Harmony-driven original music and eclectic covers, featuring Karen Krajacic and Jill Cowen on guitar, mandolin, banjo, and ukulele.  This is their first visit to the Ball & Chain Cafe, so come give them a warm Brandon welcome!  For more information on this dynamic duo, visit their MySpace page: myspace.com/folkbyassociation

Celebrate the coming of summer with this lively band that plays the full gamut of Irish music: dance tunes, slow airs, marches, composed music, ballads, drinking songs, rebel songs, shanties, Irish punk, etc. Not content to focus on one small niche within Irish music, Extra Stout - with Pat Max, Helen Mango, Mary Barron, Shanty Bob Smith, Sandy Duling, Marcos Levy, and Paul Cohen - does it all.  Visit their website to learn more about them and their music: www.extrastoutband.com

Lake Bomoseen - the largest lake entirely within Vermont's borders - once attracted thousands of visitors each year.  Its resorts and restaurants welcomed travelers of all stripes, from Walt Disney and Harpo Marx to humble groups of workers and families. Crowds flocked to beaches and picnic areas during the daytime, and headliners like Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong kept the Casino at the lake buzzing late into the night. In his new book, Lake Bomoseen: The Story of Vermont's Largest Little-Known Lake, author Donald H. Thompson describes these and other glamorous moments in Lake Bomoseen's past and explains how the area has evolved since the last hotels and dance halls closed their doors.  Carefully researched from the origin of the lake's name to cottage communities of the early twentieth century, and accompanied by dozens of rare images, this is the definitive history of one of Vermont's finest spots. Spend an evening learning the history of the lake and leave with this beautiful book autographed by its author.

Our favorite pianist extraordinaire revisits the café for an evening of wonderful musical delight as he performs music ranging from ragtime to Rachmaninoff, from blues to Beethoven, from lullabies to Liszt, and perhaps a little Vince Guaraldi as well.

Around Pittsford, a photographic history of Pittsford, Chittenden, and Proctor, is part of Arcadia Publishing's "Images of America" series, and contains more than 170 images - many of which have never before been published.  Assisted by Chittenden and Proctor historians, author Peggy Armitage - president of the Pittsford Historical Society - wrote captions for the black and white photos dating from the 1850s to 1990s. The text includes an introduction to the three adjoining towns; chapters on people, places, and products; and a bibliography.  Of the book, the Rutland Herald wrote, "Armitage blends her knowledge of Pittsford's history with a sense of humor to make the connection between many concerns of past and present."  The author will discuss and sign copies of this must-have book of local history.

The Michele Fay Band is a mix of traditional, swing and bluegrass influenced music with rich female harmonies.  Many of the songs are Michele's originals, inspired by life in Vermont - past and present. Together, the four members put forth captivating sounds from upbeat fiddle tunes to thought provoking ballads. Michele sings with acoustic guitar and banjo; her husband Tim Price embellishes on mandolin, acoustic guitar and electric guitar; Lausanne Allen adds fiddle, whistle, and vocal harmonies; and Andrew Munkres drives the beat on upright bass. To learn more about the band and their music, visit their website: www.michelefayband.com

Maple Jam sings a range of 4-8 part, a cappella jazz music, in close harmony. They perform arrangements by Gene Puerling, the Singers Unlimited, the Swingle Singers, the King's Singers, the Real Group, Manhattan Transfer and Take 6, to name a few. The arrangements are an assortment of songs by the Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, and Billy Joel, plus jazz standards, pop tunes, and original works. We welcome the first concert by this a capella jazz ensemble!

Sister Ann Perpetua is a trio of long-time musical cohorts.  Michael Chorney (guitar), Miriam Bernardo (voice) and Polly Vanderputten (cello) formed Sister Ann Perpetua to perform some of the quieter, more delicate numbers in their collective repertoire, including Chorney’s arrangements of pieces by Kurt Weill, Paul Bowles, Sun Ra, and Joni Mitchell, as well as Chorney’s own original works. All three members of the group were involved in the creation and production of Hadestown, Chorney’s folk opera collaboration with Anais Mitchell. For more information about them and their music, visit Chorney’s website: www.myspace.com/michaelchorney 

Pam Montgomery, author of Plant Spirit Healing, has been investigating plants and their intelligent spiritual nature since 1986. Indigenous healers and shamans have known since antiquity that plants possess a spirit essence that can communicate through light, sound, and vibration. This book is a hands-on approach to working with the healing powers of plant spirits. It explores the scientific basis underlying the practices of indigenous healers and shamans, illuminates the matrix where plant intelligence and human intelligence join, and reveals that partnering with plants is an evolutionary imperative.  She is a founding member of the Northeast Herbal Association and is on the Advisory Board of United Plant Savers. The author of Partner Earth: A Spiritual Ecology and contributing author in Planting the Future, she is a practicing herbalist and plant spirit healer who offers trainings and treatments from her home in Danby, Vermont.  Join us for a fascinating evening.