Antje Duvekot at the me&thee in Marblehead

On Friday, May 2, the me & thee welcomes back one of its favorite performers, Antje Duvekot.  Antje came to the U.S. as a teenager from Germany and her abiding sense of being an outsider also helped her develop an almost militant empathy — and with it, a belief in the redemptive power of sharing secrets, of pointing to the unspoken troubles lurking in the darkened closets of our lives. All of this emerges from her deeply personal yet incredibly universal music. Jenna Lindbo opens the show.  Doors open at 7:30 PM for this 8:00 PM show. The me & thee coffeehouse is located at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Marblehead at 28 Mugford Street.
 
Blending uncommonly beautiful vocals with one of the sharpest poetic sensibilities in her field,Antje Duvekot has a remarkable ability to make us believe she is whispering secrets in our ear, and we know that she believes every word she sings. New Siberia is her third studio album -- and a masterpiece of the modern folk genre. She assembled it herself with a fresh confidence enhanced by the fan loyalty displayed on Kickstarter.com. Again produced by folk legend Richard Shindell, the cinematic ensemble sound showcases Duvekot's bold, sure-footed path through emotional terrain most artists dare not even enter. "Musically, I think I am in the strongest place I've ever been," says Duvekot. “This album is even more personal than the last one, which was pretty personal,'' she adds, alluding to The Near Demise of the High Wire Dancer voted top album of 2009 by lauded folk station WUMB 91.9 FM in Boston. The new record seeps further into the heart. She says "it includes a song about my mother that took me 20 years to write (“Phoenix”), a song about my dreams of making music becoming shattered (“The Life of a Princess”), and a song about not fitting into high school (“Glamorous Girls”).'' The theme is a triumph over a difficult past. After being separated from her brother and father at age 13, Antje found herself uprooted from her native Heidelberg, Germany, to Delaware, where her home further fractured, as she struggled to assimilate, lacking English language skills or the familiar cultural sign posts from her youth. But she is more optimistic today, having found love and become an esteemed headliner in the U.S. and overseas as more people discover the power of her intimate music. No one writes quite like Antje, who was influenced lyrically by the very greats -- Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon and Leonard Cohen, who are Mt. Rushmore-like figures to her.  She calls Boston her home but is often on the road She has played the prestigious Newport Folk and Philadelphia Folk Festivals, the classic radio show "Mountain Stage'' and overseas at the Celtic Connections Festival in Scotland and the Tonder Festival in Denmark. She has won the John Lennon Songwriting Competition and the best new folk award at the Kerrville Festival as well as the Boston Music award for "outstanding folk artist".

 
One part wise old woman and one part goofy little kid, singer-songwriter Jenna Lindbo is going to find her way to your heart with a banjo in tow. It’s only a matter of time. Originally from Oregon, Jenna adopted Asheville, NC as her home before taking to the road and touring extensively with Catie Curtis. Now she’s traveling the country, hanging her at in Maine, and inspiring audiences from Key West to Anchorage with her rootsy folk songs and infectious joy. The daughter of a ready-mix driver and a crafty stay-at-home mom, Jenna had a concrete upbringing. She was the first in her family to go to college, and before charting a course as a touring musician, Jenna’s love of tall ships steered her towards a degree in Outdoor Education. While she’s no longer leading trips in the wilderness or encouraging kids while traversing a challenge course, Jenna still has a heart for service and a passion for creating empowering experiences for young people. She once sold enough Thin Mints to go to Europe (and back) as a Girl Scout. Experiencing early on the power of setting intention, she is definitely an advocate for putting dreams in motion and she aims to inspire. With the release of her first album,Strings & Spokes (2010), Jenna founded The Dream Ride as a way to help others give their dreams momentum. Literally, just imagine your bucket list on streamers flying from your bike handlebars.
 
Tickets for the performance by Antje Duvekot with Jenna Lindbo opening are $20 in advance and $23 at the door. Student tickets only $10. Tickets are available online at www.meandthee.org and can be purchased in person at the Spirit of ’76 Bookstore or the Arnould Gallery in Marblehead. The Landing Restaurant at 81 Front Street, Marblehead offers a 10% discount on dinner if you show your ticket or receipt.  Enjoy a meal before the show! As at all me & thee coffeehouse events, refreshments are available, including homemade pastries, coffee, and teas. The me & thee has a handicapped-accessible entrance and an accessible bathroom, is a smoke-free environment, and is easily reached by MBTA bus.

The me & thee is one of the oldest continually running acoustic coffeehouses in New England, and probably the country. It has been and will always be a volunteer, non-profit organization sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Marblehead.  For information and directions, call 781-631-8987 or check the website atwww.meandthee.org.