Sarah Gwen Peters
Lewi Longmire
Casey Neill
Annalisa Tornfelt
- White Eagle Saloon |
- Monday, February 13
- 8:30 p.m. |
- Feww |
- 21 and over
About Sarah Gwen Peters
Sarah Gwen's music is a remarkably direct, honest, and bold form of Americana and her first person tales of love and longing draw comparisons to P.J. Harvey, Lucinda Williams, and Liz Phair.
Sarah started writing songs as a teenager in her native Idaho, where she and a close childhood friend shared a mutual interest in songwriting and the music on the radio. When Sarah relocated to Portland in 2001, she all but stopped performing or writing music. In the years that followed, however, she rediscovered her writing talent as a way to process the difficult challenges that her life presented.
In recent years, Sarah had been making home recordings and playing occasionally around Portland, largely flying under the radar of the music community at large. This changed in 2010 when she caught the ear of some top-shelf local musicians and supporters who helped her put the pieces in place to record a debut CD of her stunning material.
This self-titled debut CD, to be released in April of 2012, includes the rhythm section from Ray LaMontagne's Prairie Dogs, Jay Bellerose and Jennifer Condos, as well as Portland guitarist Scott Weddle (Storm Large, Amelia, The Flatirons), and multi-instrumentalist Mark Orton (Tin Hat Trio). Bellerose is one of the most in-demand drummers in the business, and has recently worked with T-Bone Burnett, Robert Plant / Alison Krauss, Joe Henry and many others.
Sarah's presence as a live performer is striking and the songs never fail to elicit a passionate reaction from those who hear them. The sky is the limit for Sarah Gwen as an artist, one should not miss the opportunity to experience a singer and songwriter of this talent at such a ground level.
Sarah is doing a residency stint at the White Eagle in Portland on Monday evenings in February to prepare for a busy year promoting her debut.
- Myspace Page:
- http://www.myspace.com/sarahgwenjamms
- Facebook Page:
- http://www.facebook.com/SarahGwenPeters
About Lewi Longmire
Lewi Longmire has built a reputation as Portland's multi-instrumentalist "go-to guy." In the years since relocating to Portland from Albuquerque, New Mexico, he's been included on shows and recordings by national acts like Michael Hurley, Victoria Williams and Tara Jane O'Neill as well as many of the Northwest's finest bands and songwriters – Fernando, James Low, Little Sue, Casey Neill, Michael Jodell, the Freak Mountain Ramblers and The Peasants included. More recently, though, Longmire has taken all the things learned from working with these fine performers and has been spending his time leading a roots-rock/Americana band of his own, singing his own original songs. The group owes much to the American tradition of good songs played with high energy, deep roots and an unpretentious sense of fun. Their sound finds the connection between the basement feel of The Band, the raspy blue-eyed soul of Joe Cocker, the desert space of Giant Sand, the "without a net" deep space improvisations of the San Francisco Ballrooms, the punk abandon of The Stooges and the quiet contemplation of Johnny Cash playing solo.
Helping the songwriter achieve his sound is the Lewi Longmire Band, a stalwart group of Portland musicians. Bill Rudolph (bass and vocals) played with the Crackpots and Little Sue for years, driving their home crowd into an energetic frenzy with his low tones. Ned Folkerth (drums) has toured the world over with many groups, including the midwest's Pinetop Seven, always laying down the perfect groove to cure whatever ails ya. The band is at times augmented by some of the other fine players in Portland's rich musical family: Bingo a.k.a. Kevin Ritchey (guitar), David Lipkind (harmonica), Jenny Conlee (keyboards), Paul Brainard (steel guitar, trumpet), and Eddie Lakkaidan (percussion).
Longmire can also be found playing in an acoustic duo with Annalisa Tornfelt, a fine fiddler blessed with a beautiful voice and an arresting presence. The two trade off songs , harmonizing and generally amusing each other on stage.
- website:
- http://www.lewilongmire.com/
About Casey Neill
Casey Neill has earned himself a large multi-generational following and a reputation for sharp songwriting and emotive performances. He has created a unique sound fusing country, punk, folk, traditional Irish, and bluegrass, with an indie rock sensibility. Over the last few years, Casey has busked with Pete Seeger in Grand Central Station, toured with Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra, collaborated with many of the finest traditional Celtic musicians, and toured throughout the US, Canada, & UK. His 3 CDs on the Appleseed label have garnered rave reviews and widespread radio airplay on the cutting edge of the North American acoustic music scene.
- website:
- http://www.caseyneill.org
