This brand new event, dubbed Fireside Tunes, is meant to capture the essence of some of our most-loved experiences – spending the evening outside on The Patio with folks we care about, listening to live music in a down-to-earth, low-key (but high-vibe) atmosphere, sipping craft drinks, and sharing a love of music – all around our stone-cut fire pits.

The Sapsuckers write and perform original country/Americana songs that blend humor, heartache, and honky-tonk. With an eclectic style that ranges from hillbilly roots to Nashville pop, the songwriting team of Nikki Grossman and Joe Hart has developed a lively, contemporary take on country music. Their creative lyrics, catchy melodies, and clever stage show have earned them a growing fanbase in the Midwest and beyond. In recent years, the duo has expanded to include a backing band of up to four additional musicians.

Grossman and Hart live on a rural homestead in Southwestern Wisconsin. They tour frequently throughout the Midwest and beyond. They are a favorite headlining act at festivals including Mile of Music, Fox Valley Folk Festival, and the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old Time Association. They are also frequent radio and television guests, with live appearances on Radio Heartland/The Current (Minneapolis), 30-Minute Music Hour (PBS-Madison), The Midnight Hour (Chicago), Simply Folk (Madison), and many others.

At Fireside Tunes, you can expect an emotive musical experience of local, regional, and occasionally touring artists with a strong lean towards acoustic, folk, and Americana styles. Fireside Tunes offers listeners a well-rounded sound, with occasional notes of indie, rock, and other musical genres.

Fireside Tunes is held on select Wednesdays throughout the summer and autumn on The Lakely Patio from 7:30pm to 9:30pm. In the event of inclement weather, Fireside Tunes will move inside to The Lakely Stage. This event is free to attend, but please come thirsty!

Are you a musician interested in gigging at Fireside Tunes? Send a note to stage@theoxbowhotel.com for more info!

This brand new event, dubbed Fireside Tunes, is meant to capture the essence of some of our most-loved experiences – spending the evening outside on The Patio with folks we care about, listening to live music in a down-to-earth, low-key (but high-vibe) atmosphere, sipping craft drinks, and sharing a love of music – all around our stone-cut fire pits.

Come and enjoy an inspiring performance of original music with Songa. Singer-songwriters and lifelong musicians, Mario and Sherry Friedel will take you on a journey with their unique instrumental sound and vocal blend. Their newest EP, “Sunshine in the Rain,” includes songs of hope with a message of love and care for humanity after a period of deep introspection during the pandemic.

Multi-instrumentalists playing guitar, banjo, ukulele, harmonica, melodica and percussion, these artists will take you from folk to country to bluegrass to blues to Latin jazz and back again. A 2021 compilation of seven of Mario’s songs arranged for Big Band Jazz in Janet Planet’s “Under the Venus Moon” was recognized on the Grammy Ballot 2021 under the category Best Vocal Jazz Album.

Mario was produced and published by Buzz Cason, Creative Workshop Studio, Nashville, TN and signed to Universal Records in 1971 as a member of White Duck, Jimmy Buffet’s first Coral Reefer Band, along with legendary Americana artist John Hiatt. Sherry is a lifelong music educator and church music director. Mario and Sherry are joined by musicians Will DeBlaey on acoustic bass and Rose Mish on violin, filling out our quartet and contributing to our authentic Americana sound.

At Fireside Tunes, you can expect an emotive musical experience of local, regional, and occasionally touring artists with a strong lean towards acoustic, folk, and Americana styles. Fireside Tunes offers listeners a well-rounded sound, with occasional notes of indie, rock, and other musical genres.

Fireside Tunes is held on select Wednesdays throughout the summer and autumn on The Lakely Patio from 7:30pm to 9:30pm. In the event of inclement weather, Fireside Tunes will move inside to The Lakely Stage. This event is free to attend, but please come thirsty!

Are you a musician interested in gigging at Fireside Tunes? Send a note to stage@theoxbowhotel.com for more info!

This brand new event, dubbed Fireside Tunes, is meant to capture the essence of some of our most-loved experiences – spending the evening outside on The Patio with folks we care about, listening to live music in a down-to-earth, low-key (but high-vibe) atmosphere, sipping craft drinks, and sharing a love of music – all around our stone-cut fire pits.

Emily Watkins has been an active member of the Chippewa Valley music scene for over ten years. During her time with Grammy-nominated UW-Eau Claire’s Jazz Ensemble I, the group was awarded the Downbeat Award for Best Undergraduate College Big Band. She currently plays in several jazz groups, including Cathy Reitz & 7 Swing and the Chippewa Valley Jazz Orchestra. Emily is well-versed in a variety of styles of guitar playing, including funk, country/folk, classical, blues, and many varieties of rock music. She is the guitarist and a vocalist in Uncommon Denominator, which has been voted Best Cover Band in the Chippewa Valley in the Volume One Reader’s Poll for three consecutive years. Emily has also played in pit orchestras for almost thirty different musicals, playing guitar primarily and doubling on banjo and mandolin. In 2021, she played with the Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre in Grand Lake, Colorado. You can find Emily on Facebook @emilywatkinsmusic 

Maggie Sills is a graduate student at the University of Minnesota studying occupational therapy, who met Emily in the French horn section of the Eau Claire North High School Band. Val Evans studied trombone and vocal performance at UW-Stevens Point and graduated in 2020. Val teaches private music lessons and works with the Stand in the Light Memory Choir. You can find Val on Facebook @ValerieEvansMusic

At Fireside Tunes, you can expect an emotive musical experience of local, regional, and occasionally touring artists with a strong lean towards acoustic, folk, and Americana styles. Fireside Tunes offers listeners a well-rounded sound, with occasional notes of indie, rock, and other musical genres.

Fireside Tunes is held on select Wednesdays throughout the summer and autumn on The Lakely Patio from 7:30pm to 9:30pm. In the event of inclement weather, Fireside Tunes will move inside to The Lakely Stage. This event is free to attend, but please come thirsty!

Are you a musician interested in gigging at Fireside Tunes? Send a note to stage@theoxbowhotel.com for more info!

This brand new event, dubbed Fireside Tunes, is meant to capture the essence of some of our most-loved experiences – spending the evening outside on The Patio with folks we care about, listening to live music in a down-to-earth, low-key (but high-vibe) atmosphere, sipping craft drinks, and sharing a love of music – all around our stone-cut fire pits.

Hemma comes from a family of singers, carving her own path for the last decade as a troubadour in the country and folk tradition. Sometimes with a full band, many times a soloist, Hemma captivates the audience as she paints with a pastoral brush passed down from Neil and Joni. The band is back in the studio this winter in her native Eau Claire with producer Sean Carey for a follow-up EP to her 2020 Tomorrow River. Find Hemma on Facebook @hemmatime and Instagram @hemmahealing

At Fireside Tunes, you can expect an emotive musical experience of local, regional, and occasionally touring artists with a strong lean towards acoustic, folk, and Americana styles. Fireside Tunes offers listeners a well-rounded sound, with occasional notes of indie, rock, and other musical genres.

Fireside Tunes is held on select Wednesdays throughout the summer and autumn on The Lakely Patio from 7:30pm to 9:30pm. In the event of inclement weather, Fireside Tunes will move inside to The Lakely Stage. This event is free to attend, but please come thirsty!

Are you a musician interested in gigging at Fireside Tunes? Send a note to stage@theoxbowhotel.com for more info!