Tucson, AZ---There is nothing quite like the sound of spring on the Plaza at Hotel Congress. The air is filled with camaraderie as guests fill the nearby patio at Cup Café enjoying exceptional food and drinks, and another season of great entertainment is underway on the plaza stage. This spring, the plaza is loaded with events including the sensational annual spring concert series from Rhythm and Roots, Tucson’s respected long running promoter of Americana Roots, Blues, Folk, Bluegrass, and anything else that picks, plucks or strums a stringed instrument. Hotel Congress entertainment director David Slutes is pleased to present a rich variety of offerings. “What we love about Rhythm and Roots is that they deliver the best in handpicked national artists, including some of the country’s best emerging talent, as well as the cream of the crop local artists. In combination with the other acts and events we showcase at the Hotel, the staggering array of rock and dance events in the venerable Club Congress, and cutting-edge jazz in the Century Room, we consider ourselves the entertainment destination in downtown Tucson”. For a complete entertainment list, ticket sales and additional information visit hotelcongress.com.
HOTEL CONGRESS PLAZA MARCH ENTERTAINMENT
RHYTHM & ROOTS PRESENTS
Saturday March 4, show at 6:30 PM, doors 6 - Vanessa Collier: Blues Phenomenon Won 2022 “Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year.”- $20 adv, $25 day of show
With a dual degree from Berklee, this master musician and multi-instrumentalist, weaves funk, soul, rock, and blues into every powerful performance. With soulful vocals, searing saxophone, and witty songwriting, Vanessa is blazing her own trail, racking up an impressive arsenal of honors. A 2013 graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music, she’s toured nationally and internationally, released four critically acclaimed albums (2014’s Heart, Soul & Saxophone, 2017’s Meeting My Shadow, and 2018’s Honey Up, 2020’s Heart On The Line. Honey Up spent 9 weeks atop the Billboard Blues Album Charts Top 15, 3 months on the Living Blues Charts at #10 and #23 and continues to be spun on Sirius XM’s B.B. King’s Bluesville radio station. Vanessa has won 3 Blues Music Awards – two for “Horn Player of the Year” in 2019 and 2020 and one in 2022 for “Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year.” (Note---she was recently nominated for her 9th, 2023 Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year award)
Saturday March 4, show at 7:30 PM, doors 7- The Queen's Cartoonists: Musical Mayhem and Your Favorite Childhood Cartoons - $20 adv, $25 day of show
The Queen’s Cartoonists perform music from cartoons. Pulling from over 100 years of animation, TQC’s performances are perfectly synchronized to the cartoons projected on stage. Original soundtracks are created note-for-note, or the band writes their own fresh compositions to modern pieces, all the while breathing new life into two uniquely American forms of art: jazz and animation. Tying everything together is the band's unique brand of comedy - anecdotes about the cartoons and their composers, stream-of-consciousness humor, and elements of a musical circus. Witness your favorites - Bugs Bunny, The Roadrunner and Wylie Coyote, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and more as they interact with the musicians on stage. Expect the unexpected from the Golden Age of Animation, cult cartoon classics, and modern animated films.
Friday March 31 - doors 7pm, Show 730pm – Chris Pierce, American Singer Song-writer - $12 Advance, $16 day of show
With deep roots in blues, folk, and indie, Pierce provides a perfect backdrop of guitar to his fierce and soaring vocals. With a voice that’s been compared to Ray Charles, Pierce packs powerful messages into song. His 2021 album, American Silence, garnered critical acclaim for its strong racial justice themes. Soulful, wise, and empathetic, Pierce is not afraid to make some listeners uncomfortable. PopMatters named American Silence THE #1 Best Folk Album of 2021. Pierce gained national prominence with “We Can Always Come Back To This” which aired on 3 episodes of the #1 NBC primetime series ‘THIS IS US,’ then went on to #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart. Based in California, his recordings have been featured in many films, advertisements, and TV series. Pierce has performed with: B.B. King, Seal, Al Green, Allison Russell, Colbie Caillat, Jill Scott, Keb’Mo, Blind Boys of Alabama, Aaron Neville & others. At a young age, Pierce developed a rare hearing disorder called Otosclerosis that led to the loss of hearing in one ear and partial deafness in the other, a setback that would deter many young musicians forever. The reality, however, fueled Chris’ passion and determination, forcing him to re-learn almost everything he had known prior to his condition. To Chris, music was, and still is, an unconditional companion.
Saturday April 15th, Doors 7pm, Show 7:30pm – Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands: Legendary Icon of West Coast Folk & Bluegrass - $20 Advance, $25 day of show
Laurie Lewis is an inspiration to many and a ground-breaker—across genres, across geography and across gender barriers. A hugely respected bandleader, songwriter, singer and musician, Lewis has influenced many of the next generation of American roots artists, including Molly Tuttle, Front Country, Della Mae and countless others. For Laurie, the traditions of bluegrass and folk aren’t just tools in her hands but burning sources of inspiration that have driven her through a 30+ year career at the forefront of American roots music. A pioneering woman in bluegrass, Laurie has paved the way for many young women today, always guided by her own love of traditional music and the styles of her heroes that came before. Since her debut in 1986, Laurie has recorded over 20 albums, she’s been voted twice for IBMA’s Female Vocalist of the Year, and her classic rendition of Kate Long’s song, “Who Will Watch the Home Place?” won International Bluegrass Song of the Year. And Herr latest album with her band the Right Hands, The Hazel and Alice Sessions, was nominated for the Best Bluegrass Recording Grammy in 2017.
Tuesday, March 7th 7:00pm – Lucky Devils Band Showcase - FREE on the Hotel Congress Plaza Doors 7pm, Show 8pm — THE LUCKY DEVILS BAND –The Lucky Devils Band, a customizable event band, showcase their talents! This showcase is the band rehearsal.
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HOTEL CONGRESS PRESENTS (A Sampling of March Events)
Thursday, March 9th 7:00pm - Deke Dickerson & the Whippersnappers with Frank and Deans $15
Deke Dickerson has devoted his long career to keeping America’s roots music alive while interjecting new creativity into genres of music that flourished in previous decades. Dickerson has been carrying the torch since he was 13, playing his first rockabilly band in his hometown of Columbia, Missouri. He moved to Los Angeles at the age of 22 and recently formed his newest group Deke Dickerson and the Whippersnappers. He has provided rootsy music for many television shows and movie projects.
Friday, March 10 -12, 6:00pm - Tucson Swing Festival 2023 at Hotel Congress & Armory Park
Featuring Lizzy and the Triggermen, Wholly Cats Jazz Band, Mysterious Babies, Burque Jazz Bandits, Sonoran Switch Weekend. $80 / plus ala carte ticketing for individual shows.
About Hotel Congress
The Historic Hotel Congress is located at 311 E Congress in downtown Tucson, AZ. For information about entertainment. dining and lodging at visit www.hotelcongress.com or call 520-622-8848.
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