Sat, April 23, 7:30pm
One of the most celebrated country/folk performers of her day, singer/songwriter Iris DeMent won almost universal acclaim on her debut album Infamous Angel for her pure, evocative vocal style and spare, heartfelt song craft. Where this and My Life were introspective and deeply personal, DeMent’s third album featured rock influences and fierce political themes. She earned a Grammy nod for her recordings with John Prine in ’99; an album of gospel hymns followed, and 2012’s Singing the Delta saw DeMent working again with the sparse and emotional quilt of her early releases. Says David Cantwell, “Her singing—highlighting a sweet Ozark twang—is that rarest of gifts: a wise, friendly voice that can break your heart even as it’s making it swell with a reason to love again.”
DeMent’s new album The Trackless Woods, (out August 7th) is described thusly by NPR: “Iris DeMent makes music that celebrates humanity’s efforts toward salvation, while acknowledging that most of our time on Earth is spent reconciling with the fact that we don’t feel so redeemed. Grounded in hymns, early country songs, gospel, and folk, DeMent’s work is treasured by those who know it for its insight and unabashed beauty.”
Pieta Brown supports: Although the Alabama-bred, Iowa-based Brown's quietly riveting tunes and gritty, charismatic performing style resist easy categorization, they've helped her to win a fiercely loyal international fan base that extends to many of her fellow artists.
"When Pieta sings you're aware of something effortless and natural, like rain on earth," Mark Knopfler observed, while Don Was called her "a great singer-songwriter who possesses major star-power magnetism," and Iris DeMent described her as "the best poet I've heard in a long damn time." www.pietabrown.com
Tickets $30