Rooted in folk music / powered by carrot cake!

Saturday, May 4 -- Laura Cortese

Welding the propulsive grace of ancient fiddle styles to disarmingly open-hearted original songs, Laura Cortese has emerged among the most intriguing and versatile, musicians in the bountiful New England post-folk scene. Her music is a kaleidoscopic hybrid that is enriched by roots music undertones and yet remains defiantly contemporary. Her showmanship, charm and virtuosic technique make her a favorite among musicians and music lovers alike, at home in New England as well as overseas in the UK, Ireland and Denmark. Laura's high-visibility work as a supporting musician (on fiddle, vocals, and bass) includes appearances with Uncle Earl, Tao Seeger, Band of Horses, and as part of Pete Seeger's 90th birthday celebration at Madison Square Garden. The past two years have found Laura in creative overdrive, balancing sideman duties, solo tours, and recording sessions. For this show, Laura will be joined by fiddle player Mariel Vandersteel and cellist Valerie Thompson. Opening the show will be the dynamic Dietrich Strause, whose music is a mix of real journeys, clever literary references, and striking imagery.

$20 / $15 students & seniors

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About the Homegrown Coffeehouse

The Homegrown Coffeehouse is well into our 30th season -- that makes us one of the longest running folk venues in the country, and what a time it's been! Check back often — we'll have advance tickets for all of our shows. Our new space is a treat, visually and acoustically, so come join us — we miss you! See below for directions to the Homegrown.

Some of the folks we've featured over nearly 30 years:

Frosty Morn — Tom Mitchell — Red Molly (r)—Willy Sordill — Kim Wallach — Gloucester Hornpipe & Clog Society — Dean Stevens — Barb Phaneuf — Ben Tousley — Wintergreen — Rising Tide — Bob Franke — No Show Show Band — Patty Larkin — Hazelgreen — Bob Wey & Pamela Roberts — Ken Perlman — Eric Kilburn — Rick Goldin — April Verch (l) — Celia Slattery — Bob & Janet DiNapoli — Homegrown Band — Katzberg & Snyder — Leo Kretzner — Guy VanDuser & Billy Novick — Rick Lee — Jeanie Stahl — Gail Rundlett — Mike Agranoff — Stephen Baird — Mike Maddux — Sally Rogers & Howie Bursen — Southern Rail — Stambandet — Orrin Star — LiSare — Cindy Mangsen & Steve Gillette — Sharon Kennedy — Kenji Ogata — Jerry Rasmussen — Burns & Rosen — Boogaloo Swamis — Aztec Two-Step — Robbie O'Connell — Woods Tea Co. — Cormac McCarthy — Bill Morrissey— John Gailmor — Castlebay — Cindy Kallet — Bennett Hammond — Lorraine Lee — Chris Shaw — Bridget Ball — Anne Hills — Wild Rose — Short Sisters — Rachel Green — Chris Smither — Tracy Moore — Bernice Lewis — Peter Keane — Fortaleza — Jan Marra — Jay Ungar and Molly Mason (r) — Tom Pirozolli — Daisey Nell & David Coffin — Lui Collins — Northern Lights — Tony Bird — Tim Keller — Michael Jerling — Chris Proctor — Rory Block — Priscilla Herdman — Catie Curtis — Pendragon — Chanterelle — Justin Roth —Erica Wheeler — Cathy Winter — Lyn Miles — Atwater-Donnelly — Midnight Snack — Stanley Greenthal — Geoff Bartley — Acousticity — Windharp — Fred Small — Maria Sangiolo — Fred Peterson — Barbara Lee Supeno — Victor Cockburn — Jennifer Evans — Vance Gilbert — Doshi Powers — Patty Griffin — Cosy Sheridan — The Story — Liz Hammond — Three of Cups — Cheryl Wheeler —Garnet Rogers — Hand to Mouth — Greg Greenway — Boston Scandanavian Ensemble — Dave Crossland — Between the Lines — Back to Back — New Black Eagle Jazz Band — John Michaels — Paul Rishell & Annie Raines (l)— John Lincoln Wainright — Elijah Wald — 5 Chinese Brothers — Bill Staines — Dave Mallett — Dar Williams — Les Sampou — Neal & Leandra — Ellis Paul — Sally Fingeret - Janne Henshaw — Cliff Eberhardt — Richard Shindell — Jim Infantino — Lucy Kaplansky — David Massengill — Barbara Kessler — Taproot — Connie Kaldor — The Roches — Sol y Canto — Diane Ziegler — Don White — Greg Brown — The Nields — Mary Gauthier — Susan Werner — Mindy Jostyn — Scott Alarik — Burns Sisters — Jim Henry — Jacqueline Schwab — Late Bloomers — David Roth — Chris Pahud — Phil Kissinger — Joyce Andersen — Kate Campbell — Jess Klein — Kevin So — Lori McKenna — Jake Armerding — Holly Near — Gordon Bok — Dee Carstensen — Chris & Meredith Thompson — Flynn — Meg Hutchinson — Cheryl Hoenemeyer — John Gorka (r) — Seth Connelly — Lamine Toure— Pamela Means — Merrie Amsterburg — Gandalf Murphy & the Slambovian Circus of Dreams — Mustard's Retreat — Reinmar Seidler — Katrin Roush — Lindsay Mac — Tracy Grammer — Jennifer Kimball — Colleen Sexton — Margaret Sargent — Hatrack Gallagher — Juliet Lloyd — Dala — Emma's Revolution — The Sweetback Sisters

Thanks so much to all of these dedicated performers for making it all possible — and to you for coming out to support them and the Homegrown!

Directions to the Homegrown Coffeehouse at First Parish in Needham, Unitarian Universalist

From the North: Take Route 128 (I-95) south to exit 19B (Highland Avenue Needham). Take Highland Avenue to Great Plain Avenue in Needham Center. Cross over Great Plain Ave. onto Dedham Ave., the church will be on your right. Parking is available on Lincoln St., the first right after the church. Enter on Lincoln Street.

From the South: Take Route 128 (I-95) north to exit 17 (Route 135). Take Route 135 to Lincoln Street (see map). Parking is off Lincoln Street.

From Boston and Cambridge: Take Route 9 west to Route 128 South. Follow directions above "from the North."

View maps and directions from Google Maps!

Schedule of our performances

Need additional information?...Call us:
(781) 444-7478 or E-mail us at carrotpower@comcast.net