NEWS RELEASE
DATE: March 23, 2011
CONTACT: Mark Demko, 610-332-1342 or mdemko@artsquest.org
MUSIKFEST 2011 PERFORMING ARTS SERIES ANNOUNCED
Ravi Coltrane, John Oates, Ed Kowalczyk, Al Di Meola, Verve Pipe & Red Horse To Perform at Festival
BETHLEHEM, PA—Former Live frontman Ed Kowalczyk, Grammy Award winner Al Di Meola, saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, John Oates of Hall & Oates, folk supergroup The Red Horse Project and The Verve Pipe are the first acts announced for the Musikfest® 2011 Performing Arts Series presented by PNC Bank. Concerts will take place at the Musikfest Café presented by Yuengling, located at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem; tickets for all announced Performing Arts Series shows will go on sale starting Tues., March 29, 10 a.m., to ArtsQuest Members and Fri., April 1, 10 a.m., to the public. They will be available at www.musikfest.org or by calling 610-332-3378.
Ravi Coltrane – August 6, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $54 VIP Box/$44 Cabaret
Grammy-nominated saxophonist, bandleader and composer Ravi Coltrane was born on Long Island in 1965, the second son of John and Alice Coltrane. In 1991, his father's renowned drummer, Elvin Jones, saw in Ravi an emergent authentic performer, and hired him to play with his band. After his tenure with Jones, Ravi found himself working alongside a remarkable list of artists including McCoy Tyner, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Jack DeJohnette, Carlos Santana and others. Coltrane has taken part in more than 30 recordings as a sideman, and in 1997 he recorded his first album as a bandleader, Moving Pictures. Critical acclaim arrived with the release of his second album, From the Round Box (2000), and his next three recordings, Mad 6 (2002), In Flux (2005) and Blending Times (2009) attracted even more interest in his unique sound.
Al Di Meola World Sinfonia Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody Tour 2011 - August 7, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $49 VIP Box/$39 Cabaret
A bona fide guitar hero, perennial poll-winner and virtuoso of the highest order, Al Di Meola has been recognized over the past three decades as a prolific composer and respected artist with over 20 recordings as a leader. His creative output to date is staggering, whether it’s with his current World Sinfonia band or past musical endeavors like his electric Tour de Force group or the ’70s fusion supergroup Return To Forever with Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White. After three landmark recordings with Return To Forever -- 1974’s Where Have I Known You Before, 1975’s Grammy Award winning No Mystery and 1976’s Romantic Warrior -- the group disbanded and Di Meola subsequently launched his solo career. His 1976 debut as a leader, Land of the Midnight Sun, was a blazing showcase of his signature chops and Latin-tinged compositions. Some 35 years later, Di Meola has established a rich legacy that has secured a place for him in the Gallery of Guitar Greats.
John Oates – August 11, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $49 VIP Box/$39 Cabaret
One half of music's best-selling duo of all time, Hall & Oates, John Oates has won numerous American Music and MTV awards, and was inducted into to the American Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2008. On his new album, Mississippi Mile, which comes out in April, Oates is all about primal, gut-bucket grit and emotion as he pays homage to the influence of the great blues, folk and early rock musicians. The guitarist’s Americana tribute to music of the 20th century is his third solo album, following 2002’s Phunk Shui and his 2008 release, 1000 Miles of Life.
The Red Horse Project: Eliza Gilkyson, John Gorka & Lucy Kaplansky, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $44 VIP Box/$34 Cabaret
Folk’s newest supergroup, the Red Horse Project features the talents of Grammy-nominated Eliza Gilkyson, world-renowned performer John Gorka and acclaimed singer-songwriter Lucy Kaplansky, who came together to record Red Horse, the 2010 album that features the three veteran singer-songwriters covering each other’s songs and breathing new life into old favorites.
A politically minded, poetically gifted singer-songwriter, Gilkyson has become one of the most respected musicians in the roots, folk and Americana circles. She has toured with Richard Thompson, Patty Griffin and Mary Chapin Carpenter. A world-renowned singer-songwriter, Gorka was raised in New Jersey and came out of New York City’s Greenwich Village folk scene that produced such songwriters as Suzanne Vega and Shawn Colvin. His award-winning songs have been recorded and performed by such notable artists as Mary Chapin Carpenter, Nanci Griffith and Mary Black. Acclaimed singer-songwriter Lucy Kaplansky has recorded seven albums for Red House Records, two of which, Ten Year Night and Every Single Day, were awarded Best Pop Album of the Year by the Association for Independent Music. In 1998 she teamed up with Dar Williams and Richard Shindell to form the supergroup Cry Cry Cry.
The Verve Pipe – August 13
2 p.m. - Special Family Show
Tickets: $5 general admission
7 p.m.
Tickets: $40 VIP Box/$30 Cabaret
Known for its spectacular live performances, The Verve Pipe released its platinum major label debut, Villains, in 1996. The album included the No. 1 single "The Freshmen," one of the most successful multi-format tracks of 1997 and winner of an ASCAP Pop Award. The group’s follow-up release, the critically acclaimed self-titled LP, The Verve Pipe, featured "Hero," a Top 15 hit at Modern Rock radio, and its recording Underneath produced the singles "Happiness Is" and "Never Let You Down," one of the most played songs for Adult Top 40 and Modern A/C radio that year. Underneath also included "Colorful," the emotive ballad featured in the film Rock Star, starring Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston. The Verve Pipe’s appearance at Musikfest includes a special 2 p.m. matinee for families that features the music of its latest release, A Family Album, a collection of fun, family-friendly songs.
Ed Kowalczyk of LIVE – August 14, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $39 VIP Box/$32 SRO
Best known as the lead singer of LIVE, Ed Kowalczyk formed the band in 1988 with three middle-school friends in York, Pa. The group went on to become an international sensation, selling more than 20 million albums, with two of them, 1994’s Throwing Copper and 1997’s Secret Samadhi, reaching No. 1 on Billboard’s Top 200 album chart. The band also scored five No. 1 singles, including the blockbuster "I Alone," and nine Top 10 singles. In summer 2010, Kowalczyk released his debut solo album, Alive. The recording is a collection of powerful, melodic rock songs that represents Kowalczyk’s renaissance as a vocalist and songwriter, while retaining the searching lyrical qualities and emotional uplift that have made him beloved by fans the world over.
The Musikfest Performing Arts Series is sponsored by PNC Bank, in association with 69-WFMZ-TV; additional Performing Arts Series concerts will be announced later this spring.
COMEDIAN JOHN OLIVER COMING TO MUSIKFEST CAFÉ JUNE 3
British comedian John Oliver, a writer and correspondent for "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," will perform June 3, 7:30 p.m., in the Musikfest Café presented by Yuengling, located at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks. Tickets for the show are $50 VIP Box and $40 Theatre and will go on sale starting Tues., March 29, 10 a.m., to ArtsQuest Members and Fri., April 1, 10 a.m., to the public. They will be available at www.artsquest.org or by calling 610-332-3378.
Part of The Daily Show since 2006, Oliver has been nominated for Emmy Awards and Writers Guild Awards and won the Breakout Award at the HBO US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen. He also has his own Comedy Central special, "Terrifying Times," and performs throughout the country.
ABOUT ARTSQUEST
ArtsQuest is a Bethlehem, PA-based nonprofit dedicated to presenting music, arts, festivals, cultural experiences and educational and outreach programs that aid in economic development, urban revitalization and community enrichment. Through festivals such as its flagship event, Musikfest®; the Banana Factory® cultural arts and education center; and the ArtsQuest Center and SteelStacks arts and cultural campus, ArtsQuest’s programming reaches more than 1.5 million people annually.
For more information on ArtsQuest, visit www.artsquest.org or call 610-332-1300
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