Tuesday June 13th, 2023: Karen Clarke + Supports

26/06/202321/10/2023 admin

Karen Clarke is one of New Zealand’s fine homegrown indie blues women. With 25 years of live performance and two albums under her belt she's well and truly earned her piece of the heartland acoustic music stage. Taranaki represent!

It's pretty clear from the get go you are in safe hands at the gig. Mama's got you! K.C's power-packed performance is strong. Grounded. Built. Emotionally direct. Her strong sometimes silky sometimes sultry smoky vocal over driving rhythm guitar commands regard. She is firmly rooted where R'nB and Alt- Country collide. You'll detect a dalliance with folk and jazz too.

Fans enjoy hints of Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Michelle Shocked and Tracey Chapman in Karen's mahogany vocal palette as she channels Sister Loretta Tharp's 'mother of blues' on stage determination.

Blending undeniable original work and upcycled favorites Karen brings upbeat or ambient entertainment for festivals, bars, cafes, events and private functions.

When "in concert" at her freest she weaves warm, intimate audience connection as the living in her years seeps through her songs.

You'll remember you've met.

Karen will be joined by special guest guitarist Dave Allen firing up the mix on all kinds of strings!

Don Mackay is a songwriter and performer based in Newtown, Te Whanganui a Tara, Aotearoa.

He writes wonderful songs about experience and love and infidelity, and acceptance. Small country towns where the roadside motels have ears and the roads all have tales to tell. He writes about temptation. And yes, redemption, too. There are catchy tunes in a folk.country vein. And there is his rich baritone voice. You can't go wrong, really.

He will be joined by fellow singer-songwriters Beans Maries and Holly Wright. Don's songs are like pub yarns, Beans' and Hollie's are more like semi-autobiographical therapy notes

With their repertoire of delicious and delightful songs, Tony and Jenny have been the main guests in many clubs. They have performed for us on a number of occasions. They have very different musical backgrounds. Jenny was virtually brought up as a folkie singing acapella. Tony is a child of rock’n’roll, who later counted Laughing Lenny Cohen, Dory Previn, and various McGarrigles and Wainwrights as role-models.

Tony has won prizes for songwriting, we hope they include one or two of those on Tuesday night, along with songs from others they admire.