4/26/26 – Round Robin with February Sky
5/17/26 – Tunes & Tales at Two Way Street Coffee House
Tunes & Tales is a new songwriter-in-the-round series at the Two Way Street Coffee House, hosted by Ashley & Simpson—directors of the venue and a songwriting folk duo. Each session brings Ashley & Simpson together with two guest songwriters for an intimate afternoon of tunes and tales. In this cozy setting, artists take turns sharing their songs and the stories behind them, offering a deeper look into their creative process. Join us for a warm, conversational atmosphere where melodies meet meaning and every song comes with a tale.
Our next Tunes & Tales will be May 17, 2026 at 3pm (CT), where Ashley & Simpson will host Robin Bienemann and Jenny Bienemann.
ROBIN BIENEMANN
Robin Bienemann is a singer & songwriter from Chicago. His wickedly funny and poignant original songs mix contemporary themes with old musical styles. He combines dry humor and sophisticated songwriting with a deep sense of history. At his musical core is a reverence for the guitar as an instrument to accompany songs and as a vessel to express the American psyche in all its strange beauty and complexity.
Robin revels in the delicious history of Chicago music. He combines Blues, Jazz, Country and Latin music with fingerstyle guitar to create a playground for his lyrical musings on science, animals and the whole scope of human experience. His songs are poetic, comical and educational. A flow of images ranging from vampires, insects, dinosaurs, dodo birds, work and romance.
Robin has shared the stage with Dan Hicks, Christine Lavin, Junior Brown & Southern Culture on the Skids. He performs regularly solo, with his trio, and as a duo with his wife Jenny Bienemann. With his duo Twang Bang he toured the U.S. and Japan.
JENNY BIENEMANN
Jenny Bienemann is an award-winning poet, singer, songwriter, and visual artist with a mission to find the extraordinary in the everyday. With three critically acclaimed studio albums and two live albums, her music has underscored TV, film and theatre projects. She’s offered classes at The Old Town School of Folk Music, Lamb’s Retreat for Songwriters, and The Acorn Theatre.
She began a daily practice of taking photos and writing haiku. What started as a lark quickly evolved into Haiku Milieu, a movement of creativity and community. Today, there are four Haiku Milieu books, and more than 450 new songs inspired by Haiku Milieu, written by artists from across the United States and a Sunday Morning Haiku Milieu email that reaches a global audience. She has been featured in the Chicago Tribune Arts Section, WGN Radio 720 in Chicago, Chicago Public Radio, Northern Illinois Public Radio, Naperville Magazine, and more.
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.
Two Way Street Coffee House is Chicagoland’s most beloved folk and acoustic music venue, presenting weekly concerts and community events for over 55 years! The show starts at 3pm (CT) and the doors open at 2:30pm. Donations are accepted and encouraged. 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. You can donate to these artists HERE.
7/19/26 – Ashley & Simpson at Woodstock Folk Festival
The 41st Annual Woodstock Folk Festival will be held on Sunday, July 19 from Noon to 6 pm on the historic Square in Woodstock, Illinois. It will include local and national performers including Lifetime Achievement Award recipients Magpie (Terry Leonino and Greg Artzner), Ashley & Simpson, Friction Farm, Tish Hinojosa with Special Guest Anny Celsi, Nathans & Ronstadt, Patty & Craig accompanied by Marc Edelstein, and Zachary Stevenson. It will feature a variety of music styles including traditional and contemporary folk music, Americana, singer-songwriter, country, blues, and Latin music. Norm Siegel will receive this year’s “Woody” Award. Ellen Shepard and Mitzi Lebensorger will present a Harmony Workshop.
4/12/26 – Heritage Matinee Series
Welcome to the second season of the Heritage Matinee Series at the Two Way Street Coffee House! We are thrilled to announce the continuation of this successful concert series at the Two Way Street Coffee House, taking place on select Sunday afternoons in 2026. 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 April 12, 2026 the Two Way Street Coffee House is pleased to present Mark Dvorak, Ashley & Simpson, Ren Herr, and Joseph Kostal 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.
Ren Herr
Ren Herr is a local musician who lives in Brookfield, IL. He grew up singing in choirs in church, high school and college. When Ren was 18, he heard some acoustic blues guitar on TV, and instantly knew he had to make “that sound”. He bought a guitar that week and has been playing ever since. His particular musical influences are Mississippi John Hurt, Rev. Gary Davis, Blind Blake, Dave Van Ronk and Joseph Spence. Ren has sought out expert instruction and has participated in group lessons from guitar greats including Mark Dvorak, Stefan Grossman, Woody Mann, Rory Block, Bob Brozman, Eric Lugosch, and Catfish Keith.
Ren and his wife, Kathy are proud to be affiliated with Music and Potlucks, and are members of the Bound for Glory Singers. While Ren started out playing the blues, his playing has expanded to include ragtime, folk, Irish music and hymns. In the past year he has picked up a special and frankly unexplainable passion for waltzes, and has arranged some of Jay Unger’s numbers for solo fingerstyle guitar.
Ren appreciates a wide variety of musical styles. He loves to travel and collected field recordings while in Tibet.
Joseph Kostal
Joseph Kostal is a folk musician based in Cicero, Illinois, whose music draws deeply from the American folk revival tradition of the 1940s through the 1960s. A guitarist and emerging banjo player, Kostal performs traditional folk songs alongside singer-songwriter material, bringing renewed life to obscure and historically rooted music.
Inspired by artists such as Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, The Carter Family, Jackson C. Frank, and Gordon Bok, Kostal’s journey began after discovering folk music through WFMT’s Midnight Special and studying at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music. His performances reflect a dedication to authenticity, shaped by ongoing research into the origins and stories behind the songs he sings.
Kostal’s repertoire explores the shared human experience—loneliness, love, loss, and resilience—presented with warmth and sincerity. Though his songs often touch on life’s hardships, his goal is connection: leaving listeners with the feeling that they are not alone in their experiences.
He began performing at Chicago-area open mics in the early 1990s, including No Exit Café and Fitzgerald’s, and continues to perform regularly at folk jams and open mic nights with the Friendly Music Community. Outside of music, Kostal pursues drawing and enjoys working on mathematical problems.
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. Support the Two Way Street Coffee House HERE.
4/3/26 – Open Mic at Two Way Street
We are always closing out the night at the Two Way Street Open Mic! Come join in the fun! More info at www.twowaystreet.org
3/24/26 – Live on Folk Festival 90.9 WDCB
We’re making a live appearance on Lilli Kuzma’s Folk Festival on 90.9 WDCB in support of their pledge drive! Be sure to tune in!