Doors @ 7pm
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All Ages
Despite the name, Matt the Electrician is no longer an electrician, focusing instead on a music career that has spanned the course of two decades, a dozen records, and thousands of shows. His music, however, remains rooted in his blue collar beginnings, with lyricism that embraces the day-to-day, the mundane, the beauty of the ordinary.
Before moving to Austin, TX and launching his career as a working-class folk musician, Matt Sever grew up on the West Coast. His parents played John Denver and Pete Seeger songs on the family record player, and Matt spent his earliest years surrounded by the things that would later fill his own music: acoustic guitars, timeless melodies, lyrics that celebrated the joys and heartaches of everyday life, and — above all else — a strong work ethic.
That work ethic served him well in the mid-1990s, when he moved to Austin in search of new horizons and better opportunities. Matt was already playing music by then, and in need of a steady day job, he began working as an electrician, spending his days wiring houses in the Texas heat. Once quitting time came, he'd grab his guitar and drive himself to an evening show, usually taking the stage in his work boots and sweaty clothes. "Hi; I'm Matt the Electrician," he'd tell the crowd, hoping his occupation would help explain his appearance. The name stuck, even after his growing fan base at home, as well as abroad, allowed him to hang up his pliers for good.
Matt’s most recent release, a double CD called The Doubles, is the culmination of a 2-year vinyl 45 collaborative project.
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Known for her distinct voice and reggae-inspired guitar technique, Austin native Suzanna Choffel's music has been described as "a unique sound equal parts Beat poetry, smoky soul grooves and indie-pop eccentricity." (Jim Derogatis). Having made appearances at ACL Music Fest, SXSW, Voodoo Fest, as well as on screen in movies like "Catfish" and NBC's The Voice (earning singular praise from Rolling Stone as "the only artist you'd want to listen to a complete album from"), Choffel feels equally at home singing in a dimly lit club as she does front and center in front of (literally) millions. She has opened for a diverse array of artists including Buena Vista Social Club, Suzanne Vega, Davíd Garza, Solange, and Norah Jones among others. Choffel has released three full albums to date, her latest Hello Goodbye made it onto Texas Music Magazine's top albums list of 2017. She is currently working on new music and is going into the studio later this year to record a new album. You can also find her hosting a daily radio show on Sun Radio, where she shares some of her favorite tracks and new vinyl favorites.
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Carrie Rodriguez, a singer-songwriter from Austin, Texas, finds beauty in the cross-pollination of diverse traditions. A passionate performer, she effortlessly melds fiery fiddle playing, electrifying vocals and a fresh interpretation of new and classic songs with an “Ameri-Chicana” attitude. Her newest project found her switching roles from performer to composer/lyricist of an original musical. ¡Americano!, which ended its 27-show debut at The Phoenix Theatre Company at the end of February of 2020 with 10 consecutive sellout performances, follows the true story and journey of Tony Valdovinos, born in Colima, Mexico and brought to the U.S. when he was two years old. The musical casts a profoundly human light on what it means to be a DREAMer. An album of 9 selections from the musical (aptly titled ¡Americano! The Musical) was released in January ‘20. Produced by the musical’s arranger Sergio Mendoza, the album features his band Orkesta Mendoza, Carrie on vocals and strings, and guest vocalists Joey Burns (Calexico), Brian Lopez, and Carlos Arzate.
In 2017 Carrie founded a highly acclaimed ongoing concert series set at the historic Cactus Cafe in Austin,Texas called Laboratorio that both celebrates and explores Latinx culture and its contribution to the American experiment. Carrie and her all-star Laboratorio band collaborate with a different guest artist for each unique performance, ensuring that no two shows are ever the same. They’ve collaborated with artists such as legendary Tejano vocalist Ruben Ramos (of the Grammy award winning Los Super Seven), Latin pop songstress Gina Chavez, jazz trumpet player/bandleader Ephraim Owens, and guitarist/composer/producer Adrian Quesada (of the Black Pumas) to name just a few.
Rodriguez’ last full-length solo effort, the bilingual album Lola, was heralded as “the perfect bicultural album”, and was included in NPR’s best albums of 2016 as well Rolling Stone’s Best Country albums of the year. Inspired by the 1940’s-era recordings of Carrie’s great aunt, Chicana singing sensation Eva Garza, the album is a mixture of new and old songs. It features Spanish songs written by some of Carrie’s favorite Mexican composers, as well as her own Ranchera-inspired original songs written in English, Spanish and “Spanglish.”
Carrie, an Austin native, began playing violin at age five. Her training quickly became the passion and focus of her childhood, and by age 10, she had performed as part of a group at Carnegie Hall. She continued the classical track in her first year at Oberlin Conservatory, then shifted gears to pursue her true love affair with the fiddle—staying true to her Texas roots—at the Berklee College of Music.
Early in her career, a collaboration with singer-songwriter Chip Taylor, who penned rock and roll classics such as “Wild Thing” and “Angel of the Morning”, resulted in four highly acclaimed duet albums. Her subsequent solo albums highlight the diversity of her musical identity, from her debut Seven Angels on a Bicycle to 2013’s Give Me All You Got, which reached no. 1 on the Americana Music Charts.
Carrie has performed and worked with legendary artists such as Lucinda Williams, John Prine, Patty Griffin, Bill Frisell, Rickie Lee Jones, Mary Gauthier, Los Lobos, Alejandro Escovedo and Los Lonely Boys, among others. She has made numerous television and radio appearances, including Austin City Limits, The Tonight Show, A Prairie Home Companion, and NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts. Carrie has been profiled in many publications, including Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The Times of London, The New Yorker, and the Washington Post.
Carrie lives in Austin with her partner and musical collaborator Luke Jacobs, a multi- instrumentalist/singer-songwriter from Minnesota, and their 4 year old son, Cruz.
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Folk troubadour, crooning balladeer, country drifter, father, husband and artistic director. Come on, what’d you expect? This is Austin. A seasoned musician, Graham Weber has released six solo studio and two live albums, as well as band releases with So, Long Problems and critically acclaimed, Western Youth. He has toured North America and Europe, and supported many of his songwriting heroes including Guy Clark, Slaid Cleaves, Todd Snider, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and Alejandro Escovado, among others. Since 2016, Graham has been the artistic director for The House of Songs – an organization that has created artist collaborations across 33 countries in an effort to bridge cultures and manifest international collaborations in music. In his role, he has curated hundreds of cowrites, organized writing residency workshops, and hosted, produced and booked countless live events, fundraisers and concert series. Weber has booked and produced events vital to Austin, and across the country, including HAAM Benefit Tribute Nights at Threadgills and Cactus Cafe, SXSW showcases from 2006-2018 consecutively, as well as the Folk Alliance International (2016-20), Americanafest Nashville and UK (2018-19), and the FreshGrass Festival (2021-22). An Austinite since 2004 and just genuinely a peace lovin’ dude, Graham appears casual in what everyone else recognizes as relentless devotion to a mission to inspire and support music and its creators – the heartbeat of our city and to some, the world.
Notable accolades include 2019 Black Fret Major Grant Recipient (Western Youth), 2018 Austin Music Foundation Artist Development Program, 2019 40 Under 40 Austin nominee and 2019 Member of ALL ATX Leadership.