Each year in late October, the Holiday Music Motel and Recording Studios hosts the annual “Dark Songs Edgar Allan Polka” songwriting event, bringing some of the nation’s hottest talent to Door County for collaborative musical cross-pollination.
The list of creative performers reads like a “Who’s Who” of Steel Bridge Songfest’s regulars: Geri X, Kim Manning, James Hall, Johnny Lowebow, Corinne Lee, Adrienne Hatkin, Andrea Wittgens, Lumberjack Cash and others. They travel from all points to join with local bands of musicians that include Purgatory Hill, Early Thomas and the Tyranny of Evil Men, Darcade, Abnormal Cattle, Dead Horse, Dirty Deuce and others for a week of songwriting and recording.
After a deep immersion into the intensive and dynamic process of collaborative songwriting first introduced by pat mAcdonald as a founding element of The Steel Bridge Songfest, the musicians take to the stage for two nights of performing waves of freshly written songs for the public. But, in this case, they are Dark Songs, seasonally quite appropriate for the Halloween spirit of death and decay. Pat originally dubbed the follow up concerts the Edgar Allan Polka.
Dark Songs 2011! Halloween Weekend Concerts at Cherry Lanes, confirmed artists include: Geri X, Kim Manning, James Hall, Abnormal Cattle, Darcade, Johnny Lowebow, Corinne Lee, Adrienne Hatkin, Purgatory Hill, Dead Horse, Early Thomas and the Tyranny of Evil Men, Andrea Wittgens, Chris Aaron, Miss Meaghan Owens, Rick Wood, Charlie Cheney, Mojo Perry, melaniejane, Mike Bleck, Bruce Reaves, “Tireless” Fred Young, Jimm McIver, Landon Capelle, Jim Schwall, Troy Therrien, Richard Whitney, Lumberjack Cash, Anya Kopischke, Craig McClelland, and more!
This year both concert nights will also feature burlesque artists Savage A-Go-Go who exclaim and explain, “We will rock your face off! with a certified Heavy Metal lovin’, burlesque inspired, sequin infused, go-go dancing, rip-roarin’ good time!” Savage-a-Go-Go’s, Mandie Savage, Ruby Stardust, Shanna She-Devil and Judo perform a variety of acts that combine elements of comedy, burlesque, dance and circus arts.
There will be costume contests and prizes both nights at Cherry Lanes, 127 N. 4th Avenue in Sturgeon Bay, $5 cover. For more information, visit EdgarAllanPolka.com.
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