THE WEB: Home

Friday, September 10th, 2010

Bryan Bowers

  There is a $1/ticket processing fee included.

Bryan Bowers’ creativity and talent have won him induction into Frets Magazine's First Gallery of the Greats after five years of winning the stringed instrument, open category of the magazine’s readers' poll. This distinction put Bowers along side other luminaries, such as Chet Atkins, David Grisman, Stephan Grappelli, Itzhak Perlman, Tony Rice, Rob Wasserman and Mark O'Connor, recognized for their personal accomplishments. In 1993, Bryan was inducted into the Autoharp Hall of Fame to stand only with Maybelle Carter, Kilby Snow, and Sara Carter. From his rather unglamorous beginning as a street singer, Bryan Bowers has become a major artist on the traditional music circuit. He has redefined the autoharp and is also well known as a singer-songwriter. Bryan has a dynamic outgoing personality and an uncanny ability to enchant a crowd in practically any situation. His towering six foot four inch frame can be wild and zany on stage while playing a song like `Dixie' and five minutes later he can have the same audience singing `Will The Circle Be Unbroken' in quiet reverence and delight. For nearly three decades, Bryan Bowers has been to the autoharp what Earl Scruggs was to the five-string banjo. He presents instrumental virtuosity combined with warmth, eloquence, expression and professionalism.
Charlotte’s Web has had the magnificent honor of being a part of Bowers’ illustrious career for almost 4 decades. All who were in attendance at his appearance in Rockford in October 2008 will surely recall the incredible feeling of connectedness and hope when Bryan invited us to join hands and voices in a spine-tingling rendition of “May The Circle Be Unbroken” that released the intense political and societal tension in the air preceding the presidential election. I can still remember this same feeling from when I was a little girl and the circle of joined hands wove around and around the packed downstairs of the original Charlotte’s Web building and the voices still fill my heart. 

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

"Curtain Up"

The Rockford arts community is pleased to present "Curtain Up!", a new kickoff event for Rockford's arts and entertainment organizations' 2010-2011 season.  The event will take place on Thursday, September 16from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Coronado Performing Arts Center.  Admission is free.
At "Curtain Up!", the Rockford community can discover all that their local arts and entertainment organizations have to offer for the 2010-2011 season.  Attendees can talk to representatives from the various organizations and purchase season subscriptions and single tickets. 

The event will include free appetizers, cash bar, live music, and ticket giveaways.  Attendees will have the opportunity to attend a portion of a Rockford Symphony Orchestra rehearsal from 7:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. 

The local arts community will also take this opportunity to welcome SMG to the Rockford area.  SMG will begin managing the Metro Centre in early September.

Presenting organizations include Artists' Ensemble Theater, Charlotte's Web for the Performing Arts, Coronado Performing Arts Center, Kantorei, the Singing Boys of Rockford, Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center, Metro Centre, River District Association, Rockford Area Arts Council, Rockford Art Museum, Rockford Coronado Concert Association, Rockford Dance Company, Rockford Symphony Orchestra and The Element.

For further information, contact Anne O'Keefe at the Rockford Area Arts Council by phone at 815-963-6765 or by e-mail at a.okeefe@artsforeveryone.com, or see the online event calendar at www.artsforeveryone.com.

Sunday, September 19th, 2010

Doug Macleod

There is a $1/ticket processing fee included. 

Doug MacLeod is a singer-songwriter in the American tradition. He is a traveling artist who writes and sings original songs based on his own life and experiences. He learned from the old masters, lived the music, survived the life and carries forward a valuable tradition. MacLeod is known for his superb songwriting, guitar wizardry, warm soulful vocals, wit and unforgettable live performances. At the heart of this is his knack for storytelling, bringing characters-from the faceless to the legendary-to strikingly real life.
In every note he performs and records, MacLeod subscribes to the rule-of-thumb learned from country bluesman Ernest Banks who instilled in him to "Never play a note you don't believe" and "Never write or sing about what you don't know about." Like the old masters who taught him, MacLeod's music expresses life and times via an intangible, elusive quality that may simply be a keen sense of what matters most. There is a philosophic and healing side to MacLeod's music and his stories that has helped others overcome the hardships of their lives.
Although Charlotte’s Web has not yet had the privilege of presenting this master, as soon as we were introduced, we wondered why. Doug Macleod is a perfect match, embodying the musicianship and stage presence that has kept the audience returning to the Web to discover the next artist whose music will feed our souls.
In partnership with Crossroads Blue Society.