ENTERTAINMENT BUZZ
Mike Hosty Othello ’ s Norman , OK
Paul Maloy / Jeweltone Trio / The Upright Band Plumb Theater Eufaula , OK
Thieves of Sunrise Red Brick Bar Norman , OK
Maze Feat . Frankie Beverly Showplace Theater Norman , OK
Dylan Stewart & the Anti-Intervention Soul City of Tulsa Tulsa , OK
Soft Leather Soundpony Tulsa , OK
Travis Fite Pepper ’ s Grill Tulsa , OK
Shallow Side / Seasons After / Wither / Fight the Fade The Vanguard Tulsa , OK
Exile The State Theatre Harrah , OK
Shortt Dogg The UCO Lab Performance Venue Edmond , OK
Luke Pell & James Taylor The Wormy Dog Saloon OKC , OK
Ryan Hall Palladium Sports Lounge Thackerville , OK
Shirley Bales Band Legend ’ s Sports Quapaw , OK
Howard Gayles Lover ’ s Leap Lounge Quapaw , OK
March 4 , 2017
Conner Harris Music / Chase Sanford Band The Okie McAlester , OK
Erin O ’ Dowd & Chloe Johns Copper Bar in Price Tower Bartlesville , OK
Brett & Terri and the Executives Lee Creek Tavern Roland , OK
ENTERTAINMENT BUZZ
Shovels & Rope dig , pull crowds in across the region
By Julie Wenger Watson
TULSA , Okla . – Shovels & Rope , the husband and wife musical duo Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent , performs consecutive shows at two of this region ’ s most well-loved venues , Tulsa ’ s Cain ’ s Ballroom on March 24 and Fayetteville ’ s George ’ s Majestic on March 25 . Mixing folk with a serious dose of rock & roll and just enough country , this South Carolina-based pair produces a powerhouse sound and a high-energy live show .
Shovels & Rope first joined musical forces in 2008 , marrying the following year . Their young daughter , Louisiana Jean , arrived in 2015 , and the couple takes her on tour . As a band , the two produce gorgeous harmonies , all while seamlessly shifting from one instrument to another . Their music and their onstage presence draw frequent comparisons to Jack White and his former wife Meg of the White Stripes .
Last fall , the duo released Little Seeds , a follow up to 2014 ’ s Swimmin ’ Time . The couple wrote all 12 songs on their latest , played all of the instruments , and Trent produced it in their home studio . This DIY record tackles some tough topics , ranging from Alzheimer ’ s disease (“ Invisible Man ”) to over-medicating children (“ Johnny Come Outside ”) to racial unity (“ BWYR ”), and while that might sound less than upbeat , the album is full of dark humor , authenticity and a rocking celebration of life .
“ It was cathartic ,” Trent said of the album ’ s personal turn . “ There were some songs we had trouble getting through because it was too emotional for us . That ’ s not really how we had approached songwriting in the past – we got really into writing character-based songs on Swimmin ’ Time . For Little Seeds , this is what was going on , and it was all consuming , physically and emotionally , and I feel like we couldn ’ t help but to be very raw and honest .”
The couple ’ s bond goes well beyond the stage .
“ At a certain point in your relationship ,
professional or personal , you think it ’ s maybe run its course – ‘ We can ’ t possibly write more together than we have in the past . We can ’ t possibly live closer than we have in the past . We can ’ t possibly understand each other more ,’” Hearst said . “ But in the last couple of years , that has happened . We have become even more intimate as writing partners , and in life , collaboratively . It showed me that there were new depths to conquer in our creative life and our personal life and our family life . It ’ s all deeper and wider than I could have imagined it , which is great .”
For more information , visit www . shovelsandrope . com .
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