Dec
29
Sun
Tom Rush, The Kweskin Jug Band, Patty Larkin In Concert @ Boston Symphony Hall
Dec 29 @ 8:00 am – 9:00 am
Tom Rush, The Kweskin Jug Band, Patty Larkin In Concert @ Boston Symphony Hall | Boston | Massachusetts | United States


Singer-Songwriter and folk icon Tom Rush will return to Symphony Hall with the next of his series of Club 47® concerts on Saturday, Dec 28th at 8:00pm. As is traditional with these shows, Tom will bring together different generations of musicians to share the music. This Holiday Season show will feature the Jim Kweskin Jug Band, with Bill Keith, Geoff Muldaur and Maria Muldaur; Massachusetts favorite Patty Larkin; and (relative) newcomers Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion.

In 1981 Tom Rush assembled the first of a series of concerts named for the fabled Cambridge coffee house where many of the legendary artists of his generation got their start. His Club 47 shows played at venues across the country, including New York’s Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Last year, Tom renewed the tradition with a sold-out show at Symphony Hall marking his 50th year on stage.

“These shows are fantastic musical events,” said Tom Rush. “Having a mix of fabulous performers from different generations, sharing the stage, collaborating , exploring each other’s music — it’s a recipe for magic. ‘Honoring the past, celebrating the future,” is the Club 47 slogan, and we try to live up to it.”

The Jim Kweskin Jug Band got their start at the Club 47 in Cambridge and were the original “Americana” band, playing everything from classic blues to hillbilly country, ragtime, jazz, and rock ‘n’ roll. Their imitators were legion, including a San Francisco jug band that became the Grateful Dead and a New York jug band that became the Lovin’ Spoonful, but their loose, exuberant style was uniquely theirs.

“Boston was the home of our Jug band, and our first gig as the Jim Kweskin Jug Band was at Club 47,” Kweskin remembered. “It is fitting that the last performance of our 50th anniversary be performed in Boston. We thank Tom Rush (who started in Boston about the same time we did) for inviting us to join him at Symphony Hall.”

The individual members of the original Jug Band also have made indelible marks on American music. Maria Muldaur is perhaps best known for her 1974 mega-hit Midnight at the Oasis, but her career can best be described as a long, adventurous odyssey through American roots music, including 40 solo albums and multiple Grammy nominations. Geoff Muldaur is one of the great voices and musical forces to emerge from the Cambridge scene. He composes scores for film and television, and his definitive recording of Brazil provided the seed for – and was featured in – Terry Gilliam’s film of the same title. Bill Keith introduced his own melodic approach to the banjo, now called the “Keith-style,” and as member of Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys and later collaborations, revolutionized the way the banjo is played.

Patty Larkin redefines the boundaries of urban-folk music with her inventive guitar wizardry and uncompromising vocals and lyrics. She has been described as “riveting” (Chicago Tribune), “hypnotic” (Entertainment Weekly) and “drop dead brilliant” (Performing Songwriter). Patty has called Boston home since her studies at Berklee College of Music where she holds an Honorary Doctorate of Music and is currently an Artist in Residence. Patty and Tom’s friendship was kindled nearly 28 years ago when she was on his Maple Hill Artists’ booking roster, and occupied the “Newcomer” slot at several of Tom’s Symphony Hall Club 47 shows.

“Tom Rush has an iconic connection to the singer songwriter movement of which I am a part. His performances continue to be fresh, full of humor and heart, Larkin said. “I’m pleased to be returning to the Symphony Hall stage to join Tom and his esteemed musical guests.” Her 13th album, Still Green, has just been released.

Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion embody the spirit of the Club 47 tradition. Guthrie— the daughter of Arlo and the granddaughter of Woody— grew up in a musical family rich in the American folk tradition. She and her husband Johnny Irion have been playing together as a musical duo for over thirteen years. They just released their fourth album, Wassaic Way, produced by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and Pat Sansone.

“It’s the kind of night I love,” Tom Rush concludes. “To be on stage with some of my favorite players and favorite people, mixing it up, having fun … it doesn’t get much better than that!”

Apr
6
Sun
The Last Waltz Live @ Regent Theater
Apr 6 @ 7:00 am – 10:00 am

The Last Waltz LIVE is a re-creation of the Band’s classic 1978 concert film, The Last Waltz, featuring The Rev Tor Band and an all star cast of Boston-based musicians. The show includes renditions of all the hits by the Band featured in the film, such as “The Weight,” “Up On Cripple Creek,” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” as well as songs by Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Eric Clapton and many more.

For Tickets Click Here.

The line-up of artists includes the Rev Tor Band, Gary Backstrom of Jiggle the Handle, Vance Gilbert, Chris Fitz, Jim Infantino of Jim’s Big Ego, Chris Nemitz and Charlie Carrazzo of Sun Jones, Regie Gibson, Adam Michael Rothberg, Emily Grogan, Todd Mack, Marina Evans, Vinny Serino of Boston Baked Blues, Nikki Howard, Les Sampou, Vykki Vox, and Richard Cambridge.

 A diverse array of local, regional, and national artists perform the songs of the film’s original special guests, making the show a unique all-star experience showcasing the finest talent from the local music scene and beyond. All profits from the Last Waltz LIVE benefit Music in Common, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen, empower, and educate communities through the universal language of music.

The Last Waltz. On Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976, the legendary rock group THE BAND performed The Last Waltz, their “farewell concert appearance” at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco CA. The concert saw The Band joined by more than a dozen all star special guests, many of whom were and are considered the living legends of their time. This historic event was captured by director Martin Scorsese and made into a concert film of the same name released in 1978. The performances captured on film that night were magical and the movie has achieved a cult classic status amongst many musicians today. It continues to be a major source of inspiration to all who see it.

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The Last Waltz Live

Some of the profits from this concert benefit Music In Common, whose mission is to strengthen, empower, and educate communities through the universal language of music. The Last Waltz supplies the perfect soundtrack to bring musicians together and strengthen that common bond. The Last Waltz LIVE is a celebration of that spirit.

Tickets Here

Produced by Last Dance Productions.

Jun
7
Sun
A Tribute to Paul Simon: The Gary Backstrom Band @ Mile Marker One Restaurant, Bar and Function Hall
Jun 7 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
A Tribute to Paul Simon: The Gary Backstrom Band @ Mile Marker One Restaurant, Bar and Function Hall | Gloucester | Massachusetts | United States

Rhythm of the Saints: A Tribute to Paul Simon

Mile Marker One Restaurant, Bar and Function Hall
75 Essex Ave
Gloucester, MA 01930

Sunday June 7th, 6pm

More Info Click Here

What a way to enjoy a perfect Summer evening, in the outside tent at the beautiful Mile Marker One restaurant in Gloucester MA.

Gary Backstrom and friends present, Rhythm of the Saints: a tribute to Paul Simon. Featuring members of Jiggle the Handle, Max Creek, Heavy Metal Horns and The Grass Gypsys – Rhythm of the Saints present 2 sets of material spanning Simon’s eclectic career.

The Gary Backstrom Band is a high energy, innovative original act featuring the infectious licks and songwriting of nationally recognized guitarist Gary Backstrom.

Feb
5
Fri
Dar Williams and Catie Curtis In Concert @ The Regent Theatre
Feb 5 @ 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Dar Williams and Catie Curtis In Concert @ The Regent Theatre | Arlington | Massachusetts | United States

Dar Williams with Special Guest Catie Curtis

A benefit concert for Americans United for Separation of Church and State

Friday, February 5th at 7:30pm

Tickets and More Info: Click Here

“Dar Williams is a songwriter of immense talent” – Telegraph UK

Williams growth as an individual over her almost two-decade-long career has gone hand-in-hand with her evolution as an artist. Raised in Chappaqua, N.Y., and educated at Wesleyan University, Williams spent 10 years living in the thriving artistic community of Northampton, Mass., where she began to make the rounds on the coffeehouse circuit. Joan Baez, an early fan of her music, took Williams out on the road and recorded several of her songs.

Every new album from Dar Williams represents her thoughts and feelings about both her own life and larger forces in the world. But her ninth studio record, Emerald, marks a particularly dramatic confluence between her experiences and broader contemporary culture—and what it means to be a songwriter at this moment in history.

“I’m now experiencing the fruits of the alternative culture I was part of in the ‘90s,” she says. “I think I’ve made choices about how I lived my life, outside of the world that was going to fit me among the mainstream norms, and I chose to stay with my friends, to stay with my culture. That turns out to have been the sturdiest structure I could have built for myself. And that’s in my songs, it’s in my teaching. I’m a believer in what can happen when we make music together.” – Dar Williams

Special Guest Catie Curtis

Catie Curtis is a veteran on the singer/songwriter folk scene. She’s performed at the White House, two Presidential Inaugural Balls, with Lilith Fair, and at Carnegie Hall. Winner of several Boston Music Awards, she also took the Grand Prize in the 2006 International Songwriting Competition (out of 15,000 entries). The New Yorker called Catie a “folk-rock goddess.”

Americans United for Separation of Church and State is a nonpartisan organization that lobbies, educates and litigates in order to preserve the constitutional principle of church-state separation as the only way to ensure religious freedom for all Americans.

Tickets and More Info: Click Here

Sep
30
Fri
The Last Waltz Live: A Special Benefit Concert for “Mended Little Hearts of Boston” @ The Regent Theatre
Sep 30 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
The Last Waltz Live:  A Special Benefit Concert for “Mended Little Hearts of Boston” @ The Regent Theatre | Arlington | Massachusetts | United States

The Last Waltz LIVE is a re-creation of the Band’s classic concert film featuring The Rev Tor Band as The Band (accompanied by a full horn section) and one dozen or more local, regional, and national artists as special guests.

Not a tribute show, but rather a powerful community event, each LWL concert features a local lineup of guest artists making it a unique, all-star experience.

Tickets here:
http://www.regenttheatre.com/details/the_last_waltz_live
or call (781) 646-4849

Most of the profits from the Last Waltz LIVE will be donated to Mended Little Hearts of Boston

Info on Mended Little Hearts of Boston Here:
http://boston.mendedlittlehearts.net/

Did you know that about 1 in 110 babies are born with a congenital heart defect each year?

Mended Little Hearts, a nonprofit organization, works nationally and in communities to empower children with congenital heart defects and their families through support, education and awareness.

Special guest artists for this performance will be announced soon.

“I lack the language to express the simply fantastic music, the awesome spirit, the camaraderie of the musicians, the MAGIC of last night’s Last Waltz LIVE production!! Some things are felt in the heart and in the soul, and this evening was one of those moments for me! Thank you all so very much for a Night of Magic!!” – Helen S., Last Waltz LIVE audience member

http://www.regenttheatre.com/details/the_last_waltz_live
or call (781) 646-4849

Presented by Last Dance Productions

Nov
11
Fri
Rhythm of the Saints w/ Gary Backstrom: A Tribute to Paul Simon @ The Regent Theatre
Nov 11 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Rhythm of the Saints w/ Gary Backstrom: A Tribute to Paul Simon @ The Regent Theatre | Arlington | Massachusetts | United States

Paul Simon is, without a doubt, one of music’s most important voices.


He wrote some of the most significant, generation-defining songs of the ‘60s (“Mrs. Robinson,” “The Boxer,” “The Sound of Silence”), he filled the world with some of its most infectious melodies in the ‘70s (“50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard”), he redefined the sound of popular music in the ‘80s (“Graceland,” “You Can Call Me Al,” “The Obvious Child”) and has remained a compelling and important musical presence to this day.

Now Gary Backstrom (of rock band Jiggle the Handle) and Rhythm of the Saints—a talented seven-piece band—will perform a tribute concert featuring a career-spanning catalogue of Paul Simon’s timeless songs. Gary Backstrom and friends… present, Rhythm of the Saints: A tribute to Paul Simon. featuring members of Jiggle the Handle, Max Creek, Heavy Metal Horns and The Grass Gyp

 

 

 

May
18
Sat
April Verch In Concert @ The Rose Garden Coffeehouse
May 18 @ 8:00 pm – 10:30 pm
April Verch In Concert @ The Rose Garden Coffeehouse

Another of our favorites, April Verch, comes home.

The Ottawa Valley (Canada) fiddler, step-dancer, singer and all-around wonderful performer is back as part of a new dynamic trio. An unassuming delight in person, April’s talents are many, and she has gained worldwide renown. You might have seen her performing at 2010 the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Vancouveras part of a segment called “Fiddle Nation.” We are thrilled to have her back to conclude our 30th season and be the featured act after our 27th annual Performing Songwriter Competition.

April knows how relevant an old tune can be. She was raised surrounded by living, breathing roots music—her father’s country band rehearsing; the lively music at church and at community dances; the tunes she rocked out to win fiddle competitions. She thought every little girl learned to stepdance at the age of three and fiddle at the age of six. She knew nothing else and decided early on that she wanted to be a professional musician.

She took that leap, and for over two decades has been recording and captivating audiences worldwide, exploring new and nuanced places each step of the way. In 2017 she released The April Verch Anthology (Slab Town Records), an 18-track collection celebrating her life’s work. Hand-picked by Verch, the songs on this compilation offer an enchanting mix of regional Canadian, American old-time, bluegrass, country and Americana tracks.

The April Verch Anthology is a testament to the many chapters in Verch’s musical journey.

Moving from exuberant stepdancer to fiddle wunderkind and silver-voiced singer; from upstart prodigy to mature and reflective songwriter, interpreter, and storyteller. The compilation is an excursion through Verch’s 1998-2015 recordings, featuring tunes and songs dear to Verch as well as a healthy dose of fan favorites and two newly recorded tracks. “Through this anthology, I am reminded of the inspirations with which I began and of the hopes I hold for the future. I take a moment to reflect and to celebrate,” says Verch.

While Verch is perhaps best known for playing traditional fiddle styles from her native Ottawa Valley, Canada, her performances extend into old-time American and Appalachian styles and far beyond.Verch and her fellow trio members pare down their arrangements, highlighting the simple pleasures of upright bass, guitar, clawhammer banjo, voices, fiddle, and stepping in intimate conversation. At the heart lie Verch’s delicate voice, energetic footwork, and stunning playing. Sometimes she sings, steps and fiddles all at once, with apparent ease and precision. Verch is – as they say – a triple threat in performance, her live show a beautiful companion to her music: versatile, robust, and masterfully executed.

Verch began her full time touring career in 2000 and has performed around the world.

including festival, theatre and performing arts centre appearances in Canada, USA, China, Australia, United Kingdom, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Spain, Czech Republic and the United Arab Emirates. She also presents workshops, master classes, and lectures as part of her tours and at selected music camps.

Verch won’t be the one to tell you about her championship titles, nominations, and awards, or the fact that she was one of 6 fiddlers who represented the Canadian fiddle tradition to the world at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, as part of a segment called “Fiddle Nation.” Instead, in speaking with her, you’ll hear about how passionate she is about sharing her music; in small gatherings in remote communities in Iqaluit, to large prestigious concert halls like Mozartsal in Vienna.

Even as she plays with the tradition she inherited, Verch keeps the community-fired celebratory side of her music at the forefront, honing a keen awareness of how to engage contemporary listeners. It’s why Rolling Stone cited her “One of the 12 best things we saw at MerleFest in 2016.”

“Just as contemporary bluegrass has Alison Krauss as an ambassador, the Ottawa Valley has April Verch,” said NPR’s Marco Werman on “The World.” And Verch never forgets the roots of her music, that connection to the people out there in the audience, on the dance floor, to the community sparked by a good song. “It’s about joining together to celebrate everyday life, through music. We’re all in this together.”

Welcome home to Mansfield, April!

Nov
20
Sat
Gary Backstrom and Friends Present: Rhythm of the Saints: A Tribute to Paul Simon @ The District Center for the Arts
Nov 20 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Gary Backstrom and Friends Present: Rhythm of the Saints: A Tribute to Paul Simon @ The District Center for the Arts

Gary Backstrom, founder, and frontman of the legendary Boston-based Jiggle The Handle, brings you Rhythm Of The Saints – an all-star tribute to Paul Simon. This seven-piece band featuring members of Jiggle The Handle, Max Creek, and The Heavy Metal Horns flawlessly navigate the musical library of Paul Simon’s solo carrier. The show features all the hits you would hope to hear, including “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover”, “Still Crazy After All These Years,” “Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes,” and so many more!

Jul
9
Sat
New Bedford Folk Festival @ New Bedford
Jul 9 @ 11:00 am – Jul 10 @ 9:00 pm
New Bedford Folk Festival @ New Bedford

THE BARGAIN of the Summer!

The New Bedford Folk Festival offers an impressive line-up of the best in contemporary, Americana, traditional, blues and Celtic folk music with more than 75 performances on seven stages over two days. At the heart of the festival are the workshops, themed jam sessions with multiple artists, many playing together for the first time, for a unique, never-to-be-seen-again show.

Sep
24
Sat
Gary Backstrom The Rhythm of the Saints: A Tribute to Paul Simon @ The Courthouse Center for the Arts
Sep 24 @ 8:00 pm – 10:30 pm
Gary Backstrom The Rhythm of the Saints: A Tribute to Paul Simon @ The Courthouse Center for the Arts

Gary Backstrom’s The Rhythm of the Saints A Tribute To Paul Simon

TICKETS HERE

Gary Backstrom, founder, and frontman of the legendary Boston-based Jiggle The Handle, brings you Rhythm Of The Saints – an all-star tribute to Paul Simon. This seven-piece band featuring members of Jiggle The Handle, Max Creek, and The Heavy Metal Horns flawlessly navigate the musical library of Paul Simon’s solo carrier. The show features all the hits you would hope to hear, including “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover”, “Still Crazy After All These Years,” “Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes,” and so many more!

GARY BACKSTROM Singer/guitarist Gary Backstrom has been a staple of the northeast music scene for nearly a quarter-century. He is co-founder of the legendary Jiggle The Handle and has enjoyed a long post Jiggle solo career fronting The Gary Backstrom Band and many other projects. Gary has been called “One of the most underrated, fluid and melodic players in the North East

Paul Simon is undoubtedly one of the greatest singer/songwriters of all time. After his initial success with Simon and Garfunkel, he emerged in the ’70s as a solo artist with such hits as “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard,” “Still Crazy After All These Years,” and “50 Ways To Lose Your Lover”. Ever-evolving musically, Simon had great success in the ’80s with his South African influenced “Graceland” album that featured the hits “You Can Call Me Al” and “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes.” The 1990s brought the Latin influenced “Rhythm of the Saints” and “Songs from The Capeman” that features doo-wop, rock ‘n’ roll, and Puerto Rican rhythms. Simon continues to record and perform today.

About the Courthouse Center for the Arts

The Courthouse Center for the Arts is the perfect venue for weddings, corporate events and parties, fundraising events, networking, social events, and more. We offer music from all genres, a traveling chorus to entertain you, summer day camps for local schools, senior day centers, and groups, which include an art or music class, and a tour of our historic building.

For more Last Dance Productions events, click here.