Upcoming shows
(at the Cantina Sound Workshop)
I was talking to Suzanna Choffel about play at Cantina Sound House Concerts and she suggested that Ben Jones also play the show as well. Before long, we had a date set, March 1, 2026.
Ben Jones moved to Austin from the England in 2014 as part of Beat Root Revival. While he continues performing with Beat Root Revival, he also performs many shows as a solo artist and with other artists (Bleeding Hearts Confessionals with Colin Brooks). We first saw Ben with Beat Root Revival at Sycamore Creek Concerts, but it was hearing his songs and covers at the El Mercado Monday Night Supper Club that we saw his versatility as a performer on both guitar and keyboards (and we have a piano available).
Ben's last solo release was "Souvenir". His latest recording, a double CD effort "Heartbreak Handbook", is near completion, but is currently on hold due to an unfortunate circumstances. Ben has been writing a lot of new songs and is currently writing a musical with response songs to many well-know classic songs including "Eleanor Rigby" ("The Rice Collector") and Jolene ("My Name is Jolene").
Suzanna Choffel is known for her distinct voice and reggae-inspired guitar technique. She is a rare native Austinite and released her fourth studio album "Bird by Bird" last year (2024), produced by Grammy-winning producer Davíd Garza.
As a teenager, she played at the Saxon Pub and the Broken Spoke. She's appeared at ACL Music Fest, SXSW, Voodoo Fest, and on "The Voice". A writer from Rolling Stone praised her as "the only artist you'd want to listen to a complete album from".
Suzanna is known known as one of the voices on Sun Radio (1060 AM, 88.1 FM Gonzales, 88.9 FM Johnson City, 99.9 FM San Marcos, 100.1 FM Austin, 103.1 FM Dripping Springs, 104.1 FM Mason, 106.9 FM Fredericksburg).
The requested minimum donation is $30 per person at the door. All donations go directly to the artists.
A reservation wait list has been started for this show.
Almost a year later, we have finally been able to rebook Malford Milligan & Tin Cadillac Acoustic.
Malford Milligan broke onto the Austin music scene as Storyville. (Storyville is Malford Milligan). However, with the addition of Chris "Whipper" Layton, Tommy Shannon, David Holt, and David Grissom for a touring for the album, Storyville became a real band and recorded multiple albums. Malford has recorded Gospel albums, blues albums, and soul albums.
MJ and I have seen Malford many times in different bands, Storyville, Big Cat, MVP (Milligan Vaughan Project) over the past 30 years. Over the past couple of years, Malford has spent some time in Europe recording with The Southern Aces. His most recent albums with the Southern Aces are "I Was A Witness" and "Life Will Humble You". His most well-known songs are "Bluest Eyes" and "Good Day For The Blues".
Texas Music Scene recently interviewed Malford, watch and learn if you are not familiar with Malford.
Malford will be appearing in an acoustic trio configuration Tin Cadillac.
With his powerful, raspy voice and riveting stage presence, Austin-based singer Malford Milligan has drawn comparisons to such soul icons as Otis Redding and Al Green.- Apple Music
Also note that this show is on Malford's birthday, so it will be special.
The requested minimum donation is $30 per person at the door. All donations go directly to the artist.
Reservations to be opened for this show about a month before the show, but sign up on our mailing list to be the first notified.
I first saw Tim Grimm last year at the New Folk/Old Folk Festival at the Donkey Shack. I was completely blown away that I had never heard of him before. MJ and I went up to Maine in June to See Tim, but we have a little bad luck and missed out seeing him, so I am excited to see him again. I forced MJ to listen to two of his CD's for a few days in our old Expedition. So when Tim reached out to book a show, we had it done quickly.
Tim is not only a story teller with his songs, but also a television (2 seasons on the NBC drama Reasonable Doubts), film (A Clear and Present Danger), and theater actor, most recently starring in the Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park production of The Lion In Winter.
Tim has 12 recordings available on his web site, one of which is a revisit of his 1999 recording (Heart Land Again). He has two other recordings that are out of print, as well as 2 other collaborations and two recordings made early in his career with Tim Grimm & The True Hearts.
His latest CD is 2025's Bones of Trees, which includes the song Broken Truth that was the @1 Song of the Year on Folk Radio in 2024. Folk Alliance International named Bones of Trees Top Album of 2025 and the song Broken Truth Song of the Year in both 2025 and 2024 (Broken Truth was released as a single in 2024, but appears. on the 2025 album Bones of Trees).
The requested minimum donation is $30 per person at the door. All donations go directly to the artists.
Reservations to be opened for this show about a month before the show, but sign up on our mailing list to be the first notified.
This will be Jeff Plankenhorn's third appearance at Cantina Sound house Concerts, but joining him, not just as a sideman, but also as a songwriter is Gabriel Rhodes. This will be Gabe's fourth appearance at Cantina Sound House concert, but the first time featuring much of his own material. Gabe recently release a CD (and vinyl), Selling Tumbleweeds.
Jeff Plankenhorn is a full-time touring musician who was based in Austin, touring with luminaries such as Joe Ely and Ray Wylie Hubbard. As the pandemic hit, Jeff relocated with his Canadian wife to Vancouver Island, taking the last ferry between the US and Canada. Jeff's latest recording project is The Bend, a stripped-down solo acoustic album recorded on the Texas coast, showcasing just his voice, lap steel, acoustic guitar, and piano.
Texan Alt. Country Folk Rock Filtered through a Cool Canadian Copper Still (headline) "Alone At Sea" combines a Folk Singers’ poetic sensibilities with a razor sharp melody and an arrangement that will send a shiver down your spine the first time you hear it. Juggling Sand is a Stones alike constrained rifferama from either (or both) their Exile on Main Street or Goats Head Soup eras that went some way to defining modern day Rock and Roll, and this song could and should be a perfect fit for whatever claims to be Rock Radio in 2023." - The Rocking Magpie 9/29/23
Jeff first became known around Austin as a singer-songwriter with the release of Sleeping Dogs, that set him apart from his previous "life" as a side-man.
Gabriel Rhodes grew up in the shadow of Willie Nelson, starting out sweeping the floors at Willie's Pedernales Recording Studio to now running his own recording studio in his home. Gabe is well known as a producer (including producing Barbara Nesbitt's Lucky Street and his mother's [Kimmie Rhodes] release, Hypnotized, featuring the sone No Tom Petty).
Gabe recently released a solo album, Selling Tumbleweeds.
He previously appeared at Cantina Sound House Concerts as a sideman with Jeff Plankenhorn (2021), Bill Carter (2024) and Kimmie Rhodes (2024).
In 2020, Rhodes contributed guitar solo work along with Mark Knopfler, Peter Frampton, and Duane Eddy as part of an all-star charity recording of Ben E. King's classic song "Stand by Me" performed by "some of the finest musicians on earth, all contributing their parts from isolation in locations across the world."
The requested minimum donation is $30 per person at the door. All donations go directly to the artists.
Reservations to be opened for this show about a month before the show, but sign up on our mailing list to be the first notified.
My annual birthday show with Barbara Nesbitt! Barbara's latest recording, Lucky Street is now available, which Mary Jo and I help will into existence.
Barbara is one of the hosts of the Monday Night Supper Club at El Mercado South where she and Ben Jones host a different guest each week. This weekly show provides an outlet for testing out new songs on an audience.
Barbara has now released six solo albums, Lucky Street (2025), Someday, Maybe Sooner (2020), Right As Rain (2017), Almost Home (2013), A Million Stories (2007), The Bees (2010). In addition she has a CD out as one-half of "The Whiskey Sisters" (2013).
“With a voice that is clear as a mountain meadow and emotive as Patsy Cline, Barbara Nesbitt sings songs of life's journeys with fire grace and country soul” - Ray Benson, Asleep At The Wheel
The requested minimum donation is $30 per person at the door. All donations go directly to the artists.
Reservations to be opened for this show about a month before the show, but sign up on our mailing list to be the first notified.
Ray Prim is no stranger to Austin Music. He has been a frequent performer at the Dripping Springs Songwriters Festival, as well as venues all around Central Texas. Ray performs in many configurations from solo to an eight-piece full band. If you are not familiar with Ray, check out some of his videos and listen to some of his music (both on his website). Ray's latest CD EP is "Six" and has a total of 21 releases available on Bandcamp.
This is Ray's second appearance at Cantina Sound House Concerts. His first show was full house and an incredible show.
The requested minimum donation is $30 per person at the door. All donations go directly to the artists.
Reservations to be opened for this show about a month before the show, but sign up on our mailing list to be the first notified.
BettySoo is a Texas born and raised singer-songwriter, currently based in Austin. She played here at Cantina Sound House Concerts on August 20,2023, so she will be appearing again, 3 years later.
Betty has currently been touring the US with James McMurtry and Chris Smither. Previously, She toured with Alejandro Escovedo. She toured the US and Europe as part of the Americana/Pop supergroup trio, Nobody's Girl.
She is no stranger to house concerts, she even has a page dedicated to describing house concerts on her website.
BettySoo's latest CD is If You Never Go Away. Her first solo CD release was 2007's Little Tiny Secrets, followed by Heat Sin Water Skin, When We're Gone, and a demos disc, Insomnia Waking Dream: Insomnia Waking Dream. She has also recorded 2 CD's with Doug Cox, Lie To Me and More Lies. Nobody's Girl released an EP, Waterline, and a full length CD Nobody's Girl. Most are available in her online store along with many other goodies (productivity planners/calendars, puppets, stickers, pins, shirts, hats, and of course digital downloads). Nobody's Girl CDs are available on their store.
“Truly remarkable. BettySoo’s sharp, often self-deprecating humor skillfully wove the songs together. Her clear, evocative voice and poignant lyrics recall Patty Griffin and Joni Mitchell, and did I mention she’s a hell of a guitar player?”– NO DEPRESSION, live concert review
Betty was a Kerrville 2008 Grassy Hill New Folk Award Winner. Additionally, she has been named Songwriter of the Year at Big Top Chautauqua and won The Dave Carter Songwriting Award at Sisters Folk Festival and Mountain Stage's New Song.
The requested minimum donation is $30 per person at the door. All donations go directly to the artists.
Reservations to be opened for this show about a month before the show, but sign up on our mailing list to be the first notified.
It will have been too long since Susan Gibson played at Cantina Sound House Concerts (1.5 years), but this time we are featuring just Susan.
For the few who are not familiar with Susan Gibson, she came to prominence when The Chicks recorded her song "Wide Open Spaces". She got her musical career started after college as a member of the band The Groobees. Susan's latest CD is "The Hard Stuff", but she has released six other CD's of music, including a live album. Susan regularly hosts and participates in songwriter workshops.
"The Hard Stuff is what happens when a brilliant intellect conjures heart and life experience into song, conveyed in a voice you want to crawl inside forever, and produced to perfection without any hint of compromise." - Eliza Gilkyson
"When I listen to a Susan Gibson song, I know she is sharing a piece if her heart and soul with me. Susan writes about true stories in her life. She writes with courage puts forth her message with powerful and heartfelt guitar and vocals. It only takes a few lines of her recorded songs for me to recognize that "Susan Sound." Her new record has that for sure. Enjoy....." - Lloyd Maines - Music producer and musician.
The requested minimum donation is $30 per person at the door. All donations go directly to the artists.
Reservations to be opened for this show about a month before the show, but sign up on our mailing list to be the first notified.
Discussions are underway with other artists for shows later next year.