Folk duo Patty & Craig and Detroit singer-songwriter Mike Ward will perform at the next On the Tracks Songwriter Showcase at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, at the historic Chelsea Depot.
Patty Stevenson and Craig Siemsen, who perform as Patty & Craig, are known for their harmonies, musicianship, playful stage humor, and original songs. Supported by guitars and piano, they pair melody and harmony with classic, well-crafted folk songs. Their album of original songs, “Look to the Moon,” charted at No. 3 on the FAI International Folk charts for September 2025.
The duo tours the country, and their work includes four solo and three duo recordings. Siemsen received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Wisconsin Arts Board to write songs about people in restricted communities, such as prisons and senior homes. Stevenson’s song “I Will” (2002) was named the international anthem for adoptive parents by Holt International.
Award-winning Mike Ward is known for lyric-driven, vocally charged folk songs. Born in the 1950s, he came of age during the consciousness-raising 1960s. He grew up singing in choirs and listening to the Irish music of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, then drew on influences including Dylan, Jackson Browne, and Nanci Griffith.
His songwriting is intimate, reflecting family, community, and the world around us, with a dose of self-deprecating humor in the vein of Prine and Loudon Wainwright III. Part of what drives him is a fear of leaving the world without making a difference in other people’s lives.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. at the Chelsea Depot, 125 Jackson St. Admission is a suggested $20 donation at the door, with 100% of proceeds going to the performers. Seating is first come, first served.
On the Tracks Songwriter Showcase is in its 14th season, with shows on the first Wednesday of each month through May 2027.
To learn more about the performance and On the Tracks, visit onthetrackschelsea.com.
