"The Carolina Theatre announced today that North
Carolina-bred, New York-based artist, Becca Stevens, will perform in the Crown at the
Carolina on Thurs., Oct. 15. Becca Stevens is one of the most
talented young artists in any genre – the New York Times says she is “a
vocalist and guitarist who balances deep melody against lyrical caprice.”
For
all of us in North Carolina, one of the most exciting parts of her story is her
upbringing and Old North State influence. The daughter of a
composer/multi-instrumentalist father and an operatically trained singer
mother, she was born to the sound of her dad playing an Irish fiddle tune in
the delivery room. She was just two years old when she began singing in her
family’s band, the Tune Mammals. Growing up in Winston-Salem, NC, she spent
much of her childhood on stage, singing, acting and dancing, including a
yearlong tour in the lead role of The
Secret Garden when she was ten.
In
her teens, Becca studied classical guitar, and maintained an affinity for her
home state’s Appalachian folk music traditions, while also developing her voice
singing jazz standards with her peers and mentors in local clubs. After
graduating from the high school program at the North Carolina School of the
Arts with a major in classical guitar, she moved to New York to attend The New
School for Jazz and Contemporary Music.
It was there that she received a BFA with high honors in vocal jazz and
composition, and where she met the musicians with whom she formed the Becca
Stevens Band.
The
new Becca Stevens Band album Perfect Animal, released in April of 2015
on Universal Music Classics, has been receiving a loud chorus of praise from
critics, been featured in two national NPR segments and ended up on two
Billboard charts (#24 on Heatseekers, #22 on Folk). With this album, she has
sharpened her voice as a songwriter and bandleader. Stevens filters her myriad
influences (indie rock, R&B, jazz, West African music, Appalachian folk)
into a singular, electrifying sound on Perfect Animal. The album is
produced by “recordist” Scott Solter (St. Vincent, Mountain Goats, Spoon) and mixed
by Matt Pence (Midlake, Yuck, Here We Go Magic). Solter helped the band capture
the energy they bring to live shows as well as a musical weight and intensity
that had always bubbled under the surface.
2015
has been a monumental year for the Becca Stevens Band. The release of Perfect Animal was followed by extensive
North American tour throughout the spring and summer. Late this month the band
heads to Europe for eight dates, highlighted by a performance at the Barcelona
Jazz Festival.
The Becca Stevens Band is Becca Stevens (vocals, guitars, ukulele,
charango), Liam Robinson (keyboards, accordion, vocals), Chris
Tordini (upright and electric bass, vocals) and Jordan
Perlson (drums and percussion).
“Becca is
one of the best musicians I know. She’s a great songwriter…it’s like listening
to Stereolab. The vocals are straight and clean yet also have a modern vibe. I
think Becca is destined for greatness.” - José James
“[‘Imperfect
Animals’ is] an intimate rumination on our inability to be everything to
everyone, all the time...the song’s jagged edges — low, scratchy guitars, jerky
time signatures — complement the complicated ideals and realities she’s grappling
with.”- Wondering Sound
“Brilliant,
catchy originals.”- Downbeat
“Her
songwriting, voice, and lyrics are like a cool bubbling brook freshening the
brine of all the music you’ve ever heard.” - Esperanza Spalding
“She’s
someone who everybody, in my generation at least, looks up to. She’s really a
genius — I don’t like using that word too much, she really has tapped into
something in a deep way.”- Ambrose Akinmusire
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
ABOUT THE CROWN
The Crown
is the Carolina Theatre’s newest performance space. For decades the room served
as the Theatre’s original sign shop, churning out iconic posters and
advertisements for movies, vaudeville, and early touring shows. Later the third
floor room became a forgotten equipment and tool storage space, lying in wait
for future generations of performing artists. In 2013 the Theatre finished the
first phase of renovation, opening the beautiful, high-tech black-box style
performance space as The Crown. Today the room is celebrated for its delicate
acoustics, inviting ambiance, intimate setting, and accessibility to the
Triad’s performing arts community. Warm, exposed brick walls, high ceilings,
and huge lead-paned windows bring the room its natural, historical, “up-cycled”
cool factor. The Crown at the Carolina is used for theatre, live music, spoken
word, dance, weddings and private events."
- A Press Release
"GREENSBORO, N.C. (June 21, 2016) synerG and Action Greensboro seek emerging artist or artist teams to design, fabricate and install a signature public art piece in Greensboro. The objective of this RFP is to obtain an artist or artist team able to provide a creative, fun, funky and innovative public art piece to be installed in Greensboro by October 12, 2016.
