Friday, February 27, 2004
Greg Brown brings original Midwestern folk music to Goshen College March 12; Tickets available
GOSHEN, Ind. -- Two-time Grammy nominated folksinger Greg Brown will be performing "An Evening with Greg Brown" at Goshen College at 7:30 p.m. in the Sauder Concert Hall on March 12 as an add-on concert to the 2003-2004 Performing Arts Series.
Revered by other troubadours for the "organic earthiness" of his voice, Brown released his newest album, "Honey in the Lion's Head" in 2004 after two decades of recording and performing. He rose to national stature as an artist in the 1980s when he worked as house songwriter for Garrison Keiler's "A Prairie Home Companion," a show he continues to appear on occasionally.
Brown is a native of the Midwest and grew up in Southeast Iowa. His father was a Pentecostal preacher and his mother played the electric guitar. Not surprisingly, he grew up immersed in the singing tradition of his community from country gospel to old-hill tunes. His music reflects these deep roots along with the various influences from his many stops along the way from Greenwich Village in the early 1970s to pop-song writing in Reno.
A prolific songwriter, Brown has self-produced 16 albums under his own label Red Horse Records. Throughout these albums, it is clear that Brown has a solid grasp of America. Brown's songs reflect more than the two dimensional patriotic sweetness. Instead they have a gritty, realistic grasp of the daily life in this country. "Mr. Brown's music provides a stark, unselfconscious literary tour of off-road Americana," said "The New York Times." Last year a tribute album, "Going Driftless: An Artist's Tribute to Greg Brown," was recorded by an all-star cast of female singer-songwriters including Lucinda Williams, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Ani DiFranco, Shawn Colvin, Gillian Welch, Lucy Kaplansky and his wife Iris DeMent.
Attending a concert by Brown has been compared to inviting him into your living room. He often converses with the audience during songs and tells stories, crossing the invisible barrier often set up between performers and their audiences. With his roughened, deep voice and "everyday living lyrics," Brown's style might be described as everything from jazzy rock to blues, depending on the setting and his back-up.
Brown can be heard on Goshen College's radio station, WGCS 91.1 FM, on "Crossings."
This concert is offered as an add-on to the Performing Arts Series in order to make tickets available to a broader audience. Tickets are $20 for A section, $15 for B section or $7 for C section seats. For information about ticket availability, prices, reservations or more information, contact the Welcome Center at (574) 535-7566 or e-mail joannp@goshen.edu.
-- by Tim Nafziger
Goshen College, established in 1894, is a four-year residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college's Christ-centered core values -- passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership -- prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron's Best Buys in Education, Kaplan's "Most Interesting Colleges" guide and U.S.News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" edition, which named Goshen a "least debt college." Visit www.goshen.edu.
Editors: For more information, contact Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.
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