Folk favorite Tom Rush celebrates 50 years of performing with SOPAC concert 10/11, new CD/DVD

The consummate contemporary folk musician,
singer-songwriter and “man with the golden ear” Tom Rush, will
perform at the South Orange Performing Arts Center in South Orange,
NJ, on Friday, October 11, in support of his newly released live 2-disc
CD/DVD, Celebrates 50 Years of Music, on the Appleseed Recordings
label. Co-headlining the show is another performer with roots in the Sixties, John
Sebastian, former leader of the Lovin' Spoonful, solo artist, and, coincidentally,
a sideman on several early Rush recordings.



Here’s why you should care: After he started his career in the mid-Sixties
as a folk/blues singer and guitarist based in Boston/Cambridge, Tom helped
meld folk and rock with his 1965 album, Take a Little Walk with Me.
His next album, 1968's The Circle Game, was singled out by Rolling Stone
as the record that ushered in the singer-songwriter era, presenting
songs by Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne and James Taylor before they
had released any albums themselves. Taylor has called him “not
only one of my early heroes, but also one of my main

influences") That album also featured what has become Tom's best
known original song, "No Regrets," subsequently a cover version
hit in the country, pop and rock (Midge Ure) charts; U2
performed the song on stage at the Grammy Awards a few years ago. 

Although he’s been steadily touring for decades, in 2009
Tom released his first studio album in 35 years, What I Know,
declared the Album of the Year by the Folk Alliance International of
industry professionals and musicians. His new Celebrates 50 Years of
Music CD/DVD is a jubilant document of a December 2012 concert that
Rush organized to mark his half century as a professional musician, performing
songs from his classic repertoire of well-chosen cover songs and a back
catalogue of sterling originals. His special guests at the concert, and on the
recording, included “godfather of Americana” David Bromberg, fellow New
England-based troubadours Jonathan (“Sunshine”) Edwards and Buskin
& Batteau, and singer/multi-instrumentalist Dom Flemons from the
Grammy-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops, all taking a turn in the
spotlight and serving in the stellar house band.

Rush is no stranger to newer generations of music fans. A
live YouTube clip of Tom performing the hilarious “Remember Song”
has drawn more than six million hits in the past few years, so he’s
reaching a wider audience than ever. His relaxed, expressive baritone,
accomplished guitar-playing, droll humor and infallible taste in writing and
choosing material have made him a perennial favorite among folk-oriented music
lovers. Exclaim Magazine in Canada nailed it: “Never miss a chance to
see Tom Rush live: he’s got that rare one-of-a-kind quality that makes you
realize you’ve seen somebody who really matters.” 

Ticket
prices: $27-$55

For more information and to purchase tickets: call 973-313-ARTS,
or visit the http://www.sopacnow.org/567/john-sebastian-tom-rush website.