Anyone not familiar with the music of Bill Staines is in for a special treat.
Last Dance Productions is pleased to welcome Bill Staines to one of the great listening rooms in town, the New England Folk Music Archives. The event takes place on on Wednesday, July 17th at 7pm. We’ll have a conversation with Bill recording his thoughts about the Folk Scene in New England over the past years that will be deposited into our growing oral history collection.
After the conversation we’ll be treated to a performance by Bill Staines.
For more than forty years, Bill Staines has traveled back and forth across North America, singing his songs and delighting audiences at festivals, folksong societies, colleges, concerts, clubs, and coffeehouses. A New England native, Bill became involved with the Boston-Cambridge folk scene in the early 1960′s and for a time, emceed the Sunday Hootenanny at the legendary Club 47 in Cambridge. Bill quickly became a popular performer in the Boston area. From the time in 1971 when a reviewer from the Boston Phoenix stated that he was “simply Boston’s best performer”, Bill has continually appeared on folk music radio listener polls as one of the top all time favorite folk artists. Now, well into his fifth decade as a folk performer, he has gained an international reputation as a gifted songwriter and performer.
The New England Folk Music Archives is thrilled to have Deborah Holland and Cidny Bullens perform this special benefit concert.
Produced by Last Dance Productions, only 40 tickets will be sold for this performance.
DEBORAH HOLLAND was introduced to the world as the lead singer and songwriter of Animal Logic, (with Stewart Copeland of The Police and jazz bassist Stanley Clarke). She went on to record 4 solo albums, 2 with the folk-Americana “super-group” The Refugees, scored 5 films, and wrote and performed dozens of songs for film and TV. Her new solo album, VANCOUVER, was released on June 4th, 2013 and is already getting airplay on over 75 US and Canadian radio stations.
CIDNY BULLENS began a music career touring with Elton John and in the studio with mega-hit songwriter/producer Bob Crewe. A 30+ career includes the breakthrough hit “Survivor”, (Grammy nomination for Best Rock Vocal Performance), three lead vocals as part of the Grease movie soundtrack album (also Grammy-nominated), and 6 critically acclaimed albums featuring a who’s who of Americana artists including Bonnie Raitt, Lucinda Williams, Rodney Crowell, Bryan Adams, Beth Nielsen Chapman, John Hiatt, Steve Earle, and Emmylou Harris, and Delbert McClinton. In 2007, Cidny formed the super-trio The Refugees.
A Benefit for FOLK New England.
Peter Yarrow. “We all know the music of Peter, Paul and Mary—folk classics that remain the soundtrack for generations. But our patrons were thrilled to experience the relevancy of that music, and how it resonates through today’s headlines, when Peter Yarrow brought his solo show to the Tower Theatre. It was so much more than a nostalgia show. Peter connected with the sold-out audience in ways that went well beyond a normal concert: he encouraged sing-alongs and audience participation; he signed autographs at intermission; he personally greeted each and every one of our VIPs and members; he even auctioned two personalized guitars to raise money for our educational outreach programs. Peter turned our theatre into his living room. He created an inclusive atmosphere, encouraging each of us to change our part of the world. It was a memorable evening rooted in the historic milestones of his past, yet focused on the current issues that continue to call him to activism. We all know how all the songs of Peter, Paul and Mary sound; what a rare treat to hear what Peter thinks of them. “
–Ray Solley, Executive Director, Tower Theatre Foundation, Bend, Oregon
Peter Yarrow’s talents as a creative artist—both with the legendary trio Peter, Paul & Mary and as a solo performer—are frequently directed at using music to convey a message of humanity and caring. His gift for songwriting has produced some of the most moving songs from Peter, Paul & Mary, including “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” “Day is Done”, “Light One Candle” and “The Great Mandala.” As a member of the renowned musical trio, Yarrow has earned multiple gold and platinum albums, as well as numerous GRAMMYs.
Over the years, many issues have moved Peter to commit his time and talent: equal rights, peace, the environment, gender equality, homelessness, hospice care, and education. All have utilized his skills as both a performer and an organizer. Peter Yarrow’s life and work – culminating in the founding and leadership of Operation Respect with its “Don’t Laugh At Me” initiative – is based on his passionate belief that music, with its power to build community and catalyze change, can be a particularly powerful organizing tool.
“Yes, it will be nostalgic for many. But on another level, it will bring them a sense of what is still possible. Yes, they will sing ‘Leaving on a Jet Plane,’ and I will give them a sense of the current history of what this music is doing, and why it’s important. So it will be a history lesson, it will be a singalong that inspires, but it will also assert the importance of the continuation of this kind of music in people’s lives today. And where we’re going from here in those terms. It’s not necessarily a big lecture — it’s inherent in the music. They’ll get it. I know it, ’cause that’s what I do.” – Peter Yarrow
Very special guest Michaela Anne will open the show.
Information and Tickets: Click Here
Patty Larkin redefines the boundaries of folk-urban pop music with her inventive guitar wizardry and uncompromising vocals and lyrics. Acoustic Guitar hails her “soundscape experiments” while Rolling Stone praises her “evocative and sonic shading.” She has been described as “riveting” (Chicago Tribune), “hypnotic” (Entertainment Weekly) and a “drop-dead brilliant” performer (Performing Songwriter).
“Larkin’s shows are celebrations of song, guitar and voice coming together in perfect unison with a perfect blend of skill and humility. Patty Larkin would never tell you that she’s a great guitarist, but she’ll show you all night long.”_CityBeat
Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion
“Moves seamlessly from Beck-meets-Beatles rock to soundscapes, folk-roots and Beach Boys summertime rock… [with] a sincerity that is undeniable.” (RELIX) “baroque folk with a quietist edge” (Nashville Scene)
Tumbling Bones
Tumbling Bones is a trio of young men inspired by old music. They play a mix of original compositions and traditional material drawing on bluegrass, pre-war folk, and a bit of the contemporary rock ‘n’ roll the guys were reared on.
“Take one listen to Loving a Fool and you’ll feel like you’re front and center at the Grand Ole Opry. Yes, they’re that good.”
– Kathy Sands-Boehmer, (No Depression)
FOLK New England
Founded by Betsy Siggins in 2009, FOLK New England’s mission is to document, preserve, interpret and present the ongoing cultural legacy of folk music in all its forms, with emphasis on New England’s contribution to the enrichment of North American life.
FOLK New England creates a dialogue between the history of folk music and the future of folk, through robust collections development, multi-disciplinary education, and engaging entertainment programs for the public.
Produced by Last Dance Productions.
A Tribute to Todd Rundgren, Gary Backstrom’s Road to Utopia, comes to the Regent Theatre, 7 Medford Street, Arlington, MA on Friday, June 7, at 8 pm. Tickets here.
Todd Rundgren
Considered by many to be the “Ultimate Rock Cult Hero” Todd Rundgren has maintained a legion of fans through four decades. Todd’s searing guitar work reached a nationwide audience in his role as lead guitarist for the blues-psychedelic band Nazz. He wrote and arranged almost all of the work that went into the three albums the group produced.
His first big solo success was in 1971 with “We Gotta Get You a Woman” and in 1973 from the double album “Something/Anything?” He scored big on the charts with “I Saw the Light” and a revision of a Nazz song, “Hello, It’s Me.”
Rundgren has scored huge as a music producer, most notably on Meat Loaf’s “Bat Out of Hell” opus. In the late 1970s and through the 1980s Todd formed the group Utopia, each member an accomplished musician and vocalist. He has also been called on by films and TV for his musical scores and sometimes tours with Ringo Starr as a member of his All-Star Band.
Gary Backstrom
Gary is the founder and frontman of the acclaimed Jam Band “Jiggle The Handle.” The Gary Backstrom Band is a Boston-based Band that mixes Soul, R&B, Funk, Rock and Latin grooves blended into a unique sound. Their sound features exciting, unpredictable improvisation that can only be heard in the best live acts on the scene today. Gary is considered “one of the most underrated, fluid, and melodic players in the Northeast.”
Some of the proceeds from this concert will go to
The project brings personalized iPods to people living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, helping them reconnect with the world through the music they love.
This will be a quite the night for a great cause.
