Meet the Silk City Fest 2023 Performers
MARMO
1:00–1:40
MARMO features three Connecticut singer-songwriters with a Folk/Americana/Roots feel employing a variety of instrumentation and strong vocal harmonies. Since 2017, MARMO has performed at festivals, markets, brew pubs, and private parties, as well as on TV, providing audiences with thoughtful, witty, and soulful songs about love, life, and beverages. MARMO features Bill Ludwig (Current Official Troubadour of Manchester CT), Christian Loftus (Music Director at Silk City Coffee, singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist), and Dan Thompson (Troubadour Emeritus).
DB Kinney
1:50–2:30
DB Kinney is an American rock band formed in 2019. “Inspiring” has been used to describe the sound of this rock quartet. With hints of alternative, roots in traditional, and glimmers of pop, DB Kinney has been bringing their music to newer and bigger audiences with performances at festivals and club dates in the New England area. Led by singer/songwriter and guitarist Dave Kinney, DB Kinney’s lineup showcases Declan Chu on lead guitar/backing vocals, drummer Jeanine Dell’Orfano, and bassist Kevin Fraser. Collectively they captivate, with inspired live performances that include a fusion of beloved rock classics and their brand of straight-ahead rock.
Lara Herscovitch & The Highway Philosophers
2:40–3:30
Lara Herscovitch is a singer-songwriter-poet-performer-author gem. As described in The Boston Globe, she brings “a luminous voice and a buoyant stage presence… big-hearted lyrics embrace the sum of life… Herscovitch’s music blows on the embers of a lagging spirit or a dormant creative life.” Lara leads with authenticity, integrity, humor and heart. Sound Waves Magazine described her music as “expertly written prose… songwriting at its best… good for your ears AND your soul.” Acoustic Live in New York City added, “She possesses not only a huge reservoir of musical talent and a voice with a bell-like clarity, but a keen sense of global concern and a fierce intellect… It might seem too good to be true, but true it is.”
Passing Strange
3:40–4:20
Hailing from Southern Connecticut, Kate and Anthony formed Passing Strange in April 2017 after Kate performed solo during an open mic night at American Pie & Pub in Seymour, CT. As Anthony looked on, he thought about how drums would bring depth to the talented songwriter’s creations. He suggested they play together at the same open mic the following week, to determine whether they were musically compatible, and the rest is history. The musical stylings of this unique duo are laced in jazz, bedazzled in blues, and brewed in a vat of indie rock.
The Sparkle & Fade
4:30–5:10
The Sparkle & Fade is an energetic power pop/rock band based out of the CT Shoreline. The group features front woman and vocalist Lindsey Callahan, backed by her husband Jeff Callahan (guitar), her sister Courtney Seely (lyrics, keys, and backing vocals) and brother-in law Tyler Seely (guitar), with bassist TJ Chalfant (formerly of Zak Kee & the 843’s) and drummer Mark Brundrett (formerly of These Green Eyes). Come see them live and they’ll pull you in with their dynamic harmonies and catchy melodies. Check out their new single release “You Said” out now!
Joey Batts / Hip Hop for the Homeless
5:20–6:00
Hip Hop for the Homeless is a movement from the independent hip hop scene centered in CT. Started in the winter of 2014, by Joey Batts, HH4H has used local showcases in neighboring cities to raise awareness & funds for the displaced, homeless & struggling members of our communities. Featuring over 40 artists each December, in over 7 cities, all funds raised go directly to a shelter or food kitchen in need of additional funding. Batts has worked with over 100 local & regional acts in Hartford, New Haven, Manchester, New Britain, New London, Bridgeport, Simsbury, Norwich & Waterbury, to bring hip hop shows to local venues all for philanthropic reasons. In December of 2022, they celebrated the 9th year of this amazing event, and in that time, they have raised over $35,000.
The Professors of Sweet, Sweet Music
6:10–7:00
The Professors of Sweet, Sweet Music (POSSM) won of the Best of Hartford Readers Poll three years in a row and are co-creators of the Hartbeat Music Festival. According to the Hartford Courant, we “have been turning the Hartford music scene on its ear for the last couple years. Few bands have exploded onto the Hartford music scene the way the POSSM has. The band’s brand of pop-infused rock can be downright infectious at times.
Johnny Mainstream
7:10–7:50
Johnny Mainstream is a four-piece Indie Rock and Americana act out of Central CT. Born in the Marist College dormitories of songwriter Matthew Maynes and bassist Dan Garaffa, Johnny Mainstream began writing honest folk songs inspired by Bob Dylan, Bright Eyes, and Kevin Devine, but infused with the punk rock ideals on which each was raised. Brendan Donnelly and local mainstay and “Flu” alum Michael James Anderson now round out the group on drums and lead guitar respectively. Their new album “Come Back East” is available now from Oak Honest Records on all streaming platforms!
Mighty Ploughboys
8:00–9:30
Mighty Ploughboys are one of those bands that make you want to be Irish! A five-piece rock powerhouse out of Connecticut that blends a classic rock style with hints of traditional Irish music to create an eclectic style that could be classified in its own genre. The Mighty Ploughboys will challenge the way you think of Irish or Celtic rock bands.
Throughout the course of their musical union, the members of Mighty Ploughboys have won over the hearts of music lovers from all walks of life. Performing at a variety of venues and making countless public appearances all the while recording new song versions, this talented Rock Band has earned the admiration and affection of critics and fans alike.
