Live Acoustic Venue Association (LAVA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that connects musicians with appreciative audiences in Tucson, Arizona. We are a small group of volunteers dedicated to bringing world-class live music to you in a comfortable, listening room setting. If you would like to receive our newsletter, click here.
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LAVA hosts a Saturday evening series at Abounding Grace Sanctuary in the spring and fall. Check our schedule below for upcoming shows. Abounding Grace is located at 2450 S. Kolb Road in Tucson, just north of Golf Links on the west side of the street. This beautiful sanctuary seats approximately 200 in a comfortable setting with cushioned seats and pristine acoustics.
Abounding Grace Sanctuary - Photo by Bob Block
Be sure to visit us on Facebook and check out all of the great photos that Bob Block has posted from our past shows!
Everything about this award-winning trio is BiG from their stage presence to their sound to their message. They all write, they all sing, and they each play a variety of instruments that they pass around during their concerts – guitars, bass, banjo, mandolin, strum stick, and djembe. They trade off lead vocals and their 3 part harmonies are as beautiful as they are precise. Add to that the kind of harmonies that give you goose bumps, a shiver down your spine, or – yep, you guessed it – a BiG WiDE GRiN.
Elaine Dempsey, Lawrence Lambert, and Karl Werne are BiG WiDE GRiN. When this bi-coastal trio – from California and Virginia – gets together it’s more than just a tour. It’s a celebration. They write and perform contemporary acoustic music with a feel that is both familiar and nostalgic. Think about the groups that made you fall in love with this type of music - Crosby Stills & Nash, The Mamas &The Papas, or Peter Paul & Mary. Think about of all those great harmonies, all those socially conscious lyrics, songs of protest, peace, love and togetherness. Think about Poco, Pure Prairie League, and Simon & Garfunkel. Their songs spoke to us as much with the interplay of guitars and voices as they did with their lyrics.
BiG WiDE GRiN - 7 songs in 5 minutes
BiG WiDE GRiN is currently recording tracks for their 4th CD, expected this year. Their previous releases are receiving increased worldwide airplay, and they truly sparkle in a live setting. They each have a unique musical style, and all three contribute original material to their set lists.
They are constantly on the move at festivals, concert series, or select house concerts and have shared the stage collectively with such artists as Janis Ian, Harriett Shock, Lowen & Navarro, Richie Havens, and Bruce Hornsby. They have toured with legendary blues man, Keb Mo.
Their three different personalities create an on-stage chemistry that draws people in, and they are natural entertainers: very warm and connected, very real and often, very funny. It is not unusual to see their audience laugh, cry, sing and dance at their concerts.
BiG WiDE GRiN will perform at Abounding Grace Sanctuary, 2450 S. Kolb, just north of Golf Links on the west side of Kolb, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Advance tickets are $15 online, all fees included. Tickets will be $20 cash at the door. Doors open at 6:30.
Thursday, February 23 -
This week's featured act, The Alaska String Band, will make a live appearance on Tucson Morning Blend. The Tucson Morning Blend is a live, lifestyle talk show that airs weekdays from 11 am to 12 pm on KGUN9 On Your Side and is repeated the same day on CW58 at 4 pm. If you have access to TV during the day, be sure to tune in to see this wonderful touring family band.
The Alaska String band is a concert group comprised of members of a single family, the Zahasky Family. They perform with guitar, twin violin/fiddles, bass, mandolin, ukulele, percussion and vocals, and their repertoire consists of lively bluegrass, old time, gospel, swing, dawg, blues, Celtic, and original music. Audiences delight in their youthful exuberance, extraordinary musicianship, and technical skill. Their performances also feature energetic dancing and attractive costumes designed to reflect the spirit of Alaskan artistic lifestyle, culture, and traditions.
Paul and Melissa Zahasky have been making beautiful music together for 27 years. They started informally instructing each of their children in music at an early age. One-by-one, their three children, Laura, born in 1991, Quinn, born in 1994, and Abigail, born in 1997 have joined the family band. The family travels together in a 40 ft. bus, and they enjoy sharing the gift of music with music lovers across the lower 48 states.
The Alaska String Band will perform at Abounding Grace Sanctuary, 2450 S. Kolb, just north of Golf Links on the west side of Kolb, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Advance discount tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at Brown Paper Tickets. If not sold out, tickets at the door will be $20 cash.
They're called Way Out West, and that's where they'll take you with classic music of the working cowboys, songs of Hollywood's singing cowboys, and their own songs and poetry!
You'll smell the woodsmoke and the sage and hear the coyotes yip in the Arizona desert! Way Out West is Emmy Creigh on guitar and vocals, Slim Rost on bunkhouse bass and vocals, and Tom Poley on banjo, guitar, and vocals.
Way Out Western performing "Who's Your Sidekick" on KGUN-9's Tucson Morning Blend
Katy Creek accompanied by Ian VanDusen on bass performing "Wild Rose"
Wes and Nancy Ruybal perform original Western Americana and Cowboy Poetry based on true, mostly true and entirely made up stories.
Through songs, poems and tales set in the Old and The New West, you will be swept away on an unforgettable adventure filled with wild rides, thundering posses, loves won and lost, laughter, fun, mystery, murder and mayhem.
As a duo or with Katy Creek Band behind them, whether in song or recitation, their descriptive writing enhanced by mesmerizing vocals and nuanced deliveries make a concert with Wes & Nancy a "must experience" event to attend!
Way Out West and Katy Creek will perform at Abounding Grace Sanctuary, 2450 S. Kolb, just north of Golf Links on the west side of Kolb, from 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm. Advance tickets are $15 online, all fees included. If not sold out, tickets are $20 cash at the door. Doors open at 6:30.
Monday, March 5 -
This week's featured musicians, Sabra Faulk and the Angel Band will perform live on Tucson Morning Blend. The Tucson Morning Blend is a live, lifestyle talk show that airs weekdays from 11 am to 12 pm on KGUN9 On Your Side and is repeated the same day on CW58 at 4 pm. If you have access to TV during the day, be sure to tune in for a glimpse of Sabra with this extraordinary group of local musicians.
Sabra Faulk has been a staple in the Tucson music scene for over 20 years and is best known for her rock/funk blues bass playing. She has played with Sam Taylor, Heather Hardy, Kevin Pakulis, and many others. In recent years she has been making quite a splash as a songwriter and solo artist.
Sabra has been a favorite musician at Abounding Grace, performing there with Silver Thread Trio, in a special Mother’s Day show with Bunny Kirby and both of their mothers, and last year with Gene Holmes, Louie Levinson, and Ralph Gilmore. This time, Sabra will be joined by the Angel Band which is made up of Heather Hardy on electric violin, Mitzi Cowell on lead guitar, Bunny Kirby on harmony vocals, Bev Seckinger on bass, and perhaps a surprise guest.
Sabra Faulk
Sabra Faulk and the Angel Band will perform at Abounding Grace Sanctuary, 2450 S. Kolb, just north of Golf Links on the west side of Kolb, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Advance tickets are available online at Brown Paper Tickets.
Friday, March 23 -
This Saturday's featured artists, Bill and Kate Isles, will make a live appearance on Tucson Morning Blend. The Tucson Morning Blend is a live, lifestyle talk show that airs weekdays from 11 am to 12 pm on KGUN9 On Your Side and is repeated the same day on CW58 at 4 pm. If you have access to TV during the day, be sure to catch this wonderful duo.
Bill Isles (Duluth, MN) performed his first show of original songs in twenty-five years in February of 2000. Since that time, he has become one of the most well known singer/songwriters in the Minnesota acoustic scene and has been getting national and international attention.
His and Kate’s songs are poetic reflections of life experiences and often explore adventurous spiritual courses. Admittedly romantics, many of their lyrics focus on the joys of relationships, but other explore metaphorical worlds. Just when you conclude that a song is about Michelangelo’s first visit to scope out the project at the Sistine Chapel, you start to realize that, perhaps, this is also an artist’s perception of entering the “chapel” of his/her audience. But then, again, it also hints at personal interactions. It is this multi-layering that has drawn fans to listen over and over again. Words like “mesmerizing” and “transcendent” are common in descriptions of his live performances, not to mention, “very funny”, such as the response to “The Sutra (Comma) Minnesota Polka”.
Bill’s love of life has strong roots in his childhood, but his urgency to tell these stories comes from an experience in 1993 when, with just enough warning to drive himself to the hospital, his heart stopped beating. He arrived with just ten minutes to spare. After being defibrillated, and before the doctors had time to detect and open a blocked artery in his heart, he made a commitment to himself that, if he survived, he would begin to write again. Those paddles restarted more than his heart…
Kate Isles was a closet singer/songwriter and full-time wine representative when she came to a CD release concert for Bill's first CD, “Weightless” after hearing a radio interview. She bought the CD and signed up on his e-mail list. ("Grounds for marriage!” quips Bill)
Their relationship began soon afterwards with afternoon sessions with guitars, harmonies and coffee. They've been together ever since, marrying in May of 2004. While Bill initially toured solo, Kate is becoming an integral part of the act, with extensive duo touring planned for 2008 to support their upcoming duet album, “Matching Baggage” which will include several songs that they’ve co-written. The response has been very positive with many comments about the "perfect blend of two voices". "I'm honored to hear such things," said Kate, "it reflects the wonderful relationship that we've enjoyed." They have toured as a duo full time, nationally, since early 2007.
Bill and Kate Isles will perform at Abounding Grace Sanctuary, 2450 S. Kolb, just north of Golf Links on the west side of Kolb, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Advance discount tickets are $15 and are available online at Brown Paper Tickets. If not sold out, tickets at the door will be $20 cash.
Saturday, March 31 - Two of Tucson's long time favorite acoustic bands, Bright and Childers and Ice-9 will come together for a wonderful evening of music and friendship in the beautiful Abounding Grace Sanctuary. Purchase tickets for Bright and Childers and Ice-9 in Concert.
Nancy Lynn Bright and Hank Childers (“she’s Bright, and he’s not”) have been putting their voices together for more than 10 years now. They’ve performed all over the Southwest, but have settled in here in Tucson--living, writing songs, playing music, and endeavoring to do it all harmoniously. They play a mix of folk, country, and blues, with lyrics that run from quirky to heartfelt and with strong vocal harmonies.
Hank Childers and Nancy Lynn Bright Photo by Bob Block
Ice-9: Left to Right: Richard M., Slim Rost, Mike Tanzillo Photo from Ice-9 website
Ice-9 is an acoustic trio featuring the eclectic mix of Richard M. on harmonica, Slim Rost on upright bass, and the guitar and vocals of songwriter Michael Tanzillo. Uniquely employing the harmonica as a second voice, Ice-9 combines country, folk, blues, and other styles to create infectious music all their own.
Named after a fictional substance in Kurt Vonnegut's 1963 science fiction novel "Cat's Cradle", and now having performed together for over 25 years, Ice-9 has proven to be as solid as the substance in the novel.
Bright and Childers and Ice-9 will perform at Abounding Grace Sanctuary, 2450 S. Kolb, just north of Golf Links on the west side of Kolb, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Advance discount tickets are $10 and are available online at Brown Paper Tickets. If not sold out, tickets at the door will be $15 cash.
They live in the world of live acoustic music, sharing a passion for roots and bluegrass, as well as traditional mountain music. Scott Gates is as close to a musical prodigy on the mandolin as you will ever meet and now plays guitar with the same fire and brilliance. Scott has been a mainstay at festivals for many years and holds a special place in his heart for people he sees year after year. Having performed all over the country and with artists as varied as John McEuen, Nathan McEuen, Steve Martin, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Kenny Loggins and a virtual Who's-Who of bluegrass players, Scott has started writing music of his own and will be bringing many of these tunes to you this year. Scott appeared on the Ellen Show with Steve Martin, recorded with Kenny Loggins on his soon-to-be-released family album, which was picked up by Disney, appeared in an episode of the 2011 season of "Justified" on the FX Channel and toured the US with band mate Nathan McEuen.
Salty Suites performing a Nitty Gritty Dirt Band song "Lowlands"
Bandmate, Chuck Hailes, who has played in Tucson several times with the Nathan McEuen Band, is one of the top bass players in the country, schooled in classical and jazz bass playing and techniques. Chuck writes his own music and has teamed with Scott to create many new musical gems. With his background in bluegrass music and degree in the Upright Bass, Chuck sings and plays in a way that is uniquely his own.
Chelsea Williams has been writing and performing her own music since she was 13 years old.
After a couple of years in two different working bands, Chelsea took the stage on her own by the age of 17, performing at clubs and coffee shops. While some of her early songs are still hits with her fans, she has continued to develop as a writer penning nearly 100 original songs to date. Chelsea currently makes her living by playing on the street for tips and selling a home-made demo, having sold over 52,000 CDs, one-by-one, simply on her own on the street. Her magnetic presence draws them in and her songs set the hook. Chelsea was recently featured in a TV commercial for the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. Click here to watch it.
Peter McLaughlin
Peter McLaughlin, made his first big splash with a Flagstaff band called Flying South back in the late 70’s and early 80’s. He won the National Flatpick Guitar Championship in Winfield, Kansas in 1988, was a member of The Dreadnutts who won the Telluride Bluegrass Band competition in 1991, and toured nationally and internationally with Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum for six years. In recent years he has been performing with The Dreadnutts, Ross Nickerson, and John Coinman, and he recently completed a tour of Australia and New Zealand with X Train. Never one to hog the spotlight for himself, Peter McLaughlin is quite a singer/songwriter in his own right. You can listen to him singing his original song "Alice in Nogales" on the X Train website, a very fun song in which he explores a variety of words that rhyme with Alice.
Salty Suites and Peter McLaughlin will perform at Abounding Grace Sanctuary, 2450 S. Kolb, just north of Golf Links on the west side of Kolb, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Advance tickets are $15 online, all fees included. Tickets will be $20 cash at the door. Doors open at 6:30.
Live Acoustic Venue Association (LAVA) is a non-profit organization that connects musicians with appreciative audiences.
