The Church of The Lost Souls: Billy McLaughlin & SimpleGifts w. special guest, Turn Turn Turn
Sunday, April 18, 2021
3:45 pm Doors/4:30 pm Show CDT
$29 Advance/$39 At The Door
All Ages
Exclusive in-person seating will follow state pandemic guidelines; patrons must be masked and practice social distancing. This performance will also be made available as a "pay what you wish" livestream here and also at BillyMcLaughlin.com.
Ticket purchases are final and non-refundable.
It’s not really a church. And you don’t have to be lost or found to attend or tune in.
But this new weekly concert series hopes to raise spirits and share the love of live music.
Performed by award-winning composer & guitarist Billy McLaughlin and his band SimpleGifts, and featuring a mid-concert set by Minneapolis folk-rock trio, Turn Turn Turn (Barb Brynstad, Adam Levy and Savannah Smith). Performing a mix of originals and classic covers, and concluding with a Q&A with Billy and Turn Turn Turn.
"As a kid, my first chance to play guitar was Sundays at my church. Problem was,
the music director kept telling us [that] the songs we really wanted to play were not allowed,” says award-winning composer & guitarist, Billy McLaughlin. “After all these years I thought it would be fun to share whatever feels right [and] that could send people into Mondays with a good feeling!"
The ‘message’ of The Church of The Lost Souls is the music, which will range from McLaughlin's new guitar and vocal compositions to favorite older work from his expansive catalog, to more universal fare that may include everything from classic artists like Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Bob Marley, The Beatles, Sly and the Family Stone — along with current favorites in contemporary music.
Billy McLaughlin has been changing people’s idea of what an acoustic guitar can sound like since the 1980’s. He is recognized as an innovative performer and composer who embraces the advantages of acoustic guitar amplification, unorthodox techniques and altered tunings while celebrating a gift for melody. His enormous yet fluid acoustic guitar tone has carried him around the world, to Billboard’s Top-Ten Chart and most recently through a devastating medical disorder called focal dystonia. McLaughlin has had to re-learn the guitar left-handed and is in the early stages of what might be described as ‘one of the great musical-comeback stories of all time.” His story is the subject of an award-winning documentary film called Changing Keys – Billy McLaughlin and the Mysteries of Dystonia.
“…you may swear Billy McLaughlin is two of the greatest acoustic guitarists you’ve ever heard.” — Pittsburgh Post Gazette
“… it’s amazing that such an extensive sound comes from one instrument.”
— Chicago Sun Times
Joining McLaughlin will be his signature band, SimpleGifts, featuring versatile singers Kathleen Johnson, Karen Paurus, Amy Courts, and Celtic multi-instrumentalist Laura MacKenzie.
Turn Turn Turn is the story of girl meets boy meets girl; a trio who bond over their mutual love of sweet harmonies from '60s and 70's country, folk and pop music and form an original Americana band.
Members Adam Levy (guitar, vocals), Savannah Smith (guitar, vocals) and Barb Brynstad (bass, vocals) are all mainstays of the Minnesota music scene and together craft an infectious, pop-infused brand of Americana.
When the members of Turn Turn Turn sing together, their voices – each with a distinctive timbre and complementary range – blend in a delectable, cosmic way, forming a rootsy, Laurel Canyon-inspired sound that is both distinctive and familiar.