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.
Marina Evans debut performance at this fantastic pub! Come on out for original tunes, great beers and delicious food from 8-10pm.
Marina Evans plays solo acoustic overlooking the river for an early evening set from 7-10pm.
Marina Evans performs at part of the Cape Ann Museum’s Music in the Courtyard series! A beautiful, outdoor venue surrounded by works of art from local and international artists. Come on our for a summer evening of original music!
Marina’s highly anticipated cd release show!!
In 2005 Marina Evans moved to New York City, where she taught herself guitar and began writing songs that combined her background as a jazz vocalist with traditional folk and a rock edge. Within a year, she was performing as a solo acoustic act around New York and her home state of Massachusetts. Since that time Marina has recorded three original EPs and a full length album, and has taken her music from Rockport, MA all across the United States: from Portland to Nashville, New Orleans to Los Angeles, and everywhere in between. Marina has also made her way over to Europe, performing in London and touring across Italy every spring since 2011.
In 2012 Marina released two original EPs, Dogtown and The Tuscan Sessions. Dogtown, released first, was written and recorded with Marina’s band in Gloucester, MA; The Tuscan Sessions was written and recorded while touring abroad in Italy. “The EPs are really two sides of the same coin,” Marina says. “While complementary, they reflect this sort of bi-continental, rambling life I’ve been leading with my music.” Dogtown rocks – described as “raucous” and “anthemic” in The Noise Magazine – and “swellingly beautiful” Tuscan takes a distinctly European perspective on folk americana.
In the spring of 2013, Marina launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund the recording of her debut full-length album, Unbound. Through overwhelming support from across the globe, she reached her funding goal and recorded the album abroad in Florence, Italy with producer Bernardo Baglioni. With clever lyricism and unusual melodies, Unbound deftly combines various styles, genres, and instrumentation – from sweet ballads to folk anthems to straight up rock and roll – and paints a picture of a versatile and passionate artist.
A benefit concert for Folk New England
Carolyn Waters…Socially Conscious Soul…
“Carolyn’s music is hypnotic, in a deeply soulful groove. You’ve heard it said that pure music seems to “flow” through a great singer? Go hear Carolyn to experience the real thing” – Pete and Maura Kennedy, The Kennedys.
Carolyn Waters is a performing singing/songwriter who fuses blues/roots/folk and other musical genres into a unique unforgettable blend of songs and sounds.
As a young girl growing up in Philadelphia, Carolyn Waters sang alone in her bedroom or out loud in the house when she was sure it was empty. It wasn’t by choice, but as the result of thoughtless teasing she got from her family. Even in her church choir, a place where many singers first get noticed and make early names for themselves, she mouthed the words to avoid embarrassment. She, however, never lost her love and passion for music and spent endless hours moving up and down the radio dial, and listening to albums from her parent’s collection.
A life changing event about a decade ago pushed Carolyn to take a voice lesson. This time she wasn’t teased. She was taken notice of, supported, and given a start in folk music, which highlights included opening for Judy Collins, Tom Rush, and Kate Campbell among others.
Oh, and have we mentioned the blues?
“Carolyn Waters is a force of nature. Some people are simply created to sing and bless those who listen, Carolyn is one of those people”. Rev. Robert Jones, Sr. Acclaimed Blues/Roots Musician/Blues Historian – September 2013
Carolyn can belt out barrelhouse and juke joint blues, or fuse them with a pinch of Gospel and roots. She has been featured in the Boston Blues Society’s Ladies Sing the Blues Events where she shared the stage with the late great Shirley Lewis “Regal Queen of the Blues”, Lydia Warren, Lisa Marie and the wonderful Diane Blue to name a few.
Recently Carolyn joined forces with Satoru Nakagawa, a Japanese-born blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and member of the Tokyo Tramps to record her first all blues ep. This powerful duo merged the Delta slide with soulful singing and produced a deep blues experience.
“Carolyn’s voice is amazing, captivating, compelling—any superlative will fit. I don’t believe I have heard such a rich, velvety, and yes—bluesy—voice locally in years” – Karen Nugent, Boston Blues Society – May 2010
Performing solo, and with various accompanying musicians ranging from an incredible single guitarist to fronting her new dynamic Carolyn Waters Band, she can and has performed at all sizes and types of venues including clubs, festivals, galas, coffeehouses, vigils, and intimate-private functions in New England, New York, Maryland and Virginia.
“Carolyn’s songs are personal and have an emotional quality that moves the soul. Her easy natural style communicates immediately with your heart. Her performance is calm but powerful, putting you at ease and making you feel that all is right with the world. I look forward to hearing Carolyn perform her wonderful creations in the future. The best is yet to come”. Charles Williams, Principal, Phillip Glass’ Einstein On The Beach (2012-13 World Tour)
A benefit for Folk New England.
Denny Laine celebrates the 40th anniversary of the “Wings Over America” tour with a live on stage performance of their greatest album, “Band on the Run”—complete and unabridged! Within a year of its release, “Band On the Run” had sold over six-million copies worldwide, having spawned three U.S. Top Ten hits-”Helen Wheels”, “Jet”, and the title track. The singles alone occupied the U.S. chart for forty-five (45) weeks, while the album stayed on the charts for over two (2) years. “Band On The Run” was in the Top-30 of the Billboard 200 as recently as 2010, when a remastered version of the album was released.
This special evening celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Wings Over America tour. The sold out U.S. leg of the “Wings Over the World” tour helped carry the’ “Silly Love Songs” single and “Wings at the Speed of Sound” album to number one on their respective charts. From the tour came the film “Rock Show” and the number one triple album set “Wings over America”.
By far the most successful album involving any of the Beatles following their breakup, “Band on the Run” was created by Paul McCartney, Denny Laine and Linda McCartney. The other members of Wings quit the group just prior to the departure to Lagos, Nigeria to begin sessions for the album, but out of adversity came advantage. With Paul McCartney on vocals, piano, drums, guitar, bass, and keys, and Denny Laine contributing vocals, keys, acoustic, electric and bass guitars, and Linda McCartney on keys and vocals, Band On the Run transcended the era to become an album whose deep cuts such as “Let Me Roll It”, “Picasso’s Last Words”, and “Mrs. Vanderbilt” and “Bluebird” are better remembered-and played more often on classic rock radio-than most hits of the era.
Expect other Wings hits such as “Live and Let Die”, and “Time to Hide” as well as Denny’s legendary lead vocal on the Moody Blues classic “Go Now” to round out this special anniversary show.
Tickets: Click Here
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.
