THE KNICKERBOCKER MUSIC CENTER
35 Railroad Avenue, Westerly, RI 02891 (Misquamicut) | (401) 315-5070
Open Today: Open
The club thrived as one of the leading entertainment centers in southern New England, hosting regional and national bands with an emphasis on the blues. Some of the greats that played on the Knickerbocker stage included, Big Joe Turner, Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland, Johnny Nicholas, Leon Russell, Eric Burdon and Stevie Ray Vaughan. In 1967, Roomful of Blues was born in Westerly, when guitarist Duke Robillard and pianist Al Copley started a band that played tough, no-holds barred Chicago blues. Making the Knickerbocker Café their home club, it did not take long before they started exploring swinging, jumping blues and added a horn section. Roomful would pack the house every Sunday and still plays their great brand of blues today.
Fast forward and the Café has become the Knickerbocker Music Center, a non-profit organization formed in partnership with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School. The mission of the Knickerbocker Music Center is to preserve, cultivate and grow the “Knick’s” unique brand of blues, as well as expanding access to music of all genres, by transforming the Knick into both an exciting performance venue and an exceptional center for music education.
Christina Holmes
8pm
Saturday, January 26, 2019 at 8:00pm
The Knickerbocker Music Center. 35 Railroad Avenue, Westerly, RI 02891
Live Music
With special guest Kuf Knotz and Christine Elise
Christina Holmes:
When Christina Holmes sings, walls, barriers, and boundaries disappear.
In the classic troubadour tradition, the New Jersey-born and Rhode Island-based songstress shares a piece of herself in every composition, welcoming listeners closer. Finding a sweet spot in the middle of acoustic, folk, reggae, rock, and pop music, she represents the same values and vision on stage and off.
Simply put, what you see is what you get…
“I’m always just very honest and real,” she exclaims. “We’re all human. I allow listeners into my life by going deeper. I’m not afraid to show my vulnerable side. I have a message. I’ve gained so much confidence through music, and I hope I can inspire others to chase their dreams too.”
Holmes began chasing her dream as a kid. Inspired by Bob Marley, Tracy Chapman, The Beach Boys, and The Beatles, she quietly wrote songs in her bedroom and sang in the shower, hiding this burgeoning skill from mom and dad. It took college friends pushing the budding talent to hit the stage during an open mic night in freshman year, but she eventually became hooked on playing out anywhere and everywhere. Between regular open mics around Rhode Island and dive bar gigs in New York City, she linked up with the charity Musicians On Call and performed for countless bedridden hospital patients. 2012 saw her take the stage for the world famous “Amateur Night” at the Apollo and leave with a standing ovation. In 2014, she released her full-length debut Peace, Love, & C. Holmes and joined Trevor Hall for a sold-out North American tour over the course of 2015.
Everything led up to the next move. Launching her own label Cove House in 2017, she dove headfirst into her sophomore effort with producer Warren Huart [Colbie Caillat, James Blunt]. After only two-and-a-half weeks in a Los Angeles studio, she emerged with Stand Up. For the first time, a studio recording captured the prowess of the vocalist’s powerhouse presence on stage.
“Whether I had a band or not, my goal for the album was to bottle the live energy,” she goes on. “That’s how I’ve always connected with others. The sound, vocals, and guitar needed to be urgent. I think we accomplished that.”
Fittingly, the artist introduced the album via marathon of touring alongside the likes of Hall, Xavier Rudd, and Nahko & Medicine for the People. Her live energy shines through the 2018 single “Bring The People Together.” Driven by lithe acoustic guitar and simmering reggae grooves, it presents a concrete mission statement loud and clear.
“The words are super powerful,” she remarks. “The title says it all. I want to bring people together and help them. I want to empower others to spread peace and know the same peace no matter what they’re going through. When they listen to what I’m doing, I hope they feel like they can stand up and defeat anything in their path. It’s my upbeat anthem offering unity to the world.”
From the plaintive lyrical poetry and wind-swept soul of “Let My Music Free Your Soul” to the clarion call of “Stand Up,” her voice resounds with power and passion. However, the final track “Always” tugs at the heartstrings the most. Written after the passing of her dad David Holmes, Sr., it incorporates the last voicemail he left Christina.
“The chorus is comprised of words in a birthday card that he wrote me on my 21st birthday,” she recalls. “I found that card a month after he passed away in one of my guitars. The verse and bridge are my words. The song ends with a voicemail he left me. It’s the love I have for him and the loss I feel not having him anymore. His words are how I feel. I would’ve said the same thing he did.”
In the end, Christina has only just begun to bring people together.
“When you hear my records or see me live, I want you to feel something, whether it’s happy or sad,” she leaves off. “I’d love for you to let go of anything that’s holding you back. Music did that for me.”
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Kuf Knotz and Christine Elise:
MC/ Poet/ Songwriter Kuf Knotz and classically trained Harpist / Guitarist / Pianist / Vocalist Christine Elise have combined forces to create a new album. The unlikely pair connected and built the project with a similar vision, wanting to create positive, forward-thinking music driven by a strong message. Both individuals are intrinsically motivated to foster community growth through musical expression.
Along with live performances among the nightlife, Kuf Knotz and Christine Elise offer motivational creative arts workshops and performances at various settings such as hospitals, schools and community centers. Their mission is to use the power of music, personal experience and empathetic relation to help individuals grow to meet their fullest potential.
Christine Elise has a strong background in music therapy having delivered music therapy services to children, adults, and seniors with developmental delays, special needs and those needing emotional support. Finding a passion for community music therapy, she has facilitated group sessions for professionals and clients in the USA, South Africa, Peru and Jamaica. She has presented at national and regional music therapy conferences, with a focus on her community music therapy work, as well as written three scholarly articles published by Music Therapy Perspectives.
Kuf Knotz is one of todays fastest emerging alternative artists which has led him to open for top acts - Ms Lauryn Hill, The Wailers, The Roots, Common, G-love, Wyclef Jean, Robert Randolph, Arrested Development, Robert Glasper, Inspectah Deck, Steel Pulse, Rising Appalachia, Zac Deputy, Josh Ritter, B.O.B, Bone Thugs & Harmony, Kabaka Pyramid, Yellowman , Soulive , Easy Star Allstars, & Bruce Springsteen, . In addition to his musical talent, Kuf has a strong passion for supporting the community by participating and facilitating fundraising events such as food drives, clothing drives, cancer benefits, and disaster reliefs. He is also a member of the WXPN program Musicians on Call, bringing live music to the bedsides of patients throughout Philadelphia.
With the new album coming out, the pair will be hitting the road this summer, available for full band or smaller acoustic duo shows. Kuf and Christine are very excited about the tour ahead and looking forward to experiencing how the positive journey unfolds.
Show: 8p | Doors: 7p
Tickets: $10 ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges. Seats are on a first-come, first-serve basis, and seats are not guaranteed with ticket purchase.)
Visit Websites: http://www.christinaholmesmusic.com
https://www.kufknotz.com/k-c-project
