April at the Stoughton Opera House
The Stoughton Opera House has a great lineup for April. Go to Stoughton Opera House to check out all the events and purchase tickets. Don’t forget that your tickets get you a 10% discount on your stay at the Naeset Roe Inn on the night of the performance. Enjoy a great show, a great nights rest in a Victorian home and a wonderful breakfast created by the award winning innkeeper Carl.
Sat. April 2, 2011 7:30pm
About Iris DeMent
Artists like Iris DeMent aren’t supposed to exist anymore in this cynical world. Singing unironically about family, forgiveness, and other real-life mysteries, DeMent has established herself as a straightforward singer/songwriter with the ability to touch the heart and soul of an audience.
Her songs, performed on piano and guitar, are punctuated by humorous anecdotes which intensify an audience’s vulnerability to the gripping message of those songs.
You might say that DeMent came by her lonesome-country-gospel sound naturally. She was born in Arkansas, but when she was just 3, her family moved to California after their farm failed. But her Pentecostal parents were steeped in the country, gospel and folk music of the South, so at times it seems that DeMent’s heart-rending vocals seem like they almost stem from ancestral memory. And her songs overflow with the yearning and hopefulness of the gospel hymns she sang as a child.
DeMent has confirmed that, when she was growing up, “I was around singers: my parents, their friends, my family members who would dig down, and go as far down as you can, and let it all come out and my mother was one of those kinds of singers.” (and so is Iris)
She sings about life’s inescapable beginnings and endings: its meaning, our social fabric and our shortcomings. Her albums, marked by great songwriting, honest presentation and resonant vocals, have received wide critical acclaim. Iris has toured extensively in the United States and Europe to enthusiastic receptions. She has appeared in support of John Prine, Nanci Griffith, Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin and Tom Petty. Her television and radio appearances include The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Conan O’Brien Show, Austin City Limits and A Prairie Home Companion.
Don’t miss Iris. She is a brilliant songwriter and heart-piercing singer
Fri. April 8, 2011 7:30pm
About Emmitt-Nershi Band
With years of collective experience under their belts, Drew Emmitt and Bill Nershi exemplify the forward-thinking modern bluegrass musician. As linchpins of two legendary jam-bands -Drew with Leftover Salmon, Bill with the String Cheese Incident-both men have done the stadium-filling, high-profile rock ‘n’ roll thing to perfection. Along the way, however, they’ve honed their songwriting and playing chops and studied the bluegrass, rock and jazz masters they admire. Their newest quartet – with Emmitt on mandolin, Nershi on guitar, Tyler Grant on bass and Andy Thorn on banjo – is a bluegrass band that’s much more grassroots – Think less stadium show, more up-close-and-intimate-with-your-fans.
Above all, Drew and Bill have shared a commitment to keeping music human-scaled and honest. Those qualities are found in abundance on their latest and greatest collaboration, “New Country Blues.” On this album and in concert, ENB delivers a dynamic blend of bluegrass, newgrass, country and Americana that appeals to fans of these genres and more.
Sat. April 9, 2011 7:30pm
About Adrian Legg
If you are not familiar with Adrian Legg, allow us to describe to you what kind of player he is. First of all, he is unlike any guitarist you have ever heard. He uses various tunings and quite often changes tunings mid-song. He may be described as a finger style player, but he incorporates virtually every genre on his guitar in a virtuosic instrumental style with effects. He plays custom guitars that are a hybrid of electric and acoustic, and his fingerstyle picking technique has been acknowledged by the readers of Guitar Player who voted Legg the “best acoustic fingerstyle” player four years in a row (1993-1996) and has been Voted “Guitarist of the Decade” by Guitarist magazine. Adrian is one of the few guitarists that you could describe as a technical wizard but still has the uncanny ability to write tender and touching music, definitely a lost art. From his early start as a bench technician customising electric guitars, he’s played at the Montreux Jazz Festival and toured with Richard Thompson, David Lindley, Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson and Steve Vai.
He’s also shared the wealth of his talent and experience with teaching DVDs, videos and books. In recent years, he has also been a commentator-at-large for National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered”, and even more recently, regular listeners have heard his guitar versions of the show’s theme music Vai called Legg “Uncle Adrian” and Satriani said of Legg’s musicianship “He’s simply the best acoustic guitar player I’ve ever heard. I don’t know anyone else who can create such a cascade of beautiful notes… Adrian plays like he’s got hammers for fingers.”
Opera for the Young presents Pirates of Penzance
With Kegonsa Elementary
Sun. April 10, 2011 1:30pm – $5 at the door
About Opera for the Young presents Pirates of Penzance
Welcome aboard, matey! Join in the fun as the Pirate King, Ruth, and Frederic meet Mabel and the Major General for some olde English merriment. Romance blossoms, loyalty is put to the test and mistakes are forgiven in this “jolly good” adaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic masterpiece. With its zany word play and physical comedy, The Pirates of Penzance is an excellent springboard for discussion of time-honored values such as honesty, integrity, and respect for commitment. Local Kegonsa Elementary students from will perform on stage as the chorus of rollicking pirates, carefree wards, and timid police constables.
Opera for the Young brings live, professional opera to audiences with an annual Fall and Spring tours. All productions are fully staged, sung in English and adapted especially for kids.
The Glenn Miller Orchestra
Thurs. April 14, 2011: 3pm & 7pm
About The Glenn Miller Orchestra
With its unique jazz sound, The Glenn Miller Orchestra is considered to be one of the greatest bands of all time. The band was originally formed in 1937 by Glenn Miller and was arranged around a clarinet and tenor saxophone playing melody, while three other saxophones played the harmony. The band became very popular and recorded a number of chart successes – among these were the ever-popular, “Moonlight Serenade”, “In the Mood”, “Tuxedo Junction”, “Chattanooga Choo Choo” and “(I’ve Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo.” In 1944, while traveling to entertain U.S. troops in France during World War II, Miller’s plane disappeared in bad weather over the English Channel and was never to be found.
The music lives on as the present orchestra was formed in 1956 and has been touring consistently since, playing an average of 300 live dates a year all around the world. They seem to open a portal to the past, evoking the spirit of Miller who loved nothing more than great music. Glenn Miller’s music reconfirms that great music has no time limitations and good things just don’t end! Trombonist Larry O’Brien is the orchestra’s present musical director. Don’t miss these shows with the masters of swing. It will be a memory to last a lifetime.
Fri. April 15, 2011 7:30pm
About Harry Manx
He’s been called the “Mysticssippi blues man” and the “essential link” between the music of East and the West.” Whatever you call Harry Manx, he’s a one-of-a-kind musician. Combining the sensuality of traditional blues with transcendent Eastern sounds, Harry creates a unique sound and atmosphere that is hard to resist and deliciously addictive, which is precisely the reason we asked him to return to the Opera House for yet another one of his exceptional performances.
Born on the Isle of Man, he immigrated to Canada as a child, played blues slide guitar all over Europe, lived in Japan, and then studied and toured with the great Indian mohan-veena player V.M. Bhatt. He also plays a lap-slide guitar, a modified banjo or cigar-box guitar and he sings with a rich, warm, and soulful voice. He covers everything from Muddy Waters to Jimi Hendrix and writes intelligent and compassionate songs. Now he lives in British Columbia and writes original songs — short stories that use the essence of the blues and the depth of Indian melody to draw you in. It’s in the live setting, Harry says, that the bridge between “heavenly” India and “earthy” American blues is most effectively built.
“Indian music moves inward,” Harry Manx explains. “It’s traditionally used in religious ceremonies and meditation, because it puts you into this whole other place. But Western music has the ability to move out, into celebration and dance. So when we play the Indian material on stage, it has the tendency to draw people into something really deep; they’ll get kind of quiet and spacey. Then we’ll play some more Western music, and it grounds them once more, they sort of come out of the mood the Indian music had put them in and get into the performance. I love to see that working — that effect on an audience”
Janis Ian and Tom Paxton
Sat. April 30, 2010 7:30pm
About Janis Ian and Tom Paxton
Tom Paxton: Tom Paxton has become a voice of his generation, addressing issues of injustice and inhumanity, laying bare the absurdities of modern culture and celebrating the tenderest bonds of family, friends, and community. In describing Tom Paxton’s influence on his fellow musicians, Pete Seeger has said: “Tom’s songs have a way of sneaking up on you. You find yourself humming them, whistling them, and singing a verse to a friend. Like the songs of Woody Guthrie, they’re becoming part of America.”
An internationally recognized and loved cultural figure, he has always chosen goodwill over commercial success. Over the past half-century, his songs have experienced enduring appeal, including modern standards such as “The Last Thing on My Mind”, “Bottle of Wine”, “Whose Garden Was This?”, “The Marvelous Toy”, and “Ramblin’ Boy”. Paxton’s songs have been recorded by Pete Seeger and The Weavers, Judy Collins, Joan Baez, Doc Watson, Harry Belafonte, Peter, Paul and Mary, The Kingston Trio, The Chad Mitchell Trio, John Denver, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Flatt & Scruggs, and many others. Tom received a 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award, was nominated for a GRAMMY in 2007 and in 2006.
Paxton’s place in folk music is secured not just by hit records and awards, but by the admiration of three generations of fellow musicians. Don’t miss the chance to experience to this legendary musician who wrote and lives the words, “Peace will come, and let it begin with me.”
Visit Tom Paxton’s Website
Janis Ian: The life and experience of a songwriter like Janis Ian is forever woven into the fabric of her songs, and Janis has proven time and time again that what she feels and thinks and writes touches the hearts of those who listen. Janis Ian recorded “Society’s Child” in 1965 when she was just 14 years old. This song of interracial romance was a huge hit but was also very controversial in its time. By the 1970′s Janis Ian had become a respected and brilliant singer/songwriter who produced a series of excellent albums and single releases. Her song, “At Seventeen,” earned her five Grammy nominations in 1975 and she performed the song on the first episode of Saturday Night Live. At times her music can lull you and at other times make you think. To experience Janis Ian live will take an audience on a thoughtful and creative journey through her musical life and mind. It is a journey that is well worth the time.
Visit Janis Ian’s Website
Hand picked by Janis to open the show, Natalia Zukerman’s slithery bottleneck slide will lure you in with the very first lick-and once you’ve heard the tender resonance of her blues-folk melodies, you’ll sink even deeper into the intimate, sweetly sophisticated lyrics that layer her dexterously played tunes with tales of discovery, love, irreverence, and reinvention.
Natalia Zukerman, the daughter of classical musicians Eugenia and Pinchas Zukerman, found her musical self when she took up slide guitar. You can call her songs folk music if you like, but there’s jazz there too, and some sultry blues. She’s a real triple threat who combines a unique slide guitar sound with some extremely seductive vocals and fresh original songs that tie everything together into a real, honest whole. Says Andy Friedman of the New Yorker of Natalia’s multiple talents: “Natalia’s voice could send an orchid into bloom while her guitar playing can open a beer bottle with its teeth.”
Visit Natalia Zukerman’s Website
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