The Legendary David Bromberg will stop by Nelsonville on Saturday.
A legendary star will be stopping by southern Ohio this weekend for a collage of music performances.
Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and singer David Bromberg and his Quintet will perform at Stuart’s Opera House on Saturday.
Bromberg’s notable songs include “Mr. Bojangles,” “Try Me One More Time” and “New Lee Highway Blues.” His most recent releases include “Keep on Drinkin’” and “Nobody’s Fault but Mine” from his 2013 album, Only Slightly Mad.
His diverse musical catalog of New Orleans slow drag jazz, blues, country and rock expand back to the 1960s.
Brian Koscho, the marketing director of Stuart’s Opera House, said this is a rare opportunity for fans to see a big star like Bromberg at Stuart’s.
“Bromberg is someone they would not want to miss,” Koscho said. “He has recorded with some of music’s biggest names. His diversity as a songwriter and performer makes him a perfect fit for the Athens area and Stuart’s.”
He has collaborated with musicians and groups such as Bob Dylan, The Grateful Dead, George Harrison and The Beastie Boys.
Mark McKenna,general manager of Bromberg, said his performance style of improvising is a “performance art.”
“Many bands’ shows are worked out to a tee while David’s isn’t structured,” McKenna said. “This benefits the audience by keeping everything fresh and making sure the audience hears a variety of music.”
Bromberg said the comfort level his group has with each other on stage allows them to perform at distinguished locations.
“The current group of musicians I am with is the best group I’ve worked with,” Bromberg said. “We play at better venues than people who have had much more commercial success than us because people like our live shows.”
Koscho said Stuart’s holds more than 75 events a year, including concerts like Bromberg’s. Some of the names that have been in attendance include Dr. John, The Avett Brothers, Gillian Welch, Old Crow Medicine Show and Yo La Tengo.
“We reach out to people who have been to similar shows at Stuart’s to let our audience know what’s coming up,” Koscho said. “We’re always finding new ways to reach people, and we’re lucky to have a loyal audience who sees what we have coming up.”
Bromberg said groups who perform in towns like Nelsonville can often be gratifying.
“I find that in smaller towns, people are happier to see you,” he said. “They don’t get the opportunity very often to see big acts.”
{{tncms-asset app="editorial" id="e4fd3200-db2d-11e5-9fef-277de51b73e5"}}
Even though a huge amount of work is put into making their product, Bromberg’s number one goal is to spread enjoyment.
“We have a good time in the band nearly always,” he said. “If we can’t, it’s our job to make sure the audience enjoys themselves.”
McKenna said the main factor the audience can look forward to this weekend is Bromberg's authenticity.
“The audience will appreciate that David is very sincere with his music,” he said “People really respond to that no matter their background whether they are in a small town or big city.”
—Tickets are available at the door before show beginning at 7 p.m.
@jcooke1996
