If you missed Garrison Starr’s performance in February at the Corner Lounge, you still have a chance to hear the newest member of my “favorite artists” list in live local performances. She is slated to appear at the Disc Exchange and the Preservation Pub later this month.
She’s “family,” and it shows. Her style is unique, yet familiar. The lyrics take you deep into her soul to shine a light on struggles that are recognizable for most of us. Add to that her beautiful voice, and you have the ingredients for hours of listening pleasure.
Don’t let her youth mislead you. She has a depth of experience not always found in artists her age. Hailing originally from Hernando, Mississippi, Starr attended college in Naples, Florida. She then went to Memphis in 1996 to pursue her musical career. She played the circuit in the famous Beall Street area doing gigs in clubs and coffeehouses. In 1997, she signed with Geffen, releasing Eighteen Over Me that included the radio-friendly hit, "Superhero."
Moving to Los Angeles, she found Geffen, a part of Interscope Records, a huge entertainment conglomerate, a bit too “corporate” for her tastes. Then in 2001, she signed with Back Porch Records, moving to her current label, Vanguard Records, in 2004.
“I’m excited about coming to Knoxville to share my music and hopefully grow a fan base,” states Starr whose enthusiasm defies the rigorous schedule of her current tour.
Her CD sound is polished and showcases her years of experience. Her latest release, “The Sound of You and Me,” contains some goodies such as “Beautiful in Los Angeles,” “Pretending,” and “Big Enough.”
”I’m not a folk singer. My genre is rock,” insists Starr, but to these ears, attuned to the likes of Maxine Feldman, Holly Near, Meg Christian, Cris Williamson, and all the rest from the women’s music movement of the late 1970’s, I hear a familiar sound that has risen from the lesbian community for more than 35 years now.
She is unique. There is not another Garrison Starr, but she definitely belongs in the ranks with these greats. She comes in a fine tradition of powerful women making their music their way and speaking to our lives in a way that no one else really can.
Building her base, she is touring the country with stops in Pennsylvania, New York, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Kansas, Colorado, Wisconsin, Missouri, Texas, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia, Michigan, Oklahoma, California, and Utah. She will end her tour with an August 9th appearance at the Michigan Women’s Music Festival.
Check out her Tennessee appearances:
Mar 25
IN STORE PERFORMANCE
Disc Exchange
2615 Chapman Hwy
Knoxville, TN 37920
(865) 573-5710
www.discexchange.comMar 25 - 10:00 PM
Knoxville, TN
Preservation Pub
w/Strays Don't SleepMar 23 - 6:00PM
Nashville, TN
Grimey's
IN STORE PERFORMANCEMar 23 - 9:00PM
CD RELEASE PARTY
Nashville, TN
Mercy LoungeMar 30
IN STORE PERFORMANCE
Spin Street
Poplar Plaza
3484 Poplar Ave
Space D-2
Memphis TN 38111
(901) 327 8730
www.SpinStreet.comMar 30 - 8:00PM
Memphis, TN
Hi Tone Café
Visit Garrison Starr’s Web site at www.garrisonstarr.com.
Look for a free ticket giveaway to Garrison’s Nashville and Knoxville gigs. Information on the free tickets coming soon from Out and About Newspaper.