For Immediate Release
14 December 2015
Contact: Jodi Joseph
Director of Communications
413.664.4481 x8113
jjoseph@massmoca.org
FreshGrass Presents: Birds of Chicago
Soulful Americana from a FreshGrass favorite
NORTH ADAMS, MASSACHUSETTS — Birds of Chicago takes a victory lap in Club B10 after blowing minds at this September’s FreshGrass Festival. Husband-wife duo JT Nero and Allison Russell anchors this sprawling collective of soul-inflected, groove-based Americana from the Midwest. Birds of Chicago makes its MASS MoCA return on Saturday, January 23, at 8pm.
For years, Russell’s country/funk band Po’ Girl and Nero’s rock group JT & the Clouds collaborated and toured North America and abroad together. Eventually, the duo united to form Birds of Chicago after recognizing an undeniable musical harmony, anchored by Russell’s soaring voice and Nero’s country inflection. Their musical chemistry soon provided a bounty of material which was enough to create Birds’ self-titled debut album, released in November 2012. Birds of Chicago quickly emerged as a FreshGrass 2015 fan-favorite as they took the stage and stole the audience’s hearts.
The band’s music seamlessly spans genres, drawing on the soulful balladry of the gospel tradition while simultaneously embracing deep grooves of country and soul. At times the focus is on the scaled-back pairing of Nero and Russell, and at other points the band swells to a full cast of musicians, including former members of JT & the Clouds and singer/picker Michelle McGrath. At the heart of the genre-defying sound remain Nero and Russell’s powerful vocals. Birds of Chicago’s newest album, Real Midnight, will be released on February 19, 2016.
Birds of Chicago soars into MASS MoCA’s Club B10 on Saturday, January 23, at 8pm. Dinner is available from Lickety Split before and during the show. A full bar serves Berkshire Brewing Company beers and Berkshire Mountain Distillery spirits. Tickets are $16 in advance, $10 for students, $22 day of, and $28 preferred. Tickets for all events are available through the MASS MoCA box office located on Marshall Street in North Adams, open 11am to 5pm every day except Tuesdays through spring 2016. Tickets can also be charged by phone by calling 413.662.2111 x1 during box office hours or purchased online at massmoca.org. All events are held rain or shine.
Sponsorship
This performance is sponsored by Berkshire Gas and No Depression.
Images
High-resolution images of MASS MoCA’s spring 2016 events are available through this link: bit.ly/1NL6mgv.
About MASS MoCA
MASS MoCA is one of the world’s liveliest (and largest) centers for making and enjoying today’s most important art, music, dance, theater, film, and video. Hundreds of works of visual and performing art have been created on its 19th-century factory campus during fabrication and rehearsal residencies, making MASS MoCA among the most productive sites in the country for the creation and presentation of new art. More platform than box, MASS MoCA strives to bring to its audiences art experiences that are fresh, engaging, and transformative.
MASS MoCA’s galleries are open from 11am to 5pm every day except Tuesdays through spring 2016. The Hall Art Foundation’s Anselm Kiefer exhibition reopens April 30, 2016. Gallery admission is $18 for adults, $16 for veterans and seniors, $12 for students, $8 for children 6 to 16, and free for children 5 and under. Members are admitted free year-round. For additional information, call 413.662.2111 x1 or visit massmoca.org.