Singer/songwriter John Stano’s sound is a distinctive blend of acoustic and slide guitar, harmonica, expressive vocals and insightful songwriting developed over many years of performance and study. He sometimes adds a little mandolin, cigar box guitar or banjo to the mix as well. His style can be described as a combination of folk, blues and Americana. Initially self-taught, John went on to study American fingerstyle guitar at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and harmonica with national blues legend, Jim Liban. John studied English and creative writing at U.W. Madison. A skillful use of language adds an original spark to his lyrics. ‘Green Man Review’ compared John’s music to early Bob Dylan while ‘Dirty Linen’ was reminded of Country Joe McDonald. John also performs his own arrangements of folk and country blues classics by artists such as Robert Johnson and Mississippi John Hurt and Bukka White and contemporary writers such as; Gillian Welch, Bob Dylan, Greg Brown, John Prine and Tom Waits. John is a flexible and engaging performer who works regularly at a variety of indoor and outdoor venues. John has released four recordings of original music.

“His vocal resemblance to John Prine may be a plus for some, but Stano’s songwriting voice is his own, apt for the folksinger’s task of chronicling the local while relating it to the universal.”
-The Shepherd Express

John Higgins, Singer/songwriter from Mequon WI plays solo shows of original songs and covers by great popular folk musicians. He is a member of the Stringalong Band and has joined Crossroads Cafe Host, Randy Burl, Live in the White Pine room on WXPR Rinlander Radio‍  ‍. He played with John Stano this October at the Three Lakes Center for the Arts Theater and has been heard on Simply Folk on WPR. He enjoys incorporating a bit of humor in his songs and loves to tell a good fishing story. A Navy veteran, John learned to play guitar in the cargo hold of a US Aircraft Carrier. We’re glad to say that John is also a long-time Coffee House volunteer. https://jphiggins.weebly.com/home.html

Early in the new year The Coffee House celebrates the poets and musicians that have passed away in the past year. This year some of The Coffee House’s favorite artists will play the songs of some of their favorites of those we have lost in 2026.

Performing artists in this year’s memorial are Rick Fitzgerald, John Granzow with Gary Kitchin and JP Spencer, and Paul Smith & Andy Jehly.

Rick Fitzgerald has graced the Coffee House stage many times, delighting audiences with his pure vocals and his masterful guitar and autoharp playing. Rick was the Mountain Laurel Autoharp Champion, and runner-up in the International Autoharp Championship at Winfield. He is currently on the board of directors of the Mountain Laurel Autoharp Gathering and he is the Chair of the Make Our Own (MOO) Music Gathering.

Gary Kitchin and John Granzow have performed together for years. They have performed at the Coffee House as founding members of the wonderful folk/rock/ and blues group aptly named the Dirty Dishes. They bring humor and energy to their music.

Paul Smith and Andy Jehly have been performing together for a decade. They pride themselves on the variety of musical styles they cover, from folk and blues and traditional country to Motown, folk rock, psychedelica, standards and a sprinkling of more recent pop. They have performed at the Coffee House numerous times, both together and in combination with several other Coffee House regulars.

This show will be a benefit for Nourish MKE.

Folks would walk under the old Coffee House sign to enter a welcoming world of music and poet friends to talk about peace and justice, reminisce, and share their stories and songs. Tonight we invite everyone to join in on an old Coffee House tradition. Bring an instrument, a song or your own book of poems. You can come just to listen or join in yourself. - The Coffee House Friends Gathering and Open Jam is a time to gather together listen, appreciate everybody's contribution, and have fun singing -- that's what it's all about. In a jam session or song circle just try to be observant and feel your way gently. Each person who wants to can take a turn playing a song and they lead the group. The idea is that no one plays louder than the person leading the song. Depending on the size of the group you may be able to lead multiple songs when the circle comes around as each person takes a turn. We love if people just want to come to listen too. Wonderful time to visit with friends.

Francesca and The Night Sky is a band from Milwaukee Wisconsin USA.

After years of terrorizing Milwaukee stages separately, Francesca, Tom, Larry and Mike joined forces in 2023 to conquer the world.

So far, so good.

Paul Smith & Andy Jehly bring harmony, humor, and laid-back style to favorite songs from the past, ranging from folk and blues to Motown and psychedelic rock.

Paul & Andy come from very different musical backgrounds. Paul’s most significant musical influences are 1960’s psychedelic and folk rock, including the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Arlo Guthrie, Jorma Kaukonen, the Beatles, Larry Campbell, the Byrds, and Buffalo Springfield. Andy’s are old traditional folk, R&B, blues, and country, including Pete Seeger, Doc Watson, Hank Williams, Lil’ Green, The Carter Family, Aretha Franklin, and Otis Redding, with a little sprinkling of 80’s and 90’s pop thrown in for good measure.

What they share is a passion for music with history, great harmonies, and evocative lyrics. Together, they specialize in bringing a fresh set of songs from a variety of genres each time they perform to engage audiences and get them singing along. Both multi-instrumentalists, they incorporate guitar, dobro, bass, keyboards, and the one-of-a-kind gourdelele into their music.

Paul & Andy have been performing regularly together since 2016 at a number of local venues (including Anodyne, Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, The Coffee House, Sherman Perk Coffee Shop, The Coffee House at Chestnut & Pine, Riverwest Filling Station, Stage Right Pub, and Smith Bros. Coffee Shop) as well as farmer’s markets and small music festivals.