Superchief Trio

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Superchief Trio

Masks are required for all patrons and staff until further notice. Patrons will also be asked to show their vaccination card or a photo of their vaccination card when they enter the club. Patrons will be asked to show proof each time they attend BRT. If a patron is not able to show proof of vaccination they will not be allowed to attend the performance. Call in reservations for our November 6 show with Superchief Trio to 401-725-9272.

Having emerged from a subterranean honky-tonk venue, Superchief Trio has continued the tradition of good-time music and barrelhouse hijinks. In 2008, Superchief Trio grew to five members when they added guitarist Tom Ferraro & bassist/vocalist Steve Bigelow. Tom has been a staple in many RI bands, including The High Rollers & Stormin’ Norman & The Hurricanes. Playing bass tonight will be celebrated jazz bassist Joe Potenza. With the addition of these great players and the original lineup featuring Keith Munslow on piano and vocals, Pam Murray on vocals and trombone, and drummer John Cote, the band finds itself careening down new musical highways and back roads, amassing an ever-expanding repertoire of tasty original songs and cool cover tunes. In more ways than one, Superchief Trio has truly become the largest trio in Rhode Island … and beyond!

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

 

Stefan Couture

Stefan Couture is a Rhode Island-based contemporary singer/songwriter and acoustic performer in the vein of Van Morrison, Ray LaMontagne, and Martin Sexton. His songs come from the heart and his lyrics are honest, relatable and full of poetic imagery. Stefan’s live shows are positive and full of energy, while at the same time searching for the light through the darkness. Stefan finds a way to weave elements of folk, jazz, rock and blues seamlessly with his soulful voice. 

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

 

 

 

 

Kerri Powers / Stefan Couture

Masks are required for all patrons and staff until further notice. Patrons will also be asked to show their vaccination card or a photo of their vaccination card when they enter the club. Patrons will be asked to show proof each time they attend BRT. If a patron is not able to show proof of vaccination they will not be allowed to attend the performance. Call in reservations for our Oct. 30 show with Kerri Powers and Stefan Couture to 401-725-9272.

Drenched in the emotions of blues, folk and country music, the extraordinary roots singer/songwriter Kerri Powers uses her dramatically dark and beautiful voice to mine the melancholy depths of romantic heartbreak and broken dreams in the edgy narratives of her songs. A native of rural Massachusetts, Powers sings the blues with such authentic, downhome grit that you might well think she’s from Mississippi. Besides being a consummate chronicler of disappointment and despair, she can also morph into an impishly naughty rebel with a cause, a Mark Twain-like trickster whose wry words, dramatic sense of dynamics and phrasing can also celebrate joy and hope. Says John Apice, of No Depression, “I don’t know where this young lady came from but it’s got to be a secret place. This is not the kind of singing and performing that can be easily taught. It has to be in your spirit, in your blood and the fact that she is from the Northeast is going to confound the artists down South, in the Delta, in Memphis, Clarksdale, Austin, and Nashville.” Joining Kerri will be percussionist/producer Marco Giovino who has performed with Robert Plant, Tom Jones, and many others. Kerri will perform plenty of great new songs from her soon-to-be-released album “Love is Why.”

Kim Trusty with Cathy Clasper-Torch – Outside concert!

CALL IN RESERVATIONS to 401-725-9272. There are no online sales for this concert!

This will be our first OUTSIDE concert, held behind Blackstone River Theatre. In event of rain, show will be held inside.
Kim Trusty hails from Media, Pennsylvania. Her foray into songwriting started at a young age and eventually brought her to New England to study songwriting at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass., where she was referred to as “the girl with the golden voice.” She has spent the last three decades residing in Providence, refining her musical skills, crafting and branding her own style of Jazz, R&B, Blues and original music. She will be joined for this 60-minute concert (one set) by Cathy Clasper-Torch (violin/fiddle, piano, cello) who has been playing, teaching, recording and performing throughout New England for over 25 years. Cathy combines her love of all genres of music from world-folk to rock to jazz and classical in her playing and improvising. She is well known for her performance with The Gnomes, Atwater~Donnelly, and many other Rhode Island musicians. Cathy is also the fiddle instructor at Blackstone River Theatre. Enter the performance area via the gate at the back of our parking lot. The first 40 people to reserve tickets by phone will be provided with folding chairs; otherwise, please bring a chair or blanket. Limited seating! No outside food or drink allowed to be brought in. PLEASE CALL 401-725-9272 to reserve your spot!

 

Québécois music with Genticorum – Virtual Concert

Délégation du Québec à Boston / Québec Government Office in Boston is sponsoring a virtual concert by Genticorum to celebrate La Saint-Jean the weekend of June 25-27. Pre-recorded in Montreal, Quebec, this virtual concert can be viewed Friday, June 25, 7-8 p.m. EST, but with ticket purchase, you can watch again, any time, during an included 96-hour rebroadcast! Blackstone River Theatre is proud to be a presenter of this virtual concert along with the Museum of Work & Culture, Woonsocket, RI and Dana Center, Saint Anselm College, Manchester, NH. To purchase tickets visit: https://boxoffice.mandolin.com/products/genticorum-virtual-concert-ticket-6-25-21 

Access to an 8 p.m. afterparty gathering with the members of Genticorum on Zoom is included. The Zoom link will be sent out to all ticket holders on June 25 by 2 p.m.

Over the past 20 years the traditional Quebec group Genticorum has become a fixture on the international world, folk and Celtic music circuit. The band’s six albums met with critical acclaim in Canada, the U.S, and Europe and their newest album was just nominated for two Canadian Folk Music Awards for “Best Ensemble” and “Best Traditional Record.” Firmly rooted in the soil of their native land, the energetic and original traditional power trio weaves precise and intricate fiddle, flute, and accordion work along with gorgeous vocal harmonies, energetic foot percussion, and guitar accompaniment into a high-energy musical feast. Their distinctive sound, sense of humor, and stage presence always makes for an amazing show. Genticorum was scheduled to be at this year’s Summer Solstice Festival which had to be canceled due to the COVID pandemic so we are especially happy to present this virtual concert and announce that Genticorum WILL be part of the 2022 Summer Solstice Festival! Pascal Gemme (fiddle, feet, voice) is widely recognized as a cultural ambassador for Québécois music. Yann Falquet is one of the most active and creative acoustic guitar players in the Québécois and New England music scenes. Since completing a bachelor’s degree in jazz, he has developed his own personal guitar style for Québec folk music. Nicholas Williams has developed a reputation as a versatile and sought-after musician in the traditional music scenes of Québec and New England. His rhythmic yet nuanced style of flute playing draws from Irish and Scottish traditions, as well as from his studies of classical North Indian music. 
 
One of the most important holidays in Quebec, as well as in French Canada more broadly, is Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day. Celebrated annually on June 24th, it’s commonly referred to as La Saint-Jean. The general origin of Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day comes from pre-Christian rituals around the time of the summer solstice on June 21. As Catholicism spread into France, the summer solstice celebrations evolved during the 5th century into the feast day of John the Baptist. Traditionally, bonfires would take place on the evening of June 24 in order to honor the saint. Designed to promote Québécois language and culture, the first “official” Saint-Jean-Baptiste festival in Montreal occurred on June 24, 1834.
 

JOANIE MADDEN, MARY COOGAN & BRUCE FOLEY – SOLD OUT!

SOLD OUT! Tickets for the June 13, 4 PM concert with Madden, Coogan and Foley are on sale now and includes a $1.00 restoration fund fee. Please call reservations into 401-725-9272 and then send a check in advance, payable to: Blackstone River Theatre. Put June 13 in the memo line.

Fans of Celtic music who have attended shows at Blackstone River Theatre will be very familiar with the names of both Joanie Madden and Mary Coogan following their countless sold-out shows sharing the stage along with their group, Cherish the Ladies. Joanie Madden is an All-Ireland champion flute and whistle player, a consummate musician and entertainer and one of the most revered figures in Irish music today. Joanie is the top-selling whistle player in history and has amassed a plethora of awards and citations to her credit including The Ellis Island Medal of Freedom Award and the esteemed USA Artist Fellowship Grant, naming her as one of the most innovative and influential artists in America. The Irish Voice Newspaper named Joanie Madden one of the top 25 Irish Americans for the past quarter century for her contributions to Irish America. Like Joanie, Mary Coogan is a founding member of Cherish the Ladies and has been playing the guitar, banjo and mandolin for enthusiastic audiences around the world for over 36 years. An outstanding teacher and musician, she is always in high demand for her sensitive accompaniment when she’s not performing with Cherish the Ladies. Making his Blackstone River Theatre debut is Bruce Foley who has been performing for over 30 years in the Irish and American folk scene. A gifted guitarist and uilleann piper, Bruce is also graced with a beautiful voice and a large repertoire of songs. He has shared the stage with such notables as Andy M Stewart, Tommy Sands, and Cherish the Ladies. While on lockdown due to Covid-19, Joanie, Mary and Bruce joined forces delighting audiences throughout the pandemic with their unique blend of tunes and ballads along with an always fun and entertaining approach! Joanie says “We are absolutely thrilled to be performing a real live concert at one of our favorite venues, Blackstone River Theatre!” And BRT can’t be more excited to FINALLY offer a live concert after 15 months being closed with such amazing players and great friends!

Blackstone River Theatre makes sure that all performers and instructors have been vaccinated, per state guidance. By doing that, the State of Rhode Island says there are no spacing regulations and that masks are not required to be worn either inside or outside. This will be an INSIDE show. IF YOU ARE vaccinated, a mask is not required. If you are not vaccinated, you must wear a mask and keep three feet of distance from others. By entering the building you are acknowledging that you understand this guidance.

 

“Music & Mischief” featuring Mari Black and Troy MacGillivray

This concert airs April 10, at 7 p.m. EST, but with ticket purchase, you can watch again, any time, during an included 72-hour rebroadcast! Mari & Troy have chosen Blackstone River Theater to be the only New England presenter, and we will receive a 20% cut of all Blackstone tickets sold. The dedicated ticket link for BRT is: https://noonchorus.com/blackstone-river-mbtm/  

Blackstone River Theatre is excited to be the only New England presenter for this special concert, aptly called “Music & Mischief.” Hang onto your hats, friends! Champion Scottish and multistyle fiddler Mari Black and Nova Scotia/Cape Breton fiddler & piano extraordinaire Troy MacGillivray are about to team up for an unforgettable, shenanigan-ridden duo musical adventure! The evening will feature the driving Celtic dance tunes these two power-house musicians are both known for, but also new original material, explorations into different styles, and humorous bits that could never be possible in a live setting. Join us as Troy and Mari will let you into their playful collaboration that’s been over two years in the making. You are sure to laugh, tap your toes, and dance around your living room in joy.

 
MARI BLACK burst onto the international stage when she became Scotland’s Glenfiddich Fiddle Champion, 2-time U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion, and 2-time Canadian Maritime Fiddle Champion, all within a 3-year period. Always eager to share her love of dance-driven music with audiences around the world, she has performed on five continents, playing everywhere from Celtic Festivals to Carnegie Hall and appearing on prominent radio including the BBC and NPR. Holding advanced degrees from the Yale School of Music and Columbia University, Mari is a passionate educator, teaching regularly at fiddle camps and workshops around the county. 

TROY MacGILLIVRAY is from Lanark, a small community on the north-eastern shore of Nova Scotia. Troy’s commitment to music has spanned 30 years and includes both practical and academic accomplishments – most recently an M.A. in Ethnomusicology from the University of Limerick in Ireland. From the age of 6, Troy was impressing audiences with step dancing and soon after, fiddle and piano skills. His roots-centered approach comes from a family of proud Scottish heritage where fiddle playing and Gaelic traditions runs in the bloodline. His first paid gig was at 9 years old and he was teaching by the age of 13 at the Gaelic College in St. Ann’s Cape Breton. Troy is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal for contributions to culture in Canada. 

 
NOTE: The ticket price is $15 but there will be an additional $3.66 charge added on by the streaming platform that goes to them. Once purchased, you will have access to Mari & Troy’s concert for 72 hours in case you want to watch it again or even at a time different from its initial live showing!
 

Atwater~Donnelly and The Vox Hunters

Masks are required for all patrons and staff until further notice. Patrons will also be asked to show their vaccination card or a photo of their vaccination card when they enter the club. Patrons will be asked to show proof each time they attend BRT. If a patron is not able to show proof of vaccination they will not be allowed to attend the performance. Call in reservations for our Sept. 18 show with Atwater~Donnelly and The Vox Hunters to 401-725-9272.
 
Multi-instrumentalists Aubrey Atwater and Elwood Donnelly will join forces and trade songs with The Vox Hunters as Blackstone River Theatre kicks off our Fall season! Atwater~Donnelly offers an engaging concert of traditional American and Celtic American folk songs, a cappella pieces, hymns, poetry, dance tunes, and original works. Long-time friends of Blackstone River Theatre, Elwood and Aubrey blend unusual vocal harmonies and play guitar, Appalachian mountain dulcimer, Irish tin whistle, harmonica, old-time banjo, bones, limberjacks and other musical surprises. Their performance is appealing to all ages, and with humor, audience participation and a highly relaxed stage presence, Aubrey and Elwood also explain song origins to give more relevance to the material. They have performed and researched folk music extensively in New England, Ireland, England, Prince Edward Island, the Ozarks, and Appalachia. 
 
Armand Aromin and Benedict Gagliardi – The Vox Hunters – are musically bound by a shared love of traditional Irish music, which originally brought them together, as well as an eclectic and ever-growing amalgam of songs both inside and far outside the realm of folk music. Combining Aromin’s multifaceted fiddle playing, Gagliardi’s self-developed concertina style, and a pair of complementary voices, The Vox Hunters will present their exciting repertoire of driving dance tunes blended with an unorthodox collection of interesting songs. They are touted as strong tradition-bearers in their generation, and their genuine affinity for the music is evident in the emotion they draw from it. Last year they released their second album, “Fresh From The Board: Music From The Ocean State Songster, Vol. 1.” 
 
 *All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge
 

Torrin Ryan / Ryefield Cove – Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day!

This concert airs March 20, at 7 p.m. EST, but with ticket purchase, you can watch again, any time, during an included 72-hour rebroadcast! Tickets can now be purchased at: https://noonchorus.com/torrin-ryan-ryefield-cove/

Blackstone River Theatre is excited to host a special concert of Irish traditional music featuring amazing uilleann piper Torrin Ryan and the wonderful flute/guitar duo, Ryefield Cove. Torrin Ryan, of Attleboro, Mass., has grown up at Blackstone River Theatre having performed solo and with many groups over the past ten years and also serving as a volunteer. Ryan specializes in the uilleann pipes and has gone on to win five All-Ireland medals in Ireland competition including being named the 2013 All-Ireland champion for slow airs on uilleann pipes. Irish bagpipes, with air pumped from a bag squeezed by the elbow rather than blowing into it like Scottish bagpipes, is recognized as one of the most difficult traditional instruments to master. Torrin also performs on tin whistle and flute. In 2018, Torrin was the recipient of a grant from the Southern New England Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program in order for him to teach Irish music and history to several apprentices and further the art of the session in New England. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M-ZcNB1H3U

Leslie Anne Harrison and Frédéric Pouille met in Ireland over a decade ago and have been playing together ever since. Blue has called them “beautiful guitar artistry and major league fluting.” Balancing tradition with new ideas, Ryefield Cove draws from a shared love of Irish traditional music, Frédéric’s connection to French Bretagne music, and Leslie’s experience in the classical music world to create a distinctive sound within the flute and guitar duo. At Ryefield Cove concerts, you will hear new music written by Leslie, a French song or two sung by Frédéric, and many Irish and French Bretagne tunes. The duo released “Folk Ragoût” in 2011 and has performed at festivals and venues around the U.S. including Ceili at the Roundhouse Celtic Festival, Edgewater Celtic Festival, and the Maine Celtic Celebration. Leslie has recently released “Volume I of Playing Outside the Lines, the first of a comprehensive four-part method book series offering beginning to advanced Irish traditional flute instruction on Mel Bay Publications. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACc0R1_LB18

NOTE: The ticket price is $15 but there will be an additional $3.66 charge added on by the streaming platform that goes to them. Once purchased, you will have access to the Torrin Ryan / Ryefield Cove concert for 72 hours in case you want to watch it again or even at a time different from its initial live showing!
 

Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas – Highlander’s Farewell

Don’t miss this spectacular livestream concert called “Highlander’s Farewell” that celebrates a 20-year musical retrospective of one of the most acclaimed duos in traditional music. Blackstone River Theatre is proud to be the sponsor for the 3rd concert in a series of 6 completely different shows with our dear friends, Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas! You can watch it in the comfort of your own home with the added flexibility of a 48-hour window to suit your own schedule. Remember: buying a ticket will be supporting both the artists and Blackstone River Theatre! Purchase your tickets at: https://boxoffice.mandolin.com/products/alasdair-fraser-natalie-haas-highlanders-farewell-3-12?oid=49&affid=99
 
 
TECH INFO: Once you make a purchase, you’ll get an electronic “ticket” from Mandolin. Once you get this ticket, you will need to go back into the Mandolin website to create a Mandolin account – this is simple and just involves putting in your name and email address. Having that Mandolin account allows you to log in before the show  – all you’ll have to do at that point is click on the show and it will start at the appointed time. Following the performance, the audience will be invited to jump onto a Zoom call with Alasdair & Natalie so everyone can have a post-concert social gathering! Check your spam and junk folders if you don’t see the email! Mandolin’s help section if needed: https://help.mandolin.com  

The musical partnership between Alasdair Fraser, long regarded as Scotland’s premier fiddle ambassador, and the sizzlingly-talented young California cellist Natalie Haas may not seem an obvious one. Fraser has a concert and recording career spanning 33 years, with a long list of awards, accolades, television credits, and feature performances on top movie soundtracks (Last of the Mohicans, Titanic and more). He has been sponsored by the British Council to represent Scotland’s music internationally, and he received the Scottish Heritage Center Service Award for outstanding contributions to Scottish culture and traditions. 

Haas, a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music, wasn’t even born when Alasdair was winning national fiddle competitions on the other side of the Atlantic. But this seemingly unlikely pairing is the fulfillment of a long-standing musical dream for Fraser, whose cutting-edge musical explorations took him full circle to find a cellist who could help him return the cello to its historical role at the rhythmic heart of Scottish dance music. “Going back to the 1700s, and as late as the early 20th century,” Fraser says, “fiddle and cello made up the dance band of choice in Scotland, with the cellist bowing bass lines and driving the rhythm. Pianos and accordions elbowed out the cello, relegating it to an orchestral setting.” When Natalie was just 15, Fraser and Haas played their first gig together. Natalie is in the vanguard of young cellists who are redefining the role of the cello in traditional music. Their CD “Fire & Grace” won not only critical acclaim, but also the coveted the Scots Trad Music “Album of the Year” award, the Scottish equivalent of a Grammy. “In the Moment” and “Highlander’s Farewell” and their latest CD, “Abundance” continues their incredible musical journey together.