Newport Live and Norman Bird Sanctuary Present: Mark Erelli

583 3rd Beach Road,Middletown RI 02842

08 July, 2022

Description

Mark Erelli has forged a colorful career by making the art of “being everywhere all the time” seem effortless. It’s hard to think of another artist who seems equally at home serving as a sideman for GRAMMY-winning artists like Paula Cole, Marc Cohn, and Josh Ritter, or producing albums for Lori McKenna, as he does writing and producing his own material, like last year’s “By Degrees,” on which he was joined by a host of voices including Rosanne Cash and Sheryl Crow. That song was nominated for “Song Of The Year” at the 2019 Americana Music Awards, and served to reintroduce Erelli to a wider audience. And just in time, because Blindsided combines the exuberance of Erelli’s signature sound with the wisdom that comes with over 20 years of songwriting, capturing an artist at a point in his career where he is clearly digging deep and swinging for the fences. “(Blindsided) soars on the wings of jangly guitars, heartfelt vocals and soulful harmony lines...Yep, that's the sweet spot right there. And there's enough of it to make this album matter." -The Associated Press "(Blindsided) finds him trimming back the guest list and nodding to another icon, heartland hero Tom Petty, whose influence looms large over the song’s 12-string guitar jangle and straightforward vocal hooks." -Rolling Stone “Erelli’s not going to blindside you. He’s going to give it to you straight.” -The Boston Globe "Comes out swinging" -The Boot "Mark Erelli shakes things up on his latest album...Blindsided may be his best yet" -Medium Joining Mark will be 2021 winner of the John Lennon Songwriter Award, Rachel Sumner. Rachel Sumner has been captivating audiences throughout the northeast with her exciting new band Traveling Light. Sumner's songs have been critically acclaimed, winning the Lennon Award in the folk category of the 2021 John Lennon Songwriting Contest for her song "Radium Girls (Curie Eleison);" earning her a spot in the Kerrville New Folk Competition; and being chosen two consecutive years by WBUR/NPR as one of the top Massachusetts entries in the Tiny Desk Competition