Al Stewart & The Empty Pockets
Ask Al Stewart to sum up where he is now, musically speaking, and you’re likely to wind up two steps behind where you started; this is by no means an unusual circumstance in conversation with Al, keenly aware as he is that making a leap forward often entails taking a step backward. Sometimes it’s into the library stacks where the late historian Ms. Tuchman dug for material. Sometimes it’s into the record stacks where the late rocker Mr. Cochran made his mark as a teenager singing his “Summertime Blues” so many summertime’s ago. Al Stewart came to stardom as part of the legendary British folk revival in the sixties and seventies and developed the combination of folk-rock songs with delicately woven tales of the great characters and events from history. Stewart has 19 studio albums between “Bedsitter Images” in 1967 and “Sparks of Ancient Light” in 2008, plus the live album “Uncorked” with Dave Nachmanoff in 2009. Al continues to tour extensively around the U.S. and Europe. He is perhaps best known for his hits ‘Year of the Cat” from the Platinum album of the same name and the Platinum follow up album “Time Passages.” But his career spans four decades as a key figure in British music. He played at the first ever Glastonbury Festival in 1970, worked with Yoko Ono pre-Lennon and shared a London apartment with a young Paul Simon.
The Jayhawks
The Jayhawks The Jayhawks and their rootsy sound were definitely swimming against the tide when they emerged from a crowded Minnesota music scene in 1985. Over the course of almost 4 decades, 11 albums, countless memorable live shows and enough personal drama to fill a couple of Behind the Music episodes, this beloved band soared to heights few ever achieve while winning the hearts and minds of numerous critics, fans and peers in the process. After releasing two Indie albums in the 80s The Jayhawks signed with American Recordings in 1991 and over the next decade released 5 challenging, at times groundbreaking, albums, toured the world to widespread acclaim and even survived the departure of founding member Mark Olson in 1995. After a hiatus in the mid 2000s, the “classic” 1994 lineup reunited for another new studio album in 2011 and two years of solid touring, reacquainting audiences old and new with the band’s timeless musical vision. 2014 saw a late 90s version of the band led by Gary Louris hitting the road to support the reissues of the three Jayhawks albums released from 1997-2003. This lineup released the band’s 9th studio album in 2016, recorded in Portland, OR with producers Peter Buck and Tucker Martine. The band’s next studio album, Back Roads And Abandoned Motels, was released in the summer of 2018, featuring Jayhawks versions of songs Gary Louris had previously written with other artists plus two new compositions. Recording for a new Jayhawks album was completed in Minnesota in late 2019 and in July 2020 the band released their 11th studio album, XOXO.
X – Smoke & Fiction Tour – plus Jon Spencer!
X – SMOKE & FICTION TOUR Formed in 1977, X quickly established themselves as one of the best bands in the first wave ofLA’s flourishing punk scene;becoming legendary leaders of a punk generation. Featuring: vocalist Exene Cervenka, vocalist/bassist John Doe, guitarist Billy Zoom, and drummer DJ Bonebrake, their debut 45 was released on the seminal Dangerhouse label in 1978, followed by seven studio albums released from 1980-1993. Over the years, the band has released several critically acclaimed albums, topped the musical charts with regularity and performed their iconic hits on top television shows such as Letterman and American Bandstand. X’s first two studio albums, Los Angeles and Wild Gift are ranked by Rolling Stone among the top 500 greatest albums of all time. The band continues to tour with the original line-up fully intact.In 2017, the band celebrated their 40th year anniversary in music with a Grammy Museum exhibit opening, a Proclamation from the City of Los Angeles and being honored at a Los Angeles Dodgers game where Exene threw out the first pitch and John Doe sang the National Anthem. In 2020, X celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Los Angeles. In 2019 X reissued and remastered their first four classic albums via their collaboration with Fat Possum Records. Los Angeles (1980), Wild Gift (1981), Under The Big Black Sun (1982) and More Fun In The New World (1983). In addition, the band recently re-entered the recording studio for the first time since 1984. A collection of original songs, Alphabetland, were recorded with producer Rob Schnapf in two sessions. In Nov 2018 the band joined together to record fresh material for the first time since 1985’s Ain’t Love Grand. Five songs were recorded over the course of two days with producer Rob Schnapf. The first of these new songs is the recorded version of an older X song, “Delta 88 Nightmare,” which previously was only included as a bonus track on the 2001 reissue of “Los Angeles” in demo form – never as a fully recorded and mixed track. The song was released as a7″ with the flip side being the newly recorded “Cyrano de Berger’s Back,” one of the earliest songs John wrote for the band that became X. Cleveland Indian fans will recognize X’s performance on “Wild Thing” – the theme song of the 1989 film – “Major League”!The band continues to tour with the original line-up: Exene Cervenka, John Doe, Billy Zoom and DJ Bonebrake.
Neko Case
Neko Case Is there another songwriter so fearless and inventive? Bending decades of pop music into new shapes, Neko Case wields her voice like a kiss and her metaphors like a baseball bat. She has cast the fishing net of her career wide—from Seattle and Vancouver to Chicago and Stockholm, setting up her home base on a farm in New England. Gathering power year after year, Neko sings with the fierce abandon of a newborn infant crying in a basket in the woods. Since escaping the labels of country and Americana, the gorgeous train-whistle vocals of her early career sit submerged in her later style, where their ghost can appear any minute. When her voice jumps an octave, it’s almost visible, like sparks at night. “I never knew where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do with my voice,” she says, “but I just wanted to do it so bad.” With a career spanning over twenty years, she has famously collaborated with The New Pornographers and Case/Lang/Veirs in addition to releasing many critically acclaimed solo albums, including ‘Fox Confessor Brings The Flood’, ‘Middle Cyclone ’and most recently 2018’s ‘Hell-On ’in addition to the career-spanning retrospective ‘Wild Creatures ’that was released in 2022. She also writes weekly pieces for her popular Substack ‘Entering The Lung’, where she ruminates on the nature near her rural home, life on tour, her pets, and anything else that comes to mind. Neko is doing it on her own terms, but the legacy she’s building is one that can stand up to music made by any other solo artist in her lifetime. Don’t look away; you never know what might happen. “I’m just trying,” she says, “to be myself as hard as I can.”
Paula Cole
Paula Cole In 1996, Paula Cole released her self-produced, second album “This Fire”. It was incendiary, a double-platinum smash. The first single, “Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?” catapulted to the Top 10. Her songwriting was loved by traditionalists, feminists, the LGBTQIA community, the whole world. Cole was nominated for 7 Grammy awards and was the first woman to be nominated as Producer of the Year with no collaborators. Her second single, the anthemic “I Don’t Want to Wait” dominated charts for a year and then lived again as the well-loved theme-song for “Dawson’s Creek.” Cole pushes boundaries and touches hearts and minds with her songwriting. Her live performances are movements of passion. She was a seminal figure in the formation of the first Lilith Fair, and has performed the world over, for the Troops in the Persian Gulf, to coffee houses in small towns across America, to stadiums with Peter Gabriel, to elegant theaters. Now, twenty-five years later, Paula Cole will perform songs from her ground-breaking album, “This Fire” in select cities. This is a rare opportunity to witness her historical work.
DAVID CROSS – The End of The Beginning of The End
David Cross Emmy Award winner and two-time Grammy Award nominee, David Cross is an inventive performer, writer, and producer on stage and screen. David’s eighth stand-up special, David Cross: Worst Daddy In The World, is available on the 800 Pound Gorilla Media YouTube channel, and he will join the cast of the Netflix series, The Umbrella Academy, for their fourth and final season premiering August 8. David hosts the new podcast, Senses Working Overtime With David Cross, with new episodes released on Thursdays available on all audio platforms and video available on David’s YouTube page. David was nominated for two Grammy Awards for the albums, …America…Great, and Shut Up You F***ing Baby, and his comedy special, David Cross: The Pride is Back, was named one of the 25 best stand-up comedy specials and concert films of all time by Rolling Stone. Other groundbreaking TV credits include Arrested Development, Goliath, The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, Mr. Show with Bob and David, Freak Show, and The Ben Stiller Show. 18+ Show CHARITY FEE: The $2.00 charity fee will go to the Check My Ads (https://checkmyads.org/about/). Check My Ads works to build a safer, more permanent future for democracy. Their team works closely with consumers, brands, and regulators to defend your freedom from the industry’s most shameful, irresponsible advertising practices. https://checkmyads.org/about/ Tax ID/EIN: 87-1895699 (Check My Ads is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization) Phone-Free Event: This event will be a phone-free experience. Use of cellphones, smart watches, smart accessories, cameras or recording devices will not be permitted in the performance space. Anyone seen using a cellphone or recording device during the performance will be immediately escorted out of the venue. We appreciate your cooperation in creating a phone-free viewing experience (please note: this is NOT a Yondr event.) Copyright Notice/Disclaimer: David Cross owns all rights in the content and materials, including any jokes and sketches (the “Materials”), delivered during his performance. The Materials may not be copied, translated, transmitted, displayed, distributed, or reproduced verbatim (the “Use”), in whole or in part, in any form, media, or technology now known or later developed, without the express prior written consent of David Cross. Any Use of the Materials without the express prior written consent of David Cross is strictly prohibited and shall be subject to all available legal remedies, whether in equity or at law at the cost of anyone who violates this prohibition.
Morgan James
“A phenomenal talent whose feel for classic soul music is bone deep…This woman is on fire.” — The New York Times Morgan James is a Juilliard trained singer, songwriter, actress and recording artist in New York City. Morgan is currently on tour supporting her fifth studio album, “Nobody’s Fool”. She independently released her studio albums of original soul music, entitled Memphis Magnetic, and A Very Magnetic Christmas recorded to analog tape in Memphis, Tennessee. Other albums include “Reckless Abandon”, which prompted the Huffington Post to call MJ the “Brightest Breakout Artist of the Year”. In addition to her original music, Morgan co-produced and starred in an all-female concept recording of “Jesus Christ Superstar”. Morgan has taken on full album covers of the Beatles’ iconic ‘White Album’, Joni Mitchell’s “Blue”, Jeff Buckley’s “Grace”, and many more. Morgan recorded two full-length albums with Epic Records: “Hunter”and “Morgan James Live, a celebration of Nina Simone“. All of her music can be found on all streaming platforms, and hard copies on her website or at shows. On Broadway, Morgan was in five back-to-back original companies: The Addams Family (starring Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth), Wonderland, Godspell and Motown: The Musical, and as a guest at Kristin Chenoweth’s For The Girls. With viral sensation Postmodern Jukebox and with her own YouTube channel, Morgan’s music videos have accumulated more than 285 million views (and climbing)
An Evening with JUDY COLLINS & the Chagrin Falls Orchestra.
An Evening With Judy Collins and the Chagrin Falls OrchestraJudy Collins has inspired audiences with sublime vocals, boldly vulnerable songwriting, personal life triumphs, and a firm commitment to social activism. In the 1960s, she evoked both the idealism and steely determination of a generation united against social and environmental injustices. Five decades later, her luminescent presence shines brightly as new generations bask in the glow of her iconic 55-album body of work, and heed inspiration from her spiritual discipline to thrive in the music industry for half a century. The award-winning singer-songwriter is esteemed for her imaginative interpretations of traditional and contemporary folk standards and her own poetically poignant original compositions. Her stunning rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” from her landmark 1967 album, Wildflowers, has been entered into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Judy’s dreamy and sweetly intimate version of “Send in the Clowns,” a ballad written by Stephen Sondheim for the Broadway musical A Little Night Music, won “Song of the Year” at the 1975 Grammy Awards. She’s garnered several top-ten hits gold- and platinum-selling albums. Recently, contemporary and classic artists such as Rufus Wainwright, Shawn Colvin, Dolly Parton, Joan Baez, and Leonard Cohen honored her legacy with the album Born to the Breed: A Tribute to Judy Collins.For this special concert event, Judy will be accompanied by the Chagrin Falls Orchestra. The 27 piece ensemble, which includes strings, horns and percussion, will present Judy Collins in a setting rarely seen. In addition to their performance series, the orchestra has accompanied numerous pop and rock performers over the years. https://thecfso.com
CRASH TEST DUMMIES 2024
In 2018, 25 years after the release of their multi-Grammy nominated hit album “God Shuffled His Feet”, The Crash Test Dummies hit the road for the first time in 20 years with an Anniversary Tour that spanned North America. The overwhelming reception led to a 30th Anniversary Tour in 2022 for their debut release “The Ghosts That Haunt Me” that touched down in the US, UK, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Canada. And the band is showing no signs of slowing down . . . “Touring again was not something we’d planned on, but surprisingly – at least to me – there are lots of people who many years later, still want to come and hear us. The folks that are coming out to see these shows tell us their stories, some of them very funny, some very dark and all very personal. It’s very humbling, being in the confidence of so many people” says lead singer-songwriter Brad Roberts, “and it has inspired us to continue to tour and make music.”
Kris Allen
In 2019, Kris Allen celebrated the 10th anniversary of his American Idol Season 8 win by releasing “10″, an album of reimagined acoustic versions of some of his most beloved songs of the previous decade, including fan-favorite “Waves” and his platinum-selling single “Live Like We’re Dying”. Kris followed this up with the release of “Don’t Stop Dancing”, launching a new era of music for the Arkansas-born musician and paving the way for his upcoming 2024 album, “Pole Vaulter”. His newest single “Guinevere” features the imaginative songwriting and stunning vocals that put Kris on the map while setting the tone for his most introspective work to date. From a song about the joys of long-term love to the antidote for intrusive thoughts, “Pole Vaulter” covers a spectrum of emotion and experience from the seasoned storyteller Kris has become. When not making music and playing it live across the world, Kris lives in Nashville with his wife Katy and three kids. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ VIP Meet & Greet AVAILABLE!($50 Ticket Add-On) – Enjoy an intimate pre-show Meet & Greet withAmerican Idol Season 8 Winner Kris Allen – Get an Exclusive Photo-Opportunity – Ask your question during a Group Q & A Session~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~