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presents
Standing firmly in the long beautiful shadow of Woody Guthrie, Crys Matthews is among the brightest stars of the new generation of social justice music-makers. A powerful lyricist whose songs of compassionate dissent reflect her lived experience as what she lightheartedly calls "the poster-child for intersectionality," Justin Hiltner of Bluegrass Situation called Matthews’s gift "a reminder of what beauty can occur when we bridge those divides." She is made for these times and, with the release of her new, hope-fueled, love-filled social justice album Changemakers, Matthews hopes to take her place alongside some of her heroes in the world of social-justice music like Sweet Honey in the Rock and Holly Near.
Matthews began performing in 2010, but cemented her acclaim at Lincoln Center as the 2017 New Song Music and Performance Competition grand prize winner. That year she also released two new projects—her album of thoughtful songs on love and life called The Imagineers, and her EP called Battle Hymn for an Army of Lovers, which tackles social justice themes. Matthews also won the People’s Music Network’s Social Justice Songs contest at the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance. Loyal fans quickly followed as Matthews racked up performances at large music festivals and prestigious venues across the country including the Sundance Film Festival, Kerrville Folk Festival, and locally at venues like The Birchmere, TheHamilton, Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center, and Jammin' Java. In her TedTalk about difficult conversations called "Sing, Don't Shout—An Alternative Approach" Matthews spoke about being born and raised in a small town in southeastern North Carolina by an A.M.E. preacher, and how she witnessed the power of music from an early age. A former drum major and classically-trained clarinetist turned folk singer, Matthews is using her voice to answer Dr. Martin Luther King's call to be "a drum major for justice."“
I believe in hope,” Matthews said. “As a social-justice songwriter, it is my duty to keep breathing that hope and encouragement into the people who listen to my music.” And, from the title track to the last track, Changemakers does just that all while tackling some heavy topics like immigration, the opioid crisis, Black Lives Matter, and gun safety to name a few.“ Ani DiFranco said, “People used to make records as in a record of an event," said Matthews, “so I hope that these songs will serve as a time capsule, a record of the events of the last four years and what it was like to live through them.” Crys Matthews's thoughtful, realistic and emotional songs speak to the voice of our generation and remind us why music indeed soothes the soul.
presents
Ordinary Elephant has spent the better part of the last decade on a never-ending tour that’s earned married couple Crystal & Pete Damore widespread critical acclaim. In 2017, the duo took home the International Folk Music Award for Artist of the Year on the strength of their breakout album Before I Go. Two years later, they returned with the similarly lauded Honest, which the Associated Press hailed as “one of the best Americana albums of the year.”
The band’s new stripped-down, self-titled collection is the purest distillation of their sound yet, showcasing the arresting power of the couple’s gorgeous harmonies and intricate fretwork. The songs are rooted in rich, character-driven storytelling, and theperformances are similarly transportive, fueled by delicately intertwined banjo, guitar, and octave mandolin. Though the songs were born out of a period of deep uncertainty, the record itself is a work of profound self-assurance, one delivered by a duo whose personal and professional lives embody the limitless possibility of honest, organic collaboration and reveling in the simple beauty of the moment.
Album Release Show
Join us to celebrate the release of A Pail Full of Fire
in a truly magical setting.
Friday, November 15, 7:00pm
HISTORIC OLD SAN YSIDRO CHURCH
966 Old Church Rd. - Corrales NM
As many of you know, David Berkeley’s gift as a songwriter is in finding light through darkness, the hope in the hardship. His gift as a performeris in weaving hilarious stories in between his heartbreaking songs. Berkeley has been called a “musical poet,” by thecSan Francisco Chronicle, “a double fantasy of Nick Drake and Donovan,” bycRollingstone.com, and praised bycNew York Times for his “lustrous, melancholy voice." He was a guest on This American Life, and he’s won many songwriting awards and honors including ASCAPs Johnny Mercer Songwriting Award.
David returns to the old church to release his latest album, A Pail Full of Fire. Produced by Todd Sickafoose (Hadestown, Ani DiFranco) andrecorded in Eugene, Oregon, Berkeley's ninth solo album showcases him at the peak of his songwriting and vocal game. The arrangements aresimple yet lush--pedal steel, piano, upright bass, and acoustic guitar--and feature Berkeley's beautiful voice (complimented by Anna Tivel'sharmonies). Like most of Berkeley's extensive catalog, this collection does not shy away from hard questions. These songs are meditations on love, aging, and children growing up. The tenderness and beauty in Berkeley's delivery and in the production, however, provides comfort even when the lyric challenges. Please join us for what promises to be an unforgettable evening.