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Concerts, Arts, and other events in the public interest around the Front Range Community.
Steve Poltz performs in concert this Sunday at the Bluebird Theater (3317 E. Colfax Ave). Longtime Boulder resident Shanna in a Dress returns from Nashville to open the show. Tunes start at 8 (doors at 7), ticket and show info at www.bluebirdtheater.net
Some people start life with a plan. Not Steve Poltz. He opens himself up to the universe in a way most of us will never be loose enough to achieve, and the universe responds with a wink, a seemingly bottomless well of inspiration, and the talent to truly connect with an audience. While 2021 could have found him adrift, faced with a tour moratorium the likes of which he hadn’t experienced in decades, it opened a door — literally, his friend Oliver Wood of The Wood Brother’s door — to creating an exuberant, thoughtful batch of songs that celebrate life in all of its stages. The resulting album is called Stardust & Satellites [Red House / Compass Records].
“I just make stuff up,” he exclaims, quipping, “it sounded good to say that.” Steve is the sort of prolific writer and collaborator who downplays what seems like a non-stop geyser of creativity. “I have no rhyme or reason for what I do. It’s all magic. I go by instinct. It just felt right, so I went with it.”
The “it” in question is one of those serendipitous situations that were created by the pandemic. Steve, a road dog and performance junkie who regularly spends 300+ days a year on the road, bringing it to the people, should’ve been on tour last year. Esteemed Nashville roots rockers The Wood Brothers (Chris Wood being a former neighbor to Steve), also should’ve been on tour. Stuck in Nashville, Steve often joined the Wood Brothers for outdoor socially distant hangs, and, on a whim, decided to record one song with Oliver Wood and Jano Rix.
With a cult following that includes fellow musicians, regular folks and festival goers who stumble onto his performances, there’s no common denominator to Steve’s fans. Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia and raised in San Diego, CA Steve toured and recorded with San Diego cult favorites The Rugburns (they still play annual sold-out reunion shows). But it was through his creative partnership with Jewel that he vaulted into the national spotlight; co-writing her multiplatinum Billboard Hot 100-busting smash, “You Were Meant For Me,” and continues to work with her to this day.
www.poltz.com
Shanna in a Dress started her career at the University of Virginia, biked across the country and fell in love with Boulder where she resided for eight years, and she now keeps the music flowing out of Nashville unless she is touring the US or Europe. You can’t get the same Shanna in a Dress show twice with her spontaneous banter and playful stage presence. She manages to teeter the line masterfully of taking on complex subject matters with smart accessible lyrics. Her songs are laden with clever wordplay and delight audiences of all ages. Shanna describes her music as quirky folk-pop from a clever millennial who sucks at dating” and she looks forward to catching up with her Colorado peeps this weekend.
www.shannainadress.com
For details about events, ticket availablity, or other questions, check the venue or event website.
KGNU has no additional information about this events, nor is responsible for their accuracy or last minute changes.
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