Presented at the historic Loring-Greenough House, 12 South Street, Jamaica Plain, MA. 02130. Built in 1760, the venue is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and has been an historic house museum since 1926. Its beautiful period decor and intimate size make it an ideal setting for acoustic music.
FEATURE – CHRIS MERENDA
Chris follows brother Mike and sister-in-law Ruthy Ungar Merenda, who appeared at Notlob Parlor Concerts in June, 2007. Just like family!
Chris Merenda got his start in the music business in 1993 as a drummer/vocalist in New England's most well hung Ska band, Skarotum. The band found success in the Northeast playing with Ska favorites, The Toasters and Burning Spear – along with personal favorites such as Bim Skala Bim and The Pilfers. Then in 1996 Merenda founded Chewbacca, a garage rock band comprised of only two other fellow Skarotum members, and it acted as a formative vehicle for Chris to exercise his songwriting/guitar playing/band fronting abilities. As he evolved, so did the band, and eventually it would come to be comprised of its current members and be renamed Chewy by late 1998. Chewy went on a tear for the better part of the following five years (chewyrocks.com) producing two potent releases: the Super Spin Punch EP (1999) and the full length Chew thousand Chew (2002). Eventually the band came to a point where a hiatus was required for a brief time though. In the interim, Merenda continued maturing as a songwriter and musician as he produced two impressively diverse solo records, The Regimen in 2003 - and more recently – Hello Freedom in 2005, both featuring his expanded musicality and broadened palette influenced from concurrently touring as the drummer for "subversive acoustic traditionalists..." The Mammals during the same timeframe. Touring with The Mammals since 2004, Merenda won the opportunity to share his unique music with audiences around the country and also had the benefit of being a band member of not only the Mammals, but of Arlo Guthrie’s backup band during the Alices Restaurant 40th anniversary Masacree Tour. He played in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and enjoyed opening for musical icons such as Bonnie Raitt, Los Lobos, and Nickel Creek. As Merenda wound down the remainder of the Mammals 2007 tour schedule this summer, he looked to the future in working on new Chewy demos and a new solo record. Select Chewy and Chris Merenda shows are planned for the Winter of ’08. The rest is yet to occur… stay close.
CO-FEATURE – ADAM SWEENEY
Adam is a Notlob Parlor Concert veteran, having participated in the August, 2007 Dave Carter Tribute.
"Adam Sweeney is a promsing young folksinger... he combines intricate acoustic guitar hooks with powerful lyric storytelling."
--Passim, January 2007
"Drawing comparisons to Dave Carter and Gillian Welch, as well as folk revival poets like Paul Simon and Cat Stevens."
--Northeast Performer, November 2006
"Adam Sweeney is one of the more talented young west coast songwriters."
--Tom May, River City Folk, WFMT Fine Arts Radio
"Adam Sweeney's sincere songwriting mixes impressionistic imagery, religious iconography and the kind of strikingly personal observations that seem lifted from a letter to a friend. That lyrical blend is delivered through appealing melodies and expressive singing, with a hint of grain to it that sometimes suggests a violin bow drawn tenderly over his vocal cords."
--Willamette Week (Portland, OR)
"A true folksinger... he weaves his words together telling stories of the times."
--The Southeast Examiner (Portland, OR)
"Great voice! Powerful, provocative."
--Portland Songwriters' Association, voted "Best Songwriter" at January Showcase 2004
Bio:
Adam Sweeney cut his teeth as a songwriter in Portland, Oregon's thriving independent scene. Heavily influenced by local heroes Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer, Adam's homespun acoustic style, gospel-tinged lyrics and rickety banjo pay tribute to neo-traditional troubadours like Gillian Welch and Josh Ritter, as well as folk revival poets like Paul Simon and Cat Stevens.
Now based out of Somerville, Massachusetts, "Technicolor Halo" is Adam's second full-length album, engineered by acclaimed producer Dave Chalfant (The Nields, Erin McKeown, Winterpills). It features an A-list band of Pioneer Valley folk musicians, including Dave Hower (Winterpills, Nields) on drums, Anand Nayak (Daisy Mayhem) on bass, 18-year-old prodigy Jacob Henry Jolliff on mandolin, Jazer Giles on accordion, and Jim Henry on dobro.
The album features nine original songs by Sweeney and opens with a rollicking cover of Trevor Reichman's "Doomsday Sunday Sermon", performed with the Primate Fiasco Dixieland band. It also features "Long Road", a duet written for and performed with Adam's own folk heroine Tracy Grammer.
The songs wind their way from the local church to the local bar, seamlessly fusing themes of faith and doubt, darkness and light, chosen sinners and runaway saints.
Sweeney released a self-recorded debut album "Places & Names" in 2004, after he was voted "Best Songwriter" at a Portland Songwriter Association showcase.
He performs regularly throughout the Northwest and New England, often opening for nationally touring folk acts like Tracy Grammer, Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem, Phillip Price (Winterpills), The Nields, and Cheryl Wheeler, among many others.
Artists: CHRIS MERENDA & ADAM SWEENEY
Artists’ websites:
http://www.chrismerenda.com/, http://www.myspace.com/chrismerenda
http://www.adamsweeney.net/, http://www.myspace.com/adamsweeney
Date: Saturday, April 5, 2008
Doors: 7:30pm
Concert: 8:00pm
Suggested minimum donation: $12.50
Notlob website: http://notlobmusic.googlepages.com
Artist information: http://www.myspace.com/notlobparlorconcerts
Reservations: As seating is limited to 40, reservations are recommended. Email notlobmusic@gmail.com Reservations expire 15 minutes before concert time, when unclaimed seats will be released to walk-ins.
Venue & accessibility: Loring-Greenough House, 12 South Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, the large yellow house at the intersection of Centre and South Streets, across the street from the Civil War monument. Handicap accessible; please call 617-524-3158 for more information. Please do not call the venue for any other reason. Directions: http://www.lghouse.org/information.htm
Parking: The Loring-Greenough House lot holds 12 cars, gates are closed when full. Parking is also available on the street and in the public lotS located behind Blanchard’s liquors, one block away and the Mellon bank, two blocks away.
MBTA: Take #39 bus from either Back Bay Station or Forest Hills Station to the Monument stop, directly in front of the Loring-Greenough House, at the intersections of Centre and South Streets.
Dining: There are several fine restaurants on Centre Street within 2-3 blocks, with on street parking and a large public parking lot behind Blanchard’s. At Centre Street Café – http://www.centrestcafe.com/ - (669A Centre Street, 617-524-9217), show proof of your reservation and get 10% off. More information at http://groups.google.com/group/notlobmusic/web/centre-street-cafe-becomes-a-notlob-restaurant-partner
Coffee, tea, water and pastries are available for a donation.
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