Blissful Sounds at Crooked Tree

Seven shows to catch in Petoskey this winter

By Ross Boissoneau | Jan. 6, 2024

Crooked Tree Arts Center and Blissfest Music Organization are teaming up once again for their Downtown Sound series, a slate of shows held at the downtown Petoskey art center. The music runs the gamut, from folk to blues, jazz to Celtic, with stops in between and all around.

Monica Stokes, marketing and communications director for Crooked Tree, says the decision to collaborate was an easy one. “We’ve been doing events in the space [Crooked Tree Arts Center’s auditorium] separately for over a decade. Blissfest knows the artists better; we have the space. Coming together produces a better product,” she says.

And a more diverse one, one that hopefully will engage different audiences, acquainting those familiar with Blissfest with Crooked Tree and vice versa. Sometimes it’s an audience altogether different from what either might attract; such was the case last year when Brian Vander Ark, founder of the Verve Pipe, performed. Caroline Barlow, artistic director for Blissfest, says that show brought in people who might not typically attend events helmed by either organization.

Northern Express connected with the artists headed north for a Downtown Sound performance this winter. Here’s what they had to say about their musical style, their favorite artists, and the songs they’re proudest of.

Djangophonique, Jan. 13

Guitarist Andrew Brown launched the band as an homage to the hot club swing jazz, but his musical influences extend far beyond that. His father was a professional musician, working in the Motown studios, and his uncle was a jazz bassist. With those influences and those of the many musicians who visited his home, it’s no wonder he played his first show at age nine, penned a folk opera at 14, and was a member of several rock bands in high school before founding the folksy Appleseed Collective.

As that band slowed, he began to explore the sounds of the early swing jazz personified by the Hot Club of France and its offspring. Djangophonique debuted in 2019.

“It’s a social music, like bluegrass,” he says. “I love this and want to bring this to my life and to other people’s lives.” The band includes another guitarist, a clarinetist, and a bassist. He says the group straddles the middle ground between traditional and progressive.

Brown also lauds the new addition to his group, vocalist Katie Smith, who returned to her home state after working across the country. Though she earned an undergraduate degree in acting, “I did more singing than acting in New York. Then I moved to Oregon.” She connected with the band upon her return to Michigan. “There’s something compelling about the vibe of it,” she says. “When we started working together, it was a natural fit.”

Q: How would you describe your musical style in three words?
A: Nostalgic, vibrant, mysterious

Q: What song of yours would you recommend to give a feel for your music?
A: I would say listen to our video from the show at the Alluvion, which includes tunes by Fats Waller, Cole Porter, and Richard and Robert Sherman.

Q: Which artist(s) inspired you to pursue a career in music?
A: Andrew: Obviously Django, but really my dad, Doug Brown.
Katie: Probably Björk. It seemed like she was really expressing her authentic self.

Q: If you could see any musician/group perform, who would you pick?
A: Les Doigts de L’Homme, a French Gypsy jazz-inspired hot club jazz band

Good Morning Bedlam, Jan. 20

The folk-rock duo of Isaak Gill Elker (guitar and vocals) and Victoria Elker (bass and vocals) is noted for its dynamic performances and harmony vocals. Critics have hailed their “beautifully crafted roots music with range and depth” and “beautiful rootsy folk authenticity.”

They don’t shy away from such descriptions, but theirs is not a sleepy, down-home sort of music, but rather a performance meant to generate enthusiasm, maybe even some hand-clapping. Accolades? They won the John Hartford Memorial Festival Band Competition and were finalists at the Northwest String Summit Band Competition.

Q: How would you describe your musical style in three words?
A: Energetic pop folk

Q: What song of yours would you recommend to give a feel for your music?
A: It’s definitely hard to get a feel for us in one song, but if I had to choose I'd say “Sticks & Stones.”

Q: Which artist(s) inspired you to pursue a career in music?
A: The Avett Brothers are our biggest inspiration, followed closely by the band Wild Child.

Q: If you could see any musician/group perform, who would you pick?
A: I’ve got to go with The Beatles!

Gasoline Gypsies, Feb. 2

Drummer Joe Makowski says the Detroit-area band harkens back to classic rock with a rootsy appeal. “We all got lucky,” he says in finding like-minded individuals with the same musical goals.

He grew up in a musical family in Port Huron and gravitated toward drums. While the rest of the band is also from the east side of the state, Makowski takes pains to say how much they enjoy visiting and performing on our side of Michigan. Case in point: The video for their song “Under the Weather” was shot in Elk Rapids.

The band is now reaching out to the Midwest and beyond, with gigs in Ohio, Indiana, the Carolinas, and even Texas. Makowski says the band will be doing some recording this winter along with a handful of concerts.

So why do audiences appreciate them, and why should people come to their show? “The energy. We’re really about a good time,” Makowski says, onstage and beyond. “We’re pretty down-to-earth guys. Our fans have become friends. We’ll hang out and have a beer before the show.”

Q: How would you describe your musical style in three words?
A: Rock, folk, Americana

Q: What song of yours would you recommend to give a feel for your music?
A: “Gravel Roads.” It’s gotten airtime on the History channel. It has the energy.

Q: Which artist(s) inspired you to pursue a career in music?
A: I’m a big Zeppelin/John Bonham guy. Bonzo was my inspiration. As far as the band, the Allman Brothers, Steely Dan, old classic rock.

Q: If you could see any musician/group perform, who would you pick?
A: I’m dying to see Lukas Nelson.

Mr. B, Feb. 10

Mark Braun grew up in Flint, and in his early teens enjoyed music by the likes of the Allman Brothers and the Rolling Stones. He wanted to get to the roots of the music that had influenced them and learned about players like Blind John Davis, Little Brother Montgomery, and Jimmy Yancey. “I heard it and immediately fell for it. I went nuts for it,” he says.

He became friends with many of those first generation blues musicians, spending time on the bandstand, in their homes, even traveling with them. He also was influenced by the jazz pianists whose roots were in the blues, such as Horace Silver, Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson, and Ray Bryant.

Braun says he’s spent a lot of his life as a solo act or a duo with a drummer, so he’s comfortable taking the stage with just a piano and a microphone. “You have freedom—you can pivot. With a backing band, you need to be on the same page. There’s less freedom and space.”

Which doesn’t mean he doesn’t also enjoy working with other musicians. “You add instruments and the sonic landscape changes,” he says. “There’s more opportunity for depth. And you can have a [musical] conversation.”

One thing always holds true. “Blues piano is at the heart of it all.”

Q: How would you describe your musical style in three words?
A: Personal, inspiring (I hope), genuine

Q: What song of yours would you recommend to give a feel for your music?
A: Three of them I’ve written: “Little Brother,” “My Sunday Best,” and “Hallelujah Train.”

Q: Which artist(s) inspired you to pursue a career in music?
A: Once I start I’ll never stop—there were hundreds. John Lee Hooker, Boogie Woogie Red, [the others above].

Q: If you could see any musician/group perform, who would you pick?
A: A pianist in Houston, Quennel Gaskin. He’s not well-known outside of gospel. He’s like the Art Tatum of gospel. And Monty Alexander. I’ve played with him.

The Pairs, Feb. 17

Canadian singers and songwriters Renée Coughlin, Noelle Frances Coughlin, and Hillary Watson are classically trained, but the music of the trio (yes, a trio dubbed The Pairs) essays a down-home feel. So much so that their shows “blur the line between the stage and the crowd as if we’ve pulled up a seat around their family’s lively kitchen table.”

They’ve been compared with everyone from the Roches to John Prine—not bad for three friends who came together to play music that soothed their achy hearts. While said in jest, the music explores everything from heartache to joy.

Q: How would you describe your musical style in three words?
A: Quirky, dynamic, hopeful

Q: What song of yours would you recommend to give a feel for your music?
A: We would have to recommend three songs, and that’s because there are three very unique songwriters steering this ship. All our styles are held together by the common thread of choral harmonies. We’ve selected three songs that showcase [our] individual styles off of our most recently released album, When Will We Find Our Way?: “Annie’s Daughter,” “Find Our Way,” and “Superhuman.”

Q: Which artist(s) inspired you to pursue a career in music?
A: All three of us have different inspirations that influence our writing and performing, but some collective artistic inspirations would be Alanis Morissette, Tune-Yards, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Joseph, Sylvan Esso, and First Aid Kit.

Q: If you could see any musician/group perform, who would you pick?
A: Renée: Talking Heads
Noelle: Alanis Morissette
Hillary: Radiohead

Grace Theisen, March 2

Named an Artist to Watch by Local Spins last year, the self-described “queer Americana/Blues artist” originally hails from Kalamazoo and returned there after a sojourn to Nashville.

Her love for music started in her childhood living room, harmonizing to folk and blues songs with her family. She moved to Music City to run the nonprofit she established, Songs Against Slavery. Its mission was to raise awareness and fight sex trafficking through benefit concerts, eventually raising over $375,000.

Since returning to her home state, she has remained busy on the music scene, recently performing at The Ark in Ann Arbor with the Ebird & Friends holiday show. She told Local Spins she grew up on bluegrass and blues but also loves pop, hip-hop, and R&B and soul, so her songwriting draws from all those genres and influences.

Q: How would you describe your musical style in three words?
A: Sometimes we have a violin player, a sax player, and you never know what Carolyn Koebel [drums/percussion] is going to pull out of her bag of world instruments, so we decided to start calling my musical style “Androgynous Americana” because you never know what you’re going to get!

Q: What song of yours would you recommend to give a feel for your music?
A: Our current show is mostly new songs that aren’t released yet, but I would say listen to “Master of Fire” and “Honey’s Dripping.” Those are my most current releases as of 2022 and 2023. We do still play “Behind The Rain” and “Down To The River,” which are crowd favorites!

Q: Which artist(s) inspired you to pursue a career in music?
A: I grew up listening to anything from Patty Griffin, Emmlou Harris, Billy Joel, to a lot of blues music like Bonnie Raitt, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, and Buddy Guy. My cousin Jordan Lunardini was in a blues band, so I spent most of my childhood going to his shows in smoky blues clubs and getting saturated with the music of the blues greats! I now listen to all types of music to pull inspiration from, including Larkin Poe, Brandi Carlile, Tracy Chapman, Alicia Keys, and my current favorite queer artist, GFlip.

Q: If you could see any musician/group perform, who would you pick?
A: Currently it’s a toss-up between Alicia Keys and Brandi Carlile.

Blackthorn, March 16

Blackthorn has been performing its mix of jigs and reels, sea shanties, traditional, ancient, and modern music since 1984. The band works to capture the history and legend of Ireland and its people from throughout the centuries. Bandleader Richard McMullan was born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and brings the stories and songs of his native land to every stage he plays on.

While there may be just four people onstage, it’s littered with instruments, as each member is proficient on multiple fronts. McMullen himself plays guitar, mandolin, cittern, bodhrán, and bones, along with being the band’s lead vocalist. Bass guitar, fiddle, wooden flute, accordion, tin whistle, electric keyboards, and more might feature on any one tune, along with its four-part harmonies. Blackthorn’s shows are also unique in its variety of tunes, tempos, and textures.

For its efforts, Blackthorn was voted Best Folk Band/Artist by the readers of Detroit Metro Times. The group regularly plays Irish pubs and establishments in the Detroit area and has also led tours to the Emerald Isle. But you don’t need a passport to take a trip with them.

Q: How would you describe your musical style in three words?
A: Engaging, uplifting, storytelling

Q: What song of yours would you recommend to give a feel for your music?
A: “Carrick-a-Rede” (the opening track on the band’s One Bright March Morning)

Q: Which artist(s) inspired you to pursue a career in music?
A: Planxty, Andy Irvine, Patrick Street, Richard Thompson

Q: If you could see any musician/group perform, who would you pick?
A: Peter Gabriel

For more information on all the artists and to buy tickets, go to CrookedTree.org/DowntownSound.