Songbird Cafe

DOORS OPEN 1/2 HOUR BEFORE SHOWTIME

Effective Saturday March 19, 2022 - Update to COVID-19 Mitigation Practices at the Focal Point

Beginning Saturday, March 19th, 2022, The Focal Point will no longer require proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. Patrons will also not be required to wear a mask during the performance. There may be future shows where masks or vaccination/negative test will be required at the request of the performer. This will be clearly noted on our website and all social media platforms when the event is advertised. We will also continue to follow the St. Louis County Health Department guidelines and will update our practices accordingly. Thank you for your continued support for The Focal Point. We are very grateful for our patrons, performers, and volunteers for all they have done over the past 2 years.

Todd Albright with Mat Wilson and Nick Pence

Saturday, April 16th at 8:00pm

$15 Advance (+$1 service fee)

$20 Door

Todd Albright is a country blues, twelve string guitar player and vocalist based in Detroit, Michigan. Grounded in the pre-war era of the blues tradition (1880-1939), Todd is a mindful purveyor of blues history. His repertoire upholds musical pillars such as Blind Willie McTell, George Carter, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Leadbelly. His life’s work continues the distinguished tradition of the very roots of American music as told by the African American musicians who created it. Todd’s vigorous, gritty and soulful performances are accompanied by stories of the masters and a deep intuitive sense of respect for craft, providing audiences with a meaningful experience while creating a transcendent moment. One of the top blues guitarists in the world, Todd is the only contemporary twelve string player in his genre.

Todd began playing the blues while still a teenager, some twenty-five years ago. Initially, he was drawn to the sound of the finger-picked style and has since immersed himself in the foundational music and narratives of American culture. Over the years, Todd has shared the stage with artists such as Roy Book Binder, Charlie Parr, Paul Geremia, and Dakota Dave Hull. Todd’s first full-length LP, Fourth Floor Visitor, was released by Jett Plastic Recordings out of Detroit, Michigan (2017). His latest album, Detroit Twelve String: Blues & Rags, is out now on Third Man Records (2017).

Mat Wilson and Nick Pence are well known guitar players from St. Louis. You may know Mat Wilson from The Rum Drum Ramblers, Devil’s Elbow or Boomtown United. You may know Nick Pence from The Bottlesnakes, The Dust Covers or The New Missouri Fox Hunters. These two have worked together in the past, including forming a gospel group The Houndsteeth. Both very familiar to the Focal Point, this collaboration is sure to be as unique as each of their own playing styles and repertoire!

Hamell on Trial with Jesse Irwin

Wednesday, April 20th at 7:00pm

$15 Advance (+$1 service fee)

$20 Door

Hamell on Trial is the musical alias of New York-based folk punk hero Ed Hamell. A one-man explosion, he is loud-as-war one minute, stepping off the microphone to whisper to an enthralled audience the next. This is a dynamic performance informed by politics, passion, intelligence and the all-important sense of humor. His caustic wit and devil-may-care attitude has long been a favorite of anti-establishment icons Aesop Rock, Kimya Dawson, Ani DiFranco and the critical elite inciting Rolling Stone magazine to call him “Bald, bold and superbad!” Henry Rollins says “Hamell is a one man rock show!” He has been described as “Bill Hicks, Hunter S. Thompson, and Joe Strummer all rolled into one” by Philadelphia Weekly and a “one man Tarantino flick: loud, vicious, luridly hilarious, gleefully and deeply offensive” by the Village Voice.

For more information, email Judy Stein at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

http://www.songbird-stl.com/