Hadestown :: A Folk Opera

9.4.11

hello again friends, some words from old jack hardy to ring in the season, "take the greyhound, take it out of town, take it down the highway where you might have turned around, dig your fingernails into the naugahyde, let the countryside slide into another time, another town, another season, another place, another reason to love autumn"

speaking of greyhounds i went to the dog races this week in london with liz wallis and aoife. when you enter you get a voucher for a beer and a hamburger, there are thirteen races in all and the dogs have names like 'garryglass angie' and 'wayward rosie' and 'talksport dream'. i thought i was doing so well having bet well on two traps but the next day i looked in my wallet and there was no money in it.

i think this fall might be pretty magical for music, i'm so lucky to get to open shows for the great ani difranco in the midwest and mid-atlantic states. me, michael chorney & the hadestown band will be bringing the htown parade to colorado and performing with coloradan singers including reed foehl, kc groves, jefferson hamer, and the gals from paper bird! and me and jefferson hamer will unveil some of our child ballad arrangements at a couple shows, including an opening set for one of < a href="http://t.opsp.in/14Gxs">crooked still's 10th anniversary concerts. hope to see you somewhere. hope you're all safe and well. love a.

6.14.2011 (from Anaïs's monthly newsletter)

hey sweet friends!

last night me and my friend robert rolled down I35 to this venue gruene hall (we're in TX) in the funniest tan station wagon ive ever seen. it was hot and sweaty but the windows were wide and people could smoke out of them and everyone was in a good mood because of: GUY CLARK. i was more familiar with him as a legend than with his actual songs but then every song was impossibly great and people sang along loudly and it was not annoying at all. also i got iced by my friend from the KFF and had to take a knee on the barroom floor.

very excited to play three solo shows in tx coming up this weekend:

THURS 6.16 7:30 PM ~ HOUSTON, TX ~ MCGONIGEL'S MUCKY DUCK
FRI 6.17. 9 PM ~ DALLAS, TX ~ CITY TAVERN
SAT 6.18 9:30 PM ~ AUSTIN, TX ~ CACTUS CAFE

then in july! first a house show, and then, a tour of california with three beautiful friends joining me as my backing band: jefferson hamer, rachel ries, and sam cooper! bhi bhiman opens some of these shows, bound to be awesome!

7.2. 8 PM ~ WILLIAMSTOWN, MA ~ HOUSE CONCERT
7.6. 10 PM ~ SAN FRANCISCO, CA ~ SLIM'S
7.7 8 PM ~ SAN DIEGO, CA ~ ANTHOLOGY
7.8 6:45 PM ~ SANTA BARBARA, CA ~ SOHO RESTAURANT & MUSIC CLUB
7.9 8 PM ~ PASADENA, CA ~ LEVITT PAVILION
7.10 7:40 PM ~ SANTA MONICA, CA ~ MCCABE'S

see you guys there i hope! giant thank yous! have a nice hot summer, love, anais

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4.27.2011 (from anaïs's monthly newsletter)

we had a party last night, it was raining outside, there was a full kit, upright bass piano banjo electric and acoustic guitars, we played a lot of songs in the living room, i kept picking up the fiddle and putting it down cos i was afraid i would drive our guests away if i played it too long, thats good to remember if anyone ever overstays their welcome. our one friend bob was telling us about skunk catching, apparently he is really good at it and has developed a reputation, he puts a piece of bacon in a have-a-heart trap, actually more than one piece (have a heart) and he covers the trap with a blanket cos skunks if they cant see you dont feel threatened so they dont spray even if theyre disconcerted. he charges $11 per skunk he catches and releases elsewhere which seems like a steal to me and then we were thinking what he should do is go further by charging people a tax to NOT release the skunk at their house and he could really clean up.
hey friends, very excited about the upcoming run of hadestown concerts with michael chorney & the htown orchestra and some special guests as well! also cant wait to get back to england and ireland, m. chorney joins me at some of these shows including dublin and london, we'll play a mix of htown songs, old songs, brand new ones and so on.
thanks again for your support my friends. xoa

Very Special Music of Hadestown Shows!
THU 5.5.11 8:30 PM : Higher Ground : S. Burlington, VT
"Hadestown Works For Women" ~ We play the music of Hadestown to benefit the worthy VT Works For Women! Featuring Michael Chorney & the Hadestown Orchestra; M. Chorney band opens!
FRI 5.6.11 8 PM : Me & Thee Coffeehouse : Marblehead, MA
The music of Htown featuring very special guests Tim Gearan, Amy Correia, Jefferson Hamer, & Dinty Child, & Michael Chorney & the Htown Orchestra! M. Chorney band opens!
SAT 5.7.11 7:45 PM : Memorial Hall : Shelburne Falls, MA
Signature Sounds presents the music of Htown featuring M. Chorney and the Htown Orchestra! Dennis Crommett opens!

UK/Ireland Tour
SAT 5.28.11 7 PM : Southbank Center : London, England
"In Search of Nic Jones" ~ A tribute to this master involving many English folk luminaries. Anaïs sings three songs.
SUN 5.29.11 8 PM : The Pleasance : Edinburgh, Scotland
TUE 5.31.11 8 PM : Brudenell Social Club : Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
WED 6.1.11 7:30 PM : Hare & Hounds : Kings Heath, Birmingham, United Kingdom
THU 6.2.11 8 PM : No Alibis Bookstore : Belfast, United Kingdom
Isobel Anderson opens, M. Chorney accompanies!
FRI 6.3.11 8 PM : The Sugar Club : Dublin, Ireland
M. Chorney accompanies!
SAT 6.4.11 7:30 PM : Bush Hall : London, England
M. Chorney accompanies!
MON 6.6.11 7:30 PM : St. Bonaventure's Parish Social Club : Bristol, England
M. Chorney accompanies!
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2.1.2011 (from anaïs's monthly newsletter)

hi dear friends in the year of the rabbit

i'm in the studio with todd (sickafoose who produced htown) eating edamame on the leather couch. epic run recently with all the good people of nyc, glasgow, and london loaning their voices to the hadestown opera! we are so grateful to everyone involved for keeping our little top spinning! which brings us to...

VIRGINIA SINGS HADESTOWN!
featuring my dear beautiful comrades DEVON SPROULE, PAUL CURRERI, LOUIS LEDFORD, CARSIE BLANTON, JACQUELINE STEM, CARLEIGH NESBIT, & JESSE ELLIOTT (of these united states)!
with MICHAEL CHORNEY AND THE HADESTOWN ORCHESTRA.

guys, very excited to be branching out on this tour... i will sing the role of persephone, and devon will sing my customary role of eurydice! radical!

THU 2.17 ~ THE SOUTHERN ~ CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA
FRI 2.18 ~ ATTUCKS THEATRE ~ NORFOLK, VA
SAT 2.19 ~ EASTERN MENNONITE UNIVERSITY ~ HARRISONBURG, VA
SUN 2.20 ~ 6TH & I SYNAGOGUE ~ WASHINGTON, DC

these shows are always unique comradely lovefests, please join us!

also, a solo show for the good people of brattleboro:

FEB 26 ~ HOOKER-DUNHAM THEATRE ~ BRATTLEBORO, VT

that's all for the short month of february in the year of the rabbit, love to all, xoa---
1.12.2011 (from anaïs's monthly newsletter)

yall! the sun never sets on the hadestown empire first we took manhattan now we take glasgow and london
we are SO excited about the next couple shows. in scotland we are joined by not one but TWO of the actual singers from the hadestown album, ani difranco and ben knox miller! british folk legend martin carthy will be the voice of hades at both UK shows~ i am humbled by the magnitude of this man's balladry n i cannot wait to meet him. there are many other outrageously beautiful artists taking on the voices of htown overseas~ see below!

1.21.2011 9.30 pm ~ HADESTOWN in Glasgow ~ Old Fruit Market
featuring:
ANI DIFRANCO as PERSEPHONE
MARTIN CARTHY as HADES
IAIN MORRISON as ORPHEUS
BEN KNOX MILLER as HERMES
WALLIS BIRD, NUALA KENNEDY, & SHARON LEWIS as the FATES
narration by MARY ANN KENNEDY

1.23.2011 4 pm ~ Q & A about HADESTOWN ~ the Slaughtered Lamb (London)
in which we have tea i think, and i answer questions about htown

1.25.2011 7 pm ~ HADESTOWN in London ~ Union Chapel
(last few tickets to be released soon~ watch the page above for details)
featuring:
MARTIN CARTHY as HADES
THEA GILMORE as PERSEPHONE
JIM MORAY as ORPHEUS
JIM CAUSLEY as HERMES
WALLIS BIRD, NUALA KENNEDY, & SHARON LEWIS as the FATES
narration by JACKIE LEVEN

ok also, later this month, back in the states:

1.28.2011 ~ ANN ARBOR FOLK FESTIVAL ~ Ann Arbor, MI
accompanied by my friends jefferson hamer & rachel ries

1.29.2011 ~ THE BROAD STAGE ~ Santa Monica, CA
opening for colin hay of men at work! (solo)

there are now beautiful peter nevins lino prints from the grammy-nominated hadestown package & design available at most shows~ you will love em. you can also buy them from peter's etsy site! there will also be some beautiful peter posters for sale in glasgow and london, which include the never-before-seen-on-the-same-stage lineup of singers. yes!

thanks thanks thanks, happy new year, keep warm, love anais

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12.19.10 (from anaïs's monthly newsletter)

very excited today yall. drinking tons of coffee eating fruitcake reading the seven habits of highly effective people in bed with my cat listening obsessively to the sam amidon record. new years resolution is to LEARN THE FIDDLE please hold me to this ok.
how are you guys? it's the end of a big year and from all of us that have ever had anything to do with HADESTOWN we wanna thank you believers from the bottom of our hearts. special thanks to everyone who came out and made the 'california sings hadestown' experience so magical. in case you're just joining us, our concept is to sing and play our way through the hadestown opera in various towns and cities using singers from those towns and cities. invariably these shows are rare and awesome! and so, i am terribly excited to formally announce:

NYC SINGS HADESTOWN!
MONDAY JANUARY 10TH~ 8 PM & 10 PM~ ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL
Featuring Amy Correia as Persephone, Ben Knox Miller (of the Low Anthem) as Hades, Jefferson Hamer as Orpheus, Jesse Elliott (of These United States) as Hermes, Sometymes Why (Aoife O'Donovan, Ruthy Merenda, and Kristin Andreassen) as the Fates, music director Michael Chorney, producer Todd Sickafoose, and the Hadestown Orchestra!

note that ben knox miller is taking on a whole nuther role from the hermes one he sang on the record. he had a deep dark desire to sing hades! i love that! two shows in a row and you can get a special ticket if you wanna see both. dear guys, i advise you to get tix in advance for these shows, it's a smallish room, and very likely to sell out. tix available here:
BUY TIX NOW FROM THE ROCKWOOD

also, i'll be performing two solo shows on new year's eve in my home state! new songs and old.

DEC 31 4 PM ~ SMILIE AUDITORIUM ~ MONTPELIER, VT
DEC 31 9 PM ~ UNITARIAN CHURCH ~ BURLINGTON, VT

i'll be in touch very soon about more special hadestown concerts. here's a heads up tho:

JAN 21 HADESTOWN IN GLASGOW AT CELTIC CONNECTIONS
with Ani Difranco, Martin Carthy, Ben Knox Miller, Iain Morrison, Wallis Bird, Nuala Kennedy, and Sharon Lewis

JAN 25 HADESTOWN IN LONDON AT UNION CHAPEL
with Martin Carthy, Jim Moray, Jim Causley, Wallis Bird, Nuala Kennedy, Sharon Lewis, more TBA

FEB 17-20 VIRGINIA SINGS HADESTOWN
with Devon Sproule, Paul Curreri, Louis Ledford, Carsie Blanton, Jacqueline Stem, Carleigh Nesbit, more TBA

lots of love my friends. see you out there. xoa

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12.9.10 (from anaïs' monthly newsletter)

forgive the intrusion guys just a little quick news

one, we're all very bubbly cos the hadestown record which came out earlier this year is getting a little end of year attention... we made paste's top 50 at no. 41 and the london times' top ten at no. 9 hooray! thanks to all you believers and supporters for getting this thing out into the world. also you may have heard that the record's artwork and packaging design was nominated for a grammy! brian grunert and peter nevins, you are my heroes. you have gotta see the gorgeous lino prints peter made for the record, they're on his site and we'll have em at upcoming shows...!

speaking of which... this weekend... CALIFORNIA SINGS HADESTOWN from start to finish in three different towns! if you are even remotely curious you should check this out here's why!

todd sickafoose, producer of the hadestown record, has this unbelievable band called tiny resistors, and these guys are gonna play a set of music before the opera set, at the great american music hall in san francisco! i mean we are talkin, jenny scheinman, alli miller, ara anderson, JHNO, killer!

ben t. matchstick, director of the hadestown stage show, is gonna be with us in LA and sing his old hermes role!

there will be fourteen of us, seven singers, six in the band, our driver gingus, and a great pyrenees puppy, in a fifteen passenger van, and also, on the stage (well not the dog, or gingus on the stage). i mean we are talkin sean hayes, thao nguyen, john elliott, sara stranovsky, holland greco, and sophie holt, and michael chorney and his band. we're doing this because we're irrational and we want to! so, come hang out, here's where you can get tix:
12.10 santa monica mccabes.com ---
11.16.2010 (from anaïs' monthly newsletter)
super excited about this guys!

december 10th, 11th, and 12th, we are gonna have a chance to do some really special shows... singing and playing the whole hadestown folk opera from start to finish in three california towns with some beautiful amazing california artists taking on the roles of the characters!

the shows will feature: sean hayes, thao nguyen, john elliott, sara stranovsky, holland greco, sophie holt and of course myself and michael chorney and the hadestown orchestra including hadestown producer todd sickafoose at 1 or 2 shows...! WOAH i am so in love with this it's gonna be epic!

please come join us or if you can't come yourself, tell all your california friends to come, or, come yourself, AND bring all your california friends, here are the times and places:

DECEMBER 10TH ~ MCCABE'S ~ SANTA MONICA, CA
DECEMBER 11TH ~ LOBERO THEATRE ~ SANTA BARBARA, CA
DECEMBER 12TH ~ GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC HALL ~ SAN FRANCISCO, CA

see you guys there. love anais
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10.21.2010
(from anaïs's monthly newsletter)

it's the middle of the night in london, night off in a quiet house. it was overcast today, i went in a park, there were ducks, people with prams and dogs, plus some kind of english rodent i didn't really recognize but mightve been a plain english rat. also today i traded a bunch of music with my friend (am i supposed to admit that?), i gave him reed foehl, amy correia, and horse feathers and he gave me laura marling (wow. wow), felice brothers, actually he gave me a ton of stuff it wasn't quite a fair trade. anyway speaking of horse feathers, this note is to tell you that next month, ta ta ta tum, i'm so excited to be supporting those very same guys on a pretty wide ranging little tour they're doing with their new record thistled spring! i met them at sxsw, they are pure hearted wonderful haunting musicians, i really can't wait to hear them play again and again. come hang out with us! most of the tour i'll be solo but for five shows between montreal and new york i'll have my great friends jefferson hamer and rachel ries for a little band. also, the tour winds up in charleston, wv at mountain stage, where my friends michael chorney and the hadestown band will meet me to play some htown songs on the great american airwaves.
thank you 1,000,000. take care out there love anais. dates below.

supporting horse feathers:

WED 11.3.10 8 PM
Cedar Cultural Center
Minneapolis, MN

THU 11.4.10 7 PM
Schubas
Chicago, IL

FRI 11.5.10 8 PM
The Union
Naperville, IL

SAT 11.6.10 9:30 PM
Der Rathskeller
Madison, WI

MON 11.8.10 9:15 PM
Drake Hotel
Toronto, ON

TUE 11.9.10 9 PM
Il Motore
Montreal, QC
accompanied by jefferson hamer and rachel ries

WED 11.10.10 8:45 PM
Higher Ground
South Burlington, VT
accompanied by jefferson hamer and rachel ries

THU 11.11.10 9 PM
Middle East Downstairs
Cambridge, MA
accompanied by jefferson hamer and rachel ries

FRI 11.12.10 8:45 PM
Music at Lilly Pads
Peace Dale, RI
accompanied by jefferson hamer and rachel ries

SAT 11.13.10 10 PM
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY
accompanied by jefferson hamer and rachel ries

MON 11.15.10 9 PM
The Southern
Charlottesville, VA

TUE 11.16.10
Local 506
Chapel Hill, NC

WED 11.17.10 8:30 PM
The Grey Eagle
Asheville, NC

THU 11.18.10 9:30 PM
The Earl
Atlanta, GA

SAT 11.20.10 7 PM
3rd & Lindsley
Nashville, TN

SUN 11.21.10 7 PM
Mountain Stage
Cultural Center Theater
Charleston, WV
with michael chorney and the hadestown orchestra! playing htown songs.

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10.7.10

(from anaïs's monthly newsletter)

october is cold in vermont. n's honkytonk band is rehearsing in the living room with a fire going, they sound so good, i'm only afraid the cats will not come home because of the amps, but, the cats chose the honkytonk life, they can't really complain.
maybe you guys have heard about the international day of action for climate change solutions 10.10.10? the idea is to have big work parties all over the world and actually get projects going but ALSO send a message to legislators that the we are all expecting some serious legislation on this shit, you can find out more at 350.org! i haven't figured out what i'm doin but i think i'll be in new york, if anyone has ideas let me know.
in october i'm playing england scotland italy and germany. SO excited to do a real trip over there with the hadestown record in my suitcase, and very fitting and awesome that i'll be joined for many of these shows by my friend michael chorney on guitar, m is the man who did the orchestral arrangement of the opera.
and also this weekend i'm singing two john lennon songs in new york, i won't tell you which ones, but i will say i think i'm a bit nervous about it, doing him justice i guess, kimya dawson is on the same bill, and i actually had an anxiety dream last night about it, involving kimya, who i've never met.
as always thanks for your support, it means the world to me. hadestown album donors of $100 and up if you have not received your lino prints please write to: slim@shotclockmanagement and give us your address. terribly sorry if anyone has been missed, we will get em all out. with love from anaïs.
ALL THE DATES ARE BELOW...!

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9.20.10

UK/EUROPE OCTOBER DATES
anaïs is thrilled to be accompanied for the first leg of this tour by guitarist michael chorney, the man behind the orchestral arrangements of hadestown!

10.15 ~ The Local ~ London, UK ~ w/ michael chorney
10.16 ~ The Band Room ~ Kirkbymoorside, UK ~ w/ michael chorney
10.17 ~ A Nation of Shopkeepers ~ Leeds, UK ~ w/ michael chorney
10.18 ~ St. Bonaventures ~ Bristol, UK ~ w/ michael chorney
10.19 ~ Hare & Hounds ~ Birmingham, UK ~ w/ michael chorney
10.20 ~ Komedia ~ Brighton, UK ~ w/ michael chorney
10.23 ~ La Suoneria ~ Torino, Italy
10.25 ~ La Salumeria ~ Milan, Italy
10.27 ~ Bang Bang ~ Berlin, Germany
10.28 ~ The Maze ~ Nottingham, UK
10.29 ~ Cluny Theatre ~ Newcastle, UK
10.31 ~ Pleasance Theatre ~ Edinburgh, UK
11.1 ~ Green Hotel ~ Kinross, UK

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8.28.10

(from anais' monthly newsletter)

just getting home from two weeks in vancouver with jefferson hamer and john raham, me n j finally recorded these british ballads we've been talking about forever. cannot wait to share with you but it will be awhile.

how are you guys? thanks for reading this thing. hey i have good news for the hadestown donors, the peter nevins linocuts are finished and they are absolutely stunning! so i will send your much much belated thank you gifts right away like next week! peter is a tremendous artist in case you haven't noticed here is his website. speaking of hadestown i am very excited to be doing two weekends of shows in the later part of the month with the hadestown orchestra/michael chorney sextet! at these special shows we will play the htown opera from start to finish, and you'll hear the beautiful orchestral arrangements of michael chorney for guitar drums bass cello viola and trombone. the band also opens most of these shows with michael's instrumental compositions.

and before that i'm hitting the road with my two friends again for pt. II of our summer's end 2010 tour, if you don't know them jefferson is a brooklyn based tele playing folkrockstar and rachel is a beautiful chicago based multi-instrumental prairie queen (ha that's funny cos it sounds like faerie queen) and they both sing circles around me which makes it so fun to sing with them. also we have some beautiful hand-silkscreened posters designed by our friend cassie jenkins, you gotta take them off my hands, or i'm gonna have to wallpaper a room with them, and they are way too beautiful for that.

as always i'm unspeakably grateful for your support. hope you're well, wishin you well, love, anais

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7.27.10

(from anais' monthly newsletter)

this little kid came up to me and jefferson and one of the guys from low anthem in the lobby of a hotel yesterday in harrisburg and he said hey are you guys in a band?! and then he wanted to know which one. we didn't have our instruments and it made me feel funny and good that we just looked like musicians to this little kid. i told him we didn't have a band name yet cos i thought he would be disappointed if i said my name. i always wanted to be in a band called 'the bangs' or 'lovechild' but it hasn't happened yet.

speaking of bands i'm excited to be doing some shows in august and september with a small band made up of two of my dear friends, jefferson hamer on electric guitar and voice and rachel ries on half-kit, wurlitzer, and voice. both of those guys are beautiful songwriters in their own right and have no business being in my band but they are doing it anyway and they will be opening some of the shows. rachel and i made a little vinyl project called country ep together in 2008 and jefferson & i are getting ready to record a collection of traditional ballads together in august so the whole thing is kind of all in the family and i can't wait, rachel actually learned to play drums for this tour!

we're doing shows in august in the pacific northwest and then some in early september in the midwest. "summer's end 2010". THEN, later in september, hadestown rides again, i'll be joined by hadestown arranger & orchestrator michael chorney and his beautiful sextet orchestra for some operatic happenings. oh also speaking of hadestown, i made a video with the awesome seattle-based clyde petersen, for the 'flowers' track from hadestown. it is debuting on spinner.com right now i think, check it out if you want: flowers

also, some lovely festivals, including michigan womyn's which is legendary, and, a benefit for my elementary school.

hope to see your shining face, xa

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7.2.10

We're honored to announce that Anais will be working with the wonderful Paul Fenn of Asgard Promotions for UK/Europe booking! Paul books a ferociously talented group of artists including Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris and Richard Thompson. Wicked exciting.

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6.25.10

(from anais' monthly newsletter)

right now i'm making a giant pinata for my friend's wedding in the shape of a carrot. hope they let me take it on the plane tomorrow to colorado. for you mountain people, bad and good news: the colorado springs show tomorrow night has been canceled, BUT i'm excited get to play in denver instead for the swallow hill guys who seem to be running a pretty amazing operation in denver. supporting famous scotsmen old blind dogs!

i'm honored to be sharing some shows this month with my good friends mike & ruthy who are both incredible songwriters and players and singers of songs! if you wanna see me, kristen andreassan and dinty child doing the last two verses of mike merenda's excellent song 'crutch', you can see it on youtube. we actually sang the whole thing but someone forgot to turn on the camera. you can see my debut on the spoons tho.

also very excited to do a bit of a sneak preview of me and jefferson hamer's traditional folk ballad project in-the-works at jalopy in brooklyn. lots of sex, pregnancy, death, elves n fairies in the ballads, you will not be disappointed.
also to open up for the beautiful low anthem again. of course i am forever indebted to ben knox miller of the low anthem, who plays the growly voiced hermes on the hadestown record!

hope to see you guys round. thanks for your ongoing support. love anais

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5.27.10
ETOWN BRINGS LIVE RADIO SHOW TAPING EXPERIENCE BACK TO THE FLYNN THEATRE WITH MUSIC AND MORE FEATURING PERFORMANCES FROM STEVE EARLE, ANAIS MITCHELL AND ALLISON MOORER Presented by ‘The Point,’ this event is held in conjunction with Slow Money’s national gathering Local hero Anais Mitchell will play selections from ‘Hadestown’ for eTown’s national audience at over 270 syndicated stations FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Roger Menell, etown, 303-443-8696, roger@etown.org WHO: eTown Radio Show WHAT: eTown brings its unique radio variety show live to Burlington. Hosts Nick and Helen Forster lead the festivities which include a set of live music from each guest artist, up close and personal interviews and behind the scenes action. The show also features this week’s inspirational e-chievement award presentation to a community-based problem solver. WHERE: Flynn Center, 153 Main St., Burlington, 802-863-5966, www.flynntix.org WHEN: Wednesday June 9, 7:00 pm COST: $23.25 - $28.50, including preservation fee and box office charge Steve Earle is a prolific, populist singer/songwriter who has successfully blurred the lines between country, roots rock and even bluegrass. His latest release 'Townes' was honored with a Grammy Award in the Best Contemporary Folk category. This honor marks Earle's third consecutive Grammy win ('The Revolution Starts Now' and 'Washington Square Serenade' were both awarded the Grammy in the same category). About 'Townes' Earle says, "This may be one of the best records I've made. That hurts a singer-songwriter's feelings. Then again, it's some consolation that I cherry picked through the career of one of the best songwriters that ever lived." eTown is pleased to showcase Vermont native Anais Mitchell for its tremendous national listening audience. From her current home base in a 200-year-old farmhouse in rural Vermont, Anais Mitchell writes songs that are as intimate as conversations and as rich in detail as short stories. The daughter of 'hippie back-to-the-landers' whose father was a novelist and English professor, she remembers her family's home containing "a library full of novels and lots of old folk and psychedelic albums." No surprise then that the reference points of her music may seem to come from all over the map while still interconnected: the country ballads of the Carter Family, cabaret of Brecht and Weill, Randy Newman, Pink Floyd's The Wall and the intricately crafted tales of her namesake, bohemian feminist Anais Nin to name a few. All of these influences come together in 'Hadestown,' Mitchell's epic 'folk opera' retelling of the Orpheus myth, a new album made with an all-star cast including Ani DiFranco, Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) and Greg Brown. Allison Moorer first captured significant attention with her song 'A Soft Place To Fall' in the 1998 film 'The Horse Whisperer.' Moorer appeared in the film as well and the song garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. Moorer has been featured on releases by Joan Baez, Kid Rock, The Chieftains and Los Straightjackets' and has continued to appear in films and plays. Her new release 'Crows,' out on Ryko Records, has been praised by Billboard as a "sophisticated pop-flavored outing marked by intricate arrangements and delicate dynamics." Slow Money is a new way of connecting investors to local food systems. It’s a new way of connecting money, culture and the soil - a new kind of social investing and philanthropy for the 21st century. This emerging network of thought leaders, investors, donors, entrepreneurs, farmers, and activists from across the country gathers at Shelburne Farms on June 9 through June 11.

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5.12.10
We're honored and excited to announce that Anaïs is joining the inspiring roster of the Monterey International booking agency! Josh Brinkman, you are awesome.

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5.4.10
transcontinental revue show this week with the incomparable devon sproule from charlottesville, va! see anais cover devon's "1340 chesapeake st." below. show is thursday 5.6.10 8 pm langdon st. cafe montpelier, vt. special guests young republic...

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4.13.10
3rd show added to GREATER BOSTON SINGS HADESTOWN at club passim in cambridge, MA!
If you couldn't get tix to the 8 pm shows, come rock out with us at 10:30 pm on thursday night 4.15!

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4.12.10

GREATER BOSTON SINGS HADESTOWN

our htown release tour continues w/ the hadestown orchestra/michael chorney sextet! and we are especially excited about two shows we're doing this week at the legendary club passim in cambridge, MA on 4.15 & 4.16 because we will be joined by the following unbelievable greater boston cast:
PETER MULVEY AS ORPHEUS
TIM GEARAN AS HADES
KRIS DELMHORST AS PERSEPHONE
DINTY CHILD AS HERMES
ROSE POLENZANI, ANNE HEATON, & MELISSA MYERS AS THE FATES

omg! is this really happening? see you there!

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3.22.10

HADESTOWN release tour featuring
the Hadestown Orchestra/Michael Chorney sextet!

guys, this is going to be very special and fun
a sonic adventure and a long-awaited celebration!
anais will be joined at a series of shows around the northeast this spring
by guitarist michael chorney (who wrote the score for hadestown!)
and a small orchestra including:
geza carr on drums
robinson morse on bass
polly vanderputten/nelson caldwell on cello
adam "pickles" moss on viola
andrew moroz on trombone
and at at least one show we also be joined by producer extraordinaire todd sickafoose on piano
AND our two cambridge shows will feature special singers from the greater boston scene
more on that later!
most of these shows will begin with a short set of instrumental compositions by michael chorney sextet
then we put on our hadestown hats and play the whole opera start to finish
here are the dates with the band:

3.28~ iron horse~ northampton, ma
4.9~ higher ground~ burlington, vt
4.10~ marlboro college~ marlboro, vt
4.15~ club passim~ cambridge, ma
4.16~ club passim~ cambridge, ma
4.17~ one longfellow~ portland, me
4.23~ joe's pub~ new york, ny
4.24~ tin angel~ philly, pa
4.25~ jammin java~ DC
4.30~ bard college~ annandale, ny
5.1~ woodstock town hall~ woodstock, vt

hope you can join us for these special nights.

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3.8.10

HELLO WORLD
tomorrow 3.9.10 is the official release date of HADESTOWN!
a folk opera
a record of a folk opera
a creative rabbit hole some of us have been plumbing for a few years now
a labor of love on the part of many people
we are very very very excited!

hope you enjoy exploring the new cyberhome of hadestown
designed by the fantastic: weinland creative
featuring art by the singular: peter nevins
hope you find lots of practical n delightful information
and that you come back and back and back to visit
more stuff coming all the time
THANK YOU
---

3.6.10
NPR!
holy wow, check out scott simon's weekend edition interview with anais about the upcoming hadestown release! it aired around 9:45 this morning. preorder the album from RBR here.

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2.22.10

guys~

It is with great great great excitement and gratitude that we announce the upcoming release of HADESTOWN! I am gonna write a huge letter about the project soon, what it is, who is involved, and other fun facts, but for now just wanted to give a heads up that the album is available for pre-order from RBR NOW [click here] and there are tracks streaming on myspace, facebook, etc. if you want a little preview.

love,

anais!

---

opera 1 |ˈäp(ə)rə|
noun
a dramatic work in one or more acts, set to music for singers and instrumentalists.

folk |fōk|

1 adjective [ attrib. ] of or relating to the traditional art or culture of acommunity or nation
• relating to or originating from the beliefs and opinions of ordinarypeople
2 of or relating to folk music

Tuesday, 10/25, 8:00pm
Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
600 I St. NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20001
more info: anais will be opening for ani difranco!
website
map

Wednesday, 10/26, 8:00pm
Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
600 I St. NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20001
more info: anais will be opening for ani difranco!
website
map

Friday, 11/18, 8:00pm
Somerville Theatre
55 Davis Square
Somerville, MA 02144
more info: Hadestown! featuring anais, michael chorney, and the hadestown orchestra!
website
map

Saturday, 11/19, 8:00pm
The Bushnell - Autorino Great Hall
166 Capitol Ave.
Hartford, CT 06106
more info: FREE concert of Hadestown! featuring anais, michael chorney, and the hadestown orchestra!
website
map

Sunday, 11/20, 7:00pm
Le Poisson Rouge
158 Bleecker St.
New York, NY 10012
more info: Hadestown! featuring anais, michael chorney, and the hadestown orchestra! guest artists tba!
website
map

Friday, 12/30, 8:00pm
Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center
7320 Mountain Rd.
Stowe, VT 05672
more info: anais will be performing a solo set.
website
map

Saturday, 12/31, 5:00pm
First Congregational Church
38 S. Winooski Ave.
Burlington, VT 05401
more info: anais will be performing a solo set at first night burlington!
website
map

Saturday, 12/31, 9:00pm & 11:00pm
St. Johnsbury Academy - Fuller Hall
1000 Main St.
St. Johnsbury, VT 05819
more info: anais will be performing a solo set at first night st. johnsbury!
website
map

Wednesday, 2/15/12, 8:00pm
Westminster Reference Library
35 St. Martin's Street
London Chinatown, London WC2H 7HP, UK
more info: anais will be interviewed by nick coleman about her upcoming album, young man in america, and will preview songs from the album!
website
map

Thursday, 2/23/12, 7:00pm & 10:00pm
Club Passim
47 Palmer St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
more info: young man in america record release at club passim!
website
map

Friday, 2/24/12, 7:00pm
Higher Ground
1214 Williston Rd.
South Burlington, VT 05403
website
map

Saturday, 2/25/12, 7:00pm
United Universalist Church
27 North Road
Peacedale, RI 02879
website
map

Monday, 2/27/12, 7:00pm
Iron Horse Music Hall
20 Center St.
Northampton, MA 01060
website
map

Wednesday, 2/29/12
Annapolis, MD at the Rams Head on Stage
Opening for Cowboy Junkies
website

Thursday, 3/1/12, 7:00pm
Tin Angel
20 S. 2nd St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106
more info: Hadestown! featuring anais, michael chorney, and the hadestown orchestra!
website
map

Friday, 3/2/12, 7:00pm
Jammin Java
227 Maple Ave. East
Vienna, VA 22180
website
map

Sunday, 3/4/12, 7:00pm
Culture Center Theater
1900 Kanawha Blvd. East
Charleston, WV 25311
more info:anais will be playing with rich robinson (the black crowes), cowboy junkies, and paul kelly.
website
map

Wednesday, 3/21/12, 7:30pm
The Arden Theatre
5 Anne St.
Alberta, Canada
more info: Hadestown! featuring anais, michael chorney, and the hadestown orchestra!
website
map

Thursday, 3/22/12, 7:30pm
The Arden Theatre
5 Anne St.
Alberta, Canada
more info: Hadestown! featuring anais, michael chorney, and the hadestown orchestra!
website

Friday, 3/23/12, 8:00pm
Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre
401 First St. SE
Medicine Hat, AB T1A 0A8, Canada
more info: Hadestown! featuring anais, michael chorney, and the hadestown orchestra!
website
map

Sunday, 3/25/12, 7:30pm
The Banff Centre
107 Tunnel Mountain Drive
Banff, AB T1L 1H5, Canada
more info: Hadestown! featuring anais, michael chorney, and the hadestown orchestra!
website
map










Drawings by Peter Nevins website by WEINLANDcreative