Willi Carlisle

Tuesday, September 26
Doors: 7 pm | Show: 8 pm

WILLI CARLISLE is a poet and a folk singer for the people, but his extraordinary gift for turning a phrase isn’t about high falutin’ pontificatin’; it’s about looking out for one another and connecting through our shared human condition. Born and raised on the Midwestern plains, Carlisle is a product of the punk-to-folk music pipeline that’s long-fueled frustrated young men looking to resist. After falling for the rich ballads and tunes of the Ozarks, where he now lives, he began examining the full spectrum of American musical history. This insatiable stylistic diversity is obvious in his wildly raucous live performances, where songs range from sardonic trucker-ballads like “Vanlife” to the heartbreaking queer waltz “Life on the Fence,” to an existential talkin’ blues about a panic attack in Walmart’s aisle five. With guitar, fiddle, button-box, banjo, harmonicas, rhythm-bones, and Willi’s booming baritone, this is bonafide populist folk music in the tradition of cowboys, frontier fiddlers, and tall-tale tellers. Carlisle recognizes that the only thing holding us back from greatness is each other. With a quick wit and big sing-alongs, these folksongs bring us a step closer to breaking down our divides.

“Willi Carlisle’s latest is good for what ails ya, whatever ails ya.”
-Arkansas Times

“I’ll be damned if the heartstrings don’t get a firm tug.”
-Music Mecca

“A rave-up raconteur and a seasoned troubadour in the vein of Ramblin’ Jack Elliott or Utah Phillips, Carlisle sings big, feels everything, spins yarns and takes you to the heart of American characters”
-WMOT — Best of AmericanaFest 2022

Adda Boyd

Spearfish up-and-comer Adda Boyd continues to make a name for herself as a confident new voice in neo-traditional country. Adda’s fresh off a solo performance at the world-famous Ruffed Up Duck Saloon in Laramie, part of the first-ever Western AF Music Showcase.

The Matthews Opera House & Arts Center is a 501c3 non-profit organization located at 612 N. Main Street in Spearfish, South Dakota. Built in 1906, the opera house has gone through many lives.

The Matthews consists of a fine arts gallery with 48 regional artists on the street level. Upstairs, the theater continues to provide community plays, national performance acts and music concerts.