Andrew Chappell, a Boise-based country singer/songwriter, kicked off the music on the street season for Swirl Wine Shop & Lounge Wednesday evening. Andrew wants you to know that the first P and the second L in his name are silent. :-) The evening was marked by fun (and sometimes sad) music, and a thunderstorm that rolled through as he took a break. He played a song called “Messed Up” which was originally recorded on an album to benefit the Idaho Food Bank. He recently recorded it with singer/songwriter Emily Judson which you can find on Spotify.

Cariies (pronounced kuh-REESE) is a Boise native who played a random mix of covers and originals at Karuna Kava in Garden City. The ukulele does not lend itself to great musical diversity, but she delivered just that. We heard covers from Redbone, Dolly Parton, The Eagles, Bob Marley, The Beatles, Amy Winehouse, Sublime, Weezer, and more. This original “Brave Face” may speak to those who are dealing with mental health illness. Look for it on Spotify.

Tom Taylor is a photo retoucher, motion graphics animator, video producer, musician and songwriter from Boise, Idaho. He played a combination of covers and originals at Potter Wines Saturday afternoon. I wanted to get into Potter Wines before the closed up shop at the end of the month, after 13 years! Here’s a Tom Taylor original, Mr. Sunshine.

Johnny 3 & The Goatheads played an evening of Folksy Bluegrass Friday evening at Mesquite Creek Outfitters in Caldwell. Their merch table is awesome, check out their album on Spotify and their YouTube channel.  Here’s a song Johnny wrote for his wife.

Shon Sanders & The Four Penny Peep Show brought their soul-powered music to Swirl Wine Shop & Lounge in Nampa Saturday evening. The music was groovin’ and the patrons were dancin’ as Shon & the boys played some classics, and this grammar-challenged original, “Me and You”.

Wesley George, a Treasure Valley singer/songwriter, played a packed Swirl Wine Shop & Lounge in Nampa Friday evening. We heard covered music from The Band, Ray LaMontagne, John Denver, John Prine, Tom Petty, The Beatles, Paul Simon, Rolling Stones and more. He also played “Peaches”, an original.

Better Than Jam, a Caldwell-based married duo, played an evening of Bluegrass, Jazz standards, Country, Folk, and Pop Thursday evening at Mesquite Creek Outfitters in Caldwell. These guys are crazy-versatile as just about any musical style could be next. Here’s an original instrumental called “Mayberry in the Middle”, which you can find on their Facebook and YouTube channels.

Freudian Slip, a Boise band the plays music for all occasions, performed Saturday night at Swirl Wine Shop & Lounge in Nampa. They played mostly Jazz standards including a there-song Frank Sinatra tribute and jazzed-up pop music including a Burt Bacharach attack, John Prine, and Diana Ross. Here’s one from Duke Ellington.

The Dennis McCleary Band provided my first outdoor music of the season Saturday afternoon at Kerry Hill Winery. They played a nice selection of covers on this perfect Spring afternoon, including music from Fastball, The Beatles, Don Gibson, Merle Haggard, Glen Campbell, The Kinks, and this one from Neil Young.

Leah Lynn, a Treasure Valley singer/songwriter, played a nice mix of covers and originals Friday night at Crescent Brewery in Nampa. Along the way we heard music from Quarterflash, The Byrds, Brandi Carlile, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jewel, and Judy Collins. From her original portfolio she performed “The lesson”.