Schedule of Events

NOVEMBER 8, 2026

PERFORMANCES  6:40 - 9:00 PM

WAYNE ADKINS

Wayne has played a variety of music with various musicians and songwriters in Cincinnati for over 40 years.  He has been involved with several studio projects with various local bands including The 3rd Person Project, Durango Green and Stone Pyramid.  His primary musical focus and love has been the initial creative burst of inspiration that occurs with the conception of a song and he enjoys performing and sharing music.

ELLEN MERSHON                                                        EllenMershonMusic.com

A writer of songs and teller of stories… A solo acoustic artist who plays an eclectic blend of standards, favorites and originals.  A lover of music, art and the natural world around me.  Striving to increase the peace through music and embracing beauty.

ROOSTER BLACKSPUR www.roosterblackspur.com

Based in Nashville, she is an award-winning singer-songwriter shaped by the Alaskan wilderness. Described as “equal parts Johnny Cash grit and outsider revival preacher”, her mix of story-telling, soul and sincerity set her apart. Her music blends folk-roots with soulful Americana. She’s shared the stage with Maria Muldaur, Indigo Girls, Tony Furtado, Ordinary Elephant, and others.

BEFORE THE LEO

5:00 PM SONGWRITERS COLLABORATIVE

Come and share your songs with other songwriters for encouragement and friendly critiques.

5:00 PM Jam downstairs. Anyone can bring well known, jam-friendly songs to lead in the circle while others provide backup and harmony.

NOVEMBER 15, 2025

6:00 PM SIGN UP FOR OPEN MIC

Priority given to those who are new to performing at a Leo open mic, followed by those who have not performed at our previous two open mics, followed by anyone else who wishes to play, subject to availability of slots.

6:30 PM ALL EVENING OPEN MIC

Open mic evenings offer opportunities for both experienced performers and those new to playing in front of an audience. Usually, there is a full sound system. We typically have 15 slots of 8 minutes each (two songs maximum). Acts are typically one to three performers with vocals and instruments.

BEFORE THE LEO

5:15 PM  GUITAR ROUNDTABLE Workshop Mike Helm leads this forum for players of any skill level to exchange ideas so we can all make better music together. Bring a question, share a tip. Learn a new lick or chord. Gain a new perspective, share your own with us. Enrich your guitar experience.

5:00 PM  Jam downstairs. Anyone can bring well known, jam-friendly songs to lead in the circle while others provide backup and harmony.

NOVEMBER 22, 2026

PERFORMANCES  6:40 - 9:00 PM

MARK & NANCY (Newton & Frizzell)

Mark and Nancy have been singing together since they met in New Hampshire 45 years ago. Their music is inspired by their lives together, and they perform both covers of songs that mean a lot to them and original songs. They are best known for the effortless blend of their voices and their harmonies. 

RUPERT WATES

a London-born, award-winning songwriter who signed an exclusive publishing deal with Eaton Music in the 1990s and has been writing full-time ever since. Since relocating to the U.S. in 2006, he has released eleven acclaimed full-length albums, earning airplay across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Israel, and Australia. His work has inspired over 50 songwriting awards and more than twenty cover recordings by other artists, including two full tribute albums recorded in Nashville and Los Angeles. Performing an average of 120 shows a year across North America and Europe, Wates continues to captivate audiences with his haunting, melodic brand of acoustic art-folk.

TWO BLUE

Jan Hunter and Ron Sachs are an acoustic duo who have been performing since the 1970’s featuring guitars and strong vocal harmonies.  The material ranges from Gershwin to the Beatles to U2 and others, as well as originals.

BEFORE THE LEO

5:00 PM  Music of the 60’s jam led by John Mann

Lots of different musical styles to choose from...folk, pop, folk rock, protest, rock.

5:00 PM  Jam downstairs Anyone can bring well known, jam-friendly songs to lead in the circle while others provide backup and harmony.

NOVEMBER 29, 2026

PERFORMANCES  6:40 - 9:00 PM

1st set PINERIDGE PARTNERS

Leo favorites Warren and Judy Waldron play all kinds of traditional Appalachian music, from dance tunes to country duets and everything in between, including doing hoedown square dances.

2nd set WAYNE LUESSEN & JODY KNOOP

Jody Knoop and Wayne Luessen met last year at Leo Coffeehouse. They have spent the year studying Bluegrass mandolin. Their set "Songs for Horse Lovers" will feature favorites like Stewball, Molly and Tenbrooks, Tennessee Stud, and the world's fastest Bluegrass instrumental, Bill Monroe's Rawhide.  Hold onto your hat, it's gonna be a fun ride!

3rd set SERENITY FISHER AND MICHAEL G RONSTADT

17 years of collaboration truly creates a dynamic, moving, and expressive duet. Between both songwriters, their material is diverse and reaches far. Serenity Fisher blends playful pop-rock with a Tim Burton-esque quirkiness. A wordsmith, Serenity Fisher entices stories into becoming songs using truth-telling, highly-visual lyrics, and dreamy melodies. Fisher is a powerhouse singer whose nuanced vocals vary from bluesy belt to sultry whisper, from technical prowess to stripped down raw emotion. Her piano style is theatrical and passionate. Her music has been compared to Regina Spektor, Tori Amos and Fiona Apple. Nephew of Linda Ronstadt, cellist Michael G. Ronstadt brings a rich musical heritage and absolute knack for improvising up a storm. He holds a masters degree in cello performance from the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music (CCM). Michael G. displays genre-blending explorations on cello and guitar in complement to thought-provoking lyrics. To say his originals are unusual is an understatement. They set the bar at Olympian heights in their depth and breadth.

BEFORE THE LEO

5:00 PM  Songs for Kids of All Ages led by WAYNE LUESSEN

He will explore playing simple melodies and chord changes on ukulele, guitar and mandolin.

5:00 PM  Song Circle downstairs

Anyone can bring well known, jam-friendly songs to lead in the circle while others provide backup and harmony.

DECEMBER 6, 2026

PERFORMANCES  6:40 - 9:00 PM

1st set  CREECH CREATIONS

The Creech Sisters (Balladeers Cheryl McKinney, Cynthia Barry McCarthy, and Chris Bieri) return to share original songs to amuse and entertain you.  Cheryl plays guitar, whistle, and banjitar.  Cynthia plays ukulele, mandolin, and banjo.  Chris provides guitar, harmony, and percussion til the other two take the pot lids from her.

2nd set  LARRY & MARTY

Larry Bloomfield and Marty Pushkar

3rd set CO-CONSPIRITORS

Quebec duo Will Richards and Katherine Simons play folk/singer-songwriter music with elements of country, rock, blues, gospel, bluegrass, spiritual, general roots music and contemporary covers. Simons is a classically trained french horn player and percussionist who’s pure, angelic voice stands in contrast to the more raw style of Richards. Their heavy emphasis on vocal harmonies has been compared to The Weavers, Ian and Sylvia, and Richard and Linda Thompson. Described as modern day troubadours, they have released 4 albums to date.

BEFORE THE LEO

3:00 PM RISE UP SINGING                          

Tell all your friends and bring the kids! This will be our holiday singalong. Everyone picks holiday songs If you prefer a song outside of the usual Christmas songs, you may lead it. Ray Rechnberg leads with Robin Roland on guitar.

5:00 PM Workshop led by the CO-CONSPIRITORS

5:00 PM BACK TO BASICS workshop

Not just for beginners, this is a song circle for learning and discussing one or two easy songs. Basic information is centered on beginner friendly chord shapes, strums and tempo, some ultra light music theory and a guitar hack or two. Newcomers and experienced players, or anyone who wants to refine technique (and maybe give advice) are welcome. Alana Johnson and Bob Schrock will be the moderators. We will meet upstairs at the far end of the hallway through the double doors.

5:00 PM  Song Circle downstairs

Anyone can bring well known, jam-friendly songs to lead in the circle while others provide backup and harmony.