Monte Montgomery ( Courtesy)A series of intimate folk performances inside Walton Arts Center’s Starr Theatre will return to the venue this year.
WAC officials have announced the lineup for the annual West Street Live series of performances, which begin in September.
This year’s lineup will kick off on Friday, Sept. 22 with blues guitarist Monte Montgomery, followed by bass guitar innovator Danielle Nicole Band on Oct. 19, Oklahoma songwriter and multi-instrumentalist John Fullbright Band on Nov. 30, bluegrass trio Damn Tall Buildings on Feb. 1, Stray Cats bassist Lee Rocker on March 2, and rising Austin guitarist Jackie Venson on April 5.
The series, presented by local musician and attorney Neal Pendergraft, features bands from a host of genres from traditional roots music to immigrant folk and more performing “in an atmosphere reminiscent of neighborhood listening rooms and nightclubs.”
More info about this year’s lineup is below.
Tickets to the intimate show series are $191 for the six-show package, and are available for purchase at the Walton Arts Center website.
For a bit more info about the series, visit waltonartscenter.org/.
Artist descriptions provided by Walton Arts Center
Monte Montgomery
Friday, Sept. 22, 7:30 pm
On first listen, the thing that stands out most about Monte Montgomery is his wizardry on both the acoustic and electric guitars. He pulls from the storytelling traditions of icons like Billy Joe Shaver, Guy Clark, Ray Wylie Hubbard and Robert Earl Keen, and is a force to be reckoned with in his own right. The Austin Music Awards dubbed him Best Acoustic Guitar Player seven years in a row. Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange called him “one of the most fluid and virtuosic guitarists you have ever heard” and Guitar Player Magazine named him one of the 50 all-time greatest guitar players. Don’t miss your chance to see him perform live in the intimate Starr Theater!
Danielle Nicole Band
Thursday, Oct. 19, 7:30 pm
Danielle Nicole is the co-founder, lead singer and bass player of the blues/rock band Trampled Under Foot. Her distinctive, inventive bass work – inspired by the history of American blues – has earned her a slew of accolades, including a No. 1 debut on the Billboard music chart, a Grammy nomination and the Blues Music Award for Bass Instrumentalist (the first female to ever win the award). With a voice that draws comparison to artists like Susan Tedeschi, Bonnie Raitt and Etta James, Nicole’s show, style and tone are incomparable.
John Fullbright Band
Thursday, Nov. 30, 7:30 pm
With “warm and intimate melodies that play gently and continuously in your head,” John Fullbright Band’s music stands apart (NPR). The Grammy-nominated artist was raised on the songs of his hometown hero Woodie Guthrie and steeped in the rich Americana artistry of genre-hopping mavericks like Townes Van Zandt, Randy Newman and Steve Earle. A key player in the vibrant Tulsa music scene, Fullbright’s shining moments include a feature in the 2013 movie August: Osage County, an Americana Music Association Emerging Artist nomination, several ASCAP Awards and a Rising Star Award from the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame.
Damn Tall Buildings
Thursday, Feb. 1, 7:30 pm
In their early days, Damn Tall Buildings didn’t rehearse – they busked. Now, whether live or on record, the trio still radiates the energy of a crew of best friends playing bluegrass on the street. Anchoring that energy is their instrumental chops, their strong songwriting and their varied influences that stretch beyond bluegrass, even beyond American roots music altogether. Whether sharing lead vocals and instrumental solos or blending their voices into high-spirited harmony, Damn Tall Buildings is a tight unit that contains more than the sum of its parts.
Lee Rocker
Saturday, March 2, 7:30 pm
From appearing on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine and being the musical guest on “Saturday Night Live,” to headlining the world’s biggest festivals and touring with The Rolling Stones…Lee Rocker has seen and done it all! Rocker made his mark singing, playing, standing on, spinning and rocking his giant upright bass as a founding member of the Grammy®-nominated Stray Cats. In this special show, Rocker will perform hits from his days with the Cats, like “Sexy and Seventeen,” “Stray Cat Strut” and “Rock This Town,” along with touching covers of songs by musical legends like Ringo Starr, George Harrison, John Fogerty and more.
Jackie Venson
Friday, April 5, 7:30 pm
Rising star Jackie Venson’s wicked guitar solos and radiating glow has everyone taking note. Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Venson has traveled the world playing to crowds both as a headliner and as support for major acts such as Keb’ Mo’, Gary Clark Jr., Aloe Blacc, Melissa Etheridge and Citizen Cope. Her blazing guitar skills and beautifully complex music connect listeners to the magic around them. For Venson, one thing always holds true – she’s going to play her music, speak her truth and spread as much joy as she can doing it.
