The Bluebird Café turned 30 last week, and an extended celebration ensued with special daily performances from some of music’s biggest artists and songwriters. Beginning Monday, June 4, 2012, numerous homecoming shows, special concerts, guest appearances and events took place at the Cafe, including performances by Kathy Mattea, Crystal Gayle, Vince Gill and numerous hit writers.
Nancy Beaudette was featured in the Sunday Writer’s Night show which highlighted ‘Bluebird Favorites’ including Liz Hengber and Mark Irwin with special guest Tony Arata (writer of Garth Brooks hit “The Dance”).
The Bluebird Café was originally opened in June of 1982 by Amy Kurland as a restaurant in a small strip center in the Nashville suburb of Green Hills. On a fateful night in 1987, a new artist named Garth Brooks performed at The Bluebird and an executive from Capitol Records happened to be in the audience. The executive took Garth into the kitchen and asked him to come by the label the next day to offer him a deal. Years later, Garth says, “The Bluebird is the beginning and the mecca, the end.” In 2004 Dreamworks Records’ executive Scott Borchetta saw 15-year-old Taylor Swift perform for the first time and invited her to be a part of his new venture – a label to be called Big Machine Label Group.
Over 65,000 people now visit The Bluebird Café annually. It has changed little in appearance, character and purpose over the last 30 years. The small stage still offers the opportunity for budding singers and songwriters to be heard. The Bluebird Café is guaranteed to always provide musical “moments,” and in most cases, only 100 lucky listeners will be in the room to let the rest of the world know what it missed.
ANNOUNCEMENT: Nancy Beaudette will be part of an impressive line up of women’s artists performing at this year’s music festival in Kents Store, Virginia. Amidst 96 wooded acres, CampOut offers facilities and opportunities for groups and individuals to relax and unwind. This year’s festival promises to be bigger and better than ever with performers like The Martine Locke Band and Jamie Anderson – another artist with Canadian ties!
Nancy will also offer a workshop during the festival: “Run Fly Soar” is a motivational program that encourages participants to make the changes in their lives that will enable them to live their dreams. It will take place on Saturday from 2 to 3:30 p.m.
Moonlit Pond Records & Promotion is currently booking Nancy Beaudette in libraries across New England. Nancy delivers a Canadian Cultural Program filled with stories and songs. Click on the image for details, and contact us today for additional information and availability.
Contact: Chris Hatch at chrismhatch@gmail.com or contact@nancybeaudette.com
Hadley Music Showcases Nancy Beaudette, seen here with Brian Ashley Jones (left) and Wyatt Easterling (right)
Nancy Beaudette was seen showcasing with Hadley Music Group at this year’s Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis, TN. The conference is an annual event that draws together music industry professionals from throughout the world to share ideas, network, and celebrate traditional music and dance. It is an event of celebration, education, and entertainment with over 2000 registered attendees, 50 panel discussions and educational workshops, 200 juried showcases (Performance Alley) and 300 unofficial showcases.
Look out Texas – the Lone Canadian is heading south! In February 2012, Nancy Beaudette will embark on a 10 day tour through the Lone Star State, guitar and Maple Leaf in hand. She’ll land in Fort Worth on Feb 09th for two performances in the city before making her way to Houston for a full week of performances. When asked, Nancy said, “My hosts assure me that Texan’s really know how to serve up ‘big’ hospitality, so I’m really excited for this tour.”
Check out the schedule below:
Saturday, Feb 11th, 7:30 p.m. Open Doors Productions Coffeehouse
Sunday, Feb 12th, 10:30 a.m. Agape MCC – Charter for Compassion Service
Monday, Feb 13th, 9:30 p.m. McGonigals Mucky Ducks Open Stage
Tuesday, Feb 14th, 7:00 p.m. Featured writer at NSAI Kingwood, TX
Thursday, Feb 16th, 7:30 p.m. Anderson Fair – Featured writer in the round
Saturday, Feb 18th, 7:30 p.m. Sandi’s House Concert
Sunday, Feb 19, 2:00 p.m. Guest performer at LOAF Women’s Group
Nancy Beaudette followed the lead of her songwriting heros when she took the stage last Sunday night at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee. The Bluebird Café is one of the world’s preeminent listening rooms and the venue has gained worldwide recognition as a songwriter’s performance space where the “heroes behind the hits” perform their own songs; songs that have been recorded by chart-topping artists in all genres of music. Located in a small strip mall outside of downtown Nashville, the 100 seat venue is unassuming in appearance but some of the most significant songwriters and artists have performed on this stage. Our reputation as a listening room is based on the acoustic music that is our signature style. Our patrons repeatedly tell us that they are captivated by hearing songs performed by the creators themselves.
For the past four years Nancy has been frequenting this Music City, performing in listening rooms around town and c0-writing with numerous artists. She will step onto the Bluebird’s Stage again on Sunday, June 10th, 2012.
The National Women’s Music Festival is a four-day musical and cultural extravaganza that incorporates all facets of women’s lives. It’s a jam-packed long weekend where choices for things to do range from workshops, concerts, comedy, theatre presentations, a marketplace, newly released films and videos, a live auction, spirituality series, writer’s series and much, much more!
On July 1st, Nancy put on a stellar performance to a full house! As it was also Canada Day, tribute was payed to her home and native land, along with stories of her life in Eastern Ontario.
As an unexpected bonus, Festival Organizers asked Nancy to lead the Saturday evening “All Artist’s Jam Session”! The night was capped in a high energy, joyous atmosphere. Highlights included an invitation for the stage crew to step into the limelight and join in a rousing rendition of “These Boots are made for Walking”!
Chris MacLean & Nancy Beaudette at St. Lawrence Stage, Morrisburg, ON
Whether sharing the stage or performing solo, artists Nancy Beaudette and Chris MacLean delivered a concert at the St. Lawrence Stage on Saturday, April 9th, that literally won hearts – and also a new group of fans.
Beaudette offers empowerment workshops when she isn’t on stage. Her theme “run, fly, soar” frankly struck me as exactly the right description for the musical experience she and MacLean offered the audience Saturday night.
The two musicians, both recipients of major Canadian music awards, each with successful albums out, backed each other up both instrumentally and vocally. They have worked together before, and it showed in the way they were comfortable with each other on stage and in the effortless blending of their voices on songs like “A Million Reasons to be Here with You” and “Make My Feet Be Still”.
Yet as solo performers, the artists have unique, personal approaches.
Chris MacLean’s music is often poignant. She has known love and loss and her very thoughtful lyrics and vocal style reflect this.
There is also an undertone of social commentary in many of her pieces. She told the audience that one song was inspired by a series of negative signs she saw along a Michigan roadway, proclaiming that the world is dark and dreary. “If you’re always afraid the sky will fall / That’s no way to live at all / Trust the map inside.”
MacLean has performed in Africa taking her music to Tunisia and Morocco. She has seen desperate children, hungry children, children for whom the world is not a kind place. She reflects on social matters like these in her music, but never, as she herself puts it, in a ‘preachy’ way.
There is a real flavour of Nahsville, and traditioanal country in MacLean’s strong clear voice. She sang a Gillian Welch song, with its ironic undertones, following it with what was almost a ballad, “Sisters of Charity”, about a betrayed Cree woman in the 1840’s. The musical style of Appalachia seems ideally suited Chris MacLean’s voice.
Nancy Beaudette has a strong background in gospel music, for over 20 years writing and singing for the church. The open, rich, full voice gospel style seem to be reflected in her approach to music.
Whether she was strumming a ukulele in a short medley of old favourites, or delighting the audience with an upbeat bouncy spring song “You’ve got a step in your swing / You make the robins and the daffodils jump up and sing” her voice was an instrument itself.
Beaudette is an Eastern Ontario girl, born and bred, and she has kept those roots in her music. There are memories of childhood, old friends, old places in her music.
“South Branch Road” is just one example. It is a song about the line outside Cornwall where she grew up. “The South Branch Road winds and rollls, Like the river that flows by its side. I can trace the years from my birth to here / right down the centre line”.
And who could fail to enjoy the hilarity in Beaudette’s song about her less than successful efforts to be a hockey star in college (dedicated to Cornwall Olympic star Lori Dupuis)? “Just like Bobby Orr / Shoot to score”
The Chris MacLean, Nancy Beaudette concert was a memorable and highly enjoyable one. When they performed, one could not miss the sense of optimism which seemed to run through their music. Almost a sense of joy.
The audience at the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage was attracted right from the beginning.
The Bluebird Café turned 30 last week, and an extended celebration ensued with special daily performances from some of music’s biggest artists and songwriters. Beginning Monday, June 4, 2012, numerous homecoming shows, special concerts, guest appearances and events took place at the Cafe, including performances by Kathy Mattea, Crystal Gayle, Vince Gill and numerous hit writers.
