Upcoming Shows
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Carrie Newcomer
Carrie Newcomer
Join Carrie Newcomer with pianist Gary Walters, Jason Wilber, and The Gathering of Spirits String Quartet for an intimate and uplifting evening of musical storytelling, humor, poetry and award-winning songwriting. Newcomer’s performances explore themes of connection, spirituality, the natural world and the human possibility. Her concerts are warm and folk-inspired, always leaving her audiences feeling encouraged and reminded of what is both gritty and beautiful in humanity.
Opening set by Jason Wilber, songwriter, recording artist, and 24-year music director/guitarist for the legendary singer-songwriter John Prine.
We hope you join for this evening of heart opening music, A Gathering of Spirits: Hope in Hard Times.
Portion of profits donated to Social Justice Work of UU Church of Bloomington
Hawktail & Väsen
Hawktail & Väsen
Hawktail is the acoustic instrumental trio of fiddler Brittany Haas, bassist Paul Kowert, and guitarist Jordan Tice. Though at first glance it looks like an acoustic super-picker side-project, their all-original music is cohesive and unique, distinguishing them as an ensemble with a sound built from the ground up. Flush with orchestral sweeps and sparse vigils, with strains of the American South and the North Atlantic, this cosmopolitan sound is not what you'd expect from a string band.
Each member of Hawktail brings a strong individuality to the project. Haas, whose 2004 self-titled release instantly became the touchstone for a generation of old-time fiddlers, has since lent her sound to Crooked Still, Live From Here, Steve Martin, and David Rawlings, where she played alongside Kowert, well known as the Grammy-winning Punch Brothers' virtuosic bass player. Tice is a rare guitar player whose music showcases his unique identity and a particular knack for song and tune-writing. However, despite each of their ability to contribute to many musical situations, something special happens when they unite as Hawktail. Together, they have fostered a reputation as a rare ensemble of composers and instrumentalists able to take the listener on a journey, without the use of words.
Väsen-Duo, Mikael Marin and Olov Johansson have, after 37 years of interaction and touring, refined their sound and their stage presence to the extent that today they are unique in their kind. With their playful and perfect interplay, they seem to defy the laws of physics in what appears to be a telepathic communication.
The music is intense and full of humour. They create their very own musical language which in its appeal is as modern as it is ancient. With the foundation firmly rooted in the traditional music of Uppland, they have always looked curiously at new musical goals.
Olov & Micke have played together since 1983 when they met at Oktoberstämman in Uppsala and discovered that they had a large common repertoire and a similar way of playing. It turned out that Micke had learned from Ivar Tallroth in Uppsala and Olov had learned from Curt Tallroth in Harbo. They had been introduced to the rich Bohlin / Tallroth tradition by the two brothers. Olov & Micke started playing intensively together and released their first recording, "Det rister i Örat," in 1985. They have played an incredible amount together over the years in Väsen. Now they go on adventures among old fine musicians, stories and trad tunes and at the same time they continue to break new ground. They perform on a variety of stringed instruments, including a silverbasharpa, oktavharpa, three-rowed Nyckelharpa, violoncello da spalla and a blue electric viola.
BloominGrass
BloominGrass feat. Sam Bush Band, Alice Randall, Leyla McCalla, John Prine Tribute feat. Jason Wilber and Dave Jacques of John Prine Band with Emily Scott Robinson, and Sunny War
$10 discount and free hardback book: Alice Randall’s My Black Country with purchase of both nights for a limited time!
There is only one consensus pick of peers and predecessors, of the traditionalists, the rebels, and the next gen devotees. Music’s ultimate inside outsider. Or is it outside insider? There is only one Sam Bush.
Guitarist Jason Wilber and bassist Dave Jacques (both members of the John Prine Band) will lead the John Prine Tribute along with Emily Scott Robinson, Oh Boy Records recording artist, and other featured vocalists to highlight the legacy of the legendary folk artist in his birthday month.
Alice Randall is a New York Times bestselling novelist, award-winning songwriter, and educator. She is widely recognized as one of the most significant voices in modern Black fiction and has emerged as an innovative food activist committed to reforms that support healthy bodies and healthy communities. Her latest book, My Black Country, is “a delightful, inspirational story of persistence, resistance, and sheer love” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) of this most American of music genres and the radical joy in realizing the power of Black influence on American culture.
Leyla McCalla joins BloominGrass this year with her full band. She finds inspiration from her past and present, whether it is her Haitian heritage or her adopted home of New Orleans, she — a bilingual multi-instrumentalist, and alumna of Grammy award-winning African-American string band, the Carolina Chocolate Drops — has risen to produce a distinctive sound that reflects the union of her roots and experience. McCalla’s widely-acclaimed collaborative project, Songs of Our Native Daughters (Rhiannon Giddens, Amythyst Kiah, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell), released via Smithsonian Folkways in 2019. The album pulled influence from past sources to create a reinvented slave narrative, confronting sanitized views about America’s history of slavery, racism, and misogyny from a powerful, modern Black female perspective.
Los Angeles-based street singer, guitarist, and roots music revolutionary Sunny War has always been an outsider, always felt the drive to define her place in the world through music and songwriting. Her restless spirit, a byproduct of growing up semi-nomadic with a single mother, led her to Venice Beach, California, where she’s been grinding the pavement for some years now, making a name for her prodigious guitar work and incisive songwriting, which touches on everything from police violence to alcoholism to love found and lost.
Colorado songwriter Emily Scott Robinson beckons to those who are lost, lonely, or learning the hard way with American Siren, her first album for Oh Boy Records. With hints of bluegrass, country, and folk, the eloquent collection shares her gift for storytelling through her pristine soprano and the perspective of her unconventional path into music.
Andrew Marlin (of Watchhouse)
Andrew Marlin
Andrew Marlin is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based out of Chapel Hill, NC. He’s known for his captivating songwriting, presented both lyrically with his band Watchhouse, and under his own name
In 2023, Marlin joined Noam Pikelny, Chis Eldridge, Greg Garrison, and Alex Hargreaves to form Mighty Poplar, an all-star roots group formed from effortless back stage and late night bluegrass jams. The band released their self-titled debut album in spring of that year.
In 2020, Marlin recorded two dynamic, instrumental albums, Witching Hour and Fable & Fire, which followed up 2018’s Buried in a Cape.
Witching Hour, which was released February 5, 2021, is redolent of bluegrass and American roots music soundscapes; rich fiddle and mandolin weave through powerful, coursing tunes. Folk Alley said the record “showcase(s) Marlin’s ingenious ways of dwelling in a tune and turning it inside out, grounding it in tradition but carrying it out to new heights through brilliant innovation.”
Fable & Fire, which was released two short weeks after Witching Hour, draws more from the sounds of Irish roots music and is reminiscent of the melodies that came over from the Emerald Isle to early Appalachia. Red Line Roots called the album a “masterpiece” and that “Andrew’s instrumental songs have a way of speaking volumes without actually having any words within them. Rich palettes of emotion, place, space and vibe that in all my years of listening to instrumental records, I am yet to find an equal to.”
Each album was recorded in a different recording studio but largely had the same crew of instrumentalists, all of whom are close friends and trusted collaborators. Nashville guitarist Jordan Tice and fiddler Christian Sedelmyer have worked closely with Marlin before, as have guitarist Josh Oliver and bassist Clint Mullican, both of whom tour and record in Watchhouse. Award winning fiddler Brittany Haas joined up for a tune on Witching Hour, and Fable and Fire features cellist Nat Smith on every track.
Marlin has produced six albums of original works of American roots music with Watchhouse and regularly contributes instrumental performances to other artists and albums. Recent work includes playing mandolin on recordings for Tyler Childers, Waxahatchee, Dead Tongues and Phil Cook. Marlin is also an in-demand producer, and has produced albums for artists including Mipso, Kate Rhudy, Rachel Baiman and Ismay.
Over the last decade, he has toured with Watchhouse and his stringband throughout the U.S and Europe and appeared on high profile programs such CBS This Morning's Saturday Morning Sessions and NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert. As a band Watchhouse has headlined and sold-out notable rooms including the Ryman and Red Rocks.
Rosanne Cash with John Leventhal (Sold Out)
Rosanne Cash with John Leventhal
One of the country’s pre-eminent singer-songwriters, Rosanne Cash has released 15 albums of extraordinary songs that have earned four Grammy Awards and 12 additional nominations. Late last year, Rosanne and her husband, guitarist John Leventhal (6 Grammys), also her songwriting, producing and performing partner launched a new record label, RumbleStrip Records to reexamine and rerelease Rosanne's early period recordings originally on Columbia/Sony Music. A 30th Anniversary remastered edition of the Cash/Leventhal produced album The Wheel was the inaugural release followed by John Leventhal's very first solo album entitled Rumble Strip in late January.
Some songs from both these releases will be featured on tour at their concerts this summer. Cash is also an author whose four books include the best-selling memoir Composed, which the Chicago Tribune called “one of the best accounts of an American life you’ll likely ever read.” Her essays have appeared in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Oxford American, The Nation, and many more print and online publications. Her most recent book, Bird on a Blade (2018), was published by University OF Texas Press, combining images by acclaimed artist Dan Rizzie with Cash’s lyrics. In addition to regular touring, Cash has partnered in programming collaborations with Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, SFJAZZ, the Minnesota Orchestra, and the Library of Congress. She served as artist-in-residence at New York University and in 2018 and 2023 she was a resident artistic director at SFJAZZ.
Along with many other honors and awards, Cash received the 2021 Edward MacDowell Medal, awarded since 1960 to an artist who has made an outstanding contribution to American culture. She is the first woman composer to receive this prestigious honor. Last month she was elected as an Honorary American member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
‘I consider artists to be in the service industry; the premier service industry for the heart and soul. I am curious to a pathological degree and the Sword of Time hangs over me, and those two things— curiosity and the hourglass— make me feel more urgent than ever to connect, to find community, and to create. It doesn’t matter what the world thinks, it only matters that what is unsaid and what is unseen is given form and has a voice.’
Recommended: Lindsay Lou & Torres
Thursday Night Switchyard Park Concert with Lindsay Lou & TORRES
FREE outdoor concert for everyone at Switchyard Park in Bloomington, Indiana on Thursday, July 18. Food trucks, beer garden, and more. TORRES starts the show at 7:00 PM followed by Lindsay Lou.
Moira Smiley & String Quartet
Moira Smiley & String Quartet
Singer / Composer Moira Smiley has toured the world and recorded with Indie-pop favorites, Tuneyards, performing with them on all the late-night TV shows (Kimmel, Colbert, Conan O’Brien, UK’s Jools Holland, etc.) and recently to re-open David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center in NYC with Chris Thile, Hilary Hahn and Brad Mehldau. She began her singing career in Baroque and Medieval music, collaborating with Paul Hillier, Fretless Consort of Viols, Dufay Collective and Sinfonye, BBC Singers and New World Symphony. As a folksinger, she’s fronted the legendary Irish-American supergroup, Solas as well as the Lomax and Folklife Projects produced by Jayme Stone, and continues to lead her own vocal collaborations as VOCO and The Voice Is A Traveler.
Kaia Kater (FREE SHOW)
Kaia Kater
Grenadian-Canadian Kaia Kater's jazz-fueled voice and deft songcraft have garnered acclaim from NPR’s Tiny Desk, Rolling Stone and The Guardian. Her new album, Strange Medicine (May 2024), celebrates the power of women and oppressed people, while also sharing meditations on her own life. Kaia is equally recognized for her film work, winning a Canadian Screen Award for 'The Porter' (CBC/BET+), and contributing to the new film, My Dead Friend Zoe (March 2024) as a songwriter and singer.
Tommy Prine with Special Guest Jason Wilber and Kiely Connell (21+)
Tommy Prine
Tommy Prine's debut album "This Far South'' coming June 23, 2023 is not only a long awaited introduction but a testimony to Prine's 20's and the loss, love, and growth that has defined them. Co-produced by close friend and kindred musical spirit, Ruston Kelly, and beloved Nashville engineer and producer, Gena Johnson, the album is rich and dynamic from cathartic jams to nostalgic storytelling.
The son of late songwriting legend, John Prine, Tommy Prine grew up in Nashville surrounded by music, art and writing. As a child, he thought all parents were musicians, as his father "going to work" meant performing shows for adoring fans and writing songs. Tommy learned to play guitar by watching his father play, copying the ways his fingers moved and inadvertently developing his own singular style. Summers in Ireland lent their own inspiration, as did 10 straight years camping at Bonnaroo. Prine's musical tastes grew to become decidedly eclectic, spanning John Mayer, Outkast, Bon Iver, the Strokes and more.
It wasn't until Prine reached his mid-twenties, though, that he considered a career of his own in music and began to share with others the songs he wrote in private. His songs were quickly met with excitement and enthusiasm, which sonically brings together a colorful patchwork of musical influences and lyrically explores existential questions and emotional experiences.
The album's title track, "This Far South,'' marks a turning point in Prine's life as he found himself struggling to escape a dark, aimless period. He ultimately found the courage to act on choices that would see him to the other, brighter, side.
Jason Wilber
As John Prine's lead guitarist and musical director for 24 years, Jason Wilber gained a unique perspective on music and life. He worked closely with Mr Prine on stage and in the studio, collaborating on some truly timeless performances and recordings. Jason's own albums and performances feature humorous stories from his Prine years, contrasted with touching and insightful reflections on life's mysteries. On his most recent album Time Traveler, he explores how we will maintain our humanity in the face of our ever expanding technologies. Jason Wilber has been named an “Artist You Need To Know” by Rolling Stone.
Kiely Connell
Kiely Connell is a Nashville, Tennessee transplant with rustbelt roots. Hailing from Hammond, Indiana just four houses down from the Illinois state line, Kiely draws inspiration from the hardworking people of her native Midwest community. As one of her peers put it: "Kiely's songs walk a tightrope, planting each step equally with both the grace at the heart of folk music, and the steadfast confidence of an experienced rock and roll soul." Kiely's powerful four-octave range will take you on a journey that transcends the ordinary.
In a time when most country and Americana artists are forging a similar path, Kiely takes fans on a different journey to unknown places — sonically, and emotionally. She writes songs that have a gothic country aesthetic- a blend of somber poetry and western melodies delivered with her rich and brooding voice. Her voice merges gritty blues with an ethereal upper register, leaving audiences comparing her to the likes of Patsy Cline, Joan Baez, and Joni Mitchell. Kiely's incomparable voice, and her poetic storytelling truly make her an Americana artist to watch.
"Kiely Connell may be a newcomer now, but based on this striking recording, she won't be for long." – Holler
"Kiely Connell and Calumet Queen constitute a remarkable and auspicious debut that you can see initiating a strong musical legacy as it unfolds into the future." – Saving Country Music
James McMurtry with Special Guest BettySoo (21+)
James McMurtry
In James McMurtry’s new effort, The Horses and the Hounds, the acclaimed songwriter backs personal narratives with effortless elegance (“Canola Fields”) and endless energy (“If It Don’t Bleed”). This first collection in seven years, out August 20, 2021 on New West Records, spotlights a seasoned tunesmith in peak form as he turns toward reflection (“Vaquero”) and revelation ( closer “Blackberry Winter”). Familiar foundations guide the journey. “There’s a definite Los Angeles vibe to this record,” McMurtry says. “The ghost of Warren Zevon seems to be stomping around among the guitar tracks. Don’t know how he got in there. He never signed on for work for hire.”
The Horses and the Hounds is a reunion of sorts. McMurtry recorded the new album with legendary producer Ross Hogarth (John Fogerty, Van Halen, Keb’ Mo’) at Jackson Browne’s Groovemaster’s in Santa Monica, California, a world class studio that has housed such legends as Bob Dylan (2012’s Tempest) and David Crosby (2016’s Lighthouse) as well as Browne himself for I’m Alive (1993) and New Found Glory, Coming Home (2006). McMurtry and Hogarth first worked together 30 years ago, when Hogarth was a recording engineer in the employ of John Mellencamp at Mellencamp’s own Belmont Studios near Bloomington, Indiana. Hogarth recorded McMurtry’s first two albums, Too Long in the Wasteland and Candyland, for Columbia Records and later mixed McMurtry’s first self-produced album, Saint Mary of the Woods, for Sugar Hill Records. Another veteran of those three releases, guitarist David Grissom (Joe Ely, John Mellencamp, Dixie Chicks), returns with some of his finest work.
One for the Foxes & Aoife Scott🍀
One for the Foxes & Aoife Scott
Dave Curley, Tadhg Ó Meachair & Joanna Hyde form an exciting and dynamic transatlantic trio that presents a rousing blend of Irish and American folk music, having already won over audiences on both sides of the ocean. The group is made up of Dublin's Tadhg Ó Meachair (Goitse), Galway's Dave Curley (SLIDE) and Denver, Colorado's Joanna Hyde (The Hydes), and features a mix of Irish and American folk music and song – both traditional and newly- composed – presented in an energetic and engaging manner. Their performances strike a tasteful balance between the stories found in ballads across both sides of the Atlantic and the respective instrumental music traditions of these places.
Aoife Scott is an acclaimed folk singer and songwriter hailing from Dublin, Ireland. With her soulful vocals and evocative storytelling, she has captured the hearts of audiences around the world. Born into a renowned musical family, Aoife's upbringing immersed her in the rich traditions of Irish music. She seamlessly blends elements of folk, traditional, and contemporary styles to create a sound that is uniquely her own. Her music is a heartfelt reflection of her experiences, exploring themes of love, resilience, and social justice. Aoife's passion for her craft and her dedication to authenticity have earned her critical acclaim and a loyal following. With each performance, she mesmerizes listeners with her raw talent and emotional depth, solidifying her place as a rising star in the folk music scene.
Over the Rhine with Lily & Madeleine
Over the Rhine
Over the Rhine's 15th studio album marks the duo's 30th continuous year of writing, recording and touring together. In that time, singersongwriters/ multi-instrumentalists Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler (who've been married for 22 years) have built a vivid, emotionally-charged body of work that has won them a deeply devoted following and critical acclaim. Like its predecessors, Love & Revelation showcases the pair's timeless songcraft and understated yet soulful delivery. Those qualities are prominent on such memorable new songs as "Los Lunas," "Let You Down," "Broken Angels" and "Making Pictures," whose insistent melodies and striking lyrical imagery haunt the listener long after the music fades.
The Steeldrivers with Kade Puckett
The Steeldrivers
What began as a casual jam session over a decade ago has become one of today’s leaders in the Americana/Bluegrass music world. The venerable Rounder Records immediately signed the band and released their eponymous debut in 2008 that scored their first GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group w/ Vocal for the song Blue Side Of The Mountain. Again in 2010, the group’s sophomore effort “Reckless”, received two more nods for Best Bluegrass Album and Best Country Performance by a Duo of Group with Vocal, courtesy of the universally popular hit Where Rainbows Never Die. The group’s star continued to rise with the release “Hammer Down” that debuted at #1 on the Billboard Bluegrass Charts. Their accomplishments continued with the highly anticipated 2015 “The Muscle ShoalsRecordings” that also won a GRAMMY for Best Bluegrass Album, as well as three IBMA nominations forAlbum, Song, Songwriter (Tammy Rogers) and Liner Notes (Peter Cooper) of the Year honors. In 2018 the group made Grand Ole Opry history as the quintet was joined by superstars John Prine and Bill Murray on the revered stage to perform. Other accolades include a cameo in the Murray flick “Get Low,” music placement in various TV and movies including the popular drama “Yellowstone,” and specially recordings with the military group Six String Soldiers. In 2020, Tammy Rogers, Michael Fleming, Richard Bailey, Brent Truitt and Kelvin Damrell (his first project as lead vocals) released the chart-topping “Bad For You” to both industry and media aplomb.2021 brought the latest member on board, lead singer Matt Dame. The quintet tours an average of 75 dates annually while continuing to bring world-class music to people.
KADE PUCKETT
Spontaneous, magical, and honest, Kade Puckett's live performance is both engaging and entertaining. He is the 2013 Indiana State Fingerstyle Guitar champ, his song 'Timmy Jo' was chosen as the theme song for WTIU's (PBS) show The Weekly Special, and in high school he helped build the world's largest guitar -- which was later purchased by Dick Clark. Puckett, also an award-winning songwriter, performs all genres of music and can be seen in a variety of venues across the United States.
Mikaela Davis & John Strohm (ON SALE NOW)
Mikaela Davis & John Strohm
Mikaela Davis is a patient, meticulous songwriter. The Hudson Valley-based artist peels back the gauze of the world’s distractions to reveal the tiny details we might have missed, spotlighting the importance of nourishing friendships, perseverance in the face of adversity and the lessons the natural world can teach us.
A prolific and distinctive harpist, Davis molds her classical music training to create an original and genre-bending catalog that weaves together 60s pop-soaked melodies, psychedelia and driving bluegrass rock. Davis has also shared the stage with the likes of Bob Weir, Christian McBride, Bon Iver, Lake Street Dive and Circles Around the Sun, showcasing her ability to stretch her creative talents across just about any canvas.
Along with her band Southern Star, the group recently recorded at the Relix studio in New York City, releasing an exclusive Relix Studios vinyl. Featuring songs from her 2018 debut album Delivery, as well as latest single “Don’t Stop Now”, the release boasts the trajectory and intimacy of a band who have been playing together for the better part of a decade.
Davis’ new album, set for release later this year and produced by Davis and the band, is the first time Southern Star will appear on a full-length studio album together. With these new songs set to confirm the Rochester-native’s inimitable skills and spirit, Davis is poised to propel to bigger stages and even brighter spotlights.
John P. Strohm is a lawyer, musician, and executive with a deep history working with creative artists in the music industry. After dropping out of music school and spending a decade touring and recording as a member of popular alternative rock acts The Lemonheads and Blake Babies, Strohm became a music lawyer in Nashville with a clientele consisting primarily of musicians and musician-friendly companies. Between 2017 and 2022, Strohm was President of Rounder Records, where he and his team built a strong, Americana-heavy roster that includes Billy Strings, Sierra Ferrell, and Ruston Kelly. In 2022, Strohm returned to law practice as a partner at the firm of Frost Brown and Todd in Nashville.
BloominGrass Festival feat. Väsen & Hawktail
Bloomingrass Festival feat. Väsen, Hawktail, Michael Cleveland & The Foreign Landers
BloominGrass is a new mini music festival taking place at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater for one night only, featuring some of the most exciting music in contemporary folk and bluegrass. For its debut this year, Bloomingrass will headline Bloomington favorites Väsen and Hawktail, introduce The Foreign Landers, and feature a special guest the world of bluegrass knows and loves to be announced soon.
Hawktail is the instrumental acoustic group comprised of fiddler Brittany Haas (Crooked Still, Dave Rawlings Machine), bassist Paul Kowert (Punch Brothers, Dave Rawlings Machine), and guitarist Jordan Tice. Though at first glance Hawktail looks like a superpicker side-project, their all-original music is cohesive and unique, distinguishing them as an ensemble with a sound built from the ground up. Flush with orchestral sweeps and sparse vigils, with strains of the American South and the North Atlantic, this cosmopolitan sound is not what you’d expect from a string band.
Väsen hails from Uppsala, Sweden and is a perennial favorite at the Lotus World Music Festival, leading Bloomington to name a street after the group and the band to name an album after the street: Väsen Street. Olov Johansson (nyckelharpa) and Mikael Marin (viola) will perform on this tour as a duo and together in collaboration with Hawktail for a set not to be missed.
With his sixth solo studio release, LOVIN’ OF THE GAME, veteran fiddle virtuoso Michael Cleveland seizes his opportunity at this one wonderful life and swings for the rafters. The album positively hums with energy. Not beholden to one specific genre or pigeonholed label, it showcases Cleveland’s inclusive musical nature—placing value in the process over the output. It is in this release of control that we find something truly sublime: the sound of artists working together in the act of creation without regard for any preconceived notion of what “should” be. The sound of genuine musicianship.
John Raymond x S. Carey with Special Guest Ross Gay (Sold Out)
John Raymond x S. Carey
John Raymond and S. Carey have been playing music together for close to twenty years since their time studying music at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. While they both received training in jazz and classical music, their careers would soon head in very different directions. Carey would become the right-hand man to Justin Vernon (aka Bon Iver); collaborate as a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer with the likes of Sufjan Stevens, Low, and Bruce Hornsby among others; and release four albums of his own to critical acclaim from Pitchfork, NPR, and more. Raymond, on the other hand, would become a Grammy-nominated trumpeter and composer “steering jazz in the right direction” (Downbeat); release eight albums garnering praise from the New York Times, Stereogum, and others; and teach on faculty at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, one of the most prestigious music conservatories in the world.
In 2019, the two reunited and began experimenting on what their artistic voices would sound like together. Raymond brought in a host of musical ideas, while Carey contributed lyrics and helped shape the ideas into songs. Producer Sun Chung (formerly with ECM Records) came on board shortly after, and together they enlisted a cast of A-list musicians to help flesh out the music including pianist Aaron Parks (Terri Lyne Carrington, Terence Blanchard), bassist Chris Morrissey (Norah Jones, Mark Guiliana), and guitarist Dave Devine (Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band).
The result is their new album, Shadowlands (out September 29), a stunning, genre-bending collection of songs that combines the warmth and beauty of Carey’s aesthetic with the improvisational, spontaneous nature of Raymond’s. The music ranges from intimate and meditative to soaring and anthemic, with electric moments of musical interplay throughout. It’s the kind of collaboration that feels as if it were years in the making.
ROSS GAY
Ross Gay is the author of four books of poetry: Against Which; Bringing the Shovel Down; Be Holding, winner of the PEN American Literary Jean Stein Award; and Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, winner of the 2015 National Book Critics Circle Award and the 2016 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. His first collection of essays, The Book of Delights, was released in 2019 and was a New York Times bestseller. His new collection of essays, Inciting Joy, was released by Algonquin in October of 2022.
Carrie Newcomer & String Quartet with Tommy Prine (ON SALE NOW)
CARRIE NEWCOMER & STRING QUARTET with Tommy Prine
Join Carrie and the Gathering of Spirits String Quartet for an evening of music and stories that celebrate, sustain and inspire.
Carrie will perform songs from her new and past albums with arranger/pianist Gary Walters, violinist Allie Summers and the Gathering of Spirits String Quartet for this unique blending of story and songs that celebrate what is sustaining and hopeful, reminding us of how even in divided times we are still connected at the center of the human heart. The songs on the new collection explore what it means to live with hope and purpose in challenging times. She sings of seeing wonders in small moments and delight in daily encounters, as well as describes the questions that continue to define and frame her experience. In A Great Wild Mercy Newcomer taps into our shared human longing for a better world that is spiritual and expansive, but always grounded in the most ordinary of things and human sized kindness. This will offer a new spin on a Hoosier favorite for longtime fans and a great introduction for new listeners.
Carrie is delighted to invite rising songwriter, Tommy Prine, who is carrying on the musical tradition of his father John and will be opening the show with his own blend of songwriting filled with poignant insights into the human condition.
Watchhouse (formerly Mandolin Orange) - ON SALE NOW
WATCHHOUSE
with Johanna Samuels
Starting over a decade ago playing coffee shops and local restaurants around North Carolina, Watchhouse is a grassroots success story that’s been driven by Marlin’s poignant songwriting. They’ve sold out iconic venues (Red Rocks, Ryman Auditorium) and attract hundreds of millions of streams while producing exploratory music that “redefines roots music for a younger generation” (Washington Post). 2022 was filled with many endeavors including the American Acoustic Tour with Punch Brothers, headlining shows across the US, collaborating with Planet Bluegrass onMabon, an autumn equinox concert series, and of course Watchhouse (Duo). In 2023, Marlin and Frantz will celebrate the release of Watchhouse (Duo) with a short run of shows that will feature just the two of them, harkening back to their earliest days of performing.
Darlingside - ON SALE NOW
DARLINGSIDE
Darlingside has long been praised for their harmonies and intelligent songwriting, described by NPR as “exquisitely-arranged, literary-minded, baroque folk-pop,” and their dynamic presence (crowded tightly together onstage) have made them a live-performance favorite. But this album showcases their broader storytelling abilities: nature is a looking glass, the songs suggest, with tracks like Ocean Bed, Green + Evergreen, Mountain + Sea, and Crystal Caving making metaphors of their titles. An experience of nature is an experience of self; an experience of self is one of natural change cut and complemented by stasis.
One for the Foxes - ON SALE NOW
One for the Foxes
with Supertrad
Dave Curley, Tadhg Oì Meachair & Joanna Hyde form an exciting and dynamic transatlantic trio that presents a rousing blend of Irish and American folk music, having already won over audiences on both sides of the ocean. The group is made up of Dublin's Tadhg Oì Meachair (Goitse), Galway's Dave Curley (SLIDE) and Denver, Colorado's Joanna Hyde (The Hydes), and features a mix of Irish and American folk music and song – both traditional and newly- composed – presented in an energetic and engaging manner.
Hawktail - ON SALE NOW
Hawktail
with Joanna Hyde and
Tadhg Ó Meachair
Hawktail is the instrumental acoustic quartet of fiddler Brittany Haas, bassist Paul Kowert, guitarist Jordan Tice, and mandolinist Dominick Leslie. Though at first glance it looks like an acoustic superpicker side-project, their all-original music is cohesive and unique, distinguishing them as an ensemble with a sound built from the ground up. Flush with orchestral sweeps and sparse vigils, with strains of the American South and the North Atlantic, this cosmopolitan sound is not what you'd expect from a string band.
Humbird - ON SALE NOW
Humbird
with Joanna Hyde and
Tadhg Ó Meachair
Inspired by the crystalline chill of the north country she calls home in Minnesota, Humbird combines a wintry longing with the warmth of a familiar folktale.
NOTE: In person seating is VERY LIMITED for this intimate show in this contemporary arts space. If you are interested in attending, get your tickets early!
Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas - ON SALE NOW
Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas
with Joanna Hyde and
Tadhg Ó Meachair
The musical partnership between consummate performer Alasdair Fraser, "the Michael Jordan of Scottish fiddling," and brilliant Californian cellist, Natalie Haas, spans the full spectrum between intimate chamber music and ecstatic dance energy. Over the last 16 years of creating a buzz at festivals and concert halls across the world, they have truly set the standard for fiddle and cello in traditional music. They continue to thrill audiences internationally with their virtuosic playing, their near-telepathic understanding, and the joyful spontaneity and sheer physical presence of their music.
NOTE: In person seating is VERY LIMITED for this intimate show in this contemporary arts space. If you are interested in attending, get your tickets early!
Carrie Newcomer with Gary Walters and String Quartet - ON SALE NOW
Sept 11, 2022 7:30 PM EST -Bloomington IN
With Gary Walters, Pianist, Allie Summers & The Skylark Trio
Special guest: Tadhg Meachair
12 beautiful new arrangements by Gary Walters
FAR Center for Contemporary Arts,
For Tickets https://tinyurl.com/2p8rm3mjWe hope you join us for this very special evening of music with Carrie Newcomer, Gary Walters, Allie Summers and the Skylark Trio to perform new and previously recorded songs.
“I'm particularly excited this will be an all women's string quartet!” -Carrie Newcomer
NOTE: In person seating is VERY LIMITED for this intimate show in this contemporary arts space. If you are interested in attending, get your tickets early!
LIVE STREAM ON MANDOLIN - The Sept 11th show will be lived streamed for those not able to join us in person on Mandolin
In-Person Tickets are 30.00 and Streamed Tickets are 18.00. With your purchase of either evening’s in-person ticket, you get 10 day replay of the Sept 11th stream.
Carrie Newcomer with Gary Walters and String Quartet - ON SALE NOW
Sept 9, 2022 7:30 PM EST -Bloomington IN
With Gary Walters, Pianist, Allie Summers & The Skylark Trio
Special guest: Tadhg Meachair
12 beautiful new arrangements by Gary Walters
FAR Center for Contemporary Arts,
We hope you join us for this very special evening of music with Carrie Newcomer, Gary Walters, Allie Summers and the Skylark Trio to perform new and previously recorded songs.
“I'm particularly excited this will be an all women's string quartet!” -Carrie Newcomer
NOTE: In person seating is VERY LIMITED for this intimate show in this contemporary arts space. If you are interested in attending, get your tickets early!
LIVE STREAM ON MANDOLIN - The Sept 11th show will be lived streamed for those not able to join us in person on Mandolin
In-Person Tickets are 30.00 and Streamed Tickets are 18.00. With your purchase of either evening’s in-person ticket, you get 10 day replay of the Sept 11th stream.
