Storytelling Through Song: An Evening of Music in the Folk Tradition

Specs has always been home to wonderful storytellers across many different mediums from poetry and writing to song, including John Prine, Rosalie Sorrels and Specs himself, who grew up playing his guitar and singing folk songs on Boston street corners and in open mic cafes, and was responsible for introducing The Kingston Trio to “M.T.A.” which later became a national hit! In honor of this great art form of expressive storytelling we are bringing a folk night series to Specs featuring local up and coming songwriters and different voices each month. More info on each artist below:

The Good Bad was formed in San Francisco, California in 2010 by Aaron Lanes and Thom Beneudici. Over the past decade and a half, The Good Bad have shared stages with The Brothers Comatose, The Lil Smokies, Front Country, Della Mae, toured Europe, played prestigious festivals like Winter Wondergrass and performed at countless weddings, parties and events across the Bay Area and beyond. The Good Bad utilizes original songwriting while continually employing traditional and contemporary bluegrass in addition to pop and Top 40 favorites. Three part harmonies, instrumental virtuosity and high octane string music are hallmarks of The Good Bad. The five piece band currently includes Aaron Lanes (mandolin, guitar, vocals), Peter Domenici (banjo, vocals), Tom Conneely (guitar, vocals), Gabe Wheaton (fiddle, vocals) and Noah Zisser (bass, vocals). 

Meredith Edgar is a San Francisco-born, Bay-Area-raised singer-songwriter with a voice that Cindy Emch of Secret Emchy Society says “sounds like she stepped out of the starring singer role in a David Lynch movie.” A lifelong singer and performer, she started writing and playing originals at open mics when she was just 14. Over the years she’s honed her unique sound through the influence of such musical artists as Billie Holiday, Jolie Holland, Fiona Apple, Morphine, Julie London, and Gillian Welch.

Edgar’s songs have been described as melancholic, melodic, and deeply personal. Upon hearing the song “Tidal Waves,” Ari Notis, staff writer for Kotaku, said that Edgar’s “buttery vocals” affected him far more than he was prepared for. Her songs, says singer-songwriter Paul Griffiths “are a haunting, melodic mix of passion and melancholy” in which she “fearlessly explores feelings and reactions to her own times and artfully makes them universal.” Edgar has shared bills with acts such as Mark Eitzel, Noelle Fiore (Noelle & the Deserters), Andrés Miguel Cervantes, Brian Belknap, Greg Hoy, Minor Birds, The Pine Box Boys, Paula Frazer & Tarnation, Jacob Aranda, The Crooked Jades, The Waybacks, and more. 

Rob Summerlin is an award-winning filmmaker, illustrator, songwriter, artist. He mostly writes songs about eccentric characters on the fringe of society.