Where: The Stone Church
When: Thursday, Jan. 31 @ 8pm
How Much: $18-$20 / https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3903201
Come to the Stone Church for an evening of incredible music. We are lucky enough to have Ryan Montbleau playing solo, with Jason Scaggs opening.
In 2005, Ryan Montbleau and his band headed into Applehead Recording in Saugerties, New York, to cut their debut album. With nothing more than ambition and a relentless work ethic to their names, they bootstrapped the whole thing, maxing out credit cards to fund it themselves and launch their careers from the ground up. Twelve years, eleven records, thousands of shows, and 60 million Spotify streams later, Montbleau returned to the studio for a special one-night-only concert that would become the latest entry in his venerable catalog: Woodstock Sessions.
"There was something special about performing there again after going into that same studio as a young buck trying to figure out how to make my first records," reflects Montbleau. "Coming back, I was a decade more confident, a decade stronger in my craft. It felt like coming full circle."
For his performance that night, Montbleau was backed not by his usual touring band, but by the acclaimed Boston duo Tall Heights (cellist Paul Wright and guitarist Tim Harrington). The collaboration yielded fresh perspective on Montbleaus catalog, fleshing out his stripped-down acoustic performances with gorgeous vocal blends and elegant instrumental arrangements. Soulful and spontaneous, the set showcased the magic that can happen when three consummate musicians surrender themselves to the songs, when a trio of gifted artists follow their instincts to craft a whole far greater than the sum of its parts.
Recorded in front of an intimate audience, the resulting collection combines the pristine audio quality of a studio record with the contagious energy of a live album, an ideal fit for Montbleaus intimate, honest lyrics and spirited, dynamic delivery. The unusual setting pushed him to step outside his comfort zone and take bold artistic risks, assembling a setlist that was equal parts reimagined retrospective and trial-by-fire as he mixed stripped-down versions of songs from throughout his career with brand new tracks recorded for the first time that night. Less is more was the mantra, and while Montbleau may be best known for his barn-burning full-band shows, hes no stranger to the raw acoustic setting.
Montbleau has been "pouring his heart out" in song since the early 2000s, when he first began performing around his native Massachusetts. He'd go on to collaborate with Martin Sexton, Trombone Shorty, and Galactic among others, and share bills and stages with artists as diverse as Tedeschi Trucks Band, Ani DiFranco, The Wood Brothers, Rodrigo y Gabriela, and Mavis Staples, but it was Montbleau's ecstatic headline shows, often more than 200 of them a year, that solidified his reputation as a live powerhouse and an inexorable road warrior. NPR's Mountain Stage compared his eloquent, soulful songwriting to Bill Withers and James Taylor, while Relix hailed his poetic Americana, and The Boston Herald raved that he's made a career of confident, danceable positivity.
Jason Scaggs is a man with many instruments and many musical influences. If you listen closely you can hear his Appalachian boyhood in Roanoke, Virginia, some raucous Boulder, Colorado flavor and a swirl of Vermont inspiration for good measure. Taking pride in his thoughtful lyrics and unique melodies, Jason's songs are mesmerizing, drawing you into his vision. His songwriting ranges from Folk to Bluegrass to Alt Rock. Smooth transitions from banjo, to guitar, to baritone guitar make for an exciting ride and when coupled with his smooth vocals, his performance will leave you wanting to hear more.
Scaggs is probably most well known for his work in the regionally touring band Jatoba (www.jatobamusic.net). There he was 1/3 of a foot-stomping, rowdy and dizzying non-traditional bluegrass trio. He is currently focusing on his trio "The Big Empty" (https://www.facebook.com/bigemptymusic/) with Jeff Richardson, also formerly of Jatoba, and Marcel LeClaire of Flabberghaster.
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