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Community Corner

Canadian duo, DALA, at the me&thee on Novembrer 22

On Friday, November 22, the me & thee will feature Dala, a very popular duo from Canada. Although their vocal harmonies are their most immediately notable attribute, Dala members Sheila Carabine and Amanda Walther also make use of their considerable talents on guitar and piano to create a unique brand of folk that leans towards acoustic pop. They have also developed an engaging and energetic stage show, featuring funny and down-to-earth stories about each song, that has earned them fan approval and critical acclaim at festivals across North America. Sam Chase, who opens, writes songs that suggest a lifetime's worth of soul and meaning. 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.

Juno nominees and winners of the 2010 Canadian Folk Music Award for Vocal Group of the Year, Amanda Walther and Sheila Carabine of Dala write and sing in harmony best described as angelic. These two best friends met in their high school music class in 2002; they have since released five albums and toured extensively across North America. Darlings of the Canadian music scene, Dala are now poised to bring their fresh brand of acoustic pop music to the world. Drawing upon influences like The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Bob Dylan, Dala write songs that are both catchy and insightful. Amanda’s ethereal soprano voice blends seamlessly with Sheila’s velvety alto, creating the lush harmonies that have become their trademark. The sheer joy with which they perform is infectious, turning first-time listeners into instant fans. No strangers to the festival scene, they have also performed at The New Orleans Jazz Festival, The Edmonton Folk Festival, California’s Strawberry Festival and Mariposa. In 2009, they were the only Canadian act invited to play at the 50th Anniversary of the Newport Folk Festival. Dala’s album Everyone Is Someone was released in 2009 to critical acclaim. It earned them their fifth Canadian Folk Music Award nomination, a Toronto Independent Music Award for Best Folk Group, and it was touted by The Irish Post as the Album of the Year. The song “Horses” was nominated by National Public Radio in the US as one of the “Top Ten folk songs of 2009.” In the summer of 2010, Dala’s PBS special Girls From The North Country was broadcast across North America. This concert features Dala’s own songs weaved around classics by Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Bob Dylan and Gordon Lightfoot. The live CD and DVD for Girls From The North Country earned Dala the 2010 Canadian Folk Music Award for “Vocal Group of the Year”. The live album was nominated for a 2011 Juno Award in the category “Roots and Traditional Album of the Year: Group.” Dala’s latest album Best Day was released in June of 2012. It was nominated for three Canadian Folk Music Awards: English Songwriter of the Year, Vocal Group of the Year and Producer of the Year”

Growing up with the beach as his backyard, in a home that was constantly filled with music, it's no wonder where Sam got his laid-back yet musically sophisticated, easy-to-listen-to vibe that is apparent in both his albums--Songs for Someone and Every Time I’m Home. A multi-instrumentalist Sam plays guitar, drums, piano and sings on his most recent album, Every Time I’m Home. His latest songs aren’t aligned with any one genre, but they do have a common theme of the ocean, family and love flowing through them—things Sam says he tends to write about. Sam has been playing music from an early age when he started as a drummer in his family’s band, The Gathering, and also in his brother’s band, The Matt Chase Group. After graduating from Berklee College of Music and discovering his knack for writing songs, Sam set his eyes towards the singer-songwriter path and didn’t look back. Sam’s earliest influences include Dave Matthews, Tom Petty, Sting and James Taylor, the latter of who Sam has been consistently compared to. Yet Sam sings with a voice and plays with a rhythm that is entirely his own. Just a year after releasing his debut album, Sam was the winner of the 2010 Connecticut Folk Festival’s Songwriting Contest and was a finalist in the 2009 Solarfest Songwriting Contest.

Tickets for the performance by Dala with Sam Chase opening are $20 in advance and $23 at the door. 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 at www.meandthee.org.

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