Join us at The Stray for a night of introspective folk music that tells stories of life, love, and fly fishing. Jeff Troutman, Mike Ward, and Kait Rose will take the stage to share their musical talents in an intimate listening environment. During the show we’ll be serving our dinner menu, specialty coffee, beer, and wine.
Open to all-ages.
Doors 6:30. Music begins at 7pm
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Jeff Troutmans’s music frequently recounts the story of an early midlife crisis when, working in a high-pressure finance job with young children at home, he discovered fly fishing as a way to slow down and decompress from work and parenting stresses. Jeff focused has focused his efforts on writing songs about life and fly fishing.
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Lyrically-centric, vocally-charged folk songs are what singer-songwriter Mike Ward creates. Living in Detroit, Mike grew up listening to Irish music and singing in choirs. A few of his influences are Jason Isbell, Dylan, Springsteen and John Prine. His writing echoes along empty sidewalks, on backroads, in family portraits, and in the thin lines between joy and tragedy, love and loss. Mike spent the better part of 40 years on the creative side of the advertising industry but now creates and performs music full time. With three full studio albums, an EP and a single released since 2018, his music has received recognition in Michigan and around the Midwest. In addition to numerous Detroit Music Award finalists, his album, “The Darkness and the Light” (2021), made it to number 33 on the FAI Folk charts for March and April 2021. From “Particles to Pearls”, the song “Letting Go” was an honorable mention in the Great River Folk Fest Songwriting Contest. A new record will be releasing in April, 2023. Marilyn Rae Beyer of WFMT’s Midnight Special, presented Mike as a Folk DJ Showcase performer at the FARM Conference in Lisle, IL this past October. He performs at venues, festivals and house shows throughout Michigan and the Midwest. Why Psychosongs? Well his nickname as a hockey player is “PsychoWard”. Enough said.
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Kait Rose has been playing guitar and writing songs since the summer of 2001 after finding her mom's Alvarez in the hallway closet. By the end of the day she taught herself the theme song to The Godfather, which made her Italian grandmother very proud. Since then, Kait has gone on to produce 7 records, most recently, Balance, (2022) produced by David Vandervelde. A storyteller in the purest sense of the term, Rose bares her buoyant soul with songs of personal struggle and strife, set aloft by her powerful voice. A gem and fixture in Kalamazoo's music community, she adds another great chapter to the city's already rich roots music history. Kait's debut music video, Bad Mother, is a Michigan Music Video of the Year nominee.