherry, the undefinable Yusef Lateef, poet Abiodun Oyewole of The Last Poets, Senegalese Hip-Hop stars Bideew Bou Bess, as well as Gokh-bi System, and Massamba Diop, Senegalese master of the tama or “talking drum”.

Mark Sherry of The New Music Alliance brought Tony to the table on this fest and my head nearly exploded. With the addition of Tony Vacca, “21 Songwriters” will never be the same and has officially leveled up again!!

With an indescribable amount of excitement I can say that the entire Bigger Beast team and the New Music Alliance are honored to welcome this true unifier and incredible artist to the stage for the 1st Annual 21 Songwriters Music Festival (Western New England Edition) this Sunday!

Henning Ohlenbusch:

I’m on a 90 minute drive diving into the Henning Ohlenbusch catalog for the first time. As a complete work- in all the best ways, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. He’s an emotionally captivating vocalist akin to the best of Ben Kwelller, with a sonic production style as much Peter Gabriel as it is Guster. Yet at times he’s as comfortably traditional folk/americana as he is experimentally brilliant. This all surrounds a poetic lyrical perspective akin to Paul Simon.

In my experience, some singer/songwriters are simply pure artists in that everything they touch turns into a heartfelt creative endeavor and everything they see has a story. I’m new to Henning Ohlenbusch and have not met him yet, but his incredible catalog makes me think he’s one of those brilliant creatives you meet once or twice in your life and you’re not the same human after a conversation with them…a pure artist through and through.

Performing as a solo artist and as part of like a dozen great projects, Henning himself is walking, breathing, thinking, art in its most authentic form.

A first round pick of Mark Sherry & The New Music Alliance, we are all beyond excited to officially welcome Henning Ohlenbusch to the 1st Annual 21 Songwriters Music Festival (Western New England Edition).

Dylan Patrick Ward:

Ever wonder what it would sound like if some of those Texas, Nashville, & Alabama Twinged acoustic folk/Americana storytellers like Justin Townes Earle, Townes Van Zandt, & Patterson Hood were from New England?

You might get stories that include references to Cumberland Farms and ironic anecdotes about hanging out with your cat on the couch cause it’s too cold outside - instead of stories based on dusty roads, references to cypress, and biographic tales of bandits…you might get Dylan Patrick Ward.

In a music world where the appreciation for the folk troubadour has experienced a recent resurgence nationally, it’s easy to find a lot of “the same” and a lack of “authenticity”. Absolutely none of that exists with Dylan Patrick Ward. Clever, poetic, comical, honest, and captivating, Ward lyrically bounces artistically and seemingly effortlessly between homespun heartfelt human interest stories from the blue collar side of a Western New England life to comically introspective references of house pets and Stephen King. It’s Shakespearean in a way honestly.

Dylan is brand new to me but a few of his tunes have already made my personal playlists! The New Music Alliance & the entire Bigger Beast team is excited to hear him live at the 1st Annual 21 Songwriters Music Festival (Western New England Edition) and you should definitely be there with your ears tuned into his stories! They suck you in like Stranger Things on Netflix did to me a while back .

Taija New:

Lyrically clever and impactful, sonically brilliant and emotive - from humble beginnings at open mics in Springfield, MA to hundreds of thousands of streams and a Grammy nomination - Taija New is a pop singer/songwriter steeped in hip hop, R&B, and rhythmic soul.

With an intelligent approach to the rhythmic elements of words, to my ears her writing recalls elements of the brilliance in Mary J. Blige’s catalog.

In true songwriting troubadour fashion, Taija is fearless and 1,000% authentic. In 2015, she released her debut EP "Color Me Complex" which included her popular single 'Newbian King'; a song that defies the gender binary and bore her nickname. This eventually led to her sharing the stage with icons like Jennifer Hudson.

Taija New’s music is potent. Her delivery is powerful. Her words are important, need to be heard, and she’s the right person to deliver them

The teams at The New Music Alliance & Bigger Beast Records are absolutely honored to have Taija at the 1st Annual 21 Songwriters Music Festival (Western New England Edition) and I personally cannot wait to hear her performance

Frank Critelli:

- When I learned that outside of being an artist, radio host, and a live music curator, Frank Critelli was a farmer and a gardener, everything just clicked and made sense to me.

It’s simple…Frank finds joy in watching things grow, helping things grow, and learning about himself and the world around him from that process. He seems to find beauty in the rejuvenation process of life and it adds a level of poetic perspective to every word he writes. And that perspective is one of the things that makes him a brilliant writer.

New England’s Resident Professor of Life, Love, Purpose, Poetry, and Folk Music, Frank Critelli is the Johnny Appleseed of Music Community. Wherever He Decides To Open His Guitar Case And Strum A Song, Becomes A Place Where Love And Community Begin To Grow.

For all these reasons and many more, the Bigger Beast/All Boats Rise Ent. team alongside the New Music Alliance are absolutely honored to officially welcome Frank Critelli to the 1st Annual 21 Songwriters Music Festival (Western New England Edition)!

Henning Ohlenbusch:

I’m on a 90 minute drive diving into the Henning Ohlenbusch catalog for the first time. As a complete work- in all the best ways, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. He’s an emotionally captivating vocalist akin to the best of Ben Kwelller, with a sonic production style as much Peter Gabriel as it is Guster. Yet at times he’s as comfortably traditional folk/americana as he is experimentally brilliant. This all surrounds a poetic lyrical perspective akin to Paul Simon.

In my experience, some singer/songwriters are simply pure artists in that everything they touch turns into a heartfelt creative endeavor and everything they see has a story. I’m new to Henning Ohlenbusch and have not met him yet, but his incredible catalog makes me think he’s one of those brilliant creatives you meet once or twice in your life and you’re not the same human after a conversation with them…a pure artist through and through.

Performing as a solo artist and as part of like a dozen great projects, Henning himself is walking, breathing, thinking, art in its most authentic form.

A first round pick of Mark Sherry & The New Music Alliance, we are all beyond excited to officially welcome Henning Ohlenbusch to the 1st Annual 21 Songwriters Music Festival (Western New England Edition).

Canyon:

I raved about Canyon and told the story of how I first met her 10 years ago at a New England Music Awards Ceremony, when we introduced her as one of the artists at the 1st Annual Shelter From The Storm Concert in January. Well at that concert I got to sit next to her on stage as she beautifully sang one of her latest singles, “Victorious”, and then she sincerely gave me chills with her spellbinding performance of Dylan’s “Blowin’ In The Wind”.

As I watched her perform that night while sitting less than 4 feet away, I realized what makes Canyon’s voice so incredibly impactful. It’s that her vocal is simply just the amplifier for her incredible spirit. The spirit of a mom, a fighter, and an artist that somehow finds beauty inside of both the light and dark sides of perspective. With hints of optimism and determination, alongside a headstrong promise that there’s nothing that can tear us down - emanating from her lyrics as they are expertly delivered with the conversational wisdom of Cat Stevens, Canyon is an absolute treasure. Seeing her live is like watching an abstract expressionist painting from Helen Frankenthaler come to life. It’s an otherworldly, almost impossible to describe, intangible experience.

The Bigger Beast Team is delighted to have her back on stage this year at the 1st Annual 21 Songwriters Music Festival (Western New England Edition) and we can’t wait to see her show!

Henning Ohlenbusch:

I’m on a 90 minute drive diving into the Henning Ohlenbusch catalog for the first time. As a complete work- in all the best ways, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. He’s an emotionally captivating vocalist akin to the best of Ben Kwelller, with a sonic production style as much Peter Gabriel as it is Guster. Yet at times he’s as comfortably traditional folk/americana as he is experimentally brilliant. This all surrounds a poetic lyrical perspective akin to Paul Simon.

In my experience, some singer/songwriters are simply pure artists in that everything they touch turns into a heartfelt creative endeavor and everything they see has a story. I’m new to Henning Ohlenbusch and have not met him yet, but his incredible catalog makes me think he’s one of those brilliant creatives you meet once or twice in your life and you’re not the same human after a conversation with them…a pure artist through and through.

Performing as a solo artist and as part of like a dozen great projects, Henning himself is walking, breathing, thinking, art in its most authentic form.

A first round pick of Mark Sherry & The New Music Alliance, we are all beyond excited to officially welcome Henning Ohlenbusch to the 1st Annual 21 Songwriters Music Festival (Western New England Edition).

Lee Totten:

There’s no point in me trying to top what I wrote about Lee Totten before January’s Shelter From The Storm Concert…I write these things on the fly and sometimes I get lucky. Lee’s last writeup did a pretty great job of describing how I feel about this amazing human. See below…

What can you say about Lee Totten that hasn’t already been said about Chuck Norris?

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again…Lee Totten is an absolute force that has become a cornerstone in the post-Covid rebuild of the Connecticut singer/songwriter community. (Can’t say that about Chuck Norris! )

It takes a very special man, with more incredible stories than Bill Shakespeare and more mind blowing life experiences than Forest Gump, to make a living with a song about Jäegermeister!

Seeing a Lee Totten live show is equivalent to watching Tom Waits at 2am in the corner of a Key West dive bar while there’s a hurricane that the news is saying may sink the whole island. The bar is all out of rum, you ate too many stale peanuts, and your only choices to wash the taste out of your mouth are Jäeger, half a handle of the cheapest Don Quixote vodka known to man, or a glass of the finest scotch on the island that you can’t afford.

But there’s one restaurant open 3 blocks away that has free pizza and unlimited soda. However, in order to get there, you have to convince the other 7 people at the bar (which includes a cast of characters that not even the imagination of George Lucas could fathom) to help you build a boat out of discarded beer bottles and coconut shells so you all can get there safely.

What I’m basically saying is that his performances are a life altering experience, a riddle that makes you ponder every up and down in your life, find the humor inside of it all, and then just decide to do a cannonball right into the deep end of this giant pool of humanity, irony, mystery, and poetic truth.

Lyrically, Totten has a distinct ability to stare directly at the elephant in the room and then make it feel welcome amongst the tapestry within the human condition he portrays in his songs. It’s a circus in all the best ways - being sung to you by the singer/songwriter equivalent of the Dos Equis “World’s Most Interesting Man”.

Straight up…Lee Totten is a legend and an incredible human being on top of it all that extends himself to help support every artist along his path. I’m incredibly lucky and forever grateful for his friendship.

And we are honored and excited to have him as part of the 1st Annual 21 Songwriters Music Festival - Western New England Edition!

Heather McLarney:

“If this was your movie, you’d get to pick your part” (Heather McLarney)

Well Heather…

It’s 7:02am and I’m sitting in my car in a coffee shop parking lot. It’s raining just enough to watch the thumb tack sized water pellets slowly race down my windshield as that first shot of espresso is slowly kicking in.

I pressed play on you latest album “There To Be Found”, and a truly tangible sonic moment formed right in front of my newly caffeinated eyes…

In turn, I’ve chosen my part in today’s movie…the part of a “Heather McLarney Fan” .

Part back beat driven, four on the floor, grooves and part heart on your sleeve acoustic pop songstress, with a hint of “vintage” folk pop undertones reminiscent of the best of Lisa Loeb - Heather McLarney writes the kind of songs that sound like she’s melodically reciting the inner thoughts that run through our heads.

The ones you don’t always say out loud but would if you felt people would truly listen . The ones that make you ponder the world’s small but most powerful intricacies as you push through the hard to describe moments life tends to eventually throw at us all.

The album has a hint of twang that comes from that Nashville influence permeating into almost every singer/songwriters’ sonic atmosphere in the last ten years.

But the vocal delivery and songwriting perspective truly feels like one of my favorite parts of the early 2000’s - The powerful but relatively short lived “neo mellow” pop songwriter explosion that gave us a truckload of anthems from artists like Michelle Branch, Vanessa Carlton, & Colbie Caillat. This sound went alongside that introspective and lyrically descriptive songwriting style that became synonymous with folks like Rob Thomas and James Blunt at that time.

Ya know - the kind a songs where you put your car window down and sing at the top of your lungs leaving work at 5:15pm on a Friday after a long week! These are the kind of songs Heather writes!

All in all, to my ears, Heather McLarney is a singer/songwriter with something to say, a lyrical viewpoint that’s introspective but visible, and the ability to pen your new favorite song (she may have already done so as there’s a collection of powerhouse tunes on her latest record!)

The team at Bigger Beast/All Boats Rise Ent., alongside the folks at The New Music Alliance, are truly excited to have Heather at our 1st Annual 21 Songwriters Music Festival (Western New England Edition) on 4/27 in Holyoke, MA!

Be sure to be right in the front of the speakers when she gets up to the mic…there’s a really great chance she’s about to play your new favorite song!

Stephen Peter Rodgers:

- Stephen Peter Rodgers has this ability as a songwriter to find the tiniest sliver of light and perspective inside of the dark times we all encounter at some point in our lives. And through this, his songs give us hope and remind us that we’re never alone. To me, that’s always been the power of anything Steve creates. He brings joy through a lens of truth, honesty, creativity, and poetically magical connection. With a vocal tone unlike any other that sometimes showcases tinges of Leonard Cohen and John Moreland, and a stream of consciousness style of writing that can sometimes feel akin to early emotive Dave Matthews with a touch of indie folk, Stephen Peter Rodgers for decades has been one of the handful of artists who has defined the sound coming of out the CT songwriting community. I’m forever blessed to call Steve a dear friend. He’s an inspiration, he’s an icon, and I’m not confident this incredible growing community exists without the work Stephen Peter Rodgers has personally done as an artist, venue creator and proprietor, open mic host, record producer, and friend to us all over the last 20 plus years. Please join the Bigger Beast/All Boats Rise team as well as The New Music Alliance in officially welcoming Stephen Peter Rodgers to the first annual 21 Songwriters Music Festival (Western New England Edition)!

Louise Coombe:

With a voice that somehow carries atoms of Rhiannon Giddons, Sarah Watkins, and Gillian Welch - Louise Coombe could sing in a dead forgotten language and I would be enthralled…but she doesn’t. She sings some of the best penned songs I’ve heard come out of New England in all my years on this planet.

Legit…the songs are brilliant. She paints pictures lyrically like a melodic renaissance painter and tells stories like a gospel inspired Mark Twain. Intelligent, magnetic, and poignant with a timeless quality and an almost Bonnie Raitt esque swagger in her cadence at times; listening to her catalog has been an inspiring experience for me.

Louise was a 1st round pick by our partner on this festival, the New Music Alliance, and I’m ashamed of myself for only now finding out about her. Every track is flawless. Sincerely flawless…

On behalf of the entire Bigger Beast/All Boats Rise Ent. team - we are simply honored to have Louise Coombe on the 1st Annual 21 Songwriters Music Festival (Western New England Edition). She raises the bar and I’m personally hyped to see her live for the first time!

Peter J. Newland:

Founding member of the Massachusetts based band FAT who toured nationally supporting The Allman Brothers in the 70’s - Peter J. Newland is a Western New England icon.

FAT paused their touring in the 80’s but not before sharing the stage with other noteworthy acts including Grand Funk Railroad, and Johnny Winter.

Peter headed towards Nashville, New Orleans, & Mississippi after the band took a break, to pursue a songwriting career leading to legends like Hank Williams Junior & Alan Jackson recording the songs he penned!

His time in Nashville also led Peter down a new road building community through the arts. He worked to help build after school programs centered around the arts which lowered violence and gang participation as well as raised graduation rates in Tennessee

Since moving back home to Springfield, MA - Peter has taken his passion for community and social justice to another level helping an immeasurable amount of causes and working to pilot a mountains worth of major music events including the city’s Jazz & Roots Festival as well as JAM4SPRINGFIELD which is an avenue towards further social change for the youth of Western New England

Peter is an absolutely incredible example of what a determined artist can do to build a better world and the Bigger Beast Team & The New Music Alliance are simply honored to have him perform at the 1st Annual 21 Songwriters Music Festival (Western New England Edition)! He’s an icon, a leader, a humanitarian, and an incredible of singer/songwriter on top of it all!

Lara Herscovitch:

So in complete transparency, I was new to Lara’s music. I knew her name, but hadn’t dove into her music. That gave me the incredible opportunity to absorb her entire catalog - over 22 years worth of songs

So what did I discover?

Poetic Authenticity amplified by an incredibly precise crystal clear voice that to my ear carries little pieces of sonic gold that seem to borrow some of the best tonal qualities from folks like Kate Bush, Karen Carpenter, Nina Persson of The Cardigans, Brandi Carlisle, & Judy Collins.

Legit, Lara can sing!

And that’s super important because the words she’s singing need to be heard.

Sonically, Lara seamlessly sways between pure traditional New England folk & ethereal mellow gold esque Americana with a hint of traditional jazz undertones. It’s really quite remarkable.

What impressed me most was her clever, genuine, and absolutely pin point perfect use of language inside of melody to tell stories, convey emotion, and tell such vivid stories that make me feel as though I could close my eyes and watch the lyrics she’s singing in my head like a Dolby surround sound movie.

Honestly - she’s brilliant and we’re lucky to have her in Western New England.

I wanted to write ten new songs after listening to her catalog .

This is our first time having Lara at a Bigger Beast Event and now that I’m a super fan, I’m hoping it’s the first of many!

The whole team from Bigger Beast & The New Music Alliance can’t wait to hear her at the 1st Annual 21 Songwriters Music Festival (Western New England Edition). She’s truly amazing and her performance is sure to be one of the highlights of the event!

Cliff Eberhardt:

Some of these write-ups are harder to write than others and have taken me a lot more time than I originally thought. Truth is, these Bigger Beast community driven songwriter festivals started with artists I personally knew and I had no nervousness about posting quick write ups on social media about my admiration for their creative works.

But with great partnerships that have developed, in this case with the New Music Alliance, the lineups have begun to grow outside the invisible borders I put in my mind and beyond my wildest dreams. In turn, they are now including artists that I have truly admired from afar for decades…

And that’s how I need to start my introduction of former taxi driver, tour mate of icons like Richie Havens, and absolute songwriting giant, Mr. Cliff Eberhardt.

Cliff’s music has sincerely taught me so much at so many times along my own artistic journey.

He takes the grit and emotion of Bruce Springsteen and weaves in the compositional mastery of James Taylor. He does this while carrying with him the melodic genius of the best of the classic American songbook - using that knowledge with such precision in his songs.

Soulful but articulate…

Intelligent but authentically emotional…

Expertly crafted but as easy to absorb as fresh air…

Sincerely…Cliff is brilliant and awe inspiring. To my ear, his songs are poetically subtle but incredibly potent. I have to stop myself sometimes and just listen as a fan instead of trying to learn everything I can from every note.

A Western New England Songwriting Legend- just coming off a huge national tour w/ Patti Larkin, Lucy Kaplanski, John Gorka, & Cheryl Wheeler - he’s not only performing at The 1st Annual 21 Songwriters Musician Festival (Western New England Edition), but he’s also going above and beyond by giving a free songwriting workshop for any artist who wants to attend earlier in the day

An incredible artist, taking the time to help the next generation of songwriters - the Bigger Beast/All Boats Rise Entertainment team as well as the New Music Alliance are truly honored and excited to officially welcome Cliff Eberhardt to the 1st Annual 21 Songwriters (Western New England Edition) on 4/27/25 at the De La Luz Soundstage in Holyoke, MA!

Don’t miss this show! It’s going to be an event none of us will ever forget!

Me, Like Many:

There’s a sacred place where sensitivity and courage meet. A place where empathy and authenticity are the framework for communication and the purpose of life is creation and connection. That metaphorical world that most of us shut the door on to protect ourselves from the double edge sword of ultimate vulnerability is the place where Tom D’Ademo, under the moniker “Me, Like Many”, composes his brand of melancholia. As Jammerzine put it when discussing his most recent single “Solider On” - “Me, Like Many invites listeners into a world where solitude isn’t lonely – it’s sacred.” They later went on to refer to Me, Like Many as “Soft around the edges with a diamond at the core”.

The Bigger Beast team is honored to release his music and have him as an integral part of our community as when he’s not creating spellbinding tracks, he also runs sound at most of our shows, updates our websites, manages our ticketing, and is truly a cornerstone in this cool little indie label and community outreach arm we’ve accidentally built.

This will be his 1st performance on a Bigger Beast event stage although he’s been behind the scenes on them all. And honestly…it’s a long time coming as he’s truly one of my absolute favorite voices in the region. Be close to the stage during his performance…you’re gonna wanna absorb every intricacy and get a glimpse into the mirror walled world that is Me, Like Many.

Giovanina Bucci:

Carrying the swagger of Bonnie Rait with the delicate soul of Norah Jones, Giovanina Bucci’s music feels like a vintage sports car driving 30 miles below the speed limit on the dusty back roads of northern New England looking for free old furniture on the curb to hand restore with love and creativity. Vintage but reimagined, creative and authentic, but with a profound understanding of how a song is supposed to be written and performed to set a mood.

Her album Storyteller is an example of sincere perfection as her voice sits perfectly upon a bed of sonic precision, soul, and beautifully crafted texture while she tells you stories as if she’s standing right next to you in her vintage inspired kitchen carefully polishing the antique salt and pepper shakers.

With hints of blues, country, jazz, soul, and Americana - Giovanina Bucci seems to find the rare space in the venn diagram where all these genres meet to create a beautifully textured sound that is as artistically inspired as it is warm, inviting, and familiar. I’ll be front row for her performance at the 1st Annual 21 Songwriters Music Festival (Burlington VT Edition) and recommend that you’re standing right next to me. She’s incredible!

Koa Phoenix:

“So you wanna get inside your creator’s mind?” asks rising folk-pop force Koa Phoenix, her voice laced with casual command—like she’s not only holding the map but has already unlocked the gate.

Blending the earthy storytelling of Edie Brickell, the punch and poetry of Ani DiFranco, and a hint of Chloe Bailey’s soulful edge, Koa Phoenix delivers a sound that’s equal parts rootsy singer-songwriter and pulse-driven R&B. Her music ripples with the infectious energy of Dispatch, the acoustic rawness of Dilate-era DiFranco, and the radio-ready warmth of early-2000s icons like Michelle Branch. But make no mistake—this is wholly, unmistakably Koa.

Her melodies don’t just carry emotion—they command it. With hooks that feel both spontaneous and deliberate, her stream-of-consciousness lyricism pulls you into a space that’s intimate, unguarded, and oddly familiar.

Listening to Koa feels like sitting beside her at a firepit in the woods—just the two of you—and the only way she can tell you what’s on her mind… is to sing it.

It’s vulnerable yet self-assured. Honest yet refined. And once you hear it, you’ll swear it was meant just for you.

Jesse Taylor:

Jesse Taylor is an unapologetic indie rock force—a sonic wrecking ball wrapped in analog warmth, with a vocal delivery that lands somewhere between the raw edge of Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and the dark glamour of Shirley Manson (Garbage). Beneath it all lies a lo-fi hum reminiscent of White Light/White Heat-era Velvet Underground—gritty, haunting, and defiantly unpolished.

She doesn’t walk the well-worn path of alt-pop. She carves her own, leaving a breadcrumb trail of 80s punk grit, 90s pop hooks, and early 2000s indie rock introspection. Jesse Taylor isn’t interested in genre boxes—she sets them on fire and uses the ashes to scrawl lyrics on the bathroom mirror.

Her songwriting is a paradox: sharply poetic yet disarmingly direct. There’s sincerity laced with a wink of sarcasm, a kind of rock-and-roll mischief tempered by a Northern New England songwriter’s soul. Listening to her feels like stumbling into a dive bar in an artsy town you can’t find on Google Maps, only to meet someone who rewires your brain in a 20-minute conversation. You step out to take a call, and when you return—she’s gone. No trace. Just the echo of a voice that blurred the lines, shook you to the core, and left you aching for more.

Jesse Taylor isn’t just an artist. She’s an experience.

Lee Totten:

What can you say about Lee Totten that hasn’t already been said about Chuck Norris?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Lee Totten is a force of nature—an anchor in the post-COVID revival of the western New England singer/songwriter scene. (Try saying that about Chuck Norris. )

It takes a special kind of man—with more unbelievable stories than Shakespeare and more wild life experiences than Forrest Gump—to write a song about Jägermeister... and make a living doing it.

Seeing Lee Totten live is like catching Tom Waits at 2 a.m. in the corner of a Key West dive bar, with a hurricane threatening to sink the island. The bar’s out of rum, the peanuts are stale, and your drink choices are Jäger, half a handle of knockoff Don Quixote vodka, or a glass of fine scotch you can’t afford.

There is one restaurant still open three blocks away—with free pizza and unlimited soda—but to get there, you’ll need help from the seven other bar patrons (each stranger than the last), and together, you’ll have to build a boat from beer bottles and coconut shells just to make the journey.

That’s the Totten Experience: part fever dream, part existential comedy, part heart-wide-open confessional. His performances aren’t just shows—they’re life-altering riddles that make you laugh at your own pain, find beauty in the absurd, and cannonball straight into the chaotic pool of humanity, irony, and poetic truth.

Lyrically, Totten doesn’t just acknowledge the elephant in the room—he hands it a drink, pulls up a chair, and weaves it seamlessly into the tapestry of the human condition. It’s a circus, in the best way—narrated by the singer-songwriter version of the Dos Equis “Most Interesting Man in the World.”

Jessica Smucker:

Jessica Smucker sings like she’s thinking out loud—and somehow, like she’s telling you a story she wrote just for you.

Her voice lives in that rare space between inner monologue and open confession, reaching beyond the imaginable to pull melodies and meaning from somewhere cosmic, then gently grounding them in a humble, whimsical perspective before slipping them quietly into your subconscious.

There’s a Ben Folds–esque poetry to Smucker’s songwriting, but her imagery is soaked in lived-in truth: the lens of a dreamer sharpened by the perspective of a central Pennsylvania mother of two, fighting daily battles and learning—sometimes in real time—to cherish the small victories. Her songs don’t chase perfection; they chase honesty.

What makes Smucker’s music so arresting is its fierce vulnerability. You can hear the moments where life pushed hard enough that defeat might have seemed inevitable. But running beneath every note is resilience—earned, reinforced, and unmistakable.

There is nothing more powerful than a woman who has lovingly rebuilt herself with stronger welds than the original factory specifications, and Smucker wears that strength without ever needing to announce it.

A model of resilience, a beacon of hope, and a vessel for empathetic truth, Jessica Smucker makes music that is both expertly crafted and undeniably real—music that’s nearly impossible not to adore.

We’re honored to welcome Jessica Smucker to perform one original song and one selection from the Bob Dylan catalogue at the 2nd Annual Shelter From the Storm Concert, taking place Friday, February 6th at The Olde Church in Meriden, CT. The evening supports Neighborhood Promise and their vital work helping to prevent family homelessness across Connecticut.

Admission is free—just don’t miss it.

Kate Callahan:

“If we look for the good, we’ll get on the other side.”

Kate Callahan sings like someone who has already been there—and come back with stories worth telling. Spiritually emotive yet deeply grounded, her voice carries a melodic clarity as pure and crystalline as Karen Carpenter’s, delivered with the calm confidence of an artist who knows exactly what matters. A former Connecticut State Troubadour, Callahan is a folk storyteller whose songs feel less like performances and more like offerings.

Every song arrives with the weight of a humanitarian protest—not loud or confrontational, but quietly resolute. Callahan writes from a place of conviction and compassion, threading perspective and purpose into melodies that linger long after the final note fades. Her music doesn’t ask for attention; it earns it.

Some artists create great work. Others live their art so fully that it becomes inseparable from who they are. Kate Callahan belongs to the latter. There’s an alchemy to her presence—nothing about her songs is predictable, yet everything feels exactly right. She performs with a rare combination of grace, strength, and unshakable sincerity.

An artist, an educator, and a storyteller, we’re honored to welcome Kate Callahan to the 2nd Annual Shelter From the Storm Concert on Friday, February 6th. We’re equally excited to host her later this month at our curated house-concert–style listening room in Hamden, CT, Cantean, for her first performance in that intimate setting.

Catch a glimpse of the magic on February 6th—and then grab a ticket for February 27th. You won’t regret it.

Benny Mikula:

There’s a quiet power to Benny Mikula—the kind that doesn’t announce itself, but settles in and stays. A songwriter with a blue-collar soul and a heart tuned to the finer frequencies of the human condition, Mikula has become one of Connecticut’s most enduring musical treasures.

His songs—rooted in hope, perspective, and hard-earned grace—have found their way into the daily lives of the New England community, not by force, but by feel.

Whether he’s steering the free-flowing, jam-driven ship of his beloved Alpaca Gnomes or standing alone beneath a single spotlight with nothing but an acoustic guitar, Mikula carries himself like a man who’s lived a thousand lifetimes and remembered the best parts of each. There’s a Jim Croce ease in his storytelling, a Richie Havens-level fervor in his delivery, and a lion’s heart behind every note.

Benny Mikula is the rare artist who fits every room. He can lead a party band without breaking a sweat, soundtrack a late-night hometown pub reunion where everyone’s singing like it’s a Bruce Springsteen record after four beers, or completely captivate a silent listening room as he introduces you to what will almost certainly become your new favorite song.

We’re honored to welcome the one and only Benny Mikula to perform one original song and one selection from the Bob Dylan catalogue at the 2nd Annual Shelter From the Storm Concert, taking place Friday, February 6th at The Olde Church in Meriden, CT. The evening raises funds in support of Neighborhood Promise and their vital work helping to prevent family homelessness across Connecticut.

Still Rivers:

If Jeff Lynne wandered into a Midwestern kitchen and decided to produce a record for a singing maried couple between school drop-offs and supper, the result might sound something like Still Rivers.

The husband-and-wife folk duo of Chandra and Muddy Rivers make music in the margins of real life—as if they write their poetic prose between blue-collar responsibilities, raising a child, holding a home together with equal parts love and duct tape, and still finding the time to pick wildflowers or rescue an antique armoire from Facebook Marketplace.

Their songs arrive wrapped in harmony, lived-in and unpolished in the best possible way. When they sing lines like “this is our little life, good, bad, or ugly,” it feels less like a lyric and more like an open invitation. Listening to Still Rivers is like being welcomed into their living room for an unhurried afternoon—country-time lemonade on the table, a charcuterie board assembled from odds and ends, each with its own backstory. As your mind wanders, their songs gently weave your own memories into the framework they’ve built, reminding you—quietly, kindly—that you’re not alone.

There’s an unmistakable warmth to Still Rivers: authentic, honest, and deeply human. Their music carries the same comfort as a dusty country record spinning through rattling speakers in a thrift store on a fall afternoon in northern New England—familiar, grounding, and unexpectedly profound.

We’re honored to welcome Still Rivers to perform one original song and one selection from the Bob Dylan catalogue at the 2nd Annual Shelter From the Storm Concert, taking place Friday, February 6th, in support of Neighborhood Promise and their work to help prevent family homelessness across Connecticut.

Shawn Taylor

Shawn Taylor sings with a J.J. Grey–esque growl and a Jack Johnson–level heart—the kind of voice that tells you to kick off your Birkenstocks, lean back, and brace yourself for a harmonica solo that feels both celebratory and necessary. A southern Connecticut powerhouse, Taylor has a way of turning any room he walks into a pop-up church in the middle of the mountains—one where you swear you’re lost, only to realize you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.

A true one-man band, Taylor often sounds like he’s arrived straight out of your darkest days, just to remind you that yes, it might be raining—but there’s still joy to be found dancing in the puddles. His songs don’t deny hardship; they stand right in it, smiling, sleeves rolled up.

Taylor writes and performs the way he lives: leading with his heart, refusing to quit, and filling everyone else’s cup long before he considers his own. A husband, father, and nature-loving journeyman, he carries the kind of empathy that can only be earned through hard-fought life battles balanced by quiet, contemplative hours staring at a river and untangling life’s mysteries. He’s a man who leaves nothing in the tank.

Shawn Taylor is an inspiration—one of the most authentically road-worn and poignant artists you’re likely to encounter—and we’re honored to welcome him to perform one original song and one selection from the Bob Dylan catalogue at the 2nd Annual Shelter From the Storm Concert, benefiting Neighborhood Promise, on Friday, February 6th at The Olde Church in Meriden, CT.

Reserve your free tickets and don’t miss Shawn Taylor. You won’t be the same once his performance ends.

Laura Clapp:

With a voice that’s taken her around the world and a musical touch that turns ordinary moments into heart-thumping pop gold, Laura Clapp is a New England treasure that not enough people have discovered yet.

Whether she’s behind the microphone as a vocalist, hosting her own podcast, or checking every box as a mom of two while balancing a full-time career as an executive, Clapp’s talents have no bounds. The perspective that pours out of every song she writes is hard-earned—shaped by the daily roller coaster of life, powered by determination, and delivered through a voice that can make a bridge crumble with one note.

Her songs fit effortlessly into daily life, like a soundtrack to vacuuming the living room, pouring a glass of wine, ordering takeout, and settling in for a late-night Netflix binge. Laura Clapp writes the kind of music that speaks for the suburban woman with big dreams and an even bigger heart—songs that feel whimsical but grounded, flawless but real, peaceful yet full of fire.

We’re thrilled to welcome Laura Clapp to the 2nd Annual Shelter From the Storm Concert, happening Friday, February 6th at The Olde Church in Meriden, CT. Even more exciting: Bigger Beast Records will be releasing her new music this year!

Grab your free tickets and arrive early—you won’t want to miss a single nuance of her performance.

Eddie Seville:

If John Mellencamp rode with a biker gang but was always late to the meet-up because he’d stayed up drinking red wine and losing himself in Tom Waits records, he might sound like Eddie Seville. The man, the myth, the musical bullfighter—Seville’s music hits like a punchline and a prayer at the same time, gritty and full of heart.

There’s something intoxicating about him—like a record you’d buy on instinct and keep forever. If Eddie Seville albums existed on vinyl, you’d want the whole collection. And if Mattel ever answered my fan mail, you’d buy two Eddie Seville action figures: one to beat up your vintage GI Joes with his trusty Gibson guitar, and another to keep mint-in-box, because you just know it’ll be worth enough someday to buy a lonely cabin in Mexico. A cabin stocked with tequila, where you can stare down every demon Seville sings about—then, eventually, erase the darkness with the dawn.

Seville is the hard-fought diamond that was told it would always be just a rock—only to burst out of the volcanic ash, flip off the naysayers, and remind us that the purest hearts are often the ones that come wrapped in soot and concrete. He’s a legend in the truest sense—and one of my all-time favorite songwriters.

We’re honored to welcome Eddie Seville back to the 2nd Annual Shelter From the Storm Concert, benefiting Neighborhood Promise, at The Olde Church in Meriden, CT on Friday, February 6th. We’re also thrilled to announce that we’ll be releasing his new music this year!

Mark your calendars and reserve your free tickets now—this one’s going to sell out.

Halley Neal

Halley Neal writes songs with one foot planted in the golden age of American songwriting and the other firmly in the present. Channeling the introspective grace of For Everyman–era Jackson Browne, the emotional pull of The Pretender, and balancing it with a Sarah Bareilles–like modern perspective, Neal delivers her songs with a vocal presence that recalls Regina Spektor’s The Call era—intimate, expressive, and quietly commanding.

Her music feels like Full Moon Fever–era Tom Petty refracted through the voice of a seasoned female songwriter: equal parts melody and meaning, buoyed by Paul Simon’s whimsical, observational poetry and Carole King’s conversational but emotionally resonant delivery. Neal understands how to write songs that feel familiar without ever sounding borrowed—rooted in folk and Americana, but fluent in the language of modern pop and classic soft rock alike.

From New England to Nashville, Halley Neal has earned her place as one of the East Coast’s most heralded rising singer-songwriters, and for good reason. Her performance at last year’s Shelter From the Storm Concert was nothing short of magic—one of those sets that lingers long after the last note fades.

We’re grateful to welcome Halley Neal back to the 2nd Annual Shelter From the Storm Concert on Friday, February 6th at The Olde Church in Meriden, CT, where she’ll once again remind us why she’s an artist worth leaning in for.

Robert C. Fullerton

The music of Robert C. Fullerton doesn’t rush to meet you—it settles in. It finds its way into the quiet crevices of the soul the same way dust settles between the timbers of an old New England log cabin: slowly, discreetly, and for good. His songs feel like the nearly inaudible creak of floorboards, the faint smell of wood-stove embers lingering from the night before, a cast-iron skillet cooling on the windowsill—seasoned by decades of meals made from whatever crumbs life could spare.

Perfection isn’t a language Fullerton’s music speaks. Instead, he seizes each moment for exactly what it is, finding beauty in the cracks and carrying perspective and hope inside the flaws. His songs don’t polish away the rough edges; they honor them, presenting imperfection as a kind of earned wisdom.

A student of the world around him, Fullerton writes with the notebook of a blue-collar philosopher and plays with the relaxed, finger-picked confidence of a laid-back Leo Kottke. He can wax poetic about a vintage dashboard Jesus ornament one moment, then turn around and invite you to come to his table the next—no matter who you are or where you’re from, as long as you arrive with a good heart.

We’re honored to welcome Robert C. Fullerton back to the 2nd Annual Shelter From the Storm Concert benefiting Neighborhood Promise, on Friday, February 6th at The Olde Church in Meriden, CT. Fullerton opened last year’s event and quietly set the tone for what became an unforgettable evening. We can’t wait to hear him again.

Me, Like Many:

With the delicate touch of Bon Iver, the fragile heart of Jeff Buckley, and the studio instincts of a modern Brian Wilson, Me, Like Many—the musical alter ego of Connecticut everyman Tom D’Ademo—is a subtle powerhouse. He walks onstage in tie-dyed Crocs like a man who just spent three hours dissecting Grateful Dead bootleg cassettes and another 90 minutes dialing in the action on his guitar. And somehow, it all makes perfect sense.

Tom’s music is the true inner monologue of a man who watches WWF wrestling, celebrates the success of his fantasy football team, laughs at the goofy things his dog does on a Sunday morning walk, and probably puts too much sugar in his iced coffee. Yet when nobody is watching, he retreats to his basement with a keyboard, a guitar, and a microphone—and pours out the insecurities and anxieties that even the strongest men bury deep. He turns those hidden truths into something honest and magical: a blend of tone and poetry that draws you into a world where vulnerability isn’t weakness, and you’re safe to be yourself.

Me, Like Many is a sensitive, kind human making his way through this rough, tumble world—just like so many of us.

A Me, Like Many show is a quiet revelation, and we’re thrilled to have Tom perform at the 2nd Annual Shelter From the Storm Concert, benefiting Neighborhood Promise, on Friday, February 6th at The Olde Church in Meriden, CT. He’ll share one of his own songs and tackle a tune from the Bob Dylan songbook.

Grab your free tickets in advance—this night is going to be unforgettable!

Bryan Titus:

Bryan Titus is a powerhouse singer-songwriter with the raw soul of Ray Charles and the effortless intelligence of Lyle Lovett and Tim Hardin—a voice that arrives already seasoned, already certain of its purpose. Whether he’s driving a stomp-and-holler, post-modern barn dance or leaning into a hushed folk ballad, the common thread across his catalog is unmistakable: a sharp mind, an honest heart, and melodies built sturdy enough to carry both.

Titus sings with a gravel-fueled conviction that refuses to be ignored—but you’d never want to look away anyway. His words land with intention, weaving themselves tightly into songs that feel lived-in rather than written. These are songs of hope, of community, of belief in something larger than oneself—delivered by a man who has earned every syllable.

A humanitarian by nature and a traveler by instinct, Titus has walked the Appalachian Trail and tended bar in Japan, collecting wisdom one mile and one conversation at a time. You can hear it in his music—the well-worn shoes behind the words, the perspective that only comes from movement, listening, and living fully inside the world.

He first landed on the Bigger Beast radar with his official showcase at the 2024 NERFA Conference in Portland, Maine. But it was his breathtaking performance of Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’” at the inaugural Shelter From the Storm Concert that cemented his place in the family. His recorded version of the song went on to reach #5 on the International Folk Charts, followed by Bright Side of the Blues, which cracked the Top 20 and led to a standout performance at the 2025 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Performing Songwriter Concert—where Titus was named one of Falcon Ridge’s Most Wanted Performers of 2025.

So yes—don’t miss Bryan Titus on February 6th at the 2nd Annual Shelter From the Storm Concert, benefiting Neighborhood Promise. This one’s going to be special.

Danielle Miraglia:

Danielle Miraglia carries the kind of grit you can’t fake—the dust-under-the-fingernails kind. With the raw, weathered spirit of the Muddy Waters Folk Singer album, the blues-soaked vocal fire of a slightly defiant Susan Tedeschi, and the righteous heat of Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s gospel side, Miraglia is a true New England treasure. Hailing from the Boston area music scene, she’s been tearing up stages across the country, leaving scorch marks wherever she lands.

Live, Miraglia is a force of nature—a one-woman band with a drum pedal at her feet, slide guitar in hand, swinging across the fretboard like she’s been charged with the holy duty of chasing darkness out of the room. There’s something ritualistic about her performances, equal parts revival meeting and back-room blues sermon.

She moves effortlessly between the fire of the blues and the sweet ache of Americana and folk, writing beautifully crafted songs and then baptizing them in a potion brewed from deep knowledge of blues history. Miraglia doesn’t borrow from tradition—she inhabits it, bending it to her will while honoring every ghost in the room.

Call it Alison Krauss with grit. Call it Elles Bailey filtered through folk sensibility. However you frame it, there’s really only one accurate description: Danielle Miraglia is freakin’ awesome.

One of my personal all-time favorite artists in New England, we’re honored to welcome Danielle Miraglia to the 2nd Annual Shelter From the Storm Concert on February 6th at The Olde Church in Meriden, CT. We’re also thrilled to host her later this year at our house-concert–style listening room, Cantean in Hamden, CT, on June 5th.

Catch a glimpse of the magic on February 6th—and grab your tickets early for June. These shows don’t stay secrets for long.

Hatfield:

Hatfield sings like a man on a mission. He writes like someone who’s gone toe to toe with every demon—internal and external—and kept moving forward through sheer will. The kind of will that’s willing to crumble if it has to, as long as it doesn’t quit. He hasn’t won every battle, but he’s won enough of them to know exactly what he’s fighting for.

That tension is what makes Hatfield so compelling.

He lives a life most songs only gesture toward: working 60-hour weeks, then turning around to play close to 180 gigs a year in bars and restaurants to feed his family as a single father of two. There’s an undeniable strength in his music, but it’s never invincible. His protagonists don’t always win clean—but they always come close enough to remind you why hope matters.

Hatfield captures the vulnerability inside resilience, a perspective rarely portrayed with this much honesty, and it makes every note impossible not to grab onto.

In March 2026, Hatfield will release his first original single on Bigger Beast Records, “This Dragon Heart.”

Long before the ink dried, he’d already made a serious impression on the pub circuit.

Over a single weekend, he became the fastest artist ever to sell out our ticketed listening-room series at Cantean—moving every ticket in less than 5 days. The show isn’t until March 21st. It sold out in January. That tells you most of what you need to know.

With a voice that can break glass and a heart that knows how to put it back together, Hatfield is a rocker with empathy to spare. He represents the blue-collar man who shovels his neighbor’s driveway after a snowstorm, navigates a rough bar crowd without losing his soul, and still makes it home in time to read his kid a bedtime story.

We’re thrilled to welcome Hatfield to the 2nd Annual Shelter From the Storm Concert on Friday at The Olde Church in Meriden, CT. If you missed your chance to catch him at the single-release show, this is your moment. You can also grab tickets for the May 30th show at Lyric Hall in New Haven, CT, where he’ll be joined by Eddie Seville, a nationally touring singer-songwriter (TBA), and myself for an unforgettable night of music in a stunning theater.

Liz Reed:

Liz Reed just touched back down in Connecticut after a weekend in South Florida, where she stood as a finalist in the South Florida Folk Festival Songwriting Competition—another mile marker on a road she’s been walking with intention and grace for a long time now.

A mom of two, a public-school music teacher, and a heartfelt activist, Reed approaches songwriting with the easy swagger of Jim Croce and the heart of the biggest, gentlest lion you can imagine. Her songs don’t posture or pretend; they show up honest, lived-in, and unafraid to tell the truth plainly.

Her latest single, “Maybe Kind of World,” is a beautiful distillation of that authenticity. In it, Reed sings tenderly about the bond she shares with her daughter—and in doing so, speaks for mothers everywhere: waking early, packing lunches, getting kids on the bus, hustling through the workday, making dinner, tucking their children in at night, and still finding the time—and the courage—to pick up a guitar and tell their story.

The song has resonated far beyond her immediate circle. Rockmommy described “Maybe Kind of World” as evoking “the introspective tenderness of Jim Croce’s ‘Time in a Bottle,’ the lyrical honesty of Tim Hardin, and the graceful, emotive spirit of Janis Ian.” Jammerzine called it “a heartfelt tug at the strings of life with a track that everyone has lived and everybody needs to hear.” And It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine perhaps said it best: “It’s a piece of sonic art that says: You, you unique girl, can always come back here into these arms… I’m scared (and you probably are too), but I know with absolution that you’re going to change the world.”

Show by show, song by song, Liz Reed has built something real. For over a decade, she’s run an annual festival to raise money for her local food bank, while consistently carving out space to uplift and connect the artist community around her—all while balancing life as a devoted mother, wife, and educator.

We’re honored to welcome Liz Reed to the 2nd Annual Shelter From the Storm Concert, and deeply grateful to have her as such an active part of the Bigger Beast family. In just the first 18 months of our existence, she’s helped book original music shows for more than 250 independent artists—a testament to her belief in community, generosity, and the power of song.

All Are Welcome: The After Hours Song Circle - Hosted by Terri LaChance & Christina Meadows

At Bigger Beast Records and All Boats Rise Entertainment, the music doesn’t clock out when the artists leave the stage. If anything, that’s when the real magic starts.

Because while time and budgets might limit who can play the standard slots, community doesn’t run on logistics. It runs on people. On guitars passed hand to hand. On songs traded in circles. On strangers turning into collaborators before the night’s through.

That’s the spirit behind the All Are Welcome After Hours Song Circle—an open, low-pressure, come-as-you-are gathering where anyone with a song and the courage to share it can step up. No velvet rope. No hierarchy. Just voices in a room, stories in the air, and that quiet electricity you only get when something special is happening.

It’s not just an after-party—it’s the heartbeat.

And this Friday, the circle is in very good hands.

Terri LaChance is a cornerstone of the Connecticut songwriter scene—the kind of steady, compassionate force every music community needs. Beyond hosting the long-running open mic at the historic Buttonwood Tree and tirelessly booking shows for songwriters in non-traditional yet advantageous spaces, she’s a protest singer and empathetic wordsmith herself, bringing deep kindness and purpose into every room she enters. Terri doesn’t just organize stages—she builds homes for songs.

Alongside her is Christina Meadows, a young songwriter with an old soul and a storyteller’s gravity. Equal parts artist and architect behind the scenes, Christina runs sound, manages projects, studies the business from the inside out, and pours her energy into lifting other musicians as she climbs. She hosted the very first All Are Welcome Song Circle more than two years ago and has been carrying the torch ever since—steady hands, open heart.

Together, they won’t just host the circle—they’ll set the tone. Safe. Supportive. Wide open.

From open mics to song circles to bigger stages, our goal is to build ladders, not gates.

So come on down for the show. Reserve your free pass. Add your voice to the room.

For this event - we’ll all be headed down the street immediately after the show to The Dawg House for the song circle!

We can’t wait to see you—and hear you.