People may vote and sway opinion about who is best in "_____" but most critics like me can agree that one of the most interesting people in our city is Hugo Claudin, who has continued to evolve our city’s counterculture street cred one invite at a time.
And given that he has a couple decades of practice now, the acts just keep coming with such ease.
This Friday, Claudin welcomes musician Diane Patterson to his Avenue for the Arts Mexicains Sans Frontieres. Patterson is on the last leg of her third nationwide tour with a stop in Grand Rapids to play at this intimate performance space on Division Avenue.
Billed as a "folkgoddess," Patterson of Williams, Oregon, is out performing in support of her latest release, “Teach, Inspire, Be Real”—a collection of songs composed to awaken the mind.
In fact, her style of blending insightful (and singable) lyrics with her equally strong voice, guitar, and ukulele is why percussionist and composer Geoffrey Gordon claims she is a young Pete Seeger. And as you listen to her vocals it is easy to draw comparisons to other folk goddesses Joni Mitchell or Beth Orton.
Patterson is a seasoned performer whose career has spanned nearly three decades. To become familiar with the music in advance of her stop in Grand Rapids, here is a link to her
Soundcloud page.
Joining Patterson at this show is Maggie May who also sports an ukulele and presents a live show peppered with lovely lyrics bordering on the humorous to the heartfelt.
You can always expect a memorable night of entertainment at Mexicains Sans Frontieres. Cost for attending this special concert is suggested donation of $10. (As always, G-Sync recommends with suggested donations that one considers giving more if you are able to afford the investment in our community.)