Buttonwood Doings

Singer-songwriter Deni Bonet comes to The Buttonwood Tree Friday February 6 to play her songs and share the stage with banjo man Curtis Eller (more about him later.) Bonet blends elements of rock, folk, country, blues, even a touch of hip-hop into her witty and accessible songs. She's recorded with Robyn Hitchcock, Sarah McLachlan, and the late Chris Whitley and appeared on stage with REM, Allan Touissaint and Warren Zevon (among others.) She plays fiddle and can really rock out when she wants to. To learn more, go to www.denibonet.com.

Curtis Eller is billed as "New York City's angriest banjo playing yodeler" and works hard to uphold his image. His songs may remind some of "protest music" from the 1960s, with influences like Phil Ochs and Dave Van Ronk. One hears touches of blues, country, folk, even reggae in his music. His website claims that he and his band (American Circus) attempts "to capture the spirit of the Hartford Circus Fire of 1944. Although there are sure to be many acts of heroism by performers and crew alike, ultimately it will prove to be the greatest disaster in circus history." Not sure if his band is coming but you can be the judge of these claims by sitting in the intimate performance space for this 7:30 p.m. show. To get a feel for Eller's music, go to www.curtiseller.com. For ticket information, call 347-4957.

Saturday night, it's more "Americana", folk and roots music, when Delusions of Adequacy returns to The Buttonwood for a 7:30 p.m. show. The quartet, composed of Mark Hoffman (guitar, banjo, harmonica, vocals), Denny Collin (bass, guitar, vocals), Cornelius (Con) Dowd (mandolin, dobro, guitar, vocals) and Jim King (guitar, vocals), is known for its fine vocal harmonies and strong musicianship.