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GRAMMY WINNERS NANCI GRIFFITH AND MARC COHN, JAM BAND MOE & MORE COMING TO MUSIKFEST CAFE

DATE: April 6, 2011
CONTACT: Mark Demko, ArtsQuest, 610-332-1300, ext. 342, or mdemko@artsquest.org

GRAMMY WINNERS NANCI GRIFFITH AND MARC COHN, JAM BAND MOE & MORE COMING TO MUSIKFEST CAFE

BETHLEHEM, PA—Jam band moe., Grammy Award winners Nanci Griffith and Marc Cohn, New Orleans funk band and Musikfest favorite Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, ukulele sensation Jake Shimabukuro and Lisa Loeb are among the nine new concerts announced for the Musikfest Café presented by Yuengling, located at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem. Tickets for the shows will go on sale starting Tues., April 12, 10 a.m., to ArtsQuest Members and Fri., April 15, 10 a.m., to the public. They will be available at www.artsquest.org or by calling 610-332-3378.

Nanci Griffith – May 28, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $54 VIP Box/$44 Cabaret

Singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith got an early start on her path to performing and songwriting. At the age of 6 she began to write songs, thinking of it as "part of the process of learning how to play guitar." Then at the age of 14, when a campfire turn at the Kerrville Folk Festival caught the ear of singer-songwriter Tom Russell, she was on her way. With 18 albums and performances all over the world, it's safe to say that she has never looked back. In 1993, Griffith captured the Best Contemporary Folk Album Grammy Award for her album Other Voices/Other Rooms. Griffith's most recent recording, 2009's The Loving Kind, featured nine songs written by her and her collaborators, as well as four well-chosen covers, highlighting an artist who is once again at the top of her game as a songwriter, interpreter and singer.

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue – June 6, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $35 VIP Box/$20 SRO

A 2011 Best Contemporary Jazz Album Grammy nominee for his release Backatown, Troy 'Trombone Shorty' Andrews is a rare artist who can draw both the unqualified respect of jazz legends and deliver a high-energy rock show capable of mesmerizing international rock stars and audiences alike. A New Orleans native, Andrews has been playing the trombone since the age of 6 and started touring as a member of Lenny Kravitz's band by the age of 19. With his unprecedented mix of rock, funk, jazz, hip-hop and soul, Andrews had to create his own name to describe his signature sound: Supafunkrock! Surrounding Trombone Shorty is his band, Orleans Avenue, featuring Mike Ballard on bass, Pete Murano on guitar, Joey Peebles on drums, Dwayne Williams on percussion and Dan Oestreicher on baritone sax.

Jake Shimabukuro – July 6, 7 p.m.

Tickets: $37 VIP Box/$25 Cabaret

It's rare for a young musician to earn comparisons to the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis. It's even harder to find an artist who has entirely redefined an instrument by his early 30s. But Jake Shimabukuro has already accomplished these feats and more in a little over a decade of playing and recording music. With a ukulele in his hands, the traditional Hawaiian instrument of four strings and two octaves is stretched and molded into a complex and bold new musical force. Shimabukuro's newest album, Peace Love Ukulele, effortlessly mixes jazz, rock, classical, traditional Hawaiian music and folk, creating a sound that's both technically masterful and emotionally powerful. Shimabukuro started playing the instrument at age 4 with Hawaiian music as his inspiration and since then has performed with the likes of Jimmy Buffett, Bela Fleck, Better Midler, Yo-Yo Ma, Cyndi Lauper and Ziggy Marley.

Happy Together Tour 2011 – July 11, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $57 VIP Box/$47 Theater

Travel back in time with The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie; The Association; The Grass Roots; Mark Lindsay, the former lead singer of Paul Revere & The Raiders; and The Buckinghams. It's an amazing night of classic hits as you rock to some of the '60s most beloved songs including "Happy Together," "Windy, " "Cherish" and "Indian Reservation."

Marc Cohn – July 13, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $45 VIP Box/$35 Cabaret

As a songwriter and singer, Grammy Award winner Marc Cohn combines the precision of a brilliant tunesmith with the passion of a great soul man. He's a natural storyteller, balancing the exuberant with the poignant, and able to distill universal truth out of his often romantic, drawn-from-life tales. Cohn's career took off in 1990, with the recording of his critically acclaimed, self-titled debut disc, which yielded such classics as "Walking In Memphis," "Silver Thunderbird" and the lovely "True Companion." In 2007, Cohn released one of his most critically acclaimed records, Join The Parade, ending a nearly 10-year absence from the studio.

moe. – July 17, 8 p.m.

Tickets: $39 VIP Box/$29 SRO

From modest beginnings in a Buffalo basement many years ago to today's multifaceted success, the members of moe. have never lost sight of the earnest, elemental goals that they aspired to from their very first show: to deliver honest, heartfelt music and to ensure the audience has a good time. 2010 marked the 20th anniversary of moe.'s frontline of Rob Derhak (bass, vocals), Chuck Garvey (guitar, vocals) and Al Schnier (guitar, keyboards, vocals), who continue to perform together with the addition of drummer Vinnie Amico and percussionist and multi-instrumentalist Jim Loughlin. In honor of its anniversary, the band compiled the release Smash Hits Vol. 1, a sort of Young Person's Guide to moe., featuring band and fan favorites – some recast in new recordings that showcase the group's ongoing evolution.

BIG SHOT – July 22, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $35 VIP Box/$24 Cabaret

Highlighted by the amazing vocals and piano of Michael DelGuidice, Billy Joel tribute BIG SHOT serves up a high-energy, interactive show packed with hit after chart-topping hit. DelGuidice, a well known and respected Long Island multi-instrumentalist, is backed by one of the most dynamic and seasoned bands in the industry who, in addition to performing in concert with Billy Joel himself and his Broadway musical "Movin' Out," have also worked with Donna Summer, Roger Daltrey of The Who, Tower of Power, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and others. For Billy Joel fans and music fans, the choice is clear: if you want to hear songs recreated by a smokin' band, or if you just want to see one of the best live rock bands performing today, look no further than BIG SHOT.

Lisa Loeb – July 29, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $42 VIP Box/$32 Cabaret

In 1994 when Lisa Loeb's breakout song, "Stay (I Missed You)," landed at No.1 on the charts it was a remarkable and unparalleled feat for an unsigned artist. Before the breakout success, the ensuing record deal, Grammy nomination, gold records and extended tours, Loeb was writing and performing solo acoustic, playing with her band Nine Stories, and also performing as half of the duo Liz and Lisa. Once "Stay (I Missed You)," was featured on the soundtrack for the hit movie "Reality Bites," Loeb was catapulted to success and hasn't looked back. She has deftly parlayed her success into a multi-dimensional career encompassing music, film, television, voice-over work and children's recordings. Loeb's five acclaimed studio CDs include her major label debut, the gold-selling Tails, and its follow-up, the Grammy-nominated, gold-selling Firecracker.

Wanda Jackson – July 30, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $42 VIP Box/$32 Cabaret

"The Queen of Rockabilly," Wanda Jackson has recorded music for more than 50 years including the Top 40 tunes "Let's Have A Party," "Mean Mean Man," and "Right or Wrong." And as the title of her latest album, The Party Ain't Over, indicates, this feisty 73-year-old artist is as galvanizing as ever. Jackson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009 and honored with an Early Influence accolade for her pivotal role in the evolution of popular music. The Oklahoma native has been a tireless touring artist for more than five decades and she continues to win over new fans across the globe.