Now Birds’ Francis Dempster has earned a mystical reputation for filling spaces with beautiful, if not unusual ambient sound. For this collaborative performance, we’ll be improvising with grand piano, harp, synth, and vocalization to promote Vagrant Diva’s new album Midsommar, due out in the summer of 2026.

Since the venue (Night Owl Gallery) is shutting down at the end of the month, this is a once in a lifetime performance.

We’re excited to get weird and hope you’ll join us.

My friend Elias from Revvnant runs a warm and intimate open mic night at Mobtown Ballroom currently on north avenue in Station North.

Just before sunset, myself and about 60 people walked out into the forests of West Virginia and sat by a quiet trickling waterfall we have always called The Shrine. It feels like a holy place. A gloriously beautiful, chaotic beacon of nature.

I played a few tunes on my tiny little piano, and a few more on my 12 string acoustic. We took time to connect to the forest, and I did a lot of speaking from the heart. It was an unforgettable experience.

Set List

On the Rend [Tiny Clanky Piano]

The Lake [Tiny Clanky Piano]

Revelry [Tiny Clanky Piano]

Nightlight Vigil [12 String Acoustic Guitar]

Merciful Friend (Running Scared) [12 String Acoustic Guitar]

Gravedigger [12 String Acoustic Guitar]

Deep Cuts is a mountain festival that has grown akin to a warm little burn. Deep friendships and passionate individual efforts have made this annual weekend-long party a beloved tradition. I’ve had the honor of playing music here since the earliest years of the festival and made some great memories in the process.

The year before this I had run over my childhood guitar and crushed it to hell. We burned the shattered shell in mournful memoriam. It was a tough year, but it set off a tradition of me bringing the old gitfiddle to Berkley Springs, WV to play tunes.