A unique music and arts festival in Oxford, September 18-27, will bring together Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls and Jon Langford of the Mekons for a rare performance at Rowan Oak, the home of William Faulkner. Festival events will culminate in a benefit concert by songwriter, Neko Case at the Lyric Theatre on Sunday, Sept. 27th at 6 pm. Other highlights will include concerts by Marcella and Her Lovers, Jimbo Mathus and the UM Gospel Choir.
Sarahfest is a week-long celebration presented by University of Mississippi’s Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies in partnership with the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council. The nine-day event will feature live music, films, photography, readings and panel discussions and will conclude with a live performance by Grammy award nominee, Neko Case at the Lyric Theatre on Sunday, Sept. 27 at 5:30 pm. Teardrop City, featuring Tyler Keith, George Sheldon, Laurie Stirratt and Wallace Lester, will open the show.
Proceeds from the Neko Case concert will go to the Sarah Isom Center. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door and are available at the Lyric Theatre.
For a complete schedule of all Sarahfest events, visit: http://sarahfest.rocks.
Dr. Theresa Starkey, Associate Director of the Isom Center, says Sarahfest is a way for the Center to reach out to the Mid-South community and celebrate the contributions of women in the arts while promoting the work of the Center.
“This festival is an opportunity for us to acquaint the community with the work we do at the Center in a non-academic setting and have fun while we’re doing it. We are especially proud that a major recording artist like Neko Case is coming to perform a benefit for the Center. Her generosity will really anchor the festival and give us a way to cap off the week in a strong way.”
Langford and Ray will appear as part of The Thacker Mountain Radio Hour live from the Rowan Oak lawn on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 5 pm. Admission is free. Lawn chairs are welcome; food will be for sale from Oxford Canteen; a cash bar by the Lyric. (No coolers, please). NOTE: A free shuttle will be provided from the Kudzu Lot (Old Taylor Road and Hwy 6 by-pass).
Tickets for the Sunday 10 pm Powerhouse performance, again featuring Ray and Langford, as well as Kelly Hogan, Atlanta band, Tenement Halls, and songwriter Jim Mize with Laurie Stirratt are $10 (door), $7 advance.
Other highlights of the week include a performance by Memphis band, Marcella and Her Lovers on Friday, Sept. 18 at 10 pm at the Lamar Lounge (1309 N Lamar Blvd.), Jimbo Mathus on Sunday, Sept. 20, noon-3 pm at the Lamar Lounge; a screening of the documentary, Girls Rock: The Documentary at the Powerhouse, Tuesday, Sept. 22 and a 3 pm Sunday concert (Sept. 27) by the University of Mississippi Gospel Choir at the Paris-Yates Chapel. Other weekday concerts will also take place at Snackbar and Lamar Lounge.
Singer/songwriter Neko Case was born in Virginia and was raised for the most part in the working-class town of Tacoma, Washington. In addition to her solo career she is known for her work with the rock band, The New Pornographers. For her solo work, she was nominated for a Grammy for her 2006 album, Middle Cyclone. Her 2013 release was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album. It’s called, The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You. Case’s TV appearances include, Austin City Limits, Jimmy Fallon and Comedy Central’s @midnight.
The Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies was established at The University of Mississippi in 1981 to integrate scholarly research on women’s and gender issues with advocacy for women in the classroom, on the campus, and in the larger community.
Article contributed by Jim Dees of Thacker Mountain Radio Show
