Carrie + Ben + Erin = Acoustic Café Evening

Intimate tour, an outgrowth of the celebrated radio show, starts in January.

By Blurt Staff

"An Acoustic Café Evening" tour begins January 20 featuring Austin songstress and multi-instrumentalist Carrie Rodriguez and Kentucky indie/folk cellist Ben Sollee. The tour continues into February and Northampton lit/pop darling and multi-instrumentalist Erin McKeown will be signing on then.

"We're thrilled to start off this tour concept with these three exceptional artists," said Rob Reinhart, producer and host of the weekly syndicated radio program Acoustic Café, which is helping to present the tour. "With Acoustic Café, I look for artists who are pushing the boundaries and have unique talents and vision. Carrie, Ben and Erin are three textbook examples!"

After three critically acclaimed duo albums with Chip Taylor, Carrie Rodriguez (pictured above) rode onto the scene as a solo artist in 2006 with Seven Angels On A Bicycle. Her sophomore release She Ain't Me was lauded by critics. On November 24 she released Live In Louisville recorded during her 2007 tour with Lucinda Williams.

Collaborations with Otis Taylor and Bela Fleck earned Ben Sollee a spot on NPR's Top 10 Great Unknown Artists of 2007 before the release of his debut Learning To Bend in 2008, which landed on numerous year-end best-of lists. Next up is a collaboration with Daniel Martin Moore on Sub Pop due out in February 2010 called Dear Companion.

Meanwhile, Erin McKeown's latest release is Hundreds of Lions, on Righteous Babe Records. A constant on the road, she regularly holds down a rigorous tour schedule of 200 shows a year.

"An Acoustic Café Evening" tour dates:

January 20        NORTHAMPTON, MA    Iron Horse Music Hall^
January 21        NORFOLK, CT        Infinity Hall^
January 22        FAIRFIELD, CT        Stage One^
January 24         HOBOKEN, NJ        Maxwell's^
January 26        PORTLAND, ME        One Longfellow Square^
January 27        BOSTON, MA        Club Passim^
January 28        EASTON, MD            Avalon Theater^
January 29        ARLINGTON, VA        IOTA Club & Café^
January 30        ARDEN, DE            Arden Guild House^
January 31        CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA    Southern^
February 2        PITTSBURGH, PA        Rex Theater*
February 3        GRAND RAPIDS, MI    Wealthy Theater*
February 4        AUBURN HILLS, MI        Callahans*
February 5        BENTON HARBOR, MI    The Livery*
February 6        KENT, OH            Kent Stage*

^ Carrie and Ben only
* Carrie, Ben and Erin