Nellie McKay, The Red Romance, Michael McDermott September 28, 2007

Singer and pianist Nellie McKay stretches her cabaret style vocals to include rap, rock and everything in-between. Her quirky subject matter, combined with her torchy vocal delivery, has drawn comparisons by critics to an Eminem-inspired Doris Day to jazz vocalist Blossom Dearie to the legendary composers Cole Porter and Randy Newman. Her major label debut came in 2004 with 'Get Away From Me.' She follows it up in 2006 with 'Pretty Little Head.'

The Red Romance is a New York City rock 'n' roll outfit featuring vocalist/guitarist Matthew Dublin, guitarist Benjamin Lysaght, bassist Adam Chilenski and drummer Darren Beckett. With a focus on acoustic-edged melodic pop seamlessly blending with classic and modern-rock sensibilities, Fooling April has been pulling in new devotees at every opportunity. Perfecting their dynamic live show in the small clubs of Philadelphia and its surroundings, Fooling April has gone on to regular appearances at much larger venues.

Michael McDermott plays catchy, rootsy folk-rock music. The Chicago native, after troubles with various bands, McDermott chose the solo route. After watching and performing with many folksingers, he began to incorporate Irish music into his act. Frequent dates at a pub called Harrington's led to local word of mouth and a contract with SBK. In 1991, McDermott released his debut, '620 W. Surf,' and by 1993, 'Gethsemane' showed him moving farther away from the coffeehouse and closer to rock. A self-titled effort appeared in 1996. Four years of touring and writing produced the 2000 release 'Last Chance Lounge.' The singer/songwriter has recently released a new album entitled 'Ashes/2004.'