Cassie Morgan & The Lonely Pine will perform for the Kemper Presents Concert Series April 9. Morgan is pictured at right. At left is Beth Bombara, a.k.a. The Lonely Pine.
The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum will launch its annual Kemper Presents Concert Series Feb. 26 with Chariots, a folk-indie-pop trio that delivers stripped-down vocals and diverse instrumentation — including ukelele, banjo, accordion and guitar — over infectious beats.
The series, designed to showcase the talents and diversity of contemporary St. Louis musicians, will feature eight local acts working in a variety of styles and genres, from folk and swing to electronica, noise-pop and American roots music.
All concerts are free and open to the public and take place from 6 to 8 p.m. in the museum’s foyer — or, weather permitting, on the Florence Weil Steinberg Sculpture Plaza — Friday evenings throughout the spring semester. Free food and drink will be available.
“We love putting on the Kemper Presents Concert Series,” says organizer Kimberly Singer, the museum’s manager of marketing, visitor services and events. “We have a fantastic lineup this year and we’re really looking forward to some memorable performances!”
“Working with local musicians is a great way to connect with the St. Louis community,” Singer adds. “It allows us to engage new audiences while also giving our regular patrons another reason to stop by.”
Chariots will be followed, on March 5, by the Water Bears, an alt-country duo originally from Los Angeles. Then, on March 12, Clint Hasse and Justin Branum of local favorites Swing DeVille will present a special two-person show mixing Western swing with Gypsy jazz, old-time fiddling, vintage pop music and other influences.
The concert series will continue March 19 with the alt-folk-country trio The Blind Nils. Next up, on March 26, will be US English, a two-piece experimental band that combines elements of minimalism, electronics and 60s-era pop.
On April 2 the series will feature Sleepy Kitty, the upbeat pop-noise combo fronted by Paige Brubeck and Evan Sult, who also run the music-and-screenprinting studio Sleepy Kitty Graphic Arts. April 9 will feature Cassie Morgan & The Lonely Pine (a.k.a. Beth Bombara) — named Best Folk Artist in the 2009 Riverfront Times readers’ poll — who blend shimmering, laid-back melodies with an undercurrent of edgy Americana.
Concluding the series, on April 23, will be The Campfire Club, an infectious folk-rock foursome led by singer-songwriter Ryne Watts.
The Kemper Art Museum is located near the intersection of Skinker and Forsyth boulevards. For more information, call (314) 935-5490; visit kemperartmuseum.wustl.edu/rsvp; or email kemperartmuseum@wustl.edu.
The Kemper Presents Concert Series is made possible with support from KDHX 88.1 FM, Yelp! and Trader Joe’s.
Kemper Presents Concert Series
Feb. 26: Chariots
March 5: Water Bears
March 12: Clint Hasse and Justin Branum of Swing DeVille
March 19: The Blind Nils
March 26: US English
April 2: Sleepy Kitty
April 9: Cassie Morgan & The Lonely Pine
April 23: The Campfire Club