93XRT welcomes Graham Parker

 

Graham Parker and The Rumour were formed in the summer of 1975 and released their first album, "Howlin' Wind," in January 1976 to worldwide critical acclaim. Their second album, "Heat Treatment," followed six months later, garnering similar critical reaction and propelled Parker to international recognition. GP and The Rumour disbanded after "Escalator" and Parker went on to forge a solo career that continues to produce powerful work including 1988's "The Mona Lisa's Sister," 1991's "Struck By Lightning" and the hard rocking "Acid Bubblegum," released in 1996.

In 2004 Parker released "Your Country" on Chicago's Bloodshot Records, a rootsy collection that included a cover of Jerry Garcia's "Sugaree." His version of this classic was much acclaimed by the songs' co-writer Robert Hunter and heralded by horror fiction writer Stephen King as the best ever version of the song in "Entertainment Weekly."

"Your Country" was followed in 2005 by the powerful full force rocker "Songs Of No Consequence," this set backed by Parker's occasional touring band The Figgs. In addition to his studio albums and the many live sets and compilations released on traditional record companies, Parker's website now sells an "official" bootleg, "Yer Cowboy Boot," featuring the multi-talented Tom Freund.

 

 

Genre: Rock/ Singer Songwriter

 

 

8PM - $25 in advance // $30 day-of // $40 reserved table seating - Graham's site

Jason Reeves

with Joe Brooks

Self-taught on the guitar, Reeves began his own musical adventure as a teenager, when he discovered the works of folk legends Bob Dylan and James Taylor.Transformed, Reeves spent the next few years honing his own writing skills before dropping out of college and moving West to California to pursue his music full time.

Now just 23, Reeves paints beautifully sophisticated portraits of some of life’s most vulnerable, yet exhilarating moments. “Reaching” for example, ponders the question of whether to abandon caution and the familiar in order to plunge headlong into the risk and potential reward of the unknown. “Pretty Eyes”, meanwhile, idealizes the utopian moments in life when one is in love, while “Never Find Again” reminds us that perfection is all-too-fleeting.

 

Genre: Singer Songwriter

 

 

8PM - $12 in advance // $15 day-of // $20 reserved table seating - Jason's site - Joe's site

Ruthie Foster

 

This extraordinary songwriter/performer tackles life’s big issues throughout her sizzling new album. On it, Ruthie repeatedly testifies to her core message – that through all of the ups and downs of living, you must stay true to yourself. The pain as well as the joy of love, the strength it takes to weather life’s challenges, the hope that grows from seeds of faith and wisdom: All of this breathes inspiration and celebration into The Truth According to Ruthie Foster.

And the music brings it to life. Truth be told, Foster could sing the phone book, jam on a laundry list and send everyone home happy. But the combination on The Truth According to Ruthie Foster of uplifting lyric and electrifying vocals, backed by a band of world-class players bristling with soul, proves impossible to resist.

 

 

 

Genre: Singer Songwriter

 

 

8PM - $16 in advance // $20 day-of // $28 reserved table seating - Ruthie's site

Maria Muldaur

 

Maria Muldaur's musical roots run deep. Born and raised in New York City's Greenwich Village, Muldaur was surrounded by bluegrass, old-timey, jazz, blues and gospel music, but her very first musical influences were from the records of country and western singers Hank Williams, Kitty Wells, Hank Snow and Ernest Tubb. At age five, she would sing Kitty Wells' "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" while her aunt accompanied her on the piano. As a teenager, Maria tuned into early rhythm and blues and was an avid fan of Fats Domino, Little Richard, Clyde McPhatter and Ruth Brown. She became interested in the girl groups coming onto the scene and formed her own, The Cashmeres, while in high school.

Her latest album, Yes We Can!, was released on July 22, 2008. The album showcases the work of some of the most socially conscious songwriters of the past half-century: Bob Dylan, Marvin Gaye, Allen Toussaint, Earl King and Garth Brooks, to name a few. Throughout the album's thirteen tracks, a host of well known progressive voices, collectively dubbed The Women's Voices for Peace Choir, help Muldaur shed the light and sharpen the focus on the precarious state of the world and its future. Included on the high-profile guest list are Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, Jane Fonda, Odetta, Phoebe Snow, Holly Near and several others. "Most of these women have boldly and tirelessly been lifting their voices for peace, non-violence and social justice their whole lives," says Muldaur, "and their commitment to these causes has been deeply inspiring to me over the years. It is our hope that our efforts here will inspire minds and hearts and that these songs will become a Soundtrack to the Change we must all become a part of."

 

Genre: Singer Songwriter

 

 

8PM - $20 in advance // $25 day-of // $36 reserved table seating - Maria's site

Willy Porter & the Carpe Diem String Quartet

 

Pushing the boundaries.  That's what this special evening is all about.

When Willy was contacted by the Carpe Diem String Quartet over a year ago, it was immediately known that this collaboration would be something different.  Willy has been pushing the boundaries of the acoustic guitar since the early 90's.  Case in point, how many other people out there play a 9-string guitar custom designed by themselves?  Carpe Diem String Quartet has been doing the same for their existence, going beyond what you would consider a traditional performance by creating thematic programs and bringing pop music to the string quartet format.

During a supposed one-time collaboration last spring in Carpe Diem's hometown of Columbus, they wowed audiences and realized they created something special.  Since then work has progressed on a live CD and more songs have been arranged beautifully and powerfully with the quartet and acoustic guitar intertwined.  This time Willy is bringing the group back to his neck of the woods.

Carpe Diem String Quartet is quickly becoming the premier American "indie" string quartet. The group performs the classical string quartet repertoire, but their musical passion has led them down the paths of gypsy, tango, folk, pop, rock, and jazz inspired music. Upcoming collaborations that showcase Carpe Diem's outside-the-box programs include concerts with Graeme Boone, banjo; Latin Grammy Winner Raul Juarena, Bandoneon; and, of course, Willy Porter.

Willy Porter has been an indie favorite in his own right since he began playing touring the country over 20 years ago.  His fiery guitar playing and powerful songwriting have taken him around the world on his own and playing with music luminaries from Jeff Beck, Jethro Tull, Paul Simon and Tori Amos. This time around he is out to showcase his recent collaboration with The Carpe Diem String Quartet.

 

Genre: Folk Rock

 

 

 

8PM - $25 in advance // $30 day-of // $40 reserved table seating - Willy's site - Carpe's site

Guitar Masters

featuring Eric Johnson, Andy McKee, and Peppino D′Agostino

Acoustic Performance

The broad diversity and beauty of America’s favorite instrument is on display with the Guitar Masters, featuring the amazing artistry of three of the world’s foremost guitarists:Instrumental rocker Eric Johnson, American finger-stylist Andy McKee, and Mediterranean steel-string musician Peppino D’Agostino. We invite you to experience these acclaimed musical veterans touring together for the first time.

Johnson’s gift for composing and playing songs that evoke vivid imagery and tell palpable stories even without words can be witnessed on his Anaheim performances of the aptly-named “Trademark” and his signature song “Cliffs of Dover,” which won Johnson a Grammy in 1991 for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. The effervescent 2006 live performance at The Grove in Anaheim includes “S.R.V.,” Johnson’s stirring salute to the late Stevie Ray Vaughan, who rose to fame alongside Johnson from the Austin, Texas music scene, and his only recorded performance of “Manic Depression” by Jimi Hendrix, a seminal inspiration to whom Johnson has often been compared.

Andy McKee is considered one of the world’s finest acoustic guitar soloists. His dedicated online community has raised his YouTube video views in excess of 78 million plays and at one point he held the #1, #2 and #3 positions for Top-Rated Videos of All Time on YouTube. McKee’s online media success has impacted both album and ticket sales allowing him to tour internationally with over 200 live shows a year.

Peppino D'Agostino is a Renaissance man. This is not just because he was born in Italy. Everything about the longtime California resident and his art -- virtuoso acoustic guitarist, composer, singer, teacher and all-around entertainer -- is rooted in his heritage. It's fitting then that his new CD is titled Made in Italy. It's his first CD release since 2005's Bayshore Road, a collaboration with longtime friend, electric guitarist Stef Burns.

 

Genre: Guitar

 

 

 

8PM - $35 in advance // $40 day-of // $52 reserved table seating - Eric's site - Andy's site - Peppino's site

Johnny A

 

For Johnny A., the guitar has held a lifelong fascination, her six strings exerting a powerful influence and addictive beauty since the first time he held them. The pursuit of this musical lady with the perfect shape has driven his years - shaping the course of his life – taking him places he never could have imagined. Through inspiring moments of ecstatic improvisation, deep contemplation and inevitable gaps of frustration it has been a stormy affair with a tempestuous hollow-body lover, but the marriage has been nothing less than remarkable.

 

Johnny A. is widely regarded as one of America's finest contemporary guitarists. Gibson thinks so – their Custom Shop designed a Signature Edition guitar per his specific requests which, when it was marketed in 2003, placed him in an exclusive club that included legends like BB King, Wes Montgomery, Chet Atkins, Joe Perry, Pat Martino and Les Paul himself. The public thinks so too - Johnny A.'s latest works have sold many thousands of copies as well as being his personal best. The most recent CD's - 2004's Get Inside and 1999's Sometime Tuesday Morning, are the critically acclaimed solo culmination of a lifetime of learning, sharing and bonding in a long parade of bands and players.

 

Genre: Indi Rock

 

 

8PM - $15 in advance // $20 day-of // $25 reserved table seating - Johnny's site

An Acoustic Evening with Brandi Carlile

with special guest Katie Herzig

Brandi Carlile's third album, Give Up The Ghost, unveils her talents in their truest form. After two albums and non-stop touring, she has let her guard down and offers her most candid recording to date. If the phrase "give up the ghost" most often refers to death or dying, it can also be used to describe the passing of stages in life, of transformation.

"To give up the ghost is not just to die since we do it a handful of times throughout our lives. It's a sort of leaving yourself behind," she explains. "Or what you knew yourself to be so that you can grow and transcend love or youth. Sometimes both."

The recording of Give Up The Ghost offered new experiences including working with the likes of Elton John, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers multi-instrumentalist Benmont Tench, drummer Chad Smith and Amy Ray of The Indigo Girls, all of whom contribute to the album.

For Carlile, the album is one of extremes: "The songs that are stripped down, raw and bare are that way so it makes the listener feel a little uncomfortable," she says. "And the ones that are huge are really big, with big harmonies, piano, layering electric guitar solos and a string arrangement like at the end of 'Pride and Joy.'"

In 2006, after eight years of fronting the critically acclaimed Colorado-based band, Newcomers Home, Katie Herzig moved to Nashville to strike it solo. Before leaving Colorado, she single-handedly recorded and produced Weightless, a tour-de-force of innovative sonics and songwriting. Since then Herzig’s song “Heaven’s My Home” received a 2007 Grammy nomination and she has steadily become a fixture in Nashville’s up-and-coming indie music scene.

$1 from every ticket goes to Brandi's Looking Out Foundation.

Genre: Singer Songwriter

 

SOLD OUT

 

 

8PM - Brandi's site - Katie's site

Edie Carey

with Rose Cousins

 

“Accidental Poet,” one of Edie Carey's earliest songs, describes a particularly eloquent friend, but could just as easily refer to Carey herself and the circuitous and serendipitous route that led her to become one of the country's most notable young songwriters. Somehow, all of the seemingly unrelated turns – from her intention to become a doctor, to a tiny music room in the basement of a Morningside Heights' chapel, to a year in Italy – managed to steer her towards music.

Rose Cousins has a knack for stirring the heart. With a blend of her journey and thoughtful observation, her songs tell subtle stories open enough to belong to anyone. Her genuine writing and unaffected voice have earned her great respect and recognition locally and internationally. Rose often has audiences in tears one moment and belly laughs the next. With expressive arrangements, warm guitar and effortless vocals, one would hardly believe shes on stage alone.

 

Genre: Singer Songwriter

 

 

8PM - $12 in advance // $15 day-of // $22 reserved table seating - Edie's site - Rose's site

Bonnie Koloc

 

with Ed Holstein

 

The enduring and versatile voice of Bonnie Koloc has been heard in Chicago since 1968.  For a decade, Bonnie was a pivotal act at the Earl of Old Town, drawing crowds that stood in lines around the block, hoping, at least, for a place to stand to catch the hottest act in town.  In time her folk-oriented style merged with jazz and blues, and her versatility took her to Mr. Kelly’s, a long-time Chicago landmark.  While continuing to play at the Earl, Orphans and Holstein’s, she began appearing at festivals.

Bonnie continues to pursue her music, performing and recording. She has recorded thirteen albums; recent CDs include “Timeless” (2004), a double CD of selections from mostly live performances between 1970 and 1995, “A Bestiary” (2005), a CD accompanying the art book described above, “Here To Sing” (2006), a studio recording and, most recently “Beginnings” (2009), a CD of selections from early live recordings by Rich Warren, primarily of performances at the legendary Chicago folk club, the Earl of Old Town.

 

 

Genre: Singer Songwriter

 

 

8PM - $20 in advance // $25 day-of // $32 reserved table seating - Bonnie's site -

The Verve Pipe : Kids Show!

 

 

With sales of three million albums worldwide and a reputation for spectacular live performances, the genesis of The Verve Pipe can be traced back to the early 90s, when lead singer Brian Vander Ark and drummer Donny Brown, members of two rival Michigan bands, joined forces. After the additions of lead guitarist AJ Dunning (later replaced) and keyboard/percussionist Doug Corella, The Verve Pipe released two independent albums, I’ve Suffered A Head Injury and Pop Smear. The group quickly garnered a regional following for its textured rock songs distinguished by inventive arrangements, soul-searching lyrics and layered vocals.

The success of both albums attracted the attention of RCA Records, which released their platinum major label debut Villains in 1996. The album included the #1 single “The Freshmen,” one of the most successful multi- format tracks of 1997 and winner of an ASCAP Pop Award. Their follow-up release, the critically acclaimed self- titled LP The Verve Pipe, featured “Hero,” a Top 15 hit at Modern Rock radio. Their most recent album, Underneath, produced the singles “Happiness Is” and “Never Let You Down,” one of the most played songs for Adult Top 40 and Modern A/C radio that year. The album also included “Colorful,” the emotive ballad featured in the film and soundtrack Rock Star, starring Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston and also co-starring Brian Vander Ark in his first major film role. In 2009, the band was approached to submit a new song for a compilation album of children’s songs. That session inspired A Family Album, an original collection of songs intended for the entire family,with fun and inventive lyrics set to the memorable melodies the band is known for.

 

Genre: Kids

 

 

3PM - $10 for everyone - The Verve Pipe's site

Chuck Prophet

with Steve Dawson

 

Chuck Prophet shapes his restless career with inimitable subtle flair: a vivid parade of razor-edged one-liners camouflaged in a slack-jawed drawl, songs about heartbreak and everyman heroism, drenched in twisted lines of rude Telecaster.

When the early stages of a financial melt-down coincided with a rare San Francisco heat wave in the summer of 2008, with the window open wide and Dwight Twilley, Iggy, Thin Lizzy and the Knack blaring out the hi-fi, Prophet wrote a collection of political songs for non-political people. Later, in April 2009, he journeyed to Mexico City, where, in the clutches of a Swine Flu panic and earthquakes, he recorded ¡Let Freedom Ring!, his most incendiary record, every bit as urgent as the title demands.

As part of Chicago’s criminally under-known Dolly Varden Steve Dawson has churned out nothing but quality for 15 years, but his second solo outing, I Will Miss The Trumpets and the Drums, carries the timeless inflection of vintage Roy Orbison and George Harrision. Personal, philosophical, and subtly orchestrated, Dawson’s tunes sway with whispers of pedal steel, finely placed echo, and a tasty acoustic / electric guitar combo, all underpinning one of the great pop-rock voices of our time, a set of pipes both instantly appealing and flecked with warm, individual character.

Genre: Singer Songwriter

 

 

8PM - $12 in advance // $15 day-of // $22 reserved table seating - Chuck's site - Steve's site

Sam Winch "The Lullabadeer"

 

 

The real life Sam Winch is a wandering entertainer from Appleton, Wisconsin . Sam Winch’s debut disc, The Lullabadeer, is a concept album about his fictional alter ego, who was born in a bowling alley and eventually wound up running away to the circus, after which a complicated story emerges involving clowns and ukuleles.

You don’t need to understand the particulars to appreciate The Lullabadeer, one of the year’s sweetest, weirdest debuts. A rusted hull of an album that seems to draw heavily from both John Irving (the wry, luckless protagonist, the whole circus thing) and Tom Waits (its garrulous vocals, fondness for trombones, and just about everything else), The Lullabadeer is that tricky combination of rollicking and sad.

 

Genre: indie/circus rock/all ages

 

 

2PM - $10 adults // $5 kids 10 and under // kids 3 and under free - Sam's site

Songwriters' Circle

presented by Ingrid Graudins featuring...

Nicholas Tremulis, Andrea Zonn, Angel Snow , and Deanna Devore

If you judge a man by the company he keeps, Nicholas Tremulis is a very interesting man indeed. Over the years of making music since he started in his teens in his hometown Chicago, Tremulis has worked, played and recorded with Keith Richards, Billy Corgan, Rick Danko, Bonnie Raitt, Marianne Faithfull and beat poet Gregory Corso, to name but a few. Norm Winer, program director of Chicago’s award-winning modern rock radio station, WXRT, has dubbed him “the musical mayor of Chicago”.   Pinky is the latest full album from the Nicholas Tremulis Orchestra - relentless rock & roll bravado and swagger, from the seam-buster opener  “Invisible Woman Standing On A Bridge” to the prowling “Happy Isn’t What You Want”.  The Houston Press calls Pinky “a monster blues-rock record.” 

 

Andrea Zonn’s voice and fiddle have graced the recordings and/or live performances of numerous luminaries including Vince Gill, Lyle Lovett and James Taylor.  She was part of 2010’s runaway success, the Troubadour Reunion Tour with James Taylor and Carole King. Andrea’s debut solo release, “Love Goes On,” (Compass Records) was met with critical acclaim.  The Country Music Critics’ Poll named her one of 2003’s Top 10 New Acts.   In response to the Asian tsunami of 2004, Andrea co-produced Hands Across the Water, a collection of collaborations between American and Celtic folk and roots artists including John Prine, Rodney Crowell, Vince Gill, Cerys Matthews, Jackson Browne and many more. (Compass Records).

When Angel Snow sings, she hands her heart to the listener. She pours out raw emotion through honest and introspective music. Her unique sound, classic Americana folk coupled with a modern edge, provides a soulful backdrop for lyrics based on everything from personal experience to vivid dreams. The result of this heartfelt songwriting is a labor of love, her debut album, “Fortune Tellers”.  Angel settled in Nashvilleand over the last year Angel has been writing songs with noted Bassist/Composer Viktor Krauss.  An album of this material (produced by Krauss) is currently being recorded and is scheduled for a fall of 2010 release. 

While most artists pack their bags for big time in New York, 24 year-old Toronto import Deanna Devore came to Chicago and recorded and co-produced a seven-song EP with Bjorn Torrid at Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio.  Raised by musical parents, her voice, guitar playing and songwriting well exceed her years as she carries a lyrical sensitivity, a maturity and sophistication that spans across rock, folk, Brazilian jazz, electro-dance, and orchestral territories.  2010 now bears the fruit of her early labor with regional tour dates in the works, a string of solo shows, and a debut full-length album to be recorded back home in Toronto and released in the US and Canada later this year.

 

 

Genre: Singer Songwriter

 

 

7PM - $15 in advance // $20 day-of // $25 reserved table seating

Ingrid's site - Nicholas' site - Andrea's site - Angel's site - Deanna's site

93XRT welcomes Leo Kottke

 

Leo Kottke is widely known for his innovative fingerpicking style, which draws on influences from blues, jazz, and folk music, and his syncopated, polyphonic melodies. Kottke has overcome a series of personal obstacles including partial loss of hearing and a nearly career-ending bout with tendon damage in his right hand to emerge as a widely-recognized master of his instrument.

Focusing primarily on instrumental composition and playing, Kottke has sporadically moved in a vocal direction, singing in an unconventional yet expressive baritone famously self-described as sounding like "geese farts on a muggy day". In concert, Kottke intersperses humorous and often bizarre monologues with vocal and instrumental selections from throughout his career, played solo on his signature 6- and 12-string guitars.

 

 

Genre: Roots/Folk

 

 

8PM - $35 in advance // $40 day-of // $58 reserved table seating - Leo's site

Al Stewart

 

In many ways, the summertime of Stewart’s 2009 much more resembled his summer of 1969 than it did the summer of 1979, when his multi-million-selling “Year of the Cat” and “Time Passages” were staples of FM radio, and he was touring with saxes, synths, singers, and all the accoutrements pop stardom brings. “I don’t think I ever knew how to be in front of a band,” says Al, a little modestly. “I always felt I was loitering there while they were doing all the work.”

With the release of Uncorked, Al and musical partner Dave Nachmanoff take a trip through Stewart’s musical back pages, both in terms of the musical catalogue (they did have nearly 20 albums’ worth of songs to pick from), and in terms of performance style. After all, Al made his bones in the massively fertile folk scene that was London in the late ’60s, and he numbers among his contemporaries the likes of guitar wizards Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, singer-songwriters Roy (“Hats Off To”) Harper and Richard Thompson, and a former flatmate named Paul Simon, who went on to some celebrity upon returning to America.

 

 

Genre: Singer Songwriter

 

 

8PM - $17 in advance // $20 day-of // $30 reserved table seating - Al's site

Gershwin....Here to Stay

featuring KT Sullivan & Mark Nadler

 

KT Sullivan and Mark Nadler are two of the most awarded and popular cabaret artists in New York City.  Either together or separately, they've played in every major club in New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago.  They've also appeared in concert at New York City's Carnegie Hall as well as major concert halls around the world  
and even the White House. The all Gershwin show they will be bringing to SPACE was heralded as "a wonderfully buoyant tribute" by The New York TImes when they performed it at New York City's Algonquin Hotel this past spring.  For this show KT and Mark are joined by the brilliant Chicago pianist, Jon Weber.

 

 

Genre: Cabaret

 

 

8PM - $25 in advance // $30 day-of // $40 reserved table seating - Mark's site - KT's site

Tyrone Wells

with Andrew Belle

Tyrone Wells has delivered an epic pop/rock album with his second major label effort, Remain. Pursuing a more collaborative process and having added a more lush production to his singer–songwriter roots, the new album proves to be a great showcase for his powerful and emotional voice.

On May 2, 2010 Tyrone's EP Metal and Wood was released to the public. Going back to his acoustic roots, Wells aimed at bringing back a folk vibe that can be found in his earlier albums such as Snapshot and Hold On. Along with touring, showcasing both Remain and Metal and Wood, Wells avidly participates in charity acts such as benefit concerts in Santa Barbara, California for Haiti survivors.

Andrew Belle is a new artist on the pop singer/songwriter scene. Residing in both Chicago and Nashville, he is currently a member of the critically acclaimed national tour Ten Out Of Tenn. Andrew released his debut EP All Those Pretty Lights in 2008, containing songs featured in hit TV shows including “90210” and “The Real World.” His song “I’ll Be Your Breeze” garnered nationwide airplay including Los Angeles tastemaker station KCRW. Andrew recently was named “Best Breakout Artist, Chicago” by MTV. His music and vocal stylings draw comparisons to Coldplay, The Fray, and John Mayer.

 

Genre: Singer Songwriter

 

 

8PM - $15 in advance // $18 day-of // $27 reserved table seating - Tyrone's site - Andrew's site

Tyler Hilton & Josiah Leming

 

Before Tyler Hilton wrote the songs that appear on his new album The Storms We Share he had never written anything but love songs. "It’s not that I was uninterested in things other than love, but it was love that made me want to write songs," the 26-year-old singer, songwriter, and guitarist says. Which would have been fine except that Hilton had been working on a new album for three years and had already scrapped hundreds of songs that he didn’t consider good enough. Uninspired, he was having a hard time motivating himself to keep going.

"I started coming up with these lyrics that were little pep talks to myself, like ‘Come on, you can do this. You just have to clear your head and keep going,’" Hilton says. "So several of the tracks on this album, like ‘Keep On,’ ‘Somehow,’ and ‘This World Will Turn Your Way,’ are these encouraging, hopeful tunes, which I’d never usually write, but that’s what was coming out of me at the time."

“Music is in my blood,” says singer and songwriter Josiah Leming. “It’s the only thing I want to do. I’d rather die in a ditch somewhere than not be able to make music. There are no other options for me. Music is my way of getting things out. It has saved my life many times.”

Such intense statements may sound like the drama of being a teenager, which Leming is, but spend any time with this thoughtful 19-year-old and it quickly becomes clear that it’s true. Josiah Leming plays music as if his life depended on it, because for him, it does. Born and raised in the hard-luck rural town of Morristown, TN, Leming left home at 17 to make it as a musician, leaving behind eight siblings (six of whom are adopted), an out-of-work stepfather, and a mother battling serious illness. As Leming traveled around the Southeast playing open-mic nights in any club or coffeehouse that would have him, he slept in his car and took odd jobs to pay for food and gas, all the while dreaming about the album he would one day make.

 

Genre: Singer Songwriter

 

ON-sale Saturday, August 28th at 11AM

 

8PM - $15 in advance // $18 day-of // $28 reserved table seating - Tyler's site - Josiah's site

93XRT welcomes Dar Williams

 

On one level, the sizable body of work accumulated by celebrated writer/artist Dar Williams is a continuing narrative of her life — what she’s experienced and what she’s observed during her years of intensive touring. On another, it forms a detailed look at the course of modern-day existence in the decade and a half between 1993, when Williams released her debut album, The Honesty Room, and 2008, when her longtime label Razor & Tie released her seventh and most recent studio album, Promised Land. Throughout her career, Williams has employed a reporter’s keen eye and a fiction writer’s feel for nuance in the act of confronting what she’s described as “the big picture of how people approach life,” doing by examining and illuminating the minute details.

These juxtaposed thematic arcs, laden with intriguing narrative twists and vivid imagery, are cast in sharp relief on Many Great Companions, a two-CD set (released Oct. 12 on Razor & Tie) that generously and comprehensively pairs a career overview with the artist’s latest recording project. The first disc contains luminous, newly recorded acoustic performances of a dozen of Williams’ most sharply drawn and resonant songs; the second cherry-picks 19 of her classics, along with her uplifting take on Ray Davies’ Kinks gem “Better Things,” which fits in seamlessly with the originals. On the new tracks, Williams is joined by Gary Louris of the Jayhawks, who doubles as producer, sometimes in tandem with the artist. Also making memorable appearances are Sean and Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek fame, fellow singer/songwriters Mary Chapin Carpenter and Patty Larkin, and the trio Motherlode.

As a whole, the collection charts Williams’ course from an upstart neo-folkie to a seasoned artist who’s also a community-involved wife, mother and “involved neighbor,” as she puts it. Williams and her husband Michael, who live in the Hudson River Valley 90 minutes from New York City, have a six-year-old son, Stephen, and an adopted daughter, Ethiopia-born Taya, who’s one and a half.

Genre: Singer Songwriter

 

ON-sale Saturday, August 28th at 11AM

 

8PM - $30 in advance // $35 day-of // $43 reserved table seating - Dar's site

Marshall Crenshaw

with Phil Angotti

Over 25 years since breaking through to critical and commercial acclaim with his 1982 self-titled debut and its infectious, era-defining pop hit "Someday, Someway," Marshall Crenshaw creates an incredible new chapter in his career with his 429 Records debut Jaggedland. Crenshaw's first studio recording in more than six years is his most musically dynamic and lyrically intimate collection yet.

Classic Crenshaw attributes including an indelible sense of melody and tuneful essence combine to create a rich warmth and intimacy on every song of Jaggedland. The recording has a powerful vibe of immediacy thanks to Crenshaw's warm vocals and riveting guitar work. He takes the production to its highest levels working with a roster of well known musical heroes and veteran producers.

 

 

Genre: Singer Songwriter

 

 

8PM - $17 in advance // $20 day-of // $30 reserved table seating - Marshall's site - Phill's site

Tristan Prettyman

with Makepeace Brothers

 

Tristan Prettyman, a San Diego native, has come a long way since she discovered her dad’s guitar and taught herself to play at age 15.

After catching some local attention, she was asked to contribute a song to the 2001 surf film “Shelter”. Soon Prettyman was performing at clubs and bars around San Diego, selling her EP, The Love EP, at shows and on her website.

From there, the major labels came calling and Prettyman signed with Virgin Records, who released Twentythree in August of 2005.  Critics praised its low-key acoustic folk-pop with Rolling Stone leading the pack, calling Prettyman “one of the more promising young pop folkies.”

Her sophomore album, Hello, was released in April of 2008 and entered the Billboard Top 200 sales chart at No. 27. The first single “Madly” was the iTunes Single of the Week and the complete Hello album download immediately spiked to the No. 2 position in overall iTunes album sales.

After having taken almost a year off from touring and recording, Tristan is getting ready for a 20-city tour throughout the U.S as well as working on her third Virgin Records release with famed producers Sacha Skarbek and Martin Terefe.

Known for their timeless and infectious harmonies and breezy, “front-porch rifts” which inspire fans to sing and dance, the Makepeace Brothers thrill crowds worldwide. Since completing their international tour, “Music Magic Makepeace” with Atlantic Records recording artist Jason Mraz, the Makepeace Brothers continue to play to enthusiastic audiences around the US, Canada, and the UK. Currently two of the brothers, Finian and Ciaran Makepeace, tour with long-time friend and bassist Conor Gaffney. They are occasionally accompanied by brothers Aidan and Liam Makepeace.

 

 

Genre: Singer Songwriter

 

 

8PM - $14 in advance // $18 day-of // $28 reserved table seating - Tristan's site - Makepeace Brothers' site

93XRT welcomes The Subdudes

 

In 1987, four musicians got together for what they envisioned would be a one-time performance at Tipitina’s in New Orleans. It was a night of mostly acoustic music – sparse instrumentation with a strong emphasis on songwriting and vocal harmonies. The show far exceeded expectations, and on that March night The Subdudes were born. Nearly 10 years later, after five well-received albums and several years of hard touring, The Subdudes called it quits. Spinoff projects ensued, as did the occasional reunion show. Finally, in February of 2002, three of the four original band members decided to get back together. They recruited additional longtime friends to fill out the sound and called themselves the Dudes, but the music was still unmistakably The Subdudes. Today, they are once again The Subdudes. And there’s still nobody in the world that sounds like them. So, welcome back The Subdudes: Tommy Malone, John Magnie, Steve Amedée, Tim Cook and Jimmy Messa.

 

 

 

Genre: Cajun Roots

 

SOLD OUT

 

8PM - The Subdudes's site

The Weepies

 

Since they met in a Cambridge folk club 9 years ago, The Weepies have progressed from an indie duo playing house concerts, to ranks on the Billboard Charts. Though they now have sales in the hundreds of thousands, the Weepies have kept a surprisingly low profile; they haven't toured at all since 2006.

"Our son was born right as we finished Hideaway," (Nettwerk, 2008) says Steve Tannen. "Touring was out. It was a huge change from the 180 shows of the Say I Am You release (Nettwerk, 2006)." The band was kept in the spotlight by dozens of uses in TV shows and films, including a prominent campaign ad for Barack Obama.

Crystallizing their organic acoustic sound and pop harmonies, the California duo has come up with their deepest, most accessible record yet. Third in a trilogy for Nettwerk Records, The Weepies once again worked with drummer Frank Lenz, guitarist Meg Toohey and string player Oliver Kraus, adding bass legends Tony Levin and Larry Klein to the mix.

 

 

Genre:  Indie Folk

 

SOLD OUT

 

7PM - The Weepies' site

The Weepies

 

Since they met in a Cambridge folk club 9 years ago, The Weepies have progressed from an indie duo playing house concerts, to ranks on the Billboard Charts. Though they now have sales in the hundreds of thousands, the Weepies have kept a surprisingly low profile; they haven't toured at all since 2006.

"Our son was born right as we finished Hideaway," (Nettwerk, 2008) says Steve Tannen. "Touring was out. It was a huge change from the 180 shows of the Say I Am You release (Nettwerk, 2006)." The band was kept in the spotlight by dozens of uses in TV shows and films, including a prominent campaign ad for Barack Obama.

Crystallizing their organic acoustic sound and pop harmonies, the California duo has come up with their deepest, most accessible record yet. Third in a trilogy for Nettwerk Records, The Weepies once again worked with drummer Frank Lenz, guitarist Meg Toohey and string player Oliver Kraus, adding bass legends Tony Levin and Larry Klein to the mix.

 

 

Genre:  Indie Folk

 

SOLD OUT

 

10PM - The Weepies' site

Justin Roberts & The Not Ready For Naptime Players

Special Halloween Show!

 

Like a scene from "Groundhog Day," the event repeats itself over and over. Bass and drums pound out the beat in perfect unison. Bodies spring to their feet and rush the stage; jumping, dancing and bouncing off each other like bumper cars. The concertgoers behave like children. Which is no surprise because they are children, participating in the kiddie mosh pit found at nearly every Justin Roberts concert.

Justin Roberts is truly one of the "all-stars" of the indie family music scene. He logs thousands of miles on the road each year, leading some to call him the hardest working man in children's show business. With national awards and recognition and a devoted fan base, Justin and his wonderfully named bandmates "The Not Ready for Naptime Players" dish out unexpectedly intelligent and whimsically rocking music for kids and their parents. "Pure Fun" — Entertainment Weekly "Some of the most inspired and intelligent kids lyrics ever." — Amazon.com Put on your costumes and come party with Justin Roberts and the Not Ready For Naptime Players!

 

 

Genre:  Kids

 

11AM - $15 for everyone- Justin's site