POSTPONED: Mean Mary, Chris Powers

press release: The Sugar Maple Concert Series welcomes Mean Mary

Chris Powers supporting

Award-winning musician/writer and fan favorite (over 15 million views on her YouTube videos), Mean Mary, literally grew-up in music. She evolved from a child prodigy who played for tips on the streets of Nashville (“startling talent” said the Tennessean) to a seasoned performer and headliner of over 4000 festivals and concerts (“the voice of a ragged Angel combined with the banjo playing of the Devil” says No Depression).

Deering Banjos named her their Goodtime Ambassador, and Janet Deering describes her banjo playing as giving her “chills.” Equally versatile on guitar, fiddle, and 8 other instruments, Mary is known internationally for her lightning-fast fingers, haunting vocals, and intricate story songs. As a high-energy performer that thrives on variety and as a songwriter that chooses unusual subject matters, anything from ghost pirates to demon guitars could romp through a Mean Mary show.

Mean Mary (Mary James), a Florida native now based in Nashville, began life as a musical prodigy—could read music before she could read words and co-wrote songs at age five. By age seven she was proficient on the guitar, banjo, & violin, and entertained audiences across the US with her vocal and instrumental skills. Her life has been one long road show interspersed with TV, radio, and film.

https://meanmary.com/home

Chris Powers, a native of Philadelphia, PA, picked up the guitar at the age of 14, and within a few years knew the chords to every Beatles song. After graduating from Beloit College, he settled in Madison and began organizing a series of successful string bands, including the string-jazz trio Nobody’s Bizness (featuring Mary Gaines plucking bass lines on her cello) and the long-lived Bluegrass Survivors. He toured Wisconsin for many years with the UW-Extension’s Heritage Ensemble – mixing folk music with American History, and played guitar in the orchestra of several Madison Theater productions. He developed and teaches group adult guitar courses with themes like “Jazz Chords and Swing”, “Fingerstyle Blues” and “Bill Monroe Bluegrass Ensemble”, and teaches private lessons too. On Friday mornings you can hear him on WORT-FM radio hosting the “MudAcres Bluegrass Special.” He and fiddler Shauncey Ali regularly moonlight with the Old Tin Can String Band.

General Admission

$8 Advanced

$15 Day of Show

8 pm show