Announcing the Spring 2026 Season

2026
Written By Shea

Songbird Concerts is thrilled to announce our 16th season – a spectacular showcase of incredible talent that will light up your nights and fill your soul with music. Join us for another season celebrating artistry, passion, and connection. 

Each evening is a unique blend of musical styles and unforgettable performances. Don’t miss your chance to experience this incredible season of live music in an intimate and welcoming setting.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

TICKETS: $20 advance | $25 day of show

TIMES: 6:45PM doors open | 7:30PM show starts

LOCATION: Focal Point | 2720 Sutton Blvd., Maplewood, MO

JANUARY 28

Jeff Lazaroff | David Lazaroff | Wil Maring (Cobden, IL) | Robert Bowlin (Cobden, IL)

FEBRUARY 25

Nick Pence | Emily White (Chicago, IL) | Emily Wallace | Adam Reichmann

MARCH 25

Ben Bedford (Springfield, IL) | Devon Cahill | Truman Kennedy | Jessica Butler

APRIL 22

Emily Higgins (Springfield, IL) | Steve Carosello | John Krane | John Ellis

MAY 27

Lyal Strickland (Buffalo, MO) | Natalie Huggins | Megan Rooney | Jeffrey Albert

MEET THE ARTISTS

  • Adam Reichmann is a Saint Louis singer-songwriter and 20-year veteran of the Americana scene whose “wistful melodies take up residence inside your bones.” (Riverfront Times). In the early 2000s, he fronted the band Nadine, a pioneering alt-country outfit that released four albums — most notably the critically acclaimed Downtown, Saturday.

    Americana UK described Reichmann's latest release One Adam One (Where Do I Begin) as "sensitive and beautiful storytelling." Honk Magazine calls it a "rich and introspective blend of raw lyrics, captivating vocals, and soothing melodies." Fans of artists like Tom Petty, Neil Young and Dan Bern will find something to love in these lyric-driven tunes infused with Reichmann's distinctive brand of poetic, midwestern musicality.

  • Ben Bedford is a singer-songwriter, composer, and visual artist. 

    In July of 2010, Bedford was named one of the “50 most significant Folk singer-songwriters of the past 50 years” by Rich Warren of WFMT-Chicago. The list also included Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, Anais Mitchell, Joni Mitchell, and Danny Schmidt. In May of 2018, Bedford was named one of the six Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk winners at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas. He has toured extensively over the past 15 years in North America and western Europe. In January of 2023, he released his sixth studio album, Valley Of Stars, engineered and mixed by David Sinko (Yo-Yo Ma, Punch Brothers, Edgar Meyer) and featuring Ethan Jodziewicz (Aoife O’Donovan, Maya de Vitry, Milk Carton Kids) on bass, Chas Williams (Nanci Griffith) on second guitar, and Kari Floyd on harmony vocals. With his visual art, Ben works in pen and ink and watercolor. Bedford is a member of Perspectives Art Gallery in Petersburg, Illinois. 

    “The Illinois songwriter is a masterful storyteller who can turn what seem like obscure historical references into engaging tales rife with vivid, stark imagery.”
    –Erik Ernst, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

  • Led by brothers David and Jeff Lazaroff, Brothers Lazaroff is both a St. Louis-based songwriting and production team and a dynamic six-to-fifteen-piece ensemble. Known for blending genres around a foundation of deeply rooted songwriting, the band has cultivated a distinct sound and a loyal following through its prolific output and community-driven live events.

    With over a dozen original albums, EPs, and live recordings, Brothers Lazaroff has built a musical universe that continues to grow—fueled by a wide-ranging family of multidisciplinary artists and collaborators.

  • Practically born singing, Devon made her professional debut at age 6 in a three-month run of "The Sound of Music". In 2012 she shifted gears from musical theatre and formed the indie folk band Letter to Memphis, which quickly became a local favorite, playing at venues and major cultural events all over town and winning Best Folk Band from the Riverfront Times two years in a row. In 2017, she ventured out as a solo artist, and debuted her first solo EP, entitled “When I Wake” in October 2018.  Her rootsy songwriting style is a hybrid of Americana, indie and folk music. 

    When not performing solo, Devon leads a band with David Newmann, Simon Chervitz, and special guests. They have opened for touring artists such as Erika Wennerstrom (Heartless Bastards), Amythyst Kiah, two time Tony Award winner Norbert Leo Butz, and The Local Honeys. Some highlights of Devon’s career have been playing at the gorgeous Sheldon Concert Hall, singing the national anthem for 60,000 people at America’s Center, and collaborating with TedX St. Louis. The full Devon Cahill band has a couple of new singles out now and their debut album is currently in the works!

  • Singer-songwriter Emily Higgins returns to her hometown and The Focal Point to bring the audience of Songbird Cafe original songs from past years along with new music. She previously performed at The Focal Point solo, and with her bands Auntie Em and the Tornadoes and The HigLeeWils.

    Under Emily's belt are four all-original collections; "Singing River," "The House at the End of the Road," and "On the Square." Emily's fourth collection of originals, "91 Acres," was commissioned by a rural Missouri landowner and highlights stories of land reclamation, wildlife, geographical features, nature and apiculture.

    She resides in the hills of the beautiful Missouri Ozarks which has served as inspiration for many of her songs.

  • Emily Wallace is an artist based out of St. Louis. She performs solo shows around town with her acoustic guitar and is a vocalist in St. Louis’ supergroup Dave Grelle’ Playadors. She is also a member of Sean Canan’s Voodoo Players. With her powerful, dynamic and diverse vocals, she frequently collaborates with an array of other artists around St. Louis including Funky Butt Brass Band, Jimmy Griffin and Adam Maness.

  • Emily White is a quiet force – a singer, songwriter and trained guitarist who stands out “conspicuously from the pack…with her hushed, preternaturally haunting vocal delivery” (Connect Savannah). Her potent images and dynamic melodies are things you hold onto, like (to quote one of her lyrics) “a stone in your pocket rubbed smooth.”  Her fifth album Songs You Didn’t Know I Wrote About You (2023) is a collection of songs she wrote to people from all different points in her life—unread musical letters to friends, mentors, fellow songwriters, old loves, and maybe even you. Most importantly, none of the songs’ subjects know that she’s written about them. As a result, all thirteen tracks are unflinching and instantly relatable. Emotional realness, an ear for poetry, and a broad musical range define this record, as they have White’s entire career.

  • Led by brothers David and Jeff Lazaroff, Brothers Lazaroff is both a St. Louis-based songwriting and production team and a dynamic six-to-fifteen-piece ensemble. Known for blending genres around a foundation of deeply rooted songwriting, the band has cultivated a distinct sound and a loyal following through its prolific output and community-driven live events.

    With over a dozen original albums, EPs, and live recordings, Brothers Lazaroff has built a musical universe that continues to grow—fueled by a wide-ranging family of multidisciplinary artists and collaborators.

  • Spectator consists of wife and husband duo, Megan Rooney and Jeffrey Albert, who first met in 2006 in Saint Louis, Missouri. The duo draws comparisons to the dream-pop sensibilities of Mazzy Star and early Tennis. Charlie, Baby is being released April 12, 2019 in Scandinavia, Europe, and the US on Nordic Records.

  • Driven by a deep fascination with the architecture and history of music, John is a musician and songwriter who finds inspiration in the art of chord progressions and the threads that connect harmony, melody, and rhythm. With a mind for music theory and an ear for melody and chord structure, John crafts songs that are uniquely captivating and fresh, and inspired by the spirit of pop and melodic folk music. Making his debut Songbird appearance, John is set to delight his audience with catchy and well-crafted songs.

  • Based in Collinsville, John Krane writes story-driven songs about love, payphones, and secret government weapons. Until 2016, he was the lead singer for brotherfather, which was described as an "indie rock powerhouse" by the Riverfront Times (RFT).

    He was also one of the three songwriters in The Chimps, a St. Louis vocal group that performed regularly at the Focal Point. The Chimps' album, Play No Evil, was reviewed by the RFT as a "thoroughly cohesive effort that shows off some of the best of what the city's singer-songwriter scene has to offer."

    The Riverfront Times described his original songs as "showing an offbeat but charming wit" and "an uncanny knack for turning a scene into a story." He's been compared (mostly favorably) to John Prine and Paul Simon. 

  • Lyal Strickland is an Americana singer-songwriter, whose music is as authentic as the Ozark hills from which it hails. With a background deeply embedded in the rural landscapes of Missouri, his lyrics resonate with the experiences of small-town life, weaving tales of struggle, resilience, and the unyielding human spirit. Strickland’s songs are a reflection of his upbringing in a small town, where the values and hardships of rural life imbue every note and word.


    Strickland's songs are a testament to his commitment to his roots and his versatility as an artist. His albums move through stages of life, showcasing his distinctive voice that brings his narratives to life. Each song is a window into Strickland's world, inviting listeners to step into stories woven with candor and crushing humility. 


    Apart from his musical endeavors, Lyal is a dedicated seventh-generation farmer, balancing his passion for songwriting with the responsibilities of running a family farm. This commitment to authenticity is not just a part of his music but a hallmark of his existence, connecting with audiences from all walks of life.


    Lyal Strickland's journey is not just about music. It's about conveying a way of life that honors tradition while embracing the challenges of the present. With each performance Strickland champions a sound that is both timeless and refreshingly genuine. At the root of it all, Strickland is a singer, songwriter, and farmer.

  • Spectator consists of wife and husband duo, Megan Rooney and Jeffrey Albert, who first met in 2006 in Saint Louis, Missouri. The duo draws comparisons to the dream-pop sensibilities of Mazzy Star and early Tennis. Charlie, Baby is being released April 12, 2019 in Scandinavia, Europe, and the US on Nordic Records.

  • Healing. Helping. A haunting hell of a good time. Part sage, part sprite, singer/songwriter Natalie Huggins is known for sensual, nostalgic compositions that somehow make the listener feel as though their feet are grounded in the loveliest, woodsiest soil while their head is taking flight and soaring somewhere else altogether. 

    The power of Natalie’s songs lies in their open-endedness--in their ability to connect the listener to the parts of themselves they can’t yet see and reveal a truer version of themselves. As a child, Natalie was gripped by the process of songwriting and by her ability to connect with listeners, offering them an escape, a companion, a dream. Composing, singing, and playing guitar and piano since childhood, Natalie’s work is heavily informed by Fleetwood Mac, Pat Benatar, No Doubt, Smashing Pumpkins, Bjork, Tori Amos, and PJ Harvey. A St. Louis native, she has performed and recorded with numerous artists and projects in the area including Summer Magic, Joan of Dark, The Bureau, Rats and People Motion Picture Orchestra, Wax Wine, and more. 

  • Nick Pence is a well-known guitar player from St. Louis. Nick plays with The Bottlesnakes, The Dust Covers, and The New Missouri Fox Hunters. He was also instrumental in forming a gospel group, The Houndsteeth.

  • You might be familiar with multi-instrumentalist Robert Bowlin as a well respected Nashville studio session player and band member of a who’s who of legendary country music artists. But in those decades of working in Nashville and riding the buses of the country music stars, Robert’s head was always buzzing with original music, collaborating with songwriters such as Paul Craft, Pat Alger, John Vesner and many others to provide the backdrop for hit making songs. In performance his songwriting and multi-genre original instrumental music have been met with great acclaim with audiences nationwide. 

  • Kennedy’s sound is as varied as the geography of the Ozark and Delta regions, which he calls home. Like an icy whistle of the winter winds blowing through the thin walls of a rough-hewn pine-slab, mountaintop cabin to the stifling hot and humid Delta swamp, Kennedy’s tube-driven mandolin reverberates like an echo down a deep, dark hollow, and snarls and howls like an encroaching pack of coyotes in the night.

    Kennedy’s songwriting harkens back to the soul of the country blues – desperate people in desperate situations, doomed by circumstance and tragedy. There is no nostalgia for the past, only sorrowful memories of hard lessons learned the hard way, sung through the bottom of an empty bottle of bourbon. It’s a cosmic country blast of that high, lonesome sound, transcending the walls of time.

  • Over thirty years and several well-used Toyota Siennas later, Wil Maring is still wearing out the Michelins, bringing her original folk/bluegrass/pop/roots music with warmth and humor to fans and friends from coast to coast. After 8 solo and band CD releases, Wil has become a highly acclaimed songwriter, a winner of the prestigious Merlefest songwriting competition and a Kerrville NewFolk finalist. She has performed on the Grand Ole Opry and NPRs Whaddya Know program, in addition to touring extensively in Europe and Japan, and teaching songwriting workshops at music camps in the United States, Canada, and the UK.   

Shea
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October 22, 2025