Freddy & Francine are husband and wife singer-songwriters, but don’t call what they do folk music. It’s too energetic. Bianca Caruso, aka Francine, says, “We’re performers. We’re not just folk musicians who play and sing mellow songs with little voices … there’s screaming.” And don’t call it Americana, either. They don’t wear hats. Besides, Caruso says, “The minute you think one of our songs is an Americana song, it can turn into a retro pop song.” Freddy & Francine have played Telluride Bluegrass, and opened for JJ Grey and Mofro, and Big Head Todd & the Monsters.

Brett Dennen’s endearing and adventurous Lift Series is back this winter. The concerts will be intimate solo acoustic sets of songs and stories that are sure to be heartwarming and funny. Brett Dennen is a nationally known, beloved singer-songwriter who has played at Austin City Limits, Newport Folk, and Telluride Bluegrass Festivals and appeared on Jimmy Kimmel, David Letterman, and Conan O’Brien. His songs are carefully crafted, beautiful and often exhibit a wry sense of humor.

Laura Cortese & the Dance Cards have a vision for their band’s sound: bold and elegant, schooled in the lyrical rituals of folk music and backed by grooves that alternately inspire Cajun two-stepping and rock-n-roll hip swagger. Performing as a trio with Valerie Thompson on cello and Isa Burke on guitar/fiddle (known for her work with Lula Wiles and Aoife O’Donovan), these women produce music centered on the virtuosic string instrumentation of its members tied together by driving rhythms, broad creative vision, and resonant harmonies.

SVMoA kicks off its 2023/2024 Singer-Songwriter Salon Concerts at the Argyros with the genre-bending Maiah Wynne—an award-winning singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Wynne captivates audiences with the alluring and enigmatic duality present in her music and through her powerful and universally resonant lyrics and hauntingly beautiful voice.

Leslie Kean will discuss her twenty-three years of research and mainstream reporting on UFOs, now called UAP (unidentified anomalous phenomena). Her effort has included numerous print stories, press conferences, documentaries, and a best-selling book as she battled a stigma that precluded government acknowledgment of the phenomenon. That all changed in 2017, when she co-authored a front-page New York Times story that was a catalyst for a series of unprecedented developments over the last six years – from the release of Navy videos to a UAP Task Force, new legislation and three open Congressional hearings. Lecture will be followed by Q & A.

Devon Allman & Donavon Frankenreiter have their sights set on a World Record with their SEE IT ALL TOUR consisting of 50 shows in 50 states in fewer than 50 days. Sun Valley Museum of Art will host the Idaho stop (their 18th show of the attempt!) for this ambitious goal. These two seasoned artists created this challenge for themselves and are bringing a band for this one-of-a-kind event. Tickets are currently sold out, but contact SVMoA to be added to a wait-list. Day of show, tickets may be released.

Created in Alaska, and as unique as that state is, Parlor in the Round is an evening of storytelling and creativity from musicians including host Keven Worrell who forge songs on stage from audience suggestions. In the first half of the show, songwriters from Idaho and beyond will play their own songs and cover each other’s songs, then, after intermission, the musicians dive into collaborations, jocular inventions and premeditated musings all based on written submissions from the audience. Expect to lean in and laugh out loud at the Parlor.