On Saturday, March 18^th, The Mainstay in Rock Hall, in partnership with the Hedgelawn Foundation, is pleased to present Americana singer/songwriter John John Brown. Brown’s program includes a multi-media presentation, which he titles Songs, Stories, & Art- Lessons from Strangers that weaves together storytelling songs and the visual arts in a live music performance. It integrates projected visual art images, iconic photographs, storytelling, and songs that take in the lives of 14 unique characters. His program presents an imaginative and colorful world revealing the idea that all people, strangers alike, have a story we can learn from. The protagonists come from all walks of life; from an aging Vietnam Vetto a trumpet playing orphan, a married couple debating evolution, to a young man with mental illness wandering the aisles of Walmart. Music critics have commented that the songs are so well written that “every song could be a short story”. Press reports have also noted that “John Prine is a clear influence in the way Brown rolls astute observations and a humorous slant into his lyrics”. In recent years, John John has been chosen as a Kerrville New Folk winner and an Emerging Artist at the prestigious Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in New York State.

John John Brown

Showtime for the live concert event is 8 pm. Tickets are $20 in advance of the show, and $25 at the door, and can be purchased online at mainstayrockhall.org. Phone reservations are accepted by calling (410) 639-0331. The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall, Maryland. It’s regular calendar of local, regional, and nationally touring artists features a live performance every week of the year (February through December) in a variety of music genres.

This program is made possible with funds provided by The Hedgelwan Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council and the Kent Cultural Alliance.

On Saturday, March 11^th, The Mainstay in Rock Hall is pleased to present the return of American Songbook vocalist Hilary Gardner.

National Public Radio remarked that Hilary Gardner “evokes memories of another time and place.”

Hilary grew up in Alaska, where she sang with the Anchorage Opera Company (and also sang Patsy Cline tunes in dive bars), but she was always infatuated with New York City, her home for the last twenty years. In 2010 she appeared on Broadway in Twyla Tharp’s musical to Frank Sinatra “Come Fly Away” in which she sang solos and duets with the recorded voice of Sinatra (hand-picked for the part by Sinatra’s daughter). The performance was hailed by critics as “wonderful” (Huffington Post), “elegant” (USA Today), and “terrific” (New York Observer). Her career moved ahead with regular appearances with Mike Longo (Dizzy Gillespie’s pianist) at New York’s prestigious Café Carlyle, and in Errol Morris’s critically acclaimed Netflix documentary-drama, Wormwood. Hilary is also member of the vocal trio Duchess. The group pays tribute to The Boswell Sisters, the legendary close harmony singing trio of the jazz and swing eras. Hilary lists Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McRae, and Joni Mitchell among her vocal influences.

Hilary Gardner

Hilary describes her program at The Mainstay as “evoking a truly intimate, late-night NYC jazz club vibe”. Her program will highlight some of the Great American Songbook singers’ “story-driven songs” with selections by Julie London and Peggy Lee. She will be accompanied by Steve Einerson on piano. Music critics claim that Einerson has “a near-encyclopedic absorption of modern pianists, including McCoy Tyner, Harold Mabern, Bill Evans, Sonny Clark and Oscar Peterson.”Rounding out the group will be Dylan Shamat on bass, and Ken Fowser on saxophone.

Showtime for the live concert event is 8 pm. Tickets are $20 in advance of the show and can be purchased online at mainstayrockhall.org. Phone reservations are accepted by calling (410) 639-9133 (tickets reserved by phone are $25 when paid at the door). The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall, Maryland. Its regular calendar of local, regional, and nationally touring artists features a live performance every week of the year (February through December) in a variety of music genres.

The programs of the Mainstay are supported with funds from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Kent Cultural Alliance.

The Mainstay is observing the flavor and excitement of Mardi Gras with a special Fat Tuesday (February 21st) concert. The featured artists are the Philadelphia-based band James Day and the Fish Fry.

James Day is originally from the Mississippi Gulf Coast town of Biloxi. He spent his twenties living in New Orleans sucking up all the real New Orleans music he could. His day jobs included being a fish fry man, which is the name of the classic New Orleans band he put together after moving to Philadelphia. They perform all styles of New Orleans music: A gumbo mix of Street Parade music, Cuban Rumbas, Swamp Pop, and Zydeco. The material covers all the familiar idioms of that style: backbeat drumming, slapping upright bass, fat tone guitar, squeezing accordion, scratchy frottoir, Cajun fiddle and ripping harmonica. The players include Ron Howard on piano, organ, and accordions, Greg Snyder on “all manner of guitars”, Willie James on upright bass, Stephan Tolnay on drums, Alan “Gator” Yandziak on baritone and tenor saxophones, and James Day on “hollerin’ and harmonicas.”

Showtime for this special concert event is 7 pm. Tickets are $20 in advance of the show and can be purchased online at mainstayrockhall.org. Phone reservations are accepted by calling (410) 639-9133 (tickets reserved by phone are $25 when paid at the door). The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall, Maryland. Its regular calendar of local, regional, and nationally touring artists features a live performance every week of the year (February through December) in a variety of music genres.

The programs of the Mainstay are also supported in part with funding from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Kent Cultural Alliance.

Vaughn Bratcher

For his final “First Friday” program of 2022 at the Mainstay, pianist/ accompanist/ impresario Joe Holt presents a program titled Vaughn Bratcher and Friends – “Smooth Soul”. Joe and Vaughn will be joined by other members of the Vaughn Bratcher Project including Tracey Cutler on sax and Dave Gladding on drums.

The smooth sounds of a Vaughn Bratcher performance are geared for listening entertainment although the audience is often moved to dance. The song list for a performance by this smooth jazz and R& B entertainer covers tunes such as “Wine Light” by Grover Washington, instrumental R &B “Can’t Hide Love” by Earth Wind & Fire, and “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye, along with many more classic soul favorites.

Vaughn Bratcher put down his cornet and picked up his first Electric Bass Guitar at the age of 13. He has since performed with numerous groups, as well as recorded with several different artists, including Al Green, Cyrus Chestnut, Gary Thomas, Betty Wright, Doris Duke, Z.Z. Hill, Dorothy Norwood, Steve Carrington, and guitarist Paul Bollenback.

While influenced by Stanley Clarke, Jaco Pastorius, Marcus Miller, Victor Wooten, and others, Vaughn Bratcher’s goal is to “engage the listener totally by laying down a funky groove or by seducing them with a soft and sweet melody”.

Showtime for the live concert event is 8 pm. Tickets are $20 in advance of the show and can be purchased online at mainstayrockhall.org. Phone reservations are accepted by calling (410) 639-9133 (tickets reserved by phone are $25 when paid at the door). The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall, Maryland.

The programs of the Mainstay are supported in part with funding from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Kent Cultural Alliance.

On Friday, November 4^th pianist Joe Holt presents his next “First Friday” show with a program he has titled “Shore Jazz with Holly Lane”.

In 1964 jazz pianist Len Grazier relocated to Maryland from New York City in 1964 after working with some of the finest jazz singers and musicians of the period including: Lou Rawls, Della Reese, Zoot Sims, Maynard Ferguson, Chet Baker, Clark Terry, and Barney Kessel. In his new Maryland home, he founded the Shore Jazz Ensemble, and rallied the area’s top performers to promote and preserve American jazz music for the next 40 years. Soon after Lenny’s passing in 2005, Joe Holt stepped in on keyboard duties, playing alongside original members Mike McShane on drums and John Ewart on sax. In the early 2000’s, settling in Rehoboth after 16 years of performing in Paris clubs and resorts, vocalist Holly Lane came on board. Shore Jazz continues to be recognized as an active and important Lower Delaware/DelMarVa music institution.

Joe’s First Friday show welcomes Mike, John, and Holly to the Mainstay stage in a program that features music ranging from Holly’s French laced repertoire, to the sounds of New Orleans, Bossa Nova, Bop, and more.

Showtime for the live concert event is 8 pm. Tickets are$20 in advance of the show and can be purchased online at mainstayrockhall.org. Phone reservations are accepted by calling (410) 639-9133 (tickets reserved by phone are $25 when paid at the door). The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall, Maryland. Its regular calendar of local, regional, and nationally touring artists features a live performance every week of the year (February through December) in a variety of music genres.

On Thursday, October 27, just days before Halloween, The Mainstay in Rock Hall will show the classic 1984 comedy “Ghostbusters as its next outdoor movie on the 22-foot-wide screen prepared for its new backyard stage. Showtime for the outdoor movie is 7 pm.

Ghostbusters was released in 1984, and featured the all-star comedy cast of Bill Murray Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, and Rick Moranis. It also starred Sigourney Weaver, Annie Potts, and Ernie Hudson. The storyline follows a team of scientists who lose their cushy positions at a university in New York City. They decide to become “ghostbusters” to wage a high-tech battle with the supernatural for money. They stumble upon a gateway to another dimension, a doorway that will release demons and ghosts that threaten to terrorize the city, led by Gozar the Destructor who is accidentally embodied into the 100-foot-tall Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man. The Ghostbusters must now save New York from complete destruction. One film critic labeled Ghostbusters as “one of the greatest comedy films of all time.”

This is a free event and will be shown weather permitting. Seating is provided. Popcorn and refreshments will be available. Please enter from the rear parking lot.

The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall, Maryland. Its regular calendar of local, regional, and nationally touring artists features a live performance every week of the year (February through December) in a variety of music genres.

The programs of the Mainstay are supported with funds from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Kent Cultural Alliance.

On Saturday, October 15 the Mainstay welcomes a long-awaited return visit from singer/ songwriter Anthony John Clarke. Clarke is Irish born and now resides in Northern England with his wife Julia (who co-writes some of the songs and on occasion performs alongside him on stage). He writes about life, relationships, “the troubles,” how much he hates camping (“competitive noisy sex of other campers…”), and is funny but also poignant and hard hitting.

His worldwide fans describe him as “a heartfelt, genuine, and lovely man who sings songs that make your spine tingle.” His audiences are equally impressed with his quick wit and storytelling, in essence the reason why folk clubs and festivals continue to thrive.

Anthony John Clarke

Clarke was a regular annual visitor to the Mainstay during the tenure of Mainstay founder Tom McHugh. McHugh also organized several musical trips to Great Britain accompanied by local musicians to complement Clarke’s touring.

Director Matt Mielnick described Clarke as a performer on the Mainstay’s “A-List”, based on the impressions he made on longtime Mainstay audiences and the frequent, enthusiastic requests he has received to bring him back once again.

Showtime for the live concert event is 8 pm. Tickets are$20 in advance of the show and can be purchased online at mainstayrockhall.org. Phone reservations are accepted by calling (410) 639-9133 (tickets reserved by phone are $25 when paid at the door). The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall, Maryland. Its regular calendar of local, regional, and nationally touring artists features a live performance every week of the year (February through December) in a variety of music genres.

The programs and presentations of The Mainstay are supported in part with funds from the Maryland State Arts Council and The Kent Cultural Alliance.

On Wednesday, September 21, The Mainstay in Rock Hall sets out in “uncharted waters” when it presents the classic seaside movie thriller “Jaws” on a 22 foot-wide screen prepared on its new backyard stage. Showtime for the outdoor movie is 8 pm. The film showing will be rescheduled if it rains.

Directed by Academy Award® winner Steven Spielberg, this 1975 film release set the standard for edge-of-your seat suspense, quickly becoming a worldwide phenomenon and forever changing the way audiences experience movies. When the seaside Cape Cod community of Amity finds itself under attack by a dangerous great white shark, the town’s chief of police (Roy Scheider), a young marine biologist (Richard Dreyfuss) and a grizzled shark hunter (Robert Shaw) embark on a desperate quest to destroy the beast before it strikes again. Featuring John William’s unforgettable music score that evokes pure terror at its first few notes, Jaws remains one of the most influential and gripping adventures in motion picture history, and is often cited as the scariest movie ever made.

This is a free event. The Mainstay is asking people not to bring children younger than 12 years old to the movie because of some graphic violence portrayed in the film. There are chairs available in the backyard space, but people are welcome to bring their own if they choose. Please enter from the rear parking lot. Popcorn and refreshments will be available.

The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall, Maryland. Its regular calendar of local, regional, and nationally touring artists features a live performance every week of the year (February through December) in a variety of music genres.

The programs of the Mainstay are supported with funds from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Kent Cultural Alliance.

The Mainstay, Rock Hall’s 25-year-old, non-profit music venue is pleased to have been invited to usher in this year’s Chestertown Jazz Festival, with its New Orleans musical theme. On Thursday, September 8 the Mainstay welcomes Zydeco-a-Go-Go, often cited as the Mid-Atlantic’s #1 Zydeco Band. Zydeco is a music genre that evolved in southwest Louisiana by French Creole speakers. It is often described as dance music played in an uptempo, syncopated manner with a strong rhythmic core. It incorporates elements of blues, rock and roll, soul music, R&B, Afro-Caribbean, Cajun, and early Creole music. Zydeco music is traditionally centered around the accordion, which leads the rest of the band, and features a specialized washboard as a prominent percussive instrument.

Zydeco-a-Go-Go

Originating from the heart of Philadelphia, PA, Zydeco-a-Go-Go’s all-star lineup boasts a roster of musicians with decades of experience. Bandleader Pete Eshelman is featured on accordion and vocals and he has played piano with such artists as Bo Diddley, Sleepy LaBeef, and New Orleans’ own Charles “Honeyboy” Otis. The guitarist for the band, Jared Snyder, studied with one of zydeco’s legendary originators, Bois Sec Ardoin. Jared Snyder is a world-renowned prolific songwriter focusing on Louisiana and world music. Troy Corley, born and raised in Louisiana, plays saxophone and is a master of the bayou rhythms. He has worked extensively throughout the south with such artists as Gladys Knight & the Pips, Freda Payne, and Cab Calloway. The drummer for the band, Bob Holden, also works regularly with the rhythm & blues big band, The Dukes of Destiny, and has also backed roots-blues legend Otis Rush. A seasoned veteran on bass guitar, Randy Lippincott has worked with dozens of blues greats over the years, including Pinetop Perkins and Johnny Littlejohn. The bands’ performances feature lyrics sung in English, Spanish, Cajun and Creole French, set to those infectious Cajun rhythms.

Showtime for the live concert event is 8 pm. The concert will take place on the Mainstay’s new outdoor stage weather permitting.  Tickets are $20 in advance of the show and can be purchased online at mainstayrockhall.org. Phone reservations are accepted by calling (410) 639-9133 (tickets reserved by phone are $25 when paid at the door). The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall, Maryland. Its regular calendar of local, regional, and nationally touring artists features a live performance every week of the year (February through December) in a variety of music genres.

The programs of the Mainstay are supported with funds from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Kent Cultural Alliance.