Concert details
Doors: 6:30pm, Show time: 7:00 pm
Admission $20 (suggested donation)
100% of proceeds go to the performers.
Described as “one of the brightest stars on the acoustic music scene” (PULP online) and “a monster singer-songwriter” (SEMI Bluegrass) Judy Banker’s genre-blending musical style is a hybrid of Americana, roots-rock and tender balladry that is atmospheric and layered when performed by her full band and intimately raw and compelling in live solo performances. She is known for her stirring, hook-driven songwriting style, literate and deeply personal lyrics, and a singular voice that carries the listener along on an emotional ride that leaves them knowing themselves a little better. A veteran of the Michigan music scene, Judy has appeared on stages throughout the Midwest and performed with renowned songwriter and playwright, the late Jay Stielstra, for nearly 15 years. Judy emerged as a solo artist and songwriter, fronting her eponymous Judy Banker Band, over the last ten+ years with the release of four highly regarded studio albums – her most recent release Bona Fide (2023) reaching the top 100 on the Americana charts and a number of “Best of 2023” nods along with continued airplay across the country. Judy has also released several singles, including composing and recording – with exclusive permission from the Seeger estate – a musical score set to the poem Blessed Be the Nation written by Pete Seeger & Jim Mussleman which has received airplay across the country and in the UK. Back in the studio again, in pre-production sessions for another studio album due out in 2026, Judy collaborates with her all-star band members, multi-instrumentalist and sound engineer David Roof, bassist John Sperendi, guitarist Tony Pace, pedal steel player Alan Pagliere, and drummer Jim Latini, along with producer, Ben Sayler to refine signature arrangements for Judy’s original songs.
Artist Links:
As a seasoned performer, songwriter, and recording artist, Billy King’s presence in the independent music scene brings an original blend of rootsy folk/pop with an occasional touch of country swing.
In the early 1990s, Billy led his two-member band, the preteen King Brothers, to local fame in the Ann Arbor area, performing regularly and releasing five albums of mostly original material. Still living and working on the family farm, Billy has continued writing and recording, and, with his brother, started Holler Fest, a three-day music festival featuring Michigan artists.
Billy’s versatility as a multi-genre singer-songwriter is matched by his ability on a wide range of instruments from guitar and banjo to keyboards and accordion. An engaging solo and duo performer, Billy also delivers a high-energy set with his full band, which includes some of the area’s top musicians. Traversing intimate acoustic venues, major festival stages, and popular rural gatherings, he performs with lightness, dynamism, and sincerity.
Within the songwriting community, he is well-known for his musicianship and originality. In 2007, his composition, “I Don’t Write Love Songs,” was awarded the Grand Prize in the Great Lakes Songwriting Contest, and his band headlined the annual showcase for contest winners at the distinguished Trinity House Theatre in Livonia, Michigan.
Influenced by master songwriters such as Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Paul Simon, Billy crafts melodically compelling songs that maintain a sense of the timeless and classic. Sometimes catchy folk/rock, sometimes searing blues, but always direct and thoughtful lyrics – this is original music from an original life, fully accomplished yet humble, and most of all real.