In 1993, a songwriter banging around the Chicago club scene with a twangy voice and dangerous sense of humor caught everyone’s attention. In 2013, after two decades of playing music everywhere from the taverns of southern Illinois to the honky-tonks of northern Norway, from Austin City Limits’s soundstage to the historic Grand Ole Opry, he released the highly acclaimed Gone Away Backward.

Robbie Fulks’s richly emotional storytelling is illuminated by his instrumental prowess and emotional voice. At 53, he is philosophically reflective, writing “with clear eyes and a full heart” (Ken Tucker, NPR). Don’t get us wrong, his wit is still as quick as his picking; but it’s reflected through the lens of fatherhood, marriage, middle age, and the literary voices he is drawn to and draws from: Flannery O’Connor, Anton Chekhov, Mary Lavin, Frank O’Connor, Javier Marias, James Agee.

Twenty years ago, Robbie’s exuberance for old-school country made a lot of noise. Today, his storytelling through folk and bluegrass music on Upland Stories delivers the quieter, sometimes unsettling truths of humanity. We are honored to have him return to our stage.

Starting the evening will be one of Central New York’s most prolific singer-songwriters, John Cadley.

John began playing guitar at the age of 13 after hearing a recording of the Kingston Trio—and he’s been performing ever since. Beginning in folk music, he moved on to bluegrass and then country music, playing with such seminal Northeast bands as the Down City Ramblers, Cross Creek, Texas Hots, and The Lost Boys. In the past few years John has spent most of his musical time with the Cadleys, featuring his wife, Cathy, John Dancks, and Perry Ceveland. In 2011, John and Cathy released the album “Beneath the Willows” which was followed by John’s release of “The Hard Years” in 2015.

Join us this Saturday, September 9 at 8:00pm (doors open at 7:30). More info and tix are here.

By martha

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