Welcome To The Acorn Theater!

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 8:00PM EST: BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND, THE BLUEGRASS SOUNDS OF HENHOUSE PROWLERS

Chicago. A city known for its blues…and its bluegrass. In the bluegrass history books, a pivotal stop, among others, along the road to success for the Monroe Brothers and, in more current times, noteworthy as home base for the long popular Special Consensus. And now, the Windy City serves as a critical intersection in the lives of five musicians, two of whom hail from Illinois and the others from as far and near as North Carolina, upstate New York and Missouri.

With a PBS series soundtrack already to its credit and a sophomore recording in the works, The Henhouse Prowlers have been barnstorming on to the redhot bluegrass scene since 2004. A couple of personnel shifts later, in 2007 the quintet, all in their thirties, made the commitment to go the distance, to be a full-time touring bluegrass band. But not just another bluegrass band. The Henhouse Prowlers are adeptly positioning themselves for nothing less than success. Each member does double duty within the group, holding a business as well as musical post, making it a total collaborative effort.

Dedicated equally to tradition and innovation, The Henhouse Prowlers center their sound on that of the early, formative years of bluegrass, while they keep their pulse on today by covering contemporary topics in a largely original repertoire.

The Henhouse Prowlers wear the Bill Monroe mantle with spit and polish. They perform -- and conduct media interviews -- in suit-and-tie and work in a tightly choreographed, one-mic stage setting, which adds a dynamic dimension to their shows. Combining passion, confidence and flair with instrumental and vocal prowess, The Prowlers deliver bluegrass with an edge.

Along with Benedict, fiddler Ryan Hinshaw, dobro player James Weigel, five-string banjo picker Ben Wright, and upright bassist Jon Goldfine bring to the table diverse musical backgrounds, drawn from their respective families and homeplace communities. Each pursued music in a variety of settings, ensembles, and genres prior to jelling as The Henhouse Prowlers. Interestingly, at varying times, each did a stint in Chicago's Back Porch Ramblers.

Along the collective road they have traveled, The Henhouse Prowlers have absorbed such diverse influences as Broadway, blues and barbershop, church music and shape note singing, opera and oldtime, classical and country, folk and funk. James Weigel explains what drew him ultimately to focus on bluegrass. "Bluegrass seemed to be an amalgamation of all the things I'd ever listened to: blues, country, folk, harmony, great songwriting, and the energy and drive of rock and roll."

Their eclectic musical backgrounds were the perfect fit when called upon by NBC Today Show features correspondent Mike Leonard to compose the soundtrack for his PBS documentary series. Based on the best-selling book, "The Ride Of Our Lives" follows Leonard's family on a cross-country motor home trip with the backdrop of tradition-inspired music composed and performed (off-camera) by The Henhouse Prowlers.

Before the year is out, The Henhouse Prowlers will be introducing a new CD, which will be ninety percent original material. At the production helm are banjo great Greg Cahill of Special Consensus and mandolin legend Don Stiernberg..

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 8:00PM EST: ANNE HARRIS CELEBRATES HER LIVE AT THE ACORN CD RELEASE

The Acorn Theater is always thrilled to welcome Independent recording artist Anne Harris to the theater. Anne Harris will be appearing at The Acorn to celebrate and release her new CD, Live at the Acorn Theater.

One of the first musicians invited to perform at the Acorn, when it first opened in 2003, the Chicago based singer-songwriter and fiddle player returned with her band, and a 4-piece string section, for a special concert in June, 2007, having made arrangements to record the performance. “I’d wanted to do a live record for some time,” says Harris, “and it just seemed to be the perfect time and place. It’s always great energy at the Acorn Theater, and having the string players with us, I knew we were going to capture a special performance.”

Appearing with Harris on the live record is her versatile and masterful band: guitarist Chris Siebold, drummer Rich Stitzel, and bassist Greg Nergaard; also cellist Alison Chesley, violist Erielle Bakkum, and violinists Jeff Wade and Kamen Vatchev. Wade and Vatchev are members of the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra of Saint Joseph, Michigan.

The live record features performance of selected songs from Harris’ previous records and comes on the heels of the July, 2008, release of her fourth studio record, Gravity and Faith.

Harris hired Brando Triantafillou of Soundcake Music Production to record the show and then mix and master it back in his Chicago studio. This summer, with the record nearing completion, Anne decided to schedule its release concurrent with her October 17, 2008 engagement at the Acorn Theater so she could bring it full circle back to where it started, thank her area fans for their support, and give them the opportunity to be the first to hear the record.

Anne Harris’ music largely defies categorization into any particular genre, but broadly incorporates elements of folk, rock, pop, Celtic, World and more, creating a diverse, melodic signature that is unexpected and captivating. The Chicago Tribune said "Anne Harris' songs frequently sound born of a spiritual awakening" and Chicago Innerview said her lyrics are “delivered in a charged, uplifting, and spiritual manner... Filled with vibrant life, a single listen sends you out into the world feeling empowered and alive."

Anne and her fiddle are currently appearing with legendary trance-blues innovator Otis Taylor for selected dates of his international tour and she will be playing fiddle with world renown Jefferson Starship for several upcoming Midwest dates, including October 23 at the Acorn Theater. She represents songwriters on the Board of Governors of the Recording Academy Chicago Chapter. She can also be seen as “Prudence the Music Genie” on the hit children’s TV program, Jack’s Big Music Show. .

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 8:00PM EST: TOM MICHAEL AND BECKIE MENZIE SHOWCASE THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK

Fast becoming one of the Acorn audiences’ favorite acts, Tom Michael and Beckie Menzie will bring an act straight from The Great American Songbook to The Acorn! Showcasing the best in music from the last 100 years, this show features some of Menzie & Michael’s most creative and requested material. The duo takes on the works of classic and contemporary songwriters, from Gershwin and Berlin to Lennon and McCartney.

Beckie Menzie & Tom Michael offer a unique blend of whimsy, nostalgia and unquestionable talent that translates into pure entertainment.

Their imaginative musical twists on jazz favorites, standards, contemporary pop, Broadway show tunes and film gems, have won them audience and critical acclaim across the country and around the globe.

Hailed by Cabaret Scenes Magazine as one of the “Top Ten Cabaret

Acts,” Menzie & Michael have appeared on some of the country’s most prestigious stages, including New York’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. Their latest CD, Better Two-gether, has earned rave reviews by critics as “magic,”“sensational,” and “…the year’s best recording.” Menzie delights audiences with her rich voice and expert piano stylings that sizzle on everything from swing to smoky torch songs. A three-time winner of After Dark Chicago’s “Outstanding Cabaret Artist” award, she has been hailed as “one of the city’s finest performers” (WGN radio). www.beckiemenzie.com.

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