Loudon Wainwright III at the me&thee coffeehouse

On Friday, September 13 the  me&thee welcomes Loudon Wainwright III -- Grammy Award-winning American songwriter, folk singer, humorist, and actor to our stage. Sarah Blacker, 2012 Female Performer of the Year (New England Music Awards) opens the show. Doors open at 7:30 PM for this 8:00 PM show at the me&thee coffeehouse which is located at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Marblehead at 28 Mugford Street.


Loudon Wainwright III’s has an incredible number of career highlights.  Too many to list but here’s an attempt: He’s a 2010 GRAMMY Best Traditional Folk Album Winner for for High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project. He has two previous GRAMMY nominations: I'm Alright, 1985 and More Love Songs, 1986. Per NPR music critic, his album High Wide & Handsome was the best of 2009; it was also named among that year's best per Village Voice, No Depression, FolkWax and fRoots. The New York Times says"Mr. Wainwright has proved to be far and away the most candid diarist among the singer-songwriters who brought confessional poetry into popular song... Mr. Wainwright wrings more human truth out of his contradiction than any other songwriter of his generation." His songs have been covered by Johnny Cash, Bonnie Raitt, Earl Scruggs, Mose Allison, Big Star, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, and Rufus Wainwright among others.


And beyond the music credentials, Wainwright adds some film acting credits: Judd Apatow's Knocked Up (for which he also recorded the soundtrack) and The 40 Year Old Virgin; Christopher Guest's For Your Consideration; Cameron Crowe'sElizabethtown; Martin Scorsese's The Aviator; Tim Burton's Big Fish; 28 Daysalongside Sandra Bullock, Viggo Mortensen and Steve Buscemi; Jacknife with Robert De Niro and Ed Harris; Neil Simon's The Slugger's Wife. Television acting credits include: Parks and Recreation, Ally McBeal; The T.V. Show (w/ Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, Billy Crystal) where he played keyboard with the early Spinal Tap, which made it's first appearance on this program; a recurring role on M*A*S*H and a role as the original musician/sidekick on The David Letterman Show. Needless to say, Loudon is full of some wonderful stories which add intimacy and candor to his live shows. 

Sarah Blacker’s wondrous vocals and impressive guitar, ukulele, and mandolin playing, has gained her a remarkable following in the New England area. She’s won multiple music awards in the past year and continues to make musical waves wherever she plays. She was recently called “one of the brighter artists to grab our attention recently,” by national Roots publication, No Depression. She is a full-time singer/songwriter on the verge of releasing her 3rd album, which has already begun receiving airtime on local NPR station, WUMB. Her music video for her single, ‘Knocked the Winds’ won runner up in the Limelight Magazine’s Video of the Year, wherein she was nominated as Singer/Songwriter of the Year in 2012. She was the winner of the Radio 92.9 / Boch Subaru contest and became the face and voice of their New England ad campaign for “ooh ooh it’s love,” and was also named Artist of the Year by My Rural Radio in 2011. In just under three years, she has garnered these accolades, performed at SXSW, CMJ and a sold-out tour of Germany, and has shared the stage with America, Rusted Root, Paula Cole, Jason Isbell, Carbon Leaf, Rusted Root, and Anais Mitchell to name just a few. Her entrancing voice, poignant and emotionally charged lyrics, and mature songwriting has this artist on pace to go nowhere but up. Tickets for the performance by Loudon Wainwright III with Sarah Blacker opening are $32 in advance and $35 at the door.  Tickets are available online atwww.meanthee.org and can be purchased in person in Marblehead at either the Spirit of ’76 Bookstore or the Arnould Gallery 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 the oldest continually running acoustic coffeehouse in New England, and probably the country.   The me & thee 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 websitewww.meandthee.org.
Next concert: September 20, 2013 – Yarn – Heather Styka opens