Musical Mondays: "In the Round" Songwriter Series at Uncommon Ground (Devon), Sue Fink Hosts April

CHICAGO - March 4, 2015 - PRLog -- For those who appreciate the spontaneity of art being created before their very eyes, the popular "In the Round" songwriter series, hosted Monday nights at Uncommon Ground's Devon location, may be just the thing.  Each month Uncommon Ground selects a different host; each host selects three other songwriters to join her (or him) onstage.  As they share their songs and stories, themes often emerge, and the songwriters create something larger together than what they could alone.  It's akin to watching an artists create a group painting, but in this case, it's songwriters creating a new world of ideas, thoughts, and sound.

Slightly under the radar, this series has been running almost every Monday evening since March, 2014.  Chicago singer/songwriter Sue Fink, known mostly for her humorous material, will be hosting the series in April, and has invited a diverse lineup of musicians to join her on the stage.

"I'm very excited," says Fink.  "I was excited to host last May as well, and very pleased to be asked back.  Choosing songwriters to share one's 'circle' is like selecting ingredients to create the best possible meal.  You want different colors on the plate.  You want diverse spices that will both challenge and complement the other dishes.  And so it is with selecting songwriters for an 'in the round' night!"

Fink says she starts by imagining her ideal lineups.  "If performers sense that the circle is going to bring about a magic that will inspire them -- as well as the audience, of course -- they're going to say yes.  We're all looking for a bit of magic, I think," she adds.

This year her month starts strong with an April 6th lineup of folk mainstays Eddie Holstein, Chris Walz, and Donna Adler.  Eddie and his late brother Fred were stalwarts of the 60s Chicago folk scene; now Eddie performs regularly throughout Chicago, entertaining with stories of those days, to much laughter, and singing his (and others') songs.  Chris Walz, formerly with Special Consensus, is a stellar flat-picker as well as songwriter.  He performs solo, with Weavermania, Long Journey Home, and other projects.  Both Chris and Eddie are popular instructors at the Old Town School of Folk Music.  Donna Adler, known for her lilting voice and sensitive songs, is also well-known in Chicago's folk community.

Other performers in subsequent lineups include Jim Green (formerly known as The Wandering Endorphin), who has a Michael Hedges style of guitar-playing, and Amy Shoemaker and Susie Lofton of The Sweet Maries.  Fink created a web page with information about each lineup, with links to each performer's website, at http://suefink.com/special.html. "I want people to read about each lineup, then pick the ones that intrigue them the most," she says.  "Pick all of them, each night will be completely different, yet equally wonderful!"

Cover for each "In the Round" is amazingly only $7, to encourage people to check out multiple lineups.  Uncommon Ground is located at 1401 W. Devon Ave., Chicago.  Call 773.465.9801 or visit http://uncommonground.com to make dinner reservations in the music room -- strongly suggested, and it's the only way to guarantee your seat, as tickets aren't sold in advance.

Fink's Mondays in April include these songwriters (including Fink in each lineup):

April 6:  Chris Walz, Donna Adler, Eddie Holstein

April 13:  James Curley, Jim Green (The Wandering Endorphin), Laura Glyda

April 20: Charles Murphy (of Duck & Goose), Jane Godfrey, Robin Bienemann

April 27: Amy Shoemaker and Susie Lofton (aka The Sweet Maries), Christina Trulio

Please visit http://suefink.com/special.html to read descriptions and access web-links to each performer.