Two Way Street Coffee House - Donna Adler

Donna has spent many of her years as a singer songwriter in Chicago, soaking up the influences of Steve Goodman and John Prine, but while growing up in Park Forest, IL, she listened for hours on end to Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris and Joni Mitchell.  She developed a love for writing songs while harmonizing with her brother and sister to the songs of Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Dan Fogelberg and Seals & Crofts.

Starting out at open stage night at Earl’s Pub (owned by Earl Pionke of The Earl of Old Town) on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago, she eventually branched out to perform at the Uncommon Ground Coffeehouse, Two Way Street Coffeehouse, Charlie’s Coffeehouse, The Fox Valley Folk Festival, The Heartland Café, Lucille’s, Bill’s Blues and Songwriters Night at The Bluebird Café in Nashville. She has lended harmonies on stage with Chicago locals like Chris Farrell, Mark Dvorak, the late Tom Dundee, Kent Rose, also singing 3-part harmonies with Buddy Mondlock and Mike Lindauer at Edgar’s Place in Park Forest, IL. Donna has been the opening act for Buddy & Mike at Edgar’s Place for several years now.

For a brief time, Donna played guitar and sang backup for The Art Thieves, a Chicago-based rock group led by John Kimsey. Her songs were a perfect fit for Green Light Performing Company, a children’s educational theater and dance group led by Domenick Danza.  Green Light commissioned her to write several songs for their live performances, including “Invisible Light,” a 6-minute song which describes the properties of light and supernovas.  The song was performed by the company at the Adler Planetarium (no relation).  Donna was also the voice of a popular radio jingle in 1997 for the Little Lotto, singing the jingle “Metal Detector”.  Her singing can be quietly heard in the background of the movie soundtrack for “The Vision,” a comedy horror film by Robert Alaniz, singing “Demon of Doubt” written by John Ludwig.  Her song Violets and Blues appears in the background of a short film by Eric Neal.  She has also worked with author Paula Kamen as the sound designer on her play “Seven Dates With Seven Writers”.

Donna has received numerous honorable mentions for her songwriting, including a finalist spot in the Eco Arts Awards for her song “Bring You Home.”  She has produced five CDs, All The Riches of The World (1997), Alta Vista Sky (2002), Violets and Blues (2007), Stories To Keep (2012) and Remembering Butterflies, released in 2020.  Two of her records were recorded in Nashville at Creative Caffeine Studios.  “Stories To Keep” was listed among the top CDs of 2012 for folk radio and selected as a top favorite for WDCB’s “The Folk Show”, WVPE’s “The Back Porch” and WAMU’s “Americana Breakdown”. She has been a host of Rich Warren’s “Sweet Folk Chicago” on WFMT and several of her songs have appeared on his pick list for “The Midnight Special”.

If you plan to join us in person, please bring a mask.  We are currently following the CDC guidelines for indoor gatherings.  If you can’t join us in person, you can still tune in virtually to catch the show!  Make your donation HERE to receive online access.  We will send the link to view the concert shortly before the show begins. Visit www.twowaystreet.org for more information.