Fox Theatre Tucson, Downtown Tucson Partnership Hail Return of Troubadour Thursdays
The Fox Tucson Theatre and the Downtown Tucson Partnership have announced that Troubadour Thursdays will return to downtown Tucson in April. In keeping with the mission of the Fox to enliven Tucson, the weekly musical patio tour hit just the right note last spring – creating an opportunity for many to come out of their pandemic hideaways to enjoy live music in safe surroundings.
This year, with the addition of so many great new patios and eateries in downtown Tucson, Troubadour Thursdays hopes to attract a crowd at each location. Fox Executive Director Bonnie Schock loves this event. “The perfect recipe really: Tucson food, outdoor seating, tunes drifting in the breeze! We’re so delighted to bring this project back to downtown for all to enjoy,” she said.
Each Thursday in April beginning on Apr. 7, different music duos will make their way through downtown, stopping to perform at The Monica, 5-5:25pm, Batch/1055 Brewing, 5:30-5:55pm, The Delta, 6:05- 6:30, Charro Steak and Del Rey,6:40-7:25pm, Perche’ No, 7:35-8pm (times are approximate).
“DTP is excited to once again partner with the Fox for Troubadour Thursdays. The series will be hosted at some of our newest downtown restaurants! This is a not-to-miss spring event for the community and visitors alike”, said Kathleen Eriksen, president and CEO of the Downtown Tucson Partnership.
Troubadour Thursdays Musical Talent
April 7 – Naim Amor
Naim Amor is a French native who grew up in Paris, but in many ways is quintessentially Tucson, having helped define the sound of the Tucson music scene since the mid 90’s. He has released several albums under his own name, and he has played guitar on tour with Howe Gelb, collaborated with John Parish, and performed as a guest guitarist on albums by Dean Owens, Fredda, Howe Gelb, Marianne Dissard, Andrew Colberg, Al Foul and among others. He also composes film/short film soundtracks including the musical score for the award-winning PBS documentary film “Precious Knowledge.”
April 14 – Birds and Arrows
Originally from Chapel Hill, N.C., Andrea and Pete Connolly of Birds and Arrows have been making music together for more than 15 years, and this familiarity and cohesion certainly shows. Performing live their sound makes them seem much larger than a duo as they churn out music that can jump from personal ballads to psychedelic rock. Over the past 10 years, Birds and Arrows have released four full length records, “Starmaker” in 2008, “We’re Gonna Run” in 2009, “Coyotes” in 2013, and “Edge of Everything” in 2015. During that time, they also released a holiday EP “Holiday Forever” from which, songs have been featured on compilations with Wilco, Big Star, Yo La Tengo, Whiskeytown and more. After many years spent as an integral part of the N.C. triangle music scene, the band recently relocated to the southwest.
April 21 Nico Barbaren
Nico Barberan is an eclectic guitarist, singer, and composer born and raised in Santiago, Chile. After earning a bachelor’s degree in music in Chile, Nico Barberan moved to Chicago, US, to immerse himself in the city’s diverse music scene, and completed a master’s degree in classical guitar. Since then, his musical career has taken him to step on important stages and festivals in states such as Tennessee (Nashville), Illinois (Chicago), Milwaukee (Wisconsin), Cedar Rapids (Iowa), Michigan City (Indiana), Phoenix and Tucson (Arizona). Also, his international career has reached stages in Chile (Santiago and Concepcion), Mexico (Huatulco and Mexico City), and Colombia (Popayan).
April 28 – Olivia Reardon
Olivia Reardon is a pinch of Erykah soul, a drop of the gospel-tinged blues of The Black Crowes and a bit of everything else that has shaped good music over the years. She’s like a great mixtape. Reardon offers phenomenal musicianship with the forte focusing on the art of variation; she leans into deep and soulful original tunes with jazz tendencies that often stretch song formats allowing her a lot of room for spontaneous creativity. Getting her early start in Los Angeles, Slash invited her to sit in with his Guns N’ Roses bandmates- which led to more bookings. This went on for a decade before she decided Tucson was where she wanted to build her band, Miss Olivia and The Interlopers.
