It wasn't exactly planned, but Cathy and I seem to be taking the year off from frogstop. (We'll return!) In the meantime, we want to tell you about a great upcoming fundraising concert on Saturday, August 24:

Summer Concert in Solana Beach featuring The Lovebirds and Dawn Mitschele
August 24, 2013, 7pm (Doors open at 6pm)

Tickets for concert are $25 and include dessert (Drinks available for purchase)
Buy Tickets now at www.building-with-energy.eventbrite.com
Venue: UU Fellowship of San Dieguito, 1036 Solana Drive, Solana Beach, CA 92075 (Map and directions)

About the event (from the "Building with Energy" site):

"A fundraiser brought to you by Kirsten Chaplin and Casas de Luz, helping to bring light into lives of others. With the event, we plan to raise enough money to build a house in Tijuana, which will help uplift their lives and in turn they will help others uplift their lives.

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About the artists:

The Lovebirds - One has perfect pitch. One has perfect dimples. Together, they make the perfect pair. The Lovebirds are a folk/pop duo featuring award-winning San Diego songwriters Lindsay White and Veronica May. Falling somewhere on the female duo scale between The Indigo Girls and Tegan and Sara, The Lovebirds have shared the stage with many other humans that make music, such as Steve Poltz, Tristan Prettyman, Bushwalla, The Lumineers, Jack Tempchin, John C. Reilly, Glen Phillips, Sara Watkins, Susanna Hoffs, Berkley Hart, Raining Jane, Jason Mraz, and more. Recorded at Berkley Sound, The Lovebirds’ sophomore album “and a one, and a two” is the mischievous step-brother of their SDMA-nominated debut “Nutsy Pants,” and is willing to compete for attention. Caution: a live performance by The Lovebirds is a tornado of sights and sounds which may include short skirts, high heels, bowties, mustaches, percussive guitar, rock ukulele, glockenspiel, melodica, kazoos, stand-up drumkits, and harmonies that won’t quit. Join the flock, already.

Molly Tuttle, John Mailander, Matt Witler and Brittany Karlson are individually renowned up-and-coming musicians in the acoustic music world, and will be joining together for two sets of dynamic original and traditional music. All four are currently studying at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Molly Tuttle is highly regarded for her soulful singing and songwriting talents. Originally from Palo Alto, CA, she is quickly becoming one of the top guitar/banjo players in the country, and is the winner of the Merlefest 2012 songwriting competition.

John Mailander, a San Diego native, is known for his unique voice on the fiddle and mandolin, and has performed with artists including the Alison Brown Quartet, Victor Wooten and Darol Anger.


Matt Witler, a Los Angeles based mandolinist, has performed with Marty Stuart and will be adding his instrumental virtuosity to the mix.

Bassist and vocalist Brittany Karlson hails from Aurora, IL and has committed to the study of numerous musical traditions from jazz to classical to bluegrass. She has performed across the country at venues including Symphony Hall and the Kennedy Center.

The quartet's wide range of influences and appreciation for honest, soulful music blends into an exciting and fresh sound.

Concert: 7:30pm
Doors open: 6:45pm
$15 (all proceeds go to the artists)

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The concert will be held outdoors.

As part of the California Listening Room Festival, August 1-10, frogstop is pleased to host one of the featured festival artists, Natalie Gelman, for a "Dinner and Song" event on Wednesday, August 8. (For more on "Dinner and Song" events, please see our FAQ.)

A modern day troubadour, Natalie Gelman grew up performing on NYC subway platforms. Her passionate songs and voice stopped even the most hurried commuters in their tracks and brought comparisons to Sheryl Crow, Joni Mitchell and Jewel.

Natalie now lives in southern CA and is currently touring and recording her follow up album with Charlie Midnight (Joni Mitchell) and Mark Needham (Fleetwood Mac).

"As it becomes more difficult to tell one singer songwriter from the next, Natalie Gelman's commanding presence makes me resist any urge to lump her into a genre of pretty boys and girls with guitars. Instead I'll usher her into a category of the few with a talent for smart, crafted songwriting- not too over dramatic or preachy, not too much about her, but somehow about me & everyone in the audience as well. Her serious pipes don't hurt either." - Stacy Marzik, Fairfield Theatre Company

More on Natalie Gelman at http://www.nataliegelman.com.

Dinner and Song: 7:00pm
$10 (all proceeds go to the artist)

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SOLD OUT!!! If you'd like to be put on a standby list, let us know by calling (760) 295-0222, or by emailing your request, either through your email program or our contact form. We'll contact you if there's a cancellation.

The concert will be held outdoors.

Berkley Hart will just be back from touring the UK with Eve Selis in July, so we're expecting some good tales from the road. Berkley Hart never fails to deliver, and this has become one of our most well-attended concerts each year.

About the artists: Berkley Hart have found something that works. The combination of Kerrville New Folk Songwriter Award winner, Jeff Berkley, and stand-out wordsmith, Calman Hart, creates a pairing that, over their ten-plus years together, continues to build fans all over the country. Their unique sound is at once playful and poignant as they deftly combine down-home humor with masterful lyrics delivered with stunning harmony and musicianship.  Beginning with their debut award-winning album, "Wreck 'n' Sow," the duo set a precedent of excellence that they have lived up to with their subsequent, and also award-winning, releases: "Something to Fall Back On", "Twelve", "Pocket Change", "Las Vegas" and "Crow".

Berkley Hart have traveled the folk circuit, making appearances at the Kerrville Folk Festival, the Folk Alliance International conference, regional Folk Alliance conferences (FARWest, SWRFA) as well as playing some of folk's most prestigious venues including the Birchmere and The Bluebird Cafe.

More on Berkley Hart at http://berkleyhart.com.

Concert: 8:00pm
Doors open: 7:15pm
$20 (all proceeds go to the artists)

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The concert will be held outdoors.

The first year Eve Selis was here at frogstop she performed with her songwriting partner, Marc "Twang" Intravaia. Last year Eve and Marc were back, along with the band's other guitarist extraordinaire, "Cactus" Jim Soldi. This year we're excited all over again, because Eve, Marc and Jim will be joined by bandmate Sharon Whyteon keyboards, accordian, and vocals. (And yes, we're hoping this means one year we'll see Rick Nash and Larry Grano here, too!)

“One of the best shows I've ever seen in the U.K.”
Bob Harris - The Bob Harris Show, BBC2

“The Eve Selis Band erupted in an acute explosion of Americana, wailing and twanging and thundering and throbbing, conjuring demons and angels alike. Damn, that woman can sing!”
Buddy Blue - Blue Notes

“Eve Selis isn’t just a “singer” — she’s an emotion transducer who converts country, R&B, blues, folk, and rock ‘n’ roll signals into a megawatt zap that galvanizes everyone in its path. The power of Selis’s voice can arc-weld material from almost any genre into a personal manifesto.”
John D'Agostino - Taylor Guitars On Review.


More on Eve Selis at http://eveselis.com.

Concert: 8:00pm
Doors open: 7:15pm
$20 (all proceeds go to the artists)

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The concert will be held outdoors.

Born in Ennis, County Clare, along Ireland’s music-rich west coast, Gerry O’Beirne is a renowned singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. His compositions blend the passion found in traditional music with the freshness of contemporary song.

Gerry’s first solo album, Half Moon Bay, was cited as one of the 12 best releases of the year 2000 by Performing Songwriter magazine and was chosen as one of Folkworld’s Top Ten Albums of the year. His second album The Bog Bodies And Other Stories: Music For Guitar, was named CD of the Month, and one of the essential albums of the year, on the radio show Echoes. His latest album “Yesterday I Saw The Earth Beautiful” with fiddler Rosie Shipley was described as “"an extraordinary album with innovative arrangements and hauntingly beautiful songs" by Folkworld. Many of Gerry's songs have been recorded by a number of artists, including Maura O’Connell, Mary Black, and Cathie Ryan. Gerry has also produced a large number of albums for various artists, including Kevin Burke and Michael O’Dhomhnaill, Patrick Street, Andy M. Stewart, and others.

Gerry has toured the globe as a solo artist and with the Sharon Shannon Band, Patrick Street, Midnight Well, Andy M. Stewart, Kevin Burke, Andy Irvine, and the Waterboys. He has performed at the White House and the Kennedy Center, opened for the Grateful Dead, and played electric guitar with Marianne Faithfull. He has appeared on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion. His performance of Western Highway was chosen as an audio highlight on A Prairie Home Companion’s website.

More on Gerry O’Beirne at http://gerryobeirne.com.

Concert: 8:00pm
Doors open: 7:15pm
$20 (all proceeds go to the artists)

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The concert will be held outdoors or indoors, depending on weather.

Renowned for her warm, engaging stage presence, Sarah McQuaid is a versatile and beguiling performer. In addition to her own elegantly crafted originals, she interprets traditional Irish and Appalachian folk songs, Elizabethan ballads, 1930s jazz numbers, surprise covers and lively guitar instrumentals with panache and poignance. Her deliciously earthy voice delivers a powerful emotional punch that’s matched by her distinctive, eloquent guitar style. Add this to a real rapport with her audience, and you have all the ingredients of a great night out.

In 2010, Sarah re-released her first two albums in a double-disc package for the North American market, to coincide with her first US tour. The double CD became the No. 1 album, and Sarah the No. 1 artist, on the folkradio.org chart for February 2010; the final tally at year’s end saw the double CD in the No. 6 slot for the year, beating powerful competition from far more established artists.

Now spending approximately six months of each year on the road in Ireland, the UK, Europe and the USA, Sarah was an official showcase artist at the International Folk Alliance conference in February 2011. She returned to the studio in June 2011 to record her third solo album, provisionally titled The Plum Tree and the Rose, with (as on her previous two albums) Gerry O’Beirne producing and Trevor Hutchinson engineering.

“Brilliant musicianship, a warm and welcoming stage presence and a voice as rich, matured and knowing as the finest thrice-distilled Irish malt whiskey.” — fRoots

“Sparkling guitar and compelling alto voice ... reminiscent of Pentangle’s best efforts ... a gentle and magical recording that I will return to time and again.” — Sing Out!

“A must for everyone who loves a CD you can put on again and again, and never tire of it.” — Roz Larman, FolkScene, Los Angeles

More on Sarah McQuaid at http://sarahmcquaid.com.

Concert: 3:00pm
Doors open: 2:15pm
$20 (all proceeds go to the artists)

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The concert will be held outdoors or indoors, depending on weather.

Friends of frogstop have been asking us to bring Sara Petite here, and we're happy to say that August 6 is the day! Named “Best Americana or Country” in the 2009 San Diego Music Awards, Sara Petite has been called everything from “Outlaw country” to “AAA singer-songwriter”.

Often described as an Americana artist, Petite’s sound is an earthy fusion of folk, bluegrass, country, and mountain music with surprising flashes of pop and rock. She steadfastly affirms that "it's all Americana". Her singing voice, which has been likened to that of June Carter and Dolly Parton, is the tie that binds the varied styles she blends. Her songs, whose inspiration comes from broken hearts and those full of hope, revive fond memories of history, home and travels.

On stage, Petite has opened for such major headliners as Marty Stuart and the Fabulous Superlatives, Josh Turner, Shooter Jennings, Dave Alvin, Trent Thomlinson, Richie McDonald, John Eddie, Todd Snider, Ralph Stanley, Steve Poltz, Lance Miller, John Doe and Bert Jansch.

Sara will be accompanied by fiddler John Mailander, a member of Sara's band the Sugar Daddies. Mailander has also played with area musical mainstays like Chris Clarke, Robin Henkel and the 7th Day Buskers. (John is featured in the cover story of the July issue of the San Diego Troubadour.)

More on Sara Petite at http://sarapetite.com.

Concert: 8:00pm
Doors open: 7:15pm
$15 (all proceeds go to the artists)

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The concert will be held outdoors.

Berkley Hart helped us get started here at frogstop in 2008, and we've been thrilled to have them back every year since. We're continuing the tradition this year on July 23. Their 6th studio album, "Crow", has just released, so this is a tremendous opportunity to hear Jeff and Calman's newest material.

About the artists: Berkley Hart have found something that works. The combination of Kerrville New Folk Songwriter Award winner, Jeff Berkley, and stand-out wordsmith, Calman Hart, creates a pairing that, over their ten-plus years together, continues to build fans all over the country. Their unique sound is at once playful and poignant as they deftly combine down-home humor with masterful lyrics delivered with stunning harmony and musicianship.  Beginning with their debut award-winning album, "Wreck 'n' Sow," the duo set a precedent of excellence that they have lived up to with their subsequent, and also award-winning, releases: "Something to Fall Back On," "Twelve," "Pocket Change," and "Las Vegas."

Berkley Hart have traveled the folk circuit, making appearances at the Kerrville Folk Festival, the Folk Alliance International conference, regional Folk Alliance conferences (FARWest, SWRFA) as well as playing some of folk's most prestigious venues including the Birchmere and The Bluebird Cafe.

More on Berkley Hart at http://berkleyhart.com.

Concert: 8:00pm
Doors open: 7:15pm
$20 (all proceeds go to the artists)

Listen
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The concert will be held outdoors.

As those of you who attended know, last night's concert was fantastic. (Thank you, Eve, Marc and Jim!) But I want to praise the attendees. What a wonderful group of people! Cathy and I are always impressed by the great folks who walk in the door for these house concerts. And last night was as good as it gets; everyone was so supportive and helpful. One guest took it on himself to get a balky patio lamp working (he wasn't even sitting by the lamp himself); and everyone cleaned up and stacked chairs as they left (without being asked). I found only one tiny scrap of paper in the yard this morning. Anyway: a pleasure.

We also had a couple of people ask about helping out at future concerts. I'm sorry to say I didn't stop to write down names, so please feel free to remind me if you're still game.

Shout-outs to Chiara Sutton (our teenage stage lighting control wizard) and to Erica Brucia, last night's indoor organizational goddess.