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ROBERT CRAY, TAJ MAHAL, COLIN HAY, PATRICE O'NEAL AMONG 9 NEW ACTS COMING TO MUSIKFEST CAFE

DATE: April 20, 2011
CONTACT: Mark Demko, ArtsQuest, 610-332-1300, ext. 342, or mdemko@artsquest.org

ROBERT CRAY, TAJ MAHAL, COLIN HAY, PATRICE O'NEAL AMONG 9 NEW ACTS COMING TO MUSIKFEST CAFE

BETHLEHEM, PA—Five-time Grammy Award winner Robert Cray, rockers Toad the Wet Sprocket, country star Crystal Gayle, comedian Patrice O'Neal, singer Nicole Atkins and former Men at Work frontman Colin Hay are among the nine new acts 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 26, 10 a.m., to ArtsQuest Members and Fri., April 29, 10 a.m., to the public. They will be available at www.artsquest.org or by calling 610-332-3378.

Burton Cummings – July 3, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $59 Balcony/$49 Cabaret

Best known as the former lead singer, keyboardist and co-writer for the Guess Who, Burton Cummings has one of the most recognizable voices in rock. From 1965-'75, the Guess Who placed 21 songs, including the No. 1 hits "American Woman" and "No Sugar Tonight," on the Billboard Top 100. In May 2010, Cummings released the solo studio album Above The Ground, his first solo album released in the United States in 20 years.

Nicole Atkins – July 7, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $25 Balcony/$20 Cabaret

Nicole Atkins' music ranges far afield: at some times vaudevillian, at others psychedelic, a little bit country, a dash from early musicals, all under a cloud of pop-noir, often all coming in the very same song. A native of Neptune, N.J., Atkins released her debut recording, Bleeding Diamonds, in 2006. She followed that up with a full-length recording, 2007's acclaimed Neptune City; a 2008 EP of covers and is now back with her newest recording, the February 2011 release Mondo Amore, which features the single "Cry Cry Cry."

Robert Cray – July 23, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $49 Balcony/$42 Theater

Five-time Grammy Award winner Robert Cray has been serving up his unique blend of blues and soul for more than 25 years. In 1986, Cray released his breakthrough album, Strong Persuader, which contained the hit "Smoking Gun" and reached No. 13 on the Billboard 200, ultimately earning Cray a Grammy Award. Over the years, the guitarist has performed with a wide range of artists, including Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton. His most recent release, Cookin' in Mobile, reached No. 5 on Billboard's Top Blues Albums charts.

Taj Mahal – July 26, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $49 Balcony/$42 Theater

Taj Mahal has been playing his own distinctive brand of music - variously described as Afro-Caribbean blues, folk-world-blues, hula blues, folk-funk and a host of other hyphenations - for more than four decades. Over the years, he has had the opportunity to hear, meet and play with such blues legends as Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Louis and Dave Meyers, Sleepy John Estes and more. While Taj's music has always been well received, popular culture finally caught up to him the '90s and 2000s. In 1997, he walked away with the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album for Señor Blues, and he captured a second Grammy for 2000's Shoutin' in Key. In all, he has garnered nine Grammy nominations during his career.

Toad The Wet Sprocket – Aug. 3, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $44 Balcony/$32 SRO

Named in honor of a sketch by the Monty Python comedy troupe, this four-piece band from Santa Barbara, Calif. is known for its mellow, melodic folk-pop sound that made it one of the most successful alternative rock groups of the early '90s. Toad the Wet Sprocket's commercial breakthrough came in 1991 as the single "All I Want," from the album Fear, became a Top 20 hit. After Fear was certified platinum, another single from the LP, "Walk on the Ocean," also became a successful track for the band. Three years later, the group returned with the album Dulcinea, which also went platinum and generated yet another Top 40 hit with the single "Fall Down."

The Music of Simon & Garfunkel performed by AJ Swearingen and Jonathan Beedle – Aug. 18, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $20 Balcony/$20 Cabaret

AJ Swearingen and Jonathan Beedle have been paying tribute to Simon & Garfunkel for more than a dozen years, playing to sold-out crowds across the nation. Accompanied by a single acoustic guitar, they capture the essence of the legendary folksingers with Swearingen's warm baritone and Beedle's soaring tenor. With a set list ranging from classic hits to obscure songs, the duo evokes the magic of Simon & Garfunkel's early years, transporting audiences to 1960s-era Greenwich Village. In 2010, Swearingen and Beedle performed a sold-out show in Bethlehem during Musikfest.

Crystal Gayle - Aug. 19, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $45 Balcony/$35 Theater

From her debut Top 10 single, Wrong Road Again, to her signature song, "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue," Crystal Gayle has been delighting audiences throughout America for more than 35 years. The Country Music Association's "Female Vocalist Of The Year" for two consecutive years, Gayle became a Grammy Award winner in 1977 for "Best Female Vocal Performance," thanks to her beloved "Brown Eyes." As her music and her career path widened to mainstream audiences, so did her accolades. Gayle is the recipient of three American Music Awards, voted by the nation as America's "Favorite Female Artist," and in 1999 "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" was recognized by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers as one of the 10 most performed songs of the 20th century.

Patrice O'Neal – Aug. 20, 8 p.m.

Tickets: $30 Balcony/$25 Cabaret

A regular on Comedy Central's "Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn" and three-time guest on "The Late Show with Conan O'Brien," comedian Patrice O'Neal entertains audiences across the country with his unique brand of stand-up comedy. O'Neal recently was featured in his own one-hour special on Comedy Central and has appeared at both the prestigious Montreal Just For Laughs and HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen. Additionally, he has guest starred on numerous television shows including FOX's critically acclaimed "Arrested Development" and NBC's "The Office." O'Neal's film credits include "The 25th Hour" directed by Spike Lee, "In The Cut" with Meg Ryan and "Head Of State" with Chris Rock.

Colin Hay – Aug. 21, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $44 Balcony/$34 Cabaret

While Colin Hay's voice and visage are still familiar to millions from his tenure as frontman, principal songwriter and lead vocalist of pop sensations Men at Work ("Down Under," "Overkill," "Who Can It Be Now?"), the past 10 years have found him quietly re-introducing himself to new generations of fans. The frequent use of his music on soundtracks – including the hit television show "Scrubs" and the sleeper-hit soundtrack to the film "Garden State" – has proven the timeless appeal of his songs' personae: quizzical, curious, cynical yet open-hearted. This Scottish-born, Australian-raised, California-dwelling artist tours frequently, entertaining audiences from coast to coast.

ABOUT ARTSQUEST

ArtsQuest™ is a Bethlehem, PA-based nonprofit dedicated to presenting music, arts, festivals, cultural experiences and educational and outreach programs that aid in economic development, urban revitalization and community enrichment. Through festivals such as its flagship event, Musikfest®; the Banana Factory® cultural arts and education center; and the ArtsQuest Center and SteelStacks™ arts and cultural campus, ArtsQuest's programming reaches more than 1.5 million people annually.

For more information on ArtsQuest, visit www.artsquest.org or call 610-332-1300.