See Porch String Music artists on YouTube

Porch String Music proudly represents these artists:

Tracy Jane Comer

Award-winning contemporary singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (guitar, piano, cello, violin, viola, bass, hanmmered dulcimer). Tracy's multi-flavored and dynamic alternative acoustic music is subtly influenced by a varied background that includes classical, pop/rock, folk, show tunes, choral music, and early music...plus even a touch of blues/jazz. Tracy performs primarily in the midwestand southeast, as a soloist (using guitar and piano) or with supporting vocalists and instrumentalists. She also plays with several other active ensembles and collaborations including those shown below.

Tracy's current repertoire includes tunes from dozens of artists from today and past decades in many styles in addition to some of her own award-winning originals, which have been broadcast on radio in the Americas and abroad. She has opened or shared shows with notables such as Dar Williams, Willy Porter, The Wailin' Jennys, Holly Near, L.J. Booth, Ellis Paul, Peter Mulvey, Nathan Rogers, Joe Jencks, and more. She was named Instrumentalist of the Year by the Madison Area Music Awards (2008) and has been featured in Guitar Player magazine.

Website: www.tracyjanecomer.com

Top Shelf

Top Shelf is a duo act with Tracy Jane Comer (vocals, keys, guitar) and Alan Maslowski (drums/percussion). Their extensive repertoire includes great songs from yesterday and today -- rock & pop plus a touch of country, jazz, blues and standards, with a generous “pour” of '70s & '80s. Expect lots of surprises! They perform actively in and around the Madison, WI area, entertaining audiences in settings ranging from clubs and wine bars to community festivals and senior centers.

Website: www.topshelfmadison.com

Common Chord

Common Chord was formed originally as a duo in 2015 by singer/songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Michael Bryant and Tracy Jane Comer, who were members of the former Madison-area trio Sticky Fingers (early to mid-2000s). The two have worked as duo on occasion since then as well, prior to forming Common Chord. The group quickly grew to five regular performers with the addition of singer/songwriter Bruce Buttel, vocalist Delores Jenison, and multi-instrumentalist Faye Bruggink.

With their unique combination of vocal, instrumental, songwriting and composing/arranging skills, Common Chord creates an amazing sonic palette. Their repertoire includes vocal-centric pieces with four-part harmonies, toe-tapping swingy numbers, folk and bluegrass-flavored pieces, bluesy tunes, acoustic rock/pop songs and more...something for everyone, with appeal to audiences of all ages. The group focuses on originals from each of three writers in the group plus unique covers from the likes of Tom Waits, the Beatles, Robert Johnson, Paul Simon, and George Gershwin, and others. Instruments regularly used in live shows include guitars, bass, guitar, mandolin, fiddle, clarinet, bass clarinet, cigar box guitar, hand percussion, and sometimes cello, melodica, and hammered dulcimer.

Common Chord performs in a variety of settings including small venues such as coffee houses, house concerts, festivals, and community concerts. Their debut album (self-titled) was released in January 2017, and a followup, Dig A Little Deeper, was released in early February 2020.

Website: www.commonchord.us

Bob's Your Uncle

These three singer-songwriters (Michael Bryant, Bruce Buttel, and Tracy Jane Comer) love singing together and sharing music of many styles. Their current songlist includes tunes from the likes of America, Grateful Dead, Crosby Stills and Nash, The Beatles, Townes Van Zandt, Simon and Garfunkel, Chris Stapleton, Fleetwood Mac, James Taylor, Kacey Musgraves, Badfinger, Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch, Bruce Cockburn, and lots more, plus originals, artfully arranged for their tightly blended voices plus guitars and bass. Bob's Your Unique offers a refreshing alternative for a small group in the Madison area. They make a very strong impact with their delivery of beloved songs using tight harmonies, polished arrangements, and the variety of lead singers. Their sound has appeal to audiences of all ages.

The trio officially formed in 2022, though members have worked together for years in other projects. Currently, all three are also part of larger group Common Chord (commonchord.us), but have a distinct and separate repertoire for this trio format.

Website: www.bobsyouruncle.band

Past Groups

Sticky Fingers

(Defunct but see recordings) Acoustic folk/roots trio featuring Michael Bryant (vocals, guitar, mandolin, bass), Damon Bourne (guitar, mandolin, banjo, vocals), and Tracy Jane Comer (cello, fiddle, guitar, hammered dulcimer, vocals). Sticky Fingers focused on traditional folk, roots, and Celtic music, plus their own original folk-flavored creations, including both vocal and instrumental works. They created layered, melodic, and satisfying music for listeners of all musical persuasions.

Website: www.stickyfingersmusic.com

Likely Stories

(Defunct but see recordings) Ecclectic acoustic trio featuring Tracy Jane Comer, Dave Schindele, and Nancy Rost. Likely Stories was a Madison-based group of three singer/songwriters who shared songwriting and lead vocal duties and accompanied each other on backing vocals, keyboards, cello, guitar, percussion, and sometimes fiddle, melodica and more, covering a wide range of styles. The group released one self-titled CD together.
Website: www.likelystories.us

Others

Other associated artists/groups have included: