Acrpost: A Project of the Pacific Association of Artist Run Centres

Event Description

Hometown touring makes for a terrific musical bill Friday, July 3 at 8 pm when the Allison Crowe Trio (http://allisoncrowe.com/) and special guest artist Ryan McMahon (http://ryanmcmahon.com/) celebrate with a concert in the warm acoustic setting of Ladysmith First United Church (232 High Street).

Allison Crowe’s singular musical talents and integrity combine to produce one of the most amazing recording careers and live concert performers of our era. Global appreciation of the vocalist, pianist, guitarist+ - whose recordings and videos enjoy tens of millions of views and plays online – has been established by legendary concert appearances – such as her 2007 turn on-stage at Scotland’s “John Lennon Northern Lights Festival” before Carol Ann Duffy, Britain’s Poet Laureate, and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, the Master of the Queen's Music. Calling her "awesome" and "spine-tingling”, Festival Director Mike Merritt told the BBC that Crowe "put hairs on the back of your neck! She brought the house down."

This upcoming Canada Day weekend, Crowe brings to the stage a brand-new musical combo featuring: bassist Dave Baird, a much sought-after jazz, funk, and rock player who’s performed with Kings Without, Wunderbread, The Thieves and the Canadian Tenors. As well as playing on numerous of Allison Crowe’s internationally-acclaimed recordings, including the album “This Little Bird” – Baird, a Nanaimo native, is a premiere birder on the big island.

And - from Germany’s Black Forest region, Celine Greb has been playing cello since age five. After performing for great audiences at the Peter und Paul Fest Bretten, with the popular ensemble ‘Sudden Inspiration’, and elsewhere across Europe, especially in tandem with her Father, keyboardist, René Hertenstein, she makes her North American debut this Summer.

Longtime friend Ryan McMahon is special guest when Allison Crowe and band come to town this July 3rd.

Chemainus-born troubadour Ryan McMahon (https://www.facebook.com/ryanmcmahonmusic) loves his Ladysmith home. Much of the year he’s on the road delighting audiences across this land with his distinctive brand of folk roots rock – as solo artist and one-third of ‘The Lion The Bear The Fox’ (https://www.facebook.com/thelionthebearthefox). Citing such true-grit influences as Eddie Vedder, Sam Cooke, John Lennon and CCR, McMahon crafts songs that speak to the human condition. His fourth solo studio album, “Put Me Back Together”, (produced by LBF cohort Christopher Arruda), is just released and earning rave reviews.

Since her last visit with friends and fans in lovely Ladysmith, (for a sold-out show in 2012), Allison Crowe’s thrilled audiences worldwide. She’s toured with Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet – and, even, cameos in the Hollywood blockbuster “Man of Steel” filming a scene minutes up the Island Highway at the Cassidy Inn. (Director Zack Snyder declares himself a major fan.) During these years she’s released six albums embracing rock, folk, roots, jazz, Broadway, Celtic+ – including the LP “Newfoundland Vinyl” from the hit stage show at the Gros Morne Theatre Festival for which Crowe serves as Musical Director (http://music.allisoncrowe.com/)

“Ever wonder what it would have been like to listen to a gifted singer/songwriter from Saskatchewan in a small, intimate hall before she became Joni Mitchell? Don’t fret the missed opportunity. There’s no need to turn back the clock. Check out Allison Crowe.” ~ Robert Reid, The Record

“J’ai rarement été bouleversée à ce point par une voix féminine. Pure comme de la glace, puissante et même violente… qu’il est impossible de ne pas mettre son coeur en jeu en l’écoutant… faîtes place à une virtuose nom de Zeus!” ~ SplinterMuse

“No other artist has such a flawless record of artistic authenticity as Allison Crowe.” ~ Muruch

“There are some voices that speak (or sing) for themselves. You know the ones. Voices where it doesn’t matter what they sing. Voices where it doesn’t really matter what instruments support them. Solomon Burke has such a voice. Jeff Buckley had it. Allison Crowe has it too.” ~ Ray Padgett, Cover Me (Mashable, Spin+)

"Una voce incredibile per una forza della natura." ~ Reset Radio

“Once famously described as possessing a style akin to ‘Elton John meets Edith Piaf’, the Canadian singer-songwriter Allison Crowe is renowned for her ability to blend control and melodrama.” ~ MOJO

“The most honest, heartfelt, and directly intimate concert in my entire life. I have been to hundreds of concerts of all sorts of music, but nothing like Allison Crowe! …Allison has a special gift that is so very rare in musicians today. She is true to her mind, heart and spirit. She also has a most wonderful humor which envelops her audience.” ~ Ross Hocker, WGTE/NPR

“Bereits mit ihren ersten Ansagen gewinnt die kanadische Songwriterin mit eigenem Label die Gunst des Publikums, lässt mit ihrem Koloratur-Lachen die Erwartung auf Weiteres ansteigen. Mit kräftigem Zugriff spielt Allison Crowe das Klavier, zu dessen Klang ihre leicht rauchige, ausducksstarke, kurz: große Stimme hervorraghervorragend passt. Manchmal erinnert ihr Spiel an die Tasten-Eskapaden eines Konstantin Wecker, dann wieder gibt es Momente, die an den Stil von Modest Mussorgsky's „Bilder einer Ausstellung“ denken lassen." ~ Peter Baier, Süddeutsche Zeitung

“Songwriter and mistress of coversongs Allison Crowe beat out Johnny Cash, Ben Lee, Chantal Kreviazuk and Shawn Colvin covers of In My Life... Buy or download all Crowe’s albums via Rubenesque – her own label – and you’ll know why (Crowe's) one to watch for the next half-century.” ~ Cover Lay Down

Venue: Ladysmith First United Church, 232 High Street, Ladysmith, BC V9G 1A1

Tickets @: In the Beantime Café (18 High Street); Salamander Books (535 1st Ave.) in Ladysmith + http://www.allisoncrowe.com/shoptickets.html (Online)

$25 General / $20 Students & Seniors

Photo of Allison Crowe by Billie Woods. Photo of Ryan McMahon by Sean Sherstone.