TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS PRESENTS

A SPECIAL AMERICANA DOUBLE-BILL WITH
PUNCH BROTHERS FEATURING CHRIS THILE &
LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2010, 8:00 P.M.
AT BASS CONCERT HALL

PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH L STYLE G STYLE

7:00 P.M. PRE-PERFORMANCE LECTURE
WITH DR. RODNEY MOAG

“To call the 27-year-old mandolin virtuoso Chris Thile the Les Paul of his instrument describes only one aspect of a musician who could just as rightly be compared to a great classical guitarist.” – New York Times

“Mr. Wainwright wrings more human truth out of his contradiction than any other songwriter of his generation.” – New York Times

Texas Performing Arts celebrates the best of American acoustic music with a special double-bill featuring the exciting bluegrass/folk sound of the Punch Brothers with Chris Thile and folk music icon Loudon Wainwright III, Friday, September 10, 2010 at Bass Concert Hall. Tickets ($26 – $40 / Limited $10 student tickets / discounted tickets available for UT faculty & staff, seniors and Military) are on sale now at authorized ticket outlets, which include the Bass Concert Hall Box Office, most H-E-B stores and all Texas Box Office outlets, online at TexasPerformingArts.org, or by calling (512) 477-6060 or (800) 982-BEVO (2386).

Collecting five singular abilities and viewpoints into one musical force, Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile have established their place among the most dynamic and talented presences across the full range of contemporary music making. As performing and recording artists, composers and interpreters, technicians and stylists, they continue to push the boundaries of possibility while maintaining an unerring devotion to the basic audience experience. Even with the shifting boundaries of what is called “new acoustic music,” The New York Times says the Punch Brothers, “expand the frontier of an emerging style of what might be called American country-classical chamber music.”

For nearly forty years Loudon Wainwright III has been one of America’s most cherished music icons. His legendary wit and satirical genius have expanded his cultural reach from troubadour to silver screen regular. Wainwright is perhaps best known for the 1972 novelty song “Dead Skunk” and for playing Captain Calvin Spalding (the “singing surgeon”) on the American television show, M*A*S*H. Using a witty, self-mocking style, Wainwright has recorded over twenty albums on eleven different labels, including his 2010 Grammy-winning release, High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project. His critically acclaimed 2007 release, Strange Weirdos, music from and inspired by the movie Knocked Up, won him a new generation of fans.

Wainwright has also appeared in a number of films, including small parts in The Aviator, Big Fish, Elizabethtown, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up and the television series, Undeclared. In the late 1980s, Wainwright came to the attention of many people in Britain for the first time when he appeared as the resident singer with comedian Jasper Carrott in his UK show, Carrott Confidential, and has remained popular in the UK ever since.

Campus & Community Engagement Event:

Pre-Performance Lecture: Dr. Rodney Moag
Friday, September 10, 2010, 7:00 p.m.
Bass Concert Hall Lobby

Dr. Rodney Moag is a key player in the Austin bluegrass scene. He is the co-founder and host of the Strictly Bluegrass program on KOOP-FM, Austin’s community radio station. Dr. Moag’s lengthy article on the Early History of Bluegrass in Texas was published in the Journal of Texas Music History. That same year, he was Granted professor emeritus status by the UT Board of Regents. His current band, Rod Moag and Texas Grass, performs at Threadgill’s and at bluegrass festivals around the state.

CALENDAR LISTING

Friday, September 10, 2010, 8:00 pm –Texas Performing Arts presents Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile; Loudon Wainwright III at Bass Concert Hall (E. 23rd St. and Robert Dedman Dr). A map of the campus:
TexasPerformingArts.org/visit/maps_directions. Tickets ($26 – $40 / Limited $10 student tickets / discounted tickets available for UT faculty & staff, seniors and Military) are on sale now at authorized ticket outlets, which include the Bass Concert Hall Box Office, most H-E-B stores and all Texas Box Office outlets, online at TexasPerformingArts.org, or by calling (512) 477-6060 or (800) 982-BEVO (2386).

PRESS CONTACT:
Gene Bartholomew
512.471.0632
gbartholomew@TexasPerformingArts.org