Dahl, Lewis, Higdon Release Fred Alley Tribute Album Aug 23

On Aug. 23, popular Door County musicians Katie Dahl, Eric Lewis, and Rich Higdon will release their new album Solid Ground: The Songs of Fred Alley. The concert will take place at 8 pm, Aug. 23 at Door Community Auditorium (DCA) in Fish Creek. The concert is being produced in association with Northern Sky Theater.

Fred Alley, left, recording with his brother, David Alley. Submitted.

“This project has been so much fun to work on,” Dahl said. “We tracked the whole project one snowy week in January this year, and it’s been such a privilege to get to know Fred’s songs even better by working so closely with them.”

Fred Alley, who died in 2001, was a Door County actor and playwright best known for co-founding Northern Sky Theater. His plays (which include Guys on Ice and The Spitfire Grill) have been seen by hundreds of thousands of people around the world. But what many of his theatrical fans may not know is that Alley was also a great folk songwriter. On Solid Ground, Dahl, Lewis, and Higdon give voice to 12 of Alley’s songs, including four that have never been released to the public.

Fred Alley. Submitted.

Solid Ground was recorded in the Sister Bay studio of David Alley, Fred Alley’s brother. David is a longtime engineer whose past work includes multiple albums by some of Door County’s favorite musicians, including Lewis and Dahl.

The CD release event is one of several events Northern Sky is hosting as part of their Constellation Campaign. The $6.7 million fundraising campaign is well underway. With the funds they raise, Northern Sky will build a campus at the corner of County Roads A and F in Fish Creek.

Tickets range from $20-$32 and are available by visiting dcauditorium.org, calling 920.868.2728, or in person at 3926 Highway 42, Fish Creek.