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Event
Ellis Paul in Concert - Progressive Voices Concert Series
"Despite his success and sense of history, Mr. Paul remains an artist with his eye on the future and an interest in discovering the transformative potential in his music." ~ The New York Times
WHEN: Saturday, February 8, 2020, 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: First Unitarian Church, 1800 Bell Ave., Des Moines, IA 50315
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.
TICKETS: $20 in advance / $25 at the door. Season tickets are $70 for 4 shows or $105 for 6 shows and include additional benefits. (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, print them at home, or have them mailed to you.
Seating is general admission, except reserved seating section for season ticket holders. Doors to the auditorium open at 7 p.m.
ARTIST WEBSITE: www.ellispaul.com
MORE ABOUT ELLIS PAUL:
A troubadour, a singer/songwriter, a folky, and a storyteller -- all are fair labels for this artist, but they do not quite suffice. However, the tattoo of Woody Guthrie worn proudly on his arm is a good starting place from which to grasp Ellis Paul, for it is from the Woody Guthrie tradition that he hails, and Maine as well. Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and James Taylor are also listed among his influences, and their spirits seem to occasionally grace his work. With an acoustic guitar in hand, he weaves intimate, provocative, and romantic tales of lives that were obviously witnessed by a most-talented observer.
Based in Massachusetts, Paul has been called the quintessential Boston songwriter more than a few times and has garnered the recognition and awards to back up that claim, including a shelf full of Boston Music Awards. Since coming onto the scene in 1993 with his independent debut, Say Something, Paul hasn't slowed or weakened as a performer or a writer. Spending two-thirds of most years on the road has helped him perfect both crafts, with a lot of practice on-stage and a lot of people whose stories he retells in song. In fact, his 1994 album Stories proved enchanting enough to secure him a deal with Rounder Records and a national following of dedicated fans.
Over the years and albums, his songs have gotten more personal. He purposely turned the looking glass onto his own life for 1998's aptly titled Translucent Soul as he publicly worked through the pain of his divorce. Following hot on the heels of 1999's double-CD Live, the new millennium saw Paul's song "The World Ain't Slowing Down" featured in the film, Me, Myself and Irene, starring Jim Carrey.
His eighth studio release, a collection of previously unreleased tracks called Sweet Mistakes, arrived in 2001, followed by Speed of Trees (2002), a two-disc career retrospective (2006), a childrens record inspired by the birth of his second daughter called The Dragonfly Races (2008), and, finally, an all-new studio album, The Day After Everything Changed, in January 2010. In 2012, Paul released his second children's record, The Hero in You, which featured songs about Benjamin Franklin, Georgia O' Keefe, Rosa Parks, and Thomas Edison, and other notable Americans that Paul deemed heroic.
Chasing Beauty was released in 2014 and is a set of songs which detail, in typical Paul fashion, stories of people and places that reflect larger truths about us all. He has now released his 20th studio album, The Storytellers Suitcase, in 2019, as he approaches 30 years of touring and performing.
-- Kelly McCartney for AllMusic
PRESS:
Ellis Paul is a key figure in what has become known as the Boston school of songwriting, a literate, provocative, and urbanely romantic folk-pop style that helped ignite the modern folk revival of the 1990s. ~ Boston Globe
"Though some may refer to him as a folk singer, he is more, for lack of a better word, a singular storyteller, a musician whose words reach out from inside and yet also express the feelings, thoughts and sensibilities that most people can relate to in one way or another, regardless of age or upbringing." ~ No Depression
"Hes an observer, a philosopher, and an astute storyteller who shares with his listeners the life lessons hes learned, and in turn, life lessons they ought to heed as well. By affirming and defining who he is, Ellis Paul affirms and uncovers the essence of us all." ~Lee Zimmerman, American Songwriter Magazine
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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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