Whistling Swan Productions presents Erin McKeown and Natalia Zukerman in two shows: in Anchorage at the Taproot on Saturday, February 25, and in Palmer on Sunday, February 26 at Vagabond Blues. This twin bill pairs two women who are friends and fans of each other’s work. Expect solo sets as well as a significant amount of stage sharing.

Erin McKeown (it’s pronounced mick-YONE) packs a wallop of music into her shows.  Her music can’t be easily categorized: pop, swing, rock, folk, electronic music — she’s even cited The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy as an influence. It’s a matter of breadth, not chaos: her undergrad degree from Brown University is in ethnomusicology, a field of study that has lent depth and diversity to her music. She’s not bound to just one instrument either — guitar, piano, banjo, mandolin, and more. With 8 albums and 5 EPs — her most recent album is Hundreds of Lions (2009) — she’s taken part in the LGBT music festival Queerstock and spends lots of her time touring around the world with such artists as Ani DiFranco, Josh Ritter, the Indigo Girls, Martin Sexton, Andrew Bird, Thea Gilmore, Melissa Ferrick, Allison Miller — and, this weekend in Anchorage and Palmer, Natalia Zukerman.

 “In several distinctive ways — voice, dynamic subtlety, and sheer songwriting ability- Erin McKeown is in a class of her own.” — Sunday Times (UK)

“Erin’s playing is so muscular, her arrangements so well conceived that she succeeds brilliantly. As with all truly great guitarists, the wonder is less in her chops than her choices”- Boston Globe

Official website | Blog |  Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Wikipedia | Amazon

Natalia Zukerman, who last appeared in Anchorage with Willy Porter, engages audiences with a range of styles and moods.  If the name sounds multigenerationally familiar, that’s because she hails from a musical family — her father is violist and conductor Pinchas Zukerman, her mother is flutist and writer Eugenia Zukerman, and her sister, Arianna Zukerman, is an internationally regarded opera soprano. But the classical music that inspires her family is just one of her musical influences — she’s also got roots in the blues, jazz, folk, bluegrass, and country, counting Ma Rainey, Memphis Minnie, Bonnie Raitt, Erika Luckett, Joni Mitchell, Rickie Lee Jones, and Ani DiFranco among her influences.  She’s appeared at the Michigan Womyn’s Music Fetival and other women’s festivals. On top of her concerts, festivals, and five albums — most recently Gas Station Roses (2011) — she’s also an accomplished artist specializing in large format drawings and murals.

“Natalia’s voice could send an orchid into bloom while her guitar playing can open a beer bottle with its teeth.” — New Yorker

“A wise mix of rootsy styles from torch blues to country swing. If you’re a fan of Madeleine Peyroux, Bonnie Raitt or even Amy Winehouse, you’ll find stuff to connect with here.” — Philadelphia Daily News

Official website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Wikipedia | Amazon

Concerts

These events are part of Whistling Swan Production’s 2011-2012 season. Order your own subscription here or call CenterTix at 263-ARTS (1-877-ARTS-TIX outside Anchorage).

Anchorage

• Date/time: Saturday, February 25, 7:30-9:30 PM
• Location: Tap Root, 3300 Spenard Road, Anchorage (see map)
• Cost of admission: $25.00. Tickets at Centertix
• Age restriction: Mature audiences only. Minors must be accompanied by parent or legal guardian. ID required.
• Further info: see Whistling Swan’s website

Palmer

• Date/time: Sunday, February 26, 6:00-8:00 PM
• Location: Vagabond Blues, 642 South Alaska Street, Palmer (see map)
• Cost of admission: $23.00. Tickets at Centertix
• Further info: see Whistling Swan’s website

Is your event not on our calendar? No matter where you are in the state, if you’re running an event of interest to the LGBTQA community, we’d be glad to put it on the Bent Alaska events calendar. If you use Google Calendar, you can subscribe to our calendar at http://bit.ly/bentcalendar.

Photo credits: (1) Erin McKeown, August 2008. Photo © 2008 by Desdemona “Bunty” Burgin. Via Wikipedia; used in accordance with Creative Commons licensing. (2) Natalia Zukerman. Official press photo by Asia Kepka.