New Shows Set For the Spire Theatre in Plymouth

The Spire Center for Performing Arts in Plymouth, MA announced three new shows. New England's premier Gypsy Jazz Group Rhythm Future Quartet will perform on January 12,  Boston all-star group A Band of Killers on February 3, and Steve Forbert & Freedy Johnston on February 9. 

The acoustic jazz ensemble Rhythm Future Quartet performs dynamic and lyrical arrangements of both Gypsy jazz standards and original compositions that draw upon diverse international rhythms and musical idioms. Jason Anick, an award-winning composer and violinist, leads the quartet with guitarists Max O'Rourke and Henry Acker and bassist Greg Loughman.

Anick has shared the stage with various artists, including Grammy award-winning guitarist John Jorgenson, Stevie Wonder, The Jim Kweskin Jug Band, and Tommy Emmanuel. Henry Acker is a young powerhouse jazz guitarist who has shared the stage with jazz greats Bucky Pizzarelli, Frank Vignola, Julian Lage, Bireli Lagrene, and Vic Juris. He is a five-time winner of the Downbeat Magazine Student Award for jazz guitar soloist.

Guitarist Max O'Rourke won the 2015 Saga Award from DjangoFest Northwest, and 22 has already toured/recorded with many of the top American Gypsy Jazz musicians, including John Jorgenson and Gonzalo Bergara. Greg Loughman is a well-known bassist in Boston who has played with renowned musicians, including Sheila Jordan, Curtis Fuller, and George Garzone.

A Band Of Killers features some of the top players in the Boston music scene who have worked with and alongside some of the best in the business. Led by Johnny Trama (known for his work with Bettye Lavette, The Silks, Dub Apocalypse, and The B3 Kings), the group also includes singer and guitarist Tim Gearan, Tom Arey (known for his work with Peter Wolf, The J. Geils Band, and G. Love) on drums, and Marc Hickox (known for his work with Bettye Lavette and Charlie Musselwhite) on base. On keyboards is Darby Wolf (known for his work with Bettye Lavette and Rubblebucket). Their music pays homage to the roots of early soul and classic rock, reflected in their unique sound.

Steve Forbert helped pioneer the genre's mix of folk, roots rock, and richly delivered storytelling. His 1979 song "Romeo's Tune" reached No. 11 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and No. 13 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. He was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2004 for Best Traditional Folk category with his album "Any Old Time." He has released 20 studio albums and three live albums since then.

He's been a torchbearer of that sound for more than four decades since, navigating the twists and turns of an acclaimed career that's taken him from gold records to Grammy nominations, from New York City's CBGB to Nashville's Bluebird Cafe, from his 1978 debut album to 2022's vital and versatile Moving Through America.

Freedy Johnston is a singer-songwriter originally from Kinsley, Kansas. He moved to New York in the 1980s and worked as an office temp for a few years before landing a deal with Bar None Records in Hoboken. His second record for them was his breakthrough album, 1992's Can You Fly. He then signed to Elektra Records and, in 1994, worked with producer Butch Vig on his most significant record, This Perfect World, which featured the radio hit "Bad Reputation." It earned him Rolling Stone's Songwriter of the Year award for 1994. His songs were featured in the movies "Kingpin," "Kicking and Screaming" and "Heavy".

Rhythm Future Quartet will perform on Friday, January 12, A Band of Killers on Saturday, February 3, and Steve Forbert & Freedy Johnston on Friday, February 9. The Spire is located at 25 ½ Court Street in Plymouth, MA. Tickets go on sale on Saturday, December 14, 2023 at 6:00 am at spirecenter.org. The Spire is handicap accessible, public parking is available streetside, and in public lots near the venue. 

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