Englert Theatre Announces Summer 2012 Events: Marc Cohn, Mary Chapin Carpenter and More

The Englert Theatre today announced a batch of new summer events:

July 12: Marc Cohn
July 20: Paula Poundstone
July 21: Mary Chapin Carpenter
July 24: Todd Snider & Hayes Carll
August 7: Steve Earle and the Dukes
August 9: Taj Mahal Trio

The summer schedule features a number of critically-acclaimed performers — including 4 Grammy-award winning musicians. The season kicks off with singer-songwriter Marc Cohn, who brings his poignant songwriting to the Englert on July 12. One of America’s foremost comics and NPR’s Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me panelist, Paula Poundstone will have audiences laughing with her unique and spontaneous humor on July 20. Performing songs from her latest album Ashes and Roses, five-time Grammy Award winner Mary Chapin Carpenter makes her debut on the Englert stage July 21. Todd Snider and Hayes Carll share the bill for a special night of music on July 24, playing their authentic blend of rock 'n' roll, folk, country, and Americana. After a nearly sold out show in September 2011, Steve Earle returns to the Englert stage on August 7. Finally, on August 9 influential blues and roots music artist Taj Mahal brings his trio to the Englert.

Tickets for all events are available now online at englert.org, or by calling the Englert Box Office at 319/688-2653.

Marc Cohn
Thursday, July 12, 2012 at 8:00pm
Tickets: $30 Advance / $32 Day of Show

As a Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter, Marc Cohn combines the precision of a brilliant tune-smith with the passion of a great soul man. He's a natural storyteller, balancing the exuberant with the poignant, and able to distill universal truth out of his often romantic, drawn-from-life tales. Audiences will be captivated by Cohn’s soulful vocals and skilled musicianship as he performs such classics as “Walking in Memphis”, “Silver Thunderbird”, and “True Companion.”

Paula Poundstone
Friday, July 20, 2012 at 8:00pm
Tickets: $35 Reserved Seating / $55 Golden Circle

Paula Poundstone, one of the foremost comics working today, draws on her own complex life: three kids, 13 cats, motherhood, a demanding job and crazy travel schedule, her frustration at getting older, and a bag of neuroses, including her famous inability to ever shut up. In other words: she’s just like the rest of us. Best known for her hilarious perspective on NPR's Wait Wait…Don't Tell Me, Poundstone engages audience members in a humorous dialogue in which she manages to gently make fun of society and some of the nutty things we do, even managing to handle politics without provoking the pall of disapproval that less-artful comics have received. Paula Poundstone will have audiences laughing with her rare talent and spontaneous wit.

Mary Chapin Carpenter
Saturday, July 21, 2012 at 8:00pm
Tickets: $35 Reserved Seating

Five-time Grammy Award winner Mary Chapin Carpenter will make her debut on the Englert stage on July 21st, performing songs from her newest album, Ashes and Roses. Carpenter, who has sold over 13 million albums throughout her 20-year career, has perfected a unique combination of folk, country, and rock ‘n’ roll that can be heard in prime form on Ashes and Roses. The album was written during a particularly tumultuous time in Carpenter’s life, and takes listeners on an emotional journey. "Ashes and Roses is a record about grief and loss, but it has an arc,” she says. “It does go from night into day. I feel like it travels through some of the hardest, most difficult territory to a place of renewal.” Join Mary Chapin Carpenter as she brings her engaging sound to the intimate setting of The Englert Theatre.

Todd Snider & Hayes Carll
Tuesday, July 24, 2012 at 8:00pm
Ticketing: $22 Advance / $25 Day of Show

Todd Snider and Hayes Carll share the bill for a special night of music. Fans of rock 'n' roll, folk, country and Americana music have long been held in Todd Snider's sway. Fiery rock, twangy country, pensive folk, and even a touch of gospel is prevalent throughout Hayes Carll's music. Audiences will receive a rare treat as the two perform back-to-back on the Englert stage.

Steve Earle and the Dukes
Tuesday, August 7, 2012 at 8:00pm
Tickets: $35 Reserved Seating

In the strictest sense, Steve Earle isn't a country artist, he is a roots rocker. Earle emerged in the mid-'80s, after Bruce Springsteen had introduced populist rock & roll and Dwight Yoakam had kick-started the neo-traditionalist movement in country music. At first, Earle appeared to be more toward the rock side than country. He played stripped-down neo-rockabilly that occasionally verged on outlaw country. His unwillingness to conform to the rules of Nashville or to rock & roll meant that he never broke into the mainstream. Instead, he cultivated a dedicated cult following, drawing from both country and rock audiences. He remains a vital element in contemporary American music.

Taj Mahal Trio
Thursday, August 9, 2012 at 8:00pm
Ticketing: $35 Reserved Seating / $50 Golden Circle

Composer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Taj Mahal is one of the most prominent and influential figures in late-20th century blues and roots music. Though his career began more than four decades ago with American blues, he has broadened his artistic scope over the years to include music representing virtually every corner of the world – west Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, the Hawaiian islands and so much more. What ties it all together is his insatiable interest in musical discovery. Over the years, his passion and curiosity have led him around the world, and the resulting global perspective is reflected in his music today.