General Admission Standing Room Only
WILLIAM ELLIOTT WHITMORE
A man armed only with a banjo and a bass drum can be a formidable force, especially if his name is William Elliott Whitmore. With his powerful voice and honest approach, Whitmore comes from the land, growing up on a family farm in Lee County, Iowa. Still living on the same farm today, Whitmore has truly taken the time to discover where his center lies, and from that he will not be moved.
Whitmore has repeatedly carved his own path, honoring the longstanding tradition of folk music throughout his nearly 20 year career, while always allowing his blues, soul and punk rock influences to shine through. Getting his first break opening for his friend’s hardcore band with just a banjo in hand, he would discover bands like The Jesus Lizard, Bad Brains, Lungfish and Minutemen and soon learn to play his own brand of rural, roots music with that same DIY ethic.
William Elliott Whitmore has been back and forth across the United States and to cities around the world. He’s toured with such diverse acts as Frank Turner, Trampled By Turtles, Clutch and Chris Cornell to name a few. He’s appeared on some of the biggest stages around the world including Stagecoach Fest, Byron Bluesfest (Australia) and End of the Road Fest (UK). His willingness to take his show to any playing field has proved invaluable as he turned strangers to diehards with every performance.
Links: Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
AMERICAN ELM
American Elm is the nome de guerre of Chris Bousquet, a singer-songwriter from Connecticut.
Chris has performed with a number of other renowned artists including, Roger McGuinn, Mercury Rev, Howe Gelb, Miracle Legion, Asleep at the Wheel, Rhett Miller, Mark Mulcahy, The Turtles, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, and Susan Cowsill.
Since 2008, American Elm has released several E.P.s and albums: “Ulmus Americana” (2008), “alonesomenoise” (2014), “Into the Light Within” (2015), “The Ivory Sessions” (2018), and “Morning Song” (2021), as well as two singles, “Empty Island Houses” (2014) and “A Long Road to be Free” (2018).
2018 marked the public debut of “The Year of the Horse: A Folk-Rock Song Cycle” written by Bousquet and performed by some of the region’s most talented and beloved musicians. The performance took place at New Haven’s famed Café Nine and was later released as a live concert film.
In 2021, the American Elm song, “A Long Road to Be Free” was included in the Essential Western New England Songbook, an 150 song anthology of many of the best songs ever written and recorded by artists who have lived in Western New England and whose careers have a significant connection to the area. The songbook includes many recognizable names including, Taj Mahal, Gene Pitney, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Dar Williams, and the Pixies.
The American Elm song “Gloria” is featured in, and serves as the theme song for the CPTV/PBS documentary “Oyster Heaven,” and the feature film “The Oystering Life.”
In 2020, as American Drone, Chris released a six track EP of songs recorded entirely on stick dulcimer.
Along with Eric M. Lichter, Chris is one half of the band Electric Elm. They have released two singles in 2024, “Sandra Ann” and “Let Us Begin!”
Links: Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify
