2012 HIGHLIGHTS
Mavis Staples at Symphony Hall
Legendary soul and gospel singer Mavis Staples has blazed a rhythm & blues trail while never relinquishing her gospel roots. Staple Singers’ “I’ll Take You There” and “Respect Yourself” rank among Rolling Stone's Top 500 Songs of All Time. Her appearances with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Presidents Kennedy, Carter and Clinton, Prince, Bob Dylan, and Jeff Tweedy rank among Mavis’ many career highlights.
Suzanne Vega at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall
Bearing the stamp of a masterful storyteller who "observed the world with a clinically poetic eye," Suzanne’s songs have always tended to focus on city life, ordinary people and real world subjects. Often cerebral but also streetwise, her lyrics invite multiple interpretations. Suzanne Vega’s work is as distinct and thoughtful now, as it was when her voice was first heard on the radio over 20 years ago.
Mike Daisey at the Huntington Theatre Company / Boston University Theatre
Master storyteller Mike Daisey weaves together a performance on the turning of the year: that bizarre annual ritual when we drink too much, resolve to change everything about ourselves, and have much less fun than we are certain we should be having. With incandescent wit and heart he explores our obsession with the future, skewering our assumptions all the way -- up to the brink of a brand new year.
Julian Lage at Berklee Performance Center
Berklee alum and jazz guitarist Julian Lage has been performing since he was five, and has played with such artists as Carlos Santana, Pat Metheny and David Grisman. His 2009 debut release, Sounding Point, was nominated for a Grammy. His most recent release, Gladwell reflects Lage’s wide-ranging musical interests and talents, ranging from chamber music, American folk and bluegrass to Latin, world, string-band tradition and modern jazz.
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About First Night
First Night, Inc. is a private nonprofit organization dedicated to building community and celebrating diversity through the arts. With 35 years under its belt, the organization has grown into an internationally-renowned festival presenter and more – delivering high-quality arts programs to large diverse audiences, offering vital arts education opportunities to underserved children and teenagers, and providing unique planning and production services to the field.
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