Thu, Apr 7 - 7pm - $10adv/$12door

 With Chicago roots and Texas ties, Daphne Willis brings both musicality and grit to the songs she writes and plays. Born in San Antonio to a classically trained vocalist and audio engineer, Daphne began singing at an early age and found her way to the guitar in high school. Since then, she’s developed the confidence, melodic mastery and vocal range that have won her admirers from here to Beijing. Daphne didn’t plan a career in music. But as a student at DePaul University in Chicago, she found herself performing at open mic nights, which led to regular Chicago gigs and, eventually, a decision to leave school and hit the road. So she assembled a band and began playing 200 shows a year across the United States. Daphne released her independent EP Matter of Time in September 2007; in a twist of fate, Vanguard Records head Kevin Welk heard a track on an American Airlines flight. This led to a record deal in 2008 and the release of her second EP, Exhibit A.To record her first full-length album, Daphne headed to the hills of Tennessee. She released What to Say in 2010, which was co-produced by Tim Lauer and Grammy winner Gary Paczosa. Album number two, Because I Can, came out in 2011 and reached the number two spot on iTunes’ Top 40 Singer/Songwriter Chart. On her latest EP, Inside Outright, Daphne co-wrote songs with Hunter Davis, Chris Faulk, Angela Lauer, John Oates of Hall & Oates, Keri Barnes and Tim Lauer.Daphne currently calls Nashville home, where she crafts her distinct brand of pop and is poised to expand her fan base world wide. Her most recent EP, 2015’s Get It, features the single “Done With Bein’ Done,” co-written with Grammy Award winner Meghan Trainor. 

 Dan Rodriguez, an artist based out of Minneapolis, MN, is creating quite a buzz in the Midwest. The groove-based, bluesy over-toned sound of his music, mixed with his powerful, yet seductive voice creates an atmosphere different from other music. It's refreshing, tantalizing, and just plain good!  Originally from Detroit, MI, Dan moved to Minneapolis in 2004 to pursue music. He started a band with his brother, Andre Rodriguez, and called it The Auburns. They played locally for a couple of years and grew together as a band, as brothers, and as musicians.  In January, 2008, Dan started a self-titled solo project in the Twin Cities. Promoting his band as a trio, Dan started playing venues in the local music scene. As things began to go well, a greater demand for Dan's music rose high enough to inspire him to record an album.  June 13th, 2008, the album Unreal was released in Minneapolis, followed by a self-titled EP in 2011. His most recent album, Roaring Dan, was released in the Summer of 2013. Dan has since been playing locally and touring throughout the Midwest and beyond, and sharing the stage with national acts including Grammy award winning duo The Civil Wars, Pete Francis (Dispatch), NeedtoBreathe, Augustana, Tyrone Wells, John McLaughlin, Andy Grammer and Eric Hutchinson.  In September 2014 Budweiser released their "Friends Are Waiting" commercial featuring Dan's performance of his original song "When You Come Home," which was written for the commercial and pitched through Minneapolis based company In The Groove Music.  "I've been in this business a long time. I recognize when somebody has something real. Dan is a true talent, and seems to be ushering in a new wave of singer/songwriters around the Twin Cities. I can honestly say I'm excited for the world to hear what he's got to offer." - Michael Bland