What a great night! A sold out concert with enough room left over to breathe. . . barely. Ok, so I don't think this was actually called "The Baby Tour," but a lot has happened to duo Alathea since we first met them in 2008. Cristi married and had a baby. Mandy married and had a baby. They sold the cabin in the woods. Wow. Which all means they had a lot more stories to share with us. Oh, and some mighty good new songs! But if you want to read more about the happenings with these ladies, both the joys and the challenges, read their blog. Visiting their home page is also a great way to sample their music.
But perhaps you don't know Alathea? I'd describe their music as home-spun Americana, with a touch of bluegrass, country, folk, and pop, set down in the midst of often funny and poignant stories. It's a great combination, and their music particularly resonates in a house concert setting, as they enjoy simply hanging out with people for an evening of music and fellowship (and a little light food and drink). But wait. Here's what they say on their official bio:
Winners of numerous acoustic music and songwriting awards—including the 2011 We Are Listening Int’l Singer/Songwriter competition and Best Group/Duo at the Int’l Acoustic Music Awards (2010)—Alathea takes stories from their own lives and weaves them into music that’s instantly relatable. Perhaps such relevance is because the music is born from community; perhaps it’s through the intentional effort to find the modern in the traditional and to complement roots-based, acoustic music with vocal purity and smoky harmonies. Alathea
stretches from singer/songwriter fare to bluegrass-inflected pop tunes, creating a sound reminiscent of artists like Indigo Girls and Mindy Smith. Alathea travels around the country and across the world averaging over 150 events each year that include NPR’s Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour, Pennsylvania’s acclaimed Musikfest, Bristol’s Rhythm and Roots Reunion as well as performances in Europe and Asia.
It was a delight to have Mandee and Cristi with us. Please enjoy the pictures. And next time they come, you come!