Holden's Lair House Concerts

Doria Roberts house concert cancelled

2007-11-08T20:56:00.000-08:00

Doria Roberts is very ill and will not be making it to Baltimore.

Hopefully she returns to the area soon!

Here's to a speedy recovery, Doria!

Doria Roberts House Concert on Friday, Nov. 9

2007-10-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

Doria Roberts returns to Baltimore for another great house concert at Holden's Lair! The show is Friday, Nov. 9 at 8pm. Come see an artist whose music has been described as "a delicious, almost indescribable but most definitely bohemian blend of folk, rock, R&B, and jazz."

When: Friday, Nov. 9 @ 8pm
Where: 3208 Dudley Ave., Holden's Lair House Concerts
Cost: $10 (all cost goes to artist)

An internationally touring artist, Ms. Roberts has carved an eclectic career that has seen her perform at Lilith Fair, share the stage with diverse artists as Alice Walker, Odetta, John Mayer, and the Indigo Girls, and headline Gay Pride events around the continent.Roberts' performances are effortless and seamless melds of her diverse musical heritage into a solid set of provocative musings on life and love and everything that happens in between.

Press Quotes:

"A searing sunset performance of intense, incendiary and eloquently literate folk and soul from one of Atlanta's busiest and brightest artists. While also internationally known as an activist and educator, Roberts' finest work is her intimate yet communal rapport with -- and command of -- an audience." (Creative Loafing - Atlanta)
<>"Roberts grafts the whip smart elocution of Ani DiFranco to the soul of Lauryn Hill". (Atlanta Journal Constitution)

"To see Doria Roberts on stage is to love her and to love her, if you are a straight male, is to walk away brokenhearted. The lady has chops and her live show, a spicy blend of passion, bohemian folk and jazz, will make you feel like you've been ridden hard and put away wet. She's angry, she's black, she's beautiful, she's smart, she swears a lot, she's sexy as hell, she plays guitar, she's intense, she's a lesbian and she's a killer lyricist." (Hippo Press - Weekend Arts Feature - Manchester, NH)

"No ordinary folkie, Roberts street wise sass and skilled but unpretentious guitar prowess immediately puts her step above the rest". (Creative Loafing Charlotte, NC)
Check out
http://holdenslair.blogspot.com for more information on the show, plus
lots of photos from previous shows. Also, check out Doria Roberts' website at http://www.doriaroberts.com or her myspace page at
http://www.myspace.com/doriaroberts

Holden's Lair is a house
concert venue doing monthly (not quite that often anymore) shows since
May of 2002 in Baltimore, MD. In all, we've put on about 30 shows, and
get about 20-25 people to each one to see a great live music show.

If you've never been to a House concert at Holden's Lair, they are a
laid back affair. Everyone usually brings a dish to pass and everyone
chats in between the breaks. If we know you're coming, we often wait
until you get here until we begin. The artist mingles with the fans,
signing CDs and schmoozing. A box is passed around and the money is
collected, and all of it goes to the performer. Children are welcome,
and don't be surprised if a friendly cat jumps in your lap or starts
mewing to the music, or if a slightly overweight dog(s) gives you sad
eyes, hoping for a treat off your plate.

If you have allergies to dogs and cats, please Allegra or Claritin. Two cats and two dogs are all over the place here.

A few rules:
Please RSVP by e-mailing before the show so I know the number to expect.
Please try to get here before the performer begins
Please bring food or drink to pass

The Return of Holden's Lair! Sam Shaber performs Saturday, September 22!

2007-09-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

When: Saturday, September 22, 2007, 8pm
Where: Holden's Lair, now located at 3208 Dudley Ave.
Cost: $10 (all goes to performer)
Please: RSVP

IN BRIEF:
One of our all-time favorites, Sam Shaber, brings her "raw pop" sound from New York to Los Angeles, and everywhere in between. (Go to her website or her Myspace page.)

She's the one who is officially bringing Holden's Lair (which might better be known as Holden and Norman's Lair, now) back after a year away!

FACTS:

-- Brand-new digital EP "Sassy," released September 20, 2007!
-- Sam's song "Solitaire" featured on recent episode of ABC Family's
primetime show "Wildfire."
-- 2003 album "eighty numbered streets" produced by Grammy nominee
Shawn Mullins ("Lullaby"), with performances by Mullins and
Sugarland's Kristen Hall.
-- new song "Jersey to OC" voted #1 at CoastLocalz high school record
label
-- Voted Top Female Performer at Femmusic.com
-- Sam's song "All of This" placed at #1 on Quiznos National In-Store
Playlist
-- Hear Sam's new band Sam Shaber and The Bones at myspace.com/samshaber

BIO:

In her bones...

Sam Shaber likes to make her fans happy. This is why, for the last
two years, she has been on a perpetual "Taper's Tour," touring
nationally and inviting people to take home her unique blend of raw
pop by recording the shows. She also likes to play "all-request"
gigs where fans can email requests for their favorite Shaber songs in
advance, effectively writing the set-list themselves. Shaber took
this one step further on February 18th, 2006 when she recorded her
recent live album, "in my bones (live in chicago)." Fans from all
over the country were encouraged to email requests, and the result is
a collection of previously unreleased songs that have long been crowd
favorites. And now Shaber releases a follow-up EP, "Sassy," on
September 20th with three new energetic raw pop tunes. Don't miss
her emotional, driving, live show!

First Show: Saturday, September 30 with Kyler England!

2006-09-17T12:46:00.000-07:00

Kyler England Performs on Saturday, September 30! Please RSVP!

Her website

Her Myspace Site

Listening to any Kyler England song, it's easy to believe you're hearing a classic in the making: gorgeous, organic pop music that speaks to your heart like a close friend. Her soulful voice draws you in with its fragile strength, then leaves you breathless when it soars to brilliant heights. She sings like you'd always wished you could, with all the raw honesty of your most painful moments and all the beauty of your fiercest hopes. There is something universal going on here, something magical. Comparisons to Sarah McLachlan and Patty Griffin are mere approximations; Kyler has a style and charisma all her own.

But it's not only her voice. There's a good reason why Kyler England has won numerous songwriting awards, and garnered such acclaim for her recent album "A Flower Grows In Stone," including Best Alternative Rock Album of 2004 in the Indie Acoustic Project Awards. With a natural instinct for melody and lyrics, honed during a stint at the renowned Berklee School of Music, she crafts songs that are not only addictively catchy but full of depth. The simplicity of her words, which matches her crystal-clear, elegant sound, nonetheless conveys a deep well of emotion and wisdom--for even in her darkest material, there is always the glimmer of optimism.

Kyler's strengths are front and center on her new EP "The Green Room Sessions", masterfully produced by longtime collaborator Richard Oliver Furch. In "No More Sad Songs," she muses "Why is it always me/seeing question marks in places/where the answers used to be," before making a plaintive but reaffirming statement:

No more sad songs tonight
Come on, love, bring me back to life
Make it all stand still, stand still
No more sad songs tonight

The vibrant, driving first track "What You're Looking For" shines the spotlight on her powerful vocals, starting low and sultry in the verses, then building towards the final climax where she cries: "Do you even know what you're looking for? Do you even know?" It's hard not to get shivers--and then let the question haunt you.

The heartbreaking "Lay It On Me", and "If You Want Me To," which perfectly captures the delicious agony of unrequited love, are no less masterful works of songwriting. Every moment on this EP would be as equally at home on the radio as in someone's collection of lifelong favorites.

Kyler England is poised for a breakthrough, and is looking for the right label to take things to the next level. With Los Angeles as a home base, she's touring extensively across the US, playing more than a hundred shows each year from 2003-2006, and has shared the stage with Sting, Melissa Etheridge, Gavin DeGraw and Annie Lennox among many others. Those in the know in the independent music world are well acquainted with Kyler's tremendous talent, and know it's only a matter of time before she bursts onto the mainstream scene.

A green room may be where performers wait to go on, but with "The Green Room Sessions," the time has come for Kyler to take center stage.

Awards & Accomplishments:
- Featured on Life & Love- Girls Night Out Vol 5 Compilation available nationally in Target(2005)
- Featured in Performing Songwriter Magazine DIY Spotlight (2005)
- A Flower Grows In Stone Awarded Best Alternative Rock CD by Indie Acoustic Project (2004)
- First Place in the Unisong International Contest (2004)
- 2 First Place Awards in the Mid-Atlantic Songwriting Contest (2003 & 2004)
- Performed at Toronto Film Festival (2004)
- Touring Nationally Clubs, Colleges & House Concerts over 100 shows per year (2003-present)
- Winner North Carolina Songwriters Competition (2002)
- Featured on Shekinah Epic Compilation (2002)
- Nominated for Boston Music Award (2000)

Radio:
- Garnered Airplay on more than 100 Radio Stations (AAA, Hot AC) (2004 & 2005)
- Charted on R&Rs Indicator Most Added Chart (2004)
- Featured on WXPN Womens Music Hour (2005)
- Featured NPR Here & Now & Women In Music (2003)

Shared The Stage with...
Sting, Annie Lennox, Melissa Etheridge, Teitur, Gavin DeGraw, Avril Lavigne, Meredith Brooks, Liz Phair, Emm Gryner, Pete Yorn, Josh Joplin, Vienna Teng, Mary Lou Lord, to name a few.

"Kyler England writes and sings of live wires and brushfires - things that are fast to ignite and faster still to burn out. Rife with complex melodies and emotional honesty, her songs crackle to life with her sultry, magnetic delivery." -Asheville Citizen Times

"Compassionate and introspective songs, all performed with confidence and intimacy."
-Performing Songwriter Magazine

Sam Shaber Performs This Sunday (6/18) at 6pm!

2006-06-15T22:28:00.000-07:00

Just a quick final reminder that Sam Shaber is performing at Holden's Lair this Sunday (June 18) at 6pm! All invited, spread the word!

If you've never seen Sam before, you're in for a treat - she's a soulful pop-folk singer with smoky vocals and a funny, charismatic stage presence. Folkweb.net calls her a "riveting performer."

If you've seen her before, this time is unique because this is her OFFICIAL Baltimore CD release of her new CD "in my bones: Live in Chicago". It's a great new CD of hers that you'll want to pick up. Plus, for the first time ever, she's bringing along an opening act: Matthew Moon of Denver.

Please RSVP. I'm especially worried about attendance at this show because of the unusual time and holiday.

More info:
Holden's Lair: http://holdenslair.blogspot.com
Sam Shaber: samshaber.com, Her Myspace page
Matthew Moon: MatthewMoon.com, His Myspace page

Thank you!

Next show: Sunday, June 18 @ 6pm

2006-05-29T21:05:00.000-07:00

We're so proud to present that Baltimore Sam Shaber CD Release Party for her new live CD "in my bones (live in Chicago)" at a special show time of 6pm on a Sunday!

We're so excited to be having Los Angeles-based Sam Shaber back for the fifth time (check out the photos in the links to the right)! Kick off the summer the right way and come on out and see her perform. If you've never seen or heard Sam Shaber perform before, you're in for a special treat. Sam Shaber's strong guitar style and broad voice have won comparisons as diverse as Alanis Morissette, Joni Mitchell, and Stevie Wonder. And her passion for showing an audience a good time is never more clear than in this intimate, raw, live release - which she's officially releasing in Baltimore at this very show. Because "in my bones" is put together without pauses, the listener lives an entire show from beginning to end, a true document of one night, one Shaber, in Chicago.

Sam is bringing along great Colorado singer-songwriter Matthew Moon. We're excited about seeing him for the first time here in Baltimore.

And, as with most musicians these days, both Sam and Matt have Myspace pages with free downloads or samples.

Sam Shaber's Myspace page

Matthew Moon's Myspace page

Andru Bemis photos

2006-05-29T20:54:00.000-07:00

Andru Bemis performed on Saturday, April 29. It was a great show, full of roots music, story songs, and banjo picking.

Andru Bemis hails from my hometown of South Haven, MI. Click to see my South Haven photo album. It's a beautiful city.

Andru played both banjo and guitar throughout the show.

Nick was trying to get everyone to join in on his dancing, but he was the only one. He sure looked like he had fun, though.

That red, red hair is that of Jenna Casey-Colter.

Super fans and Polish girls Gosia and Ola and their permagrins.

Holden attempts to maul a guest.

Andru Bemis performs on Saturday, April 29!

2006-04-27T05:41:00.000-07:00

Andru Bemis performs this weekend! Make your reservations today!

Andru's Myspace page w/ downloads

Since early 2002, Andru Bemis has wandered the ends, edges and in-betweens of North America- by thumb, train, bus and motorbike- playing his original songs of love, loss and longing for anyone who will listen. He's traveled more than 100,000 miles- banjo, guitar and occasional fiddle or banjo-ukulele in tow- promoting his first two albums, "Plays Past His Bedtime" and "Singer." In 2005, Bemis collected his favorite tunes learned from these wanderings and put them to tape for the Massachusetts traditional music label, Wepecket Island Records. Now, with a new album of mostly old songs, aptly titled "Rail to Reel," Andru Bemis is back on track for his most extensive tour yet.

While Andru's travels and lifestyle earn him frequent comparisons to Carl Sandburg, John Steinbeck and Woody Guthrie, it's his unmistakeable voice, inventive self-taught banjo and guitar styles and exquisitely crafted tunes of travel, love and longing which have brought him rapid success and respect throughout the US and Canada. Upon hearing a 2002 performance in Door County, Wisconsin, noted humorist, author and radio host Garrison Keillor commented, "the ability to play such a beautiful song is a rare gift, and a power of which I can only dream." The Birmingham (AL) Weekly calls him a "modern-folk, Midwestern miracle of music ... (with a voice that) is pretty and ravaged, sounding as though 50 Appalachian winters have run him ragged."

One Week from today... Andru Bemis performs on Saturday, April 29

2006-04-22T06:26:00.000-07:00

You are cordially invited to the penultimate 2005-2006 Holden's Lair show, as folk-blues-Americana artist Andru Bemis comes to Baltimore for a house concert at Holden's Lair.

When: Saturday, April 29 @ 8pm
Where: Holden's Lair House Concerts, 4636 Walther Ave, Baltimore
What to expect: Simple, expressive throwback songs, accompanied by both guitars and banjos.
More info: www.andrubemis.com, Andru's Myspace page, http://holdenslair.blogspot.com
Cost: $10. Please bring a dish or drink to pass.
Random quote: "modern-folk, Midwester miracle of music ... (with a voice that) is pretty and ravaged, sounding as though 50 Appalachian winters have run him ragged."
Why you should come: Andru Bemis will be unlike any show you've seen at Holden's Lair. His travels and lifestyle earn him frequent comparisons to Carl Sandburg, John Steinbeck, and Woody Guthrie, but it's his unmistakable voice, inventive self-taught banjo and guitar styles and exquisitely crafted tunes of travel, love and longing which have brought him rapid success and respect throughotu the US and Canada. Andru has been featured on NPR, where radio host Garrison Keillor commented, "the ability to play such a beautiful song is a rare gift, and a power of which I can only dream."
Random fact: Andru and I went to high school together in South Haven, MI, and I haven't seen him in ten years.
Random fact #2: My dad is coming all the way from South Haven and will be attending the show!

About Holden's Lair: If you've never been to a House concert at Holden's Lair, they are a laid back affair. Everyone usually brings a dish to pass and everyone chats in between the breaks. If we know you're coming, we often wait until you get here until we begin. The artist mingles with the fans, signing CDs and schmoozing. A box is passed around and the money is collected, and all of it goes to the performer. Children are welcome, and don't be surprised if a friendly cat jumps in your lap or starts mewing to the music, or if a slightly overweight dog gives you sad eyes, hoping for a treat off your plate. A few rules:Please RSVP by e-mailing before the show so I know the number to expect, Please try to get here before the performer begins, and Please bring food or drink to pass. If you want to sit on a piece of furniture and not the floor, come early to grab a seat. It never hurts to bring something - a pillow, a beanbag.

Check out the website - http://holdenslair.blogspot.com - for new photos (Rose Polenzani pics are up!) and more.

Next show: Sunday, June 18 @ 6pm. Sam Shaber w/s/g Matt Moon. Baltimore CD release party of Sam's new CD In My Bones (Live in Chicago), with support from Denver songwriter Matt Moon. More info, check out samshaber.com0, matthewmoon.com, myspace.com/samshaber, myspace.com/matthewmoon. We're very excited to be hosting the official Baltimore CD release party for Sam's new CD.

Andru Bemis Biography: Since early 2002, Andru Bemis has wandered the ends, edges and in-betweens of North America- by thumb, train, bus and motorbike- playing his original songs of love, loss and longing for anyone who will listen. He's traveled more than 100,000 miles- banjo, guitar and occasional fiddle or banjo-ukulele in tow- promoting his first two albums, "Plays Past His Bedtime" and "Singer." In 2005, Bemis collected his favorite tunes learned from these wanderings and put them to tape for the Massachusetts traditional music label, Wepecket Island Records. Now, with a new album of mostly old songs, aptly entitled "Rail to Reel," Andru Bemis is back on track for his most extensive tour yet.

The songs of Andru Bemis are simple and expressive- spiritually descended from an era when music was made and played to express one's deepest emotions while entertaining the neighbors. His are songs of faith, spirit, patience, and hope in the midst of an uncertain, troubled world. Andru's dynamic voice shifts effortlessly between Erik Darling's plaintive bellow and the spine-chilling intimacy of Iris DeMent. His delicate guitar work and lightning-fast banjo style tie seamlessly with his lyrics and phrasing to make each performance and album unforgettable. His self-produced recordings are played on radio stations throughout the US, Canada, Europe and Australia. Critics and audiences alike comment on Bemis' remarkable ability to craft timeless-sounding lyrics and tunes and to perform the songs of others- including Don Gibson, Tom Paxton, Greg Brown and Stephen Foster- as if he'd written them himself.

When he's not riding the rails, Bemis lives alone in a one-room shotgun shack in his hometown of South Haven, Michigan. His greatest joys are watching fruit trees bloom, practicing ragtime fiddle tunes, paddling around in little boats and recording himself and others on his old multitrack reel-to-reel.

Press Quotes:

"... Bemis expresses sadness and joy with each chord. He tells stories in a unique, bittersweet way that sticks in your mind like long goodbyes at the train station."
- Diana Satruc; Tipp-C

"... Describe his music as folk or bluegrass- Bemis calls it po'folk. Arlo, Van Ronk, early Dylan weave in and out of his original material- but to pinpoint him is impossible. His songs are deceptively simple with an earthy, intimate feel."
- Bob Felberg; Phantom Tollbooth

"... Andru's sad songs are a gritty, railroad-and-rust-belt sort of sad. In my brain they situate themselves firmly in places like Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan, and they have more of the feel of songs of a people. Even when he's singing his own stuff, it sounds like a rendition of something that surely must have been written decades ago and put into a "songs of the hobo" singalong book somewhere."
- Don Blahedo; blahedo.org

"This cat is 26 years old, and he is one of the most remarkable combinations of old-time analog lifestyle and modern digital awareness ... His music is really beguiling- simple melodies and intricate lyrics ... a startling original."
- Keith Harrelson; Moonlight Music Cafe

"... young man i thought my jaw dropping days were long gone. but lo and behold as the song says...then there was you. Who from somewhere deep down in you pulled out the unexpected to put me back on my heels, close my eyes and open them again to wonder if i wasn't just imaging somethin special as i listened to a history of music in that voice of yours as it cried picked soothed weedled whispered and doubled backover and into itself singing songs so exquisite raw and tooled that it almost pained me to hear em. Whatever you're doing to be doing what you're doing, don't stop now...or ever. Thanks for the songs and the show that went with em."
- Carl Schinasi

"The voice of Andru Bemis is pretty and ravaged, sounding as though 50 Appalachian winters have run him ragged. His fingers are nimble on a guitar and like lightning on a banjo. He's traveled more than 20,000 miles making music on his own, usually singing into a 60-year-old microphone salvaged from somebody's barn. He's got a Woody Guthrie kind of bellow and a John Prine kind of keen, both of which he's taking around the country right now, as he tours by train, in support of his new album Singer. If you only heard his voice and never saw his face, you'd never believe that this modern-folk, Midwestern miracle of music is only 25 years old ..."
- Glenny Brock; Birmingham Weekly

"... the ability to play such a beautiful song is a rare gift, and a power of which I can only dream."
- Garrison Keillor

"Andru Bemis creates highly original spirited lyrics in his music. Andru has a high, whispy, sometimes gritty voice and scratches away on his old classical guitar (albeit scratching with great ability). This young man sings like a 30s cowboy, a 60s hippie, someone's kid brother. His music whispers in your ear with an intimacy that is addictive."
- Wendy Chappell-Dick; Mennofolk

Two shows left in the 2005-2006 Holden's Lair season!

2006-04-14T23:39:00.000-07:00

Saturday, April 29: Andru Bemis, Folk/Blues/Americana. Visit Andru's Myspace page, with sound clips. "This cat is 26 years old, and he is one of the most remarkable combinations of old-time analog lifestyle and modern digital awareness ... His music is really beguiling- simple melodies and intricate lyrics ... a startling original." - Keith Harrelson, Moonlight Music Cafe. Show is at 8pm.

Sunday, June 18: Sam Shaber and Matt Moon. Baltimore CD Release Party of Sam's new CD, In My Bones (Live in Chicago). Visit Sam's Myspace page and Matt's Myspace page, both with sound clips. Show is at 6pm.

Rose Polenzani Photos

2006-04-14T13:10:00.000-07:00

Rose Polenzani came down from Boston for a show on January 13, 2006. About 25 people showed up, and the show was great.

Rose played guitar and was accompanied by Austin Nevins.

Ola and Gosia enjoy the show.

Rose (Steck, not Polenzani), Alan, and Rob strike a pose. Well, Alan isn't, really.

The stylish Michelle Risdon, Holden's Lair #1 fan.

Rose Polenzani had such a good time that she let us take her out to Valentino's 24-hour diner after the show!

That pizza turned into something looks like a potholder. Somebody check the oven!

It is not everyday that I have two beautiful Polish women in my bed. Just every other day.

Next Show

2006-02-23T20:12:00.000-08:00

Next show: Andru Bemis on Saturday, April 29

Check out his website - http://www.andrubemis.com

Rose Polenzani photos coming as soon as I can find my digital camera batteries. What s show!

Rose Polenzani performs Friday, Jan. 13

2006-01-08T18:23:00.000-08:00

When: Friday, Jan. 13, 2006
Where: 4636 Walther Ave., Baltimore, 21214 (Link to directions on right)
Cost: $10 (all proceeds go to artist)
Time: Doors @ 8pm
Website: Rose Polenzani's website
Sound clips: Rose's Myspace page (includes her own beautiful "This Bitter Heart" and an aching cover of Springsteen's "I'm On Fire")

Please RSVP and bring a dish to pass. Click around here some more to see what to expect.

Rob Tracy Photos

2006-01-08T18:09:00.001-08:00

Rob Tracy played in between sets at Sam Shaber's show in November 2003.

Ryan White, Charity White, and Patty Kirby enjoy the show.

David Morreale Photos

2006-01-08T18:09:00.000-08:00

David Morreale performed in January of 2003.

Jen Chapin photos

2006-01-08T18:04:00.000-08:00

Jen Chapin performs with bassists/husband Stephan Crump in May 2003.

Jen is the daughter of famed singer/songwriter Harry Chapin. After her performance at Holden's Lair, Chapin gained massive airplay and radio exposure, including on Baltimore's WTMD station.

Kristin Plater Photos

2006-01-08T18:03:00.000-08:00

Kristin Plater, of Providence, performed in May of 2002.

Matthew Kahler Photos

2006-01-08T18:01:00.000-08:00

Matthew Kahler, of Atlanta, performed in December of 2002.

Pamela Means Photos

2006-01-08T17:50:00.000-08:00

Pamela Means performed on Saturday, Dec. 3 to a crowd of 21 people. Photos are below.

Rose Polenzani: Friday, Jan. 13

2006-01-02T17:24:00.000-08:00

Rose Polenzani performs on Friday, Jan. 13 at Holden's Lair in Baltimore, MD.

Doors open at 8pm, and the show is $10 (all proceeds go to the artist). Please RSVP via this site or by e-mailing markmiazga@hotmail.com.

Rose is one of the most talented artists to ever perform at Holden's Lair, and I'm very, very excited about the show, and for seeing Rose perform live for the first time since I booked her back in 1999. There are a lot of free downloads available on both her website (http://www.rosepolenzani.com) and her myspace site (http://www.myspace.com/rosepolenzani). On the latter, you can hear her sing a beautiful version of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm On Fire"!

Bring a friend! Tell a friend! Mass forwarding of this information is strongly encouraged.

Artist Bio: Having been called the heir to Nick Drake's domain and a cross between Joan of Arc and Leonard Cohen, Rose Polenzani seems to have some fairly sizable shoes to fill. And fill them she does, with a captivating maturity and a sense of poetry seldom found in young artists. Polenzani offers more than just a girl, her acoustic guitar, and a bunch of songs. She pours out her soul in every note, each utterance unveiling a wealth of emotion and meaning. For her first musical offering, Polenzani devoted herself almost maniacally to a college arts project, memorializing songs on a four-track recorder with so much verve that she was given A's in all of her classes for having proven that she learned what it was to be an artist. From there, Polenzani became a staple of the Chicago open mic scene for two years before stretching her legs with a tour of the Northeast in 1997. That marked the beginning of a streak of good fortune, as she was invited to play with Shawn Colvin, at the Newport Folk Festival, and at Lilith Fair in 1998, and got a call from the Indigo Girls' Amy Ray with an offer of assistance. Independently releasing her self-produced debut album Dragersville in August 1998, she continued to spread her wings with a showcase appearance during the Sundance Film Festival. And in 1999, after combing through all of Polenzani's early recordings together, Ray's not-for-profit Daemon Records released Anybody to strong critical praise. (All Music Guide)

About the venue:

There's a lot of painting and construction being done in the house right now, so accomadations probably will not be as prestine as your are used to. (Heh.) But we'll be fine for a show.

Holden's Lair is a house concert venue doing monthly shows since May of 2002 in Baltimore, MD. If you've never been to a House concert at Holden's Lair, they are a laid back affair. Everyone usually brings a dish to pass and everyone chats in between the breaks. If we know you're coming, we often wait until you get here until we begin. The artist mingles with the fans, signing CDs and schmoozing. A box is passed around and the money is collected, and all of it goes to the performer. Children are welcome, and don't be surprised if a friendly cat jumps in your lap or starts mewing to the music, or if a slightly overweight dog gives you sad eyes, hoping for a treat off your plate.

A few rules:
Please RSVP by e-mailing before the show so I know the number to expect.
Please try to get here before the performer begins
Please bring food or drink to pass

If you want to sit on a piece of furniture and not the floor, come early to grab a seat. It never hurts to bring something - a pillow, a beanbag. I offer no illusions that the house is nice or ideal for concerts. What it is, though, is a community of people who appreciate the independent spirit in music coming together to support art and free expression. With our radios dominated by just a few corporations, this is a way for non-mainstream voices to be heard. It's also just a way to hear great music. And you'll hear it every time at Holden's Lair.

Rose Polenzani: Friday, January 13

2005-12-25T19:16:00.000-08:00

Rose Polenzani performs on Friday, Jan. 13. Please RSVP today.

"In their psychic intensity, Polenzani's compositions sometimes evoke the spirit of the late Velvet Underground chanteuse Nico, albeit without that singers icy aloofness. Indeed, Polenzani's breathy, tremulous voice has a beckoning power more akin to that of a child ghost in a graveyard."--Request Magazine

"Somewhere in-between the raw emotion of singer Patty Griffin and the poetry of Anne Sexton, you'll find Rose Polenzani."--Utne Reader

"One of the best songwriters around...Rose Polenzani actually has a chance to pick up the Mitchell mantle."--BUST Magazine

"[Rose has] an otherworldly quality that transcends musical categories, much like Rickie Lee Jones's early work. Anybody has me searching for Polenzani's self-released 1998 debut, Dragersville."--CMJ

Celebrate the Holidays
Hear Rose Polenzani and Catie Curtis singing "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" together - free MP3 at Catie's website:

http://www.catiecurtis.com/index.php?page=cds&display=387

Reminder: Pamela Means performs on Saturday, Dec. 3

2005-11-30T21:15:00.000-08:00

Check out Pamela Means' Myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/pamelameans.

There are four free songs to listen to, where you can hear why Ani DiFranco said about her music, "You've got a deep, deep groove, I can't get out. And I wouldn't want to."

"If Black warrior poet/feminist political activist Audre Lorde had taken up folk singing, she might have attacked her guitar and wrapped her lyrics around it the way Pamela Means does."
-Valley Advocate, Northampton MA

Pamela's latest release, Single Bullet Theory, confronts the USA Patriot Act, racial profiling, and the Bush Administration, while advocating for the rights of marginalized identities. Through the song "O.D.", "Means fires off what is easily one of the best musical summations of our current political situation.." (Bay Area Reporter, San Francisco, CA). Pamela also recorded a haunting version of "Strange Fruit". The album also showcases Pamela's innovative, expressive guitar style, evidentiary of her conservatory studies of classical and jazz guitar. The fruits of such discipline shine in her fleet-fingered fretwork, fluid phrasing, 'dizzying acoustic guitar riffs' (Boston Globe) and 'powerful songs' (Time Out NY) all of which place her at the vanguard of the new acoustic frontier. Spanning from Spanish-influenced rolling crescendos through the detuned growling guitar funk of an aggressive interrogation, Means is "redefin[ing acoustic] music.." (Washington Blade).

Don't miss Pamela Means as she brings her "kamikaze guitar style" (NY Times) to Baltimore for a rare, intimate house concert!

Please RSVP here or via e-mail. Tell your friends because we need to get people to this show!

Pamela Means performs Saturday, December 3

2005-11-19T08:30:00.000-08:00

Who: Pamela Means, political and fiery folk-jazz performer
When: Saturday, Dec. 3. Doors open at 8pm.
Who is invited: Everyone. Please spread the word, tell your friends, and RSVP here or via e-mail.
Cost: $10 (all proceeds go to artist)

Pamela Means is a Boston-based Out (spoken), Biracial indie folk artist whose "kamikaze guitar style" and punchy provocative songs have worn a hole in her guitar. Armed with razor wit poetry and irresistable charm, Pamela Means' "stark, defiant songs" (New York Times Magazine) set the status quo and the stage afire.

Pamela Means' many honors include being named Falcon Ridge Folk Festival's #1 "Most Wanted New Artist", and both Wisconsin's "Folk Artist of the Year", and "Female Vocalist of the Year". Pamela has also been a Boston Music Award Nominee ("Outstanding Contemporary Folk Artist").

Currently, Pamela performs over 150 shows a year at clubs, coffeehouses, colleges, and festivals across the country, most notably the Newport Folk Festival, Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, South by Southwest Conference, Southern Womyn's Fest, and Michigan Womyn's Festival. Pamela is also a favorite at innumerable regional Gay Pride events, Take Back the Night rallies, and Black History Month celebrations. Pamela has shared the stage with artists including Ani DiFranco, Joan Baez, Neil Young, Shawn Colvin, Richie Havens, Patty Larkin, Melissa Ferrick, Violent Femmes, Pete Seeger, Janis Ian, and Holly Near.

Pamela's 2003 summer tour took her nationwide, promoting her fifth self-released album, Single Bullet Theory (Wirl Records, 2003), in which "...Means fires off what is easily one of the best musical summanations of our current political situation.." (Bay Area Reporter, San Francisco, CA)

Quoting her inspiration, Warrior Poet Audre Lorde, Pamela asks "I am myself- a Black woman warrior poet doing my work- come to ask you, are you doing yours?" With Truth as ammunition, a Pamela Means performance brings the fight for social justice and human dignity to the forefront of a new generation.

Urinal Ads

2005-11-19T08:12:00.000-08:00

The recent Caleb Stine show featured Holden's Lair's first attempt at Urinal Ads. (No, we don't technically have a urinal; they were behind the toilet.)

Next show is Saturday, Dec. 3, with Pamela Means.

Caleb Stine show photos

2005-11-12T21:43:00.000-08:00

Caleb Stine played to an audience almost 30 on Friday, Nov. 4. The show was a great one, one full of people sharing food, drink, and good independent music together.

Our next show is Saturday, Dec. 3, with Pamela Means.

Caleb was joined by Burke Sampson for the second set.

Celebwatch: Cher (left) and Sandy Duncan (in the blue) attended the show along with their entourages.