Austin’s intimate artist showcase series returns with a Valentine’s Day concert as the kick off for its 2016 Spring Season.
(AUSTIN, TEXAS – January 2016) – The beloved intimate artist showcase series, The Soul of a Musician Series, launches its fourth year with a
Valentine’s Day concert featuring Amy Cook and the announcement of the first half of its Spring lineup. The kickoff concert will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 14 at Iron Cactus North, located at 10001 Stonelake Blvd., Austin, Texas 78759.
The show is free and open to the public. The series takes place Sunday evenings in the Agave Room of Iron Cactus North, a bar/restaurant setting with a fine stage, excellent sound and beautiful lighting.
The first half of the Spring lineup will feature a rich diversity of artists and genres including:
Feb. 14 – Amy Cook
Feb. 21 – The Peterson Brothers
Feb. 28 – *no show due to Oscars night
March 6 – Carson McHone
Mar 13 – The Deer
Mar 20 – Billy Harvey from New York City
March 27 – *no show due to Easter
April 3 – Emily Bell
April 10 – Jackie Venson
April 17 – Jeff Black from Nashville, TN
Four years ago, the Rev. Merrill Wade and St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church launched the Soul of a Musician series as an outlet for Austin musicians to play music in a loving, receptive environment in order to explore the various emotional and spiritual dimensions of their sound. What began as a small-scale concert series to provide a safe haven for Austin’s working musicians has ignited a movement to provide a much needed platform for musicians to express their spiritual needs and creativity through music and through open discussion. Though sponsored by a church, the gathering is not a religious event at all.
As Kevin Curtin of the Austin Chronicle wrote in a May 22, 2015 review of a Gina Chavez show at the Soul Series, “There were no Bible readings, no hands clasped in prayer, no theological language. It’s through artists and their writing that Wade hopes to extract truth in a way the church can’t.”
“The Soul Series is a unique listening experience,” said Rev. Merrill Wade. “It is designed entirely with an artist-focused format, where the community comes together to support the spiritual and emotional well-being of the musician and gain insight into their creative process and growth.”
As the centerpiece of the show, the musician performs two original songs they have handpicked, then Rev. Wade leads a discussion with the artist and those gathered about the spirituality and inspiration behind the songs.
“This discussion time opens up dialogue for the artist to reveal the inspiration behind their music, what it means to them, and sometimes even to reckon with any suffering or negativity in their lives,” said Rev Wade.
“It provides a deep connection between the artist and those gathered; something they don’t often experience playing a gig at any other venue in town. This is an opportunity for the musician to express their needs and for the audience to provide care and support for their local talent.”
As described by Austin musician Guy Forsyth, each Soul of a Musician Series performance is “…not just a show. You will hear a lot of music, but we also have a conversation about the music, why and how the songs are written. If music is a spiritual tool for you, no matter what your beliefs, the Soul of a Musician Series may be a place for you to explore.”
For more about the series, please see: http://www.stmattsaustin.org/Music/4soul-of-amusician-
series.html or https://www.facebook.com/SoulOfAMusicianSeries.
About Amy Cook:
Amy Cook is an American musician and singer-songwriter living in Austin, Texas. Amy first made her mark in Los Angeles, where she epitomized the rise of the “indie” artist, self-releasing records and finding success licensing her songs to television and film. Longing for inspiration and a change of scenery, Amy moved to the small West Texas town of Marfa in 2004. It was there on the front porch of an old house that she recorded a collection of lo-fi folk songs that would become “The Bunkhouse Recordings,” complete with crickets and coyotes.
Soon after, she moved to Austin where she recorded “The Sky Observer’s Guide” (a collaboration with Los Angeles artist, Amy Adler) and caught the attention of Alejandro Escovedo, who tapped her for opening duties during his “Real Animal” tour. They followed their traveling act with “Let the Light In,” an Escovedo produced record that garnered critical acclaim and featured the song “Hotel Lights,” whichwas spotlighted on many favorites lists in 2010. Patty Griffin sang background vocals on the track. Opening shows for Lucinda Williams, Richard Thompson, Heartless Bastards, A.A. Bondy, Escovedo, Chris Isaak, Shawn Colvin, Ben Kweller, Tift Merritt, Leo Kottke, Charlie Mars, Ryan Bingham and others followed. Cook released Summer Skin, on August 28, 2012, on Roothouse/Thirty Tigers. Her finest and most cohesive project to date features production by Craig Street and a virtuoso band including Chris Bruce, Meshell Ndegeocello, Jonathan Wilson and David Garza. Special guests include Robert Plant, Ben Kweller and Patty Griffin.
Media Note:
To RSVP or general press inquiries, please contact the team at Juice Consulting:
Heather Wagner Reed
713 208 3891
heather@juiceconsulting.com
Madison Snelling
210 213 8934
madison@juiceconsulting.net