1/25/26 – Friendly Music Community
Good music doesn’t just happen at night. Chicagoland’s phenomenal duo, Ashley & Simpson will be joining Miguel and I as our next musical guests, possibly along with some other surprise performances. Come for the music and coffee bar delicacies, but stay for the community vibes! Kids and dogs are encouraged! 
1/20/26 – Fitzgerald’s Side Bar
FITZGERALDS SONGWRITER CIRCLE:
w/ Host Jenny Bienemann and guests Ashley & Simpson and Paige Hargrove
FREE SHOW! Click “Book Now” to make a reservation
Grab dinner before the show at BABYGOLD BARBECUE
***PARKING***
There is rather limited street parking in the area, we recommend arriving by rideshare, bicycle, or rickshaw.
12/26/25 – Two Way Street Coffee House
Two Way Street Coffee House is Chicagoland’s most beloved folk and acoustic music venue, presenting weekly concerts and community events for over 50 years! The show starts at 8pm (CT) and the doors open at 7:30pm. (Suggested donation $10, cash or Paypal at door). We will also host this concert virtually. You may access the livestream on www.twowaystreet.org, on our Facebook page, or on our YouTube channel.
On Friday, December 26, 2025 Two Way Street Coffee House Friday Night Concert Series together with Music & Potlucks presents a special evening of music with Jim Gary, Patty Peace, Ashley & Simpson and Mark Dvorak.
Every Music & Potlucks event features an opportunity to give to neighbors in need. Music & Potlucks has gathered and forwarded thousands of pounds of food, toiletries, gift cards, and other items, plus financial donations to local social services agencies including Beyond Hunger, Housing Forward, Build Chicago, A House In Austin, Peace Corner Youth Center, and Intonation.
This special evening will include music with local folk favorites Jim Gary, Patty Peace Ashley & Simpson and Mark Dvorak. Bring your canned goods to donate! 100% of all donations collected will be used to help support both the West Suburban Community Pantry and all the great things Music & Potlucks is doing to help support our neighbors in need.
JIM GARY
From the Kerrville Folk Festival “New Folk” stage to Nashville’s Bluebird Café’s Sunday Writers’ Night to the here and now, Jim Gary has been delighting audiences with his charming wit, “very solid” songwriting (Kevin’s Celtic & Folk Music CD Reviews) and “one of the warmest and richest voices on the local scene” (Maple Street Chapel Concert Series). Jim Gary lives in the Chicago area, has recorded a CD of Michael Smith songs (“I Wanna Be Like Mike”) and continues to write and perform. Jim released a 2nd CD of original music, Big Door… Little Wonder in 2014, and that same year placed 3rd in the Great River Folk Festival’s Songwriting and Performance Contest in LaCrosse, Wisconsin.
PATTY PEACE
If you like Joan Baez, Janis Ian, or Buffy St. Marie, you’ll probably like Chicago-based singer/songwriter Patty Peace. At any given time, she may be covering artists like Joni Mitchell, The Beatles, or Paul Simon. She may be performing an original song, drawn from decades of human service and peace labors. Or she might be sharing her versions of ancient folk songs. Her engaging acoustic style has been compared to Judy Collins. Her inspiration is drawn from love – of peace, nature, and family. Her subject matters range from philosophy to physics, lamentation to love, ravages to remedies.
ASHLEY & SIMPSON
Comprised of Jennifer Ashley and Joel Simpson, Ashley & Simpson are quickly becoming folk scene favorites. This folk duo blends traditional songs and instrumentation along with beautiful vocal harmonies reminiscent of famous duos such as Ian & Silvia and The Everly Brothers. With their sophomore release “Off To Here Land,” they have pushed the art of folk to a new sound with an all-traditional track list that will delight fans new and old. Both bringing a classical perspective to their duo, Jennifer Ashley & Joel Simpson have reached a new level by incorporating elements of jazz, popular music, and other modern styles in their arrangements.
MARK DVORAK
Mark Dvorak is a modern day troubadour who has never stopped performing, writing and recording. He has been called “a folk singer’s folk singer” with “an encyclopedic knowledge of traditional songs.” His original songs “wondrous” and “profound.”
Though Mark often appears in theaters and on festival stages, he is also at home in a more intimate setting. His concerts are a mix of the familiar and the new, traditional folk and standards from the Great American
Songbook. He plays authentic country blues guitar and picks great old-time banjo. Mark enjoys involving his audiences in sing-along songs, just like The Weavers used to do, and mixes in his own infectious and well-crafted originals.
Mark has a refreshing, down-to-earth stage presence and is a very engaging performer. He sings with a clear, signature voice and he likes to joke around with the folks who attend his shows. Throughout the program he’ll interject personal anecdotes and add a touch of history and social context to the performance.
If you can’t join us in person, you can still tune in virtually to catch the show! Make your donation HERE to Music & Potlucks. Visit www.twowaystreet.org for more information.
10/5/25 – Two Way Street Coffee House
Welcome to the Heritage Matinee Series at the Two Way Street Coffee House! We are thrilled to announce a new concert series at the Two Way Street Coffee House, taking place on select Sunday afternoons in 2025. In each concert, Mark Dvorak and Ashley & Simpson will be joined by two local artists for a matinee concert, all benefitting the Two Way Street Coffee House! 100% of free-will donations collected at each concert will support the Two Way Street Coffee House’s operation and programming. It’s a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon, and it’s a great way to support Two Way Street! All shows will begin at 3pm (CT) and the doors will open at 2:30pm.
On October 5, 2025 the Two Way Street Coffee House is pleased to present Mark Dvorak, Ashley & Simpson, the George Mattson Trio, and Lisa P. Medina as part of our Heritage Matinee Series.
Mark Dvorak
Mark Dvorak is a modern-day troubadour who has never stopped performing, writing and recording. He has been called “a folk singer’s folk singer” with “an encyclopedic knowledge of traditional songs.” His original songs “wondrous” and “profound.”
Though Mark often appears in theaters and on festival stages, he is also at home in a more intimate setting. His concerts are a mix of the familiar and the new, traditional folk and standards from the Great American Songbook. He plays authentic country blues guitar and picks great old-time banjo. Mark enjoys involving his audiences in sing-along songs, just like The Weavers used to do, and mixes in his own infectious and well-crafted originals.
Ashley & Simpson
Comprised of Jennifer Ashley and Joel Simpson, Ashley & Simpson are quickly becoming folk scene favorites. This folk duo blends traditional songs and instrumentation along with beautiful vocal harmonies reminiscent of famous duos such as Ian & Silvia and The Everly Brothers. With their sophomore release “Off To Here Land,” they have pushed the art of folk to a new sound with an all traditional track list that will delight fans new and old. Both bringing a classical perspective to their duo, Jennifer Ashley & Joel Simpson have reached a new level with incorporating elements of jazz, popular music and other modern styles in their arrangements.
George Mattson Trio
George Mattson has been a performer at Two Way Street Coffee House and a fixture in the local folk community for many years. A member of Plank Road Folk Music Society and the Plank Road String Band, George is our long time leader of the Plank Road and Two Way Street co-sponsored Saturday Sing Arounds and Song Circles. We are thrilled to have the George Mattson Trio once again on the Two Way Street Stage! Performing old time and classic country, swing, jazz, blues, honkytonk, George Mattson accompanies his big, rich voice on guitar and banjo. Featuring Tommy Re on fiddle, and Mike Hazdra on vocals and bass.
Lisa P. Medina
Lisa is a contemporary folk singer-songwriter with a flavorful hint of Latin rhythm and spice. Lisa’s performance history includes: church choir, theater kid, solo singer-songwriter, vocals and guitar in various duos and bands, and as a vocalist with a Grammy-nominated Latin jazz big band. Over the years Lisa sang on renowned stages, most notably at the Petrillo Bandshell for the Chicago Jazz Festival, Park West, the Old Town School Folk & Roots Festival, the Adler Planetarium, and at Wrigley Field singing the National Anthem for Cubs games.
Upon having children, Lisa’s paid gigs transformed into exclusive cribside lullabies and toddler storytimes. This season as a new mom – full of wonder and sometimes chaos – left her without the time or energy for writing songs. After a decade flew by, Lisa thought perhaps she had forgotten how. Finally, when the pandemic hit in 2020, isolation at home with her family, a new puppy, and an old piano stirred her creative spirit. Lisa and her little ones filled their time playing music together. Amid the devastating events in her community and the world, her children’s innocent laughter and musical curiosity became her muse. Lisa started crafting stories and dreams into powerful songs that resonate with listeners of all ages. These songs, written at a time of creative reawakening, form the heart and the backbone of Lisa’s latest project: her first studio album, which was released in May 2024.
We will also host this concert virtually. You may access the livestream on www.twowaystreet.org, on our Facebook page, or on our YouTube channel. All donations will support the Two Way Street Coffee House.
08/16/25 – Hickory Ridge Concerts
We are thrilled to be performing as part of the Hickory Ridge Concert series at the historic Ellisville Opera House. Visit Hickory Ridge Concerts for more information.
6/29/25 – Two Way Street Coffee House
Our second Heritage Matinee Series concert at the Two Way Street Coffee House on June 29th. More info at www.twowaystreet.org