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Abby Ahmad
Opening: Barnaby Bright
Sun. September 5th 3:00pm (doors open at 2:30)
Suggested Donation:
$15 per person
$10 ages 10-18 & active military
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Abby Ahmad |
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With edgy, intelligent lyrics and hypnotic melodies, Abby Ahmad's music is as passionate as it is profound. Bridging genres of folk-rock, blues, and alternative, Abby's percussive guitar style and arresting vocals captivate and challenge her audiences. She is at once in your face and in your heart.
Minor 7th Webzine Reviews "The Rearview"
By Tom Semioli
As Sir Bono opined a generation ago, all it takes is "three chords, a red guitar and the truth." Though her acoustic six-string appears to be natural wood finish, twenty-four year old urban folk diva Abby Ahmad comes roaring in like a reality freight train on her impressive debut long player (she has two EPs to her credit). Wistful, literal, and occasionally confrontational and cathartic, the young Ms. Ahmad emerges as an authoritative singer, songwriter, and an accomplished guitarist. Akin to her more veteran contemporaries such as Ani DiFranco, Mary Lou Lord, Tori Amos and Tracy Chapman, Ahmad does not require a traditional backing band nor ornate arrangements to grab your attention - though she does employ a moody rhythm section on a few cuts, plus atmospheric / minimalist cello, banjo, dobro, violin, piano, and Hammond B-3 accompaniment on others. Fingerpicking, strumming, and riffing with impressive dexterity and harmonic expertise, Ahmad's guitar wizardry incorporates a myriad of influences ranging from traditional folk and country to blues and R&B. Ahmad's vocal delivery, which morphs from angelic to a down-and-dirty Delta blues rasp, cuts through her often hectic rhythms and tempos throughout every track. When a forceful lyric demands emphasis: "So the big bang / in the center of the sky /i gnites a light / in the pit of your mind's eye" in the stirring opener "Big Bang," Ahmad leaps on top of the beat with a rapid-fire release that commands notice. On the dirge "Seven Year Itch" she simmers beneath Matt Zeiner's gothic keyboards and the mournful, lethargic fretless bass of Chris Anderson. If you had to choose a single it would probably come down to the brisk, overtly melodic "Solo Act," an up-tempo cut that recasts a patented Willie Dixon riff in a fresh new light. For the pure-bred shredders out there, make sure to check out the instrumental "The River Song" wherein Ahmad's blazing technique catches fire on the always challenging 12 string. A talent this promising cannot go unnoticed by the mainstream for long. Ahmad needs that one big song to take her career to the next commercial level.
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Opening: Barnaby Bright |
Barnaby Bright's music has been featured on television shows such as ER, Days of Our Lives, and PBS Roadtrip Nation. Their song, "If I Came Back as a Song" was voted 3rd place winner by a notable panel of judges inlcuding Tom Waits, in 2007's International Song-Writing Competition. They recently returned from a month-long European tour to promote their first full length album, "Wake the Hero." Fronted by Nathan and Rebecca Bliss, Brooklyn-based Barnaby Bright combines beautiful acoustic guitars, lush harmonies, rich string arrangements, quirky instruments and subtle electronic tweaks. Their unique brand of lush, indie folk is a warm and welcome wind of change. Check out their music at www.myspace.com/BarnabyBright.
"Rebecca’s smooth, melodic vocals are reminiscent of Karen Carpenter or Shelby Flint...and Nathan’s incorporation of his jazz background into Garfunkel-y acoustic compositions bring diverse styles together to the folk in the road: a marriage of minds and hands and music."
-The Deli Magazine
"Nathan and Rebecca Bliss make up the sweetly melodic folk-ish duo Barnaby Bright, whose songs have soundtracked heavy emotional moments on Days of Our Lives and ER"
-Time Out New York |
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