Welcome to MichiganFolkLive!

What is MichiganFolkLive.com?

Launched in December 2006, MichiganFolkLive.com is Michigan’s premier source of current information on the Michigan Live Roots Music scene. We strive to always provide the timeliest, most current, most comprehensive source of all things Folk Music related in Michigan. We aspire to always be your first choice whenever you want to know what is happening on the Michigan Roots Music landscape.

Comfy Couch Concerts announces lineup for the 2009/10 Season.

September 26th 2009 - The Jill Jack Band 

October 17th 2009 - Barbara Payton 

November 14th 2009 - Mustard’s Retreat
December 12th 2009 - Angaleena Presley 

January 16th 2009 - Brian Vander Ark

February 13th - Drew Nelson with special guest Chris Buhalis

March 13th - Jan Krist & Jim Bizer

April 3rd - Anna Coogan with special guest Bill Bynum

April 24th - Grievous Angel

May 22nd - Abi Tapia

Wixom, MI - Comfy Couch Concerts

Comfy Couch Concerts is a casual, non-smoking, family friendly, concert venue that seeks to promote acoustic, roots-driven music of many genres including folk, blues, country, blue-grass, celtic, americana, world-music and more. Expect to hear from singer-songwriters that will make you laugh and also touch your heart. The Concert Series is sponsored by MichiganFolkLive.com and Newport Furnishings and is held on the beautiful, comfortable furniture in Newport Furnishings Wixom showroom.

Ticket Prices $15.00 Adult $10.00 Student 8-18
For Concert information contact:
Steven Johnson Publisher MichiganFolkLive.com
stevenjohnson@michiganfolklive.com
248-910-4941

Marchy 13th 2010 - Jan Krist & Jim Bizer

Jan Krist and Jim Bizer hail from Detroit, justly famous as Motown, but home to myriad musical influences. They met and made music together while still in their teens. On their own they have each garnered acclaim as songwriters and performers.

As members of the Yellow Room Gang, Jim & Jan add another dimension to their diverse musical spectrum. Intricately layered instrumental parts and stunning vocal harmonies are just part of the magic. At the heart is the profound respect and playful interaction Jan and Jim bring to each other’s songs, the spark of two remarkable artists working and playing together. It’s a special kind of communion between them and their audience that transcends what is and tries to catch a glimpse of what may be.

www.jankrist.net

www.jimbizer.com

www.comfycouchconcerts.com

Newport Furnishings
52504 Grand River Ave.
Wixom, MI 48393
www.newportfurnishingsmi.com

Newport Furnishings offers quality furniture and accessories in an extensive array of designs and fabrics to fit every lifestyle and budget. The unique warehouse-style environment allows custom service at affordable prices. The showroom is located in Wixom at 52504 Grand River Ave, 3/4 miles west of Napier Road. For more information, visit www.comfycouchconcerts.com, or contact Lisa at Newport Furnishings (248-679-8910, www.newportfurnishingsmi.com ), or Steven Johnson at Michigan Folk Live (248-910-4941)

Gleaners Food Drive

Thank you to all who took part in our December Fundraiser benefiting Gleaners Community Food Bank. Not only did we raise enough money to feed 270 hungry people in South-East Michigan but we also received over 200 lbs of non-pershible food donations. Thnak you for joining us in our efforts to make a difference!

Sincerely,

Steven L Johnson
Lisa Leppek
Comfy Couch Concerts/Newport Furnishings

Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan
Founded in 1977, Gleaners is one of the oldest and largest food banks in the country. Gleaners is proud to be a founding member of Feeding America and the Food Bank Council of Michigan.

Gleaners distributes donated and purchased food to more than 420 soup kitchens, food pantries, homeless shelters, senior homes and other partner agencies that feed hungry people.

More than half of Gleaners' food about 15 million pounds annually is distributed at no cost to our partner agencies. The rest is provided at a shared maintenance fee of 10 cents per pound, which helps offset the costs of handling and transportation.

Of every dollar donated, Gleaners uses 95 cents for food and food programs. One dollar provides three meals for a hungry neighbor.
Click Here to learn more about Gleaners

Michigan's own Craig Carrick honored with FolkAlley's Folk Spoke award.

Folk Alley's new feature was named the Folk Spokes award because spokes support wheels while connecting an unbroken circle of the best of musical traditions. Folk Spokes is an opportunity for you to nominate the unsung individuals (or spokes) in your community and to give them a well-deserved moment in the spotlight.

"Craig Carrick is involved with a number of projects to promote Folk Music in Michigan. He has a highly successful house concert series, "Carrick House Concerts" that promotes about 8 concerts a year, with all proceeds go to the artists. He is involved in a project that gives free guitars to aspiring young musicians through the Noreast'r Music and Arts Festival. He is heavily involved in planning, promoting and booking talent for that non-profit festival. He also is helping to book talent for both the "Ortonville Jams" concert series and a new Folk Series at Callahan's in Auburn Hills Michigan. ~ Steven Johnson"

Here is the URL to the FolkAlley page.

http://www.folkalley.com/community/folk-spokes/craig-carrick/

Congratulations Craig!

Now is the time to weigh-in to protect our wilderness UP!

Click on the picture above to learn about the sulfide mining threat to our wild UP!

February's "You’re Going to Thank Me Later!" Artist

Amy Petty

Amy Petty

Amy is originally from Royal Oak but now makes her home in New hampshire. Her music is born of the DNA of Rock and Roll and heavily influenced by classical music, Amy Petty’s sound and songwriting is a compelling, complex and original soundscape that weaves a lush tapestry of folk, pop, rock and blues ballad.

As the daughter of the soundman for the popular Detroit-area cover band “Stonebridge,” and surrounded by people who loved the music of Yes, Boston, Queen and The Scorpions, Amy’s ear developed both an appreciation for and an ability to create complex harmonies and layered vocals. Classically trained, Amy graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Voice Performance from Oakland University in Rochester MI, where she received numerous awards and honors, sang lead roles in several operas, and sang with the Michigan Opera Theater, Meadowbrook Theater, the Pontiac-Oakland Symphony and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra."Based on her powerful pipes and the catch in her throat, she could just as easily pass for a native of Nashville... circa the late-'60s heyday of Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette. Like those First Ladies, Coogan isn't afraid to stretch her wings stylistically, too; the title track of Glory boasts a reassuring gospel quality, and elements of blues and rock also underpin much of her rootsy material." - The Stranger

Click Here to see all the former "You're Going to Thank me Later" Artists

Show the Love! Support MichiganFolkLive by purchasing a hat, t-shirt or hoodie!

Click here to see the MichiganFolkLive Apparel store

You know who you are. You’re the person for whom this web-site was developed. You have long ago left behind all the over-hyped, commercialized panderings of commercial radio, where each station sounds like the next one down the dial, and this weeks “flavor of the hour” is determined by a few mass media conglomerates.

You found yourself returning to the music of your youth. You may have discovered it on your local public broadcast station. Or maybe you found that you can find the music you love on satellite radio, or even streaming out of the speakers on your PC from your favorite internet radio station. It may be the blues that drew you back, or folk, celtic, bluegrass, gospel or newgrass. You might enjoy only one genre or maybe you appreciate the heartfelt musicianship of them all. This is your website, designed so that you can see these artists live, whether they are appearing in your backdoor or across the state.

In the months ahead, we have many improvements planned. We’ll be redesigning the site to support a wider range of browsers. We will be adding concert and record reviews in addition to other changes we have planned. But one thing won’t change, our fierce devotion to promoting the music, venues and musicians we love. Remember this is your web-site, please email any suggestions you have to me at the address below.

Steven Johnson Publisher, MichiganFolkLive.com StevenJohnson@michiganfolklive.com

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What is “American Roots Music”?

American folk music, also known as Americana, is a broad category of music including Native American music, Bluegrass, country music, gospel, old time music, jug bands, Appalachian folk, blues, Tejano and Cajun. The music is considered "American" because it is either native to the United States or there varied enough from its origins that it struck musicologists as something distinctly new; it is considered "roots music" because it served as the basis of music later developed in the United States, including rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and jazz.

Source: Wikepedia