Bus Schedule Round Trip from Sister Bay/Fish Creek

Get on the Bus to Steel Bridge SongFest '08
$10 Round Trip
The Special Event, Northern Door Shuttle Service is underwitten by the following Concerned Door County Organizations: Sustain Door, Door County Kayak Tours, Door County/Green Bay Shuttle, DoorTran and the Lakeland chapter of The American Red Cross. Reservations available on designated shuttles. Call Coor County Kayak Tours, 868-1400, to save your seats.

SPECIAL NOTE: A registered and active volunteer driver of the American Red Cross is both renting and driving a vehicle to serve the elderly & disabled residents wishing to attend SBSF4. Please call Will Oakley at 920-743-5605 to arrange a ride or with any questions.

Friday, June 13
Depart Sister Bay Pamida Parking lot at 4 p.m., arrive SBSF Pudgy Seagull at 5 p.m.
Depart Sister Bay Pamida Parking lot at 7 p.m., arrive SBSF Pudgy Seagull at 8 p.m.
Depart Sister Bay Pamida Parking lot at 8 p.m., arrive SBSF Pudgy Seagull at 9 p.m.

Buses will stop at Fish Creek Gibraltar School Parking Lot 15 minutes after the hour.

Return leaves SBSF Pudgy Seagull at 12 midnight, arrives at Sister Bay Pamida Parking lot at 1 a.m.
Return leaves SBSF Pudgy Seagull at 1 a.m., arrives at Sister Bay Pamida Parking lot at 2 a.m.
Return leaves SBSF Pudgy Seagull at 3 a.m., arrives at Sister Bay Pamida Parking lot at 4 a.m.

Buses will return to Fish Creek Gibralter School Parking Lot 15 minutes before the hour.

Saturday, June 14
Depart Sister Bay Pamida Parking lot at 11 a.m., arrive SBSF Pudgy Seagull at 12 noon
Depart Sister Bay Pamida Parking lot at 12 noon, arrive SBSF Pudgy Seagull at 1 p.m.
Depart Sister Bay Pamida Parking lot at 1 p.m., arrive SBSF Pudgy Seagull at 2 p.m.
Depart Sister Bay Pamida Parking lot at 2 p.m., arrive SBSF Pudgy Seagull at 3 p.m.

Buses will stop at Fish Creek Gibraltar School Parking Lot 15 minutes after the hour.

Return leaves SBSF Pudgy Seagull at 6 p.m., arrives at Sister Bay Pamida Parking lot at 7 p.m..
Return leaves SBSF Pudgy Seagull at 11 p.m., arrives at Sister Bay Pamida Parking lot at 12 midnight.
Return leaves SBSF Pudgy Seagull at 12 midnight., arrives at Sister Bay Pamida Parking lot at 1 a.m.
Return leaves SBSF Pudgy Seagull at 2 a.m., arrives at Sister Bay Pamida Parking lot at 3 a.m.
Return leavesSBSF Pudgy Seagull at 3 a.m., arrives at Sister Bay Pamida Parking lot at 4 a.m.

Buses will return to Fish Creek Gibralter School Parking Lot 15 minutes before the hour.

Contact for Press Credentials

For press credentials to cover the Steel Bridge Songfest, call Linda Akins at 312-953-7830 on Thursday or Friday. If you are arriving on Saturday, passes may be picked up after 12 noon at the main gate of the Great Lakes Yacht Services, site of the concert. The address is 61 Michigan Street, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235.

Great Lakes Yacht Services Boatyard Becomes SBSF Main Stage

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 16, 2008
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT
Linda Akins
312-953-7830
LGAWrite@aol.com

Great Lakes Yacht Services
Hosts Steel Bridge SongFest for Fourth Year

Boatyard Rocks with Bands, Songwriters and Music Fans

The Great Lakes Yacht Services boatyard provides the setting for the final day of the annual Steel Bridge SongFest, scheduled this year for June 12 to 14. When not serving as the largest stage in Door County, the yard is used as a working area for servicing boats. Its location at the approach to the Sturgeon Bay Bridge and in the downtown Sturgeon Bay Historic District makes it one of the most intriguing sites in the state, and even the nation, for a music concert. Singer/songwriter legend Jackson Browne called it “one of the most beautiful places I have ever played in the world and I have played in a lot of places.”

The stage is situated in such a way as to allow concert-goers to watch the bridge tender manage the lift for boats to pass. Many songs have been written at the festival saluting the bridge tender and he always gets a shout during the concert. Throughout the concert, which begins at noon, fans can listen to music and boat horns in concert as yachts work their way past the concert venue. A canopy protects everyone from the heat, and a spectacular sunset tops off the day. At sundown fans watch the moon rise as the final musicians do their encore performances.

Sheila Turner, owner of the boatyard, generously donates the site every year for the festival. She joins thousands of local sponsors, volunteers, musicians and others who are devoted to staging the concert annually in honor of the bridge. The ship yard can accommodate about 6000 concert goers who listen to original music while enjoying a Wisconsin Point beer, Johnsonville Brat and an array of local fare all day under the massive protective canopy.

Media Alert: Tickets On Sale Now

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 16, 2008
FOR SPECIFIC TICKET INFORMATION
Steel Bridge SongFest Office at 920-743-5605
FOR GENERAL MEDIA INQUIRIES
Linda Akins, 312-953-7830
www.steelbridgesongfest.org/press

Steel Bridge Songfest Passes Now on Sale
Limited Number of VIP Passes; Bonus to Early Buyers of General Passes

See Jackson Browne, Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Gos, Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons, Victor DeLorenzo of the Violent Femmes, and over 150 more bands and songwriters.

Passes for the annual Steel Bridge Songfest, June 12 to 14, are now on sale by calling 920-743-5605 or logging online at www.steelbridgesongfest.org . Two levels of passes are available, each with special benefits for early purchase. The Steel Bridge SongFest is family-friendly and includes some all-ages shows each day and evening. So, be sure to buy enough passes for the entire family (age 12 and under are free) and let the young people experience live music and participate in community activism. New additions this year are a vintage guitar display, art show and demos, and a kids area for making musical instruments like cigar box guitars.

General Pass for $50
• 3-day pass to all 15 venues and stages on Thursday, Friday and Saturday
• Gate pass to the all-day (noon to sunset) waterfront concert at Great Lakes Yacht Services boatyard on Saturday
• Free trolley service between all venues and stages
• First 1000 passes sold include a free computer thumb-drive filled with original Steel Bridge songs and more

Truss Pass for $200
• Less than 200 Truss Passes remain for sale
• 3-day pass to all 15 venues and stages on Thursday, Friday and Saturday
• VIP reception/wine parties
• Access to the Musicians Green Room all day on Saturday at the Great Lakes Yacht Services warehouse. Buffet, donation bar, and a chance to meet the musicians
• Cab or trolley to all venues between stages each night
• Priority seating at the main show on Saturday
• Beach party on Sunday that includes musicians, volunteers and sponsors

Your purchase of a Steel Bridge Songfest pass helps in raising awareness and money for the preservation of the Sturgeon Bay Bridge in Wisconsin.

Seth Raddatz Gets Young Songwriter Spot at SBSF '08

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 4, 2008
FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT
Linda Akins
312-953-7830
linda@steelbridgesongfest.org

STEEL BRIDGE SONGFEST GETS GRANT
TO SUPPORT YOUNG SONGWRITERS
Seth Raddatz is First Beneficiary of Award

STURGEON BAY, WISCONSIN. The Peninsula Arts Association (PAA) has awarded a $2000 ArtFUND grant to the Steel Bridge SongFest to support young songwriters at The Construction Zone. About 25 songwriters are invited to The Construction Zone in conjunction with the annual Steel Bridge SongFest to participate in collaborative songwriting. The grant is earmarked for expenses for participants under age 21 who live in Door County.

Seth Raddatz, a 15-year-old songwriter from Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin, is the first person to be designated as a recipient of the grant award. He will be invited to participate in The Construction Zone with all expenses covered. Coming from a musical family, Seth has been playing guitar since he was 8 years old.

“I learned pretty much everything from my dad, Mark Raddatz,” said Seth. “I’ve been writing my own songs for about a year and I’m looking forward to writing more in this year’s Steel Bridge songwriting festival.”

The songwriting marathon was conceived in 2006 by pat mAcdonald, a Sturgeon Bay native and noted singer/songwriter. Beginning its third season, The Construction Zone has already issued one CD of original music and the second CD is in production. Some 150 songs have been written by songwriters invited to the event. They spend the week writing songs and perform much of the new material in local venues and at the SongFest on Saturday. Songs are recorded and later considered for the CD.

“The mix of seasoned songwriters and passionate newcomers creates a great synergy for collaboration,” said mAcdonald. “It provides an opportunity for the young songwriters to meet renowned national and international songwriters who offer experience, advice and encouragement. These novice songwriters make connections that offer enrichment to their songwriting careers throughout their lives and they become a part of important social and artistic activism. The grant from PAA is so critical in our ongoing need to raise funds for the bridge preservation efforts.”

In only three years, the Steel Bridge SongFest has raised awareness and substantial funds to preserve the Sturgeon Bay Bridge on Michigan Street in historic downtown Sturgeon Bay. Because of the efforts of SongFest participants and the organization of Citizens for Our Bridge, headed by Christie Weber, the bridge has recently been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

“We are grateful to PAA for funding young songwriters at the Steel Bridge SongFest,” said Weber. “By involving diverse groups of people from many age groups, we have been able to preserve the bridge, foster creativity, and provide great, accessible entertainment for locals and visitors to Sturgeon Bay. Donations and grants like this help us stage the SongFest and the local venue entertainment, yet still raise money for our historic preservation efforts.”

"This project is funded in part by a grant
from the Peninsula Arts Association and
the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from
the State of Wisconsin."

About ArtFUND
ArtFUND is a regranting program established by the Wisconsin Arts Board (WAB) to make funds available to artists and arts organizations throughout the state. The Peninsula Arts Association is one of 13 agencies in Wisconsin that receives annual state funds which are matched by local monies, dollar-for-dollar, and distributed to worthy arts projects in the local region. The PAA/WAB partnership has distributed over $500,000 to local artists and arts organizations since 1994.

Steel Bridge Songfest '08 Logo

Ticket Sales Outpace Prior Years

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 6, 2008
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT
Linda Akins
312-953-7830
LGAWrite@aol.com
www.steelbridgesongfest.org/press

TICKET SALES FOR STEEL BRIDGE SONGFEST OUTPACING PRIOR YEARS

(Sturgeon Bay, WI) Early ticket sales indicate that the fourth annual Steel Bridge Songfest, June 12 to 14, may be the best ever. With more than 100 artists scheduled to perform throughout Door County, fans are showing their support by getting their passes early. Organizers are predicting a sellout for the Saturday concert at the Great Lakes Yacht Services boatyard and packed houses for the dozens of separate venues where musicians will do shows.

Ticket holders will see some returning favorites like Jackson Browne, Jane Wiedlin, Freed Johnston, Eric McFadden, Blueheels, Tony Brown, Ruby James, Geri X, James Hall, and Kim Manning. Steel Bridge newcomers include Louise Goffin, Victor DeLorenzo (Violent Femmes), Kacy Crowley, Linda Kay and Martin Jack Rosenblum. Fans will also get to participate in the CD release of Steel Bridge Songs Vol. 2, a compilation of songs written and recorded at Steel Bridge Songfest 3.

New additions to the festival this year are a vintage guitar display, art show and demos, a kid’s area for making musical instruments like cigar box guitars, and a shuttle bus running hourly between Fish Creek, Sister Bay and Sturgeon Bay. Many all-ages shows make the event family friendly and especially fun for teens. Tickets for children 12 and under are free.

Steel Bridge Songfest tickets are available by calling 920-743-5605 or logging online at www.steelbridgesongfest.org. The schedule of performances also is available online.

Ticket Information
• Local Early Bird Discount for Door County residents. 3-day pass for $25, half off of the normal ticket price. Guarantees admission to all venues (some will be sold out)
• 3-day pass for $50 includes admission to the June 14 all-day concert at Great Lakes Yacht Services boatyard, priority admission to all 15 venues all 3 nights and a free download of Steel Bridge Songs Vol. 2
• Single-day pass for $25 includes admission to the June 14 all-day concert at Great Lakes Yacht Services boatyard
• The VIP Truss Pass for $200 includes all the above, plus reserved seating for the Saturday all-day concert, VIP Lounge privileges, and a USB flash drive (which doubles as a 3-day Pass) inscribed with the Steel Bridge logo and pre-loaded with “Steel Bridge Songs Vol.2”

Board the Steel Bridge Green Bus

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 6, 2008
FOR INFORMATION
Linda Akins
312-953-7830
LGAWrite@aol.com
www.steelbridgesongfest.org

BOARD THE STEEL BRIDGE GREEN BUS
AND SCORE ONE FOR DOOR COUNTY

Sturgeon Bay, WI. Festival-goers have a new way to get on board the green movement in Door County. This year’s Steel Bridge Songfest organizers have teamed up with several organizations to provide transportation between Fish Creek, Sister Bay and Sturgeon Bay for the three days of festival entertainment, June 12 to 14.

The green consortium includes the Citizens for Our Bridge Green Committee, Door Tran, Sustain Door, Door County Kayak Tours, and Door County Green Bay Shuttle. Buses will run regularly on Thursday between 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., on Friday from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m., and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. Round trip tickets are $10 per person. Schedules for the service can be picked up at Sonny’s Pizzeria Bar & Grill on Highway 42 and Bayside Tavern at 4160 Highway 42, both in Fish Creek, and at Northern Grill & Pizza, 321 Country Walk Drive in Sister Bay.

“Not only is this service helping to green the festival,” said Chris Olsen, Chairman of the new Green Committee, “but it is also a grand experiment in county transportation solutions. We can use what we learn from this event to plan for future public transportation in the area. Meanwhile, our festival-goers are saving gas, relieving automobile and parking congestion, helping the environment, enjoying a safe ride home, and meeting other music lovers going to and from the festival.”

In addition to the party bus, other transportation options will include ride-sharing, carpooling incentives and volunteer ride programs organized for the festival. Rotating shuttle buses will make stops at key points in northern Door County as well. Taxis will depart from Pudgy Seagull Restaurant, 113 N. 3rd Ave. in Sturgeon Bay, which will be open all night all three days of the festival. Plus, all Sturgeon Bay entertainment hosting venues and Northern Door County bus pickup points will provide free non-alcoholic beverages for designated drivers.

For details about the bus route, and to reserve seats and get bus passes, call the Steel Bridge Songfest office at 920-743-5605.

Steel Bridge SongFest '08 Builds Bridges of Creativity

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2008
FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Linda Akins
312-953-7830
www.steelbridgesongfest.org
Eds.: The spelling of pat mAcdonald is correct.

Steel Bridge SongFest '08 Builds Bridges of Creativity
while Benefiting a Historic Drawbridge

The Steel Bridge SongFest enters its fourth season, June 12 to 14, of bringing together musicians, songwriters, historic preservationists and music fans. The annual benefit for the Sturgeon Bay Bridge has helped to raise almost $150,000 to save and maintain the bridge, and to build community awareness of the importance of preserving it.

This year’s festival will once again feature singer/songwriter Jackson Browne, musician/singer Jane Wiedlin of The Go’s-Go’s, and co-founder and musician pat mAcdonald. mAcdonald also will again host The Construction Zone, a week-long workshop for 25 invited songwriters who find their collaborative partners with a rousing game of Spin the Bottle. The songwriters will perform at various venues around town during the week and record their original songs for possible inclusion on a CD. In past years some 120 songs have been recorded as a result of The Construction Zone. One CD is complete and on the market and another will debut at the festival this year.

Christie Weber, the other co-founder of the festival and president of Citizens for our Bridge, has been a tireless crusader for the preservation and enhancement of the bridge. The two-lane structure spans the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal in the central business district of Sturgeon Bay. Built in 1930, it is only one of two bridges of its type in the United States—an upper rolling lift bascule bridge. The 1,420-foot bridge is comprised of a counter-balanced, movable span and 12 concrete and steel truss approach spans. The bridge, a familiar sight for Door County vacationers and locals, is listed on the Wisconsin Register of Historic Places and recently was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

With the bridge as its beneficiary, the songfest has developed into much more than a concert. It celebrates live music, activism, historic preservation and creativity. More than 100 bands from across the country donate their services to help raise money and awareness for the bridge. Components of the event include:

• Take It To The Bridge. An all-day, benefit concert headlined by Jackson Browne on Saturday, June 14, at the Great Lakes Yacht Services boatyard. Jane Wiedlin of Go-Go’s fame will also appear.

• Take It Inside. Three nights of live original music will be featured in multiple venues around town, including all-ages shows.

• The Construction Zone. This component brings original songwriting into the festival mix. Twenty-five songwriters are invited for five days of intensive collaborative songwriting. Writers are encouraged to write songs loosely based around the metaphor of a steel bridge. (The Construction Zone is for invited musical guests only.)

• The Steel Bridge Songfest CD. The best songs to come out of the songwriting workshops are captured on CD to be released the following year. Songwriters perform their original creations on the concert stages and at the venues around town and the live performances are recorded. Also, a custom-designed recording studio at the Holiday Motel is assembled for studio recordings. Steel Bridge Songs Vol. 1 is complete. Vol. 2 will have its release at this year’s festival.

mAcdonald’s and Weber’s efforts do not stop at fundraising. They are adamant about public education on the significance of the bridge and the efforts needed to keep it operating. Citizens for Our Bridge Inc. does ongoing work with federal highway officials and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to monitor bridge developments. The organization’s aim is to raise the money and awareness needed to preserve the bridge. The money raised is used in the educational effort and is collected in a special fund held by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and earmarked for expenses related to preserving and enhancing the historic bridge.

Update on Holiday Music Motel

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 10, 2008
FOR INFORMATION
Linda Akins
312-953-7830
LGAWrite@aol.com

HOLIDAY MOTEL RENOVATION DELAYED, SONGWRITER HEADQUARTERS RELOCATED

The renovation of the Holiday Motel has encountered some delays. In the true spirit of community that is a hallmark of the Steel Bridge SongFest, a neighboring property has been made available by Jon and Patti Hanson for the songwriters. The Beach Harbor Resort will be the headquarters for the Construction Zone songwriters' workshop during this year's festival. A traveling recording studio has been installed at the Beach Harbor and two ancillary studios have been erected in other locations around town to capture this year's original songs.

Class of 2008 Songwriters Find Inspiration in an Old Bridge and in Each Other

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2008
FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Linda Akins
312-953-7830
www.steelbridgesongfest.org
Eds.: The spelling of pat mAcdonald is correct.

Songwriters Find Inspiration in an Old Bridge and in Each Other

STURGEON BAY, WISCONSIN. When 25 songwriters meet in Sturgeon Bay in June, they will be bridging cultural differences, music genres, age gaps, and composing styles to participate in a week of collaborative songwriting. These artists are the guests of The Construction Zone, a songwriting workshop founded by singer/songwriter pat mAcdonald as part of the annual Steel Bridge SongFest in Sturgeon Bay, WI. The SongFest was organized by pat and his sister Christie Weber of Citizens for our Bridge to raise awareness and funds for the preservation of the historic Sturgeon Bay Bridge in their hometown.

What happens when you take 25 songwriters from all over the map, both literally and creatively, and throw them together for a week? Lots and lots of lyrics and music. That’s what happens. In only two years of past Construction Zone workshops, more than 120 original songs have been composed, performed and recorded. One CD of selected songs is completed and a second is in production.

This year’s songwriter roster holds some familiar names for those who follow the indie songwriter scene, and some who are just beginning their songwriting careers. They come from as near as the next scenic Door County town to as far away as London, England. They include a 15-year-old local Seth Raddatz from Sister Bay, WI; Louise Goffin (daughter of one of the most famous collaborative songwriting teams ever--Jerry Goffin and Carole King), Los Angeles, CA; Chris Simmons, London; Danielle Gasparro, New York, NY; Kacy Crowley, Austin, TX; Ian Moore, Seattle, WA; and Lynda Kay, Venice, CA.

The diversity of songwriters allows for some interesting collaborative efforts. Ages range from 15 to 55. Some of the writers have had a taste of stardom already. Others have to ask for time off from their day jobs to attend the workshop. But, all have what it takes to make it in The Construction Zone: an unquenchable need to put words and music to paper and hear them transformed via performance in front of an audience. That drive is being channeled into a collaborative effort in a very interesting way.

“"I used to go to this castle in France that was owned by the brother of the drummer for The Police (Miles Copeland),” said mAcdonald. “He was my publisher at the time. We were set up in groups of three to write songs. The groups were chosen very scientifically. Here we use Spin The Bottle..."

Songwriters Confirmed for 2008 SBSF Construction Zone

Introducing the 2008 Class of Construction Zone Songwriters

Dixie Jacobs

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Experimental Indie Rock
Band: white, wrench, conservatory
www.whitewrenchconservatory.com
www.myspace.com/whitewrenchconservatory
Dixie, a singer and musician, has performed at the last two Steel Bridge SongFests, but is experiencing her first year as a Construction Zone participant. She enjoys rocking out to Peter Gabriel-era Genesis and the Cocteau Twins.

Victor DeLorenzo

Racine, Wisconsin
Folk/Punk, Instant Composition, All the Rock and Soul Forms, Etc. and Beyond
www.victordelorenzomedia.com
Victor DeLorenzo has been playing and recording many forms of music most of his life. He is a founding member of the Folk/Punk Trio, "Violent Femmes." He's had the pleasure of working with many fine musicians such as Jill Sobule, Lou Reed, Eugene Chadbourne, Tony Trischka, John Zorn, Leo Kottke, John Wesley Harding, Julia Francis and many others.

Lynda Kay

Dallas, Texas
Roots & Country
Band: Lynda Kay
www.lyndakay.com
www.myspace.com/lyndakay
Texas born and raised artist Lynda Kay Parker has been singing, stomping, and strumming her way around the world for as long as she can remember. Lynda Kay's ancestry, which includes outlaw Bonnie Parker of Bonnie & Clyde infamy and Comanche Chief Quanah Parker, seems to have left her with "just the right amount of rebel DNA an insurgent country wildcat should have." (LA Daily News). She is known as the "triple threat" for her signature tenor guitars, homemade suitcase kickdrum, and her "furiously beautiful voice" which has audaciously been described as the "perfect blend of Patsy Cline and Kitty Wells" by Billy Bob Thornton. Lynda Kay is currently recording her debut solo album titled "Dream My Darling" which is set for release in September 2008. She also performs in the dynamic duo Lonesome Spurs with rockabilly guitar legend Danny B. Harvey.

Jentri Colello

Madison, Wisconsin
Indie/Folk/Rock
Band: Horse in Motion
www.myspace.com/jentricolello
Singer/songwriter Jentri Colello is generally found playing acoustic sets in her hometown of Madison, WI, accompanied by the melodious guitar work of Josh Harty. However, she also fronts a four-piece indie-rock outfit, aptly named "Jentri Colello." Their 2008 self-titled EP was released on Indefinite Music.

Patchwork

Rochester, Minnesota
Folk/Pop/Blues
Band: Patchwork
www.myspace.com/PATCHWORKnoise
Patchwork is singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Jeremiah Nelson, and a rotating cast of collaborators. In the spring of 2007 Patchwork released the "Work & Worry" EP, a collection of indie-rock, pop and folk songs centered on Nelson's thoughtful lyrics. "It's poetry and rust, modern precious pieces assembled in smart combos" as Left of the Dial stated. During the solo Patchwork tours, the layered arrangements can be heard in their naked form with simply a voice and an acoustic guitar, or transformed into orchestrated soundscapes using live looping and jazz inflected progressions.

John Pippus

Vancouver, Canada
Acoustic folk blues
www.myspace.com/johnpippus
iacmusic.com/johnpippus
A guitar, a harmonica and a voice, John is right at home playing a John Lee Hooker-style boogie or an open-tuned foot stomper. But then there are the other influences, ranging from Beatlesque ballads to political howls. In addition to his own music, John also helps promote the music of others. For the past two years, he has booked and managed Friday Music Night at Trees Organic Coffee House in Vancouver.

Mike Mangione

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Soulful Acoustic with Classical strings
Band: Mike Mangione and Band.
www.mikemangione.com
www.myspace.com/mikemangione
Born in Illinois, now living in Milwaukee, Mike is rapidly becoming a familiar favorite in the city's growing scene. Though he's a unique talent with an unusual guitar style, Mike has drawn comparisons to known greats including Ryan Adams and Elliott Smith. Germany's 'House of Rock' says of his new album, "'Tenebrae' is completely against the spirit of the time, and has therefore become timeless."

Dustin Welch

Austin, Texas
Rock
www.myspace.com/dustinwelchmusic
Dustin Welch was born on a haunted plantation house on the grounds of a Tennessee horse farm and it's not difficult to hear those spooky roots in Welch's banjo-driven folk rock and swamp blues-inspired melodies with Southern Gothic undertones. His first childhood band included the children of Steve Earle and Gary Nicholson and young singer/songwriter Cary Ann Hearst. Later, after touring the U.S. and Europe with roots-punk band Scotch Greens, the Nashville native moved to Austin, where he now has a band of his own and has recorded an upcoming record entitled “'Whiskey Priest.”

Danielle Gasparro

New York City
Jazz/Pop
www.myspace.com/dgasparro
New York City based performing songwriter Danielle Gasparro offers songs that reflect life's lessons learned. Her 2006 EP "Big Movie Screen" was recorded with Grammy Award winning producer/engineer Jay Newland (Norah Jones, Etta James, Richie Havens). An experienced collaborator, she's participated in two UK based songwriting retreats in 2007, both hosted by Chris Difford of Squeeze. 2008 developments include a new studio album, a contract with one of the world's leading music publishers, and a role as host of "Second Sundays," New York's live interview series where she discusses music and meaning with some of today's most vital performing songwriters. "If you're not at Danielle's gigs, you're missing something very, very special." - Indie Sounds NY

ellen cherry
(Correct spelling is two words, lower-case.)

Baltimore, Maryland
Pop/Indie
www.ellencherry.com
www.myspace.com/ellencherry
ellen cherry plays spunky downer pop for History buffs. Seriously! She's got the usual suspects of Love and Loss represented with pathos and humor, but she's also slinging songs about serial killers during the 1893 World's Fair. Of course, her set wouldn't be complete without a sing-a-long sea chantey about the Titanic.

Martin Jack Rosenblum

Appleton, Wisconsin
Original Rock And Roll: Music taking Poetry Too Far
Band: Werewolf Sequence (However, will be performing at SFSF ‘08 with Victor DeLorenzo from the Violent Femmes and possibly members of Werewolf Sequence.)
Main Site For All Works: www.holyranger.com
Fan Site: www.members.tripod.com/holyranger
All Albums Since 2000: www.cdbaby.com
MySpace for: Werewolf Sequence and Last Canyon Band
Dr. Martin Jack Rosenblum is a recording artist on Rounder Records, a recipient of the Academy Of American Poets Award, and Historian Emeritus for the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. He is the author of Searching For Rock And Roll, and a lecturer in music history and literature at the Peck School of the Arts, Music Department, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. His poetry collections and recordings from the sixties to the present are typified by The Werewolf Sequence (1974), an epic poem, and Down On The Spirit Farm: 12th Anniversary Edition (2006), a cult album.

Seth Raddatz

Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin
Folk / Americana
“My name is Seth Raddatz and I’m 15 years old. I’ve been playing guitar since I was 8. I come from a very musical family. I learned pretty much everything from my dad Mark Raddatz. I’ve been writing my own songs for about a year and I’m looking forward to writing more in this year’s Steel Bridge songwriting festival.”

Chris Bishop

Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Roots / Blues / Folk
http://www.myspace.com/chrisabishop
Chris Bishop is a Door County native who has enjoyed living in Milwaukee as well as New York City. Interested by music at a young age, he started studying Jazz and Classical music for electric and upright bass at 12. After a heavy influence of Folk and Blues at 17, and attending the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music in Milwaukee at 19, he began to play blues guitar and harmonica, which he is content with currently. Playing a natural, roots-style, foot tapping folk sound.

Tony Brown

St. Paul, Minnesota
Reggae, Soul, R&B, Funk, Blues, Country, Jazz, and Latin
Band name: Tony Brown & 608 Riddim Section
www.myspace.com/TBrown608
Tony Brown is the consummate musician. He began his musical career in Iowa and has performed in Europe, Canada, Central America and South America and the Caribbean. He has recorded 20 albums/CDs and has performed on the same stage with numerous legendary musicians and performers. His music is a combination of Reggae, Soul, R&B, Funk, Blues, Country, Jazz and Latin. Tony has the ability to completely entertain the house, no
matter what size, as a solo performer or within a band presentation. His musical abilities and style have the power to affect the emotions and attitude of his audiences. Tony’s music is the soul felt expression of his inner belief and spiritual awareness. His music focuses on the current
world, the past world, the future world and the personal and social events that people experience. Tony Brown’s message, as expressed in all his music, is one of love peace, freedom and hope. It is a message the world is waiting to receive.

Chris Simmons

Worthing, United Kingdom
Acoustic / Indie / Pop
website: www.myspace.com/chrissimmonsmusic
Two months after picking up a guitar, Chris had written his first batch of songs. A month later he'd formed his first band and 2 months after that he was playing on Radio & TV. Then, within a month of his first band splitting up, he spent all his savings on a one way ticket to Australia. He left with £200 and his guitar. He busked his way around the globe getting nearly 80 gigs along the way. He came back a year later with 16 songs and £35. Chris is currently recording his debut EP ready for a summer release. It's looking like 2008 could, finally, be his year......"Beautifully ambitious. One to watch," said Time Out. "A breath of fresh air," wrote The Times. He's been fortunate enough to share a stage / collaborate with acts including Squeeze, The Von Bondies, The Kooks, The Departure, Suede, The Maccabees and Finlay Quaye. The BBC will be broadcasting Chris's Audio Diaries while he's in The U.S.

Louise Goffin

Los Angeles, CA
Alternative / Pop / Lyrical
www.myspace.com/louisegoffinmusic
www.myspace.com/feloniousfig
www.myspace.com/louisegoffin
Louise has been busy in Bristol, England, recording a new album with John Parish, best known for his production and collaborations with PJ Harvey. Daughter of the legendary songwriting team, Carole King and Gerry Goffin, Louise has recorded five major label records. Her debut album Kid Blue was released on Elektra/Asylum in 1979. She was the youngest artist on the soundtrack to Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Louise lived in England between 1984 and 1994 and made two records while signed to WEA. This Is the Place, released in 1988, includes the VH1 video hit "Bridge of Sighs." The following UK album was recorded 1990-91 at Astoria Studios, a houseboat once owned by Charlie Chaplin, now a recording studio owned by David Gilmour of Pink Floyd. The unreleased Astoria recordings include a version of the U2 song "Sweetest Thing," with additional lyrics by Bono.

Peter Ress

Madison, Wisconsin
Rock
www.whoredujour.com
www.theskintones.com
Came up in the Kenosha, Wisconsin punk scene. Moved to Madison in the ‘90s formed the band Mind Ox. In 1995, Mind Ox recorded an album (unreleased) at El Dorado studios in LA with the same team responsible for such classic albums as "Nothing's Shocking" and "Ritual de Habitulo" by Jane's Addiction, as well as "Dirt" by Alice in Chains. Currently plays with The Skintones (winner of two Madison Area Music Awards) on Crustacean Records. Also a member of Whore du Jour (debut album produced by Jane Wiedlin) as well as Jane Wiedlin's new band, The Weebots. Whore du Jour recently opened for The Go Go's at The House of Blues in Chicago.

Kacy Crowley

Folk Rock / Pop / Indie
http://www.kacycrowley.com
New England native Kacy Crowley has got some battle scars. From cancer to drug addiction to the music industry, Kacy has proved herself to be the definition of a survivor. Her songs are both fiercely unapologetic and bravely tender, a combination of poetic insight and simple observation that has won over the hearts of fans from Sweden to Saskatoon. Kacy blew onto the radar in 1997 after Atlantic Records released her first independent recording “Anchorless.” With critical praise jammed in her back pocket from publications like Billboard, Time, USA Today and Vanity Fair she toured the US and into Canada, joined the Lilith Fair, played the H.O.R.D.E. festival, opened for acts such as Chantal Kreviazuk and Marc Cohn and participated in Neil Young’s Bridge School Benefit with artists like Alanis Morisette, Metallica and the Dave Matthews Band. Her songs were featured in the films Little Boy Blue, Anywhere But Here and Three to Tango, and found their way into various television programs. Kacy was also a guest at Miles Copeland’s Castle, a prestigious songwriting retreat in France.

Corinna Wanish

Green Bay, Wisconsin
A bit of every category of music
www.myspace.com/rinarae14
www.corinnarae.com
Corinna Wanish was born and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin. She is currently a freshman in high school and has been honored to have opened Steel Bridge Songfest for the past two years. She is surrounded by friends and family with varied involvement in music and the arts. This community has given her a very unique singing style and positive attitude that is unequaled among many her age.

Kata Rhe Gillispie

Georgetown, Kentucky
Country Rock/ Southern Rock
www.myspace.com/katarheandrebelyell
Kata Rhe Gillispie was born into country. With rhinestone-encrusted maternity clothes, Kata’s mother performed as lead singer while her father played bass in a local country-western band out of Georgetown, Kentucky. As an only child, being brought into the world by musicians meant that she spent her earliest years on the road with her parents. At the age of five, Kata has memories of being mesmerized by Louise Mandrell as she sang and played the fiddle on the Mandrell Sister’s variety show. At that moment Kata decided she too wanted to play the fiddle the way Louise could. By the age of sixteen, Kata had fiddled and clogged her way into the spotlight. She and her parents decided to form their own band and Kata’s father assumed bass position while her mother took a backseat as a manager and let Kata sing lead. At the age of nineteen, Kata approached the Charlie Daniels’ tour bus at a concert and bravely entered for the sole purpose of asking Charlie himself if she could perform with him on stage. Followed by some witty banter between the two, the conversation ended with, “Do you know the ‘South’s Gonna Do It Again’?” That night, Charlie reluctantly invited Kata on stage with the best introduction he could give to a young girl he had just met before the show. Charlie was taken with her talent and the rest is history; She’s been playing off and on with him ever since, only driving her harder to pursue her dream for a career in music. Her love for music and passion of performing is best summed up when asked if she’s ready for the roller-coaster ride that the country music industry can be. Her response every time is “I was born with my bags packed.”

Ellie Maybe

Chicago, Illinois
pop/rock/funny-ha-ha
www.myspace.com/elliemaybe
www.elliemaybe.com
(Please note: spelling of "Experence" is correct.)
Ellie Maybe of The Ellie Maybe Experence and The Sonnets draws on a past of teenage debauchery and ineffective psychotherapy to spin a lyrical web that rivals Bukowski's self-loathing and Henry Miller's antibiotic regimen. She's also an egocentric, quasi-intellectual that only compares herself to authors in order to feed her superiority complex, but the music's pretty good despite it.

Sara Wasserman

New York, New York
Acoustic/Soul
www.sarawasserman.com
www.myspace.com/sarawasserman
New York-based singer songwriter Sara Wasserman is presently completing her debut cd release -- a collection of orginals with a sound of acoustic soul influenced by blues and jazz. Special guests include Aaron Neville, Rob Wasserman, Lou Reed, Christian McBride, Jim Capaldi, Vernon Reid, Bob Weir, Irvin Mayfield, DJ Logic, and Soulive.

Dan Mayhew

Newport News, Virginia and Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Acoustic Contemporary Folk/Country
www.myspace.com/ddmayhew
Dan has been writing and performing his off-center original music for over 20 years. After recording his first album "The Gordon Road Gang" in 1981, he went to Nashville and recorded "Don't Lose Your Heart" which charted in 1982. He returned to Nashville in 1998 and set up a business on Music Row which provided Marketing Services for the Labels, and eventually expanded to Artist Management.

Zach V

Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Rock
Elastik Waste Band
www.myspace.com/muzachv
Since the tender age of twelve, Zach has committed his heart and soul to music. Whether it be rocking solo shows, as part of one of his numerous group projects throughout the years, or sitting in with seasoned professional musicians, Zach lives, sleeps, eats, and breathes music. Currently working on his first TRULY solo album, Zach spends nights performing acoustic shows around Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Zach has taken part in numerous recording projects, including STOKED, RoChi, Lo Cal, and other guest appearances on albums. Zach has shared the stage with many other musicians, such as pat mAcdonald, Tony Brown, Josh Fishell (Bargain Music), Chris Aaron, blues legend W.C. Clark, Brian Blush (Refreshments), Jason DeVore and Bill Marks (Authority Zero), and The Liars Handshake.

Lumberjack Cash

Chandler, Arizona
Alternative Stand-up Comedy Rock
www.myspace.com/lumberjackcash
“My name is Cash Murphy, a local of the valley of the sun. I have grown up in the 602 and 480 for the past 16 years. Currently, I play lead guitar in three bands, Not So Selfish, WINC and Our Town. Last but not least is Lumberjack Cash which is a dirty twist on standup comedy and music. This summer I have two tours I will be on trying to push my music as far as I can across the U.S. All I want in life is to be heard, whatever means necessary. People always ask me how I juggle so many bands and projects at the same time, and I tell them "Music is life and life is Music."

Rick Younglove

Fish Creek, Wisconsin
Anti-folk
Rick got his first guitar when he was ten, but soon switched over to electric bass. At the age of 22 he found himself writing a lot more while playing the acoustic guitar and singing. Having been a bassist for most of his musical life, Rick's playing style shows a propensity towards the guitar’s lower notes and lower tunings, as well as a preference for finger picking. He recently recorded and released an album titled "Prey" with the assistance of good friend and fellow songwriter Mark Janka of "The Lesser Birds of Paradise."

Emilie Rose Bishop

Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Jazz/Blues/Folk
myspace.com/emilierosebishop
Emilie Rose is a semi-door county resident who has traveled, lived and sung all over the country since she was 17 years old. Highly influenced by Jazz vocalists Billie Holiday, Nina Simone and various other blues, jazz and folk vocalists and instrumentalists, she is a self-taught, free spirit who tells her own stories through the medium of jazz standards. She has co-written several original songs with her younger brother Christopher Bishop and is planning on writing more this year. Emilie Rose sings from her heart and soul, and will never forget where all this great American music came from.

Sid Brown
Sonoran Desert

Rock-n-Roll
www.myspace.com/sidbrown
Sid Brown's songs are hard and hooky, composed to always remain catchy with a serious attention to simplicity. Having established a diverse Los Angeles underground cult following via downtown loft parties, hush-hush after-hours appearances and shocking displays of showmanship whenever and wherever duty has called, Sid Brown is primed to pimp Steel Bridge SongFest 4!

Holiday Music Motel Headquarters Relocated for Songwriter Sessions

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE
June 10, 2007

HOLIDAY MOTEL RENOVATION DELAYED, SONGWRITER HEADQUARTERS RELOCATED

The renovation of the Holiday Motel has encountered some delays. In the true spirit of community that is a hallmark of the Steel Bridge SongFest, a neighboring property has been made available by Jon and Patti Hanson for the songwriters. The Beach Harbor Resort will be the headquarters for the Construction Zone songwriters' workshop during this year's festival. A traveling recording studio has been installed at the Beach Harbor and two ancillary studios have been erected in other locations around town to capture this year's original songs.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 14, 2008
FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT
Linda Akins
312-953-7830
linda@steelbridgesongfest.org
www.holidaymusicmotel.com
Editor Note: The spelling of pat mAcdonald is correct.

HOLIDAY MUSIC MOTEL COMBINES ARTISTIC CREATION
WITH LODGING COMFORT AND CONVENIENT LOCATION

Nation’s First Music Motel Gives Travelers a Place to Rest amid a Taste of Music History

STURGEON BAY, WISCONSIN. The re-opening of the Holiday Music Motel this Spring will make both music and motel history. The facility is the first ever to combine the comfort and charm of a historic motel with the mission of making great music. First opened in the 1950s, the motel has recently been renovated with an emphasis on preserving the historic look while adding an uncommon component—a full recording studio.

The unusual theme evolved when the Holiday Motel in historic downtown Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, became the headquarters for the inaugural Steel Bridge SongFest in 2005. The SongFest is the brainchild of Christie Weber, president of Citizens for Our Bridge, and pat mAcdonald, singer and songwriter. The brother/sister team created the SongFest to raise money and awareness for the preservation of the Sturgeon Bay Bridge on Michigan Street. The Holiday Motel sits at the approach to the bridge and was a convenient gathering point for the singers and songwriters who performed at the SongFest, including noted musician Jackson Browne.

In the second season of the SongFest, mAcdonald added a component for songwriters called The Construction Zone. Twenty-five songwriters were invited to a week-long collaborative workshop where they wrote and recorded their original songs. The idea was such a success that it was made a permanent fixture at the SongFest. In 2006 and 2007, some 150 songs were written and recorded at the Holiday Motel. One CD of songs written at the motel has been produced and a second CD is under way.

The enthusiasm and creative output of the songwriters set a force in motion. Anna Sacks, one of the original songwriters at The Construction Zone, was so moved by her experience that she wanted others to have the opportunity she did. When she expressed this, pat mentioned that the hotel was for sale and would make an ideal permanent home for The Construction Zone.

A group of 20 like-minded music lovers, including Sacks, mAcdonald and Jackson Browne, formed Holiday Motel Management LLC and purchased the motel in June of 2007. After a renovation focusing on preserving the 1950s look and feel of the building and greening the facility for environmental friendliness, the newly christened Holiday Music Motel nearing completion.

Guests can expect comfortable, sound-proof rooms with the original 1950 bedroom suites in pristine condition. Some rooms have been custom-designed by music legends such as Jane Wiedlin of The Go-Go’s fame. The motel is located in the heart of the Sturgeon Bay Historic District within walking distance of restaurants, bars, art museums, the ship chanel, and historic sites including the Sturgeon Bay Bridge. It is also a convenient gateway to all of Door County, a popular vacation destination for visitors from Milwaukee and Chicago. Musicians who stay at The Holiday Music Motel can make special arrangements to record their music in the state-of-the-art recording studio. Environmentalists will rest comfortably knowing that the hotel is a LEED-certified structure.

“We hope that the Holiday Music Motel can become a nucleus for the creation of great music for years to come,” said mAcdonald. “It has already inspired songwriters from across the nation. We want it to be a mecca for creative minds—and that means everyone. We believe that people who write music, love music, or just occasionally listen to music will all feel at home here. Everyone is welcome.”

Photograph of Jackson Browne

Noted singer/songwriter Jackson Browne is an avid supporter of the Steel Bridge SongFest and will be returning on Saturday, June 14, to headline the concert at the Great Lakes Yacht Services boatyard. High resolution photos are available. Contact Linda Akins, 312-953-7830 or email LGAWrite@aol.com.

Press Room 2007

Press Releases and Press Kit Information

SBSF Veteran Charlie Cheney Brings His Special Brand of Music across Lake Michigan on Historic Ferry

Charlie Cheney and The Dutchmen (www.charliecheney.com) will be giving passengers aboard the SSBadger (www.ssbadger.com) a taste of the music scheduled for the fourth annual Steel Bridge SongFest in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, June 12 to 14. The band is booked to play a set on board the ferry that brings passengers from Ludington to Manitowoc on Friday, June 13, boarding at 8 a.m. and then again on the trip from Manitowoc on Sunday, June 15, boarding at 1:15 p.m.

The SSBadger is the largest car ferry ever to sail Lake Michigan and has provided a safe, fun, and reliable shortcut across the huge inland sea for more than fifty years. Lauded as a national treasure, the ferry offers a cruise experience reminiscent of an earlier time when a sea voyage was the ultimate travel and vacation adventure. As the only coal-fired steamship in operation in North America, the S.S. Badger runs on domestic fuel, and the company maintains a unique propulsion system that has been designated as a national mechanical engineering landmark.

The picturesque ferry provides a perfect venue for Cheney who writes cinematic songs packed with images of cars, birds, rain, phones, tattoos, the ace of spades, eyeliner, yachts, trophy brides, strip malls, floods, flowers, banks, and toupees filled with bar smoke. He was one of the first songwriters to be invited to The Construction Zone, a spinoff of the SongFest where songwriters engage in collaborative songwriting. His song Steel Bridge Tender was selected for the Steel Bridge Songs Vol. 1 compact disc and he will be performing his song Twirl at the release performance for Steel Bridge Songs Vol. 2 on Saturday at the Great Lakes Yacht Services boatyard main stage.

“Tragedy and comedy are equally compelling to me, cathartic and explosive in their own way, so I embrace both,” said Cheney. “Solo, I fit squarely in the folk/storyteller tradition, albeit at times a bit revved up. With my band The Dutchmen we add killer three part harmonies and jump. We are ready to bring the SSBadger passengers a preview of the great music that will be created at the SongFest and to extend their memories of that unforgettable music on their ferry ride back home.”