Pierce and Grace Pettis

On Friday, February 10, the me&thee coffeehouse welcome sback to our stage Pierce Pettis, a wonderful singer-songwriter who has long been recognized as a thoughtful, sensuous, serious poet.  He will be joined on stage by his daughter Grace, who is quickly gathering recognition of her own with the release of her first album and by winning new song honors at festivals.  Maine’s Connor Garvey opens the show..  Connor appeared at our showcase last season and won us over with his songwriting and talent. Doors open at 7:30 PM for this 8:00 PM show at the me&thee coffeehouse which is located at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Marblehead at 28 Mugford Street.

Pierce Pettis, adored by both critics and public alike, is one of this generation’s most masterful songwriters. His music is distinguished by his uncanny ability to capture universals in human experience by drawing on the humor and trials in daily life. Pettis’ music can simultaneously pull on our hearts and keep us laughing. The beautiful harmonies, inventive yet subtle percussion, strong guitar, and Pierce’s rich vocals are a constant throughout his body of work. “Pierce Pettis doesn’t write mere songs, he writes literature…End to end the songwriting is brilliant…” “Across the entire range of his styles, Pettis constantly reinforces the sensation that he is a thoughtful, sensitive, serious poet, a man who looks deep and ponders long.” Pettis has performed in all 48 continental states as well as in Canada and Europe, appeared nine times on American Public Radio’s Mountain Stage, been featured on National Public Radio’s E-town, Morning Edition and World Cafe … appeared on VH-1, CBS News, and the Nashville Network.

Grace Pettis is the 22-year-old daughter of singer/songwriter Pierce Pettis and has just released her debut,CD, Grace Pettis, on the Blue Rock Artists label. Already, Grace has begun to earn national recognition, with her 2009 win at the Mountain Stage New Song Songwriting Competition. Grace performed on the prestigious Mountain Stage radio show for NPR, and was also awarded New Song’s ‘best song’ award for her ‘Nine to Five Girl.’ In addition, Grace also was awarded ‘audience favorite’ at the May 2010 Wildflower Songwriting Contest in Richardson, TX, where she won the prize of a handmade Gallagher guitar. Gracewon the New Folk competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival and was chosen to compete in last summer’s Falcon Ridge Emerging Artist showcase.

Connor Garvey's initiation as a modern troubadour came in 2008 by way of train; a 45 day, self-booked tour by Amtrak across the U.S. Now, many tours later, Garvey is finding his place as a seasoned folk-rock singer-songwriter on the national circuit. Through his rhythmic guitar foundations and a unique, clear voice, Connor encourages us to hope, grow, laugh, and see beauty in all of life's metaphors. His recent release Where Ocean Meets Land (2011) is already garnering wide acclaim as it builds upon his 2009 release, Constancy of Stars, known widely due extensive Sirius XM satellite airplay--placing him in their top 6 new Singer Songwriters of 2010.

Tickets for the performance by Pierce Pettis and Grace Pettis with Connor Garvey opening are $20 in advance and $23 at the door.  Tickets are available online at www.meanthee.org and can be purchased in person in Marblehead at either the Spirit of ’76 Bookstore or the Arnould Gallery As at all me & thee coffeehouse events, refreshments are available, including homemade pastries, coffee, and teas.  The me & thee has a handicapped-accessible entrance and an accessible bathroom, is a smoke-free environment, and is easily reached by MBTA bus.  The me & thee is the oldest continually running acoustic coffeehouse in New England, and probably the country.   The me & thee has been and will always be a volunteer, non-profit organization sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Marblehead.  For information and directions, call 781-631-8987 or check the website www.meandthee.org.