Greg Brown w/Jason Wilber co-presented by Twist & Shout
KUNC 91.5 FM picks KGNU 85.5 FM | 1390 AM picks KRFC 88.9 FM picks
**Take advantage of advance ticket prices, as they go up the day of the show!** ADV: $31/$29 MEM; DOS: $33/$31 MEM
Greg Brown was born in the Hacklebarney section of southeastern Iowa and raised by a family that made words and music a way of life. His mother played the electric guitar, his grandfather played the banjo, his grandmother was a poet and his father was a Pentecostal preacher. Brown’s youth was spread across a map of the Midwest as they moved between churches (and even denominations), but music was always a staple. Gospel and hymns, classical, hillbilly, early rock and roll, country, and blues coalesced into a simmering stew of sound. Brown’s seasoned songwriting, storytelling and music are deeply rooted in that place. He moves audiences with warmth, humor, a thundering voice and his unpretentious musical vision.
At 18, Brown won a contest to play an opening set for singer Eric Andersen in Iowa City, who then encouraged him to head east. Moving to New York, Brown landed a job at Gerdes Folk City in the Village running hootenannies. Next he tried Portland, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, but after a few years he moved back to Iowa. He recorded a couple of albums on his own (44 & 66 and The Iowa Waltz), then began working on the renowned national radio show, A Prairie Home Companion, and touring nationally. After he teamed up with Bob Feldman in 1983, they re-released Brown’s first two albums under the name Red House Records: the beginning of the now legendary folk/roots label that has released nearly all of Brown’s 27 albums.
His critical acclaim includes multiple awards, including Indie Awards for Album of the Year, several GRAMMY nominations, and rave reviews in renowned publications. His 1992 album, Dream Café, rivaled Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks according to Z Magazine, and Rolling Stone's four-star review of his album, Further In, (1996) called him "a wickedly sharp observer of the human condition."
Brown’s latest release, Dream City: Essential Recordings Vol 2, 1997-2006, picks up where the first Essential Tracks left off. It features some new Americana classics, along with other fan favorites from his last six studio albums and some previously unreleased material and live tracks. The last track of the album, “Christmas Song,” is from a previous live performance here at Swallow Hill Music. The editorial review of the album on Amazon.com states: “The final track is the improvised ‘Christmas Song,’ a live recording that captures the spontaneous genius of Greg Brown in concert.”
Singer-songwriter Jason Wilber will open the show. Jason has played lead guitar for notable folk, rock, and country artists John Prine, Hal Ketchum, Greg Brown, Iris DeMent, Todd Snider, Greg Trooper, Carrie Newcomer, and Tim Grimm.
