Allison Spann, Scott Li Bring ‘The Spider and the Stars’ to Hopewell Valley Stage

HOPEWELL, NJ — Composer and vocalist Allison Spann and producer and musician Scott Li will bring music they created together to a live stage for the first time in Hopewell. The artists will present "The Spider and the Stars" at Hopewell Valley Stage on Friday, Oct. 16. The performance runs from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at 5 South Greenwood Avenue, according to the venue's event page.

The concert centers on sp(inner)ace, pronounced "Inner-Space," the debut album credited to Spann's artist name, All. Is. On. Apple Music lists the nine-song, 52-minute album as a 2021 release.

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Its story follows a spider spinning her web between the stars. The music blends layered vocals, strings, drums, bass and synthetic textures, according to the announcement.

For Spann, bringing that music to the stage also means returning to the area where she grew up and studied.

"sp(inner)ace marks the culmination of my time in Princeton — growing up in Cranbury, attending Princeton High School, and majoring in music at the University — and the beginning of my life as a professional artist," Spann said in the announcement.

Spann said she wrote these songs after graduating during the pandemic.

"Graduating into the throes of the pandemic, I wrote these songs in an attempt to self-soothe, cocooning myself until I could share the joy and connection I found in live performance once more," she said.

Five years later, Spann said she is bringing the work to the live stage.

"It is an honor to bring this music to a live stage for the first time, five years after it was written, with fresh eyes, a clearer heart, and beloved artists," she said.

Spann also pointed to the history she shares with Li, who produced and played violin on the album.

"Scott Li, producer and violinist on the album, was my next door neighbor in Cranbury growing up, and has grown into a formidable artist in his own right," Spann said.

Spann's official biography describes her as a Brooklyn-based performance creator who uses voice and collaborative art-making for connectivity and transformation. She is a multi-genre vocalist, actor, composer, producer and educator, and also holds a BA in music from Princeton University.

Li's own official website biography describes him as an NYC-based, classically trained violinist, composer, performer, improviser, filmmaker, recording engineer and sound artist. His work blends the tonal Romantic chamber music tradition with experimental ambient electronic music.

Li's recording portfolio credits him with production, recording, mixing and mastering on the sp(inner)ace songs "A Little Still" and "Find Me." It also identifies Brooke Hutfles on double bass and Adam Kantz on drums, with Li on violin and synthesizers.

The concert begins a weekend of performances at the venue. A children's show is scheduled for Saturday morning, followed that night by Red Baraat, a band whose music combines Punjabi rhythms with hip-hop, jazz and punk elements.

Tickets can be purchased for "The Spider and the Stars Album Release" through Hopewell Valley Stage.

Have a correction or news tip? Email dani.sepe@patch.com.