Genuine storytelling is a time-honored custom, passed down through generations, shared with passion and imbued by honesty. For singer/songwriter Amy Black, storytelling - and true Southern tradition - is in her blood, arriving with an undeniable sense of history, an irrepressible passion for performing, and a whole lot of authentic soul. Black's background is as refreshingly honest as her music. "My parents are from Northern Alabama," Amy explains. "But my dad is a preacher so we moved around a lot when I was a kid. I grew up in Missouri, moved back to Alabama when I was 14, and then to Boston when I was 16. I think part of my outgoing nature comes from being in a different school almost every year from 13 on. With all the changes, two things I could always count on were singing with my family and visiting my grandparents in Alabama."
Amy sang publicly throughout her teens and fronted bands in college, but she did little with her music for nearly a decade while she built a career as a successful marketing professional. Her love for singing, however, would not be quelled. "About four years ago," she says, "I told myself 'it's now or never.'"
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Her success at local open mic nights quickly led to a growing following. Before long, Amy had put together a band of some of the area's most accomplished and eclectic musicians and become one of the region's most popular Americana acts. In 2009, her debut album Amy Black & The Red Clay Rascals paid tribute to her favorite songwriters while featuring two impressive originals. "Don't be fooled by the fact that their set list is mostly covers," hailed The Boston Globe. "Black and her band put their own rootsy Americana stamp on everything from country (Emmylou Harris's "Red Dirt Girl") to soul (Bill Withers's "Ain't No Sunshine") to rock 'n' roll (Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog"), all highlights from their new self-titled debut." And now with her new album One Time, the Boston-based performer takes her shot, makes a stand and delivers one of the most evocative new Americana discs of the year.
Join us as we welcome Amy Black for her debut show in Pennsylvania. Kwesi Kankam opens. Doors at 7:30, music at 8. Tickets are only $15 and will be available at the door. Dollar refreshments are available for sale. Hope to see you there!