Citizen Cope to Play Fred Kavli Theatre, 2/6

Citizen Cope brings his unique rock-n-roll/blues sound to the Fred Kavli Theatre, Friday, February 6, 2015 at 8:00 pm.

Citizen Cope's uncommon sound is something that audiences are drawn to and intrigued by. Much of the intrigue is due to the indescribability of Cope's music. It does not fit any one mold, and that approach holds terrific novelty for audience members and for Citizen Cope himself. Citizen Cope even has trouble explaining his musical approach: "The only way to explain my music is to say you gotta listen to it." "I don't think there is any easy description of it. Somebody once said something about 'urban folk,' which I wasn't mad at."

Born Clarence Greenwood, his life journey is as singular as his art. He is the radically mashed-up product of Greenville, Mississippi; Memphis, Tennessee; Vernon, Texas; Austin, Texas; Washington D.C.; and Brooklyn, New York. These locations are felt everywhere in his stories. His sounds are southern rural, big sky lonely, concrete urban, and painfully romantic.

At its core, Greenwood's music is a perfect blend of soul, rock-and-roll, blues and folk. He draws inspiration from musical giants such as Stevie Wonder and Randy Newman, which adds the distinctive flavor of his music. However, for all the ingredients in this seemingly crowded musical stew, Citizen Cope manages to strip his music down to straightforward human emotion with unadorned lyricism and simple instrumentals.

From day one, Citizen Cope has taken his case to the people. Touring relentlessly, he has brought his stories - with a band or simply with his guitar - to every venue that would have him. His motivation to make music directly in front of people, no matter the size of the crowd, has won him a vast audience in America and abroad.

Single tickets are priced at $66 - $31 with group discounts available. Tickets are available from Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000, online at www.ticketmaster.com, or through the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Box Office, located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard. For more information call 805-449-ARTS (2787) or visit www.civicartsplaza.com.

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