Rod Picott and Amanda Shires

We’ve seen Rod play a few times and its not only enjoyable but he just gets better and better. Amanda was part of Rod’s band when we saw them last year and they are a great combination. Looking forward to a great evening of Americana!

This is from Rod’s bio:

Growing up in the small mill town of South Berwick, Maine, Picott was exposed to a surprising mix of musical influences. His father, a former marine owned a record collection that spanned from the marches of John Philip Sousa to Ray Charles. His older brother, an avid record collector, introduced Rod to the punk poetry of Patti Smith and The Clash, finishing the groundwork of influences that Rod would draw from later in his own music. The seacoast area of southern Maine had an unlikely but thriving local music scene in the late 80's and and Picott spent his late teens and early twenties in bands playing the clubs from Boston MA. to Portland ME.

After a few years in Boulder, Colorado busking the streets and studying song craft 1994 saw a move to Nashville TN. Picott established himself as one of the better new writers in town and hosted a weekly showcase called Rod Picott's Fireside Whiskey Hour as well as opening shows for Alison Krauss and Union Station and Gillian Welch. His co-write Broke Down with Slaid Cleaves was the most played song on Americana radio in 2001.

In the summer of 2007 Rod assembled some of his favorite musicians and Nashville sidemen and went after his fourth studio album. The resulting Summerbirds is a beautifully realized collection that contains both full on rockers and the elegant ballads his audience has come to know him for. Maverick magazine called Summerbirds "as damn near perfect as you can get" and gave the album a full five star review.

You can read more at www.rodpicott.com

This is from Amanda’s bio

Arising from the sun-driven plains of West Texas is fiddler and singer/songwriter Amanda Shires. She sews lyric to melody like land turns to sky. Her muse brings forth songs of heartache; losing loved ones, finding happiness, and the interludes of life in between. Bringing solace to the solemn, as well as clarity and whimsy to the down trodden, Amanda’s bow paints landscapes for stories to unfold, while her voice sings and lulls you into a field of golden possibility.

At 16 Amanda Shires was already playing fiddle with Tommy Allsup and The Texas Playboys, an auspicious start that more than suggests her natural talent and soulful delivery. From there, Shires went on to be one of the founding members of Lubbock, TX’s Thrift Store Cowboys, releasing 3 albums independently and reaching top ten statuses on many CRS charts around the country as well as becoming the number one selling act in 2007 for the respected internet retailer Miles of Music. In 2008 one of Amanda Shires compositions with Thrift Store Cowboys was featured on NPR's All Songs Considered.

As an in demand side player and studio musician, Amanda has worked with Texas legends Billy Joe Shaver, and Gary P Nunn. Her facility across a range of styles has lead her to work Folk/Bluegrass favorites The Rowen Brothers, and Buddy Spicher to name a few.

Her first solo album release Being Brave from 2005 is testament to her short but extraordinary career, mixing brilliant arrangements and performances of traditional fiddle music along with several of her own compositions. Now 25 Amanda Shires stands in front of an already impressive body of work and on the edge of a career in full bloom.
 

You can read more at www.amandashires.net

Please let us know if you’re interested in attending.