Press Release: Two Evenings with Tom Rush and Matt Nakoa at Cotuit Center for the Arts

Legendary folk icon Tom Rush returns to Cotuit Center for the Arts for An Evening with Tom Rush and Matt Nakoa. In response to popular demand, there will be two performances: Monday, December 2, at 7:30 PM and Tuesday, December 3, at 7:30 PM.

Rush will be joined by singer/songwriter/pianist Matt Nakoa for a memorable evening of humorous stories, sweet ballads, and gritty blues. Known for his unique brand of blues-influenced folk/rock music, his warm, expressive voice, his wry humor, and his engaging stories and tales, Rush has had a profound impact on the American music scene.

Rush helped shape the folk revival in the ’60s and the renaissance of the ’80s and ’90s; his music left its stamp on generations of artists. James Taylor, Emmylou Harris, Tom Petty, and Garth Brooks have cited Rush as a major influence, and his early recordings introduced the world to the work of Joni Mitchell, Jackson Brownen and James Taylor. Subsequently, his Club 47 concerts brought attention to emerging artists such as Nanci Griffith and Shawn Colvin.

Celebrating over 55 years of touring, Rush’s hits include "No Regrets," "Circle Game," "Remember Song," "Urge for Going," "Merrimack County," and his big Youtube sensation, “The Memory Song,” with over 7 million hits. Exclaim Magazine wrote, "Never miss a chance to see Tom Rush live; he's got that rare one-of-a-kind quality that makes you realize you've seen somebody who really matters."

And Gordon Lightfoot recently said that Tom is “the best performer I’ve ever seen!”

Rush’s latest CD, “Voices,” (2018) includes ten original songs, described as “relaxed, tenderhearted, amusing, and sometimes thoughtful,” plus a couple of traditional songs because, according to Rush, “I don’t want to compromise my folksinger credentials.” The album features a dazzling crew of Nashville-based studio musicians in addition to Nakoa on keyboards and backing vocals.

Nancy Young of GateHouse News Service wrote, “His voice is still molasses, smoke and licorice; his fingers still coax magic and thunder from every guitar string, and he's as engaging a storyteller as he ever was. In a packed house of ‘old’ friends, it was like Club 47 again.”

Nakoa, an internationally touring singer/songwriter who has performed several solo concerts at CCftA, has garnered many songwriting awards, including Kerrville Folk Festival’s prestigious New Folk Competition and “Most Requested” at The Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. As a recent reviewer wrote, “Matt Nakoa is musically adept, one of those well-kept secrets you just can’t help but celebrate: intimate and genuine, soulful and bittersweet, a rich poetic songbook sung in praise to a complicated, emotionally present world.”

Tickets are $55, $50 for balcony seating. There is a $5 discount for members and a $2 discount for seniors and veterans. Cotuit Center for the Arts is at 4404 Route 28 in Cotuit. For more information, visit www.artsonthecape.org or call 508-428-0669.

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What:

An Evening with Tom Rush and Matt Nakoa

Where:

Cotuit Center for the Arts, 4404 Route 28, Cotuit

When:

Monday, December 2, 7:30 PM; Tuesday, December 3, 7:30 PM

Admission:

$55, $50 for balcony seating. There is a $5 discount for members and a $2 discount for seniors and veterans.

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