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ASCAP Music Cafe celebrates 21 years of free concerts at Sundance Film Festival

ASCAP Music Cafe

When: Jan. 25 through Feb. 1

Where: Rich Haines Gallery, 751 Main St.

Cost: Free to Sundance Film Festival credential holders as space allows

Web: ascap.com and sundance.org

Music Café Performance Schedule

Friday, Jan. 25:

• 2 p.m. – The Dumes

• 2:45 p.m. – Patrick Martin

• 3:30 p.m. – Judith Owen

• 4:15 p.m. – Beulahbelle

• 5 p.m. – Everlast

Saturday, Jan. 26

• 2 p.m. – Dounia

• 2:45 p.m. – Judith Owen

• 3:30 p.m. – Patrick Martin

• 4:15 p.m. – Patty Griffin

• 5:15 p.m. – Herizen

• 6 p.m. – Everlast

Sunday, Jan. 27

• 2 p.m. – Claudia Brant

• 2:45 p.m. – Warbly Jets

• 3:30 p.m. – MILCK

• 4:15 p.m. – Patty Griffin

• 5:15 p.m. – iDKHOW

Monday, Jan. 28

• 2 p.m. – Claudia Brant

• 2:45 p.m. – Shim Moore

• 3:30 p.m. – Warbly Jets

• 4:15 p.m. – MILCK

• 5 p.m. – Leland

• 5:45 p.m. – iDKHOW

Tuesday, Jan, 29

• 2 p.m. – Shim Moore

• 2:45 p.m. – Leland

• 3:30 p.m. – Marcus Eaton

• 4:15 p.m. – Neff-U & Priscilla Renea

• 5:15 p.m. – Flor de Toloache

Wednesday, Jan. 30

• 2 p.m. – Flor de Toloache

• 2:45 p.m. – Neff-U & Priscilla Renea

• 3:45 p.m. – Stephen Bishop

• 4:30 p.m. – ACM & Bluebird Cafe Songwriters Series featuring Carlton Anderson, Deana Carter, Jacob Davis & Lee Ann Womack

• 6:15 p.m. – Abe Musical Performance by Seu Jorge & Jaques Morelenbaum

Thursday, Jan. 31

• 2 p.m. – Mel Bryant & the Mercy Makers

• 2:45 p.m. – JP Saxe

• 3:30 p.m. – Stephen Bishop

• 4:15 p.m. – ACM & Bluebird Cafe Songwriters Series featuring Carlton Anderson, Deana Carter, Jacob Davis & Lee Ann Womack

Friday, Feb. 1 2

• 2 p.m. – Mel Bryant & the Mercy Makers

• 2:45 p.m. – Park88

• 3:30 p.m. – JP Saxe

• 4:15 p.m. – Pete Molinari

• 5 p.m. – Brett Young

The ASCAP Music Cafe is officially old enough to drink.

For the past 21 years, the event, run by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, has teamed with the Sundance Film festival to present free concerts performed by ASCAP-affiliated artists.

Past performances have included Johnny Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls, Rachael Yamagata, Lenka, Brett Dennon, Guy Clark and Sting.



“It’s been such an incredible road,” said Loretta Munoz, ASCAP assistant vice president of membership. “Every year at this time, I will pull up and review the different artists who have played, and it’s pretty stunning.”

This year’s concert series, which will run during the film festival from Friday, Jan. 25, through Friday, Feb. 1, at the Rich Haines Gallery, 751 Main St., is set to include Claudia Brant, Patrick Martin and MILCK.



The mission of the ASCAP Music Cafe, which started at the Elks Lodge, before moving to the Star Bar and a tent on Main Street, before landing at the gallery, is to expose ASCAP artists to the filmmaking community.

“While our mission is to collect royalties and get distribution for our artists, we also work with our members and try to create new opportunities for them,” she explained. “Sundance elevates filmmaking by giving voices to artists in different areas including composing and producing. That’s what we’re doing, and it’s worked out very well.”

Munoz is looking also forward to presenting seasoned artists — Deana Carter, Everlast and Patty Griffin – this year.

“I like to call these artists jewels in the crown, because their music is sustaining and still affects us throughout the years,” she said. “We have been trying to get (rapper) Everlast out for quite some time, but the timing never worked out. So we’re excited to have him come this year.”

Munoz likens Americana singer Griffin’s lyrics to poetry.

“Her voice is like tears in the snow, and those can be tears of sorrow or tears of joy,” she said. “I’m blown away by all the music we were able and still are able to present.”

Munoz remembered when the lineup included Rufus Wainwright, Joe Jackson and Judy Collins, back in 2006.

“When I get the artist on stage, I like to crawl back into the crowd to hear some of the sets, and . when we had Judy Collins, people told me when they first saw Judy or that this was their first time seeing her after hearing their parents talk about her,” she said.

Local music fans will recognize the name of Park88, an act new to the series that will make its Music Cafe debut.

Park88 is the husband and wife duo of pianist Rich Wyman and singer Lisa Needham, who have lived in Park City since 1991.

Last fall, the two embarked on a tour with the Grammy Award-winning Latin-music band, Gypsy Kings.

Wyman, a multi-ASCAP Songwriting Award winner, has worked with artists such as Van Halen and producer Andy Johns. Needham, a local singer, recently sold her yoga studio to join Wyman in the duo.

“A good friend of ours, Jonathan McCue, told me about Park88, and I didn’t put that together with Rich, whom I have known for years through his solo music and music blogs,” Munoz said. “When I did connect the dots, it made sense to have them play, because it’s also a nod to Park City.”

Sometimes the cafe presents surprise performances, like when former Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora performed a special solo set in 2014.

Seven years before that, when the Music Cafe was located at the Star Bar, (now the site of O.P. Rockwell) one of Munoz’s favorite musicians, Glen Hansard from the group The Frames, stopped by.

Hansard was at Sundance for John Carney’s film “Once,” in which Hansard plays an Irish busker, Munoz said.

“The back door opened and someone walked in looking for me because he wanted to play,” she said. “It was Glen, and I think I just greeting him by saying, ‘Yes.’ He told me Damien Rice had told him to find me and ask to play.”

This year, rumors that Bruce Springsteen will pay Park City a visit have been fueled by the inclusion of Gurinder Chadha’s narrative feature premiere “Blinded By the Light.” The film is about a British teen who learns about life through Springsteen’s music.

Munoz would be thrilled to have Springsteen play at the ASCAP Music Cafe.

“If he walked in the door and said, ‘Hey, do you mind if I play a few songs?’ I think everyone would exuberantly welcome him.”

Having artists, composers or actors who are musicians who are attached to Sundance films perform at ASCAP Music Cafe pulls the partnership together, Munoz said.

It has happened when Sting and J. Ralph played in 2017 when the film “James: The James Foley Story” was at Sundance.

Their song, “The Empty Chair,” from the film’s soundtrack, was nominated for an Academy Award later that year.

This year, on Jan. 30, the cafe will present performances that tie in with Fernando Grostein Andrade’s film “Abe,” which is in the Sundance Kids category.

The set will be performed by Seu Jorge and Jacques Morelenbaum, Munoz said.

Jorge is an actor in the film, and Munoz considers Morelenbaum Brazilian music royalty.

“Seu wants to pay tribute to the film,” she said. “I’ve been binging and watching anything by Seu that I could get my hands on. And I’ve been delving deep into Jacques. Having them in the lineup is a nice part of the ingredients of this eclectic banquet.”

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