StoryhillThe Cedar welcomes back Chris and Johnny, who together make up popular acoustic folk duo Storyhill, now part of the Red House Records family. Chris and John have been keeping busy, what with summer festivals to organize, writing new songs, working on side musical projects, and some regional touring. However, it always comes down to doing what they like best: performing in front of an enthusiastic hometown audience, reveling in the shared energy and passion for good music. Please come and be part of it!

Ani DiFrancoAni's coming back! The Cedar is proud to present iconic feminist singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco in concert at the State Theatre a few days after the release of Ani's new album Red Letter Year (to be released Sept 30). New songs, new stories, irrepressibly outspoken Ani in a memorable evening. Early ticket purchase is recommended due to high potential for a sellout.

Liz CarrollAs a female, American-born fiddler who insists on honing an expansive repertoire of original tunes, Liz Carroll has become a revered figure in traditional Irish music despite what many on the scene consider three strikes against her. In an art form long dominated by men, she's an instrumentalist with such technical poise and unbridled energy that her concerts are thrill-inducing affairs. In a field where a player's sound is often defined by his county of origin in Ireland, Carroll, the child of Irish immigrants, is a product of Chicago's vibrant Celtic music scene. But her most unlikely achievement might well be that Carroll has composed more than a dozen tunes that have become standards among her peers.

Crooked StillFans of Crooked Still who came to their stunning sold out Cedar show in Mar 2007 or one of their insanely popular shows at Winnipeg Folk Festival over the past two years will notice a change: cellist Rushad Eggleston left the group in November of 2007. The group has now become five with the addition of fiddler Brittany Haas and Tristan Clarridge on cello and second fiddle. Lead vocalist Aoife O’Donovan told No Depression magazine, “When you’re in a quartet, and one of your members who’s been a huge creative part of your sound decides to leave, it definitely crosses your mind to just not do it. But we had spent five years building a name for ourselves. And if you look at almost every band that’s successful, there’s been line-up changes.” If Still Crooked, the first album from the new line-up, is any indication, success for this young band will be explosive. Crooked Still continues to perform one of the most compelling forms of alternative bluegrass and string band music today.