How things work at Concerts in the Woods: Our concerts are open to all with no admission charge, but there is an opportunity to make a donation at the door. 100% of the donations collected go directly to the artists who are performing for you. Doors open 30 minutes before showtime. We offer open seating on a first-come, first-served basis, with no tickets or advanced reservations. Complimentary coffee and cookies are served at intermission.
2025 Concert Schedule
Saturday, May 17, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. Larry Murante and Nati Popover
Singer-songwriter Larry Murante has a well-earned reputation as one of the Northwest’s finest contemporary singer/songwriters. And he has the accolades and dozens of regional, national, and international awards to back it up. Murante is well known for his soaring, mellifluous tenor, strong rhythmic guitar style, and engaging stage presence. He performs both originals and cover tunes. His award-winning original songs feature beautifully woven stories about everyday folks. They combine compassionate, socially conscious lyrics with an upbeat, joyful folk-rock style.
Larry’s music is reminiscent of Jackson Brown, Lyle Lovett, and Marc Cohn. His extensive repertoire of originals and classic covers can be tailored to audiences at festivals, wineries, restaurants, pubs, private events, radio interviews, and house concerts.In the past 10 years, Larry Murante has won more than 18 awards in US and international competitions for songwriting and performance, including Grand Prize Winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Other awards include the West Coast Songwriters Song Contest and the Great American Song Contest (see full list). His fourth CD release, Patch of Sky, has garnered critical acclaim and radio airplay in both the US and Europe.
Award winning violinist Nati Popova grew up in Moscow Russia and has performed all over Europe and the US for the past several decades. Natasha studied classical violin at Gnesin’s Music academy in Moscow Russia and organ at Hochshule Luzern in Switzerland. As a violinist, she has performed on the Bangladesh, “Wind Of Change” TV series and a US national tour with accordionist Sergei Teleshev as well as several other music projects in Moscow Russia, Eugene, OR and Dallas, TX. Natasha has amassed many performance awards including winner of the All-Russian contest “New Names” and the Grand Prix of the festival “International Talented” award to name a few. She is currently seeking asylum in the US and misses her brother and sister currently living in Ukraine and her mother and father who reside in Moscow, Russia.
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBn0hKYtlyQ
Saturday, June 7, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. Farmstrong
FarmStrong lights up the stage with exquisite harmony signing and seasoned instrumentation. The heart of the band draws on inspiration from the last century of country, blues and bluegrass music from the 1920’s through the 50’s, as well as folk, rock, gospel and soul music of the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and beyond.
FarmStrong’s talented and experienced musicians, including new Coyle resident Rick Meade also of local bluegrass favorite Me and the Boys, take their audience outside the bluegrass tradition. Their unmistakable sound moves the soul, while remaining firmly rooted in music from the mountains.
With four top-notch recordings to their credit, including their most recent “Farmstrong 4”, the band has a wealth of material to draw from to create another memorable musical afternoon in Coyle.
It’s been too long since we welcomed these guys back to Concerts in the Woods. Please join us for a great show performed by some of our best local musicians.
Website: https://farmstrongmusic.com/
Sunday, June 22, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. Claude Bourbon
The last time Claude Bourbon played concerts in the Woods (in April, 2023), the very first question on the lips of his rapturous audience was “When can he come back and play again?!” coming all the way from Europe to the Olympic Peninsula, we’re excited to have Claude back for this summer solstice-weekend matinee show.
It’s not easy to describe the almost endless mix of merging influences in this amazing string master’s playing… He moves from a classical opening with almost courteous music across the continent to the blues of the Mississippi Delta, from the Balearic Islands to the Balkans, and then back to the United States. A Spanish blues evolve into Gypsy music, travels to Eastern Europe, with a splash of Paco de Lucia, then a touch of Delta tunes and more. Also influences from Richie Blackmore, Joaquin Rodrigo, JJ Cale and even J. S. Bach speaks for themselves. Claude Bourbon has impeccable timing and does things on six strings that are simply amazing. Experience again his stunning acoustic fusion of blues, jazz, folk, classical and Spanish guitar. We’ll look forward to seeing you there!
Saturday, July 12, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. John “Greyhound” Maxwell
John “Greyhound” Maxwell brings his singular approach to slide guitar and mandolin, paying homage to the craft and tradition of the masters, while infusing the music with fresh energy. David Lindley is quoted as saying, “John is the finest bottleneck slide player I’ve heard in a long time.”
With an approach that is authentic and understated, Maxwell plays with the warmth and dexterity of someone who has loved the blues over a lifetime. Indeed, his education began as a teenager after seeing B.B. King play a set in Chicago in 1971. At Chicago’s historic Old Town School of Folk Music he took lessons from a young Johnny Long, himself a student of Homesick James. When Maxwell left for college in St. Louis, he originally studied classical, but grew restless and eventually fronted a blues trio.
He counts himself lucky enough to have mingled with blues legends Tommy Bankhead and Henry Townsend, with whom he later shared the stage and formed a friendship. He’s been drawn to slide since the beginning. “It increases that conversational aspect between the instrument and the voice,” he says.
That lineage is evident in the conversations he’s still having. In his capable hands, classics are given a deep bow and a quick wink, at once subtle and surprising. Likewise, his originals feel familiar to the genre, at home on a back-roads front porch or a downtown speakeasy.
Saturday, August 9, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. Rupert Wates
Rupert Wates’ music is an eclectic mix of acoustic, melodic art/folk, with flavors of jazz, vaudeville and cabaret. He has released twelve solo CDs. They have received outstanding reviews in the international online press and tracks from them have been played on radio all over the world. In addition, Wates’ songs have been covered by other artists in the UK, Canada and the US. Two full length tribute CDs to his material have been recorded: ‘Crazy Puzzle‘ (2015) by Nashville-based performer Roxie Rogers, and ‘Wide Open Heart‘ (July 2017) by Los Angeles vocalist Susan Kohler. Both these CDs were initiated and funded entirely by the artists themselves, and comprise exclusively songs taken from Rupert Wates’ back catalog. Over 20 recordings featuring Wates’s songs by other artists were made in 2016, and more are scheduled for 2017 (full list at www.rupertwatesmusic.com/covers).
Rupert was born in London and studied at Oxford University. He has been a full time songwriter since the late 1990s, when he signed a publishing contract with Eaton Music Limited. In London he worked with some of the best performers in the city. Moving in 2001 to Paris, Wates formed his own quartet and began playing live regularly. In fall 2006 he came to the US. He is now based in New York City and Colorado. Since coming to the US, he has won more than 50 songwriting and performing awards (www.rupertwatesmusic.com/awards).