PUTNEY — Next Stage Arts Project presents an evening of Americana, folk, and roots music with Tim Eriksen and Friends plus Red Heart the Ticker at Next Stage on Saturday, Oct. 20, at 7:30 p.m.
Fiddler Zoe Darrow and percussionist and vocalist Peter Irvine join Eriksen for this concert as he celebrates the release of his new CD, Josh Billings' Voyage.
Eriksen is acclaimed for transforming American tradition with his startling interpretations of old ballads, love songs, shape-note gospel, and dance tunes from New England and Southern Appalachia. He combines vocals with banjo, fiddle, guitar, and bajo sexto - a 12-string Mexican acoustic bass.
Eriksen's compositions have been featured in films such as the Billy Bob Thornton vehicle Chrystal and the upcoming documentary Behold the Earth. His other notable work includes extensive contributions to Anthony Minghella's scoring of the 2004 Oscar-winning film Cold Mountain, as well as collaborations ranging from hardcore punk and Bosnian pop to symphony orchestra and the 2010 Grammy-nominated album Across the Divide with Afro-Cuban world-jazz pianist Omar Sosa.
Red Heart the Ticker is the musical collaboration of Robin MacArthur and Tyler Gibbons, a husband and wife duo from Marlboro.
The two have toured nationally on three self-recorded and self-produced albums, performed on Prairie Home Companion, and received praise from music writers around the country. In 2009, the band was featured in Amanda Petrusich's book, It Still Moves: Lost Songs, Lost Highways, and the Search for the Next American Music.
The duo's latest album, Your Name in Secret I Would Write, is a collection of re-imagined traditional New England folk songs drawn from the performance repertoire and field recordings of Robin's grandmother, the late folklorist and performer Margaret MacArthur.
Next Stage is located in the former United Church at 15 Kimball Hill in downtown Putney. Tickets for this concert are $18 general admission/$14 students and seniors. Advance tickets are available at Offerings Jewelry in Putney and online at the Next Stage website. For information, call 802-387-0102.
This concert is presented in conjunction with The Putney School. For more information, visit www.timeriksenmusic.com, www.rhtt.net, and www.nextstagearts.org.