The four-concert series for 2015-16 already features bluegrass’ The Steel Wheels and singer-songwriter Shawn Colvin. Tickets for the Kottke and Escovedo shows go on sale today.
Iconic Singer-Songwriter: Alejandro Escovedo, right, last performed in Grand Rapids with violinist Betty Soo at The Intersection. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
Renowned finger-picking guitarist Leo Kottke and rock/alt-country singer-songwriter Alejandro Escovedo have been added to the 2015-16 edition of the Acoustic Café series at St. Cecilia Music Center in Grand Rapids.
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Leo Kottke
Kottke, 69, who released his first album, “12-String Blues,” in 1969 and has gone on to cultivate a legion of devoted fans (many of them guitarists), will perform in St. Cecilia’s Royce Auditorium on April 14, 2016. Tickets are $35 and $40, and are on sale at 9 a.m. today at scmc-online.org or by calling (616) 459-2224.
Escovedo, 64, is regarded as one of America’s pre-eminent heartland rock and alt-country singer-songwriters, who first made a name for himself in the California punk-rock group The Nuns. He’s gone on to release rootsier rocking, alt-country albums as an Austin-based solo artist, developing a reputation for stellar live shows. He’ll play St. Cecilia on May 5; tickets are $30 and $35.
Both artists – also known for their story-telling prowess – previously have performed at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, so the smaller setting of the historic Royce Auditorium, with a capacity of under 700, should make for an intimate experience for fans.
Rob Reinhart
St. Cecilia previously had announced a Nov. 22 Acoustic Café series concert featuring bluegrass/country band The Steel Wheels ($20 and $25) and a Feb. 18 show starring folk singer Shawn Colvin ($40 and $45).
Launched last year, the Acoustic Café series is hosted by Rob Reinhart, who produces the Ann Arbor-based “Acoustic Café” radio show that’s syndicated to more than 100 radio stations around the country, including WYCE-FM (88.1).
Royce Auditorium also will host a folk-styled concert on Oct. 4 as part of an ArtPrize benefit for St. Cecilia: Michigan singer-songwriter Joshua Davis will headline that show, with Troll for Trout and Fauxgrass also performing. Tickets are $25 and $30.
St. Cecilia, of course, also annually presents its Jazz Series and Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Series. Get more information about those concerts online at scmc-online.org or in person at St. Cecilia, 24 Ransom Ave. NE.
Copyright 2015, Spins on Music LLC
