March 18 – 24

In 1988 Tracy Chapman proved that the market for acoustic folk music was alive and well. With songs like “Fast Car,” “Talkin’ ‘bout a Revolution,” “Baby Can I Hold You,” “She’s Got Her Ticket,” “For My Lover” and 7 more, Tracy’s music is just as relevant 35 years later. Our in-depth look at this classic album is co-written and co-presented by Rochmon’s Executive Producer, Karen Garner, and Chuck Vosganian, aka “Rochmon.” A Rochmon Record Club Listening Party is meant to inform and deepen our understanding of the history of the individual performers, songs and the stories that went into the making of a classic album.

Mallory Graham and Scott Tyler call their music “dumpster-folk and thrift store-Americana.” They make songs with a smorgasbord of instruments and stunning harmony vocals. Glide Magazine writes: “The Rough & Tumble makes like Nickel Creek meets Head and The Heart with its melodic Americana.” Our monthly Bright Series provides opportunities for musical discovery by featuring bands that are new to our area.

Fusing folk intimacy and rock energy with soul power and pop charm, the band first emerged from Boston in the early 2000s and quickly garnered widespread acclaim for their insightful songwriting and euphoric performances. Ezra and his bandmates treat every single gig like their last, attracting a die-hard following that believes not just in the music, but in activism and social change, as well.

This Austin-based, globe-trotting trio makes music “light and tight, like tumbleweeds made of velvet.” (Rochester City Paper) Their joyful repertoire blends Western swing of the 1940s with European hot jazz of the same era. They’ve toured with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, been inducted into the Texas Swing Hall of Fame, and serve as American music ambassadors for the US State Department from Azerbaijan to the Sultanate of Oman.