LIVE MUSIC ALERT: BECCA STEVENS BAND PLAYS THE CROWN AT THE CAROLINA ON THURSDAY, OCT.15

"The Carolina Theatre announced today that North Carolina-bred, New York-based artist, Becca Stevens, will perform in the Crown at the Carolina on Thurs., Oct. 15. Becca Stevens is one of the most talented young artists in any genre – the New York Times says she is “a vocalist and guitarist who balances deep melody against lyrical caprice.”

For all of us in North Carolina, one of the most exciting parts of her story is her upbringing and Old North State influence. The daughter of a composer/multi-instrumentalist father and an operatically trained singer mother, she was born to the sound of her dad playing an Irish fiddle tune in the delivery room. She was just two years old when she began singing in her family’s band, the Tune Mammals. Growing up in Winston-Salem, NC, she spent much of her childhood on stage, singing, acting and dancing, including a yearlong tour in the lead role of The Secret Garden when she was ten.

In her teens, Becca studied classical guitar, and maintained an affinity for her home state’s Appalachian folk music traditions, while also developing her voice singing jazz standards with her peers and mentors in local clubs. After graduating from the high school program at the North Carolina School of the Arts with a major in classical guitar, she moved to New York to attend The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music.  It was there that she received a BFA with high honors in vocal jazz and composition, and where she met the musicians with whom she formed the Becca Stevens Band.

The new Becca Stevens Band album Perfect Animal, released in April of 2015 on Universal Music Classics, has been receiving a loud chorus of praise from critics, been featured in two national NPR segments and ended up on two Billboard charts (#24 on Heatseekers, #22 on Folk). With this album, she has sharpened her voice as a songwriter and bandleader. Stevens filters her myriad influences (indie rock, R&B, jazz, West African music, Appalachian folk) into a singular, electrifying sound on Perfect Animal. The album is produced by “recordist” Scott Solter (St. Vincent, Mountain Goats, Spoon) and mixed by Matt Pence (Midlake, Yuck, Here We Go Magic). Solter helped the band capture the energy they bring to live shows as well as a musical weight and intensity that had always bubbled under the surface.

2015 has been a monumental year for the Becca Stevens Band. The release of Perfect Animal was followed by extensive North American tour throughout the spring and summer. Late this month the band heads to Europe for eight dates, highlighted by a performance at the Barcelona Jazz Festival.

The Becca Stevens Band is Becca Stevens (vocals, guitars, ukulele, charango), Liam Robinson (keyboards, accordion, vocals), Chris Tordini (upright and electric bass, vocals) and Jordan Perlson (drums and percussion).

Watch an EPK on the making of Perfect Animal here: http://bit.ly/1n4BZB2

  

“Becca is one of the best musicians I know. She’s a great songwriter…it’s like listening to Stereolab. The vocals are straight and clean yet also have a modern vibe. I think Becca is destined for greatness.” - José James

“[‘Imperfect Animals’ is] an intimate rumination on our inability to be everything to everyone, all the time...the song’s jagged edges — low, scratchy guitars, jerky time signatures — complement the complicated ideals and realities she’s grappling with.”- Wondering Sound

“Brilliant, catchy originals.”- Downbeat

“Her songwriting, voice, and lyrics are like a cool bubbling brook freshening the brine of all the music you’ve ever heard.” - Esperanza Spalding

“She’s someone who everybody, in my generation at least, looks up to. She’s really a genius — I don’t like using that word too much, she really has tapped into something in a deep way.”- Ambrose Akinmusire

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ABOUT THE CROWN

The Crown is the Carolina Theatre’s newest performance space. For decades the room served as the Theatre’s original sign shop, churning out iconic posters and advertisements for movies, vaudeville, and early touring shows. Later the third floor room became a forgotten equipment and tool storage space, lying in wait for future generations of performing artists. In 2013 the Theatre finished the first phase of renovation, opening the beautiful, high-tech black-box style performance space as The Crown. Today the room is celebrated for its delicate acoustics, inviting ambiance, intimate setting, and accessibility to the Triad’s performing arts community. Warm, exposed brick walls, high ceilings, and huge lead-paned windows bring the room its natural, historical, “up-cycled” cool factor. The Crown at the Carolina is used for theatre, live music, spoken word, dance, weddings and private events."

- A Press Release