“I have my fantasies of opening for Lucinda Williams or Bonnie Raitt. That would be stupendous,” Natalia Zukerman says. “But I have to say, I’ve gotten to play music with some of my absolute heroes.” From opening for Ani DiFranco and Shawn Colvin, to playing in Susan Werner’s band, Zukerman has solidly established herself in the women’s indie-folk community. Her forthcoming strong, stirring solo album, Come Thief, Come Fire, features a couple more of the scene’s leading ladies, including Erin McKeown and Meghan Toohey. All are part of what Zukerman jokes is “a tribe of other weirdos.”
Although Zukerman grew up in Manhattan to parents who were both professional musicians, it took her a while to find that tribe. “I studied classical music as a kid, and it just didn’t really resonate with me.” So while her sister Arianna Zukerman became a famous opera singer who now teaches voice at Catholic University, it took Natalia some work to unearth her style. The real trigger happened once she picked up the slide guitar as a student at California’s North Indian Classical-minded Ali Akbar College of Music. “I just kind of migrated, started listening to a lot of old country/blues,” she says.
Zukerman will soon make her debut at the Birchmere, opening for another leading member of the tribe, Melissa Ferrick, who she recently supported at the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival.
And who knows, maybe there’ll be another surprise performance during the show, similar to the time when Zukerman played at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, N.J. “It’s a real down and dirty club,” Zukerman explains, “and my sister got up there and sang true lyric soprano for a couple standards. And in the bar you could hear a pin drop.
“We’ll see if we can lure her to the beautiful Birchmere.”
Natalia Zukerman performs Friday, Sept. 12, at 7:30 p.m., at The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $25. Call 703-549-7500 or visit birchmere.com.
Ari Shapiro believes that the longevity of Pink Martini -- three decades and counting -- is "a testament to their creativity, their artistry, their commitment to continuing to evolve and adapt."
Founded in 1994 by Thomas Lauderdale, the small but mighty orchestra with Portland, Oregon, roots blend jazz, classical, cocktail music, calypso, and pop to create a sound both unique and comfortingly familiar. Shapiro, who recently retired from his berth as host of NPR's All Things Considered, has been a featured vocalist with the band for fifteen years.
He'll appear as part of the group's current All-Stars Tour, which hits The Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia, on Thursday, Oct. 2, then Baltimore's Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall on Friday.
The fall looks primed to be a strong season of concerts by -- and appealing to -- the LGBTQ community. Among the highlights in the category of the well-known, consider Andy Bell (Lincoln), Jane Lynch (Strathmore), Renee Rapp (Merriweather), DOECHII (Anthem), and of course All Things Go (Merriweather). In the category of merely appealing, not gay per se, consider The Queens (Capital One Arena), Deborah Cox (Bethesda Theater), and Judith Hill (The Hamilton).
That barely scratches the surface. There's a lot of new -- or perhaps new to you -- queer artists out there, just waiting for you get into them including Katie Pruitt (Union Station, Rams Head), Rio Romeo (Songbyrd), Aaron Lee Tasjan (Jammin Java), Dixon Dallas (Union Stage).
If you need relief from these stressful and angst-ridden times, you're sure to find something to salve your soul in this section. If you crave a good laugh attack, for starters, look to the "Because They're Funny Comedy Festival," or seek out specific comedians and eccentrics known to get the job done, be it John Waters or Paula Poundstone (both coming to the Birchmere), or Jessica Kirson or Margaret Cho (coming to the Warner), or Leslie Jones, who will be at The Clarice later this winter. To name only five.
Of course, if you'd prefer to get serious and really contemplate and converse about our woeful state of affairs, you'll find plenty of ways to do that, as well. Start by consulting the lineup of noted authors coming to local bookstores and even a certain historic synagogue.
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