Americana Community Music Association concerts

The Americana Community Music Association is Fort Myers home for original Americana music. The ACMA provides a venue for local and touring artists, many are award winning performers in the Americana/folk community.
In the next two months, local music lovers will get the opportunity to experience the sounds and stories of Roy Schneider. He will play alongside Kim Mayfield (his wife) and Bill Metts at the monthly Songwriters on the Plaza at the library in downtown Fort Myers on Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 6 p.m. for a free concert.
The Reckless Saints (Roy Schneider and Kim Mayfield) will take center stage on Saturday, Jan. 4 at the ACMA listening room on Jan. 4 as the evening’s headliner. The Pearl Street Band (Bob Williams, Bill Veach, Mike McMillan and Clark Johnson) will open. On Saturday, Jan. 11, Roy will open for Malcolm Holcombe on at the ACMA listening room in Fort Myers (that show has a special price of $20).
The ACMA is pleased to welcome back Roy Schneider and Kim Mayfield to open the 2020 music season. There’s a special story behind the connection with them and the ACMA. Beyond that they always bring a wonderful vibe and special music to our stage. This year brings Tom Cahill to the stage as one of the Saints. Here’s a bit about the band.
Troubadour and formerly syndicated cartoonist Roy Schneider has developed a devoted fan base for his flavor of Americana music since 2008, through international radio airplay and consistent touring with life-and-stage partner Kim Mayfield. Known in festival circles as the Reckless Saints, Schneider and Mayfield have brought their musical blend of the gritty, fun, soulful and sweet to delighted audiences across the USA and abroad, exploring and expanding their musical horizons with every performance.
Schneider’s songs have earned praise in the Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition (TX), Telluride Blues & Brews Acoustic Blues competition (CO), and Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Emerging Artist showcase (NY). The duo has performed official showcases at Folk Alliance conferences in New York, Austin and Asheville. Other notable venues include Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe, Northern England’s MAD Fest, and season 5 of NBC’s The Voice.
Also a gifted accompanist, Schneider has performed with John McEuen (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), Joe Craven (Garcia/Grisman), folk icon Tom Paxton, Stevie Coyle (The Waybacks), Freebo, Buddy Mondlock, Gove Scrivenor and many others.
This month, the ACMA welcomes Kraig Kenning to the listening room on Dec. 7. Ross Jordan will open that night. Call him contemporary folk, acoustic blues, roots rock, or American fingerstyle. The fact is, Kraig has managed to merge a bit of all the above, while maintaining a close and personal connection with his audience. Kraig has played up to 200 dates a year touring the US for the last three decades, showcasing songs from his eight CDs containing almost exclusively original material.
Kenning has shaped himself into one of the most capable performers on the planet. “There is an exchange at a spiritual level in a great performance. My goal is to journey with all my listeners to this magical place.”
At National Guitar’s 1st Annual Slide Competition, Kraig took first place honors as Best Unsigned Artist. He has opened for Mick Taylor of the Rolling Stones, and slide guitar master Sonny Landreth; and he has shared lineups with club and folk series favorites such as John Gorka and Patti Larkin.
As mentioned Malcolm Holcombe comes to Fort Myers Jan. 11. On the cusp of releasing his 13th studio album — “Come Hell or High Water,” — singer-songwriter Malcolm Holcombe is a both a part of and apart from those Blue Ridge hills, a Southern folk golem brought to life by the deeper mysteries that give these hills so much of their folklore.
His songs belong in the same Western North Carolina echelon of mysteries like the Brown Mountain Lights or the ghostly apparitions along Helen’s Bridge or the phantom choir of Roan Mountain — things that surpass conventional explanation but summon forth a combination of awe and primal longing, an ache to understand the great questions of the human condition.
The ACMA welcomes Kyshona on Friday, Jan. 17, and Shannon Labrie will open. Kyshona Armstrong started out enabling others to enjoy the healing properties of songwriting, and keeping her thoughts to herself. When you’re a music therapist to incarcerated and institutionalized adults and school children with emotional behavior disorders, artistic considerations aren’t even on the table.
“I definitely had to accept the fact that when I’m writing with a patient, whatever they want to do is what they want to do,” Armstrong tells the Scene as she nurses a latte in East Nashville. “It’s their song: ‘Even if it might not fit in a form, if that’s what you want to say, say it. We’re not writing a big hit. This is for you,’ “ adds Kyshona.
Armstrong has reached the point where she embraces repetitive internal rhythms that emerge in some of her songwriting — likening them to both gospel spirituals and the viscerally simplistic utterances of her former patients — and she’s delivering her roots-soul originals with articulate warmth and newly claimed authority.
All shows are in a quiet, intimate setting and every show is a meet and greet with the artists. YouTube any of these artists and be prepared to be impressed by the talent that is available to you all year round for a cost of $15 donation. The headliners are touring “under the wire, should be famous” musicians. Each show has a local songwriter that performs at a professional level open for the headliner.
Singer songwriters circle take place every Sunday 2-4 p.m. at All Faiths Unitarian Congregation at 2756 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers. The circle is for Acoustic Songwriters of all levels. Songs and experiences are shared in a non-judgmental, casual atmosphere. No membership required. All are welcome to come and play or just to listen.
The ACMA is a non-sectarian not for profit organization. Most concerts are held at All Faiths Congregation located at 2756 McGregor Blvd. in Fort Myers. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. all shows start at 7 pm. For more info visit www.americanacma.org