Skyflight Productions & The Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts present an evening with Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line
KINGSPORT – The City of Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts in partnership with Skyflight Productions presents an evening with Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line on Saturday February 1, 2014 at The Renaissance Theater in Kingsport, TN. Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line are a traveling Carnival of acoustic Americana. The high energy, Nashville-based quintet perform Struthers original story-songs with tight, three-part harmonies, fiddle, claw-hammer banjo, acoustic guitar, bass, and drums. Struthers was catapulted into the spotlight when she lead her band to a blue ribbon at the prestigious 2010 Telluride Bluegrass Festival band competition (previous winners include Nickel Creek and The Dixie Chicks) and now her group is touring heavily in support of their April 16 release, Carnival. When you go to a carnival, you go into a sideshow tent, and on every stage you find a different person with a different story, says Nora Jane Struthers. Thats why Im trying to do with this album – craft vignettes, and in some cases more developed narratives, about imaginary peoples lives. Nora Jane Struthers steps forward with a distinctive sound and on-stage style – her personal collection of vintage dresses makes her one of the most visually striking of modern acoustic artists. But the moving, perceptive, and witty songs on Carnival represent a new quantum leap, born of hard work and deep creative reflection. Over the past three years, as Ive been touring and performing, I realized that primarily Im a storyteller, she says. Ive been working to hone my skills so I can do that better. After album marks the recording debut of Struthers touring band, the Party Line (which takes its handle from listening to Carnival, no one will deny the keen edge of Struthers masterful new work. The one of the records songs, about the early days of rural telephone calls). The gifted group of instrumentalists includes Struthers longtime collaborator P. J. George (upright bass, harmony vocals, pedal steel guitar, accordion and banjo), Joe Overton (clawhammer banjo and harmony vocals), Aaron Jonah Lewis (fiddle, three-finger banjo, baritone fiddle, mandolin) and Drew Lawhorn (drums).
Opening act:
East TN native Josh Oliver has spent the past five years as a side man, touring all over the United States, singing harmony, playing lead guitar and piano with the likes of the everybodyfields, Sam Quinn + Japan 10, and Jill Andrews. And now, with his debut album, Troubles, hes taking a stab at being out front. The album features both original and traditional material, including a unique take on Townes Van Zandts, White Freightliner Blues, and a mournful rendering of the Carter Family tune, I Never Will Marry. The album features Oliver on lead vocals, guitar, and keys, as well as familiar faces Brandon Story on upright bass, Megan Gregory on fiddle and vocals, and Sam Quinn on harmony vocals. Troubles, a warm and inviting collection of songs, harkens back to a simpler time, whether its through the contemporary renderings of traditionals or the traditional style of Olivers self-penned tunes. This album, from start to finish, is a piece of classic, easy Americana.
Show starts at 8 pm (Doors open at 7 pm)
Tickets: $15 Reserved Seats Book Now: www.EngageKingsport.com
A new partnership between the City of Kingsport and Mr. Toby Weisend will result in fresh new musical performances at the Renaissance Theatre over the next year. Unlike any concert series Kingsport has seen in the past, Toby Weisend brings his eclectic Skyflight Productions brand to the Tri-Cities.
Former Ohio resident and president of Skyflight Productions, Toby Weisend, has focused his attention in adding a new cultural element to Kingsport, Tennessee. Over the last three years Weisend has welcomed artists of all genres, including several Grammy-nominated artists, to rural eastern Ohio from literally all over the globe including France, Canada and Australia. The concerts have been very successful, enhancing and enriching the small community of Barnesville, Ohio. Channeling his ideas, visions and goals into a small town setting certainly goes against the grain of most entrepreneurial promoters. Rather than competing for a reputable presence in an overcrowded metropolitan “scene”, Weisend firmly believes that a small community can support and prosper from cultural expression. “Many artistic/creative individuals in a small town have not had the opportunity or resources to experience the nourishment from some of the nation’s underappreciated musicians willing to share their creations.” Weisend believes that his project will survive from word of mouth, lack of competition and stellar performances. Every show I produce, I put my reputation on the line.
Weisend supports community efforts and energy and believes that this is the forum to make a community thrive. If the concert series is supported and well-attended, Weisend will expand his quest, potentially acquiring larger-scale talent. There will be no boundaries in genre selection; national talent will be of utmost importance.
An incredible line up is already set for Kingsport all the way through the summer of 2014 and plans are being set for fall as well. All Skyflight Production shows feature reserved seating in the beautiful Renaissance Theatre, where there is not a bad seat in the house. Refreshments will be for sale at the theatre.
For complete descriptions of the Skyflight shows and to purchase tickets visit the City of Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts website: www.EngageKingsport.com or call (423 392-8414