by craig kusek | Feb 1, 2026
Hobo Cane
Pure heart. Pure soul. Pure music.
That’s the spirit of Hobo Cane.
Born Javier Alberto Mendoza in Virginia to a Spanish mother and a Mexican-American father, music was woven into Javier’s life from the very beginning. His passion ignited early and led him to Miami, where he launched his professional career as a staff writer with Warner-Chappell Music. There, he penned songs for global pop icons including Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin, Juanes, Rosario, and more.
At the core of Javier’s artistry is an unshakable belief that music heals, connects, and fills the soul. Over the years, he has performed hundreds of benefit concerts, supporting both local and international nonprofit organizations such as World Pediatrics, Nurses for Newborns, Pan y Amor, and many others.
A fierce believer in real, human, from-the-heart music, Javier continues to resist shortcuts in favor of authenticity.
hobocane
https://www.hobocane.com/
$10-$20 suggested Donation
by craig kusek | Jan 7, 2026
Sky Smeed is a folk singer-songwriter whose songs balance humor, heart, and honesty. He was raised in a one-room schoolhouse outside Chanute, Kansas. At 16 his sister handed him a Takamine acoustic guitar for his birthday. That old guitar, along with a growing love for Bruce Springsteen’s The Ghost of Tom Joad and Son Volt’s Trace, sent him down a long road of writing songs and playing for anyone willing to listen.
by craig kusek | Jun 3, 2025
Barak Hill is a singer-songwriter from Springfield, Missouri, the winner of American Songwriter Magazine’s 2012 Santa Cruz Guitar Song Contest, and was named one of the top three solo musicians in Southwest Missouri in a 417 Magazine readers’ poll. Barak tours regularly and has shared the stage with a wide range of artists — from popular regional bands like Big Smith and The Ben Miller Band to national artists like Jay Farrar (Son Volt) and Amanda Shires (Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit). Barak’s songs and sound run in the same vein as Amos Lee, Josh Ritter, Steve Earle, and Gillian Welch. It’s heartbroken Americana hanging on to a fistful of hope that things might just get better. Honest, well-crafted lyrics set to strong melodies connect with people on an intimate, personal level.
by craig kusek | May 30, 2025
Two-time New England “Roots Act of the Year” nominee and winner of the International Acoustic Music Awards Best Country/Bluegrass song 2024, Crowes Pasture inspires audiences with their powerful and moving songs that connect with listeners at every stage of life. While their lyrics provoke thought and emotion, their unique banjo-guitar instrumental union takes listeners on a meditative journey, sometimes joyful, sometimes wistful and oftentimes poignant. The duo has gained a loyal following throughout New England, charmed by their approachable presence and mesmerized by their intimate and haunting harmonies, described by Americana Highways as “a wholly vintage vocal parfait” and “rurally expressive with a genuine instinctive unifying feel.”
by craig kusek | May 30, 2025
John Byrne is a Dublin native and Philadelphia-based musician who performs as a solo act and with The John Byrne Band. Their debut album, After the Wake, was released to critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic in 2011. With influences ranging from Tom Waits to Planxty, John’s songwriting honors and expands upon the musical and lyrical traditions of his native and adopted homes.
