Mila Maring & John Reimbold and Friends

Mila and John offer a colorful blend of songs styled in Folk, Bluegrass and Americana, with Mila on guitar, banjo, accordion and bass and John on guitar and mandolin. They play as a duo, as well as with a cast of talented friends, as the Kitchen Table Crew. Joining them tonight are, from the Crew, Mark Stoffel on mandolin, fiddle & guitar and Mary Stoffel on bass. A native of Carbondale, Illinois, Mila grew up in a family rich in music and art. She and her late husband, Kelley Sims, with the band The Rural Kings, crafted two well-received albums. Dandelions (2012) and Level Best (2016) feature Mila’s songwriting, including her haunting Echoes of Children as well as Level Best and A Dollar for Your Memories, which earned her a spot in the prestigious New Folk competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival in 2017. John Reimbold grew up in the 1960’s, writing poetry and annoying his siblings with incessant whistling. During his college years he resurrected his mother’s 1920’s mandolin, started playing guitar and writing songs. Over the years, he played and sang at weddings, around campfires and in a rock and roll band with friends in attics and basements. Amen explores his Catholic childhood in Chicago with a sing-a-long chorus while the rumba, Half the Way to China, talks about tough times that leave a mark on us. John and Mila met in 2019, while John cared for his wife Shirley during her late stages of dementia and Mila was on a parallel path with Kelley. Hold for a While and Crying Can’t Change Anything, from their EP, Without Question (2023) reflect the challenges of traveling dementia journeys with loved ones. Pirates of the Shawnee explores the mind of a young boy born into poverty in the 1800’s. It was released as part of the acclaimed project We Are for Egypt (2022) that celebrates the history and culture of Southern Illinois. Currently in the process of recording a new original album anticipated to be released in 2027, Mila and John welcome you to imagine hanging out in their kitchen to experience songs from their hearts and souls.