Rain City Tales & Tunes with Kathya Alexander, Ali Marcus, and Auntmama
Tickets: $9.00 advance, $12.00 at the door.
Click here to purchase tickets.
Rain City Tales & Tunes is a brand-new radio show which brings the Northwest’s best storytellers and musicians together onstage. Taped in front of a live audience at Empty Sea, the show features acoustic music and tale-telling. Each episode features a unique theme, and audience members are invited to volunteer for the storytelling spotlight.
Produced jointly by Empty Sea Studios and KBCS storyteller Auntmama (Mary Anne Moorman), Rain City will be available to public radio stations this fall.
June 22nd’s show theme is the other side of the coin. When you flip a story over, what surprises do you find? What happens when you’re not sure which side is up, anymore? For the answers to these questions and more, we’ll turn to storyteller Kathya Alexander, singer/songwriter Ali Marcus, and as always, Auntmama. Scroll down to learn more about what’s in store!
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Kathya Alexander is a writer, actor, poet, playwright and dramatic arts teacher. She was a 2007 Writer-in-Residence at Hedgebrook and won the 2002 Fringe First Award for Black to My Roots at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for Outstanding New Production in Edinburgh, Scotland. Kathya’s writing has appeared in Colors Northwest Magazine and she is the author of Angel in the Outhouse, God the Mother: A Creation Story, and the God the Mother Calendar. Kathya’s plays include David & Jonathan (a modern day re-telling of the biblical story) staged at The Seattle Rep in February, 2008; Dream’n (adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream-2007); HumaNature (choreopoem-2007); Homegoing (2006); A Taste of Prison (about the criminal justice system-2005), Three Strikes on Trial (about the WA state Three Strikes Law-2004); Nappy Roots: A Fairy Tale (about hair and African American girls’ self-esteem); and Little Rock Nine (children’s play about the integration of Central High.
Kathya’s goal as a writer is to investigate how living in America affects her life and how her life is influenced by her culture. Most of the stories she’s written are fictionalized personal, social and political situations. Growing up in the south as a child in the 60s, the Civil Rights movement greatly impacted her life and continues to influence her writing. Her novel, Keep-A-Livin’, explores the familial and communal relationships of a Negro girl against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement. The main character, Mandy, ponders how to be fully awake and authentic in a world that has rendered her vulnerable and invisible. Like so many young people, she makes decisions that will, ultimately, have a negative impact on her life, but that get her noticed – in all the wrong ways. The novel also explores the spirituality that was an integral part of Kathya’s childhood, especially the church and the spirit world that was an essential part of her early existence.
The Negro writers of her youth, particularly James Weldon Johnson and Paul Lawrence Dunbar, greatly influenced her with their use of iambic pentameter and rhyme. In many ways, they were the rap artists of their generation. The natural rhythms of their writing made their words sing from the page. Her entire novel is written with the rhythms and rhymes typified by these early writers. As resident playwright of Brownbox Theater, she also writes plays commissioned by the company. Because of her status with Brownbox, she is usually working on several projects at the same time. Her latest Brownbox creation was emotionalblackmale, a one-man play that had its debut at Seattle University in June. David and Jonathan is a modern-day retelling of the biblical story of the great warrior king and the man he loved more than he loved his own soul. David and Jonathan is her attempt at challenging the way the Black community perceives homosexuality, particularly homosexuality as it relates to the church.
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Ali Marcus hails from Anacortes, WA, bringing her guitar and suitcase of harmonicas all around America. Over the past seven years and seven albums, Ali has found many exciting musical adventures, such as singing with folk-legend Tom Paxton, hearing her music on NPR, and performing in CMJ. In the last year alone, she has opened for Dar Williams, performed at Seattle’s Triple Door, and had a topical song featured in the New York Times on Election Day. Her newest album, “The Great Migration,” received a 4-star review from Seattle Sound and rumor has it a new record is on the way towards the end of the year.
Catch Ali’s unique take on Americana music, filled with nostalgic 60′s folk influences, crystal-clear melodies bursting with stories to tell, and a Neil Young-meets-Nashville take on the harmonicas. Her performance will play out like a tour of the United States, from the dust bowl to the horse farms in Virginia and back out to the Pacific Ocean. With a voice like an old fashioned folksinger – loud, frank, vernacular – Ali might just make you stop and think a little bit more about the world we live in and the world we would like it to become.
All of Ali’s music is available on iTunes, CDBaby, Amazon and many other sites. Please visit www.alimarcus.com for more information.
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Named Auntmama by a nephew of choice, Mary Anne Moorman gathers audiences u
p in her blend of music, and storied southern lore. Her voice is a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains at dusk, rolling and misted sweet. These stories are conversations with memory as well as with the audience that’s enjoying them.
“I’d be a singer if I could sing, but I like music too much to mess it up,” she says. Her Appalachian roots are intertwined with the music she grew up with, many of her stories reflecting that harmonic heritage through influences from Gershwin, Cole Porter, Flatt & Scruggs, and Porter Wagoner.
The Stranger has written of Auntmama’s tales: “As a precious, southern belle, she’s conflicted and her extremes and voice boil out the sweetest words I think I’ve ever heard in my life. A real gem, she is. Glad I saw it, haven’t stopped hearing her lilting voice in my head.”
Moorman, a former machinist, management consultant and journalist, teaches storytelling at Washington State’s famous Wintergrass festival, Northwest Folklife Festival, Hugo House’s Write-O-Rama, as well as offering workshops throughout the country. She is the recipient of grants from Artist Trust, 4Cultural and the City of Seattle. Her three albums are available through her website, in local bookstores or through iTunes. She can be heard every Sunday morning on KBCS 91.3 FM.
Rain City Tales & Tunes with Auntmama, Colin Isler, and Willie Weir
Tickets: $9.00 advance, $12.00 at the door.
Click here to purchase tickets.
Rain City Tales & Tunes is a brand-new radio show which brings the Northwest’s best storytellers and musicians together onstage. Taped in front of a live audience at Empty Sea, the show features acoustic music and tale-telling. Each episode features a unique theme, and audience members are invited to volunteer for the storytelling spotlight.
Produced jointly by Empty Sea Studios and KBCS storyteller Auntmama (Mary Anne Moorman), Rain City will be available to public radio stations this fall.
June 15th’s theme is “You Win Some, You Lose Some,” featuring storyteller Willie Weir and singer-songwriter Colin Isler.
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Seattle native Colin Isler began playing music before he could read. As a 4 year-old Colin’s cello was almost larger than him, but as he grew older, and taller, his love for music also grew, prompting him to learn the guitar and
harmonica. Over the years Colin has performed and recorded a wide variety of music, from post rock to classical, with many different Seattle groups including The Head and the Heart, Post Harbor, Conrad Ford, Rebels &
Scientists, and The Tallest Building in the World. Most recently you can find him playing and singing with The Washover Fans, an American roots and folk group who released their debut album in May 2011. Colin, partnered with engineer and producer Steve Aguilar, co-owns and manages Bearhead Studio which recently relocated to a new recording and mixing space in the Greenwood neighborhood of Seattle. When Colin is not making music he designs circuits and professional audio equipment.
www.colinisler.com
www.thewashoverfans.com
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Willie Weir has played the fools of Shakespeare and the nerds of musical comedy. He has worked as an actor, columnist, commentator, photographer, truck driver, bike courier, public speaker and tour guide.
He’s broken a couple of world records and way too many dishes. He has lived in Seattle for 25 years and lived in a billboard for 32 days. He’s received a couple of awards, but has thrown away all of his trophies. His wife’s name is Kat. His cat’s name is Deeter. He’s written two books (*Spokesongs* and *Travels with Willie*) and read a few more than that.
He shares a birthday with President Obama but rarely shares dessert.
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Named Auntmama by a nephew of choice, Mary Anne Moorman gathers audiences up in her blend of music, and storied southern lore. Her voice is a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains at dusk, rolling and misted sweet. These stories are conversations with memory as well as with the audience that’s enjoying them.
“I’d be a singer if I could sing, but I like music too much to mess it up,” she says. Her Appalachian roots are intertwined with the music she grew up with, many of her stories reflecting that harmonic heritage through influences from Gershwin, Cole Porter, Flatt & Scruggs, and Porter Wagoner.
The Stranger has written of Auntmama’s tales: “As a precious, southern belle, she’s conflicted and her extremes and voice boil out the sweetest words I think I’ve ever heard in my life. A real gem, she is. Glad I saw it, haven’t stopped hearing her lilting voice in my head.”
Moorman, a former machinist, management consultant and journalist, teaches storytelling at Washington State’s famous Wintergrass festival, Northwest Folklife Festival, Hugo House’s Write-O-Rama, as well as offering workshops throughout the country. She is the recipient of grants from Artist Trust, 4Cultural and the City of Seattle. Her three albums are available through her website, in local bookstores or through iTunes. She can be heard every Sunday morning on KBCS 91.3 FM.
Rain City Tales & Tunes with Mary Bue, Laurie Cox, and Auntmama
Tickets: $9.00 advance, $12.00 at the door.
Click here to purchase tickets.
Rain City Tales & Tunes is a brand-new radio show which brings the Northwest’s best storytellers and musicians together onstage. Taped in front of a live audience at Empty Sea, the show features acoustic music and tale-telling. Each episode features a unique theme, and audience members are invited to volunteer for the storytelling spotlight.
Produced jointly by Empty Sea Studios and KBCS storyteller Auntmama (Mary Anne Moorman), Rain City will be available to public radio stations this fall.
May 20th’s show theme is about odd jobs. What have we done to get by, and how have our odd jobs changed us along the way? Read on to learn about the singers and tellers who’ll be treating you with their own stories, soon.
Mary Bue likes creaky clanky pianos and falling asleep playing guitar. She wants to sing to you about what she’s cooking for dinner or what she dreamt about last night. Sometimes carthartic, sometimes joyous and always bittersweet, this newly transplanted Minneapolitan is making a soft winter nest of music for you.
Blend the sound of Ben Folds’ joyous piano pop, Carole King’s earthy soul and Tori Amos’ quirky, intense intimacy and you’ll get an idea of what Ms. Bue sounds like. In her teenage days, songs were born out of locking herself in her bedroom with notebooks and her Fender Squire with a hot pink strap (ask her, she still has it). Eleven years later, the twenty-five year old Bue has been the recipiant of two artist residencies in Florida, nominated for Best Local Folk Act in Providence, RI, toured nationally, led songwriting workshops and independently released two full length albums with the third to be released April 7th, 2007 in Minneapolis. Her first album “Where the Monarchs Circled” (2001), was reviewed by Low’s Alan Sparhawk who said “While the last ten years have seen a good handful of new piano-and-voice artists who are endlessly mimicked, Bue has a unique feel of her own in her songs.” Her latest release is a mash of Mary’s songs and production; a bunch of wonderful musicians from Duluth and Minneapolis and a few super talented sound engineers: Eric Swanson (Sacred Heart – Duluth), Chris Mara (Nashville) and finally Mike Whitney & Tom Herbers from Third Ear Studio in Minneapolis.
This pixie haired troubador will soon be coming to a town near you since she’s paired up with Ripple Entertainment LLC and Cephalopod Records. And more songs are sure to come from her travels as she tends to write lots of poems on the road. Be sure to buy her a coffee or a nice glass of red wine next time she sings in your town!
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Laurie Cox is a humor writer, storyteller and essayist from Seattle. She is a dog walker, foster parent, ex-gay drop ou
t, former teacher and frequent performer on stages all around the Northwest. Laurie has read her gut-bustingly funny — and always earnest — stories on stages including The Moth, TumbleMe Productions, and Bent Writing Institute, where she taught writing classes for several years. Laurie’s fans include David Sedaris, who once sent her a post-card in exchange for a story.
Laurie’s chapbook, Don’t Be a Dogwalker, is full of terribly true tales from the trenches of a writer-turned canine-caregiver.
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Named Auntmama by a nephew of choice, Mary Anne Moorman gathers audiences up in her blend of music, and storied southern lore. Her voice is a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains at dusk, rolling and misted sweet. These stories are conversations with memory as well as with the audience that’s enjoying them.
“I’d be a singer if I could sing, but I like music too much to mess it up,” she says. Her Appalachian roots are intertwined with the music she grew up with, many of her stories reflecting that harmonic heritage through influences from Gershwin, Cole Porter, Flatt & Scruggs, and Porter Wagoner.
The Stranger has written of Auntmama’s tales: “As a precious, southern belle, she’s conflicted and her extremes and voice boil out the sweetest words I think I’ve ever heard in my life. A real gem, she is. Glad I saw it, haven’t stopped hearing her lilting voice in my head.”
Moorman, a former machinist, management consultant and journalist, teaches storytelling at Washington State’s famous Wintergrass festival, Northwest Folklife Festival, Hugo House’s Write-O-Rama, as well as offering workshops throughout the country. She is the recipient of grants from Artist Trust, 4Cultural and the City of Seattle. Her three albums are available through her website, in local bookstores or through iTunes. She can be heard every Sunday morning on KBCS 91.3 FM.
Rain City Tales & Tunes
Tickets: $8.00 advance, $10.00 at the door.
Click here to purchase tickets.
Rain City Tales & Tunes is a brand-new radio show which brings the Northwest’s best storytellers and musicians together onstage. Taped in front of a live audience at Empty Sea, the show features acoustic music and tale-telling. Each episode features a unique theme, and audience members are invited to volunteer for the storytelling spotlight.
Produced jointly by Empty Sea Studios and KBCS storyteller Auntmama (Mary Anne Moorman), Rain City will be available to public radio stations this fall.
January 7th’s show theme is about families and the roles we play in them. You’ll hear as a baby sister becomes a wise elder, the family jester becomes the family hardass, and the ancient bigot becomes something else entirely. Neo-oldtime prodigies Cahalen Morrison & Eli West will share their tight harmonies and banjo-driven tunes with us, telling their stories through haunting melody.
Cahalen Morrison is not like many other 20-something musicians out there. He is genuinely old-time, but from a region (rural New Mexico) not often associated with a thriving string-band music scene. His multi-instrumental and songwriting talents were developed in small circles, privately, over many years, far outside the mainstream. He shows definite influences of kindred old spirits like Norman Blake, Greg Brown, and Doc Watson that were obviously instilled at a young age and not picked up in a “back-to-acoustic” fad. But he is very much his own man, traveling and playing with a determined Western independence and an easy hospitality towards those he encounters along the way. And so it was that along came Eli West – another unique twenty-something who came by this music more circuitously, but sharing the same authenticity and Western spirit – and their mutual musical easy-goingness found some common ground in which wonderful things grow. The roots are strong, the branches are shady, and the guitars, banjos, mandolins and voices carry you far off the beaten path to a Good Place out under open Western skies. -Kevin Brown (KPBX, Spokane Public Radio)
A Suzuki violin kid that took a left turn early on, Eli West has been busy multi-instrumentalist since, sitting in with members of the Wailin Jenny’s, Crooked Still, Michelle Shocked, and others. He was the voice and guitar behind the Seattle-based Loose Digits, and now finds it quite comfortable to be in a Duo with Cahalen Morrison.
Greg Brisendine is a writer and performance poet based in Seattle. Greg has performed on stages across the Pacific Northwest and is the author of two chapbooks: One Lap Around and A Cautionary Tale.
Greg’s work will make you better at parallel parking. It will make you appreciate yogurt more – the fruit on the bottom kind. His work is always fat free and carb-free with only a small hint of cheese. When not writing, Greg is dispensing relationship advice through his alter ego: The Bitter Single Guy.
Named Auntmama by a nephew of choice, Mary Anne Moorman gathers audiences up in her blend of music, and storied southern
lore. Her voice is a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains at dusk, rolling and misted sweet. These stories are conversations with memory as well as with the audience that’s enjoying them.
“I’d be a singer if I could sing, but I like music too much to mess it up,” she says. Her Appalachian roots are intertwined with the music she grew up with, many of her stories reflecting that harmonic heritage through influences from Gershwin, Cole Porter, Flatt & Scruggs, and Porter Wagoner.
The Stranger has written of Auntmama’s tales: “As a precious, southern belle, she’s conflicted and her extremes and voice boil out the sweetest words I think I’ve ever heard in my life. A real gem, she is. Glad I saw it, haven’t stopped hearing her lilting voice in my head.”
Moorman, a former machinist, management consultant and journalist, teaches storytelling at Washington State’s famous Wintergrass festival, Northwest Folklife Festival, Hugo House’s Write-O-Rama, as well as offering workshops throughout the country. She is the recipient of grants from Artist Trust, 4Cultural and the City of Seattle. Her three albums are available through her website, in local bookstores or through iTunes. She can be heard every Sunday morning on KBCS 91.3 FM.
