Three Shows this Week at Fogartyville in Sarasota
Rising Stars of Celtic Music – The Byrne Brothers, Friday, January 13
The Byrne Brothers are a multi-award winning family band and Irish dancers from Donegal and one of the biggest names in traditional Irish music today. They are Luca 18 on Accordion, Finn 16 on Banjo, Mandolin and Guitar, Dempsey 13 on Bodhran & Whistle and Dad, Tommy on Uilleann Pipes, Bagpipes, Fiddle and Guitar. They are All County Champions on their instruments and Ulster Champion Irish Dancers. The Byrne Brothers will perform at Fogartyville on Friday, January 13 at 8pm. Tickets are $18 for members and $21 for Fogartyville members. Advance tickets are available HERE.
Having moved to Orlando Florida in 2018 they became the youngest ever Cast Members of Walt Disney World. American Celtic Radio Listeners voted them “Rising Stars of the Year 2021 and Best CD Cover of 2021 for Living the Dream”. With over 30 million views, half a million shares, over 56,000 followers on social media, front cover of The Irish Music Magazine, toured 44 US States and 2 Caribbean Cruises, The Byrne Brothers are making a great name for themselves in America and all over the world as a festival “must see” band!
Poets Unplugged: Voices of Power, Saturday, January 14 – 7pm
Fogartyville’s Poets Unplugged Spoken Word series kicks off the New Year on January 14th. Hosted by Spoken Word artist Melanie Lavender, the first event in 2023 will take place on Saturday, January 14th from 7-10pm. Doors will open at 7pm as DJ Rozay sets the mood with his musical mix and guests are invited to view the Streets of Paradise Art Exhibit Opening. At 8pm local poets are invited to participate in the Open Mic prior to the featured poet performance at 9pm. (Open Mic sign-up begins at 7:15pm). Tickets are $5 and available online HERE. Admission for the Art Exhibit is free.
Our featured Fogartyville performer in January will be Cedric Hameed. Cedric is a fierce arts advocate and believes that local, national, and global change can be accomplished through expression. A native of Schenectady, N.Y, Cedric grew accustomed to using words as an escape from his harsh realities. He never realized it would be the blueprint to creating a life-changing poetry workshops. “Poetry saved my life, literally! I see the world in metaphors and similes. And, when you can see in the abstract you can create. I can see the world we can all create!”
The remaining events in the Spoken Word Series will take place on following dates and feature the following performers:
February 11 – Nakenyia
March 11 – Forever Florida
April 8 – Tash Shabazz & Onyx Hadwen with the James Varnado Band
This series has been made possible with funding support provided by the Gulf Coast Community Foundation.
Part cabaret, part sparkly pop, Nellie McKay, Sunday, January 15
A sharp and thoughtful artist lurking beneath the surface of a sunny, playful chanteuse, Nellie McKay is a singer and songwriter whose performing style is largely informed by vintage jazz and vocal pop, with occasional dashes of indie rock and hip-hop. McKay’s songs are witty and stylish variations on the themes of the Great American Songbook (she’s been compared to Cole Porter more than once), but often feature pointed satirical observations on politics and society. Nellie McKay will perform at Fogartyville on Sunday, January 15 at 7pm. Tickets are $28 for members and $32 for nonmembers. Advance tickets are available online at WSLR.
Born in London, England, McKay spent most of her first ten years living in Harlem, New York, and she developed a keen interest in retro fashions and female pop vocalists of the ’40s and ’50s. After spending two years studying vocal jazz in New York City, McKay headed out on her own, and developed a following that led to her signing with Columbia Records. McKay’s debut, 2004’s Get Away from Me, was a critical favorite, but her insistence on doing things her own way led to her being dropped by her record label.
Nellie McKay has won a Theatre World Award for her portrayal of Polly Peachum on Broadway in The Threepenny Opera, performed onscreen in the films PS I Love You and Downtown Express, and her music was used in Rumor Has It, Monster-in-Law, PS I Love You, Gasland, Last Holiday and Private Life.
McKay co-created and starred in the award-winning off-Broadway hit Old Hats and has written three acclaimed musical biographies – I Want to Live!, the story of Barbara Graham, third woman executed in the gas chamber at San Quentin, Silent Spring: It’s Not Nice to Fool Mother Nature, an exploration of environmental pioneer Rachel Carson, and A GIRL NAMED BILL – The Life and Times of Billy Tipton, named one of the Best Concerts of 2014 by The New York Times.
“..funny and touching, ceaselessly clever and scarily talented.” – The New Yorker
Nellie’s music has been heard on Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire, Weeds, Grey’s Anatomy, NCIS, Nurse Jackie, and SMILF, and she has appeared on TV shows including The Late Show with David Letterman, Conan, Ferguson, and The View. Nellie has made numerous radio appearances on NPR’s Mountain Stage, A Prairie Home Companion, eTown, and Marion McPartland’s Piano Jazz. Her writing has also appeared in The Onion, Interview and The New York Times Book Review.
Photos from Fogartyville