Ruthie Foster with special guest Christopher Worth
Ruthie Foster is a four-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter who mixes a wide palette of American song forms, from gospel and blues to jazz, folk and soul. Described by Rolling Stone as “pure magic to watch and hear,” her vocal talent was elevated in worship services at her community church. Drawing influence from legendary acts like Mavis Staples and Aretha Franklin, Foster developed a unique sound unable to be contained within a single genre. That uniqueness echoes a common theme in Ruthie’s life and career – marching to the beat of her own drum.Healing Time is the latest jewel in Foster’s accomplished career, which includes multiple Grammy nominations and collaborations with fellow luminaries like Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks. For her latest, Foster contributed more to the writing process than she had on any of her previous albums, effectively refining her own song craft in the process. “With this album, I dug deep and tried to go for the best way to write,” she explains. “This album says a lot about the period we were making it in, and how I wanted to find my way out of it.”Ruthie Foster’s ninth studio album represents a new high water mark for the veteran blues artist—a collection of songs possessing pure power, like a tidal wave of musical generosity. Healing Time finds Foster pushing her boundaries as a singer and songwriter more than ever before, creating a truly live-sounding atmosphere with the help of her band, who sound refreshingly loose and lived-in throughout these 12 songs. We’ve all been in need of some healing in recent times, and Foster’s latest provides a guide for how to move through the world with equal parts compassion and resolve.Incredibly gifted and talented singer and songwriter Christopher Worth opens the show with a solo set.$35 Advance$45 At the Door$50 Preferred Seating (seating in the first 7 rows of the center section)Minors ok when accompanied by a parent or guardian. Review our Health & Safety Policies HERE
Jenner Fox Band • David Jacobs-Strain and Bob Beach
The Jenner Fox Band will be celebrating the release of their new album, “Anything,” at the Alberta Rose. There is something that happens inside a good song. A tootsie roll can take you back to your elementary school playground; a list of baby names becomes a prayer; the voice of a toothless refrigerator man reminds you to say “I love you.” Jenner Fox tells the stories of people and places with unparalleled compassion and respect. His artful tone, poetry, and fluency on his guitar do something only the brave ones do: let us in. Since their conception on an experimental cargo bicycle tour through California in 2021, the Jenner Fox Band has delighted audiences up and down the west coast. The five piece band features pacific northwest all-star musicians on piano, organ, electric guitar, bass, dobro, acoustic guitar, and layered vocal harmony. “Jenner Fox Band is the rare act that comes along and doesn’t sound like anybody else. They are not to be missed.” – Jim Goodwin, Jive Radio DJ David Jacobs-Strain and Bob Beach sit side-by-side on the stage. A Pogreba guitar, built by the man who built the cannon Hunter S. Thompson was shot out of, sits loosely in David’s hands. Bob adjusts the distance to his 1940’s RCA microphone then leans over the box propped open at his side and grabs 2 harmonicas. They are calm. Poised. The crowd has no idea what they are in for next. David Jacobs-Strain and Bob Beach are a multigenerational, bicoastal duo who have been performing together since 2010. They currently perform between 70 and 100 shows a year on both east and west coasts, delighting and bewildering roots music lovers. Tickets: $25 Advance$30 At the DoorMinors ok when accompanied by a parent or guardian. Review our venue FAQ here
National Guitar – The Music of Paul Simon w/ special guests Jenner Fox Band
NATIONAL GUITAR is a Paul Simon tribute band featuring Pacific Northwest all stars musicians from Polecat, Petty or Not, Skillethead, and the Jenner Fox Band. The ensemble was formed on a fateful election night when they found themselves listening to “American Tune” and discovered a mutual reverence for Paul Simon. National Guitar performs a range of Simon’s music from Garfunkel to Graceland and everywhere in between. Come prepared to sing along, groove, and celebrate some of the finest music from a true American original. The five piece band features piano, organ, electric guitar, bass, dobro, percussion, acoustic guitar, and layered vocal harmony. With decades of arranging and touring under their belts, National Guitar brings new life to Simon’s beloved catalog. JENNER FOX is a multi-faceted, uber-talented individual who makes people feel better when they’re around him. I’ve witnessed the unique twinkle in Jenner’s eye in 2 separate arenas. One was when his hands are on the oars of a raft, smiling in the calm, blue-green pool below a powerful Class V section of the famous Futaleufú River in Patagonia. The other is in a dimly lit lodge, sitting on sheepskins under the Southern Cross in the sky above while he pours his soul into filling the space with his powerful music. In either venue, Jenner is inspiring, encouraging, and up-lifting. On the river and on the road, Jenner is a folk singer with music that ranges from a soft mandolin melody to full-blown guitar strumming that has strings on the edge of breaking. He draws his influence from river canyons, urban communities, John Prine, Josh Ritter, and the people, roads, and stories in between. JENNER FOX BAND features Oregon’s tuba state champion Aaron Moore on electric bass, and former members of the beloved Northwest outfit Polecat – Jeremy Elliott on electric guitar and Aaron Guest on keys, this band is not one to be missed. “Jenner combines the lyricism of Joni Mitchell and the commentary of Neil Young to represent the next generation of singer songwriters.” – Grammy nominated producer, Cookie Marenco Tickets: $20 Advance$24 At the DoorMinors ok when accompanied by a parent or guardian. Review our Health & Safety Policies HERE
National Guitar – The Music of Paul Simon w/ special guests Jenner Fox Band
NATIONAL GUITAR is a Paul Simon tribute band featuring Pacific Northwest all stars musicians from Polecat, Petty or Not, Skillethead, and the Jenner Fox Band. The ensemble was formed on a fateful election night when they found themselves listening to “American Tune” and discovered a mutual reverence for Paul Simon. National Guitar performs a range of Simon’s music from Garfunkel to Graceland and everywhere in between. Come prepared to sing along, groove, and celebrate some of the finest music from a true American original. The five piece band features piano, organ, electric guitar, bass, dobro, percussion, acoustic guitar, and layered vocal harmony. With decades of arranging and touring under their belts, National Guitar brings new life to Simon’s beloved catalog. JENNER FOX is a multi-faceted, uber-talented individual who makes people feel better when they’re around him. I’ve witnessed the unique twinkle in Jenner’s eye in 2 separate arenas. One was when his hands are on the oars of a raft, smiling in the calm, blue-green pool below a powerful Class V section of the famous Futaleufú River in Patagonia. The other is in a dimly lit lodge, sitting on sheepskins under the Southern Cross in the sky above while he pours his soul into filling the space with his powerful music. In either venue, Jenner is inspiring, encouraging, and up-lifting. On the river and on the road, Jenner is a folk singer with music that ranges from a soft mandolin melody to full-blown guitar strumming that has strings on the edge of breaking. He draws his influence from river canyons, urban communities, John Prine, Josh Ritter, and the people, roads, and stories in between. JENNER FOX BAND features Oregon’s tuba state champion Aaron Moore on electric bass, and former members of the beloved Northwest outfit Polecat – Jeremy Elliott on electric guitar and Aaron Guest on keys, this band is not one to be missed. “Jenner combines the lyricism of Joni Mitchell and the commentary of Neil Young to represent the next generation of singer songwriters.” – Grammy nominated producer, Cookie Marenco Tickets: $25 Advance$30 At the DoorMinors ok when accompanied by a parent or guardian. Review our Health & Safety Policies HERE
Daniel Champagne with special guest Amber Russell
If you’re wondering what Australian singer, songwriter and one-of-a-kind guitar virtuoso Daniel Champagne did after his 44-city US tour over the summer of 2022, he proceeded immediately to Canada for 30 mostly sold-out shows and then to New Zealand for another 30 mostly sold-out shows. There’s a Christmas break, and then a monumental tour of Australia. Obviously the best word to describe Daniel is “relentless”. Daniel will bring his tour back to America starting in mid-July 2023 and continuing through October for an even more ambitious 50 shows! He’ll return to many venues he performed in 2022, and will be adding new shows in places he hasn’t performed in many years. One reviewer recently wrote “Daniel Champagne exudes a natural ease on stage, as he sings poignant lyrics and beautifully crafted melodies that invariably whisk the heart up with grand romanticism. Coupled with an exhilarating guitar talent that transcends mere acoustic playing to replicate a whole band, Champagne must be seen to be believed’ The story goes that Daniel first picked up his instrument of choice as a 5-year-old following in the footsteps of a musical father. He began writing songs at 12, training classically throughout his teens and performing wherever he could, honing his craft and developing the dynamic live show that he is renowned for today. At 18 he left school, turned professional and hit the road without looking back. The following decade saw him release 5 studio albums, tour relentlessly around the globe with upwards of 300 shows per year, play some of the biggest festivals under the sun and share stages with the likes of Tommy Emmanuel, INXS, John Butler, Lucinda Williams, Ani DiFranco, Judy Collins and Rodrigo y Gabriela. Portland’s own guitar wizard Amber Russell opens the show.Tickets: $22 Advance$26 At the DoorMinors ok when accompanied by a parent or guardian. Review our Health & Safety Policies HERE
Matt Andersen • Mariel Buckley
When Matt Andersen steps on stage, he brings a lifetime of music to every note he plays. His presence is informed by decades of cutting his teeth in dusty clubs, dim-lit bars, and grand theatres all over the world, delivering soulful performances that run the gamut from intimate to wall-shaking. In the studio, he’s always brought the same attention to detail and commitment to craft as he has to his live show, and the result – a multi-faceted and poignant body of work – has led him to amass over 18 million streams on Spotify and 18 million views on YouTube.In addition to headlining major festivals, clubs and theatres throughout NorthAmerica, Europe and Australia, he has shared the stage and toured with Marcus King, Beth Hart, Marty Stuart, Greg Allman, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Randy Bachman, Jonny Lang, Serena Ryder, and more. Mariel Buckley spent most of her youth playing hockey, getting into trouble and writing it all down. After dabbling in guitar for near a decade, she took up some bar gigs, playing mostly traditional country music. Buckley began writing original music in her early twenties and found a natural comfort in speaking her mind through song. After several years of honing her craft on and off the stage, she began seeing larger support slots –k.d. Lang notably saying: “this kid has a big future.” Tickets: $25 Advance$30 At the Door Minors ok when accompanied by a parent or guardian. Review our Health & Safety Policies HERE
Ron Pope with special guests Lydia Luce and Caleb Hearn
Platinum recording artist, Ron Pope, made a name for himself in the early days of music streaming with the viral success of his song, “A Drop in the Ocean” – which was shared completely organically and promoted independently. Instead of stalling, Pope’s career has soared to new heights with each subsequent release. Once a die-hard New Yorker, Pope ultimately landed in Nashville where his songwriting is a natural fit for the Americana, roots, and country communities. His last full album, Bone Structure (March 2020), received praise from Rolling Stone, Billboard, CMT, Relix, The Tennessean, and more. Most recently he landed in Nashville Scene’s 12 Artists to Watch in 2022 list and released his 5-song EP, It’s Gonna Be A Long Night, supported by a US tour with sold out shows in Chicago, New York City, Denver, Atlanta, Boston, Seattle, Nashville and Minneapolis. Pope plans to release an album’s worth of expertly crafted songs about lasting love, the joys of parenthood, growth, heartache and living with gratitude in 2023.Also appearing are Nashville based singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, Lydia Luce and Caleb Hearn $30 Advance$35 At the Door Minors ok when accompanied by a parent or guardian. Review our Health & Safety Policies HERE
Willy Porter with special guest Rachel Brashear
Some folks are lucky to find what they love to do at an early age and quietly settle in for the long haul expanding and developing their work over the arc of a lifetime. Willy Porter is one of those artists. He has followed his own path to explore the sacred language that music truly is. 30 years after his solo recording debut, he continues to reach further into his guitar & pen while stretching the form of what his own music can be. He’s currently working on his 13th album for release in 2022.Willy Porter continues on a musical and personal odyssey spanning over two decades, 11 albums, and multiple continents. His journey has been defined by an inquisitive love for humanity and the language that describes what we all hold to be true. Porter’s songs weave a universal perspective about the questions, struggles, and triumphs of human existence. His live shows are guitar-driven grit, soul, silence and muscle– at times electrifying, dynamic, and unique in the way that Porter’s voice blends and fuses with his fret work.A largely self-taught musician, Porter began treating audiences to his brand of guitar playing and wry storytelling in the late ‘80’s while living in Madison, Wisconsin. In 1990, he released his first full-length independent album, The Trees Have Soul, and the touring life has flowed steadily ever since. Porter has literally logged millions of miles across America, Canada, the UK, and Europe, touring solo, as well as with various incarnations of the Willy Porter Band and in support of artists like Tori Amos, Paul Simon, Jethro Tull, Sting, and Jeff Beck.Local singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Rachel Brashear opens the show. Tickets:$25 Advance$30 At the Door Minors ok with parent/guardianReview our Health & Safety Policies HERE
Nellie McKay with special guest Dan Haley
Nellie McKay! She has won a Theatre World Award for her portrayal of Polly Peachum on Broadway in The Threepenny Opera, performed onscreen in the films PS I Love You and Downtown Express, and her music was used in Rumor Has It, Monster-in-Law, PS I Love You, Gasland, Last Holiday and Private Life. McKay co-created and starred in the award-winning off-Broadway hit Old Hats and has written three acclaimed musical biographies – I Want to Live!, the story of Barbara Graham, third woman executed in the gas chamber at San Quentin, Silent Spring: It’s Not Nice to Fool Mother Nature, an exploration of environmental pioneer Rachel Carson, and A GIRL NAMED BILL – The Life and Times of Billy Tipton, named one of the Best Concerts of 2014 by The New York Times. Her latest lady bio is The Big Molinsky – Considering Joan Rivers (“unpredictable, thrilling…sardonic wit..” – The New York Times).Sister Orchid is Nellie’s seventh album, starting with Get Away From Me (“a tour de force” – The New York Times), including Normal As Blueberry Pie: A Tribute to Doris Day (“among the killer overhauls of American standards” – The New York Times) and My Weekly Reader, music of the ‘60s (“..kicks serious butt. The results are beautiful.” – PopMatters), her second collaboration with famed Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick. On Obligatory Villagers (“a brisk nine-song set that plays like the breathless first act of a stage musical decrying American fascism” – SPIN), local Poconos hometown jazz greats Bob Dorough, Phil Woods, and David Liebman contributed their exceptional talents. Nellie’s music has been heard on Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire, Weeds, Grey’s Anatomy, NCIS, Nurse Jackie, and SMILF, and she has appeared on TV shows including The Late Show with David Letterman, Conan, Ferguson, and The View. Nellie has made numerous radio appearances on NPR’s Mountain Stage, A Prairie Home Companion, eTown, and Marion McPartland’s Piano Jazz. The Chase Brock Experience produced a ballet of her third album, Obligatory Villagers, and she contributed the forward to the 20th anniversary edition of The Sexual Politics of Meat. Her writing has also appeared in The Onion, Interview and The New York Times Book Review.Local legend Dan Haley opens the show with a solo set. Tickets:$28 Advance$32 At the Door Minors ok with parent/guardianReview our Health & Safety Policies HERE
Deb Talan (of The Weepies) with special guest Sarah King
Deb Talan has been writing songs since she was 14 years old. Granted, her style has changed a bit since writing the forever-unknown smash-hit “Through the Window” about feeling numb, like life was going on somewhere out there but not accessible to her (at 14. so jaded.) She played clarinet, wrote songs on piano, later taught herself to play guitar in college, got obsessed with Shawn Colvin, was a vegetarian for 4 years, ended that with a hotdog and a swim in lake Michigan, started a band in Portland, OR with her friend Mark, named it Hummingfish, wrote a lot of fun songs that people danced to ‘til they were all sweaty in that hipster/grungy/geeky Northwest kind of way, moved back to the east coast 6 years and a divorce later and began playing solo in Boston coffee houses (read: 4 different Starbucks that she also poured espresso at) opened shows for Catie Curtis (a songwriter hero of hers) met up with Steve Tannen and formed The Weepies, played shows all over the country and the world, toured in a real tour bus! moved to LA, got married to Steve, made 5 records and 3 amazing boy-children together with him, had songs placed in loads of movies and tv shows, moved to Iowa, got breast cancer, got chemotherapy and relied heavily on marijuana for pain and nausea relief (Legalize, for gods’ sakes, can we grow up as a country, please?) recovered from breast cancer, made a solo album, struggled with mental health issues (Childhood Incest Survivor, lucky to be alive, music has helped, and so have many blessed healers) and relationship issues for 6 years, got divorced from Steve. She has a lot she could say these days. She prefers to listen. But playing songs for people is a close second. Music heals. Songs can be prayers. Deb Talan is some lovely damn proof of that.Sarah King, fabulous singer and songwriter from The Nowhere Band and Love Gigantic opens the show. Tickets:$28 Advance$32 At the Door Minors ok with parent/guardianReview our Health & Safety Policies HERE
