Cool winter season at the me and thee!

The me&thee coffeehouse has an incredibly diverse and wonderful line-up in store this winter. The legendary coffeehouse located at the Unitarian Universalist Church on Mugford Street in Marblehead has offered the best in national and international acoustic music since 1970 and this season is no exception. “There’s something for everyone,” says booking manager, Kathy Sands-Boehmer. “We intentionally chose a variety of different kinds of musicians to play our venue this winter. There’s bound to be an act that piques your interest and gets you out to experience live music. There’s nothing quite like sharing music in community with others.”

The winter season opens on February 5 and features two rootsy “newgrass” bands, Cricket Tell the Weather and Monica Rizzio’s Old King Highway. Cricket Tell the Weather is a Brooklyn-based string band that incorporates a variety of musical genres like folk, old-timey and gospel into their original music. Winners of the 2013 FreshGrass Award, the band has toured the Northeast and has been featured at many festivals and concert series. Cape Cod resident Monica Rizzio heads up her band Old King’s Highway; she draws on her Texas roots and bridges folk, country and bluegrass with her music. Rizzio was formerly a part of the popular group, Tripping Lily, and she is currently exploring a different kind of music which was clearly demonstrated when she joined Tom Rush on stage at Symphony Hall last winter.

Melissa Ferrick returns to the me&thee on February 12. Ferrick is an eight-time Boston Music Award winner and regarded by the industry and her peers as one of the most prolific and hardworking artists in the business. She tours regularly and plays throughout North America, performing upwards of 100 shows a year. She has shared the stage with Morrissey, Marc Cohn, Paul Westerberg, Dwight Yoakam, John Hiatt, Bob Dylan, Ani DiFranco, k.d. Lang, Joan Armatrading, Mike Doughty, The Indigo Girls and many others. Melissa is a part-time Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Melissa’s students, The Western Den, open the show.

An evening of red hot blues with a double bill of Danielle Miraglia and the Peter Parcek 3 is in store for me&thee patrons on February 19. Danielle comes armed with a strong steady thumb on an old Gibson guitar and an infectious stomp-box rhythm and harmonica with tunes that range from heart-felt to socially conscious to outright boogie woogie blues that will make you want to dance. Peter Parcek plays a daring and soulful style that encompasses rock, gypsy jazz country, folk with the blues. Peter and his band play with feeling and character and reach deep into the roots of classic American music.

February 24 is an evening of traditional folk with John Roberts and Debra Cowan. With their eloquent voices and expert musicianship, John Roberts and Debra Cowan bring to life songs seldom heard on TV or radio these days. Drawn from both the folk tradition and the work of contemporary songwriters, many of these songs tell of the timeless joys and sorrows of human experience. They offer windows into where we’ve come from and perhaps where we’re headed. This show is supported in part by a grant from the Marblehead Cultural Council which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Christine Lavin and Don White bring their hilarious show to the me&thee on March 6. These two singer-songwriters present a night of comedy called “The Funny Side of the Street: A Night of Brighter Laughter” and it’s unlike any other show you’ve ever seen. Since 2008 these two veteran performers have brought their unique brand of clean and hilarious musical comedy to audiences across the U.S. proving night after night that comedy can be smart, friendly, and breathtakingly funny without being vulgar or pejorative.

Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen make their me&thee debut on March 11. With their latest release Cold Spell landing a 2015 GRAMMY Nomination for Best Bluegrass Album followed by an eight award sweep at the 2015 WAMMIES, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, International Bluegrass Music Association’s 2014 Instrumental Group of the Year, the band continues to tour and make new fans all over the country. Since Frank Solivan left the cold climes of Alaska for the bluegrass hotbed of Washington, D.C., he’s built a reputation as a monster mandolinist and become a major festival attraction with his band, Dirty Kitchen.

A tribute to Neil Young is in store on March 18. Rhode Island based band, Forever Young, draws on the 40-plus year career of Neil Young. The show highlights many of Young’s popular songs and a few of the more obscure numbers. The show is presented by a seven-piece band doing both the acoustic and electric songs that Neil Young is so famous for.

Tickets to all these shows are available at www.meandthee.org. Tickets are also available in Marblehead at both the Spirit of ’76 Bookstore, Arnould Gallery, and at the door. As at all me & thee coffeehouse events, refreshments are available, including pastries, coffee, and teas, The me & thee has a handicapped-accessible entrance, is a smoke-free environment, and is easily reached by MBTA bus. The me & thee coffeehouse is the oldest continually running acoustic music coffeehouse in New England. For its entire history, the me & thee has been and will always be a volunteer, non-profit organization sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Marblehead. For information and directions, call 781-631-8987.