CANCELLED...PLEASE DROP BY TSUNAMI FOR TICKET REFUNDS..
Sunday, May 3, 7:30 PM (7 doors): The Holly Near Trio with Crys Matthews at the Unitarian Universalist Church (13th and Chambers)
(Tickets $26.50 Now On Sale; drop by the store or call 541-345-8986 to reserve… tickets must be picked up at the Tsunami Books before the concert)
Holly Near has been singing for a more equitable world for well over 40 creative years. She is an insightful story teller through her music, committed to keeping the work rooted in contemporary activism.
Respected around the world for her music and activism, Holly released her 31st album in 2018.
One of the most powerful, consistent, and outspoken singers of our time, her concerts elevate spirits and inspire ac- tivism. A skilled performer, Holly is an outspoken ambassador for peace who brings to the stage a unique integration of world consciousness, spiritual discovery, and theatricality.
Holly’s joy and and passion continue to inspire people to join in her celebration of the human spirit. Equally compel- ling at her shows and through recordings, Holly’s music fully engages listeners in the world around them —speaking to anyone who believes in peace, justice, and feminism; a wonderful spectrum of humanity.
Born in Ukiah, CA in 1949, Holly began singing in high school, including work with a local folk group. She built on her performing career with acting parts on seminal ‘70s television shows like Mod Squad, Room 222, and The Partridge Family. In 1970 she was a cast member of the Broadway musical Hair. Following the Kent State University shootings in May of that same year the entire cast staged a silent vigil in protest. The song, “It Could’ve Been Me” (which was released on A Live Album, 1974) was Holly’s heartfelt response to the shootings. In 1971, she joined the Free The Army tour, an anti-Vietnam War road show of music, comedy, and plays organized by antiwar activist Fred Gardner and actors Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland.
In 1972, Holly was one of the first women to create an independent record company, paving the way for women like Ani DiFranco and others. Her goal was to promote and produce music by politically conscious artists from around the world, a mission that Redwood Records fulfilled for nearly 20 years. Often cited as one of the founders of the Women’s Music movement, Holly not only led the way for outspoken women in the music world, but also worked for peace and multicultural consciousness. Throughout her long career Holly has worked with a wide array of musicians including Pete Seeger, Ronnie Gilbert, Arlo Guthrie, Mercedes Sosa, Bernice Johnson Reagon, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Joan Baez, Phil Ochs, Harry Belafonte, and many others.
Holly Near has been recognized many times for her work for social change, including honors from the ACLU, the National Lawyers Guild, the National Organization for Women, and the National Academy of Recording arts and Sciences. Holly was also named Ms. Magazine Woman of the Year and received the Legends of Women’s Music Award. During her travels in the Pacific with the Free The Army show, Holly became a globally conscious feminist, linking international feminism and anti-war activism. She was an active participant and coalition builder in what she refers to as the “heady days” of 1970s activism, when so many movements were gestating and jostling one another.
Another significant arena of Holly’s activism is the LGBTQ community. Her interest was both personal and political. She was one of the first celebrities to discuss her sexual orientation during a pioneering 1976 interview with Peoplemagazine. A staunch advocate for LGBTQ rights. Holly is comfortable with her own sexuality and has a clear under- standing of the fluidity of sexual orientation.
Holly is also a teacher, presenting master classes in performance craft and songwriting to diverse audiences. Building on this role, her historic papers are housed at Radcliffe’s Schlesinger Library and are regarded as an informed look at the last 40 years of social change movements.
She has also become a spokesperson within the social change music movement. During her time on the road, lumi- naries in the folk world have noted how her presence sets the tone for each event she joins. As Holly has observed, “Music can influence choices for better or for worse. A lullaby can put a troubled child to sleep, but Muzak can put a whole nation to sleep. A marching band can send our children off to war. It can also have everyone laughing, dancing, and loving as the lead off to a gay pride parade”.
Holly finds herself in a role that her amazing journey has uniquely prepared her to fill as the significance of her work over time has crystallized her iconic status. At once flattered, amazed, and centered, she graciously assumes the honoring that comes with time, proud to represent—through her voice and her music—the movements that are so fundamental to her spirit.
Crys Matthews is nothing if not ambitious. In August, she simultaneously released both a new full-length album, The Imagineers and an EP, Battle Hymn For An Army Of Lovers. These collections showcase two sides of Matthews’ dynamic songwriting; The Imagineers is a selection of thoughtful songs about love and life while Battle Hymn For An Army Of Lovers tackles social justice themes. Songs from both projects have already won her recognition and awards. She was one of ten finalists (from a pool of 5,000) in this year's NewSong Music Competition and, after performing at Lincoln Center on November 30th she was named grand-prize winner. Matthews also won the People Music Network's Social Just Songs contest at the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance.
Matthews blends Americana, folk, jazz, blues, bluegrass and funk into a bold, complex performance steeped in traditional melodies and punctuated by honest, original lyrics. Having been compared to everyone from Toshi Reagon to Tracy Chapman to Ruthie Foster, Matthews’ eclectic infusion of genres has won her honorable mentions at the 2013 and 2014 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest and extensive radio play from Woman of Substance radio to WTJU-Charlottesville and WMRA-Harrisonburg to KBOO-Portland. Matthews has shared stages with Melissa Ferrick, Chris Pureka and Liz Longley, as well as several regional artists such as Owen Danoff, Eliot Bronson, and Heather Mae.
Equally at home in an acoustic listening room as she is on stage at large music festivals, Matthews has quickly gathered a loyal following on the east coast playing such prestigious venues as The Birchmere, The Hamilton, and Jammin' Java. Matthews’ festival and showcase roster has included BMI's Island Hopper Songwriter Festival, the 40th Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival, Folk Alliance International, 30A Songwriters Festival, Northeast Regional Folk Alliance and many more.
A prolific lyricist and composer, Matthews has found inspiration in her surroundings; from driving through the Blue Ridge Mountains to the compelling and heart-breaking love story of Richard and Mildred Loving. Thoughtful, realistic and emotional, Matthews’ songs speak to the voice of our generation and remind us why music indeed soothes the soul.
http://www.flemingartists.com/artists/crys-matthews
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=51&v=ZaN2H25kTts&feature=emb_logo