Wailin' Jenny's, Amalia Spicer Bring Femme Folk Rock to the PAC April 12

SAN LUIS OBISPO – In an evening of female folk singer/songwriters and outstanding musicianship, Canada’s THE WAILIN’ JENNYS and L.A.’s AMILIA k SPICER share a Cal Poly Arts co-bill.

On Saturday, April 12, 2008 at 8 p.m. in the Cohan Center, two distinct bands will split the show and instantly increase their ever-widening fan base, which already includes Garrison Keillor and Jackson Browne.

Hailing from Canada's mid-western heartland, THE WAILIN’ JENNYS are an extraordinary acoustic trio with contemporary lyrics and heart-stopping three-part harmonies.

All Music Guide raved, “Like Gillian Welch or Alison Krauss, they make new songs feel traditional and old songs sound brand new.”

On stage, a Jennys concert blends folk and country with charisma and cohesion and their high energy fills the hall.

Soprano Ruth Moody (guitar, banjo, accordion, bodhran) and mezzo Nicky Mehta (guitar, harmonica, ukulele, percussion) are founding members; the critical third voice is newcomer alto Heather Masse.

"Heather fits in astonishingly well with us," enthuses Mehta. "She's got a smoky, enveloping kind of style. People will go nuts when they hear her."

The first Wailin' Jennys disc, 40 Days, earned a 2005 Juno – the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy award – for Roots and Traditional Album of the Year.

Their latest release, Firecracker, is already a hit with fans and critics:

“With a baker's dozen of fresh, rootsy songs and their signature heart-stopping harmonies, the Wailin' Jennys' second recording should prove explosive for their careers.” (Red House Records)

Backed by her driving L.A. band, AMILIA k SPICER’s lyrics and vocals evoke a bit of Janis Ian and some up-tempo Joni Mitchell.

"Stunning music. One of those voices that cause you to stop and say, ‘Who’s that?’" (Applause Magazine)

Spicer’s voice is often described as haunting and ethereal, but it's the writing that really separates her from the rest of the new generation of literary songwriters. Likened by one critic to a French chanteuse in a candle-lit cafe, her songs set a definite mood.

Spicer’s songwriting fuses together the different places she calls home - the languid textures of rural Pennsylvania, the swing and melody of Texas Americana, with the back alley bite of L.A.

Her live shows, filled with cerebral lyrics and quirky humor, offer audiences a full range of musical emotion.

Like an Engine, Spicer's 1999 debut album, is an eclectic, powerful mix of sensual, husky phrases.

Her much anticipated follow-up recording, Seamless (2003), is more like a wave crashing to shore – with music you'd both want to hear on the radio and play while sipping wine by the fire.

VISIT www.calpolyarts.org FOR ARTIST WEBSITE LINKS.

General public tickets for the performance range from $28 to $34, with student discounts available on all seats, and may be purchased at the Performing Arts Ticket Office, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays, or ordered online at www.paclslo.org.

To order by phone, call 805/756-2787; to order by fax: 805/756-6088.

Order on-line at www.calpolyarts.org.

Sponsored by KCBX 90.1 FM.

For more information on all Cal Poly Arts events, including audio and video samples, please visit www.calpolyarts.org.

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