Hayward Williams w/ James Travis

Art in the cafe...

Laurel Statz


"The Spectator"


December 2025



Laurel Statz is a painter and Madison area native. Her work, while figurative, is influenced by abstraction and minimalism. The paintings often have a quick and instinctual nature, capturing just what’s needed. While she often times herself to eliminate extra details and over-precision, she has ventured into more detailed works as well. Laurel does not attach narrative to her pieces. Rather, she thinks of them like a journaling process for her scatter-brained psyche. The figures in the pieces are meant to be processing tools for the artist and the viewer. She hopes that seeing these figures helps the...
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Saturday, February 3, 2007

Hayward Williams' live performances provide fans with solid guitar playing, soaring vocals and an assortment of interesting and sometimes ironic cover material. His original music blends strong melodies with lyrics that reflect his smart sense of humor. Built on a foundation of folk, blues and soul, his material has been compared to Ryan Adams, Jeff Buckley and Beck.

"Hayward Williams' earnestly jaunty folk-rock might seem anachronistic in the prevailing musical atmosphere of self-conscious irony, but his combination of melody, restraint, and unabashed enthusiasm saves the day. Williams also boasts a voice that sounds several decades older than he actually is, lending his songs of love and loss a gravity they might not otherwise possess." -The Onion

James Travis has developed an inspired yet original version of American music. Mixing elements of country, blues, ragtime, and rock JT has been fronting the roots-rock quartet Jim James & The Damn Shames since 2003. Through their many live shows he has honed a sense of songcraft and dynamic stage-presence that have made them a critical success. Tonight's set will be an intimate solo performance allowing for rich lyrical and melodic detail to fully be explored and examined.

Music