THE CELLAR STAGE™
Faith Community United Methodist Church of Hamilton
5315 Harford Road * Baltimore, MD 21214Concert information: 410-521-9099
Cell phone for info on day of show: 443-540-0226
uptownconcerts@gmail.com
OCTOBER 2013
Showtime 8:00 P.M. Doors open 7:00 P.M.
http://uptownconcerts.com/cellar-stage/shows/THE KENNEDYS
Friday, October 18th
Midway Fair opens
Tickets $21.00 – Showtime 8:00 pm
“Unafraid to mix philosophy, spirituality, love and artistry with a folk-rock back beat is what makes this duo a positive force on all things human." ~ Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange. Inspiration is where you find it – and where it finds you. Open to every moment, the much-traveled married duo of Pete and Maura Kennedy have spun their personal experiences, musical influences and philosophical beliefs into nine previous albums of winsome original songs, frequently seasoned with exquisitely-performed cover tunes, that blend acoustic-based folk, rock, country, pop and secular gospel into an inclusively delightful sound that’s all their own. The Kennedys use their full palette of vocal and instrumental colors to bring their songs to glowing life. Maura’s lead vocals range from comforting to yearning, from girlish to womanly, from exuberant to delicate, sometimes bolstered by her own sweet harmonies and those of Pete and sometimes several guests. As usual, multi-instrumentalist Pete provides a vibrant tapestry of chiming, jangling and twanging guitars, as well as mandolin, interwoven with Maura’s sturdy acoustic rhythm guitar, harmonica and glockenspiel. The body of work The Kennedys have created since their 1994 wedding is a reflection of their musical and philosophical influences and experiences separately and as a couple. Their live show and CD’s encompass their favorite musical styles while incorporating the naturalistic, transcendental and mythological teachings of Joseph Campbell, Eckhart Tolle, Walt Whitman, and various Eastern-oriented philosophers into their songs and lives. Their goal is to live in the moment, appreciating every second of sensation, which imbues their music with a constant sense of wonder and freshness. With the release of their tenth CD as The Kennedys and recent CDs by their Strangelings and Stringbusters side projects added to their discography, Pete and Maura remain the Energizer bunnies of the folk/rock world. (www.kennedysmusic.com)
Midway Fair plays "Pretty music about ugly things," and their folk rock sound and songwriting are a seamless synthesis of British and American traditional styles with indie rock. Artists like Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler, Richard Thompson, Tom Waits, and The Waterboys are big influences. Although many of their songs are crafted to be lighthearted and fun, they tackle serious subjects like war, poverty, and (of course) love with poetic grace and intelligence. “Reminds me a lot of Fairport Convention [...] The playing and craft are exquisite.“ ~Jon Worley, Aid & Abet April 2011.
Friday, October 25th
ANNE HILLS
& MICHAEL SMITH
Tickets $21.00 – Showtime 8:00 pm
ANNE HILLS: “Anne Hills is such an exquisite singer that it’s understandable that people might be swept up in the pure beauty of her voice and thereby overlook her writing. That would be a mistake. For me, Anne’s writing, in songs like ‘Follow That Road’ and many others, is as direct, melodic and deep as any work being done today. She is quite simply one of my absolute favorite songwriters.” ~ Tom Paxton. As a singer, actress, writer, and musician Anne Hills has continuously built a reputation of merit. During her career, she has received numerous honors including, the Pennsylvania Partner’s in the Arts Project Stream grant award (for the 2007 premiere of An Evening of James Whitcomb Riley). Her poetic work won her Second Place in the Atlanta Review’s International Poetry Contest and her work as lyricist with jazz-artist Peter Erskine was featured in a performance by choirs from around the world at a Hilliard Ensemble workshop in Germany. In 2001 she reunited with long-time friend Tom Paxton to release a long-awaited duet recording Under American Skies for Appleseed Recordings, which won a WAMMIE (Washington Area Music Award) for “best traditional folk recording.” This was soon followed by many collaborative projects including Fourtold with Michael Smith, Steve Gillette and Cindy Mangsen. Though collaborative work is the keystone in Anne’s career, it is her singing and interpretive gifts that have received the most attention. 1998 saw the release of Anne’s performances on two of the most talked about compilations of the year, placing her voice along side Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, The Roches, Ani DiFranco and The Indigo Girls on Where Have All the Flowers Gone? (The Songs of Pete Seeger) and What’s That I Hear? (The Songs of Phil Ochs). Other projects include the occasional tour with Priscilla Herdman and Cindy Mangsen (Voices of Winter in 1998, and Turning of the Year in 2000), which was featured in the arts section of the January 1998 Sunday New York Times, and her performances with the legendary songwriter Michael Smith. Anne continues to touch the heart with a poet’s evocative palette and a singer’s love of melody. Anne’s aesthetic voice & songwriting have continued to win her new and ardent fans. Her song “Follow That Road” was chosen as the title cut for the 2nd Annual Martha’s Vineyard Songwriter’s Gathering recording on Rounder Records (produced by Christine Lavin). “One of the most glorious voices in all of contemporary folk music.” ~ Chicago Tribune. (www.annehills.com)
MICHAEL SMITH: “Hearing the songs of Michael Smith in this day and age is like reading an anthology of Hemingway’s short stories after decades of only comic books. It’s a realization that songs can hold a whole lot more than they’re usually expected to hold, they can possess a genuine sense of place and time as evocative and magical as the finest literature.” ~Paul Zollo. Michael Peter Smith was born in South Orange, New Jersey in September of 1941 and raised in the area, attending Catholic schools later referenced in a few of his songs. He bought his first guitar at age fifteen (for $5) and was soon playing in a group called The Kalypso Kids, whose first and only recording is lost in antiquity. College in Florida brought a quartet dubbed the Wanderers, with gigs on the beach and at local coffeehouses, then touring in The Talismen, a duet. It was Folk Music, and Folk Music was happening. Three years at The Flick in Miami followed. There he met his wife, Barbara Barrow, and they traveled with a quartet called the Baker Street Irregulars, signed a contract with Decca under the group name Juarez, and produced an eponymous vinyl recording that you can still sometimes find in the ‘used’ bins of obscure record stores. Steve Goodman recorded “The Dutchman,” and Chicago music lovers were discovering other Smith’s songs. Michael and Barbara relocated to the windy city and became regulars at venues such as The Earl of Old Town, Somebody Else’s Troubles, Holstein’s, No Exit and Orphan’s. They played the Philadelphia Folk Festival, worked with Corky Siegel and John Prine, taught at the Old Town School of Folk Music, organized a benefit in commemoration of their friend Gamble Rogers, and separately and together continued to record. Michael began to record for Flying Fish, initially produced by Anne Hills, whom he had met when he was playing bass for Bob Gibson. He began to tour more frequently doing exclusively his own material and continued to write songs, now increasingly being recorded by other artists. Michael Smith, the lyricist, composer and performer of renown, is a voracious reader and never at a loss for material. “Michael Smith stands out as one of the few undisputed geniuses among singer-songwriters.” ~ Sing Out! Magazine. Michael continues to travel, playing concert halls house concerts, clubs and festivals, and his prolific songwriting has never waned, with now close to 500 original tunes in his impressive catalog. (www.michaelpetersmith.com)
LOOKING AHEAD
NOVEMBER: 15th John Flynn / 22nd The Ocean Quartet,
DECEMBER: 6th Robin Bullock, Ken Kolodner, Elke Baker Celtic Christmas / TriBeCaStan.
JANUARY: 24th A Showcase - Neptunes Car, Jessica Smucker, Lynn Hollyfield +,
FEBRUARY: 28th Ken Kolodner & Brad Kolodner.
