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Event
Sara Milonovich and Greg Anderson
Sara has been playing the violin since she was four years old. She joined The Adirondack Fiddlers at age seven, and at age twelve released her first cassette of traditional fiddle tunes, Traditionally, Sara. She has performed with various classical ensembles throughout New York State, including the Empire State Youth and Repertory Orchestras, several string quartets, and with members of the Albany, Glens Falls, and Schenectady Symphonies. In 1998 she released the CD Mrs. Ippy Fiddle, under the name Sara Miles (as her last name was often mispronounced), which was a nominated semifinalist for the 1999 Grammy awards.
From 1999 - 2002 she toured the US and Ireland as a member of the Celtic/bluegrass/roots band The McKrells. Her tune, Cead Caloigne Sneachta (The First Snowfall), from the McKrell's holiday album Merry Christmas, placed 6th in the 2001 Just Plain Folks Awards for best holiday song. Her fiddle and voice (and flute and whistles) were also featured on their 2002 CD Hit The Ground Running. In June 2001, Sara traveled to Mt. Airy, North Carolina with John Kirk & Trish Miller, where she competed in both the Bluegrass Fiddle and Folk Song contests, placing first and second, respectively. She continues to actively perform around the US and Europe as a solo artist and in various collaborations, having worked with artists such as Cathie Ryan, Richard Shindell, and Leslie Ritter and Scott Petito, among others.
On Daisycutter, her impressive solo debut, roots music veteran Sara Milonovich hits the ground running with the up-tempo, fiddle-fueled "Country Life," a powerhouse lament that takes on class, the plight of family farms, countryside gentrification, and the UK foot and mouth epidemic of 2001. Sound intense? It is, but as a bracing opener, it serves well, priming listeners for a deft mix of literate folk, plaintive Celtic-tinged balladry, and plenty of modern-day ass-kicking. Milonovich is a fiddler of much renown—with additional chops in the vocals and guitar department—and a life spent mostly on the road has yielded the skills to take on a wide range of material and a bevy of extremely talented friends. The high-profile pals adding to the bounty of Daisycutter include singer-songwriter Eliza Gilkyson, who executes a gorgeous solo on her own beautiful ache of a love song, "Last Dance."
Even without the star turns, however, Milonovich emerges as both a gifted artist in her own right and an unpredictable song interpreter. The Monkees' "Pleasant Valley Sunday" becomes a zydeco raveup; KT Tunstall's wry but sweet "Under the Weather" is a deceptively simple ballad with tasty political overtones. The unexpected Peter Gabriel tune, "Here Comes the Flood," offers a nice slab of electric guitar while evincing Milonovich's penchant for the post-apocalyptic. But any lingering darkness is quickly dispersed by a rollicking take on "The Lake Arthur Stomp." These scene changes offer a chance to process the considerable depth of the material and most importantly, to dance.
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LocationArcata Playhouse
1251-9th St.
Arcata, CA
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: No |
| Wheelchair Accessible: No |
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