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Event
John Gorka - Presented by the Progressive Voices Concert Series
WHEN: Saturday, September 10, 2016, 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: First Unitarian Church, 1800 Bell Ave., Des Moines, IA 50315
TICKETS: $20 in advance / $25 at the door. Season tickets: $70 for 4 shows or $105 for 6 shows (available elsewhere on this site.)
You may pick up your pre-paid tickets at the Will Call table after 6:30 p.m. the night of the show.
Seating is general admission, except reserved seating section for season ticket holders. Doors to the auditorium open at 7 p.m.
PARKING: Primary parking lot located just south of Bell Ave. & Druid Hill Dr., just east of the church. Smaller lot with handicap parking located just south of Bell Ave. & Cassady Dr. Street parking also available on Druid Hill & Cassady Drives.
PRESS:
"One of contemporary folk music's leading talents." ~Vintage Guitar
"With a tangle of songs that emotionally connect us all and leave a tender trace, John Gorka stimulates the cerebrum, keeps our smiles agile and fit and reconnects us with what really matters most in music: honesty." ~ Brian D'Ambrosio, Huffington Post
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY:
www.johngorka.com
Orignially from New Jersey, John Gorka is a world-renowned singer-songwriter who got his start in the late 1970's at a neighborhood coffeehouse in eastern Pennsylvania, where he encountered legendary folk troubadours like Canadian singer-songwriter Stan Rogers, Eric Andersen, Tom Paxton and Claudia Schmidt. Their brand of folk-inspired acoustic music in turn inspired him, and before long he was performing his own songs. As he began travelling to places like New York City, Boston, and the Kerrville Folk Festival, his stunningly soulful, baritone voice and original songwriting began turning heads as well as winning awards. Those who had at first influenced and inspired him Suzanne Vega, Bill Morrissey, Nanci Griffith, Christine Lavin, Shawn Colvin had now also become his peers.
Since the 1987 release of the first of his now twelve allbums,his rich, multifaceted songs full of depth, beauty and emotion have garnered numerous awards and gained increasing attention from critics and audiences across the North American and Europe. Many well known artists have since recorded and/or performed John Gorka songs, including Mary Chapin Carpenter, Nanci Griffith, Mary Black and Maura OConnell, and John has also shared the stage with many of them. He has also graced the stages of Austin City Limits, Mountain Stage, e-Town and has appeared on CNN.
On July 22, 2016, Red House Records released Before Beginning: The UnReleased I Know - Nashville, 1985, containing never-before-heard versions of material that would later appear on Gorkas 1987 Red House debut album, I Know. Only 25 at the time, Gorka had traveled to Nashville, TN to record with producer Jim Rooney (Nanci Griffith, John Prine) at Cowboy Jack Clements studio. The sessions featured a full band as well as guest vocals from fellow artists Lucy Kaplansky and Shawn Colvin, also members of the NYC Fast Folk scene. The album spontaneously with a full band, all in one room, over in five days. After the sessions, John decided to go a different direction and the tapes were never released. In 2014, he took the tapes out of storage to see if they would still play, liked what he heard, and thought others might, too. The result is a fascinating document of the road not taken, an alternate musical direction the now well-known singer/songwriter chose to forego.
John Gorka now lives in Minnesota and when not on the road, where he enjoys spending time with his wife and children. After three decades of touring, he continues to play festivals, theaters and clubs all over North America and Europe.
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LocationFirst Unitarian Church of Des Moines (View)
1800 Bell Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50315
United States
Categories
| Minimum Age: 6 |
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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