Austin’s own Carrie Rodriguez will perform at Medical Center of Lewisville Grand Theater on April 19 as part of the fourth annual Texas Tunes concert series. Rising star Mikaela Kahn, a product of the University of North Texas, will open for Rodriguez.
The show will start at 8 p.m. in the Performance Hall of the MCL Grand, 100 N. Charles Street, and will include a brief intermission. Tickets are $15 general admission, $10 for seniors age 60 and older or children age 12 and younger, and can be purchased at MCLGrand.tix.com.
Lewisville residents are able to purchase single-show tickets for $5 each, either in advance at City Hall or on the performance date at the MCL Grand box office. Discount tickets are not available online. Current driver’s license or utility bill will be required to verify residency.
Rodriguez is an Austin-born fiddler, singer and songwriter who recently released her fifth solo album, “Give Me All You Got.”
After a childhood that included a mix of classical and contemporary training, along with attending her father’s concert tours, Rodriguez started her music career working on four albums with singer-songwriter Chip Taylor. She is a beloved performer as far away as Europe and as close as her hometown, where every Jan. 17 is officially “Carrie Rodriguez Day.”
At each stage of her career, Rodriguez has learned the importance of letting go. That was true when it came to recording her latest album, which is her first of largely original tunes in several years.
“In the making of ‘Love and Circumstance’ in 2008, I chose to sing other people’s songs,” Rodriguez says. “I needed to take a step back from songwriting and think about the kinds of songs that feel important to sing. Doing that inspired me to write again.”
Of the new album, Rodriguez says “I’m laying out some extreme emotional highs and lows, which feels good.”
Rodriguez, who came to national attention a decade ago performing with Taylor, has established an impressive roster of touring, recording, and co-writing affiliations with Lucinda Williams, Rickie Lee Jones, John Prine, Mary Gauthier, Alejandro Escovedo, guitarist Bill Frisell and others.
Kahn is a soulful singer-songwriter and pianist originally from the Pacific Northwest, who recently graduated from the acclaimed Jazz Studies program at the UNT School of Music where she sang in the school’s premier vocal jazz ensemble. Her clear, resounding voice reflects the influence of such gutsy R&B singers as Eva Cassidy, Paula Cole and Aaliyah.
Her newly released recording, “Fall With You,” features four original songs. Kahn was a Kerrville New Folk Finalist in 2013 and won the “Pop” category of the Indie International Songwriting Contest, among other honors. She has opened for Manhattan Transfer at the Kennedy Center, performed in Seattle’s legendary Black Nativity gospel show, and is a member of pop artist Ben Fold’s symphony choir.
The Texas Tunes series features performers from music halls and festivals throughout the state who present great music in a variety of genres, but all with that unique Texas flair that has made the state a hotbed for fans of live music.
Remaining performances in the series are Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison on May 24; and Anson Funderburgh on July 5. Tickets are available now for all 2014 Texas Tunes shows.
Medical Center of Lewisville Grand Theater, located at 100 N. Charles Street, is the premier public arts facility in Southern Denton County. The 40,000-square-foot facility features a 296-seat proscenium theater, black box theater, dance recital hall, art gallery, five art classrooms and a large courtyard. Medical Center of Lewisville has a multi-year agreement with the city for naming rights at the center.
To reach MCL Grand from Interstate 35E, take exit 452 and proceed east on Main Street to Charles Street. MCL Grand will be on the left. Free public parking is available along Main and Church streets, or at Lewisville City Hall across Church Street from the center.
Information provided by City of Lewisville.