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Event
Susan Werner -- Presented by Progressive Voices Concerts
Progressive Voices Concerts is thrilled to present renowned singer-songwriter, Susan Werner, to open our 2014-2015 Season!
WHEN: Friday, October 10, 2014 at 7:30pm
WHERE: First Unitarian Church, 1800 Bell Ave., Des Moines, IA 50315
TICKETS: $20 in advance / $25 at the door. Season tickets $70 for 4 shows (available elsewhere on this site.)
You may pick up your pre-paid tickets at the Will Call table after 6:30 p.m. the night of the show.
Seating is general admission, except reserved seating section for season ticket holders. Doors to the auditorium open at 7 p.m.
PARKING: Primary parking lot located just south of Bell Ave. & Druid Hill Dr., just east of the church. Smaller lot with handicap parking located just south of Bell Ave. & Cassady Dr. Street parking also available on Druid Hill & Cassady Drives.
UPDATE! BONUS: James Biehn of Des Moines will be performing with Susan Werner! Come see a great local artist! http://www.reverbnation.com/jamesbiehn
PRESS:
"One of the most innovative songwriters working today." ~ Chicago Tribune
"(Werner is) a songwriter and musician who is in such complete command of her gifts that it's almost scary." ~ All Music Guide
"When it comes to crafting a song, Ms. Werner's only peers are Jimmy Webb and Paul Simon." ~ No Depression
"Susan Werner, a clever songwriter and an engaging performer, brings literacy and wit back to popular song." ~ The New Yorker
"Vulnerability has rarely been so witty or concise in modern song." ~ Boston Herald
"Always an impressive songwriter, Werner continues to compose sharp, funny, compassionate lyrics, a gift rare enough to set her apart" ~ The Washington Post
"The classically trained and jazz inspired singer is redefining the genre and winning admirers around the country" ~ Phildelphia Inquirer
"Kicking The Beehive is evidence that Susan Werner has no trouble reinventing herself year after year; and she's damn good at it." ~ Performer Magazine
"Werner has quietly risen to the elite of American songwriters." ~ Direct Current
"This woman is great. period." ~ Music Row (Nashville)
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY:
At age five, Werner made her debut, playing guitar and singing at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Manchester, Iowa; she learned both piano and guitar by ear. After earning a degree in voice from the University of Iowa, she attended Temple University in Philadelphia, performing in numerous recitals and operas while completing her graduate studies. On occasion Werner, who calls Chicago home now, still closes any one of the 125 club dates she plays annually throughout the US and Canada with "Un Bel Di" from Madame Butterfly or "Habanera" from Carmen, but ultimately, she opted to forgo a career as an opera singer, dedicating herself to songwriting instead, building a reputation at jazz clubs, coffeehouses, and folk festivals along the Eastern Seaboard.
After launching her career with the self-released Midwestern Saturday Night in 1993, her second recording Live at Tin Angel impressed executives at Private Music/BMG, which released her critically acclaimed major label debut Last of the Good Straight Girls in 1995. She
also received critical accolades for her subsequent recordings Time Between Trains (VelVel, 1998) and New Non-Fiction (Indie, 2001). She has toured the nation with acts such as Richard Thompson, Keb Mo, and Joan Armatrading, and was featured in a 1998 Peter, Paul and Mary PBS special as one of the best of the next generation of folk songwriters.
Hayseed is the fourth in a series of concept albums, beginning with 2004's I Can't Be New, which features original songs in the style of Cole Porter and George Gershwin, followed by The Gospel Truth in 2007 and Classics in 2009 (2011's country-blues flavored Kicking The Beehive hinted at this turn towards the rural). "I like concept albums because they give the audience and the artist a place to meet, something in common to talk about, right from the word 'go,'" Werner says. "And it seems everybody - from the First Lady to Dodge Trucks - has something to say about food, farms and farmers these days."
We welcome Ms. Werner back to Iowa to kick off our 5th season!
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LocationFirst Unitarian Church of Des Moines (View)
1800 Bell Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50315
United States
Categories
| Minimum Age: 6 |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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