Melissa Ferrick brings her indie/alt acoustic show to Marblehead

By Linda Werbner

On Friday, February 12, Melissa Ferrick, a singer-songwriter and masterful performer brings her irresistible brand of indie / alternative music to the me & thee stage. An enduring and constantly evolving figure in the national music scene, Ferrick will perform tunes from her most recent critically-acclaimed self-titled release recorded in her Newburyport home studio. Boston-based ambient folk duo The Western Den open with their bewitching and ethereal harmonies. The show starts at 8:00 p.m. The me & thee coffeehouse at the Unitarian Universalist Church is located at 28 Mugford Street in the historic ‘Old Town’ section of Marblehead.

A beloved and seasoned veteran to many audiences, a classically-trained musician with a powerful voice that evokes Rickie Lee Jones and Bruce Springsteen, a singer-songwriter, producer and professor (she teaches at Berklee College of Music) with her own label, there is very little that Melissa Ferrick can’t do.

Ferrick’s 12th studio release, Melissa Ferrick, which she wrote, engineered, sang and played on, produced has been described as a ‘coming home’ of sorts. The ten tracks on this acoustic album ring with a new level of maturity, honesty and the same driving, impassioned pop hooks that have drawn fans to her shows for years and put her in league with other female power musicians like Ani DiFranco, k.d. lang and Tegan & Sara.

Ferrick’s performance at the me & thee is also quite literally a coming home for this North Shore native, who grew up in nearby Ipswich. Music is in her DNA as the young Ferrick recalls accompanying her father, who also managed bands, to jazz and rock clubs and soaking up the vibrant North Shore music scene. As a child, she cut her teeth on the violin but learned to play trumpet and bass guitar. At 16, she was already writing songs and performing and touring the world with the esteemed New England Conservatory’s Youth Orchestra and later earned a scholarship to the prestigious Berklee College of Music where she studied songwriting and trumpet.

The young Ferrick dove into Boston’s thriving local rock scene, playing with different bands, until she decided to leave Boston for New York City. There she spent her days working at Chrysalis Records and Right Track Recording studios and her nights performing at the legendary music venue The Bitter End. Her breakthrough came in 1991 when she was invited to open for the British indie singer Morrissey on his U.S. and U.K. tour. Upon her return from this whirlwind experience, the then 20-year-old Ferrick was promptly offered deals with three major record labels. The rest is history.

After signing with Atlantic Records in 1993 and releasing Massive Blur, her debut, she released a second album before founding her own label, Right On Records, in 2000. Ferrick put her label on hold for a while and worked with New York-based MPress Records. Both albums with MPress, 2011’s Still Right Here and 2013’s the truth is garnered critical and popular acclaim, earned an International Acoustic Music Award, and two Independent Music Awards. The latter album was self-produced and represents the sound she had developed over the course of her career, a blend of Americana/Alt-Country.

This prolific, hardworking performer is also known for her dynamic and celebrated live shows where she draws audiences into her inner world and shares the backstories and inspiration behind many of her songs. Old and new fans alike will not be disappointed when Melissa Ferrick returns to the me & thee stage to steal musical hearts for a pre-Valentine’s Day performance.

The young Boston-based ambient folk duo of Deni Hlavinka and Chris West who make up The Western Den create lush, transporting music with layered and intricate harmonies. With their gorgeous and sophisticated arrangements of guitar, violin, cello, and even contrabass on tunes like “Carter Hall,” their songs feel alternately ancient and modern, like a Child ballad for the 21st century. Barely three years old, The Western Den have already shared the stage with rocker Melissa Etheridge, local modern folk hero Meg Hutchinson and none other than the Boston Pops and have built a sizeable following on the strength of three solid EPs. This is also a band with a heart and concern for social justice. Last year, The Western Den raised over $1,000 for UNICEF’s Typhoon Haiyan relief in the Philippines and in December all of the proceeds from their EPs went directly to No Kid Hungry, an organization committed to ending child hunger in America.

Tickets for the performance by Melissa Ferrick with opener The Western Den are $22 in advance and $25 at the door. Student tickets are $10. Tickets are available online at www.meandthee.org and can be purchased in person at the Spirit of ’76 Bookstore or the Arnould Gallery in Marblehead. The Landing Restaurant at 81 Front Street, Marblehead offers a 10% discount on dinner if you show your ticket or receipt. Enjoy a meal before the show! 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 buses 441 and 442.

The me & thee is one of the oldest continually running acoustic coffeehouses in New England, and probably the country. It 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 atwww.meandthee.org.