The Oxbow Hotel

PATIO SESSIONS with Emily Watkins
2026-07-02 18:00 - 21:00 (America/Chicago)
An Eau Claire native, Emily has been an active member of the Chippewa Valley music scene for over ten years. For four semesters, she played guitar in the Grammy-nominated University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Jazz Ensemble I under the direction of Professor Robert Baca. During her time in the band, UWEC’s Jazz I was awarded the prestigious Downbeat Award for Best Undergraduate College Big Band. Since 2012, she has been the guitar player for the Chippewa Valley Jazz Orchestra. In 2019, Emily also had the opportunity to attend the week-long New York Voices Vocal Jazz Camp in Kalamazoo, MI. During her time there, she was given one-on-one coaching by members of the Grammy-award winning vocal ensemble The New York Voices.

Though she is an experienced jazz musician, Emily is well-versed in a variety of styles of guitar playing, including funk, country/folk, classical, blues, and many varieties of rock music. Since 2018, she has been the guitarist, booking manager, and co-arranger for Uncommon Denominator, an 8-piece variety band that has been voted Best Cover Band in the Chippewa Valley in the Volume One Reader’s Poll for the last five consecutive years. As a lover of theatre, Emily has also played in pit orchestras for almost thirty different musicals, playing guitar primarily and doubling on banjo, mandolin. Most recently, she held the guitar chair for the storied Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre based in Grand Lake, CO in the summer of 2021.

Emily also has a passion for music education, with almost ten years of private teaching experience. Currently, she maintains a private guitar studio on the north side of Eau Claire, welcoming students of all ages, abilities, and experience levels. Emily is able to teach a variety of styles, ranging from beginner technique and basic note reading to jazz comping and advanced music theory. She also teaches ukulele and beginner bass guitar.

LIVE MUSIC: The Gilmore Family Band
2026-07-03 18:00 - 21:00
A romance depicted through the Art of Music
In 2000, Shannon and Jason Gilmore embarked on their musical journey, sharing the stage with The Old Dog Band in Colorado Springs. Their friendship was forged through Shannon’s vocals and Jason’s mastery of the guitar and mandolin. Despite Shannon relocating to California in 2005, their connection endured, while Jason continued to explore his musical path, contributing to various bands in the Colorado Springs area. By 2016, Shannon returned, engaging in the local music scene and taking ownership of a significant music venue. More than a decade later, Shannon and Jason rekindled their musical partnership, spanning multiple genres and evolving their friendship into something deeper. This evolution led to the birth of The Gilmore Family Band in 2019. After a brief stint in Boulder, CO, the Gilmore’s ventured north to Wisconsin’s driftless plains in October of 2023, embracing a new musical chapter and unveiling their debut album, MESS THAT WE MADE. Marking another exciting turn in their ongoing adventures.

TUNE-IN TUESDAY: Cap'n Seabeard
2026-07-07 18:00 - 20:00
On Tuesday nights at The Lakely we’re turning things up with Tune-In Tuesdays—a live music series featuring rising artists and fresh sounds. From indie and folk to soulful acoustic sets, each performance is a chance to discover new talent in a cozy, cocktail-forward setting. Whether you’re winding down or gearing up, Tune-In Tuesday is your perfect midweek reset.
Come early for the craft cocktails, stay for dinner and the music.
Interested in performing? Send us a message at Events@TheOxbowHotel.com
Cap’n Seabeard is a band of varying lineup centered in the songwriting of Christopher Schumacher. With a range of influences from folk to alternative, the songwriting is a prominent element with a sound to convey the message of the lyrics.

Open Mic Night
2026-07-08 19:00 - 22:00, 2026-07-15 19:00 - 22:00, 2026-07-22 19:00 - 22:00, 2026-07-29 19:00 - 22:00
Join us each week on Wednesday for Open Mic Night hosted by Philville Records!
With a plethora of entertainment and experiences, from singer/songwriters and instrumentals to poetry and spoken word — anything goes, and you never know what (or who!) you might see or hear! Both established and emerging artists in the Chippewa Valley are encouraged to perform!
🎙️ PERFORMING AT OPEN MIC?
All performers get BOGO beers (21+) and no-proof drinks!
🎙️ EVENT DETAILS:
Artists will perform on The Lakely Stage
Showtime is at 7:00 pm
Everyone is welcome, and the show is free to attend (but please come thirsty!)
🎙️ PERFORMER DETAILS:
Artists will perform on The Lakely Stage
Sign-ups begin at 6:30 pm
(must be present to sign up – no phone calls, no friend sign up, etc.)
Sign-up is first come, first served
Each musician gets two songs
Each performer doing a spoken piece (visual arts, magic, poetry, etc.) gets five minutes.
PLEASE NOTE: The Lakely reserves the right to stop someone’s performance if they make racist, sexist, transphobic, or homophobic comments. Profanity is not welcome. The Lakely is a venue based on inclusivity for all, and we expect all performers to respect that.
Showtime is at 7:00 pm
Whether this is your first live performance or you’ve been around the block a few times, we welcome you to share your gift!

PATIO SESSIONS: Andy Hanson
2026-07-09 18:00 - 21:00
Patio Sessions is a laid-back seasonal series featuring live music performances and intimate storytelling from local singer-songwriters. This is your front-row ticket to Eau Claire’s creative scene, paired with the easy ambiance of an evening spent outdoors. Grab a craft cocktail and get ready to lean in and listen.
Andy Hanson hails from Eau Claire, WI, and his authentic songs capture life’s highs and lows. With raw originality, he shows how music can connect us through both joy and hardship.

LIVE MUSIC: Jack Norton
2026-07-10 18:00 - 21:00
Travel back in time with Emmy Award winning songwriter Jack Norton, for a concert of vaudeville blues, old-time country, and vintage Americana folk music.
Singer/songwriter Jack Norton says he was born somewhere in rural Georgia during the summer of 1879 to a family of itinerant workers. He spent his childhood in the Deep South, drifting from town to town, eventually learning how to play the guitar from legendary blues musician Blind Lemon Jefferson.
When he was 12, he ran away from home to join the circus and later worked as a banjo player, vocal contortionist, and comedian in a traveling medicine show.
He eventually resurfaced in New Orleans, playing acoustic guitar in Jelly Roll Morton’s band. It was here that Norton tried his hand at songwriting, crafting songs which were stolen by Buddy Bolden.
Never one to settle down, Norton moved to New York City and quickly found himself in the heart of Tin Pan Alley, penning hit songs for Al Jolson, Rudy Vallee, and a young Bing Crosby.
Norton recorded his first records for Okeh in Asheville, North Carolina, in the summer of 1925. It was here that he influenced Jimmie Rodgers and Emmett Miller. He has been recording and touring ever since. Throughout the 1930s, Norton drifted from town to town, riding the rails and singing for his supper. During the folk boom of the early 1960s, Norton would influence artists such as Dave Van Ronk and Bob Dylan.
Today, Jack Norton is celebrating over 100 years as a recording artist. He continues to perform live, touring the world, playing his unique blend of vintage blues, ragtime jazz, and hokum folk.
Photo Credit: Aaron Schye

LAKELY LIMITED: Mantis with Special Guest Aaron Hedenstrom
2026-07-11 19:00 - 22:00
Lakely Limited is a series of live performances and special engagements at The Lakely, carefully chosen to create distinct nights of music, atmosphere, and connection. When you see this special designation, expect an experience that’s designed to be savored, and an event that’s worth planning for.
The first album from Mantis is a continuation of Scott Burton’s explorations of the intersections between composition and improvisation. The trio of Burton with Sean Carey on drums and Jeremy Boettcher on bass navigate sparse melodic frameworks filling them with life and bringing three individual voices to each tune. ‘If I Could See Heaven Without Dying’ was co-written by Burton and expat hiphop artist Jneiro Jarel and is based on a fingerstyle technique Burton stumbled on that emphasizes movement in the lower strings while leaving the higher ones open as a drone. The song was originally used to open Jarel’s ’After a Thousand Years’ album on Far Out Recordings, and here Carey and Boettcher bring groove and awareness of how to keep the song faithful while still adding their own touches. ‘GTO’ was written originally for Burton’s Richmond, Virginia based group ‘Glows in the Dark’ and was inspired by Warren Oates’ character in Monte Hellman’s film ‘Two Lane Blacktop’. ‘View’ first appeared as a simple guitar and synth recording on Burton’s bandcamp page, here rearranged as an open duration melody that leads to some of the more emotional highs on the album. Boettcher on bowed bass navigates the melody as Burton uses pedals to sample and build drama within the looped melody and Carey’s brushwork pushes the song higher and higher. The tunes ‘Fei Fei’ and ‘The Skyhawk’ were inspired by kung fu films and explore the idea of two independent time feels, with bass and drums locked in a groove and form and guitar in a different time and form floating on top. The title track ‘You Get Lost’ bookends the album with a further exploration of the low string fingerstyle technique and references the minimalism of Reich as the trio explores a repeated figure slowly breaking apart before gradually reforming.

LIVE MUSIC: Sue Orfield & Randy Sinz
2026-07-17 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-10-16 18:00 - 21:00
Sue Orfield and Randy Sinz play a rich mix of old country music and light jazz, with a little blues thrown in for flavor. Randy sings and plays guitar and Sue joins in on her sax and occasional background vocals. Together their expertise and good company make for a lighthearted and fun evening of music!

LAKELY LIMITED: Jon Loomis & Tommy Bentz
2026-10-29 18:00 - 20:00
Tommy Bentz, singer-songwriter from the Tommy Bentz Band, has been performing for over 25 years and jams in the style of “Allman Brothers meets Van Morrison.” He performs songs from 6 original albums, a live DVD and CD, and unique covers from Cream/Clapton, The Band, SRV, Beatles/George Harrison, and more. His latest album “1000 Reasons” was released in May of 2021, with a new release scheduled for 2025. Tommy and TBB tours regionally, has toured overseas for 15+ years and competed in the International Blues Challenge (IBC) with artists from around the world in Memphis, TN in January, 2020, representing the State of Wisconsin. When not performing Tommy owns and operates Brickhouse Music in River Falls, recently celebrating 30+ years in business.
Jon Loomis is Professor Emeritus of creative writing at UWEC, and a founding member of the Flaming Doublewides, the Chippewa Valley’s popular blues, classic rock, R&B, rockabilly, lounge, retro country, alt-everything band—rocking the scene since 2016. Jon is a widely published, award-winning poet and novelist who started playing guitar at twelve and fronting bands at fifteen. He’s also an accomplished songwriter, whose original songs have been covered by numerous performers—his song “Heartbreak City,” recorded by Ohio-based bluegrass band the Rarely Herd, made it to number seven on the national bluegrass charts back in 1994. Jon’s currently working on a fourth novel, and an album project produced by rock n’ roll legend Eric Ambel at Cowboy Technical Services Recording Rig in Brooklyn, NYC.
