American Elm and Hugh and Dana share a singer-songwriter bill at Best Video Film & Cultural Center on Fri., April. 12. The show starts at 7 PM and the cover is $10.

Get your tickets HERE

American Elm is the nome de guerre of Chris Bousquet, a singer-songwriter from Connecticut. Chris has performed with a number of other renowned artists including, Roger McGuinn, Mercury Rev, Howe Gelb, Miracle Legion, Asleep at the Wheel, Rhett Miller, Mark Mulcahy, The Turtles, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, and Susan Cowsill.
Since 2008, American Elm has released several E.P.s and albums: “Ulmus Americana” (2008), “alonesomenoise” (2014), “Into the Light Within” (2015), “The Ivory Sessions” (2018), and “Morning Song” (2021), as well as two singles, “Empty Island Houses” (2014) and “A Long Road to be Free” (2018). 2018 marked the public debut of "The Year of the Horse: A Folk-Rock Song Cycle" written by Bousquet and performed by some of the region’s most talented and beloved musicians. The performance took place at New Haven’s famed Café Nine and was later released as a live concert film.
Hugh and Dana are a duo who emerged from the music scene in New London, Connecticut, USA. Hugh Birdsall was in the Reducers, and currently plays in Dogbite, SheSaidHeSaid, and The Ground Zero Boys. Dana Takaki is a classically trained violinist who, in addition to a wide range of classical gigs statewide, has played with Bruce Thorndike, Nancy Parent, The Rivergods, Ear Candy for the Soul, and Driving Route Nine. Hugh and Dana share a love for jamming at summer Farmers’ Markets in the region, and they enjoy mixing folk music with country, rockabilly, fake jazz, standards, and Hugh's songs.