Powerhouse blues from a down-home diva
In the tight-knit musical community of Austin, it’s tough to get away with posturing. You either bring it, or you don’t. If you do, word gets around. Then one day, you find yourself singing a duet with Bonnie Raitt or standing onstage with the Allman Brothers at New York’s Beacon Theater and trading verses with Susan Tedeschi. You might even wind up getting nominated for a Best Blues Album Grammy three times in a row in addition to your seven Blues Music Awards, three Austin Music Awards, the Grand Prix du Disque award from the Académie Charles-Cros in France, a Living Blues Critics Award for Female Blues Artist of the Year, and the title of an “inspiring American artist” as a United States Artists 2018 Fellow. There’s only one Austinite with that résumé: Ruthie Foster. The small rural town of Gause, Texas, had no chance of keeping the vocal powerhouse known as Ruthie Foster to itself. The worship services at her community church and influences like Mavis Staples and Aretha Franklin created the foundation of her vocal capabilities, which developed into her own sound which is unable to be contained within a single genre. That uniqueness echoes a common theme in Ruthie’s life and career: marching to the beat of her own drum. Ruthie has solidified her place as a singer/songwriter. In her latest recording, Joy Comes Back, Ruthie doesn’t merely sing about love and loss, she lived it while splitting a household and custody of her 5-year-old daughter. Music was her therapy. The comfort she felt within the studio gave her the strength to pour the heartache of her fractured family and the cautious hope of a new love into 10 incredible tracks.
Artist’s website
ruthiefoster.com
Concerts are free and family-friendly. The Levitt Pavilion is located at 100 W. Abram St. in Founders Plaza on the corner of Abram and Center streets. For directions and parking, please see Directions & Parking. The Levitt is an open-lawn seating, outdoor concert venue. Visitors should bring lawn chairs or blankets to sit on. Picnics and coolers are welcome. Please do not bring glass containers to the Levitt. Concessions are sold at the Levitt, including beer and wine. For additional information, please visit our FAQs, call the 24-hour information line at 817.543.4301, or email [email protected].
Price
- FREE!
COMMENTS