PUTNEY — Next Stage Arts Project and Twilight Music present New Orleans-based singer/songwriter Carsie Blanton and her trio, plus Asheville, N.C.-based duo The Knotty G's at Next Stage on Saturday, April 30, at 7:30 p.m.
“Carsie Blanton writes anthems for a world worth saving,” organizers say. Inspired by artists including Nina Simone and Randy Newman, her songs encompass a wide range of genres, “from sultry pop to punk-tinged Americana.” Whether alone with her electric guitar or fronting her “handsome band,” states a news release, Carsie delivers every song “with an equal dose of moxie and mischief, bringing her audience together in joyful celebration of everything worth fighting for.”
Since releasing her first album in 2002, Carsie has recorded seven more albums, performed on public radio's Mountain Stage, and shared the stage with the likes of Paul Simon, The Weepies, and Shawn Colvin.
In February 2011, she toured with Anais Mitchell's Hadestown, playing the role of Head Fate. Carsie's latest album, Love and Rage, is described by NOLA.com as “a reminder that the fight for racial and gender equity can -and should - have joyous moments.”
According to a news release, The Knotty G's goal is simple: “to create music and an experience they feel is genuine. Gritty, funky performances fuse with the band's jovial nature and invite audiences to take part in the revelatory power of music while still managing to tap into the fun that can sometimes be overlooked in day-to-day life.”
The duo has performed at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, The Blue Ridge Pride Festival, and the Wormtown Music Festival. Their new album, Set Sail, showcases “genre-jumping compositions tied together with the same singular, soul-soaked, mountain sound that weaves its way through all of their music,” organizers say.