Inspired by hometown heroes and historic musicians, performances by the highly awarded singer-songwriters of West Street Live are a lyric lover’s dream. These star-studded showcases are presented cabaret style with tiered seating and a limited number of tables to create the ultimate listening experience.
Opening the series on Friday, Sept. 11 at 7:30 pm is the Henhouse Prowlers. The bond between Ben Wright (banjo, vocals), Chris Dollar (guitar, vocals), Jon Foldfine (bass, vocals) and Jake Howard (mandolin, vocals) is unmistakable after 20 years of playing music. The Chicago-based quartet continues to push forward with curiosity, purpose and a sense that the best chapters may still be ahead.
At the heart of every Henhouse Prowlers performance is a genuine passion for music and human connection. As accomplished storytellers, songwriters and instrumentalists, the four musicians bring distinct strengths to the stage. Their reverence for the bluegrass tradition is matched by a willingness to explore beyond it, creating a sound that is rooted, adventurous and uniquely their own.
The band is perhaps best understood live from the stage, blending original material, compelling storytelling and bluegrass interpretations of songs collected during their travels around the world. Audiences will step into a world of explorative bluegrass delivered with the same authenticity and intention as the traditional genre. Their travels have reinforced a simple belief: when people approach one another with curiosity and respect, meaningful connections follow. Listen to their most recent album: Unravel.
Just a few weeks later, country-music royalty Carlene Carter takes the stage in Starr Theater on Thursday, Oct. 1 at 7:30 pm. As the daughter of June Carter Cash and Carl Smith and stepdaughter of Johnny Cash, “music is at the core of her DNA,” says Rolling Stone.
Carter began her career singing with the Carter Family while still a young teen. When her grandmother passed away in 1978 following the release of her self-titled debut album, Rolling Stone wrote, “[Maybelle Carter] lived to see her granddaughter Carlene merge Nashville with contemporary rock and roll.”
Her album Carter Girl is a critically-lauded collection of Carter Family songs and originals, inspired by successive generations of her family. The album led to her feature on John Mellencamp’s Plain Spoken Tour, both as a support act and as his duet partner. She went on to record Sad Clowns and Hillbillies with Mellencamp.
Her third album, Musical Shapes is often cited as being ahead of its time for its blend of country and rock. The album was recorded with her then-husband and producer Nick Lowe and his group Rockpile in 1980. They settled into their London home, where Carlene spent a year on the West End stage in the musical Pump Boys and Dinettes.
“Long before the Taylor Swifts, Miranda Lamberts and Brandi Carliles, Carlene Carter set the standard for today’s independent, self-empowered and irrepressible female country artists — and she did so when country music, as Barbara Mandrell sang in her 1981 single, 'wasn’t cool,'” says SPIN Magazine. Watch her light up ACL 1994 below:
Don’t miss her electrifying performance! Tickets to these and more shows are available at waltonartscenter.org or by calling 479.443.5600
Other West Street Live Shows:
Adam Hood | Friday, Nov. 6, 7:30 pm
The Wooten Brothers | Thursday, Nov. 19, 7:30 pm
Davina & the Vagabonds | Saturday, Apr. 3, 7:30 pm
Nashville Songwriters | Saturday, Apr. 24, 7:30 pm