Culture
Todd Burge’s annual Birthday Bash concert Nov. 26 benefits Parkersburg Arts Center
< < Back to todd-burges-annual-birthday-bash-concert-nov-26-benefits-parkersburg-arts-centerPARKERSBURG, West Virginia (WOUB) — West Virginian singer-songwriter Todd Burge brings his annual Birthday Bash concert to the Parkersburg Arts Center (725 Market St.) Saturday, November 26. Proceeds from the show will partially benefit the arts center.
Joining Burge are fellow West Virginian musicians Johnny Staats, John Inghram, and Bud Carroll.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at this link.
ABOUT THE PERFORMERS:
Todd Burge
Employing wry humor, dexterous guitar work, and drawing on a rich variety of life experiences, Todd Burge has emerged as one of West Virginia’s most prolific singer/songwriters. Burge has played everything from Alternative Rock to Contemporary Folk, performing concerts at festivals and in venues as diverse as CBGB’s, The Country Music Hall of Fame, Songs at the Center (a Syndicated TV show seen on over 400 stations) The Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and of course, literally, hundreds of clubs including the obscure, to the world-famous Caffe Lena, Club Passim and Music City Roots.
He has been a repeat guest on Mountain Stage and has been called “West Virginia’s premier songwriter”, by its artistic director, Larry Groce*.
*Due to a personal conflict, we are sorry to say that Larry Groce will not be able to join us this year.
Johnny Staats
Johnny Staats exploded onto the Nashville and national scene in 2000, when his first CD, “Wires and Wood” by The Johnny Staats Project, was the talk of Music City and quickly received international attention and acclaim. Johnny’s vocals and astonishing guitar and mandolin speed and creativity have since won him a large and varied following worldwide.
John Inghram
Born and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, John Inghram was steeped in the historic music of the region. His mother’s side of the family were church musicians, and he was exposed to bluegrass, country, gospel, and old-time music as a kid. But for Inghram, it is neither the past nor the future that piques his interest. On his self-titled debut album, John Inghram, the accomplished bass player seizes the present moment to step into the spotlight as a frontman. With a collection of 60’s and 70’s psychedelic rock tunes, Inghram sets modern experiences to vintage sounds, allowing his listeners to feel time as circular in nature, hitting on the right now with both nostalgia and innovation.
Inghram moved from Charleston to New York City at the age of nineteen and steeped himself in jazz, rock, blues, funk, and Latin styles at the Collective School of Music. After attending the University of Akron, Inghram was hired by jazz pianist Bob Thompson’s band and began subbing in the house band for NPR’s Mountain Stage radio show, which broadcasts live from his hometown of Charleston. Now an assistant producer on the show, Inghram has continued his work for Mountain Stage while simultaneously building a prominent career as a bassist; working with musical luminaries such as Chuck Prophet, Vince Herman (Leftover Salmon), Joshua Hedley, Catherine Russell (Steely Dan, Bowie), Jane Monheit, Larry Coryell, and Janis Ian. “My whole career has been about serving other people, and other people’s music,” he explains. “And that is beautiful.”
Bud Carroll
Ron Burgandy was born to read the news and to be an “Anchorman.” Bud Carroll was born to rock ‘n’ roll. Born an old gypsy soul in a house full of vinyl records in West Virginia, Carroll began playing guitar at 8, and was playing music three nights a week in clubs by the time he was 13.
By his early 20s, Carroll, who plays guitar, drums, keyboards, cello, organ, bass and lap steel, was an integral part of American Minor, a rock band signed to Jive Records and that toured the U.S., sharing the stage with such acts as The Allman Brothers, Tom Petty, Los Lobos, Drive-By Truckers, Gov’t Mule, Robert Randolph and the Family Band and John Fogerty to name a few.