Taylor Hicks, M. Ward, Paula Cole and More Coming Up at City Winery Chicago

City Winery Chicago, 1200 W. Randolph Street, announces American Idol winner Taylor Hicks, two solo performances by M. Ward of She & Him and Monsters of Folk, Grammy Award winner Paula Cole ("I Don't Want to Wait") and more.

The following shows go on sale to the public on Thursday, January 19, at noon at citywinery.com/chicago.

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Valentine's Day with Syleena Johnson

Tuesday, February 14

$35/$38/$45/$48

Grammy nominated vocalist and songwriter Syleena Johnson scored major R&B hits and has been invited to collaborate with artists including Kanye West, R. Kelly and Musiq Soulchild. Having fought the major label system to allow her true identity to shine forth, Johnson now steps forward with her most anticipated album to date: Chapter 6: Couples Therapy? which was released on the Blackbyrd label. With production from Ric Atari, Kajun and Pierre #TheMaven Medor, Couples Therapy? is the sixth release in Johnson's collection of blues and soul-inspired concept albums and hit #15 on the Billboard R&B Chart. This powerful new recording takes the audience back to the Chicago native's roots and caters to a more traditional R&B style.

Michael McDermott's Storytellers - STREET LIVES: Tales of Mobsters, Madness and Redemption

Saturday, March 11

$25/$28/$32/$35

Michael McDermott brings his street poetry to the stage with songs of loss and redemption combined with stories by best-selling crime writer T.J. English, whose books on gangsters and the criminal underworld have set a new standard in American literature. A unique and searing night of entertainment, intermingling songs and literary vignettes from two great storytellers working in different disciplines, but with a similar take on American Dreams lost and found.

Jimmy LaFave & Gretchen Peters

Wednesday, March 15

$18/$22/$25/$28

Jimmy LaFave was born in Wills Point, Texas, a small town 30 miles east of Dallas. By junior high he was making music perched behind his Sears & Roebuck drum kit. His family later moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma and, although he has lived in Austin for over 20 years, many people think of him as being from Oklahoma because of his strong musical ties to the state and what he often refers to as its "red dirt music." It was in this landscape that he began to define his sound and soak up a combination of his experiences among authentic songwriters from the tradition of Woody Guthrie. The grass roots demand and critical acclaim for LaFave's music led to extensive touring in the United States and Europe. He is a regular performer at the annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival and has won the Austin Music Award for Best Singer-Songwriter. LaFave has recorded 19 albums to date, the most recent, The Night Tribe, was called "a thoughtful, finely nuanced album that expresses the world through the eyes and voice of a tribesman traveling the roads of earth," by Blues Magazine.

Over the last three decades, Gretchen Peters has proven to possess one of the most indelible voices in country and roots music in addition to wielding one of the genres' most enduring pens. But, in 1996, as she crossed the invisible Music City barrier between writer and performer, few could have predicted what lay ahead. She has released seven studio albums on both sides of the pond. On her 2016 album, The Essential Gretchen Peters, she combines career-defining tracks with rare outtakes, demos and B-sides to provide a two-disc snapshot of her remarkable journey as a singularly fearless and creative talent. Uncut hailed her as "one of Nashville's greatest talents of the past two decades," and in 2014, she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

M. Ward

Monday-Tuesday, March 27-28

$35/$40/$45/$55

Matthew Stephen "M." Ward is a singer-songwriter and guitarist from Portland, Oregon. Ward's solo work is mixture of folk and blues-inspired Americana analog recordings, releasing eight albums since 1999, primarily through independent label Merge Records. In addition to his solo work, Ward is a member of pop duo She & Him and folk-rock supergroup Monsters of Folk, as well as participating in the recording, producing, and playing with multiple other artists.

Taylor Hicks

Thursday, April 13

$22/$25/$28/$32

Taylor Hicks is one of the most beloved and popular American Idol winners of all time. From the start, his unique take on Southern soul, R&B, country and blues set him apart and helped him become the Season 5 winner. Hicks' star continued to rise after he stepped off the Idol stage. Less than three weeks after his victory, his debut single, "Do I Make You Proud," entered at #1 on Billboard's Hot 100, Pop 100 and Single Sales Charts. Coinciding with the single's release, a cover story named him People magazine's "Hottest Bachelor of the Year." His self-titled album, Arista, debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 and was quickly certified RIAA Platinum. In 2007, Hicks penned a brisk-selling autobiography "Heart Full of Soul." Hicks is the first male Idol winner to be featured on a Grammy Award-winning album, Jimmy Fallon's Blow Your Pants Off, which took home the 2013 Grammy for Best Comedy Album.

Paula Cole

Saturday, April 22

$30/$34/$38/$42

Grammy winner, mother and activist Paula Cole has released seven solo albums of original songs, spanning a 20+ year career. Cole has performed with icons in many genres of music from Peter Gabriel to Dolly Parton, Herbie Hancock to Emmylou Harris and Amy Lee of Evanescence to Burt Bacharach. Cole is known for her emotionally deep, thrilling performances and her poetic, fierce and intelligent writing. Her compositions have been covered by a diverse range of artists, including Herbie Hancock, Annie Lennox, Katherine McPhee and JoJo. She has sold approximately 3 million albums. As the first woman in history to solely produce and receive the best Producer Grammy nomination for her album, This Fire, Cole has broken boundaries. From her top ten hits of the 1990's to her more recent, critically acclaimed albums, Cole continues to write, produce, record and perform heartfelt, lasting music that defies categorization.

Suzy Bogguss

Friday, April 28

$22/$25/$28/$32

Suzy Bogguss is the recipient of a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album as a part of Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster, as well as several awards from the Academy of Country Music, The Country Music Association, CMT and ASCAP. Her songs have been heard on television shows and in commercials. She has performed on many national television shows including: "In Performance at The White House" (PBS), "A Capitol 4th" (PBS), "Austin City Limits," "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "Live with Regis And Kelly" and "The View." Bogguss is a frequent guest on National Public Radio's "A Prairie Home Companion" with Garrison Keillor. In 2011, Bogguss released American Folk Songbook, a 17-song CD and hardcover book with stories and sheet music.

City Winery also announces Jussie Smollett has been added to the lineup for Happy Birthday Langston Hughes on Feb. 1, DJ Duane Powell opens for Anthony David on Feb. 6, Voices of Extreme opens for Geoff Tate on Feb. 12, Michael J. Miles opens for the Kruger Brothers on Feb. 16 and Elise Davis opens for Jack Ingram on Feb. 26.

All City Winery events are open to all ages and start at 8 p.m., unless noted.

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Tickets go on sale to the general public on Thursday, January 19 at noon. Only members of City Winery Chicago's signature VinoFile program have access to ticket sales today in addition to receiving: a waiver of ticket service fees; free valet parking; Restaurant Loyalty Rewards, such as a free pair of VIP concert tickets for every $500 spent on food & beverage in the restaurant; exclusive membership-only events; and access to the proprietary City Winery Virtual Sommelier, which helps make suggestions for wines one might enjoy based on past consumption at the venue.

Syleena Johnson, Michael McDermott, Jimmy LaFave & Gretchen Peters, M. Ward, Taylor Hicks, Paula Cole and Suzy Bogguss join a diverse mix of the most respected names in pop, rock, jazz, blues, world music, theater, dance, spoken word and comedy presented at City Winery Chicago, including previously announced headliners and supporting acts: Kris Kristofferson (Jan. 17-18); Hot Club of Cowtown with Devil in a Woodpile (Jan. 19); Kevin Griffin with Ryan Powers (Jan. 20) Kevin Griffin with David Paige (Jan. 21); Amy Black Band (Jan. 22; 12pm); Josh Ritter (Jan. 22-23); Steve Earle with Al Scorch (Jan. 24); Steve Earle with Kelsey Waldon (Jan. 25); Alejandro Escovedo (Jan. 26-28); Louie Anderson (Jan. 29, 5 & 7:30pm); Film Screening: Colin Hay - Waiting For My Real Life (Jan. 30); Luke Wade with Matt McAndrew (Jan. 31); Langston Hughes Celebration (Feb. 1); Jon B (Feb. 3; 7 & 10pm); Leftover Salmon (Feb. 5, 1pm); Laura Jane Grace (Feb. 5); Anthony David with DJ Duane Powell (Feb. 6); Stephen Lynch (Feb. 7-8); Holly Bowling (Feb. 9); 10,000 Maniacs (Feb. 10, 7 & 10pm; Feb. 11, 5 & 8pm); Geoff Tate with Voices of Extreme (Feb. 12); Doyle Bramhall ll with Future Stuff (Feb. 15); Kruger Brothers with Michael J. Miles (Feb. 16); Head for the Hills (Feb. 17); The Verve Pipe (Feb. 18); Chicago Philharmonic Brunch (Feb. 19); Paris Combo (Feb. 19); Chicago Flamenco Festival Kick Off (Feb. 21); Ana Popovic (Feb. 22); Assad Brothers (Feb. 23); Vanessa Carlton with Tristan (Feb. 24); Sam Fazio (Feb. 26; 12 pm); Jack Ingram with Elise Davis (Feb. 26); Jeannie Tanner (Feb. 27, 7:30pm); Kathy Mattea featuring Bill Cooley (Feb. 28); The Ides of March featuring Jim Peterik (Mar. 1) Laith Al-Saadi (Mar. 2); Tom Paxton featuring The DonJuans (Mar. 4); Deacon Blues (Mar. 3); One Woman Sex & the City (Mar. 5; 2 pm) Sierra Hull (Mar. 5); Marcia Ball (Mar. 7); Subdudes (Mar. 8-9); Cherish the Ladies (Mar. 10; 7pm); Los Lonely Boys with Sugar Dirt and Sand (Mar. 12-13); Howie Day (Mar. 16-17); Elizabeth Cook (Mar. 18); Chicago Philharmonic Brunch (Mar. 19; 12pm); The High Kings (Mar. 19); Idan Raichel (Mar. 20-21); Kris Kristofferson (Mar. 22); Al Stewart featuring The Empty Pockets (Mar. 23, 7pm); Joey Alexander Trio (Mar. 24, 7 & 9:30pm); Rodney Crowell (Mar. 25); Candlebox (Mar. 31); Jim Messina (Mar. 26); Wanda Jackson (Apr. 1); Kris Kristofferson (Apr. 2); Rufus Wainwright (Apr. 6); Rufus Wainwright (Apr. 7, 7:30 & 10pm); Dave Mason (Apr. 10-11); Shane Koyczan (Apr. 12); Morgan James with Andy Allo (Apr. 19); Paul Thorn Band (May 7); and Emin & Friends (May 30).

Opened in 2012, City Winery Chicago is a fully operational winery, restaurant with outdoor patio, concert hall and private event space located in the heart of the West Loop at 1200 W. Randolph, in the historic urban Fulton Market district. Once a refrigerated food distribution warehouse, the 1911 building has been transformed into a contemporary 33,000 square foot haven for those passionate about wine, music and culinary arts. The décor evokes the romance of being in wine country, from the exposed stainless steel fermenting tanks and French oak barrels, to the aroma of fermenting grapes. Chicago's only fully operation winery has produced dozens of in-house wines sourced from vineyards in California, Oregon, Washington, Argentina and Chile, including a Wine Enthusiast 90-point 2012 Bien Nacido Vineyard Reserve pinot noir. With more than 400 unique producers from around the world City Winery is recognized with 2014 and 2015 Best of Awards of Excellence "for having one of the most outstanding restaurant wine lists in the world" by Wine Spectator. The globally inspired, locally sourced, wine-focused food menu is conceived for pairing and sharing. The concert hall accommodates up to 300 guests, all seated at tables with complete beverage and dining service, ensuring a comfortable "listening room" experience enhanced by a state-of-the-art Meyer Sound system. Riedel is the official and exclusive provider of glassware, showing City Winery's commitment to enjoying quality wine in a quality vessel. American Airlines is the Official Airline and Virgin Hotels Chicago is the Official Hotel of City Winery. For more information, visit www.citywinery.com.

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