Series #16 Fall/Winter 2004-05 Blackie &the Rodeo Kings + Greg Tannen the Waifs + Jeff Black + Erin McKeown Jackie Greene + Vienna Teng Glen Phillips presents Largo Goes to Hell Jon Brion + Peter Adams + Sean & Sara Watkins + Tom Brosseau + Rhett Miller + Gabe Wicher, Alexi Murdoch + Judd & Maggie Grant Lee Phillips + Jake Armerding Lyle Lovett, Joe Ely, Guy Clark, and John Hiatt Saturday, October 16 Blackie & The Rodeo Kings + Greg Tannen Sings Like Hell, the acclaimed Santa Barbara singer-songwriter series that delivers super-talented contemporary music to a sophisticated subscription audience at the Lobero Theatre, is opening it’s sixteenth season with Blackie & The Rodeo Kings, a Canadian supergroup comprised of blues aficionado Colin Linden, acoustic guitar whiz Stephen Fearing and the freewheeling songwriting talents of Tom Wilson.  Originally formed to pay tribute to to the much respected but little known Willie P. Bennett, their first album High or Hurtin’ debuted to immediate acclaim, both critical and popular. Bark is their latest offering and the first to be widely released in the U.S.  “Stagggering,” says Rolling Stone. www.rodeokings.com Opening the show will be Greg Tannena NYC based singer/songwriter who has been winning songwriting awards all over the place. “...someone we’ll ALL be listening to soon.” Performing Songwriter www.gregtannen.com   Saturday, November 20 The Waifs + Jeff Black + Erin McKeown www.thewaifs.com www.erinmckeown.com  www.jeffblack.com Sisters Vicki and Donna Simpson and guitarist Joshua Cunningham have crafted a totally fresh and unique sound that have made The Waifs into a sold-out-show phenomenon without the backing of a major label or even a manager.  "Sometimes a group comes out of the blue and makes an immediate positive impression.  It has that hard-to-define spark, a way with words and notes, and a musical personality that hits you at first listening.  So it is with the The Waifs. This is a group bubbling over with talent, verve and vitality." Dirty Linen   "Erin McKeown has an arsenal of smart, brashly modern songs and some astonishing guitar work. Few young artists dare perform on solo electric guitar backed only by a drummer. But her playing is so muscular, her arrangements so well conceived that she succeeds brilliantly. As with all truly great guitarists, the wonder is less in her chops than in her choices." Boston Globe A gifted songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Jeff Black is a thinking man's balladeer.  His vivid, spiritual imagery, farflung perspective and passionate vocals mark him as an artist of substance."... nothing short of brilliant." Billboard     Friday, December 3 Jackie Greene + Vienna Teng www.jackie-greene.com www.viennateng.com Jackie Greene is "a 23 year old phenom who reveals an effortless flair for Texas and Greenwich Village folk, hillbilly stomp, bar-band boogie woogie, or just about any roots-related genre he cares to try on for size.  He's a songwriter, plain and simple, and a superb one at that." San Francisco Chronicle Vienna Teng's music takes listeners on an emotional ride through the haunting, the ethereal, and the comforting. "That Norah Jones chick ain't got nothin' on self-described 'music-geek' Vienna Teng...(Vienna) has forgone the flash of today's music scene and opted instead to produce well-written songs that not only speak for themselves but directly to the heart." San Francisco Examiner     .......................................... Saturday, January 15 www.glenphillips.com Glen Phillips and Sings Like Hell present Largo Goes to Hell featuring Glen Phillips Himself Grammy nominated composer, muti-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Jon Brion Sean and Sarah Watkins of Nickel Creek Tom Brosseau and other special guests Glen Phillips is a local hero. Former lead singer and primary songwriter for Toad the Wet Sprocket, Glen has gone on to a steller solo career as a singer-songwriter and as a producer. He is a favorite with the Sings Like Hell audience, bringing Nickel Creek to us last year and also performing at our 100th Show.  Tonight, he teams up with Flanagan, the owner of the hip Los Angeles club Largo, to bring us a show featuring some of the young singer-songwriters who have been working on their chops during the past couple of years.  An unusual and unforgettable evening!       ADDED SHOW MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 2005 ARLINGTON 8 pm SINGS LIKE HELL + UCSB ARTS & LECTURES PRESENT “THE SONGWRITER’S TOUR” - LYLE LOVETT  - JOHN HIATT  - JOE ELY - GUY CLARK Saturday, February 19 Alexi Murdoch Judd & Maggie www.aleximurdoch.com www.juddandmaggie.com Alexi Murdoch London-born, Scottish-bred Alexi Murdoch's self-released "Four Songs" is the No. 1 seller of all time on cdbaby.com. The EP's "Orange Sky" was song of the year at Philadelphia's WXPN and is now being heard in a commercial for the Honda Element. His music has been featured on "The O.C.," "Dawson's Creek," "Everwood" and "Garden State." Los Angeles-based Murdoch is also featured on the soundtracks for "Ladder 49" and "The O.C. Mix 1." Judd & Maggie are a brother & sister duo from Baltimore whose luscious vocals and unusual pop hooks have built quite a following.    Saturday, March 19 Grant Lee Phillips + Jake Armerding www.grantleephillips.com www.jakearmerding.com Grant Lee Phillips had an amazingly successful run as the frontman and primary songwriter for the band Grant Lee Buffalo, touring the globe constantly between 1993 and 1999, when he changed directions to pursue a solo career. Grant has been workshopping his new material at Largo for the past year or so, writing songs and playing with different musicians. Both his live performances and his new record are getting rave reviews. When a kid grows up in Massachusetts, you'd think he'd be safe from stuff like bluegrass music...but fortunately for music lovers, Jake Armerding's dad played the mandolin for the newgrass band Northern Lights. "Jake Armerding displays a timeless fok-pop melodicism and one of those voices that makes you feel you've know him all your life." Boston Globe