The Armory

Tenille Townes with Alexa Wildish

An astute observer of the human condition, Tenille Townes’ discography is rife with stories that reverberate with heavy truths. Following the release of a duet with world-superstar Bryan Adams, the revered songwriter, and CCMA Entertainer of the Year, released a five-song project called the Train Track Work tapes in 2023. Townes conceptualized, wrote, and recorded the EP on a 15-day, 3,000-mile, train trip where she played 65 shows at stops in communities across Canada.

Townes is a 15-time Canadian Country Music Association Award winner (CCMA), a two-time JUNO Awards Country Album of the Year Winner, and a two-time ACM Award-winner. She is also the first female artist in Media base Canada history to achieve two No. 1 singles (Music Canada Gold-certified “Jersey on The Wall (I’m Just Asking),” Music Canada Platinum-certified and RIAA Gold-certified “Somebody’s Daughter”).

Townes has opened for legendary artists such as Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, Shania Twain and George Strait. Townes has also toured extensively outside of the US–last year she performed for fans in Australia, Ireland, Germany, and had a sold-outrun of headlining shows in the UK. Her international touring efforts earned her a nomination for the CMA International Artist Achievement Award.

A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, Townes has been featured by NPR, Variety, Refinery 29, Billboard, Rolling Stone, NBC’s “TODAY,” BBC and more. Additionally, she has raised over $2.5 million for Big Hearts For Big Kids, a non-profit she started when she was 15years old to benefit a youth shelter in her hometown, which has grown to support US-based organizations including the Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee, S.A.F.E. Animal Haven, and the Manna House.

Sean Hayes is a Bay Area singer-songwriter who makes music to dance to or cry to, or maybe both at the same time. He was born in New York City, raised in North Carolina, and honed his earliest musical chops in a band playing Irish and old-time tunes — but his unique style of deeply felt, R&B-inflected folk really matured during his two decades singing and playing in cafes, bars, and night clubs of San Francisco.

His voice layers wonder and heartache upon grit and gravel, sex and soul. His lyrics carry an unpretentious wisdom. He’s dueted with Aimee Mann; been covered by the Be Good Tanyas; and toured with Anais Mitchell (performing songs from Hadestown, before it was an award-winning Broadway show). His songs have appeared on NPR, NBC and HBO.

Esmé Patterson releases her long-awaited 5th full-length album, Notes from Nowhere, early this October, creating a genre-avoidant musical realm that blooms with honesty and magic. Ever provocative, poignant, polymorphic, and prescient (her apocalypse-themed There Will Come Soft Rains, was released on the first day of Covid19 lockdowns in March 2020), Patterson’s latest release returns to the (super)natural world, evoking the chill of dead winter, parched-forest lightning, midday moons, and the cicada hum of summer swamps. Esmé’s intense performances arrest her audience in ears-open shared contemplation. Her music churns and crackles until you find yourself frozen, staring into the fire.

 

Julian Lage with Opening Act TBA

Hailed as one of the most prodigious guitarists of his generation and “highest category of improvising musicians" (New Yorker), Julian Lage has spent more than a decade searching through the myriad strains of American musical history via impeccable technique, free association and a spirit of infinite possibility. The California-born New York-based musician boasts a prolific resume on his own accord in addition to collaborating with Gary Burton and John Zorn, as well as duo projects with Nels Cline, Chris Eldridge and Fred Hersch, among others.

*$1 of every ticket will benefit World Central Kitchen

Dar Williams with Opening Act TBA