Emily Cavanagh and Carl M Banks

After their sold-out debut show at Blue Strawberry, Emily Cavanagh and Carl M Banks return for another evening of song and storytelling, with a few holiday tunes mixed in!

Born to a large Irish-American family in Chicago, Emily Cavanagh is an independent artist based in NYC. Singer-songwriter and performer in places like New York, Chicago and Dublin, Emily has made a career for herself as a singer, often working at the intersection of music and service. In response to the Covid 19 pandemic, Emily launched a music initiative called "A Song for You".... writing, recording and sending original personalized songs to first responders, patients and families hit hardest by the pandemic, primarily those at the end of life. This project has recently grown past the pandemic and into its own non-profit, writing for patients in hospice & featuring the songs of local, touring, and Grammy award winning songwriters. It has been featured in stories from PEOPLE Magazine to Upworthy to ABC and NBC.
As a writer, Emily's music reflects a throwback sound of the 30's, 40's, and 50's while maintaining a great folk and pop sensibility. As a performer, Emily has played with some of New York's finest musicians.... (venues of note in NYC include Blue Note, City Winery, Highline Ballroom, Living Room, Irish Arts Center, Pete's Candy Store, and Rockwood Music Hall).... In Chicago, rooms like Schubas & Uncommon Ground, and in LA, Hotel Cafe. Abroad in Ireland, she often plays alongside multi-platinum Irish artists Mundy and Paddy Casey. Emily remains passionate about causes close to her heart. Her original song "Dark Was the Night" written on behalf of Genocide Survivors, has played at numerous events at the United Nations, where she has performed live for the UN at the Commemoration for Rwanda. 
A Webster University graduate and student of Debby Lennon, Emily is happy to return to St. Louis for this night of music. Her music can be found on all major streaming sites. Her "A Song for You" music initiative can be found at https://hereisasongforyou.org 

Carl M Banks stands at the intersection of craftsmanship and creativity. A solitary troubadour, Carl breathes new life into the folk tradition. Born in St. Louis, he is the voice of a storyteller... marked by a relentless spirit, he tells tales of love and loss, of struggle and triumph, and of hope and heartache. In 2010 Carl traveled east and found a home among the sky-scrapers and neon signs of New York City. His voice, with deep intonations and subtle inflections, takes audiences to another time and place.

What sets Carl M Banks apart is his mastery of his guitar synth. With this instrument, he weaves a tapestry of sound that blurs the lines between acoustic and electronic music. The result is a seamless fusion of old and new, of past and present, of light and shadow. From the dimly lit clubs of New York’s Lower East Side, to the bright festival fields of the Middle West, Carl models himself on the traveling blues men of the twentieth century, bringing his music to all corners of the world. 
Website: https://carlmbanks.com